That is a lot of green

That is a lot of Green.

June 2010 rural voice article by John Beardsley

When it comes to crops grown in Ontario, corn remains the highest value crop, generating close to 900 million dollars a year. You might be surprised to find out what the 2nd highest value crop in Ontario is. A study conducted by Jim Fisher at the Kemptville campus of the University of Guelph shows the forage industry (grasses and legumes for hay) as providing the second largest field crop value to the agricultural industry, second only to corn. Forages are contributing $647.7 million per year to the agricultural economy. That is 2/3 the size of the corn industry and about 30% larger than the soybean industry. This includes values for forage sold and fed. The benefits to subsequent crops from improved crop rotation and nitrogen release as well as soil cover and soil improvement were not included in these figures.

These remarkable facts were just some of what I learned from the Ontario Forage Council Website www.ontarioforagecouncil.com. This group of volunteers that make up the forage council labour tirelessly for this important though often overlooked part of Ontario Agriculture.

When corn soybean and wheat prices were in the dumpster, hay was the one bright spot in the crop mix. Growing hay as a cash crop was looking very attractive. Recently the shine has come off exporting hay to the U.S. market. The rising Canadian dollar and the economic meltdown have put a crimp in the American horse industry; this plus the low milk prices being paid to the US dairy farmers have reduced the demand for Canadian hay. The Forage Council has been instrumental in trying to find new markets for Canadian forages such as the Middle Eastern oil-rich states. These arid countries haven’t got the water to grow hay, yet they love their horses and the governments in that area have a strong focus on food security. On a recent fact finding mission to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia by the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (the Ontario forage council is a founding member of this national group) they also found a huge potential market for Canadian hay to supply. With the burgeoning urban populations and a rapidly dwindling water table these countries have greatly restricted irrigation. In return they have provided subsidies for farmers to be able to buy hay for their livestock. The Ontario Forage Council Manager Ray Robertson says there are some obstacles to be overcome; for example, freight rates, as costs from Canadian ports to the Middle East are 38 percent higher than from U.S. ports. Also the specification for hay is 12 percent moisture. It may be a challenge to get 12 percent hay under the Ontario field conditions. Robertson says research is required to determine if 14 percent hay will resist mould in sealed containers at sea during the ocean voyage.

Forages are still a valuable feed crop right here for the cattle industry and increasingly for sheep and goats. But because hay is a feed crop it doesn’t receive any check-off money like corn and soybeans. Its value to agriculture is often underestimated. The Forage council brings all the participants of the industry together to be a one stop shop for forage information. By getting the forage seed companies, input suppliers and researchers and end users together they can determine research priorities that will most benefit producers.

Another focus of the council is getting the latest information out to producers. Their next informational event is going to be the Ontario Forage Expo. So mark July 7th 2010 on your Calendar. This is the fifth year for the expo. This year it will be held at the large family dairy farm of Evert Veldhuizen Jr, in Oxford county just outside Woodstock. This will be an outdoor event so that haymaking and forage equipment can be displayed as well as a trade show. The expo runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and is being run in co-operation with the Oxford Soil and Crop Improvement Association, so you know the live demonstrations of the latest and greatest in haymaking and forage harvesting equipment will be useful and informative.

With all the finger pointing about green house gases and potential pollution it is time to promote Ontario’s forage crops as a vital part of the green economy. The public needs to know that forages and grasslands promote positive environmental impacts on soil and water conservation, carbon sequestration, and wildlife habitat. Forages as a perennial crop remain growing and improving soil structure for 3 to 4 years for a hayfield and 5 to 30 years (or longer) as a pasture. Cash crop farmers can do themselves and their land a real favour by planting a cover crop following corn and soybeans. Whether you are growing forages for feed or for a cash crop, isn’t it time you got the most out of this green crop to add some green to your bottom line?