AgriPost November 29 2013

The Agri Post

November 29, 2013

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November 29, 2013

The Agri Post

The Agri Post

November 29, 2013

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Unified Canadian Stance Needed for Resolution of U.S. COOL U.S. Labelling Fix Depends on Farm Bill

By Harry Siemens Steve Dittmer, the Executive Director of the American Freedom Foundation, who works on behalf of the North American livestock trade, including Canada, Mexico, and the United States, is opposed to any kind of origin labelling.

“I talked to someone in Washington DC who tells me the Farm Bill is moving along,” said Dittmer in a recent interview. “That is our best shot at fixing this thing.

The [Farm Bill] conferees are meeting every day and think they will get a bill done by the end of the year.”

He said those who really care not only want to remove the so-called updated version; they want to remove the entire clause for meat.

“They don’t want to just get rid of the new version, but the whole thing,” Dittmer said.

“That is what the WTO would want too.”

He said they want to remove beef, pork and poultry from the M-COOL because the fruit and vegetable people like the regulations.

The biggest hold up with the Farm Bill is the nutrition and feeding program, what used to be call food stamps is now going under Snaps.

“The Republicans wanted to cut much more from those programs than the people from the left and senate did,” he said. “They were only $30 or 40 billion off.”

Hopefully, the Farm Bill conferees can make the required changes to the Farm Bill by the end of the year, he added.

Lyle Stewart, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Agriculture, said there is a growing recognition within the U.S. of the risks posed to the U.S. packing industry resulting from M-COOL. In November, a delegation of Canadian beef and pork sector representatives, the Federal Agriculture Minister and Agriculture Ministers from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta attended the North American Meat Association Outlook conference in Chicago to build alliances with potential U.S. allies to lobby against the legislation.

Stewart said the U.S. packing industry recognizes COOL will hurt their industry but the attitudes of legislators are all over the map.

“There’s a substantial, and I think growing, body of U.S. legislators in both houses that are seeing this thing was hasty and that it’s going to hurt the U.S. as much as it is us. Of course, there’s still a substantial number of legislators down there that have enough good will that they don’t want to hurt us either,” he said. “So I think there’s room for some sober second thought on this if an opportunity presents itself. For instance, in a debate of a new Farm Bill to include this and come up with a legislative solution.”

He said the U.S. system is complex and unpredictable, even to those who know it well. Those who are very familiar with the system find it hard to predict whether there will be a Farm Bill, whether or not an M-COOL fix will be in it, and whether or not there is enough votes to change MCOOL in a substantial manner acceptable to Canadians or repeal it altogether.

Stewart said the American Meat Institute predicts if the U.S. implements fully the new rules, nine thousand Americans will lose their jobs and up to seven major U.S. packing plants will close.

This is impacts the health of an economy for a country that is struggling financially.

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz led a Canadian delegation of provincial agriculture ministers and industry representatives to the annual North American Meat Association (NAMA) Outlook Conference in Chicago, IL, where he reinforced Canada’s position on U.S. County of Origin Labelling (COOL).

“COOL continues to hurt industries on both sides of the border, adding unnecessary red tape, delays, and costs to our integrated North American meat industry. U.S. legislators have an opportunity now through the Farm Bill to end the economic harm that COOL is having throughout North America,” said Ritz.

“COOL is putting limits on the livestock industry and costing everyone far too much in our province and country,” said Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Minister Ron Kostyshyn. “Manitoba’s steady growth and good jobs in the agriculture industry are being harmed by this policy. We need to work together to fix this and get back on the right track.”

“The livestock industry provides good jobs to Manitobans and is a driver of rural development,” said Kostyshyn. “The burden COOL has created must be removed and we need a permanent solution so producers can keep doing the excellent jobs they do in feed-

ing the world. Producers, meat processors and consumers on both sides of the border benefit from the integrated nature of our pork and beef meat processing industries.”

There are an estimated 23,500 jobs in Manitoba’s hog and beef sectors.

The Canadian Pork Council,

along with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, was also represented in the Canadian delegation.

On September 25, a World Trade Organization (WTO) compliance panel on COOL was established in Geneva to determine whether measures found to violate WTO obli-

gations have been brought into conformity. If Canada prevails in the compliance proceedings, which may include an appeal to the WTO Appellate Body, the next step would be for Canada to seek authorization from the WTO to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports to Canada.

COOL Dispute Case Made in Washington Agriculture Minister Ritz held meetings with members of the U.S. Congress, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and U.S. and Canadian industry representatives in Washington D.C. on the subject of mandatory Country of Origin Labelling (COOL).

Ritz continued to pressure key members of the U.S. Government to put an end to mandatory COOL, which continues to hurt producers and processors on both sides of the border.

These meetings build upon Ritz’ speech to the U.S. livestock sector at the North American Meat Association’s (NAMA) Outlook Conference in Chicago, IL, and discussions with NAMA members on the negative impacts of COOL and the importance of resolving COOL, now, through legislative changes in the Farm Bill.

“Our Government continues to stand up for Canadian livestock producers by opposing mandatory Country of Origin Labelling,” said Ritz. “Our message today was clear, the U.S. has a timely opportunity to do what’s best for both our countries and fix COOL in the current Farm Bill.”

The Canadian delegation included representatives from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and the Canadian Pork Council.

COOL has significantly disrupted the North American supply chain, created unpredictability in the market and imposed additional costs on producers on both sides of the border. Canada’s position remains that the U.S. has failed to bring COOL into conformity with its World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations.

On September 25, a WTO compliance panel on COOL was established in Geneva to determine whether COOL has been brought into conformity with the WTO obligations of the U.S. As the 2013 amended regulations increase the discriminatory effects of COOL against Canadian livestock, government officials are confident that the WTO will continue to find the U.S. non-compliant. If Canada prevails in the compliance proceedings, which may include an appeal to the WTO Appellate Body, the next step would be for Canada to seek authorization from the WTO to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports.

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November 29, 2013

The Agri Post

MAFRD to Provide Updates in Whitemouth Mark your calendar and plan to attend a CropsLivestock-Farm Management update on December 5 at the Whitemouth Community Centre brought to you by Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) and the RM of Whitemouth.

The meeting on Thursday, December 5 at the Whitemouth Community Centre located at 61 First St. between 1 – 5 pm in Whitemouth will cover topics including Clubroot in Canola update, Managing the Risk presented by Earl Bargen, MAFRD Farm Production Advisor– Crops. Speaker Terry Buss, MAFRD Farm Production Advisor– Crops will cover Soybean Production – Lessons for 2014, Ellen McPherson, MAFRD Farm Management Specialist will present updates on Tools & Resources to Manage for Success - The Value in a Rejuvenated Forage Stand for You, your Livestock and your Operation, Kristen Bouchard, MAFRD Farm Production Advisor – on Livestock and Jenelle Hamblin, MAFRD Farm Production Advisor–on Forage.

The Agri Post

Learn from the Cattlemen It is that time of year; the livestock shows have run their course. Along with these shows there might be a few bull sales in the next week but, things have slowed down.

Cattlemen are indeed a resilient lot. That in an industry known for its ability to bounce back after what is, in reality a kick in the guts, but is politely called a challenging time. Cattlemen have been kicked repeatedly over the past decade and some have been questionably low blows, but they have bounced back and in the vernacular of their industry, have ‘cowboyed up’ and come to town.

The business of agriculture has what economists define as zero elasticity in their product area. When you seed wheat you cannot change it to barley mid-season because the prices change. When you make a decision in this business you stay with it through the production cycle and perhaps through another one.

When cattlemen go to a bull sale they are not only choosing seed for the next year’s crop, they are choosing what the daughters will look like when they are cows in the herd. They are always trying to climb the genetic ladder.

Going to a bull sale can have long-term impacts well past the cheque cashing of that afternoon, and it is good to see the guys coming to town with a smile on their face. It has been a long time since cattle prices were up and there was a surplus of feed in the countryside but that is what most fellows are facing and they deserve it.

When things are flush and you get a couple of years like this, things tend to get a little silly but that is not the case this year. These fellows have come through some tough times and this year is looking a little better. It gives them some breathing room and time to replace some cows and upgrade the herd genetics.

It was this attitude that I saw in both Brandon and Regina, and it was a pleasure to be a part of both events. It is an approach that our industry could adopt wide scale.

The attitude of a little bit of promotion would not hurt and no one has ever accused a purebred cattleman from backing away from a little promotion. Yes, boys, you deserve it, so chrome up and head into town.

Can a Canadian Pork Industry Sustain Itself?

There is much going on in the hog industry such as mandatory pig tracing, Pig Code development, not to mention the M-COOL issue in the United States and a host of other issues that seem to mean change, change and more change.

Throw into this mix, hog barns that have idled for four year because of a Federal Government sow buyout program. Only four new barns in Manitoba in the last three to four years and those old permits, nothing new of course.

No one, but no one, can build a new barn in Manitoba, cannot even add one sow space or as many as he would choose when needing extra production to build a new barn.

Although Karl Kynoch, Chair of Manitoba Pork Council, said he’s hoping the Council’s lobbying efforts and educating those in government about the hog industry is not heading for a train wreck if the government doesn’t do something soon to lift the ban on building hog barns. I’m not holding my breath.

Unless one of the processing plants shuts down a line or two, laying off more people, someone in government may not get the picture.

I can’t believe sane people came up with the recommendations that hog farmers could build new if they install digesters or mechanical separation equipment to dispose of the manure. It won’t work hogs could double and even triple in price and no one could afford it.

Can you believe the MPC had to spend years in lobbying and educating efforts to actually convince some people within government of exactly that?

Kynoch is hoping government and industry will resolve this moratorium thing by the end of this winter.

I didn’t mention the deep holes, in some cases dark, with shades of black; many producers find themselves in after years of red ink. This isn’t to dampen your spirits, but it continues to add to the realities of what producers face, some different as in the case of the moratorium in Manitoba.

Yes, prices are much better, and yes, there are those who, whether by good luck or good reason, are looking to cash in if these higher prices stay. Others want to pay back some equity and get out with a little in a year or two.

I know the hog industry at one time was fun, despite the smell. Now we see abandoned barns, barns that were in good condition before the owner shut off the lights, now a mess and almost irreparable because of standing idle. Others have deep holes to crawl out from under, and then there are those who will take the industry forward and hopefully make it viable once again.

Here is my last parting shot. Will the Canadian hog industry be able to sustain itself with all these outside forces pummelling it on all sides, especially with animal welfare people hijacking the Pig Code exercise and getting the industry and those that buy from them to reverse welfare for those animals?

Something to think about…

Good Sound Facts

Dear Editor: I have just read the piece that you published

by Dean Harder on page 4 of your October 25 AgriPost. Filled with rock hard and solid facts, you may want to consider a change of name for your “OPINION” column. I can think of a few of

November 29, 2013

Hello Europe

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Penners Points

by Rolf Penner rolfpenner@agripost.ca

Last month the Federal Conservatives signed a new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU). Its overall effect can best be summarized by a subtitle printed in the popular farm newsletter Agriweek: “It can’t hurt, but will it help as much as people think?”

Political rhetoric and tortured logic filled newspapers following the announcement. The Conservatives touted the agreement as the greatest thing since sliced bread. The NDP said that while they’re in favour of freer trade with Europe, they are not in favour of actual free trade.

Despite its name, the FTA is not about absolute free trade but rather a loosening of certain restrictions; one would think the NDP got exactly what they wanted. The Liberals were generally supportive of the deal but reserved the right to complain about it later, once they read the fine print. All pretty standard stuff in Canadian politics.

Right now Canadian farmers do about $47 billion worth of business with Europe. From what we have been told, that should increase another $1.5 billion or 3 percent after the agreement comes into effect. Of that increase, a good chunk of it should go to the meat sector, mainly beef and pork.

After the last few years of troubles, those commodities can certainly use the boost.

Restrictions on GMO crop varieties won’t be changing.

Neither will Canola seed exports. However, the agreement axes tariffs on canola oil; an action that the Canola Council of Canada said could double exports to the EU’s biodiesel sector. Tariffs on processed foods also appear to be eliminated. It all looks quite positive, but European regulators have a long history of putting up all sorts of wacky barriers and conditions with which companies will have to deal before they gain access to the lucrative European market.

Defenders of supply management, particularly the dairy lobby, are not happy with the deal. This mainly has to do with cheese. Around one-third of Canadian milk goes into cheese production, in the neighbourhood of 380,000 tonnes a year. Total domestic consumption is 405,000 tonnes, with the balance coming from imports. Europe will get an increase in the amount of duty-free-quota for cheese that it’s allowed to export to Canada. Its share of our domestic cheese market will rise from 3.3 percent to 7.2 percent. Not exactly what anyone would call a “free market,” but, it is somewhat freer.

Interestingly enough, Canada will get unrestricted, dutyfree access to the European dairy market. Trade in poultry and eggs are completely excluded from the agreement.

As Agriweek also mentioned, this deal has a long way to go before it’s finalized. European bureaucrats move at a snail’s pace and this agreement will have to be translated into 24 languages. Nor is Europe “anyone’s idea of the perfect trade partner,” a truth witnessed most recently in the cases of hormone-fed beef and Triffid flax. It is an alternate market to the United States, but it’s still a small one by comparison, and there is an ocean to cross before our goods can get there.

Still, since the collapse of the Doha round of world trade talks, trade agreements such as this are a welcome, if small, step in the right direction. The freer and more unrestricted we can make trade, the better off we will all be, especially in the long run. More free trade agreements and more aggressive attempts at liberalizing trade within the agreements we already have, are both welcome.

your regulars that would fit better under that heading.

Bravo to Dean for his depth of understanding and even more to you guys for the good sense to publish it.

Regards, Edward Dennis

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November 29, 2013

The Agri Post

Turn up the Volume in How We Produce Our Food

By Harry Siemens Farm broadcaster Orion Samuelson, of WGN Radio in Chicago, IL and a farm promoter in his own right, said if you eat, you are involved in agriculture. Focussing on the food farmers produce is a great idea. Tell them to tell others who have their mouths full and want to complain about Canada’s food system that it is the healthiest, safest, and least expensive food people can eat in the world today.

Crystal Mackay, the Executive Director of Farm and Food Care Ontario, tells farmers to focus on the food they produce when communicating with consumers.

Mackay said monitoring of public attitudes shows 94 percent of Canadians indicate they know little or nothing about farming and have little interest in learning about agriculture but their food interests them, deeply.

Some farm advocates believe attempting to educate those who have no interest in learning about farming is a waste of time and money. However, telling them about their food is vital.

“It all starts with food and I think positioning agriculture to say we are in the business of feeding Canadians,” said MacKay. “Traditionally we’ve talked about terms like agriculture awareness and agriculture education.”

She said that from their work it is very clear, the public does not want a farm education but they are passionately interested in knowing more about how their food is produced.

“That’s where we meet the average person three times a day at the dinner table or at the drive-through, wherever it may be, so anything to do with health or food safety questions about how the food is produced is important,” said MacKay. “Are there additives, difficult questions around antibiotics or products like chemicals? People are most interested in their health, so health and food safety one and two, then the distant third would be around economics and affordability.”

Concern about the environment and animal welfare is important after they know they can afford their food. People in the industry need to reposition their message. If anyone has a question about where their food comes from, the food producers are the best people to talk about it.

“The absolute bright spot in our public attitude study work is, the public is really interested in knowing where their food comes from and they want to hear it from farmers,” she said. “They just don’t know who we are or how to find us.”

Mackay said there are some amazing efforts across Canada in communication with the public however she believes those communicating that message need to turn up the volume.

Orion Samuelson, in communicating how farmers produce this wonderful commodity called food, said it is a pleasure serving agriculture, the basic industry with a renewable resource.

Expo Helps with Slow Road to Recovery

Sheery Daniels of Kenton with her string of Limousin cattle at Brandon’s Livestock Expo. Daniels says the event has value in educating people about the beef industry and the origin of cattle breeds.

Photo by Les Kletke

By Les Kletke Sherry Daniels acknowledges that the cattle industry is on good times but it has been a long time coming.

“We have had a long recovery from BSE and the American market has not come back,” said Daniels, who was at Manitoba Livestock Expo in Brandon with a string of Limousin cattle from their farm at Kenton.

Daniels is on the executive of the Provincial Limousin Association and is involved in promoting the breed, which she said often finds its way into cross breeding programs with Charolais cattle in commercial operations.

The farm places their bulls in the Douglas Bull Test Station and finds that a good way to market animals. She said the farm has a good feed supply going into fall feeding.

“The corn silage crop was excellent after the hot weather in August and we have a good supply,” she said. The Daniels cut their own feed, “We have our own smaller equipment and put up all our own feed.”

The family has been feeding corn silage for longer than most in the area.

“We have been using corn silage for 40 years,” she said. “My father-in-law was one of the first to start using it and has stayed with it.” The family used to

take cattle east to show at the Toronto Royal Winter Fair as well.

“The Royal used to be a big deal,” she said. “But with the transportation assistance gone and the cost of moving cattle it is not possible anymore.”

Daniels said that events like the Manitoba Livestock Expo play a significant role, apart from giving a venue to conduct business.

“It is a great opportunity for people to learn about the cattle business and for the cattle people to explain their business,” she said.

“Early in the week there were events for school children to come and see the cattle and learn about the different breeds. Those are great opportunities.”

Nominations Open for New Beef Industry Award Nominations are open for Manitoba Beef Producers’ (MBP) new award highlighting an outstanding beef producer in the province.

“The Manitoba Beef Producers Lifetime Achievement Award was developed to recognize Manitoba beef producers who have made significant contributions to the beef industry and their commitment to excellence, exemplifying leadership and involvement in their community and province,” said Cam Dahl, MBP General Manager.

Individuals and families are eligible for the award. A selection committee will judge nominations and the recipient will receive an award with the honour and their name inscribed on it. The recipient’s name will be added to a Manitoba Beef Producers Lifetime Achievement Award plaque at the Manitoba Beef Producers office.

Nominees for the Manitoba Beef Producers Lifetime Achievement Award will be considered in the following areas: - Must be a current or past member of Manitoba Beef Producers - Active Beef Advocate with a genuine interest in the beef industry - Achievements and lasting benefit of their contribution to the beef industry - Excellence in being involved in the beef industry as a leader, mentor, volunteer - Their use of innovation and strategies for successful business “We are excited to offer this new award to pay tribute to the admirable work beef producers do,” said Dahl. “The first recipient of the Manitoba Beef Producers Lifetime Achievement Award will be recognized at the President’s Banquet during the 35th Annual General Meeting on February 4.”

Nominations are due on Monday, December 2 and nomination forms are available from the MBP office by calling 1-800-772-0458 or online at mbbeef.ca.

The Agri Post

CCA Cuts Costs for on-Farm Food Safety Audits Canadian cattle producers will soon have one integrated cattle production assurance system and enhanced support to cultivate new export opportunities for their high-quality livestock thanks to funding from the Government of Canada.

Funding of up to $717,500 will allow the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) to develop biosecurity, animal care and environmental stewardship modules and integrate them into the existing on-farm food safety program, Verified Beef Production (VBP). This integrated system will offer beef producers an all-in-one on-farm program.

“Canadian beef producers are good at raising cattle and their use of credible production practices reflect that care,” said CCA’s General Manager, Rob McNabb. “Adding important elements like animal care and environmental stewardship to our industry-led on-farm program provides our sector with the ability to further manage these areas and provide choice for consumers.”

The new integrated VBP assurance system will cut costs for farmers and leave more money in their pockets. There will be only one on-farm food safety audit covering all four modules, instead of four separate audits. The VBP logo will also let consumers know that their beef products not only meet the highest standards of food safety, but also of biosecurity, animal welfare and environmental care.

November 29, 2013

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The Agri Post

Shopping for Genetics in Canada

By Les Kletke Ned Williams came a long way to shop for Canadian beef genetics but he was not disappointed in what he found. Williams raises polled Shorthorn cattle with his parents on their farm in New South Wales, Australia. He was in Regina for the Canadian Western Agribition as part of an extended stay in North America. Williams is spending some time on a ranch in Montana and hopes to get to Manitoba to visit some cattle farms.

The Williams have 70 registered Shorthorns and 100 commercial cows on their

operation and plan to expand the herd.

“We just had a major sale,” said Williams. “And sold down our numbers that will give us the opportunity to get some new genetics with some new animals. We plan on increasing the herd numbers over the next couple of years.”

Williams said that his family will stay with the Shorthorn but is looking for genetics that will bring “more thickness” to the animals. The family prefers the roan coloured animals and will not buy an animal with white socks.

“No genetic reason,” he said. “But my grandfather didn’t like animals with the extended socks and it has become a bit of a family tradition. We just stay away from the animals with socks.” While his family stays away from white socks, animals in a Canadian breed with socks have proven to be quiet popular.

“The Speckled Park (breed) has gained a fair bit of popularity in our country,” he said. “It was developed in Canada and the

breed has done a good job of marketing.” The breed has strong ties back to the Shorthorn and Angus breeds and was developed by a family at Maidstone, Saskatchewan.

“We sell a lot of our studs into crossbreeding programs where fellows have different types of cattle that might have some ranginess, typically they might be Limousin or a composite breed made up of Brahma and Simmental with another breed or two,” he said. He also said the practice of developing a composite is quite popular on the larger operations and then the rancher will buy a purebred stud as the terminal sire.

The family sells the majority of their animals by private treaty directly from the farm and does limited promotions at shows.

“We have been to the Sydney Show a number of times, but most of our business is from repeat customers and we have been concentrating on that rather than the show circuit,” said Williams.

Udder Edema...

‘Perfect Storm’ in Close-up Dairy Cows A few weeks before calving, the close-up dairy cow’s udder swells up.

Some of this swelling is natural, but some udder edema is excessive, which can impair natural udder functions and may actually lead to irreversible damage in the udder. It is important to know the major causes of udder edema and take necessary precautions to help reduce it within one’s own herd, particularly those persistent and damaging cases.

What exactly causes a mild or serious case of udder edema is not exactly known, but lots of dairy producers and veterinarian experience, backed up by scientific research, dictate that common udder edema is a ‘perfect storm’ of natural metabolic changes in the pregnant dairy cow near calving time, genetic predisposition and inadequate pre-calving nutrition. At the same time there appears to be no hard evidence that udder edema has any major or long-term adverse effects upon milk performance in most mildly affected lactation cows. However, it is known that firstcalf heifers compared to mature cows are more prone to this fluid retention problem.

Despite the individuals affected with udder edema within any specific herd and its true cause, it becomes rather incidental when precalving udders began to swell up in the closeup pen. That’s because, unseen to the naked eye, the histology (the study of the microscopic structure of animal tissue) of most common udder edema appears to be similar, the consequence of increased blood flow to the udder while there is a decreased blood flow returned from the udder.

The net effect is an increased pressure upon the udder’s blood vessels, which increases their permeability and thus allows fluids to leak out and accumulate in-between the udder’s milk secretion cells. In this way, firstcalf heifers are suspected to be more predisposed to udder edema compared to older cows because their blood vessels are thought to be still developing and their blood circulation is somewhat limited. Regardless of cow parity, transference of immunoglobulin (large anti-body proteins) from blood to colostrums in the udder and changes in hormones associated with calving are also believed to play mitigating roles in udder edema.

Such microscopic symptoms of udder edema are complimented by what we saw in the above close-up pen and not likely to be confused with the inflammation of udder quarters infected with mastitis. An examination of a swollen udder will reveal that the accumulation of fluids in udder edema starts at the bottom third of the udder and works its way up both sides before it progresses to the rest of the udder. It is doughy to the touch and pressing any quarter results in an indention that will fill itself up once the pressure is released. Unlike a mastitis infection, the quarters are usually not hard and there is no inflammatory heat involved.

Ironically, udder edema in a small number of cases is a contributing factor in a cow becoming infected with mastitis organisms. This happens when severe udder edema is left untreated and allowed to build up excessively.

The teat ends that normally remain closed until the cow is milked open up and expose the udder to environmental pathogens. For-

tunately, the majority of cows with udder edema never become this serious and fluid build-up frequently disappears within a week after calving.

Regardless of some of the natural physiological causes of udder edema, some udder fluid accumulations can be traced back to what the close-up cows were eating three weeks before they calved. Udder edema has been linked to a poor dairy cow transition diet in which too much grain and inadequate levels of dietary protein were consumed. It is also believed that excessive levels of macrominerals fed to pre-calving cows are udder edema culprits; if dietary potassium and sodium are allowed to exceed 1.4 percent and 0.15 percent, respectively in the close-up diet, retention of fluids in the udder is almost guaranteed before and shortly after calving.

In a similar manner, some dairy scientists believe that some nutritional precalving udder edema is also a result of dietary “oxidative stress”. Free oxygen molecules present in the udder react with pro-oxidant elements such as excessive levels of dietary iron and can lead to cell damage and increased fluid permeability. To prevent such cellular oxidation from occurring, many dairy specialists recommend feeding high levels of “antioxidants” such as vitamin E (1000 – 1500 IU) and seleno-yeast (6 mg) to dairy cows every day for three weeks before they calve.

Aside from making sure that dairy cows are fed a balanced nutritious transition cow diet, a few management techniques also might be tried to prevent more serious udder edema. Many producers have had success in controlling udder edema in first-calf heifers by massaging their udders about 20 minutes prior to milking them. Others have rubbed tissue-stimulating balms such as peppermint or lanolin lotions on their udders to similarly increase blood circulation before attaching the milk machines.

Likewise, it was also demonstrated at the University of California at Davis that dairy first-calf heifers that were milked two weeks before calving had a significant reduction in the frequency of udder edema, had less mastitis shortly after calving and produced more milk during their first lactation. Other independent research has found that diuretics (compounds that draw fluid out of the tissues) and corticosteroids are effective in the most severe udder edema cases.

Consequently, udder edema in closeup dairy cows during calving has always clouded otherwise trouble-free calving for many dairy farmers. Although, most occurrences of udder edema should disappear after a few days, dairy producers should always be prepared for mild as well as the more serious cases and try to prevent them. With the nutrition and management tools at their disposal, even its most serious thunder in this perfect storm might be avoided.

The Agri Post

D&O Insurance Directors and Officers of a corporation are responsible for their actions, the actions of the corporation and in some instances the actions of other directors.

The courts have assessed damages against directors of corporations for wrongful actions.

While some people believe that, a LTD. or INC. company creates a legal veil leaving limited liability behind. This is not true. Directors and officers can be held liable for improper conduct to shareholders or members for the management of funds, creditors for breach of trust and misappropriation of funds, knowledge of illegal or improper acts, making improper loans, fraudulent acts and transactions or decisions which are not authorized by the bylaws of the corporation, employees and volunteers for unpaid wages and unsafe working conditions.

The D & O policy is designed so that the insurance company is responsible to defend the directors & officers from legal action due to a wrongful act and to pay the costs and damages including the cost to defend. The D & O policy can be compared to an errors and omissions policy that protects the business, except in this case the directors’ and officers’ liability insurance protects the directors.

Remember, the allegations do not have to be true. The mere fact that allegations exist will result in significant defence costs on the part of the director.

Some questions to ask yourself: Are you following the provincial and federal legislation? Are your premises well protected from burglary or theft by dead bolt locks, and alarms? Are your procedures such that they will discourage, prevent or reduce the possibility of fraud, errors and mismanagement? Do you avoid conflict of interest situations? Do you hire competent experts? Do you have clearly defined job descriptions?

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

Andy Anderson is an Associate Insurance Broker specializing in General, Life and Group Benefits for Farm, Commercial/Agri-business Ph: 204-746-5589 Tf: 866 765 3351 andya@rempelinsurance.com /rempelinsurance.com / valleyfinancial.ca.

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November 29, 2013

The Agri Post

New Year Brings Pig Movement Reporting

By Harry Siemens With an increase in profits for some hog producers, it might be a little easier to encourage hog producers to start using the mandatory reporting tools. So far, it seems the uptake is not great but that can change.

Jeff Clark, the Manager of PigTrace Canada, said the promotion of the use of new tools designed to accommodate the mandatory reporting of pig movements in Canada will start in earnest in the New Year.

The Federal Government will formally publish regulatory amendments to the Health of Animals Regulation this fall and the expectation is that on July 1, 2014 movement reporting will become mandatory.

Clark said movement information will include the source or destination of the load of animals, the license plate number of the truck, the date and time when animals were loaded,

the number of animals and any official animal identification numbers.

He said the reporting tools are all complete and ready to go.

“We will be issuing all of our producers and pork value chain people such as abattoirs and assembly yards their own login accounts and passwords so they can log into the system,” said Clark. “I can set producers up today with their accounts, but nationally I’m targeting January 2014 as the day where we will really start to push the program.

We want to give the industry a lot of time ahead of the regulation to learn how to do the program.”

He has some information and education kits ready to send out to industry, including instructions on how to use the different movement reporting tools for January. Once this is done, the organization will proactively encourage the industry to start reporting movements to PigTrace.

Clark said once movement reporting becomes mandatory, the industry will need to report movement information within seven days, but the goal is to get it as close to real time as possible. The quicker the industry reports the information the more helpful it will be when responding to foreign animal disease issues or food safety issues.

Two of the tools are web based and available now at the PigTrace web site.

“If you go to pigtrace.ca you can log in to the database from there,” said Clark. “The third type of movement reporting tool that we have is intended to work with software companies that have herd management software in the barns.”

He said there is an instruction manual to modify users’ software so that information can be submitted to PigTrace directly. Instead of entering the information twice, once for the barn and then again into PigTrace this software change will make it easier.

The Agri Post

November 29, 2013

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November 29, 2013

The Agri Post

Playing Through an Injury

By Les Kletke Scott Fettes was not going to let a mere broken wrist keep him from having cattle at the Manitoba Livestock Expo, though it did shorten the show string a bit.

“I broke a small bone in my wrist,” he said as he finished grooming a young bull that his wife Tina would lead in the show ring. “It doesn’t hurt and the doctor said it would not do any more damage, so I will have it casted after the show.”

Scott and Tina are partners in DKF Red Angus at Gladman, Saskatchewan and view the Brandon event as an important part of their marketing plan, though the injury did limit the number of cattle they were able to prepare for the show.

“We brought a couple of heifers, a steer, and the yearling bull,” said Fettes. “He’ll be in the junior class and we think that he has good potential.” The animal stood 4th in the class, which had three larger animals.

“It was a tough class,” he said after the competition while preparing to move on to the next class. He did stop to make sure that things were right for the heifer that was placed in the pick for show competition.

“We had our heifer selected for that last year,” he said of the event that has exhibitors designate a competing animal and then have a raffle winner select

Tina Fettes of Gladman, Saskatchewan leads an Angus bull into the ring for a junior class at Livestock Expo in Brandon in early November.

Photo by Les Kletke

whichever animal they want. The owner in turn receives $5,000 for the animal.

“I have been trying to catch up to last year’s buyer who selected our animal, but so far we have just been playing telephone tag.” Tickets sell for $40 and entry fees are $80 for the first animal and $40 for additional entries. Along with generating some cash for the sale, the Pick of the Barn competition has ticket buyers making their way through breed barns they might not otherwise visit.

Fettes said that the summer was a good one for feed production and the farm’s 250 purebred cows are going into winter in good shape. Two thirds of the farm’s cows are red Angus and the remainder are black.

“An event like this is important for us to get out to and promote our cattle, but we sell the majority of our cattle by private treaty from the farm,” said Scott as he made his way to watch Tina lead the junior bull into the ring.

The Agri Post

It’s a Family Affair

By Les Kletke Tully Hatch is in the cattle business and has been for nearly 40 years. He has seen the good and the bad in that time and right now is pretty good.

Hatch and his son Trent were in Brandon for Manitoba Livestock Expo and enjoying some time to catch up with other breeders as well as preparing animals for the ring. The home farm at Oak Lake has over 200 purebred Charolais cows and that is how the family makes their living.

While the year was a good one for feed and hay, they don’t plan on selling much but rather building their reserve in case next year’s hay is in short supply.

“We tend to keep our hay,” said Trent. “We are in the cattle business so were not really set up to sell hay and we know we will need it sometime.” The Hatches put up their alfalfa broham hay in big round bales and find that this is the best way to feed their herd.

“They are on pasture in the summer and hay in the winter,” said Trent. “They don’t get grain.” The farm sells about 80 percent of its bulls at one sale in Virden in March and has put some animals in high profile sales in Brandon and Regina.

“We’ve sold animals from British Columbia to New Brunswick and a handful of American states,” said Trent. “We have a lot of repeat customers, and we like to work with the people that have bought from us.”

Hatch said that while some things have changed in the cattle business over the years, the fact that cattlemen still want quality cattle that will make them money has stayed the same.

“Calving ease is always a concern,” said Trent. “Nobody, whether they are young or old, wants to get up in the middle of the night and go help a cow.”

He said the natural fleshing characteristics of an animal are important to buyers, “And with high feed costs, that is getting more emphasis. Fellows are looking for cattle that will put on pounds with minimal cost.”

While Tully and Trent handled the cattle on the line, Trent’s wife Ashley and her sister were busy putting the final touches on a heifer that was about to go into the show ring.

Ashley joked that she had

married into the family, “But came from a beef background so it wasn’t really a big change. We’ve been

showing cattle a long time and are familiar with the business.” Her sister Amberly nodded agree-

ment and reached for the comb to do one more touch up on the animal in the chute.

Ashley Hatch and sister Amberly Klassen put the finishing touches on a Charolais heifer before she heads off to the ring. The animal belongs to Pleasant Dawn Farms of Oak Lake.

Photo by Les Kletke

November 29, 2013

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Manitoba Canola Growers Association 2013 Election Members of the Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) will be going to the polls this year. Every two years members are asked to elect four Directors for a four-year term to represent Manitoba canola growers at the board table. This year they have five candidates vying for the four Director positions.

Running are Larry Bohdanovich of Grandview, Brian Chorney of East Selkirk, Charles Fossay of Starbuck, Eduard Hiebert of St. Francois Xavier and Ed Rempel of Starbuck.

Ballots have been mailed out.

MNP LLP is the Returning Officer for the 2013 election. Ballots must be received by MNP at their Winnipeg office on or before 4:30 pm on Tuesday, December 10.

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November 29, 2013

The Agri Post

The Agri Post

November 29, 2013

15

Manitoba Food Grain Beausejour Cowboy in Canadian Finals Projects... Record

By Les Kletke Harvest

By Elmer Heinrichs At the recent fall meetings Harold Penner, Resource Coordinator for Canadian Foodgrains Bank grow projects, told those who participated in food grain bank projects, “It’s been a very good year.”

“Yields are phenomenal all over but prices are down.

People want to know how much and it’s hard to tell at this time. It’s easier to look at last year. In Manitoba, we raised $2.9 million last year for a total of $11.9 million across Canada. We have reason to believe that this year we’ll exceed that here in Manitoba.”

Penner further explained, “I think you can understand that with these projects spread all over Manitoba, and with this being a very late fall, much of the crop has not been sold.

While projects always try their best to move the crop straight from the field, in a year like this when elevators are always full, that doesn’t work.”

The last field to be harvested was the SHARE Project’s soybean field near Thornhill.

Projects near Morris, Boissevain, Benito, Rivers and Darlingford were also taken off in the first part of October. In total, there were around 4,200 acres dedicated to the Foodgrains Bank this year.

Funds raised by Manitoba farmers help hungry people in many countries Penner said, “This last month again we had $2.3 million go out to projects in ten different countries. The projects in Manitoba support projects around the world, wherever it’s needed. Right now Pakistan is getting a lot of help.”

“I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who has participated this year, whether it was with tractors and combines on the field, or in any other way. People have brought food to the fields for the harvests, brought their cheques to support the projects and many people have taken time to pray for those that were working and also for those that will be receiving the help. That’s what it’s all about.”

Of the 4,200 acres of cropland assigned to projects, about half produced wheat, one-quarter canola and the rest grew other grains.

Last year the group, which is comprised of a partnership of 15 Canadian churches and church-based agencies, had 3,500 acres seeded in the province. Penner said projects come in all shapes and sizes and no

offer of help is turned away.

In some later harvests, five combines and three trucks gathered at Manitou to harvest Pembina project’s 86 acres of Nexera canola, which yielded 38 bushels per acre.

The last of the wheat, 100 acres just north of Minnedosa, was harvested on October 31.

Only three combines were out that day, and with many difficulties, they were finally able to finish by 7:30 pm.

SHARE project, which often comes in last, managed to do so again in 2013. They also managed to pick a lovely fall day to harvest the last field, a field of corn at Thornhill on November 2, with three combines. The combines were serviced by 2 grain carts, and super-B’s were lined up ready to take it all to Ben Peter’s drying system in Morden.

“This was an area that was inundated with water this spring, “mudded in” as the farmers say, and far too late as well, leaving parts of the field unseeded. So we can be very thankful to get 11,116 bushels of beautiful corn off the 120-acre field!” exclaimed Penner.

Pearl McBride, from one of the new projects, the Parkland Acres of Hope, noted, “In total we had seven combines with four in the field at one time. All the combines there also had crops of their own to harvest so a big thank you to all of those who gave a couple of those precious hours to the Food Grains bank. In total we brought in 183 tonnes of canola, 52 bushels on average, 10.5 percent moisture.”

Kirk Thompson would be the first to admit that it is a long way from Beausejour to the CCA finals in Regina. A lot longer than a trip westward on the TransCanada Highway.

Thompson, who grew up a farm just east of Beausejour working with ‘a couple hundred cows’, said that he did not think much about rodeo until he took a job at a Community Pasture at Roblin.

“My boss at the time was rodeoing and I went along to a couple and then one day decided to give it a try,” he said. “There is not much you can do to get ready for it, you just have to pay your entry fee and give it a try.”

Thompson said that young cowboys out west have the advantage of High School Rodeo or some events where fellows get a chance to try their skills before they get on the real stock. He did not have that.

He seems to have overcome the disadvantage of not having had an early start and finished second in the CCA Saddle Bronc standings. He won just over $9,000 attending 35 rodeos this summer How does he get to 35 rodeos in a summer?

“Lots of weekends we got to two and some weekends were at three,” he said with a chuckle. The CCA uses a system similar to the professional cowboy association that draws cowboys at different times when they are entering more than one event a weekend. It allows for pairing up for travel.

Thompson did compete

Kirk Thompson had a good ride in the CCA finals at Canadian Western Agribition and finished second in the Saddle Bronc standing at year end. Thompson attended 35 rodeos this summer throughout Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Photo by Les Kletke

in some team roping events when he had a horse available.

“It is easier to just throw your saddle in a truck than haul a horse around,” he said. “So I didn’t get to rope at many events, just when I could borrow a horse.” This past summer he worked at a Community Pasture at Portage and is now working at a feedlot at Hamiota.

As for next summer’s plans he is not sure. He knows he will try to get to as many CCA events as possible but might get his pro card and try a few professional rodeos as well.

“It is pretty tough there is only one pro rodeo in Manitoba (Morris) and a couple in Saskatchewan so that means going to Alberta but I might try a couple,” he said. Judging by his final standing this year he might be ready to take the next step in rodeoing.

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November 29, 2013

The Agri Post

The Best Team in Saskatchewan Lives in Manitoba

By Les Kletke When the Morsky Roselea Belgian hitch made its circuit of the arena at Canadian Western Agribition it was proclaimed as a Regina operation but, in fact, the horses live in Manitoba at the home of Kim and Grant Gee of Virden. The Gees and Carole and Wayne Morsky formed the partnership eight years ago and today boast over 30 horses in the operation.

The hitch has been in the 6-Horse Hitch World Championships at the Calgary Stampede each of the last eight years. It had the role of carrying the honour party at Canadian Western Agribition each night at the opening of the rodeo.

The Morsky group of companies is based in Regina and is involved in most aspects of the heavy construction business. The hitch carries the company’s name at parades and charity events as well as competes in shows like the Calgary Stampede. While it is based at the Gee’s farm at Virden, it does not make the trip to the Royal Winter Fair.

“The Royal is a good show,” said Grant. “But it is not a good time of year

All hands on deck at show time… it takes a lot of help to get the 6-horse hitch wagon ready for the ring. Grant Gee of Virden has partnered with a Saskatchewan firm to produce a top show hitch.

Photo by Les Kletke

for us. We tend to put more emphasis on the shows later in the year and we don’t always have the hitch in top shape in March.”

Gee could well be preparing someone else’s horse for a trip to Brandon in fu-

ture years, he spends much of his time breaking horses for other people.

“We could have 20 horses for breaking at any given time,” he said. “We start from no training and work with them till they are at the

point the owner wants. It could take 3 weeks, it could take 3 months.” Gee said, that while he is comfortable training all horses he has stayed away from the dealing in horses.

“You have to be a special kind of person to do that. I know guys that have sold the same horse to a fellow twice,” he said with a chuckle. “I stay to training them.” He is also cautious about recommending horses to someone, “It is difficult to guarantee someone else’s horse, so I let people find their own horses.”

Gee is as busy as he wants to be training horses but said the business has changed, “Now it is mostly training horses to drive in a hitch, I used to have more work training horses for fellows that wanted to use them for working. We had guys that used to clean the barn and other chores but those days are pretty much gone.”

The days of fancy hitches seemed to be increasing and that bodes well for his work future, something Grant Gee is happy to experience. That and having a part in the best hitch in Saskatchewan.

Take the Bulls to the Customers

By Les Kletke “Take the bulls to the customers” is Craig Wilgenbusch’s approach to selling cattle. When his family purchased the Stewart herd and ranch at Payton, Saskatchewan and moved the herd to their home in the south at Halbrite, they decided to continue a sale where the customers were used to buying bulls.

The Wilgenbusch family continues to hold a sale at Payton, called the North of 53 Bull Sale while the one at the home farm in the south is the North of the 49th Bull Sale.

“We just thought we would continue to hold the sale at the location the people were used to, so we have it at the facility on the Stewart farm even though we don’t have cattle there normally,” said Wilgenbusch. He was in Brandon for the Manitoba Livestock Expo promoting his Charolais cattle to

Manitoba buyers. The promotional literature for the animals that will be sold at the North of 53 sale promotes the purchase of Manitoba bulls and how the genetics have fit in the Wilgenbusch herd.

The home farm has 420 purebred Charolais cows and he said that for now this is a good size.

“We have worked with that number and have the facilities, so we plan on staying at around 400 cows,” he said. “This year the feed is plentiful but we are going to stay with that number.” Wilgenbusch said that the family may sell some feed this year but the excess will go to replenishing the reserve on the farm.

“We are in the cattle business, not the hay business,” he said. “So we won’t sell much but rather keep it in case we have a bad year next year. We won’t sell our cows in the dry years, either so we like to have some extra feed on hand.” His father, John

Craig Wilgenbusch sells bulls where the customers are. His farm has two major sales in Saskatchewan and he was in Brandon for Livestock Expo.

Photo by Les Kletke

Wilgenbusch, got into the purebred cattle business with Charolais in 1993 and has seen feedstocks vary in the 20-year span.

“We’ve been in the business 20 years and it’s not a fad,” said Craig. “We want to be in business and known for solid genetics.

We have built the business and most of it is with repeat customers today.”

When asked about the future, he smiled, “You have to be optimistic. We are still in business so that means we think it is going to be better tomorrow.”

Winkler Meat Canning Completed

By Elmer Heinrichs This year’s 12th annual meat canning drive from November 27 - 30 in Winkler is just winding down.

A week before it began, John Martens, Chair of the Manitoba MCC meat canning campaign, was already hard at work planning the canning drive and organizing volunteers to help fill all of the 22,400 cans provided for the project.

Martens worked with other organizers and volunteers, and his wife Sara, who staffed the phone line, accepting group and individual volunteer registrations.

Hundreds of volunteers, both young and old, came from across southern Manitoba, from east of the Red River, west of Winkler, and even north to Winnipeg to be part of providing food for thousands.

Each year since 1946, MCC has sent out a mobile cannery, which MCC workers and volunteers use to preserve hundreds of thousands of cans of meat for communities in need around the globe.

A gift to meat canning helps organizers to cover costs and to ship the canned food as needed.

Since funds are still needed to cover all the costs, supporters are urged to donate now to make the 2013 canning another big success.

Donations are still needed to help MCC cover the cost of meat and shipping.

The mobile meat canner with four volunteers travels to 33 locations in the United States from October 2013 through April 2014, with the last stops at Leamington and Elmira, Ontario.

The Agri Post

Anything But Up the Creek

By Les Kletke Trevor Carlson said it was the ease of working with the animals that made the final decision to become a purebred cattle breeder. He had been a long distance truck driver most of his life and was expanding the Elm Creek farm into cattle and took a look at the most popular breeds.

“I went to Agribition in Regina and looked at all the breeds,” he said. “There is not much to choose from in cattle today. The genetics make the conformation of most breeds very similar, or at least you can choose genetics that will give you the desired shape of carcass but when I saw the ease of working with the Shorthorns, that sealed the deal.”

He has two daughters, aged 8 and 11, who work with the cattle and he said the breed has been a good choice for their family.

Carlson does not have illusions of changing the North American beef industry, which is predominately Angus, to another British breed but he does like the characteristic it offers and that has done him well in the sales arena. He has 12 females and plans to build the herd to 30 cows and keep choosing replacement

Jim Smith laughs at people studying the name of his farm and how it is spelled.

“Czech-Mate comes from the names of the countries,” he said.

“My father-in-law came from Czechoslovakia and my family came from England, and that is where the mate came from. It has nothing to do with the game but people have a tough time figuring that out.” The farms promotional material also plays on the idea of red and black cattle and does feature a chessboard.

For the Smiths the trip from Carstairs Alberta to Brandon for the Livestock Expo was a matter of “bringing the girls home”. He transported two heifers to the National Trust Sale that was held at the event and features some of the breed’s top genetics. One was a daughter of the Horizon bull that he had bought a share in three years ago at the National Sale held in

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Attendance Rising for Regina Agribition

By Les Kletke

Trevor Carlson of Up The Creek Cattle Co. points to the increased loin area of the Shorthorn Cattle. Carlson chose the breed because of their disposition.

Photo by Les Kletke

heifers from his herd’s offspring.

“I sell about five bulls a year now,” he said. “Three end up as 4-H projects, one is a herd bull and another goes to the freezer.” He plans to maintain that ratio as he grows his herd, selling 1/3 of his animals as purebred stock while developing a freezer market for the animals that do not make the grade for breeding stock.

“That way we won’t be selling any animals that aren’t the best genetics and I think there is the oppor-

tunity to develop a good clientele for the freezer beef,” he said. He may sell some animals to commercial feedlots but is doubtful the size of his herd will make that a major part of the operation.

“The roan colour of the Shorthorn does make them attractive in the sales ring,” he said. “Now that every breed has gone to a black animal that roan colour of the Shorthorn makes it attractive.”

While he used Canadian Western Agribition as the final shopping ground

when was looking for a breed he sees it as a good place to go for any beef man. The first year that he and his wife were leaders of the Elm Creek 4-H Beef Club, he organized a tour for members to the show in Regina. Something he said the members never forgot.

“To see those kids in the stands watching beef shows and asking questions made the whole trip worthwhile,” said Carlson. “It is a great show and we’ll do it again.”

“Czech” the Spelling

By Les Kletke

November 29, 2013

Brandon. The bull sold for $82,000 to a consortium and has seen limited marketing’s.

“The bull was a high seller and there has been limited semen available so the offspring are pretty highly sought after,” said Smith. The other female, Sharon 231Z, was bred to Red Mountain and offered some of the breed’s top genetics. The Red Mountain bull was the Grand Champion last year at Brandon.

When asked, why make the trip to Brandon and Manitoba Livestock Expo Smith replied, “We have made some good friends here, and this is just such a great facility,” he said, “It doesn’t matter what the weather is like.

Once you’re here, you’re inside.” For the Smith family November is a busy time of the year. They start in Brandon, then off to Farm Fair in Edmonton before heading back east to Regina for Canadian Western

Jim Smith of the Czeck Mate Cattle Company with a heifer which traces its roots back to Brandon. Smith made the trip from Alberta to be at the Manitoba Livestock Expo.

Photo by Les Kletke

Agribition in November.

The Smith farm has 65 purebred Simmental cows and concentrates on the top genetics. They sell some cattle at various sales across western Canada but the majority of their cattle are marketed at a sale in March.

“We work on building a relationship through the year at various events,”

said Smith. “Our customers know our cattle and come to the sale in March but it is good to get to events and know what customers are looking for.”

He said the colour still plays a role for some buyers, “There are buyers who have a preference for red or black so we have them both, but most of our cattle are red.”

The back of Bryce Olmstead’s jacket proclaims his Commercial Cattleman status for the year 2012 while attending the Canadian Western Agribition in Regina to market his purebred animals.

Commercial animals are the mainstay of Olmstead’s operation but he was also promoting the farm’s purebred Charolois genetics.

He farms at Carberry with his father Myles and has 330 commercial cows that are primarily Charolais - Simmental cross, but the operation keeps about a dozen head of purebred Charolois for their own breeding program and for sale.

The cow-calf pair he had in Regina will be in The No Border Sale on December 12 in Virden. This will be the second offering of the Sale that targets producer in southwestern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan.

“The No Border name means no difference from Saskatchewan to Manitoba,” said Olmstead with a chuckle. “So I guess it makes sense we’re here promoting our cattle.”

Olmstead had previously been in Brandon at the Manitoba Livestock Expo and claimed top honours for the Charolois breed with top female and bull.

Olmstead said the earlier dates of the Canadian Western Agribition seemed to help attendance. The show was moved up a week earlier than usual to avoid conflicting with the Grey Cup, which claimed most of the city’s hotels normally occupied by Agribition. The earlier dates and favourable weather had a positive impact on attendance throughout the show.

“The Monday, with it being on Remembrance Day, was incredibly busy,” he said. “Normally the show starts off a bit slow but this year there was a good crowd on hand opening day and it has stayed strong.”

Olmstead was hopeful that his marketing efforts would pay off with increased bids at the Virden sale and said traffic through the barn was a good start.

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November 29, 2013

The Agri Post

The Little Railroad That Saves Money for Producers

By Harry Siemens In south central Manitoba, producers established The Boundary Trail Railway Company Inc. (BTRC), a short line railway with the goal of forestalling further consequences of rail abandonment in the communities it represents.

BTRC is the first producer owned short line railway in Manitoba, following the example set by a number of short lines in Saskatchewan in recent years.

In 2009, BTRC acquired 23 miles of the former La Riviere subdivision (land, bridges, ballast, and track) from Canadian Pacific (CP).

Track extends west from the CP interchange point in Morden to the terminal end of the track at Binney Siding, approximately 2.5 miles northwest of Manitou.

BTRC opened for business moving grain for local producers in June of 2009.

The completion of four privately owned and operated trackside storage and handling facilities, strategically located at Binney with one facility, Manitou with two facilities and Darlingford operating one facility, enhanced BTRC’s ability to serve producers by providing a fast and convenient alternative to auger loading.

The little railway that could continues to make

The only short line railroad in Manitoba, the Boundary Trails Railroad Company, has four different loading points along the 23 miles of track the company owns. This gives producers various producer car-loading options and enough capacity to handle the 15 to 20 producer cars it ships weekly.

farmers more money compared to what some producers are getting at line elevators, say farmers using the system.

Some Manitoba farmers are actually finding that producer cars are allowing them to move their grain, despite two record grain crops back to back plugging the handling system across western Canada while waiting for trains.

Kevin Friesen, a farmer at Manitou and President of the BTRC said that following the demise of the Canadian Wheat Board single

Grading and Labelling in the Hog Business

By Harry Siemens The grading system developed by the hog industry and processors gives Canadians a very good, safe and healthy product.

Farmers sending pigs going to the fresh kill market for processing have not much leeway in quality, shape or size when buying fresh or frozen pork.

There was a time producers could make those choices themselves, but not anymore. The system, the grade if you like, has changed all that for the better.

Bill Alford, the Director of marketing and services with h@ms Marketing Services, said producers can adjust their feeding methods based on information in the kill statement and boost returns by 5 to 10 percent.

Packers and processors buy most hogs in western Canada based on a grading index table and the kill statement is essentially the grading warrant and the basis for payment.

Alford said, grading instruments the packing plants use provides three data points, back fat, loin depth, and carcass weight and the processors apply that data to the grading table to determine payment.

“When you’re speaking of the grading table it is designed by the processor to procure, send a message or signal to the producer the type of hog they would best like their plant to process,” he said. “What I mean by that, specifically the targets in the exact loin and fat depth and the weight that they can best sell the processed hog later on at. By knowing those specifics and by interpreting that on the kill statement you can hone in and make decisions as a producer to, at the end of the day, market the hog that is best paid for by that packer and getting the most money out of that packer.”

Alford said the information on the kill statement tells the pro-

desk selling system things with the BTRC have turned out the way he thought it would, except it took a little time to get all the buyers in place.

The little railroad has proven itself but it took some patience and foresight.

“It turned out pretty much how we expected, just a little longer for us to get our feet on the ground,” said Friesen. “The concerns we had and other people had, living so close to the border that maybe all the wheat would just travel by

truck across the border, didn’t happen.”

He said that never concerned him really, because the grain would still have to move from the farm to the port one way or the other.

“We were pretty sure we could do it a little cheaper than what the big elevator companies were doing and if we could find the buyers at the port, it would play out the right way,” said Friesen.

Right now, BTRC has four buyers, two Canadian and two American. While 75

percent of the grain goes to Thunder Bay, one of those buyers is an American company.

“We can’t really complain. The Canadian Grain Commission and the railways have worked quite well with us,” he said.

“While maybe not exceptional service, it is about as good as anyone else gets in the short line business.”

Friesen ships all of his oats and wheat through BTRC. Last year all of his canola went by producer car but he hasn’t seen a good bid to make that happen so far this year.

The year after the Wheat Board changes wasn’t a banner year, but this year the premiums keep adding to their bottom line as farmer and shippers make them extra money, close to $1,500 a car.

“Every farmer is looking for a premium and this way we support our own short line and moving grain, as much as we want actually,” Friesen said.

The Executive Director of BTRC, Travis Long, said they’re having a good fall this year with more competition for grain because they have more buyers.

“Farmers are having some trouble getting it moved through the elevators,” said Long. “It is bringing a little more attention to our type of operation and the circumstances this fall

ducer who reads and studies it whether he should be marketing the hogs heavier or lighter or selecting genetics to adjust back fat or loin size.

“By hitting those core targets the hog farmer can increase returns by anywhere from 5 to 10 percent, which is often the difference between break even and profitability,” he adds.

That is what gives comfort, knowing the quality is not only top notch, but is consistently top notch.

There is also talk about where product comes from, meaning labels for consumers, and more specifically country of origin labelling as per the United States of America.

Andrew Dickson, the General Manager of Manitoba Pork Council, said consumers could find the product information elsewhere, other than U.S. M-COOL. Dickson said the legislation has disrupted the flow of livestock and costs producers’ money in all three nations, Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

“Canada and the U.S. have built up this integrated North American livestock industry,” said Dickson. “COOL essentially brings an iron curtain down into that industry and creates costs on both sides of the border and especially in the United States where plants have closed, producers have had to pay extra costs and it’s an extra cost to consumers at the end of the day for information that very few of them actually seem to want.”

He said there are other ways the industry can provide this information to the public. There are traceability programs in place that industry could use if the consumers would pay for it or by putting in place a voluntary labelling system.

“There’s ways of doing marketing programs that would link a farm to product sold at a retail level,” said Dickson. “Various countries in the world have helped their industries develop these voluntary programs to help their local producers and the Americans could do the same thing. We’ve done similar things in Canada and it’s worked quite successfully without having to bring in these sorts of intrusions into the marketplace by law.”

seemed to be playing well for us. Our car supply seems to be going very well right now.”

Long said they are caught up to car ordering through the Canadian Grain Commission including producer cars and CP has fulfilled the needs for a short line railroad company.

“We are not a big volume shipper by any stretch of the imagination, about 15 to 20 cars a week, and for us that is an adequate number to keep us viable,” he said. “And providing an option for local producers.”

Farmers who want to ship grain through BTRC can contact Travis Long to find out who the grain company partners are.

“Typically we have producers send in a set of harvest samples which we send to a third party sample company and we pay for that by providing a free sample grading program,” said Long. “The reason that is important, the farmer has a good objective grade on his samples. That information is important for the farmer talking to the American administrators, buyers.

Each has a different pricing package and discounts.”

Once the farmer finds a price, they like, Long will arrange the logistics for delivery, rail car timing and delivery location.

The Agri Post

Social Media Helped to Make Naked Oats a Popular Food Product

By Joan Airey Those attending Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference were introduced to Adagio Acres Rolled Naked oats grown on the farm of Amy and Donald Nikkel near Lundar.

Everything from seeding to final packaging is done on the Nikkel’s farm.

“We moved back to the Interlake four years ago and grew a crop of naked oats at that time. We spent the next two years experimenting with the crop and soul searching about whether we really wanted to take the leap into farming. Because of flooding, we were not able to grow another crop until 2012.

After that we started setting up our seed cleaning equipment and mill,” said Amy Nikkel. “In March, 2013 we took our first package of oats to a Winnipeg retailer. Since then there has been lots of experimentation with different equipment and processes so that we could increase our efficiency and keep up with demand for our product.”

For thousands of years naked oats were a grain of choice for farmers in Asia and Europe because they can be rolled or ground into flour with minimal processing, yielding a nutritious and flavourful food with a variety of uses.

“Conventional hulled oats are encased in an inedible hull, which makes them a favoured choice for industrial agriculture which value durability of trans-

Amy Nikkel discusses recipes for Adagio Acres Rolled Naked oats at Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference.

Photos by Joan Airey

port and long storage over nutrition and taste. Hulled oats require processing to stabilize the enzymes which are activated in the dehulling process,” said Nikkel. “Naked, less creatively called ‘hulless oats’ lose their hulls in the field, returning nutrients directly to the soil. They can then are rolled with any industrial heat treatment, bring you a time honoured product that is raw, unprocessed, and naturally tasty.”

“We understand that for those living with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, being able to trust your food is essential for good health. Our hulless oats are grown in fields that are not

used in crop rotation for wheat, barely or rye and all your farming equipment, facilities and milling equipment are dedicated glutenfree,” said Nikkel. “In addition to these rigorous standards, we test our oats for gluten contamination after harvest and after milling.

We test our oats using an Elisa enzyme test which is approved for gluten-free food manufacturers.”

They first started selling the naked oats in the spring of 2013 and developed a simple website to explain a bit more about their product.

“The first day we launched our website there were two visitors, our-

selves and our parents.

Then a family member posted a link to our website on her Facebook account.

Our website visitors jumped to over hundred in a day and we knew that we would have to get on board with social media. We started using Facebook as a way to keep customers updated with the entire farming process, posting regularly about fieldwork, our mill oat recipes that we are trying out and everything oat related. We have found it to be a great medium, not only to give more information to our customers but to get regular feedback from our customers as well,” said Nikkel. “The sessions on social media at the Farm Women’s Conference were really helpful to us as we are pretty new to using social media. It’s important to understand and learn from others how it can and should be used to create meaningful dialogue.”

To check the farm out their website is adagioacres.com and includes recipes for everything from Naked Oat Fruit Crisp to Monster Cookies. A list of places the product is available at is included on the site.

Adagio Acres Rolled Naked Oats and an apple crisp made with the rolled oats.

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Bumper Crop Needs to Move

By Elmer Heinrichs “It is a bumper crop. I believe yields were high in all areas, particularly in canola,” said Val Ominski, Communication Specialist at Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP).

KAP President Doug Chorney and three other western farm leaders in a recent meeting confirmed poor rail service is hindering the bumper crop getting to market.

Final Manitoba crop reports said canola yields and quality were excellent, benefiting from the extended flowering period due to cooler July temperatures. Many farmers broke the 50 or 60 bu/acre mark for the first time. While the crop struggled early on, variable yields still averaged around 40-45 bu/acre.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in a recent report said the production of field crops in Canada for 2013-14 is estimated at 87 million tonnes (Mt), 13 percent higher than last year due to higher average yields.

In wheat, both durum and spring wheat, farmers increased their seeded area and the higher production resulted in production increases of over 20 percent for each.

For canola, said the AAFC, production is estimated at a record 16.0 Mt, up 16 percent from 2012-13, as the lower harvested area is more than offset by a 31 per cent rise in yields.

Just as projects grown for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank were experiencing difficulty in moving their crop, so farmers, too, were and are having difficulty accessing space in elevators. Farm leaders are now pushing to see what can be done to speed up movement from farms to export markets.

Growth of Organic Sector Given Boost The Canadian organic industry is updating its standards and pursuing new domestic and international markets with a $500,000 funding boost by the Government of Canada.

The Organic Federation of Canada is receiving nearly $300,000 to modernize the Canadian Organic Standards and improve processes to encourage small operators to become certified, which will result in a more consistent approach for the organic sector.

More than $200,000 will go to the Canada Organics Trade Association to create a marketing campaign to promote Canadian organics at a national and international level. The strategy is to strengthen relationships with partners across Canada to support the launch of a generic Canada Brand, profiling organic products.

The organic sector continues to grow at a steady rate, with demand outstripping supply. Sales of organic foods in Canada are estimated to have tripled since 2006. The Canada Organic Trade Association estimated retail sales in 2012 at $3 billion and exports at $458 billion, with most exports going to the United States and the European Union.

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November 29, 2013

The Agri Post

Speckled Breed Stands Apart

By Les Kletke In the late 1950’s Bill and Elsie Lamont saw speckled cattle that they thought would be a good fit on their Maidstone, Saskatchewan farm along with the Angus cattle and Appaloosa horses they raised. Today the cattle are only the second breed to be recognized worldwide that have originated in Canada. The other is the Canadienne, a dairy breed that originated in Quebec.

The Speckled Park was developed from the Tees Water Shorthorn and Black Angus.

“The breed still accepts solid colour cattle in the registry because of their small numbers but truly they are speckled by definition,” said Roland Chibri, who was showing a string of Speckled Park at the Canadian Western Agribition.

He split his time between relating the history of the breed’s development and promoting the cattle he had on the show line.

The cattle have been well received in other parts of the world and an international website profiles them in Ireland and Australia.

Ned Williams is from New South Wales, Australia and was at Agribition shopping for Shorthorn genetics for his herd at home and said the breed had caused some attention in his homeland.

“They have done a good job on the promotion, and we have looked at it because of the similarity to Shorthorns but we have decided not to go that route,” said Williams.

There are about 2,500 of the breed in existence today and they are spread around the world.

“They have done well in Australia because they handle the heat well,” said Chibri. “They also hair up well in the cold which makes them a good fit in our country.”

The Lamont’s had seen the cattle, which were part of the White Park breed, which by definition has black points on the nose, ears, hooves and tail but these carried the gene that gave them specked colouration on the rear quarter. They breed the cattle with Shorthorn and Angus to achieve sufficient numbers for breed recognition while maintaining the speckled

colouration.

“If you breed one of these animals to a solid coloured bull, black or white, you will always get the speckled colour. That is what the breed is about,” said Chibri.

He acknowledges that much of the breed’s differentiation is about the speckled colouring, but they also do prove well on the rail.

“The Speckled Park has won the Calgary Stampede’s Carcass show three of the last four years,” he said. “The carcass quality is excellent.”

Roland Chibri with his string of Speckled Park cattle. The breed is only the second one developed in Canada to receive official breed recognition and has been well received in Australia.

Growing Forward 2 Initiatives Launched to Support Agri-business Growth Young farmers can now access financial assistance to enhance their business management practices through the new Growing Competitiveness program.

The Growing Competitiveness program provides opportunities in two areas. The first is directed at young farmers and the second is directed at agricultural organizations and agribusinesses. The focus is on individual business

plans, financial planning and management, marketing and market development. Eligible recipients include agriculture producers, agri-food and agriproduct processors and agriculture related businesses and organizations.

Growing Competitiveness is being allocated $1 million in 2013-14 under the federal-provincial Growing Forward 2 bilateral agreement for programs that will be offered under this

initiative.

Three Growing Forward 2 programs also include: - Growing Value, which will provide funding to help agriprocessors expand their current business activities through new, innovative product development and commercialization in the marketplace; - Growing Actions, which will provide targeted funding to agricultural organizations to promote strategies that help mem-

bers and the sectors they represent take advantage of market-based opportunities; and - Growing Visions, which is directed at advancing organizations’ capacity to develop and expand the agriculture, agri-food and agri-product industry through strategic planning and management.

More than $4.6 million per year has been allocated for these three programs starting in 2013-14.

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New Organization Will Lead Research and Market Development for Wheat and Barley The interim Board of Directors for the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association has received conditional approval from the Province to act as the designate organization for spring wheat and barley farmers in Manitoba.

This allows the producerled association to provide leadership in wheat and barley research and market development in a restructured and evolving cereals industry. It also paves the way for a check-off to be established in the future to fund the organization’s efforts.

The petition for the designation was submitted to the Province in early June after consultations with Manitoba farmers last fall and winter.

“Manitoba farmers told us they recognize the value in being able to control where wheat and barley research dollars are being spent,” said Interim Chair Don Dewar. “They were also very clear that any new association granted authority to collect check-off revenue for this purpose

should not waste funds on administration.”

Because of this farmer direction, the interim board determined that it would be most appropriate for a single organization to be formed to represent both spring wheat and barley growers in the province to avoid duplicating administrative costs.

Alberta and Saskatchewan have already established wheat and barley commissions to collect research funds and advance the interests of their growers. Most recently, the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission and the Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission began formal operations on August 1 of this year.

“We are looking forward to working collaboratively with other provincial organizations to sustain and build the potential for these two very important crops across the prairies,” said Dewar.

The interim board of the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association

has begun to build strategic and operational plans to guide the organization in

its initial year of operation.

The Board of Directors have committed to their

positions until the first official annual meeting of the organization, approxi-

mately one year from now, when a board can be elected.

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The Agri Post

Hog Farmers See a Good Year

By Harry Siemens Karl Kynoch, Chair of the Manitoba Pork Council and a Baldur farmer, said the enthusiasm and attitude of hog producers at the recent fall meetings is the best he has seen in four years.

MPC held these meetings in November in Niverville and Portage la Prairie with good attendance by producers and industry partners.

Kynoch said that while producers are more optimistic than last year, there is continuing concern regarding the Government of Manitoba hog barn ban. There is a need to expand existing capacity so that packers can ensure an adequate supply of hogs and remain competitive with U.S. plants.

“If we back up a few years, so much doom and gloom and farmers lost so much money,” he said. “At our fall meetings there was a much more positive atmosphere than I’ve ever seen in the last four years.”

When producers start to make some money as in the past, it makes things much more positive. While the enthusiasm overall is higher, the deep financial black holes many producers dug themselves into, are still there and put a real damper on things moving forward.

“What I’m noticing is the big mix of producers. It really depends a little bit on how tired he is, others looking to exit at a better time, maybe with a little profit after all the red ink,” he said. “What really surprised me in talking to several producers at Portage la Prairie is they’re excited, ready to move forward, excited and pumped about the industry.”

One producer has bought a barn and looks to fill it up and move forward. Some are looking to pay off some debt in the next two years and move on.

“Others want to build and move on but there is a downside to that,” Kynoch said.

“The industry and government has not sorted out the regulations and moratorium on building new barns in Manitoba.”

Kynoch noted that industry and government continue to work on it and thinks that there will be some resolution this winter.

“We’ve talked to government for quite some time now on the issues of building restrictions and what it’s not only doing to the industry, but to the packers, and the people in this province,” Kynoch said.

“In the last three or four years the industry has built only four barns and on old permits. I think government is realizing they’ve pushed the industry too far. Manitoba is starting to lose jobs and losing dollars for the gross domestic product.”

The hog numbers keep dropping, the processing plants are short of pigs, and the whole industry in the last two or

“...there was a much more positive atmosphere than I’ve ever seen in the last four years.”

Karl Kynoch, Chair of the Manitoba Pork Council, said the enthusiasm and attitude of hog producers at the recent annual fall pork producer meetings is the best he has seen in four years.

three years has lost 1,000 jobs.

The government seems to be realizing that the hog industry isn’t solely responsible for polluting Lake Winnipeg and anaerobic digesters don’t work in Manitoba.

“It has taken us a long time to convince these people they don’t work nor does mechanical separation, it is simply too costly,” Kynoch said. “But I think the Manitoba NDP government is changing a little on this so we can get some of those barn numbers back a little bit.”

In some instances where people bought shutdown barns and thought they were getting them pennies on a dollar, they are realizing that fixing them is more than costly.

When they started repairs, it became apparent building new might be better in most cases and leaving the old one. It is one thing to build new, restore the old, but Kynoch sees the bigger challenge as to where will the new Pig Code and animal welfare people come out and where will it leave the producer and the industry when they do finally get a chance to build new or remodel the old.

“We’re hoping going forward, the new Pig Code will grandfather all existing barns,” said Kynoch. “Those are things we have to watch for because it is not in writing yet.”

The MPC Chair said the animal rights people do not understand animal agriculture and yet they try to influence these decisions. The WalMarts, McDonald’s, and others capitulate and scare others into making bad decisions.

When we talk to those people to try to undo this, they have no clue why producers used sow stalls in the first place.

“These knee-jerk reactions, not based on science or an understanding of the hog industry, create huge challenges for us,” said Kynoch. “Not only do those animal welfare people and consequent knee jerk reactions change some minds in the industry, it scares the producers into making similar knee-jerk decisions.”

“It is ironic,” he said. “While they push for the industry to get rid of those stalls, without any real concern or knowledge, they inadvertently push animal welfare for these pigs backwards.”

While reflecting on this past year, he said it’s much more enjoyable being the Chair of MPC when producers make some money.

Elections of MPC district advisors for a two-year term took place at the fall pork producer meetings last week.

District advisors play a key role in the Manitoba Pork Council by actively representing local producers’ interests, meeting as a group at least twice a year for daylong meetings, participating in the annual general meeting, and the fall producer meetings.

From the West District, representing producers west of the Red River, Calvin Penner (Argyle), Stan Dueck (Arborg) and Jeroen Van Boekel (Stephenfield) were reelected. From the East District representing producers east of the Red River, Marg Rempel (Ste. Anne), Lorne Voth (Steinbach), and Lyle Peters (Randolph) were re-elected.

Edward Stahl from Grass River Colony was re-elected from the North Star Producers District, and Leonard Waldner is the new district advisor representing the Hutter Schwein District.

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MASC Unveils Flexible and Affordable Forage Insurance

By Mike Street, MASC The Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) has officially unveiled its all-new 2014 Forage Insurance for producers wanting maximum coverage and those just looking for a lower cost whole-farm safeguard.

Replacing MASC’s previous Tame Hay and Native Hay programs, the Forage Insurance program offers a suite of programs, options and benefits that address the risk management issues facing Manitoba’s forage and livestock producers.

Under the new Forage Insurance program, producers can choose between Select Hay Insurance and Basic Hay Insurance. Select Hay Insurance is intended for producers who want maximum insurance protection for their forages. This insurance offers production and quality guarantees for five types of hay – alfalfa, alfalfa/grass mixtures, tame grasses, sweet clover and coarse hay – on an individual basis (i.e. no offsetting between hay types for claim purposes). Producers can insure each hay type individually at 70% or 80% coverage, with coverage now based on an Individual Coverage method that is responsive to a producer’s individual production history.

Basic Hay Insurance provides a whole-farm approach to insuring winter feed supplies against losses at a lower cost. Insurance is offered on the same five hay types as Select Hay Insurance.

However, for claim purposes, all hay types use a combined aggregate yield, and losses are determined over the entire insured acreage. Coverage for production shortfalls is included, but to keep premium costs low, there is no quality guarantee. One coverage level of 80% is available, with an option to select a low dollar value or high dollar value.

Other enhancements are included in the new Forage Insurance program. Producers who insure their high quality alfalfa with Select Hay Insurance can also select the Enhanced Quality Option to top up their coverage with a higher quality (Relative Feed Value) guarantee. The Harvest Flood Option is available to producers who grow coarse hay (stands of native hay and other hay used for livestock feed) insured under Select Hay Insurance or Basic Hay Insurance. If a producer is unable to harvest coarse hay due to wet conditions, a claim will be paid based on the number of unharvestable acres.

The new Hay Disaster Benefit compensates producers for the increased cost of purchasing and transporting replacement hay when there is a severe province-wide forage crop loss, reducing the need for future emergency assistance programming. The Hay Disaster Benefit, when triggered, will pay $40 per tonne of the shortfall in production on a producer’s claim. This benefit is provided premium-free to producers.

The new Forage Insurance programs work in tandem with MASC’s existing Pasture Insurance, Forage Establishment Insurance and Forage Restoration Benefit, which shall continue on as part of MASC’s forage programming.

MASC’s Forage Insurance offers a comprehensive, flexible and affordable risk management suite of programs for livestock and forage producers. To see how Forage Insurance can work for you, visit www.masc.mb.ca/forages or visit your local MASC Insurance office.

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Tour Promotes Local Choices

By Joan Airey The South West Farm Women’s Tour (SWFWN) began at the Rivers Sportsplex with a Fashion Show of clothing, jewellery and purses available at Super Thrifty Drugs. It was coordinated by Alice Fast and Shelley Foster. When it was mentioned that some of the clothes were Canadian made it peaked an interest since the tour was to educate people on shopping locally at independent merchants in rural communities.

“The SWFWN Buy Local Shopping Extravaganza Tour was an opportunity to see, experience and support many hidden gems in our rural communities. This was a chance to buy locally produced foods, handmade products and to experience meeting the farmers and local business owners,” stated Joanne Baker.

The Mann family had a display of their homemade honey products, candles made from beeswax and gift

baskets.

Sharon Wolstenholme also had some unique scarves for shoppers to choose from with one of the designs originating in Australia.

Local artist Brenda Eisler had a display of her paintings, scenes from around her country home. As soon as the tour participants saw the crafts available they wanted to know when they could start shopping.

Before lunch everyone had a couple of hours to shop at the displays and at local merchants.

Eleanor Beever, luncheon speaker, had a display of her pottery. Tour goers were greatly interested in the pottery as she explained how the alternative “fired pottery” was made by using a homemade barrel kiln using fertilizer and salt to fire it. “The kiln design is called a downdraft because it pulls oxygen into the firing chamber, making the firing hotter. Apparently a downdraft firing process was developed in Europe in the early 1800’s and travelled to Japan where it

Morsky Roselea Belgians at Agribition and Grey Cup Parade

Photo by Joan Airey Kim Gee and her daughter Kacee, answered thousands of school children’s questions about their Belgian horses at Agribition. Kim and Grant Gee live near Virden, Manitoba where Morsky Roselea Belgian’s make their home. They coown the horses with Wayne and Carol Morsky of Regina.

During the week they also showcased their Belgian’s in a noon hour show for a capacity crowd. Kacee dressed in Roughrider gear rode a Belgian around the ring at a fast pace throwing miniature footballs into the crowd for the grand finale. The Gee’s just returned home from Agribition when they were asked to return Regina so Grant could drive the CFL Commissioner and the Grey Cup into Regina with a pair of their Belgian horses. If you watched the Grey Cup Parade Morsky Roselea Belgian’s were also the last float in the parade with the Gee family Grant, Kim, Nicolas and Kacee driving their six horse hitch.

Above: A barrel where Eleanor Beever, owner of the Carreg Clay Studio, has done some alternative firing of pottery.

Right: A sample of alternative fired pottery created by Eleanor Beever.

evolved some more,” said Beever.

During her talk Beever showed slides of the beautiful plants grown in her greenhouse and how the different types of pottery were made and fired.

Beever explained how combining three businesses was viable.

The Mann Family volunteered their time to make and serve a lunch of several varieties of pizza.

Next stop was the Virden Art Gallery. The rest of the day was spent in Virden visiting such gems as the Costume Closet and the Art Gallery, which is housed in the old train station across the street.

The supper keynote speaker was Tanis Chalmers, Economic Development Officer for the RM of Pipestone. The first question Chalmers asked was what the gems were in our communities, from the little grocery store in smaller communities with a post office keeping it viable, to theatres like the Aud in Virden and Strathclair which, provide top-notch entertainment.

“What three independently owned businesses would you miss if they disappeared?” questioned Chalmers. She reminded everyone that these purchases are what keep that business around. She then asked if we knew about the 3/50 project.

The explanation of the project is that if half of the employed population spent $50 each month in locally owned independent businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 million in revenue. Imagine the positive impact if 3/4 of the

population did that.

“For every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. If you spent that in a national chain, only $43 stays there. Spend it online

and nothing comes home to your community,” said Chalmers.

“The number of people it takes to start a trend; you,” pointed out Chalmers.

The tour was a great success so plans are to tour other rural communities to find their gems in 2014.

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November 29, 2013

Importance of Demonstrating Good Animal Care

Threshing into the Bin The 1910 image shows an elevator on the thresher dumping grain directly into a bin on the field. This was a common practice but the presence of the bin magnified the danger of fire that was always present with steam engines and straw piles.

The separator was easy to move, however pulling a loaded bin posed problems.

Danger of fire also explains the long drive belt used by threshing outfits keeping the engine away from the straw pile. In addition, the engine is fitted with a spark screen on the smoke stack.

There is also a converted grain wagon holding water in a square wood water tank with a pile of straw at the back of the engine being used to fire the engine.

A veteran farmer at the 2013 Reunion recounted his father firing a Rumely steam engine with straw. The funnel shape assisted the straw packing for fuel. A fireman stood on the ground at the back of the engine with an 8-foot long steel handled fork ramming straw into the chute. All one could see through the firebox inspection ports was a sheet of white fire.

This method produced very little ash when firing with straw. When more straw was needed, an empty rack was taken behind the separator, the straw blower filled it up and the rack was taken around behind the engine where the straw was forked onto the ground.

One can also see in this photo that the wagon bed was cut away, above the back wheels allowing the wheels to come through the bed and

A scene played out countless times on the prairies, threshing the crop. The crew has been “at it” for a few hours when this image was taken and they will be “at it” for a few more hours with the prospect for many of the crew looking forward to a straw stack as a bed for the night or a handy barn after a quick wash in a water trough.

wood boxing covered the tops of the wheels. This kept the bed as low as possible. However, the sheaf pitcher, when loading the rack, had to throw sheaves well over 10 feet into the air. There was usually another sheaf pitcher on the rack building the load as the sheaves were thrown up. The veteran farmer reported that many of the experienced sheaf pitchers had a standard pattern they followed when building a load as they then knew how to move around on the load while pitching sheaves into the separator. This prevented trying to fork up a sheave while you were standing on it.

Manitoba Agriculture Museum Holds Fundraiser The Brass Quintet and Pipes & Drums from the Royal Canadian Air Force Band are performing a fundraising concert for the Manitoba Agricultural Museum on Wednesday, December 4 at the Austin and District Community Hall.

Doors open at 7 pm and the concert starts at 7:30 pm. For more information see the Museum website or call the Museum office at 204637-2354. The Manitoba Agricultural Museum is open year round and operates a website at ag-museum.mb.ca.

EDDMaps Activated The Invasive Species Council of Manitoba along with its funding partners, the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Agriculture Council of Saskatchewan are presenting the Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System, Prairie Region (EDDMapS). This collaborative project is an online Google based tool, developed to help with detection and tracking of invasive species in the prairie region of Canada. The current focus is on terrestrial and water’s edge invasive plants but can be expanded to other species in the future.

Created in 2006, the Invasive Species Council of Manitoba is a non-profit organization with over 600 stakeholders and partners. One of its objectives was to develop a database of invasive species to facilitate an Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) system. The EDDMapS approach met this objective and Eddmaps Prairie Region was developed. It can be used to report sightings, view distribution maps, access photos and access information on invasive plant species. It is fast and easy to use and no knowledge of GIS is required. The site features web-based mapping of invasive species distributions to help fill gaps in information and identify the leading edge of ranges. EDDMapS fills the need for one database holding both local and national data, which can be searched, queried and downloaded in a variety of formats. All confirmed reports of invasive plant species received by the Invasive Species Council of Manitoba would be recorded. For further information contact Cheryl Heming with the Invasive Species Council of Manitoba at 204-232-6021 or visit the website at invasivespeciesmanitoba.com.

Animal care issues in the Manitoba beef industry were in the news lately, with a guilty plea entered in a court case stemming from incidents in 2011.

The details of the case are horrific, with more than 60 cattle dead from starvation and an almost equal number found close to death. MBP deplores these actions. Those who abuse animals in this way should be subject to the full weight of the law.

I never want to hear of any case of neglect or abuse of cattle. Unfortunately, these cases, while they are rare exceptions, have occurred and will occur. Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) will not attempt to defend or explain away animal abuse. When incidents happen, the Chief Veterinarian’s Office should take every measure to ensure that animals are protected and that those involved are held accountable for their actions.

These rare cases are not a demonstration of how beef cattle are raised in Manitoba.

Individual cases like this should not tarnish the industry’s strong reputation on animal care issues held by the vast majority of the 8,000 plus families raising beef cattle in Manitoba.

There is no beef producer I know who would defend these actions. The beef producers I work with on a daily basis care deeply about the welfare of the animals under their care.

In fact, most producers have chosen to raise cattle because of the care they have for animals.

The public does not often see the care and attention that cattle producers give, on a daily basis, to their animals. Media outlets don’t cover producers getting up at 4 am in the middle of a blizzard to check their herd, or the efforts taken to help a calf that is born in the middle of a minus 40 night. Unfortunately, most members of the public only get exposure to beef production when the media covers unacceptable incidents that end up in court.

Beef producers need to communicate with the public to ensure that everyone understands that the court cases are rare exceptions that do not exemplify beef production in Manitoba. This is a key reason why the industry has developed a Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle. The code is an important tool for explaining our animal care practices to the public and public policy makers and demonstrating our practices to customers and our trading partners.

The beef Code of Practice has recently been modernized through the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) with a revised code released on September 6. The NFACC beef code development committee is a group that includes beef producers, governments, scientists, veterinarians, animal welfare enforcement groups (e.g., SPCAs), the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, and our customers like restaurants and retail food distributors.

Some people may think that this broad representation on the committee is odd. Why are restaurants, retail distributors, SPCAs, and the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies all around the table when the industry is codifying the right and humane way to raise cattle? They are there because it is critical to the beef industry that civil society and our customers accept and agree with the final outcome. And they have agreed. The revised code represents a consensus of these diverse groups. The process for revising the code was open and transparent with approximately 400 individuals and organizations providing feedback on the earlier draft versions of the document. This of course includes MBP-we made our own submissions on behalf of the beef producers of this province.

I encourage every beef producer in Manitoba to read the revised code. It is not onerous.

It is practical and takes into account modern production practices. The code is based on science, incorporating scientific research aimed at gaining a better understating of what causes cattle stress and pain and how to mitigate this. The code is available on the NFACC website at nfacc.ca. Producers can also contact MBP and we will send you a hard copy.

In the past, the beef industry may have shied away from talking about animal care issues and how producers raise their cattle. We cannot do that anymore because the public-our customers-are increasingly interested in knowing how cattle are raised. More and more people are asking the question: “Where does my food come from?” We need to provide clear answers to this question.

I am proud of how beef cattle are raised in Manitoba. Beef producers have a good story to tell about animal welfare and the attention given to cattle under our care. The Code of Practice is an important tool to help us tell that story.

Great Showing of Manitoba Cattle at Agribition Andre Steppler of Miami prepares on one of his show string for the Charolais Show at Agribition.

Photo by Joan Airey

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Beef Cows Don’t Take Winter Vacations

By Peter Vitti Most geese fly south to avoid a good old-fashion Canadian winter, yet most gestating beef cows on the prairies are not so lucky. They spend most cold winters outside and at times under some frigid weather conditions. Such exposure to cold weather triggers their need for higher levels of energy in their diet for good health, growth and optimum body condition in the cowherd is maintained for the upcoming calving season.

The need for more dietary energy for over wintering beef cows starts in a subtle way.

When modest temperatures hover around 0C, it marks the lower comfort zone temperature for beef cattle. Up to this point, they do not spend much physical or metabolic energy to remain warm, yet are able to maintain their current body condition, vital functions and keep a constant body core temperature of 38C. Even when temperatures drop a few degrees below water freezing, beef cows can survive with a good layer of insulating body fat and a thick hair-coat.

Such mild weather activities disappear rather quickly when outside temperatures go into an arctic free-fall and, along the way, almost immediately elevate the beef cows’ total energy requirements. Consequently, a University and extension environmental study on beef cattle has come up with a linear cold weather rule of thumb as follows: for every 1 C drop in temperature below 0 C, the beef cows’ TDN energy maintenance requirements are increased by about 2 percent. This means that if an early morning temperature is -25C, there is an increase of about 50 percent in the basic dietary energy needs of the cows.

This is only an estimate of cold weather energy needs for gestating beef cows and is based upon effective air temperatures. Producers can also utilize “windchill” temperatures without adjustment when setting up their winter cow-feeding program. That’s because beef cows, like humans, suffer the same heat-loss effects of winter stress as measured by windchill (re: a combination of temperature and direct wind speed). It’s roughly a measure on how quickly heat energy is drawn away from a cow’s body and the amount of energy that needs to be replaced in order to help them stay warm. Relative humidity also plays a key role in windchill because water conducts heat away from the human or cow’s body 25 times faster than dry air.

By using available published windchill information, simply feeding beef cows more of what they are already consuming during the coldest weather often does not achieve their respective ‘cold winter’ energy requirements. When the thermometer drops, metabolic triggers in the cow stimulates her feed intake, but they will only increase dry matter consumption at the very most by 30 percent, often limited by physical constraints of the rumen and a reversal in feed digestibility. Since beef cows can eat only so much feed during very cold weather, the only viable option is to increase, the energy density of their rations by using some high-energy and lower fibre feed ingredients.

This means that rather than feeding cold-stressed cows more bulky feed, such as more hay or more silage, it is sometimes better to substitute part of these forages with highenergy screening pellets or starch-enriched grains such as barley or corn. University of Nebraska (2001) researchers found out that cold-stressed feedlot cattle derived more of a performance benefit by increasing the energy density of their ration with grain versus taking advantage of the extra heat increment (given off during rumen forage digestion) by feeding more forage.

Increasing the energy density of the beef cow ration might be as easy and convenient as feeding some grain during the coldest parts of the winter, but it is still more costly than feeding roughages. To help determine when extra grain should be fed instead of extra forage, the following table outlines a sample feeding guide dependent upon the weather conditions that might be used.

Based on the assumption that hay costs about 5 c/ lb and grain (barley) costs 8 c/lb, the cost of feeding a herd of 300 beef cows for one month of -20 c temperatures (including windchill) costs approximately a few hundred dollars more to feed extra barley instead of feeding extra hay.

Whether choosing barley or hay, the sole objective becomes a matter of maintaining or achieving a BCS of 2.5 – 2.75 (thin = 1, and 5 = obese) by calving time, while replacement heifers should calve out at a little better BCS of 3.0. Furthermore, optimum BCS should parallel 150 – 180 lbs of fetus and fetal membranes weight gain. Cows that successfully can get through the coldest winter months with an optimum BCS at calving have less calving problems, fewer days returning to estrus, and ultimately have higher conception rates. It is always a good idea to periodically review the BCS of the cows, and determine that any reformulated diets for higher energy intake are working.

Maintaining mid to late-gestation beef cow body condition is not only based upon increasing the cowherd’s dietary energy consumption. Additional cold weather management sometimes means setting up good slatted windbreaks and shelters in both pasture and dry lot situations. It could also mean creating heat-generating manure/straw mounds and deep-bedded loafing areas. Likewise, some producers change how they feed their cattle; feed in the late afternoon in order to take advantage of the cows’ natural ability to generate heat from feed digestion and thus help keep them warm during the coldest part of the night.

These energy-enriched diets and other management techniques should maintain desirable body condition and health of late-gestation beef cows as well as allow growth in replacement heifers. Such appropriate cold-weather actions can lead to a successful calving season and may even help earn some revenue for a one or two week vacation down south for some producers.

Canadian Angus Youth Come Home as Champions The Canadian Angus Association (CAA) on behalf of the Canadian Angus Foundation is thrilled to announce the Canadian Angus youth chosen last spring to compete in the Youth Programme at the 2013 PGG Wrightson World Angus Forum have been awarded champion and reserve champion world titles.

Canada sponsored three teams of four individuals to compete at the prestigious inaugural event in New Zealand. The Canuck team members Jared Hunter, Didsbury, Alberta (Captain), Patrick Holland, Montague, Prince Edward Island, Melissa McRae, Brandon, Manitoba and Michael Hargrave, Maxwell, Ontario, brought home the world champion title along with $10,000 New Zealand prize money.

“I am so honoured to have been selected to represent Canada on this prestigious trip and winning it is truly unbelievable!” said Melissa McRae, winning team member. “I want to thank all the sponsors, organizers and volunteers for making this my best trip ever! Also, to congratulate all the other competitors for welcoming us Canadians and for all for their hard work!”

The reserve champion world title was also awarded to a Canadian team, Team B-squarED, consisting of Captain Erika Easton, Wawota, Saskatchewan, Ty Dietrich, Forestburg, Alberta, Kaitlynn Bolduc, Stavely, Alberta and Matthew Bates, Cameron, Ontario.

Bates was also announced as the highest scorer in the most challenges as an individual.

Matt Bates explained after his win, “Named world champion today at the 2013 World Angus Forum Youth Programme in Auckland, New Zealand. Cloud nine doesn’t begin to describe it.”

The third team of outstanding youth representing Canada was The Eh Team and included Sean Enright, Renfrew, Ontario, as Captain, Stacey Domolewski, Taber, Alberta, Chad Lorenz, Markerville, Alberta and Breanna Anderson, Swan River, Manitoba. The Eh Team brought home honours for champion Team Presentation.

Team members traveled to Rotorua, North Island, New

World Reserve Champions from left to right: Erika Easton, Ty Dietrich, Kaitlynn Bolduc and Matthew Bates.

World Champions from left to right: Michael Hargrave, Patrick Holland, Melissa McRae, Jared Hunter.

Zealand, on October 9 for a five-section contest including general knowledge, parading (presentation, showmanship and sportsmanship with an Angus animal), stock judging, animal preparation (clip an animal for show) and agri-sports (hands-on team challenge involving day-to-day tasks). Team members also had the chance to visit Angus studs in the area and participate in an adrenaline tour with the 10 other teams from across the world. New Zealand included a 150year celebration of Angus in their country and featured a first-class celebration.

Canadian team members would like to provide a special thank you to Atahua, Turiroa and Kakahu studs for providing heifers for use during the competition.

“I wish all of our [CAA] members could have been here [at the World Angus Forum] to experience this,” said Canadian Angus Association CEO Rob Smith.

“Our 12 youth had pride and gratitude for representing us so well this past week. Countless individuals have told me how impressed they were by our capable, friendly, polite Canadian youth ambassadors. We have so very much to be thankful for as our nation celebrated Thanksgiving last week, including a future that includes 12 outstanding

young leaders and Angus breeders!”

Initially, the Canadian Angus Foundation had committed to sending up to eight individuals for two Canadian teams to the competition. After reviewing applications, the fourth youth team was made possible by an additional contribution by the CAA Board of Directors to financially support three teams of four.

“Thanks to donors and supporters of the Canadian Angus Foundation’s Building the Legacy Sale along with the Canadian Angus Association and Canadian Angus Foundation Board of Directors,” said Smith.

“Without your donation, dedication, leadership and vision, these young folks would not have had this opportunity to bring home the world at the inaugural WAF Youth Programme as the top two champion teams on the globe as well as the top individual.”

The Canadian Angus Foundation functions to preserve and expand the Angus breed for future generations through education, youth development, scientific and market research, and historical preservation. The Canadian Angus Foundation was incorporated in 1993 and is the charitable arm of the Canadian Angus Association.

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