Like most livestock farmers, Peter and Angela Freeman are passionate about the four-legged beasts in their charge. They care about animal welfare, and market forces drive them to be innovative marketers and adopt new technologies. So what sets them apart? Owners of Hartley’s, the Freemans are crocodile farmers in the northern part of the Australian […]
Read MoreThe 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 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 MoreCindy and Kevin Hope always knew they wanted to create their own branded line of dairy goat products and goat meat right on their farm some day. What they didn’t know was that their efforts to build sustainability into their farming business would net them two prestigious awards. Cross Wind Farm was the recipient of […]
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 MoreFor anyone writing or blogging about farming, here’s a great resource for you. One of my biggest struggles is always trying to find current, accurate and available photos to go along with articles or blog posts. The Ontario agriculture photo library has a wide array of available photos depicting many of the different aspects of […]
Read MoreI’m in beautiful Banff today, giving a presentation to hog farmers and pork industry representatives on social media and how we can use it in agriculture. It’s a bit of an event for me, for a number of reasons. First of all, I always like talking about social media and helping people gain an understanding […]
Read MoreIn Western Canada, student enrolment at various agricultural colleges is on the rise. And an increasing percentage of students flocking to programs in animal, food, life and environmental sciences are coming from urban areas, which spokespeople at these institutions attribute at least partly to the growing public interest in agriculture and food. Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural […]
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 MoreConsumers are looking for the full flavour of marbled pork and work is now underway to bring such products to the Ontario market. Ontario Pork has taken the lead in working with farmers, retailers and processors to determine the level of marbling consumers want, evaluate different swine genetics and feeding regimens and assess the quality […]
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