Editorial

SMALL CONTRIBUTIONS BY MANY FARMS MAKE A BIG IMPACT

By Adam Petherick • 2ND VICE-CHAIR, DAIRY FARMERS OF ONTARIO; CHAIR, SUSTAINABILITY SUB-COMMITTEE

Practicing sustainability has long been a fundamental part of farming, even before there was a politically correct and trendy word for it. It’s so natural that many farmers wouldn’t even think to mention what they’re already doing. When Dairy Farmers of Canada announced a national commitment of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at its annual policy conference earlier this year, it left some producers to wonder what it would mean for their farm. As part of this larger national undertaking, our efforts at Dairy Farmers of Ontario will focus on voluntary adoption of common-sense best management practices, improvements in production efficiency, and advocating for producers who choose to invest in large capital projects that make sense for their own operations. Benchmarking at the farm level will allow us to leverage what is already happening as a strong starting point and position our dairy sector as part of the solution in mitigating climate change in this province and the country. Seemingly modest contributions from individual farmers, when viewed at an aggregated industry level, will substantially advance the dairy industry in meeting our sustainability goals. Consumers and our direct customers, dairy processors, want to know what initiatives we are undertaking to meet our societal obligations. We have positive stories to tell about how our industry contributes to a sustainable environment and the positive steps we will be taking moving forward. Communicating our efforts will be essential so that consumers can continue to feel good about our products while not leaving any room for the misinformation that some will try to perpetuate. Nobody has been working on Adam Petherick sustainability longer than farmers! Theresa Rogers

FARMING FOR THE FUTURE

By Theresea Rogers • EDITOR

FARMERS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN STEWARDS OF THE LAND.

Simple but effective practices such as crop rotation, which some historians believe was used as early as 6,000 BC, keep the land fertile. We’re focusing on some of these key practices in this issue. Crop rotation allows the soil to replenish any nutrients used because plants give and take nutrients differently. Diversity of crops and livestock, and application of manure are also replenishers. In fact, an article in the April 1948 issue of Milk Producer says cows are soil builders. According to the article, countries that first focused on grain farming then livestock, then dairy specifically, are among the best fed and most prosperous in the world. In the 1870s, the once-fertile soil of Wisconsin had become so depleted after decades of grain farming, farmers were discouraged and agriculture in the state was at a low point. The average yield of wheat was eight bushels per acre. W.D. Hoard, Founder of Hoard’s Dairyman, believed the dairy cow was the answer. Hoard turned to researchers at the New Jersey Agricultural Experimental Station who proved the value of manure in soil fertility. The practice was widely implemented and Wisconsin became “one of the richest, most fertile, and prosperous states in the nation.” Credit was given to the dairy cow. Today, data shows the winter wheat yield for the state is 75 bushels per acre, while the U.S. yield is approximately 44.3 bushels per acre. Dairy farmers have always understood the need to adopt new tactics and technologies for improved environmental outcomes. Farmers are already making great strides in reducing GHG emissions, water and land use, but also in managing plastic, maintaining soil health, and expanding local biodiversity. This legacy will continue.