Dear Editor:
Most professionals involved in agriculture and urban development are largely unaware of the history of the land from which they earn an income (leaving important Indigenous aspects out).
I’ve just passed a site in rural Wellington where a five-acre remnant wood lot is being removed. I suspect its very existence is because it was too wet to farm and abandoned in times past. I’ve been told that the value of agricultural property is about $30,000 per acre, so clearly a good business decision. Right?
I’m pretty sure it will require tile drainage to function. The rest of the property has been tile drained in recent times. Tile drainage on long-term established agricultural fields is an admission to the failure of decades of poor farming practices. This is not the fault of the farmer! They put their livelihood on the line every growing season. I believe they often are not receiving good advice. And those who advise them are not at fault either. We often only know what our professors taught us and that was based on what the professor knew. Well intended. Science has changed over the past decades, and now we often have little choice but to depend on industry research. This doesn’t always follow the “scientific method”, but we don’t have a lot of options here. Hard to find third party verifiable research.
Here is a recap of the past 300 years. We had de-forestation, including the loss of our headwaters. We had reforestation which recovered some of the ecological services and helped establish a healthy economy. We now have a new “deforestation”. It’s a repeat of history. Modern conventional agricultural practices and antiquated urban development standards and construction practices. The common thread? Soil. And the lack of knowledge on the subject. I’m an alumni of an “esteemed” learning institute in this county, and I can attest that not much has changed in 40 years regarding knowledge and practical management of this priceless resource.
So, the point? If you depend on industry professionals for advice on your planting season, or you’re a municipality depending on your consulting engineer for best practices, ask some hard but simple questions. A good opener might be “do you know the difference between income streams and science?” I’ve been asked that.
Chris Morrison,
Centre Wellington