Livestock Management
After countless hours of scrolling through classified ads, you think you’ve found your next horse. Once an in-person meeting goes well, you may want to consider a pre-purchase exam before signing the cheque or sending an e-transfer. Many veterinarians offer pre-purchase examinations to check over a horse. The basic examination involves a detailed head-to-toe checkup. […] Read more
Livestock Management
Companies invest in meat alternatives
LONDON, Ont. — Major food companies are starting to invest more of their investment budgets into alternative meat products. “We spent over $900 million in the last couple years and are really investing to get bigger in traditional proteins,” said Sonya Roberts, who lead the growth ventures and strategic pricing for Cargill Proteins in Wichita, […] Read more
Beef farms claim local market
LAMBTON COUNTY, Ont. — The concept of farm to fork is not new to many beef producers but making a long-term success of it is another issue altogether. Murray and Sandy Shaw and friends Ralph and Brenda Eyre of Lambton County, Ont., sell their Limousin beef online and through a local farmers’ market under the […] Read more
Family thinks big when expanding feedlot
MOUNT CARMEL, Ont. — Expanding their southern Ontario farm became a case of go big or go home for the Van Osch family. Gerald and Fred Van Osch, who are third generation farmers descended from Dutch immigrants, evaluated their 600 acres of cropland and 900 head of cattle and decided to go big. “We decided […] Read more
Beef trade interest blossoms into packing plant
Ontario woman decided to purchase a federally inspected plant when an opportunity arose to sell beef to China
MOUNT FOREST, Ont. — Nancy Kingsley-Hu likes to think outside the meat box. Once a trader of beer, ice wine and honey to China, she came into the beef business by chance. “Some of my buyers in China were bothering me about pork and beef,” she said from her office at Mount Forest, where her […] Read more
Researchers explore ‘sushi factor’ for livestock
Agriculture Canada studies find that adding seaweed to animal diets results in new nutrition profiles for the meat
Seaweed, rich in micronutrients, could someday make it into the diets of cattle and other prairie-grown livestock. “It’s like an additive approach that can supplement maybe some grains or whatever that will provide nutrients,” said Wade Abbott, research scientist at Agriculture Canada’s Lethbridge Research and Development Centre. “They’re easily digestible, they’re loaded with protein and […] Read moreFeed shortage makes nutrition management more vital
Significant areas of Western Canada are affected by feed shortages and drought, which means many producers are faced with difficult management decisions for their herd in the coming year. Many producers will have to consider alternative and even unusual feed sources for both the fall and winter. I’ve seen media reports on the importance of […] Read more
Bear encounters on the rise in Alta.
Man-made food sources on farms such as granaries, silage, gardens and livestock are more nutritious than natural feed
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE, Alta. — Everybody has a bear story, but the Korth family encounter with a grizzly this spring was too close for comfort. Norman and Irene Korth lamb their 200 ewes from January to May at their farm near Rocky Mountain House. They knew there was increased bear activity in Clearwater County in […] Read more
African swine fever poses threat
China’s current battle against an outbreak of African swine fever is taking place half a world away from Canada, but distance is no guarantee against the deadly virus’s ability to come here. “Certainly there’s a possibility it could spread here. It’s spreading around the world,” said Canadian Pork Council executive director John Ross. “The usual […] Read more
Family rooted to farm for more than a century
Three generations feed 5,000 head, mostly Black Angus, in an operation that is Ontario Corn Fed Beef certified
LUCAN, Ont. — When a family has worked the same land for more than 100 years, they develop an appreciation for the past and future generations. The Conlin farm at Lucan, near London, is owned and operated by Mike and Jen Conlin and their children along with parents, Tony and Mary Conlin who are retiring. […] Read more
