Mary MacArthur

Alberta’s decision to set a different end date for the fat cattle set-aside program than the federal government will cost the province millions of dollars in federal aid money. The federal government wants calves born in 2004 to be held back from slaughter until at least Jan. 1, 2006, to limit the number of cattle […] Read more

The Alberta government is launching a $100,000 comparison of Australia’s privatized grain marketing system and Canada’s government-backed grain marketing agency to see if there are benefits to the Australian model. “If we are going to be making a transition from what is currently a legislative monopoly system to an open market system, as a result […] Read more

A little bit of mustard spread on the field may be one answer to farmers’ weed and pest problems. An American research group is experimenting with mustard as an alternative to using chemicals to fight crop pests. Some producers have been able to reduce and even eliminate the use of fumigants in their potato crops […] Read more

The British Columbia government has joined the national calf set-aside program, but it may be too late for many of that province’s cattle producers who have already sold their calves, says a B.C. auction market owner. “This is something that should have happened six months ago, not when the calf run is half over,” said […] Read more

The Canadian bison industry plans to introduce electronic ear tags this year as a way to meet consumer demands for increased food traceability and to help producers more easily read their animals’ tags. “The whole idea around the heightened awareness of food safety issues and the increased need for traceability is being heightened all the […] Read more

When the wheels of the spotted school bus rolled into Camrose, Rochelle Leslie had to bring her two children to see what was inside. A bus painted like a Holstein cow is bound to be fun. “We were curious and the kids love buses,” said Leslie, who spent the afternoon in the COW bus, short […] Read more

Cattle industry officials are hoping a meeting this week in Calgary will mend the growing rift between Alberta and the rest of the provinces who say Alberta has an unfair advantage in the national fat cattle set-aside program because it has an additional basis program to reduce producer risk. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association is calling […] Read more

An Alberta restaurant is attempting to establish a record for the world’s longest barbecue in an effort to support the ailing beef industry and the province’s food banks. As a member of a small family farm in Athabasca, Dallas Ramey knows the impact of BSE on producers. As a restaurant owner, Ramey hopes having a […] Read more

WABAMUN, Alta. – Looking across the rolling hills, sloughs and hay land west of Edmonton, it’s hard to imagine the land was once a huge open pit coal mine. Bales of alfalfa dot the fields, geese swim in the slough at the bottom of a hill and cattle graze in the distance. “When I bring […] Read more

Alberta will induct three people into its Agriculture Hall of Fame Oct. 8, in recognition of their contributions to Alberta’s agriculture industry and rural community life. Chris Mills of Okotoks, Alta., worked as a market and policy analyst with Alberta and Canadian beef organizations for more than 30 years, helping defeat many international trade challenges […] Read more