Better Farming - November 2016

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Better Farming November 2016 FarmNews First > 25
jurisdictions involved and establish
an approach that can work within
different laws.
“It’s not just the drainage legisla-
tion (administered by Ontario’s
agriculture ministry). It’s the Fisheries
Act (administered by the federal
Department of Fisheries and Oceans),
and it’s the Endangered Species Act
(administered by Ontario’s Ministry
of Natural Resources and Forestry),”
Crawhall says.
The program would be voluntary.
“There’s no desire on our side to
compel people,” she says.
For those who want to participate,
the strategy’s organizers would
provide expertise and coordinate
funding for a system’s initial costs.
However, the system would have to
be self-sustaining afterward, and
those using it would be expected to
contribute to maintenance, she says.
Asked why farmers may consider
participating, especially when
commodity prices are less than stellar,
McCabe says market pressures make
such an approach even more import-
ant.
“We will have an opportunity, if we
are able, to capture this phosphorus,”
he says. “We can bring it back to the
farm again for use.
“It means closing the gap on any
kind of loss to your inputs and having
opportunities to access those inputs
in a cheaper manner. That’s what this
project is about.”
To be viable, the venture must be
profitable for the farmer, he adds.
“With profitability comes environ-
mental protection.”
Back in Norfolk County, Van
Severen expresses skepticism.
“I believe these projects are very,
very good, but they (the organizers)
have to start by getting the farmers’
trust back,” he says. Laws such as
Endangered Species have created a lot
of worry in his community about the
possible negative effects of conserva-
tion on farm operations if the effort
attracts an endangered species.
Van Severen says he wouldn’t
consider adding a wetland to his
property today. Red tape and regula-
tions that compel instead of educate
landowners to adopt environmentally
friendly practices are “too scary (for)
farmers.”
“(Government) attitudes have to
change” to attract buy-in on a project
of this type, he says. And society
needs to pay its fair share.
McCabe acknowledges that
farmers’ relations with conservation
and drainage authorities become
adversarial all too often. To manage
off-farm runoff, collaboration is
essential, he says.
“The reality is we’re all in this
system together. So now let’s close the
gaps and the goals together to make
sure we all understand this is one
landscape, and it has to work.” BF
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