Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
November 8, 2017
Conservation Update

October 26, 2017 - November 8, 2017
 

IASWCD News
75th Annual Conference of Indiana  S WCDs - 
Be a Part of the Story... Discover the Next Chapter
 
Early bird deadline for registration is:
December 1

District Photos Needed! See this email that was distributed to districts regarding photos needed for an annual conference project. Due Nov. 15

District Delegate Registration   due by December 30, 2017 .

Porter County SWCD has moved!
Their new address is the USDA Service Center/Porter County 2602 Chicago St., Ste. 300, Valparaiso, IN     46383.

Region Meetings
View agenda items and additional details in the  IASWCD Online Conservation Calendar (All times listed are EST unless otherwise noted.)
N-SE
Region Meeting
December 11
Stout's Brick House, Guilford, IN
5:30-8 pm


N-SW Region Meeting
December 14
Vigo County Fairgrounds


S-SW Region Meeting
November 13 
Vincennes University





6-8 pm EST
RSVP by Nov. 8
N-NW Region Meeting
December 5
Lake County SWCD Conf Room
5:30-8 pm CST

S-NE Region Meeting
November 30
Taylor University
Watch IASWCD calendar for more information
N-NE Region Meeting

No information at this time.
S-NW Region Meeting
December 7
Boone County Fairgrounds, Lebanon
6-8 pm 
S-SE Region Meeting
December 12
Scott County USDA Service Center
6-8 pm
NACD News
NACDs 2018 ANNUAL MEETING
January 27-31, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee
Conference registration and more information can be found here. T-shirts can be ordered through December 30.

Poster and Photo Contests
NACD will continue to accept entries for the 2017 Healthy Soils Are Full of Life poster and photo contests until  December 1, 2017 . Please email your state/territory's submissions to  [email protected]  or mail them to NACD's Washington, D.C., headquarters. The winners will be recognized and have their art displayed at 2018 NACD's Annual Meeting in Nashville. For more information on the competition requirements, please  visit NACD's website .

Upcoming Urban and Community Conservation Webinar
The next NACD Urban and Community Conservation webinar - to be held November 16 from noon-1:00pm Eastern - will teach participants how to use and navigate the EPA's Water Finance Clearinghouse.
The Clearinghouse is a web-based portal designed to help communities make informed decisions about their drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure needs. It includes two searchable databases: one contains available funding sources for water infrastructure and the other includes resources on financing mechanisms and approaches.
The schedule for FY18 Urban and Community Conservation webinars has been postedNACD's U&C webinars are sponsored by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company and are free to participate in. To register, email NACD Senior Advisor Deb Bogar with your name, title, district or business name, and state.

Save the Date: NACD Fly-In is March 20, 2018
Fly-In is the perfect chance to meet with your elected representatives in Washington, D.C., and advocate on behalf of conservation districts and the locally-led, incentive-based conservation delivery system. 

ISDA News
Clean Water Indiana Grants Awarded to 25 Counties
The Indiana State Department of Agriculture and the State Soil Conservation Board awarded nearly $900,000 in Clean Water Indiana grants to 25 Soil and Water Conservation Districts. These grants will help fund conservation projects designed to improve water quality across the state.
 
"We're starting to see a significant reduction in the amount of sediment and nutrients prevented from entering Indiana's waterways, as a result of Clean Water Indiana," said Melissa Rekeweg, ISDA interim director. "There is still much work to be done to improve our water quality, and these grants are critical to that effort." Read more in Morning Ag Clips (Nov. 2)...

Newsletter: Indiana Agriculture INSIDER
View past newsletters here
USDA News
Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, encourages all producers to respond to the Census of Agriculture this December. 


Perdue Announces Farm Service Agency and Rural Development State Directors
(Washington, D.C. November 3, 2017) -  U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced a slate of Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Rural Development (RD) State Directors, all serving as appointees of President Donald J. Trump.  FSA State Directors help implement U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policies in planning, organizing, and administering FSA programs in their respective states. They are also responsible for running the day-to-day activities of the state FSA office.  Similarly, RD State Directors work to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural America. Read more...
USDA-NRCS News
 
Don't Miss the latest NRCS SOIL HEALTH UPDATE: 

No-Tillage November
Consider the benefits of no-tillage. No-till saves time, money (fuel) and wear and tear on farm equipment. No-till reduces the likelihood of soil runoff, keeping nutrients on the field and improving water quality. So improve soil health and #KeeptheStubble.   
Purdue Extension News
Urban Agriculture Certificate
The Urban Agriculture Certificate is a yearlong experience that combines classroom learning with field trips to prepare urban agriculture leaders for success with their project. Urban Agriculture Certificate participants will: 
  • Receive in-depth instruction for urban organic crop production-from farm design through harvest techniques 
  • Clarify their project vision and strengthen their community impact
  • Learn to think like an enterprise to achieve economic sustainability
Other News
Xerces Society

Indiana Lakes Management Society: Seeking Abstracts
The ILMS is seeking abstracts for presentations at the 30th Annual Indiana Lakes Management Conference. The conference will be held March 22-23, 2018 at the Potawatomi Inn at Pokagon State Park, Angola Indiana. The deadline to submit an abstract is Friday, December 1, 2017.  If your abstract is accepted, you will be notified no later than December 15, 2017. Read more...

US Forest Service
Forest Legacy Mapping Tool for Conservation Professionals
The U.S. Forest Service has created an interactive map highlighting conserved lands throughout the United States. Initially developed to show the locations and features of projects conserved via the Forest Legacy program, the map content was expanded to include lands conserved by state, private, and other federal partners.
"This tool makes it easy to see how a project complements other conservation projects," said Forest Legacy Program Manager Scott Stewart. "Land protection professionals can see the results of their work and plan proposed work in a larger environmental and strategic context."  The map also includes a variety of base maps and data layers, such as important bird areas and wild and scenic rivers, which allows users to create their own maps.  Click here  to start your own map or search existing projects.

Hoosier Chapter-Soil and Water Conservation Society 
Annual Hoosier Chapter Meeting 
(Business meeting to follow immediately after - all are welcome)
When: November 16, 2017 - 9 am to 3:30 pm 
Where:  FFA Leadership Conference Center; 6595 S 125 W
Trafalgar, IN 46181
Registration:  Lunch and Breaks included
$30-members
$60-non-members (includes 1-year membership)
$20-retirees/spouses
$5-students
Register by midnight Nov. 9 

Soil and Water Conservation  Society 
2017 National Conference on C over Crops and Soil Health
December 7-8, 2017, Ind ianapolis, IN
This meeting will be a great opportunity to learn recent develop ments in how cover crops are being used by  in novative farmers across the country  and gain important insights on improving soil health from producers, conservation leaders, and scientists.  For more information and the registration link visit the SWCS Conference webpage.
In This Issue
Quick Links
Upcoming Events
Please refer to the IASWCD Events and CCSI Soil Health Events calendars for a full list of upcoming events and more details regarding these events below: 

November 9 - Farming for the Future, Brook, IN

November 10 - Veteran's Day Observed

November 12-17 -  National Association of 4-H Extension Agents/Educators Conference in Indianapolis

November 13 - S-SW Region Meeting

November 15 - Gathering of IN Stakeholders in Farm Transfer/Succession, Greenfield

November 16 - Hoosier Chapter-SWCD - Annual Meeting

November 23 - Holiday: Thanksgiving Day

December 5 - N-NW Region Meeting, Crown Point, IN

December 7 - S-NW Region Meeting, Lebanon, IN

December 7-8 - National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health, Indianapolis

December 12 - S-SE Region Meeting

January 7 - Indiana State Soil Conservation Board Meeting

January 8-9, 2018 - Annual Indiana SWCD Conference, Indianapolis Marriott Downtown

January 27-31, 2018 - NACD Annual Conference, Nashville, TN

March 20 - NACD Fly-In

March 22-23 - Indiana Lakes Management Conference

April 29-May 6, 2018 - NACD Stewardship Week
Current Job Openings *

See Job Descriptions and/or Applications at www.IASWCD.org 

Executive Director
Indiana Agriculture
 Nutrient Alliance

District Coordinator, 
Franklin County SWCD

Watershed Coordinator,
Wabash River Enhancement Corp

Senior Environmental Manager, Indiana Dept. of Environmental Management, Marion County

District Technician, Gibson County SWCD 

*(Note: please submit job openings to: 
and include instructions for applying, deadline and job description in a single PDF file. Thank you.)
Upcoming 
Annual Conference Deadlines
November 15 
District Photos due to [email protected]

December 1 
Early Bird registration rates end

December 30
 District Delegate registration due (Google form)
Received 
District Delegate Registration Forms from the following:
(as of 11/7)
Allen County
Bartholomew County 
Clinton County
Elkhart County
Harrison County 
Howard County
Jay County
Knox County
Montgomery County
Pike County 
Porter County
Posey County 
St Joseph County 
Starke County 
Steuben County 
Tipton County