Reading Time: < 1 minute The Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) program has been given a $200,000 federal grant for development of a web portal and an app for remote audits. The initiative will help the cattle sector’s efforts to show that beef is sustainably produced here. “It is more important than ever to raise awareness of the beef industry’s […] Read more
VBP+ gets federal funding boost
Verified Beef looks to remote audit system
Reading Time: < 1 minute Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) is exploring new ways to deliver certification services to producers. A new electronic audit management system has entered a pilot testing phase, and the organization is looking at ways to deliver VBP+ certification services by remote audit. The goal is to ensure the same conclusions are determined from the remote […] Read more
Sustainable beef pilot moving up to the next level
With more than a thousand ranchers and feedlots on board, the challenge is making the operation itself sustainable
Reading Time: 3 minutes A shot of federal funding for Verified Beef Production Plus will help make the running of the sustainable beef program itself more sustainable — while improving it for participating producers. The $602,000 federal grant will help the Canadian Beef Sustainability Acceleration Pilot take a step up and become an ongoing program, said Shannon Argent, business manager […] Read more
Lakeland College gets VBP+ certification
Reading Time: < 1 minute Lakeland College is the first post-secondary institution in Alberta to attain Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) certification. Having the school’s herd of 220 beef cattle fall under this certification makes it “an example for future producers,” said Melissa Downing, Alberta VBP+ co-ordinator. “We can help influence students going through the program so they can become familiar […] Read more
Upcoming cattle sale sessions just for VBP+ cattle
Reading Time: < 1 minute Two upcoming cattle sales will be devoted exclusively to Verified Beef Production Plus cattle. The buying sessions, put on by JGL Livestock, are the first time cattle procurement has been offered exclusively for VBP+ cattle. The animals will be processed at Cargill’s High River plant and are eligible for the Canadian Beef Sustainability Acceleration pilot […] Read more
Verified Beef Production Plus website gets major revamp
Reading Time: < 1 minute The website for Verified Beef Production Plus is now faster, easier to use, and has a list of VBP+ registered beef cattle operations across the country. The revamp means verifiedbeef.ca can be used on various screen sizes and it’s easier to find information, including an online training and videos. A Google map tool shows where […] Read more
The long decline is over as cow herd finally stabilizes
A lot has changed in the past decade and a half — but what comes next for Alberta’s cattle sector?
Reading Time: 5 minutes The big shrink seems to be over — but Alberta’s cow herd is considerably changed from the pre-BSE era. The latest Census of Agriculture found 1.57 million head in the province in 2016, a very slight increase (of 13,500 animals) compared to five years earlier. The herd is not only much smaller than prior to […] Read more
A new dawn? Sustainable beef puts money in producers’ pockets
It’s only $10 a cow, but pilot marks the first time producers have been paid for their stewardship efforts
Reading Time: 4 minutes The first rubber-meets-the-road test of the years-long effort to make sustainable beef a paying proposition has been a success. After three months of testing, the Canadian Beef Sustainability Acceleration pilot project has shown that tracing certified sustainable cattle and beef through the supply chain is possible at current volumes. “It’s one of the first times […] Read more
Verified Beef Production Plus launches expanded website
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) program has a new website, with information for both consumers and producers. The website, verifiedbeefproductionplus.ca, has information on topics such as VBP+ online training, five easy steps for getting on the program, and details on modules for animal care, biosecurity, and environmental stewardship. There is also an auction listing […] Read more
New provincial VBP+ co-ordinator hired in Alberta
Reading Time: < 1 minute Melissa Downing is the new provincial co-ordinator for the Verified Beef Production Plus program. Downing is an agrologist, and she and her husband raise cattle near Metiskow in east-central Alberta. This is a pivotal time in the beef industry and VBP+ “has the potential to establish Canada as a leader in sustainable verification and result […] Read more
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