Ohio State University Extension and Northwest State Community College are partnering to provide a regional event focused on successful implementation of agricultural conservation practices, called “Success Stories of Conservation”. The event will feature farmers giving 5-minute “lightning talks” that will discuss how specific conservation practices have benefitted them on their operations, followed by a panel-type question and answer session. In addition, Dr. Jim Uphaus, Professor and Chair of the Agriculture program at Rhodes State College, and Dr. Vinayak Shedekar, Assistant Professor of Agriculture Water Management at The Ohio State University, will host breakout sessions focusing on the return on investment of conservation practices and the benefits of utilizing farm drainage, respectively. The event’s keynote speaker will be Greg LaBarge, Field Specialist in Agronomic Systems at The Ohio State University, discussing his research in the Powell Creek Watershed and what watershed-scale implementation of conservation practices can do.
Agricultural conservation is becoming an increasingly important topic across Northwest Ohio, and there are many different practices and methods that can be used to improve local water quality and soil health. This event is designed to showcase real-life implementation of conservation practices and how these practices have affected real-life farming operations, water quality, and soil health goals.
The event will be held from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Thursday, February 20th, 2025, at Northwest State Community College, 22600 OH-34, Archbold, Ohio. The cost to attend this event is $10 per person, with lunch provided. Registration is required for this event by Friday, February 14th. Visit go.osu.edu/SSC22025 to register or contact Rachel Cochran at Cochran.474@osu.edu or (567) 344-5016 with questions.
For additional information on water quality or agricultural best management practices, to register for a program, or receive additional education, contact Sarah Noggle, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, at noggle.17@osu.edu or Rachel Cochran, CCA/CPAg, Water Quality Extension Associate for Paulding, Defiance, and Van Wert Counties, at cochran.474@osu.edu.