Insights and Stories on Livestock

Oct. 27, 2023 at 9:33 am CDT

A recent report by the United States Department of Agriculture paints a grim picture of Canadian beef cattle numbers in 2024. According to a western Canadian market analyst, most of that forecast checks out. The report, published by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service office in Ottawa in late September, predicted […]

By Jeff Melchior

Oct. 20, 2023 at 11:09 am CDT

When Sean LaBrie started his career with the Calgary Police Service, he likely didn’t realize that by the time he retired he’d be on a ranch an hour outside of the city, raising cattle on 640 acres. At that point in his life, cattle were barely more than a passing […]

By Melissa Jeffers-Bezan

Oct. 6, 2023 at 4:04 pm CDT

Cattle are often maligned for their contributions to greenhouse gas levels, but Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Tim McAllister says that’s wrongheaded. “We hear about people advocating for the need to eliminate livestock from agriculture production, basically without really understanding the negative connotations that would have,” the researcher said during a […]

By Don Norman

Sep. 8, 2023 at 2:04 pm CDT

It’s 2003, and a crisis is descending on the Canadian cattle herd. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has just been found in a black Angus cow in Alberta. Chaos follows: borders slam shut and the government pledges millions in aid. The border to the United States will remain shuttered until 2005, […]

By Melissa Jeffers-Bezan

Aug. 3, 2023 at 3:00 pm CDT

Julie Mortenson grew up in the heart of cattle country. Today, she’s found a way to share some of that experience with students who don’t have the chance to spend time on farms and ranches. Originally from north of Grand Prairie, Alta., Mortenson spent her childhood on the land as […]

By Melissa Jeffers-Bezan