Category: News Releases

The Soil Champions Committee (Soil Champions) of the Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC) announced the funding of a project supported by the Woodstock Art Gallery, located in Woodstock, ON. The $25,000 cash and $25,000 in-kind will be put towards the reMEDIATING Soils Exhibition project.

“The Soil Champions believe that without healthy soil there is no chance of a healthy society. Or to put it another way no soil, no society,” said Jay Bradshaw Chair of the Soil Champions. “To improve the general public’s awareness of the importance of soil health we are most pleased to support the reMEDIATING Soils Exhibition Project. This project will transform our collective relationship to soils, land, and the environment at regional and national scales through the unique expression of art.”

Mary Reid, Director/Curator of the Woodstock Art Gallery explained who the partners are that will share the funding. “First of all we are exceedingly appreciative of the generous support and expertise provided by the Soil Champions. It is a honour to be able to partner on this extremely important initiative lead by the formidable Dr. Kate Lawless, along with the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery and the Yukon Arts Centre. This significant initiative, linking science and art, is a testament to the power created by conveying knowledge and sharing information on matters that universally affect us all.”

Andrew (Andy) Graham is the key member from the Soil Champions working on this project. “The key outcomes of this inspiring project promise to inform and move society by building a respect for soil health through a fusion of the fields of art, science and indigenous knowledge,” said Andy. “The project will create a common language for talking about soil health and soil care through touring exhibitions hosted by the participating galleries, published anthologies that capture the experiences of core team contributors, and a short film documenting the research project at all three sites.” 

Dr. Katherine (Kate) Lawless, Assistant Professor at the U of Calgary who leads the project, explains further. “The reMEDIATING Soils Exhibition is part of a long-term study examining human-soil relations across Canada. It builds on new directions in soil science, agronomy, and transdisciplinary research that see soil as a dynamic, living system. We believe that investigating this system, understanding its various dimensions (geological, biological, social, and cultural), and repairing the widescale damages it has suffered over the past few hundred years, requires the knowledge and expertise of diverse members of society, from scientists to artists and universities to communities.”

“Sometimes people are surprised to learn how reliant they are on soil,” said Ian Boyd SCCC Chair and farmer.  “We all depend on soil to keep this planet in a habitable state.  It feeds us, cleans our air and water and fights climate change.  Keeping our soil healthy just makes sense.”

For further information or to a tax-free donation to the Soil Champions cause please visit https://soilcc.ca/soilchampions/

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For further information contact:

Jay Bradshaw Chair Soil Champions Committee j.m.bradshaw@outlook.com

Dr. Kate Lawless Assistant Professor University of Calgary katherine.lawless@ucalgary.ca

Ian Boyd Chair SCCC iboyd.ssca@gmail.com

Soil Champions

The Soil Champions Committee seeks partnerships and funds projects that will improve the general public’s awareness that healthy soil is the foundation of a healthy society. No soil, no society.

The Soil Conservation Council of Canada is the face and voice of soil conservation and health in Canada. We are the only national organization working with partners from across the value chain to actively raise public awareness, advocate for government and industry investments, promote the benefits of improved soils.

Woodstock Art Gallery

Oxford County’s largest municipal public gallery, the Woodstock Art Gallery (WAG) is a centre that inspires, engages and enriches the lives of all community members through innovative programming and activities that explore relevant topics addressed in contemporary and historical art. With a permanent collection of over 2000 works the WAG celebrates works of art representing local, regional, national and international artists. The WAG is a division of the Culture Department of the City of Woodstock.

This week, April 19 to 25 is National Soil Conservation Week, an opportunity for us to recognize the importance of Canadian soil and think about actions we can take to protect it. Soil is the foundation of all the food we eat and, quite frankly, we could not survive without it.

Unfortunately, Canadian soil has been severely degraded in recent decades. Currently, only about 7% of Canada’s land is suitable for agriculture. According to the Soil Conservation Council of Canada, the country lost 3.9 million hectares of farm land between 1972 and 2011. This loss comes with an economic cost of $3.1 billion annually – not a small figure.

View the full release here

Each year, Canadians from coast to coast celebrate National Soil Conservation Week (April 19-25, 2020) by paying special attention to the vital role soil plays in providing abundant food for consumers and as the foundation of our diverse ecosystems. This year, the Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC) is releasing its first ever national soil health report card to grade how soil health compares from one part of Canada to the other.

“National Soil Conservation Week is when we really like to take a step back and consider how crucial soil is to our everyday health as Canadians,” says Tim Nerbas, SCCC chair and farmer from Waseca, Sask. “We need healthy soil for almost all the food we eat. We need healthy soil for our environment as a whole. Canada is abundant with life and it’s our duty as stewards of the land, water, and air to protect the places we call home”.

View the full release here.

In 1984, the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry published “Soil at Risk — Canada’s Eroding Future.” Led by Senator Herbert Sparrow (who later formed the Soil Conservation Council of Canada), it’s still heralded as one of the Senate’s best and most widely distributed reports.

The report sparked a renewed focus on soil conservation, but that was 36 years ago, and a lot has changed. Climate change, evolving production practices, new crops and a growing global population place increasing pressure on soil health. We still look to soil to produce most of our food, to clean our air and water, to help in the fight against climate change and to support biodiversity. If we want soil to continue providing these services, we need to take better care of it.

View the full article here.

Canadians are a lucky lot, but if a poll were conducted to ask reasons why, “soil health” might not be in many of the answers. It should be.

Soil is truly the gift that keeps on giving. According to the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, agri-food exports account for about $56 billion annually, an 11 per cent contribution to our GDP. Soil helps clean our water and air and is a weapon against climate change. Biodiversity and wildlife depend on healthy soil. Farmers and their families know that healthy soils are the foundation of their productivity and profitability. The list could go on, but soil is clearly a precious gift to all Canadians.

View the full article here.

How do Canada’s soil practices measure up across the country? Are we improving soil health or not? Mario Tenuta, professor of applied soil ecology at the University of Manitoba, believes Canadian farmers are taking positive steps toward increased soil health from coast to coast, but we need to continue this trend for overall improvement in many areas.

Tenuta presented his soil health report card to attendees at the Summit on Canadian Soil Health in Manitoba this fall. Dividing soil health indicators into six categories, he presented grades on each for both western and eastern Canadian farmers.

View the full article here.

April 15, 2019 – Yes, you read that right. The Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC) is at it again with its annual Soil Your Undies challenge to kick off National Soil Conservation Week April 21-27, but this year, we’re taking it up a notch and we need your help. 

“National Soil Conservation Week is the best way to create awareness around soil health and conservation in Canada,” says SCCC chair and Saskatchewan farmer, Tim Nerbas. “It may not cross your mind often, but soil is a big deal. Soil is where we make our living. It sustains our communities. It grows our food. It even cleans our air and water and supports biodiversity.”

Soil definitely packs a punch, and this year during National Soil Conservation Week, the SCCC wants you to jump into the ring for soil conservation. Here is the one-two-three punch you can use on behalf of Canada’s soils:

1. Tell someone why soil is important to you.This is an easy one. Support our soil by sharing with your family, friends, neighbours, social networks, and heck, anyone who will listen, why you rely on healthy soil every day – not just during the third week of April. 
2. Soil Your Undies.This is the third, and what we hope will be the best, national Soil Your Undies challenge yet. Get yourself a pair of white, 100 per cent cotton undies and something to mark the spot and get digging. After a few months, unearth them and share your soil experiment experience with us online using #SoilYourUndies. More details are available on soilcc.ca. 
3. Join us as we strive to reach 1,000 new members. If you are not a SCCC member already,become one at soilcc.ca. The good news for you is the first 50 new members receive a Soil Your Undies starter kit. What better way to be introduced to the organization than by burying a pair of undergarments in the very soil we advocate for. 

It’s that simple. National Soil Conservation Week is a great opportunity to show people why they should care about soil, but it doesn’t need to stop there. 

“The SCCC cares about soil and is active year-round, but our strength only comes from our membership,” says Nerbas. “Together, we can improve soil health, we can bring the benefits of soil to all Canadians and we can strengthen our role as a world leader in soil conservation.”

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About SCCC

The SCCC is the only national organization to concentrate on the issues of soil health and soil conservation within a broadly-based landscape context. It works to build a greater understanding of the importance of soil as an essential resource to society by facilitating the exchange of information with all stakeholders. Healthy soils are the foundation of sustainable food production, enhanced biodiversity and cleaner air and water for present and future generations. For more information, please visit, www.soilcc.ca. 

Contact 

Jim Tokarchuk, Executive Director, 204-792-2424 or jimtokarchuk@soilcc.ca

March 28, 2019 – The Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC) announces that Derek and Tannis Axten are the 2018 L.B. Thomson Conservation Award winners. The Axtens were presented this honour at the annual meeting of the Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association held in Regina, Sask. last month.

“The L.B. Thomson Conservation Award is presented annually to recognize individuals, organizations, and others who have made outstanding contributions to improving soil health and water conservation at the regional level in Canada,” says Tim Nerbas, chair of the SCCC. “The Axtens are highly deserving of this award based on their actions and commitments to sustaining the health of their soil and sharing their experience and knowledge with others.”

Derek and Tannis operate a no-till farm in the Minton area and have improved their soil health by seeding intercrops, companion crops and cover crops. Improving soil health has allowed them to reduce synthetic inputs, increase water retention and build organic matter. In 2017, they were recognized as Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers.

The Axten’s motto has become: soil is our most valuable resource, so how can we improve its health? The Axtens are loyal to the soil in every decision made on their farm and they promote the link between healthy soil and healthy food.

“Our farm strives to care for the soil and the biology that it contains,” says Derek. “The bacteria, protozoa, fungi, nematodes, earthworms, etc. create our soil structure and supply our plants with the nutrients that they require. We want to take care of our soil biology so that they take care of our plants. We believe that healthy soil creates healthy plants, which makes healthy food.”

Their ongoing commitment to soil health, their community and the environment make them exemplary recipients of the L.B. Thomson award.

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About the L.B. Thomson Award

The L.B. Thomson Conservation Award was established in 1987 by the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) Alumni in honour of Leonard Baden Thomson, Director General of PFRA from 1948 to 1956. Under his leadership, PFRA developed and promoted soil conservation practices that minimized the severe wind erosion that plagued the Prairies in the 1930s. Since 1987, this award has been bestowed on 24 individuals and conservation organizations who continue to make significant contributions to soil conservation in Canada.

In 2016, responsibility for this award was entrusted to the SCCC and the Council is proud to continue this tradition.

About SCCC

The SCCC is the only national organization to concentrate on the issues of soil health and soil conservation within a broadly-based landscape context. It works to build a greater understanding of the importance of soil as an essential resource to society by facilitating the exchange of information with all stakeholders. Healthy soils are the foundation of sustainable food production, enhanced biodiversity and cleaner air and water for present and future generations. For more information, please visit, www.soilcc.ca.

Contact

Jim Tokarchuk, Executive Director, 204-792-2424 or jimtokarchuk@soilcc.ca

March 22, 2018 – Canada, you really got down and dirty in the name of soil conservation last year. Who knew soiling your undies could be so much fun? Now it’s time to do it all over again. April 15 kicks off National Soil Conservation Week and the second annual Soil Your Undies campaign. For those of you who didn’t take part last year, here’s an undies update: the Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC) wants you to bury a pair of cotton undergarments to check the health of the soil under your care.

“We were blown away by the response to the national launch of Soil Your Undies last year,” says SCCC chair and Ontario farmer, Alan Kruszel. “We take the task of advocating for Canada’s soils seriously, but it was a lot of fun to show Canadians just how alive healthy soils are through this entertaining citizen science experiment, and we are eager to do it again.”
Last year, many farmers, schools, media, and organizations from various industries planted a pair of underwear in agricultural fields, flower beds, lawns and even at research facilities across the country to test for soil health. National Soil Conservation Week, which has been held during the third week of April for the past 30 years, extended far beyond its seven days last spring as folks buried undies well into the fall.

The Soil Your Undies test shows just how biologically active your soil is. After a couple months buried, there shouldn’t be much left of your knickers if there is abundant life in your soil. To get started, all you need is a pair of new, 100 per cent cotton white briefs, a shovel, and a flag to mark the site. A helpful step-by-step guide on how to properly Soil Your Undies is available at www.soilcc.ca.

“Once again, Stanfield’s is partnering with us on the Soil Your Undies initiative,” says Kruszel. “We soiled many pairs of tighty whities from coast-to-coast last year and we are excited to bring the Canadian clothing company on board in 2018 as the official underwear sponsor yet again.”
National Soil Conservation Week is an annual event that gives groups like the SCCC, and others who promote soil conservation and health, a platform to remind the public of the importance of soil and the issues around its degradation and loss. To underscore its significance in food production and the role it plays in clean air and water, SCCC encourages all Canadians to take part in the fun, easy, do-it-yourself soil science experiment. Don’t forget to take a video or snap a photo and share your experience with us on social media using the hashtag #SoilYourUndies. Show us your soiled underwear!

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The SCCC is the only national organization to concentrate on the issues of soil health and soil conservation within a broadly-based landscape context. It works to build a greater understanding of the importance of soil as an essential resource to society by facilitating the exchange of information with all stakeholders. Healthy soils are the foundation of sustainable food production, enhanced biodiversity and cleaner air and water for present and future generations.
To learn more about other SCCC initiatives, please visit www.soilcc.ca.

CONTACT: Jim Tokarchuk, Executive Director, 204-792-2424 or jimtokarchuk@soilcc.ca