Audience Scope

This section is for individuals and organizations that support, deliver, or provide environmental and sustainability education to farmers and rural landowners, two distinct types of rural property owners, each having different interests and concerns.

Outcomes

Farmers and rural landowners will:

1. Understand and respect one another’s different perspectives about the environment and conservation, with particular attention to the intrinsic values of the environment

Sample Indicators:

• Farmers and rural landowners are open to learning about different perspectives concerning the environment and conservation.
• They participate in each other’s meetings and events.
• They understand and use each other’s language.

2. Incorporate ecological concepts and environmental best practice into land management operations and decision-making

Sample Indicators:

• Farmers and rural landowners participate in existing ecological programs and activities.
• They undertake voluntary stewardship activities on their land.
• They assess the ecological health of their lands and develop indicators of health.
• They engage in ecological monitoring and reporting.
• They practice sustainable management techniques in land use decisions.

3. Be positive role models regarding sound ecological practices

Sample Indicators:

• Farmers and rural landowners voluntarily manage the resources on their land using their environmental knowledge and the best, ecologically sound methods.
• Farmers provide the public with knowledge about best practice for land management, as well as the services they provide and programs they are involved in.

Needs

Rural landowners and farmers need:

• Restoration of lost environmental values and credible alternatives to consumerism and unsustainable land use
• Educators from within their own community to spread awareness of ecological concepts, sustainability issues, and environmental best practice
• Sufficient income security and guarantees of financial viability to encourage expenditures toward environmental best practice
• Demonstrations that environmental best practice need not undermine personal financial security
• Compensation for private land base that is used for natural resource enhancement projects
• Community labour to plant trees and carry out environmental enhancement on their lands
• An increase in hired government personnel with expertise in rural environmental issues and environmentally sound practices
• Mentors, champions, and leaders who demonstrate, guide, and create enthusiasm for sustainable practices
• Public spending on appropriate programs for conservation or stewardship practices
• Incentives to change to organic farming
• Conflict resolution skills to build cordial relations between non-farmers and farmers
• Informed and balanced public viewpoints regarding environmental problems
• Realistic outlooks that respect farmer and rural landowner cultures
• More information, financing, and human resources
• Balanced reporting by the media of all sides of environmental issues

Strategies

Programs, Projects, and Policies

1. Design and provide educational programs that offer current information on land management policies and new environmental best practice.
2. Create a greater awareness of ecological functions, and their importance and value.
3. Reinstate and support sustainable agriculture programs in high schools.
4. Provide partner funding among different levels of government to provide landowners with help in effecting environmental enhancement on their lands (e.g., planting and restoration).
5. Develop or expand the E&SE component of agricultural and land use programs at universities and colleges.

Resources

1. Provide assistance in finding meeting places for farmers and landowners to gather.
2. Gather and distribute information on the best stewardship models and programs through diverse channels including television, rural press, e-mail, Internet, municipal outlets, and personal contacts.
3. Develop and widely disseminate brochures and test kits written in plain, clear language.
4. Provide workshops to ensure adequate exposure to the potential of existing stewardship programs for farmers and rural landowners.

Support

1. Provide funding for a program on ecological land assessment and for the development of indicators.
2. Work with farmers to promote ownership of voluntary programs, such as those offered through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s Healthy Futures for Ontario.
3. Communicate with decision-makers and government representatives to request funding for E&SE and best practice workshops.
4. Conduct sensitive and appropriate training to comply with impending regulations.
5. Collaborate with government and non-governmental agencies in devising plans or systems that compensate landowners for resource preservation and the protection of environmental services.
6. Create programs that compensate or reward farmers if they forego productive uses of land in return for environmental activities, or the preservation of woodlots and wetlands.
7. Increase participation in stewardship programs through the provision of incentives.
8. Offer work-study tours both near and far.
9. Develop ways to build cooperation and cordial relations between non-farmers and farmers.
10. Recognize, promote, and support the efforts of farmers and rural landowners who manage their land using the sustainable best practices, and who undertake stewardship activities.

Please see Appendix 1 for a list of useful websites.