Indianapolis -- Soil health is the focus of a Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation District (IASWCD) was awarded last week.

The announcement was made Friday, August 24th, by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The Association grant will integrate long-term continuous no-till/strip-till, cover crops, precision technology, nutrient management and pest management practices into productive, profitable and sustainable systems focused on soil health.

"This is a collaborative effort among eight Indiana organizations who are committed to long term soil health in Indiana," says Ray McCormick, IASWCD president.

"The grant is an exciting three-year project that builds on the successes of the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative, and will impact the entire state of Indiana with possibilities for replication across the country."

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service uses CIG to invest in innovative, on-the-ground conservation technologies and approaches with the goal of wide-scale adoption to address water quality and quantity, air quality, energy conservation, and environmental markets, among other natural resource issues.  

A list of all single and multi-state CIG grant recipients for FY 2012 is available here >>.

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