Ben Hamm grew up on a dairy farm in Rainy River, Ontario.  After moving to Manitoba when he was 12, his family moved away from dairy and switched to a beef cattle operation.  Ben has been very connected with agriculture and grew up taking small side jobs in the hog, dairy and poultry industries.  In 2003 he decided to return to school to pursue a career in agriculture.  Ben graduated with an Animal Science Degree from the University of Manitoba in 2007 and started full time as a Business Development Specialist with Manitoba Agriculture that same year.  Over the years, this position has turned into his current position as a Farm Management Specialist.  Ben also owns and helps manage a 3000 acre mixed farm with a cow calf operation of 250 head with his dad and brothers. 

During this episode, we focus on cost of production.  Ben shares information on the many cost of production calculators he has built over the years, which are available for producers to access on Manitoba Ag’s website.  The link is included below.

These calculators allow producers to modify their forms of grazing, and choose different calculators based on the class of animal they will have over the winter.  From there, producers are able to calculate their feed costs, and overall cost of production for different herd sizes. 

Ben stresses that it is vital to take the time to input your operation’s numbers so you can get an accurate projection on the costs in order to make the best decisions for your farm.

Ben shares some insight on different winter feeding methods farmers are using in Manitoba, as well as ways to be innovative while still meeting the nutritional requirements of your cattle. 

Ben invites producers to contact him if they have any questions about the calculators, or if there is anything to add to the current calculators.  His goal is to produce resources that work for farmers, when farmers need them.  To contact Ben, you can email him at [email protected] or call him at 1-204-392-9350.

There are several different cost of production calculators available online at: 

https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/farm-management/production-economics/cost-of-production.html

The research programs and daily operations at MBFI would not be possible without the funding from the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada, and Canadian Agricultural Partnership, as well as the partnership with Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP), Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA). 

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Website: www.mbfi.ca 

Email address: [email protected] 

Mary-Jane’s Phone Number: 431-255-0011