Officials in British Columbia are now gauging what sorts of damages and expenses can be covered through an AgriRecovery plan for ranchers and farmers affected by wildfires. The federal and B.C. governments announced Wednesday they’re “working together to quickly assess the extraordinary costs farmers are incurring and what additional assistance may be required to recover […] Read more
Options weighed for AgriRecovery in B.C. fire zones
U.S. Plains drought highlights spring wheat supply crunch
Chicago | Reuters — Drought conditions in the northern U.S. Plains that have propelled spring wheat prices to a three-year high worsened in the past week and there are forecasts for more hot and dry weather that could crimp the harvest. As the world struggles with a glut of grain that has filled inventories to […] Read more
Don’t let livestock graze too early
Reading Time: < 1 minute Turning animals onto pastures while grass plants are still small, succulent, and their second leaf barely fully emerged, may be doing more harm than good. Provincial forage specialist Karin Lindquist said if the grass is bitten before it has reached that three-leaf stage, it is forced to revert back to those energy stores to regrow […] Read more
Green grass and newborn calves a perfect match, says longtime grazer
The list of pluses is long, says Jim Bauer, including easier calving, reduced feed requirements, and calves that outgain their winter-born cousins
Reading Time: 3 minutes Assisting a cow with her calf is much nicer when the weather is pleasant — and matching calving season with the onset of green grass makes you more money, too. “When you can line up that reproductive cycle with the grass production cycle, that’s huge,” said Jim Bauer, an Acme-area rancher and former manager of […] Read more
Six limiting factors in your soil that will make or break your operation
Without these six key ingredients, your soil — and your farm — could be in trouble
Farms and grazing operations — organic or otherwise — are only as good as their worst resource, according to Oregon-based grazier Abe Collins. “Soil is our primary infrastructure on the farm,” said Collins, who spoke at the recent Organic Alberta conference. “Biologically, chemically, and physically, you need to be looking at the limiting factors in[...]
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Hail, flooding damage some crops, but most ‘good to excellent’
Alberta crop conditions as of August 2
Reading Time: < 1 minute Over the past week, rainfall activity has been convective in nature, with heavy downpours leading to localized flooding, and in some cases damaging hail across the province. This has maintained soil moisture levels, but slowed haying progress and reduced hay quality. In cases where crops are not performing well, it is largely due to excessive[...]
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Don’t be spooked by electric fences
It takes awhile to become confident in electric fences, but it’s worth the effort, says a provincial beef extension specialist
Reading Time: 2 minutes Electric fencing is an effective grazing tool cattle producers should consider taking advantage of throughout the grazing season. “The fence you put up doesn’t have to be permanent and expensive as electric fencing systems on the market today are very effective, mobile and easy to install,” said provincial beef extension specialist Andrea Hanson. “There are[...]
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There can be a steep price for early grazing
The choices aren’t great, but a forage expert warns that early grazing can cost you dearly down the line
Reading Time: 2 minutes With the early spring, some farmers, ranchers, and acreage owners are turning out livestock four to six weeks earlier than usual. “Some of the turnouts are due to a lack of feed, and for others it is necessary to get the cows out of the corrals,” said provincial beef and forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. Under[...]
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Production is ‘sexy,’ but finance should be the focus
Reading Time: 2 minutes If you want to be a successful rancher, your focus shouldn’t be on your production practices. “Out of all the things we do on the ranch, production practices are one of the most interesting, sexy things that people want to hear about — but it’s not the most important thing that we do,” said Amber[...]
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Doing it right pays off for Vandervalk family
Reading Time: 3 minutes Being recognized by their peers is an honour, but the Vandervalk family has also discovered that good environmental practices pay off in a big way. “We found out that we can make more money and do less work by doing rotational grazing on what we used to call hayland,” said Jack Vandervalk, a recipient of[...]
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