Farmers can learn windbreak pros and cons

A workshop on windbreaks – entitled Windbreaks: Are the Rumours True? – will be held on Aug. 27 near Elora.

The event will be held from 6pm to 8:30pm at Eastep Farms, 6807 Wellington Road 7.

The purpose of the workshop is to address questions about the costs and benefits of windbreaks.

Is it true that windbreaks increase crop yields? Will trees clog field drainage tiles? Do windbreaks require a lot of up-keep?

Farmers with more than 20 years of experience managing windbreaks will be on hand to answer questions and talk about their experiences.

The hosts for the event, the Eastep family, have been widely recognized for their environmental stewardship over the years.

The workshop includes a dinner of pulled-pork sandwiches, followed by a short presentation from a forestry specialist and a field tour.

There is no cost to attend, but registration is required.

To register contact Mark Funk, forestry specialist with the Grand River Conservation Authority at mfunk@grandriver.ca or by phone at (519) 621-2763, Ext. 2259.

Funding for the workshop has been provided by Trees for Mapleton, Trees for Woolwich, Trees for Minto and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.