Reuters — Eli Lilly + Co.’s Elanco Animal Health unit expects its initial public offering to raise up to US$1.45 billion, betting on increased appetite among investors for animal health companies. The IPO of 62.9 million shares is expected to be priced between $20-$23 per unit, with the company having a valuation of about $8 […] Read more
Lilly’s Elanco unit expects IPO to raise up to US$1.45 billion
‘Enthusiasm and happiness abound’ at Alberta Open Farm Days
Cute animals are a big draw but people ‘genuinely want to see what we’re doing,’ say farm hosts
Reading Time: 6 minutes The focus was on food and farming all over the province during Open Farm Days where Albertans showed they are interested in where their food comes from. More than 100 farms participated this year, including HGB Bison Ranch just south of Olds. It was a brand new experience for Heather and George Briggs, who were […] Read more
Coop federee buys into Ontario feed sector
Fresh off its recent investment in the Prairie livestock feed business, Quebec ag co-operative giant La Coop federee is headed down a similar path in southwestern Ontario. The co-operative announced Monday it will pay an undisclosed sum for a 50 per cent stake in W-S Feed and Supply, based at Tavistock, Ont., about 30 km […] Read more
Wendy’s sells stake in Arby’s owner
Reuters — Hamburger company Wendy’s Co. ended its decade-old ties with Arby’s as it sold its 12.3 per cent stake in the sandwich chain’s parent for US$450 million on Thursday, giving it a boost as it battles larger rivals McDonald’s and Burger King. Wendy’s will sell its stake to Inspire Brands, owned by Roark Capital, […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures fall to new contract lows on heavy supplies
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures tumbled about 3 percent to fresh life-of-contract lows on Wednesday as cash hog and pork prices extended declines amid abundant supplies and worries of sagging demand, traders said. Most active October lean hog futures fell 1.575 cents to 48.400 cents per pound while front-month August […] Read more
Couple weren’t millionaires — so they found a different way to farm
It’s not for everyone, says Ben Campbell, but direct marketing is a low-cost route to farming
Reading Time: 3 minutes Although Ben Campbell is a third-generation rancher, he didn’t have an operation he could take over. And when he looked at the math for starting his own ranch, it was worse than ugly — he figured he’d need $3 million in assets to generate an income of $50,000. “I didn’t have enough money to do […] Read more
How is Alberta doing in terms of animal welfare?
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Farm Animal Care is seeking input from livestock producers, their farm organizations, and others in the sector to assess the state of animal welfare in the province. “Livestock welfare is important to all industry stakeholders, as well as the bodies that regulate the sector, and practices continue to change and evolve,” said Annemarie Pedersen, […] Read more
Comment: Increasingly, food must not only taste good, but ‘feel good’
Flavour and price still count, but more people want food that appeals to their social conscience
Reading Time: 3 minutes Sometimes deciding what to feed the family after a long, arduous day juggling daycare, jobs, and traffic seems overwhelmingly complicated. If a recent press release from the U.S.-based Tyson Innovation Lab is any indication, deciding what we’re going to put into our mouths next is about to get more cluttered with new products, new language, […] Read more
Tim Hortons to enter China
Reuters — Canadian coffee-and-donut chain Tim Hortons will open 1,500 outlets in China over the next decade, capitalizing on a growing cafe culture in the world’s second-largest economy, the chain’s parent Restaurant Brands International said on Wednesday. Restaurant Brands shares rose almost three per cent after the company announced the Tim Hortons move into China […] Read more
Permaculture operation provides food for thought
Couple raised on conventional farms took a very different path when they started their livestock operation
Reading Time: 4 minutes Nancy and Chad Hewlett wanted to do things a little differently when they decided to start farming four years ago. So they moved away from the conventional farming of their childhoods and took a more holistic approach instead. “Shifting to permaculture was a huge learning curve. Some days, it feels like I’m starting all over […] Read more