The Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation have released a comprehensive report on the importance of soil health, Greenbelt Farmers: Sustaining Soil Health, showcasing 14 different farmers across the Greenbelt who are protecting and improving our soils through a variety of practices — affirming that farmers truly are Stewards of the land.
“Soil sustains life on earth,” the introduction of the report shares. “A thin layer of topsoil, the earth’s skin, gives us our food while also cleaning our water and air. Formed over millennia, it can be lost in a matter of generations if we don’t treat it carefully. The quality of soil determines the quality of our food and the quality of our life. So how we grow our food and build our cities makes a world of difference.”
We encourage you to read about the 14 farms in the report, which are listed below, and how they are each leading the way in protecting and conserving the rich diversity of soils that are essential to our local food systems:
- Bowman Family, Bowmanview Farm
- Larry & Marg Dyck, Campden Grain
- Kyle Horlings, Kettle Creek Farms
- Joanne Feddes, La Primavera Farms
- Kottelenberg Family, Labora Farm
- Reuben DeJong & Lyle Gallagher
- Ben Caesar, Fiddlehead Nursery
- Mike & Angela Scharringa, Dutch Mill Gardens
- Bruce McClure & Mathew McQuillen, McCluredale Farms
- Bill Allison, Sunrise Acres
- Saunders Family Vineyard
- Owen Goltz, Riverdale Farm and Forestry
- Chris & Craig Mustard, Musthaven Farm
- Arnie Lepp, Niagara Orchard & Vineyard Corporation