Enjoy Farmfair International’s monthly newsletter of ag industry and exhibitor news. We’ll feature shows, sales, research, international highlights, opportunities, and more.
Expect the Farmfair Roundup in your inbox the third week of every month! Give us your news so we can share it across our networks. Please update your contact information so we can include your updates in the next issue.
If you are a Farmfair International Exhibitor and are getting inquiries from Mexico – Nacho and Nora at G&G GESTORIA EN COMERCIO EXTERIOR, S.C. have offered to provide support to facilitate communications and translation where required. You can connect with Nacho and Nora at info@gestoriagyg.com.mx
Farmfair International dates for 2021 are November 10 – 14 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Until then, stay healthy and safe
– The team @ Farmfair International
Exhibitor news
- Care Farms Salers shared some Angus baby pictures, as did Elliott Bros with a son of Final Answer.
- Carpathian Land and Livestock celebrated a happy Canadian Agriculture Day.
- CNI Ranching is selling bulls by private treaty.
- The family behind Daines Cattle & O’Neill Livestock is getting ready for its April 8 bull sale while looking after a new arrival of their own.
- Dersta Farms shared pix of some of the Red and Black Angus bulls it will be selling on April 12.
- Glenrose Polled Herefords & Angus has introduced Harvie Venture 219G into its herd — semen opportunities are available.
- Goldenview Shorthorns has seen a lot of colourful calves this season.
- Harvest Angus pointed to video of the bulls it has up for sale on March 19.
- JT Livestock is selling JT Shocker 14H by private treaty.
- KC Stock Farm shared video of RA-401G, which is up for auction on March 27.
- Lilac Lane Farms posted a portrait of its matriarch.
- Majestic Shorthorns put up video of shorthorns it is selling on April 3.
- McAleer Ranching shared video of a heifer up for sale on March 26.
- MT Bar Ranch showed off some of its 2021 calves sired by Eddie the Eagle.
- North Hill Simmentals has bulls for sale by private treaty, and PAR Ranch has bulls and heifers on offer.
- Rainbow Red Angus posted pix of some of its bulls up for sale on March 20.
- Robertson West Livestock has a couple of bulls ready for sale.
- Serhienko Cattle Co. posted a shot of SVY Mayfield.
- Six Mile Ranch shared video of its bulls up for auction at April 3‘s sale, along with red and black commercial heifers.
- Tierra Sol Cattle has a bull called STP Funnels From Runnels for sale by private treaty.
- Wallgren Farms celebrated a successful bull sale.
- Wildman Livestock has Red Angus bulls for sale by private treaty.
- Wild Rose Cattle Company showcased a heifer calf and a bull calf.
Beef news
- Agribition named its Top 50 in Canadian Agriculture.
- Melanie Wowk of Beauvallon has been named the new chair of Alberta Beef Producers.
- Research supported in part by the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association has found that a novel feed additive cuts methane emissions in feedlot cattle by as much as 80%.
- Asociación Hereford Mexicana shared a presentation (in Spanish) on the theme that “the success of a breed is found in the dedication and professionalism of its breeders.”
- The Brooks Bulletin paid tribute to the Johnson family of Scandia, named the 2020 BMO Farm Family for the County of Newell — rancher Blaine Johnson is a director of the Bow Slope Shipping Association.
- Sandy Russell of the Canadian Beef Improvement Network — which includes the Canadian Beef Breeds Council and the Charolais, Hereford, Angus, and Simmental breed associations — wrote a piece for Canadian Cattlemen on the importance of using the optimal genetics to drive profit.
- Farm Credit Canada‘s outlook for the livestock sector is forecasting strong margins for cow-calf operations but more of a struggle for feedlot operators and backgrounders.
- Lakeland College student Bianca Byers has received the 2020 Australia Exchange Opportunity from the Canadian Junior Limousin Association.
- Livestock Gentec blogged about AgSights and its efforts to help clients build their brands through traceability.
- Meat and Livestock Australia recently completed a project with Oritain to validate the authenticity of Australian red meat in foreign markets, with technology that can detect which region a sample of beef or lamb comes from.
- The latest herd book from the Mexico Charolais Charbray Association is now available. It also has an app, and its genetics are available for sale online.
- Ganderia.com reported (in Spanish) that Mexican beef exports saw a 6% drop in January
- The USDA has imposed restrictions on Mexican cattle exports, as reported by El Economista (in Spanish)
- Agronoticias reported that Mexico has opened its doors to importing Argentinian beef
Ag news
- The Agriculture Financial Services Corporation‘s overall borrowing limit will increase from $2.8 billion to $3.6 billion by 2024 to increase access to capital. The individual lending limit will double, and loans of up to $150,000 can now be approved in less than a day.
- Farming for Tomorrow profiled Kevin Serfas of the Alberta Canola Producers Commission, who splits his time between crops and cattle near Turin in southern Alberta.
- Alberta Milk issued a statement regarding palm supplement usage after complaints about apparent effects on butter.
- Alberta Pulse Growers is investing $1.06 million for research projects on issues affecting farmers.
- Relief is on its way for Alberta hog producers after the temporary closure of the Olymel processing plant in Red Deer caused a backup of 90,000 slaughter-ready animals, said Alberta Pork.
- Canadian Bison Association president Les Kroeger commented on the significant bison price gap between the U.S. and Canada.
- More Canadian fruits and vegetables should be processed here instead of in the U.S., said Ron Lemaire, president of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association.
- Mike McSorley has resigned as general manager of the Cloverdale Rodeo & Exhibition Association. The rodeo has been postponed due to COVID-19 but organizers are hoping to run it later this year.
- The federal government has assured Egg Farmers of Alberta that compensation for market loss from trade agreements is coming soon.
- In a fireside chat with Farm Credit Canada, Dominic Barton, Canada’s ambassador to China, urged Canadian producers to be bold and aim to grow exports to the country.
- Country Guide saluted Lethbridge as farming’s hottest boomtown thanks in part to Canada’s Premier Food Corridor, which includes Lethbridge College.
- Organizers of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair say they are planning to move forward with an in-person event from Nov. 5 to Nov. 14 at Exhibition Place in Toronto.
- The Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth mourned the loss of Lord Sam Vestey, its longtime chairman.
- Jessica Watson of West Central Forage spoke to the Coffee Cows and Crops podcast about tracking weather data and soil moisture.
- Reports of severe drought in northwest Mexico and Chihuahua appeared in multiple Spanish language publications including El Sol De Parral and El Sol De Hermosillo
Selected sales
- March 19: Red White and Roan Production Sale at the Stettler Auction Mart
- March 19: Harvest Angus 2021 Bull Sale at Prince George, BC
- March 20: Joint Venture 42nd Annual Bull Sale at Sangudo
- March 23: Diamond W Charolais 19th Annual Charolais, Red & Black Angus Bull Sale at Minitonas, MB
- March 26: Integrity Speckle Park Sale at Veteran
- March 26: Walmona Santa Gertrudis Invitation Sale from Australia
- March 27: K-Cow Ranch Annual Bull Sale at Elk Point
- March 27: 2021 Summit 3 Speckle Park Sale at Ardrossan
- March 27: Quinta Gran Subasta Tres Marías from Mexico
- April 3: Western Prime Shorthorn Sale at Westlock
- April 3: Six Mile Ranch Ltd – 46th Annual Bull Sale at Fir Mountain, SK
- April 8: Daines Cattle Bull Sale at Innisfail
- April 8: Genetic Distinction – 3rd Annual Online Bull Sale
- April 12: Riverside Angus & Dersta Farm Bull Sale at Innisfail
This is just a selection of sales mentioned recently by exhibitors. Find many more listings at Bohrson Marketing Services, Bow Slope Shipping Association, Calgary Stockyards, DLMS Farm Gate Timed Auctions, Dryland Cattle Trading Corp., DVAuction, Innisfail Auction Market, Medicine Hat Feeding Company, OPB Cunkov, Olds Auction Mart, Perlich Bros Auction Market, Picture Butte Auction, Provost Livestock Exchange, S.A.L.E. Southern Alberta Livestock Exchange, SC Online Sales, Stettler Auction Mart, TEAM (The Electronic Auction Market), Thorsby Stockyards, Transcon Livestock Corp., and Vold, Jones & Vold.
Other events
- March 16-18: TechnovateAG
- March 18: What to know before you buy or lease equipment
- March 18: The Other NAFTA Partner with Ambassador Graeme Clark
- March 20: Peace Country Beef & Forage Association AGM
- March 22: Future of Agri-Food Research and Innovation
- March 23: The Brexit impact: Navigating the journey ahead
- March 23: Cattle genomics & pasture management decisions for productivity, soil carbon and diversity
- March 23: Alberta Yield: Investment Strategies for Ag-Tech Startups
- March 23: Uncover Your Farm’s Profitability
- March 23: FCC Young Farmer Summit
- March 23: Foothills Forage & Grazing Association AGM
- March 23: FarmSafe Getting Started webinar
- March 24: Record Keeping for Forage and Grassland Management
- March 24: Alberta Yield: Funding for Ag-Tech Startups
- March 25: Policy shifts: Weighing Canada’s response to farming challenges
- March 30: Different business models to successfully approach the EU market
- April 6: Alberta Yield: Corporate Innovators Roundtable
- April 7: Benelux, the gateway to Europe: a small but promising start
- April 9: A Celebration of Alberta Ag
- April 12-16: CPMA Fresh Week
- April 20: Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef
Opportunities and invitations
- Entries opened March 1 for the Charolais Charbray International Virtual Show and will close Nov. 30. Here’s a video announcing the event.
- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is seeking feedback from agriculture and agri-food businesses on its regulations, programs, and services before March 19.
- Applications are open until March 31 for the FCC AgriSpirit Fund for rural communities.
- Applications are open until May 1 for the Beef Researcher Mentorship Program.
- Farm families who have continuously owned and actively operated the same land for 125 years are encouraged to apply for Alberta’s Century Farm and Ranch 125 Year Recognition Award.
- Students in the agribusiness program at Olds College have issued a survey on the Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) Program. The survey closes March 18.