What We’re Reading | Alberta’s iconic cattle ranches face critical moment as two-year drought continues

By Kate Helmore, The Globe and Mail

Rachel Herbert spent the past few days fixing up her water pump. The water in her well was barely reaching it. The surrounding streams had slowed to a trickle, or were bone dry.

Her cattle ranch, Trail’s End Beef, is located in Nanton, Alta., a community that has received a third of its usual rainfall this spring and early summer.

For now, her cows are grazing on pasture, which has survived the drought. But the lack of rain has made it impossible for her to grow enough hay, which she uses to feed her animals in winter. She will have to buy some from elsewhere and ship it in, an extra cost.

“I’m honestly losing track of how many years it’s been dry,” Ms. Herbert said.

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‘What We’re Reading‘ is a quick look at some of the issues and insights Alberta Beef Producers’ content creators and editors are reading to stay up-to-date, to broaden perspectives, and to explore issues relevant to the agriculture industry.