Owen County SWCD hosts annual community meeting

The Owen County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) held its annual community meeting on March 27 in the 4-H Building at the Owen County Fairgrounds. 

The program featured live music, a silent auction, charcuterie-style dinner, special presentations and the showing of a documentary film related to land conservation.

SWCD Executive Director Tammy Bingham provided the evening’s welcome message, followed by an election of officers and the annual meeting.

SWCD Chairman Corbin Abrell called for nominations for a vacant board position. The re-election of Corbin Worland, treasurer, to the SWCD Board was voted on and unanimously approved by attendees.

Other members of the Owen County SWCD Board of Supervisors include vice chairman Steve Fox, Tim Dunfee, Doris Scully and Chris Gonso. 

Many local businesses, residents and organizations sponsored door prizes, distributed by Owen Valley FFA members after SWCD Outreach staff Amy Arnold read aloud the winning numbers. Silent auction winners were announced later in the evening.

The program’s special presentations started with Indiana State Department of Agriculture Resource Specialist Holden Abrell who requested attendees fill out surveys related to Owen County agricultural priorities and challenges.

Laura Demarest, West Central Indiana Watershed Alliance’s 319 Watershed Coordinator, provided an overview of the Fish Creek Watershed Management Plan previously completed and ongoing Implementation Grants.

“The Fish Creek Watershed is quite larger than what most people think – it covers over 170,000 acres,” Dermarest said, pointing out the diversity of the watershed comprising forested land, cropland, pastureland and over 10,000 acres of managed lands including McCormick’s Creek State Park.

Demarest reviewed the impairments for Fish Creek identified during the planning and monitoring process and explained the next steps for starting to address impairments impacting the watershed.

The 319 Grants primarily address issues related to sediment, nutrients and E-coli from non-point source pollution. The SWCD, being aware of these issues, was awarded an IDEM 319 Grant for $114,950 where the County matched $76,633 with cash and in-kind labor and contributions. Furthermore, the County applied for and was awarded $350,000 for implementation funding which is leveraged by $233,333 of match and in-kind contributions. The implementation and cost-share grant will begin in 2026.

Priority areas for implementation grants and cost-share were explained as well as eligible and ineligible activities for the funding. Cover crops, field borders/riparian buffers, livestock grazing practices, wetland enhancement and tree/shrub establishment are among the eligible activities.

Grant applications are not yet available, but the Owen County SWCD can add names to an interested parties list. The Advisory Committee will establish program guidelines and grant caps in early 2026 and make applications available. For more information, contact the SWCD at 812-829-2605, or visit the SWCD office at 788 Pottersville Rd., Spencer.

Amy Rednour, a first-generation mushroom farmer and owner of A Fungus Amoung Us LLC, served as one of the evening’s exhibitors, in addition to providing a presentation on her Owen County farm. She shared tips related to morel mushroom hunting and gave an overview of the type of mushrooms grown at their farm. The farm specializes in fresh and dehydrated mushrooms along with seasonings, extracts and other products.

The evening ended with a showing of the documentary, “The Story of America’s Private Lands Conservation Movement – an exclusive documentary by the USDA.” The film provided a look into the life of Hugh Hammond Bennett, who helped move American agriculture out of the Dust Bowl era.