Blake Ellis/The Independent

There could soon be a community pasture for beef farmers in Lambton.

The Lambton Cattlemen’s Association is working on the project after 30 farmers came out to an organizing meeting Feb. 13.

“It is really exciting,” said Lambton Cattlemen’s Association President Chad Anderson. “There was a lot of interest.”

There are 11 community pastures in Ontario. Last year, the Beef Farmers of Ontario reached out to conservation authorities across the province to see if there is land available that could be developed into pasture land.

St. Clair Region Conservation Authority responded saying it had available land in southern St, Clair Township, formerly Sombra Township. The parcel is part of the McKeough upstream land on the McKeough floodway, 12 kilometres north of Wallaceburg, said St. Clair Conservation Authority’s Land Specialist Kelli Smith.

There is a total of 600 acres available, but the Lambton Cattlemen’s Association is hoping to turn 150 to 200 acres into the community pastures at first.

The concept of a community pasture is fairly simple.

To have cattle on the community pastures land, a fee is charged per head. That covers drugs, veterinary costs, as well as grazing fees. Workers are employed to care for the cattle daily, rotate the cattle every few days, as well as maintain the land, fences and buildings.

These pastures also provide a home for many different birds, bees and wildlife. Anderson said there has been a decline in herds and pastureland.

Statistics Canada says in 2023 Canada’s cattle herd has declined by 600,000 over the 13 years, while Ontario has lost 40,000 head in the past four years. These declines are in part due to severe droughts during the spring and summer.

Grassland areas have been reduced by 80 percent since the 1970s in Canada. In Ontario grasslands have been reduced 23 percent as grasslands are turned into cropland. Encroachment of urban development is also a problem.

The Beef Farmers of Ontario are encouraging the development of community pastures to build the amount of grassland in the province and increase the number of cattle produced in Ontario.
Most of Canada’s beef is produced in Alberta – Ontario produces about 20 per cent of the country’s beef.

Having a community pasture is a great way to support the industry, as it helps with herd expansion and provides an additional pasture in the county, said Anderson.

It can also help young producers who can’t afford the cost of land, he added.

One of the existing 11 community pastures in Ontario is in Bruce County. It was established in 1966 as a provincial project. Over the years, the community pasture grown to 1,400 acres.

In 1999, the provincial government put all 11 community pastures up for sale for a combined $1 million. Instead of selling the parcels off individual, the committees for all 11 community pastures established the Association for Community Pastures, a not-for-profit organization purchased all of the land in 2000.
It is governed by a board of directors, which meets annually.

The association is working with the Lambton group as it gets started. While the Lambton Cattlemen’s Association is working on the pasture, the project will have to be approved by the St. Clair Conservation Authority’s board of directors meeting in April, said Smith.

If approved, a business plan will be completed and sent to the Ontario Association of Community Pastures and St. Clair Conservation Authority for approval.

Then, infrastructure will have to be put in place such as fencing and making sure the entire area is seeded.

Anderson said the Lambton Cattlemen’s Association hopes to have the community pasture in place by 2026. “We have to get a lot done in a short period of time,” said Anderson.