More than 400 food processing companies operate in Alberta and many struggle to find staff. A possible solution right in their backyards is to form partnerships with Hutterite colonies. “The Hutterite option is not for everybody,” said Andrew Raphael of Meyers Norris Penny, which handles the accounting work for about 90 percent of prairie colonies […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Animal care rules now mainstream
Chicken Farmers of Canada has launched a new animal care program. Full implementation of the voluntary welfare program, which will be administered provincially, is expected by 2013, even though some producers complain about more paperwork and requirements placed on their farms by others. “I know the food safety and animal care programs are sometimes hard […] Read more
Animal welfare issues prevalent worldwide
Animal welfare is not a new concept, but more governments are turning it into the law of the land. David Fraser, head of the University of British Columbia’s animal welfare department, told a recent meeting of the National Farm Animal Council about the evolution of animal care and treatment. Nearly 200 years ago, the United […] Read more
Farrier group ponders professional standard
The farrier business is an unregulated industry that leaves horse owners with little way of knowing if the farrier they hired to shoe their horses is competent. “Probably 70 percent of horse owners don’t know the difference between a good and bad farrier,” Edmonton farrier Jason Wrubleski said during a panel discussion on farrier standards […] Read more
Youth show richest ever
A national steer show for young beef showmen will be held in Olds, Alta. May 8-9. The show will offer more than $20,000 in prizes and scholarships, making it Canada’s richest youth steer and heifer event. It is open to anyone 21 or younger. Entry fees are $55 per animal, which must be received on […] Read more
Petition seeks horse slaughter ban
RED DEER – A petition requesting a ban on horse slaughter in Canada has been forwarded to the federal government. The petition, bearing signatures from residents of Ontario’s Dufferin County, asks Ontario Conservative MP David Tilson to introduce a private member’s bill in the House of Commons to ban horse slaughter for human consumption and […] Read more
Animal friendly practices pay off
RED DEER – Animal management must be the major consideration when building dairy barns, says an animal welfare researcher. “If you build certain kinds of facilities for animals, it is going to have some long-term payoff,” Dan Weary of the University of British Columbia told the Alberta Farm Animal Care Association’s annual meeting. The payoff […] Read more
Consumers must accept cost of fresh, local food
Few raised their hands when a crowd of 200 Calgary suburbanites were asked how many had been on a farm in the last 20 years. Yet this group that gathered at a community hall in one of the city’s upscale neighbourhoods gave up a Saturday afternoon to meet farmers and learn how to buy locally […] Read more
Open wallet to support farmers
Meat and potatoes are easy to come by in Alberta, but other local food requires more legwork. Alberta produces a cornucopia of food from arugula to zucchini, as well as dairy products, eggs, apples, honey, berries and booze. Linking hungry urban Albertans to farmers was one of the aims of Local 101, organized by caterer […] Read more
Runoff variable in Alberta
Relentless cold and deep snow marked the winter of 2009 in Alberta. In a reversal of traditional provincial weather patterns, snow accumulations on the plains were higher than normal while the average mountain snow pack was below average. The exception was east-central Alberta, where drought plans are already in the works. “Spring happened on March […] Read more
