Low-Input Agriculture in Cool Climate Boreal Ecosystems

Jan 31, 2020

As the climate warms, northern boreal regions are expected to become more important for agricultural production. This ecozone covers 35 per cent of Canada's total land area – including Newfoundland and Labrador. Agricultural activities currently contribute 10 per cent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. Project goals for “Low-Input Agriculture in Cool Climate Boreal Ecosystems” include:

Determining the effects of various crop management systems on soil health, crop yield and quality;
Reducing the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions in agricultural production;
Investigating the effects of natural resource by-products – for example, waste generated from the forestry and aquaculture sectors – on soil health, crop yield and quality; and
Investigating methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture, forestry, and other resource-based industries.

Eight graduate students from Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland are working with researchers and scientists from Fisheries and Land Resources, Natural Resources Canada, and Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Ltd., on three focus areas with projects relevant to agriculture in Newfoundland and Labrador, including:

Evaluating the effects of crop rotation and nitrogen fertilizer additives in an effort to:

reduce nitrogen fertilizer requirements;
reduce losses due to leaching and greenhouse gas emissions;
improve soil health, and
ensure agricultural growth by adopting sustainable practices;

Determining the suitability and potential use of natural resource waste in agriculture, including paper mill waste and fish sludge; and
Demonstrating and communicating the benefits of improved management practices to increase awareness and adoption of practices.

Source : Government of Canada

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.