Dairy cows, beef cattle and sheep are ruminants well suited to grazing in the Atlantic farming communities. Only a fraction of potential pastureland, however, is actually grazed.
Most farmers harvest forages mechanically.
Strict new environmental laws and changing consumer preferences, however, combined with declining levels of government subsidy and increased global competition are prompting new interest in the value of pasture. Pastures permit a high degree of self-sufficiency by reducing the need for fertilizers and fuel eliminating the need for pesticides. Pasture also plays an important role in defining landscape quality and adding biodiversity. With funding obtained from the Canadian Foundation of Innovation and other partners listed below, infrastructure for a multi-level Pasture Research Centre combining field infrastructure, laboratory equipment and computer and remote imaging capability will be established. The pasture land base at NSAC will be increased from 18 ha to 25 ha.