Guelph Soil Series receives designation
By Diego Flammini, Farms.com
Ontario joined Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Alberta as the Canadian provinces who have an official provincial soil.
The Guelph Series, made up of loams, sandy loams and silt loams can be found on more than 70,000 hectares of soil throughout the province. Brant, Dufferin, Oxford, Perth, Lambton and Wellington Counties, the City of Hamilton, and Waterloo and Halton Regions all have Guelph Soil Series.
“Soil is the foundation of Ontario agriculture and that is why our government is committed to a soil strategy in our province,” said Jeff Leal, Ontario Minister of Agriculture. “By designating the Guelph Soil Series as Ontario’s provincial soil, we are commemorating one of the things that makes Ontario’s agri-food sector so highly productive.”
The soil series is highly productive, helping Ontario farmers produce corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa and other crops.
The announcement comes just days before World Soil Day on Saturday, December 5th and during the last month of the International Year of Soils.
“Designating a provincial soil during the International Year of Soils is a great way to raise awareness of the importance of soil to all Ontarians,” said Alan Kruszel, President, Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association. “Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association has had a lot of support in bringing this proposal forward and we are very happy to have been able to work with the Ministry to designate the Guelph Soil Series as Ontario’s Provincial Soil.”
Other provincial soils:
- Manitoba – Newdale Soil
- Nova Scotia – Queens Soil
- New Brunswick – Holmesville Soil
- Prince Edward Island – Charlottetown Soil
- Quebec – Ste. Rosalie Soil
- Alberta – Breton Soil
- British Columbia – Announcement of provincial soil will be made on Friday, December 4th, 2015.