Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta livestock owners now have easier access to information and services for the livestock traceability system through a new interactive map called Traceability Connects. The map makes it easier for livestock producers to connect with traceability service providers, said Kelly Corbett, provincial traceability education co-ordinator “The tool identifies over 80 locations province-wide that offer a […] Read more
Tool puts traceability service providers on the map
Traceability Connects has more than 80 locations offering livestock traceability services in Alberta
When margins are tight, you need to know where you stand
Calculating your current ratio will tell you if you’re in good shape — or if trouble is heading your way
Reading Time: 2 minutes Commodity prices and the weather have been volatile and expenses are trending upwards because of a weaker Canadian dollar — so now is a good time to review your marketing plan. “If you aren’t paying attention to your marketing plan or don’t have one, you may find yourself with a reduced margin,” said provincial financial […] Read more
Here’s how to keep your well in good shape
Reading Time: 2 minutes An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to well maintenance. Test regularly Test well water once or twice a year for coliform bacteria and E. coli. Sample bottles are available at local public health offices and come with instructions on sampling. The health office will send the sample to […] Read more
You may not want to know what lies below — but you should
Experts say too many rural Albertans aren’t properly caring for their wells — and the price for neglect can be steep
Reading Time: 3 minutes Imagine finding mouse fur in your tap water. Or your house blowing up because of a buildup of methane in your water system. Brandon Leask has seen both. Although extreme examples, those are just two of the many risks that come with not paying attention to water wells, said the agricultural water engineer with Alberta […] Read more
Producers wanted for labour focus group
Meting to take place on Nov. 12 in Red Deer, Alta.
Reading Time: < 1 minute Producers are being sought for a focus group on labour and skill shortages in agriculture. The focus group will meet on Nov. 12 at the Sheraton Hotel in Red Deer and is being hosted by Alberta Canola Producers and the Canadian Agricultural Human Resources Council. The council is working with farmers across Canada to develop […] Read more
Hi-Pro Feeds strikes deal to buy Champion Feed Services
Hi-Pro will acquire Champion’s three Alberta feed mills and its oat-processing facility in Grande Prairie
Reading Time: < 1 minute Hi-Pro Feeds has acquired Champion Feed Services Ltd., a group of companies including feed mills, stores and an oat-processing facility located in northern Alberta. “This extends our business into a broader market, creating a vast network across the entire province of Alberta,” said Daren Kennett, founder of Hi-Pro Feeds. Champion Feed Services operates feed-manufacturing facilities […] Read more
Cattle carcass contamination increasing
The incidence of broken needles is up tenfold, and 100,000 pounds of beef are thrown out yearly because of buckshot contamination
Reading Time: 3 minutes Consumer confidence in Canadian beef is being eroded by a preventable problem — carcasses contaminated with needles, buckshot, and drug residues. “We want to make sure that all the cattle we’re producing — calves and cull cattle together — are going to be able to have a steak or roast off them without somebody either […] Read more
Elm-pruning ban lifted until next spring
Now is the time to remove dead wood to help keep elms healthy
Reading Time: < 1 minute The annual elm-pruning ban in Alberta has been lifted until March 31. “With the annual ban now lifted, it’s time to start taking the dead wood out of your elm trees,” said Janet Feddes-Calpas, executive director of the Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease. “To help eliminate elm bark beetle habitat, elm sanitation is essential […] Read more
Wide range of speakers coming to canola meetings
Alberta Canola Producers Commission meetings will run from Nov. 17 to Dec. 1
Reading Time: < 1 minute Agronomy, marketing, and farm business management will be in the spotlight at Alberta Canola Producers Commission growing meetings next month. The commission has lined up 18 speakers, with four of them giving presentations at each of the dozen meetings being run from Nov. 17 to Dec. 1. ‘Creditor proofing,’ price protection strategies, global demand for […] Read more
Canada Beef’s annual report available
Reading Time: < 1 minute Canada Beef’s annual report is now available. The agency — whose formal name is the Canadian Beef Cattle Research, Market Development and Promotion Agency — collected nearly $7.7 million in checkoffs in the 2014-15 fiscal year, along with nearly $7 million in other funds, including $912,000 in import levies. In addition to market development, it […] Read more