Reading Time: 3 minutes Just like many people do, cattle enjoy the taste of garlic, and as with humans, many swear the ‘stinking rose’ offers numerous health benefits for bovines. Garlic is rumoured to entice cattle to consume more minerals, have anti-fungal properties and even discourage horn flies from pestering them. “You would find these anecdotes on blogs,” said […] Read more
Bovine Gastronomy: It turns out that garlic pairs well with minerals
Alberta researcher finds cattle will consume more mineral if it’s flavoured with fresh garlic
For the first time in generations, bison have returned to traditional lands
The herd is small but Woodland Cree First Nation manager says they’re learning the bison ranching ropes
Reading Time: 4 minutes After many, many years, Wood bison have returned to the Woodland Cree First Nation. “Back in the day, sakâw mostos (the Cree term for Wood bison), this would have been their natural habitat,” said Lawrence Lamouche, traditional lands manager for the Woodland Cree First Nation, located about 85 kilometres northwest of Peace River. The Nation, […] Read more
FarmTech slims down to focus on ‘big picture’ issues
The new event, called CrossRoads, will have fewer attendees, no trade show and no agronomy presentations
Reading Time: 2 minutes There’s a new farm conference in town this winter. “We’re reimagining it as a new show,” said Todd Hames, chair of the FarmTech Foundation of Alberta. The foundation has switched gears and is putting on a revamped event, called CrossRoads, at the Edmonton Convention Centre on Jan. 24-25. “We wanted to create a new feel […] Read more
Cattle group hopes to round up a full slate of candidates
Being a delegate isn’t time-consuming and puts you at ‘ground zero’ in the cattle sector, says chair
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you reform it, will they come? That’s a question facing Alberta Beef Producers as it heads into delegate election season. The farm group is seeking four people to run in each of its five zones, a smaller figure than before a revamp two years ago that reduced the number of zones and delegates. “Part […] 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
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
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
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