COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) has launched a $1 million investment in a water quality action plan. “Farmers recognize that we contribute to the nutrient load in our water bodies, and we’re committed to do the very best we can to continue to produce food and enhance water quality,” said Jack Fisher, OFBF executive vice president.

Farm Bureau’s board of trustees voted to commit significant resources to address agriculture’s role in Ohio’s water quality challenges. They placed special emphasis on the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB). OFBF has a $14 million budget, so this is a big commitment, Fisher said.

A component of the plan includes two goals: Farm Bureau will help all qualifying farmers in the WLEB obtain the required fertilizer certification by April 22, 2015, Earth Day. This will bring farmers into regulatory compliance 29 months ahead of the state-required deadline.

Farm Bureau will also help farmers in the watershed create nutrient management plans which detail responsible fertilizer use by April 22, 2016. These plans exceed state legal requirements.

Other Farm Bureau action steps announced in the plan include:

•Partnering with USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and various state agencies to establish a network of demonstration farms, which will assist in farmer training and show the public how viable farming and resource protection go hand in hand

•Working to gain additional funding for on-farm research projects and dissemination of the research results

•Securing funding for farm conservation programs

•Seeking resources for septic and rural water infrastructure improvements

•Partnering to promote public drinking water system improvements

•Supporting county Farm Bureau activities centered on local water issues

Also, research is ongoing, Fisher said. In the 1970s and 1980s farmers learned that conservation best management practices such as no-till, buffer strips, all helped to keep the soil in place. Then in the 1990s the phosphorous load started going up again – dissolved phosphorous became part of the jargon.

“Now we have to learn new things,” Fisher said. “How to we have to adapt our best management practices to a changing dynamic. Things changed in our watersheds and things changed in terms of technology used in agriculture. We are committing people and dollars to learn what the new research says, and we have to do more research.”

NRCS has programs and funds available. Farm Bureau will collaborate with farmers to get those programs in action on the farm.

The organization will work with communities concerning updates to water infrastructure – sewage treatment plants, septic systems and water treatment plants, dredging and the handling of dredge material, Fisher said.

“Our number one goal is not to point fingers but to be proactive in providing answers and leadership in the agricultural community while collaborating with all other Ohioans in terms of making it a community effort to improve and protect our water quality,” Fisher said. “That is the crux of this million dollar commitment.”