Research organizations have adapted to cuts to extension by partnering with other agencies, or adopting different innovative practices, to bring knowledge from the lab or research farm to working farms and ranches.

Getting livestock research into practice

With the decline in government extension, other organizations have shifted gears to try to cover some of that ground

The large gaps left when governments stopped providing a full range of on-the-ground advisory services to farmers are slowly getting filled with useful and accessible resources, according to industry experts.  “In the 1990s in Ontario, the Ministry of Agriculture cut those services and it meant different sectors reacted differently with no defined process,” says Mike […] Read more

Calvin Gavelin discusses his poly-crop seed blend with representatives from A&W Canada and Cana- dian Geographic Magazine. Gavelin’s farm is one of the Living Labs sites.

Agriculture Canada launches new Living Lab project at Saskatchewan’s South of the Divide

The producer-centred project will look at how land managers can mitigate climate change on the Prairies, as well as promote biodiversity and provide other benefits

There is a group of ranchers in southwest Saskatchewan that is very active in maintaining the native rangelands. Over the years these ranchers, who are part of the South of the Divide Conservation Action Program, have aimed to maintain their conservation plan, benefiting the environment in their community in the southwest. The South of the […] Read more


Ranchers herding cattle. Running a ranch business means not only managing production, but also economics and finance, marketing and people.

Profitable ranching — is it possible?

If you’re trying to improve your ranch’s profitability, here are a few things to consider

While not intending to offend anyone, I will express some concerns that may do just that. Most of the conventionally managed ranches on the North American continent are not profitable. A few are. Many are just breaking even when you take an average of good and bad years. And, quite a few are going broke. […] Read more

I agree that we should reduce fertilizer use and that we need to worry about the environment, but we also have to worry about the people.

Farmers need nitrogen

Let’s focus on increasing the carbon content in our soils

There sure is a lot of fuss about nitrogen right now. Farmers are protesting the new rules about nitrogen use and I get it. When your way of life is jeopardized, it is only natural to push back. I want to stress that we can’t forget about the human element in this situation. For years, […] Read more



The Fossen family, Rock Creek, B.C.

Ranching in a tough environment

The Fossen family seeks to improve the environment and cut wildfire risk at their ranch in southern B.C.

It’s the night of the banquet at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference (CBIC) in Penticton, B.C. Cowboy hats are found sporadically throughout the room. Banquet staff have cleared supper plates, and now the crowd’s attention is focused on Duane Thompson with the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) as he lists all the nominees for the Environmental […] Read more


The 2030 Canadian Beef Goals Panel from the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Pentiction, B.C. Brenna Grant is third from left.

2030 Canadian Beef Goals highlight carbon emissions

Unpacking the carbon emission goals, the ongoing research and what it all means for Canada’s beef producers

On a stage with the lights dimmed, Brenna Grant sits with several other industry professionals, looking out on a room full of people. From all over the country, they’ve met in Penticton, B.C., to discuss the future of their industry at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference. One of those possible futures is encompassed in the […] Read more

Garner Deobald’s Charolais heifers eat canola meal from a trough during his work with the canola meal research project.

Canola meal for cattle. What are the gains?

An on-ranch research project analyzes the costs and gains of feeding canola meal to yearlings

Hodgeville, Sask., looks like it could be a postcard for the province — surrounded by flat fields and cattle grazing in nearby pastures, while an old elevator stands watch at the edge of town on Railroad Avenue, just like so many other small towns in the Canadian Prairies.   In contrast, Big Muddy Valley, located near […] Read more


Maximizing growth while limiting digestive disorder can make wheat grain a profitable addition to feedlot diets.

Optimizing wheat grain use in feedlot diets

Researchers explore whether processing wheat can reduce its potential to cause digestive upsets, and allow feedlots to use this high-protein, high-energy feed

Wheat is notorious for being a highly fermentable cereal grain and its inclusion in finishing feedlot diets is often restricted to avoid digestive disorders such as rumen acidosis and bloat. Adverse growing conditions frequently result in wheat grain with elevated mycotoxin levels that fail to meet the standard for human consumption. But such wheat may […] Read more

Saskatchewan Goose Company, an outfitting business near Turtle Lake, Sask.

No trespass: The public good

This is the final story in a five-part series. Read the first, second,  third and fourth stories here. There is not enough time in the day to talk about all the things Tyler Mann loves about hunting. It’s not just about taking home game. It’s about being outside, seeing the sunrise, deciphering waterfowl behaviour and even convincing the […] Read more