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Conservation INsight
October 23, 2019
IASWCD News
2020 Annual Conference of Indiana SWCDs 
January 13-14, 2020
Indianapolis Marriott Downtown
Hotel reservation site now open for the 77th Annual Conference of Indiana Soil and Water Conservation Districts. $127/night + taxes and fees. Visit the Annual Conference page on the IASWCD website  for conference updates.
Supervisor Scholarships for Annual Conference  due by November 11
Scholarships are available to SWCD Supervisors (not Associates) whose District’s budget restrictions will not permit them to attend the annual conference. The IASWCD will award scholarships depending on available funds. Only one application per District will be accepted for consideration each year. 
Registration Now Open for SWCD Delegates for the Annual Business Meeting
Each Soil and Water Conservation District in good standing (fully paid annual dues) with the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Inc. will have the opportunity to send one SWCD Supervisor delegate to the Annual Conference business meeting. The vote of the district will be cast by the delegate or the alternate at the meeting.  Registration for the delegates is required and must be received by January 3, 2020.
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District Showcase Visit Combined with State Soil Conservation Board Meeting
October 29
Parke County Fairgrounds
Meeting 9:30 am to 12 noon
Lunch and Presentation
by the Parke and Vermillion County SWCDs
will follow the meeting.
If attending, please RSVP to Eric Shideler (Vermillion County SWCD) or Deb Barnett (Parke County SWCD).
Matt Lohr Announced as the Keynote Speaker at Indiana's 77th Annual Conference of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
Matthew Lohr is the 16th Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Matt provides leadership for NRCS and its mission to support America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners in their voluntary conservation efforts through a network of more than 3,000 service centers in communities nationwide.
NACD News
NACD now Accepting 2020 Live Auction Donation Items
NACD is now accepting donations for the auction, and we encourage NACD members and state associations to donate items through  our online donation form . The deadline for all auction items to be included in the 2020 Live Auction booklet is  Friday, Dec. 20, 2019 . Auction items will be accepted on site throughout the day on  Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020 . All proceeds from this auction will go to the  National Conservation Foundation  (NCF), NACD's sister organization, to support NCF's work in identifying and advancing the next generation of conservation leaders.
Fall 2019  The Resource  Cover Selection: Vote Now through December 1
NACD is hard at work collecting content for the next edition of  The Resource , set to be released in November. Vote today for your favorite cover photo!
Purdue Student Develops Informative Conservation Website
As a part of the  2019 Conservation Careers Workshop , the participants, current college students, were asked to complete personal outreach efforts to expand engagement to other students at each participant’s campus and community. Christine Charles  of Purdue University developed an insightful website to help others  find career and volunteer opportunities in conservation .
NACD Seeks 2020 Spring Interns
NACD is seeking 2020 spring interns to work full-time in Washington, D.C. Interns will work with NACD’s government affairs and communications staff to advance the association’s legislative agenda. Interns are given projects to enhance their understanding of Congress and the legislative process. Deadline: November 16.
IDEA News
SAVE THE DATE: 2020 Fall Conference Dates Announced
ISDA News
Leadership Institute: Impacting Community
December 6
9 am to 3 pm (EST)
Madison, IN
USDA-NRCS News
Hoosier Headlines Newsletter
Starting now Indiana NRCS is making its Hoosier Headlines Newsletter available to all conservation partnership employees and members. The bimonthly newsletter includes information about NRCS employees and activities, a greeting from the state conservationist, personnel actions and calendar. If you would like to receive a digital copy of this newsletter, please contact Kris Vance ( kris.vance@usda.gov ).
The New NRCS Characterization (Lab Data Map): Soil Data at Your Fingertips
Madison, Wis. ‒ October 7, 2019 ‒ The  USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service  (NRCS) in Wisconsin and the  NRCS National Soil Survey Center  have made available a new interactive map, National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) Soil Characterization. The first of its kind, this interactive map offers a national database of soil characterization data, allowing location of pedons spatially. Pedons are the smallest unit of soil containing all the soil horizons of a particular soil type.
USDA-FSA News
USDA Opens 2020 Enrollment for Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2019 – Agricultural producers now can enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs – two U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) safety net programs – for the 2020 crop year. Meanwhile, producers who enrolled farms for the 2018 crop year have started receiving more than $1.5 billion for covered commodities for which payments were triggered under such programs. “These two programs provide income support to help producers manage the ups and downs in revenues and prices,” said Richard Fordyce, Administrator of USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). “USDA is here to support the economic stability of American agricultural producers by helping them maintain their competitive edge in times of economic stress. We encourage producers to consider enrolling in one of these programs.”
Purdue Extension News
Soil, Water and Cropping Systems Forum: How Purdue is Moving Ag Forward in Sustainable Ways
Friday, November 22, 2019
9:30 am - 3:00 pm
Hendricks Co. Fairgrounds and Conference Center, Danville, Indiana
The event is open to county and regional staff as well as state level Indiana Conservation Partnership (ICP) members. This program will inform our partners about Purdue's work in soil health, ag water management, cropping systems, and nutrient management. Topics will include cover crops and N management, implications of novel soil mapping technologies on soil health assessment, water quality work in the St. Joe watershed, cover crops and weed management, balancing inset pest suppression and pollinator conservation, hemp production, Indiana State Climate Office, and others. Registration through November 12.
Other News
Monday, October 28th from 1PM - 2PM CT 
Tune in to this month’s webinar and hear from Daren Mueller, Associate Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist at Iowa State University. For this webinar, Mueller will explore how climate change and changing management practices can affect corn and soybean diseases.
The Garden Club of America Board of Associates Centennial Pollinator Fellowship: 2020 grant cycle is now open!
Award: $4,000
Deadline: January 17, 2020
The Garden Club of America (GCA) Board of Associates Centennial Pollinator Fellowship provides funding to a current graduate student to study the causes of pollinator decline, in particular bees, bats, butterflies and moths, which could lead to potential solutions for their conservation and sustainability.
Seeking applicants for Indiana Agricultural Leadership Program Class 19
Interested in growing your leadership ability? Now is the time to make that happen. Do you know a colleague or employee who could benefit from expanding their skills? Encourage them apply for ALP Class 19.  We are seeking individuals who will step forward to lead agriculture and rural communities for today and tomorrow. We are seeking individuals who want to advance their skills and expertise in leadership. We are seeking individuals who desire to be more knowledgeable about those areas of public policy that impact agriculture and the process for impacting decision making at local, state and federal levels. We are seeking individuals ready to be a "Difference Maker" for agriculture.
Joe Schmees, Executive Director, IASWCD presents at the Indiana Summer Trainings for District Staff and Supervisors.
This is part one of his presentation,
 IASWCD: Your Association, Not Your Ordinary Association
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Job Postings  :
Current list of Conservation Job Opportunities now posted on the  IASWCD website.
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.
Upcoming Conservation Events  :
October 25 - Forestry Practices, Washington Co.
October 29 - State Soil Conservation Board meeting & District Showcase Visit: Parke/Vermillion
October 29 - Learn the Dirt on Soil, Monroe Co.
November 5 - Learn the Dirt on Soil, Monroe Co.
November 7 - Women's Learning Circle, Boone Co.
November 7 - Women's Learning Circle, Franklin Co.
November  11 - Veteran's Day
November 12 - Learn the Dirt on Soil, Monroe Co.
November 14 - Women's Learning Circle, Tippecanoe Co.
November 22- Soil, Water and Cropping Systems Forum
December 6 - Leadership Institute, Madison, IN
2020:
January 12-14 - Annual Indiana SWCD Conference, Indpls.

For a complete list of upcoming conservation events,  go to the Events Calendar on the IASWCD website .