Ag Notes

Free pond clinic
The Lucas Soil and Water Conservation District will hold the Fall 2023 Pond Clinic Monday, Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. at the SWCD office, 3350 Hill Ave., Suite K, Toledo.
The event will offer the opportunity for current and future pond owners or developers to learn about best management practices for creating/maintaining habitat, fish stocking, weed control and other aspects of maintenance to increase the overall quality and in turn, enjoyment of the pond.
The guest speaker is a fisheries biologist from Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. The focus for this year’s clinic will be on creating a successful fish habitat in and around a pond, as well as fish stocking recommendations.
Admission is free. Preregistration is appreciated and may be completed online at LucasSWCD.org/pond-clinic or calling 419-893-1966.

H2Ohio funding round begins
Farmers in Lucas and Wood counties are among those eligible for enrolling acreage in the latest round of the H2Ohio program.
In all, 14 counties in the Maumee River Watershed project area: Allen, Auglaize, Defiance, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Lucas Mercer, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert, Williams, and Wood are eligible to enroll acreage that is utilizing what are called best management practices such as overwintering cover crops, subsurface phosphorus placement, and manure incorporation and utilization.
Growers must develop an approved Voluntary Nutrient Management Plan to enroll into other BMPs being offered in 2024 and 2025.
Soil and Water Conservation Districts work with growers to review VNMPs and assess the compatibility of implementing additional management practices.
Gov. Mike DeWine launched the H2Ohio initiative in 2019 to help offset some of the financial risks growers incur when trying new conservation practices. This year, the Ohio Department of Agriculture has updated incentives to better suit growers’ needs to implement conservation practices.
The goal of the initiative is to improve water quality in tributaries that drain into Lake Erie and reduce conditions that lead to harmful algal blooms.
The Lucas Soil and Water Conservation District will hold a meeting on the H2Ohio program Sept. 19 at 9 a.m.at the Ward Pavilion at Wildwood Metropark, 4830 Central Ave., Toledo.