By Martina Hubl, Communications Coordinator

On August 23, Arbutus Hall became the hub of a global conversation on regenerative agriculture, as 56 producers came together with a visiting delegation of Australian grazers for the “Grazing Across Continents” field day. Hosted by the Central Alberta Forage and Livestock Association (CAFLA) and Regenerative Alberta Living Lab (RA-LL), the event aimed to share practical knowledge, scientific data, and cultural exchange in grazing and land stewardship.

Clearwater County Reeve Michelle Swanson welcomed the international guests with pride, giving an overview of the region and setting a collaborative tone for the day. Icebreakers helped bridge continents and kick off a full schedule of presentations, panel discussions, and a hands-on pasture walk.

Tatyana Pavlovets of CAFLA introduced the association’s role in Alberta agriculture, explaining how CAFLA fits within the larger ARECA network of forage and applied research groups across the province. Curious about the model, Australian grazers asked questions about member demographics and the longevity of CAFLA’s programming—perhaps eyeing the potential for replication back home.

Kimberly Cornish of RA-LL (Regenerative Alberta Living Lab) opened the educational portion of the day with a deep dive into the six principles of soil health, sparking discussion on regional soil differences and carbon allocation.
Cornish highlighted cutting-edge tools in Alberta’s grazing scene, including the emerging rotational/adaptive multi-paddock (AMP) grazing app. The app was demonstrated using real data from Kim and Helen Nielsen’s 4 Clover Ranch—offering attendees a tangible look at how technology is helping producers make informed grazing decisions.

“Take as much baseline data as you can,” Cornish advised, stressing the importance of observation with both carbon mapping and grazing management. She broke down soil health and carbon test results, emphasizing, “Diversity is key to resilience & redundancy of function.”

The Grazing app, which currently collects data from farms and ranches across Alberta, provides broad insights unattainable from a single property alone. Cornish also introduced RA-LL’s Plant Communities app, designed to help track pasture biodiversity.

Before the group headed to the field, Kim Nielsen delivered an engaging presentation on the 4 Clover Ranch, established in 1992. Using maps and decades of pasture data, Nielsen detailed his rotational grazing strategy and contrasted paddocks using synthetics with one paddock left untouched for over 40 years.

A topic new to many Australians—winter grazing—was explored in detail. Nielsen discussed bale and swath grazing techniques used to address Alberta’s harsh winters, showing data from grazing strips over a 20-year period. The long-term benefits were evident: increased organic matter and enhanced pasture health.
Nielsen credited key mentors for shaping his approach. “Grant Lastiwka inspired me to stockpile feed over winter,” he said, “and Jim Bauer inspired me to calve out in sync with nature.”

Monitoring is central to his practice: “For the last 12 years we have generally gone by 88 animal unit days grazing per acre,” Nielsen said, explaining how they assess pasture readiness and livestock needs season by season.

Ahead of the main pasture walk, Andrew Korver and Reid Caukill helped identify over 30 plant species in a paddock known as “Cabin South,” a field that hadn’t been reseeded in more than 40 years. The diversity, said Nielsen, is a testament to long-term soil health.

4 Clover Ranch is home to 81 identified plant species—14 grasses, 50 forages, five orchids species, six shrubs, and six trees. Bird biodiversity is also notable, with 64 species identified, thanks in part to the 28 bird boxes maintained across the ranch.

Nielsen also introduced the group to Alcheringa Pastoral, the family’s Australian venture established in 2013. The Nielsens split their year between Canada and Australia, building shelterbelts and wetlands, and running a calf-feeding operation from September to May. Between 2018 and 2020, they trialed warm-season cover cropping—a method well-suited to Australia’s dry summers. “Three pounds of gain per day with cover cropping the sunflowers—that’s something we really enjoyed,” he said.

Following Nielsen’s talk, a producer panel brought together two Canadian producers and two Australian grazers to exchange insights. Asked to share a key takeaway, producer Ulla Thomsen echoed earlier themes: “Trust your own observations. Get out and see and learn from it,” reinforcing the value of ground-level knowledge and first-hand monitoring.

After lunch at Arbutus Community Hall, the group made their way to 4 Clover Ranch for an up-close look at Nielsen’s grazing systems and soil health strategies in practice. The afternoon featured a series of field demonstrations, including a soil sampling session led by CAFLA’s Reid Caukill using an automatic soil probe. Attendees examined the distinctive Canadian grey wooded soil, engaging in hands-on tests like water infiltration and aggregate stability to better understand soil structure and function.

Quinton Van Straten of RangeWard demonstrated the Razer Grazer—a portable electric fencing unit designed to simplify cross-fencing for rotational grazing. The tool sparked interest among both local and international producers looking to improve grazing efficiency with minimal labor.

By the end of the day, producers and visitors left with more than just notes—they carried home practical tools, shared experiences, and a renewed sense of connection across continents.

Grazing Across Continents offered a vivid snapshot of innovation in Alberta’s grazing landscape, while also reminding participants that many of the challenges—and solutions—in agriculture are shared globally. Whether navigating the snow-covered prairies of Canada or the sun-scorched paddocks of Australia, producers everywhere are striving toward the same goal: healthier soil, resilient ecosystems, and thriving communities.