Awards Presented At KCSWCD Annual MeetingKosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District held its 65th annual meeting virtually Tuesday.
During the meeting, elections were held for two supervisor positions on the SWCD board, one elected and one appointed. Ryan Martin was elected to a second term on the SWCD Board and Stan Moore received a second appointment to the Board after serving two elected terms. Both will serve three-year terms.
Four students were recognized as being the top high school soil judgers in the county in 2021. Awardees were Nicole Ziemek, Tippecanoe Valley High School; Cade Beer, Jared Beer and Justin Mullet, Wawasee High School.
Indiana’s River Friendly Farmer Award recognizes farmers who implement conservation practices that protect and enhance Indiana’s rivers, lakes and streams. The award is based on nine criteria that rate a farmer’s conservation practices including erosion control, as well as nutrient and pest management.
Mike Long was nominated by KCSWCD for his use of no-till, cover crops, water control structures, buffer and filter strips, as well as a two-stage ditch in his operation. This award is sponsored by Indiana Farm Bureau, the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Indiana Department of Agriculture.
This year’s Conservation Education Award went not to an individual, but to a school, for a project that made a difference in their community. Jefferson Elementary fourth- and sixth-grade students took action to lower E.coli levels in nearby Cherry Creek. Students conducted water tests, did research and made presentations to lobby for pet waste stations along the creek. They also created educational posters and brochures to educate the public about picking up pet waste. This turned into a community effort involving the Soil and Water Conservation District, The Watershed Foundation and the town of Winona Lake. Subsequent testing revealed E.coli levels dropped significantly.
The Conservation Farmer of the Year Award is the district’s longest-given recognition. It acknowledges noteworthy conservation practices in a farm operation that improve soil health, water quality and related natural resources. Steve Metzger of South View Farms received this year’s award for work on his grain and dairy farm in the southern part of the county. Noteworthy practices include no-till planting, cover crops, and collaborative installation of a two-stage ditch. Metzger has also instituted a nutrient management plan, which includes a waste storage facility and the use of French drains.
