source: Farm and Food Report
Arden Bradford has learned much about sustainable agricultural production during his 30 years of experience in the profession — with his 25 quarters to manage.
He has gone from mostly crop production to raising cattle to holistic range management, and now he is entering the realm of selling birding experiences to amateur ornithologists and nature lovers right on his land.
“We have sharp-tailed grouse drumming grounds on our property; we have turkey vultures nesting in an old building in one of our yards,” Bradford says. “When members of our extended family come give us a hand or just for a visit, they are always fascinated by the abundance of birds on our land.”
“They also express interest in gaining knowledge about food production — where food comes from — and how we operate our farm. They want to know about the evolution of farming practices through time. Even how we look after the soil has become a top of mind issue for some of our guests — something the average urbanite wasn’t that concerned with 10 years ago.”
All this interest got Bradford thinking about how he could transform his operation into some kind of interpretive centre that earns its keep from both agriculture and paying visitors.
Bradford needed to beef up his own knowledge. He took a holistic range management course. He now grazes between 380 and 400 cows plus calves — some are on a custom grazing program. He has acquired some land over the years that includes native pastures and natural wetlands. Due care was given to not breaking up the land. As a result, the property is just loaded with the usual upland and wetland species, such as sandhill cranes and geese.
“We have upland grasses that have never been ploughed and we are located right on highway 16, across from the town of Saltcoats. There is a lot of traffic on that highway. What we’d like to do is to establish some walking trails on the land that would take folks through the pastures, various native and tame grasses,” explains Bradford.
“We will also establish some drop-off sites where we’ll take guests to watch the sharp-tailed grouse in action during mating season. We’ll arrange to go pick guests up later in the day — all this for a fee. We will also start offering some guided tours on an hourly rate or a flat fee for groups.”
Bradford is as proud member of the Yellowhead Flyway Birding Trail Association, a group that seeks to increase awareness of the rich diversity of bird species in the area. For him and a number of other birding enthusiasts, this could well be the next hot destination for bird lovers.
Apparent changes in migratory patterns have brought about larger numbers of geese and cranes to the area during both spring and fall in recent times. This coincides with larger numbers of songbirds like warblers, finches and orioles throughout spring and summer. Over a three-day period, as many as 110 species of birds have been identified around Saltcoats in the past.
For Bradford and a few fellow citizens, this could well be the new resource that will supplement straight agricultural income. He is already talking to a local bed and breakfast operator about packaging market-ready birding experiences.
“You know, I’ve lived outdoors all my life. I have gained some unique knowledge about the land, the mechanisms that help sustain life in and on it, and about the creatures that inhabit it. I love birds and I love sharing with people. This will work us.”
For more information, contact:
Arden Bradford
(306) 744-8194
Arden Bradford has learned much about sustainable agricultural production during his 30 years of experience in the profession — with his 25 quarters to manage.
He has gone from mostly crop production to raising cattle to holistic range management, and now he is entering the realm of selling birding experiences to amateur ornithologists and nature lovers right on his land.
“We have sharp-tailed grouse drumming grounds on our property; we have turkey vultures nesting in an old building in one of our yards,” Bradford says. “When members of our extended family come give us a hand or just for a visit, they are always fascinated by the abundance of birds on our land.”
“They also express interest in gaining knowledge about food production — where food comes from — and how we operate our farm. They want to know about the evolution of farming practices through time. Even how we look after the soil has become a top of mind issue for some of our guests — something the average urbanite wasn’t that concerned with 10 years ago.”
All this interest got Bradford thinking about how he could transform his operation into some kind of interpretive centre that earns its keep from both agriculture and paying visitors.
Bradford needed to beef up his own knowledge. He took a holistic range management course. He now grazes between 380 and 400 cows plus calves — some are on a custom grazing program. He has acquired some land over the years that includes native pastures and natural wetlands. Due care was given to not breaking up the land. As a result, the property is just loaded with the usual upland and wetland species, such as sandhill cranes and geese.
“We have upland grasses that have never been ploughed and we are located right on highway 16, across from the town of Saltcoats. There is a lot of traffic on that highway. What we’d like to do is to establish some walking trails on the land that would take folks through the pastures, various native and tame grasses,” explains Bradford.
“We will also establish some drop-off sites where we’ll take guests to watch the sharp-tailed grouse in action during mating season. We’ll arrange to go pick guests up later in the day — all this for a fee. We will also start offering some guided tours on an hourly rate or a flat fee for groups.”
Bradford is as proud member of the Yellowhead Flyway Birding Trail Association, a group that seeks to increase awareness of the rich diversity of bird species in the area. For him and a number of other birding enthusiasts, this could well be the next hot destination for bird lovers.
Apparent changes in migratory patterns have brought about larger numbers of geese and cranes to the area during both spring and fall in recent times. This coincides with larger numbers of songbirds like warblers, finches and orioles throughout spring and summer. Over a three-day period, as many as 110 species of birds have been identified around Saltcoats in the past.
For Bradford and a few fellow citizens, this could well be the new resource that will supplement straight agricultural income. He is already talking to a local bed and breakfast operator about packaging market-ready birding experiences.
“You know, I’ve lived outdoors all my life. I have gained some unique knowledge about the land, the mechanisms that help sustain life in and on it, and about the creatures that inhabit it. I love birds and I love sharing with people. This will work us.”
For more information, contact:
Arden Bradford
(306) 744-8194
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