Q. We have just experienced the driest May on record. The growth on my pastures is pretty dismal. I am under a lot of pressure and stress. Can H M help me? A. Yes, definitely. H M is a decision-making process. Good decision-making is always important. In difficult times it is critical. Thank you so […] Read more
Drought management for pastures: Q & A
Tips on getting past a drought and when you should consider destocking
Thinking about cattle price insurance
We are now in the second year of the price insurance program in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and B.C. Alberta producers have had price insurance for the last six years. It is an interesting program. It certainly has the potential to reduce the risk of price fluctuation. Since it has been available we have experienced steadily rising […] Read more
Planned grazing for livestock
Planned grazing describes the process we use to plan our grazing in holistic management. Planned grazing was developed by Allan Savory. It is based on two key points. The first is that overgrazing is due to time not the number of animals. It is vital that we understand this point if we want to have […] Read more
Holistic Ranching annual conference
About 150 people attended our annual HR conference at Manitou Beach near Watrous, Sask. David Irvine’s keynote address gave us two tasks for an integrated, successful life, individuation (growing up) and connection (having relationships). He says an integrated family business has four main points: People have their own goals and support each other in achieving […] Read more
Profit versus production in the cattle business: Part 3
This time I would like to look at a cow-calf operation versus a cow-yearling or a cow-long-yearling operation. Which one of these three options would be the most profitable in your unique situation? How long has it been since you compared the three options using your numbers to see if what you are currently doing is […] Read more
Profit versus production in the cattle business: Part 2
Last month we looked at cow size and profit. This month let’s look at calving dates and profit. I realize that this can be a controversial and emotional topic. My idea is to challenge you to figure out with your own numbers what calving dates will produce the most profit on your unique operation. There […] Read more
Profit versus production in the cattle business: Part 1
There is a tendency in the cow-calf business to put production before profit. I don’t understand this tendency and certainly don’t agree with it. Profit is essential if you want to stay in business. It is important to analyze our individual businesses and structure them for profit. Some of the areas we might analyze are: […] Read more
Planning ahead in the cattle business
I am writing this article in mid-October. At this time all indications are that cattle prices will remain strong through the fall run. I sincerely hope this occurs. By the end of the year everyone will have had the opportunity to benefit from the stronger prices. This is the first step to rebuilding confidence in […] Read more
The danger in strong cattle prices
Plan for a profit, but always keep a watchful eye on your cost of production
It may sound odd to suggest that there is a hidden danger in strong cattle prices. Perhaps there is a danger precisely because most producers don’t recognize that there is such a thing. I believe that there is a hidden danger. As responsible producers we need to recognize the danger and take steps to avoid […] Read more
Exiting the beef industry
I’ve written a couple of articles about benefiting from the current strong cattle prices. This month I want to target a group of producers from age 60 to 90. There are a lot of cows owned by producers in that age group. I happen to be one of them. With today’s strong market this might […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
