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Ohio NRCS awards conservation grants

Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) totaling more than $290,000 has been awarded by Ohio’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

State Conservationist Terry Cosby tells Brownfield the grants will be used to develop unique and innovative solutions that will help make conservation more efficient in the future.

“We are looking at soil health, plant health, we’re looking at water quality, we’re looking at animal health,” said Cosby. “We tried to make sure we touched all of agriculture and I think there’s going to be some good techniques and technologies come from these individual grants.”

Audio: Terry Cosby, State Conservationist, Ohio (3:35 mp3)

Those receiving CIG funding in Ohio include:

• Putnam County Soil and Water Conservation District in the amount of $75,000 to demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of managing crops and improving the environment through phosphorus management.

• Brandts Farm in the amount of $74,414. This project’s objectives are to address soil health priority needs in an effort to demonstrate and quantify the impact of cover crops, crop rotations, and tillage.

• Ohio Environmental Council in the amount of $75,000 to conduct a comprehensive analysis of completed Ohio CIG projects.

• Ohio Department of Natural Resources in the amount of $67,187. The purpose of this pilot project is to increase Ohio’s capacity to implement alternative drainage technologies.