The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/847960
The Press-Dispatch Pike County Planter SWCD Newsletter May and June 2017 B- 7 Pike County SWCD SUPERVISORS Norman Dillon, Chairman Paul Lake, Vice Chairman Kelly Atkins, Supervisor Josh Collins, Supervisor Tom Rudolph, Supervisor Brad Smith, Associate Supervisor STAFF S. Erica Burkemper-Fischer, District Administrator Chuck White, SWCD Soil Technician Vacant, SWCD Soil Technician Emily Kelly, Agronomic Technician Travis Gogel, NRCS District Conservationist SWCD/NRCS HOURS Monday through Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Due to the nature of the work that the SWCD and NRCS staf f performs, at times there will be no one in the office. Call 812-354-6120 ext. 3 before visiting. Farm Service Agency COUNTY COMMITTEE Robert Weitkampt II, Chairman Chris Rudolph, Member Jeff Brenton, Member Katrina Seitz, Minority Advisor STAFF Amy Barber, County Executive Director Amy Foust, Program Technician Lisa Gladdish, Program Technician Brenda Nicholson, Program Technician FSA OFFICE HOURS: Monday through Friday 8 a.m.-4:30pm July & August 2017 VOLUME 8, ISSUE 4 Special section published bimonthly by The Press-Dispatch Pike County Soil and Water Conservation District Newsletter Pike County Soil and Water Conservation District Newsletter Planter Planter DISTRICT MEETINGS The Soil & Water Conser va- tion District has set its 2017 monthly board meetings for the first Tuesday of ever y month. These meetings will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the USDA Ser vice Center confer- ence room in Petersburg, Ind. The meetings operate under an open door policy. Meetings are subject to unexpected cancel- lation the day of a scheduled meeting if a quorum cannot be met. For more information or to be added to the SWCD meeting email chain, contact the SWCD office at 812- 354-6120 ex. 3. Native Pollinator Plot installed at USDA office Reclamation Field Day to be hosted in Pike County The Pike County SWCD has partnered with the Indiana Prime Farmland Team and the Knox and Gibson County SWCDs to host the bi-annual Surface Mining Soils and Reclamation Field Day on Wednesday, July 26. This ver y informative event is geared to help producers get the most out of their reclaimed mine land. Included in the day's agenda will be several top notch speakers, a drone presentation, field visits and more. The morning session will start out at the Pike County Fairgrounds in Petersburg, Ind., and then after lunch, the event will move to a reclaimed mine land currently in production. Soil pits will also be on display to showcase the different layers of reclaimed compared to traditional soil types for produc- tion purposes. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS All times EDT 8 a.m. Registration (light breakfast pro- vided) 8:50 a.m. Welcome and Introductions George Boyles, Solar Sources, Inc.; Bob Jones, IN Division of Reclamation 9 a.m. What is Web Soil Sur vey? Jeff Wood- ward, NRCS 9:30 a.m. Introduction to RCPP Reclaimed Mine Land and IN Field Advantage, Troy Hinkle, Knox Co. SWCD; Meg Leader, ISDA; Amy Sims, ISDA 10 a.m. Controlling Invasives on Reclaimed Land, Will Drew, Knox Co. SWCD 10:30 a.m. Break 10:45 a.m. Soil Health on Reclaimed Mine Land, Roger Wenning, Soil Health Advo- cate 11:30 a.m. Drone Presentation, OSM Team Noon Lunch catered by Hornville Tavern 1 p.m. Dismiss for Field Visit 1:15 p.m. Drone Presentation 1:45 p.m. Pit Talks & Cover Crop Walk - Open pits will be available to walk through to see the benefits of conser va- tion practices on reclaimed mine land over extended periods of time. Cover Crop plots will also be available to walk through. Roger Wenning will continue his discussion during field visit! Through sponsorships, this event is being offered for free to Gibson, Knox and Pike County landowners or producers. Registration is also free for those enrolled in the RCPP Reclaimed Mine Land program through the NRCS. For all other registra- tions, the cost is $15 and includes lunch and handouts. Registrations can be made online by visiting www.reclamationfieldday.event- brite.com or calling the Pike County SWCD at 812-354-6120 ex. 3. Registrations must be made no later than July 19. It is requested that if you are a land- owner/producer in Gibson, Knox or Pike County or are part of the RCPP program and would like to attend, then call in your request so that a complimentar y ticket can be issued. Hornville Tavern will be catering the meal. If you require special dietar y or handicap needs, contact the Pike County SWCD so we may accommodate you. Earlier this spring, the Pike County SWCD received permission from the USDA's building owner to give the landscape in front of the office a major overhaul. As a way to promote urban conser vation and raise awareness on the decline of pollinators, the SWCD installed a native pollinator plot. This plot contains plants that are certified as native to Indi- ana and can adapt to our climate and soils. The plants are also pollinator friendly, meaning they provide a valuable food source for the insects and birds we need to pollinate production crops and flowers. It could take up to two years for the plot to get fully established however once it does, there will be no need to replant flowers or water as the plants will have adapted to the space and water intake. A rain barrel was also installed to show- case another urban conser vation practice of collecting rain water and using it to wa- ter our pollinator plot. Rainwater is highly oxygenated, free of the salts, inorganic ions, and fluoride compounds contained in tap water that accumulate in the soil over time and potentially harm plant roots. Use of rainwater in your garden dilutes this impact, making plants more drought- tolerant, healthy, and strong. Feel free to stop by and take a look at the plant progress. Identification signs are in the process of being installed too. If you have any questions or would like some guidance on installing your own pollinator plot, please contact the office today! It was all hands on deck as the Pike County SWCD and FSA staff knocked the planting of 73 native pollinator plants in just under an hour. See additonal photos on page B-9