Early-spring seeding of winter wheat may create more grazing days and reduce production costs.

Early-spring-seeded winter cereals can bring more, better forage

The practice does have some risks — but maybe not the ones you think

Glacier FarmMedia — Seeding winter cereals “ultra-early” in the spring can hedge against drought by offering an alternative feed source, according to Alberta research results. The project’s origins can be traced to the extremely dry year of 2021, which left many producers in the province’s eastern Lakeland region in need of feed and water resources. […] Read more

Cattle

The fall run: the rancher’s sprint

A Little Bit Western: Most of the revenue, data and calf movement come in the fall

I like to joke that ranching is a marathon, except when it is a sprint, and then it’s that too. There are certainly times when you are racing from one urgent task to another. While it feels like the rest of the working world has three to five business days to respond to a request, […] Read more



Cyle and Erika Stewart, with daughters Hazel and Resha.

Cyle and Erika Stewart

Outstanding Young Farmers 2024: Efficiency, sustainability and resilience are priorities when ranching during a long dry spell

Cyle and Erika Stewart say developing an efficient beef herd and managing pastures to optimize use of available forage during consecutive years of drought conditions has been the priority for their family-run ranching operation in southern Saskatchewan. The Stewarts, who own and operate Pine Ranch along with Erika’s parents Bill and Terry Strande, say they’ve […] Read more


Joseph and Reba check the pasture and the cows together.

Trips to pasture become adventure time

Eppich News: The weather was good for getting off hay and harvest has commenced

Mid-August was warm with almost no rain. On Aug. 10 Gregory started cutting our hay over at Landis. On the 13th I started baling at Landis while Gregory continued to cut ahead of me. It was drying very nicely and so I was able to bale what he had cut just two days before. On […] Read more

When stock water levels drop, a solar water system can help extend the quantity and preserve quality in the remaining water.

Prepare your ranch and business plan for bouts with drought

A Little Bit Western: There are ways to extend feed and water — but do so with caution and monitoring

In late summer I was invited to the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Saskatoon to share my perspective on navigating drought. I would prefer covering a more cheerful topic, but as a fourth-generation Palliser Triangle dweller who resides on a ranch abandoned not once but twice by its former occupants, I’ll admit I’ve got experience […] Read more



Ian pauses for a picture while harvesting a few of Joseph’s carrots for fresh eating.

A visit from the aunties

Eppich News: Hot weather meant more tree watering and some creative air conditioning on the ranch

July stayed hot and dry. Gregory kept working away at the ditch hay and John worked as much summerfallow as he could. I was able to keep the main floor of the house a pleasant temperature as long as I did all the cooking on the barbecue, but the upstairs, where we sleep, would get […] Read more



Don Guilford with a group of first-calf heifers

Redefining a ranch

Holistic management has made the Guilford ranch more efficient — and it carries more cattle

Don and Diane Guilford have been practicing holistic management on their 1,200-acre ranch near Clearwater, Man. since the early 1980s. Don is the third generation of his family in that region and says holistic management has made a big difference in his success as a farmer. He took his first course with Allan Savory at […] Read more