The Rural Voice, 1988-04, Page 12Ward & Uptigrove
CHARTERED
ACCOUNTANTS
Listowel 291-3040
Mitchell 348-8412
R.B. Karcher, C.A. C.W. Brouse, C.A.
C.D. Newell, C.A. R.H. Loree, C.A.
R.E. Uptigrove, C.A. G.J. Martin, C.A.
R.C. Roswell, C.A.
WESTEEL-ROSCO
14 & 19 ft. diameter
GRAIN BINS
Durable galvanized steel
with independent inter-
nal framework for max-
imum wall strength.
Choice of 8 models with
range of capacities from
1442 to 5300 bushels.
Hardware and erection
instructions included.
PROGRESSIVE
FARMING
R.R.2, Wellesley
519-656-2700
Rannoch
519-229-6700
10 THE RURAL VOICE
SOIL CONSERVATION:
LET'S SET STANDARDS
Why do farmers continue to ignore
soil conservation? Why has soil
erosion and degradation (hereafter
referred to as SED), continued and
escalated in the province of Ontario
for more than 100 years, accelerating
to a very high speed in the past 20
years? If we can answer these ques-
tions, then maybe we will be able to
come up with a solution.
No doubt SED started when trees
were cut from the covering forest and
the soil was disturbed to plant annual
crops for food production. The ac-
celeration came when we changed to
major acreages of annual cash crops.
Cash crops appeared to be financially
attractive, and there was a movement
away from labour-intensive livestock
operations and their accompanying
pasture land.
But every few years, throughout
agricultural history, attempts have
been made to campaign against SED.
A recent campaign launched about ten
years ago in Ontario — it is particular-
ly active in Huron County — has been
the most successful. The strength of
the attempt and the dedication of the
people involved are most encouraging.
SED is no fly by night problem. It
is a matter of life and death, even if
the slow escalation of soil erosion and
degradation is hard to perceive.
Whole civilizations have perished
because of their failure to control SED
— note the Ethiopian problems today.
The collapse of society and incredible
death by starvation are the result of a
failure to take care of the soil.
When we talk SED, we talk of the
survival of a nation. We in Ontario
are blessed with some of the best soil
in the world, and have the ability to
produce some of the earth's finest
crops. Yet, at the same time, we are
destroying our soils at the fastest rate
imaginable since the first settlers
arrived. Why?
It is pointless to argue that farmers
deliberately set out to destroy the soil.
There are very few farmers who do
not care about soil erosion.
Farmers, however, look generally
to survival first, soil conservation
second. We try to extract the maxi-
mum from our land. Many circum-
stances play a part in this picture (too
many for an article of this size).
Can or should we farmers become
excited about SED when we witness
the road -construction practices of
governments at all levels? Take a
close look this summer at your local
road construction job. Should we
react strongly when we see housing
development take vast tracts of land,
moving tonnes and tonnes of soil and
destroying a valuable resource base
forever? Or should we react when a
neighbour allows his soil to erode and
degrade under poor cultural practices?
This winter, a few farmers, myself
included, have been promoting the
increased use of tree cover, wind-
breaks, long-term grass, and yes, even
not putting land over a seven per cent
slope into annual crop production.
I believe that the time has arrived
(and we may be too late) to enact very
strong, specific laws and regulations
with respect to what we do with our
soils. These regulations must cover
all owners of soil, from developers to
governments to farmers. These
regulations must be tough, and be
enforced. We must have more trees
available as well as a realistic, direct
approach to what crops are planted on
what percentage of slope. We must
tightly control the development of
housing and industry on Ontario soils.
If we farmers and provincial
agriculture officials do not soon come
up with a direct approach, we can be
sure that the province's soils will
disappear at an even faster rate.
How about it? Legislation? Or
can we clean up our act voluntarily?0
John Hazlitt is a Huron County farmer
active In several soil conservation pro-
grams. He writes here as a concerned
individual, not in any official capacity.