Many livestock producers who grow, manufacture or mix feed on-farm for their own animals continue to be exempt from the new regulatory requirements, which largely affect the commercial feed industry.

What do the modernized ‘Feeds Regulations’ mean for cattle producers?

The long-awaited “Feeds Regulations, 2024,” were published on July 3, 2024, marking the most significant legislative change for the livestock feed sector in 40 years. Industry and government stakeholders worked collaboratively to modernize these regulations for over a decade. This work was motivated by a need to better align Canada’s regulatory framework with modern-day industry […] Read more

drone view at Ag in Motion farm show

Using TMR mixers on a beef operation

TMR mixers are becoming a bigger conversation in the beef industry in recent years

Although total mixed ration (TMR) mixers have been popular on dairy operations historically, they are becoming more common on beef operations, as well. TMR mixers are used primarily for ruminant animals. For both dairy and beef, there are benefits and challenges to implementing a TMR mixer into an operation. TMR mixer 101 TMR mixers usually […] Read more


Cattle in the Canadian prairies

Ranchers share lessons learned from drought

Despite experiencing a million-dollar rain, beef producers are still asking how they can prepare for drought

Despite experiencing a million-dollar rain, 
beef producers are still asking how they can 
prepare for drought

Drought” is a word beef producers on the Prairies know well. For years, many areas in Western Canada have struggled through a prolonged drought. Although a “million-dollar rain” fell in many areas this past June, producers are still pondering lessons learned from previous years of drought, dealing with the lingering effects of several dry years, […] Read more

Cedric MacLeod farms with his wife, Alanda, and son, Kalen.

Maritime beef farmer starts with the forage

Linking profitability and agronomy through forage production 
in New Brunswick potato region

It’s early July 2024 and Cedric MacLeod is already preparing for winter. He’s knee-deep in harvesting hay and silage that will be bale feed for his herd in cold weather. Calving has just finished. Yesterday, the last calf of the season walked up to him in the field. He’s so fresh he doesn’t know who […] Read more


Canadian studies and research from the U.S. show that feeding cattle low bushel-weight barley can reduce feed efficiency and average daily gain.

Light barley: To buy or not to buy?

This year, crop yields in the Prairies have improved significantly compared to the last few years, thanks to increased rainfall in Western Canada. However, the dry and hot conditions in July and August negatively affected cereal grain quality in some areas. This weather occurred during a critical growth period for barley, specifically during the filling […] Read more

Lars Deleeuw of the Ontario Livestock Exchange became the first and youngest person to win both Rookie of the Year and Grand Champion the same year at the Canadian Livestock Auctioneering Championship.

Rise of the rookie auctioneer

Ontario auctioneer Lars Deleeuw is the youngest-ever winner of the Canadian Livestock Auctioneering Championship. He also took home Rookie of the Year

Glacier FarmMedia – Lars Deleeuw tipped his cowboy hat to the crowd as his rhythmic chant danced from the speakers. The 19-year-old self-taught auctioneer from Burford, Ont., swept the 25th annual Canadian Livestock Auctioneering Championship, winning Rookie of the Year and Grand Champion at the Livestock Marketing Association of Canada (LMAC) gala on May 24. […] Read more


Albert Mutcher’s advice to young cattle producers is to grow the herd slowly and leverage government incentives and programs.  Photo: Mallorey Bergen

A lifetime in the beef industry

After several decades in the cattle business, Albert Mutcher’s love for ranching remains constant

Seven decades ago, Albert Mutcher was doing many of the same things he does now. When he was just starting his agricultural career, he walked through his pastures west of Carman, Man., checking on his recently purchased herd of cattle. The future stretched far and wide in front of him, full of opportunity and as […] Read more

Pasture sage doesn’t affect pasture production, says an agrologist, but too much of it may be a sign that a producer needs to nourish grasses.

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


There are things producers can do to cope with a decline in their mental health while working on a succession plan, one thing in particular is starting a succession plan early and maintaining it through the years as the farm changes and children grow up.

Managing mental health during succession planning on the family farm

Succession planning is never easy, but understanding the pressure points and how to cope go a long way

When Doreen Blumhagen was starting her family, the farm was where she wanted to be. Blumhagen and her husband, Shannon, own and operate their farm near Halkirk, Alta., where they have grown crops and raised cattle for over 30 years. The sprawling, flat prairie dotted with wind turbines and herds of cattle is where Blumhagen […] Read more

Henry's farm consists of 30 acres, 20 of which are used for grazing and hay for his cattle.

Cattle ranching on Vancouver Island

While the climate is milder than the Prairies, island producers must contend with a small land base, high land prices and the cost of ferries

Vancouver Island contains a variety of landscapes: beaches with shells and the corpses of moon jellyfish, the frigid water of the Pacific Ocean washing in and out. A rugged, snow-capped mountain range looms over the island. Redwood trees reach high into the sky, the forest floor sheltered and mossy. There are grasslands here, too, in […] Read more