Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey II

The second Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey will occur in Fall/Winter 2017/18. Look for the survey being handed out at District meetings coordinated by your provincial producer associations starting October 2017 and at winter workshops. Producers who complete 80% of the questions are eligible for a $25 gift card, plus complete the cost of production section of the survey to receive an additional $25 gift card.

Watch for the survey being handed out at meetings starting in October 2017! For links to the online and paper surveys and to learn more, visit this page on the Western Beef Development Centre website.

Posted October 27, 2017

SSGA Aims for 10,000-Pound Food Bank Donation

Media Release, October 17, 2017

Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association

When the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association initiated its Beef Drive for Saskatchewan food banks last year, it had modest goals. “Our members just wanted to pitch in and help people,” SSGA President Shane Jahnke said.

The SSGA thought 1,000 pounds of packaged ground beef would be a realistic target. By the end of the inaugural campaign, Saskatchewan ranchers had donated 8,500 pounds of beef worth $48,000.

This year their goal is to contribute 10,000 pounds of fresh ground beef, and they’re well on their way. On World Food Day October 16, the SSGA donated 3,000 pounds to the food banks and have already donated a total of 4,000 pounds this fall.

Read more.

Posted October 18, 2017

America's Great Plains Lost More Habitat in 2014 than the Brazilian Amazon

WWF Report, November 2016

In 2014 the Great Plains lost more acres of grasslands than the Brazilian Amazon lost to deforestation, according to a new report from World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Fifty three million acres of America’s Great Plains have been lost since 2009, threatening important and iconic species like grasslands songbirds, the monarch butterfly, and native bumble bees.

“America’s Great Plains are being plowed under at an alarming rate,” said Martha Kauffman, WWF’s managing director of the Northern Great Plains program. “Centuries old, critical prairie habitat that’s home to amazing wildlife and strong ranching and tribal communities is rapidly being converted to cropland and most people don’t even realize it.”

Read the full article here. View the 2016 Plowprint Report here. This document provides information on grassland conversion to croplands and is intended to broaden public awareness of grasslands loss.

Posted October 2, 2017

In need of hay?

You may be wondering how to connect with producers who have hay for sale, or you may have feed to offer for sale.  While more traditional methods such as the local paper or word of mouth might still work, consider looking to one of the other online resources for hay sales:

Kijiji  tends to have many listings of hay and other feeds for sale, as well as buyers looking for hay

Internet Hay Exchange has listings in Canada and the US

Facebook has a Hay/Feed for Sale in Saskatchewan & Manitoba page that you may want to join.

The SCA also has a Facebook group: Feed & Forage Wanted and For Sale (Facebook accounts are required to join these groups).

agbuysell.com may have hay or feed for sale.

The Manitoba Hay Listing Service from Manitoba Agriculture has a search feature so you can locate feed close to your area.

When searching for hay, be aware that there is no standard way that hay for sale is listed. It may be in short tons or metric tonnes, cents per pound or often by the bale. Be sure to ask what the bale weights are, and to ask for feed analysis to be sure the hay you buy will meet the needs of you livestock.

For a more comprehensive look at hay trends and pricing in our province, check out the SFC's semi-annual Forage Market Reports

Updated March 9, 2020