Farmers push for change to protect livestock from stray current

Jul 19, 2023

For decades livestock producers in rural Ontario have been struggling with a side-affect of electrical transmission says OFA Director, Larry Davis in a recent release.

“It’s called stray voltage and livestock exposed to even low levels of electrical current may experience tingling sensations that impact their behaviour and health. For dairy cows, for example, this means nervousness, uneven milk production, increases in inflammation including in their udders, and being reluctant to eat their feed or drink water. In severe cases, cows become sterile or even die as a result.

On the farm, ground tests for stray voltage show the problem is often caused by levels of current lower than one-volt, which humans can’t feel but animals can. Unfortunately, current legislation places the threshold for utilities to take action at one-volt or higher, which means it is difficult for farmers to work with the electrical sector to find solutions.”

There are signs that the provincial government is hearing concerns, though. Recently Ontario’s energy minister, Todd Smith formed the Stray Voltage Working Group to focus on the issue.

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Source : Small Farm Canada

Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.