Outlines some of the issues Alberta Beef Producers has brought forward as reasons for a potential membership withdrawal, as well as the Canadian Cattle Association’s response
Comment
Alberta Beef Producers gives notice of withdrawal to Canadian Cattle Association
Outlines some of the issues Alberta Beef Producers has brought forward, as well as the Canadian Cattle Association’s response
A change to how the cattle check-off rate is set in Western Canada
The check-off rate is now based on where the beef producer resides, not where they sell their cattle.
On August 1, the Saskatchewan Cattle Association raised the provincial portion of its check-off, raising the total check-off from $4.50 to $5.25 per head. This also put Saskatchewan’s check-off higher than Alberta’s, which still sits at $4.50. And because so many cattle are sold across that provincial border, everyone had to put their heads together […] Read more
Comment: Trying to keep ahead of the fire
Back in May 2002, a guy was running a log skidder in some bush pasture on the north side of Turtle Lake, Sask. It was hot and dry, one of those days when the temperature was higher than the humidity. I’m not sure exactly what happened. Perhaps it was just a spark from the log […] Read more
Comment: Canada needs a clear vision for agricultural exports
We spend a lot of time talking about the effect of agriculture on climate, when we should be talking about the effect of climate on agriculture, Al Mussell says. Now, I know farmers and ranchers spend a lot of time thinking about the effect of weather, and climate, on their operations (whether or not they […] Read more
Comment: Working within your circle of influence
What a time to be editing a monthly print magazine focused on the beef industry. By the time our April 2025 issue comes out, we may be, again, in the midst of more tariff threats, or even escalating tariffs. Perhaps President Trump will have modified or switched tactics by then. Who knows? I sure don’t. […] Read more
Comment: Surviving Donald Trump’s political chaos
Depending on who you talk to, U.S. President Donald Trump is either a righteous genius, acting in the best interests of America, or a blustering fool who doesn’t know what he’s doing. Personally, I don’t think either of those assessments is correct, or fully correct, anyway. I think Trump understands how to create chaos and […] Read more
Comment: Stress, health and the bovine brain
Recently, I listened to an audio book, When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress by Gabor Maté, a Canadian physician who’s built a career studying the effects of trauma on health. Maté was born to Jewish parents in 1944 in Nazi-occupied Hungary, and a small part of the book reflects on his […] Read more
Comment: Answering challenges in the cattle industry
I recently chatted with a colleague who has been proofing and copy-editing farm magazines, including this one, for several years. We discussed how things have changed in the industry since the ’80s — mainly the roles of women in farming and ranching, and the related professions. I think women have always been vital to this […] Read more
Top 10 Canadian Cattlemen stories of 2024
It can be tough to keep up with the latest in Canadian cattle news. In case you missed them, here are the stories that drew the most attention in 2024. 1. U.S. facing crucial beef shortages As the U.S. faces a shrinking beef herd, observers wonder whether there will be enough cattle in the next […] Read more
Comment: The beauty of agriculture
One thing I admire about many artists and writers is how they can see the extraordinary in everyday moments, and then elevate it through their work. I think the cover for our December issue (see above), painted by Rebecca Shuttleworth, is a perfect example. Shuttleworth has built a part-time career as an artist, but she […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
