Q8 Update - new funding and two successful field days
Exciting news! We received a project extension and an additional $15,000 in funding for our Lake Monroe Watershed Conservation Cost-Share Program. Between two project cancellations and this additional funding, we currently have $26,000 in funding available for new projects. Please reach out to coordinator Maggie Sullivan at watershed@friendsoflakemonroe.org or 812-558-0217 if you are interested in a free project consultation.
In November, we hosted two field days to showcase conservation practices. The first was a breakfast and farm tour at Dean Manuel’s farm called “Got Erosion? Get a HUAP!” The weather kindly brought us a rainstorm so we could see how a heavy use area pad (HUAP) provides a gathering place for livestock out of the mud. These pads are constructed with geotextile fabric, stone, and agricultural lime to provide a solid surface for feeding and/or watering. Dean has several on his farm for his cows and horses as well as an access road (funded through our program) to allow easy equipment movement between his barn and the largest HUAP. This allows him to easily place bales of hay for feed and to scrape off manure as it accumulates. We had a great turnout and a fabulous breakfast. Many thanks to Dean and April for hosting and to Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative for funding breakfast!
Our second field day was “Get it Done With a Drone!” about using drones to plant cover crops. This technology allows farmers to plant their cover crops while the main crop is still growing, giving them a chance to establish earlier in the fall. While we managed to pick a snowy day, we were still able to get a good look at the oats, radishes, and crimson clover growing before we moved indoors to see video footage of the drone planting back in September. Many thanks to the Seymour High School Agriculture Department for hosting and to Premier Ag for providing dinner and our guest speakers!
We are excited to see conservation practices being implemented in the Lake Monroe watershed. Of the ten projects approved through our cost-share program, five have been installed, three should be wrapped up by the end of the year, and the last two should be complete in the spring. Jeff Lucas recently finished converting three acres of cropland into pasture for his horses near Smithville. John Miller installed a water and sediment control basin (WASCOB) on his hilly cropland near Story. Chad Wagler planted several hundred acres of cover crops using a drone in fields around Brown County. We look forward to installing more projects next year and hopefully receiving funding to keep this program going through 2028!
