Livestock producers needing to move animals out of wildfire zones in British Columbia’s Interior are being asked to contact the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association. The BCCA, on its website, said it’s helping to co-ordinate haulers with producers who need to evacuate livestock. “With closures of highways and evacuation orders, permits are needed to re-enter evacuated areas […] Read more
BCCA connecting ranchers, haulers in wildfire areas
Saskatchewan sets new cougar, bear trapping seasons
Saskatchewan has set up a new cougar season for trappers, plus a southern expansion of its black bear trapping season, in part to help limit livestock predation. The province on Wednesday announced a new “trapping-only” cougar season will open Oct. 15, 2017 and close March 15, 2018. It also announced a new “black bear opportunity” […] Read more
Strong meat demand spells bright future for goat industry
Demand is far outstripping supply for Canadian goat meat — and enterprising producers can capitalize on this trend
Reading Time: 2 minutes When Myrna Gisler moved back to the family farm near Innisfail, her parents decided it was time to branch out into something a little different — ostriches. That lasted all of two weeks. “I didn’t want a thing to do with them,” said Gisler with a laugh. “Those things are evil. They’re miserable creatures. I […] Read more
Report sees Canadian meat prices rising at faster pace
CNS Canada — Canadians will be paying more for meat than earlier thought in 2017, according to a new report from Dalhousie University. Expected price declines for other foods, however, will limit the impact on the total grocery bill in the country. In the mid-year update for Canada’s Food Price Report, researchers at Dalhousie in […] Read more
Farm buildings getting bigger, but also stronger
Diaphragm bracing has been key as farm buildings become larger and larger
Reading Time: 2 minutes One comment Steven Adema often hears is that his company’s building designs are getting heavier. But the engineer with Tacoma Engineers in Guelph, Ontario argues that heaviness is not the culprit — the buildings are simply getting bigger in order to accommodate producer needs and government regulations. “For comparison’s sake we pulled an old Beaver […] Read more
Province taking wait-and-see approach to new farm building code
Farm buildings are generally exempt from the provincial building code, but that’s likely to change in a few years
Reading Time: 2 minutes The growing complexity of farm buildings — not to mention the ongoing threat of fire — has attracted regulatory attention. However, Alberta does not have a specific farm building code nor has it adopted the federal National Farm Building Code. The provincial government is waiting on the results of a new, planned federal code currently […] Read more
Farm buildings are complex and costly, but built to last
Old-fashioned barn raisings are pretty much gone – today you need a team of experts when building an equipment shed or barn
Reading Time: 5 minutes Building a barn used to be relatively simple. Often, family members, and maybe a few neighbours, simply went out and did it. Today, however, construction of a new farm building is an extremely complex — not to mention expensive — process. Regulations, more sophisticated building techniques, and advanced technology have upped the cost and complexity, […] Read more
Don’t let livestock graze too early
Reading Time: < 1 minute Turning animals onto pastures while grass plants are still small, succulent, and their second leaf barely fully emerged, may be doing more harm than good. Provincial forage specialist Karin Lindquist said if the grass is bitten before it has reached that three-leaf stage, it is forced to revert back to those energy stores to regrow […] Read more
Four farmers named to panel on Ontario prison farms
Four eastern Ontario farmers have been named to a new seven-member advisory panel on the “potential reopening” of two federal penitentiary farms at Kingston. Correctional Service Canada (CSC) on Thursday announced the panel members, who are expected to hold their first meeting next month and to “engage with community stakeholders” on the farms’ possible reopening. […] Read more
Quebec flooding forces hundreds from homes
Montreal | Reuters — Flooding in towns across Quebec has forced hundreds of residents from their homes, and public security officials fear water levels will rise further with forecasters expecting rain Friday, local media reported on Wednesday. Heavy rains early this week have flooded towns in several areas across the predominately French-language province, including two […] Read more