Cow/Calf Schools

Saskatchewan Pasture School

Field Days

Field Days are held annually at the Termuende Research Ranch near Lanigan, SK, one in the winter and one in the summer. These field days provide producers, researchers and clients with the opportunity to see the centre’s activities first hand. The days consist of guest speakers, technical presentations, and field tours.

2010 Summer Field Day

The Western Beef Development Centre’s annual Summer Field Day was held Tuesday, June 22, 2010.  This year’s theme was “MANAGING HERD INFORMATION, THE CATTLEMAN’S NEW REALITY”. Morning speakers presented on BIXS and the CCIA. 

Due to heavy rainfall on Monday evening, not all the field tour stops were possible. Several of the researchers instead gave presentations at the Ranch.

WBDC would like to thank its Field Day sponsors and the 170 people who made it out for this year's Field Day. Many topped the day off with a delicious steak supper and visiting.

You can view the 2010 Summer Field Day agenda by clicking here. 

Below are links to presentations that were given at the 2010 Summer Field Day

• Field Day Handout
• Beef InfoXChange System Update (BIXS) - Larry Thomas
• CCIA Update and Premise Identification - Brian Anderson
• Grazing Crop Residues - Ashley Krause (Dept. of Animal & Poultry Science)
• Nutrient Export Runoff - Amber Smith (Dept. Soil Science)
• Water Filtration - Serena McIvor (AESB)
• Impact of Winter Bale Grazing on Perrenial Pastures - Dr. Alan Iwaasa (SPARC)
• Mycoplasma Pneoumonia in Beef Cattle - Dr. Jose Perez Casal (VIDO)
  

We would like to thank our sponsors for the day:

GOLD SPONSORS

Blair's Crop & Livestock Solutions
Feed Rite Ltd
Sask. & Canadian Angus Associations
Solar West
Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association

SILVER SPONSORS

Kelln Consulting Ltd.
Lamb Acres Farm Supply 
Saskatchewan Simmental Association
Canadian Cattle Identification Agency
Intervet Schering-Plough
Maple Farm Equipment
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Agoforestry Development Centre)
Gallagher Power Fencing System Inc.

SPECIAL SPONSORSHIPS

Morning Coffee, sponsored by Kramer Auctions

Afternoon Coffee, sponsored by NorthStar Seeds

Hydration Sponsor: Kramer Auctions

Bus Sponsor: Sundog Solar Vintag Service

Special thanks to the Carlton 4-H Beef Club for coordinating the noon lunch and the Carlton 4-H Lighthorse Club for coordinating the steak supper!

Cow/Calf Schools

Each year, usually in the January to March time frame, the WBDC sponsors a series of cow/calf schools around the Province of Saskatchewan . These are typically one-day schools for producers where they can get current information on various aspects of the beef industry from WBDC staff and invited speakers.

Watch here for further details as the information becomes available.

Beef and Forage Symposium

This is a joint event put on by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, the University of Saskatchewan, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the Western Beef Development Center, the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association, the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association and the Saskatchewan Forage Council. The symposium focuses on issues that are relevant to producers, specifically where the industry will develop in the area of value-added beef production.

The 2010 Beef and Forage Symposium is partnering with the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference (SBIC) and will be the lead-off event for an exciting four days of activities. The theme for the Beef Week is “Securing Beef Beyond 2020: A Collective Approach.”

The 2010 Beef and Forage Symposium will be held on January 20, 2010. Click here for the agenda.

Registrations will be taken through AgriBiz Communications. Click here for a downloadable registration form.

Saskatchewan Pasture School

With an annual attendance limited to fifty producers, the Saskatchewan Pasture School provides a forum for grazing managers to gain practical knowledge and expand their management skills through seminars, hands-on exercises and pasture tours.

The 2010 Saskatchewan Pasture School will be held June 16-17. Click (here) for a complete agenda and registration form. For more information, please contact: Saskatchewan Forage Council, Phone: 306.966.2148 or Email: office@saskforage.ca

Trade Shows, etc.

  WBDC staff regularly attend trade shows, conferences, seminars, etc as guest speakers, with informational booths, or simply as information providers. Watch various events as they are promoted to see if someone from the WBDC is in attendance.

Beef Cost of Production

Cost control is key to survival for the beef producer as much as it is to any business owner. The job of finding costs that can be cut can be daunting. At the Cost of Production workshops, participants learned how to input and calculate their own ranch or farm costs, calculate returns, and conduct scenario planning. The workshops were held around the province in late 2009, and early 2010.

Registration was free with a limited number of seats in each workshop. Each registrant was instructed to bring his/her farm financial information and was given a private workspace where examples and step-by-step instructions were provided on how to enter information into the software program. Instructors were on hand for personal discussions and assistance.

A user manual was created by WBDC’s Beef Economist to further help the participants navigate this program. It can be viewed by clicking here.