Ahh, the wonders of healthy soil. From water-holding capacity, pest and disease regulation, to nutrient cycling and physical stability, a robust and resilient soil gives farmers a huge advantage in crop production. But what makes a healthy soil? How can we measure its fitness and whether it’s in top farming shape? That’s a question soil… Read More
Category: Soil Organic Carbon
On many topics, we can require some convincing on what the right move is. Does a fungicide pass make sense? Can I fully move to zero-till? Will managed grazing be worth the investment? Too often we rely on anecdotes and personal experiences, but it can because that’s all there is to draw from. Solid data,… Read More
Soil is alive and full of billions (yes billions) of fungi, bacteria, protozoa and more, performing key soil functions such as nutrient cycling, creating pores, and adding stability to soil structure. But how much do we understand of our soils? And can we take steps to love these good bugs and get rid of the… Read More
Now that the holiday season is behind us, we are full steam into meeting season. There’s so much to learn out there — for you, and for the host of Wheat Pete’s Word, Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson. Keep sending stuff Pete’s way, and don’t forget, if you see him out and about, please say hi!… Read More
More organic matter, fewer weed seeds and insect pests, and a nitrogen credit: that’s what farmers get when they put forage in the rotation, says independent agronomist Pat Lynch. From better soil health to higher yields, the benefits of forage — especially alfalfa — is a story that Lynch promotes passionately. On this episode of… Read More
The way we farm is continuously changing, through knowledge-transfer, new technology, and innovation. How farmers take care of farms and the land required to raise livestock and produce grain is changing too — for the better. Soil health may have become a bit of a buzzword in recent years, but that’s not to diminish its… Read More
The first green revolution of the mid-1900s included the discovery and advancement of fertilizer and crop protection that led to such incredible gains in food production that it spurred a population explosion and massive growth of cities. The next green revolution needs to be just as significant, but with a different end result: more food,… Read More
Cover cropping — and then planting into that green cover crop in spring — has become more common in pockets of the U.S. and Canada over the past decade, but the adoption rate has tended to be slower in more northern areas with short or dry fall seasons. These also happen to be areas where… Read More
The Canadian Beef Industry Conference was held at Penticton, B.C., this week, reconnecting the beef industry in-person after several years. One of the key members in attendance was Anne Wasko, who is wrapping up her four-year tenure as chair of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB). RealAgriculture’s Kara Oosterhuis was at the conference and caught… Read More
Soil health has certainly gained more attention and become a higher priority when it comes to farming practices, but it remains a very personal idea, depending on who you talk to and where you are. While the results and practices may look similar, the definition of success when it comes to soil health can differ… Read More
The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) recently released a report focusing on soil health, including soil carbon sequestration. The report takes a step past data collection and looks at how to effectively turn soil science data into usable policy across the nation. Lisa Ashton, CAPI doctoral fellow, is a part of the cohort who was… Read More
A five-year research project that will work to determine best-practices when it comes to carbon sequestration in perennial forage and pastures has received a $3.2 million grant from the government’s of Canada and Saskatchewan. The project will focus on identifying carbon stocks within forage acres throughout Saskatchewan and then further decipher if certain farming practices positively… Read More
Put aside for a moment your opinion on the current federal government’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. (Though, if you’re curious, you can read about what is proposed, here) There are two timeframes to think about in regards to carbon emissions — there’s the 2030 line in the sand, by which… Read More
The federal government has published its plan detailing expectations of carbon emissions reductions by 2030, by sector. This first of many Emissions Reduction Plans (ERP) sets out what each industry will be required to achieve under the climate plan to get Canada to net zero emissions by 2050. In a lengthy technical briefing Tuesday afternoon,… Read More
What’s going on below ground? That’s a question farmers often ask when it comes to tillage and the impact different tillage strategies and implements have on soil and crop roots. In this 2021 Ontario Diagnostic Days video report, we catch up with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) soil management specialist Sebastien Belliard,… Read More