Epigenetics underscores the need of getting a foal off to a good start

Epigenetics underscores the need of getting a foal off to a good start

Genes are only part of the story — how they’re expressed is a different matter

Reading Time: 2 minutes Epigenetics is an emerging branch of genetic science that examines the impact of the environment on an organism’s development. This field shows that genes can be switched on or off through life events without changing DNA sequences. The epigenome serves as a type of biological software that directs the genomic hardware of cells to determine […] Read more

Regardless of farm size, there is an opportunity to connect authentically with those who buy our food and food products.

Schoepp: Farmers markets have become part of the community fabric

Regardless of farm size, there is an opportunity to connect with those who buy our food products

Reading Time: 3 minutes I recall the early days of the farmers market in our community as the leaders focused on untapped opportunities. It was the mid-1970s, and farmers markets were just beginning to revive. It was difficult to convince folks to go back to buying local produce and food. As the population shifted to buying in grocery stores, […] Read more


Rectal tears can be serious, leading to infection, lost reproductive capability and even death.

Detection and prevention of rectal and anal tears

They’re rare, but the consequences may make slaughter necessary

Reading Time: 3 minutes It is worthwhile to discuss ways to recognize, treat and prevent rectal and anal injuries in livestock. They are rare, but occur often enough to warrant a review in case producers or veterinarians encounter them in cattle or other animals. The causes are many and varied but some preventive measures may be obvious. Depending on […] Read more

“Each horse has a unique requirement for magnesium, depending upon diet, environment and lifestyle.”

The critical role of magnesium in horse health

Short-changing a horse on magnesium can impact both physical health and temperament

Reading Time: 3 minutes Magnesium is an essential macro-mineral that plays a crucial role in the health and wellbeing of horses. It is essential for more than 350 biochemical processes in the body of the horse, including generation of cellular energy and decoding genetic information. Understanding the importance of magnesium at the cellular level and its impact on health […] Read more


Schoepp: Putting solar farms on good land is a misguided way to go green

Schoepp: Putting solar farms on good land is a misguided way to go green

The amount of arable land is finite and shrinking. Covering it with panels that could soon be obsolete is wrong

Reading Time: 3 minutes Farms hold promise for generating biofuel and clean biogas to power us into the future, and they also have the land base for building energy systems. But there is a vast difference between the capture of methane on site to produce gas and the permanent use of food production land for solar panels or wind […] Read more

Often a tranquilizer makes things easier for cattle and their owner

Often a tranquilizer makes things easier for cattle and their owner

There is a non-prescription product that has many uses and can be administered by producers

Reading Time: 3 minutes There are many times when tranquilization makes it easier on both cattle and the operator. The main tranquilizer I am talking about is acepromazine, a member of the phenothiazine tranquilizer family. It is not a prescription product and producers can be trained in its usage and in the way it is delivered. Since the dosage […] Read more


pile of manure

Schoepp: Misconceptions about manure fly in face of common sense

It is a valuable commodity and using it as an energy source offers a host of benefits

Reading Time: 3 minutes Last month, the Guardian had an article on biogas titled ‘Brown gold: The great American manure rush begins.’ It seems I am not the only one to believe our regenerative future rests in water and manure. The story was about California dairy farmers entering into long-term contracts to sell their manure to the energy industry […] Read more

Nearly half of us will experience bullying behaviour in our lifetime. Asking for help is the healthy thing to do.

Schoepp: Bullying takes many different forms and occurs in all walks of life

Nearly half of us will experience bullying at some point — asking for help is the healthy thing to do

Reading Time: 4 minutes Once a schoolyard term, bullying has now razed a path through all of society. It happens in our homes, on our farms and at work. Children suffer to the point of taking their lives and tens of thousands of them stay home every day from fear. In Canada, 40 per cent of adults report that […] Read more


What were once thought to be age-related conditions are now found in horses at younger ages.

Slow and steady movement is what keeps horses healthy

Modern day horses suffer from many of the same health problems as modern day humans

Reading Time: 3 minutes Cinema portrays wild horses to be ‘running free,’ but the truth is that they spend hours and hours a day ‘walking free’ — moving slow and steady as they graze, browse and forage. Step, bite, chew, repeat. Horses were designed to move and it keeps them physically healthy and mentally content. The No. 1 function of […] Read more

The element of surprise is hard to account for when it comes to performing farm tasks safely, as columnist Brenda Schoepp discovered while being in the saddle one day on her horse.

Schoepp: We are always only a moment away from life-altering change

On farms across the country, pain and grief are all too familiar, but so are stories of perseverance and miracles

On farms across the country, pain and grief are all too familiar, but so are stories of perseverance and miracles

Reading Time: 3 minutes It is calving time on many farms. It’s normally a joyful time of the year as we receive new lives into the fold and look with hope to a season of warmer weather and green grasses. But for some families, it is also a brutal reminder of challenge, broken bodies and long recoveries. These past […] Read more