The Rural Voice, 1987-11, Page 27Dale Pallister is chairman and Connie Broderick is vice-chairman of the Grey-Dufferin ARDA pasture.
The cattle are weighed when they
arrive and again when they leave.
They weigh in at between 450 and
700 pounds and gain an average of
one and a half pounds a day, or about
200 to 220 pounds over the five
months. There is a charge of 30 cents
for each pound of gain, which costs
farmers between $50 and $75 a head.
Full-time pasture manager Ainsy
Jack considers this good value for the
money. "It may seem a little dearer
than some pastures, but the price
includes salt and mineral and minor
veterinary fees. If there's a sickness I
treat them or send them home." Foot
rot and pink eye, the two major health
concerns, were kept to a minimum this
year, and overall herd health was the
best it has been for several years. Jack
attributes this largely to ideal summer
conditions and a healthy herd at the
outset.
The pasture supports one and a
quarter head to the acre with a one to
two-week field rotation, depending on
the amount of trefoil and timothy
available.
The ARDA program was started
as a joint project of the federal and
provincial governments. The federal
government purchased the land in the
mid-1970s and still owns it. All
"Occasionally, they
lose both tags and we
sometimes get them
mixed up, but we
always get them
straightened out."
expenses, including maintenance,
wages, !Applies, and taxes are paid
with moi ey generated by the pasture
fees. Special projects, such as a
pasture seeding demonstration held
last spring, are funded by the govern-
ment.
The Grey-Dufferin ARDA pas-
ture is one of 14 community pastures
throughout the province. Bruce
County has a 1,400 -acre community
pasture farm under the ARDA project
near Underwood. Between 1,300 and
1,400 cattle owned by 75 farmers
graze the 1,200 acres of improved
pasture. The average daily gain this
year was just under two pounds, a
figure which adds up to an average
total gain of 250 pounds, says Ron
Slade, treasurer of the ARDA project.
Farmers are charged a $3 entry fee per
head to cover veterinary bills in
addition to the 25 -cent per pound of
gain charge.
At the request of farmers, cattle
were taken off the farm in three stages.
In addition to the usual August and
October round -ups, some cattle were
removed in September when local
sales were hot.
Response to the ARDA pasture
project in Grey and Bruce counties
has been extremely favorable. One
of the reasons for its popularity is its
convenience. "Most farmers," says
Ainsy Jack, "bring their cattle in in
spring and never see them again until
fall."0
NOVEMBER 1987 25