The Jonathan Hardin Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in Mexia proudly nominated Melanie Posey Cooper and NRG Dewey Prairie Garden in Donie for a NSDAR Conservation Award.
Melanie accepted the award from Texas DAR State Regent Susan Johnston during the Texas DAR 127th State Conference Awards Banquet held at the Hyatt Regency DFW Airport on Friday, March 13, 2026. Her introduction was made by Texas DAR State Conservation Committee Chair, Katie Marcum.
Melanie and her husband Wade reside in Teague, where they raised their two children and now enjoy being grandparents. Melanie retired from Teague ISD in 2023 after a thirty-year career as a teacher and coach. She grew up in Fairfield and is the daughter of Don and Laquita Posey.
Following her retirement, Melanie began volunteering at NRG Dewey Prairie Garden, taking on the role of garden manager. Established in 2021, NRG Dewey Prairie Garden sits at the intersection of Freestone, Limestone, and Leon counties. According to The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Feeding America, this area is considered a food desert.
The garden sits within NRG’s lignite mine reclamation site. NRG Energy, a Houston-based company with a power plant in Limestone County, partners with Texan by Nature. Melanie works closely with TxN’s Austin-based Garden Project Manager, Kenzie Cherniak.
The garden supplies fresh produce to local food pantries, and in 2022 began serving approximately 2,000 people each month across the three-county area. Raised beds and rows of seasonal crops have transformed the reclaimed land into a vibrant patchwork of green.
NRG’s Dewey Prairie Garden serves as a living classroom for schools, master gardeners, and local residents, offering education in sustainable gardening. The garden is also a gathering place for events such as Earth Day and Fill the Garden Planting Day. It presents opportunities for corporate volunteerism and welcomes individuals, community groups, and schools to participate.
Joining Melanie at the Awards Banquet were her husband Wade and Kenzie Cherniak of Texan by Nature. Members of the Jonathan Hardin Chapter also attended, including Patti Gauntt (Regent), Julia Morton (Recording Secretary), Beth Harrison (Treasurer), and Diane Pullin (Registrar).
(Submitted Photos)
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