What is agriculture’s role in addressing WLEB contamination?
Agriculture Retailers, Nutrient Service Providers, and Producers have moved forward to address water quality issues in the Western Lake Erie Basin. Development and participation in the 4R

Certification Program is showing that agriculture is willing to participate in a voluntary program that puts the 4R’s into practice.This practice helps to place nutrients of the Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time, and Right Place on more acres within the WLEB. Currently, 1,209,000 acres are actively certified in the program and many more are working to become certified.

Why is it important to become 4R Certified?

What does it take to get 4R certified?
To become certified, participants must follow a set of standards developed by a diverse group of stake holders including retailers, government, environmental groups, and universities  They are required to have a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) review recommendations,  participate in a third-party audit review of training and education, recommendations to growers, and application records.  Upon completion of the audit and review of any corrective action plan that may be needed, results are then reviewed by

The Nutrient Stewardship Council to establish “ 4R Certification” status.

Why is this program important?
What this program offers is a consistent means of monitoring, measuring, and quantifying recommendations that have been based on sound, proven and tested science based principles that put good economic recommendations to use, but also link these with good environmental practices.  This may not be the cure-all to all the nutrient problems with Lake Erie, but certainly lays a significant foundation to know how things are being done so that measurement of progress can be documented.

What is program intended to do?
The basic principles of the program have been drawn on are to help establish government regulations, possibly warding off what may have been much stricter regulations.  Government would much rather see a voluntary program work, without adding further intervention. This program has originated in the WLEB, but is also now being considered as a tool to be utilized in many other parts of the country, and world.  In many cases, certification reduces costs while increasing yields!

What should I do now?
What we in Agriculture can do now is participate and engage!   The producer can work with the 4R people in his area or encourage the people they work with to begin the process to become 4R Certified. 

Be willing to share with people how agriculture is being proactive in trying to solve the water quality problems for their community and world.  Be open to changing our thinking — the way we have always done things may not be the best for the environment, our economic security and for future generations to follow.  We can improve water quality for today, tomorrow and 500 years from now.

Note: For fellow CCA`s there is a CCA-4R NMS Specialty Certification Exam date in Ohio.

Pennell is an Ohio CCA.