University of Saskatchewan’s innovative livestock research centre receives $250K investment from Merck Animal Health

Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence to receive $250,000 over 10 years

 

Saskatoon, Sask. – The University of Saskatchewan today announced details of a 10-year, $250,000 investment from Merck Animal Health for its Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (LFCE) – a visionary research facility located southeast of Saskatoon.

 

The long-term investment will support the LFCE’s capital build project and underlines Merck Animal Health’s commitment to the beef cattle industry and research in Canada.

 

“We have a long-standing relationship with the university that includes liaison and support to clinicians and researchers, collaboration in research projects, and support for veterinary and graduate students, and this sponsorship further cements our commitment,” said Daniel Beauchamp, general manager, Merck Animal Health. “Through this support of the LFCE, we ensure that we continue to build upon this strong relationship in supporting students, researchers and ultimately, the beef cattle industry, and advancing our companies mission “The Science of Healthier Animals.”

 

Beauchamp was on-hand to give details about the investment, which will see an equal $25,000 injection given to the LFCE project annually over 10 years, starting in December 2019. The Merck Animal Health Business and Teaching Room will be the central meeting place at the LFCE. In the first four months of 2019, more than 200 livestock and forage producers, university students and industry partners met in this area for presentations and hands-on training sessions.

 

Merck Animal Health is among several organizations in the agri-business sector that have committed funding to the $38-million project, including the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, Farm Credit Canada, and the University of Saskatchewan itself, among others. Additional partners are welcomed to support the vision for this unique facility.

 

The LFCE includes a 1,500-head feedlot, a forage-cow calf facility, a livestock research unit, two cow herds, and 27 quarters of land. It also features a true-to-life environment for raising livestock on the Canadian Prairies. The focus of the centre is on research, teaching and extension for cow-calf production, beef cattle production, as well as forage production, grazing and pasture management. Scientists are working to improve animal health, productivity and sustainable practices, while bridging the gap between producers and consumers in their understanding of the global food chain.

 

“Merck Animal Health’s support of the LFCE truly reflects the valuable partnership that has developed between this company and the University of Saskatchewan,” said Dr. Douglas Freeman, dean of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). “Merck Animal Health’s 10-year investment backs the LFCE’s vision of becoming a trusted source of innovative research and applicable knowledge for Western Canada’s livestock sector as well as for students and scientists involved in animal health and production. We’re so grateful for the support."

 

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.