Directing funding to help prepare 10 Indiana counties for the future of agriculture is part of the goal of the Wabash Heartland Innovation Network (WHIN).
The Pulaski County Commissioners got the chance to learn about the consortium Monday from its director of regional placemaking, Lynette Bleed.
She said WHIN was funded in 2017 by a $38.9 million Lilly Endowment Grant, as a partnership with Purdue and Ivy Tech Lafayette. “This grant is specifically designed to do three things,” she explained. “The first thing is a focus on agriculture technology, the second is next generation manufacturing, and the third is a Regional Cultivation Fund, which is what I’m working with closely.”
Bleed said the Regional Cultivation Fund has $10 million specifically designated for placemaking. She said $1 million has already been awarded during the first grant cycle, and applications are currently being reviewed for the second round, which will be $2 million to $3 million.
The next chance to apply will be in October of 2020. “So if you hear of projects in Pulaski County that are interested in partnering with other counties in the Wabash Heartland region, those would be a great opportunity to apply for the Regional Cultivation Fund,” Bleed said.
Some of the projects awarded grant funding so far include the development of a high school curriculum for ag technology, work on a broadband network, and the development of an infrastructure model for recycling that would actually involve putting sensors on bins. “I’ve been told that if they can do that, students would be able to look on a dashboard and follow a recyclable bottle through the whole recycling process because they could track where it’s going with this sensor,” Bleed added.
Other projects include the installation of public art in each of the consortium’s 10 counties through the Tippecanoe Arts Federation, as well as planning for trail development that could eventually tie into the Panhandle Pathway.
Pulaski Circuit Court Judge Mary Welker asked if the county could get assistance with remodeling its courthouse to keep it from getting torn down. Bleed said that while it would technically qualify, the fact that it wouldn’t involve a multi-county partnership means its chances of getting funding are low.
