Reading Time: 3 minutes Everything changed for Tom Thompson of Winding Creek Ranch when he attended the West Central Forage Association’s AGM in 2003. That was when the Mayerthorpe-area rancher learned about grazing principles that led to him winning Alberta Beef Producers’ 2017 Environmental Stewardship Award. “Kit Pharo (an American rancher who spoke at the meeting) was the one […] Read more
The award is nice, but the payoff even better for rancher
The winner of ABP’s Environmental Stewardship Award grows more grass and captures more rain by working with nature
Just a bad patch? Or is the cattle sector in denial?
Two views of how the plan to revitalize the beef sector is working so far
Reading Time: 4 minutes The cattle industry needs to stop patting itself on the back and face an uncomfortable truth — its grand plan to create a bright new future isn’t yielding results. That’s the view of Charlie Gracey, one of Canada’s most renowned experts on the beef industry. And all you have to do is look at the […] Read more
It likely wasn’t your greatest year, but 2016 was definitely eventful
Weather was the big story but it was also a year when pulses took centre stage, farm groups came together like never before, and sustainable beef hit a milestone
Reading Time: 9 minutes Stepping back and looking at the year gone past is a great way to prepare for the one ahead. For most producers, 2016 was a grind with a distinct shortage of highlight reel moments. But the world always moves forward and there were many significant changes that took place over the last 12 months. Here […] Read more
Ruminant parasite drugs are a precious tool — here’s how to use them
Rotating drugs, underdosing, and overtreating can lead to drug resistance in ruminants, says expert
Reading Time: 3 minutes There’s no denying it — drugs used to treat parasites in sheep and goat production need to be employed properly. If they’re not, that could lead to parasitic resistance and drugs that just don’t work. “You can’t just hammer drugs at the problem, because they won’t work forever,” said Lynn Tait, a sheep producer and […] Read more
Manage your sheep pasture to reduce parasites
When it comes to sheep and goats, pasture management is not just about nutrition
Reading Time: 3 minutes Parasites in small ruminants can become a production problem that can’t be solved by throwing dewormer on your animals once a year. Keeping a parasite load low requires a strategy and good management. “Your goal is not to be completely free of parasites,” said Lynn Tait, small-ruminant veterinarian and co-owner of OC Flock Management. “That […] Read more
Ottawa opens its wallet: Ag research back on the front burner again
Top scientists hail the end of decades-long plunge in the number of Ag Canada agricultural researchers
Reading Time: 3 minutes Recent hirings at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are a sign that the long decline in research capability is over. “That they’re hiring is very positive,” said Ron DePauw, who established himself as one of the world’s top wheat breeders with his work at AAFC’s Swift Current station. “If you go back to 1973, there were […] Read more
They’ve got your back — meet four new Alberta researchers
Ag Canada’s newest researchers are working on issues that hurting or holding back producers today — or will in the future
Reading Time: 4 minutes Agriculture and Agri-food Canada hired four new scientists in Alberta this past spring. Here’s a quick introduction to the newest additions to the research community: Nitynanda (Nitya) Khanal Integrated forage crops management, Beaverlodge The forage research position at Beaverlodge had been vacant for years following a retirement. But not any more — although it was […] Read more
Singapore trip offers Albertan a new global view on agriculture
Reading Time: 3 minutes Laura Bodell got a chance to see agriculture from a new perspective when she won a scholarship to attend the Commonwealth Agriculture Conference in Singapore this fall. “I had a particular interest in attending this conference since I’m chair of the International Agricultural Business Centre during Farmfair,” said Bodell. The Sherwood Park resident, who has […] Read more
How to get your sheep on the move
Understanding sheep behaviour is the key to getting them to go where you want them to
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you want to move a sheep, the worst thing you can do is isolate it, yell at it, and then try to move it from behind. “If you understand animal behaviour, that is 90 per cent of handling — the biggest knowledge gap that we have is true understanding of animal behaviour,” livestock-handling specialist […] Read more
The gap between genomics theory and real-life cattle production
Genotyping works well in the purebred world, but not so much in a commercial herd
Reading Time: 2 minutes Lakeland College’s student-managed farm’s research project brings together visual appraisal, phenotypic data from a residual feed intake test, and genomics to measure a herd of 50 heifers. “We wanted to take in visual and phenotypic data, and because we have so many tools with genomics, we wanted to add that as a third level to […] Read more
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