Its been busy and very interesting times for me as a director and now president of the SSCA. Not being one to just show up at board meetings, I've always tried to be very pro-active and positive about the soil conservation movement. This has taken me to many parts of Saskatchewan as well as Alberta, since I live on the provincial boundary. The most relevant observation I've made is the move towards the adoption of conservation farming methods is growing in momentum. I feel the "middle adopters", who are the majority of farmers, are now keenly interested in direct seeding and zero till, or at least greatly reduced tillage. Farmers in the "it won't work here" areas of the prairies are beginning to understand that it does work. These observations have become very apparent to me as I have traveled around Saskatchewan and Alberta both as a speaker and a participant at various soil conservation events.
Two or three years ago when I was asked to speak at an event, the question period following a presentation would be taken up largely by challenges and dismissal of the material I presented. Not so any more. Now the questions are sincere and the interest is keen. This leads to very productive discussions and exchanges of ideas. Even at the social events or just visiting around town, the discussion often ends up on direct seeding. It might be a few questions about seeding and fertilizing or weed control strategies or depending on the season, managing a pulse crop harvest, or it might just be a comment on a good crop of peas or winter wheat. So now the "village idiot" has, it seems, become a bit of a consultant.
This all leads me to role of the SSCA. Soil conservation and direct seeding are NOT passé. The majority of farmers are just getting comfortable with the notion and are now seeking out information. This has been proven by attendance at meetings and workshops throughout the prairies this past winter. SSCA, Mandak and ACTS have all enjoyed record crowds at their annual conferences and trade shows. Two day workshops in Swift Current and Medicine Hat were standing room only, and we had huge crowds at our SSCA field days this spring. People I spoke to at events this past winter are now calling and asking to come tour our farm.
The need for the work of our association is greater than ever. Producers are entitled to up-to-date, accurate, useful and unbiased information as they go about adopting conservation farming methods. The benefits of direct seeding and zero till increase the potential for profit but also increase the potential for costly mistakes. So, we owe it to our producers to be there providing the latest and best information to them. Although our staff is small, their expertise, experience and enthusiasm is vast. Together with other extension services we can serve producers well.
History has shown that when conservation programs are not maintained, much of the good work done is lost as producers tend to revert back to less sustainable practices. In order to prevent this from happening in Saskatchewan, we must continue to grow our SSCA membership, impress upon our governments the need for continuity of programs and convince ag industry of their role in this effort. If we can be successful in these areas (and we are) the future of our association will be secure, our members and all producers will be well served, and the health of our soil will be a high priority as we make our farm management decisions. May you all have timely rains and a bountiful harvest. See you down the road.