Balancing the Load: H2Ohio’s Approach to Nutrient Management

In Ashland County, ur farmers work hard to be good stewards of our land and natural resources, and for many of them, the H2Ohio program is a way to validate and share the good news about the work they are already doing.

H2Ohio initially rolled out to farmers in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) in 2019. The program then expanded in 2021 to additional counties, including neighboring Richland County, keeping the program close enough for Ashland County farmers to almost touch but still out of reach for the last three years. In April, H2Ohio agricultural practices rolled out statewide, offering $10-$15/acre for the development of a nutrient management plan.

In the beginning, the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) set caps on county enrollment. Here in Ashland County, we were allocated 10,000 acres with a 750 acre cap per producer. Ashland County filled our 10,000 acres in the first day of H2Ohio enrollment. Eventually, ODA lifted the limit on acres and allowed each county to enroll an unlimited amount of acres until the statewide goal of 500,000 acres was met. After the extended enrollment, we had nearly 22,000 acres in Ashland County enrolled in nutrient management.

Whether farmers are enrolled in H2Ohio to develop a voluntary nutrient management plan (VNMP) for cropland farmers or a comprehensive nutrient management plan (CNMP) for livestock producers, there are several key items used to develop their nutrient recommendations.

Over the summer, many of our local farmers have been working with their retailer, technical service provider (TSP), and/or SWCD staff to develop their nutrient management plan through the MyFarms farm management software. Each producer has input their updated soil tests, crop rotations, and nutrient applications with assistance from Ashland Soil and Water staff. After these items are entered into MyFarms, the system develops a set of nutrient recommendations based on Tri-State and the 590 standards. We use these recommendations to plan fertilizer and manure applications on each farm.

All nutrient plans must be completed by December 31, 2024 to be eligible for payment. Here in Ashland County, we are asking producers to have their information entered by the end of November. This will give us enough time to make adjustments and edits to each plan to ensure accuracy.

Each producer that has successfully developed a VNMP or CNMP will be eligible to implement the plan for an additional $10-$15/acre. Implementation contracts must also be signed by December 31, 2024. In order to implement an H2Ohio nutrient management plan, producers must keep a record of all nutrient applications (including manure and commercial fertilizer).

You might be wondering, other than writing nutrient management plans, how has H2Ohio impacted Ashland County? H2Ohio has been a great tool in educating farmers and landowners on the best management practices to improve water quality. It also allowed us to grow our cover crop program to record levels this year. H2Ohio will leave lasting positive effects on Ashland County for years to come.

For more information on H2Ohio in Ashland County, contact Water Quality Specialist, Cora Crilow, at 419-281-7654 or h2ohio@ashlandcounty.org.