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

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