A farmer-led group is hoping to cut through the politics surrounding climate issues by bringing together a diverse group of Prairie farmers and ranchers for discussions around sustainability. “There’s a number of loud voices that tend to dominate the conversations,” says Ian McCreary, a grain and cattle farmer from Bladworth, Sask. McCreary is co-leading the […] Read more
Coalition seeks farmers, ranchers to join climate change forum
Farmers for Climate Solutions aims to gather diverse viewpoints
B.C. presses for ranchers to register before wildfires hit
Premises ID helps protect livestock in emergencies, province says
British Columbia’s provincial ag ministry hopes to shore up ranchers’ participation in the Premises Identification program against the risk of further wildfires this year. About two-thirds, or 5,200, of B.C.’s non-supply managed livestock producers, and all the supply-managed dairy cattle and poultry premises in the province, are registered in the program, the province said Wednesday. […] Read more
Alberta to lengthen public leases for ‘exemplary’ ranching
Ranchers who display “exemplary” stewardship as tenants on Alberta’s public lands could soon be eligible for double the term of the usual lease. The province announced Tuesday it expects the new policy to come into effect in late autumn this year and “in the coming months” will release new guidelines on what would be considered […] Read more
Trump to slap more tariffs on Chinese goods
Washington | Reuters | Updated Sept. 18, 2018 — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he will impose 10 per cent U.S. tariffs on about US$200 billion worth of Chinese imports, but he spared smart watches from Apple and Fitbit and other consumer products such as bicycle helmets and baby car seats. Trump, in […] Read more
NAFTA nations ‘nowhere near’ a deal, USTR says
Washington/New York | Reuters — The top U.S. trade official on Thursday poured cold water on the prospect of an imminent breakthrough in talks to rework the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) hours after Canada’s prime minister struck a positive note. “The NAFTA countries are nowhere near close to a deal,” U.S. Trade Representative […] Read more
Farmers seen harder hit by opioid crisis than rest of rural U.S.
Chicago | Reuters — The opioid crisis in the United States is impacting farm and ranch families more acutely than their rural neighbours, according to a survey published by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and the U.S. National Farmers Union on Thursday. About three-quarters of farmers and ranchers surveyed said a family member, someone […] Read more
Communities rally around producers in wildfires’ wake
Ranchers, farmers and rural residents who suffered losses, injuries and more in recent wildfires in southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan are seeing support from neighbours and beyond. Alongside a number of online campaigns launched in support of affected farmers and families, the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association on Monday launched a wildfire relief fund to help […] Read more
Major Alberta cattle feeder set to shut feedlots
Reuters — One of Canada’s biggest cattle feeding operations, Western Feedlots, said Wednesday it will close feeding operations after marketing the cattle it currently owns, due to poor market conditions. Closure of Western’s feeding operations, likely early in 2017 once its current cattle are sold, will make it more difficult for ranchers to find markets […] Read more
Producers wanted for Open Farm Days
Province-wide event to be held August 22 - 23, 2015
Reading Time: < 1 minute Organizers of Alberta Open Farm Days are looking for producers to be hosts this year. More than 60 farms and ranches signed up last year, and farmers who are considering being part of this year’s event can get more information and see videos of past participants at albertafarmdays.ca. The main event is on Aug. 23 […] Read more
Drought sends California cattle to Texas
The beef industry in the U.S. is becoming increasingly mobile as cattle move large distances to feeding and slaughter
Reading Time: 3 minutes For decades, ranchers from the east have brought their livestock to California, where mild winters and lush natural pastures created prime conditions for fattening beef cattle. No more. In the midst of the worst California drought in decades, the grass is stunted and some creeks are dry. Ranchers in the Golden State are loading tens […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
