Business Tools

The Great Twine Round-Up contest is back for 2026, encouraging Alberta producers and youth to recycle plastic baler twine while supporting local communities and agricultural charities. The initiative is part of the Alberta Ag-Plastic. Recycle It! pilot project. Alberta-based 4-H clubs, district members, and independent entrants are invited to collect and recycle used plastic baler…

Unauthorized construction at confined feeding operations is on the rise The Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) is seeing a significant increase in unauthorized construction at confined feeding operations across Alberta. Compared to 2024, complaints related to unauthorized construction are up approximately 32 per cent, while enforcement actions have increased by about 125 per cent. This…

The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) has announced that its CRSB Certified program is now recognized as an agri-environmental risk assessment (AERA) under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriInvest program. This means that beef producers who are CRSB Certified and require an AERA to participate in AgriInvest can use their certification to meet that requirement for the government…

The Canadian Cow-calf Cost of Production (COP) Network has released new whole-farm financial benchmarks to help producers measure profitability and identify opportunities to strengthen their bottom line. The COP Network is an initiative of Canfax Research Services, funded by the Beef Cattle Research Council, to create standardized, pan-Canadian benchmarks for cow-calf production systems. Producer data…

In beef production, genetics play a critical role in both management and profitability. Regardless of the size of your operation or whether you are a commercial or purebred breeder, keeping records is an important part of managing your herd genetics. “Without accurate records you have no way of knowing whether or not your herd is…

The Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) program is now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 program year. If you’re between the ages of 18 and 35, and involved in any aspect of the beef supply chain, this is your chance to be paired with an industry leader for a nine-month mentorship. The CYL program, established by…

This article was first published in Volume 4 Issue 3 of ABP Magazine (September 2024). Watch for more digital content from the magazine on ABP Daily. This story was brought to you in partnership with Olds College of Agriculture and Technology. Cow-calf producers Lance and Karyn Neilson (Neilson Beef) sought advice from Dr. Désirée Gellantly, Research Scientist, Technology Access…

This article was first published in Volume 4 Issue 3 of ABP Magazine (September 2024). Watch for more digital content from the magazine on ABP Daily. Alberta beef producers have the Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) program to help them ‘prepare for the storms.’ Whether it’s localized ‘squalls’ like scours that can devastate an individual producers, or large ‘winter…

An RFID tag applicator, sometimes referred to as a “tagger” or as “pliers,” is the one vital tool every producer needs to make tagging cattle possible for our national traceability program. There are a lot of different applicators to choose from, and while they’re not all the same, they’re definitely not interchangeable with the different…

In the face of wildfires, the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies (AAAS) has stepped up to provide critical assistance to evacuees and their livestock. As flames continue to threaten communities across the province, AAAS has mobilized its network of agricultural facilities to offer refuge and support. AAAS is recognizing the urgency of the situation and…