Construction of a hog processing plant in Lethbridge, Alta. is going ahead despite a lawsuit under way in Court of Queen’s Bench. The suit, filed Aug. 29 by four local citizens, claims the city failed to follow proper procedure when it changed a local zoning bylaw to allow construction of a hog plant on the […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Market looks good for feeder calves
After rock bottom prices a year ago, feeder calf values took a giant leap forward this fall. A turnaround in the cattle cycle along with lower feed costs saw 550-pound calves delivered for $1.35 a pound and many 900-lb. grass cattle reached highs of $1.08 to $1.12, according to Canfax figures. Last week southern Alberta […] Read more
Brahman cattle moving north
IRRICANA, Alta. – When most people think of Brahmans, they associate the breed with bad tempered rodeo bulls. For a small group of dedicated Canadian Brahman breeders, that perception couldn’t be further from the truth. Brahmans are commonly seen in the southern United States, but breeders like David Andrews want to see these animals given […] Read more
Moving cattle key to holistic approach
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE, Alta. – Moving 450 steers twice a day is just a small part of the holistic management program practiced at the Halladay Ranch. While it may seem like a lot of work, Don and Randee Halladay explain they’re raising cattle profitably and restoring the balance of nature in their network of pastures. […] Read more
Research farm tests specialized crops
BROOKS, Alta. – A walk through the fields at the Brooks crop development centre is like a tour through someone’s exotic garden. Purple coneflowers wave in the warm winds beside clumps of mullein that grow over two metres high. Other varieties of mint and spice on trial here include orange flowered calendula and angelica. Mint, […] Read more
Australian finds similar soil troubles in Canada
TABER, Alta. – When Gerard McKinley gazes across the prairie landscape, he sees the encroaching weeds, salt-ringed sloughs and unrelenting heat burning the wheat. These problems reduce yields every year, but he has learned working in tandem with nature is the key to his survival as a farmer. The difference for McKinley is that he […] Read more
Students at horse training school learn more than how to ride
CARDSTON, Alta. – When Bonnie Becker accepts students at her horse training school, they not only learn how to ride a horse, they learn how to clean up after it. A serious rider since she was 12, Becker is one of the few women horse trainers in a world of men. She sets aside her […] Read more
Researchers explore elk velvet’s purported healing powers
DRAYTON VALLEY, Alta. – Holly Bamber says she feels like a new woman when she takes two antler velvet and ginseng capsules each day. While the Sangudo, Alta. elk breeder can’t explain exactly what the herbal medicine does, she is convinced it reenergizes her on those droopy days when she feels tired and run down. […] Read more
Galloway breeders want slice of competitive beef market
As the demand for better beef grows, Galloway breeders want to make sure they aren’t left behind. The hardy Scottish cattle are among the original British breeds imported to Canada. Like other British cattle they were developed for beef production only and have a reputation for producing well-marbled meat. Although their numbers are small, Galloway […] Read more
Leftover sheep parts pose quandary for producers
INNISFAIL, Alta. – Disposing of sheep offal has become a processors’ headache because renderers don’t want to risk coming across scrapie. Alberta rendering plants won’t accept lamb and sheep byproducts from Canada West Foods at Innisfail because of the controversy linking bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, to scrapie in sheep and subsequently to […] Read more
