This design project was the first step in creating a program to identify smaller parcels of land that contribute disproportionately to nutrient pollution and use private funds to permanently remove the parcels from agriculture use. The team worked with experts to identify land to put into conservation, created partnerships to buy and manage the land, and developed an income stream to fund the program.

A stakeholder group consisting of watershed modeling and water quality scientists, conservation and agriculture groups, and land trusts and Tribal Nations advised the team and defined the program and the core processes for targeting, acquiring, and managing problematic land. The team and its stakeholder group also worked with a marketing agency to develop a marketing program that consumer brands will participate in. The team submitted an implementation proposal to the Fund that was awarded in 2023.