Dave Ogilvie
The Rainy River District Stewardship Council hosted a workshop Saturday in Emo for district farmers entitled “Land Stewardship and the Farmer.”
Although only entering its second year of existence, the council did such an excellent job of organizing the session that more than 60 farmers and other interested individuals were on hand at the Emo Legion to hear the presentations.
Leading off the morning with the theme, “Living on the Fringe, Biodiversity of the Rainy River District,” John Van den Broeck, biodiversity and species at risk biologist with the local Ministry of Natural Resources, introduced the 35 species that are at risk locally.
He stressed Rainy River District that sits on the edge of several major geographic/environmental regions. As a result, there is a whole host of species which breed in the west end of the district.
“Our region is recognized as a nationally-important breeding area,” Van den Broeck enthused, adding he feels we all have the duty to protect these breeding areas for future generations.
Van den Broeck noted the updated Endangered Species Act (2007) provides more flexibility for people to find solutions to local problems. The ultimate goal, he said, is to create strategies that assist in getting these species off the endangered list.
The keynote speaker for the workshop was Bryan Gilvery, proprietor of the Y U Ranch in Norfolk County in southern Ontario.
In 2009, Gilvery received the International Texas Longhorn Association Breeder of the Year award. He also received the Canadian Agri-Food Award of Excellence for Environmental Stewardship in 2008, as well as the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation.
Gilvery encouraged farmers to use their management and stewardship skills to assist in getting the endangered species in the region off the species-at-risk list.
“We, as farmers, can be part of the solution,” he remarked. “We make things grow and we manage the soil, that’s what we do!”
Gilvery believes farmers already have done much to improve the environment and protect species, but urged everyone to continue to do their best to protect the links in the environmental food chain and to help re-establish some of the links that have been broken.
He said preserving wetlands is extremely important because these areas act as a filtration system for ground water, as well as providing habitat for species at risk.
Good stewardship not only helps the various species, but also assists in increasing the production on area farms. Creating “pollinator hedge rows,” for instance, provides habitats for plants that flower, which, in turn, attracts bees and helps pollinate crops, thereby increasing the yield of specific crops.
Gilvery was passionate about his vision for agriculture, speaking with a vast amount of experience about how farmers can creatively and proudly address the environmental issues in their area of the country.
He concluded with the challenge to the farmers on hand Saturday “to learn to farm with nature as your friend.”
Following an excellent lunch provided by the Emo Legion, Dick Trivers of the local Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Association introduced everyone to the Environmental Farm Plan, which is a voluntary environmental awareness program.
The goal of the program, he explained, is to “educate farmers and assist them in developing a practical economic plan for operating their farm in an environmentally responsible manner.”
By going through the EFP process, Trivers said farmers become eligible for grants to improve their farming techniques, thereby making their operation more environmentally-friendly.
Jeff Pollard then spoke on how local stewardship projects have helped on his farm. Grants allowed him to fence in all the waterways, thus keeping his cattle out of the streams.
By providing clean water, instead of allowing the animals to drink from the streams, Pollard has improved the health of his cattle.
As well, keeping cattle off the banks of the streams limits the number of leg injuries to the animals while allowing natural vegetation to grow along the streams.
The final speaker of the day was David May, the local stewardship co-ordinator from the MNR.
May said the goals of the council are to increase the awareness of the need for good stewardship in the district, to empower the youth to become leaders in environmental stewardship, and to engage the communities in the district to initiate environmental projects in their area.
May outlined three specific projects that presently are being developed and improved across the district: fencing and alternative watering systems, the Stewardship Rangers program for the youth of the district, and the council’s annual tree sale.
The white spruce and red pine seedlings, which sell for $5 for 25, will be available soon.
May thanked the members of the stewardship committee, including Kim Jo Bliss, for their hard work in making the day such a success.
He also thanked everyone for taking the time out of their busy schedules to attend.
“The number of people present is a testament to the fact that farmers of the district are dedicated to practising good stewardship,” May enthused.
