Soil Health
Letters & Submissions
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Soil For Life is an initiative to provide a framework for discussions about soil health and sustainable soil management, help make sense of best management practices, and make a lasting impact on the health of our soil.
Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario is part of a diverse group leading Soil For Life. The group includes:
Beef Farmers of Ontario
Conservation Ontario
Co-op Regionale (Thornloe/New Liskeard)
Farm and Food Care Ontario
Grain Farmers of Ontario
Grand River Conservation Authority
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Assoc.
Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Assoc.
Ontario Soil Network
Representatives from Ontario Certified Crop Advisors (CCA-ON)
Soils at Guelph Initiative
Soil For Life focuses on five major principles to break down and simplify the complex concept of soil health and sustainability. These same principles appear in New Horizons – Ontario’s Soil Health and Conservation Strategy that was released in 2019 and will provide a framework for the conversation. They are:
Build soil organic matter
Diversify crops
Minimize soil disturbance
Keep living roots throughout the year
Keep the soil coveredSoil For Life will help to focus conversations on soil health and amplify a unified voice in agriculture.
Farmers know that properly managed soil provides long-term economic and environmental benefits, such as high yields, increased resiliency in soils, reduction in fertilizer inputs, and increased organic matter. Building on the great work farmers are doing, Soil For Life is designed to be a framework for sharing best management practices (BMPs) based on the five principles. Through sharing and discussion, the goal is to work towards increasing soil health knowledge in Ontario.
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Helping farmers find field solutions backed by science.
Following best management practices isn’t as simple as it sounds. Resilient Fields is a new, free online tool to help Ontario crop farmers find sustainable solutions for field-based problems.
Resilient Fields will help you weigh options ahead of your growing season and your entire crop rotation. Use the app with your crop advisor or on your own to balance trade-offs and find sustainable solutions that are backed by science and supported by articles and videos. You can also access other tools such as the 4Rs, cover crop choices, maps and many more.
How it Works
First, you input specific field conditions and your current agronomic practices. Then you identify a particular concern you have. The app offers advice broken down into four categories of concern:
Keeping your soils
Managing nutrient loss
Managing the growing season
Handling water and drainage issues
The app explains how to spot problems and what factors may be causing it. It also offers carefully vetted resources, articles and videos, all with expert, up-to-date advice that offer a range of potential solutions.
Why It’s Important
Even if your goals are straightforward, there are many potential scenarios you could follow to achieve them. In many cases, you will face a range of options and trade-offs when it comes to field management. The app is designed to streamline the process of making field management decisions while respecting sustainable farming practices.
Want to know more?
Background
The CFFO has received $482,275 in CAP cost-share funding toward developing Resilient Fields. Begun in 2019, the project was completed with the official launch of Resilient Fields in August 2021.
Developed in partnership with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.
Research and development support provided by Agri-Food Economic Systems.
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Aerial sensors to assess soil organic carbon levels
The CFFO is committed to supporting long-term research into soil health. We’ve partnered with University of Guelph researchers to assess soil organic carbon levels.
The level of soil organic carbon (SOC) in agricultural soils is the key factor regulating soil health because it directly benefits soil's physical, chemical and biological properties. It also determines soil’s ability to maintain plant growth, water and air quality, and nutrient cycling.
Using a variety of sensors, researchers from the University of Guelph are assessing SOC on farms across Ontario with different soil types and climate conditions. The goal is to develop a method for measuring SOC quickly and economically, across all parts of each field. Researchers will be able to measure the impact of specific management practices in the field, over time.
The ultimate goal of this multi-year project is to help Ontario farmers monitor SOC levels in their fields and adjust their management practices to improve soil health.
For more information on this project, contact us.
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Approaches to Improving Agricultural Soil Health in Canada
In 2021, CFFO consulted on the development of "The Power of Soil: An Agenda for Change to Benefit Farmers and Climate Resilience," a report published by the Greenbelt Foundation.
The report demonstrates how healthy soils can help Canadian farmers build productivity, be environmentally sustainable and adapt to extreme weather. It also offers recommendations for government, and all Canadians, to support farmers.