VIDEO: A strategic approach to risk on the ranch

VIDEO: A strategic approach to risk on the ranch

Depth of Field with Kelly Sidoryk

Given the increase in the value of livestock and the market volatility, we need to cover our risks. First, I think we should consider our risk tolerance level. An investment advisor can present tools for assessing risk tolerance. On many farms and ranches, complete alignment on risk tolerance is unlikely. Ages, personality styles and life […] Read more

Hurricane Fiona’s winds of over 100 km an hour knocked over Dwain MacAulay’s cattle barn on Prince Edward Island.

East Coast beef farmers deal with lingering effects of Hurricane Fiona

Years after Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Maritimes, farmers are dealing with the aftermath — or mourning what it took from them

In September 2022, Canadians who live in the Maritimes watched with apprehension as Hurricane Fiona moved from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico toward Canada’s East Coast. By the time the storm reached Atlantic Canada, it had been downgraded to a tropical storm, but that didn’t lessen the damage it caused as it swept across […] Read more


Photo: russokm1105/iStock/Getty Images

Oil and cattle: When major industries collide

Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke

There are currently just under 500,000 gas and oil wells in Alberta. Although difficult to find exact numbers, it appears nearly 5,000 new oil and gas wells are drilled across Western Canada every year. Capital investment for the Canadian oil and gas sector could reach $40.6 billion in 2024.  It’s big business and much of it […] Read more

One of the bulls at Pharo Cattle Company. Pharo focuses on sound, moderate-sized, easy-fleshing cattle.

Production and profitability on cow-calf operations

Shifting focus from production per cow to production per acre adds up to a more profitable cow-calf operation, says Kit Pharo

Shifting focus from production per cow to production per acre adds up to a more profitable cow-calf operation, says Kit Pharo


Which is more important, increasing profits or production? This is the question rancher and seedstock producer Kit Pharo posed at a recent holistic management gathering in Valleyview, Alta. Pharo has strong opinions, speaks his mind and says he doesn’t care what other people think. “I may not always be right, but I am never in […] Read more


Albert Mutcher’s advice to young cattle producers is to grow the herd slowly and leverage government incentives and programs.  Photo: Mallorey Bergen

A lifetime in the beef industry

After several decades in the cattle business, Albert Mutcher’s love for ranching remains constant

Seven decades ago, Albert Mutcher was doing many of the same things he does now. When he was just starting his agricultural career, he walked through his pastures west of Carman, Man., checking on his recently purchased herd of cattle. The future stretched far and wide in front of him, full of opportunity and as […] Read more

BeefWatch: Record-high cattle prices yet to spur herd expansion

BeefWatch: Record-high cattle prices yet to spur herd expansion

Prepared by the staff of Canfax and Canfax Research Services, divisions of the Canadian Cattle Association

Despite record-high prices for feeder cattle this spring and summer there appears to be no signal that the North American cattle herd has transitioned to the expansion phase. The heifers kept for breeding were down, as of July 1, while heifers for slaughter were up. Depleted feedstocks, record-high feeder cattle prices and widespread areas of […] Read more


Beef demand is going to slow in 2024 as consumers rein in spending, Jerry Klassen predicts.

Is the economy at the peak of expansion?

Market Talk with Jerry Klassen

When I started writing for Canadian Cattlemen many years ago, I had the pleasure of talking to an old-time cattle feeder. He gave me some extraordinary wisdom. He stated if you want to be a successful analyst in the cattle market, you need to focus on economy and consumer spending.  Since the recession in 2020, […] 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

Joe Engelhart believes strongly in taking a low-stress approach to managing over 4,600 cattle at the Spruce Ranching Co-operative southwest of Longview, Alta.

Spruce Ranching Co-operative banks on sustainability

Sustainability strategies are paying off at one of Alberta’s oldest grazing sites, but they also come with challenges

[UPDATED: Jan. 10, 2023] The vast, expansive area along the eastern slope of the southwestern Rocky Mountains is stunning, no matter the time of year, with miles of native grassland, abundant creeks and critters: both cattle and carnivores. However, the 22,500 acres of range at the Spruce Ranching Co-operative — locally known as the Spruce […] Read more