Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Local farmers were recognized for their conservation practices at Tuesday's 48th annual meeting of the Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District.
Bill Engelberth, who began farming in the 1940s, is this year's Master Farmer Award recipient. Engelberth is considered a leader in using and promoting conservation practices.
He has always embraced new agricultural technologies, said District Vice Chairman Garry Tom, who presented all the awards.
Formerly operating a dairy, Engelberth used crop rotation to alleviate erosion problems and has installed grassed waterways. He also has had no-till corn acres for more than 20 years.
"His attachment to the land is obvious," Tom said. "As he stated, he wanted to leave his farm in better shape than when he bought it."
Engleberth still farms approximately 160 acres.
Dennis Walther was named Conservation Farmer of the Year. He farms 475 acres of rolling cropland and woodland in Jackson Township. His crop rotation includes corn, soybeans and wheat.
He also uses hay in rotation on some of the more erodible land. Other conservation practices he has implemented include no-till planting, grassed waterways, stone chutes, wetland restoration and tree planting.
He recognizes problems on his rented farms and treats them with as much care as his own land.
John and Darlene Lash received the district's Nutrient Management Award. The couple operate a 300-sow, farrow-to-finish hog operation that finishes 6,000 hogs each year.
Soil sampling on a 2.5-acre grid basis allows them to choose the right fields from their 1,850 acres of cropland to spread manure in a three-year rotation.
Manure is sampled to determine the nutrient content and the application rate is appropriate for the needs of the crop.
It is incorporated to increase efficiently and reduce odor. Filter strips and setback distances are used along all ditches and streams on their farms.
