In this episode of Thumbs up, Thumbs down, RealAgriculture.com's fearless leaders Shaun Haney and Lyndsey Smith talk government retaliation measures, or rather the lack thereof, in the COOL fiasco, Lyndsey suggests a statute of limitations on blaming previous governments for today's problems and Shaun professes his love of wrestling. Also in this audio-only version of... Read More
Category: Cattle
Ah, branding ... set to coincide perfectly with the start of the wedding season. As if the blindingly white legs of a farmer in a skirt aren’t nearly distracting enough, they must also be embellished with bruises. We held our branding on the last weekend of May, and I’m still thinking about pain mitigation for... Read More
There are good weeks and then there are poor weeks. Last week the US implemented its new rules to COOL. The Canadian and US industries feel strongly that these remedies are un-called for. Lyndsey Smith and Anne Wasko discuss the implementation of COOL in the latest edition of the CDN Beef Market Update. If you... Read More
The United States was required to come into compliance with its World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations in relation to the WTO dispute on its country-of-origin labelling (COOL) regulations today, May 23. The country has instead implemented proposed changes that many U.S. and Canadian cattle and hog industry players say makes it even worse. The Canadian... Read More
Editor's note: This is Owen Roberts' Real Talk, Real Action column. Each week, Owen will offer his insight into how farmers and the agricultural industry can participate in the rural- and ag-related discussions going on around them. Contact Owen at owen@uoguelph.ca or on Twitter at @TheUrbanCowboy. So you’ve done your homework, tested your feed for... Read More
The factors to consider when moving animals or changing feeding tactics can be overwhelming. In the case of rapid grass growth (as is evident this year), producers are advised to feed a supplement containing magnesium, especially for lactating cattle. This is all in an effort to prevent grass tetany, a metabolic condition that causes animals... Read More
Food safety is top of mind for any food industry. The beef industry is constantly researching new and proven methods for keeping Canada's beef value chain safe from pathogens. E-beam irradiation, a food safety technique used in over 50 countries, is one such method being evaluated for use on beef and beef trim. While not... Read More
For many in the agriculture industry and especially the beef industry, the announcement that BSE had been found in the Canadian cattle herd was one of those moments where you'll likely always remember where you were when you first heard it. I was at work, my first job in publishing, and the news came over... Read More
Working with what nature gives you and spending a bit of time with pen and paper can boost your pasture and hay land productivity. Whether it's matching topography like floodplains to forage species that don't mind wet feet, or mapping out cattle movement or winter feeding needs, pasture planning is well worth the time. In... Read More
Shaun Haney and Anne Wasko discuss the increase in US beef cutout prices versus the slumping cash price to feedyards. Is it all about packer margin or is there a bigger story yet to be told on beef demand through the summer. If you cannot see the embedded audio file, CLICK HERE