Bourgault offers a unit specifically designed for direct-seeding and fertilizer application on pasture and hay land operations. The Model 5730 Air Coulter Drill, known as the Cattleman's Special, is capable of extreme direct seeding, penetrating established pastures with next-to-no soil disturbance. This allows cattle producers to increase their options in pasture and forage management. The 5730 allows pasture fertilizing, pasture rejuvenation and pasture and forage field reseeding without the usual ripping and many tillage passes.
This is exactly what Del, Jason, and Murray Giles were looking for. Their operation, located just west of Brooks, Alberta, includes a 600 cow-calf operation, as well as 400 steers. Added to this is an average seeding job of 1400 acres on irrigation, some of which is alfalfa ground. “That's a lot of work for three people,” stated Jason. “The old way of seeding was just too intense. In the interest of wise time management, something had to change.”
They decided to look for a one-pass system for their farming operation. Some of their land has a sandy base, so moisture preservation and soil conservation was a factor in their decision. They also needed a seeding tool that produced minimal soil disturbance to address their concerns about field finish. A coulter drill seemed to be a natural fit.