Improving water and fertilizer management to keep agriculture and the environment green and sustainable

Jun 13, 2017

Farmers know the importance of keeping the land, water and air healthy to sustain their farms and livelihoods from one generation to the next. They also know that a clean environment and a strong economy go hand-in-hand.

Parliamentary Secretary Jean-Claude Poissant was joined today by Member of Parliament Francis Scarpaleggia (Lac-Saint-Louis) to announce, on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, a contribution of more than $2.9 million for two McGill University projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by water and fertilizer use in agriculture.

This funding, which comes from the Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Program (AGGP), will enable McGill University to develop policies, models and new practices for water management systems ($1,608,712), and to assess the effectiveness and the impact on soils of using municipal biosolids as fertilizers in three different Canadian climate zones ($1,366,961).

These projects will provide farmers with access to cost-effective best management practices for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Source: AAFC

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.