Agricultural producer, Van Arkel Farms, Dresden, Ontario – See how Laurent produces food sustainably, to safeguard the farm and soil so his children can carry on the family farm tradition.
Transcript
[Laughing] So, I am Laurent Van Arkel and I farm just outside of Dresden in southern Ontario. I grow corn, soybeans, wheat, sugar beets, sunflowers, sesame, and also work on sustainability, reduced tillage and soil itself. Sustainable agriculture, to me, is being able to produce food at a profit in a manner that maintains my farm, my soils, so that they're still there for my children to use. There's an upfront cost to more sustainability. I kind of equate it to changing the oil in your engine. There's no immediate economic return, but five years down the road when that engine is still running, that's when you get your payback. I, over a number of years, have developed three goals and that's to keep the soil covered with a crop residue or a cover crop, to do as little tillage as possible, and try to keep a living root system in my soil 365 days a year. A really good soil should look like a really nice, crumbly chocolate cake. What's the question again? [Laughing] So, I am Laurent Van Arkel and I farm just outside of Dresden in southern Ontario. I grow corn, soybeans, wheat, sugar beets, sunflowers, sesame, and also work on sustainability, reduced tillage and soil itself. Sustainable agriculture, to me, is being able to produce food at a profit in a manner that maintains my farm, my soils, so that they're still there for my children to use. There's an upfront cost to more sustainability. I kind of equate it to changing the oil in your engine. There's no immediate economic return, but five years down the road when that engine is still running, that's when you get your payback. I, over a number of years, have developed three goals and that's to keep the soil covered with a crop residue or a cover crop, to do as little tillage as possible, and try to keep a living root system in my soil 365 days a year. A really good soil should look like a really nice, crumbly chocolate cake.
[A colourful montage of a tractor harvesting a crop field, an aerial view of a farm with three barns surrounded by fields, a tractor driving down a field, a red farm house with a barn behind it, and an overhead view of a large solar panel next to a barn.]
Text on screen: Meet The People – Behind Your Food
Laurent Van Arkel: What’s the question again?
[Laughs]
[Laurent Van Arkel talking to the camera while standing outside.]
Text on screen: Laurent Van Arkel – Agricultural Producer, Dresden, Ontario
So, I am Laurent Van Arkel and I farm just outside of Dresden in southern Ontario.
[An aerial view of Laurent’s farm, with a view of a large red barn, farmhouse and corn field.]
I grow corn, soybeans, wheat, sugar beets, sunflowers, sesame, and also work on sustainability, reduced tillage and soil itself.
[Montage of some crops, including lettuce, sunflowers and corn, an overhead view of a large solar panel situated on the farm, and Laurent kneeling down next to some crops and inspecting soil.]
Text on screen: What is sustainable agriculture?
[Laurent talking to the camera while standing outside.]
Sustainable agriculture, to me, is being able to produce food at a profit in a manner that maintains my farm, my soils, so that they're still there for my children to use.
[Montage of an overhead view of a wide crop field, Laurent holding a large uprooted sugar beat to the camera, an aerial view of the farm, and a tractor driving down another field.]
Text on screen: A challenge for sustainable agriculture?
There's an upfront cost to more sustainability. I kind of equate it to changing the oil in your engine.
[Laurent reaching into a toolbox organizer.]
There's no immediate economic return, but five years down the road when that engine is still running, that's when you get your payback.
[Montage of Laurent welding and drilling a piece of equipment to fix his tilling rig, climbing into his tractor, and driving it down a crop field.]
Text on screen: How do you care for your soil?
I, over a number of years, have developed three goals and that's to keep the soil covered with a crop residue or a cover crop, to do as little tillage as possible, and to try to keep a living root system in my soil 365 days a year.
[Montage of an aerial view of multiple fields, various rows of crops, and a tractor doing some tillage. A timelapse of a seed growing roots and popping out above the soil.]
A really good soil should look like a really nice crumbly chocolate cake.
[Shot of a hand picking up dark, rich soil from the ground and letting it fall through their fingers.]
Text on screen: Canadian farmers and agricultural businesses work to feed you and future generations. Discover how they are growing a better future. Canada.ca/Taste-the-Commitment
[Laurent smiling with his arms crossed against his chest while leaning against a post in front of a brick house.]
[Music ends.]
Text on screen: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada
[Government of Canada wordmark.]
[End.]
Stay connected
