Conservation promoters honored at Wayne Co. SWCD annual meeting

WOOSTER, OHIO — The Wayne Soil and Water Conservation District named Fred Galehouse as the recipient of its Friend of Conservation Award during the 2010 annual meeting

Following his graduation from The Ohio State University with a degree in mechanical engineering, Galehouse started his drainage contracting business in 1948. He attended his first drainage contractors workshop, now known as the Overholt Drainage School, at The Ohio State University in 1953, and he has been actively involved in the program since.

Galehouse has been a contributor to numerous Ohio State University fact sheets on land improvement issues and has reviewed other fact sheets as well. He also authored an article published by the Soil Conservation Society of America.

Galehouse is a past president for the Land Improvement Contractors of America, as well as the Ohio Chapter.

In presenting the award, Matt Peart, a member of the SWCD board of supervisors, noted that Galehouse is truly dedicated to the group’s mission statement of professional conservation of soil and water.

He has received numerous awards for his conservation work including the Outstanding Farmland Drainage Contractor Award, LlCA contractor of the year, OLICA Meritorious Service Award and was inducted into the International Drainage Hall of Fame.

Farm award

Sterling Heights Dairy Farm was recognized as the 2010 conservation farm. Owned and operated by James Saal and his sons, Matthew and Mark, the farm is located in Milton Township.

In addition to 400 dairy animals, the 459-acre farm has 420 acres of cropland. Crops include corn for corn silage, small grains and alfalfa.

The Saals follow a conservation plan and a comprehensive nutrient management plan on all of their land. Conservation practices include crop rotations, mulch tillage, no-till, contour strips, surface and subsurface drainage, grassed waterways, roof runoff management, a silage leachate collection system and four waste storage circular concrete storage facilities.

Teachers

The Conservation Education Award was presented to Dan Fulk and Heather Tegtmeier, both agricultural education instructors at Northwestern High School. Heather is also involved with the junior high agricultural program.

Fulk and Tegtmeier were recognized for their passion in presenting new and exciting ideas on the environment and conservation and its importance to agriculture to their students.

Fulk has taught for 25 years; 23 years at Northwestern High School. He and his wife Tonya have two children, Hannah and Zach. In addition to teaching agriculture, Dan has a farm just west of Jeromesville. When he’s not teaching or farming, Fulk enjoys hunting and coaching summer ball.

In the classroom, Fulk teaches his students about the importance of soil and water. He feels the students need to learn about things that determine their quality of life.

Tegtmeier has been teaching ag science and environmental management at Northwestern for 14 years. She lives in Congress Township on the family farm with her husband, Randy and their three children.

She is a member of the Northwestern Ruritan Club, and in her spare time she likes to camp and fish. She likes to explore new ideas and provide environmental insight into her lessons.

Speaker

Guest speaker at the meeting was David Baker, a member of the biology department at Heidelberg University. He has initiated studies along the Sandusky River, which led to the formation of the Water Quality Laboratory. The laboratory has specialized in quantitative studies of nutrient, sediment and pesticide transport in rivers throughout Ohio.

Baker currently serves the laboratory as coordinator of the tributary loading programs for the National Center for Water Quality Research. He is also serving as project director for two grants related to agricultural pollution abatement programs.

David Rohrer and David Maurer were elected to serve on the Wayne SWCD board of supervisors.