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
Forage U-Pick: The Tinder for forages?
Online forage tool expands nationwide
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
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
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
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
Saskatchewan holds Crown grazing rents at last year’s levels
Also, leaseholders on drought-downgraded land eligible for rate cut
Cattle producers leasing Crown land for grazing in Saskatchewan won’t see a rate hike this year and may be eligible for a significant rate cut. The provincial government announced Wednesday it has frozen the rates charged to producers who lease Crown grazing land in 2023 at their 2022 level. The freeze will apply to all […] Read more
PHOTOS: The rough fescue grasses of Alberta
Reading Time: < 1 minute Rough fescue is a densely tufted bunchgrass. Three varieties grow in Canada: Plains rough fescue, foothills rough fescue and northern rough fescue. What makes these grasses unique, owner of Mount Sentinel Ranch Sarah Green says, is that unlike other grasses, they cure on long stems above ground, keeping palatable high-quality nutrients available even in deep […] Read more
Hay yields up, prices still high
Reading Time: < 1 minute Hay quality is high and yields are back to normal, says provincial market analyst Ryan Furtas. Yields for first cut dryland hay (which accounts for 90 per cent of production) were estimated at 1.6 tons an acre, which is above the five-year average of 1.4 tons an acre. Nearly 75 per cent was rated as […] Read more
Test plot measures the benefits of grazing in crop rotation
Researchers studying impact of including pasture in a cash crop rotation at Ontario farm
Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – They’ve been dubbed “crazy strips,” but there’s a method to Mike Groot’s patchwork of perennial pasture stands within a larger plot trial. The Ontario farmer is a participant in a project being conducted under the Living Labs initiative, a federal program that tests innovative practices and technologies on farms. Groot is hoping the […] Read more
Manitoba to cut Crown forage lease rates
Previous years' forage conditions a factor, province says
The rents paid by Manitoba producers using Crown lands to produce perennial forages will be cut in half next year and by smaller amounts the following two years. Provincial Ag Minister Derek Johnson on Wednesday announced the forage lease rent on agricultural Crown land will be reduced by 50 per cent in 2023, 33 per […] Read more
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