For many cowboys traveling the rodeo circuit, qualifying to compete at the Calgary Stampede means they have arrived at the top. A chance to win a paycheque of $50,000 doesn’t hurt either. Chuckwagon driver veteran Kelly Sutherland of Grande Prairie, Alta., won his eighth rangeland derby to take home the big cheque. It was his […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Alberta spud plant goes global
TABER, Alta. – The first of two giant potato processing plants has opened in southern Alberta. Based in Taber, Lamb-Weston, a member of the ConAgra consortium, is already making french fries for food service and fast food outlets. The $130 million investment adds to the company’s plants in the United States, Holland and India, said […] Read more
Penalty for beef ban too low: producers
Canada and the United States are disappointed by the low level of retaliatory duties they can impose against the European Union for its refusal to accept North American beef. The Canadian list of European products earmarked for retaliatory duty should be released soon. “The package is to benefit the meat sector since it has been […] Read more
Australian beef graded according to use and taste
Give people better beef and they will buy it. This is the theory of MSA, or Meat Standards Australia, which has introduced a new grading system that guarantees good beef every time. “We no longer want to grade beef based on the product we have to sell,” said Graham Truscott of the Angus Society of […] Read more
Angus capitalizes on its reputation for quality
The future is black for Angus breeders. But for the American Angus Association the pathway to success has been crossed by black copycats with a dubious history. “Our biggest challenge is brand identification,” said a member of the association that developed Certified Angus Beef in the United States. A number of branded beef programs have […] Read more
Dairy sale draws the world
BEARSPAW, Alta. – The last Alta Genetics dairy sale of the century was special for Everett and Marylee Simanton. As joint owners of the yearling Holstein, Crestomere Formation Lily, the Ponoka dairy farmers watched with excitement as their heifer fetched $61,500. She was purchased by Cormdale Exports for shipment to Germany. In the last eight […] Read more
It’s good to know about the bad and ugly
LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – Being a good plant doctor who can distinguish between moulds, viruses and other infections is just another necessary farm skill. For those growing potatoes, beans or sugar beets, that skill is critical. “If you are going to be a potato grower, you must know your diseases,” said Ron Howard, head of the […] Read more
Chuckwagon driver dies at Stampede
A career chuckwagon driver injured in a horrifying pile-up during the first day of the Calgary Stampede died July 11. Bill McEwan of Lloydminster died of massive head injuries after he was thrown from his rig. A wheel from a wagon driven by McEwan’s son Larry struck a horse pulling the elder McEwan’s rig. The […] Read more
Duty sparks call for new dumping definition
Anti-dumping should be triggered by predatory pricing rather than based on the hurt caused, when cost of production is higher than the market value of the product. The Five Nations Beef Conference held in Banff, Alta., last week agreed a new definition on dumping is necessary following a ruling by the United States department of […] Read more
Timothy hay exports healthy despite Asian flu
TABER, Alta. – A Japanese penchant for milk and ice cream has kept Canada’s export hay business healthy. Timothy hay exports for the Japanese dairy industry have remained strong in spite of money problems in Asia that drove down prices and demand for alfalfa products. The average price for export quality hay is $145 per […] Read more
