CME April 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle rise on broad commodity strength

Nearby hogs down on weak cash values

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed higher on Wednesday, bouncing off a four-month low on bargain buying along with broad-based strength in equity and commodity markets as fears subsided about the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in China. The benchmark April live cattle futures contract on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) […] Read more

Most of the time cows handle calving just fine on their own, but producers should also be watching and ready in case something does go wrong.

No single measure ensures successful calving season — Part 2

Animal Health with Roy Lewis: Looking after the details will pay dividends later

I wish the more experienced producers could share with others the little things they do and watch for when checking cattle at calving time. Watch for problem signs such as bloody discharge from the vagina, or meconium (first feces) in the water bag, indicating the calf is stressed and needs to be extracted. Some producers […] Read more


Drone provides a new field perspective

Drone provides a new field perspective

Ground truthing is still important, but drones can identify problem areas

Randi Wenzel says even basic operation of a drone over annual crops and pastures on their south-central Saskatchewan mixed farm provides some very useful management information, along with some peace of mind. Wenzel, who farms with family members south of Central Butte, has been flying a drone during the cropping and grazing seasons for the […] Read more

CME April 2020 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle sag on weaker cash trade

Coronavirus jitters also rattle cattle markets

Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. live cattle futures fell on Tuesday, with the benchmark April contract touching its lowest since late September on falling cash cattle prices and worries about the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in China, traders said. Cash cattle traded lightly in Kansas and Nebraska at $119-$120 per cwt, traders said, down […] Read more


Midwinter inventory for swath grazing

Midwinter inventory for swath grazing

Swath-grazing cattle without shelter often require 40-50 per cent more dietary energy

Barley swath-grazing has become a viable alternative and practical means of feeding a low-cost forage to overwintering pregnant beef cows. Since nutrient supplementation may be required later on as they approach calving, producers should take a midwinter look at the feed value of swaths to ensure all nutrient requirements are always met. It is well […] Read more

(JBSS.infoinvest.com.br)

How JBS became collateral damage in a war between billionaires

JBS now plans to tweak U.S. IPO, executive says

Sao Paulo | Reuters — A business dispute between the disgraced billionaire Batista brothers in Brazil and the heir to an Indonesian pulp and paper fortune is throwing a wrench in meatpacker JBS SA’s plans to for a U.S. listing of its international operations, such as its Canadian beef plant. The dispute stems from a […] Read more


Get ready for agroecology

Get ready for agroecology

Experts at World Food Day are ready to change the entire food system

By coffee time of the World Food Day conference in Bern, Switzerland I wanted to jump up on that stage and shout out: “I’m a commercial grain farmer from Canada that grew GM canola and don’t regret it. What do you have to say to that!” The speakers and attendants that day were not particularly […] Read more




Closeup of a plowed field, fertile, black soil.

The five principles of soil health

USDA researcher says healthy soil needs a systems approach

At the Regenerative Agriculture Forum in Brandon in November, Jay Fuhrer, soil health specialist with the Natural Resource Conservation Service of the USDA, spoke about soil health. Fuhrer has identified five principles of soil health, and how they work to improve soil health and increase productivity. Fuhrer defined soil health is defined as “the continued […] Read more