Harvesting in Saskatchewan is in the home stretch as warm and dry conditions for the week ended Sept. 30 saw a 12-point gain to 91 per cent complete, the provincial agriculture department reported.
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Combining in Saskatchewan ahead of five-year average
Making hay when the sun isn’t shining
The 2024 forage season is looking much different in the Prairies than the last few years. As the season started, we were quite worried about the lack of moisture we had in Western Canada in the last few years, which drastically reduced forage and grain yields. However, we have generally had a lot of moisture […] Read more
Native plant 411 for livestock producers
The native plants in your pasture tell a story about everything from disturbances to soil quality
Southwest of Calgary, Alta., as the jagged peaks of the Rockies level out to the Prairies, rough fescue grows in dense tufts. This native plant is Alberta’s provincial grass and a tasty meal for livestock in the fall and winter. Saskatchewan’s provincial grass is needle-and-thread grass, named after its sharp seed tip and long awn. […] Read more
Managing grazing through drought
Understanding how plants respond to drought is key to adapting your grazing strategy
I first met Dr. Alex Johnston, one of Canada’s leading range management scientists, at a 4-H camp that I was helping to lead in a wilderness area in the mountains north of Pincher Creek, Alta., many years ago. He was an impressive figure, dressed in his ceremonial headdress, given to him when he was inducted […] Read more
Finding a forage to fit your farm
What do you need to think about when you’re considering a cover crop or a perennial legume
Last summer, Canadian Cattlemen caught up with Graeme Finn, rancher and founder of Union Forage, at Ag in Motion. Here’s what he had to say about everything from cover crop blends to the “slow ponies” of the forage world — perennials. Know your soil “Before you even start down this journey with cover crops, know […] Read more
Global study looks at grazing’s effect on drylands
A recent study is untangling the interactions between grazing pressure and climate on soil quality in different sites around the world. Dr. Fernando Maestre Gil, a researcher at the University of Alicante in Spain, was the lead writer of an article published in 2022 in Science magazine called Grazing and Ecosystem Service Delivery in Global […] Read more
Saskatchewan holds Crown grazing rents at last year’s levels
Also, leaseholders on drought-downgraded land eligible for rate cut
Cattle producers leasing Crown land for grazing in Saskatchewan won’t see a rate hike this year and may be eligible for a significant rate cut. The provincial government announced Wednesday it has frozen the rates charged to producers who lease Crown grazing land in 2023 at their 2022 level. The freeze will apply to all […] Read more
Turning weeds into feed
A variety of noxious weeds have been deemed as safe alternative forages for cattle
A noxious weed is an invasive non-native species that may reduce the yield of existing crops and forages if not controlled through herbicide application or by other means. Many weed species can be consumed by cattle and provide nutritive value during drought-induced feed shortages, while at the same time reducing herbicide use. Kochia (Bassia scoparia) […] Read more
More grass, less gas, more money
Good grazing management pays dividends for both farmer and the environment
As Canada works to reach the goals set in its 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, many industries, including agriculture, are looking at ways to cut emissions, but discussed less often are measures to prevent them in the first place. Alberta rancher and custom grazier Steve Kenyon is the lead grazing mentor in the Canadian Forage and […] Read more
Manitoba trials forage grass from Africa
At one of Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiative’s (MBFI) field days this summer, MBFI showed off a new trial — teff grass. Initially grown in a plot trial at the Parkland Crop Diversification Foundation in 2020, MBFI decided to try the crop in a larger trial after seeing the success at the foundation. “I would […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
