Twenty-eight producers in Alberta have new innovations and technologies on their farms, thanks to Rancher Researcher projects initiated by the Alberta Beef, Forage and Grazing Centre (ABFGC) and several Applied Research Associations. The projects started in 2017, with a three-year pilot. The Rancher Researcher Expansion Project started in 2020 and will wrap up next year….
On Wednesday, United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), Local 401 served Cargill with a strike notice. “We have conducted a strike vote in accordance with the requirements of the Labour Relations Code,” reads the notice from UFCW Local 401 President Thomas Hesse. “The results of that strike vote present an overwhelming desire to engage…
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the Classroom Agriculture Program (CAP) is set to return in January, now under the Agriculture for Life (Ag for Life) portfolio. “At Ag for Life, our main mission is to share knowledge, build connections with the community and provide ample learning opportunities for youth so they build a…
Emergencies that involve livestock are complex and can progress quickly, putting people and animals at risk. Natural disasters, such as fires and floods, can pose a severe threat to a farm. Farmers are familiar with what natural hazards exist in their area and should adjust their emergency plans accordingly. For example, a farm located in…
Alberta fed bids started off at $257/cwt delivered and by Wednesday afternoon/Thursday, bids/sales were reported in the $261-262/cwt area delivered to the plant. Dressed bids/sales were anywhere from steady to $5/cwt higher than the previous week. Sale volumes were too light to establish a weighted average price trend last week. For the month of October…
Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives (MBFI) hosted a webinar in early November, and it’s now available to watch at any time. Here’s the description, followed by the video, from MBFI: Cover crops have the potential to bestow numerous agronomic, environmental, and economic benefits on Prairie farms. Despite this, they are often viewed with skepticism by…
Busy weekday evenings are my kryptonite. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. I love quick and simple recipes that come together quickly and are delicious. This Cheeseburger Pasta Skillet is perfect. You will not believe how much this tastes like a real cheeseburger. Make sure and use all the…
By Alex McCuaig The pricing impact of this year’s drought on Canada’s ranchers is starting to be felt as western Canadian cattle begin their journey off the range and into the markets. For Alberta Beef Producer chair Melanie Wowk, this year’s fall run will see more cows heading to market than usual due to the drought….
By Lisa Guenther, Editor, Canadian Cattlemen While high nitrates in feeds are more commonly seen in frost-touched plants, Saskatchewan Agriculture staff have been seeing high levels in drought-stressed crops this summer, highlighting the importance of feed testing this fall. “We’ve seen a really wide variety of test results come in, some as high as five per…
“You don’t know what’s hiding in some of those bales sometimes, and you definitely don’t want some of those contaminants.” We all know a few best practices to lower the chances of vectoring weed seeds. We can knock mud off our boots, inspect pets, and clean equipment. But what about when we buy off-farm feed…
For generations, cattle producers have proudly advocated as stewards of the land – protecting native grasslands, watersheds and landscapes in which they reside. In fact, it is quite common for ranchers to profess that our cattle merely play a role in the true focus of our business of growing grass and turning it into a…
Is the vigor of your cattle herd waning? The genetic vigor, that is. It might be time to dig deeper than hide color to discover the actual genetic makeup, and then to refresh, the heterosis of your herd. The what? ‘Heterosis’ is the science term for the Hybrid Vigor factor, and while its known benefits…