HomeMy WebLinkAboutFarming '92, 1992-03-18, Page 22A22. FARMING ’92, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18,1992.
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Green Plan Agricultural Stakeholders’
forum makes 30 recommendations
Leaders in soil and water conser
vation have identified their
preferences for agriculture-based
initiatives relating to environmental
sustainability.
At a Green Plan Agricultural
Stakeholders’ Forum — organized
by the University of Guelph-based
Soil and Water Conservation Infor
mation Bureau (SWCIB) — farm
ers, researchers, agribusiness
personnel, other group representa
tives and members of the Green
Plan Canada/Ontario Accord Com
mittee, the accord advisory com
mittee and the funding management
committee, representing three fed
eral and three provincial ministries
— discussed environmental prob
lems, solutions and initiatives.
“There was a network of innova
tive and thoughtful individuals, and
by virtue of being innovators, they
would confront problems and find
solutions,” says Doug Robinson,
forum co-ordinator and SWCIB
manager.
Altogether, 30 recommendations
were made. Four leading initiatives
were suggested: closed-loop urban-
agriculture organic recycling; pilot
on-farm management plans; inte
grated rural landscape management
and farmer-to-farmer.
Each participant/stakeholder
arrived with a problem or an oppor
tunity in four areas: wildlife habi
tat, improving soil conservation,
securing the land resource base and
reducing pollution impact. They
also suggested ways to address the
problem and the benefits.
The proposal to concoct a
demonstration project around
“closed-loop” urban/agriculture
organic recycling is based on a
workable flow of organic waste.
(Closed-loop refers to the perpetual
movement of products between
humans and the land). This could
help extend the life of landfill sites
or sewage lagoons by diverting
waste for other uses.
The pilot on-farm management
plan is patterned after a pesticide
education program for farmers. A
package on topics such as land use
could be offered to farmers, who
would develop plans based on soil
type, microclimate crops and man
agement systems. A landowner
stewardship manual was suggested
for both farmers and non-farmers irt
the rural community. Links
between these two groups encour
age a land trust that can help com
munities get involved in defining
pertinent issues, says Robinson.
“Farmer-to-farmer education/
consultations” capitalize on farmers
helping farmers by exchanging
ideas and experiences. Participants
considered it a quick way to trans
fer information.
For such initiatives, the federal
Green Plan has designated $30 mil
lion to Agriculture Canada for use
in Ontario over the next five years.
Forty per cent is for research; the
remainder is for grassroots applica
tions, such as the forum proposals.
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