Farm Management

The Kawartha watershed is made up of nearly 50% farmland. Agriculture and healthy lakes are two pillars of our vibrant local economy. Farms can have a significant impact on lake health and how you manage your farm can make a big difference. Fuel and chemical management, nutrient management, source water protection and environmental farm planning can all play a critical role in supporting the health and safety of our watershed.

Programs and services

Kawartha Conservation offers the following programs and services to help farmers contribute to environmental conservation. Take part in our programs or apply for one of our landowner grants.

Seedling sale

Bareroot seedlings are available to landowners in the Kawartha watershed who are undertaking stewardship planting projects which will help improve forest cover and the health of the watershed.

2022 Seedling Sale Updates

Native plant sale

The native plant sale happens each spring and fall and provides native plants for the purpose of shoreline re-naturalization, habitat creation, erosion control, the establishment of rain gardens and low maintenance property beautification.

Rain barrel sale

Landowners can access low cost rain barrels made of recycled material during our annual Rain Barrel Sale and Fundraiser.

Apply for a grant

Funding may be available for the actions listed below; visit our grants page to learn more.

What actions can I take?

There are a variety of ways that you can help reduce water contamination and improve your farm operation.

Control cropland erosion

Follow these tips to control cropland erosion on your farm

Install grassed waterways
Build water and sediment control basins (WASCoB)
Add terraces
Establish healthy riparian buffer zones next to waterways
Use windbreaks and shelter belts to minimize wind erosion
Plant cover crops
Install tile drainage control boxes

Manage manure, nutrients and runoff

You can manage manure, nutrients and runoff by:

Building manure storage that makes it easier to get the manure in the right place at the right time
Installing water diversion structures that direct clean water away from barnyards and manure storage
Installing fences and alternate water sources to keep livestock away from watercourses

Plant trees

Trees can help reduce runoff and keep the soil nutrients in the soil. Here are a few tree planting tips:

Connect or enlarge an existing forest on your land
Plant a windbreak to protect crops, improve irrigation efficiency and manage snow drift
Utilize marginal land that can't be harvested to plant trees for wildlife habitat

Fuel and chemical management

Proper management of fuel and chemicals is important for environmental health and conservation. You should consider:

Implementing safe handling and storage of agricultural chemical and fuel
Upgrading residential fuel storage

Soil and lake management best practices

Soil management and lake management have the same goal - keep soil and nutrients on the land and out of the water. Using best management practices as laid out by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs can have many benefits including:

Increasing crop yields and improving soil health
Fewer sediments and contaminants entering waterways
Access to clean drinking water for livestock keeps them healthy and reduces veterinarian costs