Alberta farmer express

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THE SECRET TO KEEPING YOUR RESOLUTIONS

MAKE HEALTHY LIVING PART OF YOUR BUSINESS PLAN

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V o l u m e 1 4 , n u m b e r 1    J a n u a r y 2 , 2 0 1 7

Two views of how the plan to revitalize the beef sector is working so far BY ALEXIS KIENLEN AF STAFF

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he cattle industry needs to stop patting itself on the back and face an uncomfortable truth — its grand plan to create a bright new future isn’t yielding results. That’s the view of Charlie Gracey, one of Canada’s most renowned experts on the beef industry. And all you have to do is look at the shrinking number of cattle and ranchers, said the

see CATTLE } page 8

It likely wasn’t your greatest year, but 2016 was definitely eventful

YEAR I N RE V IEW

Just a bad patch? Or is the cattle sector in denial?

Weather was the big story but it was also a year when pulses took centre stage, farm groups came together like never before, and sustainable beef hit a milestone

By Glenn Cheater, Alexis Kienlen and Jennifer Blair AF staff

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tepping back and looking at the year gone past is a great way to prepare for the one ahead. For most producers, 2016 was a grind with a distinct shortage of highlight reel moments. But the world always moves forward and there were many significant changes that took place over the last 12 months. Here are five of note.

The best years are still ahead for pulse growers ‘Past results are no guarantee of future performance.’ That standard warning from the stock market certainly applied to pulses this year as prices dropped sharply and excessive rain downgraded many Alberta pea and lentil crops to feed category. Poor harvests in India sent pulse prices sky high in 2015 and Alberta farmers sure noticed. According to StatsCan, they seeded 232,700 hectares of lentils — double the acreage of 2015 and five times what they planted the year before that. Peas were sown on a whopping 2.27 million hectares, 73 per cent more than in 2015.

buSY — buSY, buSY, IT AnD loVIn’ a passion

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Everyone wants more agri-food processing, but there’s a lack of action, say experts » PG 3

Horses and pets weren’t forgotten as wildfires swept through the Fort McMurray region » PG 2

But neither Mother Nature nor the markets co-operated — prices fell and so did the rain. There’s likely a fair number of farmers who have vowed to never grow those crops again, or at least on poordraining fields better suited to cereals or canola. And the spread of root rot means many other fields won’t see a pulse crop for quite a while. But while it proved to be a crummy year for growing pulses, it was a heck of a one for spreading the word about their health and environmental benefits. Sylvan Lake farmer Allison Ammeter — Alberta’s, and perhaps, the country’s most enthusiastic booster of the crop — was

see 2016 RECAP } page 6

HeAlIng Pt sD WItH Hors es

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An Alberta equin e therapy progr putting vets am is on the road to recovery » PG 3

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consumer out-d he expected ted groun cry over irradia more of a beef has been sea change a complete the whisper — 2000s when from the early first proposed. was s are technology mer group “Man y consu concept, much the to when receptive 14 years ago more so than a was seriously conHealth Canad g forward on this,” sidering movin ting expert sylvain said food marke Charlebois. that the lands cape ted “It seems regarding irradia has changed hed beef.” a first broac Health Canad ting ground beef the idea of irradiakills bacteria such that — a process — in 2002, salmonella as E. coli and idea due to shelved the but quickly mer support. a’s lack of consu Health Canad But following in late May that ent tions announcem propose regula d it will soon ation in groun allowi ng irradi seem to have mers Charbeef, consu tune, said changed theirthe faculty of manof rsity. lebois, dean Unive usie Dalho agement at and more people “I think more ing that there’ s we do, are under stand in anything always a risk ways to mitigate the but there are exists, why technology risks. If the where the think that’s now.” not use it? I tion is right KlasCanadian popula ry expert Mark Beef indust sen agrees.

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sEE IRRADIATION

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n beef the Canadia plete but now pilot is com standards McDonald’s lement its own te and imp has to crea

Vo lu m e

r-CalF lawsuit takes aim at Canadian beef

earls is just the ‘tip of the iceberg’

Protectionist ranchers’ group says checkoffs promote ‘less safe and less wholesome’ imported beef By JENNIFER BLAIR

AF stAFF

Consumers are starting to call the tune about how cattle are raised, and the sector needs to respond, say industry observers

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group of cattle ranchers is suing the U.s. Department of Agriculture, claiming their checkoff dollars are being used to promote Canadian and other imported beef. the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United stockgrowers of America — best known as R-CALF — also claims imported beef is “less safe and less wholesome.” But the lawsuit filed earlier this month is “a fairly typical R-CALF action, accompanied by pretty typical R-CALF rhetoric,” said

industry

s KIENLEN By ALEXI stAFF/CALGARY AF

sourc e and the first to beef for fter being ed sustainable” track “verifi , the Canad ian cattle McDo nald’s challenge — create its a new can use. industry has that all of its buyers 300 rds more than own standa event drew s to celebrate the wrap-up ry player indust contrast to ranchers and ent — a sharp to the the accomplishmd-the-scenes start behin e public knowl the quiet, only becam story project, which a Farmer broke the Albert edge when od giant, the in May 2014. d the fast-fo ing Attendees praise beef, for choos of Canadian largest buyer global pilot. actual its Canada for people are aware of the put in “Not many nald’s has Copithat McDo investment industry,” said Cherie Roundour Canadian s, chair of Canadian thorne-Barne nable Beef. ittable for sustaiand their financial comm would “their time been a gift for us. We has in the butt to kick ment to this that have.” been given and never have ground as quickly as we of a Sustainable Beef, ion cousin ian Roundtable for creating a new definit get this off the Canad the push the Canadian about the roundtable, that launched the the ive director of roundtable chair spoke as zation r and Jackson (l), execut global organi beef, was created just alexis kienlen It Fawn Copithorne-Barnes, ranche conceived. has already in Canada. photo: for sustainable d p its Cherie h McDonald’s pilot was being sustainable beef McDonald’s the company to develoenvi- of verified, But even thoug burgers made of verifie group of 2.4 million areas such as and it will take until worked with d the entire which cover t. We neede the pilot to make served able Canadian beef, r national sysl health feedlo anima one “indicators,” in or sustain pated before a simila stewardship, beef production. that partici in ronmental the end of 2017running. n. food safety over, it people cattle happe to build consumer this will take is up and welfare, and gh the pilot project is - this 9,000 ive was ry as tem it right, and ts the round And althou “this initiat Canadian beef indust “We will get n. nald’s expec rd that will to creatin the nent Jackso about ence said compo standa not l was clear McDo al a nation chain. confid initiative was about all doing time,” cation was a critica the company table to create Canadian beef supply the a whole. the Certifi but pilot, with and and losers, cover the entirenald’s, it’s the end r named Where ing winners together.” the McDonald’s director party audito and verified 154 “For McDo right thing w Brazier, using a thirds, chain. the said Andre s From. It visited beginning,” ny’s worldwide supply Canadian packer to Food Come interest feedlots, both of the compa will have a long vested What’s nextto the Canadian roundtable ranches, 24 e Grove burger plant. s role into the the up onald’ on spruc evolve it’s the take will “McD and ian Now the initiative. ry and this table won’t with Canad off on the right in the indust But the roundCopithorne-Barnes. take on the ’s has got us our partnership table’s said “McDonald next stage of n, the round of auditor, will be on facilitating what like of the pilot foot,” said Fawn Jackso is also manager of look beef.” “Our focus d nability will or who the 2-1/2 years the sustai verifie arnes. with direct of ghout and ty tive d work orne-B throu frame ful- execu nment and sustainabili nald’s tracke said Copith r. Our puration. in Canada,” project, McDo birth to burger. that enviro men’s Associ ding, we’re here not going to be a verifie be necesfrom to begin will 8,967 cattle promise in early 2014 Canadian Cattle the pilot conclu whatever tools that we, the ping a “We’re this year. “Now, with filled its bold g to develo pose is to create m or label able beef by that transitionin and supply sary to design a progra be able to live with.” sourcing sustain t 9,000 head of cattle 13 going to be will work to source team will take Canadian industry, “Of these almossystem, they came from s,” national frame able beef. the h the imple6 86 of 121 ranche came throug verified sustain and accelerate the all E BEEF } page d feedlots and l manager of the framework information of 20 verifie sEE susTAINABL y, genera ces that tion of the verification Murra produ scale.” that bigger said Emily menta in spruce GroveCanada. a on an even Cargill plant across Canad nald’s McDo ranch for one about beef patties chain is not “this supply

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Perennial grain: It’s two — yes, two — crops in one

new mInDSeT neeDeD?

sEE R-CALF } page 6

it’s been a decades’ long searc h, but researchers believe the finish line is in for a crop that sight both grazed can be and then harvested for its grain

By ALEXIs KIENLEN

AF stAFF

C

onsumers are demanding sustainable beef and many want it sooner rather than

later. that’s a key lesson from the Earls Restaurant controversy — and evidence producers need to change their thinking, say experts. “the first thing the cattle industry has to do is stop believing that there is no money to be made with niche markets. there is money to be made,” said sylvain Charlebois, one of Canada’s most well-known experts on the food industry. “the second thing the industry has to do is come up with a strategy. Define what sustainable beef means and execute a strategy as quickly as possible.” Earls’ controversial (and since reversed) decision to source Certified Humane beef from the U.s. shows that consumer trends move quickly — but the beef industry has trouble keeping up, said Charlebois, dean of the faculty of

sEE BEEF } page 6

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cattle prices have ‘just one direction to go’ and that’s why producers should be embracing niche markets for natural or ‘certified humane’ beef, says hanna rancher colleen Biggs. PHOTO: TK RANCH

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August 1 , 2016

Pulses’ pop u points to bri larity ght future

the boom in to rising dempulse acres may just be and, better get varieties, and ting started thanks strong profita bility BY JENNIFER

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BLAIR AND ALLAN DAWS ON

Staff /Red

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nly one hand Whatley askedshot up when neil a recent crop near Castor tour if anyone was lentils this year. growing Luckily, a more s concerns rigorous Statist grow over ada survey ics Cansustells the real tainability in story a whole lot modern farming, researchers of hands growin — there are year. are looking to the past g lentils this in “there’s close can both meetsearch of crops that to six million Prairies this ers and consu the needs of farmacres on the year, and albert to 565,000 environmen mers as well as the a has close of t. specialist said those,” the provincial Thino pyrum crop interm edium Group crop at the Battle River Resear commonly — tour ch known as interm “that’s a signifiin mid-July. wheatgrass ediate — cant increa it was five se from what of that resear is one of the fruits years ago, ch. and the acreag seems to be It’s been nearly growing.” e three decad alberta more since resear es than doubl chers at the acreag Institute in ed its lentil e in 2016, shooti Rodale Pennsylvani ng acres from a launch the effort to 249,823 acres up to 564,882 develop a peren ed ing in to 2015, wheat. they Statistics accordnial first survey released June Canada’s field crops ed perennial grasses report 29. and plants and that jump to best ones to domesticate find the is thanks to prices in 2015, bred lines of strong lentil and said nevin Rosaa intermediate then and program specia grass to produ sen, wheatlist with albert policy Growers. highe r yields ce larger seeds , a Pulse “the increa nomic attrib , and other agrohas to do withsed lentil acreage definit then began utes. the research ely the profita getting spread lentils can around bring produ ble returns that cers,” said sen. SEE PERENNIAL Rosaa- lentil } page 6 acres in “Last year, said provincial alberta have more than prices across we saw record-high double crop specialist lentil Neil Whatley. d in 2016, thanks in part we saw some the Prairies, and of course to better geneti PHOTO: JENNIFER very attrac BLAIR contracts aroun tive fall delive , have higher yields cs, , reduce ry d that 40-cen mark. When ts-a-pound improved disease resista d lodging, and “We are seeing nce. “these crops 20 to 30 busheyou pencil in a yield of, are say, ls an “When I look all these trends alignin acre than for lentils, it’s profitable.” they used to much easier to grow at the deman g. very ing be, so acres d funda because of Lentils becom are expand- tals from a product that.” developmen mene point and a even more attract growers when t standconsumer ive trend this is actua ings of a crop they factor in the cost to ‘An irreversible lly an irreve standpoint, savthat trend al-Ka fixes rsible and ’ tib, who is added Rosaa its own nitrog acres trend ,” also sen. en, as consu will only continue “When you to expand Canadian Special Cropspresid ent of the mers becom a record crowd e more associ health gen bill off yourcan scrap your entire at the Pulse ation, told nitro- dent y eating, said Murad interested in Crops and Specia al-Kat Convention for a very good cost of production, it l makes aGt and Ceo of Saskatchew ib, presiin toronto net return “It’s last month not one food and per acre.” Producers are an-based . a fad or some that I think is groun “as a food Ingredients. red lentil varieti also realizing that the ded in type of a tempo indust nomenon where the old green es are “much better new be prepared for ry, I think we have we are going rary phe” than forma to what could to see pulse standard, saidvarieties that used to be a trans- consumption and ingred be the with tional earthquake Whatley. then poten ients rise and that consumers “the agrono tially taper where there is coming mately off. We are tion betwe comfortable mic package is much looking at is a connecultien natura a high-p more health for Whatley, adding the grain producer,” y, clean labelsl and non-GMo and fibre, non-G Mo, gluten rotein, highsaid that the new with a very . red varieties that opportunity to lookand pulses give us strong and -free produ ct, story enviro nmen micronutrie at to tell.” tal nts, natura protein, fibre… l biofortificat ion. SEE BY AARON

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