Reading Time: < 1 minute Round Rock Ranching is the 2014 recipient of The Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA). The fifth-generation family farm near Vermilion is operated by Sean and Tanya McGrath and their three children in partnership with Sean’s parents, Fred and Anne McGrath. The award, created by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, recognizes producers who go above and beyond standard […] Read more
Vermilion ranch honoured
McGrath family’s detailed approach to stewardship also boosts the bottom line
FCC Ag Safety Fund accepting applications
This year’s edition of the fund is offering $100,000 for delivery of tractor and machinery safety training
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) is accepting applications for the 2015-16 edition of Farm Credit Canada’s Ag Safety Fund. This year, $100,000 will be given to organizations to deliver tractor and machinery safety training in a community setting to Canadian farmers and farm workers. According to Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting data, between 1990 and […] Read more
Numbers matter when storing grain, crop expert says
Reading Time: 2 minutes Pay close attention to two critical numbers when storing grain, says Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development crops specialist Mark Cutts. “Temperature and moisture content of the grain are two important factors that influence the length of time grain can be stored without a change in quality,” says Cutts. “In general, as grain temperature and moisture […] Read more
Breeding for carcass quality has a payoff
Using genomics to improve carcass quality can greatly improve profitability, study says
Reading Time: 3 minutes Sourcing quality breeding stock has the greatest impact on carcass quality — and having carcass data is “integral” to that process. But too many producers are flying blind, according to Tom Lynch-Staunton, director of industry relations for Livestock Gentec. “Most people sell their calves in the fall at weaning and really have no idea how […] Read more
Giving back in a big way
Reading Time: 3 minutes His charity efforts are soaring as high as his country music career. The record $503,000 raised at Gord Bamford’s seventh annual golf tourney at the Lacombe Golf Club and a sold-out gala in Red Deer last month had the country star shaking his head in wonder. “I was thinking about our first year when the […] Read more
Alberta agricultural producers accept the ice bucket challenge
Reading Time: < 1 minute The ice bucket challenge is hot, and members of Alberta’s farm community aren’t letting it cool off. Rick Taillieu of the Alberta Canola Producers Commission let each of his four daughters dump a bucket of ice water on his head. Farm advocate and blogger Sarah Schultz allowed her brother-in-law to use a front-end loader to […] Read more
New program takes aim at high early mortality rate of farmers
Stress, poor eating habits and other factors mean farmers have higher rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory issues
Reading Time: 2 minutes You can’t enjoy your farm if you’re dead — but many farmers take better care of their land, equipment, or animals than themselves. “It’s true for my family and a lot of farmers I know,” said Jordan Jensen, who grew up near Raymond and is now project manager of Sustainable Farm Families Canada. “Farmers tend […] Read more
Schoepp: Farms on the war front
Straight from the hip: Food is a weapon of war, and farmers in Iraq, Syria, and Ukraine are the latest pawns in this awful charade
Reading Time: 3 minutes It is an anxious time in our little world. The Internet brings us to the front lines every day as we watch and anticipate the outcome of conflict around the globe. As I scanned the news, I thought of the suffering of women and children — who asked no part in this charade. And I […] Read more
It’s a long way from their homeland, but yaks flourishing on Rimbey ranch
Yaks are easy keepers, easy calvers and easy to move, but they are so rare, it’s hard to find yak meat and fibre
Reading Time: 3 minutes Shane Juuti can really yak about his yaks. They’re easy keepers, easy calvers, low maintenance, and do well in cold winter months, said Juuti who has been raising yaks since 1996 and now has 225 animals, the largest herd in Alberta. That’s roughly one-quarter of the Canadian herd, which numbers less than 1,000 (there are […] Read more
Verified Beef Production program gives producers an edge
By documenting all their food safety practices in a single system, cattle producers gain access to government funding and niche markets
Reading Time: 3 minutes Aseries of E. coli and listeria outbreaks and other food safety incidents has increased pressure on producers to do more and more — even though Canada has one of the safest food supplies in the world. And that’s true of the Verified Beef Production (VBP) program, the country’s on-farm food safety program for beef producers. […] Read more