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Agriculture Roundup for Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Mar 1, 2023 | 4:21 PM

MELFORT, Sask. – The documentary Guardians of the Grasslands has now evolved into an online game for students in Grade 7 to 10.

Students in Alberta will be the first to experience the online grazing simulation game which focuses on the ecosystem services provided by raising cattle on grasslands.

Canadian Cattle Association manager of public and stakeholder engagement Amie Peck said through the game students will learn how cattle promote carbon sequestration and provide wildlife habitat through rotational grazing on native grasslands, by moving cattle at the right time, and leaving enough grass behind.

While the first version of the game is specific to Alberta, additional classroom versions are being planned for Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and Ontario this fall.

You can play the Guardians of the Grasslands game at gotggame.ca.

March is Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month which connects students with their food.

This is the twelfth year for the program that inspires students to realize, understand and engage with their own connections to agriculture and food.

Each Ag in the Classroom member organization offers learning opportunities to students in their respective provinces, including reading challenges, contests, videos, and classroom presentations.

AITC-Saskatchewan is coordinating classroom visits from volunteer farmers and agriculture industry professionals, as well as distributing a new agriculture resource for teachers to explore land stewardship.

Skyline Dairy has been recognized as Grand Champion of the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba’s (DFM) Milk Quality awards.

The farm, which achieved an average somatic cell count of 57,000 is the first robotic dairy in the province to win the honor.

The farm in Grunthal, Manitoba milks with four DeLaval VMS™ V300 units that were installed in the spring of 2022 after using VMS Classic robots since 2008.

Tristar Ag dairy herd advisor Jarryd Preston said Skyline’s success is due to owners and brothers David and Charles Wiens.

“The team at Skyline has great managers, very forward thinking. They prioritize using the best solutions with the best practices to help them reach their goals,” Preston said.

David Wiens said the farm is motivated to achieve excellence in dairy because it aligns with other industry partners and what the consumer expects and deserves.

“Continual focus on the details and improvements for the cows, from diet to comfort and environment, are contributing factors,” Wiens said. “Our staff is also of great importance to achieving this.”

alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

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