STETTLER, Alta. – Like a modern day prophet, Merrell Dickie is spreading the good news about the sheep industry. The biggest converts to his sheep theology are discouraged cattle producers who can see no future in their business. “I want to spread the good news about the sheep industry,” said Dickie, livestock procurement manager with […] Read more
Stories by Mary MacArthur
Alberta unlocks vault for livestock producers
Alberta livestock producers have been given a $165 million emergency bailout by the provincial government to help offset the high costs of feed, fuel and fertilizer. It will be a few weeks before livestock owners know details of the Alberta Farm Recovery Plan designed to help livestock producers bridge the financial gap brought on by […] Read more
Alta. banks introduce machinery leasing
Alberta farmers will soon be able to lease farm machinery through their banks. John Schmeiser, executive vice-president with the Canada West Equipment Dealers Association, said changes to the act governing farm machinery are good news for farmers. “Any time a customer has more options it’s good for the industry,” said Schmeiser. Traditionally, farmers have bought […] Read more
Border snags delay Canadian cattle exports to U.S.
Getting a scheduled time to cross the American border with a truckload of feeder cattle is like winning the lottery. Producers sending feeder cattle to the United States can wait up to 10 days to get an appointment to ship across the border because of the large numbers of feeder cattle flowing to American feedlots. […] Read more
Canadian cattle stampede south
Canadian feeder cattle are being shipped to the United States in near record numbers because of high priced grain in Canada. Canfax, the market information arm of the Canadian Cattleman’s Association, estimates by the end of the year about 450,000 feeder cattle, or one-quarter of the country’s feeder herd, will end up in American feedlots […] Read more
Peace finally able to harvest
Peace River area farmers had to wait until October, but good harvest weather finally arrived. Warm, sunny days and windy nights in October allowed farmers in northern Alberta to operate their combines for more than a day at a time. “Today is the best harvest day of the year,” said David Wong Oct. 12. “We […] Read more
Alberta asked to help hog producers
Beleaguered Alberta pork producers are asking the provincial government to implement a survival plan that includes offsetting the high cost of feed grain brought on by government biofuel incentives. Paul Hodgman, executive director with Alberta Pork, said producers want the offset program to pay them 50 percent of the change in the feed grain prices […] Read more
Interveners join CWB barley appeal
The players are lining up for a second round in the Canadian Wheat Board barley marketing fight. The Alberta government announced it is seeking intervener status in the upcoming federal court appeal and will side with the federal government, which launched the appeal in August. The Western Barley Growers Association also will seek intervener status […] Read more
Chinese visit Canadian farms
COLINTON, Alta. – Farmers in parts of China face similar problems as those in Canada, says the leader of an agriculture delegation to this country. The group of 19 bureaucrats from the agriculture departments of six Chinese provinces and the Chinese autonomous region of Inner Mongolia hope to take the best of Canadian agriculture policy […] Read more
No horsing around
KINGMAN, Alta. – Terri McKinney and Brenda Winder think it’s normal to crawl between the back legs of a horse, slide under its belly to the front legs and pick up the horse’s hoof and place it on their stomach while they’re flat on the ground. “What we do here is normal stuff,” said McKinney […] Read more
