For cow-calf producers, keeping herds efficient and profitable often comes down to adopting practical management practices that make sense on the ground. Whether it’s testing feed, improving records, or using pain control at branding, small changes can have a big impact. To better understand how these practices are being used, the Beef Cattle Research Council... Read More

Clear, calm communication can make all the difference on a ranch, something Etienne Poulin has learned first-hand from working as a ranch hand across Australia and Canada. In this episode of Ruminating with RealAg, host Amber Bell sits down with Poulin to talk about what communication looks like from the employee’s side, and how it... Read More

Riparian areas, those green, ribbon-like zones along streams and rivers, are some of the most productive and ecologically important parts of the landscape. But when it comes to grazing livestock, they’re also among the most fragile. How do producers balance water, forage, and habitat without sacrificing one for the other? This episode of Ruminating with... Read More

Winter feeding options can be complex, there are many layers that go into decisions on feed source, supplements, fencing, watering and so much more. Now to throw another layer into the mix, what about custom feeding? While custom feeding cattle at a feedlot might seem like a fairly straight-forward process, there are a lot of... Read More

When the nights turn crisp and the drill is parked, is it still worth chasing green? This Ruminating with RealAg episode tackles the late-fall question: what to do when it feels “too late” to seed cover crops, and whether a few leaves before snowfall can still pay back in soil health or livestock feed. Host... Read More

Most farmers and ranchers enjoy walking through an ag trade show. Whether it’s checking out heifers, catching up with a neighbour in the beer gardens, or exploring booths filled with the latest gadgets, there’s usually something new to take home — sometimes a tool, sometimes an idea. In this episode of Ruminating with RealAg, Sean... Read More

"You're growing soil, that's your crop, and your plants and animals are tools to do that." In this episode of Ruminating with RealAg, Dr. Kris Nichols, founder and principal scientist of KRIS Systems, joins host Amber Bell to discuss the world beneath our boots. While the two discuss a lot of the finer details of... Read More

In this episode of Ruminating with RealAg, host Amber Bell sits down with Jaime (Jim) Elizondo of Real Wealth Ranching to unpack the principles of “total grazing.” With decades of experience in dairy nutrition, agronomy, and accounting, Elizondo shares his global perspective on livestock productivity, soil regeneration, and adapting grazing systems to work with—not against—nature.... Read More

It's pretty safe to say that the evolution of electric fencing has been a game changer when it comes to giving farmers and ranchers cost-effective, flexible solutions for rotational grazing, riparian protection, and keeping wildlife out of bale yards. While putting up an electric fence sounds like a straightforward process, there are a lot of... Read More

Anyone who’s worked with livestock knows just how many threats exist—diseases, toxic plants, and parasites can all put animal health at risk. It’s up to ranchers and feedlot operators to do everything they can to protect the animals in their care. One threat that had been nearly forgotten, until recently, is the New World Screwworm,... Read More