Reading Time: 3 minutes Canadian upscale-casual dining chain Earls Restaurants has pulled back from its recent public commitment to the “Certified Humane Beef” brand. Mo Jessa, president of Vancouver-based Earls, said Wednesday the company will instead begin to “work with local ranchers to build our supply of Alberta beef that meets our criteria” for animal care and treatment. The […] Read more
Earls retreats from U.S. beef sourcing
Klassen: Downward price trend continues for feeder cattle
Reading Time: 2 minutes The feeder cattle market feels like a falling dagger — and trying to pick a bottom can be painful. Western Canadian auction markets saw heavier replacements over 800 lbs. fall $8-$12 compared to last week; calves were generally $5-$8 below week-ago levels. Feedlot buying interest was once again limited to two or three major operations […] Read more
Earls ups ante on beef sourcing
Reading Time: 2 minutes Vancouver-based Earls Restaurants, owner of the upscale-casual dining chain Earls Kitchen + Bar, has gone all in on Certified Humane Beef — but has also gone outside Canada to get it. The company, which operates 59 Earls restaurants in Canada and seven in the U.S., on Tuesday billed itself as the first North American chain […] Read more
Klassen: Limited buying interest softens feeder market
Reading Time: 2 minutes Just when I thought feeder cattle prices were stabilizing, once again the unexpected occurs. A sharp rally in U.S. grain futures, along with weaker fed cattle prices, caused western Canadian feeder cattle to trade $6-$12 lower compared to week-ago levels. Auction markets reported limited buying interest, with often only two or three larger feedlots stepping […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market garners support
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were relatively stable over the past week while prices in the major feeding regions were $2 to $5 higher. Alberta fed cattle prices were $2 higher, trading in the range of $170 to $172, which bolstered buying enthusiasm in the heavier weight categories. Feedlot operators in the Lethbridge area were […] Read more
Oklahoma senators seek tougher cattle rustling penalties
Reading Time: 2 minutes Oklahoma City | Reuters — Oklahoma lawmakers sent a measure to the governor on Tuesday to increase penalties for cattle rustling, in an attempt to curtail a crime associated with the Wild West that has seen a resurgence from ranch hands stealing livestock to feed their drug habits. The bill approved by the Oklahoma Senate […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle markets remain sluggish
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, Canadian feeder cattle prices were steady to $5 lower across the Prairies while lighter-weight categories suffered a week-over-week decline of $4 to $6. Feedlots were a bit more aggressive on yearlings as quality backgrounded cattle are starting to dwindle at this time of year. A larger group of larger-frame lower-flesh Simmental […] Read more
Cargill books higher profits, warns of tough markets
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — U.S. agricultural commodities trader Cargill on Thursday reported a rise in third-quarter profit on stronger results in food ingredients and grain handling, but warned about headwinds from oversupplied grain markets and low commodity prices. The privately-held company is exiting lower-margin operations, including its U.S. pork business, and expanding deeper into food ingredients and […] Read more
Suspected cattle-attacking gator killed in Florida
Reading Time: 2 minutes Orlando | Reuters –– A 780-lb. “monster” alligator slain in a Florida hunt and hauled out of the water with a farm tractor falls short of the state record for length, a wildlife official said on Wednesday. “A big alligator nonetheless, but they are not going to have an official measurement because it’s not going […] Read more
Klassen: Feedlot operators throw in towel on feeder market
Reading Time: 2 minutes Weaker wholesale beef values, along with softer fed cattle prices, set a negative tone for the feeder cattle market this past week. Western Canadian feeder markets were trading $4-$8 below week-ago levels, with calves trading as much as $10 lower in some cases. Producers can become nauseous watching these live cattle futures, but this is […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
