Submitted
Nearly 100 conservation district employees and partner agency staff gathered on May 8 & 9 in Salina, KS for the annual Kansas Association of Conservation District Employees Organization (KACD-EO) annual meeting. According to KACD-EO executive board president Dana Schmelzle, "the annual event is fun and full of information for our employees from across the state."
As most conservation districts only have one full time staff member, days away from their local offices can be difficult to manage so the KACD-EO executive board makes sure to plan a full agenda for employees while they are together. Those in attendance heard presentations from the following partners:
· KACD Executive director Dan Meyerhoff, focused on the contribution agreement available for local conservation district and landowners across Kansas to benefit from through multiple partnerships KACD has established.
· KACD Assistant Director Amanda Scott, highlighted the many educational programs KACD has partnered with conservation districts on and the value of these programs.
· NRCS State Conservationist David Doctorian, gave an update from Kansas NRCS, and shared his appreciation for the partnership with KACD and the dedication of conservation district staff across the state. David indicated conservation district staff played a critical role in the implementation of the nearly 70 million dollars in conservation practices completed last fiscal year in Kansas.
· Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Conservation staff shared critical legislative updates and program delivery information directly related to implementation of the Kansas Water Plan and State Water Plan funds as administered through the state cost share programs.
Day two included presentations from KACD's marketing agency on the new services they can offer the conservation districts through their agreement with KACD. The Soil Health Alliance gave a soil health presentation and shared information on new climate smart incentives available. There are currently 26 climate smart initiatives that touch Kansas and KACD representative should be equipped to assist with information on many of them to help get local producers enrolled in various opportunities. Each county received a soil health bucket with supplies necessary for conducting various soil health assessments in the field.
The meeting serves as one of just two official times per year when all KACD-EO members come together for training and networking to stay up to date on programs, policies, and conservation delivery. As the meeting began employees went around the room introducing themselves with some being as new as one month on the job, to the Russell County District Manager who has served for 38 years and Pottawatomie County District Manager who has served 37 years. The employes each shared something they enjoy about the job and the reoccurring themes were "the farmers we get to work with" and "knowing we are making a difference in our communities for the future."