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If you were the administrator of an organization that had served the area since 1944, a reasonable assumption might be that most people had a clear idea of what that group did.
Irene Moore of the Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District has, however, found that's not always the case.
"During the course of an average day or an average week in the district office, our staff answers phone calls which include 'Can I pay my water bill?' or "Can you test my drinking water?' We listen to that anxious resident who has a fence line dispute with their neighbor, and we get calls from homeowners who want us to fill up their backyard pool.
"With soil and water appearing in our name, no matter what, there always is confusion," Moore said Monday night while speaking at the organization's 79th-annual meeting and banquet.
The evening at the St. Florian Event Center in Wintersville offered a chance for district officials to reflect on the last year, present their annual awards and offer a report on projects that could have a big impact on the region, items that all are tied into the goal of delivering programs that meet the conservation resource needs of all of the residents of Jefferson County.
Wally and Mary Sadowski were cited as examples of area residents who are doing just that. The owners of Kolb Orchard along state Route 213 in Irondale were selected as recipients of the 2023 Conservation Cooperator of the Year Award.
"This year's award winners are still in the early stages of their conservation journey, but they have come a long way in only a short time. When they acquired the property in 2018, it needed some work and tending to in order to restore it, so they immediately got to work," said Wendee Dodds, the district's natural resources specialist and operations manager, while presenting the award, which has been given since 1962.
Dodds added that the Sadowskis have made many improvements on their 31-acre property that consists of an apple and fruit orchard as well as vegetables, pumpkins and flowers, Dodds explained. They've worked with the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service to install a high tunnel and irrigation system and pollinator strips on their farm.
They've also built a greenhouse, participated in a local foods initiative workshop, hosted an Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener class and have been a staple at the Farmers Gateway Market, Dodds added.
"And, all of this was done in just four short years, and with one of them working a full-time, off-farm job," Dodds added.
Brothers Fred and Bob Posgai were recognized as recipients of the Distinguished Service Awards.
Both have served as district cooperators, Bob since 1978 and Fred since 1987, and both have been educators in the Buckeye Local School District, said Duayne Wetherell, board vice chair, while presenting the awards.
The Posgais and their families have lived with their families along Short Creek all of their lives, Wetherell added.
Fred has been involved with the district's Big Tree contest and helps to coordinate stream monitoring activities at Buckeye Local, he said, while Bob was the first teacher in the county to volunteer to be an Envirothon adviser.
"Their dedication to water quality, forestry and soil conservation is obvious and their commitment to improving our natural resources is ingrained in their spirit," Wetherell explained.
Also recognized during the evening were Geno Morelli, whose Morelli Family Farms was the site of the recent Eastern Ohio Grazing Council's pasture walk, and Jodee Verhovec, an associate board member of the district, and her husband, Jules, who received a Conservation Farm Family Award during September's Farm Science Review held by the Ohio Department of Agriculture in the Southwest Ohio community of London. Wetherell and Andrew Morris were elected to the district's board, and winners in the district's photography contest were named: They included Gary Bush in the Wonders of the Wetlands category; Samantha Glenn in the Power of Weather and Climate category; and Amy O'Donnell in the Natural Resources Catch-All category.
The future, according to Mark Nelson, board chair, looks positive, with the anticipation of money coming into the region through Gov. Mike DeWine's Appalachian Community Grant Program, which will provide $500 million for planning and developmental grants across Ohio's 32 Appalachian counties.
The district is a driving force behind work to bring a portion of that money to our area, including efforts toward the Quaker Ridge, Piney Fork trails and hellbender preserve projects.
"We hope to be able to grow the quality of life for residents of Jefferson County," Nelson said. "Many times we hear that there is nothing going on, or that there are 87 counties in Ohio and then there's Jefferson. We all hear those stories all of the time. Our whole organization, the whole team, is fighting for Jefferson County, as well as leading the charge for the other 31 counties in Appalachian Ohio.
"Right now, that effort comprises a partnership with 22 other counties. There are 54 projects, and we have 34 partners on this," Nelson explained. "It would include funding for trails, recreation sites, streetscapes and building recreation as the main developments in Jefferson County."
Nelson said that backing from members of the community is important.
"Please show your support by speaking with elected officials," he added. "Our county commissioners have been great supporters since day one. I think everyone who is involved in it realizes how life-changing it could be for communities like ours here in Appalachian Ohio."
It's another example of the work the soil and water district has been doing for area residents since 1944.
(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times.)