Hi conservation partners and friends,
We have good news. Our parent organization, the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (IASWCD) and the Indiana Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) were able to enter into a contribution agreement to provide continued funding for the Urban Soil Health program.
The arrangement is for three staff: a Program Director and two field staff, a North and a South Small Farm Conservationist. Our program focus and team will transition to more direct technical assistance with farmers, and supporting Indiana Conservation Partnership (ICP) staff with financial incentive Farm Bill Programs for diversified, small-scale farmers.
We are encouraged that we will be able to continue our work with conservation partners and growers alike via our program. This transition is part of a statewide effort to continue to provide support to our diversified small farm clients.
Program Focus
The Urban Soil Health program’s emphasis is shifting to conservation planning and technical assistance for small-scale diversified farms.
Your Small Farm Conservationists will:
- Assist with site visits upon request from District Conservationists or partners.
- Deliver one-on-one technical assistance to small-scale, diversified farms – with special emphasis on larger and more complex operations such as market farms, fruit, nut, vegetable crop and livestock operations.
- Support District Conservationists (DCs) with Conservation Planning.
- Take a proactive role in identifying and engaging new clients.
- Promote farm bill programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for small-scale clients.
While local education and outreach events will decrease, Urban Soil Health will still offer on-farm learning opportunities and technical resources to growers and Indiana Conservation Partnership (ICP) staff.
Staffing
Program staff via the Urban Soil Health program have been reduced to three positions to cover 85 counties in the Mississippi River Watershed:
- North Small Farm Conservationist: Tanvi Lad tanvi-lad@iaswcd.org
- South Small Farm Conservationist: Megan Ayers megan-ayers@iaswcd.org
- Program Director (with Southwest coverage): Elli Blaine eliana-blaine@iaswcd.org
The 7 counties in the far Northeast in the Great Lakes Watershed (Elkhart, LaGrange, Steuben, Noble, DeKalb, Allen, Adams) will be covered by staff hired via a contract with Allen County SWCD:
- Small Farm Project Manager: Michael Ryan mryan.swcd@gmail.com
Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District will lead technical resources development and work closely with the team via a related contribution agreement.
- Soil Health Specialist: Kevin Allison kevin-allison@iaswcd.org
View map of updated staff coverage areas. Look up your county to connect with your Conservationist.
We are grateful for the work of the local USH Working Groups that have been established through local SWCDs, many of whom will continue to offer site visits, soil tests, and technical assistance via their staff.
We look forward to continuing to work with you, and please reach out to us with any questions.
Sincerely,
Elli Blaine and Julie Good
Elli Blaine
Director, Urban Soil Health IASWCDeliana-blaine@iaswcd.orgPoint of contact for Mississippi River Watershed counties questions.
Julie Good
Director, Conservationist Allen County SWCDjgood.swcd@gmail.comPoint of contact for Great Lakes Watershed counties questions.
USH is ReBranding!
We want to come up with a new name… that accurately reflects our work and mission, and takes into account our new concentration on conservation planning and direct technical assistance for small-scale diversified farms.
As well as the targeted support we provide for District Conservationists and local field planners for small farm EQIP and CSP financial incentive programs.
