Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District

Allen County SWCD Board Meeting
2022-12-21 08:00 - 10:00 UTC
Join us for our last Board Meeting of the year. We will discuss finances and project updates.

Coffee and Invasive Species Management
2022-11-16 09:00 - 10:00
Join us virtually for Coffee and Invasive Species Management on Wednesday, November 16 from 9am-10am. Art Franke, the NRCS District Conservationist in Steuben County, will be sharing about common invasive plants in Northeast Indiana as well as control methods and resources. We’ll look at common invasive plants in various habitats, cropland, pasture, forest/wildlife habitat, landscaping, etc.
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqc-ygpz4vE9EWAwKwlJx483Bs8-Sbun_U

Fall Cover Crop Planting
2022-10-05 17:00 - 18:00 | Bloomigdle Garden, 420 High Street, Fort Wayne, IN, 46808, United States
Join the Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District for fall cover crop planting. Learn the benefits of cover crops, when and what to plant, and how to terminate your cover crops in the spring. Not only will we be planting cover crops in our Bloomingdale Demonstration Gardens, but we will also have seed available for your garden!
Wednesday, October 5th, 5 pm
Bloomingdale Gardens, 420 High Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46808

Annual Soil Health Field Day
2022-09-07 07:30 - 14:00 | Roemke Farms, 12125 State Rd 101, Harlan, IN, 46743, United States

A Day at the Lake
2022-08-16
August 16th, 2022
Experience Lake Erie aboard an Ohio State University research vessel and visit the beautiful Put-In-Bay, Ohio with the Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District!

Learn about programs and projects happening in the Western Lake Erie Basin
Tours of Aquatic Visitors Center
Gain firsthand experience on the impact of harmful algal blooms
Participate in an OSU Research Vessel cruise to evaluate the lake’s viability
Learn about the Lake Erie ecosystem and human impacts on the lake
Discover the history and happenings of Put-in-Bay and South Bass Island
Enjoy Lunch (provided) on Put-in-Bay’s premier Boardwalk restaurant
Participate in a fish trawl and learn to identify common Lake Erie fish species
Snacks and refreshments will be provided throughout the day
Bus departs 6:30 a.m. sharp, ferry to island departs at 9:30 a.m. sharp!

$50 / person ($40 before July 8th)
To reserve your spot, send check to: Allen County SWCD, 9602 Coldwater Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46825
For questions email us at mcook.swcd@gmail.com or call (260) 484.5848 ext. 3

Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center Tour
2022-05-23 10:00 - 12:00
Join us on May 23rd, 2022, from 10am-12pm for a tour of the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center’s Sustainable Farm.
4415 W 200 S
Albion, IN 46701
The sustainable farm at Merry Lea is ranked nationally as the #3 college farm and is operated under Goshen College. It is set within a 100-acre landscape that includes pastures, woods, prairies, wetlands, orchards, vegetable gardens, and a historic farmstead in Wolf Lake, Indiana.
The farm grows a diversity of crops that vary year to year using regenerative and permaculture practices. These crops include traditional vegetables and herbs, heirloom crop varieties, some uncommon grains, orchard trees and more. They also raise goats, chickens, and pigs on the farm, integrating them with crop production.
The farm supplies food to local food pantries, Merry Lea programs, Goshen College dining services, and a student Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).
Register by calling the Allen County SWCD office at 260-484-5848 ext. 3.
Merry Lea Tour Flyer

Coffee and Mulching
2022-05-18 09:00 - 10:00
Join us on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, from 9am-10am for Coffee and Mulching! Jamie Perry, the Northeast Urban Soil Health Specialist with the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (IASWCD) will share his expertise on various methods of mulching. Jamie will help you choose which method is right for your operation.
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZclceuvrTktE9Di51yo2w03uhwx-UrafMdb

Eco Fest
2022-05-15 12:00 - 17:00 | Headwaters Park, 333 S Clinton St, Fort Wayne, 46802, United States
Join us at Eco Fest 2022!
Eco Fest features live music, kids activities, workshops, food and drink, retail and non profit vendors, and more.
This event is FREE and open to all!
More information about Eco Fest can be found HERE.

Going Green for AG
2022-03-17 08:30 - 15:00 | Orchid Room, 11508 Lincoln Hwy. E, New Haven, IN, 46774, United States
Going Green for Ag
Addressing Today’s Ag Nutrient Crunch
March 17, 2022, 9:00 am—3:00 pm
Registration at 8:30 am
The Orchid, 11508 Lincoln Hwy. E, New Haven, IN
Pricing and availability of crop nutrient needs is one of today’s biggest challenges for farmers. This event focuses on several aspects of nutrient management, including new technologies, that will help farmers address the challenge and safeguard the environment.
CCH and CEU credits available Free Admission (includes lunch)
Click HERE for a detailed agenda

Allen County SWCD Annual Meeting
2022-03-17 07:30 - 08:30
Join Us!
The Allen County Soil & Water Conservation District’s Annual Meeting will be held at
7:30 a.m. Thursday, March 17, 2022
Orchid Room, 11508 Lincoln Hwy E, New Haven, IN 46774
*Breakfast Served*
Followed By: Going Green For Ag

Coffee and Cover Crop Termination
2022-03-15 09:00 - 10:00
Join us on March 15, 2022 from 9am-10am for Coffee and Cover Crop Termination! Kevin Allison, the Urban Soil Health Specialist with the Marion County SWCD, will share all about what to do with your cover crops before the spring gardening season!

Coffee and Urban Soils
2022-02-15 09:00 - 10:00
Join us on February 15th from 9am-10am for a discussion on Urban Soils! James Wolff, the Allen County Extension Director, will be sharing about the unique characteristics of urban soils. If you farm or garden in the city, or if you interested in starting , you won’t want to miss this webinar!

Fort Wayne Farm Show
2022-01-18 08:00 - 2022-01-20 17:00 | Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, 4000 Parnell Ave, Fort Wayne, IN, 46805
Join us January 18-20 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum for the 2022 Fort Wayne Farm Show.
This year’s farm show features educational programs from Ohio Sea Grant Director, Dr. Chris Winslow; Grain Market Outlooks with Jon Cavanaugh, David Kohli, Ryan Martin, and Rob Winters; carbon credit talks; commodity marketing workshops; resources for small and urban farmers; Q&A sessions, and more.
A complete list of events and times can be found here: Farm Show Tri Fold Brochure

Coffee and Tillage
2021-10-26 08:30 - 10:30
Tune into Coffee and Tillage on October 26th! Our speakers will share about the different types of tillage in row-cropping and gardening, as well as explore how tillage impacts soil health!
Register here: https://allenswcd.org/coffee-and/

World Rivers Day
2021-09-26 12:00 - 16:00

Coffee and Tillage
2021-09-21 08:30 - 10:30 | Virtual
Grab that coffee and learn about tillage, why should is no-till the future? How does this work in a homeowner’s garden? Find out when Brian Musser (NRCS) speaks and Kevin Allison from Marion SWCD!

Rivers Summit III
2021-09-15 18:00 - 2021-09-16 18:00 | 120 W Jefferson Blvd, 120 W Jefferson Blvd, Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, 46802
Leaders, innovators, elected officials, and community members come together to discuss the state of our rivers, the fluid economics of good water, and how to turn challenges into opportunities.
Our Wednesday evening event begins at 6 p.m. and will take place at Promenade Park featuring a social hour, discussions on the local impacts of riverfront development, the smart sustainable Great Lakes Region cluster, and the economics of harmful algal blooms.
The Rivers Summit III September 16th event will begin at 9 a.m. and be held at The Grand Wayne Center. The Summit will address federal commitments to water quality, partnerships that succeed, the state of the lake (Erie), and feature a panel discussion with leaders in water quality followed by a Q&A session.
This year’s guest speakers include Jim Banks– U.S. Congressman; Susan Crouch– Indiana Lieutenant Governor; Dave Heine– Indiana State Representative; Dr. Chris Winslow– Director, Ohio Sea Grant Program; Richard Batiuk– Retired Associate Director for Science, Analysis, and Implementation at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office; Jeff Reuter– Former Director, Ohio Sea Grant Program; Matt Fisher– Lake Erie Foundation; Jordan Hoewischer, Ohio Farm Bureau; Jeff Leonard, Defiance City Administrator; with introductions given by Tom Henry– Fort Wayne Mayor; Ann Marie Smrchek– Maumee Watershed Alliance and Dick Waterfield– Waterfield Capital.
Tickets for the evening event are priced at $10 each and include a beverage ticket. The day event is priced at $30 and includes lunch and refreshments. Our General Admission ticket includes entry to both events and is priced at only $35. We are offering a 50% student discount and limited scholarships are available. Email info@maumeewatershedalliance.org for scholarship application and information.
Buy Tickets for the Rivers Summit III here https://maumeewatershedalliance.org/riverssummit/

Soil Health Field Day
2021-09-08 09:00 - 15:00 | Roemke Farms, 12125 State Rd 101, Harlan, IN, 46743, United States
Please join us for our 6th Annual (almost) Soil Health Field Day to be held 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday, September 8th 2021 at Roemke Farms. Lunch is provided.
Our expert speakers will be discussing a wide variety of topics in four separate sessions which include:
The Grown Down on Cover Crops – Inter-seeding & cover crops w/crimper and roller demonstrations
Getting to the Root of It – Tile camera demonstrations
SOIL-utions to Soil Health – Soil health presentations and tile smoking
Cashing in on Carbon$ – Carbon Credits – How will carbon credits shape the future?

Coffee and Urban Agriculture
2021-08-17 08:30 - 10:30 | Virtual
Join us as we learn from Jennifer Nettles of Vincennes University and Naim Edwards of Michigan State, both experts on urban agriculture.

Coffee and Farmer's Markets
2021-07-20 08:30 - 10:30 | Virtual
Join us and learn all you need to know about becoming a vendor at a farmer’s market, and learn how others have success!

Coffee and Compost
2021-06-15 08:30 - 10:30 | Virtual
Join us for a conversation about how to get started with composting and why it’s important for soil health. Our speakers are Terri Theisen from Purdue Extension and Megan Masterson from Ground Down.

Coffee and Water Quality
2021-05-18 08:30 - 10:30
A conversation about local water quality testing and our local rivers.

City Nature Challenge
2021-05-01 13:00 - 15:00 | Salomon Farm Park, 817 W Dupont Rd, Fort Wayne, IN, 46825, United States
The City Nature Challenge will be held from April 30-May 3, 2021, and the Allen County SWCD along with the IN Department of Natural Resources will be stationed at Salomon Farm Park on Saturday, May 1, from 1-3pm to answer any questions participants in the challenge may have.
The City Nature Challenge is a competition between Indianapolis and the surrounding Fort Wayne area to see who can record the most wild species in nature.

Coffee and Plant Science
2021-04-20 08:30 - 10:30
Don’t be a fool about weeds and cover crops! Grab your coffee and join us bright and early to learn about plants and their impact on your farming with Heath Hurst (ISDA) and Arthur Franke (SWCD of Steuben County)! Join Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82849652239?pwd=[REDACTED]

Live from Avilla
2021-04-13 09:00 - 10:00
Join Derek Thompson of DeKalb SWCD as he shares his knowledge about converting equipment to no-till/low-till practices and answers questions.

Annual Meeting
2021-03-17 08:00 - 09:00
Please be sure to register for this event by clicking on the event website. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing the event’s zoom link.

Coffee and Nutrient Management
2021-03-16 08:30 - 10:30
You’re in luck! We are talking about nutrient management!
Speakers: John Mischler (Goshen College) and Ben Wicker (Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance)
March 16, 830-1030a
Please Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqce-rpzgqEtCRu9UynTk271AtSst32nqr

River Summit Event 2
2021-03-10 11:30 - 12:30

Fort Wayne Farm Show Virtual Educational Sessions
2021-03-08 18:30 - 2021-03-11 20:30
The in-person Fort Wayne Farm Show was cancelled, but the virtual educational sessions will still take place on March 8-11 from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Thanks to Purdue Extension, the Allen County SWCD, and Indiana Farm Bureau the following sessions will take place:
Monday, March 8: Soil Microbes’ Role in Plant Nutrient Uptake – Dr. James White, Professor of Plant Pathology, Rutgers University
Tuesday, March 9: Grain Market Outlook & Farm Stress – Jon Cavanaugh, Marketing Director, Central States Enterprises, Inc. – David Kohli, Adjunct Professor, Ivy Tech – Rob Winters, Farm Director, WOWO – Elysia Rodgers, Extension Educator, Purdue
Wednesday, March 10: Weather Outlook & Climatology Update – Ryan Martin, Chief Meteorologist, Hoosier Ag Today & Beth Hall, State Climatologist, Purdue
Thursday, March 11: Urban Small Farms – Kevin Allison, Urban Soil Health Specialist, Marion County SWCD

Purdue Small Farms Conference
2021-03-04 - 2021-03-06
