Celebrate a couple Ag-friendly holidays (and the start of summer) this week

By Logan Garner

Logan is the Water Quality and Initiatives Program Manager for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture-Division of Soil Conservation.

It’s time to celebrate!  You may not know it, but this week is particularly ag-friendly.  That’s right, there are a couple lesser-known holidays this week, and today is one of them.  Besides, the summer solstice is in a few days and the beginning of most everyone’s favorite season is reason enough to be happy.

2009 photo contest winner, “Heirloom”.

Today (June 17^th) is national Eat Your Vegetables Day.  Yes, it’s a real thing.  And while it may seem like a day meant to goad your kids into having a balanced meal, it’s also an opportunity to celebrate your local farms and the produce they supply to your grocery stores and farmer’s markets.   So why not visit your neighborhood food hub and stock up on farm-fresh veggies?  It may seem a little early to some, but asparagus, lettuce, beets, broccoli and even carrots are all in season!  If today’s feast day isn’t reason enough for you make a produce run (or if you just don’t feel like eating vegetables right now), maybe tomorrow’s will help…

June 18^th is international picnic day.  I don’t know how these days are chosen, but it doesn’t matter much to me.  What does matter is that you don’t just have an excuse to get outside today for good food and good company, you are encouraged to! 

If you’re one of those people who doesn’t give much credence to these low-echelon holidays, chin up.  Summer officially starts on Friday.  If nothing else, at least celebrate that.  Summer in Indiana means picnics almost any day you like, fishing, fireworks and farmer’s markets…not to mention the best sweet corn in the world, grown by our own Hoosier farmers.

Happy Eat Your Vegetables Day and happy International Picnic Day.  Here’s to a great summer in 2013.

Getting to Know ISDA's Resource Specialists

By Linda Powell, Resource Specialist

Linda Powell spent 15 years working on her vegetable and flower produce farm in western Vanderburgh county and finished a degree from USI in 2005 completing a BS in Biology with an emphasis in plant science.   Before taking the resource specialist position with Indiana State Dept of Agriculture, she spent two and a half years in Gibson county as a watershed coordinator for the district working on 319 grants for BMP installation.  Linda serves clients in South West Indiana Gibson, Posey and Vanderburgh Counties.

Jamen Frederick is the newest addition to Indiana State Dept of Agriculture's list of Resource Specialists in the Southwest area of the state.  Jamen grew up on his family’s farm in Pike County and he is very involved in the family business.  

He graduated from Vincennes University with a degree in Ag business and finds time to assist his dad with farming operations.   They had planted rye and crimson clover cover crop with ISDA Emergency Drought Assistance. 

 As you can see in these pictures, he is planting into cover crop that has gotten about 4 feet tall because of left over nitrogen and wet conditions.  It had been sprayed 3 days before and he started planting on May 14^th.   

Jamen is also an accomplished hunter and fisherman with bow fishing being one of his specialties.  We are very proud to have Jamen with us on the Indiana Conservation Partnership team here in the Southwest.   His dedication and passion for working with ag production and natural resources is a great asset to our team

Celebrating Arbor Day

by Julie Morris

Julie Morris is a Resource Specialist for the Indiana Department of Agriculture for the Division of Soil Conservation in the Pulaski County USDA Service Center.  Julie received her degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Science from Purdue University.  She loves to garden and is just starting to compost.  Julie is married and has a 3-year old boy plus a new St. Bernard puppy and lives in LaPorte County.

Nothing says Arbor Day more than wrapping over 1900 trees – except maybe planting all those trees. But that is what people in the northwest area of Indiana will be doing this spring. The LaPorte County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) sold almost 2000 trees this year. They held their annual tree wrap at the LaPorte County fairgrounds on Friday, April 26th. Some students and a teacher from Westville High School also came to help out. 

Tony Ekovich and Nate Mrozinski, LaPorte County SWCD board members, start to mix the moss with water to keep the tree roots moist until planting. 

LaPorte SWCD members and Westville High School students and teachers all helped wrapped and label the trees.

Here are two of the best tree planters around (my husband Charlie and son Nathan) planting some hazelnuts in our front yard that were purchased from the 2013 LaPorte County SWCD tree sale. Don’t be afraid to get dirty!

As a general rule, the width of the hole should be at least 3 times the spread of the roots in the case of bare root trees. When purchasing bare-rooted trees, inspect the roots to ensure that they are moist and have numerous lengths of fine root hairs. Care should be taken to ensure that the roots are kept moist in the period between purchasing and planting. Plant the tree seedling and fill loosely with soil. Then, gently firm around the seedling to eliminate air pockets around the roots. Do not stomp!

Our puppy, Spencer, is on lookout and checks on the newly planted hazelnuts.

And maybe, just maybe, you will find a worm or it’s family.

Nathan knows worms are good for gardens and farmland. They improve the structure of the soil. When they burrow, red worms till the soil around the root areas of plants, thus improving soil aeration, porosity, and permeability as well as aiding in water retention (due to increased access to plant roots), and drainage in the soil. All of these enhance mineral and moisture absorption of plants as well as reduce water use and soil erosion.

Don’t forget to give your trees lots of water!

Water trees at least once a week, if there hasn’t been any rainfall.

There are so many benefits to planting trees. Trees can provide shelter to many different types of wildlife, reduce your heating and cooling costs, help clean the air, add beauty and color, provide shelter from the wind and the sun, and add value to your home.

Many SWCDs have annual tree sales. Visit your local SWCD office for more information on available trees and order forms.

Who is the Division of Soil Conservation?

By Logan Garner

Division of Soil Conservation staff June 2012

You read that right: “Who?”  Indiana’s State Department of Agriculture is more than just a collection of divisions and offices, to be sure.  The Division of Soil Conservation is no different.  A diverse group of individuals (with an even more diverse set of skills, knowledge and responsibilities) make up the soils division, whose primary goal is to advocate for and reach out to Indiana’s citizens across the state regarding their agricultural, conservation and informational needs.  It’s time for a review of those people out and about the state of Indiana as well as those who work behind the scenes to bring a face and a voice from ISDA to the citizens it serves.  

District Support Specialist Laura Fribley, Resource Specialist Sue Gerlach, Resource Specialist Cassandra Vondran

Resource Specialists (RS)—These people are the Division of Soil Conservation’s bread and butter.  “Resource specialist” is not just a clever name, as these field staff really do specialize in providing you with valuable resources!   These folks work and live across the state where they connect farmers and other individuals to local, state and federal cost-share programs and grants, agricultural and conservation organizations alike, as well as local and regional events from which local knowledge and resources are shared.   

They also provide technical assistance, and are our “boots on the ground” here at the Division of Soil Conservation when it comes to surveying, designing and implementing conservation practices.  Resource Specialists serve in many capacities and usually have other roles as well (as you can see just below!).  They are housed within local NRCS and Soil and Water Conservation District offices, and if one cannot be found in your county, you can bet there’s one close by whose area of service certainly includes your own.

Program Manager Jordan Seger and District Support Specialist Geneva Rawlins

District Support Specialists (DSS) – Just as their name indicates, DSSs operate specifically in a supportive capacity for local Soil and Water Conservation Districts.  This support comes in all forms, from aiding in planning and organization, to running normal operations within the district, to building capacity and outreach, and even to training for legal, administrative or conservation program-related tasks.  In short, a District Support Specialist serves the local SWCD office much like Resource Specialists serve individuals. 

Middle Wabash-Busseron watershed CREP Leader Dale Walker

CREP Leaders—CREP, or the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, is active in eleven large watersheds across the state.  In each of these watersheds there is a CREP Leader: a Resource Specialist specifically tasked with reaching out to, educating and enrolling landowners in this cost-share program.  Along-side their regular duties as Resource Specialists, CREP Leaders are there to guide anyone who is interested in the environmental and economic benefits this program provides. 

Jim Woody, Team Leader

Team Leaders—Team Leaders are yet another important aspect of the Division’s field presence.  These individuals represent their own section in the state and serve as managers to the rest of the RSs and CREP Leaders in their respective areas.  And—you guessed it—they ALSO hold the duties and responsibilities of any Resource Specialist.  Team Leaders work hard to ensure that the rest of us are trained, well-informed and working together to fulfill the needs of those who seek us out (and those whom we seek out).  As with all these roles, Team Leaders’ jobs are multi-faceted and shaped by the many needs and partnerships that exist in Indiana. 

Program Manager Deb Fairhurst and District Support Specialist Laura Fribley, Goose Pond tour with State Soil Conservation Board 2010

Support Staff—What is a field staff without its support?  The “behind the scenes” staff for the Division of Soil Conservation gets around plenty, but mostly works in the state office in Indianapolis.  From here and there (and everywhere, really), administrative staff and program managers are responsible for the travel, training and communication between field staff as well as communication between conservation partners and local, state and federal entities.  Program managers ensure the smooth operation of ISDA’s and the Division’s many programs and initiatives.  Administrative staff processes payments, contracts and grants, and organize meetings.  They generate literature, maps and press releases for events and programs all over the state. Heck, some of them even get out to the field and get their hands dirty from time to time! Support staff are also responsible for logistics and support to the State Soil Conservation Board, but that's another blog post. 

If you know anyone from the Division of Soil Conservation, you know he or she wears many hats.  Many of us here are active members in organizations and committees in our own communities at home as well.  Maybe yours is one of those!

More information on Technical Assistance: http://www.in.gov/isda/2367.htm
More information on District Support: http://www.in.gov/isda/2373.htm
Contact the Division of Soil Conservation: cleanwaterindiana@isda.in.gov 

Cover Crop Field Day in Allen County

by Cassandra Vondran

Cassandra is an Indiana State Department of Agriculture Resource Specialist for the Division of Soil Conservation in Allen and DeKalb Counties covering the Western Lake Erie Basin and has been with the Division for nearly 18 years.

Many benefits are associated with cover crops:  erosion control, increased microbial activity, increased nutrient cycling, increased organic matter, increased infiltration, and increased crop yields. To educate area farmers, a cover crop field day was held on April 10^th at Ron Miller’s farm north of Woodburn, IN.  The field day was sponsored by the Allen County SWCD as a part of an Indiana Department of Environmental Management 319 grant for the Upper Maumee River Watershed Project. 

Scott Haley and Derek Thompson showing soil health demonstrations

Scot Haley, NRCS Area Soil Scientist, and Derek Thompson, DeKalb County NRCS District Conservationist, kicked off the field day by showing soil demonstrations.  Mike Werling, a farmer and a contract employee through the St. Mary’s Watershed Initiative, provided additional comments.  The demonstrations showed the benefits of utilizing cover crops. Producers then were able to look at soil pits in fields that had cover crops.  

Attendees look on as Scott Haley describes cover crop roots in a soil pit

Soil pits were dug about three to four feet deep to allow producers the chance to see the below ground earthworm activity and the roots of the cover crops.  One field was seeded with cereal rye and the other field was seeded with oilseed radish and oats in the fall of 2012.  Mr. Miller received cost share assistance to try cover crops for one year.

Ron Miller and his son look at the roots of a dead oilseed radish plant

The takeaway message for the event was for farmers to understand the basic mechanics of cover crops and adopt them into their own management system.  Events such as this cover crop field day are giving farmers this basic information.  More cover crop field days are being planned for the future in Allen and DeKalb counties.   

Happy Earth Day Everyone!

by Deb Jimison

Deb serves as a Resource Specialist in the Tippecanoe Watershed area. Deb is housed in the Pulaski County field office as part of the Division of Soil Conservation team. Before joining ISDA, Jimison worked for Soil and Water Investigation in Elkhart as a soil scientist.  She brings a wealth of experience in storm water management and erosion control to the position. Jimison is an Indiana native from Elkhart County.  She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from Purdue University in 1985. She lives in Winamac and enjoys travel, camping, canoeing and observing wildlife.

It seems that the saying “Everything old is new again” is true in many different areas. Our grandfather’s knew the benefits of cover crops, but somehow that practice was forgotten in modern farming.  As pressure grows from an ever-increasing world population for food and energy, cover crops have been re-discovered as a tool that helps the soil help producers. The technological advances in farming strategies, equipment and chemicals can increase production only so far if soils aren't revived as well. Cover crops, especially as part of an over-all system including additional conservation methods, can return to our soils the properties they once had when first converted into cropland.

Plans can meet individual needs at every farm as each cover crop addresses different things. Your situation might benefit from erosion control, holding on to nutrients, knocking back weeds or providing forage. Using the right plants or preferably a combination of plants with different properties is a powerful way to give soil a boost. Species with tap roots address surface compaction to improve water and nutrient movement to cash crops. Others with fibrous roots can build soil structure and improve tilth. Deep-rooted covers add permeability in heavy soils. Others may hold expensive nutrients and chemicals so they don’t get lost to the ground water.

Pit showing rooting depths of cover crops although not much is showing at the surface

As with any practice, there is the potential for problems if not used correctly.  Discuss plans with someone experienced in using cover crops prior to your first attempt. Do research to find the proper species, the correct scheduling of planting and termination and proper control methods for the crops you’d like to try. Then the improvements you want can be obtained and the negative effects on the next cash crop can be avoided. Your local ISDA Resource Specialist (RS) is a great source for obtaining information on cover crops and many other issues. Contact your local RS today with any questions or concerns you may have.

Early spring results of a mix of cover crops.

(Mis)Conceptions about Soil Health

By Logan Garner

Logan is the Water Quality and Initiatives Program Manager for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture-Division of Soil Conservation. 

Unless you’re not involved with agriculture in Indiana, you’ve probably heard the term “soil health” countless times.  We are fortunate to live in a state where so many farmers are focusing on the improvement of our soils, and are adopting the paradigm that healthy soils mean good things for their crops, their wallets and the natural resources which sustain both.