"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.