Beef producers face countless obstacles in raising high-quality, nutritious products. Deficiencies, avoidances and half-hearted energies directed toward any management area will result in mediocre performance, reduced profitability at a minimum and financial disaster in the worst cases.

Shipwheel Cattle Feeders, under the stewardship of Andrea Stroeve-Sawa, exemplifies a modern approach to cattle farming that successfully integrates custom cattle feeding with flexible grazing strategies and continuously improves.

Wowk Ranch near Beauvallon, Alberta, specializes in breeding, training and selling high-quality horses of various breeds and runs 200 commercial cattle that they feed with a team in the winter.

In Olds, Alberta, not far outside Calgary, Harvie Ranching stands as a testament to the lasting tradition of family farming. For over four decades, members of the Harvie family have dedicated themselves to the production of top-quality cattle.

While a barn fire is not something any dairy farm wants to go through, the Hofstra family has used their positive attitude and determination to build a barn for future generations.

Brilman Dairy welcomed Progressive Dairy into his facility to share some of its inner workings and the keys to his farm’s productivity.

What do speedskating and dairy farming have in common besides ice (insert Alberta winters) and hard work? One Holstein breeder: Rolf Van Benthem.

Whether new research was presented or different management tactics were discussed, one question was consistent throughout the conference: How will this affect the longevity of a cow?

Historically, the relative value of traits to the commercial cow-calf sector has been stated as the “10-to-2-to-1 rule of thumb,” where fertility traits are 10 times more important than carcass traits and five times more important than growth traits.

Focusing on cow comfort, calf care and careful breeding decisions, the Kozak family works together to build an exceptional herd to merchandise and grow from within.