Apps for Modern Agriculture

Apps. 

They're everywhere. Even if you don't own a smartphone or a tablet, you can't have missed all the buzz around these new tools and toys.

Though it's perceived that most apps are developed for young urbanites, creatives, and tightly-scheduled business people, many apps have come out that are especially relevant and useful for agriculture-related purposes. Apps to aid in precision farming, determine soil types, and plant identification are widely available. Check out this list of ag apps, from our Soil Health Program Manager Lisa Holscher:

• FieldScripts – from the Monsanto Integrated Farming Systems
• LandView – We understand Becks has been providing some growers with iPads and the application. They’re doing a lot of field scouting using the program
• AdaptN - From Cornell University, this app uses climate information to calculate N needs. Especially useful for farmers who side-dress.
• GreenIndex – This app aims to help verify chlorophyll content in the field (you could also use a hand-held GreenSeeker). This could be a great companion to AdaptN.
• Weed ID Guide – from University of Missouri Extension
• 1000 Weeds of North America - Fairly self-explanatory.
• Aphid Speed Count – An app to help count aphids on soybean plants. How fun!
• SoilWeb - This lets users access digital soil survey data from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

The Power of Conservation: Today's Actions, Tomorrow's Rewards

The Power of Conservation. We use this phrase frequently in the soil and water arena.

The simple act of conserving our natural resources is, in my mind, a very powerful daily job that Soil and Water Conservation Districts and our Indiana Conservation Partners are deeply committed to.

It is an act that each one of us hopefully does every day in some way, whether we live on a farm, in a large urban environment, or a small town.

Right now that power of conservation can be seen in action across Indiana farm fields as cover crops are taking hold, setting deep roots into our Hoosier soils. Cover crops, that will protect the soil over the winter, provide rich nutrients and fertilizers for spring crops while improving and preparing the soil for spring planting.

The power of conservation is visible in neighborhoods all over Indiana on any given day as recycling bins are set curbside for trash pickup, or as leaves and other fall garden debris are collected and composted.

The rewards are forthcoming. Some are in the short-term. Many will be seen years down the road. We all have a stake in today's actions, because they affect tomorrow's rewards.

If you are committed to our soil and water resources, join us January 7-9, 2013, for The Power of Conservation: Today's Actions, Tomorrow's Rewards. It is the 70th Annual Conference of Indiana Soil and Water Conservation Districts at the Indianapolis Downtown Marriott.

You'll find 12 excellent hands-on training sessions, keynote speakers, and exhibitors designed to provide you with the tools you'll need for The Power of Conservation: Today's actions, Tomorrow's Rewards.

Register today!

Guest Post: Drought Provides Opportunities to Improve Soil Health

Guest post contributed by Joe Kelsay, Indiana Agriculture Director and owner of Kelsay Farms

This year's historical drought has provided a prime opportunity for a special focus on a most precious resource, our soil. Though we tend to think first of the extreme weather's effect on our 2012 crop yields, its impact on feed supplies and the health of our fields could easily extend the damage into next season and well beyond. ISDA encourages our farmers to minimize this impact by spending some time this fall considering their opportunities to improve soil health.

One way to address soil health and make the most of these conditions is through the establishment of cover crops like oats, clover, rye grasses, and/or radishes. These can provide emergency forage, reduce soil loss, scavenge precious nutrients, improve water quality, offer wildlife habitat and rehabilitate pastures, all while developing soil health at the same time.

Cover crops improve soil health by creating more organic matter in the ground and increasing water-holding capacity. They help to reduce soil compaction and erosion, and can ultimately suppress weed pressure while increasing the yields of subsequent crops. They can also provide critical forage for grazing, chopping or haying at a time when livestock producers everywhere are facing cost-related challenges and having to reassess how to manage feed sources for their animals.

As evidence to the interest in cover crop benefits from our farmers, we witnessed overwhelming response to emergency cover crop cost share assistance from recent announcements of federal and state programs. In spite of the fact that the interest from Indiana landowners proved to be much greater than the availability of funds, many landowners are choosing to continue with these conservation efforts on their own. There are a host of resources that can assist these efforts, including the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative (CCSI), Purdue University Extension, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD's) Certified Crop Advisors (CCA's) and numerous online chats, blogs and message boards, just to name a few.

Image credit: Flathead Conservation District

Much time will be invested in the recovery from this year's drought, and we will find solutions to minimize the challenges of 2012, with a deliberate focus on improving our soil. Many different avenues can offer help, arming producers with the essential tools they need to get to the best position for the future.  What is most exciting is that Indiana has proven over and over again that by focusing on our strengths and constantly innovating, especially in difficult times, we continue to propel Indiana Agriculture forward.

Why Weren't We No-Tilling Until Now?

Excerpted from an interview with Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative coordinator Hans Kok:

Q: When did we determine no-till was better?

The 1960s. We didn't have the technology . . . it's that simple. We couldn't seed in the ground with this much trash or residue on the surface and we couldn't control the weeds. That's why we were doing tillage. It's not that we were doing things so wrong, it's that we were using 1700's technology. We've progressed, but it always takes a long time for new technology to be adopted.

Now in other places in the world, they've adopted no-till like crazy. Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil ... they are almost entirely no-till out there, so they've taken the technology, they've seen the value of it, they money it saves the farmers to go no-till and realizing we have the tools. But here in the States, we've been slow to adopt it, and in Europe it has been even slower.

But with something like this educational tool (the rain simulator) it shows what happens the value of no-till. It wakes a lot of people up. A farmer came up to me in Kansas and said he saw my rain simulation a couple of years ago and started thinking about it what we were doing to the land and switched the whole farm over to no-till. I've yet to meet a farmer, topography or soil type or climate where we can't no-till.

Destroying Crops? Don't Till!

Many crops have been lost this year due to the drought. For those farmers who have crop insurance, they may consider destroying the crop or putting what remains to alternative uses, such as harvesting it as silage or feed. Before crops are destroyed, an insurance agent needs to verify that the crop was indeed lost.

But how does one destroy a crop without harming the land underneath it, and while keeping an eye to the future? A common misconception among farmers and insurance agent is that tillage is necessary to destroy a crop. However, tilling your land can have very harmful effects that will last longer than this season, as dry as it is. 

Consider the destruction tillage would cause to the soil's health; nutrients left unused by the crop will run off and drastically reduce water quality; the increase in erosion due to exposed soil; and that any remaining moisture would evaporate quickly from tilled fields.

The Risk Management Agency has clarified that tilling is not required to destroy a crop. Instead, consider using it for pasture, bush hog, set it for silage, etc. Corn stalks with ears yet on them can be left standing as forage. 

Additionally, growers who have nothing to harvest this season can consider planting a cover crop that also serves as forage. The forage could then be used or sold to a neighbor.

Remember - "Destroy" Does Not Mean "Till"

Cover Crops: Good for Forage, Too!

This year's drought is especially hard on livestock - there's not much growing for them to munch on. Today we learned that sixty-four Indiana counties are now "primary natural disaster areas" due to the lack of rain, and Conservation Reserve and Wetland Reserve acreage has been opened up for emergency forage and haying.

However, according to Dave Robison at PlantCoverCrops.com, "Harvesting cover crops for emergency fall forage may be able to play a major role in lessening the impact of the 2012 drought disaster for livestock producers."

His article is copied in part here; you can read the full version here.
"I have received phone call after phone call from dairy and beef producers asking what cover crops they can use to provide food for their animals this fall and winter. Below I have listed a variety of choices that may work well for producers needing feed (if we get rain). By the way, these choices are also excellent cover crops."

Dave recommends these crops for forage:

• Sudangrass or Sorghum X Sudangrass
• Spring Oats/Spring Triticale
• Oats and Crimson Clover
• Oats and Cereal Rye (or Winter Triticale)
• Oats (or Spring Triticale) and Peas (Forage or Austrian Winter Peas)
• Annual Ryegrass/Annual Ryegrass – Crimson Clover Mix or Italian Ryegrass
• Spring or Winter Barley

Hot, Dry, and Difficult

Drought-stressed corn in Terre Haute, IN.
Photo source.

Drought: "a period of dryness especially when prolonged; specifically one that causes extensive damage to crops or prevents their successful growth" (Merriam Webster). 

As of last week, Indiana is officially the most affected by this year's drought, out of all the corn- and soy-producing states.

The central part of the state may even face mandatory water restrictions, something that naturally-dry states like Arizona are familiar with but are almost unheard of here in normally water-rich Hoosier country. Most of a recent spike in water usage is due to homeowners watering their lawns.

Farmers are seeing the results of all their planning and preparation turn not green, but brown and yellow.

Though this year may end up as a loss in the books, it's far from time to throw in the towel. This year is one that will test us and provide us with valuable information & experience for any future difficult years.

NRCS and the Purdue Extension have compiled some very timely and useful websites for those looking for advice and information. 

For farmers, consider this "silver lining:" Remaining nutrients in the soil can be captured for use next year. Purdue scientists and NRCS agronomists agree that most of the nitrogen (a commonly-applied fertilizer) will not be used by the crops this year. As such, it is wise to consider planting a cover crop, which will store the residual nitrogen for future use.

For homeowners, remember to water your lawn and gardens when the sun isn't shining, at most once per week, and consider setting out a bowl of water for thirsty neighborhood wildlife and pets.

Walk the Path that Water Walks

Pathway to Water Quality (PWQ) is a model watershed showing how land "sheds" water, or drains to a common place such as a river, lake or stream. We all live in a watershed and what we do each day impacts our soil and water quality.

Is soil an important ingredient in your every day life? The answer is yes, and here are a few reasons why:

• Last night you slept in a building built on soil.

• You drink water that flows through soil and is cleaned by the soil.

• You breathe air that comes from plants growing in the soil.

• You even wear clothes made from plants that grow in the soil.

Pathway's education area offers great conservation
activities for youth and the young at heart.

Soils make our lives possible. We also play on soil, drive on soil, eat food grown in or raised on soil, and take medicines from soil. The entire earth — every ecosystem, every living organism — is dependent upon soils.

Did you know one teaspoon of soil contains more living organisms than all the known kinds of plants on earth? Creatures like mammals, reptiles, amphibians, worms, insects, spiders, centipedes, mites, nematodes, plants, fungi, bacteria and microbes — all help keep the soil healthy and rich for crops, gardens, wildlife, food, and people.

Pathway to Water Quality exists to show the connection between healthy soils and clean water, why it is important, and what we can do at home and on the farm to protect our soil and water quality !

For more information on PWQ visit our website at www.pathwaytowaterquality.org.

"If You Want to go Far, Go Together"

Earlier this week I read a quote I can't stop thinking about: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." I couldn't find a person to whom I can ascribe the quote, but I think it's powerful and very applicable to what Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) do.

In Indiana, we rely on the resources and passions of many different agencies, organizations, and individuals in order to improve the health of our environment. Although each group or person works to accomplish individual goals quickly and efficiently, working with other agencies across the state have allowed us all to "go far."

The Indiana Conservation Partnership, which is comprised of the Association of SWCDs, the Natural Resources Conservation Services, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management,  the Farm Service Agency, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and others, works together to solve our common natural resource problems. We all have different resources and different limitations (some of us are nonprofits, some are government agencies; some are locally-based and some are statewide) and it is our differences that enable and inspire us to combine our strengths to build a better, healthier Indiana.

Organize!

The Partnership's goals for all Hoosiers include:

• Clean drinking water
• Cleaner streams, rivers and lakes for recreation
• Productive soils for Indiana’s farmers
• Enhanced quality of life for Indiana citizens
• Stronger state economy
• Funded local District programs
• Funded local cost-share programs

Together, we seek out and receive funding for conservation projects in Indiana (like Clean Water Indiana and Conservation Reserve Program funding). We share the expertise of staff members in order to provide the best possible information and experience to each other and to Hoosiers who take advantage of our services. We appreciate a familiarity and camaraderie with one another that contributes to a stronger Partnership that is more capable of providing high-quality service to Indiana.

Though working together instead of working alone has its unique challenges and progress seems slow at times, our Partnership has allowed us to come much further than we ever could alone.

See what we have accomplished in your county.

Indiana Wildlife Federation Recognizes CCSI & LaPorte SWCD

The Indiana Wildlife Federation serves our state through "promoting the conservation, sound management, and sustainable use of Indiana's wildlife and wildlife habitat through education, advocacy, and action." Like the IASWCD, and our 92 local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, IWF works with state agencies and similar organizations. They monitor and work to improve and protect Indiana's wildlife and habitats, which are made up of the natural resources SWCDs work to protect as well.

Last weekend, IWF recognized the work of two Soil and Water Conservation District entities: one program called the Conservation Cropping Systems INitiative (CCSI) and one standout staff member, Nicole Messacar (Education Coordinator for the LaPorte Co. SWCD).

CCSI received the Agriculture Conservation Award "for its work promotinv environmentally-friendly farming techniques." Nicole earned the Conservation Educator of the Year award for the work she does to educate children about wildlife and conservation.

We are proud to work with these award winners, and excited to celebrate our positive relationship with the Indiana Wildlife Federation! Conservation is something that concerns all of us. Though we work differently, our goals are similar - to protect this land for now, and for future generations.

May is American Wetlands Month

Photo credit: Natural Resources Conservation Service

May marks the 22nd anniversary of American Wetlands Month. It is a time when we all should celebrate the vital importance wetlands play in our world protecting our soil and water resources.

It is also a great opportunity to teach others about the important role wetlands play in our environment and the significant benefits they provide — improved water quality, increased water storage and supply, reduced flood and storm surge risk, and critical habitat for plants, fish, and wildlife.

Wetlands are the vital link between land and water, where the flow of water, the cycling of nutrients, and the energy of the sun meet to produce highly productive ecosystems with unique plant and animal life.

Wetlands are often referred to as the "kidneys" of the landscape for their ability to remove excess nutrients, toxic substances, and sediment from water that flows through them, helping to improve downstream water quality. Natural wetlands have also been effective in removing contaminants such as pesticides, landfill liquids, dissolved chlorinated compounds, metals, and stormwater runoff.

Wetlands play an important role in reducing the frequency and intensity of floods by acting as natural buffers — slowing, absorbing, and storing significant amounts of floodwater. Since flooding is the most common natural hazard in the nation, wetlands play an integral role in managing this risk, particularly through planning approaches that consider the entire watershed.

The presence of wetlands on the landscape can also mitigate flood damage inland. A study by the Wetlands Initiative concluded that restoring wetlands along the 100-year flood plain of the Upper Mississippi River could increase storage capacity to 39 million acre-feet of flood water--a similar volume to the Mississippi Flood of 1993 that caused $16 billion in damages.

The ability of wetlands to store and filter water helps to protect and replenish surface and underground drinking water sources.

As nurseries of nature, wetlands are among the most biologically productive natural ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests and coral reefs in their productivity and in the diversity of species they support. Mixtures of vegetation and shallow water zones provide diverse habitats for a variety of species — plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, shellfish, and mammals. Many species rely on these critical habitats for survival as sources of food, shelter, and breeding grounds.

For example, frogs, toads, and salamanders depend on small, isolated wetlands during their development. It is estimated that one-half of all North American bird species nest or feed in wetlands, and despite the fact that wetlands comprise only 5% of the land surface in the conterminous United States; they are home to an estimated 31% of plant species.

Source: U.S. EPA

Soil Stewardship Week

Jane Hardisty

by Jane Hardisty
State Conservationist, Indiana NRCS
When you picked up your spoon to eat some food today, did you think about where the food came from? Did you make a connection as you ate a bowl of cereal to the dairy and grain farmer? Or the hay or grain the dairy cow ate? Or the fact that the grain and hay grew in the soil? We sometimes take for granted that it’s so easy to go to the grocery store to buy our food. But it’s a long process to get the food from the soil to the grocery store shelf.


National Soil Stewardship Week is April 29 through May 6, 2012, and the theme this year is “Soil to Spoon.” Keeping the soil healthy is a primary focus of the agency I work for, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Our agency is working hand-in-hand with Indiana’s 92 Soil and Water Conservation Districts every day to help farmers and private landowners improve soil health and protect natural resources.

The world population is on the rise, while agricultural land is shrinking. A careful balance will be required to make more room for more people, while at the same time, more food to feed those people. Healthy soil and good conservation choices can ensure we have the resources we need for now and for generations to come. 

Making the connection back to the soil, where our food gets its start is so important. The next time you sit down to a meal, take a minute to think about where your food came from, and the farmers and ranchers who helped produce it. As they work to produce food for the growing population, Indiana’s farmers are dedicated to using responsible land-management practices to ensure a sustainable food supply and healthy land and soil for future generations. Please join me in thanking our local agriculture producers for their role in caring for the land, while providing the food and fiber for our nation and the world.

National Soil Stewardship week reminds us of our personal and social responsibility to care for the natural resources for which we all depend. There is a Soil and Water Conservation District in each county in Indiana where NRCS and other partnership staff are available to serve you and help you make the connection between soil and the food we eat.

We celebrate stewardship every day

Are you ready for Stewardship Week? The 57th NACD Soil and Water Stewardship Week started yesterday, April 29 and runs through Sunday, May 6! This year's theme is "Soil to Spoon.”

The theme highlights the importance of knowing where your food comes from. The National Association of Conservation Districts could not have selected a more appropriate theme.

That is why the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts and our 92 Soil and Water Conservation Districts and our great Indiana Conservation Partnership (ICP) work so hard to promote the "soil to spoon" story.


A sample of some very healthy soil protected
by cover crops over the winter from a farmer's field.

Cover crops protect against water and wind erosion and

improve soil quality.

The story begins with soil health and that is something we take very seriously here in Indiana. Simply, we believe maintaining soil health . . . whether it’s our vast acres of farmland across Indiana, or the soil in the yards, greenways and parks of our cities, towns and suburbs . . . it is all essential to protecting our natural resources.

The Conservation Cropping Systems INitiative (CCSI), and ICP program, helps Indiana farmers by promoting a systematic approach to production agriculture. CCSI specialists encourage the adoption of long-term continuous no-till practices on farmland, along with cover crops, nutrient and pest management and precision-farming technology, and the use of conservation buffers.

Hamilton County farmer Rodney Rulon is
planting soybeans into cereal rye, a cover crop.
Rulon is a Supervisor for the Hamilton County Soil and

Water  Conservation District.

Why?

Because it is providing us with: clean water to drink, and healthy soil to grow food and feed

And, that's good stewardship.

Show Pride in Your Produce with "Indiana Grown"

In late March, the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) announced the new Indiana Grown program. Its goal is to enable consumers to easily identify, find, and buy Indiana-grown products. Through connecting producers - farmers, ranchers, nurseries, etc - processors, wholesalers, retailers and ISDA, Indiana Grown will brand and promote Hoosier produce and production.

If your product was grown in Indiana, your operation could be included in the Indiana Grown Program. If you would like to be a member, ISDA is accepting applications. It's a simple and straightforward app. If it is accepted, you can use the attractive Indiana Grown logo (shown above) for a full year to help promote your products and show your Hoosier pride. According to ISDA, "This program encompasses everything from a big farming operation to a small roadside stand."

The program categories are:

• Produce, Field Crops, Forestry
• Dairy (BOAH permits must be submitted to ISDA)
• Eggs (must submit egg permit license from Purdue University, Indiana Egg Board)
• Livestock & Livestock Products (Processed Meat & Poultry Products, Beef Cattle)
• Fish & Seafood
• Ornamental Horticulture (Greenhouse Nursery, Floriculture & Turf Grass)

You can apply here.

Other news stories on Indiana Grown:
"This Old Farm, Indiana Grown" - video via WishTV
"Indiana Grown program to boost state's farm goods" - via the Indianapolis Star

Soil Tillage = Hurricane+Forest Fire+Earthquake

Not to sound too drastic, but “tilling the soil is the equivalent of an earthquake, hurricane, tornado, and forest fire occurring simultaneously to the world of soil organisms” says the Natural Resources Conservation Service. NRCS continues, stating “there are more individual organisms in a teaspoon of soil than there are people on earth.” The health of our soil must be taken very seriously, for it gives us the food we eat, the land upon which we live, and filters the water we drink.

NRCS* and the Indiana SWCDs recommend the following strategies to improve and maintain your soil’s health:

Fantastic image and information featuring
Dr. Elaine Ingham on how living soil = health
from Natural Farming Hawai'i

Manage more by doing less

No-till or strip-till: disturbing the soil creates a hostile, instead of hospitable, place for soil organisms to live and work.

Wise use of fertilizers and pesticides

Misusing chemicals and other soil inputs can disrupt the naturally-balancing relationship between fungi, microorganisms, and crop roots.

Diverse Cropping

Just like humans need a variety of foods to eat to be healthy, crops need a variety of nutrient sources. “Biodiversity will ultimately be the key to success of any agricultural system,” states NRCS, and “Lack of biodiversity severely limits the potential of any cropping system and disease and pest problems are increased.”

Keep your land alive

Soil organisms feed on living plant roots first – it is the richest & most easily-accessible source of nutrients. Then they’ll feed on dead plant roots, then crop residue (i.e. husks), and then the leftover organic matter in the soil. Keep your soil happy by giving it the best food: from living roots, like cover crops.

Keep the soil covered

Soil is heavily disturbed by falling raindrops, which can cause erosion. Protect your land by protecting your soil: leave crop residue on the land, and use cover crops when you’re not growing a cash crop.

It all starts with soil.

If your soil is healthy, the health (and wealth) of your land will follow. Contact your local SWCD for more information on how to improve your land and your crops.

*Much of this information is taken from the NRCS publication "Farming in the 21st Century: a practical approach to improve Soil Health, November 2011 version"

Green Manure is a Gardener's Best Friend

Photo courtesy of Agrarian Adventure

My mom has been putting some early-spring plants from the greenhouse into the ground. She'll be growing spinach, lettuce and kale this season, as do many home gardeners this time of year. While many gardeners may already use a fertilizer of some sort - from manure, to compost, to chemicals- one form of living fertilizer, cover crops, is making headlines in home gardening. Check out the features from these widely-read publications: Garden.org, MotherEarthNews.com, and TLC's HowStuffWorks.

Our friends at the West Central Indiana Watershed Alliance have just released their spring newsletter: the Home Gardening Issue. It cautions home gardeners to be wise about their fertilizer use (it all drains into our common water supply) and also has some excellent information on those looking to start using cover crops - aka Green Manure.

WCIWA writes: "Cover crops...are an excellent tool for vegetable gardeners, especially where manures and compost are unavailable. They:

• lessen soil erosion during the winter
• add organic matter when turned under or used as mulch in the spring
• improve soil quality
• suppress weeds
• create and cycle soilborne nutrients"

What a list! No wonder Michelle Obama uses cover crops (annual rye is at least one) to help out the South Lawn's soil. 

WCIWA also reminds home gardeners that: "Information on the use of cover crops is typically tailored to the needs of farmers working on large acres. But when you measure your cropping space in feet rather than acres and your main tools have wooden handles, you need a special set of cover crop plants and  special methods for using them." After all, if you were going to knit a sweater, you wouldn't take your tips from J.Crew's factories; you'd use information from a smaller-scale resource.

Here's a fantastic video from the popular series Cooking Up A Story. In it, Master Gardener Jen Aron shows how she uses cover crops in her home garden.

WCIWA recommends these resources for the gardeners:

• Midwest Cover Crops Field Guide, from the Purdue Extension. A small book you can carry in your pocket, and only $5!
• Managing Cover Crops Profitably, via Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education. Free as a PDF or $19 as a book.

Indiana's Leading Agricultural Trends

Barry Fisher, state agronomist for NRCS

Did you know that Hoosiers, among all the great food-producing states, are actually leading the way in agriculture? That's right - Indiana farmers have received accolades from across the board, from Federal government representatives (NRCS Chief Dave White) and fellow neighbors and farmers. With support from their local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the uniquely Hoosier Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative and the Indiana Conservation Partnership, Hoosier farmers have shown that using conservation-forward agricultural practices is good for their land, good for their crops, and good for their businesses.

Did you know Indiana has more cover crops than the rest of the nation combined?

NRCS states that Indiana farmers' focus on soil health is is notable. "Indiana success with this approach, being promoted through the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative, is getting national attention and will be a focus of NRCS this year."

Hans Kok of CCSI holding 

a sample of a  popular cover crop: 

oilseed radish 

"Soil Health is soil managed to its maximum potential through a system of conservation practices, including never-till, cover crops, advanced nutrient and pest management, and buffers and drainage systems where appropriate. This approach results in healthy soil that reduces erosion, requires less nutrient inputs, manages the effects of flood and drought, and reduces nutrient and sediment loading to streams and rivers." (NRCS)

Indiana farmers certainly have a lot to be proud of! Contact your local SWCD for more information on how to keep this state - and the land we depend on - great.

Managing Phosphorus Shortages With Conservation

Phosphorus is a nutrient that is used ubiquitously in fertilizers. It has an amazing ability to improve crop yields. Much of the Green Revolution, which is credited with having saved hundreds of thousands of people from starvation, utilized it and nitrogen extensively to boost agricultural production.

But where does phosphorus come from? It is not created in a lab, and it's not a renewable resource. In fact, we mine for it. The most productive mine in the US is located in Florida, and it is  growing depleted. The other concentrations of phosphorus are found in the Middle East, China, and South Africa.

The price of phosphorus reflects its increasing shortage: according to Foreign Policy, phosphate fertilizer rose 350% between 2003 and 2008. It has become much more expensive to continue increasing crop yields through phosphorus.

However, in recent years an increasing focus on conservation agriculture and more efficient fertilizer application processes have provided food producers with ways to continue maintaining high crop yields even as phosphate fertilizer costs rise and supply decreases. Phosphorus can be used over and over again (it's not destroyed after one use), and most methods focus on keeping the fertilizer in the soil. These are long-term conservation agriculture solutions that maintain soil health. Low-tech solutions include methods of reducing soil erosion (cover crops, no-till farming) and high-tech solutions like using computers to more accurately measure the amount of fertilizer soil needs and the creation of more phosphorus-efficient crops.

If you are interested in how you can improve your soil's health and your farm's efficiency through conservation agriculture, contact Indiana's widely-recognized Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative. 

Rain Barrels: Coming Soon to an SWCD Near You!

Have you seen one of these on a neighbor's property? Did you find yourself curious? Well wonder no longer: this post is all about rain barrels, one of which is pictured to the right.

When it rains, we have a number of ways to deal with the water: from gutters and drains, to rain gardens and sewage systems. One popular rainwater storage tool for individuals is a rain barrel. Many Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Indiana, and across the country, sell rain barrels.

Did you know that until June 2009, rain barrels were illegal in Colorado? The state ruled that all water that fell belonged to it. Colorado sells much of its water supply to nearby dry or high-water-use states, primarily California. It's still illegal to catch rainwater in Utah, unless you own water rights on the land upon which it falls. In New Mexico, however, it's mandatory for new buildings to have rainwater harvesting infrastructure. Luckily for Hoosiers, harvesting rainwater is a welcomed conservation practice.


The water caught by rain barrels is used for everything imaginable, even drinking (if it's properly purified). Here are some popular rain barrel uses:

1. Reduce water mains' water use, for economic or environmental reasons
2. Aid self-sufficiency 
3. Watering gardens
4. Agriculture
5. Flushing toilets
6. In washing machines
7. Washing cars
8. Drinking (assuming the barrel owner purifies the water)
9. In ground rainwater tanks can also be used for retention of stormwater.
10. In drier regions, water can be stored for the drought seasons.

If you decide to get a rain barrel, make sure to keep it and the gutters to which it's connected clean, and make sure the barrel itself is in good repair. Check out Rain Barrel Maintenance 101.

Did you know? 1 inch of rain on a 1,000 square-foot roof will yield 623 gallons of water. Here's a tool to see how large of a rain barrel you might need.

Check with your local SWCD to see if they sell rain barrels, or if they could direct you to a nearby vendor. Have fun conserving water!

It All Starts With Soil

There are so many cool things about soil! Without it, we wouldn't have good food, good water, good land to build on, or. . . well, really we wouldn't have much of anything without soil. In this blog post I'm going to run over some of the more tangible aspects of soil, and how it affects you every day.

Recently I read an entertaining and interesting article on The Atlantic that discusses how just smelling soil can boost serotonin (the feel-good chemical your body naturally produces) in your brain. Isn't that amazing? We're genetically inclined toward enjoying being close to the earth! I suspect this is not surprising for many of you. :-)

You know that earthy smell and taste you get especially from certain vegetables grown under soil, like carrots? The smell, called "geosmin" by scientists, lends the sought-after flavor depth to foods.

Another cool thing I learned is that different soils produce different-tasting foods. A tomato from Paraguay will taste differently than an Indiana tomato, simply because they were grown in different soils; a Cabernet from Chile will taste different from a California Cabernet. Cooks call the flavor variations due to the soil in which foods were grown "terroir." The unique bacteria, microbes, and other inputs into the growing land all affect the final product.

On the flip side, a cantaloupe grown in an area with poor soil health - one that has had nutrients leached out of it by any number of poor soil management techniques - will be inferior to one grown in healthy, rich soil.

What this all comes down to is that Everything Starts With Soil. Our very livelihood: our food security; our city and town development; our culture; our natural resources, be they forests, fields, or waterways; they are all profoundly influenced by the health of an area's soil. Land management is soil management.

Learn more about how you can improve and protect your soil's health with the help of your local Soil and Water Conservation District. Click here for a listing of Indiana's 92 county offices.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service also has a wide range of resources for learning about Indiana's soil health, and our strategy for preserving it. Check it out here.

No-Till, No Problem!

No-till field after heavy rain
(with cover crops).
Photo credit: Farm Progress

One of the top recommendations of Indiana's Soil and Water Conservation Districts for farmers is to no-till their land. That's right - put down the plow and let your land take care of itself. It is scientifically proven that no-till farming can be more profitable than traditional tilling methods. (source). The trick is doing no-till correctly, and identifying which practices are best for each farmer's unique operation and land needs.

"Utilizing no-till farming practices has been consistently identified as a method which is capable of conserving soil moisture, reducing soil erosion, improving water quality, benefiting wildlife, increasing labor use efficiency, limiting machinery investments, sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide, etc." (source)

Tilled field with standing water
after heavy rain.
Photo credit: UW-Discovery Farms

One of the reasons that traditional farm operations will till their land is to, ostensibly, reduce soil compaction. When soil is compacted, it is difficult for crops' roots to punch through the soil and take up the nutrients they need. However, tilling land is time-consuming and expensive, given the machinery and fuel needed to cover acre after acre. Conservation farmers and scientists have found that no-till fields, especially when paired with cover crops, resist compaction.

This article in No-Till Farmer lists some tips for managing soil compaction. Among them are keeping living roots (cover crops) in the soil year round, not driving on fields (or using low-psi flotation tires) and keeping cattle out of fields.

No-tilled fields perform admirably when paired with other conservation farming methods, like cover crops. For example, as noted in Farm Progress, "No-till builds up soil phosphorus levels in the top couple inches of soil. In a run-off event, soluble P losses can be substantial. That's why the practice still needs to be matched with other conservation practices such as buffer zones and cover crops."

Hoosier farmers are lucky to have a unique resource available: the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative (CCSI). In conjunction with SWCDs, CCSI "promotes a systematic approach to production agriculture focusing on:

1. Continuous no-till/strip-till
2. Cover crops
3. Precision farming
4. Nutrient and pest management

CCSI works with private producers as well. If you're interested in learning more about how no-tilling your fields can improve your operation, contact your local SWCD today. You can also visit a cover crop field day. Use CCSI's calendar to search for an event in your area.

Rain Gardens - the Natural Way to Manage Runoff

It's fairly common knowledge that surface runoff in urban areas can overload sewage and drainage systems; contribute to erosion; contribute to pollution of local water sources; and, of course flooding. Urban areas have lots of impervious surfaces (that don't soak up rainwater) like parking lots and roads, and the natural areas that would normally help manage excess water are diminished.

IU students going to class during the floods of 2008.
Photo credit: IU News Service

When I was living in Bloomington, IN and wading through swamped streets after periods of heavy rain on my way to class and work, I learned first-hand what kinds of problems poor drainage systems can cause! Although it was fun to canoe around Dunn Meadow and kayak down the rapids of the Jordan "River" for a couple days during the floods of 2008, many adjacent communities were declared federal emergency areas and are still dealing with the aftermath. The city was generally bogged down for periods of time after other heavy rains, which leads one to wonder how it could better manage its rain overflow problem.

Urban rain garden.
Photo credit: U. of Rhode Island

One solution can be rain gardens. Rain gardens have been a hot topic in the conservation world for the past few years. The EPA cites rain gardens as a successful way to manage runoff on their stormwater case studies. Essentially, they are a special sort of garden that is designed specifically to absorb water runoff - naturally. The water is stored in the soil. They're also more aesthetically pleasing than a drain, or a flooded sewer!

Rain gardens were first developed in residential areas in 1990 in Maryland. After a few years of studying their effectiveness, they proved to be "highly cost effective."

"Instead of a system of curbs, sidewalks, and gutters, which would have cost nearly $400,000, the planted drainage swales cost $100,000 to install. This was also much more cost effective than building BMP ponds that could handle 2-, 10-, and 100-year storm events.Flow monitoring done in later years showed that the rain gardens have resulted in a 75–80% reduction in stormwater runoff during a regular rainfall event (source)"

If you're interested in learning more about rain gardens, Indiana's Hamilton County SWCD will be hosting a Rain Garden Workshop on Feb. 28. Check out our calendar for details.

EPA Works with Developing Nations to Encourage Smart Water Use

In her book Water Wars (2002), the renowned physicist, activist, visionary and writer Vandana Shiva stresses:

"Water is limited and exhaustible if used nonsustainably. Nonsustainable use includes extracting more water from ecosystems than nature can recharge (ecological nonsustainability) and consuming more than one's legitimate share, given the rights of others to a fair share (social nonsustainability)."

Developing nations often struggle with using sustainable means of production, agriculture, development, etc. Developing an economy with finite resources is immensely difficult. Just think: if currently developed nations had worried about the health of the environment and people during the Industrial Revolution, we might not have developed so fast and so far. We might not also have the resulting ecological problems rising from the reliance on fossil fuels during the I.R., polluting of waterways, etc.

Evo Morales, Presidente de Bolivia 

Although wise in the long run, sustainable practices can be slower and more costly than rapid-development practices; the promise of "fast money" and rapid development in lieu of resource conservation is a strong incentive. Poor countries will drill their minerals and fossil fuels, will fell their great forests, and will clear-cut delicate ecosystems to make room for plantations. It makes sense: a country can sell these resources for a couple generations and in return can experience what is perceived to be a higher standard of living.

However, we now know that wise use of resources now will be beneficial in the long run. Convincing developing nations of this idea has proved to be difficult, although some, such as Bolivia, have taken a wonderfully progressive view of resource conservation. This year, Bolivia passed the Ley de Derechos de la Madre Tierra, or the Law of Rights of Mother Earth, which grants nature equal rights to humans. Read more here. It is interesting to note that Presidente Morales comes from an indigenous background, as do the majority of Bolivians; moreover, about two-thirds of its people are subsistence farmers (source).

High-quality soybeans growing in the residue of a wheat crop.
Photo credit to the Rodale Institute

In the interest of sustainability and development, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working with China to "help [the country] develop a long-term plan to maximize the country’s water resources in the face of a growing population and the potential impacts of climate change." Included in the delegation were representatives from 20 U.S. companies looking to do business with China. The delegates "consulted with Chinese government officials on a host of issues like water and energy efficiency, wastewater treatment and water reuse technologies. The impressive turnout by these companies shows a genuine interest in the growing Chinese marketplace. ...The Chinese government, which has set aside about $5.5 billion over the next eight years to develop a series of ground water-related strategies, has shown [a] strong interest in a growing sector of the U.S. economy." Read more about the delegation at the EPA blog Greenversations.

Financial investment is a strong, sustainable, and responsible means of encouraging the responsible use of water and other resources for nations that desire to grow their economies. Closer to home, Soil and Water Conservation Districts work to encourage producers such as farmers, foresters, and ranchers to manage their production systems in an environmentally conservative way (such as no-till farming) that improves their soil and their profits. Watch a short video about some of the great conservation projects here in Indiana below!

Goose Pond's Annual Marsh Madness

Goose Pond is a young, celebrity Wildlife Area in Greene County, IN. I referenced it in my post Wetlands Are Awesome as one of the most successful resource conservation projects in recent history here in Indiana. It's an invaluable resource for wildlife, hunters, birdwatchers, educators, scientists, and area landowners.

The Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (IASWCD) was excited to feature a presentation about Goose Pond at our 2012 Annual Conference. IASWCD is part of the unique Indiana Conservation Partnership which aligns the interests of a variety of federal and state agencies, including the 92 Indiana Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Members of the Partnership, especially NRCS and the DNR, worked together over a number of years to make the Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area a reality. Goose Pond is an invaluable resource for Hoosiers! Read my post about wetlands to learn more.

Those interested in celebrating and learning more about Goose Pond are invited to its annual Marsh Madness bird festival, March 2-4. The celebration takes place at multiple locations around Greene County and takes place at during the height of the annual Sandhill Crane and waterfowl migration through the area.

Schedule

Sanhill crane adult and chick

The Friday kickoff event takes place from 6:30 - 10pm on March 2. Support the Visitor Center while enjoying a wine tasting from Oliver Winery at the Linton Elks Lodge. Also look for the silent auction! Tickets are $30/person.

Saturday's events run from 7am - 7pm. There is truly something for everyone! Families are welcome and there will be children's activities. Self-guided tours allow participants to witness the annual bird migration; guided tours by bus will be running hourly. Visitors can view live birds of prey, listen to speakers, attend workshops, and shop for arts and crafts. Tickets are only $5/person.

A fair featuring crafts and vendors as well as children's activities will take place on March 4 from noon to 5pm. It is free to attend.

For more information, and to buy tickets, visit marshmadness.info or call (812) 659-9901.

Improving the Mississippi Basin Through Improving Indiana's Soil Health

A watershed, or drainage basin, is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point...where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean. The drainage basin includes both the streams and rivers that convey the water as well as the land surfaces from which water drains into those channels.

The world is connected by water like our bodies are by blood. If our bodies were a watershed, our flesh would be the drainage basin; our veins would be tributaries; and our hearts would be the final body of water.

We all live in a watershed. In Indiana, there are six different watersheds that drain into five different large bodies of water.

There is a lot of agriculture in Indiana. This is great growing land! However, food production can put quite a strain on our water system. For example, poorly-managed manure can drain into streams; chemical and nutrient run-off added to croplands can as well. Eventually, our water systems drain into the Mississippi River Basin, which drains into the Gulf of Mexico.

The Mississippi River Basin. Map courtesy of NPS.

The Gulf of Mexico is a rich and delicate body of water that is currently recognized as a "hypoxic dead zone." (It's actually the most notorious dead zone in the world.) This means that due to contamination, not enough oxygen is available for life to exist. Dead zones can be caused and exasperated by nitrogen and phosphorus, which are two chemicals commonly, even extensively, used in agriculture.

Agriculture in Indiana can thus contribute to the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

NRCS Chief Dave White stated, “The Mississippi River Basin provides drinking water and recreation for millions of people and hosts a globally significant migratory flyway. The basin also houses some of our nation’s most productive agricultural land." The health of the Basin affects our health. The Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI) "works with farmers using a conservation systems approach to manage and optimize nitrogen and phosphorus within fields to minimize runoff and reduce downstream nutrient loading" in order to improve the health of the land and of the Gulf.

Fact: Dead zones are reversible. In fact, the Black Sea, a dead zone when it was under Soviet Union management, has been revived. After the Soviet collapse, fertilizers became too expensive and thus fewer nutrients made it into the Sea. Fishing has once again become a major economic activity in the region.

Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Indiana encourage landowners to optimize the use of phosphorus and nitrogen on their lands to reduce runoff. If you work in agriculture, learn more about MRBI to see how you can improve your land's health and the health of the Gulf.

If you fertilize your lawn, go to the Clear Choices, Clean Water Campaign's Facebook page to learn more about how you can help reverse hypoxia in the Gulf.

Wetlands Are Awesome

For most of the United States' history, wetlands were primarily seen as soggy farmland. In that spirit, wetlands were systematically drained and converted to farmland or subjected to other developments. As the country expanded, it lost about half of its wetlands (source).

Photo: Tamarack Bog Nature Preserve, Pigeon River FWA.
Rich Fields, IDNR Division of Public Information and Education

Over the past couple of decades, we have become aware of the vast array of benefits wetlands provide to the ecosystem(s) that support us. As stated on the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM)'s website, wetlands protect our homes, our crops, and our wildlife. Wetland restoration projects have been underway nationwide since the mid-twentieth century. Most people have heard of the Everglades, one of the most wide-reaching and successful (and expensive) wetland restoration projects to date. 

Wetlands protect our homes from floods, as well as stream or river banks from erosion, by acting as a sponge for excess water. They "naturally store and filter nutrients and sediments," which makes our drinking water cleaner. Lastly, "more than one-third of America's threatened and endangered species live only in wetlands." People use wetlands for hunting, fishing, photography, education, and more. The economic value of wetlands as stated by IDEM comes to $59.5 billion. 

As wetlands affect and protect so many parts of our lives, it comes as no surprise that efforts to restore and conserve them are undertaken by a variety of agencies, organizations, and individuals. 

So what's being done to restore and conserve wetlands in Indiana? Federal programs such as the WRP, or Wetland Reserve Program, and its sister WREP, Wetland Reserve Enhancement Program, have a presence here in Indiana. One of the most successful projects as of late was the creation of 7,200-acre Goose Pond, located in Linton, IN. Formerly a permanent easement under the management of NRCS, it is now owned and managed by the Indiana DNR. It is an invaluable resource for wildlife, hunters, birdwatchers, and area landowners.

Click here for a flyover video of Goose Pond.

Wetlands take centuries to form, and much less than that to drain. While the past few decades' successes are notable, and a step in the right direction, it will take centuries for wetlands to recover.

"...On average, restored wetlands regained only about three-quarters of their original biological performance....[Wetlands also] hold at least a quarter of the world's land-based carbon, according to the World Resources Institute’s Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. But restored wetlands hold less carbon—on average, 23 percent less than untouched wetlands" (GOOD Magazine).

Would you like to learn more about WRP opportunities?

How about wetlands in Indiana?

Urban Soil Testing

In Indianapolis' local weekly newspaper NUVO, editors shared information about a project that tests the soil of urban neighborhoods. Free soil testing is offered to residents of two neighborhoods lying shortly northeast and west of Indy's city center. The communities are experiencing high levels of unemployment and below-average graduation rates. Additionally, high levels of lead in the communities' soil are negatively impacting local children. According to NUVO, the soil contaminants "threaten to exacerbate a host of social ills by undermining local children's ability to concentrate and learn."

An EPA grant is funding the project, which is administered by Improving Kids Environment (IKE) and IUPUI.

IKE founder Tom Nelter founded the organization to bridge what he views as a "gap that existed between the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, a regulatory agency not focused on health, and the Indiana Department of Health, which wasn’t addressing environmental issues" (NUVO).

Soil and water conservation is traditionally thought of as having a rural focus. However, the quality of our natural resources, whether they're located in a city center, in agriculture, or protected lands, affect each person individually. Environmental health is human health.

What non-ag soil and water conservation projects have you seen in your community?

Rainforest Vs. Oil

In 2007 Rafael Correa, the president of Ecuador, had a difficult choice to make. One of the most biodiverse areas of the planet was currently protected as an Ecuadorian national park (Yasuni), but the country was feeling economic pressure to destroy it in order to get at the 846 million barrels of oil that lay below. The oil there was valued at $7.2 billion USD. Sr. Correa proposed a compromise:

Pristine Yasuni National Forest

If the rest of the world donated half the value of the oil, then the rainforest would remain protected.

The United Nations Development Programme helped Ecuador to establish and administer a trust fund to manage the funds it received. Celebrities (Al Gore, Leonardo DiCaprio) and a host of businesses and national governments stepped up to the challenge. According to The Guardian, $116 million was donated by the December 30 cut-off date. For now, the park's most valuable sectors will remain free from oil exploitation.

Drilling for Oil in the Rainforest

GOOD Magazine writes:

"The notion that everyone has a personal and financial interest in saving the rainforest (and other ecosystems) is a relatively novel one, so it’s not surprising that the world hasn’t poured even more money into Ecuador’s coffers. This experiment has made clear, though, that the decision not to drill for oil does have financial value—over the longer term, that value could outstrip the profits of exploiting resources.

[As] Reuters’ Felix Salmon...puts it, “Oilfields, eventually, run out of oil. But untapped oilfields never do.” As long as the world depends on oil, fears climate change, and values biodiversity, Ecuador can essentially charge the world rent on benefits derived from the rainforest."