Mary MacArthur

RED DEER, Alta. – A group of farmers has failed to convince the Alberta Barley Commission to drop its lawsuit against the Canadian Wheat Board. “I’m pleased with the results. It maintains our support for the charter challenge and farmers want choice,” said Tim Harvie, chair of the barley commission, at the organization’s recent annual […] Read more

CAMROSE, Alta. – Gerald Pilger admits he didn’t know much about Canada’s foreign aid. He’d heard horror stories of donated Canadian grain rotting on docks in Asia and beggars in Mexico getting picked up in limousines after a day’s work. Because of his skepticism, the Camrose farmer was one of four Canadians chosen by a […] Read more

EDMONTON – It’s time for the beef industry to get into the food business, said the executive director of Canadian Beef Improvement in Calgary. “It’s time to get out of the cattle business,” Ken Aylesworth told a group of beef industry leaders at a beef symposium during the recent Farmfair in Edmonton. “What will beat […] Read more

EDMONTON – When the owner of one of Alberta’s most famous steak houses complains about Alberta beef, the industry had better listen. “What recourse do I have if a diner says ‘This steak is tough,’ than absorb the cost myself?” Tom Goodchild, owner of the Sawmill Restaurants and Hard Rock Cafe in Edmonton asked a […] Read more

EDMONTON, Alta. – Alberta municipalities must be less territorial if they are going to survive in the new financially tighter world, said the president of the province’s municipal organization. Roelof Heinen pointed to some small towns that own their own road grader to maintain a kilometre of gravel road instead of using graders available from […] Read more

EDMONTON – When Elden McLachlan looked into his crystal ball he saw money floating out of his pocket to pay for grazing cattle on provincial pastures. This year the Fairview, Alta., farmer and 51 other members of the Whitemud Grazing Reserve took over the administration of the pasture to help ease the transition when the […] Read more

SASKATOON – Standing in a Saskatoon liquor store sipping saskatoon berry liqueur, customers ask inventor Kay Kerr two questions. “Why didn’t I think of this?” and “How come it’s not made in Saskatoon?” Like the consumers, Kerr also wondered why a liqueur made from one of the prairies’ most popular native fruits wasn’t available. So […] Read more

CAMROSE, Alta. – Everett Tanis was surprised when he got a late-night telephone call asking if he wanted a ballot for the upcoming Alberta grain marketing plebiscite. The Picture Butte farmer was even more surprised when the caller said he was being paid by the provincial government. “He told me ‘I’m getting paid by the […] Read more

LEDUC, Alta. – Whatever the outcome of Alberta’s grain marketing plebiscite, Dennis Schneider knows he can survive. For the past few months, the Leduc farmer has been learning about the futures markets. He’s lost money and made money, but having that extra marketing information will help him sell his grain. “Now when I hear the […] Read more

CAMROSE, Alta. – The Canadian Wheat Board would be a “toothless tiger” if it lost its barley and wheat selling monopoly, said the head of the wheat board’s corporate communications. “A Canadian Wheat Board without a monopoly is just another grain company,” Bob Rohle told about 125 farmers during a wheat board plebiscite information meeting […] Read more