Why I Took a Day Off to Walk Through a Pasture

I took a day off earlier this month.  The weather wasn't looking great and I didn't have too much on my to do list, so I got up far earlier than I normally would on a lazy Saturday and took off for parts unknown!

Actually, I drove for about 25 minutes along roads I've traveled many times and soon arrived at a pasture.  There were already several other vehicles parked on the hill, and people were standing around chatting and waiting for the coffee to arrive.  I had come to a pasture walk.

This pasture walk was put on by the Gateway Research Organization (GRO) and Greener Pastures Ranching and was held in a pasture managed Steve Kenyon from Greener Pastures.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with a pasture walk, allow me to explain what happens.  We walk.  Through a pasture.  We also listen to people talk about what they are doing, ask several dozen questions and generally have a great time.

At this particular pasture walk, we had two main speakers: Steve Kenyon and Brent Thygesen from Ducks Unlimited Canada.  These two men, along with Steve's wife, Amber (who works for GRO), showed us around a few different pastures and talked to us about a variety of topics, including, but not limited to the following:

• the basics of good grazing practices
• how to manage watering sites and riparian areas well
• the ins and outs of direct marketing
• winter fencing tips
• electric fencing tips
• pest control and how to know if pests are a problem or a symptom
• the specifics of a University of Alberta study on carbon capture

One of six pages of notes I took at the pasture walk.  No one else took notes, but I retain information better that way.

There were about 20 of us in the pastures, all farmers seeking to increase our knowledge and to learn from a local farmer who has been trying things for years that we are all just a little nervous to try.  Within the pastures, we walked from site to site (hence, pasture walk).  However, to get from pasture to pasture, we were transported on a goose neck trailer, which had sturdy picnic tables strapped securely to it.  Illegal?  Most likely.  Unsafe?  Almost certainly.  The most exhilarating way to travel?  Absolutely!

The pasture walk took several hours, including a lunch break.  When it was over, we all just hung around, visiting and continuing to learn from each other.  As one of the youngest participants, I didn't say much, but I enjoyed listening to the conversations around me, most of which centered on the practical side of regenerative grazing techniques, something I've been acquiring an interest in.

If you are a farmer and a local county or research organization is putting on a pasture walk, I highly recommend attending.  If you aren't a farmer, I still recommend attending.  These types of events are where you will find farmers who are looking for a different ways to farm and take care of the environment.  These are farmers who are willing to seek out and try new techniques.  They are curious, thoughtful, innovative, and fun to be around.  

This was my first ever pasture walk and I had an amazing time!  Will you be checking out the next one in your area?