MBFI leadership set for exciting 2017
Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiative (MBFI)’s leadership group is all set for an exciting 2017 on all three of the MBFI research farms located near Brandon.
Ramona Blyth of MacGregor will continue to guide the MBFI as president of the board of directors. Blyth had been serving double-duty as the research farm’s management committee chair as well as president until a replacement was named. Clearwater's Don Guilford was recently named to guide the MBFI management committee as chair.
Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives (MBFI) is a Brandon-based collaborative effort between Manitoba Beef Producers, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Manitoba Forage & Grassland Association and Manitoba Agriculture with input and leadership from producers, academia and other industry stakeholders across Canada. MBFI is the result of industry demand for change and the need for strategic long-term partnerships for the agricultural sector as a whole.
Blyth and husband Harold run Rosehill Cattle Company, a commercial cow/calf and grain/oilseeds operation. Blyth says the importance of the MBFI grows every day as the third-year farm expands the reach and impact of the work being done at the three MBFI sites: Brookdale Research Farm, Johnson Research Farm and First Street Pasture.
“We know that Manitoba’s beef sector provides many environmental, economic and human health benefits,” says Blyth. “Well-managed grazing maintains the health of the grasslands, improves soil quality, preserves open space and wildlife habitat, and sequesters carbon in grazing lands. Beef is important for the economic vitality of our rural communities and the balance of agriculture on the landscape. As a nutrient-rich protein source, beef increases food security and human nutrition.”
Over the warmer months of 2017 – and bolstered significantly by the scheduled finalization of the MBFI Learning Centre in September at the Brookdale Research Farm - MBFI research, demonstration and producer events will continue to showcase the industry’s sustainable methods for managing the interface between cattle, land and water for the betterment of the environment and producers’ profitability to all audiences. The connection to producers and the industry is what drew Guilford to the position.
“I am excited to be a part of MBFI where I can be involved with leaders in the industry researching new innovations and then demonstrate in a practical way how it can be profitable for farmers and ranchers through the MBFI,” says Guilford, along with wife Diane, run a mixed farming operation specializing in purebred polled Herefords that has seen many tours pass through to learn from the Guilford’s holistic farming approach.
Information on the MBFI’s events, partnerships and research can be found on www.mbfi.ca