Issues & Insights

The Western Producer by Robert Arnason About three million Canadians lost their jobs last spring as COVID-19 forced thousands of businesses to shut their doors or lay off staff. Many farmers needed employees last spring and summer, but few Canadians applied for farm jobs, despite record levels of unemployment across the country. A survey of…

Alberta Open Farms Days is scheduled to take place August 14-15, 2021, and organizers are looking for farms and ranches interested in hosting visitors. Open Farm Days is a province-wide open house that showcases Alberta agriculture by welcoming neighbours of all ages to participate in engaging and meaningful weekend events. Host registration is open if…

The Government of Alberta has released details on the public consultation to inform the development of a modern coal policy. An initial survey to help inform next steps is available online for Albertans to share their thoughts until April 19.  An independent committee has been appointed to develop and lead the public engagement process. Ron Wallace will…

The Western Canadian Animal Health Network (WeCAHN) recently held the third quarterly meeting of the beef network discussing animal health events and data from the beef sector during the period October-December 2020. Highlights included an update on the investigation into the Anaplasmosis outbreak in Manitoba last fall, as well as recent Bovine Leucosis Virus testing….

Ducks Unlimited Canada, McDonald’s Canada and Cargill support expansion of Canadian grazing land and forages to help combat impacts of climate change and protect wildlife. Beef farmers and ranchers play an important role in providing quality food, but few people know they also play an essential role in protecting Canada’s land, water and wildlife. With…

The Pig Site by Global Ag Media Debates around livestock and meat consumption are on the rise in Europe as well as in other western countries. As European professionals of the livestock sector, we acknowledge this fact and are doing our best to take action on societal demands and environmental concerns. More progress can –…

Jill Harvie has a passion for the restaurant industry. Her podcast “Food Careers by Bright Pasture” highlights the people who move food from pasture to plate. She’s an outspoken advocate on behalf of the Canadian beef industry, knocking down silos between producers and customers. In a recent episode, Jill spoke with Marcel Blais, President of…

Today the Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced $185 million for the Agricultural Climate Solutions program which includes the Living Laboratories initiative. This program is intended to assist the Government of Canada in achieving its greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets. Canada’s beef industry is well positioned to be a partner in reaching…

Canadian Cattlemen by Piper Whelan When Bob Lowe was elected president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) in March 2020, he couldn’t have anticipated everything the year ahead had in store. Mere days after CCA’s annual general meeting, Canada was in lockdown due to the pandemic, changing the trajectory of everyone’s year and presenting numerous…

Olds College is currently conducting research on yardage costs in feedlots and other cattle operations. They are looking for producers to participate in this 10-minute survey. Olds College is also conducting a research study on preconditioning practices and are looking for producers to participate in the following survey. The University of Saskatchewan is looking to…