Wednesday, August 23, 2006 · Page 6 Promoting better well care by Ron Bonnett, President Ontario Federation of Agriculture When you hear that almost 90 per cent of Ontario's three million private wells are in need of repair, support for a program to improve well care and management seems like the right thing to do. That's why the Ontario Federation of Agriculture is putting its support behind a proposal aimed at creating the Well Wise Centre. This centre would bring together a number of partners intersted in improving the ong-term future of private ater wells everywhere in he province. An `expert panel' report on water wells in the province identified a number of key recommendations aimed at improving everywhere in wells Ontario everything from incentive programs to improved education. There are two approaches to addressing rural water quality issues. Passing regulations and rules would not necessarily have a positive impact on water quality. OFA believes that a stewardship approach, as described in the proposed well water centre initiative, is the way to go. Past experiences in areas such as the Environmental Farm Plan, the nutrient management plan and tree planting initiatives tell us the stewardship approach works best. If there is a choice between a carrot or a stick approach, and we really want results, the carrot approach works. The proposal now under consideration calls for a pilot project centre. The development of this centre would help prove the need for the services being proposed, and would allow for the analysis of key requirements that must be replicated to achieve success in other locations. Some of the goals behind the proposal include the provision of a new E.D. Smith Cherry Farm Balancing economics and the environment BY NANCY TILT ONTARIO SOIL AND CROP IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION ROOFING & SIDING BOOK EARLY! KEN-CO 776-8340 KEN COLENUTT Call for a FREE Estimate approach to helping well owners understand how to care for their water supply and the local environment they are responsible for managing; to work with existing agencies and programs to enhance products and services available to the public; and to provide education and training to professionals, currently interacting with well owners, to ensure all groups are aware of appropriate ways to manage and protect private water supplies. Development of these centres will lead to partnerships with universities to research key questions about private water supplies, technology transfer to professionals and the public, and to have a positive Why Replace that Tractor... impact on the quality of service provided by well technicians and ensure due regard for the environment during well repair projects. A key feature of the Well Wise Centre will be its ability to provide assistance to private well owners in a non-regulatory environment. We believe this will encourage more participation from the public and get people to achieve more than minimum standards with their private well projects. In the past the Ontario Federation of Agriculture has worked with private well owners to have testing programs so owners would know the status of their wells. We have also managed funding programs to Rad Repair Done Onsite have private wells upgraded and wells no longer in service decommissioned professionally. OFA knows the importance of properly serviced and maintained wells to the security of safe and clean drinking water for public consumption. We believe the development of Well Wise Centres across the province will be a natural extension of our efforts to protect our drinking water sources for the long-term future. The success of the Well Wise Centres proposal will depend on support and participation of both public and private partners. OFA is ready to play a leading role to ensure the success of the proposal. Performance Machine Inc. Both small and large farm operations can benefit from the principles of environmental farm planning. E. D. Smith Cherry Farm of Winona, Ont. is just such an example of a larger operation. "Environmental stewardship is very important to us t E.D. Smith Cherry Farm," ays Norm Herbert, gricultural Manager. "As armers we have the responibility of looking after the oil, protecting our water, nd respecting nature." Established in 2000, E.D. mith Cherry Farm offers 70 cres of pick-your-own weet cherries nestled at the ase of the Niagara escarpent. Orchard management ecognizes the Escarpment oth as a significant natural eature and a World iosphere Reserve. E.D. Smith Cherry Farm recently completed an Environmental Farm Plan for their operation. Administered by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association on behalf of the Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition, EFP is a voluntary program that helps farmers prepare environmental risk assessments and action plans for their farms. Action plans approved through peerreview may be then eligible for cost-shared funding to help with implementation. Funding sources include the Canada-Ontario Farm Stewardship Program, Greencover Canada, and Tier 1 of the Canada-Ontario Water Supply Expansion Program. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Ontario Ministry of ALL WORK GUARANTEED Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs support these programs under the Agricultural Policy Framework. SEE E.D. SMITH, 7 We Can Fix It Like New! 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