The Agri Post
December 28, 2015
Agriculture Missing from Throne Speech By Les Kletke
M-COOL Repealed and Retaliation Stopped By Harry Siemens On December 18 the United States Congress, including the House of Representatives, passed by the House and the Senate sent US President Barack Obama a bipartisan but deficit draining year-
end budget package that boosts federal agency spending and awards tax cuts to families and a sweeping array of business interests. The Senate voted 65-33 in favour, combining $1.14 trillion in new spending in 2016 and $680 billion in tax cuts
over the coming decade. Earlier, the House voted twice decisively, marking a peaceful end to a yearlong struggle over the budget, taxes, and Republican efforts to derail his regulatory agenda. The budget package is important to Canadians because
snuck in there at the last moment, and as a last ditch attempt was the repeal of the Mandatory Country of Origin Labelling that fates back to 2008. Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition
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All Aboard the Holiday Season!
The crowd was unbelievable at the Christmas Holiday Train in Shoal Lake and their donations to Christmas Cheer were fantastic. Country people helping those in need, a fantastic experience for all ages. Photo by Joan Airey
MP Ted Falk wants to know, “Where is the agriculture in the Liberal government’s first throne speech?” Falk said it does not have any specific issues that required attention in the speech but it is an important sector and was omitted entirely. “Agriculture was missed,” he said. “There was no mention of the government’s commitment to the industry or its place in the Canadian economy.” Some of my colleagues from Quebec were concerned not only about the lack of mention of agriculture but the lack of support for supply management and where the current government stood on that,” said Falk. “They have received some assurances after but nothing in the Throne Speech to outline the government’s position.” He has reserved judgement on Agricultural MP Lawrence MacAulay who is from the Maritimes. “We will wait and see on that but we do know that agriculture in the Maritimes is very different than agriculture on the prairies,” said Falk. He does acknowledge the Liberal party has few rural western Canadian members to choose from and a member like Ralph Goodale was assigned another portfolio. “He would have been an obvious choice.” Rick Warkentine a member from northern Alberta is the Conservative Agricultural Critic and Falk is confident of his understanding of the issues. “He has been a member for about 10 years and involved extensively in agriculture so he will do a good job of keeping the government’s feet to the fire on the issues of the day,” said Falk. One of those issues is the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). He said the Liberals have said the agreement seems to provide Canada with a good position and should be willing to ratify it quickly. “It is not a matter or renegotiating it, it is a matter of ratifying it and moving ahead,” said Falk. Looking south of the border Falk said the low Canadian dollar has been good for beef and pork exports and he would like to see the American legislators move ahead with eliminating COOL. “We have won every trade dispute to date and now it is time to remove the legislation,” he said. “So I hope the American government moves fairly quickly on that and we can get back to Canadian products moving more freely into that market.” Falk said the guarantees put in place for supply-managed commodities are likely better than they expected. “They have a 15 year guarantee and as a businessman I would have welcomed that, I think that supply managed commodities came out very well on the agreement.”
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COOL continued... Continued from page 1 and Forestry Pat Roberts, had this to say. “I might point out, since my first day as Chairman of the Agriculture Committee in the Senate, I have worked to try to prevent trade retaliation due to COOL and I am glad these efforts will pay off,” said Roberts. “The timing is exceedingly close because the deadline was December 18 as to when the WTO would inform both Canada and Mexico they could go ahead with these tariffs.” He said the people involved with this in the Canadian and Mexican governments have said very clearly that, if the Senate did not pass the bill, there would be retaliation. “That’s not going to happen and I give a tremendous amount of doing the right thing and working hard in our behalf and a very good relationship here lately with your trade rep,” he said. Roberts applauds Canada’s trade minister and compliments those in the Canadian government who worked hard with US lawmakers to help resolve this issue. Just prior to this, Canada’s Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay said US lawmakers were well aware of the consequences of failure to approve legislation that would repeal provisions of Country of Origin Labelling for beef and pork. On December 16, Canada’s Ministers of International Trade and Agriculture and Agri-Food addressed reporters. Agricultural Minister MacAulay said, once COOL is satisfactorily removed, Canada would be in a position to remove retaliation. M-COOL harms Canadian and Mexican livestock producers as well US processors and producers. “It also disrupts the highly integrated North American meat industry supply chain. We are cautiously optimistic that this will lead to a resolution restoring trade on beef and pork,” said MacAulay. “The bottom line in this country is that what it has to do is repeal COOL and when the legislation is evaluated totally and it repeals COOL then we will be in a position to remove retaliation but not until it has satisfactorily removed COOL from pork and beef in this country. That is the bottom line.”
The Agri Post Andrew Dickson, the General Manager of Manitoba Pork said the passed amendment included in the US funding bill would resolve the dispute. “The wording that we saw would indicate that essentially the legislation would be gutted for this particular aspect of COOL and it meets the request that we’ve been making for many, many years now to try and get this legislation fixed,” said Dickson. “I should also point out that we’re also encouraging the government of Canada to continue with the WTO process, complete it so that it does have the authority to impose retaliatory measures and, if the COOL legislation passes and the regulation gets changed, then there’s no need to exercise that authority but it’s like holding an arrow in the quiver and we have encouraged them to retain that authority.”
CPC Looking Forward to COOL Demise The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) welcomed the major development where the Omnibus Appropriations Bill passed in each of the United States House of Representatives and the US Senate, by significant margins, and with solid bipartisan support, that includes a provision that should resolve the longstanding issue between Canada and the US over their country-of-origin labelling (COOL) rules. The Bill then proceeded to the White House for the President to sign. “Challenging the US COOL has been a long and expensive fight for Canadian producers,” stated CPC’s Chair Rick Bergmann. Country-of-origin labelling in the United States became mandatory for meat and livestock in 2008 and since then, the Canadian government, along with the CPC, and other livestock groups has been fighting to have the American legislation changed. In May 2015, the World Trade Organization (WTO) determined for the fourth time that US COOL for beef and pork discriminates against Canadian cattle and hogs and violates the WTO obligations of the United States.
Manitoba Beef Producers Celebrate COOL Repeal Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) joins with its national partners in celebrating the repeal of the United States Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) laws. Both the US House of Representatives and Senate passed an omnibus spending bill that included language to repeal COOL. The bill was signed by President Barack Obama and the United States Department of Agriculture has announced they are no longer enforcing COOL requirements. “This is truly a momentous day for the Canadian cattle industry,” said MBP President Heinz Reimer. “COOL has cost Canadian producers millions and severely impacted the industry on a number of levels. Manitoba producers have been hit especially hard as the United States market has long been a very important one for our members. We look forward to the resumption of an open and fair market with the United States.” Reimer added that MBP would like to thank the many people who have been part of the long battle against COOL. “There were times it seemed as though this was an unwinnable fight but the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association never stopped working for producers. We cannot thank them enough for their work. “Our past and current federal government has also been steadfast in their support of Canadian producers. We thank Minister of International Trade Chrystia Freeland and Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay for their diligence on these files since taking office. Producers also owe a great deal of gratitude to former Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and former Trade Minister Ed Fast. Both men spent years fighting COOL and never wavered in their support.”
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Moving Towards Stronger Freer Markets
tariffs if the legislation was not removed as required by the World Trade Organization (WTO). Freeland declined to comment on options if the removal of legislation was later than the deadline the WTO set. “Repeal or Retaliate,” was the battle cry offered by Agricultural Minister MacAulay, but that will not be necessary, as removal seems eminent. By Les Kletke Rick Bergmann says he has The weakened Canadian It looks like 2016 could be already seen prices dollar and removal of the strengthen. a good year for the legislation should mean country’s beef and hog stronger markets for both producers as the North Rick Bergman, head of the Canadian beef and pork American meat market Canadian Pork Council said producers. Estimates from moves back to a time when that he has already seen industry experts say there meat products had access to prices strength for Canadian is much more damage done move freely across our weanlings going south. than the obvious drop in southern border. The battle According to Bergman, it is prices when American over American Country of a reaction from American buyers were out of the Origin Labelling legislation packers who need more market. Some estimates went on for 7 years and animals. place the cost of the several international trade The irony of the disagree- legislation at a 25% drop in dispute hearings. Now it ment was the packing the national cowherd in appears to be over. industry on both sides of this country. In the end it was not the the border wanted the Ironically, the drop in regulations or adhering to legislation removed. numbers may have the trade agreements in American packers said the contributed to the stronger place that forced the lack of movement of animals prices that cattlemen have American’s hand but the south meant slower times in enjoyed for the last two threat of retaliatory tariffs slaughter plants and that years however it is still a that could amount to $1 was costing US jobs. long road to recovering the billion that stirred the US Both Federal International money lost over the past Senate to repeal the Trade Minister Chrysta decade. legislation as part of a larger Freeland and Agricultural bill on December 18. The Minister Lawrence signature of President MacAulay said plans were Obama will make it official. in place to move ahead with
December 28, 2015
2015 Canola Performance Trials Small Plot Results Available
Canola Performance Trials (CPT) 2015 small-plot data on canola seed varieties is now available at canolagrowers.com. CPT 2015 had over 25 small-plot sites across the Prairies. The booklet includes results from short, medium and long season zones, with yield and agronomic performance, as well as gross revenue for each variety and location. Out of the 25 plots analyzed, Manitoba had 7 out of 8 long season plot studies and 2 out of 15 mid season plot trials. The CPT provides science-based, unbiased and timely performance data that reflects actual production practices, as well as comparative data on leading canola varieties and newly introduced varieties. The three Prairie canola grower groups including the Manitoba Canola Growers Association fund the CPT program. Seed companies that participate in the CPT program paid entry fees. Participants in the small plot trials include Bayer CropScience, BrettYoung, Cargill, Canterra Seeds, CPS Canada/Proven Seed, DL Seeds and Syngenta.
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The Agri Post
December 28, 2015
What Will the New Year Bring? I admit I struggled to find the time to pen this column, I was busy preparing my resume and probably spent more time on that than my editor would have preferred but there was another reason I did not get to working on these words and that was his fault but more on that later. It was after careful consideration that I took the time to find the last copy of what I call a resume, it was not nearly up to the specs that a modern job seeker would hail as a (this is 2015) resume. You are the first to know, I have not even bothered my wife with the details of this, but I will be applying for one of the positions in the Senate. So since our Honourable Prime Minister, ( I need to get used to showing him proper respect to my hopefully new boss) announced that the Senate seats would be filled by selection of suitable candidates from those who apply, I have been working on my resume and trying to find the application form on line. It has also taken considerable time to decide whom I will ask to nominate me. I have considered the editor of this illustrious paper but I am not sure if being late for
deadlines will be considered an advantageous trait in the Senate. I understand they are about sober consideration of the laws of the land so that might mean being a bit after the fact and my editor will attest to that. Being bilingual is considered an asset and my editor would attest to that, he has on many occasions accused me of not writing in English so we would attest to my ability in the other (or some other) official language. I did live close to St. Jean and I have been to more than 25 St. Jean Farm Days, where I shared in the culture (had pea soup) that would count for something. So with my apology firmly in place we move on to what the intent of this column is a look at what the New Year will bring to our industry. Drones, the only place you will see more drones than in your field this summer is on the show circuit, watch for drones at every meeting you attend this winter and close behind watch for the regulations that come with them. It follows on the heels of GPS and look, what that did for our industry, we have been the beneficiaries of the US Military intelligence on several fronts but none has had the impact of satellites and GPS. It truly has revolutionized our industry. That is the question of the day, when was the last time something was developed for agriculture by agriculture. It has been a while since the introduction of the rotary combine, that was new and developed by our industry,
This is a Done Deal When I spoke on a Winnipeg radio station back in the early 2000s about the effects of M-COOL, then only a vague threat, not even that, but a concept that would help everybody, the producers, processors and the consumers. In fact, I received some emails and other flack; I didn’t know what I was talking about. As the US slowly developed the legislation and discussed how they would use it to everyone’s benefit, it looked like it would be okay, and not really affect us in Canada. Then the hammer dropped, and I’m writing from memory, the groups who today are protesting vehemently how the consumer is going to lose out, then was able to convince the powers that be to include what then made it so damaging to livestock coming from Mexico and Canada into the US. To make a long story short, with shortages of cattle and hogs going south because they couldn’t process them, some plants shut down in the US, especially along the border. Shutting down the option to go south reduced the competition and dropped the prices along with some other factors, but for the most part the WTO got it right assessing damages, just short some billions. However, the strategy and plan by the previous government under the direction of former Ag Minister Gerry Ritz and Trade minister Ed Fast in taking it to the WTO and setting up the retaliation scheme paid off. This is now a done deal. When Andrew Dickson, the GM for Manitoba Pork says he likes the writing of the repeal of pork and beef, pigs and cattle, from the M-COOL, I’m confident too, it is a done deal. Ironic that on the day December 18, 2015, when the WTO had given Canada and Mexico the right to start the retaliation process, that the US government was able to undo COOL and avoid the entire retaliation scheme and process. Here is what the other side had to say in a news release just to show you the kind of opposition there was in the United States to repealing this law. R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard issued the following statement in response to Congress’ inclusion of language in the must-pass omnibus spending bill repeals country-of- origin labelling (COOL) for beef, pork and ground beef and ground pork. “In the most underhanded way, Congress is depriving all of us of our right to know where the beef or pork we feed ourselves, our children and our grandchildren was born, raised and slaughtered. “In secret and without debate, congressional leaders added the repeal of COOL in a must-pass spending bill knowing they could accomplish their self-serving ends without the risk of public input or debate. In the spending bill, the provision that destroys our COOL law cannot be amended or removed. This is government at its worst. Congressional leaders are helping the politically powerful multinational meatpackers to hide the origins of the beef they are importing from Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and the other countries that are among the 14 countries from where the meatpackers source their beef for the US market. Many consumers and cattle producers have been duped by the meatpackers. Consumers were told that beef from developing countries is just as safe as beef from the US, but the truth is that developing countries are no longer required to have food safety systems at least equal to those of the United States. Cattle producers were told that labelling beef is an unnecessary expense, but the truth is that US cattle producers cannot compete in the global marketplace if consumers cannot distinguish their beef from the beef imported by multinational meatpackers from the 14 countries that currently ship beef into the United States. Congress is forsaking consumers and producers by terminating the right of US citizens to know the origins of their food.” Let me say… this had little to do with safety, but most everything to do with protectionism. Wow, a new, but old era in the North American cattle and hogs trade, beef and pork. New is old because we’re going back to the old, and I hope with a renewed vigour.
but after that, we seem content to get the spill from other industries, and the iPhone has done us well but again it wasn’t agriculture driven. We need someone working on things for us… Oh, and the other reason that my time ran short was a news story my editor passed along about the legalization of recreational pot smoking in this province and I got to thinking about the possibility of that and how I would work that into a retirement plan. There are just so many new things happening in our industry. Legalized pot smoking may surpass drones as the hottest topic on the meeting circuit in 2016.
NDP ’s Contempt for NDP’s Agricultural Industry Dear Editor: Once again, Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn and this NDP government have shown their disdain for the agricultural industry across Manitoba. When asked in the legislature this past week about the NDP-controlled Manitoba Hydro trespassing on landowners’ private farmland to gain access to the west-side waste line named BiPole III, the Minister replied, “They need to be notified of trespassing and which we believe is still happening, and will continue to happen.” When further asked about the lack of biosecurity used by the NDP-controlled Manitoba Hydro, the Minister replied, “Biosecurity is the new swear word of agriculture.” The Minister of Agriculture and this NDP government continue to show their contempt for the agricultural sector in Manitoba. They have put the canola industry at risk by allowing the spread of clubroot and have jeopardized the hog industry by allowing the spread of the PED virus, and they consistently show disrespect to our hard-working Manitoba farm families. With your help, a change for the better is coming. Blaine Pedersen Opposition Critic for Agriculture, Food and Rural development, Progressive Conservative MLA for Midland
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Who’s A Scrooge? In the midst of another holiday season, the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol has worked its way back onto our television screens. Ebenezer Scrooge, the star of the story, is so well known in our Penners culture that to be called a Points “Scrooge” has by Rolf become a comPenner mon insult. But what do we rerolfpenner@agripost.ca ally mean when we call someone this? Generally, the slur refers to the Scrooge in the first part of the story; it describes someone who is unwilling to help those who are poor and destitute. Many believe that this means opposition to government programs for this purpose. But as a Manitobaborn economist, David Henderson, points out in an essay, “The Lesson of Ebenezer Scrooge,” those people have completely missed the point of the story. It’s all about private charity, not public assistance. If anything, the early Scrooge is in favour of government programs. When asked to donate to private charity, he scoffs and asks about “Union workhouses” and “Treadmill and poor laws.” When he finds they still exist, Scrooge says, “Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course.” At this point in the story, Scrooge sees no need to contribute anything as long as the government is doing something. As the story progresses, Scrooge learns that if he continues down this path that he is destined for a lifetime of increasing misery and loneliness. Upon realizing his mistake, Scrooge becomes very excited about changing his ways and the pleasure he can obtain from helping others who are worse off. But it’s all about what he, himself, can do as an individual. Let’s face it, it’s not much of a moral awakening if Scrooge wakes up and suddenly decides that he needs to vote for a certain person or a particular party that’s going to raise taxes on everyone to help the poor. Today’s Scrooge might ask, “Is there no welfare? Is there no public housing? Is there no Medicare?” Or a whole host of other programs. As Henderson says, “The modern Scrooges, in short, are those who advocate government programs for the poor rather than charity for the poor.” “But isn’t that the same thing?” some might ask. No, it’s not. While one, private charity can be considered generous and compassionate, the other, government assistance, is at its root a form of compulsion. When you give your own money, that’s compassion. But taking other people’s money without their consent most certainly is not; it’s coercion. Though many try to make that case, nobody gets moral credit for being forced to help others. It has to be voluntary. Most people have probably never thought about it this way; they think that raising taxes to help the poor is just the right thing to do. They’ve never thought about the difference. As Henderson points out, “The failure to distinguish between compassion and coercion is all around us. It’s a failure that people on many parts of the political spectrum exhibit.” He’s got a point, and so did Charles Dickens all those many years ago. If you want to help someone, or some group of people, then be like Scrooge at the end of the story and think about what you, yourself, can do. Not what you can force other people to do on your behalf through government or political means, but what you can do. Henderson has another suggestion: “Next time you hear someone advocating a coercively financed government program to help those in need, call him a ‘Scrooge.’ I guarantee that you’ll catch him off guard. Moreover, he’ll likely ask why you called him that. Then you can tell him the truth about Ebenezer Scrooge and A Christmas Carol.”
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Balancing Your Rations By John McGregor Over the past few months, I have had articles on feed testing and the importance of balancing rations. Once you have your feed tests back from the lab, producers often wonder what to do with the information. There are a few options to consider: 1) Have your feed reps help you balance your ration utilizing your feed and some of their products to maximize your cow’s nutritional requirements. 2) Formulate your own ration utilizing your feed and protein, vitamin and mineral products from various sources. 3) File the feed analysis away. For those of you that are comfortable with ration balancing, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development has a ration balancing program called CowByte$ for producers to use in designing cattle feeding programs. CowByte$ is an easy-to-use ration balancing program that helps producers make optimum use of their home-grown feeds, while only purchasing the necessary volume of supplementary feeds. Taking advantage of lower cost alternative feeds or by-products can reduce winter feeding costs and improve nutrition. Although forage prices this fall are not significantly higher than in previous years, feed costs can make up approximately 70% of the variable cost of keeping a cow over winter and
anything that can be done to reduce costs improves net profit. For every dollar winter feed costs are reduced, net return or benefit to the operation is $4.28 according to Barry Yaremcio, beef forage specialist at the Ag-Info Centre. Providing a cost-efficient balanced ration also affects cow productivity. Pregnant and lactating cows with an adequate ration that meets nutritional requirements impacts milk production and reproductive performance in the next breeding season. Having more cows conceive earlier in the breeding season increases the number of calves available to sell (and possibly larger calves) which increases total income. CowByte$ can help reduce winter feeding costs and improve nutrition. Checking in with Jenelle Hamblin, Forage Specialist with MAFRD, she informs me that there are a number of MAFRD staff who are familiar with and can help you balance your beef rations using CowByte$ or assist you with learning how to utilize the program. CowByte$ is compatible with Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 operating systems. It can also be run on a MAC in conjunction with Boot Camp, Parallels, Fusion or Crossover. It is available online from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry and costs $50 or by calling 780-427-0391. Technical support is provided by the Ag-Info Centre at 310FARM (3276). John McGregor is with MFGA Extension Support.
CPC Consults with Federal Government on TPP Canada’s hog producers have sent an open letter to the Minister of International Trade, Chrystia Freeland and the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food , Lawrence MacAulay as part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to being transparent, open and consultative with Canadians on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) is participating in this consultative process and to submit their views on the deal as reflected in the recently released TPP text. The CPC has been a staunch supporter of Canada’s participation in the negotiations of a Trans-Pacific Partnership and has been working closely with Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) and other agri-food exporter members in supporting ratification of TPP. Last year, 1.1 million tonnes of pork and pork products, valued at over $3.7 billion, were exported to ninety-two different countries. Of this, approximately 80 % was sold to current TPP partners while another 15 % goes to countries they view as prime candidates to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership. According to the CPC, Canada’s participation in the TPP is of critical interest to Canadian pork producers. The CPC sees significant benefits from the Trans-Pacific
Partnership for our pork farming membership. Among the benefits is preserving Canada’s ability to export to Japan, a billion dollar market for Canadian pork, on equal terms with the US and other TPP country competitors. It offers advantageous terms of access to Japan relative to non-TPP pork exporters. The TPP achieves significantly improved terms of access into other TPP countries, including Viet Nam. Also of major importance, Canada, as one of the founding members, is in a position to negotiate concessions from other countries seeking to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership. There is also potential of eliminating the remaining South Korean tariffs on Canadian pork should Korea seek entry into TPP. The Canadian pork industry has had the unfortunate experience of finding itself at a serious competitive disadvantage following other countries’ trade deals. The US and the European Union completed free trade agreements with South Korea three years ahead of Canada. The year before those FTAs went into force, exports to Korea were $250 million; just two years later, they had fallen by almost 75%. The CPC will continue to work closely with CAFTA and its other agri-food exporter members in supporting ratification of TPP.
Harvesting Hope Sets Record Goal of 125 Antique Threshing Machines for Pioneer Harvest With just 250 days until the world’s largest pioneer harvest commences, Harvesting Hope is pleased to announce its official record target and unveil the community champion campaign. Thanks to the growing response to participate in the event, the Harvesting Hope organizing committee has set its official world record target at 125 antique threshing machines operating simultaneously to harvest a field of wheat. “Every day since our official launch in August, individuals are contacting us to offer threshing machines, equipment and resources to help end global hunger by celebrating our agricultural heritage,” said Ayn Wilcox, a spokesperson for the Harvesting Hope committee. “We are grateful for the support we have received over the past few months, and are excited at what the months leading up to July 31, 2016 will bring.” “Hundreds of Manitobans are already volunteering and providing in-kind contributions to make this event a success, but financial contributions are also needed,” stated Wilcox. “We’re
asking all Manitobans to join our team in the fight against global hunger by supporting this once-in-a-lifetime event through our community champions program.” Through the community champions program Manitobans can support Harvesting Hope by being a Threshing Team Sponsor ($1,000), Adopting an Acre of wheat ($500), or being a Friend of Harvesting Hope ($250). Community champions will receive a special invitation to the Harvesting Hope event. Contributions of other sizes are also greatly appreciated. Contributions over $20 will receive a tax receipt. Additionally, Manitoba’s business community can support Harvesting Hope by becoming a community champion or a corporate partner. Harvesting Hope: a World Record to Help the Hungry is a collaboration between the Manitoba Agricultural Museum and Canadian Foodgrains Bank that seeks to bring Canadian communities together to help those who do not have enough to eat.
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The Agri Post
A Drone in Your Stocking By Les Kletke Was there a drone in your stocking on Christmas morning? It might be worth checking the regulations regarding the tool that could be the hottest thing in the agricultural market this season. UAA (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) in Canada or UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) in the US have special regulations and owners would do well to check on the rules in either country before putting their new aircraft to use. In Canada there are exemptions available if the drone is less than 2 kg but even a lightweight drone may not meet that requirement when it is equipped with a camera. Brunel Sabourin of St. Jean Baptiste said that a drone has been tremendous aid in mapping fields and allows him to get more accurate mapping without having to walk the entire field. For him, a real advantage in wet conditions. He told attendees at a recent meeting of the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors that a drone was valuable in
Beef and Forage W eek Seminars Week The Manitoba Beef Producers, Manitoba Forage & Grassland Association and MAFRD are hosting beef and forage seminars in your local community. Register today to hear a wide variety of speakers on how to maximize forage fertility and productivity, extensive wintering of livestock, beef outlook for 2016, updates on the Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiative and the McDonalds Canada sustainable beef pilot*. Seminar times are 8:30 am - 4 pm. Where Date Contact Vita* Monday, January 11 Vita GO Office Ste. Rose du Lac* Tuesday, January 12 Ste. Rose GO Office Holland* Wednesday, January 13 Portage GO Office Brandon Thursday, January 14 Brandon GO Office Eriksdale Friday, January 15 Arborg GO Office *Includes an update on the McDonalds Canada sustainable beef pilot.
his business and when paired with new applications on his iPhone it had a dramatic impact in the way he could map a field and the information he could provide to farmers. Commercial operators purchasing more expensive UAVs are more likely aware of the regulations involved and proceed to meet them. The problems arise with farmers purchasing the machines for their own use and then expanding the mapping to include a neighbour’s field or two. The regulations apply as they would for any
commercial operation and cover proximity to airports or public areas. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) in the US has issued a press release advising farmers to take advantage of the free registration period in that country. “Unmanned aerial systems can make farms safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly and that helps everyone,” stated NCGA President Chip Bowling of Maryland. “But we advise everyone to take advantage of the free registra-
tion window.” The registration is valid for three years. The regulations are different in this country but are still similar and producers are advised to become aware of the regulations before taking their new plane out for a flight. Use of drones for mapping and crop care is expanding rapidly and expected to be the highest to date in 2016 as operation of a UAS becomes easier and the units become more affordable.
204-425-5050 204-447-4032 204-239-3352 204-726-6482 204-376-3300
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The Pros and Cons of Going Antibiotic Free By Harry Siemens Consumers keep demanding more and more from hog producers in Canada. While often quite disturbing at the outset causing undue stress, hardship, and ultimately higher producer costs, it can also lead to the betterment of the industry. There was a time producers used antibiotics, almost at will, but higher costs and poor hog prices combined with health care professionals and consumer demand reduced antibiotic use in the food chain. Dave Van Walleghem, the national biosecurity specialist with Vetoquinol Canada said, in response to the trend toward reduced use of antibiotics, pork producers are stepping up their focus on cleaning and disinfecting facilities. He said every pathogen poses a risk and producers and veterinarians are relying on biosecurity and an increased focus on cleaning and disinfecting equipment to reduce the risk. “I think that’s why we really seeing an increase on that because of the decreased use of antibiotics,” he said. “Because we are using less amounts of antibiotics, we have to control the diseases one way or another and by breaking the disease cycle by doing a proper cleaning and disinfecting. We’re finding a lot more benefits by allowing animals to express more of their genetic potential instead of fighting off the disease.” Van Walleghem said cleaning, disinfecting properly is a huge part of all of our biosecurity today, and it is a huge economic benefit, something he has seen first hand for
the past 15 years. “I’m finding a lot of people understand the proper use of disinfecting and not seeing it as a cost factor and more as an investment because it is saving them money in the long run,” he said. “If you can spend a dollar at the front end and get 13 dollars in the back end, you’re better off.” As an example Van Walleghem said that a study shows for every dollar spent on proper cleaning and disinfecting, not just including the soaps and disinfectants but also the actual process itself, showed a $13 - $15 payback. Along with shipping animals earlier because, it uses less feed consumption and better healthier animals. He knows, and the industry knows antibiotics will be pulled back from producers in the next little while so they want to make sure to do proper cleaning to reduce the amount of antibiotics producers need to use. Dr. Shawn Davidson, a veterinarian with Davidson Swine Health Services said, despite its growing popularity with consumers, demand for antibiotic free pork is
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unlikely to overtake that of mass produced pork. He said the industry is certainly seeing an increase in demand for antibiotic free pork, shown in some of the advertising and corporate announcements by food services such as Subway with its animal protein products that will be antibiotic free within a certain number of years. Another example is A&W’s promise to provide poultry raised without antibiotics. However, when it comes to overall demand cost is a factor. “We know from many studies that when consumers are surveyed about things like antibiotic free pork, a majority of them will say yes, we want this,” he said. “But then when you get them in the actual store and with the wallet in hand, they’ll buy the commodity product because it’s cheaper, so cost is a factor. Public perception is a factor.” Davidson said the information and sometimes misinformation that exists surrounding antimicrobial resistance and the amount of antibiotics that producers actually feed to animals drives consumer opinions. The internet is a very powerful force and influences people’s opinions for better or for worse, he added.
Demand for Made in Manitoba Natural Ice Cream Results in New Plant By Joan Airey Lisa Dyck captured the attention of her audience at a women’s conference when she spoke about Cornell Crème, an ice cream she created in her own kitchen and now makes at a plant in Winnipeg. Lisa and her husband William are dairy farmers located near Anola. Their second-generation dairy farm was named after William’s dad Cornelius. “This all began when I received a gift of an ice-cream maker and made ice-cream that was the best we’d ever tasted. Darryl Crumb a Chef we know gave my ice cream a rave review and that prompted me to call the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba to arrange to buy some of our own milk back from the milk pool. At the moment I make ice-cream at the University of Manitoba’s dairy pilot plant, a facility licensed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency,” said Dyck. Cornell Crème is made with all natural products such as milk, cream, eggs and sugar. She uses natural flavouring such as vanilla beans, chocolate and many fruits. The rich ice cream flew off store shelves after articles appeared in numerous newspapers and word spread of the delicious natural product. “We have had our bicycle at Winnipeg Folk Festival selling ice-cream and we haven’t been able to keep up with the demand for the product,” said Dyck. The ice-cream flavours have names like Velvety Chocolate Truffle, Strawberry and Cream, Raspberry White Chocolate, or Lemon Meringue. A person who had sampled the flavours said they truly taste as good as they sound she added. The Dyck’s have been busy buying new equipment for their new location at Notre Dame. They will expand their production from two hundred litres an hour to seven hundred litres an hour. “I’m hoping that with our new location higher capacity to produce ice-cream
Lisa Dyck tells conference goers how her ice-cream business started by making ice-cream for her family and grew in a couple years from a small plant at the U of M to moving into a new plant on Notre Dame in Winnipeg. Photo by Joan Airey
we will be able to keep up with the demand for the product,” said Dyck. On the availability of the ice cream and information on the product check out their website at cornellcreme.com.
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What Can We Do for the Soil? By Harry Siemens The Soil Conservation Council of Canada [SCCC] has a rich history as the face and voice of soil conservation in Canada. At the recent Summit on Canadian Soil Health in Calgary, Alberta, William “Bill” Buckner President and CEO of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Inc., the largest, independent private agricultural research organization in the US laid out his thoughts on soil health. With more than one million organisms in a single teaspoon of earth, soil is the starting point for plant, animal and human life. It is the foundation for society, providing the basis for
“There was a time when we looked at what can the soil do for us, now it’s time we start looking at what can we do for the soil,” said William “Bill” Buckner President and CEO of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Inc. speaking in Calgary.
food production, healthy families and economies.
When Buckner took to the podium during the
Student Chefs Compete for Top Spot with Pork
Action is fast and furious in the Manitoba Pork Cook off at the Paterson Global Foods Institute.
By Les Kletke If you are a budding young chef what could be better than to show off your own creation using some of the best pork in the world to possible employers and perhaps pick up a check for $1,000 in the process. That is exactly what eight student of the Red River College (RRC) Culinary Arts Program did earlier this month in a jointly sponsored contest from Manitoba Pork and RRC. Communications Officer Conner Lloyd said that this year the contest attracted eight would be chefs. “It is open to anyone in the program and this year we had some in their first term and some that were closer to finishing the program,” said Lloyd. The Culinary Arts program runs 6 terms over two years at RRC’s downtown campus. The contest has been a joint venture with Manitoba Pork for 15 years and is intended to have young chefs
develop recipes that could be used in high-end restaurants. The participants select the cut of pork they want to use and use an original recipe for an appetizer and an entrée. “They have complete freedom,” he said. “They can choose the cut they would like to work with and an original recipe.” They are supplied with the meat and the typical ingredients in a commercial kitchen if they require any special ingredients the contestants must source them on their own. The final products are then judged by a panel consisting of a past winner of the completion and a representative of Manitoba Pork. “We also have good interaction with the restaurant industry so there is always the possibility of meeting a potential employer through the event,” says Lloyd. The recipes are not lost or kept secret after the competi-
tion rather they are posted on the Manitoba Pork website for anyone to try at home. First place and a $1,000 check went to Krunal Patel’s spiced and maple glazed Manitoba pork tenderloin, with sweet potato ginger puree, star anise pickled mustard seeds and grilled corn and red pepper ragout. Second place and $750 was won by Mark Torres’ pork tenderloin stuffed with apple and cranberries mixed with whipping cream and sugar, and glazed with honey cinnamon with a rubbing of roasted walnuts. Third place and $500 went to Vien Salimbacod’s juniper braised pork butt with sousvide of rosemary pork tenderloin, potatoes Dauphine and roasted vegetables with cranberry sauce and honey maple glaze. No word on whether any of the contestants are moving on to a reality TV show but the prizes may help pay for a bit of school.
Calgary Soil Summit he recounted the many hours plowing for his father, then running the deep tiller after school once the plow became obsolete. “There was a time when we looked at what can that soil do for us, now it’s time we start looking at what can we do for the soil,” emphasized Buckner. When asked, where are we going with farming he said, “I think we may go back to the 1900’s, but not to the horses. I think we’ll see more diversity on farms and ranches,” Buckner said. “I think people are going to look at this and there is an up swell of kids that want to come back to the farm. And I think they’re looking at ways to do it and have different ideas about how to do it. It is about biological diversity and it is doing things environmentally correct and sustainable, as we say.” Buckner said there will be much more diversity on farms and in the Midwest this is already happening where farmers are moving stocker cattle out of the
southwest to the Midwest because they can graze cover crops. “They are finding out more ways to do that because they’re finding it brings more income and I think you will see a lot of moving in that direction,” he said. “Getting back to thinking about soil differently than the way we thought about it before. People will be picking this ground up again and looking at it and feeling it and will be able to tell with their fingers whether they’re on the right path or not.” As President and CEO of the Noble Foundation, Buckner’s eyes light up even more and his enthusiasm jumps a notch or two as the interview shifts to the newly announced Soil Health Institute, a nonprofit entity that is bringing together, passionate soil health enterprising agriculturalists with properly funding soil health research in the United States. To ensure that soil continues to be a vital natural resource for generations to come, the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation and
Farm Foundation, announced on December 5, the formation of the Soil Health Institute. Its mission is to safeguard and enhance the vitality and productivity of the soil. It will work directly with conventional and organic farmers and ranchers, public- and private-sector researchers, academia, policy makers, government agencies, industry, environmental groups and consumers, everyone who benefits from healthy soils. He said the foundation will resource research to the level that it needs to be and not be looked at as a second-class citizen to plant science. “Secondarily, we will be a resource for everybody whether consumers, scientists, farmers and ranchers, a resource anyone can come into and learn about soil health,” he said. “So, where I can go to learn how to mitigate erosion on my land, or how can I get involved in carbon sequestration and possibly participate in carbon credits some day. What are those things that I need to do.”
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Upcoming Events... St. Jean Farm Days – On Wednesday, January 7 starting at 8 am at the St. Jean Centennial Hall 203 Caron St., St. Jean Baptiste. Cost: daily admission $6 per person or $10 per couple, continental breakfast and lunch included. Speakers include Dennis Lange, Ingrid Kristjanson, Pam de Rocquigny, Indra Ariyaratne, Roy Arnott and Jeanette Gaultier of MAFRD, Angela Brackenreed (Canola Council of Canada), Brian Comeault (Cargill AgHorizons), Paul Bullock (University of Manitoba), Brunel Sabourin (Antara Research) and Neil Townsend (G3 Canada). Contact Morris GO Office at 204-746-2312. MAFRD Beef and Forage Day – On Monday, January 11 at 9 am at the Ukrainian National Home Hall, 106 Main St., Vita. Workshop: Direct Marketing Your Meat Products – On Thursday, January 14 starts 9 am at the Sun Gro Centre 360 Veterans Lane, Beausejour. Topics include regulatory requirements; understanding provincial abattoir and meat processor expectations; understanding how to calculate product pricing; available resources and services. Learn from two local entrepreneurs: a producer who is currently direct marketing his meat and a restaurateur who will offer tips to consider when supplying meat for his menu.” Cost $20 per person, lunch included. Contact 204-461-2978. Manitoba Ag Days – On Tuesday, January 19 – Thursday, January 21 at the Keystone Centre, 1175-18th St., Brandon. An exposition of agricultural production expertise, technology, and equipment that attracts exhibitors and visitors from across Canada and the north-central United States. Contact coordinator@agdays.com, 204-728-4137. Manitoba Young Farmers Conference – On Tuesday, January 26 – Wednesday, January 27, 2016 at the Delta Hotel, Winnipeg. Conference will be addressing a host of issues that are exclusive to young and beginning farmers. The goal of the conference is to challenge young farmers to reflect on what it means to be successful now, in the future, and how to achieve these goals. Encourage young farmers to gain insight on the tools available for managing farm finances, succession planning and what it means to be a great leader. The event will provide an opportunity for young farmers to network and build relationships with other young producers. Contact KAP Young Farmers Chandra.Rempel@kap.mb.ca, 204-697-1140 or MAFRD Ellen McPherson ellen.mcpherson@gov.mb.ca, 204-266-2930 or Lynn Gilmore lynn.gilmore@gov.mb.ca 204-861-2071. Keystone Agricultural Producers AGM – On Wednesday, January 27 – Thursday, January 28 at the Delta Winnipeg, 350 St. Mary Ave. includes the 2016 Young Farmers Conference, to be held Jan. 26 - 27 at the same location. Contact KAP AGM and Young Farmers Conference, 204-697-1140 or visit the KAP website. MBP AGM and Tradeshow – From Our Gate to Your Plate; Understanding The Evolving Customer on Thursday, February 4 – Friday, February 5, 2016 at the Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre, 3550 Victoria Ave., Brandon. Manitoba Beef Producers looks forward to meeting with its members at the upcoming 37th Annual General Meeting. The meeting is an opportunity to engage with MBP directors and fellow producers, debate issues that affect your bottom line, and set policy that will affect the future of your industry. AGM Early Bird Registration by Tuesday, January 5, 2016 - $75 per person, after this date $90, meeting only (no banquet) $40, banquet ticket only (no meeting) $50. We encourage all producers and beef industry stakeholders to attend. Contact 204-772-4542, 1-800-772-0458, info@mbbeef.ca. Western Canadian Holistic Management Conference – On Sunday, February 14 2016 at 3 pm – Tuesday, February 16 2016 at 12:30 pm at the Russell Inn and George P Buleziuk Conference Centre in Russell. Keynotes: Inspiring Purpose and Passion in your Life, Regenerating Landscapes for a Sustainable Future, Producing Food as if it Mattered, Producer Panels. Contact Pam Iwanchysko 204-648-3965 or pam.iwanchysko@gov.mb.ca. CropConnect Conference & Tradeshow – On Wednesday, February 10 – Thursday, February 11 at the Victoria Inn and Convention Centre, 1808 Wellington Ave., Winnipeg. The Manitoba Canola Growers Association, Manitoba Corn Growers Association, Manitoba Flax Growers Association, Manitoba Pulse Growers Association, National Sunflower Association of Canada and Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association make up the host committee. Contact 204-230-6330, info@cropconnectconference.ca. Direct Farm Marketing Conference & Trade Show – On Friday, March 11 at 8:30 am – Saturday, March 12 at Canad Inns — 2401 Saskatchewan Ave. W., Portage la Prairie. Starting or expanding a direct marketing business, new marketing ideas and information on emerging trends in farm business diversification including agrifood, agritourism and farmers’ markets.” Contact for Trade show booth MAFRD 204-392-7268 or joy.lorette@gov.mb.ca.
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Family Owned Food Processor Expanding The governments of Canada and Manitoba will support the broader expansion of a family-owned food-processing company in Winkler with $250,000 in equipment upgrades. Spenst Brothers Premium Meats currently produces and sells deli meats, pizzas, buns, perogies, custom-cut and wrapped meats and other products. To meet consumer demand and food safety requirements, the company is planning a $2.3 million expansion. Government funding will support the purchase of more than $1 million of new equipment including packaging systems, conveyors, ovens and cooling equipment. “When we opened in 2003, we were humbled by the level of support we immediately received first from the local Winkler
area and then all of southern Manitoba. Today, we are again humbled and grateful for this investment in our business,” said Paul Spenst, General Manager of Spenst Bros. Premium Meats. “As a family, we again commit ourselves to making Spenst Bros. Premium Meats a business that pays good returns on this investment, including new job opportunities for our local workforce and continued fundraising support for local schools, sports teams and mission organizations.” The company currently buys approximately $345,000 of ingredients from within Manitoba and employs 18 full-time staff. The expansion is expected to increase local purchases to nearly $1.9 million and full-time positions to 30 after three years.
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‘Great Tastes’ Hires Manitoba Farmer Frank Digital is happy to announce that Donalee Jones has been hired as Senior Producer for Great Tastes of Manitoba Season 27. Jones has 15 years television experience, but more importantly a lifetime of farming experience. “Great Tastes is, at its core, a television series about Manitoba food products and the farmers who produce them, so no one in the Winnipeg production industry today understands that more keenly than Donalee,” said Chris McIvor, CEO of Frank Digital. Frank Digital took over production of the series in 2015 upon the retirement of longtime producer Don Hornby of Hummer Productions. Jones began her career in documentary production with MidCanada Production Services in 2002, and then moved on to produce countless television commercial campaigns for clients including Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Development. In 2008, Jones and her partner moved back to Cartwright where they joined the family’s 2,000-acre grain, oilseed and pulse operation. She continued to work off farm on television, documentary and commercial projects, while raising her young family. Jones is also involved in her parents’ purebred cattle operation in nearby Baldur, and has served as the secretary/treasurer for the Manitoba Simmental Association for the last 8 years. “I’m very excited about working with the Great Tastes team. As a farmer and a mom, I know how much conflicting information there is in the media about what we should be feeding our families. We all want to shop local, but sometimes it’s not clear what that really means. It can be overwhelming. I’m looking forward to helping educate Manitobans about healthy, affordable, delicious food and the local farmers who produce it,” said Jones. “GreatTastesMb.ca is a great resource for recipes and we will be posting special behind the scenes features, and helpful information about food and farming on Facebook and Twitter.” Great Tastes of Manitoba is produced as a partnership between eight Manitoba commodity groups, Manitoba Beef Producers, Manitoba Chicken Producers, Manitoba Canola Growers, Dairy Farmers of Manitoba, Manitoba Mushroom Growers, Manitoba Pork, Manitoba Pulse Growers Association, Manitoba Turkey Producers, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, and Manitoba Agriculture Food & Rural Development. Unique to the show are the beverage pairings accompanying every recipe provided by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries product experts. Season 26 of Great Tastes of Manitoba is currently airing on CTV, Saturdays at 6:30 pm, and streamed online at GreatTastesMB.ca.
Safety First and Always By Les Kletke The canola growers of all three Prairie Provinces have made commitment to fund training equipment that will make farm families as well as first responders more aware of the dangers of being pulled into a grain tank or bin. The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association has announced a partnership with all three-prairie canola growers’ associations to help build and operate a grain entrapment unit in the prairies. “Projects like the mobile grain entrapment demonstration under are important in our organization and our industry,” said Jack Froese of the Manitoba Canola Growers Association. “They provide opportunities for agricultural workers, farmer and farm families across the prairies to learn about the importance of grain safety and spread awareness of the dangers of grain entrapment.” Three sisters suffocated this fall in Alberta in a trailer load of canola. The girls were playing in the load of freshly harvest canola and were pulled into the grain. Glen Blahey, an agricultural safety and health expert with the Cana- Marcel Hacault of the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association. dian Agricultural Safety Association, said a load of seed acts like quicksand. It only takes seconds for a person to become trapped and a few minutes to suffocate. At the time, he called for more education about the danger. “I don’t mean to criticize the parents of those three children that were lost but, at the same time, as caregivers we’re responsible to protect them,” Blahey said. The industry has answered that challenge and each provincial canola growers association has agreed to provide $30,000 over the next three years to fund the entrapment demonstration units. “We are incredibly grateful to have these three canola producer organizations as our funding partners of this new program,” said Marcel Haucault, Executive Director of the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association. “The grassroots support means that we will have a solid start to this new and vital program. This unit and additional units with be traveling to fairs and tradeshows to demonstrate the dangers of working in grain and how fast a small seed like canola can become like quicksand and not allow a person to work their way out. The units will also serve as training equipment to first responders who might be called upon to deal with accidents like the one in Alberta.
Producer Groups Provide Leadership in Wheat and Barley Breeding Recognizing the important role producer funding of public breeding has played in delivering new wheat and barley varieties for increased farm profitability, Western Canada’s wheat and barley commissions and associations are working together to consider options for continued leadership and influence. Since producer investments in breeding began in 1995, over 200 new wheat and barley varieties have been made available to farmers by public research institutions. With studies demonstrating that producer investments contribute to increased net profitability per acre for western Canadian farmers, producer organizations have formed a working group to examine opportunities for optimum involvement in wheat and barley variety development. The participating organizations include the
Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association and Winter Cereals Manitoba. The Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) serves as the facilitator. A recent study commissioned by the WGRF calculated that on average every producer check-off dollar invested into wheat varietal research has returned $20.40 in value to the producer. Barley varietal research saw a return of over $7.56 for each producer dollar invested. In 2015, the working group engaged JRG Consulting Group to explore a range of opportunities for producer involvement and leadership in wheat and barley variety development. The report emphasizes the importance of continued and increased public, producer and private industry investment in wheat and barley variety development, and the ben-
efits to producers. The report stresses the groups should continue using the current approach with more coordination and information sharing, using eight Provincial Commissions involved in variety development research programs, forming one nonprofit producer body: Wheat and Barley West, adopting the Australia North: Separate Partnerships for Pre-Breeding and Breeding/Finishing model and an approach based on producer ownership in a cereal breeding company. The consultant’s report is available on the websites of the participating organizations. The organizations are encouraging farmers and other interested stakeholders to read the report and provide comments. The results put forward are intended to stimulate dialogue noting nothing has been endorsed by the working group as of yet.
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Rotations Kept Stable with No Market Swings By Les Kletke Rod Parker does not plan to change much on his farm in 2016. “There has not been a great difference in prices relative to each other, and we try to keep our rotation fairly stable,” said Parker who farms 4,000 acres in southwest Manitoba. “We have been expanding our soybean acreage but we will keep it the same for this year.” “We have about 1/3 of our farm in oilseeds and soybeans have been taking over from canola mostly on the basis of fertilizer prices but we don’t see changing too much for the next year.” Parker said that the 1/3 of his land is in forages and has shown a good return this year but it is not something that he can swath acres quickly. “We sold some hay early in the year when it sounded like Alberta would be in a real shortage and we got some good prices but we can’t swing a lot of land into forage for next year. It takes a year to establish a crop and things will change for next year. It was a good return this year and we were able to take advantage of it,” he said. Parker admits that even a few years ago his region would not have been thought of as a forage producer. “We would have been more of a grazing area, but with the rain the last couple of years we have had good growth and been fortunate to get the feed off in good shape and that makes all the difference in the market place.” The remaining of his land is in cereal production and he will continue with wheat as the base. “We got some winter wheat in this fall, not quite as much as we would have liked but we got some in and that allows us to get started with harvest a bit earlier,” said Parker. “We like that and the fact we can evaluate in the spring and if the stand is not good we can turn it into something else, but we are hoping that we come through the winter alright and the crop stays.” He said the crop went into winter in good shape and had a well established stand before it shut down in the fall. “We don’t lose the crop in the fall, it depends what happens in the spring and if we get ice on it and it suffocates this is much more damaging.” Of course, everything could change if prices change. “Those are our plans now, but if we see a run up in a crop, we do have some swing acres that we could allocate to a real money maker,” he said.
Ag Days Highlights Advocacy, Innovation and Acceleration Manitoba Ag Days 2016 recently released the seminar program for the upcoming show to be held January 19 - 21, 2016 in Brandon. The program is designed to help producers advocate for their industry, explore innovation for the future, and accelerate growth in a dynamic industry. Over the course of three days, an exciting lineup of speakers will explore topics that are relevant for every farm. Whether human resource considerations are at the forefront for today, or exploring the opportunities with changing consumer demands in the future, or learning about the dynamics in the used equipment market, there is a speaker for you said organizers. Manitoba Ag Days is bringing in Social Media Ag Advocates Andrew Campbell, #farm365, and Sarah Schultz, @nurselovesfarmer. Campbell and Schultz will share the experiences they have had interacting with consumers and why it is so important for producers to share their stories on how they raise food and how they farm rather than someone else doing it for them. Farm equipment is a vital part of a successful family farm, Ag Days announced that Greg Peterson, known as “Machinery Pete” will join the speaking line up to share the latest prices and trends in used farm equipment. The weather is a favourite topic in agriculture and it has an impact on every farm. “Tomorrow’s Weather, Warmer, Wetter and Wilder”, David Phillips senior climatologist at Environment Canada will join the program. From market outlook updates, tax tips, preparing for the next generation, to hot agronomic topics like managing salinity or clubroot, soybean production, wheat yield and protein, there is something for everyone.
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Manitoba Firms Stay Competitive Through Cooperation in the Supply Chain By Les Kletke Dr. Gilliam Richards said that Manitoba firms are doing a good job of cooperating along the customer chain to develop new products and process. Richards is the author of a report commissioned by Manitoba Agricultural and Rural Development (MAFRD), which conducted cases studies of eight Manitoba companies looking at the level of cooperation and development within their industries. Richards who works at the Rural Development Institute (RDI), which is located at the University of Brandon, said the results are not surprising although she was surprised by the degree of interaction. “Of the 8 case studies we conducted we found that every company was involved in some time of co-operation along the supply
chain,” she said. “Even a large firm like Richardson’s which has a significant in house R & D department relies on outside sources for some of its information.” Richards said that part of the co-operation might come from the fact that many of the firms studied began as producer based co-operatives. “Like Bee Maid which was producer driven,” she noted. “Another reason might be that firms in Manitoba are well aware of how competitive the market place is and that they need every bit of information they can get to remain competitive in the world market.” The report is available from the RDI and she said while it might not provide a direct impact on the producer’s bottom line the information could prove valuable to producers. “It can give them an under-
Dr. Gillain Richards of the Rural Development Institute in Brandon.
standing of the industry they deal with and why things happen the way they do, any further understanding of your own industry is beneficial,” she said. “It is good to know how your industry works.” She said of the eight firms, it is how they innovate to stay competitive in their industry and how they integrate to gain efficiencies of the supply chain that stood
out. “Everyone at all sizes from the small companies who might be working with the Food Development Centre in Portage or resourcing information at the University recognized the value of going outside their firm to get information and form bonds.” “A company like Richardson’s has already somewhat vertically integrated itself but it is working with equipment manufacturers and its customers to supply the needs of tomorrow,” said Richards. “We looked at industries like the hemp and the flax oil markets and found they were sourcing information from outside to help move their industry along to a commercial size. That was not surprising but the degree to which they did it was a bit of a surprise. They are doing a good job.”
Pork PProducers roducers Gather for National FFall all Meeting Pork producers from across Canada met in Ottawa recently for the Canadian Pork Council’s annual fall meeting to help shape the future of the industry and address the challenges and opportunities for the next year. Rick Bergmann, Chair of the CPC and a Manitoba hog farmer, kicked off the event with a look at the many positives the pork industry is currently experiencing in Canada. “We have more than 7,000 pig farms across Canada producing more than 25.5 million animals a year,” he said during his opening remarks. “With direct farm gate annual sales in 2014 of over $4 billion, the pork sector is the fourth largest source of farm cash receipts of any Canadian agri-
culture commodity.” Since a downturn in the pork sector in the late 2000s due to unfavourable exchange rates, high feed prices and lower domestic consumption, Bergmann points out the industry has made a remarkable rebound. “We create 31,000 farm jobs which, in turn, contribute to 103,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs across the country. The total economic activity generates, when farms, inputs, processing and pork exports are factored, is almost $24 billion.” Bergmann added that exports to 92 countries last year totalled over 1.14 million tonnes of pork and pork products, valued at over $3.71 billion.
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FCC Contributes to 4-H Clubs Across Canada The Farm Credit Canada (FCC) 4-H Club Fund is providing $122,000 to 251 4-H clubs across Canada to support various local events and activities. In Manitoba, 32 4-H clubs received a combined total of $14,500. The fund is part of FCC’s $1 million contribution committed over four years to 4-H Canada. This contribution, in addition to supporting local 4-H activities, supports national as well as provincial 4-H initiatives. “FCC believes in building partnerships that make our industry stronger,” said Todd Klink, Executive Vice-President and chief marketing officer at FCC. “We’re proud to partner with 4-H and strengthen the bond between this industry and young people because they are the future of the industry. Together, we’re ensuring young people in rural Canada continue to benefit from 4-H programs and values.” The FCC 4-H Club Fund awards up to $500 for projects such as achievement days, horse clinics, field trips, public speaking workshops and purchase of equipment, just to name a few. The next application period opens in fall 2016. “We are thankful to FCC for their continued support of 4H in Canada, and the unique and valuable opportunities they help to provide for our members at the grassroots level,” said 4-H Canada CEO, Shannon Benner. “This generous partnership is indicative of FCC’s commitment to youth leadership in agriculture, as we continue to help empower and build responsible, caring and contributing young leaders who are passionate about making meaningful contributions to the world around them.”
December 28, 2015
The Root of it All By John McGregor In the 70s and 80s, an organization known as the Eastern Grassland Association (EGS) had the slogan “Forage: the root of it all”. This producer organization knew and promoted the benefits of forage. I mention this because if you go to a meeting on forages or grazing you are likely to see a slide showing how grazing strategies can and do affect the amount of roots a plant produces and, on the other side, how the amount of roots a plant has affects its ability to rebound and produce more leafy material. The amount of root material under your forage has other benefits other than the production of leafy material. Adequate root mass is responsible for holding soil (erosion), providing organic matter to hold water and sequestering carbon deep into the soil. How deep do forage roots go is not very easy to determine. When you dig up a clump of grass you may see a root ball that is one or two feet down but that might just be the tip of the iceberg. Thanks to Jerry Glover an agro ecologist from Kansas and Jim Richardson, a photographer with National Geographic, you can get a fairly impressive idea of how deep roots can penetrate the earth. John McGregor is with MFGA Extension Support.
A Tea Party Fit for Royalty at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba is bringing back the Royal Tea Party to kick off the opening day of the 2016 Royal Manitoba Winter Fair on Monday, March 28. “We are proud of our Royal designation and after the success we had last year with our Royal Tea Party, we are excited to bring back the event for 2016,” said Ron Kristjannson, General Manager of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba. “We learned a lot from last year’s Tea Party, this year we have space for even more Royals, more volunteers to help with the stations and we have asked Spiderman, Batman and Captain America to join the princesses for the party.” All princesses and princes, ideally ages 3 - 9 are invited to put on their finest suits, super hero costumes and gowns to attend the Tea Party from 12 - 3 pm for an afternoon of storytelling, hair and makeup station, Royal etiquette lessons, crafts and entertainment presented by Happily Ever After Parties. The event will conclude with a Royal Parade to the afternoon performance of the Super Dogs starting at 3 pm. Tickets are on sale now at royalmanitobawinterfair.com. Three different ticket packages are available, 1 child ticket and 1 adult admission for $38, 2 child tickets and 1 adult admission for $63 and 2 child tickets and 2 adult tickets for $72. Ticket pricing includes gate admission. Tickets are limited and children must be accompanied by an adult.
Parmalat Moves Ahead on New Dairy Facility in Winnipeg The decision to replace an aging building with a new, $50-million facility in a new location will allow Parmalat Canada Inc. to increase production with modern equipment in a neighbourhood more suitable for its business. The new facility will be built at the St. Boniface Industrial Park Phase 2, a 180-acre site off Dugald Road and east of Lagimodiere Boulevard. The governments of Canada and Manitoba are providing $2.5 million through Growing Forward 2 toward the construction of the processing facility. Government funding will be used for energy and water-use reduction equipment, waste-water treatment and new processing equipment. Parmalat Canada employs 139 Manitobans at facilities in St. Boniface, St. Claude and Grunthal. New hires are expected once the expanded facility in St. Boniface becomes operational in 2017.
Dr. Jerry Glover works in a soil pit at the Land Institute in Salina, Kansas. On the left, the deeper roots of wheatgrass are displayed, while the more shallow roots of wheat are visible on the right. Photos by Jim Richardson
The extensive root system of Switchgrass.
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December 28, 2015
The Agri Post
Make Sure the Mineral Feeders are Full By Peter Vitti Beef cows cannot live without minerals and vitamins, which are often deficient or biologically unavailable in many overwintering forages. I advise people to put out loose mineral on a regular basis for their gestating cows, so all essential mineral and vitamin requirements are supplemented. Unfortunately, some people don’t always feed them enough mineral. With a little effort, cattle producers should calculate out the right amount of mineral, monitor mineral intake and take any action to correct poor consumption. That’s because good mineral intake by the pregnant cowherd is important at this time of year. Not only does good mineral intake maintain or build good mineral status required by their vital body tissues and immune system, it plays a big part in the last trimester of pregnancy in spring cows. Pre-calving beef cows on a poor mineral feeding program deplete their own limited trace mineral reserves, even before their calves become mineral deficient and they themselves are adversely affected. It is estimated that the lategestation fetus (and placental tissues) utilize up to 30% of the pre-calving cow’s daily requirements for essential trace minerals. Since, the developing fetus is totally dependent upon the availability of essential minerals travelling through the placenta from its mothers’ blood, it uses its own natural ability to store certain trace minerals such as iron, copper, zinc, manganese, and selenium. It’s a natural instinct of post-calving survival, since colostrum and milk are low in these trace minerals. For example, selenium status in fetal and newborn calf is only a reflection of the selenium and vitamin E status of its mother during gestation - white muscle disease in newborn calves is cited as a direct result of selenium deficiency in freshened beef cows. To prevent such mineral (and vitamin) deficiencies from occurring, producers should follow the daily recommendations printed on the feed label sewn to each commercial bag of cattle mineral. Most feed companies recommend that between 56 – 112 grams (re: 2 – 4 oz) of salt-free mineral per cow per day. If salt makes up at least 25% of this mineral, one should adjust mineral intakes, accordingly. By my own calculations to assure one puts out enough mineral for beef cows; I use 80 g x 3 days of feeding x number of cows and then round off to the number of bags that is needed. For a 200 cow-calf operation: (80 g x 3 days x 200 days)/25-kg bags = 2 bags/3days should be provided. Beef producers should be able to achieve such targets for their own cowherd despite some built-in natural variability. From my own practical experience, here are a few considerations that I find work to achieve daily mineral
consumption goals: - Invest in a durable mineral feeder – I am not a particular fan of wooden boxes, oil drums cut in half or even feed bunks to feed mineral to cattle. A good mineral feeder should be easily accessible to all cows, but protects mineral from the effects of water, wind, and sunshine. Note, a friend of mine that owns about 200 beef cows mounts each durable plastic feeder on a truck tire to keep mineral out of the rain or snow as well as preventing the odd cow from stepping right into the feeder (see illustration). - Mineral feeder placement is important - It is also recommended that portable mineral feeders should be located where cattle will make frequent visits. Moving mineral stations closer to water sources generally increases mineral intake by cows, while moving feeders farther back from the water will often decrease mineral intake. It is always a good idea to have enough mineral feeders for the whole herd; one standard recommendation is one feeding station for every 30 – 50 cows. - Check mineral feeders every few days – At the beginning of the winter season, mineral consumption by beef cows is
often higher than the normal. However, as cows get used to their new overwinter diets, free-choice mineral feeding tends to adjust itself. Some producers mix salt with their purchased mineral, in order to either increase or decrease cow mineral intake. It is common to mix 1/3 salt with 2/3 mineral, and feed it. - Clean and repair mineral feeders – Cattle don’t like to eat stale or leftover hardened mineral. I have seen cattle overeat fresh mineral, when feeders that were fully stocked once again, after not being cleaned for weeks. Furthermore, mineral feeders that are damaged (torn rubber flap) should be fixed and broken or excessively damaged feeders should be replaced. These points remind me of a frugal producer that I knew years ago. He used to pour ½ bag of cattle mineral on the ground in front of the cows each morning. By late afternoon, what wasn’t trampled was magically soaked into the wet snow. From the amount of mineral that was wasted, he could have bought an excellent quality mineral feeder, filled it with the right type of mineral, and assure that his cows met their gestation mineral and vitamin requirements during the winter.
Calling All Young SAFE Manitobans Safe Work Manitoba is looking for kids aged 8 - 12 across the province to get creative and draw their interpretation of one of four safety tips and in return, Safe Work Manitoba is offering them a chance to win an iPad. Kids can draw a picture showing how to find a safer way when faced with one of four common hazards on the farm, livestock, grain, farm equipment and chemicals. The contest is open until April 22, 2016. Contestants can enter by submitting a drawing to SAFE Work Manitoba on the entry form. The entry form may be downloaded from safemanitoba.com or ordered by calling 204-957-7233 or toll-free 1-855-957-7233 or emailing contest@safeworkmanitoba.ca. Completed entries must be mailed to SAFE Work Manitoba, 16-363 Broadway, Winnipeg, MB R3C 3N9 attention to Communications. For more contest details go to safemanitoba.com/safe-farms-drawingcontest.
The Agri Post
Manitoba Junior Provincials Coming to Rivers
December 28, 2015
Curling enthusiasts made a float to promote the Manitoba Canola Junior Provincial Curling Championships coming to Rivers on January 6 - 10, 2016. Part of the Rivers’ Santa Claus Parade, the float bought back memories of many years past when Jam Pail curling was popular.
Sea Diet for Your Crops By Les Kletke If you need some sea food in you plants diet then Ron Morton thinks that the addition of some salmon would go a long way to making crops healthier and more efficient. Ron and his father operate Grassoline Fertilizers in Campbell River, British Columbia, which produces a fertilizer from salmon. The product has been tested on some cereal crops in Saskatchewan and used on potatoes in Manitoba. He said the product can compete economically with commercial fertilizers currently on the market. It retails at $3-4 per gallon and is usually applied at 15 gallons per acre. “We have a farmer using it on his fall rye in Saskatchewan and is transitioning from conventional production to organic,” said Morton. “This product is registered with several organic associations and is fine for organic production.” On crops planted in 2104, the farmer reported that his field scale test with Grassoline yielded only 3 bushels less than the part of the field that was treated with conventional methods. “He saw only that slight drop in yield and had a healthier crop with less weed competition,” said Morton. He admits that he is not able to explain how the product reduced the weed population and does not make any claims about weed control for the product. Morton said the big advantage that his product does provide is making phosphate available for the plant. “Conventional methods tie up the phosphate in the soil and it is not available for the plant, this product breaks those bonds and the plant can more readily use the phosphate that is already in the soil,” said Morton. The process starts with adding 3% phos-
phate to the fertilizer product and it has shown a great advantage in field scale trials. He said a Manitoba potato grower used the product for in-season application. “They used it on potatoes during the season and applying it as a foliar meant it was immediately available to the plant, it did not have to be taken up by the roots and then move through the plant,” he said. The product is available in a 1,000-litre tote and is thin enough to be applied with irrigation equipment or field sprayers. “We have a system in place where the product is shipped in totes which are then returned,” he said. “We know that a farmer doesn’t need extra containers to deal with at the end of the season so we ship in 1,000 litre containers.” The product was first developed for the landscape industry, first marketed in British Columbia and has been moving west with expanded distribution and applications. “Most of today’s products are abusive to soil microbes, this product improves soil health,” said Morton. “It promotes helpful soil biology and flocculates the soil.” What originally started off as a fertizer for the landscaping industry is now finding interest in the large and small scale ag industry as an alternative for chemical crop inputs.
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Photo by Joan Airey
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December 28, 2015
The Agri Post
The Agri Post
Beware of “Things” in Your Dairy Cow’s Drinking Water A professor that once taught our nutrition class a long time ago (a long time ago) that the actual amount of water drunk by lactating dairy cows was important for milk production. However, she said it was the “things” that existed in their drinking water, which often limit their health and production during lactation. Even today, I use part of this lecture and always check water volume and quality flowing into a dairy barn, when I conduct an investigation into unsatisfactory dairy performance. Initially, the actual amount of water required by dairy cows depends upon their age, health status, body size, and milk production. Water consumption by most milk cows during a typical lactation cycle can be estimated with relative accuracy in two major ways: (1) provide 4 – 5 litres of water for every 1.0 kilo of dry matter feed consumed or (2) provide 3 – 3.5 litres of water for every litre of milk produced. Subsequently, dairy cows spend approximately 6 – 8 hours per day at the feed bunk, yet spend a nominal total of 20 – 30 minutes per day drinking water. Research field trials also demonstrate that most dairy cows prefer to do the majority of their drinking time, right after exiting the milking parlor. Cows have been shown to consume about 50 – 60% of their daily water intake within an hour after each milking. This means good design and placement of any water system should follow a cow’s natural drinking behaviour. For example in a free-stall barn, a water trough should be placed near the milking parlor exit and within 20 metres of the feed bunk or at the cross-alleys in the barn. It should also have a recovery fill-rate of about 30 to 40 litres per minute. Since most troughs are metal (plastic ones are becoming popular), each tank should be occasionally checked and guaranteed free of strayvoltage. These are sound recommendations in order to optimize water consumption by lactating dairy cows, but as my distinguished professor lectured, we also need to check out and provide high quality water. Water of questionable quality is usually non-life threatening. However, it can still have a negative effect upon other aspects of otherwise well-balanced dairy nutrition and manage-
ment, namely; decreased feed digestion and lower uptake of essential nutrients geared for good milk production. Consequently, here are some openended reallife situations where I found poor quality water caused overall poor health, reproduction and milk performance. - Several milk cows of a 300cow dairy had a mild diarrhea that never seem to disappear, despite the lactation herd being fed a well-balanced dairy diet. I did not think subclinical acidosis or other digestive upsets was the cause. All of the barn’s close-up cow group of 15 – 20 cows also had severe udder edema. A water test of total dissolved solids (TDS) revealed high saline (salt) levels. - A 70-cow milking herd drew its drinking water from untreated river water and experienced a high level of mastitis and other health issues. Although, it was occasionally treated with chlorine, this problem was repetitive and afflicted cows took a long time to recover. A water test showed high counts of environmental E.coli. - In a 200-cow dairy, the producer acknowledged that his barn- and house-water has high iron levels (lots of rust stains in every sink and the bathtub). Iron is an acknowledged nutrient for bacteria and has been implicated in salmonella outbreaks. High iron also contributes to poor tasting water. - The absolutely worst situation that I encountered concerning poor water quality issues was a 150cow dairy producer that had barn water that smelt of rotten eggs. The water coming out the tap in the
barn-sink had a literal black color. His cows suffered from low milk production,
poor reproduction and had several health problems. I believed that there was a mass of decaying matter in his well or he might have had high-sulphate levels contaminating his water or both problems. - I see in many barns where cows drop feed from their mouths and I have seen thick black sludge build up in their troughs or waterers. Algae growth is also a common sight even during winter. On one such visit, a producer started to routinely clean the algae from the cows’ exiting water troughs and noticed a slight milk increase afterwards. Granted, the corrective action necessary to solve each one of these situations was different, yet I started each “road-to-recovery” by taking water-samples and got them analyzed. The proper sample bottles and procedures were obtained by the provincial agriculture office or commercial laboratory that performed water quality tests. I sent most of the samples that were collected from each dairy barn and tested for Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), pH (acid-base test), mineral concentrations and bacteria contamination. Once, the lab analysis was completed and I reviewed them, specific action was taken in each case, where “things” in the water were found. In the last situation, the water tests were not used, because the producer walked by the water trough, noticed the scummy green water and scrubbed the tank clean.
December 28, 2015
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December 28, 2015
The Agri Post