For all livestock producers this is the time to prepare for winter feeding and care, and to take stock of the profitability and effectiveness of management practices. With the increasing attention on the environment, this year’s annual conference of the Manitoba Forage and Grassslands Association (MFGA) hits the mark.
The focus is on Regenerative Agriculture - increasing biodiversity and providing resilience to climate change. On a regenerative farm, yield should increase over time as the topsoil deepens.
According to the organizers, “MFGA's Regenerative Ag Conference will be delivered as a month-long on-line celebration of Regen Ag Farming in Manitoba, focussing on soil health and producer prosperity.”
MFGA will offer the entire conference over four Thursdays in November at 7 p.m. live, online, free of charge. https://www.mfga.net/regen-ag-conference
“We are taking our conference to you in ways that we think will be fun, informative and motivating.”
Agenda:
Thursday, Nov. 5 is Diana Rodgers with “Sacred Cow” will take a deep look at the fundamental moral, environmental and nutritional quandaries around raising and eating livestock based on her "Sacred Cow" film.
Rodgers is a "real food" nutritionist living on a working organic farm near Boston, Massachusetts. An author, she runs a clinical nutrition practice, hosts the Sustainable Dish Podcast, and is an advisory board member of Animal Welfare Approved and Savory Institute. Her new documentary film and book project is ‘Sacred Cow: The Case For Better Meat’ (www.sacredcow.info).
Thursday, Nov. 12, Nicole Masters speaks on ‘turning on the biological soil-gut system.’ Masters will cover ways we can restore biological function to our soil and explore the links between soil microbes and plant/animal performance.
Masters is Director, Researcher and Storyteller for Integrity Soils Ltd. She graduated in 1999 with a BSc in Ecology. In 2002 she founded Tigercast Worms which evolved into Integrity Soils Ltd.
Thursday, Nov. 19, Mark Shepard brings ‘Making the Most of the Water Resources on Your Farm.’ He will share how to apply restoration agriculture water management methods, optimizing water across your property.
Shepard is a founder of Restoration Agriculture Development; RAD has worked on over 100 projects in multiple climates across four continents.
Thursday, Nov. 26, Ryan Boyd, with ‘Grazing Ruminants: a resilient long-term solution to agriculture productivity and profitability’ will discuss his 2019 Nuffield Scholarship that took him around the world to visit regenerative farmers and ranchers. Along with wife Sarah and parents Jim and Joanne, Boyd runs a 3,500-acre mixed farm north of Forrest, Man.
