Features Agronomy Soil
“Soil is bigger than oil” – ARECA

June 15, 2015 - "Soil Health is the foundation of successful farming. If we can maintain and improve the health of our soils, we will be successful farmers," says Ian Murray, chair of the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA). "I want to understand more about the soil on my farm, and I know other farmers feel exactly the same way."

ARECA is proud to launch the Soil Health Applied Research Alliance with partner, Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund (ACIDF). The Alliance parallels the United Nations' International Year of Soils and will include summer events and tours across Alberta, factsheets featuring soil health champions, summaries of soil quality and soil health research from around North America, and a website: www.albertasoilhealth.ca.

ACIDF vice chair Craig Shaw reports that, "ACIDF conducted a forum of 120 farmers and agronomists in 2014. Soil health was rated second highest priority across Alberta from a list of nine production challenges. Clearly, Alberta farmers have questions about their soil and how we can improve it. ACIDF is pleased to partner with ARECA and its nine member organizations to deliver soil information across the province."

"There is a lot of talk about soil health in the farm media and we want to make sure that Alberta farmers get the information they need to protect and build our soils," adds Murray. "We will end 2015 with the Western Canada Soil Health Conference in Edmonton in December. But, we won't stop there. Soil is bigger than oil to Albertans, and ARECA will focus on soil for a long time."

June 15, 2015  By News release