Ohio Farmers Union

Serving Family Farmers and Consumers Since 1934



United to Grow Family Agriculture Since 1934

  • About
    • The Farmers Union Triangle
    • Vision
    • OFU Leadership
  • Issues
    • 2020 Virtual Lobby Days
    • OFU Policy & NFU Policy
    • 2019 Lobby Day Registration
    • Get Involved!
    • NFU Climate Leaders
  • Education
    • 2019 OFU Essay Contest
    • Ohio Farmers Union Scholarships
    • Farm Safety
    • Renewable Energy Curriculum
  • Insurance
    • Hastings Mutual Insurance Co.
    • Health & Other Offerings
    • Ohio BWC Group Coverage
  • Join Us
    • Member Benefits
    • Insurance
  • Blog

OFU Forum Demonstrates Hope for Lake Erie

February 26, 2015 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Share
Share on Google Plus
Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Attendees listen to Dr. Jeffrey Reutter of Ohio Sea Grant in Ottawa.

Attendees listen to Dr. Jeffrey Reutter of Ohio Sea Grant in Ottawa.

OTTAWA – State and federal experts on agriculture and water quality gathered in Ottawa today to explain what’s causing harmful algal blooms (HAB) in the western basin of Lake Erie and what farmers can do to help alleviate the problem.

The Ohio Farmers Union and the Ohio Environmental Council sponsored the forum. Farmers in attendance were from northwest and west central Ohio in the heart of the Maumee River watershed.

“These gatherings are important to keep getting the message that Lake Erie can be restored and farmers will do their part,” said Ohio Farmers Union President Joe Logan.

“Farmers also come away with a great deal of information about best management practices in dealing with nutrients and keeping as much as fertilizer on their fields and out of our streams and lakes,” Logan added.

Dr. Jeffrey Reutter, director of Ohio Sea Grant and a researcher who has studied Lake Erie since the 1970s, told the gathering that Lake Erie is unique among the Great Lakes due to its relatively shallow depth and the rate at which water flushes out of the lake. In the western basin, where the algal blooms generally begin and are at their worst, Reutter said the flush out rate is 20 to 50 days.

He demonstrated that phosphorous overload in Lake Erie is indeed at the root of the HAB problem and that reducing the amount of phosphorous by 40 percent would curtail the blooms.

Another unique aspect of Lake Erie is the sheer amount of agricultural land that is encompassed by watersheds draining into its western basin Reutter said. The Maumee River watershed drains 4.5 million acres of agricultural land directly into the Maumee Bay near Toledo. In all, there are 7 million acres of agricultural land that drain into the western basin.

Reutter points to the fact that the lake was cleaned up in the 1970s and told the forum that it can happen again.

Also presenting was Greg LaBarge from the Ohio State University Extension. LaBarge explained the state’s new fertilizer applicator certification that must be completed by producers farming more than 50 acres by Sept. 30, 2017. To date well over 1,000 farmers have completed the training and in the coming months another 7,000 are expected to get certified. LaBarge said there are approximately 40,000 farmers with more than 50 acres in production in the state.

An agronomist who specializes in fields, LaBarge gave examples of several best practices already in use by many Ohio farmers. He said that there are a few other items that should get more attention by producers. Among these are efforts to slow down the movement of water off of a farmer’s land, looking at each field and its risk profile separately and building up soil quality.

Also speaking at the forum were Jocelyn Henderson, Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources; John Wilson, Natural Resources Conservation Service; Christopher Gibbs, Mercer County FSA and Marla Koerner, USDA.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Greg LaBarge, Harmful Algal Blooms, Jeffrey Reutter, Lake Erie, Ohio Farmers Union, Ohio Sea Grant

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • YouTube

Latest News from the Ohio & National Farmers Union

OFU Rallies for Rural Schools

Fair School Funding Plan Integral for Rural Public Schools COLUMBUS – The League of Women Voters of Ohio and Ohio Farmers Union held a Statehouse … Read More

Public Schools Build Connections in Rural Communities. Vouchers Tear Them Down.

by Melissa Cropper, president, Ohio Federation of Teachers This op-ed was orignally published on Barn Raiser: Rural communities depend on … Read More

National Farmers Union Week of Action for Strong Farm Bill

National Farmers Union (NFU) today concluded the Week of Action that gathered more than 100 farmers from across the country to the halls of Congress … Read More

How Do Tariffs Affect Family Farms?

A Talk in Kent, Ohio with Ohio Farmers Union and Others Have you noticed the price of eggs? Who hasn’t! How do government actions and tariffs … Read More

Check Out the Entire Blog

NATIONAL FARMERS UNION

Click to Take Action



Contact

Ohio Farmers Union
P.O. Box 363
1011 N. Defiance Street
Ottawa, Ohio 45875
Phone: (419) 523-5300
Toll Free: (800) 321-3671

Copyright Ohio Farmers Union© 2025 | Site by: RCS Communications

 

Loading Comments...