The division between urban and rural populations has existed for generations. It’s understandable—someone living in a one-bedroom apartment in downtown Calgary might find it hard to grasp the challenges a rancher faces to produce the high-quality ribeye steak on their plate. Conversely, that same rancher might struggle to relate to the Calgarian’s daily life and… Read More
Category: Regenerative Agriculture
Grazing corn is becoming increasingly more common. So is grazing cover crops. But what happens when you put the two together? How wide should the corn rows be in order to make space for the cover crop? And is this a profitable way of farming? Byron Long of Long Family Farm at Barrhead County, Alberta… Read More
Could everyday consumer waste be an effective soil amendment that promotes a healthy microbial soil community and contribute to productive and profitable crops? There’s a growing body of scientific evidence that supports the practice and research being conducted by the University of Alberta’s Dr. Derek MacKenzie is poised to share new understanding of how waste… Read More
Cover crops are all the not-quite-so-new rage and the process of integrating them into current agricultural systems has been gaining ground (pun intended). Seeding multiple species in a field can do some fantastic things for the land, such as enhance water holding capacity, improve soil biodiversity, provide added resistance to pests and disease, and improve… Read More
Farming can be a high risk business and that is as true in ranching as it is in other agricultural sectors. While 2024 saw some excellent highs in the cattle markets, Burke Teichert, a consultant, writer, and public speaker, says in this interview at the Western Canada Conference on Soil Health and Grazing, that these… Read More
While corn has been grown for over 9,000 years, equipment, processes and even the geography that it is grown in has changed. One of the evolving markets when it comes to growing this nutritious grass plant is in conjunction with cover crops. Cover crops and corn is not a new idea — Indigenous peoples grew… Read More
Eight-six per cent of farmers and ranchers across Canada view themselves as good stewards of the land and 46 per cent feel that they can do more to improve environmental outcomes on their operations. These statistics come from a new national survey run by the research firm,Leger and funded by Farmers for Climate Solutions. Farmers… Read More
While policy leaders around the world are pushing to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at an unprecedented speed, the science is still working to catch up, at least when it comes to measuring carbon sequestration rates and emissions at the farm level. The conventional way of measuring carbon is to look at what is currently… Read More
A new soil-focused training program for agronomists is set to launch in 2025. The Canada Trusted Advisor Partnership (TAP) will be offered in Manitoba and Saskatchewan next year, with a goal of 10 to 15 participants. Modeled after the North Dakota TAP, which formed in 2022 to provide Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) with practical soil… Read More
With tight margins and a push for improved soil health being the status quo in most cattle operations, producers are working with researchers to find new and innovative ways to improve economical profitability while also improving soil for the next generation of farmers. While corn stalk grazing is becoming more commonplace in the Prairies, producers… Read More