- Banding together
by Bonnie Warnyca March 2008
It's not a done deal. At least not yet. But the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association and the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders may soon be represented by the Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association. At least publicly.
It's something that's been in the works for some time now. The fallout and the reality check that resulted from BSE intensified... more
- Forage nutrition
by Shawn Keyowski March 2008
Forages are the major component in any ruminant diet. Understanding the nutrition of forages can go a long way to ensuring a quality livestock operation. There are many forage options that can be used in different livestock operations from hay to pasture. Within all the forage options, one factor among forages relates to all operations - what the... more
- Corn grazing
by Bonnie Warnyca March 2008
Before Dave Rajotte and his father-in-law Neil Kerslake of D & N Livestock began corn grazing just south of Peebles, in east central Saskatchewan, wind-packed snow cover regularly forced them to abandon barley/oat swath grazing and move to bale and silage feeding by January 1. Now into their third year of corn grazing, they turned 302 heifers into... more
- Commercial beef strategy helps support cow prices
from BIC March 2008
While the BSE crisis devastated prices for all classes of Canadian cattle, cull cattle took the biggest hit and have taken the longest to recover. Cow prices dropped from 60 cents per lb before BSE to a low of 10 cents per lb during the crisis, and at times producers were unable to find a market for culls.
Government and Industry leaders... more
- Discovering the potential of barley
March 2008
Behind the Barley Bioproducts Opportunities Project (BBOP) is a belief that barley, already one of the prairies' major crops, has infinitely more potential. The three-phase, research-based BBOP was launched in May 2007 to evaluate barley's potential in Canada's rapidly evolving biofuel, biorefining and bioproducts industries. Specifically,... more
- Debating common agricultural policy
March 2008
Next month in London, England the great debate will take place concerning the future of the contentious ag policy that is eating over 50 billion pounds in taxpayers money each year. The back drop to this policy/debate is: soaring prices; arguments over biosecurity and food safety proliferating; agricultural being viewed as a source of energy as... more
- The "value" of feedlot feed efficiency
by Dr. Aaron Grant and Dr. Scott Schake March 2008
Introduction
We are currently experiencing some of the toughest times in Alberta's cattle feeding history. Many factors (both in and out of our control) have combined to make profitability in the cattle feeding sector extremely difficult. In order to survive in these tough times, cattle feeders need to look within their management... more
- A pound of flesh
by Perry Pellegrini March 2008
The sale of farm assets, including: land, buildings, machinery, equipment and inventory will give rise to tax. How the taxes are calculated varies by asset type. In this article we will look at how each asset is taxed when it is sold.
Land
Your land typically will give rise to a capital gain. The capital gain is the... more
- Restaurateur
by Helen McMenamin March 2008
When Terry Myhre signed up for a course to find out more about the beef he was buying, he had no idea it would take him to leading a value chain. That's a supply chain that gives all the participants a share of the extra value that comes from sharing information among suppliers and buyers.
Myhre owns the Chuckwagon Cafe in Turner Valley,... more
- Flexibility helps stay ahead of problems in cattle business
by Helen McMenamin March 2008
A plan is always good, but when you're working with Nature and cattle as well as markets, Plan B may be even better. Flexibility, being ready to switch to another plan to fit the situation, is always part of Fritz Fankhauser's management approach.
In his controlled grazing system Fankhauser is always ready to modify his routine, to... more
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