AgriPost February 24 2023

Ribbon Cut for Elmer’s Manufacturing Expansion

Ag Day Celebrations Highlight Canadian Agriculture

By Elmer Heinrichs

Agriculture was celebrated this year on February 15 as announced by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI). It was a day to recognize the work of all those who help to produce the food that Canadians and people around the world eat.

Agriculture is an important venture and industry that holds a lot of significance everywhere in the world. It is what allows humanity to function and keep growing and to be able to focus on other aspects of life as it may be.

By Elmer

Based in Altona, MB, Elmer’s Manufacturing Ltd. designs, develops and manufactures specialized agricultural equipment.

Heinrichs crop cultivators to an extensive and diversified line-up of agricultural equipment lines for farming operations of all sizes.

From a small farm business making products for himself, Elmer Friesen’s products caught on with other farmers and today Elmer’s Manufacturing Ltd. designs, fabricate and assemble on site its latest equipment that provides farmers with products such as header and swather transports and high capacity grain carts.

Nestled in the heart of the Red River Valley, the company started as a small farm equipment manufacturer in 1978, and has grown its manufacturing from row

CEO Mike Friesen said, “We started as a small farm business in 1978, incorporated in 1986 and have grown from building row crop cultivators to an extensive and diversified group of equipment lines for any size farming operation.”

Recently Friesen, son of the founder, participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony after adding 20,000 square feet to the plant to officially open the Phase 2 expansion, of a 4 Phase expansion plan. The firm now employs 187 people.

Today, Elmer’s’ product

line

“This is an ideal opportunity for everyone to learn more about where their food comes from while getting to know the people who produce it,” said John Jamieson, President and CEO, CCFI. “I encourage all Canadians to join the agri-food community online to have these important conversations about food and agriculture.”

This sector plays a crucial role in feeding our nation, people around the globe and maintaining a strong economy. Imagining a world without agriculture brings to mind a picture of disaster, famine, hunger and upheaval said Jamieson.

Canada’s Agriculture Day reminds us once again of the importance of food to man, and that there are many out there with little or nothing to eat.

Today, Canada produces a comprehensive list of products such as wheat, canola, barley, corn, soy beans, oats, beef, pork, and dairy products, and they are among the biggest producers of these products in the world.

Canada ranks as the fifth-largest exporter of agricultural produce since 2011. More than 2.3 million Canadians are employed in the agriculture sector, making it a very important industry.

The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity is a national charity with a clearly defined mandate to help Canada’s food system earn public trust by coordinating research, resources, dialogue, and communications.

includes high capacity Haulmaster grain carts and tracks, the revolutionary Super 7 harrow, the Wolverine

Ditcher and the Ravage Bale Processor, and it is marketing its products throughout North America and overseas.

CEO Mike Friesen, son of the founder, participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony after adding 20,000 square feet to the plant to officially open the Phase 2 expansion, of a 4 Phase expansion plan. The firm now employs 187 people and is marketing and exporting “made in Manitoba” equipment throughout North America and overseas.

Elmer’s started as a small farm equipment manufacturer in 1978 and is a success story of Manitoba’s farming community. Submitted photos

Manitoba’s Minister of Agriculture Addresses Swine Industry

By Harry Siemens

Derek Johnson, Manitoba’s Minister of Agriculture, said managing the pig flow on top of the pandemic and extreme weather events was a real challenge for hog producers in Manitoba. This combined with droughts and suddenly going to excess moisture was a challenge. “But, it’s Manitoba. Where else would that happen?” he said.

Johnson speaking at the recent Manitoba Swine Seminar said the drought of 2021 drove up commodity prices, and the cost of raising a pig was at an all-time high. Also, Manitoba saw one of the longest and most difficult PED virus outbreaks in southern Manitoba.

“Through these challenges, our Manitoba swine industry stood strong and resilient,” said Johnson. “Thank you for enduring those hardships and coming out successful. I know the industry continues working very hard to overcome difficulties in recent times.”

He related how the decent grain crop in 2022 was important and welcome news. This good crop helps to decrease the price of feed and therefore increase profitability.

There’s also good news regarding education efforts underway in the sector. The new swine production program at Assiniboine Community College (AAC) will help train future employees for the swine industry. The program will ensure producers raise pigs in a competent and welfare-friendly manner, fully informed by the best science and experience available.

“Our government contin-

ues to work with the swine industry to position it for success and to manage risk,” said Johnson. “We are proud to work in partnership with Manitoba Pork as we develop an African Swine Fever response plan.”

He said it is important meeting with people around the country and other ministers of agriculture and in North America.

“We all have the same fear. If you don’t have a plan in place, we’ll negotiate in times of war and it will never work out too well,” he said.

Johnson said Manitoba relies heavily on trade with other countries. As the pigs head south and feed comes north, it is vital to maintain this supply chain.

“We must look at our zones rather than the 49th parallel being the zone,” he said.

The minister said it’s crucial for Manitoba especially, to be effective, more so than any other province because about 20 per cent of the agriculture GDP comes from the pork industry in Manitoba. Other provinces would have the capability to consume their pork, whereas Manitoba exports 80 per cent.

“As much as I like bacon, I don’t think we could consume it all, so it’s important to have that plan in place,” said Johnson. “This integrated partnership will ensure a successful plan if we have an outbreak of ASF. Although, knocking on wood and crossing our fingers won’t keep it away. We have to have that plan in place.”

Johnson said, linked to this is the Manitoba government’s plan to increase the number

of veterinarians able to support the livestock industry.

“ASF is a serious disease and we are responding to these challenges by ensuring that we have the veterinarian support we need in our province,” he said.

Beginning in 2023 the government is increasing the number of dedicated Manitoba veterinary school spaces at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, SK. This increase of 33 per cent over 15 to 20 years will end up supporting 80 veterinarians in any given year as it’s almost a four-year program with 20 new entrants per year. More vet spaces is a real positive for agriculture in Manitoba, not just in the swine industry but in agriculture as a whole.

The other good news is that Manitoba wants to attract graduating veterinarians to practice in support of the livestock industry and has targeted the selection criteria for five new seats.

Federal Government Renews Funding to Expand Plant-Based Foods Innovation

By Elmer Heinrichs

Protein Industries Canada will receive $150 million from the federal government to further develop the plant-based food, feed and ingredient sector.

Protein Industries Canada CEO Bill Greuel said the money will be used to support innovation, scale-up of companies and the commercialization of new products.

“As a global agricultural powerhouse, Canada has the means, resources, and skill to turn crops into food

and transform the way the world eats, while also bringing solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including global food security, the environment and human health,” Greuel said.

The renewed investment brings the total funding to Protein Industries Canada to $353 million from 2018 through to 2028, including $30 million through the Pan Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy.

Protein Industries Canada

has co-invested $173 million into 55 projects. The initial investment leveraged $304 million in private investment, created 303 IP assets, helped companies leverage a further $234 million in follow-on investment, and is expected to contribute $15 billion in GDP and create 10,800 direct and indirect jobs by 2031.

The funding is part of the $750 million investment into the global innovation cluster program announced as part of the 2022 budget.

At the recent Manitoba Swine Seminar, Derek Johnson the Minister of Agriculture thanked producers for enduring many hardships and coming out successful.

Navigating Market Needs with Sustainable Growing Practices

By Harry Siemens

With growing demand from consumers in global markets to understand where their food comes from, farmers are more pressured to respond to this shift in the marketplace.

In introducing a panel at the recent Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) AGM, the value chain as a whole – farmers, processors, and retailers – must take on this work because of the significant market implications if there is no leadership in the future. Canada can only remain a leader in supplying consistent, safe, and high-quality food in global markets if we keep up with changing market needs.

Alanna Koch, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Global Institute for Food Security, and Ted Menzies an Alberta farmer and former federal Cabinet Minister provided insights on how farmers can navigate these market needs by adopting sustainable growing practices. The agricultural sector must take a leadership role to respond and promote these practices and efforts at continuous improvement.

Both Menzies and Koch raised some concerns on the messaging of sustainable agricultural practices.

“But our international customers depend on Canadian agriculture and food products coming to them because we do provide food security for many of those nations. In addition, we do have an excellent regulatory system,” said Koch. Canadian agriculture has many things to sell to maintain that market access. Science-based means strong

regulations and farmers following the rules, ensuring they’re using registered products, and providing a safe supply of grains, oilseeds, pulses, and livestock products into the export value chain and supply system.

Her concern is that messaging seems different.

“Canada used to champion our regulatory system and spoke from a sciencebased perspective that we had the safest food supply,” said Koch. “Therefore, we could stand behind our regulatory system with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Pest Management Regulatory Agency, Health Canada and Agriculture Canada.”

The party in power only matters a little because the politics would champion the system, industry, agriculture, and food producers.

“However, it feels a little different now,” said Koch.

Koch said it feels the current Canadian government is saying that Canada isn’t good, there’s a problem in sustainability thus not leading edge.

“I’m all about continuous improvement and getting better. But I am concerned that the Canadian government is no longer championing what we have and not focusing on sticking to science,” said Koch. “If we don’t have science, what do we lean on? But, unfortunately, the public opinion comes and goes and is very fickle and isn’t focused on facts but often on fear or Twitter or Facebook or what their neighbours said.”

Canada still is a leader, but not a leader in communicating externally.

“But we do need to strengthen the advocacy by our Canadian government in international markets,” said Menzies. “Otherwise we’re going to lose market access. It’s going to cost us.”

Menzies said the government needs to champion the number of people this country feeds especially with food insecurity.

“And we are pivotal and have the responsibility to promote our agri-food industry, not just to feed ourselves,” said Menzies. “Yes, we need to be economically viable on our farm, but to help feed the world.”

Menzies worries about the fact that it is going back to the people that are making the decisions. The decisions don’t occur in the Department of Agriculture; rather it’s coming from Environment Canada. And those people have never been on a farm according to Menzies.

He sits on the board of Governors of Olds College and likes to help promote agriculture through the College farm, an AgSmart for two days in August. Recently several people from the provincial and federal departments of Agriculture, including associate deputies of ministers, came out.

“They were just gob smacked by what agriculture was doing. And I thought, ‘oh my goodness’, there is a disconnect.”

Menzies said they still needed to learn of the technology, the high tech, the improvements in genetics and how we’re handling our livestock. “So is there a disconnect and even more so with this present government. That’s the only political comment I’ll make.”

Alanna Koch, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Global Institute for Food Security, and Ted Menzies an Alberta farmer and former federal Cabinet Minister spoke at the Keystone Agricultural Producers 2023 AGM about Canada’s sustainability role, and international customers who depend on Canadian agriculture and food security. Screenshot photo

Agriculture Day and What it Means to You and Me

And what did you do on Agriculture Day this February 15? Well many will have yet to notice that it was Ag Day in Canada. Why? Because most people take their food for granted and others couldn’t care less.

Then we have the debate of so-called food securities and those who feel farming needs great improvement to be more sustainable.

Farming is everyone’s business, not only because it furnishes our daily food but because it is the base of many industries and so much of Canada’s trade and commerce.

Agriculture is our most important single industry.

As my mentor, colleague and friend, the fabulous ‘Big O’ said to me in December 2020 just before retiring on December 31 that year; yes,

I know Orion Samuelson, “Harry, ‘Serving agriculture, the basic industry,’ is such a privilege and honour,” and he retired after 50 years behind the same microphone.

Let’s raise a fork for the food we love and the people who produce it every time we eat. Orion also said, “If you eat you are involved in agriculture.”

February 15 Agriculture

Day across Canada was a day to celebrate Canadian agriculture, consumers, and farmers, and to engage in conversations about improving Canadian agriculture! One out of every 9 Canadian jobs is in agriculture or agrifood. Ninety-two per cent of Canadians say it’s important that the eggs they purchase come from Canada. There were over 190,000 farms in Canada as of 2021. Young people are getting involved.

Farming in Canada is a serious business! Like other natural resource sectors, farming contributes massively to Canadians’ livelihoods in several direct and indirect ways.

For example, hundreds of thousands of farming jobs exist across the country. In turn, these workers supply the raw goods the much larg-

er Canadian food manufacturing and processing industries need to create many of the agricultural products we see stocked on the shelves in our grocery stores.

With Canada having so much land area spanning multiple landscapes, it’s no wonder that Canadian farmers produce such a diversity of crops and livestock products. As a result, we have abundant natural resources from blueberries and cranberries to beef and pork. And while we’re busy feeding ourselves and the world, farmers across Canada are intently focused on reducing their environmental footprint by adopting more eco-friendly practices. It’s a win-winwin situation for Canadian workers, our economy and the global environment when our agricultural sector is strong.

In 1900, consumers spent 50 cents of every dollar earned on food. Today, Canadians spend just over 10 cents of every dollar we earn on food.

Canada is the fifth largest agricultural exporter in the world. We produce about 85 per cent of the world’s maple syrup, and we are the world’s largest grower and exporter of flax seed, canola, pulses (peas, beans, and lentils) and durum wheat (the kind used to make pasta).

Here’s another interesting fact: 72.5 per cent of Canadian farmers are men and 27.5 per cent are women.

Author Kim Kooper of Chatham ON wrote, “Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian to command the International Space Station, grew up on a grain farm in southern Ontario.” He credits farming with teaching him how

the machinery worked long before he received his first degree in mechanical engineering.

Farmers and food producers grow over 125 fruits and vegetable crops in Canada from coast to coast.

For me serving that basis, the renewable farming and food-producing industry gets more challenging yearly. Not because of age and maybe that too, but because certain elements in Ottawa to some of our farm leaders want to change how they farm. Despite following practices that improve the soil, increase production and serve the environment well, we still have nay sayers.

Here’s hoping you stand on the side of our farmers and food producers and continue to enjoy the healthiest, cleanest, safest, and most cost-effective food ever.

Canada Can Easily Fix its Milk Dumping Problem

By Sylvain Charlebois

A video of an exasperated Canadian dairy farmer, Jerry Huigen, went viral recently. For probably the first time in Canadian history, a Canadian dairy farmer was filmed while discarding milk on his own farm. Almost three million people have now viewed that video. It shocked many Canadians, who were left wondering why this is even possible when food prices are skyrocketing at the grocery store.

The dairy industry has its reasons. Supply management, which is our governmentsanctioned quota system, allows 9,500 dairy farmers to produce what we need as a country. The system is highly protected with import tariffs, and the Canadian Dairy Commission sets an appropriate price for farm milk so that farmers can make a decent living.

But dairy cows cannot magically start and stop making milk and butter fat. It just doesn’t work that way. So, most farmers will overshoot to hit their quota. Feed, the weather, and many other factors influence milk production – most Canadians can appreciate that.

Based on rough estimates,

it is believed Canadian dairy farmers can dump up to 300 million litres a year in Canada. I asked the Canadian Dairy Commission for exact figures on the amount of milk dumped, and they could not say, which is a problem in and of itself. Since the dairy industry is self-regulated but highly protected by public policy, the Commission, a crown corporation, ought to know. But transparency is hardly the dairy sector’s strong point.

In Ontario, an amendment to By-Laws for Marketing Boards under the Milk Act was made last fall, allowing the Dairy Farmers of Ontario to “list and maintain the confidentiality of commercially sensitive DFO board documents.” Similar rules affect other dairy boards across the country. The DFO did disclose the amount of wasted farm milk prior to 2022. Moving forward, that is highly unlikely to happen again.

Now, as usual, dairy advocates were quick to go on the defensive in an attempt to trivialize the issue of milk waste on the farm. The Dairy Farmers of Canada are always ready to send marching orders to those af-

filiated with Canada’s dairy practices. Their message always implies supporting the status quo, without saying so directly. They did the same with the “Buttergate” scandal in 2021 when it was disclosed that dairy farmers were using palm oil derivatives to feed cows, making butter harder. And they are doing it again, normalizing what is seen as completely unacceptable for Canadian consumers and taxpayers.

Milk dumping remains a highly taboo subject within the industry, which is why dairy boards do everything they possibly can to silence people and make embarrassing stories disappear. It shows the true dark side of supply management, the system farmers care very much about.

What is being missed in this debate is how supply management can actually eliminate all waste as the quota system can be used to our own advantage. Producing food only to destroy it makes no sense, especially with looming emission targets. Most dairy farmers around the world do discard milk occasionally. But Canada has the perfect system in place to eliminate

all waste.

Firstly, we need to make milk dumping illegal. This policy shift will provide an incentive for farmers to adjust. Right now, dumping is the easiest thing to do: making it illegal would force marketing boards to find a market for the surplus.

Secondly, the CDC should create a strategic reserve for milk or powdered milk. Most Canadians aren’t aware that we already have a strategic reserve for butter, which includes over 85,000 kilos. Such a buffer could help between processing and shipping to markets abroad. And finally, we need processing plants.

Canadian dairy farmers have often argued that we can’t ship Canadian milk abroad; that is until China decided to build its own plant in Kingston, Ontario, called Canadian Royal Milk. That’s right, Ontario dairy farmers are supplying this Chinese-owned plant to produce baby formula, and all its products are shipped to China. We can certainly do this ourselves. All we need is to create an incentive for change.

Change for the better is possible. The first step to fixing

Submitted photo

a problem is to recognize that we have one. Meanwhile, though, many dairy advocates and academics will continue to normalize the issue of milk dumping by calling farmers like Jerry Huigen incompetent, foolish, and irresponsible. We also have zero publicly available data about farm milk waste, as we continue to pay more for milk and dairy products at the grocery store.

Huigen, with his 43 years of experience as a dairy farmer, has now delivered what Canadians deserve from the industry. Courage, transparency, accountability. This is what we need, now more than ever so we make supply management work for farmers and Canadians.

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

Minister Bibeau Concludes Successful Outreach to the UK and Germany

In late January, Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food concluded a productive week long outreach to the United Kingdom and Germany with the focus to reaffirm Canada’s commitment to deepening and diversifying agriculture trade, promoting Canadian agriculture products and sustainable global food trade and security.

Throughout the outreach, Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food took part in conversations with her international counterparts and stakeholders, where she reinforced Canada’s role as a reliable and indispensable trading partner and discussed opportunities for enhanced cooperation in the agricultural sector.

While in London, Bibeau met with Ralph Goodale, High Commissioner for Canada in the United Kingdom (UK) to discuss Canada-UK agriculture trade. She also provided remarks at the International Grains Council (IGC) Grains Forum, where she reaffirmed Canada’s support for Ukraine’s agricultural sector and the Black Sea Initiative, and called for further stability in the global grains value chain.

Bibeau also joined a stakeholder roundtable with agriculture and food and drink associations in the UK, where she reaffirmed Canada’s role as a key trading partner for the UK and discussed key issues facing the sector.

In Berlin, Bibeau joined a number of her counterparts at the Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference 2023, part of the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA). The meeting convened 64 ministers and representatives from around the world to discuss how food systems can best respond to multiple crises. She reiterated Canada’s condemnation of Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine in creating global food security problems. During the meeting, Bibeau also stressed the importance of sustainable agriculture, highlighting recent actions and investments in Canada’s agriculture sector; as well as the importance of open, predictable and transparent agricultural trade. She also reaffirmed that increasing productivity and leveraging innovative ideas to support farmers is essential, and that the contribution of women, youth and Indigenous peoples is vital for agricultural growth.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Bibeau was invited by Germany’s Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, to join him in the press conference and share her insights given her role as co-chair of the recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting. The Berlin Ministers’ Conference also released a Final Communiqué stressing the need to respond to global crisis in agriculture.

Additionally Bibeau took part in a side event “Pathway towards strengthening and resilience of food systems in Ukraine” hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine. The meeting was to discuss strategic visions for facilitating the recovery of Ukraine’s food systems.

Canada is the world’s fifth-largest exporter and sixth-largest importer of agriculture and food products with the European Union ranked as Canada’s 2nd largest trading partner and 4th largest market for Canadian agriculture, agri-food and seafood products. The UK is Canada’s third largest global trading partner for goods and services.

Federal Legislation Could Handcuff Canadian Farmers

Dear Editor:

Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance members, who represent 90 per cent of Canadian farmers, producers, food manufacturers and agri-food businesses, strongly oppose Bill C-282 An Act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act (supply management).

This legislation creates a dangerous precedent and diminishes Canada as a free trade partner. It contradicts established trade rules and severely constrains Canada’s ability to negotiate the best free trade agreements for all sectors of the Canadian economy, agriculture and non-agriculture alike. The end result is a less ambitious free trade agenda and less commercially meaningful outcomes for Canada.

Past agreements show we can defend and protect Canadian interests across the board when negotiating trade agreements. Today, Canada is an international leader in free and fair trade. Bill C-282 puts our record of support for free trade in jeopardy and has the potential to set us back decades.

While Bill C-282 has passed second reading, we strongly encourage Parliamentarians of all stripes to consider the long-term damage that will be caused by this bill becoming law and ensure this is carefully considered before it moves any further through the Parliamentary process.

International trade accounts for nearly two thirds of Canada’s national economy and supports more than 1 out of every 6 jobs. It is also how Canada contributes on the international stage to safeguarding global food security.

Simply put: free and open trade is essential to the economic wellbeing and prosperity of all Canadians.

Dan Darling President of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance

In Berlin, Marie-Claude Bibeau joined a number of her counterparts at the Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference 2023, part of the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA). The meeting convened 64 ministers and representatives from around the world to discuss how food systems can best respond to multiple crises. Submitted photo

A Family Farm Doing Well in the Cattle Business

By Harry Siemens

Steppler Farms of Miami, MB had one of the largest offerings of purebred Charolais bulls in Canada with 123 bulls selling at the farm sale ring on February 15.

Andre Steppler said the sale was a huge success, with 123 bulls offered and 123 bulls sold, averaging $7,014.

“It was a very uplifting, exciting sale for the industry too,” said Steppler. “You could sense the guys knowing the good times ahead in the cattle industry, guys looking forward to the futures in the cattle market, guys selling last year’s calves and getting, not record prices for them, but a tremendous price point for those calves.” That positive attitude equated back to that bull sale.

Steppler Farms strives to provide as much customer service as possible to back up the product.

“When bulls start getting to be worth that level, we as responsible breeders need to look for ways to increase the value of their investment,” he said.

Steppler said their programs back up the bulls by providing those customers with extra assurance and value and that equated to a record sale selling 20 more bulls and averaging $1,900 more per bull.

Buyers from most provinces and some from the US either in person or online attended. With their previous female sale and this bull sale Steppler Farm’s animals went to most provinces and a few to the US.

He said this is the first year they saw significant demand for Canadian genetics coming from the US.

“And that is something that we as a farm have seen for the first time since before BSE hit in 2003,” said Steppler. “Leading up to that bull sale, if somebody was phoning me, it was a guy from the states. Over half the interest

down there, but interesting nonetheless.”

While using online services Steppler encourages producers to come in-person for the new on-farm facility finished in time for this bull sale.

“It’s a comfortable environment where people can come and see the cattle. Very safe environment and the bulls come in one at a time and live. So it’s just an exciting live feel to the whole sale,” he said.

Deon Masters broadcast it live on the internet and buyers could bid like any other online sale. It was huge for Steppler Farms because of the storm the night before, and some people couldn’t make it to the sale. Instead they could sit online and access their genetics that way.

In December, Steppler Farms sold 100 heifers across Canada and the US.

“The best part was we raised $40,000 for STARS as the community showed up in great turnout to the sale, and people donated and we had a great time,” he said.

Steppler said he and his wife Kate recently took the cattle division from the mothership of Steppler Farms carrying on with Steppler Farms in a nice transition. This farm includes 400 to 500 purebred cattle mostly Charolais but added Angus and Simmental and seed stock producers for anybody that wants their genetics.

While excited about the successful recent sales it is not all roses for producers. Some worry about even more cows leaving the province because not only are they worth some-

Nothing beats looking after an animal, teaching our kids those responsibilities, and using those cattle to do it said Andre Steppler

thing, the current cattle population is getting older and so are the people managing these cows. In addition land prices are showing producers that they can rent their land for more money with less work and have a considerable land conversion into grain farming.

“And that will decimate the cattle population in southern Manitoba,” said Steppler. “But it is reaching into that in Interlake country as well too.

So it’s a huge concern for us.”

When asked what keeps Steppler and his wife in the cattle business, he said “Oh, it’s our passion to keep us going in that cattle business. We can only exist where we are right now because of the slope in our land up in the escarpment which allows us to have a lot of pasture.”

New technologies and grain corn allow bigger yields to feed cows, which is the only reason it works for them financially.

“But nothing beats looking after an animal, teaching our kids those responsibilities, and using those cattle to do it,” said Steppler. “That does keep us driving in it.”

Andre Steppler of Steppler Farms, Miami, MB describes his most recent auctions held in-persons as a comfortable environment where people can come and see the cattle.

Steppler Farms of Miami, MB had one of the largest offerings of purebred Charolais bulls in Canada with 123 bulls selling in the auction ring on February 15.

of Steppler Farms, Miami, MB.

Photos supplied by Andre Steppler.

Verwey Elected to Lead KAP

By Elmer Heinrichs

For the first time in the group’s history the Keystone Agriculture Producers (KAP) had an election for president, which occurred at the annual meeting recently.

Jill Verwey who farms at of Portage la Prairie, MB with her family on a mixed dairy, beef, and grain operation, becomes its first female president.

Verwey won the election at KAP’s annual meeting over fellow incumbent vice-president Jake Ayre, of Minto, to replace outgoing President Bill Campbell in the organization’s first contested election for president in several decades.

Campbell had served the maximum four one-year terms as the head of KAP.

KAP is a non-profit or-

ganization founded in 1984 and has approximately 4,600 farmer members who produce a variety of agricultural products. KAP is also supported by 20 commodity group members.

“Certainly, being a part of the board and the executive for the past five years gives me the skills I feel are necessary to be president, and to be the voice of Manitoba producers,” said Verwey after the vote.

Verwey points to volatility with climate, trade and markets as key challenges moving forward.

“There are so many things that play a part in what’s ahead,” she said, noting the continuance of existing policies and looking at the overall strategic plan. “I’m excited about doing that in the next month or so.”

“I’m looking forward to sitting down with our board and based on our vision of sustainability and profitability for all producers how do we get to that with advocating programming and engag-

Peavey Mart Store Coming to Steinbach

Peavey Mart will open a 30,000square-foot store and greenhouse in the spring of 2024

By Elmer Heinrichs

Steinbach’s agricultural retail sector will expand next year with the construction of a Peavey Mart store along Highway 52 West.

Peavey Mart will open a 30,000-square-foot store and greenhouse in the spring of 2024, the company announced recently.

“It’s a perfect market for us,” said Jeff Crump, Peavey Mart’s senior vice-president of store operations. “We thrive in small agricultural markets.”

Peavey Mart is a Canadian-

owned farm and ranch retailer that operates 97 stores across Canada, including two in Winnipeg and one in Brandon.

Peavey Marts offer a unique selection of agriculture, farm and ranch, pet, work wear, lawn and garden, hardware and homesteading supplies for those who enjoy a downto-earth rural lifestyle.

Crump said the Steinbach store is part of a larger plan to expand the company’s presence in the Prairie Provinces.

He said Peavey Mart is different from big-box home improvement stores like Home

ing our producers,” said Verwey.

KAP promotes the interest of Manitoba producers through advocacy, collaboration, communications and education. This includes meetings with provincial and federal decision-makers, participation in consultations, working groups with partners, and providing communications material and awareness campaigns.

“I think a lot of producers feel that it’s out of their reach regarding the impact they can have. That seems to be the mentality of the general public,” said Verwey. “I think we have to change how we engage producers. We have to go where they live and attend their meetings rather than expecting people to come out to an advisory council meeting.”

“Everything has its place, but I think we have to look at every opportunity to engage,” said the new KAP president.

Depot, Rona, and Lowe’s.

“It’s really a retailer focused on our farm and ranch customers,” he said.

The Steinbach store will carry animal care and feed products, farm equipment, agricultural and automotive products, hand and power tools, house wares, lawn and garden items, and western work apparel and footwear.

Peavey Mart was founded as National Farmway in 1967. After a decade as a subsidiary of a US company, it returned to Canadian ownership in 1984.

Jill Verwey who farms with her family at of Portage la Prairie, MB was elected as the Keystone Agriculture Producers president.

Manitoba Canola Growers Association Elects Executive

The Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) held their reorganizational meeting recently and elected a new executive for the 2023/24 year.

Chuck Fossay from Starbuck was re-elected president, Pam Bailey from Dacotah was elected vice president, Jackie Dudgeon from Darlingford was elected treasurer and Nicolea Dow from Portage la Prairie was elected secretary. These positions take effect immediately.

“It is a privilege and honour to be re-elected as chair of MCGA and I will work hard to represent Manitoba canola growers,” said Chuck Fossay, president, MCGA.

Chuck Fossay will represent MCGA on the Canola Council of Canada board of directors. Clayton Harder and Pam Bailey will represent MCGA on the Canadian Canola Growers Association board of directors. Warren Ellis will represent MCGA on the Keystone Agricultural Producers board of directors.

Precision Planting and Planter Maintenance Go Hand- in-Hand

By Harry Siemens

Founded in Central Illinois, Precision Planting takes the farmer’s existing equipment and maximizes the performance of the machinery.

Dustin Weinkauf Precision Planting’s regional manager for Western Canada Neilburg, SK, told farmers at St. Jean Farm Days 2023 in January how to keep planting precision at a prime.

Weinkauf said first is to ensure the planter’s maintenance is correct. Poor maintenance will trump good technology he said. Something as simple as nuts and bolts is integral to planter maintenance.

Next is ensuring the planter makes a good furrow for the seed.

“We only get one chance to give that seed the highest yield potential and that’s at planting,” he said. Anything else the farmer does throughout the year, whether spraying, applying fertilizer or harvesting, protects what was already there.

When inspecting farmers’ planters overall they’re

good. But, moving down the road with sensor technology they’re starting to learn more about planters.

“As we get a better view of the things that the naked eye can’t see, we’re learning how to make those adjustments and really make sure we’re getting that full value out of that planter,” said Weinkauf.

Weinkauf showed some slides of the work it takes to do the maintenance right in the farmer’s workshop. He explained that this type of maintenance isn’t flyby-night work; they need to know what they’re doing.

“They do, and that’s why you’ve got to understand what you’re doing,” he said. “We have dealers placed throughout western Canada; our dealers are all trained in understanding planter maintenance and how to get us to that point.”

When the farmer needs information, the company’s planter maintenance guys will walk the farmer through the issue by going

to the website. For example, what the measurements should be for different brands and models of planters today.

As Weinkauf mentioned seed placement is a one-shot event and very important. Some of his slides showed what misplaced seeds look like and where the yield loss begins. Then as seeds begin to skip and double up it robs the seeds of nutrients and water.

“If those plants are coming out of the ground late or not there, we’re giving access for other plants to grab those nutrients, or they’re competing for the same ones,” he said.

While simple for the trained technicians, for farmers, it’s a big deal how precise his planter can place the seed. Weinkauf said in seed placement on one of their metering systems they’re looking for over a 99.5 per cent singulation.

He explained that singulation and uniform spacing are two different issues. Singulation refers only to how the meter takes one seed off the

disc and drops it down the tube. In contrast, spacing refers only to the distance between the plants in the row.

If we start to fall apart and get below that, we know we have a problem he said.

“Looking at spacing, we want to see our SRI, our seed release index, under 25 per cent which means that 75 per cent of those seeds are falling within the measurement we asked for in that spacing,” said Weinkauf.

He defined the cost per hour of a planter in seeds. A 16-row planter with 30-inch spacing, travelling five miles an hour, and planting a population of 34,000 makes for about 14.3 seeds per second coming out of that planter. A bag of seed corn at $300, with 80,000 seeds on average in a bag, costs about 86 cents a second coming out of that planter. Multiplying that out into an hour yields a figure shy of $3,100 an hour in seed

coming out of that planter plus machinery costs, fuel, depreciation, and labour. As farmers get ready for spring planting, pay attention to everything he said. Although he may have looked at the machine last year and put it in the shed, it’s a good idea to pull it out and get the proper help. It may be something small to make a considerable improvement.

Dustin Weinkauf, Precision Planting’s regional manager for Western Canada based at Neilburg, SK while presenting at St. Jean Farm Days said farmers only get one chance to give that seed the highest yield potential and that’s at planting.

Photo by Harry Siemens

Royal Manitoba Fair Comes To Brandon

By Joan Airey

Has your 4-H Club got their video entered in the 4-H Video Contest for the 2023 Royal Manitoba Winter Fair?

“All entries must be received by Monday, March 13, 2023 by 5 pm. The lunch will be held on Tuesday, March 28 and for the semi-finalists at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, 4H Day. One group will be awarded a $500 Co-op gift card. Each video must be a minimum of 30 seconds in length and a maximum of 60 seconds in length.” said Amber Vandale, Valley View Co-op.

Information on how to enter can be found at coopsofwestman.ca/4h-contest.

Livestock displays are open from 10 am to 7 pm. Kirk Stierwalt will be doing a clipping demonstrations

Tuesday March 28 and Wednesday March 29. March 29 will be the steer show and sale. March 31 will be showmanship classes and April 1 will be the heifer show. For further info check out the Provincial Ex website site or on Facebook search for Royal Manitoba Winter Fair.

There will be daily raptor shows with birds of prey and how they help agriculture in many ways.

Royal experience will take place in the main arena from 4 pm to 5 pm daily where visitors to the fair can experience wagon rides, and in-

teract with mini horses, sheep, etc. You may even get to ride a horse. Schedule will be on the Provincial Ex website.

Sunrise breakfast is every morning from 7 am until 10 am at the cost $5 at the Dome Building. Donations for Samaritan House of non-perishable food items will be accepted at the Dome Building during those hours.

New to the Fair will be the Royal Court Yard in the Manitoba Room with food trucks, bar, family entertainment and sitting room for visitors.

Numerous other events will be available to see such as Fraser Reptiles with a reptile show, Wolf Jacks Canine All-Stars, Capital Corbin the Magic Magician, and Little buckaroos.

All horse lovers should find something of interest with show jumping, hackney classes and heavy horse events. Plus, there are over three hundred commercial and agricultural displays.

The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair has taken place for hundred and fifteen years and very year there is something new to see and do. If you plan to visit the fair their website is full of information on what is going on and Cristen tells me it is being continually updated as the Fair draws near. Check it out at provincialexhibition.ca.

Vaulting demonstration by Cloud 9 stables at Steinbach.

Previous years’ horse show at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair.

Photos by Joan Airey

Outgoing KAP President: Farmers Have Many Answers to Fight Climate Change

By

Harry

Siemens

Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) met to host its 39th annual meeting on January 24 and 25 at Delta Hotels in Winnipeg. Delegates elected a new executive team, Kevin Stott joining Jake Ayre as vice presidents, and KAP’s first female President, Jill Verwey.

“I want to thank our delegates from across the province for attending the 2023 AGM this week to connect, listen to engaging panels focused on the most pressing issues for our sector, and for putting their faith in me to lead our organisation into the future as we look to tackle the challenges ahead of us,” said Verwey.

There were panels focused on environmental stewardship, sustainability, public trust, and more. Speakers included Manitoba farmers alongside national experts in food security, sustainability, soil science, leadership and public policy.

Outgoing president Bill Campbell a cattle and grain farmer from Minto, MB focused on some challenges in his last president’s address.

“What are some of the big challenges that we have to face right now as farmers that we can expect will only intensify in years to come?” said Campbell. “And why does what we do as an industry matter?”

The burning issues that come to mind are around sustainability and environmental stewardship by producers, specifically, how the government is setting policy and the public dis-

course in society and how all this affects public trust in the farming sector.

“Are we ready as an industry to take on these challenges?” asked Campbell.

“Unfortunately, these areas of concern in agriculture are at the forefront right now.”

While these issues are a focus, farmers must ensure the economic viability of production while striving towards food security commitments in Canada and around the globe; this is why what farmers do matters he said.

Campbell said the KAP team continues working with farmer members and partner organizations to advance priorities and solutions that address these challenges.

“As farmers, we strive to ensure the sustainability of the lands we work and harvest,” he said. “Our farms are our livelihoods, and without continued prosperity of the crops and products we produce, we could not continue to earn a living and generate the billions in economic activity that agriculture produces here in Manitoba.”

Campbell said agriculture is an industry focused on science-based technology and practices, which others in conversations with those not connected to the farm sometimes, need help understanding. Every day, farmers are practising more sustainable methods like 4R Nutrient Stewardship he noted. The number of farmers using these practices like variable-rate application and regular soil testing

continues to grow yearly.

In 2021, 54 per cent of canola growers in western Canada indicated they were following basic 4R practices. Thirty-four per cent of western Canadian wheat growers are soil sampling for nitrogen annually.

“Are we perfect? No. But we keep making progress,” said Campbell. “There’s certainly more to do, but organizations like ours are ready to do the work necessary to support farmers as they adopt higher use of sustainable practices and the advocacy with decisionmakers to ensure they are aware of ongoing work.”

He that society must recognize that agriculture has the answer to many of these environmental and climate challenges while working towards reducing emissions and still maintaining and growing food production output.

“We must tackle this headon, but we must always ensure the economic viability of all the hard work that we do as farmers doesn’t get forgotten by policy-makers as they try to solve environmental and sustainability challenges,” said Campbell.

Farmers and others in the sector need the opportunity from the government and other decision-makers to provide input and help in the decision-making process as society tackles these and other challenges.

“We are here to work with government and industry to advance our common interests and not pit each other against one another,” said Campbell.

At the 2023 AGM, Bill Campbell outgoing president of Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) said the that KAP members are here to work with government and industry to advance common interests and not pit each other against one another. Screenshot photo

Kroeker Farms’ Focus on Conservation and Soil Health

By Harry Siemens

Kroeker Farms is one of Canada’s leading potato producers and Manitoba’s largest grower of organic potatoes. It is widely known and respected for its progressive approach to tillage, land stewardship, innovation and quality.

Wayne Rempel, the CEO of Kroeker Farms for over 20 years, participated in a panel discussion at the recent AGM of the Keystone Agriculture Producers (KAP) in Winnipeg, MB on the various Manitoba farm programs to help increase sustainability. With emphasis on agrisustainability farmers are looking for ways to improve productivity and make the most out of the land.

Rempel described Kroeker Farms’ as a potato grower and some other vegetables with about 6,000 acres of fresh and seed potatoes for the fresh market in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and recently in Minnesota.

It continued to diversify over the years from French fried and chipped potatoes and now focuses on fresh potatoes divided into four categories. One-quarter of about 1,500 acres is dedicated to seed potatoes, 1,500 acres of baby potatoes, another quarter is organic potatoes, and the remaining quarter is for fresh potatoes. Added to

the mix are organic onions, hemp, and other crops.

Rempel said to imagine the fields in spring with 6,000 acres of certified organic land.

“When you have 6,000 acres of land, you can’t spray herbicide; weeds growing everywhere, so you have to be on top of it,” he said. “So it’s a very interesting, challenging operation.”

When potatoes first emerged as a significant crop people knew potato farmers as the cause of soil erosion.

When the wind blew and soil drifted it was always the potato farmer’s fault. Because of that, it became his passion to eliminate soil erosion and enacting conservation on their farm.

Kroeker Farms has planted six to seven miles of trees every year and focuses on

cover crops to the point of getting the Conservation Award.

“This is unusual for a potato farm, but we are very proud of that and worked hard and continue to talk about conservation and to take care of our soil,” said Rempel.

They are pioneers in irrigation and water development with most of the water sourced from self-built water ponds over the years thanks to some help from the government at the time. Ninety per cent of their land is drain tiled, an orderly way of handling excessive water.

Another goal said Rempel is to ensure drought-proofing because of the farm’s irrigation land levelling and tiling.

“We don’t use much crop insurance because we’ve invested in that side of things,” he said.

With pressure on carbon sequestration and thinking environmentally, Rempel said he attended a meeting of CEOs in Canada from some of the biggest Canadian companies in late 2022 with the goal, “How do we solve the carbon credit problem, and how do we deal with that thing?”

His next meeting is to attend Syngenta’s world leader’s conference in Switzerland, addressing the same issues with 200 leaders from across the world.

“And myself and two other large farms from across the world, a person from Ukraine who farms 200,000 hectares of land, and another from Brazil who farms a little bit more than that, around 300,000 hectares,” said Kroeker. “So these are massive, massive farms.”

An example of a beautiful looking fall cover crop that Kroeker Farms planted along with six to seven miles of trees every year. They focused on cover crops to the point of getting the Conservation Award.

Submitted photo

Reduce Farm Injuries with the Hierarchy of Hazard Controls

By the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association controls, ranging in order of effectiveness from most to least.

Anyone who has spent time on a farm knows all too well the safety risks that come with farming.

From machinery and confined spaces to chemicals and respiratory problems, there are countless hazards every day for those who live and work on the farm. But while hazards are a reality on farms across the country, there are ways to control them to prevent injuries and maintain productiv-

It’s important to note that before you can control any hazard, you must first identify it. A risk assessment is the best way to identify hazards on the farm and assess the degree of risk they pose to workers, residents, and visitors. A risk assessment will also ensure that hazards are addressed based

After you’ve identified and assessed hazards on the farm, next up is to use the “hierarchy of hazard controls,” which is a process for controlling exposure to hazards by identifying the most effective and practical options.

There are five levels of hazard

Elimination

It’s no surprise that elimination is the hands-down best way to control a hazard. For example, removing clutter and debris on the ground eliminates tripping hazards.

Though it’s the most effective way to address hazards, elimination has limitations since it’s not always a realistic course of action.

Substitution

If a hazard can’t be completely removed, the next best step is to substitute it with something safer. For example, substituting scaffolding in place of a ladder to reduce the hazard of falling or swapping noxious chemicals for less toxic alternatives.

Engineering Controls

If you cannot remove a hazard or substitute it with something safer, the next option is engineering controls. Engineering controls involve designing or modifying facilities to remove or minimize exposure to a haz-

ard before it comes in contact with a person.

Engineering controls can be a reliable means of controlling exposure to hazards so long as the controls are designed, implemented, used, and maintained properly.

Examples of engineering controls include installing guardrails to prevent falls, using mechanical lifts instead of manual lifting, and using soundproof barriers to reduce noise levels.

Administrative Controls

Unlike the previous controls that deal with the source of a hazard, administrative controls focus on changing how people behave and work around hazards.

This involves developing practices and procedures to ensure that the way work is done minimizes exposure to a hazard. Implementing or enhancing training and education, using warning signs, developing safe work practices, and preventative maintenance are examples of administrative controls.

While administrative controls offer practical injury prevention measures, this control method ranks lower than elimination, substitution, and engineering controls because it does not explicitly remove or reduce the hazard. For that reason, administrative controls should be used in combination with other measures whenever possible.

Personal Protective Equipment

Last up is personal protective equipment (PPE), which should be your last resort after you have exhausted all other methods. That’s because although PPE is the easiest control to put in place, it’s also the least effective. So, if you use PPE, always make sure that it’s used in conjunction with other control methods.

Keep in mind that PPE is only effective in reducing a hazard’s harmful effects if worn and used correctly. This means ensuring that PPE fits a worker properly and that workers are trained on how to use and maintain it. And regardless of which type of PPE is used, it’s crucial to have an effective PPE program in place.

Once you’ve implemented a chosen control, it’s important to not just “set it and forget it.” Instead, monitor the hazard and control method to ensure exposure to the hazard is reduced or eliminated.

Remember that prevention is key when it comes to farm safety. Taking the time to identify hazards, implement controls, and monitor effectiveness will help put you on a path for a safer and more productive farm.

For more information on farm safety, visit agsafetyweek.ca.

The “hierarchy of hazard controls” is a process for controlling exposure to hazards by identifying the most effective and practical options. File photo

Safe Practices Can Help Prevent Tractor Rollovers and Runovers

By the Canadian Agricultural

It’s common knowledge that tractors are used day in and day out on farms across Canada. They’re essential to farm productivity and are a regular sight on rural roadways during the spring planting and fall harvest seasons.

But while tractors are vital for completing many farm tasks, using these machines is a hazardous activity that people often overlook for being so commonplace. In fact, tractor rollovers and runovers are the leading causes of agriculture fatalities.

According to the latest Canadian Agriculture Injury Reporting data, between 2011 and 2020, there were 91 agriculture fatalities due to machine rollovers and 90 deaths caused by machine runovers. In fact, over one-third (38%) of all agriculture-related fatalities in Canada were due to three machine-related causes: runovers, rollovers, and being pinned or struck by a machine component.

While those figures can be startling, the good news is that rollovers and runovers are easy to prevent if basic safety practices are followed. Below are safety best practices that will help prevent rollovers and runovers from occurring.

General Tractor Operation

• Always use a tractor equipped with a rollover protective structure (ROPS) and seatbelt. If a tractor doesn’t have these, have it retrofitted. While ROPS and seatbelts won’t prevent a rollover from occurring, they are effective in preventing serious injuries or death.

• Never use a homemade

structure if your machinery needs to be retrofitted with a ROPS.

• Keep in mind that a sun canopy does not provide rollover protection and should not be used in place of a ROPS.

• Before getting into the tractor, do a pre-operational inspection by walking around it to check for obstructions and bystanders and to check the general condition of the machine. If any systems are faulty, do not use the machinery.

• When coming to a stop, make sure you are parked on even ground and disengage the PTO (if attached).

• Remember that tractors are not intended to be passenger vehicles. Except for machines with instructional seats, tractors are built for only one person to operate. Passengers can interfere with safe operation of the machinery and be at risk of serious injury

• Always drive at a speed appropriate for the machinery and conditions.

• Keep tractors and other farm machinery well-maintained, paying particular attention to electrical and braking systems. Remember to also occasionally check seat belts and ROPS for signs of wear that could compromise safety.

Backward Rollovers

• Do not hitch a load above the tractor drawbar.

• When starting to drive forward, do so slowly and be prepared to cut power quickly if the front end begins to rise. Remember to change speeds gradually.

• Use front-end counterweights to increase stability when raising heavy equip-

ment on the back.

• Always drive around ditches, never across them.

• Do not drive forward up a hill or backward down one. It’s safest to back up a slope and drive down one.

• Tractors are prone to tipping when the wheels are stuck, so back out or have the tractor towed out by another machine if you become stuck.

• Keep loaded front-end buckets low to the ground during transport. Sideways Rollovers

• Never drive close to an incline, embankment, or ditch and avoid large obstacles (like tree stumps), depressions, and uneven terrain.

• Watch your speed when turning – driving too fast when making a turn can easily cause a rollover.

• When loaded with sidemounted implements, keep them on the uphill side.

• Before travelling at higher speeds, lock the brake pedals together to ensure even brake pressure.

• Never carry a load that is too heavy for the machine, and always travel at speed appropriate for the load.

• If a tractor’s right front tire goes off the road, do not turn the wheel sharply to get

it back on the road. Instead, hold steady and slowly ease the tire back on the road.

• When going downhill, use engine braking. Runovers

• Before starting the tractor, ensure all controls are in the neutral position and the parking brake is applied.

• Never start the tractor or operate any controls from anywhere other than the seat.

• After coming to a stop, place all controls in the neutral position, apply the parking brake, and then turn off the engine.

• Do not dismount a tractor if it is still moving.

• Avoid parking a tractor on a hill. If parking on a slope is absolutely necessary, ensure no one works in the tractor’s path. While there’s no denying that tractor rollovers and runovers can have serious and even deadly consequences, they are preventable. And fortunately, implementing safety measures on the farm doesn’t have to be complicated. Following basic safety precautions while using tractors and other farm machinery can help ensure everyone on the farm stays safe.

To find more farm safety tips, visit agsafetyweek.ca.

For more than a decade, CASA has been raising awareness about the importance of safety on Canadian farms through CASW, which takes place every year during the third week of March. In 2023, CASW sponsors include Farm Credit Canada, Decisive Farming by TELUS Agriculture, Canadian Canola Growers Association, CN, Syngenta, and Fertilizer Canada.

Over one-third (38%) of all agriculture-related fatalities in Canada were due to three machine-related causes: runovers, rollovers, and being pinned or struck by a machine component. File photo

Safety Association

When Trying to Identify What’s in Our Fields, Get into Your Field

By Harry Siemens

Chris Manchur kicked off

@stjeanfarmdays with an informative talk on herbicide-resistant weeds in the Red River Valley. Managing weeds like water hemp and kochia properly is a top priority for maintaining yield and product options.

Manchur, an agronomy specialist for the Canola Council of Canada in eastern Manitoba, said plenty of pathogens are hiding in farmers’ fields. Some of the big three in Manitoba would be blackleg, sclerotinia, and Verticillium stripe.

“But really when we’re looking at trying to identify what’s in our fields, you need to get out into your field,” said Manchur. “Take some stubble samples, send those off for testing, and know how to diagnostically assess what’s in your field at those crop stages, especially later on.”

Verticillium stripe is showing up a lot more this past year and is something that farmers need to watch. Verticillium stripe, also known as Verticillium longisporum as its species name compared to Verticillium wilt, also called Verticillium dahliae are in the same family.

“They have some similar symptoms, but specifically stripe affects canola and exhibits those characteristic striping symptoms on the stems,” he said.

In the early ‘90s and before, the industry considered it the same pathogen, but it has

evolved to be more genetically distinct. For example, in Canada’s canola it is Verticillium stripe that most likely affects the crop.

Manchur said with the significant problem in 2022 there are some expectations that with the year we had for Verticillium stripe, there is probably more on the microsclerotia, which is formed from over wintering and spreading structures in phytopathogenic fungi in the soil. This provides an opportunity for it to come back again this year.

“But we also must be aware

that the environment plays a major role in how that pathogen behaves,” said Manchur. “For example, we have similar conditions like excessive moisture earlier on and hot, dry summers with little precipitation. In that case, there is an increased likelihood we may see a Verticillium stripe return.”

The agronomy specialist cautioned farmers to be aware of scouting their fields to see if the problem was there the year before and know how it will impact the growing crops in the next few years.

To protect themselves

farmers can look at potential sources of genetic resistance.

“We know that there is some inherent resistance in our seed varieties grown today compared to, say, seed varieties of yesteryears, which may not have had as much,” he said.

Rotation is always a good option to reduce inoculum load and create a good awareness of what’s in the field so as to have as much information as possible to make decisions.

To get ahead of the problem, the Canola Council is bringing increased awareness for Verticillium stripe,

especially in Manitoba and Saskatchewan where it’s also starting to appear.

“We’re trying to give as much information as possible to growers on options for management of that and help promote research and identify priorities within the research community so that we’re investing growers’ dollars into the right things to provide

Upgrades Planned for Horticulture Storage Facility Targeting Potatoes

The governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing $98,970 through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to upgrade the University of Manitoba’s horticulture storage facility so it can conduct innovative potato research.

“Ensuring that our scientists have the tools they need to conduct their research is essential to support the resilience and competitiveness of the agricultural sector,” said federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister MarieClaude Bibeau. “The work being accomplished in these potato storage facilities will help producers reduce food

waste on their farms. In the end, this research should allow for the reduction of pollution and an increase in revenue.”

“Our government is proud to continue supporting research that accelerates the sustainable growth and competitiveness of Manitoba’s agricultural, agri-food and agri-product sectors,” said Manitoba Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson.

“Potatoes are the fourth most valuable crop in Manitoba and are estimated to generate $1 billion per year for the provincial economy. Research and innovation are critical to developing new approaches that im-

prove the potato sector.”

The investment will allow researchers to conduct postharvest potato storage research that will be representative of on-farm storage at potato producer operations. The upgraded storage facility will be able to control environmental conditions, including carbon dioxide levels, temperature and humidity, Johnson noted.

The upgraded facility will also align with other international research facilities and will be able to create more training and capacitybuilding opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students as the university strengthens partnerships

with producers and processors in the potato sector, Johnson added.

“Thanks to the support from governments of Manitoba and Canada, this much-needed infrastructure renewal will help our researchers solve real-world challenges in the storage and management of potatoes,” said Martin Scanlon, dean, faculty of agricultural and food sciences, University of Manitoba. “Equally important is the training and development of highly qualified professionals that this facility will provide to benefit the future of the potato industry in Manitoba and beyond.”

better management options in the future,” said Manchur. He reemphasized that all growers and agronomists get into the fields take those stem cuttings, and send them off for testing, which is probably one of the highest priorities right now.

“We need to know what you’re dealing with before you can deal with it,” he said.

Chris Manchur an agronomy specialist for the Canola Council of Canada said that we need to know what farmers’ are dealing with in the field before it can be dealt with.

Photo by Harry Siemens

Sorting the Dirty Laundry

Part of our job as insurance brokers is to gather as much information as possible to paint a picture of our clients to the insurance companies we deal with. I read a post today from an insurance company underwriter advising brokers to spend as much time telling the story of their clients as we do gathering the basic underwriting details for your operation. They suggested that having a broker that tells your story will go a long way in helping an insurer feel comfortable writing coverage for your operations.

I bring this up, as it is too easy at times for insurers to see only the “dirty laundry” on insurance submissions. Whether it is claims history, old oil and fuel tanks, loss prevention recommendations that have not been completed to an insurer’s liking or a woodstove that no longer meets code, insurance companies look closely at the “dirty laundry”. Therefore, in an insurance market that continues to be challenging, it is important to have a broker that shares more than the “dirty laundry,” so that your operations are seen in the best possible light.

This is done best when an insurance broker is provided with all the information needed to properly tell your story. This is where trust comes in, and where the advice I was first provided when I entered the industry, becomes crucial. If you are concerned that your insurance broker is going to share your information with your neighbours, whether it is your revenue information, your growth or succession plans, or even details on your insurance history, you are less likely to share all of the information needed with them.

And without the necessary information to tell your story, they will not be able to paint the picture and showcase you in the best possible light.

It all comes full circle, find an insurance broker that you trust to sort through your laundry and you may find that the solutions provided will be pleasantly wonderful.

Please keep in mind that while we strive to be insurance professionals in all that we do; only metaphorical laundry services are part of the scope of our expertise.

Be sure to seek advice and purchase insurance from those who understand your business!

David Schmidt is an Account Executive and Rempel Insurance Brokers in Morris, MB, specializing in insuring farms and businesses across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Contact office 204-746-2320, Text 204712-6618, email davids@rempelinsurance.com or visit rempelinsurance.com.

Ice-Breaking on Red River Underway to Reduce Flood Risk

By Elmer Heinrichs

The province of Manitoba started to cut and break ice on the Red River last week to reduce potential ice-jam floods, said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk.

Ice-cutting units and three Amphibrex icebreakers were out cutting and breaking about 28 km of ice on the Red from Selkirk to Netley Marsh.

The province will also break ice on the Icelandic River at Riverton beginning in mid-to-late March.

The program is meant to reduce ice-jams, which occur when floating ice is blocked from floating downstream, forcing water to flow over banks.

The province said it has posted notices in areas where machines will work. It advised ice fishers and others to stay off the rivers where the notices are posted, or where the machines have recently worked.

Push Back on Diet-Sorting by Lactating Dairy Cows

As a dairy nutritionist, I often bag a TMR-sample from the feed-bunk and then later Koster-test its moisture, which should be about 50%. I also do a shaker-box test with a 3-screen Penn State Particle Separator. I like to see 15 -20 % long-stem particles in the top-screen, 35 –40% in the middle and about 50% on the bottom. I also look at the nutrient specs of the lactating cows’ feeding program; it should contain at least 28% NDF (75% from forages) and no more than 37% NFC (non-fibre carbohydrates). When one of these nutritional parameters is outof-balance, lactating cows tend to sort their diet.

I also look for other contributing factors in the same TMR that lead to diet-sorting. But they are not always visible, especially when examining my 1/2 kilo sample. That is why; I like to consult with a few dairy producers in order to get more information.

For example, I know a dairy producer that milks 150 dairy cows, who told me that his cows sort their lactation diet, when he mixes significant amounts of lowquality forages, despite having a final TMR – with correct dietary moisture level and enough effective-forage fibre for good cow rumination. It’s something that he recently noticed on one particular morning’s higher than expected feed refusal (3 - 4%) – caused by adding high-fibre grass hay that also contained unpalatable canola stubble to the previous

day’s TMR. He figured that the canola stubble hurt their gums when they tried to eat it. This is something that he never wants to repeat.

Another thing that is not often apparent in my sample bag is when things actually go according to plan in the lactation barn. This is where, there is not a whole lot of sorting, daily feed-intake is consistent and feed refusal is at a minimum. For this testimonial, I can use a 350-cow dairy that follows a wellthought-out protocol, every day. As a result, he delivers an adequately mixed and nutritious TMR to his lactation cows and makes sure it is pushed up several times a day.

It goes something like this - at noontime, every day, he mixes up in his self-propelled mixer-wagon; one mix of feed for 3 – 6 minutes, dumps it in the feed bunk. And, then makes up a second batch, but only dumps ½ of that. Together, this feeds all the lactating cows for one day. The next day, he dumps the remainder ½ mix from the previous day and then makes up a complete batch and dumps that to completely feed the herd for the second day.

His automatic robot feedpusher is programmed to move along the feed-bunk, where it then augers newly dumped feed, remixes it and pushes it up, every 2 1/2 hours. So, this producer has very few issues with TMR sorting in his lactation barn. He sees that by pushing up the feed and making it more

available to the cows at all times: cows tend to exhibit less selective feed behaviour. They get a bellyfull of effective forage-fibre that promotes good rumination.

The funny thing is that I have been in a number of dairy barns, where the feed isn’t pushed up as often and there are definite “sorting holes” every few feet along the feed bunk. I would expect that these cows are unfortunately consuming an unbalanced portion of their TMR, namely; a lot of easily digested starches. Without enough effective forage fibres to buffer them, the resulting acids from such rapid NFC breakdown causes frequent digestive upsets or subclinical acidosis (SARA) in lactating dairy cows.

In these diet-sorting SARA situations, I make it a point to watch the cows resting in their stalls and watch them

chewing their cud. It’s because cows with SARA and other digestive upsets have little rumination activity. So, when many of these milk producers are rhythmically belching and chewing without a care in the world, I am confident that sorting out their dairy diet is not occurring to a large extent.

Some behavioural studies suggest that dairy cows are just natural feed-selectors, regardless of how their TMR is put together. Yet, I believe we should literally push back on nature to prevent their diet-sorting. Namely, follow some of the above practical suggestions, when mixing up a daily lactation TMR, which needs to be eaten in its entirety by all healthy and productive dairy cows.

Soybeans Likely to Rebound in 2023

By Elmer Heinrichs

“We’re going to see a rebound in soybean acres, I’ll say 1.3 million acres,” said Dennis Lange, the soybean and pulse crop specialist with Manitoba Agriculture.

Back in 2017, Manitoba farmers seeded 2.3 million acres of soybeans, which was about 25 percent of all acres seeded in the province.

But since that time, soybean acres have slid downward. Drought, dry conditions at seeding and lack of timely rains in August, cut into yields and dampened farmer enthusiasm for the legume.

Last year seeded acreage sank to 900,000, the lowest

level since 2012. However, with record yields last fall, soybeans are poised for a bounce back in 2023, said Lange.

Known for his accurate predictions about soybeans in Manitoba, Lange said he feels optimistic about beans, mostly because Manitoba farmers set a yield record of 45 bushels per acre in 2022. That’s a huge improvement from recent years, like 2019 and 2021, when average yields were around 28 bu. per acre.

About soybeans in the eastern half of Manitoba, Lange said, “I’ve seen some of the yield numbers, somewhere in

the 50s and I’ve heard of individual fields doing 60.”

Such yields are more typical in Iowa and southern Minnesota, not in the northern fringe of North America’s soybean growing region he noted.

Parts of eastern Manitoba set rainfall records in 2022 and soybeans thrived in the moist conditions.

Soybeans are more established in the Red River Valley and the eastern parts of Manitoba, but the crop also has a firm foothold in western Manitoba.

Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers executive director Daryl Domitruk

agreed. “We had some good yields in soybeans and some quite good yields in dry beans and some variable, but respectable yields in peas,” he said.

Strong market prices and the reduced need for highpriced fertilizer for pulse crops created more demand for soybeans and pulses, said Domitruk.

Lange expects dry bean acres to remain quite level at about 115,000 acres with pea acres steady at 110,000 acres, popular in farm rotations because of the nitrogen it leaves behind. But the crop faces competition from strong canola and wheat prices.

This automatic robot feed-pusher is programmed to move along the feed-bunk, where it then augers newly dumped feed, remixes it and pushes it up, every 2 1/2 hours. Submitted photo

January’s Missing Part of the Recipe

By Joan Airey

I have no idea how it happened but when I copied my article and pasted it part of the recipe didn’t appear. Thanks to my neighbour Jean who mentioned that some of the biscuit recipe was missing before I had seen the article in print.

Perfect Homemade Biscuits

3 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

¾ cup COLD butter

1 egg

1 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 450F.

Combine the dry ingredients into a large bowl. The secret to excellent biscuits is very COLD BUTTER. Cut the butter into small pieces then incorporate into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter. You want to see small peasized pieces of butter through the dough.

Add milk and egg and mix just until the ingredients are combined. The dough will be sticky but don’t keep working it. Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface. Sprinkle some flour on the top of dough so it won’t stick to your finger and knead ten times. If the dough is super sticky just sprinkle on more flour but don’t get carried away.

Pat the dough out to 3/4 to inch thickness and cut with a biscuit cutter or glass.

You should have ten to twelve biscuits. Put the biscuits on a parchment paper lined tray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

I had planned to make Clam Chowder this morning but found there was no canned clams in my pantry so Potato Bacon Chowder.

Potato Bacon Chowder

2 cups cubed peeled potatoes

1 cup water

8 bacon strips

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped celery

1 ¾ cup milk

1 cup sour cream

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

½ teaspoon salt

Dash of pepper

1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley

In a large saucepan, cover and cook potatoes in 1 cup water until tender. Meanwhile cook bacon in a skillet until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain.

In the same skillet, sauté onion and celery in drippings from bacon until tender; drain. Add to undrained potatoes. Stir in soup, milk, sour cream, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for ten minutes or until heated through. DO NOT BOIL.

Crumble bacon and set aside ¼ cup. Add remaining bacon to soup along with parsley. Sprinkle with reserved bacon on top of soup when placed in bowl. Yield 6 servings.

AAFC Sees Farmers Adding Wheat and Oilseed Acres

By Elmer Heinrichs

Twice Baked Potatoes are a favourite of ours. I tried this recipe recently and will make it again.

Twice Baked Potatoes

2 large baking potatoes

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided ¼ cup milk

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 green onion thinly sliced

1/8 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425F. Scrub potato clean and then dry potato with paper towel. Stab each potato with a sharp paring knife 5 or 6 times. Place into preheated oven for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a fork can easily pierce through the skin to the centre.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them rest until they cool enough to handle. Cut the top quarter off each potato. Scrape out most of the flesh of the potato leaving a thin layer of potato to help support the shell of the potato skin. Place the scooped-out potato in a medium size mixing bowl. Then place the potato skins on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil.

Reduce the oven temperature to 375F. Place the butter, bacon and sour cream into the mixing bowl with the insides of the potato. Using a potato masher, mash the mixture.

Add half of the shredded cheese, milk, seasoned salt, black pepper and half of the sliced green onion. Mix until well incorporated. Divide the mixture and fill the potato shells. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over top of each filled potato half.

Bake the filled potatoes in the 375F oven for approximately twenty minutes or until the cheese is melted and turning light golden brown in colour.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and top the potatoes with the remaining sliced green onion and Parmesan cheese. Serve.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, in its February outlook for 2023-2024 says the area seeded to field crops in Canada is forecast to increase marginally from 2022-23, with wheat (excluding durum) and oilseeds area expected to increase, while area seeded to coarse grains and pulse and special crops is expected to decrease.

Total field crop production is projected to decline somewhat on a return to average yields. Carry-out stocks are expected to increase marginally as carry-in stocks and normal production levels lead to a slight increase in total supply, while exports and domestic use are expected to remain relatively unchanged.

In general, prices are expected to decrease but remain historically high, as world production and supplies increase and the Canadian dollar strengthens.

The outlook for the world’s grain markets continues to be uncertain and subject to heightened volatility due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which continues to disrupt Black Sea production and global trade patterns, along with concerns in regard to a global economic slow down.

For 2023-24, Canadian area seeded to wheat (excl. durum) is forecast to increase 4 per cent year-over-year to 8.2 million hectare (Mha). Yields are expected at trend levels, that is around 3.6 t/ha, and production to increase 2 per cent to 28.9 Mt, 10 per cent over average levels.

All eyes will be on the weather as the final determinant of prospects for 2023’s harvest. Drought has eased slightly across the US wheat belt, but the bulk of winter wheat, the most common type of wheat grown in the US, remains under watch.

For 2023-24, canola area is forecast to rise slightly, to 8.8 Mha, as support from attractive prices is offset by similarly attractive prices for alternate crops such as wheat and peas. Production is forecast at 18.5 Mt. For 2023-24, the area planted to soybeans is predicted to increase by 7 per cent to 2.28 Mha, creating a harvested area of 2.27 Mha.

Acres seeded to dry peas, lentils and dry beans are expected to be down this year.

Biscuits can be baked on a casserole like this turkey (left). Biscuits can also be baked on a cookie sheet (right).

The AgriPost

Professor Recognized with Canola Award of Excellence

The Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) presented the Canola Award of Excellence to Michael Eskin, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences at the University of Manitoba (U of M), for his crucial role in the development of canola oil.

The award was presented during the annual CropConnect Conference recently held in Winnipeg.

“Dr. Eskin’s involvement in canola oil research throughout his career is what made him stand out,” said Chuck Fossay, president, MCGA. “From his early involvement in the development of canola oil, to his efforts in solving problems associated with the oil over the years, to his current work with colleagues looking at some of the antioxidant and anti-cancer properties of the phenolics in canola. Dr.

Eskin has a long list of accomplishments and MCGA is thrilled to recognize him with this award.”

Eskin joined the U of M in 1968 when Baldur Stefansson and Keith Downey were cross-breeding rapeseed in the process of developing canola.

“My colleague, the late professor Marion VaiseyGenser, sensory specialist, pulled me into the research. My role was to look at the

composition, stability and performance of the oil that would become canola. We were commissioned by the Canola Council of Canada to prepare the first major booklet on canola oil to promote its science and technology to health professionals and food industry people around the world,” explained Eskin.

When advised about the award, Eskin was honoured to accept and appreciated the recognition from Manitoba

canola growers, “the ones who produce this product, a significant contributor to the economy of Manitoba.

Thank you for this honour.”

As an organization, the Manitoba Canola Growers recognized that Eskin’s active role in the development of canola oil and his continuous work on improving the oil is a significant contribution to the sustained growth and prosperity of Manitoba’s canola industry.

Water Forecasting Platform Soon to Launch for the Pembina River Valley

A high-tech modelling project led by Pembina Valley Watershed District (PVWD) and Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA) that will have the ability to forecast and detail water resources and water movement in the Pembina River Valley for farmers and land managers is nearing completion and readying for public launch.

With funding of up to $152,250 provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) AgriRisk Initiatives Research and Development stream via the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, PVWD and MFGA have partnered with Aquanty, a software firm from Waterloo, Ontario, to construct a high-resolution HydroGeoSphere (HGS) simulation model that encompasses the full area of the PVWD. The tool will have the ability to forecast water resources such as soil moisture, groundwater, and surface water flow within a decision support tool that farmers, land managers, and decision-makers can access via a portal at MFGA.net.

“Manitoba farmers know firsthand the impacts of climate change and severe weather conditions that continue to threaten their livelihoods,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “This new forecasting tool will help farmers and stakeholders plan ahead and make informed decisions to better manage these risks and increase resiliency across the Pembina Valley Watershed District.”

The Pembina Valley watershed is a vitally important Manitoba region, according to PVWD Manager Ryan Sheffield, with a tremendous agricultural presence across the 5,000-sq. km Canadian portion of the Pembina watershed. The user-friendly forecasting tool will enable agricultural producers, communities and conservation planners to look at key factors such as what moisture is in the soil as well as satellite imagery down to the field level, which will enhance short-term and long-term decision making throughout the PVWD.

“The ability to access this tool will be a valuable asset to have on so many levels, from farming to wetland conservation to infrastructure decisions,” said Sheffield. “From a planning perspective, once we all get up to speed on what the tool can exactly do and tell us, we will have access to a database around water movement and water resources that we have never had before.”

The Pembina Valley project will represent the second major water forecasting platform for MFGA. Both forecasting tools will be hosted on their website. The Pembina Valley forecasting tool is the first to include water courses of the Red River Basin. MFGA has a concurrent water forecasting tool project underway in the Assiniboine River Basin that is also on track for completion and launch before the end of March 2023.

“Now that we are close to completing this powerful water decision-support tool in the Pembina Valley watershed, we will work closely with PVWD to ensure all audiences are aware of the tool, with those that want to learn more to have the chance to test it and provide key feedback before we launch publicly,” said Lawrence Knockaert, MFGA chair and dairy farmer from nearby Bruxelles. “We want to ensure farmers and stakeholders will be able to use it to the best of their ability. MFGA and PVWD will be hosting and organizing workshops in the next month to start that process and training.”

Michael Eskin, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences at the University of Manitoba.

There Definitely is Always a New Gardening Book Published to Fill Everyone’s Needs!

By Joan Airey

Do you know why your tomato seedlings leaves turn purple?

I had been told on occasion it was because the plants had been chilled.

I couldn’t figure how mine had been chilled where I was growing them. Then recently while reading “The Tiny But Mighty Farm” by Jill Ragan I learned it is a phosphorus deficiency that is the cause. Ragan says with in the first twenty-four hours of adding a boost of fertilizer you will notice the issue starting to resolve. The above book I mentioned in my column last month and during the recent stormy cold week I studied the book further and learned also that the bottom leaves dying on plants is more than likely a lack of nitrogen.

A couple of weeks ago I planted gloxinia, begonia, and strawberry seeds in my dining room on a stand near the window. So far as of today four gloxinias and four strawberry plants have germinated, I’m hoping to see more plants poking their heads out this week.

In recent weeks I have been studying “The First Time Gardener Container Food Gardening” by Pam Farley. It is full of information from what size pots plants need, which containers are safe to grow vegetables, and amazing ideas on what herbs to grow together to a salsa garden in a pot. Containers can be moved to the optimal spot for plant growth.

I’ve also been studying the new book out by Susan Mulvhill called “The Vegetable Garden Problem Solver Handbook”. The book contains how to control plant diseases, viruses, disorders, stressors and even animal pests as well as how to hand pollinate squash blossoms and handle weather related issues.

Recently I read about this mix for starting plants and plan to try it in the near future: one cup potting soil, one cup fine compost, 1 cup worm castings and 1 cup perlite.

In a previous article I mentioned I had strawberries growing under lights for the last two months. We have eaten handfuls of them which were flavourful. The taste was worth the work so I hope next year to have more strawberries growing under lights. We have our own fresh lettuce ready to harvest and have cucumbers not producing yet but I hope by the time I write my March article they will be.

Presently I’m waiting for a carpenter to come and tell me the cost of improving my indoor growing space. If this mild weather continues I plan to plant some cold weather crops in my greenhouse as soon as it is warm enough to wash the greenhouse down. My greenhouse is thirty- one years old and I’d love a new one but at the moment it isn’t in my budget.

My editor just sent me a news release that the new Old Farmers Almanac Garden Guide 2023 is available now at $7.99. The release says gardening never goes out of style and a surge of new gardeners have sparked a revolution in gardening. Watch for the Brandon Garden Club’s big plant sale. I saw a well-known gardener mentioned it on one of the garden Facebook pages I enjoy.

Virtual Conference Focuses on Sustainability of Canadian Agriculture

Free registration for the Sustainability of Canadian Agriculture 2023 Virtual Conference is now open for the March 7-9, virtual free event.

This 3-day virtual conference brings together researchers, students, producers, government, commodity organizations and industry representatives with a range of perspectives to collectively share ideas and experiences about how to improve agricultural sustainability in Canada.

Sessions will feature brief presentations followed by facilitated

panel discussions exploring the path to achieving net zero emissions on farms, addressing the role of Indigenous agriculture in our food systems and examining the importance of preserving and enhancing biodiversity on the prairies and beyond.

This year’s conference will provide an update on Canada’s Living Lab Projects and the opportunity for attendees to join two live question and answer sessions with researchers and industry experts.

In addition, the conference will include a hands-on interactive morn-

ing workshop on the Holos model designed to estimate on farm greenhouse gas emissions, as well as a research update featuring graduate students who will share their findings through short videos.

Visit their website to register, view the full program and learn more about the daily themes, the popular Barley Sandwich Sessions and the exciting 2023 graduate student research video competition!

Register at umanitoba.ca/agricultural-food-sciences/sustainability-canadian-agriculture-2023.

The Tiny But Mighty Farm I wrote about in January but read more and found information any gardener could use and The First Time Container Food Gardening had many ideas for me to use. This year I will be planting my fifty-sixth garden.

Photo by Joan Airey

Best Way to Get Your Bulls Ready for the Breeding Season

By Peter Vitti

Beef bulls are prepared in a few ways prior to the upcoming breeding season. Some bulls are ignored, maybe left on some distant stubble field or in a drylot pen; inadequately fed. Some bulls are fed too well, so they waddle with fat. Yet, the remainder are properly prepared for the breeding season. In this way, it puts them in the best body condition that promotes good fertility, which gets their cowherd in calf.

Whether these successful bulls are young or mature, they must maintain or achieve a body condition score (BCS) of 5.0 – 6.0 (thin = 1 and 9 = obese) by the breeding season. That’s because beef bulls in this optimum body condition have the highest viable sperm count and have high sexdrive. To gain an even better premium on fertility, we should also segregate the young first-year bulls and returning two-year olds from mature bulls and put them on their own feeding program to gain weight into maturity.

For example, if a group of herd mature bulls weigh 2,000 lbs.; we want yearling bulls to weigh about 1,300 lbs. (65% of mature wt.) and two-year olds weigh about 1,500 lbs. (75 – 80% of mature wt.) at the beginning of the breeding season. Such growth rate of the yearlings will largely be based upon their adjusted autumn-weaning weight, while two-year bull performance depends upon weight-loss recovery at the end of their first breeding season. In both cases, this weight-gain is estimated to be about 2 – 3 lbs. per head, daily.

Case-in-point: I have a friend that operates a 250 cow-calf operation that calves out them in mid-March to the end of April. Bulls are released onto breeding pastures in early June and pulled by the end of July. (Note - A few weeks before the main cowherd is bred, calving-ease bulls are released to breed his 1st calf replacement heifers).

At the end of the last year’s breeding season, all bulls were separated according to stage of maturity by putting them on their own recovering hayfields, until the first snowfall. Then, they were brought onto pastures near my friend’s home and overwintered on harvested forages, concentrates and a good mineral-vitamin program.

About a few months before the present 2023 breeding season, here are some dietary and related details on how; my friend ensures all his bulls are ready to breed when the time comes:

1. Body condition of the bulls (as well as the entire cowherd) is evaluated. This allows time to increase the plane of dietary energy of all mature and young bulls, whether to put back some BCS or increase the rate of growth.

2. A mid-winter inventory of available forages is taken. Last winter, there was a feed shortage due to the previous summer-fall drought, which put my friend’s bulls (and cows) in less-than-adequate shape and fertility. This winter, there is an adequate supply of good quality alfalfa-grass hay, and barley silage.

3. Mature bulls (3 years old and older) in fairly good shape are maintained diet of 58 – 60% TDN and 12 – 14% crude protein. Yearlings and returning two-year olds are moved to achieve optimum BCS by consuming a higher plane of 62 – 65 % TDN and 13 - 14% protein.

4. Actual pre-breeding diet is really an extension of the overwinter program; mature bulls are fed alfalfa-grass hay, plus 5 – 10 lbs. of barley silage. Yearling bulls and 2-year- olds get 30 lbs. of barley silage plus a couple pounds of barley. Plus, when weather gets cold and nasty, the dietary energy is increased – mature bulls may get a few pounds of barley added to their all-forage diet.

5. A fortified mineral/vitamin program is introduced to all bulls at the same time of their pre-breeding bull diet. My friend provides them with a breedertype mineral fortified with chelated (more bio-available and retained) trace minerals as well as higher levels of vitamins A, D and E. He likes to refer - to a classic KSU study that fed zinc-methionine rather than regular zinc to breeding bulls, which resulted in a 33% increase in sperm production.

Right now, the BCS of most of my friend’s bulls are in optimum body shape for successful breeding. He is therefore optimistic about the 2023 breeding season - high-fertile bulls yield high-conception rates throughout his cowherd. And each pregnant cow will eventually go on to give birth and

To Dock or Not To Dock… That Is the Question

By

Most people are familiar with the bobbed tails of the draft horse breeds, which are commonly docked, usually at birth or shortly after.

Brenda Hunter could wreak havoc if a tail got too close.

Last year, Pfizer Canada announced to their network of equine ranchers that they were prohibiting the practice of tail docking to fall in line with the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) Code of Practice and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) welfare positions, as well as applicable legislation.

The equine ranching industry in Manitoba and Saskatchewan is highly regulated. Ranchers are contracted by Pfizer to provide a raw product – pregnant mares’ urine, which contains estrogen, to make Premarin used in hormone replacement therapy for peri-menopausal and menopausal women. Therefore, the ranchers must comply with the conditions set forth by Pfizer in their contracts which are subject to change at any given time.

What this ruling means for equine ranchers, is that any foal they sell at public auction, by private treaty or otherwise, is forbidden to leave their premises with a docked tail. To do so, would put the continuation of their contract, in jeopardy. Horses already in their possession with docked tails prior to the ruling, are exempt.

While the reasons vary throughout other species of livestock and some domestic pets as to why docking is done, the main reasons for it to continue in the draft horse world, is that of tradition, as well as safety.

In fact, many believe that this is the reason that tail docking originally began. Legend has it that tails were sometimes completely lost from getting caught in the heavy, fast-moving belting used to drive threshing machines back in the day. The position of the teams pulling up with the stook racks were such that it put them in close proximity to the drive belts which

Of course, that is not the case today. However, there are still the lines to contend with. Any Google search for equine tail docking suggests that it is done to keep a horse’s long tail from becoming entangled in harness, lines and/or equipment which could result in disaster.

“There is no documented evidence that driving horses with full tails is dangerous,” said Dr. Chris Bell, President of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association about the theory that leaving a tail intact may create a safety risk. “The main question here is: does the procedure benefit the animal in a manner that outweighs the potential for pain and other complications? In the case of tail docking of horses, our position is that it does not.”

However, one does not have to search very far to uncover experienced teamsters who would disagree with this statement and who have in fact, fallen victim to a runaway horse, the result of a line caught under a tail.

The methods of tail docking range depending on the age of the animal and the preference of the person performing the procedure. The most common ways are surgical removal, also known as caudectomy or by ligature; a constrictive rubber elastrator band being placed on the tail of young horses causing the distal part of the tail to eventually necrose and fall away. Both are said to be relatively safe and effective if done correctly and cause the horse little to no visible distress. Most species of animals have their tails docked at a very young age since it is thought to result in less pain and provides for more rapid healing.

In Canada, the only province without a ban on tail docking on any species is Ontario. The Canadian national Codes of Practice states that tail docking and alteration is prohibited in beef cattle and in horses, and is acceptable only with strict guidelines for pigs and sheep. (Dec. 1, 2016)

There are certainly more animal species than just the draft horse to come under fire for docking practices. Domestic pets like dogs and cats especially, as well as several livestock species such as sheep, pigs and cattle have come under scrutiny in recent years.

According to documentation, tail docking is a common industry practice in pork production to reduce tail biting - a destructive chewing of the tails in groups of pigs - which can compromise pig welfare, but can also lead to economic losses. Tail docking of sheep is done to reduce the incidence of blowfly strike that may result from urine and fecal staining of the perineum. The stated goals of tail docking in dairy cows include improved comfort for milking personnel, enhanced udder cleanliness, reduced incidence of mastitis, and improved milk quality and milk hygiene. There is a continuing tradition of docking working dogs’ tails with the goal of preventing tail injury during activities such as hunting or herding.

“Tail docking is a relevant agriculture issue because of the thousands of animals which it affects every year,” said an anonymous source.

Of course, part of being a horse owner is the responsibility to properly care for your animal(s) and most of this takes common sense. Much to the chagrin of full-time breeders and ranchers whom own horses as part of their livelihood: who make careful and calculated breeding decisions; who consider animal husbandry a duty and a privilege; who go about their daily routines such as feeding, vetting, caring for, addressing the safety and wellbeing of their animals with a passion only those who walk a similar path can understand, having the “rules” neatly laid out for them in a handy dandy government document, is deemed somewhat reprehensible.

“We, as rural hands-on operators, are being ruled by an urban population,” another anonymous breeder stated.

Put your beef bulls in the best body condition that promotes good fertility, which gets your cowherd in calf. Submitted photo

Photo supplied.

Some working draft horses with undocked tails. Most people are familiar with the bobbed tails of the draft horse breeds, which are commonly docked, usually at birth or shortly after.

The Right Bearing at the Right Place Gets the Grease

By Harry Siemens where the market is.

Kurt Shmon owns Imperial Seed in Winnipeg, MB and his Twitter profile shows he built the company on honesty, hard work and treating people with respect.

“There’s no better industry than agriculture, and I think the sky’s the limit if we work together,” said Shmon.

In a Twitter discussion, Shmon said most people can sometimes be their worst enemy. Many good producers keep moving forward but as witnessed on Twitter at times an impersonal response to some of the things that are going on but it’s still said.

He referred to one of the growing problems for farmers, weed and insect resistance.

“We play a very strong role in properly rotating our herbicides and insecticides to reduce that risk,” he said. “Unfortunately, sometimes we focus on the result, which is we try to put as much bank in our pocket as possible but there are consequences.”

Shmon said farmers need to be aware of decisions and sometimes a little less money per acre in the short term can benefit them in the long term. Watching the rotations, making sure not to go canola on canola just because that’s

Weed resistance with some long-standing products begins when farmers overuse those chemicals but keep the rotations too tight.

“We have many good producers but there are certain things that just aren’t right and make us guilty,” said Shmon.

Shmon, whose company produces and markets forage and turf seed production contracts and offers a complete line of forage, turf, and cover crop seeds, said the word regenerative Ag gets tossed around lots and maybe gets lost in the shuffle.

“I think that terminology, Regenerative Ag and stuff like that gets beat to death and I think we’ve lost perspective on what it is or it’s gone all over the place,” he explained.

He added that even with good with policies and discussion, sometimes despite the great job of existing practices, farmers need to be open to this change despite feeling it might not be good.

Instead he hopes farmers keep an open mind and instead of saying it won’t work, maybe ask, “How can I make it work?” He finds that challenging because of what some of those new practices

would do to erosion when farmers grow beans with less cover left on the soil.

“I’m out there in the forage and turf seed industry, so I’m constantly battling the commodities for pricing in acres,” said Shmon. “And I see some of the values that my crops bring. I’m just driving through portions of prairie here where we have a lot of soil erosion through the beans, the types of crops we’re growing.”

He believes the crops he raises and sells can greatly benefit these producers because of the stubble they create; it’s more than bare ground. He said that there are living roots in that soil until it freezes up which helps with wind and water erosion quite well.

“But again, sometimes things are working for us and we stay with it and we’re afraid to come outside that box at times,” said Shmon.

When it comes to the issue of sustainability, Shmon thinks every producer wants to do the very best he can.

“I believe everyone has good intentions on leaving it better than what we’ve got and many producers are feeling the same,” he said.

He sees it demonstrated in other ways with preven-

tive maintenance. Producers have their million-dollar combines green-lighted by their dealer because it needs to be ready next harvest season. Many producers rely on their soil. They understand that soil, that dirt is what’s making them the money. So everyone’s doing the best they can he said.

“But we did a lousy job of segregating it and saying ‘oh, well that’s bad.’ Some areas have to have different practices to be successful,” said Shmon.

He pointed out that just because what works in southern Saskatchewan, it may not work in southern Manitoba and that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

With the current sustainable policy discussion in Ottawa, there are many lobbying groups that have upset farmers.

“We must do better at getting the right people where we need them to represent us,” said Shmon. “I know how the whole lobby effort works, and the squeaky wheel gets to the grease, but you have to be at the right place and the right bearing. If you’re the wrong bearing and you’re speaking, you’re still not going to get your grease.”

Canadian Agriculture and Food Industry Supports Drive Away Hunger

Canada’s agriculture and food industry has once again delivered incredible results for Drive Away Hunger, providing an equivalent of more than 40 million meals to food banks and feeding programs across the country.

Founded by Farm Credit Canada (FCC), the industry-wide initiative has been collecting food and cash for nutritious meals for the past 19 years.

The results were announced at the Future of Food conference in Ottawa - a gathering of industry stakeholders hosted by FCC to mark Canada’s Agriculture Day.

“Drive Away Hunger provides a way for the agriculture and food industry to positively impact food security in Canada,” said Todd Klink, FCC executive vice-president and chief marketing officer. “Local food banks play an important role in communities across Canada as they support the ongoing need to

Research Looks at Benefits of Diverse Rotations

By Elmer Heinrichs

The Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) has created a series of twelve regional fact sheets from the Resilient Rotations project that compared over the last four years, different crop rotations to measure the drawbacks and benefits of diversifying crop rotations.

The resilient rotations project is part of the Integrated Crop Agronomy Cluster (ICAC) that is evaluating various crop rotations to help create more productive, sustainable, and resilient cropping systems on the prairies.

The project is led by Dr. Kui Liu, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).

“We are approaching crop rotation by looking at a systems approach – all the elements that impact crop rotation from soil health, economics and yield to local growing conditions,” Liu said. “It’s a more holistic way to look at crop rotation and one we hope will provide new insights and options for farmers in western Canada in a more customized, prescriptive type of approach.”

The team evaluated six different crop rotations at seven field sites across the prairies. There are three sites in Alberta, three in Saskatchewan, and one in Manitoba. Data from the four-year rotations have been evaluated by region based on yield, economics, and efficient use of both precipitation and nutrients.

WGRF executive director Wayne Thompson said agronomists, weed scientists, pathologists, economists, and soil health experts are involved in the project.

“It’s a testament to the diversity of factors that impact an effective, sustainable, and productive approach to crop rotation. WGRF invests in research like the resilient rotations project with the goal to help farmers make decisions that is the best fit for their operation,” Thompson said.

provide nutritious food for families.”

“Those who grow, produce and process food and beverages every day truly understand and appreciate the importance of providing high-quality and nutritious food,” he added. “FCC and our many industry partners are proud to support this initiative that provides food and cash donations, promotes food reclamation initiatives and supports school feeding programs.”

Since 2004, the agriculture and food community has come together to raise 141 million meals through food and cash donations for those facing food insecurity in Canada.

Canada’s agriculture and food industry is in a great position to help promote food security in Canada. The Drive Away Hunger program has been a catalyst for the agriculture and food industry to use food reclamation

initiatives to support food banks. The campaign has encouraged more companies to distribute surplus perishable food products where they are needed.

“It is an extremely difficult time right now for our friends and neighbours on low incomes and the local food banks that serve them,” said Kirstin Beardsley, Chief Executive Officer, from Food Banks Canada. “We

thank our partners and the positive impacts they have made in our communities.

Drive Away Hunger is a shining example of what can happen when the Canadian agriculture and food industry works together. Our sincere thanks go to everyone who made these outstanding results possible.”

To find out more about Drive Away Hunger, visit driveawayhunger.ca.

An example of the results are for the Red River Valley region research based in Carmen that indicates a high risk rotation had the highest Canola Equivalent Yield (CEY) which was 22-57% greater than the CEY of other crop rotations. The high risk rotation had corn, dry beans, canola and sunflower in rotation. Higher yields in the high risk and market driven rotations were mainly driven by the inclusion of corn in those rotations.

Another example is the Southern Prairie research that showed there was rarely one rotation that was the highest yielding at individual sites located at Lethbridge, AB and Swift Current, SK. In this region the high risk rotation had lower CEY in part because crops were not well suited to the environment where they were planted. Instead the yield stability of the intensified rotation makes it well suited for managing yield and yield risks. The intensified rotation includes lentils, durum, chickpea, and back to durum.

A survey to better understand current crop rotations being used on the Canadian Prairies, the desire to adopt different crop rotations, what would promote the adoption of new crop rotations (i.e., better: yields, precipitation use efficiency, nitrogen use efficiency or economics) and challenges facing your crop rotations is also being conducted. The survey can be accessed at surveymonkey.com/r/VKMBWL5 and at wgrf.ca. The fact sheets can be found on the WGRF website. The resilient rotations project is supported by funding from WGRF, Alberta Wheat, Sask Wheat, Alberta Pulse Growers, SaskCanola, Manitoba Crop Alliance, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership a provincial-federal-territorial initiative.