The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1417175
Autumn 2021 VOLUME 12, ISSUE 2 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 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 all about being trustworthy and following through on our promises to protect and care for you. (800) 762-3136 | beaconaggroup.org ©BCU2021 PikeCountyOctAd.indd 1 09/14/2021 10:49:13 AM Upcoming Events 1220 Willow St., Vincennes • 812-882-2507/812-882-0210 Summer Hours: Monday-Friday 8-5 Winter Hours begin Nov. 1: Monday-Friday 8-4 Fall Septic Workshop set for Nov. 9 Gibson County SWCD is hosting a free fall septic work- shop on Tuesday, Nov. 9 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Gibson County Fairground 4-H Exhib- it Hall, 709 N. Embree St., Princeton. Guest speaker, Greg Inman, will discuss sep- tic systems and mainte- nance during his lec- ture. The event is free, but registration is required at https://bit.ly/2Y1K- lYJ or by emailing juia. loehr@in.nacdnet.net. Cost-share funding available for Mud Creek watershed producers By Julia Loehr Watershed Supervisor Julia.loehr@in.nacdnet.net. There is cost-share fund- ing available in the Mud Creek subwatershed of Pike County. The Pike Coun- ty SWCD sent out these postcards to those who owned land in this sub- watershed letting them know about the program. There have only been a handful of responses from that mailing. The SWCD staff and the watershed coordinator, Julie Loehr, understand that sometimes landowners have their farmland leased or rent- ed out to producers. Those producers were not contacted regarding the grant, as we do not have access to that kind of private information. So if you are a landowner with crop acres that you would like to enroll in fall 2021 cover crop cost-share program, please contact your pro- ducer. That being said, if you are leasing or renting land that you believe to be in the Mud Creek sub- watershed, you may contact your land- owner to see if they received the post- card. This cost-share program can help producers and land- owners in the Mud Creek sub- watershed implement best management practices that improve water quality. The grant funding can reimburse projects up to 75 percent of the cost. So if you have never at- tempt cover crops in the past due to the expense, this might be a good time to try it. If you would like to hear more, contact the watershed coordinator at 812-779 -7924 or Julia.loehr@in.nacdnet.net. Native Habitat for Wildlife Workshop is Oct. 30 Join us for an after- noon of discussion on native habitat, Indiana wildlife, and invasive species. The event will be Sat- urday, Oct. 30 at noon CDT at Wirth Park Community Center in Oakland City. There will be an op- tional self-guided hike out at the Patoka River National Wildlife Ref- uge following the event. There will be ac- tivities for kids and a free chili lunch will be served at the beginning of the workshop. All ag- es are welcome. To register, visit: pg- cisma_nativehabitatfor- game.eventbrite.com. Partners include: Pike Gibson CISMA, Gibson County SWCD, USDA: Natural Re- sources Conservation Service, Indiana Inva- sive Initiate, Southern Indian Cooperative In- vasives Management and US Fish and Wild- life Service. PURDUE EXTENSION EVENTS Oct. 3 -9 National 4-H Week Oct. 21 4-H Gaming Club SPARK Club Callout Meeting Oct. 30 Tractor Treat Nov. 16 Pike County PARP Nov. 17 Daviess County PARP Nov. 19 Martin County PARP Nov. 20 Dumplin' Day Fund- raiser Dec. 4 North Pole at the Fair- grounds Feb. 12 Pancake Round-Up Please contact Alex Mahrenholz at amahr- enh@purdue.edu or call the Extension Office at (812) 354-6838. Regenerative Ag Forum slated for Nov. 6 Next steps for soil health and climate mitigation A Regenerative Ag Forum will be Saturday, Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT at Straub Brothers, 7700 Nisbet Rd., Haubstadt. The forum is open to all farmers, landowners and part- ners interested in improving soil health, reducing crop costs and fertilizer run-off, building resilience to extreme weather events, and moderat- ing climate change. Cost: Fees (approx. $20/ person) are being generously underwritten by our sponsors; free lunch donated by DiLeg- ge's Restaurant. SPEAKERS: Sen. Mike Braun—Sen- ate Ag Committee member; co-founder of bipartisan Sen- ate Climate Solutions Caucus; co-sponsor of Growing Cli- mate Solutions Act and Con- servation and Innovative Cli- mate Partnership Act, both bi- partisan bills. Erik Bender—respected Southwestern Indiana cover crop seed dealer. Barry Fisher— Natural Resource Conservation Ser- vice retiree who served as its Central Region Soil Health Team Leader; national lead- er in regenerative ag, which he practices on his own grain and livestock farm in Green- castle, Ind. Roger Wenning— Green- burg, Ind., farmer with about 900 acres of corn, soy- beans, and wheat —100 per- cent no-till, 100 percent cov- er cropped, and 100 percent planted green. He also main- tains about 55 acres of Conser- vation Reserve Program plus 35 acres of alfalfa. Fore more information, email acnellis@twc.com or phone 812-424-6832 to be noti- fied when registration opens. Sponsored by: Conserva- tion Cropping Systems Ini- tiative, Purdue Extension – Posey County, Citizens' Cli- mate Lobby, PUSH IT, South- west Indiana Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Earth Charger Indiana. Road safety during harvest season Harvest is here and Indi- ana's 94,000 farmers are be- ginning to share the road more frequently with motor- ists. Rural road safety is ev- eryone's responsibility. These tips can help keep us all safe this fall. Stay alert! Distracted driving is never a good idea, but paying extra attention to these vehicles that may have to make wide turns or have a longer stopping distance is es- pecially important. Be patient. Most farm equipment cannot exceed speeds of 35 mph. Remem- ber, farmers usually only trav- el busy roadways for a short period of time between fields. Stay back. Maintaining a safe following distance is im- portant in any driving sce- nario, but especially when you may be in a small vehi- cle traveling behind a large piece of farm equipment. We can't assume the farmer can always see directly behind their equipment 100 percent of the time. This type of ma- chinery also has much bigger blind spots than those in a pas- senger vehicle. Pass with caution. On- ly pass farm equipment in le- gal passing zones and when it is safe to do so. Often times, farmers will pull over at their earliest opportunity to allow traffic to move around them more safely. Make certain ve- hicles are not turning right or left before you attempt to pass and remember to smile and wave at your traveling farmers as they truly appreciate your patience and understanding! Sharing the road is chal- lenging, but vital to both farmer and motorist safety and our Indiana economy. Let's make sure we ALL get home safely to our families and loved ones. agriculture Agricultural production typically takes a toll on natural resources and the environment. Sustain- able agriculture practices aim to protect and pre- serve the environment, enhance the Earth's nat- ural resource base, and improve soil fertility. Sus- tainable agriculture is based on a multi-pronged approach that aims to: increase your farm's rev- enue potential, promote the concept of environ- mental stewardship, strengthen farm families' and communities' quality of life, and expand product to satisfy human food and fiber demands. WHY IS SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE EXTREMELY ESSENTIAL? Sustainable agriculture includes a variety of agricultural practices, including conventional and organic techniques. A regionally integrated plant and animal system. Agricultural production that is sustainable saves energy and minimizes greenhouse gas emissions. It also conserves wa- ter, limiting drought vulnerability. A sustainable practice most farmers are familiar with is crop ro- tation. Did you know another way to prevent soil erosion is cover crop? Cover crops protect water quality by minimizing nitrogen losses by an av- erage of 48 percent and preventing soil erosion. For more information, contact Samantha Mc- Carthy, Soil Conservationist, Mount Vernon Ser- vice Center – USDA Natural Resources Conser- vation Service. Sustainable See more on page D-8