We worked with the PMRA in putting together what we would call best management practices for corn seeding. The head entomologist for OMAF was involved in putting these together as well.
In those best management practices, some things seem quite simple, but the reality is that when you go to the field and empty a bag of seed into your planter, you don't shake out the bag so that the dust that might exist in the bag gets into the environment.
Other things include being aware of where the hives are around your field. It's critical. Again, it's about cooperation and discussions with beekeepers. Another is being aware of which way the wind is blowing. As I mentioned, it's probably not in the realm of practical farming to say “don't plant on certain days because it's too windy”, because in our manufacturing plant, our window for planting is sometimes limited and we have to do it.
I believe there are 10 different best management practices. I don't have them listed with me right now, but we've put that list on our website and have published it in our magazine. We talk to the press on a regular basis to try to get the message out. Again, we had a full delegates session of our elected delegates and asked them to take the message back to their members in terms of each county or district that we have across Ontario.