March Conservation Cropping Systems Workshops

There are a variety of advanced soil health workshops in March for ICP agency staff, farmers, and Certified Crop Advisors.

Farmer workshops (registration here) take place on March 13, 15, and 22. Each workshop is $20. These workshops' topics include no-till and cover crops, including machinery adjustments, nutrient and pest management specific to conservation cropping systems, and selecting and managing cover crops.

Advanced soil health workshops for ICP agency staff (registration here) and CCAs (registration here) take place on March 12, 14, and 21. Detailed information can be found on each registration form. ICP staff may attend at no charge; a $20 fee is asked of CCAs.

The Indiana Conservation Partnership (ICP) is sponsoring training for SWCD supervisors and staff in March. The workshops will focus on:

• The Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative's Regional Hubs: Expansion of the CCSI and What it Means to Your Soil Health Programs
• Building Relationships & Tools to Communicate with Local Officials and Community Leaders
• Taking Districts from Good to Great
• "Stoke the Fire Within You," presented by Charlie Adams, Inspirational Speaker and Writer

The deadline is today for the March 5 (Washington) and 7 (North Vernon) trainings. The deadline is March 8 for the March 18 and 19 trainings. This is an excellent opportunity to network and gain valuable knowledge! Register now for the training nearest you. All workshops cost $20 (late registration is $25) and run from 5:00 to 8:15 p.m. EST. 

Sharepoint URL Change 

The current Sharepoint link (https://myshare.in.gov/isda) is not be available to SWCDs anymore as the ISDA Division of Soil Conservation has updated it with confidential information. Instead, SWCDs will need to use https://myshare.in.gov/isda/swcd to access Sharepoint. Please bookmark this new link in your web browser.

NRCS Cooperative Agreements 

NRCS Acting State Conservationist Roger Kult reports they are in the final stages of preparing the Cooperative Agreements. They are planning to begin sending them to SWCDs later this week and early next week. They will be asking for the SWCD signed copy to be returned to NRCS by April 12. Please note that we will be adding ICP signatures AFTER we receive the signed SWCD copy.

Pathway to Water Quality Featured in State Magazine

The Spring issue of My Indiana Home is out with a great feature article on Pathway to Water Quality! This goes to approximately 280,000 people across the state of Indiana. It is geared towards Indiana Farm Bureau's nonfarm audience (approximately 200,000) members. A special thanks to Andy Dietrick, the IFB public relations division manager and editor of the magazine, for helping us promote this great exhibit. 2013 is Pathway's 20th anniversary at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. We're excited to celebrate such a significant milestone. Stay tuned for more details on our 20th anniversary celebration.

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