Richland Soil and Water Conservation District News — April 2024
Fun Activities!
Click the buttons below to download and print these word puzzles and have some fun!
Hint: you’ll need to do a little searching in this issue to help with the crossword puzzle.
Click the buttons below to download and print these word puzzles and have some fun!
Hint: you’ll need to do a little searching in this issue to help with the crossword puzzle.
Events for April, May, June & July!April 2024
April 30 | Rain Barrel & Rain Garden Workshop
Time: 6:00 pm
Place: Mansfield/Richland County Public Library –
Time: 6:00 pm
Place: Mansfield/Richland County Public Library – Main Location (43 W 3rd St, Mansfield)
Cost: FREE
Pre-registration: Please register below or call technician Jordan Keller (419.747.8688).
This workshop is a great introduction to learning about rain barrels and rain gardens.
Time: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Place: The Longview Center – Main Conference Room, 1495 W. Longview Ave, Mansfield
Cost: FREE
Pre-registration: Please register below or call technician Jordan Keller (419.747.8688).
Guy Denny, retired ODNR Chief of Natural Areas and Preserves Division is our guest speaker this year and will talk about Ohio Tall Grass Prairies. Purchase native plants afterward from Natives In Harmony.
Time: 9:00 am
Place: The Longview Center – RSWCD Conference Room #258, 1495 W. Longview Ave, Mansfield
Please contact the Director before the meeting if you wish to attend.
Board Supervisor meetings are once a month, open to the public, and held in the Richland SWCD Conference Room 258 at the Longview Center.
Time: 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Place: City of Shiloh Fire Station, 11 Delaware St, Shiloh
Cost: $10 per person
Pre-registration: Please register below or call technician Jordan Keller (419.747.8688).
This workshop is designed for those interested in pasture and grazing management. Those new to livestock and forage management are encouraged to join. Lunch and a grazing stick are included in cost.
Time: 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Place: Shady Lane Alpaca Farm, 3073 Gass Road, Mansfield
Cost: $10 per person
Pre-registration: Please register below or call technician Jordan Keller (419.747.8688).
This workshop is designed for those interested in pasture and grazing management. Those new to livestock and forage management are encouraged to join. Lunch and a grazing stick are included in cost.
Time: 9:00 am
Place: The Longview Center – RSWCD Conference Room #258, 1495 W. Longview Ave, Mansfield
Please contact the Director before the meeting if you wish to attend.
Board Supervisor meetings are once a month, open to the public, and held in the Richland SWCD Conference Room 258 at the Longview Center.
Time: Noon – 4:00 pm
Place: Malabar Farm State Park, 4050 Bromfield Road, Lucas, Ohio
Cost: Free Admission
Family friendly festival with hands-on kids activities, farm activities, and food. We are looking for exhibitors/vendors and volunteers.
Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Place: The Longview Center, 1495 W. Longview Ave, Mansfield
Cost: $12 per person
Pre-registration: Please register below or call Theresa Sutter.
Make a lovely bowl/dish from an impression of a leaf. All workshop materials are provided.
Time: 9:00 am
Place: The Longview Center – RSWCD Conference Room #258, 1495 W. Longview Ave, Mansfield
Please contact the Director before the meeting if you wish to attend.
Board Supervisor meetings are once a month, open to the public, and held in the Richland SWCD Conference Room 258 at the Longview Center.
Time: Multiple times, see previous
Place: Multiple locations, see previous
Cost: $30 per person
Pre-registration: Please register below or call technician Jordan Keller (419.747.8688).
This workshop is designed for those interested in pasture and grazing management. Those new to livestock and forage management are encouraged to join. Dinner is included for the sessions on the 23rd and 25th. A grazing stick and USB with course manual will also be included.
2024 Richland County Pasture & Grazing School SeriesJune Sessions
Sessions for Plain Growers and Women in Agriculture
RSWCD and our partners (USDA-NRCS,
RSWCD and our partners (USDA-NRCS, The Ohio State University Extension, Ohio Dept. of Agriculture, and the Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council) are planning several grazing/pasture management learning groups and invite you to join!
There will be two learning groups. One will be geared specifically to plain growers (i.e. Mennonite & Amish) and one for women in agriculture (however, both are open for anyone to attend).
Even if you are new to livestock and forage management, you are encouraged to join. Lunch and a grazing stick will be provided for each of the sessions. Registration is $10 per person, per session. Both sessions are scheduled for mid-June.
This general, three day class is for everyone, whether you’re new to grazing and pasture management or a seasoned pro looking to brush up or learn the latest techniques.
The July sessions will be three in total. The first two sessions will be seminars here at the Longview Center. The third session will be a pasture walk at the Eisenhauer’s Farm!
The registration is $30 per person, covering all three sessions. Food will be provided: dinner during the seminars, lunch for the pasture walk. A flash drive with course materials and a grazing stick will also be included. See our list of events below for further details and to register.
Both the June and July sessions will be held in conjunction with our partners USDA-NRCS, The Ohio State University Extension, Ohio Dept. of Agriculture, and the Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council.
New H2Ohio Sign-Ups!
We are pleased to announce enrollment is again open in Richland County for the H2Ohio Program for crop year 2025!
If you or a farmer you know missed out or passed up the first opportunity to participate in this program…
We are pleased to announce enrollment is again open in Richland County for the H2Ohio Program for crop year 2025!
If you or a farmer you know missed out or passed up the first opportunity to participate in this program, now is a great time to join! A nutrient management plan accounting for all N-P-K nutrients is required to participate in the program. Applications will be taken on a first come, first served basis. The deadline to sign up is May 31s.
For more info, please visit our H2Ohio webpage or give Jordan or Evan a call (see contacts on last page).
RSWCD is the manager of Richland County’s Stormwater Management and Sediment Control Regulations. Any building projects that entail earth disturbance and/or new impervious surface are permitted through our office (applies to all unincorporated areas in Richland County, and the Village of Lexington, only).
Here is the first quarter of 2024 by the numbers, in terms of Stormwater permits issued by our office:
For more info on our Stormwater Permit process and how to complete the process fully online using GeoPermits, view our documents!
You read that correctly. This year, we will be burying at least one pair of underwear in each of Richland County’s eighteen townships in different types of soil. We’re enlisting the help of local landowners and partners to find a patch of earth and leave our undergarments in a hole.
Have we gone mad? Nope. This is a time tested experiment to showcase soil health. A healthy soil has good air and water flow, and is teeming with micro-biotic organisms, fostering an excellent environment for crops to grow in.
How will this work? Undies go underground in late spring. We wait sixty days. We dig them back up. We hang them up for everyone to see. A healthy soil is excellent at breaking down organic matter, like cotton briefs. We bet you get the idea.
Come see our soiled undies at the County Fair this year and learn about the importance of soil health!
It’s 2024 and there is now a new MS4 theme! The OEPA (Ohio Environmental Protection Agency) defines pollution prevention as “any practice that reduces, eliminates, or prevents pollution at its source before it is created.”
Pollution has many negative effects on human health and the environment. The good news is, preventing pollution is something anyone can do. How? Capturing or slowing water down before it leaves your property! Both rain barrels and rain gardens are great and aesthetically pleasing ways of accomplishing these goals.
If you are interested in getting a rain barrel or rain garden, we can help you accomplish this! Discover more about rain barrel, rain gardens, and the MS4 program by clicking on the links below.
RSWCD has begun doing more cooperative agreement work for USDA-NRCS (Natural Resource Conservation Service). This means that RSWCD and USDA-NRCS are teaming up to help implement federal cost-share programs in Richland County. Technicians Jordan Keller and Evan Stern are excited for the new work! And technician Matt Wallace has already been surveying waterways for USDA.
If you or someone you know are interested in USDA-NRCS cost-share programs, feel free to contact any of these technicians, District Conservationist Jason Ruhl or Soil Conservationist Jordan Miller for more information. Read more about the cost-share programs below.
What is a floodplain? A floodplain is an area adjacent to a river or stream that becomes inundated with water during times of heavy and or prolonged rainfall. Over the years these areas have been mapped to show areas of high, moderate, and low-flood risk in a series of zones. These maps are officially known as Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs).
Communities use FIRMs to set minimum building requirements for coastal areas and floodplains; lenders use them to determine flood insurance needs and costs. Building within the floodplain comes with many challenges which can be costly, especially if hydraulic & hydrologic (H&H) studies or additional permits are required. Additional building material costs (e.g. to elevate the entire structure out of danger) may also be necessary.
To view Richland County’s FIRMs you can go to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Flood Map Service Center or visit our office.
Richland Soil & Water Conservation District (RSWCD) & Pheasant’s Forever Hire New Employees
New year, new staff!
In February, RSWCD hired on two new district technicians: Zoe Baumberger &
New year, new staff!
In February, RSWCD hired on two new district technicians: Zoe Baumberger & Sam Foley. They will be the new faces of the stormwater permitting program (which the District manages for the Commissioners and the Village of Lexington) as well as the MS4 Program (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System). Pheasants Forever also recently hired Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist Rachel Coy.
Get to know our new team members by reading their bios below and join us in welcoming them! Feel free to send them a friendly email or stop by to say hello!
Zoe is a proud native of Mansfield, Ohio, and feels incredibly fortunate to give back to her community in her new role with RSWCD.
Armed with a Bachelor of Science in Conservation Biology and Ecology, earned in May 2023, Zoe brings a deep-rooted passion for environmental stewardship to the role.
Beyond the office, Zoe finds joy in the simple pleasures of life: reading, painting, nurturing her garden, stealing moments for a nap, and exploring the outdoors with her two beloved canine companions.
Sam lives in Mansfield, Ohio, with his 7-year-old son, Augustus, and his son’s mother, Kristi. They have a dog, Watson, and one cat, Louie.
Sam graduated from Shelby High School in 2008 and obtained his Associate of Science in Biotechnology from North Central State College in 2011.
One of Sam’s favorite things to do is cook, you can regularly find him in the kitchen. He is always eager to learn new things in life and is looking forward to working within the community.
Rachel is the new Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist with Pheasants Forever covering Richland, Crawford, Huron and Seneca counties.
She graduated from The Ohio State University in December of 2023 with her bachelor’s in environmental science with a specialization in ecosystem restoration. Prior to starting her current position, she spent two years doing undergraduate research and extension work with Ohio State and has been a part of numerous natural habitat and farm research initiatives. She is looking forward to working with landowners on their goals of supporting wild landscapes.
Outside of work, Rachel enjoys reading, attempting to bake, and is a dog mom to her and her partner’s two pups. She spends most of her spare time with her little family enjoying the outdoors on hikes or inside watching a good movie.