The Warrick Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has partnered with neighboring Districts (Vanderburgh, Posey, Gibson, and Pike) on several projects since 2008 to address sediment and nutrient issues and offer reduction solutions.
Initiatives co-sponsored by these Districts include a pond pro workshop, no-till conference, soils quality conference and a corn and soybean day with Purdue Extension. Clean Water Indiana (CWI) grants have enabled these SWCDs to pull in top-notch experts on the subjects at hand, resulting in more conservation practices installed on the ground through information/education/outreach thereby improving water quality. The Warrick SWCD also sent two avid no-till farmers to the National No-Till Conference.
The Vanderburgh SWCD came up with the idea of cost-sharing on an aerial seeding project in the fall of 2010. The goal was to promote cover crops as a sediment and nutrient reduction project. They invited surrounding SWCDs to join them to get more acres seeded. The Warrick County SWCD jumped at the opportunity to partner with the Vanderburgh, Posey and Gibson SWCDs to seed cover crops into standing corn and soybeans on approximately 3,100 acres in southwest Indiana using CWI and matching SWCD funds.
Other partners were drawn in to help with the project. Ed Air, Inc. provided the plane to fly on the seed at $10 per acre and Land-O-Lakes developed and provided the seed mixture at cost to landowners. Superior Ag ordered and transported the seed to the airstrip. They also coordinated the flights and did all the billings to the farmers, who in turn, paid those bills. Receipts were then submitted to their local SWCDs for reimbursement. NRCS and ISDA staff members also were very helpful in the planning and implementation of the project.
Each SWCD developed its own cost-share rate. The Warrick SWCD paid the entire cost of the aerial application to 10 producers on 783 acres. CWI funds used on the project totaled $2,147 while the District matched those funds with $5,604.
Even though this area was experiencing a drought and the seed did not germinate as well as expected in many of those fields until much later, interest among Warrick County's farmers is still high for a program like this in 2011. We will accommodate them! Applications are now being taken for this fall's project.
The Warrick County SWCD also entered into a Contribution Agreement with NRCS to hire a part-time clerical assistant to help with Farm Bill programs, particularly the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). NRCS matched District and CWI funds to provide salary for 28 hours/week to take full advantage of program cost-share funding rather than leaving unused federal dollars on the table. This in turn drew in a new partner - the Warrick County Storm Water Board. When the District was approached to assist with their education/outreach obligations mandated by IDEM, we were offered limited funding to use to achieve the goals of both the Storm Water Board and the District. This valuable partnership is expected to continue well into the future.
Initiatives co-sponsored by these Districts include a pond pro workshop, no-till conference, soils quality conference and a corn and soybean day with Purdue Extension. Clean Water Indiana (CWI) grants have enabled these SWCDs to pull in top-notch experts on the subjects at hand, resulting in more conservation practices installed on the ground through information/education/outreach thereby improving water quality. The Warrick SWCD also sent two avid no-till farmers to the National No-Till Conference.
The Vanderburgh SWCD came up with the idea of cost-sharing on an aerial seeding project in the fall of 2010. The goal was to promote cover crops as a sediment and nutrient reduction project. They invited surrounding SWCDs to join them to get more acres seeded. The Warrick County SWCD jumped at the opportunity to partner with the Vanderburgh, Posey and Gibson SWCDs to seed cover crops into standing corn and soybeans on approximately 3,100 acres in southwest Indiana using CWI and matching SWCD funds.
Other partners were drawn in to help with the project. Ed Air, Inc. provided the plane to fly on the seed at $10 per acre and Land-O-Lakes developed and provided the seed mixture at cost to landowners. Superior Ag ordered and transported the seed to the airstrip. They also coordinated the flights and did all the billings to the farmers, who in turn, paid those bills. Receipts were then submitted to their local SWCDs for reimbursement. NRCS and ISDA staff members also were very helpful in the planning and implementation of the project.
Each SWCD developed its own cost-share rate. The Warrick SWCD paid the entire cost of the aerial application to 10 producers on 783 acres. CWI funds used on the project totaled $2,147 while the District matched those funds with $5,604.
Even though this area was experiencing a drought and the seed did not germinate as well as expected in many of those fields until much later, interest among Warrick County's farmers is still high for a program like this in 2011. We will accommodate them! Applications are now being taken for this fall's project.
The Warrick County SWCD also entered into a Contribution Agreement with NRCS to hire a part-time clerical assistant to help with Farm Bill programs, particularly the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). NRCS matched District and CWI funds to provide salary for 28 hours/week to take full advantage of program cost-share funding rather than leaving unused federal dollars on the table. This in turn drew in a new partner - the Warrick County Storm Water Board. When the District was approached to assist with their education/outreach obligations mandated by IDEM, we were offered limited funding to use to achieve the goals of both the Storm Water Board and the District. This valuable partnership is expected to continue well into the future.