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INDIANA (July 16, 2024) — In a remarkable achievement for sustainable agriculture, the latest results from the Conservation Tillage Transect survey reveal that 1.7 million acres of farmland are now under living cover across all crops in Indiana. This significant milestone underscores the increasing adoption of cover crops by farmers, driven by their multiple benefits for soil health, water management and overall farm productivity.
“Protecting soil, our most vital natural resource, is top of mind for our Indiana farmers and year after year our farmers are breaking their own conservation records” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana's Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “Through the implementation of cover crops and other conservation efforts, farmers are ensuring our land and water resources remain healthy and productive for years to come."
Overwintering living covers (i.e. - cover crops and small grains, like wheat) are known for their environmental benefits. Cover crops and small grains help increase organic matter in the soil and improve overall soil health by adding living roots to the soil more months of the year. Cover crops also improve water infiltration into the soil, while other covers, like legumes serve as natural fertilizers.
Although the conservation transect does not differentiate between cover crops and small grains, Indiana farmers typically plant fewer than 300,000 acres of small grains annually, so cover crops vastly dominate the 1.7 million estimated acres. Apart from corn and soybeans, cover crops are planted on more acres than any other commodity crop in Indiana. Cover crops are typically planted in the fall after harvest and designed to protect the soil and keep roots in the ground throughout the winter, which improves soil health and helps filter water runoff.
"These results are very encouraging," said Damarys Mortenson, state conservationist for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Indiana. "The adoption of cover crops on such a large scale indicates that farmers are recognizing the long-term benefits of these practices for both their land and the environment."
Farmers like Todd Armstrong, who operates a 1,100-acre farm in Washington County, have seen firsthand the advantages of cover crops.
“The water holding capacity and tilth of the ground has just improved so much and my neighbors have even seen that,” said Armstrong. “Neighbors that worked ground every year have stopped and started incorporating cover crops because they’ve seen how good it has worked for us.”
As a result of the cover crops and other overwintering covers planted last year, it is estimated that 1.8 million tons of sediment was prevented from entering Indiana’s waterways, which would fill about 18.4 thousand train freight cars.
The conservation survey also showed that about 69% of row crop acres were not tilled and about 17% had employed reduced tillage over winter, after the 2023 harvest. This early spring survey is not intended to quantify pre-planting tillage.
Despite the clear benefits, there are challenges to the widespread adoption of cover crops, including the initial cost of seeds and the need for additional management skills. However, various federal and state programs offer financial incentives and technical assistance to help farmers incorporate cover crops into their operations. One such initiative that helped contribute to the successful year for cover crops in 2023 was the Cover Crop Premium Discount Program (CCPDP). It is a program that provides a discount on crop insurance for planting cover crops. CCPDP assisted landowners in planting about 19 thousand acres of cover crops in 2023.
The conservation transect is a visual survey of cropland in the state. It was conducted between March and May 2024 by members of the Indiana Conservation Partnership, including the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Purdue Extension, as well as Earth Team volunteers, to show a more complete story of the state’s conservation efforts.
To see the full conservation transect report, click here.
ABOUT ISDA
The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) reports to Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. Major responsibilities include advocacy for Indiana agriculture at the local, state and federal level, managing soil conservation programs, promoting economic development and agricultural innovation, serving as a regulatory ombudsman for agricultural businesses, and licensing grain firms throughout the state.
ABOUT NRCS
NRCS is helping private landowners improve the health of their operations while protecting our natural resources for the future. With the mission of “Helping People Help the Land,” NRCS in Indiana provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers and non-industrial forest managers to implement conservation practices to address natural resource concerns on their land related to soil health, water and air quality, and wildlife habitat as well as implement climate-smart agriculture practices. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.
The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) announced today the hiring of Clark Smith as director of the Indiana Grain Buyers and Warehouse Licensing Agency (IGBWLA).
A southern Indiana native, Smith was raised in Brownstown, IN. He and his wife now manage and oversee a family Angus cattle herd near Greenfield, IN. Smith attended Indiana University for his bachelor’s degree and graduated from the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University in 2019 with a Master of Business Administration focused on marketing and data analytics.
Previous to ISDA, Smith spent his professional career with Corteva Agriscience in crop protection management.
ISDA Director Don Lamb is excited to welcome Smith to the team.
“Farming is a financial business with a lot of risks. The goal of IGBWLA is to help mitigate some of those risks and ensure financial security and stability,” said Lamb. “We are looking forward to Clark’s expertise and knowledge in leading this very important division, for our department and our state.”
As director of the agency, Smith will be responsible for managing staff and overseeing the agency’s statutory obligations, which include approving new license applications and the auditing of Indiana’s commercial grain operations.
He will also serve as chairperson of the Indiana Grain Indemnity Corporation Board of Directorsand work with local, state and federal agencies, as well as the private sector, to better understand the needs of Indiana’s grain purchasers.
“Agriculture has been a huge part of my personal and professional life, and I am excited to begin the journey of public service and give back to this dynamic industry,” said Smith. “The Indiana Grain Buyers and Warehouse Licensing Agency has dedicated staff who keep the industry top of mind. I look forward to learning from them and working side by side with the ISDA team and stakeholders in all parts of Indiana, both Indianapolis and all the cities and towns that make Indiana great.”
Smith is a Greenfield Central school board member and Riley Festival board of directors member. He is also a 10 year 4H member from Jackson County and a former Jackson County Cattlemen’s President.
Outside of work, Clark and his wife Debra spend most of their time raising their two young daughters and managing the family Angus herd.
Visit www.isda.in.gov for more information about the Indiana Grain Buyers and Warehouse Licensing Agency.
The Indiana State Fair and Corteva Agriscience are proud to unveil the highly anticipated 2024 Featured Farmers that will be honored at this year’s Indiana State Fair.
In its ninth year, this popular program celebrates and helps put a face on Hoosier agriculture by connecting consumers with fellow Hoosiers who grow the food they eat. These 15 farm operations represent a variety of regions through the state, showcasing different agricultural products and stories throughout the 15-day state fair, August 2-August 18 (closed Mondays).
“Our mission at the Indiana State Fair is rooted in agriculture and connecting our fairgoers to the farmers feeding the world. We are proud of our Featured Farmer program and excited to unveil our 2024 honorees.” said Cindy Hoye, executive director, Indiana State Fair Commission. “These farmers have incredible stories to tell, and we are grateful to celebrate them with our partners at Corteva Agriscience.”
Visitors to the Indiana State Fair can attend a live chat at 2:30 p.m. in the Glass Barn with a Featured Farmer every day of the Fair, in addition to many other opportunities to talk with that day’s Featured Farm family and learn about their family operation. To learn more about the farmers, visit IndianaStateFair.com.
“The Indiana State Fair is the perfect place for fairgoers who are also consumers to meet Indiana farmers from across the state who dedicate their lives to feeding all of us. We are pleased to once again make this connection happen through the Featured Farmers program which is in its ninth year. At Corteva Agriscience, we are committed to enriching lives and helping farmers succeed,” said Heidi Spahn, Corporate and Community Investment Leader, Corteva Agriscience.
Here is the complete list of featured farmers, farm products and their home counties:
• Friday, August 2nd – Scarborough Farms (Soybeans), Laporte County
• Saturday, August 3rd – Paschen Farms Inc. (Pork), Cass County
• Sunday, August 4th – Howe Farms (Beef, Pork, Hops), Lake County
• Tuesday, August 6th – Lueken Dairy Farm (Dairy), Dubois County
• Wednesday, August 7th – Celtic Glen Heritage Livestock (Beef Cattle, Goats, Sheep, Rabbits), Owen County
• Thursday, August 8th – Union Go Dairy (Dairy), Randolph County
• Friday, August 9th – Blue Yonder Organic Farm (Organic Certified Farm Fresh Products), Hendricks County
• Saturday, August 10th – Kirk Hoffman & Family Farms (Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, Forage Production, Maple Syrup), Whitley County
• Sunday, August 11th – Fair Farms and Produce (Farm Fresh Produce), Hancock County
• Tuesday, August 13th – Advanced Ag Resources Inc. (Seed Corn, Seed Beans), Wabash County • Wednesday, August 14th – DDH Farms (Corn, Soybeans), Randolph County
• Thursday, August 15th – Winzerwald Winery (grapes, wine), Perry County
• Friday, August 16th – Tree City Bee Company (Honey Drink, Honey, Bees), Decatur County
• Saturday, August 17th – Everett Farms and Seed (Corn), Boone County
• Sunday, August 18th – 550 Wagyu (Beef), Tippecanoe County
The Great Indiana State Fair
The Indiana State Fair is the state’s largest multi-day event celebrating the Hoosier spirit and agricultural heritage. These 15 days bring all communities together to celebrate all things Indiana and promote it to hundreds of thousands of people across the state, and beyond. Nationally recognized for offering great entertainment, showcasing youth and interactive agriculture educational programs, premiere facilities and a variety of unique, fun foods, the Indiana State Fair has been an annual attraction for generations of Hoosiers since 1852. This year’s Indiana State Fair will take place August 2 – August 18 (closed Mondays). For information, visit www.indianastatefair.com.
About Corteva Agriscience
Corteva, Inc. (NYSE: CTVA) is a global pure-play agriculture company that combines industry-leading innovation, high-touch customer engagement and operational execution to profitably deliver solutions for the world’s most pressing agriculture challenges. Corteva generates advantaged market preference through its unique distribution strategy, together with its balanced and globally diverse mix of seed, crop protection, and digital products and services. With some of the most recognized brands in agriculture and a technology pipeline well positioned to drive growth, the company is committed to maximizing productivity for farmers, while working with stakeholders throughout the food system as it fulfills its promise to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. More information can be found at www.corteva.com.
Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) is an exotic beetle that feeds on ash (Fraxinus sp.) trees. Larvae feed in the phloem and outer sapwood, producing galleries that eventually girdle and kill branches and entire trees. This native of Asia was first confirmed in Indiana in 2004. Since that time, this forest pest has spread throughout Indiana and has been detected in all 92 counties. To protect healthy ash trees, our staff treats about a hundred select ash trees on a three-year rotation in Indiana State Parks. The insecticide is injected into the base of the tree where it moves throughout the tree. If the pest is present in the tree, the treatment will kill the insect and protect the tree. The photo shows Indiana State Park Natural Resources Manager Anthony Sipes treating an ash tree at Turkey Run State Park. Each of the treated trees are numbered to track their status and health each rotation. If you see an ash tree, stop to appreciate its towering beauty and its welcoming shade. More information of the Emerald Ash Borer. |
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The following individuals were arrested recently by local law enforcement agencies. Those listed, in most cases, are just facing charges at this point, and are to be considered innocent of those charges unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Charges are often dropped or lessened. Mugshots are collected from local law enforcement agencies on Mondays and are public records.
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