Alberta Runs on Farm Hands

Ask someone outside the province what Alberta is known for, and they'll probably say oil and gas. Fair enough. But drive twenty minutes out of Calgary in any direction, and you'll see the other Alberta: canola fields, feedlots, fence lines that run to the horizon, and the largest cattle herd in the country.

Agriculture is one of the industries that built this province, and it's still one of the most dangerous places to work with your hands.

The scale of farming and ranching in Alberta

The numbers are bigger than most people expect:

• Alberta has roughly 41,500 farms — about 22% of all the farms in Canada — spread across 49.2 million acres of farmland, second only to Saskatchewan. (Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Agriculture)
• Alberta farms reported $22.2 billion in revenue in 2020, more than any other province and over a quarter of Canada's total farm revenue.
• The province's agriculture and agri-food sector contributed $10.3 billion to GDP in 2023 and employs around 83,000 Albertans.
• Alberta is home to more beef cattle ranching operations than any other province, and its herd accounts for roughly 40% of all cattle and calves in Canada.

So when we talk about farm safety in Alberta, we're not talking about a niche audience. We're talking about tens of thousands of people who spend their days sorting cattle, stretching wire, running augers, fixing equipment, and stacking bales — almost all of it done by hand.

Farming is still one of Canada's most dangerous jobs

Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting data shows an average of 114 people killed and nearly 1,500 seriously injured in farm-related incidents every year across the country. Agriculture consistently ranks among the most hazardous industries in North America — farmers face a higher fatality rate than workers in almost any other sector.

Hands are the single most injured body part in agriculture. One systematic review of agricultural injuries found that the hand was the most commonly injured body part, accounting for about 20% of cases — ahead of ankles, knees, and everything else.

What hand injuries actually look like on a farm or ranch

If you've worked a season on a farm or ranch, you already know the list:

• Lacerations from barbed wire and sheet metal. Stretching or repairing fence with bare hands or worn-out cotton gloves is one of the most common ways ranchers end up needing stitches.
• Rope burns and crush injuries from livestock handling. A 1,400-pound animal doesn't care where your fingers are. Halter ropes, gates, chutes, and squeeze panels all pinch, and cattle were the number one source of injury.
• Punctures and abrasions from hand tools, hay, and machinery. Post pounders, wire cutters, baler twine, and auger housings can chew up unprotected hands.
• Chemical exposure. Fuel, hydraulic fluid, and cleaning agents dry out and crack skin, which then splits open on the next hard grip.

Most of these injuries are preventable, and the prevention is not complicated. It's a glove that actually fits, actually resists cuts and abrasion, and is comfortable enough that you keep it on.

That last part — keep it on — turns out to be the whole problem for a growing share of Canada's farm workforce.

The Men's Fitters Unlined is the workhorse chore glove. Goatskin leather and cotton construction give it the dexterity you need for wire, twine, and tools, while hooded leather fingertips add durability exactly where fencing and feeding wear gloves out first. The rubberized wide cuff seals out hay chaff, grain dust, and debris — anyone who's spent a day bucking bales knows why that matters — and the half-cotton lining keeps hands from overheating through a long summer workday.

A quick gut check before your next chore

Farm safety advice can feel overwhelming, so keep it simple. Before your next fencing job, sorting day, or equipment repair, ask three questions:

1. Do my gloves actually fit? If you can pinch loose material at the fingertips, they're a snag hazard, not protection.
2. Are they rated for the job? Cotton chore gloves are fine for feeding. They are not fine for barbed wire or sheet metal. Know your cut ratings.
3. Will I keep them on? The best glove is the one you don't take off.

Spectra Supply supports our Farmers and Ranchers. Spectra gloves are available at all Rocky Mountain Equipment store locations in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

Sources: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Agriculture; Canada WaterPortal, Agriculture in Alberta; Canada Action, Farming & Agri-Food in Alberta; Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting (CAIR); Government of Alberta Workplace Injuries, Illnesses and Fatalities Report (2024); AgSafe Alberta; Upper Limb Injuries in Agriculture: A Systematic Review (IJERPH); Farm Management Canada.