Dr. Susan Markus has over 30 years of extensive experience in beef cattle production and sheep nutrition being currently involved in a large cow/calf, backgrounding and feedlot operation with her husband and 4 children in east central Alberta. She holds a PhD in Animal Behaviour from the University of Alberta, a Masters in Ruminant Nutrition from the University of Manitoba, and a BSc in Agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan. Susan started her career as an agrologist in Manitoba and then worked for Alberta Agriculture and Forestry for 25 years, initially as a beef and forage specialist in Coronation, AB, and since 2006, as a Livestock Research Scientist. Currently, she is a Livestock Research Scientist with Lakeland College with a focus on production efficiencies and utilizing new technologies where feasible.
The pace of new agriculture technology development is rapid and overwhelming. With a focus on fertility, growth and carcass traits, we have merged the ranchers’ needs with Lakeland Colleges’ Ag Technology degree program students to collaborate and create a heifer development demonstration site. The applied research team (in partnership with MBFI, Highland Feeders of Alberta and Buck Lake Ranch of BC) is using technology to manage & locate cattle and map ranches with expansive pastures. Dr. Markus will have stories about helping ranchers to rank reproductively efficient heifers, determining where their cows are, what they are doing, and if you can even afford to know!
TIm specializes in transition conversations, focusing on family dynamics, business planning, and innovative tools that cana make this difficult process easier.
He grew up on a family farm in Manitoba and is based out of his home office in Brandon, MB. Tim prides himself on building rapport with customers and ensuring every voice at the table is heard.
Prior to joining FCC, Tim worked at Royal Bank of Canada as an Agricultural Account Manager. He attended Minot State University where he graduated with honors with a major in finance and minor in accounting.
Succession is the transfer of a business, while estate planning is the transfer of assets pre- and post-death. Transition is a combination of both and is proactive rather than reactive.
Dr. Beauchemin recently retired from her research scientist position at Agriculture Canada’s Lethbridge Research and Development Centre in Alberta. However, she continues her involvement in science as an Emeritus Researcher, providing leadership in greenhouse gas mitigation. Over her 35 year career, Karen led a broad-based research program to improve feed utilization of beef and dairy cattle while reducing environmental impact of meat and milk production. Before her career in research, Karen spent several years in the feed industry as a nutritionist. She served on the U.S. National Academy of Science’s Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle 8th revision committee and has published over 500 refereed scientific publications. She has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards and was named 2022’s Woman of Impact in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics by the government of Canada.
This presentation will review key issues related to greenhouse gas production from beef cattle production, discuss ways to reduce emissions on the farm, and provide insight into the potential for carbon neutral beef production in Canada.
Dr. John Campbell graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph in 1985. After several years of rural veterinary practice, he returned to Guelph to complete a Doctor of Veterinary Science degree in Ruminant Health Management. He has worked as a clinical faculty member on the Ruminant Field Service Practice at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan since 1991. He served as Dept. Head of the Dept. of Large Animal Clinical Sciences from 2011-2017. His primary research interests are in the fields of beef cattle production medicine and disease surveillance in beef cattle. He currently acts as the director for the college’s Disease Investigation Unit.
The Canadian Cow-Calf Health and Productivity Enhancement Network (C3H/PEN) will provide benchmarking productivity information and estimate the prevalence of production limiting diseases within Canada's surveillance network will also examine topics important to the cow-calf industry, such as antimicrobial use, animal welfare practices and biosecurity practices.
Lewellyn Melnyk is a journalist by trade and a farmer by choice. She worked as a reporter and anchor at CKX-TV in Brandon, Manitoba until 2007 before focusing on farming alongside her husband James. Lewellyn grew up on a grain farm near Russell, Manitoba and now lives on a mixed farm near Angusville. Inspired by her personal challenges with mental health on the farm, and a desire to help others, she wrote a book called Rooted that helps farmers, ranchers, and other small town folk learn to love themselves by prioritizing mental health strategies.
Increasing production efficiency means better performance, less land and water use, and lower greenhouse gas emissions while delivering the same quality product. This session will look at the practice of implanting pre- and post-weaning cattle and the economic and environmental impacts it could have for your operation.
Kim Ominski is a professor in the Department of Animal Science and the Director of the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment at the University of Manitoba (UofM). Since joining the University, Kim has established a multidisciplinary research program focused on the productivity and sustainability of beef cattle production systems in Western Canada. Kim considers herself fortunate to teach in the both degree and diploma programs at the UofM.
Betty Green is a life long cattle rancher at Fisher, MB. Betty has worked with producers across Manitoba as a past President of Manitoba Beef Producers and previously as the Provincial Coordinator for Verified Beef Production (VBP) program.
Session will feature getting calves started on feed, reducing costs of gain, and practical feeding management, and will also address common calf nutrition questions from a producer perspective.
Elizabeth Nernberg is a Livestock and Forage Extension Specialist with Manitoba Agriculture based out of Roblin. For over 20 years, she has worked with livestock producers in planning their winter-feed program, dedicated in assisting them lower their feeding costs and providing guidance to balance their own rations.
Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with honours from the University of Manitoba, majoring in Animal Science. Growing up on the farm and being a 4-H beef member for 9 years, it is no surprise she still enjoys helping out on their 4th generation cattle operation today with the 5th generation right beside her. In her spare time, Elizabeth enjoys fishing and cheering on her three favourite hockey players in rinks across Manitoba.
Kathleen Walsh started working with Manitoba Agriculture in 2011 in the Swan River office. Kathleen dedicated the next ten years to working with producers on beef nutrition and management questions. In 2021, Kathleen left the department to become more involved in her family farms in Manitoba and Ireland.
Session will provide update on a new University of Manitoba study exploring intercropping to overcome the low protein limitation of corn grazing. Dr. Lawley will review the intercrop species and establishment methods being tested. General Manager, Mary-Jane Orr will provide highlights from Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives demonstration farm experiences with approaches to intercropping for corn grazing.
Dr. Yvonne Lawley is an associate professor in the Plant Science Department at the University of Manitoba. Her area of research is agronomy and cropping systems. Dr. Lawley’s research has focused on several crops including soybeans, corn, and wheat and a range of management practices from residue management, strip tillage, to cover crops. Her research involves both small plot and on-farm field scale agronomy research. Dr. Lawley enjoys communicating the results of her research to a wide range of audiences including farmers, agronomists, scientist, and especially in the classrooms where she teaches at the University of Manitoba.
Mary-Jane is the General Manager for Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives where she leads a dedicated team to advance Manitoba beef and forage industries through engaging stakeholders, evaluating on-farm innovation, and extension for sustainability of farmers, the public, and the environment. She grew up on a mixed farm in southwest Manitoba and completed her B.Sc. in Botany from Brandon University. Mary-Jane went on to hold a PhD from Purdue University where she studied soil microbial ecology in agricultural systems, is a Professional Agrologist, Certified Crop Advisor, and Manure Management Planner. Mary-Jane deeply values the opportunity to collaborate with producers, researchers, education providers, extension specialists, conservation groups, and all stakeholders in field-testing management practices and growing understanding of improved production in Manitoba. Her experience in ecology and field agronomy gives her a unique perspective on the challenges facing agriculture today.
Session will discuss key principles of pasture rejevenation, some long-standing practices and some novel ideas.
Mae Elsinger’s undergraduate and graduate degrees involved training in both Land Reclamation and Rangeland Management. As part of her diversified career as a Rangeland and Pasture Biologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, mostly in Brandon, she has dabbled in forage plot trials, pasture rejuvenation, and pollinator habitat plantings. She will be teaming up with Graham Tapley to talk about some essential principles and novel practices for pasture rejuvenation.
Graham Tapley grew up in the city but thrives on the family farm near Langruth. Along with his partner Kristine, they have reclaimed land from an old quarry, re-introducing native grasses and restoring it to productive pasture. In 2015, the Tapleys were recognized for their production practices in being awarded the Manitoba Beef Producers Environmental Stewardship Award.
Learn how to translate soil health science into action that benefits farmers, the environment, and society. This session will provide information land managers need to know when adopting management systems to improve soil health.
Steve has been a Research Scientist in Soil Health and Nutrient Management at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Brandon, MB since 2017. His research aim is to maintain or increase agricultural productivity while ensuring the long-term environmental sustainability of agricultural systems through soil health and soil fertility management. Research currently focuses on improving soil health resilience versus ecosystem trade-offs, soil health in a changing climate, assessing the utility of soil health indicators for corn and soybean, 4R Nutrient Stewardship for P, canola N use efficiency, soil physical quality in innovative grazing systems, and soil infrared spectroscopy. Steve is the Soil, Water, and Crop Production Science Team lead at Brandon, manages the plant and soil nutrient analysis lab, sits on local and regional committees focused on soil management, is the Canadian representative on the Soil, Water, and Climate Change Task Force for Procinorte, is the soils lead for the Eastern Prairies Living Laboratory, and is Adjunct Professor in the Soil Science Department at University of Manitoba.
Clayton operates a beef cattle family farm with son Quinn, founded in 1891, that has received international attention for their efforts. He recieved his BSc in Ag from the Univeristy of Manitoba and worked for over 2 decades in forage and beef research with AAFC, co-authoring a dozen scientific papers and receiving the Gold Harvest Award for their efforts in extended grazing and systems research. Clayton was awarded a Nuffield Scholarship in 2012 to study the production and impacts of energy-dense forages. Through all this and also in serving on the Executive of the Canadian Society of Animal Science for a number of years, he is privileged to have developed an extensive network of global expert researchers, extension agents, and producers whom he continues to draw from as they evolve the grazing strategies on their farm, as well as giving presentations in 10 countries on their efforts. Clayton joined the MBFI team in 2019. In his personal life, he has volunteered for over 3 decades on numerous Ag and youth organization boards and committees from local to international level and has been a curling coach/instructor for almost 40 years
This interactive session will highlight calving difficulties and how to overcome them when there is no time or help to intercede.
Shania grew up on a commercial cow calf farm south of Portage la Prairie MB where she was actively involved in the farm, 4H, and showing cattle at junior shows. After just 2 years of doing her undergrad at the University of Saskatchewan Shania was accepted into the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). While attending the WCVM she was awarded the Dr Victor L Rosso memorial scholarship, Saskmilk Dairy Excellence award, and Zoetis Animal Health Dr Otto Radostits Award for superior clinical aptitude and performance in food animal practice. Shania graduated WCVM in 2021 and works as a mixed animal practitioner but mainly specializes in bovine medicine at the Morden and Glenboro vet clinics.
Learn more about sod-seeding, field scale plantings using diverse blends, variation plantings - eroded knolls, flood prone, saline rings, saline restoration and more!
Charlotte grew up on a mixed farming operation north of Clanwilliam, MB. She started working off the farm with Ducks Unlimited in 2015, where her duties included: establishing all newly purchased properties to perennial forage, assisting with grazing management on already owned lands, and working with local farmers to provide agronomic advice and financial incentives for the establishment of perennial forages on privately owned lands. She currently lives in Rapid City, MB, where she helps out on her partner’s farming operation.
Originally from Holland, the Bos family immigrated to Canada in 1981 to Rapid City, MB. His parents thought they purchased a grain farm, but soon realized it was better suited to forage production. He along with his son Jordan currently manage 4,500 acres of perennial forage, consisting of a 700 head cow/calf operation, a backgrounder/grasser operation, and a hay/straw enterprise for the dairy feed market. They utilize high stock density grazing, stockpiled forages, and swath/covercrop grazing.
Whether you’ve been planning your grazing for years, or are planning to plan your grazes next year, it’s never a bad idea to crunch your numbers rather than grind your gears. Spend an hour reviewing some of the foundational concepts of graze planning including identifying key data points, plan considerations, and planning tools with Anneliese Walker and Ron Moss.
Anneliese (Liese) Walker is a livestock producer and Customer Support Specialist for MaiaGrazing. Liese has been working in the livestock industry since 2008 and entered the grazing technology sector in 2017. She is passionate about supporting livestock producers in pursuing economic and ecological health through data driven grazing.
Ron and his wife Yvonne have a small cow-calf yearling operation at Dauphin, Manitoba. The cows are grazed on their home quarter and the yearlings go to their daughter’s place. At home they use management intensive grazing, normally moving the cows twice per day and planning for usually an 85 day rest period for the forage. Their grazing program with the yearlings is not so intensive because the pasture is 15 miles away and the economics and time required is not there to move them the way he would like. Ron worked for PFRA community pastures for almost 35 years where he had the opportunity to see how landscapes can change. On the large extensive ranges with rough topography trying to improve livestock distribution and forage utilization is always a challenge. His favorite areas were working on management of trees in the parkland and invasive weed management throughout the prairies. He had the opportunity to use a lot of different mechanical and herbicide control methods. They all have their place but he believes to be economically viable you have to incorporate grazing management plans using high density grazing as the long term solution. Planting posts and increasing water sources benefits everyone if the grazing program increases carbon sequestration not only helping with climate change but also making the range more fertile and drought proof. This should put more money in a producer’s pockets.
Follow Registration Link to purchase conference tickets
$175 Single Early Bird Registration (up to November 16th, 2023)
$300 Farm Registration (2 people same farm, up to November 16th, 2023)
$125 Student Registration
$225 Single Registration starting November 17th, 2023
Victoria Inn, 3550 Victoria Ave. W. Ph: 1-800-852-2710
Clarion Hotel, 3130 Victoria Avenue Ph: 204-728-5775
Days Inn, 2130 Currie Boulevard Ph: 204-727-3600
Interested in booth display space?
For more information contact Andrea Bertholet
