On the Noble farm in the Peace district, parents Bob and Nora with siblings Cara, Jolene and Lee. The Nobles say brothers and sisters have a winning potential for open communication.

Honest to goodness

More brothers and sisters: For the Noble family, success means learning how to change open communication from a threat into a strength

Reading Time: 4 minutes Brothers and sisters are working together on more farms all the time. More and more too, there are multiple siblings on these farms, not just one of each. To outsiders, it can seem like so many more chances for family to get in the way, and so many chances for old rivalries to flare up. […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feedlots struggle through adverse weather

Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian yearling prices experienced a week-over-week decline of $5-$8 with some pockets deteriorating $10 to as much as $12. Adverse weather in southern Alberta has resulted in limited buying interest from main feedlot operators. Feedlot Alley has received 150-200 per cent of normal precipitation over the past 60 days. Snow and rain, along with […] Read more


David Haywood-Farmer. (We Heart Local BC video screengrab via YouTube)

New chief acclaimed for national cattle producer group

Reading Time: 2 minutes A former president of the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association is the new president of the national cattle producers’ body. David Haywood-Farmer was elected by acclamation as president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association at the group’s annual general meeting last week in Ottawa. Haywood-Farmer, a cow-calf producer at Savona, B.C., about 40 km west of Kamloops, was […] Read more




(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Buyers’ temperance subdues feeder market

Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were under pressure trading steady to $3 lower; however, eastern Canadian orders were prevalent in Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan, where values were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels. Alberta feedlot demand was subdued as the deferred live cattle futures traded to three-month lows. Most operations are holding high-priced […] Read more


Where Food Comes From (WFCF) is now the second auditing body for the Canadian Beef Sustainability Acceleration (CBSA) pilot. (WhereFoodComesFrom.com)

Sustainable beef pilot passes first-quarter mark

Reading Time: 2 minutes The packer behind the pilot of a Canadian value chain for certified sustainable beef says its first three months are proof the model is scalable as well as functional. The pilot’s first quarter “proved that a significant volume of beef can be successfully traced through a certified supply chain for the participating customers,” Gurneesh Bhandal, […] Read more

Klassen: Feeder market sends mixed signals

Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian average yearling prices were steady to $3 lower while heavier replacements above 1,000 lbs. actively traded $3 to as much as $6 lower. Weakness in deferred live cattle futures, along with rising feed grain prices, caused buyers to lower their bids accordingly. Steers averaging 1,000 lbs. were readily trading […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder cattle prices gaining momentum

Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were steady to $4 higher while calves and grass cattle markets were relatively unchanged. Once again, there was a wide range of prices across the Prairies as feedlots adjust to higher feed grain prices. Secondly, buyers were quick to discount fleshier cattle; backgrounded calves fed too much […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Refund scam flagged by Canadian beef breeders

Reading Time: 2 minutes Canadian cattle breeders should be on their guard after reports of an online scam. The Canadian Beef Breeds Council issued a warning after numerous producers reported fake emails looking to set up a sale, then requesting a refund before cheques clear. “It’s generally pretty high dollar values, so it gets the people excited that they’ve […] Read more