Canada invests to expand winter wheat acreage

Mar 19, 2015

Member of Parliament for Lethbridge Jim Hillyer announced on March 17 an investment of C$1 million to the Alberta Wheat Commission to develop an innovative, low-cost way to increase winter wheat production in western Canada.

This project will evaluate new varieties that offer greater yield, quality and consistency, and develop best management practices that promote healthier winter wheat, enabling producers to diversify their operations. It will also provide producers with information and tools about winter wheat production which will help them address agronomic challenges.

"Winter wheat has become one of the most profitable field crops in western Canada,” said Hillyer. “This project will enable producers to increase their winter wheat acreage, helping them to diversify their businesses and grow their revenues."

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers will collaborate with industry on a number of activities, including research into new controls to address weed problems, new cultivars, and enhanced crop production through better residue management.

Home to a third of Canada's wheat crop, Alberta wheat brings in C$2.26 billion to the farm gate and another C$2.3 billion in exports.

Source: Alberta

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.