Canada Agri Study Trip / Day 2
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
The Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster (YFCU) were delighted to send twenty-five of their members on an agri-study tour to Canada explore Canadian agriculture, encourage further innovation within Northern Ireland’s agri-sector and strengthen cultural exchange and global connections.
The two-week trip took place from Friday 26th June 2026 to Thursday 9th July 2026. Having completed their second full day of visits on Tuesday 30th June 2026, members gained an insight into organic dairy production and the large-scale processing and export of forage and grain products. The second day (Tuesday 30th June 2026) was documented by Gareth Baird (Straid YFC) and began with a visit to the Ten Brummelhuis family’s 140-cow robotic dairy farm, where members learned of how the family moved from the Netherlands to Alberta in 2022, initially establishing a herd of 50 cows before expanding to 140 cows across their 740-acre farm. Aaron Ten Brummelhuis has spent the past 24 years developing the herd’s genetics, moving away from a purely Holstein herd and introducing Brown Swiss and British Friesian to improve overall herd health. Since moving to Alberta, the family has also transitioned the farm to organic production. Of the approximately 500 dairy farms operating in Alberta, only six are organic, making the Ten Brummelhuis farm part of a small and unique group of producers.
Aaron explained how the family takes a preventative approach to herd health, following the principle that prevention is better than cure, which is particularly important within their organic production system. The herd is milked using three Lely robotic milking systems and housed in a freestall barn fitted with waterbed mattresses and sawdust bedding. The cows also have access to grazing, with a Lely grazing gate used to manage their movement and allocation of approximately three acres of grass per day.
The herd is achieving an average daily yield of around 31 litres per cow, with milk testing at approximately 4.3% butterfat and 3.4% protein. The base milk price is around $1.30 per litre, equivalent to approximately 69p, with the family also receiving an organic premium on the milk quota they hold. he farm operates an all-year-round calving system, with heifer calves retained and reared on the farm. Beef-bred calves are sold off the farm at between five and seven days old, achieving approximately $1,500–$1,800 per calf. Members also learned about the family’s approach to calf rearing. Calves are fed pasteurised milk until around four months of age, alongside barley and alfalfa, with the family opting for a slower and more natural weaning process.
The group’s second visit of the day was documented by Kerry Jamison (Kilraughts YFC), and took place at Canada’s leading exporters of hay, alfalfa and grain products. Members toured the company’s main processing yard just outside Olds, where they saw first-hand how agricultural products are processed for both domestic and international markets. The visit provided an insight into the production of alfalfa pellets, as well as Barr-Ag’s main enterprise of drying corn silage. One of the company’s silo pits can hold the equivalent of approximately 6,000 acres of harvested crop. Barr-Ag export their products internationally to markets including Japan, Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and China. The scale of the operation highlighted the significant role Alberta plays in supplying forage and feed products to customers around the world.
Members learned how the corn silage is dried from approximately 55% moisture down to between 5% and 8%, before being tightly compressed into 450kg bales. Once properly dried and stored, the bales are non-combustible and can have an extremely long shelf life provided they remain dry. Following processing, the bales are loaded onto trucks before travelling by rail to Vancouver, a journey which takes approximately 10 days. From there, the products are shipped internationally, with sea journeys taking up to a further 30 days depending on the destination.
The final visit of day two took the group to Iron Kreek Ranch, owned and operated by Kevin and Roxi Ziola. Eirinn Braniff (Ballywalter YFC) provided an insight into this visit, explaining the regenerative farming practices, direct-to-consumer marketing and the agricultural traditions of Western Canada. The tour began at the ranch’s newly constructed heated timber-frame horse barn. Roxi is hugely passionate about rodeo, a love for the sport which runs deep within her family. Members heard how her grandfather was a two-time World Champion buck rider.
The Ziolas currently own 15 horses, and the group was fortunate enough to meet the ranch’s newest arrival — a foal which was just one week old at the time of the visit. Iron Kreek Ranch operates as a regenerative beef farm, with all livestock certified as grass-fed. The ranch is home to approximately 200 cows alongside its youngstock and operates a successful direct-to-consumer meat programme. Customers order and pay for their meat in advance, with the business relying heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations and developing strong relationships between the producer and consumer. This approach allows the Ziolas to market their beef directly while building a loyal customer base. The cattle are predominantly grass-fed, with hay used as a supplement when necessary. Farming in Alberta presents its own unique challenges, particularly due to the climate, with around 200 days of winter each year and approximately 100 of those days experiencing extremely harsh and icy conditions.
The ranch extends across 12 quarters of land, equivalent to approximately 1,920 acres. While cattle prices are currently favourable, Kevin and Roxi emphasised that their focus extends beyond short-term returns, with profits being reinvested into the land and farm infrastructure. Their long-term goal is to build a sustainable and profitable business that can be passed on to future generations, particularly their daughters. This commitment to succession planning was evident through recent investments in the business, including the construction of the new horse barn.
The visits during day two provided members with a diverse insight into agriculture in Alberta, from organic milk production and robotic technology to international feed exports and regenerative beef farming. They also highlighted the importance of long-term planning in developing sustainable agricultural businesses. Travel opportunities like these further highlight the commitment that Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster have of educating their members on farming practices across the world, and encouraging them to bring innovative ideas back to home soil.
