

How to sample feeds
From bales to silage to swath-grazing, experts share tips for getting representative samples
While high nitrates in feeds are more commonly seen in frost-touched plants, Saskatchewan Agriculture staff have been seeing high levels in drought-stressed crops this summer, highlighting the importance of feed testing this fall. “We’ve seen a really wide variety of test results come in, some as high as five per cent (for nitrates), which is […] Read more

Bale grazing and pasture rejuvenation
Forage extension veteran Grant Lastiwka shares his winter-feeding strategy and explains how it fits into his year-round grazing system
Grant Lastiwka eats, sleeps and dreams forages. As one of Canada’s most enthusiastic forage extension specialists, Lastiwka is the go-to man for information on year-round grazing management. Past winner of the Alberta Forage Industry Network (AFIN) Leadership Award and former livestock and forage business specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Lastiwka has had an illustrious […] Read more

Seeding the Future: The curious cultivator
You probably haven’t heard of Axel Diederichsen, yet he holds our past, present and future in the palm of his hand. He’s been entrusted to protect a resource our very existence depends upon, and it on us. Those are the opening lines of Grainews editor Kari Belanger’s story about Axel Diederichsen, research scientist and curator […] Read more
Comment: Keep your pencil sharp
“The most important tool on the farm is the pencil.” That was the best farming advice Mike Buis ever received, and it came from his grandfather. Buis recently conducted a virtual tour of his family’s Chatham, Ont., beef farm for the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation. Coincidentally, a day or two before the Buis Beef tour, […] Read more

Timing key when managing high-nitrate feeds
News Roundup from the October 2021 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
You’ve tested your feed and you’ve got some high-nitrate crop in the field or the feedyard. What exactly are the risks to your cattle and what can you do to manage them? High nitrate levels can affect reproduction, and this time of year is especially risky for herds calving in May or June, says Barry […] Read more

Putting forage theory into practice
A new online guide explains how to maximize forage production and greenhouse gas sequestration
Forage and grassland farmers now have a practical, straightforward resource to discover best management practices for maximizing soil carbon sequestration. The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA) published the digital guide, Forage Best Management Practices for Enhancing Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration, earlier this year as one of the key deliverables of its four-year Agricultural Greenhouse […] Read more

Survey finds on-farm cover crop innovation occurring across the Canadian Prairies
Researchers at the University of Manitoba (UM) have shared the results from the 2020 Prairie Cover Crop Survey which captures a snapshot of the use and grower observations of this new practice. The report suggests that cover crops are becoming established in the Prairies and can be grown in a wide range of locations and […] Read more

Another La Nina winter predicted
Polar vortex to chill Prairies, more snow further east, AccuWeather says
Data compiled by a U.S. federal weather forecasting agency show La Nina conditions have developed over the central Pacific Ocean and are likely to linger through February. And La Nina, in turn, is expected to produce hard cold snaps over the Prairies, above-normal precipitation over southern British Columbia and relatively mild temperatures with more snow […] Read more

Is this a good investment?
Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen
The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) projects featured in this column are funded by the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off. When the check-off increased a few years ago, the BCRC’s budget rose from around 15 cents to 67 cents per head marketed. This allowed us to start some new research programs. Now that we’re a few […] Read more

White House not ruling out a U.S. carbon tax
Option 'not off the table' despite Manchin comment
Washington | Reuters –– The White House on Tuesday said it has not ruled out a carbon tax as a possible option for fighting climate change, even though U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, a critical holdout in the closely divided Senate, said he was not discussing the topic in talks about U.S. spending and infrastructure bills. […] Read more