Measure it and they will come: Using rising plate meters to improve grazing management in Ontario pastures

Pasture productivity is a key driver of profitability and sustainability in livestock systems. However, Ontario lacks standardized targets for pasture utilization, making it difficult for producers to benchmark performance. In contrast, countries like Ireland, the UK, and New Zealand have established national pasture utilization targets to guide sector profitability. The rising plate meter (RPM), a tool for measuring herbage, is widely used for this benchmarking, however, no RPM calibration has been conducted in Ontario. This limits the accuracy and usefulness of RPMs for Ontario producers, which limits the effectiveness and availability of practical production advice. Two of the objectives of this project are to develop calibrations for RPM use in Ontario across beef, sheep, and dairy systems, and to pilot a farmer-driven, peer-supported learning model to enhance on-farm adoption of precision pasture management. These dual objectives support both immediate improvements in measurability and longer-term sector development by laying the groundwork for utilization targets and benchmarking tools. While researchers focused on developing the calibration, a group of Ontario producers gathered RPM data on their pastures throughout the grazing season for future benchmarking. Support included technical guidance from a forage and grazing specialist, weekly grazing reports, monthly meetings, and an online peer-to-peer discussion forum. Farmers were invited to set their own goals, ensuring the project remained relevant and participatory. This work strengthens Canada’s advisory landscape by combining technical expertise with peer-to-peer knowledge exchange. It demonstrates the feasibility of farmer-led data collection and underscores the value of flexible, collaborative extension models. The project promotes a shift toward precision pasture management, enabling producers to treat grazed forages as high-value resources essential to resilient livestock systems.