Pasture sage doesn’t affect pasture production, says an agrologist, but too much of it may be a sign that a producer needs to nourish grasses.

Native plant 411 for livestock producers

The native plants in your pasture tell a story about everything from disturbances to soil quality

Southwest of Calgary, Alta., as the jagged peaks of the Rockies level out to the Prairies, rough fescue grows in dense tufts. This native plant is Alberta’s provincial grass and a tasty meal for livestock in the fall and winter. Saskatchewan’s provincial grass is needle-and-thread grass, named after its sharp seed tip and long awn. […] Read more

The view from Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump in southern Alberta. The CCA is teaming up with Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Nature Conservancy of Canada to protect Canada’s remaining native grasslands.

Push to protect native grasslands picks up steam 

[UPDATED: May 2, 2024] The drive to protect native grasslands on the Canadian Prairies is gaining momentum.  The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA), in partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Nature Conservancy of Canada, is working to create the Grasslands Conservation Initiative.  Canadian Cattle Association president Nathan Phinney says they have seen too much native […] Read more



VIDEO: What does a healthy pasture look like?

VIDEO: What does a healthy pasture look like?

Rangeland biologist answers the question, ‘can cattle be trained to eat spurge?’

A number of situations – some within a producer’s control, some not – can compromise the health of pastures and grasslands of not being able to grow quality forages to feed livestock. During a field day in July hosted by Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives, Mae Elsinger, a rangeland and pasture biologist with Agriculture and […] Read more


Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland holds a news conference before delivering the 2022-23 budget in Ottawa on April 7, 2022. (Photo: Reuters/Blair Gable)

Supply chain improvement funds pledged in federal budget

Money also added for support of TFWs, P.E.I. potato sector

The federal government’s release last week of its Emissions Reduction Plan has turned out to be the spoiler for new ag funding in Thursday’s 2022 budget — although more money is also pledged to help strengthen cross-country supply chains generally. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Thursday laid out a federal budget with about $452.3 billion […] Read more

When started purposefully, with meticulous planning and consideration for safety, fire can restart the life cycle.

Working with fire for grassland conservation

Prescribed fire can be a useful management tool but must be handled carefully, says Canada’s first prescribed fire exchange group

The implications of a grass fire are rightfully terrifying in most situations. When it’s started purposefully, however, with meticulous planning and high safety standards, fire can act as a beneficial conservation and pasture management practice. “I think we need to relook at how we perceive fire and look at fire not as a destructive force […] Read more


A wider vision for grassland conservation

A wider vision for grassland conservation

A new collaborative effort across North America is focusing efforts to protect the fast-disappearing Prairie ecosystem

For many who call the Canadian Prairies home, it would be impossible to imagine springtime without the cheerful song of the western meadowlark. That distinct, flute-like call, along with the other songs of grassland birds returning north, is a defining part of this landscape. But as grasslands across North America continue to disappear, the meadowlark’s […] Read more

Jointed goat grass can hybridize with wheat.

Healthy range key to preventing new invasive plants

Range agrologists urge producers to watch for changes on the landscape and be mindful of how invasive species spread

If your grasslands are in good health, you’re already on your way to preventing an infestation of an invasive grass species. Without proper range management, grasslands in poor condition will be less resistant to an unwanted species establishing, says Sheryl Wurtz, invasive plant specialist with the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources. In […] Read more


Livin’ on the edge

Livin’ on the edge

From the Ground Up with Steve Kenyon

I like to live right on the edge. That is where all of the excitement is! There is great risk, but also great rewards. I’ve done some pretty crazy things in my life — from sky diving to bull riding — and I love the rush. The edge is a great place to live. Oh […] Read more

Chancey Guichon is a fourth-generation beef producer and the inaugural recipient of the James Hargrave Legacy Foundation award.

Legacy award promotes grasslands innovation

Young cattle producer uses James Hargrave Legacy Foundation award to help advance land stewardship practices on his ranch

In the cattle industry, the successes of the present and future innovations are often closely linked to past experience. The James Hargrave Legacy Foundation aims to nurture this type of innovation by supporting people whose work and interests align with Hargrave’s values. Chancey Guichon, the first recipient of the James Hargrave Legacy Fund Award, is […] Read more