By Don Steen ~ Staff Writer • [email protected]
The Spencer County Soil and Water Conservation District met for their 80th annual meeting Tuesday night, January 23. Despite the heavy fog and rain that evening, the Spencer County Youth and Community Center offered a lively venue for district members, who shared a catered dinner from The Chateau before getting down to business.
Tim Luecke was elected to another three-year term as district supervisor and members quickly moved through the agenda of reviewing and accepting last year’s meeting minutes and the district’s annual financial report. Naturally, members also congratulated the honorees of 2023.
The 2023 Conservation Farmers of the Year Award was presented to Hildenbrand Farms. The award was accepted by Nick, Ryan, and Mark Hildenbrand.
The Conservation Farmers of the Year Award is sponsored by Indiana Farm Bureau and Indiana Prairie Farmer in cooperation with the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Spencer County picks one producer or family that has shown exemplary conservation practices, particularly in a given year. For 2023, the soil and water board deemed the efforts of Hildenbrand Farms worthy of the honor.
The next big award of the night came with a large metal sign, marking the owner as the 2023 River Friendly Farmer. Motorists may have caught sight of such signs before, demonstrating that the farming operation off the roadside had made great effort to keep local rivers, lakes, and streams clean.
The 2023 River Friendly Farmer Award went to Roger Hurm. His efforts were also honored at the Indiana State Fair in August.
The last award of the evening was for the 4-H Soil and Water Grand Champion. This honor went to Elliot Rahman for his 4-H project on the importance of conservation and soil health. He provided judges with soil samples he had collected during the course of his studies.
Rahman could not be present that evening, but he will soon be a 10-year member of the 4-H Club. He plans to attend Southern Illinois University in Carbondale to earn an automotive technology degree.
The evening then turned to a number of featured speakers, addressing various issues central to agricultural life. Topics ranged from local watersheds to mental health as well as the trials and tribulations of trying new things in the field.
Neal Schroeder of Warrick County Soil and Water Conservation District offered a presentation on the Little Pigeon Creek Watershed. He pointed out that much of this area, including portions of Dubois and Warrick counties, consists of highly erodible soils. This poses a risk of not only losing valuable soil nutrients, but contaminating waterways and impacting the habitat of aquatic life.
Much of the watershed is a floodplain, particularly the Otter Creek area. Floodwater can carry sediment, nitrates, phosphorus, and other runoff downstream into the Ohio River, and thence to the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi. This can contribute to the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico, where larger marine life has been significantly hindered.
Schroeder said there is currently an effort to begin collecting data on the Little Pigeon Creek Watershed and begin outreach with local communities. The long-term goal is to establish a Watershed Management Plan to mitigate erosion and runoff.
The next speaker was Kathy Walker of the Indiana Rural Health Association, who spoke on the subject of mental health in rural America. She noted that while there are few industries as critical to society as agriculture, farming areas are often underserved when it comes to health care in general, particularly mental health.
“You’re very important to all of us,” said Walker. “You provide for our daily needs.”
Read more on this story in this week’s issue of the Spencer County Leader!
Featured Image: The 2023 Conservation Farmers of the Year Award was presented to Hildenbrand Farms. The award was accepted by Nick, Ryan, and Mark Hildenbrand
The 80th Annual Meeting drew quite the crowd this year
Attendees were treated to a delicious dinner catered from The Chateau
Joseph Kern gives a presentation to the crowd during the meeting
Roger Hurm was honored as the 2023 River Friendly Farmer of Indiana award at the meeting. Hurm was also honored for his efforts at the Indiana State Fair in August
