Upcoming Workshops, Seminars
June 25 / Rain Garden Workshop / Washington The Daviess County SWCD and the City of Washington’s Stormwater Department are hosting a free rain garden workshop. The workshop will be held at the Eastside Park Community Building from 6:00 to 8:00pm EST. Guest speakers are Norma Duckworth, CPESC, Water Quality Specialist, Vanderburgh County SWCD and Debbie Goedde, Gold Level Master Gardener. For more information, or to register, please call Sally Christie at the Daviess County SWCD office at 812.254.4780 ext.112. The flyer for this event can be found by clicking here.
June 25 / Indiana Prime Farmland-Soils Team Mine Reclamation Field Day / Cannelburg Will be held at the Solar Sources Mine. This event that is held every two years to inform SWCD, partners, local officials and the general public about the latest updates on techniques for farming and reclaiming coal-mined soils in Indiana. More information on this event can be found by clicking here.
June 27 / Northern Indiana Lakes Festival / Warsaw The Northern Indiana Lakes Festival will make a splash in local awareness and appreciation for Indiana lakes through education, experience, and celebration of these precious resources. More information can be found by clicking here.
July 1 / Clean Water Act Webcasts / online More information about this event can be found in a past Weekly Update or on the Web site at http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/cwa/
July 8-9 / Water Quality Credit Trading Workshop / Sherrodsville, OH
Through this interactive, two-day workshop, CTIC and our partners aim to increase awareness of water quality trading and improve understanding of the voluntary process among agricultural producers and their advisors, wastewater treatment representatives, and potential "aggregators" (organizations that serve as a kind of broker, facilitating trading). Registration and event information can be found by clicking here.
July 11-15 / Soil and Water Conservation Society’s Annual Conference / Dearborn, MI Click here for details.
July 14 / “Protecting Our Watersheds” / Indianapolis This community action program from Earth Force / GREEN guides your middle or high school class or adult watershed organization through the process of analyzing your data, determining where problems may exist in your watershed, and taking action in your community to protect water quality. To register contact Janice Hicks Slaughter with the Marian College Life Science Education Center at 317-524-7701.
July 14-16 / InfoAg Conference / Springfield, IL InfoAg 2009 will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield, IL. The conference is a biennial event in precision agriculture. The 2009 edition figures to be another fine showing as precision tech-nology expands its user base. Springfield will be packed with software and hard-ware vendors as well as an array of service providers in the CropLife Exhibit Hall. The 16 hours of program include practitioners throughout the production chain. Experts will share their insights on how to put this technology to work. It is a networking opportunity like no other offering a wide variety of speakers addressing the issues that count. Online registration is available here. Register by July 1 to qualify for the early-bird discount rates. Be sure to consider the pre-conference tour in your plans.
July 18 / Pond Renovation Workshop/Stelle, IL The Center for Sustainable Community and Midwest Permaculture will sponsor a Pond Renovation Workshop. Rex Watters, Indiana DNR Resource and Wildlife Specialist will be an instructor. The cost for the all day workshop is $75 and includes lunch. Click here for workshop details and registration. Or you can e-mail Julie.csc@gmail.com to register as well, or call 708.828.4325 for more information.
July 21-22 / WIndiana 2009 / Indianapolis Registration is currently underway for this event! For more information regarding this event including the agenda and registration information visit the Web site at http://www.in.gov/oed/2413.htm
July 21-22 / Nutrient Management Plan Development Workshop / West Lafayette Read about this event in the Weekly Update by clicking here.
July 28 / Establishment and Growth of Backyard Conservation Practices / Noblesville Hamilton County SWCD is sponsoring this workshop which will highlight a second-year rain garden and a native shoreline planting in its second month. The flyer for this event can be viewed by clicking here.
July 29 / Manure Management Field Day / Albion More information on this event being presented by many SWCDs can be found by clicking here.
July 29 / Conservation in Action Tour / Western Illinois CTIC is hosting this day-long event that will feature how conservation can and does work for today’s agriculture. More information can be found on the Web site by clicking here.
Aug. 7 / Healthy Water Healthy People Project WET Workshop / Versailles See flyer and registration on HHH RC&D Web site for details.
Aug dates / Stormwater Workshops / Aug. 18, 20, 26 and 27. Sponsored by Project WET. This workshop is geared for MS4 operators and others
who are involved with stormwater outreach and
education in their community. Click here for the Project WET events calendar click on August, then on specific dates for details).
Aug. 14-15 / Water Mgmt. & Wildlife Field Days / Butlerville The Ind. Land Improvement Contractors Assn. and Purdue University will host a two-day event at the Southeast Purdue Agriculture Center in Jennings County. Demon-strations of drainage plows, trenchers, drainage control structures, and GPS-controlled equipment will take place on both days. Tours will be conducted so visitors can see the equipment in action. A wetland will be constructed to hold drainage water from the tile system and the tile outlets will be installed with water control structures to manage the flow of water from the system or keep water in the system during dry weather. Click here for more information.
August 26 / Drainage 101 / Indianapolis This workshop will give an understanding of the laws and regulations that control drainage of land in Indiana. This year's focus is local regulatory issues and conservancy districts. Brochure and registration information on this program can be found on the Indiana Farm Bureau Web site by clicking here
Aug. 26 / Pasture Walk / Hope Field day will highlight grazing management practices and information on alternative water systems, heavy use area pads and forages. RSVP to the Watershed Staff by Aug. 19. For more information contact the Clifty/Flatrock Haw Creek Watershed Project at 812.378.1280, ext. 3 or 812.343.6683. Click here for details.
Aug. 26-27/Water Quality Trading Workshop/Indianapolis See story in a past WU.
Sept. 13 / Hancock County Farm Festival / Greenfield This event will showcase four farms in Hancock County. Click here to view the flyer for this event.
Sept. 26 / National Public Lands Day National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands Americans enjoy. Click here for information on how your District might become involved.
Jan. 11-13/Annual Conf. for Indiana SWCDs/Indianapolis
Jan. 31-Feb. 1 / NACD Annual Meeting / Orlando, FL To be held at the Hilton located in Walt Disney World. For more information contact Brad Ross, NACD, (202) 547-6223.
2010 Annual Conference of Indiana Soil and Water Conservation Districts
The Power of Conservation: Investing in Districts
January 11‐13, 2010
Downtown Hyatt Hotel, Indianapolis, Indiana
IASWCD wants to encourage all District employees to utilize the great features of the USDA AgLearn Web site. AgLearn contains a vast collection of great information that can help District employees learn new skills, stay up-to-date in technology advances and more! This can be a great resource for Districts. Instructions on creating an AgLearn account can be found by clicking here.
Publications Links
IASWCD Awards
All applications may be downloaded from our Web site >> click here.
- July 17. District Showcase Award applications due July 17.
- Sept. 1. Conservation Farmer of the Year applications due Sept. 1.
- Sept. 1. Friend of Conservation Award applications due Sept. 1.
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For the Week of June 22 - 26, 2009
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In This Week’s Edition . . .
A Report from the Executive Director, Jennifer Boyle
District News.
- Starke County Farms are Stops on Indiana Farm Management Tour. The Starke County SWCD would like to give a big hats off to Wappel Farms and Lawrence Brothers Farms, two stops on the 77th Annual Purdue Farm Management Tour, held yesterday and today. Brad Lawrence, co-owner of Lawrence Brothers Farms, is a long-time SWCD supervisor and one-time chairman. Topics covered included mint and seed corn production, irrigation and application of manure from the hog operation.
Congratulations to Indiana Conservationists. Congratulations to three people who are very familiar to all of us in the Indiana conservation community. The Indiana Wildlife Federation (IWF) recently honored Bob Eddleman, State Soil Conservation Board, as IWF 2009 Forest Conservationist of the Year; Jill Hoffmann, Empower Results, LLC, as 2009 Water Conservationist of the Year; and Ron Lauster, Marion County SWCD director, as IWF 2009 Soil Conservationist of the Year.
River Friendly Farmer Recipients. Congratulations to the 63 winners of the River Friendly Farmer Award! A complete list of the winners, in order of county, can be found online >> click here. Award recipients will be honored at the Indiana State Fair on Farmers’ Day, August 19th, with a ride in the parade and an awards ceremony later in the day. More information on the River Friendly Farmer program can be found at http://www.iaswcd.org/district_tools/RFF/rffpage.html.
Wanted. IDNR District Forester Chuck Ratts is seeking a tree planter available to landowners for rental use. Please contact him at CRatts@dnr.IN.gov if you have one or know of one available.
Reminder: PWQ Volunteer Sign Up. The Pathway to Water Quality is an excellent watershed demonstration site, showing how proper management practices at home, on the farm and in business can protect our soil and water resources. It is proudly sponsored by the Indiana Conservation Partnership. It is time to sign up to volunteer for the exhibit at the 2009 Indiana State Fair. The fair runs from Friday, August 7, through Sunday, August 23. And yes, that is an extra five days to staff one of the fair’s best exhibits on the grounds, the Pathway to Water Quality.
- The sign up page is online at: http://iaswcd.org/pwqsignup.
- A job description for all PWQ volunteer assignments can be found online at http://www.iaswcd.org/pdfs/09PWQjobdescriptions.pdf.
- The Pathway to Water Quality Web site provides further information about the exhibit at http://www.iaswcd.org/district_tools/pwq/index.html.
Reminder: Other IASWCD Award Deadlines. >>Click here for details and deadline information on these IASWCD awards:
- District Showcase Award
- Conservation Farmer of the Year
- Friend of Conservation Award
District Dues. Thank you to all the SWCDs that have submitted 2009 dues. A list of the District dues received can be found here http://www.iaswcd.org/whatsnew/districtdues09.html.
2010 Conference Information
- 2010 Conference Call for Abstracts. A notice for the Call for Abstracts has been sent out for the 2010 IASWCD Annual Conference. The theme for this year is “The Power of Conservation: Investing in Districts.” The deadline to submit abstracts to Jaclyn Casale is June 26. More information regarding abstract submission can be found here.
- 2010 SWCD Resolution Request Form. Resolutions will be considered at the 2010 Annual Conference business meeting on January 13, 2010. >>Click here for the letter (DOC) and >>click here for the resolution process (PDF). Let us know if you have any questions.
You should have received an update today to the resolutions from the past five years. Remember, we now have a sunset clause for resolutions, so it is important that each SWCD board spend time reviewing this update at their next monthly meeting. Remember, the links to the Call for 2010 Resolutions for the 2010 conference can be found by clicking here. If there are any questions about updated actions on resolutions, let me know. I hope this update helps to keep you informed and lets you know how IASWCD is taking ACTION for SWCDs.
Have a good week,
Jennifer
Telling the District Story
by DeeDee Sigler,
This quaint small Ohio River County hosts a vibrant, take charge Soil and Water Conservation District
DeeDee Sigler,
The Switzerland County Web site says “All roads along th e Ohio River Scenic Byway lead to Switzerland County/Vevay, a land of rich heritage, abundant opportunity and rural charm.”
And, I would agree. State Road 56 next to the Ohio River is truly a beautiful path to travel along the river into Vevay (pronounced Vee-vee), the county seat of Switzerland County. Swiss immigrants established the first successful U.S. commercial vineyard and winery there almost 200 years ago.
Right: Historic home in Vevay, Indiana, Switzerland County.
Vevay is a town filled with historic homes, several of which are Bed & Breakfasts, antique shops, and a quaint downtown area where the USDA Service Center and SWCD Office is located. The county itself was organized in 1813. The “real” beauty in Switzerland County however, is the great work being done by the local Soil and Water Conservation District.
Ken Lane, NRCS District Conservationist for Dearborn and Switzerland counties, says “I've been extremely impressed with Katie Collier and Cheryl Furnish and what they've accomplished here since I've been on board. Cary Louderback is new to the staff, but a great addition. The District also has a dedicated group of supervisors.”
Indian Creek Watershed Project
One of the major initiatives for the Switzerland County SWCD is the Indian Creek Watershed (ICW) Project, a 44,000-acre watershed located on the western side of the county. The ICW flows nearly 15 miles from its origin near Avonburg to the Ohio River. The watershed project is a partnership with the Historic Hoosier Hills RC&D. Cary Louderback is the watershed coordinator.
The project began in 2001 as a high school  environmental science class study under the guidance of Bonnie Fancher, a science teacher at Switzerland County High School. Students' water sampling showed a high level of E.coli bacteria taken from water bodies within the ICW. Their strong concern for the presence of E.coli in the water samples led students and Mrs. Fancher to the community for a solution. A truly grassroots partnership of high school students, the Switzerland County SWCD, County Health Department, Cooperative Extension Service and USDA NRCS offices created a task force to further discuss and study the concerns. >>Click here for the rest of this District story.
Above Right: Indian Creek in Switzerland County.
Are you interested in what other SWCDs are doing? Click here for more Telling the District Story features >>. Do you have an idea for a Telling the District Story feature? Contact me at 317.692.7374 or via email.
Reminder: Joint Indiana Conservation Partnership Employees Training
The Indiana Conservation Partnership (ICP) leaders are looking into utilizing Webinar training as one of their options for providing future training to all field staff. Therefore, they are hosting a trial run using the webinar software. This will provide training to employees on the webinar software and how to use it. It will be mandatory for the NRCS District Conservationist and the FSA CED to be present to facilitate this trail run.
The IASWCD and the partnership encourages SWCD staff and all the other field employees in each county to attend and get comfortable with this type of statewide training. Purdue Extension is helping to deliver this training session. The ICP leaders want field partner employees to be together for these training sessions instead of sitting at their individual computers to provide an opportunity for networking and to build working relationships.
Training will last approximately one hour, possibly more depending on questions. It will demonstrate how to include PowerPoint information, web camera set up, and how to conduct a chat box during training and polling during training.
Webinar training takes place on June 30, 2009, at 9:30 a.m. EST in each of the USDA Service Centers. We will send out the dial in numbers and URL site later.
Request for Nominations: Conservation Forestry Award
The American Forest Foundation’s (AFF) Center for Conservation Solutions seeks nominations of a family forest owner whose early adoption of innovative conservation forestry practices has proven both ecologically and socially beneficial. The family forest owner should demonstrate deliberate and ongoing efforts to conserve their forestland in alignment with a written management plan, and also perform landowner and community outreach to promote forest ecosystem stewardship. The family forest owner should possess a holistic view of the forest ecosystem that guides progress toward healthy forest conditions.
Click here for more information on the Conservation Forestry Award. An electronic copy of all proposal materials must be received by mmunford@forestfoundation.org prior to 5 p.m. EST on Tuesday, September 1. Photographs and materials submitted become the property of AFF and may be used in publicizing the award. The AFF will acknowledge receipt of all nominations through an email to the nominator. The award includes a $2,000 cash prize and a trip for both the nominee and winner to Washington, D.C. for the award ceremony on October 15, 2009.
Workshop Teaches About Nutrient Management Plan Software
Crop consultants, farmers, USDA NRCS and U.S. EPA employees are welcome to attend the first Nutrient Management Plan Development Workshop, July 21-22, hosted by Purdue University's Department of Agronomy. The workshop will be at the Beck Agricultural Center at the Purdue Agronomy Center for Research and Education (ACRE) located near West Lafayette.
"This is an interactive workshop for participants of all experience levels interested in developing a nutrient management plan," said Brad Joern, Purdue Extension specialist.
The workshop will focus on developing nutrient management plans (NMPs) from a software perspective.
"The software tools that we will be using in this workshop are designed to streamline the NMP development process as much as possible," Joern said.
The first tool that will be discussed is the Missouri Clipper Web site where planners can download aerial imagery and spatial and tabular data needed to start the planning process.
The second software tool that will be discussed is Map Windows Geographic Information System. The Map Window GIS software is a tool planners can use to draw field boundaries, application setbacks, sensitive features and conservation practices based on data retrieved from the Missouri Clipper Web site.
The third piece of software that will be discussed is the Manure Management Planner (MMP). This software is where the majority of the planning process occurs, including soil erosion and other risk assessment calculations. It can be used to create a nutrient management plan or a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) that will meet the national planning requirements for both NRCS and EPA.
MMP is the only software that is supported by both EPA and NRCS to meet the nutrient management plan requirements of both agencies. MMP currently is available for use in 34 states and is downloadable for free at http://www.agry.purdue.edu/mmp/.
All workshop participants will receive continuing education units. Workshop enrollment is limited to 60 people, and the $125 registration is due by July 1. If room is available after July 1, registration will be $150. Registration includes two catered lunches. A downloadable registration form and agenda is available online by clicking here. The Beck Agricultural Center is located at 4540 U.S. 52 West.
Job Position Available
The Friends of the St. Joe River, Inc. seeks an individual with excellent communication and writing skills to create newsletters, maintain the Web site, assist in membership management/ development, and support the board of directors on a part-time (20 hrs/wk) basis. Experience in environmental science, natural resources, or public affairs preferred. Work from home possible. Click here for the job description. Resume, cover letter and references should be submitted on or before July 20, 2009 to: Friends of the St. Joe River, c/o Rudy Kappe, Buchanan, MI, 49107, RudyKappe@gmail.com. |
Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
OFFICERS:
President: Paula Baldwin, Marion Co.
Vice President: Ray McCormick: Knox Co.
Secretary: Jeff Meinders, Ripley Co.
Treasurer: Brian Campbell, Elkhart Co.
REGION DIRECTORS:
Board Roster / Region Map
North-Northwest: Larry Strole, Newton Co.
South-Northwest: Kenny Cain, Montgomery Co.
North-Northeast: Tom Crowe, Allen Co.
South-Northeast: Bobby Hettmansperger, Wabash Co.
North-Southwest: Bob Weaver, Johnson Co.
South-Southwest: Alan Weyer, Dubois Co.
North-Southeast: Brad Dawson, Dearborn Co.
South-Southeast: Brad Ponsler, Jennings Co.
IASWCD STAFF:
Executive Director: Jennifer Boyle, 317.692.7519
Watershed Information Specialist: Elizabeth Trybula, 317.692.7514
Communications Manager: DeeDee Sigler, 317.692.7374
Project Assistant: Jaclyn Casale, 317.692.7325 |
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