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Rainy River district beef farmer grazes for success

Pollard Farms’ eco-friendly management wins pasture award at Beef Farmers of Ontario AGM
Pollard Farms award
(Beef Farmers of Ontario Facebook photo)

A northwestern Ontario beef farmer was recognized for exceptional pasture management using environmentally friendly methods.

Jeff Pollard of Pollard Farms in Stratton was the 2020 recipient of the Ontario Mapleseed Pasture Award at the Beef Farmers of Ontario annual general meeting in Toronto, Feb.19.

The Mapleseed Pasture Award recognizes individuals who implement pasture management strategies that maximize production per acre.

For his efforts, Pollard was rewarded with $500 and a 25-kilogram bag of Mapleseed forage mix.

Pollard Farms operate close to 1,500 acres, 900 of which are dedicated to grazing cattle.

These grazed pastures are split between 820 acres of rotationally strip-grazed paddocks and 80 acres of continuously grazed pasture. Cattle are moved daily to ensure Pollard can extend his grazing season throughout the year.

Rotational grazing cattle allow the pastures to be continuously fertilized and reseeded without the need for commercial fertilizers or equipment.

His pastures consist of numerous grass and legume species including timothy, tall fescue, red clover, alsike clover, bird’s foot trefoil and alfalfa, as well as many other native species.

The farm’s waterline provides fresh water to all of the pastures, allowing for all of the riparian areas and rough terrain to be fenced off.

Pollard is also planting more than 10,000 evergreen trees within these land parcels. Stratton is 55 kilometres west of Fort Frances.