Farm Freedom And Safety Act Passed

Dec 06, 2019

Alberta's UCP passed the Farm Freedom and Safety Act this week.

The Legislation was passed Wednesday, December 4 and includes an exemption for small farm employers, takes away ranch and farm workers' ability to form a union, and allows larger employers to choose between coverage through Worker's Compensation Board (WCB) or private insurance for their workers.

In a video posted to Twitter, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Devin Dreeshen, calls it a historic day, saying they finally repealed and replaced the NDP's failed Bill 6.

"This is another example of promise made, promise kept," Dreeshen said.

Upon first reading of the Bill on Wednesday, November 20, the Province said changes to the Labour Relations code affecting unions were in effect.

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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.