Farming for the Future
Immediate Release
November 30, 2011
Batavia, Ohio. In a continuing effort to protect and restore waterways in Clermont County, the East Fork Collaborative is partnering with Miami University’s Institute for the Environment and Sustainability (IES) to research farming practices across the county. “Sustainable agriculture practices can reduce the runoff of nutrients and soil into a watershed, resulting in a positive impact in the quality of our water resources,” said John McManus with the East Fork Collaborative. Sustainable agriculture is a way of raising food that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of future generations.
“While we have many producers that use sustainable farming practices, we want to better understand how to help other producers embrace the method, without adversely impacting their businesses,” said McManus. He said the partnership will explore barriers to sustainable agriculture through surveys and focus groups with area farmers. “Our goal is to gather feedback directly from producers about the challenges they face when implementing sustainable practices,” said Jacob Stone, a graduate student in Miami’s IES program. “With this research in hand, the East Fork Collaborative can design programs that work with the producers in a way that will, in the long run, help both producers and the environment.”
“Every region has unique soil, weather, and political aspects that impact farming, so the best way for us to know what challenges the producers in Clermont County face is to ask them,” added Lori Hillman, United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Services representative.
The East Fork Watershed Collaborative was formed in 2001 as a way to bring together the diverse interests within the East Fork Watershed to protect and enhance the biological, chemical, and physical integrity of the East Fork of the Little Miami River and its tributaries. The Miami U Institute of the Environment and Sustainability program was created in 1969, in response to the need for a curriculum geared to train a modern environmental scientist equipped with the tools and philosophy needed to cope with new problems as they arise. Over 600 students have graduated from the program; for more information on the Miami U IES program, contact Tom Crist at ies@muohio.edu.
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For additional information about this or other county news, contact Clermont County Communications Director Kathy Lehr at (513) 732-7597 or by e-mail, klehr@ clermontcountyohio.gov.