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If so, come see us at Fix Auto Medicine Hat where we will complete a no charge estimate in one of our four heated drive-thru estimate bays. We also off er multiple services such as stone rock chip repair, 3M fi lm paint protection, custom body and paint, as well as all
insurance claims. Let us show you what we can do for you and your ride. We also off er a lifetime warranty on all paint and body work.
Ranches
disappearing, but demand for beef rising
CHARLES LEFEBVRE W
Our skilled service technicians can fi x minor windshield chips before they develop into cracks that will impair driving visibility and compromise vehicle safety. Getting windshield chips repaired is convenient, cost-eff ective, and maintains the crucial support structure of your vehicle.
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hen people hear the word Alberta, a specific vision comes to mind: Ranching.
Ranching is a part of the province’s lifeblood and heritage. The image of the rancher watching over a grazing herd of cattle has been ingrained in our minds for years. However, while ranching will likely still be around, the amount of ranchers is starting to dwindle.
According to Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, the number of ranchers across the province declined 25.3 per cent between 2005 and 2011, with a 25.6 per cent decline in cattle producers. The number of cattle in Alberta peaked in 2005 with 2,187,000 head found on 28,718 farms and ranches. A year later, the number had dropped to 2,032,018 on 25,479 ranches, and by 2011, the number sat at 1,558,700 on 18,944 ranches.
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xauto.com 6 2015 REPORT ON SOUTHEAST ALBERTA
The local region has also felt the effects. In 2006, Cypress County had 56,421 head but in 2011, the number had declined to 55,331. The number of ranchers has also dropped from 515 to 410. The County of 40 Mile has also seen a significant drop, from 23,147 head and 247 ranchers in 2006, to 19,754 and 188 ranchers in 2011.
Interestingly, despite the lower numbers of cattle in the province, the average herd size has increased to 82, up from 68 in 2001.
Ranching has been in Dale Weiss’s family since 1891, and Weiss himself has been farming the Arrowhead Ranch near Dunmore for 40 years. He presently has about 200 head on the land and is hoping to eventually expand.
He says he has seen the number of ranchers begin to fall in the region.
“The little guys are getting out, they’re getting old, and they don’t want to hassle with cows, and they’re at a good price right now, so they’re getting out,” he said.
Lyle Taylor with Medicine Hat Feeding Company also believes the age of farmers have likely effected the numbers. In a 2011 Statistics Canada report, the average farm operator was 54 years old, up from 52 in 2006.
“I think the ranching population is getting older, and as a consequence, their places are paid for, and then they don’t need to work as hard, and instead of running 300 cows, I can run 200 cows and not need to sweat it as much,” he said.
Taylor also added there is not a lot of young people left in the ranching industry, which is another reason for the lower numbers. He says this partially began with the BSE crisis in 2003.
“Dad and the young person couldn’t make a living on the place, so they had to go find a job,” he said. “Now they have and they’re not going back. One of the reasons they’re not going back is because you used to buy land for $100 per acre and now it’s thousands and thousands of dollars per acre ... it’s more expensive to retire
Garry
41189993•03/31/15
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