RED DEER, Alta. – Sheep producers are seeing more scrapie problems this year with 10 flocks diagnosed with the disease in Canada. Scrapie is a brain-wasting disease monitored by the sheep industry and Agriculture Canada under the umbrella of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. All incidents must be reported. A few cases appear every year, […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
High nitrate, phosphate levels found in Alta. water
LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – Long-term studies on farmland, surface water and ground water have revealed high levels of nitrates and phosphates in southern Alberta water. “Our preliminary results suggest the nitrate is below the drinking water guidelines in the runoff but the phosphorus is above the drinking water guidelines,” said Jim Miller of Agriculture Canada. He […] Read more
Couple tries tourist venture; zeroes in on goat market
POWELL RIVER, B.C. – Farming in a unique setting has given Max and Elaine Steiger a lifestyle they’ve enjoyed for 30 years. As one of the few farms in this coastal area north of Vancouver, the Steigers have turned their Mountain Ash Farm into a tourist attraction that lures guests who want to wander the […] Read more
Canadian beef booms despite low prices
RED DEER, Alta. – The Canadian beef industry continues to set records even as it adjusts after a year of record low prices. Slaughter and beef production numbers are still high as about half of the country’s heifers continue to go to packing plants rather than stay home to produce new calves. Female disposal rates […] Read more
Hog producers warned to seek price shelters
RED DEER, Alta. – A bulge in the hog supply curve could see pork prices skid downward within weeks, says Larry Martin, of the George Morris Centre. “Hog producers ought to be doing something to protect themselves,” said Martin at a recent agricultural outlook conference. “If you’re a hog producer you need to get worried.” […] Read more
Ostrich, emus and rhea farmers reach crossroads
AIRDRIE, Alta. – No matter which way the meat is diced or sliced, the biggest challenge for the ostrich business is finding someone to buy it. A special meeting in this town north of Calgary confirmed what ostrich, emu and rhea farmers already know. Their biggest problem is marketing. Their other problem is finding a […] Read more
Food inspection agency set for gargantuan task
RICHMOND, B.C. – With an address like Camelot Drive, the Canada Food Inspection Agency staff feel like champions leading the charge for food safety. And implementing a national program of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points has become a personal cause for David Rideout, the executive director of the fish inspection division of the agency. He […] Read more
Some Americans prefer open borders for grain
RED DEER, Alta. – If the Pacific Northwest beef and dairy industries had their way, Canadian-grown barley would be flowing freely across the border tomorrow. Groups like the Washington Cattle Feeders Association are strong supporters of an open market for feed grain. It has argued in the past that the Alberta feedlot industry has a […] Read more
Alberta Wheat Pool seeks partners
If Alberta Wheat Pool officials had a crystal ball, they wouldn’t rely on its predictions. The Canadian grain industry is changing at an unprecedented rate and the co-operative’s executive refuses to guess what the future holds or who they may count as allies. In plain-talking speeches at the pool’s annual meeting, president Alex Graham and […] Read more
Alta. meat plant gets first official approval
A Lethbridge hog processing plant has passed through the first hoop on the way to construction. Yuan Yi Agricultural and Livestock Enterprise Co. Ltd. received approval to build from Alberta Environment last week. The approval allows the Taiwanese company to get a permit to build a plant capable of processing up to 4,000 hogs a […] Read more
