The calf run

[cowman]

Around Red Deer the fastest way to become successful in agriculture is to subdivide and get rich! However the county is doing everything in its power to put a halt to that!
It is amazing how many people are trying to subdivide and cash in on the gravy train. And who can blame them? Their children are gone to the city and someday they aren't going to be able to cut it anymore? Might as well make some money and live the good life for awhile?
It makes the hog farmers nervous knowing that their days are numbered though!

[cowman]

Any large confined feeding operation is going to have difficulty locating in many parts of Alberta. Not only because of subdivision, but the fact is that many municipalities are putting buffer zones around everything that has the potential to grow eg: country residential areas, hamlets and recreational spots. These buffer zones are mapped out and become part of the municipal development plan and are considered to be 'no go zones' for confined feeding operations.
This is happening even in the Peace region.

[sagewood]

With regard to land and its allocation, I guess I cannot disagree with those who do not want to see more and larger confined feeding operations. One only has to look at the mess near LEthbridge to see what happens when the CFO's move in and what happens to the water and land quality in the area. From the European experience one can see what continued abuse of the land from CFO's has done to their land.

As far as the council doing everything to keep land in ag. that seems to be universal with the councils across Alberta. Now I am all for keeping land in ag., but as you say, who can blame someone for cashing in and making life a little easier--none of us are getting any younger and in this area the young people who are staying on the farm and/or ranch are very few. They too have off farm jobs to exist and keep shoes on the children etc.

I did hear some encouraging news that perhaps China and Japan could open to Canadian cattle very soon and the prices at Strathmore on Thurs. remained strong right to the end of the sale. The 'on-line' sales have been very strong as well.

[cowman]

Well good to hear you did well on your calves and especially that your heifers sold well! I believe a char type heifer should bring a premium to normal heifers as they feed out very well?
Most hog farmers have really cleaned up their act and now inject their manure, which pretty well eliminates the smell? Some feedlots can be pretty rank however?
Personally I'd be quite happy if they fed all the cattle somewhere else where they don't stink up the country! Basically there are no new CFOs being built in my immediate area. The municipality likes to pretend they want to protect agricultural land...but reality says this land is going to be developed in the future. Kind of sad because this land is very productive agricultural land, perhaps some of the best in the province.