One of the greatest benefits of becoming a grazing mentor with the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA) is the opportunity for professional development and continuing education. The CFGA’s monthly mentor meetings, held the first Tuesday of every month, bring together mentors from across the country to learn, share and grow. 
 
These sessions cover a wide range of topics including building economic resilience, succession planning, stockpiling and optimizing forage with genetics. Guest speakers include agrologists, producers, researchers and fellow CFGA mentors. The CFGA also invites topic suggestions from its mentor network, ensuring the sessions reflect the real needs and interests of those on the ground. 
 
Fall Series: Extending Your Reach as a Mentor 
This past fall, from September to December, the CFGA held a special meeting series called Extending Your Reach as a Mentor. The focus was on helping mentors expand their offerings and connect with a broader client base. Here’s a look back at the sessions: 
 
September – How to Start a Grazing Club 
Guest speakers Phil Lavoie, CFGA’s On Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) representative for Quebec, and Kelly Sidoryk, a rancher, Holistic Management International educator and CFGA mentor, shared their personal experiences running grazing clubs. 
 
The session: 

• Defined what a grazing club is and why it’s a valuable tool 
• Discussed how to connect with like-minded producers, set group goals, brainstorm topics and build agendas collaboratively 
• Covered practical considerations like meeting frequency, budgeting and cost sharing 

A key takeaway from the session was that success comes from involving the group in planning, meeting producers where they’re at, celebrating progress together and embracing the social and peer-to-peer learning aspects. 
 
October – Branching Out: Alternative Grazing Species 
Speakers Anouk Caron, a bison producer from Quebec, and Lee Sexton, a CFGA mentor specializing in targeted grazing, explored the opportunities and challenges of incorporating alternative species. In this session Anouk detailed her bison operation, including fencing, cell design, fertilization and cost breakdowns. Then, Lee shared insights on selecting small ruminant species, diet considerations and integrating them into multi-species grazing systems. 
 
November – Promoting Yourself as a Mentor 
Serena Black, general manager of the British Columbia Forage Council (BCFC), drew from her experience as an agrologist and her work with mentors in B.C.  
 
This session: 

• Highlighted the importance of networking and building social capital 
• Encouraged mentors to attend local events, such as field days, workshops and conferences, to meet producers and understand their needs 
• Stressed the value of relationship-building: Always say yes to a cup of coffee. 

A key takeaway from the session was that networking builds knowledge, fosters collaboration and strengthens your presence in the community. 
 
December – How to Plan a Field Day 
Sonja Shank, Environmental Farm Plan program coordinator with the Agriculture Research and Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA) and OFCAF provincial partner with the CFGA, shared her expertise in planning successful field days. She walked participants through key steps and considerations for organizing impactful events. 
 
This session was open to the public and the recording can be accessed here. 
 
Next mentor training 
The CFGA is offering its next mentor training Jan. 16 and 30, 2026, via Zoom. 
 
Why become a grazing mentor? Beyond access to continuing education, grazing mentors benefit from: 

• A supportive mentor network 
• Opportunities to generate income 
• The chance to support producers in improving land stewardship through advanced grazing systems  

If you’re passionate about grazing and want to make a difference, we invite you to join us. Contact [email protected] for more information and to register.