KANANASKIS, Alta. – Less than a month on the job, the new minister of agriculture in British Columbia has been handed a super-sized department. It is now the ministry of agriculture and land and Pat Bell is taking over a department that was once considered a poor cousin to the other resource departments. Under previous […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Cargill makes plans for meat division
Before BSE forced the closure of the U.S. border to Canadian cattle and beef, Cargill Foods’ parent company wondered if it was economical to run a second shift at its packing plant in High River, Alta. “We were losing money in the month of May when typically May-June are our two best months,” said Bill […] Read more
Hereford bull awarded supreme title at Stampede
After years of circling the show ring, Grant and Annette Hirsche were in the spotlight for the first time when they won the supreme champion bull award at the Calgary Stampede. Their two year old was grand champion at the Hereford show and competed for the supreme award against eight other breeds. “The supreme is […] Read more
May I take your coat?
Shearing sheep is a total body workout requiring plenty of stamina and technique as protesting lambs are flipped on their rumps and their heavy wool coats are clipped in a matter of minutes. For the last 33 years this has been Cliff Metheral’s lifestyle. Based in Nokomis, Sask., he has sheared sheep around the world […] Read more
Fan touts oxen as western heritage
Robby Fyn is so fascinated with Alberta history that it was understandable when he appeared in the Calgary Stampede parade driving five teams of oxen pulling a freight wagon. The farmer from Linden, Alta., has become a one man publicity machine for the gentle giants since he got his first team from Nova Scotia three […] Read more
Couple hopes beekeeping becomes sweet deal
OKOTOKS, Alta. – Adding value to a farm product can be fun but it also involves hard work and vision. For beekeepers Cherie and Art Andrews, setting up a honey store on their 80 acre farm south of Okotoks means a list of chores every day. There is tending their 250 hives scattered on 10 […] Read more
Texas BSE case prompts audit of test methods
The United States Department of Agriculture confirmed June 29 its first homegrown case of BSE came from a commercial cattle herd in Texas. The 12-year-old cow was a cream coloured Brahma cross born and raised on the ranch that has been quarantined as the USDA begins its scrutiny of herd mates and feed sources. A […] Read more
Private money needed to build beef plants
Without private investment, it is unlikely many packing plant proposals will get the money they need to get off the ground. “Private investors are the biggest pool of investment capital for these kinds of ventures. This is typically not an area where the banks will get involved,” said Keith Jones, chief executive officer of AVAC, […] Read more
Water pressures mounting in Okanagan Valley
BANFF, Alta. – Plentiful supplies of sunshine and water in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley offer major incentives for people moving to area. However, a 2004 study warned that water supply will not be able to keep up with population increases, said Wenda Mason of Land and Water B.C., the agency responsible for monitoring the province’s […] Read more
Water sharing can strain relations
BANFF, Alta. – Water ignores political boundaries, yet many of the world’s major aquifers are shared by neighbours who have learned to co-operate with one another. Management of one of the world’s largest aquifers by four countries is an example of hard won co-operation and negotiation, said Ahmed Khater of the Egyptian ministry of water […] Read more
