Best Management Practices: A First Look

Farming is a business with many risks: the weather, finances, and market uncertainties.  Today, we also realize that certain farming practices may create environmental risks that affect the water quality.

Producers experience some of the resulting problems themselves such as lower crop yields, soil losses and water pollution.  But rural and urban neighbours may also be affected.  Not all problems are severe and not all farms have problems.  But for those producers who are affected, practical solutions exist. This web page is intended to help you explore workable solutions for soil, water and habitat problems that are covered in greater detail in the books and other products of the Best Management Practices Program.

This book contains information on:

Nutrients

• Manure Run-off and Tile Discharge
• Manure and Milkhouse Washwater Storage and Handling
• Manure Application Mismanagement
• Effective Manure Application
• Nutrient Management Planning

Soil

• Managing Fragile Lands
• Soil Erosion by Water
• Soil Conservation
• Controlling Wind Erosion
• Other Soil Problems
• Maintaining Soil Quality

Water

• Surface Water Problems
• Protecting Surface Water
• Risks to Groundwater
• Water Wells
• Protecting Groundwater

Pest Management

• Pesticides and the Environment
• Effective Pest Management

Other

• Natural Areas
• Where to Go For Information
• List of Best Management Practices Books
• Acknowledgements

The Best Management Practices series of books was originally published in cooperation with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
• Ontario Federation of Agriculture