What’s the potential for silage and grain corn in Western Canada? That’s the question federal researchers Vern Baron in Lacombe and Karen Beauchemin in Lethbridge are trying to answer with the financial backing of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Beef Cattle Research Council’s Beef Research Cluster. “It is estimated that there is a potential […] Read more
What’s all the fuss about corn on the Prairies?
To rejuvenate a pasture focus on legumes and weeds
High-intensity/low-frequency grazing was the most effective system for the grasses to remain competitive
Graeme Finn and his wife Heather rent 3,200 acres of pasture on long-term lease to graze 1,000 yearlings and their beef cow herd year round near Madden, Alta. They rely on intensive rotational grazing of high-legume and annual crop pastures so you can understand why each pasture was assessed for potential productivity before it was […] Read more
The Bar U Ranch has a special place in Canadian history
Nestled in the foothills of southern Alberta with the majestic Rocky Mountains in the background, the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site of Parks Canada just south of Longview commemorates the history of the Canadian ranching industry. Established in 1882, the Bar U Ranch was one of a small group of large corporate ranches in […] Read more
Free range, grass-fed beef, born and grazed in Hawaii
Large-scale ranch raises premium quality beef for local economy
There is more to Hawaii than bikinis and surfing! There is a big-scale ranching industry, especially on Maui. The 29,000-acre Haleakala Ranch situated in Maui at the base of the Haleakala Mountain (Maui’s tallest) has kept the same core values of family and community that it had when H. P. Baldwin incorporated the ranch back […] Read more
You can learn a lot about grazing yearlings from a dairy man
For 25 years Jan and Marian Slomp have been making a good living harvesting grass with dairy cows at their farm east of Rimbey, Alta. “We run a grass and grain farm and we seldom need to buy any feedstuffs off the farm except a little protein concentrate. Our profit margin is up and we […] Read more
Swift Current researchers take the long view
The central grasslands of the northern great plains of Western Canada is a major forage growing area and makes up a significant portion of the landscape of the Prairies. This semiarid region extends from southwestern Manitoba to southwestern Alberta; north to just below Saskatoon and south to the United States border. Swift Current Ag Canada […] Read more
A successful calving season starts with your bull
My curling buddy is one of the best young cow-calf managers that I know. I recently asked him what his management strategies were for having a successful calving season. “The No. 1 issue is buying the best bull you can find,” my friend said. “Pay the extra money to get a top-performing bull as he […] Read more
To Rest Or Not To Rest… That’s The Question!
Dr. Jim Romo, a range ecologist at the University of Saskatchewan asks the question. “Why do we rest hay fields and not pastures?” “We need to focus on the forage in the pasture and what happens before and after grazing,” says Romo. “Grasses are tough, if we just give them a rest.” But really, how […] Read more
I Cannot Produce Beef Any Cheaper Than I Do Right Now
Farmers keep telling Dr. Vern Baron, crop physiologist at Lacombe Research Centre in Alberta that they cannot produce beef any cheaper than they do right now. With the economic downturn in the beef industry for the past few years many producers still ponder this question. What are they going to do? Is there a future […] Read more
Alfalfa… A Research Roundup
“The benefits of using alfalfa in a grazing system far outweighs the risks. With proper management one can keep losses at a very low level,” says Paul McCaughey former forage beef research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Brandon Research Centre. During his years at Brandon, Paul was instrumental in developing grazing systems that utilize […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
