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More Grass, More Trees, More Lamb. Jennifer Cunningham, Jay Springs Lamb Co., Pinantan Lake, BC Canada. Outline. Who we are. Where we are going and why Marketing, value chain How are we making it happen Grazing Take home messages. Who we are. Where we are. Private land
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More Grass, More Trees, More Lamb Jennifer Cunningham, Jay Springs Lamb Co., Pinantan Lake, BC Canada
Outline • Who we are. • Where we are going and why • Marketing, value chain • How are we making it happen • Grazing • Take home messages
Where we are • Private land • Woodlot licence • Grazing lease
Where we are - 4 hours & 20 minutes from Vancouver, BC - 7 km east of Pinantan Lake, 34 km north east of Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
Where we are going and why • 10 years of grazing on cut blocks • Vegetation control and site prep for plantation management
Building a value chain • Entered markets - conventional approaches • Too much work not enough pay • Quality attributes embedded in animals by enhanced management not supported by the markets we were entering. • Annual sheep sales in Kamloops and area • Breeding and selling purebreds • Selling commercial breeding stock • Local auction yards • Breeding for wool • Ethnic markets • Provincial lamb retail promotions/commodity market sales
Generation management – Considerations: Parents retiring, management of landbase for 3 families, assorted skill sets and knowledge bases, courses, estate and business planning, marketing………. Our mission statement: Our main goal: Develop a viable operation selling and producing lambs to a market that will support a small scale sustainable farm. Woodlot license 311 will be a viable and sustainable operation meeting the family partner’s social, financial and environmental objectives. Our want of a sustainable lifestyle motivates our business.
Result Each lamb needs to sell for more!!! Cost based pricing systems Much more responsive to your farm management and your skills
Branding yourself • What is in a name? • Can you live up to that name? • Will that name hinder or grow with you? • Are you the real thing?
How are we making it happen? • Management of farm and woodlot together. • Need more grass, more lamb, more trees.
Original Management Objectives • Improve production costs • expand grazing season to cut down on hay bill • increase production per ewe • increase gains on lambs • Increase flock to level of sustainability – financial, produce more lamb 3. Increase tree inventory on ranch to increase woodlot AAC while protecting wildlife and ecological values and creating an multi-aged tree diversity This is what we had at the time to work with: • 100 – 105 lb lamb finished on grass at 3-5 months
Agroforestry system – silvopasture • Blends management of trees, forages and livestock – interactions are planned and managed • System is operated for and evaluated as a single enterprise rather than as separate parts
