A recent article on the Canadian Cattlemen Beef Magazine website highlights the success of the Nerbas family who ranch in the Assiniboine River Valley in Manitoba, Canada. Long-time Holistic Management practitioners, the Nerbas also won the Manitoba Environmental Stewardship Award this year for their work on improving land health.
Because of their improved grazing, the Nerbas noted in another article they are able to extend their grazing season by as much as 70 days. At $1500/day for feed costs, that's a savings of over $100,000/year. With that improved profitability comes the opportunity for the farm to support 3 families as brothers Shane and Arron work with their wives to take over the family business from parents Gene and Cynthia.
One of the techniques they use to improve soil health is to do winter bale grazing to revitalize soils. They have had to adapt their practices over the year but have found that bale grazing has helped them double forage production to increase profitability. The family run their 525-head commercial Angus herd on 5,500 acres of that they own or rent.
One of the recent challenges they have faced is flooding of their hayland. But with Holistic Management, they have been able to plan their business to adapt to changing weather and market conditions.
Click here to read another story about a Canadian farmer implementing bale grazing to improve soil health and save the family farm.
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