Reading Time: 2 minutes The University of Calgary has just one message for aspiring veterinarians: There’s plenty of jobs out there — especially in rural Alberta. “We have areas in rural Alberta where I still get a phone call after a class has graduated that they have a job and need a veterinarian,” said Dr. Alistair Cribb, dean of […] Read more
Love rural Alberta and want to be a vet? Call U of Calgary
There’s a huge demand for livestock and equine veterinarians — and vet school wants to train more rural practitioners
A golden future? Trade deal could see more canola crushing here
Canola producers who farm close to crush plants can get premiums, but it can mean more trucking costs
Reading Time: 4 minutes Canadian canola producers are poised to crush the Asian canola oil market if the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal is implemented. “The immediate benefit in the next five years is going to be that the tariffs on canola oil going into Japan are going to drop from 15 per cent to zero,” said Ward Toma, general […] Read more
There’s no business like show business for Calgary-area rancher
CL Ranch has played host to dozens of movies and TV shows — and it’s made its farm business more sustainable
Reading Time: 3 minutes Rancher Cherie Copithorne-Barnes wasn’t dreaming about being in show business when she got a strange phone call in the early 1990s. “They asked if they could come out and bring us to a spot on our land,” said Copithorne-Barnes, CEO of CL Ranch just west of Calgary. “We stood up on the hill, and they […] Read more
Bridging the producer-consumer divide
There are pros, cons, and frustrations when trying to deal with consumers who want it all when it comes to food
Reading Time: 3 minutes Consumers are watching you like never before. But relax — you can only do so much. That was one key message from a recent panel discussion on how farmers can connect with consumers. The sudden fascination with how food is produced is a “profoundly good thing,” said Mike von Massow, an associate professor at the […] Read more
Three young Alta. sisters lost to grain truck mishap
Rocky Mountain House | AFE — A community in central Alberta is in mourning following the deaths of three young sisters in a grain truck mishap on Tuesday night. “This is hitting us all very hard. Frontline responders are routinely called out to sad situations, but things are always harder when there’s children involved,” said […] Read more
No regrets: ‘Better Beef’ campaign turns out just fine for A+W
Sales are up sharply, and it was the beef industry’s choice not to get involved in developing the antibiotic- and steroid-free program, says company official
Reading Time: 4 minutes Two years after introducing its controversial ‘Better Beef’ program, A&W seems to have few regrets about how the shift to antibiotic- and steroid-free beef played out. “We were the first national chain in North America to do it, and the response has been tremendous,” said Trish Sahlstrom, vice-president of purchasing and distribution for A&W Canada. […] Read more
American farmland titan eyes Canada
Farmers National manages two million acres in the U.S.
Reading Time: 4 minutes One of America’s largest farm management and real estate brokerages has expanded into the Canadian Prairies — starting with Alberta. Through a joint partnership with Edmonton-based consulting firm Serecon, Farmers National Company is now “open for business” in Canada. “It seemed like the right fit for the right timing going into the Canadian market,” said […] Read more
Reporter’s Notebook: Carefree summer camp — no kids allowed
Reading Time: 2 minutes I was never much for summer camp. Endless hours sitting in a hot, dusty church doing crafts; athletic competitions disguised as fun and games; cranky children and even crankier camp counsellors — none of that was for me. That is, until I attended horse camp. As an adult. Toward the end of August, I spent […] Read more
Hardy Highland cattle right at home in the hills of east-central Alberta
They calve easily and don’t turn up their nose at poor pasture lands — but their stubborn streak can be vexing
Reading Time: 4 minutes There were a few raised eyebrows when Jaylyn Ettinger decided to build a Highland cattle herd. “My dad thought we were crazy,” said Ettinger, who farms with husband Grant Marchand near Czar in east-central Alberta. But in the three years since the couple bought their first five Highland cattle, he’s come around. “Now he loves […] Read more
Supply management wants the federal government in its corner
Farm Vote: The feds should be supporting supply management, says the chair of Egg Farmers of Alberta
Reading Time: 2 minutes Bird flu hasn’t yet hit Alberta’s poultry industry but it’s a real threat for provincial egg farmers, and one the federal government needs to manage. Avian influenza has killed nearly 50 million chickens and turkeys in the U.S. and hit a handful of Ontario and B.C. operations earlier this year. “We saw what a big […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
