Replacement heifers on the McRae operation. Brett McRae says they decided to sell the purebred herd, and focus on the replacement heifers and commercial cow herd, to conserve resources.

Manitoba rancher manages change through education

Adapting to a changing industry is pivotal for cattle producers. Brett McRae makes this a priority on his operation

Brett McRae, a rancher from Brandon, Man., recognizes how necessary versatility is in a changing industry. “Where’s the need? What is the market telling us that it’s looking for, and how can we provide that?” he says. In recent years he has made changes to his operation to continue striving for success. Simplifying McRae operates […] Read more

Pasture grazing is a huge part of Andreas Scheurer’s land and herd management plan for his small Swiss beef operation in the Bernese Seeland region of Switzerland.

Animal welfare a priority at small beef processors

Peace of mind top of mind for small beef slaughterhouses in Switzerland and Canada

Andreas Scheurer knows his cattle slaughter process is not for everyone. The fourth-generation farmer raises a small herd of Aubrac cows for direct sale from his farm in Kallnach, Switzerland, and works as a full-time agronomist at the School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences in Zollikofen. His focus is giving his cows the best […] Read more


A cow and calf graze on a prairie in Western Canada

How AgriStability can help purebred beef cattle producers weather an uncertain marketplace

As tax season approaches, MNP accountants suggest seedstock beef producers take another look at AgriStability and explain how to make the program work for their farms

Purebred beef producers face many risks, including fluctuations in market demand and the rising costs of feed and labour. Producing market-ready animals already requires significant investments of time, effort and money — and you need to take the right steps to offset these risks and ensure your operation continues to thrive in an uncertain marketplace. […] Read more

Sarah and Chad Hunt standing in an abbatoir with beef carcasses

Beef producers create their own supply chain in rural Ontario

When an abattoir closed in their area, Sarah and Chad Hunt saw an opportunity

When a new opportunity presents itself, sometimes farmers must take on the challenge. And sometimes it can also mean solving their own problems. When their local abattoir had to cut back on processing capacity due to the owner’s health problems, Sarah Hunt knew this would affect sales of their Limousin beef cattle in Pakenham, Ont. […] Read more


Jim and Barb Bauer

Flexibility key to surviving drought

Long-time rancher discusses how he adjusts his 
grazing and feeding plans based on conditions

Grazing and its likely availability is at the heart of every management decision at Jim and Barb Bauer’s Anchor J Ranch near Acme, in central Alberta. Even after 40 years of grazing on that land Jim still makes a grazing plan, usually in February. “I don’t want two groups of cattle sharing a dugout,” he […] Read more

The Bouw family has incorporated corn grazing into their winter feeding strategy.

Raising ‘low input’ cows in Manitoba

Stefan Bouw and his family focus on maternal, forage-developed cows on their seed stock operation

The Bouw household likely isn’t found standing still very often. With four children, Bouw Farms Ltd. and Edie Creek Angus, Stefan and his wife Kendra are on the move. Stationed just east of Winnipeg, near Anola, Man., Bouw works alongside his brother, Jonathan, and father, Herman, on the operation founded by their immigrant grandparents in […] 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

Ranchers check out the cattle during a Hereford tour in northwestern Saskatchewan in 2019. Consider what mix of cattle, and whether a maternal or terminal herd would best fit your enterprise.

Major determinants of profit

From enterprise mix to inputs, Burke Teichert unpacks the decision-making that makes a ranch profitable

In a previous article, I asked, Profitable Ranching — Is it Possible? I answered, “Yes, if you know how.” In two recent articles, I presented the five essentials for successful ranch management, which I believe are the essential attitudes, approaches or mindset you need to be profitable: You can find those articles in the May […] Read more


A vet preg checks heifers on a ranch in north-western Saskatchewan. Heifers that conceive early should be the top replacement candidates, says Dr. Jordan Thomas.

Breaking bad habits key to better bottom lines

Cow-calf producers urged to look at potential replacement heifers and older cows as buyers rather than sellers

The silent killer of cow-calf profitability is the bad habits of producers, according to Dr. Jordan Thomas, and holding on to less efficient cows is one of the worst. “What causes long hay-feeding seasons and long calving seasons is the person in the mirror — we need to work on how we think,” says the […] 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