Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
INDIANAPOLIS -ÊJohn Parker, Silver Lake, and Dennis Walther, Claypool, are among 40 Hoosier farms recognized Thursday by Lt. Gov. Kathy Davis, Indiana's Commissioner of Agriculture, as outstanding stewards of Indiana's natural resources.
Parker and Walther were honored with Sen. Dick Lugar and representatives from 38 other farming operations during the River Friendly Farmer award ceremony at the Indiana State Fair. They were cited for their role in keeping water safe for drinking, recreation, livestock and crop production.
The River Friendly Farmer Program is a collaborative effort of government agencies, agricultural organizations, conservation districts and farmers whose common goals are improving water quality and restoring and sustaining human and wildlife habitat in Indiana's 40 watersheds.
"The RFF is an outreach of the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation District's Clean Water Indiana initiative to conserve and enhance our land, lakes and rivers by reducing the amount of polluted stormwater runoff that reaches Indiana's water resources," IASWCD President Sherm Bryant said.
"Their management practices enhance water quality for drinking, fishing, boating, wildlife habitat and other recreational uses."
"Indiana's farmland accounts for 15 million acres of the state's 23 million acres," said Davis. "This award honors farmers for doing their part to protect our watersheds by using practices that benefit the state's soil and water resources."
"We are honored to be recognized as an Indiana River Friendly Farm," said Lugar, who manages his family's 604-acre Marion County corn, soybean and tree farm. "As we make decisions about our farm, we always consider the White River, which borders our property. The health of our state's waterways is vital to farmers and non-farmers alike."
