Indiana
farmers are on a Health Kick! Soil Health is soil managed to its maximum
potential through a system of conservation practices, including never-till,
cover crops, advanced nutrient and pest management, and buffers and drainage
systems where appropriate. This approach results in healthy soil that reduces
erosion, requires less nutrient inputs, manages the effects of flood and
drought, and reduces nutrient and sediment loading to streams and rivers.
Indiana success with this approach, being promoted through the Conservation
Cropping Systems Initiative, is getting national attention and will be a focus
of NRCS this year. For more information on Indiana Soil Health click here
Through the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering financial and technical assistance to farmers, ranchers and forest landowners interested in improving water quality and aquatic habitats in priority watersheds with impaired streams. NRCS will help producers implement conservation and management practices through a systems approach to control and trap nutrient and manure runoff. Qualified producers will receive assistance for installing conservation practices such as cover crops, filter strips and terraces. For over 75 years, NRCS has provided agricultural producers with assistance to implement voluntary conservation practices that protect natural resources while maintaining production and profits.
This initiative will utilize 5% of Indiana’s EQIP allocation to accelerate efforts to improve water quality in three 12-digit watersheds with streams designated by the EPA for the Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of impaired waters. For more information, go to Indiana's National Water Quality Initiative webpage
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