Opinion: No one can put a price on nature, but we ignore its value at our peril

Opinion: No one can put a price on nature, but we ignore its value at our peril

As costs of climate change climb, it’s time to recognize Canada’s wetlands for their economic worth

Canada’s wetlands provide billions of dollars of economic value to communities every year. That’s billion, with a “b.” From flood and drought mitigation to carbon storage to water purification and protection from sea-level rise, wetlands deliver important infrastructure functions, naturally. But the worth of these important ecosystems fails to hit provincial and municipal balance sheets. […] Read more

Vet Advice: Pain control in cattle

Vet Advice: Pain control in cattle

It’s that time of year again. Calving for many producers is nearing completion, especially for those trying to dodge the impact of bad weather and the last of winter’s snows. April and May are busy times on the calving grounds. Thoughts shift to processing this year’s calf crop. Branding dates are normally communicated to neighbours […] Read more


Comment: The power of acknowledgement

Comment: The power of acknowledgement

We may need to drop the 'win the argument' mentality more often

Well, it sure has been a long haul with this pandemic, hasn’t it? I wonder what the world is going to look like in six months. Will we all remember how to socialize in real life once we re-emerge from these cycles of lockdowns and semi-lockdowns? Will we regain ground on the mental health front? […] Read more

Television Report on cattle
Note: I certify to be the exclusive author of the image of cattle presented in the TV

Bridging the rural-urban media divide

I’ve had a couple of conversations with producers recently about criticism of the beef industry in urban media and public perceptions of beef production. I’m also on a virtual ag media panel for the Advancing Women in Ag conference slated for Nov. 24 to 25, and one of the questions we were asked to cover […] Read more





We live in a vulnerable world

It is spring and the time when all Canadian farmers think of green grass, planting, awakening forests, early rains and trickling rebirth. This is our land and our livelihood and no one understands it better. Our soil, so firmly attached to our working boots, is the foundation of our existence and the reason for the […] Read more

How clean is our protein engine?

Woody breast has the poultry industry in a flap. Today, 50 per cent of the American broilers for slaughter suffer from the dense, dry tissue in the most expensive part of the bird. References to woody breast portray an industry in surprise and confusion. Hardly. The move toward single-trait selection for huge breasts on birds […] Read more


Beef — naturally

Beef — naturally

A chart on the slide laid it out in colour. Food sales in “natural” and “organic” products were not a niche or a fad — they were a well-established trend. Deep in a city boardroom shared with the major food industries, it became clear to me that what we assume of our urban and global […] Read more

boardroom chairs

Revelation in the boardroom

The constant evolution of the boardroom experience is one which every industry is experiencing. The transparency and rapid transfer of information allow for higher knowledge coming into the boardroom and a more transparent level of discussion. What is it that makes for an industry board that empowers members and hits all the right targets while […] Read more