By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
Local farmers have a new tool at their disposal to help find information and resources specifically tailored to the agricultural needs of their farm with Resilient Fields, a free online tool developed by the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario (CFFO) in partnership with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA).
“Farmers have to go through a multitude of papers, publications, books, and whatever to find information. This app will enable you, with the click of a button, to get any information you want…. It’s an easy way for a farmer to access information applicable to their own farm, property, and crop,” said Ed Scharringa, President of CFFO and Haldimand farmer. “This app is good for anywhere, any crop. You just put in your farm, your GPS number, what you do, the type of land you’ve got…. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Haldimand, Hamilton, Brant, or whatever. It’s a pretty universal app.”
OFA President Peggy Brekveld is excited by the possibilities that the app presents to local farmers: “Resilient Fields will be a valuable tool for Ontario farmers who are constantly seeking best management practices for their business. This tool offers various resources to help our farmers work through issues in the field in any unique situation.”
Resilient Fields was designed to help farmers work through specific field challenges and find sustainable solutions for their farms. Using the app, farmers can create a record of current field conditions and agronomic practices, then explore solutions to resolve particular challenges in four major areas: soil management, nutrient management, growing season management, and water management.
Users will find access to over 150 up-to-date articles and videos from Ontario researchers and agronomists. It also links to other digital tools, like the OMAFRA Agri-Suite system, 4R Nutrient Stewardship, the Ontario Corn Nitrogen Calculator, and the Farmland Health Checkup.
“It’s a concerted effort. CFFO initiated it, and later the OFA joined us and put some money towards it. There were a few other organizations that also helped to add information into this app to make it workable. It was worked on for over two years,” said Scharringa.
“Technology is key to helping Ontario’s agri-food sector thrive and grow and I applaud CFFO efforts to provide farmers with the latest tools to manage their operations,” said MPP Toby Barrett, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, who attended the launch of Resilient Fields on August 12. “Collaborations like these demonstrate how the agricultural sector, government, and the tech industry can work together to develop user-friendly resources that provide farmers with science-based knowledge.”
“Resilient Fields fills a gap in Ontario agronomic tools,” said Scharringa. “It can be a challenge for farmers to find information that is geared specifically to Ontario farming and field conditions. This new tool will enable farmers, as well as their advisors, to access the latest science and resources, helping them make decisions with sustainability in mind.”
Anyone interested in trying out Resilient Fields to experience how it can help can visit resilientfields.ca.
