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The Blanchard River Demonstration Farms Network project is a five-year initiative, showcasing and demonstrating conservation practices that will help improve agriculture’s impact on downstream water quality. This video series highlights the efforts being made on three northwest Ohio farms to learn about nutrient management and the many ways Ohio farmers can keep nutrients in the fields and out of the water.

Video #1 – Introduction for the Issues with Water Quality

The formation of harmful algal blooms has been an issue for years and not just for the state of Ohio, but globally. What causes these algal blooms and what are their impact? 

Video #2 – Introduction to the Blanchard River Demonstration Farms Project

Ohio’s agriculture sector is committed to finding workable solutions to Ohio’s water quality challenges. The Demonstration Farms incorporate some of the many efforts being taken by Ohio farmers. Project Manager Aaron Heilers describes what types of farms are part of the project and the conservation practices they are implementing to keep nutrients in the field and out of the water.

Video #3 – Edge-of-Field Monitoring

How do the demo farms determine which practices have the biggest impact on reducing nutrient loss from agriculture? Aaron Heilers, project manager, talks about how edge-of-field monitoring starts that important process.

Video #4 – The Conservation Practices

What is being learned from the demonstration farms? The science is coalescing around three main principles. Find out about the recommendations being taken from the demo farms from Project Manager Aaron Heilers.