Reading Time: 3 minutes It s no secret that farming today is a bigger and riskier business than ever before. Gone are the days when farmers just farmed and the finances, in large part, took care of themselves. Today, keeping a finger on the pulse of a farm s financial position is vital, says Mike McGuire, TD s district […] Read more
Farm Finances Are Not What They Used To Be
Jim Dinning Welcomed As Head Of Rail Service Review
Reading Time: 3 minutes The federal government s recent appointment of former Alberta cabinet minister Jim Dinning to lead a Rail Service Review is good news, say grain-industry leaders. Getting the appointment done and moving forward is huge, said Stephen Vandervalk, the Alberta-based president of the Grain Growers of Canada and vice-president of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association. […] Read more
Conservation Incentives Farmers Could Be Paid For Protecting Their Land
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Alberta government s new environmental protection tools might seem confusing, but advocates say they re good news for both the environment and landowners. There s all this talk about ecological goods and services as a way for farmers to get an influx of cash, but everyone is asking: How does it all work? How […] Read more
Wheat And Barley Futures Ready To Be Launched
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada s leading agricultural futures market plans to be early out of the gate in capturing new business opportunities if and when the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) loses its barley-and wheat-marketing monopoly. Currently, ICE Futures Canada is in the final stages of developing new spring and durum wheat futures contracts and an enhanced barley futures […] Read more
Green Cattle Producers Can Make Extra Dollars
Reading Time: 3 minutes A Calgary company is offering a way for cattle producers to get into the carbon-credit business. It s certainly a positive financially, said Brandon Grant, operations manager with Failsafe Canada. For those producers who meet the requirements of these projects, it s really just extra revenue for doing the right thing for the environment. In […] Read more
Europe May Soon Open Door To Canadian Beef
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canadian beef may soon have easier access to European markets, thanks to upcoming revisions to the production and processing protocol governing imports of Canadian beef. These changes would be very significant, said Mark Klassen, director of technical services for the Canadian Cattlemen s Association. The changes, the result of a five-year effort, will give Canada […] Read more
High-Tech Ear Tags To Be Put To The Test
Reading Time: 2 minutes High-tech livestock ear tags are a step closer to reality in this province, thanks to a recent big dollar commitment towards a trial of Ultra High Frequency (UHF) tags. The end-to-end test will track animals through all parts of the beef production cycle, from the producer’s field, through auction markets, feedlots and to the processor. […] Read more
High-tech ear tags to be put to the test
High-tech livestock ear tags are a step closer to reality in Alberta, thanks to a recent big dollar commitment towards a trial of Ultra High Frequency (UHF) tags. The end-to-end test will track animals through all parts of the beef production cycle, from the producer’s field, through auction markets, feedlots and to the processor. The […] Read more
Preventing A Small Disease Outbreak From Becoming A Big One
Reading Time: 2 minutes Few of us like paperwork, such as filling out the livestock manifest required each time you move a load of cattle. But it wouldn’t seem like much bother if you knew it prevented a livestock disease outbreak, which it could, thanks to a new computer program. According to its developers, the program creates “geospatial-temporal biomedical […] Read more
U.S. Grain Industry Sees Marketing Opportunities From End Of CWB
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canadian producers aren’t alone in watching the end of the Canadian Wheat Board’s single desk – many American farmers are, too. Despite the fact the end of a CWB marketing monopoly would mean more Canadian grain flowing into American markets, U.S. grain industry officials and farm leaders aren’t worried. “We have always supported the end […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
