Mountains and Lakes and COUGARS!?! Oh My!

This is where I sat... I don't think we could have fit one more thing in that vehicle!

As promised, my summer has come to an eventful end! Colin, his sister Sarena and her boyfriend Ryan, and I all made the four hour trek from Hillview Farms (Colin's family's ranch) to Jasper with one vehicle, packed and then packed some more! We made it to Pocahontas campground, where we spilled out of the vehicle... along with a few things! We set up the tents and hung out for the evening. A warden came around that night and told us there was a cougar spotted in the area that evening (what she didn't tell us and we found out later was it had actually killed a dog in the campground earlier that evening). 

Colin has a range!

The first full day we drove to Maligne Lake where we saw bighorn sheep and a black bear, as well as "Colin Range". We then ventured into Jasper for some shopping. In the evening we made our first stop at the Miette Hot Springs which were just up the mountain from our campground. The next day was a bit cloudy so we just hung around Jasper and stopped at a really cool super wide river that was so shallow you could walk across it! We made another trip to the hot springs that night as well. On the way to the hot springs we saw two Parks Canada trucks and a truck with dog boxes so we figured they were out tracking the cougar. When we got back to the campground there were wardens with guns and dogs walking around! Ryan said we should have taken the hint then haha! 

Kinney Lake on Mount Robson.

Our last full day in Jasper we drove to British Columbia and hiked to Kinney Lake on Mount Robson. We stopped in Jasper for supper at Earls and then went to the hot springs for the last time. When we got back to the campground around 10:30 we were told that they had evacuated the entire campground because they couldn't locate the cougar after tracking it 16 km one day and 18 km the next. Since we had been gone all day and they started evacuating people just after noon we were the last people left in the campground! We literally threw our tents, bags, and things into the vehicle, which seemed even more crowded since we didn't organize anything! Nothing like being the only people on the edge of a campground when it's pitch black and a cougar is cruising the area... so we cranked up the tunes in the vehicle and some nice wardens came to hang out with us while we packed up! We actually found the whole situation quite hilarious thankfully and made the best of it! I felt bad the wardens had to stay so late since we didn't get back to our campsite until 10:30 but I think they got a real kick out of watching us attempt to throw all of our stuff and ourselves into Ryan's SUV! After driving the half hour to Whistlers campground we unpacked, reorganized, and set up camp once again. 

Top of Whistler Mountain.

The next morning we woke up to elk bugling and laying right near our tents! We got everything shoved back into Ryan's vehicle and drove to the tramway. We took the tram ride up Whistlers Mountain and Colin and I climbed all the way up to the summit! All too soon the trip was over and we headed back to Colin's. I have spent the last few days at home for a change... celebrating my Mom's birthday and helping Colin move into his new place in Olds! Colin and I also upset a clam of wasps when we were out in the field with the horses at my place and ended up getting stung a few times! Not to my surprise I am still ridiculously allergic!! As summer comes to a close now I guess it's time to get back to my "typical" schedule (what is typical anyways!)... not sure if it will be any slower than this summer, but I'll be home a bit more since I should probably finish my last year of that thing called school! Lots of big adventures and changes to come! Stay tuned into the fall for my next update! 

Bringing It in Bashaw

I have returned home from four days competing in All Breeds, National Young Cattleman, and Western Canadian Team Judging at the Bashaw Agricultural Society Grounds. We kicked off the four days with the "Perfect Pitch" Wednesday night where participants were given two minutes to deliver a pitch to a panel of judges which they had prepared ahead of time stating their business idea and what sets them apart from the rest. Thursday began with the show team judging preliminary rounds and showmanship. Travis Hunter and I were one of five teams that advanced to the final round on Friday, while I also won Reserve Champion Senior Showman. Special thanks have to go to the Dietrich's of Redrich Farms for letting me borrow Ty's heifer and equipment after my animals were unable to be at the show due to an accident hauling them on Wednesday night. Also big thanks to everyone for the well wishes following my parent's accident! Although we are down two trucks my parents and cattle are fine which is by far most important =) 

In the afternoon we competed in the Business 101 competition where we had an hour to come up with a business plan and budget. Following that competition, we recited our own slam poetry, and then spent an hour mentoring the "Cow Camp" youth. Friday began with hands on competitions which saw tractors, tire air pressure, carpentry, plant identification, animal drug administration, rope halter making, tattooing, and a timed lawn tractor and trailer obstacle course. Travis and I then competed in the show team judging finals along with teams of Chad Lorenz & Ryan Hunter, Tyler & Katelyn Dietrich, Luke Marshall & Nicole Jones, and Sawyer Daley & Terra Chalack. Rounding out the day was the "We Are What We Do Challenge" where we had to describe to a judge what a million people could do that would change the world. That evening the results of the Western Canadian Team Judging Finals were announced... and Travis and I were the senior winners! Congrats to Brandon Hertz and Cassidy Matthews for also being the champion junior team!

Saturday was dedicated to the All Breeds purebred and commercial cattle show as well as the UFA Supreme Quest which Travis and I helped to judge/ring. The day finished off with the announcement of the National Young Cattleman junior and senior of the Year. Congratulations to junior Kyle Dodgson and senior Dakota Wilson for being the 2011 winners!


It was a great four days spent with the best cattle kids around! I'm already looking forward to next year!


With the last two weeks of August upon us I have lots of plans to finish off the summer right. Getting to spend some time with my friend Kyra after being busy all summer, going camping with Colin, celebrating my Mom's birthday, clipping and picturing cattle, and much more will keep me very busy until school starts September 1st already! 


Have a fantastic rest of your summer everyone!

Summer Adventures

I have had a very busy July and start to August! For a week in July we took a road trip across Saskatchewan to Moose Range Lodge, near the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border. My Dad's sister and her family used to manage the lodge many years ago and so my Dad's siblings, children, and grandchildren all made the trek out to the lodge for a week of nostalgia and fun on the lake! When we came back home we took a great day trip out to Ya Ha Tinda to see the most beautiful part of the world (in my eyes anyways!) and then Colin and I headed up north back to his place. 

On Wednesday we're heading to Bashaw for the All Breeds Junior Show, National Young Cattleman Competition, and Western Canadian Team Judging Competition. Many competitions will fill the four day event including pitching a business idea, mentoring a younger competitor, showmanship, business competition, slam poetry, show team judging, hands on ranch all-star competitions, speech about what a million people could do that would change the world, as well as conformation classes with cattle. I am taking my heifer and cow/calf pair to show and have qualified for the National Young Cattleman Competition as well as the Western Canadian Team Judging Competition with Travis. Stay posted for updates after the show!

The Results Are In!

9 days of conformation, showmanship, multi judging, team judging, marketing, interviews... cleaning stalls, feeding and watering cattle, washing, fitting, and clipping... and it's all in the books now! So here's how it all shook down for me:

Travis Hunter & Myself all set for team judging!

Provincial 4-H Heifer Show - Olds, AB - July 9th-12th

- Grand Champion Multi Judging (class of bull calves, yearling heifers, and cow/calf pairs)

- 2nd place "You're Hired" cover letter, resume and interview competition

- Reserve Champion Commercial 2 Year Old Cow/Calf Pair

- 6th Place Senior Aggregate

Summer Synergy Youth Livestock Showcase - Olds, AB - July 13th-15th

- Grand Champion All Other Breeds team judging with judge Travis Hunter

- Reserve Champion Overall team judging with judge Travis Hunter

- Senior Showmanship Final

- Reserve Champion All Other Breeds Heifer Calf

- Grand Champion All Other Breeds Cow/Calf Pair

- 5th Place Senior Aggregate

My Grand Champion All Other Breeds Cow/Calf Pair

Calgary Stampede UFA Steer Classic - Calgary, AB - July 16th

Calgary Stampede Heifer Jackpot - Calgary, AB - July 17th 

Grandstand scholarship presentation

It was a very exhausting but rewarding week as I was chosen based on my Summer Synergy scores in the conformation, showmanship, team judging, multi judging, and marketing (this blog!) competitions to be one of 27 senior participants to receive a scholarship. 10 of us seniors would be receiving $2000 from the Calgary Stampede, while the other 17 of us would receive $1000 from the Calgary Stampede depending on how we scored during an interview on Saturday at the Calgary Stampede. I am very honoured to say that I was one of 10 that received $2000 scholarships!! That afternoon I was also the recipient of a $1000 scholarship draw at the UFA Steer Classic!! I will definitely be needing that $3000 after I graduate next year to attend post secondary and pursue an Agriculture Degree. I am so very thankful that I was fortunate enough to win this amazing amount of scholarship money! I'd like to give a huge thank you to Calgary Stampede for putting up this scholarship money, the Summer Synergy Committee for organizing a great youth livestock showcase, and to all of you who have supported me and helped me out in my marketing competition by following my blog which ultimately helped me to be chosen to receive the $2000 scholarship!

9 days later... I survived!

But just because 9 days of showing cattle isn't enough excitement for me... I have a few other adventures I will be going on right away! First of all I will be heading to a family shindig at Moose Range Lodge on the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border with the family and Colin (can anyone say road trip!?), then I will be heading up to the north country (aka Colin's) for a wedding and some other summer fun, then it will be back down home for a couple days before making the trek to Bashaw, Alberta for the Junior All Breeds Show where I have qualified for the National Young Cattleman Competition, Western Canadian Team Judging Competition (with my champ of a partner Travis Hunter), as well as taking my girls (aka the heifer Kavik, cow Denali, and her calf Annabelle) up to show in the All Breeds show.

Hope everyone's summer is going well! Check back in August for more updates!

Let the Games Begin!

The Sundre 4-H Multi Club Awards were held tonight at the James River Hall. I'm so proud of everyone in our club... beef, horse, reindeer, and photography members for another great year! 

Last year at Summer Synergy!

Now the week of crazy, busy, insane showing begins! Provincial 4-H Heifer Show, Summer Synergy Youth Livestock Showcase, and the Calgary Stampede UFA Steer Classic and Heifer Jackpot. I've got my yearling heifer, two year old cow/calf pair, and steer all prepped and ready for the upcoming shows as well as myself prepped for the many competitions that are taking place during the coming week. Later on next week I will find out the results of my agvocacy marketing contest submission (this blog). Thank you to everyone who has read and commented on my posts and become an official "follower" of my blog - you're help in making my hopes of doing well in this competition is enormously appreciated!! The accumulation of points from how I place in the variety of competitions next week, as well as how I have done in this agvocacy blog marketing competition, will determine if I have the chance to receive a scholarship (either $1000 or $2000). If you are around Olds next week or the Calgary Stampede next weekend I encourage you to come out and see some of the most talented, passionate, and just plain AWESOME young agriculture enthusiasts in Alberta and all of Canada for that matter showcase their livestock and abilities at these events! Check out the "Schedule of Events" at http://www.summersynergy.ca/schedule-2 for dates, times, and places of all of the wide variety of competitions and fun events going on tomorrow until next Sunday!

Hypnotist at Summer Synergy!

Good luck to everyone and I look forward to seeing all those familiar faces in Olds tomorrow! 

The End... But Really Just the Beginning

Well it looks like this will be my last post before I submit my Google Analytics report (summarizing the number of followers, comments, views, etc. my blog received over the May 1st - July 1st competition period) to the judges of the 2011 Summer Synergy marketing competition! But have no fear... my blogging days are not coming to a screeching halt just because the competition is over! I have a very busy summer and LIFE ahead of me and I plan on sharing all of my exciting agriculture adventures with you! 

Thank you to each and every person who has followed along these past two months and I hope you will stay tuned for my future updates!

Go Wild, Go West!

What a weekend!! I can't think of a better way to celebrate the end of the school year and the beginning of what I know is going to be the best summer yet! We started the weekend off with the rodeo Friday... it was a bit chilly but we braved the weather and had a great time! The Friday night fireworks were cancelled due to the stormy weather and put on hold until Saturday night. Saturday morning saw the Sundre Parade roll through town, followed by the afternoon performance of the Sundre Pro Rodeo! The weather was good and it was another awesome rodeo - especially with the fun events like wild cow milking and wild horse race! Saturday evening was the third performance of the rodeo followed by wicked fireworks show and cabaret. Sunday afternoon was the fourth and final performance of the rodeo in the beautiful sunshine! 

I operated the main video replay camera for the rodeo throughout the four performances of the pro rodeo again this year and thankfully it didn't rain on me too much! I also got to hang out with all my best friends and Colin so it was all in all an awesome weekend! GO WILD, GO WEST see you at next year's Sundre Pro Rodeo!! =)

Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?

Where have all the cowboys gone? To the Sundre Pro Rodeo of course!! Last night I had a boot scootin' time at the Sundre Pro Rodeo Kick-Off Concert & Dance with the Allen Christie Band (local superstar!) putting on a great show! With a kick-off like that it's sure to be an awesome weekend! If you're not too far away and are looking for something epic to do this weekend then I'd definitely suggest making your way out to the Sundre Rodeo Grounds! I will be busy running the video replay camera all weekend and enjoying all of the festivities that light up my little hometown... check back for an update on Monday!


In the mean time check out the Allen Christie Band... and have a listen to some of his great tunes... like my personal favourite The Old Bronc Saddle!
http://www.myspace.com/allen_christie

Agriculture For the Future

Home sweet home... FN Ranch!

Agriculture is more than just a job to producers, and more than just the source of food for consumers. Agriculture fuels the world, both metaphorically and literally! Agriculture is the driving force behind communities, and essentially the basis of the world's economy. So it only seems logical that agriculture must be preserved for the future. Why is it then that farmers and ranchers often get paid below what their products are worth and are treated as being less important, less educated, and less valuable than someone such as the CEO of a transnational company. Farmers and ranchers are the CEO's of their own companies which provide the most essential product for life on earth... food. Farmers and ranchers may not be educated in the same way as a CEO, however they are certainly educated by hands on learning in their own field of work and know how to do things I doubt any CEO of a big name company could even begin to be able to accomplish. Farmers and ranchers today are also becoming more proactive in educating themselves off the farm/ranch with programs such as AFAC, Verified Beef Production, Alberta Environmental Farm Plan, and Farm Safety courses.

Nothing like newborn calves to remind you why you love agriculture!

The days of the family farm are all too often only memories of the past as generations of farming and ranching families are being forced to sell their heritage, lifestyle, and livelihood as a result of poor market prices, unfortunate set-backs such as B.S.E., and ultimately not being paid enough for their products to break even yet alone make a profit. However, agriculture is an evolving business and commodity and as things seem to be taking a much overdue turn for the better in regards to market prices, it seems that there may be a few of us young agriculture enthusiasts crazy enough to still want to get into the business that we are so passionate about. Call us die-hards, suckers for punishment, or foolish dreamers... but we ARE going to make this industry work, and we ARE going to find the profit in an industry that was historically the majority of the population's occupation. Yes, it will be an uphill battle, but I have faith that one day this crazy world is going to come full circle and agriculture is going to be supremely important in the eyes of everyone once again. We all need to eat, and the world's population is growing rapidly, so when people's focus shifts from getting food for cheap to just being able to get food... the farmer and rancher will become more than just the common man. 

Thinking about life at the most beautiful place on Earth... Ya Ha Tinda!

What all this brings me to is my own future in agriculture. I plan on being involved in agriculture for a long time to come. I've already got a pretty good start on my life in agriculture growing up on a ranch, participating extensively in the 4-H program, junior cattle shows, etc. After I graduate (next year... wish it was this year - thanks Mama J for holding me back so I'd be the old fart in my class haha) I plan on taking the Agriculture Management program at Olds College and then from there getting a degree in Agribusiness either from Olds College or the University of Alberta. Right now my thoughts are that I would like to work for Alberta 4-H and/or be an agricultural event planner at some place like Northlands. I also want to keep doing photography on the side. Of course I would like to have my own ranch and have a large herd of cattle and some horses. I'd also love to carry on showing some of my own cattle. 4-H has been a huge part of my life and I'd love to be able to give back and become a leader of a beef and/or horse club. I hope that my children will want to be as much a part of ranching, 4-H, and agriculture in general as I have been. 


But plans don't always go how you think they should... so I guess we'll see! No matter what I know I want to stay involved in agriculture as well as keep on advocating for agriculture! 

Adventures in Artificial Insemination

I wrote my English 20-1 final exam this afternoon... and now all that is standing between me and an awesome weekend at the Sundre Pro Rodeo is my Biology 20 final tomorrow morning! When it comes to biology I must say us farm and ranch kids sure have an advantage in the biology classroom. Sure, not all of us are straight A students... but we can tell you (in a way only a true farm kid can) how its bred and born, and then some!!

This spring at my place "FN Ranch" (F for my dad's last name Frischke, and N for my mom's and my last name Nybo... not "Effin Ranch" like some people who see it think haha!) we are artificially inseminating (A.I.) 3 heifers, 2 two year olds, 1 three year old, 1 four year old, 1 five year old, and 2 six year old cows from our commercial herd with club calf bull semen. The "A.I. Girls" are quite the varied lot. We've got crosses of just about every breed including Angus, Gelbvieh, Hereford, Saler, Simmental, Shorthorn, and Maine Anjou. The bulls we have used this year are "Tyson", "Walks on Water", "Rainmaker", and "Eye Candy". I am super excited about the calf crop next year!! 

"Tyson"

"Walks on Water"

"Rainmaker"

"Eye Candy"

Artificial insemination is a meticulous process that depends largely on good timing and sound herd management. Because we don't have an entire herd of cattle to inseminate we've opted to inseminate on natural heats (when the heifer/cow is naturally "in heat" and ready to be bred) instead of going through the process of synchronizing all of the females to come into heat at the same time. Inseminating on a natural heat has a distinctly greater chance of the heifer or cow actually conceiving (fingers crossed)! The only thing that makes this process more difficult is that you must watch your herd well in advance of the time you want to breed to determine when each animal cycles and mark this on your calendar. When it comes time to breed you will have a better idea of when each animal should be coming into heat, although you still need to watch closely every day for signs of heat such as females riding or being ridden by other cattle, bawling, wandering away from the herd, etc. Roughly twelve hours after you detect an animal that is in standing heat (will stand when mounted by another cow) is optimum time to get the straws (what the semen is in) out of the nitrogen tank (that keeps the semen at the right temperature to stay alive) and get them into your heifer/cow! It's a good idea to have a "clean up" bull out on pasture once everything has been inseminated in case something doesn't catch, and that way you will still get a calf in the spring... even though it might not be from your first pick of a bull. 

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen... the adventures of artificial insemination! It's not too glamorous, and you sure get a lot of mosquito bites standing out in the pasture figuring out who's in heat today... but by golly let's hope it's worth it come next spring when I have some big, hairy, awesome show calves on the ground! 

Beyond the Brand

Me roping in the calf pen.

Happy first day of summer everyone!! Am I ever glad it has finally arrived... and today, here in Sundre at least, it's sunny, hot and actually feels like summer! 
With summer comes branding season - a busy and fun time of year on the ranch! Once all the calves are born cattle ranchers bring their mama cows and calves in off of pasture and the branding begins! There are two ways of branding: the traditional rope 'em, wrestle 'em, brand 'em (fun!) way, and the more modern run them through the chute and brand them when they are locked in the head gate and squeeze or tipped over on a calf table. Because the calves are already being contained for branding, its a prime opportunity to also castrate the bull calves that you want to make steers, implant those steers, and vaccinate all of the calves. The fun part of branding is that it's usually a big social event, especially when you have a "traditional" branding where lots of hands are required to rope, wrestle, brand, castrate, vaccinate, and implant calves. Neighbours gather at each other's ranches to help each other, and the favor is returned when they need help themselves at their own branding. Good food and drinks, and lots of laughs are shared throughout the day!

Dragging calves to the branding fire.

Branding is the traditional way of marking your cattle as your own, however there is an entirely new meaning to "branding" in the agriculture industry and the world as a whole! In this modern world is seems everything has a "brand". Companies, products, and people can all have their own brand. For example, Nike, Coca-Cola, and Oprah are universally known brands that with just one symbol or word are recognizable the world over. So what does this all mean for agriculture? Well, by creating a "brand" beyond the one you put on your cattle or horses, you open up a world of possibilities for your ranching business. Creating a brand can mean a lot of different things depending on what you want to achieve from your operation. For example, if you raise organic food you can create your entire brand around the fact that you grow/raise this "niche market" product. Some things to consider when you're creating your own brand:

Branding irons make a permanent mark on the animal's hide.

1) A catchy name - nothing captures your potential customers attention better than a catchy name.
2) Logo - creating a logo can be as simple or complex as you would like... creating the logo itself is relatively simple and inexpensive, how you use it is where your creativity plays a role. You can use a logo on websites, letterheads, clothing items, or really anything that you want to advertise yourself on.

Lots of help makes fast work!

3) Create a website - nothing is more frustrating than hearing about a cool company but not being able to find them on the web! Creating a dynamic, interesting, informative website is one of the best ways to get your brand out there. You can do this yourself or by employing a web designer. 
4) Media - get your brand noticed by employing every possible mean of social media... facebook, twitter, blogging, etc. 
5) Get out, get involved - if possible, try to go out to trade shows, competitions, etc. that will get your name and your brand out in the public eye.


Even if you don't have a specific company, you can still brand yourself! If you advocate for agriculture, such as myself, public speak, judge, event plan, do photography... anything! You can become your own brand! And maybe, just maybe, someday you'll be another one name wonder like Oprah, Shania, Reba, Rihanna, Shakira, and J. Lo! 


So go out and get busy promoting yourself or your company as a "brand" because just like with cattle and horse brands, you need your very own unique one to stand out from the rest of the herd! 

What's For Dinner!?

Nothing on the stove yet tonight? No problem... check out one of my favourite steak recipe "Steak Diane":

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 12 to 14 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 6-ounce filet mignons trimmed of all fat, chilled

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons butter

2 to 3 shallots

1 lemon

Fresh chives

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon brandy

1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, finely minced

Preparation:

1) Season both sides of the meat with salt and pepper.

2) In a heavy skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat.

3) Add the steaks to the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare meat.

4) Move the steaks from the skillet to covered serving plates to keep them warm.

5) Finely mince the shallots.

6) Juice the lemon.

7) Finely chop the chives.

Brandy and heat make for a good fire show!

8) Add 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons shallots, and the mustard to the drippings in the skillet (still over medium heat).

9) Cook for only 1 minute.

10) Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chives, and the Worcestershire sauce to the skillet.

11) Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

12) Remove from heat.

13) Add the brandy to the mixture and pour immediately over the steaks.

14) Garnish the steaks by sprinkling them with 1 tablespoon minced parsley. 

Mmm!! I love steak and I love cooking - awesome way to get my fix for both! What's your favourite steak recipe... or any good home cooking recipe for that matter!? 

Source Cited: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/steak-diane.html

Photograph Sources: 

http://www.123rf.com/photo_3432031_steak-tartare-with-cornichons-croutons-and-an-egg-yolk.html

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcf_oiVIHatZnn8de2YXu4Mfa2DEgTDLBF6N-9ENoRzxzRpIrfbCEvcnNQFG3jMrgTjD5A8jK41VhDhf1SniAns1r8anqnPQmgSOBHp9Mm4qTA97-r6-w9k7DfIQct86-juXDdbLbmCCQ/s1600/mail.jpeg

http://www.meatcookingexpert.com/442/steak-diane-sauce-perfected

Alberta Environmental Farm Plan

Alberta producers are conscious and considerate of minimizing their impact on the environment. All producers want their land to be usable for generations to come, and for their practices to have the least amount of impact on the environment as possible. Maintaining water, soil, and air quality and biodiversity contributes to these goals. Therefore, implementing an Alberta Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) can help producers sustain production, manage risks, provide a healthy landscape for the next generation, and maintain market access. 

Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about how their food is produced and the safety and quality of those products. Ensuring consumers that their food is coming from operations that take pride in their environmental sustainability can be a key marketing strategy for producers. Alberta has a reputation of producing healthy food in a healthy environment, making us a leader in world markets.

Why Implement an Environmental Farm Plan

- Improves farm health and safety

- Builds acceptance of the operation among neighbours and the public

- Increases personal satisfaction and knowledge

- Adds value to the farm property

- Agriculture sustainability 

- Reduces farm inputs like herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers, and fuel

- Demonstrates to the public, governments, regulators, lenders and/or investors that you are managing your environmental risks 

- Increases your understanding of your legal requirements related to environmental issues

- Identifies what you are already doing well and pinpoints where improvements could be made 

Environmental Farm Plan Process

1) Introduction & Preparation

- Participant expresses an interest to the local EFP resource person

- Participant preparation includes collecting soil reports and actual distances to water sources

- EFP Technical Assistant preparation includes searching for water well reports and aerial photos  

2) Discussion with Resource Person

- Led by the local EFP resource person

- Participant: Learns to use the EFP workshop to assess his/her potential environmental concerns and receives information on technical resources 

3) Completion of Farm Plan at Home

- Participant completes chapters that apply to his/her operation

- Identifies and prioritizes situations that need to be addressed in the Farm Plan

- Completes Farm Plan

4) Submission of Farm Plan for Review

- Participant submits Farm Plan to the local EFP resource person for review

- Resource person offers technical suggestions to strengthen the Farm Plan and ensures appropriate risk mitigation; and returns Farm Plan 

5) Continuous Implementation of Farm Plan Improvements 

- Puts Farm Plan into action through beneficial management practices and according to priority timetable

- Re-evaluates Farm Plan each year

You receive a workbook and CD free of charge with your participation in the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Program. 

For producers the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan is a way of ensuring our hard work will be sustained for years to come on this land, and for consumers it's a way of being guaranteed that your food is healthy for you and is being produced in the most environmentally friendly ways. I'd say a definite win-win situation!  

Source Cited: http://www.albertaefp.com/index.html

Photograph Source: http://farmhousephotography.blogspot.com/