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The Environment
Western Feedlots Ltd. recognizes that the long term sustainability of agriculture is reliant upon utilizing practices that balance environmental compatibility and economic capability.
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Today’s intensive livestock operations are facing increasing scrutiny regarding manure and runoff water management. Western places environmental responsibility as a high priority, and our operating practices meet or exceed the current standards required by legislation. Western strives to be on the cutting edge when it comes to new technology and operating practices that increase its efficiency while protecting the resources surrounding it.
In 1993, the WFL Board of Directors enacted an Environmental Impact Management Strategy which encompasses all operations of the company and describes the criteria by which our feedlots are required to operate. It is continuously updated to ensure that the strategy keeps Western compliant with legislation, new technology and changing operational practices. Semi-annual environmental audits are carried out at each feedlot which are structured to be lead indicators on the effectiveness of our strategy.
At the core of our environmental strategy is the soil nutrient management plan. We maintain an extensive soil testing program which provides reliable and accurate information for manure application tactics on both WFL land and our neighbour’s land who participate in the manure sales program. Manure application rates are determined by baseline soil nutrient levels and crop uptake requirements. The information derived from the soil testing program is used to populate our long term data base to meet compliancy requirements, as well as to provide insight into long term manure management planning.
Ongoing research and demonstration trials are conducted to identify new and innovative practices that protect the environment and bring value to our stakeholders. For example, we are currently studying the role WFL can play in greenhouse gas reduction by changing our cattle feeding methods, practicing alternative manure handling techniques and enacting process optimization initiatives to increase our overall production efficiencies.
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