COVID-19

University of Alberta by Bev Betkowski Online classes during COVID-19 can feel a bit distant. But add in 48 farmers and a real-time calf birth, and things perk up considerably.  That vivid minute-by-minute experience of watching a Black Angus cow give birth was a matter of lucky timing as Jesse Emery gave University of Alberta…

Applications for the 2021 program year will be accepted until 6:00 p.m. EST April 21, 2021 or until funding has been fully committed or until otherwise announced by the program. The 2021 program year begins on January 1, 2021 and will provide funding for workers who arrive in Canada on or after January 1, 2021 and up to April 21,…

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 Agriculture and Forestry has been working with the Alberta Health Operations Centre to confirm that Temporary Foreign Workers arriving through the Calgary International Airport with Alberta work permits will now receive a requisition to complete their day 10 test at a participating Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy. This change is only applicable to Temporary Foreign…

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…

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…

The Western Producer by Barb Glen Consumers paid more for beef, processors and retailers increased their profits and feedlot owners lost millions in 2020 because of COVID-19. A paper published through the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, written by project co-ordinator Karen Spencer, indicates feedlots lost an estimated $379 million in gross revenues…