Consultation period is open until the end of the year
By Kaitlynn Anderson
Staff Reporter
Farms.com
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has released its draft of a provincial soil health strategy for the province and welcomes producers to provide feedback before Dec. 31.
The document, New Horizons: Ontario’s Draft Agricultural Soil Health and Conservation, “focuses on improving soil health for the long term,” according to Don McCabe, director of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA).
“The soil strategy builds on the extensive soil health work of many Ontario farmers, agricultural organizations, ongoing research and OMAFRA initiatives,” he said.
When developing the strategy, OMAFRA considered the input from farmers, Indigenous communities and other interested groups, said McCabe.
The OFA was also involved in the development process.
The government incorporated aspects of the 2016 discussion document, Sustaining Ontario’s Agricultural Soils: Towards a Shared Vision, into the new strategy, according to OMAFRA.
The Ministry will release the final strategy in the spring.
Producers can submit their comments on the strategy by:
- Filling out a feedback form
- Sending an email
- Using the Environmental Bill of Rights Registry
- Sending a fax (519-826-3492)
- Mailing a letter to:
Agricultural Soil Health and Conservation Strategy
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
1 Stone Road West, 2nd floor
Guelph, ON N1G 4Y2
Farms.com has reached out to the OFA for further comment.
Photo source: Igor Stevanovic/ iStock/ Getty Images