Page 45 - RealDirtENG2020

How cattle are saving our native grasslands
Many of the native grasslands that still exist in Canada are actively-grazed pastures, where cattle mimic the natural ecosystem processes required for the prairie to remain prairie. Grazing prevents over-growth of dominant plant species giving other important species a better chance to ourish. It also minimizes re risk by reducing dry grasses and brush. The manure that livestock leave behind is also a valuable organic fertilizer that helps build organic matter and enrich the soil.
The Species at Risk Partnerships on Agricultural Lands (SARPAL) is an Environment and Climate Change Canada initiative, working with farmers to support the recovery of species at risk on agricultural land. In Manitoba, for example, the initiative has led to partnerships between beef farmers and conservation groups, in order to recover habitats for speci c species at risk, including bird species like the ferruginous hawk, loggerhead shrike, and burrowing owl100.
Other livestock are also raised on these habitats. Wildlife such as deer, ducks and pollinators utilize healthy grasslands for their life cycle too.
Career Pro le
Beef Farmer
Ben Campbell
Grazed Right Ranch, owned by Ben Campbell and his family, sits on Alberta’s native grasslands. Here, they produce high-quality beef by raising their cattle on pasture year round.
Grazing cattle can support the grasslands which provide a number of ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, ood mitigation and wildlife habitat. Campbell rotates the cattle onto new pasture regularly, spreading manure that helps build organic matter, and promoting the growth of important, but less competitive plants species. He’s created buffer zones around ponds and sloughs that serve as a duck nesting habitat and lters surface runoff before it enters the water bodies. “We hope to pass the farm onto our children, which is why protecting it and the planet through sustainable agricultural practices is so important.”
In the recently-released documentary Guardians
of the Grasslands, Campbell explains how the grasslands sequester millions of tonnes of carbon. His ranch alone can store 39,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, which roughly equals the emissions that 2,000 Canadians produce in a year.
And they don’t keep the beauty of the Canadian grasslands all to themselves. Only a short drive from Calgary, the ranch is perfectly situated to reconnect customers with where their food comes from. “We are happy to invite our customers for a tour, by request, so they can see rsthand how the cattle are raised and the land is cared for,” said Campbell.
Chapter 6: Environment, climate change and sustainable farming 45
Burrowing owl
Ducks Unlimited Canada
Ashton Irwin
Going the extra mile for wildlife
Many farmers plant native grasses as buffer zones around water bodies, to protect land and aquatic habitats. Seeding strips of owering plants for pollinators is also common. And to ensure that soils remain fertile and covered with new plant growth, livestock farmers move their animals from pasture to pasture—a practice called rotational grazing.
Some farmers will also delay cutting hay crops to give nesting birds a chance to hatch their young safely. Others build habitats for snakes—called hibernacula—or install boxes for owls and bats on the farm. These and many other practices help sustain wildlife populations, protect species at risk, and promote biodiversity.