Washington County SWCD Success Story
September 4, 2018
The Washington County SWCD has in their Long-Range Business Plan that they wanted to increase knowledge of ag retailers on topics of nutrient management. In August 2017, the SWCD with conservation partners: Indiana Farm Bureau, Inc., USDA-NRCS, CCSI, Purdue Extension, and the Indiana Nutrient Management & Soil Health, hosted a “Retailer Roundtable: Soil Health” workshop. This workshop was attended by five regional ag retailer organizations that do business in Washington County and four Technical Service Providers. Staff presented soil health infiltration demonstrations, and these seemed to be the “ah-ah moment” for the nineteen ag advisors and fertilizer applicators in attendance.
This workshop helped to link faces to names for both the retailers and Indiana Conservation Partnership staff. Participants learned of the tools used by the ICP for making fertility recommendations and cover crop mixes. Knowledge was also transferred in those areas where mistakes are commonly made by the retailers. The demonstration emphasized to them the concept of the 4R program on the soils found in Washington County.
From this meeting, further partnering has occurred with the ag retailers in the area. The retailers are encouraging their customers to inquire of conservation programs from our office. They are promoting both nutrient management and cover crops with their customers. Premier Ag has invited our district conservationist, Ruth Hackman, and Robert Zupancic, SE Area Grazing Specialist, to a sit-down meeting with their CEO, Vice-President of Sales, and three of their agronomist to gain more knowledge about the procedures of conservation planning and programs.
The SWCD has submitted a National Water Quality Incentive application to NRCS for a readiness plan for the Upper Sinking Blue Watershed. They have already received in writing an in-kind offer from Premier Ag to provide salary and benefits for an agronomist half-time for five years for the implementation phase of the NWQI grant when the SWCD gets to this phase. Premier Ag with partners, Winfield and Land-O-Lakes, have totally bought into the partnership of applying conservation on the land and encouraging producers to become better stewards to reduce their carbon footstep. Ruth and Robert were both invited to present along the Winfield and Premier staff at their annual Plot Days in Austin and Franklin, Indiana. They had almost 100 ag producers take part in their sessions from the southeast area of the state. To our knowledge, this was the first invitation extended to the ICP staff to this long-running event. The Washington County SWCD feels that this Ag Retailer Roundtable has opened the door for this type of partnering to occur.