A Portage la Prairie food processor that converts culled vegetables into nutritional purees has received $582,000 from the federal-provincial Growing Value program to increase its capacity. Canadian Prairie Garden Puree Products has acquired new equipment and modified its existing operation in order to cook more types of fruits, vegetables and pulse crops like chickpeas, navy […] Read more

Puree processor gets GF2 funds for expansion

Canada’s no-buy list for poultry, eggs down to two states
Canada is now warning cross-border travellers to the U.S. against bringing in raw poultry and eggs from two states, down from six at the end of 2015. As of Tuesday, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, travellers entering Canada from the U.S. may not bring in uncooked poultry products, live birds and/or eggs from […] Read more

History: They Fight to the Finish
Reprinted from the March 1947 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
They Fight to the Finish By Mary Terrill, Medicine Hat, Alta. ‘His huge paw on the carcass of the buffalo calf he had just slain, the old grizzly monarch of the Cypress Hills roared his defiance at the calf’s bellowing mother and proceeded to drag off his quarry to the safety of the tall timber […] Read more

Regulatory reviews show slim risk to bees from imidacloprid
Label directions and rules for foliar and on-seed use of imidacloprid pesticides should either prevent or limit the risks to honeybees and other pollinators from the chemical, Canadian and U.S. regulators say in a new early-stage risk assessment. Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday released […] Read more

Genetic codebreaking on wheat years ahead of schedule
Sequencing the infamously complex genome for bread wheat — a game-changing task for wheat breeding that’s been estimated to take four or five more years — may now just take another couple of years, following a milestone announced Wednesday. The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC), a team co-led by Canadian researchers, announced Wednesday it […] Read more
Cattle identification agency refines its database
News Roundup from the December 2015 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) added a few new reporting fields to its Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) database, a key component in the national livestock traceability system. As of November 20, the database now accepts 15-digit 840-series USDA tag identification (ID) numbers to keep track of imported animals as they move through the […] Read more

Ex-Legumex crush plant gets new owners, supply deal
Canada’s top grain handler is set to start feeding canola to a U.S. West Coast crushing plant now half-owned by the Prairie company’s parent firm. Regina-based Viterra, the grain handling arm of multinational commodity firm Glencore, on Tuesday announced a supply and marketing deal with Pacific Coast Canola (PCC), a next-to-new crush plant at Warden, Wash., […] Read more

Thunder Bay ag research station gets stay
More time has been bought for a northern Ontario agricultural research station on the brink of closing to come up with a new operating plan. The Ontario government on Monday announced $350,000 in bridge funding for the not-for-profit Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Association, operator of the Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Station (TBARS), to “develop a […] Read more

Korea’s temporary ban on Canadian beef lifted
South Korea’s temporary ban on imports of Canadian beef and veal, imposed after Canada’s discovery of a 19th case of BSE in February, has been lifted as of Wednesday. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland announced the Korean government’s decision Thursday. South Korea had re-imposed its ban on Canadian beef after the […] Read more
History: The Mystery of Violin Bill
Reprinted from the December 1949 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
The Mystery of Violin Bill By Freda Graham Bundy Violin Bill was one of the big mysteries of the early days in the Pincher Creek district. When I questioned an old-timer about him, this is what he told me. It was about 70 years ago — when we were at the cow camp on Dry […] Read more