LAND MANAGEMENT Continuous soil improvement yields success

Dan Breen, Putnam, ON

DAN BREEN FOLLOWS FOUR KEY RULES FOR SOIL MANAGEMENT

– keep it green, covered, growing, and don’t disturb it. This approach has helped him enhance the health, stability and productivity of the field crops he relies on to produce nutrient-rich feed for his dairy herd in Putnam, ON. Breenacres Family Farm has 75 milking cows with two robots and crops 1,000 acres. The family is currently working through a farm succession between Dan and wife, Kathy, and the next generation, his daughter Vanessa, and her husband Ryan. “It’s a privilege to manage my land and pass on the knowledge and experiences to the next generation to keep improving our most valuable resource,” says Breen.

Since taking over the family farm in 1989, Breen has taken a socioeconomic approach to land management, investing in soil health for the mutual benefit of the environment and the growth of his farm. Breen believes Ontario dairy farms should strive for more than environmental sustainability, aspiring to continually improve every aspect of the farm.

Since transitioning to no-till cropping in 1990, and seeding his first cover crop in 2006, Breen’s goal is to keep 100 per cent of his land planted with a living root at all times (in the form of a living crop or cover crop). Breen explains a growing crop sequesters carbon, builds root biomass, improves soil organisms and structure, and maintains macro pores and worm populations. “The benefits of healthy soil extend throughout the farm, from improved nutrient density in our crops, to stronger protein and butterfat in our milk production,” explains Breen. “Investing in soil health is always the right thing to do.”

Depending on the chosen cover crop, investment costs can range, but are generally economical, especially when compared with the long-term return on investment to soil health and resulting crop productivity. Soil and crop resilience is one of the greatest benefits Breen has realized from his efforts to improve soil health. He says his investment regularly pays off, especially in years with extreme weather, like drought or unseasonable wet conditions. Other land management practices, such as wind breaks and wetland conservation, have also enhanced soil and the overall environmental health of the land, too. Breen’s crop rotation includes alfalfa, corn, soybeans, wheat, triticale, rye, tillage radishes, peas, and oats. Fields are planted according to rotation and soil type, with careful consideration given to the types of cover crops that will provide the most benefit for each field.

“Thanks to the variety of feed and forage needs for our livestock, I’m fortunate to have a wide crop rotation,” notes Breen. “The livestock also provide manure as a natural source of soil and crop nutrients.”

Breen is confident in his land management approach, prioritizing the continuous improvement of soil health. “Healthy, vibrant soil translates throughout the farm, to the health and production of our milking cows, right through to the bottom line,” says Breen.