Reading Time: 3 minutes Native rangelands are key assets to livestock producers — and rangeland health assessments allow them to adjust grazing practices to achieve productive, sustainable grazings. A rangeland assessment system looks at the five key functions of rangelands: integrity and ecological status; community structure; hydrologic function and nutrient cycling; site stability, and noxious weeds. And in all […] Read more
The five keys to assessing rangeland health
The old adage about not being able to manage what you can’t measure applies to rangelands
Prairies’ dry fields good, if you’re a grasshopper
CNS Canada –– Dry conditions causing production concerns across large areas of Alberta and Saskatchewan are certainly bad for the crops, but the weather could prove ideal for grasshoppers. Grasshopper forecast maps put out over the winter were not initially all that bad for Alberta and Saskatchewan, given the conditions in 2014, but weather in […] Read more
Fewer cattle placed in U.S. feedlots in May than anticipated
Chicago | Reuters –– The number of cattle placed in U.S. feedlots last month was lower than anticipated, a government report showed on Friday, reflecting healthy pastures that allowed ranchers to grow livestock longer outside of feedyards, said analysts. Producers retained more heifers to help restore the U.S. cattle herd, now at its third lowest […] Read more
Carbon storage could equal cash for your grass
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta farmers who practise no-till cropping have been eligible to apply for carbon credits since 2002. We know that grasslands capture and store carbon, so why aren’t landowners with pasture getting paid for their contribution? That’s the focus of a University of Alberta study on the environmental benefits of things such as wildlife habitat and […] Read more
Feeding pasture cattle on insured hay fields
Reading Time: 2 minutes Here are the options for pasturing cattle on insured hay fields. If clients have any questions or concerns about the policy or procedures they should contact their local Agricultural Financial Services (AFSC) branch office. This spring has experienced low precipitation rates and windy conditions in many parts of the province that may be contributing to […] Read more
3D fencing keeps wildlife at bay
Unlike typical fencing, 3D fencing uses different heights, widths, and depths to make it harder for wildlife to navigate and jump
Reading Time: 2 minutes After a long Alberta winter, farmers weren’t the only ones happy to see spring. “I’ve had a lot of issues with elk and deer going through here,” said Lawrence Andruchiw, who farms near Spirit River. “When the plants are first coming up in the spring, they pull the whole plant right out. I decided I […] Read more
Guenther: Rain drops in on NW Sask.
Farmers and ranchers in northwestern Saskatchewan received much-needed rain late last week and over the weekend. Tom Brown raises cattle and is a crop reporter for Saskatchewan Agriculture and the reeve for the Rural Municipality of Mervin. His farm at Turtleford, about 80 km east of Lloydminster, received 11 mm of rain on Thursday night, […] Read more
Short on forages for cattle? Creep feeding could be the answer
Grazing expert says creep feeding could deliver 25 to 100 pounds of additional gain
Reading Time: 2 minutes Cool, dry conditions across most of Alberta last month slowed forage growth in pastures and hay fields, says a beef and forage specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “If it stays dry the amount of growth will be limited and it is possible that pastures will run out much earlier than normal,” Barry Yaremcio said […] Read more
Rain sprinkles Prairie canola fields, pastures
Winnipeg | Reuters — Light rains sprinkled Western Canada’s crops and pastures during the weekend, but amounts fell well short of what’s needed to remedy dry conditions that have stunted growth, analysts said Monday. Rains were scattered across the Prairies and similar light amounts are expected during the next two weeks, Commodity Weather Group said […] Read more
Saving the environment one legume at a time
Condensed tannins reduce bloat and do a whole lot more besides
Reading Time: 3 minutes In the environmental debate, some rank cattle up there with smokestacks and auto emissions. But Canadian researchers are discovering Mother Nature has developed her own mitigation strategy for bovine burps, flatulence, and excrement — and showing that grazing cattle has major environmental benefits. In 2000, concerns over cattle and greenhouse gases prompted Allan Iwaasa of […] Read more