Conservation INsight
November 6, 2019
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Registration Now Open!
2020 Annual Conference of Indiana SWCDs
January 12-14, 2020
Indianapolis Marriott Downtown
Matt Lohr,
Chief USDA-NRCS, will be our Keynote Speaker during the 2020 conference. Breakout sessions and the agenda are now posted online on the
IASWCD website/Annual Conference page.
Early bird rates good through December 6.
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Space Still Available for Exhibitors
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Districts: Register your SWCD Delegates for the Annual Business Meeting
Each Soil and Water Conservation District in good standing (fully paid annual dues) with the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Inc. will have the opportunity to send one SWCD Supervisor delegate to the Annual Conference business meeting. The vote of the district will be cast by the delegate or the alternate at the meeting.
Registration for the delegates is required and must be received by January 3, 2020.
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Supervisor Scholarships for Annual Conference
due by November 11
Scholarships are available to SWCD Supervisors (not Associates) whose District’s budget restrictions will not permit them to attend the annual conference. The IASWCD will award scholarships depending on available funds. Only one application per District will be accepted for consideration each year.
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NACD'S 2020 Conservation Careers Workshop Application Period Now Open
NACD is proud to announce the second year of the
Conservation Careers Workshop
, hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada, from
February 7-9, 2020
, in conjunction with NACD's 74th Annual Meeting.
This unique opportunity for undergraduate college students is an NACD program, sponsored by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS); the United States Forest Service (USFS); and the National Conservation Partnership. Deadline is December 1.
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Inspiring People, Investing in Tomorrow: NCF Next Generation Leadership Institute
The National Conservation Foundation stands proudly behind its new program, the
Next Generation Leadership Institute
(NGLI), focused on developing local leaders in conservation districts. With a carefully crafted curriculum, the program will equip conservation district leaders to become national leaders of tomorrow through personal, civic and organizational leadership development in order to meet the future needs of natural resources management.
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NACD Announces 2020 Urban Agriculture Conservation Grants Initiative
NACD announced a fourth round of funding through the
Urban Agriculture Conservation (UAC) Grant Program
for Fiscal Year 2020. Since 2016, NACD and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have partnered through the UAC Grant Program to enhance conservation districts’ technical assistance activities in developed or developing areas. In this round of funding, NACD and NRCS will award grants of up to $50,000 grants for approximately 18 districts. NACD is accepting project proposals through
Friday, January 10, 2020
. On Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, NACD will host a free webinar to review the Request for Proposals (RFP) and respond to members' questions.
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Indiana's LaGrange County SWCD Featured in NACD Blog: Bonded by a love for managing the land
Seven years ago, when the LaGrange County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) held a meeting with local landowners to discuss water quality issues in Indiana’s Little Elkhart River watershed, those in attendance had little to say. Many were Amish. Old Order Amish landowner Monroe Raber stepped forward.
“I told the guy if he needed a liaison, I could do that because I knew a lot of the bishops, so I started attending meetings,” Raber said. “It just seemed like it took off from there. There’s a lot more interaction now than there used to be.”
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Webinar Focuses on Engaging Your State Forestry Agency
The next NACD Urban and Community (U&C) Conservation webinar scheduled
a week early
for
12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Eastern,
on
November 14, 2019,
will focus on engaging your state forestry agency.
Communications Director for the
National Association of State Foresters
(NASF)
Whitney Forman-Cook
will describe how state forestry agencies across the nation are working with conservation districts on community forestry issues, wildfire mitigation and more.
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Soil Health Champion Network (SHCN) Webpage has a New Look!
The SHCN webpage provides Soil Health Champions with the resources they need as advocates for soil health management systems in their communities.
Learn more about how you or your district can get involved on the
SHCN webpage
.
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SAVE THE DATES: 2020 Fall Conference
October 6-8, 2020
Muncie, IN
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Leadership Institute: Impacting Community
December 6
9 am to 3 pm (EST)
Madison, IN
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Indiana Community Recycling Grant Program - Grant Funds Available
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has announced the availability of grant funds to assist communities’ efforts to increase recycling and waste reduction. The Community Recycling Grant Program (CRGP) is authorized to provide grants by IC 13-20-22-2. Projects that can be funded under this program include education and promotion of recycling, waste reduction, organics management (including yard waste management and composting), and household hazardous waste collection and disposal.
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USDA Extends Deadline for Producers to Enroll in Conservation Stewardship Program Grassland Conservation Initiative
Indianapolis, IN, October 24, 2019 – USDA is extending the deadline to November 8, 2019, for eligible agriculture producers to enroll in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Grassland Conservation Initiative. The original deadline was October 25, 2019. This program is available to producers with base acreage that has been in grass or grasslands over a nine-year period, rather than planted with commodity crops. Eligible producers received letters from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) earlier this year, which included information on how to apply through field offices of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
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USDA Seeks Public Comments on Conservation Practice Standard Updates
Indianapolis, IN, October 31, 2019 – USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is seeking public comments on 13 conservation practice standards. Per direction from the 2018 Farm Bill, NRCS will gather feedback on 94 practices over the coming months through posting on the Federal Register. Comments on these current 13 practice standards are due by Thursday, November 21.
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Three New Videos Highlighting Indiana Projects
Indiana NRCS is pleased to release three new videos highlighting some very important projects around our state. These videos are located on the
Indiana’s NRCS website
and
YouTube page
.
The Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi Indians is a federally recognized tribe with a long history on the land of southwest Michigan and Northern Indiana. Indiana NRCS partnered with the Pokagon Band to restore 1,147 acres in northern Indiana to functioning wetland. See how it was accomplished.
Croplands in Indiana play a crucial role in feeding our nation but runoff from these fields can cause significant environmental issues. See how IN NRCS and one partnership in northern IN are taking the initiative to help solve this resource concern.
Since it’s re-establishment as a wetland, the Goose Pond Area has become a mecca for many bird species. See how Indiana NRCS has been instrumental in restoring the largest wetland in Indiana.
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Voting Begins for 2019 Farm Service Agency County Committee Elections
WASHINGTON, October 28, 2019 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin mailing ballots on November 4 to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee elections. “Our county committee members play a key role in our efforts to provide assistance to producers,” said FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce. “We value the local input of the over 7,000 members nationwide who provide their valuable knowledge and judgment as decisions are made about the services we provide, including disaster and emergency programs.”
To be counted, ballots must be returned to the local FSA county office or postmarked by December 2.
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Soil, Water and Cropping Systems Forum: How Purdue is Moving Ag Forward in Sustainable Ways
Friday, November 22, 2019
9:30 am - 3:00 pm
Hendricks Co. Fairgrounds and Conference Center, Danville, Indiana
The event is open to county and regional staff as well as state level Indiana Conservation Partnership (ICP) members. This program will inform our partners about Purdue's work in soil health, ag water management, cropping systems, and nutrient management. View flyer for more details. Registration through November 12.
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A brief overview of what Purdue Extension is and what we do for the citizens of Indiana.
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Sandhill Cranes Information and Updates
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USDA Seeking Nominations for Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Advisory Panel
The CFLRAP was renewed on September 16, 2019, to evaluate and provide recommendations on the selection of collaborative forest landscape restoration proposals to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) for approval as provided in Section 8629 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. The Secretary has determined that the work of the Panel is in the public's interest and relevant to the duties of the Department of Agriculture. Therefore, the Secretary is seeking nominations to fill vacancies on the Panel.
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Arbor Day Award Nominations
The Arbor Day Foundation is seeking nominations for six (6) Arbor Day Awards. These annual awards, presented by the Foundation, recognize conservation efforts such as tree planting and care, Arbor Day celebrations, education, community projects, and roadside beautification on an international, national, state, and community level. Nominations are accepted through December 6, and winners are announced beginning in February of the following year.
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Scholarships Available for Farmers Participating in Indiana Agricultural Leadership Program Class 19
Danville, Ind. (Oct. 25, 2019) – The Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Marketing Council will offer partial tuition scholarships for full time Indiana soybean and corn producers who are accepted to participate in the Indiana Agricultural Leadership Program (ALP). “Agriculture, Indiana’s largest industry, plays a profound and overriding role in every phase of Indiana life. The development of effective agricultural leaders and spokespersons is one of our greatest keys to progress,” says Joe Tuholski, Indiana Soybean Alliance chairman and farmer from Mill Creek, Ind. “It is important that we make this investment to ensure strong farmer leadership for now and into the future.” For additional information, please contact ALP Executive Director, Beth Archer, 317-745-0947 or
beth@agriinstitute.org
or ISA and ICMC Education and Training Director Hannah Vorsilak, at 317-644-2791 or hvorsilak@indianasoybean.com.
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Pledge of the Month:
Soil Health
Field Work – Bingeworthy!
It’s almost fall, and many of us who grow food are thinking about cover crops. But even if you don’t grow food, you do eat food, and cover crops are critical to the food you eat. They build fertile soil and prevent it from blowing or washing away (which is wasteful and also pollutes our rivers and lakes). This summer we discovered
Field Work
, a podcast about farming, by and for farmers. It’s smart, funny, informative, and features two millennial farmers from Iowa and Minnesota. And… it’s perfect for non-farmers who want to peek into the world of farming. Let us know if you, too, find the podcast bingeworthy!
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Indiana Lakes Management Society Seeking Abstracts for IN Lakes Management Conference
The ILMS conference will be held April 9-10, 2020 at Monroe County Convention Center in Bloomington, IN. If you are involved in water quality assessment, lake community development, best management practice implementation, community water monitoring, or simply enjoy working with your lake association and/or community then consider sharing your experience and expertise at the 32nd annual Indiana Lakes Management Conference. Abstracts due January 13, 2020.
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New PED Talks Video Series Digs into Soil Health
West Lafayette, Ind., Oct. 29, 2019 -- A series of 10-to-15-minute, science-centered “PED Talks” on soil health has been posted on YouTube. Soil peds are aggregated particles of sand, silt, clay and organic matter. Like their namesake, PED Talks combine soil-related topics including explanations of soil health, how we can improve it, and the progress that’s being made to ensure we have the healthy soils necessary to feed, clothe and fuel the world in the future. The PED Talks series was created by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), Soil Health Institute (SHI), Soil Health Partnership (SHP), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
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Conservation in Action,
CTIC's new e-newsletter
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SWCS-Hoosier Chapter Winter Workshop
December 5
9 am to 3 pm (EST)
Lafayette, IN
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Job Postings
:
Current list of Conservation Job Opportunities now posted
Note: Job Postings can be submitted to Amy Work at:
amy-work@iaswcd.org .
Please include job description and deadline to apply in a single PDF file or with a link.
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Upcoming Conservation Events
:
November 7 - Women's Learning Circle, Boone Co.
November 7 - Women's Learning Circle, Franklin Co.
November
11 - Veteran's Day
November 12 - Learn the Dirt on Soil, Monroe Co.
November 14 - Women's Learning Circle, Tippecanoe Co.
November 22- Soil, Water and Cropping Systems Forum
November 22 - Beef Quality Assurance Training, Dearborn Co.
November 28 - Thanksgiving Day
December 5 - SWCS-Hoosier Chapter, Winter Workshop
December 6 - Leadership Institute, Madison, IN
2020:
January 12-14 - Annual Indiana SWCD Conference, Indpls.
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