Agripost November 27 2015

The Agri Post

November 27, 2015

TPP FFar ar from Done

By Les Kletke

Lots of Practical Experience Behind New Ministerial Face

By Les Kletke Lawrence MacAulay may not be a name familiar to western Canadian farmers but the new Minister of Agriculture brings a wealth of experience in agriculture both in and out of the political arena. He as been a Member of Parliament since 1988 and with that longevity is the longest serving Member of Parliament in the history of PEI. Before being elected to Parliament MacAulay operated a dairy and potato farm bringing with him some practical experience. It has been a while since the country had an Agricultural Minister that grew up on and operated a farm, and he is the first Maritime Minister of Agriculture since the 19th century.

He holds a high profile in the Liberal caucus and has served as a senior Cabinet minister in previous Liberal governments. He is listed as second in line behind only Ralph Goodale to succeed the Prime Minister if Trudeau were unable to finish his term of office.

Farm groups are ready to give the new Minister an opportunity before judging him

Prime Minister Trudeau has trusted Lawrence MacAulay with the Ag portfolio.

or the administration. The Barley Council of Canada (BCC) offered congratulations to the new minister but wants to get down to business. “On behalf of BCC, I would like to congratulate the

newly elected government and look forward to working closely to advance the interests of everyone in the agrifood value chain,” said BCC Chairman Brian Otto.

“Our board is eager to de-

velop strong relationships with Minister MacAulay along with the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport and the Honourable Chrystia

Continued on page 3

Harold Froese has been involved with trade issues for a long time, the self-described trade junkie said he got started with the World Trade Organization talks in 2000.

“When I started to read the documents in an effort to find out what was in them and what trade involved,” he said.

Fifteen years later, and he does not claim to be an expert on international trade, but he does have a better understanding of these agreements and what they will mean to farmers than most people.

Since 1983, he has been an egg and pullet producer after purchasing a layer farm from his parents. He has also been a grain farmer and is in the process of wrapping up his operations and transitioning to retirement.

Froese provided an overview of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement for the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors annual meeting in Niverville. He said the agreement between 12 countries including Canada was 5 years in the process and includes a combined GDP of $28.5 trillion dollars. “While it was not ideal to have it conclude during an election campaign in our country,” he said. “It is too big a deal for our government to now back out, the agreement will go ahead but it is far for over.”

Froese then outlined the process for negation. “It starts from the outside with the easy points and then moves to the more contentions points and gets higher ups involved,” he said. He went on to say that with his involvement in the agricultural sector and making recommendations to former Agricultural Minister Jerry Ritz, he did not get the feeling that Ritz was a strong supporter of supply management.

“But he was a hard negotiator and not going to give it away without getting something major from the other people at the table. He was not one to give things away.”

Froese also explained, “That while agreements are reached over the 5 year period and escalate to more complex issues, nothing is done until the whole agreement is reached and if it falls apart in the finals stages everything is off the table.”

He acknowledged that the access to commodities under supply management is significant but not as large as people might think. He said the opening of Canadian borders to an additional 15 million eggs over the next 20 years is significant but then pointed out it is roughly the same number of eggs McDonald’s restaurants buy in a year in Canada. “And half of those come from Manitoba. When McDonalds said they will buy only eggs produced from hens not in cages that can have a great impact in a shorter period. Not to down play the trade agreement but there are many other factors impacting our industry at this time.”

“The agreement has been reached but it is far from over and each country needs to do its due diligence but consumers have the greatest impact on our business,” he added.

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November 27, 2015

The Agri Post

The Agri Post

New Ag Minister continued...

Continued from page 1 Freeland, Minister of International Trade,” said Otto. “Given the challenges faced by growers, handlers and industry we plan to continue working closely with the federal government to create an efficient, predictable and reliable rail transportation system.”

The BCC will also be advocating that the government recognize the merits for agriculture of the newly negotiated Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement and will encourage them to support and seek ratification. “For the barley industry and our members, the TPP is a big deal and one that we need,” said Otto. “We remain optimistic that this new government will support this trade agreement.”

The National Farmers Union (NFU) welcomed the new minister and could not resist a shot at the previous government. “We look forward to working with the new federal government and our new Minister,” said Jan Slomp, NFU President. “We hope that with greater openness and transparency along with meaningful public engagement, Canada’s agricultural policy will move in a direction that is more helpful to farm families than what we have seen over the past decade.”

The letter of engagement for the position, which was released by the Department of Agriculture, contains several key action points for the new minister.

The Minister’s mandate will be to invest in an Agri-Food Value Added Investment Fund to help attract investment and create jobs in food processing, providing technical and marketing assistance in the process.

The agricultural department will need to develop a food policy that promotes healthy living and safe food by putting more Canadian-produced food on tables across the country along with investing in agricultural research to support science and innovation in the industry, and involve food producers in the process. Work with producers and provincial governments to determine whether the farm income safety nets are enough to support Canadian farmers and implement a new multi-year policy to replace Growing Forward 2.

Internationally the Minister has a mandate to promote Canadian agricultural interests during trade negotiations and work with all willing partners to help the industry adapt to climate change, address water and soil conservation and development issues.

MacAulay is also tasked to support the Minister of Transport in reviewing the Canadian grain transportation system and the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities to ensure investments in transportation infrastructure including short-line rail spurs and port loading terminals.

The industry is willing to give Minister MacAulay a chance but the honeymoon will not last long and they will be making demands on his department and the budget.

November 27, 2015

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Jill Officer Motivates Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference Attendees

By Joan Airey At this year ’s annual Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference held in Winkler, Jill Officer inspired all attendees as a keynote speaker.

Jill Officer is a household name in curling circles and well known to everyone in Manitoba. She is described as having a down to earth manner and has exceptional stamina in training to be one of the best curlers in the world.

She is a ten-time Provincial Champion, five-time Canadian Scotties Tournament of Hearts Champion and a three-time World Medallist including gold in 2008, silver in 2015, and bronze in 2010. Officer and her team skipped by Jennifer Jones, represented Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games, where they captured Olympic Gold and were the first ever team to go undefeated in Women’s Olympic Curling.

“Jill Officer inspired us all with her message that you need to ‘go your own way’ and always do the best that you can while keeping things in perspective in terms of balancing your life, health, a career

“The 360 degree view at the top was unbelievable.”

Jill Officer gave everyone a chance to have their photograph taken with her after her motivational talk. Starting at back row from left to right: Jody Klassen, Ann Mandzuik, Catherine Jorden, Cindy Klassen, Jill Officer, Gloria Nimchuk, Angela Lovell, Joanne Baker, and Lori Froese. Front row: Carol Dalgarno and Donna Lee Brown. Missing is Jory Jury.

Photo by Joan Airey

and family,” said Angela Lovell.

During her highly motivational address to the attendees, Officer recalled how she accompanied her brother Rob and his fiancée on a 27-day trek to the base camp of Mount Everest in May 2006.

“The trek was extremely difficult beyond what I could imagine. I was glad of my brother’s encouraging words and that I was able to push myself to complete the climb.

The 360 degree view at the top was unbelievable,” said Officer.

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November 27, 2015

The Agri Post

Beware of ‘Probably’ Causing Cancer….

My goal and my message to farmers, farm organizations on both sides of the 49th parallel, and I speak to both audiences is why do we sometimes shoot at each other, when the enemy is much greater and we need to turn our collective guns on them.

Well, this also holds true thinking of how one sector, sometimes thinks if governments change the rules, it will help our people get a higher price for their product.

Case in point. The whole country of origin labelling fiasco has some people on the American side of the equation thinking if we make packers label their products a little more specific, consumers will like us, and the live animals will stay out from Canada and Mexico.

That is exactly what happened. Same meat, same product, same animals, just a different label. Why? Simple straight out greed and protectionism. It has cost both sides of the border, in our case the farmers and farm organizations and government billions, and the same holds true in the US, but there it is more or less; the government footing the costs dealing with the WTO. Now to my point because a headline caught my attention, and almost made my blood boil... Processed meat can cause cancer, red meat probably can: WHO. My initial reaction and I posted it on Twitter; I wonder what those who keep bashing each other in the meat industry now have to say? I maintain we need to focus our attention on those who want to destroy the meat industry, not keep shooting across the bow of those raising the same produce as the next person.

An article by the CNBC website states eating processed meat can lead to bowel cancer in humans while red meat is a likely cause of the disease according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) so-called experts. These findings could sharpen debate over the merits of a meat-based diet.

The article goes on to say the France-based International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the WHO, put processed meat such as hot dogs and ham in its group 1 list, which already includes tobacco, asbestos and diesel fumes, for which there is “sufficient evidence” of cancer links.

Yes, I know there is processed meat and then there is good old-fashioned deli meat, actual meat in most cases and no additives.

Yet, to put that in the same class as asbestos and smoking, come on, give me a break. As I said earlier, for this one we may have some of the anti-Canadian meat producers having to admit we’re on the same side. Then again maybe not.

This kind of damage to the meat producing industry, and again most people can see through this as propaganda because the word ‘probably’ gets used too often.

Let me show you, while not probably here, they use the words ‘the risks are small’. The article quotes Dr. Kurt Straif of the IARC in a statement, not in an interview, a news release, from an individual, the risk of developing colorectal (bowel) cancer because of processed meat consumption remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed.

I once attended a finance and credit conference in Chicago where a renowned economist talked about how people do surveys and even take them seriously. One study fed a bunch of cheese to mice to see how it would affect them.

They found out of you feed the mouse too much cheese it might actually explode. The same scenario, in 1993 when the then CWB didn’t know what to do with the horrendous amount of vomitoxin infected wheat. Then CWB Minister Charlie Mayer at a meeting of irate farmers in Selkirk who couldn’t sell their wheat because of this, had a good answer for one farmer who asked what happens if I should ingest some of this poisonous wheat? “Well,” says Charlie.

“You eat a boxcar full of it, I know you will explode.”

Yes, if you eat a tonne of processed meat and another tonne of steak and eggs, your bowels may not be able to handle it either.

I forgot to tell you the article in my opinion becomes almost laughable if it wasn’t so serious by saying, “Red meat, under which the IARC includes beef, lamb and pork, was classified as a ‘probable’ carcinogen in its group 2A list that also contains glyphosate, the active ingredient in many weed killers. The lower classification for red meat reflected ‘limited evidence’ that it causes cancer. The IARC found links mainly with bowel cancer, as was the case for processed meat, but it also observed associations with pancreatic and prostate cancer.”

There you go… Remember the headline, ‘Processed meat can cause cancer, red meat probably can: WHO’!

The Value of Work

Penners Points

Even though economists have shown that it is not true, an old idea persists among many. It’s called the

by Rolf labour theory of value; it argues that the value of Penner goods is derived from the amount of work that went rolfpenner@agripost.ca into making them. At best, this theory muddies our thinking. At worst, it points us in the wrong direction.

The value of a good or service is actually quite subjective. It has more to do with someone’s perception of its usefulness for a particular end at a particular point in time.

In other words, what something costs reflects what people are willing to pay, not how much time others spend making it.

Like most people, farmers will contradict themselves and, depending on the situation, go back and forth between both of these arguments. We hear a common complaint, for instance, that commodity prices do not reflect the cost of production – including how much labour was involved in producing, say, a tonne of canola. Notice that this argument goes away every time the price of canola, or per acre yields, well exceeds production costs, at least from the farmer’s perspective. Those buying it would have something else to say.

Land prices are probably the easiest example to illustrate the subjective theory of value. Again, the common complaint is that land prices rarely seem to be related to what can actually be produced on it. But it’s easy to see why this may be the case. You may be willing to pay more for a piece of land that’s right next to your home base, or maybe next to another piece you already own. One’s overall debt and cash flow situations can also be factors; the less debt you have, the more you may be willing to bid up the price. Or look at it the other way; if you have a lot of debt and distant land is for sale, you may still be interested if you can get a deal. The final price is really a subjective matter.

None of this is unique to farmers. Students will argue that their papers should be graded higher based on how much time they put into researching and writing them.

Teachers generally mark them solely based on the quality of the end product.

Behavioural economist Dan Ariely likes to talk about a locksmith who, as he got better at his work, started getting fewer tips, and more complaints about his prices.

Each job took him so little time or effort that customers felt cheated—even though being super-fast is an asset in a locksmith, not a fault.

Economics Professor Steve Horowitz goes deeper into the theory. “Rather than seeing the value of outputs being determined by the value of the inputs like labour, the subjective theory of value shows that it’s the other way around. The value of inputs like labour were determined by the value of the outputs they helped to produce.”

Horowitz explains in this example, “The high market value of well-prepared food is not the result of the value of the chef’s labour. Rather, the chef’s labour is valuable precisely because he is able to produce food that the public finds especially tasty, beautiful, or healthy.”

If you look at this on a bigger scale, you come to understand that free exchange or capitalism is at its core a means of communication. In the process, we try to sort out how best to make use of limited resources to satisfy our most urgent wants. Economist Ryan McMaken puts it this way. “Exchange and market prices are how we make our subjective perceptions of value accessible to others so they can figure out how best to provide us with the things we value most.”

This also helps to explain the folly of central planning. People invariably value everything in many different, sometimes unexpected, and even bizarre ways. It is just simply impossible for some central group to predict people’s wants and needs and then somehow organize the world to fulfill them.

The labour theory of value just gets in the way of our understanding of how the world of free exchange really works. It’s time we stopped thinking in such antiquated and disproven terms.

Manitobans PPaying aying More and Getting Less Service Dear Editor: During a recent Agriculture Committee meeting at the Legislature, Ron Kostyshyn, Minister of Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD), revealed some startling information.

Despite ballooning government debts and deficits under the NDP, MAFRD has continued to see its budget shrink for the past five years. The job vacancy rate in MAFRD is currently at 25 per cent, with rural offices forced to take the brunt of the vacant positions.

Also, the Minister promised one year ago to release new regulations to enhance the local food movement. Not only have these regulations not been released, but also the Minister had no clue as to when this will happen.

This is broken trust in a broken government. Manitobans are tired of the same NDP broken promises and want a change for the better.

The next provincial election is April 19, 2016. With your help, a change for the better is coming.

Blaine Pedersen, Opposition critic for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Progressive Conservative MLA for Midland

The Agri Post

Food Industry Demonstrates Willingness to Adapt to Changing Markets The food industry is showing signs it can change, and the timing couldn’t be better.

Animal proteins have been a dietary mainstay in much of the western world for thousands of years. But demand for processed and red meats has been declining for a number of years now, for a variety of reasons. The arguments against animal protein consumption continue to pile up, among them, higher prices, health concerns, animal welfare and sustainability.

And recently the World Health Organization announced that bacon, sausages and other processed meats could cause cancer, making the case for eating animal protein in general weaker. However, the food industry has started to demonstrate its willingness to adapt to changing market deBy Sylvain Charlebois mands.

Take McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada’s recent decision in the face of consumers’ growing wariness about the use of antibiotics on animal farms, to procure antibiotic-free chicken. The non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in farm animals encourages antibiotic-resistant germs that ultimately threaten humans.

Last March, McDonald’s US arm grabbed headlines by announcing that over the next two years it will phase out serving chicken treated with some antibiotics. McDonald’s US has the corporate muscle to do practically anything it feels is right for its business and this move makes sense in an era marked by supply chain transparency.

In Canada, though, things are very different, and so McDonald’s Canada’s approach was more guarded. McDonald’s is one of Canadian chicken farmers’ largest customers. It is estimated that more than 400 million McNuggets are consumed annually in Canada alone.

McDonald’s said it wanted to evaluate purchasing chickens raised without antibiotics before making a decision since Canada’s farming landscape is strictly regulated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Then, after some months of investigation, McDonald’s Canada decided to go antibioticfree.

In a supply management system like Canada’s, recognized farming practices help marketing boards set farm gate prices so that farmers are assured of a decent living. By limiting imports with high tariffs and controlling production through quotas, the system creates equilibrium between supply and demand that would be much more difficult to achieve in an open market.

However, altering codes of practice is always challenging in Canada since farmers are concerned about how markets will react to potentially higher prices caused by any change. We shouldn’t forget that chicken competes in the supermarket and on restaurant menus with other animal proteins like pork or beef. Price points are therefore carefully managed across the food chain. And for the most part, the existing system has served chicken farmers very well for decades.

Antibiotics have been used in chicken farming since the end of the Second World War, when protein production became a priority in North America. Their use was encouraged to prevent and treat diseases, keeping animals healthy and managing losses on farms. Antibiotics enhanced production and kept prices stable for consumers.

So for years, the economic rationale for using antibiotics was justifiable. But times are chang-

ing. We now know more about the impact of farm antibiotic use on consumers and that adjustments are necessary. So it’s “Back to the Future” in chicken farming.

While changing the code of practice in Canada for supply-managed commodities like chicken is difficult and slow, the industry can and should align itself with consumer expectations.

The same thing can be said about egg farmers. They decided to partner with McDonald’s Canada a few weeks ago to supply cage-free chicken eggs over the next decade. Addressing consumers’ concerns about animal welfare and their own health was simply the right thing to do.

Because of McDonald’s clout and market power, it will be easier for other restaurant chains to follow suit and work on new partnerships with farmers. Some have been asking in vain for such a change for years.

McDonald’s Canada and Canadian chicken farmers and egg producers should be lauded for building partnerships that work for all, especially for consumers.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor at the Food Institute at the University of Guelph. He is currently on leave at the University of Innsbruck in Austria.

November 27, 2015

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Another Year of Changes

Another year draws to a close and a new one will begin. It is a process that continues whether you make a big deal of starting a new calendar or just consider it another day. We are a decade and a half into the new century, the Greeks called it a Quindecinnial, but things haven’t really changed or have they.

Remember when we were going to be cast into utter chaos when the calendar turned from 1999 to 2000? Tell kids that today and they

think it ancient history, some would ask if you thought the dinosaurs would eat the clocks. It is not the changing of the calendar that marks huge events.

A generation ago things were marked by where you were November 22,1963, then 911 replaced that and now we have Paris to define another period and yes those events all matter but reality is that in this business we go about producing food as we have and as we will.

I heard the projections for markets for the upcoming year, and in a phrase, it could be summed up as more of the same. That means uncertainty, wild price swings on both inputs and the goods we sell.

Things have gotten to the point that when you buy your fuel can have as big an impact on your bottom line as any other single factor.

It was 3 years ago that Dr. David Kohl said we would see crude oil prices

from $50 to $100 dollars a barrel in a single year. He erred on the side of caution, swings have been far greater. We used to believe we had a stable currency and wonder how people in South American countries functioned with those wild rides in their currency, ours swung by 35 cents this year and we are not sure it has settled yet.

The key to surviving in this business is being able to weather the storms, to have enough put away for a rainy day, or a two-bit drop in your dollar. The most valuable view of the future comes from those that tell us to be ready for the gyrations of the next year. They have given up on going 5 years out.

Funny thing about that, it is the exact same thing my Dad told me 40 years ago, it was something he had learned from farming through the 1920s and the next decade called the Great Depression. The more things change the more they stay the same.

Merry Christmas and all the best in 2016, hold on for the ride.

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November 27, 2015

The Agri Post

Dairy Calves Raised in Hutches Need a Good Winter Action Plan Each year, I see hundreds of preweaned dairy calves overwintered in outdoor calf hutches. Most perform well, but there are also more “poor doers”, than I care to see. I find that each poor calf tells a similar story.

Some of these mediocre calves are shivering, others are skinny, a few calves are coughing (with nasal discharge), while others are scouring. These are familiar signs of cold-stress, which lead to a high degree of morbidity (sickness) and mortality in calves raised in hutches during the winter.

Therefore, I recommend dairy producers should take a brisk walk along a row or group of their hutches; and reduce any signs of cold-stress in calves with a good winter action plan.

Environmental research studying cold-stress in dairy calves has demonstrated that for every drop of the thermometer by 1 °F below 50 °F (10°C), a calf requires 1% more energy (excluding other environmental factors such as wind-chill and wet weather).

Back on the dairy farm, it means; dairy calves overwintered in outside hutches on a brisk winter day of -15 °F (-25°C) require at least 65% more dietary energy compared to their counterparts raised in a heated calf barn.

To cover off this extra dietary energy, there are many simple things that dairy producers can do in order to implement a good winter action plan, so winter nutritional status of pre-weaned dairy calves is achieved.

Adjust hutch placement - A row of hutches should be positioned on the farmyard that is not in the direct path of cold north-west winds, such as near a row of trees, fence or other suitable windbreaks. Individual hutches should also be positioned such that cold drafts and snow are prevented from circulating around or inside each hutch, and a few hours in direct sunlight does not hurt, either.

Elevate dietary energy intake – Feed whole milk or high-fat (20 – 25%) all-milk milk replacer. Increase the amount of milk or milk replacer fed by 2% for every 1°C, the temperature drops below 10°C (re: 1% for every 1°F below 50 °F). This advice means if 5 litres of whole milk or milk replacer are routinely fed to each calf and the temperature drops from 10 °C to 0 °C (re: 5 litres x 2% x 10 degrees drop = +1.0 litre), then a total of 6 litres of milk or milk replacer should be put in front of each calf. I would implement a third feeding, if this amount is too much for baby calves to consume in two meals.

Maintain a good calf starter program - Calf starter should also be introduced to outside dairy calves just as those calves fed at any other time of the year. Two-week old calves won’t eat a significant amount of calf starter to receive much dietary energy, but they will nibble on it. In contrast, when they become 5 - 6 weeks old, one calf should consume up to a kilo of calf starter per day and then can be weaned.

Keep calves clean – It might be hard to clean dirty hutches during the winter. However, removal of wet soiled bedding and providing a good layer of fluffy straw effectively insulates calves from the cold. It also acts as a moisture barrier to keep them dry.

One winter guideline for bedding suggests that enough clean straw should be provided, so one cannot see the animals’ feet when they stand up.

Provide more TLC – From the start, people who use blankets on their calves in the hutches seem to have better winter-adjusted calves. I have also seen people that check on the condition of their calves in hutches more frequently, seem to catch the ones that are struggling (re: gaunt, have runny noses or loose manure) and treat them faster for a more effective recovery.

It has been my own personal experience that these five practical recommendations lead to better quality dairy calves raised in hutches over the winter. To me, it’s a tale of two dairy farms that I presently visit on occasion.

The first dairy farm lays a row of dairy hutches, just outside of the milking barn in the path of a direct arctic airflow with little bedding provided in the hutches. These calves are fed twice a day, a medium-fat milk replacer and calf starter buckets are filled every third day. The second dairy farm has a row of calf hutches placed away from buildings near a long portable windbreak. Their calves are always bedded with lots of clean straw.

They are fed a high-fat milk replacer, three times a day and a high quality calf starter, which is provided every day.

Compared to the first dairy farm, the second dairy barn is well known for producing healthy and frisky calves all year round.

The Agri Post

November 27, 2015

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November 27, 2015

The Agri Post

The Agri Post

November 27, 2015

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Research and Networking Lead to Success for Young Entrepreneur

By Joan Airey Bailey Gitzel didn’t plan on becoming a businesswoman at thirteen when she saved her lunch money to buy twenty hens and fixed up an old granary for their living quarters.

“Soon after I bought twenty hens I realized that I may have miscalculated how many hens a family of five needed.

Our fridge was brimming with eggs and we were giving eggs away to anyone who wanted them. That is when I started peddling eggs to my teachers at school and I got my mom to sell eggs to the nurses at work,” said Gitzel.

In grade nine Gitzel read a book about beekeeping and that sparked an interest. She researched every thing she could about the honeybee and beekeeping. In 2013, she purchased her first hive and another beekeeper gave her some old equipment.

“Bees fascinated me. I would sit by the hive and just watch the worker bees come and go. The next spring I wanted to purchase two more hives from a beekeeper at Morden. I was lucky he took me under his wing and showed me the ropes of beekeeping. He even let me use his equipment to extract honey. This was my third year beekeeping and I currently have seven hives. I extracted close to eight hundred pounds of honey this year. At 64, my grandpa has also become involved in beekeeping. He’s helped me a lot and thinks it’s really neat that his granddaughter has taught him something totally new,” said Gitzel.

Every fall the Canadian Seed Trade Association picks grade eleven and twelve students to attend the Grow Canada Conference as future influencers. Last fall Gitzel was picked to attend the 2014 Grow Canada conference in Ottawa. “After attending the conference I decided I wanted to study biotechnology at university instead of medicine and I realized after I could study science at a high level and still be part of agriculture,” said Gitzel.

In October 2015, Gitzel was chosen as one of two students to attend World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa along with two hundred student delegates from around the world.

“I attended sessions at the Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium for three days and heard many international experts explain how it is possible to feed nine billion

Tie One On Exhibit Opens at Agricultural Museum Tie One On: An Exhibit of Heritage Linen and Aprons is a special exhibition of aprons and heritage lines that will be on display at the Manitoba Agricultural Museum, until spring 2016. All items on display have been donated, or borrowed from Museum members and volunteers.

The aprons have been made and embellished in a variety of styles; which will delight and inspire visitors. While the purpose of some aprons is functional, others represent fashion, and many have a fanciful side. Over time, the apron became a type of uniform, performing a functional role, yet also a symbol of pride in a job well done.

Also on display is the ever-important handkerchief, as well as beautifully embroidered tablecloths. Before the invention of the tissue, handkerchiefs were a very important piece of one’s wardrobe; carried by everyone. Visitors will see children’s handkerchiefs with cute poems on them, as well as very ornate handkerchiefs. Lovely tablecloths adorned with hand-stitched embroidery are also on display.

The Manitoba Agricultural Museum is located three kilometers south of the junction of the Trans-Canada and #34 Highways, 125 km west of Winnipeg and 90 km east of Brandon. The Museum is open 9 am - 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday during the winter months.

world who have helped, and continue to help make a positive impact on global food security. It was invaluable to hear so many stories on how one person can help change so many lives,” added Gitzel.

Bailey Gitzel is a grade twelve student at Carmen Collegiate. Bailey started a farm based on selling eggs and has branched out in the honey business and has gone the route of adding value by selling baking using her eggs and honey at Carman Farmers Market.

“Two of my greatest mentors besides my family have been Bruce Smirl a retired beekeeper who is always just a phone call or e-mail away and my Biology teacher Ms. Massinon has been a great support. She attended Grow Canada and World Food Prize with me,” said Gitzel.

On how to succeed as an entrepreneur Giztel advised, “I think events like Open Farm Day and social media can give the consumer an experience of seeing where their food comes from. I recommend to other people, research what you want to do, don’t just jump into something. If you come to a bump in the road, don’t give up, focus on your goal.”

Bailey Gitzel participating in a Panel Discussion of Entrepreneurs at Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference.

Photo by Joan Airey

people. I had the chance to personally meet experts such as Robb Fraley of Monsanto and watch Sir Fazle Hasan Abed of BRAC in Bangladesh accept the 2015 World Food Prize. Also I attended sessions on precision agriculture and aquaculture,” continued Gitzel.

“One of the highlights of the experience came during the Oxfam Hunger Banquet. In the past, when I’ve read statistics about hunger, they had little meaning to me. But during the banquet, participants were asked to step into some else’s shoes for one meal. I was part of the poorest of poor.

All I got to eat was a handful of rice from a bowl in which more than seventy-five people were sharing.

I sat on the floor eating this rice as others served themselves rice and chickpeas. The wealthiest participants in this excise enjoyed a three-course meal. As I sat, there my view on life changed. I gained a new perspective and the hunger statistics I’ve read were no longer words to me. I realized how privileged I am as I have never gone hungry in my life and how others struggle to get enough to eat every day,” recounted Gitzel.

“I might be a farm kid from Manitoba but I had an amazing experience connecting with leaders from round the

Bailey Gitzel added value to her farming enterprise with baking, lip balm and honey offered at Carmen Farmer’s Market.

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November 27, 2015

The Agri Post

Winning the Hunger Games Directors & Officers’ 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 and 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 defense 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 and Business P: 204-746-5589, F: 866-7653351,andya@rempelinsurance.com / rempelinsurance.com / valleyfinancial.ca.

Laura Rance speaking at the 2015 Farm Women’s Conference in Winkler, Manitoba about her visit to Africa.

Photo by Joan Airey

By Joan Airey Award winning Manitoba journalist Laura Rance, a keynote speaker at the November Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference brought to life how African Farmers are rising to the challenge of winning the Hunger Games.

Recently Rance visited Africa on special assignment supported by the Canadian Foodgrains Bank where she researched the links between agriculture and development in Malawi, Zambia and Ethiopia.

She said eighty percent of Africans depend on farming while only two percent of Canadians live on farms. Growth in the agricultural sector in these countries is about feeding a rising population and to grow their economies.

“The hunger months are also the very cold season making it the most challenging period for families in Africa especially in relation to diseases such as HIV/AIDS that suppress people’s immunity. They need better nutrition at this time when a balanced diet is not available. Children are often the last to eat when food is short this time of the year. You often see a lot of fatalities because the adults need more food when working in the fields,” said Rance.

Rance told attendees that when in Malawi she met with a local farmer Thomas Nkhunda who had made great improvements in his farm’s performance by adopting conservation agriculture offered by the NGO Total Land Care with technical support from the international Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre helping improve cereal varieties and sustainable farming practices.

She noticed when it started to rain on his field that the water did not form puddles and run away in torrents like further south but soaked into the ground. His new way of farming his land has transformed his farm into a small-scale commercial operation and made his routinely hungry family food secure.

Rance showed slides on how most of the farmers in Malawi typically farm with a hoe. Planting crops into rows and then pulling those rows into ridges just as we would hill potatoes, sometimes foot high, leaving deep gullies between rows. This is backbreaking work.

When there are no ridges farmers can instead plant their rows closer together, which increases ground cover thus higher yields. The extra rain soaking into the ground and organic matter have doubled the yields of his maize crop.

Now Nkhunda grows a range of crops and he has a higher yielding seed.

In addition to maize, he has a fruit tree nursery and a small grain buying business. Through this hard work, Nahunta’s family is able to save money.

Conference attendees also learned that families have to pay for their children to go to school. Rance told of us of a girl called Juliette in Zambia who forced her parents to pay her school fees. It became possible when her mother was selected by the Zambian government to receive training in crop rotation, crop diversification, gardening and poultry production.

The program is made possible by the Reformed Church of Zambia with support from World Renew and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. The farmers who have received training in soil education for healthy farming have embraced the concepts and are reaping the benefits.

In a village in Malawi, Rance said she thought children were playing at a grown up game as they raced from spot to spot using a hoe bigger than they were to dig holes through the mulch in a maize patch. Then one boy pushed his hand deep into the freshly hoed earth and emerged triumphantly holding a 10 centimetre long insect that was buzzing. As it turns out young children hunt for crickets that burrow into the moist, mulched soil in a conservation agriculture field. Roast crickets are a delicacy in Malawi Rance told us.

Rance explained food production is done by women and the men raise the cash crops like tobacco while the women like to look after their families. The tobacco industry started contracting with small farmers in the early two thousands when large commercial tobacco producing companies went bankrupt.

Everyone’s eyes were opened by Rance on how important it is to look after our soil.

Ingrid Kristjanson gave a presentation “Healthy Crops Begin with Healthy Soils” and Maria Reikman a presentation “From the Earth Beneath our Feet to the Dirt Under our Fingernails Discover the Hidden Gem of Soil!

These presentations were closer to home as they covered farmland in our province. As it is the International Year of Soils, the conference theme “From the Ground Up” was a fitting one.

The Agri Post

Do Not Leave Succession Planning a Surprise

Mike Bossy says communication is the key to any successful succession plan.

Photo by Les Kletke

By Les Kletke When it comes to succession planning there is one bit of advice consultants agree on, communication is key.

Mike Bossy is President of BNG and has assisted more than 200 family businesses through growth and succession planning, he told the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors (CAFA) members at their annual meeting.

He stressed it is critical to get the families talking. “We have too many people who are afraid to give up control and they don’t talk about a plan,” said Bossy. “They continue to operate as if they will be there forever and cannot trust anyone else to take over.”

He said it is the uncertainty that causes more problems than the condition of the succession. “The next generation doesn’t know what is happening and cannot make

plans for their lives. That gets even more complicated when there are in-laws involved.” He strongly suggests, “Having all the family members present and informing them about what the plan for the future is.”

“There is nothing worse than having a daughter-in-law not be informed and getting her information second hand,” said Bossy. “It goes through another filter and the son, her husband might not have heard things exactly as they were said and certainly might not convey the message as intended.”

Bossy who grew up on a farm at Tillsonburg, Ontario said his father was the ‘Tobacco Whisper” and it is skill he never had. “My dad could drive onto a yard and just by the smell coming from the kiln know what was wrong and right about the tobacco. He could tell what needed to be done, all of his neighbours respected him for his expertise and while he tried to teach me, it was not a skill I acquired.

He could not understand that,” said Bossy.

He recalled that he realised tobacco farming was not for him and chose to attend college where he played basketball until a career ending injury in his first month. “Dad said be an accountant, they don’t work much and they make lots of money so I became an accountant,” said Bossy.

“I found out how much they work and I didn’t like it.”

He said working with farmers and their families allows him to include both his farm and accounting background.

“People can avoid so many problems if they just talk about the plan and make people aware.”

Graig Swiston who works with CC & L in planning philanthropic giving strategies agreed with Bossy that communication is the key. “We see people establishing foundations that will be passed on to their children and deal with causes the children are not dedicated to, they find the role a nuisance,” he said.

He suggested a plan for charitable giving that allows people to change their recipient if they choose. “We have people who if a disease hits one of them change their mind about the cause they want to support and are locked in if they make one large donation,” he said. “We suggest some flexibility.”

November 27, 2015

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“There is nothing worse than having a daughter-in-law not be informed and getting her information second hand.”

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November 27, 2015

The Agri Post

The Agri Post

Agriculture Looks Forward with New Liberal Government

By Harry Siemens Farm organizations outline their own specific sector needs going forward as a new Federal Liberal government takes over.

“We look forward to working with the Liberals in advancing the interests of prairie farmers,” said Levi Wood, President of the Wheat Growers. “The Liberal election platform contains several positive elements for Canadian agriculture.”

The Wheat Growers like that Trudeau signalled early on his support for international trade, strongly suggesting that Canada will ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. “Strengthening market access for Canadian grain and livestock producers is critically important for the farm economy,” said Wood. “The Liberal’s past support of trade agreements gives us every reason to be optimistic on the trade front.”

George Matheson, Chair of Manitoba Pork Council (MPC) said international trade, human resources and business risk management are among the key issues they will be focus on as Canada transitions to a new

federal government.

“Number one, international trade. Of course we are definitely an exporting nation of pork,” said Matheson. “The second one, human resources, very important to us of course. We take a lot of labour and that’s hard to come by of late, and the third would be business risk management. Our industry takes lots of risk, fluctuating commodity prices primarily and we would like to see some insurances that would level that for us.”

Matheson said the pork industry in this country is a great economic engine employing many people and consuming a lot of feed grains, which would be expensive to export. It adds a lot of value to other aspects of agriculture. “Its value every year is in the neighbourhood of $5 billion and exports amount to approximately $3 billion a year,” said Matheson. “In a country of 35 million people those are impressive figures and we would like to impress upon Canadians in general that the pork industry is important to the gross national product and the general well being of all Canadians.”

Rick Bergmann of

November 27, 2015

Events...

Fields on Wheels Conference – On Wednesday, December 2 begins at 8 am at the Delta in Winnipeg, 350 St. Mary Ave. Theme: “Grain exports to 2035: Is Western Canada ready?” — “Higher prices and larger markets could be in store for western Canadian farmers and the grain supply chain. Is the infrastructure sufficient to meet the challenge of moving more grain?

Hog Days –

Manitoba Pork Council Chair George Matheson sees international trade, human resources and business risk management as the key issues they will focus on as Canada transitions to a new Federal Liberal government.

Steinbach, Chair of the Canadian Pork Council said market access, availability of labour, business risk management and competitiveness will be among the key issues Canada’s pork industry will be focusing on as Canada transitions into a new federal administration. Bergmann expressed that to move forward the pork industry’s message to the new administration would continue to focus on priorities that are critical to the success of pork producers including things like market access, availability of labour, business risk manage-

ment, competitiveness and on the contribution, the industry makes to the economy.

“We have a significant economic activity here in Canada of over $13 billion, a major employer of over 100,000 jobs, we create significant wages, there’s significant taxes generated by all of this,” he said. “We certainly want to carry the message on that we’re a significant part of the Canadian economy and that our needs would need to be looked after so we can continue to stay strong in our position here and sustainable.”

On Wednesday, December 2 from 10 am - 4:30 pm at the Keystone Centre, Brandon.

Contact Everlito Mendoza 204-346-6080 or e-mail Everlito.Mendozo@gov.mb.ca Over 150 exhibits, Pork Quality Competition, Bake off Competition.

Luncheon $12/person 12 -1 pm.

Prairie Fruit Growers Assoc.

AGM and Berry Production Seminars – On Saturday, December 5 from 9 am – 12:30 pm at the Ambassador A Room, Canad Inns Fort Garry, 1824 Pembina Highway, Winnipeg.

PFGA AGM and seminars on Berry Pollination, Spotted Winged Drosophila (SWD), Raspberry Fireblight.

Contact Anthony.Mintenko@gov.mb.ca.

Developing Food Safety Policies, Procedures and Records Training – On Thursday, December 10 from 9 – 11:30 am at Rm 104 - 1000 Waverley St. Winnipeg.

Contact to register Maria Krawec at 204-391-3064, maria.krawec@gov.mb.ca.

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November 27, 2015

The Agri Post

Telling the Food Story with Properly Funded Research

By Harry Siemens Swine Innovation Porc, a national organization created to facilitate research on behalf of Canada’s pork industry has released its 2014-2015 annual report.

The organization conducts research through a national partnership involving the pork industry, government, and researchers is focusing on ensuring consumers will continue to choose pork.

While funded in part by

the Agriculture and AgriFood Canada in partnership with the pork industry, producers are also paying for this research. Swine Innovation Porc Chair Stewart Cressman said the main focus is to reduce production and feed costs, improve product attributes and prices, and enhance the adaptability and sustainability of the sector.

Cressman said the base funding comes from producers through a research

levy collected on every individual hog marketed along with other partners.

“The nutrition work, we would argue that it benefits the producer and there’s some best management practices looking at a more robust healthy pig in the nursery that requires less or no intervention with antibiotics,” he said. “As well there’s work with the processors, so looking at technologies that they can use in their plants to look at

pork quality and attributes and then passing that on to further processors and retailers trying to better identify the attributes that they would like to have in their product that they put in the meat case and ultimately supply to the consumers.”

Cressman stresses that the consumer has choices and does not have to buy pork so the industry has to keep the end view in sight by improving the quality,

the taste experience and the healthfulness of the product to maintain repeat customers at a competitive price point.

Keeping the comments about that producer and industry funded research at the forefront, a food scientist with the University of Manitoba suggests today’s consumers are better informed than ever about the health and nutritional aspects of the foods they eat.

A report released by the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, which labelled processed meat as carcinogenic, resulted in widespread media attention.

Dr. Rick Holley, a food safety and food microbiology professor with the University of Manitoba said earlier reports were somewhat misleading drawing parallels between smoking and eating bacon, when the risks associated with smoking are something like 2,500 percent greater.

“Consumers are in a very good position today by comparison with 20 years ago because the baseline levels of understanding and availability of credible information I think is far better today than it ever has been and so we’re in a relatively good position to be

able to make informed judgments,” he said. “Certainly the information that health professionals have and continue to provide with regard to dietary habits, recommendations for eating a balanced diet coupled with adequate exercise I don’t think has fallen on deaf ears.”

While many accept the fact that processed meats are not the healthiest foods, moderation is certainly an element that needs to be taken into consideration in terms of the consumption of both processed meats and red meats too.

Dr. Holley said he is impressed the media keeps taking a balanced approach toward evaluating risks associated with the hazards that were brought forward to consumers’ attention. He suggests the media lost a few points when the story originally broke but gained them back during the course of reporting the issue.

He said there was recognition that the agency making those claims did not consider new evidence and that this is a new opinion rather than results of new research, which has impacted the acceptance of the report.

Manitoba Celebrates Global Launch of YYear ear of PPulses ulses The United Nations (UN) officially launched the International Year of Pulses 2016 in Rome, Italy. This Year of Pulses is a coordinated effort among nations, growers groups, scientists and health experts to encourage people to eat pulses.

“We are excited to be a part of this global initiative,” said Francois Labelle, Executive Director of the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers (MPSG). “Pulses produced in our province are enjoyed locally and internationally, and we look forward to new opportunities to spread the message that pulses are good for people and good for the planet.”

Manitoba pulse growers produced approximately $100 million in 2015. These dried seeds of legume crops included dry beans, dry peas, chickpeas and lentils which are sold in bulk or found in prepared soups, snacks and flours. Pulses are high in protein, fibre and various vitamins, and have been linked to a decreased risk of heart attack and stroke.

With over 800 million people around the world suffering from acute or chronic undernourishment and a rising tide of health problems linked to poor diets, the International Year of Pulses 2016 aims to demonstrate the integral role these nutrient-dense foods have in global food security and nutrition.

“Pulses have great potential to help eradicate hunger, plus tackle many chronic health conditions, such as obesity and diabetes,” said Huseyin Arslan, President of the Global Pulse Confederation (GPC), a global not-for-profit trade organization. “We congratulate the UN on its focus on pulses and their importance to global food security and nutrition.”

In January, MPSG will launch a consumer awareness campaign to encourage more Manitobans to eat pulses. “Pulses are considered the food of the future,” said Labelle. “Because they provide excellent nutrition and require much less energy to produce than other crops. That sustainability is key in feeding our families and the world.”

The Agri Post

Survey: MB Farmers Do Not Support MAFRD Vision

By Les Kletke The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has released a report stating its members lack confidence in the vision of the provincial Department of Agriculture. The report also said that things change drastically at the Manitoba Saskatchewan border.

“At their heart, both Saskatchewan and Manitoba are agricultural provinces. Yet, when it comes to leadership on the agriculture file, Saskatchewan stands out with CFIB farm members giving a thumb up to their Ministry of Agriculture. For Manitoba farmers, the grass is certainly greener on the other side,” said Marilyn Braun-Pollon, CFIB’s VicePresident Prairie and Agri-business. “It is evident Saskatchewan farmers support the vision and policies the provincial Ministry of Agriculture has introduced to date.

However, we all know good is the enemy of great. Continuing to create the conditions for farmers to grow and expand should be a top priority.”

“This study demonstrates that MAFRD and the Manitoba government are going in a direction that Manitoba farmers simply don’t support,” said Elliot Sims, CFIB’s Director, Provincial Affairs, Manitoba. “At almost every turn the provincial government adds to the total tax burden of farmers and buries them in red tape, which limits their ability to compete with producers in other provinces and across the globe. Until we see common sense return to regulation making and a reduction in the heavy tax burden imposed on producers, we’ll continue to see dismal confidence in the government.”

Sims said that many of the members surveyed are agricultural producers. “We have agribusiness members but many of the members in this survey are independent producers.”

He cites environmental regulations as one of the key areas where producers feel handcuffed by government regulations. “Producers feel that too often the regulations are put in place and then it is a matter of lobbying and trying to get them changed to fit practical applications,” he said.

“Road restrictions and manure application would be two examples the rules are written with specific dates and then only after a long process does reason come to play and the dates adjust upon weather conditions. Why could the regu-

Elliot Sims of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business says its members are not entirely happy with Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Development.

“This study demonstrates that MAFRD and the Manitoba government are going in a direction that Manitoba farmers simply don’t support.” lations not have been written like that to begin with?”

The addition of tax on purple fuel is another sore spot.

“The addition of tax on purple fuel erodes the advantage farms have,” said Sims. “It was tax free but now has 3 cents a litre tax imposed and that can move up.”

Sims said Saskatchewan has a distinct policy of reducing red tape and he does not see a similar move in Manitoba and neither do the members surveyed for the report.

He is quick to point out that Ag Minister Kostyshen has met with the CFIB and provided a listening ear. “But we know that the Agriculture Department is not the only one influencing legislation and we would like to see a strong voice when dealing with other departments writing legislation that impacts farmers.”

Seven Seconds and 140 Characters to Make an Impression

By Joan Airey Leanne Campbell and Roberta Galbraith from Manitoba Canola Growers held an interactive presentation at the Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference in Winkler on how to use Twitter.

Participants learned how to prepare and craft tweets during the session telling their stories about agriculture and tweet about them with their connections at Canola Growers and beyond.

Campbell provided a list of questions to ask yourself before tweeting. “What are your limits tweeting? Is it okay if absolutely anyone sees this post? Would I say this to someone face to face? Am I being reactive? Is this post well

thought out? How much information am I willing to reveal about my family? Do I have permission to share info/pictures that are not my own? How many posts have I sent today? Do I have a limit?” she posed to the group.

Social Media such as Facebook and Twitter are great ways to promote agriculture, your business or follow your grandchildren’s hockey games. We are never too old to learn from a friend, acquaintance or grandchildren they explained.

“Twitter is a powerful tool that the farm community can use, not only reach out and stay connected with fellow farmers but also, to build relationships and connect with the general consumer. Social media

Leanne Campbell helps a conference attendee with her first tweet.

Photo by Joan Airey

tools like this open dialogue with consumers and put out a face to the journey food takes from the farm to their tables,” said Campbell.

They provided words of caution while using social media, “Think before you tweet or post on Facebook or any other form of social media.”

November 27, 2015

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Winter Nutrient Application Ban in Effect Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship advise the winter nutrient application ban has been implemented effective immediately given recent snowfall accumulations throughout Manitoba. The winter nutrient application ban continues until midnight on April 10 and applies to all forms of nutrients including livestock manure and inorganic fertilizer.

A previous variance that extended the window on nutrient application has been rescinded.

Producers are reminded that additional information on nutrient application restrictions can be accessed online at manitoba.ca/nutrientdates.

Restrictions are designed to ensure nutrients are not applied when the ground is frozen and/or snow-covered and to protect the water quality of Manitoba’s lakes and rivers by reducing nutrient loading to waterways.

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November 27, 2015

The Agri Post

Canadian Agriculture in Good Position for Exports

By Les Kletke Craig Klemmer said that if you want to know what is going to happen to Canadian agriculture markets you need to watch the American markets.

Klemmer is the Senior Agricultural Economist at Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and told the annual meeting of Canadian Farm Advisors that Canadian markets tend to follow the American markets for several reasons. “Corn is still king and what happens to corn determines a lot of what happens to other grain markets,” said Klemmer. “US corn stocks are rebuilding and that could put downward pressure on the corn price in the next year.”

Longer term he sees potential in the expansion of other economies that will be in the market for Canadian grain. “The UN is expecting the middle class in the world to double from 2 billion in 2013 to 4 billion in 2020,” he said. “That is the UN standard for middle class which is well below the Canadian standard.”

He added that, “Canada will remain one of the few exporting countries over that time and stands in good position to take advantage of the developing markets, but the loonie is the wild card in all of this and we need to have a dollar that is attractive to world markets.”

He said that slide of the dollar began before the drop in oil prices but oil is

certainly a contributing factor to a lower dollar and will continue to be so over the next two years.

Klemmer said the bumper crop and livestock ‘dream prices’ made for record incomes in 2014 and was doubtful that 2015 would top it when all the figures were in. He is even more doubtful looking to 2016 but is hopeful that hog prices have bottomed out.

“We are seeing some interest in expansion in the hog industry from our clients,” said Klemmer. “We don’t know whether they are just kicking tires or if they are serious but the indications are that interest is returning in the hog industry.

On the beef side he projects that profitability will last into 2016 but did

Trade – It’s a Two Way Conversation Trading relationships are a conversation. A conversation that requires listening as well as talking.

Canada’s wheat industry is having that conversation with customers around the world right now. New Crop Missions will visit twenty countries in Asia, West Africa, Mid-East and North Africa, Europe, South America, in addition to customers in Canada and the US. We have two primary goals; first, we aim to promote the qualities of Canadian wheat and durum to every region of the world. Second, we are bringing feedback from our customers to help ensure that Canadian wheat and durum are the preferred choice for customers around the world.

The New Crop Missions are a coordinated team approach to supporting our customers around the world. The missions are a collaboration between Cereals Canada, the Canadian International Grains Institute (CIGI) the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC), provincial crop commissions and Canadian exporters.

Seminars are providing customers with a comprehensive overview of how the 2015 Canadian crop will perform in their mills and high quality breads, steamed buns and noodles that will be made from every class of Canadian wheat and durum.

Customers are welcoming the good quality of the 2015 crop. The majority of both Canadian Western Red Spring (CWRS) and Canadian Amber Durum (Celp WAD) is in the top two grades. Protein levels exceed the long-term averages. This is good news for the Canadian industry.

What else are our customers talking about? Grain safety issues are at the top of the list in many markets. There is greater scrutiny of issues arising from mycotoxins like Ochratoxin A (OTA), Deoxynivalenol (DON) and crop input residues. Canada has a stellar grain safety record. But we can’t take our reputation for granted. The industry needs to continue to listen to our customers and ensure that we are taking the steps to keep our grain clean from residues and mycotoxins.

Customers are also welcoming the modernization of Canada’s wheat classification system. The changes will ensure that the gluten strength of Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) remains at the levels customers have come to expect and will continue to meet customers’ needs going forward.

The new team approach to the New Crop Missions allows the Canadian value chain to provide important support as well as receive feedback from customers.

Both “talking” and “listening” are critical to maintaining Canada’s competitive advantage on the world stage. Everyone involved in the industry will benefit.

Anyone interested can review the technical information presented through the New Crop Missions by visiting any of the websites of the principle organizations involved, CerealsCanada.ca, grainscanada.ca and cigi.ca.

Cam Dahl is President of Cereals Canada.

not offer opinions past that. He is hopeful that the lower margins in the hog industry will end as prices bottom out and begin to rebound. On the crop side, his projections showed the greatest margins for lentils with canola coming in second.

Klemmer noted there is potential for soybean prices to slide considering the crop in the US and in Brazil.

Craig Klemmer of FCC says producers can expect more of the same for commodity prices in 2016.

Photo by Les Kletke

The Agri Post

November 27, 2015

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Growth and Development of Grasses for Better Grazing

By John McGregor A grass plant is a collection of plant parts, made up of growth units called tillers. Each tiller produces roots and leaves. Vegetative tillers consist primarily of leaves, whereas reproductive tillers produce a stem, seed head, roots and leaves. The basal area of the stem, where roots often arise, is the crown.

The crown usually has a number of buds (growing points) that produce new tillers and roots. New tillers are anatomically and physiologically connected to older tillers. Therefore, several connected tillers may all live and share water, carbohydrates and nutrients. If one tiller dies, an adjacent tiller with established roots and leaves usually lives.

In the fall, if there is adequate moisture new tillers start from auxiliary buds. These tillers overwinter in the 1-3 leaf stage. Grass growth begins in spring when air temperatures increase (growing degree-days) and the soil warms.

Early in the growing season, because the growing point is located at, or close to the soil surface, it is protected from large grazing animals. Grazing removes leaf tissue but in most cases will not harm the growing point that produces new leaves. As spring growth begins, the apical meristem (growing point) which is inside the stem, near the base of the plant is responsible for leaf formation. Each leaf is rolled into a tube like formation and as new leaves push up from the centre of the tube they unfurl and expand. At the base of each leaf and sheath is the intercalary meristem that is responsible for this expansion. The apical meristem on the tiller continues to grow and produce more intercalary meristem (leaves) as long as it remains in the vegetative state.

Some tillers stay vegetative, while others become reproductive and produce seed heads. Whether a tiller becomes reproductive depends on environment and hormones produced in the plant. The apical meristem produces the seed head, which is triggered by increasing day length. As seed heads develop they produce plant hormones that retard the development of the other vegetative tillers. Once the plant becomes reproductive (boot stage) it is committed to reproduction and its ability to produce new leaves starts to decline.

The reproductive apical meristem elevates during growth of reproductive structures. This is different from the vegetative meristem, where leaves form at the base of the plant and the apical meristem remains at, or near the soil surface. Grazing can remove the reproductive apical meristem and halt seed head production. For seed production, avoid grazing during this period. However, you can manage grazing to reduce the seed crop and stimulate future tiller production. Seed production is not always essential for stand maintenance, as many grasses reproduce by vegetative means such as tillering, rhizomes or stolons.

The type of grass determines when the apical meristem is elevated. Once the apical meristem is elevated, it is susceptible to removal by grazing or mowing. If the growing point is removed, that tiller cannot grow and new growth must come from auxiliary buds on the crown. Similarly, if it becomes reproductive, vegetative growth can only occur from the immature intercalary meristem or from auxiliary buds. Removing the seed head by grazing or clipping will promote development of vegetative tillers Because most cool season grasses require cool temperatures and long nights to once again develop reproductive tillers, after seed heads are removed, vegetative growth is produced for the remainder of the year.

When grazing, ideally, you would like to have within 3 days following grazing, photosynthesis provided from 88% to 99% of the regrowth, the remainder supplied from carbohydrate pools (stored food). The carbohydrate pools should be considered small buffers for regrowth, not a large reserve. The most critical factor affecting regrowth is the amount of green leaf and stem tissue remaining after grazing. The greater the green leaf area remaining after a grazing period, the greater the potential for regrowth. Remember it takes leaves to produce leaves therefore a good rule of thumb is to take half and leave half.

Favourable growing conditions are required for continued growth. Under certain range, conditions there may not be enough moisture for auxiliary buds to initiate new tillers therefore the quickest regrowth comes from leaves and stems on existing tillers.

John McGregor is with Manitoba Forage and Grasslands Association Extension Support.

Above: A vegetative grass tiller. Leaf 1 is oldest and leaf 8 is just being exerted. The enlarged area of the crown shows the apical meristem that produces the leaves.

A reproductive grass tiller. This tiller has a stem (or culm) and seed head that differs from the tiller in Figure 1. Intercalary meristematic tissue at the base of the leaf blade, near the ligule (insert), allows for leaf expansion.

MPC Designs Survey to Look at Hog Industry Labour Problems

By Harry Siemens Even though hog production has dropped substantially in Manitoba, there is still difficulty in finding qualified people to work in barns.

Because of job vacancies, Manitoba Pork Council (MPC) has sponsored a survey they will use to develop programs and strategies designed to help pork producers address the challenges they face in accessing and retaining labour.

As part of its effort to develop an independent labour strategy, MPC is completing a survey of approximately 30 private pork producers from across the province to gain knowledge on the challenges they face in accessing labour and create strategies to address those challenges.

Miles Beaudin the Manager of Quality Assurance and labour programs with MPC, said the survey focuses on the labour challenges. “Some examples would be how many employees do you have in your barn to get a sense of the size of the operation,” said Beaudin. “Then how many people have you hired locally, how many people have you hired from abroad and so on. There’s also a set of questions revolving around retention.”

Other questions look at how staff is retained by quantifying the producer’s turn over rate, pay structures, bonus structure to see if there is any linkages between that and turn over. “The other area is that we are asking questions regarding training and education,” said Beaudin. “Are you offering education and training on the farm, because there is linkages between that and turn over possibly and is there any human resources programs in place for training the owners, the operators and also the people on farm.”

Another survey category includes feedback on where they advertise, does it work, and what other services would they like from Manitoba Pork Council.

Beaudin said the final report would summarize the information gathered, and use it to devise programs and services to help producers address their human resources problems.

Miles Beaudin, the Manager of Quality Assurance and Labour Programs with Manitoba Pork Council sees labour as an ongoing challenge, which is the focus of the labour survey.

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November 27, 2015

The Agri Post

Land Prices Softening

By Les Kletke A Senior Economist with Farm Credit Canada projects the increases in land price is definitely slowing and prices might be in for what he calls a soft landing.

Craig Klemmer told the AGM of the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors that the increase in land prices has slowed from 2013 when it topped 25%. His

expectation for land prices to be in the 6% range for 2015 and soften even more next year. Even with a slow down he does no see a decline in land prices and sited the reason of the small amount of land that trades hands annually.

“We only see about 2% of Manitoba farm land changing hands annually,” said Klemmer. “So it is not entirely reactive to market conditions.”

The small amount of land

trading also means that other factors influence the price. A farmer who has a parcel of land near him come up for sale is quiet willing to bid over what market prices are at that time to make sure he acquires the piece close to his home farm situation.

“He is paying a premium and that makes sense for the convenience of having the land next to his,” said Klemmer. “But it has not established a price at the higher level and that may not be the true market price.”

There are other factors affecting the price of land and they are not huge investors with sums of money from retirement funds. “I want to make it very clear, outside investors that are coming from pension plans, they are responding to the market, they are not pushing the

market,” said Gordon Daman, President of Red River Group in Niverville.

“The Ontario Teachers Pension Fund or CPP are very, very shrewd individuals. They will only go in and purchase a property once they see what that market value is.”

He said local farmers have a far greater impact. He calls the bidding high on land near an existing farm “assemblage” and points to it as a far greater factor than funds. The concentration of a few farmers looking to expand their acreage can have the effect of pushing prices higher but it can also have the opposite effect if they agree to hold prices below a predetermined level or engage in trading land with other large producers to concentrate their holdings in a small area.

He said another problem arises when large farms sell

Craig Klemmer expects land price increases to soften in the new year.

Photo by Les Kletke

out and no one can afford to buy them. The solution he suggests is to sell land in smaller parcels over a number of years.

Klemmer suggests that lower interest rates in re-

cent years have contributed to the increase in land prices and if interest rates were to increase, the cost of buying land would soften even more or decline.

Students Take Action to Aid Food Bank

By Elmer Heinrichs Even as farmers here in Manitoba harvested at least an average crop, there continues to be a growing need for community food banks.

Students at Ecole Parkside School in Altona learned in October that food is not something that should be taken for granted. The school partnered with Rhineland Car Co. in its “We Scare Hunger” food drive, a joint effort between Ford dealers and Free the Children, an aid agency. Students at Ecole Parkside collected almost 500 items and delivered them to the Rhineland Area Food Bank in Altona.

Rhineland Car Co. President Jim Dick said the dealership

was able to collect almost a truckload of food, and received another $310 in cash donations. Sun Valley Coop food store also collected $492, which was then matched by the co-op.

Homeroom teacher Andrea Neufeld said, “We wanted students to be aware of what’s going on in the community and we want them to realize that they have a voice in their community and that their actions can make a difference.”

PED Virus Risks Raised at KAP Meeting Farmers at Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) general council meeting recently supported a resolution calling on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to halt a plan that pork producers believe will put their industry back at risk for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv).

The CFIA intends to eliminate its requirement that all trucks and trailers entering Manitoba from the US must be washed in the province. Instead, it will allow vehicles to be washed in the US, something the Manitoba Pork Council says is not adequate because only heat will kill the virus, and there are no US facilities that use this method.

Meanwhile, in Manitoba, there are facilities at Blumenort and Brandon that not only wash the vehicles, but also expose them to high temperatures for an hour.

“This basically cooks the vehicle, and that’s what’s needed to prevent the spread of the virus,” said KAP President Dan Mazier. “The industry only recently received the all-clear from last year’s PEDv outbreak, a disease that came from the US, and producers are worried relaxing the rule will put their barns at risk once again.”

The next opportunity for KAP members to come together and put forward resolutions addressing current issues in the agriculture industry and rural Manitoba will be at their annual meeting, January 27 and 28, in Winnipeg.

The Agri Post

November 27, 2015

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Corn Residue Cuts Down Overwinter Feed Costs for Beef Cows

By Peter Vitti For years, I have seen cornfields popping up over the prairies. Much of this crop is harvested for corn silage, but significant acres are picked for grain.

When corncobs are combined, there is a tremendous amount of residue left over. This is an abundance of forage that can be used by early gestating cows after weaning. I recommend that cow-calf operators with access to corn residue, don’t let it go to waste. Graze it as part of your cowherd’s overwinter feeding program as a low-cost feed.

Information put out by the North Dakota State University extension service says that about 50 lbs. of total residue for grazing beef cows is left behind per bushel of corn harvested. The edible amount is about 25% useable feed due to weather and cattle degradation.

This means that if a producer grows a 100 bushel per acre corn crop; it yields approximately 1,250 lbs. of consumable forage by grazing beef cows. Given that a beef cow has a daily dry matter intake of about 25 lbs. corn residue has the potential to support a substantial portion of her nutrient requirements for approximately 50 days (re: 100 x 50 x 0.25 = 1,250, 1,250/25 = 50).

Consequently, most 50-day grazing plans should start within days of corn ears being harvested from the crop. This period coincides with the best nutrition provided by corn residues for early to mid-gestation cows as outlined:

Corn stover is very comparable to wheat or barley straw and can over-winter early to mid-gestation beef cows with the right amount and type of nutrient supplements.

Specifically, these cows need to consume about 52 -55% TDN and 8 – 9 % crude protein feed on a daily basis for body maintenance, to keep warm and to support an early-term fetus.

Fortunately, there are many energy and/or protein feed supplements available, which should complement overwintering cow feeding programs based on grazing corn stover.

For example, many producers across western Canada have access to dried distillers’ grains (DDG) (75% TDN and 28% crude protein), so it’s as simple as adding 3.5 lbs. of DDGs that can raise a diet of 23 lbs. of corn residue from 5 to 8% protein.

Other producers rely upon commercial 18 – 30% protein range cubes or pellets, commonly made from the same distillers’ grains and other by-products such as wheat shorts or canola meal. Although, they tend to be more costly, distillers’ grains or molasses-based lick blocks (70% TDN and range from 20 – 40% crude protein) are often placed in the corn residues awaiting grazing cows.

Along with these energy/protein supplements, it’s also important to put cows on a wellbalanced mineral program either incorporated in these feeds or fed in loose form. Like other corn-based feeds, corn stover is low in calcium and phosphorus and deficient in many trace elements such as copper, zinc and selenium.

Photo by Peter Vitti

It is my personal preference to balance corn stover and independent of added supplements with a loose-fed 2:1 or 18% calcium/9% phosphorus cattle mineral with adequate levels of trace minerals as well as fortified levels of vitamins A, D and E; fed at 85 – 112 g per head per day. Loose salt can be mixed in with mineral or fed as blocks.

With a complete 50-day grazing program in place, the universal question, arises, “How much money does grazing corn stover save on overwintering feed costs?”

Let us consider a practical example: 1. Conventional grass hay & minerals - 4 cents/lb. x 25 lb. hay + 12 cents of 2:1 mineral and salt + 30 cents/head/d yardage = $ 1.42 per head per day.

2. Corn Stover, DDGs & minerals - 1.5 kg of DDGs at 0.25 + 12 cents of 2:1 mineral and salt + 30 cents/head/d yardage = $ 0.79 per head per day.

3. Savings (1) – (2) = $0.63 or 44%.

Keep in mind that I quickly penciled out the feed cost-savings, given a typical beef cowherd grazing corn stover by determining the cost of conventional feeds (1) and subtracting any purchased feeds (2) to supplement any lacking nutrients that the grazing cows may need.

However, I did not include in my calculation, the initial set-up non-feed costs of possibly providing a new water source, or running an electric fence throughout the cornfield (control grazing activities) and yardage to periodically move this fence. For more detailed information, beef producers might download the Corn Stalk Grazing Calculator (excel spreadsheet) from the University of Nebraska website beef.unl.edu.

Despite how one’s budget turns out, the consensus is that corn residues are viable lowcost forage for overwintering early gestation beef cows. It is also viewed as feed that might otherwise go to waste. Since corn acreage in western Canada continues to increase, I believe there is potential for its use in other beef feeding programs.

Top Up Those TFSAs

By Les Kletke The future of taxation legislation is as uncertain as the agricultural markets or the movement of the Canadian dollar and all will have a dramatic impact on farmers’ bottom lines in 2016.

Victor Bergmann is a partner with Deloitte LLP in Winnipeg and he told the annual meeting of the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors in Niverville that it is too early in the administration of the Liberal government to know exactly where taxation changes will go but it would be a good idea to top up any donations to Tax Free Savings Accounts that are available before changes come about.

“They might be gone in 2016 so it would be a good time to make the contributions in 2015 if you have room,”

said Bergmann. He acknowledged that at this time everything is speculation as the Liberal government has not tipped its hand as to how large and when the changes promised during the election will be made.

Bergmann also outlined the changes that had expanded the Capital Gains exemption early in the year. “That might be advantageous considering the increase in value and size of farms today.”

He provided a look at the tax situation in Manitoba that at first glance appears to put Manitoban’s at a considerable disadvantage compared to their Alberta counter parts but considering changes in the Alberta situation that difference is disappearing. “Alberta is increasing its provincial tax rate and it will not nearly provide the advantage it did before,” he said. “In the end what matters is how much is left in your pocket when you consider both the Federal and Provincial tax and that amount is moving closer together in both provinces.”

He pointed out that Manitoban has hit the maximum tax bracket much sooner than in other jurisdictions. “In Manitoba an individual is paying the highest rate of tax when their income reaches $67,000 while it is much higher in other provinces,” he explained on income threshold.

Bergmann noted that the campaign promises of the Liberal government also included a promise to tighten the tax regulation on small all business. “And that could include individuals who operate a corporation employing

Victor Bergmann says it is too early to predict the tax changes that will impact farmers under the new Liberal government.

themselves. That could impact farmers who are in that position.”

Manitoba currently does have one of the lowest tax rates on earnings in a business, “But you pay the highest on the income when you take it out.”

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November 27, 2015

The Agri Post

Reports of Sudden Rise in Heated Canola The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) is re-issuing an alert after some canola growers have reported rising temperatures in their canola bins.

The alert encourages growers to check all canola bins as soon as possible as heating can start small and go unnoticed for days and perhaps weeks. Cooling the bin and stopping this early heating now can save a lot of money in lost grade and lost delivery options.

Reasons for the increase in heated canola are wide ranging. They include hot

harvest in August, high moisture at binning, green weed seeds and green canola seeds. Cool temperatures, rainfall or humid conditions at harvest will increase risk factors. Canola temperatures can jump from 30째C to 50째C and beyond in two weeks or less.

CCC recommends the use of temperature cables to monitor whole bins. The cables may not always detect initial hot spots, but they will show temperature increases that suggest a whole bin

is at risk. Bins without cables will need to be probed, or turned over with the truck and auger to check temperature. Even with a properly calibrated metre and working cables, monitoring is still highly recommended.

Without cables, accurate assessment requires a physical transfer of canola from one bin to another.

Hand probing through doors or roof hatches is unreliable for finding hot spots near the core of the bin. When transferring, move at least one third of the canola out of a bin. If green counts, moisture, weeds or dockage are high, in short, anything that may increase the storage risk, transferring the whole bin may be safest.

Feel and smell the canola as it comes out of the bin.

If canola has started to spoil, start looking for delivery options.

The Agri Post

Students Learn Ag

By Harry Siemens Many schools in Manitoba teach farming and agriculture to various students, most often as an elective under Social Studies and sometimes simply include the farming lessons under a compulsory course.

In a recent visit to Rosenort High School, a teacher described the addition of agriculture curriculum in a Social Studies class that includes basic farming and agricultural.

“We have completed a very basic overview of agriculture in Manitoba looking briefly at diversification in agriculture, the production, processing, marketing steps of food getting from the farm to the table, and the physical and climatic features of Manitoba,” said Arlin Scharfenberg, who teaches the course to students from Grades 9 to 12 class as an elective. “We have also talked briefly about water and soil management as well as a brief overview of the transportation of grain. The students have started a growing project and researching technology in agriculture. Our next unit is soil science, talking about composition and nutrition. I think if you talked about some of the new ventures, technologies, programs, etc., affecting farmers, especially in this area, the students would find that interesting.”

Scharfenberg said that students do a very quick run down of topics such as how many farms are in Manitoba, what is the average farmer’s age, and some of the gross incomes of farmers. “Where are farms located and which climates are really good for agriculture, is just an overview. Then we move into soil science, we’ll do some soil testing, break soil down into its components, using the triangle of soil samples, is it a loam, clay, or silty soil,” he added. “We look at plant science including a little bit of biology and what is happening in germination. Like what is the one leaf stage, two leaf stage and then end up in the section on animal science and looking at the different livestock?”

The Rosenort High School offers the course as an elective. “So students who have an interest and would like to be involved in this kind of a course apply for it and basically we just let who ever wants, to come in. Grades 9 through twelve students are eligible, but a grade eleven 30 credit course,” he said.

When asked who is taking the course, Scharfenberg said that is interesting as there is quite a mix of students including students who do have a background in agriculture and a few which do not, even in a community that is predominantly agricultural. There are

students who are interested in just advancing their social studies credit.

“It is my first year in the course. I find it fascinating and the whole area of agriculture I think students are warming up to it. It takes a while to get into this course,” he said.

“While some of that overview stuff gets kind of laborious be-

cause there isn’t a lot of connection, but twice he’s taken students out just across the schoolyard to a field nearby and looked at soybean plants and what soil is made up of.”

Recently they visited a local egg producer, and were planning to visit a dairy farm that uses robotics to milk its cows in late November.

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CFGB Commits to Ten Projects

By Amanda Thorsteinsson Over 200,000 people in seven countries will benefit from 10 projects totaling $4 million committed by Canadian Foodgrains Bank in October.

The projects are being implemented by Foodgrains Bank members Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, Emergency Relief & development Overseas (ERDO), Mennonite Central Committee Canada, World Relief Canada, and World Renew with financial support from the United Church of Canada and Canadian Baptist Ministries in collaboration with their local partners.

One project, through Foodgrains Bank member World Renew, is responding to the needs of displaced people within Syria.

As the Syrian conflict continues, millions of people have been forced from their homes to other parts of Syria and neighbouring countries in search of safety. Even for those who have not been displaced, livelihoods have been disrupted, and households are hosting family members from other parts of the country. Many people are struggling to get by and as savings are depleted, families are becoming increasingly desperate.

In response, through their partner Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development, World Renew is providing 2,000 families, about 12,000 people with emergency food baskets on a monthly basis for six months. The project total is $676,000.

Another project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, through World Relief Canada with financial support from The United Church of Canada, is helping communities in North Kivu recover after years of devastating conflict.

Farmers face many challenges, including a lack of quality seed, a lack of farm training, crop diseases, and changing weather patterns.

To help with agricultural training the World Relief Canada’s local partner Communauté Baptiste au Centre de l’Afrique, is training 600 farmers in conservation agriculture, a farming approach that uses minimal soil disturbance, crop rotations, and cover crops to improve soil health and fertility and increase production.

Other projects committed to in October include food assistance and agriculture and livelihoods projects.

In Ethiopia through World Renew, with $538,000 will help 1,500 people and a project through the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada at $59,000 will benefit 1,038 people.

A food assistance project in Kenya through ERDO totaling $178,000 will assist 3,400. An agriculture and livelihoods project in Cambodia through Mennonite Central Committee, totaling $147,000 will help 10,500.

An agriculture and livelihoods project in Nicaragua through World Renew with financial support from Canadian Baptist Ministries totaling $282,000 will service 7,200 people. In addition, a food assistance project in Somalia through World Renew, with financial support from Canadian Baptist Ministries and Primate’s World Relief & Development Fund, totaling $739,000 will benefit 14,000.

A food assistance project in Syria through Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, totaling $932,000 will see 78,000 people assisted. Also, the organization is providing food assistance in Syria that totals $250,000 targets 19,000 in need and an agriculture and livelihoods project in Zimbabwe totaling $146,000 will help 450 people.

Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of 15 churches and church agencies working together to end global hunger. In the 2014-15 budget year, the Foodgrains Bank provided over $41 million of assistance for 1.1 million people in 39 countries. Canadian Foodgrains Bank projects are undertaken with matching support from the Government of Canada. Assistance from the Foodgrains Bank is provided through its member agencies, which work with local partners in the developing world.

Amanda Thorsteinsson is a Communications Officer with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.

The Agri Post

Remember When the Phone was for Talking?

By Les Kletke “Remember using your phone only for phone calls?” Brunel Sabourin chuckled when he said that.

Now only about 15% of the usage of mobile phones is for calls.

Sabourin who has spent 20 years as a producer and consultant of crop production now operates Antara Agronomy based in St. Jean Baptiste and said the Smartphone has become a management tool.

Sabourin outlined how wireless technology is changing the way we farm to AGM members of the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors and walked through the programs that he already uses before giving a glimpse of what is coming down the pipe.

“Twenty five years ago who would have thought that we would have access to the knowledge of the world in something, this size, something we can put in our pocket?” he asks holding up his phone.

He said that not only has the technology changed the access to information for farm managers but also for

him as a crop consultant.

“With the use of drones we can map a field and it is not a matter of having to walk to the other end of the field,” he said. “I can map the field and have a much more accurate picture than

if I was walking the field.”

He said it has changed some of the menial tasks as well. “This fall while I was taking soil samples I was also taking a course on Agricultural Statistics on a webinar in my truck.”

Brunel Saborin says mobile phones are only used for calls about 15% of their usage today.

Photo by Les Kletke

The increase in technology has not made his job easier rather it has taken the level of management to another level. “We now have accurate maps of a field and when we pair them with yield maps we have a better idea of what is going on in the field.

When we match that with variable rate applications we are able to break the field down into small areas and treat them differently.”

He likens it a bit “back to the future”. “We used to look at a field and wonder why a farmer broke his land into so many different fields but now we are able to do the same thing while still growing the same crop on a larger area,” said Sabourin.

He said the new technology also allows farmers to interact and share knowledge between each other without the drive to the coffee shop.

“I have a client who posted on twitter asking about wheat varieties in his area, and the amount of responses he got is amazing,” noted Sabourin. “Now he has to sort that and decide what is best for him on his land.”

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Bacon and Pork Bellies Drives Market While Lean Keeps it Back

By Harry Siemens The hog industry keeps feeling the pinch of supply demand swings and if it were not for the strong US dollar, many producers in Canada would find it financially difficult to continue.

Tyler Fulton, Director of Risk Management with h@ms Marketing Services is crediting the continued strong performance of pork in the domestic market to the growing popularity among consumers of bacon.

Over the last 5 months, the wholesale price of chicken in the US dropped by about 30% while the wholesale price of beef fell 20% and wholesale pork prices remained relatively stable.

Fulton said pork has very effectively grown its domestic market. “One of the major factors contributing to pork’s success over the last six months or so is how effective the industry is marketing bacon and how well North America’s con-

sumers are receiving it,” he said. “In fact bacon prices, or the wholesale product that bacon is derived from, which would be pork bellies, nearly tripled their value since May of this year.”

Fulton said the phenomenal increase over a relatively short period is one of the factors that has kept that wholesale price for all pork relatively stable while the other competing meats have declined. “I’m not sure I would bet against it right now, even as some of those competing meats are really coming on strong,” he said. “I would say, in general, I’m pretty optimistic about the demand scenario and its impact on hog producer profitability in western Canada.”

Fulton said, while growth of domestic consumption of pork is positive, export demand for North American pork, whether it be from the US or Canada, has been a lot flatter. While the Canadian pork producer benefits from the exchange rate,

Fulton said not so for North American pork on the export market.

Jim Long, hog commentator, while looking at more from the US perspective wonders why the industry does not focus more on the eating qualities of the US and Canadian product such as flavour and marbling that drives consumer demand. Bacon and ribs are not lean products he noted.

“In early November, bellies [bacon] were $1.82/lb, hams 65¢. Fifteen years ago, hams were selling for more than bellies.” asked Long.

“Did we get pork too lean?

Hams are lean but bellies are not, no matter how you look at it. People are voting with their money that they like bacon while ham struggles.”

He recounted a discussion 20 years ago with a large hog packer who was lamenting that bellies were 28¢ lb. The packer said if they get to .20¢ lb., they would go into dog food.

His question at the time was what are we going to

New Hog Barn Building Permits Will be Lengthy and Complex

By Harry Siemens Manitoba Pork Council is hopeful the first applications for permits to build new or expand existing hog barns under a new pilot project will come in this fall.

In April, the Manitoba government approved the “Pig Production Special Pilot Project Evaluation Protocol” under which pork producers can apply to build new or expand existing swine barns.

Mike Teillet, the Manager of sustainable development programs with Manitoba This eleven-step program outlines the requirements for Pork, told those at this year’s producers to expand hog production in Manitoba.

2015 fall producer meetings, since no barns were built in the last six or 7 years in Manitoba, production has fallen. As a result, the Maple Leaf plant in Brandon in particular is faced with a shortage of pigs and it is critical to get those pig numbers back up.

“There was always a long list of regulatory requirements to construct a barn and certainly to operate a hog farm in Manitoba,” said Teillet. “Under the new protocol, the new pilot project, we agreed to a number of different things in order to allow barns to be built, that’s over and above the existing requirements. They include new soil phosphorus limits of 60 parts per million. It includes manure having to be injected or incorporated within 48 hours; no new barn construction in the RM’s of Hanover and La Broquerie. There could be new barn construction and expansion west of the Red River, but east of the Red River, other than those 2 municipalities, producers can expand but not build new.”

However, Teillet advised anyone interested in building new or expanding existing swine barns to get help from a professional consultant to help navigate the complex approval process.

“As a part of the new protocol we’ve agreed, or the government has required us to now become a part of the approval process,” he said. “One of the very first steps that a farmer must do now in order to build a new barn is they have to submit a letter to Manitoba Pork asking us in effect, if they meet the terms of the protocol. We will evaluate that proposal and determine whether or not it looks like it meets the criteria of the protocol. Then we’ll let the farmer know and then he takes that letter and then moves forward with his approval process. The overall group of approval processes, we estimate will take probably a minimum of 6 months and could be as long as 9, 10 months or more.”

do with bellies? “But the point we wonder about is, has the push to lean to some extent destroyed the flavour of loin and hams,” Long wondered aloud.

“Taste matters, that’s why bacon sells. Angus beef is popular. We know the reality; we sometimes are paralyzed for the solution. As an industry we need to revisit balance between lean and flavour, taste.”

Winnipeg is home to the largest bacon processing facility in Canada. The 270,000 sq. ft. Maple Leaf Foods plant on Lagimodière produces more than 25 million kg of bacon each year. This is enough to fill more than 13 Olympic-size swimming pools.

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The Agri Post