In 2021, right before American Thanksgiving, I boarded a plane for Houston, Texas, to spend four weeks with a loved one who was fighting cancer, and who had no family or friends in the area. She was not technically my sister, but she was like one, and so that’s how I’ll refer to her. There […] Read more
Comment: Prioritizing fundamentals
Comment: Don’t look down
Years ago, I was starting a palomino mare that was smart, athletic and tended to express her displeasure by crow-hopping and bucking. Fortunately, she telegraphed her intention before she let loose, most of the time. But it made for some tense rides early in her career. I’ve made my share of mistakes with horses over […] Read more
Surviving scours
Prevention is the best medicine, but when you’re in the middle of an outbreak, it’s all about getting through it
Scours. It should be a four-lettered word, for all the misery it causes on cow-calf operations. Even with the best preventative practices, outbreaks can pop up in herds. And in the middle of an outbreak, the focus is on survival, for calves and humans alike. During an outbreak, producers are generally going to see a […] Read more
Online resources on everything from working with family to animal health
You’ve heard this before: Every farm and ranch is a system. Soil health, animal health, plant species, weather and climate, equipment, fencing, possibly a few stock dogs and horses and the people running the show all play a part in that system. Then you have markets and interest rates and input costs, and other financial […] Read more
Comment: Perspective
It was a frigid early morning in late January as artist Crystal Beshara headed from L’Orignal, Ontario, to Ottawa to teach a workshop. There was next to no traffic on the road that day and a heavy hoarfrost blanketed the landscape. As she drove, Beshara spotted some cattle. She noticed how the copper colours of […] Read more
Lloydminster AgEx searches for more volunteers
News Roundup from the December 2023 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
There’s little of November’s cool sting inside the Lloydminster Agricultural Exhibition Association buildings as exhibitors lead their cattle into the ring for Stockade Roundup. The smell of manure and slightly muffled sound of the announcers pervade the exhibition buildings, just like most cattle shows. Those not showing or fitting cattle visit in the barn or […] Read more
Coalition seeks farmers, ranchers to join climate change forum
Farmers for Climate Solutions aims to gather diverse viewpoints
A farmer-led group is hoping to cut through the politics surrounding climate issues by bringing together a diverse group of Prairie farmers and ranchers for discussions around sustainability. “There’s a number of loud voices that tend to dominate the conversations,” says Ian McCreary, a grain and cattle farmer from Bladworth, Sask. McCreary is co-leading the […] Read more
At Agribition: Livestock tech companies earn new spotlight
Canadian Animal Ag Tech Awards presented
Three companies were crowned winners at the first annual Canadian Animal Ag Tech Awards on Thursday during Canadian Western Agribition in Regina. The event spotlighted companies creating technology for the livestock industry, with products ranging from water sensors to artificial intelligence-powered monitoring systems. Australia’s Smart Paddock received the Innovation Award. The company’s GPS ear tags […] Read more
At Agribition: Northern community integrates tech, education into market garden
Flying Dust working to improve operation's food distribution
Riverside Market Garden, operated by Flying Dust First Nation, started in 2009 with two people and an old alfalfa field. Today it employs about 20 people, plus summer students; provides food for the community and some wholesalers; and gives youth a chance to learn about agriculture. Over the years the First Nation, just north of […] Read more
AUDIO: Managing resistant parasites in your cow herd
Research indicates that internal parasite resistance to some dewormers is likely widespread, but there’s no simple solution. There are, however, approaches that can work, and some that likely won’t. Dr. John Gilleard, professor of parasitology at the University of Calgary, busts some myths about resistant parasites, explains how they evolve to become resistant and what […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
