STAPLES, Ont. — Adding natural habitat to a farm does not necessarily mean losing production.
That’s been the experience of David Ainslie, the 2015 winner of the Canadian Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award.
“I feel when I give up acres for this, in the end, I value what’s on the farm, not what I can take from it,” he said. “I’ve got 40 acres of natural area here. I’ll gladly trade that for 40 acres of corn.”
Ainslie farms 300 acres near Staples. The region is heavily farmed, but there’s a goal to increase natural cover to 12 percent from the current eight percent.
Read Also
Manitoba Parkland research station grapples with dry year
Drought conditions in northwestern Manitoba have forced researchers at the Parkland Crop Diversification Foundation to terminate some projects and reseed others.
Ainslie has achieved that and more.
Along with the 25 acre woodlot on the property, he’s converted another 15 acres to windbreaks, wetland and tall-grass prairie.
There’s a big emphasis on pollinator habitat, which is why the 70-year-old farmer was nominated for the recognition by the Essex Region Conservation Authority.
“When you think about pollinator habitat in Essex County, you think about David Ainslie,” said Michael Dick, the conservation authority’s agricultural technician.
Ainslie has planted a wide range of pollinator friendly species on less productive areas of his farm with an aim to providing a source of food from early spring to late fall.
One example is the linden trees in his windbreaks. The trees, which are a dwarf form of basswood, bloom early, provide a flight line for insects and wind protection for crops.
The latter benefits the corn, soybeans and wheat that are grown on the property using conservation tillage and conventional inputs.
Springtime pollinator activity in the lindens is spectacular, Ainslie said.
“It’s like you’re walking under a hive. From 25 feet away you can hear the rumble of the pollinators.”
Other species include echinacea, which is easy to grow, blue flag iris, which is attractive to bumblebees and long-tongued bees and helps filter water in the wetland, and other native species such as bayberry, tulip tree, butterfly weed, red bud, mint, columbine, yarrow and blazing star.
Monk’s hood of English lore blooms well into the fall and is a pollinator favourite.
Ainslie said his farm is one of the locations where the Ontario environment ministry is evaluating the persistence of neonicotinoids. He’s not sure if the chemicals are hurting his bees but said they should be scrapped if persistence is proven.
The Pollinator Partnership, a non-profit organization that includes the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association, sponsors the award. Landowners from the United States and Mexico are also recognized.
