The 52nd Canadian Western Agribition was kicked off with the annual burning of the brand on Monday, November 20, the first day of Agribition. Premier Scott Moe was in attendance to burn the brand alongside retired agricultural reporter, Jim Smalley, who worked at CKRM. He worked for 50 years as an agricultural reporter before retiring […] Read more
Burning of the brand kicks off 52nd Agribition
Agribition a way to 'showcase what Saskatchewan has to offer'
Producers can manage Canada thistle with rotational grazing
News Roundup from the December 2023 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
For many cattle producers, Canada thistle is a perennial nuisance. As the most common weed found in Prairie pastures, the purple-flowered thistle is infamous for its ability to take over. Many producers aim to control it with herbicides. However, there may be a way to manage it with cattle grazing. Julia Smith with Small Scale […] Read more
Researchers work with pen riders to fine-tune BRD diagnosis
Graduate student hopes to ‘crack the code’ for BRD by combining pen rider experience with new technology
Pen riders are quintessential cowboys of the modern era — riding through groups of cattle, cowboy hats or baseball caps pulled low to block the sun as they note every single animal in the feedlot. Even in the winter, with frost building on the faces of cattle, horses and humans, pen riders are riding the […] Read more
Living Lab integrates Indigenous perspective into ag research
First Nations communities are working with several ag and environmental organizations on a Living Lab in north-central Saskatchewan
Anthony Johnston dreams of Indigenous people returning to agriculture on Indigenous lands. He remembers a time when family farms were a part of Indigenous communities. He reflects on how the buffalo were key to of a way of life for his ancestors on the Prairies. Standing at the front of the room at the International […] Read more
Researchers hope hybrid rye silage can help plug feed gap
With less ergot risk than conventional rye, hybrid rye may be a good option for some cattle feeders
Frank Zhang says when he talks to his colleagues about silage, they all are familiar with barley silage — but none are familiar with rye silage. “It’s very rare to find people using the rye silage,” Zhang says. “But thinking about the environment changing, just like the drought this year … this might provide an […] Read more
TESA winners focused on stewardship and succession planning
The Wray family aims for sustainability in everything from grazing practices to transitioning the ranch
After winning the Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA) for Alberta, Doug and Tim Wray were already happy with the success they’d had. They only had to travel an hour to the Canadian Beef Industry Conference, hosted in Calgary, Alta., in mid-August to see who won the national award, so making the trip was an easy decision. […] Read more
Data shows retail share of beef dollar growing
High retail prices have made consumers question why beef is so expensive. A joint project between BetterCart Analytics and the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association aims to provide some answers. The project looked at pricing data in 39 different cities and a variety of different retailers within Canada. Melanie Morrison, CEO and founder of BetterCart Analytics, […] Read more
Retired police officer finds passion in ranching
PEOPLE: Sean LaBrie found a second career as a rancher, and a zeal for restoring the land on his Didsbury-area ranch
When Sean LaBrie started his career with the Calgary Police Service, he likely didn’t realize that by the time he retired he’d be on a ranch an hour outside of the city, raising cattle on 640 acres. At that point in his life, cattle were barely more than a passing thought. Now, they’re his way […] Read more
Canola meal project sees more dramatic results in second year
News Roundup: Research will continue for one more year with yearlings
Results are in from the second year of a project feeding canola meal to cattle, and the weight gains were even more impressive in year two. In 2021, Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) started a project where they looked at using canola meal as cattle feed and the results […] Read more
Program connects students to ranchers
To Shirley Bartz, getting students involved with agriculture is one of the most important things she does. “It is extremely important to have kids aware of and active in and kind of personally invested in the ranching process,” Bartz says. Bartz is the education co-ordinator for the Prairie Conservation Action Plan and helps operate their […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
