A woman samples a plant-based meat product by Whole Perfect Food (a Chinese competitor to Beyond Meat) at the VeggieWorld fair in Beijing in November. Plant-based foods are on the rise but so is meat in the world’s most populous regions, says food trend guru David Hughes.

Expect to hear a lot more about fake meat, eco-foods, and urban consumers

It’s a fast-changing world but Prairie farmers are in a good spot, says food trend guru

Reading Time: 3 minutes More focus on the environment, more plant-based meat alternatives and more scrutiny of food production. That’s what lies in the crystal ball of David Hughes, an international speaker on global food industry trends. At a recent event hosted by the Plant Protein Alliance of Alberta, Hughes laid out a number of points that could be […] Read more


Grace period for livestock transport regulations

Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association says producers can contact it if they have questions about the federal livestock transport regulations. The new rules come into effect on Feb. 20, but the CFIA has granted a two-year transition period on the feed, water, and rest interval provisions for the livestock sector. In a statement, the food inspection […] Read more

File photo of goats on display at the Hanover Agricultural Fair in Grunthal, Man. in August 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

No turkeys, pigs, goats: U.S. to let airlines limit service animals

Miniature horses still up for discussion

Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Transportation Department on Wednesday proposed giving airlines the power to bar emotional support animals from cabins and limit the definition of a service animal to a trained dog. The proposed new rules are aimed at preventing passengers from falsely claiming their pets are service animals aboard U.S. airline flights. […] Read more


A portion of an infographic called Beef’s place in a healthy environment that was one of the most popular items produced by the Beef Cattle Research Council last year.

Here’s what your fellow beef producers were reading last year

The Beef Research Council produces a raft of articles every year — here’s the Top 10 for 2019

Reading Time: 2 minutes Production advice dominates the Top 10 list of Beef Cattle Research Council’s most popular blogs in the past year — but occupying the No. 1 spot was an article on how plant-based protein stacks up against beef. The article Isn’t beef Canada’s ultimate plant-based protein? beat out 77 other blog posts, the council said in […] Read more

Forecaster Drew Lerner, shown here at Ag Days 2020 in Brandon, sees a cooler-than-normal spring ahead for the Prairies. (Manitoba Co-operator photo by Alexis Stockford)

Variable Prairie weather makes for uncertain spring ahead

If nothing else, a rainy harvest season helped replenish topsoil moisture

MarketsFarm — Late-season rains wreaked havoc on the 2019 harvest season but were helpful in restoring topsoil moisture to key growing regions in the Prairies. Since snow coverage has been variable across the Prairies so far in 2020, however, the growing season may get off to a rocky start. “If we take a look at […] Read more


Ranchers prefer conservation management agreements

Ranchers prefer conservation management agreements

Reading Time: < 1 minute Ranchers and farmers in Western Canada prefer conservation management agreements when it comes to protecting habitat, a survey of 200 producers by the University of Waterloo has found. These agreements are usually made with a conservation organization to undertake practices that benefit wildlife. Annual payments for habitat management were the preferred incentive. Market certification (having […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Amended CUSMA pact includes anti-COOL clause

The new Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), a free trade deal set to replace NAFTA, includes language meant to block any future bids at a trade-disrupting country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law. The new clause would, in theory, checkmate a move made last summer by some Democrat members of the U.S. House of Representatives to have a new North […] Read more


ian steppler

Bees cannot live on canola and alfalfa alone

‘Agriculture blooms for one month a year’ and so maintaining pockets of natural food sources is critical

Reading Time: 2 minutes Cropland’s encroachment on nature threatens to starve bees and pollinators, says beekeeper Ian Steppler. “Where we find a balance within our countryside between agriculture and nature is where we find tremendous growth and prosperity,” said Steppler, a crops and cattle producer in Manitoba who has 1,500 hives and produces over 250,000 pounds of honey per […] Read more

Deer Creek Livestock recognized for environmental stewardship

Reading Time: < 1 minute Deer Creek Livestock Co. is the winner of the 2020 Environmental Stewardship Award. The award from Alberta Beef Producers recognizes a cattle operation demonstrating leadership in environmental stewardship that contributes to the land while improving productivity and profitability. The Deer Creek Livestock shareholder group purchased the ranch, located near Milk River, in 2011 from the […] Read more