Dr. Ralph Martin, retired from University of Guelph, presented one of the keynote addresses at the CFGA’s 15th Annual Conference, Roots to Success: The Foundation of Resilient Agriculture. His presentation discussed the importance of forages as key contributors for sustainable agriculture as demands for food production grow. 
 
The overuse of synthetic fertilizer, food shortages and chronic diseases caused by unhealthy eating are leading to a potential crisis according to Ralph. His message was one of balance during his keynote presentation as he discussed the importance of perennial forages and photosynthesis. 
 
Ralph opened his talk with a history lesson on the use of nitrogen fertilizer, which has only been used in agriculture for the past 100 years. However, in that short time, about half the people in the world depend on this synthesized material making it the biggest energy input in agriculture. Potential food shortages and a growing global population see demands for fertilizer increasing. 
 
But, there’s another way to help meet global demands … growing perennial forages. He said it’s important to protect forage lands and suggested finding ways to incentivize diversity to encourage farmers to grow short-season varieties of cash crops bookended by forage crops in the early and late season. 
 
Ralph pointed out the benefits of intensive and bale grazing to both the livestock and the land on which they graze, pointing out that associated technologies offer ways to improve areas with low fertility. 
 
His presentation focused on the future in terms of opportunities for young farmers and technology innovations, such as agrivoltaics, and the use of cover crops between rows of corn or soybean. It also focused on the idea of rewarding farmers with financial incentives focused on developing good or very good soil organic matter, ensuring that soil is improved year over year, versus degraded after years of mono-cropped fields.  
 
Touching on innovations in no-till systems, such as the use of roller crimpers allowing for multiple crops on a field or examples of unexpected crops grown using no till methods, Ralph mentioned Ken Lang’s living lab project work with potatoes. 
 
 “He would establish rye and vetch as a cover crop the previous year, he would plant his potatoes into the cover crop, he would flail this whole cover crop just above the potatoes and then he would harvest,” Ralph said, noting while yields were not as high as conventional yields, he had very good yields for organic. “His input costs were low; his profitability was good.” 
 

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