The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is listening to ag leaders first before putting out any new regulations regarding water quality that could have a negative impact on the ag industry. One of those ag leaders is a native Hoosier.

“I’m proud to represent Indiana. I think we have a lot of really good practices in place already to protect Indiana’s water quality,” says Becky Joniskan, President of the Indiana State Poultry Association.

She was recently asked by United Egg Producers to represent the U.S. poultry industry on the EPA’s newly created subcommittee on Animal Agriculture and Water Quality.

The subcommittee is part of the EPA’s Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Advisory Committee.

Joniskan was asked to serve on the subcommittee due to her sixteen years of work experience with the Indiana Department of Environment Management (IDEM) prior to leading the Indiana State Poultry Association.

She says Indiana has long been ahead of the game when it comes to having regulations in place that protect both the ag industry and the state’s water supply.

“I know here in Indiana we have a lot of great programs already in place, such as our Confined Feeding Operations (CFO) program that IDEM established in 1971, so there’s a long history of working to protect water quality through that,” she says.

Joniskan also points to several Indiana ag organizations that already promote best management practices when it comes to soil health and water quality.

“The Indiana Ag Nutrient Alliance is a great example. Another good collaboration is from all of Indiana’s animal ag agencies, as well as the Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Indiana Farm Bureau, and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to see what we can do that really works for Hoosier Farmers to keep those nutrients on their fields.”

Overall, Joniskan says she glad that EPA is bringing ag leaders to the table through this new subcommittee–and recognizing the important role that farmers play in protecting our soils and water supplies.

“Part of the message is that farmers know how to farm, and we’re trying our best not to add more regulations telling them how to farm,” she says. “Indiana farmers are already great stewards of the environment and their land. I’ll do my best to continue to bring that message to Washington.”

Joniskan was in Washington, D.C. for the subcommittee’s first meetings, which were held on May 28 and 29. She says the subcommittee’s next meeting will be scheduled for early August.