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
Grazing management is your best – and cheapest – pasture input
Grazing management can produce significant pasture health and productivity increases without breaking the bank
The third farm and a new set of challenges to overcome
The goal to quadruple carrying capacity in as many years was achieved, but soil building is ongoing
Reading Time: 4 minutes It was a dry year and the grasshoppers on our new farm were the size of jackknives. The carrying capacity was terribly compromised and the fact that sheep once prevailed was evident in the close-clipped grass. I found it a terrific challenge. Turns out this area north of Rimbey is great for rain and so […] Read more
Big bales are bottom of the barrel for the horse industry
Alberta’s horse industry buys more forage than any other livestock sector, but it has exacting criteria
Reading Time: 2 minutes Forage producers could tap into a huge domestic market for their hay — if they drop their bale sizes. “The horse industry purchases more forage than any other sector in agriculture,” said Les Burwash, manager of horse programs for Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “I’m not saying we use more — we buy more. Of […] Read more
Bale grazing and processing best at battling drought
A Peace Country study found bale grazing and processing is the best way to improve water retention and infiltration
Reading Time: 2 minutes Two up-and-coming grazing systems could help Alberta cattle producers combat drought. In a three-year study conducted by the Peace Country Beef and Forage Association, researchers found bale-grazing and bale-processing sites improve organic matter in the soil and increase the soil’s water-holding capacity more than other types of grazing system. “We’ve seen a lot of drought […] Read more
Expert says plan your pastures and save yourself some headaches
Heavy seeding and a weed control strategy geared to specific pasture conditions are key for grazing consultant and rancher Graeme Finn
Reading Time: 2 minutes You can’t just let your cows loose on a piece of grass without proper planning and knowledge. “When I take over land, I assess it and see where we need to go,” grazing consultant Graeme Finn said at the recent Western Canada Grazing Conference. “If we have weed issues, then we control them with chemicals […] Read more
Advocating for forage crops is critical work and needs to continue
The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association works on a tight budget, but is in it for the long haul
Reading Time: 3 minutes Recent reports on the financial situation of the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association suggest its future is grim. But while we’ll be on a tight budget in the coming year, the association is on firm financial footing and we intend on being around for a long time. In fact, the need for an organization like […] Read more
High cost, high risk, but corn a perfect cold-weather grazing crop
When the weather outside is frightful, cattle can get all of their energy and protein requirements by grazing corn
Reading Time: 3 minutes One of the “best-kept secrets” of Manitoba cow-calf producers could soon make its way west — as long as producers have access to better genetics. “The low-heat-unit corn varieties certainly have some potential to move into a cow or a calf backgrounding program,” Dr. Bart Lardner from the Western Beef Development Centre said at the […] Read more
Pasture the focus at conference
"Going Beyond Sustainability” will be held at the Radisson Hotel from Dec. 9-11
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Western Canadian Grazing Conference “Going Beyond Sustainability” will be held Dec. 9-11 at the Radisson Hotel, Edmonton South. This event is designed as a forum to discuss leading-edge grazing and forage techniques and theories for producers across Western Canada. Keynote speakers include Judith Schwartz who will speak on “Cows Save the Planet,” and Diane […] Read more
American soil health guru plants seeds in Alberta
In-demand speaker barnstorms province to talk about building better soil with ‘cocktail’ cover crops and integrated crops/livestock system
Reading Time: 3 minutes Gabe Brown found some fertile Alberta soil for his message that diversity builds soil health and boosts profitability. The North Dakota farmer and soil health guru did a barnstorm tour of the province in the last week of October, starting in the Peace Country community of Grimshaw, swinging through Legal and Vermilion, and then zigging […] Read more
Watch for mineral deficiencies in cattle diets when grazing stubble
Cow-calf pairs turned into stubble fields have different mineral supplementation requirements compared to when they were on pasture
Reading Time: 3 minutes Letting cows graze on stubble is a good way to utilize forage resources, but producers need to pay attention to potential mineral deficiencies, says provincial beef and forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. “They will pick and choose what they eat from the straw, chaff, weed seeds in the stubble, slough hay from the low areas and […] Read more
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