Bruce Derksen

Red Deer

Freelance AgTech Writer at Freelance

Articles

Post-drought pasture management called vital

1 week ago | producer.com | Bruce Derksen

Glacier FarmMedia – Pasture management is always important, but it is especially important following a drought. Pastures may suffer and degrade, resulting in soil erosion, diminished fertility and the loss of valuable forage. Drought effects linger, affecting plant life productivity even after rain returns. Effective management strategies are essential to support rehabilitation, promote regrowth and prevent further deterioration.
Cows in, cows out: Transitioning the PFRA’s community pastures

1 week ago | agproud.com | Bruce Derksen

Canada’s federal government ended its Community Pasture Program in 2012, which had provided grazing for 220,000 cattle owned by 2,500 producers in the Prairie provinces. The program managed 85 pastures since the 1930s: 24 in Manitoba, 60 in Saskatchewan and one in Alberta, all under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, formerly known as the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA). Freelance WriterBruce Derksen is a freelance writer based in Lacombe, Alberta.
Weighing the benefits of using crossbred beef bulls

1 week ago | agproud.com | Bruce Derksen

Crossbreeding beef cattle boosts performance and productivity by mixing genetics, leading to better weaning weights, reproductive efficiency and overall herd health. Often, the practice is reserved for females, but more seedstock and commercial producers are turning their eye toward males to identify potential benefits and profit opportunities. Freelance WriterBruce Derksen is a freelance writer based in Lacombe, Alberta.
Helping cattle feeders transition to cloud-based data management

2 weeks ago | agproud.com | Bruce Derksen

Home » Helping cattle feeders transition to cloud-based data managementCollecting and recording cattle health and production data is a worthwhile endeavor, but even more important than where to store it is ensuring it’s of high quality. To meet this standard, it should be confirmed, useful and actionable for producers and experts alike to deliver the right information at the right time. Darn it! This content is only for registered users with a subscription! Already a registered user?
Tips for smaller cow-calf operations to optimize profit and build market appeal

3 weeks ago | agproud.com | Bruce Derksen

Making a calf crop stand out to buyers is critical for profitability and long-term success, regardless of an operation’s size. While smaller farms may feel disadvantaged by these efforts, they can significantly enhance their calves’ appeal and secure higher prices using simple but often overlooked methods. The following are a few tips from Doug Ferguson, a Nebraska cattle marketer, to help smaller cow-calf operations achieve higher returns.
Embracing diversification: Transforming the modern ranch

1 month ago | agproud.com | Bruce Derksen

Today’s ranchers are exploring a large range of diversification approaches for almost as many different reasons. Strategies and their potential results might focus and depend on productivity, environmental stewardship, economic strength, family succession or some other more obscure target. For many, this call to action has risen to the top of the to-do list.
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1 month ago | farmshow.com | Bruce Derksen

Tractor Rebuild A ‘Big’ Success Print This Article List of All Stories in This Issue «Previous Article By Bruce Derksen, Contributing Editor As cereal grain and canola farmer Alan Brecka worked his fields bordering a neighbor’s property, he always saw an abandoned Big Bud tractor in a bush. The owners removed the original engine and parked it for over 35 years.
The beef industry’s strength lies on the ‘fringes’

2 months ago | agproud.com | Bruce Derksen

Large and small contributions build the beef industry’s success. Some of these contributors are more well-known than others, but each adds their own unique strengths. Here are three often unacknowledged participants who go above and beyond. Rendering the undesired“For decades, rendering has been known as the invisible industry,” says Donn Johnson, vice president of U.S. operations for Sanimax.
Prepping the pairs for pasture

2 months ago | agproud.com | Bruce Derksen

The calendar never lies. While it may feel like New Year’s celebrations have scarcely fizzled, the calf crop is on the ground, the winter feed supply is dwindling, and patches of green grass are beckoning. It’s nearly time to send the pairs to pasture, but are they prepared? Nutritional considerations“Body condition is one of the greatest determining factors of conception rates,” says Abby Redman, a nutritionist with Blue Rock Animal Nutrition in Innisfail, Alberta.
Handling the existing and looming threat of feral swine

Mar 17, 2025 | agproud.com | Bruce Derksen

Whether referred to as wild, feral, pigs, boars, swine or hogs, these adaptable animals are an invasive species steadily encroaching into over 35 U.S. states and several Canadian provinces.