Protecting the prairies of Eastern Ontario

A new subsidy program encourages farmers in eastern Ontario to create, develop and conserve grasslands on their land. Habitat for several species at risk and a buffer against the effects of climate change, Canada’s most threatened ecosystem is in decline in the region.

It’s been a few years now that Line Dallaire and her partner Dino Intrevado work their agricultural land from an environmental perspective, in the canton of Glengarry North, in eastern Ontario.

Part of their 73 hectares has been redeveloped into meadows, a favored habitat for rural birds.

The bird counters almost begged us to save the bobolinks [goglu des prés]says the owner of the place. They hardly see any anymore. Thanks to the grassland program, we can save them. We have already found several nests in our fieldssays the nature lover.

This summer, the Raisin Area Conservation Authority launched a new grassland funding program, in partnership with the nonprofit Grasslands Ontario. The two farmers hope to obtain a grant to sow new native plants, but also hay.

Grasslands are areas that can consist of both native plants and wildflowers and grazing grasses useful for feeding livestock.recalls the grassland stewardship specialist for the Nature Protection Office of the Raisin region, Brendan Jacobs.

A meadow is an ecosystem dominated by [plantes] herbaceous, i.e. mainly grasses, grass, without trees.

The situation of Line and Dino is quite exceptionalrecognizes the scientist. Without necessarily devoting all of your land to biodiversity, the creation of a meadow on just a few hectares, alongside your agricultural activity, is entirely possible.

According to the expert, so-called marginal lands could be put to good use.

All areas that are too wet, too rocky or too sandy for agricultural activity are ideal for meadows.he said. The farmer would be better off leaving the land in its natural state, rather than spending money to transform it.

A shield against the effects of climate change

The expert points out that prairies are a habitat for many wildlife and plant species, some of which, like the bobolink, are threatened with extinction in Ontario. Birds, pollinators, etc. need these spaces. But so do we! he insists.

It is a very effective habitat for combating the effects of climate change. In native grasslands, roots can reach very deep into the earth, capturing carbon and retaining it in the soil.

At the level of the owner of agricultural land, the specialist recalls that the meadow helps to fight against soil erosion and to improve land poor in nutrients.

Rather than having bare land, the meadow will increase the organic matter in the soil, so that when rotating the land, the farmer will have less need to add [produits].

A possible new source of income

Beyond the ecological aspect of the approach, the defenders of the meadows put forward an economic argument. Some farmers are starting to use switchgrass, a very profitable native species for dairy farmers, for examplenotes Brendan Jacobs.

Abundant, the plant is used for cow fodder, but also to insulate barns.

Line Dallaire confirms the profitability of meadows.

We have more hay than beforenotes the farmer. Our customers who buy it complain that it is too good and that their pets eat it too quicklyshe quips.

Adjustments are necessary

We still had to change the way we harvesthowever, specifies her partner, Dino Intrevado. To reconcile protection of biodiversity and activity on the land, the farmer must delay mowing.

Country birds, like the bobolink, nest in the grassesexplains the specialist from the Nature Protection Office of the Raisin region. It takes time for the chicks to grow up and fly out of the meadow.

The couple therefore decided not to touch the premises until mid-July, or even later in the summer.

It’s not really disturbingassure Line. Before, we were racing to make a second, third, even fourth cut; but with climate change, they are no longer so profitable today.

And Dino concludes: This is our way of rebalancing nature. With the surrounding agricultural land, we wanted to give some space to biodiversity.