The Lambton Cattlemen's Association is hoping to add a community pasture just north of Wallaceburg that, if approved, would be the first one in the area.
Association President Chad Anderson said the process started as a resolution at last year's Beef Farmers of Ontario Annual General Meeting, to reach out to Conservation Ontario to potentially rent conservation authority owned land for cattle grazing.
Kelli Smith with the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority (SCRCA) later reached out to the Lambton Cattlemen's Association to discuss the possibility of a partnership.
The cattlemen's association is interested in leasing approximately 130 to 200 acres of land for five years in the Wilkesport area.
"It started as a grassroots initiative," Anderson said. "We're really excited about the opportunity."
Anderson said some of the land has been used for cash crops so work needs to be done to turn that area into grassland.
"We would have to install new fencing and a watering system for the pasture," he said. "Then on half of that land, we would have to reestablish grass, we would have to seed a pasture mix of grasses and legumes to be grazed in the future."
Anderson said they're hoping to have part of the land ready for grazing in 2026, with the remainder ready for 2027.
If they're able to secure the full 200 acres of land, Anderson said the pasture could hold approximately 50 cow-calf pairs and 60 to 70 yearling heifers.
The cattlemen's association is currently working on a business plan and will pitch their community pasture pilot project to the SCRCA Board of Directors on April 17.
Anderson said there are three goals associated with the project: to support herd expansion in the county, to support young producers (anyone under 40) to get a foothold in the industry, and to promote the environmental benefits of grazing cattle.
"Some of this land is pretty sensitive. Some of its floodplains, some of it's erodible so by having a permanent cover, you see a lot less soil erosion, you have better water infiltration," Anderson said. "It's a very productive use of the land with less environmental consequences. It also provides a habitat for pollinators and grassland birds, and many things that are struggling today. There are a lot of environmental benefits to having the land converted into a pasture."
Anderson said if the project proceeds as planned, a board of directors will be created to decide who has access to the pasture. A farm manager will also be hired on a part-time basis to supervise the cattle and maintain the pasture.
"There will be strict health protocols in place," he said. "What we're talking about there, are vaccination protocols basically because we have to maintain high health because you're comingling animals."
If the SCRCA Board of Directors approves the project, Anderson said the next step would be to join the Ontario Association of Community Pastures.
"There are 11 community pastures across Ontario today. Most of them are situated more north, there isn't a community pasture in southwestern Ontario," he said. "So we become a member of the community pastures, the big benefit there, is we fall under their umbrella for their insurance policy."
Anderson said becoming a member of the association will also, hopefully, allow them to access grants to establish the pasture.
The nearest community pasture is located in the Grey-Dufferin area.
So far, the proposed project has received community support after an information meeting was held in Wilkesport in February.
Anderson and Ralph Eyre also approached St. Clair Township Council during a March 17 meeting and received their support.