A vet preg checks heifers on a ranch in north-western Saskatchewan. Heifers that conceive early should be the top replacement candidates, says Dr. Jordan Thomas.

Breaking bad habits key to better bottom lines

Cow-calf producers urged to look at potential replacement heifers and older cows as buyers rather than sellers

The silent killer of cow-calf profitability is the bad habits of producers, according to Dr. Jordan Thomas, and holding on to less efficient cows is one of the worst. “What causes long hay-feeding seasons and long calving seasons is the person in the mirror — we need to work on how we think,” says the […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Subway reportedly nears sale to Arby’s owner

Chain's parent firm considering sale since February

Reuters — Roark Capital, which owns restaurant chains Arby’s and Buffalo Wild Wings, is nearing a deal to buy sandwich chain Subway for about US$9.6 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday. A deal could be finalized this week, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. “Subway does not intend to make any […] Read more


Canada Malting’s processing plant in Montreal. (CanadaMalting.com)

Bureau won’t challenge takeover of Canada Malting parent

U.K. also has 'no further questions'

The owner of one of Canada’s major commercial maltsters says its takeover by a major French peer won’t be challenged by Canada’s antitrust regulator. United Malt Group, whose Canadian assets operate under the Canada Malting banner, last month locked in on a previously announced deal to sell itself to France’s Malteries Soufflet for A$1.5 billion […] Read more

File photo of an Ontario cherry orchard. (UpdogDesigns/iStock/Getty Images)

Pilot plan to cut red tape for reliable TFW employers

Farm employers can apply starting next month

Canada’s temporary foreign worker (TFW) program is set to give farms a head start in an express lane expected to cut the annual paperwork for that program’s most “trusted employers.” Federal Employment and Workforce Development Minister Randy Boissonault last week launched a three-year pilot meant to “help to address labour shortages and reduce the administrative […] Read more


“I really like the connections and the people part of the business.”– Julie Mortenson.

Bringing cattle to the classroom

Julie Mortenson’s ‘Classroom Cattle’ program encourages students to ‘adopt’ a calf from her family’s ranch and watch it grow

Julie Mortenson grew up in the heart of cattle country. Today, she’s found a way to share some of that experience with students who don’t have the chance to spend time on farms and ranches. Originally from north of Grand Prairie, Alta., Mortenson spent her childhood on the land as she helped on her parent’s […] Read more

Kashika Sethi (l) and Rhea Thomas Thommana (r) were at Ag in Motion to represent food scientists Drs. Martin Reaney and Michael Nickerson and their 3D printer projects, including their work on printable protein-based materials, such as the pea-based “chicken leg” seen in the machine. (Becky Zimmer photo)

At Ag in Motion: 3D printer takes aim at food ingredients

Making foods both plant-based and printable the goal

With the development of 3D printing, the age of Star Trek replicators has arrived. For master’s student Rhea Thomas Thommana and PhD student Kashika Sethi, food replication is on the horizon as well. Thomas Thommana and Sethi were at Ag in Motion this week with a 3D printer designed to incorporate plant-based ingredients into food, […] Read more


Rail cars in Vancouver. (Photo courtesy/copyright Canadian National Railway)

B.C. port strike under cease-and-desist order, for now

Union serves, then withdraws, fresh 72 hours' notice to resume picketing

Updated, July 19 — Canada’s Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) has ordered British Columbia’s longshoremen back to work until their union serves three days’ notice before restarting strike action. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU Canada) — which represents about 7,400 workers at various Vancouver and Prince Rupert port terminals and facilities — said Tuesday […] Read more

A container terminal at the Port of Vancouver. (FangXiaNuo/E+/Canada)

B.C. longshore workers resume strike

Union caucus rejects federal mediator's proposed deal

The union representing longshore workers at Canada’s West Coast ports said its members would return to the picket line Tuesday afternoon after union leaders decided to reject a proposed agreement. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU Canada), which represents about 7,400 longshore workers at various Vancouver and Prince Rupert port facilities, said Tuesday afternoon […] Read more


Aerial view of Centerm, a Burrard Inlet terminal for containerized cargo at the Port of Vancouver. (Bloodua/iStock/Getty Images)

B.C. waterfront work to resume ‘as soon as possible’

BCMEA, ILWU reach tentative four-year deal

Striking longshore workers and their management are “finalizing details” for work to resume at Canada’s West Coast ports after a tentative deal was reached Thursday. The B.C. Maritime Employers Association said in a release Thursday morning it had reached a tentative pact with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU Canada) on a new four-year […] Read more

JBS signage at Greeley, Colorado. (JBS.com.br)

Brazil’s JBS reboots plan to list shares in New York

International meat packer hopes for access to lower-cost capital

Sao Paulo | Reuters — JBS SA, the world’s largest meat packer, on Wednesday proposed listing its shares in New York, hoping the move will bring its multiples closer to peers and that a broader investor base will give it more access to cheaper capital, sending its shares up eight per cent in mid-morning trade. […] Read more