2006 Conservation Award Recipient

Herb & Shirley Watson

This year’s winner is Herb & Shirley Watson and they are a prime example of the spirit of this award.  Within their diverse farming operation, they are dedicated to wise land management and are always willing to try new conservation techniques. 

Their farm, located roughly 4 miles south east of Treherne, currently includes two divisions; hog and potatoes.  This finisher operation uses 20 barns to finish roughly 13,500 hogs per year, leaving a lot of manure and straw to be disposed of.  In the past, manure and straw were piled behind the bio-techs and spread directly onto the land to be used as fertilizer.  Since the manure was not in a usable form, it could take up to a year before the nutrients in the manure would be beneficial to the growing crop.  After some research, a composting project was found to be a possible solution.  Manure and straw removed from the bio-techs are piled in rows on a “composting pad”.  This pad is 200 feet wide by 400 foot long with a thick clay base and retention ponds around the edge to protect against groundwater contamination.  The windrows are turned 5 times in the 120 day period to increase the composting rate.  Moisture levels in the compost are carefully regulated to ensure rapid compost as piles are typically ready in 120 days but are only applied to the fields in either early spring or late fall.  Applying compost allows the nutrients to be immediately available to the growing crop.  The composting pad is sized to produce enough composted waste to fertilize all the potato production acres in the Watson’s operation annually.       

Their son, Barry and his cousin Brent are in charge of the potato operation which harvests roughly 1,000 acres annually.  With the composted manure being applied to the fields in a usable form, it helps create an optimum growing environment without the overuse of fertilizer.  With this farming operation being strictly potatoes, Barry and Brent work with other landowners, through land sharing, to keep their potato crops on a three year rotation; this has proven to be a win-win situation for all parties.

Over the past number of years, the Watsons have been active in their community.  Herb has been involved with the local UGG board, the Economic Development Committee, the new seniors housing complex built in 1998, minor hockey along with his participating on the Wheat, Flax and Canola Growers Associations.

Herb is a third generation Watson with Barry being the fourth to operate this family farm which was started in the early 1900s.  As long as the farm can adapt to the changing times and continues to remain profitable, Herb, Shirley, Barry, Brent and their families along with their 7 full-time staff will continue to farm in the future.

The Watson’s were recognized provincially for their stewardship practices at the Manitoba Conservation District Association’s (MCDA) Convention held on  December 5, 2006.