PETERBOROUGH COUNTY FARMER RECEIVES SHEEP PASTURE AWARD

Feb 10, 2023

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

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.