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The Parke County Soil and Water Conservation District is a legal subdivision of state government organized in 1952 under the Indiana Soil and Water Conservation District Law. The major function of a Soil and Water District is to analyze needs and develop a long range program aimed at solving problems of soil and water conservation within the district.
As members of the SWCD board, we have accepted the responsibility to be conscientious stewards. Our goal and objective, as stewards of soil and water, is to help education landowners on the conservation practices available to manage and utilize the natural resources of Parke County wisely in order for them to be enjoyed by current and future generations to come. Our mission statement is to "provide leadership, education, and assistance to agricultural and urban interests in the proper use and management of soil, water, and related natural resources in Parke County."
The Parke Soil and Water Conservation District has a no-till warm season grass drill for available for rent. Having a drill available that can be rented economically encourages landowners to participate in Conservation Practices that they on their own would not be able to facilitate. The drill has been used to re-plant pasture spots, wildlife food plots, warm season grasses, quail habitats, waterways, and field borders.
The Parke County Soil and Water Conservation District sponsors a conservation poster contest for fourth grade students in Parke County schools to better serve their curriculum standards. The theme varies some each year and we try to compliment the Soil Stewardship theme. This encourages the students to look at our Natural Resources in a manner they normally aren’t exposed to. Prizes and ribbons are awarded to students and a traveling plaque is awarded to the school of the "Grand Champion." The school keeps the plaque until a student from another school wins the honor. Posters may be exhibited as a 4-H Soil and Water Conservation Level 5 project entry at the Parke County Fair, if an entrant is properly enrolled in a local 4-H club and meets other 4-H requirements. The winners are acknowledged at the annual ag day at our fairgrounds. 4-H members and FFA members participate in demonstrations to show the students some aspects of farming and conservation.
The Parke SWCD observes Soil Stewardship Week by providing approximately 4000 pieces of materials to local schools and churches and inserting news articles in local newspapers to show the importance of protecting our natural resources of soil and water.
In 2011 Parke, Vermillion and Fountain County SWCDs participated in a Clean Water Indiana grant that impacted many farmers from all three counties. A no-till clinic was held in March, a cover crop meeting was held in July, and then the cover crop tour was conducted in November. Parke County has seen an amazing rise in the acres of cover crops planted as a result of the grant activities. A three-year grant was received in 2012 so that more education can be done on the benefits of cover crops.
As members of the SWCD board, we have accepted the responsibility to be conscientious stewards. Our goal and objective, as stewards of soil and water, is to help education landowners on the conservation practices available to manage and utilize the natural resources of Parke County wisely in order for them to be enjoyed by current and future generations to come. Our mission statement is to "provide leadership, education, and assistance to agricultural and urban interests in the proper use and management of soil, water, and related natural resources in Parke County."
The Parke Soil and Water Conservation District has a no-till warm season grass drill for available for rent. Having a drill available that can be rented economically encourages landowners to participate in Conservation Practices that they on their own would not be able to facilitate. The drill has been used to re-plant pasture spots, wildlife food plots, warm season grasses, quail habitats, waterways, and field borders.
The Parke County Soil and Water Conservation District sponsors a conservation poster contest for fourth grade students in Parke County schools to better serve their curriculum standards. The theme varies some each year and we try to compliment the Soil Stewardship theme. This encourages the students to look at our Natural Resources in a manner they normally aren’t exposed to. Prizes and ribbons are awarded to students and a traveling plaque is awarded to the school of the "Grand Champion." The school keeps the plaque until a student from another school wins the honor. Posters may be exhibited as a 4-H Soil and Water Conservation Level 5 project entry at the Parke County Fair, if an entrant is properly enrolled in a local 4-H club and meets other 4-H requirements. The winners are acknowledged at the annual ag day at our fairgrounds. 4-H members and FFA members participate in demonstrations to show the students some aspects of farming and conservation.
The Parke SWCD observes Soil Stewardship Week by providing approximately 4000 pieces of materials to local schools and churches and inserting news articles in local newspapers to show the importance of protecting our natural resources of soil and water.
In 2011 Parke, Vermillion and Fountain County SWCDs participated in a Clean Water Indiana grant that impacted many farmers from all three counties. A no-till clinic was held in March, a cover crop meeting was held in July, and then the cover crop tour was conducted in November. Parke County has seen an amazing rise in the acres of cover crops planted as a result of the grant activities. A three-year grant was received in 2012 so that more education can be done on the benefits of cover crops.