Self-contained Electric fence trailer puts energizer, solar panel, posts and wire all in one portable unit
Reading Time: 2 minutes Want to try managed grazing techniques to boost grass productivity, but don’t want to spend a lot of time and money driving posts and stringing wires? Norm Ward, a custom grazer and inventor from Granum, Alta., has come up with a self-contained, portable electric fencing system that makes dividing up quarter section-sized pastures fast and […] Read morePortable electric fence trailer simplifies managed grazing
New draft beef code of practice key to dodging ‘doubt grenades’
Countering perceptions Panel discussion addresses need to end the livestock industry’s bunker mentality
Reading Time: 3 minutes With everything from multimillion-dollar budgets and legions of fanatical supporters, animal activists have a lot of tools at their disposal for turning the public off of beef. But by far the most potent weapon in their arsenal of clandestine YouTube videos and Twitter tweets is what Ryder Lee calls the “doubt grenade.” Instead of hurling […] Read moreQuick and easy is the name of the feeding game for rancher
Unique Manitoba rancher uses a skidsteer and method of his own design to feed bagged silage
Reading Time: 3 minutes Ken Vaags would put a short-order cook to shame. The Dugald, Man. rancher uses his skidsteer loader and a specially designed self-feeder that controls access to a huge bag of silage. Two rollers operated by a hand crank wind up the top and bottom lips of the bag, while bars in front create a manger […] Read moreIowa weed scientist wades into glyphosate controversy
No basis Claims that glyphosate is linked to new crop diseases aren’t backed by research
Reading Time: 3 minutes Is glyphosate the greatest thing since sliced bread or an agronomic catastrophe waiting to happen? There’s not solid evidence for the latter, but there is some cause for concern, according to a presentation by agronomy expert Bob Hartzler. “Based on my experience in Iowa, where we have 22 million acres of Roundup Ready corn and […] Read moreCanfax analyst says outlook for calf prices is strong
Demand remains While drought and high feed prices are pushing down U.S. cow herd numbers, the country’s beef exports are soaring and domestic prices are expected to stay strong
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’re mulling whether to buy calves to put on grass this spring, keep in mind that there’s a great big red blob of uncertainty looming over the market. To see it, go to the U.S. Drought Monitor website at droughtmonitor.unl.edu. The map on the home page shows much of the Midwestern Corn Belt and […] Read moreOrganic farmers ponder the future of food
They weren’t shying away from the big issues at the recent Organic Connections conference here: one renowned sustainable farming expert declared the days of "cheap" energy to be coming to an end. "It’s not a question of exactly when we run out of oil, natural gas, or coal — it’s when it’s no longer going […] Read more
Organic farmers ponder the future of food
Bridging gap Organic conference looks at the transition between current farming methods and those of the future
Reading Time: 3 minutes They weren’t shying away from the big issues at the recent Organic Connections conference here. Renowned sustainable farming expert Fred Kirschenmann declared the days of “cheap” energy to be coming to an end. “It’s not a question of exactly when we run out of oil, natural gas, or coal — it’s when it’s no longer […] Read moreXL Foods takeover latest in a series by global meat giant JBS
Family company History of aggressive acquisitions has carried Brazilian processor to the top of global meat industry
Reading Time: 2 minutes News that XL Foods, one of the two major cattle-slaughtering plants in Canada, is cashing in its chips after a devastating beef recall raises an important question. Just who is JBS, the company taking it over? Founded in 1953 by Jose Batista Sobrinho, it began as a tiny, five-head-per-day abattoir in Anapolis, Brazil. Today, according […] Read moreDucks and seed help Manitoba Olympian harvest gold
Double duty Gold medallist does double duty as pitchman for BrettYoung and ambassador for Ducks Unlimited Canada
Reading Time: 2 minutes Most Canadian kids have jumped on a sled and sped down a hill. The difference between that and the Olympic sport of skeleton is a multimillion-dollar track, high-tech gear and a bit more speed — like the 146 kilometres per hour hit by competitors on the track at Whistler, B.C., in 2010. “It’s not as […] Read moreHelp with harvest, then see the sights Down Under
Farmaroos Australian recruiter offers “certainty” for young people embarking on working holidays
Reading Time: 3 minutes Finished high school? Craving travel and adventure? Being a “farmaroo” in Australia is one way for farm kids to trade their farming skills and work ethic for an extended trip Down Under. “It’s a new way for young people to work, learn, and see Australia,” said Carling Henderson, who worked for Manitoba Agriculture, Food and […] Read moreCyber-Savvy Farmer
