From drought to frost to hail, Western Canada ranchers have faced some significant challenges already this year. In a “normal” year, we gerenally only encounter one of these stresses as an issue, but this year producers have had to watch their pastures, hay land and crops alike undergo multiple stresses that have left some wondering… Read More
At the International Livestock Congress, I spoke to Dennis Laycraft, Executive Vice President with the Canadian Cattlemans Association about the future realities of MCOOL. Many livestock producers on both sides of the border are very curious at to what will be the impact of this legislation. I have heard several Americans call MCOOL not food… Read More
Now that we are about to move into August its time to start looking towards the fall with some optimism right? Anne Dunford of the Gateway Livestock Exchange breaks down the beef demand numbers, the US cattle on feed report and what the fall may bring north and south of the border. More Beef Market Updates
MCOOL has become a reality for the US, Canadian and beef industry. Sometimes it is beneficial to better understand an issue or situation by stepping back and examining how we got here. I asked Dennis Laycraft of the Canadian Cattleman’s Association at the International Livestock Congress to provide me with a history of the MCOOL legislation and what could… Read More
With the event of H1N1 poultry food safety has become a very popular topic amongst the general public not just agriculturalists. At the International Livestock Congress in Calgary, I talked to Barbara Beane of KFC about how KFC is bringing innovative and new products to the marketplace. We also discussed how KFC manages food safety. Check out additional International… Read More
The Calgary Stampede is about celebrating our western roots and bringing out the inner cowboy in all of us. The Beef business continues to play a huge role in that history and will play a role in the future. On July 10th I will be attending the International Livestock Congress (ILC), Beef 2009: Firing Up… Read More
In todays Beef Market Update, Anne Dunford of the Gateway Livestock Exchange, talks about the US Cattle of Feed Report that was released last week and some of the outcomes to be expected from it through the summer. Please take the time to check out the services that Gateway Livestock Exchange provides to its clients.
Yesterday, the US Cattle on Feed Report was released and in my opinion they should get the attention of producers but also consumers. To get a better handle of the situation I asked Kevin Grier of the George Morris Center, to provide a summary: –Cattle and calves on feed inventory was 4 percent below June 1, 2008…. Read More
There is increased press and interest in the concept of “urban farms.” The preached benefits are community support, less fossil fuel use and the ever popular “its safer food.”Where I think we have crossed the line of common sense is that some cities in Ontario allow back yard chicken coops for urban egg production. People… Read More
Talking to hog producers in Manitoba, there is a real head scratching issue taking place. Hog producers are strongly criticizing the provincial government for not stepping up to compensate hog farmers for this terrible economic environment. The province think that it is a Federal government issue but others disagree. My friend journalism friend Harry Siemens… Read More
Today, Anne Dunford, General Manager, Gateway Livestock Exchange talked to me about the North American cattle industry. This is the first edition of the RealAgriculture.com Beef Market Update. In my continuing effort to increase the content I require your feedback to keep improving the site. When it comes to explaining what is happening in the… Read More
I have been getting a number of calls from feedlot producers to discuss the new Cattle Price Insurance Program (CPIP) that will be launched by AFSC this summer for Albertan cattle feeders. I talked to Susan Crump, Senior Project Manager, Program Development and Policy at AFSC about some of the preliminary details of the coming… Read More
Pigs are a host for the H1N1 virus, and yet while no pigs died directly because of the virus, it was called €œswine flu€ and the news story became focused on food safety. It sprung a lot of attention onto concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) as if the food supply is not safe anymore because… Read More
By Megan Oleksyn From roping and riding to pulling a calf at 40 below, there are many traditions that go along with the ranching lifestyle. Branding livestock is one of those traditions that is still upheld to this day in Alberta. But when did the smell of burning hair become indicative of a tradition? And… Read More
Last month the Alberta Government announced that they were changing the checkoff rules for pork, beef, potatoes and lamb in the province. This has been a very controversial topic because of the massing theories as to what will happen with that money if a refund is requested. I spoke to Kevin Grier, Senior Market Analyst… Read More