Community pasture fee increase rankles ranchers

CONSUL, Sask. – Rate increases at Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration community pasture fees are not sitting well with some Saskatchewan ranchers. They say they weren’t consulted about fee increases even though they rely on the four community pastures that comprise much of the grazing land in the province’s southwest corner where they run their operations. […] Read more

Companies take pain out of grain

It had been at least 12 years since I had oatmeal for breakfast. Or ate an oatmeal cookie. Or thought much about oats, other than writing about them occasionally and making sure they weren’t in anything I was eating. Until recently. For those with celiac disease, or gluten intolerance, living without products made from wheat, […] Read more

Oats rise to new heights

Rob Fuller never thought he’d end up championing the many uses of oats. “I actually didn’t even like oats,” says the chef and owner of Zest Restaurant in Regina. But that was before he spent six months cooking as much as he could with various oat bases such as meal, flour and steel cuts. “It’s […] Read more


Sask. slaughter company lands U.S. accreditation

Obtaining USDA accreditation is a “huge deal” for Natural Valley Farms Inc., said general manager Eric Kasko. The slaughter plant at Neudorf, Sask., opened last fall but just received its approval last week. The company’s processing facility in Wolseley, Sask., was always approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The company had been shipping meat […] Read more

Small town schools face closure

About 30 Saskatchewan schools are under review as school boards face declining enrolment and revenue. Several divisions are holding public meetings and consulting with school parental councils after identifying facilities that should be reviewed. Few want to say these schools will definitely close, but that is a possibility. Gord Stewart, chair of Prairie South School […] Read more


New proposals could reopen Saskatchewan pork plant

The future of Moose Jaw Pork Packers Ltd. could be decided this week. Greg Tanner, an employee who is also an elected director of the company, said Jan. 15 that new investors made an offer for the closed plant Dec. 13. “We’ve got to get some answers this week,” he said. If a deal is […] Read more

Cattle can be taught proper grazing behaviour

SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. – Limiting the effects of grazing on riparian areas comes down to four basic strategies, producers were told at a recent conference. Grazing time, supplemental feeding, herding and selective culling are all important in ensuring the sustainability of riparian areas, said Jeff Mosley of Montana State University. He said cattle prefer not […] Read more

Sask. beef plant promises to find way to pay producers

Natural Valley Farms expects to have a plan within the next four weeks to resolve delayed payments to producers, says general manager Eric Kasko. The Saskatchewan company owes money to producers who sent animals through its slaughter and processing facilities before the end of September 2006, he said Jan. 8. In October, the company moved […] Read more


Fences not always best way to encourage good grazing

SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. – Cattle producers typically rely on fences to force cattle to graze where they want them to. Derek Bailey of New Mexico State University said that might not be the best choice, especially in landscapes that vary widely. Fences don’t necessarily encourage uniform grazing, he said, and not all animals are created […] Read more

‘Flerd’ experiment centred in grainland

ROULEAU, Sask. – Longhaired Galloways graze alongside woolly sheep in the pasture adjacent to Len and Lisa Larsen’s farm home. It’s an unusual sight on the flat, heavy clay land of the Regina Plains where grain farming is the most common agricultural practice. Seeing sheep and cattle grazing together is even more rare. The Larsens […] Read more