Bill Gibson is among those sheep producers to manage his herd through adaptive grazing.

No wool over their eyes

Grazing preference, fencing, and parasite issues are among the quirks sheep producers deal with when attempting high stock density grazing

Markus Wand can draw on a long family history of high intensity rotational grazing and adapting it to different species. His operation, Wand Family Farm near Powassan, Ont., has been rotationally grazing since the ’70s when Markus’s father, Klaus, bought a dairy farm and turned to the practice to help manage the farm’s purebred herd.

Introducing the original high stock density grazers

Introducing the original high stock density grazers

Many adaptive grazing systems look to mimic the original bison herds, but how do those systems change when bison themselves are behind the wire?

Bison ranchers Brooks and Jen White of Lyleton, Man., are breaking their own ground on adaptive grazing, and they’re going right back to the system’s roots to do it. It doesn’t take long to find bison mentioned on the many regenerative agriculture blogs, grazing websites and seminar advertisements currently floating through cyberspace. After all, as


Brian Harper (l) showcases the operation’s high density grazing experiment during a tour last summer on his land north of Brandon.

Brandon farmer wins national TESA award

Circle H Farms near Brandon is the latest national TESA winner

Manitoba has its first national TESA winner of the 21st century. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association’s ‘The Environmental Stewardship Award’ was given to Circle H Farms, owned and operated by the Harper family of Brandon, August 15 during the Canadian Beef Industry Conference. That event was held in London, Ont. this year. TESA is for producers

MBFI researchers recommend giving paddocks at least 75 days of growth between grazings.

Adapting the adaptive grazing program

Planned grazing must be flexible enough to fit real life, experts say

The term may be “planned” grazing, but the plan may not survive contact with the field. That was the message that provincial livestock specialists Pam Iwanchysko and Jane Thornton recently made during a planned grazing workshop at the Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives site. “There’s no silver bullet in any grazing system,” Thornton said. “I



Getting stocking rates right is crucial for the success of any beef operation.

BeefTalk: How many cattle should go in the pasture?

Planned grazing systems are difficult to develop but are a must for the cow-calf producer

Cattle are in the pasture, but how many should be there? The answer to that question is the heart of a beef operation. Proper utilization of grass is critical. Overutilization will impact the plant community negatively; underutilization impacts the plant community by not allowing for the proper stimulation of plant growth. The answer relates to


Beef sector recognized for environmental stewardship

Beef sector recognized for environmental stewardship

Association of Manitoba Community Pastures receives a 2017 Manitoba Excellence Award for Sustainability in Water and Natural Area Stewardship while Manitoba Beef Producers honoured for its work protecting grassland birds

Manitoba’s cattle sector has received substantial recognition for environmental stewardship this month. Sustainability awards were presented by the province of Manitoba to both Association of Manitoba Community Pastures (AMCP) and Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP). The AMCP received a 2017 Manitoba Excellence Award for Sustainability in Water and Natural Area Stewardship while an honourable mention in

Manitoba cattle producers are scrambling for hay while they wait for their pastures to regrow.

Slow-growing pasture means feed questions for producers

Pastures are slow growing this spring and last year’s feed surplus is starting to dwindle

Gord Adams of Deloraine has a feed problem, and he’s not the only one. The beef producer is among many Manitoba farmers reaching the limit of their feed supplies while pastures remain unable to fully support herds given poor regrowth. “We’re pretty much out of hay here now and we’ve been kind of trying to


AMCP land use practices such as prescribed burns are helping to maintain native grasslands, significant plant diversity and key habitat for numerous species at risk.

Community pasture benefits worth over $13 million a year, study says

From forages worth $5.67 million annually to $4.7 million in carbon sequestration services, 
the benefits from the province’s 350,000 acres of community pastures add up fast

All Manitobans gain from this province’s community pastures, according to a new study that details the broad range of social and environmental benefits derived from them, and assigns a dollar value to them too. Released last week by the Association of Manitoba Community Pastures (AMCP) the study pegs the value of ecosystem services derived from

Jane Thornton takes on pasture productivity during the 2018 Beef and Forage Days stop in Holland Feb. 1.

Markets and management at Manitoba Beef and Forage Days

Attendees to the 2018 Beef and Forage Days got both a window into the industry and a crystal ball on where it’s going next, including management strategies on the horizon

Manitoba’s beef industry got an update from the ground up last week. Manitoba Beef and Forage Days kicked off with topics like pasture management, grazing systems, traceability and a market forecast from Canfax. The tour made five stops in as many days from Minitonas to Vita during the last week of January, plus two independent