Rick Bieber, a farmer from South Dakota, spoke at Western Canada Conference on Soil Health about the many practices he has implemented to improve his soil on his operation.
South Dakota farmer focuses on soil biology
Retired farmer Rick Bieber spoke at the Western Canada Conference on Grazing and Soil Health
Better weather winds for 2024 grazing season
Prairie provinces received vital rains in April and May
Reading Time: 4 minutes The grazing season has had some memorably bad starts in recent years, but 2024 promises to break the cycle across much of the Prairies. “This is the best start we’ve had for a year for a long time,” said Graeme Finn, founder of Union Forage and rancher near Crossfield, Alta. “These pastures now are looking […] Read more
Farmers urged to use marginal land for forage
Ducks Unlimited Canada, Farm Credit Canada lauch program to turn uneconomical farmland into perennial forage
Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – A new program sponsored by Ducks Unlimited Canada and supported by Farm Credit Canada hopes to spur producers to turn uneconomical farmland into perennial forage. The Marginal Areas Program on the Prairies is open to producers in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with DUC providing financial support to convert unproductive cropland to forage […] Read more
Yearlings get schooled in rotational grazing
Ryan Canart trains a new group of animals every year and says they take to it well
Reading Time: 3 minutes Ryan Canart’s approach to pasture management reflects a lot of the principles that have become old hat during grazing tours across the Prairies. He is among the proponents of rotational grazing. His 907 animals are mostly moved daily through relatively small paddocks, with a goal to grow soil health and productivity. His land features an […] Read more
Mix up forages to fight soil salinity
Saline land improved by a number of grasses, say researchers at Ag in Motion
Reading Time: 2 minutes A mix of grasses can help address salinity problems on marginal farmland, says a forage expert. “The nice thing about a mix is you’re kind of guaranteed that something will catch,” said Dexter Lethbridge, a product line rep with Proven Seeds for Nutrien Ag Solutions in Lethbridge, Alta. Partnering with Ducks Unlimited, Proven/Nutrien set out […] Read more
Calving and pasture capacity videos
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Beef Cattle Research Council has a pair of new how-to videos. One focuses on the carrying capacity (grazing capacity) of a pasture. It gives an overview of the four keys to grazing management, features a Saskatchewan beef producer talking about his approach, and looks briefly at how to use the Carrying Capacity Calculator developed […] Read more
They’re big but not bad: Bison herd fits with rotational grazing
Reading Time: 3 minutes Dan Sych and his family are doing something a little different — practising rotational grazing with bison. But it’s no big deal, even though his livestock are formidable beasts, says the Hay Lakes producer. “So much of it has to do with what everyone’s interpretation of what rotational grazing means to them,” he said. “We […] Read more
Feed situation is much improved this year but far from perfect
The supply levels are good but feed isn’t cheap, and most pastures need some serious moisture
Reading Time: 4 minutes Craig Lehr has been able to source the forage and feed he needs this year for Short Grass Ranches, a backgrounding feedlot he co-owns near Medicine Hat. Still, finding feed and forage for the 7,000-head feedlot, plus its 1,100-head cattle herd, was not an easy task. “The ground situation is still pretty bleak,” said Lehr, […] Read more
Anthrax outbreak hits northern Alberta
Anthrax poses little risk to people, but the disease can decimate herds if not caught in time
Reading Time: 2 minutes Warnings have been issued about an anthrax outbreak in northern Alberta’s MacKenzie County amid hot, dry conditions that favour the disease. Anthrax in grazing beef cows has been confirmed on four pastures and on a bison ranch. Since the first report on July 14, 31 cattle and three bison out of about 1,700 at-risk animals […] Read more
Massive soil carbon mapping could change views about cattle
Five-year, $3.2-million study will determine how much carbon is stored in pastures thanks to grazing
Reading Time: 3 minutes What is the real value of soil carbon? And how much carbon do cattle producers store in the soil? These are two questions that will be answered in a carbon soil mapping project conducted by researchers from the universities of Alberta and Saskatchewan. “The reason for the project is that carbon in the atmosphere is […] Read more
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