Bernie Regner and family run 375 cows and 100 yearlings – mostly Simmental and Red Angus cross cattle - on their cow/calf and backgrounding operation. They were selected as the 1998 winners of the Alberta Cattle Commission Environmental Stewardship Award.
The Regners were chosen for the award based on their excellent stewardship of sensitive pasture and wooded areas on their ranch. By using a rotational grazing system, moderate stocking rates, multiple watering and feeding sites and swath grazing, the Regners are able to spread grazing pressure across the ranch. These practices ensure a healthy plant cover capable of sustaining the operation for future generations.
The goals for their ranch, which consists of 2,400 acres deeded and 1,200 acres leased of primarily tame pasture, are to maintain the land for their children and grandchildren while increasing productivity. The Regners want to have the land support the cattle year round, not just in the summer months. Focusing on cow/calf production and relying more on forages, they are gradually moving away from having to use machinery on their land.