As drought continues to batter Manitoba’s Interlake region, third-generation cattle producers Craig and Charlene Kaartinen are facing the unthinkable—selling their entire herd of commercial purebred Black Angus cattle.
“In July we calculated how many days of pasture we had left, and it was only a few weeks,” Charlene said. “Then we’d have to start feeding hay—our winter hay. With widespread drought in Manitoba, adequate feed for winter is difficult to locate.”
The Kaartinens, who were married in 1986 and began farming together in January 1987, have built a reputation for raising high-quality, low-maintenance cattle. This year’s herd included 48 mature cows, 21 first-calf heifers, three herd bulls, and 13 bred heifers retained as replacements.
“We are fortunate our pastures lasted this long, and it’s only because my husband converted our pastures a few years ago to a rotational grazing system, utilizing portable pig-tail posts, single electric strings, and moving the herd every day or two, depending on the size of the paddock,” she said. “Presently, we are still feeding green grasses.”
But with remaining pastures now dried out and feed in short supply, the Kaartinens made the painful decision to list their entire herd for sale. Two groups of more than 30 cow/calf pairs will be auctioned through the TEAM online sale platform—Team Auction Sales—based in Calgary.
The sale is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 15 at 10 a.m., and interested buyers can view listings at teamauctionsales.com by scrolling to the August 15 TEAM Feeder Cattle Sale. The cattle are listed under Star Lake Beef (1987) – Charlene/Craig Kaartinen.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Charlene said. “In 2020 we purchased two herd sires and a group of replacement females from Edie Creek Angus, building a young herd of cows that are highly maternal, low maintenance, fleshy, easy-calvers. They’re excellent mothers—quiet and respectful of a single strand of electric fence, even when it’s off.”
“The goal was to farm cow/calf into our later years. Craig loves it—it’s in his blood. He’s third generation.”
That dream, however, is now being cut short by another year of relentless drought and extreme weather.
Across the Interlake, producers are grappling with similar realities. A state of agricultural disaster has been declared in the RMs of Woodlands, St. Laurent, West Interlake, Armstrong and Coldwell. The provincial crop report shows many crops are maturing early due to stress, with yields expected to be well below average.
Charlene, who also works full time selling Star Lake diatomaceous earth to agri-businesses and producers across Canada, said the stress is mounting.
“I’m always busy, but this year is just ridiculous and stressful,” she said. “We’re being beaten up by Mother Nature—and life.”
Although the Kaartinens have had to make difficult culling decisions during past droughts—opting not to keep replacement heifers and selling calves at weaning—this is the first time they’ve had to sell their entire herd.
Despite the heartbreak, Charlene said she hopes potential buyers will recognize the calibre of the cattle being offered.
“Someone is going to get some excellent cattle,” she said. “We put our hearts into building that herd.”
The bred replacement heifers and Edie Creek herd bulls will be available privately. For more information or to view videos of the cattle, visit teamauctionsales.com and scroll to the Aug. 15 TEAM Feeder Cattle Sale.
