AgriPost May 31 2013

The Agri Post

May 31, 2013

1

2

May 31, 2013

The Agri Post

Heritage Foundation Raises Funds with an Open Housebarn

By Les Kletke Not often are the two held in conjunction. Open houses tend to be a favourite way of enticing buyers to real estate properties while open barns tend to be a celebration of a new facility, particularly in dairy operations. The Village of Neubergthal is designated as a National Historic Site and was uniquely positioned to host an Open Housebarn on May 25. The village has the largest remaining group of combined house barns totalling about 40, which were common among early Mennonite settlers a century ago.

Marguerite Krahn said that nearly 200 people attended the day that featured rides for the kids, tours of existing and restored house barns and ended with a fundraising auction. The auction featured some unique heritage items like cottonwood saplings and peonies propagated from plants that came with Russian immigrants a century ago.

The daylong event was a fundraiser for the Eddy Schmidt Housebarn Educational Resource Centre, which is currently being renovated. When complete it will have a classroom to accommodate 200 people as well as other resources.

Krahn said the village is in need

of the facility, “We have had tour groups that wanted to come for the day and have an event but we did not have the facility to accommodate them.” The village already hosts groups through the summer tour season and has staff on hand from the end of June to the end of September to provide guided tours.

The Neubergthal Heritage Foundation is in consultation with several educational organizations and when the resource centre is complete it will further discussion to provide ongoing education.

“We want to use the classroom for heritage events and courses in horticulture, agriculture and heritage skills,” said Krahn. The group has worked closely with

Parks Canada and had staff from Parks Canada build the fireplace in the restored Herdsman’s House that will be operated as a bed and breakfast when fully restored. The fireplace is centred between and serves three rooms, it also does service as an oven.

One of the offerings during the Open Housebarn was bread baked in the oven along with freshly churned butter.

Krahn said the Eddy Schmidt building will also have a teaching kitchen that will allow for the continuation of life skills of the previous generation like baking bread in the fireplace oven.

The village has the traditional north-south main street with a common pasture and garden areas behind each house.

The Agri Post

May 31, 2013

Pig Code of Practice Opens for Comment

By Harry Siemens There was a time when raising livestock, especially pigs, was as simple as a pen, feed bucket, water pail, straw and some pigs. Now the industry needs to change due to public pressure from some sectors even though they may have no idea what the costs or the time it takes to put in a proposed new code of practices.

On June 1, a revised Pig Code of Practice will open for public comment.

The National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC), in partnership with industry stakeholders, the veterinary medical community, animal welfare organizations and government, is coordinating the revision of eight codes of practice, including the Pig Code of Practice.

NFACC General Manager and project coordinator, Jackie Wepruk said the Pig Code Committee has finished developing a draft code of practice, which is now ready for comment.

“Every code goes through a 60-day public comment period and that allows for multiple stakeholders to provide their input on the code of practice,” said Wepruk. “We certainly invite and desire a high level of producer input into the draft code going up on our website.

She said there is a public comment period process that enables them to take full advantage of the diverse and the significant interest for this one and previous codes that have already finished this process and helps them to organize the feedback in such a way that the code development committee can fully consider the input.

“Once the code goes up on NFACC’s web site we do a press release to inform everyone that it’s ready for public comment,” said Wepruk. “We provide the instructions as to how to most effectively ensure that we take the comments into consideration and provide the mechanism for everyone to provide that input.”

Following the 60-day public comment period, the pig code development committee considers all the feedback and finalizes the code.

Wepruk said funding for the development of all the codes comes through project funding which runs out December 31 of this year so the revised Pig Code of Practice must be in place by that time.

Lee Whittington, President and CEO of the Prairie Swine Centre in Saskatoon said an economic analysis will shed light on the anticipated costs

of complying with a proposed updated Canadian Pig Code of Practice.

“This particular code has changes in sow housing recommended, space allowance for piglets in nurseries, for grower-finisher pigs, some new recommendations for pain control, particularly at castration and environmental enrichment,” said Whittington. “These are four areas that involve not just a change of management but, in a lot of those cases an actual change of the physical structure of the barn and so the industry has decided to do an economic analysis because to add more space, for instance, is extremely expensive and we want to be sure that the discussion that takes place in society is a balanced one.”

He said that with more space for pigs the science would suggests that perhaps they could grow a little quicker.

The other side of the ledger is what it is going to cost the industry and eventually society and consumers to have that extra space.

Whittington said pork production per sow has doubled in the past 30 years so there is no question pork producers are innovative and do embrace change.

“If they look at the codes and at the cost of complying with those codes and see an opportunity to improve the welfare of the animals and the welfare of their businesses, I expect them to embrace those parts going forward.”

Loose Housing for Sows Will Cost Money

By Harry Siemens The whole process and idea of knuckling under to the pressure of people who don’t really care what it costs, and in some instances don’t even care why they are pushing for it to happen, hog farmers will be moving to group housing in sow barns.

Dr. Yolande Seddon, a researcher with the Prairie Swine Centre, is encouraging pork producers to think holistically when considering making the switch from gestation stalls to group housing of pregnant sows.

“Given the state of the industry and profit margins the last few years, what would you do?” asks hog farmer, Paul Wollman of the Huron Colony near Portage la Prairie. “Sadly, many will not be able to afford to switch over.”

While admitting that somewhere down the road their colony will have to go this route, too, it won’t happen within three years, or anytime soon, because of the restraints in the hog industry.

Facing increasing public pressure to eliminate gestation stalls, some of the largest North American pork producers are moving to group sow housing systems while many retailers feel the need to tell the public they want to source pork from stall free systems.

Seddon said when a producer considers the various components, feeding and flooring, dynamic or static grouping and time of mixing, there are over 70 possible configurations.

“Definitely you want to consider the correct feed system for the size of your herd,” she said. “If you have a larger herd size maybe you want to manage sows in larger groups. It can be easier and using an electronic sow feeder is very favorable for these systems because you can manage a large number of sows with good precision.

Seddon said that with smaller herd sizes it’s more conducive to work with smaller group sizes and to get hands on.

Some farmers will always regard individual feeding as very important and so does she.

“If they worry their staff isn’t able to handle the more complex systems such as floor feeding where you need very good hands-on sow management, then maybe they’d want to go to a gated stall system where the sows can be protected from one another and it requires less intensive stockmanship management,” she said. “So you need to weigh individually how your barn staff is, what is your existing floor plan, and what can you accommodate? All this will factor into it.”

Seddon said some producers may have to reduce their herd size slightly, but shouldn’t initially fear this because there will be greater productivity from their sows.

As colony hog producer, Wollman said, for them it will eventually happen, but he’s not holding his breath that it will happen anytime soon unless a miracle occurs and the hog industry in Manitoba experiences a real turn-around.

Like the barn on his colony, other producers are facing the same concerns. They may not have a choice because the barns are wearing out. However, with a ban on expansion in Manitoba and the state of the hog business economy, more producers will simply shut down the business instead of building new.

The question remains, who pay for these changes, especially as it pertains to upgraded facilities, especially in Manitoba where farmers cannot increase their operations by one weanling or one sow.

Prioritizing Seeds or Weeds for a Late Spring Even though seeding started later than usual, early weed, control remains a high priority.

“Without good weed control, the economic benefits of top seed genetics and high fertility rates are basically wasted,” says Kristen Phillips, Canola Council of Canada (CCC) agronomy specialist.

Fields with a large population of weeds, especially advancing winter annuals, should get a pre-seed burn off. “There is evidence that a pre-seed burn off will result in higher yields versus no preseed burn off, so you’re often better to spray before seeding rather than trying to control the weeds in crop,” Phillips says.

“Getting rid of early weed competition will give your seed the best chance possible right from the start.”

Herbicides in general tend to work best in warm sunny conditions when weeds are actively growing and cycling nutrients into their growing points. Applications made when cool cloudy days follow cool nights will result in lower herbicide efficacy than applications made in warm sunny days.

3

4

May 31, 2013

The Agri Post

Get a Bigger Picture Sometimes you have to step back and look at the bigger picture, or as a friend is fond of telling me, “If you’re the smartest guy in your group, you need a bigger group.”

That lesson was reinforced several times this month and while I knew it, a review is always good.

When I attended the Diploma Grad at the University of Manitoba, I had a chance to talk to the Certificate of Merit winner, Dan Mazier, who graduated in the 1980’s. When I asked him what the program had done for him, he was clear.

“It was the summer tour when we visited a bunch of different farms and saw how things were being done in other parts of the province,” he said. “It wasn’t that you could bring all those ideas home and put them to use on your farm but it showed you that things could be done differently and it got you thinking. It changed my thinking.” It is that kind of an attitude that made Mazier successful and a worthy recipient of the Certificate of Merit.

Earlier I got a call from my friend Morris Olafson, who is sometimes with the Manitoba Auctioneer Association and sometimes just an auctioneer but also good for a few laughs and some information, this call was right on track.

Morris pointed out that in the previous issue of this paper I had made mention of going to an auction sale and that prices were not as strong as expected. He calmly pointed out that maybe my sampling of sales was too small to draw a valid conclusion.

Here is a person who makes his living conducting sales suggesting that I, who attended one, could expand my study group. Morris is not the master of understatement on many things but this time he was. He made his point and we immediately got to talking about how prices were trending at sales.

He said combines where slow, to be expected when people have not seeded by the middle of May, but everything else, especially trucks, was strong. His observations carry more value than mine do on this topic every time.

I have had the pleasure of talking grain prices with a North Dakota market analyst and he said that he always tells his client to watch world weather as well as their back yard when making marketing decisions, for obvious reasons.

Three gentlemen I respect reinforced my friend’s opinion of expanding your circle of information. Now I just have to remember to practice what I preach.

Lifestyle Protection Your life is an asset, just like a car, a home, or a business. When you lose it, you may like to be compensated for its value without having to trade in other assets.

The mortality rate in this country has not changed.

It remains at 100 percent.

The question is what is the length of your life?

This means that the only time you have a chance at buying the family lifestyle or business protection insurance is today.

If you want to protect the ones you love you buy the insurance before you need it, otherwise it is too late.

House, car and farm insurance works this like this as well.

Another reality about life insurance; whatever amount you buy, you’ll be wrong. For example if you plan to buy what you need if you die today and you

don’t die for 20 years, you may have too little. If you buy what you’ll need to protect your expanded lifestyle 20 years from now and you die tomorrow, you may have too much.

The question you have to answer is do you want to be wrong about your insurance to your family’s benefit or to their detriment?

Also, you will want to review your insurance program whenever you experience a major life change. For example changes that happen with a marriage, mortgage and children.

Once you know the whole story, you can adjust the purchase based on your comfort, plan and budget.

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

Andy Anderson is an Associate Insurance Broker

It’s a Little Late Don’t You Think?

The Mandatory Country of Origin Labelling rule the United States implemented on the day they were to revise the old one showed huge discrimination against livestock producers in Canada and Mexico. It is reason for huge retaliation by the feds, or government funding to help put the livestock industries back on the rails.

If not, we can kiss the industries goodbye, as we know it today.

Why do I take such a strong stance on this issue? Because I warned the industry back in the early 2000s that M-COOL would devastate for sure the hog industry and most likely the cattle industry. I said so publicly and confidently to the chagrin of some in the industry at that time.

Another reason for saying so is because the federal government never really took the threat of M-COOL seriously and didn’t even negotiate with the USA to let them know this is wrong and will stand as a non-monetary trade barrier. They should have been doing that in the early 2000s.

No one did.

I call the reaction now by Ag Minister Gerry Ritz, while commendable to some extent, crying foul play or closing the pigpen gate after the pigs are cruising the neighbourhood.

I was in on the telephone media conference call with Ritz while he was in Kazakhstan on Thursday, May 23, the fateful day the Americans rubbed the WTO ruling in our collective faces. In fact, I asked the first question on what will the feds do now after the pig pen gate slammed in their our faces?

It didn’t take long and the media flurry of reports and articles hit the airwaves, netwaves and newspapers. Farm organizations, commodity groups, and even our NDP Government in Manitoba put out a hypocritical statement swearing support for a hog industry they disdain vigorously.

The battle over U.S. meat labelling laws is on the verge of becoming a trade war, screamed one headline.

A little background is in order. The WTO last year gave the U.S. until May 23 to end the discrimination against Canadian cattle and pigs under its Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) legislation.

Instead, the USDA implemented amendments that increase the economic impact of COOL on Canadian producers, according to Canadian farm groups and Ritz.

“I’m disappointed in what the US has chosen to do. We still feel they’re completely not in compliance with what the WTO ruling instructed them to do,” said Ritz. “We will do everything within our power to make sure they understand that both Canadian industry, as well as American industry, is rejecting what they have come forward with.”

Ritz said Canada is prepared to take retaliatory action when the WTO allows. The next step will see the US ask the WTO to ratify the amendments to COOL, arguing the changes bring the legislation into compliance with the country’s trade obligations.

“They may appeal if it doesn’t go in their way, and we will definitely appeal if it doesn’t go the way we think it should.

At that point you start to talk about what could be listed as a retaliatory measure,” said Ritz. “There is a process to be followed at the WTO. We will comply with that process regardless of how long it takes, because we are sure that this doesn’t comply.”

Ritz said Mexico will remain Canada’s ally in the trade dispute as the labelling laws have also hurt exports of Mexican livestock into the U.S. Well, there you have it. The other joke in this matter is the WTO that continues to blow in the wind because deadlines keep coming and going, more meetings, and yet they can’t put their own collective act together. You think the Americans will listen to an ineffective body. Me thinks not.

There you have it. Maybe it seems a bit off-the-wall this time? But isn’t it a bit of a joke when Ritz said we will wait for the WTO to do its job? I think so.

That is why the feds must come up with a tab, to the tune of one billion dollars, for the livestock industry, either from the Americans; I doubt that will happen, or from their coffers because of the inexplicable damage this has caused the hog industry and it will hit the cattle industry even harder going forward.

specializing in General, Life and Group Benefits for Farm, Commercial/Agribusiness Ph: 204-7465589 F: 866 765 3351 andya@rempelinsurance.com/ rempelinsurance.com/ valleyfinancial.ca.

Shifting Crop Insurance Deadlines

By Jon Gerrard Should there be an adjustment in crop insurance dates when crops have to be planted?

Today, in the world of climate change - where springs are generally wetter and falls are generally hotter and drier it is worth asking whether the dates to plant crops should be changed in order to be eligible for crop insurance.

Couldn’t crops be put in later and still have an excellent chance of maturing? Should a change be made as to the eligible date by which crops have to be sown in order for a farmer to get crop insurance?

In looking at this issue, it would be a mistake to make a sudden change for this year, but it would be worth looking at this problem in time for next year after doing a careful review. The solution could include more than one option.

For example, crops seeded after a specific date, when the risk becomes a little higher, could carry a slightly higher premium cost perhaps, as opposed to the situation today when there is a single premium whenever the crop is planted, provided it is planted before the deadline. In my view, it is important to do this review carefully because crop insurance is an excellent program and great care needs to be taken to make sure any change made, is done well.

I am interested in having a dialogue on this issue. If you have comments, I look forward to hearing from you at jon.gerrard@leg.gov.mb.ca or by phone at 204-945-5194.

The Agri Post

Gluttons for Gluten Recent media reports claim that some customers of western Canadian wheat are unhappy with the quality of some

shipments they’ve received. The “usual suspects” are blaming our return to an open market for the problem. They fail to

Syngenta to Scout Manitoba Ag Partners The Prairie Improvement Network (P.I.N - formerly MRAC) has received notice from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Market and Industry Services Branch (MISB), on behalf of the Canadian Consulate in Arizona, that Syngenta will be scouting Manitoba companies that are interested in commercializing and distributing their seed technologies, crop protection technologies, or other farm innovations.

Syngenta is not interested in acquiring companies; they are seeking partners to commercialize and distribute new technologies.

P.I.N. successfully facilitates the development of innovative agriculture based or related products. As P.I.N.’s parameters do not allow it to fund projects past pre-commercialization, P.I.N. is distributing this information to as many project proponents as possible in an effort to catalyze commercialization efforts.

This is a very valuable opportunity for Manitoba innovators and we highly encourage you to pass this information on through your own networks. If your company is interested, please contact Hector Urbina, marketing and trade officer for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, by calling 204-259-4063 or by e-mailing hector.urbina@agr.gc.ca Contact should be made as quickly as possible to accommodate the planning of the upcoming trade tour this year.

Syngenta is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland with more than 27,000 employees in some 90 countries dedicated to bringing plant potential to life. Business is mainly focused on herbicides, insecticides and fungicides for crop protection, field crops, vegetables and flower seeds, seed care products, turf,

garden, home care and public health products.

Main production sites are located in Monthey and Kaisten, Switzerland, Grangemouth and Huddersfield, UK, Greens Bayou, TX, Omaha, NE, and St. Gabriel, LA, of the U.S.A., Aigues-Vives and St. Pierre-la-Garenne, France, Nantong, China, Goa, India and Paulinia, Brazil. The companies’ shares are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Swiss Stock Exchange.

Syngenta’s total global sales were over $14 million in 2012.

acknowledge that similar complaints were made when the single desk still dominated. Or that the non-monopoly market will actually make it much easier to resolve such issues.

First, the complaint that has to do with the gluten strength of our wheat. Gluten is a mixture of proteins with two main physical properties. One, extensibility, is the ability to be stretched and the other, elasticity, is the resistance to stretching. You need a reasonable balance of both factors in dough to ensure good results when you cook it.

We know a lot about gluten. We know that protein composition is specific to different varieties of wheat and that factors like temperature, precipitation, fertilization and physical damage from midge and plant diseases like fusarium can lead to

May 31, 2013

Penners Points

by Rolf Penner

weakened rolfpenner@agripost.ca dough. Our registration system for strength of our wheat varieties of the Canada have occurred over the Western Red Spring past several years. The class of wheat has strict Canadian Grain guidelines on gluten Commission’s annual strength, but differquality reports that are ences still exist amongst readily available on its the available varieties. website, confirm that low Stewart Wells, gluten strength has been National Farmers Union, an issue in the prairie past President and wheat crop for five years former Canadian Wheat now.

Board (CWB) director, is Those who look at the one of the people issue from a scientific, claiming that customer rather than a political concerns about low angle, agree that a gluten strength in our combination of weather wheat is related to the and the genetic makeup demise of single desk of some popular selling of wheat. He varieties appear to be goes so far as to say factors in the dilemma. It that CWB directors, is also interesting to “were never told about note that in recent years such problems,” while low gluten strength has he was there. also been an issue in the One can only specuUnited States. late why this was the Some have suggested case because the an information campaign problem most certainly be directed towards did exist while he was farmers as a means for on the Board. Both the rectifying the problem.

CWB and the Canadian However, while end International Grain users may care about Institute confirm that gluten strength, farmers complaints about the really don’t. To a farmer,

5

it’s basically price multiplied by yield dictates what will grow.

This is where the open market can actually help.

Rather than lumping everything together, as is the case with the current class system, discounts and premiums could be offered to point growers in the right direction. A premium for growing a variety more likely to have high gluten strength is going to get a farmer’s attention far quicker and far more effectively than any radio ad. Farmers respond to market signals, not glossy ad campaigns.

Yes, many out there may long for the good old days when they were blissfully unaware of issues like gluten strength and they may believe that somehow this ignorance was an advantage of the old single desk. It certainly wasn’t.

It is far better that these quality problems are now out in the open so that proper market signals are sent to everyone involved. That way farmers, grain companies and breeders can now all take the appropriate steps to restore our reputation as a consistent supplier of high quality wheat.

6

May 31, 2013

The Agri Post

The Agri Post

May 31, 2013

7

Family Operated Garden Market Introduces Pick Your Own Vegetable

By Harry Siemens FRESH.Garden Market located 1/2 mile west of Winkler is introducing a fresh garden market, open all summer for the first time and offering in-season, delicious and nutritious fresh fruit and vegetable choices for anyone interested.

“Our market will also provide you with recipes and the inspiration you need to get creative in preparing and preserving your fresh produce to enjoy all year long,” says the Falk family’s website.

Richard and Michelle Falk moved from a home in the City of Winkler, to ½ mile west where they have a significant acreage.

“We bought this property about a year ago, and we were thinking about what we could do with it,” said Michelle. “We came up with the idea of doing some market gardening, spoke to a number of people and they felt this was a great idea because they were looking for chemical free produce. That was something we could try.”

Richard said they are putting in about 3 acres of veg-

etables grown without chemicals.

Their daughter Katelyn, who finished year one of the diploma course in the School of Agriculture at the University of Manitoba, is home for the summer managing the project.

Katelyn, too, caught the vision and excitement and in February started putting plans in place on how to do it and what to plant.

“In addition to common garden crops, we will also offer several varieties of squash, gourmet corn, rhubarb, heirloom tomatoes, beets, edamame, yellow potatoes, herbs and much more,” said Michelle. “We planted 18 different crops, 50 different varieties of those crops trying out a lot of new things to see what works well with our land.

Those we will sell in the market on the yard.”

Michelle elaborates on their marketing efforts starting with the yard’s market garden that has a stand open all summer until the produce is available.

“Secondly, we’re offering shares in the garden for $150, giving the members access to those gardens

planted with the nine most common garden crops,” she said. “We plant, water, weed it completely chemical free and soon as the veggies are ready for picking, we send out an email or call them to let them know and they get about three ice cream pails of produce per crop from the nine crops planted in the ‘Shared Garden’ plots.”

She said the response is overwhelming and the people are loving it, even people from Winnipeg are excited. They see the value in chemical free produce and are willing to drive out and pick their own produce. It will give their children the opportunity to see where their food is coming from.

“You are able to harvest fresh garden produce without the daily care involved in tending to the garden. No seeding, watering, or weeding! We take care of all of that,” she said. “You simply enjoy the experience of picking fresh and delicious produce the moment it is ready!”

Michelle said perhaps people don’t have the space for a home garden or

the time to care for it. Or maybe they simply want the health benefits or the enjoyment of spending time in the garden, picking their own vegetables.

The third area of marketing is rather unique called fresh.FirstFruits. The idea behind it is to share the harvest with those in need.

There are two ways this will happen.

“First,” said Michelle, “fresh.FirstFruits will donate the first portion of every crop harvested to Winkler’s Central Station

who will distribute it to local families in need. Secondly, you can support a local family with a share in the ‘Shared Garden’, giving them the opportunity to pick fresh vegetables to feed their family.”

Each donated ‘Shared Garden’ membership will be available for $100.

“Everything we harvest, we will donate a portion of it to the Central Station.

They in turn [will] give it to people in the city who are in need of fresh veggies for the summer,” she said. “In

addition, Central Station is also identifying families who are able to come here and pick their own vegetables and they will be receiving a free membership to the garden.”

When asked when she figures the first pickings will happen she said, “That is a good question, because everything is going in a little bit later. So hopefully by the end of June or early July things will start happening,” she said.

Katelyn, Michelle and Richard Falk are opening their new fresh garden market this June.

Picture courtesy of Michelle Falk

8

The Agri Post

May 31, 2013

School of Agriculture Awards Diplomas at 106th Convocation Sixty-seven graduates received their Diplomas in Agriculture at the 2013 convocation of the School of Agriculture held Friday, May 3 at the University of Manitoba.

Tanner Nicoll of MacGregor received the Governor General’s Bronze Medal, an award given to the graduate with the highest standing in general proficiency in the two-year Diploma Program in Agriculture. Tanner was also the recipient of the President’s Medal, given annually to a student who combines scholarship with outstanding qualities of leadership.

Diplomas with Distinction, awarded to students who obtain a Grade Point Average of 3.75 or better out of a possible 4.5, were presented to Adrian Borstlap (Haywood), Thea Green (High River, AB), Patrick Hamilton (Miami), Nadine Hildebrand (Manitou), Steven Hird (Treherne), Matthew Lowry (Neepawa), Tanner Nicoll, and Keenan Wiebe (Springstein).

Amy Stewart of St. Pierre-Jolys provided the valedictory address.

The Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences annually awards Certificates of Merit to degree and diploma graduates from the Faculty who have made significant contributions to the agri-food industry. This year’s certificate to a diploma alumnus was presented to producer and community leader Dan Mazier of Justice, Manitoba. The certificate to a degree alumnus was given posthumously to the late Allan Chambers of Belmont, MB, who farmed, taught for the School of Agriculture and served the agricultural community in many capacities.

Teacher of the Year Awards were presented to Rob Gulden and Don Johnson.

Gulden, a Professor in the Department of Plant Science, was recognized by the first-year Diploma students and Johnson, an instructor in Biosystems Engineering, was selected by the second-year Diploma students.

Since its inception in 1906, the Diploma in Agriculture program at the School of Agriculture has undergone many changes and challenges to meet the ever-growing needs of Canada’s agri-food industry. Students opt for one of four programs in crop management, livestock management, business management or general agriculture, depending on their career aspirations.

Teacher has Taught 4,000 Students and Worked Countless Acres

By Les Kletke Don Johnson has put down his chalk for the last time. After 37 years of teaching Farm Machinery and Farm Power at the School of Agriculture he is retiring. Fittingly he was named instructor of the year by the graduating class one more time. He has won the award in five different decades, a milestone few could even dream of challenging.

In his 37 years of teaching Johnson has had 3,579 students graduate from his classes, which were compulsory to the program, though with a few that didn’t graduate the number nears 4,000. He has no idea of the number of acres of farmland that are under the control of the students he influenced which, in some cases, was three generations.

His career chronicles the innovation of farm machinery from the 1970s.

“When I started we spent a lot of time on discers and how to set them,” he said. “We still have a session on discers because there are still farms using them but most of them are sold by the pound now (to scrap dealers). We even had a session of plows when I started but that was on its way out.”

Rotary combines were a novel innovation when he began teaching. Today they are a standard and air seeders command most attention in the seeding portion of the program.

“Discers do little more than spread the seed by today’s standard of precision seeding,” he said. “But they had a huge role in what they did when they were introduced.” He likened their precision to that of a chainsaw and chuckles recalling more changes.

The one thing that has not changed is his interaction with students. “I tried to get to know the students and the type of farm they came from, but that has changed with fewer of them coming from a farm and some having no farm experience when they come into the program.” He counts the highlight of his career as being able to attend a trade show like Ag Days and know someone at almost every booth.

Johnson says with the addition of more non-farm students is just one of the changes that added to the challenges of teaching the Diploma program.

“The classes were so varied it was difficult to determine a starting point. We had some mature students returning who had years of experience and we had others who had not been on a farm. That was a challenge to find the starting point,” he said. “You also see a real change in maturity in the two years from people who came in right out of high school to the end of their second year.”

“They went from the high school attitude of things being assignments necessary to graduate to realizing these were things that would affect their careers or ability to get a job and suddenly their approach was different.” He says that during his time of teaching the overall background of students changed, as they were more aware of the world on a larger scale, “The internet did that, they had a much broader picture

Giving Back Before Graduation

By Les Kletke

Don Johnson addressed the graduation banquet of the School of Agriculture.

Johnson taught nearly 4,000 students in his 37 years with the school and was named instructor of the year.

than just that of their farm or the area where they grew up.”

“One thing that didn’t change was that they are good people. They were here because they wanted to be and that made them good students,” says Johnson.

Johnson remembers the day he applied for a job that led to the 37 one-year contracts he completed. He had taught High School at Glenboro for five years and wanted to be closer to the family farm at Domain.

“I went in to ask about being a session instructor and one of my former professors said there was an opening in the Ag Engineering Department teaching Farm Machinery and Farm Power. That was around Easter and I started that fall and just kept coming back.”

He said that a highlight of his career was seeing China. “Going to China to do a seminar on seeding canola and having people from China come to visit our farm,” he said.

“It was a bit difficult to work through an interpreter but when we got out on the farm they understood things before the interpreter could translate.”

Right: Dean Michael Trevan presents Brett Sheffield with a plaque recognizing his achievements in the Student Entrepreneur Competitions. Sheffield who farms at Pilot Mound won the national competition and placed 3rd in the International Competition last fall.

Brett Sheffield had not yet graduated from the School of Agriculture at the University of Manitoba and decided it was time to put something back into the industry and volunteer to spread the message of agriculture to an inner city school where students have little chance to meet a real live farmer.

Sheffield, who graduated in early May, had spent time during the term volunteering at R.H. Smith School in Winnipeg. He plans to continue the contact into the spring and give students the chance to understand farming first had.

Sheffield has grown his Next Generation Farm from 160 to 4,500 acres on his own. His father operates his own farm and the two may work together in busy times but each operation is run individually. Last year Sheffield competed in the Student Entrepreneur program moving on from the prairie competition to the National Level where he was awarded first place and went on to the Global Student Entrepreneurial Awards and placed third.

He said the competition not only forced him to think through the operation of his farm but also gave him countless valuable contacts.

“The contacts from the Global Student Competition and the MIT in Boston are great,” he said, “And while in Toronto I got to talk to the people on the Dragons Den.” Not much could be a greater thrill for someone with the entrepreneurial bent of Sheffield who also owns the gym in Pilot Mound. He stepped in to keep it open when the owner was about to close it due to lack of membership. He devised a program that would keep the gym in the community.

Sheffield also spearheaded an effort to start a chapter of Enactus at the University of Manitoba. The group brings together students academics and business people with a bent to the entrepreneurial spirit.

He has increased the acreage of his farm this year, as well as looking at some new management techniques involving tile drain.

“We have some pretty interesting things going on there,” he said, “We will be looking at water management in a new way, and not just getting it off the land in the spring time.” He has purchased equipment that will allow him to install the tile drainage, not only on his farm, but also as a commercial venture.

He may be busy growing his own business but Brett Sheffield has taken the time to tell the next generation about farming, and they are going to be meeting a very different farmer than most people would expect.

The Agri Post

God Made Farmers but the University Made Aggies

By Les Kletke

Leaders Recognized

By Les Kletke

Don Mazier was recognized with the Certificate of Merit honouring alumni from the School of Agriculture. Vice-Provost David Collins presented him with the award.

Mazier is vice president of KAP and a graduate of the school.

began work with Simplot in Brandon. He left Simplot in 2001 and diversified the farm operation to include oilseeds, seed production, cattle, poultry and sheep. He was a founding member of Keystone Agricultural Producers’ (KAP) Young Farmer Forum, is currently the Vice President of KAP and is the Chair of the Workplace and Employment Committee.

“Getting involved in the industry is just a part of who we are,” he said at the Graduation Banquet.

9

It’s a Good Mix

By Les Kletke

“They needed students who were hard working, dedicated to agriculture, yet open to the rest of the world, students who would rip their hair out, curse at the work while staying up late to finish an assignment.

“So the University created the Diploma Program,” said Amy Rae Stewart in the valedictory address of the 106th class of the School of Agriculture. Stewart grew up on a farm at St. Pierre-Jolys and is moving to Roblin to accept a job with the Parkland Crop Diversification Centre. It is not by coincidence that fiancé Kevin Thompson is from Roblin.

Stewart had the assembly’s attention with her play on Paul Harvey’s Amy Stewart delivered newscast that came to prominence again this year being the voice over the Valedictory for a Dodge Truck ad during the Super Bowl. The “I need a caretaker.”

Address for the 106 So God made a farmer advertisement went viral on the internet in the Class of the School of Agriculture. Stewart days following America’s greatest sporting extravaganza but Stewart grew up on a farm at did not decide to use it until much later.

St. Pierre and has “I was thinking about what I could base my address on and I rememaccepted a job at the bered the commercial that had gone viral after the Super Bowl and Parkland Diversificathought I could change a few things and it would fit for the Diploma tion Center.

Class,” said Stewart. Her choice proved a popular one as everyone in the audience could relate to either the original newscast or the commercial of 2013.

The original newscast aired in 1978, years before Stewart was born. Paul Harvey did it again in 2009 and the newscast remained one of his most popular, resulting in radio stations being inundated with requests for the script.

Stewart was not even sure who Paul Harvey was but she knew the words used in the Ram truck commercial lent themselves to her variation depicting what Diploma Students go through in their two years at the School of Agriculture.

“They needed students who would sit in the Atrium and discuss the weather, the newest farm machinery, and brag about canola yields.

Students who would argue about the colour of their tractors, the right breed of cattle or that Club is the best beer. So they created the Diploma Program,” she said.

Looking to the future she said that the learning was not over and that while some may be returning to farms and others to careers, “We Amy Stewart of St. Pierre-Jolys receiving the will continue learning and will be forever Aggies, FASO Major Award from Senior Stick Nick proud of who we are and passionate about what Lea. we do.”

She joked that anyone who had gone through the Communications Course could have given the speech but she was the one that agreed. Those assembled were sure the class had made the right choice in selecting the spokesperson for their class.

Amy Stewart knows what it takes to be an Aggie.

Dan Mazier was genuinely surprised to be named the recipient of the Certificate of Merit at the School of Agriculture for 2013 along with Stewart Allan Chambers who passed away in October 2012.

Chambers farmed near Belmont and served as acting Director of the School in the 1980’s, taught at the University of Manitoba, worked in Oman and Sudan for the Canadian International Development agency and served the agricultural community in many capacities. Chambers also served as a municipal Councillor for the RM of Gimli and as the Director of the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame. He was the first General Manager of the Manitoba Cattle Producers Association and remained an agitator for change and improvement in farming methods and policy throughout his life.

Mazier grew up on a farm at Justice and after graduating in 1984 returned to the farm and

May 31, 2013

Don Johnson, who retired after 37 years of teaching in the program, was one of the people that Mazier lists as being impactful.

“Don and Jack Nesbitt are the two that I would single out as having the most impact on my career,” he said, “Johnson’s Farm Machinery course was practical and introduced a lot of new ideas.

Dr. Nesbitt taught communications and that has been very valuable as I became involved in farm organizations.”

He has not restricted his in-

Mat Lowry plans to mix hockey and farming for as long as he can and maybe have the hockey career help him build the land base on his farm at Neepawa. Lowry was part of the School of Agriculture class that graduated in early May and planned to head to the farm to begin seeding.

He was able to attend the ceremony because the Greenville Road Warriors had been eliminated in the early rounds of the playoffs in the Eastern Hockey League. He graduated with Distinction maintaining a 3.85 GPA while finishing his final year of the program and making the move to Greenville South Carolina for a playoff run with the Warriors. He also received a Minor Award from the Faculty for his involvement in extra circular activities and contribution in the area of leadership development.

“I was finished most of my courses and was waiting for exams,” he said. “(Director) Michel Rogalsky helped a lot with being able to make it work so that I could finish my courses and write my exams down there while playing hockey.” He had the exams proctored at a University in South Carolina and was able to write them on his off days from the hockey schedule.

Hockey has been a big part of Lowry’s life, playing in the WHL for Medicine Hat and

Brandon before turning his talents to the Manitoba Bisons at the University of Manitoba.

He has also suited up for the Elmira Jackals of the Eastern Hockey League and the Bingham Senators of the American Hockey League, both affiliates of the Ottawa Senators.

In the off-season, he has managed to build a 740-acre land base for his own farm and work with his father Bert on his 3,000-acre operation.

What are his future plans?

“We’ll see how the summer goes and if I get a call to go south in the fall, I would like to continue to play hockey as long as possible,” said Lowry.

“If I can make it work with the farming that would be great and so far the seasons have fit.” It is not the typical off farm job that many returning graduates are considering but pro hockey may be the answer for Mat Lowry.

His father Bert is a graduate of the Faculty of Agriculture and his mother Linda is a graduate of the Faculty of Home Economics, which was originally a part of the agriculture faculty.

Multiple AAward ward Winner Tanner Nicoll from MacGregor received many awards, including President’s Medal and Governor General’s Bronze Medal. Here he is receiving one of the medals from University of Manitoba ViceProvost Dr. David Collins.

volvement to agricultural organizations, having served as a Trustee on the Board of the Rolling River School Division as well as being a founding member of the Elton Energy Cooperative, which has developed a model for a provincewide power program that allows investment in renewable energy projects. He has also been on the board of the Justice Community Club and founded the local farmers market.

The Diploma Program gave Mazer insight to different farming solutions.” It exposed me to new ideas,” he said.

“The summer tour took us around the province and

showed us things I had not seen before. You think everywhere is like where you farm and that is not the case. I remember visiting Joe McCutchoen in Carman and that was a real eye-opener.”

McCutchoen was a leader in zero-till farming methods in the 1970s and early 80s. His farm was a regular stop on the summer tour for several years when the idea of zero-till was just emerging.

“That was at a time when Roundup was $25 a litre and when the price came down we were aware of what could be done and ready to convert because of what we had seen,” said Mazier.

Mat Lowry (second from left) hopes to mix pro hockey and farming for at least the next few years, he was part of the graduating class of the School of Agriculture after a run in the playoffs with the Grenville Road Warriors. Jenna Bundy also figures in his future plans, parents Linda Lowery and Bert Lowery are also grads of the University of Manitoba.

10

May 31, 2013

The Agri Post

Seeding Window Stabilized in Southwest

By Les Kletke Farmers southwest of the capital region have been able to get their planting done and stay very close to their intended schedules.

Tom Greaves is with Pitura Seed at Domain and he said that many farmers were nearing completion of seeding by May 26 and some are done entirely.

“We had very few changes in plans from our customers,” said Greaves. “In early May we thought it unlikely that we would be on the field by the middle of the month but things dried up and fellows were able to get the seed in the ground.” He said the turnabout came May 8 or 9. “That is when things really seemed to make a change and suddenly it looked like we would get on the field in normal times in normal conditions.”

He credits an early heavy snowfall with keeping the frost from going down too far and that allowed the soil to warm up quickly. He reported soil temperatures in the 15C range early in the week leading up to the 26th of May. “The heavy rains on May long weekend kept farmers off for a few days but they were back on the field by the middle of that week, and many were putting their beans into the ground,” said Greaves.

Pitura Seed is part of the NorthStar group and a significant factor in the soybean business in Manitoba.

When asked if he expects the increase in acres of soybeans to materialize, he was affirmative in his response.

“Yes, judging from our area we will see a significant increase in soybean acres,” he said. “Many of the growers have experience with the crop and they adjusted plans to make the acreage work. There might not be as big an increase in the crop as expected in Saskatchewan but there will still be a significant increase.”

Greaves said that the two inches of rain that fell in the Domain area was absorbed quickly and may have helped to warm the soil as well.

“The fellows were able to get back on the field quickly and many had already finished their cereals and canola so they were ready to get started planting beans,” he said. “They got back on the field and the soil was warm so they are staying with their original plans.” He does acknowledge that it will not be an early year and some areas of the province had significantly more rain, which is holding up seeding for longer.

No Big Changes in Seeding

By Les Kletke Small to none is how Allan Calder rates the changes his seed customers made because of the late spring and heavy rains on the May long weekend.

“We might have seen a 5-10 percent change in varieties,” said Calder, one of the principals of Blink Bonnie Farms at Lettelier. The company is a Pioneer dealer specializing in corn seed and soybeans.

He said the intended acres of corn did not drop and there was little change to earlier maturing varieties.

“There is a buffer built into the varieties selection,” he said. “We try to do that when we talk to the grower about selecting a variety so most of them have some type of cushion and they might be planting a bit later than usual but it was not a panic situation.”

On May 26 Calder said planting was underway on their own farm while trucks were picking up seed orders. They had completed seeding of their cereals but still had some canola to plant.

“Our cereals went in early and most of the fields have emerged with a good stand,” he said. “Most of the cereals look good.” He said their farm does not have any barley but fields in the area look good with even emergence. “You would see a field with nothing emerging and two days later you could see the rows, which is a good sign that emergence is even.” He expects those plants to have good seedling vigor because they have not been in the ground long before emergence.

The Lettelier area had three inches of rain on the May long weekend and that idled planting operations for the week.

“Most fellows had their cereals and canola in and now when things dry up they are going to be concentrating on their beans,” he said.

Calder was hesitant to give a reading on soil temperatures saying that they varied greatly from farm to farm.

“Some fellows had some low temperatures and others claimed the ground had warmed up, it just depends on the depth the probe went in,” he said with a chuckle. “It will really depend what the weather does now, but the rain may have helped warm things up a bit.”

The farmers that had the greatest delay were those closest to the Red River, “They have standing water and are waiting but when the water goes down they will be able to get on those fields and should make good progress.”

The Agri Post

May 31, 2013

11

12

May 31, 2013

The Agri Post

The Agri Post

“Learn to Do by Doing” the 4-H Motto Was the Order of the Day

By Joan Airey Rapid City Chutes n’ Boots 4-H Rodeo Club hosted the South Parkland 4-H Fun and Recreation Day in Rapid City on May 18. Thirteen clubs from the region attended.

Eighteen equine 4-H’ers learned how to improve their horsemanship under the guidance of Tara Hofer of the Brandon area. Susan Wright helped them improve their showmanship while Lacey and Geri Lyn Marshall taught goat typing to 18 eager 4-H’ers. Rapid City Beef Club held a judging and showmanship clinic for eleven Beef Club members,” explained Ann Hunter, event Coordinator. “Clayton Robins did a judging workshop with the older members.

Fourteen multipurpose club members from the region took in the ceramic workshop put on by Fun Time Pottery of Brandon.

They painted memorabilia mugs and plates. The rose buds, the newest age category, introduced into 4-H this year for members 7-8 years old decorated cookies and served them to all members attending.”

Fun was incorporated into the day with an “Amazing Race” in and around Rapid City. The 4H’ers thought the race was a great experience as they made new friends while the teams were made from mixed ages and

May 31, 2013

21

4-H FFun un Fest PPromises romises Fun and Great PPrizes rizes The 4-H Manitoba Fun Fest will take place in conjunction with the Carman Country Fair from Thursday, July to Sunday, July 13.

Now in its second year at the Dufferin Agricultural Grounds, Fun Fest will feature a wide variety of activities for 4-H members along with amazing prizes including the trip to the 4-H Pro Show in Nova Scotia.

Registration deadline is Friday, June 14. Forms are available on the Manitoba 4-H website 4h.mb.ca.

Fun Fest schedule: Wednesday, July 10 7 - 9 pm - Pre-Show Equine Clinic in Ring 1

Thursday, July 11

FRISCO (Kassidy Heapy) the 4-H mascot gives Kate-Leigh Heapy of Rapid City Chute n’ Boots 4H Rodeo Club a hug. Sara Hunter and Kassidy Heapy took turns being Frisco at the Fun and Recreation Day. Photo by Joan Airey

clubs. A hundred year quiz was held for everyone to participate in.

Interviews took place for bursaries and gold watch awards for senior members. Awarded gold watches were Alison Greaves, Decker Country Riders, Cassidy Ross, Minnedosa and Lisa Rystafanick, Newdale 4-H Clubs. Bursaries were awarded to Katie Hunter, Rapid City Chutes n Boots 4-H Rodeo Club,

Laura Horner, Rapid City Beef Club, and Robyn Gerrard, Strathclair 4-H club.

Ninety-five attended the evening supper supplied

by Rapid City Chutes n Boots 4-H Rodeo Club and Maple Leaf donated the pork loin for supper and a 100 Year 4-H Birthday cake was served.

“FCC earlier in the 4-H year held a “Shout Out For 4-H Contest”.

Pipestone Beef Club won

the top prize of $1000.

They have the chance to compete for another $1,000 at national level representing Manitoba 4H. Rapid City Chutes n’ Boots 4H Rodeo Club, a new club with 15 members, placed second in Manitoba receiving a prize of $750.” said Ann Hunter.

Forty-three 4-H’ers went home with new knowledge and new friends.

9 am - Noon - Registration and drop-off of project book for judging at the Carman Arena 10 am – Noon - Horse Show in Ring 1 1 - 5 pm - Horse Show in Ring 1 Noon – 7 pm - Sheep Display in Barn area 1 - 4 pm - Multi-Purpose Project Competition drop off at office in Arena 1 - 4 pm - The Amazing Race meets at Fun Fest office in Arena 5:30 - 7 pm - Banquet in the Carman Arena 7:30 - 8:30 pm - Swimming at Carman Pool 8 - 9 pm - Stall sign judging takes place

Friday, July 12

8 - Noon - Horse Show in Ring 3 Dairy Show in tent north of Show Rings Beef Show in Ring 2 9 am - 5 pm - Sheep Display in Barn area 1 - 4 pm - Working Bee to Make the Parade Float south of Arena 4 - 5 pm - Livestock Judging Competition in Ring 2 5 - 6 pm - Supreme Showmanship Competition in Ring 2 7 pm Finale - Presentations and Announcements in Ring 2

Saturday, July 13

9 am - Noon - Participate in Carman Fair parade (details to come)

22

May 31, 2013

The Agri Post

The Agri Post

One Rain Away

By Les Kletke As of May 26 Rod Pokrant was one rain away from finishing seeding and one rain away from changing his seeding plans.

With rain in the forecast later in the day and to carry on for another three days Pokrant was hoping to finish planting the soybeans he had in the tank of his air seeder.

“The conditions are not ideal but we would like to get this last 60 acres in before the rain,” he said. “They have already been inoculated and we can’t leave them for so long before the inoculate is useless.”

The tight period was contingent on one or two factors and is typical of what most farmers in Manitoba faced this spring. Pokrant was able to stay with the plans he had made in winter for most of his acreage and he was down to the final field.

“If it doesn’t rain, we will continue seeding tomorrow and be done with exactly what we had planned,” he said. “If it rains for a couple of days, we might have to change the plans for the last 260 acres.” For him the excess moisture is particularly critical since he farms on heavy clay soils north of Rosenfeld, and after more than two inches of rain on the May long weekend conditions were tense at best.

“We got the cereals in early and they look good coming out of the ground,” he said. “But with the rain last weekend soil conditions are tough, especially around ditches.” If the rain held off for another day he was confident he would finish and would get the soybeans he had planned.

He has reduced his rotation to three crops: wheat, soybeans and canola. The early canola was already emerging and he was pleased with it.

“The soil has warmed up quickly and we have been pleased with that,” he said. “Conditions were good until [the May long weekend] but now it is a challenge and we want to get these beans in the ground before the inoculants becomes inactive.”

Again Mother Nature will make the call.

May 31, 2013

23

24

May 31, 2013

The Agri Post

The Agri Post

May 31, 2013

25

26

The Agri Post

May 31, 2013

Prevention is the Best Medicine for Foot Rot

By Peter Vitti Spring is barely here and many producers across the prairies are seeing an increased incidence of foot rot in their beef cowherds.

For some people, this year’s foot rot could be traceable to the cows’ harsh winter or compromised health status. Others have not seen much foot rot for many years and then all of a sudden it strikes back with a vengeance. In either case, quick medical treatment can get most limping cows back on their feet, but preventing this common hoof disease with good management and nutrition seems to be the best medicine before foot rot takes over performance and profits in a well-run herd.

Practical observations by many experienced beef farmers proves that about 3/ 4 of all pasture diagnosis of lame cattle are valid foot rot infections. Even from a casual walk near the fenceline, an afflicted animal might be seen favouring one hind leg while another cow could be visibly limping in pain.

Upon getting one of these animals with in a chute and lifting up its sore hoof, the chances are good that space between their claws (interdigital space) is inflamed.

Such progressive infections tend to separate the hoof claws, the skin between the toes is likely cracked and dying tissue is present. The classic smell of rotting flesh is also evident, which gives foot rot its name.

Such a serious infection starts with a deep scrape, cut, or puncture wound around the inter-digital space (space between the claws) of the hoof. This opens the hoof to anaerobic (lives without oxygen) bacteria called Fusobacterium necrophorum, but also may include other invaders such as strep and staph organisms, all found in soil, manure and sometimes even in the rumen of the cows themselves.

This means that since foot rot cannot go through unbroken hoof tissue, any significant penetration or abrasion from stubble, rocks, and stones in mud may cause physical injury to cattle hooves and thus open them up to invasion by bacteria. It also seems that cattle are more vulnerable when their hooves are particularly pliable, such as when constantly standing in wet pastures. In contrast, cattle even raised under the driest conditions can also be

affected by foot rot when the skin of their hooves become chapped and cracked.

It is also well documented that foot rot is a contagious cattle disease. Pus and discharge from swollen feet will contaminate muddy ground or water and other cattle can become infected within a day if they walk in the same pasture ending up with similar injuries to their hooves. Several environmental studies have shown that foot rot bacteria can live a year in unfrozen ground, mud or manure.

Regardless of how a beef cow becomes infected, immediate antibiotic treatment is always warranted. Foot rot is a progressive disease and, if left neglected, the infection will travel to the pastern area below the dewclaws and upward to the point between the animal’s ankle and the hock. Its spread can encompass the soft tissues of this area, which includes the muscles and tendons. If the infection affects the fetlock joint, an endemic arthritis may result.

Fortunately, it is relatively easy to control if the infection is caught early.

Antibiotic treatments upon the advice of a veterinarian can get cows back on their “feet” with three to four days with the correct drug therapy. There are vaccines available to control foot rot but at this time, they are not routinely used.

Despite the relative ease of treating one or two cows with foot rot, any therapy is still costly and timeconsuming. Therefore, prevention of foot root from

getting a hold of any cow is the best medicine. Preventing infection and thus reducing the incidence in most herds can be accomplished in two major ways, namely, drylot pasture management and nutrition.

To start, deal with anywhere cattle hooves can be injured such as on stubble-grazed fields or in drylots with abrasive rocks or rough concrete pads. It is an opportunity for the foot rot organisms that take up residence in the ground.

Alternative grazing areas might be considered in place

of stony fields, where past injuries or foot rot infections have been a significant problem.

Since foot rot is a soilborne organism, it is equally important to manage acceptable pastures, particularly those fields with poor drainage, because increased moisture of the cows’ hooves results in a loss of integrity and increased rate of hoof wear.

Under wet conditions, it is a good idea to implement more frequent movement of cattle especially in rotational grazing programs including a lowering of the stock rate wherever practical. Large areas that are constantly under water might be fenced off or possibly drained.

Nutrition is the other method used to combat foot

rot in many cattle herds. Of the many essential nutrients that play important role in the production of good hoof horn (re: protein, fat, minerals and vitamins), zinc fed to cattle in its “chelated form” (a zinc molecule attached to an amino acid) is thought to reduce the incidence of foot rot in the cowherd.

The is that organic zinc can strengthen hoof horn walls and therefore make them less susceptible to invading Fusobacterium necrophorum organisms. For example, the University of Illinois demonstrated that when zinc-methionine was fed to a group of heifers for 75 days, they had significantly stronger hooves, which was thought to be a good barrier against pathogenic bacteria.

From a different angle, copper, selenium and vitamin E are also believed to improve hoof health. These nutrients are involved with supporting good cell integrity and health within the hoof. They are also essential for a strong immune system, which directly fights the actual foot rot infection.

Keep in mind that good prevention through sound management and nutrition does not eliminate all foot rot from most cattle herds, but is an effective means of reducing the number of cows limping around. For those individual cows that are seen limping with it, it is a matter of treating them early for effective control. Nobody wants foot rot to get a “toehold” in their herd and in their pocketbook.

The Agri Post

It’s All About the Roots

May 31, 2013

Agriculture embraces high tech to ease workload

Call the Video Surveillance Guy

By Les Kletke Brian Elgert describes his company’s product as “a stress reducer for plants” and he said that you can count on plants being under stress, especially in a year like this where the seed is going into cold wet ground. Elgert is a believer in the adage that the crop is set to achieve the ideal yield when the seed is placed in the seed box and it goes down from there.

“Anything you can do to reduce the stress on the plant will help you reach closer to that maximum yield potential,” said Elgert, who is the Manitoba Territory Manager for Omex Agricultural Incorporated.

While the company has a wider range of products, the one that Elgert feels will be the greatest benefit to Manitoba farmers this year is C3. The product has a nutrient content of 6-12-6 and the application is to be combined with a herbicide.

“Canola typically stalls out in the 3-5 leaf stage and cereals in the 5 leaf stage,” he said. “The addition of C3 gives the plant a boost and allows it to establish a bigger healthier root system, this is at the time the roots may not yet have hit that band of fertilizer placed below and to the side of the seed.”

Elgert said that farmers often ask him about how much they can reduce their nutrient program when using C3. “I tell them they can’t reduce the program at all. This is intended to give the plant a boost and could help with a better up take of the nutrients that they are already applying.”

The product is intended for use on canola and cereals.

Ken Friesen, of Oakville, tried the product last year and split a canola field with half getting a treatment and half left untreated.

“I could see a real difference when I swathed the field,” Friesen said. “The treated area was a much darker green and the crop seemed to hold on longer.” Friesen combined the areas separately and weighed the yield, “It was a bad year for a trial because it was so dry and I got an increase of two bushels an acre on a 30 bushel crop.”

Wiebe uses a price of $12 a bushel and said the return of $24 an acre on the investment of less than $8 an acre has piqued his interest.

“I am going to try another field this year,” he said, “I will put it on my winter wheat with the broadleaf wheat control and do another trial. If it shows well I will be using it on more of the farm next year.”

Elgert said C3 is registered to be mixed with most herbicides and that is the way that most farmers choose to apply it, “That saves an additional application cost and it is the right time to put it on the crop.” He estimates the cost of the product at $7.50 an acre, acknowledging that the price per pound of nutrient may seem expensive but the price per result show a good return.

He said that any herbicide application causes stress on a plant and the addition of extra nutrient helps the plant get through any stress whether it is soil conditions or herbicide.

Elgert does not question Friesen’s intention to try the product again before committing to treating a larger acreage, “We see it as an insurance, as farmers get familiar with the product and see that it helps the crop get through stress they will be more likely to include it in their budget. In a perfect year they might not need it but in most years it will show them a positive return and that is worth the cost.”

“It is just like a human being after a 20 minute nap, they are better able to handle the stress of the day, and a plant can handle the stress of growing conditions after it gets a boost from a foliar nutrient.”

By Les Kletke If you have an application for a video camera on your farm the advice you get might be to call Allen Leigh Communications, but what they might not tell you is that Allen Leigh, as a person, does not exist, the fellow that can help is Chris Sobchuk. The name of the company is an amalgamation of Sobchuk’s second name, Allen, and his wife’s second name, Leigh, but it is the right company.

Sobchuk said the venture began in 1995 when he was working for another company that had video equipment but was not interested in developing applications for the agricultural market. He had a request from a Brandon area beef farmer Stan Cochrane to develop a monitoring system for the calving barn.

“I started working on it as a part time job but as soon as we had a unit in place other farmers were interested in it and the applications began to grow,” said Sobchuk, who recently moved the business to a larger facility in Brandon. Today the business has seven employees who assemble the packages for farm applications. “We don’t have installers. We make the packages ready to go. They are basically plug and play.”

What started out to ease the stress of calving season has grown to include many more applications around the farm and he emphasizes that they are all applications that ease the tension on the farm operator.

“Our unit to monitor calving barns not only helps the farmer,” he said. “But it makes calving easier for the cow (or mare, or ewe) because they are not being startled by the farmer coming into the barn and disturbing them. So farmers say they have to make fewer trips to the barn and can get a better view of the situation in the pen without having to try and get in with a cow that is giving birth.”

With the calving barn under surveillance, Sobchuk turned his attention to other applications and found that monitoring seed equipment provides the perfect place for a video camera.

“Farmers were having to turn around and look at equipment or with existing monitoring systems had problems with connectors on four different cables so we came up with a system had has one cable and still allows for the monitoring of four aspects of the machine,” he said. The

company has a magnetic mount for units that monitor the flow of seed.

“We also have a unit that monitors the air seal on the tank, so that the flow of seed is maintained at a constant rate,” he said. “If the air seal is broken, the seed is not going out uniformly and that is a problem.”

Sobchuk said that attention is turning to security systems for farmyards. “As prices go up we are hearing more stories of fuel and grain theft and farmers want to be able to monitor their yards. As farms grow there is greater distance between farm yards and the monitoring becomes more important.” The live feed can be programmed to a computer or mobile phone and the company has access to a central monitoring system.

He said changes are coming in the traditional 2-way radio system used by farms as well. If you need a monitoring system, call Allen Leigh in Brandon but ask for Chris.

27

28

May 31, 2013

Dry... Almost Too Dry

By Les Kletke Jamie McFadden said it cautiously, like a goaltender closing in on a shutout, or the pitcher in the 8th inning of no hitter, not wanting to evoke some kind of a jinx but the Rivers area farmer said the area is dry.

The Agri Post “We got four tenths of an inch on the long weekend when the southern part of the province got much more,” said McFadden.

“But we needed the moisture even though it did delay seeding.”

He has not been forced to change his planting intentions and has made good progress to date. As of May 27 he had 250 acres of flax and 200 acres of barley left to plant.

He said that the plan for this year was similar to the past several years and flax and peas have been exchanged on the same amount of acres for several years.

“We had some trouble with our peas last year with root rot early when it was wet and then losing the hills when it got hot and dry in summer,” he said. “So we made the switch to flax, which has been a part of our rotation over the years.”

He has resisted the temptation to try soybeans, “There are more of them in the area and I have a brother-in-law who is planting a quarter section but they are not in our rotation.”

McFadden said winter wheat in the area has struggled and a field near his house shows little life, “It did not germinate last fall and went into the winter without having emerged from the ground so it looks pretty ragged with some emergence now.” He said the field is showing patchy germination and will most likely be in the range of crop insurance coverage.

While he would like to get the remainder of his crop in the ground before more rain, he said an area northwest of Rivers would welcome some additional moisture already.

“It is very dry and seeding is done there,” he said. “So they would like some moisture to get the crop germinated. Seeding is wrapping up quickly in the Rivers area and then guys will be looking for rain.”

Step Up and Ride to Help Breast Cancer Patients

Riders and guests after an event at Seasons Ranch in August 2012.

Photo Courtesy of Linda Hazelwood

Helping Hooves is a group of horse loving people who are steppin’ up and making a difference in the lives of Manitobans with breast cancer. How are they going to do it? By staging a three-week horseback ride in August, starting in Kleefeld, looping around the north of Winnipeg and ending in Austin at the Agricultural Museum.

Want to get involved? You can ride for a day, a week, or join the whole ride. In 2011, 41 riders stepped up and rode or drove the route to raise more than $35,000 for cancer patients.

If you do not ride, there are many other ways to get involved, such as attending one of the kick-off or wind-up events, or one of the many smaller events along the trail.

Helping Hooves is also looking for sponsors for such items as solar electric fencing, electric rope and pigtail posts. Also required are sponsors for gas, ice and water, vehicle/bumper pull flat deck trailer, small garden shed that would fit on the flat deck to house a porta potty, restaurants/grocery store sponsors to donate food for the nights the group is not in a town. Could anyone loan a generator and portable barbecue?

In 2012, Helping Hooves Manitoba hosted five fundraising events with individual trail rides, flea markets and fun days, and donated almost $6,000 to Helping Hands for Manitobans with Breast Cancer. This organization supports breast cancer patients with out-of-pocket expenses such as gas money for appointments, day care and wig costs not covered by the province.

If you would like to get involved in any way, whether sponsoring, loaning equipment, or just coming along for the ride, please contact Pam Glover at pam@helpinghoovesmanitoba.com.

You can follow Helping Hooves on Face book, or check out the website helpinghoovesmanitoba.com.

Schedule (some locations are tentative) Friday, August 9 - Meet and Greet! Kleefeld Saturday, August 10 - Official Kick-off for 2013 Trail Ride, Kleefeld Sunday, August 11 - Trailer to Manitoba Horse Council Facility, Birds Hill Park. Includes Guided Trail Ride in the Park, Games Day and Barbecue Supper.

Monday, August 12 - Ride to Hazelridge Tuesday, August 13 - Ride to Beausejour Wednesday, August 14 - On way to Selkirk Thursday, August 15 - Ride to Selkirk Friday, August 16 - Ride to St. Andrews Stables Saturday, August 17 - Ride to Oak Hammock Marsh and back to St. Andrews Stables Sunday, August 18 - Trailer or ride to Grosse Isle Monday, August 19 - Ride to St. Francois Xavier Tuesday, August 20 - Ride to Dakotah Wednesday, August 21 - Ride to Elie Thursday, August 22 - Ride to Fortier Friday, August 23 - Ride to Oakville Saturday, August 24 - Ride to Portage la Prairie Sunday, August 25 - Horses in Motion, Edwin Monday, August 26 - Portage area Tuesday, August 27 - Ride TBD Wednesday, August 28 - Ride to Bagot Thursday, August 29 - Ride to MacGregor Friday, August 30 - Ride to Austin Saturday, August 31 - Windup in Austin

The Agri Post

May 31, 2013

Already Planning for Fall Harvest

By Les Kletke Calvin Pitura has wrapped up seeding and is already planning harvest.

“Our winter wheat is slow this year and while we normally harvest it earlier than the spring wheat crop it is going to be very close this year,” said Pitura. The crop has earned a place in the rotation on his family farm at Domain and he even adjusted seeding to accommodate the crop.

“We like to get it into canola stubble so we planted canola for a day before the predicted rain on the May long weekend. We would have been planting soybeans but we wanted to get some canola in early, to harvest early and provide the stubble for winter wheat,” he said.

He acknowledges that he does not have as much experience with winter wheat as some growers in his area and hopes to include it in his long-term cropping plans because he likes having a part of his next year’s seeding done in the fall.

“I am impressed with the crop so far,” he said. “It went into dry ground last year and we only had about an inch of growth when the snow came so I am impressed with how it has come along this spring.” He said the crop has advanced well and they have already applied one treatment of fertilizer,

and if the crop does well they may go with another treatment.

“Winter wheat responded as well as canola to nitrogen so we already have 140 lbs of N on the field,” he said. “It looks like it has the potential for a great crop; we might put another treatment on it.”

Pitura said the lack of

development of the crop last fall coupled with the late spring has put the crop back and this harvest will run into his spring wheat harvest.

“We will be spraying herbicide on it while we are doing burnoff on other crops and fungicide on the winter wheat when we are spraying herbicide on the

other crops, so while it helps spread the work load of seeding this year it is adding to a busy time.”

Despite the later than normal spring Pitura was able to stay with his planting intentions and was happy to have completed seeding with a few days remaining in May.

29

30

May 31, 2013

The Agri Post

Livestock PProducers roducers want UU.S .S rath .S.. to Feel the W Wrath

Research is Important Beef and forage research in Manitoba has been in the news lately, sometimes for good reasons but also for all the wrong reasons.

First, to the good news. As I write this, I am anticipating the announcement of federal funding support for the second National Beef Science Cluster. This will see millions of dollars invested in beef and forage research across Canada. This commitment to research will have a lasting impact. A significant portion of this funding is expected to flow to Manitoba and projects supported by Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP), both through provincial check-off as well as National Check-off dollars.

But not all of the news is good on the research front.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has also indicated that it will be consolidating research activities across Canada as a cost-cutting measure. One of these cuts is the beef and forage work currently being carried out at the research station in Brandon. AAFC has indicated that some beef and forage research will continue, just at Lacombe, Alberta and not in Manitoba.

To say that MBP is disappointed in this announcement would be an understatement. MBP strongly supports scientific research. I have made this statement a lot lately, but it deserves repeating and repeating again. Research is so important to us that it is explicitly part of our organization’s mission statement.

Why do we invest heavily in research? Because research is the key to the future competitiveness of our industry.

Obviously, being competitive in world markets is import to beef producers. But, it is also important to the local communities where we buy our gas, groceries and equipment. It is important to our urban centres because of the jobs that our industry generates. And our competitiveness should be important to governments if they are interested in the health of Manitoba’s economy.

Research must generate new forage options that can help increase yields and improve profitability. Breakthroughs in animal genetics will revolutionize how each individual producer approaches their breeding programs. New management practices, many centered on new ways of managing information, will help producers reduce costs and get more from their marketing efforts.

MBP continues to stress the benefits from investment in research precisely because of the potential production and marketing gains we see on the horizon. The threat of failure is real. If we do not realize these benefits, our producers run the very real risk of being overtaken in world markets by countries like Brazil, Argentina or Australia.

We all know that “research” is more than just smart people in lab coats at a remote location somewhere in the world.

Effective research touches the ranch directly. Effective research ensures that new tools and business practices are demonstrated to be practical in working conditions. Researchers, industry and governments must ensure that real efforts are put into extending the results and impact of research to you.

People who spend most of their time in offices call this technology transfer, which means ensuring that producers have the information necessary to take advantage of new developments. MBP sees “tech transfer” as one of our key roles in research. Extension will be a key required component for all future research proposals supported by MBP. We, as an organization, are also going to focus resources to ensure that “tech transfer” actually occurs. Producers will not see the benefits of research if this goal is not accomplished.

Our disappointment in the recent announcements from AAFC regarding the Brandon Research Centre-and we are disappointed-does not mean we’re going to stop supporting beef and forage research that is relevant to Manitoba’s beef industry. We will just have to adapt. We will look for additional partnerships, whether it is done nationally through the Beef Research Cluster with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI), the University of Manitoba, or others who are interested in advancing our industry in Manitoba.

Advancing research is simply too important for us to ignore.

Both federal and provincial livestock groups are deeply disappointed with the U.S. government’s refusal to comply with a WTO ruling on US mandatory Country of Original Labeling (COOL).

“The U.S. government has not taken any steps to stop this discriminatory trade practice and live up to its trade obligations,” said Trevor Atchison, Manitoba Beef Producers president. “In fact, its proposed ‘solution’ will make the situation worse and cost Canada’s beef industry more.”

The U.S. had until recently to comply with a November 2011 WTO ruling which found that the U.S. labeling legislation discriminates against Canadian livestock. Mandatory COOL has cost the Canadian beef industry between $25 and $40 per head, or about $640 million annually. This cost will likely rise because of the new labeling requirements being imposed by the U.S government.

“Our governments and our industry have invested substantial resources in trying to resolve this matter without retaliation, to no avail,” said Atchison. “But Canada must protect itself if the U.S. refuses to comply with international trade law.”

“I find it ironic that 10 years after BSE, the Canadian beef

industry has been making great strides in restoring market access around the globe, yet our largest trading partner is engaging in protectionist tactics,” added Atchison. “This is simply unacceptable and it must stop now.”

“The U.S. is gaming the system at our expense, their behaviour and the bad faith reflected by the new COOL rule is appalling.

This existing measure has cost Canadian live swine and beef cattle producers more than a billion dollars annually. Canada needs to respond forcefully,” according to Canadian Pork Council’s Vice-Chair, Rick Bergmann. “Canadian producers have been going out of business by the hundreds. We cannot wait for another year or more while Washington continues to game the system.”

“This is serious; it is not a game. Livelihoods are at stake,” said CPC 2nd Vice-Chair, Bill Wymenga. “CPC urges the Government of Canada to publish a list of possible retaliation measures, to ensure that the U.S. Administration and legislators, who promote protection through regulation, realize that there are costs attached to their irresponsible actions which cause widespread damage to their neighbours and most important trading partners.”

The Agri Post

May 31, 2013

31

Add Water to the Dairy Diet for Optimum Milk Production Water content of a dairy diet often has a domino effect upon feed consumption and consequently milk production in the lactating dairy herd. Many dairy diets contain “wet” feeds such as corn or barley silage and haylage, which naturally vary in moisture content. In turn, the overall moisture content and density of the dairy diet may be directly affected, which may lead to favourable or unfavourable dry matter intake (DMI) by the dairy cows on the milk line. More or less nutritious feed consumed in the bunk will affect milk production and ultimately operation revenue. Producers should routinely test and take the necessary action to maintain the best moisture level in their dairy diets for optimum milk production.

Surprisingly, the scientific research illustrating the most desirable moisture level to achieve in a total mixed ration (TMR) for high milk producing dairy cows remains elusive.

The available evidence gathered by dairy scientists dictates that a practical target of 50 percent moisture should be achieved by farmers when mixing up their daily TMRs. This suggestion underlies the avoidance of extreme mistakes made when people feed dairy cows diets that are either “too wet or too dry”.

When a dairy diet becomes increasingly “wet”, the essential nutrient that support good milk production and must be consumed by a lactation herd becomes less concentrated in the ration. Since moisture or water of the feed has no direct nutritional value (such as protein), these cows must eat more TMR in order to taken in the same amount of essential nutrients or dry matter feed for high milk production.

Furthermore, moisture adds bulk to the ration, and there is a point where a dairy cow can consume only so much “as fed” ration (dry matter feed + moisture) because of limited gut-fill.

It is estimated that most mature dairy cows can consume up to 45 kg (100 lbs) of “as fed” feed, while first-calf heifers consume an estimated 5 – 20 percent less feed that is put in front of them.

When a dairy diet becomes increasingly “dry”, the nutrients

that dairy cows need to produce good volumes of milk do concentrate in the ration, but there is a point reached (re: somewhere drier than 50 percent moisture in the TMR), where the physical density of the diet is significantly reduced. This lower physical density allows some dairy cattle, with a twist of the tongue or shake of their head, sort the finer grain/protein material away from coarse forage fibers. As a result, the cows that learn to sort dry diets are more susceptible to the unhealthy effects of sub clinical acidosis (SARA), which is also a major cause of milk fat depression.

Fortunately, most day-to-day dairy diets are visibly neither “too wet” nor “too dry” for most lactation herds, but have subtle moisture changes that may go unnoticed by many dairy producers. These small changes can have an equal subtle effect upon dry matter feed consumption and thus milk production.

For example, a herd eating 90 lb of a dairy diet with a moisture content of 45 percent is actually consuming 49.5 lb of dry matter intake (DMI). If the ration becomes wetter by only 3 percent (48 percent moisture), the DMI of the herd would drop by 2.7 lb and a potential loss of about 5 lb of milk per cow may result. In this case, appropriate “drying” adjustments (re: add more dry hay or cutback on added water) might be made to this dairy diet to increase its dry matter content, which should promote consistent milk production.

Although no official survey has been taken, it seems that more dairy producers struggle with moderately “dry” dairy diets compared to those people mixing up particularly “wet” dairy rations. Subsequently, many of the of the former will routinely add water to dry TMRs as an easy solution of meeting the target of 50 percent moisture in their final lactation feed mixture. Depending on the dry matter of the original TMR, a range of 5 – 15 lbs of water per cow per day is most often metered out, which will effectively increase the moisture content of a drier TMR and increase its overall density.

Whether moisture content is much of a concern or not, many

dairy producers ask, “How frequent should the feed ingredients and the entire TMR be tested for moisture content? If necessary water adjustments should be made to the ration?”

The answer is quite straightforward. It is recommended that fermented forages, such as the silages, should be tested once a month, while high-moisture ingredients such as wet distillers’ grains might be tested every load. Similarly, the TMR put in front of the cows should be tested every week. While there are many ways to test moisture content in feeds, there are presently two popular and easy-to-do-at-home approaches; namely, using a Koster tester or by Microwave oven (MV).

Interestingly, the Koster tester is an electrical dryer that is specifically designed for drying forages and wet feeds and determining their moisture content. This apparatus has a heating element and fan built in its base by which hot air is blown through the feed sample placed on a built-in screen for moisture determination. Its drying procedure takes about 20 – 25 minutes. Sample loss tends to be a small problem in using the Koster tester.

Likewise, the common microwave oven provides a quick means of also drying samples. Its greatest challenge is to avoid burning samples. When they get crispy (re: it is recommended to place a small amount of water in oven). MV drying time is about 5 – 10 minutes for most wet feeds. Regardless of which method is preferred in determining the moisture content of one’s rations and feeds, it sometimes takes a bit of practice to refine their similar procedures in order to achieve the most accurate moisture results.

Monitoring the moisture content of the dairy TMR is actually monitoring the cows’ nutrition. If the moisture content of the ration is known, you can make adjustments to the ration, such as adding water to assure that dry matter intakes and subsequent nutrition for the high producing milk cows are met, so milk production is optimized.

32

May 31, 2013

The Agri Post