TORONTO — Many food safety crises have led to better regulations. “We tend to be reactive,” said researcher Alexandra Calle with the International Center for Food Industry Excellence at Texas Tech University. Too often failures to detect serious bacteria like listeria or E. coli have sickened and in some cases, killed people. The largest listeria […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Farmers unveil plan to boost consumption by an egg per week
Hen housing in Alberta:
RED DEER — Egg Farmers of Canada want people to eat more eggs. The organization has rolled out a new program called Vision 2020 Crack 300 to encourage per capita egg consumption to increase to 300 from 253 per year. “We as an organization would like to be one of the largest per capita egg […] Read more
Beef defended against methane accusations
A researcher from the University of California says fossil fuels continue to be the main greenhouse emissions culprit
Agriculture contributes to climate change but it is not the main villain compared to emissions from other industries. “Agriculture has been the scapegoat for a long time and I think it is really time for that to change,” said Frank Mitloehner of the University of California, Davis. A long-time defender of agriculture and its contribution […] Read more
Cattle success begins with pasture health
Watching what happens on the land can help producers make decisions such as carrying capacity and stocking rates
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — If cows are the factory and calves are the product, then the pasture is the foundation for the factory. “Most successful producers really begin their management at the pasture level,” said Hugh Aljoe, a pasture and range consultant with the Noble Research Institute. Minding what happens on the land aids decisions […] Read more
Bull fertility needs producers’ close attention
A bull sires 30 to 60 calves per year so a breeding soundness examination by a veterinarian should be done annually
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — A single bull affects the genetics of a herd much more than a single cow, so selection of the most fertile sires is critical. “Reproduction is five times more important than growth traits and 10 times more important than product quality when we look at the finances on a cow-calf operation,” […] Read moreIndustry looks for ways to better measure sperm quality
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — It only takes one sperm to impregnate a cow. The amount of sperm can maximize the chance of pregnancy but other factors are also at play, said reproductive physiology Joe Dalton at the University of Idaho. Breeding soundness evaluations can show which bulls are subfertile or nonfertile. The exam does not […] Read more
Outstanding young farmers focus on Holsteins
On the Farm: Producers say the national program provided them with an opportunity to take a fresh look at their operation
SPRUCE VIEW, Alta. — Farming at Benthemmer Holsteins is all about continuous improvement. Every year Roelof and Mary van Benthem make improvements to their dairy at Spruce View in central Alberta to make life better for their cows and ultimately for themselves. Named Alberta’s outstanding young farmers for 2020, they and their four boys — […] Read more
Disaster request made for COVID-19
The cattle sector wants the pandemic declared a natural disaster to open up more assistance options under Agri-Recovery
The Canadian Catttlemen’s Association has asked the federal government to deem COVID-19 as a natural disaster under the Agri-Recovery program to open up more assistance options. “We have asked to eliminate the $3 million cap on Agri-Stability and invoke the late participation clause,” said Dennis Laycraft, executive vice-president of the association during a COVID-19 news […] Read moreSexual behaviour has implications for reproductive success
That come-hither look between males and females is not witchcraft. Expressions of sexual behaviour in livestock help identify mates and optimize fertilization, said Brenda Alexander, a professor of reproductive biology of the University of Wyoming. “In the end reproductive behav-iour matters because the vast majority of births are occurring because of natural service,” she said […] Read more
Alta. sets up new ag research group
Results Driven Agriculture Research is expected to allow producers to decide how research should be approached
Alberta Agriculture minister Devin Dreeshen revealed a new plan for farmer-led research March 30. Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) is described as a non-profit, arm’s length agriculture research organization. Dreeshen said its formation was a result of January consultations with farmers, ranchers and the agriculture industry. An interim board was announced, headed by Dr. David […] Read more
