AgriPost May 26 2023

Spring Seeding Off to a Great Start in Manitoba

Canada Opens Pathway to Permanent Residency

By Elmer Heinrichs

The federal government is expanding a pilot project it launched during the pandemic to offer temporary workers in the agriculture and food sector a pathway to permanent residency.

Family members of workers who make it into the program will be given open work permits so they can earn a living while they’re in Canada.

Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser said the project will keep operating until 2025.

By Harry Siemens

said on May 10 that temperatures warming up and staying above zero overnight for about a week, helped with seeding.

“That helps a lot because you don’t go backwards now overnight when you get so cold and then have to rebound during the day,” said Voogt. “Now we’re making some progress, some good gains.”

Even with warmer temperatures it still is important to get

in the ground as early as possible.

“I think the big thing is when fields are ready, ensure you get in there and get them seeded properly. Don’t rush things,” he said. “If things are too wet yet, give it some time.”

Seeding depths have become essential for good seed placement, germination, and a fast start.

Voogt encouraged farmers to watch their seeding depths, getting seeds into moist

soils.

“I think we can pretty much-put seed in at normal depths, but not to assume that because there’s good moisture there. We should seed everything shallow because there are certain crops like corn, in that two, two and a half inches just because it has to be for the physiological development of that corn,” Voogt said.

Seed depth is not only a moisture issue; he said it’s more about the proper depth

because the moisture levels could change to dry.

“With good heat for several weeks and adequate moisture, farmers should be on the lookout for weeds,” said Voogt. “Unfortunately, with more heat, many weeds are starting to come outside the volunteer canola.”

Farmers may also consider doing more burn-offs this year before the crop emerges he commented.

Voogt said some clients may

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“Our farmers and food processors depend on the steady arrival of foreign workers so that planting, harvesting and food processing activities can take place throughout the year, and they need our continued support to attract and retain these talented workers. Extending the Agri-Food Pilot helps these sectors find the employees they need, so we can be confident that our food security, economy and living standards for Canadians across the country will continue to improve and grow,” sad Fraser.

He said the agricultural sector is struggling with labour shortages that could hurt Canada’s food security if they aren’t addressed. The extended pilot program is specifically designed to address labour shortages in meat and food product processing, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers, greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production, including mushroom production, general farm workers and harvesting labourers.

A total of 2,750 principal applicants can be processed under the pilot program annually.

Jason Voogt of Field2 Field Agronomy at Carman, MB,

Jason Voogt of Field2 Field Agronomy said farmers might consider doing more burn-offs this year before the crop emerges. Submitted photo

seed

Bibeau Concludes AIM4C Climate Summit in Washington, D.C.

Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Marie-Claude Bibeau, recently wrapped up a three-day visit to Washington where she participated in the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C) global summit. Bibeau joined Ministerial counterparts and delegates from over 40 countries to discuss the need for greater investment in climate-smart agriculture to address climate change and global hunger.

The Minister highlighted the leadership Canada is taking to reduce the impact of climate change in agriculture through investments in clean technology, best management practices, and research and innovation. She also reinforced the message that agriculture should be a prominent topic at the climate change Conference of Parties (COP) next fall in Dubai.

Bibeau used this forum to announce $2 million for the creation of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Network on Sustainable Agriculture in a Net-Zero Economy, in collaboration with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council as part of the $100 million investment in agricultural research announced in Budget 2022. The network will mobilize Canadian expertise, technologies and practitioners to enhance and accelerate the pathway for agriculture to play a role in a net-zero economy.

She was a speaker at a highlevel plenary session about the importance of bringing women into the heart of decision-making in agri-food systems. As seen through

her different experiences, empowering women leads to more effective climate action and greater economic opportunities.

Bibeau also announced that Canada will join the Agriculture Breakthrough, an initiative launched at COP26 in 2021. The Agricultural Breakthrough focuses on a series of actions to accelerate the transition towards clean technologies in the agricultural sector through enhanced international collaboration, cooperation and coordination.

On the margins of the Summit, the Minister held bilateral meetings with U.S Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Mexico Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development Victor Villalobos and Spain Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Luis Planas.

During her meeting with Vilsack, Bibeau shared priorities on resilient supply chains, and science- and rules-based international trade. Additionally, proposed changes to the voluntary “Product of USA” labelling requirements for meat, poultry and egg products were discussed, with Bibeau noting Canada’s concern that these could restrict trade and disrupt supply chains.

Bibeau reiterated Canada’s commitment to working with the U.S. and Mexico to strengthen trade relationships through science-based decision making, including Canada’s recently announced updated guidance on plant breeding innovations and gene-editing. Bibeau also expressed her appreciation for Vilsack’s support in helping to reopen the U.S. market for

Prince Edward Island table stock potatoes. They also discussed a variety of other topics, including Canada’s Clean Fuel Standard and Mexico’s restrictions on some GMO corn imports.

During the Summit, Bibeau had an opportunity to visit the USDA Beltsville Agriculture Research Centre to see breakthrough technology developed by Carbon Asset Solutions, which has its Canadian headquarters in Olds, Alberta. The company specializes in advanced soil carbon measurement technology to facilitate the verification and sales of carbon credits in the global market; which could incentivize farmers to introduce more regenerative farming practices to increase resilience, soil fertility, and carbon sequestration while earning revenues from the sale of verified carbon credits. Bibeau highlighted Canada’s investment of up to $458,095 under the Research and Innovation Stream of the Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program to bring Carbon Asset Solutions’ technology to the commercial stage.

The Minister hosted a gathering of approximately 60 U.S agricultural industry representatives to reiterate the value and mutual benefits of the Canada-U.S. trading relationship and to share Canadian perspectives and priorities. She also held meetings with the North American Meat Institute and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, together with the Canadian Cattle Association, on the importance of integration in the CanadaU.S. meat and livestock supply chain.

Farming Can Be More than Just a Risky Business

By Elmer Heinrichs

Ukrainian grain farmers in areas now free from Russian occupation are wondering if they should risk their lives to clear explosives before the critical spring planting season.

They are also dealing with soaring production and transportation costs caused by Russia’s blockade of many Black Sea ports.

Experts predict losses, a reduction in output and poten-

tially thousands of bankruptcies.

The head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Ukraine said a drastic cutback in grain crops could threaten global food security.

The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Marie-Claude Bibeau, hosted a gathering of approximately 60 U.S agricultural industry representatives to reiterate the value and mutual benefits of the Canada-U.S. trading relationship and to share Canadian perspectives and priorities. She also held meetings with the North American Meat Institute and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, together with the Canadian Cattle Association, on the importance of integration in the Canada-U.S. meat and livestock supply chain. Submitted photo

Spring Seeding Off to a Great Start in Manitoba

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look at new herbicides and wheat varieties. There are several new spring wheat varieties available on a larger scale, and he said that he is pretty excited to see how they do.

With supply issues a concern back in the 2022 spring seeding season, he sees no real problems this year for fertilizer and chemicals. Most retail suppliers including Voogt’s company have everything in stock for farmers.

“Since the whole COVID thing, many farmers got more into a practice book-

ing and bringing some stuff home early anyways, especially the larger volume products like glyphosate or Liberty,” said Voogt. “And so they’ve got it ready to roll in case they need it.”

He said the order of which seed to plant first has changed for some farmers this year.

“We’re looking at planting our soybeans before our canola because we’re trying to get guys to grow soybeans before canola; because, in particular this year, the soil has warmed

up quite well,” said Voogt.

He said that another reason is because soybeans are much more resilient earlier on in the season. Canola has issues with frost and especially flea beetles. By delaying the crop to the warmer part of the month it grows quicker with more even emergence and handles flea beetles and frost better.

“So putting the canola later and the soybeans first, we’re hoping that might work out better for guys,” said Voogt.

It also benefits soybeans with a higher yield by de-

Minister Bibeau Wraps Up Successful Trade Mission to Indo-Pacific Region

Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, recently concluded a successful oneweek trade mission to Japan and Singapore.

According to her department, the mission underscored one of the Government of Canada’s top priorities under the Indo Pacific Strategy (IPS): to expand our partnerships and trade relationships in this region.

“The Indo-Pacific Region presents tremendous economic opportunities for Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector. This is why expanding our partnerships and trade relationships in the Indo-Pacific region is a top priority for the Government of Canada,” said Bibeau. “This mission to Japan and Singapore helped connect Canadian entrepreneurs with important players in the Indo-Pacific region, and promoted both Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector, and our country’s commitment and contributions to global food security.”

Throughout the outreach, Bibeau took part in conversations with her international counterparts and in-market stakeholders, where she reinforced Canada’s commitment to deepening and diversifying agriculture trade, promoting Canadian agriculture and agri-food products, sustainable global food trade, and food security.

In Japan, Bibeau met with key Japanese agri-food stakeholders, Canadian industry associations, and Canadian businesses in Tokyo, to highlight the economic relationship between Canada and Japan, and discussed increasing trade and investment ties in the region.

Bibeau also participated in the G7 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting in Miyazaki, where she discussed with her counterparts net zero initiatives, sustainable agriculture, resilient agricultural systems, and food security. The Minister also held bilateral meetings with key partners, including Japan’s Minister of Agricul-

ture, Forestry and Fisheries, Nomura Tetsuro.

While in Singapore, Bibeau attended the Food and Hotel Asia trade show with Alvin Tan, Singapore’s Minister of State for Trade and Industry. During the opening ceremony, she highlighted Canadian exporters, as well as their high-quality products and the refreshed Canada Brand that helps Canada stand out in increasingly crowded and competitive global marketplaces.

Bibeau also joined Koh Poh Koon, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State of Sustainability and the Environment, for a bilateral meeting to discuss Singapore’s ‘30 by 30’ Initiative to build up its agrifood industry’s capacity, and how Canada can contribute to Singapore’s food security goals.

Finally, Bibeau hosted a round table discussion in Singapore with the CanadaASEAN Business Council to discuss opportunities and challenges for Canadian companies operating in the region.

veloping more nodes per plant.

“By planting soybeans earlier, it encourages more of the vegetative growth of the soybeans during the longest days of the year so that we get more node developments, and then thus you get more flowers and hopefully more pods too,” said Voogt.

While at the mercy of the weather, waiting for the rains in late July and August, getting that growth earlier will help for bigger yields he said.

This year it looks like seed will go in at normal depths, although farmers should not assume because there’s good moisture there that growth will continue noted Jason Voogt of Field2 Field Agronomy.

Seeding in Manitoba is off to a great start, said Jason Voogt of Field2 Field Agronomy.

Relaxing Gene Editing Will Speed Up New Varietal Development

access to improved plant varieties.

On May 3, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) released its updated guidance on plant breeding innovation, bringing a close to a consultation process launched in 2021.

The guidance covers the environmental safety of plants developed using gene editing and is grounded in the exact science that informed Health Canada’s food safety guidelines last year. These pieces help pave the way for Canadian farmers to have faster

“The CFIA’s updated guidance helps Canada stay competitive on the global stage,” said Krista Thomas, Vice President of Seed Innovation for the Canada Grains Council.

“Many of our trading partners have already adopted similar science-based policies, and farmers outside of Canada have grown gene-edited crops since 2015. When we let the science be the core of regulatory decision-making, we can trust the result and it is safe.”

Gene editing and the ability to improve plant characteristics quickly and precisely can reduce the use of water, pesticides, fertilizers, land, and other resources in crop production.

My first thought on this move was how the government is finally trying to get it right. What’s the hidden agenda here, or is there one?

I’m a total believer in genetically modified plant varieties, so this was and is exciting news for the most part.

I reached out to my good friend Dr. Stuart Smyth at the University of Saskatchewan and asked Stuart, “is gene editing something new? I thought we’d been doing that, but you explain what the government announced last week.”

“It’s a bit different than what we’ve been doing for the last 30 years on the genetically modified side of crop development where a foreign gene gets inserted to give herbicide or insect resistance. And so with gene editing, all they’re doing is using the previous mutagenic technologies. However, they are doing those mutations specifically to one gene or several genes that will provide an advantage, say, drought tolerance or increased nutrient deficiencies. So where we see a difference is that there’s no foreign DNA in-

serted into these varieties, and gene editing will speed up the natural rates of crop variety improvement.”

Dr. Smyth said re-increased speedup time; some estimates say a traditional mutagenic variety has taken 10 to 12 years to market. Some estimates say it could shorten it to three to five years saving seven to nine years off the process of developing new crop varieties.

On the CFIA’s further announcement, Smyth said these new gene editing technologies will have conventional plant breeding classification.

“So the real benefit for farmers nationwide is that universities haven’t developed genetically modified crop varieties. And so, with the allowance of gene editing, they can now adopt these new innovative breeding technologies. And in a few years, we’ll see significant increases in yields and other important traits coming out

of our public institutions.”

Dr. Smyth is doing some work to understand better what’s going on regarding changes in the sustainability of agriculture.

“And our biggest problem is we need a robust data set from the early 1990s to know whether agriculture’s getting better, staying about the same, or worsening. So we are surveying about 160 farmers around Saskatchewan about their various production practices. How much fertilizer and chemicals are they using and assessing that data. We’ve found that, for example, nitrogen fertilizer use has increased, but so has yields. So we’re producing more bushels of crop per acre now than we were previously due to more efficient fertilizer use.

My question to him was, will you catch people’s attention in places like Ottawa and have them see this stuff, review it, and use it?

‘That’s the goal. We have

two papers submitted to journals right now and undergoing peer review. So if we’re fortunate, we’ll have those published by fall. Then we can start making them available to policymakers, not only in Ottawa but to other provincial capitals and to the agriculture industry and organizations as a whole to be able to use as part of their communications.

I commented that farmers get a little tired when told we’re not doing it well enough. And that doesn’t mean it can’t improve, but we’ve got some of the best farmers in the world doing what they should be doing.

Stuart replied, “I agree with you, Harry, and when I speak to the media, I say, ‘Look, I’ll put Canadian farmers in terms of sustainability, there may be some farmers in some areas in some other countries that are matching us, but I don’t think there are farmers in other parts of the world that are beating us’.”

Understanding Canadian Farmland Rental Rates: FCC Analysis

By Harry Siemens

Farm Credit Canada (FCC) released an analysis of the rent-to-price ratio for cultivated farmland in Canada obtained by crossing cash rental rates and the farmland values report data. A trending lower ratio suggests that cash rental rates are appreciating slower than land values. Conversely, an increase in the ratio indicates that rental rates are increasing faster than land values. This information can help producers make decisions about buying versus renting land.

The national rent-to-price ratio in 2022 was 2.55 per cent, compared to 2.5 per cent in 2021. In Saskatchewan and Alberta, there were slight year-over-year increases. The RP ratio increased to 3.1 and 2.6 per cent, respectively, while all other provinces saw decreases.

“Several economic conditions impact the cost of renting land in Canada,” said J.P. Gervais is Vice-President and Chief Agricultural Econ-

omist at FCC. “Land values, the availability of land and its quality can all drive the price to rent.”

When FCC launched its farmland value report towards the end of March, it was to help determine where rental rates are going relative to land values.

“And the question being, well, we know land values are going up now, is this the same for rental rates,” said Gervais.

From the landlord’s perspective, if land values are rising, they need to increase land rental rates to keep their rate of return. At the same time they need to consider the tenant’s perspective, but remain profitable.

“Where is that dynamic between landlords and tenants? And how is the market evolving? That’s what’s behind this idea of the land rental rate relative to land prices,” said Gervais.

While comparing rental rates relative to land prices at the end of 2022 Gervais

noted that rental rates for the most part, except in Saskatchewan and Alberta did go up but not as much as land values. The exception is in Saskatchewan and Alberta, where land rental rates increased slightly more than the pace of increased land values.

As farming operations continue to grow, land values also increase, and farm operations, on average are faced with higher land rental rates for this season.

“We need to consider that in the context of high input prices,” said Gervais. “While decreasing slightly, interest rates are still high.”

Gervais said some operations had booked their inputs at high prices even though they’re lower now in the cash market. This is putting some pressure on profitability he said.

For Manitoba, in 2022, the land-to-rental rate was 2.40; in 2021, it was 2.50, dropping slightly, meaning that land rental rates, on average,

did not go up as much as land values.

“It seems that pressures on land rental rates stay relative to increases in land values. But interest rates matter in the land-rental market,” he said. “On the one side, higher interest rates impact farm operations’ profitability. On the other side, landowners look at that owned capital, and interest rates are increasing. So there’s this little dynamic and push to focus on a better return, in the context of higher interest rates.”

Gervais said all of these things that are interacting and offsetting in some ways each other.

“But the bottom line is rental rates have increased, which is not a surprise,” he said. “That’s just one of the other, you know, contributing factors when it comes to pressures on profitability that operations face.”

Gervais said farmers rent about 40 per cent of Canadian farmland. Typically, renting is less expensive than

Vice-President and Chief Agricultural Economist at Farm Credit Canada, J. P. Gervais sees several economic conditions impacting the cost of renting land in Canada. Land values, the availability of land and its quality can all drive the price to rent.

Submitted photo

purchasing and the lower the ratio, the better the renting option. For young farmers and new entrants, renting is a viable option to free up capital instead of other needs like machinery or inputs.

“Deciding whether to buy or rent is a strategic decision unique to each producer,” said Gervais. “There is much to consider, including interest rates, yields, commodity prices and input costs.”

Government Partnership Opens Two New Funding Streams for Ag Producers

The Manitoba government has opened intakes for two new programs under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) that provide funding to support sustainable farming in Manitoba.

“Farmers are on the front lines when it comes to the impact of climate change,” said federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister MarieClaude Bibeau. “By investing in on-farm environmental solutions, we can continue to grow a sustainable sector that is more resilient to extreme weather while helping our farmers reduce their environmental footprint.”

“Our government is committed to supporting our producers to be champions of agricultural sustainability, and creating opportunities to help farmers reach their business goals,” said Manitoba Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson. “These two new funding opportunities build on our previous investments and enable farmers to grow their businesses while enhancing the sustainability and growth of the sector overall.”

The Sustainable Agriculture Manitoba (SAM) program provides funding to help farmers and land managers implement cost-shared beneficial management practices that increase the environmental and economic sustainability of agriculture operations in Manitoba. Priority areas for funding include climate change adaptation and mitigation, air quality, water quality and

quantity, soil health and biodiversity.

Johnson noted a variety of beneficial management practices are eligible for costshared funding in categories including cropland management, manure and livestock management and water management.

Practices in these categories have been developed with the goal of ensuring enhanced environmental outcomes and will support federal climate objectives, as well as provincial goals under the Manitoba Protein Advantage Strategy, the Water Management Strategy and the Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan.

The deadline to apply for SAM beneficial management practices funding is June 6.

Funding for the agriculture sector is also available through the Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP), a cost-shared federal-provincial/territorial program funded under the Sustainable CAP that supports the provision of ecological goods and services by the agriculture sector, such as maintaining and restoring grasslands and wetlands on agricultural lands, Johnson noted.

Funding through the RALP: Carbon Sequestration and Grassland Resilience stream will support on-farm beneficial management practices and projects that enhance the provision of ecological goods and services, with an emphasis on projects that sequester carbon and improve sustainability and productiv-

ity through grassland management and agroforestry practices. Eligible applicants include community pastures, agricultural Crown land forage lease-holders, Indigenous farmers and communities, including First Nations and Métis, and farmers outside of watershed district boundaries. The deadline to apply for funding through this stream is June 5.

Watershed districts are eligible for RALP: Watershed Resilience programming, where the districts will collaborate with farmers within district boundaries to implement projects on agricultural land. Farmers are encouraged to contact their local watershed districts to inquire about any potential programs that may be available, said Johnson.

“Manitoba’s cattle producers have a long history of using management practices that help support the health of our grasslands, wetlands, and soil, and which provide biodiversity for many animal and plant species. These practices not only contribute to the environmental and economic resiliency of the producers, but these benefits are also felt beyond the farm gate,” said Matthew Atkinson, president, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP). “MBP welcomes the federal and provincial governments’ recognition of and support for the varied ecosystem services being provided by beef producers in managing private and public lands.”

Johnson noted applicants for these environmental

programs must have a valid statement of completion for an environmental farm plan at the time of claim.

“As a farmer-led group, Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA) fully appreciates the importance and significance of the two programs announced today around the stewardship and retention of natural infrastructure such as grasslands in the Carbon Sequestration and Grassland Resilience stream and the focus on watershed health via Watershed Resilience programming,” said Lawrence Knockaert, chair, MFGA. “When combined with the progressions and increasing want of farmers of all stripes – dairy, livestock, grain, mixed farms and others – there is great potential for farmers interested in sustainable agriculture practices around soil health, land and water management to improve the sustainability of their farms while benefiting their local communities and society.”

The Sustainable CAP is a five-year $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5-billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

Government of Canada Increases Interest Relief to Help Producers

In recognition of the significant financial challenges facing Canadian producers, the Federal government recently confirmed that the interest-free limit of the Advance Payments Program has been increased from $250,000 to $350,000 for the 2023 program year taking effect on May 8. This is the portion of advances on which the Government of Canada pays the interest on behalf

FCC Sustainability Incentive Program Opens

Farm Credit Canada’s (FCC) Sustainability Incentive Program is once again open to applicants in partnership with the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) and McCain Foods.

FCC encourages eligible cattle producers and potato growers to explore the benefits of receiving incentive payments by increasing the adoption of sustainable practices through the CRSB certification initiative and the McCain Foods potato growers’ framework. Anyone who applied to the program in 2022 and new eligible applicants are now able to apply for this year’s incentive payments.

“FCC is happy to be reopening applications for our sustainability programs. We are in a unique position to work with individual sectors in the agriculture and food industry on their sustainability goals,” explains Curtis Grainger, FCC’s director of sustainability programs. “The progress we’re seeing looks different depending on the sector and on an individual’s operation. That’s why the established, verified initiatives at CRSB and McCain Foods are important partnerships that allow us to support producers with their individual needs.”

The goal of the Sustainability Incentive Program is to recognize and encourage customers as they adopt sustainable agricultural practices. Incentive payments are calculated on a portion of a customer’s lending with FCC. Producers are required to continue to meet the requirements and certification of their respective program to be eligible for the annual incentive payment. Complete details are available at fcc.ca.

The CRSB works with third-party certification bodies (Verified Beef Production Plus, Where Food Comes From and Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance Program) to provide audited certification to its Sustainable Beef Production Standard at the cowcalf, background and feedlot level.

“FCC has shown up in a big way for CRSB certified producers, recognizing the time and investment it takes to maintain certification and continuously improve production practices,” says Ryan Beierbach, CRSB Chair and Saskatchewan producer. “The partnership between CRSB and FCC has been pivotal to the growth of the Certified Sustainable Beef Framework over the past year. We’ve seen increased interest and retention in CRSB certifications and as a producer myself, I am proud of FCC acknowledging beef producers’ commitment to sustainable production.”

Beierbach notes that increased consumer demand for certified sustainable beef in the marketplace puts CRSB certified producers in an excellent position moving forward.

of producers. Under the Advance Payments Program, producers have access to favorable cash advances of up to $1 million, based on the expected value of their agricultural product. The program can also provide some flexibility by allowing producers to sell their agricultural products based on market conditions rather than the need for cash.

Last year, the Govern -

ment of Canada increased the interest-free limit from $100,000 to $250,000 for the 2022 and 2023 program years, saving producers an average of $8,600 over the two years. The further increase means producers have access to additional cash flow and more interest savings to help cover costs until they can sell their products.

By increasing the interestfree limit to $350,000 for

2023, eligible participating producers could save an additional $3,600 in interest costs on average for the year. This change will represent total savings of up to $12.4 million.

The Government of Canada will also consult with provincial and territorial counterparts to explore ways to extend help to smaller agricultural producers who demonstrate urgent financial need.

McCain Foods is an excellent partner in the FCC Sustainability Incentive Program by providing matching incentive payments to eligible producers. Their framework guides producers on their sustainability journeys. McCain Foods has a goal to implement sustainable agricultural practices across 100 per cent of its potato acreage worldwide by 2030.

“As a global leader in the food industry, McCain Foods is committed to promote sustainable agriculture practices,” says Daniel Metheringham, McCain Food’s vice-president of agriculture. “We are proud to work in partnership with FCC to incentivize and support farmers in their transition to regenerative agriculture. This collaboration exemplifies our shared commitment to creating programs that foster environmental stewardship, improve farm resilience, and build a more sustainable future for our communities and our planet.”

Government Moves Forward with Plant Breeding Innovation While Upholding the Integrity of the Organic Sector

The Federal Government has announced the updated guidance for seed regulations that will provide clear direction for plant breeders so that Canadian farmers can access new seed varieties, enhance sustainable food production and be more resilient in the face of today’s challenges.

Plant breeding innovations allow new plant varieties to be developed more effectively and efficiently than through conventional breeding. This can benefit farmers and consumers by providing them with access to plants and seeds that are both safe for humans, animals, and the environment. These varieties can also be more resistant to extreme temperature, precipitation, and insects, helping us adapt to climate change, feed a growing population and keep food costs down for consumers.

Through the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)’s updated guidance for Part V of the Seeds Regulations, seed developers

will be able to confidently invest in new products while maintaining the high standard of safety that Canada is known for domestically and internationally.

This update builds on a similar update last year to the Novel Food Regulations by Health Canada.

“This will ultimately help Canadian farmers’ access new plant varieties that are more resilient to pests and extreme weather events and support our food security and sustainability objectives,” said Keith Currie, President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

At the same time, the Canadian government is also strengthening transparency measures for products of plant breeding innovation and investing in the Canadian Organic Standards to protect the integrity of the organic sector.

To help maintain the integrity of organic certifications, which allow the use of conventional seed but not gene edited seed, the government is announcing

a series of measures to ensure transparency in how the seed is produced.

Firstly, the creation of a Government-Industry Steering Committee on Plant Breeding Innovations Transparency to facilitate ongoing discussions as gene-edited products are introduced in the marketplace.

Secondly, the expansion of the Seeds Canada Canadian Variety Transparency Database to provide transparency around individual seed varieties.

Thirdly, federal oversight of the Canadian Variety Transparency Database to ensure the completeness and robustness of the database.

These measures are informed by the recommendations and the work of the Industry-Government Technical Committee on Plant Breeding Innovation Transparency, which is comprised of members from the organic, conventional, and seed sectors, as well as officials from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC),

the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Health Canada. The aim of their continued engagement is to enable the Canadian Variety Transparency Database to succeed, ensuring the transparency of seed innovations in Canada.

In addition to these measures Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced that the Government will once again provide funding to support the review of Canada’s organic standards, which are updated every five years and due for renewal in 2025.

The United States, Japan, Australia, Argentina and Brazil have clarified the pathway for gene-edited products. New Zealand, the UK and the European Union (EU) are in the process of doing so.

The goal of the Government of Canada is to protect the health and safety of Canadians and the environment through science and evidence-based decisionmaking, and recognizing

Farmers Eye Early June Finish to Most Seeding

By Elmer Heinrichs

Manitoba farmers are getting seeds in the ground earlier than last year, making some optimistic about the growing season.

With warm soil temperatures and adequate soil moisture crops have been emerging rapidly and as June approaches many farmers are finished seeding, and others are about to wrap up.

Seeding got underway in early May across the province, but well behind the five year average according to Manitoba Agriculture’s first crop report of the season. Overall, provincially, producers were able to make significant progress over the last week with field work and seeding.

While only about 25 per cent of crops are seeded, it’s ahead of last year’s late start though well behind the fiveyear average for this time at 63 per cent. But warm soil temperatures and adequate soil moisture mean crops will be emerging rapidly in

the coming days and weeks.

But as warm, windy days are starting to dry out fields in the Red River Valley and beyond, Manitoba Agriculture expects seeding progress to jump quickly.

“Seeding progress across the province is moving at a rapid pace with the recent warm weather. Producers are able to seed most fields, unlike the previous week where producers were more selective on which field to plant due to wet soil conditions,” the report said.

Weather forecasts mostly favourable for seeding progress, cereal plantings are getting wrapped up quickly with corn, soybean and canola moving to centre stage.

Early-seeded crops have more time to reach their full yield potential, they do a better job of competing against weeds, they have flowered or produced seed heads ahead of peak summer heat, and they can often be harvested by late summer when weather conditions tend to be drier.

Meanwhile, farmers in the south-central region got off to a strong start to the spring seeding season, with even more progress expected in the coming days with favourable weather conditions.

The Carman/Roland areas are further advanced in seeding than regions on the escarpment and heavier soils around Altona and along the Red River.

While spring seeding is running behind average, farmers are planting into almost ideal soil moisture conditions, says Manitoba pulse crop specialist Dennis Lange, who sees farmers seeding more wheat, and perhaps 1.5 million acres of soybeans after last year’s good crop. And dry bean planting is underway.

In the southeast, relatively dry conditions and above-average temperatures allowed producers to have a productive week with field work and seeding. Approximately 50 per cent of spring wheat and barley acres along with

that new plant breeding innovations, including gene-editing, allow new plant varieties to be developed more efficiently than conventional breeding.

“As the agriculture sector faces the challenge of feeding a growing world population in the midst of climate change, innovation is an incomparable tool to increase our production safely and sustainably,” noted Bibeau. “While facilitating the development of new plant varieties from plant breeding innovations, in light of discussions with the government-industry committee, we will protect the integrity of organic certification.”

“The news that AAFC will help fund a review of the Canadian Organic Standards is also a welcome announcement,” added Currie. “These two elements will help ensure farmers can continue to make informed decisions on what they produce.”

Novel Plants Require Assessment

- Plant breeders have always been responsible for notifying the CFIA of all novel plants. This is still the case.

- The updated guidance responds to an identified need for improved clarity about how gene-edited plants are regulated and took into consideration feedback from a fourmonth consultation in 2021.

Plants that require assessment from the CFIA include:

- Plants to which DNA from another species (foreign DNA) has been introduced and

- Plants that have the capacity to negatively impact the environment.

- Health Canada updated its guidance for plant breeding for novel foods in 2022.

30 per cent of oat acres were seeded. And early crops were emerging.

Soil temperatures have moved into an acceptable range for all crop types allowing producers the flexibility to plant various crop types, even crops needing more time to mature.

Producers have been concentrating on the longer-season crops, or those more sensitive to frost, like canola, soybeans and corn. The report also showed that winter cereal crops were tillering and are in good to excellent condition with very little winterkill.

Corn and sunflower planting is underway through the Red River Valley.

Fertilization of hay fields, particularly those receiving hog manure in parts of the region has begun. Pastures now supporting grazing and moisture conditions are adequate and dugouts are full.

The first spring cereals have emerged and are looking healthy.

Canada Regains Guatemala Market Access

By Elmer Heinrichs

Canada has regained market access to Guatemala for pork, beef, and poultry products.

Guatemala had closed access for Canadian meat products in December 2013, due to new requirements to inspect facilities in Canada for approval of exports.

As part of this market access, Canadian exports of beef, pork and poultry meat products produced on or after April 17 are now eligible to be exported to Guatemala.

“This is a big win for Canada. The success of Canadian agriculture depends heavily on Canada’s ability to export to the world, and Guatemala presents many opportunities for our exporters. Our Government will continue to support industry’s efforts to get Canadian businesses into new and existing markets and stimulate economic growth,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Increased exports to Guatemala have been part of Canada’s long-term strategy to grow international markets for Canadian exporters.

It also provides more opportunities for Canadian producers to diversify their exports and access key markets that are in close proximity geographically.

In 2022, Guatemala’s total global import of beef, pork, and poultry was valued at $360 million.

California’s Prop-12 Upheld by US Court

By Harry Siemens

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) on May 11, 2023, chose to uphold Proposition 12, a 2018 California law passed by voters that establishes new standards for the confinement of farm animals, including pigs, cows, and chickens that also requires the same standards for all out of state producers who conduct commerce in California.

Hannah Thompson-Weeman, the CEO of Animal Agriculture Alliance in Arlington, VA, said the Supreme Court upheld Proposition-12 in California, challenged by several animal agriculture organizations led by the National Pork Producers Council and American Farm Bureau Federation.

“It was voters in one state passing legislation affecting farmers in another state; an issue with the Interstate Commerce Clause,” said Thompson-Weeman.

The lower courts had upheld California’s Proposition-12, and farm organizations took the ruling to the US Supreme Court earlier this year. On May 11, SCOTUS affirmed the judgment of the lower Court. It was an unsuccessful challenge, and Proposition 12 will stand.

Scott Hays, National Pork

Producers Council (NPPC) president and Missouri pork producer, said the decision is disappointing.

“Allowing state overreach will increase consumer prices and drive small farms out of business, leading to more consolidation,” said Hays. “We are still evaluating the Court’s full opinion to understand all the implications.”

“There was surprise amongst the animal Ag community when this decision came out, raising many questions moving forward,” said Thompson-Weeman. While the many challenges delayed the implementation of Prop-12, it now goes into effect on July 1.

“We have to see what happens between now and July 1 with enforcement and implementation,” she said. “The tone of surprise and disappointment by animal agriculture is in stark contrast to the animal rights extremists heralding it as a victory.”

The Animal Agriculture Alliance CEO said the bigger picture of SCOTUS upholding this ruling revives the animal activists’ engine even more.

“It’s also about a flurry of other pieces of legislation that we will see because the use of ballot initiatives has been a primary tactic of

animal rights extremist organizations for years because they’re going straight to the voters,” she said. “They’re circumventing the typical legislative process and putting up over-simplified questions about animal welfare.”

According to ThompsonWeeman because the public is not well versed about animal agriculture, the public is making it an emotional issue, with headlines calling this the Humane Pork Law. She said that animal rights groups are claiming this is an improvement for animal welfare while animal rights groups say the opposition is only about increasing efficiency and reducing costs.

She said the ruling should be a warning call to animal agriculture because many people were pinning hopes on SCOTUS striking down Prop-12, which would have been helpful in challenging other similar pieces of legislation.

“But it’s not a new call to action that we’re giving; if you have not seen these legislative issues pop up in your state or province, you are lucky,” said ThompsonWeeman. “They will be there sometime in the future.”

She said that agricultural organizations should educate legislators and the public

Hannah Thompson-Weeman, CEO of Animal Agriculture Alliance in Arlington, VA, said there was surprise amongst the animal agricultural community when the US Supreme Court let stand California’s Prop-12 that establishes new standards for the confinement of farm animals, including pigs, cows, and chickens. File photo

about their production practices, why and how they keep animal health and welfare in mind, and “What we do and why we do it.”

Thompson-Weeman cautions that certain segments of the animal agriculture community are thinking, the ruling doesn’t affect others sectors.

“It doesn’t affect me. Its pork today, but others will be down the line,” she said.

She said similar legislation is popping up in states targeting all species that define a minimum life span before processing.

“That would redefine certain animal husbandry practices like artificial insemination,” said Thompson-Weeman.

California’s Prop-12 Will Affect Canadian Producers Too

By Harry Siemens

According to the National Pork Producers Council in the United States, Dr. Elizabeth Cox, animal care program manager for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Prop-12 enforcement will start on July 2, this year.

Since the definition of sow housing changed 18 months ago, no product or pigs will be “grandfathered in”. Therefore, all products sold into and in California beginning July 2, must be from sows housed in a manner compliant with Prop-12.

“There appears to be no answer other than bad news for an already beleaguered pork market. Hard to believe California supermarkets will be all but void of pork in the meat case come July 2….but here we are,” said Bill Alford, general manager of Hams Marketing Services in Winnipeg, MB. “Stay tuned!”

Cam Dahl, the general manager of Manitoba Pork Council, also in Winnipeg, said this is another thing that will make it harder to export into the US.

“It’s further disrupting our

integrated market between Canada and the US, including the proposed changes to the product of the USA labelling. So proposition 12 doesn’t stand alone,” said Dahl.

These issues become problematic because Canada negotiates trade agreements with the government of the United States, not 50 agreements with 50 different states, and that’s really what Proposition 12 will set up.

“Every state can have standards and impose their viewpoint, not necessarily evidence or science-based, on the rest of North America. It becomes very costly and difficult,” said Dahl.

Hannah Tompson-Weeman of the Animal Agriculture Alliance in the US said it would give the animal activist encouragement and the money for more of these things to happen, even though some of them are way out.

Dahl understands that at least eight states have similar legislation waiting for the Supreme Court to rule and won’t stay in California. In Manitoba, at least 60 percent of hog barns

have converted to full group housing for sows.

“But we don’t know if they will comply with the particular regulations in Proposition 12, despite the expense and effort to modify their production,” said Dahl. “The goalposts always keep changing.”

He said that hog farmers can’t afford to spend millions, and with ongoing required changes, most producers can’t afford to stay in business. With increased costs and now having to make changes to comply with Prop-12 will result in higher pork prices in California while placing added financial pressure on pork producers throughout North America.

Florian Possberg, a partner with Polar Pork Farms in Saskatchewan, said California accounts for about 15 to 20 percent of US pork consumption but could set the standard for other states regarding animal welfare with only one per cent of total US pork production. He said they only have a little agriculture, and it’s easy for their legislation to adopt very restrictive animal production

requirements. It is very popular with urban voters but not so much for the people that produce food.

“Not only does it affect California, but we fully expect it to set a precedent that will allow other states to follow what California has done,” said Possberg. “This could have ramifications for grain production, milk, eggs, and organics, not just pork.”

The US Supreme Court has set a precedent for bigger states like New York and Californian, with high levels of urban voters and almost no food producers.

“Sometimes urban consumers don’t understand the trouble they’re causing themselves by supporting some of these initiatives that don’t make a lot of sense,” he said.

Possberg said some producers would try to meet California’s codes and supply the California market at a different price.

“I say we strategically set up fresh pork stands all along the California state borders and make hay!” commented Bill Alford in his wrap up.

Are you ready for a new challenge that will change your life? Then maybe a Nuffield Canada Scholarship is for you.

“It’s not just an opportunity, but a journey of a lifetime,” says Blake Vince, Nuffield Canada Chair and 2013 Scholar. “In 24 months, you will gain more expertise and build more global networks than what takes most people a lifetime to achieve. You become an asset not only to your own business but also to your industry.”

Nuffield Canada annually offers four to six $20,000 scholarships for mid-career men and women, who are Canadian citizens approximately, aged 25 – 50, with a passion for agriculture who are ready to challenge themselves in a self-directed program of international travel and study. Unlike academic scholarships, Nuffield Scholarships are for the personal and professional benefit of those already established in the industry, while adding value to Canadian agriculture; scholars assume positions of greater influence in their fields.

Scholarship recipients can come from all areas of primary production including food, fibre, health care, biofuels, forestry, aquaculture, and fisheries. Successful candidates can represent any aspect of the value chain such as primary production, processing, governance, communications, safety, and others. Nuffield Canada values diversity and encourages applicants from all production philosophies such as commercial, organic, cottage, medicinal, Indigenous and others.

Scholars are required to do a minimum of 10 weeks of travel study within 24 months to examine and research a topic or issue of their choosing that is relevant to modern production. Each scholar then prepares a written report of their research findings, conclusions, and recommendations, and presents a summary to the Nuffield Board, with peers, sponsors, and industry leaders in attendance.

Nuffield Canada is now accepting scholar applications from April 1 through June 30 for the 2024 scholar cohort. Applications and more information can be found at nuffield.ca.

For scholar sponsors, Nuffield Canada offers a pathway for leadership development within organizations and industry. Producers, customers, clients and employees can be recognized for their leadership potential and encouraged to apply.

Do you know of someone graduating from Sunrise School Division in 2023 who intends to pursue post secondary training in Agriculture? If so, please make them aware of the ASCIA Bursary.

The Agassiz Soil & Crop Improvement Association (ASCIA) is offering a $1,000 bursary to a graduating student who intends to pursue studies and a career in Agriculture.

The successful applicant must meet the following criteria: be a resident of Sunrise School Division; in their final year of study for a high school diploma; demonstrate an academic ability that will ensure success in the chosen course; be pursuing a diploma or a degree in a Faculty of Agriculture; demonstrate an interest in his/her selected field of study and accepted at an accredited post secondary institution.

The ASCIA Bursary Application must be submitted no later than June 1. For more information or to submit your bursary application, contact Al Nickel at 204-266-8259.

Manitoba’s Outstanding Young Farmer is Youngest Director of Egg Farmers

By Harry Siemens

Harley Siemens is a 4th generation egg farmer, vicepresident of Siemens Farms Ltd., president of Manova Ltd. and the youngest director for Manitoba Egg Farmers.

Recently Harley and Brooklyn Siemens, from Rosenort, Manitoba were named Manitoba’s 2023 Outstanding

Young Farmers for 2023 at the Manitoba Region’s recognition event in Elk Ridge Resort March 17-19.

Harley and Brooklyn Siemens own and operate Siemens Farms home to 95,000 layers and 15,000 pullets in the egg industry. After graduating in 2016 from U of M with an Agriculture Diploma, Harley came back to the family farm to help run the operation which started the farm’s succession plan. This plan included a total revamp of the operation.

In 2017-2019 the Siemens replaced the barn with three state-of-the-art, free run aviary barns that house 25,000 layers and 15,000 pullets. In 2020 they bought into Manova (2012) Ltd which is another poultry farm located in Blumenort and Niverville and Harley became president of the corporation. The farm houses 70,000 layers in conventional and enriched housing. Within 3 months of ownership, Harley renovated the conventional layer barn and constructed a 22,500 layer, free-run aviary barn similar to the one in Rosenort.

Harley thrives on getting involved in agriculture outside the farm. He helped develop exhibits with commodity

groups at the Farm and Food Discovery Centre at Glenlea.

Since 2019 he has hosted over 250 tours to schools, university classes, politicians, local sports icons, industry leaders and friends/family.

In a recent interview Harley outlined what helped him and his wife receive the outstanding young farmer’s award and how he got there.

Harley said the biggest reason for him getting there is his father Kurt and they farm together.

“My dad, when I was growing up, I never thought he’d be the one to hand over the keys to the farm. He did that and lets me take big control in all the farms and have the say,” said Harley. “A succession plan has started and I’m only 27 years old and we’re almost there. So I got to contribute a lot to him, letting me run the farm in the way that

I see fit. And for him giving me that trust and the ability to do that.”

He also thanked his lovely wife Brooklyn for allowing him to do all these different events.

“We have a young family at home with three kids under the age of five. So for me to be able to go to all these different events and board meetings and try and further our industry I have to pay huge congratulations to her,” he said.

While things are good on the Siemens egg farm with involvement comes responsibility he said.

Harley spoke about the current avian influenza season here in Manitoba and across Canada. At the end of April there are no reported cases so far. Harley said Manitoba is fairly fortunate with no reported cases in the spring-

Beware of Scammers

By Joan Airey

Constable Jesse Zillman, with the Springfield Police Service, who is trained in fraud investigation and attended the Ontario Police College spoke at Woman’s Day sponsored by Manitoba Women’s Institute.

“In 2021 the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reported 106,637 occurrences of fraud in Canada. This number is likely, much higher however many people who have been defrauded do not report it,” said Zillman.

He said, the number of scams taking place increased in 2022 reported Zillman adding that there are numerous types of frauds and scams such as Foreign Lottery Scams, Sextortion Scams, Grandparents or Emergency Scams, Cheque Fraud, Phishing attempts and Deposit Frauds.

Everyday the scammers are busy trying to find a new mark so if you have a chance to learn from an informed police officer, bank staff or people who are computer savvy it’s worth your time.

Recently while interviewing a person for an article, we were discussing a speaker I’d heard last fall on scams and she shared with me the fact her mother had been caught in a grandparent’s scam. The point is it can happen to anyone.

time. Following a few cases last fall, the Manitoba Egg Farmers board and staff collaborated with the other feather boards in Manitoba.

“We came up with some plans and including a special websites and good information,” he said. This work, much of it in the background is all about, if it was to happen on somebody’s farm to be prepared.

“We understand the different scenarios that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency CFIA wants and promoting to our farmers’ biosecurity with many speakers come in from different producer events just to raise awareness and for other farmers to understand what it is and how it happens,” he said.

Manitoba Sees More Young Farm Operators

By Elmer Heinrichs

Manitoba has a rich history of farming. In addition to being the birthplace of canola (this plant was bred at the University of Manitoba), this prairie province has a robust agricultural sector characterized by the third largest farm area in Canada.

Information from the 2021 Census of Agriculture also shows that Manitoba’s ag-

ricultural industry is getting a boost from both younger farm operators and female farm operators.

Manitoba had the highest proportion of operators under the age of 35 of any province. The reported proportion was 11.5 per cent, which was higher than the Canadian proportion of 8.6 per cent. Manitoba also had the highest proportion of young operators in 2016, at

10.8 per cent.

Farms classified as oilseed and grain farms reported $4.3 billion in total operating revenues, making up 52.4 per cent of the province’s total. Manitoba made up 12.8 per cent of all oilseed and grain farm revenues in the country.

More specifically, “other grain” farms were the largest earner in the province, with $2.8 billion in farm

revenues. Farms classified as “other grain” include buckwheat, wild rice and anything else not reported under the other categories of oilseed and grain.

The next highest earners were farms classified as hog and pig farms ($1.3 billion), followed by farms classified as oilseed farms ($1.2 billion).

“Deposit Scam is where the scammer and the mark agree on a retail transaction. The scammer will convince the Mark to serve a deposit for item to guarantee it. Then the scammer will disappear. The item likely never existed,” said Zillman. “This can be done over Facebook, Market place, Kijiji, Craigslist and local classifieds. The scammer can list an ad or respond to a ‘wanted ad’. All manner of items involved including rental properties and livestock. The scammer will have a reason for why they cannot show the item right away. Out of town, kids sick, single mom, etc. Once the deposit is sent the scammer will likely try and pressure the mark to send another deposit or the remainder of the money. Once the scammer feels they can no longer benefit being in contact with the mark, they will ‘ghost’ them. Scammers will take down their profiles and messages go unanswered.”

There are things to watch for to recognize a scam such as out of province area codes when receiving text messages, Facebook or Kijiji profiles that are incomplete, stock images or other images that raise suspicion. Pushy or pressuring tactics for a deposit is another warning he said.

Scammers will continually delay in their availability to view the item. Zillman said an artificial sense of urgency is a tactic to get a deposit from you.

He said the best way to prevent this happening to you is insist on viewing the item in person before putting money down.

“Don’t be afraid to say no! If it doesn’t feel right, bail out,” he said. “Always conduct transactions in a safe well-lighted place like a police station parking lot if possible!!”

“Air duct cleaning scam, how do you recognize it?” said Zillman. He said the company will not be named in the Ad. The Ad has poor grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Also inappropriate use of the term such as ‘bonded by’.

Scammers play on emotion or only do business through Facebook and there is no phone book listing. This scam is essentially a vendor fraud where they will offer a service at an extremely discounted rate and the services are poor, upsold or not performed at all.

“Extreme cases include unneeded maintenance by unqualified person on critical equipment; furnace,” said Zillman.

Other scammers Constable Zillman mentioned were enforcement fraud where a mark receives a phone call or voice mail from an authority of some type like the CRA, customs, police or magistrate.

The scammer states there is an urgent issue the mark needs to rectify or else a warrant will be issued for their arrest. If the mark agrees to have the matter sorted the scammer will ask for payment in a non-conventional way such as gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer. You will recognize it’s a scam because they know nothing about you before you provide them with the information. The scammer then pressures you to pay a fine or fee in order to wave an arrest.

Other advice Zillman gave attendees was call police if you have been scammed or defrauded and obtain a police report number. Contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre to report the fraud there as well. In some cases, your insurance company may have coverage for fraud or identify thefts. He said to check your policy.

Remember your social insurance number is for life so if you get a call saying your number is being discontinued hang up. I got that call this morning.

Harley Siemens is a 4th generation egg farmer, vice-president of Siemens Farms Ltd., president of Manova Ltd and the youngest director for Manitoba Egg Farmers thanks his wife Brooklyn. They have three kids under the age of five. Submitted photo

Ashern Auction Mart Manager Sees Optimism in the Cattle Business

By Harry Siemens

The Ashern Livestock Auction Mart is in the centre of the Interlake, surrounded by some of the best cattle and people, according to general manager Kirk Kiesman, the general manager.

Kiesman recently spoke about the marketing changes and the positive outlook for current cattle producers.

The changes include preweighing the cattle at the beginning of every sale. This change gives more time to market cattle that are further away to boost competitive interest.

He said sales are a bit smaller right now since producers are in the midst of calving, but the runs have increased with heifers and steers. The season for dispersal sales and culling is over, and sales now include feeder cattle from the calf crops.

One observation is that producers have slowed down their culling because of higher cow prices.

“I think the producers who kept their cows will see rewards this fall with excellent prices, and hopefully, we get some optimism back into the cattle industry in Manitoba,” he said.

Kiesman said to hang onto this optimism producers need to make some money.

“It’s tough to be excited about getting up in the morning and running a business

Kirk Kiesman believes that those producers who were able to keep their cows will see rewards this fall with excellent prices and hopes that optimism comes back to the MB cattle industry.

guaranteed to lose money,” he said.

Even if producers did everything rights over the last few years, they weren’t making any money in the cattle industry.

“But this fall, even with how much inputs have risen,

I’m hoping that the cattle price compensates for that so producers make some good money,” said Kinsman.

When he and his wife returned from Alberta in 2011, they bought a cow/calf operation and became the Auction Mart manager.

During many of those tough years in the cattle business the work at the Auction Mart helped pay for their farming habit.

“It’s an addiction because you’re not getting ahead on the farm, but it’s a way of life,” he said. “And our children, there’s value in that, but it wasn’t making much money many years since we started.”

Jacqueline Kiesman works harder with four children and looking after most of the farming.

If Kiesman has one message for fellow cattle producers who started in 2011, perseverance is the key to the cattle industry. He said that some cattle producers got out for various reasons, but those still in the business will reap the benefits in the next few years.

Cattle producers and farming, in general, is outstanding when money is good and it keeps many communities going. When they’re successful, the community thrives too. But, unfortunately, over the last couple of years with cattle producers struggling, the area and many communities faltered.

“I’m hoping that because of the hard work and perseverance of the livestock guys and farmers in general, we’re going to see better community activities and growth in communities,” he said.

Changes at the Ashern Livestock Auction Mart include pre-weighing the cattle at the beginning of every sale allowing more time to market cattle that are further away to boost competitive interest.

Submitted photos

Crop Seeding in Manitoba Ahead of Last Year

By Harry Siemens

Dennis Lange, the provincial pulse and soybean specialist and editor of the Manitoba crop report, said seeding is progressing well with warmer weather.

While the first provincial crop report had spring seeding running behind average, farmers picked up speed while planting into almost ideal soil moisture conditions.

“If you look at the soil moisture conditions right now, we’re actually in pretty good shape,” said Lange. “However, when you look at the percent of normal precipitation for May, we are drier in May than in previous times.”

Yet most of the crops are going into good soil moisture conditions in most regions, and growers have made good headway on the fields.

Lange said the first crop report indicated field peas and

wheat are probably the most advanced, being planted right now. Roughly about 60 per cent of the field peas planted were in the province, with some areas further north and in the northwest region approaching 80 per cent. And spring wheat is up there at 50 to 55 per cent range planted. Corn is getting planted and farmers are putting in their soybeans and canola.

Lange said that probably the biggest factor affecting schedules now would be significant rainfall. Short-term forecasts don’t see that happening, but that can change he said.

“But as far as planting goes, with the equipment most farmers have nowadays, it’s quite large, and you can put a lot of acres in a day,” said Lange. “So within ten days, you’d see most of the crop, from today anyways, being

put in the ground.”

The later crops, like dry beans, usually start in the May long weekend, and conditions are normal for this time of year. With soybeans, the best guesstimate may be in that 40, 50 per cent range by next week. That’s still perfect timing commented Lange.

Lange said it’s quite an interesting year compared to last year, where farmers are further ahead than last year at this stage. Last year many crops went in a little bit later than many growers would’ve liked. But in the end, things worked out well.

“So we’re hoping to have another good year like last year,” said Lange. “Good timely rains in the summer and no major stresses affect the crop during the growing season. So we’ll see what the weather brings.”

Farms Transition to Renewable Energy

By Elmer Heinrichs

Under the backdrop of climate change and national and global commitments to combat its causes and effects, farms in Canada are increasingly transitioning toward sustainable practices.

Data from the 2021 Census of Agriculture show an increased number of farms reporting renewable energy production and the use of select technologies on farms.

In 2021, there were 22,576 farms that reported at least one form of renewable energy production accounting

for 11.9% of farms. This is, more than double the rate reported in the previous Census of Agriculture (5.3%).

Renewable energy production not only gives Canada’s farmers the opportunity to add a sustainable practice to their operations, but also provides them with a source of revenue for energy sales to the grid and a way to save on future energy costs.

Solar energy stands out, primarily in Ontario and Alberta with beef and feedlot farms and oilseed and grain farms at the top. Overall in 2021, 7.7% of farms in

Canada reported solar energy production, up from 4.5% in the previous census. The total number of farms reporting solar energy also increased with 14,587 farms reporting solar energy production, up from 8,658 farms in the previous census.

In addition to renewable energy production, Canada’s farms have been relying on other types of technology that can help decrease labour costs, improve accuracy and efficiency of farm processes, and increase competitiveness in the global trade market.

Planting is in full swing with good soil moisture conditions noted Dennis Lange the provincial pulse and soybean specialist and editor of the Manitoba crop report. Submitted photo

Battling the Many Faces of Mental Health

By Brenda Hunter

The Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program (MFWP) has been in existence for just over year now, and continues to grow. Founded by farmers and farm focused professionals for farmers struggling with mental health at any stage of their journey, the program offers free-ofcharge, up to six, hour-long, one-on-one counselling sessions for individuals and/or their families, with people who genuinely understand what they are going through and can help by providing tools to cope and a sympathetic ear.

Virden area resident, Donna Odell, first got involved with the program in May of 2022 when she answered the call from the organization looking for new board members. She offers insight as a farm partner and producer in the agricultural industry and has made no secret of the fact that she has struggled with her own mental health over the years, finally seeking help after her first daughter was born some 35 years ago.

To look at Odell, one

would never know that she has battled mental health issues. Her demeanour, portrayed as an independent, no nonsense, strong-willed, and outspoken farm wife, she doesn’t look like the stereotypical picture of someone who is depressed. And that’s the thing about mental health. It has many faces.

“I talked lots about it with my husband, but he was the only one I could share this with,” she recalled about her bout with postpartum depression, her feelings of inadequacy and loneliness, the eventual realization and acceptance of her invisible condition, and ultimately taking that first step to reach out for help. “You surely should not admit to any family or friends that you are not strong enough to farm AND have a baby. I remember the stigma – it is a tough one to beat. I was very ashamed to tell my parents.”

She offers another perspective to the group from the people the program is trying to reach.

“I had been looking for volunteer opportunities and this

one regarding agriculture and mental health, spoke to me,” explained Odell about how she first got involved with the program. “It was the first they had searched for new blood since the small group initially got rolling. I fill the role of the average lay person farm spouse who doesn’t have the skills the other members of the board have.”

She continued. “For me, mental health will always be a struggle, but with access to the right help, I have been doing better and I encourage others to get help too, and not be ashamed. This was a new opportunity to share (my story) and help the agricultural community.”

The MFWP is providing a variety of ways for agricultural producers to access this service. Appointments can be held in person, virtually or by telephone with some availability on evenings and weekends making it more accessible to a farmer’s schedule.

“The uptake on our program has been wonderful,” said Kim Moffat of Strathclair, co-founder and one of the

counsellors providing services to the program. “We have been overwhelmed with the generosity and support shown by the farming community during our first year in operation. It was hard to know what to expect but it just goes to show that we look out for our own when it really matters.”

She reported that in their initial year, the main goal was getting the word out that the program exists; that it’s simple, confidential to access and free. The program currently offers six sessions free of charge per calendar year, meaning that anyone who has utilized the service in the past is eligible for six additional free sessions this year.

The organization has been invited to attend many conferences and meetings to spread the word, and by all accounts, it seems that the industry has embraced the program.

“Being visible in our communities is an important aspect of building trust in our program,” Moffat continued. “My experience has been that when you can visit

with someone at one of these events, it helps put people at ease when accessing the program. Our goal is to raise awareness so that every farmer in Manitoba knows about us and knows that this program is here and ready when they are.”

It operates as a not-forprofit and relies solely on donations and sponsorship dollars.

“There is no government funding or involvement;

it has strictly been a small group pitching the program to industry stakeholders who see the value in helping the farmer,” said Odell proudly. “[After all], who hears more about how tough things are on the farm than the people farmers do business with?”

By all indications, the sponsorship is there and all signs point to continued support. For more information, please visit manitobafarmerwellness.ca.

MFWP (l-r) Neil and Roberta Galbraith Vice chairperson and sponsors, board member Donna Odell and counsellor Dennis Fehr.

Photo by Brenda Hunter

Doors Open at the Manitoba Egg Farmers Learning and Research Centre

Manitoba’s

By Harry Siemens

The Manitoba government, Manitoba Egg Farmers (MEF) and the University of Manitoba (UM) recently opened the Manitoba Egg Farmers Learning and Research Centre at the Glenlea Research Station.

Funding for the facility came from the Manitoba government and the government of Canada through the Canadian Agricul-

tural Partnership to support research at UM through the Glenlea Research Station to advance Manitoba’s egg production industry.

Egg producer Harley Siemens of Rosenort, MB, and youngest member of the Manitoba Egg Farmers board of directors, said the Glenlea Research station has different barns built by other commodity groups that promote tours to help the public understand the process of where their food comes from and what farmers do here in Manitoba.

“About five years ago, discussions began with the university to start building a new barn to show the different types of egg-producing housing in Manitoba and to see how you get the eggs from the barn to the table,” said Harley.

A walk-through shows both enriched housing on one side and the other side an aviary free-run housing. The public walks into an ample space and a window seat in the barn to view the chickens’ housing and their feeding lines just like a barn.

Next, the viewing includes egg conveyors in front of the housing and the aviary side, the egg conveyors in the middle of the housing and taking out the eggs. The viewing public can see the eggs going through all the conveyors and all the rooms.

Harley said people can watch the egg movement by conveyor into the packing room and watch someone pack the eggs. From there, the eggs roll into the cooler, see all the eggs stored ready for pickup once a week.

The hope for the egg farmers is to explain to the public that these eggs don’t come from the superstore or corner store; they come from a chicken.

“Yes, first is to educate, but also gain public trust and understanding of what egg farmers do daily,” said Harley.

Harley mentioned the two types of housing, of which their farm has both.

Free-run aviary housing allows the hens access the entire barn area with a multi-tiered system of enrichments for the hens, where they can perch, scratch and lay their eggs in nesting boxes.

Enriched housing combines the food safety benefits of conventional housing with the welfare benefits of open housing. Hens can perch, scratch and lay their eggs in nesting boxes.

This egg display is the first new complete poultry building at a Canadian university in 30 years; the one-stop research hub will facilitate scale-up validation of lab findings in a commercial setting featuring paired free-run aviary and enriched layer housing system. In addition, it is the only research facility with the capacity for in-depth multi-replicate and comparative studies between the two housing systems.

Adding to the unique public engagement capacity of the co-located Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre and the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba Discovery and Learning Complex, the UM will be unparalleled in its capacity to showcase modern animal agriculture to the public in a setting structured and resourced for building trust.

Funding for the Manitoba Egg Farmers Learning and Research Centre at the Glenlea Research Station came from the Manitoba government and the government of Canada through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to support research at UM through the Glenlea Research Station to advance

egg production industry.

Ribbon cutting ceremony at the grand opening. This egg display is part of the first new complete poultry building at a Canadian university in 30 years at the new Manitoba Egg Farmers Learning and Research Centre at the Glenlea Research Station.

Submitted photos

Major Renovations a Success for Blue Clay Farms

By Harry Siemens

Blue Clay Farms, located in the Red River Valley near Arnaud, Manitoba, began as a Hutterite colony in 1994, raising crops and livestock. The colony also manufactures metal and produces quality products in the BLC cabinet division.

In 2022 after 29 years in operation, Blue Clay decided to depopulate, renovate and expand the 700-farrow to finish the sow operation.

“Which is easier said than done, but the structure of the precast building was in good shape, so we decided to renovate,” said Lucas Maendel, the helper to the hog boss Larry Maendel also his uncle.

While careful and modest about his job description working under his uncle, Lucas helped plan and purchase the materials and equipment, and ensured things got done.

The colony decided to gut the sow barn and convert it to loose housing using the Gestal 3G feeding system, converting the nursery to accommodate farrowing crates. This decision prompted a

new nursery build and meant expanding the finisher barn to 1,100 sows.

“While a busy couple of years but hopefully, our efforts will pay off, and we look forward to a successful future,” said Lucas. “We decided to expand because of depopulation, and the barn set up well to accommodate an expansion.”

He said the expansion was easier said than done because doing a complete renovation requires a lot of cleaning, removing the old barn equipment and concrete and installing all the new equipment.

“It took a lot of debate, should we or not because we spent a lot of money,” said Lucas.

He said everything is brand new. They removed the old to make room for the new equipment and extended the barn by 75 feet to have enough room to expand from 700 sows to 1,100.

The colony installed the system through community teamwork and bought the materials from a retailer.

“We went with the Gestal system because it’s a quality

product that has the trigger option for individual sow feeding, and we liked the idea of a separate sow pen for every week of production,” said Lucas.

The trigger option for their farrowing feeder is where the sow can activate the feeder to drop feed accordingly to the feed curve and feeder settings. It also has a builtin sensor to prevent the sow from toying with the trigger and dropping too much feed leading to stale and wasted feed. Lucas said the Gestal Quattro option was picked for their farrowing because it can efficiently control the heat pads and heat lamps.

Converting the nursery rooms to farrowing worked out tremendously and took shape after repairing the stalls, changing slats and upgraded to the feeding system. Also the breeding barn is new.

Renovations still need to be completed; the sow barn is on schedule and should be housing pigs on July 3.

Blue Clay finished all the pigs on-site and shipped them to Maple Leaf at Brandon, MB.

Lucas Maendel said the upgrades and renovations at Blue Clay Farms were easier said than done although the structure of the precast building was in good shape.

Repaired stalls, changed slats and upgraded the feeding system. Converting nursery rooms to farrowing.

Fully Renovated 1,100-head sow barn with Gestal loose housing system.

Photos by Harry Siemens

Restoring Antique Tractors Sends Ryall Family on Great Adventures!

By Joan Airey

At the moment Tom Ryall is restoring a Deutz 8005 in his workshop near Rivers, Manitoba. Over the years since coming to Canada he has restored numerous tractors which he on occasion lets friends drive in parades and tractor treks. The Deutz he purchased at an auction in Saskatchewan last year.

”At the moment I’m getting

my tractors polished up for local parades and our Tractor Trek to raise money for Cancer Care in western Manitoba. This year our Trek is July 9 in conjunction with Rivers 110 Celebration,” said Ryall. “It involves antique and vintage tractors. Last year we raised over $2,500 as expenses are covered by donations from local businesses and organizers for things such as lunch. The Trek is twelve miles out to the Clack Agricultural Museum in Oakview municipality after enjoying lunch the Trekkers contain back to Rivers.”

In October Ryall will be flying to Latvia to the 68th World Ploughing Championships as the Canadian Representative on the World Board. Twenty-six countries will be entered in the Championship.

Last year, the World Ploughing Organization visited Latvia and decided on the most suitable venue for the competition. Kuldīgas region was chosen as the venue for the championship because there are agricultural companies with high-level management practices, as well as the necessary volume and quality of hotel and catering capacity.

“The Kuldīga region is undeniably a unique and beautiful place, so we are certainly happy that we can host the world-class championship directly,” stated Mrs. Anne Marie McHugh, General Secretary of the World Ploughing Organization.

Initially, it was planned that Latvia would hold the World Ploughing Championship competition only in 2022, but two years of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine changed the situation.

“The 2022 championship was hosted by Ireland, where ploughing is as popular as football and rugby, and I suggested that Latvia could be hosted this year, because why not?” said Aigars Laurinovičs,

Chairman of the Board of the Latvia Ploughing Organization and member of the board of the World Ploughing Organization. “After the restoration of Latvia independence, we have developed strong and globally exportable farms.”

“This year is special and important for both Latvia and the Ministry of Agriculture – this year we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Ministry of Agriculture since the declaration of Latvia’s Independence,” noted Mr. Didzis Šmits, Minister of Agriculture. “That is why we are pleased that such an ambitious, world-class event is being organized in Latvia and we can provide both financial and moral support for its organization. It is a time when the agricultural sphere of Latvia can show itself in the best light to the European Union and other NATO members, how after the collapse of the USSR we have been able to develop economically, restore our forces, resources and become a modern agricultural country, as well as our ability to use our natural resources wisely.”

The competition will take place on October 13 and 14 of this year in the fields owned by Ltd Upeskalni AB in Latvia.

“Two tractors and plows will be loaded on a container and shipped to Latvia in late June. Brian Davenport from Owen South Ontario is plowing in the conventional class and Tom Evans from Tiverton, Ontario is plowing in the reversible. Keith Davenport from Owen Sound, Ontario, is going as the Canadian judge. Bert Dyens and Daryl Howstrawser, both from Ontario are going as coaches. My wife Jean and Keith’s wife Carol are going for a good time. You can see I’m the only Western Canadian on the team.” commented Ryall.

With his wife Jean, Tom Ryall poses with one of the numerous tractors he has restored.

Tom Ryall working on a 1966 Deutz 8005 stored in his shop.

Submitted photos

The AgriPost

Threat of

Copper Toxicity in Dairy Cattle Diets is Real

Copper toxicity in dairy cattle is happening with increasing frequency, due to unnecessary dietary copper supplementation. Plus, when excessive copper is being fed, its toxicity often evades early detection, yet later-on balloons into a much larger problem. Sometimes, which ends in cattle fatalities. The key to preventing any copper poisoning from occurring in the first place is to know the amount and source of copper being added to all dairy diets. Therefore, we can take corrective action when problems arise.

It’s quite common for the average dairy cattle diet to be supplemented with too much copper that exceeds NRC requirements of 10 ppm, diet, dm basis. Some university trial estimates by 50 – 300%. Such excess is usually added by dairy nutritionists that wish to guarantee that a simple copper deficiency due to a lack of copper in the diet doesn’t occur. Others want to curtail a copper deficiency caused by dietary antagonists. The most common be

ing molybdenum and sulphur in which they bind copper in the animals’ body and render it biologically unavailable for metabolism.

As a dairy nutritionist, I investigated a former type of unsolicited copper-poisoning, about a decade ago. It occurred in a group of unbred replacement heifers of a 100-milking cow dairy farm.

These calves were lethargic in behaviour, had erratic cycles of “on/off” feed intake and looked rough in appearance. They also walked with a stiff gait, yet were not limping. The producer and I thought that it was a classic case of acidosis on our hands, which is caused by feeding too much of heifer grain ration. That was our first line-of-thinking, until I looked closer at their daily feeding mix-sheets.

Extra copper sulphate was added to their grain mill-mix, which yielded 260 ppm of dietary copper. This grain-mix was fed at 2.5 kg per head per day, which by calculation supplied - 650 mg of copper per heifer or about 10X

copper than required. Once, we remove this unnecessary copper from the diet, the animals recovered in a couple of months. In the end, the producer told me that it was another dairy specialist that saw his replacement heifers had a red shine to their haircoats (re: possible sign of a copper deficiency) and issued this awkward copper recommendation.

Such matters are unfortunate, yet luckily preventable. So, to assure that all dairy cattle receive enough dietary copper that match their requirements without consuming too much copper, here are a number of my own suggestions:

- Calculate total dietary copper - Estimate or test the copper levels in your forages, grains, and know the copper level in all purchased feed products. With the dry matter intake of each feed ingredient going into the diet, a total copper level can be determined. If this number exceeds 25% of NRC requirements, the cattle could be getting too much copper.

- Know the dietary copper sources in your ration: Copper comes in many forms such as copper oxide, copper sulphate, and chelatedcopper forms, which have relative biological availabilities of 5%, 100%, and 125 – 150% in dairy cattle. Highly bio-available forms such as chelated-copper have similar potential for copper toxicity, compared to lesser rock-sources such as copper sulphate.

Simple Pudding Recipes That Are Easy To Make

By Joan Airey

- Watch for out for other dietary sources: Once, I tested a sample of corn distillers’ grains for copper and it contained 75 mg/kg of copper. Fed at 2 kg per head per day in a lactation diet - could technically supply at least 50% of their copper requirement of 250 mg.

- Do not supplement “extra” copper unless you need it: A common practice on many dairy farms is to feed a looseform commercial mineral in addition to any TMV micropremix formulated into the total dairy diet. I have been familiar with many cases in which the NRC requirement of copper was met in the main lactation diet, but doubled- or tripled-down by such unwarranted supplementation.

I believe that these points are worthwhile to dairy producers, which can be linked together to create a good guideline that prevents excessive copper from being added to all dairy diets. It’s also a good to know that once these dairy cattle’s copper requirements are met; there is no proven benefit of adding more dietary copper. Such is a valuable lesson, which may also be applied to the formulation of other essential dairy nutrients, so each dairy diet is well-balanced, which keeps dairy cattle, healthy and productive.

New Opportunities to Recycle More Agricultural Plastics

In its 2022 annual report, Cleanfarms describes how opportunities to divert agricultural waste materials from landfill have expanded beyond the long-standing small and large pesticide and fertilizer containers, adding to the options available to operate farms sustainably.

2022, in particular, saw a three-year project to collect seed, pesticide and inoculant (SPI) bags across the Prairies transition from a pilot to a permanent program.

“Adding SPI bags to the list of items farmers can manage for recycling or safe disposal across the country, instead of land filling, burning or burying them, is a major step forward in our goal to have zero plastic agricultural waste disposed of in landfill,” said Cleanfarms Executive Director Barry Friesen.

“Plastic products like grain bags, baler twine, jugs and 1,000L totes are important tools in the agricultural industry. Farmers, like other Canadians, want ways to manage these materials as part of a sustainable circular economy. At Cleanfarms, our job is to develop and launch programs that are cost efficient and give growers options to see these materials repurposed as new products,” he added.

Another leading-edge recycling program included in the annual report is the pilot project to recover bale wrap and silage bags, made from a plastic commonly used to preserve hay for livestock feed. Through partnerships such as with Dairy Farmers of Canada, Cleanfarms initiated pilot projects across the country to assess the effectiveness of using a compactor mechanism to compress

loose bale wrap and silage bags, bunker covers and silage tarps into bales that are more easily stored and transported for recycling.

“Pilot projects are the foundation of Cleanfarms’ program development to recover these materials. Through pilots we figure out how growers will use the programs, how to collect and transport materials, and how to ensure recyclables go to viable end markets. Pilots are the tool we use to determine what works and what doesn’t, and how to tweak systems until they are as efficient as possible. Then, wherever possible, we transition them to permanent programs,” Friesen explained.

“Our staff in provinces across the country ensure that these programs reflect the variations in agriculture from coast to coast, and

This recipe has been in my family for years. Mom made it when I was growing up on our family farm near Coulter, MB.

Mom’s Jiffy Pudding:

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup milk

1 cup raisins

Sauce:

2 teaspoons soft butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 ¾ cups boiling water

Mix pudding ingredients together and put in square pan or round casserole. Mix the sauce ingredients together and pour over the pudding and bake at 350F for 45 minutes.

This vanilla pudding, I sometimes add raisins and leftover rice to make a rice pudding or serve over bananas.

Vanilla Pudding:

½ cup sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

2 ½ cups milk

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 Tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Bananas optional

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and milk in top saucepan of double boiler. Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to bubble. Stir in a little hot milk mixture into slightly beaten egg, then add this to hot milk mixture is thicken and starting to boil Remove heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Pour immediately into pudding dishes and let cool. Top with sliced bananas and whipped cream if you want.

Since rhubarb will be available in most gardens shortly, I’m including one of my favourite rhubarb pudding recipes. It takes blueberries which I buy in season and freeze so I have them on hand.

Blueberry Rhubarb Crumble:

that’s the secret sauce in laying the groundwork for effective recycling and safe management of used agricultural plastics and other non-organic packaging and products,” Friesen said.

In the 2022 annual report, Cleanfarms highlighted the collection of agricultural materials since the inception of the programs for each.

Overall farmers availing themselves of the Cleanfarms program have collected plastic pesticide and fertilizer containers 23L and smaller - 149 million units; non-refillable bulk pesticide and fertilizer drums and totes – 392,000 units; seed and pesticide bags – 3,000 tonnes; unwanted old pesticides – 4,200 tonnes; old, obsolete livestock/equine medications – 67.3 tonnes; and grain bags, agricultural film and baler twine plastic – 12,700 tonnes.

6 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened blueberries

4 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb

1 cup sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Topping:

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup cold butter

Whipped, cream optional for serving

Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine blueberries, rhubarb, sugar and flour. Transfer to a greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish. For topping, in a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over the fruit mixture. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the fruit is bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm, dollop with whipped cream if desired. If you use frozen fruit it takes longer to cook.

We enjoyed our first feed of asparagus this week with cheese sauce. We’re planning to try some new recipes this week with rhubarb and asparagus. Just love fresh from the garden produce!

The Smith Farm at Argyle Has Been in the Family Since 1953

By Harry Siemens

Ian Smith, whose parents started the farm, continues to crop the original quarter section of land, inhabits the farmhouse and buildings, and raises pigs, cattle and chickens.

“Things are going fine,” said Smith on his messenger communications app after a question prompted that remark. “I will start cultivating later today as I have press drills, so I need to work the field, and it has just got dry here at my place.”

He cultivated the garden the night before and put up an electric fence around the house yard for the cattle to come in and cut the grass.

“As a good friend said to me, only a bachelor could get away with that idea....lol,” he chuckled. His plans include 45 acres of Conlon barley and 45 acres of alfalfa and rents out the other 55 acres for a neighbour to plant into soybeans.

“The fertilizer for the barley is next to nothing because of the manure I put on and soybeans from last year,” said Smith. “I believe in soil testing and have done it for 30 years, and I go by the soil test. I may be small, but I try my best.” Asked whether he raises anything else, Smith said no, that is it, but hand washes 90 plus eggs every evening and grows a good size garden.

The business for his off-the-farm pork, beef and eggs sales remains good. Eggs are really in demand, and so is beef he said.

“I have sold two steers and have another two steers spoken for to people for the freezer. They need to buy a side of beef much the same as I sell my pork,” said Smith.

Smith is proud of his Shorthorn purebred herd and will promote the Shorthorn beef as good, if not better than the Angus buoyed with some recent data. It prompted him to make plans to show a Shorthorn cow and her calf at the Stonewall Fair on June 3.

It’s something new for the 55-plus eligible bachelor, and the Manitoba Shorthorn Association will help with some promotional materials because this is the first time he’s done this.

He said the extra amount of natural marbling makes the Shorthorn beef more delicious, and the carcass grading means the loin and the rib eye.

“Marketing pork for 20 years and more recently selling sides of pork for your deep freezer has made it easy to market my Shorthorn beef for your freezer too,” said Smith. “I have customers who buy pork, beef and eggs from me. They get their eggs every two weeks, pork twice in 12 months and beef in May or June. I am like a one-stop shopping centre right from the farm.”

He picks up the pork and beef from the butcher shop and delivers it for free to the customers’ door but never from his freezer, and he gets to visit with the people buying him.

“I get to educate the customers in how he raises the animals humanely,” he said. “It’s Government inspected, and I do not cut corners to try and save a buck.”

The customer needs to be happy and able to talk to the farmer that has raised their food. “I am a one-person business, so I can not do as the Government does, pass the buck on to some other person. I am responsible for the product and the needed service,” said Smith.

Ian cultivated the garden and put up an electric fence around the house yard for the cattle to come in and cut the grass.

Ian Smith raises cattle, pigs, chickens and eggs. selling direct to his customers.

Submitted photos

Creep Feeding Pays Profits in 2023

By Peter Vitti

Springtime on the Prairies is a great time, because the snow is disappearing and pastures are turning green. Whenever, I drive past the occasional drylot, I see a lot of beef cows waiting to be released on pasture. It reminds me that with record cattle prices on the board, it might be a time to creep feed spring calves in 2023. It becomes a matter of assessing the body condition and milking ability of the cowherd and predicting pasture quality throughout pasture season. Then, we can estimate the profits of putting that few extra pounds of saleable weaning-weight by autumn and beyond.

For those people that decide to creep their calves, many of them put out creep feeders during the mid-summer, when decreasing milk production of the average cow can meet only 50% of her growing calf’s nutrient requirements and pastures are also not as nutritious.

In this way, creep feeding calves is a good way to bridge this nutritional gap. The funny thing is that early pasture conditions across western Canada look good. Plus, most cowherds have come through the winter in good body condition, which contributes to good milk production for their calves.

Such a combination of good milkers and high-quality pasture (re: often extends throughout most of the summer) may not justify creepfeeding. Yet, I believe that if we have a normal Prairie summer, which is neither wet or dry; healthy calves will come up to the feeders. They will start to nose around and pick up about a kilo of creep feed. Then during the waning days of

summer, creep consumption should take off until weaning (2 – 3 kg/hd/ d).

I have calculated the economics of creep feeding calves for 2023, which targets 60 lbs of extra weaning-weight gain in a 100-day creep feeding program, which I compare it to that of a non-crept calf. As the following spreadsheet illustrates, there is about a $74 per head profit or about a 100% return on investment (ROI) over feed costs.

Here is an examination of the major factors that determined a profit of $ 74 per head:

1. Predicted calf price – Cash and future calf prices estimate that calf prices should top out at about $3.50/lb. Some ag-news state that grass and feeder calves are selling on historical highs driven by depressed feedlot placements in the United States.

2. Calf price gradients – There is a sliding price discount as calves hit higher weight classes. In my example, I used a price-discount of about $10 cwt. As this price gradient narrows between weight-cwt classes, creep feeding becomes more profitable.

3. Feed costs – Tradition says

Fertility Not Fertilizer –There is a Difference

creep-feeding is attractive, when calf prices are high, relative to low feed costs. In 2023, I see that forage and grain prices are both high, but still yield creep profits when calculated as per my accompanied creepfeed spreadsheet.

4. Feed Efficiency (FE) – The conversion of a well-balanced creep feed into saleable weaning-weight is a major driver in the profitability due to creep-feeding. It ranges from 6 – 8 lb/lb gain for most grain-based creep feeds. For example, for every 0.5 lb FE improvement means an extra $ 5.40 revenue per calf.

Aside from the positive economics of about a 100% return on investment, there are other practical benefits to creep feeding calves. Some producers have told me that their creep-fed calves are not as dependent on the cow by autumn. As a result, calves are much easier to wean with less stress. Other producers say that creep-fed calves are bunk-broke, which is a real advantage when put onto subsequent background feeding programs.

However, I spoke with one producer that runs about 130 cow-calf operation and he never considers creep-feeding his spring calves. It’s not that he has anything against creep-feeding, but he believes his cows’ milk well throughout the summer due to his heavily managed rotational pastures. Plus, he grows cover-crops, in which he pastures both cows and calves on its re-growth from August to lateNovember. As a result, he successfully gets similar performance on his calves’ weaning-weights compared to others that are crept-fed.

By Brenda Hunter

When Craig Davidson of Virden helped found Taurus Ag back in 2001, his goal then was as it is now, to grow an innovative, unique company to develop and promote forward-thinking but proven agronomic strategies based on fact, to producers locally and around the world. He is the driving force in helping growers understand the why’s behind the how’s in agriculture.

Given his passion for and based on the fact that his entire life has revolved around agriculture, and that he is actively involved in a fifth-generation farming operation near McAuley, his “boots on the ground” approach to business seems to be pretty well on point.

So, when the company made a commitment to market Polysulphate Premium, it was not surprising that the product’s value proposition made it a perfect fit in the agriculture industry. It is suitable for both traditional and progressive farming operations, as well as being appropriate for regenerative and organic agricultural practices.

“We never stop looking for innovative ways to grow crops more efficiently, sustainably and profitably for our growers,” said Davidson on the product that won them first-place in the Agronomics division of the Innovation Showcase at this year’s Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon. “Polysulphate is a low salt fertility option that happens to be registered organic around the world including Canada.”

Davidson goes on to describe the product as a 4-in-1 natural mineral complex containing sulphur, potassium, magnesium and calcium in specific percentages, blended together in a form that allows for controlled time-release of nutrients throughout the entire growing season.

“This offers unparalleled seed safety up front and increased nutrient use efficiency, feeding plants on a daily basis for higher yields and better quality of grain,” he said. “If you think like a plant, it is like getting three square meals a day vs. being fed once and hoping you don’t go hungry later, or 30 days later or 60 days later.”

This is what set it apart from other fertilizers, and makes it more fertility-based. And it all makes perfect sense. He explained that most fertilizers contain high levels of salt which needs to burn off before the plant can use the nutrients contained within.

“Plants love fertility but hate fertilizer,” he said of the known research with respect to the added stress that the salt puts on the soil biology as well as the plant it is intended to support.

He added that with so much discussion in recent years regarding the use of fertilizer and degradation of soil health, that their product meets the criteria for providing healthy biology in the soil which aids in crop production.

As the above spreadsheet illustrates, there is about a $74 per head profit or about a 100% return on investment (ROI) over feed costs.

In summary, I value what this producer had to say, but I also value the experiences of people that seem to put their creep feeders onto pasture, every year. For them and those cow-calf operators that might consider creep feeding their calves in 2023. It should be a profitable creep feeding year.

Sask Seeding Moving Quickly

By Elmer Heinrichs

Saskatchewan producers made substantial progress in seeding over the past week to May 15.

Seeding stood at 38 per cent completed in the province, well behind the five-year average of 53 per cent, but it is close to the 10-year average of 44 per cent.

Seeding was more advanced in

the western half of the province. Rain in the southeast has provided moisture relief while halting seeding operations for a few days.

The northwest is currently furthest along with 55 per cent of crop in the ground. The southeast region has the least amount of acres seeded in the province with 18 per cent of crop in so far.

Wet fields in the southeast and east central regions have slowed fieldwork.

Field peas are the crop with the most seeding progress, with 54 per cent seeded.

With the dry conditions, producers are reminded to stay vigilant about fire risk and to have fire prevention equipment at the ready.

Davidson prides himself in being able to practically apply what he preaches in the business world.

“I have always had a passion for the fine details of production and finding ways to improve what we have to work with,” he said of his upbringing and his inquisitive, problem-solving nature growing up on a dairy farm which later converted to a beef operation and now focuses on a commercial heifer program. “Though [our] acres are small in today’s terms, I have always enjoyed maximizing what we have to work with and that mindset fits well with what we do at Taurus, just at Taurus we do it on a broad scale and millions of acres. Practice what you preach as they say.”

The Taurus’ team expertise and efforts concentrate on four key areas: fertility, biological inoculants, primers & foliars, and nitrogen management. They have a staff of 14 people that use a researchbased approach to bring agronomically proven products to growers spanning from British Columbia to Ontario.

According to their website, “We’ve come to realize there are no silver bullets out there. There is no single solution that can turn a good crop into a great crop. Instead, the secret to success comes from a holistic approach where small, sustainable gains add up to large scale success for today’s advanced growers. We are fortunate to have a tremendous arsenal of agronomic tools at our fingertips – with many more in development. Myself, and the entire team at Taurus are committed to helping growers stay on top of these advancements. Together we will help you raise the bar: from the soil on up.”

Many producers put out creep feeders during the mid-summer, when decreasing milk production of the average cow can meet only 50% of her growing calf’s nutrient requirements and pastures are also not as nutritious.

AI Drones Read the Fields

By Brenda Hunter

Times are a-changing and the way we farm today is a prime example of that evolution. As agricultural innovations are discovered, the industry is ever growing and advancing as new technologies arise.

Artificial intelligence (AI) applications are no exception. According to Manitoba born sprayer expert and scientist, Tom Wolf of Agrimetrix Research and Training in Saskatchewan, SK, in a recent Grainews article, spot spraying is a hot topic and he ranks it as one of the top three transformative technologies he has witnessed during his 25+ year career.

One of the newest players on the market is Precision AI founded in 2017. It is a multi-award-winning technology company based in Regina, Saskatchewan who has developed a spray drone that can target and spot-spray weeds in real time, ultimately creating a win trifecta for farmers, the planet and the universe. And some of those first drones to be released in 2024 pending compliance with the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency’s spray regulations are earmarked for the Crossroads This Week circulation area.

“Manitoba is on the short list of first to be serviced areas,” said Jessica Day, Senior Marketing Manager for Precision AI Inc. “We have pre-order customers located within an hour drive of Shoal Lake.”

According to Day, currently, there are no other spray drones on the market that can do precision green-on-green application.

“Drones with approval to spray can be found in many places in Asia, but they are all broad-acre applications which doesn’t solve the issue of overuse of chemical on the farm,” she said. “We can target weeds only and avoid spraying the crop or bare ground, in real-time. Precision AI is the only company combining precision spraying for broad acre crops using ZeroDrift drones.”

The Precision spray drone is presently designed with a 20 litre tank onboard and due to its stable, drift-free precision spraying capabilities and ability to differentiate weeds instantly with computer vision and onboard edge processing; it can provide maximum savings to the farmer and reduce chemical overuse substantially.

“Domestically in North America, there is an approximate annual overspend

of $12.5 billion in broadcast spraying,” Day continued.

“We forecast a massive savings on herbicide use, again depending on weed density, but potentially up to 95%.

There is also diesel fuel savings and an increase of up to 6% in yield with the removal of soil compaction from tires driving over the crop.”

At that rate, it makes the estimated $100K retail price to own one (based on the current build), a little more palatable. Any producer with a sharp pencil can soon calculate their expected return on investment.

GPS is being used for field mapping, and the drones are equipped with obstacle detection. Producers will have the ability to program their own flight map omitting unwanted areas from the drone’s flight path.

The spot spraying drone can be used on the most common crop types on the prairies, namely wheat, canola, oats, peas, and the list is growing. It has a long-lasting flight

time meaning many acres can be covered in a fraction of the time it would take to do a broadcast application, a labour-saving feature that is worth considering if human resources are limited.

According to Day, their innovation at Precision AI comes from their proprietary technology methods using edge computing, artificial intelligence, and highspeed, high-accuracy pest detection.

“In a single pass, our drones image the field, apply artificial intelligence to the images to separate the weeds from the crop, and then target spray the weeds specifically, all while flying 70km/h,” she explained. “All image AI processing is done on the edge onboard the drone.”

Not only has Precision AI won numerous innovation awards for their design, but have also captured recent accolades for their incorporation of edge computing, which is not normally something associated with agricul-

ture. However, the reasons they use it make total sense with respect to the rural areas where internet connections are often poor if there is even service at all.

They describe it like this:

“Imagine that the internet is a sphere, and your internet network is the centre. The further you go from the centre, the less internet you have. Devices that use edge computing are at the very EDGE of that sphere, and don’t necessarily need to connect to the internet or the cloud to execute complex tasks. Instead, they can be their very own data center, holding and processing most or all their data internally. For example: self-driving cars, in-hospital patient monitoring, or smart cameras.”

Artificial intelligence has actually been around since the 1950s; however, it wasn’t until just recently that it started being used for agricultural applications. Common AI that most of us are familiar with are things like voice

recognition (Siri, Alexa), automated decision-making in strategic computer games such as chess, etc., advanced web search engines (Google Search), and recommendation systems (YouTube, Amazon, etc.) to name a few.

According to their website, the founder of Precision AI, Daniel McCann, stumbled on to the idea for the prototype by accident, when he used his own AI to declutter his garage by auto-listing items on eBay. Having spent time on family farms, he quickly realized that the same technology could be used for identifying plants.

The idea took hold and Precision AI was born to create and develop AI drones for fully autonomous farming.

For now, the Precision AI drone is intended to be used a compliment to current broadcast application systems as there will be times that an “old-fashioned sprayer” is needed such as when spraying pesticides or for pre-harvest burn off for example.

“This system can stretch out the life of your current asset, reduce the amount of driving required in your fields and spray further into the growing season/hard to reach areas,” commented Day. However, a spot-spraying drone with field mapping and weed detection capabilities is only the tip of the iceberg so to speak, as Precision AI reports having big plans for the future.

They are also proud to have been selected as one of two Canadian startups to participate in John Deere’s 2023 AgTech Startup Collaborator program.

John Deere CEO John May was quoted as saying at the Consumer Electronics Show 2023 where the announcement was made, “In the past, farmers would grow more by using more. Bigger machines, more horsepower, more seed, more nutrients. This approach alone doesn’t work today. There is less arable land, less rural labour, less time to do their jobs due to weather volatility and rising input costs. Technology is the solution to these challenges. Technology allows farmers to create more with fewer resources. Doing more with less. That is the path forward to providing for all of us and feeding our growing world.”

Not only can the Precision AI drone affect change in farming practices, but it can also impact the planet by reducing water usage by up to 95 per cent as opposed to broadcast application. It also eliminates the widespread use of chemicals as well as soil compaction, making it better for the environment and the food we produce.

According to a report by Global Data, it is forecast that in the next five years, the global Ag Tech market will grow by over $10 billion. Canada is set to be a leader.

“Canada is one of the best places in the world for Ag Tech with vast swaths of fertile land, agriculture is one of our key industries, and the calibre of our food production systems and infrastructure is second to none,” said McCann in a January 2023 Canadian startup news & tech innovation publication following the announcement by John Deere. “If you want to tackle scale challenges on farms bigger than a few acres, Canadian innovation leads the pack.”

“The way we’ve grown food in the last 10,000 years is different than the way we will grow food for the next 10,000 years,” he said.

Photos courtesy of Precision AI

The Precision spray drone is presently designed with a 20 litre tank onboard and due to its stable, drift-free precision spraying capabilities and ability to differentiate weeds instantly with computer vision and onboard edge processing; it can provide maximum savings to the farmer and reduce chemical overuse substantially.

According to a report by Global Data, it is forecast that in the next five years, the global Ag Tech market will grow by over $10 billion. Canada is set to be a leader.