Over the last 30 years, John Masswohl has attended hundreds of meetings on agricultural trade in Europe, Asia, Washington D.C., Mexico City, Vietnam, Tokyo and elsewhere. You name it, he’s been there. Masswohl, the former director of government and international relations with the Canadian Cattle Association, was heavily involved in the negotiations for Canada’s free […] Read more
Tag Archives Cattle
Conservation deal to protect historic Alta. ranch
Agreement reached with Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited will curtail development at McIntyre Ranch
The sprawling, nearly 130-year-old McIntyre Ranch, located 60 kilometres south of Lethbridge, will allow for cattle grazing in perpetuity while curtailing development along rolling native grasslands.
Irish cattle producers return to the mountain
Farmers in the Burren employ a system called winterage, where cattle graze the windswept, rain-soaked mountains of west County Clare from autumn until spring. The cattle are brought back to the valleys and farmsteads for the rest of the year, before once again moving to their mountain winter pastures (called winterages by locals) as the days shorten and temperatures cool.
Prepping for the pasture – photo essay
Getting calves branded, vaccinated and ready for their trip to the pasture is a community affair at Ashley and Tyler Ritchie’s farm near Darcy, Sask. A lot of extra hands were needed to process about 150 head during the afternoon of May 13, all provided by neighbours from nearby farms and the Spring Water Hutterite […] Read more
South Korean BSE ban not expected to last long
The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association is downplaying news today that South Korea is restricting beef imports following the case of atypical BSE being found in Alberta last week. CCA executive vice-president Dennis Laycraft said the move stems from Canada’s particular export agreement with South Korea requiring verification of information of BSE cases by Seoul. “We would […] Read more
Fencing in difficult terrain has options
Building a good permanent fence can be challenging in rocky, frozen or swampy ground when it’s impossible to dig post holes efficiently, or set posts with a tractor-mounted post-pounder. Most fences for cattle use barbed wire, especially for large pastures. A good barbed-wire fence is effective and cheaper to build and maintain than rail fences […] Read more
JBS contributes $2 million to Brooks
JBS Foods Canada, which operates the beef processing facility in Brooks, Alta., is providing $2 million to that community, the company announced Oct. 22. The funds are part of the company’s Hometown Strong initiative that has earmarked $50 million for use in communities within Canada and the United States where it has facilities. The money […] Read more
Cargill closes High River beef plant
The Cargill meat processing plant in High River, Alta., which slaughters 40 percent of the cattle in Canada, announced temporary closure effective April 20. Date of reopening is unknown but the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association said it could mean industry losses of half a billion dollars by June if the closure lasts that long. Halt of […] Read more
Two bulls hit price stratosphere
(Editor’s note: This story has been corrected from an original version.) It was – 40 C on Feb. 25 when the Beechinor family prepared for their seventh bull sale. They never imagined that the pace of their sale would be so hot. Stefon and Rebecca Beechinor of Bentley, Alta., and partner JNR Farms of Willingdon, […] Read more
Bigger calves aren’t always better
LANIGAN, Sask. — Chip Hines says bigger cattle aren’t better for increasing the financial bottom line. “That’s something that people do not understand. Our whole focus has been on pounds and performance, but that’s not the one that tells the story,” the author and retired Colorado rancher said during the Western Beef Development Centre’s 19th […] Read more
