News

H2Ohio continues to expand

Participation continues to grow in H2Ohio, the comprehensive water quality initiative aimed at addressing water issues in the Buckeye State    

Jordan Hoewischer is the director of water quality and research for Ohio Farm Bureau.

“The success is the amount of (farmer) signup. When you have 1.5 acres in a 4-million-acre watershed signup for a program in a couple of years, that’s huge. It’s unprecedented,” he says. “…(H2Ohio) is bringing people out. It’s a logical program that farmers are really excited about, and the signup and implementation of that has proven that.”

The program invests to help farmers reduce phosphorus runoff and prevent algal blooms.

He tells Brownfield, “we’re seeing lower application rates of fertilizer on farm fields and we’re seeing lower soil tests of phosphorus on farm fields on average. Farmers are doing the right things, but it takes a little bit of time to show that effect.”

More than 2,000 producers have entered into agreements within the H2Ohio program, which has 1.5 million acres in voluntary nutrient management plans.

Hoewischer says there are plans for the H2Ohio program to expand as there is additional funding.