Conservation INsight
December 5, 2018
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2019 Annual Conference of Indiana SWCDs
There's still time to join us at the
Annual Conference!
January 14-15, 2019
Indianapolis Marriott Downtown
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Thank you to our 2019 Annual Conference Sponsors!
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Platinum Sponsor: Saddle Butte Ag
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Saddle Butte Ag is a family owned and operated seed company, established by Don and Maryanne Wirth and located in the heart of the "Grass Seed Capital of the World" Tangent, Oregon. They market a wide variety of both proprietary and common, turf and forage products to retail markets as well as national and international wholesale customers. Bio Till is a brand of Saddle Butte Ag used to market their products such as Bounty Annual Ryegrass, Assist Annual Ryegrass and Enricher Radish throughout the Midwest.
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Ray and Susan Chattin
Applegate's Seed House
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Larry and AJ Jordan
765-473-5849
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SWCD Delegates for the Annual Business Meeting at Conference
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
District Delegates have been submitted from these 52 counties:
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Allen County
Bartholomew County
Boone County
Carroll County
Clark County
Clay County
Clinton County
Daviess County
Dearborn County
Delaware County
Elkhart County
Floyd County
Gibson County
Grant County
Hamilton County
Hancock County
Hendricks County
Henry County
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Huntington County
Jay County
Jennings County
Johnson County
Knox County
Kosciusko County
LaGrange County
Lake County
Lawrence County
Madison County
Marion County
Marshall County
Monroe County
Morgan County
Newton County
Noble County
Parke County
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Perry County
Pike County
Porter County
Posey County
Pulaski County
Ripley County
Scott County
Spencer County
St Joseph County
Steuben County
Sullivan County
Vermillion County
Wabash County
Wayne County
Wells County
White County
Whitley County
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MOU Agreement with NRCS
Districts - please be aware that the MOU agreements will be available soon and need to be signed and returned to the NRCS Indianapolis office (Attn: Kelly Baze) by December 31, along with the
signature delegation of authority
letter.
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Soil Health Podcasts
Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative launched a series of Soil Health podcasts. Recorded, produced, and hosted by
Hoosier Ag Today
, these 20-30 minute audio podcasts feature expert farmers and ag professionals discussing a variety of soil health practices.
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NACD Annual Conference Confirms Speakers
From Feb. 2-6, 2019, NACD’s 73rd Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, will offer tours, speakers, breakout sessions, networking opportunities, symposia and more focused on the nation’s natural resources and the work districts do to protect them. Early bird discount ends December 14.
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Conservation Leader Challenges NACD Membership
On Friday, Nov. 16, Barbara Perlman-Whyman, President of the NACD Presidents Association, sent a message encouraging conservation districts and leaders to join her in supporting the National Conservation Foundation (NCF)’s
Next Generation Leadership Campaign
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The Resource
NACD has released the
fall edition of
The Resource
.
This web-based edition includes letters from NACD President Brent Van Dyke and CEO Jeremy Peters, region meeting recaps from across the country, 2019 Annual Meeting updates and more.
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NACD Urban Agriculture Conservation Grant Initiative
NACD announced it will once again be partnering with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to award up to $50,000 in urban agriculture technical assistance funding to 18 districts across the nation in 2019. Accepting proposals through December 31.
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Urban and Community Webinar: Water Quality Initiatives
December 20, 2019
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NACD Applauds USDA's NRCS Chief Appointment
WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 3, 2018)
- Today, the United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue appointed Matthew Lohr to serve as Chief of the department’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). As Chief, Lohr will serve America’s producers and landowners in their conservation efforts to help them conserve, maintain and improve natural resources and the environment through a network of over 3,000 offices in communities nationwide.
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2019 Fall Conference: Save the Date
Clifty Falls State Park, Madison, IN
October 1-3
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SWCD Financial Workshop
December 12
10 am to 3 pm
Indiana Farm Bureau building, Indianapolis
Free to attend, but please register
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Indiana Agriculture: Insider
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Indiana Water Monitoring Council:
Jobs Board
The InWMC has a new jobs board on its website. If your organization wants to communicate water or other related environmental jobs check this out! It's free and easy to use. Questions? Contact:
Jody Arthur
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Indiana Invasive Initiative Logo Contest Winner Announced
The Indiana Invasives Initiative (III) now has an easily recognizable logo to brand its work in managing invasives state-wide. Todd Axsom with Sage Graphic, LLC out of Solsberry, IN won the logo contest held by the Southern Indiana Cooperative Invasive Management group. The group was looking to brand invasive work for their state-wide campaign to protect Indiana’s native plants, wildlife, lands and waters by coordinating efforts to identify, prevent and control invasive species. SICIM’s Chair Ray Chattin applauded Axsom’s logo saying, “This logo is the perfect brand to help us aggressively market our mission.”
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Secretary Perdue Names NRCS Chief
WASHINGTON, December 3, 2018 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today the appointment of Matthew J. “Matt” Lohr to serve as Chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). In his role, Lohr will provide leadership for NRCS and its mission to support America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners in their voluntary conservation efforts through a network of over 3,000 offices in communities nationwide. “Matt has committed his entire life to the betterment of agriculture,” Perdue said.
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Finding a New Appreciation for Soil
Celebrating World Soils Day
By Jerry Raynor, Indiana State
Conservationist
Often ignored and seldom appreciated, the wonderful world of soil is not usually a topic of discussion or one that is cared about. But we want you to change that. Trust us on this, soil is critical to life. And no one understands that more than USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. With an increasing global population, a shrinking agricultural land base and extreme weather events, Indiana NRCS is focusing their collective attention to the primary resource essential to food production—the soil.
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USDA-NCSS
National Cooperative Soil Survey
newsletter now available.
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Map of the Month - December
The U.S. produces a vast variety of crops on diverse soils in different climates, ranging from citrus in the south to cranberries in the north. How can we divide the U.S. into large regions for purposes of resource conservation and water quality improvement? The answer to this question began evolving in the early 20th Century as soil conservationists began working with scientists to create large map units with similar land, water, and biological resources.
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Purdue Vole and Cover Crops Projects
Indiana Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative (CCSI) continue to work with Purdue University’s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources and are building on the efforts started in 2018 to help identify causes and solutions to farmers who experience issues with voles in cover cropped fields.
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Indiana Small Farm Conference
February 28-March 2, 2019
Hendricks County Fairgrounds,
Danville, Indiana
This conference serves as the annual educational and farmer-to-farmer networking event for the Indiana small and diversified farm community. The Purdue Small Farm team hosted the inaugural conference in 2013 and has had continued success thanks to the support of Indiana farmers and organizations. The conference now hosts over 500 attendees, 50 exhibitors, and several national speakers.
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Sandhill Cranes
F&W Sandhill Cranes is updated on the Indiana Department of Natural Resources website and you can check them out!
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Soil Health Institute
The
Soil Health Institute
(SHI) released a 60-minute soil health documentary that is now available online. The documentary explores soil and its journey through generations of degradation until today as innovative farmers and soil health experts are facing the challenge head-on to rebuild our nation’s soil. This film features both rural and urban producers from across the country, varying in size and production, united in their care for the soil. NACD Soil Health Champions Brian and Keith Berns of Nebraska were interviewed for the documentary. The Berns explain the concept of soil biology and how farmers can manage their land to positively impact their soil’s health and simultaneously increase their yields. Visit
livingsoilfilm.com
to stream the film online. On Dec. 5, World Soil Day, SHI will follow up the release of this film with accompanying lesson plans for both high school and college students.
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THE DROP
A monthly e-newsletter from the North Central Region Water Network can be viewed
here
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Friday, February 22, 2019
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Pfendler Hall Second Floor
715 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907
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Job Postings
:
Current list of Conservation Job Opportunities now posted on the
IASWCD website.
- Resource Specialist-Solid Waste Specialist, Tippecanoe Solid Waste District & Wabash River Enhancement Corporation
- Watershed Coordinator, Washington County SWCD (three WC positions available)
- Urban Conservationist, Warrick County Soil and Water Conservation District
- Special Projects Coordinator, Department of Natural Resources
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
:
December 12 - SWCD Financial Workshop
January 8 - 9th Annual Soil Health Winter Clinic
January 3-11 - National No-Till Conference
January 14-15 - Indiana SWCD Annual Conference
January 21 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
February 2-6 - NACD Annual Meeting
February 19 - President's Day
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Indiana Small Farm Conference - A Success Story
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