A handful of corn silage. The feeder simulation program gave 4-H members a chance to learn about backgrounding rations, as well as purchasing and marketing cattle.

Risky Business — Feeder simulation program teaches youth ups and downs of the cattle market

During the simulation, participants ‘bought’ feeders, figured out the feeding costs and logistics and sold them into the spring grasser market

Farm simulator games are popular but recently, young members of the Nomads 4-H Club near Kyle, Sask., had the opportunity to try a realistic cattle version when they joined a simulated feeder pilot project. Buying and selling feeder calves on a large scale can be a challenge, with many factors affecting profit. To address the […] Read more

Retaining ownership of livestock in a feedlot, and marketing from there, is one choice that falls into the “place” category of marketing.

Don’t leave money on the table when marketing cattle

Remember the pillars of marketing when selling cattle: time, form and place

Marketing cattle from your ranch is dependent on the pillars of marketing that we learn in ag marketing classes at many of our universities — time, form and place. Market reports and information help us choose the time of marketing. We can choose the time to negotiate or take a price and a time to […] Read more


Aaron Birch and Joe Barnett — co-owners of Twin View Livestock near the southern Saskatchewan hamlet of Parkbeg — have been helping clients adjust to buying and selling cattle online since the COVID-19 pandemic hit early in 2020.

2020 was ground zero for online cattle marketing, say producers

How two purebred cattle operations used social media to weather the COVID-19 pandemic storm

As long as most people can remember, live cattle shows and auctions have been essential to the cattle industry. They’re not only a key way for cattle producers to market their product, but they also offer plenty of opportunities to socialize with other cattlemen and women, trade production secrets and — maybe just occasionally — […] Read more

Canfax celebrates golden anniversary

Canfax celebrates golden anniversary

Marketing: News Roundup from the September 2019 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Canfax reached a major milestone this year, marking 50 years of analyzing markets and trends in the North American beef industry. Today Canfax is a division of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, served by a team of four livestock market specialists and two people in its research division. But, as Lee Hart writes, it started simply, […] Read more


Brothers Tony and Joe Perlich (above) stand beside the first scale they used as they were about to open their livestock auction service near Lethbridge in August 1967.

Perlich Auction is 50 years young

Selling livestock is their business, but five decades later their success is built on a foundation of well-taught human values, a passion for the industry and respect for proper animal care

When the second generation to own and manage Perlich Bros. Auction took over the reigns of a well-established southern Alberta livestock auction service their timing couldn’t have been much worse. A few months after buying the business from their aunt in late 2002, BSE hit Alberta and the world livestock industry, recalls Maureen Perlich, who […] Read more

AgriClear president David Moss (l) with Kevin Chanut director of Financial Services.

AgriClear… cattle marketing on your terms

AgriClear received an enthusiastic welcome from Canadian and American buyers and sellers after it was launched in mid-June, according to company president David Moss. “We’ve had registrations, live listings, and lots of positive response,” he said. AgriClear is a platform for marketing cattle to anyone anywhere in Canada and the U.S. any time via your […] Read more


Phil, Tony and David Saretsky.

The Saretsky family blazes new marketing trails

Hands down, there’s no business David Saretsky would rather be in than the beef business and there’s nobody in the beef business he admires more than his father, Tony. However, the dream of following in his father’s footsteps hasn’t blinded him to new opportunities as the family business, Cantriex Livestock International, evolves through changing times. […] Read more

Ryan and Carolyn Copithorne of Jumping Pound, Alta.

Ready to hire a marketing specialist for your calves?

Ryan Copithorne is betting you are.

A typical marketing plan for many cow-calf producers revolves around hoping to hit a run of good prices when they sell calves, yearlings and cull cows after preg-checking. If the stars don’t align to bring all of the variables together in their favour on sale day — weather conditions for roundup, trucking arrangements, market forces […] Read more