An annual checkup for native pasture

An annual checkup for native pasture

The Grazing Response Index is simple, and inexpensive

The grazing response index (GRI) is a simple do-it-yourself way to evaluate the impact of grazing pastures, and it doesn’t cost anything but your time. “The GRI gives quick feedback each year, but doesn’t replace comprehensive assessments every five years or so to gather the full set of information for monitoring long-term trends,” explains Dr. […] Read more



Parched Prairie forages hang in under stress

Parched Prairie forages hang in under stress

CNS Canada — Sporadic rains and prolonged periods of dryness are taking their toll on forage crops in Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan. According to Terry Kowalchuk, a forage crop specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in Regina, the eastern half of the province is managing, but the situation is worse in the province’s west. The western […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Sask. extends greenfeed seeding deadline

Livestock producers in parched areas of Saskatchewan now have until mid-month to seed insured acres to cereal greenfeed. The federal and provincial governments on Thursday announced an extension of Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp.’s deadline for seeding greenfeed to July 15, from June 30. Producers signed up for crop insurance will now be able to seed […] Read more



Farmland south of Turtleford benefited from recent rain. (Lisa Guenther photo)

Guenther: Rain drops in on NW Sask.

Farmers and ranchers in northwestern Saskatchewan received much-needed rain late last week and over the weekend. Tom Brown raises cattle and is a crop reporter for Saskatchewan Agriculture and the reeve for the Rural Municipality of Mervin. His farm at Turtleford, about 80 km east of Lloydminster, received 11 mm of rain on Thursday night, […] Read more



Dry areas of Prairies still waiting for rain

Dry areas of Prairies still waiting for rain

CNS Canada –– The continued lack of moisture across a large portion of Alberta and Saskatchewan is becoming more of a concern for farmers in the region, but there is a chance of rain in some nearby forecasts. Shannon Friesen, a cropping management specialist for Saskatchewan Agriculture in Moose Jaw, said some livestock producers are […] Read more

Canada thistle isn’t a weed, it’s a plant that pops up to cover bare spots in overgrazed pastures.

Can Canada thistle be a remedy for overgrazing?

This 'pioneer species' may help maintain the soil surface

Of all the different species of forages that grow in my pastures, my favourite plant is the Canada thistle. It actually comes from southeastern Europe originally, so I am not sure how we Canadians got credit for it, but either way I’m proud to call it my own. Canada thistle is what I refer to […] Read more