Don't miss the opportunity to attend and network with SWCDs and Conservation Partners from across the state. This conference offers a rare occasion to share your organization's services with the boots-on-the-ground staff that support and enable conservation in Indiana.

This 82nd Annual Conference of Indiana Soil and Water Conservation Districts will be held at The Westin in downtown Indianapolis, January 26-28, 2025. Details can be found at iaswcd.org. If you have any questions, reach out to Amy Work.

NACD invites you to join us at the 2025 Annual Meeting! Hosted in partnership with the Utah Association of Conservation Districts, next year's meeting will take place in Salt Lake City, UT from February 8-12, 2025. Join us in the Beehive State to explore the theme "Bee the Change: Reaching New Summits in Conservation!"

Registration is now open! Get an early bird discounted rate through December 20.

The multi-agency Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) uses natural resource and farmer survey data and physical process modeling to estimate the environmental effects of conservation practices on cultivated cropland. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service conducted the first set of farmer surveys in 2003–06 (CEAP I) and the second set in 2013–16 (CEAP II). Following the CEAPII national report, this report series estimates shifts in conservation adoption and effects between the CEAP survey periods at the regional scale.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2024 – The Biden-Harris Administration today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) supported more than 23,000 climate-focused conservation contracts funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. These investments cover over 11 million acres in fiscal year 2024, contributing to the highest total investment in private lands conservation in any year in the history of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate action in history, bolstered funding for NRCS’ in-demand conservation programs for climate-smart practices on farms, ranches, and forests.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has released a new Tribal Relations Strategy, demonstrating the agency’s commitment to honoring its federal trust relationship with the 574 federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native Villages that have sovereign interest in more than 119 million acres of land across the United States. Learn more about the strategy.

Important deadlines and end of year tip!

Read about USDA Farm Loan Program Changes Now in Effect, Primary Loan Servicing Options, Success Stories and more!

by Eric Pfeiffer, Hoosier Ag Today

December 3, 2024 - Here at Hoosier Ag Today, we’ve told you many times about the good work being done by the Purdue Extension Farm Stress Team and their pursuit of putting an end to the stigma surrounding mental health in rural communities. This goes for farmers, but their families too. “We have developed a curriculum that can be taught in high school ag classrooms,” says Abby Heidenreich, a Purdue Extension educator and member of the Farm Stress team. “Growing up on a farm, it’s a much different childhood than a lot of people experience, and so we wanted to create something that speaks to that . . . "

 The deadline for submitting grant applications for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) grant is Jan. 15. 

The LARE program strives to protect and enhance aquatic habitat for fish and wildlife while ensuring continued accessibility of Indiana’s public lakes, rivers, and streams. The program provides technical and financial assistance to qualifying local projects that reduce nonpoint sediment and nutrient pollution. Examples of qualifying projects include but are not limited to watershed land treatment projects, logjam removal, wetland creation, and dam removal. To view a full list of qualifying project types and more information about the LARE program, see lare.dnr.IN.gov.

Applicants are encouraged to contact LARE staff regarding potential projects ahead of the application deadline. To learn more about LARE requirements or to submit a project application, visit on.IN.gov/lare-manual. Applications should be completed and submitted electronically.

The North Central Region - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) is currently seeking nominees for seats on its Administrative Council (AC). The open positions are as follows:

• Two farmer or rancher representatives (NCR-SARE defines a farmer/rancher as someone who raises crops or livestock, particularly as a business.)
• Two non-profit organization representatives (Candidates must represent non-profits with demonstrated expertise in sustainable agriculture.)
• One representative from a 1994 land-grant institution (1994 land-grant institutions are tribal colleges and universities designated as land-grant institutions under the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act.)

The Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) invites submissions for oral presentations, posters, symposia, and workshops for the 80th SWCS International Annual Conference in Costa Mesa, California, on August 3-6, 2025.

Deadline February 3, 2025.

The Great Lakes Cover Crops Project is recruiting farmers to participate for the 2024-25 season! This community science effort brings together farmers from across the upper Midwest to build a regional database of cover crop performance, which then allows for identifying what cover crops and management practices work best across different farming conditions.

Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program 2025 Request for Proposals

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC)—in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USDA Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, FedEx and Southern Company—are pleased to solicit applications for the 2025 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration program. This program will award approximately $2.5 million in grants nationwide. (Due January 30)