A weekly report prepared by the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF) and the Ministry of Rural Affairs (MRA).If you require further information, regarding this report, call the Elora Resource Centre at 519-846-0941. Office hours: 8:30am to 5pm. For technical information, call the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or visit the OMAF and MRA Website: www.ontario.ca/omafra
CANADA AND ONTARIO ANNOUNCE GROWING FORWARD 2
The provincial and federal governments are working to help Ontario’s agri-food industry grow profits, expand markets and manage risk through Growing Forward 2.
Premier Wynne, in her capacity as Agriculture and Food Minister, signed a five-year, multi-million dollar agreement with the federal government focusing on innovation, competitiveness and market development. It includes $2 billion for federal-provincial-territorial strategic initiatives, which is a 50 per cent increase in cost-shared funding.
Ontario’s Growing Forward 2 programs will help the industry capitalize on opportunities and contribute to economic growth. Information sessions and workshops will be available in May, 2013, with applications opening in June 2013 for provincial programs.
Governments will continue to offer ongoing funding for a complete and effective suite of business risk management programs under Growing Forward 2. This will ensure farmers are protected against severe market volatility and natural disasters.
Providing the right climate to attract investment, create jobs and expand industries is a key priority for the Governments of Canada and Ontario.
For more information, visit: www.omafra.gov.on.ca.
CONTROLLED GRAZING GUIDELINES
by Jack Kyle, Grazing Specialist, OMAF and MRA
The success of any grazing program or system is very much dependent on how the pasture is managed throughout the year. Giving the grasses and legumes in the pasture the opportunity to grow and accumulate energy for your livestock to consume is the key.
The best way to do this is to have some control over where the livestock is grazing. This is accomplished by fencing and rotating between pastures/paddocks throughout the grazing season.
Don’t Start Too Early – Starting too early in the spring will set the growth back for the whole season. Wait until the grass plants have developed 2 full leaves and the 3rd leaf is visible. This will be at 10-15 cm (4-6 inches) on blue grass and 15-20 cm (6-8 inches) on orchard grass, bromegrass etc. If you are grazing alfalfa based pastures, wait until the alfalfa is showing some buds, and be prepared to manage bloat risk.
Graze “Fast” On First Pass – The second step is to graze “fast” once you start in the spring. May growth is very explosive and can get ahead of the livestock. To avoid this, rotate quickly from one pasture to the next. Don’t be concerned about how much grass is being left behind. This grass will continue to photosynthesize and produce more grass that will be available for subsequent grazings later in the season. By “topping” the grass on the first pass you will delay its maturity and maintain lush quality forage in the pasture.
Maintain Short Grazing Periods – Step three is to keep the grazing period in any paddock to less than 5-6 days (ideally 1 day). Grasses start to re-grow a few days after being grazed. This new growth is very palatable and will be readily eaten as soon as it emerges. This “re-grazing” will significantly slow any subsequent re-growth. The longer animals are on a pasture, the more the plants will have been fouled by manure, urine, walked on or laid on. These plants will not be readily consumed, which reduces the amount of available forage.
Adequate Rest and Recovery – Step four is to allow adequate rest and recovery time for your pastures once they are grazed. By maintaining a 10-15 cm (4-6 inch) residual in the pasture, plants will be able to maintain active growth and be ready for the next grazing much sooner. In southern Ontario, managed pastures are providing 5-6 grazings and suffer less impact from poor growing conditions during July and August.
Temporary or semi-permanent electric fence is easy to erect and will allow you to have control of your grazing livestock to maximize productivity. By following these basic steps, a producer will realize a significant increase in pasture productivity.
2013 BMO FARM FAMILY AWARDS
The Ontario Plowmen’s Association (OPA) is accepting nominations for the BMO Farm Family Awards, which recognizes outstanding families from across Ontario who best represent the values of the family farm within their rural communities and furthering the growth of the agricultural industry. Families nominated must be active in primary agriculture, have agriculture as the main source of income and have members residing on the farm. Each branch of the OPA will be accepting nominations within their geographical boundaries until May 3, 2013.
For further information, visit: www.plowingmatch.org.
COMING EVENTS
Apr. 30 – The first meeting of the Eramosa 4-H Dairy Club is at 7:30 p.m. It will be held at the farm of Charles, Mary, Krista and Todd Fraser at 7711 2nd Line, Elora. Directions: Go south of Fergus to 2nd Line, turn right and they are on the left. This will be our sign up night and will be organizing meetings for the year. We welcome returning members and invite new members to the club. For information, contact Jason French, 519-831-4359 or jasonfrench@sympatico.ca.
May 7 – Wellington Federation of Agriculture, monthly board meeting, OMAFRA Elora at 7:30 p.m. For information, contact Lisa Hern at 519-848-3774 or email: jplh@golden.net.
May 10 – Grower Pesticide Safety Course, Elora, 8:45 a.m. and Separate Exam: 3:00 p.m. To register, phone the Ontario Pesticide Education Program: 1-800-652-8573.
