Reading Time: 6 minutes McDonald’s has chosen Canada over Australia and Europe as the site of its first pilot project in its ambitious quest to serve only “sustainable beef” in its massive global restaurant empire, Alberta Farmer has learned. The exact terms of the pilot — or even a definition of sustainable — have yet to be finalized, but […] Read more
Canada picked for sustainable beef pilot
EXCLUSIVE: McDonald’s working with CCA on ambitious project to make Canada the first country to supply it with sustainable beef
Pork industry successful at preventing PEDv
Funding from Growing Forward 2 helps pork industry to increase programs to prevent porcine epidemic diarrhea virus
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta’s pork industry is getting another $1.35 million to improve biosecurity and thwart the arrival of the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv). “The funding comes at a critical time for our industry,” said Alberta Pork chair Frank Novak. “There’s a sense of guarded optimism for the future after a series of very challenging years.” Alberta […] Read more
Researcher using chicken feet to prevent crow’s feet
Reading Time: 2 minutes Can a pill made from chicken feet and cow hides give your skin a younger, healthier look? Yes, says University of Alberta food scientist Mirko Betti, an expert on modifying animal proteins from meat byproducts. Betti is currently extracting collagen from poultry skin, feet, bones, and cartilage as well as bovine hides. Collagen is a […] Read more
Resistant clubroot a ‘nightmare’ scenario
Continuous cropping likely cause of new resistant clubroot pathogen, but canola council says tight rotations are still OK for some
Reading Time: 4 minutes The breakdown of a clubroot-resistant variety just four years after it came on the market is a “nightmare” — but doesn’t mean growers in clubroot-free areas can’t plant canola every other year, say industry officials. “It’s unfortunate that this had to happen,” said Ward Toma, general manager of the Alberta Canola Producers Commission. “We had […] Read more
Drilling down into the livestock price insurance program
The futures price, basis, and exchange rate are part of the equation, but a producer’s situation is also key
Reading Time: 3 minutes Editor’s note: One of the producer questions for the April 28 edition — on the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program — took some additional investigation by reporter Alexis Kienlen. Vermilion cattle producer Sean McGrath asked, “I understand the risks that WLPIP is covering — futures price, basis, and exchange rate — but what goes into […] Read more
Stan Blade chosen new agriculture dean at U of A
Reading Time: 2 minutes A veteran of Albertan agricultural research has been named the next dean of the faculty of agricultural, life and environmental sciences at the University of Alberta. Stan Blade, currently chief executive officer of Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions, will assume his new role Aug. 1, replacing John Kennelly, who will remain in the department after a […] Read more
Models cause for less hail, but less rain, too
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta has the dubious distinction of having the most — and biggest — hail in the world. “We’re very famous for that,” said University of Alberta meteorologist Gerhard Reuter. And you can blame it on the Rocky Mountains, which affect airflows to create ‘hail alley’ — a corridor stretching from Rocky Mountain House to Red […] Read more
Get ready for a lot more major floods, says Alberta meteorologist
U of A professor says the weather event that caused last year’s devastating floods will occur every five years in future
Reading Time: 2 minutes Albertans can expect major floods as often as every five years thanks to climate change, according to Gerhard Reuter, a meteorologist and professor at the University of Alberta. The last three big Alberta floods were in 2013, 2005, and 1996, and followed in the wake of “giant rainstorms,” which Reuter classifies as rain events of […] Read more
Ranchers have no beef with new antibiotic restrictions
Health Canada pushing to end of routine use of antibiotics important in human medicine because of resistance threat
Reading Time: 4 minutes Health Canada’s move to end the use of “medically important” antibiotics as growth promotants won’t hurt livestock production, say an Alberta producer and industry experts. “There won’t be as much restriction as we first thought,” said Camrose rancher and Canadian Cattle Association president Dave Solverson. “(But) there will be a little more consultation with veterinarians […] Read more
Grassland preservation group takes message of rural stewardship to urbanites
Five southern Alberta ranches featured in stewardship and sustainability video
Reading Time: 2 minutes Anew initiative is trying to show urbanities that grasslands are pretty cool, and running cattle on them is a good thing. “The Conservation Caravan” is a short film featuring producers from five southern Alberta ranches who talk about sustainability, land use and the importance of good stewardship. Operation Grassland Community is behind the film and […] Read more