Putnam County SWCD offers two upcoming workshops

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Putnam County Soil and Water Conservation District will be offering two workshops/field days on Monday, Nov. 14.

The first workshop, Septics at Sunrise: What you need to know about septic systems and current local water quality conditions, will begin at 7:30 a.m. in conjunction with the Putnam County Health Dept. and the Big Walnut Watershed Alliance.

It will be held in classrooms 2 and 3 at Putnam County Hospital, 1542 Bloomington St., Ste. 1500. It will be offered again at 9 a.m. The same materials will be covered in both sessions so you may choose which you wish to attend.

It is a free workshop, but for planning purposes, persons are asked to contact the SWCD office at 653-5716 x165 to RSVP. A light breakfast will be provided.

The workshop is targeted at realtors but applicable to anyone with an interest in septic systems. Five key topics will be discussed and the information that is being shared is vital to real estate professionals.

If homes are on the market with septic systems you need to understand how they look, function and are maintained. More importantly, you need to understand their connection to our communities and the communities' water resources. It is important to understand what property owners can do to help protect their property values and public health.

The second workshop, Putnam County Cover Crops, will begin at 2 p.m. and conclude at 4. The workshop will be held in the fields of hosts Quad L. Farms LLC and Britton Farms Inc.

Speakers Hans Kok, CCSI, and Dave Robison, Cisco Seeds, will cover topics of drilling vs. flying on cover crops, rates of seeding, differing seed mixture types etc.

Participants will be invited to see the differences of drilled cover crop and flown cover crop dispersal, the pros and cons of each. The landowners will be available for questions. Follow State Road 236 to Barnard, look for County Road 825 East and turn south. Location is approximately a half-mile from 236. Signs will be posted.

The fields are fairly level for walking. Bring your own lawn chair if you require seating. Maps will be provided for a self-directed driving tour after the field day to see cover crops planted after corn. Light refreshments will be available.

Registration for the field day is $5, which will be placed in the SWCD endowment fund at the Putnam County Community Foundation for future SWCD programming. It is payable the day of the event.

RSVPs are asked by Nov. 10 at 653-5716 x135 for planning purposes.

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