The price of land is a big barrier to growing the province’s beef cow numbers, but northern Ontario may offer a solution for farmers seeking new opportunities. “Northern Ontario, where land is cheaper and could work for cows, is a logical spot. There are 16 million under-used acres in the Great Clay Belt,” Beef Farmers […]
Read MoreAnother undercover video of farm animal abuse – this time on a BC dairy farm – means another black eye for farmers in the media. Those of us in farming know these terrible incidents are by far the exception and not the norm – but the many millions who see or read the bad news […]
Read MoreThe strength of the local food movement and the potential of an untapped urban market keen to buy high quality beef direct from farmers are behind a new marketing initiative underway by Beef Farmers of Ontario. Farm to City Marketing is based on the popular community-supported agriculture (CSA) model that has been successful for vegetable […]
Read MoreThis is the final article in a short series about agriculture in Argentina, a country I had a chance to visit as part of the International Federation of Agriculture Journalists conference in 2013. Argentina has traditionally been amongst the world’s leading beef producing nations. Much of its proud rural history is based on cattle, ranching […]
Read MoreMore beef check-off dollars are going into social media than ever before – and it’s proven to be a very effective strategy for boosting consumer awareness and driving loyalty to Canadian beef. That’s according to Heather Travis, Canada Beef’s Director of Public Relations and Marketing Communications, who’s been a long time champion of social media […]
Read MorePicton – A desire to give back to a community that supported them in their time of need led to a fundraising campaign by local beef farmers that has raised $70,000 for a cardiac rehabilitation program in Picton, Ontario. The donation by the Prince Edward County Cattlemen’s Association was instrumental in helping to establish an […]
Read MoreUsing ultrasound on cattle to identify carcass characteristics is helping beef farmers maximize their profitability. A project led by Beef Improvement Opportunities (BIO) has shown that ultrasound technology can accurately predict specific carcass characteristics, such as weight, back fat and marbling, which directly affect how much a producer is paid for an animal.
Read MoreMany modern-day pet owners microchip their four-legged companions. This is to help identify them should they become lost, injured or otherwise harmed in some way. Farmers are doing a similar thing with their beef cattle. They’re using radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to keep track of their animals as they move from farm to farm […]
Read MoreHere’s the third in a series of guest posts I’ve been writing for the Canadian Beef Blog. Last month, I described some of the different cattle breeds and how to tell the difference between a dairy cow (one that gives milk) and a beef cow (one that is raised for meat). Now we’re going to […]
Read MoreHere’s another guest blog I wrote for Canadian Beef Blog recently: A cow is a cow is a cow, right? Not exactly. Yes, they’re all the same type of animal but there are many different breeds. For example, even though they’re both dogs, there aren’t a lot of similarities between a small white Bichon Frise […]
Read MoreHere’s a piece I wrote as a guest post for the Canadian Beef Blog. Every day is Earth Day on the farm. This slogan has long been used by folks in agriculture to highlight how farming benefits the environment. The good news stories don’t get told is a common complaint I hear from the farmers […]
Read MoreThere was good news in the provincial budget for farmers this week. The Ontario government announced new, permanent risk-management programs that farmers have long been asking for to help bring some much needed stability to notoriously fluctuating farm incomes. Farm leaders have been making their case both federally and provincially about the need for this […]
Read MoreHave you ever wondered what the world looks like through the eyes of animals? I think about that sometimes when I watch my dog lie in the grass, seemingly engrossed in nothing. Growing up on a dairy farm, I was surrounded by cattle on a daily basis and I remember wondering that too when I’d […]
Read MoreIt was the day of wines – bubbly wines, white wines, pink wines and even red wines. The Moselle wine area of Luxembourg is a gem and one I didn’t even know existed. We started off the day at Wormeldange cellars of the Domaines De Vinsmoselle, united winegrowers since 1921. They make a fabulous series […]
Read MoreIf you’re tired of winter and in need of a break, this might be for you. The Beef Information Centre (BIC) has just launched a new contest – grand prize: a weekend getaway for two at the luxurious Inn on the Twenty in the heart of Niagara’s wine country.
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