Air travel can be a lot like livestock transport: it involves limited personal space, noisy neighbours, and the odd smelly odour coming from the row in front of you. Although farmers handle cattle with great care, livestock transport isn’t what most want out of people transport. In a new commercial WestJet pokes some fun at… Read More
Charges have been laid in the September long weekend activist protest at a rural Alberta turkey barn. In the morning hours of September 2, protesters gathered along the highway adjacent to the Jumbo Valley Colony turkey barn near Fort MacLeod, Alta., some of whom entered the barn illegally. RCMP were called to the scene around… Read More
One of the most important metrics in improving profitability and productivity (not to mention animal welfare, and arguably, environmental stewardship) is feed quality. In this episode of the Beef School, Leland Fuhr, DairySmart Nutrition and BeefSmart Consulting, provides tips on everything from sampling winter feed to analyzing the results. After all, as Fuhr says, “you… Read More
Following a meeting with Producteurs de lait de chèvre du Québec (Quebec goat milk producers), Agropur Cooperative has announced it will move forward with its plan to close a Quebec goat milk plant in March, 2020. Talks with producers who supplied the plant began about a year ago. Agropur says it worked on alternatives to… Read More
While futures markets may be taking a bit of a breather, beef markets are holding strong, with trade into the U.S. and Japan up as well. “Well certainly markets in the U.S. have still been on an up-trend on the cash side,” says Anne Wasko, of the Gateway Livestock Exchange, in this episode of the… Read More
If April’s run-up in pork prices was any indication, continuous volatility in the global hog market could run up retail prices here in Canada in the coming months. Kevin Grier, of Kevin Grier Market Analysis and Consulting, says that African swine fever (ASF), the tenuous U.S./China trade truce, and soybean and hog export swings are… Read More
Ontario’s agriculture community has a lot to look forward to with the launch of the Canadian Poultry XPO scheduled for fall of 2020, and the next Canadian Dairy XPO set for April 1-2, 2020. Last year’s attendance surpassed 16,000 people. “I think the most rewarding part is the quality of the audience coming. They’re actually… Read More
Whether or not a cost can be considered an expense or an investment often comes down to not just the return, but also the length of time an expense can offer a pay-back. While hoof care may seem like a cost, Brad Ingram, sales manager for Vettec Animal Health, argues that a cow serves the… Read More
Chances are, if you’re the cook in the family you might have looked at the grocery store flyer at some point before hosting people for a big meal — especially a holiday dinner. One person who looks at the flyers on a frequent basis is Kevin Grier, of Kevin Grier Marketing and consulting. Why you… Read More
If you’re an Alberta rancher who uses public land to graze your livestock, Bill 16 should be on your radar in the coming months. Today, the Alberta government introduced the bill in an effort to modernize the rent and fees ranchers and cattle owners pay for the use of public lands. The current grazing fee… Read More
October 11th is World Egg Day, and come rain or shine — or even snow, Canadian farmers are out promoting the business of eggs. The special day was established at the International Egg Commission conference held at Vienna back in 1996. The celebration occurs on the second Friday of October each year and is meant… Read More
Dairy milking parlour maker DeLaval has taken a new approach to moving cows efficiently through the milking process. DeLaval’s P500 parallel parlour showcases the company’s efforts to reduce the size of parlour footprints, making it a strong choice for both new builds and retrofits, says DeLaval market solutions manager Pat Wiltzuis. Last week at the… Read More
Imagine rejuvenating a tired pasture (without the need to break it up and start from scratch), while simultaneously reducing the risk of bloat in future grazings. Recent studies conducted on the Prairies have shown that including sainfoin in an alfalfa stand at just 20-30 per cent can significantly decrease or even eliminate the risk of… Read More
While choice cut out has come back down from its post-fire rally, the U.S. cattle markets are trending upwards after bottoming out roughly three weeks ago, says Gateway Livestock Exchange’s Anne Wasko. “Markets are making a move back up as far as cash cattle are concerned, so that’s good news following everything that happened back… Read More
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is a man of the people. There was no better evidence of that than this week when he sat with dairy farmers at the World Dairy Expo to listen to their concerns. Quite simply, U.S. dairy farmers are in a tough spot. After five years of depressed milk prices, producers… Read More