Reading Time: 3 minutes A grazing plan might save you more than you think. Whether it’s a simple or detailed plan, a few key components will not only save your grass, but maybe save you a few dollars in the long run. Adjusting your stocking rate will allow you to get good-quality forage and vigorous regrowth. “Managing the amount […] Read more
It pays to have a plan before turning your cattle out on pasture
Bountiful, nutritious forage doesn’t happen by accident — here’s how to plan for success on your ranch
Spend a little now and make money later
Reduced death loss, fewer open cows, and reduced shedding are major benefits from a proper vaccination program
Reading Time: 4 minutes The adage goes, ‘It takes money to make money.’ It is no different in the beef industry. “Low-cost producers do not cut corners on pasture, bulls, and herd health,” said beef economist Kathy Larson of the Western Beef Development Centre. “Spending less on these items often leads to reduced herd productivity and thereby raises your […] Read more
Top tips for vaccinating
Storage, the injection route, and when you administer a vaccine are all key, says Dr. Nathan Erickson
Reading Time: 2 minutes Time it right A vaccine needs to match the immune response of the cattle to the vaccine and the period of greatest risk. “So for BVD, the risk period is the first three months of gestation, while IBR, lepto, and vibrio, they tend to be a little bit later in gestation — around four months,” […] Read more
A need for speed, making the farm safer, and less compaction
This year’s AgInnovation award winners bring three very different — but very valuable — things to the table
Reading Time: 5 minutes Innovation drives the agriculture industry and a lot of it is on display at Agri-Trade. “The technology is diversifying every year, and the ideas keep getting better,” said Rod Bradshaw, a vegetable and crop grower from Innisfail. He’s also chair of Agri-Trade’s ag innovations committee that chooses three products for its innovations awards. “We believe […] Read more
Farm shows can boost your bottom line, says Agri-Trade attendee
John Kowalchuk can point to a host of innovations on his farm that began with something he saw or heard about at the Red Deer event
Reading Time: 3 minutes Twitter is the new coffee shop for farmers, but there’s nothing like talking face to face. Which is why John Kowalchuk is a faithful Agri-Trade attendee. “The fact you can network and talk to other people about their experiences, I think that’s a big part that makes Agri-Trade what it is,” said the Rumsey-area farmer. […] Read more
Are there healthier calves and higher profits in your future?
Preg checking, pain mitigation, and preconditioning all open avenues to better and more profitable performance
Reading Time: 5 minutes The cows have come home from summer pasture and the fall run is well underway. So how was your year? If you’re not happy and want better performance and more profits next year, here are three top tips from two experts. Precision feeding and targeted marketing Just 60 per cent of producers pregnancy check their […] Read more
Don’t leave money on the table, says marketing expert
Boosting production with good management is great, but catching an uptick in the market can make you more money
Reading Time: 4 minutes Beef producers, if you don’t have a marketing plan — get one. That’s the simple advice from Ryan Copithorne, who founded Cows In Control after his realizing “a proper marketing program was actually the best way to keep a year’s or a lifetime’s worth of hard work from going down the drain.” Having previously managed […] Read more
Three tools to reduce livestock price risk
Insurance, hedging, and retained ownership can be intimidating to use, but the basic concepts are simple
Reading Time: < 1 minute Navigating through different components of marketing can make one feel as though they are speaking a foreign language. Ryan Copithorne of Cows In Control marketing group talks about the pros and cons of common marketing tools. WLPIP (Western Livestock Price Insurance Program) “Price insurance is a good program,” said Copithorne because it allows you to […] Read more
Moving past the Bill 6 rhetoric
AgCoalition meetings focus on creating sensible workplace safety rules
Reading Time: 5 minutes The Alberta government’s town halls on Bill 6 last winter were explosive, but recent industry-led meetings didn’t produce similar fireworks. “I thought the meeting went very well. There were lots of ideas thrown around between farmers and the facilitators,” said Turin-area farmer Kevin Serfas, who attended AgCoalition’s producer meeting in Lethbridge on June 22. “The […] Read more
Draft a plan before rejuvenating tired forage stand
Forage ecologist Mike Schellenberg offers his insights on how to reinvigorate pastures and boost productivity
Reading Time: 4 minutes “Five years to forever.” That’s a long time for a forage stand to be highly productive — and yet that’s the answer producers often give when asked how long they expect the benefits of rejuvenating pastures to last, said Mike Schellenberg, a range and plant forage ecologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Swift Current, Sask. […] Read moreCyber-Savvy Farmer
