Guelph, ON (May 5, 2022) – Syngenta’s Operation Pollinator program continues to grow in Ontario with a spring initiative for farmers engaged in soil health and water quality research through the On-Farm Applied Research and Monitoring (ONFARM) Program.
Participating ONFARM cooperators will convert up to two acres of lower-productivity land into
dedicated pollinator habitat. Both Operation Pollinator and ONFARM are delivered by the Ontario Soil
and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA). Syngenta announced the partnership with OSCIA at the
2022 ONFARM Forum in February.
“Operation Pollinator has seen great success in Ontario over the past four years,” says Warren
Schneckenburger, OSCIA president and ONFARM cooperator. “OSCIA was pleased to carry this
momentum to ONFARM cooperators in 2022, who are committed to farming practices with benefits
beyond productivity and that contribute to environmental and societal good.”
Operation Pollinator was first offered to farmers and rural landowners in Southern Ontario in 2018.
Since then, approximately 106 acres of pollinator habitat have been established by 44 cooperators
under the Ontario program.
Cooperators will plant a blend of pollinator-friendly species, including birdsfoot trefoil and white clover,
sourced with valuable technical support from Speare Seeds. Sites will be maintained for at least one
year, and long-term habitat establishment is encouraged. In addition, cooperators may choose to plant
milkweed, which supports Monarch butterflies native to the province.
“In exchange for dedicating the land, participating farmers receive a provision of seed, agronomic
advice, and financial assistance to help offset site establishment costs,” says Erin McGregor, Stewardship and Policy Manager for Syngenta Canada. “This is a win-win for Ontario’s biodiversity and the farmers participating in the program. We are pleased to continue our partnership with OSCIA and recognize the efforts of program participants for making biodiversity an important part of their farm.”
ONFARM cooperators, like Norm Lamothe in Peterborough County, are leading farmers in Ontario and
are well-positioned to showcase the value of agricultural biodiversity and disseminate their knowledge
to other farmers. “We continue to see the benefits of integrating a diverse ecosystem on our farm,”
shared Lamothe. “A compliment to our soil health initiatives, a pollinator site is another way we can
encourage beneficial insects and bees to work within our cropping practices.”
About Operation Pollinator:
Operation Pollinator is an international biodiversity initiative focused on research and partnerships to
promote the health and well-being of bees and other pollinators given their essential role in agriculture
and nature.
About ONFARM:
The ONFARM program is a four-year, applied research initiative that began in 2019 which supports soil
health and water quality research on farms across Ontario. The program was developed by the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and is funded by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year federal-provincial-territorial initiative.
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Media Contact:
Samantha Lyon, Programs Analyst, Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association
519-546-8131
slyon@ontariosoilcrop.org