Milk harvest is the interaction between cows, people and milking machines, and we control two-thirds of it. In this interaction, we must ensure that cows are fully participating, but what does that even mean? What does full participation entail?

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.

In a way, we can compare the New World screwworm (NWS) outbreak to a hurricane. We've known for a while that the likelihood was pretty high that we would have to deal with it. We still aren't certain exactly how it will impact our operations, but it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to prepare in some ways.

Farmers, ranchers, landowners, renters, real estate agents, bankers and interested neighbors all have one question in common: What is a fair market rate for renting agricultural land?

Disagreements occur in our everyday lives, and many usually unexpected. The agriculture industry is not immune to disputes, and many times has the most difficult time finding help resolving disputes. Ranchers and farmers routinely enter into business deals, buy and sell land, lease property, secure loans and participate in government programs through the USDA or other federal and state agencies.

Ce n'est pas la clôture qui est intensive. Ce n'est pas la main-d'œuvre ni les déplacements des animaux. Et ce n'est certainement pas le broutage intensif. Ce qui est intensif, c'est la régie.

Taking care of the cows, land and people. That statement and its variations are ones heard often across the dairy industry as producers work to establish sustainability practices that meet the needs of their farms and the ever-growing demand from consumers.

I realize that as you are reading this, Mother’s Day has already passed. Yet, the mothers in our lives deserve far more than just one day of recognition each year.

In my lifetime, I have seen dads come and go. Some who would be classed as knights in shining armor and those who would not.

My wife sometimes asks why I keep ordering wings where we live, even if I know they won’t be good. In the end, I believe it’s a way to explain to myself where I come from and how that place has shaped me.