The Lasser family’s ranch is near Chetwynd, in northeastern B.C.

Raising cattle at the gateway to Peace Country

Charlie Lasser has been farming since the 1940s, but he’s still trying new things to improve his feeding program and marketing strategy

Charlie Lasser has been farming since he was 15, and he’s learned a few things over the decades. Today he ranches in Chetwynd, in the Peace region of B.C., but he started out in Powell River, on the coast, where his parents had a small acreage and a few milk cows. In 1940, the family […] Read more

There are many ways to improve marketing tactics, says Brian Perillat, manager and senior analyst at Canfax.

Marketing game plan crucial in uncertain times

Here’s how to craft marketing tactics to manage risk and fatten your profit margin

Beef producers face many uncertainties, from weather to market fluctuations. Profit margins are thin or even negative. All that risk and uncertainty can make it difficult to develop a good marketing plan or know when to tweak marketing strategies. But unexpected events are one reason producers need a good plan, says Anne Wasko, a market […] Read more


Regenerative grazing is designed to mimic the symbiotic relationships in nature.

The impact of herbivores

From the Ground Up with Steve Kenyon

Grasslands need the herbivore just like the herbivore needs the grasslands. It is a symbiotic relationship that has lasted thousands of years without us. Nature already had this figured out long before humans came into the picture and we need to respect the laws of nature. The problems occur when we try to manipulate nature. […] Read more

Robbie Hale of Maverick Livestock stands in the family’s cocktail crop near Hines Creek, Alta.

Lessons learned growing cocktail crops

Despite an adverse start, cocktail crops have become a regular part of the Hale family’s crop rotation over the last six years

It is a long, long way from Dallas, Texas to Hines Creek, Alta. But the distance did not deter Curt Hale’s grandfather and father from making the move to Alberta’s Peace Country. The Hale family calls their operation Maverick Livestock, an apt name, with a maverick being an unorthodox or independent-minded person. The pioneering spirit […] Read more


A glimpse of the livestock handling demonstrations at Ag in Motion in 2019.  Livestock Central has moved online for 2020.

Eight tips for efficient, safe livestock handling systems

If you’re in the market for a new handling system, consider safety, footing and how the system will be used

The basic purpose of a livestock chute and handling system is to hold, sort, direct, position, control and treat. If designed properly, the system will reduce operator handling time and effort, minimize animal injury and stress, plus allow anyone using it to do so safely. 1. Decide what is needed First, it is important to […] Read more

“The problem with the dietary guidelines talking about sustainability is you have nutrition experts without any sustainability expertise.” – Shalene McNeil, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Keeping beef on the plate

Concerns about beef’s place in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are prompting the largest beef organization in the U.S. to advocate for a focus on nutritional science

The latest diet trends have shone a spotlight on protein, and for good reason. The emphasis on protein in popular programs such as the keto diet provides an opportunity for beef to stake its claim as the top choice for consumers wanting more protein. “The more we get protein on their radar, the importance of […] Read more


Use a cooler with ice or heat packs to keep vaccines at the right temperature.

Make vaccinations work for your cattle herd

When giving a shot, make sure it isn’t a shot in the dark

As ranchers begin another calving season and vets stock their shelves with vaccines and supplies, now is the time to review vaccination protocols and management practices to make sure the herd is protected. Dr. Glen Griffin of South West Animal Health Centre in Swift Current, Sask., has been serving the southwest since 2004, when he […] Read more

What personality style fits you, and why am I a dragonfly? Read on.

Why I need nerds

From the Ground Up with Steve Kenyon

“Delineate in specificity the phantasmagorical conglomeration in your intellectual cranium vacancy.” This was a quote that I memorized in Grade 9. I can still spout it off at any time if I need to end a conversation. It was a quote from Maclean’s magazine, relaying what one politician said to another. If you are not […] Read more


The show barns are a place to not only get ready for the ring, but visit and do business.

Doing business at Agribition

How do major livestock exhibitions facilitate commerce? Canadian Western Agribition provides a case study

For those who know it, stepping into the show barns feels like coming home. The sound of blowers competes with speakers blasting everything from classic country to AC/DC. Clipping chutes are pulled into the aisles, with capable teams of fitters putting on the finishing touches in time for the next class. In this atmosphere, there’s […] Read more

Three generations of the Stokke family take a break from working cattle for a picture. Randy and Terry are happy to see that the land that has supported their family will continue to do so into the future.

Dealing with a protection order for species at risk

Decades of carefully managing native pastures, documentation and open communication were key to convincing government officials and conservationists that this ranch is supporting wildlife

A landscape like the Palliser Triangle holds its own challenges for raising livestock. These trials are well understood by those who make their living on the arid plains, shaping how they manage the native prairie to sustain their herds and the world around them. But when an emergency protection order (EPO) under the federal Species […] Read more