NUTRIENT STEWARDSHIP

New 4R Certification Program Launches With Help of Major Ag Figures

- ERIKA ALDRICH

WATER QUALITY is a topic near and dear to the hearts of those in Florida agriculture, and the announcement of a new Florida 4R Certification Program focusing on improving water quality is proof of that dedication. Announced at the first 4R Field Day on November 22 in Parrish, Florida, the Florida 4R Certification Program is the culminating effort of numerous state and national agencies and ag organizations operating in The Sunshine State.

The program, only the third of its kind in the country, will add another tool in Florida ag’s toolkit to focus on water quality, and the list of the program’s supporters and creators is a who’s who of national and Florida-based ag agencies and organizations.

David Royal, the Nutrient Stewardship Project Manager for the Florida chapter of The Nature Conservancy, a global environmental nonprofit, is heading up the Florida 4R Certification Program. Serving as the chairman of the program’s board, Royal shared the ins and outs of the new program.

THE 4RS IN FLORIDA

With Florida’s finite amount of fresh water, a large ag industry, and a booming population, water quality has long been an important issue. “What is most important is the water quality,” Royal explains. Florida farmers and other ag industry stakeholders have long used the 4Rs to improve water quality in Florida and to fulfill their self-appointed role as good stewards of the environment.