New forage and pasture group should pick a spiffier name

Oh my goodness! A brand new organization is being formed to represent the interests of forage and pasture producers across Canada.

People in the know say it will probably be called the Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association or the Canadian Forage and Rangelands Association.

I don’t know. How did hay growers, cattlemen and ranchers manage all these years without such an organization?

Ontario has the Ontario Forage Council. It’s an active and a well-respected organization that gets funds from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Six provinces have similar forage councils that represent the interests of forage and hay growers.

Do we want another outfit with well-paid head honchos and field staff?

We don’t. We have too many agricultural organizations and little kingdoms already. If there is truly a need for a national forage association, the organizers have to make sure farmers aren’t paying the costs. They can’t repeat what other organizations are already doing. Expand and do things better? Sure! Why not work with existing forage councils?

I can’t believe the name. Come on guys! Give it a spiffier one. This association stuff is so old and out dated it doesn’t fly anymore.

How about something simple like Forages Unlimited or Forage Kings? If you want a new kingdom, why not be the king?

Do something others haven’t done. Invest in a program to increase honey bees and honey production. Forages and honey! The perfect food!

Try to draw in organic-minded folks and horse lovers. Promote and market organic hay. Hey, that’s it, organic hay for horses!

Reach out to the wild turkey hunters and deer lovers and pull them in as well. Deer and turkeys nest and rest in grasses. Surely that would bring in donations from non-farming folks.

Maybe a name such as Forages and Grasses Unlimited could be considered. Farmers grow forages but also legumes such as alfalfa, clovers and trefoil.

Cattlemen and sheep producers have grassy pasture fields where their animals graze contently.

Encourage farmers with pastures to clip the weeds. Clipping of weeds, burdocks and bull thistles in pastures should be ongoing. Clipping removes the flower heads and will reduce or eliminate seed production. Make it sound animal-friendly.

How about burger friendly? It could be a vegetarian-friendly way of introducing burgers that were raised on grasses only. I can see the ads already — Organic Grass-Fed Angus Burgers.

And grasses should include golf courses. Golf courses need to be represented by a national organization and why not an agricultural one? They grow grass. Golf course owners are a bit like farmers.

No, let me re-phrase that. They are a step or two up from farmers, thanks to Dalton McGuinty and his government. Farmers can’t use pesticides and herbicides on their farmhouse lawn. They can use it on their fields, but not the lawn. Golf courses are exempt from the pesticide laws.

As if farmers are going to worry about a few dozen dandelions growing in their lawn that they’ll go on it with a weed sprayer.

So if this new organization can get golf courses to come on board it could be good news for all concerned. The folks who inhabit golf courses usually have money to spare for fun and good causes. And this forage organization will need funds to operate because farmers won’t put up with paying more fees, or have check-offs taken off.

The reason given for needing a national organization is the increased demand for Canadian forages around the world, as is the setting of national standards. Fine!

But then, how many farmers do you know of personally who are selling hay for export? I know of one in Alberta. He does well growing and selling hay from his irrigated alfalfa fields and would have no use for such an organization.

Organizers of this national forage association hope to have it mostly organized by the end of the year. So, send my ideas to the Forage Council in your province and get the wagons rolling. Don’t delay!

Forages Unlimited! I like it!