OFA and OMAFRA will work together to improve soil health

Nov 03, 2015

Healthy soils mean healthy crops

Anyone who understands even a little about agriculture is well aware of the importance of soil when it comes to growing a successful crop.

“Healthy soil is essential for food production, a healthy environment and the long-term sustainability of Ontario agriculture,” said Mark Kunkel, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) in a commentary.

Soils have become such an important aspect of farming and agriculture, that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations deemed 2015 the International Year of Soils.

International Year of Soils

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and OFA are working alongside other agricultural industry groups, government and academic institutions to develop the Agricultural Soil Health Working Group.

The group will communicate and engage with farmers through workshops and public meetings about challenges and possible solutions to soil conservation issues including climate change and current farming practices.

Currently, there are about 4.1 million hectares of prime agricultural land in Ontario – 57% of which was at risk of erosion and 82% that was losing organic matter according to Agriculture and Agri-Food data from 2006. Other research has shown changes in soil quality due to erosion can cause up to 40% yield loss.

Soil health quizzes are available on OMAFRA’s website for farmers who are unsure of their soil quality. The quizzes include plant vigour, soil tilth and soil life as some of the indicators determining soil quality.

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.