Lois Harris Archives | Canadian Cattlemen

Ontario feedlots counting on marketing, genetics and young farmers

By Lois Harris July 5, 2019

Ontario’s feedlot sector is currently facing a number of threats, but some positive signals from a younger generation and producer-led marketing initiatives hold the promise of a more robust future. “A lack of slaughter capacity is limiting growth,” said Jack Chaffe. “We’re maxed out with so many new barns built and so many cattle on […] Read more

Ontario’s current system is overly dependent on calves from out of province, and the focus is to boost cow numbers.

Livestock, News

Ontario votes to increase provincial beef check-off

Checkoff initially proposed in 2018 gets the go-ahead

By Lois Harris May 15, 2019

[UPDATED: May 16, 2019] It took a year of planning, negotiating and explaining how the money would be spent, but members of the Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) finally voted in favour of a hefty $1.50 increase in the beef cattle check-off at the 2019 annual general meeting. The increase was turned down in 2018. […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Features

Ontario’s CARVE brand beef a success

Growing appetite for high-quality local food created on opportunity for a new beef brand

By Lois Harris September 1, 2018

A newly minted premium Ontario beef brand called CARVE raked in more than $3 million in sales in just over a year and has become a flagship product for Flanagan Foodservice. “We lead with it everywhere we go,” said Brad Heard, the company’s category manager for protein. “We worked hand in hand with the Beef […] Read more

As part of his plan to provide alternative feed options for his cattle, one Ontario beef producer arranged with a neighbour to graze his cows on 100 acres of corn stalks.

Beef Cattle, Features, Livestock

The benefits of alternative feed options

Continuous improvement leads to big cost savings

By Lois Harris June 6, 2018

Mike Buis says that his approach to his vertically integrated beef business is to make “one new mistake every year” — the keys being “one” and “new.” “If we’re not making at least one mistake a year, we’re not trying hard enough to do different things,” he said. Buis has a fourth-generation farm with 300 […] Read more

Panelists Mike Buis, Mike von Massow, Jarius Maus, Joe Hill and Tammi Ribey discuss the challenges Ontario beef producers face in 2018.

Beef Cattle, Features

Stabilizing Ontario’s beef cattle industry

Five opinions heard at the Grey-Bruce Beef Day

By Lois Harris March 19, 2018

If every producer put into practice two or three new ideas from the conferences they attend, the entire industry could benefit, according to Dr. Tammi Ribey. “The beef industry is us — everyone can do something,” she said. “If we all do a little something, collectively it should help.” Ribey is a veterinarian with a […] Read more

Cow-Calf, Features

Improving livestock traceability key to higher profits

More feedback needed to build better herds

By Lois Harris February 27, 2018

Dave Milliner thinks the upcoming changes to federal regulations on livestock traceability are good but don’t go far enough. He contends that much more could be done in the beef industry to improve the quality of the meat, the productivity of the animals, returns for farmers and choices for consumers. “There’s no feedback loop — […] Read more

ICE weekly outlook: Uncertainty, lack of farmer selling lift canola bids

U.S. grains: Soy slips on favourable weather, demand disappointment

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures top one-month peaks

GFM Network News