This month's newsletter includes our Annual Report for 2020.


Trends in Agriculture
Tuesday, May 4, 2021
7:00p.m – 8:00 p.m.
Registration is required for this virtual event.
Event link - https://trendsinagriculture.eventbrite.ca
Steve Duff, OMAFRA, Chief Economist will discuss - Trends in
agricultural commodities in Bay of Quinte area – crops, livestock, etc.
Coming from
dairy and beef background in Northumberland county, Steve completed a Masters
in Ag Economics at the University of Guelph in 1996. Steve joined OMAFRA
in late 1997 after a year as a policy researcher with the Dairy Farmers of
Ontario. For close to 15 years, he was OMAFRA’s lead on business risk
management programs such as AgriStability and Crop Insurance. Steve is
currently OMAFRA’s Chief Economist. He is also an adjunct
professor of agricultural economics at the University of Guelph. Steve
and his wife Robyn also operate a beef and cash crop operation near Colborne
Ontario.
Dr. Tom Bruulsema, Plant Nutrition
Canada, Chief Scientist will present on -
Trends in fertilizers use in Ontario and water quality,
understanding 4R Nutrient Stewardship
Tom
Bruulsema is Chief Scientist with Plant Nutrition Canada, providing support for
the nutrient stewardship programs of the fertilizer industry since 1994. Raised
on a farm near Hamilton, Ontario, he went to the University of Guelph for
degrees in agriculture and crop science, then served as an agronomist with
the Mennonite Central Committee in Bangladesh from 1986 to 1990, and
subsequently went on to Cornell University for a PhD in Soil Science.
The Bay of
Quinte Remedial Action Plan will present on it Rural Stewardship Program, which
offers local
farmers free soil testing, and grants for cover crop, livestock fencing,
alternate watering and buffer zone. As well as, grants for projects that
contribute to reducing erosion issues and nutrient loss risks on farms making a
difference to their bottom line and the health of Bay of Quinte.
View the building a rain garden how-to-webinar below.

Greening Your Grounds
Learn how to build your own rain garden at this webinar. The Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan and Lower Trent Conservation will walk you through the process of building your own rain garden. Starting with choosing the correct site, and size of garden for your property, to the final stage of selecting native plants that will thrive in your rain garden.
Learn if you are eligible for a grant of up to $500 for native plants, soil, compost, gravel, and mulch used to establish a functioning rain garden. Grant funding is for the urban areas around the Bay of Quinte.
Jason Jobin, BQRAP Environmental Technician, Lower Trent Conservation
613-394-3915 ext 242 or jason.jobin@ltc.on.ca
Email Jason Today!

Soil - Making it work. Patrick
Lynch will discuss Forages, Rotations and Tillage. Where does the soil go? Jeff
Meyer explains about the newest techniques in mapping and measuring soil loss. Also,
learn about BQRAP grants and programs.
View the webinar HERE

This is a great reminder about how this pandemic started, it was first and foremost an environmental crisis.

Restoring Areas of Concern boosts economic development
This report covers
the successful restoration of 10 Area of concern. “
The story told in this report, and by these Great Lakes
communities, documents and illustrates the very tangible, as well as often
intangible benefits of this cleanup to the people of the Great Lakes states and
provinces. It provides a powerful case for sustaining the flow of cleanup
funding that has quite literally revived communities.” Executive summary.