The Van Wert County Courthouse

Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

Extension offers Nutrient Mgt. Plan aid

Submitted information

The Ohio State University Extension has four Nutrient Management Plan writers working to assist farmers in developing free Nutrient Management Plans (NMP) in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) of Ohio.

Plans provide both fertility recommendations and an environmental site risk for fields that help identify resource concerns impacting nutrient and sediment loss. The Extension has been able to do 33 plans with 17,877 acres in Allen, Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert, Williams, and Wood counties in Ohio and Lenawee County, Michigan.

OSU Extension logo 4-2009NMP Writers will be on hand in most counties in the Western Lake Erie Basin on select days this winter to work with producers on preparing a free NMP or CNMP. Writers will work with any grain/vegetable/crop producers, and/or non-CAFO livestock producers that have the following information available:

  • Soil tests from no later than 2014 in less than 25-acre zones (printed or electronic copies that can be saved)
  • Complete farm maps and/or FSA maps (printed or electronic copies that can be saved)
  • Fertilizer program, complete with amounts and N-P-K products
  • Implement details and information, and operation timelines
  • Crop rotations and yield goals for 2016-2022
  • Water locations in operation, artificial drainage practices, and type of surface drainage
  • Manure: storage capacity, acres to spread on, number of animals, feed information
  • NRCS EQIP program information (if planning to apply, or already applied)

NMP writers will be in Van Wert County from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday, February 21, or Wednesday, March 8, at the OSU Extension office on the Van Wert County Fairgrounds, 1055 S. Washington St. in Van Wert.

The Western Lake Erie Basin also covers small parts of Shelby, Marion, Richland, and Huron counties, as well as the north half of Mercer County. Those who reside in one of those areas and would like a plan, should visit a neighboring county’s program day. Farmers are welcomed at any county program, regardless of their county of residence. Plan at least one hour for meetings.

Farmers can RSVP by contacting Jessie Schulze at 419.782.4771 or schulze.72@osu.edu and provide name, county, phone number, date, and morning or afternoon for arrival. The Extension Service will accept farmers on a first come, first served basis in the morning (9 a.m.-noon) and afternoon (noon-3 p.m.). Questions can also be addressed per contact information above or visit go.osu.edu/nutrientplanners.

POSTED: 02/20/17 at 8:50 am. FILED UNDER: Farm, News