The management of species at risk on pasture, rangelands and wild lands is an issue of considerable interest to most cattle producers. As a result it was highlighted at a workshop jointly sponsored by Environment and Climate Change Canada during the International Rangeland Congress in Saskatoon last summer. Several provincial environmental farm plans and producer-run […] Read more
Species at risk adds new emphasis to managing grasslands
New project looks at satellite mapping Canada’s range and forage lands
Sainfoin, alfalfa and grass mixtures being tested
High legume pasture project in process
A sprinkling of a new sainfoin was enough to ignite renewed interest in high legume pastures across Alberta and British Columbia last year. The case for high legume pastures was made long ago, both in research trials and in the field by experienced producers with the skill and nerve to turn up the alfalfa content […] Read more
The eye in the sky is watching your cows
In the mid-’70s, as a research scientist at the Melfort Research Station, I helped Saskatchewan Agriculture evaluate the first button-type electronic ear tags on our cows at the Pathlow pasture research project. At the time, I also had a big satellite remote sensing project to monitor pasture productivity. I would tell my colleagues that our […] Read more
New Zealand through the eye of a pasture manager
After Jack Kyle retired as Ontario’s pasture specialist following 30 years of service to Ontario’s beef producers, he and his wife Jean joined an agricultural tour to New Zealand to see the sites and have a look at agriculture in New Zealand. Some of what he saw there may provide food for thought to pasture […] Read more
Ranchers tell their story
Sustainability: News Roundup from the October 3, 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Scott Parker, with the National Film Board, is telling the good news story about grazing through nine short films on how ranchers on the Canadian Prairie are managing their grazing lands to sustain a healthy ecosystem. Called the “Grasslands Project,” the films tell important prairie stories from the southern end of Alberta and Saskatchewan about […] Read more
Points to remember when seeding forages
There are a few common mistakes made that limit the success of new forage establishments” says Joel Bagg, a former forage specialist with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and now with Quality Seeds. “One of the biggest problems is not seeding new forage stands often enough. Many alfalfa-based stands are simply too […] Read more
What perennial forage should I seed this year?
Cattle grazers all across Canada have a wide choice of perennial forage species that they can seed this year. But how do producers pick a species and variety to grow in their respective areas? The question of seeding in mixtures has always been a puzzle. In the 1960s and early 1970s, seed mixtures contained 17 […] Read more
Richardson Ranch at the end of the world
Visiting the famous Richardson Ranch on Haida Gwaii, formerly known as Queen Charlotte Islands, off the northern coast of British Columbia has been on my bucket list for many years. I was all set to go back in 2001 when I phoned Don Richardson and he indicated that it had been raining for 40 days […] Read more
Do you have enough cattle feed this winter?
You may have more than you think
We will always have to face drought. It’s inevitable. This past year is no exception. The biggest question you need to ask yourself as a cow-calf operator is, “DO I HAVE ENOUGH FEED TO GET THROUGH THE WINTER?” You need to take an inventory of your stored feed and then calculate backwards to see how […] Read more
Don’t waste your expensive feed
This will be a difficult winter for drought-stricken cow-calf producers. It will be essential to make the best use of available feed stocks and look at ways of reducing wastage of this valuable resource. Cows can be very wasteful creatures especially if forages are fed free choice be it dried hay or bale grazing. In […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
