Bob Lowe and Carley Henniger talk to Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, in Ottawa in December 2021. The former CYL mentor/mentee pair asked the minister questions about trade and the status of business risk management programs.

Cattlemen’s Young Leaders help young and older hone their skills

A mentor and mentee in the CYL program look back on years of friendship and how it helped them both

What happens when a young person with an enthusiastic but fledgling interest in the beef industry meets a multigenerational cattle producer with decades of experience under his belt? No, it’s not a pitch for a rural reboot of The Odd Couple. But if you’d like to think of it that way, the “plot” features a […] Read more

Retirement reimagined

Retirement reimagined

When considering the succession plans for our operations it seems we often focus on setting the stage and paving the way for those entering the business and taking over. Often we overlook the exit. Retirement is not the best word in my mind. Perhaps we should call it a redirection of energy, refocus or gear […] Read more


Laura and Ryan Plett’s Black Angus cattle “with a Hereford influence” graze a highly forested area of the Sawmill Creek Livestock. Laura Plett says the cattle grazed in heavy bush for about a month this past summer because — thanks to the moisture-preserving shade provided by the trees — those were the only areas still producing grass.

There’s power in a pencil for cow-calf operations

Cattlemen’s Young Leaders participant refines her cow-calf operation with the help of mentorship

Stead, Manitoba is not the easiest place to operate a cow-calf operation. The highly forested landscape requires extensive land clearing before grazing cattle, and even then you might not have the pristine grasslands one might see in cattle country. Both early and late frosts are common and there are never-ending bugs that drive cattle nuts. […] Read more

Holly Sparrow’s experience on her family’s mixed farm sparked a passion for raising high-quality beef while protecting the environment.

Focusing on the big picture

Whether it’s managing the cow herd or lobbying on Parliament Hill, Holly Sparrow is in a learning frame of mind

Even for those raised on a ranch, there’s always a learning curve in the beef industry. Third-generation rancher Holly Sparrow is leveraging what she’s learned on the farm and in school with her work and board experience to climb that curve. Sparrow’s passion for the beef industry is rooted in her experience on her family […] Read more


Weaned calves in the Yukon. Winter feed is costly in the sub-Arctic.

Raising cattle in the Yukon

Despite challenges such as processing and climate, producers see potential for Yukon’s beef industry

Cattle followed gold prospectors to the Yukon in the late 1800s but not without countless mishaps and setbacks. Many unsuccessful attempts were made before cattle became a permanent fixture on the Yukon’s subarctic landscape. To this day, raising cattle in the Yukon comes with unique challenges, but several farmers have boldly accepted that challenge and […] Read more



Edgar Smith and his brothers run Red Angus and Red Angus-cross cattle on their operation at Courtenay, B.C.

B.C. producer narrows in on what customers want in beef

Health, environment and animal welfare top priorities for Edgar Smith’s customers on Vancouver Island and in the lower mainland

Edgar Smith and his brothers Phillip and Doug have a unique cattle operation, raising beef from start to finish and selling direct to customers. “Our family has been in the beef business since the 1940s on Vancouver Island, and the operation has evolved and changed over the decades. In the 1940s and 1950s we were […] Read more

Woodjam Ranch is located next to the Horsefly River, in the Cariboo region of British Columbia.

B.C. ranchers honoured for protecting watersheds

The Seelhof family works hard to protect the river and tributaries that run through their ranch, as well as manage invasive species and rotate grazing and feeding grounds

In a truly strange set of circumstances, when Chad Seelhof heard about the BSE announcement, he was in a cattle liner about to relocate from Paradise Hill, Sask., with his parents Louis and Ellie, to the Cariboo region of British Columbia. Chad recalls hearing the report on a radio broadcast. “I really wondered what the […] Read more


The Rosetown Hutterite Colony aims to feed 90 per cent of its calves next year and market those animals to Ben’s Quality Meats in Picture Butte, Alta.

Beef producers share insights into certification programs

Two beef producers talk about why they decided to certify their operations and the differences between the VBP+ and EU certification programs

Canadian beef producers are rightfully proud of the cattle they raise. Due to the care they provide their animals and their environmental stewardship, this country’s farmers and ranchers produce arguably the best beef in the world. Increasingly, producers are turning to certification programs like Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) and various European Union (EU) certifications […] Read more