graphic showing the shoulder structure differences in beef cattle

Structure underpins bull power

Two ranchers explain how they think a herd sire should be put together and why

What does a good bull look like? It’s a perpetual question during bull buying season, so Canadian Cattlemen asked a commercial producer and a seedstock beef producer how they evaluate bull conformation. Rawes Ranches A family member regularly reminds Philip Harty, owner of Rawes Ranches at Strome, Alta., that cattle producers should be in the […] Read more


Graeme Finn (left) and Kelly Boles (middle) in a field of corn in Mongolia. Both are consulting along- side Telus Agriculture for Metagro to advance agricultural practices in Mongolia.

Mongolian company turns to Canada for agricultural expertise

Mongolia is behind in technology, but borders on huge markets, motivating those working in agriculture to learn as much as they can

When you think of Mongolia, you likely don’t think about how it may be similar to Canada. Instead, you might think about its vast wilderness or mountain ranges that run into the frigid Gobi Desert. You may know of the traditional culture of Mongolian nomads or the history of the Mongol Empire. Though there are […] Read more

A pronghorn antelope in the wild in Western Canada. The Habitat and Biodiversity Assessment Tool helps farmers prioritize biodiversity projects on their farms.

Province-specific tools help evaluate habitat and biodiversity

The tools will help forage and pasture managers identify best practices

Canadian producers will soon have access to province-specific online Habitat and Biodiversity Assessment Tools for individual provinces. Each provincial tool is meant to help land managers gain an understanding of important habitats and biodiversity on their land and the beneficial management practices they could implement to sustain them. The tool was originally developed in Alberta […] Read more


A Welsh pony trotting in a field. For some reason, more ponies were infected with Western equine encephalitis in Dr. Clarke’s experience, but all horses, and humans, are susceptible.

Sleeping sickness in horses

Veterinary Case Study: Symptoms of Western equine encephalitis and tips for preventing the disease

Jane’s desperate phone call came after school Monday afternoon. She had noticed something different with Sisco last night when she groomed him. Sisco, a Welsh-cross, failed to eat his oats, seemed restless and wanted to lay down. Getting up when urged became difficult. Her hunch something might be seriously wrong with her new pony turned […] Read more

VIDEO: Looking at change and authenticity on the ranch

VIDEO: Looking at change and authenticity on the ranch

Depth of Field with Kelly Sidoryk

David Irvine has long been a mentor of mine and a leader in the field of organizational development. He began his career in family systems therapy and expanded from there. He now describes himself as the leadership navigator. Irvine hosts a monthly webinar to support people’s growth. One of the recent ones was titled “Embracing […] Read more


Since moving to Saskatchewan, the Stewarts have changed some of their grazing and winter feeding practices, and have been pleased with the results.

The big move: Relocating the ranch

The Stewart family undertook a modern cattle drive, moving their operation from B.C. to Saskatchewan

Ranching is ranching, wherever you are. Or is it? Erika and Cyle Stewart would likely say it is, and it is not. Relocating a house and family to another province is no small task. Make it an entire ranch and cow herd and you are at a whole other level. In 2017, the Stewarts had […] Read more

One of Klopatek’s projects while attending the University of California, Davis, was to ask U.S. ranchers “What does sustainable ranching mean to you?” She put the responses together in this word cloud in the shape of cow, with the size of type reflecting how often the word was used. Her full report is: Klopatek, Sarah C., et al. 321 Rancher Motivations for Joining Sustainability Programs. Journal of Animal Science 101.Supplement_3 (2023): 253-254.

Sustainability in the beef sector is a ‘big picture’ topic

Resilient beef production benefits the environment along with the economic fabric of the country, says the chief livestock scientist for JBS

Some of Sarah Klopatek’s first recollections of being connected to science and the land was at the age of five, helping her parents, who were soil scientists, collect soil samples from U.S. rangeland. “They had research projects and field work every summer out in native grasslands and took me along,” says Klopatek, who is today […] Read more


VIDEO: Nothing new here with transition planning, or is there?

VIDEO: Nothing new here with transition planning, or is there?

Depth of Field with Kelly Sidoryk

When visiting with a fellow producer at a recent industry conference, he said, “Succession, succession, succession. Every time I open a magazine or article, that is what it is all about.” So why are we continuing to talk (or write) about it? Because many of us are facing it, and struggling. It is hard. The […] Read more

This trail camera photo shows a family of grizzly bears near a well-travelled livestock trail.

Truth or bear: Reducing grizzly confrontations on the ranch

As grizzly bear numbers stabilize and perhaps increase, what can ranchers in Alberta and B.C. do to stay safe?

Cattle producers are no strangers to working through conflict and managing difficult relationships but imagine if your adversary is a 350-pound grizzly bear that has decided to help itself to one of your cows. For beef producers living and ranching in bear country, managing carnivore conflicts is a reality and can evoke a lot of […] Read more