“Driving Demand” is the theme for the third annual Canadian Beef Industry Conference this week in London, Ontario.

Land use and the rising cost of land is one of the biggest challenges facing Canadian beef producers.

Agriculture Development Advisor with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Barry Potter says using innovative infrastructure on pastures helps producers better manage their high-valued acres when grazing cattle. 

"Fencing has changed dramatically in the last few years with the advent of electric fencing and better fencers for high power, so making use of high tensile electric fence, innovative fence posts, and the high power fencers will make fencing, building the fence and then moving the fence effectively much easier."

Potter is moderating a panel at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference with two Ontario producers Jason Desrochers and Tim Lehrbass.

Desrochers operates a cow-calf and backgrounding farm in northern Ontario, while Lehrbass farms in southern Ontario.

The two producers will also speak about the challenges they have faced in better-utilizing beef cattle on their pastures.

"One will show how using livestock on high priced land can pay as a competitor to cash cropping, most of the neighbors are cash cropping. The second one will look at how taking land that is forested, clearing it, establishing it for livestock and fencing it will also pay as a comparison to other alternatives."

Potter adds, beef farming works in various scenarios and provides an alternative to monoculture.