Upcoming Events of Interest

Check out these great events coming up early in 2012: (click on the highlighted words to be linked to more information).  These events are all in or close to Red Deer County.
January 17 - 18, 2012 (Tuesday & Wednesday)

• Agronomy Update 2012

Wednesday, January 18, 2012 (Wednesday)

• Cattle Behaviour, Stress and Handling...with Dr. Temple Grandin

February 6, 2012 (Monday):

• The Medicine River Watershed Society Annual Open House

February 16, 2012 (Thursday):

• Ranching Opportunities 2012

February 27, 2012 (Monday):

• Working Well Workshop in Red Deer County.  Call Judy Murphy to register 403-350-2163.  Click here for more info about the Working Well Program.

Many more excellent Agriculture and Conservation events are posted here (on Ropin' the Web):

http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/app55/events

Environmentally Signficant Areas Open House at the Red Deer County Office

WHEN: Tuesday, December 13, from 4:30 to 8:30 (PM)

This is a chance to see the draft policies about Environmentally Significant Areas, as they might appear in Red Deer County's Municipal Development Plan.

If you'd like to see these draft policies, they are available at:

https://reddeercounty.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentList.aspx?ID=12457

Well...after a few months away from the “Blogosphere” doing green season/growing season things, I figured it’s way overdue to start up the Off the Creek Blog again...now that the ground’s freezing and the snow is falling (kind of).

Please check out the newest feature: Off the Creek TV (you’ll see it as a separate “tab” above).  Future postings will include more videos, including videos of Off the Creek Projects.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE OFF THE CREEK PROGRAM 2011

·        15 Projects :

o   6 “off-creek” watering projects

o   5 riparian management fencing projects

o   3 riparian management fencing and off-creek watering projects

o   1 tree planting project (involving 6 different landowners)

·        Impacts:

o   234 acres of riparian area

o   122 acres of native range / forest

o   6.21 miles of river and stream

o   7.3 acres of pond / wetland

o   669 animal units under “special riparian / range management”.

A BIG THANKS to the landowners doing Off the Creek projects in 2011. 

PLEASE NOTE: There is still enough funding left over to do maybe one or two more projects...new portable shelters anyone?  Or maybe new fencing for winter grazing? 

Contact me if you're interested!  Or download the Application form (see the Off the Creek Doc's tab above), and send it in!

Time for a Check-up? Workshop on Monitoring Pasture Health

An exciting Upcoming Event hosted by Mountain View County and Grey Wooded Forage Association.  It will take place near Olds...not too far away.  This is one to take in if you can!  Here's the poster for it.  Contact Grey Wooded Forage Association to register or for more info.

Sustainable Grazing Mentorship Program

Well, here we are well into the 2011 forage growing season...
I thought now might be a good time to remind producers about an amazing resource available to you: the Sustainable Grazing Mentorship Program.

This link takes you to a brochure on the program: http://www.areca.ab.ca/images/stories/Files/ARECA/SGMP_Brochure_2010.pdf

The program is delivered by the Applied Research and Extension Council of Alberta.

And the Emerald Award Winners Are... ... ... The Off the Creek Landowners!!

On Wednesday, June 15, at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, the Off the Creek Landowners were named as one of the 2011 Emerald Award Winners.

A very big congratulations goes out to all 44 of the Landowners!  You deserve it.  The title of your nomination was "Leaders by Example", which is of course exactly what you are.

Two of the Off the Creek Landowners attended the ceremonies.  Murray Stauffer accepted the Emerald Award on behalf of all the Landowners.  You can read an interview with Murray in an article from the Red Deer Advocate, at:

http://www.albertalocalnews.com/reddeeradvocate/news/local/Landowners_strike_Emerald_124066879.html

Watch for an article about the Emerald Award in the July 2011 edition of the County News (which, in case you don't get it at home, will be posted online at http://www.rdcounty.ca/news/county-newsletter )

Also, Stephen Smith helped the nomination by being interviewed as part of a video that was shown at the Emerald Awards Gala.  The video is now online, at: http://www.emeraldfoundation.ca/recipients/community (make sure you scroll down the screen to find the video...)

I'd also like to make a mention of Don and Marie Ruzicka, who farm in the Iron Creek watershed east of Camrose.  They also won an Emerald Award, for their environmental efforts with their farming operation.  Their video is found at: http://www.emeraldfoundation.ca/recipients/individual-ruzicka

Congratulations to all the winners!

Off the Creek Landowners a 2011 Emerald Award Finalist

Congratulations to the Off the Creek Landowners!  They have made it to the next step in the Emerald Awards...they are now a finalist.

The 44 Off the Creek Landowners have together done over 50 projects on their land, to benefit creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes and native range.

On June 15, we'll all find out if the Landowners become an Emerald Award winner! 

UPCOMING EVENT: Ladies Livestock Lessons Coming Up

Register today...it's coming fast: June 15 and 16, 2011.

This is one that ranch and farm ladies don't want to miss. Registration is capped at 40 people to make this an even greater learning opportunity.

For information, including agenda and highlights from past years, and an on-line registration form, see the Ladies Livestock Lessons webpage:

http://ladieslivestocklessons.blogspot.com/

Off the Creek "hits the road"

In the last two weeks, along with Cows and Fish, we held two "Community Conversations" about riparian areas in Red Deer County.  They were held on the last two Tuesday evenings, and were well attended (though the second suffered from the latest spring snowstorm...)

The first was held with landowners living beside or near Adams Lake, a small lake in the west part of the County.  The second was with landowners who own land along Gaetz Creek or its tributaries.

The purpose of the meetings was to share ideas about the riparian areas around the lake or along the creek, and to hear what residents had to say about them and wanted to do about them.  We also established 4 clear actions to take in each community, by consensus of those in attendance. 

Some of the actions that will be pursued are:

• Riparian Health Inventories around Adams Lake
• Riparian Health Field days, in both communities
• Education / awareness campaign in the Gaetz Creek watershed.

With the communities, we'll work on taking these and the other action ideas and making them a reality.

Emerald Award Nomination: Congratulations to Off the Creek Landowners!

Red Deer County's Agricultural Services Board has nominated the Off the Creek Landowners for a 2011 Emerald Award!!

The "Landowners" are the 44 people in Red Deer County who have done a total of 55 projects to benefit riparian health.  This has all happened just since 2006, with funding support from the Alberta Conservation Association and the County. 

Info on the Emerald Awards can be found at: http://www.emeraldfoundation.ca/emerald-awards/

Stay tuned...we'll learn in the next few weeks if the Off the Creek Landowners are "shortlisted"...the award winners are announced in June.

Grazing a Sedge Meadow Poll

Thanks to all who "voted" in the Grazing a Sedge Meadow Poll...

This is a topic of interest to me, I plan on looking into it more.  Please send along any resources, experiences or other ideas you have on the topic.

I was googling before breakfast the other day, and found a few interesting articles on the subject...I know there's many more...but I got caught up in reading these...then the kids woke up. 

Here's the links:
http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/factshts/2004-3027.pdf (Cattle Grazing and Its Long-term Effects on Sedge Meadows...Wisconsin)

https://ojs.lib.byu.edu/wnan/index.php/wnan/article/view/1830/2178 (Dry Year Grazing and Nebraska Sedge...California)

http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs_other/rmrs_2004_cole_d005.pdf (Response of Mountain Meadows to Grazing by Recreational Pack Stock...California)

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/30702691/WET-SEDGE-MEADOW-HABITAT_-SOUTHERN (a study of the effects of muskox grazing on sedge meadows...)

Off the Creek Poll #1: Grazing a Sedge Meadow

Let's see if we can get some on-line conversation going.  Please respond to the poll I've put up (top right), asking you about grazing a sedge meadow.

Most importantly, please use the "Comments" feature immediately below this post (just click the word), to provide information about why you've responded the way you did. 

Remember, there's no right or wrong.  Everyone brings their own knowledge and experience to this discussion, and each of those is valuable to all of us...

Here's a picture of what I mean when I say "sedge meadow".  I've also put some words describing a sedge meadow below, as a comment.

Thanks for sharing!

Fences

This is a little slide show and some words I put together around 3 years ago.  The narration's a little quiet, you may need to turn up the volume on your computer...

I've learned how to put this on YouTube...hopefully this will address some issues some people had with looking at a Blogger movie...just click this link, and the video should open up in YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a6FoxyhA4o

Please note: since I put this together, many more people have done many more things to look after wetlands, shallow groundwater, native range, riparian areas and water bodies.  I've had the privilege to work with a lot of them.  One of these days, I'll have to update this to include more of the recent projects that people have done.

Exciting Changes to the Off the Creek Program for 2011

The Off the Creek Program provides funding and information to landowners who wish to make changes on their land that benefit the environment and their farm/ranch/land. 

The Red Deer County Agricultural Services Board has approved changes to the Off the Creek Program for 2011.  These changes will benefit landowners who choose to participate in the program.

Some of the changes include:

·        Maximum funding available per project: $4000 ($5000 if you have an Environmental Farm Plan or equivalent)

·        Projects can benefit: riparian areas, surface water quality, native range, or shallow groundwater

·        Eligible Project Expenses: any expense you incur for the project, in the calendar year of the project

·        Funding Retroactivity: if you do a project in 2011, then apply for funding afterwards (in 2011), you may be eligible for funding (but keep in mind: if you apply for funding before you do a project, and your application is approved, you’re guaranteed the funding).

What kind of projects are eligible?

Any project that benefits riparian areas, surface water quality, native range, or shallow groundwater on your land may be eligible.

In the past, the Off the Creek Program has supported riparian fencing projects, stream crossings, off-stream livestock watering systems, portable shelters and so on.  These projects remain eligible.  Some other ideas for projects that may be eligible, include:

·        Environmentally sustainable weed control

·        Septic system improvements

·        Manure Run-on or Run-off projects

·        Manure application projects

·        Soil and Manure Sampling (for a Manure Management Plan)

·        Digging a new dugout or a new well

·        Off-site watering from a ground-water fed dugout

·        Renting equipment that allows you to try out an environmentally beneficial management practice (for example, a portable off-site watering system).

In 2010, the Off the Creek Program supported 14 County landowners in doing 16 projects.  One of these projects, completed by the Warrens along a tributary to the Medicine River, is below.

Landowners in Red Deer County are encouraged to contact me as soon as possible to discuss your project ideas, or if you have any questions.  My phone number is 403.342.8653 and my email is klewis@rdcounty.ca. Information is also posted on the Red Deer County website: www.rdcounty.ca (mouse over “Agriculture”, click “Land and Water Management” then click “Off the Creek”).

Welcome to the Off the Creek Blog Page!

Hi!

This page will bring you up-to-date info about the Off the Creek Program, and other conservation programs we have at Red Deer County.  We'll also provide links to new info we find out about, on the topic of conservation agriculture.

Please...the intent of this site is information exchange.  So, it would be great if you would provide comments, add information, and share your ideas!

I'm no internet wizard...but from what I understand, if you want to stay up-to-date on what we've got on this site, clicking on the "subscribe to posts (atom)" link near the bottom of the page, and/or do the "Follow" thing on the right...

Probably better yet, just send me an email (klewis@rdcounty.ca), saying you'd like to get email updates about the Off the Creek Program and other conservation programs.  I'll send regular (and short!!) update emails to the people on that list.

I'll leave it there.  Thanks for stopping by!