Defining Sustainability

To us sustainability means continuous improvement of the land and resources we use so that it is here for following generations. To manage our cattle in a way that encourages biodiversity in wildlife and in the landscape, and helps improve the natural grasslands by putting nutrients back into the soil. It means maintaining healthy riparian areas and waterways, opening underbrush to maintain a healthy forest, and helping to mitigate wildfire and invasive plant species.

Sustainability also means leadership in our industry and community and working closely with our neighbours, local Indigenous communities, government range and agricultural staff, and elected leaders so that we can sustain a future that is here for everyone.

We focus on running an operation that is socially responsible, economically viable and environmentally sound to assure the next generation has long term viability as continued caretakers of this ranch, this land, and its resources.

My grandfather Jack Durrell always said he was just care-taking the land and the ranch for the next generation. My hope is that we can continue his vision for our children and our grandchildren.

~ Erin Durrell

Why we became a certified sustainable ranch

We chose to become certified because we know we are already doing a great job of managing our land, resources and our cattle in a responsible manner. We feel that consumers and the public have a valid interest in knowing where their food comes from and knowing that those who produce it are conscientious about how it is produced. The creation and maintenance of public trust and understanding in our industry is so important for so many people and we have created the very best certification tools along the entire value chain to help maintain that.

The CRSB has demonstrated a fantastic vision and collaboration of so many of those invested in the beef value supply chain, and to be a part of the vision that makes Canada global leader in sustainable beef production is so important to us and to our industry as a whole.

Our Sustainable Practices

Some of the practices we have in place here in the Cariboo Region of B.C. include:

• Allowing our mother cows to calve on as much open dry grass as we can with minimal intervention due to genetic selection and feed programs.
• Bale grazing for maximum input into our winter feeding grounds and hayfields in terms of returning nutrients to the soil.
• Employing minimal tillage practices and use our cattle to add organic nutrients back into the soils through grazing management and winter-feeding practices.
• Only working and moving our cattle on horseback with highly skilled cowboys, cowgirls and cattle dogs to ensure low stress handling and minimal impact to soils and grasslands and employ practices such as low stress fence line weaning and rotational grazing.
• Maintaining a strong relationship with our vet to ensure we are providing our cattle with the very best in animal welfare and veterinary care when its needed.

We are a CRSB Certified and Verified Beef Production Plus Certified Operation.

We are also members of the Grasslands Conservation Council of BC, the BC Cattlemen’s Association and the BC Forage Council.

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