Knowledge For Resilience in the Peace

Breaking the trend - intensive rotational grazing before it was cool

This grazing series chat is with Norm Ward, Norm shares his passion for intensive roational grazing and how it lead to the development of the original Range Ward products, he shares some of his early lessons learnt, why electric fencing does neither have to be intimidating nor frustrating and some of his key tips on how to make your transition to electric fencing more easeful. This episode was recorded a while back and Norm has since sold his Range Ward business but still has lots of valuable experiences to share when it comes to intensive rotational grazing.
 
Funding for this project has in part been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Labs program.

Fodder Galega - a non-bloat forage with promise?

This grazing series chat is with Dr Nitya kanal, a forage researcher with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada based out of the Beaverlodge research farm. We talk about the potential of fodder galega or goat’s rue as a forage legume. It fixes a lot of nitrogen, tolerates acidic soils, has good winter survival rates, and overall just sounds like it is one of those plants which sounds almost too good to be true.. so why do we not see it on the market yet. Listen in and find out.
Funding for this project has in part been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Labs program.

Producing pasture based products

This grazing series chat is with Dave Semmelink from Lentelus Farm. Originally from South Africa, Dave now calls the Comox valley home where he runs a mixed farm. Our discussion ranges from pasture raised livestock, grazing management progression, whether it is worth integrating hogs into a crop rotation, a new chicken mobile and business diversification into meat processing.
 
Funding for this project has in part been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Labs program.
 

Pivoting from predation issues to intensive rotational grazing

This grazing series chat is with Joseph Moilliet from Aveley Sheep Ranch. Joseph’s runs a sheep and beef operation about 2 hours north of Kamloops in the upper north Thomson. He shares how wolf predeation originally pushed him into more intensive rotational grazing, lessons learnt on where to actually place your fence, and electric fencing tips for sheep. For context, this chat was recorded in mid-summer of 2023.
 
Funding for this project has in part been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Labs program.
 

From BSE bust to family business success

This grazing series chat is with Eugene Wittwer from W Diamond Ranch near Talkwa in the Bulkley Nechako area. He describes his operation as  a community building regenerative farm. Eugene shares how his operation evolved, how the BSE crisis forced him to re-invent his business, how his rotational grazing practice evolved and how they manage not just animals but also a meat processing and custom cutting  operation.
 
Funding for this project has in part been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Labs program.

Sweet as Honey - Ep26 - Nordic Vale Honey Farm

In their own words, Kole and Coline from Nordic Vale Honey describe that they started looking at creative options to help them feel fulfilled while also being able to provide for their family. Both Cole and Colleen were raised on farms out of town in northern rural communities so Agriculture in the Peace Region was a natural choice for them.Managing bees was an innovative way for them to start their adventure. After working with the bees only a few times - they were both hooked!
https://www.instagram.com/nordicvalehoneyfarm/https://www.facebook.com/NordicValeHoneyFarm/

The Art of Growing Grain Seeds - Ep25 - Dave Wuthrich

The Alfalfa Marathon Runner - Ep24 - Peter Lundgard

Peter Lundgard has long-term expertise in forage seed production. Peter was specifically drawn to the long-lasting yellow blossom alfalfa as he came across early research information and learnt about stands persisting well beyond 30 years in very harsh northern climatic conditions. Stand by for some great stories of the history of yellow blossom alfalfa, it’s many benefits to forage and livestock producers and why it is so well adapted to our northern climate.

Breaking ground with Canola Planters - Ep23 - Evan Keen

Evan Keen is a Peace Region producer who likes to challenge himself with on-farm trials. In a recent project, Evan converted a corn planter to a canola planter. If you are a canola grower or simply interested in the technology of a canola planter, you definitely don’t want to miss this one, as Evan walks you through his process and results.

The Scoop on Gypsum - Ep22 - Mark Wilson and Brett Jans

Mark Wilson and Brett Jans from Diverge Business Development (DBD) will share the scoop on gypsum, why it might be a good choice for soil health, when and how best to use it, and where you can get it right here in British Columbia. Gypsum is certainly not a new nutrient in town but maybe one that hasn’t gotten as much fanfare as it might deserve. If you are struggling with acidic soils, which are very common in the peace region, Gypsum might be a way to get sulfur and calcium into your soils without aggravating your pH problem.
Learn more about DBD:
https://dbdinc.ca