Dr. Roger Davis, based in Alberta, continues to influence embryo transplant technology in Canada and around the world.

Embryo evolution: Transplant technology fuels a career for Roger Davis

Dr. Roger Davis reflects on what he’s learned after decades as a leader in the embryo transfer and export business

Canadian beef cattle genetics have improved over decades as trends, production methods and market access channels evolve. Dr. Roger Davis, one of the founders of Davis-Rairdan Embryo Transplants, an elite embryo export business, is synonymous with the advancement and movement of beef cattle genetics. Throughout Davis’s notable career, he has been actively involved in spearheading […] Read more

A facility constructed entirely of modular components in Yar-Sale, Western Siberia. The area is known for extreme temperatures and reindeer meat processing.

Linking the supply chain through modular processing plants

A new company aims to disrupt the meat processing industry and deliver the kinds of cuts customers want through modular buildings

When representatives from the meat industry, microbrew marketing, and feedlot sectors come together, the pieces of a new- to-Canada enterprise begin to snap into place. Almost literally.  Larry Dalton, James Bradbury and Jeff Ball combined their unique viewpoints to create a new method of branding and marketing beef, specifically building small processing plants on local […] Read more


Jenilee Peters scanning dried, ground feces on the NIRS.

Demystifying near-infrared spectroscopy

Unpacking how this technology works and how it can used to analyze forage, feed and feces

The composition of feeds, forages and feces has traditionally been determined using wet chemistry methods, often referred to as the gold standard. However, the trade-off for this level of accuracy is often a high cost and a long turnaround time to perform the analysis.  In that time, the nutrient profile of forages in grazing systems […] Read more

“There are three kinds of men. The ones that learn by readin’. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.” – Will Rogers.

Cattle rustling remains ‘one of great mysteries of the range’

Rustlers are still pilfering cattle, often with the help of modern technology

To quote a CBC article in the Cochrane Eagle, “For as long as there have been cattle, people have been stealing them.” In my view, it may be the second-oldest profession in the world.  While brand inspectors check auction markets in B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan, no such system exists in Manitoba or Ontario. The lack of […] Read more


The Wray families: Doug, Linda, Joanne, Tim, Eva, Miriam and Jesse.

TESA winners focused on stewardship and succession planning

The Wray family aims for sustainability in everything from grazing practices to transitioning the ranch

After winning the Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA) for Alberta, Doug and Tim Wray were already happy with the success they’d had.  They only had to travel an hour to the Canadian Beef Industry Conference, hosted in Calgary, Alta., in mid-August to see who won the national award, so making the trip was an easy decision. […] Read more

A herd of cattle near Wellesley, Ont. Some beef and cash crop farmers are signing on with an Ontario company that aims to develop carbon projects.

Carbon farming: fad or trend?

An Ontario-based company is banking on farmer interest in emerging carbon markets

There’s a lot of buzz surrounding carbon markets, and producers are looking into another way they can make their farms and ranches generate revenue from the soil. But it’s still early going in Canada and it’s a complex industry, so many questions remain. “The most important thing is that producers need to be at the […] Read more


Jesse Lawes and son Westin. Lawes went from a career in pro rodeo to working in the family’s auction marts full-time, and has found success in auctioneer competitions.

From pro rodeo to auctioneer champ

Jesse Lawes talks about growing up at the Provost Livestock Exchange, selling cattle and getting serious about the craft of auctioneering

The stands are packed and have been for hours in May at the Olds Auction Mart. The morning wanes into noon, and people file in and out of the auction arena, leaving with empty hands and returning with food. The afternoon brings some of the first high temperatures of the year, and someone opens the […] Read more

Cull bulls in a feedlot. Pain mitigation has become standard practice when castrating older animals, and researchers are looking at whether it reduces disease in other stressful situations.

Research into pain management and animal health

North American researchers are studying how pain mitigation affects the health and performance of calves, as well as the economics

Castration, and to a lesser extent dehorning, are routine and necessary procedures on cattle farms, ranches and feedlots across the nation. These stressful events deliver varying levels of concentrated pain to their recipients which fade over time but in doing so, also create extended ripples of influences throughout an animal’s life. Dr. Michael Jelinski of […] Read more


cattle drinking water at a dugout

Unpacking a water quality test

Learn how to read the results of a water quality test and what they mean for your herd

Water quality is often overlooked when developing cattle rations. For every kilogram of dry feed consumed, an animal drinks between three to five kg of water. Temperature and feed type can affect water intake. As well, lactating cows have a higher water intake compared to pregnant animals. A lack of water reduces feed intake and […] Read more

Pasture sage on a sandy hillside near Olds, Alta. There’s movement to create voluntary markets for environmental services provided by ranchers, but attempts to introduce mandatory environmental accounting standards worry industry leaders.

The drive to monetize environmental sustainability

While some are moving to create voluntary environmental goods and services markets, moves to bring in environmental accounting standards worry many in the industry

Does the push to link environmental sustainability to commerce present opportunities or risks to Canada’s beef producers? The answer, it seems, is: it depends. On the one hand, there is a grassroots movement to reward producers who are voluntarily providing ecosystem services. Ecosystem services include a variety of things: provisioning services (for example, flow of […] Read more