Durham Region Beef Farm Wins 2021 Ontario Mapleseed Pasture Award

BFO, Mapleseed and the Ontario Forage Council (OFC) were pleased to announce Denise and Jeff Byers and family of MurrayHill Farm as the recipient of the 2021 Mapleseed Pasture Award. The award is sponsored by BFO, Mapleseed and OFC, and was announced at BFO’s 59th annual general meeting.

Located in Durham Region, MurrayHill Farm consists of 100 acres, as well as 38 acres of rented hay ground laid out in multiple temporary paddocks around a central waterline, which forms the foundation of their daily pasture rotation. They continuously graze another 14 acres of unimproved land, while the remainder of the fields are planted to forage. The Byers’ pastures consist of five-year-old alfalfa/grass hay land that is fertilized annually and is frost seeded in the spring. Newly developed hay ground is harvested for three to four years, then transitioned into pasture as part of a long-term rotation. Efficiency, sustainability and optimum value capture are the basis of their management decisions.

The Byers run 30 cow-calf pairs and 20 yearlings. As their land is highly productive, they see this as an opportunity to grow the herd by increasing stocking density through rotational grazing. In addition to the seed stock, the Byers market their own beef, which is sold at their on-farm market as cuts or in bulk, along with garden-picked vegetables and farm-fresh eggs.

“Jeff and Denise have built this enterprise from the ground up in a short time and have made tremendous inroads quickly,” says Scott Fisher, Mapleseed Sales Manager for western Ontario.

“The Byers family is a worthy recipient of the 2021 Ontario Mapleseed Pasture Award,” said Ray Robertson, Manager of OFC. “They operate a very productive farm and have joined a growing number of producers who have established a transparent and thriving roadside market.”

The deadline for applications for the 2022 Ontario Mapleseed Pasture Award is November 30, 2021. OB