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.


Ontario has a new official soil

Monday, November 30, 2015

by SUSAN MANN

The province’s designation of an official soil helps raise Ontarians’ awareness about the importance of soils, says Alan Kruszel, president of the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association.

On Monday, provincial Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal designated the Guelph soil series as Ontario’s official soil. The designation was made to commemorate the soil’s important role and historical significance to the Ontario agri-food industry’s development, according to the ministry’s Nov. 30 press release.

Kruszel says the association helped the ministry “figure out which soil should be the one to be chosen.”

There are almost 300 soil series in Ontario. Soil series is one of the ways soils are classified.

The Guelph soil series is one of the most productive agricultural soils in Ontario, the release says. It’s found on the rolling hills across Wellington County and the surrounding regions. More than 173,000 acres of Guelph soils have been mapped across Wellington, Brant, Dufferin, Oxford, Perth and Lambton counties, Waterloo and Halton regions and the city of Hamilton.

The soil’s texture ranges from loam, to sandy loam to silt loam and it typically has few stones. It’s well drained but capable of retaining enough moisture for crop production.
Kruszel says the Guelph soil series is “an excellent soil with good fertility and supports the growth of a variety of crops. It’s a perfect choice” to be named the official soil.  

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations declared this year as the International Year of Soils and Dec. 5 is World Soil Day. BF

Current Issue

June/July 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Northern Ontario Farms Get Ag Plastic Recycling

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Northern Ontario agriculture communities have compacted 27 metric tons of agricultural plastics. The Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA), in partnership with the northern caucus of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), is proud to announce major progress in its... Read this article online

Protecting Plant Health Supports All Life

Monday, May 12, 2025

Healthy plants are vital to the survival and well-being of people, animals, and nature. They clean the air, support biodiversity, and are the foundation of food and economic systems. On May 12, Canadians celebrate International Day of Plant Health. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)... Read this article online

V6 Agronomy Joins Port of Johnstown Deal

Monday, May 12, 2025

V6 Agronomy has partnered with the Port of Johnstown (100 kilometres south of Ottawa) to build a national fertilizer hub. This long-term collaboration should support Canada’s food security, reduce input costs for farmers, and modernize the fertilizer supply chain using clean... 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 Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top