By OMAFRA Ag Rep Brian Bell
Windbreaks
Although we had a mild winter this year, Ontario winters are typically cold and bring a lot of snow. Plan ahead and plant a windbreak before next winter—windbreaks are an effective way to trap snow and prevent snow build-up around driveways and laneways, buildings, farmyards and other high-use areas. For you, this means: Potential savings in fuel costs; reduction in the wear and tear of your plowing equipment; less money and time spent on clearing snow from your property; easy access to your livestock; safer travel along rural roads; reduced heating costs of up to 30 percent. Windbreaks have year-round benefits, too. When planted around field crops, feedlots, livestock buildings, pastures and calving areas, windbreaks reduce wind speeds and will: Increase crop yields and reduce soil erosion; lower animal stress and improve animal health; increase feed efficiency; protect the working environment in and around livestock areas. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) have many resources to help you with windbreak planning. On our website watch four windbreak videos on planning, planting, maintenance and farmer windbreak success stories. The free Best Management Practices book ‘Establishing Tree Cover’ provides a step-by-step guide for planning and planting a windbreak and includes maintenance tips. Contact OMAFRA’s Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca for more information.
Are you interested in formalizing your food safety program?
Have your buyers requested your business be certified in food safety? The OSCIA offers food safety workshops and webinars to get you started. While the workshops and webinars are open to all farm commodities, they are aimed at addressing food safety hazards from the horticultural perspective, and are most appropriate for those who do not yet have a certified food safety program in place. The workshops and webinars introduce food safety risks common to most farms and the good agricultural practices you can put in place to reduce or eliminate these risks. The workshop will get you started on building a plan and identifying what you need to implement on your farm. Navigate to http://www.ontariosoilcrop.org/oscia-programs/workshops-webinars/food-safety-webinar/
