Athens Farm Couple Wins
2010 Environmental Stewardship Award
February 24, 2010 (Toronto) – The Ontario Cattlemen’s
Association (OCA) is pleased to announce that Charlie
and Kim Sytsma of Eighth Line Farm are the winners of
this year’s Environmental Stewardship Award (TESAward),
sponsored by RBC Royal Bank and OCA. The Sytsmas run 220
Red Angus cow/calf pairs on their home farm and leased
properties near Athens, Ontario, in the United Counties
of Leeds and Grenville, and were nominated for the award
by Martin Streit of the Leeds County Stewardship
Council, with support from the Charleston Lake
Association and the Township of Athens. The Award was
presented today at the 2010 OCA Annual General Meeting
by Sheila Smart of RBC Royal Bank.
The Sytsmas have been able to lease an
extensive area of remote pasture lands and improve their
productivity through the use of rotational grazing
systems. Over 1.5 kilometers of riparian shoreline
habitat has been restored and 480 cattle have been
removed from the stream as a result of their actions.
“Charlie and Kim have worked long and
hard with the Leeds County Stewardship Council to
restore the portions of Elbe creek, which runs through
their farms,” reports Streit. “They have influenced the
improvement of the environmental practices of many
farmers through their own actions, hosting tours, giving
presentations and word of mouth. Moreover, they have
influenced many other farmers to participate in similar
projects, resulting in a vast improvement in the
condition of Elbe creek.”
Cattle are watered
using a total of five solar watering systems, which has
allowed marginal agricultural lands to be kept in
production. The Sytsmas have also constructed over
three kilometers of cattle-exclusion fencing to protect
a primary source of water for Charleston Lake. The lake
boasts the most southerly self-reproducing Lake Trout
population in Ontario.
“Kim and Charlie Sytsma are shining
examples of how through cooperative efforts real,
meaningful environmental improvements can be
implemented,” says Bill Hallam, President of the
Charleston Lake Association (CLA). “The CLA has
recognized that in order to keep Charleston Lake
healthy, a number of steps had to be taken and
[therefore] developed the Charleston Lake Management
Plan, one of the first in Ontario. Kim and Charlie were
one of the first area farmers to get involved in what we
refer to as the Stream Rehabilitation Program. They are
outspoken supporters of this program and have hosted
many organizations including the Charleston Lake
Association to demonstrate what can be accomplished
through cooperative measures.”
“With a strong dedication to protecting
the environment, [Kim and Charlie] have set the example
for other agriculture owners to follow to improve the
way that farming practices are carried out on private
land, in order to improve the beef cattle operation to
be more cost efficient,” writes John F. Conley, Mayor of
the Township of Athens, in his support letter. “They
are a hard-working couple who love their animals and are
willing to invest in new practices to help our
environment and improve their beef cattle industry. It
is indeed an honour, as Mayor of our Township, to
recommend this couple for this award.”
The
Sytsmas will go on to represent Ontario at the National
Environmental Stewardship Award competition to be held
the week of August 8, 2010 in Calgary, Alberta.
TESAward recognizes the outstanding environmental
stewardship of an Ontario cattleman. Special
consideration is given to producers who have taken
innovative approaches to environmentally sustainable
cattle production.
The
deadline for applications for the 2011 Environmental
Stewardship Award is November 30, 2010.
For
details visit the OCA Web site at
www.cattle.guelph.on.ca after March 5, 2010.
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For
More Information, Contact:
Charlie and Kim Sytsma,
TESA Winners: 613-924-9241
Sheila Smart, RBC Royal
Bank: 519-376-2441
Martin Streit, Leeds
County Stewardship Council: 613-342-8526
Lianne Appleby, Ontario
Cattlemen’s Association: 519-824-0334 |
