USask prof creates new cattle health podcast

Dec 07, 2022

The Beef Cattle Health and Nutrition podcast launched on Oct. 31

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

A professor at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) has entered the world of podcasting.

Dr. John Campbell, a beef cattle specialist at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, launched the Beef Cattle Health and Nutrition podcast.

“I thought it would be a good way of doing knowledge translation with people in the industry,” he told Farms.com. “The nice thing about a podcast is you can listen to it while you’re doing something else, so it’s an accessible way of providing some important information to people in the sector.”

John Campbell

The first episode launched on Oct. 31.

Dr. Campbell’s guest, Dr. John McKinnon from USask’s department of animal and poultry science, discussed the basics of feed testing for producers.

The episode touches on the importance of feed testing, how to collect samples and where to go for help with feed analysis.

Since then, Dr. Campbell has released four additional episodes of his podcast.

The topics in those episodes include extended grazing systems, calfhood vaccinations and copper deficiency in cattle.

“One of the goals of our podcast is to have episodes on a wide variety of issues related to health and nutrition,” he said.

A unique feature of Dr. Campbell’s podcast will be its uniquely Canadian perspective.

Absorbing information from the U.S. or other sources is good, but Canada has characteristics that other places don’t, he said.

“Most of the people I’m going to be speaking with will be Canadian researchers or working in Canada,” he said. “In Canada we have a longer winter, colder weather and different crops. Our target audience is the Canadian producer, so we want to make sure we’re providing them with information from people who understand what it means to be a Canadian producer.”

The next episode of the Beef Cattle Health and Nutrition podcast will focus on utilizing lower quality forages.

“If you’re in a drought situation, you might have to use low quality forages,” Dr. Campbell said. “So, this episode will touch on how you can do that and what issues you have to worry about when you do that.”

That episode will be available to listeners on Dec. 8.

Dr. Campbell also welcomes feedback and input from listeners.

Anyone wishing to contact Dr. Campbell about potential podcast ideas or comments can send an email.

Alberta Beef Producers and the Beef Cattle Research Council are sponsors of the podcast.

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.