We're back! And we have quite the show for you. In this episode, we are honored to be in the presence of Marne Titchenell, Program Director for Wildlife at OSU Extension. She chairs the Pollinator Right-of-Way committee which was instrumental in creating pollinator habitat on OSU Mansfield's campus. What's that? You'll find out! Plus, what are pollinators, what do we rely on them for, and how can we save them from going the way of the dodo? All this and more as Our Rich Land continues to bring you stories and insight on conservation in our small corner of Ohio.  NERD SECTION!!! (We love c ..read more

Have you ever noticed that you flush your toilet with the same water that come out of your tap? Have you ever wondered why you pay someone to take away yard waste and then pay for fertilizer? Have you ever wanted to not water your yard so much? Then this episode is especially for you. "The problem is the solution" is a simple conceptual phrase coined by Bill Mollison, the Australian co-creator of the modern Permaculture movement. Often if we take the time to think about it our natural resource problems can often be solutions, either to the problem itself or to another problem that we have. Sti ..read more

Actually, it really does all go downhill from Richland County...water, that is. Why? Well, listen in to Josh and Evan as they explore the concept of a watershed and what's unique about Richland County's water drainage (hint: there is a continental divide involved!). They also discuss basic water conservation principles for any site (including your home), and why that's important to watershed health. Additionally, Evan talks to Dan Herrold again (an SWCD technician) about some of the success stories he has seen for rain garden and rain barrel installations. With a few more fun and informative s ..read more

We have three special guests this time and a jam packed episode all about stormwater management! We talk extensively with Mark Rufener (PE, CPESC, CPSWQ) from K.E. McCartney & Associates (a local engineering firm) regarding "The Gateway Project", Kingwood Center Garden's capital plan to create a new garden entrance and visitor experience, completed in the last few years. As part of this plan, Kingwood integrated several stormwater BMPs (Best Management Practices) into the new visitor center and parking lot. Mark Rufener is a professional in stormwater infrastructure engineering and managem ..read more

Farming is also an art. Ask any farmer. But there is more than meets the eye when you drive past a corn field. Agronomy, the science of producing crops, is the topic of this episode. We asked Jordan Miller, an employee of the United States Department of Agriculture: Natural Resource Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS), all of our burning questions, including those on soil, agriculture technology, and how the NRCS fosters healthy ecosystems and ensures productive farms, simultaneously.     Links to more information! 1) The book that Josh mentioned: "Water for Every Farm", by P.A. Ye ..read more

"Don't Fight the Site!". What does that mean? Well, let us tell you! Plus, we discuss some other important woodland management concepts, the havoc that invasive species have wrought, and the challenges of conservation outreach. All this and more in this month's episode.  LINKS!!! OSU's Woodland Stewards website: https://woodlandstewards.osu.edu/ YouTube video we discussed - "How we get tree planting wrong | It's Complicated" from the Guardian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhvOJrkhh8I Richland Soil & Water Conservation District: https://richlandswcd.net/ Kingwood Center Gardens: htt ..read more

YAY SYRUP! Today we welcome Kathy Smith, Forestry Program Director for The Ohio State University's School of Environment and Natural Resources. She has a wealth of knowledge about woodlands, and works with students at OSU's Mansfield campus researching maple syrup production. Not only does maple syrup production go well with pancakes (or French fries, Josh?), but effective woodland management! If you want to "tap" even further into this subject... Ohio Maple Producers Association: http://ohiomaple.org They serve all of Ohio's Maple Industry. They help you sell maple products while promoting t ..read more

Hello and welcome to Our Rich Land, a podcast of Richland Soil and Water Conservation District (aka Richland SWCD, aka Soil and Water)! Thanks for taking a listen! This is just a quick episode about our District and what this podcast is all about. Richland County is aptly named for its ecological wealth. The rich land is used in a variety of ways from agriculture to industry in urban and rural settings. Richland County has 8 watersheds: 3 flow to Lake Erie and 5 flow to the Ohio River. Protecting and conserving this rich land is very important and is the primary reason Richland SWCD exists. Ho ..read more