The Rural Voice, 1999-03, Page 64GREY
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9
Email: grey@ofa.on.ca Website: www.ofa.on.ca/grey
519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551
The Rural Voice is provided to all Grey
County Farmers by the GCFA.
Are you following nutrient management?
At the time of writing this article,
most of the snow has disappeared and
cooler temperatures have created firm
ground on which to drive. Many
people will be spreading manure so
as to be able to gain room in the yard
for spring calving or to obtain
sufficient storage space until dry
conditions prevail. Before spreading,
think of why you are really doing this
job and of the impact it will have on
the environment, your cropping
regime and the public image
perceived of your actions.
Are you spreading on frozen
ground, near streams or open
watercourses, on hilly ground or near
your non -farming neighbours. With
spring rains soon to come, will there
be excessive run-off, possibly
affecting surface or sub=surface
water? Will your neighbours see this
as an act just to get rid of the pile of
manure, and not as a normal practise
of spreading fertilizer?
Are you applying only sufficient
quantity to meet the needs of your
crop for the upcoming season or are
you just getting rid of a "waste
product?" As the rural non -farming
population increases in proportion to
the farming community along with an
increase in Targe livestock operations,
a poor public perception of these
operations can cause problems.
Farm organizations such as the
Ontario Farm Environmental
Coalition are taking a pro -active
approach to concerns raised by the
• public at large, and it's time for the
individual farmer to follow this
initiative. A Nutrient Management
Plan (NMP) is the perfect tool to do
this.
GREY COUNTY FEDERATION OF
AGRICULTURE
Directors' Meeting
Thursday, March 25, 1999
8:00 p.m.
(*Nom TIME CHANGE)
OMAFRA Boardroom, Markdale
Members are welcome to attend.
60 THE RURAL VOICE
There are three main components
of a NMP including a minimum
distance separation or MDS II,
manure storage capacity, and a
balanced application of nutrients.
The NMP is the determination of
the minimum tillable land base
required to match the nutrients from
manure and fertilizer with the crops
that you will grow.
This written plan will include site
evaluation, soil test, crop
requirements, manure analysis,
application rates of nutrients,
calibration of nutrient applications,
record keeping, contingency planning
and common sense.
Nutrients of concern are nitrogen
because- a large percentage is
converted to nitrate form as nitrate -
nitrogen and is very soluble in water
and leaches easily. Phosphorus is
another concern because it attaches to
soil particles. And lastly, bacteria
because it can move to surface
watercourses if there is run-off.
Some of the material available to
assist farmers in developing a NMP
include the Best Management
Practices book, worksheets,
phosphorus index fact sheet,
computer program NMAN99,
OMAFRA publication 296 and a
trained agronomist.
At present very few farmers are
required to have a NMP but the
Ontario Farm Environmental
Coalition and the NMP working
group suggests that all farmers should
have a NMP. With a plan in place we
will have an improved image and a
reasonable defence if a lawsuit is
brought against us or we have a
manure spill. We will be able to show
due diligence and responsible use of
our nutrients.0
— Submitted by Winston Kirkpatrick,
President, Bentinck Township
Federation of Agriculture
Western Region
ONTARIO YOUNG
FARMERS FORUM
SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1999
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
See page 43 for details
Deadline for submitting Tommy
Cooper nominations
is Saturday, March 6, 1999
Fax to: 519-371-4242
Attn: Claudia Staines
GCFA 54th Annual Public Speaking
Competition 1999
Semi -Finals:
North-West:
Tuesday, February 23, 1999 7:00 p.m.
Keppel -Sarawak School, R.R. #2, Owen Sound
North -Centre:
Tuesday, February 23, 1999 7:00 p.m.
Alexandra Community School, 1525 7th Ave. East, Owen Sound
North-East:
Tuesday, February 23, 1999 7:30 p.m.
St. Vincent-Euphrasia School, R.R. #4, Meaford
South-West:
Wednesday, February 24, 1999 7:30 p.m.
Holy Family Separate School, 10th Ave., Hanover
South -East:
Thursday, February 25, 1999 7:30 p.m.
MacPhail Memorial, Flesherton
Finals:
Tuesday, March 2, 1999 7:30 p.m.
Beaver Valley Public School, Bruce Street, Thornbury