Farm Management

Control cropland erosion

Follow these tips to control cropland erosion on your farm:

• Install grassed waterways
• Build water and sediment control basins (WASCoB)
• 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

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

Additional resources 

Check out these external programs and resources for more information on farm management.

Programs

• Source Water Protection
• Environmental Farm Plan
• East Central Farm Stewardship Collaborative
• 50 Million Tree Program

Resources

• Windbreaks
• Riparian Buffer Fact Sheet