The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/596385
D-6 Pike County Planter SWCD Newsletter November and December 2015 The Press-Dispatch Cover Crop Twilight Tour set for Nov. 16, 17 PIKE COUNTY COVER CROP TWILIGHT TOUR Pike County Cover Crop Twilight Tour will be Monday, Nov. 16, 2015, from 6-8 p.m. at Solar Sources Mine on 1592 N. Highway 61 near Pike Central High School, Petersburg. Registration: $10 fee only for producers need - ing recertification credit for their private applicator permit. Be sure to bring your private applicator card. RSVP by Nov.11. Seeding Selection and Rate – Travis Gogel, NRCS District Conser va - tionist at 6 p.m. Weed Management – Valerie Clingerman, Extension Educator, Knox County at 6:30 p.m. Insect Pest Manage- ment – Maria Turner, Extension Educator, Pike County at 7 p.m. Representatives from Baker and Cisco Seed Companies at 7:30 p.m. Paraquat Poisoning – Valerie Clingerman and Maria Turner at 7:45 p.m. Meeting adjourn at 8:15 p.m. It is the policy of the Purdue University Coop - erative Extension Ser vice that all persons have equal opportunity and access to its educational programs, ser vices, activi- ties, and facilities without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestr y, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, disabil- ity or status as a veteran. Purdue University is an Affirmative Action institu- tion. This material may be available in alternative formats. If you need a reasonable accommoda- tion to participate in this program, prior to the meeting, contact Maria Turner at 812-354-6838. KNOX COUNTY COVER CROP TWILIGHT TOUR Knox County Cover Crop Twilight Tour will be Tuesday, Nov, 17, 2015m, from 9-11:30 a.m. at Southwest Purdue Ag Center, Vincennes. Registration: $10 fee only for producers need- ing recertification credit for their private applicator permit. Be sure to bring your private applicator card. RSVP by Nov. 11. Seeding Selection and Rate – Jon Neufelder, Ex- tension Educator, Posey County at 9 a.m. Weed Management – Valerie Clingerman, Extension Educator, Knox County at 9:30 a.m. Insect Pest Manage- ment – Maria Turner, Extension Educator, Pike County at 10 a.m. Representatives from Baker and Cisco Seed Companies at 10:30 a.m. Paraquat Poisoning- Valerie Clingerman and Maria Turner at 10:45 a.m. Meeting adjourn at 11:30 a.m. It is the policy of the Purdue University Coop- erative Extension Ser vice that all persons have equal opportunity and access to its educational programs, ser vices, activi- ties, and facilities without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestr y, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, disabil- ity or status as a veteran. Purdue University is an Affirmative Action institu- tion. This material may be available in alternative formats. If you need a reasonable accommoda- tion to participate in this program, prior to the meeting, contact Maria Turner at 812-354-6838. During the last week of October, the Pike County Soil and Water Conser vation District received word that Pike, and the partnership with Vanderburgh, Warrick, Posey and Gibson County SWCDs had received two state funded Clean Water Indiana (CWI) grants. These grants will be used to continue funding the District's conser vation cost share program as well as help establish pollinator habitat plots in our county. The Pike SWCD was a partner in a total of four CWI grant applications, with a majority of the applications written to continue funding the cost share programs ran by the SWCDs. Over 26 applications representing 55 of the SWCDs across the state were submitted and scored for funding. All total, over $1.78 million was ap - plied for in grant funds. Of the 26 applications, the State Soil Conser vation Board, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, voted to accept the top 14 grants after they were ranked and discussed in depth for the content and impact of the proposed actions listed in the grant details. Those grants be - ing awarded totaled up to $965,000 in state funds that come from the cigarette tax with Pike County SWCD be- ing proud that out of those 14, they were able to be a partner in two of them for a total of $113,500. Southwest Indiana Conser vation Cost Share Cooperative: This grant was written as a joint effort between the Warrick and Pike SWCD administrators with Warrick submit- ting as being the grant administrator. Written so that the grant is just two years long, the funds will go to cost share on cover crops, no till and grid sampling and will take effect start- ing in the fall of 2016. Seventy-five thousand dollars – the maximum that could be requested – was requested in the application and will be split equally among the five county partnership of Pike, Warrick, Posey, Gibson and Vanderburgh counties. Native Pollinator Habitat Incentive Program: Written and submitted by the Vanderburgh County SWCD, the five county partnership again teamed up to apply for a grant that focused on incentive payments to farmers and landowners for implementing a pollinator habitat on prior cropland that is adjacent to water ways and/or filter strips. The funds from this grant will also be used to large quantities of native pollinator seed for urban use throughout each county. The goal with this grant is to create safe pol - linator habitats, especially those with milkweed seed, to help promote the sur vival of the Monarch Butterfly and other pollinating insects that we need to continue crop growth. $38,500 will be split equally among each district and projects will start in early 2016. If you are interested in either estab- lishing a pollinator habitat or getting on the list for cost share funding in the fall of 2016, contact the SWCD office at 812-354-6120 ex.3. And be on the lookout for more grant funding an- nouncements in the near future as the SWCD is always looking for new ways to get more conser vation funding in our county! Staff from the Pike County Soil & Water Conser vation District spent the day as- sisting with the installation of one of the biggest rain garden projects in south- west Indiana. Pike County SWCD technicians, Emily Kelly and Matt Robinette, spent the first part of the day listening to speakers as they described exactly what the rain garden was supposed to accomplish and what the process is to install one. Then the last half of the day was spent doing hands on work with mulching and planting over 200 water toler- ant bulbs and seedlings from a variety of Indiana native plants. Stop by and see the finished garden if you are in the area and feel free to contact the office on how you can start a rain garden project of your own! Right: In the distance soil technician, Matt Robi- nette, puts the finishing touches on the mulching for the rain garden which is located beside the shel- ter house at the Hunting- burg Lake dam. Below: The garden features over 200 bulbs and seedlings that are native to Indiana and will help filtrate the runoff from the surrounding area. Rain gardens help purify the water as it gets recycled through our ecosystem. Pike County SWCD secures more Clean Water Indiana funding This map illustrates those 14 grant applications that were selected by fund- ing at the recommendation of the State Soil Conservation Board and what counties these grants will cover Middle Patoka Watershed 319 Grant funds Rain Garden project at Huntingburg Dam PUZZLED ABOUT WHAT TO READ? ..and you will have your solution. subscribe to 812-354-8500