The Pontiac Soil Management Club held its annual general meeting at Shawville’s Community Lodge on Apr. 24 to update members and the public on club news from the past year.
The club, formed in the mid-90s, offers services to local farmers to improve the health and quality of their soils, and hosts occasional activities and workshops on the subject.
While the turnout for Thursday’s meeting was low, with about five members in attendance, club president Scott Judd said the club has gained members over the past few years, putting its total membership at 65.
He believes this new interest is because of the new agronomy services the club offers to members through Groupe PleineTerre, an agricultural consulting firm hired by the club over two years ago.
“Now we’re trending up, because they’ve got confidence in the agronomists we have and the advisory service we have,” he said, adding that he has been receiving calls from young farmers who are inquiring about joining the club, and is hopeful the membership will continue to grow.
Judd said the new partnership has been a benefit for club members, as the agronomists offer services and advice for a variety of farms on developing positive soil health.
“The wealth of knowledge that they have and they share with our colleagues makes us better,” he said.
He said having access to the collective experience of PleineTerre has been a better situation for the club than what it previously had – individually hired agronomists that didn’t have access to the same networks and resources.
“So not only do we get a deal on soil analysis, we get that knowledge that trickles down and comes through. It’s a big, big benefit to the region.”
Judd, who grows grapes for his winery as well as alfalfa and wheat for his dairy operation, said two years after starting the partnership, farmers are seeing the results.
“We have seen better improvements in our crops, they’re growing better, better fertilizer recommendations,” he said. “You can trust their recommendations.”
Also at the meeting, MRC Pontiac economic development officer for agriculture, Shanna Armstrong, delivered a presentation on a new group-buying service for which the MRC is hoping to receive grant money.
The idea, she said, came out of a series of consultations for the MRC’s PDZA agricultural development plan, a revision of which was passed at the Apr. 16 council of mayors meeting.
“We did different public forums with producers to get their input on what the needs are, and one of the big things was the lack of services available in the Pontiac,” she said, explaining that producers looking for specific supplies, such as fertilizer or animal feed, can buy in bulk through the program in order to benefit from a lower price.
Armstrong said her presentation doubled as a pitch to the club, since the group buying program would have the budget to pay for an administrator and thought the club might be interested.
Near the end of the meeting, club directors Ron Angus, Scott Judd, Darryl Moffatt, Pat Sullivan, Ursina Studhalter and Jonathan Hamilton were re-elected to their positions.
