01.21.15 SW HUB TELECONFERENCE NOTES

SW REGIONAL HUB TEAM TELECONFERENCE

February 11th, 2015

Present: / Lisa Holscher, IASWCD / CCSI
Don Donovan, NRCS Parke-Vermillion
Amanda Mosiman, Purdue Extension - Warrick
Dan Luczynski, NRCS Area Office
Notes by: / Lisa Holscher
  • “Ray Weil Days”
  • Three independent workshops
  • West Central = August 18
  • NE = August 19
  • Southern = August 20.
  • Don D. will help Lisa H. / be a second set of eyes on collaboration between all three events.
  • August 18th Event at Beefhouse.
  • Event/Agenda is planned. Speakers and location are confirmed.
  • Other Speakrs
  • Barry Fisher – to tie everything back to soil health, Indiana focus
  • Bob Barr (IUPUI) and Mike Starkey, maybe Jack Maloney to talk about Eagle Creek watershed, edge of field monitoring
  • August 20th– will cover southern part of the state
  • Clint Harrison (NRCS) and Kris Medic (Purdue Extension) both on board for location near Columbus. May have farm shop with good facilities
  • Agenda still needs to be planned. IF time allows, Amanda Mosiman may participate in planning via teleconference
  • Kurt Stahl / Evansville area event
  • In order to attract more conventional-tilling audience, might want to focus on topics that would be of great interest to that group. And have 1-2 sessions of a workshop on soil health.
  • Dates are unknown – perhaps target May?
  • Amana M. will be key in coordinating this event.
  • MANURE (Feb 2 – Loogootee)
  • Brad Joern was unable to speak (snowstorm). Although content was not as planned and not at the level wanted, the farmer take away was very strong.
  • Was especially good to have State Chemists Office present to discuss licensing, regulations
  • Because of demand, the event will be repeated in the area. It will also be repeated in the NE – a grower from Noble County contacted Lisa H. to make that request.
  • Advanced Conservation Cropping Systems
  • March 11th -SWPAC / VU John Deere Tech Center
  • Agenda + Registration Links have been emailed
  • Focus will be on nutrients
  • Brad Joern will be unable to attend (teaching), but Eileen Kladivko and Jim Camberato will present some of his information
  • Eileen Kladivko will talk on tile drainage and its impacts on nutrients in surface waters.
  • Jim Camberato will talk on nutrient basics, nutrient cycling, urease and nitrification inhibitors, manures as a nutrient source
  • Aaron Johnson, Riverview Farms (Orange Co) – will be farmer expert to talk about how their operation handles manures, issues they have had, equipment
  • Barry and/or Tony Bailey will talk about ramifications of too much manure
  • Barry will bring back to soil health – especially nutrients’ roles in increasing organic matter.
  • Purdue Extension
  • Mike Shutz, ANR Director, seems to be taking an active interest in soil health and CCSI. Even attending the Intro to Soil Health at SEPAC
  • Amanda M. is now on the State ANR Advisory Team
  • A new position – ANR Assistant Program Leader for Soil Health has been created and will be filled by Walt Sell, the current Central District Director for Extension. His appointment takes place April 15. From the announcement:

Along with soil health, Walt’s new responsibilities will include a dedicated focus on water quality and nutrient management. Within each of these critical issues, Walt will help us more firmly establish Purdue Extension as a premier source of objective education for Indiana farmers and agricultural producers.

By creating this position, Purdue Extension achieves several strategic objectives:
We can more closely align county Educators with campus faculty and Specialists whose groundbreaking research will inspire effective field-education programs of greatest use to farmers. Also, with committed leadership, this partnership will remain stable and continuous.
We address several issues that are of top priority for leaders in Indiana government.
We can more efficiently distribute responsibilities in interviewing / hiring new ANR Educators.

  • Scott Monroe, is now at SWPAC to focus 100% of his time on Fruit and Vegetable grower needs. (Daviess ANR position is now opwn)
  • Next Teleconference: April 15