AgriPost July 28 2023

World Clydesdale Show a Thundering Success

AAFC Sees Drought Risk in Current Canadian Crop

By Elmer Heinrichs

Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in its July monthly crop bulletin sees Canada’s total seeded area for 2023-2024 as having increased slightly as an increase in area for wheat and oilseeds is estimated to have offset reductions in area seeded to coarse grains and pulses and special crops.

Seeding was largely completed in a timely manner and crops are developing rapidly. Growing conditions are mixed across Canada following an extended heat wave across western and eastern Canada.

The most significant climate-related agricultural risk is increased drought severity across western Canada, based on the AAFC National Agroclimate Risk Report.

Timely rains will be needed for the remainder of the growing season to achieve forecasts of near-trend yields. Total field crop production and supplies are forecast to decrease slightly while exports are expected to remain relatively unchanged, remaining strong on firm world demand.

In general, prices are projected to decrease as higher global supplies pressure prices lower, with underlying support provided by continued strong world demand.

Going to see the 2023 World Clydesdale Show at the Keystone Centre in Brandon was a once-in-a-lifetime occasion for most Manitobans. Bret Fielding (right) and Freeman Yoder (left) of Utah with the Highpoint Clydesdales taking a lap after winning the Open Four Horse Hitch. By the end of the competition, Highpoint Stables went on to be recognized as the Premier Hitch at the 2023 World Clydesdale Show with wins in many other classes. A total of approximately 350 horses of all ages attended, including a strong showing by many local Manitobans.

See full story and more photos on page 13

Photo by Myriam Dyck

Crops Are Okay for the Most Part

within the next ten days or so. Dennis Lange, a pulse and soybean specialist with Manitoba Agriculture and editor of the provincial crop report, said the winter cereals continued to dry down and producers are preparing for pre-harvest herbicide applications.

“We could see some harvest in the next ten days or so on some of the fall rye fields, so that’s kind of exciting that we’re getting close,” noted Lange in mid-July.

years ago.

During and following a crop tour with flying farmer Don Schellenberg of Myrtle, his observations and comments on the 2023 crop in the Pembina Valley focused on the good, the not-so-good and some downright poor.

By Harry Siemens were less full than some years ago. Even the cereals had too much grey meaning the crop wasn’t thick. Being a bit more optimistic, Jason Voogt, owner agronomist at Field 2 Field Agronomy Inc of Carman said the crops are alright and overall decent.

Schellenberg, a farmer for many years and a flyer for 48, said the canola crops

“The cooler weather in July has helped the canola, but

many areas are too dry,” said Voogt. “Some storms were developing again, so we’ll see what areas get some rain and hopefully no hail.”

Voogt said South Central is fortunate in not having had much hail so far.

In the mid-July crop report, Manitoba Agriculture reported that the fall cereal harvest could get underway

Lange said spring cereals are anywhere from that late milk to the early dough stage. In contrast, some very lateseeded crops are just ending flowering, but overall, cereal crops are in pretty good condition. Corn is moving along anywhere from the tassel emergence stage, so the VT stage, all the way up to the early silk or the R1 stage on some of the earlier fields.

“The cooler weather has slowed growth but has also helped keep things from drying out too much,” Lange said. “Moisture conditions right now, if you’re looking at potential, the eastern regions are very definitely below the 30-year average.”

Rainfall over the next week or two will be critical to help fill some of the cereals that are filling right now. The

cooler weather has helped with the canola. The accumulated heat units are still ahead of the norm.

“We’re at more than 110 percent of that right now. That is something we’re ahead of the game,” he added mentioning that some areas did receive moisture over the last week or so, which will benefit the crop at this stage.

Lange said many areas need rainfall where the cereal grains are struggling slightly.

Corn is showing a little bit of stress in some of the dryer regions. The leaves are rolling a bit to conserve moisture because of a lack of significant rainfall in some areas; even though some areas have gotten thunderstorms, it’s been very sporadic to where those storms are coming in.

Canola ranged from 20 percent to greater than 50 percent lower in the central region.

“We might see as little as 40 percent of the acres being sprayed for fungicides in the central region based on the dryer conditions,” explained Lange. “Sunflower fields are in the R2 early bud stage to the R3 stage and looking pretty good; seem to like the dryer conditions.”

Field peas are looking at

that full pod growth stage with a few flat pods, and just a few flowers left for the most part. But producers are still assessing the need for a second fungicide application. But the disease has been relatively low this year, so he expects little second application of fungicides based on the growing conditions.

The dry beans are moving along from the R2 to R3 growth stage and doing okay overall.

“But things are looking pretty good compared to our dryer year back in 2021,” he noted.

Saskatchewan Agriculture reported warm, dry conditions across the province are helping advance crop development quickly, and about a third of the crops are ahead of the typical stages of development.

Mackenzie Hladun, a crop extension specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, said the warm, dry weather has moved crops forward quickly, but topsoil moisture is diminishing.

The drought conditions in the southwest and westcentral regions prevail and are not helped by the trace amounts of moisture they received or the localized thundershowers throughout the area.

“The cooler weather in July has helped the canola, but many areas are too dry. Some storms were developing again, so we’ll see what areas get some rain and hopefully no hail.” Denis Lange, pulse crops specialist with Manitoba Agriculture

Schellenberg (left), a farmer for many years and a flyer for 48 said the canola crops were less full than some

Photos by Harry Siemens

Lack of Moisture Affecting Forage and Turf Grasses Across the West

He said a couple of shots of rain in July helped to fill out crops.

“It’s a lower-than-average crop, but at least let us fill it out, and we should have decent quality, not quantity but quality,” said Shmon.

By Harry Siemens

Kurt Shmon, owner of Imperial Seed in Winnipeg, MB, a forage seed specialists offering forage and turf seed production contracts, reviewed the forage and turf crops across western Canada.

Shmon said in the Swan River and the Parkland area the crops are in pretty good shape. Even with the ongoing concern over armyworms, the area remains in good shape with good moisture. There are a few dry spots in that zone, but overall it is good. Three were several destructive but localized hailstorms that rolled through.

The southwest corner has fair moisture and looks good even though some hail storms did affect some fields but there is still good poten-

tial for the forages and turf grasses.

In the central region, the Interlake and in eastern regions of Manitoba, the forage perennials needed that early shot of moisture but didn’t get it.

“We’re looking at our grasses struggling with producing below-average seed this year in the central Interlake regions,” said Shmon.

“In the eastern region, many fields had no rain, which differs from how to grow perennial forage or turf crop.”

Shmon said the legumes and grass crops are a week to 10 days ahead with the abundance of growing degree days causing an early flush of armyworms. Many grass crops started flowering and heading out in the last week of June, promoted by the dry weather and heat.

Shmon said the northeast corner of Saskatchewan in the Hudson Bay and Carrot River area is in good shape and ahead of schedule for growing degree days. The area has good moisture, heat and good timing for herbicides. The southeast corner moisture is good, also contending with some hail storms with few complaints.

However, a different story is in the southwest area of Saskatchewan, where it’s dry, and so is Alberta, the Peace River country and southern Alberta.

Here there are two irrigation districts which had expanded with both districts cutting the amount of water to farmers in half. In that area, with their soil type and farming practices, they need moisture.

“We’re already anticipating that there could be a lower yield than anticipated,” he said. “Just because the farmers’ water supply for irrigation got halved.”

Shmon said forages and turf grass seed prices have

Beef Industry Receives Funds for its Sustainable Development

In order to meet goals of Green House Gas (GHG) reduction targets, the Federal government has announced an investment of more than $12 million to be administered by the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), a division of the Canadian Cattle Association.

The funds will be utilized within the “Beef and Forage Cluster”, 23 projects that focus on three AgriScience program priorities: Climate Change and Environment, Economic Growth and Development, and Sector Resilience and Societal Changes. Research activities include reducing methane emissions through feeding strategies, breeding forages that are more productive and profitable, and developing technologies for faster response to emerging diseases. The goals of the projects focus on climate change mitigation

and industry resilience priorities aiming towards driving the growth of Canada’s beef industry through research, innovation and technology transfer, while improving their environmental footprint.

“[This] investment will help the sector continue to deliver results and maintain their solid reputation, while continuing to contribute to our environmental goals,” noted Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

“Beef producers across Canada continually strive to maintain and improve our animal health and welfare practices, food safety standards and environmental stewardship,” added Craig Lehr, Chair of The Beef Cattle Research Council. “We are eager to utilize the outcomes of Canada’s Beef and Forage AgriScience Cluster

moved up with canola and commodity prices have doubled over the last several years.

“We had to remain competitive against those other commodities. So we’ve had some very positive pricing going back to the farmer the last couple of years,” said Shmon. “With that, we’re very fortunate to sign multiyear contracts with our customers because these are perennials where we still got very positive pricing going on for the next couple of years.”

The forage seed acres dropped a little through those higher commodity prices where cattle guys planted canola and bought the hay.

“Everyone was chasing the money,” he said. “But this year, we’re just finishing our year-end, and our retail sales are up, and our forage exports are up too.”

Imperial Seed does a lot of seed multiplication that leaves the country, giving the company significant growth.

“We will continue to see that because western Canada is a reliable producer of forage seed,” he said.

Shmon said some government programs might encourage using some of these forages for nitrogen building and that farmers will have to

start looking faced with fertilizer use restrictions to produce some of their nitrogen.

“Some of the policy-creating issues may benefit me,” commented. “But I want to see it done to benefit this farmer, not just me; it must be a win-win for all of us.”

to continue to responsibly deliver superior products and preserve land and livelihood that we pass on to the next generation.”

The beef and cattle industry is one of the largest in Canadian agriculture, with 11 million cattle and calves on 72,275 farms and ranches on January 1, 2022.

Canada is one of the largest exporters of livestock and red meat in the world, exporting approximately 50 percent of Canadian beef and cattle production each year. In 2022, cattle and calf exports were valued at $1.4 billion, and beef exports were valued at $4.68 billion.

According to the BCRC the GHG emissions of Canadian beef production have a total footprint of 11.04 kg CO2 equivalent, representing 2.4% of Canada’s overall emissions. This is less than half the world’s average.

Kurt Shmon, the owner of Imperial Seed in Winnipeg, said farmers have struggled with below average producing grasses this year in the central Interlake regions.

Many of the legumes and grass crops are a week to 10 days ahead, with the abundance of growing degree days causing an early flush of armyworms.

Submitted photos

Animal Rights Extremists Want Farming to Be Less Efficient

For years, animal rights extremist organizations have pushed for state-level legislation banning frequentlyused animal care practices, such as gestation stalls for pregnant sows or cages for laying hens.

In another article, I wrote about how Proposition 12 continues to impact pork production and, to a lesser extent, other farm livestock and poultry.

The Animal Agriculture Alliance based in Virginia USA said the true motive of these changes is to make it less efficient and more expensive for farmers to raise animals for food, driving up the cost of meat, dairy, poultry, and eggs for consumers. This activism forces consumers to make tough choices about what they can afford to feed their families and forces farmers to make costly changes that may make it impossible to keep their businesses afloat.

This concept also extends to most other farm sectors or commodities. On the one hand, companies are working overtime, bringing out technology to improve, increase efficiency and even better ways of handling, applying and recording to make sure it all matches what the higherups want.

Often those people have

yet to learn what they are proposing because it comes from an agenda. I will leave that for another time.

The issue of animal rights and the push for legislation to ban certain animal care practices in agriculture is a complex and contentious topic. Animal rights extremist organizations argue that these practices are cruel, and they advocate for changes to improve the welfare of animals in the agricultural industry. On the other hand, agricultural organizations, like the US Animal Agriculture Alliance, assert that the real motive behind these changes is to hinder the efficiency of animal farming, leading to increased costs for farmers and, consequently, higher prices for consumers.

Let’s break down some critical points in this debate:

Animal rights activists argue that certain agricultural practices, such as gestation stalls for pregnant sows and

cages for laying hens, are inhumane and cause unnecessary animal suffering. They believe animals should have more space and better living conditions to express natural behaviours.

Most of those people have never raised a pig or a chicken and have yet to think of what those “new” rules will do to the animals and billions who those farmers raising those animals keep feeding.

On the other hand, agricultural organizations contend that banning these practices would increase the cost of animal farming. They claim that these confinement methods are more efficient regarding space utilization and disease prevention, allowing farmers to produce food at a lower cost. Removing these methods would require infrastructure and management practices changes, leading to increased expenses for farmers.

The cost of animal farming directly affects the price of meat, dairy, poultry, and eggs for consumers. If the cost of production increases, consumers see higher prices at grocery stores, potentially making it challenging for many families to afford animal products.

Farmers may need more financial assistance if required to make costly changes to their operations. Small-scale and family-owned farms, in particular, may need help to adapt to new regulations or even go out of business, which could have broader implications for the agricultural industry.

What impresses me about the Code of Practises is that the various farm groups develop and implement it to ensure their animals get the best humane treatment possible.

I remember meeting world-renowned veterinarian, consultant and personal

friend Dr. John Carr now residing in Australia, telling me how important it is to treat and care for that animal with love and respect. If he toured a hog farm and found someone who mistreated an animal or had a bad attitude, he’d ask the owner to remove that person.

It’s like someone telling the crop farmer he is misusing the land when that farmer needs it for his livelihood.

I advise farmers and consumers to let us be careful how we embrace some of those ideas and organizations and only get something we might wish for if we realize the consequences. More and more showcases show and demonstrate how farmers look after their animals and, crop farmers, their land. Let’s be aware of how quickly, as in California, consumers voted in favour of Proposition 12 without having the faintest idea of the consequences.

Designated Ecological Corridors Can Have Benefits for Landowners Including Farmers

By Dr. Jon Gerrard

The establishing and stewardship for Ecological or Wildlife Corridors can be a significant benefit for farmers, for all corridor residents, for the health of the land and for the climate. For the last two years, Manitoba Liberals have been involved in discussions of the possibility of ecological corridors along the Little Saskatchewan River in South-western Manitoba and along the Red River going from the border with the United States to Lake Winnipeg.

Protecting islands of habitat is not enough, we need to provide corridors so that wildlife including birds and mammals have habitat where they can travel from one point to another. Such ecological corridors are also important as areas where habitat can be enhanced and more trees can be planted as a way to address climate change, to decrease the risk of flooding ( land which is treed holds water on the land longer so that floods are less likely), and to decrease soil erosion along river corridors.

There are potentially particular benefits for farmers in the possibility of payments for landowners for providing ecological services along riparian lands and on marginal land not well suited to agriculture. These payments could come through government or private sector support for ecological services or it could come from carbon credits for retaining carbon in the soil or in trees.

Establishing an ecological corridor and providing stewardship for it is very different from establishing a provincial or national park. A large proportion of the land along the Little Saskatchewan and Red Rivers is privately owned and farmed. There are two First Nations along the Little Saskatchewan River and there are Métis who have hunted along the river for many decades.

An ecological corridor needs not only consultation with local landowners, municipalities, the First Nations, Métis and the local watershed district, it will also need to involve people who live

along the corridor in decision making and it will require funding. Fortunately, the federal government has already announced (in April 2022) funding for ecological corridors across Canada.

On May 7, I hosted a Forum in River Heights to look at the possibility of a designated ecological corridor along the Red River. The panellists included 1) Steve Strang, former managing director of the Red River Basin Commission, who provided a perspective on the Red River north of Winnipeg. He emphasized the importance of the Netley-Libau Marsh and the need for action to improve the marsh habitat. 2) John Orlikow, City Councillor for River Heights-Fort Garry, talked about the situation within Winnipeg. He emphasized that there are currently activities to look at linking natural areas within the city to better support natural corridors, 3) Ryan Sheffield, Manager of the Pembina Valley Watershed District, and a trained botanist, spoke of the activities which can be taken

in working with farmers to protect and enhance natural areas while at the same time supporting farmers, 4) Myrle Ballard, Director of Indigenous Science with Environment and Climate Change Canada spoke of the need to involve the Indigenous community early in the consideration of ecological corridors. Traditional knowledge and Indigenous science can be helpful in working with western science in the establishment and stewardship of such corridors and Will Goodon, a Minister with the Manitoba Métis Federation and on the Executive Committee of the MMF cabinet, spoke about the importance of ecological corridors and the ties that Métis have with the land.

Following the presentations by the panellists, there was a general discussion of the development of ecological corridors and the need to bring together current efforts to develop the Red River ecological corridor. Since then I made a presentation to the South Chapter of the Red River Basin Commis-

sion. Also presented at the South Chapter meeting were complementary developments along the Marsh River, a tributary of the Red River, which provide for marginal land to be returned to prairie or forest habitat. The latter is being well received by participating farmers.

The last legislative session I introduced Bill 214 in the Manitoba Legislature – The Ecological Reserves Amendment Act (Ecological Corridors). This bill, available on the Province of Manitoba web site, provides for the development of an ecological corridor strategy for Manitoba.

I welcome comments and suggestions as Manitoba moves forward to formally establish and designate ecological corridors in our province and to provide ongoing stewardship which involves the people who live along the corridors in decision making. Thanks to all who have helped me understand the nature of and potential for ecological corridors in Manitoba.

Ministers of Agriculture Meet to Focus on Competitive and Sustainable Agriculture

science and evidence-based decision-making in improving the long-term growth, resilience and sustainability of the agriculture and agri-food sector.

Ministers recognized that Canadian producers need effective tools to manage weeds, pests and plant diseases. Ministers agreed that science and evidence-based decision-making on regulating crop protection products is paramount. They also recognized the importance of supporting research into pest management tools, practices and solutions such as biopesticides and integrated pest management approaches. Following the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) presentation, and recognizing the difficulties faced by our producers, Ministers agreed to create an FPT working group which will explore the challenges of pesticide management.

Canada’s livestock industry against FMD outbreaks.

Ministers discussed international trade and market diversification, including ongoing trade negotiations with key partners. Discussions also centred on collective efforts to position Canada as a trusted and sustainable supplier of choice to the IndoPacific region by leveraging Canada’s first-ever Indo-Pacific Agriculture and AgriFood Office, which will be

in Manila, Philippines, as well as existing federal, provincial and industry resource investments in the region.

Ministers also discussed labour, including recent disruptions at the Port of Vancouver, Specified Risk Material, Clean Fuel Regulations as well as honey bee health. In addition, Ministers highlighted advancements on interprovincial trade pilots and committed to continue the progress on this issue.

The annual conference of Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture was held in Fredericton, New Brunswick, from July 19 to 21.

Ministers discussed the agriculture and agri-food sector’s key issues, including the successful launch of the $3.5 billion Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) that came into effect on April 1, 2023. In the face of current challenges and concerns related to global food security, Ministers underlined the importance of working together to ensure that hard-working producers and processors in Canada have the supports they need to continue to feed Canadians and a growing global population.

Ministers expressed their concerns regarding the extreme weather situations currently impacting producers across the country, including drought and wildfires. They committed to working together expeditiously to share data and complete AgriRecovery assessments. There was also a commitment to ensuring that producers have access to a full suite of Business Risk Management (BRM) programs that are timely and reliable. In view of this, Ministers committed to continuous improvement of BRM programs to support farmers and ranchers. In order to ensure timeliness, simplicity and predictability of AgriStability, Ministers agreed to the implementation of an optional new model.

Prevention and prepared-

ness planning for African Swine Fever was also discussed. The Ministers acknowledged the need for continued strong collaboration between federal, provincial, and territorial governments as well as industry on the development of integrated disease prevention, surveillance and management plans and cost-shared response programming.

They recognized the importance of increasing Canada’s readiness and capacity to respond to potential disease outbreaks and re-affirmed their commitment to closely collaborate on this issue, and to engage with key players across the value chain by the fall. It will be critical to maintain public confidence in the Canadian food supply and to mitigate trade-related market disruptions, notably by establishing zoning arrangements with our trading partners.

In addition they discussed actions taken already, such as the ongoing work through Animal Health Canada (AHC).

AHC is a national organization that provides a collaborative space for government and industry partners to achieve animal health and welfare priorities, while providing expertise in areas such as emergency preparedness, emerging diseases, animal health surveillance, and updating the codes of practice for the care and handling of farm animals. There was unanimous endorsement of AHC’s proposed role in emergency preparedness and

indicated their support for continued investment and its operations.

Ministers support the importance of traceability measures and stated the necessity of ensuring that measures are designed to reflect operational realities.

They agreed that innovation, scientific research and development, and collaboration play key roles in continuing to increase productivity and economic growth, while protecting the environment. Ministers highlighted the importance of building on a foundation of strengths and expertise from across jurisdictions and noted actions already taking place across the supply chain to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, sequester carbon and improve the environmental and economic sustainability of the sector.

Ministers continue to champion the work of industry partners, in building a clean future that is both sustainable for our planet and supports farmers’ economic livelihoods. They committed to continuing to work with stakeholders to respond to the challenge of climate change and extreme weather events, such as drought and wildfires, and to meet the growing demands for healthy, sustainable and nutritious food.

The federal government presented on the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy and provinces and territories shared their current strategies and initiatives. Ministers emphasized the importance of

A commitment was made to improving supply chain resiliency and as such, received an update from industry on the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct consultations held in May 2023. Ministers recognized the important steps taken by industry towards the implementation of the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct by year’s end. Ministers were also briefed on the plan to establish an office which will provide training, education, dispute resolution services and oversight, as well as send a signal to Canadian consumers that the grocery sector is improving its transparency. Ministers supported the industry-led collaborative process and remained open to discussing how governments can support this effort going forward, including through short-term financial support for the creation of the office. Ministers remained united in calling for the participation of all key players in the industry, who will support its operations.

They advanced talks on the federal government’s commitment in Budget 2023 of $57.5 million over five years (starting in 2023-24) and $5.6 million in ongoing funding to support and establish a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine bank for Canada, and to develop FMD response plans with provinces and territories. Ministers agreed on a collaborative approach, working with industry, to support this project which will enable the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to secure a strategic reserve of vaccines to help

FCC Incentivizes Sustainability in Canadian Dairy Sector

Canada’s dairy farmers will be able to move closer toward their net-zero goals, thanks to a collaboration with Farm Credit Canada (FCC), Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) and Lactanet that incentivizes producers to make their operations more sustainable.

Canadian dairy producers who are FCC customers and meet sustainability requirements can access an incentive payment up to $2,000 through the FCC Sustainability Incentive Program starting this September.

“FCC is pleased to be growing its incentive program into the dairy sector with the support of Dairy Farmers of Canada,” said Justine Hendricks, FCC president and CEO. “It’s through partnerships like this that we are able to support and recognize producers who use beneficial management practices to enhance the sustainability of their operations.”

The collaboration announcement was made at the Dairy Farmers of Canada annual general meeting in Winnipeg.

Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) has set a goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from on-farm dairy production by 2050. This goal was set knowing how far the sector has come along already. Canada’s dairy sector has one of the lowest carbon footprints for dairy in the world at less than half the global average.

“Dairy farmers are integral to the success of the Canadian agriculture industry and looking after our animals and the environment has been foundational for generations,” said Pierre Lampron, President of Dairy Farmers of Canada. “We appreciate FCC’s Sustainability Incentive Program, which bolsters our efforts to amplify the value of adopting sustainable practices on Canadian dairy farms.”

The criteria to qualify for the Sustainability Incentive Program payment will be a combination of herd sustainability metrics and proAction environment module results. Producers on milk recording with Lactanet will be able to utilize the recently launched Herd Sustainability Index results; while those not on milk recording will also be able to qualify through providing similar metrics. Full details on the qualifying requirements are to come this fall.

FCC’s Sustainability Incentive Program continues to look for partnerships with other sectors to support Canadian producers in their sustainability journeys.

Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Agriculture at their annual conference in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The annual conference of Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture was held in Fredericton, New Brunswick, from July 19 to 21. In the face of current challenges and concerns related to global food security, Ministers underlined the importance of working together to ensure that hardworking producers and processors in Canada have the supports they need to continue to feed Canadians and a growing global population. Submitted photo

The AgriPost

Sustainable Development Research Funds Benefit Dairy Farmers

The Government of Canada is announcing over $7.5 million to Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) to help support sustainable development in the dairy industry. This funding is provided through the AgriScience Program – Clusters Component, under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

Through this Cluster, DFC will undertake research which will provide solutions to improve the environmental and economic sustainability, and resilience of the Canadian dairy industry. To achieve these goals, DFC will develop and implement plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon, improve the health and welfare of cows and the quality of milk produced.

The Cluster consists of research activities that focus on AgriScience Program priority areas: Climate Change and Environment; Economic Growth and Development; and Industry Resilience and Societal Changes. The outcomes are intended to help the industry achieve its goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from dairy production by 2050. The goals of the funded activities also contribute to the Government of Canada’s climate change mitigation, economic growth and industry resilience priorities.

The Government of Canada is also announcing new information regarding the fifth compensation payment for dairy producers under the Dairy Direct Payment Program (DDPP). From 2019-2023, the first four payments were made available totalling $1.75 billion in compensation to account for the impacts of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). This fifth payment will begin compensation of up to $1.2 billion over six years to account for the impacts of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

In consultation with industry, the program’s calculation date will be August 31. This means that producers of cow’s milk must hold a valid dairy quota licence registered with a provincial milk marketing board or agency on August 31 to be eligible for a payment that year. As the calculation date impacts when the registration period can open, setting the date earlier in the year (previous years used an October 31 date) will ensure producers have more time to sign up before the deadline and may receive their payment sooner. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will be sending letters to all eligible producers in the fall with the program registration details, with payments to follow once a producer completes their registration.

Bibeau Chairs FAO Conference in Italy

Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau concluded her ministerial outreach to Italy recently, where she chaired the biennial Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Conference, met with bilateral counterparts and with Italian businesses in the southern region of Puglia.

Bibeau was the first woman to ever chair the FAO conference and the first Canadian to do it since 1997.

“It was an honour to serve as chair of the FAO conference – as the first ever female agriculture minister and the first Canadian in the job since 1997 – and to work with the other 194 members on bettering global food security and other sustainable development goals,” said Bibeau. “In addition, this was an opportunity for Canada to showcase to Italy and other international partners that we are a reliable trading partner for high-quality and safe agricultural products, including durum wheat, and a leader in sustainable agriculture.”

In 2022, Canada-Italy bilateral goods trade totalled $15 billion, an increase of nearly 52% over pre-CETA trade. This year’s FAO theme was water resource management. Canada urged conference participants to leverage innovation and collaboration

even more with farmers and stakeholders to better manage precious water resources to produce more food to feed the world.

In addition to presiding over the conference, Bibeau met with Italian agri-food stakeholders, Canadian industry associations, and Canadians working at Rome-based international organizations and agencies. The Minister highlighted the strong economic ties and common values between Canada and Italy, especially the mutually beneficial trade in Canadian durum wheat, and how to increase trade and investments between Canada and Italy already benefiting under the Canada-EU Comprehensive and Economic Free Trade Agreement (CETA).

Bibeau also met bilaterally with the Philippines, her international counterparts from Australia, Netherlands and Mexico, and Italy’s Minister of Agriculture to reinforce Canada’s commitment to deepening and diversifying agricultural trade; promoting Canadian agriculture and agri-food products; increasing the sustainability and innovation of agricultural production; and global food security.

On the sidelines of the FAO Conference, Bibeau chaired a roundtable with women ministers and leaders working in the agriculture and agri-food sector,

where they discussed ideas on advancing gender equality and ways to increase female leadership in the sector. This included the kinds of investments governments could make in order to have real and positive impacts— whether in innovation, digital infrastructure, or facilitating access to financing, training and agricultural land.

During her two days in Puglia, the Minister toured local farming operations, Italian milling and pasta companies to discuss ways of enhancing business ties with Canada and to promote sustainable and innovative Canadian agriculture. The Minister met with Andriani SpA located in Gravina in Puglia, a firm specializing in gluten-free products that will be locating its first North American production facility in London, Ontario.

Bibeau also met with officials from Candeal Commercio, an Italian miller and important buyer and processor of Canadian durum wheat. The Minister’s meetings further included pasta producer, La Molisana, a large purchaser of Canadian grain that is used in products for their export markets, as well as Mulino Caputo, a world-renowned miller of specialty flours, and Amber Srl, which is an important trader of both durum and soft wheat.

Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau concluded her ministerial outreach to Italy recently, where she chaired the biennial Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Conference, met with bilateral counterparts and with Italian businesses in the southern region of Puglia. Bibeau was the first woman to ever chair the FAO conference and the first Canadian to do it since 1997. Submitted photo

Crops Dry Down Allowing Harvest to Begin

Fusarium Management Tips from Keep it Clean

Keep it Clean encourages Canadian cereal growers to take a proactive approach to managing fusarium head blight (FHB) this growing season. FHB in the field is recognized by premature bleaching and salmon-coloured fungal growth on the heads of crops it has infected. FHB can cause both crop production and market access issues for growers.

Timely application of foliar fungicide with a specialized nozzle or nozzle combination for maximum head coverage can help protect crops at critical stages for FHB infection.

By Elmer Heinrichs

Manitoba Agriculture reports the fall cereal harvest could get underway within the next ten days or so.

Crops are advancing rapidly, and Dennis Lange, a pulse and soybean specialist says the winter cereals continue to dry down and producers are preparing for the beginning of harvest.

Crop development slowed during the second week of July due to cooler conditions, which will help in filling pods, and while crops remain in good condition overall, soil moisture conditions are not adequate to maintain crop condition unless recharged relatively soon.

Sporadic rainfall touched on Elie, Marchand, Fisherton, Alonsa, Virden, and Altona (July19) are helping conditions overall but remained dry and significantly warmer than normal across south-central and western portions of Manitoba.

Pulse specialist Dennis Lange says crops like canola and soybeans are flowering and need moisture at this time, but feels Manitoba farmers are still looking at harvesting an average crop.

The soybean crop remained in good condition on most fields with the exception of some later seeded crop that remains stagey due to poor topsoil moisture conditions at seeding time.

Early season precipitation deficits have impacted south-central, western and the Interlake regions, leading to low soil moisture, hay and pasture stress, and low dugout levels.

Spring wheat conditions are favourable, with the crop rapidly advancing across all

regions. Corn conditions are favourable, with crop advancement varying depending on soil. Soybean growth and development has been rapid due to recent warm weather.

Across eastern region, while rainfall was limited fast moving showers or intense thunderstorms touched a number of points. A storm a few miles wide with heavy rain, strong winds and intense hail starting east of Kleefeld area to Friedensfeld caused moderate to severe damage.

Overall spring cereal crops remain in fair to mostly good condition, and corn too remained in good to excellent condition and demonstrated rapid growth in the warm weather. And the canola crop ranged from fair to good and

the cool weather helped to extend the flowering period. Producers and agronomists continued assessing the need for fungicide applications as field peas continued to advance rapidly in the warm temperatures and relatively dry conditions. Soybean crop growth and development continued to be rapid in the warm weather.

Manitoba’s estimated 77,000 acres of sunflowers continue to show rapid growth and remain in good to excellent condition.

The majority of the field pea crop remained in good condition but drier areas are only fair and show lower yield potential.

Forage crops are cut and baled with the majority of first cut done. Crops are average to slightly below aver-

age due of the lack of moisture in some areas and insect damage in others. Rainfall is needed to bring on any regrowth.

Beef producers have completed first cut on approximately 85 per cent of tame hay and 70 to 75 per cent of native hay acres. Yields remain highly variable. Regrowth on hay fields is much slower and thinner due to the hot and dry weather conditions and increasing issues with salinity.

Manitoba Crop Alliance in its marketing Insights bulletin says dry conditions and low soil moisture across much of western Canada are causing crop ratings to fall and yield forecasts to be reduced. At this point further rain may have limited ability to help yields.

Canola crop near Virden in mid July. Pulse specialist Dennis Lange says crops like canola and soybeans are flowering and need moisture at this time, but feels Manitoba farmers are still looking at harvesting an average crop.

Photo by Myriam Dyck

Canadian Meat Sector Opposes UK’s Entrance into CPTPP

By Harry Siemens

Canada’s red meat sector is concerned about the potential for the United Kingdom’s entry into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The concerns arose after Canada’s minister of trade, Mary Ng, announced an agreement to grant the United Kingdom (UK) entrance into CPTPP, a significant disappointment and frustration for the Canadian Meat Council (CMC), the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA), and the Canadian Pork Council (CPC), the national coalition of export-focused agriculture commodity organizations.

The CCA and CPC represent the producers, while the Meat Council represents the processors like Maple Leaf, HyLife, JBS, and Cargill, companies that sell beef and pork overseas.

Chris White, president and CEO of the Canadian Meat Council, said the main concern is the failure to accept Canada’s meat inspection system, which limits Canadian access to the UK market.

“We know that our food system is world-class, and when we travel overseas, presenting our companies looking for increased market access and whatever the market, one of the critical things in our favour is our system is world class science supported through the Canadian Food Inspection Agency,” said White.

Canadian cattle and pork sectors are stressing that the UK needs to recognize equivalency with the Canadian food safety and health system instead of blocking imports because they do not want products with hormones coming into their country. Already there’s a significant trade imbalance, with a limited amount of Canadian beef going to the

UK and much more UK beef coming into Canada.

Because the UK doesn’t recognize the Canadian system, it is difficult for Canadian companies to sell beef into that market.

“It’s a way of keeping that inequity in place, and we don’t see a way around it. It means lots of beef and pork coming into Canada from the UK and very little going into the UK,” said White. “It’s a very inequitable dynamic, and it’s one that we don’t support,”

While bad enough dealing with the US on the matter broadly speaking, it includes the European Union because of where the UK is geographically situated, which is their key market.

The UK was the first country to join the CPTPP after its initial ratification between Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

White said that the Canadian government as a signatory is not insisting that the

Canadian meat system is equivalent to the UK’s. According to White this means that every other country that subsequently joins post-UK will look at what the terms were when the UK joined. If the UK didn’t have to recognize the Canadian meat system on an equivalency basis, other countries wouldn’t have to either.

“This means from our perspective that every other country that joins will have the same pushback to Canadian industry that we now get with the UK,” said White.

White believes that Canadian meat exporters will continue to see a trade imbalance for foreign products coming in, with limited Canadian products exported because the product has hormones.

“But if you can’t get equivalency and if you can’t get a situation where we have equal access to their market, then just take Canadian beef and pork out of the equation,” said White. “And they didn’t do that.”

As the government sug-

Greenland Cruise Ship Docks in Churchill Port

By Elmer Heinrichs

gested, negotiating good quotas on both products is entirely disingenuous to suggest that’s a win for Canadian beef and pork producers when access is impossible.

“’Look what we’ve accomplished for you’,” White said on the government’s messaging. “But if we can’t take advantage of it, then it’s of no use to us. And that’s the situation we’re in right now.”

He believes the government is focused on the bigger picture and, from an overall perspective, sees CPTPP as beneficial, but removing certain commodities from the trade deal makes the trade deal less attractive.

“There is already a trade imbalance, and from our experience, that trade imbalance will only get worse. It has no appeal to us; it will be problematic and give our companies fewer opportunities,” said White. “It’s counterintuitive why would you expect us to support that.”

It’s unusual for the three groups to take a position like this. But the Canadian beef and pork producers need these trade deals and market access, as do most other farm commodity groups because they produce more products than Canadians will consume.

“It is a powerful signal to the Canadian government just how fundamentally opposed we are because the negative effects will go far beyond the initial UK entry into the CPTPP and could seriously damage the Canadian meat industry from our perspective,” said White. “We think this is bad for Canadian farmers.”

While Churchill, Manitoba has long been known as our northern grain shipping port, a cruise ship originating from Greenland made a stop here recently, something the northern Manitoba town’s mayor says hasn’t happened in well over a decade.

Michael Spence the mayor for the town of Churchill said that the arrival of the Silver Endeavour, a 10-deck luxury polar cruise ship with a 200-passenger capacity, is a first for Churchill in 15 to 20 years.

“It’s a beautiful sight, seeing a cruise ship like that coming through the port. Naturally, the community was excited. It was great to wake up to, that’s for sure,” he said.

“This is probably the biggest cruise ship we’ve ever seen,” said Spence. “It’s a beautiful-looking vessel. We’re very excited about the cruise line [Silversea]’s indication that they want to come in next year, so 202425, we’re looking at more visits by this cruise company.”

“We are a port community and we’ve seen cruise ships in the past, but naturally, when you get a vessel of this magnitude, with the tourists that we have in the community that are travelling in Via Rail or by aircraft, it’s always a welcome sight to have more tourists in your community,” he said.

Known internationally as the “polar bear capital of the world,” the town is a tourism hotspot, and Spence said its residents are well-equipped to welcome Churchill’s latest visitors.

“We’ve been a port community for many years, right from 1931 and on. We’re never challenged with opportunities like this.”

Spence said the arrival of the Silver Endeavour on Sunday was “a welcome sight.” On Sunday at 6 am, the ‘Silver Endeavour’ arrived at the Port of Churchill, marking an important moment for the rail-connected, deep-water Arctic seaport,” he said. “Naturally, the community is pretty excited about it,” said the mayor.

The ship was to be in port until Wednesday, giving the 250 guests and staff a chance to enjoy Churchill. The stopover will also allow for a crew change and the ship to be resupplied.

“This ship in Port is great news for Churchill, Manitoba, and for our local businesses and economy,” said Brendan McEwan, president of the Churchill Chamber of Commerce, in a news release. “Polar bear season in the late fall has always been busy, but our goal is to grow tourism in additional parts of the year including spring, summer and during our great winter northern lights season.”

Spence said passengers have been kayaking, exploring the community and going on tours to see beluga whale. Like last year, the port expects three trips from a 35,000-tonne vessel to depart carrying resupply goods to Nunavut communities in the Kiviliq region off the west coast of Hudson Bay.

Chris White (centre), president and CEO of the Canadian Meat Council, sees the UK’s entrance into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) as seriously damaging for the Canadian meat industry.

The UK was the first country to join the CPTPP after its initial ratification between Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Chris White, Canadian Meat Council said because the UK does not recognize Canada’s beef and pork sectors systems based on science it encourages inequity in trade within the CPTPP. Submitted photos

World Clydesdale Show a Thundering Success

Continued from Page

By Myriam Dyck

Going to see the 2023 World Clydesdale Show at the Keystone Centre in Brandon was a once-in-a-lifetime occasion for most Manitobans. The championship show is held only every third or fourth year, with the previous ones in London, Ontario and Madison, Wisconsin.

Getting Manitoba chosen to host the 2023 show was a major accomplishment for the Manitoba Clydesdale Club and the Canadian Clydesdale Association. The Keystone Centre has previously hosted North American Belgian Championships and The World Percheron Congress, so the Brandon facility was known to be well set up to host such an event, and planning the event was years in the making.

One factor that had to be taken into account was bringing entries, both horses and humans, into Canada for the event. The Americans were up for the challenge. The teams that travelled the farthest to attend were from Florida and Utah. A total of approximately 350 horses of all ages attended, including a strong showing by many local Manitobans.

“We brought 13 horses here. It was actually pretty simple,” said Bret Fielding of Highpoint Clydesdales in Utah. “We got fresh Coggins and vet certificates within 2 weeks of travelling and had no problem at all when we hit the border to enter Canada.”

“We had most of the horses in one semi trailer, plus a second large horse trailer behind, as well as two other trucks hauling deck trailers for the 50 bales of hay, carts and wagons,” noted Fielding.

While it was still only Wednesday at lunchtime when we spoke to Fielding, he already had 2 World Champion ribbons under his belt for Open Four Horse Hitch and Junior Team so he was thrilled to be attending. By the end of the competition, Highpoint Clydesdales went on to be recognized as the Premier Hitch at the 2023 World Clydesdale Show with wins in many other classes.

Clydesdales are one of the larger draft breeds, with some horses in the show between 18 and 19 hands high (a hand is 4 inches, measured at the shoulders). They tend to be more athletic than some of the heavier breeds, which was demonstrated throughout this competition with Clydesdales jumping cours-

harnesses being about $5K+ and just shoeing one horse is about $400 every 6-8 weeks, so an 8-horse hitch competing in the ring is probably worth about half a million dollars. Many competitors are also active breeders who then sell their foals from winning stock, and there is some prize money for the classes, but overall it is an expensive hobby!

Driving a larger hitch requires a lot of skill, especially in a tight arena with other teams all on the move, and this skill was on full display when the 6-horse and 8-horse hitches all came out into the arena at the same time (the ring steward’s skill rivaled that of most air traffic controllers).

A $40,000 Futurity was held with over 180 horses eligible. Also held at the same time was the World Heavy Horseshoeing Com petition, which had 40 farri ers competing in 9 teams for the title.

Ten Four-Horse Hitches in the arena at the same time for presentations.

Stelhiem Farms, owner Andrew Stalhiem, Amery, Wi won the Hitch Class Registered Mare 6-Horse. Sharon Brown commented on the World Clydesdale Show… “we came for two days to watch and stayed for five, we really enjoying it.”

Photo by Joan Airey

Amateur Driver of 4-Horse Hitch World Clydesdale Championship Goes to Wallace Clydesdales From Dauphin, Manitoba. Driver

Winner of the Team Class 5 Lady Driver was Westwind Farm owner Kim Smith from Oakville, Ontario.

Second Place of the Open Unicorn was won by Blaine and Trinda Martin Family, Strathclair. Driver Britney

In the Western Pleasure, Claire Gregg of Paisley, Ontario on her horse Ivy Lee won this class.

Hazel Carter from Todield, Alberta placed second in the Costume Class.

Photo by Joan Airey

Photo by Joan Airey

Photo by Joan Airey

Photo by Joan Airey

Photo by Joan Airey

Photo by Joan Airey

Wildwood Clydesdales of Goodsoil, SK had some interesting colored entries, with some very light roan mares in the Registered Mare Unicorn class.

Photo by Myriam Dyck

Touring the very professional barn displays. Photo by Myriam Dyck

Agricultural Training and Resource Development Receives Funding Boost

The governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing up to $1 million through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) to support learning activities, knowledge transfer and resource development for local agricultural organizations.

“The Industry Development Initiatives program will create opportunities for producers to learn from each other through a variety of innovative learning tools,” said federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. “Engaging agriculture employees in training can also lead to higher retention, which strengthens resiliency of the sector.”

The Sustainable CAP Industry Development Initiatives program was designed to meet the needs of organizations that support the agriculture and food sectors, including industry organizations, associations, commissions, non-profits, boards and Indigenous governments, communities or organizations.

“Stakeholders have told us they want more funding for formalized mentorship and peerto-peer training,” said Manitoba Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson. “This assistance from both levels of government will support such learning and development opportunities, as well as conferences and other educational events.”

The funding will support agriculture organizations to develop innovative resources and offer training opportunities that improve the capacity and competitiveness of the sector. Improvements to the program are based on feedback from engagement efforts over the last several years.

“The annual Direct Farm Marketing Conference brings together fruit and vegetable growers, livestock producers and other direct marketers from across the province to network and learn,” said Kristie Beynon, executive director, Direct Farm Manitoba. “The funding Direct Farm Manitoba has received through previous agricultural partnerships has been vital to the success of the conference, the only event of its kind in Manitoba. We look forward to working with Manitoba Agriculture again on this annual event, and appreciate the options introduced in the Sustainable CAP to better serve smaller organizations.”

Eligible organizations can receive up to $25,000 per organization over the duration of the program. Smaller organizations have found that cost-sharing projects can be difficult and options for organizations now address this challenge, Johnson added.

For more information on Manitoba programs under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, visit manitoba.ca/scap.

Introducing AgTalk: The Do More Agriculture Foundation Launches New Peer Support Platform

The Do More Agriculture Foundation (Do More Ag) has announced the launch of AgTalk powered by Togetherall. The peer support platform will be accessible across the entire Canadian agriculture industry. The platform provides a safe and anonymous space where anyone 16+ can connect, share, and receive support from a community of peers who relate to their unique experiences. With 24/7 bilingual clinical moderation, AgTalk, powered by Togetherall, ensures a secure environment for open discussions on mental health.

It can be challenging to acknowledge and seek support for mental health needs. With these challenges in mind, BASF, RBC, and McCain Foundation have come together to support the foundation in launching AgTalk to address the specific mental health needs of Canadian producers.

“BASF is thrilled to support the development and launch of AgTalk as part of Do More Ag’s continued efforts to provide mental health support to Canadian farmers,” said Jonathan Sweat, Vice President at BASF Canada Agricultural Solutions. “Supporting farmers extends beyond the field. It’s important to BASF that we’re supporting farmers – and those who work in the agricultural industry – in meaningful ways, including through resources that facilitate connection, dialogue and

various stages of one’s mental health journey.

“In recent years, our agriculture communities have been exposed to economic volatility and stressful environmental conditions that have taken a toll on their mental health. Addressing our farmers’ emotional health and wellbeing is key to economic prosperity and the continued growth of the agriculture sector,” said Sue Noble, VP of Commercial Banking Strategy at RBC.

“Our partnership with AgTalk is an important step in this direction, that’ll provide agriculture communities a safe and secure space to improve their mental health and wellbeing.”

One of the key advantages of AgTalk, powered by Togetherall, is the platform’s 24/7 clinical moderation. In order to ensure a safe environment, licensed clinicians will monitor the platform and ensure that users can engage in an open and supportive dialogue.

“Given agriculture’s strong sense of community, Do More Ag has recognized a need for a peer to peer support for some time,” said Lauren Martin, Board Chair of Do More Ag, “We are exceptionally grateful for the collaboration of BASF, RBC and the McCain Foundation to make this partnership a reality.”

By offering an anonymous peer-to-peer support platform, AgTalk, powered by Togetherall, provides a safe space for individuals to share their experiences, seek guidance, support their peers and receive support from others

www.domore.ag/agtalk

The platform provides a safe and anonymous space where anyone 16+ can connect, share, and receive support from a community of peers who relate to their unique experiences. With 24/7 bilingual clinical moderation, AgTalk, powered by Togetherall, ensures a secure environment for open discussions on mental health.

who can relate to their experiences.

“The McCain Foundation appreciates the need to support the health and wellbeing of our agricultural communities and the focus of Do More Ag on the mental health of farmers and their families,” said Linda McCain, Chair of the McCain Foundation. “It is our hope that AgTalk will help overcome some of the many barriers that prevent people in need from accessing support.”

“We understand that mental health journeys are deeply personal, and everyone progresses at their own pace,” said Megz Reynolds, Executive Director of Do More Ag. “AgTalk, powered by Togetherall, is designed to support individuals in their next steps towards improved mental wellbeing, allowing them to share and connect when they are ready. The clinically moderated environment provides an added layer of support and wellbeing for our community.”

Megz Reynolds, Executive Director of Do More Ag speaking at the Farm Show in Regina. Submitted photo

West Coast Port Strike Risks Canada’s Reputation as a Reliable Supplier

By Harry Siemens

The off again, on again, off again strike and walkout on the west coat upended opera tions at Vancouver and Prince Rupert, two of Canada’s three busiest ports, which are critical gateways for ex porting natural resources and commodities and bringing in raw materials.

Bill Alford, general man ager of Hams Marketing Ser vices in Winnipeg, MB, said the strike had not affected hog prices initially since the base price for Western Cana dian hogs with the packers has a US reference.

Seasonally with the heat on the prairies, hogs grew slow ly, so there is a manageable supply at this time of year, said Alford. It’ll be much different as hogs are more available in the fall.

Because of the constraints on cold storage facilities at the western seaway ports processors are doing what they can to find alternate routes to export to their customers switching to the eastern ports in some cases.

The other concern is chilled pork that typically goes to Japan from the west coast will become more expensive if it’ transported the other way, but there’s only so much capacity and by all accounts fills up fast.

Alford said during this strike, it has yet to reach the point where packers have to slash or cut back production schedules which ultimately impacts farmers.

With $730 million worth of pork moving through the west coast ports annually,

exports can back up quickly. Chilled pork goes to Japan and will instead need freezing, so the clock is ticking.

“It’s fresh, chilled meat, and when you have to freeze it, that’s a lower price that would hurt the pocketbook of the processors,” said Alford.

Alford started in the pork industry in the late ‘90s. To come up with the chilling technology for transporting to places such as Japan instead of being frozen is better for the sector and it has a 30 day shelf life.

Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) and Manitoba Pork have called for an immediate end to supply chain disruptions in Canada’s west coast ports.

“The current strike has impacted agri-food goods that rely on container shipping, such as pulses and livestock produced here in Manitoba, to reach destinations across the globe, and employees responsible for ensuring the transportation of these products should be keeping our supply chain flowing while negotiations are ongoing,” said KAP President, Jill Verwey.

As mentioned, the work stoppage put Manitoba’s hog sector at risk during this labour stoppage and the days leading up to it, given the magnitude of Manitoba pork exports that travel through the Port of Vancouver.

Manitoba Pork chair Rick Préjet said Manitoba exports about $730 million worth of pork to Asia yearly out of west coast ports.

Community Comes Together in Support of Western Manitoba Cancer Care Centre

By Joan Airey

Sunday Morning, July 9, nineteen men driving eighteen vintage or antique tractors left Rivers on the Rivers Annual Tractor Trek to Clack’s Museum in the RM of Participants came from Brandon, Souris, Alexander, Oak Lake, Oak River and Riv-

The youngest driver was Caleb Paddock driving the oldest tractor; a 1944 John Deere Model B. Senior driver was Gerald Shanks of Brandon driving a John Deere 420. Shanks previously farmed in the Pettapiece area. Several participants and supporters of the trek toured the museum before enjoying a barbecued beef lunch.

Terry Radcliffe and his staff plus several board members of the museum were on hand to help set up for the day’s event. Without community members supporting the event it would not have been possible to raise over two thousand dollars. Local businesses plus some local families donated towards providing the meal. All entry fees and donations go directly to Western Manitoba Cancer Centre.

This is the second annual trek which started in 2022 when over a cup of coffee or tea a couple of antique tractor enthusiasts decided they could enjoy a trek and support

“Some of our most valuable exports are chilled pork moving into premium markets like Japan,” said Préjet.

To keep the market Préjet stressed that there can be no delays in shipping chilled pork. Not only does this labour disruption put current sales at risk, but recurring port shutdowns also harm Canada’s long-term reputation as a reliable supplier.

KAP general manager Brenna Mahoney, said Canada’s supply chain and reliable reputation abroad runs the risk of significant damage in international markets.

“We urge the federal government to take more swift and decisive actions in the future to mitigate disruptions in Canada’s supply chain and impacts on our international reputation as a reliable producer of high quality, safe agricultural products,” said Mahoney.

Andy Lovatt and his dad Andy driving a 1949 David Brown tractor owned by Tom Ryall in the Rivers Tractor Trek. The Lovatt’s came from Souris to participate.

Shown leaving Clack’s Museum on the return trip to Rivers, Caleb Paddock, the youngest driver on the Trek driving the oldest tractor, a John Deere 1944 Model B.

Photos by Joan Airey

Bill Alford, general manager of Hams Marketing Services in Winnipeg, MB, said the west cost port strike has not yet affected hog prices. File photos

An aerial shot of Rosebank Colony hog operation near Miami, MB. Seasonally, with the heat on the prairies, hogs grew slower, so there is a manageable supply at this time of year.

Eden Tractor Trek Raises $1 Million Over the Years!

Rural Festivals Receive Grants

The Manitoba government has awarded $221,000 in grants to 38 festivals scheduled in rural and northern communities this year.

The funding comes from the community festivals and events program, which provides operating grants to festivals that run for a minimum of two days.

Manitoba is known to have incredible festivals that truly showcase the unique character and spirit of our province and we encourage all Manitobans to get out and enjoy these celebrations,” sport, culture and heritage minister Obby Khan said recently.

Forty-nine vintage tractors hit the road on a Saturday in July in support of Eden Foundation and its mental health programming.

The foundation’s 16th annual Visit the Village Tractor Trek set out from Winkler following a community breakfast, winding their way through the villages of Reinfeld, Blumengart Hutterite Colony, Gnadenthal and Neuenberg.

In sunshine and blue skies the annual parade was another success, raising over $82,000 this year and a $1 million in total since its inception in 2008 as a special event to mark Eden’s 40th anniversary and fund mental health supports in communities.

The program supports events that encourage youth participation and leadership; reflect, celebrate, and profile the unique character of the community; foster a sense of identity and pride; and contribute to local tourism and economic activity.

Upcoming festivals benefiting from the program include the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba in Gimli August 4 - 7, and the 4P festival in Powerview-Pine Falls September 1-4, which celebrates the area’s historic resources of pickerel (walleye), peas, power and paper, and includes activities such as a pancake breakfast, sculpture contest, heritage museum tours and children’s events. It also includes the Manitoba Agricultural Museum, Winkler Harvest Festival and the Morden Corn & Apple Festival in August.

The Eden village tractor trek raised funds for Winkler-based Eden Foundation and its mental health programs.

Photo by Terrance Klassen

Photo by Jake Suderman

By Elmer Heinrichs

Sunshine and blue skies.

Forty-nine vintage tractors participated. Photo by Terrance Klassen

Dairy Farmers of Canada Elects New President

vid also chairs the committee reviewing and updating the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle.

Weins farms with his brother, Charles near Grunthal, Manitoba, milking 230 cows and cropping 1,600 acres as feed for their herd and sells grain for cash.

Weins has a keen interest in dairy policy provincially and at the national level, working to shape policies that makes it possible for dairy farmers in Manitoba and across Canada to have viable farms.

He has a Bachelor of Theology from the Canadian Mennonite University. He and his wife Denise have two grown children, Jasmine, son-inlaw Nick, and Elizabeth.

By Harry Siemens

In July 2023, in Winnipeg, MB, the Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) elected David Wiens as president to represent the interests of the hard-working men and women on almost 10,000 Canadian dairy farms. Wiens has chaired Dairy Farmers of Manitoba since 2006 and

elected to the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba board in 1995.

In 2009, Wiens became a board member of the DFC and, in 2011stepped up to become the vice-president. He chaired the Promotion Committee and currently serves as the chair of the proAction Committee and the Canadian Dairy Research Council. Da-

Wiens said there are many things happening within the industry and with his experience at both the provincial and federal levels he looks forward to bringing some of those things together. His term as chair of the DFC runs for two years.

He refers to the three pillars of sustainability for the dairy industry as social, economic and environmental as significant and needed to sustain and improve the en-

tire industry.

“When I first got involved in the industry, I don’t think I knew what I was getting into then,” said Weins.

His first stint with the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba was a few years ago, but he had the confidence to do it well, he said.

“I continue to enjoy it with a passion I have developed,” said Weins. “Family support is critical; otherwise, it wouldn’t work on the farm.”

His partner and brother, Charles on the dairy farm, have to look at things differently when the other is off doing dairy business for all Canadian dairy farmers. Weins said that they have a good staff headed up by manager Doug Priest who helps to make it all work when Weins is off to another meeting, some of which last for days.

“The farm isn’t coming up short-handed during those times because that wouldn’t be fair to the farm,” said Weins.

Looking at the more significant issues on his plate as president of the DFC, he focused on the structure of the national Canadian dairy industry. The producers of

the Dairy Farmers of Canada focus marketing on the farmer’s reputation, assuring a good relationship with the government communicating so that they understand the dynamics of what’s going on and work together. Weins said, government policymakers must consider the needs and concerns of the dairy supply management system. The Canadian Milk Supply Management Committee administers how supply management works across the country - also working closely with the Canadian Dairy Commission. The milk pool has an east-

ern and western milk pool, including an all-milk pool perspective from across the country, all provinces.

“My role is to how these different organizations can work more closely together and be even more effective,” he said.

Wiens said it’s vital how the dairy farmers of Canada come across to all Canadian consumers to maintain that support as well as marketing some of the alternative products to consumers and ensuring the message about the benefits of dairy and how important it is for a healthy lifestyle.

Photo compliments DeLaval Inc.

The team at Skyline Dairy is vital to the farm’s success. Pictured (from left to right) are Johann Priebe, Alena Kannengiesser, Doug Priest and Rachel Boonstoppel.

David Wiens the new president of Dairy Farmers of Canada said when he first got involved in the industry; he didn’t fully realize what he was getting into back then. File photo

Bill C-234 Restores Competitive Position for Canadian Farmers

By Harry Siemens

Cam Dahl, the General Manager of Manitoba Pork, said the passage of Bill C234 will help restore the ability of Canada’s pork producers to compete on the international market.

Bill C-234, a private member’s bill that will create specific exemptions for farmers to Canada’s carbon pricing scheme, has passed in the House of Commons and is waits approval by the Senate.

Dahl said Canadian pork producers export 90 percent of the pork they produce and compete against producers in other parts of the world that don’t have a carbon tax. Feed costs are near record prices caused by drought, for example, in the Great Plains,

with US farmers abandoning record levels of winter wheat.

Those conditions and the war in Ukraine taking feed supplies out of the market are driving up feed prices. There’s also uncertainty surrounding China, the world’s largest consumer and pork producer, over African Swine Fever (ASF) and its impact worldwide.

“It’s an uncertain period in the market, and we’re facing record-level input prices with hog prices falling faster than the price of feed, and we’re seeing the impact of that right now on the bottom line for producers,” said Dahl.

He said the carbon tax adds significant costs, making Canadian farmers less competitive on the international mar-

ket and helping drive up the cost of food for consumers.

“I encourage everyone to contact their Senators and encourage them to pass this bill as quickly as possible,” said Dahl.

Canadian Pork Council executive director Stephen Heckbert said the environmental record of Canada’s pork sector is something to be proud of, and senators should consider this as Bill C-234 moves through the Senate.

Bill C-234 seeks to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act to extend the exemption for qualifying farming fuel to marketable natural gas and propane, exempting farmers from the carbon tax on natural gas used for heating barns and drying grain.

Heckbert said pork producers have a great story to tell in terms of the environmental impact of Canada’s pork sector.

“You’re not going to mitigate environmental impact just by making things more expensive,” he said.

Instead, the focus should be on ensuring help and reward, particularly farmers, who significantly mitigate their environmental impact he

Prairie Provinces and Federal Government Collaborate with First Nations on Agricultural Opportunities

noted. It’s vital for the government to look at the whole suite of environment. Carbon is only one part of the issue.

“Water usage is another part of the issue, ensuring proper land usage and ensuring we’re protecting farms,” said Heckbert. “From that perspective, it’s vital that we do what we can, as C-234 will mitigate some of the impacts of the carbon tax.”

The CPC executive director said the government needs to develop a policy examining the industry’s overall environmental impact and ensuring Canadians understand the actual ecological cost.

“One of the stories we’re going to try and tell a little bit better in future is just how progressive pork producers of Canada have been on the environmental file,” said Heckbert.

Farmers need to take pride in their environmental stewardship and how they treat the land instead of being on the defensive.

“We have a great story regarding the environmental impact of Canada’s pork industry, and we need to work harder at telling that story.”

Heckbert urged the Senate to move Bill C-234 forward as quickly as possible.

DUC Aiding Conservation and Biodiversity

By Elmer Heinrichs

Thanks to the support from conservation partners such as Nutrien, Cargill and McDonald’s Canada, birds and bees alike are benefiting from increased habitat and food sources through farm-gate sustainability programs, says Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) in a news release.

Research shows that healthy landscapes that host

mixed natural areas including grasslands, wetlands, shelterbelts and ditch vegetation all aid in increased biodiversity and safe spaces for pollinators. Increasing these areas to benefit pollinator health is a goal shared by DUC partners.

These forage and marginal areas programs are all contributing to better biodiversity outcomes while also increas-

ing crop and forage production in agricultural areas.

The marginal areas program specifically retires poorly producing acres and replaces them with perennial forage or a pollinator-friendly flowering seed mix.

For more than 80 years, Ducks Unlimited Canada has been making a difference with measurable and meaningful conservation work to

conserve, restore, and manage wetlands for waterfowl, wildlife, and people. As the only conservation organization that produces scientific research and engaging in hands-on conservation work, DUC’s has contributed $94 million to Canada’s GDP, $254 million to nature related recreation and tourism and $5.31 billion to Ecosystem services.

With the goal of furthering Indigenous participation in the agriculture sector Manitoba, along with Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Federal Government have completed a collaborative project that engaged First Nations communities.

The released report provides a summary of what was heard through engagement. The report indicates that some First Nations communities in the Prairie Provinces are interested in growing their food systems through traditional practices as well as increasing their participation within the agriculture sector. The information collected will inform departmental priorities and policies and programs aimed at the advancing Indigenous agriculture and food systems.

The project started back in May 2021 and focused on the identification of current practices and the resources, policies, programs and actions required to further advance First Nations food systems and agricultural and agri-processing economic development.

“We have a lot to learn from the knowledge and diverse experiences of First Nations partners,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “By working together in the spirit of reconciliation, we will support actions that will increase their participation in the agriculture sector and further advance food systems among Indigenous communities.”

“The Manitoba government is extremely pleased to have collaborated with Alberta, Saskatchewan and the federal government in engaging First Nations communities across the Prairie provinces to discuss and identify current agricultural practices in those communities, understand how we can move forward in supporting new opportunities, and removing barriers to participation in the sector,” added Manitoba Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson. “First Nations have a wealth of experience in agriculture and I look forward to learning from them as we move forward together.”

Johnson noted that developing food hubs and other economic activities related to agri-processing and food production is a key step in ensuring community resiliency and health.

“This project will support First Nations agriculture and food projects and support our government’s ongoing commitment to advancing reconciliation as we work together with our Indigenous partners to understand their interests and support their agricultural visions,” he said.

“Indigenous Peoples are critical to conversations and decision-making in areas such as food systems and climate change,” agreed Dale Worme, chair, National Indigenous Agriculture Association. “It will be important to recognize the shared responsibility for advancing environment and climate outcomes in the agriculture sector and important roles to be played by each actor.”

He believes that this collaboration with Indigenous partners on sustainability and strengthening Indigenous-led food systems will be particularly important.

Cam Dahl, the General Manager of Manitoba Pork, said Canadian pork producers export 90 percent of pork they produce and compete against producers in other parts of the world that don’t have a carbon tax.

Bill C-234 seeks to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act to extend the exemption for qualifying farming fuel to marketable natural gas and propane.

California’s Prop-12 Skews Pork Prices

By Harry Siemens

The confusion created before the Proposition 12 ruling in California seems to be settling down after various interpretations had roiled the markets.

Bill Alford, general manager of Hams Marketing Services of Winnipeg, MB, said it was doom and gloom in late May when the prices cratered.

“And we’ve gained back half of those losses with cash prices quite resilient,” he said. “It’s surprising; given all the negative news we had over a month ago.”

Alford said there’s uncertainty moving forward because there are other states with similar Prop 12 language that’s coming and uncertainty is creating some volatility right now.

Conversely, it’s a new crop year for the producer, but the input side has yet to see much relief from those high prices.

“Hog prices are up, but

it’s all relative,” said Alford. “The costs and margins aren’t there. Maybe just recently, with summer pricing coming. And typically, it will hit your highs of the year here. There may be a bit of a margin. But again, we’re going to be heading into the fall right away with more pigs and typically lower pricing.”

He said its common knowledge there will need to be more compliant pork to fill that Prop-12 market. Currently there is no Prop 12compliant production in Canada as well as in the United States.

“I’ve talked to several producers,” said Alford. “Some of the response are, ‘Oh well, I’m stall-free; that should be able to go.’ No, it’s not that simple. It’s square footage. You need to be able to turn [it] around. And nobody’s got that,” he said.

Alford cautions producers to do the math, to rearrange their barns and cut production by at least 15 percent

adding we don’t know what the price will be when the producer does finally comply.

Referring to the on again off again walkout at the Port of Vancouver, Alford said Hams Marketing’s responsibility is to their producers.

“And we’ll be working with these processors through any disruptions. And we do have relationships with all these packers in western Canada, and we work closely to try to work through it. Ultimately, we’re an industry. We need each other,” he said. “We don’t want to impact any one producer or processor unfairly. Going to get through this if it comes to that, but hopefully, cooler heads prevail, and the product keeps moving.”

On the Prop 12 issue, the Pork Checkoff weekly report asked the question, “but what about Prop 12 and those big freezer inventories?”

It is probably not a coincidence that belly prices

started to gain traction once the rules about Prop 12 implementation and handling of inventories began to clear up. Suddenly, having a big freezer inventory of bellies was not a curse. It offered the ability to continue to sell into California through the end of the year.

“If previously bellies were being offered spot because of how much there were in the freezer, now that freezer supply transferred into the future and spot availability dried up,” said Alford.

The Pork Checkoff report said buyers counting on plenty of spot supply now have to scramble a bit. Starting July 1, production that does not comply with Prop-12 must find another home. Eventually, that will be something that catches up with the belly market.

“But in the near term, we are at seasonal lows in production. And this is a good time to sell bacon at retail,” said the Pork Checkoff.

Collaborative Partnerships Bring PAMI to Assiniboine Campus

As Assiniboine looks to the future of agriculture in the Prairie Innovation Centre, the college’s concentration on Ag programming leadership and industry engagement is more in focus than ever, as illustrated by recent co-location with the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI).

Charley Sprenger, a Project Leader with PAMI has been situated at the college’s Victoria Avenue East campus since fall 2022, allowing PAMI to start building collaborative relationships with students and faculty. Her presence on campus has created opportunities to enhance the hands-on learning experi-

MMF Secures Funding to Help Adopt Sustainable Farming Practices and Strengthen Food Security

Through the Agricultural Climate Solutions – OnFarm Climate Action Fund, Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) will receive up to $7.2 million to help Red River Métis farmers adopt sustainable farming practices that help build climate change resilience, support carbon sequestration, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The On-Farm Climate Action Fund is part of the Government of Canada’s Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) program to help farmers tackle climate change.

ences of the students and help them to come up with practical solutions to real-world problems facing the agricultural and mining sectors.

“As a strong advocate for innovation, research, applied academics and industry, Assiniboine Community College is at the forefront of the Canadian agriculture sector which aligns well with who PAMI is,” said Lorne Grieger, Director of Technical Sales with PAMI.

PAMI provides innovative engineered solutions for agriculture, mining and transportation clients. They study, design and test machines and machine components with hands-on lab and in field testing. The solutions the team provide help their clients ensure their operations are functioning efficiently using the most up to date STEM (science technology, engineering and math) principles.

Being situated on campus has allowed Sprenger to connect with faculty, coordinate guest lecture opportunities and collaborate on applied research projects that are happening on campus; efforts that will be further supported once the Prairie Innovation

“Assiniboine strives to be a

go-to problem solver for agrelated practical challenges, and the Prairie Innovation Centre will provide a space for industry and academia to seize new training opportunities,” said Tim Hore, Dean, School of Agriculture and Environment. “We’re thrilled to be well established in this work with many existing partnerships, and this partnership with PAMI is a great example.”

The co-location with PAMI will help provide students the opportunity to learn about current industry issues and use critical thinking skills to address real world examples and scenarios that Sprenger brings into the learning environment.

“Charley is an important team member whose positivity and dedication to STEM excellence is only outshone by her exemplary research and leadership abilities,” said Grieger.

Much of the team at PAMI have a connection with primary agriculture, which gives them a current, in-depth understanding of the issues farmers face and the practical solutions, education and training the industry needs.

No exception, Sprenger has a background in farm-

ing cattle. Her dad is an engineer, and inspired her to pursue her Bachelor of Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan, after which she obtained her Masters of Science in Engineering. She has a keen interest in science, math, and problem solving.

“I am lucky to be able to work so closely with the faculty and students at the college, to help forge a path for the future of agriculture in our province and country using the latest technology and resources available,” said Sprenger.

New and expanded agriculture training is needed now, at a time when the labour gap in agriculture is growing to a point where it’s expected that one in three jobs in Canada will go unfilled by 2029. The Prairie Innovation Centre will combine indoor and outdoor learning spaces for seamless hands-on experimentation and training to extend and transfer knowledge to enhance the competitiveness of the industry and primary agriculture producers in Manitoba.

“Agriculture in Manitoba has a bright future and we will achieve great things through our partnership with Assiniboine,” said Grieger.

This project will allow MMF to provide direct financial support to its citizen farmers in the adoption of beneficial management practices (BMPs) in the areas of nitrogen management, cover cropping, and rotational grazing. MMF will offer specialized agriculture consultants to help with planning, data collection, implementing, and reporting of results. Additionally, with plans to deliver peer-to-peer learning opportunities between Elders, Traditional Knowledge Holders and Red River Métis producers, it is expected that the level of adoption of these practices will increase greatly.

“Ensuring Indigenous communities have equal access to the tools to adopt sustainable farming practices will help address food insecurity across Canada,” said Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for PrairiesCan and CanNor. “With support through the On-Farm Climate Action Fund, the Manitoba Métis Federation will deliver funds directly to local farmers who are ready to take action and build climate resilience. Funding through the Local Food Infrastructure Fund also serves to strengthen and support the local food system for the Red River Métis over the long term.”

Additionally, the MMF will also receive up to $500,000 under the fourth phase of the Local Food Infrastructure Fund (LFIF). Project activities include purchasing a refrigerated trailer, greenhouses, fruit trees and shrubs for food forests, pollinator gardens and raised garden beds. This project will allow MMF to increase availability of locally grown food for community members. Additional production solutions will serve to enhance the distribution of healthy food across the seven Manitoba Métis Federation regions.

“Red River Métis Citizen across our Homeland are embracing sustainable farming practices and taking steps to address food insecurity,” added MMF President David Chartrand. “[This] funding announcement will allow the MMF to support Red River Métis farmers, ranchers, and producers to make even more smart changes and do their part to build climate resilience, support carbon sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase the availability of locally grown foods. Each of these actions will ensure our Citizens remain responsible stewards of the land for generations to come.”

Charley Sprenger, a Project Leader with PAMI has been situated at the college’s Victoria Avenue East campus since fall 2022, allowing PAMI to start building collaborative relationships with students and faculty. Submitted photo

Heading the Farm Labour Shortage Off at the Pass

By Brenda Hunter

According to the 2019 RBC report: Farmer 4.0, Canadian agriculture could see a skills and labour shortage of 123,000 by the year 2030. That’s only seven years away folks. Yet, the country could stand to increase its annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by $11 billion in the same time frame, by changing the way we currently produce and market food globally. The report suggests that this could be done by beefing up the skill set of farm workers, developing and embracing technological advancements, as well as filling the labour shortage in the agricultural industry.

The agricultural labour shortage can be attributed to many things with the retirement of the baby boomers ranking at the top of the list. According to the report, 600 fewer young people are entering the Ag sector each year, despite a 29 percent jump in students enrolling in post-secondary Ag programs. As well, we don’t have to look very far to see that as the rural population dwindles, the cities grow. And as that happens, more and more people become one more generation removed from the farm and knowing where their food is produced.

Yet, given Canada’s broad expanse of fertile land and natural resources, the country could actually be in a great position to accelerate production.

“Scarcity breeds creativity, and problems lead to innovative thinking,” said Heather Watson, Executive Director of Farm Management Canada on the growing labour shortage. “It’s important to remember our agricultural sector is founded in innovation and problem-solving. If we could put as much energy into the labour shortage as we do to yield and growth rates, imagine what we could accomplish.”

One of the ways that the farm labour shortage can partially be addressed is through programs like A-Way to Work, run by the International Rural Exchange Canada Inc (IREC).

“The Canadian government increased our work permit quota numbers this year in an effort to help Canadian industry,” said Anita Warriner, Executive Director of IREC. “We have already seen a marked increase in new host applications in 2023, and the limiting factor is the number of candidates we get from our partners or direct applications. We expect to place about 200 trainees on farms in 2023, but we know the demand is vastly greater and will continue to increase.”

The organization was founded in 1985 and has ties to the former International Agriculture Exchange Association (IAEA) which has now joined the IREC. At that time, some farmers in southwest Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan decided to form a regional organization similar to it. Warriner explained that the founding principal was to provide ways for young people to experience agriculture on an international scale, with access to farm labour being a side benefit. Back then, the need for seasonal employees was much less than it has become in the last 20 years making it all the more important in addressing the current and forecasted farm labour shortage.

“While the idea of providing life-changing experiences for young adults is still central to the organization, providing a source of skilled farm labour for the agriculture community has become equally important,” she said. “Today there are seven full-time staff and three contract/part-time employees, which is a testament to how much the need for farm labour has grown.”

She went on to explain that the program offers an opportunity for foreign program participants between the ages of 18 and 35 years, to be placed on and paid for agricultural positions at host farms across Canada. Most applicants have a farming background and/or have completed education in farming or other trades such as agricultural mechanics, making their skill set valuable to host families.

“Farming is a skilled trade in European countries and individuals must complete that training before they can take over their family farm or farm on their own,” she explained. “The skills and energy that come with our participants can be very helpful to a farming operation. It is a unique solution for farm labour that addresses the issues of the RBC report in unique ways.”

The trade-off being, of course, not just monetary in nature, but of the lasting connections and memories made while host families engage program participants and show them a little bit about Canadian culture.

“The relationships built can be very special and lifelong,” Warriner continued, who along with her family, have also been hosts with IREC since 2003.

The connections made are two-fold; both for the participants to the program (and often their families) as well as for the host families.

“I know that it makes the world a better place,” said Warriner about what inspires her about the program. “When we meet people from other countries and cultures and live and work beside them, we come to understand both that the world is full of good people, and that Canada is a great place to live. As we showcase rural culture and share our wide-open spaces, we value our own experiences and opportunities more.”

Some Urge Parliament to Defeat Bill C-282 While Others Say “Hold on a Minute”

By Harry Siemens

Some farmers and agri-food exporters are urging Parliament to defeat Bill C-282 while others say hold on a minute; Canada is doing an excellent job with trade deals.

Dan Darling, president of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA), said CAFTA members are profoundly disappointed the House of Commons has voted to pass Bill C-282 on the third reading. In doing so, Members of Parliament have chosen to entrench protectionism and favour one economic sector above all others.

CAFTA is calling on the Senate of Canada to give this Bill the proper second sober thought and carefully consider the negative impacts of Bill C-282.

CAFTA urges the Senate Committees to dedicate ample time and resources to hear from all sectors and groups impacted by this Bill.

“The effects of the Bill will be negative to both the businesses who depend on trade and the consumers who benefit from better access to international markets,” said Darling. “Not

only will our already established trade agreements, like CUSMA, be threatened, but it will largely diminish, if not erase, our future trade opportunities in other parts of the world.”

He said Bill C-282 hurts farmers and exporters, and CAFTA members represent 90 percent of Canadian farmers and agrifood exporters.

Darling said earlier before the Third Reading that not voting against Bill C-282, MPs chose to entrench protectionism as official Canadian trade policy.

In pretty strong words, Darling said their message is clear: no single sector of Canada’s economy should have the legislative authority to hold Canadians hostage. The passage of this Bill provides no tangible benefits to Canadians while risking our economic growth, international reputation, and critical trading relationships–current and future.

“If this Bill becomes law, Canada’s credibility as a champion for rules-based, free and open trade will be lost,” said Darling.

“We cannot have it both ways, advocating for other countries to open trade while we enact protectionist laws here at home.

David Wiens, newly elected president of the Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) and a dairy farmer at Grunthal, MB, said yes, with Bill C 282, the government would be committing to not involve supply management, taking it out of any future negotiated trade deals.

“The fact of the matter is every country has areas that are sensitive to other countries that it will not budge, and the US and the European Union are no different, like they all have those areas,” said Wiens.

In Canada, governments have always expressed absolute sup-

Dairy Farmers.

And Canada is a preferred trading partner with many countries in the world. The number of trade agreements Canada has signed for many years reflects that the countries want to trade with Canada.

“We don’t see that as impeding those more export-oriented sectors. We’re not against Canada as a trading nation. Absolutely not. Like we understand that trade is extremely important for Canada and many different areas of the Canadian economy that rely very much on trade,” said Wiens.

The DFC is making the point Canada can align its commitment to support supply management when conducting trade negotiations and doesn’t see that as an impediment to future trade deals. Canada has many trade deals, most of which don’t involve supply management.

“We think that overall, Canada’s got a good track record of making trade deals without impacting supply management, and here’s a commitment that they can continue to do so,”

Dan Darling, president of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, said

David Wiens, president of the Dairy Farmers of Canada, said overall, Canada’s got a good track record of making trade deals without impacting supply management, and Bill C282 is a commitment that they can continue to do so.

Research Transforms Chicken Manure into Nutrient-Rich Fertilizer

An international collaboration between researchers from Brazil and the United States has identified a process for turning poultry waste into a soil additive for agriculture.

“Several countries have large poultry production, especially United States and Brazil, where agriculture is also concentrated,” says Aline Leite, a Post Doctoral researcher from the Federal University of Lavras in Brazil. “So, reusing a global residue generated in large amounts is an interesting way of promoting a circular economy.”

The researchers harvested poultry manure from an experimental site in the United States, which they heated to turn into biochar, a carbon-rich substance that is used as a soil additive to replenish critical nutrients like phosphorus.

“We are focused on understanding mechanisms that are responsible for increasing phosphorus availability in materials like manure,” says Leite.

Poultry manure is full of calcium and requires higher temperature treatments to turn the waste into biochar; however, these higher temperatures can have an effect on the amount of phosphorus available.

In order to ensure that the biochar contained sufficient available phosphorus, the researchers enriched it with another mineral, magnesium, which protected the phosphorus from the heat and enabled it to form more soluble forms of phosphorus.

Using the IDEAS and VLS-PGM beamlines at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), the researchers were able to visualize the connection between phosphorus and magnesium and confirm the success of their technique.

The Canadian Light Source (CLS) is a national research facility of the University of Saskatchewan and one of the largest science projects in Canada’s history. More than 1,000 academic, government and industry scientists from around the world use the CLS every year in innovative health, agriculture, environment, and advanced materials research.

While phosphorus reserves are found across the globe, the nutrient is a finite resource. Finding ways to recycle the mineral is an important issue for scientists.

“There’s no excuse for not using the phosphorus that is already in the food chain, for example, by reusing the waste that is already generated,” says Leite.

Leite says that synchrotron technology is essential for research into agricultural applications.

“This technology is extremely important for agriculture because it helps determine the concentration and forms of elements that are essential for plant growth,” says Leite. “By accessing the distribution of elements and understanding potential impacts, it gives us a great perspective for sustainable agriculture. The effective use of this technology in the study was only possible due to an international collaboration with researchers of different backgrounds.”

Applications Open for Interest Free 2023 APP Cash Advance

Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is now accepting applications for the 2023 Advance Payments Program (APP) year. Manitoba Crop Alliance offers advances on over 35 crops including cereals, grain corn, oilseed crops, pulses, specialty crops, hay and grasses, and honey.

APP is a federal program, delivered and administered by Manitoba Crop Alliance. It offers Canadian farmers marketing flexibility through interest-free and low interest cash advances.

For the 2023 program year, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has increased the interest-free portion of Advance Payment Program (APP) cash advances to $350,000.

For interest-bearing cash advances, in 2023, MCA has secured lower interest rates that are better than or very competitive with other APP administrators, as well as major banks and credit unions. Farmers can access up to $1 million per program year in advances based on the value of their agricultural product.

Visit mbcropalliance.ca for more details.

The researchers harvested poultry manure from an experimental site in the United States, which they heated to turn into biochar, a carbon-rich substance that is used as a soil additive to replenish critical nutrients like phosphorus. Stock photo

Paper Mill to Test Biomass as Alternate Fuel

Canadian Kraft Paper Industries Ltd. is looking to harvest the power of biomass to produce paper in The Pas.

The Manitoba government and the community economic development fund is providing the company with grants of $90,000 and $75,000 respectively to investigate how to convert forest biomass to energy at the mill. Kraft is adding $130,000 as well.

Using alternative fuels would result in lower greenhouse gas emissions and increased long-term viability of the mill, according to the province.

“Productive partnerships like this allow (Canadian Kraft Paper) to move closer toward having more of its energy needs coming from renewable sources such as carbon neutral biomass, which is not only good for the environment but also its northern Manitoba economy, Canadian Kraft Paper president Ann Evans said in a release.

Greg Nesbitt, natural resources minister, called the use of forest biomass at the mill a “potential win-win that is well worth exploring further.”

Students Focus on Food Sovereignty and Tall Grass Prairie Project

H.C. Avery middle school in Garden City, Winnipeg, has been developing a robust outdoor education and land-based learning program focused on food sovereignty and, more recently, learning more about Tall Grass Prairie species as part of the climate action curriculum.

“This project serves a bigger purpose,” said teacher Scott Darling. “There’s beautification, but it’s also to actually enable the revival of native species, bringing things back.”

The middle school teacher recently launched a climate action curriculum to promote outdoor education and equip colleagues with ideas on how to overcome their personal anxieties about the changing planet in order to do so.

On our school grounds, we have been developing Tall Grass Prairie as a way to restore the land to its original ecological systems before colonization for the past 3 years noted Darling. The intent is to remove colonizing plants, such as Kentucky Bluegrass, and to restore it with indigenous Tall Grass species.

He said, this Climate Action Project was to develop a 200 sq/ft garden in the front yard of the neighbour’s house, where we planted 24 different Tall Grass prairie species.

These small but important gardens help with restoring original species, sequestering carbon, and developing water and drought resiliency, but also for participating in a genuine decolonizing act that addresses tremendous harm to culture and also to land.

Researchers Looks at Alternate Options for Crop Field Borders

Planting beneficial plants next to gardens and crop fields large and small has been a standard practice for decades, even centuries. The plants provide what are known as ecosystem services. These include attracting pollinators and preventing weeds.

In the grassland regions of North America, prairie mixtures are thought to be the best at providing these services. However, the quality of some of the services they provide can be unpredictable. This is because it is difficult to tell exactly what plants in the mix will grow well.

Ebony Murrell lead scientist for The Land Institute and her team decided to test five perennial grains as alternatives to a nine-species prairie mix. They studied Kernza, silflower, cup plant, sainfoin, and alfalfa.

They looked at five different ecosystem services. These included how many and what kind of pollinators the plants attracted, as well as biomass production, weed suppression, and forage quality.

The specific characteristics of a plant can make it better or worse at providing certain ecosystem services. For example, the shape and color of a flower can be more attractive to local pollinators. Or a plant can produce a lot of roots near the soil surface that prevent weeds from growing. Large leaves of a species like cup plant may also shade out weeds.

“I’ve learned in my career that people are more interested if you have data that shows those species can provide a variety of services,” Murrell said. “The goal of this project was to quantify how well a suite of these crops provided these services. This allows interested growers to decide which one(s) to plant based on their individual needs.”

The results revealed many

important details about the services provided by the alternatives. Murrell said three findings rise to the top.

As the researchers predicted, the prairie mix did provide the best pollinator services in terms of diversity and abundance throughout the season.

Two of the alternatives they studied, silflower and cup plant, exhibited a great balance of services. They provide good weed suppression, pollinator services, and forage quantity and quality. The researchers note that they may be the best overall alternatives.

Lastly, an alternative called sainfoin did poorly because it was not competitive with weeds, suggesting it would not serve well as a border crop. While it has not been tested, the researchers note that these crops may provide other services like increased nitrogen, healthier overall soil, and reduced erosion.

Murrell stressed that there are no “good” or “bad” border crops because it depends on the services needed in a specific field.

“I don’t think it’s as simple as that,” she said. “What growers elect to plant as border crops will depend on what services they’re seeking, their planting and harvesting requirements, and the equipment needed to manage the border crops, etc. A study like this is an excellent starting point. However, it is only one point to consider when making recommendations on what border crop species to plant.”

At the end of the day, the most important aspect of this work, Murrell added, is to increase diversity of plants in farming systems. She understands how difficult this can be for farmers. She wants to show how planting perennial grains as border crops can provide valuable services and increase diversity.

“I seek to demonstrate that

perennial grain candidates as border crops can provide relevant services and encourage farmers to grow these crops and improve diversity on their farms,” she said.

“This would be without asking them to make financial sacrifices. In my opinion, this is the most realistic way to help improve diversity in our agricultural landscapes.”

Researchers at the Land Institute in Kansas found that cup plant was another quality alternative for growers to plant on the edges of farm fields. Its large leaves shaded out weeds, for example.

Photos by Ebony Murrell

Silflower performed well in the tests by providing an ideal balance of ecosystem services, such as weed suppression, pollinator services, and forage quantity and quality.

Stands of different species the researchers studied for their ecosystem services. Their findings will allow growers to plant a more diverse mix of plants on the sides of their farmland. Shown here from left to right are cup plant, alfalfa, Kernza, and silflower.

Time to Harvest Some of Your Garden’s Bounty

Time to Harvest Some of Your Garden’s Bounty

By Joan Airey

A couple of weeks ago I went out to check the garden and our resident doe and her fawn had snacked on a third of a row of peas. With a field of hay across the road the doe didn’t need to be in my garden so decided the electric fencer we use to keep racoons out needed to be put around the garden but I found out it had quit working because of old age.

I phoned Total Farm Supply and Thelma was a great help and she said a small fencer would work for a small area. She sold me a $50 fencer and it’s keeping wildlife out of my garden so far.

We’re enjoying an abundance of peas, lettuce, onions, potatoes, green and yellow beans. Thought I’d mention a smaller fencer works for a smaller area than what is needed to go round a quarter section pasture.

Do you realize the water you cook pasta, vegetables, eggs and so on are great for watering the garden or plant pots on your patio or deck as long as you don’t put salt in the water during cooking.

Also living in the country there are lots of buildings where you can catch water from. My main one is my husband’s shop and I put mosquito dung in them so mosquitoes don’t hatch. I got mosquito dung at our local hardware. When rain is forecast, I put pails under the down spouts on the house to catch water too. I find things grow better with rain water than well water.

Every chance I get I’ve been reading a new book called “The Compost Coach” by Kate Flood who is an Australian writer. I’ve learned more about composting than in fifty years of gardening and even though she is from Australia the info applies in Canada.

Compost improves the structure of all soil types over time. It enhances sandy soil by improving its water and nutrient-holding capacity. Compost opens up clayey soil by providing air pockets that improve drainage. Humus-rich compost helps to buffer the pH of soil. Compost doesn’t dramatically change the Ph of soil, but it helps plants that are sensitive to the extremes of acidity or alkalinity to access nutrients and grow. Composting stores more carbon in the soil than it emits to the air, which means it helps with carbon sequestration the process of capturing carbon dioxide in the soil so that it’s not released

into the atmosphere and can’t contribute to climate change.

In my way of thinking, if I compost peelings, etc. they don’t fill my garbage barrel and I’m not buying fertilizer for the garden. Kate suggests collecting enough leaves in the fall to use as brown compost for the next year. If you don’t have enough leaves, she suggests newspapers be used to balance you green and brown compost. Kate lists the materials high in carbon and materials high in Nitrogen so you know what you need in your compost bin or pile.

Materials high in carbon are twigs, corrugated cardboard, sawdust, shavings, newspaper, pine needles, straw and autumn leaves. Materials high in nitrogen are garden waste, horse mature, coffee grounds, grass clippings, vegetable scraps, fish guts, hair/fur, and dried blood meal. I listed these because I know my bin has too much nitrogen high material and not enough carbon after I’ve read the book.

I turned the beans I picked this week into a mixed bean salad a recipe I shared with readers last summer.

First picking of beans this month between this pail and a partial pail of yellow beans we enjoyed a bean salad and fresh green beans for a few days.

Photos by Joan Airey

UM Nutritional Scientist Appointed

Manitoba Strategic Research Chair in Sustainable Protein

As an internationally recognized expert in nutritional sciences, Dr. Jim House from the University of Manitoba will lead and facilitate original research in sustainable protein innovation in alignment with the Manitoba Protein Advantage Strategy.

The government of Manitoba has invested $1.5 million in support of this new research chair, which has a six-year term and is based in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences.

“Through this chair position, I look forward to continuing to work with multiple stakeholders in Manitoba and beyond, to advance sustainable protein foods,” said House. “The funding will allow us to generate new knowledge, train new highly-qualified personnel and strengthen the sustainable protein ecosystem in Manitoba through knowledge translation and network engagement.”

Four key themes will guide the research: climate resiliency of protein food systems; novel protein product development and processing; digital agricultural and food systems; and management and utilization of waste, water, by-products and co-products.

Recently, House had authored the Manitoba Protein Research Strategy, a comprehensive action plan aimed at accelerating strategic sustainable protein initiatives that will help Manitoba capitalize on untapped market potential, investment opportunities and innovation.

In his new role as chair, he has the opportunity to strengthen collaborations with Manitoba’s robust protein research ecosystem in support of the research strategy.

In support of this, House will be focused on fostering synergies between industry, academia, government and non-profits through networking opportunities and digital tools through the development of a Sustainable Protein Research Network.

“Dr. House will lead strategic research priorities for the plant and animal protein sectors in support of sustainable economic growth, and I congratulate him for taking on this crucial role for Manitoba as a bridge between industry and academia,” said Manitoba Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson.

“It’s only through strong partnerships that Manitoba will continue to be a leader in sustainable protein research and innovation,” said Dr. Mario Pinto, Vice President (Research and International) at the University of Manitoba. “Dr. House is uniquely positioned to advance shared strategic research priorities through cutting-edge research, global partnerships and knowledge mobilization. We are confident that this Strategic Research chair position will greatly enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of Manitoba’s agricultural sector and increase impacts at home and around the world.”

A professor in the UM Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, House’s own research has focused on studying the factors influ encing the qual ity of dietary proteins from both plant- and animal-based foods, and how protein and other key nutri ents relate to the optimal growth and health of individuals.

Balancing Corn Silage Quality for Lactating Dairy Cows is a Challenge

I am amazed on how each summer differs in Manitoba. Two summers ago, we had severe drought, last summer was extremely wet, and this year started off with record heat, then cooled down to night-time single digits and luckily temperatures picked up again; all the while with spotty thunderstorms. Such climatic indifference presents a patchwork of knee- to shoulder-high cornfields. Ultimately, this might make it challenging to balance cornsilage based lactation dairy diets, once harvested. That is - unless we make sure a current lab analysis of each situation is taken, so new dairy diets are well-balanced to maintain optimum milk (and milkfat) performance.

Even before I take such samples on any farm visit - one of the first things that I do is go into the bunk and take a handful of corn silage. High quality corn silage has a nice golden colour, smells buttery, and is slightly wet. For example, it is the end result of processing tonnes of chopped whole corn plants at about 65 - 70% moisture and either tractor-pack it onto a concrete pad (bunkersilo) and cover it with a thick plastic sheet.

Consequently, here are some of the important guidelines (source: University of Delaware) to make well-preserved corn silage (see chart 1 below).

Localized thunderstorms throughout the rest of the summer will probably miss some areas and lead to a lot of dry corn silage being put up. And this doesn’t make the best lactation feed, because a harvested moisture content

of less than 60% does not allow chopped forage to be packed tightly and exclude most air to undergo seamless anaerobic fermentation. Just the opposite occurs, namely undesirable bacteria; a variety of molds/mycotoxins and penicillin-fungi thrive at these low oxygen levels and limited moisture. So it might be of no surprise that such unpalatable dry and moldy corn silage comes out of the bunker when it is opened.

The funny thing is the opposite weather may occur, where similar thunderstorms may hit areas, several times with excessive rain, or we have a widespread wet and cool autumn. In both such cases - wet and immature cornfields are ensiled at a higher moisture level than desirable 60 – 65% moisture. This wet forage condition usually shifts fermentation from good lactic acid bacteria to undesirable clostridia bacteria; producing large quantities of butyric acid from forage sugars and organic acids. Substantial butyric acid production in corn silage means huge forage dry matter losses and the pH of the silage may become too high (> pH 4.0) to preserve the silage. It also gives the silage an off-smell like rancid peanut butter. So, when substantial butyrate-containing silage added a TMR is fed to lactating dairy cows; dry matter intake and thus milk production suffers.

No matter how the corn silage turns out and is ready to be fed to lactating dairy cows; it is very important to take corn silage samples and send them away for a labora-

tory forage analysis. I recommend: moisture, crude-protein, soluble-protein, ADIN, NDF, ADF, NFC, and starch tests. From these analytical results, we can re-balance any type corn silage into new lactation diets.

Last year, I balanced a dairy lactation diet for a 150cow dairy, based upon cornsilage samples with forage analysis - dm basis of 40% dry matter content (slightly dry), ADF - 18.8%, NDF - 35.77%, starch – 33.50 %, NFC – 44.70%. The only other forages were two cuts of alfalfa with a RFV of 98 and 140. Therefore, our biggest challenge was to offset this high-energy corn silage and maintain enough dietary effective fibre.

We had strong dry matter intakes by the resident lactating cows to make up a new dairy diet, encompassing: 1. Forage to concentrate ratio of 64%, 2. Reduction of graincorn intake by 1.5 – 2.0 kg

and maximum limits of 4.0 kg per head, and 3. Increased bypass-protein level with 200 grams of bloodmeal. Despite, some minor tweaks to this diet, it has been fed for the last nine months to yield about 40 kg of milk with a 4.21% milkfat per lactating cow.

This is a good example of balancing a nutritious dairy lactation diet with whatever quality of corn silage that comes out of the bunker. And this year’s final corn silage should be no different, despite being a couple of months away from being ensiled. The important thing is to take forage samples to know what we are dealing with, when incorporating new corn silage into high performing dairy lactation diets.

Chart 1.

Dry corn silage doesn’t make the best lactation feed, because a harvested moisture content of less than 60% does not allow chopped forage to be packed tightly and exclude most air to undergo seamless anaerobic fermentation. Just the opposite occurs, namely undesirable bacteria. Submitted photos

Dr Jim House. Submitted photo

Reimer Saskatoons Supplies Delicious Berries to Western Manitoba

By Joan Airey

Reimer Saskatoons is located north of Brandon near highway number 10. It is a very efficiently run business that helps fill a market demand for locally grown fruit.

Shawn Reimer, my husband and his dad Ken started planting Saskatoon trees on our acreage in 2018, adding more trees each year. Today we have an orchard of approximately thirtytwo hundred trees. We had a harvest last year; however, it was much smaller as the first planted trees are just entering their best fruit producing years. The orchard is maintained from early spring through fall with weeding, watering and spraying,” said Heather Reimer.

Reimer Saskatoons are all prepicked by machine, sorted and double checked for quality so the berries you receive just need to be washed before eating if you can wait that long to taste them.

“We have a harvesting machine, a Joanna harvester. The machine shakes berries from the trees, and they travel on a conveyor with a blower to remove leaves and debris before being deposited into totes. We have a shaker with a screen, a modified seed separator that berries go through to remove any additional debris and smaller berries. The berries then travel down a conveyor belt, where we give the berries one last quality check, and finally box and sell the berries via our Facebook page, Reimer Saskatoons.” said Reimer.

“We had hundreds of great customers this year, happy to get their hands on a basket of Saskatoons so close to Brandon. Many tell us about how they enjoyed Saskatoons growing up, and the pies, jams and other things they plan to make with their baskets of our berries.” said Reimer.

The berries are refrigerated as soon as they are ready for sale. Watch for them next year on Facebook. That’s how I happened to enjoy their berries this year. Saskatoons ready for picking at Reimer Saskatoons.

A Good Year for Fruit Growers

By Elmer Heinrichs

Fruit growers from across Manitoba and the prairies have been busy this summer tending their crops and inviting customers to their farms to pick a bounty of the sweetness of summer.

May’s hot weather, with temperatures climbing as high as 30 C, has made for a slightly earlier season for picking berries in the past couple of years, said Angie Cormier, the executive director of the Prairie Fruit Growers Association and a strawberry farmer from near La Salle, southeast of Brandon.

Nonetheless, it has been a banner year for Haskap, Saskatoon and raspberry growers, all of whom have enjoyed a bountiful harvest, Cormier said. Some Haskap and strawberry farms began welcoming customers to pick fruit at the start of July, and raspberries and sour cherries haven’t been far behind, she added.

Fruit farmers in Manitoba have different experiences than producers who grow grain crops, Cormier said, since the consumers come to the farm instead of buying products at the store, although some fruit farmers do sell to grocery stores and farmers’ markets as well.

The Prairie Fruit Growers association works across the Prairies to connect growers to consumers.

Reimer’s harvest their Saskatoon crop with a Joanna harvester which shakes the berries from the trees.

Fresh Saskatoons ready for Market at Reimer Saskatoons.

Photos by Joan Airey

Prairie Innovation Centre Receives Donation from Simplot

Pea and Lentils Invest in Root System Development Differently

Underneath the surface, plant roots are hard at work. Roots, of course, are how plants get water and minerals from the soil. But digging into how different root systems affect crop yields has been challenging for researchers.

“We know so much less about root traits and how they impact crop yields compared to leaf characteristics,” said Maryse Bourgault, a researcher at the University of Saskatchewan.

Bourgault’s findings also highlight the advantages of studying crop root systems directly, especially in semi-arid areas, where water can often be in short supply. “I think we are at the point where the next big gains in yields for semi-arid areas will come by having a serious look at root systems and understanding how they work,” she said.

The study site was located at the Northern Agricultural Research Center of Montana State University.

scanned and measured root lengths in 29 pea and 25 lentil varieties.

“We found there were many differences between pea and lentil varieties in how much they invest in root systems,” said Bourgault. Bourgault and her colleagues are now looking to identify genes or genetic regions in lentils and peas associated with robust root trait data. “That could potentially be a game changer for introducing root traits in breeding programs,” she

Assiniboine Community College’s Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture has received $100,000 from Simplot Canada Ltd.

“Simplot Canada (II) Ltd. is very pleased to support the Prairie Innovation Centre,” said Jolyn Rasmussen, Senior Manager Raw Development & Sustainability. “A new agricultural centre in Brandon provides much-needed training for agriculture employees who will drive the local and regional economy for years to come. We are proud to support such a significant project and look forward to the meaningful impact it will have on agriculture in the region.”

The Prairie Innovation Centre will increase opportunities for students—the future agricultural workforce—to gain real-world professional experiences through additional engagement with industry partners, and will enhance the college’s contribution to economic prosperity in Manitoba through applied research, work-integrated learning, extension and innovation.

“The agriculture industry is evolving to a place where technology and food innovations are fundamental to things like agronomy, farming or land management,” said Tim Hore, Dean of the School of Agriculture and Environment at Assiniboine. “You can’t do one without having knowledge of the other parts. Donations like this from industry partners support our mission to become leaders in agriculture education, and ensure we are producing well educated students who can enter the Ag sector with the advanced skills the evolving industry needs.”

The college launched the Prairie Innovation Centre campaign in 2019 and has increased its fundraising goal twice, from $10 to 15 million, now nearing in on a new $20 million goal. In January, the Province of Manitoba made an initial commitment of $10 million toward design and costing.

“The Manitoba government is supporting this project with an initial $10 million commitment. Assiniboine Community College is at the forefront of agricultural education in our province, and the community has rallied around this important project,” said Sarah Guillemard, Minister of Advanced Education and Training. “We will continue to assess the project’s infrastructure and programming needs to support this leading-edge work.”

The Prairie Innovation Centre will create an enhanced agricultural training capacity, increasing seats in agriculture, environment and related technology programs from 300 to more than 800 to fill the growing agricultural labour gap.

Bourgault is the lead author of a new study in which researchers unearth links between root systems and yield in lentil and pea crops grown in semi-arid areas.

A large percentage of global lentil exports originate in the Northern Great Plains in the Canada and the United States. In these semi-arid areas, almost 4.5 million hectares are used to grow pea and lentil crops.

Bourgault and colleagues found that the highest yielding pea and lentil varieties had quite different root system structures.

In lentils, big root systems were well correlated with high yields. “Lentil plants tend to be small. So, breeders have been trying to get them to be bigger and taller,” said Bourgault. “If we are pushing for bigger lentil plants, we should also select for bigger lentil root systems.”

In peas, the situation was more complex. The highest yielding pea varieties tended to have root systems that were average in size.

“We think that root growth in peas may be more about timing during the plants’ growing season,” said Bourgault. The researchers think that the majority of root growth needs to happen before pea plants flower. “Once flowering happens, all the energy from photosynthesis needs to go to the pea pod development rather than the root growth.”

The finding that different root systems would lead to higher yields in different crops went somewhat against the grain. The prevailing pattern was that a “deep but lean” root system would be most beneficial to all crops in semi-arid areas.

“The ‘deep but lean’ idea was based on research of wheat crop,” said Bourgault. A study found that a variety of wheat with a lean but deep root system was better adapted to semi-arid areas.

That may have been because wheat plants with deep root systems had access to water deeper in the soil. Yet, the leanness of the root system meant the plants hadn’t invested too many resources in the roots, allowing for higher grain yields.

“The ‘deep but lean’ idea has been very popular,” said Bourgault. “We demonstrated that this is not a universal truth; what might be true in wheat may not be true in other crops.”

A lentil field study site at the Northern Agricultural Research Center at Montana State University. Researchers were studying the relationship between root development and pea or lentil crop yields.

Photos Courtesy of Maryse Bourgault

Example of a lentil crop root image captured by the root imaging system. The depth of the root image was taken at 30-45 cm below the surface. In lentils, big root systems were well correlated with high yields.

A mini-rhizotron (left) and access tube (right) sticking out of the ground in a young lentil crop. Mini-rhizotrons are transparent tubes in the ground in which are inserted a cylindrical scanner that slides down to take pictures of roots belowground. These tools provided researchers with information on root growth and water use.

Jolyn Rasmussen is the Senior Manager Raw Development & Sustainability with Simplot.

Exterior rendering of the planned Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture at Assiniboine Community College. Submitted photos

Local Fair’s Commercial Cattle Class a Focal Point

By Joan Airey

The Commercial Class is for commercial cattlemen to show their stock, pens of calendar year calves with their mothers are judged against each other. For several years the commercial classes in these towns were a focal point at the agricultural fairs.

Local fair goers looked forward to paying to judge this event and see if they could win the cash prize for judging like the cattle judge of the day.

For years Cam Ramsey and Cam Kent would work hard to get the largest amount of contests at their community’s fairs. Ramsey for Oak River and Kent for Harding.

So why not in 2024 bring your commercial entries out and help the younger generation of fair directors keep this event going.

Harding Fair First place Winners Cam and Shelley Ramsey of Oak River.

Submitted photo

Rebuilding Support Available to Province’s Commercial Beekeepers

Manitoba beekeepers will be eligible for $7.5 million in support from the federal and provincial governments to rebuild their hives following extraordinary losses incurred over the winter of 2021/22.

There are about 115,000 hives in the province, with 95% of hives belonging to commercial beekeepers. Manitoba’s honey bee industry experienced high losses over the winter of 2021/22, as did numerous beekeepers across Canada.

In Manitoba, 2021/22 winter losses were estimated to be 57% of colonies; normal losses are typically in the range of 30%.

“Manitoba beekeepers have faced consecutive and compounding challenges over the past few years, including drought in 2021, spring snow storms, and a shortage of replacement honey bee stock, many producers were left short of honey bees for the 2022 season,” said Ian Steppler, Chair, Manitoba Beekeepers Association. “Our Manitoba honey bee industry consists of 250 commercial beekeepers which typically produce 18-20 million pounds of honey valued at $50-60 million.”

Purchasing replacement hives is the fastest option for returning to full production capacity. Under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership and AgriRecovery, commercial beekeepers with 50 or more hives who are registered with the province can apply to purchase replacement hives.

Delicious Desserts Made With Manitoba Fruits

By Joan Airey

The last couple of weeks in our area I’ve managed to pick saskatoons, strawberries and raspberries. This summer for the first time I picked strawberries at Basswood Strawberries and I was really impressed with their operation. This dessert is a favourite of the grandchildren. I have an agreement with one grandson I’ll make it once a month and share with him. The jelly roll is my aunt’s recipe. She was my mentor for learning to make everything from scratch. Every time I make recipes that started in her kitchen it brings back fond memories of her. This dessert I originally created for one of my granddaughter’s and it’s become a family favourite.

Strawberry

Cheesecake Roll

10-12 egg yolks beaten until lemon coloured

1 cup sugar beaten into egg yolks

Then mix in alternately 1 cup of flour and two teaspoons of baking powder with half a cup of milk. Pour batter into a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper. Bake in 350F oven for 12-15 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on your oven.

While the cake is baking, lay out a clean tea towel onto the counter. Spread with about one quarter cup of icing sugar or regular sugar. Remove the hot cake from the oven and carefully using oven mitts so you don’t burn yourself flip the cake onto towel. Remove parchment paper from bottom of jelly roll. Then gently roll up the cake in towel.

Cream Frosting and Filling

8 ounces of cream cheese

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups whipping cream

1 lb. fresh strawberries

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mix master until light and fluffy, then add vanilla and beat. Slowly add two cups of whipping cream then beat at higher speed until it forms stiff peaks. Unroll and spread with cream cheese mixture then slice strawberries over mixture. Roll jelly roll up, then move to plate and frost with rest of cream cheese mixture. Decorate with whole strawberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

It’s delicious and with the leftover egg whites you can make an Angel Food Cake to freeze for dessert at a later date. I have used raspberries in season too. In the winter I thickened frozen strawberries and just use cream cheese as filling and to frost roll. Then slice the roll and top with thickened strawberries.

Manitoba Fresh Raspberry Pie

Pastry for 9-inch double crust

4 cups fresh raspberries

2/3 cup white sugar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch or quick cooking tapioca

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Toss berries lightly with a mixture of sugar and tapioca. Spread into a pastry line pan and sprinkle with lemon juice. Dot with butter. Cover with crisscross strips of pastry. Seal strips against pie edge with water and flute edges. Bake at 425F for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F and bake until filling has thickened and pastry is golden, about 40 minutes. Cool before cutting.

I make a crust and gash top with a knife; a lattice top isn’t something I have a knack for.

Manitoba Old Saskatoon Pie

Pastry for 9-inch double crust pie

4 cups saskatoons, washed

2 Tablespoons water

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 Tablespoons quick cooking tapioca or cornstarch

1 Tablespoons butter or margarine

Over low heat, simmer together berries, water and lemon juice covered for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, tapioca and butter. Cool and pour into pastry-lined pie pan. Dampen the edge and cover with the top crust. Gash or prick top. Bake at 450f for 15 minutes reduce heat to 350F and bake 30 minutes longer.

I make up several of each variety of pie and freeze them baked. When I need one, I defrost them in my oven at 300F for one hour. Handy for unexpected company.

Raspberry pies fresh from the oven.

Strawberry Cheesecake Roll.

Photos by Joan Airey

The AgriPost

Give a Black Eye to Pinkeye in Your Beef Cow Herd

By Peter Vitti

Summer is not over and the pastures are full of flies. So, when I drive down the highway and see a bunch of cattle bunching up, they are either trying to get away from the heat or away from these annoying pests. One of which is the notorious face-fly that is the leading culprit of transmitting painful and contagious pinkeye. Despite all we know about pinkeye in cattle, it is hard to control it. It is a matter of continuous vigilance in treating cases as they pop up, but more importantly implement a pro-action plan to reduce its incidence.

A friend of mine that runs about 400 beef cows learned a valuable lesson on just how pinkeye can run amuck in a beef herd. It happened a few years ago in mid-August, when he noticed that many of a group of 70 replacement heifers grazing rotational tall-prairie grass had excessive tearing in at least one eye. Some of these “criers” also had a clouded eye. In the past, he successfully treated one or two cases of pinkeye with antibiotics and an eye-patch, so he knows the importance of quick treatment to save any present infected eyes. It was only a surprise to him that pinkeye was highly contagious during this summer.

It’s also no secret to him and most people that raise cattle, faceflies and pinkeye cases go together. In this way, face flies play a major role in the rapid transmission of pinkeye bacteria – Moraxella bovis among cattle in the herd because they fly from one animal to another. These flies also cause small scratches on the conjunctiva and corneas of the eyes when they

feed, which makes it easier for the bacterium to enter and infect healthy eye tissues. Unlike biting horn-flies, face-flies spend only about 10% of their adult life on the head of cattle. They are usually found on fences, trees and other objects.

Once infected with pinkeye, the cattle eye starts to inflame, and manifest into a progressive ulcer, which spreads across cornea, clouding it over. If the infection is left untreated, the inside of the eye also fills in with a pus-like material called fibrin. Often, there is final rupture of the cornea, which ends in permanent blindness of the eye. As mentioned above, my friend had no blind animals, because he was quick to treat all of his pinkeye cases with a vet-recommended antibiotic program.

Here are a few things that my friend did to reduce the incidence of pinkeye in his cowherd, so he wouldn’t have a repeat of that terrible summer. Note - Some of these suggestions may work better on some farms compared to others:

- Avoid tall-grass pastures during heavy fly-seasons - Another producer that I know, connected; putting her cattle in tall-grass grasslands and pinkeye. She felt that cattle tended to scratch their eyes grazing them, which attracted face-flies.

- Insecticides are effective – They are still a popular way of decreasing summer populations of faceflies that transmit pinkeye. Backrubbers and dust-bags are still a reliable means of distributing either organophosphates or pyrethroids, which are advertised as registered guarantees of control-

ling face-flies on cattle.

- Feed a garlic mineral – Many producers are taking a natural approach to reducing pinkeye by providing salt or cattle mineral with added garlic to repel face-flies on cattle. It has been my experience that added garlic oils are more effective against face-flies than added garlic powders. Note – controlled studies find garlic does not control biting horn-flies (do not transmit pinkeye).

- Consider feeding a larvicide

– Some face-flies are known to lay their eggs in cattle manure, so a larvicide might be an effective way to control them. Subsequently, there are one or two larvicides available on the Canadian market that list face-fly control, yet their emphasis is controlling biting horn-flies.

- Pinkeye vaccines – There are vaccines that are registered that prevent M. bovis, which causes the pinkeye disease. Unfortunately, M. bovis has multiple types and strains in which some commercial vaccines are ineffective. Plus, it often takes two doses to develop full immunity, which likely impractical to implement on pasture cattle.

The funny thing is that a friend of mine vaccinates all of his cowherd, bulls and replacement heifers for pinkeye. He knows of their limitations, but the way that he sees it – use it in combination with these other pinkeye preventatives. As a result, if you can prevent a pinkeye outbreak or even save a few animals from this painful eye-disease you have succeeded in controlling and giving pinkeye, a black eye.

Russia’s Cancellation of Grain Deal Sparks Global Food Security Fears

By Sylvain Charlebois

Russia’s recent decision to terminate the Black Sea grain agreement, which had facilitated the shipment of large amounts of Ukrainian grain to 45 countries, has once again raised global food security concerns.

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, which started in February 2022, has put nearly half of Ukraine’s food exports, primarily destined for developing countries, at risk. Although Russia has an agreement with the United Nations to export fertilizer and grain without sanctions, ending the grain agreement could significantly impact the worldwide food supply.

Russia’s historical discontent with the grain deal as its renewal approached was not new. However, for the first time, Russian President Vladimir Putin explicitly declared the termination of the agreement, leading to widespread uncertainty. The possibility of resuming the deal or its indefinite halt could severely impact global food security.

Surprisingly, though, many grain futures, including corn and wheat, have barely moved since Monday, which may suggest an extension is imminent. Let’s hope so.

Still, uncertainty is highly undesirable when global trades are concerned. Ukraine is responsible for a substantial share of global corn and wheat exports. Although rail shipments remain an option, the efficiency of Black Sea transport is unparalleled in the region.

Ukraine’s significance in the global food market cannot be understated. Prior to the war, its food exports had the capacity to feed 400 million people, surpassing the entire population of the United States. The country’s farmers contributed one-tenth of the world’s wheat and nearly half of the globally sold sunflower oil. The repercussions of any disruption in this region resonate globally, much like what would happen if Canada were to face invasion. Such is the interconnected nature of global markets.

The Black Sea grain deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July, played a pivotal role in easing concerns about food security and potential famine. The deal averted a more dire situation, with food prices having soared at grocery stores just 12 months ago due to inflationary pressures caused by the ongoing war.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s cereal price index, which stood at 147.3 months after the conflict’s start, experienced a 14 percent decrease in June, reaching 126.6. Similarly, the overall food price index saw a notable drop of nearly 12 percent, from 140.6 to 122.3, during the same period, largely attributed to the Black Sea grain deal.

The Kremlin’s shift in tone regarding the grain deal likely reflects how the war is progressing. In an apparent attempt to utilize all means necessary to further its cause, Russia seems to be weaponizing hunger – a historically effective tactic to inflict suffering upon populations. The world has witnessed the dark side of food geopolitics throughout history, and unfortunately, it seems that history may repeat itself.

Terminating the Black Sea grain deal would threaten global food security and stability. The international community must mobilize and rally to extend the agreement to prevent dire consequences. This situation serves as a stark reminder of Russia’s significant influence and power in shaping the global food security agenda. It is essential to recognize and address such challenges to counter the potential evil that exists on Earth.

As the world faces these issues, the gravity of ensuring food security for all nations becomes ever more apparent.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is senior director of the agri-food analytics lab and a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University. Submitted photo

“Ukraine’s pivotal role in the global food market is again under threat because of Black Sea grain deal cancellation.”

Summer is not over and the pastures are full of flies. A group of cattle bunching up, they are either trying to get away from the heat or away from these annoying pests. One of which is the notorious face-fly that is the leading culprit of transmitting painful and contagious pinkeye. Submitted photo