Formed in 2024 and launched in early 2025, ALUS Defiance is a farmer-led program focused on creating and managing new natural areas and providing ecosystem services tailored to local farms. Its main goals are to improve soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat in Northwest Ohio.
The Great Black Swamp was drained to create farmland, leaving heavy clay soils that need drainage systems. While these systems help agriculture, they also increase runoff, causing water quality issues like sedimentation and algal blooms in Lake Erie. Habitat loss has reduced native wildlife.
ALUS Defiance will be the first U.S. community to implement the Canadian ALUS model, which
supports farmer-led, nature-based projects that address local needs.
Guided by a farmer-majority Partnership Advisory Committee, the program collaborates locally to create
wetlands, restore riparian areas, establish native grasslands, and build conservation ditches to reduce
nutrient and sediment runoff and support wildlife.
Defiance County is a productive farming region in Northwest Ohio with a history of conservation, but more is needed to meet Lake Erie’s nutrient reduction goals. ALUS Defiance offers new ways to implement nature-based solutions, boosting farm productivity and water quality. Through community collaboration, the program supports long-term environmental and agricultural resilience.
Join us in Producing Ecosystem Services
through Nature-based Solutions:
alus.ca/alus_community/alus-defiance/
April 2, 2025
ALUS Defiance is working to enhance soil health, improve water quality, and restore wildlife habitats in Northwest Ohio. By partnering with local farmers and ranchers, the program promotes using nature-based solutions that address environmental challenges while maintaining productive farmland. ALUS Defiance will serve a vital role by implementing sustainable agricultural practices and supporting conservation initiatives. Through collaboration and innovation, ALUS Defiance helps create a healthier, more resilient landscape for future generations. By restoring natural ecosystems and improving land stewardship, this initiative ensures long-term environmental benefits for both the local community and the broader watershed.
APRIL 4, 2024
The Defiance community is developing a farmer-led coalition to implement conservation and sustainable agriculture practices in the Maumee Watershed in collaboration with ALUS.
Our Vision
A future where all farmers and ranchers produce ecosystem services from nature-based solutions alongside food and fibre to help solve the crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.