Healthy Soils Check up Program

Download the Healthy Soils Program brochure
Soil Sampling - OMAFRA
This link has great information on cover crops
This video demonstrates the importance of using cover crops to improve soil health.
One of the environmental challenges with
the Bay of Quinte’s water quality is phosphorous from rural and urban
sources. There are opportunities on the
farm to improve water quality and save money!
The Healthy Soils Check Up Program can
provide farmers with:
1. Agronomic soil testing with analysis
being done by an OMAFRA accredited soil lab at no cost.
2. Detailed field maps showing contours
(slopes) and areas within the field that are more prone to erosion.
A follow-up workshop for farmers will
provide site-specific recommendations for their fields by developing crop
nutrient recommendations based on the soil test results, and identifying
erosion control options that best suit their farming system and site features.
This program will help you keep
nutrients and soil where you want them – in your fields, so you can grow the
best crops and help us protect the Bay.
Knowing your baseline nutrient levels
and then setting target levels will help save money on fertilizer and reduce
phosphorus runoff. As well, implementing the 4 R’s (right source/product, right
rate, right time, and right place) of fertilizer application will minimize
nutrient transport from fields and maximize crop uptake and utilization.
The field maps will identify key erosion
sites to help you adopt Best Management Practices (BMPs) to keep soil on your
fields and out of local waterways.
To participate in the Healthy Soils
Check Up, contact:
Jason Jobin, Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan,
613-394-3915 ext 242, Email Jason Today!