Moderate volume Alberta cash trade developed the week before Christmas with the bulk of sales reported fully steady with the previous week from $276-278/cwt delivered. Weighted average steer prices closed the week at $165.53/cwt and cattle were scheduled three to five weeks out. Western Canadian fed slaughter for the week ending December 18th was 7%…
Pliny the Elder, the first-century Roman naturalist, stated in his Natural History that the Moon “replenishes the earth; when she approaches it, she fills all bodies, while, when she recedes, she empties them.” The moon connects us, guides us. It presents a moment of rest and reflection. A chance to revel in our successes and look…
Developing digital options to support beef producers has been slow, but Alberta-based company Flokk Systems is taking a bold step forward. Their digital beef herd management and traceability system, now undergoing field testing, is receiving attention from producers and entrepreneurs alike. “Flokk will provide cow/calf producers with the ease of use and functionality for their…
For Alberta Beef Producers, communicating beyond the farm gate to our beef consumer has always been top of mind. This is important when it comes to creating and maintaining demand for our beef of course, but also fostering understanding. An understanding of our industry, the world-class beef that we sustainably raise, and the producers that…
What is cold stress? All mammals need to maintain their internal body temperatures, averaging 38°C in cattle. However, they don’t need to use extra energy to maintain normal body temperatures when the environmental conditions are within a “thermoneutral zone.” The thermoneutral zone is defined as the range of ambient temperatures without regulatory changes in metabolic…
As we hunker down for colder weather and the winter months ahead, I am preparing for a shift in demand at the meat counter. Typically, I see a lower volume of walk-in consumers as compared to the summer months, but they are buying in larger quantities, more freezer packs, less beef aimed for the BBQ,…
Are you prepared for a livestock-related emergency? How would you respond? The Animal Health Emergency Management Project (AHEM) is equipping the Canadian livestock industry with awareness, understanding, and resilience in emergency preparedness. One of the ways it’s doing that is by providing producer handbooks that outline important considerations and actions for emergency situations. In December…
Last week the Canfax fed steer and heifer prices closed around $165/cwt, $1/cwt higher than the previous week. Alberta fed prices did establish new annual price highs last week. From their summer lows in July, fed prices have rallied 10%. Over the past decade this is one of the smallest rallies from summer lows to…
Kung Pao Beef & Cauliflower rice bowls make meal prep lunch a whole lot more flavorful. All of the classic components of kung pao bowl, but this version is low carb and perfect for a make ahead meal prep! Don’t get me wrong, I love me a good kung pao noodle bowl. In fact, that…
Today, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) notified the World Organisation for Animal Health of a case of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Canada’s beef industry takes BSE surveillance extremely seriously and although unfortunate, this discovery demonstrates the robust nature of the National BSE Surveillance Program we have in place. “The quick discovery of this…
Canadian Beef Industry Award winner, Dr. Surya Acharya, sets his sights on sustainable innovations to help tackle beef industry challenges Every year the Beef Cattle Research Council recognizes a researcher or scientist whose work has contributed to advancements in the competitiveness and sustainability of the Canadian beef industry. This year, the BCRC awarded ABP nominee…
By Lisa Guenther, Editor, Canadian Cattlemen The recent article in Time proclaiming cows as the new coal must have been discouraging to ranchers and beef farmers, never mind the segment on CBC’s The Current that included cutting red meat as a way to fight climate change. At one point on The Current, Lloyd Alter, who has a background as an architect and…