Chinook Applied Research Association

08/27/2026

Through a gracious donation from Anchor J Ranches (by proxy of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta), CARA purchased 100 Gallagher eSheperd virtual fencing collars for the purpose of evaluating this new technology within the Special Areas!

52 collars are being utilized by Rafter OO Ranch (Clint and Juliet Olsen) near Cereal for rotational grazing on tame and native grass. The Olsen’s will continue to utilize the collars to graze standing cover crop into the winter months.

On Monday, Gabrial and Jerry Logan donated the use of 5 homegrown bred heifers for a 2-3 week long demo located on a 7 acre pasture owned by the Town of Oyen! The heifers were weighed before entering the pasture to assess ADG. They will graze through 13 virtual paddocks over the next couple weeks. After 2 days of adjusting to the technology, the heifers have started to respect the virtual paddock boundary and are quickly learning how to respond to the audio-pulse stimulus.

Stay tuned for details on a field day!

08/13/2026

If you’ve been wondering what we have going on at CARA, here’s your sign!

Thanks to the Prairie Crocus Community Fund delivered by the Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta, CARA secured a $5800 grant for extension delivery tools and materials with the “Enhancing Knowledge Sharing Capacity” initiative. Funding was put towards this roadside sign, a new recording camera, portable speaker, and more!

Keep an eye on the sign for workshop dates, new funding program announcements, and services that CARA provides!

08/05/2026

In addition to the Pasture Rejuvenation trial, producers will be able to view the Native Seed Propagation demo site funded by Alberta Government.

CARA technicians collected three types of native grass seed from the Sounding Creek Community Pasture in an effort to determine if locally-sourced native seed can be established. Half of the seed was broadcasted seeded in November 2024 and then in May 2025.

See the results for yourself at the Forage First Field Day tomorrow!

08/04/2026

The Pasture Rejuvenation trial is an RDAR-funded, 3-year project comparing 15 different treatments intended to improve the forage yield and quality of tired pastures.

Come check out the various strategies implemented, including:
- fertilization (low and high rates of ESN, urea, UAN, manure spreading)
- biological amendments (alfalfa pellets, Johnson-Su bioreactor compost tea, humalite)
- direct seeding alfalfa and sainfoin
- aeration of the soil

BONUS: bring any pasture water samples (dugouts, creeks, wells, etc.) for free testing to ensure your water quality isn't deteriorating with the last month of hot, dry weather!

07/31/2026

The agenda for the 2026 Western Canada Conference on Soil Health and Grazing is available on the website!

Check out the featured speakers, topics, and event outline before registering for the renowned biennial conference. Tickets are going fast!

https://www.absoilgrazing.com/registration

07/31/2026

Come for the pasture rejuvenation trial, stay for the free water testing! 💧

Producers are invited to bring in any and all pasture water samples for free testing to measure the Total Dissolved Solids and Electrical Conductivity. TDS and EC can provide insight on the water quality - if the water is poor quality, it may be affecting livestock drinking behaviour that can negatively impact reproduction and weight gain!

The field day is free to attend! RSVP by calling (403) 664-377 or emailing [email protected]

07/27/2026

Come out to the field tomorrow morning for a crop walk! 🌾

The CARA Crop Field Day will include a project overview of the RDAR-funded kochia control in field peas trial.

Over 3 years, CARA has tested the herbicide timing and product effectiveness in an effort to minimize herbicide resistant kochia in pea stands.

The treatment list includes:

- Glyphosate + Aim EC (Carfentrazone-ethyl with no extended activity)
-Valtera EZ + Glyphosate burn-down (Flumioxazin)
- Fierce EZ + Glyphosate burn-down (Flumioxazin + Pyroxasulfone)
- Zidua + Glyphosate burn-down (Pyroxasulfone)
- Focus + Glyphosate burn-down (Pyroxasulfone + Carfentrazone-ethyl)
- Authority 480 + Glyphosate burn-down (Sulfentrazone)
- Authority Supreme + Glyphosate burn-down (Sulfentrazone + Pyroxasulfone)
- Authority Strike + Glyphosate burn-down (Sulfentrazone + Carfentrazone-ethyl)
- Edge + Glyphosate burn-down (Ethalfluralin soil treatment)

Come see the results for yourself in the field and hear about what we've learned from the trial!

07/27/2026

07/23/2026

Don't forget to stop by the Acadia Valley site, hosted by Dan Grudecki, next Tuesday July 28th for the Field Day!

If you are unable to attend on Tuesday, take a look at the site through this video or stop by at anytime for a self-guided tour.

Crop Field Day
Tuesday, July 28 2026
9:30 am start

07/21/2026

There is still time to register!

How do you measure or improve soil health? Convert soil sampling test results into actionable practices with Joel William's expertise.

Producers attending will deepen their understanding of how plants and plant roots build soil organic matter, convert nutrients to the plant-available form, can reduce salinity, control erosion, and improve the diversity of soil microbiology!

RSVP now by calling the CARA office (403) 664-3777, emailing [email protected], or purchase a ticket online: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/chinookappliedresearchassociation/2249145