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Evergreen Soil & Water reports $2.18 million in county‑benefiting funds and outlines new Atkins facility and outreach plans
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Summary
Evergreen Soil & Water told the board it helped bring roughly $2.18 million into Smith County through NRCS and other grants, described a new office in Atkins, planned demonstration plots and outreach events, and asked supervisors to attend a June 16 outreach event at the Atkins office.
Representatives from Evergreen Soil & Water presented their annual update to the Smyth County Board of Supervisors, summarizing grant awards, local projects and plans for expanded outreach and facilities.
Jenna Wall (speaker 12) said Evergreen used NRCS and state programs to support agricultural practices and local conservation work and reported a total of $2,176,655.44 in funding through NRCS and Evergreen‑administered programs for fiscal year 2025. She said NRCS‑funded programs supported roughly 380 practices and noted other grants and donations ranging from a few thousand dollars for youth programs to six‑figure operational support from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Mike Warren, senior conservation specialist for Evergreen Soil & Water, described a new office at the old GED center in Atkins that provides office space and potential classrooms. Warren said the office already hosted partner meetings, a USDA roundtable and will be used for demonstration plots and farmer outreach to address drought resilience and production practices. He said Evergreen manages contracted projects in the county approaching $800,000 and operates rental seeding equipment that seeded approximately 821 acres.
Presenters highlighted partnerships, scholarship programs, youth conservation camps and donated equipment and materials. They invited supervisors and residents to an outreach event scheduled for June 16 at 5:00 p.m. at the Atkins office.
Board members thanked Evergreen for the funding that, they said, flows back into local businesses and supports economic development through local contracting for conservation work.
