WHEN:     July 17, 2008

WHERE:   Central Indiana

Join CTIC in Central Indiana this summer to witness Conservation In Action .  Five farms, five innovative and successful farming families and their testimonials about how conservation can and does work for today's agriculture.

In a day-long tour of outstanding farming operations in Central Indiana, CTIC members, partners and others interested in conservation will meet successful farmers who have mastered  innovative conservation practices in their profitable operations, with them one-on-one and learn from their experience.  Leaders   in agriculture from Indiana, the Midwest and the nation will be on this tour to see first-hand the good work that Indiana farmers do for resources, the economy and their state.

CCAs can earn 5 CEUs on the Tour!

On the Tour, we'll visit:

Starkey Farms Partnership, Brownsburg, Indiana
•  8 years of continuous no-till
•  Gradually incorporated 200 acres of annual ryegrass as cover crop
•  Gypsum added as a soil amendment to improve soil structure and infiltration
•  Tile Nitrogen outflow monitored by a local university because the farm is within a watershed that supplies drinking water to nearby Indianapolis

Lamb Farms, Lebanon, Indiana
•  84% of corn and soybeans are no-till or strip-till
•  RTK systems used to apply and manage nutrients
•  98 percent of compost produced is used on their farm for fertilizer and soil amendment
•  Nearly 50 acres of conservation buffers along ditches

Meadowlane Farms, Frankfort, Indiana
•  Tillage reduced by 75 percent on 1,300 acres of corn and soybeans
•  Balanced feed rations to produce balanced manure from 15,000-head hog operation
•  Custom-application of manure through a homemade injector attached to a two-mile long hose
•  Reduced water content by 50 percent with new technology that manages pigs’ use of water

Rulon Enterprises, Arcadia, Indiana
•  15  years of no-till for corn and soybeans
•  Extensive use of precision agriculture technology to create a whole-farm fertility record
•  Integrated manure management and cover crops used in conservation system
•  Drainage managed and buffers incorporated for a total resource management system

Beck’s Hybrids, Atlanta, Indiana
•  Largest U.S. independent retail seed company  
•  18-year no-till demonstration plots in Practical Farm Research™ (PFR) program
•  Other studies look at strip-till and strip cropping with various crop combinations
•  Research and Development facility, with greenhouses totaling 24,000 ft2, works year-round on new hybrid improvements

Tour Guests
Join these leaders in agriculture and conservation:  Gary Mast, USDA deputy under secretary for natural resources and environment;  Mike Hubbs, acting director for Ecological Sciences Division of NRCS;  Jane Hardisty, state conservationist for Indiana NRCS;  Jim Moseley, chair of EPA's Farm Ranch and Rural Communities Advisory Committee;  Alicia Kaiser, special assistant for agricultural policy at EPA; Tinka Hyde, acting director EPA Region 5 Division of Water;  Tom Davenport and Tim Henry EPA Region 5 Division of Water;  congressional staff of Sen. Lugar and Reps. Steve Buyer and Dan Burton and many others. 

Tour itinerary
Download the Tour brochure and a registration form, or register online (below).


REGISTER NOW - REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED
Registration for the tour is $50 for members of CTIC.  The fee for nonmembers is $75, which includes $25 for membership.  The registration fee includes coach transportation; lunch, dinner and snacks; and, of course, a full day of information plus the invaluable connection with others in agricultural conservation.   

LODGING
Embassy Suites Indianapolis - North
3912 Vincennes Road, Indianapolis (I-465 and Michigan Road)
To recieve the discounted rate of $119/night after June 30, call CTIC 765-494-9555 and we will help make your reservations.
To reach the hotel directly call 317-872-7700. 

Questions? Contact CTIC at 765-494-9555 or ctic@conservationinformation.org.

Special thanks to Specialty Fertilizer Products,
exclusive sponsor of the Conservation In Action Tour.