Guardians of the Grassland - LIVE NOW

[Mickenzie Plemel-Stronks]

Ben I have no internet currently but will watch it and come back to you

If it’s streamed on YouTube or Vimeo could you send me a link so I can share on social media please ?

Are you able to fatten cattle off grass in Canada? Or are they typically fattened on cereals?

What about winter time? Are the cattle housed and fed conserved forage? Or are they at grass.

You can do both (finish on grass or on grains). I think it comes down to the size of the farmer's operation and cash flow as to why they might finish on grass or sell the calves and have them finished on grain. Also, it is harder to finish on grass in some parts of Canada due to snow and cold. Bale grazing can work well if you have the land base to support that. http://canadabeef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/3208_CANBEEF_factsheet_NUTRITION-2016.pdf

 

[Ben Campbell]

Are you able to fatten cattle off grass in Canada? Or are they typically fattened on cereals?

What about winter time? Are the cattle housed and fed conserved forage? Or are they at grass.

I fatten cattle off of grass here, but it is seasonal. We only have green growing grass from mid may until mid September usually. Then if you want to fatten on grass after that you'd need to used silage, crops cut before they formed grains, crops swathed and left frozen in the swaths or very high quality hay.

Most cattle are fed stored forage during the winter at some point. Nearly all cattle. Calves will be given some grain their first winter. Cows are fed hay or green feed or swathed crops with the swaths left out all winter. Most people graze conserved forages as long as possible and some are able to year round but it's difficult depending on snow quantity and type. Once snow melts and freezes or blows and forms a hard icy crust there isn't much you can do. Horses are fine, they paw at it and bison will clear the snow with their heads but cows would rub the skin off of their noses and sheep aren't strong enough.

 

[Ben Campbell]

Thank you all for having us and sharing in this wonderful discussion! It was a real pleasure to chat with you all.

 

[Bury the Trash]

In the UK they have seed packages that include herbs, like chicory. It boosts biodiversity and there’s been some research of it boosting animal health.

Id love to see more studies done on it here in Canada. I believe U of Lethbridge has some research on health benefits of native prairie plants to people but nothing that’s been linked to livestock. I think it would really boost interest in having plants like yarrow, sage, bergamot, etc in our native pastures.

The mentioning of the fact that once ripped up for cropping that the native grasslands cannot or don't regenerate as such but surely wild seed could be harvested and resown to reinstate some of these areas ? i appreciate they are not just a few acres.

 

[Clive]

Thank you all for having us and sharing in this wonderful discussion! It was a real pleasure to chat with you all.

Thank you for letting us show the film and taking the time to answer our questions

Keep up the great work !

 

[Grass And Grain]

You can do both (finish on grass or on grains). I think it comes down to the size of the farmer's operation and cash flow as to why they might finish on grass or sell the calves and have them finished on grain. Also, it is harder to finish on grass in some parts of Canada due to snow and cold. Bale grazing can work well if you have the land base to support that. http://canadabeef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/3208_CANBEEF_factsheet_NUTRITION-2016.pdf

I fatten cattle off of grass here, but it is seasonal. We only have green growing grass from mid may until mid September usually. Then if you want to fatten on grass after that you'd need to used silage, crops cut before they formed grains, crops swathed and left frozen in the swaths or very high quality hay.

Most cattle are fed stored forage during the winter at some point. Nearly all cattle. Calves will be given some grain their first winter. Cows are fed hay or green feed or swathed crops with the swaths left out all winter. Most people graze conserved forages as long as possible and some are able to year round but it's difficult depending on snow quantity and type. Once snow melts and freezes or blows and forms a hard icy crust there isn't much you can do. Horses are fine, they paw at it and bison will clear the snow with their heads but cows would rub the skin off of their noses and sheep aren't strong enough.

I see. Not dissimilar to the UK. We struggle mainly with rain rather than snow though.

 

[Mickenzie Plemel-Stronks]

Thanks all! I've enjoyed chatting with you and hope this has help provide some insight for you. I know different places in the world have different issues, but we can all learn something from each other! Take care and be well!

 

[Blaithin]

The mentioning of the fact that once ripped up for cropping that the native grasslands cannot or don't regenerate as such but surely wild seed could be harvested and resown to reinstate some of these areas ? i appreciate they are not just a few acres.

You can reseed most of the plants (although rough fescue seed is ridiculously expensive!)

What you’re losing by breaking it up is the root mass and community beneath the surface. Just because you plant the same plants doesn’t mean the ecosystem magically appears again to the extent that it was there.

The time required to build it back up to what it is prior to breaking is unknown.

 

[Amie Peck]

Thank you for having us and the great discussion!

 

[Ted M]

Another load of vegan codswallop on BBC1 at the moment. (Eat Well for Less). Yes I do blame the BBC.

Yes I saw that, it would seem they know they've lost the battle with the older generations so are pushing their agenda with the supposedly "environmentally conscious" young which is potentially playing fast and loose with their health imo.

 

[Ffermer Bach]

You can reseed most of the plants (although rough fescue seed is ridiculously expensive!)

What you’re losing by breaking it up is the root mass and community beneath the surface. Just because you plant the same plants doesn’t mean the ecosystem magically appears again to the extent that it was there.

The time required to build it back up to what it is prior to breaking is unknown.

I think there is the same issue here, with bulldozing ancient woodland for HS2, and I just heard on the radio that the contractor said they "moved the soil" so new woods could be planted and keep the eco system. Having seen the way the contractors "worked" here (I think they had similar protocols to protect soil which conveniently got forgotten) doing the wind farm, i would believe that if I saw it!

 

[Ffermer Bach]

Yes I saw that, it would seem they know they've lost the battle with the older generations so are pushing their agenda with the supposedly "environmentally conscious" young which is potentially playing fast and loose with their health imo.

when we are "ruled" by China (which seems the way things are going with the West's decline and fall ~ too busy being "woke") Vegans etc will get short shift I think!

 

[Treg]

well if those who should be helping are not going to I guess we have no choice but to find other ways, Not sure what kind of cost something with high production value like than would cost but crowdfund certainly could be one way to raise it

im sure it would be interesting to a big none farming audience

My brother is doing a project over the next few weeks on promotional film costs ( nothing to do with Agriculture) , I'll see what he comes up with & post the results.

 

[Treg]

My brother is doing a project over the next few weeks on promotional film costs ( nothing to do with Agriculture) , I'll see what he comes up with & post the results.

This is the type of thing he has been involved with...

How to direct a cow and a Cornish language script, by Kelly's Ice Cream's creative team

Kelly’s of Cornwall has released its second ad spoken entirely in the Cornish language – a challenge only compounded this time by an unpredictable seaside location and the starring appearance of a cow.

www.thedrum.com

 

[Bill the Bass]

Great film, really well made. However, UK conservationists and their mouth pieces like Monbiot, Packham and, ex RSPB guy who looks like Mr Pringle (Can't remember his name) would simply say 'why aren't they just re-introducing Bison?

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

UK conservationists and their mouth pieces would simply say 'why aren't they just re-introducing Bison?

... Like the recent scheme, where a few Bison have been reintroduced, costing £2.4M?

 

[Ted M]

Yes, why introduce bison and then have the cost of fencing, probably a trained warden or keeper on a big salary plus numerous other "expert" advisors on large fees when you can farm cattle or sheep, produce highly nutritious food and have them managed and contained all in the price?

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Thank you to @Mickenzie Plemel-Stronks , @Amie Peck and @Ben Campbell for an interesting discussion.

 

[Ted M]

Yes, why introduce bison and then have the cost of fencing, probably a trained warden or keeper on a big salary plus numerous other "expert" advisors on large fees when you can farm cattle or sheep, produce highly nutritious food and have them managed and contained all in the price?

 

[Blaithin]

Great film, really well made. However, UK conservationists and their mouth pieces like Monbiot, Packham and, ex RSPB guy who looks like Mr Pringle (Can't remember his name) would simply say 'why aren't they just re-introducing Bison?

There’s a large Indigenous movement here to reintroduce bison to a larger area. Ideally they want a large corridor the animals can “migrate” around.

I do believe the idea is to still be using a form of rotational grazing in this scheme. Not with fences but just by gradually herding the animals. They’d also be harvested for food and ceremonial purposes. So not quite on par with UK scenes of reintroduction.