Conservation INsight
February 27, 2019
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Districts - Sign Up Now
for Your Statehouse Visit!
IASWCD is coordinating visits to the Statehouse now through April.
Plenty of dates are still available.
March 5, 7, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28
April 2, 3, 4, 9, 10
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ICP MOU Reminder
Districts should have received a copy of the new ICP MOU from NRCS that replaces the old Cooperative Working Agreements. March 15 is the deadline for signing and returning them to NRCS.
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Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative Awarded $10k from Perdue Foundation
Hoosier Ag Today, February 20, 2019 -
Perdue Farms has the initiative to improve the planet through the education of Indiana farmers and producers. The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation has awarded the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative (CCSI) $10,000. CCSI is a program of the Indiana Conservation Partnership with a mission of improving soil health on Indiana cropland. “Our partnership with Perdue will further help CCSI to address environmental concerns as well as help our Indiana farmers become more resilient to extreme weather events and challenging market conditions,” CCSI Director Lisa Holscher said.
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NACD Adds 2019 Annual Meeting Resources
Over the past week, NACD has uploaded additional breakout session and conservation symposia presentations from the 73rd Annual Meeting to the
2019 Annual Meeting Hub
. This page also features press releases, templates, archived video, photos and more. Additional resources will be posted as they become available.
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Membership Dues
2019 IDEA membership fee of $25 per person due by March 31.
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Poster Contest
Due by June 7, 2019
2019 Theme: "Life in the Soil: Dig Deeper"
There will be five (5) grade divisions: K-1, 2-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12.
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New Position Created to Support Agricultural Educators
INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 25, 2019) — Today, the
Indiana State Department of Agriculture
announced the hiring of Kimberly Barkman as Agricultural Education Program Manager. Barkman will serve as a liaison between ISDA and the
Indiana Department of Education
, and schools with an agriculture program. “We are pleased to name Kim as our very first Agricultural Education Program Manager,” said Bruce Kettler, ISDA Director. “Her passion for students and almost decade long career in agricultural education has prepared her well for this position. We’re excited to welcome her to the team.”
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Specialty Crop Grants Available
INDIANAPOLIS — The
Indiana State Department of Agriculture
is now accepting
grant
applications to grow the state’s specialty crop sector. These crops include fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, horticulture and nursery crops.
“I encourage groups interested in enhancing specialty crop production in Indiana to take full advantage of this opportunity,” said Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “Whether it’s applying individually or as part of a collaborative effort, these grants have the potential to create long-term, innovative solutions to some of the challenges facing producers today.”
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IDEM Seeks Nominations for the 2019 Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence
Do you know of an organization that is remarkable in its efforts to protect the state of Indiana’s environment? If so, consider nominating them for the Indiana Governor’s Awards of Environmental Excellence. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) is now accepting nominations for the 2019 Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence. The awards are Indiana’s highest environmental recognition and are open to all Indiana citizens and organizations. Nominations must be received by IDEM no later than 5 p.m. EDT on April 1, 2019.
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CTIC is Accepting Applications for the Position of Executive Director
Submit by March 1
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) is seeking applicants interested in serving as its new Executive Director, in order to carry out its mission, which is to “connect, champion, and provide information on sustainable agricultural systems and technologies that are productive, profitable and preserve natural resources.” The Executive Director is responsible for oversight and direction of programs, including quality control, financial and budget management, fund raising, fostering member involvement and commitment, facilitating public/private partnerships, and maintaining productive internal and external relations.
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Webinar: Cover Crops for Soil and Water Quality Improvement
February 28 @ 2 pm EST
Cover crops are an important conservation practice for improving soil health and water quality. They can be very effective in scavenging residual nitrate and other nutrients from the soil, reducing the amount of nitrate leaching from the bottom of the root zone into drainage waters. Cover crops also improve soil physical and biological properties, increase water infiltration and reduce soil erosion. Widespread adoption of cover crops could have significant benefits to water quality and soil health across agricultural lands.
Dr. Eileen J. Kladivko: Professor of agronomy at Purdue University
CCA CEU Credits: 1.5 awarded for attending (1 for soil & water management and 0.5 for nutrient management)
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Weed Wrangles® are events held across the nation that are designed to bring communities together to learn about and manage invasive plants. Indiana will hold several Weed Wrangle Indiana® events this year. Our initial spring line-up includes the following:
April 12, 9AM-Noon: Weed Wrangle Indiana® at the Sanctuary Oaks Nature Preserve, Shelburn, IN. Please contact Amber Slaughterbeck at
amber@sicim.info
for additional information.
April 13, Noon-2PM: The Johnson County (CISMA) in conjunction with the Soil Water Conservation District and Johnson County Parks will hold a Weed Wrangle Indiana® at the Johnson County Park in Nineveh, Indiana. Facebook link:
https://www.facebook.com/events/342768659664194/
April 4, 2PM-5PM: The Orange County CISMA will hold a Weed Wrangle Indiana® at the Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest in Paoli, IN. Please call 812-203-3033 for more information.
May 4, Time TBD. The Johnson County Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) in conjunction with the Greenwood Stormwater Operations & Nature Center at 225 S. Washington Street, Greenwood, Indiana will hold a Weed Wrangle Indiana®. Please contact
Dawn.slack@tnc.org
for more information.
May 18, 9AM-Noon, The Morgan County CISMA will host a Weed Wrangle Indiana® at the Old Town Waverly Park in Martinsville, IN. Please contact David Mow at
David.mow@att.net
for additional information.
May 18, time TBD. A Weed Wrangle Indiana® in Indianapolis along the Urban Wilderness Trail at Ensign Graham Edward Martin Park south of 16th Street. Additional details coming soon. Please contact KIB at
https://www.kibi.org/
Additional Weed Wrangle Indiana® events will be forthcoming.
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Job Postings
:
Current list of Conservation Job Opportunities now posted on the
IASWCD website.
- Soil and Water Technician, Marshall County SWCD
- Executive Director, Putnam County SWCD
- District Program Manager, Jasper County SWCD
Note: Job Postings can be submitted to Amy Work at:
amy-work@iaswcd.org .
Please include job description and deadline to apply in a single PDF file or with a link.
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Upcoming Conservation Events
:
March 1 - Leadership Institute
March 3 - World Wildlife Day
March 6 - Southern Indiana Grazing Conference
March 10 - Daylight Savings Time starts
March 12 - Elkhart Co: Soak Up Your Resources
March 14 - National Ag Day
March 19 - State Soil Conservation Board meeting
March 22 - World Water Day
May 21 - State Soil Conservation Board meeting
May 27 - Memorial Day
July 16 - State Soil Conservation Board meeting
August 14 - River Friendly Farmer Awards event
August 20-21 - Conservation in Action Tour
September 17 - State Soil Conservation Board meeting
October 29 - State Soil Conservation Board meeting
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