Reading Time: 3 minutes Sept. 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day meant to honour the children who never returned home and the survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Many people haven’t learned the history of residential schools because it wasn’t part of school curricula until recently and was seldom […] Read more
Opinion: The path to reconciliation can start by reading some good books
There is some excellent fiction and non-fiction that opens the door to history — and understanding
SUSTAINABLE BEEF: A tale of two different numbers
In less than four years, one in five ranches has been certified sustainable — but market penetration is still low
Reading Time: 5 minutes When it comes to making Canada a leader in the certified sustainable beef movement, two numbers stand out – one very large and the other (in relative terms) very small. As of June 30, nearly one-fifth of the country’s beef cattle were raised on farms certified under the standards of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable […] Read more
Dairy Farmers of Canada embraces goal of achieving net zero
Producers who back the ambitious goal say it’s both attainable and a good business move
Reading Time: 4 minutes Dairy Farmers of Canada has set a target for the sector to be net zero by 2050 — and is accompanying the pledge with a publicity blitz on billboards, radio, YouTube, TikTok and the internet. But how it will reach that ambitious emissions-reduction goal is still to be worked out. “We said that net zero […] Read more
Lamb sector roiled by fall of major player
Mounting losses sink company that was going to revolutionize the lamb business
Reading Time: 4 minutes Lamb producers in Alberta are facing a sea of uncertainly after a company that hailed itself as the future of the sector went into creditor protection owing more than $50 million. The two big questions are whether the massive flock owned by North American Lamb Company (NALCO) will flood the market and send prices into […] Read more
A NEW DAWN: Cattle producers get some relief with higher prices
Fall run looks promising for beleaguered cow-calf producers
Reading Time: 5 minutes Daniel Doerksen is one of many in the cattle sector who are feeling more positive as prices pick up. “To see cattle prices finally increasing is a reason to be optimistic and want to be in the cattle business,” said Doerksen, who runs a commercial cow-calf and feedstock operation along with a feedlot near Gem. […] Read more
Make environmental changes on your farm, but without the risk
OFCAF will cover up to 85 per cent of costs such as nitrogen management, rotational grazing and cover cropping
Reading Time: 3 minutes Producer applications are open for the On-farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF), a program that will offset a large portion of costs as farmers try a new management practice such as rotational grazing, cover cropping or nitrogen management. “This is a program that will deliver directly to the farm gate, so farmers will receive a direct […] Read more
New ag policy framework gets mostly thumbs-up
Change in the AgriStability reference margin from 70 to 80 per cent may encourage more participation
Reading Time: 3 minutes [UPDATED: Aug. 26, 2022] The new national business risk management plan is getting a generally positive reception from farm organization leaders. The new framework, titled the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, was announced by federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers following their annual meeting at the end of July. Grain Growers of Canada chair Andre Harpe […] Read more
Cheaper cattle but pricier beef
An industry-sponsored study will look at methods to determine more transparency across the sector
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s a big question that no one can answer. Why is there such a big difference between what consumers pay for beef and what producers receive for their animals? Alberta Beef Producers general manager Brad Dubeau knows it is a major issue. “We need to do some background work,” he said. Alberta Agriculture and Forestry […] Read more
Neonicotinoids, reducing bee mortality are priorities for new research chair
Bees produce billions in benefits for Prairie farmers but they face a host of challenges
Reading Time: 4 minutes Pollinators and beekeepers on the Prairies have a new champion — the first-ever research chair concentrating on the health of these essential workers in fields and pastures. “I’ll be focused on improving honeybee health to improve sustainable agriculture,” said Dr. Sarah Wood, an associate professor of veterinary pathology at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College […] Read more
County sows agri-tourism seeds by organizing tours of local farms
Reading Time: 4 minutes There’s strength in numbers. Farms from across Leduc County have proven that by banding together to create successful ag tours. “By having the farms close together, there’s a benefit to people being able to visit more than one farm,” said Sharon Faye, the county’s local food co-ordinator. The tours started as a pilot last year […] Read more
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