Smoke billows during a fire in an area of the Amazon rainforest near Humaita, Amazonas State, Brazil on Aug. 14, 2019. (Photo: Reuters/Ueslei Marcelino)

Brazil Amazon deforestation soars to 11-year high

Reading Time: 3 minutes Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil | Reuters — Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest rose to its highest in over a decade this year, government data on Monday showed, confirming a sharp increase under the leadership of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro. The data from Brazil’s INPE space research agency, which showed deforestation soaring 29.5 per cent […] Read more

A deep storm surge that flowed during Hurricane Dorian from the Pamlico Sound back to the Atlantic Ocean swept this cow off her home range on North Carolina’s Cedar Island over to the barrier island in Cape Lookout National Seashore, where she was found in early September. (U.S. National Park Service photo by Jeff West)

Dorian swept swimming cows two miles to North Carolina beach

Reading Time: 2 minutes Cape Lookout National Seashore, N.C. | Reuters — Three cows have been spotted beachcombing on a remote barrier island on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, swept to an unlikely grazing spot when Hurricane Dorian whipped waves powerful enough to carry them two miles from their home. One of the bovine bodysurfers was seen soon after the […] Read more


Photo: Canada Beef Inc.

Klassen: Feeder cattle markets remain firm

Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were unchanged from seven days earlier. Strong buying interest was noted from finishing feedlots in Alberta. Orders flowed across the prairies keeping prices relatively even. U.S. feeder cattle markets traded $3 to as much as $8 higher in the Northern Plains which also underpinned prices in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. There […] Read more

Order buyers have been very busy fielding calls for available cattle.  Photo: Thinkstock

Klassen: Yearling prices surge

Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, Western Canadian yearling prices were $3 to as much as $10 higher while calves traded $2 to $5 above week-ago levels.  Most auction barns remain in holiday mode; however, order buyers were extremely busy fielding calls for available cattle. This caused the yearling market in Western Canada to divorce from the […] Read more


"I realize now how
important it is to see the next generation’s point of view,” says Brian Keunen of his son Aaron, seen here along with wife, Joanne.

The right time

For Brian and Joanne Keunen, off-farm experience created an eye for opportunity. But what really paved the way for Mapleview Agri came from the generations innovating how to work together

Reading Time: 9 minutes Like many newly minted high school grads, when he turned 18 years old Brian Keunen went off to college. His choice? Centralia College in southwestern Ontario. His goal? To get a diploma in agriculture, and then to return to the family dairy farm near Drayton, an hour and a half west of Toronto, where he […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Cattle traceability to pay off in Cargill pilot

Reading Time: 3 minutes UPDATED, Nov. 2 — A pilot program running through one of Canada’s biggest beef packing plants aims to test systems that can show consumers the exact path of their beef from ranch to restaurant — and reward cattle producers for their trouble. Cargill on Wednesday announced a new year-long Canadian Beef Sustainability Acceleration pilot, with […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canadian Hereford Association)

Newfoundland seeks beef cattle breeder

Reading Time: 2 minutes The Newfoundland and Labrador government’s plan to build up cattle breeding within the province is advancing a step as the province seeks a farmer to mind a small Hereford herd. The province on Tuesday put out a call for proposals from farmers to take on a five-year contract handling a herd of five breeding cows […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market anticipates higher feed grain prices

Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, Western Canadian yearling prices were steady to $5 higher. Across the prairies, strong demand was noted on limited offerings. Most auction barns are gearing up for major sales over the next couple weeks; however, it appears that a few ranchers were testing the waters and the results were quite surprising. Feedlot operators […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market firm despite outside influences

Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were unchanged from week-ago levels despite the strengthening Canadian dollar, stronger feed grain values and weaker fed cattle prices. Feedlot operators are wondering if this is a mockery, a delusion or a snare. Shorter term replacements are hard to come by and haven’t softened a half hair length. Small groups […] Read more