For years, rural people have lamented that there are not enough opportunities to keep people in the country. Now, with an anticipated expansion of western Canadian agriculture, the lament from farm managers is that they cannot find enough skilled labor to fill the spots. A strong back and a weak mind no longer are sufficient […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Youth and adult training needed
Carol Miller figures farm politics and the latest production-increasing practices don’t much matter if nobody is left on the farm. “When the kids can’t make it on the farm, they end up in the cities,” said the rancher from Killam, Alta. “We need strong voices for agriculture.” She sees a huge chance to educate and […] Read more
Some farmers say no help better than poor help
Being a good boss is one of the hardest parts of Jeff Warrock’s job at Bruce Feedyard. The family-run feedlot near Strathmore, Alta., tries to offer good working conditions and opportunities to attract skilled people. But on the small operation, there is little chance for promotion. “Where we run into problems is keeping the good […] Read more
Agriculture Notes
Council elects chair Anne Forbes is the new chair of the Canadian Farm Business Management Council. She is the Nova Scotia council director with background in dairy production and fish farming. Forbes has served with a number of agricultural organizations in Nova Scotia and said she intends to devote her first months as chair to […] Read more
U.S. lawmakers will debate meat labels
A bill calling for labeling of all imported meats was tabled in the United States Senate Jan. 19. The bill was sponsored by Montana senator Conrad Burns. It matches the bill introduced by North Dakota’s Earl Pomeroy in the House of Representatives Jan. 6. The proposed bill would require imported meat and food products containing […] Read more
When hockey takes your son away
Sending a boy off to the hockey wars gives parents emotional baggage full of pride and worry. Hockey parents may dream of conceiving the next Great One. Yet when it’s time to send their boy to another rink in another town they worry whether he is doing his homework or getting enough to eat after […] Read more
Suiting up means dishing out
What does it cost to outfit a kid for the good old hockey game? Compared to soccer, where cleats are $69.99 and shin guards cost $12.95, a budding Wayne Gretzky won’t get into the rink for under $1,000. That doesn’t include registration fees, ice time or travel expenses. The following items were priced in Calgary […] Read more
Cattle producers face U.S. hearing
A petition from a group of disgruntled American cattle producers has gone further than anyone expected. By a vote of four to two, the United States’ International Trade Commission agreed to investigate the Canadian cattle industry, as well as 30 farm programs that might give Canadians a leg up in the beef trade. “We were […] Read more
CWB prepared to face U.S. scrutiny
The Canadian Wheat Board is one of the main targets in an American investigation involving the cattle trade. Initiated by the International Trade Commission, the investigation is to satisfy a petition from American cattle producers who feel the board fixes feed barley prices. They have heard various explanations of how feed grain is priced and […] Read more
Trade challenge requires money
Jan. 19 was a red letter day for the members of the Ranchers-Cattlemen’s Legal Foundation. Now that R-Calf has succeeded in getting a trade investigation into Canadian live cattle exports, the foundation has to raise $1.5 million (U.S.) to pay its Washington, D.C. trade lawyers. Leo McDonnell, one of the leaders of R-CALF, which originated […] Read more
