The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) applauds the appointment of Jimmy Emmons to serve as Assistant Chief of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
As Assistant Chief, Emmons will help lead conservation programs that provide critical resources and technical assistance to America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to improve working lands conservation, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitats.
“Jimmy Emmons is a trusted and steadfast voice for soil and water conservation,” said NACD President Gary Blair. “A third-generation farmer and cow-calf operator, Jimmy brings to this role vast experience implementing conservation on his own land and educating others about conservation benefits. NACD and our nation’s conservation districts look forward to working with Jimmy in his new role to continue to grow participation and trust in our nation’s voluntary, locally led conservation delivery system.”
On his farm and cow-calf operation, Emmons’ utilizes conservation best management practices, such as no-till farming, cover crops, and crop rotation to improve soil health and bolster resilience to drought and market fluctuations.
Prior to being appointed to this role with NRCS, Emmons was the Senior Vice President for Conservation Programs with Trust In Food™, a Farm Journal Initiative. Before that, he was a Regional Coordinator for USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Mission Area. Involved for years with conservation districts, Emmons is an NACD Soil Health Champion. He also served on the board of the Dewey County Conservation District in Oklahoma, and he is a past president of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts.
