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Next Generation of Silver Springs Farms Receives 2026 Ontario Pasture Award
February 19, 2026
(LtoR) Emily and Robert McKinlay; Scott Fisher, DLF; Denise Byers, Director of the Ontario Forage Council and BFO; and Jason Leblond, BFO President
The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO), DLF and the Ontario Forage Council are pleased to announce that Robert and Emily McKinlay of Silver Springs Farms of Ravenna, Ontario are the recipients of the 2026 Ontario Pasture Award. In recognition of their environmental improvements and exceptional pasture management, the McKinlays received a $500 cash award and a bag of forage seed courtesy of DLF.
Robert and Emily farm alongside Robert’s parents, James and Joan McKinlay, manage a beef and cash crop farm with approximately 200 cow-calf pairs on 2,500 acres near Ravenna, as well as an additional 120 cow-calf pairs on 800 acres on Manitoulin Island. The family operates two distinct herds across their Ravenna home farm and their Manitoulin-based northern enterprise. Silver Springs Farms also markets approximately 30 bulls and 100 bred heifers annually.
The operation transitioned in the 1990s from Fleckvieh genetics to a Red Angus/Simmental-based herd to better align with evolving market demands. Today, the Manitoulin location is primarily focused on the crossbred herd and supports a strong regional heifer market.
A commitment to land stewardship and forage excellence underpins both locations. The northern enterprise incorporates a diverse cash crop rotation and approximately 300 acres of pasture. The Ravenna-area home farm maintains about 500 acres of pasture and utilizes double-cut red clover frost seeding to enhance pasture density, productivity and longevity. A select group of bred heifers is also pastured at the southern farm.
“I think it is quite something to have an enterprise operate at this scale in two locations, highlighted by pasture management and cover crop grazing, even though each site has different yet complementary management approaches,” says Scott Fisher, Sales Manager, Western Ontario, DLF.
Through strategic expansion, thoughtful genetic selection and progressive pasture management practices, Silver Springs Farms continues to demonstrate leadership and innovation within Ontario’s beef sector.
“On behalf of the Ontario Forage Council, I would like to congratulate Robert and Emily McKinlay of Silver Springs Farm as deserving receipts of the DLF Pasture Award,” says Patricia Ellingwood, General Manager of the Ontario Forage Council. “This recognition reflects their outstanding commitment to exemplary pasture management and their dedication to building productive, resilient forage systems. Their leadership demonstrates how thoughtful grazing management and strong stewardship can drive sustainability in Ontario’s beef sector.”
The deadline for applications for the 2027 Ontario (Beef) Pasture Award is November 30, 2026