Floods in Manitoba and dry patches in Alberta have created a wide range of soil conditions for prairie farmers. Bert Graham, of Manitoba Agriculture, said outside the floodplains of the Red River, some farmers on the west side of the province are seeding into moist soil. In the Dauphin region to the north, a few […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
CP profits lead to spending splurge
A profitable balance sheet last year has encouraged Canadian Pacific to spend money this year. Spending and realigning CP into five core business areas have meant big changes for the century-old company that helped open Western Canada. The most dramatic move happened last summer with the company’s head office move to Calgary from Montreal. More […] Read more
Canadian demand for lamb sends price to record high
The Canadian lamb market is on fire. Unprecedented demand over the last three years has driven up prices to $1.40 a pound. That has meant lots of sheep and lambs moving from the Prairies to Eastern Canada. “Prices have never been this high,” said sheep specialist Wray Whitmore of Alberta Agriculture. Producers prefer to see […] Read more
AWP builds in southeast
Alberta Wheat Pool is building two new grain facilities in the southeastern part of the province. The high volume steel facilities at Blackie and Brooks are scheduled to open next year. Total cost is $10.3 million. Both sites offer a Mobiload unit, a licensed grain facility on wheels. It can draw grain from bins on […] Read more
Ranchers take stab at national beef check-off program
Alberta and Ontario cattle producers have taken the first step toward a checkoff to support research and promotion projects on a national scale. They have agreed to set up a national check-off agency as a pilot project and monitor its effectiveness. The plan for the agency is being translated into a legal document, said Canadian […] Read more
Former Reform maverick out to knock off Manning
As Jan Brown strides down Millrise Drive in southwest Calgary, she talks about the importance of meeting voters face to face. By knocking on every door and speaking to as many potential voters as possible, the Progressive Conservative candidate hopes to gain an edge over her foe and former boss, Reform leader Preston Manning. Personal […] Read more
Composting slow to catch on
OLDS, Alta. – Selling people on the merits of turning their garbage into black gold is tougher than actually teaching them the process of how to compost household wastes. In many households up to a third of waste thrown out each week is paper. Another third is kitchen waste. That garbage could be diverted into […] Read more
Alta Genetics shifts to dairy
Fresh off a year of sweeping change, Alta Genetics, a Calgary-based company that deals in livestock embryo and semen, is banking a large piece of its future on dairy genetics. Company financial analyst Pat McAllister is confident about the new five-year plan and marketing strategy that promotes the dairy division. “We’re going to shift a […] Read more
Meat industry battles suspicion over source of resistant bacteria
In the movie Outbreak, a virologist played by Dustin Hoffman desperately races against the clock searching for a miracle serum to cure an ebola-like infection that entered the United States. When real life stories spread about antibiotic resistant bacteria, there is genuine fear a new generation of superbugs has emerged to attack defenceless humans. Searching […] Read more
CCA to hold cattle tracing workshop
A national system that identifies individual cattle and traces their origin is being initiated by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and the dairy industry. Cattle producers want a system that traces an animal’s health information, parentage and place of birth. “It’s become increasingly clear that some of our trading partners and the markets we hope to […] Read more
