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Miami County Soil & Water
March 2021
March 2021
Miami County Soil & Water
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Dear Friends of the Miami Soil & Water Conservation District, It is with disappointment we announce that we will be having a VERY SCALED DOWN version of our usual Annual meeting in 2021. To promote safety for all of us, we, the Supervisor Board of the Miami Co SWCD, have chosen to have a very simple, in person meeting, that will include a supervisor election & the county soil judging contest award presentation. This year there will be: - No food - No door prizes - No featured speaker It is our hope that we can gather again in 2022 with neighbors and friends in our Miami County community for a meal, awards, program and prizes at what will be our 67th Annual Meeting. Until then, you are welcome to join our 2021 mtg at the Miami County Community Bldg on March 15 @ 7pm. Masks and social distancing will be in place. Sincerely, Miami Co SWCD Bd of Supervisors Brad Clemons Troy Hattery Nick Musser Jon Reese Jack Gable
Miami Co. SWCD Board of Supervisors
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Eric “Rick” Duff
Miami County Soil & Water
Mary Lou Watson
March 2021
Gary Horner
Caleb Fricke
Melissa Black
Micki Saylor
Connor Fraser
Katie (Peden) Secrest
Meet the USDA Service Center Staff Eric “Rick” Duff, District Conservationist Rick Duff has over 28 years of service working for USDA, with the majority of those years working in Miami County. Rick has built strong relationships with Miami County landowners as well as various agency partnerships that are involved with NRCS on a daily basis. Rick & his wife Kamela reside in Miami County. USDA Natural Resources Conser-
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vation Service (NRCS) provides voluntary, incentive-based conservation technical and financial assistance to landowners through local field offices in nearly every county of the nation. Mary Lou Watson, SWCD Program Director Mary Lou Watson is beginning her 11th year as the Program Director for the Miami Co. SWCD. Mary Lou and her husband Clay live in Wabash County. (continued on page 5)
March 2021
Miami County Soil & Water
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Meet the USDA Service Center Staff ...continued from page 4
She enjoys serving Miami County in the various avenues related to soil and water conservation through education, leadership and the partnership that is well established with NRCS and Farm Service Agency. She appreciates the passion for conservation that is displayed in the everyday lives of the Miami County SWCD Board of Supervisors. Gary Horner, SWCD Technician Gary Horner, SWCD technician, just completed his 4th year as a part time technician. Gary handles CRP field work as well as assistance in the office. The District is pleased to have Gary on staff. Gary & his wife Jane live in Clay township in Miami County. Caleb Fricke, Farm Service Agency Executive Director Caleb Fricke has been named the new County Executive Director for the Miami County Farm Service Agency. He was born and raised in rural Central Illinois and attended school at Purdue University where he was able to get to know much of the state of Indiana.
Miami County welcomes Caleb to his new position and is excited to have him become part of the community and get to know so many new faces! Melissa Black, FSA Program Technician Melissa has worked for FSA for 17 years. She specializes in loans as well as compliance forms. Melissa and her husband live in Miami County and they have 3 sons. Micki Saylor, FSA Program Technician Micki has worked for FSA in Miami County for 14 years. She specializes in the ARC/PLC, GIS compliances along with Farm Records. One of her favored aspects of working for FSA is being able to communicate to farmers the importance of their job. She also enjoys being able to assist landowners/producers in the office. Micki is married to Troy Saylor. Connor Fraser, FSA Program Technician Connor Fraser has worked for the Miami County FSA for 8 months. I am the conservation reserve program technician and I love what I do. I enjoy
working with producers and the staff at Miami County USDA. Katie (Peden) Secrest, ISDA Resource Specialist Katie has served as the Resource Specialist for the Indiana State Dep’t of Agriculture in Miami County as well as Huntington, Wabash & Grant Counties for almost 3 years. Katie assists the District with educational field days and provides technical support for both the District & NRCS.
She and her family live in Wabash County. For more information about FSA, NRCS or SWCD contact the Peru USDA Service Center @ 1626 Logansport Road, Suite A, Peru, Indiana. 765-473-6753 x3 Email: Caleb.Fricke@usda.gov Mary.Watson2@in.nacdnet.net Rick.duff@usda.gov
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Miami County Soil & Water
March 2021
Volunteers with UWIN, Friends of the Nickel Plate Trail, Miami Co. Highway Department, SICIM, and Rooted in Forestry
UWIN and Nickel Plate Trail Wrangle Invasive Weeds On Saturday, October 24, the Upper Wabash Invasives Network (UWIN) and Friends of the Nickel Plate Trail (NPT) held a Weed Wrangle at the Miami and Fulton County Line along the Nickel Plate Trail. 20 volunteers and professionals learned about invasive species along the NPT, the damage they cause to native biodiversity, how to identify the invasive species, and how to remove and control them. This event was part of the Indiana Invasives Initiative and was made possible by the collaboration of UWIN, Friends of the Nickel Plate Trail, Rooted in Forestry, Miami County Highway Department, Southern Indiana Cooperative Invasives Management (SICIM), and citizens of Fulton and Miami Counties. Over the course of 2 hours, workers removed bush honeysuckle, autumn olive, and white mulberry along a half mile stretch of the NPT. With the assistance of the Miami County Highway Department, more than two full dump trucks of invasive plants were loaded and removed for disposal. Using hand loppers, volunteers used a method of control known as “cut-surface” treatment which involves cutting the trunks of the plants close to
the ground, after which professional foresters from Rooted in Forestry applied herbicide to the cut-surface of the stump. SICIM Regional Specialists Mandi Glanz and Dugan Julian provided education about the targeted species, as well as proper management techniques and safety tips. Glanz and Julian also informed the volunteers of the free Landowner Assessment and Technical Assistance services offered by SICIM Regional Specialists. Rooted in Forestry gave an informational talk about safe and effective chemical controls and forestry management. Weed Wrangle is a national program of grassroots invasive species management. Hosts of Weed Wrangles hold at least one event in the same area for at least three years, which helps ensure the species are controlled thoroughly and won’t have regrowth. For information on future events or invasive species management, contact Dugan Julian at dugan@sicim.info or 574-527-0781 (Miamia, Wabash and Huntington Co.) and Mandi Glanz at mandi@sicim.info or 260 243-2161 (Fulton and Marshal Co.)
Volunteers with UWIN, Friends of the Nickel Plate Trail, Miami Co. Highway Department, SICIM, and Rooted in Forestry
March 2021
Miami County Soil & Water
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TROY BAER GSH, INC.—SOIL CONSULTING GARY L HUDSON
Ron Droscha
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Bill Clemons & Jesse Million
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DEAN H DEAN HARTLEY ARTLEY
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Brenda Weaver receives a certificate for THE MOST VALUABLE Door Prize of 1# of Larry Frank Morel Mushrooms from Supervisor Troy Hattery at the 2020 Annual meeting
To our 2020 Annual Meeting sponsors! -A.J. Jordan
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ROANN COMPOST
DARREL DEEDS EXCAVATING
-Kraig Musselman
- Mike McDonald
Aaron Overman
Dave Payne
Larry Jordan receives a certificate for 1# of Larry Frank Morel Mushrooms from SWCD supervisor Brad Clemons at the 2020 Annual meeting.
GRISSOM CDJR
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Miami County Soil & Water
March 2021
Successful Women’s Conservation Learning Circle To reach the growing number of women landowners interested in conservation practices that benefit the health of their land, Wabash & Miami County Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), supported by Women4theLand hosted an invasive discussion and field tour for women landowners on September 17th at
The Upper Wabash Interpretive Center. There were thirteen participants that attended the event. The morning began with coffee and registration. All the ladies in the room proceeded to introduce themselves, share their farming history and where they stand today. Once intro(continued on page 9)
The ladies being led through Salamonie State Park
We Salute Miami County Soil and Water District.
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March 2021
Miami County Soil & Water
Successful Women’s Conservation Learning Circle
...continued from page 8 ductions were complete there was a better understanding of the verity of ladies in attendance. Regardless of their levels of experience, the key topic of discussion was “Invasive Species: Keeping Your Land Native.” The topic of invasive species was then discussed by speaker Teresa Rody with Indiana Department of Natural Resources(IDNR). Mandi Glanz, a Regional Specialist with the Southern Indiana Cooperative Invasives Management, was also in attendance to help discuss invasive management and ID. Following the morning meeting the ladies had the opportunity to create a picture holder out of both native and invasive plant species. Lunch was then provided by Halderman Real Estate & Farm Management. After lunch Teresa
Rody gave the ladies a walking tour of Salamonie State Park while covering invasive species ID and woodland management. Adam Jones with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) also joined the group in the afternoon. He covered federal cost-share opportunities and what is available to the ladies as landowners. The day came to an end back at the Interpretive Center for desserts and closing statements. This Women’s Conservation Learning Circle brought together landowners in an informal learning format for a womenonly discussion. All the ladies that attended left feeling like they had gained knowledge about their land, how to manage it and the conservation practices (continued on page 11)
Teresa Rody discussing invasive plant ID while on the afternoon field tour
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Miami County Soil & Water
(above) Janet Shoue won a prize for her knowledge of Invasive species & cover crops at the Miami SWCD/Reese Family Farm Cover Crop workshop in August 2020.
March 2021
Dawn Slack, Indiana Invasives Initiative, SICIM, was the featured speaker at the Miami Co SWCD/Reese Family Farm Cover Crop workshop in August 2020.
(left) Miami SWCD supervisor Jack Gable present to Sara & Fletcher Hanes an oil painting donated by Susie Kraning at the 2020 Miami SWCD annual meeting.
(left) Miami SWCD supervisor Brad Clemons presents Karli Miller with a door prize gift card from Ace Outdoor at the 2020 Miami SWCD annual meeting.
March 2021
Successful Women’s Conservation Learning Circle ...continued from page 8 available to them. Wabash and Miami Counties have had an overwhelming positive response to these women only events and we will plan to continue them in 2021. We would like to thank all the organizations involved that made the day a success, Halderman Real Estate & Farm Management, Upper Wabash Interpre-
tive Center/IDNR, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The learning circles method of conservation outreach to women farmland owners and the activities used were developed by Women, Food and Agriculture Network for its Women Caring for the LandSM program.
After the morning meeting, before lunch each lady had the materials of both invasive and native plants to create a picture holder.
The participants introducing themselves in the morning meeting
Miami County Soil & Water
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Miami County Soil & Water
North Miami FFA had the top 5 placings in the Fall 2019 County soil judging contest. The award is sponsored by Beacon Credit Union. Pictured are Holly Richardson (5th), Audrey Piel (1st), Makinzie France (4), Beacon Rep Kim Shellhamer, Cameron Early (2), Clay Wildermuth (3).
March 2021
Blane, Amy & Jerry Eckrote of Eckrote Farms received the 2020 River friendly Farmer award sponsored & presented by Miami County Chamber of Commerce member Sandy Chittum. The RFF award is designed to recognize farmers who protect and enhance Indiana's rivers, lakes and streams by using sound cropping and livestock management practices in their operations.
Gene Schmidt, Indiana representative of the National Association of Conservation Districts along with Dan Eames & Mike Ramsey of Ceres Solutions presented the 2020 Friend of Conservation award to Michael Hanaway, employee of SmithField Foods, a State & National sponsor of the Envirothon Contest. Sponsor of the award was Ceres Solutions. Pictured L-R are: Gene Schmidt, Dan Eames, Michael Hanaway, Mike Ramsey
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March 2021
NRCS Invests $1.5 million to Improve Water Quality in Miami and Wabash Counties Partners will work with farmers on conservation projects in high-priority watersheds Wabash, IN, August 31, 2020–Known as “America’s River,” the Mississippi River is North America’s largest river, flowing over 2,300 miles through the midwest. This river’s elevated levels of nutrients and sediment impacts the quality of life for the tens of millions of people who live in and rely on the Mississippi River Basin. These elevated nutrient levels are also contributing to the hypoxic (low-oxygen) zone located in the Gulf of Mexico. As a result, the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) is a Farm Bill conservation initiative intended to encourage farmers to adopt conservation systems in order to improve water quality. To address these water quality concerns and agricultural sources of nutrients and sediment, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) approved two new MRBI watershed implementation projects. Both projects will work with local Indiana farmers and conservation partners to implement conservation practices that help trap sediment and reduce nutrient runoff to improve the overall health of the Mississippi River. The MRBI project in our county is the Treaty Creek-Wa-
bash River watershed project. The Treaty Creek-Wabash River watershed project is focusing on critical areas within Miami and Wabash counties. See the attached map for more details on the incorporated areas. $429,000 will be made available for cost-share in 2021 for landowners within this Wabash River Watershed. A total of $1.5 million will be dispersed in the next 4 years(2021-2024). MRBI uses several Farm Bill programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), to distribute the MRBI funds. As a result, these funds help landowners sustain America’s natural resources through voluntary conservation. Partners include Miami and Wabash County Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), Wabash River Defenders, The Nature Conservancy, Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana American Water and the City of Wabash. To fill out an application, call the USDA Service Center in Miami or Wabash Counties. (continued on page 14)
Miami County Soil & Water
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Miami County Soil & Water
March 2021
NRCS Invests $1.5 million to Improve Water Quality in Miami and Wabash Counties ...continued from page 13 MRBI has shown that focused water quality efforts in high priority areas can be effective in building strong partnerships, increasing trust and collaboration with landowners and farmers, and getting more conservation systems on the ground. For more information about NRCS and other assistance available through conservation programs, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted or con-
tact your District Conservationist https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/in/contact/local/ Contacts: Adam Jones, Wabash Co. District Conservationist, 260-563-7486 ext. 3 (adam.jones @usda.gov) Tashina Lahr-Manifold, Wabash Co. SWCD Executive Director, 260-563-7486 ext. 3 (Tashina.lahrmanifold@in.nacdnet.net)
Miami & Cass County Supervisors gather with State Legislators Ethan Manning & Stacey Donato at the Legislative Breakfast held at the Indiana Association of SWCD's in January, 2020.
We Support Miami County Soil & Water Conservation District!
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Rick Duff, Miami Co. District Conservationist, 765-473-6753 ext. 3010 (rick.duff@usda.gov )
Mary Lou Watson, Miami Co. SWCD Program Director, 765-473-6753 ext. 3 (mary.watson@in.nacdnet.net )
March 2021
Miami County Soil & Water
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Miami County Soil & Water
March 2021
Supervisors are KEY to Miami County Soil and Water Conservation District Success
Longevity in leadership and a passion for healthy soil & clean water in Miami County and Indiana from board supervisors have been the Key ingredients for an active and successful SWCD district. SWCD’s began in the 1930’s as a recommendation from President Franklin Roosevelt after the devastation of the Dust Bowl years. Miami County SWCD began in 1954 with supervisors Frank Stoner, Raymond Musselman, Carl Yoars, Birk Bowman and Victor Scott along with a steering committee of 5 men. So the year 2020 celebrated 66 years for the District. It’s mission is to assist citizens in caring for soil, water related resources – with an emphasis on technical service, leadership, education, proper land use & watershed management. At their 2020 Annual meeting the Miami County SWCD also celebrated 25 years of service from Troy Hattery. Troy is following his Great Grandad’s footsteps as he is the 4th generation to farm on the same plot of soil in Jefferson Township along side his brother Kendel forming TK Hattery Farms. He and his wife Janie have been tremendously dedicated in the Miami county community through various avenues of 4H, the Soil & Water District and the Mexico First Brethren church. Troy has been an instrumental part of the District’s growth and is credited for helping the SWCD garner cost -share dollars from EPA 319
grants as well as USDA NRCS Initiative grants. Troy’s stewardship & conservation ethics stand out as he maintains a strong working relationship with the Districts conservation partners. Employees of the District through the years have appreciated his dedication and follow thru to the many district activities including monthly board meetings, 4th grade Ag day, Cover crop workshops, county council & commissioner relationships. In 2010 Troy was named the State of Indiana Supervisor of the Year. Some comments from Troy’s peers include: “Troy’s dedication to conservation sets the example for others to follow. His tireless work ethic and farm values draw others to want to do better.”
SWCD Supervisor Chair Troy Hattery & his wife Janie stop for a pose at the 2020 Miami CO SWCD Annual Meeting.
“Troy is always willing to share his successes with others so that they can apply them to their operations. The SWCD has been enriched by Troy’s personal experience and commitment to promoting conservation in Miami County and throughout the state. “Troy’s knowledge & commitment to the SWCD and his efforts in implementation on the land is recognized and valued by other farmers & peers. Miami County is proud to have Troy in Conservation leadership and we appreciate his 25 years of service to his community. Committed supervisors currently serving
on the board with Troy are: Brad Clemons – serving since 2007 Nick Musser – serving since 2014 Jack Gable & Jon Reese – serving since 2016 Previous supervisors adding to the district successes include: Ed Willson Trevor Hughes Dave Payne Larry Frank Bill Clemons Ron Hileman Jack Harvey A J Jordan Randy Overman Gary Hudson Gene Layman Ted Comerford Kraig Musselman Jerry Miller Eldon Overman
2020 Miami County Annual meeting supervisors, staff & program participants. FRONT Row L-R - Mary Lou Watson, Joe Schmees, Nick Musser, Brad Clemons, Gary Horner. Back Row L-R - Fred Whitford, Gene Schmidt, Rick Duff, Troy Hattery, Jon Reese, Jack Gable.