Reading Time: 3 minutes Many pastures have been damaged by this year’s fires. But how long does it take a pasture to recover? What can be done for a burned pasture? “Fire is not new to most grasses and other pasture forage species,” said Barry Irving, former manager of the Roy G. Berg Kinsella ranch. In that role, Irving […] Read more
How to manage a pasture after a fire
What to do after a fire burns through? Treat it like it’s been heavily grazed, experts say
Prairie cover crop survey kicks up some surprising findings
Many cover crops aren’t being grazed and despite challenges, no one yearns for the old ways
Reading Time: 3 minutes The expectations were low but a grad student who surveyed western Canadian farmers who cover cropping hit a home run. “When I started this project, I told (grad student) Callum (Morrison ) if we heard from 50 farmers I would be happy,” said Yvonne Lawley a University of Manitoba assistant professor and expert in cropping […] Read more
Federal ‘climate action’ grants are a huge hit with Alberta producers
More than 1,000 applications have flooded in, prompting program administrator to push the pause button
Reading Time: 4 minutes Alberta farmers love Ottawa’s “climate action” program so much that applications have been paused until late summer. “It’s a pretty lucrative program and people were actually aware of it this year,” said Johanna Murray, extension coordinator with Peace Country Beef and Forage Association. “There were people who didn’t get around to applying last year because […] Read more
Unique year-round grazing method pays major dividends
Constant searching for new grazing ideas has led Dave Sammons to a strategy that works
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cow-calf producer Dave Sammons has come up with a unique and varied grazing strategy that has cut his workload and feed bills while boosting organic matter. His system on his mixed farm near Gleichen includes stubble grazing into early winter, then moving the herd onto cover crops, and then onto corn. “The grazing has helped […] Read more
Grazing management website truly is a ‘one-stop shop’
Finding info relevant for Alberta used to be challenging, but Pasture 101 changed that
Reading Time: 3 minutes There was a time when students of a pasture school came home with a large binder of pasture management information. It wasn’t something easily carried around, especially not on horseback. These days there’s an easier way and it’s called Pasture 101. “It’s designed to provide basic and advanced components of pasture and grazing management,” said […] Read more
Matador, Voliam insecticides back in ‘limited’ release
Revised labels prohibit feeding, foraging of treated crops
Syngenta Canada no longer plans to keep its lambda-cyhalothrin insecticide products off the market in Western Canada this year — but it’s planning to have a smaller supply. The crop chem and seed company announced Friday it will have a “limited amount” of its lambda-cy-based products Matador 120EC and Voliam Xpress available in the West […] Read more
New program offers big dollars for providing eco-services on your land
New ‘resilient’ farm program offers up to $150,000 for items such as rotational grazing and restoring wetlands
Reading Time: 4 minutes Have you always wanted to try rotational grazing or protect riparian areas? Then say hello to a new government program called the Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP). There has never been a program quite like this one, said Giselle Ulrich, a grant program specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation. “A lot of the best management […] Read more
Putting a rotational grazing plan into action
CFGA is working with provincial partners to distribute funds for those taking an online program
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA) has developed an online platform to help producers learn more about rotational grazing and how it can be adopted to their farm. “Whether you’re managing a large operation that keeps you on the farm, have an off-farm job or possible family commitments, this program was designed for people […] Read more
They’re big but not bad: Bison herd fits with rotational grazing
Reading Time: 3 minutes Dan Sych and his family are doing something a little different — practising rotational grazing with bison. But it’s no big deal, even though his livestock are formidable beasts, says the Hay Lakes producer. “So much of it has to do with what everyone’s interpretation of what rotational grazing means to them,” he said. “We […] Read more
Boldly going: Potato growers head into unexplored territory
It’s nerve-wracking to be a trailblazer, but Groot family committed to trying something very different on their farm
Reading Time: 5 minutes These days farmers are encouraged to be experimental, and to conduct trials on their own land to see what works best for them. What agronomists may not say is just how nerve-wracking it can be. And that goes double when doing something that has rarely, if ever, been done before. In the case of Gibbons-area […] Read more
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