High demand, scarce supplies and rising prices for hay and other feeds due to this summer’s drought on the Prairies have made a market for online scammers, RCMP warn. The urgency driving such transactions may cause ranchers, farmers and farm workers to make purchases “without taking time to properly verify or research production sources,” Alberta […] Read more
Hay-starved Prairies fertile ground for online scammers
At least $64,000 lost in Alberta alone, RCMP says
Lethbridge forage breeder receives top beef research award
Surya Acharya is not only prolific but knows what ranchers need in a variety
Reading Time: 2 minutes Renowned forage breeder Surya Acharya is the 2021 winner of the Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation. “Dr. Acharya is respected and appreciated by academics and producers alike,” said Matt Bowman, an Ontario producer and chair of the Beef Cattle Research Council. “His work addresses real industry obstacles with solutions that consider producers’ needs through […] Read more
CFA’s Hay West program up and running
Program website now online
A revival of the “Hay West” initiative, aimed at shipping feed from Eastern Canada to supplement drought-dented supplies in the West, has gone live. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture on Friday announced its Hay West 2021 initiative is “now operational and seeking applicants to both receive and supply hay.” Applicants interested in either supplying or […] Read more
Ontario MDS volunteers already moving hay west
Disaster response group spearheading program separate from CFA plan
It’s in the spirit of co-operation in difficult times that a group of Ontario farmers have launched a hay donation program to assist their Saskatchewan counterparts. Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Canada, a volunteer organization that provides assistance in the aftermath of disasters in Canada and the U.S., is organizing the latest iteration of Hay West […] Read more
When using canola for forage keep these factors in mind
Nitrates and sulphur are concerns, as are bloat and scours — and regrowth can be perilous
Reading Time: 3 minutes Poor canola stands not worth harvesting can be an alternate forage option. “While canola makes palatable feed, it may take one or two days for cattle to become accustomed to the taste,” said Miranda Meehan, North Dakota State University Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist. Forage canola has a nutrient content similar to alfalfa, with crude […] Read more
Plans afoot to move hay from East to drought-hit West
CFA, BFO spearheading Hay West-style initiatives
Farm groups are spearheading new plans to get livestock feed from Eastern Canada to drought-damaged regions of the western provinces and northwestern Ontario. Details are still pending, but the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) announced Aug. 12 it has started work on a “Hay West” initiative to get surplus hay “to those struggling in the […] Read more
Know what you’ve got is the golden rule when feed is short
Nitrate levels are higher in drought-stressed crops, so testing feed is an absolute must
Reading Time: 4 minutes Testing your feed should top your to-do list this fall and winter. “Get that crop tested,” said Bart Lardner, a University of Saskatchewan professor who holds a research chair in cow-calf and forage systems. “Know what you’re starting with and know what you’re dealing with in terms of energy density, protein density, and anti-quality factors […] Read more
Forage research gets long-awaited boost
Reading Time: < 1 minute Forage research will get a much-needed boost with the creation of a new research position at the University of Saskatchewan. “A 2012 assessment concluded lack of research and development investment in the Canadian forage industry meant advances in forage had not kept pace with developments in other crops,” the Beef Cattle Research Council said in […] Read more
Manitoba triggers hay disaster benefit
Per-tonne rate lifted to cover feed, transport costs
Manitoba’s crop insurance agency is set to lift the per-tonne rate paid out on insured forage crops to help cover livestock producers’ bills to buy and truck in replacement feed. Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp. (MASC) on Thursday announced a 2021 hay disaster benefit to provide another $44 per tonne, for every tonne below coverage, to […] Read more
New grazing stewardship program for 6,000 Prairie acres
Program has a component to help ranchers adopt multi-paddock grazing and regenerative agriculture
Reading Time: 3 minutes After growing its acres by 20 per cent last year, ALUS has lined up two big sponsors for a new initiative called Grazing Forward that will fund stewardship projects on 6,000 acres of Prairie ranchland. “A&W Canada and Cargill will together provide $1.8 million to support ranchers in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba as they continue to […] Read more
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