If you didn't attend the Johnson County Soil and Water Conservation District Field Day recently, you missed out on a great chance to see conservation in action,. A cattleman with outside interests besides agriculture is turning a rolling farm into a model of soil and water conservation, plus livestock promotion.

Now there are more opportunities to hit field days, especially if you live in southern Indiana. And even if you don't, check with your local soil and water conservation district to see if they have events planned. Topics range from conservation tillage to forest and woodland management.

Martin County SWCD will host a forest field day on August 11. It begins at the Martin State Forest at 10 am local time, and concludes at 2 pm. There will be a woodland tour, but also a sawmill demonstration during the vent.

And that's not all that's planned for participants interested in forestry and woodland management. There will be chainsaw carving demonstrations during the day, and woodlot owner series packets will be available for those who attend.

Refreshments will be served, and time will be allotted for questions and answers with the speakers during the day. It's an excellent opportunity for anyone with timber, form a few acres to several hundred acres, to keep up on the latest techniques in getting the most from timberland or woodlot.

To make plans, the Martin County SWCD staff would like reservations. You can receive more details as to the exact meeting place when you confirm your reservation. Call the Martin SWCD at 812-247-2423.

Meanwhile the Daviess County SWCD plans a conservation tillage-type workshop for farmers on August 9. It's a twilight event, running from 4 to 7 p.m. Marvin and Amy Holstine will host the event on their farm near Elnora. Topics include comparing tillage systems, where cover crops fit and how to cut nitrogen losses on sandier soils. Barry Fisher of the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Indiana Conservation Tillage Initiative will speak, along with a host of other people, including Brian Caldbeck of Miles Farm Supply, a retail ag dealer in the nearby area. Jim Camberato, one of Purdue University's relatively new Extension specialists in Agronomy, will discuss the nitrogen situation on Sandy soils.

A bio-diesel demonstration is planned following supper. Reservations are also requested for this field day. Call the Daviess SWCD at 812-254-4780, ext. 3.

In other SWCD and NRCS news, Don Weaver, long0time district conservationist in Wayne County and more recently also in other nearby counties, retires after 42 years of service. Quentin Williamson, the legendary conservation technician for the Wayne County Soil and Water Conservation District, retried from the same office last December.

Friends are invited to help Don celebrate at festivities on Thursday, Aug. 2, from 1 to 3 pm ED. For details, contact Sheryl Brown at the Wayne County SWCD. Mail cards to: 823 S. Round Barn Road, Richmond, IN 47374.