Grey Agricultural Services is a not-for-profit working with Grey County organizations to serve the needs of farmers and the rural community. Grey County is the fourth largest county in Ontario with over 2,300 farms across 4,500 scenic square km.
Founded in 2000, Grey Ag Services was created as a grass-roots farmer driven initiative in response to the demand for services formerly provided by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) extension offices.
Each winter, Grey Ag Services offers courses to producers and rural residents of Grey and Bruce Counties and beyond. 22 courses are confirmed for Winter 2022, with courses in January and February offered as webinars.
1. In The Know, with Jackie Ralph from the Canadian Mental Health Association of Grey-Bruce
2. Resilient Fields: Soil Management, Economic and Environmental Considerations, with Paul Bootsma of CFFO and Charles Lalonde, Resilient Fields Developer
3. Understanding Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Animal Products, with Robin White, Associate Professor at Virginia Tech University, USA
4. Making Better Bales is Not Just a Job; It’s an Investment! With Nathan Ficzere, General Manager for Tama Canada and Alain Gratton, Technical Manager for Tama Canada
5. Winter Jamin', with Martha Rogers, Master Food Preserver, Cornell University Extension
6a. Strip Tillage, Part 1: Getting Started into Strip-Till, with Ryan Benjamins of Benjamins Agronomy Services, Michelle Durnin of Agri-Solve Inc., and moderated by Ben Rosser of OMAFRA
6b. Strip Tillage, Part 2: Managing Fertilizer in Strip-Till Systems, with Ben Rosser of OMAFRA, and Jonathan Zettler of Fieldwalker Agronomy, and moderated by Jake Munroe of OMAFRA
7. Beekeeping for Beginners and Bee-yond, with Janine McGowan M.Sc., Owner & Operator of Our Bee Lab - Community Apiaries
8. Calf Housing Considerations, with John Van de Vegte, and Marlene Paibomesai both of OMAFRA
9. Planning the Management Cycle for Small Ruminant Producers, with Delma Kennedy of OMAFRA
10. Small Ruminant Fecal Egg Counts, with Dr. Chris Buschbeck of Markdale Veterinary Services
11. Keeping Pigs and People Safe from Diseases, with Laura Eastwood and Jaydee Smith of OMAFRA
12. Choosing the Right BMPs to Weather-Proof Your Farm, with Dave Bray of OMAFRA
13. Managing Annual Forages, with Jake Munroe and Christine O'Reilly of OMAFRA
14. Improving Garlic Quantity and Quality with Travis Cranmer of OMAFRA
15. Cow Calf Info Session, with Steve Duff, Senior Economist; John Molenhuis, Business Analysis Cost of Production Specialist and James Byrne, Beef Cattle Specialist - all of OMAFRA
16. Designing Edible Landscapes, with Ben Caesar of Fiddlehead Nursery
17. Silvopasturing with Sheep, with Sheep with Carrie Woolley
18. Transition Planning Prep: Are you Ready? With Maggie Van Camp and Andrea DeGroot, both of BDO Canada
19. How to Have the Garden You Want! With the Grey County Master Gardeners
20. Horse Night - Colic First Aid with Dr. Tee Fox, and Dr. Marika Van Schaik, both of Markdale Veterinary Services
21. Pressure Canning with Martha Rogers, Master Food Preserver, Cornell University Extension
22. Getting Started with Records for Small Ruminant Producers with Delma Kennedy of OMAFRA and Erin Massender
A decision will be made in the coming weeks as to whether March course delivery will remain as listed, or will adjust to webinar formats.
Registrations are received by email to info@greyagservices.ca including your full name and phone number. Course fees range from $15 - $30 and are taken by electronic funds transfer (EFT) or cheque.
To view more information, visit the website at greyagservices.ca