Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
August 30, 2017
Conservation Update

August 17, 2017 - August 30, 2017
 

IASWCD News
Three Conservation Award Nominations Due Sept. 8
Recognizes individuals or entities who have made an outstanding contribution to soil and water conservation in Indiana. Categories for the Friend of Conservation Award are:  Corporate, Individual, and Nonprofit/Government. One winner from each category will be recognized. The winners will be recognized at the Annual Conference of Indiana SWCDs' Conservation Award Banquet.

Honors Hoosier farmers who actively incorporate and practice conservation on the land. One Indiana farmer will be honored as the top conservation-minded producer in the Hoosier state. The winner will be recognized at the Annual Conference of Indiana SWCDs' Conservation Award Banquet.

Honors Soil and Water Conservation District leaders "supervisors" for their outstanding and exemplary achievements and leadership in the protection and enhancement of Indiana's soil and water resources. An overall state winner will be recognized at the Annual Conference of Indiana SWCDs' Conservation Award Banquet.

THE 2018 Annual SWCD Conference 
KEYNOTE SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT COMING SOON! Watch Social Media for the big announcement on Friday!
Conference dates: January 8-9, 2018 
Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, 350 West Maryland St., 46220

Resolution Submissions - Due next week!
All resolution information, including submission forms or online submission form link can be found on the  IASWCD website Annual Conference page. Submissions due September 8, 2017.
Senator Donnelly receives PWQ pin from Roger Wenning
On August 15,  Roger Wenning, Vice President of the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (IASWCD) board, met with Senator Joe Donnelly and other ag leaders at the farm bill listening session. Wenning presented Donnelly with a Pathway to Water Quality 25 year anniversary pin. (pictured L to R: Roger Wenning; grandson Henry; and Senator Joe Donnelly)
IDEA News
Indiana District Employees Association Fall Conference
October 11-13
West Lafayette, IN
IDEA
The IDEA Fall Conference is rapidly approaching and the South-Northwest region has been working hard to plan an exciting event centered on PARTNERSHIPS.   

Registration:
Before you register for the conference, please read through the conference information and agenda. You will need to make a few decisions (i.e. tours & activity participation) before you go to register. 
Register here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2017-idea-fall-conference-tickets-36901122250If you are registering more than one person in your office, please send an email to vermillion@iaswcd.org with a list of the names and what District you have registered. All registration checks should be mailed to Cindy Newkirk, IDEA Treasurer, at Hancock County SWCD, Attn: Cindy Newkirk, 1101 W Main Street, Greenfield, IN  46140. For bookkeeping purposes, please include a note regarding who the payment includes. For hotel reservations, please call the hotel, Four Points Sheraton, West Lafayette, IN at 765-463-5511 and tell them you are with the IDEA Conference block to receive the $99 room rate. This rate is good until September 11th ONLY!
 
And just a reminder, the Fall Conference and the IASWCD Annual Conference will once again be hosting silent auctions at both events.  Districts - and other attendees -  are encouraged to bring something to put in the auction. Proceeds from both will benefit the State Poster Contest and IDEA Staff Scholarships.
 
If you have any questions regarding registration for the Fall Conference, please contact Eric Shideler at vermillion@iaswcd.org or lorigalloway73@gmail.com for more assistance.
NACD News
Economic Benefits Realized in Recent Study
GREAT NEWS! Newly released research conducted by the  National Association of Conservation Districts and  Datu Research have quantified the e c onomic benefits of cover crops and/or no-till. There are now numbers on the amount of savings with decreased fertilizer costs, decreased erosion repair costs, and increased yields. Read more ...

Read about the economic and soil health benefits in each of the individual four case studies here.

Summer Publication
The summer edition of NACD's quarterly publication - The Resource - can be  downloaded by clicking here .
ISDA News
N-NW Region Meeting Date Set for December 5

5:30 pm - 7:30 pm CST
Lake County SWCD | Crown Point



2017 Specialty Crop Multi-State Grant Program
The Indiana State Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the 2017 Specialty Crop Multi-State Grant Program, a competitive grant created to help develop solutions to issues affecting the specialty crop industry across state boundaries. To apply for the SCMP grant, please visit  www.in.gov/isda/2474.htm. Proposals are due September 18 by 5 pm  (EDT). For additional grant assistance, please contact Ann McCambridge, ISDA's Grants Program Manager, at amccambridge@isda.in.gov or 317-419-0200.
USDA-NRCS News

Don't Miss the latest NRCS SOIL HEALTH UPDATE: 

FFA National Convention and Expo Judges Needed
NEED AN ADDITIONAL 40 VOLUNTEERS:
NRCS is looking for Indiana Conservation Partnership (ICP) help in judging the FFA Natural Resources and Environment events on October 25 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds from 10 am to 3 pm.  The purpose of the environmental and natural resource career development event is to foster student interest and promote environmental and natural resource instruction in the agricultural education curriculum.  Judges are separated into two categories: verbal and teamwork. Lunch will be provided for all volunteers.  Please volunteer by contacting  Kris Vance at:  kris.vance@in.usda.gov.
Purdue Extension  
2018 Corn & Soybean Field Guide
Taking orders now for the first printing of custom covers of the 2018 Purdue Extension Corn & Soybean Field Guide.  The ordering deadline for the first printing is Friday,  October 27 . The completed guides will begin to ship by the  end of December 2017 The ordering deadline for the second printing is Friday,  January 26, 2018 . Completed guides will ship in late  March 2018 For details, including prices and artwork requirements, please see the webpage
Other News
Indiana's Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) Domestic Action Plan (DAP) for the Western Lake Erie Basin
Indiana's DAP Advisory Committee is seeking your input on the draft Indiana's Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) Domestic Action Plan (DAP) for the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) to reduce phosphorus to Lake Erie. The DAP public comment period begins August 14, 2017 and will end on October 13, 2017.
Please review the  draft of the DAP and give your comments. All comments must be submitted in writing via  Survey Monkey. Read more of this public notice at the   ISDA site.

Gathering of Indiana Stakeholders in Farm Transfer/Farm Succession - SAVE THE DATE!
Wednesday, November 15
@ Hancock County Extension Office, Greenfield
10 am to 2 pm
Registration information coming in October

Pathway to Water Quality (PWQ)
THANK YOU!  to all those who volunteered this year at PWQ.   
Your countless volunteer hours made Pathway a huge success for its 25th year. If you volunteered, please take the time to fill out this Google form survey . This survey is beneficial for finding ways to improve each year. Survey open now through September 6. 

Indiana Envirothon
Indiana Envirothon is requesting updates for their booklet mailing list by Friday, September 15. If you have a particular high school teacher/home school group that this booklet should be sent to, please send that information to LuAnne Holeva at  luanne.holeva@in.nacdnet.net. If you have a new high school in your area, a new high school building location, or a school that is no longer in existence, please send that information so the mailing list can be updated. Also, if any SWCD office or Purdue Extension office has moved please forward your information to LuAnne.

Indiana Watershed Leadership Academy
If you're interested in water quality and watersheds, consider applying for the Indiana Watershed Leadership Academy. The Academy, organized by Purdue University with support from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and  other Indiana conservation agencies and organizations, gives participants the chance to eng age in basic and advanced level watershed topics.
  • Meet, learn from, and build a network of peers
  • Interact with topic experts
  • Gain strategies, skills, and resources for successful watershed management
  • Earn a Professional Certificate in Watershed Management
Enrollment deadline: November 3, 2017. 
Application and more information found on the leadership website

Job Opportunity: Executive Director of Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance
Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance is a unique partnership of Indiana agricultural and conservation organizations in addition to state and federal agricultural and conservation agencies coming together to assist organizational partners nutrient research efforts and promotion of nutrient management and soil health practices educational programs.  The organization was created to identify how partners can jointly enhance their programs to further the shared goal of improving nutrient use efficiency to reduce nutrient loss from agricultural production areas with the ultimate goal of enhancing water quality.   The Executive Director will have the opportunity to lead the creation and development of this new partnership.  A key responsibility will be to establish sound working relationships and cooperative arrangements between partners to promote active and broad participation.  The goal is to manage and lead the organization towards the realization of its mission.  The Executive Director will be responsible for the administrative, financial and marketing functions of the organization on a day to day basis to ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. Read more ...

ICP logo    
Training for ICP Employees: 
Pasture Plant ID and Prescribed Grazing Workshop 
September 13
Plymouth, IN

Space is limited and you must register. More information and registration can be found here
Resources .
SARE Grant Proposals Announced
2018 NORTH CENTRAL REGION SA RE FARMER RANCHER GRANT CALL FOR PROPOSALS ANNOUNCED
There are three types of competitive grants: individual grants ($7,500 maximum), team of two grants for two farmers/ranchers from separate operations who are working together ($15,000 maximum), and group grants for three or more farmers/ranchers from separate operations who are working together ($22,500 maximum).  Interested applicants can find the call for proposals online as well as useful information for completing a proposal on the website Proposals are due on  December 7, 2017 at 4 p.m. CST.

2018 NORTH CENTRAL REGION SARE PARTNERSHIP GRANT CALL FOR PROPOSALS ANNOUNCED
Individual grants are limited to $30,000. The deadline for Partnership Program proposals is October 26, 2017 at 4pm CDT. Find more information here.
 
2018 NORTH CENTRAL REGION SARE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION GRANT CALL FOR PRE PROPOSALS ANNOUNCED
Individual grants range from $50,000 to $200,000. 
The deadline for Research and Education Program preproposals is October 19, 2017 at 4pm CDT. More information here.

The Indiana Forestry Educational Foundation 
~Grant Funds Available~
IFEF is pleased to announce the availability of competitive grant funds to help educate and inform woodland owners and/or the public about forestry, woodland management and other Indiana forestry related topics. For more details regarding the application and requirements, visit the IFEF website Completed online grant applications should be submitted no later than  midnight on Friday, September 15, 2017 . IFEF will make grant award announcements in December 2017.

Funding Opportunity: ORB WQT Project
The Ohio River Basin (ORB) Water Quality Trading (WQT) Project seeks to include funding for forestry (i.e. tree planting) as a best management practice to reduce nutrient runoff and enhance ecosystem function on farmland in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. The project will also consider funding non-forestry practices that work synergistically with the forestry practice to further reduce nutrient runoff. Eligible producers are invited to submit funding requests. Read more...
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: 

September 5-6 - CTICs Conservation in Action Tour, West Lafayette

September 12 -  Women4theLand: Women's Learning Circle, Jennings County

September 13 - For ICP: Pasture Plant ID and Prescribed Grazing Workshop, Plymouth, IN 

September 20 - Women4theLand Women's Learning Circle, Putnam County

September 27 - Small Garden & Urban Farming Networking Breakfast, Evansville

October 11-13 - IDEA Conference, West Lafayette

October 18 - Grant Writing Workshop, United Way of Central Indiana, Indianapolis

October 19- Women4theLand Women's Learning Circle, returning attendees, Tippecanoe County

October 23-27 - Stream Simulation Training, Bloomington

November 12-17 -  National Association of 4-H Extension Agents/Educators Conference in Indianapolis

November 15 - Gathering of IN Stakeholders in Farm Transfer/Succession, Greenfield

December 5 - N-NW Region Meeting, Crown Point, IN

December 7-8 - National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health

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

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

April 29-May 6, 2018 - NACD Stewardship Week
Current Job Openings *

See Job Descriptions and/or Applications at www.IASWCD.org 

Visiting Naturalist,
Cope Environmental Center
Centerville, IN

District Coordinator, 
Franklin County SWCD

Senior Director of Marketing & Communications,
Indiana Soybean Alliance

Technical Assistant, 
Indiana School Lead Water Sampling - NW Indiana

Executive Director
Indiana Agriculture
 Nutrient Alliance

Environmental Education Coordinator, 
St. Joseph SWCD

Education and Outreach Coordinator,  Joseph Moore Museum,  Earlham College

Government Relations Education and Outreach Associate, 
The Nature Conservancy

Watershed Coordinator, WREC

Soil Conservationist, NRCS, Warsaw, IN

Program Technicians, FSA (various locations)

*(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 Award Deadlines & Resolution Submissions:

IASWCD Resolution Submissions

due September 8 
Special Thanks to the following Districts who have paid Annual Dues as of 08/29/17:

Adams

Allen

Bartholomew

Benton

Blackford

Brown

Cass

Clark

Clay

Clinton

Crawford

Daviess

Dearborn

Decatur

Dekalb

Delaware

Dubois

Elkhart

Floyd

Fountain

Franklin

Fulton

Greene

Hamilton

Hancock

Harrison

Henry

Huntington

Howard

Jackson

Jasper

Jay

Jefferson

Jennings

Johnson

Knox

Kosciusko

LaGrange

Lake

LaPorte

Lawrence

Marion

Marshall

Martin

Miami

Monroe

Morgan

Newton

Noble

Orange

Owen

Parke

Perry

Pike

Porter

Posey

Pulaski

Putnam

Randolph

Ripley

Rush

St. Joseph

Scott

Shelby

Starke

Steuben

Switzerland

Tipton

Union

Vanderburgh

Vermillion

Wabash

Warren

Warrick

Washington

Wayne

Wells

White

Whitley