"It's not a problem this year," says Carman Lippert of Bruce County near Chepstow, "but in dry summers our creek has not been a reliable source of water, and when the creek is flowing, I didn't like the cattle having access." Lippert pastures 50 Charolais steers on 40 acres of pasture. A tributary of Teeswater River runs through his land, eventually emptying into the Saugeen River.

During the last two years, Bruce County Federation of Agriculture decided to take advantage of funding available through the Agricultural Environmental Stewardship Initiative (AESI) for water quality improvement projects.

The timing was right for Lippert. "We decided to completely fence the stream, provide an alternate water source and upgrade our stream crossing," explains Lippert.

They ran four strands of barbed wire on 75 posts with an electric offset along the length of the stream, about 130 rods. One strand of electric wire powered by a Gallagher M800 electric fence energizer reinforces the barbed wire fencing.

The water system proved to be the biggest cost of the project. The cattle rotationally graze the 40-acre pasture, divided into five fields serviced by three 110 gallon stock tanks. The water system draws from Lippert's well, making it a secure water supply in terms of both quality and quantity. It relies on a 3/4 hp submersible pump to pipe water through 2200 ft of 3/4 inch black plastic pipe to the stock tank in use.

The pipe runs along the surface of the ground on the streamside of the barbed wire fence. Lippert will drain the pipe for the winter months, but will leave it in place.

Lippert upgraded and widened the bridge deck over the stream for easier handling of cattle when moving them from one pasture to another. He improved the approaches with stone dust and runs electric fencing either side of the crossing, keeping cattle completely out of the water.

"I feel the cattle have done better on well water," notes Lippert. "The water quality in the stock tanks is better—it's colder and there's less algae." Couple this with the cattle getting more mileage out of pasture with rotation—he's expecting a minimum 200 lb gain from May to September—and he's more than pleased with the set-up. Not only have the cattle benefited, but the stream is improving as vegetation stabilizes the banks and buffers any nutrient run-off from the pasture.

Kathy Velocci, Coordinator for the Bruce AESI initiative, worked through various commodity groups and Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) workshops to promote the program. "The primary goal from the Federation's viewpoint was to reduce pathogen entry into the water—to show that farmers were doing their part to ensure protection of water resources," explains Velocci.

Average cost per project was $2000, of which each participant contributed a portion, with an upper grant limit of $5000. Velocci credits the farmers who participated in the program. "Despite the BSE crisis in May 2003, 21 applications for projects were approved, 19 of which are complete, representing 36 Best Management Practices implemented on Bruce County farms." Bruce County partnered with the Federation to provide additional financial support.

AESI is funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and administered through the Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC) and the Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition. An approved EFP is a requirement of funding. The Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association is reporting on behalf of AAC.

Another program participant, Darryl Diemert, farms 100 acres near Mildmay. He also advocates rotational grazing, pasturing about 50 sheep and 70 head of cattle, including 42 breeding cows. Otter Creek flows year-round through his property with the headwaters just 1 1/4 mile upstream. "There's lots of water here, including three springs," says Diemert.

All the more reason to minimize any impact his operation might have on surface water quality. "Fencing the stream was work I had planned to do anyway," explains Diemert, "so the funding incentive was welcome assistance."

Diemert uses 3-strand electric fence, powered by a Gallagher M1500 fencer, along the stream and outer perimeter of his pastures. His set-up is similar to Lippert's with 3/4 inch plastic pipe running from his house well, buried only under laneways where there's vehicle traffic. His differs though with multiple hydrant connectors using quick connect coupling valves installed every 400 feet in his entire pasture area. This allows him to move the 100 gallon stock tank with the cattle to each section as it's grazed.

"I like the secure water source and have noticed a big improvement in productivity with piped water available in each pasture," Diemert notes. "Excluding the cattle from the stream does represent some lost pasture, but I more than make up for that loss with the amount of grass yield gained by rotational grazing. My calves this year are up to 40% heavier at the same age due to the better quality grass and water rather than just turning them out on the entire area."

The benefits to the stream are noticeable as well. There is a visible improvement in water quality, and Diemert's enjoying the occasional encounter with wildlife attracted to the buffer that's naturalizing within the fencing.

Diemert has a goal. "I'm planning to convert the whole farm to grass eventually. I'm looking to raise my livestock as economically as possible in a way that reduces labour and energy inputs as well as protects the land and water resources."

He's well on his way. With rotational grazing, the cattle do a lot of the work for him, and he avoids the huge capital expense of machinery. Manure is spread more evenly across his pastures, and the sod absorbs the nutrients with the ultimate benefit being improved water quality reaching the stream and passing on down the watershed.

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For more information and photographs of the project, contact Andrew Graham, Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association; Tel: 519-826-4214 or e-mail: oscia@ontariosoilcrop.org 

OR

Nadine Buitenhuis, Agricultural Adaptation Council, Guelph; Tel: 519-822-7554 or e-mail: Nadine's e-mail