Toronto custom burger maker Belmont Meats has become the latest subsidiary of Vancouver food processing firm Premium Brands. Premium Brands, which owns assorted processing and distribution businesses across Western Canada, Ontario and the U.S., on Thursday announced it has paid $50 million – $49.2 million in cash and $800,000 in Premium common shares — for […] Read more

Premium Brands buys Toronto burger processor
History: Ranching in the Peace
Reprinted from the April 1950 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Ranching in the Peace By R. D. Symons, Bear Flat via Fort St. John, B.C. ‘Up here in the Peace River Block, the industry is in its infancy and our problems are pressing – so much so that while this country is predominantly suited to livestock raising, especially towards the mountains, it may never develop […] Read more

U.S. chicken chain makes move on Western Canada
The world’s second-biggest quick-service chicken chain by number of stores is set to expand its reach into Western Canada starting next month. Atlanta-based chain Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen announced Tuesday it plans to open a new store in November in the Tamarack area of Edmonton, followed by a store in Calgary’s Forest Lawn area, then “subsequent […] Read more

Deere to license Precision Planting wares to Ag Leader
Iowa precision ag equipment maker Ag Leader will be able to make and sell high-speed planting equipment using certain systems from Precison Planting — when, or if, Deere and Co. seals its deal to buy the latter company. Deere and Ag Leader announced Wednesday they will have a licensing agreement in place allowing Ag Leader to […] Read more

B.C. beer firm to shed Vancouver, Winnipeg breweries
The owner of Winnipeg’s Fort Garry Brewing and Surrey-based Russell Brewing is set to sell those companies to separate buyers. Vancouver-based Russell Breweries said Friday it plans to sell Fort Garry to an unnamed purchaser for about $7.7 million and Russell Brewing to a B.C. numbered company for $1.8 million. Russell Breweries, whose shares trade […] Read more

FBC earns national, provincial honours for farm coverage
Winnipeg farm publishing house Farm Business Communications has earned 13 national and provincial awards so far this fall for its news and feature coverage of issues in Canadian farming. FBC, an arm of Glacier FarmMedia, earned a total of 10 gold, silver and bronze awards on Oct. 1 from the Canadian Farm Writers Federation (CFWF), […] Read more

Canada resets mildew grading standards on milling wheat
Canada’s visual grading standards for mildew in Prairie milling wheat have been relaxed to reflect what’s now known about the actual quality of affected wheat. The Canadian Grain Commission on Friday announced new mildew guidelines, “effective immediately,” for western Canadian milling wheat classes, to allow for an “increased presence” of mildew in visual guides and […] Read more

U.S. investment firm takes major stake in SunOpta
Canadian organic and non-GMO food firm SunOpta Inc. has taken on a new minority owner to help it pay down debt and boost its “flexibility.” The Mississauga-based, publicly traded company said Friday it has picked up an $85 million investment, in the form of exchangeable preferred shares, from Los Angeles-based Oaktree Capital Management. The investment, […] Read more

Mexico reopens to all Canadian beef
Beef and beef products from Canadian cattle of all ages may again be shipped to Mexico under newly expanded access announced Friday. The announcement from Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay, on his first official visit to Mexico, follows up on a joint statement in June that Mexico was in the “final stages of due diligence” to reopen […] Read more

History: “Topsy” The Rope-Spinning Horse
Reprinted from the April 1950 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
History: “Topsy” The Rope-Spinning Horse By Guy Weadick, High River, Alta. ‘Now I have known fancy ropers for a long time and am pretty familiar with all the tricks in that trade that have been accomplished by the manipulators of the spinning lariat, but this mare “Topsy” I’m going to tell you about, is the […] Read more