The Berseem variety Frosty is not inhibited by alfalfa making it a good choice to boost patchy stands.

Annual clovers to the rescue

Annual clover may be just the remedy if your pastures and hayland are looking a little under the weather this spring. Performance Seed, a newly established forage seed company at Lethbridge, Alta., is introducing two new low no-bloat annual clover varieties that show good potential as stand-alone crops or in blends for grazing, hay, silage […] Read more

All in on year-round grazing

All in on year-round grazing

Stephen Hughes’ family has operated the Chinook Ranch near Longview, Alta., since the late 1940s. It consists of 5,000 acres, roughly half in Crown lands, and most of it in tall grass prairie to carry 500 cows year-round plus 500 yearlings in the summer. It was a traditional operation, raising hay to carry the cows […] Read more


cow in the mountains

Gaining farmland advantage payments for ecoservices

Ecosystems meet economics for sustainability in B.C.

Returning from college to the family ranch was something of a reality check for Dave Zehnder. The open spaces, wildlife and other farm families that he had taken for granted as part of everyday life were being lost to recreational and urban developments in the scenic valley surrounding his hometown of Invermere, B.C. Lessons from […] Read more

Species at risk adds new emphasis to managing grasslands

Species at risk adds new emphasis to managing grasslands

New project looks at satellite mapping Canada’s range and forage lands

The management of species at risk on pasture, rangelands and wild lands is an issue of considerable interest to most cattle producers. As a result it was highlighted at a workshop jointly sponsored by Environment and Climate Change Canada during the International Rangeland Congress in Saskatoon last summer. Several provincial environmental farm plans and producer-run […] Read more


Farmers assessed a few of the 13 sainfoin/alfalfa/grass plots last summer.

Sainfoin, alfalfa and grass mixtures being tested

High legume pasture project in process

A sprinkling of a new sainfoin was enough to ignite renewed interest in high legume pastures across Alberta and British Columbia last year. The case for high legume pastures was made long ago, both in research trials and in the field by experienced producers with the skill and nerve to turn up the alfalfa content […] Read more

Shane and Arron Nerbas bale graze their herd through five-acre pods in winter to renovate lower-quality soils and reduce winter feed costs.

Forages for all seasons

Nerbas family’s grazing program focuses on quality

The Nerbas family’s grazing program wouldn’t be the success it is without cattle that thrive in a forage-only system and the breeding program wouldn’t be the success it is without quality forage to optimize the cattle’s genetic potential. Figuring out how to mesh everything together to support three families has been a work in progress […] Read more


Drilling down on carbon sequestration

Drilling down on carbon sequestration

New 10-year study looks for a more accurate formula to calculate the carbon-swallowing value of native grass

Ranchers in all three Prairie provinces are taking part in a decade-long study to assess the cumulative effect of different grazing systems on carbon sequestration and other ecological benefits from a working ranch. In each province, 10 pastures managed under adaptive multi-paddock (AMP) grazing systems for at least 10 years will be paired with neighbouring […] Read more

Sign of systemic infection.

Early treatment vital to fight septicemia in young calves

Animal Health: Management is your best bet at preventing infection

Newborn and young calves are often vulnerable to systemic infection if they fail to obtain adequate passive transfer of temporary immunity from the dam’s antibodies in the colostrum. Systemic infection results when bacteria or their toxins overwhelm the body’s defenses and spread throughout the body via the bloodstream. According to Claire Windeyer, an assistant professor […] Read more



Boehringer Ingelheim/Merial merger business as usual

Boehringer Ingelheim/Merial merger business as usual

Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) Canada says it will be business as usual as its head office works through completing its massive January merger with Merial, the animal health arm of Sanofi. In exchange Sanofi will receive BI’s consumer health care business. As a result, BI will move from sixth to second overall player in animal health […] Read more