WATERTON, Alta. – Preserving nearly 30,000 acres of pristine native grassland in southwestern Alberta has netted the Nature Conservancy of Canada and its supporters an Emerald Award. The Alberta awards are presented annually to recognize environmental excellence. The winning project, known as the Waterton Front Park, bought and preserved heritage ranchlands in the foothills region […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Federal government grant will rebuild breeding markets
A $2.2 million federal grant to the Canadian Livestock Genetics Association will promote international sales of purebred breeding stock. The grant for cattle and small ruminants like sheep should help Canada regain lost markets throughout the world especially at a time when dairy cattle are in short supply, said Rick McRonald, manager of the association. […] Read more
Lethbridge inland terminal starts pouring concrete
Construction has started on a farmer owned grain terminal south of Lethbridge after months of worrying the project would never happen. Lethbridge Inland Terminal plans to open in July 2008 and will employ up to 16 people, said company chair Shawn Stang. A year and a half ago Stang and co-chair Darcy Heggie sold local […] Read more
Alta. centre celebrates 100 years of research
LACOMBE, Alta. – Agriculture Canada’s Lacombe research centre has evolved from a central Alberta experimental farm to a world class research centre that prefers to remain a practical grassroots laboratory rather than an ivory tower. With researchers more comfortable working in boots and jeans in the field, the centre has released dozens of crop varieties […] Read more
Feed likely culprit in latest BSE
Recently concluded investigations into Canada’s 10th BSE case in a British Columbia Holstein cow suggest the infection may have come from contaminated feed consumed when it was a calf. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the diagnosis of BSE was confirmed May 2 in a downer cow destroyed after calving in April. The cow was […] Read more
Looking for the country fair – Editorial Notebook
How the Calgary Stampede has changed in 100 years. This year there were no purebred cattle shows and the Canadian born Speckle Park breed made up the largest entry at the steer show. Once Canada’s largest summer livestock show, the Stampede has become an urbanized “western festival” where the Ismaili Moslems stage pancake breakfasts and […] Read more
R-CALF back in court
A court decision on whether to uphold the rule that allows Canadian cattle younger than 30 months to enter the United States may take two to four months. The Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund appeared before the Ninth District court of appeals in Portland, Oregon, July 13 asking that the case be remanded to Montana […] Read more
Unusual Clydesdales turn heads
In a specially designed barn with luxury stalls lit by chandeliers resides a group of 52 black and white Clydesdales. Bob Funk, owner of Express Ranches in Oklahoma, one of the largest spreads in the United States, first spied the rare heavy horses at Canadian Western Agribition in 1998. He had to have some, so […] Read more
Alberta producers urged to pump water to cattle
Hillspring, Alta. – Pumping clean water to livestock could be like having money in the bank. Producers attending a recent pasture school near Hillspring were told that even if water is pumped a short distance from a dugout, cattle tend to visit the trough for a clean drink, which improves their health and weight gain. […] Read more
Government stepped back from industry
A laissez-faire relationship exists between Australian farmers and their government. “Government has the view that industry should be structured so it stands on its own two feet,” said Craig Conkey, a program director with the federal department of agriculture in Canberra. When the agriculture industry took control of its own business affairs more than 10 […] Read more
