NORWICH – Chenango County’s leaders in water, soil, forestry and agricultural conservation gathered at the Canasawacta Country Club in Norwich on Wednesday to laud local industries committed to natural conservation during the annual Soil and Water Conservation District award ceremony.

This year, the celebration spotlighted two Chenango County businesses: Perfect Circle Forestry of Guilford, recipient of the Forestry Achievement Award; and Angel Rose Dairy of Bainbridge, awarded as the district’s 2012 Farm of the Year. Each award is presented with upmost honors, recognizing the agricultural achievements of both

businesses as a model that preserves the mission of the Chenango County Soil and Water Conservation District (CCSWCD).

“Farmers have faced so many difficult challenges over the last year,” said USDA representative and conservationist Lauren Johnson, who opened the ceremony with a recap of the last year – everything from the floods of 2011, to the drought brought on in the early summer months – and shared his vision of what local agriculturalists and conservationists can look forward to in the coming year. “Who would have thought that we would have gone from having too much water last year to not having enough this year,” he joked.

Johnson’s message was optimistic. “I think 2013 is going to be a big year,” he added. “I think what we are going to see is a lot of small farmers that grow and keep getting bigger in the future.”