Nineteen Suwannee River Basin agriculturists will be recognized for their exceptional natural resource stewardship with a County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) award during a dinner on Thursday. The event will be held at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center – Suwannee Valley in Live Oak, beginning at 6 p.m.

The 13th annual CARES event will honor farmers and ranchers from seven area counties who have implemented Best Management Practices (BMPs) to maximize the conservation and protection of natural resources on their properties.

Out of the 19 agriculturalists being honored, five are from Suwannee County. They are George Wayne Ross of the George Ross Farm; Ken Weaver of Weaver Farms; James Reeves of the Jaime, Dylin, Patty, and James Reeves Farm; Kevin and Stevie Dasher of K&S Farms; and Don and Laura Cooper of Cooper Farms.

Farm owners who have met verifiable standards of excellence in resource management receive a CARES designation and an identifying CARES sign to post on their property recognizing them for their commitment in taking the lead as environmental stewards.

“We are proud of our farmers and ranchers,” said John Hoblick, president of Florida Farm Bureau. “This award demonstrates their passion to produce safe, abundant food while being excellent stewards of our land and water.”

The CARES event will include a casual dinner with fresh farm foods and an awards presentation with special guest speaker Hoblick. More than 800 guests are expected to attend to honor their peers.

The CARES program was created by Florida Farm Bureau and the Suwannee River Partnership in 2001 to promote public recognition of state-of-the art agriculture production techniques. In partnership with more than 60 public agencies, CARES has become a model for the rest of the nation. More than 550 agriculturists statewide have received the CARES award.