Three area farms are welcoming visitors on September 20 as part of a farm tour organized by ALUS Montérégie, in collaboration with the Haut-Saint-Laurent syndicate of the Union des producteurs Agricoles (UPA).
The tour will offer interested members of the public, producers, and elected officials a look at the challenges facing farmers, as well as the innovative solutions being implemented to address these issues – all while creating benefits for the environment on, and around, their farmland.
“It is a great opportunity to show the public that we are taking concrete action for the environment and for the well-being of the soil,” says Éric Leboeuf, the president of the local UPA syndicate. “We want to show the public that for us, it is just as important to protect our soil and the surrounding environment through certain concrete actions,” he adds, noting the event also aims to dispel the notion that farmers are polluters.
The day will begin with a visit at Les Jardins Glenelm organic vegetable farm in Elgin, where participants will be able to visit a biodiversity installation designed to attract beneficial insects. Visitors will then move on to Les Fermes Erskine in Hinchinbrooke, where 3,500 shrubs were recently planted in fields on the Lost Nation Road to curb land erosion and the damage caused by flooding of the nearby Rivière aux Outardes. The tour then continues at Les Fermes Ajiro 1989 in Godmanchester, where a free lunch will be served, followed by a presentation of multi-strata riparian buffer strips and other sustainable practices implemented at the farm.
Although the day is being offered at no cost by ALUS Montérégie, those interested are asked to register in advance at bit.ly/3TwhntT.