In 2011, the Spencer County Soil and Water Conservation District worked with a local producer, Paul Giles, to promote "Green Manure." Paul is also an associate supervisor on the SWCD Board. Paul Giles Farm is located on State Highway 62, so the SWCD helped to promote the project in a very visual way. Although Giles Farms, Inc. has utilized cover crops on his farm for many years, few people actually took note of it. With the assistance of OptiCrop, Superior Ag and Crop Production Service, the District purchased a large banner to help attract the attention of others and help promote cover crops.
The Spencer County SWCD partnered with surrounding counties in 2011 for the Clean Water Indiana grant focusing on cover crop incentives. The District thought it would be a positive approach for marketing the gran to have Paul discuss his test plot as a kick off for this three year grant. Paul gave his endorsement for cover crops at the Soil Health Day in Dubois County. Many questions were asked in regards to the financial differences cover crops were making on his farm, positive and negative results which he had had with experimenting with various seeds and the appropriate mixes he used with equipment he already had. The SWCS continues to be grateful for his endorsement of both cover crops and the SWCD.