October 29, 2026 – Beatrice (Bea) Chan and Pablo Pineda Willis of All the Difference in Lakefield are the recipients of the 2026 DLF Sheep Pasture Award. The award, sponsored by DLF, the Ontario Forage Council, and Ontario Sheep Farmers was presented today at the Ontario Sheep Farmers Annual General Meeting and Lamb Banquet in Cambridge. For their exceptional pasture management they received a cash award of $250 and a bag of forage seed from DLF.

Bea and Pablo do not come from a farming background. Both began working on farms in high school. Bea first got introduced to sheep through Bob and Gail Irvine. The desire to be a sheep farmer lead her to start with three sheep and an acre and a half of land at her parents’ home. All the Difference grew from there.

Finding land to rent and grow the operation, All the Difference grew from 3 ewes to 75, focused on being 100% pasture-based systems. The flock lambs on grass and is on pasture all winter long, with an ATV used to unroll bales for winter feed. Intensive rotational grazing using the RAPPA 4-strand unwinder and electric nets, with one or two daily moves, is just the beginning of the pasture management practices.

All the Difference focuses on the fundamentals of any pasture system: soil microbial life, water management, and plant health. They sample soils for microbial biomass and apply compost as necessary. They’ve also implemented keyline design, a technique used to capture water on the landscape and spread it out for even moisture and retention, helping to make the pasture more resilient. A mobile shelter moves with the sheep to provide them shade in the summer and protection in the winter. The shelters have wi-fi and cameras to allow them to keep an eye on the flock when she’s not there.

While Bea is responsible for the on-the-ground operations of the farm, her brother Pablo is the business systems guy behind it all, ensuring the operation keeps running smoothly. The two sell their lamb and wool products direct-to customer through their website allthedifference.ca.

The farm is signing new leases for next season to increase to 200 acres, turning cash crop land and unmanaged lands into productive pastures.

When asked what’s one thing she’s really proud of in her operation, Bea says there’s not just one thing. It’s the attention to the whole system that makes the difference.

“It is exciting to see new producers coming together to forge their path in the industry. Driven by perseverance, ingenuity, and determination to overcome land and other limitations, All the Difference is an admirable example of how a shared vision and resourcefulness can encourage meaningful growth and innovation in the livestock sector,” said Patricia Ellingwood, General Manager of the Ontario Forage Council.

For more information please email admin@ontarioforagecouncil.com or call 519-986-1484.