COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Soil and Water Resources has obtained funds to train agricultural professionals and assist landowners in southern and eastern Ohio for grazing management.

“We’ve received a grant and used some of our own funding to provide assistance to farmers and landowners within southern Ohio and portions of eastern Ohio, to help them get grazing management plans completed,” said Rob Hamilton, with the Division of Soil and Water Resources.

Landowners attempting to qualify for any USDA programs that would involve grazing livestock need to have a grazing management plan in place, Hamilton said. This is a new requirement. When implemented on farms, grazing management practices improve soil health, reduce soil erosion, improve infiltration and help meet local water quality goals, Hamilton said. Grasslands and grazing operations are an important sector in Ohio’s economy. Pasture-based livestock operations represents the largest number of livestock operations in the state.

“To try to help in that regard, USDA National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) was able to provide us with grant funding to be able to hire four part-time people to assist with development of grazing management plans,” Hamilton said. “The plan itself is essentially an individualized plan for a farm.”

The plan looks at the whole operation, identifies any resource concerns and then works toward improving management, Hamilton said. Conservation practices are recommended to address those concerns, whether they be NRCS resource concerns or individual goals of the landowner.

“We’re looking at improving our water quality by better managing nutrients,” he said. “With grazing operations, we typically have a lot of good cover out there because they’re grasslands, so from a soil and water perspective that is what we like to see, that is what is desired.”

Winter feeding areas tend to be an area of concern from an environmental standpoint, Hamilton said. Those areas need to be well-placed and must avoid any water quality concerns. The southern and eastern portions of the state are areas of concern because the majority of the grazing livestock operations are there.

“Because of that we focused our efforts there,” Hamilton said. “We’re hoping to continue this in the future, but right now we’re only funded through the end of this calendar year. We had to hit it fast and have a targeted area.”

Individuals in those portions of the state who are interested in assistance should contact their local Soil and Water Conservation District office. To find a location visit www.dnr.state.oh.us and click on the “Soil & Water” link.