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On Thursday March 15th the Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists (MVFN) proudly present a talk by Peter McLaren, first term Lanark Highlands Councillor, dairy farmer, and member of an International Best Practices Committee for Food. The presentation entitled “The Cows are in My Drinking Water”: Agriculture and the Watershed”, is the 6th in MVFN’s series on the Mississippi Valley Watershed.
Mr. McLaren has a strong interest in the relationship between agriculture and the health and stability of the watershed, and has been directly involved in practices and policies relating to agriculture in the watershed. He is a graduate of Kemptville Agricultural College and has farmed most of his life. In addition to serving on municipal council, Peter is a member of the Lanark County Stewardship Council and serves on the Steering and Review Committees on Clean Water projects for Rideau Valley and the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authorities and Ottawa’s Clean Water Committee.
Which issues our speaker chooses to stress will be interesting, as there are many which impact us all and are critical to both farm operation and the health of the watershed. The Mississippi Valley Watershed is the area of land, including Lanark County, drained by the Mississippi River. Lanark County contains some valuable agricultural lands, extensive wetlands and forest as well as marginal farm land on thin soil over bedrock. What is the main connection between agriculture and a healthy watershed? While farms as natural areas can be important for wildlife habitat, they are absolutely vital for healthy watersheds. Vegetative cover improves water quality and farms also play an important role in the water cycle by helping maintain adequate water quantity in our groundwater. Threats to farms from urban sprawl (being paved over) and other pressures represent a threat to the health of the watershed.
Equally important is protection of water quality from farm run-off. Peter will likely tackle the policies and regulations related to this issue also, such as nutrient management plans, agricultural buffers etc. He will also explore other policies and information which can lead us toward a good balance between productive farms, happy neighbours and a healthy watershed.
The presentation by Peter McLaren is Thursday March 15th at 7:30 pm at the Almonte United Church Social Hall, 106 Elgin St., Almonte. Cliff Bennett will be the host for the evening. All are welcome; there is free admission for MVFN members and children and a small fee of $5 for others. Refreshments are provided. For further information contact Joyce Clinton at 613-257-4879 or clintonj@magma.ca, or visit www.mvfn.ca.