Cedric MacLeod
From the executive director's desk
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To wrap up the 2021-2022 fiscal year, CFGA held a successful annual general meeting in March, with close to 80 attendees joining us from a wide range of stakeholder groups across the country. It was great to bring all of our contractors together to introduce themselves, provide updates on their individual projects and show how their projects fit within the larger mission and goals of the CFGA. You can view all the recordings from the AGM on the CFGA You Tube channel in English and in French. Going forward, we will hold the annual general meeting as part of the conference program as we've done in the past.
As for the conference, plans are well underway for the 2022 event being held Nov. 29 through Dec. 2. This year’s theme is Cross Pollination: Co-Creating Ideas in the Forage Industry and is meant to capture the collaborative approach that CFGA and its members are currently deploying to advance forage industry opportunities and tackle some long-standing challenges. The conference will again be a virtual, fully bilingual event with the program including information on the forage components of the Living Labs projects across the country, forage export and best management practices as well as panel discussions and grazing mentorship sessions before concluding with the CFGA business meeting. Keep an eye on the CFGA newsletter, website and social media accounts for more information on the conference as it becomes available.
As well as being busy with fiscal year-end and conference planning, we continue to work on various projects including the Canada Grassland Protocol pilot project and two innovative alfalfa management projects that involve the development of AI-decision support tools for optimizing yield and nutritive value action and for winter survival and persistency.
Work continues on the Nature Fund-funded project to develop provincially specific Habitat and Biodiversity Assessment Tools (HBAT) across the country. We have beta tested the tool for Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba with stakeholder committees. Next steps will be to move into more detailed stakeholder-engagement sessions to ensure the tools are highly functional for the primary producer. We have now begun work to develop tools in Ontario, New Brunswick and British Columbia and conversations are beginning to bring the tool to Quebec and Prince Edward Island.
We have also begun to roll out the national grazing mentorship program, already holding one mentor networking and two training sessions with good attendance. And we were excited to receive news that CFGA was successful in its application to the On-Farm Climate Action Fund in Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec and Saskatchewan to help producers implement rotational grazing systems and deploy training and awareness activities for grazing specialists and primary producers in each of those provinces.
Certainly lots in the hopper at the CFGA these days. If you would like to learn more, feel free to consult our recently completed annual progress report, now available on our website. As always, if you have questions or comments, don’t hesitate to reach out to discuss, and be safe as you head back to the field for the summer.
- Cedric MacLeod
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CFGA News
CFGA receives OFCAF funding to support farmers in planning and implementing rotational grazing practices
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The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA) was in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, on April 1 for the Government of Canada’s announcement of over $35 million for Quebec farmers to adopt sustainable practices and technologies. The funding includes up to $10 million of On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) funding to the CFGA to support Quebec farmers as well as farmers across British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan in planning and implementing rotational grazing practices.
CFGA executive director, Cedric MacLeod, joined the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, at a local dairy in Saint-Hyacinthe, Ferme Roflamme Inc., for the announcement.
The funding is part of the Government of Canada’s proposed investments of over $1 billion in new funding under the Emissions Reduction Plan – a roadmap that outlines a sector-by-sector path for Canada to reach its emissions-reduction target of 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
Chris Martin, chair of the CFGA Board of Directors, says the CFGA has long advocated for recognition of Canadian agriculture’s opportunity to provide nature-based solutions to climate change.
“The goals of the OFCAF program mirror the outcomes of targeted scientific and extension work that the association has undertaken over the past five years,” says Martin. “This investment by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will empower forage producers across the country to prioritize and deploy climate-smart management practices to improve farm resilience and work on behalf of all Canadians to stem the impacts of climate change.
“Working across multiple sectors and ecoregions, our organization believes that collaborative approaches for program delivery will provide the greatest impact and yield long-lasting benefits.”
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Provincial Member News: Ontario Forage Council
Nominations for Mapleseed Pasture Award are open
The Ontario Forage Council (OFC), in partnership with the Beef Farmers of Ontario, the Ontario Sheep Farmers and Mapleseed, is accepting nominations for a deserving producer for the Mapleseed Pasture Award.
This is an excellent opportunity to recognize individual producers who are doing an outstanding job of pasture management. The Mapleseed Pasture Awards are also a way to encourage producers to implement pasture management strategies that maximize production per acre.
For each category, Mapleseed contributes a cash award of $250 to the winner. The winner of each category is also invited to share a presentation about their operation at their respective commodity AGM (pending COVID-safety protocols). Additional to these prizes and recognition, each winner receives a 25-kilogram bag of their choice of a Mapleseed forage mix.
The deadline to submit applications for the sheep pasture award is Oct. 3, 2022. The deadline to submit applications for the beef pasture award is Nov. 30, 2022. To submit a nomination for this award, complete the appropriate application form. Nomination forms are available on the OFC website here.
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Ontario Forage Expo 2022 returns July 14
After a two-year hiatus to comply with COVID-19 restrictions, the Ontario Forage Council (OFC), in conjunction with the Waterloo County Soil and Crop Improvement Association, is excited to announce the return of Ontario Forage Expo 2022 - Forage Equipment Demonstrations and Trade Show.
Ontario Forage Expo 2022 will take place on the farm of Scott and Darlene Martin and family at 161 Hawkesville Rd. in St. Jacob’s, Waterloo County, on July 14, 2022, starting at 10 am. This year’s demonstrations will include equipment from the leaders in forage production equipment. Attendees will not only have the chance to see what’s new for 2022 but will also have the unique opportunity to witness this equipment in head-to-head field trials. Equipment will include various mowers, conditioners, rakes, tedders, windrow inverters, mergers, harvesters, dump wagons, large-round balers, large-square balers, small-square-bale bundlers, bale wrappers and bale grapplers.
Ian McDonald from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) will be in the field working with the equipment companies to provide information to farmers and to answer questions. This is important to help farmers make decisions on investments which ultimately enhance their farm operations in capacity, minimizing harvest losses, product quality and profitability.
This is a FREE event! Lunch will be available on-site at a nominal fee and no pre-registration is required.
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CFGA Gold Sponsor
News from Dairy Farmers of Canada
Canadian dairy farmers are naturally committed to environmental sustainability due to the nature of their work: not only do dairy farmers rely on the land to make a living, but many farms are passed down from generation to generation, so being able to keep thriving on that land is imperative for today – and tomorrow. Building on this long history of environmental stewardship, Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC)’s goal to reach net zero emissions by 2050 is an extension of the efforts Canadian dairy farmers are already taking to be part of the sustainability solution.
Here are just a few examples of environmental initiatives taking place on farms across Canada!
McCrea Farms is restoring wetlands
New Brunswick’s McCrea Farms Ltd. is taking measures to manage and protect the forests and wetlands around their farm by selectively harvesting the woodlot that occupies areas in and around their agricultural land. In doing so, McCrea Farms is promoting new growth and a diversity of tree species and age class, while increasing habitat for a wide variety of wildlife.
“We, like many other farms, understand the importance of the wetlands and waterways on our land,” says owner Chandler Colpitts. “We take these types of ecosystems into careful consideration when it comes to establishment of riparian zones, nutrient management planning and runoff-prevention measures.”
Clovermead Farms is turning poop into power
Ontario-based Clovermead Farms got its biodigester off the ground thanks to grants from the Ontario government’s Green Energy Act. Korb Whale, farmer and owner of Clovermead Farms, invested more than $2 million in capital on his anaerobic biodigester in 2009 before landing a contract to sell electricity back to the grid. “I’ve always liked the concept of being able to produce power with a waste product on farm,” says Whale. “We’re reducing our greenhouse gas waste by almost 95 per cent.”
In addition to about 10 tonnes of manure from his farm, Clovermead's digester takes in approximately 8,000 tonnes a year of food waste from local producers and processors. Whale's farm also generates additional revenue by taking in this food waste while lowering its own carbon footprint.
Ferme Gallant is farming more efficiently for the future
Ferme Gallant Ltée in Prince Edward Island knows the importance of sustainability and takes advantage of incentive programs to help make their dairy farm more efficient. “We try not to use any oil,” says owner Gary Gallant, “only biofuel – woodchips – a low carbon-footprint fuel that heats three houses, the shop and the farm.”
Recently, Ferme Gallant was able to heat their entire farm with two naturally dead trees that were otherwise unusable. “With the awareness of doing more and more selective harvesting, it helps us work toward the future.”
Quebec farms are working together to produce biogas
Over in Quebec, an innovative biogas project launched by sharing the costs – and revenues – among 12 local agricultural producers and one cheese processor. Coop Agri-Énergie Warwick is now selling biogas back to the Énergir gas network, the main gas distributor in Quebec.
Josée Chicoine, director of agrifood development at Coop Carbone, a non-profit with a mission to act on climate change through collaboration, is co-general manager of Coop Agri-Energie Warwick. She says the project’s backers observed that many farmers were interested in biomethanization but were unable to implement it on their farms. Not only does the Warwick project allow several smaller farmers to share in the cost, it also generates a whole new revenue stream from energy production.
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CFGA Commanditaire d'or
Nouvelles des Producteurs laitiers du Canada
Les producteurs laitiers canadiens sont naturellement impliqués dans la durabilité environnementale en raison de la nature de leur travail : non seulement les producteurs laitiers dépendent de la terre pour gagner leur vie, mais de nombreuses exploitations sont transmises de génération en génération, de sorte qu'il est impératif que d’autres générations puissent continuer à prospérer sur cette terre aujourd'hui tout comme demain. Forts de cette longue tradition en matière de gestion environnementale, l’objectif des Producteurs laitiers du Canada (PLC) visant l’atteinte de la carboneutralité d’ici 2050 s’inscrit naturellement dans la suite des efforts qu’investissent déjà les producteurs laitiers canadiens pour faire partie de la solution en matière de durabilité.
Voici quelques exemples d'initiatives environnementales mises en œuvre dans les exploitations agricoles du Canada!
La ferme McCrea Farms restaure les milieux humides
Les propriétaires de la ferme McCrea Farms Ltd. au Nouveau-Brunswick prennent des mesures pour gérer et protéger les forêts ainsi que les milieux humides autour de leur exploitation en procédant à une récolte sélective sur les terres à bois qui occupent des zones à l'intérieur et autour de leurs terres agricoles. Ce faisant, McCrea Farms favorise la nouvelle croissance et la diversité des espèces d'arbres et des classes d'âge, tout en augmentant l'habitat pour une grande variété d'animaux sauvages.
« Comme beaucoup d'autres exploitations agricoles, nous comprenons l'importance des milieux humides et des voies d'eau qui se trouvent sur nos terres », affirme le propriétaire Chandler Colpitts. « Nous tenons compte de ces types d'écosystèmes avec grande attention lorsqu'il s'agit d'établir des zones riveraines, de planifier la gestion des nutriments et de prendre des mesures de prévention du ruissellement. »
La ferme Clovermead Farms transforme les excréments en énergie
La ferme Clovermead Farms située en Ontario a pu mettre en marche son biodigesteur grâce aux subventions accordées dans le cadre de la Loi sur l'énergie verte du gouvernement de l'Ontario. Korb Whale, producteur et propriétaire de la ferme Clovermead Farms, a investi plus de 2 millions $ en capital dans son biodigesteur anaérobie en 2009 avant de décrocher un contrat de revente d'électricité au réseau. « J'ai toujours aimé l'idée de pouvoir produire de l'énergie à partir d'un déchet agricole », explique M. Whale « Nous réduisons nos rejets de gaz à effet de serre de près de 95 %. »
Outre les quelque 10 tonnes de fumier provenant de son exploitation, le digesteur de Clovermead absorbe environ 8 000 tonnes par an de déchets alimentaires provenant de producteurs et de transformateurs locaux. La ferme de M. Whale génère également des revenus supplémentaires par la valorisation de ces déchets alimentaires réduisant ainsi sa propre empreinte carbone.
À la Ferme Gallant : une production agricole plus efficace pour l’avenir
La Ferme Gallant Ltée de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard est sensibilisée à l'importance du développement durable et elle tire profit des programmes incitatifs pour rendre son exploitation laitière plus efficace. « Nous essayons de ne pas utiliser de pétrole, » souligne le propriétaire Gary Gallant, « uniquement des biocarburants – des copeaux de bois, un combustible à faible empreinte carbone qui permet de chauffer trois maisons, un autre bâtiment et la ferme. »
Récemment, la Ferme Gallant a pu chauffer l'ensemble de son exploitation avec deux arbres morts naturellement qui ne pouvaient être utilisés autrement. « En étant sensibilisé à faire une récolte de plus en plus sélective, cela nous aide à travailler pour protéger l’avenir. »
Des fermes québécoises travaillent ensemble pour produire du biogaz
Au Québec, un projet innovant sur le biogaz a été lancé en partageant les coûts - et les revenus - entre 12 producteurs agricoles locaux et un fromager. La Coop Agri-Énergie Warwick revend maintenant le biogaz au réseau gazier Énergir, le principal distributeur de gaz au Québec.
Josée Chicoine, directrice du développement agroalimentaire à la Coop Carbone (organisme à but non lucratif dont la mission est d'agir sur les changements climatiques par la concertation), est codirectrice générale de la Coop Agri-Énergie Warwick. Selon elle, les porteurs du projet ont constaté que de nombreux producteurs étaient intéressés par la biométhanisation mais n'étaient pas en mesure de la mettre en œuvre dans leurs exploitations. Non seulement le projet de Warwick permet à plusieurs petits producteurs de partager les coûts, mais il génère également une toute nouvelle source de revenus provenant de la production d'énergie.
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CFGA Gold Sponsor
News from Kubota
Hay tools should work
as hard as you
While spring brings sunshine and warming temperatures, it also signals the start of another hay season. Assessing your tools and equipment needs early can help you beat the rush and hit the ground running at the start of the season.
When it comes to hay and forage production, Kubota has precision equipment dedicated to helping every step of the way, from soil preparation through to harvest.
Increase feed or bedding quality
Kubota’s expanded lineup of BV5000 series round balers create dense, heavy bales wrapped in the PowerBind net wrap system. PowerBind is standard on all Kubota round balers and provides peace of mind that your net will always stay tight with no interference while also making bales that are easy to reload from ground level.
Balers to fit every need
BV5000 series balers are available in five different round baler configurations and maximize productivity in the field. Featuring an 86-inch pick-up width, they easily channel the crop to the rotor and offer a selection of hi-float tire sizes to make in-field and field-to-field transport smooth.
Kubota’s Parallelogram DropFloor system allows you to quickly and easily clear blockages without leaving the tractor cab by lowering the rear edge of the drop floor and providing additional space under the front section where blockages are likely to occur.
The BV5160 4x5.5 food variable chamber baler comes in three configurations, including SuperFeed, SuperCut-14 and SuperCut-25.
New to the Canadian market in 2022, the BV5200 provides added flexibility to better choose your desired bale size. It will create up to a larger four-by-six-foot bale and is available in both SuperCut-14 and SuperCut-25 configurations.
Kubota tradition
Kubota has a long history of quality manufacturing backed by a comprehensive three-year, or 20,000-bale, warranty on all BV5000 models. Offering a suite of farming solutions from adaptable tractors to implements and attachments, Kubota has everything you need to produce quality hay, season after season.
From disc mowers, disc mower conditioners, tedders and rakes to balers and wrappers, Kubota’s hay tools are built on a long legacy of ground-breaking agricultural innovation that has been tested and proven in the hay and forage market for more than 100 years. Including a brand-new head office in Pickering, Ontario, built to better serve its customers, Kubota offers a wide dealer network across the country allowing you to see equipment in person and select the best solutions for you and your operations.
Anyone interested in learning more or booking a demo should visit Kubota.ca or contact the nearest Kubota dealership to experience the quality, flexibility and value of Kubota hay tools.
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Forage News
Know an ag producer who deserves some applause?
Nominations open for the 2022 Canadian Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award
The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGFA), Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) and Pollinator Partnership (P2) are pleased to solicit nominees for the 2022 Canadian Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award. This award recognizes an individual or family in the farm and ranch community in Canada who has contributed significantly to pollinator species protection and conservation.
With pollinators providing one of three bites of food that we eat and nearly $2 billion to the Canadian agricultural economy, care and concern for their survival is essential to our own survival.
Pollinator Conservation Award winners support pollinators on their lands, engage in research and experimentation to increase our understanding of pollinator management techniques, work with community and government groups and serve as advocates for these little, but hard-working, species that maintain our agricultural and natural landscapes.
The recipient of the 2022 Canadian Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award will be recognized during an award ceremony that opens the Annual North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) Conference in October 2022. To submit a nomination, please complete this form by July 15, 2022. Awardees will be notified late August 2022.
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Forage News
Meet Shannon McNally, the 2021 NAPPC Farmer-Rancher Canada winner
Shannon McNally of White Church Farm manages over 33 hectares for pollinators in Mount Hope, Ontario. Once operating a monocrop corn and soy farm, Shannon has been hard at work planning for long-term biodiversity. Each year, she tries to restore areas by planting permanent, native species including 30 trees, acres of permanent pasture and hundreds of perennial wildflowers last year alone. She has also planted over five acres in permanent, mixed bee forage; created clover pathways around the farm; cultivated diverse, mature tree lines and hedgerows and recently established a two-acre permaculture orchard.
Each year, the farm grows a succession of sunflower fields for bee forage and bird seed and plants cover crop for pollinators. In the coming year, Shannon plans to restore a riparian area with native trees and shrubs as well as install a monarch focused garden featuring three milkweed species.
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Calendar of Events
At the time this newsletter was distributed, all event times and locations were accurate, but please check event websites for the most current information. Some events may have been postponed or cancelled.
June 14 & 15: The Original Grazing School for Women. Bruce, AB. More info.
June 18: Peace River Forage Association of BC Field Day: Healthy Forages from the Ground Up. Rose Prairie, BC. More info.
June 20: Making Better Bales. Valleykirk Farms, Owen Sound, Ontario. More info.
June 21 & 22: Advancing Women in Agriculture. Calgary. More info.
June 22: Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Celebrating Grassland Conservation – a Field of Dreams Tour. Lonetree Lake, SK. More info.
June 22 & 23: Native Prairie Appreciation Week 2022 Tour: Birds, Burns and Bison: Exploring Biodiversity in the Prairies. Memorial Hall Eastend, SK. Registration deadline June 8. More info.
July 6: Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives’ Grazing Workshop Series: Health Check Your Pasture and Soil. MBFI First Street Pasture and Brookdale Farm. More info.
July 14: Ontario Forage Expo 2022. St. Jacob’s, ON, More info: call Phone: (519) 986-1484, or
July 25: Climate Change Adaptation Program Okanagan Field Day – Forage: Irrigation Management for Dry Conditions. Okanagan Falls, BC. More info.
Aug. 3: Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives’ Grazing Workshop Series: Diversify Your Grazing. MBFI Brookdale Farm. More info.
More event listings:
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