The man who shipped the first cow that began the billion-dollar Canadian BSE domino has quit farming. Marwyn Peaster, the former American catfish farmer, is selling his northern Alberta farm and going into construction, said his wife, Lisa. “Marwyn just decided he was going into construction work. He’s had a business now for about four […] Read more
Stories by Mary MacArthur
Tinkering could help cereal crops’ future
WESTLOCK, Alta. – Newly elected Canadian Wheat Board director Henry Vos believes the future is bright for cereal grain producers. With a few changes to regulations, transportation improvements, some strategic investment in research and a little flexibility in marketing, the financial fortunes of cereal grain producers will improve. “I think the atmosphere is right for […] Read more
CFIA continues BSE feed search
Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials continue to search for cattle that may have been exposed to the same feed as the bull confirmed with BSE in February. The Alberta bull was born in 2000 and was at least 6 1/2 years old when it died. It was born and raised on the farm where it […] Read more
Flock changes hands at sale
TOFIELD, Alta. – One family believed the time was right to sell the sheep flock. Another hoped the time was right to jump into the sheep business. A recent auction sale brought them together. After 15 years Richard and Charlene Schultz of Hay Lakes, Alta., sold their flock of 220 bred North Country Cheviot cross […] Read more
CWB meeting attracts few Alberta producers
WESTLOCK, Alta. – It wasn’t until the end of the Canadian Wheat Board farmer forum meeting that Dennis Wolfe asked about the elephant in the room. “Why did only four farmers come out to the meeting? It certainly shows something is wrong,” said Wolfe. “Something is missing if this is all of the farmers that […] Read more
Special gene producers calves with tender meat
A Saskatchewan rancher hopes the premium price paid for his animals at auction will create a greater demand for his calves with a special tenderness gene. Gerry Duckworth of Courval credits the star six DNA technology that ensures a tender steak as the reason his 400 Black Angus calves topped the market at Swift Current […] Read more
Ag website links idea with money
A new agriculture matchmaking company hopes to bring investors together with value-added developers and create successful marriages. A shortage of money available for value-added companies has been identified as one of the biggest barriers to adding value to agriculture, said Corey Keith, president of the Agri Value-Added Investor Network. It’s Keith’s job to find people […] Read more
Alta. fights CWD with deer hunt
Government employees will shoot several hundred deer in eastern Alberta where four new cases of chronic wasting disease were discovered in wild deer. Shooting deer that have possibly come in contact with deer infected with CWD is the only way to keep the disease from spreading through the province’s wild deer population, said Lyle Fullerton, […] Read more
CFIA warns B.C. dairies to cover treated wood
Dairy farmers in British Columbia must remove or cover treated wood from silage bunks and areas near cattle or risk losing their shipping licence after dioxin was found in milk samples from two farms. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency discovered the dioxin in milk samples as part of its national chemical monitoring program last year. […] Read more
Plea to restrict cattle trade raises few concerns in CCA
Canadian cattle officials believe a letter by four American senators to their agriculture secretary wanting to limit access to more Canadian cattle is just windy words. The senators, all from cattle-producing states, want U.S. agriculture secretary Mike Johanns to recognize the hurt the proposed Rule 2 would have on American cattle producers and limit more […] Read more
