Manitoba research farm to expand under new partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada

Ducks Unlimited Canada is providing $1 million of land to the Brookdale Research Farm just north of Brandon.

A research farm in southern Manitoba is set to nearly double its footprint thanks to a new partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC).

Brookdale Research Farm, located just north of Brandon, will receive land valued at $1 million, increasing the size of the research and demonstration centre by 42 per cent.

The expansion at the facility—operated by Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives—is expected to create additional opportunities for field-scale research and demonstrations focused on forage management and beef cattle production.

Carson Callum, CEO of Manitoba Beef Producers, said the added land will allow the site to conduct research on a more commercial scale.

“We can do commercial testing on the various applied research such as rotational grazing strategies, any technology that is advancing in the sector, so producers can then potentially implement it on their own farm,” Callum said.

“We got such a wide range of production systems here in Manitoba with around 6,000 producers, so it is hard to pick kind of one strategy, just because we utilize the natural landscape so much. But I think it’s this really helps with our ability to do that research.”

The newly added property, located in the Rural Municipality of Minto-Odanah, covers 467 acres and includes native grassland along with more than 100 wetland basins.

DUC purchased the land in 2020 and restored wetlands and upland areas that had previously been drained and used for crop production.

Karli Reimer, DUC’s manager of outreach for prairie conservation, said the organization will retain ownership of the land under the partnership.

“This is a great way to showcase how environmental stewardship and economic outcomes can work together at a larger-scale research farm,” Reimer said. “Producers can learn from it and apply those practices on their own operations … we’re happy to support it.”