West Virginia agricultural officials are offering financial assistance to farmers seeking to minimize their impact on the environment. The state’s Agricultural Commissioner has requested additional money from the state legislature to assist green farmers.

More specifically, the money will go to helping farmers create and adhere to nutrient management plan guides. By better managing their use of fertilizers, farmers can reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus that leech into water sources via farm runoff.

This renewed environmentalism in West Virginia farms is partly the result of the contentious fight over the Chesapeake Bay. For the past several years, the Environmental Protection Agency has been fighting to toughen pollution standards for Chesapeake waterways, hoping to reduce the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment that works its way into the bay.

Excess nutrients like nitrogen can cause algae blooms, which lower oxygen levels and destroy aquatic wildlife.

Under the EPA’s new regulations, West Virginia farmers whose land is part of the Chesapeake region (primarily farmers in West Virginia’s eastern panhandle) are on a strict pollution diet that governs how much runoff can be discharged into streams and rivers.

Farm organizations are currently fighting these regulations. The Farm Bureau, for example, has taken the EPA to court and is suing to block the implementation of these new pollution rules.

To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting .

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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer