Vermont Governor Phil Scott issued a challenge at the recent Vermont Farm Show: find a way to monetize phosphorus, which causes pollution in state waterways.
Phosphorus is crucial for crop development, but runoff can cause toxic algae blooms in Vermont's lakes.
The Republican governor said the new Governor's Phosphorus Innovation Challenge will help fund three to five projects to extract phosphorus from the soil and keep it out of the water.
State Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore says phosphorus could be turned into compost and organic fertilizer, reducing the need for imported fertilizers.
Moore hopes to see viable projects ready to be implemented within the next two years.
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