Located within the central parkland natural subregion of Alberta, the Roy Berg Kinsella Research Ranch is embedded in a rolling landscape dominated by agricultural lands and punctuated by aspen groves, wetlands and patches of native prairie vegetation.
In 2014, the Roy Berg Kinsella Research Ranch was renamed in honour of Dr. Roy Berg, who revolutionized the Alberta cattle industry with his ground-breaking research on cattle breeding and livestock genetics, conducted at the ranch from 1960 to 1988.
Site description
The Roy Berg Kinsella Research Ranch covers approximately 5,000 hectares, more than half of which is dominated by native vegetation characteristic of aspen parkland. Plant communities on the remainder of the property are dominated by tame forage species. Dominant native grasses are plains rough fescue (Festuca hallii), western porcupine grass (Hesperostipa curtiseta) and Junegrass (Koeleria macrantha). Forbs that are common across the site include northern bedstraw (Galium boreale), bastard toadflax (Comandra umbellata) and prairie goldenrod (Solidago missouriensis). Shrubs and trees, such as western snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis), silverberry (Elaeagnus commutata) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) are also present.
The ranch encompasses many wetlands. At higher elevations, these contain fresh water and are bordered by typical riparian meadows, whereas in low-lying areas, salt-covered lakebeds are bordered by vegetation that is adapted to highly saline conditions.
Several gravel pits that are owned and managed by the Government of Alberta are also located on the ranch.
Ranch management
The Roy Berg Kinsella Research Ranch was established in 1960 as a beef cattle breeding facility, and is now home to a herd of approximately 850 head of cattle, each of which has been genetically sequenced.
The ranch is divided into several pastures that are stocked rotationally, including one approximately 150-ha ‘wagon wheel pasture’ with a central water source from which fences radiate out to divide the pasture into 10 paddocks.
Other infrastructure on the ranch includes a state-of-the-art livestock handling facility and performance testing barn, a feedmill and hay storage buildings.
Interested in conducting research here?
Researchers working at the Roy Berg Kinsella Research Ranch have access to ample accommodations, as well as lab and storage space.
We are happy to grant access to the property and associated research facilities. Please simply contact us prior to your visit to learn about the conditions of ranch access, and for answers to your questions about conducting research at RRI-affiliated facilities.
Additional Contacts
Kinsella & Mattheis Research Ranches Manager: Vern Erickson (vernon@ualberta.ca)