Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters – The European Commission has proposed what would be the EU’s first law to improve soil health. The proposal, made July 5 as the EU faces a political backlash against other green policies, follows an initial attempt by the Commission to introduce soil health legislation in 2006, which a minority of countries, including Germany […] Read more
Law to boost soil health back on EU agenda
Mix up forages to fight soil salinity
Saline land improved by a number of grasses, say researchers at Ag in Motion
Reading Time: 2 minutes A mix of grasses can help address salinity problems on marginal farmland, says a forage expert. “The nice thing about a mix is you’re kind of guaranteed that something will catch,” said Dexter Lethbridge, a product line rep with Proven Seeds for Nutrien Ag Solutions in Lethbridge, Alta. Partnering with Ducks Unlimited, Proven/Nutrien set out […] Read more
Soil health main topic of Farming Smarter field school
Novel crops like prairie rice sparked discussion among attendees
Reading Time: 3 minutes Soil health was the main focus of this year’s Farming Smarter field school but novel new crops like rice also got some of the spotlight. Despite a cool and wet day in late June, a full house of farmers made their way through the damp fields. While a lot can be learned in a classroom […] Read more
At Ag in Motion: New ‘Soil Champions’ team to promote soil health
'Societies live and die by soil'
A new group of “Soil Champions” has been formed to promote the benefits of soil health. This new committee — announced Wednesday at the Ag in Motion farm show at Langham, Sask. — will work to ensure the care and protection of Canada’s agricultural soil through education, knowledge transfer, forums for collaboration and other activities. […] Read more
STRIP TILL: It’s new, it’s tricky and you can’t ask the neighbours for advice
On paper, strip-till is an excellent way to reduce erosion and improve soil health, but there’s a learning curve
Reading Time: 4 minutes Being a pioneer isn’t easy, but sometimes it can pay off. Or at least that’s what John Kolk hopes. Over the past few years the southern Alberta farmer has been using strip tillage on row crops such as dry beans, corn and soybeans. Although the system hasn’t been a big earner in terms of dollars […] Read more
Multi-million-dollar fund greenlights soil health projects
Eight projects to push soil health practices will get funding for the next five years
Eight soil health projects across Canada will be getting a multi-million-dollar boost in private funding over the next five years. The Weston Family Foundation — the philanthropic arm of the Weston business empire — has slated $10 million for those eight projects through the organization’s soil health initiative, it was announced Feb. 13. The initiative […] Read more
At this sold-out conference, it’s the attendees who are the big draw
Networking is the first order of business for the 500 soil health devotees at the highly popular event
Reading Time: 5 minutes Shorty Fensky first found his passion for soil health when he went to the 2015 Western Canada Conference on Soil Health. Seven years later, he was back – sharing that passion on a producer panel. “At the 2015 conference, the very first presenter was Dr. Yamily Zavala and her presentation was called ‘What is Soil […] Read more
Feds open up consultations for sustainable ag strategy
Producer groups to have reps on advisory committee
The federal government has enlisted farm groups on the ground floor of consultations toward development of a long-term strategy to “amplify” the adoption and use of sustainable practices in agriculture over the next year. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Dec. 12 announced the launch of public consultations on strategy development, running from now through March […] Read more
Regenerative agriculture is all the rage, but what is it exactly?
There’s no simple answer, but experts say soil health is at the heart of this approach
Reading Time: 4 minutes It seems as though everyone is talking about regenerative agriculture these days. But nailing down exactly what it is can be a challenge. “I completely agree that there are a lot of issues with being able to define what regenerative agriculture is,” said Kris Nichols, a Calgary soil microbiologist and well-known expert on soil health. […] Read more
Should soil organic matter be a factor in insurance premiums?
Research, including a study here, has found higher organic matter reduces drought impact
Reading Time: 4 minutes Farmers may one day see lower crop insurance premiums if they have high levels of organic matter in their soil. A study by the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation found that farms with higher soil organic matter have better yields and lower crop insurance claims. In the region between Edmonton and Red Deer, AFSC researchers divided fields according […] Read more
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