Fairfield Soil and Water Conservation District

06/06/2026

To protect her fawn, the deer mother will spend very little time with it. This is to prevent attracting predators to the fawn’s location. She will leave her fawn in various hiding places for long periods of time, returning several times a day to nurse it. By staying away, the mother is protecting it.
📷 Andrew Beare

06/05/2026

With the drought conditions experienced last year, many people remember seeing blowing soil across farm fields. Even recently, there have been reports of blowing soil in Defiance County, according to Fulton SWCD's Cole Plassman. Blowing soil is often caused by a combination of dry conditions and a lack of conservation practices such as cover crops and windbreaks.

A windbreak is a line of trees, often conifers, planted to slow wind speeds across open areas. Many soil and water conservation districts offer windbreak programs to help landowners establish these practices.

Learn more about windbreaks and how you can use them at the link in the comments.

06/05/2026

https://wtov9.com/news/local/envirothon-field-tests-take-students-into-hellbender-preserve-for-hands-on-conservation-envirothon-ohio-federation-soil-and-water-conservation-hellbender-preserve-high-school-environmental-education-field-testing

Keeping our world healthy and beautiful is top priority for a state nonprofit and passing that education down to the next generation is next on that list.Monday

06/04/2026

This has been a great week for laying out more WASCOBS and checking on construction for an animal waste facility and a grassed waterway.

06/04/2026

https://www.morningagclips.com/pastures-in-head-clip-graze-tighter-or-stockpile/

COLUMBUS, Ohio — This spring has been a good reminder that no two grazing seasons are exactly alike. Growth started early this year after having...

06/02/2026

Coming soon.....

Interested in learning more about native warm season grasses? They can help you overcome the summer cool season grass slump if you are grazing. This one is not too far away in Chillicothe...

06/02/2026

Summer Grazing Maintenance Forage tips for June provided by NRCS and OSU-Extension:
• Continue hay harvests. Minimize storage losses by storing hay under cover.
• Clip pastures for weeds and seedheads as needed.
• Slow rotation allowing for a longer recovery period.
• Do NOT graze below the minimum desired residual height.
• Crabgrass, a warm season annual grass, can provide high quality summer grazing in southern Ohio and is highly preferred by livestock. If desired, remember crabgrass needs some annual soil disturbance to keep coming back. Research needs conducted to determine its effectiveness in northern Ohio.
• Begin grazing native warm season grasses. Start at 18-20 inches and stop at 8-10 inches.
• Begin grazing introduced warm season grasses.
• Select varieties to plant in August/September and order seed.

05/31/2026

May 31 is National Dam Safety Awareness Day—a reminder that safe dams protect lives, property, and our communities.

If you own or are responsible for a dam, now is a great time to refresh your knowledge and strengthen your preparedness. Join Ohio Dam Safety for our Dam Safety Webinar on June 17th at 11:00am to learn about best practices, responsibilities, and resources available to you. Find information about the webinar: https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-ODNR/water-resources/ohio-dam-safety/dam-safety-virtual-training

Stay informed. Stay prepared. Help keep Ohio safe.

05/31/2026

05/29/2026

DEADLINE approaching soon! There are still a few spots left to sign up your 3rd-5th grader for Earth Camp! Please do so by Wednesday, June 3rd. Give us a call for any questions you may have at 740-653-8154 and check out the flyer below for more details. We can't wait to see you there! Registration form can be found here:https://fairfieldswcd.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Earth-Camp-Registration-Forms-Updated-2026.pdf