COLUMBUS, Ohio — Wild boars are wreaking havoc across the United States and parts of Canada. One agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been given the task of trying to eliminate them because they are destructive and can carry foot-and-mouth disease, African swine fever, pseudorabies and parasites such as trichinellosis and screw worm. […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Humane housing top consumer concern
Ethical consumerism involves purchasing products believed to be raised in a humane and sustainable manner
COLUMBUS, Ohio — There is a shift toward ethical consumerism in the developed world with more people asking pointed questions about animal welfare and sustainable farming. “Once people have food security, they can afford to think about how their food is produced and how animals are treated in the process of becoming food,” said Candace […] Read more
Genomics takes bull selection to the next level
Select Sires collects semen from each bull and uses genomic information to determine high quality performers
PLAIN CITY, Ohio — Genomic analysis has changed the genetics business so that top animals are now selected on the basis of statistics rather than eye appeal. “One of the things that has happened in our industry is genomics. It has taken off in the Holstein breed. It has changed our world greatly,” Tony Good, […] Read morePigs at country fairs can spread illness
COLUMBUS, Ohio — That cute little pig on display at a local fair could be carrying a miserable flu virus. Hog shows are common in the United States, and events are held at county, state and national venues. Disease surveillance is showing these pigs can share influenza viruses with people. The viruses may also be […] Read more
TB source baffles Indiana researchers
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Indiana has been tuberculosis free since 1984, but in the last nine years cases keep cropping up in the southeastern part of the state. “I can’t explain how this is moving around,” said veterinarian Bret Marsh of the Indiana State Board of Animal Health. He described the recent history of the disease […] Read more
Non-refundable checkoffs a possibility in Alta.
Alberta agricultural commissions could restore mandatory service charges if members agree in a plebiscite. The Marketing of Agricultural Products Amendment Act 2017, or Bill 9, was tabled in the Alberta legislature April 11 and gives the producer-run commissions the ability to decide if their checkoffs should be refundable or non-refundable. These levies are collected every […] Read more
Researchers strive for biocontrols to manage invasive weeds
LACOMBE, Alta. — In the war against weeds, one of the best weapons is natural control. Plants that were introduced from other parts of the world often run out of control because there are no predators to keep them in check. Biocontrol introduces natural enemies to get rid of a targeted weed. “Biocontrol is not […] Read more
Pulse show, competition brings wealth of ideas
EDMONTON — From a YouTube ad portraying a shady guy dealing in protein bars to a student chef explaining the importance of simple ingredients, Alberta Pulses’s annual student food competition showed imagination and humour. Mission Impulseible, which is in its 10th year, asked students to create new ways of cooking with peas, beans and lentils. […] Read more
Turkey producers eager to educate, innovate
REDWATER, Alta. — When Marc and Hinke Therrien met in a dairy production class at the University of Alberta, they knew farming was in their future. They thought they would become dairy farmers but life offered them a different path in turkey farming near Redwater, Alta. Their innovative work in the poultry business earned them […] Read more
Alta. elk producers needed to fill growing demand
EDMONTON — The Alberta elk industry is shrinking at a time when cervid products are in good demand. The number of elk farms in the province dropped to 162 last year from 391 in 2005. These reductions in production are coinciding with a period in which meat and velvet antler for the health supplement market […] Read more
