Indiana
Indiana farmers break previous conservation records with cover crops – Inside INdiana Business
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Thanks to the increased use of cover crops, Indiana farmers have set new milestones for soil conservation, according to a new state survey.
The conservation survey conducted this spring by a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture says 1.7 million acres of farmland in Indiana are now under cover crops, beating last year’s total of 1.6 million.
Cover crops include types of grasses, wheats and oats and are planted after the fall harvest to improve the soil. The cover crops provide the soil with living roots which helps with fertilization and prevents sediment from collecting in waterways. State environmental officials estimate cover crops prevent around 1.8 million tons of sediment from entering waterways each year.
SDA conservationist Damarys Mortenson said in a news release that the results of the study reflect an increasing awareness of ways to increase soil health, which in turn makes farms more productive.
“These results are very encouraging,” Mortenson said. “The adoption of cover crops on such a large scale indicates that farmers are recognizing the long-term benefits of these practices for both their land and the environment.”
In recent years state policy has been geared toward soil protection with the Cover Crop Premium Discount program being one example where the state is giving discounts on farmers’ crop insurance if they plant more cover crops.
In the last cycle of that program, 117 farmers participated, planting 35,000 acres of cover crops.
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RIPLEY COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — A statewide Silver Alert has been issued for two young children in Indiana.
Police in Ripley County, southeast of Indianapolis, are looing for the children who may be siblings.
The first child is 3-year-old Aaliyah Buckingham.
She was last seen wearing a pink cat shirt and tie-dye shorts.
The younger child is 1-year-old Shane Buckingham, last seen in a red shirt and diaper.
Police think both are with 45-year-old Timothy Buckingham, who was last seen driving a brown GMC truck.
Timothy is described as a 6′ 3″ white man weighing 225 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.
Photo of Timothy Buckingham provided by Indiana State Police
Police have not confirmed the relationship of the three, or why the children are believed to be in danger.
Anyone who sees the three are asked to contact the nearest police department.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A firefighter for the Indianapolis Fire Department was sent to the hospital Wednesday after battling a fire at a vacant house.
According to a Facebook post made by IFD, the fire happened around 10:15 a.m. at a house on Bluff Rd. IFD says that there were several complications, including limited access to fire hydrants and “interior hoarder conditions” that IFD says was due to squatters.
The injured firefighter received “slight injury,” the Facebook post said.
It took over an hour and a half to get the fire under control, according to IFD, and another hour to put out all the remaining hot spots in the building.
According to IFD, the cause of the fire is currently unknown. Their Fire Investigations Unit is working on figuring out what caused the fire.
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