Discovery Farm Woodstock Field Entry Policy

Discovery Farm Woodstock is committed to the prevention of soil borne diseases such as lambs quarter, fleabane, -pigweed, and other crop pests being transferred to the property.  

Measures should be taken by all visitors to prevent the unintended transfer of any crop pest into or out of our fields by an individual, their tools, implements or vehicles.  

This document outlines the stewardship measures that should be followed by all guests who are requested or required to enter fields at Discovery Farm Woodstock in order to minimize the transfer of crop pests.  

Policy Goals: 

  • Reduce the spread of crop pests (i.e., pathogens causing plant diseases, insects and weed seeds). 
  • Assist in educating stakeholders about the biosecurity threats that threaten agriculture in Canada. 

Recommended stewardship measures: 

  • Inform guests of the steps being taken to limit the spread of weed seeds/spoors and other crop pests. 
  • If possible, vehicles should be parked on the gravel and grassed laneways throughout the site. Surveys have found that the most likely part of the field to be infected is the entrance and the area to the right of the entrance.  
  • Should a guest have to drive their own vehicle through the field, it should be washed at the nearest carwash before entering the field. Washing must include tires, wheels and undercarriage of the vehicle.  
    • Woodstock U Wash, 36 Mill St. Woodstock ON, N4S 7V6
    • Woodstock Laser Wash, 771 Dundas St. Woodstock ON, N4S 1G1 
  • If footwear is worn without booties, these procedures should be used to minimize transfer into the research area.  
    • Footwear is scraped clean of dirt and debris in the field. 
    • Footwear should be washed. 
    • Footwear should be disinfected before the next field visit. This can be done with a 2% bleach (sodium hypochlorite) solution. Footwear should be soaked for at least 20 minutes for the sanitation process to be effective. 
  • Any tools used for digging and disturbing soil must be completely free of visible soil prior to being used in another field. Tools should be sanitized in a diluted bleach solution for a least 20 minutes prior to being used in another field.  
  • When possible, refrain from performing field visits when the field is muddy.  
  • Any visit that involves plot work or an action on the research plot, guest is required to notify the Field Manager by completing the form found here: CLICK HERE.