New grazing stewardship program for 6,000 Prairie acres

After growing its acres by 20 per cent last year, ALUS has lined up two big sponsors for a new initiative called Grazing Forward that will fund stewardship projects on 6,000 acres of Prairie ranchland.

“A&W Canada and Cargill will together provide $1.8 million to support ranchers in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba as they continue to scale regenerative agriculture practices that capture carbon dioxide, in addition to supporting the long-term sustainability of ecosystems communities,” the organization said in a release.

ALUS (short for Alternative Land Use Services) was created in Manitoba a couple of decades ago but took off in Alberta after a pilot project in the County of Vermilion River in 2010.

The program can cover some project expenses (for example, fencing costs) and/or per-acre payments for land taken out of production. Typical projects include restoration of grasslands, riparian areas and wetlands or planting trees and shrubs.