round hay bales in field

Forage testing more complicated, but rations more accurate

Forage testing has evolved significantly in the past three to five years, with more precise tools for livestock ration development

Forage quality evaluation has moved from rule of thumb to rule of rumen. Mark Bowman, a ruminant nutritionist with Grand Valley Fortifiers in Cambridge, Ont., told the annual meeting of the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association in Guelph last November that forage testing has evolved significantly in the past three to five years, with more […] Read more

Putting a value on forages

Putting a value on forages

A new project by the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association will establish protocols for high-performance forage management

With over 70 million acres of dedicated Canadian cropland and a direct economic value of $5.09 billion, forages are the country’s third-largest crop, just behind wheat valued at $5.2 billion and canola at $7.3 billion. There’s no doubt forages are good for the economy. Perennial forages play an environmental role with the ability to reduce […] 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

The sixth annual Canadian Forage and Grassland Association conference was held in Saskatoon on November 17 to 19.

Onward and upward for the CFGA

Notes from the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association annual conference

The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association drew the year to a close on a high note coming out of its annual conference at Saskatoon in November. As the theme, “Capturing the Intensity” suggests, the event offered a lineup of insightful presenters on an array of topics from intensive forage management systems and soil health to […] Read more


Ron Pidskalny, executive director of the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association, has resigned after one year in the position, recognizing the association is short of funds. Photo: Allan Dawson

Canadian Forage and Grassland Association short of funds, and a manager

The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA) set up five years ago to help Canada’s struggling forage and grassland industry is struggling itself, but vows to carry on despite a shortage of funds and the resignation of its executive director, Ron Pidskalny. “Nobody is saying we’re going to have to shut it down,” CFGA chair […] Read more