Agriculture
Agriculture is an important sector, not only providing crops and livestock that feed our growing demand, but contributing hugely to the economy. It also represents the dominant land use in much of the populated area of Canada and is a major source of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) to surface and ground waters. Soil, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and pathogens of agricultural origin also have the potential to affect water quality. Abstraction of water for irrigation and increased water usage by crops compared to native vegetation can reduce the quantity of water in wetlands and streams.1
One of the ways to help minimize the environmental impacts of agriculture is to adopt best management practices. Sustainable, biodiversity-based agricultural approaches can also be employed. These approaches incorporate natural landscape into farmland and attempt to utilize natural processes provided by the ecosystem to maximize efficiency and minimize impact. This include agroforesty, which uses techniques such as silvoculture, alley cropping, forest farming, contouring, integrated riparian management, shelterbelts and buffers.
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How do agricultural impacts affect us locally?According to 2011 census data, there are 51,950 farms in Ontario with a total area of 12,668,236 acres, which is 5.6% of Ontario's land. About 20% of the land in Renfrew County is farmland, most commonly used by beef and dairy farms, and to grow hay.
Water quality issues, especially nutrients and eutrophication, impact water bodies across Canada, with Renfrew County being no exception. Examples of Local InitiativesDobson Farms – Grass Fed Beef
Rainbow Heritage Garden - Certified Organic vegetables on off-grid Family Farm Ways you can help!
Helpful ResourcesMore information about sustainable agriculture
http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/about-sarep/def Agroforestry http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/resmgmt/agroforestry/ |