CME August 2019 feeder cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands, a gauge of market volatility. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Corn rally drags on feeder cattle futures

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — A rally in corn prices sent feeder cattle futures sliding on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) on Thursday, while deferred live cattle futures inched upward earlier in the day on signs of short-covering, traders said. Corn futures were choppy early, as weather forecasts across the U.S. Midwest continued to show a […] Read more

CME September 2019 feeder cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Feeder cattle rally on corn futures slump

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) feeder cattle futures continued to rally on Wednesday, as corn futures fell sharply and traders hoped that feed costs will continue to remain under pressure. The burgeoning U.S.-Mexico trade fight pressured Chicago Board of Trade corn futures, despite a Reuters report that corn has been excluded from […] Read more


U.S. livestock: Hogs dip from two-week high, await trade news

U.S. livestock: Hogs dip from two-week high, await trade news

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures retreated on Wednesday after four straight sessions of gains in a technical and profit-taking setback from two-week highs as investors awaited new developments in U.S.-China trade negotiations. Cattle futures also fell broadly, although worries about a late-winter snowstorm forecast for the beef cattle-producing U.S. Plains underpinned the […] Read more

(Video screengrab from TalentsLaCoop.coop)

Coop federee buys into Ontario feed sector

Reading Time: 2 minutes Fresh off its recent investment in the Prairie livestock feed business, Quebec ag co-operative giant La Coop federee is headed down a similar path in southwestern Ontario. The co-operative announced Monday it will pay an undisclosed sum for a 50 per cent stake in W-S Feed and Supply, based at Tavistock, Ont., about 30 km […] 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


From clockwise at left: Riley and Lee-Anne Kemp, Michelle Schram and Troy Stozek, and Wayne and Maria McDonald of Manitoba.

Three farm families, five years later

Country Guide revisits three young Manitoba farm families building their future in agriculture

Reading Time: 2 minutes In 2012, Country Guide discovered a cluster of young farmers near out-of-the-way Cartwright, Man. They were all searching for ways to start small in the heart of big-farm Canada, and they all saw their best chance in a combination of direct marketing and holistic practices. To some readers, it seemed like a dream. To others, […] Read more

After five years, Lee-Anne and Riley are convinced they made the right move. In fact, they’re more enthusiastic than ever about the future for new farmers.

Five years on: Riley and Lee-Anne Kemp

Country Guide revisits two Manitoba beef producers building their future

Reading Time: 5 minutes In the five years since Country Guide last caught up with Riley and Lee-Anne Kemp, their lives have become even more hectic. For starters, their family has grown to three children — six-year-old Lexi, three-year-old Elliot and Halle, who just turned six months old. Riley still works off farm as a teacher at the local […] Read more


It’s a big commitment of time for everybody,” Ben Campbell says of his mentorship experience. But there are benefits for every aspect of the farm, and for your farm relationships too.

A better way to learn

What’s the best way to choose a great mentor? Three young farmers share their thoughts on how their mentors helped them get a solid career start, and how other young farmers could benefit from a more flexible approach to on-farm learning

Reading Time: 9 minutes Ben Campbell thought participating in a mentorship program could probably provide fresh insight into how to improve his grass-fed beef operation. Or possibly it could expose him to new business practices and stronger management techniques. So by the end of the year-long program, it came as a surprise to the Alberta rancher when he realized […] Read more

Photo: Debbie Furber

Six ways to keep your cattle wormer working

Resistance among internal parasites to broad-spectrum cattle wormers is emerging in Canada and experience in other countries leaves no reason to believe the problem won’t worsen. On the brighter side, producers here still have a fighting chance to retain the efficacy of available cattle wormers by combining parasite control strategies, says epidemiologist Dr. Fabienne Uehlinger[...]
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