BCRC Funds Proof of Concept and Knowledge Mobilization Projects to Advance the Canadian Beef Industry  

Research and knowledge mobilization play a critical role in advancing the Canadian Beef Industry by providing key insights to progress the industry and empower producers with knowledge. The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) provides funding for proof of concept (POC) projects and knowledge mobilization initiatives. 

“The proof of concept projects focus on ideas, technologies and practices from other countries, industries or sectors that could add value to the beef industry,” says Craig Lehr, BCRC chair and Alberta beef producer on the value of POC funding. “These projects require a small portion of Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off dollars and provide key insights to progress the industry forward.” 

An example of a recently completed proof of concept project was done by Dr. Nilusha Malmuthuge at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lethbridge. This team found that good vaccine practices are vital to generate protective immune responses and increase herd immunity.

All projects funded by the BCRC address the priorities laid out in the Five-Year Canadian Beef Research and Technology Transfer Strategy.    

Find more information on past proof of concept and other check off funded research. 

“Knowledge mobilization is a core component of ensuring the sustainability and competitiveness of the Canadian Beef Industry,” says Dean Manning, BCRC vice chair and Nova Scotia beef producer on funding knowledge mobilization initiatives, “The key to the success of innovation is encouraging industry and producer awareness and adoption of existing and new research, technology and practices.” 

A recently completed knowledge mobilization project is The Beef Cattle Health and Nutrition Podcast which features interviews with veterinarians, nutritionists, producers and researchers on topics related to beef cattle health and management. The objective of this project was to develop and publish an audio podcast as a means of knowledge mobilization to Canadian cow-calf producers. To date the podcast has produced 49 episodes, has 270 regular subscribers, over 900 downloads per episode, 44,500 total downloads and was ranked in the top 10 Life Science Podcasts on Apple Podcasts in the spring of 2024.   

Through a new pilot initiative, the BCRC opened a call for proposals in 2023 to support regional knowledge mobilization activities with preference given to new and innovative engagement ideas. This funding call was renewed in 2024. Nine activities were funded beginning in fall 2024 and all activities will wrap up in summer 2025.  

An example of a completed event is Ranchers University, which was held December 6-7, 2024, in Saskatoon, SK and hosted by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. The two-day event included seminars on forage management during drought, pest control on pasture and a CowBytes training workshop. This was followed by hands-on demonstrations on low-stress cattle handling, selection of replacement heifers and completing post-mortems on farm.  

Projects funded under the 2024 POC call include: 

• Can vaccinating beef cows in the fall offer the same protection as spring vaccination? Project lead: Dr. Claire Windeyer, University of Calgary  

• Can anogenital distance be used as a predictor of bull fertility? Project lead: Dr. John Kastelic, University of Calgary  

• Investigating the mechanisms behind beef cattle’s mucosal immune responses. Project lead: Dr. Emma Borkowski, University of Guelph  

• Developing a rapid, chute-side diagnostic test to inform BRD treatment. Project lead: Dr. Michael Jelinski, Veterinary Agri-Health Services  

• Improving the rate of diagnosis of bovine infectious diseases. Project lead: Dr. Yanyun Huang, University of Saskatchewan  

• Can enzyme supplementation improve nutrient uptake in cattle on forage-based diets? Project lead: Dr. Emma McGeough, University of Manitoba 

Activities funded by the 2024/25 Regional Activities funding program include:   

• Remote Drug Delivery Seminar. November 6, 2024, in Bluffton, AB. Seminar and hands on learning in collaboration with Veterinary Agri-Health Services. Project lead: Mariann Valstar, Bluffton Veterinary Services.  

• Water Quality and Ration Balancing with Cowbytes. October 29 and November 14, 2024, in Fort Kent, AB. Project lead: Alyssa Krawchuk, Lakeland Agricultural Research Association.  

• CowBytes Training with Barry Yaremcio. November 6, 2024, in Paintearth County, AB. Project lead: Khalil Ahmed, Battle River Research Group.  

• Livestock and Forage Extension Day. January 15, 2025, in Dauphin, MB. Project lead: Pamela Iwanchysko, Manitoba Agriculture.  

• Digesting CowBytes – A Training Session. October 9, 2024, in Dawson Creek, BC. Project lead: Nadia Mori, Peace River Forage Association. 

• Rancher’s University 2024. December 6-7, 2024, in Saskatoon, SK. Two-day event featuring seminars, CowBytes training and hands-on demonstrations. Project lead: Rikki Wilson, Government of Saskatchewan.  

• Back to Basics – Improving Producers’ Cost of Production. March 29, 2025, in Guelph, ON. Project lead: Jaclyn Hornberg, Beef Farmers of Ontario. 

• Enhancing Livestock Water Management Through Educational Workshops and Farm Tours. Project lead: Naveen Arora, Mackenzie Applied Research Association.  
  • Educational workshop, January 25, 2025
  • Water management field tour, June 25, 2025

• Atlantic KTT – Two Approaches to Three Topics (Leadership/advocacy, risk management, and pasture and forage utilization). Project lead: Amy Higgins, Maritime Beef Council. 
  • Grazing Extravaganza held in conjunction with the Maritime Beef Conference November 8-9, 2024, in Moncton, New Brunswick.
  • Adaptation of the Atlantic Beef School to an online on-demand platform for completion by April 30, 2025.

The BCRC is Canada’s national industry-led funding agency for beef, cattle and forage research. The BCRC’s mandate is to determine research and development priorities for the Canadian beef cattle industry and to administer Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off funds allocated to research. A division of the Canadian Cattle Association, the BCRC is directed by a committee of beef producers from across the country. The BCRC is funded in part through a portion of the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off which is then leveraged with government and industry partner funding.  

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