Along with native grass pastures, the Baergs are trying different combinations of seeded grass and legume species to 
provide both annual and perennial forage stands.

Crop diversity intended to beef up the soil

Proper rotation is part of developing sustainable farming operation

“If you take care of the grass, it will take care of you.” These are the words of wisdom Alberta cattle producer Jerry Baerg received from one of his mentors, and which he has followed as he and his family set about building a sustainable beef operation near Linden in south-central Alberta. Over the past […] Read more

Good soils or loamy soils are ones that contain equal parts of sand, silt and clay. Unfortunately, this ideal mix is not that common on the Prairies.

What is soil?

Let’s explore the properties of your cropland’s soil

In everyday conversation involving agriculture, we hear about poor soils, clay soils, good soils, ruined soils, eroded soils, degraded soils, sandy soils, silty soils and so on. These names or descriptions are, for the most part, meaningless and very subjective. Soil is, in reality, a storehouse of water, mineral compounds of multiple complexities and plant-essential […] Read more


The Eppich Quarter Horses had a good Christmas morning as well as the hay was rolled out.

Definitely a cold, snowy start to winter

Eppich News: Blowing snow made it a challenge to feed the cows

December was cold and windy. It was too cold for little Ian to be out at all, and Joseph and James were not allowed to be outside for very long. Usually they got bundled up and then played a little bit on their walk over to Grandma’s house. They had fun but were quite sad […] Read more

On the McGrath ranch they manage grazing at a very intensive level with various record keeping apps, charts, monitoring points and other systems in place.

Calculating ‘cow bushels per acre’

Most grain crops are measured by bushels per acre, so why not do the same for forage?

If you’re familiar with grain farming, the term “bushels per acre” is a common frame of reference for measuring yield. There are nuances around this, such as moisture level, bushel weight and protein content, but bushels per acre is a relatively well understood industry standard. When we think about a lot of the cow-calf industry […] Read more


Gerald and Patti Anhorn of Windy Ridge Ranching Co. Ltd. near Elrose, Sask. earned recognition in 2022 as the Saskatchewan nominees for the Canadian Cattleman's Association, The Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA).

Grass management factors into environmental award

Healthy pastures for cattle also mean healthy habitat for wildlife

Patti Anhorn grew up on a grain farm in the Elrose, Saskatchewan area, and while she loved that, it quickly became apparent her family’s farm was missing something. Namely, cattle and horses. She jokes her parents would ship her over to a nearby farm that had livestock and horses so she could get her fill. […] Read more

It wasn't necessarily pretty but the tarp set up got the job done at -35C temperatures. The insulated tarp along with plywood skirting provided a temporary shelter, while portable heaters warmed the rear tire enough so it could be removed and repaired.

Tarp serves as temporary workshop

With blocked wind and some heat, a tire repaired on a bitterly cold day

Tires are an expensive necessity on the farm. Just when you think you may be making good progress on a job or a chore, there goes a tire. It was -35 C in December when Gregory was plowing snow to open trails to feed the animals and open our driveway. Thankfully, he had finished with […] Read more


The south-facing solar panels that produce power for the water pump are mounted on the roof of a former grain bin now serving as a well house.

Grain bins make for a good well house for livestock watering

Repurposed materials worked well with solar-powered watering system

Water is an incredibly important part of life. As our drought in west-central Saskatchewan has continued over the last few years, we have had to stretch ourselves a bit and try to find a long-term solution to the water shortage. We’ve dug dugouts in the past, but even with the best dugout, you still rely […] 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


Highest temperatures over the seven-day period ending Jan. 23, 2023. (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Prairies’ warmer spell to be usurped by arctic front

MarketsFarm — While the Prairies have so far this month experienced rather non-January-like temperatures, a cold front coming south from the Arctic will soon descend on the region, according to Scott Kehler, president and chief scientist of Weatherlogics in Winnipeg. “What we are seeing is a big change in the weather pattern. For most of […] Read more

The U.S. beef cow slaughter is projected to reach up to 3.900 million head, up from 2021.

Cow-calf producers have opportunity for expansion

Calf prices expected to remain strong for at least two years, and perhaps three

Throughout the fall, I received many inquiries from cow-calf producers regarding herd expansion. During the latter half of November, good bred cows and higher-quality bred heifers were trading in the range of $1,800-$2,200 in central and southern Alberta. Younger cow-calf pairs were selling in the range of $1,600-$2,100 in the same regions. With current prices […] Read more