Farmland as Habitat

Feb 03, 2023

Working on farms in rural Ontario, I’ve had the opportunity to see Common Milkweed and Monarch butterflies at all stages of their lifecycle and growth. Farm pastures (including a number of OFT Farmland Easement protected farms!) provide important habitat and feeding grounds for this remarkable, endangered¹ butterfly, as well as unique places for them to form their chrysalises. It’s fairly common to see chrysalises attached to farm equipment or tucked into corners, such as this one I spotted in the summer of 2021 on a moveable chicken greenhouse.

Last summer, one corner of the pig barn where I was working became a popular gathering place for them. It started with a single chrysalis hanging on the gate with its beautiful characteristic gold band. Thankfully, the gate in the pig barn wasn’t yet needed, but with farrowing season and autumn weather approaching, I hoped the soon-to-be butterfly would transform quickly. I returned to the barn later in the day to find another caterpillar setting up shop. They were soon joined by a third.

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Video: Season 6, Episode 7: Takeaways from the Second International Conference on Pig Livability

This year’s conference fostered open, engaging conversations around current research in the swine industry, bringing together hundreds of attendees from 31 states and six countries. Two leaders who helped organize the event joined today’s episode: Dr. Joel DeRouchey, professor and swine extension specialist in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at Kansas State University, and Dr. Edison Magalhaes, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Iowa State University. They share key takeaways from the conference, including the importance of integrating data when evaluating whole-herd livability, building a culture of care among employees and adopting new technologies. Above all, the discussion reinforces that this industry remains, at its core, a people business.