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For My Farm

Farmers are working
to protect the land and water

For My Farm

Ohio farmers are using best practices to improve the health of the soil and land they farm.

For My Business

For Ohio farmers, best practice management results in covering more acres in less time, with less equipment and using less fuel, improving the bottom line.

For My Community

Improvements in soil health, water quality and overall business revenue not only help each farm, but the communities they support.

Best practices make a difference

Hear from more farmers

Hear from Ohio farmers about their use of best practices to benefit their land and community.

Benefits of Best Practice Management

Using best practices leads to better outcomes

Throughout Ohio farmers implement best management practices to not only boost their bottom line, but also strengthen the land, improve yields and protect the water.

Learn more about best practices

Farmers across Ohio follow industry best practices that result in benefits for the land and community

We strip band all of our fertilizer. We're using soil tests. We've reduced our use of commercial fertilizer substantially, and we also use cover crops. About 90 percent of our acres are no-till. It's amazing the results we've seen in soil health, soil fertility, our reduced fuel, our reduced tillage. We found that we could implement these practices effectively and efficiently and that our bottom line will benefit.

- Andy Stickel, Farmer, Wood County, Ohio

Farmers across Ohio follow industry best practices that result in benefits for the land and community

As part of our demonstration farm project we have installed a phosphorous bed to pull out excess phosphorous before the water leaves the field. It protects the water, but it also helps us get the most out of our soil and nutrients.

- Chris Kurt, Farmer, Dunkirk, Ohio

Farmers across Ohio follow industry best practices that result in benefits for the land and community

I've learned that we can farm acres more efficiently, I can utilize less nutrients, and I can utilize the best herbicide/pesticide practices and manage my crops well. I can be successful on more acres with less labor and less time and less equipment. Overall it affects the bottom line.

- Lane Osswald, Farmer, Eldorado, Ohio

In the News

Ohio Country Journal

Keep the Proper Focus with H2Ohio

When considering the water quality politics of Ohio in recent years and administrations, H2Ohio is a tremendous victory for science, common sense and agriculture.

Ohio wheat farms finding boost in double-cropping

Thanks to the growing use of a practice called double-cropping, one local agriculture economist believes the crop is on the rebound. A decade ago, wheat was planted on twice as many Ohio acres as it is today, but it may rally a bit in 2019, says Ben Brown, assistant professor of agricultural risk management at Ohio State University.

Farmers forced to delay planting due to wet Winter and heavy rains this Spring

Farmers have been doing all they can to maximize their crops. They use no-till farming methods, they only fertilize when necessary, but there is only so much farmers can do when the weather is involved. 2018 was the wettest year on record, and so far 2019 is starting out wetter than last year.

Officials get firsthand accounts of 'weird' year for farming

It's been a weird year out on the farm, thanks to climate change. That's what about 50 people — a mix of elected and appointed officials, government employees, business leaders, and private citizens — heard throughout the day on Monday as they split seven hours visiting all three northwest Ohio farms that comprise the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Blanchard River Demonstration Farms Network.

The Columbus Dispatch

Editorial: Reducing carbon emissions is good business for Ohio farmers

As water pollution continues unabated and the impact of climate change becomes harder to ignore, we hope Ohio lawmakers and responsible farmers will get serious about making changes that will benefit everyone.

Protecting Our Water: What's Still Being Done To Stop Lake Erie Algae?

You've done it several times today and probably didn't even give it a second thought. A simple turn of a knob. A twist of a faucet. The convenience of our drinking water can make it easy to forget.

Opinion: Farmers need flexibility to fight Lake Erie's algal bloom

Phosphorus from fertilizer running off cropland has been identified as the main culprit behind Lake Erie's algal woes, and the potential for governments in my province of Ontario and elsewhere to implement farm-level regulations has some farmers nervous.

The Buoys are Out and Ready

The Regional Science Consortium deployed four RSC buoys and one DEP buoy into the water on May 6, 2019. Here is a summary.

Farmers must get out in front

If you farm, you need to pay attention to how you manage your farm to minimize its impact on the environment. Period.

The Monroe News

Walberg, Ryan renew push to protect lakes from algae blooms

The bipartisan legislation would provide federal assistance to Great Lakes states that administer voluntary assurance programs to help farms minimize agricultural pollution risks, like harmful algae blooms on Lake Erie.

The Columbus Dispatch

Editorial: Protecting Great Lakes is important to Ohio and all of US

The Great Lakes states share an incredible treasure — one-fifth of all the freshwater in the world — and that's reflected in the fact that politicians of both parties work together to protect them.

You are the expert in your neighborhood

The Lake Erie algal blooms and temporary shutdown on the Toledo Water Treatment Plant got everyone's attention. Shock and concern turned to finding the source or sources, which inevitably led to finger-pointing.