CCA president Bob Lowe speaks at a press conference in Ottawa on March 21, 2022, calling for federal back-to-work legislation to end a work stoppage at Canadian Pacific Railway. (CPAC video screengrab via YouTube)

AUDIO: Pandemic woes push beef industry to collaborate

Bob Lowe reflects on his two-year term as president of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, which began just as the country was locked down due to COVID.

Bob Lowe was elected president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) on March 13, 2020. Coincidentally, that was a Friday, and if you’re at all superstitious, you might see that as foreshadowing. By the next week, the country was in lockdown in an effort to slow COVID. Over the next two years, the beef industry […] Read more



A still from the new film, Too Close to Home, slated for release later this month.

New film features grazing as wildfire prevention tool

"Too Close to Home" highlights potential role of cattle in wildfire mitigation in B.C.

The team behind Guardians of the Grasslands is back with a new film highlighting the role cattle can play in managing wildfire risk. Too Close to Home, the second short documentary produced by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association’s Public and Stakeholder Engagement team and their partners, aims to share the benefit of targeted grazing as a […] Read more

Grazing management terminology: Animal units, AUMs and how to apply them

Grazing management terminology: Animal units, AUMs and how to apply them

Does it feel like grazing management information is shrouded in acronyms and terms that boggle the mind on first glance? Do you struggle to decipher terms like animal unit equivalents? And how does one go about calculating AUMs and then applying those numbers? Be reassured, you’re not alone! There’s a lot going on when sorting […] Read more


Lakeland College’s neonatal calf research gets federal funding boost 

Lakeland College’s neonatal calf research gets federal funding boost 

Research project examines the effectiveness of a calf supplement to improve neonatal health

Lakeland College’s research team is receiving a $641,800 grant from the Government of Canada. The Applied Research and Technology Partnership grant (ARTP) is part of the federal government’s 2021 budget, which provided $46.9 million over two years to the College and Community Innovation program (CCI). The CCI is managed by the Natural Sciences and Engineering […] Read more

Cows getting their fill of minerals. Mixing untreated legume seeds into loose minerals is one way to reseed pastures.

Options for reseeding pastures

From frost seeding to aerial application, there is a range of methods for rejuvenating forage stands

Fuel and fertilizer prices are rising daily, making the decision harder on whether producers should reseed pasture. “That full break and reseed, even prior to this year, was the most expensive way to go,” says forage and grazing specialist Christine O’Reilly. But there are more options than cultivating and reseeding with a drill. “Reseeding tends […] Read more


Steve Kenyon: The disposable herd

Steve Kenyon: The disposable herd

Managing the spring flush the key to fall grazing

We have a very short growing season here at Busby, Alta. We start to green up at the end of April or in early May and are usually hit with a killing frost by mid-September. We have about five months to grow 12 months’ worth of feed. Now, some might take that as a disadvantage. […] Read more



Amy Higgins is an industry co-ordinator with the Maritime Beef Council and a New Brunswick farmer.

Taking the guesswork out of selecting a data management program for your cattle herd

A recent Maritime Beef Council project analyzed various data management software from the producer’s perspective

When it came to determining the best data management software program for her herd, like many beef producers, Amy Higgins found the possibilities a tad overwhelming. “It was almost like analysis paralysis,” says Higgins, who runs the Maritime Beef Council and raises cattle at Quispamsis, New Brunswick. “There were four or five different options. I […] Read more

Failure to provide a ration that is balanced to meet a cow’s post-calving nutritional requirements will result in a loss of body condition and a likely drop in milk production.

Feeding the lactating beef cow

Nutrition with John McKinnon

In my last two columns (see links below), I have focused on how the cow prioritizes nutrient use for different physiological functions such as maintenance and pregnancy. This month I want to complete the discussion by focusing on the events leading up to and following calving. Read more: Feeding the pregnant beef cow Read more: […] Read more