Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Barley is asking barley farmers to stand for upcoming director elections. “I first joined Alberta Barley as a delegate to learn about my industry,” said chairman Mike Ammeter. “Over the years, I have learned how important it is for farmers to have input in the decisions that affect their livelihood. That’s why we are […] Read more
Alberta Barley seeking directors and delegates for upcoming elections
Parched Prairie forages hang in under stress
CNS Canada — Sporadic rains and prolonged periods of dryness are taking their toll on forage crops in Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan. According to Terry Kowalchuk, a forage crop specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in Regina, the eastern half of the province is managing, but the situation is worse in the province’s west. The western […] Read more
Learn how to benefit from sainfoin
A new sainfoin variety called AC Mountainview will allow producers to add alfalfa to their pastures without fear of bloat
Reading Time: 2 minutes A new variety of sainfoin is the focus of an upcoming training session in Lethbridge on July 21 and 22. “AC Mountainview has the ability to regrow more quickly than older varieties,” said Grant Lastiwka, a provincial forage and livestock business specialist. “Having a non-bloating, early growth and good regrowth legume is certainly something that […] Read more
The five keys to assessing rangeland health
The old adage about not being able to manage what you can’t measure applies to rangelands
Reading Time: 3 minutes Native rangelands are key assets to livestock producers — and rangeland health assessments allow them to adjust grazing practices to achieve productive, sustainable grazings. A rangeland assessment system looks at the five key functions of rangelands: integrity and ecological status; community structure; hydrologic function and nutrient cycling; site stability, and noxious weeds. And in all […] Read more
Saving the environment one legume at a time
Condensed tannins reduce bloat and do a whole lot more besides
Reading Time: 3 minutes In the environmental debate, some rank cattle up there with smokestacks and auto emissions. But Canadian researchers are discovering Mother Nature has developed her own mitigation strategy for bovine burps, flatulence, and excrement — and showing that grazing cattle has major environmental benefits. In 2000, concerns over cattle and greenhouse gases prompted Allan Iwaasa of […] Read more
Original Grazing School for Women event fast approaching
Registration deadline is June 1
Reading Time: < 1 minute This year’s Original Grazing School for Women includes farm tours, networking events, and sessions on the BSE Surveillance Program, plant identification, grazing in a changing climate, extending the grazing season, record-keeping technology, and a demo on electric fencing. It also includes trips to Luc Tellier Farm and the Iron River Elk Farm along with a […] Read more
Warmth seen as welcome relief for Manitoba forages
CNS Canada –– A recent wave of warm temperatures is just what’s needed to boost the development of forage crops in Manitoba, which have been slowed due to recent weather, according to two industry experts. “Just within the past week plants are starting to develop, we’re hoping that with the heat they’re forecasting, the crops […] Read more
Grazing management is your best – and cheapest – pasture input
Grazing management can produce significant pasture health and productivity increases without breaking the bank
Reading Time: 3 minutes I’ve been studying and practising grazing management for more than two decades and have always been intrigued by how it allows you to increase pasture productivity with few other inputs. At times, I’ve resorted to adding nitrogen fertilizer, spreading pig manure, harrowing, and clipping thistles. For some pastures, it seemed like the only thing to […] Read more
Improve performance with a sweet treat for your cattle — afternoon-cut forage
Sugar concentration in forages peaks about 11 to 13 hours after sunrise — and can be as much as five per cent higher
Reading Time: 2 minutes Make hay while the sun shines’ is good advice in more ways than one, says a federal research scientist. “There’s fairly strong evidence that shows, by increasing the sugar concentration in forages, you can improve the performance of ruminants,” said Gilles Bélanger, who spoke during a recent Beef Cattle Research Council webinar. “If you want […] Read more
Is your pasture ready to graze? Start counting leaves
Grazing a pasture for six weeks costs about half of the annual production potential for your forages
Reading Time: 3 minutes Deciding when to graze a pasture has nothing to do with plant height, says an Idaho-based grazing expert. “Height doesn’t tell us very much,” Jim Gerrish said recently at a Foothills Forage and Grazing tour near Acme. “What we really want to know is, physiologically, is a plant ready to be grazed?” And leaf stage […] Read more
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