Beef and Forage Roundup

In this episode, we are talking with David Rourke, author of, “ A Road to Fossil Fuel Free Farming: An Example and A Challenge ." David shares his journey to building the family farm operation, taking on the pursuit of completing a PhD, and his recent book publication.  We discuss some of his farming practices, goals, and the trials he has coming up on the farm in the future. David and Diane...

Leah Rodvang grew up on a cow-calf operation near Coronation, Alberta. Her family influenced her love of native prairie, which led to her studying Range Management at the University of Alberta. During her undergraduate degree, Leah competed with the U of A Range Team and worked with graduate students on their research.  Since joining MBFI in 2016, Leah has been responsible for data collection...

We are back chatting this week with Mary-Jane Orr, General Manager for Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives Inc.  Mary-Jane leads a dedicated team at MBFI to advance Manitoba’s beef & forage industry through engaging stakeholders, evaluating on-farm innovation, and extension for sustainability of farmers, the public, and the environment. She deeply values the opportunity to collaborate...

Farmer Wellness Program & Mental Health Awareness with Kim Moffat Kim Moffat has been a counselor for over 30 years. For the last 22 years, Kim has specialized in the area of Agricultural Mental Health. She has provided counseling and support to farm families for 20 years at the Manitoba Farm, Rural and Northern Support Services. In 2020 that service was relocated into Winnipeg. Kim grew up on...

Ben Hamm grew up on a dairy farm in Rainy River, Ontario.  After moving to Manitoba when he was 12, his family moved away from dairy and switched to a beef cattle operation.  Ben has been very connected with agriculture and grew up taking small side jobs in the hog, dairy and poultry industries.  In 2003 he decided to return to school to pursue a career in agriculture.  Ben gra...

Shawn Cabak has been employed with Manitoba Agriculture since the early 1990’s and is currently the Livestock & Forage Specialist in the Portage la Prairie office. He was involved in the Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiative at Brandon and is active in the Portage area belonging to a number of associations including Mb Crop Variety Evaluation Team, the Crop Research Organization of Portage, an...

Elizabeth Nernberg is a Livestock Specialist with Manitoba Agriculture based out of Roblin. For over 20 years, she has worked with livestock producers in planning their winter-feed program. Elizabeth is dedicated to assisting clients lower their winter feed costs and working with them to balance their own rations. Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with honours from the Universit...

We are so excited to share the first Producer Profile, where we meet Cameron & Lisa Hodgins of Lenore, Manitoba. Cameron and Lisa Hodgins of Hodgins Farm are 3rd generation farmers on their family farm near Lenore, Manitoba. Here they are raising their four young children; Carrie, Chase, Cole and Conner and farm closely with Cameron’s parents, Ed and Debra. Hodgins Farm has a cow/calf and year...

Episode #12: Precision Cattle Ranching for Improved Reproductive Efficiencies  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 (Castor, AB) Canada.  In addition, she has been a leader in the Pain...

Episode #11: Case Study in Strategic Beef Herd Development with Mary-Jane Orr We are back chatting this week with Mary-Jane Orr, General Manager for Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives Inc.  Mary-Jane leads a dedicated team at MBFI to advance Manitoba’s beef & forage industry through engaging stakeholders, evaluating on-farm innovation, and extension for sustainability of farmers, the...

Bonus Episode: The Bright Future of Ag with MBFI’s 2022 Summer Students In this Bonus Episode, we meet MBFI’s four amazing summer students. These up and coming ag professionals have been busy at the farm doing everything from cattle health checks and daily moves, to yard work, seeding, haying and everything in between!  Each of them has a slightly different career path and future plan, but th...

Raymond Bittner is the Predation Lead with the Manitoba Beef Producers. Ray has spent his career troubleshooting on farms all over Manitoba over the last 30 years, with a career spanning from livestock genetics, nutrition, environment, and economics.  Ray continues to operate the family farm with beef and cash cropping with his wife and family.  Ray has always enjoyed the creative side o...

Michael Thiele was born and raised in Dauphin, Manitoba on a typical Prairie farm. Wheat and canola dominated the crop rotation with some barley, oats and peas. A small herd of cows grazed the unfarmed acres. Michael’s career trajectory was most likely farming, given his active involvement in the family farm and his decision to study Plant Science in the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of...

Pam Iwanchysko has been a Livestock Specialist with Manitoba Agriculture in Dauphin, Manitoba for more than 25 years. She was raised on a mixed farm north of Dauphin. She attended the University of Manitoba where she received her BSc. Degree and then proceeded to attend the University of Saskatchewan to complete her Master’s degree in Ruminant Nutrition.  She is passionate about agriculture a...

In this episode, you will meet Dr. Kateryn Rochon. Kateryn is an associate professor of Veterinary and Wildlife Entomology at the University of Manitoba. Her research program is focused on insects and ticks as vectors of livestock and wildlife pathogens. Before joining the Department of Entomology in 2012, Kateryn was a postdoctoral fellow at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge, where s...

In this episode, you will meet Carson Callum, General Manager with Manitoba Beef Producers. Carson joined MBP in 2019, and comes with an extension background in agriculture.  He has a Master’s of Science in Agriculture, specifically related to beef cattle. Carson has worked in many areas of the ag sector, and the beef industry is near and dear to him. He grew up on a small beef farm south of...

In this episode of “Beef & Forage Roundup” I would like to introduce you to Leah Rodvang.  Leah grew up on a cow/calf operation near Coronation, Alberta. Her family influenced her love of native prairie, which led to her studying Range Management at the University of Alberta. During her undergraduate degree, Leah competed with the U of A Range Team and worked with graduate students on the...

In this episode, you will meet Steve Kenyon. Steve owns a custom grazing business in Alberta, Canada under the name of Greener Pastures Ranching Ltd.  He currently runs just over 1400 head of livestock on 3500 acres of leased land with regenerative grazing management. By using extended grazing techniques he is able to pasture cattle year round. This is done by using a combination of intensive...

In this first full length episode of the podcast, you will meet Mary-Jane Orr. Mary-Jane is the General Manager for Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives Inc. where she leads a dedicated team to advance Manitoba beef & forage industry through engaging stakeholders, evaluating on-farm innovation, and extension for sustainability of farmers, the public, and the environment. She deeply values th...

In Episode 2 of the podcast, we continue our conversation with Mary-Jane Orr. Mary-Jane is the General Manager for Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives Inc. where she leads a dedicated team to advance Manitoba beef & forage industry through engaging stakeholders, evaluating on-farm innovation, and extension for sustainability of farmers, the public, and the environment. She deeply values the...

On this introductory episode to the podcast, you will meet the host, Chantel McRae.  Chantel, her husband Brett, and son Corbin, farm South West of Brandon, Manitoba and run a herd of purebred Angus cattle who calve in the spring.  They sell 2 year old bulls and replacement heifers and grain farm as well.  Their focus is on the soil health principles for both their pasture and grain...