AgNotes Week Of 2/7/2022

Fertilizer plan
deadline is
March 31

By Press Staff Writer
Voluntary Nutrient Management Plans (VNMP) are due soon in the 10-county expansion area of the state’s H2Ohio Initiative.
Farmers enrolled in H2Ohio need to submit a VNMP by March 31 to apply for the next phase of program incentives.
Approximately 800 growers in the expansion area enrolled more than 600,000 acres of cropland into the H2Ohio program last fall. This represents more than 38 percent of the cropland in the project area - Crawford, Erie, Huron, Marion, Ottawa, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Shelby, and Wyandot counties.
Enrolled farmers must submit a completed VNMP, which is the base best management practice to their local Soil and Water Conservation District office to receive incentive payments before signing up for additional practices in the spring.
A VNMP tells farmers where to place fertilizer, how much, and when.
H2Ohio participants in the expansion area are also reminded to submit required documentation if they are enrolled in the overwintering cover crop and conservation crop rotation/small grains practices.
Overwintering cover crops must be maintained until March 15 and growers must provide field maps, seed tags, and seeding dates to their local SWCD to receive incentive payments.
Grains planted for the conservation crop rotation practice must be harvested this coming summer with a cover or double crop established through next winter. Incentive payments for this practice will be paid in spring of 2023.
H2Ohio focuses on encouraging agricultural best management practices, restoring wetlands, and replacing home septic systems to reduce nutrients that contribute to harmful algal blooms. For information on the H2Ohio initiative, please visit h2.ohio.gov.

WSWCD Tree Sale
The Wood Soil and Water Conservation District is conducting is Annual Tree Sale and Tree Workshop.
The 2022 tree seedling sale offers assorted conifers including American Arborvitae, Norway Spruce, Bald Cypress, and White Pine. Hardwoods available include Musclewood, Shellbark Hickory, Red Oak and Ohio Buckeye. Wildlife shrubs available include Black Elderberry, Gray Dogwood and Winterberry.
Packets of 10 seedlings range from $15-$17.
The order and payment deadline is Tuesday, March. Order forms are available at www.woodswcd.com or at the district office, 1616 E. Wooster St. Greenwood Centre – The Courtyard.
Workshop set
A tree workshop will be held Saturday, Feb. 19 from 9-11 a.m. at the district office. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Craig Everett, Ohio State University Extension Wood County horticulturist will give a brief presentation and answer questions.
Please register online at woodswcd.com or call the district office at 419-354-5517, ext. 4. The workshop is free and open to the community. Refreshments will be available.