Q6 Update - Field Day and New Cost-Share Projects
It has been another busy quarter in our Lake Monroe Watershed Conservation Cost-Share Program. Our committee met in March and approved three more projects, bringing the total number of approved projects to ten. We had a cover crop project that was completed in the fall and a project involving livestock practices that was completed in February. In April, we inspected and approved our third project, the creation of a gravel access road between a barn and a heavy use area pad (HUAP). It's a very simple practice but it is a great way to reduce soil erosion from machinery and livestock movement.
In May, we held a Soil Health Field Day on May 14th in partnership with the Monroe County Soil & Conservation District. Many thanks to Bill Duckworth (pictured in the black jacket) for sharing his story of rehabilitating the cropland around the Monroe County Airport, which had experienced major erosion before he took over.
It was a little rainy but we had a great time visiting the fields and learning about conservation. Bill has been using cover crops, no till planting, and WASCOBs (water and sediment control basins) to stabilize the field and rebuild soil health. Justin Conard (pictured in baseball hat) also shared his memories from when his grandfather farmed the land many years ago. It can be challenging for landowners to find tenant farmers who are committed to investing in soil conservation, particularly when the farmer may only have a contract for a year or two. Building soil healthy takes a lot of time and the benefits do not appear immediately. It's great to meet farmers who are committed to improving soil health on rented land and landowners who will support them.
Martha Miller with the Monroe County Soil & Water Conservation shared two different soil tests, a slake test and a slump test. These tests help demonstrate how some soils have a resilient structure - they hold together even when wet and can absorb water easily - while other soils completely fall apart.
Healthy soils have lots of living roots and active bacteria making "glue" that gives the soil structure to hold moisture and withstand erosion. Unhealthy soils have minimal roots, minimal active bacteria, and minimal structure for water storage and resistance to erosion. The best management techniques for maintaining healthy soils are to plant cover crops after the main crop is harvested (so the bacteria have new roots to feed on) and to minimize tillage (which damages soil structure and disrupts the bacteria ecosystem).
Field days are a great way to introduce farmers (and non-farmers) to conservation practices and to share information about our Conservation Cost-Share Program. We are planning to host a field day this fall at one of our cost-share project sites in Brown County with a focus on livestock and forestry practices. More details coming soon!
