Ryan Greir, a sheep producer from Alberta, has been named as the chair for the National Sheep Network (NSN). Greir is currently the vice-chair of Alberta Lamb Producers, and farms just east of Strathmore with his wife Janna and young son. The NSN represents Canada’s top three lamb producing provinces —Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec —… Read More
Category: Livestock
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
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
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
Those who trespass on Alberta farms will potentially face stiffer fines, as Premier Jason Kenney has announced upcoming changes to the provincial petty-trespass act in the upcoming fall session. “Alberta’s farmers and ranchers treat their animals well, and they have a right to run their operations without illegal harassment from militant trespassers. I’ve asked Minister… Read More
McDonald’s Canada is just days away from rolling out a pilot project in Ontario that involves the Beyond Meat plant-based meat replacement product. On Monday, September 30, 28 restaurants in the southwestern region will offer the P.L.T. for a limited time. The acronym stands for plant, lettuce, and tomato, and the patty itself was crafted… Read More
For a short time, A&W will be offering bison burgers exclusively in Saskatchewan. The company explains after a successful trial in its Manitoba locations during the spring, the burgers will be brought to the prairie province until supplies last. The product itself is from Canadian Rangeland Bison & Elk located near Lacombe, Alta. “Saskatchewan is… Read More
We are less than six months away from new federal livestock transportation regulations coming into force, and significant clarification is still needed surrounding the implementation of the rules. The existing rules for livestock transport within Canada have been overhauled from all sides, including: the angle of loading ramps, hours allowed in transit, restrictions on movement… Read More
Ontario Sheep Farmers (OSF) has appointed Dr. Deb Stark as its first-ever independent board advisor. The role is designed to strengthen the board’s governance structure, address sector-wide issues, and expedite fair, just and equitable resolution of issues regarding board and/or member conduct, according to the organization. The addition of Stark to the role follows an… Read More