Crop Rotation Survey to be conducted this fall by the U of S

University of Saskatchewan researchers are gearing up to launch Crop Rotation Survey workshops this fall. Dr. Stuart Smyth and his research team will be hosting workshops across the province for Saskatchewan farmers to gather data on how crop production practices have changed over the past 25 years.

The purpose of the Crop Rotation Survey is to benchmark changes and advancements made in crop production over the 25-year period from the early 1990s to most recently. The data will be used to quantify the progress made by Saskatchewan farms towards environmentally sustainable practices and to share information with government and the public about the improvements in crop production sustainability.

To gather the data, workshops will be held across Saskatchewan this fall. Farmers are invited to attend and provide information on all aspects of their production practices from seeding, fertilizer, tillage and chemical applications to harvest, during the periods of 1991-1994 and 2016-2019. However, farmers do not need to have been farming in both periods to participate. Farmers are encouraged to bring farm records to the workshops to help fill in details of the production practices employed during these periods.

As a thank you to all participants, compensation of $200 will be provided, as well as free lunch and coffee. Workshops will be held in the following locations on the dates listed:

Participation in the Crop Rotation Survey helps give farmers a voice when it comes to GHG emissions, carbon sequestration and environmental stewardship of the land and soil. While farmers are working hard to adopt innovative and sustainable practices, these efforts often go unrecognized. The adoption of many sustainable practices has taken place in the absence of government involvement or mandates, yet agricultural and environmental policies often do not seem to account for the contributions made by farmers to Canada’s climate change goals.

For more information about the Crop Rotation Survey or to register for one of the workshops, please visit the Crop Rotation Survey Facebook page, the SAIFood website, or email [email protected].