Forage and Livestock eNews

Updates and information from across the industry

Volume 19 Issue 5 May 19, 2026

Services Provided by Livestock and Feed Extension Specialists

by: Tessa Thomas, PAg, Livestock and Feed Extension Specialist, Saskatchewan Agriculture, Tisdale

Have you ever had a question about your farm and didn’t know who to ask or where to look for the answer? The Ministry of Agriculture’s extension specialists are here to help you!

There are 10 regional offices throughout the province with a variety of knowledgeable specialists available to provide support. These specialists include rangeland management extension specialists, crops extension specialists, agriculture programs specialists, agri-environmental specialists and livestock and feed extension specialists.

In addition to hosting demos, projects and extension events, livestock and feed extension specialists answer producer inquiries. The bulk of these are related to beef cattle production, but they also provide support for sheep, goat, bison and other livestock producers. Part of the role of these specialists includes helping producers test their livestock water and feed and interpret results.

Ace Your Spring Seeding
By: Kim Cassida, Hay and Forage Grower Magazine, March 2026

Although I write this looking out the window at a white, frozen landscape, it will soon be spring and time to plant crops, including alfalfa. Alfalfa can be challenging to establish due to its small seeds and sensitivity to soil conditions. However, good establishment sets the foundation for years of profitable perennial forage production, and it requires a plan long before the planter heads to the field.

Select a suitable site. Alfalfa is particular about its growing conditions, so the first critical step in successful establishment is choosing an appropriate site. Alfalfa can grow successfully in a variety of soil types, but good drainage is absolutely essential. Waterlogged soils promote root and crown diseases, which can impair seedling establishment and reduce stand life. Alfalfa will not maintain roots in permanently saturated soil. Branched root varieties have slightly better tolerance of marginal drainage than tap-rooted varieties because they maintain more root mass near the surface, but even the best branched root variety can’t overcome a wet, heavy soil.

Native Prairie Appreciation Week Tour

Date: June 12-13, 2026

Location: Kyle, SK and area
Theme: Prairie Power: Roots, Shoots and Boots

The NPAW Tour topics includes plant ID, rangeland bird ID, targeted grazing and prescribed burns, rangeland health assessments and more.

Learn more and register here

Pasture 101

From the Alberta Beef, Forage & Grazing Centre, Pasture 101 is designed to provide information on several aspects of grazing management through a series of modules. Each module addresses a different topic related to grazing management, complete with extra resources for more information and practical tools like worksheets and quizzes to help you test your knowledge and then plan on your own operation. The course can be completed from start to finish by reviewing the information in each module or each module can be accessed individually.

Check out Pasture 101 on the Beef Cattle Research Council's website:

https://www.beefresearch.ca/pasture-101/introduction-to-pasture-101/

IYRP Pastoralist Knowledge Hub

To celebrate the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, the IYRP Knowledge Hub features videos from around the world.

Click here to watch "Restoring Rangelands in Afghanistan" or view the full playlist here: https://www.fao.org/pastoralist-knowledge-hub/knowledge-repository/videos/

Upcoming Events

Summer Watering Strategies Field Day from SAW

June 11, 2026

Old Wives Pasture, SK

View the registration poster

Native Prairie Appreciation Week Tour

June 12-13 2026

Kyle, SK and area

Learn more and register here

Horizons

July 10-11, 2026

Minton, SK

Visit the website for info and tickets

Saskatchewan Pasture Tour

August 5, 2026

North-central SK

More details coming soon - save the date!

Financial support for the Forage and Livestock eNews is provided in part by one of our partners, the Saskatchewan Forage Seed

Development Commission.

Forage and Livestock eNews is published by the Saskatchewan Forage Council (SFC). Opinions and information are provided by the authors and publication does not imply endorsement by the SFC.