Editor’s Note: 2026 is the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, declared by the United Nations. This column by Dr. Barry Irving explores what that means for Alberta ranchers and why engagement matters. Watch for additional IYRP-related content in the months ahead. How the IYRP came to be The International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists…
The wise King Solomon suggested “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity…” The Byrds song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” in the 1960s famously alluded to Solomon’s words as a way to draw attention to switching mindsets from focusing on war to focusing on peace. Within Solomon’s verses are also the phrases:…
Wow, have you looked at the price of a steak lately? Canadian retail beef prices are at the highest level in history, inflating over 20% a year. A good steak or roast can cost $25-50 in the store; can you believe it? That is for an unbranded commodity product sold from a largely undifferentiated commodity…
2021 has been an interesting year for ranchers to say the least. A pandemic year caused the world to appear crazy and in “lockdown” while, those of us in rural communities, were dumbfounded about what this means to us. Quite frankly, most ranchers just put their heads down and went to work doing what ranchers…
2500 years ago, a Pharaoh in Egypt had a dream he couldn’t interpret. It involved 7 fat cows grazing by a river, sleek and fat in the sunshine. Then 7 lean cows came out of the river behind them and ate up the 7 fat cows and didn’t look any fatter for having done so….