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Maximize profit and returns – Enrol in the Dairy Cost Study program

The next round of the Dairy Cost Study program opened January 1, 2025. The Dairy Cost Study offers a comprehensive analysis for individual dairy operations in Alberta for the 2024 production cycle. The study provides producers a detailed economic report on their dairy enterprise, at no cost.

A primary goal for any business is to be profitable, minimize costs and seek efficiencies. "Having a deeper understanding of your farm’s production costs can enhance confidence when making active management decisions,” says Pauline Van Biert, research analyst with the Alberta government. Understanding the connection between cost and returns is essential for setting targets and improving your farm’s operation.

While you may already have performance reports for your farm, the Dairy Cost Study can offer a fresh perspective and give you the chance to compare your business against provincial averages. “By reviewing your own numbers, you can assess management options, identify high-cost areas and pinpoint potential opportunities for efficiency improvements. Once you have a clear understanding of your costs and returns, you can make more informed decisions and seize opportunities,” says Van Biert.

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No-Till vs Tillage: Why Neighboring Fields Are World Apart

Video: No-Till vs Tillage: Why Neighboring Fields Are World Apart

“No-till means no yield.”

“No-till soils get too hard.”

But here’s the real story — straight from two fields, same soil, same region, totally different outcomes.

Ray Archuleta of Kiss the Ground and Common Ground Film lays it out simply:

Tillage is intrusive.

No-till can compact — but only when it’s missing living roots.

Cover crops are the difference-maker.

In one field:

No-till + covers ? dark soil, aggregates, biology, higher organic matter, fewer weeds.

In the other:

Heavy tillage + no covers ? starving soil, low diversity, more weeds, fragile structure.

The truth about compaction?

Living plants fix it.

Living roots leak carbon, build aggregates, feed microbes, and rebuild structure — something steel never can.

Ready to go deeper into the research behind no-till yields, rotations, and profitability?