The Saint-Louis agricultural producers take action!
What is it?
The PAAR Saint-Louis project promotes the adoption of environmentally-friendly farming practices by agricultural producers located in the Saint-Louis River watershed, upstream of Route 201. By encouraging the adoption of such practices, we aim to improve water quality, preserve soil fertility, and promote the biodiversity of agricultural ecosystems in the region. This initiative also aims to raise local farmers’ awareness of environmental issues and encourage sustainable management of natural resources.
What do we do?
In 2021, OBV SCABRIC launched the PAAR Saint-Louis project in collaboration with partners from the agri-environmental advisory clubs active on the territory, UPA Haut-Saint Laurent, UPA Beauharnois-Salaberry and UPA de la Montérégie. OBV SCABRIC has succeeded in engaging agricultural producers and maintaining collective mobilization. As part of these efforts, practices and developments are scheduled for completion in 2024.
OBV SCABRIC is responsible for:
- Maintaining participants’ commitment;
- Raising awareness of water, biodiversity and soil conservation practices;
- Contributing to the medium- and long-term improvement of water quality in the Saint-Louis River;
- Increasing the project’s visibility.
What are the best agri-environmental practices?
1. Widened riparian buffer strip
This practice is an effective strategy for reducing runoff from agricultural soils into watercourses. These strips along the banks create a natural barrier that retains and filters soil particles and contaminants, thereby reducing water pollution. It also helps protect riverbanks from erosion, provides essential habitat for local flora and fauna, and helps preserve the biodiversity of riparian ecosystems.
2. Cover crops and intercrops
Cover crops are planted after the main crop has been harvested. Intercropping consists of planting a cover crop between the rows of the main crop. These techniques maintain a cover that protects against erosion, thereby reducing the loss of agricultural soil and the input of sediment into watercourses.
3. Other useful practices
Crop rotation, riprap around drain outlets and the rational use of pesticides are other practices that help protect the health of soils and waterways.
In 2023, we focused on building and developing showcase projects. The purpose of a showcase project is to highlight a pilot or demonstrative project to illustrate a problem encountered in a specific field. As part of the PAAR St-Louis, the showcase project was specifically designed to address the major challenges posed by recurrent flooding and erosion along the riparian fields of the Saint-Louis River. It focuses on three main objectives: limiting runoff from agricultural soils into watercourses, enhancing the biodiversity and resilience of riparian ecosystems by promoting the growth of adapted vegetation and improving water quality in adjacent watercourses by reducing sediment input.
Other ongoing agri-environmental projects in the region:
- Les producteurs de la Saint-Pierre se mobilisent (PAAR Saint-Pierre – 2022-2025)
- Saint-Rémi – Utilisation efficace de l’eau souterraine en milieu agricole (PAD Saint-Rémi – 2023-2024)
- Collaboration avec la MRC de Roussillon : Développement agroalimentaire – PDZA Roussillon 2019-2024 – Enjeu 5 – Agroenvironnement (PDZA Roussillon – 2022-2024)
OBV SCABRIC is the initiator of a collective and unifying project financed for the coming year by component 2 of MAPAQ’s Prime-Vert program.
Main partners:
- MAPAQ
- UPA Haut-Saint Laurent,
- UPA Beauharnois-Salaberry
- UPA Montérégie
- Groupe PleineTerre
- Réseau Agriconseils
- Municipalité de Sainte-Barbe
- Club Agroenvironnemental du Suroit
- Club Agroenvironnement du bassin versant de la rivière La Guerre
- MRC Beauharnois Salaberry
- Municipalité de Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka
For more information!
Contact our project managers at projet@scabric.ca.
