Prairie farmers encounter distinct challenges that often affect their profitability. These include the brief growing season as well as drought and insect issues that have affected the region in recent years.
In response to those challenges there are producers who have been experimenting with beneficial management practices (BMPS) and exploring “regenerative agriculture” who are seeing improvements in organic matter and soil health, reduced input costs and more resilience to variability in precipitation. Although loosely defined, BMPs include such things as cover cropping, intercropping, increased plant diversity, nutrient management, reduced or no tillage and rotational grazing.
Daryl Chubb, an independent agronomist based in Alberta, said the successful implementation of BMPs boils down to four key things: planning, execution, management and profitability.
“If you don’t put a good plan together or don’t execute it or manage it properly – and the term ‘properly’ is going to mean different things to different people – your profit centre could be lost very quickly,” he said. “Profitability is often overlooked in the regenerative world. We hear a lot about theory and about science but many times that’s not brought back to what’s practical and profitable for farmers.”
It’s also not entirely clear what impact BMPs are having on Prairie farms.
“We still have a lack of knowledge about how these practices really work,” said Kimberly Cornish, Executive Director of Food Water Wellness Foundation (FWWF). “For example, there’s a lot of talk around ‘We put in this multi-species cover crop so we don’t need to use any fertilizer’, but we don’t actually have very good data showing if or how it works.”
Food Water Wellness Foundation (FWWF) is an Alberta-based not-for-profit that brings together farmers, ranchers and researchers with the goal of shifting food production to agriculture practices that are both financially viable and environmentally sustainable. They seek to make regenerative farming a profitable, logical choice for producers and provide them with the information and community to make this possible.
Actual Survey Screenshot
“Our mission is to advance the practice of regenerative agriculture both in understanding and adoption,” Cornish said. “But we’re still missing a lot of the agronomic pathways and the validation of ecological goods and services associated with a lot of these practices.”
FWWF was recently approached by Nature United to conduct a survey http://m.me/281198435985058 to learn more about real-world experiences and perspectives of Prairie producers regarding BMPs in the hope of gaining insights into the hurdles that are preventing their implementation or continuation.
According to Les Fuller, Agriculture Strategy Director at Nature United, “It is necessary to identify barriers to practice adoption so that tailored solutions can be developed to address them. Producers understand these barriers, and so we want to hear what they have to say.”
The confidential, easy-to-use, chat-based survey http://m.me/281198435985058 is being conducted via Facebook Messenger and hosted by Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association. The survey is made up of both multiple choice and open-ended questions. Cornish said the goal was to make the survey feel like respondents were having a conversation.
“I often joke that trying to get producers to fill out a survey can be painful, but if you sit at their kitchen table they’ll put on a pot of coffee and you’ll be there for hours. It’s this kind of conversational nature that we’re trying to achieve with the chat-based information gathering format,” she said.
During the survey, farmers will be asked to provide information about their opinions, behaviours and environmental farm practices, including the barriers or challenges they’ve experienced when trying to implement BMPs.
“We really want to hone in on, ‘Have you tried BMPs? Are they working for you? What are the challenges?’” Cornish said. Learningthe answers to these questions is crucial to understanding whether barriers relate to economics, agronomics, infrastructure, systems, definitions or something that is not yet on the radar.
The survey doesn’t have to be completed in a single sitting. If a producer gets pulled away after they’ve started, it will reengage them, ensuring the ball doesn’t get dropped when a farmer needs to attend to a critical farm task.
According to Cornish, survey results will help ensure that policy recommendations, support programs and funding initiatives are better aligned with the real needs of Prairie producers.
“Millions of dollars are being spent funding programs to drive BMP adoption by the federal government and food companies,” she said. “We want that money to roll out in a way that addresses producers’ most pressing needs.”
Cornish feels it’s important that Prairie farmers are heard when crucial agriculture decisions are made. This survey gives them that opportunity.
“Farmers understand the unique challenges of agriculture better than anyone,” Cornish said. “It is only with their knowledge and expertise that we can help shape the policies and programs that are most needed to truly support them.”
Chubb, who helped put the survey together, agrees.
“If we, as Western Canadian producers, would like to have a voice in policy, this survey can be a way of having your voice heard”.
Producers can access the survey on Messenger through http://m.me/281198435985058 , then tapping “Get Started.” Those who complete it will be entered into a prize draw for a $1500 gift certificate at the farm supply store of their choice. For anyone without a Facebook account wanting to participate in the study please email: info@foodwaterwellness.org.
