Explore dryland corner management strategies September 24

Dryland corners are complex. If you choose to manage them, the “how” can be daunting.

The September 24th Dryland Corner Bus Tour brings you to the action! Join Trevor Deering and Evrett Krippl for a showcase of the multiple management systems they surveyed as part of their No Cutting Corners project at Farming Smarter.

This tour visits four farms that showcase different types of management strategies that offer numerous benefits to the farm. It will equip farmers with the knowledge to identify and adopt the best practices for them while sharing knowledge of what works in southern Alberta.

Enjoy peer-to-peer learning along with the opportunity to discover the best management strategy for your farm and how to implement them, or to learn about new strategies that could elevate your corner’s productivity.

“Corners are seen as a pain, and the sentiment is that they don’t make money,” says Deering. As project lead, he reviewed 22 farms and investigated the productivity of their corners. “Corners are still part of the farm and farmers understand the importance of taking care of their land and resources. In a year with good rainfall like this one, cropped corners were likely in the green!”

“Farmers are managing dryland corners the best way possible, that makes sense to their operations, as they do with all their acres. Dryland corners are more complex than we initially thought, and there may be opportunity to realize more benefits like solar power production, increasing biodiversity or more,” he adds.

However, cropping isn’t the only route farmers can take to make their corners productive. The No Cutting Corners project evaluated the productivity of two annual cropping practices, developing perennial forage systems and cultivating natural habitats, along with non-agricultural options. Farmers and agronomists will understand the makings of a successful management practice from farm to farm and how to sustainably implement the best choice for their situation.

Whether you’re looking to improve your corner’s productivity or just curious about corner options, Deering and Krippl, along with Farming Smarter’s own Mike Gretzinger and Lewis Baarda are eager to share the findings of this Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) funded study.

“I want farmers to feel supported in making best management practice decisions in their dry corners, and I want them to feel heard in their successes and struggles,” Deering states. “Dryland corners aren’t just a hard piece of ground to grow on, or a part of the field to ignore or curse at – there are good things happening in corners and lots of potential to realize!”

Non-agricultural options are a major part of the findings Deering is excited to share. “There’s different management challenges, especially with weed management, but they’re less mismanaged than you would expect,” he shares.

The Dryland Corner Bus Tour sets off September 24, with the bus departing from Farming Smarter at 9:00 a.m. sharp. Make sure you don’t miss the bus – get your tickets today! Visit the event webpage to learn more about the tour and how you can improve your corners this season.

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