Agriculture is one of the largest industries in Georgia with gross farm income of $6.22 billion (Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service, 2001). In addition, farmland occupies a substantial percentage of the land area; consequently, it has a large potential impact on the Georgia environment. The Pollution Prevention Assistance Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources recognizes both the economic and environmental importance of working with the agricultural community to incorporate pollution prevention concepts into agricultural operations as part of a comprehensive state effort in pollution prevention. Since 1994, they have funded a technical assistance program with the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service in the Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering. This partnership takes advantage of the extensive network of County Extension Agents to reach the agriculturalcommunity and the outstanding resources for education and research at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

The goal of the Agricultural Pollution Prevention (Ag P2) Program is the voluntary practice pollution prevention in agriculture. This includes reducing emissions and waste, and the use of water, energy, and dangerous materials. The Ag P2 Program accomplishes this goal by emphasizing education with a systems approach. The program has been active in educating agricultural professionals, farmers, and the public in best management practices, waste minimization techniques, beneficial reuse, and sustainable production practices. Information on these practices is disseminated at conferences, workshops, trade shows, and through the development of publications, software, slide shows, and demonstration projects. The program has pollution prevention assessment tools and engages in on-farm assessments to identify potential environmental impacts, and opportunities to address those impacts in ways that are efficient and profitable.