Days are shorter, temperatures have dropped, and given all the challenges 2023 induced, you’re certainly entitled to a long winter’s nap. But we think you’ll find Atlantic Beef & Sheep is worth perusing before you hit the hay.

In this issue, you’ll meet Nick Green of Kingston, P.E.I., the Maritime Beef Council’s nominee for The Environmental Stewardship Award. He tells the Canadian Cattle Association’s Action News about his management approach and sustainable farming practices on page 24.

While on the Island, you can drop by Sheep Hill Farms in Wheatley River, which began with seven empty barns and is now home to 550 ewes and a dozen rams (page 18).

As usual, you’ll also find a bumper crop of sage advice, practical insights, actionable information, and more in this issue of ABS.

A great resource for farmer’s mental health, www.farmtalkcare.ca, has been initiated in New Brunswick, notes provincial red meat specialist Duncan Fraser in his report on page 20. He also shares important tips from the third annual Sheep Industry Conference.

On page 6, Darryl Stoltz, president of the P.E.I. Sheep Breeders’ Association, details how the organization is accelerating the provincial flocks’ resilience to gastrointestinal parasites by introducing New Zealand semen.

New Brunswick crop development specialist Jason Wells explains to Matt Jones why festulolium (hybrid forage grass) is important to Atlantic farmers and why its potential in the region should be fully evaluated (page 16).

The fall harvest and the variable quality of forage feed is one of the topics P.E.I. beef development officer Les Halliday touches on in his Letter from the Island on page 34. He also discusses feed analysis and beef prices.

And Atlantic Beef & Sheep is pleased to welcome a new column by veterinarian Jacques van Zyl. In “Considerations for lice control strategies,” on page 40, he provides their descriptions and info about their lifestyles, favourite hangouts, and how to get rid of them.

Bruce Andrews summarizes the ups, downs, and challenges the regional beef industry experienced in 2023. In the Market Report on page 14, he advises producers to balance their rations and maximize the returns on the animals they’re shipping.

Charlie Gracey recalls the national beef industry of the 1970s and warns that, “By ignoring the lag times in the cattle cycle, producers set themselves up for either missing the bus or being run over by it.” (Page 22)

And ABS will take you to the Classic Heritage Beef Show (page 28), the Atlantic Alliance Production Sale (page 31), the Atlantic Elite Charolais Sale (page 31), and the Purebred Sheep Breeders Association of Nova Scotia’s “Sale ’23” (page 5).

While it may not yet be the night before Christmas, and probably quite a few creatures are stirring, all of us at ABS wish you laughter, peace of mind, and prosperity in the new year. And good growing weather, good markets, fair prices....