Turning back the clock with grazing

Turning back the clock with grazing

Cattle can help fill the biodiversity void left from the loss of bison

Reading Time: 5 minutes Cattle are often maligned for their contributions to greenhouse gas levels, but Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Tim McAllister says that’s wrongheaded. “We hear about people advocating for the need to eliminate livestock from agriculture production, basically without really understanding the negative connotations that would have,” the researcher said during a recent webinar. “We really need […] Read more

Ryan Canart outlines his operation during a July field tour.

Yearlings get schooled in rotational grazing

Ryan Canart trains a new group of animals every year and says they take to it well

Reading Time: 3 minutes Ryan Canart’s approach to pasture management reflects a lot of the principles that have become old hat during grazing tours across the Prairies. He is among the proponents of rotational grazing. His 907 animals are mostly moved daily through relatively small paddocks, with a goal to grow soil health and productivity. His land features an […] Read more


Close-up file photo of an alfalfa plant in a Canadian field. (Jennifer Seeman/iStock/Getty Images)

DLF buys Corteva’s alfalfa seed business

Business to be 'fully transitioned' after 2024 season

International forage and turf seed firm DLF is stretching its reach in the alfalfa market with a deal for Corteva Agriscience’s assets in that business. The Danish firm announced Wednesday it had acquired Corteva’s global alfalfa germplasm and breeding program for an undisclosed sum, including its current commercial alfalfa varieties and their trademarks such as […] Read more

Dexter Lethbridge says the right forage mix can help manage saline soils.

Mix up forages to fight soil salinity

Saline land improved by a number of grasses, say researchers at Ag in Motion

Reading Time: 2 minutes A mix of grasses can help address salinity problems on marginal farmland, says a forage expert. “The nice thing about a mix is you’re kind of guaranteed that something will catch,” said Dexter Lethbridge, a product line rep with Proven Seeds for Nutrien Ag Solutions in Lethbridge, Alta. Partnering with Ducks Unlimited, Proven/Nutrien set out […] Read more


Mature winter wheat. (Allan Dawson photo)

Manitoba’s crops continue to hold up 

Hay yields generally below average; pasture conditions were deteriorating due to dryness

MarketsFarm – Timely rains in Manitoba have kept the province’s crops in relatively good shape, according to the latest crop report. Manitoba Agriculture said precipitation as of Aug. 1 amounted to as much as 73 millimeters around Zhoda in the southeast to 13 mm at The Pas in the north. Although several locales throughout the […] Read more

Forage U-Pick’s pivot to a nationally focused tool is a step in the right direction, says Julie MacKenzie. “Sometimes we forget about our western Canadian producers who identify as francophone. We have different francophone producers out there in Alberta and Saskatchewan and that creates an opportunity for them.”

Forage U-Pick: The Tinder for forages?

Online forage tool expands nationwide

Reading Time: 4 minutes A hard-working rancher in central Alberta seeks a sturdy native grass ideally suited for mob grazing and a long-lasting stand. That might seem like something from an online dating profile but it’s more likely to be a query for a newly expanded matchmaking site that aims to connect beef producers with the perfect forage. Since […] Read more


Have a plan to make the most of your forage

Have a plan to make the most of your forage

Start the grazing season with a plan and you’ll lower cost of production over time

Reading Time: 2 minutes Developing a grazing plan is an important first step to ensure effective grazing management on an operation, and it can help save a producer on cost of production in the long run. A grazing plan that matches animal numbers to predicted forage yields should be made before animal turn out. Several key steps should be […] Read more

(JPNM/iStock/Getty Images)

Saskatchewan to top up some claims for wildlife-damaged forage

Affected producers in southwestern, west-central areas eligible

Producers in southwestern and west-central Saskatchewan who lost stacked forage to wildlife feeding last winter may see a bump up in their compensation. The Saskatchewan and federal governments on Wednesday announced a “supplemental freight adjustment” to their wildlife damage compensation program, administered by Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. (SCIC). SCIC, the province said, has “reassessed and […] Read more


While conservation efforts have had some success, what remains of the grasslands that once covered the West is small and getting smaller, says Barry Irving, co-chair of the North American group behind the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists in 2026.

Threatened rangelands will be in the global spotlight in 2026

The UN’s international year will highlight both the threat and ways to preserve this critical habitat

Reading Time: 3 minutes Peas, lentils and beans got a big boost in their public profile thanks to the UN’s International Year of Pulses in 2016 and soon rangelands will get their turn in the spotlight. While “it’s tough to get people excited” about an event that’s still three years away, the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists […] Read more

The Pasture 101 website has good information and resources that allow users to quickly find what they need for their operation or situation.

Grazing management website truly is a ‘one-stop shop’

Finding info relevant for Alberta used to be challenging, but Pasture 101 changed that

Reading Time: 3 minutes There was a time when students of a pasture school came home with a large binder of pasture management information. It wasn’t something easily carried around, especially not on horseback. These days there’s an easier way and it’s called Pasture 101. “It’s designed to provide basic and advanced components of pasture and grazing management,” said […] Read more