The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) has named this year's sustainable-agriculture award recipients:

Activist of the Year, Smithson Mills, Asheville, N.C. Mills has
distinguished himself as a dedicated friend of sustainable farming over many
years. He has helped to create some of the most successful agriculture
projects in North Carolina and has brought over $2 million in grants to the
state. As director of the Richard L. Hoffman Center for Assessment and
Research Alliances at Mars Hill College, Mills has done important research
in the area of community food security and other farm issues. "Mills has
been instrumental in pushing regional food security forward, said Roland
McReynolds, CFSA Executive Director. "We could not have done this without
his hard work and vision."

Business of the Year, Blue Ridge Food Ventures, Enka, NC. Blue Ridge Food
Ventures (BRFV) provides a processing facility and marketing resources to
food entrepreneurs and local farmers on a rental basis. The
government-inspected facility provides wet, dry and natural processing
equipment, storage, coolers and freezers. This helps farmers develop
value-added products such as jams, baked goods, sauces, pickles, dips and
condiments. BRFV helps small businesses and family farms to compete in a
larger marketplace and diversify their markets. "This kitchen facility's
potential is endless. ... BRFV has enabled me to open a production company with
very little out-of-pocket cost", says Asheville business owner Kim Austin.