Victory in warfare can be achieved by adopting the best strategy available. Good generals constantly refine their tactics on the battlefield until the enemy gives up. It’s no surprise then, that planning is a big part of holistic grazing guru Allan Savory’s theory of holistic management, because as a military officer, he led soldiers in […] Read more
Stories by Daniel Winters
Viable alternatives to unsafe dugouts
Chipping holes in frozen dugouts to provide water for livestock during the winter is not only cold and nasty but can also be dangerous for both the rancher and his animals. At minimum, cattle or horses could become injured if they slip and fall, or even drown en masse if the ice gives way. “Do […] Read more
Windy days, warm nights
On top of an 80-foot tower above Bill Grant’s acreage near Homewood, Man., stands an 1,800-watt solution to the spectre of rising energy prices. The project cost him $20,000, but in the two months since he installed the wind turbine, its performance has left him confident that it will reduce his monthly hydro bill by […] Read more
Tree saving venture not to be poo pooed
Anyone who has ever compared what goes in the front end of a sheep with what comes out the back knows powerful forces are at work. Forget for a moment wool, mutton and lamb chops – a sheep’s main task in life is turning coarse fibre into finely chopped particles, much like a paper mill. […] Read more
Organic method reduces inputs
When input prices soared last spring, many farmers wondered if there might be a better way. Apart from diesel fuel to run their equipment, organic farmers eschew most of the items on a conventional grain producer’s ever-lengthening shopping list. They grow their own nitrogen, spread manure for phosphorus and use more varied crop rotational strategies […] Read more
Warm thoughts: Masonry stoves save fuel, work, money
Remember that scene from Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book where the Monkey King implores Mowgli: “Teach me the secret of fire, so that I can be human, too.” Of course, Mowgli the jungle boy – wiser than his years might suggest – brushes off the king’s request and eventually makes good his planned escape back […] Read more
Winter corn grazing provides free nutrients
Within six months there could be an end of turmoil in financial and commodity markets, but in the meantime, there will be more pain for cattle producers. “I think commodity markets are oversold. Everybody’s on the run, trying to get the heck out of everything,” Rob Leslie of Canfax said in a market update at […] Read more
Maple Leaf sells genetics business
Topigs Canada Inc. has bought the hog genetics business operations and assets of Maple Leaf Agri-Farms. The deal includes the assets of Lean Team International, a marketing arm of the genetics business, along with a nucleus farm in Manitoba. The two companies have also formalized an agreement in which Topigs Canada supplies genetics to Maple […] Read more
Supply management system called non-starter for cattle
Restoring access to the United States market is a priority for the Canadian cattle industry because the alternative is too painful to contemplate, says one cattle industry expert. “Canada’s beef industry must export to survive. We have no choice,” said Charlie Gracey, a cattle industry analyst for four decades, who spoke as part of a […] Read more
Market pain to linger
Corn is a notorious nitrogen hog, but a Manitoba cattle producer has figured out a way around the high cost of growing the crop as a winter feed source for his cows. By planting the corn on the herd’s manure and urine left over in his wintering field from previous years, he was able to […] Read more
