A draft bylaw that proposes a slowdown on intensive livestock operations in designated areas of the County of Lethbridge is being taken to the public. The southern Alberta municipality dubbed Feedlot Alley, has the highest concentration of intensive livestock in Canada and received national attention because of reports about the tonnes of manure produced annually […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Excess meat supplies dragging down prices
BANFF, Alta. – Too much beef in the marketplace is holding cash prices at lower than anticipated levels. The North American market has near-record amounts of beef to eat in the next couple of months, said industry analysts at the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association convention held here Feb. 27. Beef production is above the five-year […] Read more
Standing out among the herd not easy at Kunar
GREELEY, Colo. – The first impression of the Kunar Feed Yard is one of overwhelming size, where the only view in any direction is pens full of cattle stretching out to the horizon. This is a modern, corporate-run feedlot in the heart of cattle country on the high plains of Colorado. It’s efficient, it’s clean […] Read more
Corporation to inspect brands
Privatization of brand inspection in Alberta has moved one step closer with the establishment of a not-for-profit corporation called Livestock Identification Services. Four pieces of legislation and regulation changes must go through the legislature before the service changes from a government-run program to a private agency. The new service could start in July, said Dale […] Read more
Financial crisis won’t stop plant: Lethbridge mayor
LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – The Yuan Yi hog processing plant is going to be built in Lethbridge, says mayor David Carpenter, dismissing rumors its Taiwanese owners are pulling out due to financial or community pressures. The Yuan Yi Agriculture and Livestock Enterprise Co. Ltd. has some concerns which company officials discussed with Carpenter during his recent […] Read more
Extra care pays off for packer and producer
DENVER, Colo. – After 13 years as a beef packer, Minnie Lou Bradley has some sobering words for those who breed the bulls that produce the steers that end up as steaks on somebody’s plate. “Added value will come if you produce the quality,” she said. An owner in the family-run B3R Country Meats at […] Read more
Industry uses quality to lure buyers back
DENVER, Colo. – As the number of beef eaters continues to decline, cowboys realize they can’t blame their problems on chicken producers any more. Steadily declining beef consumption since 1975 has forced the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association into action to lure back consumers. An industry committee led by Iowa beef producer Nancy Pellett developed a […] Read more
National identification forms basis of beef quality program
DENVER, Colo. – It’s almost impossible for any industry to go forward if it doesn’t know where it has been. That is the state of the American beef industry. Realizing that, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association appointed an 11-member task force representing various sectors of the beef industry to lay the groundwork for a national […] Read more
New program will pinpoint tender bulls
DENVER, Colo. – After celebrating 100 years as an organization, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has decided it must introduce some changes if it hopes to last another century. The main goal of the association is to stabilize beef consumption within three years. The strategy is to expand exports, develop national identification for cattle and […] Read more
Ranch is factory-like in churning out quality
PLATTEVILLE, Colo. – The heifers at Ben Houston’s farm look like Las Vegas showgirls. Each one is perfectly formed and indistinguishable from the one beside her. Leaning on a sorting stick, Houston explains the history of every bull and female on his ranch to a group of visitors from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. He […] Read more
