“Living With Worms in Organic Sheep Production”
Canadian Organic Growers (COG) launches a new series of technical manuals for organic agriculture with the publication of its first Practical Skills handbook, Living With Worms in Organic Sheep Production. The book and the series continue COG’s commitment and success in educating organic and transitioning growers.
Veterinarian and farmer Dr. Peter Stockdale is the author of Living With Worms. He tackles a perennial concern of all sheep farmers. “The diseases of sheep caused by internal parasites have proven difficult to control and to prevent,” said Dr. Stockdale. “For organic farmers, the situation is especially challenging, since treatments with conventional anthelmintics are allowed only when preventive measures fail.”
Dr Stockdale compares the nutrition, grazing behaviour and birth cycle of wild and domestic sheep and recommends organic management methods that aim to mimic the natural conditions and host-parasite relationship found in wild sheep. His research and experience have found that ingesting low numbers of parasites does not cause disease or loss of productivity, but steadily builds up a protective immunity.
Living With Worms will be of interest to anyone raising sheep in conventional or organic operations. In south-western Ontario, Chris Boettcher says, “After all, providing ecologically produced, quality food and fibre for our fellow human beings should be our ultimate goal as farmers.” Boettcher Farm is one of five operations across Canada profiled in Living With Worms.
The Practical Skills series and other organic handbooks are available from Canadian Organic Growers on the web at www.cog.ca or by phone at 1-888-375-7383. Living With Worms is also available through selected sheep and wool growers’ associations.
Living With Worms was produced with partial funding from the Organic Sector Development Program, an initiative of the Agri-Food Futures Fund from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, the Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C. and the Certified Organic Associations of B.C.
Canadian Organic Growers (COG) is a national charitable organization with members in all provinces and one territory. Since 1975, COG has provided a focal point for advocacy and education for organic agriculture in Canada. COG’s earlier publications on organic growing are already used worldwide as on-farm reference books.
Contact: Laura Telford
613-216-0741
laura@cog.ca
