Success Stories:
River Friendly
Farmer Program
By April Ingle
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Brian Willard
accepting River Friendly Farmer award from Indiana
Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture, Joe Pearson
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St.
Joseph River Watershed Initiative
2010 Inwood Drive
Fort Wayne, IN 46815
april-ingle@iaswcd.org
The St.
Joseph River Watershed Initiative and local Soil and Water
Conservation Districts are giving a much needed pat on
the back to farmers who are working hard to protect our
natural resources by sponsoring the River Friendly Farmer
Program. The program is a way to recognize farmers in
the St. Joseph River Watershed, and throughout Indiana,
who are implementing land use practices on their farms
that prevent soil erosion and polluted runoff in order
to protect and enhance rivers, streams, and lakes.
The River
Friendly Farmer Program publicizes and promotes farming
practices in Indiana that benefit water quality while
maintaining the profitability of farms. The program also
informs the public about farmers’ positive contributions
to clean up and provide continued maintenance of local
water resources. There are three main steps in the program:
1) the public nominates River Friendly Farmers, 2) these
farmers are then interviewed and selected based on outstanding
use of conservation practices on their farm, and 3) the
selected River Friendly Farmers are recognized through
media, signs, banquets, and other means.
What
do you consider the key to your success?
Involvement
by all stakeholders, and voluntary incentive-based approaches
to non-point source pollution concerns.
How would you outline the steps in organizing your project
to advise another group on a similar project?
1. Develop
an oversight committee that has varied representation
2. Determine
the criteria for the program
3. Distribute
information to entities who will select the River Friendly
Farmers
4. Recognize
the farmers selected. Lots of publicity
What have been the affects of this effort on your organization’s
work?
1.
Allows us to recognize those people who do an outstanding
job of protecting natural resources.
2.
Allows us to further promote the practices that these
farmers use, and encourage implementation.
How has the project affected your community?
Allows
the community to know that farmers are working to protect
water quality, and increases public awareness of the problems
of runoff and soil erosion.
What particular stumbling blocks, challenges, or defeats
did you encounter?
Because
this is a voluntary program, counties decide whether or
not to participate. Not all counties are participating,
but the number is growing each year.
How
many people-hours were spent on the various aspects of
the project?
The
committee consists of 6 people, and 32 farmers were recognized
in 2000. Approximately 160 hours were spent reading applications
and selecting farmers, and 120 hours were spent on recognition
and publicity of the program.
How was public involvement motivated and facilitated?
Through
communications such as media, newsletters, signs - and
because local committees actually select farmers.
How was public education a component of your program?
Education
wasn’t just a component, it was the focus of the program.
The program educated the public on: positive contributions
farmers make to protect water quality, practices farmers
use to protect water quality, and the support the Indiana
Conservation Partnership and Farm Bureau provide.
What was the primary means of communication?
Communication
was accomplished primarily through the media and River
Friendly Farmer signs.
What resources were available/acquired/tapped into?
Initially
the GLAHNF grant helped to get the program started, and
then funding was gained from the Farm Bureau, Purdue,
the Indiana DNR, and IASWCD.
What level of media exposure were you able to obtain
and how did it affect your efforts?
In 2000,
good local exposure and medium state-wide exposure was
gained, and it had a positive effect on the project and
community.
St.
Joseph River Watershed Initiative
2010 Inwood Drive
Fort Wayne, IN 46815
april-ingle@iaswcd.org
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