Mt. Carmel Soil & Water 2018

Sunday, February 18, 2018

WABASH COUNTY SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT

71St Annual Meeting and Election of Directors February 20, 2018 Mabel Courter Annex Building Mount Carmel, IL

Agenda

Awards

Call to Order and Welcome ..........Stanley Kelsey, Chairman

Chairman’s Comments — Stanley Kelsey

Pledge of Allegiance

Program — Gary Zwilling and Colleen R. Kensler

Invocation

Dinner Introduction of Guests — Lee Berberich, Vice-Chairman Minutes of last Annual Meeting — Liz Hoffman, Secretary/Treasurer Treasurer’s and Audit Reports — Liz Hoffman, Secretary/Treasurer Nominating Committee Report and Election of Directors Nominating Committee — Jim Tennis, John Haase and Blake Pearson

Adjournment DOOR PRIZES

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\ Mount Carmel Register

Wabash County Soil & Water Conservation District Minutes of the 70th Annual Meeting and Election • February 23, 2017 SUBMITTED BY

COLLEEN R. KENSLER WCSWCD ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR & RESOURCE CONSERVATIONIST

The Annual Meeting of the Wabash County Soil and Water Conservation District was held on February 23, 2017 at the Mabel Courter Annex Building with dinner served at 6:00 p.m. and the meeting immediately following at 7:00 p.m. There were a total of 18 landowners/operators and 4 guests.

Directors present were Stanley Kelsey, Lee Berberich, Matthew Marriott and Liz Hoffman. Staff present was Colleen R. Kensler and Gary Zwilling.

Chairman, Stanley Kelsey welcomed everyone and then had them stand for the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States Flag. He, then, gave the invocation so the meal could begin and everyone helped themselves to the Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, green beans, corn, rolls, and dessert catered for them by Big Jon’s restaurant.

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. when everyone had finished their meal. Lee Berberich, Vice-Chairman introduced Gary Ritz from the First National Bank, Mount Carmel Branch, Charles Trimble, Wayne County District Conservationist, Mark Wright, Farm Credit Illinois that provided the meal. Wabash Valley Service Company was also thanked for providing the flowers on the tables.

Sec./Treasurer Liz Hoffman, noted that the agenda, minutes from the last Annual Meeting and Treasurers report were in the Annual Report and could be read there. She asked if there were any

additions or corrections to the agenda, minutes or Treasurer’s report. None were presented. The Annual Report was mailed as a supplement to the Daily Republican Register in the paper. There were copies of this report available at each place setting for everyone to read.

There was an audit committee report included in this edition in which all accounts were checked and proclaimed in order by the audit committee on August 16, 2016. The committee was made up of Kristin Schrader from First National Bank of Allendale, Mount Carmel Branch, and Liz Hoffman.

A motion was made by John Haase to accept the minutes, Treasusrer’s report and agenda and was seconded

by Leland Marriott. The motion carried unopposed.

John Haase, Chairman of the Nominating Committee, which included Jared Smith and Blake Pearson, read the Nominating Committee report. The committee had asked the two directors whose two year terms were up, Jordan Baumgart and Liz Hoffman, if they would run for reelection and Jordan did not want to run again. So nominations were made from the committee, and Kurt Broster had been nominated and accepted the nomination.

Those present were asked three times if there were any other nominations from the floor and receiving no other nominations, the nominations were closed. Upon hearing no objections, John asked for a motion that these two directors be duly elected to fill the two, two year terms available.

Charles Trimble so motioned, with a

second from Lee Berberich, and both were elected to be directors of the Wabash County SWCD with no one opposed.

The 2017 Wabash County Envirothon Winning team from Mount Carmel High School was announced by Colleen Kensler. Jake Hocking, Justin Berberich, Zach Kemper, Ryan Webb and Bridger Kolb which were on the Wabash winning teams, names were placed on the trophy plaque that will be placed in the ag department at Mount Carmel High School.

Stanley Kelsey then introduced Gary Zwilling and Colleen R. Kensler to give their presentations of the last year’s efforts. Colleen went first and showed the directors that accepted awards for their many years of service; Stanley Kelsey for 20 years and Lee Berberich for 10 years. She thanked them for their dedication and continued service over that time and in the future. She showed pictures of the Fourth Grade Field Trip to Beall Woods and the contractors breakfast. She showed the Mount Carmel High School students competing in Envirothon and what categories they compete in to go on to the state contest.

A picture was shown of the 2017 board at the end and she thanked everyone for coming to the meeting and hoped for their continued support in the future.

Gary Zwilling spoke on the EQIP, CRP, WRP, and Client Gateway programs and dates for deadlines to get these applied for and to commit were discussed. There are over 200 enhancements in CSP alone to choose

from so apply to these programs to make improvements on your land and receive cost share.

Priority areas are concentrated on and you would have to come in and apply to get costshare but it would be confined to those areas, so contact us to see if you are in the areas of priority and qualify to apply. Also years ago since 1985, you were required to file 1026 forms to stay in compliance on your farm so please come in and file those if you would like to make any changes on your ground to be sure you don’t get benefits taken away from removing things in the wrong areas. Since the Food Security Act random tracts are chosen to be looked at each year for residue and no wetland violations or noncompliance issues. So they are always watching and checking our work. Gary thanked Colleen for her work, going to trainings, and always being willing to be a team player.

The Contractors Breakfast on March 2, 2017 at 8:00 a.m. at the Allendale Ruritan Club Building was announced so that anyone present could attend.

The sponsored listed in the annual report were read and thanked for supporting our programs throughout the year.

A various array of door prizes and the flowers that graced the tables were awarded by drawing out numbers and matching them with the sign in sheet.

There was a motion entertained to adjourn the meeting at 8:20 p.m. by John Haase and seconded by Glen Clodfelter. There was no opposition and the meeting was adjourned at that time.

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District Conservationist annual report

BY GARY ZWILLING

NRCS DISTRICT CONSERVATIONIST – EDWARDS, LAWRENCE, RICHLAND, WABASH AND WAYNE COUNTIES

The New Year of 2018 sure came in as a cold one. Sustained colder temperatures than we have had for a couple of winters anyway. I hope by the time this appears in the paper the temperatures have moderated.

Just as we thought our reorganization within our NRCS agency across the state was settling in over the past 2 years we are now looking to the future as OneUSDA. OneUSDA is the latest phrase coined and a new concept presented to us by the Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. Mr. Perdue goes on to say that all USDA agencies will be one team complimenting each other and informing each other of the work being done. He also added that in the weeks and months ahead the “employee centered changes will be common sense and will make USDA more accountable to the American taxpayer”. Stay tuned.

The 2014 Farm Bill is now into its 5th year. Congress already is having

discussions and meeting for the next Farm Bill which actually expires September 30, 2018. Only time will tell what programs will develop from the new Farm Bill. I will focus on the current conservation programs we have remaining through 2018.

Some of the more common programs for the counties in our Conservation District Group which entails the counties of Edwards, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash and Wayne counties are the following: the Environmental Quality Incentives Program or better known as EQIP, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the Agriculture Conservation Easement Program – Wetland Reserve Easement (ACEP-WRE), the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the local County SWCD Partners for Conservation program (PFC). Each of the above programs works independently to address various resource concerns.

The EQIP program is a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) federal program that works with landowners to address multiple resource concerns on the land. These concerns can range from soil and water issues to

animal waste and other water quality matters. Additionally, the program involves working to improve soil quality on the land. We have another program locally under the umbrella of EQIP that helps a specific watershed in the area. It is the National Water Quality Initiative for the Crooked Creek Watershed located in the eastern side of Edwards County near West Salem, the northwestern part of Wabash County, the southeast part of Richland County and the small very west part of Lawrence County. This 33,000 acre watershed only competes with a few other watersheds for funding in Illinois which helps improve the chances of a successful application making it through to a contract.

The CRP is a Farm Service Agency program that is technically assisted by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The CRP program is designed to help control erosion, improve water quality and provide for benefits for a wide variety of wildlife.

The ACEP-WRE program, another NRCS program, is targeted to remove very marginal cropland fields from agricultural production that are prone

to flooding. This program is designed to create, restore or enhance wetlands and provide multiple wildlife benefits.

Additionally, its’ primary purpose is to create habitat for migratory waterfowl and other wetland –dependent wildlife including threatened and endangered species.

Another, very important NRCS conservation program is entitled the Conservation Stewardship Program.

This program is growing in popularity each year as more and more innovations occur in agriculture especially those that have long lasting environmental impacts.

The agency overhauled this program last year in 2017 so we worked through many changes and adaptations but the process definitely provided more transparency for our clients. It also provided many more activities and enhancements to choose from when it comes to doing sustainable conservation on the land.

The CSP program now has a similar look to our EQIP program in which applicants go through a ranking process of developing points of items they currently do on their land plus what they will plan to implement on

Sunday, February 18, 2018 Mount Carmel Register

their lands. Still the primary focus of this program is to pay for conservation practices and enhancements on private lands that are currently taking care of the natural resources and the adoption of one up to many more enhancements.

The list of items or enhancements this year comprises of over 200 activities under this program. Some examples of enhancements include: use of cover crops, placement and rates of nutrients for crops utilizing precision agriculture, nutrient management utilizing the 4R nutrient stewardship principles – right amount of the right source and the right place at the right time to the crops, along with GPS guided pesticides away from water bodies. Additionally, there is added incentives for increasing field borders for pollinators and still a very popular activity of leaving a few small areas of standing unharvested crops for wildlife food for the winter.

We have one more new program under the EQIP umbrella designed for a specific purpose and specific resource concern. It is the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) of improving Oak and Hickory Forest Health in Illinois. Since this a new specific program please contact the local field offices for signups and questions.

Additionally, this specific program is applicable in only four of the 5 counties – those being Edwards, Lawrence, Richland and Wabash Counties.

Finally, the local PFC program administered by the local SWCD’s is intended to address soil erosion concerns specifically on cropland fields.

The state funding was absent for this program but now has returned to help those producers on cropland fields only. These SWCDs office locations are as follows: Edwards SWCD in Albion, Lawrence SWCD located at the USDA Lawrenceville Service Center, Richland SWCD located in the USDA Olney Service Center, Wabash SWCD located in Mt. Carmel, and Wayne SWCD located at the USDA Fairfield Service Center.

Our NRCS agency continues to process hundreds of AD -1026 Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Compliance determinations. Along with that thought of determinations, I still need to remind all producers and landowners in regards to keeping in compliance with the provisions of the Farm Bill. This involves many aspects - some of which may or may not be new to everyone.

For most people when they think of staying in compliance they think of their conservation plans in regards to

Highly Erodible Land – following a crop rotation with no-till for example. But, it also means staying in compliance with wetlands provisions of the Farm Bill. This wetland provision addresses those things like the removal of any trees or the adding of tile to any fields. Now since the 2014 Farm Bill, these determinations also mean keeping producers in compliance for crop insurance benefits.

As landowners continue looking to maximize acres that are currently not in row crop production, they need to ensure they have filed an AD-1026 with the Farm Service Agency (FSA). It doesn’t matter whether you are clearing fencerows, odd areas, or even old farmstead and building sites – an AD 1026 needs to be filed. So as a reminder before bringing any areas of land into crop production or tiling a field a certified determination is needed on those acres. This determination may be a highly erodible determination or a wetland determination or even a determination that means it is ok to proceed with the tiling of the field.

Again, I reiterated producers need to come in to the office and request an AD 1026 form from the FSA office.

The FSA office then forwards on to the NRCS office and in turn completes the determinations. These determinations

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are then sent out to the producer who requested it and a copy is provided to FSA. It is very important to understand what may or may not be done on this land to stay in compliance once you receive that determination. As always, if there are any questions regarding these determinations please feel free to contact the local NRCS office for answers and clarifications – for Lawrence and Wabash County producers - Lawrenceville Service Center at 618-943-2621 – Extension 3 - for Edwards and Wayne County producers – Fairfield Service Center at 618-842-7602 Extension 3 and for Richland County producers – Olney Service Center at 618-392-7141 Extension 3.

I look forward to the continued success of conservation efforts by the producers and landowners in the Edwards SWCD, the Lawrence SWCD, the Richland SWCD, the Wabash SWCD and the Wayne SWCD and the SWCD and NRCS staffs who provide the technical assistance in achieving the ultimate goal of conservation on the land and protecting the natural resources. None of our success for conservation on the land is accomplished without everyone working together.

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Profit and Loss budget overview July 2017 through June 2018 4300 · OTHER PUBLIC SUPPORT Ordinary Income/Expense Income 800.00 4000 · FEDERAL GOVERNMENT 4400 · SALES SUPPORT 0.00 4400.1 · Fish 1,500.00 4100 · STATE GOVERNMENT SUP4400.11 · Misc. Income 0.00 PORT 4400.2 · Trees 800.00 4100.1 · District Operations 4400.4 · Flags 180.00 32,680.41 4400.5 · Filter Fabric 150.00 4100.3 · RC Allocation 0.00 4400.8 · Books 45.00 4100.4 · District Reimbursements Total 4400 · SALES 2,675.00 0.00 4610 · ADVER TISING INCOME Total 4100 · STATE GOVERNMENT 2,100.00 SUPPORT 32,680.41 4800 · INTEREST 4150 · STATE GOVERNMENT SUP4800.01 · District 130.00 PORT- Res. 4800.02 · Program 40.00 4150.1 · InterCo. Contribution 4800.03 · Operations 11.00 Agreement 4,639.92 4800.04 · CD 140.00 4150.2 · CPP Income 7,020.00 Total 4800 · INTEREST 321.00 Total 4150 · STATE GOVERNMENT 4901 · REIMBURSEMENTS 0.00 SUPPORT- Res. 11,659.92 Total Income 51,236.33 4200 · LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUPCost of Goods Sold PORT 5000 · COST OF GOODS SOLD 4200.01 · County Board Grant 5000.01 · Trees 500.00 1,000.00 5000.02 · Fish 1,000.00 Total 4200 · LOCAL GOVERN5000.03 · Flags 178.24 MENT SUPPORT 1,000.00 Total 5000 · COST OF GOODS

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SOLD 1,678.24 Total COGS 1,678.24 Gross Profit 49,558.09 Expense 5100 · PAYROLL EXPENSES 5100.01 · RC Wages 5100.01 · RC Wages - Other 23,778.56 Total 5100.01 · RC Wages 28,789.92 5100.02 · AC Wages 5100.2b · AC Short Term Disability Ins 0.00 Total 5100.02 · AC Wages 0.00 5100 · PAYROLL EXPENSES - Other 650.00 Total 5100 · PAYROLL EXPENSES 29,439.92 5120 · PAYROLL TAXES 5120.02 · Social Security 1,650.00 5120.04 · Medicare 390.00 5140 · State Unemployment 66.00 Total 5120 · PAYROLL TAXES 2,106.00 5200 · CONSERVATION PROGRAM PRACTICES 5200.01 · CPP 4,400.00

Total 5200 · CONSERVATION PROGRAM PRACTICES 4,400.00 5250 · EDUCATION 5250.2 · 4th Grade Field Trip 50.00 5250.4 · Envirothon 230.00 Total 5250 · EDUCATION 280.00 5300 · INSURANCE 5300.04 · Workers Comp 86.62 5300.01 · Directors & Officers Insurance 1,154.00 5300.02 · General Liability 504.00 Total 5300 · INSURANCE 1,744.62 5420 · HONORARIA AND AWARDS 100.00 5500 · PROMOTIONAL 0.00 5600 · SPECIAL EVENTS 5600.12 · Contractors Breakfast Expense 600.00 5600.01 · Annual Meeting Expenses 5600a · Advertising 75.00 5600c · Door Prizes 200.00 5600d · Miscellaneous 130.00 5600.01 · Annual Meeting Expenses Other 500.00 Total 5600.01 · Annual Meeting Expenses 905.00

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Sunday, February 18, 2018 Mount Carmel Register

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Election Nominating Committee reports James Tennis, John Haase, and Blake Pearson were the nominating committee for the Wabash County Soil and Water Conser vation District election and as such have contacted the directors whose terms were up this year and all have agreed to run for reelection. There are three directors to be elected to the board for the 2018 year for a two-year term, Stanley Kelsey, Lee Berberich, and Matthew Marriott. So they have been placed on the ballot and their bios are in this annual report, at the annual meeting James Tennis will represent the nominating committee and will ask three times as required by law if there are any other nominations from the floor at our annual meeting and if hearing none will congratulate them on their reelection to the board. If a nomination is raised, then a paper ballot will be handed out to every landowner or occupier of Wabash County present. After they have all placed their ballots back in the ballotbox, a vote will be counted and the winners will be announced.

The three with the most votes will be

declared the directors of the Wabash Jim E Kelsey and now farms with his County Soil and Water Conser vation son Willis.

District and serve a two year term.

They have two grown children who also live in rural Allendale with their Matthew Marriott families. A son, Willis and his wife Matthew Marriott is from the Bell- Beth have two sons, Konner James and mont/Browns area. Matthew and Jana Kollin Lane. They also have a daughhave been married for four years. They ter, Kristina and she and her husband, had their daughter Ella Grace in April Trevor Sawyer have three children, Eli2017. He graduated from Mount Car- jah Glenn, Ezekiel J, and Elyse Klaire. mel High School in 1996.

Stan and his family are members of During his school years he was the Wabash Presbyterian Church in actively involved with Boy Scouts of Orio, where he has served as an Elder.

America, where he achieved the They also actively participate and condegree of Eagle Scout in 1995. He was tribute to the local 4-H and Junior Fair also an active member of the Wabash with their time and efforts during fair Co. 4-H program. He was a 4 year week in late July and throughout the member of the Mt. Carmel FFA Chap- year making improvements to the fair ter, where he was awarded the Ameri- facilities as needed. Stan is a 41 year can Farmer Degree. member of the Denison Fire Protection Today he operates Marriott Farms District (St. Francisville) volunteer fire with his parents, raising grain, live- department and he has served as the stock and does custom grain hauling. Fire Chief for over 21 years.

As a fourth generation farm, Stan Stanley Kelsey and Willis farm together in northern Stanley and his wife Karin live on Wabash County. Their farming operatheir farm in r ural Allendale. Stan tion has changed with the economy began farming in 1973 with his father over the years and is currently a grain

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operation located in both Wabash and Lawrence Counties. Stan and Willis use Variable Rate Technologies making their farming operation less wasteful and more environmentally friendly. Their expectation is to continually improve the ground on which they are farming.

Stan is pleased to have had the oppor tunity to ser ve on the board these past 21 years and looks forward to serving another term.

Lee Berberich Lee Berberich, a Wabash County resident since birth, has been married to his wife, Tamara, for 30 years and resides at 14749 East 500 Road, Mount Carmel, Illinois 62863. They have three sons and six grandchildren. For the past 41 years, following the death of their father, Lee and his brother, Roy, have farmed together as SLR Farms.

Lee would like your support in this election to continue to serve our county as a director on the Wabash County Soil and Water Conser vation District Board.

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Sunday, February 18, 2018 Mount Carmel Register

Conservation District office report

BY COLLEEN R. KENSLER

RES. CONSERVATIONIST/ADMINISTRATIVE COORD.

Over the past eighteen years, yes I have been here that long amazing how time flies by, I have seen many different programs come and go. I have seen us change our location from by the car wash to out in the front offices at the skating rink on the fairgrounds. I have seen board directors come and go but I have several that are still here. I have had three different board chairmen and vice-chairmen.

The people I have worked with, have changed too. I have had two resource conservationists (and if you count me taking over that job, three), three District Conservationists, two Soil Conservationist Technicians, and about seven, I believe, Soil Conservationists or so. I have had several interns and educational coordinators also but we no longer have those positions available. But through it all the priorities here at Wabash County have stayed the same, to save soil from erosion,

keep our water quality, educated the public, and conserve our natural resources.

With the budget cuts, it has been challenging to accomplish some of our goals we have had in the past and we are currently back to when I started and one thing you do not want to see, is everything you have worked for in educational programs go away because of lack of funding.

It is just a challenge right now to keep the doors open and do most of the programs that were going when I started. We still have our tree sales and fish sales so get those orders in if you want to plant some trees or stock your pond or lake. Call us if you would like a “Forest Trees of Illinois” book, a water testing kit, filter fabric or flags to mark areas for your projects. We have some cost share money available for terrace projects, waterways, etc., so be sure to continue to sign up at our office if you have a problem area. We still have a filter fabric check installer, a root plow, and the bag a nut that you can rent out.

By the way we are not a federal office, we are state and local so we do not close when there is a federal shutdown. We do close for all the holidays that are in red on your calendar, so keep that in mind. Since I am the only employee and have to go to the bank, post office, meetings, and trainings, so a phone call before you stop by is a good idea.

Our office telephone number is 618-262-5430 and we have an answering machine, my e-mail is wcswcd1@frontier.com and I look at both every day. That is not to say that it is always working, but the telephone usually is. Technology is good when it is working! You know you use to see on TV when they had problems – Technical difficulties, please stand by. But normally when it is not raining, our service is working. These are the same challenges everyone faces in a small county, access to internet, cell phone service, and weather affects, so be sure and stop by to keep these services going in our county. Hope to see you soon!

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Wabash County Soil and Water Conservation District Thank Yous The Wabash County Soil and Water Conservation District would like to thank these partners, volunteers, sponsors, advertisers for their support in this last year.

Anderson Brothers Oil Company Andrews Oil Company Beall Woods State Park Borowiak’s IGA Buehler’s C. F. C. O. Consolidated Grain and Barge Co. Crop Production Services, Inc. Cusick Farms Excavating Service Department of Natural Resources Farm Credit Service Farm Service Agency First Bank First National Bank of Allendale Illinois Gas Company J. A. Smith Excavating LLC

JULIE, Inc. Dave Kelsey with Farmers National Company James R. Kensler Kieffer Brothers Construction Company Litherland Excavating, Inc. Marathon Pipeline, LLC McDonald’s McLean Implement, Inc. Mike’s Excavating Service Mount Carmel Public Utility Co. Mount Carmel Rural King Natural Resource Conservation Service Peavey Grain Pro-Ag Consulting Lou Anna Racster Springfield Plastics, Inc. Texas Gas Transmission, LLC Three Rivers Credit Union Wabash Community School District #348 Wabash County Farm Bureau Wabash County Youth Foundation Wabash Valley Service Company Yonaka Bulldozing

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