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Environmental and Pasture Awards Presented at BFO's 2025 AGM
February 19, 2025
Van Osch Farms Receives Award in Recognition of Environmental Stewardship
Left to Right: Craig McLaughlin, BFO President; Kurt Van Osch; Carson Burtwistle, RBC; Brendon Van Osch
February 19, 2025 (Toronto, Ont.) – The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) is pleased to announce Van Osch Farms as the 2025 Ontario recipients of The Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA), sponsored by the RBC Royal Bank. The award was presented to the family at BFO’s 2025 Annual General Meeting Banquet, which was held in Toronto, this week.
Van Osch Farms, operated by the Van Osch family – Fred, Gerald, Brendon and Kurt – is located in Middlesex County. The farm, with a feedlot capacity of 11,500 head of cattle, is certified with the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef through the Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance Program. The family is committed to making decisions that improve cattle performance and efficiency, while also improving the land that supports their farm. They’ve upgraded their barn facilities to include natural light and ventilation, and integrated new technologies like recirculating water bowls to eliminate hydro use. They also use solar powered cameras to monitor feed bunks and minimize feed waste. To utilize the upcycling ability of cattle, they also incorporate by-products into their feeding program. Forty per cent of the feed ration used on Van Osch Farms is made of by-product ingredients, keeping these products out of landfills and reducing food waste.
“Our farm is founded on the core principle that the land is our most precious resource, and that fits well with our certification with the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef through the Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance Program,” says Brendon Van Osch. “We take the sustainability of our farm very seriously and utilize farming practices that ensure the soil and the natural environment are protected for our future generation.”
Van Osch Farms has undertaken a number of projects and land use practices in partnership with Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) that benefit the watershed and environment. Over the last few years, they have planted over 1,000 trees on their farms. This includes establishing multi-species perimeter shelterbelts at two of their large barns and planting a naturalized buffer around a pond and wetland. Shelter areas have also created homes for many species of wildlife like deer, coyotes, rabbits and birds.
“Van Osch Farms have adopted cover cropping as their standard practice, planting hundreds of acres in cover crops each year,” says Ian Jean, Forestry and Stewardship Specialist, from the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority. “Cover crops protect soils from wind and water erosion and improve the water holding capacity of the soil, preventing runoff and sedimentation in our watercourses, improving water quality and aquatic habitat.”
“We know that the most productive land is the land that has something alive on it. This is why we utilize cover crops between our regular cropping seasons to feed our second most important livestock - the critters that call our soil home,” says Brendon.
The Van Osch family has plans to open an on-farm retail store this summer and they currently offer beef to customers in their community through online sales. Learn more at vanoschfarms.com.
TESA recognizes the outstanding environmental stewardship of an Ontario beef farmer. Special consideration is given to farmers who have taken innovative approaches to environmentally sustainable beef production.
Elgin County Beef Farmer Receives 2025 Ontario Pasture Award
Abbey Taylor, Dawn Farm
February 19, 2025 (Toronto, Ont) - The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO), DLF and the Ontario Forage Council are pleased to announce that Abbey Taylor of Dawn Farm of Belmont, in Elgin County, is the recipient of the 2025 Ontario Pasture Award. The award was presented today at the BFO Annual General Meeting Banquet in Toronto. For her environmental improvements and exceptional pasture management, Taylor received a cash award of $500 and a bag of forage seed, courtesy of DLF.
Abbey is a seventh-generation farmer, grazing 15 to 20 heifers on 20 acres of well-managed pasture. She utilizes rotational grazing as her method of improving pasture health, enhancing soil quality and reducing soil erosion, which results in higher productivity for her pastureland and cattle. Her pastures include a range of species including orchard grass, timothy, white clover, alfalfa, Kentucky bluegrass, smooth bromegrass, bird's-foot trefoil and sweet clover. Abbey purchases her cattle in May to graze until late fall, with daily moves supported by electric fencing and portable water systems. Abbey’s grass-finished beef is processed at a local processing facility and is then marketed direct to consumers.
“The passion that Abbey has for what she’s doing, along with the practices she has incorporated are refreshing and inspiring. She is truly developing a grassroots initiative,” shares Scott Fisher, Sales Manager of Western Ontario with DLF.
Abbey considers herself a steward of the land. She constantly strives to improve her practices to sequester more carbon, reduce emissions, and build soil health. She is happy to share her story and welcomes visitors to Dawn Farm to learn about the multitude of benefits of rotational grazing.
“Abbey is a true example for youth interested in setting out on their own. She manages all aspects of her production from forage management to beef sales with special attention to resilient practices that will assist her in remaining sustainable long into the future,” says Patricia Ellingwood, General Manager of the Ontario Forage Council.
“I want to thank the Ontario Forage Council, DLF and the Beef Farmers of Ontario for honouring me with this award,” says Taylor. “Grazing cattle and feeding my community are passions of mine, and I aim to keep learning and growing my farm business.”
The deadline for applications for the 2026 Ontario (Beef) Pasture Award is November 30, 2025