Reading Time: 3 minutes This year’s grain crop might not be as big as last year’s bin-buster, but there’s still going to be “heavy demands” on the rail transportation system this winter. “The initial projections from Stats Canada for the 2014 crop are 57 million tonnes in western Canada — still a very large crop,” said Bruce McFadden, director […] Read more
There’s a mountain of grain to move
A big carry-over means there’s a whopping 73 million tonnes of grain to move
Transparency key to dealing with animal rights activists
Doing the ‘right thing,’ and owning up when things go wrong, should be at the core of any livestock operation — just ask the Calgary Stampede
Reading Time: 2 minutes As the battle over animal welfare heats up, ‘the greatest outdoor show on earth’ has some advice on responding to activists. “We have been on the ‘bleeding edge of the wedge’ in terms of activists targeting the Stampede because of the audience that we deal with,” said Bonni Clark, communications adviser for the Calgary Stampede. […] Read more
Bale grazing saves time and money, and boosts pasture productivity
Cattle producers can save more than 40 cents per cow per day – but the time savings and more lush pastures are the big benefits
Reading Time: 4 minutes An “old throwback” way of feeding cattle is gaining traction among producers who are looking to save a little time in their day-to-day chores — and a bit of money. “Bale grazing is an approach to feeding cattle in winter that tries to look at reducing costs,” said Grant Lastiwka, a forage specialist with Alberta […] Read more
Avoid family fights over farm wills with these land transfer tips
If you’re among the 80 per cent of farmers leaving some land to non-farming children, Merle Good has some creative land transfer advice
Reading Time: 3 minutes Merle Good has one piece of advice for farmers who are drawing up their wills: “If you’re going to leave land to a non-farming child, get creative.” Thirty years ago, “hardly any land went to a non-farming child,” said Good, a longtime tax specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development who now runs a private […] Read more
Western Hog Exchange to producers: Stop shipping injured animals
Chair Brent Moen says facility will now ‘walk the walk’ on animal care, and that includes cracking down on shipments of sick or injured animals
Reading Time: 3 minutes There’s no doubt in Brent Moen’s mind that Western Hog Exchange staff accused of animal welfare violations behaved inappropriately. “We were talking the talk, but not walking the walk,” said the chairman of the farmer-owned hog facility in Red Deer. “We had a significant disconnect between our procedure manual and actual implementation. We broke six […] Read more
Déjà vu all over again at Alberta’s largest meat-packing plants
Food processors hit hard by recent changes to the temporary foreign worker program
Reading Time: 2 minutes How will recent changes to the temporary foreign worker program impact agriculture’s ability to compete for labour? Paul Wannet, human resources manager for Cargill Meats in High River, knows — and he’s been through it before. The situation was dire for Alberta’s largest meat-packing plant in 2007 when the temporary foreign worker program renewal came […] Read more
‘Cover your butt’ when it comes to temporary foreign worker program
Farm businesses are seeing frequent rule changes, inconsistent decision-making, and red tape following changes to the temporary foreign worker program
Reading Time: 3 minutes Changes to the temporary foreign worker program has made hiring foreign labour more difficult and costly — especially for lower-skill, lower-wage positions most often seen in agriculture. And while primary agriculture gets some exemptions under the new rules implemented in June, the big challenge is red tape, says an immigration consultant who works with farms […] Read more
Peace farmers funding research by doing what they do best — farming
Farmers in Alberta’s northwest corner are using sweat equity to fund research that matters to them
Reading Time: 2 minutes At a time when competition for government funding is stiff and every dollar counts, researchers are finding novel ways to finance the work they do. One of the most innovative is the Mackenzie Applied Research Association (MARA). Until last year, the association conducted research in Alberta’s northwest corner with a small staff and limited budget. […] Read more
Long-term investment — not quick-fix funding — needed for forage research
Not only is public funding scarce and the payback too low to tempt the private sector, there’s not many forage researchers left
Reading Time: 3 minutes With many veteran researchers reaching retirement age and research budgets being slashed, regaining lost capacity for long-term forage research will be an uphill battle, said the chair of a national forage association. “To have somebody commit to long-term funding when most of the funding is based on a two- or three-year window is a real […] Read more
Canadian Foodgrains Bank and Alberta farmers help fight hunger
Despite having their own harvest to finish, farmers drop everything to get the crop off at Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s growing projects
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cor Abma isn’t the type of guy to get emotional over nothing. But he makes an exception when it comes to the generosity of his fellow farmers who volunteer each year for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. “It just brings tears to your eyes when all these people show up,” said the Leduc-area grain farmer. “This […] Read more
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