By rdnewsNOW Staff

ALUS Red Deer County promoting landscape resilience through rotational grazing

Aug 11, 2022 | 9:46 AM

The benefits of rotational grazing were on display during a special event hosted by Red Deer County Monday.

On Aug. 8, ALUS Red Deer County hosted a tour that showcased an ALUS Project where a rancher is practicing rotational grazing with both cattle and sheep. Officials say this method of grazing management incorporates periods of rest for grazed areas to recover and allows plants to regrow.

Over 20 local agricultural producers attended the tour and learned how cows and sheep worked with their rancher to produce environmental services that everyone benefits from. This is said to include practicing rotational grazing where a rancher turns their livestock into a smaller grazing pasture for a shorter period, then, fencing is placed so that livestock is moved to graze in a new area, as only one portion of pasture is grazed at a time.

Agricultural practices like this are said to promote healthy grasslands, improve wetlands, create wildlife habitat and protect species to build landscape resilience.

During the tour, officials said participants learned about the grazing management and the infrastructure (fencing and watering) that was required. Attendees also learned how the ALUS Program can support more farmers and ranchers on implementing rotational grazing with funding and expertise.

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Tour participants view fence that separates grazed and ungrazed paddocks. (Submitted photo/Red Deer County)

Similar events, which will be open to the public, will be held on Aug. 23 and Aug. 24. The events are free to attend and are expected to demonstrate riparian grazing management projects being supported by the ALUS program in Red Deer County.

Attendees are anticipated to learn:

• how to determine riparian health along wetlands and creeks;
• how to manage the grazing that can occur in these sensitive areas so that the natural environment is enhanced;
• and how to use important riparian grazing management tools like temporary electric fencing.

To learn more about these, contact Ken Lewis, ALUS Red Deer County Coordinator at 403-505-9038 or klewis@rdcounty.ca.

Officials said Red Deer County is one of many communities across Canada delivering an ALUS Program, in partnership with ALUS (for information, see www.alus.ca).

ALUS supports farmers and ranchers who are adopting agriculture practices that benefit the natural environment. ALUS provides cost-share funding on establishment, and annual management payments to the farmers and ranchers. Since 2013, ALUS Red Deer County has worked with over 140 local farmers and ranchers to improve the natural environment on almost 10,000 acres of land.