Landowners

Franklin Soil and Water provides landowners with information on the protection and improvement of soil and water resources including information on backyard conservation, storm water quality and quantity issues, and agricultural practices for improved water quality.

Franklin Soil and Water also offers many services to landowners. Among these services are: conservation easements; lot splits; and consultations on drainage issues, streambank erosion, ponds, and rain gardens.

In cooperation with Franklin Soil and Water, USDA NRCS works with landowners through conservation planning and assistance designed to benefit the soil, water, air, plants, and animals that result in productive lands and healthy ecosystems.

Protecting Pollinators

January 27th, 2012

Butterflies on milkweed

One third of human food crops and 90% of flowering plants need animal pollinators for reproduction. Pollinators include bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, birds and bats. Whether we realize it or not, each of us depends on pollinators to provide the wide range of foods we eat. Abundant and healthy populations of pollinators can improve fruit set and quality, and increase fruit size. On the farm, this improves production per acre. In the wild, wildlife food sources increase.

‘Staff Picks’ New Feature

December 1st, 2011

Responding to continuing requests from Franklin County landowners, Franklin Soil and Water staff are compiling lists of “Staff Picks” to help you in your efforts to protect soil and water resources and wildlife habitat. The first of our Staff Picks is Plants to Attract Wildlife. Many of these will be available from our annual tree and fish sale, so be sure to hit the “Contact Us” button at the top of the page and send me your information to be added to our mailing list. The photo above is from Bob Harder who provides the wildflower seeds for our annual tree and fish sale.

Leaves: yard waste or valuable resource?

October 5th, 2011

Leaves in the street can cause flooding by clogging storm drain inlets.

Mow, mulch, rake, blow, bag; what do you do with your leaves? When leaves are left (or even raked) over the curb and into the street, they are carried by wind and water to storm water inlets. Storm drains full of leaves and other debris can clog, causing standing water or flooding, and costing your community for added cleanings.
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National Protect Your Groundwater Day

September 6th, 2011

Tuesday September 13, 2011 is National Protect Your Groundwater Day. Follow this link to the National Groundwater Association Web site in which the National Protect Your Groundwater Day is explained. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of groundwater pollution. Read More

Franklin County Farmers Invited to Agricultural Cover Crop Workshop on July 19th in Madison County

June 14th, 2011

The Madison Soil and Water Conservation District is holding a workshop for farmers, interested in planting a cover crop, on Tuesday, July 19th from 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. at the Madison County Engineer’s Conference Room. Read More

Emergency Manure Hauling Cost-share

May 31st, 2011

The ODNR Division of Soil and Water Resources, in cooperation with local soil and water conservation districts, will reimburse owners/operators of livestock facilities for 50 percent of the total cost up to $500 to haul and dispose of liquid manure at a treatment facility or to another manure storage structure with adequate storage capacity. Situations that qualify are those where existing liquid manure storage is completely full or less than 10 days storage based on manure and wastewater production remains. The local soil and water conservation district will be responsible for verifying manure storage levels on operations requesting assistance and estimating daily manure and wastewater production from each facility to determine how much storage is remaining. Operations with less than 120 days storage capacity will not be considered eligible for assistance, unless there is an extenuating circumstance. These situations require OSWCC and ODNR approval for funding.

Franklin County Commissioners’ Rain Garden Challenge 2011

May 18th, 2011

Residential rain garden designed for shady area

Franklin Soil and Water is working with the Franklin County Commissioners and the Economic Development and Planning Department on an innovative Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) rain garden project. The Franklin County Commissioners’ Rain Garden Challenge 2011 will assist low- to moderate-income residents in Franklin County to understand the impacts of storm water on flooding and water pollution and how they can help mitigate these problems.

The three primary components of the CDBG are:

Four demonstration rain gardens installed on township properties with signage explaining how rain gardens reduce storm water runoff, improve water quality, and add beauty to neighborhoods;
Community workshops covering what rain gardens are, how they work, their benefits, and how to install them; and
A cost-share program to make residential rain gardens affordable to low- to moderate-income homeowners.

Take Your Pick

April 21st, 2011

There is a lot going on at Franklin Soil and Water in April. Today, April 21, Linda Pettit, environmental education specialist is at New Albany-Plain Schools showing teachers how to use their new soil erosion simulator kits. Each building is receiving its own set of supplementary activities, based on grade level curriculum guidelines. Of course, the grades 2-5 building gets two kits because it is in those years that the important topics of soils and erosion are first introduced. Read More

What’s New in 50-Year-Old Tree & Fish Sale?

February 14th, 2011

Franklin Soil and Water has been facilitating tree planting since its inception in 1946 and has held tree sales for 50 years. According to an archived newsletter, we sold our millionth tree seedling in 1986.

So how have we adapted to changing times? We now count suburban and urban landowners among our customers alongside the producers who still buy conservation seedlings for windbreaks and riparian planting. (We also still sell fish for stocking farm ponds.)

One way we are trying to make tree shopping easier is that in addition to selling trees and shrubs in single-species bundles, we are also selling multi-species tree packets to meet specific conservation goals. One example of these packets is the Carbon Packet, consisting of fast-growing, vertically diverse, and long-lived tree and shrub species. These plants will sequester carbon through rapid woody growth, below-ground root development, and dense heartwood formation. By planting these trees, you are helping to offset your carbon footprint. The other conservation goal packets are the Pond and Riparian Habitat packet and the Songbird packet.

Conservation Stewardship Program Sign-Up Extended

October 20th, 2010

Applications Will Now Be Accepted Through January 7, 2011

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White announced the ranking period cut-off date for producer applications in NRCS’ Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) has been extended to January 7, 2011. “We’re extending the deadline for applications to CSP to provide agricultural producers more time to complete their applications” White said. “This will help farmers, ranchers and forestry producers by giving them more time and hopefully allow even more producers to participate in this program.”