Reading Time: 3 minutes While the Alberta cow herd has stopped shrinking, it has not yet rebounded. “The positive returns for the cow-calf producers over the last few years indicate the Alberta cow herd has finally stopped shrinking,” said Herman Simons, a farm business management specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “In fact, the total beef cow numbers for […] Read more
Alberta cattle numbers are no longer falling — but herds are on the move
Some counties are seeing a major increase due to bigger herds, but crops are replacing cattle in other areas
Dairy co-op Gay Lea buys Calgary cheesemaker
Ontario dairy farmer co-operative Gay Lea Foods’ plans for expansion into Western Canada now include Calgary cheesemaker Alberta Cheese Company. Gay Lea announced Monday it has bought the family-owned processor, effective Friday (Oct. 13), for an undisclosed sum. Set up in 1976 by cheesemaker Frank Talarico, Alberta Cheese makes “traditional” Italian cheeses for sale under […] Read more
FMC deal for DuPont assets wins clearances
The chemical company set to take up a significant chunk of DuPont’s crop protection work in Canada has picked up the last of the regulatory clearances it needs to close the deal. Philadelphia-based FMC Corp. announced Thursday it received the final approval needed, from the Competition Commission of India, to close the deal the company […] Read more
Canada not seen as U.S. target in NAFTA talks
Calgary | Reuters — Canada has a “very special status” and is unlikely to be hit hard by changes the U.S. wants to make to the NAFTA trade accord, the head of a business advisory council to U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday. Stephen Schwarzman made his remarks after addressing Canadian Prime Minister Justin […] Read more
U.S. chicken chain makes move on Western Canada
The world’s second-biggest quick-service chicken chain by number of stores is set to expand its reach into Western Canada starting next month. Atlanta-based chain Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen announced Tuesday it plans to open a new store in November in the Tamarack area of Edmonton, followed by a store in Calgary’s Forest Lawn area, then “subsequent […] Read more
Champions crowned at Calgary Stampede 4-H Rodeo
Reading Time: 2 minutes It was a weekend of rodeo competition Morgan Burgermeister will remember for the rest of her life. The 15-year-old from Hanna emerged from the 19th annual Calgary Stampede 4-H Rodeo with one of the much coveted championship belt buckles, the Reserve High Point title, and a lot of great memories. “It’s hard to pick just […] Read more
PotashCorp, Agrium make engagement official
The boards of two of the heaviest hitters in Canada’s fertilizer sector have formally agreed to a $47 billion “merger of equals” deal under a new, yet-to-be-named parent company. PotashCorp, the world’s biggest fertilizer company by capacity, and rival Agrium, which is also the world’s biggest crop input retail chain, announced an agreement Monday in […] Read more
Big data on Tactical Farming conference agenda
Conference runs Feb. 10-11 in Calgary
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farm data will be in the spotlight at the Tactical Farming conference in Calgary on Feb. 10-11. The conference will have presentations on “climate smart” precision ag (Raj Khosla), on-farm research data (Peter Kyveryga), variable-rate nitrogen for canola (Alan Moulin), using aerial imagery (Patrick Reeg), and transforming data into knowledge (Farming Smarter). The conference is […] Read more
Alberta beef ambassador honoured
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Beef Producers congratulates its longtime ambassador, Chuck Groeneveld, on winning a 2015 Western Legacy Award from the Calgary Stampede in the Sustained Contribution – Individual category. Chuck and Lorraine Groeneveld have spent many years travelling and promoting Alberta Beef Producers and the Alberta beef industry at parades, fairs and shows across the province. They […] Read more
Calgary baker makes pita bread a hit with Albertans
People had ‘no idea’ what to do with pitas 40 years ago, but Byblos Bakery now makes 1.8 million a week
Reading Time: 2 minutes Calgary’s Byblos Bakery has found the sweet spot: consumer-pleasing quality, a diverse product line, efficient production, and rigorous food safety. The bakery produces 18,000 pita bread per hour, 20 hours per day, five days a week. But things were much different in 1975, when George Daklala first introduced Albertans to pita bread. “When we first […] Read more