The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA) welcomes all interested participants to join in the ‘Range Health Conference’ on Nov. 1 and 2 at Temple Gardens Hotel and Spa in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. This conference is an opportunity to evaluate the health of your operation to ensure both sustainability and productivity and profits.

Day 1

Arlie Laroche kicks off the conference the evening on Nov. 1.

From a small mixed farm to pioneering regenerative agriculture, Arlie LaRoche’s journey has been about growth, sustainability and a passion for food. A native of eastern Saskatchewan, her roots are deeply intertwined with the farming culture.

After exploring the world and immersing herself in environmental consulting, she was drawn back to the soil. Alongside her husband, Brett, they transformed a personal passion project into the thriving Farm One Forty.

It was a workshop with renowned sustainable agriculture expert, Joel Salatin, that catapulted Farm One Forty from a hobby farm to a recognized local business. Farm One Forty isn’t just a farm; it’s an experience. Nestled near Saskatoon, it boasts pasture-raised pork, grass-fed beef and lamb, the sweetest honey, and vibrant yields of seasonal vegetables and grains.

For Arlie, Farm One Forty is more than a business; it’s a movement. With agritourism becoming a significant pillar of her business, immersive experiences and exquisite on-farm dinners offer visitors a taste of the land’s bounty. She’s on a mission to bridge the divide between bustling cities and tranquil farms, aiming to reintroduce people to the origins of their food.

Embracing the global trend of farm-to-table dining and the renaissance of local produce, 2019 marked a new chapter with the launch of Odla Restaurant & Market on Broadway in Saskatoon. A gastronomic celebration of the province’s rich produce, Odla sources its ingredients predominantly from Farm One Forty and other local farms, epitomizing Arlie’s vision: simple, delicious, and deeply rooted in the land. Who better to address the burning question, “What “should” we have for dinner?”

Day 2

Following breakfast on the morning of Nov. 2, CFGA’s On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF)’s Saskatchewan program coordinator, Adrienne Hanson, will give a program update. This will be followed by the following presentations:

Range Health

Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGF) will provide an introduction to range health and how this can be used in benchmarking pasture productivity, including native, tame and forest.

Goal Setting

Holistic management educator, consultant and mentor, Bluesette Campbell will also present about the importance of goal setting and how that influences decisions producer make in their operations.

Financial Planning Fundamentals

Bluesette will help participants increase their understanding of profit-forward financial planning and learn the value of prioritizing expenses to continually strengthen their income-generating enterprises. Through easy-to-understand steps, they can begin their own 12-month plan and project up to a year in advance where they will sit financially.

Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and Market Outlook

Market analyst Anne Wasko will speak about how the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) came to be, how it works with multi-stakeholder organizations, including cattle producer organizations. One area of work for the CRSB is the Certified Sustainable Beef Framework. Anne will share how this program works with certified bodies (like VBP+) and end users. She will also provide an update on the current cattle market and the record high prices answering questions like “What’s going on with cattle numbers and the cattle cycle?” and “What’s expected for cattle process into 2024 and beyond?”

Closing

Adrienne will close out the event with a discussion about grazing plans and funding opportunities.

Registration for the conference is $100 which includes supper, breakfast and lunch.

For more information, follow the Range Health Conference on Facebook. A full agenda is available here.

Funding for this event [in part] has been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Climate Solutions – On-Farm Climate Action Fund.

Funding for this event is also funded [in part] by Farmers for Climate Solutions.

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