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Groups work together to improve water quality in Ohio

A collaboration of stakeholders representing Ohio’s agriculture, conservation, environmental, and research communities are working together on a statewide water quality initiative.

The newly formed Agriculture Conservation Working Group recently held a two-day retreat in Ostrander, Ohio, where the conversation centered on identifying a path to healthy waterways in the state.

Scott Higgins, co-chair of the working group, says there is a lot of misinformation about what farmers do on the farm to improve water quality.   

“One of the visions that we came up with was to sit down with the environmental community, the conservation community, the ag industry, our academic groups and really start to frame up an understanding of what is being done and allow the public to see the work that farmers are doing,” he says.

The working group says its proposed certification framework could be introduced as soon as the end of the year.