Verified Beef Production (VBP) took a highly anticipated step today, with the official launch of Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+). The refreshed program now includes training and auditing for animal care, biosecurity and environmental stewardship as well as the original on-farm food safety practices, in both the cow-calf and feedlot sectors. “VBP+ is a straightforward,... Read More
Category: Western Canada
It's the Year of No Forgiveness. Apologies to those who didn't get that "perfect rain" and are still hoping for more. As for that slow-growing alfalfa stand: have you checked for weevils? And how about your canola? Have you scouted for cabbage seedpod weevils yet? Peter Johnson, resident agronomist for RealAgriculture, stresses the importance of... Read More
A new Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Hatching Eggs, Breeders, Chickens and Turkeys was released today, replacing a 2003 version published by the Canadian Agri-Food Research Council. "The Code of Practice supports the sustainability of Canadian poultry industries and the success of farmers," said Vernon Froese, poultry farmer and chair of... Read More
A Western Canadian equipment manufacturer is taking the land-roller, increasingly used to push stones into the ground and flatten soil ridges to make harvest easier, and adding several other functions to accomplish more with each pass. Ag Shield Manufacturing added a leveling blade on the front of its roller for removing mole hills and small... Read More
A group in Alberta is hoping to determine how prepared farmers are to meet internationally recognized sustainability standards. "The Alberta Farm Sustainability Extension Working Group is a very new project, and its continuing on the work from the Alberta Crops Sustainability Certification Pilot project that was completed in the spring of 2015," says Jolene Noble,... Read More
The Canadian government says it's following the situation surrounding the European Union's looming deadline for glyphosate. The EU's authorization for the herbicide is set to expire on June 30th, with member states so far unable to come to an agreement to approve a new license. Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland was not available for an interview,... Read More
The last five years I have been very fortunate to moderate the Saskatchewan Stock Growers annual meeting. Over the years I have heard some great presentations and have gained a very strong connection with the ranching roots of the organization. In my time hosting the meeting I have seen freakish snow storms in the Cypress... Read More
If you have been to an agricultural meeting in the last seven years you have likely heard a presentation on advocacy. In both the US and Canada, advocacy has become a call to action for farmers, ranchers, dairymen, etc. Organizations like Ag More Than Ever were founded to focus on advocacy and enabling producers to... Read More
What’s it like to have 2,000 consumers show up for breakfast at your farm? It’s not that big of a deal if you’re organized and have plenty of volunteers, says cash cropper and dairy farmer Evert Veldhuizen. He and his brother, Jan, hosted the latest Ontario ‘Breakfast on the Farm’ event Saturday morning at their…Read More
The Government of Alberta today announced that the Board of Directors of the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) has been dismissed following an examination into senior executive expenses and procurements. “The report’s findings point to a culture of entitlement in the last administration that Albertans firmly rejected in the election, a culture of entitlement that... Read More