PHOTO: Strathmore’s Graydon Garner employs off-site watering systems for his cattle, part of creating a sustainable grazing system on his farm.
FARMERS ARE ALWAYS on the lookout for ways to maximize profits, but it’s not just about farming more acres — it’s about farming smart. This offers a transformative approach: identify low-yielding, high-cost areas of fields and consider turning them into non-crop zones to save money and promote sustainability.
Not all land is created equal. Some areas of a field may consistently yield less, which often results in wasted resources — money spent on seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides that don’t produce adequate returns.
“Farmers already know which parts of their fields are unprofitable, but they’re often in a gray area about marginal sections that may only turn a profit some years,” says Paul Galpern, director of the Agriculture, Biodiversity and Conservation Lab at the University of Calgary.
“If we can help them pinpoint the parts of their fields that are consistently costing them money, it opens up opportunities to use those areas in ways that could provide other benefits.”
By taking a data-driven approach, researchers are working alongside farmers to use a blend of precision agriculture data and satellite imagery. The Prairie Precision Sustainability Network (PPSN), a collaboration between the University of Calgary and University of Saskatchewan, is developing models to help farmers make informed decisions about which areas of their land may be better suited to non-crop purposes.
Paul Galpern
“We combine data from our grower collaborators with satellite imagery, building models that allow us to predict which parts of fields are most profitable and which are more marginal,” Galpern says.
The Benefits of Going Non-Crop
Switching certain areas of a field from crop to non-crop vegetation can lead to multiple benefits, both financial and ecological. For instance, farmers might see “halo effects” in nearby crops — slight yield increases resulting from pollinator support or natural pest control that comes from non-crop vegetation.
“In canola fields, for example, pollinators that rely on the flowers in non-crop areas can help boost yields in adjacent crops, though the effects vary based on conditions,” Galpern says.
Non-crop zones also become home to beneficial insects like bees and beetles, which play vital roles in pollination and pest control.
“These areas act as reservoirs for beneficial insects. The presence of pest predators, such as beetles and parasitoid wasps, helps control crop pests naturally, which can reduce the need for chemical pesticides.”
As the drive toward sustainability becomes more central, taking marginal land out of crop production and converting it into perennial vegetation or allowing natural regeneration doesn’t just reduce costs — it can also qualify farmers for financial incentives tied to carbon and biodiversity markets, Galpern notes.
“These markets are blossoming, and companies are increasingly willing to pay farmers for the carbon stored when they make land-use changes.”
By participating in initiatives like the PPSN, farmers can directly contribute to sustainability research and receive detailed maps of their fields showing profitability over time. With the knowledge gained, they can strategically partner with organizations like Ducks Unlimited, securing resources for seeding non-crop zones with species that support local ecosystems.
Graydon Garner
The Farmer Experience
Graydon Garner runs a cattle and sheep operation east of Strathmore, where his family manages several quarters of forage and grain crops, some of which are under irrigation. Like many farmers, Garner faced challenges with marginal land. As a farmer who also works with Ducks Unlimited (Garner serves as an agricultural programs & extension specialist for Ducks Unlimited in Alberta), he saw an opportunity to apply sustainable land management practices on his own land.
“There’s a temptation to either leave these areas unproductive or invest resources into them that don’t yield enough return,” he says.
Through Ducks Unlimited’s Rangeland Program, he’s had a chance to turn that around.
The program works through voluntary 10-year agreements with landowners. These agreements restrict activities like breaking up native grass for cropland or draining wetlands, while also limiting the development of solar or wind projects in these areas. However, it allows for traditional uses like running cattle, making it an attractive option for cattle producers.
In many ways, the program operates similarly to a conservation easement but without the perpetual commitment.
