Alberta farmer express

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Program aims to raise a new crop of young farm leaders

passing the torch for growing projects doesn’t happen by itself

Experience ‘opens your mind,’ say two members of this year’s Young Leaders program » PG 3

A third generation is taking over labour of love in this giving Alberta community » PG 30 Publications Mail Agreement # 40069240

V o l u m e 1 5 , n u m b e r 7   M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 8

Steel tariffs could rebound on farmers here It’s not clear what impact tariffs will have on farm equipment but any increase will likely be passed on By Victoria Paterson AF contributor

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t’s unclear if the new steel tariff proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump could be bad news for Canadian producers when it comes time to buy new farm equipment. If the tariffs are imposed, U.S. manufacturing companies would pay 25 per cent more for imported steel and 10 per cent more for imported aluminum, unless the exporting country has an exemption.

SEE Steel tariffs } page 7

A NEW DAWN?

Sustainable beef puts money in producers’ pockets It’s only $10 a cow, but pilot marks the first time producers have been paid for their stewardship efforts BY JENNIFER BLAIR AF staff

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he first rubber-meets-the-road test of the years-long effort to make sustainable beef a paying proposition has been a success. After three months of testing, the Canadian Beef Sustainability Acceleration pilot project has shown that tracing certified sustainable cattle and beef through the supply chain is possible at current volumes. “It’s one of the first times this type of effort has been done — actually taking the framework and implementing it in the supply chain,” said Gurneesh Bhandal, Cargill’s beef sustainability manager. “It’s been a great start, and the numbers we’ve been able to accomplish in the first three months are very promising. “So far, we’re very happy with the progress we’ve made.” The Certified Sustainable Beef Framework — a voluntary program developed by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef — was launched late last year to allow beef producers and processors to demonstrate to consumers the sustainable practices used in their operations. This pilot project, which kicked off at the start of 2018, is the first test of the audit and traceability systems needed to meet the requirements of the framework. “In order to implement the framework within our supply chain, we needed to develop the infrastructure and method for

Pooling cattle from audited sustainable beef operations and tracing the beef every step of the way is a big logistical challenge — but now that it’s been done, it could open doors to new markets for cattle producers.  PHOTO: CANADA BEEF tracking cattle and beef through the system,” said Bhandal. “So far, what we’ve set up works well, and we’re looking for more producers to test that further.” In the first three months of the project, more than 550,000 pounds of beef from more than 70 certified sustainable cattle producers moved through the system and was traced from farm to feedlot to packing plant — no T:10.25”

mean feat, given how segmented the supply chain currently is. “We all know how complicated the animal production chain is, and we had animals make it through and out the other end, which is great. It means our systems work,” said Virgil Lowe, business manager with Verified Beef Production Plus.

SEE Sustainable beef } page 6

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Alberta farmer express by Farm Business Communications - Issuu