John Lewis Jones (07/04/1931 -08/27/2014) was inducted into the Blackwater Soil and Water Conservation District’s “Hall of Fame” this year in recognition of his many conservation efforts within the local farming community.
His son, Keith Jones, accepted the award on his father’s behalf from Trent Mathews, District Conservationist, this past February.
John Lewis Jones was well known and loved in the local Santa Rosa County farming community. Following in his parents’ footsteps, he actively farmed land in the Allentown and Berrydale communities for over four decades. Season after season Jones worked hard at various operations from raising cattle to growing peanuts, cotton, and soybeans. He strongly believed in taking care of what was his; this land which gave him and his family sustenance. This was evident by his installation of countless conservation practices over the years from rotational grazing to terraces. Mr. Jones was very much a ‘salt of the earth’ kind of person. He just had at his core a deep love, passion, and respect for the farming tradition, for his family, and for the community.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Late Santa Rosa County Farmer inducted into SWCD Hall of Fame