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Dr. Susan Markus
Don't Throw Your Profits Out with the Pasture Water
About the Session:
Poor-quality or limited water can increase the risk of illness in beef cattle, reduce productivity, and impact ranch profitability. Dr. Susan Markus will assess commercially available, affordable hand-held water screening devices using a variety of water samples and demonstrate why visual assessment alone is not a reliable indicator of water quality. Attendees will gain practical insights into evaluating water sources and making informed management decisions that support herd health and performance.
Speaker Bio
In 2002, Susan Markus completed her PhD in animal sciences at the University of Alberta with pasture work at Montana State University. Her trials were the first in Canada investigating fenceless control of livestock.
Raised on a large mixed farm in northern Manitoba, Susan was a 4H Beef club member who enjoyed working with cattle. After attending the University of Saskatchewan to complete her Bachelor of Animal Science degree and then being granted a Master of Science degree from the UofM in ruminant nutrition, Susan worked for the Manitoba Government as an Agrologist.
She then worked with the Alberta Government for over 25 years; first as a beef specialist, then as a livestock expert (beef & sheep) at the Ag Info call centre. It was in 2011 that she transitioned into the government of Alberta Livestock Research department to lead research projects as principal investigator, focusing on applied studies of value to the ranch.
With adjunct professor status at both the University of Alberta and Dalhousie University, Dr. Markus has mentored many students and collaborated on numerous research projects covering aspects of feed efficiency, genomics, productivity, sustainability, and considerations for return on investment.
In 2021, with the closure of the government research department, Dr. Markus accepted employment with Lakeland College as a RDAR Livestock Scientist with a focus on Technologies and Innovations.
Susan and her husband currently operate a large beef cattle ranch in east central Alberta where two of their four children will become the second Canadian-born generation to farm and ranch.
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