A commercial herd of cows and calves in Alberta. When selecting a calving season, one consideration is feed quality and abundance during the breeding season.

Selecting a calving season

When considering a different calving season, think about what you want to accomplish and how moving the calving date might affect everything from winter feeding costs to pregnancy rates

In a previous article, I talked about selecting good cows to make a good cow herd. So, what do I expect a good cow to do? Calve unassisted every year in the first 25 days of the calving season. That means that she will breed in the first cycle of each breeding season. Be a […] Read more

Dr. Gleise Silva hails from Recife, Brazil and earned her PhD in Florida before being named the BCRC-Hays research chair in beef production systems at the University of Alberta.

From Recife to Edmonton: Dr. Gleise Silva takes the helm of new research chair

Silva has a reputation for creating opportunities and an interest in connections between multiple research areas

Growing up in Recife, Brazil, an Atlantic port city criss-crossed by bridges and waterways that draws comparisons to Venice, Gleise Silva may have seemed like an unlikely candidate for a future beef cattle research chair. But Silva knew she wanted to work with animals one day. Her interest in agriculture and animals persisted through high […] Read more


Brenna Grant, manager of CanFax Research Services, is leading a nationwide effort to set benchmarks for the cow-calf industry.

Cost of production network set to make its mark on cow-calf industry

CCA-backed project to find benchmarks that make the most sense to individual producers

Benchmarking has become a major part of running a business today. Whether it’s comparing this year’s performance to past performance or looking at your profitability compared to similar operations in your region or province, it’s considered an essential tool for setting production goals. But finding the best benchmarks can be tricky. There are hundreds of […] Read more

Urban development and farmland at Stratford, Ontario. Land use policy needs to prioritize agriculture, says Wayne Caldwell, professor of rural planning and development at the University of Guelph. Photo: SkyF/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Protecting farmland through rural land planning

Thoughtful municipal land use policy, producer involvement needed to save agricultural land from urban development

With 20,000 to 25,000 hectares of Canada’s agricultural land lost annually to urban development, rural land planning that prioritizes agriculture is a necessity, says one expert. “Protecting farmland is also about protecting the farmer, and through that process, we end up protecting food and food production capacity as well,” says Wayne Caldwell, professor of rural […] Read more


Regular interactions with their customers and proximity to urban development has shaped Dean and Catherine Manning’s awareness of the public’s perception of agriculture.

Using natural advantages for a sustainable cow-calf operation

The 2021 TESA recipients discuss managing risk by working with the environment and the importance of building trust with customers

In a place described by poets as “the forest primeval,” Dean and Catherine Manning have built a business to be proud of in Nova Scotia’s agricultural paradise. With a unique climate and fertile farmland developed from salt marshes more than 300 years ago, all kinds of agricultural production flourish near the Minas Basin, from orchards […] Read more

Speaker promoting well-being takes the stage at Advancing Women in Ag Conference

Speaker promoting well-being takes the stage at Advancing Women in Ag Conference

Beverly Beuermann-King is ready to talk about supportive conversations, depression and self-care

Resiliency has been brought to the forefront in these last few months. It is the key to move forward in these changing times. The old strategies don’t work anymore,” says Beverly Beuermann-King, mental health and resiliency expert. Beuermann-King has been referred to as the “resiliency builder.” She has been a long-time spokesperson for mental health. […] Read more


The initial testing phase took place with 15 collars on cattle at the Thibeault Ranch in B.C.

Testing virtual fencing’s potential in B.C.

Pilot underway to develop technology fitting the needs of grazing in B.C.

When the British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association initiated a targeted grazing project to reduce wildfire risk in the wildland-urban interface, the prospect of rebuilding lost fencing to facilitate this was costly.  An estimated 900 kilometres of fenceline in B.C was burned in wildfires during 2017 and 2018, with a staggering projected rebuild cost of $14 million. […] Read more

A handful of corn silage. It’s easiest to collect a representative sample of silage while filling the pit.

How to sample feeds

From bales to silage to swath-grazing, experts share tips for getting representative samples

While high nitrates in feeds are more commonly seen in frost-touched plants, Saskatchewan Agriculture staff have been seeing high levels in drought-stressed crops this summer, highlighting the importance of feed testing this fall. “We’ve seen a really wide variety of test results come in, some as high as five per cent (for nitrates), which is […] Read more


Moist areas in otherwise dry pastures can offer prime habitats for lungworms.

Drought can heighten lungworm risk in summer and fall

The effect of lungworms depends on an animal’s immune system and how many larvae it has ingested, but the worst infections tend to occur in young animals

Luke Smith’s east quarter section on the edge of the Blue Hills southwest of Avonlea consisted mainly of slough grass and willow with patches of fescue and brome where prairie sat above a large spring-fed slough. The area provided abundant grazing for 20 replacement heifers and a bull. He called after checking the group with […] Read more

Shopping for groceries online is a trend that’s here for the long haul, in John F.T. Scott’s opinion. Online shopping has also revealed the importance of strong brands on beef.

Pandemic upends retail business for the long term

Price sensitivity, brand recognition and positive beef messaging are all areas to watch, says grocery industry consultant

March 2020 brought a seismic shift to the grocery industry, forcing Canadian supermarkets to completely change their everyday operations. Before COVID, grocery stores were generally stocking fewer packaged goods and offering more fresh products, and prepared in-house meals were popular. Online grocery shopping had drawbacks and only made up a tiny percentage of grocery volume. […] Read more