Brenda Schoepp

Reading Time: 3 minutes The refundable beef checkoff in Alberta is still a hot topic. It does not focus on the province, but rather on the impact of refunding the checkoff to the nation. The checkoff has several layers. The first is Alberta’s contribution to the work of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA). As Alberta represents 65 per cent […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes It is bull sale season and a great time to visit with the men and women who contribute to this industry. At a recent event, I had the chance to talk to many young producers who have a clear vision for themselves and their family farm. They were bright, articulate and fully aware that changes […] Read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes Life on the farm is a great teacher. We learn about care and compassion for livestock, birth and death, the value of sun, rain and the growth of plants, of teamwork and the importance of being in a constant state of preparedness. We appreciate our family and friends, both human and animal – those souls […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes It is never too early to plan ahead for the coming year, and as you look at the cold days through your frosted window, perhaps the 2010 grazing plan is the furthest thing from your mind. Yet starting the new year with a great plan is always fun and leads us to a higher level […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes In October I travelled with my family to Quebec where our son was married. What a blessing to have four generations of the Schoepp family fly safely to celebrate this occasion. The leaves were in full colour, the meal was incredible, the wedding was lovely and the family time was a riot. All was as […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes There has always been healthy debate on the subject of packer ownership. The fact that Alberta has only two major packers has done little to snuff the flame of hostility toward the packing industry. Packers, like cattle feeders and cow-calf operators, are margin players. Volume is often related to profitability as economies of scale kick […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes I was asked by a group to do a research project into the production protocols for organic beef. Thankfully, as of June 30, 2009 the Canadian Organic Standards were implemented, which made the issue of certification easier to understand. Basically, organic certification is now mandatory under the Canadian Organic Standards while CFIA is responsible for […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes Excessive shrink is devastating to the seller and can be costly to the buyer in terms of animal health. Cattle become stressed when their environment changes in any way. They are very sensitive to light, movement and sound. So when cattle, especially calves, are exposed to a big change, they will lose weight. This weight […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes Yet we do not appear as an industry to have the courage to introduce a model for fear of alienating one or two buyers. In the first half of this year, there was a lot of excitement about the reduction in live cattle inventory. So much so, that against better judgment, buyers went out and […] Read more