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Conservation INsight
June 20, 2018
IASWCD News
IASWCD Resolution Submission
Districts - if you would like to submit a resolution for consideration, please fill out this  Google Form . Resolutions are due to the IASWCD office by Friday, September 7, 2018. These resolutions will be considered at the IASWCD Business Meeting on January 15, 2019 (during annual conference). For more details regarding resolutions, please visit the information page on the IASWCD website . Any questions, contact Joe Schmees at joseph-schmees@iaswcd.org or 317.692.7519.
Nominations Now Open
for these Upcoming Awards
Recognizes individuals or entities who have made an outstanding contribution to soil and water conservation in Indiana. Three awards given - one in each category: Corporate, Individual and Nonprofit/Government. The winners will be recognized at the Annual Conference of Indiana SWCDs’ Conservation Awards Banquet. Nominations due September 7, 2018.
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. This winner will be recognized at the Annual Conference of Indiana SWCDs’ Conservation Awards Banquet. Nominations due September 7, 2018.
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 Awards Banquet. Nominations due September 7, 2018.
District Showcase Award
Show off your District! Tell us Your Story! Brag a Little!

Your team works hard and we want to hear about it. Nominate your District for this District Showcase Award so we can help you tell your story and share your successes. This award highlights the successes of up to four local Indiana Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs). The winners will be recognized at the Annual Conference of Indiana SWCDs' Conservation Award Banquet. Nominations due July 31, 2018.
NACD News
NACD Releases Report, Publishes Map of Urban Grant Recipients
In 2016, NACD partnered with NRCS to pilot conservation technical assistance for the vastly growing industry of urban agriculture. The two primary goals were to increase technical support for conservation aspects of urban agriculture and help address the needs of underserved populations. Two of Indiana's Districts were recipients of this grant. NACD published a comprehensive 93-page document describing each project, districts’ efforts to keep the programs operating and lessons learned. Visit the   2016 Urban Agriculture Grant Recipients webpage  to view the report, as well as an interactive map of the projects.
NACD Reacts to Senate Ag Committee's Farm Bill Draft
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 12, 2018) - The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) sent a  letter  to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry outlining the organization’s reaction to The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 released on Friday.
The letter applauds Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and members of the committee for the due diligence they demonstrated in drafting their version of the 2018 Farm Bill.  Read more ...
IDEA News
2018 IDEA Fall Conference
"Review the Basics, Renew Your Mind, Regenerate Your Passion"
October 2-4, 2018
Fourwinds Lakeside Inn & Marina,
Bloomington, IN

ISDA News
SAVE the DATE: Supervisor Training/Region Meetings
Don't miss this year's Supervisor Training/Region Meetings as they are new and improved! Some regions will also have tours of interest and all of the meetings will have an opportunity for "Meet the New Leaders" of ISDA, IASWCD and NRCS. There may even be a fun COMPETITION between regions this year!
Flyer and registration coming soon!

NW Region Meeting
Thursday, August 30
Fair Oaks Farms
Tour: 3-4:30 pm (CDT)
Dinner & Meeting: 5-7:30 pm (CDT)

Central Region Meeting
Thursday, September 13
Indiana Farm Bureau Building, Indianapolis
5 pm (EDT)

SW Region Meeting
Monday, August 20
Antioch Church
Tour 3:45 pm (EDT)
Dinner & Meeting 5:45 pm (EDT)

NE Region Meeting
Monday, September 10
Tour: Down to Earth Industries (worm farm)
4-5:30 pm (EDT)
Meeting: Cottage Event Center
6-8 pm (EDT)

SE Region Meeting
Wednesday, August 22
Jennings Education and Training Center
4-8 pm (EDT)
Nominations for AgriVision Award Accepted through July 1
Now in its 12th year, the AgriVision Award is open to any Indiana resident and all sectors of the agriculture industry—from bioenergy to livestock to trade. It was specifically created to honor an individual who has reshaped Indiana agriculture through their visionary ideas in innovation, technology and/or agribusiness.
This year's recipient will be recognized by Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch during her Celebration of Agriculture at the Indiana State Fair.  Read more ...
Indiana Agriculture Photo Contest
The  Indiana State Department of Agriculture  is now accepting submissions for the 11th annual Indiana Agriculture  photo contest , which showcases the hard work and contributions made by Hoosier farmers. The contest is open to the general public, and the winners will be honored during a special ceremony at the Indiana State Fair. Deadline: June 30, 2018.  Read more ...
USDA-NRCS News
Indiana Farmers See Relief on DUNS and SAM Requirements
Indianapolis, May 25, 2018 – Thanks to a change in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, farmers in Indiana who apply for financial assistance programs through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will no longer need a Dun and Bradstreet Universal Number System (DUNS) number, or to register in the System for Award Management (SAM).
“This change streamlines the process for both farmers and staff because it greatly simplifies the contracting and payment process for current and new participants,” said Gerald Roach, Acting State Conservationist in Indiana. “Participants that are currently enrolled in any of our conservation programs will soon receive letters from NRCS with more details.” Read more ...
Purdue Extension News
Women in Agriculture (WIA)
This year the Purdue Women in Agriculture Team periodically offers free educational webinars as an extension of the Women in Agriculture Conference. Check out the list of upcoming webinars and links to recordings of the past webinars .  

WIA Lunch and Learn Meeting
Cass County
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Participants will learn about succession planning and Code Red. For more information including the exact time, location, and to RSVP, please contact the Cass County Extension Office at 574-753-7750.
Other News
Indiana Water Summit
August 12 - 4 pm to 7 pm
August 13 - 8:30 am to 5 pm
Speaker: Charles Fishman,  The Big Thirst
Xerces Society

Phyllis Stiles, Bee City USA founder, relates how from the early days her dream had been to have Bee City adopted by an established organization, and why Xerces was at the top of her list. Read more ...
Combating Invasive Species
Johnson County CALL OUT MEETING: Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas
CISMAs are a grassroots group of partners from many organizations with a common goal of pooling resources and knowledge to help address mutual invasive species issues. Below is a list of upcoming CISMA callout dates and counties. Click on the county name for more information.
Indiana Envirothon
Are you interested in taking part in the Envirothon contests around the state? Would you like more information? Have you been wanting to attend a meeting but it just hasn’t worked out for any number of reasons? Well, here’s your opportunity to change that! We are scheduling a conference call in August. If you’d like to participate in the call, please contact Jeri Ziliak .
ICAN Quarterly Brown Bag Lunch
Enjoy networking with others interested in getting kids outside. Learn new strategies and get new ideas for environmental education. Learn from an expert who is working with public schools and using the outdoors for education! At The Avon Outdoor Learning Center, June 21, 2018 from 11:30 am to 1 pm. More info ...
Thank you to these 72 Indiana Soil & Water Conservation Districts for their payment of membership dues to IASWCD:
Adams
Allen
Bartholomew
Benton
Blackford
Brown
Carroll
Cass
Clark
Clinton
Daviess
Dearborn
Decatur
DeKalb
Delaware
Dubois
Elkhart
Floyd
Fountain
Franklin
Fulton
Greene
Hamilton
Hendricks
Henry
Howard
Huntington
Jackson
Jasper
Jay
Knox
Kosciusko
LaGrange
Lake
LaPorte
Lawrence
Madison
Marion
Marshall
Miami
Montgomery
Morgan
Newton
Orange
Owen
Parke
Perry
Pike
Porter
Posey
Pulaski
Putnam
Randolph
Ripley
Rush
Scott
Shelby
St. Joseph
Starke
Steuben
Sullivan
Tipton
Union
Vanderburgh
Wabash
Warren
Warrick
Washington
Wayne
Wells
White
Whitley
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Job Postings  :
Current list of Conservation Job Opportunities now posted on the  IASWCD website.

  • Executive Director, Wesselman Woods Nature Society
  • Program Manager - Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative (CCSI)
  • Stormwater Coordinator, City of Columbus
  • Environmental Stewardship Program and Partners for Pollution Prevention Program Manager, IDEM
  • Director of Development, NACD
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  :
June 26 - Native Plant Stewardship Class, Brown Co.
June 27 - Gypsum Soil Health Meeting, Montpelier
June 27 - Inhabit: A permaculture perspective (film screening), Marion County
July 10 - Native Plant Stewardship Class, Brown Co.
July 19 - Agronomy Field Day, Steuben County
July 19 - Monarch Habitat Tech Training, Hamilton Co.
July 19 - Inhabit: A permaculture perspective (film screening), Danville
July 24 - SSCB Meeting, NRCS, Indianapolis
July 25 - Soil Health Systems Field Day, Wabash Co.
July 25-26 - 2018 Farm Tour, Clay Co.
July 31 - District Showcase Nominations due
August 3-8 - NACD Summer Meeting
August 3-19 - Indiana State Fair
August 7 - Native Plant Stewardship Class, Brown Co.
August 12-13 - Indiana Water Summit, Indianapolis
August 15 - River Friendly Farmer Awards Ceremony
August 21 - Native Plant Stewardship Class, Brown Co.
August 28 - Leadership Institute
August 28-30 - Soil Health & Sustainability, Beck Ag Ctr
September 7 - IASWCD Awards Deadline
September 28 - SSCB Meeting, NRCS, Indianapolis
October 2-4 - IDEA Fall Conference, Bloomington, IN
October 30 - SSCB Meeting, TBD
November 30 - Leadership Institute
December 7 - Leadership Institute
For a complete list of upcoming conservation events,  go to the Events Calendar on the IASWCD website .