Effective water and feed management are the cornerstones of a profitable and healthy beef cattle operation. When properly executed, these two elements work in tandem maximizing performance, reducing health issues and improving overall efficiency.

From lush spring growth to dormant winter range, the nutrient value of what a cow grazes can swing dramatically. Yet, the cow’s requirements don’t swing nearly as wildly. That mismatch is where performance is either captured … or lost.

Weather patterns have been difficult to nail down with any degree of accuracy this year. In Saskatchewan, late snowfall has delayed thawing and therefore grass growth and typical seeding plans.

Amid constant promises of reinvention, soil testing remains one of agriculture’s most reliable tools.

When herds increase in size faster than acreage, overlooked nutrient gaps can quietly cap forage tonnage.

Global turmoil is reshaping fertilizer supplies just as spring fieldwork ramps up.

Besides spray recommendations, pasture plantings contribute to the volume of calls that extension agents and specialists get in the spring. What should I plant? Where can I find the seed? How should I get seed in the ground?

If a cow does not get bred, she does not have a calf. That fact alone makes reproduction the number one driver of profitability in a cow-calf operation. But the conversation should not stop there.

As the crop year winds down and uncertainty looms for 2026, one thing remains clear: Informed farmers make better decisions.