The Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District has a lot of new faces, and a few you may recognize. We’ll be taking the next few weeks to introduce and re-introduce you to our wonderful team, share more about their role at the District, and a bit about each of them. The next feature in our Meet our Team series is Lindsey Hayes. Lindsey joined the District as the first-ever Director of Operations in January of 2020. Prior to her role with the District, Lindsey spent over a decade with the Decatur County Extension office, most recently as the County Extension Coordinator where she was named Decatur County Ag Woman of the Year. As Director of Operations, Lindsey oversees the operations and administration of all District programs, provides support in securing funding and opportunities for expanding District projects, and oversees and support the District team. Read our interview with Lindsey below!
Where are you originally from?
I was raised in Decatur County and my husband and I are fortunate to now raise our family in the same community.
What impact to you hope to make as a part of the District?
It is my hope to help provide a foundation for people to realize that even small conservation practices done consistently over time make a great difference. Having a background in public service and truly understanding the importance of agriculture to our economy and well-being, I am excited to offer support to the FRSWCD team and the nine counties that the district encompasses.
What inspires you to work in conservation?
As a multi-generational farm kid, I’ve appreciated the sustainability and conservation efforts of my ancestors and see the importance of conservation and stewardship for future generations. Without a doubt, agriculture is the backbone of America and being a part of an organization like FRSWCD that helps to ensure agricultural sustainability through innovation, conservation, and building dynamic partnerships is a tremendous privilege for me.
If you were a common Georgia crop, what would it be?
If I were a common Georgia crop, I would be a peanut! Peanuts thrive in southern warm climates and Georgia produces more peanuts than any other state. As a farm family, boiled peanuts are a staple in our house during the late summer and early fall months and peanut products are a favorite in our daily diets. For me, there is nothing more southern than boiled peanuts on a hot summer day and peanuts signify the traditions and heritage of the “good days.”
What could we find you doing on a typical Saturday afternoon?
On a Saturday afternoon you can generally find me outside. With four children, weekends are typically busy around our home. Whether I am helping our kids work with their youth livestock projects or doing yard work, I am typically outside.