Currie McIntosh is the owner and operator of Haywood Farms, a 160-acre cash crop operation in the Township of South Glengarry. In a region with a considerable equestrian industry, Haywood Farms has long sold hay to neigh-bouring farms. For nearly 25 years, Currie and his wife Donna have also been leasing part of their land for cash crops like corn and soy.  

With the support of the Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA) and its partners, the McIntosh family has implemented various nature-based solutions on their farm. Like other agricultural stewardship champions, the McIntoshes started with one project and then quickly saw the benefits, adding several more projects in the coming years. 

“It’s been a number of very, very happy projects. And they kind of just snowballed from one to the next,” says Currie.   
The McIntoshes began with a fencing and hedgerow project in 2017. Next, they implemented a strategic 2.5-kilometre windbreak project with native shrubs, and then a large wetland project in 2020. 

This wetland, an offline pair-pond, was constructed in the corner of an agricultural field that experienced low yields and high saturation levels, including prolonged standing water. The pond was designed with a variating contour to promote sediment capture, enhance habitat diversity, and increase the surface area for aquatic plant diversity and nutrient filtering. Two tile drainage runs were severed and their outlets diverted towards the pond to direct runoff into the wetland for filtration prior to entering the Raisin River through an outlet pipe. 

A buffer area was created around the wetland and seeded with clover to promote pollinator food sources and reduce maintenance. An additional 60 potted native shrubs were planted in the buffer area to augment the wetland’s water filtration and storage functions and offer more wildlife habitat and greater soil stability to the banks.

Other stewardship projects at Haywood Farms include a block planting of 250 native shrubs near the constructed wetland, and a scatter-planting of 200 native shrubs around a natural riparian area on the front of their property. In addition to what they’ve created, the McIntosh family have conserved a substantial woodlot on their property. Currie and Donna love the additional beauty these natural features brought to their property. There has also been a notable increase in wildlife.  

“It’s quite full of a bountiful amount of wildlife, including scarlet tanagers and Baltimore orioles,” says Currie McIntosh.  

Through these projects, they have created a harmonious landscape that supports biodiversity and natural resilience on their working farm.  

Currie always understood the value of the thin layer of topsoil on his property. He noted the widespread adoption of windbreaks in other countries, where the practice is more commonplace. When local lands were cleared, he witnessed firsthand how the trees had been mitigating the impact of wind on the topsoil in his immediate vicinity.

Currie recommends agricultural stewardship to others whenever he gets the chance. “I can’t save the world, but I can save a little piece of it for as long as I can,” he says.

Stewardship projects like the McIntoshes’ can go a long way towards making properties more sustainable and resilient. Wetland – beyond cleaning water and providing habitat – can also act as sponges: mitigating flooding by absorbing excess water during periods of high precipitation and releasing it slowly during times of drought. Adding native vegetation to riparian areas can provide protection again erosion, enhance infiltration; and even trap sediments, pesticides, pathogens and heavy metals.  

The McIntosh family’s property highlights a compelling aspect of environmental stewardship: how individual farmers can have a cumulative positive effect on their operations, environment, and communities. 

Landowners in the RRCA’s jurisdiction who are interested in implementing stewardship projects on their own properties are encouraged to contact the RRCA to learn about available opportunities for funding and technical assistance.

Select stewardship projects at Haywood Farms were undertaken in part with the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Water Agency. This project has received funding support from the Government of Ontario. Such support does not indicate endorsement by the Government of Ontario of the contents of this material. Additional funding was provided through ALUS Ontario East and Ducks Unlimited Canada. Views expressed here are those of the RRCA.

Adapted with permission from an article by ALUS.