Lisa Holscher

Director, Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative

Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts

225 S East Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202

(w) (812) 890-3631

(m) (812) 890-3631

About

The Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative (CCSI), is a program of the Indiana Conservation Partnership (ICP), a unifying structure of 8 different Indiana governmental and educational organizations. With a mission of improving soil health on Indiana cropland, CCSI’s major focus has been on providing science-based, farmer-proven information and education on soil health cropping practices and systems. In partnership with farmers, non-governmental organizations, ag professionals, and others, CCSI has reached nearly 26,000 people through workshops, field days, trainings, and webinars since 2012.

At the core of CCSI’s outreach is the information and mentorship provided by highly-experienced soil health farmers, innovative USDA-NRCS staff, and respected Purdue University professors. These individuals have been key in the development of a curriculum that follows a sequential concept of learning and skills development to build a strong foundational knowledge of soil health practices and systems. Designed for ICP staff, ag professionals, and others who work one-on-one with farmers, over 650 unique individuals have attended up to 10 training events each since 2012.

The unique partnership of governmental agencies within the ICP and other conservation groups at state and local levels combined with the strategic training of staff and ag professionals can be pointed to as a strong contributing factor to the swift adoption of cover crops on the 12 million acres of Indiana cropland – from less than 100,000 acres in 2011 to over 1 million acres in 2016. The fact that only 1 in 5 acres of cover crops received financial assistance also points to the effectiveness of information delivery and technical assistance in adoption of soil health practices.