Urgent Message

The health and safety of our staff and community members is a top priority for us. Due to recent developments in Ohio, with the Coronavirus, we are taking precautions to prevent the spread of this illness. However, we are still committed to assisting our county residents. As of Tuesday March 17th, the following changes will be implemented (until further notice):

• Our office will be closed to walk-in visitors

• We are still available via email at butlerswcd@butlercountyohio.org & phone 513-887-3720.

Please check back for updates - changes could occur daily.

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2020 Butler SWCD Supervisor Elections

Election Legal Notice

The Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission will cause an election of Supervisors of the Butler Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) to be held in accordance with Chapter 940 of the Ohio Revised Code. Individuals who own or occupy land within the Butler Soil and Water Conservation District and are 18 years of age or older may vote for Supervisor. The term of current Supervisors, David Brate and Jeremy Fruth, will be expiring on December 31, 2020.

There are 2 ways an eligible voter can cast a ballot:

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1. At the SWCD office from August 19 until September 1 during normal business hours; or

2. Voting absentee from July 20 until September 1, by requesting the ballot application and election ballot from the SWCD office at the following address 1802 Princeton Road, Suite 300, Hamilton, Ohio 45011, by calling 513-887-3720, or email butlerswcd@butlercountyohio.org. Absentee ballots must be received by the SWCD office by September 1.

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Two Supervisors will be elected to a three-year term commencing January 1, 2021 and ending December 31, 2023. Nominees are:

1. David Brate

2. Jeremy Fruth

3. Drew Johnson

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Visit our Election page for more information 

Pollinator Workshop Series

Recording of July 21 class: 

Part 1: Bees of Ohio

Part 2:  Trees for pollinators and Growing in Seasonal High Tunnels 

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Materials from July 21

• Bees and Wasps of Ohio

• OSU BeeLab

• Trees of Ohio

• Book: Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tellamy

• Xerces Society 

• OSU: Trees for Bees

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Sept 16, 7 -9 pm. 

Not know currently if this will be virtual or in person

Topics- host plants for caterpillars, getting to know the pollinators (this is the program that was supposed to take place in April). Planting from seed, pollinator pests. 

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               RSVP by emailing butlerswcd@butlercountyohio.org

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Summer Program Update

Our Summer programs are on hold while we wait for restrictions to lessen. We hope that you and your family still get outside to enjoy nature. We have created a few blog posts to give you some resources and ideas for activities with your kids.

• Creek  Critters

• Wiggling Worms

• Other online education resources

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Education Resources Online

While our education programs are on hold, we are creating many online resources (videos, activities, blogs, etc)  for you and your children on topics such as creek critters, wiggling worms, water pollution, pollinator, and more. This ever growing list can be found at

https://www.butlerswcd.org/onlineeducationresources

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Farm Service Agency News

Butler/Hamilton County Farm Service Agency (FSA) has several important program deadlines approaching.  Here are a few highlights of upcoming deadlines:

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ARCPLC – June 30
FSA encourages agricultural producers to enroll in the 2020 Agriculture Risk Loss (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs.  The deadline to enroll for the 2020 crop year is June 30.

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Acreage Certification – July 15
Acreage reporting is required to establish or maintain FSA program eligibility.  Please remember to follow the acreage reporting process guidelines.  The final certification date for several crops, including corn, soybeans and hay is July 15, 2020.

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CFAP – Aug 28
Producers can apply for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which provides direct payments to farmers to offset impacts from the coronavirus pandemic.  Applications will be accepted through August 28, 2020.  An application form and a payment calculator are available online on farmers.gov/cfap.

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County Committee Nomination – Aug 3
FSA encourages all farmers and FSA program participants to take part in the Butler/Hamilton County Committee election nomination process. FSA’s county committees are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA and allow grassroots input and local administration of federal farm programs. Any agricultural producer who participates or cooperates in an FSA program within LAA #3 may be nominated.  LAA #3 is comprised of Fairfield, Hanover, Morgan, Ross and St. Clair townships.  All nomination forms for the 2020 election must be postmarked or received in the Butler/Hamilton County FSA office by Aug. 3, 2020.

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For more information on FSA county committee nominations or any of the above programs please call the Butler/Hamilton FSA office to schedule a phone appointment. The Butler/Hamilton staff would like to remind producers the office continues to be open for business by phone appointment only. Farm Service Agency:  (513) 642-3730.

Pollinator Poster Contest Winners

Thank you to the children (and parents) who participated in this years poser contest. The theme was " Where would we BEE without pollinators." See our poster page to view the winners.

Strategic Planning 

Thank you to all those that participated!

Butler SWCD would like all those that attended our strategic planning meeting and to those who filled out our survey. We value your input and suggestions. We hope to be able to implement some of the ideas that were offered in the near future. Please check back for updates on our progress. 

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Calendar of Events