We love our Farmers! But we also love clean water.
Runoff from farms is a form of nonpoint pollution. In other words, it is pollution stemming from multiple sources. Current farming practices contribute excess nutrients to water bodies through runoff from fertilized farm fields which can include manure, polluted sediment, bacteria, and chemicals from pesticides and herbicides. During rain and snowmelt events, this runoff moves quickly to nearby bodies of water and negatively impacts water health.
Luckily, there are practices being implemented to improve farming outcomes and reduce harm to local freshwater resources. New forms of farming are continually being explored including targeted drone spraying and watering to prevent runoff and waste, and no-till practices that use crop rotation and diversity to protect against disease and pests that easily consume fields of the same crop, also known as a monoculture. Reducing the need and therefore use of fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides is a great start to improving water quality from local farm fields!
