Don’t let it loose. Alberta Environment and Parks asks people to heed that demand as it fights to keep invasive species from affecting the province’s natural ecosystems. The directive came too late for Lake McGregor, located in southern Alberta east of Vulcan. Now the Chinese mystery snail has staked out a claim along a portion […] Read more
Barb Glen
Stories by Barb Glen
JBS adds shift to Brooks packing plant
The JBS beef packing plant in Brooks, Alta., returned to operating a second shift May 21, nearly a month after reducing activity to one shift April 22. An outbreak of COVID-19 among employees reduced the workforce and many were not coming to work for fear of contracting the virus. As of May 21, there were […] Read more
COVID changes consumer attitudes
Consumer attitudes toward food are changing, in some cases rapidly, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ujwal Arkalgud, a cultural anthropologist and board member with the United States Center for Food Integrity, said consumers are becoming more interested in shortening food supply chains and reducing the distance food travels. Those attitudes are not yet […] Read more
Alta. takes steps to control feral pig population
Sturdy, corral-type of enclosure using five-foot-high panels found most effective way to capture and eliminate a sounder
Recommendations are in the works regarding control of Alberta’s feral pig population. Alberta Agriculture and Parks personnel have recently completed a three-year pilot project designed to figure out the scope of the problem, educate the public about the invasive pests and test different means of surveillance and capture. That project will result in eradication recommendations. […] Read more
Auctions hold on through slowdown
Markets say cattle sales continue despite physical distancing measures and a slight drop in sales volume
It’s a surreal sight for auctioneer Rob Bergevin as he takes bids for cattle at Foothills Auctioneers in Stavely, Alta. He looks out at the tiered wooden stands that hold a maximum of 15 people, each sitting far apart. The public health restrictions on crowds and distancing make it so, but it’s a far cry […] Read more
Cattle face health risks when kept in feedlots too long
The trouble with holding fat cattle in feedlots, aside from the obvious cash flow issues, is the increased risk to animal health. Reduced processing rates at packing plants are forcing feedlot operators to retain fat cattle until there’s available capacity. Changing diets from finishing to maintenance rations and the simple fact of holding cattle longer […] Read more
Early grazing decisions set stage for entire season
Expert says producers should make decisions on pasture readiness in the spring based on plants’ growth stage rather than height
The grazing strategies ranchers use in the first five to seven weeks of the growing season will determine pasture condition for the rest of the season, says grazing guru Jim Gerrish. The Idaho grazing consultant said putting cattle out to pasture before the forage is ready to sustain grazing can have long-term effects. However, providing […] Read more
Packer outbreaks also affect urban centres
High River and Brooks became COVID-19 hot spots after the virus was found in workers at nearby Alta. slaughter plants
The town and the city where most workers at Alberta’s two large beef processing plants reside have faced particular challenges as cases of COVID-19 multiplied. The Cargill plant in High River is at the centre of the largest single pocket of cases in North America and the JBS plant in Brooks has also had hundreds […] Read more
Slaughter backlog hits feeders hard
It’s estimated that up to 80,000 Canadian cattle await slaughter, and the number may reach 250,000 head by July
There is little room for fed cattle as slaughterhouses across North America close or slow because of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving farmers with few options for shipping their animals. Outbreaks among plant workers have forced plants owned by Cargill Inc., JBS SA and Tyson Foods to temporarily close or slow production as they balance worker […] Read more
Twenty-year-old cow gives birth to 18th calf
‘The cattle business would be easy if you had 100 like her,’ Saskatchewan producer says of durable and prolific bovine
The ideal beef cow is likely one that has a healthy, good-sized calf every year, never needs to be treated beyond the usual vaccinations, has a good temperament and lives a long life on the ranch. Lorne and Alan Peek have such a cow. This year the Charolais/Angus cross cow, now 20 years old, gave […] Read more
