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Ask the Indiana NRCS Expert

You have questions - we have answers! Welcome to the Indiana NRCS "Ask the Expert" page. Visit back often as we will continue to update this page with your frequently asked questions.  

Ask the Indiana NRCS Expert: Urban Agriculture

As farmers in Indiana and nationwide look for ways to produce locally grown food in urban areas, experts from Indiana NRCS are here to help this growing group of urban farmers address conservation issues on their farm.

Kevin Shide (right), Indiana NRCS district conservationist for Jasper County, tours Perkins' Good Earth Farm with Dan Perkins July 2, 2021. Perkins’ Good Earth Farm is a certified organic farm and Dan and Julie Perkins practice regenerative agriculture including no-till and cover crops. They have enrolled in multiple CRP, CSP and EQIP contracts through NRCS and FSA to plant wildlife habitat and wind buffers and hedgerows, construct high tunnels and assist with their organic certification. (NRCS photo by

Ask the Indiana NRCS Expert: Bees

Honeybees and native bees each play important roles in agriculture, but they each serve different purposes. In this edition of Ask the Expert, Indiana NRCS wildlife biologist Brianne Lowe has stopped by to answer your question about how they differ, what roles they play and how the NRCS can help.

John and Ann Wynn remove a frame out of a beehive in North Salem, Indiana on August 2, 2021. (NRCS photo by Carly Whitmore)

Ask the Indiana NRCS Expert: Invasive Species

Invasive species can have long lasting negative impacts to the environment if they aren’t contained. To help you learn more about what can be done and how Indiana NRCS can help, Indiana State Forrester Dan Shaver answered some of your frequently asked questions about invasive species.

David Ray (left) and Daniel Shaver, Indiana NRCS state forester, talk about ways to improve Ray’s forestland in Jackson County, IN during a tour May 24, 2022. Ray purchased 310 acres of forestland in 1995 to use for recreational purposes including hunting, hiking and foraging. Ray enrolled his land in NRCS’ Environmental Quality Incentives Program in 2017 for forest stand improvement and brush management. After the conclusion of his EQIP contract, he enrolled the acres in NRCS’ Conservation Stewardshi

Ask the Indiana NRCS Expert: Grassed Waterways

Do you have eroded channels on your farmland due to intense rainfall and water runoff? To help you learn more about what can be done and how Indiana NRCS can help, Agricultural Engineer Scott Wagner has stopped by Ask the Expert to answer frequently asked questions about grassed waterways.

Grassed waterway

Ask the Indiana NRCS Expert: Energy Efficiency

Tackling energy efficiency concerns on your farm can be a daunting task, but experts from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service are here to help. Indiana NRCS Agricultural Engineer Scott Wagner has stopped by the Ask the Expert blog to answer some of the frequently asked questions about ener

Some of the 17,000 poultry at Seldom Rest Farms located, north of Myerstown, PA, on Wednesday, April 20, 2011. The chickens are kept in a two story chicken house and produce approximately 2.5 million chicks each year. To supplement their electrical needs, they chose a contractor who knew about United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Energy for America program (REAP) grants and helped them through the application process. The farm was awarded a $152,000 grant (25% of the cost). to install the

Ask the Indiana NRCS Expert: Cover Crops

In this Ask the Expert, Stephanie McLain, state soil health specialist for Indiana NRCS answers a few questions about how to improve soil health, drought resistance and other benefits by adding cover crops to your operation.

Nick Wenning plants corn directly into a field covered in red clover on May 24, 2021 in Greensburg, Indiana.

Do you have a question?

Do you have a question about conservation practices, Farm Bill programs, resource concerns or something natural resource related?  Feel free to submit your questions to Brandon O'Connor and you may see your question in the next Indiana NRCS Ask the Expert post!