Soil Conservation Council of Canada Archives

“Pulling together, doing all the right things ... is just fantastically important.” – Jim Tokarchuk, Soil Conservation Council of Canada.

Soil ‘champions’ pledge to raise national profile of soil health

Changing crop rotations, volatile weather and a growing population all provide new stressors on soil

By Geralyn Wichers August 8, 2023

A group of soil ‘champions’ has come together to emphasize the benefits of soil health to consumers, farmers and policy makers. “It contributes to Canadians in so many ways,” Jim Tokarchuk said. He is the executive director of the Soil Conservation Council of Canada, one of the groups that spearheaded the new Soil Champions committee. The council announced the

Robert (Bob) McNabb, with wife Elaine, was inducted into the Canadian Conservation  Hall of Fame on November 13.

Farmit Manitoba, Local news, News, Other

Manitoba zero-till pioneer inducted into conservation hall of fame

Robert (Bob) McNabb called for greater passion for soil, aligning profit with ecology

By Geralyn Wichers November 27, 2019

Manitoba farmer Robert (Bob) McNabb called for greater passion for soil as he was inducted into the Canadian Conservation Hall of Fame in Winnipeg, November 13. In his acceptance address, McNabb called on those gathered to approach soil conservation with the same passion as teenage, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. “If we could get on

Soil scientist David Lobb speaks to a tour group during a Soil Conservation Council of Canada conference this October.

Crops, News

What’s blowing in the wind? Maybe not your soil

A recent study on land rolling shows that wind erosion doesn’t cause severe soil loss

By Geralyn Wichers November 12, 2019

A recent Manitoba study shows wind erosion may not be the soil stealer it’s cracked up to be. “It’s a perception issue,” said David Lobb, a soil scientist from the University of Manitoba. While recent images of dirty snow — or “snirt” — and the towering clouds of topsoil from the dust bowl era are

Scott Lavich’s first-year Operation Pollinator site remains short after dry conditions this year.

Crops, Local news, Other

Pollinator program faces down farm realities

Operation Pollinator providers say they are still fine tuning the recipe for success when bringing their program to the field

By Alexis Stockford September 10, 2018

Scott Lavich was already sold on supporting pollinator habitat before he signed on with Syngenta Canada’s Operation Pollinator last year. The Riding Mountain-area producer already had both interest and experience in on-farm conservation, making him a perfect fit for the program, which offers up to two acres worth of pollinator-friendly seed mix and financial support

4-H members get a first-hand look at Ryan Boyd’s swath grazing system Oct. 21, 2017, during the Manitoba 4-H Council Senior Members Event.

News

Can Canada have its cake and eat it too on exports?

There are challenges ahead if Canada wants to meet the Barton Report’s export targets without natural resources picking up the tab

By Alexis Stockford July 9, 2018

If Canada wants to grow its agriculture exports sustainably in the coming years, it’s going to need more farmers like Forrest-area producer Ryan Boyd. In recent years he’s tested new intercrop mixes and cover crops, hosted field and pasture tours, showcased a solar watering system and shared his forays into swath and high density grazing.

A combination of snow covered in dirt is colloquially known as “snirt” and it’s a common sight around Manitoba this year, including here, east of Winkler.

Crops, Local news

Erosion lessons learned… and forgotten

The dust-covered snow of this winter suggests there’s a soil erosion  problem brewing, MSSS speaker says

By Allan Dawson February 8, 2018

Disappearing shelterbelts and blackened fields have some wondering if the soil conservation lessons learned during the ‘Dirty ’30s’ dust bowl are being forgotten. “From the edge of Fargo to the edge of Winnipeg I did not see one flake of white snow on my way up yesterday (Jan. 31),” Daryl Ritchison, interim director of the

Crops, Local news

VIDEO: A return to the Dust Bowl days?

By Allan Dawson February 8, 2018

Are the soil conservation lessons learned from the Dirty Thirties being forgotten? Manitoba Co-operator reporter Allan Dawson spoke with Jim Tokarchuk of the Soil Conservation Council of Canada and University of Manitoba soil science professor David Lobb about this very issue at the Manitoba Soil Science Society’s meeting on Feb. 1, 2018. Watch for more

Attendees of an Aug. 30 field tour at the Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives site north of Brandon explore pollinator-friendly seed mix, including a swath of  purple blooming phacelia.

Crops, Forages

Pollinator seed mixes tailor made

Just like cattle and hogs benefit from the right rations, bees can benefit from the right mix of flowering plants

By Alexis Stockford September 27, 2017

What’s good for the bumblebee may not be good for the honeybee. That was the message as the Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives dug into pollinator-friendly seed mixes Aug. 30 during its Brookdale site field tour. “You want to have something that’s going to grow and, depending on how much time they have, legumes in

Comment, Opinion

Farmers’ focus must shift from yields to soil health

But looking after the land doesn’t have to result in a ‘yield penalty’

By Laura Rance-Unger September 25, 2017

A funny thing happens whenever talk turns to how to make farming more sustainable. As various options for improving how agriculture treats the natural environment are discussed, someone inevitably brings up the “yield penalty” farmers and society would pay. That penalty is seen as the gap between conventional methods using tillage and high rates of

Delegates discuss soil health issues, solutions and what should be included in a hypothetical soil health kit during a breakout session of the Global 4-H Summit.

Crops

4-H’ers dig into soil health policy and education

Soil health was a repeat topic as 4-H members from around the world turned their attention to sustainable agriculture and food security

By Alexis Stockford August 16, 2017

It’s time to think about what lies below our feet. That was the message delegates from 35 countries received from multiple speakers at the recent Global 4-H Summit in Ottawa. Soil health emerged from several workshops during the third day of the July 11-14 conference, themed around sustainable agriculture and food security. Syngenta Canada, also

Daily Network News

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures turn lower

U.S. grains: Soy futures dip as traders await China sales; corn, wheat sag

Seeds Canada announces Dan Wright as new CEO

Tag Archives Soil Conservation Council of Canada