Bay County Soil Conservation District

04/10/2026

This weeks mushroom of the week is the chinaterelle mushroom!

What should next weeks mushroom be?

-Cass

03/30/2026

No better way to spend the day in “our office” with this gorgeous weather. We saw a hawk that caught some prey, some maple trees tapped, and all kinds of cool stuff at the Chippewa Nature Center. We talked about all of the cool workshops will be having this summer. Can’t wait for the weather to stay nice and host some fun outdoor activities near the Bay! Stayed tuned for official dates for fly fishing, mushroom growing, and canning workshops (plus a few others that are still in the works😉). It’s going to be a great year!

03/24/2026

Welcome to this week's mushroom of the week, the chicken of the woods! 😁

What mushroom do you want to learn about next week?

-Cass

03/19/2026

We would love to hear what kind of workshops / events you would like to see! To help us collect this information please take a moment to complete the following quick survey or reach out to us directly.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1RdU_TcjIdQM2-W8iwgNyE_bDDAgVN_b8LnqrdtSIj_8/viewform

03/10/2026

03/10/2026

Good afternoon! A couple of announcements coming from your favorite conservation duo (and our kiddos)!

1st off, I am having issues with our voicemail. I am currently working on getting it fixed, but for the time being I am not able to access voicemails. Thank you for understanding!

2nd, I know we get a lot of calls about if we have a tree sale. As there hasn’t been a tree sale in bay county for several years, we are going to get one started. We are aiming to have a public tree sale this fall or next spring depending on tree availability. That being said, we are not going to have one this spring as we are not prepared for that quite yet. We encourage you to order trees from our neighboring counties and we do provide the order forms in our office for your convenience!

With the weather getting warmer (slowly) and Cassie returning from maternity leave soon, we are excited to be able to offer some workshops and events this summer! We will posting them here and our website. Stay tuned!!

02/10/2026

12/08/2025

Cover crops, what are the benefits?

Cover crops are grown to improve soil health. Different crops target different areas of concern.

Some of the many things cover crops can do are reduce erosion, suppress weeds, fix nitrogen, improve water infiltration, build organic matter, and more!

Whether you have a large operation or a small one there is a cover crop perfect for you! Check out just a small comparison of some of the cover crops grouos and their benefits to your soil health & crop yield.

11/18/2025

The office is open again! Please be patient with us as we get caught up with phone calls and getting back into the groove. We are excited to be back!

10/09/2025

Good morning!

My name is Cassie & I am the CSP (conservation stewardship program) technician / coordinator for Bay County.

About Me :
I first started with the Midland County Conservation District in 2022 as their CSP tech & then their farm bill specialist. Following this I worked in Isabella County as their CRP (conservation reserve program) tech. I now am the CSP tech for Bay County & look forward to helping you find different options to help improve your land as well as improve your current operation in the ways you want to!

I moved up to Gladwin MI from Dundee MI area in 2022. My husband and I are big hunters & fishers, with 99% of our meat coming from our harvests. We raise chickens, ducks, geese, & goats. We are expecting our first child in January.
I also help run a women's hunting & fishing organization (Women of the Wild) that encourages more women to get into the outdoors while also educating them on safety, good conservation practices, & all the different ways to fully use their harvest.

I look forward to meeting you & hope to find the best ways to help you improve your land & operation!

-Cassie

10/01/2025

🚨FIELD OFFICE CLOSED🚨

Due to the lapse in federal funding and the government shutdown, the office is currently closed. We are co-located with the USDA so we cannot use the building. Additionally, the office phone number will not be used either.

Although we can’t use the building, the conservation district is still operational. Please don’t hesitate to reach us via email at [email protected]

I will post an update when we are back in the office. Thanks for your understanding.

09/06/2025

Hello everyone! I would like to start introducing the conservation district!

My name is Olivia, I’m the one who will be running the page with Cassie, who you will meet later!

About me:

I am originally am from the Grand Rapids area. I moved to Bay County about 2 years ago. I started as an intern with the NRCS in the Grand Haven field office when I was 18. From there I went on to work at Mecosta Conservation District as a Farm Bill Specialist, I worked for a private CNMP (Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan) provider that helped fulfill contracted CNMPs with NRCS as well as CNMPs for EGLE permits for CAFOS. I am wrapping up my time as the Nutrient and Pest Management Specialist for the bay area with Blue Water Conservation District and transitioning into the Bay Soil Conservation District Manager position! Many of you may have met me or spoke to me as I have been working in the Bay City field office for a little less than 2 years now!

I have a husband, a 4 month old son, 3 dogs and a cat. I love to be outside and nerd out in nature. I have showed goats for 4H as well as served as a FFA officer for 2 years in high school! I have a deep passion for agriculture and conservation that I am excited to share with you all. Random fact: I completed the 2 year diesel and heavy equipment technology program at my local tech center in high school!

I am excited to be in this position and help landowners help the land!

Stay tuned for more introductions and educational content!