Record pasture insurance paid out in 2023

Record pasture insurance paid out in 2023

Agriculture Financial Services Corp. paid out more than $325 million through the Moisture Deficiency Insurance program

Reading Time: 2 minutes [UPDATED: Feb. 12, 2024] Glacier FarmMedia – Last year had the highest ever payout for pasture insurance in Alberta, surpassing that of 2021, according to data from Agriculture Financial Services Corp. More than $325 million was paid through AFSC’s Moisture Deficiency Insurance program, nearly three times the amount provided two years ago. “We went through […] Read more


Swath grazing is an important part of the Wray Ranch’s overall plan. Tim Wray is seen here checking his cattle in the winter.

Wray family honoured for environmental stewardship

Irricana-area ranch earns ABP annual environmental award at Stampede Summit

Reading Time: 3 minutes The Wray Ranch near Irricana is the 2023 winner of Alberta Beef Producers’ environmental stewardship award. The operation is a century farm that, from 1910 to 1998, was a mixed farming operation with mostly annual cropland and some native pasture. In 1998, Doug and Linda Wray took over the operation and changed directions slightly by […] Read more



Fire can leave a path of destruction — as seen here in a photo of a 2021 fire near Tomahawk — but pasture recovery can happen faster than you might think.

How to manage a pasture after a fire

What to do after a fire burns through? Treat it like it’s been heavily grazed, experts say

Reading Time: 3 minutes Many pastures have been damaged by this year’s fires. But how long does it take a pasture to recover? What can be done for a burned pasture? “Fire is not new to most grasses and other pasture forage species,” said Barry Irving, former manager of the Roy G. Berg Kinsella ranch. In that role, Irving […] Read more

While conservation efforts have had some success, what remains of the grasslands that once covered the West is small and getting smaller, says Barry Irving, co-chair of the North American group behind the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists in 2026.

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


Smoke rises from a wildfire near Wildwood, Alta., about 100 km west of Edmonton, on May 5, 2023. (Photo: Alberta Wildfire/Handout via Reuters)

Alberta ‘crossing fingers’ for rain amid wildfires

CN mainline traffic west of Edmonton suspended

Reuters — Firefighters were counting on rain and cooler weather forecast for Monday to help them quell a dramatic start to Alberta’s wildfire season. The province declared a state of emergency on Saturday in response to wildfires in northern and central regions that have displaced nearly 30,000 people and prompted energy producers to shut in […] Read more

The Pasture 101 website has good information and resources that allow users to quickly find what they need for their operation or situation.

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


After three decades of riparian stewardship, the Hall’s Timber Ridge ranch is a showcase for what can be accomplished. The operation frequently plays host to workshops for producers.

Foothills ranchers share rules for water resiliency

Keep it simple: Riparian areas play an outsized role in vital watersheds, and caring for them isn’t complicated

Reading Time: 5 minutes The Eastern Slopes are what many people picture when they think of Alberta — a sweeping landscape of grass and rolling hills giving way to forests and ridges framed by the majesty of the Rocky Mountains. But all that beauty masks serious issues, including the considerable strain on riparian areas. Key to the effort to […] Read more

File photo of a cow grazing near Leader, Sask., about 85 km south of Kindersley. (James_Gabbert/iStock/Getty Images)

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