Partnerships

Diversity is the Key to Conservation Delivery in LaGrange County

Left: George Bachman is an important supporter and partner of the LaGrange County Soil and Water Conservation District both a county councilman and a commissioner. Backman is a businessman in the Shipshewana area.

At the LaGrange County SWCD, great diversity is found in a number of key areas relating to natural resources conservation including varied soil types, topography, land use and demographics. This provides the SWCD with a unique opportunity to serve its constituency in a variety of ways, utilizing a number of traditional and non-traditional partnerships to accomplish this task. County population is diverse with small town dwellers, lake residents (often from urban backgrounds), and large and small farmers both “Amish” and “English.”

Out of many programs designed to serve this diverse group, the LaGrange County SWCD’s current business plan identifies the exclusion of livestock from at least 50% of county water bodies as the number one work priority. The District encourages improved livestock management in LaGrange County by employing a number of different strategies including:

• Writing a number of grants from federal, state and local sources (U.S. EPA, IDEM, Great Lakes Commission, IDNR-LARE) allowing the District to employ four additional staff to identify problems and implement the installation of water quality BMPs;
• Cooperating with NRCS in insuring that BMPs are designed, constructed and maintained according to nationally recognized engineering quality and standards;
• Partnering with Pheasants Forever to implement the establishment of vegetated buffers, tree and wildlife habitat plantings;
• Cooperating with the LaGrange County Plan Commission by providing ongoing technical advice and support in the development and execution of a county-wide livestock manure management ordinance;
• Carrying out a Youth Education Program along with the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service including an annual Envirothon competition, a high school wildlife habitat contest, a county soils judging contest, and a Grazing Conference;
• Developing an education system to inform the public about the importance of maintaining good water quality including operating ParGil, a 40-acre outdoor classroom hosting regular conservation field days; and
• Promoting good pasture management and rotational grazing through monthly Pasture Walks and an annual Grazing Conference.

Other LaGrange County SWCD Conservation Partnership Highlights

• SWCD Van: The LaGrange County SWCD van was purchased under an outreach grant from NRCS, along with funds from the Farmers State Bank, Farm Credit Services and the county. It is used primarily to provide transportation to Pasture Walks and other District events.
  
  
• 319 Grant: In 1999, the LaGrange County SWCD wrote and received their first 319 nonpoint source grant – before watershed management plans were required by IDEM. Highlights:

• Focused on the entire St. Joseph River Watershed (Lake Michigan).
• Established a steering committee with representation from Elkhart, Kosciusko, Noble, Steuben, St. Joseph and LaGrange Counties, including Extension, NRCS, SWCD, and area RC&Ds.
• Hired a livestock management specialist.
• Developed cost share criteria.
• Included implementation/installation of BMPs.
• Manure Management Plans - During this time the Health Department/Plan Commission began requiring manure management plans for new/expanding livestock facilities.  These were written as a part of the grant.
  
  
• Additional 319 Grants: Two additional 319 grants were written and received. The District used the same criteria as the first one using the Watershed Management Plan developed for the St. Joseph River Watershed in Indiana and Michigan. All of this was accomplished before the LaGrange County SWCD wrote their first official business plan.
  
  
• First Business Plan. 2003-2008 – first business plan developed
  • # 1 Priority – Livestock in streams, lakes, etc. (west of State Road 9)
• Actions: 1) ID livestock owners and locations; 2) Meet w/Amish bishops; 3) Plan manure mgt. workshop; 4) News releases: 5) Pursue assessing a ditch tax on landowners who have animals in the ditches, working with drainage board to accomplish.
  
  
• LaGrange County Comprehensive Plan

• Prior to November 2005 – public meetings were held, facilitated by the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service, to gather public input on development of a comprehensive plan.
• At the meetings – demographics of county became apparent

• Lake Residents (64 natural lakes), Amish small farmers (approximately 50% of the land owned by 50% of the population), English/Ag Community with predominately large scale grain/livestock operations, Rural non-farm community, small towns (less than 4000 population)
• Some of the concerns raised included:
  • Proposed CAFO in eastern portion of county (3600+ dairy cows)
  • Small concentrated livestock owners, primarily in western half of county (29,000 chickens on 10 acres; 200-900 calves on 10 acres: 30 or less dairy cows on 50+ acres)
  • Concentrated sewer systems (Established sewer district addressing installation of sewers around the lakes)
    
    
• Comprehensive Plan adopted in November 2005 w/zoning ordinances, including a livestock ordinance, addressing new or expanding operations:
• 9 point procedure, including a manure management plan requirement.
• Before the ordinance the SWCD wrote MMPs.
• After the ordinance, the SWCD wrote MMPs and was required to review and approve all MMPs before a building permit was granted.
• SWCD developed the criteria to determine the adequacy of the plans, including spreading acres needed based on soil tests, groundwater sensitivity maps, manure storage details, etc.
• SWCD required to track the landowner agreements for spreading acres, maintaining a file of those renewals on a yearly basis.

• 2006 Ag Advisory Committee formed to advise the Plan Commission
• Richard Yoder, Peter Cook and Pete Lehman, along with others from the ag community, serve on the committee.
• Amendments made to the ordinance on their recommendations to Plan Commission.
• Martin Franke serves on Plat Committee and serves as advisor to Plan Commission.  Addressing not only manure management plan questions, but also anything related to Rule 5.  The County requires all ag facilities disturbing 1 acre or more to comply with Rule 5
  
  
• 2006/2007 319 Grants
  • In 2006 – 2007, the District applied for and received two 319 grants, which are ongoing now, to focus on the Little Elkhart River Watershed.
  • 1st 319 – Watershed Management Plan Completed on approved on three sub-watersheds.
  • Includes land use inventory, water monitoring, writing the plan, implementation (current time)
    Local Steering Committee addressed problems and concerns, and continues to provide oversight.
  • IDEM asked the LaGrange County SWCD to make this a paired watershed study in an attempt to prove that installation of BMPs can make a difference in the water quality if the water quality.
  • Emma Lake is listed on the 303 (d) list of impaired waters and IDEM wants to be able to remove it from the list using our work in the watershed.
  • 2nd  319 – Ongoing: Completes plan for remaining 4 sub-watersheds in the Little Elkhart River Watershed, includes land use inventory, water monitoring, implementation after plan is approved in January 2009.
    
    
• Cost Share Program/Implementation
  
  
  • Rely heavily on NRCS for technical assistance, including  engineering and all projects receiving cost share must follow NRCS standards and specs.
  • Use both 319 and LARE (received for Little Elkhart Watershed  in 2007) funds for cost share. Work out best cost share for landowners.
    
    
• New Business Plan – 2008 – 2013

• Still addresses livestock as the # 1 priority.

• SWCD Represented on:
• Governor’s Appointee to the St. Joseph River Basin Commission
• Director on the Friends of the St. Joseph River
• Steering Committee for the Elkhart River Alliance
• Plat Committee and Plan Commission

Touring with the LaGrange County SWCD on the 2008 Indiana Conservation Partners District Showcase tour in September were: Front row kneeling: Richard Yoder, SWCD Supervisor Chair; Beth Mason, NACD; Jennifer Boyle, IASWCD; Jill Reinhart, Assistant State Conservationist, Communications, NRCS.

Second row from the left: Bob Anderson, Associate Supervisor (navy shirt/hat); Dave Hague, District Conservationist, NRCS; Mike Dirig, SWCD Associate Supervisor; DeeDee Sigler, IASWCD; Kimberly Neumann, Area Conservationist, NRCS; Jane Hardisty, State Conservationist, NRCS; Dona Hunter, SWCD District Coordinator; Steve Engleking, Purdue Extension Educator; George Bachman, County Commissioner; Chris Godlewski, Plan Commission Director; and Jennie Holcomb, SWCD Clearinghouse Coordinator.

Third row: (hat and light blue shirt) Dennis Wolheter, SWCD Livestock Mgmt. Specialist; Peter Cook, SWCD Supervisor; Larry Miller, County Councilman; Jim Lake, ISDA District Support Specialist; Roger Kult, Assistant State Conservationist, Operations, NRCS; Mike Holcomb, SWCD Supervisor; R.D. Wolheter, SWCD Supervisor; and Dave Arrington, SWCD Watershed Coordinator (hat/orange shirt).

Right: One of the stops along the way during the District Showcase Tour was at the farm of Pete Lehman, a frequent host of the LaGrange County SWCD's Pasture Walks. Pete, an Amish farmer (right) highlights rotational grazing used predominantly for dairy, but also for goats, beef and poultry in the county. It is an also an organic operation.

Stops along the LaGrange County SWCD Indiana Conservation Partnership District Showcase tour:

• Partnership with Pheasants Forever – Good time would be as we drive by Lavern Miller’s – talk briefly about his tree planting
• Success of this project hinges on the face to face contacts with the Amish community not only with the 319 grants, but at pasture walks, grazing conference, promotion of rotational grazing and providing the post driver (purchased under one of the 319 grants)
• Lavern Miller – auto sampler, tree planting, cover crop on 900 W. just north of the river, plans to put in livestock crossing east of substation and install fence along the river.
• David Miller (Lavern’s father) – south of 200 S.  Plans to put in livestock crossing and fence ditch.
• Steve Lambright – livestock crossing and ditch fence installed on west portion of ditch.
• Ron Hostetler – livestock crossing and ditch fence.
• Auto sampler at south end of Emma Lake.
• Crist Kurtz – across from Creekside Saw Mill – bank stabilization and ditch fence.
• Creekside Saw Mill – purchased log cabin for Pathway to Water Quality at the Indiana State Fair
• D.A. HochstetlerAlvin J. Miller – Feed Mill, livestock water access, west side – Sunset – makes hay, etc.
• Vernon Miller – Across from Devon Miller – Livestock crossing, water access, ditch fence
• Glen Miller – moved lane and fenced ditch, livestock water access area
• Maynard Hostetler – ditch fence, livestock crossing (pipe), livestock water access area
• Chris Lambright, Jr. – Problem area
• Darryl Lambright – working on water lines, well with auto start system, guttering, water access
• Clearspring Auction – SWCD wrote two SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) grants to get them started.
• Amzie Lehman – project completed under an early 319 grant

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