NRCS Announces Disaster Recovery Relief for Ohio Farmers

COLUMBUS, June 28, 2019 – Extreme weather conditions like the recent excessive rains and tornadoes have negatively impacted Ohio farmers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service will invest $4 million to help Ohio agricultural producers recover. Technical and financial assistance is now available to producers who were unable to plant their crops, or who have experienced crop loss due to flooded or wet fields. This sign-up is an opportunity for farmers to plant a cover crop.

“NRCS can be a valuable partner to help Ohio landowners with their agricultural recovery effort,” said State Conservationist Terry Cosby for NRCS in Ohio. “This special sign-up encourages farmers to plant cover crops to improve water quality and soil health, prevent soil erosion, and suppress weeds on areas not planted to crops.”

NRCS will utilize the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for this special disaster recovery sign-up. EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that helps agricultural producers protect the environment while promoting agricultural production.

Cover crops provide an alternative to fields going fallow and remaining uncovered. Cover crops also improve soil vitality by adding nutrients and organic matter. Many fields that are saturated for a long period of time face a loss of soil organisms. Cover crop roots reestablish soil health and create pathways for air and water to move through the soil, which is key to restoring it.
There are significant changes with cover crops and we want producers to be successful in their 2020 planting year. Educational cover crop workshops and field days are readily available throughout Ohio to learn more. Additional information is also available on the NRCS website and farmers.gov/prevented-planting.

Landowners should coordinate with other USDA farm agencies when participating in related programs. It is a producer’s responsibility to work directly with their insurance agent and RMA to ensure they understand their policy.

To apply for this special EQIP opportunity, farmers in Clermont County should contact either Lori Lenhart, NRCS District Conservationist, or Jenna Swanson, NRCS Soil Scientist at (513) 732-2181 ext. 3. Applications will be accepted beginning July 1, 2019 until funding is exhausted.

Rain Barrels – Collecting Water for Your Outdoor Needs

The use of rain barrels lowers municipal water demands and  decreases storm water runoff. It’s a great way to conserve water and it’s free water for use in your landscape!

FEATURES

  • 50 gallon capacity
  • Large opening lid with  locking feature
  • Lid can be reversed to act as a planter
  • FlexiFit™ diverter and all parts included for installation. FlexiFit™ diverter returns rainwater to downspout when barrel is full – no spillover
  • 10 Year UV Resistance
  • AVAILABLE IN GRANITE (Shown)

The cost to purchase a rain barrel is $85.00 each. Limited quantities are available, so please email or call our office at (513) 732-7075 ext. 2.

Call for SWCD Supervisor Candidates

Clermont SWCD is seeking candidates for its Board of Supervisors.  Two supervisors will be elected at the 2019 Annual Meeting which will be held on September 12.

Board Supervisors guide the district, its staff, and cooperating  agencies in efforts to implement conservation programs in the county that address management and conservation of soil, water and related resources. Board members should have a sincere interest in conservation and must have the enthusiasm, dedication and the time to serve as an elected official. This is a volunteer position, but supervisors can be reimbursed for mileage & expenses (registration, lodging, meals, etc.) related to events involving soil & water professionals.

What a potential supervisor needs to know:

* Candidate must be over 18 years old and a resident of Clermont County.

* This is a volunteer position and runs in 3 year terms.

* Board meetings are on the second Wednesday of the month at 8:00 AM and normally run 1 ½ to 2 hours.

* Attendance at occasional outside meetings, events or training is required.

If you are interested in becoming a Board Supervisor for Clermont SWCD, please contact John McManus, District Administrator by email or at (513) 732-7075 Ext: 103.

SWCD Water Quality Efforts Recognized

Full detention structure in field waterway

Clermont SWCD, along with the Clermont Office of Environmental Quality and the US EPA Office of Research and Development were awarded the top government storm water project of the year at the 2019 Ohio Storm Water Conference in Sharonville, OH. Our project was funded by a USDA Conservation Innovation Grant and was installed in 2015. This project was funded to research innovative solutions by developing new strategies to support conservation efforts. The project involved the installation of an urban storm water detention basin into an agricultural setting. This project is currently being researched to determine effectiveness of agricultural nutrient removal.

Submerged treatment bed for nutrient removal

The need to address agricultural runoff is important because of the water quality degradation and algal blooms that are occurring around the world. Nutrients leaving agricultural fields are a contributing factor to water quality problems. The soils that we have in our county are very unique to Ohio and an “outside the box” approach was needed because current management practices do not always apply in our area.

The partnership to make this project successful includes many county, state and federal agencies, landowners, and the private industry. This project speaks to the great success of everyone working together for a viable solution.