02-21-2007When Don Frantz came to Kosciusko County as the county agent in 1958, the soil conservation district had been formed with just six townships.
Frantz, 89, was a guest speaker during the 50th annual Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District meeting Tuesday.
Greeting many of the current board of supervisor members, as his former 4-H boys, he noted that they seemed to be eating well.
Frantz, a World War II Army veteran, came to this county from Wells County where a conservation district had been established.
In 1951 citizens voted against a referendum for to establish a district.
In 1957 seven out of the county’s 17 townships, the southern townships, voted for the proposal and state permission was granted for these townships to form a district.
Frantz said he received a call from the governor asking what the hell was going on in Kosciusko County that an all-inclusive district couldn’t be formed.
The former county agent retired in 1974 and was closely associated with the district during that time. He said he was proud of the group’s accomplishments.
During the annual meeting several awards are presented to county residents. District Superintendent Roger Miller introduced the Wawasee Soil Judging Team of Kelly Darr and Wes Weisser. Their coach is Randy Warren. Members not present are Hollie Sharp and Monica Fisher.
Stan Moore and John Dome were chosen as being River Friendly Farmers. The award recognized farmers who implement conservation practices that protect and enhance the state’s rivers, lakes and streams.
Occasionally, Miller said, the district presents a Distinguished Service Award. This year’s recipient was former Southern District Commissioner Avis Gunter. Gunter did not attend the meeting.
District superintendent Jamie Scott also gave awards.
The Environmental Enhancement Award recognizes individuals who do an exceptional job of protecting the natural resources of the county as well as demonstrating leadership in the community.
This year’s award winner, Dan Lee, has demonstrated leadership with the Chapman Lakes Conservation Association for several years. This lake association has reached out to the community with the development of a Web site, public ramp signage and hosting the Learning Lakes Expo. The creation of a foundation has enabled the group to conduct lake monitoring, commission studies and to implement many water quality projects.
The Nutrient Management Award was presented to Mike and Todd Nelson of Nelson Farms. The award is given to a facility that does an exceptional job of tracking and keeping records of fertility levels.
Kosciusko County has more than 40,000 acres of woodland and produces some of the best hardwoods in the state. Wise management of these woodlands is an important part of this quality product. The district’s Forestry Award recognizes an individual who implements sound management practices on woodland acres.
Steve Rosbrugh received the district’s Forestry Award for his wooded acre improvements and his protection of the Tippecanoe River where it borders his property in Plain Township.
Leonard and Linda Pyle were named Master Conservation Farmers.
They adopted conservation tillage early on their farm and are some of the first farmers in the county to practice continuous no-till.
Today, along with their sons, they farm about 1,700 acres in Lake and Jackson townships and in Wabash County.
Most of their cropland is classified as highly erodible land. It is well protected from erosion with no-till planting, crop rotations, grassed waterways, water and sediment control basins, stone chutes, filter strips and contour buffer strips.
Wildlife habitat practices include windbreaks, native prairie grass plantings, tree plantings, pond and wetland restoration.
Mike Long, who was unable to attend, was named Conservation Farmer of the Year. Long farms 2,800 acres in the west-central part of the county.
He practices continuous no-till planting and crop rotation on most of his acres and uses a high residue tillage system on muck ground where he grows continuous corn.
Long has installed filter strips along ditches and streams, restored two wetlands near Hoffman Lake and manages drains to reduce nitrate leaching and loss from tile lines. He has planted trees and wildlife shrubs on several hillsides and on odd areas around the wetland restorations.
A review of the district’s last 50 years was presented. Conservation practices implemented in the late 1950’s included contour strip cropping of 50 acres; contour farming of 43 acres, soil test and crop fertilization of 2,669 acres, tree planting of five acres; wildlife area development of 16 acres, ditch bank seeding of 1.5 acres, multiflora rose plantings measuring 480 rods, tile drainage systems measuring 48 miles; open ditch construction measuring 2.6 miles, 959 acres drained, eight ponds constructed and two drop inlet structures constructed.