Experiments

[RSL]

We keep a running group of experiments/experimenters on the go around here. Here are a couple of the latest...
AESB (PFRA) is doing some work with us on nutrient flows from bale grazing with the idea being to develop some recommendations for setbacks from water bodies, etc for varying soil types. They put in a series of wells at differing depths from which they will pull water samples over the course of time to measure nutrient flows.

The drilling rig

You can see the sets of white pipes down the slope that are from another site already installed

They have been doing soils, bacterial/fungal, production, etc data on the sites we bale grazed last winter.

They have gone from golf green to production in excess of 9000lb of DM in less than a year.
We have a series of sensors and a data logger buried underneath these disc blades. It takes soil temp and moisture readings at varying depths up to 18" every 3 hours for the next 3 years. It is interesting to see how the addition of organic matter changes moisture and temperature profiles.

We are also working on a monitoring project with Cows & Fish and the help of SRD (or whatever their department name has changed to of late).
There are several grass cages going in so we can examine production and litter deposit. As well, we are going to set up some transects to look at long term forage species changes.

This work has been both a good spur and a constant feeder for our curiosity, and we have found a lot of these groups have a hard time finding folks to work with, which boggles my mind somewhat.

 

[3 M L & C]

Thats interesting and pretty cool. I find it odd to that some people wont try anything new. I think they are affraid of finding a better way to do things thats totally differnet than what they do now

 

[burnt]

You're doing some pretty fascinating work there! What we know about soil health, condition and productive potential could likely be measured on the head of a pin compared to what we should know.

I believe that there are so many management practices that we could implement that it would likely be not out of reach to double food production on a given plot within 10 years. Micro-climates, micro management of nutrients and water, etc.

All around us, there are lots of little signs to demonstrate that possibility if one has a bit of an observant eye.

Of course, none of what I thinking abut will be feasible if we are of the mindset that we need to control every last acre within our reach - high volume/ low margin over sustainability . . .

 

[leanin' H]

Great to see projects to measure progress or lack thereof. I tip my hat to you in your efforts to improve your outfit and share that knowledge with others. We try to do as much as we can like that out here too. But some of the governement agencys can't be trusted to do the work without a bias. :? Sad but true. Anyway, good on ya for the study and hope ya learn a bunch and share with us dumber folks.

 

[PATB]

Will the study conclusions be published and where?

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Great to see projects to measure progress or lack thereof. I tip my hat to you in your efforts to improve your outfit and share that knowledge with others. We try to do as much as we can like that out here too. But some of the governement agencys can't be trusted to do the work without a bias. :? Sad but true. Anyway, good on ya for the study and hope ya learn a bunch and share with us dumber folks.

PFRA has been very PRO grazing as until next year they managed about 2 million acres of pastures in western Canada.

 

[RSL]

Will the study conclusions be published and where?

I think the plan is to develop recommendations and producer documents. Anything we get back that is publishable will go on our website either directly or as a link, and I will be sure to post here.

BMR is right. PFRA has always been pro grazing and has done a lot of good for the environment, primary producers and the public which is why they are on the government hit list. There was a time when a lot of SK and a good chunk of AB could be found on the way to the gulf of Mexico, and PFRA re-stabilized a lot of ground and did a ton of good work. They built a world class tree farm, are largely responsible for nearly every shelterbelt in Western Canada. They also invested heavily in water development technology/guidelines (water well and dugout programs), professionally managed large grazing tracts in sensitive areas, brought very good genetics to the commercial cow herd and did generally quality things.

I suspect that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it, so it will be interesting to watch over the next several years what happens to the areas they managed and provided valuable tools in.

 

[PATB]

What is the precentage wasted hay in the 4th photo down? I know when hay is stored outside on its side in this area we can have 50% or more loss in a year time.

 

[RSL]

What is the precentage wasted hay in the 4th photo down? I know when hay is stored outside on its side in this area we can have 50% or more loss in a year time.

Depends a bit on your definition of waste. Probably around 10-15% higher than if they had been sitting stacked, although we had 150% of normal precip this year. I think if we bale grazed them on their side it would decrease a bunch, but they were set upright at the request of the researchers (to directly replicate work done in Manitoba). I can suffer a lot of depreciation on these as the nutrients are right where I need them when they come out of the bale, and my feeding/handling/yardage costs are significantly less. As far as waste from feeding this way, the honest answer from our experience is that there is less waste than corral feeding, as long as you use electric fence to make them clean things up. Calves may waste a little, but that is also a function of trying to keep them on the best feed all the time.