P.E.I. farmers test out ways to reduce greenhouse gases and store carbon

Mark and Sally Bernard of Barnyard Organics in Freetown, P.E.I., are tackling climate change one cow patty at a time. 

The farmers are part of the new P.E.I. Agriculture Climate Solutions program, funded by the provincial and federal governments. 

The Bernards are using a small herd of borrowed beef cattle to improve the health of their soil and store carbon.

"When Mark and I were looking at how we could turn this farm into sort of a climate fighting machine, cattle came up right away," said Sally.

"We need fertility as an organic farm, we need manure. But they also trample a lot of the forage that goes back into the soil. There's all sorts of ways that they feed the soil, and that is how we sequester the carbon."

Financial support

The Bernards have had the cattle on their farm since June, and with funding from the program, have set up strips of field for them to graze, slowly spreading their manure through the entire field. 

"The idea is that they're in this field for this year, year one of an eight year rotation," Sally said.  

"Over the eight years, they will hit eight different fields, then in in year nine, they'll be back here again. That's the hope. And we'll see how it goes."

The Bernards are also using a new piece of machinery called a no till drill, to help them reduce how much they till, and to plant more crops per season, some of which are put back into the soil to make it healthier.  

The program did not pay for the drill, but Mark said the incentives being offered through the climate solutions program made it possible for them to finally make the investment. 

"This no till drill actually was in the original business plan, and it just happened that we expanded in other places, and spent money in other places, and it just never worked," Mark said."

"It was always the dream."

Reducing methane

Adam MacLean is three weeks into his new job as the agriculture climate action specialist for the province.

"The idea of this program is to provide incentives, support, technical expertise, to support farmers in adopting change practices, new procedures, operations that have a positive impact on our climate," MacLean said.

"We've had a lot of uptake on extending rotations with more perennial forages and cover crops, we've had potato producers opt for a longer rotation to increase the soil building."

MacLean said there are also farmers who are changing the way they manage livestock, to decrease the amount of methane produced.

He said there are currently 31 projects underway across P.E.I. as part of the pilot program. 

"The reality is it's new processes, it's new strategies. And programming like this can just take the edge off, reduce the risk a bit, and provide financial incentives and technical expertise to help make sure that the changes are successful," MacLean said.

Sally said the family also has a very personal reason for being part of the program.

"Firstly, it benefits us as humans, as human farmers that are living on this rapidly heating planet, who have kids who maybe someday will take over the farm," Sally said.

"I felt like, here we are with 500 acres. Why wouldn't we do everything we could?"

The budget for the one year Agriculture Climate Solutions pilot program is $214,100, cost shared between the provincial and federal governments.