Field day on drainage, water recycling, and soil health at the Ohio State University Lima Campus in Ohio

Ohio State University at Lima Campus will host a field day on July 24 focusing on drainage installation, drainage water recycling, and soil health. The event will take place at the Ohio State Lima regenerative agriculture farm (LRAF), which was established in 2020 to promote research and education centered on regenerative farming practices.

The LRAF initiative aims to serve as a learning laboratory for farmers interested in learning how regenerative agriculture can be applied in real-world settings. The project, funded by the OSU Sustainability Institute, is working on implementing farm drainage and conservation practices on approximately 120 acres over four years. The collaboration with the Ohio Chapter of the Land Improvement Contractors of America (OLICA) and their associate members will showcase quality construction and installation practices for farm drainage.

During the field day, experts will demonstrate conservation practices such as drainage water recycling (DWR) and saturated buffers. The DWR system includes a newly constructed 5 million gallon capacity water retention pond designed to collect runoff and drainage water from 40 acres. Valley Irrigation representatives will also discuss a center pivot irrigation system as part of the project funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

The event, organized by Ohio State Lima, Ohio State University Extension in Allen County, Soil and Water Conservation District, and OLICA, will feature open-house-style field demonstrations conducted by the Ohio Land Improvement Contractors of America. The event is free and open to the public, with on-site parking available. Prior registration is required to attend, with details available at www.go.osu.edu/limadrainageday.

For further information or sponsorship opportunities, interested individuals can contact Nic Baumer, Allen County Extension Educator (baumer.15@osu.edu) or Dr. Vinayak Shedekar, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Water Management. Dr. Vinayak Shedekar can be reached at shedekar.1@osu.edu.

The event is a collaboration between The Ohio State University departments of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Ohio State University Extension, the International Program for Water Management in Agriculture, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.