The strong winds this week underlined problems of soil erosion for farmers in the Holland Marsh.
The soil here is considered a non-renewable resource. The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority is encouraging farmers to plant cover crops to help reduce erosion over the winter.
“Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday it was pretty intense,” says Andrea Gynan, a spokesperson with LSRCA.
The Landowner Environmental Assistance Program can help offset the cost of seeds for cover crops. It can also help offset the cost of planting trees for wind breaks to help keep soil in place.
Farmers in the marsh say planting ground cover isn't always possible because some crops are harvested too late in the growing season. But seeing the soil blow away is getting some to take a closer look at the way things are done.
“We have to protect it to the best of our ability and we have to learn new ways and new methods of doing it,” says Tim Horlings, a Holland March grower.
The conservation authority will roll out this year’s environmental assistance program later this spring.
