In the pursuit of healthy living, we’re working against some pretty incredible obstacles, like 6 million years of evolutionary biology and 15 thousand years of human civilization. At least, that’s how founding director of Yale University’s Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center and president of the American College of Livestyle Medicine, David Katz explains it. “We live… Read More
Category: Tradeshows & Events
News of the growth and success of the Canadian Dairy XPO helped attract a number of international companies to the Stratford, Ontario industry showcase. CDX, which for 2016 moved from its traditional February dates to April 6 and 7, attracted 14,900 visitors over two days. Farmers visiting the new WeCover Cow Coliseum discovered a hub… Read More
The number of herbicide-resistant weed cases is growing while the list of modes of action available for controlling these weeds is not, so farmers in Western Canada have shifted back to soil-applied herbicides, including some old chemistries, like Edge and Avadex. “We’re going full-circle here. These are older chemistries, but they’re coming back in and growers… Read More
United Farmers of Alberta (UFA) has seen many changes since its 1909 start, with the amalgamation of the Canadian Society for Equity and the Alberta Farmers Association. Today, the co-operative includes more than 100 bulk fuel and petroleum cardlock locations, 35 farm and ranch stores, and 1200 employees. One thing hasn’t changed though. UFA is… Read More
Bruce Vandenberg knows all about the challenges and opportunities of milking goats. He got into the business in 1989 and over the past 25 years has built Mariposa Dairy Ltd., the second-largest processor of milk goat cheese in Canada. Speaking at the 2016 Canadian Dairy XPO, Vandenberg explained that his home farm now milks about… Read More
Registration for CanolaPALOOZA in Lacombe, Alberta is now live, and I can’t help but be a little excited. Last year, event organizers hinted at great content and wacky entertainment, but I really didn’t know what to expect. I showed up with camera in hand, sunscreen on face. Photos from CanolaPALOOZA ’15 | Registration for ’16… Read More
Having your tractor hop up a hill is never a good feeling. Besides being downright uncomfortable, it’s a powerful reminder that the tractor isn’t operating to its full potential (think fuel consumption, tire wear and drawbar performance). But proper ballasting can be a big job, making it an easy job to overlook. That’s where John Deere’s new, aptly named, EZ… Read More
Julaine Treur was on Facebook one day when she stumbled upon a video of a family of dairy farmers. The video described the family’s role as stewards of the land, and Treur felt it was absolutely beautiful. She thought most people would share her sentiment. Then she read the comments. “I was horrified,” she said. “People… Read More
As the US dairy industry struggles with low milk prices, a number of trends continue to drive a make over of the country’s dairy farm operations. Overall, the size of farm operations continues to grow rapidly, says Mark Stephenson, University of Wisconsin’s Director of Dairy Policy Analysis. Stephenson told farmers attending the Canadian Dairy XPO… Read More
Dairy farmers have given the thumbs up to the Canadian Dairy XPO’s move to an early April slot on the calendar. The Stratford-based dairy showcase, which for 2016 moved from it’s traditional February dates to April 6 and 7, attracted 14,900 visitors over two days, on par with 2015. CDX attendee surveys indicated that 74%… Read More
Dairy farmers are all too familiar with the external signs of mastitis – from swollen quarters to excessive heat and hardening of the udder wall. At the 2016 Canadian Dairy XPO, Alltech Canada’s Dr. Roger Scaletti performed a tissue analysis of an udder to give producers an inside look at where milk comes from and… Read More
Responding to rapidly climbing demand from consumers and food companies, a Saskatoon-based company is quadrupling its contracted acres of quinoa production this spring. Northern Quinoa owns the lone Canadian-developed variety of quinoa and is one of only a few buyers of the pseudocereal crop in the country. The company has been growing and producing a small… Read More
Dairy farmers who make the switch to robot milkers are very predictable, says Brussels, Ontario farmer Joe Terpstra. When Terpstra and three other dairy producers took to the stage at the 2016 Canadian Dairy XPO to share their experiences with robot milking, all four seemed to be singing from the same songbook. Improved cow health,… Read More
Many of the new innovations from machinery companies at Agritechnica’s 2015 show seemed to be inspired by transportation issues, and the Seagull Telescopic Reel from STW srl Italy was no exception. The harvester header combines the aforementioned telescopic reel technology with a folding cutting platform to compress widths during transport, allowing the header to shrink to one-third… Read More
The Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) officially launched their sustainability initiative this week in Ottawa. The initiative, called proAction, includes national standards for milk quality, food safety, animal care, traceability, biosecurity and the environment. It’s a way to showcase what the industry’s strengths, while also encouraging constant progress and improvement. “As dairy farmers, we are… Read More