What Does Clean Water Have To Do With Agriculture?

Water connects all of Martin County.

It moves through our farms and ranchlands, our neighborhoods, creeks and wetlands, the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon. What happens on the land can ultimately affect the water we all depend on.

And when we talk about the health of our waterways, agriculture is often part of the conversation.

Sometimes, it gets much of the blame.

The truth is more complicated.

Agriculture can contribute nitrogen and phosphorus to canals, rivers and other waterways. In excess, those nutrients can harm water quality. That’s why it matters how farms and ranches manage water, fertilizer and other nutrients.

But agriculture isn’t the only source.

Stormwater runoff, septic systems, wastewater and other human activities also contribute nutrients to our waterways. And in Martin County, our water challenges are further complicated by a long history of canals, drainage systems and changes to the natural flow of water throughout South Florida.

There is no single cause. And there is no single solution.

That’s one reason Florida has developed agricultural Best Management Practices, commonly known as BMPs. These practices are designed to help farmers and ranchers manage water, fertilizer and other resources more efficiently while reducing impacts to water quality.

Improved irrigation, water storage, conservation, new technologies and better nutrient management can all be part of the effort.

Are they enough? What’s working? What can work better? And what role should agriculture play as Martin County continues working to improve the health of the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon?

Those are questions worth asking.

Too often, conversations about water become arguments about who is to blame. Agriculture. Development. Septic systems. Lake Okeechobee. Government.

Pointing fingers may be easy. Understanding how all these pieces fit together is harder.

And a lot more useful.

That’s the idea behind this year’s 9th Annual Farm City Luncheon: Rooted in Water – From Farm to Lagoon, presented by One Martin in partnership with the Martin County Farm Bureau.

On November 19, farmers, ranchers, environmental and community leaders, business owners and residents will come together to learn more about how BMPs, conservation and innovation are helping to reduce impacts on our waterways.

The goal isn’t to defend agriculture or blame it. It’s to better understand its role. Because improving the health of our rivers and lagoon is too important, and too complicated, to reduce to one culprit or one solution.

Sometimes the best place to start is just getting people with different perspectives in the same room, sharing information and asking questions. And that’s what we hope to do.

To purchase tickets, become a sponsor or learn more about the Farm City Luncheon, visit https://www.onemartin.org/farmcity/

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