I A S W C D B l o g |
The Association has started a blog to share stories, announcements, and ideas relevant to SWCDs and the larger community.
Past topics blogged about include the trend of eating invasive species (>>click here) and whether wild broccoli exists or not (>>click here) .
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W e ' r e S o c i a l! |
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E v e n t s C a l e n d a r |
Visit our Google Calendar for details about upcoming events!
You can submit events via
New Events:
- Urban Green Practices Webinar: Jan. 25
- Ethel Osbourn's Retirement Party: Jan. 26
- Heart of America Grazing Conference: Jan. 25-26
- Farming Together Workshop: Jan 27-28
- Eagle Watch Weekend: Jan. 27-29
- Healthy Soil, Healthy Profits Workshop: Feb. 2
- Midwest Cover Crops Council Annual Meeting: Feb. 28-29
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Q u i c k L i n k s |
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I A S W C D L e a d e r s h i p |
Officers
President:
Ray McCormick , Knox Co.
Secretary:
Brian Campbell , Elkhart Co. Treasurer:
Jamie Scott, Kosciusko Co.
Region Directors
Board Roster / Region Map
South-NW:
Mike Starkey , Hendricks Co. North-NE:
Tom Crowe, Allen Co. South-NE:
Bobby Hettmansperger, Wabash Co. North-SW:
Paul Cummings, Owen Co. South-SW:
Jim Droege, Posey Co. North-SE:
Mike Schwab, Franklin Co. South-SE:
Brad Ponsler, Jennings Co
IASWCD Staff
Executive Director:
Jennifer Boyle Warner, 317.692.7519
Project Assistant:
Liz Rice, 317.692.7325
Communications Manager:
DeeDee Sigler, 317.692.7374
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For the week of January 16 - 20
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A Report from the Executive Director
Thank you to 2012 SWCD Annual Conference Planning Committee
I would like to thank the following people for participating in the 2012 SWCD Annual Conference planning committee and helping to make this year's conference a huge success. Your ideas, time, and assistance are so appreciated! Thank you to Deb Lane, Troy Hinkle, Paula Baldwin, Mike Starkey, Angie Brown, Becky Ross, Nathan Stoelting, Sharon Watson, Ray Chattin, Jill Reinhart, and Laura Fribley.
Congratulations to Roger Wenning - 2011 Supervisor of the Year
The IASWCD Board of Directors would like to congratulate Roger Wenning as the 2011 Supervisor of the Year. There was an impressive group of 10 supervisors nominated for the award. The IASWCD would like to thank all these individuals for their dedication to their local SWCD and conservation.
Special thanks to the ICP
I would like to thank NRCS and ISDA for all their support and assistance before and during the Annual Conference. Also, a special thanks to IDEM and IDNR folks who served as moderators and speakers. It's great to see such support for our 92 local soil and water conservation districts from our partners. Thanks again for helping make this year's conference a great experience for everyone!
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Have a good day,
Jennifer
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USDA Extends Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Sign-Up to January 27
The cut-off date for the current Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) ranking period has been extended to January 27, 2012 in Indiana. Producers who maintain a high level of conservation on their land and agree to adopt higher levels of stewardship are eligible for CSP payments. Eligible lands include cropland, pastureland, rangeland and nonindustrial forestland. Over $5.9 million dollars in CSP funds is available for Indiana producers this year for their participation. A CSP self-screening checklist is available to help producers determine if they qualify for CSP at local NRCS offices or online here.
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Monsanto Rural Education Grants $10,000-$25,000 available to local schools
America's Farmers Grow Rural Education is sponsored by the Monsanto Fund to help farmers positively impact their communities by supporting local school districts. Specifically, the program gives farmers the opportunity to nominate a public school district in their community to compete for a merit-based grant of either $10,000 or $25,000. The program is available in 1,245 counties in 39 states.
Farmers who live or farm in an eligible county can nominate a school district. Visit GrowRuralEducation.com for a listing of all 1,245 eligible counties. No purchase is necessary to nominate a school district, and the farmer does not have to be a Monsanto Company customer. Farmers must be 21 years or older and be actively engaged in farming with a minimum of 250 acres of corn, soybeans and/or cotton; and/or 40 acres of open field vegetables, or at least 10 acres of tomatoes, peppers and/or cucumbers grown in protected culture.
Go to GrowRuralEducation.com to learn more and nominate a school district.
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Mississippi River Basin Initiative: Request for Proposals
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of financial assistance funds in fiscal year (FY) 2012 for up to $11.74 million in the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) and up to $25 million in the Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP) through MRBI. These funding levels are available for new MRBI proposals. The announcement appeared in the Federal Register on January 3, 2012. You can access the announcement at this website (PDF). All proposals must be received on or before March 19, 2012.
If additional information is needed about this request for proposals please contact Deena Wheby, MRBI Coordinator, NRCS Conservation Initiatives Team, by telephone at 859-224-7403 or through e-mail at [email protected].
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Urban Green Practices: IN Watersheds Webinar
January 25, 2012 from 12:00pm to 1:00pm EST
We are hearing more about urban green practices and their importance in stormwater quality and water volume reduction. Presenter Sheila McKinley will describe low impact development and green infrastructure and their benefits, their common drivers, and show examples of how these practices can be integrated into the urban fabric. As a Senior Resource Planner with Christopher B. Burke, Engineering, Ltd., Sheila is responsible for managing the stormwater workline which includes the development of stormwater management plans, stormwater master plans, stormwater utilities, and stormwater ordinances. She also leads the low impact development/green infrastructure planning efforts within CBBEL-Indiana. Sheila is also a proud alumni of IWLA, Class of 2007.
Register for the webinar here.
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Midwest Cover Crops Council Meeting
February 28-29, West Lafayette
The Midwest Cover Crops Council will host its annual meeting Feb. 28-29 and the Greater Wabash River RC&D will follow with a workshop on Soil Productivity March 1, both at Purdue University's Beck Agricultural Center in West Lafayette. The meeting will focus on topics including cover crop selection, conservation benefits, management techniques, regulations, research and more. It is intended for a variety of participants, such as crop producers, Extension professionals, seed dealers, agency professionals and researchers.
Eileen Kladivko, professor of agronomy at Purdue and MCCC Indiana state representative states: "We have speakers from outside the region bringing in ideas from east and west of us, and we're going to have a number of speakers from the Midwest talking about nematodes, disease suppression, biofumigation, nitrogen cycling, economics and manure management with cover crops. We really hope producers will go away with new ideas - some they will be able to use immediately and some they can think about for the future."
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Job Openings
Executive Director: Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association This position is a full time position based on an average of 40 hours per week; time may vary depending on workload. The Executive Director is responsible for the management of the day-to-day affairs of the association, daily office operations and procedure, budget development, financial management, communication with County Board Land Conservation Committees and Departments, coordination of the WLWCA awards and education programs, policy analysis and liaison with conservation agencies, elected officials and other organizations.This is a salaried position with a range of $50,000-$70,000 in annual compensation plus negotiable benefits based on candidate's experience and knowledge. View the complete description here.
Grant Specialist: Indiana Lake Michigan Coastal ProgramThe Indiana Lake Michigan Coastal Program seeks well qualified applicants for the Grant Specialist Position. This position is responsible for the day to day operations of the Coastal Grant Program. The Coastal Grant Program annually passes through approximately $650,000 for projects that address coastal resource issues in Indiana. The FY12 Cycle marks tenth year for the Program. The position is posted to the State of Indiana Job Bank as Job ID - 577448 - Grant Specialist. The position will remain posted until 1/31/12. Internship Opportunity: Student Farm at Purdue
The Student Farm, in conjunction with the departments of Botany & Plant Pathology, Agronomy and Horticulture and Landscape Architecture will fund four summer internships this year, and is soliciting applications. The position is an eight week internship participating in the management of the student farm, including planning, infrastructure development (e.g. hoop house construction) and vegetable production as well as the continued development of a long term plan for the student farm. Benefits including assistance with housing costs and transportation (if necessary) and $3,600 stipend. Starts on June 1 and runs through July 31, 2012. Application deadline: Feb 28. View the application here.
Internship Opportunity: Crop Scout with Bunge Bunge North America, located in St. Louis, MO is searching for interns. This is a competitive internship. Resumes and completed applications need to be into Bunge North American by February 1. This internship is a tremendous opportunity to see the major growing regions of Canada and the United States, and a wide variety of agricultural practices. This internship also helps Bunge identify potential candidates for full time employment upon graduation, and allows the intern to learn about Bunge's culture and opportunities. This is a paid internship with housing and rental car expenses included. View the description in detail here.
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