In his column in our May issue of Canadian Cattlemen, Dan Darling of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association raises a red flag over the traceability regulation Ottawa plans to Gazette by the end of this year. Well, maybe not, according to Darling. His basic message is that the cattle industry can’t implement what Ottawa wants and remain […] Read more
Comment: Traceability, again
Comment: The clock is ticking on TFW
Late last month the beef industry got a glimmer of good news on the labour front when Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk officially requested a review of the Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) program. Unfortunately it appears she didn’t do it fast enough or go far enough to stop the next scheduled cut […] Read more
Comment: Here’s to those who stand up
Barring an unforeseen event, this article should reach you right about the time Dan Darling of Castleton, Ont. has being elected president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), a position he’s been training for since he accepted the role of vice-president two years ago. In so doing he joins a long line of ranchers, feedlot operators and […] Read more
Comment: Social licence needs to be a co-operative effort
The term social licence kept jumping into my mind last month as I scanned the headlines coming out of Oregon where a group of gun-toting militiamen took over the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. They were there to protest the arrest of two ranchers who were convicted in 2012 of starting fires that […] Read more
Comment: Alberta supports the $2.50 checkoff
The Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) became the first provincial cattle organization to officially declare its support for a $1.50 increase in the mandatory $1 national checkoff at its annual meeting last month in Calgary. Given the vocal support for an increase reported at district meetings around the province leading up to an official vote by […] Read more
Comment: WHO got the black eye?
I can’t help but wonder if the scientists at the World Health Organization were surprised by public reaction to their linking processed meat and red meat to cancer. Within hours the hashtags #FreeBacon, #Bacongeddon and JeSuis Bacon exploded to the top of the twitterverse with negative tweets outnumbering the positives by seven to one. German […] Read more
Comment: Is it time to raise the national checkoff?
For much of this year you have read or heard about Canada’s national beef strategy, but this fall the attention of the cattle associations across the country will swing around to paying for the strategy. A campaign is being put together for provincial cattle organizations to present the argument for raising the national mandatory checkoff […] Read more
Comment: Dropping in on the animal rights movement
No change — they still want everyone to go vegan
The Animal Agriculture Alliance, the industry’s advocacy group in the U.S., recently sent me a report by two young interns who were sent to “blend in” at the National Animal Rights Conference held outside Washington this summer to gain some insight into the movement’s plans. The short answer is more of the same, as 1,500 […] Read more
Prepping for the politicians
A few notes from the CCA’s semi-annual meeting
Late last month the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association published a political wish list on behalf of the beef industry for candidates running in the federal election. You can find it on the CCA website. The week before that document came out I had a chance to hear some of the background discussions that went into setting […] Read more
Editorial: August anxieties
There are a lot of balls in the air as we start another fall run
If you only look at prices charts it’s a great time to be in the cattle business. It’s only when you start looking longer-term that you see plenty of reasons to be anxious for the beef industry this August. As of this issue going to press Canada is in what appears to be the final […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
