Drought Concerns Alleviated With Rain This Week

Jun 15, 2022

For farmers concerned about drought again this year, the heavy rain and even snow that hit many regions of the province this week, should help to ease some of those concerns.

There are still ongoing concerns about flooding from the storm this week, which in some places, dumped well over 100 millimetres of rain. But many experts believe that the dry parched land in parts of southern Alberta, soaked up a lot of the water and reduced the risk of overland flooding, like folks in Manitoba have seen this spring. Alberta Environment is keeping a close eye on rivers and streams across the province this week.

At this point there are no fears of a repeat of the flood 9 years ago that swamped a big chunk of downtown Calgary along with several other communities including the town of High River. Although one weather official said if we should get a second storm like this in the coming days, then flooding could be an issue. Several farmers on Twitter today describing the rain this week as a gift.

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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.