In August we wrote that we were making significant progress on the Starkey Farms Edge of Field sampling, and the School Branch National Water Quality Initiative. Shortly after that post we identified some additional funding needs that slowed our progress.
Fortunately, Indiana Corn, Indiana Soy, and the Hendricks County Soil and Water Conservation District were able to provide additional support and we are now making up for lost time. Our equipment provider, Gripp Inc., has received our order and we should have a delivery date soon. Our excavator, Jim Williams, is ready to install. Jim has worked with us in the past on the bioswale at Starkey Farms. His skill, and patience with us as we fine tune installations is always appreciated. The U. S. Geological Survey has installed ground water wells, and should have the stream gages installed soon. Our colleagues at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Marion County Health Department have been collecting water quality data at fixed stations that will provide additional baseline data. Perhaps most important, Mike Starkey is in full harvest mode, so our timing should be perfect for getting into the fields. We look forward to finally get to the data collection.