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Seneca Conservation District reports spring outreach, student visits and H2Ohio payments
Summary
Somerset Conservation District told commissioners that farmers have begun planting and submitting H2Ohio records, the district ran field trips for roughly 700 students, awarded three scholarships, and plans a new kiosk; board members thanked the district for ongoing support of local agriculture and ditch maintenance.
Morgan Metzger, district administrator at Somerset Conservation District, told the Seneca County Board of Commissioners on July 7 that farmers in the county have begun planting and are submitting documents for H2Ohio payments, and that the district will start issuing those payments soon.
Metzger said ditch maintenance has been active — contractors are accessing easement areas and staff are spraying ditches — and that a collection report is currently at the county engineer’s office for review. He invited commissioners and the public to the district’s next board meeting and described efforts to support farmers’ use of cover crops and manure applications.
"Again, I'm Morgan Metzger, district administrator at Somerset Conservation District," Metzger said as he opened the update and noted the H2Ohio filing and payment process.
Outreach and education were a major focus. Metzger described spring and summer programming that reached students and families: the district hosted about 700 students at its proving ground farm through multi-school field trips, provided a monthly "Down on the Farm" story time for children, and partnered with local conservation and watershed groups for events.
Jill Bocci, outreach coordinator, described the district’s June "Fun on the Farm" event and the Envirothon results. Bocci said roughly 103 people attended the family-oriented event organized with Seneca Parks, OSS Solid Waste District and the Sandusky River Watershed Coalition, and reported that five local teams competed in the county Envirothon, with four advancing to the state competition.
"We had just families all over the farm," Bocci said, describing hayrides, catch-and-release fishing and hands-on activities for children.
Bocci said the district awarded three scholarships this year — two from the district and one in memory of Tia Rice — and is pursuing a new farm signage kiosk and additional educational partnerships.
Why it matters: the district’s outreach helps connect local students and residents to agricultural practices and conservation programs while shepherding state-funded H2Ohio payments that help farmers implement conservation practices. The board thanked district staff for their work and said the updates reinforced the county’s ongoing collaboration with conservation partners.
The commissioners moved on to other agenda items after the presentation; no formal action was taken on the presentation itself.
