Reading Time: < 1 minute The results are in from Alberta Beef Producers delegate elections that took place in October and November. Zones 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 had elections, with the remaining four zones electing delegates by acclamation. Zones 4, 6 and 7 have vacancies. “We were happy with the high voter turnout for elections in five zones […] Read more
Alberta Beef Producers 2015-16 delegates
Election results from October and November
Tom Lynch-Staunton joins Alberta Beef Producers
Reading Time: < 1 minute Tom Lynch-Staunton is the new manager of government relations for Alberta Beef Producers and issues manager for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. He took up the shared position on Oct. 5. A previous owner and manager of his family’s cattle ranch in southern Alberta, he was director of industry relations for Livestock Gentec. Lynch-Staunton will continue to […] Read more
The new world of ‘sustainable’ beef
Rancher Cherie Copithorne-Barnes has dealt with the movers and the shakers in the sustainable beef movement – and they're not all the same
Reading Time: 5 minutes Who’s driving this bus? Amid ‘grocery wars,’ Jamie Oliver, ‘hormone free,’ Walmart, and a storm of related debate, this is the core question many producers and others in animal agriculture have about the new swath of expectations and ‘sustainability’ programs taking hold in the industry and the marketplace. One person with a unique, up-close perspective […] Read more
Alberta Beef seeks delegates for fall elections
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Beef Producers is accepting nominations for delegates to run in the 2015 fall elections. “Our effectiveness is very much influenced by the quality of the producers who become our leaders. The producers who are elected as ABP delegates provide leadership to the organization and a critical connection to the grassroots producers in their respective […] Read more
Wildlife damage is a problem — but not reporting a bigger one
Program changes aren’t going to happen if producers don’t start reporting wildlife losses
Reading Time: 2 minutes Wildlife damage is a big problem across Alberta — but you wouldn’t know it from the number of beef producers reporting losses to the Alberta government. About 60 per cent of producers recently surveyed about wildlife damage said that they never reported losses from predators, while 80 per cent never reported forage competition from ungulates. […] Read more
Sell or hang on? Cattle producers facing tough choices
Some have already pulled the trigger and sold cattle, others are holding back and hoping they’ll have enough feed
Reading Time: 3 minutes It was supposed to be the year to grow the cattle herd — but Mother Nature and dry conditions across Alberta have changed all that. A lack of hay and pasture makes for tough choices and some are taking cattle to market. Viking Hutterite Colony usually buys calves, backgrounds them until spring, and then turns […] Read more
Wildlife, predators costing Alberta beef producers millions
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ninety-four per cent of Alberta beef producers have suffered losses because of wildlife, a two-year survey by Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) and the Miistakis Institute has found. Eighty-one per cent of these were from ungulates such as deer or elk, 74 per cent from predators (such as wolves, grizzly bears, and including coyotes) and six […] Read more
Hefty checkoff rebates put squeeze on Alberta Beef Producers
Marketing and research are suffering because one-third of voluntary checkoffs are being rebated, say officials
Reading Time: 4 minutes Checkoff refunds continue to hobble Alberta Beef Producers, which had to give back $2.5 million in the past year, mainly to cattle feeders. “The $2 service charge that we have here would be sufficient if we were able to invest it all, but we lose about a third of it,” said Rich Smith, the organization’s […] Read more
Nominees for Environmental Stewardship Award sought
Nomination deadline is July 1
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Beef Producers is seeking nominations for the 2016 Environmental Stewardship Award, which recognizes cattle producers whose natural resource stewardship practices contribute to the environment and enhance productivity and profitability. The winner will receive a commemorative gate sign, a video highlighting their ranching operation, and an all-expenses-paid trip from anywhere in Alberta to the […] Read more
Funding for forage research
Call for forage research proposals with $1 million in funding available
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Beef Producers and the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency have put out a call for forage research proposals, with $1 million in funding available. “Forage is the key driver of Alberta’s cattle industry competitiveness, accounting for two-thirds of costs,” Alberta Beef Producers said in a statement. The priority research areas eligible for funding are: […] Read more
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