Reading Time: 3 minutes The co-founders of Ribstone Creek Brewery have brought a value-added business back to the village where they grew up Don Paré’s plan to build a brewery in the heart of rural Alberta came about the way many grand ideas do: Over a few drinks with old friends. “One of the fellows had acquired a building […] Read more
Farmer brews up big business in rural Alberta
Rancher’s Beef plant set to reopen under new management
Industry leaders say they are optimistic the new Harmony Beef plant will not just increase kill capacity but offer access to premium niche market
Reading Time: 2 minutes Rich Vesta is about to buy himself another beef plant. The former president of JBS’s U.S. beef division spent the ’90s buying slaughterhouses to grow capacity at his company, Packerland Packing, and now he’s set his sights on the deserted Rancher’s Beef plant east of Balzac. “It’s an excellent plant,” he said of the $40-million […] Read more
Research finds two crops can be better than one in forage production
By overcoming the production challenges of intercropping, cattle producers can reap the benefits of a pea-barley intercrop for forage
Reading Time: 3 minutes Rising feed costs have some livestock producers taking a closer look at a widely used, 1,000-year-old cropping practice that hasn’t yet found a foothold in Canadian agriculture. Intercropping — the practice of growing two or more different crops together — boosts yields and improves land-use efficiency, but the real benefits can be seen in grazing […] Read more
Olds College launches cutting-edge entrepreneurship curriculum and iPad app
The college is pioneering a gamified curriculum for its new entrepreneurship course with the goal of teaching students how to spot an opportunity and ‘make it happen’
Reading Time: 2 minutes Olds College students will need to add “video-game skills” to the list of things they need to graduate, thanks to the recent launch of the college’s Spirit of Entrepreneurship iPad app. “Everything at Olds College is hands on, so we knew we wanted entrepreneurship to be hands on,” said Toby Williams, the college’s director of […] Read more
Stripe rust not a concern in southern Alberta this winter
Reading Time: 2 minutes By Jennifer Blair, Alberta Farmer Express Winter wheat producers in southern Alberta should be safe from stripe rust for another year, says a research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “We surveyed and we didn’t find any stripe rust at all,” said Denis Gaudet. “That takes off a huge weight from the standpoint of we […] Read more
Provincial agricultural education programs see enrolment boom
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’re looking for late admittance to an agriculture program at one of Alberta’s colleges and universities, you may be out of luck. As of late September, six of Olds College’s agriculture programs were at capacity with waiting lists, while others were nearing capacity, said Jen Donofrio, director of strategic enrolment management. “We’ve had an […] Read more
Mexican marketing campaign trumpeting quality of Canadian beef pays dividends
Mexican grocer says Canada beef producers could see a high return from exporting different cuts and lower grades to his country
Reading Time: 2 minutes One of Mexico’s largest distributors of meat and dairy products has put Canada beef behind its meat counters following a successful promotion of the Canadian Beef brand. In a bid to reserve falling exports to Mexico, Canada Beef partnered with Grupo Bafar, which manages almost 200 retail meat stores in northern Mexico. Prior to the […] Read moreNothing ‘abnormal’ about producing hormone – and antibiotic – free beef
A young family has taken a different approach to establishing their beef herd in an effort to meet growing consumer demand for hormone - and antibiotic - free beef
Reading Time: 3 minutes For fourth-generation rancher Rachel Herbert, raising hormone- and antibiotic-free beef is different, but not abnormal. “All the stuff we’re doing isn’t abnormal,” Herbert says of the grass-fed, grass-finished beef operation she and her husband Tyler operate near Nanton. “Most ranchers are following really excellent protocols and doing a lot of the same things we’re doing. […] Read more
Anger and advocacy don’t mix
Reading Time: 2 minutes “Safe” is such a sticky word in agriculture these days. More and more, it seems consumers want to know that their food is “safe” (whatever that happens to mean at any given moment), and producers want consumers to know their food is safe, regardless of how it’s produced. For consumers, though, it’s all about perception, […] Read more
Education at the core of Canadian cattle industry’s new online advocacy program
Beef Advocacy Canada offers Canadian cattle producers, industry partners, and consumers a chance to learn how our beef gets from gate to plate
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canadian beef producers are being urged to do some bragging about the safety and quality of their product. A new online program created by Beef Advocacy Canada aims to turn farmers into ambassadors for the Canada beef brand. “We’re pretty excited to have this program for the entire industry,” said Annemarie Pedersen, director of industry […] Read moreCyber-Savvy Farmer
