Steve Sickle of Brant County has won a shady award – for inventing a way to provide shade for his pasturing beef cattle.
The award comes with $1,000 from the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association which makes the award in the name of Don Hill. Ruth Hill and her family, with support from the Community Foundation Grey Bruce and the Rural Institute of Ontario set up the Don Hill Legacy Award/
The award recognizes producers who successfully use on-farm innovation and ingenuity to address and identify risks to soil, water, air, or biodiversity. Sickle’s mobile cow shade, made by cutting a rusty grain bin in half and mounting it on legs, can be moved by an all-terrain vehicle.
He put brushes on the stilts so the cows can scratch themselves.
He said his herd now has an improved conception rate. He also likes that most manure it at the shade.