A helicopter dumps water on a forest fire in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia.

Comment: Trying to keep ahead of the fire

Back in May 2002, a guy was running a log skidder in some bush pasture on the north side of Turtle Lake, Sask. It was hot and dry, one of those days when the temperature was higher than the humidity. I’m not sure exactly what happened. Perhaps it was just a spark from the log […] Read more



man standing in a pasture with cattle in the background

Comment: Working within your circle of influence

What a time to be editing a monthly print magazine focused on the beef industry. By the time our April 2025 issue comes out, we may be, again, in the midst of more tariff threats, or even escalating tariffs. Perhaps President Trump will have modified or switched tactics by then. Who knows? I sure don’t. […] Read more

US President Donald Trump during an executive order signing in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. Trump ordered a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports, escalating his efforts to protect politically important US industries with levies hitting some of the country’s closest allies. Photographer: Al Drago/Pool/Sipa USA

Comment: Surviving Donald Trump’s political chaos

Depending on who you talk to, U.S. President Donald Trump is either a righteous genius, acting in the best interests of America, or a blustering fool who doesn’t know what he’s doing. Personally, I don’t think either of those assessments is correct, or fully correct, anyway. I think Trump understands how to create chaos and […] Read more


Photo: emholk/iStock/Getty Images

Comment: Stress, health and the bovine brain

Recently, I listened to an audio book, When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress by Gabor Maté, a Canadian physician who’s built a career studying the effects of trauma on health. Maté was born to Jewish parents in 1944 in Nazi-occupied Hungary, and a small part of the book reflects on his […] Read more

Comment: Answering challenges in the cattle industry

Comment: Answering challenges in the cattle industry

I recently chatted with a colleague who has been proofing and copy-editing farm magazines, including this one, for several years. We discussed how things have changed in the industry since the ’80s — mainly the roles of women in farming and ranching, and the related professions. I think women have always been vital to this […] Read more



The cover art on our December issue of Canadian Cattleman entitled, 'The Boys,' by artist Rebecca Shuttleworth.

Comment: The beauty of agriculture

One thing I admire about many artists and writers is how they can see the extraordinary in everyday moments, and then elevate it through their work. I think the cover for our December issue (see above), painted by Rebecca Shuttleworth, is a perfect example. Shuttleworth has built a part-time career as an artist, but she […] Read more


Ollie (the grey horse) seen here with several other of his equine pals.

Comment: Our complicated relationship with horses

I’ve recently decided it’s time to euthanize my old horse, Oliver — everyone calls him Ollie for short. He’s almost 28 years old, and growing increasingly arthritic. Winter is coming, and if I don’t have him put down before the miserable season begins, he may slip on ice and be unable to get up. Even […] Read more

Comment: Don’t let perfection get in the way of progress

Steve Kay included an interesting observation about the U.S. beef industry’s struggle to adopt electronic ID tags in his Prime Cuts column for our October issue. Those whose only answer to electronic ID is “no” and those who allow perfection to be the enemy of the good are creating a vacuum the government is happy […] Read more