This action approves an award in the amount of $1,284,481 to the B.F. Smith foundation to improve the water quality of the gulf of mexico

This Cooperative Agreement award of $1,284,481 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Gulf of Mexico Program (CFDA 66.475) supports the B.F. Smith Foundation's efforts to improve water quality in the Gulf of Mexico. The project will conduct on-farm demonstrations to evaluate innovative technologies and strategies that can be integrated into farming systems to reduce nutrient and sediment loading into waterbodies. Key activities include characterizing agricultural and ecological systems, designing plans for cover crop and minimum tillage systems, and evaluating advanced nutrient management strategies. The project aims to achieve greater than 5% pollutant reduction in a selected waterbody by reducing synthetic fertilizer use and implementing carbon-based fertilizers and cover crop minimum tillage systems on a minimum of 12,000 acres. The knowledge gained will be disseminated through farmer-to-farmer exchanges, benefiting agricultural landowners and residents of the Mississippi Delta.

On-farm demonstrations will be conducted to evaluate innovative technologies and strategies that can be integrated into farming systems to directly address nutrient and sediment loading into waterbodies. Activities:project activities include characterizing agricultural and ecological systems, identifying constraints to sustainable agriculture, designing plans for adapting cover crop minimum tillage systems, and evaluating advanced nutrient management strategies and environmental outcomes. Also, the knowledge gained from this project will be disseminated through farmer-to-farmer exchange.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:greater than 5% pollutant reduction will be documented within a selected waterbody by reducing the use of synthetic fertilizers and replacing or supplementing these fertilizers with carbon-based fertilizers and implementing cover crop minimum tillage systems. These systems will be demonstrated on a minimum of 12,000 acres, with a focus on non-irrigated fields and pivot irrigated fields. Advanced nutrient management systems using carbon-based fertilizer and minimum tillage systems will be demonstrated on 1,500 acres. Measurable changes will be documented using premier digital nitrogen management software as well as water quality monitoring. Also, farmer-to-farmer outreach and exchanges will impact at least 500 individuals annually. Agricultural landowners and residents of the mississippi delta will benefit from improved water quality through the reduction of nutrient loads to the gulf of mexico.