Veterinary Dr. Peter Kotzeff has been named Innovative Farmer of the Year by the Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario.
His main innovations relate to preventing soil erosion from his 2,200-acre farm in Huron County.
He has set aside a quarter of the land from crop production, leaving it for cattle grazing or in its natural state as woodland and wetland.
“I’m going to try to explore using hay as a cash crop to add diversity to my rotation,” he said in a recent interview with Farms.com. “I want to see if I can improve soil and plant health by trying to reduce the amount of herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers.”
As part of that goal, he will be trying soil inoculants and trace minerals.
“We’re always trying to find ways to improve soil health by reducing inputs,” he said.
Farmers that are looking to adopt innovative practices on their farm should focus on soil erosion first, Kotzeff said.
