Grazing Cover Crops and Benefits for Livestock Operations - Mike Buis

A presentation by Ontario, Canada farmer Mike Buis at the National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health.
This session explored the ways that cover crops can be integrated with livestock operations, including as forage for grazing in between cash crop growing seasons.
Learn more at www.sare.org/covercropconference.

[@shaungiesbrecht4697]

Can confirm on the palm trees down in the South of Ontario. Up here in Grey County it's just rain and snow most of the year.

[@mascatrails661]

I don't know much about all this, I've never run cows... But from all the videos I've been watching on cover crops and grazing, all these fields look quite overgrazed and compacted. I don't know what sort of equipment was around in 2012-2014 while he was experimenting with subdividing those paddocks but now there's even a solar-powered, timed-release gate connector so you can set your paddocks ahead of time and let the cows move themselves. The extra growth in cover crops can produce a financial return to cover the initial capital and extra man-hours setting up paddocks through reduced need for fertilization of cash crops (and possibly higher yields) and increased feed production for cattle, letting you increase your herd size.

[@richardwaechter5426]

Great video. I like finding stuff pertinent to us Ontario farmers

[@scottingleneden9316]

great vid.... would be nice to hear more on this especially up in grey bruce

[@kevins7828]

nice work Mike! Thanks!

[@wallyyuriy8912]

Good video. Trying to reduce mechanical feeding. More grazing

[@lauriebuerke2974]

Do you use pesticides or commercial fertilizers and, if so, is there a worry about the cows getting sick from the chemicals?

[@robertpayne2717]

When I was little my dad on our 40 acre home place which had a about 4 acre ditch dump of heavy clay what we call gumbo here in the south would plant a roasting ear corn patch usally Truckers Favorite field corn [VARIETY]
AFTER WE GOT THE ROASTING EARS OFF FOR HUMAN CONSUMTION HE WOULD FENCE IT OFF AND TURN A YEARLING CALF OUT WITH SEVERAL YOUNG PIGS TO HARVEST THE CORN OFF WE ALWAYS HAD PLENTY OF BEEF AND PORK IN THE FREEZER AND SMOKEHOUSE..NO COVER CROP BUT GOOD USE OF MARGINAL GROUND

[@julieowen8526]

Taking 500 bales of corn stalks off your neighbours land... to help them out??? Wow!