2022 AgriSuite Workshop
December 7, 2022 | SCRCA Stewardship Team
On December 7, 2022, the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority (SCRCA) co-hosted an AgriSuite Workshop with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) that was held at the Warwick Community Centre. 18 farmers participated in the workshop.
Over the course of the event, OMAFRA workshop leaders, Christine Brown and Kevin McKague, provided participants with an overview of the AgriSuite tools and calculators, then participants pulled out their laptops and smartphones for a practical session where they learned how to use the AgriSuite Field Management Plan Tool and discussed how to use the results. This was followed by a presentation on the negative environment impacts of phosphorus loss and how to use the AgriSuite Phosphorus Loss Assessment Tool (PLATO) in order to estimate the risk and minimize phosphorus loss from cropland in Ontario.
SCRCA Stewardship Technician, Emily Febrey, then provided an overview of cost-share opportunities for farm and landowner stewardship projects that are available through the SCRCA’s Healthy Watershed Stewardship Program.
What is AgriSuite?
It is a suite of free web-based decision support tools developed by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. AgriSuite is available online at agrisuite.omafra.gov.on.ca. The AgriSuite tools and calculators can help you determine the best management practices for your farm that will:
- save money by improving the amount of fertilizer and other materials used
- reduce the environmental impact of on-farm generated nutrients
- protect drinking water sources
- reduce soil erosion
- maintain soil productivity
- manage the beneficial use of off-farm wastes on agricultural land
Eligible participants were able to earn the following certifications from the workshop:
- Certified Crop Advisors eligible to earn 2.0 CEUs (Nutrient Management; Soil & Water Management; Crop Management; Sustainability)
- OSCIA-recognized Knowledge Sharing Event (KSE) for Ontario On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) applicants with an approved project under the Nitrogen Management category
This workshop was coordinated by the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority through funding support from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Canadian Nature Fund.
