UTRCA Thorndale Demonstration Farm
In 2021, the UTRCA established a new, 23 hectare (58 acre) demonstration farm near Thorndale. The property is owned by the UTRCA and leased as one of our agricultural lands to a nearby landowner.
The farm will be used to demonstrate a number of agricultural best management practices (BMPs), all working together to improve and protect soil health and water quality while increasing crop yield. The goal is to provide examples of BMPs that can be used on your own farm property.
The BMPs that have been installed include a controlled drainage system, water and sediment control basins demonstrating different intake options, woody fencerow management, a rock chute/tile outlet system, and tree seeding, planting, and tending.
The farm will be also managed to include regular use of cover crops and residue management/strip tillage and will also utilize profitability mapping.
In June 2021, a field day demonstrated tile installation and the controlled drainage features. In November 2021, a field day featured information stations where visitors learned about the various BMPs demonstrated on the farm. These events help transfer information to the local farming community and agriculture industry, among others.
The demonstration farm project has received financial support from many sources, including the Government of Canada through the federal Department of Environment and Climate Change, and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, as well as ADS Canada (formerly Ideal Drain Tile), Agri Drain Corporation, Bluewater Pipe Inc, Hickenbottom Drain Inlets/Maaskant Brothers, McCutcheon Farm Drainage, and VanGorp Drainage. Other supporters include Land Improvement Contractors of Ontario, Middlesex Federation of Agriculture, and Middlesex Soil and Crop Improvement Association.
More about the Thorndale Demonstration Farm: