Ohio Farm Bureau Federation honored for it Water Quality Grant Program

The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation's Water Quality Grant Program was recently recognized by the American Farm Bureau Federation with the New Horizon Award.

The New Horizon Award is presented to state farm bureaus who have developed new and innovative programs, the OFBF said on its website. OFBF’s water grant program has provided $350,000 to Ohio counties and has received more than $550,000 in matching funds from outside companies.

For the last two years, water quality grants have given Ohio farmers improved access to initiating or improving conservation methods on their land. Ohio’s county farm bureaus joined with 32 soil and water districts to provide a variety of services and equipment including crop installation equipment, wetlands projects and water run-off testing, the posting said.

A key component of water and nutrient management projects is providing funding for new technology to help evolve the way farmers are operating. Projects are far-ranging and include creating a smartphone application for recording fertilizer and manure application; utilizing advanced soil scan technologies for developing nutrient management plans; and developing new toolbars that guide farmers in the application of manure and fertilizers designed to decrease soil nutrient loss.