Hi everyone! My name is Mariah Denzik and I’m happy to join Brown and Clermont Natural Resources Conservation Service as a Natural Resource Specialist. I began my career with USDA with the Farm Service Agency in August of 2021 and recently made the jump to NRCS in October. I’ve always enjoyed being outdoors and graduated from Ohio University with a B.A in Environmental Biology and a certificate in Environmental Sustainability. After graduation, I moved to North Carolina where I participated in wetland surveys on Camp Lejeune and taught various science lab courses at a community college. When I made my way back to Ohio, I worked with the Adams County Health Department as an Environmental Health Specialist while gaining an M.S. in Biological Sciences online with Clemson University. My time outside of work is spent going on various adventures with my son, Emerson and our three-legged dog, Charlie.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Ohio Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications from landowners interested in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) to build on existing conservation efforts to increase operational efficiencies and environmental benefits as well as reduce overall input costs.
This year, Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding is providing additional financial opportunities for select conservation practices and enhancements to increase direct climate mitigation benefits. The deadline to receive fiscal year 2023 funding for both CSP-Classic and CSP-IRA is April 7, 2023.
Through CSP, agricultural producers and forest landowners earn payments for actively managing, maintaining, and expanding conservation activities like cover crops, ecologically-based pest management, buffer strips, and pollinator and beneficial insect habitat – all while maintaining active agriculture and forestry production on their land.
Learn more about the CSP-Classic and CSP-IRA application process and eligible land use resource concerns on the Ohio NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program webpage. Landowners in Clermont County who are interested in signing up or learning about other technical and financial assistance available through NRCS should contact Christina Gates, District Conservationist, at christina.gates@usda.gov or (513) 732-2181 ext. 3.
Hello everyone! My name is Christina Gates and I am the new District Conservationist for Clermont and Brown Counties. I have just made the move to Ohio NRCS after working with Indiana NRCS for the last 3 ½ years and spent 2 ½ years prior to that with Shelby County Soil and Water Conservation District.
I am a Purdue University-Ag Economics alumnus and after being in the ag industry post-graduation, decided that I would like to have a career in conservation. At Shelby County SWCD I was the Natural Resource Specialist and wrote a Watershed Management Plan for The Lower Big Blue River (HUC-10) under the EPA Section 319 Grant. In 2016 I started as a Soil Conservationist with NRCS in Greencastle, Indiana and in 2019 became a District Conservationist in Greene County, Indiana.
Outside of work I enjoy the outdoors—boating, fishing, racing, hiking, concerts, and most recently shopping at Lowe’s for new homeowner DIY projects. I am very excited to have the opportunity to join Ohio NRCS—to grow, learn, become involved, and share my knowledge of conservation!
Kat Zelak, SWCD Education Coordinator
Hello, my name is Kat Zelak and I am looking forward to serving you as your Education Coordinator. I grew up in Rochester, NY and have called Cincinnati home for the last 3 years. In 2014, I completed two B.S. degrees from Cornell University in animal science and natural resources and in 2018, a M.S. degree from the Ohio State University in agriculture and extension education. In my free time I love to take backpacking trips, knit, and play ice hockey. I’m excited to learn more about your programming needs and work with you all in the future. If you have any recommendations for future programming or feedback about the programs we currently offer, please do not hesitate to contact me at kzelak@clermontcountyohio.gov.
Brittany McAdams, NRCS Soil Conservationist
My name is Brittany McAdams and I am the new soil conservationist for Clermont and Brown Counties. I originally hail from Aurora, IN, which is right across the IN/OH state line in Dearborn County. I earned my B.S. in natural resources from Purdue University and my M.S. in soil science from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. For the past two years I worked as a land manager and educator for a parks district in Carmel, Indiana. When I’m not working as a soil con, I am an avid birder, and spend a lot of my time hiking in the beautiful woodlands of southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky. I am very excited to be joining the NRCS team and become a part of the Clermont and Brown County community.
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.
