Paying attention to the land’s early warning signs helped a rancher, who is nominated for a national environmental award, prepare for the drought currently affecting beef producers.
“Where we live in Saskatchewan, we’re in the ground zero (for) drought and we’ve seen it coming for a number of years,” said Ed Bothner about his ranch near Beechy, northeast of Swift Current.
“We’ve seen it in the lack of subsoil moisture, and that’s a big part of it… and we’ve adjusted our stocking rates. In the last number of years, we’ve dropped our numbers because we could see it in the grass as well, so it’s all in the preparation — it’s all in mitigating the effect, and we’re going to get through it.”
Read Also
Farming Smarter receives financial boost from Alberta government for potato research
Farming Smarter near Lethbridge got a boost to its research equipment, thanks to the Alberta government’s increase in funding for research associations.
Stewardship and husbandry of the land are something Bothner learned from both the successes and mistakes of earlier generations of his family, he told a recent online showcase of nominees for the 25th annual Environmental Stewardship Award hosted by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA).
The national winner is scheduled to be announced Sept. 1 at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference from among producers who were honoured at the regional level from across the country.
“Each nominee exemplifies significant innovation and attention to a wide range of environmental stewardship aspects in their farm operation,” said a statement by the CCA. “Such innovations extend beneficially to areas far beyond their land, including water, wildlife and air.”
The nominees include Elan Lees of Soderglen South, which consists of ranches in the Fort Macleod and Cardston areas of Alberta that together contain about 15,000 acres of mostly native grasslands.
“I would like to say that our main focus on grassland production and sustainability has also provided us with drought tolerance,” she said.
Practices at Soderglen South include maintaining grasses by not overgrazing, along with preparing for potential drought “every single year in that plan,” she added.
“We believe as ranchers that we have been entrusted with good natural resources, and I believe it’s our responsibility to take care of those natural resources. We have long-term agreements with Ducks Unlimited and Nature Conservancy of Canada to ensure that our grasslands are well-managed, and that they won’t be developed on and that they’ll be around for a very long time.”
Besides hosting 47 windmills, other initiatives at Soderglen South have included using static and portable watering systems to encourage cattle to avoid using wetlands or dugouts. About 15 kilometres of pipeline have been installed, protecting sensitive riparian areas along the St Mary River, she said.
Such measures have created a ranch operation that provides a home for wildlife ranging from bald eagles and burrowing owls to elk and grizzly bears, said Lees.
“As we ride out into the grasslands, I can count on any given day over 22 different types of wildflowers. And seeing these different coloured flowers tells me that our grasses have longevity and we have well-managed lands that have an impact and a positive value to both the owners as well as the public.”
Contact doug.ferguson@producer.com
