EDMONTON — The Crozier family has been on the same farm for 120 years and has always been willing to change and adapt. Owned by Leonard, Jason and Brett Crozier, Cheslen Dairies west of Edmonton was among the first in Alberta to adopt robotic milkers. As a result, it wasn’t a stretch for the farm […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Clubroot spreads as new pathogens develop
Increasingly harmful strains have been identified in Western Canada and so planting canola resistant varieties is advised
OLDS, Alta. — Keeping ahead of clubroot may seem impossible, considering that 200,000 spores can piggyback on a gram of dust. The disease was first detected in four fields in 2003 and the latest report shows more than 2,440 infected fields in central Alberta. Rather than planting canola in the same field every year, farmers […] Read more
Brewery competes on unique flavour
LACOMBE, Alta. — With the stunning rise in craft breweries, some companies have unique approaches to stay ahead of the competition. For Blindman Brewery at Lac-ombe, the idea of crowd funding helped the operation get enough money to import foeders from France. A foeder, pronounced food-er, is a large oak vat used to age wine. […] Read more
Calgary Stampede steer show highlights
Devon Scott has retired from junior steer shows on a high note. The 20-year-old from Arrowwood, Alta., led out the grand champion against nearly 80 head at the Calgary Stampede Steer Classic held July 16, winning $17,000. The prize money is split into a $12,000 scholarship and a cash prize. His steer, named Rotor, was […] Read more
Zero in on alfalfa to maximize hay quality
VERMILION, Alta. — Figuring out the best time to cut hay is an individual decision, but weather and desired feed quality are important considerations to get the best possible product. “It depends on the performance you need to get out of the cows you are feeding,” said Leila Hickman, an animal science instructor at Lakeland […] Read more
Meat processor invests in sausage-making facilities
Olymel is investing $2 million in its Red Deer pork plant for a sausage production unit. “This will be a new activity with diversification to serve retailers in Western Canada,” said company spokesperson Richard Vigneault. Olymel plan is to produce breakfast sausages and bulk sausage meat for distribution in Western Canada. It added a sausage […] Read more
JBS feedlot sold to Nilsson firm
JBS is selling its 75,000 head feedlot at Brooks, Alta., to MCF Holdings for $50 million. MCF Holdings is owned by Nilsson Bros., which is based in Alberta. The Nilsson family originally owned XL Foods at Brooks, but sold it to the Brazilian company in 2013 following a food safety crisis at the plant. The […] Read more
Local entry wins Stampede’s auctioneer title
A day in the life for Dean Edge revolves around family, cattle sales and rodeo. A long-time employee of the auction company, Vold Jones and Vold, Edge was named the champion international livestock auctioneer at the Calgary Stampede held July 7-16. He competed against 23 other auctioneers from Canada, United States, Australia and South Africa […] Read more
Nilsson-owned firm buys Alta. feedlot from JBS
JBS is selling its 75,000 head feedlot at Brooks, Alta., to MCF Holdings for $50 million. MCF Holdings is owned by Nilsson Bros., which is based in Alberta. The Nilsson family originally owned XL Foods at Brooks, but sold it to the Brazilian company in 2013 following a food safety crisis at the plant. The […] Read more
Food companies aware of ‘new consumer’ demands
If food makers don’t adjust to concerns about animal welfare and sustainability, it could lead to a train wreck, says Maple Leaf
OTTAWA — A group nicknamed YEMP could be the most influential consumer demographic since the baby boomer generation came of age. Young, educated millennial parents are a food conscious group representing 24 percent of the population and able to take advantage of many more food choices than past generations. Food companies need to figure out […] Read more
