Biostimulants, Soil Biology & Custom Grazing

Tuesday, August 25 | 7:00–9:00 PM
Frost Fossum Farms | Briar Ridge, east of Dawson Creek
Part of the PRFA August Grazing Series

Can supporting soil biology help build a more resilient pasture?

Join the Peace River Forage Association at Frost Fossum Farms for the final evening of our August Grazing Series, where we’ll dig into four years of experience applying microbial biostimulants to pasture — and see what that looks like in the field.

We’re pleased to have Tim Repas of Fixed Earth joining us for the evening. Tim will unpack what’s actually in the microbial package applied at this site, what those organisms are intended to do, and how supporting the relationship between soil biology and plants may help pastures function under challenging conditions such as drought.

We’ll also explore another side of making pasture resources work: custom grazing. Julie Robinson and Bill Wilson will share their experience grazing livestock across leases spread over a large geographic area and how they make the logistics work.

What we’ll explore

Four years of biostimulant applications
Microbial biostimulants have been applied to pasture at Frost Fossum Farms over the past four years. We’ll visit the site and use that experience as the starting point for a practical discussion about biological products in forage systems.

What are we trying to accomplish when we apply them? Where might they fit? And what should producers understand before considering biological amendments on their own operation?

What’s actually in the jug?
The terminology around biological products can get confusing quickly.

Tim will break down the microbial package used at Frost Fossum Farms — what’s in it, what those microorganisms are intended to support in the soil and around plant roots, and why the relationship between plants and soil biology matters.

Can biology help a pasture weather drought?
Drought resilience is about much more than rainfall.

We’ll discuss how healthy plant-soil relationships can influence nutrient cycling, root function and access to soil resources, and where microbial products may fit within the bigger picture of building a pasture that can better cope with periods of moisture stress.

How do you actually apply it?
Applying biological products doesn’t necessarily require specialized equipment.

We’ll talk about how the product used at this site is mixed and applied, including how a regular farm sprayer can be used, and some of the practical considerations producers need to understand when handling and applying biological products.

Making custom grazing work
We’ll shift gears to another important pasture-management conversation with Julie Robinson and Bill Wilson, who custom graze across leases spread over a large geographic area.

They’ll share how they make the system work in practice — including managing cattle, grazing resources, travel and logistics when the land you’re grazing isn’t all conveniently located around the home place.

Making use of pasture without owning the land
Custom grazing and grazing leases can create opportunities for both livestock owners and landowners.

We’ll talk about some of the practical considerations involved in building arrangements that work, managing expectations and making effective use of available forage resources.

This evening is for you if…

You’re curious about biological products but aren’t quite sure what they actually do. You’ve considered trying biostimulants on pasture. You’re interested in soil biology, plant health or drought resilience. You want to know how biological products can be applied using equipment you may already own. You’re interested in custom grazing or using leased pasture. Or you simply want to see what other Peace Region producers have been trying and ask questions directly from the people involved.

Come see what’s happening in the field

The August Grazing Series is about moving the conversation out of the meeting room and into the pasture.

Tuesday, August 25
7:00–9:00 PM
Frost Fossum Farms
Briar Ridge area, east of Dawson Creek

FREE  – Pre-registration Required
Call 250-263-8802 or e-mail coordinator@peaceforage.bc.ca to register