Conservation Update
August 11 - September 24, 2014 
iaswcd logo
Top News

District Showcase Winners Host Showcase Visits

On Friday, September 19, Clay County SWCD hosted the
The Clay Co. visit included a trip to a local park where trees from the project will be planted.
The Clay Co. visit included a trip to a local park where trees from the project will be planted.
 ICP partners for a District Showcase visit centering around their winning tree giveaway project. Visitors learned about how the project sparked interest in conservation among local students, and how the partnership between the local parks department and the SWCD was strengthened.

On Monday, September 22, IASWCD visited Vanderburgh County SWCD at the University of Southern Indiana to interview partners from their winning "Big Read" project which focused on bringing alive the concepts of conservation in The Grapes of Wrath for local readers of all ages.

A video showcase of both districts' projects will be featured at the IASWCD Annual Conference in January 2015. Congratulations again to Clay and Vanderburgh Counties, and thank you for hosting these great visits!

Indiana Announces Conservation Innovation Grants to Improve Conservation On Agricultural Lands

Last week, USDA NRCS announced it is investing $15.7 million through grants that will help develop and demonstrate cutting-edge ideas to accelerate innovation in private lands conservation. Over two million dollars will be utilized for projects that impact Indiana. 


 

Recipients of USDA's Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) will demonstrate innovative approaches to improve soil health, air and water quality, conserve energy, and enhance wildlife habitat in balance with productive agricultural systems. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service administers this competitive grants program.


 

"Conservation Innovation Grants activate creativity and problem-solving to benefit conservation-minded farmers," said Indiana State Conservationist, Jane Hardisty.  "These grants are critical in sparking new ideas and techniques for conservation.  I'm really proud that all three funded projects that will work in Indiana are focusing on Soil Health." 


 

Learn more about Conservation Innovation Grants here.


Register for November 12 SWCS Hoosier Chapter Professional Development Event


The Hoosier Chapter of the Soil & Water Conservation Society invites you to join their fall meeting on November 12 in Muncie. Annual award winners will be revealed at the meeting and you will also have the opportunity to meet Ball State University's newest Professor of Natural Resources & Environmental Management Professor, Dr. Jessi Ghezzi. 

Discussions will include habitat needs for crop-pollinating bees and other beneficial insects; how activities above the ground affect life below the soil's surface; how microorganisms work; growing healthier crops and improving farm economics by regenerating soil health; and testing for soil health. Speakers will include John Graveel of Purdue University, Mace Vaughn of the Xerces Society, and Gary Reding of Advancing Eco Ag.

Find more details and register here. 

 
CCSI News

Cover Crop Demo Plot Map 

CCSI is working on a comprehensive, interactive map of all cover crop demo plots in Indiana. Click to fill out a spreadsheet with your demo plot's information. An example row is included in the first row in italics. Please send your completed spreadsheet to emily-neitzel@iaswcd.org to be included in the map. When complete, we'll post the map on the CCSI website.

 

Keep updated with CCSI events on Facebook and Twitter, or sign up to join our mailing list! 
Other News

Madison County SWCD Wins Stewardship Award

On September 16, the Madison County SWCD received the White River Alliance's stewardship award for "Exceptional Commitment to Conservation - Resource Protection or Conservation."
Nanci Good,  White River Alliance board member, presented the award to Steve Schmidt of the Madison County SCWD.
Nanci Good, White River Alliance board member, presented the award to Steve Schmidt of the Madison County SCWD. Photo courtesy of the White River Alliance.

The award was given for the SWCD's project to apply cover crops in critical areas of the White River watershed, which were determined by the White River Alliance. 

Stephen Schmidt of the Madison County SWCD explained, "We connected farmers who were interested in trying out cover crops with grant money provided through the White River Alliance. The grant money allowed farmers who were interested but wary of a long term commitment to try out the cover crops with low risk."

The majority of the farmers who participated in this partnership last year continued to use cover crops this year, and more have joined in. Madison County hopes to continue the partnership with the White River Alliance pending availability of funds.

Congratulations to the Madison County SWCD on this award! You can read more at the White River Alliance website.
Contact Us

 

Upcoming Deadlines

November 3:
- Supervisor Scholarship for Annual Conference Applications Due (scroll to the bottom of the page at link for form and instructions)

 Upcoming Events

Look! These and many, many more events are listed on our statewide events calendar.

Planning an Event? Get it on our calendar using this form!

September 25:

September 26-28:

September 30 - October 2

October 6-8:

November 12:

CCSI Events
Job Opening 

Green Co. SWCD Seeks District Coordinator

Please click here for the job description and instructions for applying. The deadline to submit resumes is October 3.
GrantStation & Current Funding Opportunities

Grantstation

View the latest GrantStation on the IASWCD website. Several other current grants are also posted there.