RED DEER — The accolades for Continental Holsteins are numerous, but every award has been gratefully received. Long-time Holstein breeders Norm and Marj Atkins of Leduc, Alta., won the grand champion rosette at the recent Westerner Dairy Showcase with a mature cow born in 2007. Named Lakefield Dundee Janice, this Canadian born and bred cow […] Read more
Tag Archives Dairy
Dairy product takes aim at yogurt market
WOODSTOCK, Ont. — A new dairy product has hit Ontario and may soon be on grocery store shelves elsewhere. Rob London, senior product manager with the Gay Lea Foods Co-operative, said its Nordica Smooth cottage cheese products were two years in the making. “It’s a brand new innovation in North America. We haven’t seen it […] Read more
Farmers blame stray voltage for cow deaths
THAMESVILLE, Ont. —Tears came to Patrick Herbert’s eyes, and a choke to his voice, when he revealed the latest victim on his farm. The cow had recently birthed its second calf. It had since gone off its feed, and it struggled to stand. Its udder and splayed legs seem strangely distorted. “It gets to you. […] Read more
Alberta Milk extends new farmer quota repayment plan
Alberta Milk extends new farmer quota repayment plan
Merein and Kelsey Van Benthem believe they would not have been able to start farming without Alberta Milk’s quota loan program. They’re also convinced that the most recent changes will ensure their success as dairy farmers. “We feel pretty confident now we will succeed as farmers,” said Kelsey. The couple from Spruce View, Alta., struck […] Read more
Video: Herd Navigator collects data, enables quick medical attention
On-farm diagnostic lab | Information helps producers with management decisions
WOODSTOCK, Ont. — Herd Navigator can help producers by automating the busy tasks of laboratory style tests. It can asses the health of the herds by examining the milk of each cow. “It’s a lab on the farm,” says Nancy Charlton, a veterinarian and herd management specialist for DeLaval. “When the cows arrive to our […] Read moreTrade, supply chain challenge dairy producers
There are 12,500 dairy producers in Canada, who provide milk to three major processors, who in turn supply product to four main retail chains. Who has the power? Alberta Milk chair Tom Kootstra says the dynamics of the dairy industry require producers to co-operate if they want to achieve their goals in relation to powerful […] Read more
Robotic milker reinvigorates Alta. family farm
Next generation | A son’s investment in the family farm has improved family and herd health
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE, Alta. — What started as a joke ended as a farm succession plan. Cody Nicolay didn’t know how he could join the family dairy, beef and grain farm until he saw a YouTube video of a robotic milker. “I kept putting the idea into Dad’s head,” said Nicolay, who believed buying a […] Read more
Jerseys show staying power
Summer Synergy | Jersey breed performing well at shows alongside Holsteins
OLDS, Alta. — Jerseys ruled for the second year in a row at the Alberta 4-H dairy show in Olds. Lee Morey of Rochester, Alta., won supreme dairy animal with his entry of a two-year-old bred heifer that has never lost in the show ring. His sister, Casey, won the same award last year. “I […] Read more
Quebec dairy co-op to supply Sobeys, IGA, Safeway
Quebec-based dairy Agropur Co-operative has new agreements with Sobeys, to buy several dairy processing operations and to supply dairy products on a long-term basis. The companies said the value of the transaction totals $356 million. It includes: The purchase of four plants: two plants in Edmonton, one producing milk and the other ice cream; a […] Read more
Dairy officials pen breeding strategy
The direction of Holstein breeding, and by extension a large part of the Canadian dairy industry, has been mapped out through the year 2020. A Canadian Breed Strategy, consisting of five over-arching goals for Holstein production, was unveiled in late April after three years of dairy industry consultation across the country. “It’s a bit of […] Read more
