Katlin Lang is co-founder of FarmSimple Solutions, a company that provides a water trough sensor for remote watering system.
 Photo: John Greig

At Ag in Motion: Water trough monitoring made easier

Glacier FarmMedia – Imagine being able to run to the lake without worrying about water trough levels for grazing cattle. That’s the scenario that drove Katlin and his brother Dustin Lang, of Vibank, Sask., to found a company to provide a water trough monitoring system. Designed for troughs that are connected to solar systems out

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, can produce toxins that are harmful to livestock, wildlife and people.

Watch for blue-green algae in your livestock water supply

Deadly algae can thrive in livestock water sources during hot spells, but remote watering systems lower the risk significantly

In over three decades as a veterinarian, Roy Lewis never saw a cow die from ingesting blue-green algae from an infected water source. But he still says it’s an issue ranchers should watch for. Why it matters: Manitoba has had a hot start to the summer with over two dozen days with daily highs above

A motion-based winter watering system is demonstrated during a field day at Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives in 2017.

Winter water for livestock, off the grid

Winter water need not be tied to hydro, but there are some design considerations

It’s no longer unusual to see a solar watering system on summer field tours, but extra planning is needed if producers need or want to use those alternate sources in winter. Why it matters: Alternate watering systems got a lot of attention during the last year of drought, but proper planning can also make them