cattle in a dry pasture in Alberta under a blue sky

Drought may be new normal for beef producers

Producers talk shop on how they’ve been getting through years of drought

The 2020s did come in with a roar, but not the kind people hoped for, as drought has plagued much of Western Canada since 2021. The pastures were dry across the Prairies, the grass brittle, more brown than green. Dugouts ran dry and in some areas, hay production was about a quarter of normal. Water […] Read more

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Prairie forecast: Warm west, cooler east

This forecast period starts with the last of the bitterly cold air departing Manitoba thanks to a weak area of low pressure that moved through on Wednesday. This low, combined with an area of high pressure building over the northwestern U.S., helped to pull mild air in off the Pacific and push it eastwards across the Prairies.



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Prairie forecast: Mild start replaced by Arctic high pressure

Forecast issued January 15, covering Jan. 15 to 22, 2025

We start this forecast period with an area of low-pressure sliding southeastwards through the southern Northwest Territories and into northern Manitoba. This low is pulling mild air northwards, which means a continuation of mild temperatures in Alberta, while Saskatchewan and Manitoba are seeing a rapid rebound from the cold start to the week.


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



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Prairie forecast: Battle between warm and cold

Forecast issued January 8, covering January 8 to 15, 2025

For this forecast period, the weather models have been bouncing back and forth between a return to cold weather after a brief mid-week warmup or a return to the mild weather pattern we saw during much of December. The models have been slowly converging towards the milder solutions, but at this point confidence in the second half of this forecast period is low.



cattle in a corral in the winter season

Cameras make a difference in winter calving

Winter calving can be a challenge, but cameras make it easier

Winter is here in full force, and freezing temperatures, large dumps of snow and short days can make winter calving a challenge for seed stock producers. However, technologies such as calving cameras can help make it much easier by saving time and labour. For many, it has become a necessary tool on their operations. Winter […] Read more

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Prairie forecast: Colder weather moving in with the New Year

Forecast issued Dec. 31, covering Dec. 31 to January 8, 2025

For this forecast period, it looks like the quiet weather pattern will continue as the weather models are not showing any big storm systems impacting the Prairies. We should continue our slow cooldown with temperatures during most of this forecast period looking to be near to below average.