Recipient Organization
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
1680 MADISON AVENUE
WOOSTER,OH 44691
Performing Department
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
Non Technical Summary
Major Amish water quality problems include contaminated drinking water, misapplication of manure, fertilizer, and pesticides; over-grazing permanent pastures; and streambank erosion from livestock grazing streams. This project will educate Amish and Anabaptist clientle about agricultural best managment practices that will improve drinking water and surface water quality on the farm.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Educate 20,000 Amish families about water quality and nutrient management issues and promote best managment practice adoption. Write monthly articles for "The Budget", a national Amish newspaper. Educate 500 Amish farmers and make 1,000 on-farm visits in three years. Collect and analyze 30 well water samples per year for 3 years. Conduct 10 Management Intensive Grazing (MIG) programs per year for 3 years with goal of 100 Amish farmers adopting MIG. Conduct 10 calibration and/or pesticide training programs in 3 years for 1,000 Amish farmers. Conduct 200 soil and manure tests and complete 20 nutrient managment plans per year for 3 years. Complete 5 manure research/demonstration plots per year. Conduct a survey of Extension Educators on Amish BMP adoption. Conduct a national Amish and Anabaptist conference. Administer and report grant activities.
Project Methods
Farm visits and personal contact are critical for establishing trust and credibility with Amish and Anabaptist communities. Extension educators use the personal contacts to identify problems and find solutions to problems. Educators will target innovative Amish and Anabaptist farmers who are leaders in their communities. These leaders will spread the word to their members about successful best management practices. The best way to increase adoption of best management practices is have the leaders accept the practices and promote it among themselves. Monthly articles will be written in "The Budget", a national Amish newspaper.