Articles by Alan Guebert | Alberta Farmer Express

The campaign to whitewash farm and ranch vocabulary

Cargill is apparently no longer in the business of ‘slaughtering’ cattle

By Alan Guebert September 23, 2014

Farmers and ranchers have a well-deserved reputation for straight talk. Saying what you mean and meaning what you say, after all, were essential elements in the handshake deals that were the hallmark of rural business for generations. They still are. Now, however, some folks outside the nation’s fields and fences are working overtime to wash […] Read more

Livestock, Opinion

U.S. ranchers ask, ‘Where’s my cow insurance?’

By Alan Guebert July 3, 2013

It was evident from the hello that the South Dakota rancher had practised his pitch before he dialed my office. “I’m (so and so),” he said in a clipped, clear voice, “an independent cow-calf producer west of the (Missouri) river with 500 cows. I’m calling with one question: Where do I go to sign up […] Read more

Opinion

Policies give lie to farmers’ mantra

By Alan Guebert February 3, 2012

Some people believe in tillage, others in no till. Some people believe in planning, others in fate. Ask an American farmer if he believes a big part of his destiny includes feeding the world and he’ll likely say, “Yep.” The answer is quick and sincere because somewhere in every farmer and rancher’s makeup is a […] Read more

Opinion

U.S. cattle industry vibrant — but not for cowboys

By Alan Guebert December 6, 2010

Twice a week,New York Timescolumnist Thomas L. Friedman drives political and economic policymakers into full rant on topics as opposite as global free trade (he loves it) and national industrial policy (he loves it, too). Kiss him or kick him, Friedman can turn a phrase. A current Friedmanism notes that “If you jump off the […] Read more

Opinion

U.S. Election Fallout — Boiling Water, But Not For Tea

By Alan Guebert November 22, 2010

If ascendant Republicans act on what they say was the clear message sent by voters Nov. 2, the 112th Congress ain’t gonna’ be a tea party. Oh, something will boil, alright. It may be the fat most politicians claim is stored in all those pork barrels on Capitol Hill. After that, maybe some of the […] Read more

Opinion

Ohio Livestock Growers Caged By Farm Groups – for Sep. 13, 2010

By Alan Guebert September 13, 2010

What was to be a clever, voter-sanctioned effort to fence out the animals-are-people crowd in Ohio last year is, depending on your perspective, either a progressive way for farm and animal rights groups to work together toward humane livestock production or a total sellout of livestock producers by Big Ag to the Humane Society of […] Read more

Opinion

U. S. Packers Seek To Dominate Livestock Markets – for Aug. 2, 2010

By Alan Guebert August 2, 2010

Watching Big Pork and Big Beef respond to proposed USDA rules to “clarify conduct that violates the P&S (Packers and Stockyards) Act” is like watching Wall Street bankers: they find it impossible to pull their hands out of your pockets long enough to pull themselves out of the mess they’ve made. That’s a good explanation […] Read more

Opinion

WTO — nine years of talks, none of action

By Alan Guebert June 21, 2010

While $16.6 billion is a nice chunk of business, it also matches the monthly trade deficit – $16.5 billion The surest way to confirm if anyone in Washington, D.C. is telling you the truth about trade is to watch their lips: if they move, they’re not. Of course, not many lips have moved on trade […] Read more

Opinion

Big U.S. Packers Pull Out Their Ammunition

By Alan Guebert February 1, 2010

Roosters crow, cows moo and pigs squeal. To be more precise, proud roosters crow, contented cows moo and, contrary to popular folklore, scared pigs – not happy ones – squeal. In fact, the more scared the pig, the louder the squeal. This simple piece of farm knowledge was confirmed, again, in a Jan. 5 letter […] Read more

Opinion

Checkoffs A Sore Point With U. S. Producers

By Alan Guebert April 27, 2009

When Benjamin Franklin noted in a 1789 letter to a friend that “…in this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes,” he did not foresee the incestuous, billion-dollar-per-year commodity checkoff industry. If you farm or ranch in America, not even taxes are more certain than the beef checkoff, the pork […] Read more

Feds launch consultations on Canada Grain Act

Trudeau names new transport, foreign affairs ministers

Canada consulting at home toward Indonesia trade deal

GFM Network News

Feds launch consultations on Canada Grain Act

Trudeau names new transport, foreign affairs ministers

Canada consulting at home toward Indonesia trade deal

Author Archives Alan Guebert

The campaign to whitewash farm and ranch vocabulary

U.S. ranchers ask, ‘Where’s my cow insurance?’

Policies give lie to farmers’ mantra

U.S. cattle industry vibrant — but not for cowboys

U.S. Election Fallout — Boiling Water, But Not For Tea

Ohio Livestock Growers Caged By Farm Groups – for Sep. 13, 2010

U. S. Packers Seek To Dominate Livestock Markets – for Aug. 2, 2010

WTO — nine years of talks, none of action

Big U.S. Packers Pull Out Their Ammunition

Checkoffs A Sore Point With U. S. Producers

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