Marel King, speaker at the Society meeting for October 2, 2014, supplied the following summary of her talk.  Members should make an effort to attend this meeting – which promises to be very interesting to anyone associated with agriculture in the region.

“In freshwater and estuarine ecosystems, nutrient pollution from land-based sources, including agriculture, is a threat to local economies and public health.  Widespread adoption of best management practices on the land is a critical strategy to achieve water quality goals, but new technology and system-wide changes may be needed to reduce nutrients at their source.  Solutions are often framed as a choice between the environment and the economy, but the only sustainable path is one that promotes both environmental health and economic gain.”  

Ms. King will highlight some promising strategies along with the challenges of implementation.