H2Ohio Nutrient Management Underway in Ashland County

Farmers in Ashland County grabbed hold of the stateside expansion of H2Ohio practices last year with both hands, initially reaching out allocated maximum enrollment of 10,000 acres by 12:30 pm on the first day of enrollment. That overwhelmingly positive response resulted in more acres being available for enrollment in Ashland County, for just over 22,000 acres total enrolled in the program across the county.

We’re pretty proud of that response by our Ashland County farmers and their willingness to step up to the plate and showcase their intentions and abilities to be good stewards of our farmland with good nutrient application practices.

Not sure what H2Ohio is? It’s a great cost share program designed to minimize nutrient loss into our waterways from farm fields. The program was initially developed with a focus on reducing the amount of phosphorous entering waterways, which is leading to the harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie.

Ashland SWCD not only encourages H2Ohio participating producers to develop and use nutrient management plans, but it’s a practice we encourage for all other producers as well because it opens doors to other opportunities.

Nutrient management is extremely important. As a producer with a nutrient management plan in place, they are maximizing their fertilizer use. That plan ensures that crops are receiving the right amount of nutrients without over applying. While you are saving money and getting more out of your crops, you are also protecting the environment.

Having excess nutrients in the soil and water can cause pollution into the waterways and excess runoff will impact the quality of water. Saving money on fertilizer, increased yields,and protecting the environment?

Sign me up!

H2Ohio is Governor DeWine’s statewide water quality initiative designed to address complex issues impacting Ohio’s waters. Launched in 2019, H2Ohio uses a comprehensive approach guided by science and data to reduce algal blooms, stop pollution, and improve access to clean drinking water by supporting best farming practices, road salt runoff reduction, litter cleanup, dam removal, land conservation, and water infrastructure revitalization.

H2Ohio was first made available to producers in the Western Lake Erie Basin in 2019. Since then, more than 2,600 producers have enrolled 1.8 million acres into voluntary conservation practices that are improving Ohio’s waters.

H2Ohio provides producers with financial and technical assistance to implement conservation practices that are proven to improve water quality. Eligible producers can enroll acreage into a Voluntary Nutrient Management Plan (VNMP) and earn a $10/acre incentive for VNMP development and approval. Producers can also earn incentives of $10/acre (Basic) or $15/acre (Precision) for VNMP implementation.

We are in the process of collecting nutrient application records for producers currently. They will then go through a process to configure the amount of nutrients they are applying to their fields. By going through this process we can ensure that producers aren’t over applying fertilizers or manure to their fields. This is a great learning opportunity for producers to educate them on the best management practices on their farms as well as ensuring they understand the importance of the nutrient management plans.

While it is unknown when the next enrollment and opportunities are, we are actively keeping a list of potential producers that are interested in participating in the future in this program. Don’t forget you may bring in a soil sample, get a test done, and I can also create a nutrient management plan that way as well!

Please contact Zoey Dudte (419-281-7645 or zoeydudte@ashlandswcd.com) in the office for more H2Ohio details or Nutrient Management Plan items!