Anthony Howell has done a tremendous amount of work for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) during his time as a conservationist over the past 20 years. Howell took on the role with the USDA and NRCS in 2002 when he left his previous position as a water quality specialist with the Peanut Soil and Water Conservation District. He left his USDA and NRCS position at the end of December and will be greatly missed.

During his time in this role, Anthony Howell contributed to conservation and the teaching of practices pertaining thereto. He was on the Dinwiddie UNIT Extension leadership council where he contributed to finding agricultural, natural resources, and community sciences problems and youth and community developments affecting  Dinwiddie. Additionally, Howell was a part of the VSU Small Farm Outreach Program, where he acted as a management specialist with USDA and NRCS. With all of his experience, he taught students about conservation and farm equipment and advised farmers directly on how to improve their soil health.

Anthony Howell has also worked with our Soil and Water District team directly. He acted as a representative for NRCS reports at Soil and Water Conservation District meetings for years and hosted conjoint workshops where he went over steps to implement for better soil health.

It comes as no surprise that Anthony Howell and his son, Trenton Howell, were awarded the 2021 Field to Market “Trusted Advisor” from the Nationals Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture. This father-and-son duo was recognized for their demonstrations of strong dedication to helping farmers in Virginia better their land management and incomes. We are sad to see Anthony Howell leave but know that the differences he has made in the conservation field will continue to improve environmental health.