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
Trade deal reopens door to Korea
Punishingly high tariffs are partly to blame for a steep drop in beef exports to Korea
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
Not a baa-d idea: Sheep to replace lawn mowers in Edmonton cemetery
Lawn-munching sheep have become an institution — and tourist attraction — in Fort Saskatchewan
Reading Time: 3 minutes If Brian McDonald’s vision comes to fruition this year, St. Stephen’s Cemetery in north Edmonton will be maintained by four-legged, woolly grass eaters instead of lawn mowers. McDonald, sales manager for the cemetery, wants to use sheep to graze part of the 40-acre burial ground. “We have to do quite a bit of maintenance on […] Read more
U of A at forefront of effort to create super-kibble
University has expertise in what’s good for Fido and Ginger — and will soon have a new $1.5-million machine for making better kibble
Reading Time: 2 minutes An increasing number of North Americans now view their pets as their children — and that’s not only made the pet food industry a very big business, but is changing what goes into their feed bowls. “Just like you see an increasing emphasis in the human population relating to food and health, the same is […] Read more
Jess Verstappen wins top 4-H honour
Reading Time: 2 minutes Jess Verstappen, a 17-year-old from High Prairie, is the 50th person to win the 4-H Premier’s Award, the highest honour that can be given to an Alberta 4-H member. “4-H is a great organization to be involved in because of all the things you get out of it,” said Verstappen. “Not only is it a […] Read more