Warm weather and breezy conditions meant farmers were out this past week preparing their fields. In the Haut-Saint-Laurent, some farmers will be planting new seeds this year alongside their usual crops, to better protect their soil and local waterways.
A total of 18 producers in the Haut-Saint-Laurent participated in the Fédération de l’UPA de la Montérégie’s free seed distribution day held on April 11 at Équipements Agrileader in Ormstown. According to Catherine Turgeon, the UPA advisor for the Haut-Saint-Laurent syndicate, enough seed was distributed to plant the equivalent of 33.92 km of herbaceous riparian strips in the region.
An additional 13 local distribution days took place across the Montérégie between March 15 and April 20.
The select mix of seeds, which includes bluegrass, Alsike clover, creeping red fescue, and annual ryegrass seed, was distributed free of charge as part of the second phase of the UPA’s riparian strip protection initiative. The goal is to establish the equivalent of 900 km of buffer strips by the end of next year. The project is being financed by the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation through the regional outreach support component of the Fonds regions et ruralité.
Area producers who were unable to attend one of the seed distribution days, but are interested in participating in the program, are still able to access seeds through the UPA. Producers can contact Virginie Durand at: 450-774-9154, ext. 5218, or vdurand@upa.qc.ca, or Geneviève McKenzie at: 450-774-9154, ext. 5209, or gmckenzie@upa.qc.ca.
