Forage Testing Program Takes Shape In Saskatchewan

Brian Cross, The Western Producer, August 18, 2016

Plans to introduce a new province-wide forage testing program in Saskatchewan are proceeding as planned, according to government officials who attended a recent forage industry field day near Saskatoon.

Terry Kowalchuk, provincial forage specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, said work is continuing in hopes that demonstration sites will be established and plots seeded by next spring.If that happens, the first data from the testing program would likely be available in 2018.

“It’s really about allowing producers to understand what the performance of commercially available forage varieties is in their region,” said Kowalchuk, who is spearheading efforts to get the testing program off the ground. “I think this is very important information for the forage sector.… Forage is the foundation of the beef industry and the livestock industry in this province so understanding what varieties and what species to put in is very important for producers … and for the province.”

Discussions about setting up a province-wide testing program started a few years ago. In 2014, the Saskatchewan Advisory Council of Forage Crops identified the lack of a co-ordinated testing program as a critical gap in provincial programming.

To read the full article, click here.

Posted August 21, 2016

Saskatchewan Forage Council Announces Forage Industry Innovation Award Recipient

Several forage industry stakeholders, producers, and researchers came together at the Saskatchewan Forage Council Annual General Meeting in Saskatoon, SK on July 26, 2016. The day was planned in conjunction with the Saskatchewan Forage Seed Development Commission’s summer field tour. The event featured a tour of the University of Saskatchewan’s Kernen Farm forage plots as well as a tour of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Saskatoon Research and Development Centre.

The day concluded with the announcement of the 2016 Forage Industry Innovation Award, which was presented to Dr. Paul Jefferson. “It is an honour to be recognized by the industry and I am very grateful to the nominators and to the Saskatchewan Forage Council Board of Directors,” said Jefferson. Jefferson, who has had a successful forage research career that has spanned over three decades, initially became interested in alfalfa breeding and genetics as a student at the University of Guelph. After a Master’s Degree, he came to Saskatchewan in 1981 where he started working at what is now the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Swift Current Research and Development Centre. Interested in drought-resistant forages, he obtained his PhD at Utah State University. “When I returned to Swift Current in 1987, I had the tools to conduct research in a number of areas related to forage and range in Saskatchewan, depending on the needs and issues in the industry,” he explained.

Jefferson has always been a great advocate for forage and uses every opportunity he can to raise awareness of the value and importance of forage and range to the livestock industries in Saskatchewan and Canada. In 2007, Jefferson moved to the Western Beef Development Centre at Lanigan, SK, where he is currently their Vice President of Operations.

The day also included the Saskatchewan Forage Council Board Meeting, where Dave Kerr was elected as the new president. Kerr, who is a forage and beef producer from Lashburn, SK, is prepared to take on the role. “I’m definitely looking forward to the challenge. I think the Saskatchewan Forage Council is playing a prominent role in forages and research in the province,” Kerr said recently.

To read the full press release, click here.

Posted August 21, 2016

Governments, University of Saskatchewan and Industry Invest in Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Released on July 30, 2015 

Today Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart committed $10 million in funding under Growing Forward 2 for a new Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence at the University of Saskatchewan.

The University of Saskatchewan has committed an additional $7 million for construction costs in addition to providing land. The Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association (SCA) is also contributing $1 million to the project.

The new centre will serve as a unique research, teaching, outreach and industry training hub that unites agriculture and veterinary researchers, producers, industry, governments and academia.

To view the full article, click here.

Posted August 4, 2015

Federal Investment Will Help Manitoba Famers Predict the Effects of Flood and Drought on Farmland

Agricultural and Agri-Food Canada Press Release June 13, 2016

Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced today an investment of over $1.1 million for the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association to develop a hydrology model of the Assiniboine River Basin that will help predict the effects of flooding, excess moisture and extreme drought on agricultural lands.     

Based on the new model, a web-based tool will be developed that farmers can use to gather information on their farmland to help effectively manage moistures levels and mitigate risk associated with drought and flooding.

Information collected will contribute to better risk management strategies for farmers and the agricultural sector and could potentially lead to the development of new and improved insurance products.

To view the full news release, click here.

Posted July 14, 2016