NORTHWEST, Ohio — Farmers in northwest Ohio will have $30 million in funds available to them next month.
The funds will be awarded as part of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's H2Ohio plan. The $30 million is part of an overall $85 million provided by the Ohio General Assembly for H2Ohio in the first year of the biennium.
Governor Dewine and Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Dorothy Pelanda made the announcement Wednesday.
The goal of H2Ohio is to reduce agricultural phosphorus runoff and prevent algal blooms in Lake Erie. The remaining funds will focus on reducing phosphorus runoff through the creation of wetlands, as well as on improving water quality by preventing lead contamination and addressing failing septic systems.
“Since announcing the details of my H2Ohio plan in November, we’ve had a great deal of interest from farmers in the Maumee River Watershed who want to do their part to improve the health of Lake Erie,” said Governor DeWine. “H2Ohio will provide farm-by-farm support to help farmers minimize phosphorus runoff while increasing profit over the long-run.”
Local farmers can apply for funds at their local Soil and Water Conservation Districts starting February 1.
“Ohio farmers want to be part of the solution to water quality concerns in our state,” said Pelanda. “The Ohio Department of Agriculture is excited to work with our partners to help farmers implement these best practices which is a critical first step toward achieving better water quality through H2Ohio.”
H2Ohio will fund investments in 10 scientifically proven interventions to reduce nutrient runoff from agriculture.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture, the local Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the Ohio Agriculture Conservation Initiative, will host informational meetings to outline the application process for local farmers.
In addition the meetings will explain the H2Ohio certification process and answer further questions.
Below is a list of the when and where the meetings are scheduled.
- February 4 - Owens Comm. College Veterans Hall 30335 Oregon Road
at 3 p.m. - February 5 - Defiance K of C Hall 111 Elliott Road Defiance at 6 p.m.
- February 18 - American Legion Hall 601 N. 2nd St. Coldwater at 6 p.m.
- February 27 - Kissell Community Bldg. 509 N. Main Street West Unity at 6 p.m.
- February 5 - Delphos Eagles 1600 E. 5th Street Delphos at 2 p.m.
- February 11 - Auglaize Co. Jr. Fair Bldg. 1001 Fairview Drive Wapakoneta at 6 p.m.
- February 20 - Fogle Center 815 E. Mathias St. Leipsic at 6 p.m.
- February 28 - Ohio Northern University McIntosh Center
525 S. Main Street Ada at 9:30 a.m.
More information on Governor DeWine’s H2Ohio plan can be found here.
