The May 13, 2020 Cass County Conservation District Board Meeting will be held by teleconferencing using Zoom.

Cass County Conservation District

PUBLIC NOTICE

Virtual Meeting Notice

The Cass County Conservation District Board will hold the Regular Board Meeting scheduled on

 Wednesday, May 13, 2020 at 8:30 am

by teleconferencing using Zoom instead of in the USDA Service Center:

The special virtual means of conducting the meeting is due to grave concerns over the coronavirus and resulting COVID-19 disease, the social distancing ordered by Governor Gretchen Whitmer and in compliance with Executive Order 2020-77.

The meeting is open to the public in compliance with the
Michigan Open Meetings Act. Any member of the public who wishes to hear the meeting and speak during public comment times may do so by following the link below and signing in with meeting ID and password. If you have troubles accessing this or need special accommodations please contact Korie Blyveis at 269-506-8334 or email [email protected] before meeting to discuss alternate options and to receive a meeting agenda.

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9364376130?pwd=VGhkODZ2L3QrSGhxMWI0TUxJRVBLdz09

 Meeting ID: 936 437 6130 Password: Healthy

For more information contact

Korie Blyveis, District Administrator at 269-445-8641 x 5.

Cass County Conservation District will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services upon request.

 This notice was posted by Korie Blyveis to comply with Sections 4 and 5 of Michigan Open Meetings Act (MCL 15.265) at 6:30pm on May 11, 2020 on the District Office door and website which is at least 18 hours prior to the start of the meeting.

The April 8, 2020 Cass County Conservation District Board Meeting will be held by teleconferencing using Zoom.

Please click here for the Public Notice and important information.

To Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/703917472?pwd=eFBGUkxkb0NjM2NUMTFqbnVkYmxOQT09

Meeting ID: 703 917 472 Password: 013768

As of April 2 notification from MDARD we will not be able to hold our Tree Sale as planned.

More information as to the status of the sale – whether it will be postponed or cancelled we bill made and shared with you after our District Board receives more information regarding State of Michigan directives in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Please be patient, stay at home, stay at least 6′ from others if you do go out. These are difficult times but we are from Michigan – we can do this.

Due to the current Corona virus pandemic the Cass County Conservation District will have significant changes in their tree sale plans.

Trees orders were due April 3 for the planned April 16-18, 2020 annual sale. We will have the sale however, due the Governor’s directive and concern for the health and safety of our staff and volunteers we will not have any in-person sales. Therefore an extension for orders will be offered. Also, all orders will be delivered instead of our normal pick-up with a few exceptions where appointments for pick-up will be necessary for customers outside of the County. Deliveries may extend into the next week or longer as needed. 

It is our understanding Conservation Districts are allowed to continue much of our important service to the community under the definition of “critical infrastructure workers” in the “food and agriculture” industry. The exemption under forestry products allows for conservation districts to hold tree sales, as long as strict social distancing practices are employed and adhered to. We have decided to further reduce risk by delivering the orders. It is important to us to provide farms and other landowners with forest products for windrows, lumber, firewood as well as trees, shrubs and plants that are important pollinator sources, wildlife habitat and great food for both humans and wildlife. 

Please look at our website: www.cassccdistrict.org for a list of any “leftover” trees that would be available for sale. Orders can continue to be placed as stock is available. Call the Cass County Conservation District Office at 269-445-8641 x 5 or Korie Blyveis at 269-506-8334. Please leave a clear message and someone will return your call so you may place your order over the phone. Payment can be made by credit card with a 3% surcharge added or a check can be mailed to our office. There will be no additional fee for delivery but, since this is a critical fundraiser for the District donations to offset the additional expense are encouraged. 

It is our mission to protect and enhance Cass County’s natural resources – planting trees is important to agriculture and can be a fun family project plus is a critical measure as our nation addresses climate change. Please be patient and understanding. Other changes may be necessary depending on future State directives and advisements. 

The Cass County Conservation District Board will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at 8:30am

Please click here to view full notice

The Cass County Conservation District will meet on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 8:30 am.

Click here for meeting schedule.

The Conservation Board will hold a special meeting/budget workshop on Monday, August 26 at 5:30pm at Nelson’s Herb Garden. See this notice for details.

Click here to heck our our summer newsletter to see what your Conservation District is up to.

As the fiscal year of 2019 draws to a close, the high level of success in recent years for the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) in Cass County has continued.  MAEAP, an innovative program designed to assist in lowering potential environmental risks to the environment for farms throughout Michigan, while offering significant incentives at the same time, has exceeded expectations throughout Cass County. The program offers on farm technical assistance, which in turn can lead to a verification issued by the state of Michigan, recognizing farms for their commitment to following a rigorous set of standards and practices put in place both by the state of Michigan, and the MAEAP program. 

So how has the program been so successful in Cass County? The answer is simple. A significant number of Cass County farmers are committed to farming the right way; both environmentally and economically. Furthermore, verification can be reached in Farmstead, Cropping, Livestock, or Forest-Wetland-Habitat systems, making the program relevant for farmers of all types and commodities. The high number of participants in the program have shown that when given the opportunity, several farmers are eager to demonstrate their willingness and excitement to prove their commitment to be an environmental steward.

MAEAP is a highly organized program with databases and systems to track participants, verifications, risk reduction practices, (any item or technical service provided, i.e.: soil test, well closing, etc.…) and, actual environmental changes, such as tons of sediment prevented from entering the Great Lakes. So what are the numbers for the 2019 fiscal year? (Which is not even over yet!) Here is a breakdown:

System	Assessments	Verifications
Farmstead	23	15
Cropping	22	9
Livestock	9	3
Forest, Wetland, Habitat	5	2

The numbers show 29 total verifications for the year, and 59 assessments. The individual breakdowns show just how diverse of an agricultural community Cass County really is, and how serious farmers are about environmental stewardship. Verified farms in Cass County range anywhere from small organic vegetable farms, to large hog operations, to orchards, to dairies. No matter what type of agricultural endeavor, MAEAP is always excited to partner, and work with you towards a verification!

If you would like more information about the MAEAP program, feel free to stop by the Cass County Conservation District office, or call Erez, at 269-228-7084.

Cass County Conservation District will be celebrating National Water Week, (March 31-April 6, 2019) by offering FREE water testing for nitrates and nitrites!
Test bottles are available here at the office located at 1127 E. State Street, Cassopolis, MI 49031.

For best results please follow instructions found below or call 269-445-8641 x 5 for details.

Click here for full article on water testing for National Water Week.