MGBHLM First Nation cattle company making progress

“This year we have 144 calves that we are waiting to take to market,” he said. “About five per cent of our calves we are keeping, to grow the herd.”

Beaudry is pleased with the project and looks forward to seeing it flourish.

The cattle business will also help the First Nation create more economic opportunities for its members.

Cattle operations manager, Charles Stone, oversees all the activities, including making sure the animals are in good health and their vaccinations are up to date.

“It’s going pretty good,” he said. “We haven’t sold our calves yet. We have a lot of feed out there. We are hauling it in, getting ready for winter.”

Located about 21 km south of Battleford off Highway 4, the beef operation is comprised of Black Angus cattle, as well as a variety of Red Angus, Black Angus and Hereford bulls.

Stone said plans are underway this winter to train more of the young people to work on the ranch to develop skills for the future.

He noted there are always challenges with running any livestock operation. So, a lot of planning is involved to make sure everything stays on track.

“Basically, you not only deal with the weather, drought, and all that the farmers [encounter]…,” Stone said. “We are very fortunate to be in an area where we have had a lot of rain in the spring where we needed it.”

He added the weather has been ideal this fall as well, making it easier for the crew to get everything done.

Stone said the company is also focused on managing feed-input needs for the operation.

“We’ve had good [hay] production this year,” he said. “We had to buy it last year. It gets expensive, and it cuts into your profit. This year we have minimized the cost by seeding our own forage.”

The company purchased plenty of grass seed last year, but the soil was too dry to put it in. So, the team planted it this year instead and had better results.

“This year we had an opportunity to seed it early in spring. It’s looking good for next year,” Stone said. “I hope we have a good coverage of snow, and a good early start in the spring [of 2023]. So, we should have an abundance of forage next year for feed.”

He said usually in the early years with any new project there will be growing pains, so he expects the operation will be more profitable as it continues to expand.

“Everything takes time…,” Stone said. “It’s a lot of work.”

Bison coming

MGBHLM is now making plans to develop a bison herd, as another venture for the First Nation.

“They will be getting 22 buffaloes this February [of 2023], and in the spring,” Stone said. “They are in the process of [installing] all the fencing right now to get that ready. They are diversifying, from not only strictly beef [production] but also buffalo.”

The First Nation is also looking to start grain farming next, to continue to find efficiencies.

“It would all be a big plus for everything,” Stone said. “With farming, the price of grain is so high, that you could actually seed it yourself and get all the benefit from it – from the oats, barley or whatever. Then, you have all your straw for bedding. Then, the crop they put in this year, it’s all feed for next year. So, we should have everything in place. It’s looking pretty good for the winter anyway.”

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow

by Angela Brown

MGBHLM First Nation cattle company making progress

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