Guernsey SWCDs 83rd Annual Meeting and Election October 23, 2025

 

Guernsey SWCD's 2024 Annual Meeting and Election

 Guernsey SWCD would like to announce our 82nd Annual Meeting and Election for our Board of Supervisors. It will take place at Deerassic on October 24th starting at 5:30pm. The cost is $10 per person.

Josh Stiers and Jo Lucas are both up for re-election and are running unopposed. If you would like to vote, you can vote in our office, request an absentee ballot or vote the night of the Annual Meeting. The election will start September 25th. More information can be found on the flyer below.

 

Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District Election

 On Thursday November 2^nd, the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District will be holding their 81^st annual meeting and banquet.  Every year the GSWCD holds an annual meeting for the purpose of electing members to the five-member board that comprises the board of supervisors for the district.  This year there will be two members elected to a three-year term.

 

The mission of the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District is to promote through education and technical assistance, the sustainable use of natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations.  The traditional perception of the Soil and Water Conservation District has been one of working primarily with the agricultural community.  The district does work on natural resource issues with local agriculture but in addition to that, it is a considerable resource to all landowners and land users in Guernsey County.

 

This year's slate of candidates for election to the district board of supervisors include; Ken Ford and Art Tripp. The two candidates with the most votes will be elected to a three-year term.  Residents of Guernsey County can vote from Wednesday, October 4^th through Thursday, November 2^nd. You can vote in person at the office, request an absentee ballot, or vote Thursday, November 2^nd at our Annual Meeting from 5:30pm – 6pm. The meeting will be held on the Guernsey County Fairgrounds in the Oscar Share Hall building. Doors will open at 5:00pm

 

The dinner, catered by Cid’s Smokehouse Grill, will be served at 6:00pm, with a brief program following the meal. Tickets for the banquet are $10, and can be purchased from any current board member, or from the SWCD office.  If you are unable to attend the day of the election, absentee ballots are available at the district office located at 335C Old National Rd, Old Washington, Ohio. Eligible voters are all individuals who are at least 18 years of age and a resident of Guernsey County or at least 18 years of age and own real estate in Guernsey County.  Consider participating in this important process.  For additional information you may contact the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District office at (740) 489-5276.

2023 Guernsey SWCD Annual Meeting

 

Guernsey SWCD Annual Meeting

On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, the Guernsey Soil & Water Conservation District celebrated its 76th Annual Meeting and Election at Deerassic Park Education Center. Two board members were elected to three year terms; Jo Lucas who was re-elected for her second term and newly elected board member Josh Stiers, who will begin his first term in January of 2019. Patrick Hodges and Sam Gatrell did an excellent job speaking about their experience at Camp Canopy which the district sponsored them to attend this year. Sam has been attending the past few years and this year he tested 5th overall at the camp out of nearly 100 participants which earned him a $1,000 scholarship to Zane State College.

 Mr. Louis Thornton was then honored as the 2018 Cooperator of the Year. Lou has diligently worked with the district and its partners this year as well as in years past. Lou has gone above and beyond making his beef operation work to its full potential. He has been gracious enough to hold workshops at his farm for the public to attend and show how certain conservation practices can improve an operation.

 We were delighted to have Tommy Butler from the USDA speak about Black Vultures and their increasing presence in Ohio and Guernsey County. 

The district would like to thank all who came out to celebrate the evening with them. Guernsey Soil & Water would like to extend a sincere thank you to Bill Bertram, who after 12 dedicated years of service to the district decided not to seek re-election. Mr. Bertram has assisted the district diligently during his time on the board and has helped guide the district through the years. We would like to wish him, his wife Shirley, and the rest of their family the very best. 

We would also like to give a special thank you to Orr’s Drive-In, Mosser Glass, The Engine House and M&M Feed who were generous enough to donate door prizes for our meeting. Its local businesses like yours that make our county so great!

Guernsey SWCD Annual Meeting

Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District Election

On Tuesday October 23^rd , the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District will be holding their 76^th annual meeting and banquet.  Every year the GSWCD holds an annual meeting for the purpose of electing members to the five member board that comprises the board of supervisors for the district.  This year there will be two members elected to a three-year term.

The mission of the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District is to promote through education and technical assistance the sustainable use of natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations.  The traditional perception of the Soil and Water Conservation District has been one of working primarily with the agricultural community.  The district does work on natural resource issues with local agriculture but in addition to that, it is a considerable resource to all landowners and land users in Guernsey County.

This year's slate of candidates for election to the district board of supervisors include; Jo Lucas, Anna Hodges, and Josh Stiers. The two candidates with the most votes will be elected to a three-year term.  The official election will begin at 5:00 pm Tuesday, October 23^rd at the Deerassic Park Education Center located at 14250 Cadiz Rd, Cambridge, OH 43725. 

The dinner, catered by Theo’s Restaurant, will be served at 6:00pm, with a brief program following the meal. Tickets for the banquet are $10, and can be purchased from any current board member, or from the SWCD office.  If you are unable to attend the day of the election, absentee ballots are available at the district office located at 335C Old National Rd, Old Washington, Ohio until 3:00pm October 23^rd .  Eligible voters are all individuals who are at least 18 years of age and a resident of Guernsey County or at least 18 years of age and own real estate in Guernsey County.  Consider participating in this important process.  For additional information you may contact the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District office at (740) 489-5276.

75th Annual Meeting and Election

Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District Election

On Tuesday October 24th, the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District will be holding their 75^th annual meeting and banquet. Every year the Guernsey SWCD holds an annual meeting for the purpose of electing members to the five member board that comprises the board of supervisors for the district. This year there will be two members elected to a three-year term.

The mission of the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District is to promote through education and technical assistance the sustainable use of natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations. The traditional perception of the Soil and Water Conservation District has been one of working primarily with the agricultural community. The district does work on natural resource issues with local agriculture but in addition to that, it is a considerable resource to all landowners and land users in Guernsey County.

This year's slate of candidates for election to the district board of supervisors include; John Enos, Ken Ford, Darlene Miser, and Mark Oliver. The two candidates with the most votes will be elected to a three-year term. The official election will begin at 5:00 pm Tuesday, October 24^th at the Deerassic Park Education Center located at 14250 Cadiz Rd, Cambridge, OH 43725. 

The dinner, catered by Theo’s Restaurant, will be served at 6:00pm, with a brief program following the meal. Tickets for the banquet are $10, and can soon be purchased from any current board member, or from the SWCD office.  If you are unable to attend the day of the election, absentee ballots are available at the district office located at 335C Old National Rd, Old Washington, Ohio until 2:00pm October 24^th.  Eligible voters are all individuals who are at least 18 years of age and a resident of Guernsey County or at least 18 years of age and own real estate in Guernsey County. Consider participating in this important process. For additional information you may contact the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District office at (740) 489-5276.

Meet the Candidates, Steve Douglass

Steve Douglass holds a Master's degree in elementary administration from Ohio University, and served as a teacher and principal with the Cambridge City School District for 35 years. He was a Guernsey County commissioner from 2008-2012. Steve and his wife, Sherry, reside in Cambridge Township, where they raised two daughters. He has served on the SWCD board since 2013.

Meet the Candidates, Mark Roberts

Meet the Candidate Mark Roberts.

Mark Roberts retired after 27 years as a heavy equipment operator with AEP in Conesville. He currently manages a 300 acre hay and cow/calf family farm operation. He is a member of Ohio Farm Bureau and the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association and a member and trustee of Cumberland Buffalo Presbyterian Church. He served as President of Local 1366 and 31 year member of UMWA and is currently a Spencer Township Trustee. He has been married to his wife Marsha for 30 years, has two children, Chelsey and Joe, and two grandchildren, Caiden and Cale.

Request for Absentee Ballot

For anyone unable to come to the annual meeting and cast your ballot here is the request for an absentee ballot. Simply fill this out and get it back to us by mail or stop by the office and you can get your vote in.

2016 Annual Meeting October 26th at The Cambridge Eagles Kitchen Voting Starts at 6 PM

Come one, come all, to the 74^th annual Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District annual meeting dinner and election on October 26^th 2016  at the Cambridge Eagles Kitchen where tickets for the meal can be purchased for $10 at the door or in advance from any Guernsey SWCD employee or board member. The dinner includes roast beef, stuffed pork loin, baked potato, lima beans, tossed salad, roll, desserts, iced tea, coffee, and water. The doors open at 6 PM for the voting of Guernsey SWCD supervisors followed by dinner at 7 PM and an informational presentation at 7:45 PM. This year’s incumbent is Steve Douglass, running against Steve is Mark Roberts. One of these two fine gentlemen will be elected to a three year term on the board of supervisors which helps guide and oversee the district. All eligible voters are individuals who are at least 18 years of age and a resident of Guernsey County or at least 18 years of age and own real estate in Guernsey County. If you are unable to attend the day of the meeting to vote and want to cast your ballot, please contact the district office about an absentee ballet. We encourage any and all eligible voters to weigh in on this important process. After voting and the dinner, an informational program will be presented by Rick Booth, of the Guernsey County Historical Society. Rick has been a member of the historical society for many years and is a wealth of knowledge to the days of yesteryear and is sure to have several interesting topics and facts for us. For more information about the annual meeting, please contact the Guernsey SWCD office at 740-489-5276.

73rd Annual Election and Banquet

RESULTS OF THE GSWCD ELECTION:
Bill Bertram, Ed Kennedy, Jo Lucas, and Rusty Roberts were the candidates for 2 board positions, serving 3 years beginning on 1-1-2016.   Bill Bertram and Jo Lucas were the top 2 vote getters. Congratulations to them, and sincere thanks to all four for their interest and commitment to the conservation of natural resources in Guernsey County!

Guernsey SWCD Annual Meeting and Election

On Wednesday, October 29th the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District held its 73rd annual meeting banquet and election.  The meeting was held at Mr Lee’s Restaurant. Bill Bertram and Jo Lucas were elected and will serve a three-year term beginning January 2015 on the board which provides direction, oversight, and fiscal accountability to the Soil and Water Conservation District.  Board members serve on a volunteer basis.  Current board members include Bill Bertram, Ken Ford, John Enos, Myron Dellinger and Steve Douglass.  The special guest for the evening was Abraham Lincoln, who regaled the crowd with stories from his presidency.  He ended the evening with the Gettysburg Address. 

During the annual meeting, the Co-operator of the Year award was presented to Celeste and Brent Mnich.  The Guernsey SWCD partners with Farm Credit, and USDA-NRCS to recognize co-operators who have shown a commitment to conservation of natural resources.  The Mnichs were presented with a sign, provided by Farm Credit Services.    

The Minchs have worked with the district over the past few years to improve their property for the benefit of the livestock as well as the environment.  They have installed pressurized watering facilities to provide water directly to their pastures.  They have fenced out both sides of their stream to avoid erosion and livestock waste contamination of the stream, and installed 2 stream crossings.  Still to be completed are a feeding pad, access road, and more fencing to divide their pastures to better manage cattle grazing of their pastures. 

The Minchs have not yet seen the full effects of what they have added to their farm, but in the next few years, both their cattle and their land will benefit from these practices.  In the mean time, they are attending every educational program provided by the district and by OSU extension in an effort to learn more of how to better manage their land.

The second award of the evening, The Friends of Conservation, went to the Hodges family, which has a long history of assisting the district in its conservation efforts. Beginning with Bob Hodges, who served on the board from 2004 to 2009, and his wife, Dee, who served on the auxiliary board and volunteered her time for children’s education programs, the family’s service spans 3 generations.  The district was near and dear to Bob’s heart, especially Moore Memorial Woods and the Conservation Day Camp the district has held for children each summer since 1985.  When Bob passed away in August of 2012, his family honored that commitment by asking that donations be sent to the district to support that education program.  The district recently honored Bob’s memory with a park bench at the woods.

 

Bob’s son Bruce and his wife Anna have taken on the farm now that Bob is gone.  While Bob was still with us, he hosted a training for Sanitation Engineers in the surrounding counties, where a soil pit was use to teach suitability of different soils for septic systems.  This summer, Bruce and Ana again allowed the district to dig a big hole on the farm – this time to hold a soils class for area farmers. 

Anna and the kids – Beth, Katie, Karen, and now their youngest, Patrick, have helped for several years with conservation camp.  Anna is so creative and teaches crafts each year, and the girls are essential to the camp as counselors who lead the kids and keep them in hand.  Patrick has enjoyed attending the camp, and is looking forward to taking on his new mantle as a counselor. 

The Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District is a political sub-division of the State of Ohio and covers the entire county.  Soil and water conservation districts were first formed in the 1940's when concerns of soil erosion and the loss of our most productive soils became apparent after the Great Dust Bowl.  Local citizens gathered together to form the conservation districts to educate and provide assistance to landowners in order to reduce soil erosion to tolerable limits.  Conservation Practices such as contour strips, no-till crops, and grassed waterways have had a great impact on reducing soil erosion.

Over the years conservation districts have evolved to include issues around land use, water quality, forestry and wildlife.  They work with landowners, land users, other governmental agencies, and elected officials to solve natural resource concerns.  Your conservation district can be a wealth of information.  The mission of the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District is to promote through education and technical assistance the sustainable use of natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations.  

Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District Annual Meeting and Election

On Wednesday October 28th, the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District will be holding their 73rd annual meeting and banquet.  Every year the GSWCD holds an annual meeting for the purpose of electing members to the five member board that comprises the board of supervisors for the district.  This year there will be two members elected to a three-year term.

The mission of the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District is to promote through education and technical assistance the sustainable use of natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations.  The traditional perception of the Soil and Water Conservation District has been one of working primarily with the agricultural community.  The district does work on natural resource issues with local agriculture but in addition to that it is a considerable resource to all landowners and land users in Guernsey County.

This year's slate of candidates for election to the district board of supervisors include;
 Bill Bertram 
 Edward Kennedy
Jo Lucas
Rusty Roberts

 The two candidates with the most votes will be elected to a three-year term.  The official election will begin at 6:00 pm Wednesday, October 28th at the Mr. Lee’s Restaurant banquet facility, 2000 E Wheeling Ave, Cambridge, Ohio.  Voting may be done from 6:00pm to 7:30pm.

The buffet will be served at 7:00pm, with a brief program following the meal. Abraham Lincoln will be the guest speaker for the evening.   Tickets for the banquet are $10, and can be purchased from any current board member, or from the SWCD office.  If you are unable to attend the day of the election, absentee ballots are available at the district office located at 335C Old National Rd, Old Washington, Ohio until 3:00pm October 28th.  Eligible voters are all individuals who are at least 18 years of age and a resident of Guernsey County or at least 18 years of age and own real estate in Guernsey County.  Consider participating in this important process.  For additional information you may contact the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District office at (740) 489-5276.

GUESS WHO's COMING TO DINNER?

You are right!  Abraham Lincoln will be joining us during our 73rd annual meeting on October 28th at 7PM.  He will share his experiences and words of wisdom on conservation in the 1800's.  
Please plan to attend the meeting and dinner, held at Mr Lee's banquet facilities on Wheeling Ave in Cambridge.  Tickets are $10.


John Cooper, age 60, has lived at the same home in Baltimore, OH for 36 years (Pickerington Local School District). Married, father of four graduates of Pickerington High School. Mr. Cooper retired after 32 years at the Defense Supply Center Columbus (DSCC) where he last served as the Branch Supervisor of a team of Customer Account Specialists who handle processing of customer requisitions on behalf of the Department of Defense for all Army and Navy foreign military customers and the United States Coast Guard. This office is the primary in-processing site for these foreign militaries in their authorized purchases from the entire United States military supply system.

Mr. Cooper began portraying President Abraham Lincoln about 25 years ago, while his children were in elementary school in the Pickerington school system. A co-worker at DSCC constantly maintained that he reminded her of Abraham Lincoln due to his tall stature and Lincoln-styled beard. Having discovered an old Lincoln-styled coat in his mother's attic, he then acquired a stovepipe hat, and began impersonations around President's Day in the elementary schools. Mr. Cooper is a self-avowed history nut, and considers Lincoln as his favorite President and our greatest President (even above George Washington). He has an extensive personal history library that includes over 60 books about Lincoln and his colleagues.

In the earliest days, impersonations were mostly confined to Pickerington Schools and a few other close schools (maybe due to lack of the requisite wrinkles in his face). Having grown naturally into those wrinkles and entering the sesquicentennial of Lincoln's presidency and the civil war, he has expanded his personal appearances to many adult performances, including the Violet Township (Pickerington) Bicentennial Celebration, The Defense Federal Executive Conference (Columbus), unveiling of the 200th anniversary Lincoln postage stamps with the Columbus Post Office, the Akron-Canton airport kick-off of direct flights to Washington, DC, and the Ohio State Fair the past three years. He enjoys the opportunity to meet with people of all ages (but children remain the favorite) and sharing stories about Lincoln and his life.

He is enjoying the sesquicentennial Civil War celebrations that occur between 2011-2015 and the opportunities that might be presented to be involved in additional commemorative events. He is available for community celebrations, historical societies, lunch and dinner speeches, conventions, fairs and festivals, schools, and home and birthday parties.

The toughest part of portraying a dead historical figure is trying to remain in character and time period, when many audience questions refer to subject matter that cannot be fully discussed without references to events and facts that were not known until after Lincoln's assassination.

MEET THE CANDIDATES

We have 2 openings on the board to be elected during the annual meeting on 10-28-15.  Here are the 4 people running for the board.

Bill Bertram

Bill and his wife, Shirley, live in Londonderry Township.  They have two children.  Bill was born and raised in Guernsey County.  He graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in Horticulture.  Formerly employed in NE Ohio by the Farm Credit Agency, he returned to Guernsey County to take over managing the family farm from his father,  and established Bertram’s Orchard.  His father received a conservation award from the district, and the sign still hangs proudly at the orchard.Bill serves on the board of directors for several area Farmer’s Markets.   He and his family attend Oak Grove Baptist church.  He has served on the Advisory Committee  of Harrison/Belmont Vocational school in Cadiz,  where he also substitute teaches.  He also substitutes in East Guernsey School District.

Ed Kennedy

Ed and his wife, Sandy, have 2 sons who are also involved in the farm. They have recently been recognized as a century farm.  They own 240 acres and farm 900+ and custom farm another 250.  In 2010, The Kennedy’s were recognized with the district’s Co-operator of the Year award.   He has participated in the SWCD cover crop program for the past 3 years.  Born and raised in Guernsey County, Ed attended and graduated from Newcomerstown schools.Ed is a member of the Plainfield United Methodist Church.  He is a member of the Elks, Farm Bureau, and has served on the Farm Service Agency’s county committee in the past.Ed is retired from Gencorp Plastics.

Jo Lucas

Jo and her husband, Don, share 2 children and six grandchildren.  They own 100+ acres of pasture and managed timber.  Jo grew up on a small farm in Holmes county and has lived in Guernsey county about 35 years.  Jo is a member of and serves as treasurer of the Mt. Herman Presbyterian Church.  She is one of the original Guernsey county Master Gardeners, having been so for over 10 years.  She has been a member of the Grow & Show garden club and has held a number of offices in that club.   She served as of the president of the auxiliary of SEORMC for 3 years, and also sat on the hospital board of trustees.Jo is retired from Southeast Equipment where she worked in the accounting department for over 10 years.

Rusty Roberts

Rusty and his wife Gayle have 2 children, Josey and Gregory.  They live in Cambridge Twp.  

Rusty grew up in Cambridge and graduated Malone University. He was a health educator at Meadowbrook MS, from which he retired in 2015 with many teaching awards. He has also served on the Cambridge City Board of Education for the past 15 years.   He is an Eagle Scout, and is currently a merit badge counselor for the Boy Scouts of America.Rusty is a former Guernsey County Commissioner.He has served for 8 years on the Mid-East Career & Technology Center Board, and 2 years as vice-president of that board.His environmental interests include assisting with a longterm study conducted by the National Environmental Council with the University of Cincinnati.  

Rusty is an active public speaker, and enjoys speaking to groups.

Ford and Enos re-elected to Guernsey Soil & Water Conservation District board of supervisors.

Board Chairman Bill Bertram(center),  with newly elected board members Ken Ford(left) and John Enos(right) at the regularly scheduled SWCD meeting January 12th.   Re-elected to a three year term, Ford and Enos join Bill Bertram, Myron Dellinger, and Steve Douglass in administering the Guernsey SWCD’s natural resource conservation programs.

Born out of the Dustbowl years, the Guernsey SWCD was organized in 1942 to further the natural resource conservation mission.  As a subdivision of state government, soil and water conservation districts have legal authority to assist landowners with a wide range of soil, water, woodland and wildlife conservation objectives.  Another important goal is to provide information and education programs on natural resource conservation and management topics for county residents.

Congratulations, John!

GSWCD Board Chairman Bill Betram (left) congratulates
John Enos for his 40 years of service on
 the Guernsey Soil & Water Conservation District board of supervisors.

Recently, John Enos was honored during the Ohio Federation of SWCDs during their annual meeting in Columbus.  Only 2 supervisors in the entire state of Ohio received this service award.  John has served the district for 40 years, having been first elected to the Guernsey Soil & Water Conservation District board by county residents in 1973.  For the past several years, he has served as the fiscal agent, overseeing the finances of the district.  

When John was elected in ‘73, the other 4 board members were: Burdette Elliott, Dean Thomas, Rollin Combs, and David Bay.  The Soil Conservation Service conservationist was Mark Giles, and County Extension agent was Wendell Litt.  Kenneth Elliott was the district aide, and Louise Daugherty was the office secretary.  Richard Nixon was president of the US, and John Gilligan was governor.  And Rowan and Martin aired the last season of Laugh-in. 

 During his first year on the board, the official process to create a county-wide soil inventory, called the Soil Survey, was initiated.  That first year, John was also appointed to represent the district on the OSU extension advisory council.  The district had just purchased a Brillion seeder, and rented it to county landowners who wished to improve their hayfields.  A demonstration of its use was organized by the Madison FFA chapter on a farm that the chapter rented.

The district’s annual meeting and election was held at the Madison High School.  At the meeting, the Rev Howard Bay gave the invocation, Deidre Reed and Jack Heston reported on their experience at 4-H Conservation Camp, and Linda Gray reported on her attendance of Forestry Camp.  The district had paid to sponsor these three young people’s registrations to these educational camps.  Landowner Henry McLaughlin received the district’s conservation co-operator of the year award, and was awarded a sign for his farm. 

Although many things have changed over the years, some things have stayed the same.  The district is still overseen by a five person board of local volunteers, who are elected for 3 year terms by residents of Guernsey county during the annual meeting.   The current board consists of Mr. Enos, Bill Bertram, Ken Ford, Myron Dellinger, and Steve Douglass. The district now has 3 fulltime employees; an administrator;  the “aide”, now called a technician, who provides technical advice; and a wildlife/forestry specialist.   The district still has a formal working agreement with the SCS, now called USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service,  and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.  It works closely with OSU Extension on education programs of all sorts.   Along with a newer model of a brillion seeder, there is also a no till drill available for landowners to rent.  And Soil Survey books for Guernsey county are available for the asking today at the GSWCD office. 

Guernsey SWCD Annual Meeting and Election

Jason Tyrell, GSWCD Technician; Josh Henderson, Farm Credit; Bill Kahrig, representing Green Valley; Joe Lehman, NRCS Soil Technician and formerly with GSWCD; and Travis Smith, GSWCD Wildlife/Forestry Specialist.

On Tuesday, October 29th the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District held its 71st annual meeting banquet and election.  The meeting was held at the Cassell Station VFD, and catered by Smokin’ C BBQ.  Steve Douglass was re-elected to the board, and will serve a three-year term beginning January 2014 on the board which provides direction, oversight, and fiscal accountability to the Soil and Water Conservation District.  Board members serve on a volunteer basis.  Current board members include Bill Bertram, Ken Ford, John Enos, Myron Dellinger and Steve Douglass.

Technician Jason Tyrell explains the district's ag programs.

During the annual meeting, the Conservationist of the Year award was presented to Green Valley Co-op.  The Guernsey SWCD partners with Farm Credit, and USDA-NRCS to recognize co-operators who have shown a commitment to conservation of natural resources.  Green Valley, represented by Bill Kahrig, was presented with a sign, provided by Farm Credit Services.    

Green Valley’s manager, Doug Kahrig, worked closely with the district on their recent cover crop program; sourcing seed mixes, promoting the program to their customers, and providing equipment and staff to help load the planes that flew the seed onto over 900 acres of Guernsey county farm ground.  Without his help, the program would never have "gotten off the ground".

Wildlife/Forestry Specialist Travis Smith introduces himself to the audience

The Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District is a political sub-division of the State of Ohio and covers the entire county.  Soil and water conservation districts were first formed in the 1940's when concerns of soil erosion and the loss of our most productive soils became apparent after the Great Dust Bowl.  Local citizens gathered together to form the conservation districts to educate and provide assistance to landowners in order to reduce soil erosion to tolerable limits.  Conservation Practices such as contour strips, no-till crops, and grassed waterways have had a great impact on reducing soil erosion.

Over the years conservation districts have evolved to include issues around land use, water quality, forestry and wildlife.  They work with landowners, land users, other governmental agencies, and elected officials to solve natural resource concerns.  Your conservation district can be a wealth of information.  The mission of the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District is to promote through education and technical assistance the sustainable use of natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations.

Board of Supervisors Election and Annual Meeting

On Tuesday October 29th, the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District will be holding their 71th annual meeting and banquet.  Every year the GSWCD holds an annual meeting for the purpose of electing members to the five member board that comprises the board of supervisors for the district.  This year there will be one member elected to a three-year term.

The mission of the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District is to promote through education and technical assistance the sustainable use of natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations.  The traditional perception of the Soil and Water Conservation District has been one of working primarily with the agricultural community.  The district does work on natural resource issue with local agriculture but in addition to that it is a considerable resource to all landowners and land users in Guernsey County.

This year's slate of candidates for election to the district board of supervisors include; Steve Douglass and Bob Sherby.  The candidate with the most votes will be elected to a three-year term.  The official election will begin at 6:00 pm Tuesday, October 29^th at the Cassell Station VFD, 4500 Peters Creek Rd, Cambridge, Ohio.  Voting may be done from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. 

The banquet will be served at 7:00pm, with a brief program following the meal. The meal is catered by Smokin’ C BBQ.  Tickets for the banquet are $10, and can be purchased from any current board member, or from the SWCD office.  If you are unable to attend the day of the election, absentee ballots are available at the district office located at 9711 East Pike, Cambridge, Ohio until 4:00pm October 29^th.  Eligible voters are all individuals who are at least 18 years of age and a resident of Guernsey County or at least 18 years of age and own real estate in Guernsey County.  Consider participating in this important process.  For additional information you may contact the Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District office at (740) 432-5624.

DISTRICT LEADERS CELEBRATE 70 YEARS OF CONSERVATION

The impact of grassroots (locally-led) conservation efforts was felt in Columbus last week as representatives from Guernsey SWCD and others across the state participated in the 70th Annual Meeting of the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.  

The meeting, “70 Years of Conservation:  Events that Shaped Our Lives,” took place at the Columbus Renaissance Hotel and included more than 400 conservation leaders representing Ohio’s 88 SWCDs, state and federal agency partners, education and business leaders, and many more.  The event provided networking, training opportunities, and informational briefings covering a diverse array of conservation issues, programs and required training for the locally elected officials.  Awards were also provided to a diverse array of individuals including the State’s Conservation Cooperator of the Year, two Educator Awards, a SWCD Supervisor and Staff Member of the Year, and two individuals were inducted into the OFSWCD Supervisors Hall of Fame.  Participants also met with lawmakers during a legislative reception to share local conservation successes and challenges, as well as to discuss the state budget.

Leaders heard Purdue University Department of History’s Dr. R. Douglas Hurt who shared the history of the Dust Bowl; Author Trudy E. Bell, who discussed the history of the Great 1913 flood and the potential for flooding issues in the future; USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services’ Regional Conservationist Richard Sims, who discussed federal issues including the Farm Bill and Sequestration issues;  and a panel discussion on state issues and challenges highlighted by state agency directors:   ODNR Director Jim Zehringer, ODA Director David Daniels, and OEPA Director Scott Nally.
Chairman Bill Bertram, Vice-chair Ken Ford, and board members Myron Dellinger and Steve Douglass represented the Guernsey SWCD at the event. “Our time in Columbus was well-spent,” Bertram said. “This is an event to further prepare and equip Ohio’s 88 county soil and water conservation districts to deliver effective and efficient conservation programs and practices to Ohio’s citizens.”  All three district employees; Lisa Rodenfels, Program Administrator, Joe Lehman, Wildlife/Forestry Specialist, and Jason Tyrell, Technician attended the event as well.

The conference provided district board members and employees an opportunity to interact with key decision-makers and to share or learn more about new programs that could strengthen and help shape conservation policy for private, working lands.
“Our winter meeting is critical for supervisors, staff and partners,” said OFSWCD President Joe Glassmeyer. “Our conference engages Ohio’s conservation leaders and trains these individuals to get the job done right – delivering critical conservation programs and sharing practices that promote healthy soils, water quality, food development, energy production, and so much more.  We were pleased with the turnout and with the enthusiastic participation from our Districts.”