Famed wheat breeder Barrie Campbell passes

Namesake AC Barrie named in honour of breeder 
who developed Neepawa and eight others

Reading Time: 2 minutes Barrie Campbell, whose namesake variety AC Barrie still makes up an important part of Prairie wheat acreage, passed away in Winnipeg July 16 at age 89. When Campbell retired in 1988 after 39 years as a wheat breeder at the Agriculture Canada research station in Winnipeg, his varieties accounted for more than 70 per cent […] Read more

Two new provincial commissions underway

Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta’s wheat and oat producers now have commissions established under the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act. The commissions can now collect refundable checkoffs to fund research, marketing and promotion. They began operations on Aug. 1. The Alberta Wheat Commission will represent the interests of 11,000 wheat producers of all seven classes of wheat grown in […] Read more


4-H contributors honoured with Queen’s award

Reading Time: < 1 minute Fifteen Canadians have been honoured with Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals for their contribution to 4-H. They were awarded at a banquet dinner at 4-H Canada’s annual general meeting in St. John’s, Newfoundland last month. The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal honours Canadians of all ages and from all walks of life who […] Read more

Codex standard set for Paylean, Optiflexx premixes

Reading Time: < 1 minute Ractopamine hydrochloride, a medicated feed ingredient to boost meat yield in hogs and cattle, has finally received approval by an international food-safety body. Ractopamine is marketed in Canada by U.S. animal health giant Elanco, under the name Paylean 20 premix for hogs and heavy tom turkeys, and as Optaflexx 100 premix for finishing beef cattle. […] Read more


New agriculture building for Stampede

Year-round The centre replaces an aging facility that can only be used from spring to fall


Reading Time: < 1 minute The Calgary Stampede has officially turned sod to launch the construction of the new Agrium Western Event Centre. This is the second time a new agriculture building has been planned to replace the existing aging livestock and sale facilities which are more than 50 years old. About eight years ago a plan was hatched to […] Read more

Weed scientists sound caution on energy crops

Invasive species Today’s new energy crop could become tomorrow’s new invasive species


Reading Time: < 1 minute The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) is warning the biofuel industry to be careful not to introduce new energy crops that turn into invasive weeds. “We don’t yet have sufficient research and risk models to predict the environmental impact of these new crops in the field,” Jacob Barney, PhD, assistant professor of Invasive Plant […] Read more


Albertans asked to put beef on the BBQ this summer

Mass media Campaign to include TV, mobile tasting events and store visits by beef producers

Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) has partnered with the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) on a $1.3-million mass-media campaign to promote Alberta beef, the single-largest promotion for nearly a decade. During the 2012 BBQ season Albertans will see a variety of television ads, mobile tasting events, grocery store visits by real beef producers, billboards, radio […] Read more

Verified beef participation up 10 per cent last year

Reading Time: < 1 minute Participation in the national Verified Beef Production (VBP) program grew by 10 per cent last year, with 38 per cent of cow-calf producers and 82 per cent of feedlots now participating. VBP is Canada’s on-farm food safety program for beef. “Both the participation levels and the trends they represent are important,” Terry Grajczyk, national manager […] Read more


Agricultural marketer joins hall of fame

Reading Time: < 1 minute Kim McConnell of Calgary will be one of three inductees to the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame at an awards banquet held in conjunction with the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto Nov. 4. McConnell is the founder and former chief executive officer of AdFarm, one of the largest and most respected agricultural marketing firms […] Read more

Quebec to wind down wheat pooling

Reading Time: 2 minutes Quebec’s grain growers’ organization has officially halted any plans for wheat pooling in 2012-13, as per the results of a wheat growers’ referendum this spring. The Federation des producteurs de cultures commerciales du Quebec (FPCCQ) said in a newsletter that its board of directors voted June 12 to call off plans for a 2012-13 pool. […] Read more