There’s an app for everything these days…and that includes traceability. Meet the CLTS MOBO APP! The CLTS MOBO APP is essentially the Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) database at your fingertips. We’ve taken the entirety of a national traceability system and made it available on your Android and iPhone devices. You may not be familiar…
By Reynold Bergen, BCRC, for Canadian Cattlemen The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) projects featured in this column are funded by the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off. When the check-off increased a few years ago, the BCRC’s budget rose from around 15 cents to 67 cents per head marketed. This allowed us to start some new…
Here’s a refreshing new tool designed right here in Alberta. How about a watering device that saves countless trips to the field mid-winter to keep animals hydrated? Lee Smith from Consort devised an invention that does this very thing. Water Box provides 24 24-hour- drinking water to livestock all winter long. No need to chop…
No doubt 2020 saw some changes in how we, as farmers and agricultural organizations, were able to interact with our local government. Usually, we would gather at a dinner, at meetings, or on our farms to celebrate those accomplishments, and discuss further visions and goals for our dynamic Alberta beef industry. Last year, in lieu…
Selecting commercial beef cattle replacement heifers for the herd is not based on beauty. A pretty face is just that – a pretty face. What we are looking for in the commercial herd is a working girl with serious historical data behind her. The “genes” she wears will come from a long line of females…
In Canada and around the world, certain industry sectors take responsibility for managing their products and packaging when consumers/users are finished with them (typically called at ‘end of life’) so the resources can be recovered and reinvested in the economy. In these cases, a variety of market forces encourage these companies, called ‘producers’, that supply…
October 19, 2021 (Edmonton, Alberta) – Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) has invested $640,000 in a collaborative research project with the Canadian Beef Improvement Network (CBIN) to springboard the development of a unified, standardized, and producer-accessible beef cattle genetics data platform. Through this platform, CBIN will provide commercial cattle producers and the entire beef production chain…
The National Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) has released its updated Compliance and Enforcement Policy for confined feeding operations in Alberta. The policy outlines the compliance process, emphasizes education and prevention, and provides direction on appropriate enforcement actions. It is founded on three pillars: collaborative problem solving, risk-based compliance, and fair complaint response. For more information,…
Managing herd genetics is difficult without the right tools, and even harder when you produce crossbred cattle. Optimizing herd genetics The first part to optimizing herd genetics is selecting sires/dams with the best genes. This can be achieved by purchasing breeding stock that have the best estimated progeny differences (EPDs). However, EPDs can have low…
AITC-C launches Guardians of the Grasslands in the Classroom Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C), along with its 10 provincial members, is excited to launch a teaching guide with interactive resources for Guardians of the Grasslands, a documentary that explores the role that cattle play in the survival of Canada’s vanishing grasslands ecosystem. Through a funding partnership with…
Canfax fed steer and heifer prices closed last week around $156.50/cwt, fully steady with the previous week. Fed cattle prices are $21/cwt higher than last year. Last week dressed sales were reported from $260.50-263.50 FOB lot. Cattle that traded last week were being booked for the middle of November delivery. For the week ending October…
Delicious Instant Pot Meatballs and Spaghetti on the table in 20 minutes?! This isn’t a drill. Up your weeknight dinner game with this delicious crowd pleasing favourite. Around here, dinner prep time is at a premium. I love making recipes that taste like they’ve been simmering for hours but are on the table in less…