COLUMBUS, Ohio — The federal government is investing in U.S. fertilizer production, and Ohio is one of the first states to receive millions of dollars in funding.

"Over the past three years, fertilizer prices have gotten higher in a cat's back, as my grandma would have said," agriculture expert Andy Vance said. "The challenge for farmers is managing that input cost. And so that's one of the key ingredients, if you will, in raising a crop in Ohio. Fertilizer, the cost of your land, of course, fuel prices; so as those prices have gone up, the farmers had to try to figure out how do I manage that increase in cost and still be able to turn a profit."

Vance said there are a few ways farmers can attempt to mitigate those cost increases.

"Booking fertilizer purchases far in advance when you know prices are lower, that sort of thing. But it's been a real challenge and nobody foresaw the increase that we saw within the last six months," he said.

According to the USDA, more than 350 applications were submitted.

The Biden-Harris Administration’s Fertilizer Production Expansion Program aims to promote competition in agricultural markets, supporting fertilizer production that is, "independent, made-in-America, innovative, sustainable and farmer-focused," according to a release.

Ohio's Earth Peak Organics LLC will receive $3.3 million of the initial $29 million investment to expand its current application of aerobic food waste digestion technology, which converts food waste into fertilizer.

"The money might sound a lot to you and me, but in terms of big picture policy, trying to move a global fertilizer industry, it's not a huge investment, but if those projects pay off, then perhaps it incentivizes others to invest in those kind of projects," Vance said.