Dayton "Dirt" - January 24, 2014

According to a recent radio report on WKSU, new regulations from the state and federal government are coming regulating the runoff water from farms and greenhouses that tend to be high in fertilizer nutrients and herbicides. The state will have its rules set to be released in March. The increase of algae blooms in lakes and streams is becoming more prevalent especially with problems showing up in Lake Erie. This “non-point” source of pollution is coming from a whole range of sources including farms, greenhouses and yes, home lawns. The end goal is that with the reduction of runoff water laden with nutrients such as forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, the algae blooms will be greatly reduced. A few years ago the Canadian Province of Quebec banned the use of lawn fertilizer for use in cosmetic purposes hoping to reduce fertilizer runoff from home lawns. The question is will the regulation proposed by the state include not only fertilizer application certification by farmers, will it also include audits of the farmers and greenhouse operators operations. At Dayton’s we should be out ahead of such regulations as the beginning of runoff water capture and the recycling of that water started in 1999. Through systems of vegetative channels, rain water capture, irrigation water being recycled and the self-watering greenhouse benches, little or no water now leaves the property. In addition, more self-watering benches are being installed this winter in the rear production greenhouse to recycle even more water. If there is an audit by the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture or EPA, I think they will be pleased at what they will find at the nursery, Tom