Reading Time: 2 minutes Here are the options for pasturing cattle on insured hay fields. If clients have any questions or concerns about the policy or procedures they should contact their local Agricultural Financial Services (AFSC) branch office. This spring has experienced low precipitation rates and windy conditions in many parts of the province that may be contributing to […] Read more
Feeding pasture cattle on insured hay fields
Greater rest periods for pasture means more profits
Reading Time: < 1 minute A day spent grazing works out to just half the cost of feeding cattle and adds $1 per head in profit, says forage and livestock business specialist Grant Lastiwka. Allowing for greater rest periods during the growing season will increase its carrying capacity, and allow producers to put cattle out earlier in the spring and […] Read more
Rain sprinkles Prairie canola fields, pastures
Winnipeg | Reuters — Light rains sprinkled Western Canada’s crops and pastures during the weekend, but amounts fell well short of what’s needed to remedy dry conditions that have stunted growth, analysts said Monday. Rains were scattered across the Prairies and similar light amounts are expected during the next two weeks, Commodity Weather Group said […] Read more
When thinking about biosecurity on a beef farm, it helps to think both big and small
Disease can be introduced when people visit the farm, such as in the case of the bull sale
Reading Time: 3 minutes When people think about biosecurity, they generally think about swine, poultry or dairy operations. But biosecurity is important on beef operations too and there are a number of things producers can do to minimize their risk. “Dairy, swine and poultry are in barns, so biosecurity is easier to control, whereas in the beef industry, the […] Read more
Scorecard lets you put your pastures to the test
The scorecard is a simple way to see if a pasture needs to be rejuvenated
Reading Time: 2 minutes Highly productive pastures are the biggest key to high profitability of most beef, and other grazing ruminant operations. The Alberta Tame Pasture Scorecard is a quick and easy way of doing a pasture assessment. “Determining if pastures are functioning at the desired potential can be determined quite easily,” said Grant Lastiwka, a provincial forage and […] Read more
What’s a fair rent for a pasture? ‘It depends’
Higher cattle prices and a decline in available pastures putting upward pressure on rental rates
Reading Time: 2 minutes Higher cattle prices have some producers and landowners revisiting their pasture leases. “Pasture rental rates can be difficult to figure out because there are many factors to consider such as local availability of land and pasture, localized demand, quality of the pasture, condition of the existing fences and water, and bargaining,” said Dean Dyck, a […] Read more
The sizzling market for farmland may be ready to take a breather
Alberta land prices are still heading up, but double-digit annual rises appear to be over for now
Reading Time: 3 minutes The red-hot market for farmland is showing signs of cooling off. “The more recent sales are still showing some increase, but the increases aren’t what they have been previously,” said Dave Weber, an appraiser with Serecon, an agricultural consulting company. Alberta farmland values were increasing about one per cent a month during 2011 and 2012, […] Read more
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
Beekeepers bank on biodiversity in pasture lands
Canola is a great source of pollen and nectar — but only for one month of the year
Reading Time: 2 minutes As the Alberta countryside gets eaten up by field crops, pastures are becoming a “safe haven” for field crop pollinators. “Bees spend maybe a month sitting in a canola field, and in that month, they have adequate supplies of pollen and nectar from the canola,” said Adam Ovinge, a beekeeper from Granum. “The problem is […] Read more
Prairie forage crops to benefit from early spring weather
CNS Canada — Forage crops in Western Canada are in a much better place this spring compared to a year ago, as spring’s early arrival will benefit crop development. The milder winter was also beneficial in preserving forage supplies, with feed stocks adequate to good in many regions, said Terry Kowalchuk, a provincial forage specialist […] Read more
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