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River-Friendly Hoosier farms earn kudos for efforts of conservation
 


INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The River-Friendly Farmer Award, granted to water-conservative farmers each year, was bestowed on 49 farming families by the Indiana Assoc. of Soil and Water Conservation (IASWC) in the final week of this year’s Indiana State Fair.

Each year, county Soil and Water Conservation District offices may nominate up to two farmers for the award who excel at preserving rivers and other bodies of water in their area using conservation management practices. Watershed organizations also nominate farmers for the award by application.

In addition to Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Indiana Farm Bureau President Randy Kron, recently appointed State Conservationist Jerry Raynor spoke at the event. He acknowledged the winners and all conservation-minded farmers are a big part of how the world will solve future challenges.

“Thank you to all the farm families here today, thank you for what you’ve done and what you will do, and thank you for our future,” he said. “I know it doesn’t always look bright, but there’s one thing I do know – agriculture is going to be a part of this nation’s thread, and that’s the thread that’s going to keep us tied together and keep us on that right direction for many years to come.”

All 49 recipients are working hard to keep water clean in their areas, according the IASWC. To give the audience an idea of how some of how farms can promote conservationism, brief biographies explaining these management practices were read.

Many of the farmer recipients have been establishing cover crops, especially on highly-erodible land. No-till, strip-till, tile drainage and riparian corridors are also used in most cases to keep nutrients in soil and stabilize erosion.

To ensure runoff from crops or pastures run into nearby rivers or other bodies of water as cleanly as possible, many of the farmers make use of filter strips, buffer strips and waterways. These additions act as filters to remove excess sediment or surplus nutrients from the water.

On livestock operations, farmers have found that nutrient management programs, rotational graving, pasture management, heavy-use area pads and automatic waterers work well in preventing erosion and runoff. Some recipients have even begun restoring wetlands, planting bottomland trees and providing habitat areas for wildlife and pollinators.

Raynor said he was honored to be a part of the ceremony with “the best of the best in Indiana,” and implored farming families to reach out to their local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offices should they need any help in their efforts of environmental protection.

“Let us know what your needs are, what your concerns are, and if there is anything we can do to assist you,” he said. “That’s what our goal is. We want to make you sustainable, we want to make you more productive and we want to continue to be able to feed this nation.”

With the ever-present challenges facing the farming industry, Raynor said, comes recognition of those who rise above them. He encouraged those present to continue leading the way of land stewardship.

“Being in ag and understanding what our mission is and what we do, providing that food for the nation, being stewards of the land that we have in our possession – it is enriching, it is life-giving, it is enjoyment – and being able to fish those rivers and kayak those rivers that farmers are farming next to – to see the improvements we’ve made from year to year, it is truly inspirational. Continue to do what you do,” he said. “Continue to be that beacon of light.”

You can learn more about this year’s individual winners online at http://wordpress.iaswcd.org/river-friendly-farmer-award

 

9/19/2018