A restaurant-goer snaps a photo of a dish featuring beef. Certified sustainable beef is gaining traction in the market place, but a supply crunch makes it tough for restaurants and retailers to meet demand.

Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef faces supply crunch

As demand has increased for beef from certified-sustainable farms and ranches, supply has fallen behind

It’s been over 10 years since the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef was established, and though the roundtable has made progress, it has also run into challenges. While producer uptake in the program was strong at the start, it has petered off, causing concern. The roundtable’s goal is to encourage sustainable beef production in Canada, […] Read more

Frequently asked questions about becoming CRSB certified

Frequently asked questions about becoming CRSB certified

As the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef closes the book on its first decade, we dive into the incentives available, recent changes to the CRSB Certified program and how producers can sign up

It’s been 10 years since the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) was founded, and great strides have been made in measuring and recognizing Canada’s leadership in sustainability. The Certified Sustainable Beef Framework, known as “CRSB Certified,” was created in 2017 to recognize the sustainable practices on the ground and to provide credible assurances for consumers […] Read more


Cattle in an Iowa feedlot. A new program aims to reward beef producers for investing in genetics, while also boosting consumer demand.

New U.S. grid premium highlights genetic merit of Angus cattle

A packer is working with the American Angus Association to reward Angus producers breeding cattle with high genetic merit scores

For cattle producers in the United States, focusing on their genetics just got a lot easier. In early May, National Beef Packing Co., in collaboration with the American Angus Association, announced new premiums for cattle based on their genetic merit scorecards. The premiums use a U.S. Premium Beef value-based grid which previously rewarded cattle that […] Read more

Calves waiting their turn to enter the Stettler Auction Mart in Alberta. Price insurance covers market risk from futures, currency and basis.

Managing risk when marketing beef cattle

Understanding price insurance, the risk it covers and how it compares to other options will allow you to draft a better risk management strategy

For the past year, cattle prices have remained strong in Canada and look to stay that way in 2024.However, this isn’t set in stone and the market can be quick to change, as producers saw in March 2024 as avian influenza was first detected in dairy cattle in the U.S., introducing risk into a red-hot […] Read more


(HLS.ca/virden)

Auction mart report for the week of March 29, 2024

Regional market analysis from Manitoba, courtesy of the Livestock Markets Association of Canada members

Western Manitoba, courtesy of Heartland Livestock Services Very strong market this week, with nearly 3,800 cattle through the ring at Virden, Man. Five per cent of those animals were butcher cattle, five per cent fresh calves and 90 per cent feeders. Well-sorted cattle in big groups are bringing premiums. Southern Alberta buyers took 40 per […] Read more

(HLS.ca/virden)

Auction mart report for the week of Mar. 15, 2024

Regional market analysis from Manitoba, courtesy of the Livestock Markets Association of Canada Members

Western Manitoba, courtesy of Heartland Livestock Services Virden saw 2,700 cattle through the ring this week. Ninety per cent of the cattle on offer were feeders, nine per cent fresh calves and one per cent butcher cattle. Forty per cent of cattle went to southern Alberta, and local, Eastern and American buyers took 20 per […] Read more



Photo: Canadian Cattlemen file

Auction marts face changing industry

As the national cow herd shrinks, demographics shift and technology disrupts marketing, auction marts are figuring out how to adapt

As the national cow herd shrinks, demographics shift and technology disrupts marketing, auction marts are figuring out how to adapt

Western tradition is on display at the auction mart conference in Olds, Alta. People in cowboy hats and boots fill the conference room at the hotel. And the residents of Olds are very familiar with Western culture — even some of the town’s “welcome” signs depict bull riding. But as important as those traditions are, […] Read more



Producers vaccinating calves before weaning.

The economics of preconditioning

Why aren’t more producers preconditioning calves? Kathy Larson dives into the research

Does preconditioning your calves pay? It has been a long-studied and debated topic. When it comes to preconditioning cattle, “every operation is different,” says Kathy Larson, research associate for the department of agricultural and resource economics at the University of Saskatchewan. Larson says there is opportunity for profit in preconditioning every year but it’s variable. […] Read more