Manitoba’s West Interlake hay situation dire

Aug 16, 2019

The Rural Municipality of West Interlake has called on provincial and federal governments for assistance as the region faces critically low rain levels and crop yields.

Current hay yields in the region are about 50 per cent of average. Typically, an average hay crop produces about one bale of hay per acre. Alternative feed sources are hard to come by due to high shipping expenses associated with delivering feed to the area.

Last week, the Council requested that the Canadian government and Manitoba’s Department of Agriculture “provide support and Ag Recovery to our farmers for tax deferrals, feed shortages, freight assistance, and compensation for additional wells being drilled,” as detailed in a resolution that was obtained by Portageonline.com.

These dire conditions are on the heels of an equally challenging 2018 growing season. With almost no carryout hay stocks from the previous year, some producers may have to sell off their herds.

As of July 31, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Drought Monitor characterized the Interlake region as mostly “abnormally dry” with some areas experiencing “moderate drought” conditions.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.