“Hush” by Crystal Beshara.

Comment: Perspective

It was a frigid early morning in late January as artist Crystal Beshara headed from L’Orignal, Ontario, to Ottawa to teach a workshop. There was next to no traffic on the road that day and a heavy hoarfrost blanketed the landscape. As she drove, Beshara spotted some cattle. She noticed how the copper colours of […] Read more


A view from our tour overlooking the valley north of Rosetown, Sask.

Comment: Navigating tradition and change

“Tradition can be a hard master.” It’s a comment that I’ve been chewing on for weeks since hearing it. I do, after all, work for a print magazine, which is caught in a great wave of change. We’re trying our best to maintain the print magazine’s quality while also launching new things — recent examples […] Read more

Cowboy on Horse During Cattle Roundup

Comment: Fall run, beef demand and retail prices

Fall sales were off to a strong start when I penned this column last month, with 300-lb. to 400-lb. steers fetching over $5 per pound in some cases. Deb McMillin noted record-high feeder prices in The Markets, with 550-lb. steers averaging $401.79. Where they’re at by the time you’re reading this remains to be seen […] Read more


Comment: Jody Wilson-Raybould on leadership

Comment: Jody Wilson-Raybould on leadership

When you read the phrase “great leader,” what pops into your head? I didn’t get to know Reg Schellenberg very well before he passed away last December. But those who did know him often use words such as quiet leadership, gentle demeanour, firm, confident and a good listener when describing his leadership style. It’s fitting […] Read more

Talking to a seller about disease history in their herd and asking about herd records is a good idea, says the research chair at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

Comment: Beware Trojan cows

You’ve probably read the story of the Siege of Troy, or at least watched the movie with Brad Pitt. If not, here is a summary: Queen Helen of Sparta absconded with or was abducted by Paris. They sailed back to his hometown of Troy. Her husband, King Menelaus, was displeased and roped his friends Odysseus […] Read more


Comment: Resilience

Comment: Resilience

On July 5, a young man named Lane from Alberta called into The Ramsey Show, a personal finance podcast and radio show founded by a southern Baptist named Dave Ramsey, who issues fiery sermons against personal debt. Asked by the show’s hosts how he was doing, Lane said: “Pretty good, pretty good, can’t complain.” Lane […] Read more

The cover of the June 1938 inaugural issue of Canadian Cattlemen magazine.

Comment: Canadian Cattlemen celebrates 85 years

It was 85 years ago this month that Kenneth Coppock launched this magazine. Coppock first conceived of the idea in March 1938, when he decided the industry needed a publication that would capture the experiences of the industry pioneers, while also developing an “industry-consciousness.” Three months later, Canadian Cattlemen was born. “It was launched at […] Read more


Provincially and federally inspected plants draw on different labour pools, so they face different challenges.

Comment: Unpacking the report on packers

The beef processing industry has been under scrutiny on both sides of the border. Low cattle prices coupled with high beef costs elicited a general feeling that cattle producers were getting the short end of the supply chain. But the question, as always, is what are we going to do about it? There’s little appetite […] Read more

Dr. John McKinnon.

Comment: John McKinnon on mentorship

When the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame announced its 2023 inductees earlier this year, I was pleased to see long-time Canadian Cattlemen contributor Dr. John McKinnon on the list. McKinnon’s research career has focused on feed utilization, especially byproduct feeds, but he’s also dedicated a good deal of time to extension. McKinnon was the first […] Read more