Hands-on work session offered for developing nutrient management plans

Ashland County’s H2Ohio story is one we’re proud of: our local farmers more than doubled the state’s original anticipated amount of cropland acres to be enrolled in the state’s H2Ohio agricultural expansion.

Our 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. For others, the H2Ohio program provides an opportunity to take a look at their on-farm nutrient management plan using an impartial, objective set of criteria and evaluate the practices and decisions they are making on the farm. Still others are using this as an opportunity to develop a comprehensive nutrient management plan for their livestock operation that will help open the door to additional funding for more conservation practices in the future.

Regardless of their goals, now that statewide enrollment has wrapped up, it’s time for farmers enrolled in the program to start working on developing their nutrient management plans; farmers have 6 months from the time their H2Ohio nutrient management planning contract was signed to have their plan developed.

To help farmers in that process, Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is hosting a hands-on work session for farmers to start inputting their data into the MyFarms platform the state is using to management the H2Ohio agricultural program. The event will take place August 1 at the Ashland County Park District office behind Freer Field (new location!) And will kick off at 5 p.n. with plenty of Ohio Fire Pizza and pop on-hand to fill the bellies or participating farmers while their heads are being filled with knowledge.

Whether farmers are enrolled in H2Ohio to develop a voluntary nutrient management plan for cropland farmers or a comprehensive nutrient management plan (CNMP) for livestock producers, there are several key items that they need to input into the MyFarms platform: current soil test results for their fields, planned crop rotations for the 2025 and 2026 growing seasons, and their planned nutrient applications. SWCD staff will be on-hand to provide overall instruction and one-on-one help with producers as they enter that information.

Once that data is entered, the MyFarms platform will calculate each field’s nutrient needs for the next two years, and farmers can ensure their planned nutrient applications fall within the Tri-State Fertilizer guidelines for those fields. Some farmers may find that they have an adequate bank of stored nutrients that allows them to reduce their planned applications; others may find that certain fields might need a different management strategy than what they typically use. Or, they might find that their current management is already in line with those guidelines.

Once those plans are in place, SWCD staff will calculate potential soil loss from erosion on enrolled fields as well as fields that are at risk of nutrient loss, and farmers will be able to look at that information to consider when making future management decisions.

The next step will be for farmers to enroll in the OhioPays system so that they can receive their cost-share for the H2Ohio nutrient management planning process. Staff will be able to walk farmers through that process and help troubleshoot any potential issues.

The final step to completing their H2Ohio nutrient management plan will be to complete a certification process with the Ohio Agriculture Conservation Initiative. Nikki Hawk from OACI will be on-hand to walk producers through that process and explain the role of OACI in the H2Ohio process.

OACI is an innovative, collaborative effort that brings together agricultural, conservation, environmental and research communities to improve water quality by establishing a baseline understanding of current conservation and nutrient management efforts. Partners include Ohio Farm Bureau, a variety of commodity groups, the Fertilizer Institute, The Nature Conservancy and more.

The goal of the program is to better understand current on-farm conservation and nutrient management efforts across the state and to encourage continuous improvement and adoption of best management practices.

For livestock producers, SWCD staff will schedule a visit to the farm to catalog specifics of the operation, including animal numbers and manure storage facilities and capacity to include those in the nutrient management plan. Once a CNMP has been developed, farmers can use that plan as a basis to apply for additional cost-share dollars through the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service conservation cost share programs to implement a variety of livestock-based practices, including manure storage, composting facilities and more.

For more information on the H2Ohio nutrient management program, contact Ashland SWCD Water Quality Specialist Cora Crilow at 419-281-7645 or by email at h2ohio@ashlandcounty.org