Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District is pleased to introduce Grace Adams, our new Resilient Indiana Conservation Technician (RITA Tech) serving Warren, Benton, Tippecanoe, White, and Clinton counties.

Grace grew up in Warren and Benton counties, where her connection to the land first took root. She went on to earn a degree in Environmental Sustainability and Biodiversity from Indiana University, combining her academic background with real-world experience through an internship with Sycamore Land Trust in southern Indiana. There, she supported habitat restoration and land stewardship efforts, work that further strengthened her commitment to conservation.

Grace later served in Indiana’s central-northeastern region, where she worked with landowners and conservation districts before returning to her home counties to continue that work more locally.

As a RITA Tech, Grace works alongside Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) staff in each of her assigned counties. She spends about one day a week in each office, providing technical assistance to landowners and producers, supporting conservation programs, and helping implement practices that improve soil health, water quality, and overall land resilience. In addition to fieldwork, Grace is passionate about conservation outreach and education. She is especially interested in Hoosier Riverwatch, an Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) sponsored program that trains volunteers to monitor stream health.

She's eager to help connect residents to hands-on opportunities like this and to promote broader community involvement in natural resource protection.

Grace has a strong personal interest in all things water-related, from stream ecology to watershed management, and brings that enthusiasm into her work. When she’s not in the field, she enjoys camping, creek stomping, and spending time with her dog.

On Thursday, September 25th, 2025, Warren and Fountain County SWCD’s Friends Learning About Soil Health-FLASH Group from the Urban Soil Health Program, hosted a Homestead Tour of Julie Clark’s Farm in rural Warren County.

They talked about healthy soils, cover crops, no-till practices on a small scale, invasive plants, native plantings as well as wildlife habitat.

Thank you to all who came and participated to make this a wonderful day!

Special thanks to our partners and volunteers who include Covington Community Garden-Ethan Wise, who provided the breakfast, Misty Bossaer from Bossaer’s Farm and Bakery Café for lunch, Tanvi Lad from Urban Soil Health, Colton Gresser from Pheasants Forever, Jordan Young volunteer from Benton County, Chrissie and Emily McCutcheon from Benton County SWCD and Big Pine Watershed, Lori Jordan from Fountain County SWCD, Hannah Garriott with Resilient Indiana Technical Assistance Program- RITA, Katie Liebrandt, intern for Fountain County SWCD. And Julie Clark for opening her farm up for an education opportunity.

Friends Learning About Soil Health hosted a canning workshop at the Williamsport Christian Church. We demonstrated and instructed on canning fresh vegetables and making sweet relish. There were five participants in attendance. It was very entertaining and educational.

We would like to thank A Better Food Co-Op (Bonnie & Gary Myers) to providing the lunch and cookies, Urban Soil Health/FLASH Group for agreeing to educate about safe canning practices. And especially, Williamsport Christian Church for allowing us to use their kitchen space in the Family Life Center.

It was discussed of having a potential second class this winter to teach about making jams, jellies, and applesauce. Keep a look out on events page and Facebook page for updates.

We would like to thank all who purchased fish at our Fall 25 Fish Sale. It was a great success. Hope you all enjoy your fish.

We postponed the Pond Workshop from October to be scheduled for Spring of 2026. You did not miss it. Check out our webpage for updates on events. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation greatly.

Below are a few pictures of the fish from Andry’s Fish Farm in Birdseye, Indiana and happy customers.

To effectively put your garden to bed for winter, clean up plant debris, protect perennials, and improve soil health to ensure a thriving garden come spring.

1. Clean Up Debris: Start by removing any dead or diseased plant material from your garden. This includes pulling out spent annuals and cutting back perennials to about 2-4 inches above the ground. Properly dispose of diseased plants to prevent the spread of pathogens.

2. Harvest Remaining Crops: Before the first frost, harvest any remaining vegetables and fruits. This includes cold-intolerant crops like tomatoes and peppers. If you have cold-hardy crops, you can leave them in the ground until they are no longer producing.

3. Weed the Beds: Remove any weeds in or near your garden beds. This helps reduce self-seeding weeds and removes the roots of perennial weeds, which can compete with your plants in the spring.

4. Mulch and Amend the Soil: Apply a layer of organic mulch (such as shredded leaves, straw, or wood chips) around your plants. This will insulate the soil and protect your plants from harsh winter conditions. Additionally, consider adding organic matter like compost or well-rotted manure to improve soil health.

5. Protect Perennials: Some perennials may need extra protection during winter. Leave healthy seed heads standing for wildlife and to provide winter interest in the garden. For marginally hardy perennials, consid er covering them with mulch or protective fabric.

6. Check Tools and Equipment: Clean and sharpen your gardening tools before storing them for the winter. This ensures they are ready for use in the spring.

7. Plan for Next Season: Take notes on what worked and what didn’t in your garden this year. This refection can help you make better decisions for the next growing season.

By following these steps, you can effectively prepare your garden for winter, ensuring it remains healthy and ready to thrive in the spring. Proper winterization not only protects your plants but also enhances soil fertility and re duces pest problems for the next growing season.

We are a nonprofit organization 501(c)(3) that helps to in providing assistance with food insecurity for residents of Warren County Indiana. Our mission consists of helping others up instead of out with handouts. We encourage people to learn how to improve their lives with better c hoices and offer fellowship for communications. We are faith based and try to serve all those interested however do not require anyone to have faith. We are funded by private donations and rarely a grant may award us funding, however our funding is very limited.

We are currently seeking donations of food and household hygiene products to support the co-op’s mission. These ite ms help provide healthier living options and a greater sense of security for the individuals we serve. We respectfully ask for your support as a community partner to help us continue this vital work. You will find a list of various it ems below that we are requesting.

In Need of: hamburger helper meals, dried potatoes products, dried navy beans, dried rice, rice side dishes, dry pasta, mac n cheese, ramen noodles, cereal, ground coffee, sugar, beef stew, canned vegetables; such as: carrots, beets, mu shrooms, peas, mixed vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, canned pasta, spaghetti sauce, sloppy joe mix, canned soups, canned fruit of all kinds like: mandarin oranges, peaches, mixed fruit, pineapple, pears, jars of jelly/jams , creamy peanut butter, tissues, paper towels, toilet paper, aluminum foil, shampoo & conditioner, deodorant-men and women, feminine products, small bottles of detergent, body wash, and pet food.

Thank you for your consideration and efforts to making this a better community by joining the fight to beat hunger and poverty.

The Indiana AgVets Certification and Internship Program is an agricultural career training opportunity specifically for U.S. military veterans in Indiana or surrounding states. The program prepares participants for rewarding careers in production agriculture or agribusiness by providing specialized training (free of charge) tailored to the veteran’s personal interests and career aspirations, and paid internships in a farm or agricultural service business.

Victor Shelton is a retired Agronomist/Grazing Specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). He continues to write Grazing Bites in his spare time from his property in southwest Indiana. 

The current edition and archives are available on our events and news webpage as well.

July 31 ---- FSA is accepting offers for Continuous CRP through July 31, 2025.  Offer acceptance is subject to availability of acres.

August 1 ---- Last day to file County Committee Nomination forms.

August 1 ---- Deadline to Request farm reconstitutions and transfers for 2025.

August 15 ---- Deadline for producers to submit applications for ECAP.

September 1 ---- Labor Day Holiday. USDA Service Center is Closed.

Ongoing – Submit an Application for a Farm Storage Facility Loan

Continuous - Submit an Application for FSA Farm Loans

Continuous - Signup for Local County Office FSA Text Alerts - Text Your Service Center Keyword INWARREN to FSANOW (372-669)

Continuous – Sign up for GovDelivery Newsletters, Bulletins and Indiana Press Releases (Subscribe to USDA Emails for Farmers | Farmers.gov)

Hunting and Trapping Dates for 2025-2026

March 1-June 15 and December 1-February 28- Dormant/Frost Seeding dates for Warm Season Native Habitat Plantings