Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Seeking the authority to manage waste

Monday, September 17, 2018

Communities creatively repurpose closed landfill sites

By Kaitlynn Anderson
Staff Writer

Once rural landfills reach their capacities, communities can collaborate to repurpose these sites.

"Some places have successfully used landfills to create new local features, like parks," Dr. Dianne Saxe, the environmental commissioner of Ontario, told Better Farming.

Walker Environmental, a family-owned waste management company, found another creative way to repurpose its landfill in the Regional Municipality of Niagara.

During community consultations, residents asked the company if the site could be returned to agricultural use.

"At the time, we didn't know the answer," said Darren Fry, a project director with Walker Environmental. "So, we committed to working with the University of Guelph to do a four-year study to find out."

The research revealed that "crops could be safely and economically grown on top of the landfill cap, which consisted of about 1 metre (3.28 feet) of low permeable clay and 150 millimetres (6 inches) of topsoil," he said.

By using soil amendments from its adjacent composting and fertilizer site, the company improved the quality of the topsoil. Now, local farmers who work the fields on this former landfill tend to see higher crop yields on this property than on neighbouring farms, he added.

rural landfills
    Walker Environmental photo

Once companies and municipalities close landfills, staff may closely monitor the sites.

In Wellington County, for example, solid waste services staff inspect each of the region's 16 closed landfills on a quarterly basis, the county's website states.

These employees examine the sites for such problems as erosion and water ponding. The staff also monitor the health of vegetation and schedule any required maintenance, such as land regrading.

As of Sept. 14, Ontario had 1,525 closed small landfills. These sites can hold up to 40,000 cubic metres (1.4 million cubic feet) of waste, the provincial government's website states.

The distribution of these landfills varies across the province. For example, the regions of Algoma (69), Parry Sound (53), Hastings (49) and Frontenac (35) have more closed sites than Kingston (4), Toronto (9), Halton (13), or Hamilton (14).

Municipalities and private companies also operate 32 large landfills in Ontario. BF

Current Issue

November 2024

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Navigating Financial Literacy for Women in Ag

Monday, November 4, 2024

By Deanna Ciaccia In today’s evolving agricultural landscape, financial literacy is crucial for success, particularly for women who are increasingly taking leadership roles in the agriculture sector. According to a recent article from FNBO (First National Bank of Omaha),... Read this article online

Ontario Pork Congress Annual Meeting report

Friday, November 1, 2024

The Ontario Pork Congress was held on October 22, 2024, at the Arden Park Hotel in Stratford, Ontario, with over 35 people attending. At the event, the association revealed the winner of its —Tara Terpstra, a Huron County pork producer who is currently Chair of Ontario Pork. The... Read this article online

Massey Ferguson introduces six new tractors

Friday, November 1, 2024

Massey Ferguson has debuted its new of tractors, what the company calls a line-up of versatile and powerful machines designed to meet the needs of modern farmers. This series includes six new models, each tailored to different farming requirements and preferences. MF... Read this article online

Bills C-244 and C-294 have been adopted

Friday, November 1, 2024

On October 31, without much ado, and were adopted by the Canadian Parliament and are poised to become law. These bills amend the and represent a historic step forward in the right-to-repair movement, especially for Canadian farmers. allows consumers and businesses to... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2024 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top