(Photo courtesy WCVM)

Vet college’s full accreditation survives funding cut

The looming exit of one of its major funding partners notwithstanding, the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) has earned full accreditation through 2024. The American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) Council on Education, the accrediting body for veterinary colleges in North America, recently confirmed Saskatoon-based WCVM’s status as “Accredited (w/minor deficiency).” “Minor […] Read more

Christine Su began building her PastureMap software in 2014 and has added to its capabilities since then to the point where it now serves 8,000 ranches.

PastureMap: a digital ranch hand

Grazing management software helps track pasture performance

PastureMap is grazing management software sold around the world that got its start in no small measure because of Christine Su’s lifelong struggle with food allergies. “This drove me to try to source beef and dairy products from local farmers and ranchers that I knew, here in California. This opened my eyes to how complex […] Read more


Understanding where ticks such as this Rocky Mountain wood tick are and what influences their population will help develop strategies to avoid spreading of tickborne diseases.

A story to make your skin crawl

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

Cattle won’t be the only creatures enjoying fresh pasture this spring; so will the Rocky Mountain wood tick and the American dog tick, which can transmit anaplasmosis and other bloodborne diseases. Anaplasmosis was removed from the federally reportable disease list in 2014, so the government is no longer responsible for dealing with anaplasmosis outbreaks or […] Read more

In his long career Shabtai Bittman has studied forage production right across Canada.

An ecological approach to forage research

Top AAFC research scientist shares his thoughts on growing forages

Dr. Shabtai Bittman, one of Canada’s top sustainable cropping systems research scientists at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre in Agassiz, B.C., says growing forages for hay and pasture is very different than growing grain crops. “With forages, we are dealing with perennial crops that are subject to encroachment from other grasses and from weeds, […] Read more


Alberta studies showed 25-57 more grazing days and 31-92 per cent more profit from grass-legume stands versus grass alone.

A plug for grass-legume mixes for grazing

An ideal pasture depends on the goals of the producer

Research over the years in various regions has looked at the potential and advantages of grass-legume mixtures for pasture. A diversified pasture stand allows for different plants to thrive in different conditions, adding drought resistance. Legumes have a deep tap root and can penetrate deeper into the soil profile where there’s more moisture. Pastures with […] Read more

Pegged to the ground with bent rebar, the exclusion cages are strong enough to shield the grass inside, even while cattle scratch themselves on the cage.

Putting science into grass management

The Grazing Response Index scores foliage removal, grazing period and recovery time

When it came out of Colorado in the 1990s, the Grazing Response Index (GRI) was strictly at home on the range. Now Ducks Unlimited Canada’s Jodie Horvath says that, with a few tweaks, the grass management tool can help graziers on Western Canada’s tame pastures, too. “When you’re a farmer, a lot of things feel […] Read more


(Bovins.qc.ca)

Quebec cattle producers join national body

Quebec’s cattle producer group is now the ninth provincial member cattle organization in the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. Les producteurs de bovins du Quebec (PBQ) announced its membership in the CCA during the provincial body’s annual meeting Wednesday and Thursday in Quebec City. “At a time when new frontiers are continually opening up and our buyers […] Read more



Plant growth can vary greatly. For example, smooth bromegrass is at the 2 1/2-leaf growth stage in North Dakota's McLean County on April 20, 2017, and it is at the 3 1/2-leaf stage a day earlier in Grant County.

Proper timing of pasture turnout critical for drought recovery

Grazing cattle too early can end up reducing your stocking rate

North Dakota’s drought-stressed pastures, especially pastures stressed during the fall of 2017, should receive special care this spring to help them recover from the drought, North Dakota State University Extension Service grazing experts advise. “It is critical that these pastures are given adequate time to recover,” says Miranda Meehan, livestock environmental stewardship specialist. “Grazing too […] Read more