SWCD says goodbye to their longtime conservationist
- Michelle Wood
- December 24, 2018
- 1244
Our longtime district conservationist Chuck Reynolds is retiring at the end of this year, after 34 years in Holmes County and a total of 38 years with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
As we have been digging through the archives in search of photos we can use to embarrass him during the “Farewell Chuck” tour, I’m struck by how much has changed in the last 30-plus years and at the same time, ironically, how much has stayed the same.
Big hair, big glasses and big shoulder pads (not on Chuck, thank goodness) elicit laughs and memories of the “good old days.” Certainly people change over 30 years, unless they can afford a really good plastic surgeon (think Cher).
And no doubt our county has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. Who would have predicted the high rise (literally) of multiple hotels and convention centers and the flood of tourists to fill those rooms?
Agriculture has changed considerably too. We have fewer family farms, bigger tractors and equipment, and a lot less dairy farms.
Thousands of acres of farmland have been carved up into 5-acre pieces of paradise or manufacturing shops. Meanwhile the number of acres needed for grain farming generally has gotten bigger, due to the economy of scale required to be profitable. We all get that change is inevitable, but the rate of change the past few years is dizzying.
But here’s something that hasn’t changed: A headline from the March 22, 1988 Bargain Hunter featuring Chuck Reynolds states, “Healthy soil and pure water are goals of HSWCD.”
Guess what? Those are still our goals here at the Holmes Soil & Water Conservation District. The programs we’ve had over the years to meet them have changed somewhat, but the goals are still the same.
Healthy soil is arguably one of the Earth’s most critical natural resources, necessary to grow the food needed to feed Earth’s population. It is a substance that few people understand and most take for granted.
A single rainstorm can wash away centuries-old soil from poorly managed (bare) ground. Because 1 inch of topsoil takes approximately 500 years to form, this is a problem. Our district encourages management of cover crops, no-till and crop rotations to keep a growing crop on the fields as much as possible or at least a fair amount of residue to minimize soil erosion.
Clean water seems like a no-brainer, yet many are unaware of the impact on water quality, based on the decisions we make, that we all have. A little bit of nonpoint pollution — from sediment runoff carrying nutrients, to manure improperly applied, to chemicals or medication down the drain, to building a house or structure with no runoff controls — all adds up to degraded water quality.
We can’t point the finger at someone else without looking in a mirror and asking ourselves what we are doing to increase water quality.
Established 71 years ago, our district is still here to offer advice, planning and engineering assistance to keep soil healthy and increase water quality. Whether you are a farmer planting thousands of acres or a homeowner living in Millersburg, you can make a difference through conservation practices.
Please join me in offering best wishes to Chuck Reynolds as he officially retires Dec. 31. If you’ve gotten to know Chuck over the years and would like to stop by to say farewell, the Ag Service Center is hosting an open house on Friday, Dec. 28 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. that you are welcome to attend.
We are located at 62 W. Clinton St. in Millersburg, catty-corner from Ace Hardware.
Call our office at 330-674-SWCD or see our website at www.HolmesSWCD.com.