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.


Behind the Lines - August/September 2009

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

It's now debatable whether Rome, anxious to finish off an old Imperial rival, actually ordered its soldiers to sow the fields with salt around the razed city of Carthage so that nothing would grow at the end of the third Punic wars in 146 BC. Certainly, it has been known for many centuries that salt and crop growing don't mix.

Salt washed or blown off roads into fields and orchards is the topic of this month's cover story by writer Mary Baxter, starting on page 14. While it's mostly an issue where delicate horticultural crops are grown in the Niagara area, salt damage to field crops has been reported in other areas of the province, particularly where commuter traffic is heavy.

Road salting is certainly toxic, but it gets an exemption under provincial pollution laws if there is runoff. Keeping highways open and safe by clearing them chemically of snow and slush is a priority in high traffic areas. With populations growing in urban centres around western Ontario in particular, and winter storms becoming more violent and unpredictable, we can expect reports of salt damage to crops to increase.

In October, in our environment issue we will continue with our annual series about sewage spills and bypasses from municipalities. We began this reporting in 2000 at a time when hog farms were being vilified and a majority of the population seemed unaware or unwilling to acknowledge that the problem was bigger than just pig farms and included human waste.

The topic has since received a lot of urban media coverage in early summer as an organization called Ecojustice, formerly known as the Sierra Legal Defence Fund, published its report on spills and bypasses in 2006 and 2007, entitled "Flushing out the Truth." Cities have some catching up to do in dealing with their overloaded and antiquated sewage systems and urban media still have some catching up to do in writing about it.

Waste, whether human or livestock, is certainly a divisive subject that generally separates along urban and agriculture lines. It's not the most highly charged subject we've brought you over the years, however. Climate change takes that prize.

On that theme in this issue, our Stateside writer, Alan Guebert, challenges one climate change denier to think of how his grandchildren will feel if he's wrong.

"If I'm wrong, my grandchildren will curse my name," is the sobering response. Alan's column appears on page 77.

And on page 74 our veteran weather writer, Henry Hengeveld, explains the impact contrails (those vapour trails left by jet planes) have on climate change.

Robert Irwin & Don Stoneman
 

Current Issue

December 2024

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Alveo Technologies enters agreement with CDC

Thursday, November 14, 2024

Alveo Technologies, Inc.—a leader in molecular sensing and diagnostics with its proprietary IntelliSense molecular detection technology—has announced it received an agreement issued by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on a competitive basis to develop a... Read this article online

University of Guelph looking for new OAC Dean

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

A position has opened at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College (OAC). The OAC is looking for a new Dean to lead the school into the future. The ideal candidate is “a visionary leader who shares its commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and service, and who... Read this article online

Women Agriculture Leaders Embrace Innovation and Growth

Monday, November 11, 2024

The future of agriculture depends on diverse leadership that can drive innovation and address the sector's evolving challenges. Women are already at the forefront of this transformation, leading advancements in agtech, sustainable farming practices, and agribusiness. A recent article by Dr.... Read this article online

Lift heavy equipment with ease - TG Equipment Jack

Sunday, November 10, 2024

The TG Equipment Jack is a heavy-duty lifting device designed for large high clearance sprayers. This Cool Tools’ innovative design ensures secure and stable lifting of heavy equipment, making it an essential tool for repairs and tire changes. Key Features: Unwavering Stability: Built with... 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