The benefits of cover crops will be discussed at a free event hosted by the Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan.
Cover crops such as winter wheat or alfafa are usually planted in the fall to keep farm fields covered with vegetation during the winter.
The webinar being held March 22 from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. will feature a panel discussion with area farmers talking about why they decided to use cover crops and what worked and what didn’t work on their farms.
Sarah Midlane-Jones says cover crops keep erosion down and water absorption up and that benefits the Bay of Quinte.
“Say like the winter we’ve had now with a lot of melt and runoff. That takes soil off fields. So you want to keep the soil on the fields and then that cuts down, for us it’s about cutting down the amount of phosphorous that goes into the Bay of Quinte. So, by keeping the soil on the fields, it reduces the amount of phosphorous that enters local waterways.”
Too much phosphorus in the water can cause algae to grow faster than ecosystems can handle.
Four farmers will speak at the event.
There will also be a question & answer session.
Midlane-Jones says the Bay of Quinte is now a healthy, vibrant ecosystem but the Remedial Action Plan, a years-long program that’s been working to clean up the bay, has to make sure there is not a return to the past which is why they continue to offer education programs.
The Bay of Quinte is close to being removed from the Areas of Concern list having repaired eight of the 11 environmental challenges it was identified with.
A link to sign up for the cover crops webinar can be found here.
For more eco-friendly, energy-saving and sustainable news stories and events about the Quinte region, visit Green Quinte.
