Reading Time: 5 minutes You take good care of your land, your equipment, and your animals. But do you take the same care with your own health? Farmers tend not to think of themselves as a ‘tool’ that needs regular maintenance, says the program manager of Sustainable Farm Families Alberta. Combines, for instance, go into the shop before every […] Read more
Believe it or not — urban men are in better health than farmers
Stress and constantly working take their toll, but there’s a free and proven program that helps farmers enjoy healthier, better lives
Talking to kids about where food comes from
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Classroom Agriculture Program is seeking volunteers willing to go to schools and talk to Grade 4 students about agriculture. Since 1985, producers and others in the ag sector have made presentations to more than 600,000 students. The provincially funded program provides participants with training for their one-hour presentation (in March, April, or May) as […] Read more
Mars to buy animal hospital chain
Canadian veterinary chain Associate Veterinary Clinics (AVC) is set to become an arm of pet food giant Mars. Virginia-based Mars on Monday announced a US$9.1 billion, US$93 per share deal for all outstanding shares of VCA Inc., whose assets cover almost 800 animal hospitals with 60 diagnostic labs across North America. Those assets include Calgary-based […] Read more
Animal pharma firm Merial formally joins Boehringer
Global pharma giants Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim have formally sealed their deal to merge Sanofi’s global animal health business, Merial, into Boehringer’s. The two companies last week announced their deal has “successfully closed in most markets” as of Jan. 1. Paris-based Sanofi will get Boehringer’s global consumer health care business plus 4.7 billion euros (C$6.6 […] Read more
USDA finds bird flu in Montana wild duck
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Monday it had detected a type of bird flu in a wild duck in central Montana that appeared to match one of the strains found during an outbreak of the disease in 2014 and 2015 that led to the deaths of millions of chickens. […] Read more
Apprenticeships available for aspiring organic farmers
Application deadline is Jan. 31
Reading Time: < 1 minute Young Agrarians, a program of Organic Alberta, is growing the next generation of farmers through a new apprenticeship program in 2017. The program is intended to help aspiring farmers gain skills and insight from experienced producers willing to share their knowledge and expertise. Four host farms have been selected in central and northern Alberta. Core activities […] Read more
Historic research ranches won’t be riding off into the sunset
The future of Onefour and Stavely ranches has been secured by the province and the University of Alberta
Reading Time: 2 minutes Decades of grassland research in southern Alberta will be preserved thanks to a deal between the province and the University of Alberta. The agreement will ensure rangeland studies continue at the historic research ranches of Stavely and Onefour. In 2013, the future of both sites was thrown up in the air when the federal government […] Read more
Want to keep those resolutions? This young man knows the secret
Future paleontologist Holden Heppler has the recipe for achieving goals: purpose, passion, and a community of supporters
Reading Time: 3 minutes With holiday dinners behind us and a fresh year ahead, our minds often turn toward our New Year’s resolutions — those promises we make (and just as quickly break) to do better this year. Well, 16-year-old Holden Heppler has a surefire way to stick to those resolutions. “There’s one road to success, and that road […] Read more
It likely wasn’t your greatest year, but 2016 was definitely eventful
Weather was the big story but it was also a year when pulses took centre stage, farm groups came together like never before, and sustainable beef hit a milestone
Reading Time: 9 minutes Stepping back and looking at the year gone past is a great way to prepare for the one ahead. For most producers, 2016 was a grind with a distinct shortage of highlight reel moments. But the world always moves forward and there were many significant changes that took place over the last 12 months. Here […] Read more
Small indulgences — the experience of food can be priceless
In the food business, less can be more if you understand your customer and the emotional side of food buying
Reading Time: 3 minutes I remember a story from years ago about a family-owned ice-cream shop in a small town. Folks came from long distances for ice cream because it was so delicious. Yet, the customer had one constant complaint — there was too much ice cream in the cone! The owners of that shop decided to listen to […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
