Pasture Archives - Page 54 of 103

The family at Friendly Acres Seed Farm. Kevin Elmy and his wife Christina, Kevin’s parents, Robert and Verene, and Kevin and Christina’s daughters, Kennedy and Haley.

Friendly Acres 2018 year in review

Changes are in store for Friendly Acres, but soil health will still be the top priority

By Kevin Elmy February 7, 2019

One of the challenges of farming in a continental climate is weather. That is why farmers talk about it, complain about it, and want to either get good forecasts for it or control over it. Looks like the excess water issue that we had for eight years solved itself. Two years of below-normal moisture has […] Read more

Cattleman’s Corner, Finishers, Markets

Most indicators point to favourable market

Market Update: Numbers for the first quarter show good demand, strong prices

By Jerry Klassen February 6, 2019

Alberta packers were buying fed cattle at $268 on dressed basis in mid-January, which is up $10 from last month. Fed cattle values on a live basis were quoted at $163 in Alberta and US$124 in the U.S. Southern Plains. The market appears to be percolating higher due to tighter than expected market ready supplies. […] Read more

Australia’s electronic marketing system appears convenient and reliable even when making deals an ocean away.

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Cattle marketing across the miles

In the Aussie system, agents handle E-auction

By Kim Nielsen February 6, 2019

Editor’s Note: Keep in mind seasons in Australia are reversed: spring — September to November; summer — December to February; autumn — March to May and winter — June to August. At our grazing operation, Alcheringa Pastoral in Victoria, Australia, we have generally purchased cattle in late spring, after I arrive in October, and sell […] Read more

Setting up shelters with portable corral panels (temporary maternity pens) makes for a simple yet effective way to keep track of first-calf heifers when calving on pasture.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Bring calving pens to the pasture

It’s a good idea to give heifers lots of space when calving

By Beef Cattle Research Council February 5, 2019

Editor’s Note: What works for beef producers? The Beef Cattle Research Council has asked a few Canadian beef producers about changes, production practices or new technology they’ve made or use that make a difference in their day-to-day management. Good ideas can range from improving pasture watering systems and regularly testing winter feeds, to reducing costs […] Read more

This young Angus bull has been bred with forage efficiency and good maternal traits in mind.

Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Producing good working bulls

Most don’t have ‘papers’ but still deliver the genetics

By Heather Smith Thomas February 4, 2019

Traditionally bulls have been confined during winter and fed grain as well as hay, but some producers are wintering their bulls in larger pastures and letting them grow (or maintain) under more natural conditions. This often leads to better health, better fertility and longevity. Arron Nerbas of Nerbas Brothers Angus, near Shellmouth, in western Manitoba, […] Read more

For a bigger-picture view of the beef industry, there are several areas producers need to rethink.

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

A vision of what the beef industry needs: Part 1

Big Picture Thinking Part 1: The Canadian beef industry needs to think big to optimize its potential

By Sean McGrath February 1, 2019

Editor’s Note: This is part one of a three-part series by Alberta rancher and consultant Sean McGrath with his vision for the Canadian beef industry. A vision statement can be one of the most powerful tools available to a company. It sets the big-picture goal for a business and provides a framework for communication. A […] Read more

File photo of an oil pumpjack near Drumheller, Alta. (LaughingMango/E+/Getty Images)

General, Machinery, Reuters

Bankrupt oil firms must clean up inactive wells, Supreme Court rules

By Rod Nickel, GFM Network News February 1, 2019

Ottawa/Winnipeg | Reuters — Canada’s Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that bankrupt oil companies must clean up inactive wells, overturning lower court decisions that prioritized paying creditors and potentially raising the risks of investment in the industry. The 5-2 ruling means that the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), which had appealed the earlier court decisions, can […] Read more

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s final map of designated areas for the livestock tax deferral provision for the 2018 tax year, as of Jan. 30, 2019. (Agr.gc.ca)

Livestock, Weather

Livestock tax deferral map expands again for 2018

By GFM Network News January 30, 2019

Some northern and southwestern Ontario producers who had to sell breeding livestock due to drought in the 2018 tax year can now defer chunks of the income from those sales when filing their income taxes. The federal government on Wednesday rolled out its final list and map of designated regions for 2018 under its livestock […] Read more

Columns, Hart Attacks

New caretakers at Kootenay River Ranch

Another family takes a turn at making a home and memories

By Lee Hart January 29, 2019

We’re barely into January and already there is change. “The Farm” is gone. It wasn’t my farm, but it was a chunk of pasture and hayland in south eastern B.C. that has been a big part of my life for the past 40 some years. Let’s face it, it was just dirt and grass but […] Read more

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s map of deferral-designated areas for the 2018 tax year as of Oct. 25, 2018. (Agr.gc.ca)

Beef Cattle, Livestock, Weather

Unusual third assessment run for livestock tax deferrals

By GFM Network News January 29, 2019

In an unusual move, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has undertaken a third assessment for the federal livestock tax deferral. “Federal officials are currently finalizing the analysis to identify whether any additional regions have met the criteria for the livestock tax deferral,” AAFC spokesperson James Watson said. Under the deferral plan, cattle producers affected by severe […] Read more

GFM Network News

Nutrien tops profit estimates, launches review of phosphate business

U.S. grains: Soybean prices rise as China-U.S. truce assessed

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures post limit-down losses

Pasture