Nearly 5,000 people have signed petitions asking Ottawa to review its decision to cut programs at the Motherwell Homestead national historic site in Saskatchewan. The site near Abernethy is the home of the country’s first agriculture minister and features demonstrations of how agriculture was practiced in W.R. Motherwell’s time. Costumed interpreters used cattle, horses, poultry […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
Producers told to zero in on chefs to get bison on menu
Educate restaurants and hotels | Chef says bison could be a hot item if health benefits are properly marketed
Saskatoon chef Anthony McCarthy waved a glossy brochure in front of the room full of bison producers and wondered why he’d never seen it before. If people like him, who know how to prepare bison and can introduce it to new consumers through restaurants, haven’t seen the professionally done brochures and recipe cards, then who […] Read moreFunds pledged to Regina event
The federal and provincial governments kicked off Canadian Western Agribition Nov. 19 by announcing several financial commitments to the annual Regina show and officially opening a refurbished commercial cattle barn. David Anderson, parliamentary secretary to the federal natural resources minister and for the Canadian Wheat Board, said $147,000 through the AgriMarketing Program would help the […] Read more
Bison biosecurity the new normal
Proactive measures | Producers should identify risks and establish risk tolerances
Biosecurity was not something a lot of bison producers worried about in the past. Bison herds had roamed wild and free and most who began raising them on their farms did so because they required less management. But the past several years have seen a change in attitude about the importance of biosecurity measures on […] Read moreBison immunization money well spent
Vaccinating bison remains a management option for producers who must rely on vaccines developed for beef cattle. Dr. Murray Woodbury, research chair in specialized livestock health and production at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, said vaccines aren’t absolutely necessary but there might be reasons to administer them. For example, bison entering a feedlot could […] Read more
Expert stresses minimal tillage to avoid ecosystem disturbance
Soil shouldn’t be treated like dirt, says noted soil health expert Jill Clapperton, but that’s exactly what happens when it is tilled. “You have to remember that soil is a habitat,” she told the recent Organics Connection conference in Regina. “We want those bugs. We have to decrease tillage to keep animals in the soil.” […] Read more
Organic system needs revamp, says experts
Food production has to become more efficient, says permaculture advocate Rob Avis. “We need a remake of the entire system from the bottom,” he told the Organic Connections conference in Regina. Permaculture focuses on a regenerative system that weaves together all environmental and social aspects of food, water, shelter and waste. Avis of Verge Permaculture […] Read more
Organic growers declining; demand rebounding
Recession hits | Opportunities lie in organic soybean products, milk, yogurt and cereal, says trade official
The decline in the number of organic farmers, particularly in Sask-atchewan, worries the Canadian Organic Trade Association. Executive director Matt Holmes told the recent Organic Connections conference in Regina that supply is already tight, and a smaller number of producers won’t help. Organic farm numbers declined nationally by 4.5 percent from 2009 to 2010, he […] Read moreAgribition looks for next young leaders candidate
Canadian Western Agribition has signed on as a future mentor to the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders program. Current participant Sheldon Kyle of Kenray Ranch at Redvers, Sask., said the relationship will be mutually beneficial. Once Agribition and a participant are matched, the participant will have a non-voting seat at the board table, he said. “This will […] Read more
Agribition kicks off with funding announcements, refurbished barn
The federal and provincial governments kicked off Canadian Western Agribition Nov. 19 by announcing several financial commitments to the annual Regina show and officially opening a refurbished commercial cattle barn. David Anderson, parliamentary secretary to the federal natural resources minister and for the Canadian Wheat Board, said $147,000 through the AgriMarketing Program would help the […] Read more
