Crawford Soil and Water Conservation District

The Crawford SWCD Photo Contest Judging is about finished! This is the last time to vote on Facebook!
You can choose one photo for each post and "LIKE" or "LOVE" it and that counts as a vote, and votes for this round will end on Monday, August 26th. You will also be able to vote one last time on August 27th, at our Annual Meeting.
🏆WINNERS will be announced on Tuesday September 3rd!
This post is the Youth submitted photos for our Nature Category - like your favorite and share to get more votes!

The Crawford SWCD Photo Contest Judging is about finished! This is the last time to vote on Facebook!
You can choose one photo for each post and "LIKE" or "LOVE" it and that counts as a vote, and votes for this round will end on Monday, August 26th. You will also be able to vote one last time on August 27th, at our Annual Meeting.
🏆WINNERS will be announced on Tuesday September 3rd!
This post is the Youth submitted photos for our Trees Category - like your favorite and share to get more votes!

The Crawford SWCD Photo Contest Judging is about finished! This is the last time to vote on Facebook!
You can choose one photo for each post and "LIKE" or "LOVE" it and that counts as a vote, and votes for this round will end on Monday, August 26th. You will also be able to vote one last time on August 27th, at our Annual Meeting.
🏆WINNERS will be announced on Tuesday September 3rd!
This post is the Youth submitted photos for our Agriculture Category - like your favorite and share to get more votes!

The Crawford SWCD Photo Contest Judging is about finished! This is the last time to vote on Facebook!
You can choose one photo for each post and "LIKE" or "LOVE" it and that counts as a vote, and votes for this round will end on Monday, August 26th. You will also be able to vote one last time on August 27th, at our Annual Meeting.
🏆WINNERS will be announced on Tuesday September 3rd!
This post is the Adult submitted photos for our Trees Category - like your favorite and share to get more votes!

The Crawford SWCD Photo Contest Judging is about finished! This is the last time to vote on Facebook!
You can choose one photo for each post and "LIKE" or "LOVE" it and that counts as a vote, and votes for this round will end on Monday, August 26th. You will also be able to vote one last time on August 27th, at our Annual Meeting.
🏆WINNERS will be announced on Tuesday September 3rd!
This post is the Adult submitted photos for our Nature Category - like your favorite and share to get more votes!

The Crawford SWCD Photo Contest Judging is about finished! This is the last time to vote on Facebook!
You can choose one photo for each post and "LIKE" or "LOVE" it and that counts as a vote, and votes for this round will end on Monday, August 26th. You will also be able to vote one last time on August 27th, at our Annual Meeting.
🏆WINNERS will be announced on Tuesday September 3rd!
This post is the Adult submitted photos for our Agriculture Category - like your favorite and share to get more votes!

Glass can possibly take more than 1 million years to break down, and more than 28 billion glass bottles and jars go to landfills each year. That’s enough to fill two Empire State Buildings every three weeks!
Where if we recycle glass, it is 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without loss in quality or purity.

Stock piling manure is a management technique to help save time while hauling manure especially when fields are a long distance from the barns. Poultry litter is a common manure source that is stock piled and is typically trucked in from facilities further away. This allows for the barns to be cleaned out and for manure to be distributed to a broader area. Sometimes it will sit in a field for 2 months and sometimes it will sit for 2 days. This allows for the farmer to apply when it is needed and when field conditions are more favorable, or until the custom hired spreader gets to the field. The following is a job sheet provided by NRCS for stock piling guidelines.

Today is the last day for the Bratwurst Festival for 2024 and there are tons of choices for food but one popular treat is the cream puff! This sweet treat is a showcase for Ohio’s proud dairy industry! There are about 253,000 dairy cows in Ohio, ranking us 12th in milk production in the Untied States! Wow! Ohio agriculture has so much to offer!

National World Honeybee Day –
Today we are a buzz celebrating these hard-working pollinators! USDA estimates that every 1 in 3 bites of food exists because of animal pollinators and we all know bees lead the charge! How can you help the bees? Plant native flowers, use less pesticides and chemicals, and you can even consider adding a water feature for them!

Maybe today at the Bratwurst Festival you will have a pitawurst, which is bratwurst served in pita bread! We wouldn’t be eating these wonderful concoctions without agriculture! Pita is the oldest known bread type made from wheat. One bushel of wheat could feed one person a sandwich for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 168 days!

Today is the opening day for the Bratwurst Festival here in Bucyrus! While this tasty sausage-based recipe began in Germany in 1313, many bratwursts will be eaten right here over the next few days! But it wouldn’t be happening without agriculture! Bratwurst is typically made with pork but can be made with beef and veal. Pork is the world’s most widely eaten meat and each 265-pound market hog, raised right here in Crawford County, will represent 371 servings of pork!

CRAWFORD SWCD AFFILIATE MEMBERSHIP
Affiliate members help fund us with supplies for education in the classrooms and/or workshops in the field on various topics. The funds from the affiliate memberships go directly toward educating our county residents on how to utilize our natural resources and conserve them. We have many educational opportunities in the schools and several workshops each year, along with the annual meeting that honors our affiliate members and cooperators. We have had some members for over 68 years, and we are thankful for their loyalty! If you feel like affiliate membership is not for you, but would still like to donate or help, let us know! We have several opportunities throughout the year where we can use volunteers or event sponsors. Our office is here for the good of the county and how best we can serve your natural resource needs. We hope you will consider being an affiliate member this year. Member prices are:

🔲Conservation Program Sponsor: ($251.00 & up)

🔲Conservation Field Day Events: ($151.00 - $250.00)

🔲Conservation Advocate: ($50.00 - $150.00)
Contact our office today to become a member!

Tickets are on sale! Stop out at the SWCD office, 3111 State Route 98, Bucyrus, Monday-Friday, 7:30 AM-4:30 PM and get yours today! Next Tuesday, August 20th is your last day to purchase one!

Going Green for Lunch!
We don’t mean you have to eat salad! We mean being “greener” for your student or even you! Here are some ways to do this!
• Find a good quality, reusable lunch box or tote.
• Ditch single-use plastic.
• Bring a reusable water bottle.

High temperatures and drought-like conditions have proven to be less-than-ideal for Crawford County pastures. From cracking soil to overly dry forage, it may be time to consider moving your livestock off pasture and feeding supplemental hay and feed. This can prevent pasture degradation and in turn maintain the health and wellness of your livestock which will pay dividends in the long run. Remember that livestock should not return to grazing pastures until forages are at least 6-8 inches tall and enough dry matter is present to support all animals. Contact the SWCD office for more information about grazing and to learn how to utilize tools such as a grazing stick!

The start of school is right around the corner and here are a few tips to help make this year your best “green” year yet!
1. While you are trying to see if anything fits your growing child from last school year, remember, don’t throw the outgrown clothing away, donate them.
2. Before heading to the store for this year’s school supplies, check your at home supply before buying all new.
3. Bring your reusable bag to the store.
4. Keep to the list. That will help reduce purchasing those unused items.
5. Look for supplies with little or no packaging.

During the peak of summer your lawn may suffer from stress from the heat and dry weather. There are a few tips and tricks one should follow to maintain a healthy lawn in extreme heat:
By keeping your lawn mower at a 3.5-4-inch height, you are promoting deeper grass roots that can suck up moisture and shade the soil which minimizes evaporation. If you cut your lawn too short you are reducing grass’s ability to produce the energy needed for growth.

Leave clippings, they are beneficial to your lawn's health, especially on a stressed lawn because the clippings act as slow-release fertilizers that put nutrients back into your lawn. Aim the clippings towards your lawn and not towards bodies of water, storm drains, or streets.

Join us Tuesday, August 27th for our 79th Annual Meeting!! Tickets are on sale now 😃

This week is National Farmers Market Week! This and every week is a great time to support your local farmers and economy! Visiting a local farmers market is a great chance to try a new fruit or vegetable, spend time with your family, and supporting local! There are many seasonal offerings ready to help you build a healthy meal for your family.
Here are a few local markets and their Facebook links, so you can plan your next visit!
Bucyrus Farmers Market is located at Family Farm & Home Store parking lot (old Kmart) across from Timken – Bucyrus, Ohio. Held Saturday Mornings from 8:30 am to noon, May through October
https://www.facebook.com/Bucyrus-Farmers-Market-810991492262723/

The Dutchtown Farmers Market is located at St. John's Lutheran Church, 203 East Mansfield Street in New Washington, Ohio. The market will be open Thursdays from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. beginning May 5- September 29.
https://www.facebook.com/dutchtownfarmersmarket

Crestline Farmers Market is hosted by Crestline United Methodist Church. Local produce, crafts & baked goods. Open May through October. Tuesdays from 3:00 to 6:00 P.M.
https://www.facebook.com/crestlinefarmersmarket

God's Little Acre Farmers Market location is at Galion First UCC, 248 Harding Way West for easy access enter from Church Street. This is the oldest running farmer's market in Galion, Ohio. Saturday’s from 9:00 am to noon.
https://www.facebook.com/Godslittleacregalion

With less than 75 days left of summer, applying manure may be rising to the top of your to-do list. This time of year, it’s important to remember the following application guidelines to ensure you capture as many of your available nutrients as possible and to protect the watersheds.
1) Incorporate or inject manure to capture valuable nitrogen, increasing the available N for your next crop.
2) Do not apply when the top two (2) inches of soil are saturated.
3) Do not apply when the local weather forecast calls for a greater than 50% chance of rain exceeding one-half inch in a 24-hour period (Tip: keep weather condition records on days you apply for future reference either by phone or by printing the forecast).
4) Always follow application setbacks for at-risk areas including but not limited to streams, ponds, ditches, and residences (Tip: Crawford SWCD can assist with maps that showcase setback areas for your reference).
5) Be neighbor conscious and avoid applying ahead of holidays.

The Crawford SWCD Photo Contest Judging Continues!
You can choose one photo for each post and "LIKE" or "Love" it and that counts as a vote, and votes for this round will end on Monday, August 5th. You will also be able to vote later one more time on Facebook later in August and on August 27th, at our Annual Meeting - tickets are on sale now!
This post is the Adult submitted photos for our Agriculture Category - like your favorite and share to get more votes!

The Crawford SWCD Photo Contest Judging Continues!
You can choose one photo for each post and "LIKE" or "Love" it and that counts as a vote, and votes for this round will end on Monday, August 5th. You will also be able to vote later one more time on Facebook later in August and on August 27th, at our Annual Meeting - tickets are on sale now!
This post is the Adult submitted photos for our Nature Category - like your favorite and share to get more votes!

The Crawford SWCD Photo Contest Judging Continues!
You can choose one photo for each post and "LIKE" or "Love" it and that counts as a vote, and votes for this round will end on Monday, August 5th. You will also be able to vote later one more time on Facebook later in August and on August 27th, at our Annual Meeting - tickets are on sale now!
This post is the Adult submitted photos for our Tree Category - like your favorite and share to get more votes!

The Crawford SWCD Photo Contest Judging Continues!
You can choose one photo for each post and "LIKE" or "Love" it and that counts as a vote, and votes for this round will end on Monday, August 5th. You will also be able to vote later one more time on Facebook later in August and on August 27th, at our Annual Meeting - tickets are on sale now!
This post is the Youth submitted photos for our Agriculture Category - like your favorite and share to get more votes!

The Crawford SWCD Photo Contest Judging Continues!
You can choose one photo for each post and "LIKE" or "Love" it and that counts as a vote, and votes for this round will end on Monday, August 5th. You will also be able to vote later one more time on Facebook later in August and on August 27th, at our Annual Meeting - tickets are on sale now!
This post is the Youth submitted photos for our Nature Category - like your favorite and share to get more votes!

The Crawford SWCD Photo Contest Judging Continues!
You can choose one photo for each post and "LIKE" or "Love" it and that counts as a vote, and votes for this round will end on Monday, August 5th. You will also be able to vote later one more time on Facebook later in August and on August 27th, at our Annual Meeting - tickets are on sale now!
This post is the Youth submitted photos for our Tree Category - like your favorite and share to get more votes!

Now is the time to find and harvest the fruit of the Common Elderberry. You can find them growing throughout Ohio, often along the edges of streams, ponds, lakes, ditches, roadsides, and woodlands. These purple berries are used to make wine, jams and jellies, pies and even medicines. These fruits should not be eaten uncooked. These very versatile berries will have to be harvested quickly before birds and other mammals eat them!

Sunflowers are a summer annual that winter kills. Sunflowers attract pollinators and offer picturesque landscapes around late September. Sunflowers work well for alleviating compaction, scavenging nutrients, and offer lasting residue for soil protection. Sunflowers offer diversity in being prone to wet soils and drought conditions as well as tolerant to heat and low fertility soils.