April 2026 | Volume 31 | Issue 1

 

Our biggest achievements are our partnerships, upon which we depend to enhance and sustain the soil, water and related natural resources of Madison County. Our partnerships enable us to provide technical services, education and outreach, and impact our environment in a positive way by helping landowners put conservation on the land.  Below are photos celebrating our achievements with our partners 2025.

Friends of Madison County Parks and Trail, County Commissioners and Madison SWCD celebrated 25 years of partnership with the Clean Ohio Fund. Together, we have enrolled 8,270 acres into the farmland preservation program, created 1,600 additional feet of the Ohio to Erie Trail, and acquired five acres of green space. 

We partnered with the Ohio legislature and Ohio Department of Agriculture to help local livestock producers recover from historic drought conditions. Thirty producers received $29,222 in Madison County.

We are proud of our partnerships with the landowners who put conservation on the land. The Cooperator of the Year Award is an annual tradition that recognizes outstanding stewardship and our gratitude for their commitment to conservation.  

Above are numbers of people, practices and programs that our office assisted.  These are a few examples of collaborative efforts in the county to protect our natural resources. Thanks to everyone who has attended an outreach event, called our office, signed up for a program, and took action to improve our natural resources.

Madison County Commissioners, in partnership with Madison Soil and Water Conservation District, is a local sponsor that administers the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Clean Ohio Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program.  An agricultural easement is a voluntary, permanent, legally binding restriction placed on a farm that limits the use of the land to predominantly agricultural activity.  Top reasons of the majority of the landowners who participate in the program are to preserve farm and prevent development - a financial reason is a distant third.  The average purchase price in Madison County is $1,442/acre, with a total cap of $500,000 per farm.  

Funds from the program can be used for anything, including establish new conservation practices on the farm, pay off debt and expand the farm business.  Interested landowners should contact Madison Soil Water Conservation District for more information about the program.

Madison County preserved their 32nd farm in early 2026, bringing up the total of  7,298 acres preserved with an agricultural easement to date! From left to right are Julia Cumming, Madison SWCD Program Administrator; Rob Slane, County Administrator, Michael Hartman, Landowner, and Aaron Miller, Attorney.

Emma Ryan, Urban Conservationist

White spring blooms of a Bradford pear tree in spring. (Photo by Sheila Brown on publicdomainpictures.net.)

Spring has arrived in Ohio! With temperatures warming up, you may have noticed some trees beginning to blossom. Many of those beautiful white trees that appear in early spring are none other than the Callery Pear.  Don’t be fooled by the beauty of the blooms- the Callery Pear is illegal to sell, grow or plant in Ohio due to their extremely invasive nature in both urban and rural environments.

The Callery pear is an ornamental pear tree native to East Asia that can grow up to 60ft in height and 2ft in diameter. It is easily identifiable by the white flowers that appear in early spring. These blooms typically have a strong, offensive odor often compared to rotting fish. In the fall, the tree produces tiny hard pears that litter sidewalks and are readily eaten by birds.

In the early 1900s, interest in new ornamental plants intensified after many trees, such as the French pear (Pyrus communis), were decimated by fire blight.  Fire Blight is a bacterial disease that blackens leaves and branch tips of infected trees as if they were scorched by fire. This disease eventually spread throughout the Pacific Northwest region, killing many large fruit and ornamental trees. The Callery Pear was introduced to North America by the Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction Office for their resistance to fire blight.

Over time, the Callery pear became a favorite in both residential and commercial landscaping due to its adaptability, showy flowers, and vibrant fall colors. It thrived in harsh commercial conditions, such as parking lots and narrow strips between streets and sidewalks, where temperatures were high and water was scarce.

Though bred to be sterile, many cultivated varieties - such as the Bradford Pear – can cross pollinate with other sterile but genetically different cultivars to produce fertile fruit. The hybridization, along with other factors, has contributed to the species spreading into natural areas and becoming an invasive problem all across Ohio.

Due to their aggressive spread and ecological impact, the Callery Pear were officially banned in Oho as of January 1, 2023.

Some alternative tree species to the Callery Pear are:

For expert advice and assistance with the management and removal of yard trees, contact an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)-certified arborist.  ISA-certified arborists in your area can be located using this website: https://ohiochapterisa.org/aws/OCISA/pt/sp/trees4ohio_find-an-arborist

For information on how to remove or control Callery pear in forested or natural settings, visit educational resources on our website, or contact your ODNR Division of Forestry State Service Forester: https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-odnr/forestry/landowner-assistance

Source: Culley, Theresa. “The Rise and Fall of the Ornamental Callery Pear Tree.” Arnold Arboretum, 18 Feb.2017

Grassed waterways are broad, shallow channels designed to move surface water across farmland without causing soil erosion. If you have a gully or another erosion problem on your land, please contact the Madison County- USDA Service Center at 740-852-4003 ext. 3 to speak with a soil conservationist!

If you have a grassed waterway, remember these tips to keep your waterways at a proper width and depth during the planting season:

1. Lift implements out of the ground before crossing the waterway.

2. If possible, don't plant end rows along the side of the waterway.

3. Plant good quality, NRCS-approved seed and fertilize periodically.

4. Inspect the waterway for eroding areas and places needed reseeding.  Repair minor rills or gullies by reshaping and reseeding.

5. Avoid spraying herbicides in the waterway. Give (or tell whomever is spraying your fields to give) a safe distance as a buffer around your grassed waterways!

6. Avoid driving up and down grassed waterways, especially during wet conditions. The ruts caused by tire tracks can lead to gullies.

Did you know that London has a community garden? The garden is located at the intersection of E. First Street and School Street, and there are a variety of plot sizes to suit gardeners of every ambition. Pricing is very affordable (the largest, most expensive plot is only $10 to rent for the growing season).

Community gardens are a great way to grow your own nutritional vegetables or flowers, get fresh air and exercise, and connect with gardeners, all of which leads to better physical  and mental health!

Learn more and reserve your plot at the information meeting on Friday, April 17th, from 5-6 PM in the Hartley Meeting Room at the London Public Library.  Our Master Gardener Volunteers will be available to answer questions and provide gardening advice!

Did you know that only 8% of Madison County is covered by woodland?  No wonder it feels windy almost everywhere you go!  This Arbor Day, you can help change that, one tree at a time.

Madison County Master Gardeners Tree Giveaway

On Friday, April 24, the Madison County Master Gardeners will be on the back lawn of the London Public Library passing out a variety of tree saplings that you can take home to plant! You will be able to pick up free saplings during two time slots. In the morning from 11:00am – 1:00pm and again in the afternoon from 4:00pm – 6:00pm. Saplings will be available while supplies last. Please tell a friend - we don't want to leave any trees behind. (If bad weather occurs, this event will be moved to the Hartley Meeting Room.)

Arbor Day centers on one big idea: planting trees as an investment in the future. The holiday began in 1872 in Nebraska, where early settlers deeply felt the absence of trees for shade, fuel, building materials, and soil protection.  Today, it is celebrated in all 50 states.

SWCD Staff

 

Julia Cumming, Program Administrator

Broc Sehen, Wildlife Specialist

Gail Wilson, Operations Coordinator

Emma Ryan, Urban Conservationist

 

NRCS Staff

 

James Tillman, District Conservationist

Preston Leonard, Soil Conservationist

Je'Lon Thomas, Soil Conservationist

 

 

Board of Supervisors

 

Steve Davis, Chairman

Jonathan Francis, Vice Chairman

Bob Hunter, Treasurer

JD Bethel

Nancy Denes-Sparks

04/17 - London Community Garden Info

04/24- Madison County Master Gardeners Tree Seedling Giveaway

04/24 - Plain City Tree Planting Event

04/28 -Area IV Envirothon

05/13 - SWCD Board Meeting

 

Madison Soil & Water Conservation District

831 U.S. Highway 42 NE

London, Ohio 43140

Phone: (740) 852-4003 opt. 3

www.madisonsoilandwater.com www.facebook.com/madisonswcdohio

All NRCS/MSWCD programs and services are offered on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, or handicap. Please contact Gail Wilson at gail.wilson@oh.nacdnet.net if you wish to be put on or removed from our email list.