Young Ranchers "Feeding The Future"

Jun 04, 2020

The next generation of farmers and ranchers are raising concerns over the mounting costs of doing business under COVID-19.

Kendra Donnelly works closely with her husband, parents, sister and brother-in-law in running their ranch, farm and feedlot operation Korova and Rimrock Feeders at Acme, Alberta.

She considers herself a next-generation farmer and rancher says COVID-19 might wipe her generation out of this business.

"I would like Canadians to know that we love providing that food security and high-quality products on grocery store shelves, but to face these financially devastating times, it may not be worth taking that risk any longer."

Donnelly notes some insurance programs that are available to producers under the Business Risk Management tools aren't practical.

"We still see significant losses if we were to purchase those insurance programs."

She noted that taking the markets and insurance program into account citing numbers on one specific day that even with the insurance she'd still see a $400 a head loss.

Earlier this month the Saskatchewan Government announced plans to help producers facing similar situations by providing 40% of the increased premiums back to producers.

The Alberta Beef Producers are urging the Kenny Government to take a look at a similar program for producers there.

Donnelly took part in the "Feeding the Future" Zoom conference, organized by the Canadian Cattlemen's Association as one of three young producers talking about how COVID 19 is impacting their operations.

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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.