From the Ground Up – Your Information Hub for all things Nova Scotia Agriculture

Fruit and vegetable farmers water crops using irrigation systems like portable sprayers or drip irrigation. As the dry weather continued, farmers adapted their irrigation practices to balance conserving water and maximizing the benefit to the plants by watering only at critical growth stages or at night.

Farms growing grains, forages, or livestock are also struggling. Ensuring livestock continue to have access to enough clean fresh water is crucial. Regular checks of watering systems for any signs of leaks, or critically low water levels helps ensure that livestock have what they need and no water is being wasted.

Many water sources like rivers, ponds, and wells are drying up and need DAYS of steady rain to begin replenishing water levels. The weather has long-term effects as well. This hot, dry weather has meant slower growth, and earlier ripening, of forage crops like grasses, hay, and legumes. Farmers have not been able to cut their fields as often, and when they do, the volume of feed is smaller than what is typical. On many farms that means they may not have grown enough for winter feeding. Some farms have already had to start using feed that was meant for winter.

Harvesting and other on-farm work continues, even during this drought, and your Nova Scotian farmers doing their part to prevent a wildfire. Across Nova Scotia, farmers are on alert, planning for worst-case scenarios, and taking steps to reduce risks of fire. This includes having fire suppression tools like extinguishers, water, and shovels readily available at all times, planning work during the cooler parts of the day when possible, being vigilant when working in dry fields, and being prepared to respond quickly in the event of an accidental ignition event.

Despite the challenges of this summer, Nova Scotia’s farmers remain committed to caring for the land, their animals, and the communities they feed. Together, we can weather these dry times.

Cattle will spend the summer on community pastures grazing, growing, and being moved from section to section in a process called rotational grazing.

Using community pastures for grazing helps reduce some farmers’ costs, but it’s also good for the land within the community pasture. When large grazing animals are brought together in a rotational grazing pattern they not only eat the wide variety of grassland plants, they also are churning up soil as they walk and fertilizing the soil though their manure.

The plants growing in the pasture benefit from rotational grazing too. While cattle are in one section, the grasses and plants in all the other sections are left to grow. The practice of grazing and resting sections helps the plants build strong root systems that hold soil in place, help retain moisture, and store carbon.

Nova Scotia has several Community Pastures from Digby to Minudie and Cheticamp. There are lots of benefits to the farmers and volunteers who spend time managing the operation of these pastures. Their cattle eat a nutritious diet, have access to ample fresh water, and are protected. At home, now that the pastures on the farm are empty, that land can be used to grow winter feed like oats, alfalfa, or silage. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Many people wonder, what is the reasoning behind spreading manure on fields and pastures? While it may seem unpleasant, the manure must go somewhere, and applying it to fields is very beneficial.
Let’s dig a bit deeper.
Manure can be in a liquid, semi-solid, or solid state. On some farms the manure and bedding material is scraped out of the barn’s alleyways and piled up outside where it dries up and begins to compost. This type of manure tends to be fairly dry. On other farms manure is stored in a special a manure storage tank, and water from rinsing the milking parlour or washing equipment also flows into the storage tank which contributes to a much more liquid consistency. Another option that some farmers use is putting the manure through a roller press that squeezes excess water out of it, leaving a very dry fibrous-peat-moss-consistency which is then distributed and used as bedding in the stalls.
Different types of manure are applied to fields in different ways. Liquid manure can be spread using a sprayer, a dribble bar, or it can be injected directly into the soil. This is more precise for the crops and can decrease odour. Manure that is drier is scooped into a machine that breaks up clumps of manure and distributes it evenly throughout the field.
Manure can be spread on both tilled fields and fields where crops are already growing, such as forage fields. Farmers who make silage will sometimes apply manure to the field just after they cut their silage. You’ll also see farmers out spreading manure in the fall, which is great for the soil and also ensures that the storage areas are emptied out before winter. Aspects such as timing and environmental conditions must always be considered in order to minimize risk.
Making use of what could be seen as a waste product like manure is beneficial. It’s high in nutrients and helps the soil retain water. It improves soil fertility by increasing organic material and improving soil structure, which decreases the amount of additional fertilizer needed. By applying it throughout the growing season soil quality is improved, which leads to a better growing environment for crops.