Alberta pork processing plants have been impacted by COVID-19 outbreaks and control measures, and as a result plants have closed or reduced slaughter capacity. Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau announced today that the AgriRecovery Framework will kick-in for Alberta, with up to $3 million available to assist hog producers impacted by processing shut... Read More
Category: Livestock
Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) announced an update on its Penitentiary Farm Program, which runs at Joyceville and Collins Bay Institutions at Kingston, Ontario. Offenders involved in the program have had the opportunity to learn technical, transferable and soft skills through their involvement in on-the-job and vocational training associated with the farming operations. Since 2019,... Read More
HALO Air Ambulance, based out of Medicine Hat, Alta., is drumming up funding through its first annual lottery. The prizes this year include standard early bird prizes of cash, but the final prize is a little different than a car or a showhome. On offer for the grand prize is $50,000 or the equivalent value... Read More
One of Canada's wealthiest families is committing $25 million to fund projects that help conserve prairie grasslands. The Weston Family Foundation says it will award grants to five organizations: Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation, Grasslands National Park (Parks Canada), and Meewasin Valley Authority. “The Canadian prairie grasslands are some... Read More
After closing for 14 days due to a COVID-19 outbreak among employees, Olymel is resuming operations at its pork processing plant in Red Deer, Alberta starting on Thursday, March 4. With support from Alberta Health Services, the company says slaughter operations will resume on Thursday, with cutting room operations beginning on Friday. The company says... Read More
The University of Saskatchewan (USask) has been awarded $6.76 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to help conserve bison and other threatened animal species. The announcement follows Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's announcement of more than $518 million to support the infrastructure needs of universities and research institutions across the country. The wide-ranging research... Read More
Alison Sunstrum was pushing for interconnectivity of farm data long before the internet was even commonplace. It's that kind of foresight that has pushed Sunstrum to grow not only her own businesses, but also to act as mentor — and sometimes funder and partner — to several other upstarts and innovators in agriculture. In this... Read More
The post-COVID situation for the food industry may be a concern for the average consumer. The impacts might be most felt by the grocery and restaurant sectors and one has to wonder what the business might look like when we emerge from the pandemic. "It depends which country you're in," says Dr. David Hughes, emeritus... Read More
Statistics Canada says that the cow herd and ewe flock have declined as of January 1, 2021, year-over-year, while hog numbers are up slightly. As of the first of the year, StatsCan says the hog herd increased by less than one per cent — just 0.4% year-over-year — while cattle numbers dropped one per cent... Read More
A national coalition of industry-wide farm organizations have launched the Agriculture Carbon Alliance (ACA). The goal of the alliance is to ensure that "Canadian farmers’ sustainable practices are recognized through a policy environment that maintains their competitiveness, supports their livelihoods, and leverages their critical role as stewards of the land," the organization says. As of... Read More