Great-horned Owl perched in a farm hedgerow (David Bradbeer) Short-eared Owl hunting voles over a grassland (Hank Tseng). A farm lane in Delta, BC (Tyler Garnham). A Marsh Wren singing atop a hedgerow (David Bradbeer). A diversity of food grown in Delta, BC (Markus Merkens). Coopers Hawk perching on a fence (Markus Merkens). Barley growing in a Delta field (Tyler Garnham). Trumpeter Swans feed on a cover crop (David Bradbeer). Spring plowing on a Delta farm (Markus Merkens). Snow Geese taking off from a farm field (David Shackleton) Ladybird beetle on a barley plant (David Bradbeer)

Grassland Set-aside Stewardship Program

The Grassland Set-aside Stewardship Program encourages farmers to plant fields with grasses and clover to restore the soil. The fields are "fallowed" for up to 4 years. Grassland set-asides benefit farming and wildlife by:

• Providing habitats for wildlife including grassland raptors, wading birds, songbirds, small mammals, and pollinating insects
• Improving soil fertility by increasing organic matter in the soil
• Helping farmers transition to organic production by spanning the 3-year certification period

Grassland set-asides support high densities of the Townsend's Vole, a small native mammal that is prey for a variety of raptors and wading birds. Set-asides also provide roosting habitat for ground-perching raptors, such as the Northern Harrier and Short-eared Owl.

For more information, read:

2010 Annual Report

Grassland Set-aside Fact Sheet & Program Guidelines

A Grassland Set-aside in west Delta looks like an ordinary field of tall grass...

...but small mammals like the Townsend's vole build extensive tunnels under the grassy cover...

...and become prey for a diversity of raptors, like this Short-eared Owl.