Lack of rain could threaten crops in Eastern Ontario

Jun 06, 2016

Weather forecast shows chances of rain

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

Producers around Ottawa are stressing the fact they need rain soon, or they could lose nearly 40 per cent of their crops.

“We’re hoping and praying we do get some rain,” Mel Foster, a co-owner of Foster Family Farm in North Gower, Ontario, told CBC.

Some producers in the area have started to use irrigation to ensure their crops are receiving enough water – something they haven’t had to do since about 2012.

Rain

According to the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, farmers are battling a “moderately severe” drought.

Doug McKay, a cattle producer, also from North Gower, told CBC he could lose up to 40 per cent of his hay crop if the rains don’t come.

He said he’s fertilized his crop nearly a month ago but no rainfall means the fertilizer hasn’t penetrated the ground.

According to The Weather Network, there may be some rain coming.

The current 14-day forecast shows a 40 per cent chance of rain on June 9, 11, 12, 15, 18 and 20.

The highest chances of rain are June 7 and 8; both days have a 60 per cent chance of precipitation.

McKay said a heavy downpour won’t help because the ground is too hard and the rain will just run off.

Video: How farmers are protecting the soil and our food security | DW Documentary

For a long time, soil was all but ignored. But for years, the valuable humus layer has been thinning. Farmers in Brandenburg are clearly feeling the effects of this on their sandy fields. Many are now taking steps to prepare their farms for the future.

Years of drought, record rainfall and failed harvests: we are becoming increasingly aware of how sensitively our environment reacts to extreme weather conditions. Farmers' livelihoods are at stake. So is the ability of consumers to afford food.

For a few years now, agriculture that focuses solely on maximum yields has been regarded with increasing skepticism. It is becoming more and more clear just how dependent we are on healthy soils.

Brandenburg is the federal state with the worst soil quality in Germany. The already thin, fertile humus layer has been shrinking for decades. Researchers and farmers who are keen to experiment are combating these developments and looking for solutions. Priority is being given to building up the humus layer, which consists of microorganisms and fungi, as well as springtails, small worms and centipedes.

For Lena and Philipp Adler, two young vegetable farmers, the tiny soil creatures are invaluable helpers. On their three-hectare organic farm, they rely on simple, mechanical weed control, fallow areas where the soil can recover, and diversity. Conventional farmer Mark Dümichen also does everything he can to protect soil life on his land. For years, he has not tilled the soil after the harvest and sows directly into the field. His yields have stabilized since he began to work this way.

Isabella Krause from Regionalwert AG Berlin-Brandenburg is convinced after the experiences of the last hot summers that new crops will thrive on Brandenburg's fields in the long term. She has founded a network of farmers who are promoting the cultivation of chickpeas with support from the scientific community.