Reading Time: < 1 minute This winter’s Western Canadian Dairy Seminar will be held online this year. The internationally known event, entering its 39th year, will be spread out over five days, with each daily session lasting two to three hours, organizers said. This year’s seminar will also feature virtual tours of three progressive dairy operations, a student research presentation […] Read more
Dairy seminar heads online
COVID-19 aid ‘falls short,’ farm groups warn
Aid package includes AgriRecovery for cattle, hog sectors
Ottawa — Despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying more money will be provided if needed, the agriculture sector continues to criticize Ottawa’s $252 million in COVID-19-related financial aid offered to producers and processors. “If we have to add more, we will,” said Trudeau, after announcing new funding and programming. The federal government is offering an […] Read more
Beef Farmers of Ontario ask for curb on cull sales
BFO concerned over processing 'backlogs'
Updated, April 15 — Ontario’s cattle producer organization is asking members to consider delaying sales of cull cows until market conditions “normalize.” Beef Farmers of Ontario’s board on Thursday published a memo to beef and dairy cattle producers, asking them to help “prevent a further surge in cull cows in the market” — especially of […] Read more
Dairy sector shuts down most visits from off-farm providers
In agriculture, dairy farms are among those most called-on by outside services
New additions to Gerrit Herrema’s dairy barn have made it easier for his family to abide by recent directions to avoid contact with milk truck drivers to reduce COVID-19’s spread. “We have boot washes and other biosecurity measures in the barn. We need to take these measures in order to minimize the damage,” said Herrema, […] Read more
Dairy producers thrilled to join ‘amazing’ Outstanding Young Farmers family
Reading Time: 3 minutes This year’s Outstanding Young Farmers were a little apprehensive when their bank manager first introduced them to the program two years ago. “At first, we were hesitant because we didn’t know what it was,” said Mary van Benthem, who operates a dairy farm near Spruceview with husband Roelof. “But after coming in and learning about […] Read more
Program gives dairy industry hopefuls a foot in the door
Alberta Milk is accepting applications for the New Entrant Assistance Program until March 31
Reading Time: 3 minutes Peggy and Harmen Hondebrink didn’t see a way to start dairy farming on their own before Alberta Milk introduced its New Entrant program nine years ago. “It’s not something you can just start out of nothing,” said Peggy Hondebrink, who now operates a dairy farm with husband Harmen east of Rocky Mountain House. “To buy […] Read more
Ben + Jerry’s says ‘happy cows’ lawsuit should be put to pasture
Reuters — Ben + Jerry’s said it does not deceive consumers by saying it used milk and cream from “happy cows” to make its ice cream, and that an environmental advocate’s lawsuit claiming otherwise should be dismissed. In a Monday filing seeking to end the proposed nationwide class action, Ben + Jerry’s said James Ehlers […] Read more
Quebec ag co-op to power up on dairy cattle manure
About a dozen Quebec dairy farms will be getting their collective manure together next year for the province’s first-ever ag co-operative devoted to renewable natural gas. Coop Agri-Energie Warwick, launched Monday, plans to start construction this spring on a $12 million biomethanization plant which will take in slurry and manure from dairy cattle mixed with […] Read more
Cattle producers get longer phase-in on new transport regs
New federal livestock transport regulations, due to come into force in February, will now roll out on a longer timeline for the beef and dairy cattle sectors. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has announced a “two-year transition period” for bovines, which is meant to provide “time to gather more data on effective solutions concerning the […] Read more
P.E.I. to manage deadstock removal
Prince Edward Island’s latest provincial operating budget calls for its agriculture and land department to directly manage removal of deadstock for dairy and beef cattle producers. Finance Minister Darlene Compton’s 2019-20 operating budget, presented Tuesday, said the province will take over management of the deadstock contract “to reduce the administrative burden placed on the dairy […] Read more
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