Sod Seeding & Hay Establishment Trial with Cam Ross and Alex Griffiths (DUCs)

Beef and Forage Roundup

Cam Ross comes from a cow-calf operation North of Minnedosa, MB where he still farms with his family today. Cam has a degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Manitoba and started with Ducks Unlimited as a summer student in 2017 (He worked a summer with MBFI in 2016 as well!) and then moved into a full-time position in 2020 where he now manages all of DUC’s properties across Southwest Manitoba. This management includes, seeding down new tame stands, sod-seeding older native stands, the hay tender program and grazing program, among other things.

Alex Griffiths grew up and still helps farm on a cow-calf operation west of Onanole, right up against the south side of Riding Mountain National Park. He graduated from the University of Manitoba with an Agronomy major and a Soil Science Minor. He has been working with Ducks Unlimited Canada since January 2020 managing the Forage Program and Winter Wheat Programs which provide financial incentives and agronomic advice for producers growing those crops.

In this episode, we are talking about two Ducks Unlimited Canada programs; Sod Seeding Acres and the Hay Establishment Trial from the Parkland Crop Diversification Foundation at Roblin.

For our listeners that may not be familiar with Ducks Unlimited Canada’s agriculture programs, Alex gives us some background on how Ducks Unlimited agrologists work with Manitoba farmers.

Diving into the Sod Seeding, Cam, discusses what sod seeding is and what the process looks like. We also chat about why this is a focus for Ducks Unlimited and how many acres have been sod seeded so far in Manitoba. We discuss the Sod Seeding Acres Program eligibility, application process and the amount per acre producers can expect to receive, as well as additional support offered to producers through this program.

To find out more about the Sod Seeding Program, please visit www.ag.ducks.ca or contact Cam directly at 204-868-8145 or [e-mail].

Switching gears, Alex shares an overview of what the Hay Establishment Project is and what the objectives of this program are, as well as a discussion on what nurse crops are and why this practice is used when establishing a perennial forage crop. In this project, different seeding rates are applied and Alex shares some of the outcomes of these treatments. While the program is still underway, the economics are not yet available, but Alex expects that some preliminary information may be available in the fall of 2024. He also speaks to the trade-offs economically when comparing the financial benefit of the nurse crop income the first year weighed against the impact of the nurse crop on perennial establishment and longevity in subsequent years.

To find out more about the Hay Establishment Trial, please visit www.ag.ducks.ca or www.mbdiversificationcentres.ca or contact Alex directly at 204-848-0514 or [e-mail].

The research programs and daily operations at MBFI would not be possible without the funding from the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada, and Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, as well as the partnership with Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC).

We encourage you to follow MBFI on social media, or check out the website for more information on project findings and results, upcoming events and more!

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Website: www.mbfi.ca

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Mary-Jane’s Phone Number: 431-255-0011