IT’S BEEN A BUSY YEAR!
The SWCD participated in INfield Advantage for a second year, for local growers in Fulton County to improve their nitrogen use efficiency in corn. This year, we had 15 local growers participate in INFA. Forty-eight fields were tested with 1,920 stalks cut, cleaned, packaged, recorded and sent to the lab. Our local group is part of the state-wide program coordinated by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA). Costs are funded through Indiana Corn Marketing Council/Indiana Soybean Alliance (ICMC/ISA) checkoff funds and is offered free of charge to producers. The total value of the imagery and lab work to our producers in 2015 was $13,248. Our program is possible due to the coordination and support of local Indiana Conservation Partnership staff. Our group also received additional support from ISDA’s INFA State Coordinator and ICMC/ISA. This in-kind support is roughly valued at $4,000.
We participated in a Clean Water Indiana grant for cover crop cost share. We had 16 participants and paid out $6,632 in cost-share. Participants received $10 per acre up to 50 acres in cost share funds.
A Landfill Inspection at the County Line Landfill was performed in September.
We partnered with Marshall SWCD for a County Cover Crop Field Day at Potawatomi Park in August.
We received a Clean Water Indiana grant of $10,000 for district operations.
We received and reviewed a Rule 5 plan.
We applied for and received a grant from the Arrow Head Country RC&D to purchase the Solvita test kit. Solvita measures the respiration of soil and can be used to assess soil health (biology).
We assisted in a spring and fall tillage transect of Fulton County. Each spring the members of Indiana’s Conservation Partnership (ICP) load up their vehicles to conduct a field survey of tillage methods, plant cover, and crop residue in their county. A tillage transect is an on-the-ground survey that identifies the types of tillage systems farmers are using and long-term trends of conservation tillage adoption using GPS technology, plus a statistically reliable model for estimating farm management and related annual trends.
Spring test plots were planted at Matt Harsh and Ross Burdge’s farms. The plots were toured by representatives of Farm Bureau and toured again by Jackie Walorski, U.S. Representative for Indiana's 2nd Congressional District, on a legislative tour focused on “Waters of the United States”.
Envirothon was held at Camp Buffalo. Our ten-county Education Committee hosts the event for a day of conservation classes, learning and fun. This year we had 62 participants.
River Rafting is our annual fall event. This year the ten-county Education Committee partnered with the Arrow Head Country RC&D to purchase a new fleet of rafts. 460 high school students and 40 teachers/bus drivers attended the educational two-week event.
SWCD staff held several conservation education presentations in 2015: three presentations on “The Life Cycle of Frogs” for 158 2nd grade students at Columbia Elementary and six presentations on “Soil Erosion” for 175 4th grade students at Riddle Elementary.
Well water testing and manure testing continue to be offered by the SWCD. Our Chairman, Steve Metzger, is a member of the Arrowhead Country RC&D Council, and our part-time staff person, Lois Mann, serves as the president of the Arrow Head Country RC&D Education Committee.