Winter has faded in the rearview mirror, yet the summer road ahead is dogged by one unwelcome word: drought. Or, at the very least, excessive dryness. On beef ranches in parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan, producers are also facing forecasts of an El Nino effect, which could worsen the conditions.

While new irrigation technologies can be valuable tools, improving irrigation efficiency does not always require a major investment. In many cases, small management changes can have a significant impact on water use, crop performance and overall profitability.

Across the Great Plains, farmers and ranchers are entering another summer under dry conditions, balancing feed costs, stocking rates and long-term pasture health while hoping for rain that may or may not come in time. For many, drought planning is no longer an occasional challenge, but rather a part of the business model.

An ancient Ethiopian grass turned modern forage, teff delivers high yields and strong water‑use efficiency, making it a practical warm‑season option for Western producers.

Billy Wolfe is worried. Or perhaps “worried” is too strong a word for someone as unflappable as Wolfe, but he’s staring down the 2026 summer farming season, and he knows this year is going to be difficult, hot and dry. So very dry.

New forecasting and monitoring tools are helping ranchers stay ahead of forage shortages before they hit.

Heavy hay inventories are colliding with deepening drought, wildfire losses and stalled late-spring pastures across major beef regions. As more cattle move into drylot management, stored forage is becoming a critical lifeline.

As environmental pressures and market dynamics shift, producers are taking a closer look at how early weaning, paired with precise nutrition and management practices, can unlock both short-term flexibility and long-term gains.