ALMA – Senator Rob Black will be the feature speaker at the upcoming Wellington County Soil and Crop Improvement Association annual meeting being held at the Alma Bible Church on Dec. 2.
The cost of the meeting is absorbed by the association and its sponsors. Attendees are required to pay the annual membership fee of $35
Black is no stranger to Wellington County farmers, having worked in the rural, agricultural and leadership areas for much of his career, association officials note in a press release.
In his talk, Black will outline his role on the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, and provide an update on the committee mandate to undertake a study on soil health across Canada. He will also discuss the federal government’s fertilizer reduction strategy.
Additional speakers
Dan Breen, a farmer at Putnam, just east of London, will also be on the program. Breen was the recipient of the 2018 soil champion award. Breen will speak on building resilient soil.
“Nature is in balance and we mess up that balance with excessive tillage, taking out too many nutrients, or not providing biodiversity. We need to provide a stable environment as we go about our farming practices,” he states.
Patrick Verkley, a farmer from Strathroy, will also address the gathering.
Verkley has a mixed farming operation of chickens and cash crops. He is a member of the Ontario Soil Network and his topic will be “60-inch corn: Making Space for Opportunity.”
Registration information
The meeting starts with registration and dessert at 11:30am.
Attendees are asked to pre-register by calling Linda McFadden at 519-362-2094 or by email: linda.mcfadden@wightman.ca.
