Roni Schweiger of Dead Broke Farm took home top honors at the 2023 Annual Meeting by being named the 2023 Cooperator of the year by the Highland SWCD supervisors and staff. Roni was selected due to her determination to improve soil health and water quality throughout her pastureland operation. Roni has worked diligently with the SWCD and provides an outstanding example of how to incorporate conservation practices that will contribute to an environmentally and economically sound farm. Dead Broke Farm has taken on the challenge of protecting our natural resources and continues learn about new technologies and techniques as they are developed.
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Highland County landowners have been waiting a long time to take advantage of H2Ohio’s agricultural programs and cost-share opportunities, but the wait is over! Enrollment period is through – May 31, 2024. This is good news, but it’s important to realize practices available in Highland County will not mirror what’s been offered in the Western Lake Erie Basin. H2Ohio’s statewide expansion will be much more limited in terms of available practices, and we want to do our part to establish clear expectations.
Practices: H2Ohio in Highland County will be limited to voluntary nutrient plan development in 2024 for 2025 & 2026 and having such a plan in place is required for any additional H2Ohio opportunities. Available acres: Up to 17,500 acres total will be available for H2Ohio nutrient management plan development in Highland County. Applications will be approved on a first-come, first-serve basis. Producer caps: Each producer is limited to a maximum of 1,000 acres per farm entity. Changes required: While you do not have to change your management strategies to develop a nutrient management plan, you will have to follow that plan and not exceed nutrient application requirements outlined in the Tri-State Fertilizer Guide to be paid for implementation. For more information: Contact the Highland SWCD at 937-393-1922 ext 3 for more information or to schedule an appointment 
2024 Officers Elected
The Highland SWCD Board of Supervisors elected officers at the Jan 10 Board Meeting; (L-R) Jeff Roehm, Vice-Chairman, Jim Carr, Fiscal Agent, Kyle Mustard, Chairman, Dan Chambers & Chris Cox Members 
The SWCD Board will hold their regular monthly meetings on the 2nd Wednesday of each month in 2024. The meetings will be held at 8 am in the Service Center located at 514 Harry Sauner Rd. in Hillsboro and are open to the public.
Farm Tour and Annual Meeting
Mark your calendars now for the 10th Annual Highland County Farm Tour on Saturday, September 14, 2024, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Pricetown area. Hop on the wagon to learn about three agricultural experiences in our county. The Highland Soil & Water Conservation District's 82nd Annual meeting will be held on Thursday, October 10, 2024 at The Barn at Hidden Ridge. It will kick off at 5:30 p.m. Reserve now! Election Notice
The Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission will cause an election of Supervisors of the Highland Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) to be held in accordance with Chapter 940 of the Ohio Revised Code. Individuals who own or occupy land within the Highland Soil and Water Conservation District and are 18 years of age or older may vote for Supervisor. There are three ways an eligible voter can cast a ballot: 1.) At the SWCD office, 514 Harry Sauner Road, Hillsboro,Ohio, from 9/11/2024 until 10/10/2024 during normal business hours; or 2.) At the SWCD Annual Meeting, which will take place at The Barn at Hidden Ridge located at 6312 Fair Ridge Road on 10/10/2024 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. ; or 4.) Voting absentee from 9/11/2024 until 10/10/2024, by requesting the ballot application and election ballot from the SWCD office at the following address 514 Harry Sauner Road Hillsboro, OH, by calling 937-393-1922 ext. 3, or email [email protected]. Absentee ballots must be received by the SWCD office by 3:30 p.m. on 10/10/2024 to be valid. One Supervisor will be elected to a three‐year term commencing January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2027. Nominees are:
Bringing Quail Back!
Quail are disappearing from our landscape here in Southern Ohio, primarily due to habitat loss. If you are interested in conserving or creating habitat on your land, there are programs to help! Two such programs are; CRP is a rental program through the USDA, which gives cost share to convert existing farmland into natural habitats to address an environmental concern. After establishment, the USDA pays a rental rate on the land used to keep it in natural cover. EQIP is a more flexible program, not requiring existing cropland. Only cost share is offered, but this can help offset the personal expenses for otherwise costly work. Invasive control, habitat plantings, and more can be accomplished through the EQIP program. If you have any interest or questions regarding these programs, don’t hesitate to reach out to your local NRCS office, or to your area’s farm bill biologist. We are happy to assist, and with your help, we can ensure that future generations of the Buckeye State can experience the summer with all of its natural sights and sounds. 
9th Highland County Farm Tour a Great Success
The 9th Annual Highland County Farm Tour took place on Sept. 16, 2023, in the New Petersburg area. The farm tour was a result of a collaborative effort between Highland County Farm Bureau and Highland Soil and Water Conservation District. The event was a great success with over 100 people in attendance. The tour featured beautiful, diverse farms and provided beneficial information on local sustainable agriculture. The first tour stop was Four Finger Hops: featuring a tour of the hopyard, management and production tips and a harvesting demonstration of hops by Tim Dettwiller and family. The second stop featured Crawford Knoll Farm, which offered a unique up-close look at the benefits of incorporating a grass waterway into your farming operation, and the Cockerill Family provided a presentation on the history of their family farm. The final tour stop featured Brenneman Farms; highlighting seasonal high tunnel systems that extend the growing season and provide crop diversity. In addition to touring these beautiful farms, participants also enjoyed a delicious catered lunch provided by the Highland County Farm Bureau that was served by Maplecrest Meats and More. The Highland County Farm Bureau and Highland Soil and Water Conservation District would like to thank Rural King of Hillsboro for providing bottled water, and everyone that helped to showcase these agricultural farms in Highland County. 
Newsome Hired as the
District Operations Manager Tammy Newsome recently joined the Highland SWCD team as the District Operations Manager. She is a graduate of Ohio University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Communication. Tammy has most recently worked as a Paraprofessional in the Hillsboro City School District and as an Office Associate for Ohio State University Extension. In her free time she enjoys time spent with her family, as well as camping and exploring new destinations. She is excited to take on this new role and help organize the Farm Tour and the other programs provided to the community by the SWCD to better our environment. 
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Pictured (l-r) are coach Lara Hamilton, Gage Thompson, Jayden Hixson, Abigail Shepherd, Kylie O'Conner and Cloe Williamson.
Lynchburg-Clay to compete in National CompetitionThe Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts held their annual State Envirothon June 3-5 at Hocking College and Lake Snowden. The top four scoring teams from each of the five area envirothons were eligible to participate in the State Envirothon.
This year, the Lynchburg-Clay Gold Team, coached by Lara Hamilton, placed first in the Area 5 Envirothon earning themselves the honor of attending the state contest. The envirothon is designed to stimulate, reinforce and enhance interest in the environment and natural resources among high school students. The competition tests students' knowledge of soils, forestry, wildlife, aquatic ecology and the current environmental issues. This year the Lynchburg-Clay Gold team received 1st place in forestry and oral presentation. They also tied for first in soils. Each student on an envirothon team is challenged to contribute his or her personal best but the score that counts at the end of the envirothon is the combined team score. Once the results were tallied, the Lynchburg-Clay Gold team won first overall in the state competition. The Lynchburg-Clay Gold team will be participating in the 2024 NCF-Envirothon New York in New York. It will be held July 28 through August 3 at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New Yrok. 
2024 NCF - Envirothon New York
Ohio was proudly represented at the 2024 NCF-Envirothon New York in Geneva, New York July 28th through August 3rd by the Lynchburg-Clay Gold team. The Lynchburg-Clay Gold team placed 25th out of 49 teams this year, in their first ever National competition. They came in 11th out of all 50 teams in the Oral Presentation. This year’s topic was ”Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Future”. Each year over 25,000 high school students across the United States, Canada and China embark on an environmental and natural resource journey that involves problem-solving, teambuilding and leadership experience. Congratulations to Tennessee for being selected as the 2024 NCF - Envirothon New York champions during this years competition. 
Earth Day Clean Up Event
On Earth Day, April 22, the Highland SWCD had the pleasure of working with the Fur, Feather and Friends 4-H Club and the Rocky Fork Naturalist Joshua Pennington, to clean up part of the Rocky Fork Campgrounds. This year there were 23 kids and adults participating in the clean-up event. They beautified the area by picking up trash along wooded areas near the campgrounds. 
Cultivating Conversations
The Highland SWCD hosted members of the McClain FFA on March 7 to the USDA Service Center to engage in their Cultivating Conversations podcast. The forum focused on the perspectives surrounding the use of social media in agriculture. Great job presenting and good luck at the competition! 
Ag Outlook Event
On February 9, 2024, the Highland County Extension and the Southern State Community College partnered together to host the 2024 Agriculture Outlook Meeting. During this free educational opportunity, participants learned about ticks in livestock, soil health strategies, and they heard from local USDA and Soil and Water Conservation District personnel about upcoming programs available in the year. The event was well attended and has become an annual event packed full of program information. 
Cover Crop Field Day Held
The Highland Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) hosted a successful cover crop field day on August 29, 2023, at the Rocky Fork Lake Restaurant. The event highlighted the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) that will provide conservation assistance to landowners in the Rocky Fork Watershed. Information was provided on the ODNR, Division of Parks and Watercraft dredging project and the importance of reducing sediment from entering the lake by planting cover crops. Participants learned about seed establishment and various ways to terminate cover crops, as well as an in-field drone seeding demonstration. This field day offered a unique opportunity for landowners to carefully consider all cover crop options that can be implemented to advance their farming operation while capturing nutrients for a long-term investment. The SWCD would like to thank everyone that helped to make the event a great success. 
Rocky Fork Funding Awarded
Lead Partner, Highland Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) was awarded funding for the Rocky Fork Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), which is one of three projects awarded in the state. The RCPP promotes coordination between NRCS and its partners to deliver conservation assistance to producers and landowners. With the help of various partners including Ohio Department of Natural Resources-Division of Parks and Watercraft & Division of Wildlife, City of Hillsboro-Drinking Water Treatment Plant and Wastewater Treatment Plant, and US Fish and Wildlife Service the project will protect water quality, reduce soil erosion, and provide habitat for at-risk species in the Rocky Fork Watershed. The Rocky Fork Watershed drains approximately 92,350 acres of land, with 46,650 acres of cropland that directly outlets into the Rocky Fork Lake, thus making it a highly sensitive area. The primary objectives of the RCPP is to protect water quality, enhance wildlife habitat and reduce soil erosion to alleviate algal blooms n the Rocky Fork Watershed region. The project will be carried out over the next five years with water monitoring being conducted through the life of the project to document trends and conditions. With sediment being the biggest challenge for Rocky Fork Lake, partnering with the ODNR Parks and Watercraft dredging operation, will maximize the benefits of reducing sediment from reaching the lake. This innovative project will implement a series of agricultural best management practices that will have an enormous positive effect on the economic and social development of the Rocky Fork Watershed, as well as, protect the City of Hillsboro’s drinking water supply and provide prescribed habitat for Ohio’s diminished Bobwhite Quail population and other at-risk species. Project goals for conservation practices include the installation cover crops, nutrient management, grassed waterways, and certain prescribed wildlife management practices that improve habitat for targeted species. If you are in the Rocky Fork Watershed and would like more information on the program you may contact the NRCS/SWCD office at 937-393-1922 ext 3. |
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Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Phone: 937-393-1922 Ext: 3 Located at: 514 Harry Sauner Road Ste. 2 Hillsboro, OH 45133 *Due to limited Staff please call ahead to make an appointment The Highland SWCD will hold their regular monthly Board meetings on the second Wednesday of each month, unless otherwise noted, at 8:00 am in the Hillsboro Service Center located at 514 Harry Sauner Rd. in Hillsboro. Meetings are open to the public, in accordance with the Sunshine Law. |
MISSION STATEMENT
The Highland Soil and Water Conservation District will protect our natural resources while meeting the needs of the citizens of Highland County and will promote the wise use of natural resources through the use of technical and educational assistance with available funds. |
All Highland Soil and Water Conservation District programs and services are offered on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status.