RED DEER, Alta. – A taste for the unusual has altered Canada’s view of its pork export market. Products that ended up in the rendering tank five years ago are selling in Pacific Rim markets. Pigs’ feet, tongues, snouts, uteri, ears, intestines, hearts and bungs (anal sphincter muscle) have all found a home in Asia […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Stuffed gopher museum attracts attention from around the world
TORRINGTON, Alta. – For a small-town project that set out to bait a few tourists as they sped by, the Torrington Gopher Hole museum has lured more than its share of international publicity. The museum featuring 54 stuffed gophers posed in 31 scenes representing Torrington businesses opened June 8 after months of flurried activity by […] Read more
Record price paid for a female llama
RED DEER, Alta. – This year’s Legacy Llama Classic sale was a million dollar event that included a Canadian record price. The annual sale held here June 8 and sponsored by Warren and Allan Fertig’s Legacy Llama Company drew more than 1,000 bidders and observers for an afternoon of quality breeding animals sold in a […] Read more
Livestock bond under review
CALGARY – Alberta’s livestock security program is under review with regulatory changes expected by fall before calf sales begin. Cliff Monroe, of Alberta Agriculture, said the security program’s review should be completed at the end of June. Recommendations for change will go to the agriculture minister by mid-August. Once new, streamlined rules are in place, […] Read more
Cattle prices make forage attractive feed – again
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – Grass-fed beef is an old idea that has come full circle as feed grain prices soar and calf prices plummet. Poised for change, Kamloops, B.C. ranchers like Larry Campbell and John Morrison predict shifts in traditional feeding practices will be seen as early as this fall if cattle producers hope to […] Read more
B.C. cattle producers want fair shake under native land claims deal
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – With more than 2.9 million hectares at stake, British Columbia cattle producers continue to insist they are part of native land claims settlements. About two-thirds of the ranchers who use range tenures to graze their cattle on government land could be affected if the B.C. and federal governments agree to settle […] Read more
Poor beef treatment costs millions, audit shows
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – Bumps, bruises and other defects detected in beef carcasses are costing the industry up to $114 million a year. The results of Canada’s first beef quality audit were released June 1 at the British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association convention here. These defects dock a carcass’s value by an average $70 each, said […] Read more
Beef audit highlights costly errors
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – Canada’s first national quality audit of the beef sector may help the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association to be number one internationally. The audit of meat quality looked for costly defects present in the beef supply. It also offered suggestions for improvements to ensure the highest standards for safety and quality. Taking part […] Read more
Alberta’s value-added food sector needs a shot in the arm: report
CALGARY – Alberta’s goal to build up its value-added food markets to $20 billion in sales within 10 years will need a boost if the province hopes to succeed. The provincial government’s recent study, called Changing Course, The Value-Added Agri-Food and Fibre Strategy for Alberta, says the province risks falling behind other regions where food […] Read more
It’s tough to make a buck in cattle business
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – Record levels of beef supplies and high grain prices indicate another tough year for all sectors of the cattle business. Anne Dunford, senior analyst for Cattlefax, Canada’s beef marketing analysis firm, had little in the way of good news for producers attending the annual British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association meeting. One of […] Read more
