The province recently released its first soil strategy. The long document talks about much of what we know now about soil health. It also talks about best management of soil health and highlights what some farmers are doing on their farms. But it skirts around the major barrier to adoption. Many farmers have yet to […] Read more
Tag Archives cover crops — page 8
Editorial: Long term investment vs. short term expense
Province lays out soil health strategy
Measures aim to improve soil health over the next decade
The Ontario government’s soil health strategy is a sprawling plan that aims to provide industry guidance on improving soil health out to 2030. It plans to do that by bringing farm groups, government and agribusiness together to provide the drive to make change happen. Why it matters: Crop farming practices have changed in Ontario, with […] Read more
Follow nature or not?
Farmers and researchers differ on whether nature is the best guide for cropping practices
On Rick Bieber’s farm in South Dakota, he works hard to follow the rhythms and cycles of nature in his cropping and livestock system. He uses diverse cover crops and livestock to cycle nutrients and keep living roots in the soil as much as possible. From Andrew McGuire’s perspective, Bieber may not be creating the […] Read more
Tilling with plants
Biostrips provide a way for no-till farmers to create more mellow planting strips without tillage
It’s strip-till for no-tillers – with no tillage. Sound confusing? Really, it’s not. Just ask Dave McEachren, or Dustin Mulock. The farmers both use biostrips to get some of their fields ready for planting. The results they’ve seen so far mean they will continue the soil-saving practice on their farms. What it means: Strip tillage, where […] Read more
Canada’s soils still degrading, albeit more slowly
The rate of degradation of soils in Canada has slowed, but it still is happening at a significant rate and there is still a lot to learn. There are no soil-perfect systems yet for crop production, attendees at the Summit on Canadian Soil Health held recently in Guelph heard repeatedly. No-till farming has declined in […] Read more
Soil health sensor project largest in North America
A new $2-million soil health research project aims to figure out the impact of different cropping systems on the environment. Research will also be conducted on crop productivity relating to soil health. The result should be new knowledge on productivity of traditional cropping systems versus those with cover crops. The project, at the new Soil […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
