Category: Farming Forever

A Major Step to Improve Sustainability by Potato Industry

Potato growers, processors, grower organizations, and national potato and horticultural councils from across Canada and the U.S. are breaking ground to create a single program to improve the sustainability of potato production.

The Potato Sustainability Initiative uses a survey of 105 questions that over 500 potato farmers are using. The survey addresses the broad categories of:

1. sustainable farming, optimizing inputs and outputs,
2. improving worker safety and impacting the community,
3. ensuring long term financial success for growers, and
4. protecting and improving the environment including soil, water air, and biodiversity.

The survey team has developed means to measure water, nutrient and energy conservation, the rate of reuse and recycling on the farm, worker and pesticide safety, and greenhouse gas reduction. Growers are audited every five years on the survey questions, and must provide rigorous documentation to verify their survey answers. Since the first survey in 2010, the results show a steady increase in performance, and have created a clear message to everyone that potato farmers are making significant, accountable efforts to improve sustainability.

This is a great deal of extra work for farmers, no question. It’s not entirely unwelcome, though. Vern Campbell is a Kensington area farmer, a board member of the Kensington North Watersheds Association, and one of five farmers on the Governance Committee for the Potato Sustainability Initiative.

“Participation in the Potato Sustainability Initiative is a systematic approach to demonstrate to our customers and consumers that the food we are producing is being done in a sustainable manner”, says Vern.

Our local growers and Cavendish Farms deserve hearty congratulations for being part of this bold initiative toward sustainable potato production.

For more information, visit: https://potatosustainabilityinitiative.org

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This column is presented by the Kensington North Watersheds Association and the East Prince Agri-Environment Association to inform our communities of the ongoing efforts farmers are taking toward good environmental stewardship.

Growing Sustainable Agr-Environmental Partnerships in PEI

Kensington North Watersheds Association and local farmers are working together for a sustainable agriculture system in PEI. On Monday March 12th in the Crop Insurance building in Kensington local agriculture producers met for the annual Kensington North Farmers meeting. A successful turnout with over 30 growers, agronomy industry experts, research scientists, and other stakeholders in attendance the group gathered to discuss current strategies for understanding and improving soil health and how to incorporate more informed and effective farm nutrient management strategies. The KNWSA has been working with its local producers on a number of projects over the years and has just recently wrapped up a three year soil health study.

From 2015 to 2017 Matt Ramsay and members of the KNWSA have been looking into methods for increasing soil organic matter and researching soil quality in order to gain a better understanding of soil health metrics as they apply to PEI. The group ran tillage trials comparing alternative residue tillage machinery to the more conventional moldboard plow. Data from these trials is showing promising results for the future of the industry with the more environmentally sustainable residue tillage practice outscoring the moldboard plow on pay yield data in all but one trial.

The group indicated that improving soil organic matter is the foundation of a sustainable agriculture system and while Prince Edward Island has shown a shocking decrease in soil organic matter as a whole, they are confident that adopting organic matter building practices such as cover cropping and residue tillage, that over time we will see things start to shift for the better. The group also measured soil quality in a number of fields over the length of the project by collecting soil samples under the Cornell Soil Health Test standardized method.

Along with the discussion on the KNWSA Soil Health Project, there were several guest speakers discussing valuable agri-environmental studies presenting a number of industry challenges and potential resolutions. Guest speaker Rick Peters, a Research Scientist from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC) spoke about soil health cropping systems and disease management presenting some interesting insight into the nature of common agriculture diseases such as scab and the impacts residue tillage practices have on them.

Tandra Fraser of AAFC is a Research Scientist in the field of Soil Microbial Ecology. She spoke in length about the role of soil biodiversity in sustainable agriculture systems. She compared the effect a particular crop rotation can have on soil biodiversity and nutrient cycling.

Judith Nyiraneza, another Research Scientist of the AAFC spoke in detail about the results of phosphorous trials she has completed, specifically in the Kensington area with aid from the Kensington North Watershed Association. She proposed that the old methodology of more is better in reference to nutrient management may not always be the case, but rather that there is a critical rate at which you should apply phosphorous on a potato crop before the nutrient input costs the grower more to apply than it does benefit the crop yield.

Another interesting presentation was given by Erica MacDonald, a Nutrient Management Specialist of Paradigm Precision speaking on investigating the practice of fall application of potash and the potential for nutrient leaching from PEI soils over winter. Each of the presenters is actively seeking grower participation to further their studies. For further information on the results of these presentations, visit the KNWSA website listed below.

The KNWSA says they have seen a spike in uptake and adoption of ecologically sound agriculture practices in their area. “We are lucky to work with such a great group of farmers in our area and over the length of this soil health project we’ve seen a remarkable increase in farmer participation in truly exceptional ecological stewardship through cover cropping and utilizing these reduced tillage practices” Barry Murray (resigning Executive Director at KNWSA).

The group admits however, that there are still many unanswered questions and it will take more time and research to have enough data to statistically say what works and what doesn’t when it comes to improving soil health on PEI. “We are eager to continue to learn as much as we can about the agri-ecosystem and how we can plan for the future of farming in PEI” Josh Lindsay (Projects Manager at KNWSA).

Kensington North plans to expand on the research they’ve done into soil health and look into more methods for improving soil organic matter and adopting more informed nutrient management practices.

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This column is presented by the Kensington North Watersheds Association and the East Prince Agri-Environment Association to inform our communities of the ongoing efforts farmers are taking toward good environmental stewardship.

The collective knowledge of our soils on PEI has revealed some trends that are causing some alarm and encouraging farmers to review soil management practices. For several years, soil organic matter levels have been decreasing across the province, according to the 2012 Soil Quality Monitoring Report (Link: www.gov.pe.ca/photos/original/af_sw_soilq2012.pdf). Soil organic matter is the foundation of sustainable production systems. This gradual decrease in soil organic matter is being paralleled by gradually decreasing yields. Farmers are taking notice and addressing this challenge on many fronts.

Recently, the PEI Soil and Crop Improvement Association held its annual conference in Summerside in February. A great deal of the agenda was focused on soil health, quality and organic matter building. There was a producer panel that discussed the change in organic matter levels over time from varying rotations across the Island, and many speakers highlighting use of green manures and cover crops; all of which provided timely information for issues and concerns that are often raised by producers. Over 150 people attended the conference, of which the vast majority were farmers.

Also last month in Charlottetown, a Soil Health Workshop was held to discuss soil health basics and soil health testing techniques with a speaker from the Cornell Soil Health Laboratory in Ithaca, NY. The Cornell Soil Health Test is a comprehensive assessment of soil health that provides field-specific information on constraints in biological and physical processes, in addition to standard soil nutrient analysis. This approach is a whole new way of looking at soil health and linking it with profitable yields . This workshop was attended by 30 farmers and many industry representatives. Farmers in the Kensington North Watersheds Association and East Prince Agri-Environmental Association areas are currently involved in piloting the Cornell Soil Health Test on select fields. Within this project, the fields tested will be used to help develop a Soil Health Test that will be more specific to PEI conditions and may potentially be offered as a service by the PEI Analytical Laboratories for Island producers in a few years’ time.

The PEI Potato Board is also organizing the “Enhanced Agronomy Initiative”, which is a collaborative effort between processing potato growers, Cavendish Farms and the provincial government to increase marketable yields and grower returns in an environmentally sustainable way. A better understanding of soil and water dynamics will be one of the three main subjects of this project.

Overall, there is sincere interest from every corner of the agricultural sector in maintaining and building healthy soils. Good soil management is a key component to healthy watersheds, and will require much work to keep progressing forward. Fortunately, Island farmers are clearly demonstrating that they are up to the challenge.

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This column is presented by the Kensington North Watersheds Association and the East Prince Agri-Environment Association to inform our communities of the ongoing efforts farmers are taking toward good environmental stewardship.

Improving Soil Health with Oilseed Radish

 Soil compaction is a concern for many farms, as heavy machinery contributes to forming a hardpan that roots have difficulty penetrating. Compacted soil also does not permit sufficient amounts of air to be in contact with roots. Cover crops assist farmers by suppressing weeds, catching nutrients before they leach out, and breaking up the hard pan. Oilseed radish can contribute on all three of these tasks.

Oilseed radish is a common cool season annual plant that, when used in a crop rotation, can develop deep taproots that penetrate soils and help loosen compacted soil.

Oilseed radish has been found to be an excellent weed suppression crop as it can very quickly out compete and smother weeds once it is well established. Some sources note that oilseed radish may have the ability to suppress nematodes and other soil borne diseases.

Oilseed radish has also been found to be a very efficient nutrient scavenger, and readily takes up residual nutrients retained within the soil, thus preventing leaching of nitrates and other nutrients into ground water. This nutrient scavenging trait could be beneficial as a cover crop.

Using oilseed radish within a cover crop mix or with another companion crop may aid in retaining the nutrients until the following season. Some preliminary research in Nova Scotia has found growth with ryegrass has shown great weed control.

Farmers are actively seeking and experimenting with crops such as oilseed radish to improve their soils, improve farm incomes, and to solve problems with ecological solutions. Thanks to Kyra Stiles from the PEI Dept. of Ag. and Fisheries for assisting in research to this article.

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This column is presented by the Kensington North Watersheds Association and the East Prince Agri-Environment Association to inform our communities of the ongoing efforts farmers are taking toward good environmental stewardship.

CleanFARMS means a Cleaner Environment

Farmers in the Maritimes are leading the agricultural sector in collecting and disposing of obsolete farm chemicals, livestock medications, and seed bags in a safe manner. The CleanFARMS program was created in 1998 to develop and promote work that had first started in the Maritimes in the early 1980’s. This voluntary program was once sponsored with public funding, but now is paid for by the agricultural industry.

Households around PEI use hazardous materials on a regular basis. Many of us are still learning how to sort and dispose of household cleaners, batteries, and other products that are part of our lives. Farmers are also becoming more conscientious of the materials that they use in farming, and a great deal of effort goes into collecting and recycling products and containers that require special attention.

In 2014, 33,000 kg. of empty fertilizer and pesticide containers were returned on PEI, with an industry leading 70% participation rate, and climbing. Across Canada 4.5 million kg. of similar containers were collected by the CleanFARMS program. Also in 2014, 350 kg. of obsolete (unwanted or unused) livestock medicines were collected and properly disposed of on PEI.

Plastic containers are cleaned and recycled into field tile. Bags are incinerated in Charlottetown in extreme temperatures to destroy trace amounts of product.

“This is a voluntary program, and we are glad to have such a high participation rate, with more farmers joining the movement every year” says David Thompson, who has been working with farmers and industry for many years. “It takes a considerable amount of effort to store and then transport these items back to the dealers, who collect them for proper disposal. It really shows that farmers are putting in a lot of effort to do the right thing.”

The CleanFARMS program is but one example of the effort that farmers are taking to make their operations more sustainable, more in tune with our environment.

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This column is presented by the Kensington North Watersheds Association and the East Prince Agri-Environment Association to inform our communities of the ongoing efforts farmers are taking toward good environmental stewardship.

Satellite Technology Assisting Farmers with Environmental Solutions

It’s an impressive site, a potato field with rows perfectly straight from one end to the other. It takes a good operator to run a potato planter, but they have some assistance in achieving those bullet straight rows. The same Global Position Satellites that provides maps for our cars and our location for smart phones is at work for farmers as well.

The straight rows help a farmer use land efficiently. If a potato planter was out by only a few inches a row, it could result in uneven rows and unused land at the far side of the field. GPS technology on the tractors and planters keep the rows square with the field, and reduce wasted space. The same auto-steer technology can then be used on the machines that cultivate and form the hills after planting, resulting in a reduced amount of sunburned potatoes, as both planter and tillage equipment follow exactly the same path. These efficiencies also mean that the amount of fuel consumes by field operations is reduced, and thus so are greenhouse gas emissions.

GPS technology can be used when taking soil samples in a field. The field can be divided up into small sections, each section with its own soil sample, leading to individual recommendations for applying fertilizer and lime. The result is that resources are only used where they are required. When the right amount is applied, the risk of excess nutrients entering our ground water and surface water is reduced.

The same GPS tools can be used in almost every field operation. In every instance, less fuel is burned, fewer resources are consumed, and the environmental impact is reduced.

Those straight rows ultimately mean that the farmer is increasing efficiency and helping the environment, with the assistance of satellite technology!

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This column is presented by the Kensington North Watersheds Association and the East Prince Agri-Environment Association to inform our communities of the ongoing efforts farmers are taking toward good environmental stewardship.

Alternate Land Use Services (ALUS)

The majority of land on PEI is owned by farmers. With this land, farmers not only grow food and are the largest sector of the PEI economy: farmers are also providing our communities with environmental services.

In order to minimize the impact of agriculture on the environment and promote good wildlife habitat and clean water, farmers use a wide range of techniques and management practices that promote good stewardship. Putting grass waterways in fields to reduce erosion, avoiding cropping high sloped land, expanding buffer zones, fencing streams and wetlands from livestock; are all good practices, and result in an additional cost of farm business. Governments have reacted by supporting programs that provide recognition when a service that is being provided, in this case an ecological benefit that is appreciated by rural and urban citizens alike.

Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS) is such a program. Established in 2008, the ALUS program encourages farmers to do more than simply meet provincial regulations. This voluntary program rewards farmers through an annual subsidy for the areas of land set-aside for conservation purposes. The subsidies are not large, so the true cost of retiring these lands is shared by farmers and governments. Island farmers are well aware of provincial regulations that set minimum environmental standards, but often, minimum standards do not go far enough. That is the beauty of the ALUS program as it positions farmers to voluntarily do a lot more for the environment without bearing the total cost themselves.

PEI offers the only province wide ALUS program in Canada. The incentives provided by ALUS have assisted in the creation of thousands of acres of grass waterways, expanded buffer zones, and a host of other ecological benefits in recent years. ALUS has helped raise the bar for environmental practices across PEI. The proof is in reduced soil erosion, improved fish and wildlife habitat, and cleaner water as compared to the years prior to the ALUS program being implemented. Farmers and government are both to be commended on this story of environmental success.

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This column is presented by the Kensington North Watersheds Association and the East Prince Agri-Environment Association to inform our communities of the ongoing efforts farmers are taking toward good environmental stewardship.

The level of respect that farmers have for streams and wetlands (riparian zones) on farms is increasing as our communities become aware of the important role they play in our ecosystem. A riparian zone is the name given to the ecosystem where dry land and water meet. It is an extremely important area, as 80% of wildlife spends most or all its life in the riparian zone. The importance that farmers and all Islanders place in riparian zones is evident in our common goal of keeping our waters clean and safe.

One piece of proof of the respect that farmers have for our riparian zones is the increased effort being put into stream crossings on farms. Prior to the 1990’s construction of stream crossings was unregulated, and a wide range of structures and solutions for crossing streams existed. Many did not permit the passage of fish, and some fish populations became separated and thus weakened. The lack of expert construction advice often resulted in undersized structures being built that were more easily damaged during periods of high water flow during storms or spring thaws.

Today, the regulatory standard for new stream crossing construction is vastly improved. The size of new culverts or bridges is carefully calculated to handle the peak flows from the drainage area upstream. Materials and construction methods are fish friendly. Government programs are in place to assist farmers with the higher cost of installing these ecologically sound structures.

The result is a huge decrease of the impact of stream crossings on riparian zones. Fish passage is improved, allowing healthier fish populations and greater biodiversity. These stable structures also reduce the effects of erosion.

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This column is presented by the Kensington North Watersheds Association and the East Prince Agri-Environment Association to inform our communities of the ongoing efforts farmers are taking toward good environmental stewardship.

Cover crops are an essential tool that farmers use to reduce erosion and build soil. On PEI, a cover crop is usually planted in a field following a harvest, usually late in the growing season (September or October).

PEI has soft, sandy soils that are ideal for growing a wide variety of crops. The sandy soils are highly susceptible to erosion, either by wind, as it blows a dusty cloud off of a field, or by water, which picks up soil particles as surface water runs off the field. A cover crop, usually a cereal crop, is often used to follow potatoes. Traditionally barley and oats have been used, and are planted not too late in the season, preferably in late September or early October, in order to establish a green cover thick enough to reduce the impact of rain striking the soil and to make a mat of roots to bind the loose soil together.

A challenge that potato growers face is that much of the potato crop is harvested after the optimum planting dates for these cereals. In recent years farmers are experimenting with other crops that have greater tolerance of low temperatures – germinate better than barley and oats in cooler temperatures, and keep growing later in the season, both which contribute to additional protection for the soil. These hardier crops include winter rye and winter wheat.

A popular way of sowing a cover crop following a potato crop is to broadcast the seed on top of the potatoes before they are harvested. The act of digging the potatoes covers the seed with soil and germination follows.

Cover crops are but one component of cropping systems using specialty crops to improve and protect the soil. Bio-fumigants, such as brown mustard and buckwheat, suppress troublesome wireworm populations. Crops like tillage radish, field peas, vetch, add organic matter and nitrogen. Experiments are under way with exotic species such as sorghum, sudangrass and millet. All these crops address a variety of goals, such as weed suppression and reducing soil compaction, as well as managing erosion and adding plant residue.

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This column is presented by the Kensington North Watersheds Association and the East Prince Agri-Environment Association to inform our communities of the ongoing efforts farmers are taking toward good environmental stewardship.

Gullies and watercourses are low spots in a field where surface water will naturally drain. The sandy soils of PEI are highly erodible, in comparison to soils in other regions of the Maritimes. A heavy rainfall event may lead to water quickly running across the surface of a tilled field and moving soil, resulting in soil erosion.

Soil erosion becomes a problem for farmers and the environment when soil leaves the field. Valuable top soil, containing organic matter and soil nutrients are lost to the farmer. The capacity of the field to grow profitable crops is reduced. The soil runoff may be deposited on other land or ditches, where it is not welcome. The worst case scenario occurs when this soil enters a waterway, where it causes sediment buildup in streams.

No one wants to see excessive soil erosion. Farmers go to great lengths to keep valuable soil in place.

One of the best practices to keep soil from leaving a tilled field is to install soil conservation structures. Earthen berms guide surface water toward a shallow path or watercourse in the field. These watercourses are seeded with grass and left as a permanent feature of the field. The grass slows down and captures soil particles that may be in the surface runoff. The soil stays in the grass, dramatically reducing the amount of soil that leaves the field. The grass also prevents trenches from being formed in these low spots.

Grass waterways are considered by some as the greatest step forward that farmers have taken in recent years to reduce erosion. To quote a retired farmer, “Twenty years ago it was an exception to see a grass waterway in a field. Today, the exception is to see a field that needs a grass waterway that doesn’t have one.”

Between the Members of the East Prince Agri-Environment Association (the Dunk River area), there is a total of 45 miles of grass waterways and 16 miles of berms (source: PEI Dept. of Agriculture and Forestry). These practices are carried out on farms across Prince Edward Island.

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This column is presented by the Kensington North Watersheds Association and the East Prince Agri-Environment Association to inform our communities of the ongoing efforts farmers are taking toward good environmental stewardship.