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4 The Business of Ontario Agriculture Better Farming | April 2024 INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE LETTER FROM THE EDITOR RECORD INCOME; FARMING IN GTA Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has completed its farm income forecast for 2023 and 2024, with results showing that overall Canadian farm income reached a new record in 2023. The largest driver of this increase is a forecasted increase in livestock receipts of almost 10 per cent, to $37.3 billion. Cattle receipts saw impressive price-driven growth that, combined with moderate growth in receipts from the supply-managed sector, more than offset an expected decline in hog receipts. Crop receipts are also forecast to have grown four per cent to $56.0 billion, as improved grain marketings have largely mitigated the impact of declining prices. In our Up Close this month we profile Amelia Judge, who farms with family outside of Caledon. The article provides another example of the challenges of urban sprawl and loss of farmland. As Amelia explains to ag journalist Emily Croft, the Judge family has strong ag roots in Caledon, arriving from Ireland in the 1830s. “Almost 200 years later, and we are farming just a few roads over from the original homestead.” So what’s it like to farm beside a residential subdivision in Caledon? “Dealing with drivers on the road is the most stressful part. I probably look behind me more than I look in front of me because you get passed all the time on the road.” Corteva Agriscience has launched Pioneer brand Z-Series Enlist E3 soybeans, with 20 varieties available to Ontario growers for the 2024 growing season. Z-series soybeans offers some strong yield potential, with 2023 IMPACT field trials showing a significant yield advantage over the previously launched A-Series soybeans. In addition, Z-Series features improved disease resistance to sudden death syndrome, brown stem rot, white mould and iron deficiency chlorosis, while also delivering improved protection against soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and Phytophthora root rot. 1-888-248-4893 90 Woodlawn Road West Guelph, ON N1H 1B2 PUBLISHER & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR PAUL NOLAN ext 202 Paul.Nolan@Farms.com ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR LESLIE STEWART ext 265 Leslie.Stewart@Farms.com AGRICULTURAL JOURNALIST EMILY CROFT CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS EDITION MOE AGOSTINO STACY BERRY CAMPBELL CORK DALE COWAN DIEGO FLAMMINI VANESSA GARCIA ABHINESH GOPAL PAUL HERMANS RICHARD KAMCHEN PATRICK LYNCH RALPH WINFIELD ADVERTISING TEAM GLENN RUEGG JEFF McKEE JENNY LONGSTREET SCOTT FARHOOD SAMANTHA RENAUD JOAN SPIEGELBERG DESIGN & PRODUCTION TEAM TANYA MYERS GREG MARLOW SHAUN CLARK ANDREA WILLIAMS www.BetterFarming.com Better Farming magazine is mailed as a member-benefit to all farmer members of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. If you are not an OFA member, subscribe at: 1-888-248-4893 ext 281 Subscriptions@BetterFarming.com ISSN 1498-9344 (Printed) Canadian one-year subscriptions: $41 (11 issues; includes $4.72 HST). Two-year: $74 ($8.51 HST). U.S. subscriptions: $72 annually. International: $121. Single-copy back issues are $12. GST Registration #868959347RT0001 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to AgMedia Inc., 90 Woodlawn Road West, Guelph, ON N1H 1B2. Publications Mail Registration #1156. Publications Mail Agreement #40037298. Copyright ©2024 by AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any content without written permission of the publisher is forbidden. Acceptance of advertising does not constitute endorsement of the advertiser, its products or services, nor do Better Farming, AgMedia or Farms.com endorse any advertiser claims. The publisher shall have no liability for the omission of any scheduled advertising. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. Follow us on @BetterFarmingON “I took over the ranch in ’86. At that time, the ranch was at about 30 animal days per acre. After using the planned grazing strategy, we are getting up to 90 to 120 animal days per acre.” - John Cross, Page 22 “Our dairy farm used to be on Airport Road. Over 50 years ago, there were 20-some dairy farmers on that road and then we were the last ones. And now there’s none because we’ve moved our dairy farm around the corner.” - Amelia Judge, Page 31 “A lot of good things have been said about two-pass weed control. One-pass weed control is an oxymoron – just like army intelligence. Bite the bullet and pay the extra cost for two-pass weed control.” - Patrick Lynch, Page 45 “During the first year of high school, we had to get off the big, loaded school bus and walk across the bridge twice each day. One student was sent across the bridge with a red flag to stop traffic until we all made it to the other side. The bus would then pick us up on the opposite side of the river.” - Ralph Winfield, Page 54 Cover: house_red/E+ photo, Ryan Ridley photo
6 It’s Farming. And It’s Better. Better Farming | April 2024 Beyond the Barn REGENERATIVE FARMERS SHARE THEIR STORIES A new national campaign is putting Canadian farmers who implement regenerative agriculture practices in the spotlight. Regeneration Canada, promotors of regenerative agriculture and soil health, recently launched its Stories of Regeneration campaign. “Our mission is to promote and scale out regenerative agriculture across the country,” Antonious Petro, executive director of Regeneration Canada, told Better Farming. The Stories of Regeneration campaign features a collection of films, podcast conversations, articles and webinars with 10 Canadian farmers, including Ontario’s Blake Vince, a fifth-generation farmer who grows corn, soybeans and winter wheat on about 1,200 acres near Merlin. His family started a no-till system in the 1980s and he recently re-introduced cattle onto the land to complete the regenerative cycle. “That’s one part that was missing on our farm,” he told Better Farming. “When you don’t have ruminant livestock, immediately plants that come out of the rotation are perennials like alfalfa, deep-rooted plants that extract nutrients. “When a ruminant animal can graze that vegetation into manure and urine, which is good for subsequent crop production, all while producing beef, it becomes a win-win, and the cattle become a key element to the soil ecosystem.” Vince got involved to show how farmers work to improve society. “Farmers like to talk about how they’re producers of food, but I’m so far removed from a consumer because I produce commodities,” he said. “I produce corn that goes to ethanol, or soybeans that went to biodiesel. We do these things for the collective betterment of society.” BF - Diego Flammini The Canadian beef industry is making progress in its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) recently released its National Beef Sustainability Assessment & Strategy, which states that, compared to 2014, the production of one kilogram of beef creates 15 per cent less greenhouse gases. The National Beef Sustainability Assessment addresses three areas of focus for sustainability in the industry: Environment, social, and economic. This report compares metrics to the initial data, which was shared in 2016 and used information from 2014. The assessment found that the beef industry has improved in most environmental metrics, including carbon footprint, fossil fuel depletion, the accumulation of nutrients in fresh water, and air pollution. These improvements are largely attributed to increasing production efficiency. “It’s exciting to see the 15 per cent reduction in GHG emissions intensity, which puts us on track to achieve the 33 per cent reduction 2030 goal that the industry has set,” said Ryan Beierbach, chair of the CRSB and Saskatchewan beef producer, in a release from CRSB. “I am proud of the Canadian beef industry’s commitment to continuous improvement, and the progress already made on our sustainability journey. This assessment demonstrates the important role Canadian beef producers and our members play in advancing sustainability, and what we can accomplish when we work together towards common goals,” Beierbach said. Maintenance of wildlife habitats is another success for the industry. While the total area for wildlife habitats has decreased in Canada, the land used by beef farmers and ranchers provides 74 per cent of the habitat for wildlife to raise their young, and 55 per cent of the land required for wildlife to find food. The results of the environmental portion of the assessment depict the positive improvements that have set the industry on track to meet its 2030 environmental goals. BF GHG PROGRESS IN BEEF INDUSTRY Emily Croft photo
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8 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | April 2024 Beyond the Barn A FARMING LIFE: PAT MURPHY Farmer, husband, father, grandfather, volunteer. Born Feb. 1, 1961; died Oct. 15, 2023. Pat Murphy was a cash-crop farmer from Sombra and recipient of the 2023 Lambton County Farmer of the Year. He was active with several ag organizations, including the local Federation of Agriculture, the Lambton Soil & Crop Improvement Association, and Grain Farmers of Ontario. Pat was a proud supporter of his community, and an active member of his church, Sacred Heart Catholic Church. He was known to friends and neighbours as a very caring person. “He always had time to talk to neighbours or other farmers. You find out after the fact that people were going through hard times and Dad was always calling to check on them to find out how they were doing,” son Steve Murphy tells Better Farming. “You couldn’t do anything quick,” he laughs. “You’d go to get parts, and he’d chat to the girl at the counter for half an hour. Sometimes I’d be waiting for him in the field to find out he was talking to a neighbour at the end of the driveway.” Pat especially enjoyed harvest season and driving the combine. “He was super laid-back,” Steve says. “He never got too worried about anything. He’d always have to bring me back when I got stressed.” Steve, who has a cow-calf and cashcrop farm, says his father taught him everything about farming. He fondly remembers going on combine rides with him – something his children also got to enjoy. “My kids didn’t want to ride with me – they wanted to ride with Grandpa all the time!” BF Producers may often overlook this potential revenue stream, but an Ontario billboard company is achieving growth by showing farmers how to support local businesses while generating extra income. “When we erect a billboard on a rural property, the farmer is often pleased to be helping local businesses get their message out,” explains Top Outdoor (topoutdoor.ca) co-owner Chris Nimigon. “Maybe the town’s weekly newspaper has closed or dropped their frequency. But this allows businesses to grow through advertising in their local area. And without the farmer landowner working with us, that doesn’t happen. “It all works together.” Top Outdoor began erecting billboards in 2016, “with our first seven signs in Haliburton, where I’m originally from,” says Nimigon. His business partner Chris Lecomte adds that “about a year later we started putting up billboards on farms in the Shelburne and Dundalk area – which is where my father owns a farm.” Lecomte says they now have some 540 signs on Ontario farms, “and we plan to put in 100 more over the coming season.” As for location, “often the farmer already has a spot in mind. Could be pasture or a hay field. We work with all types of land. We can work around corn as well. It might be part of their land that is not used, for whatever reason. And we don’t want to put a sign in a location on a field where it’s a challenge to work a tractor around it,” explains Lecomte. The annual rental payment depends on a few factors, such as traffic volume and the view from the roadway. But the supplemental income is usually welcome. As Perth County farmer Dale Foster explains, “We weren’t 100 per cent sure about getting a billboard on our land at first, but after dealing with them for multiple years, on five different farms, we are happy we did. Seamless process, and we love the revenue.” BF - Paul Nolan Chris Nimigon photo BILLBOARDS MAY OFFER EXTRA INCOME Pat Murphy Chris Lecomte and Chris Nimigon of Top Outdoor.
Do you know what the biggest fire risks are in your livestock barn? Dust and cob webs. Extension cords and heaters. Plugs, receptacles and panels. Take action to protect your biggest assets: Keep it clean. Replace extension cords. Hardwire or use waterproof plugs or outlets. Contact your local fire department for more information.
10 Follow us on Twitter @BetterFarmingON Better Farming | April 2024 WHAT ARE WE PLANTING THIS YEAR? ‘Still trying to perfect the production of current crops before branching out.’ By Emily Croft The 2024 planting season quickly approaches, and most Ontario producers have now decided which crops will be planted in their fields. In recent years, more information has become available on the benefits of extending rotations through trying new crops. The addition of cover crops and forages have also received increased attention as crop producers look to improve their soil health, or potentially even reap the benefits of livestock feed production on crop land. Trying new crops can be a solution to disease pressure, provide soil benefits, and open up new markets and opportunity for diversified income. When asked if they had plans to try any new crops this year, 27.5 per cent of Better Farming readers said they do plan to expand their cropping lineup this year. What are Ontario farmers planting in 2024? Steve, Chatham-Kent: “We are looking at growing black beans and getting into flower farming.” Daniel, Simcoe County: “I will be planting corn, soybeans, and wheat. This year I am trying hard red winter wheat in addition to soft red wheat.” Brady, Kawartha Lakes: “I’m not 100 per cent sure yet. “I might try barley and I would love to try some canola, but I’m not quite ready to get it in my operation. I also might try some different cover crops for green feed for the cows.” Patrick, Chatham-Kent: “We are growing hay for bales and haylage, beans, corn for silage, wheat, rye, and oats.” Michel, Russell County: “Corn and soybeans.” Mike, Huron County: “Corn, Enlist soybeans, IP soybeans, adzuki beans, hard red winter wheat, and alfalfa hay.” Ken, Wellington County: “Wheat, corn, and soybeans.” Tom, Dufferin County: “Corn, soybeans, and wheat.” Claire, Temiskaming District: “We are planting oats.” Christine, Bruce County: “Corn, wheat, soybeans, hay, and a mixed cover crop.” Brian, Waterloo Region: “Corn, winter wheat, IP soybeans, and alfalfa.” Jessica, Huron County: “Hay, mixed grain, soybeans, and grain corn.” Jon, Niagara Region: “We are planting soybeans and wheat. “A new crop we are trying is Sorghum-Sudan grass silage for cattle feed because it provides an opportunity to double-crop.” Steve, Oxford County: “We are trying triticale for haylage to maximize our forage crops, and to get better digestibility and protein and in turn get a higher milk output from our herd.” Tammi, Bruce County: “Soybeans, corn, oats, and peas.” Doug, Middlesex County: “We are growing corn, soybeans, and wheat. We are still trying to perfect the production of those crops before branching out into something new.” Norm, Peterborough County: “We are growing corn, wheat, soybeans, and oats. We are trying some barley to support a micro-brewery.” Joan, Grey County: “We are trying canola.” Barclay, Wellington County: “I will be planting radicchio as a new crop.” Doug, Perth County: “We are planting wheat, corn, and soybeans.” John, Prince Edward County: “Corn, IP soybeans, wheat, and hay.” Allan, Peel Region: “We grow soft red winter wheat, soybeans, and corn, and will try some winter canola this year.” Ron, Essex County: “We are trying white hilum soybeans.” BF Digging Deeper ‘We are planting wheat, corn, and soybeans.’ Emily Croft photo
12 Like Us on Facebook: BetterFarmingON Better Farming | April 2024 The use of pesticides, while beneficial for global food security, can wreak havoc on natural ecosystems and human health. To address this issue, Penn State researchers have turned to an unlikely enforcer to protect crops: The ladybug. The team, led by Sara Hermann in the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, developed a novel pest management tool by leveraging the chemical ecology of predator-prey interactions between ladybugs and aphids. They published their work in the journal Basic and Applied Ecology and recently filed a provisional patent application for the innovation. While ladybugs are known to be ravenous consumers of aphids, small insects that eat nearly every kind of plant, Hermann has focused her research on the non-consumptive dynamics between these organisms. What piqued her interest was the aphid’s ability to detect the unique smells that ladybugs emit and process these smells as a cue to change behavioural traits that allow them to avoid being eaten. “The major goal is to start to think outside the box,” says Hermann, the Tombros Early Career Professor and assistant professor of arthropod ecology and trophic interactions. “We want to understand how the fear of being eaten influences behaviour and physiology. We start with big ecological questions centred in agricultural systems to develop interventions. Using knowledge of basic ecological interactions that already exist, we can work with nature rather than against it.” Hermann investigates aphid behavioural responses to ladybug “scents” and characterizes the chemical makeup of these scents. She conducts this research, which was featured in a recent PBS Terra video, in collaboration with the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences’ Center for Chemical Ecology at Penn State. Hermann and her team identified the main compounds constituting the ladybug scent in 2021 and found that the scent alone can induce certain behaviours in aphids. Research USING LADYBUG SCENTS AGAINST APHIDS New research offers a more ecologically friendly way to protect crops. By Vanessa Garcia, Penn State The presence of ladybug odours can reduce the amount of time aphids eat and can drop their population numbers by 25 per cent. ligora/iStock /Getty Images Plus photo
13 Like Us on Facebook: BetterFarmingON Better Farming | April 2024 They apply the ladybug scent by diffusing it into the air around the plants, signalling trouble to aphids in the nearby vicinity. In various experiments, the researchers have found that aphids have a reduced preference for ladybug-scented plants. In her most recent paper, Hermann also found that the presence of ladybug odours also reduced the amount of time aphids ate and dropped their population numbers by 25 per cent. According to Hermann, the scent’s components can be commercially produced, which she hopes will make this intervention relatively accessible to develop and bring to market. She and co-author Jessica Kansman, assistant professor of plant sciences and plant pathology at Montana State University, recently received a patent for the scent, which may allow the product to be used as a pest deterrent by commercial operations and consumers in the public. “Our work suggests that the presence of lady beetle odour cues alone may serve as a method to reduce aphid populations, at least short-term, and could be a promising technique warranting further exploration,” Hermann says. Similar chemical ecology processes that use pheromones to manipulate pest behaviour were initially pioneered in pest management as “mating disruption.” Tom Baker, emeritus professor of entomology, helped lead these efforts, which have been applied widely in fruit crop systems with success, Hermann says. Mating disruption reduces successful mate finding of pest organisms using sex pheromones. Hermann’s findings, in contrast, use the “fear of predation” via predator odours to reduce pest attraction, development and feeding. The scent intervention, developed for a widespread and destructive species of aphids, could provide a sustainable agriculture solution, according to the researchers. As opposed to other agricultural solutions that work by killing aphids, Hermann said that this treatment is not expected to result in resistance issues that are common with pesticide application. Moving forward, Hermann said she intends to investigate the community-wide impact of applying the ladybug scent to agricultural fields. Additionally, her lab will investigate similar predator-prey dynamics in new predators and parasitoids, insects whose larvae parasitize other insects. “Together with our colleagues at the Huck’s Center for Chemical Ecology, we’re harnessing the power of these and other natural chemicals and ecological dynamics,” Hermann said. In an era where environmental threats loom larger than ever, our commitment to these sustainable, nature-inspired practices is not just promising – it’s essential for the health and future of our planet.” BF Research UNVERFERTH MFG. CO., INC. P.O. BOX 357, KALIDA, OH 45853 UNVERFERTH.COM • 419.532.3121 SEED TENDERS ›Visit UMequip.com or see your nearest dealer today. GET SAFE, EFFICIENT SEED DELIVERY. The exclusive rubber conveyor belt features offset, U-shaped cleats that are integrally molded into the belt for unmatched durability. After countless hours of research and testing, it was proven that the U-shaped cleats increase carrying capacity while the offset design protects the seed as it moves through the conveyor tube. The bottom line? You’ll protect your investment and fill your planter faster with an Unverferth seed tender! Deliver your seed investment quickly and safely during the narrow planting window with a patented self-filling Seed Runner® or Seed Pro® seed tender! DELIVER YOUR INVESTMENT QUICKLY AND SAFELY SEED PRO® BULK BOX CARRIER SEED RUNNER® BULK TANK TENDER
14 Ate Today? Thank a Farmer. Better Farming | April 2024 Old dogs, new tricks Thank goodness for winter agronomy meetings. They allow growers and ag industry folks to get together and see what is working in agriculture. They also help us pass the time in Ontario’s cold, blustery winter months. As I did last year, this article will cover some key topics from this winter’s Ontario CCA conference, the Great Lakes YEN panel, the Ontario Agricultural Conference, and our internal Pioneer North America agronomy conference. As the old saying goes, if you do not keep up with innovative ideas, you will quickly become irrelevant. Winter wheat Winter wheat acres continue to increase. Here are the key tips for a higher-yielding crop if you are in this game. Planting date, planting date, and planting date – that is the key. Earlier planting dates, within your ideal planting window, rules. This promotes more biomass accumulation, both above-ground and below-ground, allowing the roots to secure more water and nutrients early on. Joanna Follings, OMAFRA cereals specialist, commented recently that a six-day difference in planting dates can account for vast yield increases. The key is to plan for management practices that allow you to plant six days earlier than normal. Head count matters in wheat. The number of heads per square metre is critical for higher yields. This ties in with earlier planting dates, as earlier planting dates have more tillers per plant. More tillers in the fall equates to higher yields than additional tillers added in the spring. Ideal heads per square metre are 700 or greater. Data from Michigan State University shows that winter wheat planted earlier responds more to fall-applied fertilizer than wheat planted later. Simply put, more roots and biomass earlier in the season allows the plant to continually access more nutrients and water. Managing for higher soybean yields The debate continues around the countryside: Does corn out-yield soybeans in terms of overall rate of genetic gain? Looking at North American trends over the past 20 years, corn has averaged 1.6 bushels-per-year gain. Soybeans over the last 50 years have gained 0.48 bushels per year. There is a straightforward way to look at soybean yields on your farm and determine if they are keeping up to your corn yields from a genetic gain standpoint. Don Kyle, soybean breeder with Corteva, commented on the yield and soybean gains in North America over the past 15 to 20 years. He looked at the yields of corn on average in bushelsper-acre for both crops. He then compared the ratio of corn yields to soybean yields. As an example, in Ottawa-Carleton region in 2022, the average corn yield was 177.6 bushels per acre and soybeans was 54.8 bushels per acre. If you take the corn to soybean yield ratio, the ratio would be 3.2. Don would suggest any ratio below 4.0 means your soybean yields are keeping up with your corn yields on an annual genetic yield gain basis. If your ratio is above 4.0, what are some things you can do to achieve OUR SECOND ANNUAL CONFERENCE SEASON REVIEW OFFERS IDEAS & INSIGHT. CAN YOU TEACH AN ‘OLD DOG’ NEW TRICKS? By PAUL HERMANS Paul Hermans photo
15 Ate Today? Thank a Farmer. Better Farming | April 2024 Old dogs, new tricks higher soybean yields? Planting the newest soybean varieties is one way to increase yields. As with winter wheat, earlier planting dates also expand yield opportunities. Local planting date studies show a solid 3.0 to 5.0-bushel yield gain for planting soybeans 10 to 14 days earlier than mid-May. Seed treatments and the value they bring go hand in hand with earlier planting dates. They reduce risk by protecting soybean seeds from the insects and pathogens that thrive under cooler, wetter conditions often experienced earlier in the planting window. Dive deep into the seed treatments you are using, as not all seed treatments are the same. Various “cocktails” are added to take away that early planting stress you may be experiencing. Fungicides are necessary, especially in areas with high white mould pressure. Don’s comments suggest that we must keep beans disease-free all year for higher yields. The biggest yield loss occurs during pod abortion. Keeping pods happy and stress-free leads to bigger yields. Fertility and feeding the crop, with subsequent crop removal, are important – especially with the higher yield levels we are achieving. Potassium is one element that needs to be improved on for top-end yields. These ideas are just a few management practices aimed at increasing soybean yields. Drones for pesticide application There is a lot of excitement about the possibility of using drones to apply pesticides in Ontario. Think about it – a lot of Ontario field shapes and sizes are odd and small. Getting across those fields with larger equipment is a challenge at times. Add to that the curveballs that Mother Nature throws us and often we cannot get into the field to apply a pesticide when above-average rainfalls occur. Timing for a disease like white mould is critical. OMAFRA application technology specialist Jason Deveau presented some interesting research findings at the annual Certified Crop Advisor meeting in January. He showed that the downwash effect of drones and subsequent spray pattern is not ideal for proper control of pests (insects, weeds, or diseases) with current technology. One would think drones are like helicopters. But this is not the case, as each motor on a drone can spin in different directions and at different speeds. Jason asked us to visualize a corn crop at tassel time when a helicopter passes over. Do you see the tassels move dramatically? The answer is no. If you have a drone flying over, the answer is yes. This gives you a visual sense of why more drone research work needs to be done before we can use this technology in Eastern Canada. So, my take-home would be to hold off on making that purchase for pesticide applications. And remember that it is currently illegal to spray a pesticide with a drone in Ontario for large acreages (non-research permit-based areas). Intrigued about this? Check out Jason’s great website on drones and sprayers at http://www.sprayers101. com. Corn rootworm challenges Whether it’s an insect, weed or disease, Mother Nature has a unique way of overcoming what agriculture throws at it. By that, I mean becoming resistant to continual use of pesticides or other activities. In the corn rootworm world, there is heightened awareness to resistant corn rootworm in specific locales across Ontario and other areas in North America. These areas are similar in terms of high use of corn rootworm traits year in and year out on continuous corn. This continued use has allowed Mother Nature to build up populations of corn rootworm with resistance to corn rootworm Bt traits. Corteva’s Sam Eathington presents at AgronCon 2024. Paul Hermans photo
16 The Business of Ontario Agriculture Better Farming | April 2024 In Eastern Canada there is a divide in species. In general, from Ottawa west to Windsor, the western corn rootworm is predominant. East of Ottawa through Quebec, the northern corn rootworm persists more than the western. Western tend to lay twice as many eggs as northern, and to date, are the species that have shown to develop resistance to the current Bt traits. From a scouting standpoint, one western will do more damage that one northern. In general, rootworm do not move that much – on average, less than half a kilometre per year. But with high-velocity wind storms, it has been shown that corn rootworm beetles can travel 200 km or more! New to agriculture in Eastern Canada is RNAi technology, to provide a new mode of action in our toolbox in the fight against rootworm. This trait is combined with two other traditional modes of action for superior belowground rootworm control. Unique to this is the ability of the trait to reduce corn rootworm adult beetles by as much as 99 per cent – which further helps mitigate this pest. At the end of the day, rotating crops, traits and management practices is the No. 1 solution to managing corn rootworm to ensure the traits we currently have are around for years to come. Networking and learning It is great taking part in these meetings, but it is the after-meeting learning that keeps you thinking as well. One example I had was talking with an agronomist from northern Iowa. He was explaining their change in the landscape, with large dairies from California moving into the area and setting up large 6,000-head-plus dairy operations. Land values in California in some regions are hitting record values. Limitations in water availability and use in certain geographies is restricting agriculture output. This has challenged growers and producers to expand their thinking and expand their horizons to keep on farming. Our world is ever-changing, both locally and globally. Farmers continue to adapt to our evolving landscape. Commodity prices Commodity prices have declined recently in agriculture. I had a grower ask me what items I would recommend they cut out of their crop management practices to be profitable. Their first instinct was to cut inputs. I challenged the grower to look at what inputs matter, what assorted items cost them on a per-bushel basis, and strive for the highest yields possible. At the end of the day, higher yields mean lower input costs and better profitability. Think about diverse ways to manage your farm business. One example of such thinking recently came from Chris Barron from Ag View Solutions, who shared their story on how a few growers have joined forces and collaborated on joint ownership of equipment. This has allowed for lower machinery costs on a per-acre basis and improved economics on their farm operation. Thinking creatively on all aspects of the farm operation is critical to survival in 2024 and beyond. This is why keeping up with innovative technologies, the latest agronomic research, and picking the brains of neighbours close and afar is critical to moving the yield needle on your farm. From my writing desk to your reading desk, happy planning for the upcoming planting season. BF PAUL HERMANS Paul Hermans, CCA-ON is an area agronomist in Eastern Ontario with Corteva Agriscience. Paul Hermans photo Old dogs, new tricks Planting the newest soybean varieties can help increase your yields.
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18 It’s Farming. And It’s Better. Better Farming | April 2024 Farm owners & payroll How Ontario farm workers get compensated has become more formalized and organized, and both employees and employers are seeing the benefits. Levi Derksen, senior manager with ag-focused accounting firm Buckberger Baerg & Partners, says that payrolls have become more common as farm sizes have increased – as has their need for full-time workers. “The trend started as farms grew, with more work being done by non-family members,” he says. Kathy Neufeld, management and advisory services coordinator with Stark & Marsh, says farming has changed significantly over the past generation, and so has farm owners’ progress with financial reporting. “Producers are aware of compliance with Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), so accountability has become more significant,” she says. “We see more organized payroll practices and engaging professionals to assist and/or process from beginning to end.” Stark & Marsh offers farmers accounting, tax, audit, consulting, and financial planning services. Employer benefits The appeal for interested producers are the numerous benefits that payrolls can offer. “Having employees on payroll can formalize an employment relationship, leading to better employee retention,” says Derksen. He also explains that arm’s length wages are allowable expenses for AgriStability, increasing the likelihood of an AgriStability claim in a poor farming year. Farm Management Canada executive director Heather Watson points to additional benefits like predictable expenses for budgeting and cash flow management. Neufeld further explains that accurate and up-to-date payroll processing gives farm operators a better understanding of their weekly, monthly, and annual payroll expenses and how many employees their farm can afford. Entry-level personnel or a manager can take some responsibilities off owners and let them be more productive elsewhere. Also, automated payments are a plus. “I would argue that the more employees, the greater the chance automated payroll would be beneficial to the farm operation,” says Watson. Not only is this a timesaver, but there’s a green aspect of not using paper for cheques or paystubs – the latter which can be sent in PDF form via email, says Neufeld. Employee benefits The advantages of payrolls also extend to employees. “The main benefit is Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions matched by the employers, and Employment Insurance (EI) contributions, which allows employees to potentially collect EI in the future,” says Derksen. Employees may also access additional benefits like Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) contributions, says Watson. “The benefits of payroll for employees are an increased sense of security ‘DO YOUR BEST & HIRE THE REST.’ FARM PAYROLL PRACTICES By RICHARD KAMCHEN Geoff Small/E+ photo
19 It’s Farming. And It’s Better. Better Farming | April 2024 and stability in their employment, and timely and often automated pay through direct deposit,” she says. “This may help in attracting and retaining employees.” That’s especially important during a time of farm labour scarcity. Says Neufeld: “Experienced employees are a great benefit to producers, as is their knowledge base of your operation, which in turn can lead to less cost.” Legal obligations Payrolls can also ensure compliance with labour and tax laws. “Keeping current with payroll also meets government reporting requirements, which equates to less money spent on unnecessary filing penalties, interest, and PIER reports,” says Neufeld. A PIER report is a pensionable and insurable earnings review. Neufeld points out penalties and interest are high and can accumulate quickly. Derksen notes that the CRA has detailed rules regarding whether a worker is an employee or self-employed contractor. Several tests and factors come into play and can be found at: www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/ services/forms-publications/ publications/rc4110/employee-self- employed.html. Farmers can also find out their legal obligations and answers to other labour-related questions by consulting with a lawyer with employment law experience, Derksen says. Your accountant can also get you pointed in the right direction, says Neufeld. She explains that provincial governments have different labour standards, and their websites can offer compliance information. “The standards are different for agriculture than for different industries and businesses, so it is an advantage to identify the differences as you engage in hiring practices and compensation,” Neufeld adds. Who takes on payroll tasks If you’re wondering if you should take on the work yourself or send it out to professionals, the answer depends on your operation – including its size, complexity, and labour requirements, says Derksen. Neufeld recommends operators first ask themselves what they know about payroll practices. “The owner/shareholder will be held personally responsible for the correct reporting of payroll and remitting on time to CRA. “They should also determine how much time they can devote to learning more before committing themselves to shouldering the payroll load,” she says. “Could my time be better spent working on my business and hiring the professionals to process payroll?” Watson says that, like any farm decision, it depends on the skills and capacity of the operator to implement and manage such a change. “This is where your accountant and other business advisors can come in to help you decide,” she says. Hiring an individual or firm to manage your payrolls could be a good fit for the typically busy farmer. “We have a saying in farm management – do your best, and hire the rest,” Watson says. She explains that many farmers feel pressured to be the Jack or Jill of all trades. But that stress can be alleviated by outsourcing to professionals, which frees up their time to focus more on other areas of the farm that need their attention. “We tend to perform our best when we’re focusing on the things we love to do. That doesn’t mean we can ignore the other stuff that needs to get done, but find others who are passionate and experts in those things to leverage your collective strengths.” BF WWW.GLENGARRY.CA Let's make it work. When other doors seem closed, ours are open. Sometimes finances are best discussed over a cup of coffee at the kitchen table. It’s where you dream big, and it’s where we sketch out a plan to restructure debt and make the numbers work. We don’t hide behind a big desk. We’re closer than that. We get farming. RICHARD KAMCHEN Richard Kamchen is a veteran agricultural freelance writer and is a regular contributor to Better Farming. Farm owners & payroll
20 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | April 2024 Carbon Sequestration Farmers are sometimes criticized in environmental sustainability conversations, but soil carbon sequestration is one opportunity to turn that around. Carbon sequestration is the removal of carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide, from the atmosphere, where it will then be stored in another form, often in soil or plants. Some producers are now seeing that in addition to improving public perception of the industry, managing farmland to increase soil carbon also benefits crop and pasture productivity, drought resilience, and erosion. How does soil store carbon and how can farmers reap the benefits? What is carbon sequestration? There are a few ways that carbon is stored. It can be stored in soil or plant material, and can be organic or inorganic, and living or dead. Cedric MacLeod, executive director of the Canadian Forage & Grassland Association, says that the process of carbon storage involves the interaction of a number of factors. “It’s a complex interaction between plants, soil, and the sun,” explains MacLeod. “Photosynthesis generates sugars, and plants use carbon and put it into their roots. When a plant dies, the roots stay behind, and that becomes organic matter through an interaction with many microscopic living creatures within the soil structure.” MacLeod also notes that there is an equivalent amount of plant below the ground as what can be seen aboveground. “A corn plant grows up to maybe 14 feet tall. There’s an equivalent amount of plant below-ground as there is above,” says MacLeod. “If you consider a 22-tonne corn silage crop and all that biomass that’s generated and harvested and put into a bunker silo, that same amount of plant material is still left behind under the soil surface and that carbon drives microbial function. They chew on the roots and mineralize the material and turn it into organic matter, which will go into the next crop – and whatever is left behind contributes to carbon sequestration long-term.” Dr. Rafael Santos, associate professor in Environmental Engineering at the University of Guelph, and Dr. Emily Chiang, an associate professor in the School of Engineering at the U of G, explain that carbon can also be sequestered as organic or inorganic carbon. “There are different types of carbon in soil and different ways to store them,” says Santos. “We work with inorganic, but there’s also organic carbon. They both occur in soils, but some soils will have more organic carbon and less inorganic carbon, and vice versa. There are ways that you can interfere to store carbon or ways you can manage your land to store more carbon. They tend to be complementary, so it can be all of the ‘THE BEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR SOIL CARBON ARE THE ONES THAT WE DON’T TOUCH.’ OPPORTUNITIES IN CARBON SEQUESTRATION By EMILY CROFT Emily Croft photo Minimum or reduced tillage systems avoid disturbing root systems and introducing oxygen.
21 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | April 2024 Carbon Sequestration above, and you can use multiple ways to store carbon at the same time.” MacLeod’s description of sequestration refers to organic carbon, but Chiang’s and Santos’s research focuses on soil amendments that sequester inorganic carbon. MacLeod also categorizes carbon in “living” and “decomposing” fractions. He explains that lignin, a fibrous component of the plant, is more challenging for microbes to break down and remains in the soil longer term as a recalcitrant source of carbon. Instead, the microbes target the “juicy” part of the plant, which can then be mineralized and made available, or is more susceptible to re-release. “It’s a very dynamic system that changes quickly. Within a wet year in Ontario soils, you may have more carbon sequestration, but might also have more microbial activity that releases more,” says MacLeod. How can producers store more carbon in their soil? Managing the soil Soils that are undisturbed and remain covered by plant matter tend to sequester more carbon. “The best management systems for soil carbon are the ones that we don’t touch. If you think about an alfalfa stand on a dairy or beef operation, you plant alfalfa and leave it for four years,” says MacLeod. “For four years, the plant grows two feet above the ground and the roots grow two feet into the ground. Then it gets cut, and then it grows again, and the roots grow again. That may be 12 times that the plant has grown and pushed that carbon into the soil. “Now you are moving to a corn silage crop. Option 1 is to terminate the alfalfa crop and no-till corn directly into the sod. You open a narrow slot and drop corn seed in, and the corn roots grow through now-dead alfalfa roots, and that carbon stays intact.” When intact, these root systems also allow for greater water-holding capacity during drought without waterlogging in wet years, allowing for crop resilience. “What often happens is we have four years of alfalfa and all that carbon in the root mass, and we come in with tillage and break that sod down.” MacLeod says that the introduction of oxygen to soil during tillage increases microbial activity, converting stored carbon back into carbon dioxide and releasing it into the atmosphere. He recommends leaving tillage equipment in storage as often as possible, and if tillage is necessary, using a minimum tillage approach. His three recommendations for maximizing soil carbon are: 1. Minimize tillage wherever possible to avoid disturbing stored carbon. 2. Include perennial forages in the rotation. This is an opportunity to work with livestock producers or take advantage of the forage export industry. 3. Balance soil fertility to maximize biomass production. John Cross of a7 Ranche, near Nanton, Alta., uses a planned grazing program to maximize soil carbon and pasture productivity. “Carbon sequestration is an outcome of healthy plants. If you have healthy plants, you’re likely going to have more carbon in the soil,” says Cross. “So it’s more like working at having a healthy landscape, and a byproduct of that is more than likely more carbon in the soil.” With the holistic planned grazing approach to land management, Cross says it’s essential to commit to it. “We really do it. Lots of people say they do it, but they really don’t,” says Cross. “We have three herds in about 120 pastures with a 60-day recovery period and an average grazing period of a day and a half. What we try to do is have a long rest period and short grazing period. Appropriate utilization is also important. You can have long rest periods and short grazing periods, but if utilization isn’t pushing land enough, you can actually go backwards.” Cross says they have a land description for what they want their system to Increased soil carbon sequestration supports crop productivity. Emily Croft photo
22 Follow us on Twitter @BetterFarmingON Better Farming | April 2024 Carbon Sequestration look like, and then they use planned grazing to achieve that and meet the needs of livestock. It is important to plan, monitor, control and replan as the needs of the land and cattle evolve. They have started working with the Food Water Wellness Foundation in Alberta to measure the carbon in their soil to compare to other management styles and also create baseline measurements of soil carbon in the Prairies. As his properties are resampled over time, Cross believes improving sampling systems will offer producers more opportunities to get paid for the improvements they make to carbon sequestration. “If you can keep sampling and the carbon is still there, and you can sample lots of acres, this whole process is now a lot more robust, repeatable, and affordable,” says Cross. Another way that a7 Ranche has measured improvements to the soil is by calculating animal grazing days per acre. The work that the family has put into improved soil management has yielded increases in productivity. “I took over the ranch in ’86. At that time, the ranch was at about 30 animal days per acre. After using the planned grazing strategy, we are getting up to 90 to 120 animal days per acre,” says Cross. With multiple categories of soil carbon and different ways to sequester them, research is occurring across Canada to improve and monitor carbon sequestration in agricultural soils. Innovative approaches Traditionally, approaches to increasing soil carbon have focused on management of crops, forages, and pastures. Chiang’s and Santos’s research at the U of G is taking another approach to improving carbon sequestration in Ontario. Their enhanced rock weathering project uses minerals applied to crop land, similarly to other minerals or hard fertilizers, to increase the carbon removed from the atmosphere. “Rock weathering is a natural process and is one of the ways that the planet has been balancing carbon dioxide throughout geological time,” says Chiang. “It’s a very slow reaction, so it takes a very long time. That’s why we call our process enhanced. We would like to advance the rate of this process because human activity has been too busy releasing carbon.” Wollastonite is a mineral that is currently mined in Southern Ontario. In their research, Chiang and Santos have found that it is ideal for the enhanced rock weathering process. “Basically, we spread these minerals in the field and then the minerals dissolve because of plant activity and the interaction with soil and microbe. This interaction generates acid and dissolves the rock,” explains Chiang. “When the rock is dissolved, you have calcium and magnesium, and when they react with carbon dioxide, they capture it as a solid, rather than a gas.” Santos adds that rainwater also contributes to this process. “Once the mineral is dissolved in water it can do a few things. It can precipitate into inorganic solids in the soil or go down through the soil to an aquifer,” says Santos. He says the overall goal is to use the mineral to essentially develop new soil that can store carbon. Chiang says they have begun discussions with companies and farmers to determine how this could become available in the industry. Improved grazing management can improve soil health. Emily Croft photo
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