Field Day Podcast with Jordan Hoewischer: Ep. 46 Jay Martin
Jay Martin discusses his Pilot Watershed Project in the Western Lake Erie Basin. He is a professor of Ecological Engineering at The Ohio State University.
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As the calendar turns to summer, eyes will once again turn to the Western Lake Erie Basin to monitor the severity of the inevitable algal bloom. As more research is being conducted about the various causes of the blue-green waters of the shallowest Great Lake, and results of farm conservation programs are showing positive trends, there are still many questions unanswered when it comes to the annual challenges of water quality in Lake Erie.
One of the culprits of the bloom, legacy phosphorus, is highlighted in a new series of Field Day podcasts, produced by Ohio Farm Bureau. Legacy phosphorus accumulates in soils and sediments due to past human activities, especially from agricultural fertilization and manure applications. This accumulated phosphorus can lead to persistent water quality degradation, even after changes in current fertilization practices.
“In today’s world of instant gratification, some might wonder why if a farmer has changed their nutrient management practices yesterday, why are they not seeing water quality improvements today,” said Jordan Hoewischer, host of the Field Day podcast. “We know that natural systems take time to re-adjust. From an agricultural watershed, it’s not unrealistic to have 10 to 20 years of management practices in place to ultimately see what the impact is in the stream system itself. That lag time is one that I don’t think there’s an appreciation for.”
The Field Day podcast series will include guests from the USDA Agricultural Research Service, Ohio Department of Agriculture, The Ohio State University and the University of Illinois and will focus on topics ranging from the age of phosphorus leaving farm fields, research on phosphorus hot spots, soil test levels of H2Ohio-enrolled acres, trends for dissolved reactive phosphorus in the Western Lake Erie Basin and the role that streambank erosion plays in phosphorus loading.
Find the Field Day podcast at ofb.ag/podcastseries, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
This is a news release for use by journalists. Questions should be directed to Ty Higgins, 614-246-8231 or [email protected].
My first recommendation in your journey is to start out with a local farming friend or mentor along with joining an organization like Ohio Farm Bureau.
We’re just so thankful for the Farm Bureau and the foundation for helping put this together. And of course, the Boyert family for the vision they had with this grant. It’s jumping us forward 10 years. It’s unbelievable.
I could not have done it without the resources I have found through Farm Bureau.
It wasn’t until I joined the Wilmington College Collegiate Farm Bureau that I truly saw how my passion could translate into leadership, advocacy and a career.
The issue of property taxation remains as one of the biggest challenges our members face today. Ensuring agricultural property is valued for its agricultural potential and not development is critical to the continued success of Ohio agriculture.
Through the Select Partner program, we became educated in farm insurance and weren't just selling policies. It became more and more clear why farmers need an advocate like Ohio Farm Bureau.
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
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