Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s always a nightmare when a sheep producer goes out into the yard and sees that an animal has been ripped apart by predators. “Some years are worse than others,” said Bill Gibson, a sheep producer near Bashaw. “We did lose 25 lambs one year in a short period of time, and that was very […] Read more
Lamb producers tallying the cost of coyote predation
Coyotes are classed as pests, and so producers receive no compensation for lost livestock
Company expects big things from microwaving biomass
Radient Technologies uses patented microwave technology to extract high-value components from flax, rosemary, and other crops
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Alberta advantage isn’t just about oil. For Radient Technologies, it means better access to funding, nearby sources of agricultural biomass, and joining a developed sector of bio-based companies. Founded in Toronto in 2001, the now Edmonton-based company has developed a new, faster way to extract high-value natural compounds from plant biomasses. Using a microwave-assisted […] Read more
Cattle theft a reminder of the need to brand cattle and keep a close watch
Recent theft of 59 mixed breed heifers highlights the need to brand and tag cattle, says RCMP livestock investigator
Reading Time: 2 minutes If you like it and want to keep it, then you better put a brand on it. That’s the advice from RCMP livestock investigator Cpl. Dave Heaslip following the theft of 59 mixed breed heifers from the Provost area earlier this month. “As a police officer investigating, you need to think that this is a […] Read more
Trade deal reopens door to Korea
Punishingly high tariffs are partly to blame for a steep drop in beef exports to Korea
Reading Time: 2 minutes Aproposed free trade deal with Korea is good news for Canadian cattle producers, says the president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. “We were unable to compete at all these last two years because the U.S. has achieved their free trade achievement and has a tariff advantage over us,” said Dave Solverson. “It’s not going to […] Read more
Turner Valley to capitalize on its other claim to fame
Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s 100 years since oil was discovered just outside Turner Valley. And if you’d like to toast that pivotal moment in Alberta history, Turner Valley can help with that, too — if you’re willing to wait a while. The town is slated to become home to the Eau Claire Distillery, which aims to produce the […] Read more
Find a tick? Submit it to your veterinarian or public health office
Ticks can transmit Lyme disease to humans and dogs, but also anaplasmosis to cattle
Reading Time: 2 minutes Spring brings sunny days and barbecues, but also nasty creepy crawlies, including ticks. Provincial officials are running a tick surveillance program, and urging anyone who finds a tick to contact their local veterinarian or public health office so it can be tested. “Ticks can do a number of things — the biggest concern we have […] Read more
McDonald’s pilot could be game-changer
Straw Men say pilot’s detailed information-sharing system could revolutionize beef production
Reading Time: 3 minutes McDonald’s decision to pilot its “sustainable beef” project in Canada, could lead to a sea change in the country’s beef industry, according to two members of the Straw Man task force. The task force was struck after a think-tank slammed the beef industry for being fractured, unable to develop a true Canada brand, and choosing […] Read more
Community comes together to save rare chickens
Poultry centre now providing community with farm fresh eggs and heritage chicks
Reading Time: 3 minutes An outpouring of community support has saved a rare — and potentially priceless — collection of heritage chickens. “It’s amazing how much the general population wants to support the chickens and how much they understand about genetic preservation,” said Agnes Kulinski, business director of the University of Alberta’s Poultry Research Centre. Two years ago, when […] Read more
Local food movement continues to soar
Visitors spent an estimated $878 million at farmers’ markets in Alberta in 2012, a jump of more than 50 per cent from four years earlier
Reading Time: 4 minutes Jered Serben never planned to become part of the local food scene, but is glad he is. The fourth-generation farmer grew up on a traditional hog operation, which transitioned to grain and then exited pork production when hog prices plummeted in the early 2000s. But his heart was never in it. “We got into more […] Read more
Small-town meat shop creating a name for itself
Innovative marketing and can-do attitude a recipe for success for the little meat shop that could
Reading Time: 4 minutes Sangudo Custom Meats is a small operation in a tiny town — but it’s the little meat shop that could. “We figure that if you’re not growing, you’re dying,” said Kevin Meier, who owns and operates the business with partner Jeff Senger. “If you do 10 different things and nine of them are failures, but […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
