February 2023 – Todd & Jennifer Payne of Aspnodel Sheep Company in the Norwood area of Peterborough County are the recipient of the 2022 Ontario Sheep Pasture Award. The award sponsored by MAPLESEED, the Ontario Forage Council and the Ontario Sheep Association, was presented today. For their environmental and pasture improvements and management, the recipients will receive $250 and a bag of forage seed.
The Aspnodel Sheep Company operation includes a breeding flock of 800 and basically depend on nearly year-round pasture. The pasture utilization includes rough land pasture for the dry mature ewes which includes mostly orchard grass and the improved tillable pastureland for grazing replacement lambs contains a mix of orchard, perennial ryegrass, and alfalfa on the seeded acres.
As Todd comments, “We really pasture year around.” They strip graze corn and graze sorghum after last cut until frost and have also grazed crop residue. Use of a bale-unroller with the ewes on corn stocks also works well. The Payne’s are strong promoters of rotational grazing and using portable net fencing with a solar energizer. Todd emphasized, “It is very important to supply fresh water to the animals and he has a 1500- gallon portable water tank on a 10-ton trailer, which allows us to put sheep on land that would otherwise be unused.” Environmental stewardship has always been top of mind for Todd and Jennifer, and they have participated in the Environmental Farm Plan Program. They are trying to incorporate grazing cover crops, that are planted after wheat harvest.
In reviewing this nomination, Scott Fisher, Sales Manager (Western Ontario) with MAPLESEED said, Ray Robertson, Manager of the Ontario Forage Council commented that
Source : Ontario Sheep