Anne Brunet-Burgess is the new manager of the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency, starting June 1. She was the manager of the Canadian Limousin Association for nearly seven years and a director on the Canadian Beef Breeds Council board. Tessa Nybo replaces her at the Limousin association. Brunet-Burgess was born and raised on a purebred operation […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Vet reminds horse owners of vaccine importance
COCHRANE, Alta. — Vaccinations should be on the spring agenda for horse owners. Spring vaccines are recommended so that the immune system is built up before disease-spreading mosquitoes and other pests become active, said veterinarian Brettly Battistone of Burwash Equine Services in Calgary. Some diseases are not commonly seen in this part of the world, […] Read more
Tests determine if deworming necessary
Parasite resistance to commonly used treatments is increasing so egg counts are advised to ensure the right treatment is used
COCHRANE, Alta. — Deworming horses is a common springtime practice, but producers must also consider the growing problem of parasite resistance to commonly used treatments, says an Alberta veterinarian. “We know resistance is building, and it is a herd based problem,” Brettly Battistone with Burwash Equine Services of Calgary told a horse workshop in Cochrane. […] Read more
WHO to study meat for carcinogens
Canadians eat an average of 100 grams of meat per day
OTTAWA — The World Health Organization plans to evaluate red meat and processed meat as human carcinogens later this year. The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer will form an expert panel that will meet in France in October to classify red and processed meat into one of four groups. Possible outcomes include rating […] Read more
Livestock transport needs work
Michelle Groleau’s office at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency receives regular complaints about cruel treatment of animals during transport. She told the Canadian Livestock Transport conference in Calgary May 6 that the only contact many people have with livestock is when they see animals being moved in trucks on the highway or at border crossings. […] Read more
WTO rules on COOL
The continuing saga of country-of-origin labelling in the United States could be coming to an end. A final ruling from the World Trade Organization appellate body was expected May 18 after deadlines for this issue. Canada and Mexico have gone before the WTO four times to charge that the law violates international trade obligations by […] Read more
B.C.’s Agricultural Land Reserve gets new chair
The former mayor of Saanich, B.C., is the new chair of the Agricultural Land Commission. Frank Leonard is taking over the commission immediately following the dismissal of chair and chief executive officer Richard Bullock. Leonard was mayor of the Vancouver Island city for 18 years. His term ended last November. He is also chair of […] Read more
Couple keen on barley, pulse promotion
Sitting on industry commissions allows the Ammeters to raise awareness, improve marketing and ‘influence the influencers’
SYLVAN LAKE, Alta. — Joining a commodity group has expanded Mike and Allison Ammeter’s neighbourhood beyond Sylvan Lake to include farmers from across Canada. Farming in central Alberta, the affable couple wanted to get more involved in their industry. This past year, Allison became chair of the Alberta Pulse Growers Commission and Mike took over […] Read more
Don’t show love for your horse with food, says equine expert
A horse may need to be put on a diet if its back is so fat it looks like a tabletop, says veterinarian
COCHRANE, Alta. — Horses that eat too much and exercise too little put on weight that can affect their health. “Feed by weight and feed judiciously. You can kill a horse with kindness,” says horse expert Ron Anderson of Calgary. A horse should eat 1.5 to two percent of its body weight per day. For […] Read moreConsumers want animal welfare, health assurances with no added cost
RED DEER — A growing number of food companies are creating private labels with special claims to differentiate their products as healthier and safer for the environment. “Consumers are increasingly interested not only in where their food comes from but how it was produced. That creates some information challenges,” said economist Jill Hobbs of the […] Read more
