Utilizing natural pastures for grain & grass finished beef production in Canada

Name of sustainable practice or practices Utilizing natural pastures for grain & grass finished beef production in Canada

Name of main actor Family owned enterprises: J & J Cattle Co., Empire Valley Premium Beef and The Local Butcher Ltd.

Type of actors involved Commercial farmers

Livestock Species Cattle

Livestock breed Black Angus (90%) and Hereford (5%) cattle breeds

Country Canada

Agro-ecological region Temperate

Main feature of best practice Furthering grain-free strategies in animal feed

Key features of livestock farming system Commercial pastoral livestock keeping

Year practice/management strategies started to be implemented 1997

Key practices implemented to improve sustainability of livestock management Empire Valley Premium Beef utilizes large open grassland to promote healthy, natural grass & grain finished beef without adding hormones and antibiotics. Leasing ranch was the first decision of the farmers which allowed them to invest some money in equipment for example. Direct marketing of the produce at farmer markets became an alternative strategy for having more stable prices. Participating in a training called "Ranching for profit" resulted in adapting livestock production cycles to grass growth cycles. It also helped the farmers to know their margins of profit and loss and adjust planning of livestock operations. Key lessons learned included determining the optimal size of farming: 50 head herd was determined as large enough to operate with but at least 250 head herd could provide enough income to support a family. 300 head operation was found to be sustainable as long as the family was operating the enterprise. 24-36 months was defined by the farmers to be the perfect age of cattle for both direct marketer and the consumer. Otherwise meat quality decreases.

Key impacts of the best practices on sustainability of farming system Sustainability of the farming system depended on several strategies chosen by the farmers. Improving the grazing strategies resulted in better utilization of available pastures and higher quality of forage for livestock. Hiring workers for some lower paying jobs allowed the owners to concentrate on strategies of their operations. Improving the economics of business allowed the farmers to invest money in other businesses (Empire Valley Premium Beef and The Local Butcher Ltd).

Constraints and opportunities observed during implementation of described practices Constraints faced while implementing the practices became a motivation for changes. Constraints included high costs of production, unstable markets, increasing prices for land, younger generation getting out of agricultural activities. The next step in operating of the three enterprises is striving for improving sustainability of their businesses. The farmers would like to help other producers to find ways of direct marketing of their products to local consumers. A processing facility could be an opportunity to control the quality of the product from the moment of calf's birth to bringing the product to the consumer.

Contacts
Joyce Holmes, owner & partner (with husband, John) Website: www.empirevalleybeef.com