The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1392557
Summer 2021 VOLUME 12, ISSUE 1 Special section published by The Press-Dispatch Pike County Soil and Water Conservation District Newsletter Pike County Soil and Water Conservation District Newsletter Planter Planter Pike and Daviess SWCDs Cover Crop Cookout is July 20 Pike and Daviess Soil and Water Conservation Departments will host a cookout on Tuesday, Ju- ly 20 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Otwell Com- munity Center. It will feature a free meal from No. 423 Smokehouse. Guest Speaker Jim Hoorman will speak on soil health and water quality issues. Register at https:// www.eventbrite. com/e/cov- er-crop-cookout-tick- ets-157088577163; or email kyla.estey@in.na- cdnet.net; or call 812- 354-6120 ext. 3. Soil and Water Conservation Cookout is July 15 Soil and Water Con- servation Departments of Southwest Indiana will host a cookout at the Vanderburgh Coun- ty Fairgrounds banquet Hall on July 15 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. This will feature a free meal from Up In Smoke and kids' activities. They will discuss topics about soil health and water quality issues such as: Carbon Credit Market, Septic Systems and Cov- er Crops. To register for this event, go to https:// eventbrite.com/e/con- servation-cook-out-tick- ets-152739412695 or email: carrie.par- menter@in.nacdnet. net or call: 812-838 -4191 ext. 3. NRCS assists with Haney soil test sampling on local farm As farmers incorporate dif- ferent management systems in agriculture, the biological properties of the soil change. Traditional soil tests can cap- ture important information for the farmer to use to grow bet- ter crops and produce larger yields. However, these tradi- tional soil tests do not capture the amount of biological activ- ity in the soil. Today, several soil health tests are available to provide an indication of the biological activity that exists in the soil. One of these soil health tests is the Haney Test. The Haney Test can track the biological activity over time and indicate the amount of available nutrients to the crops. The test provides a unique soil health score, an in- terpretation guide, and fertil- ity and cover crop recommen- dations to improve the soil fer- tility. On May 6, 2021, Travis Gogel (NRCS Resource Soil Scientist) and Dan Flaherty (Crop Consultant) met at the Rudolph Farm with Chris and Tom Rudolph. Together, they collected soil samples for the Haney Soil Test and discussed the beneficial impacts that No- Till and Cover Crops are hav- ing on the soil. Some of the benefits not- ed were: Improved Soil Struc- ture, Increased organic mat- ter, Limited soil compaction and Increased soil biological activity. The soil is alive! Tom Rudolph (right) discusses some of the beneficial changes he has seen in his soils with Dan Flaherty, Crop Consultant. Tom and his father, Chris Rudolph, have been using diverse cover crop mixes (shown here) in their farming operation. Grasslands program aims to help gamebirds and songbirds WHAT IS GGS? The Grasslands for Gamebirds and Songbirds Program provides technical and financial assistance to improve or develop grassland and pollinator-friendly habitat in selected regions of Indiana. WHY GRASSLANDS? Grasslands are declining across the U.S. and Indiana. The 2015 Indiana State Wild- life Action Plan identified the percentage of grassland habitat loss as the largest hab- itat decline in Indiana. Many pollinators (bees, butterflies, etc.) are exhibiting population declines as well, and face many threats, including loss of habitat and food resources. Estimates suggest that 1 in 3 bites of food consumed worldwide are a direct result of pollination services. Healthy grasslands rich in native wild flowers and grasses can provide mutu- ally beneficial habitat for pollinators, song- birds, gamebirds and many other wildlife species. WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU? Professional help and funding, just for creating some beneficial habitat. • $142- $54/acre for planting native grasses and forbs. • $ 818 - $1,219/acre for planting pollina- tor species. • $75/acre for strip disking. • $757/acre for edge feathering. • $ 678/acre for planting trees and shrubs * Rates are 2019 rates. Actual rates may vary year to year. ALREADY HAVE GAMEBIRDS? Gamebird hunters in Indiana know that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find places to hunt gamebirds. This has led to decreasing interest in hunting, especially among youth. The Indiana Private Lands Access (IP- L A) program is a groundbreaking new pro- gram that will pay you to allow very limited gamebird hunting on your property. Depending on how intensively you man- age your habitat, you can earn up to S25/ acre per year just for allowing a few close- ly monitored hunts each season. If you choose to enroll your land as an IPL A hunting location, biologists will work closely with you to determine how many hunts are appropriate. ARE YOU ELIGIBLE? If you are interested in restoring im- portant grassland or pollinator habitat and live within one of our focal regions, we can help. See the map below to see if you're eligible. WHAT WILL GGS DO? • Develop and improve grassland and pollinator habitats. • Improve soil and water quality. • Increase hunting and other outdoor recreation opportunities. • Increase funding to local economies. HOW EVERYONE CAN HELP If you don't own property but would still like to help, you can donate to the GGS fund. Your contribution will go toward hab- itat creation and enhancement, benefiting bobwhite quail, ring-necked pheasant, and the endangered loggerhead shrike. Many other imperiled grassland-dwelling spe- cies will also benefit. If you would like to donate, please send a check to the follow- ing address: Private Lands Program, 402 W. Washington St. Rm. W273, Indianap- olis, IN 46204. Make checks payable to: Natural Resources Foundation. Please in- clude your name, address, phone number and email, and denote " GGS" in the memo for proper routing. To find out more about IPL A or to apply for an IPL A hunt, visit our website at Indiana Department of Natural Resources wildlife.IN.gov. At Beacon, we're ag people serving ag people. We understand the importance of family and farming traditions, and we'll bring safety, security, and a personal approach to your table. At Beacon Ag Group, we keep our promises. It's about being dependable and doing what we said we were going to do - protecting and taking care of you. (800) 762-3136 | beaconaggroup.org ©BCU2021 PikeCountyJulyAd.indd 1 06/23/2021 12:08:23 PM Free soil health tests for urban conservation Recently, Pike Coun- ty SWCD joined the PUSH-IT (Promoting Urban Soil Health in Towns) group. Joining this group has allowed us to give away free soil health tests to in-town residents of Pe- tersburg, Winslow and Otwell. These soil tests can aid in gardening and native plantings. If you are interested in a soil test, call the office at 812-354-6120 ext. 3 Purdue Extension Pike County events July 24 – 31 100th Annual Pike County 4-H Fair July 30 – August 22: Indiana State Fair August 9: Post-Fair Evaluation Meeting September 8: Pike County ANR Ad- visory Committee Meeting September 25: 4-H Achievement Day Upcoming Events