Agriculture Ranchers, Feeding Cattle and Meeting Emission Targets

by Sebastien Dutrisac, CCA, CAF

Sustainability has always been on industry’s mind while adopting cattle best management practices. In the Western Provinces, the livestock industry has been researching and implementing feeding management plans to achieve a better understanding of feed and performance for years. Cattle performance is linked to animal well being and feed efficiency, and it just so happens that it correlates to emission reduction.

We understand what causes the natural emission of methane and nitrogen from animals after years of research. Just like all wild and domestic living creatures, production of gas from animal feed digestion depends on diet. An increase in poor quality feed will end up producing more by product such as methane and nitrous oxide. The amount of emission that comes from fermentation will depend on the feeds digestibility. It is speculated that an increase in 10% digestibility in feed leads to a reduction of up to 20% in methane emission. Therefore, when animals are fed more digestible rations, including ingredients such as grains and pellets (supplementary feeds), methane production per dry matter intake (DMI) is reduced, whereas increasing DMI of less digestible feed like forages had little effect on methane production per DMI. Increasing the

County of Two Hills No. 21

Certified Journeyman Red Seal Heavy Equipment Technician

The County of Two Hills is currently seeking a Certified Journeyman Red Seal Heavy Equipment

Technician or third of fourth year apprentice may be considered. Build your career with the County of Two Hills, a competitive compensation package, comprehensive benefits coverage, pension plan and ongoing training.

If you are a skilled mechanic looking for exciting local opportunities that offer a predictable shift and ability to work in an amazing environment, this is the opportunity for you.

Requirements (to mention a few)

• Vehicle Inspection Technician Licence

• Complete CVIP Inspections on highway tractor/trailer and firetrucks

• Order Parts, complete work orders and records.

Reporting Directly to the Public Works Supervisor and/or Assistant. Applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate is selected for this position.

Submit your application with two references. Only the successful applicant will be notified.

Mechanic Selection Committee

County of Two Hills No. 21

Box 490 Two Hills AB T0B 4K0

Email: talex@thcounty.ab.ca supplementary feeds proportion in the diet generally increases a proportion of microflora in the rumen affecting fermentation and decreasing methane emission. Therefore, manipulating the diet through feeding highly digestible components is not only an effective way of reducing methane emission, it also improves animal performance (weight gained and milk production). Feeding ruminants (animal with four stomachs like cattle) is more complex as too much supplemental feeds makes the rumen extremely acidic which is harmful to the animal’s wellbeing and their performance. Therefore the balance between roughage (hay/ fibre) and supplementary feed needs to be monitored very closely.

Applications will be accepted until April 11, 2023. All applicants are thanked for their interest, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All resumes and personal information provided therein, will be handled in accordance with the Province of Alberta Freedom of Information & Privacy Legislation.

Understanding the impact of how feed composition and quality affects the animal well being as well as performance has also improved. Feeding is not one size fits all situation as growing conditions, soil type, harvesting, storage, and feeding method will vary the feed components that affects the nutritional content of the diet on a weekly basis. Pasturing management program is still popular today due to it being time, labour, land and equipment efficient. But like any plan there is costs and benefits. It reduces the (machinery) carbon emission from harvesting the feed and lower manure management cost as well as increasing the soil organic carbon. As a cost, it reduces animal performance due to a greater variance of feed quality which is directly related to increase methane emissions and increase nitrous oxide emissions. A more controlled feeding program, would be the comparatively opposite to the previous. Increased consistency of feed quality, animal performance and lower methane emission comes with an upsurge in capital cost, manual labour and carbon emission. Either way you look at it, both systems are part of the nutrient cycle as an increase/decrease in emissions are also proportionately linked to the surrounding vegetation increase/decrease.

Ranching is not only a business; it is also a way of life. Successful ranching can only be achieved when you love the business you are in and the animals you care for. Success involves a good feeding program based on clear information that guides how it will be amended from month to month and year to years. The international community needs to recognize that Prairie Ranchers evolved over the last century from being a self-sustaining livelihood to being a knowledge-based family enterprise that is familiar with scientific concepts and complex tools. The end goal has been and always be protecting the animal’s well being which is intrinsically linked to the well being of their multimillion-dollar business. Want to know more? Reach out to an applied research and forage association. https://areca.ca/, Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership https://cap.alberta.ca/ CAP/Programs/ , or Alberta Beef https://albertabeef.ca/cattle/

NATURAL GAS UTILITY WORKER

2023 SUMMER JOB

Have you considered a career as a Natural Gas Utility Operator?

This position runs for 6 to 8 weeks. Requirements:

• This position is open to individuals from 16 to 30 years of age.

• A valid Alberta Class 5 Driver's Licence with a clean driver abstract is required.

Interested applicants are invited to submit their detailed resume inclusive of references to the undersigned on or prior to May 1, 2023.

Selection Committee

Box 490, Two Hills, AB, T0B 4K0

Phone: 780-657-3358

Email: talex@thcounty.ab.ca

All applicants are thanked for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All resume and personal information provided herein, will be handled in accordance with the Province of Alberta Freedom of Information & Privaacy Legislation

The County of Two Hills’ ALUS program launched in June 2020. The program focuses on flood and drought mitigation as well as the restoration of wetlands and riparian areas currently being farmed for commodity production such as grain or cattle. ALUS staff work closely with producers to develop and support projects that suit local needs and priorities. The ALUS Two Hills program aims to help address important environmental issues with riparian health and the loss of wetlands and native grasslands in order to drive better outcomes for farmers and ranchers. The ALUS Two Hills Program Coordinator will work with farmers and ranchers to help establish these projects, while participants receive annual, per-acre payments for the management and maintenance of these projects on their land. Through their ALUS projects, ALUS Two Hills participants will help to produce cleaner water, cleaner air and more biodiversity, including pollinator habitat, for the benefit of everyone in the community.

ALUS Two Hills Coordinator, Roxy Zahara, joined the program in November 2022. She is dedicated to bringing awareness to natural infrastructure solutions and to help support farmers and ranchers with their ALUS projects. Roxy isn’t new to the farming industry, she was born and raised on a farm, and continues to farm with her husband and two daughters. She has also spent time in the classroom setting, educating students on renewable and environmental solutions.

Currently, ALUS Two Hills is collaborating with New Myrnam School, a landowner and Two Hills County, on a project that will become our ALUS Two Hills demonstration site. On the junction of highway 881 and 45, is a reclaimed gravel pit. This site will become an education tool for community members and visitors to learn about nature based solutions to environmental issues, such as drought and flood mitigation. Last summer, New Myrnam School, along with ALUS Two Hills, Two Hills County staff, and county volunteers, planted over 300 trees in support of flood and drought mitigation on this site. New Myrnam School students designed, and carefully chose trees and shrubs that would fit this climate and soil type. The students are currently working on highlight signs that will educate the public on how trees can make such a huge impact on our environment. These interpretive signs will help visitors understand this site and the impact these ALUS projects have. A few of the future plans for this site include, installing a solar watering system, designing a drip system to water the trees, and a pollinator shelterbelt around the dugout. The ALUS Two Hills demonstration site will be open this summer, so stop by for a visit.

To help keep Alberta Dutch elm disease (DED) free, the Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease (STOPDED) encourages everyone to pay attention to the provincial elm pruning ban between April 1 and September 30.

To help eliminate beetle habitat,