Ellis Bird Farm strives to incorporate conservation farming methods and the creation of wildlife habitat. Our property consists of 640 acres of land. Five hundred and twenty nine (529) acres are farmed under a rental agreement with a tenant operator. Our rental agreement requires that farming practises conform to the ‘Beneficial Management Practises’ identified in the Environmental Farm Plan, an initiative of the Provincial and Federal Departments of Agriculture.

The primary focus applied on our farm land is crop rotations and conservation tillage. Crop rotations involve forage crops planted on a portion of the land, then ploughed up and replaced by another forage crop on a different field over a five year period. This practice helps build and maintain organic matter in the soil. Annual crops such as cereals and oilseeds are rotated to avoid having the same crop in two successive years on the same field. The rotation of annual crops helps avoid the build up of crop diseases in the soil and reduces the possibility of herbicide residue build up in the soil. Conservation tillage has been practised on our farm since 1992. This involves using seeding equipment capable of placing seed in the soil without the need for pre-seeding cultivation. The result is higher organic matter in the soil making it less susceptible to wind and water erosion and higher in natural crop nutrients.

Our goal has been to incorporate, wherever practical, wildlife habitat alongside the farmland. Approximately 16 acres are occupied by our visitor centre and gardens. The remaining 95 acres has been set aside as wildlife habitat. These set-aside wildlife areas are primarily associated with natural water courses on the farm and each has its own unique characteristics.

The attached map of our farm indicates the location of the farm land and the habitat areas. Two of the habitat areas, the Sandpiper Ponds and the West Woods, are accessible to visitors via walking trails. The farm land is not accessible to visitors.