SWCD Hosts Virtual Annual Meeting Tuesday Evening
By Deb Patterson
InkFreeNews
WARSAW — The 65th annual Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District Meeting was held virtually Tuesday evening, Feb. 15, with 18 participants in the Zoom event.
Four high school students, Mike Long, Jefferson Elementary and Steve Metzger were recognized with awards during the evening’s event.
Nicole Ziemek, Tippecanoe Valley High School; Cade Beer, Jared Beer and Justin Mullet, Wawasee High School were recognized as being the top high school soil judgers in the county in 2021.
Other awards announced included: Indiana River Friendly Farmer, Conservation Education and Conservation Farmer of the Year.
Mike Long was the recipient of the River Friendly Farmer Award. This award recognizes farmers who implement conservation practices that protect and enhance Indiana’s rivers, lakes, and streams. The award is based on nine criteria that rate a farmer’s conservation practices including erosion control, as well as nutrient and pest management. Long was nominated by Kosciusko County SWCD for his use of no-till, cover crops, water control structures, buffer, and filter strips, as well as a two-stage ditch in his operation.
This year’s Conservation Education Award went to a school, for a project that made a difference in their community. Jefferson Elementary fourth and sixth grade students took action to lower E.coli levels in nearby Cherry Creek. Students conducted water tests, did research, and made presentations to lobby for pet waste stations along the creek. They also created educational posters and brochures to educate the public about picking up pet waste. This turned into a community effort involving the Soil and Water Conservation District, The Watershed Foundation, and the Town of Winona Lake. Subsequent testing revealed E.coli levels dropped significantly.
The Conservation Farmer of the Year Award is the district’s longest-given recognition. It acknowledges noteworthy conservation practices in a farm operation that improve soil health, water quality and related natural resources. Steve Metzger of South View Farms received this year’s award for work on his grain and dairy farm in the southern part of the county. Noteworthy practices include no-till planting, cover crops, and collaborative installation of a two-stage ditch. Metzger has also instituted a nutrient management plan, which includes a waste storage facility and the use of French drains.
The annual meeting also provides an annual review of the SWCD and highlights of significant projects.
The district drew attention to three Lake and River Enhancement grants that provided cost share to landowners to implement a variety of conservation practices to improve soil health and water quality.
Technical services were provided through a Clean Water Indiana grant in the Walnut Creek watershed, while cost share for projects was offered through a second CWI grant in the Middle Upper Eel watershed. Additional technical expertise was provided through a contribution agreement with the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The district’s annual food plot seed program provided more than 1,400 pounds of seed to landowners, while the annual tree sale program distributed more than 8,500 trees to participants. The tree sales depleted the SWCD’s supply for the first time in its history.
The raft programs for students made a comeback in 2021. Students boarded rafts for two programs, one on Grassy Creek and a second on the Tippecanoe River. Outdoor programs for students increased, with more than 100 classes of nearly 5,300 students participating. The district also successfully coordinated its sixth Master Naturalist class, showcasing several natural areas in the county.
Ryan Martin, secretary/treasurer, provided a financial report. “It was a good year for the district,” Martin stated, adding there were a umber of projects and programs they were able to accomplish with amazing and impressive results in an uncertain year. Through the use of numerous resources and grant disbursements work could continue on projects and the purchase of a new truck and trailer was possible. “We accomplished everything we wanted and needed to be done.”
“Kosciusko SWCD runs one of the most diverse and comprehensive programs in the state,” commented SWCD chairman David Ransbottom. “We are fortunate to have a committed board, skilled staff and excellent partners in a community that embraces great conservation work. We look forward to continued successes in the future.”
Election of supervisors is additionally a part of the annual meeting. This year two supervisor positions were elected. Martin was elected to a second term on the board and Stan Moore received a second appointment to the board after serving two elected terms.
Both will serve three-year terms.