Terrace Contest
July 1950
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Images of What We're Thankful For
Photo submitted by Laura Fribley, District Support Specialist
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Clean Water Indiana Grants in Action
Here is a picture of some radishes in a cover
crop field in north east Pulaski County.
This field is part of the cost-share program for a 2012 Clean Water Indiana grant. For more information on cover crops, please visit the CCSI-Cover Crop website. For more information on Clean Water Indiana Grants, please visit the ISDA Clean Water Indiana website.
Photo submitted by Julie Morris, ISDA-DSC. Julie is a CREP leader for the Middle Wabash-Little Vermillion watershed and a Resource Specialist serving the counties of Porter, LaPorte, Starke and Pulaski.
Photo submitted by Julie Morris, ISDA-DSC. Julie is a CREP leader for the Middle Wabash-Little Vermillion watershed and a Resource Specialist serving the counties of Porter, LaPorte, Starke and Pulaski.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Conservation In Action
This is a project that
was done in Davies county this month with EWP funding and a collaboration
between the county/PE/NRCS and USACE. It is a large set of Bend Way Weirs
and bioengineering with willows to improve a notorious section of Prairie
Creek.
The weirs actually
thrust the main current out to center of channel where it should be and away
from edges were bank was crumbling and undercut.
Photos submitted by Linda Powell, Resource Specialist with ISDA-Division of Soil Conservation. For more information on technical assistance available from ISDA, please visit our website: http://www.in.gov/isda/2367.htm
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Wordless Wednesday-Conservation Photos from our Field Staff
ISDA-DSC Resource Specialist and CREP Leader, Julie Harrold, snapped these photos of a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) wetland. The practice was completed two years ago. For more information on CREP, please visit our website: http://www.in.gov/isda/2479.htm
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Changes In Our Conservation Team
It's been a busy few months with our ISDA-Division of Soil Conservation Team!
Since April, we saw three of our Resource Specialists take on new roles.
Jordan Seger, who served an RS in the
northwestern portion of the state, is our new program manager for Agricultural Affairs. Jordan has a very diverse
background in agriculture and natural resources and has been an excellent
addition to our central office team!
Logan Garner is taking on a new role with ISDA moving from his Resource Specialist position for the Tippecanoe Watershed based in Kosciusko County to Program Manager for the ISDA Water Quality Initiatives at the Central Office in Indianapolis. In this role he will manage the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), as well as play an integral part in developing Indiana’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy. Prior to joining ISDA in 2011, he was a Research Assistant at DOW AgroSciences.
Geneva Rawlins is our new District Support Specialist covering Northeast Indiana. Geneva previously served as a RS in the central part of the state. Geneva is an excellent addition to our DSS Team and we are very excited to have her talents serving to build the capacity amongst Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
In June, ISDA announced Sarah Simpson as Interim Director of the
Division of Soil Conversation for the Indiana State Department of
Agriculture. Simpson joined ISDA in 2006, is currently the Director of
Agricultural Policy, and will continue to serve in that capacity.
Simpson, who replaces former Soils Director Jerod Chew, will oversee ISDA’s environmental stewardship initiatives and conservation programs such as: direct on-farm technical and financial assistance for conservation practices implementation, supporting Indiana’s 92 Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and conservation promotion.
In July, Jamen Frederick joined ISDA. Jamen is a RS in the southwest portion of the state, and is located in Boonville. Before joining ISDA, Jamen served as a technician for Gibson and Pike County Soil and Water Conservation Districts. His passion for cover crops, soil health and the On-Farm Network make him a great fit for this position. We are happy to welcome him to our team.
Since April, we saw three of our Resource Specialists take on new roles.
Logan Garner is taking on a new role with ISDA moving from his Resource Specialist position for the Tippecanoe Watershed based in Kosciusko County to Program Manager for the ISDA Water Quality Initiatives at the Central Office in Indianapolis. In this role he will manage the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), as well as play an integral part in developing Indiana’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy. Prior to joining ISDA in 2011, he was a Research Assistant at DOW AgroSciences.
Geneva Rawlins is our new District Support Specialist covering Northeast Indiana. Geneva previously served as a RS in the central part of the state. Geneva is an excellent addition to our DSS Team and we are very excited to have her talents serving to build the capacity amongst Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
Simpson, who replaces former Soils Director Jerod Chew, will oversee ISDA’s environmental stewardship initiatives and conservation programs such as: direct on-farm technical and financial assistance for conservation practices implementation, supporting Indiana’s 92 Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and conservation promotion.
In July, Jamen Frederick joined ISDA. Jamen is a RS in the southwest portion of the state, and is located in Boonville. Before joining ISDA, Jamen served as a technician for Gibson and Pike County Soil and Water Conservation Districts. His passion for cover crops, soil health and the On-Farm Network make him a great fit for this position. We are happy to welcome him to our team.
Ashley Linville joined ISDA in August as a Resource Specialist in the Johnson County
field office as part of the Division of Soil Conservation team. Before joining
ISDA, Ashley worked as a Natural Resource Specialist for the Shelby County Soil
and Water Conservation District. She is proficient in Highly Erodible
Land/Wetland compliance determinations and has assisted with conservation
planning efforts for several Farm Bill programs including Conservation Reserve
Program, Conservation Stewardship Program and the Environmental Quality
Incentive Program. Ashley is an Indiana
native from Shelby County. She is a 2006 graduate of Hanover College with a
Bachelor’s degree in biology. She lives in Shelbyville on her family’s beef
and grain farm. She enjoys working on the family farm, spending time with
friends and family and boating.
Friday, April 13, 2012
The 4 R's - Nutrient Stewardship
If you have been paying attention to nutrient management in agriculture over the past few years then you have likely heard about "the 4 R's".
Right fertilizer source at the..... Right rate, at the.... Right time and in the..... Right place.
This is a simple way that reminds us that appropriate utilization of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is more complex than simply how many pounds per acre were applied. Nutrient management can be a real challenge in agriculture, homeowners, golf courses, any type of entity managing open lands due to weather and climate fluctuations, soil variability, and environmental/social sensitivities.
This is a really important issue that is regularly misunderstood. Nutrient management is complex and is difficult to summarize into simple soundbytes and requires years of experience to properly implement. Let's take nitrogen for example, nitrogen changes molecular forms regularly in nature and some forms are what plants(corn, lawn grass, trees, etc.) want, some not; some forms of nitrogen turn into gas easily and simply become part of our air and many forms easily move whereever the water flows. Tricky isn't it?
So.....how efficiently nitrogen is utilized in nature, on your lawn, and in the farm field depends on your ability to predict the weather (meteorologist anyone?), determine if your vegetation/plants are/will be at a stage which they need nitrogen (agronomist/plant biochemist anyone?), and what form would be best to select for application based on those previous factors (yikes!). Did I mention that nitrogen is expensive, so you really don't want to get this wrong or it will be painful on the pocketbook! And of course an over-abundance nitrogen in our aquatic ecosystems can be detrimental in many ways too. Lastly, in agriculture without the addition of vital nutrients, crop yields would be poor and declining, leading to serious food security concerns in the future.
Here are more details about the 4 R's nutrient stewardship initiative: The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) has been working collaboratively with the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI), the International Fertilizer Industry Association and the Canadian Fertilizer Institute (CFI) to advance the 4R nutrient stewardship initiative. Two goals within the initiative include establishing 4Rs as a recognizable strategy for economic, social, and environmental sustainability and expanding the adoption of 4R nutrient stewardship as well as the awareness of these efforts to federal and state program officials.
Some conservation best management practices that Todd Welch, a 4 R's Advocate from Lafayette, IN utilizes on his farm to better ensure efficient use of nutrients.
• Utilize grid soil samples to create management zones
• Use manure nutrients from the hog operation to meet a fraction of fertilizer needs by applying to acres most in need of P and K
• Utilize Phytase in feed rations to improve phosphorus efficiency in the animal diet
• Utilize amendment to increase availability of P and K throughout the crop year
• Account for manure nutrients and adjust levels of commercial fertilizer to meet remainder of plants’ needs
• Utilize variable rate technology to apply commercial fertilizer
• Split apply nitrogen in fall and spring to reduce losses
• Incorporate nitrogen stabilizer with fall ammonia application to reduce losses
• Utilize in-season tissue sampling to obtain a snapshot of plant nutrient needs
• Utilize post-season stalk tests to evaluate nitrogen utilization
• Implement minimum tillage to help build and maintain organic residue
• Plant cover crops to generate organic matter, improve soil tilth, reduce compaction and improve
nitrogen management
• Enhance water management through utilization of waterways and tile control
• Install a precision planter system for better seed placement and spacing
What Todd says about the 4Rs: “Our farming operation firmly believes that the proper use of organic and commercial fertilizer is not only vital to our operation, but also economical and environmentally friendly to our natural resources”.
Right fertilizer source at the..... Right rate, at the.... Right time and in the..... Right place.
 |
| State of the art devices help farmers to monitor nutrient applications. |
This is a simple way that reminds us that appropriate utilization of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is more complex than simply how many pounds per acre were applied. Nutrient management can be a real challenge in agriculture, homeowners, golf courses, any type of entity managing open lands due to weather and climate fluctuations, soil variability, and environmental/social sensitivities.
 |
| Soil nutrient needs are tested and mapped; this aids with application recommendations. |
So.....how efficiently nitrogen is utilized in nature, on your lawn, and in the farm field depends on your ability to predict the weather (meteorologist anyone?), determine if your vegetation/plants are/will be at a stage which they need nitrogen (agronomist/plant biochemist anyone?), and what form would be best to select for application based on those previous factors (yikes!). Did I mention that nitrogen is expensive, so you really don't want to get this wrong or it will be painful on the pocketbook! And of course an over-abundance nitrogen in our aquatic ecosystems can be detrimental in many ways too. Lastly, in agriculture without the addition of vital nutrients, crop yields would be poor and declining, leading to serious food security concerns in the future.
Here are more details about the 4 R's nutrient stewardship initiative: The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) has been working collaboratively with the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI), the International Fertilizer Industry Association and the Canadian Fertilizer Institute (CFI) to advance the 4R nutrient stewardship initiative. Two goals within the initiative include establishing 4Rs as a recognizable strategy for economic, social, and environmental sustainability and expanding the adoption of 4R nutrient stewardship as well as the awareness of these efforts to federal and state program officials.
Some conservation best management practices that Todd Welch, a 4 R's Advocate from Lafayette, IN utilizes on his farm to better ensure efficient use of nutrients.
• Utilize grid soil samples to create management zones
• Use manure nutrients from the hog operation to meet a fraction of fertilizer needs by applying to acres most in need of P and K
• Utilize Phytase in feed rations to improve phosphorus efficiency in the animal diet
• Utilize amendment to increase availability of P and K throughout the crop year
• Account for manure nutrients and adjust levels of commercial fertilizer to meet remainder of plants’ needs
• Utilize variable rate technology to apply commercial fertilizer
• Split apply nitrogen in fall and spring to reduce losses
• Incorporate nitrogen stabilizer with fall ammonia application to reduce losses
• Utilize in-season tissue sampling to obtain a snapshot of plant nutrient needs
• Utilize post-season stalk tests to evaluate nitrogen utilization
• Implement minimum tillage to help build and maintain organic residue
• Plant cover crops to generate organic matter, improve soil tilth, reduce compaction and improve
nitrogen management
• Enhance water management through utilization of waterways and tile control
• Install a precision planter system for better seed placement and spacing
What Todd says about the 4Rs: “Our farming operation firmly believes that the proper use of organic and commercial fertilizer is not only vital to our operation, but also economical and environmentally friendly to our natural resources”.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Cover Crop Root Dig
Guest post by Logan Garner:
Logan Garner is a graduate of Butler University with a B.A. in Science and Technology Societal Studies with a focus on environmental policy. At Butler University he worked for the biology department and wrote and edited for the Butler Science Magazine. Before joining the ISDA Logan worked in agricultural research and development at Dow AgroSciences on herbicide development and soil degradation studies. He is a resource specialist for the Tippecanoe River Watershed and is located in Warsaw, IN at the Kosciusko County SWCD office.
I visited my first cover crop root dig this week. On an unseasonably warm March morning I arrived at a dig just south of Huntington to join a convoy of trucks and SUVs parked on the shoulder of state road 5. Ag owners and operators, Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) staff and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) personnel and a sprinkling of Cisco seed reps made up the small crowd of thirty or so folks enjoying coffee and donuts on the side of the road…I think the refreshments may have attracted a few stragglers as well. At any rate, it wasn’t long before Scott Haley, an NRCS soil scientist, introduced himself and one Dave Robison from Cisco Seeds. He then hailed everyone to the first root pit—or rectangular hole in the ground as it appears.
As an introduction, the presenters highlighted gains to soil health and water quality as well as the logistic and economic benefits that generally accompany a field in a no-till/cover crop regimen. Farmers chimed in opinions and shared experiences while county, state and federal staff gave their two cents as well.
Dave Robison took things from there, discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each cover crop species as well as their useful mixes and pairings.
As the morning progressed we moved from one pit to the next. Terms like “nodules”,” nutrient management”,” tilth”, “water retention” and “biotic function” arose as the familiar buzzwords of the day; rye grass, crimson clover, hairy vetch, cowpeas, radishes and oats were the species in evidence. For a seasoned cover crop academic, the event was both a refresher and a discussion board. To fledgling land owners and operators of the cover crop world it was an introductory course in soil health conservation farming. For newer employees like me it was a great opportunity to pick apart the dos and don’ts of management, species selection and rotation.
After all the pits were examined and the roots and soil clods were passed around the crowd for examination, a brief Q&A drew the field event closer to an end. The only thing left was the infamous soil demonstration, wherein we see the difference between bacterial driven soil systems (tilled soil) and fungal driven systems (no till/cover crops). I’d seen this demonstration nearly a dozen times so far in my less than three months with ISDA. But just when I thought I could give the presentation myself, I learned something new and important yet again. As I listened and watched Scot Haley drop two dried samples of soil into glass cylinders of water, an unfamiliar word (that I’ve somehow missed all this time…don’t judge me) escaped his lips: GLOMALIN!! Glomalin-related soil proteins are a significant component of soil organic matter and act to bind mineral particles together, improving soil quality.
For more information on Cover Crops, check out the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative (CCSI) website
Monday, March 19, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Dig It.....Soil Secrets
I left you last time with I "Heart" Soil as the theme borrowed from our friends at the Soil Scientist Society of America . I felt as though is is only fitting that I follow up with some more of those reasons why I love soil and why everyone must have a deeper understanding and fondness of this critical resource. I've heard it said many times that soil is the Rodney Dangerfield of the natural resources, because it gets no respect. Well I'm sharing some information here to drive home why soil deserves our utmost respect!
I have "borrowed" this information from the National Association of Conservation Districts who have done an excellent job of educating the public about natural resources. These are excerpts from their highly-regarded "Dig It, The Secrets of Soil" education campaign. Indiana's own, Susan Schultz, does an excellent job coordinating these efforts for NACD.
Is soil an important ingredient in your every day life?
- The answer is yes, and here are a few reasons why:
Last night you slept in a building built on soil.
You drink water that flows through soil and is cleaned by the soil.
You breathe air that comes partly from plants growing in the soil.
You even wear clothes made from plants that grow in the soil.
Soils make our lives possible. We build on them, play on them, drive on them, eat food grown in or raised on them, take medicines from them, wear clothes we wouldn’t have without soils, drink water that wouldn’t be clean without soils, breathe air we wouldn’t have without the plants and trees growing in soils. The entire earth—every ecosystem, every living organism—is dependent upon soils.
A Few Facts about Soil
-Soil makes up the outermost layer of our planet.
-Topsoil is the most productive soil layer.
-Soil has varying amounts of organic matter (living and dead organisms), minerals and nutrients.
-Five tons of topsoil spread over an acre is only as thick as a dime.
-Natural processes can take more than 500 years to form one inch of topsoil.
-Soil scientists have identified over 70,000 kinds of soil in the United States.
-Soil is formed from rocks and decaying plants and animals.
-An average soil sample is 45 percent minerals, 25 percent water, 25 percent air and five percent organic matter.
-Different-sized mineral particles, such as sand, silt, and clay, give soil its texture.
-Fungi and bacteria help break down organic matter in the soil.
-Plant roots and lichens break up rocks which become part of new soil.
-Roots loosen the soil, allowing oxygen to penetrate. This benefits animals living in the soil.
-Roots hold soil together and help prevent erosion.
Information provided by U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service and listed on the Environmental Protection Agency website at http://epa.gov/gmpo/edresources/soil.html.
There are some great materials on the NACD website and much more information about Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Stay tuned for more soil information in the future including NACD's next campaign which is Soil to Spoon!
I have "borrowed" this information from the National Association of Conservation Districts who have done an excellent job of educating the public about natural resources. These are excerpts from their highly-regarded "Dig It, The Secrets of Soil" education campaign. Indiana's own, Susan Schultz, does an excellent job coordinating these efforts for NACD.
Is soil an important ingredient in your every day life?
- The answer is yes, and here are a few reasons why:
Last night you slept in a building built on soil.
You drink water that flows through soil and is cleaned by the soil.
You breathe air that comes partly from plants growing in the soil.
You even wear clothes made from plants that grow in the soil.
Soils make our lives possible. We build on them, play on them, drive on them, eat food grown in or raised on them, take medicines from them, wear clothes we wouldn’t have without soils, drink water that wouldn’t be clean without soils, breathe air we wouldn’t have without the plants and trees growing in soils. The entire earth—every ecosystem, every living organism—is dependent upon soils.
A Few Facts about Soil
-Soil makes up the outermost layer of our planet.
-Topsoil is the most productive soil layer.
-Soil has varying amounts of organic matter (living and dead organisms), minerals and nutrients.
-Five tons of topsoil spread over an acre is only as thick as a dime.
-Natural processes can take more than 500 years to form one inch of topsoil.
-Soil scientists have identified over 70,000 kinds of soil in the United States.
-Soil is formed from rocks and decaying plants and animals.
-An average soil sample is 45 percent minerals, 25 percent water, 25 percent air and five percent organic matter.
-Different-sized mineral particles, such as sand, silt, and clay, give soil its texture.
-Fungi and bacteria help break down organic matter in the soil.
-Plant roots and lichens break up rocks which become part of new soil.
-Roots loosen the soil, allowing oxygen to penetrate. This benefits animals living in the soil.
-Roots hold soil together and help prevent erosion.
Information provided by U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service and listed on the Environmental Protection Agency website at http://epa.gov/gmpo/edresources/soil.html.
There are some great materials on the NACD website and much more information about Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Stay tuned for more soil information in the future including NACD's next campaign which is Soil to Spoon!
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