Monthly Minute: Young Guns, Open Farm Days, and SCAP

The ABP Monthly Minute is your monthly re-cap of everything you need to know about what is happening at Alberta Beef Producers in 60 seconds or less.

Updates from ABP

ABP participated in Alberta Open Farms Days on August 13 and 14 by providing farms and ranches with packages of educational materials and fun giveaway items. We hope to expand on this program and engage with even more beef farms and ranches next year!

The Government Desk

Jason Hale, ABP Vice Chair, and John Buckley, past ABP director, toured the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Assistant Deputy Minister of Strategic Policy at Cattleland Feedlot and QCX livestock near Cochrane, AB. The group discussed the beef industry and environmental stewardship goals, the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, and fertilizer-related emissions.

The Production Desk

Johne’s disease is a chronic, incurable gastrointestinal disease which causes a thickening of the wall of the intestines, reducing nutrient absorption. Generally, calves pick up the infection through colostrum, milk, or contact with manure from an infected cow, but symptoms don’t typically show up until years later. Advanced Johne’s manifests as weight loss, chronic diarrhea, and eventually death.

While typically recognized as a problem in the dairy industry, Johne’s can and does exist in beef cattle herds in Canada. As such, ABP, along with the Beef Cattle Research Council, NSERC Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association and the Saskatchewan Agriculture Development Fund, supported research on Improved Johne’s Management.

From this research, an interactive Johne’s Testing Decision Tool has been developed to provide a range of possible outcomes reflecting the relative impacts of different disease management strategies.

Featured Posts

ABP invites Albertans to “Beef Up” their summer for a chance to win $1,000 prize

Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) has launched a contest encouraging Albertans to “Beef Up” their Summer. The contest invites beef-lovers to declare their burger-eating style, for the chance to win a $1,000 Ultimate Summer Grilling BBQ Prize Pack.

“Whether you are a Connoisseur, a “Squisher,” a “Tipper”, or a “Stealer,” there are many ways to enjoy a juicy burger prepared with Alberta beef,” says Lindsay Roberts, Marketing and Communications Manager, ABP. “This contest invites beef lovers to declare their burger-eating style through our digital entry form for a chance to win a $1,000 prize package that includes a portable BBQ grill and an assortment of beef cuts.”

The consumer-directed contest helps to draw attention to the health benefits of making burger-loving part of summer, promoting ground beef consumption in a fun way, by asking: “What kind of burger person are you?”