WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. – Traceability should improve animal health and food safety but it also must provide value to producers. “We all know the primary producer bears the costs at the end of the day,” said Erik Butters, an Alberta director with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.Producers must buy and insert the radio frequency tags and […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Disease outbreak stops horse trade from Arizona
Canada has banned horses from Arizona following diagnosis of the viral disease vesicular stomatitis.Horses from all other states will require certification that they have not been in Arizona, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said in a statement. An American health certificate and a statement of non-residency in Arizona during the last 21 days before export […] Read more
B.C. cattle producers promised provincial funds for marketing
WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. – The British Columbia government has committed $2 million to ranchers for future market development and research projects.Agriculture minister Steve Thomson made the funding promise at the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association annual meeting at Williams Lake, B.C., May 28-29. It is part of a larger package of promises stemming from a ranching task […] Read more
B.C. turkey producer prefers rare breeds, natural hatching
SALT SPRING ISLAND, B.C. – Margaret Thomson was mesmerized by Blue Slate turkeys.”I thought they were absolutely fabulous and I wanted them.”She and her husband, Alan, had raised broiler chickens, but wanted something different for their 10 acre farm on Salt Spring Island, part of British Columbia’s Gulf Islands chain.Margaret, who started researching turkeys and […] Read more
Prevention trumps decontamination
VICTORIA – Prevention can cure a lot of food safety headaches in processing plants, says meat researcher Colin Gill.“Prevention is better than decontamination,” the Agriculture Canada researcher told the recent Canadian Meat Council annual meeting in Victoria.“It is a great pity there hasn’t been more research on prevention rather than the decontamination aspects.”Gill said treating […] Read more
Food companies urged to ease lawsuit potential
VICTORIA – As food safety and monitoring is stepped up, the public must also expect more reports of pathogens and food recalls, says an American lawyer who defends food companies in food borne illness lawsuits.Shawn Stevens told Canadian Meat Council members that the increased scrutiny has led to more litigation. He added that as more […] Read more
Red-fleshed fruit are apple of his eye
SALT SPRING ISLAND, B.C. – Harry Burton’s Apple Lucious Organic Orchard on Salt Spring Island is a jungle of fruit trees, evergreens and vegetable patches.He has crammed 350 trees onto his five-acre farm, growing 200 apple varieties, 11 Asian pear varieties and seven kinds of plumcots, which are a cross between plums and apricots. All […] Read more
B.C. egg producers focus on education, safety
DUNCAN, B.C. – There is a “do not enter” sign along the road leading into Ian and Jen Woike’s farm.As operators of the largest egg farm on Vancouver Island, the Woikes carefully guard the health of their 44,000 laying hens.But despite the dangers, the Woikes open their Duncan, B.C., farm to school and community tours […] Read more
Create a buzz with hot and cold ‘cappuccino bar’ refreshments
Grad and after-grad celebrations take many forms. In some urban centres, the ceremonies and after-grad parties are strictly controlled by schools and parents and are planned as dry or chem-free grads with no alcohol or drugs tolerated. In rural communities, the schools control the grad ceremonies and dances but after-grad celebrations are often planned by […] Read more
Legislation increasing to combat food illness
VICTORIA – Changes in food safety laws in the United States will spill over to Canada, says the head of the American Meat Institute. “Because of our volume of trade and the requirement of inspection equivalency, whatever we have to adapt to in the U.S. will eventually find its way to Canadian plants if you […] Read more
