Forage rejuvenation pays off

Jan 24, 2023

Escalating land prices mean cattle producers must pay attention to the productivity of their forage stands.

University of Saskatchewan economic researcher Kathy Larson said land prices in southwestern Saskatchewan have quadrupled in the last 10 years.

The price per acre was $321 in 1996, rose to $506 in 2011 and in 2021 was pegged at $2,000.

“If you do the numbers on that…your principal and interest payments would be about $115 an acre, at five percent on a 25-year loan,” she said. “My point is that you really need to see forage productivity in a forage stand given the cost of it.”

Yield data gathered by Statistics Canada have shown declines in forage yields while cash crop yields are rising.

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Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

Did you know we also operate a small business on the homestead. We make homemade, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, hair and beard products in addition to offering our pasture raised pork, lamb, and 100% raw honey. You can find out more about our products and ingredients by visiting our website at www.mimiandpoppysplace.com. There you can shop our products and sign up for our monthly newsletter that highlights a soap or ingredient, gives monthly updates about the homestead, and also lists the markets, festivals, and events we’ll be attending that month.