Positive signs for the status of avian influenza in Canada

Jun 20, 2023

One thing we can be sure of is that things will evolve and change. Since 2021 Canadians have been battling the emergence of avian influenza H5N1. This spring signs are hopeful as the number of infections have declined across the country for both commercial and non-commercial poultry owners. Some provinces have reported no infections. This has CFIA hopeful that summer will be less eventful.

Vigilance will be ramped up for wild bird migration this fall. Fingers-crossed as it has been a stressful few years for poultry owners, on top of an already stressful time. In the meantime, officials express concern for poultry owners who may be experiencing biosecurity fatigue.

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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.