Farmers Focus on Climate Change at Farm Stewardship Workshop

Featured guest speakers included Dr. Ralph Martin of the University of Guelph on climate change adaptation and the sustainability of our global and local food production and distribution. Don McCabe, President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, emphasized the unique role that farmers have, stressing that management practices used in farming can offer mitigation and adaptation to the potential impacts of climate change. Robin Brown, of the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, highlighted the new features of the Growing Forward 2 Program, including the cost-share assistance to support environmental performance and climate change adaptation on the farm.

The workshop also included presentations on invasive plant species in the Kawartha’s and the implementation of local drinking water source protection plans in East Central Ontario. Several members of the Kawartha Farm Stewardship Collaborative (KFSC) were available to provide information on the technical and financial assistance offered for on-farm stewardship projects. For more information on the KFSC, please visit www.kawarthafarmstewardship.org.