RED DEER – North American farmers produced less pork, beef and poultry last year than they did the year before “It is the first year since 1974 when the production of all four major proteins is going to decline,” said John Sheldon of Turkey Farmers of Canada. However, turkey found itself with an embarrassment of […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Alta. land protection councils appointed
AIRDRIE, Alta. – A plan to protect Alberta’s land and natural resources is underway, even as the provincial economy slows. Provincial sustainable resource development minister Ted Morton said the land use framework was introduced to deal with Alberta’s rapid growth. He added the framework is still necessary during the recession because it gives the province […] Read more
Barley growers favour research
The Western Barley Growers Association want $68 million from railway overpayments to go to the Western Grains Research Foundation. A resolution at the organization’s annual meeting said the money should benefit farmers and the research body is the best place for it. The money comes from Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, which exceeded […] Read more
Calgary Bull Sale brings the buyers
For 109 years, the Calgary Bull Sale has been one of those red letter days for Alberta beef producers looking to sell or buy purebred stock and share a brew with friends. Lauris Beck does not come to the sale every year, but the Angus breeder from Delburne, Alta., believes in big consignment sales because […] Read more
Alta. sets traceability target date
RED DEER – Alberta has set June 1, 2010, as its target date for tracking cattle movement in the province. Brent McEwan, executive director of Alberta Agriculture’s traceability branch, said a committee on cattle movement was started Dec. 18 to talk about the best way to implement a plan for a complicated industry. It comprises […] Read more
$1 billion spent on local wares at farmers’ markets
RED DEER – Canadians are spending more than $1 billion a year on fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets, says a study. Most of that revenue is in cash sales to middle aged white women who want to buy fresh produce and to support local farmers, said Brent Warner, who led the study on […] Read more
Albertans buy local food
A recently released Alberta Agriculture study showed 90 percent of households said they had purchased local food in the past 12 months. Nearly a third of Alberta households said they plan to buy more local food in the next year. The study looked at farmers’ markets, food grown, made or processed in Alberta, direct farm […] Read more
Expect cool spring: forecaster
RED DEER – Westerners are ready for spring after shivering through a long, cold and snowy winter, but one long range forecaster says we could be in for another stretch of cool weather. Climatologist Art Douglas of Creighton University in Nebraska takes a world view of the weather and from his observations of sea surface […] Read more
Asian countries reluctant beef buyers
RED DEER – Consumer confidence in South Korea and Japan remains the main barrier to increased beef sales from Canada and the United States. Representatives from the two Asian countries speaking at the Alberta beef industry convention Feb. 18 agreed their countries need imported beef but restrictions continue because of BSE. Japan will accept boneless […] Read more
Source verified beef still lacks packer
RED DEER – The folks behind Canada Gold Beef remain optimistic they are on the right track, despite problems finding a packer to work with the source-verified beef program. Launched in February 2008, the program is designed to sell beef so that everyone from the cow-calf producer to the packer works together to share costs […] Read more
