Ontario’s farmers are confronted by the relentless hardships of this summer’s extended drought. This series of events has deeply devastated their crop production and livestock health. This challenging situation has been exacerbated by rising temperatures, leading to a decrease in water availability and increased operational costs.
Don Williams, a seventh-generation cattle and cash-crop farmer, described the season succinctly: “Dry, dry, dry… it’s been challenging and hot too.” With the ongoing precipitation deficit, farmers are resorting to extreme measures to keep their operations afloat. Sadly, their work often doesn’t stand a chance against the erratic caprices of Mother Nature.
The provincial government has promised $41 million to expand irrigation infrastructure. We understand why farmers are still skeptical, especially when it comes to how this funding will meet their immediate, pressing challenges. As the crisis continues to develop, the ag community has been working diligently to find an answer. They work to protect us from the worst effects of extreme weather.
The Impact on Crop Yields
Tim Kuepfer, owner of Broken Stone Winery in Prince Edward County (PEC), is suddenly losing more than he can afford. He estimates that up to a fifth of his crop could be affected. That’s hundreds fewer cases of wine, having a huge impact on their production. It’s a big blow for a company that is entirely reliant on its annual crops.
Kuepfer emphasized that while dry weather can enhance grape quality, yielding a higher skin-to-juice ratio for better flavor development, excessive drought is detrimental. He noted, “Generally, we’d like to see dry weather for grapes up to a certain extent. It makes the skin-to-juice ratio higher… but too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing.”
With yields getting lower as climate change intensifies, many farmers have been forced to adopt more time-intensive practices, including hand-watering plants. Kuepfer and his team manually fill 1,000-litre IBCs to drip water each plant. This laborious process underscores the urgency that many in the industry feel.
The toll weighs heavy for farmers like Jack Romagnoli, whose family has farmed the region for a hundred years. While he can utilize some irrigation from a pond on his property, he acknowledges the limitations: “It takes a lot of time and is costly to do.” The new reality of growing enough water to support their production has changed the game.
The Challenges of Livestock Farming
The drought’s impacts do not stop at just crops, livestock farmers are suffering tremendously during this crisis. In an article for the Washington Post, Don Williams highlighted the challenges associated with efforts to keep dairy cows hydrated during this extraordinarily dry summer. The average milking cow drinks as much as 40 gallons of water each day. Williams stated, “One milking cow alone will drink up to 40 gallons of water a day, so water is a huge part of it.”
To obtain the water he needs for his herd, Williams has developed an extensive daily process. He makes a 20-kilometer roundtrip to Lake Ontario in nearby Wellington four times a day to get fresh water each time. This unnecessary burden increases his operating costs. It raises troubling concerns over the welfare of his livestock in extreme heat.
Williams further illustrated the difficult circumstances he and other farmers face: “What we have control of is almost nothing … we put hundreds of thousands of dollars into our fields… but unless we get that almighty water, we can’t do it.” Chief Waters’ sentiments ring true for many in the farming community who have been left to fend against the whims of nature’s unpredictable forces.
In preparation, farmers across the country have invested in technology to adapt. Dr. Khalid Elgazzar, an associate professor at Ontario Tech University, is spearheading initiatives to integrate drone technology into farming practices. His team recently demonstrated their abilities by deploying an autonomous drone to an apple orchard. The drone calculated the number and size of apples based on visual indicators. Elgazzar hopes that continued improvement of these types of technologies will provide farmers better tools to monitor and protect their crops in harsher climates.
The Broader Implications for Ontario Agriculture
The ongoing drought conditions have raised alarms not only for the farmers directly affected but for Ontario’s agricultural sector as a whole. Zac Cohoon, owner of Twin Erin Farms, articulated the broader implications: “Everything we do touches everybody in this country every day… It’s not just about your vegetables.” He highlighted the role of a strong agricultural base in fostering ancillary industries, like tourism and food service.
Despite having some access to water for irrigation, Cohoon expressed skepticism about its feasibility as a long-term solution. “Irrigation is not a solution for our problem,” he remarked. All of these farmers echoed fears over lack of resources and whether or not their operations will be able to survive long-term.
The federal government has acknowledged the dire situation in regions like Prince Edward County, where 64 to 72 days out of 90 ending August 18 saw less than 0.5 millimeters of precipitation. Clearly such conditions pose enormous hurdles for producers, something officials admit. They know what restricting access to water means to local economies that are dedicated to agricultural production.
Amid these adversities, farmers remain resilient. Kuepfer noted, “Farmers are very resourceful.” He pointed out that farmers, while making up less than 1% of the population, have the responsibility to feed the rest of the nation.
