Organic Friends' E鈥憐ine: January 2015

Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada

Faculty of Agriculture

Organic Friends' E鈥憐ine: January 2015

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The United Nations has designated 2015 as the !听 Please see our Director鈥檚 Message below for more information, and take a moment to reflect on the importance of our soils.

In this issue:

OACC Director's Message
Organic Science Cluster II
Practical Resources
Scientific Results
Courses
Student, Job and Apprentice Opportunities
Events

OACC Director's Message
The International Year of Soils I am very excited that 2015 is the as . Many soil science societies around the world are promoting recognition of the importance of soil and policy making that will support its conservation. Healthy soil is the foundation of viable and sustainable farming operations in organic agriculture. We spend most of our time thinking about how to manage soil properties to optimize the yield and quality of our products. The soil serves a much greater role than just a growing medium for our crops. Soil provides habitat for plants, animals and microorganisms, it is a filter for removing toxins, it holds nutrients that otherwise would be lost, it holds water and buffers extreme rainfall events, and it holds carbon which buffers climate change. The soil can be incredibly variable across the landscape and in different regions of the country, being influenced by the nature of the mineral materials left by glaciation, the shape of the land, climate, and of course the influences of biology, particularly vegetation. As Les Molloy stated 鈥�... only rarely have we stood back and celebrated our soils as something beautiful, and perhaps even mysterious. For what other natural body, worldwide in its distribution, has so many interesting secrets to reveal to the patient observer?鈥� Let us take this year as an opportunity to celebrate soil as an entity of itself, as well as the foundation of our organic food system. *A Rainbow of Soil* A rainbow of soil is under our feet; Red as a barn and black as a peat. It鈥檚 yellow as lemon and white as the snow; Bluish gray. So many colors below. Hidden in darkness as thick as the night; The only rainbow that can form without light. Dig you a pit, or bore you a hole, You鈥檒l find enough colors to well rest your soul. F.D. Hole, 1985 Sincerely, Andy Hammermeister, Ph.D., P.Ag. Director, OACC Assistant Professor, AV俱乐部 Faculty of Agriculture

OACC Director's Message

The International Year of Soils

I am very excited that 2015 is the as . Many soil science societies around the world are promoting recognition of the importance of soil and policy making that will support its conservation.

Healthy soil is the foundation of viable and sustainable farming operations in organic agriculture. We spend most of our time thinking about how to manage soil properties to optimize the yield and quality of our products. The soil serves a much greater role than just a growing medium for our crops. Soil provides habitat for plants, animals and microorganisms, it is a filter for removing toxins, it holds nutrients that otherwise would be lost, it holds water and buffers extreme rainfall events, and it holds carbon which buffers climate change. The soil can be incredibly variable across the landscape and in different regions of the country, being influenced by the nature of the mineral materials left by glaciation, the shape of the land, climate, and of course the influences of biology, particularly vegetation.

As Les Molloy stated 鈥�... only rarely have we stood back and celebrated our soils as something beautiful, and perhaps even mysterious. For what other natural body, worldwide in its distribution, has so many interesting secrets to reveal to the patient observer?鈥� Let us take this year as an opportunity to celebrate soil as an entity of itself, as well as the foundation of our organic food system.

A Rainbow of Soil
A rainbow of soil is under our feet;
Red as a barn and black as a peat.
It鈥檚 yellow as lemon and white as the snow;
Bluish gray. So many colors below.
Hidden in darkness as thick as the night;
The only rainbow that can form without light.
Dig you a pit, or bore you a hole,
You鈥檒l find enough colors to well rest your soul.
F.D. Hole, 1985

Sincerely,
Andy Hammermeister, Ph.D., P.Ag.
Director, OACC
Assistant Professor, AV俱乐部 Faculty of Agriculture

Organic Science Cluster II

[PDF, 12.5 MB. See page 14]
- Grainews. January 6, 2015 edition
- Manitoba Cooperator. 2014

Practical Resources

Horticulture

- ATTRA. 2014
Evaluation of Mungers Vinegar Plus for the management of sedges and rushes in cranberry
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Pesticide Risk Reduction Program. 2014
- eOrganic. 2014

Field Crops

- eOrganic. 2014

Pest Management

- Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. 2014

Livestock

Coccidiosis: Symptoms, Prevention, and Treatment in Sheep, Goats, and Calves
- ATTRA. 2014
- ATTRA. 2014
- eOrganic. 2014
Learning from Our Observations of Pastures & Livestock: Preventing Pasture Problems on the Organic Dairy Recorded Webinar
- eOrganic. 2014

Ecology and Environment

Special Information on Food Waste

[PDF - 2.1 MB]
- FAO. 2014
[PDF - 2.7 MB]
- FAO. 2014

Scientific Results

Soils and Fertility

- Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture (2015) 95: 447-454
- Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems (2015) 101: 1-15

Horticulture

- PLoS ONE (2014) 9(11): e112763
- HortScience (2014) 49: 1563-1567
- Canadian Journal of Plant Science (2015) 95: 161-174
- Organic Eprints. 2014
- Scientia Horticulturae (2014) 180: 63-71
- Euphytica (2015) 201: 389-400
- HortTechnology (2014) 24: 757-770
- HortTechnology (2014) 24: 696-701
- Editor's Note: This is a US study, please consult with your certification body before using any new products to ensure compliance with the Canadian standard and permitted substances list.

Field Crops

- Soil and Tillage Research (2015) 148: 59-73

Pest Management

- Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment (2015) 199: 94-104
- Biological Control (2015) 81: 76-82

Livestock

- Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture (2015) 95: 529-539
- Journal of Dairy Science (2014) 97: 7735-7750
- Organic Eprints. 2015

Ecology and Environment

- Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences (2015) 282: 1799
- Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment (2015) 199: 382-393
- Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment (2015) 200: 219-234

Nutrition, Safety and Health of Organic Foods

- Fruits (2015) 70: 29-36
- Journal of Dairy Science (2015) 98: 9-14

Post-harvest Handling, Storage and Processing

- Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture (2015) 95: 628-634

Courses

Certificate of Specialization in Organic Agriculture - Online Courses Offered in the Winter 2015 Semester:

See the Education pages on the OACC website for links to additional programs.

听

Student, Job and Apprentice Opportunities

Events

Event	Location	Date
	Guelph, ON	January 29 - February 1, 2015
	Toronto, ON	January 27 - April 28, 2015
	Ottawa, ON	February 14-15 March 14-15 April 11-12
	Lacrosse, WI	February 25-26, 2015
	Sherwood Park, AB	February 27 - March 1, 2015
Le premier colloque bio pour tous! (Simultaneous translation) Submit your poster summary by January 30, 2014	Victoriaville, QC	March 5-7, 2015
	Vienna, Austria	April 12-17, 2015

听

Organic Friends' E-Zine January 2015, Volume 11, Issue 3
Copyright 漏 2014 Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC)
PO Box 550, Truro, NS B2N 5E3, oacc@dal.ca
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