By Rachel Cochran OSU Extension

The six water quality extension associates located in Northwest Ohio are gearing up for winter programming and need input from you! If there is a topic or series of topics that you would find helpful regarding water quality, soil health, cover crops, manure management, etc., please reach out to the water quality associate in your area to let us know. In addition, it’s never too early to start thinking about potential field research projects for next year. We would love to work with you to help answer questions you may have about your operation. See the different trials we’ve been working on this year in the 2021 eFields publication, set to be released in mid-January, or reach out to an associate for questions. Continue reading Water Quality Extension Associates Planning Winter Meetings and Spring Research Need YOU! →

FSA will open signup this summer for CLEAR30, a new pilot program that offers farmers and landowners an opportunity to enroll in a 30-year Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contract. This pilot is available to farmers and landowners with expiring water-quality practice CRP contracts in the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay regions. The program signup period is July 6 to Aug. 21, 2020.

The pilot is available in Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Eligible producers must have expiring Clean Lakes, Estuaries and Rivers (CLEAR) initiative contracts, including continuous CRP Cropland contracts with water-quality practices or marginal pasturelands CRP contracts devoted to riparian buffers, wildlife habitat buffers or wetland buffers. Continue reading CLEAR30 the first USDA program to offer 30-year Signup →