The 10-year role, recently announced by the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), has been dubbed the BCRC Chair in Beef Cattle Economic Sustainability.

“I believe this is the fourth chair position that we’ve developed,” said Craig Lehr, chair of the BCRC’s producer council.

This one though, is different. Other BCRC-sponsored research chair positions are looking at production systems, forage management and diseases. This one brings in more of a financial lens.

To read the full story, please visit the Manitoba Co-operator article

He has been awarded a Canada Foundation for Innovation, John Evans Leadership Fund grant to investigate the potential of natural gut compounds to replace the conventional antibiotics given to livestock. This research plays a crucial role in addressing growing concerns about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and drug resistance pathogens in livestock.

Foodborne illness and antibiotic resistance

Foodborne illnesses caused by E. coli, Salmonella and other intestinal pathogens often lead to product recalls and serious health concerns for consumers. These pathogens are also common causes of intestinal infections in farm animals, resulting in diseases that can decrease farm productivity and profit. To control harmful bacteria, the livestock industry uses common antibiotics and antimicrobials to help keep their livestock healthy. However, researchers and producers are increasingly concerned because more animals, like humans, are growing resistant to these treatments, raising concerns for animal and human health.

Gut microorganisms, commonly referred to as the microbiome, help animals digest their food and produce natural compounds essential for maintaining healthy digestive and immune systems. A healthier animal gut microbiome will help maintain healthier herds.

“Good gut health is vital for overall wellness – both in humans and animals,” says Dr. Derakhshani. “Our goal is to advance sustainable livestock production and address the critical issue of antimicrobial resistance, while contributing to UM’s efforts to advancing sustainable livestock production systems.”   

This work is particularly important with the global population projected reach 10 billion people by 2050. There is a corresponding need to increase global food production by 60% and meeting this target will be challenging unless livestock health and food security are addressed.

Next generation probiotics

Derakhshani will integrate cutting-edge techniques from microbiology and biochemistry to understand the mechanism within the gut that can enhance health and improve cattle’s ability to fight diseases naturally.

Once the mechanism within the gut is identified and understood, he will work to design the next generation of probiotics and other natural microbial products. He will devise strategies to integrate the new products into livestock herds, with the goal of improving herd health and reducing reliance on traditional antimicrobials.

This research aligns with the One Health approach that recognizes the deep connection between humans, animals and environmental health. Derakhshani plans for these new therapies to be environmentally friendly and cost effective to prevent infectious diseases in livestock and provide sustainable and healthy food for humans.  

“Congratulations to Dr. Derakhshani on his new funding to help accelerate this important research program,” says Dr. Mario Pinto, UM Vice-President, Research and International. “His work will enhance UM’s commitment to long-term economic and environmental sustainability of the livestock sector in Canada and will help assure food security into the future.” 

Researchers from the University of Manitoba led by Dr. Hooman Derakhshani, in collaboration with universities of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Guelph, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) have launched a groundbreaking research initiative to address methane emissions from Canada’s cattle industry. Supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and private sector partners like Semex and Lactanet, the consortium aims to develop innovative technologies and practices that will reduce the environmental footprint of beef and dairy production while delivering tangible economic and environmental benefits.

Methane: A dual challenge for efficiency and emissions

Methane, a potent greenhouse gas (GHG), is produced during the breakdown of feed in the rumen. This is a natural process that enables cattle to convert plant material into energy for meat and milk production. However, it results in the production of methane and may lead to a 2–12% loss in feed energy. This loss in feed energy reduces production efficiency while contributing to Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. Methane is produced in the rumen of cattle across all production systems, but emissions are highest when cattle consume diets high in fiber. Consequently, there is an opportunity to identify strategies to improve feed efficiency, particularly in the cow-calf sector. The beef sector has set a target to reduce its GHG emission intensity by 33%, while the dairy industry is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. To help the cattle industry meet these goals, innovative and cost-effective solutions are needed. Tackling methane emissions not only supports these goals but also aligns with increasing consumer demand for sustainable food production and global climate objectives. Methane’s short atmospheric lifespan of 10–12 years makes it a key target for quick climate action.

A holistic research approach

This research initiative uses a comprehensive strategy to address methane emissions – integrating advanced science with practical applications for farmers and industry stakeholders.

1. Building Data Resources: The research team will develop a database to characterize the microbes in the rumen linked to methane emissions and feed efficiency. This database will be made available to researchers and industry stakeholders worldwide, enabling them to identify microbes and dietary factors that are associated with low methane emissions. Use of advance computation strategies including machine learning models will play a pivotal role in analyzing these datasets, to provide insights for methane reduction strategies.
2. Developing Microbial Feed Solutions: By leveraging the natural diversity and untapped metabolic potential of microbes in the rumen, researchers are exploring novel microbial feed additives—such as probiotics and phages (viruses capable of infecting and killing rumen bacteria)—to directly reduce methane emissions without compromising animal health or productivity. Using microbiome-derived additives can also help minimize regulatory challenges, facilitating faster commercialization and adoption by producers. The Interdisciplinary Livestock Microbiome Research lab at the University of Manitoba, led by Dr. Derakhshani, along with key collaborators Drs. Leluo Guan (University of British Columbia) and Tim McAllister (AAFC Lethbridge Research Centre) aim to develop new microbial solutions to reprogram the rumen microbiome and reduce methane production.
3. Enhancing Cattle Genetics: The project will also use cutting-edge genomic research to identify heritable traits in cattle linked to methane emissions and feed efficiency. The knowledge gained will be used in genetic selection and breeding programs to produce cattle that are more productive and environmentally efficient, contributing to long-term sustainability of cattle production in Canada and globally.

The outcomes of this research will inform development of Precision Management Strategies focused on the “3R” approach – Right genetics, Right feed, and Right production systems. The results will contribute to improved feeding and management practices on farms, and introduce new microbial solutions and genetic selection strategies for reducing methane emissions while optimizing productivity. These strategies will focus on practicality and broad applicability across Canada’s beef and dairy sectors.

Training the next generation of agricultural innovators

A key aspect of this project is training the next generation of agricultural scientists and innovators. Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research technicians are actively involved, gaining hands-on experience in genomic research, microbiology, and precision agriculture. They are learning advanced techniques to improve livestock performance and drive future progress in sustainable agriculture. These skilled professionals will apply this knowledge in academia, government, and industry.

Broader benefits beyond methane reduction

While methane mitigation is a key focus, the benefits of this initiative extends far beyond reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The project also aims to improve cattle productivity, enhance feed efficiency, and support better animal health and welfare. These outcomes not only reduce production costs for farmers but also address consumer concerns about the environmental impact of meat and dairy production. Moreover, the project contributes to food security by ensuring that Canada’s beef and dairy sectors remain resilient in the face of climate extremes. Maintaining and strengthening food security is important given that the global population continues to rise, and therefore so does the demand for food and resources. The combination of environmental, economic, and social benefits strengthens the industry’s long-term sustainability and competitiveness, both domestically and globally.

Read the whole article at Beef Cattle Research Council.

Researchers from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences (FAFS) at the University of Manitoba, University of Saskatchewan and several partner organizations from across the prairies have received new funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to explore increasing the use of perennial cropping practices. The new project is called LEAP (Leveraging Ecosystems to transform Agriculture on the Prairies) and Manitoba Beef Producers are among several industry partners supporting the initiative. The goal of the project is to generate information, tools and management practices required to create sustainable, resilient and profitable net-zero emissions farming systems using perennial cropping strategies – and systems that mimic some of the features of perennial systems – including those that integrate livestock production.

Perennial cropping systems

Perennial agriculture is the cultivation of crops that live longer than two years without the need for replanting each year. It includes the use of perennial forages, as well as new perennial grain crops. Perennial crops have numerous benefits as they maintain soil health, reduce erosion, and provide habitats for beneficial insects, wildlife and more. Typically, perennial crops (e.g. alfalfa) are used to support livestock production. However, this project is much broader as it also looks at perennial systems that are not exclusively dependent on animal production.

Perennialization can refer to the process of replacing annual crops (e.g. wheat) with perennial crops (e.g, alfalfa). But it also includes adding perennial “function” to the landscape in other ways. The term “function” is meant to add a certain quality (for example, year-round soil cover) that serves a beneficial purpose in a cropping system. In addition to environmental benefits from perennial crops, perennial function can be added to annual cropping systems by planting cover crops, perennial pollinator strips, and maintaining or enhancing natural perennial features like wetlands, hedgerows or riparian zones on the landscape. Perennialization is perhaps the most powerful ecological tool in the quest for net zero.

A LEAP forward

During the four-year LEAP project, five multidisciplinary research teams will explore perennialized cropping systems from social and biophysical perspectives. The research will include an assessment of current and new cropping practices on a ‘perennial spectrum’ and investigate the potential for farms to adopt new approaches in the future. Alongside consultations with partners, who would help inform research objectives, the teams will explore farmers’ experiences with perennialized cropping strategies and their willingness to adopt these strategies. Additionally, researchers will document the social barriers to adoption and how policy may be developed to address adoption challenges. A special focus will be placed on Indigenous perspectives and what specific research and policy considerations need to be made within an Indigenous context as landowners and managers. At the end of the project, the goal is to create realistic, attainable, and economically viable management and policy recommendations to elevate farming to a sustainable, region-specific system for the future.

Landscape analysis

During the planning process of the project, a consistent challenge that the team heard from farmers, producer groups, and agricultural policy advocates was lack of robust data about how well different farming systems help to meet environmental goals. Innovative management approaches are already being used by farmers and land managers across the prairies. The landscape team’s objective is to generate data from real farms and quantify the impact of including different degrees of perennialization. This team of 12 researchers is led by Dr. Joanne Thiessen Martens, with researchers from the University of Saskatchewan, and four departments within the University of Manitoba. The team will monitor and quantify greenhouse gas emissions, crop productivity, biodiversity, soil health and how perennialization strategies that are already being implemented by producers support agronomic and environmental goals. The activity will compare commercial fields with low, medium, and high levels of perennialization practices on different soil types, with the goal of generating a large real-world dataset that will help to assess the roles of site conditions and management in meeting those goals. This data will be used to predict future scenarios using computer models and to generate tools to guide site-specific adoption of perennialization strategies.

Field experiments to assess net-zero farming systems

Replicated research trials that run in tandem with on-farm sampling provides a unique opportunity to ‘dig deeper’ into the “why’s” and “how’s” of different dynamics in cropping systems. Led by Dr. Yvonne Lawley in collaboration with other departments at FAFS and the University of Saskatchewan, this team will investigate methods for implementing “functional benefits” of perennialized systems, such as cover crops, perennial grains, pollinator strips on marginal lands, and intercropping strategies. These strategies bring the potential to perennialize annual crop rotations by maintaining living plant cover into the spring and fall of the short prairie growing season. They also reduce fall tillage and create new opportunities for integrating crop and livestock production. The findings from these studies will be particularly useful for producers who want to transition to more perennialized systems. A bonus opportunity in the study will be to compare the energy use and carbon emissions of both a diesel and an electric tractor that will be used throughout the project.

Future farm scenarios

Farmer and partner input and data generated by the landscape and field research teams will direct and drive the modelling activities undertaken by the Future Farm Scenarios Team. The modelling team will be led by Dr. Marcos Cunha Cordeiro and supported by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) data scientists. They will use the Canadian-tailored modelling program Holos, developed by AAFC. The Holos model is a whole-farm modelling software that estimates GHG emissions based on production and weather data. This work will generate Canadian data that will allow farmers, researchers, and partners to explore transformative agricultural “what if“ scenarios. Modelling scenarios will provide answers to questions about how different perennialization strategies could be used to achieve agronomic and environmental goals consistent with net-zero agriculture. These scenarios and outputs can then guide policy initiatives to support farmers making changes in their production practices.

First Nations farming systems

The First Nations Self-Determined Farming Systems Team, led by Dr. Melissa Arcand at the University of Saskatchewan and Dr. Kyle Bobiwash at the University of Manitoba, will engage First Nations communities. First Nations communities are keepers of traditional ecological knowledge and wisdom who play an important role in maintaining and implementing reduced emission practices in agriculture. First Nations groups are reconsidering their role in managing their agricultural lands. They are re-thinking what sustainable agriculture will look like and how agriculture can be practiced to fulfill the goals of food security, livelihood, and reclamation of cultural traditions. The team will work with First Nations communities to understand the processes of diversity, integration and perenniality from a First Nations perspective. Together they will co-design beneficial management practices that achieve First Nations-defined goals and co-develop a research and adoption framework that First Nations can adapt and apply for designing self-determined farming systems.

Farmers are a key part of the research process

The Farmer Engagement Team, led by Dr. Meagan King and Dr. Kyle Bobiwash (UManitoba) in collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing at the University of Guelph, will capture and explore the invaluable lived experience of settler and First Nations farmers and land managers to ensure that they are all a key part of the project.

The team will identify connections between farm management, farmer well-being (physical and mental), biodiversity, policy, and sustainability. Farmer well-being is important to investigate because it may be related to on-farm decision making, the acceptability and adoption of various practices and preferred ways of sharing knowledge. The information gathered by the Farmer Engagement Team will assist in the design of the project’s methodology and it will help to identify producer perspectives regarding changes to current farm management practices that can be successfully implemented at the farm level.

How producers can be involved in the project

Farmers and land managers can be a part of the LEAP project by becoming one of the sampling sites in the landscape activity, or participate in our farmer wellbeing study. Researchers will collect information and samples from fields with different types of management history, ranging from annual crops to perennial crops. They are particularly interested in the “in-between” fields – those that have some diversification or “perennialization” with cover crops, perennials in rotation or other approaches. The research team is especially interested in fields that support grazing livestock.

As a farmer participating in this study, you will be part of a research network across Manitoba and Saskatchewan, linking farmers, researchers, and partner organizations who want to advance sustainable agriculture. Participants will receive data on soil, crop, and biodiversity measurements from their fields and a summary of data from the farm network. You will also be invited to attend field tours and participate in other project events and activities.

For more information on how to be a part of the project and the other researchers and partners involved in this project, please visit: https://www.umanitoba.ca/agricultural-food-sciences/leap

Project Partners include the Manitoba Beef Producers, Keystone Agricultural Producers, Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association, Nature United, Manitoba Agriculture, National Farmers Union, and Ducks Unlimited Canada.

Tober handled all the queries and gave clear explanations to the questions, including the obvious one — why are you doing this research?

To read the article and watch the video, visit the Western Producer.

Manitoba has 25 provincially and five federally inspected meat abattoirs. Meat inspectors usually require a bachelor’s degree or college diploma in agriculture, animal science, biology, chemistry, food science or a related discipline. Following graduation, meat inspector candidates must undergo a 2–3-year on-site training process to become an independent inspector.

To help students gain additional background in this area and address the growing need for meat inspectors in Manitoba, especially in rural areas, the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences has developed a new course: Meat Inspection: Understanding and Enhancing Animal Harvesting Practices. According to Dr. Navjot Virdi, Food Safety Veterinarian and Manager – Meat Inspection with Manitoba Agriculture (MB AGR), this course will increase the pool of candidates for vacant meat inspection positions in these abattoirs in the future.

What is Meat Inspection?

Meat inspection is a regulatory requirement to harvest an animal in a provincially or federally regulated abattoir if the intent is to sell the meat for human consumption. Therefore, all provincial and federal regulated abattoirs in Manitoba must have a trained meat inspector on-site during the harvest operation.
Meat inspectors make professional judgment when food animals arrive at provincial and federal abattoirs to determine if the animal is healthy and suitable to be harvested. Assessing the health of animals prior to harvest is important because there are some diseases that can be transmitted to humans through contact with the infected animals (e.g., bovine tuberculosis) or by ingestion of infected meat or meat products (e.g., trichinosis, salmonellosis).

After the harvesting process, the inspector carries out a post-mortem inspection to ensure the meat is safe for human consumption. The inspector decides if the meat is approved, is held for additional inspection, is directed to animal feed, or is condemned (e.g., must be incinerated or sent to landfill).

Additional roles of a meat inspector include ensuring that the animals are treated humanely, and abattoirs are maintained and run in a sanitary manner. Inspectors possess the scientific-based knowledge to identify and prevent food safety risks and ensure the abattoirs operate as per provincial food safety and animal welfare regulations.

What will students learn in this course?

As part of the course, students will receive in-class and hands-on training. A team of instructors, including Dr. Argenis Rodas-Gonzalez, Associate Professor with the Department of Animal Science, Dr. Navjot Virdi (MB AGR) and Dr. Claudia Narvaez-Bravo, Professor at the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, will lead the classes.

Students who register in the course will have the opportunity to learn about a range of topics specific to beef, pig, lamb and poultry processing. In addition, topics including animal behavior and handling, pre- and post-mortem inspection, the harvest process, facility design, storage and preservation of meat, food safety regulations and more, will also be covered.

Career opportunities in meat inspection

There are several career opportunities in meat inspection. These include work as an inspector in provincially or federally regulated abattoirs or meat processing plants or serving in a quality assurance role.

What’s on the horizon for meat inspection?

Argenis Rodas-Gonzalez is taking meat inspection one step further. He has support from both provincial (MB AGR) and federal government groups (Canadian Food Inspection Agency, CFIA) and is seeking additional partners to explore and test the use of smart glasses and augmented reality technology to conduct meat inspection remotely as further solutions to the meat inspector shortages in the province. Augmented reality is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated 3D content.

According to Rodas-Gonzalez, the technology will enable an offsite inspector to partner with an onsite trained technician to inspect the carcass and by-products for defects remotely and in real time. The technician in the processing plant will wear special glasses with hands-free commands to enable two-way live video communication with an offsite inspector. The team will then test if the augmented reality software is as effective as an on-site inspector. According to Rodas-Gonzalez the information generated from the project will result in the development of a procedure for remote inspection and will aim to prove the effectiveness of this technology.

There are several additional benefits of the project that include opening the door to access new, better, and more diverse marketing opportunities for smaller processors (e.g., buy-local programs, more product availability, selling directly to retailers) and increased beef production processing capacity (e.g., more work shifts per week).

Meat inspection agencies could also make more efficient use of the inspector’s time, reduce downtime and address the meat inspector shortage. The project will also increase the competitiveness (e.g., increase market share by volume) and sustainability (e.g., increased meat supply) of the Canadian meat industry in the domestic market.

For more information on the course and novel meat inspection AI technology, contact Argenis Rodas Gonzalez at Argenis.RodasGonzalez@umanitoba.ca.

During his career, Dr. Guenter was well-recognized by as an expert in nutrition and health. His research consistently put the UM on the map as a leader in poultry and egg science. He is held in high regard by the poultry industry for the countless hours of service to the industry, delivering workshops, seminars and writing extension articles, and was once featured as one of the 50 leaders of the Canadian poultry industry.

A highly respected educator, Dr. Guenter has taught diploma, degree and graduate students with a focus on hands-on training. His passion and enthusiasm for teaching were evident to all. The numerous graduate students that he mentored over the years now serve the agricultural industry in Canada and the US.

A special video tribute highlighting the remarkable career of Dr. Guenter is available on the CPRN YouTube channel.

“In animal nutrition, when something goes wrong with canola meal in diets, people say it’s because of the fibre,” Rogiewicz says. But fibre isn’t necessarily bad. We just need to understand it better, she says.

Read more

Integrating livestock onto cropland where possible is often noted as one of the key practices for building soil health but this can be challenging to adopt within annual cash crop rotations that are common across the major grain growing regions within Canada. A new Beef Cattle Research Council project co-lead lead by Animal Scientist Dr. Emma McGeough and Plant Scientists Drs. Yvonne Lawley (University of Manitoba) and Kim Schneider (University of Guelph), will be collaborating with a team of researchers to look at the barriers to crop-livestock integration and regionally adapted strategies to benefit both grain and cattle producers.

Producer survey:

We know from industry that farmers and ranchers have significant concerns about the practicalities and the economic costs and benefits of integrated crop-livestock production. After years of increasing specialization throughout the entire sector from farm to fork—why exactly should producers consider a way of farming that seems to buck that trend?

Researchers throughout Canada seem to have a pretty good idea why—because it’s a great way to benefit the soil in which our food and feed grows. Small-plot experiments have shown promising results, but now it’s time to see if the idea has the potential to scale throughout the diverse agricultural regions of Canada.

As producers know well, demonstrating results through plot- or field-level experiments on research farms is a crucial first step, but experimental success is not a guarantee of success on the farm—especially in a landscape as broad as Canada’s. To that end, Dr. Tristan Skolrud (University of Saskatchewan) is launching a Canada-wide survey of commercial beef and crop producers to find out just how willing our producers are to consider integrated crop-livestock practices. Are ranchers interested but just don’t know how (or perhaps why) to get started? Are farmers interested in the soil health benefits from grazing but aren’t sure if the benefit is worth the hassle?

Before we get our survey out in the field, we’ll spend some time talking with producers to make sure we’re asking all of the right questions—if you’re reading this and want to take part, feel free to reach out!

Strategies to get started: annual forage grazing in the spring and fall shoulder seasons.

Extended grazing strategies built around annual forage crops is an angle this new beef cluster project will be focusing on. The need to “get more from less” when it comes to available land for cattle grazing and feed production could be a motivating factor to enable new integration of beef cattle on annual crop land that benefits all sides. Quality matters as much as quantity and there also continues to be a need to address the high nutritional demands not only of backgrounder/replacement cattle in the fall but also of females in the spring/early summer around calving. Annual crops for fall grazing are routinely used for swath grazing, however, the cost of harvesting increases the cost of this feed. Also, the question of which crops to grow is driven by regional climatic and soil suitability, class of cattle and the intended season of grazing. The question of “what works, where?” will be asked by the team which also includes plant, animal and economic researchers from the University of Saskatchewan (Dr. Bart Lardner and Kathy Larson),

University of Guelph (Dr. Katie Wood) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Drs. Jillian Bainard and Aklilu Alemu).

Crop species for grazing may consist, for example, of annual cool or warm season grasses, annual legumes, brassicas, and forbs but the species selection. Common cool season species such as oats or fall rye can be grazed in the fall to extend the grazing season, winter cereals (e.g. fall rye, winter triticale) can also be planted in the fall for grazing the following spring. However, little data exists for spring/fall grazing of standing annual forage crops, thus we must look at several management factors for adoption for Canadian cattle production. These include identifying suitable annual and intercrop species, time of seeding and time of grazing. More information is also needed on suitable mixtures (both simple and complex) to grow in terms of forage yield and quality and how the grazing in the shoulder seasons impacts soil health and subsequent crop yields. Choosing species that offer complimentary benefits for plants, animals, soil and economics can increase the efficiency of resource use and lead to greater yields than single species monocultures.

On the field side, the first growing season of this project got underway in 2023 with the establishment of small plots across Canada from British Colombia to Ontario, with sites at Agassiz, Lacombe, Swift Current, Clavet, Carman and Guelph. For evaluation for fall grazing, annual forages were seeded in late spring/early summer and although significant drought conditions in Manitoba and Saskatchewan delayed seeding until early July, this did provide the opportunity to see how late seeding would affect yield and quality throughout the fall. Given the frequency of drought on the prairies, this will provide important information on the feasibility of early vs late seeding. The team seeded 6 treatments at all sites, with additional “region specific” treatments chosen based on local relevance. In Manitoba, monocultures of cereals (oat, triticale and barley) were compared with simple mixes (2-3 species) and complex mixes (4-6 species), with forage crops including peas, forage soybean, radish, clover, vetch, sunflower, millet, turnip etc.

From small plot to large pastures, grazing trials we will place in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario which will assess forage yield and quality (including nitrates, which is an important toxicity consideration with annual crops), feed intake, liveweight gain, body condition and enteric methane production, an important measure of rumen efficiency. How the integration of cattle grazing on annual crop land impacts soil factors (health, nutrient availability) and yield of subsequent crops will also be assessed. The project will also measure the carbon footprint of integrated crop/livestock systems providing science-based information on the plant/animal/soil relationship to enhance productivity and climate resiliency.

The question, “will it pay off economically?” will be evaluated by Kathy Larson (University of Saskatchewan), with results from field trials being used to assess the financial viability of annual forage crops for beef cattle grazing in the shoulder season. This will provide producers with comprehensive information on the costs and returns and the value of grazing when integrated onto annual cropland.