As we move into the Fall season, it brings us closer to our annual conference and meeting.

Each year, our annual conference is hosted in a different region of the country and offers a great opportunity to gain more insight into the diversity of Canada. Our first conference was held in Winnipeg, and we have now come full circle as our 7th annual conference will be back in Winnipeg, Nov. 15 to 17, 2016. The theme for this year's conference is "Grass and Green in 2016" and the conference has developed an excellent reputation for being a "Must Attend Event." Advanced registration is now available at a reduced rate until Sept. 30, so time is short. For registration, and further information, please visit the CFGA conference website.

The CFGA is very pleased to announce that New Holland is once again the corporate sponsor of the prestigious CFGA Leadership Award. This award recognizes individuals, groups or organizations that exemplify or enhance the goals of the CFGA and whose leadership in the forage and grassland sector has impact of national and/or international significance. 

Nominations of candidates for the 2016 CFGA Leadership Award are now being accepted and the cut-off date for submissions is Oct. 28, 2016. The selected recipient will be notified by Nov. 1, 2016.   Click here for the Nomination Form.

The recipient will be invited to make a make a keynote presentation at the CFGA's 2017 Annual Conference. The presentation may include an overview of their past achievements, current endeavors and their perspective on future challenges related to forage and grasslands. Alternately, the award recipient can propose to undertake an original project that features and promotes forage and grassland (e.g., a video, an extension activity or some other communication approach).

The recipient will be presented with a memento and citation recognizing their achievements, and a cash award to a maximum of $6,000 to cover allowable expenses, including travel to make presentations at the 2017 CFGA Annual Conference and other meetings relevant to forage and grasslands.  

 

The co-operative intends to offer a premium product to buyers in the livestock and equine sectors, while here at home, it works with producers to establish on-farm hay-drying facilities, and proposes building a facility to compact hay into compressed square bales for shipment overseas in 25 tonne containers.

 

The often-humid Ontario climate means farmers are sometimes challenged to maximize the production of premium hay, and research is being done on artificial drying. A local company has  done considerable work on developing a system that will greatly reduce the number of days for drying, thus eliminating much of the weather related risk. Artificial drying to reduce the moisture to ideal levels and storing indoors will improve the quality, and greatly increase the hay's attractiveness to overseas buyers.

 

The proposed hay-compacting facility is planned to handle up to 100,000 tonnes annually. The actual capacity will be determined once potential export markets and equipment costs for the facility are calculated. Based upon initial industry information, a state-of-the-art double hay-compacting facility cost is estimated between $10 and $15 million, assuming drying and storage occurs on farm.

 

The co-operative expects to target growing export markets in Asia, the Middle East and the European Union. It is the outcome of efforts by the Marketing Forum of the Ontario Forage Council (OFC) to tap into new markets for Ontario hay.

 

Co-operative Structure

The Ontario Hay and Forage Co-operative is a "new generation co-operative." That means producers will be both entitled and obligated to deliver hay to the co-operative. Members purchase $1,000 in shares, which gives voting rights at meetings.

 

Supply Agreement

A long-term supply agreement for the delivery of a specified volume and quality of hay will be required. In addition, producer members must make a one-time investment in preference shares of the co-operative based on the tonnage of hay they commit to deliver. Members will not be required to sign a supply agreement or purchase any preference shares until the co-operative obtains approval for an Offering Statement from the Financial Services Commission of Ontario.

 

Feasibility Study and Business Plan

The co-operative is conducting a comprehensive feasibility study to determine the viability of the proposed project, including the financial feasibility of on-farm drying of hay and the identification of cost-effective hay-drying technology. It's working with local equipment manufacturers to identify the most cost-effective drying technology available.

 

The co-operative, in partnership with OFC, received matching funding from CAN-Adapt and Growing Forward (Ontario) 2 to help fund the study and the business plan.

The co-operative is gaining momentum and invites producers to join. For more information, contact Fritz Trautmansdorff at [email protected].


In conjunction with the Ontario Forage Council, the co-operative sponsored a Hay Day at St. Jacobs on Aug. 12. Approximately 125 people attended.

Photo courtesy Ontario Hay and Forage Co-operative 

Joas van Oord                                                Photo courtesy Cultivating Communications

Quantity isn't always king on Joas and Lisa van Oord's farm, especially when it comes to what they feed their cows.

 

The van Oords farm approximately 195 acres in Springfield, N.B., about 40 kilometres north of Fredericton, the province's capital city. With 75 kilograms of quota, there are approximately 55 milking cows, and around 95 cows in total. The couple bought the farm from Joas' parents, Maarten and Caroline, after obtaining degrees in agriculture, moving back to the farm and working for a few years.

 

Joas van Oord says when he and Lisa took over the family farm in 2004, one of the first focuses they took on was forage management, moving from a two-cut system to cutting every 35 days.

 

"We always went for quantity and then we would sell our overproduction; we would take those round bales and sell two or three hundred," says Joas. "If you really figure it out, you're not making any money. It's really costing you money to do those. So we said, 'forget quantity, we're going straight for quality.' We quit saying it has to be three feet tall or two feet tall to mow. We'd take a 35-day block, we get it off as quick as we can and we make sure it's stored well. If it's stored well, it comes out the other side perfect."

 

Maintaining quality means if the grass is rained on, it doesn't go in the silo, and if it's over-mature, it goes for hay. As soon as that 35-day mark is reached, Joas says he and his father, who continues to work on the farm, mow as quickly as possible. The result is reflected in the barn with increased milk production.

 

The move to a 35-day cutting rotation definitely took some getting used to, Joas says. Before the change, he spread manure in the spring and fall, but changed to spreading after every cut to maintain soil nutrient levels. Frost-seeding also became a normal practice, and at the same time, Joas says the 35-day rotation eliminates weed pressure.

 

As with any farm management decision, Joas says it's essential to track and monitor the data. Keep production records, analyze the data and find improvements, he says, pointing out that farmers can't manage what they don't measure.