NORTH WEBSTER — North Webster grain farmer Sherm Bryant was recently honored with the River Friendly Farmer Award by the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Bryant, who turned 91 in June, will formally receive the award at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, on the second floor of the 4-H Exhibition Hall during …read more.

INDIANAPOLIS – During their annual conference at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts honored farmers, county employees, educators and volunteers for their outstanding work in conservation throughout Indiana. On Tuesday, Jan. 15, at the awards luncheon, these individuals and organizations received awards for their exceptional commitment to protecting …read more.

KOSCIUSKO — The Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District, in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, will be convening a Local Working Group at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4, in the USDA Service Center, located at 217 E. Bell Drive, Warsaw, before its monthly board meeting. SWCD will be looking for local input …read more.

KOSCIUSKO — Loss of habitat and establishing a garden plot with native plants, are topics the Soil and Water Conservation District will address at a June 21 workshop. The workshop will include a plant give-away to participants to establish a small pollinator plot.  SWCD will offer pollinator 6-packs that will cover a 10 square foot plot, to …read more.

CLAYPOOL — Fifth grade students at Claypool Elementary are discovering water is the most important resource on the planet. Through project-based learning, students are researching how the Earth’s water supply is affected by humans and the ways in which mankind can conserve and protect this resource. Students recently enjoyed the opportunity to learn alongside their …read more.

WARSAW—The Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Soil and Water Conservation Districts  of Kosciusko and Wabash counties are hosting a contractor’s meeting for those who install or complete projects and practices for these agencies. The meeting will be held in Manchester University’s Jo Young Switzer Center (formerly the Union), in the Hoff Room at …read more.

WARSAW — Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) sponsored Kosciusko Indiana Master Naturalists graduated its inaugural class, according to Darci Zolman, SWCD Program Director. Of the eighteen participants, sixteen completed the required 24 hours of classroom/field work and passed the test with 70% or better. Nine members have also fulfilled the mandatory 24 …read more.

ELKHART — The 2016 Four County Forestry Field Day will be held 9 a.m. until noon, Saturday, Sept. 17 at the forested property of Jim and Peggy Garber in Elkhart County. The field day will be held in the northwest corner of CR 20 and CR 33, Southwest of Middlebury; look for signs. This event …read more.

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District has new plat books for sale and they include many new features. The new books include the following: Landowner maps that concentrate on rural landownership with detailed acreage information, parcel boundaries and section lines. Each map includes highways, roads, waterways, railways and municipal boundaries. Specialty maps include Kosciusko …read more.

PIERCETON — Pollinators like honeybees can be beneficial in many ways, from producing honey to pollinating many different kinds of crops. Tuesday evening, June 28, area residents gathered at Koinonia Environmental Center, Pierceton, where representatives from the Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District, Farm Service Agency and other local agencies, as well as a …read more.

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — To assist landowners with pollinator plantings, an early-evening workshop is set for 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, June 28, at Koinonia Nature Preserve, 6170 S 650 E, Pierceton. This workshop will focus on how to start with a pollinator planting and will cover site selection, site preparation, and species selection. A follow-up workshop is being …read more.

WARSAW — The Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District hosted a local working group prior to its regular monthly meeting Tuesday, Oct. 6. The purpose of the working group was to gain input on prioritization of local natural resource concerns. Those present represented the SWCD, the Kosciusio County Extension, the FSA and other entities. The ranking pertained …read more.

The Indiana State Department of Agriculture and the State Soil Conservation Board recently distributed $910,000 to 91 Soil and Water Conservation Districts throughout the state. Kosciusko County is eligible for $10,000. Each year, through the Clean Water Indiana program, ISDA and the SSCB provide a match of up to $10,000 to those SWCDs who receive …read more.

To what extent is it possible to efficiently farm and protect natural resources at the same time? Some feel both can be accomplished effectively and seek to scientifically prove it through a statewide soil health program. One local farmer in particular strongly believes in protecting natural resources. Jamie Scott farms about 2,000 acres just west …read more.