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Why Participate?
Show Your Continued Commitment
The Environmental Respect Awards objectives; to honor ag supply retailers who are preserving and protecting the environment, to encourage other retailers to step up and declare their commitment, and to share the good news about environmentally-responsible agriculture, are behind the mission of the Spirit of Respect Awards.
“For 20 years, we have had the privilege of honoring hundreds of ag retail supply businesses for their clear commitment to environmental stewardship,” says K. Elliott Nowels, program director and founder. “We want to encourage those retailers that have already won to not only keep at it, but to take it even further. We want to create a new layer of great stories and fine examples.”
And for retailers that have won, it is a chance to share their continued commitment with their community, customers and industry.
“I think this program can take the Environmental Respect Awards to a very high next level,” says Mike Wilson, 2009 national Environmental Respect Award winner. “It says: OK, you walked the talk for your first award, how far are you willing to walk the line?”
Monitor Your Progress
The Spirit of Respect Entry Booklet is comprised of 12 essay questions, developed to guide past-winning businesses to tell their unique stewardship story. These businesses have already won awards for outstanding work in the areas of basic compliance. To be honored with a Spirit of Respect Award, a retailer needs to show that they have maintained and improved upon their efforts.
It’s a chance for each business to examine their individual efforts toward the continuation of environmental stewardship.
“I think the essay format is a natural next step from the ERA application,” says Wilson. “You are asking for a more complex set of answers, but you should expect more from a previous winner. This format will require more thought about how to proceed and I think will get you more of a feel for the true commitment these applicants have.”
The best advice to navigate the booklet?
“My advice would be to take one question at a time and only answer a few questions each day,” says Todd Kautzman, 2008 national winner. “This will help with focus. It takes a lot of hard work and thinking to correctly fill out a Self-Audit for a chance to become one of the best of the best in your profession.”
Carry the Flag
“Environmental Respect Award regional and national winners have taken the Self-Audit and have pledged their commitment to environmentally-responsible practices,” says Nowels. “But DuPont Crop Protection and CropLife magazine want to encourage retailers that it is not a one-time honor. The Spirit of Respect Award is about carrying the flag, being advocates for agriculture, and pledging a lifetime commitment.”
Public expectations regarding the importance of environmental stewardship and food safety are not going away. The time and money agricultural retailers have put into preserving and protecting the environment should be a source of pride to all involved in serving the world with a safe and abundant food supply. We want you to join with other ag retailers all across America in saying: We are America’s agricultural retailers. We are environmental respect.