New facility is the largest private investment in Lethbridge’s history and would increase potato acres in the region
The sod was officially turned Sept. 18 on the $360 million Cavendish Farms potato processing plant in Lethbridge. Initially announced in December 2016, the plant represents the largest private investment in the city’s history. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley joined Cavendish Farms President Robert K. Irving to hold shovels signifying construction start, accompanied by Agriculture Minister […] Read more
Barb Glen
Stories by Barb Glen
Money left on the table for U.S. cull cattle: audit
American cattle producers are potentially foregoing US$122.77 per head in “lost opportunities” on slaughter cows and bulls. The U.S. National Market Cow and Bull Beef Quality Audit, released earlier this month, calculated the cost of various factors at slaughter that potentially reduce the return producers can get on their cull cows and bulls. The 2016 […] Read more
Testing tools can improve breeding stock
CALGARY — Building better beef begins with better breeding animals and technology now enables producers to identify those animals through more thorough genetic testing. Expected progeny differences, or EPDs, are a common tool used in selecting breeding stock for commercial herds. Genomic enhanced EPDs can provide even better predictions of progeny and allow producers to […] Read more
Alberta ag societies face funding crisis
Community groups say funding cuts would be devastating to small town agricultural societies across the province
Alberta agricultural societies are in limbo as they await provincial government funding that is usually distributed in June. The province’s 284 primary agricultural societies share $8.67 million in government funds, which they use to operate various facilities including rural community hockey rinks, curling rinks and ball diamonds, and to finance events. The money was approved […] Read moreAlta. ag societies to receive full funding
Alberta’s agricultural societies will receive the money earmarked in the provincial budget without any reduction in the amount, the provincial government says. In an e-mail today, Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier said the government has decided not to reduce funds for agricultural societies so the money will be disbursed soon. “Our government has been in the […] Read more
Fire horror fans anger
Alberta ranchers say CFB Suffield detonated an old artillery shell despite a fire ban and sparked a prairie fire that destroyed livestock, winter feed and a home
BINDLOSS, Alta. — The quilt presented to 89-year-old Morley Sarvis of Bindloss at a meeting here Sept. 14 is among the few possessions he has left. Sarvis lost his home, outbuildings and farm equipment in a Sept. 11-12 prairie wildfire in southeastern Alberta and barely escaped with his life. Neighbours broke a window to gain […] Read more
Work starts on Lethbridge potato plant
The sod was officially turned Sept. 18 on the $360 million Cavendish Farms potato processing plant in Lethbridge. Initially announced in December 2016, the plant represents the largest private investment in the city’s history. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley joined Cavendish Farms President Robert K. Irving to hold shovels signifying construction start, accompanied by Agriculture Minister […] Read more
B.C. fires leave livelihoods of farmers, ranchers in ashes
Every day of the ongoing wildfires in British Columbia brings new tales of destruction, stress and wonder for the province’s farmers and ranchers. Many of the estimated 35,000 cattle in fire-affected regions, owned by more than 300 ranchers, remain unaccounted for. Some are wandering in with burns severe enough to require euthanasia as the most […] Read more
Unique parcel of land in good hands with NCC, says owner
Bob Thomson remembers looking at a 158-acre property north of Stettler, Alta., about 20 years ago, accompanied by his then-two-year-old daughter. Landowner Harry Green had given him a week to consider buying the parcel, so Thomson put his daughter in a backpack and went to explore it. “We walked out on the ice — it […] Read more
Video cattle auction seen as win-win
Buyers get to see a variety of cattle and sellers get exposure to Canadian and American markets, says auctioneer
More than 35,000 cattle were sold Sept. 15 at a Lethbridge hotel. It wasn’t messy at all. It was a sale via video, a process that has become common in Canada in recent years after be-coming commonplace in the United States. Sale averages were not available at press time, but Allan Lively of the Southern […] Read more
