EP65 Grazing Through Drought

Welcome to the conclusion of the Getting Through Drought series, where we look at the best management practices cow-calf producers in Alberta can use to build up their resiliency against drought.   Our hope is that the series can help with the mental health issues the agriculture sector is grappling with right now. Farming and ranching are stressful businesses, but that’s brought to a whole new level when drought hits. By equipping cow-calf producers with information and words of advice from colleagues and peers in the sector on the best ways to get through a drought, things might not be as stressful in the next drought. Things might not look so bleak either. In this final episode of the series, we are talking to Ralph Thrall of McIntyre Ranch who shares with us his experience managing grass and cows in a pretty dry part of the province.  Highlights: 3:17 – Ralph introduces himself and tells us about McIntyre Ranch. 5:51 – What are some of the environmental factors that McIntyre Ranch has to work with? 9:50 – What does Ralph do to prepare for a drought? 16:17 – Ralph shares some key components of his ranch’s drought plan. 21:38 – What was the drought of 2021 like for Ralph and McIntyre Ranch? 24:54 – Ralph shares words of advice when preparing for a drought. Want to learn more? If you want to learn more, we recommend downloading and listening to: Episode 4 – Farming with Biodiversity Pt. 2 Episode 62 – Recharging Groundwater Our Farmers Blog shares stories about Alberta farmers who do an exceptional job of caring for the land, producing food, and building up their communities.