Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
December 20, 2017
Conservation Update

December 7, 2017 - December 20, 2017
 

happy-holidays-header3.jpg
IASWCD News
75th Annual Conference of Indiana S WCDs   
 featuring the Peterson Farm Brothers
 
January 8-9, 2018

NEW! The Monday night Welcome Reception at conference will feature a time to honor and thank Jane Hardisty for her successful years as State Conservationist and bid her goodbye as she journeys into retirement. 

Hotel ROOM renovations are complete and the rooms are amazing! Renovations in the public areas are still being completed, so please be patient as you arrive at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown and navigate through registration. If you are registered for the conference, watch your inbox for updates regarding the renovations and additional information to help your arrival run smoothly. 

District Delegate Registration   due by December 30, 2017 .
NACD News
New Interactive District Map
Last week, NACD debuted new, interactive district maps in their Conservation District Directory. To locate your district, simply click on your state, then identify your corresponding pin! If your district's contact information is incorrect, incomplete, or missing, please contact  NACD Communications and Operations Coordinator Sara Kangas.

The Resource
Don't miss NACD's quarterly publication, The Resource, which provides in-depth coverage of NACD's leadership on conservation issues and more.    Fall 2017 Edition .

Conservation Clip List
Conservation Clip List is a weekly collection of articles distributed by NACD that provides their members and partners with the latest news in what's driving conservation. Read the lastest issue.

NACDs 2018 Annual Meeting

January 27-31, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee
Conference registration and more information can be found here.
ISDA News
Leadership Institute
The Indiana Conservation Partnership Leadership Institute is a statewide leadership development program established for Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors. Key District staff are invited to participate along with their supervisors. The program intends to improve District capacity to increase the quality of Indiana's soil, water and related natural resources. Learn more...
Next workshop: February 23, 2018 - Board Development
Noble County Public Library, Albion, IN
SAVE the DATES for upcoming workshops can be found in the IASWCD website calendar

What's N Your Fields Workshops
Upcoming free regional workshops entitled "What's N Your Fields" have been scheduled for January. These workshops will cover a variety of topics including nitrogen application, cover crops, soil sampling and soil testing. All corn and soybean farmers are invited to attend to gain insights from  technical leads, researchers and farmer-peers for ideas they can implement on their own operation. Advanced registration is required as space is limited. 

Thursday, January 4, 2018
When: 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (EST)
Where: West Liberty Church of Christ, 2806 IN-32,  
Covington, IN 47932
RSVP by January 8
Friday, January 17, 2018
When: 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (CST)
Where: Vincennes Campus, Gibson County Center, 8100 US 41, Fort Branch, IN 47648
RSVP by January 10
USDA-NRCS News
USDA Seeks Applications for $10 Million in Conservation Innovation Grants
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2017 - USDA is offering grants for innovative ideas for conservation strategies and technologies. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) plans to invest $10 million in the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program, funding innovative conservation projects in three focus areas: grazing lands, organic systems and soil health. Grant proposals are due Feb. 26, 2018.   "Conservation Innovation Grants play a critical role in developing and implementing new methods to help our customers conserve natural resources, strengthen their local communities, and improve their bottom lines," said Rob Johansson, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. "Today's announcement supports our efforts to help producers build economically-strong and resilient farms and ranches by providing producers tools to utilize across their working farmlands." Read more...

Since its inception in 2004, CIG has funded hundreds of projects to test new approaches for addressing natural resource concerns facing the Nation's farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. This year's national CIG program focuses on soil health, grazing lands and organic agriculture. Here are a few snapshots highlighting the success of past CIG projects in each of these three focus areas. Read more...

National Cooperative Soil Survey Quarterly Newsletter 

Read the Latest Soil Health Update
Purdue Extension News
Bi-State Group hosting Three Programs During Winter
Purdue Extension and University of Illinois Extension are offering programming this winter for farmers, gardeners, and more throughout east central Illinois and west central Indiana.  Read more...
Gardening Conference
January 25, 2018
5:30 p.m.-9 p.m.
Grazing Workshop
February 8, 2018
5:30 p.m.-9 p.m.

Department of Natural Resources News
LARE Application and Accounting Instructions for new LARE Grants effective 2018
Instructions to assist current or potential future project sponsors applying for new grants from the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) Program as of January 1, 2018 can be found here.
Other News
Farmer Data Needed to Explore Costs, Economic Benefits of Cover Crops
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN Nov. 21, 2017 - As Indiana farmers wrap up the 2017 crop harvest, attention turns to the end of the year economic and agronomic tasks that begin the planning process for future crops. Researchers at Purdue University are seeking farmers who want to leverage the data from their operations to build tools that may aid future cropping decisions.   "With the year's harvest data in hand it is time to analyze the performance by field, as well as the farm as a whole," says Purdue University Economist Wally Tyner. "Farmers can leverage the value of that data in a study of the economic benefits and costs of cover cropping systems. Long-term, the information we glean from this study may well be used by many farmers as they make future cropping decisions." Read more...

Envirothon Study Guides Now Available
It's time to begin to prepare for the state and provincial Envirothon competitions to learn who will join Prince Edward Island's team for the international NCF-Envirothon in July. Study guides and materials for the 2018 competition are now up on the  Envirothon website under current competition. You can keep everyone posted on your team's wins on social media and by emailing  envirothon@nacdnet.org.

Nominate a Master Farmer
This awards program is sponsored by Indiana Prairie Farmer and the Purdue University College of Agriculture. Judging is based on farming ability, leadership ability and overall family values. If you have a neighbor you look up to, this is the time to help them  get the recognition they deserve. Nominations are due February 15, and the awards program will be held in conjunction with the 2018 Indiana Farm Management Tour in June. For more information or to download the application, click here
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: 

January 7 - Indiana State Soil Conservation Board Meeting

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

January 15 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 25 - Purdue Extension & UofI Extension Gardening Conference

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

January 30 - Southern Region Soil Health Workshop, Salem, IN

February 8 - Purdue Extension & UofI Extension Grazing Workshop

February 22 - Posey County: Grassland Management Workshop

February 23 - Leadership Institute: Board Development

March 2 -  Leadership Institute

March 7 - Southern Indiana Grazing Conference, Odon, IN

March 9 -  Leadership Institute

March 11- Daylight Saving Time Starts

March 20 - NACD Fly-In

March 22-23 - Indiana Lakes Management Conference

April 29-May 6, 2018 - NACD Stewardship Week

August 28 -  Leadership Institute

November 30 - Leadership Institute

December 7 - Leadership Institute
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

INField Advantage Intern
ISDA-DSC

Communications/Design Intern
ISDA-DSC

Special Projects Director
SWCS

Resource Specialist,
Southwest IN
ISDA-DSC

*(Note: please submit job openings to: 
amy-work@iaswcd.org 
and include instructions for applying, deadline, 
and job description
 in a single PDF file. Thank you.)
Upcoming 
Annual Conference Deadline
December 30
 District Delegate registration due (Google form)
THANK YOU!
District Delegate Registration Forms have been received from the following:
(as of 12/19)

Adams County
Allen County
Bartholomew County
Benton County
Boone County
Brown County
Clark County 
Clay County 
Clinton County
Crawford County
Daviess County 
Decatur County
DeKalb County
Delaware County 
Elkhart County
Floyd County
Fulton County 
Gibson County
Grant County
Greene County
Hamilton County
Hancock County
Harrison County
Hendricks County
Henry County
Howard County
Huntington County
Jackson County 
Jay County
Jefferson County
Jennings County
Johnson County
Knox County
Kosciusko County
La Porte County
LaGrange County
Lake County
Lawrence County
Marshall County
Monroe County
Montgomery County
Morgan County
Owen County
Parke County
Perry County
Pike County
Porter County
Posey County
Pulaski County
Randolph County
Ripley County
Scott County 
Spencer County
St Joseph County
Starke County
Steuben County 
Tipton County
Vermillion County
Vigo County
Wabash County
Warrick County
Washington County
Wayne County
Wells County
White County
Whitley County