Living Labs is a producer led program administered by Investment Agriculture Foundation that utilizes beneficial management practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote carbon sequestration, and strengthen the climate resiliency of Canada’s food systems.
Winter feeding can be the highest variable cost to a cattle operation and is subject to major fluctuation from climate change driven weather events such as drought, fire and flooding. Focused on addressing the extension of grazing season and winter-feeding strategies in BC’s forage and cattle sector, the following beneficial management strategies have been identified for testing, monitoring and refinement:
- Annual and/or Alternative Forage Cover Crops for Fall-Winter Grazing
- Standing Crop for Winter Grazing
- Fall Cover Crop for Extended Fall or Spring Grazing
- Bale Grazing (Stand-alone or in conjunction with other practices)
An Overview of Beneficial Management Practices
Annual and/or Alternative Forage Cover Crops for Fall-Winter Grazing refers to the potential to seed annual forage crops or cover crops to extend fall grazing potential. Cover crops are specifically of high interest for fall grazing or for being used as a relay crop (eg. seeding cover crop after harvest of annual forage crop).
Standing Crop for Winter Grazing refers to a cereal or other annual crop that has been sown and grown as a normal crop then held as a fodder bank for grazing later in the year. Standing crop may be integrated into other types of feed such as bales or other supplements to fulfill the nutritional requirements of the given livestock. This practice allows for producers to either extend grazing season or develop a new winter feeding strategy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions that arise from crop harvest, process and storage.
Fall Cover Crop for Extended Fall or Spring Grazing: seeding winter varieties of annual cereal crops can provide additional windows for fall and/or spring grazing, and poses potential for harvest as green feed or silage. This practice may also provide co-benefits, such as splitting nutrient applications or adjusting seeding time in response to changing spring conditions.
Bale Grazing is a winter feeding strategy which allows cattle to graze bales in a field. This is done either by harvesting the field and leaving the baled hay in the field, or moving harvested or purchased bales into a field for winter grazing. Bale grazing can be used on it’s own or alongside other beneficial management practices.
Extended Grazing Practices: will they work for you?
Sign up for our upcoming winter webinar series to learn more about beneficial management practices. Registration is free and all are welcome to join!
Questions?
If you have any questions about the Living Labs project or upcoming webinars, please reach out: livinglabs@bcforagecouncil.com
Co-developed by the BC Cattlemen’s Association and the BC Forage Council.
B.C. Forage Council 