Baseball Infield Composition and Costs
In a November 2026 article published on Before It's News under the byline "Cow Man" (Murray Harris), the author describes a scene involving a Toronto Blue Jays runner sliding head-first into second base. The runner is depicted as being caked in dirt from chest to knees after the play.
The article identifies this material as DuraEdge, a manufactured clay and sand compound sourced from Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. According to the text, DuraEdge is engineered specifically so it will not stick to baseball cleats. The author notes that this product carries a 0% tariff rate.
Harris contrasts the cost of this manufactured material with natural soil. The article states that "dead dirt," defined as containing no microorganisms or organic matter, sells for $500 USD for 2,000 lbs. In comparison, live topsoil, which contains over 1 billion microorganisms per teaspoon, is priced at $35 USD for 2,000 lbs.
Soil as a Strategic Resource
The article expands its scope to argue that dirt should be recognized as a strategic resource. It cites Senator Rob Black as the sponsor of "Bill S-230 National Strategy for Soil Protection," which requires dirt to be identified as a strategic resource and mandates a Ministry of Agriculture plan to improve soil health nationally.
Further economic data provided in the text claims that counties in Ontario with the lowest livestock density per acre have the lowest crop yields. The author suggests that changes to Provincial Assessment Acts are needed to tax dirt with higher organic content at a lower rate, aiming to encourage farmers to increase organic matter in their soil.
Ontario Land Use and Policy Critiques
The article criticizes current land use policies in Ontario, specifically targeting the Greenbelt established by former Premier Dalton McGuinty. Harris argues that the Greenbelt relocates urban sprawl rather than containing it and has drastically reduced agricultural zoned acreage.
Specific figures provided in the text state that within the 2 million acre Greenbelt, 721,000 acres originally in agriculturally zoned use were expropriated by Natural Heritage Designation without compensation. The article claims that Ontario’s Provincial Planning Statement changed these lands from "long term agricultural productivity" to "long term ecological function." Additionally, the author asserts that Ontario is building Highway 413 to expedite transit across the Greenbelt, resulting in more lost dirt.
Halton and York Land Speculation
The article identifies Halton and York farm lands as being held mostly by speculators who provide short-term rentals. This concentration of ownership is presented as a factor complicating agricultural stability in the region.
Political Context and Advocacy
The text references former MP Garth, described as a cowboy boot-wearing biker from Halton, who shipped the Vancouver Board of Trade "debt clock" to the PC Leadership campaign to warn against accumulating deficits. The article notes that Garth was dumped by his party leader for representing voters rather than party dogma.
Despite this removal, the article credits Garth with planting seeds that blossomed into the 2008 TFSA Legislation.