The Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District recently received a $20,000 Clean Water Indiana grant to provide $20,000 in cost-share for planting cover crops, doing a forage and biomass planting and for soil grid sampling.

Jackson County has a lot of highly erodible land that needs a cover crop to keep the topsoil in place, according to a news release from the district. The topsoil holds most of the nutrients that feed seed/plant. Cover crops and forage and biomass plantings are crucial to putting cover on the ground to reduce and ultimately halt pollutants, leading to soil quality degradation and water quality impairments.

By participating in the program, the hope is landowners learn the importance of minimizing soil disturbance, maximizing cover of soil, biodiversity, having a continuous living root system, soil fertility and nutrient efficiency and keeping organic matter in a pasture field and nutrients and pesticides from entering the water supply.

In the future, the district plans to conduct a field day featuring speakers talking about the importance of the project.

The deadline to apply for the grant is Sept. 18.

If you are interested in applying, contact District Coordinator Terry Ault via email at [email protected] or call 812-358-2367, ext. 3035. Application and forms will be emailed to you or given to you through the office window since the office is closed to the public due to coronavirus guidelines.