Advanced Grazing Systems
Advanced grazing systems is a program for extension professionals and farm operators to learn the basic techniques of rotational grazing.
Alfalfa Management Research
The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA) currently has two alfalfa management projects underway that will provide forage producers with valuable decision-support tools to help alfalfa crops thrive. Funded through the Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program (CASPP), these projects began in 2020 and will conclude in 2024.
Forage BMP Manual
Forage Best Management Practices for Enhancing Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration is a practical, straightforward guide containing BMPs farmers and ranchers can implement to enhance and maximize soil carbon sequestration. It also offers a comprehensive explanation of carbon trading.
Canada Grassland Protocol
Adopted in 2019 by the U.S.-based Climate Action Reserve (CAR), the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA)’s Canada Grassland Protocol Project (CGPP) provides a standardized approach to quantify, monitor and verify the greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions saved when landowners choose to retain grasslands at risk of conversion to other land uses that significantly disturb the soil.
National Grassland Inventory
The National Grassland Inventory project will identify and describe all existing grasslands inventories in Canada and determine how various inventories can be harmonized to develop a cohesive national grassland inventory. The ultimate aim is to construct a national grassland inventory, including all major grassland types and ecoregions. This would update and inform grassland policy, decision-making and risk assessment across Canada going forward.
Habitat and Biodiversity Assessment Tool
The Habitat and Biodiversity Assessment Tool (HBAT) is the centrepiece of the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association’s (CFGA) Nature Fund Project, which is made possible with financial support from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) as part of the Canada Nature Fund.
Building on a tool developed in Alberta, the HBAT is a province-specific online tool for land managers to use for habitat and biodiversity assessment in order to gain a basic understanding of important habitats and biodiversity on their land. It provides guidance on which beneficial management practices (BMPs) are most relevant to the habitats on their farms and helps them integrate the needs of multiple native species in the management of the land.
The tool includes a searchable database that allows users to see how adopting particular BMPs will improve their land’s biodiversity, including species at risk.
On-Farm Climate Action Fund
The On-Farm Climate Action Fund is an initiative to help farmers tackle climate change. The objective of the fund is to support farmers in adopting beneficial management practices (BMPs) that store carbon and reduce greenhouse gases, specifically in the areas of nitrogen management, cover cropping and rotational grazing practices. The CFGA is working solely on supporting the rotational grazing practices stream in Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec and Saskatchewan provinces.