The Manitoba Forage Council (MFC) is a non-profit organization comprised of over 400 producers, agri-business and extension leaders who are dedicated to the development and promotion of a sustainable hay, forage and livestock industry. Since 1989, the MFC has worked with its industry partners, to encourage producer profitability while protecting our most valuable resources  – our land, waterways, and wildlife diversity.

The Council undertakes several roles with regard to improving the visibility and profitability of Manitoba’s forage industry. Each year, the Forage Council hosts a booth at two U.S. events; The Midwest Horse Fair and World Dairy Expo. These prestigious events provide an opportunity for our producers to promote their products to the 65,000 people that attend each show from the United States and abroad. Manitoba products featured include high quality alfalfa hay, compressed hay for the Japanese market, alfalfa pellets and timothy straw for the pet food market, and cattle embryos for the dairy industry. Over the years, the Council has also explored marketing opportunities in Mexico.

Another very important role of the MFC is the continued administration of research projects and the communication of the results via meetings, fact sheets, newsletters, and website publications. Research activities are broad and have focused on both livestock and forage management. A sampling of the projects conducted include; evaluations on new and existing forage varieties, native pasture improvement strategies, developing a niche market for “healthy pasture-fed beef”, and the creation of over 30 Manitoba Grazing Clubs to educate producers on grazing and livestock management.

The following summary outlines our goals and the actions the Council undertakes in order to meet them.

Our Goals

• To provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, philosophies and research findings for all those involved in the industry;
• To initiate and support programs and policies to improve the Manitoba forage industry;
• To promote the optimum use of forage as a resource from grasslands for the efficient production of food, seed and fiber products;
• To promote the use of forages in crop rotations and in fragile soils to improve the sustainability of Manitoba agriculture and to improve the quality of the soil and water resource and;
• To assist in the identification of constraints in the Manitoba forage industry and to initiate action through research, industry action or the development of government policy.

Our Actions

• Provide administrative support for many different extension activities including: conferences, seminars and tours;
• Initiate and support forage research and adaptation trials in partnership with other organizations;
• Promote Manitoba products on trade missions;
• Lobby on behalf of the industry as requested by members and:
• Provide a quarterly newsletter and a website to keep the membership informed about forage related issues in Manitoba.