Financial Incentives

St Joseph County SWCD Financial Assistance

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The St. Joseph County SWCD offers conservation cost share.  These cost share opportunities can be obtained by contacting our County Conservationist Sarah Longenecker at 574-936-2024 Ext. 4 or by e-mail here.  Some projects the district has helped with:

• 2015 Prevented Planting Cover Crop Cost Share.  (Background photo is from this project.)  We were able to assist producers land that was flooded and unable to plant crops in the spring/summer of 2015.  By planting a cover crop, this protected the soil from further damage from being exposed to the elements.

• 2016 we helped with a Pollinator Habitat planting. (pictured on the top right ---->) We hope that this native forb (wildflower) planting will not only benefit our hardworking pollinators but will encourage others to plant native forbs as well! Pesticide use and lack of habitat have led to a decline in pollinator population. Getting Monarch and pollinator habitat established is a priority practice that benefits us all!

• 2016 approximately 125’ of livestock pipeline within a rotational grazing system was installed.  (photo on the middle right ---->)  While 125’ doesn’t seem like a lot, this length was just the beginning run of pipeline to be installed to facilitate a rotational grazing plan to keep the soil, forage, and cattle healthy.

• 2016-2023 with the help of Clean Water Indiana Grants (CWI) we have had a cost share program which put over 1,420 acres of cover crops, 460 acres of no-till and 6 acres of pollinator habitat in St. Joseph County.  We also installed 9 demonstration and 3 residential raingardens. (photos on the bottom right --->)