LIVESTOCK PRODUCTIVITY AND ECONOMIC RETURNS Supporters say the Savory Grazing Method is the ideal way for a producer to maximize livestock production and economic returns. However, the research conducted in Africa, the U.S., and Canada does not necessarily support this conclusion. Research clearly shows that as stocking rates increase, individual animal production will increase, peak […] Read more
Savory Grazing Systemmay not be that great
Are ranchers ready for free-market environmentalism?
It is unfortunate, but the legislation intended to protect wildlife and wildlife habitat is making it increasingly difficult for the ranching industry to operate in the same way as previous generations. Unfortunately, most of this legislation is counterproductive; not only is there little concrete evidence showing this type legislation is saving any species from the […] Read more
Ranchers need a CRMP process
A great deal of beef production in Western Canada takes place on native rangeland. In their book Range Management, Stoddart, Smith and Box define native rangeland as those areas of the world characterized by physical limitations making these areas unsuitable for cultivation and suitable solely for livestock grazing. Historically, these areas have provided a number […] Read more
Some Thoughts On “Organic” Beef
Recently, at Calgary food store that specializes in organic and natural foods, out of curiosity I thought I would visit the meat section to see what type of products were offered. It was obvious the meat was marketed in an entirely different manner than in a conventional store. Each portion was in a separate cryovac […] Read more
Range Camp Gets Young People Involved
In previous columns I talked about informing the general public about the importance of managing our resources wisely, and the role livestock grazing can play in achieving this goal. One aspect of this process is to introduce teenage youth to resource management in a group camp setting. The goal is combine fun with learning to […] Read more
Rural And Urban Communities Need To Find Common Ground
If you were to pick up a copy ofThe Economist, Foreign Affairs, ScienceorNaturemagazines it would not be unusual to find articles about conflicts between nations or between regions within a nation over the allocation of scarce resources. To a large extent the cause of these conflicts is an ever-increasing population utilizing a dwindling resource. What […] Read more
Environmentalists, You Gotta Love Em’
It was a couple of years after the Endangered Species legislation was introduced to the Canadian public and I was giving a presentation to a group of environmentalists on the role livestock can play in managing biodiversity on Western Canadian Grasslands. On this particular evening I was at the coffeemaker, drinking coffee and eating a […] Read more
Need To Promote Grazing Record
Recently I had the opportunity to visit an elementary school in Medicine Hat to give the school a donation for one of their projects. During our conversation I asked the principal about the school’s science and math programs. As we talked about these programs he explained how the school was taking a different approach to […] Read more
Drought-Proofing Your Ranch
It’s always fun to talk about global warming during the winter. Especially when the wind is blowing, it’s minus 40 outside and all the cows are standing at the gate waiting for the feed truck. However, when one looks back at the past year a lot of people got a taste of what global warming […] Read more
The Cattle Industry And Information
Recently I attended the Tiffin Conference in Lethbridge. At the conference were two speakers with an important message about the future of the cattle industry. The speakers that interested me the most were: a feedlot operator near Lethbridge and a representative of Nilsson Brothers Inc. Although each discussed different aspects of the cattle industry, their […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
