Ashland SWCD Named Soil & Water District of the Year

Earlier this week, Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District was honored by the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (OFSWCD) as their soil and water conservation District of the Year at the Federation’s annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio.

Erica White (District Technician & Watershed Coordinator), Jane Houin (District Program Administrator), Justing Ringler (Ashland SWCD Board Chair), and Maxine Swaisgood (Administrative Assistant) with the District of the Year award from the Ohio Federation of Soil & Water Conservation Districts.

OFSWCD President Bob Short cited the Ashland SWCD’s commitment to working with agricultural retailers and Farm Bureau to develop and implement new, innovative conservation programs as just one of the reasons the federation’s directors selected Ashland as this year’s award recipient.

“We are excited and honored to have our commitment to implementation hands-on conservation recognized at this level,” said Jane Houin, district program administrator for Ashland SWCD. “Our staff and board have dedicated themselves to growing our program in ways that will put conservation practices on the ground that will protect and preserve the amazing natural resources of Ashland County.”

When Houin assumed her role as administrator of Ashland SWCD in 2018, the district was one of the 10 lowest funded soil and water conservation districts in the state. Since that time, the district has worked hard to increase local funding by sharing with local officials the value the district provides the county. For example, for every local dollar invested in Ashland SWCD in 2019, and additional $1.97 was brought back to Ashland County as a result of state match funds, grants, and conservation cost-share programs administered by the district.

Short also cited Ashland SWCD’s innovative programs and willingness to grow their programs through grant funding as strengthen of the district’s program. For example, in 2019, the Ohio Department of Agriculture awarded Ashland SWCD a watershed coordinator grant to focus conservation programs in the Jerome Fork watershed; the grant will bring in nearly $120,000 in personnel support to Ashland County over the grant’s three year period. 

The district was also awarded an Ohio Farm Bureau (OFB) Water Quality Initiative grant by in cooperation with Ashland Farm Bureau to implement crop modeling programs that will reduce nutrient runoff from Ashland County farmland with a focus on reducing nitrogen runoff. Nitrogen runoff from Ashland County farm fields makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico where it contributes to the Gulf’s hypoxic dead zone. Thanks to funding from OFB and support from Sunrise Cooperative, these models will be offered to Ashland County producers at a 100 percent cost share rate in 2020.

And most recently, the district was awarded a $44,000 grant to bring urban agriculture conservation practices to the county from the National Association of Conservation Districts - one of just 21 districts from across the country to be selected for funding. This funding will allow the district to increase educational collaboration with the county’s Head Start programs including installing and utilizing raised bed gardens as teaching tools. Additionally, the grant will provide new stormwater management awareness programs throughout the county, including programs on installing and utilizing both rain barrels and rain gardens.

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results,” Houin said. “Without the support of our SWCD Board of Supervisors and the willingness of our staff, we would not have been able to try new, different approaches to conservation, without which we would not be experiencing the tremendous growth in our county that we see today.”

Houin also credits increased local support from the Ashland County Commissioners for the district’s growth along with support from our state legislators. This support has allowed the district to dramatically increase cost-share dollars brought back to the county for livestock exclusion fencing, cover crop implementation, and more.