Close-up view of a brown and white Hereford cow's eye

Beef Industry Conference returns to Calgary in 2019

Reading Time: < 1 minute Hockey and junk science are among the items on the menu at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference, which is returning to Calgary this year. Timothy Caulfield, a University of Alberta professor well known for debunking unfounded health claims, will be one of the keynote speakers. The other is Karl Subban, who grew up in Jamaica […] Read more

Buyers of Prairie crops are “increasingly testing shipments with highly sensitive equipment for levels of pesticide residues” including glyphosate, says Keep It Clean!, an initiative by canola, cereals, and pulse organizations.

An early warning on using pre-harvest herbicides

Trio of crop organizations warning farmers about herbicides that are ‘products of concern’

Reading Time: < 1 minute A trio of crop organizations are getting a jump on harvest and warning growers not to use glyphosate as a desiccant. “Glyphosate is registered for pre-harvest weed control — glyphosate is not a desiccant nor is it a tool to speed up crop drydown,” Pulse Canada market access manager Mac Ross said in a joint […] Read more


Don’t let the crop insurance deadline pass you by

Don’t let the crop insurance deadline pass you by

The signup deadline is April 30

Reading Time: < 1 minute The deadline for crop insurance coverage and AgriStability enrolment is fast approaching. The deadline for signing up for the Spring Price Endorsement is April 30, which is also the last day for enrolling in AgriStability without penalty. The Spring Price Endorsement provides protection on a crop-specific basis from ‘within-year’ price declines for both production-based and […] Read more

The country’s “robust” BSE surveillance efforts are paying dividends, says the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.

Stage set for upgrading Canada’s BSE status

Surveillance has highest numbers in five years, country eligible to apply for ‘negligible risk’ status

Reading Time: 2 minutes Canada’s BSE surveillance effort saw the highest number of tests in five years, setting the stage for an application to have its risk status for bovine spongiform encephalopathy upgraded to “negligible.” There were 30,949 samples, mostly submitted by deadstock collection operators, tested in 2018, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association said in its e-newsletter. None tested positive […] Read more


4-H scholarships open until May 31

Reading Time: < 1 minute There are a number of 4-H Canada scholarships available and applications are being accepted until May 31. The Leadership Excellence Awards of Distinction is open to senior youth members who have “outstanding accomplishments” in leadership. The scholarships, sponsored by CN Rail, are worth $20,000 over four years. There are 15 John Deere Canada scholarships, for […] Read more

Group honoured for sustainable beef effort

Group honoured for sustainable beef effort

Reading Time: < 1 minute The organization that brought together producers, food retailers, conservation groups, and others to create a system for producing sustainable beef has been honoured by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. The efforts by the founding council and members of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef have resulted in “transformational change in the Canadian beef industry,” the cattle […] Read more


G3 announced a pair of new elevators for Alberta late last month.

Grain handler G3 to further expand Alberta footprint

The Winnipeg-headquartered company expects to have five Alberta elevators up by end of 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes Having started 2018 with zero grain elevators in the Alberta market, G3 expects to soon have five in progress. The Winnipeg-based grain handler plans to start construction by this summer on a pair of 42,000-tonne-capacity elevators near Stettler and Irricana, for completion the following year. The Stettler County elevator is to be built near the […] Read more

Stacey Simpson (left) and Brenda Schoepp are the 2019 recipients of 
Alberta Farm Animal Care’s awards of distinction.

Animal welfare advocates honoured

Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Farmer columnist Brenda Schoepp and beef producer Stacey Simpson are the recipients of the Alberta Farm Animal Care’s awards of distinction for 2019. The awards recognize individuals or groups who have made exceptional contributions in the field of livestock welfare, and who champion best practices and innovative ideas. Schoepp received the award for communication […] Read more


Premiums for crop insurance, including hail coverage, will be significantly lower for most growers this year, 
says the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation.

Crop and calf insurance premiums are down this year

The cost of crop insurance is nine per cent lower, although where you live and what you grow makes a difference

Reading Time: 2 minutes Most crop producers will see lower crop insurance premium rates this year, says the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation. And cow-calf producers will see reduced premiums for the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program, too. On average, 2019 crop insurance premium rates are nine per cent lower than last year, AFSC said in a news release. It […] Read more

The anhydrous ammonia training video offers step-by-step instructions on hooking up and disconnecting a nurse tank.

Online training for safe handling of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer

The popular fertilizer is a toxic and highly corrosive gas that needs to be treated with great care

Reading Time: < 1 minute Farmers can renew their training on the safe handling and use of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer through a newly updated safety manual and video put out by Fertilizer Canada. Anhydrous ammonia is classified as a dangerous good under federal regulations. It bears the number 2.3 (8) — 2.3 means it’s a toxic gas while the (8) […] Read more