OLDS, Alta. – Swath grazing could be the cheapest way to feed cows over the winter. Long-term feeding projects in Alberta show costs can be reduced by nearly half when cows do the work rather than a producer hauling hay to the field. Using information from producers and research from the Western Forage Beef Centre, […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Packer deal rejected by U.S. gov’t
RED DEER – The Brazilian meat packing giant JBS SA has failed in its bid to take over National Beef in the United States. The failure was a disappointment because it brought with it a case-ready and premium beef division, said Chandler Keys, head of government affairs and industry affairs for JBS, based in Greeley, […] Read more
BSE class action suit goes ahead
A multibillion-dollar class action BSE lawsuit against the government of Canada can move to trial, but a court date is far off, said one of the lawyers for the plaintiffs. Ontario justice Janet Wilson denied the federal government’s leave to appeal at the end of January. That means the order stands certifying the case as […] Read more
USDA secretary leaves COOL rule open
RED DEER – United States agriculture secretary Tom Vilsak announced Feb. 20 the final version of the country-of-origin labelling law will go ahead as scheduled March 16. However, the secretary requested voluntary guidelines, which the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association says hints of another rule. “The real question is (whether) the new secretary (is) creating a new […] Read more
Cattle numbers falling in Canada, U.S.
RED DEER – The Canadian cattle herd continues to contract as more cows go to market without being replaced on the farm. From a peak of 14.9 million in January 2005, the Canadian cattle herd has fallen 12 percent to 13.2 million head, according to the Statistics Canada Jan. 1 livestock census released Feb. 17. […] Read more
Beef checkoff still frustrates Alta. beef sector
RED DEER – A dispute over how the multimillion-dollar Alberta beef checkoff should be shared continues among cattle industry groups. Last summer, an alliance formed among four beef groups with a business plan that included a refundable checkoff so producers could direct the levy to the organization of their choice. The $3 mandatory checkoff is […] Read more
Agronomy tips improve malting quality
Drought or disease can dash a farmer’s hope of achieving malting grade barley but there are agronomic steps to improve the chance of selection. “Environmental conditions can play a huge role in terms of barley yield, protein and kernel plumpness,” said Ross McKenzie of Alberta Agriculture. He and other researchers have been testing varieties under […] Read more
Easement, ecogift protects land’s future
COCHRANE, Alta. – Protecting a pristine natural area in perpetuity is a gift for all, but strings are attached. Since legislation was passed in Alberta 12 years ago, more than 460 agreements on about 80,000 acres of land have been protected through conservation easements. It is a legal agreement between a private landowner and a […] Read more
Maltsters, brewers present wish list
Turning barley into beer is a fine tuned science for growers and brewers. In three of the last five years there have been problems with barley quality due to poor weather. Only about a quarter of the samples submitted are selected for malt, said representatives from the malting and brewing industries at the Western Barley […] Read more
Water must be shared by all users
LETHBRIDGE – Sharing water is a possible future for Alberta, but for some, trying to satisfy many users is already a reality. The Western Irrigation District east of Calgary, which is controlled by 700 farmers, must serve municipal water needs, keep wetlands wet and handle storm water from more than one million people upstream. The […] Read more
