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Tag Archives conservation — page 2

Vivian and Chris Crump used funding from ALUS to create wetlands on their farm.
News

ALUS gets new provincial funding

Program helps farmers pay for projects that protect species at risk

By
At the Crump farm near Ilderton, runoff from 400 nearby acres, grazing by too many cattle and an elevation change of 35 feet in a short distance led to a strained ecosystem. Now, Chris and Vivian Crump have added wetlands, created more controlled grazing, managed the runoff from the barns and farmyard, planted 2,500 trees […] Read more
Right to left, foreground: Katie Stammler, ERCA’s water quality scientist and source water protection project manager, Michael Dick, agricultural technician for ERCA and secretary-treasurer for Essex Soil and Crop, and Chris Snip, certified crop advisor with Agris Cooperative’s Cottam location, discussing observations gathered from an 
early-seeded oat-radish cover crop mix.
News

Extension program shuttered amid Conservation Act changes

Essex Region Conservation Authority forced to close Amherstburg demonstration farm

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A last hurrah for the Essex Region Conservation Authority’s demonstration farm took place Aug. 1, where visitors could explore the use of cover crops and the intricacies of managing them on heavy clay soils. The shuttering of the farm, located in Amherstburg and in operation since 1996, is in part due to changes implemented by […] Read more
L to R: Emma Epp, second vice-president of ESCIA, Chad Quinlan, Walther Quinlan and Michael Dick, agriculture technician with ERCA. Quinlan Farms received the 2022 Conservation Farm of the Year Award, given jointly by the ESCIA and ERCA.
News

Quinlan Farms wins Essex conservation award

Award given for investments in soil and water health, production diversity

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The Essex Soil and Crop Improvement Association (ESCIA) and Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) recently bestowed the 2022 Conservation Farm of the Year Award to Quinlan Farms, a mixed crop, poultry and sheep business in central Essex.  Granted annually to a farm within Essex County that displays conservation-minded management practices, Quinlan Farms received the award […] Read more
(Dave Bedard photo)
Crops

U.S. aims to double cover crop planting to address climate change

Farmers in 11 states to be eligible for program

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Chicago | Reuters — The United States aims to double the country’s cover crop plantings to 30 million acres by 2030 under a new Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation program launched on Monday. The agency’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will spend US$38 million to help farmers in 11 states plant crops at a time […] Read more
Grassland birds, like these bobolink nestlings, are among the fastest declining bird groups.
News

Can small pasture management changes help grassland birds?

Researchers try several strategies this summer with mixed success

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The bobolink and other declining avian grassland species have received assistance from farmers and conservation researchers in Grey County.  Through a $62,500 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Bird Ecology and Conservation Ontario (BECO) – a non-profit conservation organization – has been working with landowners to identify nest locations and bird population numbers in the […] Read more
Canadian dairy farmers continue to run a public image campaign aiming to convince the public that producing milk enhances environmental sustainability.
Livestock, News

Simplifying conservation programs

Researcher sees unnecessary overlap of funding options in southern Ontario

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Many dairy farms in Ontario have a wide range of environmental programs available to them, but a University of Guelph researcher is wondering why the programs aren’t more streamlined.  “Many organizations seem to put out similar resources or programs or overlap in program activities,” says Emily Sousa, who spoke to Farmtario about the work she […] Read more
Brad Glasman, left, and Craig Merkley, both of the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority, have been working for years to establish a demonstration farm.
Crops

Controlled drainage showcased on new demo farm

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The farm near Thorndale has numerous drainage and soil health practices to see

Drainage contractors were hard at work at a farm just west of Thorndale in early June, creating a showcase tile drainage project. Numerous drainage systems and cropping best practices will be demonstrated at the farm, owned by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA). Why it matters: Drainage is important to profitability on much of […] Read more
Control gates along one of the contour-tiled fields will allow study into the value of being able to maintain water in tiles when needed during dry periods.
Crops, News

Drainage demo farm sets baselines

The ambitious project features standard, contour, controlled and terrace drainage

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The Huronview Demo Farm looks much different than it did a year ago when tile machines from several companies were busy installing the numerous drainage systems showcased at the farm. Soybeans were harvested at the farm in late September and wheat planted shortly after. Why it matters: The Huronview Demo Farm is a rare place […] Read more
Kathryn Enders is executive director of the Ontario Farmland Trust.
News

Locking farmland in a trust ensures succession potential

Land won’t end up split off and sold to developers if it’s under a trust

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The Ontario Farmland Trust can ensure that agricultural land retains that designation in perpetuity with a Farmland Easement Agreement, whether or not owners have a succession plan in place. The agreement – permanent and legally binding – is between the farm owner and the trust. It is registered on the title of the land, which […] Read more
Farmers who sign on to projects are also compensated for the time required to manage and maintain each project, on a 
per-acre basis.
Crops

Conservation planning is about more than the environment

ALUS project numbers continue to grow across the province

By
Is it possible to grow better crops by removing specific areas from production? Some Ontario farmers participating in Alternative Land Use Services conservation programs think so. They say they also see conservation projects as beneficial to the overall profitability of their farm business. Why it matters: On-farm conservation is expensive, but given the right partners, […] Read more

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