The farming industry is an ever-changing landscape. With each year that passes, new complexities and challenges arise that place pressures on Canadian farmers to continuously adapt their business practices to remain competitive.

As I’ve talked to producers, almost everyone can experience improvements – even those who were satisfied with their trim losses and health outcomes. Surprisingly, the protocol offering these results has been around for decades: the humble footbath.

I had the privilege of hearing Billy Cordasco talk about the legacy of the Babbitt Ranch in Arizona. He spoke of generations that have poured into the ranch and now, as a large family, they utilize a board of directors. But it didn’t start out that way.

Trevor and Cheryl Branvold raise registered Angus on a farm near Wawota, Saskatchewan, that’s been in Cheryl’s family since it was settled in 1888.

Spring is in the air. The daffodils and crocus are blooming. A new emerald green spreads across the lawn covering the crackling brown of winter. The birds twitter in the pink blossoms. It is so beautiful, but I know it will be short-lived. 

It was a beautiful, sunny day, and we were happy to be going about our work. On this July day, we were planning on round-baling our upper hay field. It had a beautiful second crop of hay on it that I had cut a couple of days before

I really didn’t want to write this article. I really don’t like that we are fighting with the Canadians.

When Chace Fullmer was handed the reins of a 1,000-cow dairy at the age of 20, he was excited to build a life as a dairy farmer. Almost 20 years later, Fullmer has added 1,500 cows, built a new rotary parlor and maternity facility, improved the genetic value of his herd through genomic testing and adjusted his approach to dairy farming.