Le Soleil – Roxanne Langlois
About forty farmers from the region took part on Wednesday in an introductory field day showcasing new agricultural practices aimed at helping their operations better cope with climate change. This activity is part of the Regenerative Agriculture initiative of the Fédération de l’UPA de la Gaspésie–Les Îles. Two farms currently being supported in adapting their practices to climate change—the Capino Farm in Caplan and the Bergerie du Margot in Bonaventure—hosted the group of producers.
Forage‑plant biodiversity, cover‑crop systems, improvements to crop rotation: several alternatives designed to help counter the extreme variations caused by climate change were presented to the participants. “We’ve been experiencing situations linked to climate change for a few years now, and there are solutions we can bring to farmers in Gaspésie,” explains Louis Pérusse, agronomist and founder of SCV Agrologie. Mr. Pérusse has been working with the two host farms. According to the agroecology specialist, the purpose of Wednesday’s activity was specifically to introduce new production paradigms in agriculture, intended to spark reflection and questioning among producers.
Signs of openness
For the general director of the Fédération de l’UPA de la Gaspésie–Les Îles, Guy Gallant, the droughts experienced by farmers over the past three years have helped raise awareness about the need to adapt to climate change. “Yes, practices need to change, because buying hay or running out of hay every year isn’t fun,” he says. According to Mr. Gallant, transitioning toward practices better adapted to climate change will require time and funding in the region. “It doesn’t happen overnight,” he admits, while remaining optimistic about the interest shown by Gaspésie producers.
A pioneering farm
Patrick Arsenault, owner of the Capino dairy farm in Caplan, began collaborating with agronomist Louis Pérusse in 2015. He is considered somewhat of a pioneer in Gaspésie when it comes to adapting farm practices to climate change. Mr. Arsenault clearly remembers his first meeting with Mr. Pérusse. “It was a pretty overwhelming first meeting. I was doing a good job, but he brought me to another level, got me to question things and observe certain details,” he explains.
A soil and drainage quality improvement program was launched on the farm’s land in the Baie‑des‑Chaleurs area. Biodiversity was also gradually introduced into the farm’s forage crops. “We’ve practically doubled yields here in five years,” notes Louis Pérusse. “This year, what I’ve achieved is really impressive,” adds Patrick Arsenault with a smile
Several impacts expected
Even if rainfall has been abundant this summer, this does not mean the problems are solved, notes Germain Babin, agronomist and union agent for specialties at the Fédération de l’UPA de la Gaspésie–Les Îles. Mr. Babin notes that several impacts will be felt concretely over the coming decades and that it is important to prepare for them. “We will have somewhat milder winters, which means periods of rain and snow. We may see later frosts. Many such phenomena will be cyclical, but sometimes those cycles will be closer together.”
Guy Gallant adds that unfamiliar insects may migrate northward due to changing weather conditions. “We may also see plants we’ve never seen before appear,” he says. The Gaspésie branch of the UPA is also part of the Agriclimat initiative, which includes all regions of Québec. A regional working group will meet this fall to identify the main issues experienced in Gaspésie and the adaptation measures that need to be developed.