2022 Soil & Water Conservation by Lawrence Journal-World

SOIL&WATER CONSERVATION Douglas County Conservation District

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Year in Review 2020 – let’s hope we never have another year like it, is how I started this article last year. Well, 2021 was not much, if at all, better. Due to COVID restrictions, district operations continue to evolve. Again, working from home with limited time in the office is the new normal; the USDA Service Center remains locked down, open only to office staff. Yet through it all, conservation work continued, the environment waits for no one. So, what did we accomplish in 2021? We continued to assist landowners with the District’s $25,000 emergency terrace repair fund to help landowners fix damaged terraces caused by heavy rains. By the end of 2021, terrace repairs were conducted on eight properties in Douglas County, saving the county tons of topsoil and helping landowners with costly repairs. As part of normal operations, the District allocated $10,149 from the state’s Non-Point Source program and $18,421 from its Water Resource program to landowners and producers needing assistance with conservation infrastructure. These funds helped producers and landowners with terrace and tile installations, stream crossings, waterway development, well decommissioning, soil testing, and even septic repairs. Working in partnership with the NRCS, the District helped producers and landowners implement 106 Environmental Quality Incentive program (EQIP) contracts valued at more than $1,600,000 and 27 Conservation Stewardship Program Grassland Conservation Initiative (CSPGCI) contracts valued at over $55,000. The District continued to offer our no-till drills

for rent at reasonable rates, with more than 50 people taking advantage of the equipment. Many of those people also took advantage of our seed sale program, purchasing native warm-season grass seed, cool-season grass seed, wildflowers, and forbs. We also provided drip torches, fire mats, and backpack sprayers to people conducting prescribed burns. The District is looking forward to 2022 and the opportunity to again offer educational activities to the public as county restrictions continue to ease. Watch our Facebook page and website for information on future events.

NOTICE TO SERVICE CENTER VISITORS While this Service Center is currently closed to visitors because of the pandemic, we continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email, and other digital tools.

Douglas County Conservation District 76th Annual Meeting Thursday, February 17th, 2021 12:00 p.m. The Douglas County Conservation District’s annual meeting will look slightly different this year. Due to COVID, and to ensure we are staying within county guidelines, our annual meeting will be limited to no more than 50 people in person with a Facebook Live feed for others interested in the event. All in-person participants will be required to wear a mask. This year, the expiring term for Board Supervisor is Luke Ulrich – He has chosen not to run for re-election. The board has asked Mackenzie Flory to accept a nomination in his place. Voting for the Board Supervisor will take place at the meeting.

AGENDA

• Boxed lunch • Speaker: Kaitlin Stanley, Douglas County Heritage Council • Report of district activities and financial affairs for the prior year. • Election of board Supervisor(s) to serve for a term of three years.

Call to make a phone appointment: 785-843-4260 FSA: extension 2 NRCD/DCCD: extension 3 More information is available online at farmers.gov/coronavirus. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Call our office at 785-843-4260 ext. 3 or e-mail douglasccd1@gmail.com should you have any questions.

Welcome to the Service Center The USDA Service Center located at 4920 Bob Billings Pkwy is home to three government farm and conservation agencies. The Douglas County Conservation District makes its home here, as does the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA). District Manager Randy Winchester has been with the district since 2014. He was born and raised in a small NE Kansas town, where his family operated a grain elevator, cattle feedlot, and farmed several hundred acres of row crops. He also owns a 70-acre farm in SE Douglas County, where he and his family raise Scottish Highland cows. Conservation Technician Jeremy Gaines provides technical services to both the District and NRCS. He is our “boots on the ground” person who you will likely see in the field with transit and survey gear nearby. Jeremy is a lifelong resident of Douglas County; he grew up on a multi-generational farm and

Randy Winchester

February 13, 2022

Jeremy Gaines

currently resides in the historic Belvoir Schoolhouse, which was built in 1865. In 2010 he earned his Permaculture Design Certification and started Wakarusa Valley Permaculture in 2016. Education Coordinator Suzy Mooney wears two hats. Not only does she work to assist with education and outreach opportunities with the District, but she is also a vital part of NRCS operations as an NRCS Contractor. Suzy grew up on a small farm in Missouri and has called Lawrence home for the last 21 years. In her position with NRCS, she assists Tim Miller with NRCS programs and applications. Natural Resource Specialist Brooke Franklin is the newest addition to NRCS operations. She focuses her work on urban agriculture opportunities. Brooke grew up in Lenexa, KS, before graduating in 2019 with an M.S. in Sustainable Food Systems from Prescott College in Arizona, where her focus was on increasing native

Suzy Mooney

Brooke Franklin

pollinators and school gardens. Supervisory District Conservationist Tim Miller leads the Lawrence Management Unit, consisting of six counties: Douglas, Johnson, Wyandotte, Miami, Shawnee, and Franklin. Tim began working for the NRCS in 2001 as a Rangeland Management Specialist. In 2003 he transitioned to the position of Area Range Management Specialist, and in 2014 he accepted the position of Supervisory District Conservationist for the Lawrence Management Unit. David Sweany is the County Executive Director for the Douglas and Shawnee County Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices. David grew up on a diversified farm and ranch in southeast Kansas. He graduated with honors from Kansas State with a degree in Agricultural Economics. After working for a nonprofit he began his career with what was then ASCA as a field assistant and has been a County Executive Director for 27years. In August 2021, he

Tim Miller

David Sweany

started with Douglas and Shawnee Counties. He has been involved in numerous programs, including assistance for Hurricane Michael. He is also a member of and has served as member, chairman, and president of the Kansas Association of County Office Employees. FSA Program Technician Debbie Chappelle was born and raised in Kansas and lives in Baldwin City. She has worked for the Farm Service Agency for 33 years and knows just about everything regarding farming and farms in Douglas County. FSA Program Technician Jessica O’Trimble is a native of Kansas, born and raised in Perry, KS. She began working for the Farm Service Agency in 2014 for Jefferson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties. In 2016 Jessica accepted a position with the Douglas County FSA. If you are looking for technical, financial, or planning assistance, or maybe, just where to get started, come by our office. We likely have a program to meet your needs.

Debbie Chappelle

Jess O’Trimble

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SOIL&WATER CONSERVATION Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction Grant In 2020, Douglas County was one of 13 communities in the country to receive the first Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction Grant from the USDA Office of Urban Agriculture to work on food waste diversion. Douglas County’s Partnerships for Food Resource Recovery project funded a two-year Food Waste Reduction Specialist position within the Douglas County Sustainability Office. Jamie Hofling was hired in February of 2021 and spent the first year of the grant building out the farmer-volunteer gleaning network in Douglas County and collaborating with City of Lawrence on a food waste compost pilot for Just Food. The food waste compost pilot is a small-scale trial for learning purposes. Food waste is only collected from one source during the trial and the finished compost is currently only available to Common Ground participants and farmers participating in the gleaning program. The first year of the pilot was a great success! Meanwhile, with the help of 300+

hours of community volunteers, the gleaning program recovered and donated a total of 23,542 lbs between March and Dec. of 2021. Gleaned produce was donated to Just Food, Sunrise Project, Food Not Bombs, Catholic Charities, and the Lawrence Community Shelter. Through Just Food’s food bank alone, more than 30 agencies were supplied with local produce to feed families. Interested in signing up for volunteer alert opportunities? Sign up here: Douglas County Gleaning Volunteer Intake Form (google. com) If you’re a farmer interested in contributing unsold produce to the program, reach out to Jamie Hofling to discuss logistics, jhofling@douglascountyks.org.

What are urban soils? The term urban soil refers to soils in areas of high population density in the largely built environment. These soils can be significantly changed human-transported materials, human-altered materials, or minimally altered or intact “native” soils. Soils in urban areas exhibit a wide variety of conditions and properties and may have impervious surfaces, such as buildings and pavement. Some factors that influence the characteristics and behavior of soils in urban areas include landuse history and disturbance, geography and geology, the extent of impervious surfaces, and the nature of human-transported or “fill” materials. Although there are similarities in urban soils globally, the urban soil pattern is unique for every city. USDA-NRCS staff have experience characterizing soils in urban areas using traditional soil description and measurement techniques as well as innovative methods, such as groundpenetrating radar. USDA-NRCS provides these services on a limited

basis to groups seeking to safely use the urban soil resource for community garden development, for habitat restoration projects in parks and forest preserves, and for water quality improvement through stormwater management, among other land uses. Soil survey identifies important soil types and general soil distribution patterns, but it is not a replacement for onsite soils investigations. A variety of professions require urban soils data: • Urban farmers • Engineers, architects • Urban and land use planners • Park, forest, and habitat managers • Stormwater and water quality managers Urban soil survey is already guiding the management of major urban centers and suburban areas where most of us live, directing the best use of open space and the optimal delivery of soil ecosystem services. Soils data can also be used to help confront emerging issues such as climate change, coastal

Modular paver blocks serve as pervious paving system in this commercial parking lot in West Des Moines, Iowa. This practice allows storm water to infiltrate into limestone and underlying soils instead of directly into storm sewers.

resiliency, estuary restoration, small and large-scale watershed use planning, and environmental literacy. So, where can you find information regarding soils? Web Soil Survey is NRCS’ official online portal of soil survey data. It provides soil

properties and characteristics along with spatial data and a variety of soil interpretations, recommendations for use and conservation, and limitations. To learn more about soil or to access soils data, visit www.soils.usda.gov or Google Web Soil Survey.

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SOIL&WATER CONSERVATION

COMMON GROUND The past year marked a year of continued success for the Common Ground program, despite challenges due to COVID-19. In fact, due to the ongoing pandemic, there was a marked increase in gardening interest this year and almost all of our community gardens operated at full capacity. Our program continued to support aspiring farmers at the Incubator Farm as well, and we were able to benefit the community by donating a significant amount of fresh, local fruits and vegetables. Each Common Ground site contributes to the community in a vital way, whether that be through the donation of delicious produce, on-site food and gardening education, or the establishment of pollinator habitat to support our fragile local bee and butterfly populations. Volunteers Darin Brunin and Christie Fleek of Little Prairie Community Garden located at the intersection of Nigel Drive and Peterson Road - organized the donation of over 8000 pounds of produce to local food justice organizations alone. Another Little Prairie volunteer, Jeff Platkowski, also led the effort to establish a robust fruit tree orchard of 70 trees on site this year. They expect to be producing hundreds of pounds of fruit to share with the community at Little Prairie, as well as to those experiencing food insecurity in and around Lawrence, within the next 5 years! In North Lawrence, the gardeners at the Incubator Garden at John Taylor Park cultivated and maintained a public food maze for the families in the neighborhood to enjoy at any time. In addition to that, gardeners Nancy Boyda and Araceli Masterson volunteered their time developing curriculum for the preschool students enrolled at the Ballard Center. Students had the opportunity to leave their school for a weekly gardening class and were given hands-on gardening lessons at a Ballard Center community sweet potato plot. At the end of the season the students had so much fun pulling their enormous sweet potatoes out of the ground! Not only did they go home to their families with freshly harvested produce, but they received a recipe book of favorite sweet potato recipes from the gardeners at John Taylor Park. Our Incubator Farm continues to evolve; last year, we supported 8 establishing farms on site. One of our tenured farmers, Beau Stude of Courage Farms, was able to move on from the program at the end of the season and will be farming on their own land this year! While the primary goal of the Incubator

Beau Stude of Courage Farms hosts a group of school children for green bean harvest at the Incubator Farm.

Preschool students at the Ballard Center harvesting sweet potatoes with the gardeners at John Taylor Park.

Farm is to reduce the financial stress of starting a farm business, our farmers were able to give back to the community in really meaningful ways by donating hundred of pounds of produce to Just Food, establishing crucial pollinator habitats, donating herbs to a free fire cider workshop, and hosting hands-on experience for home-school children on site. This year, new things are on the horizon for Common Ground! Last fall, we were awarded a competitive NRCS Conservation Collaboration Grant that will support the hire of a full-time, dedicated program manager for the first time in Common Ground’s 10-year history. The manager will carry out the implementation of seasonal educational workshops on soil conservation and other sustainable agriculture techniques for program participants, as well as oversee a beginning farmer apprenticeship at the Incubator Farm. We are excited to begin developing paid apprenticeships, hands-on workshops and recruit new farmers with the help of our newlyawarded NRCS grant over the next 3 years! Staff at the Douglas County Sustainability Office are already using this winter to brainstorm new ways we can enhance the Common Ground program and increase access to food, gardens and arable land to communities for which there have been barriers to access historically.

Gardener Emily Ryan prepares a community asparagus bed at the public food maze, located at John Taylor Park: 200 N. 7th St in North Lawrence.

Lastly, we feel it is important to name that our community would not be able to sustain these thriving community spaces without the leadership, dedication and incredible labor of the volunteer managers, board members and gardeners that uphold the community mission and contribute to the unique aesthetic of each site. The roots of Common

Ground were built on the hard work and dreams of many volunteers, and we hope to honor them as we evolve and grow into a more robust, equitable and ecologically-minded program. If you are interested in getting involved with Common Ground in any capacity, email commonground@ lawrenceks.org!

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SOIL&WATER CONSERVATION Douglas County Heritage Council Conservation The Heritage Conservation Council of Douglas County, formed in 2011, works to promote the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of the county to honor the past, enrich the present and inspire the future. Council members work to enhance conservation efforts and make recommendations to the Douglas County Commission about how to strengthen this work. In part, this is done through the distribution of funds through the Natural and Cultural Grant program. Annually, the HCC receives applications from organizations that work at the grassroots level to increase conservation efforts and preserve natural and cultural heritage. The HCC recently released the application form and guidelines for the 2022 Natural and Cultural Grant Program which are available online. The Douglas County Commission has approved up to $200,000 for this round of funding. Some projects funded by this grant in

Soil Testing

When speaking with new landowners about improving their property, we often get the question, “where do I start?” Our answer is always a soil test. Soil tests provide information on the basic fertility of the soil. It is the starting point for determining how much and which fertilizers/nutrients to use on a crop, field, garden, or pasture. Without a soil test, nutrient management is just a guess. Through a grant from the Douglas County Conservation District, K-State Research and Extension, Douglas County offers county residents up to 5 free soil tests each year. The District

the past include the digitization of La Yarda oral histories, the conservation easement and protection of Wells Farm, and a prairie restoration project at Black Jack Battlefield & Nature Park. Douglas County has rich and robust agricultural traditions that continue to be the heartbeat of our rural communities. Preserving this legacy to ensure that residents can continue to produce food for their neighbors is essential to the ongoing health of our county. In recognition of honoring this legacy, the HCC is working with landowners to preserve barns through

the Barn Assessment program. This program provides barn owners with a detailed assessment of the needs and costs associated with restoring and preserving their barns, as well as recommendations about high priority issues and guidance on the process of listing these structures on historic registers. Barn owners who use their barn as part of an agricultural business are eligible to apply for further funding through the Natural and Cultural Grant. Increasing outreach about HCC programs and strengthening public engagement and educational opportunities with local heritage are ongoing goals of the HCC. Recently, the Council worked with Freedoms Frontier to launch an app-based tour of the Sant Fe Trail. Currently, the HCC is working with partners to develop a similar tour of Natural Landmarks across the county that will launch this spring. Through interacting

with surrounding landscapes and histories, the Council anticipates that people will become more engaged with historic places and invested in actively participating in the preservation process. This June, the HCC and partners will host the second annual Douglas County Preservation Conference in Baldwin City. In addition to a variety of speakers, this two-day event will include hands-on learning opportunities, guided tours of natural areas, and community conversations and input sessions. Stay tuned for more information about the exact dates and location of this conference. Please reach out to Heritage Coordinator, Kaitlin Stanley at kstanley@douglascountyks.org, if you have any questions about HCC programs, grants, or if you would like to get involved in local preservation efforts.

provides soil probes and sampling tools at no charge to Douglas County residents. Where to start? Proper collection of a representative soil sample is essential for the accuracy and analysis of test results. Follow these steps to obtain a good sample: 1. Decide if your field can be treated as one sample or needs to be broken down into separate smaller samples. If you believe the soil type, and the previous crop and fertilizer treatments are consistent across the field, treat it as one sample. If soil type and topography change across the field, different crops have been planted on different parts of the field, or there are

problem spots, break the field down into smaller units to sample. 2. Using a soil probe, dig vertically to a depth of 4 inches for established fields such as brome, alfalfa, or a no-till field. Fields that are worked up should have samples taken from 6 inches. Avoid sampling in old fence rows, dead furrows, low spots, feeding areas, and other areas that might give unusual results. If information on these unique areas is desired, obtain a separate sample from the site. 3. Take at least 10 – 15 samples from the field and mix the samples in a clean container to create a representative sample. The more sub-samples you take, the more assured you’ll be that

soil test results are representative of your field. Bring approximately two cups of mixed soil to the Douglas County Extension Office in a paper bag. 4. Samples should be dry. You can let samples air dry, but do not use heat to dry your samples. 5. Bring the soil sample(s) to Douglas County K-State Research and Extension, 2110 Harper St. Lawrence, KS 66046. Once submitted, you should have your results in 2-3 weeks. For additional information, please use the following link. https://www.douglas.k-state.edu/ crops-livestock/testing/Soil_Testing. html

Seed Drills and More

Small acreage or large, the District has the seed drill to meet your needs. Our LandPride 606NT no-till seed drill plants a 5.5-foot width. With three seed boxes, it will accommodate large grain seeds, small legume seeds, and fluffy native warm-season grass seeds. Landowners with tractors of 30-40 horsepower and rear hydraulics can rent the drill from the district and get their seeding projects completed on a schedule that meets their needs. The drill can easily be towed behind a pickup truck for travel to and from sites. The rental rate is a $100 check-out fee, plus $10 an acre. If you don’t have a tractor, the District has a smaller seeder. Perfect for small areas, the Dew Drop Drill is a small-scale seed drill/planter designed to be pulled by an ATV or UTV. With a wide stance, low center of gravity, and large, aggressive tires, planting access is limited only by your ATV. The twin

seed boxes can handle a variety of seed types, including but not limited to warm and cool-season grasses, small and large grains, wild-flowers, forbs, and legumes. The rental rate is $50 to check out and $50 a day. You may also need to purchase seeds to run through those drills. The District can meet most, if not all, your seed requirements and can sell individual seeds in bulk as well as seed mixes. Your order will often be delivered the same week it is placed. Please stop by the office or ask us to email you our seed order sheets for a complete list of seeds. All profits from seed sales are used to purchase and maintain equipment or fund our annual meeting. We also have prescribed burn equipment, including drip torches, backpack sprayers, and flappers for loan, with no charge. Contact the District at douglasccd1@ gmail.com for more information.

CONGRATS Douglas County Conservation Award Winners!

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February 13, 2022

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