Farm safety consultation reached thousands

EDMONTON — Albertans weren’t shy about providing in-person and online feedback on the repeal and replacement of the failed 2015 Farm Bill – Bill 6.

 

Provincial farmers and ranchers were given the opportunity to offer input on practical safety rules through a variety of methods, including industry meetings, engagement sessions and an online survey.

 

Agriculture and Forestry Minister Devin Dreesen noted, “We promised Albertans we would consult first and legislate second – and that’s exactly what we’re doing. We put over 8000 kilometres on the truck this summer, hearing from close to a thousand farmers, ranchers and workers across Alberta. We’re taking this feedback and building common-sense farm safety legislation that works for the people, not against them.”

 

The consultations on farm safety legislation were held across the province from July 25 to Aug 30, with an average of 32 participants at the 25 engagement sessions. The public survey ran from July 12 to Aug. 31, with more than 1,200 completed submissions.

 

Agriculture and Forestry is now compiling the input and working with Alberta Labour and Immigration on data analysis, policy options and the legislative package.

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.