Mike Buis’ use of year-round field cover and grazing is lowering his feed costs and earning him recognition for his extensive conservation practices
by PATRICIA GROTENHUIS
Grazing animals on a field planted with winter cover crops can have numerous benefits, as Mike Buis, the owner of Van Mar Farms of Kent County, has discovered.
The farm, located on fertile cash-cropping land, is a leader in off-season grazing in Ontario. According to Jack Kyle, grazing specialist at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), there is no one else he knows in Ontario grazing to the same extent.