Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District recognized the efforts of adults and youths Tuesday during their 44th annual banquet.
The district is a local unit of government charged under state law with carrying out programs for the protection and management of natural resources.
Each year the SWCD recognizes 4-H youth who have excelled in the following projects: soil and water conservation - Nate Imhoff and Mark Roberts, both honors champions; forestry - Sara Banghart, forestry project award; and wildlife - Scott Goon, best wildlife exhibit; and Estella Wilson, wildlife project award.
This year the Wawasee FFA team of Katie Darr, Kristi Schlipf, Ben Schlipf and Mark Roberts was recognized as the top soil judging team. Their coach is Randy Warren. The Wawasee team has a tradition of winning soil judging competitions at the local state and national levels.
John Lash and Leonard Pyle were named River Friendly Farmers.
This award is given to farmers who protect and enhance Indiana's rivers, lakes and streams. River Friendly Farmers use such conservation practices as erosion control and nutrient and pest management.
The program is sponsored by the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Indiana Farm Bureau and the Office of the Commissioner of Agriculture.
Lash also received a state level River Friendly Farmer Award from Commissioner of Agriculture Joe Kernan at the Indiana State Fair last year.
Gary and Dana Munson were presented the Distinguished Service Award for their involvement with the district.
Dana Munson has promoted district conservation at local events for several years. She has served as a state officer for the Auxiliary of the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
Gary Munson has been the district board's supervisor, associate supervisor, water committee chairman and, most recently, its representative to the Arrow Head Country Resource Conservation and Development Area.
The Forestry Award was presented to Linden Boggs and his wife, Elizabeth. They own 130 acres in Washington Township, north of Pierceton.
Prior to 1989 the entire farm, except about 10 acres, was cropland. In 1988 Linden developed a conservation plan to begin conversion of the cropland to woodland. He began by planting four acres of hardwood trees in 1989 and another 70 acres of trees in 1991.
Today the farm consists of 15 acres of crop land, 96 acres of pines and hardwood tress and 10 acres of wildlife habitat. The Boggs also plan to restore an 11- acre bottom land field to wetland.
Boggs has planted 80 Dunston chestnut trees. He and others are trying to develop a blight-resistant chestnut so this variety can return to its natural place of prominence in the landscape.
The Environmental Enhancement Award was presented to Kosciusko Highway Engineer and Superintendent Rob Ladson. He began his duties for the county in 1997 and immediately became involved with the ongoing effort to establish a county erosion and sediment control law. That ordinance was passed two years later and helps prevent sediment and excess storm water from leaving development sites.
Ladson and his staff have adopted an attitude of conservation and natural resource protection, which is apparent across the county.
Recent examples of where superb erosion control and quality protection practices have been implemented by the county highway department are: Marineland Garden subdivision; Enchanted Hills subdivision; North Shore Drive along Syracuse Lake; CR 500E; and CR 650N near Tippecanoe Lake.
Dave Carey was presented this year's Urban Conservation Award.
Carey is recognized as doing a great job of preventing erosion at residential construction sites.
Some of the conservation practices he uses include earth diversions, silt fencing, temporary and permanent seeding, curb inlet protection, rip rap protection around outlet pipes and detention basins.
The Nutrient Management Award was presented to Jim Romine. As important part of any conservation plan Romine does an exceptional job of utilizing and managing manure from livestock production on his property as well as on a neighboring poultry operation.
He regularly conducts grid sampling of his soils and takes manure credits where applicable.
Additionally, he has used conservation-tillage and no-till practices for several years and has planted many filter strips on his property.
Paul Browning was named Master Farmer of the Year. He's demonstrated a lifelong conservation ethic and is a leader in applying conservation practices to the land.
Browning has been farming for more than 60 years. He began experimenting with minimum tillage in 1944 and has no-tilled crops for the last 22 years. He follows a corn-soybean-wheat rotation and also rotates his hay and pasture acres.
In 1980, he planted 35 acres of trees on highly erodible ground and planted an additional 32 acres of trees in 1990.
Hubert and Beth Krull and family were named Conservation Farmers of the Year.
The family grows corn, soybeans and wheat in Kosciusko and Elkhart counties.
Being the fourth and fifth generations to live on this family farm brings great pride to this family and that pride is evident in the way they care for their farmstead and land.
They are very active in community affairs, attending church and serving on the 4-H council, FFA and swine board. Hubert Krull was supervisor with the KCSWDC from 1979 until 1990.
A conservation tillage system is used on all of the cropland to protect against sheet erosion. Other conservation practices installed on their farms include grassed waterways, grade stabilization structures, water and sediment control basins, grassed filter strips and woodland improvement. In 2001 they installed 4,150 feet of grassed waterway and tile and a stone chute on their home farm.
Tom Price and Gary Tom were sworn in as supervisors, joining chairman Ron Roberts, vice chairman John Anglin and secretary-treasurer Sherman Bryant.
Bryant is also the vice president of the state association.
