LaPorte County Soil and Water Conservation District

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LaPorte County Soil and Water Conservation District We provide leadership, education, and technical assistance to empower LaPorte County residents.

Who We Are

Statutory Authority Indiana Code IC 14-32-5-1 (District Law): A district constitutes a governmental subdivision of the state and public body exercising public powers. Function/Purpose

To provide information about soil, water, and related natural resource conservation; identify and prioritize local soil and water resource concerns; and connect land users to sources of educational, technical, and financial assistance to implement conservation practices and technologies. Who We Serve

The residents and/or land users of LaPorte County and others who come to the District with natural resource concerns. Why

LaPorte County Soil and Water Conservation District exists because of the need for the education and awareness of wise use and proper management of natural resources.

We had a great time supporting the Walker Street Park Community Garden for their Harvest Festival!
10/27/2026

We had a great time supporting the Walker Street Park Community Garden for their Harvest Festival!

10/26/2026

Happy National Pumpkin Day! 🎃

Before pumpkins become pies, jack-o'-lanterns or even lattes, they're grown by farmers who spend months planting, caring for and harvesting the crop.

Still planning fall festivities? Find INFB member pumpkin growers near you through the link in our bio.

10/20/2026

The registration window for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture’s no-cost, soil sampling program is Sept. 14 – Nov. 6, 2026. Selected program participants will receive soil sampling and analysis at no cost along with lab recommendations for nutrient applications based on yield goals and soil test results.

Learn more about the program and if you qualify: https://bit.ly/3zhoGyH.

10/20/2026

Did you know Indiana is home to 12 resident bat species? 🦇 Two of the species most likely to turn up in a home are the big brown bat and little brown bat. With Bat Appreciation Week coming up Oct. 24–31, learn more about the bats living around us, the insects they eat and how to keep them out of your home safely. https://extension.purdue.edu/news/county/whitley/2026/07/bats-friends-or-foes.html

Introducing our Oct-Dec Farmer of the Quarter… Cody Banks!Cody is the owner of hanna.speciality.agriculture, located on ...
10/16/2026

Introducing our Oct-Dec Farmer of the Quarter… Cody Banks!

Cody is the owner of hanna.speciality.agriculture, located on the west side of Hanna just south of US 30. His small-scale farm has had great success with a variety of produce, such as tomatoes, tomatillos, eggplants, peppers, squash, beans, okra, cooking greens, and sweet potatoes.

Most of his crops and produce are grown in a ~3,000 sq. ft. high tunnel purchased with EQIP funding, and are irrigated with a drip system. He has recently installed low tunnels over the produce rows to support insect netting and frost blankets. The farm utilizes mulch and compost to conserve moisture and build soil organic matter. Cody also avoids mowing an area near the high tunnel to support pollinators and predatory/parasitoid insects!

When asked what he would like people to know about agriculture, Cody said this:
“I want people to see that a lot of us (including plenty of people in the younger generations) really do want to farm and be part of the systems that provide us with our food, but the time, cost, and risks associated with it are so daunting that it rarely seems like a realistic option. If we really want a new generation of farmers to pick up the torch and grow our food locally, then we are going to have to prioritize every program and system that we can in order to make land more affordable and accessible, make small scale diversified farming more financially viable and stable, share resources and knowledge amongst growers, and incentivize soil and water conservation while growing food as efficiently as possible with limited space. If it weren't for the resources I've accessed through SWCDs, NRCS/USDA, and a long list of other organizations and farmers, there's no way I'd have been able to even get this far (and we have just barely gotten started)!”

Please help us congratulate Cody Banks on being chosen as Farmer of the Quarter!

We love teaching students about the water cycle! 💧
10/15/2026

We love teaching students about the water cycle! 💧

10/13/2026
We’re so thankful for our community and local sponsors for helping us make events like Kankakee River Days happen!
10/13/2026

We’re so thankful for our community and local sponsors for helping us make events like Kankakee River Days happen!

Meet our newest tenant! 🐸Somebody read the sign. This gray treefrog has claimed the Big Bluestem marker in the native pr...
10/08/2026

Meet our newest tenant! 🐸

Somebody read the sign. This gray treefrog has claimed the Big Bluestem marker in the native prairie outside our office and has been sunning there like he owns the place. As far as we're concerned, he does.

Gray treefrogs are masters of disguise. They shift from pale gray to mottled brown to green depending on temperature, light, and mood. Today's warm October sun has him nearly white. He's no bigger than a quarter, with sticky toe pads that let him climb anything, and he eats mosquitoes, moths, aphids, and beetles all summer long.

His winter plan is even more impressive. When temperatures drop, he'll tuck into the leaf litter and let his body partially freeze. His own natural antifreeze protects his cells until spring thaw. Then he'll head to a nearby pond, and you'll hear his loud, musical trill on warm May evenings.

Amphibians are sensitive to pollutants and habitat loss, so a frog moving into the garden means the habitat is working. Native plants bring insects, insects bring frogs, and frogs bring birds. That chain starts with what we put in the ground.

Want to invite treefrogs to your yard? Plant natives, leave some leaf litter in fall, skip the pesticides, and keep a fishless water feature or rain garden nearby.

Hey LaPorte County!!It’s that time again to help us recognize someone from our county as Farmer of the Quarter! Please e...
10/05/2026

Hey LaPorte County!!

It’s that time again to help us recognize someone from our county as Farmer of the Quarter!

Please either fill out this form or email our educator at [email protected] to nominate a farmer (or gardener!) that goes the extra step to use methods and/or techniques that help our environment!

https://forms.gle/P18iUwxUgXqdqWbc8

Address

2857 W State Road 2 Ste B
Laporte, IN
46350

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

Telephone

+12193266808

Website

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