Wabash County Soil and Water 2021 Issue

LAND USER ASSISTANCE - EDUCATION - WILDLIFE - FORESTRY

This year, there will be a virtual option to attend in addition to the in-person meeting.

Virtual attendees will also have the ability to participate in our supervisor elections.

Pork Chop Dinner $500 In-Person or Virtual Reservation Required!

(260) 563-7486 ext. 3 or https://forms.gle/oH62iQrFy7rULwbY9

Jamie Scott Keynote Speaker Tales from a Traveling Farmer

Wabash County SWCD 2020 Supervisors left to right; Boyd Brubaker (supervisor), Darin Hadley (supervisor), Kevin Cordes (treasurer/secretary), Rob Shellhamer (chairman) and Bobby Hettmansperger (vice-chairman)

SOIL CONSERVATION - WATER QUALITY - LEADERSHIP

2

www.thepaperofwabash.com

Wabash County SWCD Annual Report

THE PAPER

February 24, 2021

THE PAPER

Wabash County SWCD Annual Report

February 24, 2021

www.thepaperofwabash.com

3

76th Annual Meeting of the Wabash County Soil & Water Conservation District The Wabash County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) 76th

Annual Meeting will be held Wednesday March 3, 2021 at the Heartland REMC

Touchstone Energy Center, Wabash location. This year, we will also have a virtu-

al option to attend.

Pre-registration is required for both the in-person and virtual

format. Depending on the level of restriction within Wabash Co. at the time of the meeting, there may be a cap on in-person participation. Checkin for the in-person attendees will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the program to start at 6:00 p.m. Attendees will be expected to distance themselves and wear masks except when eating.

Virtual attendees can sign on at 7:00 p.m. succeeding the inperson meal. Wabash County SWCD is very excited to have Jamie Scott as the guest

speaker.

As a lifelong resident of Kosciusko County, Jamie Scott is an active member of the family grain farm that utilizes numerous conservation practices. In 2008 their farm received the Conservation Legacy Award given by the American Soybean Association at the Commodity Classic. Jamie has served as a Kosciusko County SWCD supervisor for 18 years and is currently serving as Vice-Chairman.

He served as Indiana Association of Soil &

Water Conservation Districts (IASWCD) Treasurer in 20112012, Secretary 20132014, Vice-President 2015-2016, and President 2017-2018.

Jamie currently serves as the L e g i s l a t i v e Committee chair, and regularly pauses his day job to advocate for districts. Last year, he participated in a conservation roundtable discussion with US Representative Jackie Walorski and US Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny (continued on page 4)

COMPLETE FARM INSURANCE SOLUTIONS FOR 93 YEARS

Ryan Driscoll

Kimberly Penrod

FRIERMOOD TIRES AND ALIGNMENT

WE HONOR

r a i

1699 STITT ST., WABASH • 260-563-2758 206 STRAUSS-PROVIMI ROAD, NORTH MANCHESTER 260-982-0700

FIRESTONE • DAYTON • BRIDGESTONE

4

76th Annual Meeting Perdue, as well as advocated for conservation funding with the governor’s budget agency leadership.

We are thrilled to have him with us for the evening!

In addition to

THE PAPER

Wabash County SWCD Annual Report

www.thepaperofwabash.com

Jamie, we will have B o b b y H e t t m a n s p e r g e r, Vice-Chairman of the Wabash County SWCD and Chairman of the Indiana Association of Soil & Water Conservation

February 24, 2021

... continued from page 3

Districts (IASWCD) preside over the election of new board members.

Awards will also be presented for the 2020 Wabash County SWCD Conservationist of the Year, Gable Cattle

Company, and the 2020 River Friendly Farmer Award, Hadley Farms.

Wabash County SWCD would like to thank the following corporate 76th Annual Meeting

Sponsors. Advanced Ag. Resources, Ag. Ve n t u r e - M c K i l l i p Seeds, Agra Warehouse LLC, Agricor Inc. DBA Grain Millers Inc, Agro-Chem Inc., The Andersons Inc., Beacon Credit Union Ag Group, Ceres Solutions, CFC Distributors, Central Indiana Ethanol LLC, Crop Fertility S p e c i a l i s t , Crossroads Bank & Trust, Dairyland Seeds, Eads & Son Bulldozing Inc., Farm Credit Mid-America, First Farmers Bank & Trust, First

M e r c h a n t s , Halderman Real Estate & Farm M a n a g e m e n t Services, Louis D r e y f u s Commodities, Manchester Farm Center, New Holland Logansport Inc., POET Biorefining, Rupley Farm Equipment, SPNC Corp, Thorne Insurance, Troxel Equipment Co., Urbana Helena AgriEnt., LLC , Wolfe Tax & Financial Services Inc., and Yagel Grain Systems.

If attending in-person, the pork chop

dinner will be catered by Poole’s Meat Market. Meal tickets will be $5.00 at the door. If attending virtually we will distribute the Microsoft Teams meeting link to your provided email address upon pre-registration.

Again, registrations will be required for both the in-person or virtual format. To register, please call the Wabash County Soil and Water Conservation District at 260-563-7486 ext. 3 or visit https://forms.gle/oH 62iQrFy7rULwbY9 .

Wabash County Soil and Water Conservation District 76th Annual Meeting

STINE TIRE

Location: Heartland REMC Touchstone Energy Center, Wabash location

Wednesday March 3, 2021 Agenda: In-person Check-in ............................................................5:30pm In-person Welcome.............................................................6:00pm Sponsor Recognition Invocation Dinner ...............................................................................6:15pm Virtual Welcome ...............................................................7:00pm Election of Supervisors.....................................................7:05pm

IN THE FIELD SERVICE!

SERVING NORTH MANCHESTER & SURROUNDING AREAS!

Offering Large Truck, Commercial, Fleet & Agricultural Equipment Maintenance, Service & Repair

Tires for Farm, ATV, RV, Car, Truck & Lawn!

District Highlights ............................................................7:15pm USDA Update Awards ...............................................................................7:30pm River Friendly Farmer Award & Conservationist of the Year FEATURED SPEAKER ....................................................8:00pm Tales from a Traveling Farming with Jamie Scott

FIRESTONE • CARLISLE

Report of Election .............................................................8:45pm Oath of Office Door Prizes

(1 MILE NORTH OF NORTH MANCHESTER)

Adjourn .............................................................................9:00pm

SR 13 N. • 260-982-4287

THE PAPER

Wabash County SWCD Annual Report

February 24, 2021

www.thepaperofwabash.com

5

Gable Cattle Company Named 2020 Conservationist of the Year The Wabash County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Board of Supervisors have chosen Gable Cattle Company as the recipient of the Wabash County Conservationist of the Year Award for 2020. Dillon Gable along with his Mother, Teresa and two brothers, Jared and Kane, own and operate a total of three hundred and thirty acres. Their main farm is in North Manchester located in

Pleasant township.

They also have farms located in Silver Lake, within Lake Township and South Whitley, within Cleveland Township.

The Gables utilize a corn, soybean and wheat rotation on their acreage.

In 2010, the Gables began the switch to no-till farming on their land. No-till farming reduces soil erosion, increases soil biological activity and increases soil organic matter. Their goal is to have zero

tillage on their ground. In the Fall of 2015 Dillon along with brothers and mother began managing the farm after losing their father in a motorcycle accident. 2015 was also the year they began using cover crops. Cover crops are planted on cropland in the “off-season” to help protect the soil from erosion. In addition, they improve soil’s physical and biological properties, supply nutrients, suppress weeds, improve the availability of soil

Dillon Gable, Wife- Alix, Children- Lucas, Blakely, and Miles the 2020 Conservationist of the Year chosen by the Wabash County SWCD.

PROTECT YOUR FARM WITH

THE #1 FARM INSURER IN INDIANA

JESSICA PARRETT

JOSHUA SCHOEFF

JOSH STRANGE

(260) 563-8351 ext. 3508 (888) 851-4453

(260) 563-8351 ext. 3477 (888) 851-4453

(260) 563-8351 ext. 3156 (888) 851-4453

594 S Miami St • Wabash, IN 46992 Office: (260) 563-8351 www.infarmbureau.com

water, and break pest cycles along with var-

ious other benefits.

The Gables plant

shorter season cash crops in order to have

a larger window in (continued on page 7)

6

www.thepaperofwabash.com

THE PAPER

Wabash County SWCD Annual Report

February 24, 2021

Darin and his wife Amanda along with their four children, Ashleigh, Raymond, Clara, and Laura.

Local “River-Friendly” Farmer Receives Statewide Award As concern grows in our communities regarding water quality, there are farmers utilizing conservation practices that are making a difference. The practices they have implemented, often voluntarily, are protecting waterways and improving water quality in Indiana and beyond. Hadley Farms in Wabash County are one of those farms and they are one of the Indiana farmers who received the statewide award of ‘River Friendly Farmer’. This award, hosted by the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (IASWCD), recognizes landowners and farmers in the state of Indiana for the work they do

on their land to protect Indiana’s natural resources.

Hadley Farms was nominated by the local county Soil and Water Conservation District.

Hadley Farms is operated by Darin Hadley in the Mississinewa River Watershed.

Darin Hadley, his wife Amanda and their four children live in Waltz Township on their oil crop and wheat farm. Darin has a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University in Ag ricultural Economics and is currently an Ag Banker for Rabo AgriFinance Inc. Darin has served on the Wabash Co. SWCD board of supervisors for five years. He is past

president of the Wabash Kiwanis Club and past president of the Wabash County Extension Board. Currently he is a Wabash Fair Board Member and serves as the Wabash County 4-H Beef Superintendent.

Darin incorporates no till practices and cover crops into his system, as well as, nutrient management, pest management and variable rate fertilizer. This systems approach – adopting a suite of practices to improve the health of their soils, has made Hadley Farms a worthy recipient of the River Friendly Farmer award.

The River Friendly Farmers Awards Ceremony originally (continued on page 7)

THE PAPER

Wabash County SWCD Annual Report

February 24, 2021

Rob Shellhamer – APPOINTED TO A SUPERVISOR’S POSITION

Rob Shellhamer has been appointed by the State Soil Conservation Board to serve another three years on the Wabash County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) Board of Supervisors; he has been a member since 2011 and has served as chairman the past 7 years.

Rob and his family live and farm in Noble Township. They farm in a corn, soybean and wheat rotation and practice 100% no till. Other conserva-

ROB SHELLHAMER tion practices he has implemented are a variety of cover crops, filter strips,

grassed waterways, and WASCOBS. Rob is a graduate of Southwood High School and Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Ag. Economics. Besides operating the family farm, he also is a crop insurance adjuster for Great American Crop Insurance.

Rob and his wife Kim are members of Wabash Christian Church. They have two sons Logan and Eli.

Gable Cattle Company

...continued from page 5

the fall to drill in cover. This allows for establishment of a good stand in the fall.

In the spring, the covers can grow and are not terminated until they start to flower or mature. This is usually in the end of May or beginning of June. “ We didn’t like planting covers and then spraying to kill them first thing in the spring. So, we decided to start our transition to organic no-till with the hopes to plant fall covers then let them mature in the spring

and plant green into them and then terminate the covers with a roller crimper.”

This transition to organic no-till was achieved! In the spring of 2020, the Gables have become certified organic on all three hundred and thirty acres.

The Gables recognize that in order to have a successful conservation system one needs to employ multiple conservation practices. In addition to no-till and cover crops, they are now

hoping to experiment with pollinator strips as well.

Gable Cattle Company will be recognized at the Wabash County SWCD Annual Meeting on Wednesday March 3, 2021 for their conservation efforts.

To reserve an in-person or virtual spot at the meeting, call the SWCD office, 260-5637486 ext.

3.

Congratulations to the Gable family and a big thank you for being outstanding stewards of our land.

#$"!$ #"!

V S

ETERINARY ERVICES DR. JEFF T. BIEHL, DVM OFFICE HOURS: MON-FRI 8AM-5PM; SAT 8AM-NOON WALK-IN HOURS: MON-WED, FRI-SAT 8AM-9AM (NO WALK-IN HOURS ON THURSDAYS)

OTHER TIMES BY APPOINTMENT

260-774-3322 12 STATE ROAD 13 SOUTH, URBANA

www.thepaperofwabash.com

7

Frank Driscoll seeks election to supervisor position Frank Driscoll is seeking election to the Wabash County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) Board of Supervisors.

He has served as a temporary elected supervisor since December 2020.

Frank farms within Lagro Township in the Urbana area with his brother and nephew. They produce corn, soybeans and wheat while practicing notill farming with the use of cover crops. Frank’s other

conservation practices include grassed waterways, Terraces, WASCOB’s and filter strips.

Frank serves as chief of the Urbana Volunteer Fire Department.

He and his wife, Beth have three children, Sarah, Anna and Daniel.

The Wabash County SWCD Board of S u p e r v i s o r Elections will take place during the 76th Annual Meeting on Wednesday March

FRANK DRISCOLL 3, 2021. You may attend in-person at the Heartland REMC Touchstone Energy Center, Wabash location or

virtually through a Microsoft Teams Meeting. At the time of the meeting, additional nominations can be accepted from the floor or virtually. Whoever is elected will complete the remaining year of the original three-year term on the Wabash County SWCD Board of Supervisors. Any individual of voting age or a representative of a firm, company, or corporation that owns or rents land/property located within the district may vote.

Local “River-Friendly” Farmer ...continued from page 6 scheduled at the Indiana State Fairgrounds was cancelled due to the cancellation of the Indiana State Fair.

Instead, Darin Hadley will be recognized at the 2021 Soil & Water Annual

Meeting held on March 3, 2021.

During the annual meeting he will receive an award certificate, ribbon, Polo shirt and the River Friendly Farmer sign to be displayed on their farm.

The River Friendly Farmer Award has been presented by the IASWCD and sponsored by the 92 local Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Indiana Farm

Bureau, Inc. since 2000. For a complete list of this year’s winners along with a short bio, go to: http://iaswcd.org/ri ver-friendly-farmeraward/.

8

www.thepaperofwabash.com

Wabash County SWCD Annual Report

THE PAPER

February 24, 2021

Wabash County SWCD Receives Cost-Share for Farmers

The Clean Water Indiana (CWI) Program (IC 14-32-8) was established to provide financial assistance to landowners and conservation groups.

Through education, technical assistance, training, and cost sharing programs, the program supports the implementation of conservation practices which will reduce nonpoint sources of water pollution. The CWI fund is administered by the

Indiana State Department of Agriculture Division of Soil Conservation under the direction of the State Soil Conservation Board (SSCB). The fund is derived from a portion of cigarette tax funds. (IC 6-7-1-29.3) The cigarette tax fund is 4.22 percent of total cigarette tax revenue, and the CWI fund receives one sixth of this amount. The CWI Program is responsible for providing local matching funds as

well as grants for sediment and nutrient reduction projects.

The 2021 competitive grant cycle received 29 proposals, 13 of which received funding, totaling $969,651.

Wabash County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) is fortunate to have been 1 of the 13 proposals to be funded. This grant will begin in January 2021 and end in December 2023. Data from water quality (continued on page 9)

If your property is within the tan area on the map above, you are eligible for cost-share funding.

Eligible practices include Cover Crops, Filter Strips and Grassed Waterways. These will reduce loading of Nitrogen and Phosphorus, E. coli, and Total Suspended Solids in water runoff.

400 SERIES Windows BUILT TO PERFORM BEAUTIFULLY From contemporary design to traditional and classic architecture, 400 Series products offer a time-tested blend of engineering and craftsmanship, combined with a variety of style options that can elevate a classic wood window into a stunning focal point in any home style.

“Anderson” and all other marks where denoted are trademarks of Anderson Corporation ©2020 Anderson Corporation.

All rights reserved. 02/20

10674 S. 400 E. Amboy, IN 46911 www.grabersupply.com We Install! FREE ESTIMATES!

765-395-7715 SHOWROOM HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 8am-5pm

THE PAPER February 24, 2021

Wabash County SWCD Annual Report

www.thepaperofwabash.com

9

Wabash County SWCD Receives Cost-Share for Farmers ...continued from page 8 monitoring in 20162018 identified three critical areas in the Upper Middle Eel River Watershed, Hurricane Creek, Pony Creek & Sugar Creek. Impairments include excess nutrients, sediment, & E.coli.

Identified causes of excessive Nitrogen and Phosphors have been identified as, tile drainage, erosion, fertilizer & manure runoff, animal feed operations, and wetland loss. The goal of this grant is to address the impairments within our critical areas, by funding Best M a n a g e m e n t Practices (BMP’s).

Pony Creek Watershed is located just South-east of North Manchester. It roughly stretches

from County Rd 100E to N 750W in Huntington County and runs between ST Rd 114 and ST Rd 16.

See attached map.

The BMP’s that will be funded are, cover crops, grassed waterways and filter strips. The anticipated cap for cost-share on filter strips will be $282/acre.

Grassed waterways will be potentially covered at a rate of $11,000/acre with a cap of 2 acres/producer. Cover crop payments are set at $20/acre with a cap of 100 acres/producer/year. Cost-share rates will be finalized at the first steering committee meeting.

If you own or operate land in this area, Wabash SWCD will be taking applications on a rolling basis. No

guarantee funds will last all three years.

Preference will be given to first time applications, however if you have applied for these programs before, you are still eligible! Apply today!

The Wabash County SWCD Board of Supervisors have personal experience in using conservation practices and would love to help you succeed! Please contact us if you ever have any questions, a SWCD Board Member or Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Staff Member can help you. Call the Wabash County SWCD at 260-563-7486 ext. 3 so they can send you an application or stop by the office at 599 Bryan Avenue to fill out your forms.

MICHEL SEED SERVICE JEFF MICHEL | GREG MICHEL

8668 N. 800 E. | NORTH MANCHESTER, IN

260-901-3266 Beck’s Hybrid Family Owned Since 1937

10

www.thepaperofwabash.com

THE PAPER

Wabash County SWCD Annual Report

February 24, 2021

NRCS Invests $1.5 million to Improve Water Quality in Miami and Wabash Counties Partners will work with farmers on conservation projects in high-priority watersheds Known as “America’s River,” the Mississippi River is North America’s largest river, flowing over 2,300 miles through the Midwest.

This river’s elevated levels of nutrients and sediment impacts the quality of life for the tens of millions of

people who live in and rely on the Mississippi River Basin. These elevated nutrient levels are also contributing to the hypoxic (low-oxygen) zone located in the Gulf of Mexico.

As a result, the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) is a Farm Bill conservation initiative intended to encourage farmers to adopt conservation systems in order to improve water quality. To address these water quality concerns and agricultur-

al sources of nutrients and sediment, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) approved two new MRBI watershed implementation projects. Both projects will work with local Indiana farmers and conservation partners to implement conservation practices that help trap sediment and reduce nutrient runoff to improve the overall health of the Mississippi River.

The MRBI project in our county is the Treaty Creek-Wabash River watershed proj-

ect.

The Treaty CreekWabash River watershed project is focusing on critical areas within Miami and Wabash counties. See the attached map for more details on the incorporated areas. $429,000 will be made available for costshare in 2021 for landowners within this Wabash River Watershed. A total of $1.5 million will be dispersed in the next 4 years(2021-2024).

MRBI uses several Farm Bill programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Agricultural

Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), to distribute the MRBI funds. As a result, these funds help landowners sustain America’s natural resources through voluntary conservation. Partners include Miami and Wabash County Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), Wabash River Defenders, The Nature Conservancy, Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana American Water and the City of Wabash. To fill out an application, call the USDA Service Center in Miami or Wabash

Counties.

MRBI has shown that focused water quality efforts in high priority areas can be effective in building strong partnerships, increasing trust and collaboration with landowners and farmers, and getting more conservation systems on the ground.

For more information about NRCS and other assistance available through conservation programs, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/G etStarted or contact your District Conservationist https://www.nrcs.usd a.gov/wps/portal/nrc s/in/contact/local/

Contacts: Adam Jones, Wabash Co. District Conservationist, 260563-7486 ext.

3 ( a d a m . j o n e s @usda.gov) Tashina LahrManifold, Wabash Co. SWCD Executive Director, 260-563-7486 ext.

3 (Tashina.lahr manifold@in.nacdnet.net) Rick Duff, Miami Co. District Conservationist, 765473-6753 ext. 3010 (rick.duff@usda.gov ) Mary Lou Watson, Miami Co. SWCD Program Director, 765-473-6753 ext. 3 (mary.watson2@in.na cdnet.net)

THE PAPER

Wabash County SWCD Annual Report

February 24, 2021

Soil and Water Conservation District Says Thank You The Wabash County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) is located in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center in

Wabash. The Wabash County SWCD shares an office with its conservation partners, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Natural Resources

Conservation Service (NRCS).

These partnerships provide effective delivery of technical, educational and informational conservation services to

the county. The staff work cooperatively to bring local, regional, state and federal program opportunities to landowners in Wabash County.

www.thepaperofwabash.com

11

Successful Women’s Conservation Learning Circle To reach the growing number of women landowners interested in conservation practices that

benefit the health of their land, Wabash & Miami County Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCD),

supported by Wo m e n 4 t h e L a n d hosted an invasive discussion and field (continued on page 12)

The ladies being led through Salamonie State Park

Wabash County USDA Service Center Office Staff: Front Row Left to Right: Adam Jones- NRCS District Conservationist; Eric Armentrout-FSA County Executive Director; Jerry Beck-FSA Program Technician. Back row Left to Right: Nicky Burnsworth-FSA Program Technician; Susi Stephan-FSA Program Technician ; Tashina Lahr-Manifold-SWCD Executive Director For the last 76 years, the Wabash Co. SWCD has been led by a board of supervisors who are residents of the county.

Three are elected positions and two are

appointed by the State Soil Conservation Board upon recommendation from the district. As a local unit of state government, SWCDs provide the public with infor-

mation, education and technical assistance on soil, water and related natural resource conservation; identify and prioritizes local soil and water resource con-

cerns; and connect land users to sources of education, technical and financial assistance to implement conservation practices and technologies.

2020 Wabash County SWCD Supervisors: Left to right : Boyd Brubaker-Supervisor, Darin HadleySupervisor, Kevin Cordes-Secretary/Treasurer, Rob Shellhamer-Chairman, Bobby HettmanspergerVice-Chairman The Wabash Co. SWCD would like to thank all the individuals, groups, businesses and agencies who have assisted in making the past 76 years a success! Your continued support is greatly appreciated, and we look forward to serving you in the upcoming year.

A special Thank You to: 2020 Wabash County Commissioners: Jeff Dawes, Barry Eppley and Brian Haupert 2020 Wabash County Council Members: Matt Dillon, Lorissa Sweet, Randy Curless, Barbara Pearson, Matthew Mize, Kyle Bowman and Philip Dale

Site Prep - Excavation - Backhoe Services Trucking - Ponds - Woods Clearing Septic & Tile Repair - Driveways - Waterways Farm Drainage Tile: 4” to 36”, Installed with a Wheel Ditcher

Laser and GPS Equipped

12

www.thepaperofwabash.com

THE PAPER

Wabash County SWCD Annual Report

February 24, 2021

Successful Women’s Conservation Learning Circle ...continued from page 11 tour for women landowners on September 17th at The Upper Wabash Interpretive Center.

There were thirteen participants that attended the event.

The morning began with coffee and regis-

Teresa Rody discussing invasive plant ID while on the afternoon field tour

tration. All the ladies in the room proceeded to introduce themselves, share their farming history and where they stand today. Once introductions were complete there was a better understanding of the verity of ladies in a t t e n d a n c e .

Regardless of their levels of experience, the key topic of discussion was “Invasive Species: Keeping Your Land Native.” The topic of invasive species was then discussed by speaker Teresa Rody with Indiana Department of Natural Re s o u rc e s ( I D N R ) .

Mandi Glanz, a Regional Specialist with the Southern Indiana Cooperative I n v a s i v e s Management, was also in attendance to help discuss invasive management and ID.

Following the morning meeting the ladies had the opportunity to create a picture holder out of both native and invasive plant species. Lunch was then provided by Halderman Real Estate & Farm Management. After lunch Teresa Rody gave the ladies a walking tour of Salamonie State Park while covering invasive species ID and woodland management. Adam Jones with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) also joined the group in the afternoon. He covered federal cost-share opportunities and what is available to the ladies as landowners. The day came to an end back at the Interpretive Center for desserts and closing statements.

This Women’s Conservation Learning Circle brought together landowners in an informal learning format for a women-only discussion. All the ladies that attended left feeling like they had gained knowledge about their land, how to manage it and the conservation practices available to them. Wabash and Miami Counties have had an overwhelming positive response to these women only events and we will plan to continue them in 2021. We would like to thank all the organizations involved that made the day a success, Halderman Real Estate & Farm

Management, Upper Wabash Interpretive Center/IDNR, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The learning circles method of conservation outreach to women farmland owners and the activities used were devel-

oped by Women, Food and Agriculture Network for its Women Caring for the LandSM program.

The participants introducing themselves in the morning meeting

After the morning meeting, before lunch each lady had the materials of both invasive and native plants to create a picture holder.

13 Upper Wabash Invasive Network Kevin Cordes seeks re-election to supervisor position

THE PAPER February 24, 2021

Wabash County SWCD Annual Report

The Upper Wabash Invasive Network (UWIN) is an environmental conservation education group working to spread the word - and stop the spread - of invasive species with encouragement about importance of native species. UWIN encompasses Miami, Wabash and Huntington Counties. They are raising funds to combat invasive plant species within these counties, through a native tree and shrub sale. Please support your local habitat by planting native! Order deadline is March 15, 2021. Plan to pick up your purchases April 24, 2021 at Brandt's Harley Davidson, Wabash, Indiana.

Kevin Cordes is seeking re-election to the Wabash County Soil & W a t e r Conservation District (SWCD) Board of Supervisors, which he has served on since 2003. He lives and farms in Paw Paw Township in the Roann area where he practices no-till farming with the use of cover crops.

Kevin’s other conservation practices include grassed waterways, filter strips, nutrient management, and he maintains CRP and SAFE acres.

Kevin is a member of the Bachelor Creek Church of Christ and he and his wife Peggy

www.thepaperofwabash.com

KEVIN CORDES enjoy riding their tandem bicycle.

They have 3 children and 11 grandchildren.

The Wabash County

SWCD

Board

of

S u p e r v i s o r Elections will take place 76th

during

Meeting

the

Annual on

Wednesday March 3, 2021. You may attend in-person at the Heartland REMC Touchstone Energy Center, Wabash location or virtually through a Microsoft Teams Meeting. At the time of the meeting, additional nominations can be accepted from the floor or virtual. Whomever is elected will serve a three-year term on the Wabash County SWCD Board of Supervisors. Any individual of voting age or a representative of a firm, company, or corporation that owns or rents land/property located within the district may vote.

Helping keep you in the field...

The LaFontaine Generator Exchange Over 45 years of service!

202 W. Logan St. LaFontaine, IN

765-981-4561

14

www.thepaperofwabash.com

Wabash County SWCD Annual Report

THE PAPER

February 24, 2021

The "practices installed" column indicates the number of newly installed best management practices within a given calendar year, while the "active practices" column indicates the number of best management practices that are actively reducing sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus loading regardless of the year of installation.

Practices do not include the many unassisted practices designed and installed by private landowners without ICP assistance.

Nutrient estimates only consider sediment bound N and P, not dissolved components.

Load reductions are calculated using the EPA's Region 5 Load Reduction Model, and rounded to nearest integer for display.

Data provided by: Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Indiana Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Last Updated: 5/15/20, Sam Stroebel ISDA

THE PAPER

Wabash County SWCD Annual Report

February 24, 2021

Farm Data Opportunity for Wabash, Huntington and Miami Counties

The Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), in partnership with the Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC) and Indiana State Department of Agriculture, (ISDA) received a $600,000 grant for the INfield Advantage program through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

INfield Advantage is a proactive, collaborative opportunity for farmers to collect and understand personalized, on-farm data to optimize their management practices to ultimately improve their farm profitability and benefit the environment.

This program is a partnership between ISA, the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Purdue Extension county offices and local Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The USDA grant will allow the program to expand

partnerships to include certified crop advisors, co-ops and ag retailers.

“The INfield Advantage program shows how great partnerships can be in agriculture, and this program is something we are very proud to work on with our partners and Indiana farmers,” said ISDA Director Bruce Kettler. “This funding will ensure that our Hoosier farmers are able to connect, learn more about their farms and receive personalized and fieldspecific data.”

This funding will be used to provide farmer participants with soil health assessments, soil chemical tests, and tissue samples in the fields enrolled in tillage trails, cover crop trails or nutrient management trials.

Each participant can now enroll 1 field. The field must be 40-60 acres.

Our local SWCD office has the detailed protocols

required for each trail.

More outputs are now available for the participants. Instead of a single hardcopy report at the end of the season, participants will now receive multiple digital field images throughout the season and Truterra Data. The Truterra™ platform helps to maximize production while minimizing environmental impact, identify low profitability areas in a field and use that information to simulate potential m a n a g e m e n t changes, in real-time.

It can open you up to potential NRCS revenue opportunities and gives participants the ability to tell your stewardship story. If you did not participate in the 2020 INFA program, then you are considered a “new” participant and qualify for a $200 incentive payment.

“Indiana’s soybean and corn checkoffs are charged with con-

ducting research and educating farmers about the best practices for producing a crop,” said ISA Board Chairman David Rodibaugh, who is a soybean farmer from Rensselaer, Ind. “Our INfield Advantage program provides very good information that farmers can apply to their own farms to improve their bottom line in a more earth-friendly manner.”

These partnerships between state agencies, federal partners and Indiana farmers are crucial for improving Indiana agriculture and increasing soil conservation. Enrollment is now open for this 2021 INField Advantage(INFA) program and will end March 12th. For more information or to sign up for the INfield Advantage program, visit www.infieldadvantage.org or Wabash Co. SWCD office.

www.thepaperofwabash.com

15

16

www.thepaperofwabash.com

Wabash County SWCD Annual Report

THE PAPER

February 24, 2021

u o y k n r a u . h o T to ors s n o p s