Reading Time: 4 minutes The COVID pandemic has altered our semi-retirement plans. Many of our retired friends and family are trying to find meaningful ways of spending their time. Some are relieved that they will be able to golf in a socially distanced way. Here on the ranch we’re not searching for meaning. We seem to be filling important […] Read more
Life on the ranch during COVID-19
Coulee Crest Farms earns 2019 stewardship award
The Radau family makes one or two significant improvements in sustainability every year
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Radau family of Coulee Crest Farms in Red Deer County is the 2019 winner of the Environmental Stewardship Award. The environmental stewardship award from Alberta Beef Producers recognizes individuals and families who contribute to the land while improving productivity and profitability. Randy and Sandra Radau have been ranching at Coulee Crest Farms since 1989 […] Read more
Alberta ranchers hit the big screen and steal the show
A McDonald’s commercial that ran in movie houses across the country is getting rave reviews
Reading Time: 5 minutes You’re in a movie theatre, popcorn in hand, and the lights dim. You’re expecting another car or soft drink commercial but suddenly, there’s a rancher on your screen. You may even know him. It’s Stephen Hughes, and he’s talking about transparency in a McDonald’s commercial about beef sustainability. “I learned how many people go to […] Read more
Philanthropic ranchers make game-changing donation
Having an entire working ranch will take veterinary program to ‘a totally different level’
Reading Time: 4 minutes A donation of a fully working ranch — worth an astounding $44 million — will transform the University of Calgary faculty of veterinary medicine into one of the world’s top centres for animal health and welfare research. “For us, the gift from Jack Anderson and his daughter Wynne Chisholm and the families of this ranch […] Read more
Rancher donates $2 million to take beef industry where it ‘needs to go’
Cochrane producer John Simpson says sector is doing a good job in caring for cattle but can do better
Reading Time: 3 minutes The cattle sector has made big advances in livestock health and wellness, but needs to do more, says a rancher who donated $2 million for a new research chair to make that happen. “This has nothing to do with bad treatment of animals — it has to do with better treatment, better protocol, better records, […] Read more
Three approaches to managing first- and second-calvers
Their methods differ, but these three ranchers are all focused on maintaining body conditioning
Reading Time: 2 minutes Because they graze year round at Deseret Ranches near Raymond, Darren Bevans manages first- and second-calvers separately from the cow herd on winter swath grazing. “Managing these groups separately allows us to provide a little bit of extra nutrition, which can make all the difference to body condition and future pregnancy rates,” said Bevans. “Really these […] Read more
South African ranchers are ‘game’ for raising wildlife
The country’s 12,000 wildlife ranches cover 20 million hectares and the sector is growing by leaps and bounds
Reading Time: 3 minutes You may think it is strange to go to an auction to pick up a wildebeest or a zebra, but ranching wildlife is just an innovative way of making money for South African farmers. It’s similar to Canadian bison, deer, or elk ranching and can add a lot of value for producers. “In South Africa, […] Read more
Celebrate Canada’s 150th with your family’s cattle brand
Alberta’s Cowboy Trail is steeped in history, and one man is working to wrangle it
Reading Time: 3 minutes History Wrangler’ Rob Lennard has a million and one stories about Alberta’s past. But few capture the imagination quite the same way as his stories about cattle rustlers. “People appreciate hearing about the cattle rustlers,” said Lennard, historian at the Bow Valley Ranche and official ambassador of the Cowboy Trail. “Before barbed wire fences, you […] Read more
Couple protects picturesque Porcupine Hills ranch
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reno and Corine Welsch have ensured their 3,034-acre ranch in the Porcupine Hills won’t be turned into a subdivision or see its native cropland put to the plow. The couple recently finalized a conservation agreement with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. “This conservation agreement gives me the freedom to run the ranch the way I […] Read more
Hanna ranchers win award for animal care
Reading Time: 2 minutes Dylan and Colleen Biggs of TK Ranch were two of the recipients of awards of distinction at the recent Livestock Care Conference hosted by Alberta Farm Animal Care. The Hanna-area ranchers were recognized for their long-term commitment to animal welfare and sustainably produced food, which has served as a model approach inspiring the progress of […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
