Emergency use of strychnine for the 2026 growing season has been denied by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency.
Tag Archives pasture management
PMRA denies strychnine emergency use request
Saskatchewan and Alberta had asked the agency to approve emergency use
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
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
Plants and their identity crises
A Little Bit Western: One person’s weed is another person’s useful and cherished plant
Like many farmers and ranchers, I’ve always been curious about plants. After all, we are surrounded by plants, and humans depend on them for everything from food and forage to fibre and fun. Throughout the growing season, as interesting plants pop up in ditches, fields and pastures, I get texts, tweets and messages with photos […] Read more
Reduced-area pest spraying can still hit moving targets
The RAAT method can cut insecticide use in half and still kill most grasshoppers on pasture
Glacier FarmMedia — Grasshoppers, as their name suggests, hop from place to place in grassy fields. Taking advantage of that natural behaviour, University of Wyoming scientists have devised a way to control grasshoppers on pastures with smaller volumes of pesticides. The method is called Reduced Agent and Area Treatments (RAAT), in which farmers apply an […] Read more
AI assistance for ranchers
A high-tech tool aims to help users make better management decisions around grazing practices
Nowadays, it takes more than just horsepower to drive some of the best ag tools. Artificial intelligence is becoming a leading force in driving innovation that not only helps boost efficiency and productivity for producers but also can make their farms more sustainable. A high-tech startup called Enriched Ag maintains there are fewer AI-powered tools […] Read more
Research looks into drought’s lingering effects on grasslands
A global project will provide valuable insights as droughts increase, an Alberta scientist says
Glacier FarmMedia — A global study is examining the surprising ways short-term droughts can affect grasslands. “It’s not surprising that less water is going to lead to less plant growth. We’re all very familiar with that,” said Cameron Carlyle, associate professor of rangeland ecology in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences at the […] Read more
Pastures, hayland get a leg up with legumes
Climate program funds allow Canadian-bred non-bloating legumes such as sainfoin to gain ground
A former Alberta provincial forage and livestock business specialist, now working with seed supplier Union Forage, Grant Lastiwka has studied forages in grazing systems for a long time. Over that time, he’s found certain legumes can bring net benefits to pastures and forage stands — significant enough to outweigh the potential drawbacks. Eleven years ago, […] Read more
Solid deworming programs essential for grazing cows
Understanding the lifecycle of the major worms found in pastures helps with treatment timing
Whenever I heard of a beef cow herd infected with brown stomach roundworms (Ostertagi ostertagi), I used to envision a cow’s abomasum filled with large and living ropes. Then, I looked at some pictures in a cattle parasite book and to my surprise, this common gastrointestinal worm is no more than a quarter- to half-inch […] Read more
A handy inexpensive feed bunk
A repurposed water trough and other fencing materials were all put to good use
This fall, we decided to let our two yearling bulls out of the corral for winter and have them eat down some willows. Last winter, we created a new little pasture by clearing out the trees and willow bushes, then piling and burning them in hopes of growing more grass. We grazed that new pasture […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
