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Mission
Statement
The
Foothills Forage Association encourages a profitable and
sustainable forage industry by providing an information network for
Southern Alberta forage producers.
Vision
Statement
The
vision describes the preferred future of the organization.
Foothills Forage Association focuses on relevant issues, providing unbiased
forage information to forage producers. It partners with
industry, government and the agriculture community to achieve the
goals of the association. The members of the association are
actively involved and there is skilled leadership and management
including staff and volunteers.
Values/Guiding
Principles
Values
are the principles that the organization stands for. They serve
to guide all activities and are reflected in decision making and in
the daily activities of the association.
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We
respect land, water and other natural resources.
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We
work in co-operation and in harmony with others.
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Our
association supports innovation within the industry.
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We
proactively plan for the future.
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We
believe in the importance of agriculture and the forage industry in
Alberta.
A
Brief History
The
Foothills Forage Association is an association that was created
by a group of fore-sighted men who democratically developed a tool of
communication to improve, promote, and research the forage potential
of the Alberta Foothills under the free enterprise system.
In 1972, a small idea, with large
potential, developed from the realization that an association devoted
to improving native rangeland and cultivated pastures was much needed
to satisfy the demand for increased beef production. On November
2nd, 1972, the Foothills Forage Association became a
reality.
Today the FFA is not only concerned
with pasture improvement but is concerned with all facets for forage
promotion and production of annuals, biennials and perennials and
their utilization by all types of livestock. In 1972, it was
predicted that cheap forage would not last forever and today the
demand for concentrated forage programs and the ultimate utilization
of forages is becoming increasingly more essential.
Through needs assessment and
strategic planning process, we found that our members look to the
association to be an information gathering and disseminating
service. Through our extension activities, publications and
project work, we try to live up to that mandate from our
members. We do on-farm research, variety plots and tours; we
have an agronomist on contract to assist with our research and to
answer producer questions and problems. From time to time we
have occasion to partner with our affiliate members on applied
research projects.
Geography
and Economy in the Foothills Area
The
Foothills Forage Association involves an area that stretches
from the U.S.-Canadian border on the south, to Olds, Alberta. Our
members are primarily west of Highway #2 and east of the Rocky
Mountains, but we are expanding east of the #2 Highway in southern
Alberta.
Livestock is very
important to the economy of this area as 85% of the farms and ranches
produce livestock to derive part of the annual income.
Major trading centres
in the area are Sundre, Olds, Innisfail, Didsbury, Carstairs,
Crossfield, Airdrie, Cochrane, Calgary, Okotoks, High River, Nanton,
Claresholm, Fort MacLeod, Lethbridge, Pincher Creek, and Cardston.
There is
considerable variation in rainfall, which diminishes from west to
east. Climatic variations are common and often unpredictable because
of the mountain ranges. There is considerable change in soil
types and vegetation, ranging from a thin black soil close to the
mountains to the dark brown soil in the eastern fringe of this area.
On the west boundary, the vegetation is predominantly poplar and
spruce trees gradually changing to poplar and rough fescue - the
dominant grass - in the foothills, then changing into a farming area
just west of Highway #2. Producers throughout the area are
keenly interested in a complimentary grazing-forage programs involving
native grasses and tame grasses. Depending on topography, soils
and moisture, the ratio of native to tame utilization varies from 0 to
100.
Even though the
designated Foothills Forage area is quite diverse in terms of forage
potential and areas of forage interest, the programs devised satisfy
the needs of viable producers both in the native range areas and in
the more intensive production areas.
Livestock and the
forage to make them grow and reproduce is the single most important
commodity (no doubt equaling or exceeding the Provincial average where
livestock made up 40% of farm cash receipts) in the Foothills area,
and therefore should receive attention accordingly.
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