Category: Farming Forward

What does soil look like after 20 years of applying the GRASS principles? (Those are covered in this video) A soil pit in this pasture that Steve Kenyon of Greener Pastures Ranching has grazed cattle on for about 20 years shows the results of using animal impact and strategic rest periods to build not just... Read More

Cover crops can do a number of things, such as hold soil in place, cycle nutrients, suppress weed growth, and fix nitrogen. They can also interfere with planting and seeding the next crop if not terminated properly. There are several options available for terminating cover crops: choosing species that will winterkill (most of the time!),... Read More

Soil tests are one tool for determining fertilizer needs of a particular field, but several other factors impact the overall productivity of any soil zone, regardless of nutrient level. Factors such as physical make up of the soil, salinity, internal drainage, field position, and organic matter levels, all play a role in determining the high-yield... Read More

Advanced grazing can be summed up in one word: GRASS. But we're not talking the actual grass, we're talking about the GRASS principles of advanced grazing. In this episode of the Farming Forward video series, Steve Kenyon of Greener Pastures Ranching, explains the principle that stands for: G - Graze period R - Rest period... Read More

Cover crops can be a non-starter in dry areas of the Prairies — or are they? A lack of moisture is definitely a concern when working to establish cover crops; however, over the long term, farmers Derek and Tannis Axten of Axten Farms at Minton, Sask., are finding covers build soil water holding capacity. That's... Read More

Choosing the right protection product for nitrogen fertilizer comes down to hedging against the most likely risk of loss. Enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizers, sometimes referred to as EEFs or EENFs, work well to protect against nitrogen losses, but they don't all work in the same way or in the same situation. In this episode of... Read More

It's a tough lesson in farming and ranching: learning lessons on what doesn't work can be expensive and time consuming. That's why knowledge transfer, peer-to-peer sharing, and mentorship can have a huge positive impact on those trying something new. For Grant Lastiwka, rancher at Innisfail, Alta., the Grazing Mentorship Program supported by Farmers for Climate... Read More

Putting cover crops to work on Randy Tkachyk's farm means keeping soil covered, growing winter feed for cattle, and providing grazing opportunities for those cattle well in to the fall. Tkachyk grows a diverse cover crop mix on his farm near Sundown, Man., as a means to manage risk against the growing season. A 15-way... Read More

A greater emphasis on digital tools and precision application tools that provide tangible benefits for farmers is what Dr. Mario Tenuta sees when he looks ahead to where Canada is moving with nitrogen mangement. Tenuta is the senior industrial research chair in 4R nutrient management and professor of soil ecology at the University of Manitoba,... Read More

This is the first video in a new series called Farming Forward: Sharpen your soil health expertise with cover cropping, nitrogen management, and advanced grazing, brought to you by the Farm Resilience Mentorship program. Visit farmlearninghub.ca for more! Building soil is about capturing sunlight, keeping plants actively growing, and feeding the soil bugs below through... Read More