The Dearborn County Soil & Water Conservation District, hosts several events throughout the year, educating the public about the importance of preserving our natural resources.
One annual meeting is the Conservation Tillage Breakfast. Usually there are 70 plus in attendance, learning about a variety of subjects pertaining to crop and pasture management related to implementing practices that help protect our resources. Our partner from Dearborn County Extension office, offers PARP credits also.
Permitting Workshops are held to educate and provide information about what permits are needed when working floodplains, streams, or wetlands and what agencies need to be contacted. This meeting partners with Purdue Extension, local Planning and Zoning, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Wildlife, Pond Clinics, Forestry, Brush Management, Pollinator Habitat, Pasture Field Days, and Backyard Urban Workshops are just a part of annual educational workshops that are held by Dearborn County SWCD, along with annual tree give away and plant sales.
Besides being active and assisting our NRCS and FSA partners with the farm bill programs, the SWCD district offers free soil/hay testing program.
Every year at the SWCD Annual Meeting, landowners are recognized and presented awards for "Friend of Conservation". These are people the district has worked with to improve natural resources and go beyond what is asked of them. It includes Dearborn County landowners and our agency partners that we work with throughout the year to accomplish the same goal.
In the past, the SWCD has obtained grants to provide cost share to landowners, installed a rain garden and conservation practice examples to actually have a hands on look at the practices the landowners may be installing. Along with a pollinator plot area that is located at the end of the HUAP and fence practices at the office. Works wonderful for the customers to actually walk and look at the area while the practices are being explained.
The SWCD is sponsor of two Watersheds: Hogan and Whitewater are in their implementing stages for cost share to landowners. We have a staff that can provide technical assistance for agriculture and urban concerns. The district provides education for adults and youth, have soil and hay probes available at no charge for landowners to use, rain barrels, native plants and plat book sales. Also, provides Brillion seeder and Great Plains no-till drill equipment rentals.
2016 Pasture Field Day – 120 + in attendance. Speakers: NRCS Grazing Specialist, Robert Zupancic; Rising Sun Veterinarian Clinic, Dr. David Walton; Farm Service Agency, Chuck Deputy; NRCS District Conservationist, Matt Jarvis; Purdue Extension, Jill Andrew; Purdue Extension, Ron Lemenager, PhD, PAS "The Beef Guy" , and SWCD Technician, Vickie Smith.