Reading Time: 4 minutes Pea and lentil prices have crashed, but Alberta farmers are still growing a lot of pulses. “Everything that happened in India caused a shock, not only to Canada, but globally,” said Leanne Fischbuch, executive director of Alberta Pulse Growers. The peak year for pulse production in Alberta was two years ago, and acreage has dropped […] Read more
The market is shaky but there’s still a lot of pulse acres out there
India’s absence has pushed down acres, but Alberta is still growing one of its largest-ever crops
Even in Feedlot Alley, consumers don’t trust hormone use
The beef sector has long said hormone implants are safe, but most Lethbridge residents aren’t convinced
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s a pretty disheartening finding: Nearly two-thirds of residents of Lethbridge — located in Feedlot Alley — oppose the use of growth hormones in cattle, according to a recent survey. “I would suspect that a lot of people don’t understand,” said Roland Cailliau, a cow-calf producer from Valleyview. “They don’t read and they don’t understand […] Read more
Couple weren’t millionaires — so they found a different way to farm
It’s not for everyone, says Ben Campbell, but direct marketing is a low-cost route to farming
Reading Time: 3 minutes Although Ben Campbell is a third-generation rancher, he didn’t have an operation he could take over. And when he looked at the math for starting his own ranch, it was worse than ugly — he figured he’d need $3 million in assets to generate an income of $50,000. “I didn’t have enough money to do […] Read more
Way up north, there’s an unusual sight — soybeans
Peace Country growers are testing new early-maturing varieties of a crop associated with the American Midwest
Reading Time: 3 minutes La Crete is nearly 3,000 kilometres north of the continent’s soybean heartland, but that hasn’t stopped some farmers in the area from giving the crop a whirl. “Our most farthest north-grown soybeans… looking great in La Crete,” Canterra Seeds rep Jesse Meyer tweeted earlier this month when posting a picture of soybeans growing in the […] Read more
McDonald’s move to label its burgers as sustainable hailed as a milestone
Initiative is a global first and opens the door for more cattle producers to be paid for their stewardship
Reading Time: 2 minutes McDonald’s Canada will soon be serving burgers made from certified sustainable beef — and that’s a major win for the country’s cattle sector, say farm leaders. “The big thing about this is the world is going in this direction because of consumer demand,” said Bob Lowe, vice-chair of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and a member […] Read more
Producers can now take beef sustainability to the bank
Raising ‘certified sustainable’ beef earns producers a premium and McDonald’s is going all in
Reading Time: 4 minutes Four years after McDonald’s chose Canada to launch its landmark sustainable beef initiative, some producers and feedlots are happily cashing cheques for participating in that effort. And while the amounts so far have been fairly small, it’s a big plus for producers, say participants. “We started on that journey because we thought it was important […] Read more
Local food is putting down deep roots
One in 20 Alberta farms are selling directly to their customers, and there’s room for plenty more
Reading Time: 4 minutes The year Mark Gibeau started growing heritage grains, a book called The 100-Mile Diet had just come out. Suddenly it seemed everyone was using terms such as ‘local food’ and ‘locavore.’ It was good timing on Gibeau’s part, but would time be his friend? Would local food be one of those ‘here today gone tomorrow’ […] Read more
Deadly pest marching towards Alberta’s borders
The emerald ash borer has travelled halfway across the continent and has now reached Manitoba
Reading Time: 3 minutes Another highly destructive invasive pest has breached the boundary of the eastern Prairies and Albertans are being asked to keep watch — and not unwittingly aid its spread. The emerald ash borer, which attacks and kills all species of ash, was found in Winnipeg this winter. The beetle is on a steady invasive march across […] Read more
Horses should be classed as livestock, argues industry group
Horse industry should receive the same benefits as other livestock sectors, says Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada
Reading Time: 2 minutes Horses and other equines should be formally classed as livestock, says an advocacy group. “We have situations in various parts of Canada where provincial governments, in British Columbia in particular, are denying farmer status to people who are in the business of breeding equines including mules, donkeys, and horses,” said Bill desBarres, chair of the […] Read more
Research funding agency run by farmers closes its doors
Board votes to shut down Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund after funding dries up
Reading Time: 2 minutes After 17 years in operation, the Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund (ACIDF) has shuttered its doors. “Alberta Agriculture and Forestry is changing the way it handles research and development,” said Doug Walkley, the organization’s former executive director. For the past three years, the ministry has been conducting a review of how it funds ag research […] Read more