Alberta producer support vital

Aug 06, 2019

With the province’s agriculture industry facing ongoing pressures both in Canada and internationally, any support that Albertans can give to the vital industry here at home is welcome.

An event was recently held on the legislature grounds to highlight the necessity of backing the farmers and ranchers who make their livelihoods in Alberta and who support the community at large by doing so.

Several cabinet ministers joined MLAs from all parties and other stakeholders in the show of solidarity with the agriculture industry.

Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen, who is also an area MLA, says buying the province’s agriculture products is a great way for residents to support the vital industry over the long term.

“Alberta has a well-earned reputation for making high-quality food, thanks to the hard work of our farmers,” said Dreeshen. “We’re proud of Alberta farmers. Alberta farmers are caught in the crossfire of a bunch of international fights that have nothing to do with them.

“Everyone can do their part and help our farmers by buying Albertan.”

Alberta’s agriculture industry generates more than $11 billion in exports of primary agriculture and food products every year, making it the third largest exporter of agri-foods in the nation.

While it almost goes without saying, the fact remains that a vibrant and sustainable agriculture industry is absolutely vital to the province’s and the nation’s economic well-being.

At the provincial level, Albertans supporting Alberta farms and ranches always has been, and will certainly remain, in everyone’s best interest, say beef, pork and other producers.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.