As evolution should dictate, there are substantial benefits to social behaviour in animals, provided that behaviour increases their fitness (or likelihood to reproduce). We see unique social behaviour in many species, including ourselves and our bovine counterparts. In cattle, social behaviours range from grooming to bonding, and witnessed accounts of cows protecting their young and… Read More

If agriculture is going to work towards providing quality food for informed consumers, we can’t be throwing each production system under the bus. Conventional agriculture needs to respect organic production as a valid production system (and a valid consumer choice), and organic producers need to stop vilifying conventional production and using misleading and down-right false… Read More

When I buy beef from my neighbourhood butcher in Guelph, I don’t chisel him on price. He sells excellent beef, and he and his suppliers deserve decent money for connecting with the cattle farmers who produce it. If I have to cut corners, I’ll save on some other part of the meal — for example,… Read More

By Bernard Tobin Satellites and smart phones are poised to deliver a new level of biosecurity that could keep farmers one step ahead of disease. As Canadian pork producers struggle to contain the spread of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) on their farms, a new company, Be Seen Be Safe, is rolling out a satellite-based… Read More

The Alberta Beef Industry Conference celebrated its eleventh year from Red Deer last month. With presentations and discussion largely based around the theme, “A Social License to Operate,” the conference demonstrated an impressive ability to address current issues in agriculture. A few of the topics were more specifically centred around animal care. Following an update… Read More

Beef Advocacy Canada has launched its advocacy and education program. Canada Beef and the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) along with funding from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Association (ALMA), have brought together industry partners to develop a comprehensive program that will walk future beef advocates through the entire industry from gate to plate, a press release… Read More

Although porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) DNA was found in pig feed common to the majority of infected farms that had been found by early February in Ontario, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) cannot confirm the feed is the vector by which the disease entered these farms. The feed manufacturer in question, Grand Valley… Read More

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture hosted the 2014 Agriculture Trade Summit in Saskatoon in early February. It was there that I met Jennifer Higginson, deputy director of the trade negotiations division of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Higginson’s presentation dealt largely with the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), citing an eventual elimination of over 95%… Read More

By Cheyenne Stapley This post first appeared on Stapley’s blog Little Prairie Baby. Visit the blog here. Editor’s note: According to the ESRD, there are currently 980 feral horses on the Southern East Slopes alone; it is suspected this number is actually low. Currently in Alberta there are capture permits out to cull some of… Read More

 

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