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Flags of Remembrance fly in central Alberta A tribute to Canada’s war dead gains national attention

The 116 flags flying along Highway 11 outside of Sylvan Lake are in remembrance of 116,000 Canadian war dead from 1900 to 2014. Photo: Jennifer Blair

By Jennifer Blair af staff

n the brisk October air of early morning on a dark highway in central Alberta, a quiet group of men and women stood sentinel alongside 116 Canadian flags waving in the breeze. And as the clock struck 8 on Oct. 29 — exactly one week after the tragic shooting of a soldier in our nation’s capital — these sentinels released hundreds of red and white balloons into the sky. It was a fitting tribute to the Canadian soldiers who have lost their lives in service of our country. “If we don’t remember, we forget,” said Al Cameron, executive director of Veterans Voices of Canada, the organization

responsible for the Flags of Remembrance tribute. “We have to remember what these people are sacrificing for us. We have to give them tribute, and we have to remember everything they’re doing.” The 116 flags were raised along Highway 11 outside of Sylvan Lake on Oct. 24 in remembrance of 116,000 Canadian war dead from 1900 to 2014. Cameron called it “sad timing” with the death of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Oct. 22. “The recent deaths have really put focus on remembrance and giving tribute,” said Cameron, who had been planning the testimonial for several months. “It’s doing exactly what we wanted it

to do — bringing people together from right across Canada. It’s just amazing to see, and we’re really proud of what’s happening.” Cameron planned the tribute as part of his work with Veterans Voices of Canada, a non-profit organization that travels across the country to interview veterans and document their stories for history and education. “I call them our protectors. I’m meeting some guys and gals who have done some amazing things and who have sacrificed a lot for what we have today,” he said. And the recent deaths of Cpl. Cirillo in Ottawa and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent in Quebec reinforce that those sacrifices continue today. “These guys and these women sacri-

fice so much every day,” said Cameron. “They’ve got their lives on the line. They could be in the field fighting, or as we’ve seen now, they could be in our own country standing at a national monument.” The flags will stay up until Nov. 15, when they will be presented to the organizations and individuals who sponsored the tribute. Until then, Cameron hopes that the flags will remind people across the country to remember the sacrifices of Canadian veterans. “When people drive down the road, they can’t miss them,” he said. “These flags are waving away at everyone down the highway, and that’s our veterans waving to us and saying, ‘Here we are. Remember us.’” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

Experts decry lack of long-term research Research projects tend to be commodity specific and short term By Jennifer Blair af staff

f you want to know what happens when research doesn’t get done, ask Doug Wray. “Where the hay yields haven’t increased in the last 10 years, the canola, wheat, and barley yields have,” says the cow-calf producer from Irricana. “It’s created a real challenge to keep forages on the landscape in that dynamic where the productivity of the alternatives has gained

so much. It becomes harder and harder to justify.” A decade of depressed cattle prices led to the falloff in forage research — an area that depends on long-term studies. “If you’re looking for quick answers, lots of times in the forage world those answers take a long time,” said Wray, who is also chair of the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association. “You plant a pasture to be there for several years — you’re hedging your bets on the next five or 10 years. Whereas when you

plant your cash crop, it’s the next 100 days.” But even annual crop producers need to look years ahead if they hope to continue competing with producers in countries that aren’t spending all their research dollars on ‘quick-fix’ projects, said the new dean of agriculture at the University of Alberta. “When you put a (short) time frame around research, absolutely you will get results — you will get an annual report,” said Stan Blade. “But we live in a biological system, and some of those ques-

tions are not defined by threeyear projects.” A former crop research scientist and longtime head of Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions, Blade said he understands the attraction to specific, short-term projects. “With things like big differences in cultivars and big differences in tillage use, people pay attention to that because they see there’s something they can immediately respond to.”

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NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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U of A agriculture school celebrates centennial

Shortest growing season ever? person’s life can flash before their eyes in a moment. But for wheat, it takes three minutes and 57 seconds. Or at least it did for Jay Schultz’s field of Stettler hard red spring wheat this year. The Wheatland County producer borrowed a friend’s trail camera and plunked it down after seeding on May 13 so it looked northwards down a stubble-lined row. Every half-hour during the day, all season long, it snapped a picture, and after harvest wrapped up, Schultz sat down and compiled the images into a YouTube video. And while there’s no character arc or plot twists, it is an unexpectedly thrilling ride. Set to the dramatically sweeping orchestral piece “Diamond Music” (created for the famous DeBeers diamond “shadows and light” ads), the jitterbugging crop shoots skywards in bursts and sees off the threat of volunteer canola following an application of Axial and Infinity. It also suffers as its leaves wither during a month of no rain while the temperature (also recorded for each frame) repeatedly soars past the 100 F mark. But the featured performer wasn’t given the star treatment. Every two or three weeks, Schultz would take the camera home, download the images, and put it back in the same spot. He didn’t even clean the lens. “I just set it up and had no idea at all of what the picture would be like,” said Schultz. “Sometimes I forgot about it. I didn’t realize how quickly the crop grew, so it kind of grew up into the camera a couple of times. But it turned out pretty good.”

The life of wheat captured by Jay Schultz at 30-minute intervals. Shown above, the crop on July 5, 2014. And watching 116 days of growth compressed into under four minutes gave him new insights into what happens in the field, he said. “You get a totally different perspective on things, and in this case, it was the timing,” he said. “You have a rough idea in your head about crop timelines, but unless you’re an agronomist looking at stages, you don’t always appreciate it. But six, seven days and it’s right out of the ground, just as the pre-burn-off was working. Then you see the flag leaf come out on Day 50 and flowering on Day 60. It’s given me a better understanding of the timing of crop growth.” Schultz plans to try the time-lapse photography again next year so he can refine his technique. But the music may be less refined. “Someone suggested I use (rapper) Dr. Dre next time, so maybe I’ll do that.” To view the video, go to www.youtube.com and enter ‘Jay Schultz wheat timelapse’ in the search box.

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t’s a big birthday party that will go on all year, and hundreds of people are invited. The University of Alberta’s agriculture faculty will be celebrating its centennial until November 2015. The school opened in 1915 with only 16 students but today, the rechristened faculty of agriculture, life and environmental sciences (ALES) has 1,500 undergraduates, 500 graduate students, and 120 faculty members. “ALES is at the forefront of research which will help address significant global challenges in food security and safety, the environment, and personal and community well-being,” university president Indira Samarasekara said at the centennial kickoff event Oct. 22. Among the accomplishments Samarasekara highlighted was the launch of the home economics program in 1918, which enabled women to pursue post-secondary education during a time when few universities accepted women. She also cited some of the research that has had a profound impact on agriculture provincially, nationally and internationally. That included Gary Stringham’s work to develop blackleg-resistant canola in the 1980s when the disease threatened to devastate the Cinderella crop. Also cited was Fred Bentley, whose work in soil science and sustainable agriculture improved crop production throughout the world, and Betty Crown’s research in textile flammability helped create flameresistant pyjamas and protective clothing for forest firefighters. Agriculture dean, Stan Blade out-

The University of Alberta’s faculty of agriculture held a panel with distinguished guests to celebrate the history of its faculty. From left, Bill Shotyk, Janet Fast, Stan Blade, Kim Campbell, Ed Stelmach, and Jim Hole. PHOTO: ALEXIS KIENLEN lined his vision of the future and how the faculty needs to be positioned for the next 100 years. Former prime minister Kim Campbell, founding principal of the Peter Lougheed Leadership College, moderated a panel session featuring horticulturist Jim Hole, soil scientist Bill Shotyk, former premier Ed Stelmach and human ecology professor, Janet Fast. Panel members discussed the importance of leadership in providing global solutions. Audience members were also treated to a 15-minute dramatic skit that showcased the history of ALES. Other centennial events to be held over the course of the coming year include a lecture series, an exhibit honouring Lois Hole, and old country fair, the Bar None reunion dinner, and a special convocation. A timeline of the history of the faculty and complete list of centennial events can be found at www. ales100.ales.ualberta.ca. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Canadian Foodgrains Bank is feeding the world — with help from Alberta farmers Despite having their own harvest to finish, farmers drop everything to get the crop off at Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s growing projects By Jennifer Blair af staff

“It often doesn’t take a lot of help or a lot of money to change people’s lives in the developing world.”

or Abma isn’t the type of guy to get emotional over nothing. But he makes an exception when it comes to the generosity of his fellow farmers who volunteer each year for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. “It just brings tears to your eyes when all these people show up,” said the Leduc-area grain farmer. “This year, a lot of them still had a lot of combining to do, and they just took time off to come and do our harvest. It’s a Christian response to hunger.” The Canadian Foodgrains Bank was created in 1983 to help combat hunger in the developing world. Since then, the effort has grown to more than 200 growing projects across Canada — 34 in Alberta alone — that provide aid to 78 different countries. The organization is most well known for its growing projects, said regional co-ordinator Terence Barg. “A growing project is when a group of farmers in a community gets together and grows grain on a common plot of land,” said Barg. “Then that grain is sold, and the proceeds are used for the work of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.” The funds raised are matched by the federal government on a four-to-one basis, up to a maximum of $25 million every year. “That helps our supporters by giving them leverage for the money they’re donating, and it helps us do a lot more work.” In 2013, Alberta growing projects raised over $2.8 million — $1.9 million of which came from grain donations. And though this year’s harvest was delayed and yields were down in many parts of the province, every little bit helps. “It often doesn’t take a lot of help or a lot of money to change people’s lives in the developing world,” said Barg. “And we can’t do the work that we do without the help of Canadians and the support of Canadians.”

Universal cause

Despite delays on their own operations, farmers were out in full force for harvest at the Leduc growing project on October 9. And, as they say, many hands make light work. “On the harvest day, we had 375 people there for the lunch, 16 combines, and eight trucks so

Terence Barg

The Kneehill North growing project is one of 34 Canadian Foodgrains Bank projects in Alberta this year. Photo: Supplied we could deliver it right off the combine,” said Abma. “It took us 2-1/2 hours to combine the 280 acres, and all of the combines did a pretty good job. We were back combining at five o’clock at our own farm again.” But it’s not hard to justify taking time away from his own farm during the busy harvest season, he said. “You never lose by giving. When you give yourself a whole day like that, you’re not going to lose your own because of that,” said Abma. “We know we’re helping out a lot of people, and I think that’s worth a lot.” It’s the same story for the central Alberta growing project based out of Lacombe. “There were a number of them that hadn’t finished their own crops yet, and it was starting to get late in the season,” committee member Doug Maas said of the Oct. 11 harvest. “For them to take a really good, solid afternoon where the weather co-operated and not go into their own field in order to help us, we’re very appreciative of that. That’s their livelihood, and here they are out volunteering.” That day, eight combines came out to lend a hand harvesting 175 acres of wheat near Lacombe, and their afternoon of hard work paid off. “The crop itself, plus the money that was donated at the barbecue, was just slightly over $61,000.

Broilers not raised in cages An article in the Oct. 27 edition (The tale of how chickens got so big) featured a picture of chickens in cages and the caption referred to how “today’s broilers” are much larger than those produced in the 1950s. In fact, broilers in Canada are not raised in cages and a national animal care code of practice requires a specified floor area for each bird depending on its size.

That’s a good year,” said Maas, adding the harvest averaged 75 bushels an acre. In Leduc, the growing project harvested a canola crop averaging 49 bushels an acre on 280 acres — earning them an incredible $125,000 for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.

“It’s just amazing what we can do,” said Abma. “We do make a difference.” That money will be put to good use in countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Sudan, where the Canadian Foodgrains Bank is focusing its efforts to help displaced people.

“There’s a number of reasons people don’t have access to food, but we believe we have more than enough, and we can make it possible for others to be able to eat,” said Barg. “We can’t change the whole hunger situation, but we can change the lives of some.” Maas — an “urbanite” who has volunteered with central Alberta’s growing project for the past 14 years — agrees. “I think it’s our responsibility, when we live in a country like Canada that’s fairly affluent and most of the population gets enough food each day to live, to help others who don’t,” said Maas. “It’s farmer based, but the cause is universal.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

EDITOR Glenn Cheater Phone: 780-919-2320 Email: glenn.cheater@fbcpublishing.com twitter: @glenncheater

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How many more ‘wins’ in the COOL dispute can we take?

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By Laura Rance

Manitoba Co-operator editor

anadian livestock producers won something to crow about but little else in the latest WTO ruling to support their claim that the U.S. mandatory country-of-origin labelling rules are unfair and discriminatory. The ruling was accompanied by the now-familiar volley of press releases from Canadian livestock and meat producers, and more sabre-rattling by federal politicians about the potential for applying punitive tariffs on imported U.S. goods. But in reality, nothing has changed. Far from being cowed, news reports suggest the U.S. is contemplating yet another appeal, which would drag the whole affair into late 2015. Canada has been fighting this since 2008. Yes, there are U.S. advocates — especially meat processors — for the Canadian position. But COOL also has some politically powerful proponents — domestic cattle producers and consumer groups. Whichever way it turns, the U.S. government can’t win on this one, and likewise, it can’t lose. On the other hand, Canadian livestock producers can’t win, even when they win. The last time they “won” with a WTO ruling in their

favour, the U.S. changed the rules, and made their impact on Canadian exporters even worse. How many more “wins” can we take? It appears the Canadian government will soon have the authority to impose $1 billion in tariffs on a long list of products we import from our bad-boy neighbour. Meats, cheeses, cherries, rice, spent fowl and prepared food containing them, wines, chocolate, maple syrup, bread, pasta, orange juice, ketchup and office furniture are on the rather lengthy list. It must be noted that there has been no indication that there is a mechanism or any commitment to flow the proceeds from these tariffs back to the Canadian producers suffering the harm. So it’s hard to see how this in any way makes up for the estimated $1 billion in losses they’ve suffered due to COOL. As well, it penalizes Canadian consumers as much as it hurts U.S. exporters of these goods — a point that hasn’t been lost on the consuming public. “So the Harper government will retaliate against U.S. protectionist labelling with tariffs — which ultimately will be paid for by Canadians. That will surely bring those damn Yankees to their knees!” writes Ab Dukacz of Mississauga in a recent letter to the Globe and Mail. He’s not the only one with opin-

ions strong enough to put their name to a letter. “We should have the right to know where what we consume is produced… We all need to be able to make informed decisions about what we eat. We should follow the lead of the Americans so Canadians can make those decisions, too,” Geoff Williams of Stratford, Ont. also said in the Globe. Then there’s this one: “I am an American, breezing my way through northeastern Canada as a tourist. I happened to see your article about disliking the countryof-origin rules. I actually don’t like the taste of American beef; it is a product I used to enjoy but I find the heavily corn-fed beef tasteless. “Canadian beef still has flavour. Possibly the Canada-as-countryof-origin designation could work as a banner of pride: I certainly buy Canadian bacon and Canadian maple syrup for their flavour,” offered Amy Davis, of Anaheim, California. Granted, these folks are among the ‘uninformed’ that industry types say shouldn’t be allowed to influence policy, but sometimes it’s the innocent observations that ring most true. In that light, we draw your attention to the recent $300-million payoff — oops, we mean compensation payment — the U.S. made to Brazilian Cotton Institute in September to

end a decade-old dispute over the detrimental effects of U.S. cotton subsidies. The Brazilians had successfully challenged the U.S. program at the WTO and had the right to impose $830 million in sanctions against U.S. products. But Brazil agreed to suspend the penalty if the U.S. made a one-time payment into an assistance fund for Brazilian cotton farmers. Both sides walked away from the table saying it was a “win-win” settlement. Faced with odds of the U.S. government dumping COOL ranging somewhere between slim and none, wouldn’t it be better to make like the Brazilians and cut a deal? Those funds could be streamed directly to producers, and because they are compensation for past harm, they should be trade neutral. Additionally, that pool of funds could be used to develop what knowledgeable industry observers have been promoting for a long time — a Canadian-branded beef program that moves what we sell beyond a generic commodity into the realm of value added. American consumers would still be able to see where their tasty beef is coming from, and we’re betting that would prove to be a good thing. Now that’s a win. laura@fbcpublishing.com

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ast month, McDonald’s USA announced a “multifaceted effort called ‘Our Food. Your Questions’” in which it invites people to submit their food questions via social media. “We’re proud of the food we serve our 27 million U.S. customers every day, yet we know people have unanswered questions,” said Kevin Newell, executive vice-president, chief brand and strategy officer. “So, we’re inviting everyone in the U.S. on a journey to learn more about our food. We look forward to the opportunity to have an open conversation and to show people first hand how we make our most iconic menu items.” The next day Whole Foods announced its Responsibly Grown produce rating system. The system applies to fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers using a three-tiered rating system — “good,” “better,” and “best.” In part, the system “prohibits some of the most hazardous neurotoxins still allowed in agriculture. “Prohibited pesticides include several organophosphate insecticides, which recent studies

indicate can impair neurological development in children born to mothers exposed in diet or by working in agriculture and living in nearby communities,” the company stated. To earn a “good” rating, farmers must implement 16 farming practices to protect air, soil, water, and human health in addition to not using Whole Foods Market prohibited pesticides. They also must provide transparency about the use of GMOs and not use irradiation or biosolids (organic material obtained from waste water treatment facilities). The “better” rating adds criteria for water and energy conservation — advanced soil health; protecting rivers, lakes, and oceans; and farmworker health and safety. To achieve a “best” rating, a farmer must take actions to protect bees and butterflies and implement industry-leading pest management and environmental protection programs. Whole Foods already has programs in place for four animal products. It works with the Global Animal Partnership, which has developed the 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating Standards for beef, pork, chicken, and turkey. The steps are:

1) No crates, no cages, no crowding to provide animals with space to move around. 2) Enriched environment that encourages behaviour that is natural to the specific species. 3) Enhanced outdoor access (pigs, chickens, and turkeys might live in buildings but they all have access to outdoor areas). 4) Pasture centred (when living outdoors, chickens and turkeys get to forage, pigs get to wallow and cattle get to roam). 5) The prohibition of physical alterations. Step 5+ requires that animals “must be born and live their entire lives on one farm.” The detailed program requirements for the 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating standards can be found at http://tinyurl.com/ p722p3q. Customers can use this rating system to guide them as they choose among the meat offerings at Whole Foods Market. Whole Foods also has an ecorating scale as well as wild-caught seafood sustainability ratings. While some of these requirements may strike some as a little over the top, Whole Foods obviously believes that transparency and these requirements allow the company to meet

the expectations of a small, but increasingly significant-to-them market segment. We’re not suggesting that all of agriculture is going to look like the Whole Foods Market suppliers in the next 10 years, but rather that all producers need to at least be aware of changing consumer preferences and expectations. In the past we have seen the attentiveness of producers to consumers’ preference for leaner, more-tender pork and beef. In the future consumers may be looking at issues that go beyond product quality — like personal, ethical and environmental issues — as they make their purchase. This may open up opportunities for some farmers to produce differentiated products while other farmers may need to make few or fairly modest changes in their operations. Daryll E. Ray holds the Blasingame Chair of Excellence in Agricultural Policy, Institute of Agriculture, University of Tennessee, and is the director of UT’s Agricultural Policy Analysis Center (APAC). Harwood D. Schaffer is a research assistant professor at APAC. Their weekly columns are archived at www.agpolicy.org.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Lessons we can learn from Quebec’s agriculture and agri-food industry Canada is about food and Quebec is about processing — employing 475,189 in 2,100 facilities, most co-operatively owned By brenda schoepp af columnist

spend a lot of time in Quebec and find the culture and the history of the province fascinating. It is in many regards, Canada’s little bit of Europe and the feel in the country is cosy. What most folks don’t see as they travel the countryside past long narrow tracks of land, vineyards and orchards dotted with steep-roofed houses and old barns is the massive agriculture and agri-food industry that is the economic foundation of Quebec. A large and heavily wooded province, most of the intense agricultural production is in the south. While the West often thinks of maple syrup when it thinks of Quebec, it is only four per cent of farm cash receipts. Dairy and cash crops equally account for 58 per cent followed by hogs (16 per cent), poultry (11 per cent), and beef (seven per cent). Collectively Quebec production agriculture generated $8.3 billion in cash receipts in 2013. The number of farms is also declining in Quebec and they are getting larger, growing soybeans, corn and horticulture crops. Family-owned farms continue to dominate. Even large companies such as Veg Pro — 1,400 acres of iceberg lettuce, 428 acres of romaine, 385 acres of carrots

and 4,500 acres of baby leaf (also onions, red and green leaf, celery and napa) — are co-operatives that are family owned and operated. These farms employ the latest in technology and science and massive workforces (750 persons for Veg Pro alone). To ensure quality product from start to finish, Veg Pro, like others in Quebec choose to process at the source and market their own products. One of the first to adopt the square salad package (called a clamshell) with a complete salad in the box, they now distribute in Eastern Canada and the U.S. selling $150 million worth of packaged product. And that is what makes Quebec so unique. Ontario and Quebec dominate food processing in Canada with Quebec home to 24.5 per cent of all food processing in the nation. It is the largest contributor to the province’s GDP. Nationally, agri-food processing is the largest contributor to GDP in manufacturing — ahead of traditional industries such as auto manufacturing. Canada is about food and Quebec is about processing — employing 475,189 persons in 2,100 facilities that are largely co-operatively owned. Forty per cent is from supply-managed business such as dairy, but the processing profile includes meat, ready-to-eat food, vegetables, fruit, dairy, cheese, bakery, flour, and packaging and storage. This supports

the whole of the industry beyond the producer in such areas as research, food mills, crop inputs, service providers and equipment dealers. Who lives here? Dare, Leclerc, Ronzoni, Coca-Cola, Molson, Labatt, Agropur, Danone, Kraft, Parmalat, Saputo, Baxter, Maple Leaf, Olymel, Callebaut (North America’s largest chocolate-processing plant), Nutriart, Frito-Lay and hundreds of others dominate the processing scene. Québec’s Coop fédérée expertly delivers inputs to farmers and supplies support services. But that is not all that there is to Quebec. Hundreds of orchards produce secondary products, including apple cider, while vineyards create wines of international recognition. Microbreweries are everywhere and they are experts at telling the story behind their favourite brew. Farms make cheese in small fromageries. We often spend a day driving from one farm to the next to gather for a roadside picnic. Cheese, bread, jam, fruit, wine and maple treats (to name but a few) all bought direct from farms make for a gastronomic experience. This two-layered approach to food and food processing allows Quebec to compete on the world stage with $6 billion in agri-food exports in 2012, and still maintain its rural charm. In open food markets such as the famous Atwater Market, which I visit often, the

selection is stunning from commodity to complete value added on farm. In grocery stores, the next step is evident as Quebec product takes centre stage and is labelled clearly as “Product of Quebec.” The variety on Quebec shelves makes western Canadian grocery shopping a literal downer as we sort through food that is loaded with food miles, fingertips and a severe lack of nutritional quality. Landlocked, western Canadian provinces lack the infrastructure that ports provide and it shows in our food-processing profile. While Atlantic Canada and British Columbia own 16 per cent and 11.9 per cent of the food-processing industry in Canada, Alberta has 7.7 per cent share, Manitoba at 3.7 per cent and Saskatchewan at 3.1 per cent. In addition to understanding the importance of infrastructure what can the agriculture and agri-food industry in Quebec teach us? The lesson is twofold. You can have robust economic prosperity based on a value-added food industry and still maintain your sense of local identity. Brenda Schoepp is a farmer from Alberta who works as an international mentor and motivational speaker. She can be contacted through her website www.brendaschoepp.com. All rights reserved. Brenda Schoepp 2014

The record shows that the maximizing shareholder value theory has been a total flop Shareholder Value Maximization has been great for top executives, but not the economy, society and shareholders By James Saft

Reuters columnist

he belief that companies exist solely to make their owners rich has changed the world, but done so by failing on its own terms. Called Shareholder Value Maximization (SVM), this is the credo finding its origins in the thinking of economist Milton Friedman, which reduces the complex competing interests and objectives of companies to one: a rising stock price. “The world’s dumbest idea,” investor James Montier of global investment management firm GMO said in a recent presentation. “As shareholders, be clear: Shareholder Value Maximization has failed you. We have to consider the wider impact on society.” This debate is at the heart of several disputes raging in financial markets and is perhaps best exemplified by the fallout around IBM’s disappointing earnings, which serve as an excellent illustration of the pitfalls of prioritizing

the return of capital, via share buybacks, over longer-term investment. The central problem with SVM is that it hasn’t demonstrably achieved its own aim, though it has led to a massive increase in the share of company resources paid out in compensation to top executives. That may be in part because a single-minded obsession with making quarterly earnings targets leads to systematic underinvestment in new opportunities, something we see in the marked trend towards a lower rate of capital expenditure and investment in the economy. That’s because SVM is that terrible and dangerous thing — a human institution designed by economists who truly believe that people respond principally and reliably to incentives. Part of the backstory, Montier argues, is a naive belief during the 1970s in the efficient market hypothesis, the idea that the market perfectly reflects the underlying reality of the stocks and bonds it trades. Taking as its basis the idea that

a rising stock was by definition the best indicator of the successful creation of value, it then went one step further and married this to the idea that providing lavish stock- and option-based incentives to executives would lead to the best decisions and outcomes. There is only one problem with the whole SVM experiment: the results.

Reality check

As Montier points out, the value created by companies since 1990, the era of Shareholder Value Maximization, is actually worse than during the 1940-90 managerial era, during which executives were paid in ways true-believing economists said was ‘like bureaucrats.’ While both periods produced real returns of about seven per cent a year, the bureaucratic age actually outperformed by about two percentage points a year when you isolate yield and growth. More to the point, SVM has had a malign impact on how managers in big companies behave, almost certainly because under this system they are paid to make quar-

terly numbers in order to drive up their own takings as much as possible. While the corporate investment drought post-2008 is one of the mysteries of the post-crash world, it is actually part of a long-term trend of lower private investment in the economy. This is no surprise when you look at a study from Duke University, which found that CFOs of listed companies are willing to forgo projects which will produce positive net present value outcomes in order to make quarterly earnings. In other words, they feel they are obliged to play the earnings game even when it means passing on, well, maximizing shareholder value. A separate study found that publicly traded firms make far lower investments in response to opportunities than privately held ones. Public firms in some situations invest only about half as much. That neatly dispels the idea that companies aren’t investing because they don’t see opportunities. It does suggest that public

companies are setting themselves up, à la IBM, for a comeuppance. This is closely tied to how executives are paid, and to the shortened time horizons they feel they have to get their ‘share.’ This also implies a less dynamic and slower-growing economy. And while equality of outcome is not the responsibility of investors, you can also argue that SVM, by pouring resources on top executives, makes an important contribution to the growing inequality in wealth and income in the U.S. This in turn leads to less growth, as lower-income people spend a higher proportion of the money they do get. Remember too, that shareholders, who were supposed to be the prime beneficiaries of SVM, simply aren’t. Instead insiders make out, while investors, the economy and society as a whole suffer. All of this is actually not an economic problem but a cultural one, and cultural problems require cultural solutions. It is time for a return to a managerial culture, with lower rewards and more longer-term thinking.

Off the front

RESEARCH } from page 1 But many in the agricultural community seem to have forgotten that “research is a long-term thing,” said Vern Baron, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lacombe. “Often, producer groups get lulled into the idea that this will be a silver bullet that will solve issues, and then they’re very disappointed when that doesn’t reduce their costs by half,” said Baron. “Unfortunately, research is expensive. It returns on the investment, but it’s a long-term investment.” And that cost is only going up, which is another reason why a new approach is needed, said Blade. As field work becomes more expensive, it makes sense for a wide variety of researchers — from entomologists and soil scientists to plant breeders and hydrologists — to co-ordinate their efforts and work in the same field, he said.

november 10, 2014 • Albertafarmexpress.ca

“I’m not sure we’ve done that in the past, because it’s easier to co-ordinate an experiment that you want a particular answer to,” said Blade. “This isn’t only about funding agencies or the production community. It’s also about the research community rethinking things.” And right now, the system isn’t designed to support that kind of integrated research, said Blade. “At the federal level, they fund by commodity. The production industry is mostly organized around commodity. The whole system militates against joint activities.” Blade points to Australia as a model for what Canada could do. An organization called the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) pools checkoffs from all the crop types and, rather than allocating funds based on the contribution from each crop type, invests in new

opportunities that could benefit the entire system. “The pulse industry there would get a significant amount of research done even though it was in an earlier growing part of its progression because there were forward-looking bodies like GRDC making some of those bets,” said Blade. While the majority of research funding here is commodity specific and for three years or less, there are signs of change. In October, federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced $4.3 million in funding — with a five-year time frame — for the Western Grains Research Foundation to conduct sustainable agronomy research. That will allow for integrated research in crop risk management, rotational management, and soil fertility. “Our board and our farmers recognize that you need to have some long-term support,” said Garth Patterson, the foundation’s executive director.

“There is a recognition of that from our board and farmers in general, particularly on the agronomy side, and also some concerns now that we’re losing capacity to support long-term research in different areas. “The more we can learn by integrating our studies, the better the information is going to be for farmers.” Farmer buy-in for longer-term, multidisciplinary research will be critical, said Blade. “In the research community — as with everything else — signals have to be given, and if producers start talking about this and the researchers start talking about this, we will go to a different level in the way agronomy is done.” No one can predict specific results of research that hasn’t been conducted, but Blade said co-ordinated research will lead to “more resilience in cropping systems.” “When you do that kind of

“At the federal level, they fund by commodity. The production industry is mostly organized around commodity. The whole system militates against joint activities.” Stan Blade

work, the answers maintain their relevance over a much broader spectrum of experience,” he said. “Those answers will be more broad based and more valuable to a broader array of producers.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

file photo

Long-term investment — not quick-fix funding — needed for forage research Not only is public funding scarce and the payback too low to tempt the private sector, there’s not many forage researchers left By Jennifer Blair af staff

ith many veteran researchers reaching retirement age and research budgets being slashed, regaining lost capacity for long-term forage research will be an uphill battle, said the chair of a national forage association. “To have somebody commit to longterm funding when most of the funding is based on a two- or three-year window is a real challenge,” said Doug Wray, chair of the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association. “There’s a lot of work to do to convince them that’s a good place to put money when money is short.” And private industry isn’t stepping in to beef up forage research, said Alan Hall, project co-ordinator for the Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund (ACIDF), a Lacombe-based private funding agency. “When you get over into the annual cropping world, you’re seeing a lot of private agronomists, corporate investments, new products, and new technologies,” said Hall. “That’s not happening to the same degree on the forage side of things. “There’s not a real well-developed corporate presence in terms of development of forages, outside of the seed business.” The longevity of forages makes them “less interesting” for the private sector,

said Albert Kuipers, manager of the Grey Wooded Forage Association. “The market for forage seed is small compared to annual production,” he said. “It’s difficult to get private-industry money into the forage sector, simply because the profitability isn’t quite as lucrative as it is for cereals and corn and canola.” The forage industry is starting to see some five-year commitments for private research into forages, particularly corn silage, but farmers also need long-term, integrated research in other areas, said federal research scientist Vern Baron. “For those crops that are of interest to agribusiness, there is quite a lot of research,” he said. “It’s the other things that don’t have quite so much commercial interest but are useful on the farm that are difficult to deal with in terms of funding.” That’s going to be the main challenge in increasing forage research, said Hall. “Oftentimes, we’re accustomed to research giving us a quick fix, and there always seems to be good support for quick fixes,” he said. “Some of the longer-term work doesn’t get the same attention.” The industry has recognized that there’s a funding gap for forage research and has begun funnelling more money into it, “but it’s an expensive, long-term proposition, and our capacity to do it is dramatically reduced,” said Wray. That lack in capacity has more to do with manpower than money.

“ACIDF primarily funds the research and development world, and there’s really a lack of research and development science capability in forages,” said Hall. “You go into the Ag Canada stations, into the universities, into the private sector, there just isn’t much in terms of forage scientists. And if you don’t have the scientists there, you usually don’t get the projects.”

“It’s difficult to get privateindustry money into the forage sector, simply because the profitability isn’t quite as lucrative as it is for cereals and corn and canola.” Albert Kuipers

Funding for “quality projects” is available through ACIDF and the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency, but again, a shortage of researchers looms large. “There’s a bit of capacity on the Prairies, but not anywhere near what’s needed given what we’re seeing com-

ing forward as the challenges,” Hall said. “There’s going to have to be beefing up on the personnel side. Otherwise, it’s going to be a long road.” A study commissioned by the Western Grains Research Foundation that will be released next year shows some of those “capacity limitations” in Western Canada. “As we have retirements or get close to retirements, those scientists aren’t able to take on new kinds of research,” said Garth Patterson, the foundation’s executive director. “Unless we get that capacity replaced, we are going to run short of that core capacity to do long-term research.” Baron agrees. “There has to be enough capacity — places to do the work — and there has to be people to do the work. The smaller things get, the harder it is to do the kind of effective work that you need.” Without increased research capacity, the forage sector won’t be the only area that suffers, he said. “What you have is a risk that some aspects of agriculture will move ahead quite quickly, while other aspects will remain pretty much status quo for a long period of time,” said Baron. “That’s not a very good competitive situation for those industries that depend on forages, like the beef and dairy industries.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Peace farmers funding research by doing what they do best — farming Farmers in Alberta’s northwest corner are using sweat equity to fund research that matters to them BY JENNIFER BLAIR

“We want to have our own funding base so that we can continue to do the research that we do.”

AF STAFF

t a time when competition for government funding is stiff and every dollar counts, researchers are finding novel ways to finance the work they do. One of the most innovative is the Mackenzie Applied Research Association (MARA). Until last year, the association conducted research in Alberta’s northwest corner with a small staff and limited budget. But when the federal government began looking to unload its research station at Fort Vermilion, area farmers saw an opportunity they couldn’t pass up. That led to Mackenzie County purchasing the facility last November. “In the last few years, our funding structure changed a little bit because we are now in control of the research station,” said Jacob Marfro, MARA’s manager and research co-ordinator. “What the farmers did was, instead of using the whole 400 or 500 acres of land for research, they volunteered their time and equipment, and we seeded a portion of it and sold the crops for profit.” Last year, the organization raised almost $100,000 by selling crops grown in their research projects, and while the final tally for this year isn’t in yet, the organization has made close to $88,000 so far. Raising their own funds gives the producers and researchers involved with the association a greater degree of certainty about their research investments. While MARA’s most stable form of funding right now is from the provincial government, changing government priorities makes longterm planning a challenge. “We want to have our own funding base so that we can continue to do the research that we do,” said Marfro. Most government grants also ask for matching industry dollars, he said, and with the new funding structure, finding those matching dollars isn’t a challenge. “Last year, some associations could not match the amount that was needed to run their projects, but we had an excess, because our farmers’ donation alone was almost $100,000,” said Marfro. “Because we also had the equipment and the county’s contribution for the land, we had almost $500,000.” Diversifying MARA’s funding base beyond government and industry contributions allows the organization to be “as independent as (it) can.” “Last week, for example, we were told we have to do this work and we have to do that work. We are not comfortable with that,” said Marfro. “We want to minimize the government influence as much as we can.” Their new funding structure also creates greater investment among the producers who participate in the organization’s research. “These people are really serious about the research that they do,” said Marfro. “They pay for all the chemicals. They pay for all the seed. They use all the equipment. “Producers are volunteering

JACOB MARFRO

FILE PHOTO

their time and making almost $100,000 for us each year.” It also means the farmers are helping to “shape the process,” he said. “If we get everything from the government or from private guys from outside the county, they may

not like what the projects look like,” said Marfro. “But if they take part in the whole process of, ‘we are funding you and we want you to do this,’ they help it take shape, and it works better than everything coming from the outside.”

And that’s particularly important in the far north, where “agriculture is very different from almost everywhere in the country.” “We are unique,” said Marfro. “Our soils, our rain, and our weather are unique, so we need

research to come up with plans or varieties that are more adapted to the local conditions. “To be able to actually make meaningful decisions… you can’t use information from Manitoba.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

As a farmer, you have a lot of decisions to make. The DEKALB® brand team is here to empower you with expert advice, agronomic insight and local data. With every important decision you face on your farm, we’re behind you. And we’re ready to help you turn great seed potential into actual in-field performance. DEKALB canola... Empowering Your Performance.

Talk to your DEKALB dealer today, or visit DEKALB.ca ALWAYS FOLLOW GRAIN MARKETING AND ALL OTHER STEWARDSHIP AND PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Details of these requirements can be found in the Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers printed in this publication ©2014 Monsanto Canada, Inc.

NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Alberta vet’s social media campaign pays off for his Ukrainian friend Airdrie’s Cody Creelman used social media to help a vet in Ukraine win a bovine ultrasound in an online video contest BY ALEXIS KIENLEN AF STAFF

ody Creelman just wanted to see the look on his friend’s face. Vadim Pryadko was trying not to make too much noise. The two veterinarians, one from Airdrie and the other from Ukraine, became friends thanks to a shared love of YouTube videos about bovine veterinary medicine — a friendship which became stronger after Creelman persuaded Pryadko to enter a video contest offering a prize of a $14,000 bovine ultrasound machine. It was just after midnight in Ukraine when the two connected via a video chat site and Creelman broke the news he had won. “I had quiet joy,” Pryadko wrote in an email using an online translator. “Because in the next room was sleeping baby little Caterina (his daughter), because it is a feature of Slavic culture, and because of all the emotions spent on the campaign.” The video link wasn’t working, but the reaction was strong — Pryadko twice asking his Alberta friend to repeat the news to make sure he understood.

“The support was amazing. I can’t even wrap my head around it,” Creelman said. Companies, which had spread the message about the campaign to all their staff, sent email messages expressing their support. Earlier, others had offered to donate money or gather vet supplies in case his friend didn’t win. However, news of Pryadko’s win came out on the day Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was fatally shot while standing guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. “It was actually a pretty bitter-

sweet day and a lot of bad news,” Creelman said. “There were a lot of comments about how people were glad it had happened and there was some small sliver of hope in a pretty bad day for Canada.” Pryadko has a brother in Moose Jaw and is hoping his father, currently on a visit to Canada, may be able to bring back the EasiScan ultrasound, which weighs 19 pounds and is the size of a double-wide briefcase. If not, the machine could be sent through one of BCF’s offices in Europe. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Airdrie vet Cody Creelman gets the news that a campaign to win a bovine ultrasound for a Ukrainian colleague was a success. PHOTO: COURTESY CODY CREELMAN

If it was easy, everyone would be d

“I had quiet joy. Because in the next room was sleeping baby little Caterina (his daughter), because it is a feature of Slavic culture and because of all the emotions spent on the campaign.”

VADIM PRYADKO

Pryadko later released a “thanksgiving” video on his YouTube channel, thanking Creelman and all those who cast votes online for him. In the playful video, Pryadko and co-worker Anatoly Petruk (who helped make the video contest entry) dance with calves, jump for joy, and play air guitar on the dairy farm where Pryadko works. They call out individuals by name and vow to learn more English to communicate with their new friends. And he has a lot of them. After he tweeted on Oct. 22 they had won the machine, Creelman left work for the day. When he returned to his Twitter feed the following morning, he had over 700 notifications, mostly congratulatory messages.

12 billion bottles of beer are made from Alberta malt barley a Harvesting Barley with G and T Turner Farms near Barons, Alberta

CASHFLOW І FINANCING І CLOSE TO HOME І AG KNOW-HOW ™ Trademarks of Alberta Treasury Branches.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Record gift boosts irrigation program at Lethbridge College Gift of $3.1 million from the estate of Lloyd and Dorothy Mueller to fund irrigation program and research chair LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE RELEASE

Michael Mueller (second from l) at the announcement of the $3.1-million gift from his late uncle and aunt, Lloyd and Dorothy Mueller. Also on hand (l to r) were college COO and vice-president Stuart Cullum, president and CEO Paula Burns, and board chair Randy Jespersen. PHOTO: LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE

gricultural programming at Lethbridge College will benefit from a record-setting $3.1-million gift from a family whose Alberta roots go back to the province’s earliest days. The gift from the estate of Lloyd and Dorothy Mueller will be supplemented with $1.9 million from the college to establish the Mueller Program in Irrigation and the Mueller Applied Research Chair in Irrigation Science, supporting the college as it moves to focus on data-driven productivity in agriculture. Lloyd Mueller was born on the family farm near Warner, which was established by his father, who arrived from Wisconsin in the early 1900s.

“They wanted to offer a benefit and make this available to as many people as possible and they felt a gift to Lethbridge College is the best way to do that.”

e doing it.

y annually.

After serving in the Second World War, he returned to Lethbridge and became involved in several business ventures, from farming to running a garage to stock trading. He achieved much of his financial success in this last venture. He and wife Dorothy, who worked in administration at St. Michael’s Hospital for 35 years, married in 1954 and lived the rest of their lives in Lethbridge. Lloyd Mueller died in 2009 and Dorothy Mueller died in 2013. Having no children of their own, Lloyd and Dorothy always welcomed their more than 25 nieces and nephews into their home and were ardent supporters of education. “My uncle and aunt wanted to find a way to advance the pursuit of knowledge through their legacy,” said their nephew Michael Mueller. “They wanted to offer a benefit and make this available to as many people as possible and they felt a gift to Lethbridge College is the best way to do that.” Two-thirds of Canada’s irrigated land is in Alberta, of which more than 70 per cent is in the Lethbridge region alone, noted college president and CEO Paula Burns.

It’s not how you start that counts. It’s how you finish. The challenging years are the ones that take the measure of who’s in for the long haul. From a spring that wouldn’t arrive to snow that couldn’t wait, this was a year that asked everything of those who grow, raise and produce Alberta’s incomparable bounty. And with another harvest season drawing to a close – the long days, and longer nights – the work will be done, and the bins will be full. Not a year for the record books, perhaps, but certainly one for the fortitude, tenacity and indominable drive it takes to raise from this fertile land that which feeds the world. It’s that determination and drive that we’re proud to serve and support. No matter what the weather.

“Thanks to the Muellers’ gift, we are establishing the college’s first fully funded research chair,” she said. “We will continue to mobilize and focus on our region’s unique assets, attributes and strengths, bringing industry, academia and community together to provide realworld training and apply real-world solutions within an industry that is critical to the social and economic needs of southern Alberta.” The college is currently running a Possibilities are Endless campaign, with more than $20 million of its $25-million goal already raised.

So Long Love This Land.

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NEWS » Markets

NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Space squeeze not so bad?

Demand rising with supply The International Grains Council has again raised its forecast for the 2014-15 global wheat crop — by one million tonnes to a record 718 million tonnes — but also says demand is also going up. “Global demand is forecast to increase quite strongly, due to above-average growth in food, feed and industrial consumption,” the IGC said in its latest forecast. “Overall use is placed at a record 710 million tonnes, up one million compared to the September report and two per cent higher year-on-year.”— Reuters

The squeeze on grain storage space in the U.S. may not be as bad as many feared. “We’ve got a lot of product to store, no question about it. But the fact that we are stretching harvest out means that every day you are consuming another 70 million bushels,” University of Illinois agricultural market economist Darrel Good said in late October. “That reduces your storage dilemma a little bit.” Some corn in the Corn Belt has been piled outside and covered with tarps, and both rail and barge resources are tight and freight rates soaring. — Reuters

Soy complex drives late-October canola rally Tightening supplies and logistics in the U.S. had a short-term spillover effect By Terryn Shiells

Commodity News Service Canada

his winter may be boring for canola markets, but some exciting things have been happening this fall, including a large rally during the week ended October 31. Prices were up by about $20 to $40 per tonne. The advances were driven by strength in the Chicago soy complex, mainly due to sharp gains in soymeal values amid concerns about tightening supplies of the commodity. Logistics problems were also part of why soymeal futures moved sharply higher during the week, with the December contract gaining nearly 40 points. Though canola may be seeing strong gains at the moment, it’s likely that the market will eventually crash, as most of the gains aren’t linked to the fundamental situation. Canola’s individual fundamental situation is supportive overall, as supplies are expected to fall below one million tonnes to end the 201415 (Aug./July) crop year, which should help basis levels in the cash market improve. But, the global oilseed outlook is bearish, as both South America and the U.S. are expected to produce record soybeans crops.

‘Mooseish’ outlook

One industry official described the outlook for canola as not bearish, nor bullish, but “mooseish,” at the Cereals of North America conference in Winnipeg on October 29 and 30. Other predictions made at the conference included little changes to Canadian crop area next spring, and a more “average” winter for Western Canada this year. One analyst also predicted that U.S. soybeans could drop to US$7 per bushel at some point, though the futures rallied more than 60 cents a bushel in many contracts during the week. Speculative technical buying and strength in soymeal were behind the advances. Corn futures also went along for the ride, but the long-term outlook for both commodities remains bearish as the fundamental situation for both crops is just so large. The U.S. harvest is also still underway for both corn and soybeans, which should keep both markets under pressure going forward. Once activities wrap up, the focus will shift to South America, where planting conditions are improving.

PHOTO: Thinkstock Wheat prices moved higher along with the corn and soybean futures in the U.S., with concerns about dryness in Russia and Australia also behind the advances. But, the global wheat supply situation remains large, which should overhang prices going forward. There are concerns about lowerquality problems in Canada and the European Union. Carry-out in the EU is expected to be very large this year, as exports will likely be down due to a lack of higher-quality wheat in the region. A larger amount of its wheat is feed quality, and there won’t be many

opportunities to sell that quality to other countries, officials said at the cereals conference. The quality of durum in many global growing regions is also very low, with some industry participants calling Canada’s crop the worst on record. This should create premiums for high-quality durum, though the market’s rally seems to be dropping off as buyers become less and less picky about needing the highest quality. Though there is a lot happening within the world cash markets for durum, there continues to be little to no activity in the ICE Futures Canada durum market.

For three-times-daily market reports from Resource News International, visit “ICE Futures Canada updates” at www.albertafarmexpress.ca.

NEWS » LIVESTOCK

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Succession on your horizon?

New tool to calculate cow returns

An expert in farm succession is one of the speakers at this year’s Cow-Calfenomics seminars. John Reid of Solar Harvest Consulting will talk about having adequate retirement income, transition plans, and generating revenue from all available sources on the farm or ranch. He will also speak about a technique where a farm partnership can be rolled into a company, and why the ideal time to do that is when inventory values are high. Cow-Calfenomics will be held in Medicine Hat (Nov. 25), Lethbridge (Nov. 26) and Olds (Nov. 27). To register, call 1-800-387-6030. — AARD release

Alberta Agriculture has a new tool for calculating long-term returns to a beef cow or heifer investment. The Excel spreadsheet calculates production costs, cash flow and return to equity given various bred stock prices and future calf selling prices. A free test version can be obtained by emailing risk management specialist Bruce Viney at bruce.viney@gov.ab.ca. “Producers now looking to expand their herd are encouraged to take a hard look at past and future opportunities and assess them using a new calculator currently in the producer validation stage,” said Viney. — AARD release

Alberta’s first positive PEDv test sparks calls for increased vigilance A positive test for PEDv and a second one for swine delta coronavirus were recorded at handling facilities, not farms By Alexis Kienlen af staff

wo positive tests for porcine diseases in the province have experts reminding Alberta producers to enhance their biosecurity. A PCR test found porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) in the office at a pig-handling facility — the first time the virus has been found in Alberta. A second test, also at a pig-handling facility, detected a related but less deadly virus — swine delta coronavirus. “This has been a warning for everyone to increase the biosecurity, especially with truckers who may have been to positive sites before, and then they bring their truck to pick up pigs,” said Julia Keenliside, veterinary epidemiologist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, during an Alberta Pork telephone town hall in late October. The PCR (short for polymerase chain reaction) test detects a specific protein in the virus, but doesn’t indicate whether the virus is alive and capable of causing an infection. “The virus can be dead, but the test does indicate that the virus was once there,” said Keenliside. “I’d be a lot more concerned if I was pulling viruses out of a couple of different sites where there was manure. In any situation where things are moist, the virus will survive much longer than on a dry, clean office floor.” But the tests show producers simply can’t let down their guard, Keenliside said in an interview. “Producers should be considering all of these sites to be potentially positive at any time. Even if there are negative surveillance results, because of the nature of pig traffic and truck movement, they could be contaminated again at any moment.” A positive result leads to an increase in cleaning and biosecurity at the facility, as well as stringent additional testing. The environmental surveillance project team, which is surveying

seven sites with high pig traffic, work with any operation that records a positive test. The facility where the virus was found voluntarily stopped movement of pigs. The government is not issuing mandatory shutdowns of pig movement, nor is it identifying sites where PEDv or swine delta coronavirus is found. The positive test for swine delta coronavirus on Oct. 9, resulted in the removal of all the pigs at the handling facility. Further testing was conducted at the end of the month, but results weren’t available at press time. In provinces where PEDv has been more prevalent, producers with strong biosecurity measures have been able to keep the virus out of their farms even when it is present in assembly yards in their area. “This is not a superbug and basic biosecurity, consistently applied, can keep it off the farm,” said Keenliside. “If there is a positive in the assembly yard, it doesn’t mean it has to go back to your farm. It’s your responsibility to make sure it doesn’t. There’s no need for panic — just up your biosecurity.” Winter’s onset also requires more vigilance as both PEDv and swine delta coronavirus flourish in colder, moist conditions, or in areas with a humidity level of more than 50 per cent. Producers should be rereading biosecurity training material, and reviewing their procedures, said Dr. Egan Brockhoff, veterinarian with Prairie Swine Health Services and lead on the environmental surveillance project. “Sit down with your team members and your staff and work through those details. How are we getting into the barns? How are we crossing those hightraffic areas? And are we keeping our front entrances clean?” Producers also need to work with everyone in the system, especially truckers, the officials said. Producers have the right to refuse access to anyone who wants to come on their property who is not following protocols, said Frank Marshall, veterinarian with Marshall Health Services. He also advised produc-

Positive tests for porcine epidemic diarrhea and swine delta coronavirus show why producers must be constantly vigilant, said Julia Keenliside, veterinary epidemiologist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. Photo: Supplied ers not to fall victim to snake oil salesmen, selling “magic disinfectant waters” guaranteed to get rid of PEDv. Traceability is another critical tool and it’s important that everyone continue to work with Alberta Pork to have their PigTrace program implemented, said Brockhoff. “Having that traceability information makes it so easy to contact producers who might be at risk and might have been exposed,” he said. “We can find out who to call, and who to call quickly to let them know.” PigTrace isn’t just about a producer protecting their herd, it’s about producers protecting their neighbours’ and friends’ herds, he said. PEDv continues to spread worldwide. Asia and the U.S. have both been hit very hard, with the total number of cases south of the border now over the 8,700 mark. Canada has reported about 70 cases. Unlike the U.S., Canada is also in the process of creating regional control plans, thanks to Cana-

Photo: istock dian Swine Health Intelligence and the Canadian Pork Council. “We have some success stories going on across Canada and something we can all be proud of,” said Brockhoff. Some sites in Ontario have successfully eliminated the virus,

and the relatively low number of cases shows the Canadian system is working, said Marshall. “The Canadian industry should have a pat on the back for that,” he said. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Close but no cigar — bid to end chicken quota feud comes up short Prospective deal would give Alberta more quota and bring it back into the national chicken system BY RON FRIESEN AF CONTRIBUTOR

recurring dispute over how production quota is allocated to provinces experiencing rapid population growth is once again haunting Canada’s broiler chicken industry. Negotiations to solve the issue of differential growth have repeatedly broken down, which prompted Alberta’s exit from the national chicken system two years ago. A solution appeared close several times this summer. But some provinces backed away at the last minute and although talks continue, there’s no resolution at hand. While provinces dicker over chicken allocations, the industry faces other more pressing matters such as biosecurity, animal welfare and a trade dispute with the U.S. over allegedly fraudulent imports of spent fowl. The mounting problems within Canada’s supply-managed chicken sector make solving the differential growth issue critical, producers admit. “We’re always looking at risks and scenarios. We evaluate them. Certainly, any risk is what gives the incentive to reach a deal,” said Wayne Hiltz, Manitoba Chicken Producers executive director. “We view the continuance of the system as valuable and there’s risks out there that could threaten that. We want to manage around that accordingly.”

Provinces facing rapid population growth want a bigger share of future broiler production quota allocations. Allocation dispute

The current dispute revolves around the inability of the Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC) to allocate production to reflect a province’s economic and population growth instead of just historical market share. The problem is as old as CFC itself and has threatened to split the broiler industry several times since the agency was founded in 1979. Over the years, CFC tried several ways of allocating production for each of its eight-week rolling pro-

duction periods throughout the year. The agency began with a topdown formula-driven approach, then switched in the 1990s to a bottom-up allocation approach based on the volumes processors said they needed. A 2001 federal-provincial agreement was supposed to create peace. But periodic disputes have arisen since 2009 over differential growth and the system’s inflexibility in matching supply and demand in provinces with rapidly growing populations, mainly Alberta.

The 2001 FPA actually allows for differential growth among provinces. But Hiltz said no one has ever been able to define what differential growth really means, much less implement it. “There’s been various attempts in the last several years to define it and come up with a formula,” he said. “At this point in time, that still hasn’t occurred. There’s been occasions where we’ve been close with nine provinces on side and we can’t get the 10th one on side. “I think everyone agrees a formulaic approach is the best approach, including Alberta. It’s just trying to find the formula.”

Mediation failed

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CFC held a series of mediation sessions in late 2013 and early 2014 but they failed to produce a solution. Alberta withdrew from CFC on Dec. 31, 2013 after complaining for years it couldn’t get differential growth even though the FPA provided for it. Alberta still maintained a service agreement with the national agency. Efforts to solve differential growth and bring Alberta back into the fold peaked this summer. A deal appeared near several times, but some provinces always reneged at the last minute. Mike Dungate, CFC executive director, declined to comment about the state of negotiations, citing confidentiality. “(He) is concerned that the contents of the discussions are sensitive and he doesn’t want to jeopardize the progress being made,” a CFC spokesperson said in an email. But well-placed sources said the latest proposal under consideration would see Alberta and Ontario, Canada’s largest chickenproducing province, get a larger share of projected future market growth at the expense of the other provinces. The plan would project future market growth for chicken over the next 10 years. A complicated formula would use a combination of existing market share (pro rata), population growth, economic expansion and other performance components to allocate future growth. If market expansion fol-

lowed projections, Ontario and Alberta would receive more kilograms and other provinces would get fewer. No province would lose production; they just wouldn’t get as much future growth as they otherwise might.

“At the end of the day, we all signed an agreement in 2001 that said there would be differential growth based on comparative advantage and we’ve never implemented it.” WAYNE HILTZ

The nine remaining CFC member provinces thought they had a deal on July 8, but Ontario held back. Another agreement appeared close on Sept. 9 but Nova Scotia, with only a small fraction of Canada’s chicken supply, inexplicably balked. Nova Scotia subsequently put forward a counter proposal, which was discussed in mid-October. The Canadian Chicken Poultry and Egg Processors Council is watching the situation carefully because differential growth will influence its chicken supplies. Manitoba is said to have played a leading role in promoting the proposed new formula, even though the province could lose out on future market growth. Hiltz said some give and take is needed to get everyone on board and save the system. “Obviously we’d all like to have more and do better than the next guy — that’s a given,” Hiltz said. “But at the same time we value the system. We think the system is stronger if Alberta is in it. At the end of the day, we all signed an agreement in 2001 that said there would be differential growth based on comparative advantage and we’ve never implemented it.”

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

As the pain from BSE fades, Canada struggles to meet testing commitment ‘Controlled risk’ status allows Canada to export beef, but part of the deal is testing 30,000 head annually staff

lberta cattle and dairy leaders are issuing the same warning they made a year ago — Canada is in danger of breaching its commitment on BSE testing. When Canada was classed as a “controlled risk” country for BSE by the World Organization for Animal Health in 2007, it pledged to test 30,000 head yearly. But getting that many samples is becoming more challenging. “With some of the program changes in terms of funding, as well as increased value in culled animals, and fewer cattle, we’re struggling to meet some of those targets,” said Doug Sawyer, past chair of Alberta Beef Producers. “Until we get those targets officially changed, we need to meet them. But there’s no reason why we can’t meet those targets.” To encourage more testing, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (in partnership with Alberta Beef Producers, Alberta Milk and the Canadian Cattle Association) has released a new YouTube video on why more brain stem samples need to be collected for testing. And in case anyone has forgotten how costly it was when the BSE crisis slammed the border shut in 2003, dairy producer Albert Kamps offers some stark numbers. “Ten years ago last week, I shipped four cows to the auction market and I got a bill for $4.88,” the Alberta Milk second vice-chair says in a segment shot in September. “Last week, I shipped four cows to the same auction market and I got $1,788 per cow. That’s the difference.” Any cow over the age of 30 months that unexpectedly dies, cannot stand or walk, or needs to be euthanized because of distress or disease should be tested. The test is free and a vet will come as soon as possible. The video, features Kamps, Sawyer, and Canadian Cattlemen’s Association president Dave Solverson. “The issue is that people think that BSE is behind us, which hopefully it is,” Solverson said in an interview. “But there has been a lot less participation and fewer people have submitted samples.” He also cited a smaller national herd and higher prices. “In good times in selling culled cows, they’re doing a better job of getting those cows out early. Maybe that’s part of the problem. There just aren’t those cows that hang around until they die, anymore.” In addition to urging producers to submit samples in order to keep trade doors open, Sawyer offers another reason in his part of the video. “The vet’s trip here is paid for, so I usually have him look for something else while he is here,” the Pine Lake rancher says. “If you’ve got him here for no travel costs, you might as well use him.” The four-minute-long video also features Dr. Gerald Hauer, the chief provincial vet. “For participating in the program, the producers receive a $75 reimbursement to help offset the cost of disposal,” Hauer says.

He also addresses “misconceptions” about what happens if there is a positive test. “When an animal tests positive, we inform the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and it does a complete herd investigation. What it is looking for is animals of equivalent risk — in a nutshell, those animals that shared the same feed in the first year of life. Those animals will be depopulated, but not the whole herd. It’s only a select few animals (and) the farmer is compensated.” Both the names of farms and their locations are kept confidential. The video can be viewed by going to www.youtube.com and typing ‘bse surveillance’ in the search box. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Back in the BSE days, says Albert Kamps, he got a bill for shipping cows to the auction market. But he now receives nearly $2,000 per animal. Photo: From Alberta Agriculture video

MAKING THE MOST OF

their return. With a steady hand for managing them like your stock portfolio — and gloves on for a successful home stretch.

That’s agriculture. That’s UFA. Supplies, expertise, prosperity. UFA.com.

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10/3/14 11:55 AM

NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Massage and mooo-d music soothe Vietnam beef cake beauty contestants By Nguyen Huy Kham

moc chau, vietnam / reuters

his year’s winner of the Moc Chau beauty contest has an American father while her mother is of Dutch and Cuban heritage. She’s also pregnant, which is fine with the judges since contestant 1386 is a four-year-old cow. The Miss Milk Cow contest has been an October fixture since 2004 in the popular backpacker destination of Moc Chau 200 kilometres west of Hanoi, helping to promote dairy farming in Vietnam. Owners armed with hair dryers and Vaseline jelly primp the contestants for the beauty pageant, adorning their heads with a bright-red bow before the cows take centre stage in front of hundreds of camera-toting spectators. Some farmers use baths, massages and music to soothe their animals. Two contenders calved during the Oct. 15 event, earning their owners a special prize of two million dong ($100).

“The contest is part of our life. I love it,” said Truong Thi Khanh, a former teacher who found his vocation as a dairy farmer and now owns 33 cows. The contesting cows are judged on the basis of a solid torso, great legs, gait and obedience as they take two rounds of the circular arena in a two-hour finale. And, of course, the amount of milk they produce. The champion, a Holstein-Friesian known for its high yield, outshone 125 finalists from the region with its daily milk output of 42 kilograms (92 pounds). The 2014 winner had it in her genes, being the offspring of a former Miss Milk Cow titleholder. Contestant 1386, who weighed in at 830 kilograms, was crowned with a tiara and a cow-sized sash that emphasized her status as champion breeder. Owner Bui Van Dinh, 61, took home a milking machine, a trophy and a cash prize of 55 million dong ($2,600). It was his first grand prize in nine attempts. “The cows feed us, so we need to praise them,” said Dinh, an engineer who turned to dairy farming two decades ago.

The Miss Milk Cow beauty contest in Vietnam selects cows with a solid torso, great legs and which provide the most milk. The annual event promotes dairy farming to fill a growing demand for milk products in the country. photo: REUTERS/Kham

Needs Your

CalviNg tips & tales

Friends and neighbours, we are once again looking for your best calving tips and tales for Cattlemen’s January 2015 Calving Special. We’re looking for good ideas, practical advice, or humorous tales and photos to share with fellow readers. A reward will be sent for Tips & Tales printed in this special. Send your calving tips to Calving Tips & Tales (and your address) to Canadian Cattlemen 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 Email: gren@fbcpublishing.com Fax: 1-866-399-5710

 ENTER BEFORE NOV. 29, 2014

YOUR REWARD

Tampering with waste water samples brings fine Alum added to waste water samples to lower phosphorus content winnipeg / A former worker at Cargill’s High River beef plant has been fined for tampering with waste water samples that were required by the Canadian province of Alberta. Cargill’s Canadian division is required by Alberta to study the plant’s waste water, and limit the amount of phosphorus discharged into a nearby lake. Phosphorus can deplete oxygen needed to support aquatic life. The worker tampered with three treated waste water samples in February and March 2012 by injecting alum, a substance that made phosphorus content appear artificially low, according to a statement of agreed facts from Alberta’s provincial court. Cargill notified the government’s environment department of potential errors in its waste water report in April 2012. A court fined Cargill $80,000 earlier this year for failing to immediately report the incidents. The court also fined former Cargill employee Pushp Pal Singh $7,500. Singh resigned his job with Cargill in 2012. The government said there is no evidence of environmental harm from the incident. Cargill conducted an internal investigation and reported the findings to Alberta officials, said company spokesman Mike Martin, adding that Cargill does not condone the employee’s actions. The company took corrective actions to get its facility into compliance with regulations, he said. – Reuters

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Kidney disease in cattle more common than realized beff 911 } If symptoms are noticed early enough, treatment can be effective By roy lewis, dvm

arly recognition and treatment of kidney disease in cattle can often have a favourable prognosis. The capacity of the kidneys is great so often we may not see any specific clinical signs until two-thirds of the total kidneys’ capacity are damaged. There are many causes of toxic damage to the kidneys but this article will focus on the infectious causes of kidney disease resulting in what veterinarians call pyelonephritis (pus and infection in the kidneys). The infection results from common bacteria which gain access to the kidneys from the bloodstream. Kidneys are essentially blood filters. The other area of access is up the urinary tract and urinary retention from partial blockage will encourage growth of bacteria and infection. Kidney infections are generally individual animal problems and cows may have the history of a prior infection from a retained placenta, mastitis, pneumonia etc. These infections suppress the immune function and allow the seed of bacteria to gain access to the kidneys. In cattle one of the first clinical signs is weight loss. I see more of these cases in late pregnancy or right after calving. The pregnant cow must essentially filter both hers and the fetus’s blood. This taxes the filtering ability of kidneys, which is why this is the most common time to acquire kidney infection. Cows carrying twins have this problem compounded. Any time there is extreme weight loss for no apparent reason have the cow checked by your veterinarian. They can palpate the left kidney and the ureters (tubes going from the kidneys to the bladder). A urine sample can be obtained and checked for blood, bacteria, pus cells and other parameters necessary to rule in or out kidney infection. Blood samples can be taken and the white blood cell count may be up. Other parameters such as blood urea nitrogen (BUN) only go up once the kidneys have been severely damaged and by then the prognosis is very poor.

Any time there is extreme weight loss for no apparent reason have the cow checked by your veterinarian.

My experience has been if cattle are still eating and drinking well and kidney disease has been diagnosed prognosis with treatment is very favourable. If appetite has been suppressed the BUN is too high and often in spite of vigorous treatment like intravenous fluids prognosis is very poor.

Fairly common

There are many more cases of kidney infection out there than we realize. This has been made evident to me by the large number I have seen

when autopsying cows under the BSE-testing program. Both kidneys will be severely infected and have very little normal function left. The common history is the farmer noticed weight loss but no other symptom and then the cow quit eating and died shortly thereafter. Most of these cows can be saved and go on to lead productive lives or at least be taken to slaughter the following year if caught early enough. I am sure a number of these cows died on producers’ farms with no diagnosis prior to the BSE testing. Producers may notice increased frequency of urination or pain at urination. Look closely at the urine especially at the end of the urination process for signs of pus or blood (red coloured). This will provide a clue kidney infection may be advancing. In cattle there are also many causes of red urine from bacillary hemoglobinuria (redwater), phosphorus deficiency to a red dye excreted when on clover. All these and many other causes of red urine can sometimes make the specific diagnosis more difficult.

Treatment

The most common bacteria causing kidney infection in cattle is very responsive to penicillin. There are two keys in treatment. First, the earlier the better before more permanent kidney damage is done. Secondly, the length of treatment must be adequate to completely clear the infection to avoid a relapse. Treatment periods for at least seven to 10 days or longer in my experience most often will avoid the relapses. This most definitely will entail treating daily with procaine penicillin for the first few days till noticeable improvement. Then several longacting shots the required days apart will stretch treatment out to the two weeks. A common mistake is stopping treatment too early when attitude improves and the urine clears. This is a smouldering infection and will come back if not completely cleared. As with any relapse the second-time treatment is much more difficult as the infection becomes deep seated. If the cattle remain thin long after treatment there has probably been permanent damage to the kidneys. These cattle are like time bombs and with impaired kidney function are unlikely to reproduce and could eventually succumb to kidney failure. They might be best being culled before the condition worsens. Kidney infections are sporadic across the Prairies. Every herd experiences them from time to time but with careful observation (always keep an eye on body condition score), early intervention, and correct treatment the results are often gratifying. Penicillin is still a very effective drug as it is concentrated and excreted through the kidneys and subsequently the urine. Have your herd veterinarian examine your cows with weight loss and advise as to their course of treatment. Let’s recognize and treat more of these conditions as treatment is not that expensive, often has a favourable outcome, and at today’s prices for cattle the economics are there. Roy Lewis is an Alberta-based veterinarian specializing in largeanimal practice. He is also a part-time technical services vet for Merck Animal Health.

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NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Call for action on climate change

Brazil faces water woes

Governments can keep climate change in check at manageable costs, but greenhouse gas emissions must be sharply cut to prevent irreversible damage, says a new UN report. The 40-page synthesis, summing up 5,000 pages of work by 800 scientists, says global warming is now causing more heat extremes, downpours, acidifying the oceans and pushing up sea levels. Its effects will be manageable if warming is held to 2 C above pre-industrial times, but that means cutting current emissions by 40 to 70 per cent by 2050 and to “near zero or below in 2100.” — Reuters

It will take at least four years before Brazil’s largest state can recover from its worst drought in 80 years. São Paulo state accounts for a third of Brazil’s economy, but water shortages are already crimping factory and farm output. The two main reservoirs serving metropolitan São Paulo, South America’s largest city, could dry out by February if relief does not arrive in the upcoming rainy season. Water rationing has forced JBS to put 800 workers on paid leave for a month and grains exporters are facing higher freight costs because waterways are too low for river barges. — Reuters

A host of records broken in the past year as the world warms September was the fourth month this year to go down as the warmest on record by daniel bezte

y last column looked at how Antarctic sea ice can be increasing in a warming world. Well, global temperatures are in for September, and according to NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, it was Earth’s warmest September ever recorded. This is the fourth month this year — May, June, and August were the others — that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported being the warmest ever. It also said the first nine months of 2014 tied with 1998 and 2010 as the warmest first three-quarters of the year, and the period of October 2013 through to September 2014 was the warmest 12-month period since records began in 1880. Global ocean temperatures in September were the warmest on record — 0.66 C above average. This temperature anomaly is the highest ever recorded. Land temperatures were a little cooler, with September 2014 coming in as the sixth-warmest September. Looking at the satellite measurements of global temperatures in the lowest eight kilometres of the atmosphere, the University of Alabama Huntsville reported a global temperature that was about 0.29 C above the 30-year average, which places this September as the seventh warmest on record. The Northern Hemisphere was about 0.19 C above average while the Southern Hemisphere was 0.40 C above average. The coldest place on Earth, compared to average, was in northern Canada around Prince Charles Island (2.73 C below average), while the warmest place was found in the western Antarctic along the eastern edge of the Ross Ice Shelf (5.35 C above average). In September, Alberta temperatures were a little above average, but not by much. Near Calgary temperatures averaged about 0.8 C above the 1981 to 2010 average. Farther north around Edmonton, temperatures came in right around average and in the Peace River region temperatures were a little warmer than average, with a mean monthly temperature for September that was about 0.5 C above aver-

2 Month ( 60 Days) Percent of Average Precipitation (Prairie Region) August 29, 2014 to October 27, 2014

< 40% 40 - 60% 60 - 85% 85 - 115% 115 - 150% 150 - 200% > 200% Extent of Agricultural Land Lakes and Rivers

Produced using near real-time data that has undergone initial quality control. The map may not be accurate for all regions due to data availability and data errors. Copyright © 2014 Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada Prepared by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s National Agroclimate Information Service (NAIS). Data provided through partnership with Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and many Provincial agencies.

Created: 10/28/14 www.agr.gc.ca/drought

This map shows the total amount of precipitation compared to average that has fallen for September and most of October across the Prairies. The north-central Prairies, stretching from just west of Edmonton eastwards to around Swan River, has been dry with some areas of Saskatchewan seeing less than 40 per cent of average. In contrast, the southern part of the Prairies stretching from southern Alberta into southeastern Saskatchewan have been fairly wet, with the region around Moose Jaw reporting over 200 per cent of average.

age. Precipitation for the month was slightly below average around Edmonton, but a little above average around Peace River and Calgary. If you’ve noticed, I’ve added in Peace River as a third location to use when trying to see what the weather has been like across Alberta. Thanks goes out to an email I received from Bryan who helped to remind me just how large the northern and northwestern agricultural part of Alberta is — thanks Bryan! OK, now on to October. Across the Prairies, October was a nice mild month and nowhere was this as true as in Alberta. Looking at the Prairies as a whole Manitoba saw tempera-

tures that were about 1.5 C above average, Saskatchewan saw temperatures that were about 2.3 C above average, while our three main locations across Alberta saw average temperatures during October that were about 2.5 C above average. The coolest temperatures, compared to average, were in the northern and central regions with both Peace River and Edmonton reporting mean monthly temperatures for October that were about 2.0 C above average. Farther south the temperatures during October were really warm, with Calgary reporting a mean monthly temperature of 8.3 C which was 3.1 C above the long-term average. In fact,

according to Environment Canada, this reading was Calgary’s fourth-warmest October on record and was the warmest October in more than four decades. Precipitation amounts during October were low across southern and central parts of Alberta, with both Calgary and Edmonton regions reporting around 10 millimetres of precipitation — averages are in the 15- to 25-millimetre range. In the Peace River region it was a little wetter, with around 20 millimetres of precipitation. This moisture was welcome as it continues to struggle through a very dry period. Across Saskatchewan precipitation amounts during October

were slightly below average over the north portion of the agricultural region, with Saskatoon reporting around 15 millimetres. Farther south amounts were higher, with Regina reporting in with around 25 millimetres of precipitation or about average. Across Manitoba October was very dry, with most areas only receiving between five and 15 millimetres of precipitation. Daniel Bezte is a teacher by profession with a BA (Hon.) in geography, specializing in climatology, from the U of W. He operates a computerized weather station near Birds Hill Park. Contact him with your questions and comments at daniel@bezte.ca.

Free pollinator primer Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has released a new 44-page booklet entitled Native Pollinators and Agriculture in Canada. The publication looks at the lives of important pollinators, how to protect wild pollinators, and creating and managing a pollinator habitat on a ranch or farm (such as building eco-buffers and creating nesting areas). To download a pdf of the booklet, go to www.publications.gc.ca and type pollinators in the search box. — AARD release

American soil health guru plants seeds in Alberta In-demand speaker barnstorms province to talk about building better soil with ‘cocktail’ cover crops and integrated crops/livestock system By Alexis Kienlen af staff/legal

Mimicking nature

His solution was to imitate nature, specifically native rangeland. He stopped tilling, and started growing cocktail cover crops in the 1990s, steadily increasing the number of species as he saw the benefits of this program. “It’s diversity that drives soil health,” he said. “Nature is full of diversity, yet we as producers try to force monocultures on it.” Organic matter levels have tripled, he said, and that tilth and improved soil structure allows his fields to soak up water like a sponge, instead of running off.

By growing multiple cover crops including cool- and warm-season broadleaf and grasses, Brown tripled his forage and dry matter production. He said yields improved on cash crops, and he hasn’t used pesticides or fungicides in years, and his growing season has been extended because the cover crops help heat up the soil. The presentation grabbed the attention of Bill Visscher, who runs Smoking Elk Ranch near Morinville. “I could do a lot better job than I’m doing,” said Visscher. “I just started winter feeding the other day, but theoretically they should be (grazing) in the field.” He was inspired to come out after attending a presentation earlier this year by Jim Gerrish, a Missouri commercial cattle and sheep producer who has gained renown for his intensive grazing system. Visscher said he’s going to try growing cocktail cover crops, and also wants to try to implement some sort of rotational grazing, even though that’s challenging with elk because they need to be divided into smaller groups for management reasons. He’s also looking to improve his pasture and soil health, and extend his grazing season. Brown’s presentation gave him lots of ideas, but the challenge will come with implementation, said Visscher, a member of the Gateway Research Organization (part of the Agriculture Research Extension Council of Alberta, which sponsored Brown’s tour). And that was also part of Brown’s

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“I came to the conclusion that what I had to do if I was going to be successful was regenerate my resource.” Gabe Brown

message — it’s not an easy system to adopt, he said. It requires a lot of experimenting, including finding the right cover crops for your area, Brown told his audience. “I’ve had people stop after a year or two and that’s fine — it’s not for all people,” he said. “You have to be willing to put in the time and learn things like carbon-nitrogen ratios and how nutrient cycling works. But once you do, it will significantly increase your bottom dollar and improve the resource for future generations.” And, Brown added, he’s never known anyone who switched back after staying with his system for five years. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Trim: 15.5”

abe Brown found some fertile Alberta soil for his message that diversity builds soil health and boosts profitability. The North Dakota farmer and soil health guru did a barnstorm tour of the province in the last week of October, starting in the Peace Country community of Grimshaw, swinging through Legal and Vermilion, and then zigging down south to Vulcan and zagging east to Pollockville. It’s a typical schedule for the indemand advocate of “cocktail” cover crops and an integrated cropping and grazing system to rejuvenate both soil and farm profits. “Between now and Christmas, I have five days off,” Brown said of his speaking schedule. While he drew big crowds at some stops, the Legal workshop was almost cancelled when only a dozen people registered. But it went ahead and that suited Rusty Bellamy just fine. The operator of Big Coulee Farms near Athabasca is familiar with Brown’s methods, and has already implemented several of them. But Bellamy — who raises pasture-based beef, pork and poultry — wanted the opportunity to meet the man himself. Adopting Brown’s system of planting many species in his pastures to increase biodiversity and improve soil health has definitely worked on his farm, he said. “When we started rotationally grazing about 14 years ago, we had

one or two species of grasses and a couple species of legumes,” he said. “Now we’re up to 10 of each.” Bellamy said he’s noticed a huge improvement in his soils, with high moisture content and a large earthworm population even in a dry year like this one. Brown started his rethink of farming more than two decades ago after questioning the wisdom of having to constantly add more and more synthetic fertilizer to his tired soils to maintain yields. At the time, the soils at his farm near Bismarck had organic content levels below two per cent and years of tillage had destroyed the soil’s structure. “I had to make some changes,” Brown told his audience in Legal. “I realized that I wasn’t able to keep operating in that manner. I had really accepted a degraded resource. I came to the conclusion that what I had to do if I was going to be successful was regenerate my resource.”

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} research

Trim: 10.25”

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Canadian soybean growers dispute claims neonics don’t boost yields A federal U.S. agency says neonic insecticides provide few benefits By Alex Binkley af contributor

anadian soybean growers are disputing claims by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that neonicotinoid insecticides make no difference in yields. On the contrary, neonics increase yields by up to four bushels an acre and produce much higher-quality beans when they use the seed treatment, said Barry Senft, CEO of Grain Farmers of Ontario. “There has been so much emphasis on the use of neonics with corn that its importance to soybean growers gets overlooked,” he said.

Senft said he was approached and environment groups on an by a number of soybean grow- initiative to reduce neonic use ers at a recent GFO meeting in corn and soybean production who wanted to remind him of in light of studies that link bee the benefits from the seed treat- deaths to the insecticide. ment. The Grain Farmers of Ontario The EPA said in a recent report has been warning about severe that neonics “provide little or financial losses without the no overall benefits to soybean insecticide for several years, production in most situations. b a s e d o n t h e i n f o r m a t i o n Published data indicate that in supplied by its 28,000 grower most cases there is no difference members. The organization in soybean yield when soybean says neonics replaced far more seed was treated with neonics environmentally harmful insecversus not receiving any insect ticides that farmers don’t want control treatment.” to return to using. Based on the finding, Sierra Senft noted that neonics were Club Canada urged Ontario approved for use in Canada Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal by the Pesticide Management “to immediately ban the use Regulatory Agency because, as of neonicotinoid pesticides is required, they showed higher on soybeans.” Leal has been yields for corn and soybean B:8.125” working with Ontario growers crops. The farm group has tried T:8.125”

to work with Ontario beekeepers for several years on ways to reduce bee deaths from the insecticide when the crops are planted in the spring. Farmers followed the Pest Management Regulatory Agency’s best management practices during the 2014 planting season. Early indications show that helped to lower the number of bee death incidents reported this spring, Senft said. His organization supports research to reduce the amount of insecticide-containing dust generated during planting, he added. “We are supporting additional research into the responsible use of neonicotinoids which includes an analysis of the presence of soil pests in Ontario.”

Photo: thINKSTOCK

S:8.125”

Syngenta lawsuit against Bunge over GMO corn revived

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chicago/A Federal Appeals Court has opened the door for Syngenta Seeds to revive a lawsuit it brought against Bunge North America in 2011 over the agribusiness company’s refusal of a type of genetically modified corn. An opinion in the case came as Syngenta and its parent company, Swiss-based Syngenta AG, has become the target of lawsuits over the same variety of corn, Agrisure Viptera. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a district court to review whether Syngenta had standing to bring a claim of false advertising against Bunge in 2011 after Bunge began refusing to accept Viptera corn because it was not approved for imports by China. Syngenta sued Bunge over the decision, and a district court in 2012 ruled in Bunge’s favour. The Appeals Court sent Syngenta’s false-advertising claim back to the lower court for review, while affirming the lower court’s rulings in favour of Bunge on two other claims. Viptera corn has become controversial because China last year began rejecting boatloads of U.S. corn containing the trait, known as MIR162. Commodities trader Cargill Inc. and farmers have separately sued Syngenta, claiming they lost money from the trade disruptions. Bunge expects to prevail on the false-advertising claim in district court, spokeswoman Deb Seidel said, adding that latest opinion was a clarification of a ruling the Appeals Court made in August. Syngenta declined to comment. – Reuters

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

FP Genetics offers farmers performance guarantees on its wheat varieties The company is confident its new wheats will outperform bin-run varieties By Allan Dawson staff

“And that’s really what you need to have farmers really interested in it. I believe that’s why we’re getting so much interest in the product.” Brasetto is standing up well to fusarium, he added, probably because as a hybrid, maturity is more even. AAC Bravo is a new flax developed at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Morden Research Station. “The best thing about it is it has good maturity and it also has a large seed size, which is attractive for the specialty markets for toppings on bread and for the food markets,” Merryweather said. “It’s also attractive because a bigger kernel means higher oil content and that makes it attractive for the industrial market — the traditional markets in Europe.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

FP Genetics is confident that once farmers try using certified wheat seed, they’ll keep using it. Photo: Thinkstock

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P Genetics is so confident one of its new Canada Western Red Spring wheats is more profitable than older varieties grown from bin-run seed, it’s guaranteeing it. “We’ve developed a program that allows a grower to upgrade their wheat genetics at no risk to them,” FP Genetics CEO Rod Merryweather said in a news release. “The grower simply has to register with one of our shareholder seedsmen, seed any number of acres of our variety side by side with their current variety and use the same agronomic package. If our variety doesn’t net out more on the bottom line, we’ll pay the grower the difference.” Harvest, one of FP Genetics’ older CWRS varieties, is the most popular milling wheat seeded in Western Canada, making up 12 per cent of the area covered by crop insurance, or 1.5 million acres, according to Canadian Grain Commission data. But Harvest is 10 years old and higher-yielding varieties are available, Merryweather said in an interview. As part of its Certified Seed Profit Guarantee, FP Genetics has set up a calculator to compare certified and farm-saved seed costs. Bin-run seed is not free, Merryweather said, noting that it has a market value as grain, plus there are costs to transport it to be cleaned and treated. Meanwhile, new varieties have potentially higher yields, he said. For example, CDC Plentiful, one of FP Genetics’ new CWRS wheats, yields 10 per cent more than Harvest, is four to five days earlier maturing and is more disease resistant, Merryweather said. It’s also rated modestly resistant to fusarium head blight. Merryweather estimates some of FP Genetics’ new wheats will net farmers around $20 an acre more than an old variety. “At $20 an acre, if we could do this on every acre that’s another $500 million of profit in farmers’ hands,” he said noting that is based on about 25 million acres of wheat grown annually. Given that on average, wheat yields increase by 1.6 per cent a year, farmers should be buying new varieties at least every four years, he said.

4. The harvested crop will be measured with an FP Genetics territory manager in attendance. If the recommendation of the FP Genetics retailer does not deliver higher yield and more profit, FP Genetics will pay the difference in profit realized. FP Genetics is also excited about some of its other new varieties of fall rye and flax, Merryweather said. A limited supply of Brasetto, a new hybrid fall rye developed by German seed company KWS, “sold out in a matter of minutes” this fall, he said. It yields 20 to 25 per cent more than conventional rye and has higher falling numbers, translating into better milling quality, he said. The higher seed price is more than offset by higher yield and quality, Merryweather said. “It passes that three- or four-toone return on investment,” he said.

Here are the rules:

1. FP Genetics and the farmer agree on a field, which can be up to 640 acres and must be reasonably uniform. FP Genetics and the farmer then decide if the results will be tabulated by actual weight or the farmer’s combine grain yield monitor. Then the farmer and an FP Genetics territory manager sign an official guarantee document. 2. The farmer buys and seeds half the field with FP Genetics’ recommended variety (CDC Utmost, AC Muchmore or CDC Plentiful) and the other half with the farmer’s bin-run seed. Seeding on both sides must be done within 24 hours by the same equipment and at the same seeding rate of approximately 35 plants per square foot (usually about two bushels per acre). 3. Fertility and pest management must be the same on both sides of the field.

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NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Farmers still get failing grade on safety implementation Protecting operators, their families and employees should be job one BY ALEX BINKLEY AF CONTRIBUTOR

anadian farmers need to make safety a higher priority, says the executive director of the Canadian Agriculture Safety Association. “We need to convince farmers to embrace a safety culture that is part of their daily routine,” Marcel Hacault told the association’s recent annual meeting. On average 104 people die in accidents on Canadian farms annually, he said. Nearly half were the farmer or a family member. “While 85 per cent of farmers will say safety is important, only one in 10 do anything about it,” said Hacault. “We have to narrow that gap between intent and action. Farmers not only work on the

farm, but they and their families live there.” The association studied 1,975 farm fatalities between 1990 and 2008, and found 70 per cent were caused by machinery, including 46 per cent who died in tractor rollovers. Run-overs and entanglements were next. A Saskatchewan study found older farmers and young kids are most vulnerable, Will Pickett, a professor of public health sciences at Queen’s University, told attendees. “The study has determined that fatigue is the No. 1 farm safety hazard,” said Pickett. “Long hours working combined with insufficient sleep or sleep disorder leave too many farmers at risk. And the long hours affect child supervision because the parents often have to bring them into the workplace.” The association already offers a

program to help farmers develop safety plans for their operation, and also operates an injury surveillance program and an online service that allows farmers to report

“While 85 per cent of farmers will say safety is important, only one in 10 do anything about it. We have to narrow that gap between intent and action.” MARCEL HACAULT CASA

design and performance issues with agriculture machinery. If protecting themselves and their families isn’t incentive enough, 34 per cent of Canadian farms use paid labour, “which makes it all that more important to have safety plans,” Hacault said. The farm safety association is working on programs to bring attention to risks posed by abandoned pipelines, better signage for farm machinery moving on public roads and working with producer associations on lobbying governments on safety issues. “This year, we want to really engage farmers,” Hacault said. That won’t be easy because Agriculture Canada has slashed its support for the organization. It has lined up 25 corporate and association sponsors and is looking for more to make up for the loss of government support, Hacault said.

THE FASTEST, MOST COMPLETE BURNDOWN JUST GOT FASTER.

Family workers on farms face program disincentive A farmer can claim wages paid to arm’s length employees but not family members BY ALEX BINKLEY AF CONTRIBUTOR

Farmers who pay family members to help out during the busy season can’t claim that expense under federal support programs — and that discriminates against family farms, a New Brunswick senator says. Agriculture Canada applies financial definitions contrary to accepted legal terms used by the rest of the federal government, said Senator Pierrette Ringuette. “They don’t respect established jurisprudence or legal precedents set in court decisions,” Ringuette said in support of a motion asking a Senate committee to investigate her allegations about the AgriStability and AgriInvest programs. She presented the Senate with 20 pages of evidence to back her contention. But the Canadian Federation of Agriculture said the problem with the two programs is even more extensive than the senator alleges, with Agriculture Canada unfairly limiting legitimate business expenses incurred by family farms. Ninety-eight per cent of Canadian farms are family owned and operated, so “quite a few have been caught up in this,” said federation president Ron Bonnett.

Major disincentive

“We have raised this since they introduced (changes to) AgriStability last year,” said Bonnett. When a farmer applies for help under that program or AgriInvest, he or she has to supply detailed business information including wages paid to employees and family members, said Ringuette, adding she has received numerous complaints on the issue. But while employee wages are counted as business expenses, money paid to family members isn’t. “This is a major disincentive to keep a farm as a family-owned business,” she said, adding many family members who work off farm take unpaid time off from their jobs to help on the farm when needed. The Canada Revenue Agency and other federal programs don’t follow this discriminatory process after court rulings said it was wrong, she said. “Something is totally out of whack. But every attempt by farmers to appeal it is denied. What a joke. The department is completely oblivious to the correct legal terminology.” Agriculture Canada was asked for comment on the senator’s criticisms but hadn’t responded as of press time.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Misinformation a problem: Folta Food science can help farmers and food processors meet demands of specific demographics BY SHANNON VANRAES STAFF

Culinary students plate pork belly following a talk promoting science in food at the University of Manitoba.

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KEVIN FOLTA

American researcher Kevin Folta speaks at the University of Manitoba. lowing the presentation, which was hosted and promoted by the Manitoba Canola Growers. The presentation did not cover economic issues around biotechnology, such as ownership and intellectual property rights, but following his talk Folta commented that farmers are the ones who consume the technology and without their endorsement, it couldn’t exist. “The farmer is the consumer and the farmer is the one who has to be satisfied with that technology, so they service the

farmer,” he said. “So this isn’t taking anything away from the farmer, it’s actually giving the farmer more options.” He added that it’s always a concern if too much power is sequestered in one set of hands, not just in agriculture. But he said that if regulations around transgenics were loosened more competition would arise. “That’s the way to do it, make it more hospitable for the little guy,” Folta said.

Always read and follow label directions. AgSolutions is a registered trade-mark of BASF Corporation; HEAT and KIXOR are registered trade-marks of BASF SE.; all used with permission by BASF Canada Inc. All other trade-marks are properties of their respective owners. © 2014 BASF Canada Inc.

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“So who should be steering the progress for the next generation? Should we be voting on whether science is true, or should consumers who are scared by fearmongering be telling us what we would be growing?”

Publication: Alberta Farmer Express

Nancy Ames speaks at the University of Manitoba.

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oes science belong on your plate? Kevin Folta and Nancy Ames think so, as did their soldout audience at a recent Canola Connect event at the University of Manitoba. “Humans have been engineering plants for a long time, we have abilities to do some really good stuff — grow more food in the same space with fewer inputs,” said Folta, head of horticultural sciences at the University of Florida and a longtime advocate for transgenic technology, “what is commonly referred to as GMO technology.” Ames, a cereal research scientist with Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, focused on some of the technology that goes into processing food to ensure nutritional components maintain their integrity during processing and cooking. “Who would think there is so much science in oatmeal?” Ames said, relating the multiple steps needed to process oats, including heat treatments that kill potentially harmful bacteria and other agents. “But after they go through that process they are still an oat… in this case we like to think of processing making oats better.” Science also helps food processors and farmers better meet the needs of specific consumers, whether it’s infants, teenagers on the go, or older consumers looking for specific tastes and textures, the researcher said. But it’s crops that make use of transgenic technology — generally referred to as genetically modified — that is the big hot-button issue with consumers today, Folta said, adding he believes many consumers fear this technology because they’ve been misinformed. Citing quasi-celebrities like Dr. Oz and The Food Babe, Folta said the public has been led away from science — science he said is safe and beneficial. “So who should be steering the progress for the next generation? Should we be voting on whether science is true, or should consumers who are scared by fearmongering be telling us what we would be growing?” he asked. “Shouldn’t science and reason really be dictating public policy? “We live in a time when we really do have access to the best food in human history, the safest food, the most abundant food and rather than embracing it we’re allowing people to scare each other about it.” Public opinion and opposition have held back several new technologies, he said, including Golden Rice, which is engineered to combat vitamin A deficiency. “It’s really an atrocity that we can’t use this kind of technology to help people,” Folta said. “We have a lot of solutions that are ready to go, but we have activists and scientific illiteracy that are really blocking those solutions.” Allergen-free peanuts are another example of a food that exists, but outside of the commercial realm. Apples that don’t brown when exposed to air are also a possibility. No one in the crowd disagreed with either Folta or Ames fol-

NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

They have different names, but four major fruit flies identical The finding is expected to help with international biosecurity and control These species cause incalculable damage to horticultural industries and food security across Asia, Africa, the Pacific and parts of global research effort has South America. finally resolved a major The Philippine fruit fly was forbiosecurity issue: four of mally recognized as the same the world’s most destructive agri- species as the Asian Papaya fruit cultural pests are actually one and fly in 2013. The latest study goes the same. further, conclusively demonstratFor 20 years, some of the world’s ing that they are also the same most damaging pest fruit flies have biological species as the Oriental been almost impossible to distin- and Invasive fruit flies. These four guish from each other. The ability species have now been combined to identify pests is central to quar- under the single name: Bactrocera antine, trade, pest management dorsalis, the Oriental fruit fly. The and basic research. closely related Carambola fruit fly In 2009, a co-ordinated research remains distinct. effort got underway to definitively “More than 40 researchers from answer this question by resolving 20 countries examined evidence the differences, if any, between five across a range of disciplines, using of the most destructive fruit flies: morphological, molecular, cytothe Oriental fruit fly, the Philippine genetic, behavioural and chemofruit fly, the Invasive fruit fly, the ecological data to present a comCarambola fruit fly, and the Asian pelling case for this taxonomic Papaya fruit fly. change,” said Tony Clarke, chair SEC-HAYM14-T_AFE.qxd 10/31/14 11:02 AM Page 1 Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre

of Fruit Fly Biology and Management from the Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre and the Queensland University of Technology. “This outcome has major implications for global plant biosecurity, especially for developing countries in Africa and Asia,” he said. The Oriental fruit fly has caused crop losses exceeding 80 per cent in Africa and is considered a billiondollar threat to Australia producers. “Globally, accepting these four pests as a single species will lead to improved international cooperation in pest management, more effective quarantine measures, reduced barriers to international trade, the wider application of established post-harvest treatments, improved fundamental research and, most importantly, enhanced food security for some of the world’s poorest nations,” said Clarke.

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What is now known as the Oriental fruit fly previously had four different names.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Three new directors on canola producers’ board Four directors on the board of the Alberta Canola Producers Commission have been elected by acclamation. Joining the board for their first term will be John Guelly of Westlock in Region 5, Steve Marshman of Rockyford in Region 8, and Dale Uglem of Bawlf in Region 11. Their three-year term will begin at the commission’s annual general meeting on Jan. 27. Greg Sears of Rycroft was elected in Region 2. He will be returning to the board to serve his second consecutive term. Directors may serve two consecutive three-year terms on the ACPC Board. Colin Felstad of Dapp, Elaine Bellamy of Rosebud, and Jack Moser of Killam will retire from the board in January after serving two consecutive terms. — Alberta Canola Producers Commission release

Canola quality down slightly on year: early CGC data Later samples are expected to have higher green seed By Commodity News Service Canada

he quality of Canada’s 2014 canola crop is down slightly on the year, according to early harvest data compiled by the Canadian Grain Commission. With 1,132 samples received as of Oct. 22, approximately 88 per cent graded as No. 1. That compares with the 93.7 per cent of all samples that hit the top grade in 2013. The commission also noted that “later-arriving samples may be graded lower due to green seed or other damages.” The average oil content of the canola hitting the No. 1 grade level was pegged at 44.4 per cent (8.5 per cent moisture basis) in the samples received to date. That

Photo: Thinkstock was down slightly from the 44.8 per cent seen the previous year, but slightly above the 10-year average of 44.2 per cent. Crude protein levels, for canola,

No. 1 Canada, averaged 20.4 per cent, which was higher than last year’s mean of 19.8 per cent and similar to the 10-year average of 20.6 per cent. The protein content

on an oil-free basis is 39.6 per cent which is higher than the 2013 mean of 38.7 per cent and is similar to the 10-year mean of 39.9 per cent. Currently, canola, No. 1 Canada has a mean chlorophyll content of 11.5 ppm which is lower than the 2013 average of 12.0 ppm and is below the 10-year average of 14.3 ppm. However, there are some differences from region to region where some areas may show higher chlorophyll content than others, said the report. Iodine values were averaging 112.2 units, which compares with the 2013 mean of 111.8 units. The 10-year average for iodine value is 113.9 units. Glucosinolate content for the samples collected to date has a mean of 9.9 micromoles per gram, which is lower than the 10-year average of 11.2 micromoles/g.

Yorkton canola plant may not be down for long By Rod Nickel

winnipeg / Louis Dreyfus’s Yorkton canola plant may resume receiving and crushing the oilseed in late November or December, following an explosion and fire on Oct. 24. Brant Randles, president of Louis Dreyfus Commodities Canada Ltd., said the company is working with contractors and engineers on a workaround solution to allow the plant’s operations to resume. The plant is one of two in the area, along with one operated by Richardson International. It has capacity to crush up to one million tonnes of canola per year after a recent expansion. The shutdown comes as farmers have completed the harvest in most areas. Randles said the closure has not had a noticeable effect on canola cash or futures prices. Farmers have been slow to sell their crops, causing prices to rise, he said in an interview in early November. Input Capital Corp., a company that buys farmers’ canola crops for resale, said the explosion would delay its deliveries but not have a material impact. Louis Dreyfus crushes canola to produce oil mainly for U.S. buyers, and meal for U.S. dairy farmers. “We’ve had an active communication program with both the sellers of canola and the buyers of canola meal and oil,” Randles said.

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NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

AUTUMN GLORY

This red barn, near Millarville, Alta., is an exclamation mark against the deep glow of yellow aspens, as autumn hits its stride in southern Alberta.

PHOTO: WENDY DUDLEY

War forces Syria to up wheat imports

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Syria plans to import one million tonnes of wheat as loss of government control over large swathes of farmland and a poor harvest have cut domestic purchases by half, according to a source at the state’s General Organization for Cereal Processing and Trade. “We are still studying the mode of imports, whether it will be tenders or direct contracts, and we will make a decision about that shortly,” said the source. He said the government had enough wheat to satisfy consumption until mid-2015 from previous imports and its local harvest, and that the imports of one million tonnes were necessary to boost its strategic reserve, he said. This spring, experts were expecting a total harvest this year of between one million and 1.7 million tonnes. But with much of Syria’s main grain-producing region out of government control, the state buying agency was only able to obtain 523,000 tonnes of wheat. The breadbasket provinces of Raqqa and Deir al-Zour are mostly under the control of jihadist Islamic State rebels, and Hasaka is also under rebel control except for the provincial capital of the same name, which the government holds. Government collection centres, where farmers can go to sell their wheat, has shrunk from over 140 before the start of the war three years ago to just 31 this year. To overcome the problem, the agency offered farmers in areas outside government control, money to transport their wheat to government collection centres, the source said. Still, only around 17,000 tonnes of wheat were procured from Raqqa, whose collection centre was in Damascus.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Groups call on Ottawa to extend mandatory shipping order Ritz’s office says he and the transport minister haven’t made a decision yet By Allan Dawson

staff/portage la prairie, manitoba

arm groups and grain companies say grain transportation woes are far from over as the federal government considers whether to lift minimum movement orders for the railways. In an emailed statement Oct. 31, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz’s office appeared to backtrack from an earlier report saying the government was preparing to end the regulated volumes by month’s end. Reuters had quoted Ritz as saying barring a sudden pileup of grain in the next five weeks the shipping order, which expires Nov. 29, would be lifted. However, Ritz’s office said nothing has been decided, stating in an email, “The ministers of transport and agriculture will receive advice from the CTA (Canadian Transportation Agency) and will make a decision in due course.” The Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA) and Manitoba farm group Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) want the shipping order to stay to avoid a repeat of last year’s grain shipping backlog. The railways oppose the government order introduced March 7 requiring them to move 500,000 tonnes of grain weekly or be fined, saying it’s unnecessary and draconian. Ottawa increased the shipping threshold to 536,250 tonnes Aug. 1 and the fines for failing to comply went from $100,000 a day to $100,000 per incident. Fertilizer shippers, domestic millers and shortline railways have also complained the order resulted in poorer rail service for them as the railways focused on moving grain in corridors where cars could be turned the quickest. Ritz told Reuters while there are still problems, grain was moving much better this year than last. Not so, said several farmers at a recent KAP meeting. “We’re hearing reports from all across the province that contract deliveries are behind,” said KAP president Doug Chorney. “We know that there are grain companies filling bunkers (outside) because they can’t get the car allocations that they need to support their customer demands.

So we don’t see this problem as resolved at all.” However, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association supports ending the grain movement order. “Our thinking here is we want to get back to a market-driven system where grain moves where there’s the best demand rather than based on railway preferences,” said Blair Rutter, the association’s executive director. “Grain should flow to where it earns farmers the highest return.” However, Rutter stressed the order should be reinstated at the first sign of trouble. Grain has been moving well since the start of the currrent crop year, but there’s still a lot to move, said Mark Hemmes, president of Quorum Corp., Ottawa’s grain monitor.

“It’s not back to normal,” he said. “It’s not because the railways aren’t trying, it’s just that there’s a hell of a lot of grain out there.” Canada exported 3.9 million tonnes of wheat and 1.9 million of canola Aug. 1 to Oct. 19, up 16 and 41 per cent, despite a smaller harvest this year, according to Canadian Grain Commission data. Those figures need to be put into context, said Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the elevator association. Grain movement was down early last crop year because of a small carry-over and delayed harvest. This year grain movement weeks seven to 13 was just slightly lower than the same period last year, he added. “So it makes you wonder what’s going to happen come the winter, if we’re going to have a repeat of last year,” Sobkowich said.

“We say it’s not advisable to lift the volume thresholds going into the winter months.” The WGEA estimates this year’s crop is 60 million tonnes. With 17 million tonnes of carry-over, there’s 77 million tonnes to move, “which isn’t much less than last year.” “My members tell me they are on a week-to-week basis receiving less cars than they order.” In late October, there were 21 ships waiting to load grain at Canada’s West Coast ports, double the normal, according to Sobkowich. Not only should the shipping order stay, it should be increased by 1,600 cars a week to handle canola oil and meal shipments, he said. He said the Canadian Transportation Act, currently under review, should force railways to agree to service contracts and have penalties when they breach them.

Where there’s there’s a

“We don’t see this problem as resolved at all. We need continued government oversight.” Doug Chorney

“This problem just won’t go away until we get that,” he said. “Once we get that level playing field then we have the basis to build something that looks commercial.” allan@fbcpublishing.com with files from Reuters

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NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

AUTUMN WINGS

After fishing in shallow waters, a great blue heron takes off against the golden cottonwoods and riparian grasses, near Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta. Photo: Wendy Dudley

British wheat on its way to U.S. The shipment is likely destined for livestock feed By Sarah McFarlane and Julie Ingwersen london/chicago / reuters

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ritain has sold a shipment of feed wheat to a buyer in the United States, marking the first significant volume in 2-1/2 years. Around 25,000 tonnes of British feed wheat are expected to be shipped from the port of Harwich, coinciding with the country’s return to being a net exporter after a two-season hiatus, the sources said. “They’ve used U.K. wheat before, it must have calculated at some point,” one of the traders said. The wheat may have been sold to a U.S. feed-buying consortium as hog and poultry producers battle with flour mills for quality grain after a fungal disease affected some of the domestic crop. British wheat production rebounded this year after adverse weather curbed output for two seasons. The last time Britain sent a significant volume of feed wheat to the U.S. was in March 2012, when 47,250 tonnes were shipped. In the 2011-12 season a total of around 243,000 tonnes were shipped. The bulk of the U.K.’s feed wheat sales are made to customers within the European Union, particularly Spain, the Netherlands and Portugal. The sources said the wheat was destined for a feed compounder in southeastern U.S. Hog producers there sometimes add wheat to their feed rations, cash grain traders said. Slow U.S. rail service and a shortage of locally available feed-grade wheat may have made the British wheat attractive, the traders said. Vomitoxin, the toxic byproduct of a fungal disease, infected soft red wheat crop in parts of the U.S. Midwest and Mid-South this year.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Producers urged to participate in hort survey

Factors to consider before constructing a dugout One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to dugouts, says provincial water engineer

ALBERTA AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT RELEASE

The Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development are conducting an online horticulture survey. “This survey will update key information about the horticulture industry to enable sharing of current information on the industry and support industry strategic planning,” said Sharon Faye, a market analyst with Alberta Agriculture. “The horticulture industry is constantly changing. As such, updated information is needed to best represent this industry sector, and to help with industry strategic planning.” The survey will create “a snapshot of the horticulture industry in Alberta,” said Faye. “We want to look at acres in the province, the main crops being grown, where the key markets are, and how this can vary from region to region.” Survey results should help established growers and new entrants alike, she added. “The industry snapshot will help new producers get a better idea of what the market is like, which will help them with their business plans. It’ll also give established producers an overview of the whole market and how their region fits into the larger picture. The survey will also help industry organizations with their strategic planning.” The survey is a pilot project with longer-term aspirations, said Faye. “We’re starting here with fruit and vegetable growers who sell to direct markets. Further ahead, we’d like to follow up with more questions or perhaps expand the survey to other horticulture sectors.” The survey was issued earlier this month. “We’re asking that businesses respond within two to three weeks,” said Faye. “For all those surveys that are submitted by Dec. 10, contacts will be entered into a draw for one of 20 chances for a $25 gift card from a selection of retailers.” To participate in the survey, email ARD. Horticulture@gov.ab.ca with the subject line “Hort Survey.” Provide the name of the business, key contact person for the survey, and either the business email or key contact’s email. “While this is primarily an online survey, we can provide participants with hardcopy surveys if they prefer,” said Faye. For more information, email Sharon.Faye@gov. ab.ca or phone 780-4225326.

ALBERTA AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT RELEASE

his is the time of year producers may be thinking about digging new dugouts. And, as with any new building project, there are factors to ponder before the first shovel hits the dirt. “Fall is a great time of year to construct new dugouts,” said Melissa Orr-Langner, agricultural water engineer with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “Conditions are dry, and the new dugout is ready to go for spring run-off.” But there are a few things to consider before building a dugout, she said. “First of all, one size doesn’t fit all. We recommend a two-year supply of water, but in drier areas this should be five years. This will allow for a dry year so if you don’t get run-off you still have that extra supply to carry you

over. It also allows for an emergency supply and will increase the water quality of the dugout.” When it comes to choosing a dugout size, there are a number of factors to consider, depending on location, said Orr-Langner. “You may have a different run-off potential or a higher evaporative loss in your area. You also need to consider what your needs are.” For run-off potential, topography, precipitation, vegetative cover, and soil moisture/ type are all factors to be considered, she said. “For example, in the Peace, you need 25 to 50 acres of contributing area to fill a milliongallon-size dugout, whereas in Brooks, you’d need more than 2,000 acres.” When it comes to evaporative losses, deeper is more efficient. “In Brooks, a 21-foot-deep dugout can be constructed at about two-thirds of the volume of a 15-foot dugout and provide the same amount of available water.”

FILE PHOTO

Funding for dugout construction is available through the Growing Forward 2 OnFarm Water Management Program. “Producers need to complete a long-term water management plan and have it approved by a water specialist before dugout construction begins,” said Orr-Langner. For more information, call the Ag-Info Centre at 310-FARM, 319-3276, or go to www. growingforward.alberta.ca.

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NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Grain elevator info now online Peel’s Prairie Provinces now hosts the CGC’s Grain Elevators in Canada CGC RELEASE

hanks to a partnership with the University of Alberta Libraries, data on grain elevators in Canada collected by the Canadian Grain Commission beginning in 1912 is now freely available online. Fully searchable, digital copies of these records from 1912 to 1998 are openly accessible via the University of Alberta Libraries’ website, Peel’s Prairie Provinces. These records contain lists of licensed elevators, their locations and capacity in Western and Eastern Canada. Peel’s Prairie Provinces is a website dedicated to preserving western Canadian history and Prairie culture. It features an online bibliography of books, pamphlets and other materials related to the development of the Prairies, as well as a searchable, fulltext collection of many of these items.

Digitization and hosting of the Canadian Grain Commission’s print records was provided by the University of Alberta Libraries. Grain Elevators in Canada was first published in 1912 and is one of the Canadian Grain Commission’s oldest reports. “Grain Elevators in Canada is a window into the history of Prairie communities,” said Christine Wallmann, an information technician with the Canadian Grain Commission. “The history and economy of the Prairies was linked to the grain trade. Many of the requests we get for information come from community historical societies, and data such as the number of elevators or who owned the local elevator can help historians better understand Prairie life.” The Peel’s website can be found at: http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/geic. html?locale=en.

FILE PHOTO

Florida and Georgia in legal war over water BY BILL COTTERELL

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lorida’s water war against Georgia is heading to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has agreed to hear an interstate dispute on whether Atlanta’s suburbs are sucking dry the river flow that feeds the oyster beds and fisheries of the northern Gulf Coast. The suit filed by Florida Governor Rick Scott stems from a decades-old fight over Atlanta’s daily demand for 360 million gallons of water from the Chattahoochee and Flint river basins. Florida blames the over-consumption of water by its neighbour for the collapse of the oyster beds in Apalachicola Bay, which had produced 10 per cent of the country’s supply. The court’s willingness to wade into the fight, which contests the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ water-management practices, marks “a major victory for Florida,” Scott said. The U.S. solicitor general earlier this year recommended that the court not consider the case until the Corps of Engineers finishes revising its master plan for the river system, expected to be implemented in 2017. In Atlanta, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal urged the federal government to “not get bogged down by Florida’s litigation.” Left unchecked, Georgia’s daily consumption will grow to 705 million gallons per day by 2035, mostly because of Atlanta’s population growth, Florida said in the lawsuit.

For further information visit: www.farmingsmarter.com Contact: Jamie at 403-381-5118

Network

Search news. Read stories. Find insight.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Crop prices down, but fertilizer prices not following suit Supply and logistics issues are keeping fertilizer prices up even though demand in the U.S. has stalled Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development release

espite low commodity prices, fertilizer prices have not been following the same trend, says an Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s market analyst for agriculture inputs. “Two of the reasons fertilizer prices have not trended downward as quickly as grain prices are world supply and U.S. transportation issues,” said Jennifer Stoby. “The world markets are demanding more fertilizer products, while political unrest and low natural

gas supplies in some countries have decreased the total amount of fertilizer available to the world market. “As well, with the large corn and soybean crop in the U.S., and with the competition from oil, getting fertilizer into the hands of retailers has been a logistical challenge for the transportation industry.” But fertilizer sales have stalled in the U.S., said Stoby. “High fertilizer prices are also due to the late harvest in the U.S. as well as a reluctance to spend or lack of credit for fertilizer,” she said. “It’s predicted that more soybeans may be planted next spring due to high nitrogen costs

which soybeans are not reliant on. As well, with the record-yielding corn crop, a lot of U.S. soils have been depleted of major nutrients. It will take a large amount of product to replenish these soils.” Alberta sales have also slowed, she added. “Fertilizer is still being applied here but with the late harvest and some cash or credit crunch issues, producers are moving cautiously. Retailers have reported that fall fertilizer is being applied, but producers are soil testing and looking over their fertilizer needs much more closely than in other years. As well, spring fertilizer purchases have T:10.25”been slow as

farmers are waiting for a price decrease.” Manufacturers are currently hesitant to drop prices and farmers are hesitant to purchase product, said Stoby. “Who decides to make the first move is yet to be seen,” she said. “Right now, it’s hard to say if prices will continue to trend downward. In most cases, fertilizer prices usually follow corn prices but with external international factors at play there has been some hesitation for fertilizer prices to follow.” For more information, go to the Alberta Farm Inputs Survey results where monthly fertilizer prices are posted. Go to

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“Who decides to make the first move is yet to be seen.”

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NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

FOLLOW THE LEADER

Two foals follow a mare across a pasture, west of High River, Alta.

PHOTO: WENDY DUDLEY

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Students in rural communities create chemistry with BASF Kids’ Lab Hands-on chemistry program helps students learn about science and agriculture BASF RELEASE

ASF Canada and Earth Rangers are expanding BASF Kids’ Lab, a series of handson chemistry workshops developed by BASF for students in Grades 4 through 6, to rural schools across Western Canada. The program has already reached more than 1,200 Canadian students and is now expanding into additional communities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba with a new agriculturefocused workshop. From October to December 2014, the program will engage more than 800 students at approximately 30 western Canadian schools, at no cost to the schools or participants. The 45-minute session, entitled We Dig Soil will include an Earth as an apple demonstration to illustrate the amount of land available for agriculture, as well as a fun hands-on activity to illustrate how soil acts as a filter. “Earth Rangers educates children about the importance of maintaining healthy environments where they live,” said Peter Kendall, executive director, Earth Rangers. Established at BASF’s global headquarters in Germany in 1997, Kids’ Lab invites children to explore the world of chemistry through safe and fun experiments that are designed to foster an interest in science-related hobbies and, eventually, explore its career possibilities. Over the years, the program has been successfully delivered in more than 16 countries worldwide. The program will be delivered to schools in Lethbridge, Red Deer, Leduc and six cities in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Cargill says food scares and rising demand will keep sales tap open Top Cargill official says a growing middle class craving more high protein and safe food products will keep demand strong By Naveen Thukral and Manolo Serapio Jr reuters / singapore

slew of food safety scandals has stoked China’s hunger for higher-quality products that would sustain consumption of protein-rich farm commodities even as its economy slows, says a top Cargill official. China is toughening its fight against food safety violators in the face of rising incidents of food scares since a deadly scandal in 2008 when dairy tainted with industrial chemical melamine led to the deaths of at least six infants. It is also prompting the country, the world’s top importer of soybeans and a major buyer of corn, to move from backyard hog farms to mechanized modern plants requiring higher volumes of grain-based compound feeds. “The Chinese population has become highly sensitized to food safety and rightly so,” said Cargill vice-chairman Paul Conway. “For commodities which go into direct human consumption or via meat, we don’t see a slowdown in China.” A growing middle class that craves for more high protein and safe food products would also ensure China’s consumption of agricultural commodities would remain high even as economic growth slows to six to seven per cent. “We are positive not only on China but on the region generally about the emergence of a stronger and more vibrant middle class who demand more variety and better quality in their food,” Conway said. Food supply-chain issues in China have come under increased scrutiny, with KFCparent Yum Brands, Wal-Mart Stores, and McDonald’s all recently facing food safety issues with suppliers. China’s shift to a consumption-driven economic expansion and away from infrastructure that could see rapid growth in its environment, health-care and education sectors will also require more higher-quality food, said Conway.

Asia growth

Cargill, along with Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge, and Louis Dreyfus comprise the ABCD companies that dominate global grain trading. With sales of $134.9 billion in fiscal 2014, Cargill expects its global grain business to double in seven to eight years with Asia growing at twice the pace, supported by thriving consumption in China, India and Indonesia, said Conway. The company has a major presence in China’s food supply chain — importing grains and oilseeds, making animal feed, raising chickens and manufacturing products such as sweeteners and cereals. The company’s fully integrated poultry project, which recently started operations, has a capacity to process 65 million chick-

ens per year as well as 176,000 tonnes of poultry products. Cargill is building its fourth soybean-processing plant in China, he said, without giving details on the size, location and investment. Turning to the sell-off in global grain and oilseed markets, Conway said prices are unlikely to fall below the multi-year lows seen in October as U.S. farmers have been holding back supplies. “It is clear that you are not going to see the sorts of lows that you used to see with these sorts of harvests,” he said. “Farmers, particularly in the U.S., have enormous ability to hold supplies.”

Prices of corn, soybeans and wheat in Chicago have since rebounded, with soybeans rising 14.5 per cent in October, corn climbing 17.5 per cent, and wheat adding 11.5 per cent. Despite record crops in the United States and elsewhere, global food demand is rising rapidly, said Conway, which is keeping the agricultural industry on its toes given the 2008 food supply shock. “Essentially we are only one harvest away from a big problem,” he said. “We can’t relax because the world does need more food and of course today you have nonfood uses such as biofuels.”

A farmer piles wheat up after a harvest in Zouping county, Shandong province photo: REUTERS/China Daily

FO R NO TH W E BO 20 O 15 KI ED NG IT IO N

NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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An $8-billion development plan

Subsidy program gets poor grade

Global development lenders, including the World Bank, African Development Bank, and European Union, have pledged more than $8 billion to boost economic growth and reduce poverty in eight countries in the Horn of Africa. The eight — Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Uganda, Sudan and South Sudan — have vast, untapped natural resources, but are beset by extreme poverty and conflict. The funds will go for infrastructure development, including regional oil and gas pipelines; health programs; and expansion of university education and job training. — Reuters

Egypt’s reform of its subsidized food system must do more to help the neediest, says a top World Food Program official. Subsidies of food and energy products eat up a quarter of Egypt’s budget, with subsidized bread selling for less than a seventh of the real cost. While three-quarters of the population — 68 million people — have ration cards, another four million of the poorest fall through cracks. Before cutting the program to rein in a budget deficit, the government needs to do a better job of targeting those in need, said Lubna Alamen. — Reuters

HEARTLAND Experts say small-scale

farming is at a crossroads Is small beautiful or should the new motto be ‘move up or move out?’ by Laura Rance

Manitoba Co-operator Editor / Des Moines, Iowa

gricultural economist Shenggen Fan has come a long way from his roots in rural China where he shared a one-hectare farm with his parents and two brothers. Now director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington, D.C., Fan was honoured earlier this year by the World Food Program’s Hunger Hero Award for his commitment to fighting global hunger. He identifies closely with the 84 per cent of the world’s 570 million farmers who survive on two hectares or less — and is well aware small farmers produce 80 per cent of the food consumed in Asia and Africa. “However, that does not mean small is beautiful,” Fan told a panel discussion at this year’s Borlaug Dialogue on the resources, technology and policies needed to make family farming profitable and sustainable. “In many cases, small means hungry.” His family was fortunate that their farm produced enough to feed themselves and others, but their meals often consisted only of rice, he said. And as the brothers grew to adulthood, it became clear that when divided three ways, their small holding would be inadequate. So two brothers moved out, and the one who remained moved up by renting more land. For Fan, “move up or move out” should be the mantra for reducing hunger and improving the profitability and sustainability of small-scale farming. “There are small farmers who simply cannot be sustainable,” he said noting many are farming eroded land in remote regions. “It is not fair to keep smallholders hungry and malnourished.” Most of the world’s farmers don’t have enough land to be viable, he said. And many lack clear rights to their land, which makes it difficult, if not impossible, to properly manage what they do have or acquire more. Securing land rights is critical to empowering smallholders, but so are policies and programs that help farmers manage risk, improve market access and diversify into more nutritionally valuable crops, he said.

Switch crops

“The first step for smallholders is to diversify production away from rice, wheat and maize into more nutritious vegetables,” he said. “When they have enough to eat, they can sell nutritious food to the market.” Some countries are using subsidies to

Technology and the right tools can transform small farms A Ugandan woman who generates $100,000 from a one-acre farm shatters the stereotype of small African farmers by Laura Rance Manitoba Co-operator Editor / Des Moines, Iowa

D Kanayo Nwanze photos: laura rance

Ajay Markanday

artificially promote the production of wheat and rice at the expense of more nutritious crops, he said. Not only would land tenure assist them in scaling up their operations, it could help them link with foreign investors, rather than being vulnerable to displacement by so-called “land grabs,” he said. Developing countries must undergo dramatic change if it is to appeal to the next generation, which is increasingly educated and has a taste for the comforts of urban life, said Faustine Wabwire, senior policy analyst for the Washington-based Bread for the World Institute. “Most young people, especially if they have been to school — they see their parents labouring all their lives and still be poor,” she said. “There is a tendency for them to want to do agriculture, but it’s going to be agriculture that is mostly technology driven. They are not attracted to agriculture with a hand hoe.”

with an agrarian-based labour force that has little education and few skills. The phenomenon of jobless growth is behind a widening gap between the rich and poor in industrialized countries as well, but the effects are most pronounced in less-developed economies, said Markanday. “How you make growth inclusive is a policy decision,” he said, noting governments in the industrialized world have opted for competitiveness in the global economy over inclusive growth.

Not so easy

But encouraging people to leave the land means having someplace better for them to go. The traditional model of development in which a growing manufacturing sector draws people off the farm with well-paying factory jobs no longer exists — like it did when agriculture was scaling up in North America, said Ajay Markanday, senior economist and FAO representative at the World Bank. Economists have coined the expression “jobless growth” to describe the global trend towards measuring economic growth by returns to capital instead of jobs created. Manufacturing has become less labour intensive and the areas in which new jobs are being created, such as the digital and service sectors, are a poor fit

Small can be beautiful

For the foreseeable future, improving the productivity of small-scale farmers will be the best way to address both poverty and hunger, said Kanayo Nwanze, president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). “For IFAD the answer is simple,” he said. “Invest in rural people. Invest in smallholder farmers.” Nwanze stressed the goal of feeding the world is achievable with the right policies, programs and partnerships with the private sector aimed at increasing the productive capacity of small farmers. For example, between 1990 and 2013, China was able to reduce malnutrition from 23 per cent to 11 per cent and child stunting from 32 per cent to nine per cent. “As we strive for innovation, there is nothing wrong with thinking small,” he said. “Sometimes, the technology farmers need is not a new seed, it is a smartphone or tablet.” Such technology puts small-scale farmers on an equal footing with large operators because they can better access production information and extension support, he said. laura@fbcpublishing.com

r. Emma Mugerwa Naluyima is a revelation to those who would write off smallscale farmers in developing countries as inefficient and incapable of feeding themselves, let alone the world. “Yes we can,” the Ugandan farmer, wife, mother of two-yearold twins and practising veterinarian told a packed convention hall at the recent Borlaug Dialogue. It will happen “household by household,” she said. Naluyima is the polar opposite to the stereotypical image of African agriculture as a woman with a hoe and a child on her back. While more than half of Uganda’s farmers live on less than $1 per day, Naluyima pulls in about $100,000 annually from the food she produces and markets from her one-acre farm. Naluyima, who received a standing ovation following her talk, presented a detailed outline of her farm enterprise, complete with a budget. She has divided her acre into four quarters, one of which contains her home. She has surrounded her house with five mango trees, jackfruit and pineapple for her family’s consumption and to sell. On another quarter she raises perennial crops, including 100 banana plants, which produce about eight bunches of bananas per week. Her family consumes one bunch, leaving seven bunches to sell, raising $336 per month. Her third quarter is devoted to livestock, including 10 cows, the milk from which brings in $4,800 per month, 30 sows, from which she sells pork, and 200 laying hens whose eggs contribute $336 weekly. Naluyima has no pasture, but her livestock has plenty of fresh homegrown fodder to eat. A hydroponic growth chamber produces as much highly nutritious sprouted legumes in 162 square feet as 25 acres of pasture.

see FARM TECH } page 34

NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

FARM TECH } continued from pg. 33 Her fourth quarter is devoted to a greenhouse operation, in which she raises high-value vegetables for six months of the year. She also raises tilapia and catfish in tanks — another cash crop and worth $3,750 per month in addition to supplementing her family’s diet. The animal manure goes into an anaerobic biodigester to create electricity and a fertile slurry for her crops. The sludge from the fish tanks goes back on the land. “Every element is interrelated,” she said. “Africa has all it takes to be a food basket of the world. We have all it takes to produce food, and yet we are going hungry.” Naluyima and her husband are starting a school to teach food production skills, convinced that teaching children from an early age how to grow food will not only help secure food security, it will inspire the next generation of agriculturalists, she said. People who have land, “are sitting on gold,” she said. “They just don’t know it.”

Power of extension

with the right mix of resources, technology and policies. Dadi Buta, who farms six hectares in Ethiopia, is a beaming testament to the power of extension. The father of four was farming one hectare of land when he began to receive extension training through a local farmer training centre, operated by a coalition including the Ethiopian government, Oxfam, and the Sasakawa Africa Association. The focus is on training farmers to make their own best management choices for the resources on their farms. Buta participated in a panel discussion on making small farmers more sustainable. He said training and extension support helped him diversify away from staple crops into crops and livestock, which augment his family’s nutrition and bring in cash crop revenue. His productivity has improved because he now uses composted manure as fertilizer. “Today I am a big producer and I give credit to all I learned,” Buta said, speaking through an interpreter. He is now mentoring five farmers who work with him, further spreading the extension outreach. He has also started to invest in larger equipment.

Naluyima may be exceptional, but she is far from unique. This year’s dialogue featured presentations from small-scale farmers who Help for women Dagnachew, have made astounding productivSEC-REDW14-T_AFE.qxd 10/15/14Birtukan 12:46 AM Page 1 a 37-yearity gains once they were connected old farmer from northern Ethio-

pia, said the improved productivity of her farm allowed her to send her oldest son to university. “Before, we faced shortages and starvation because we weren’t getting what we needed from the land,” the widowed mother of four said through an interpreter. But she challenged those aiming to help small farmers, most of whom are women, to tailor policies and programs to their needs. For example, she asked why when most small farmers are women, most of the extension advisers are men. Diversification is the key to survival for small farmers, whether they are in Africa or America, said Ellen Walsh-Rosman, whose 700acre certified organic farm is small by Iowa standards. However, it supports three families spanning two generations. “We are diverse, not only in what we grow but in the way we are marketing,” she said. “Each enterprise is marketed two or three different ways.” The beef side of their operation is raised organically and is sold wholesale, direct to grocers and through off-farm sales. Their two-acre vegetable operation sells directly to consumers, as well as to grocers through a wholesaler. Their farm wouldn’t be viable without livestock, the manure from which feeds their soil’s corn crops, she said.

But she said their biggest challenge is rural depopulation, which not only makes it hard to find reliable help, but

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Annual food losses are more than enough to feed the world’s hungry By Chris Arsenault

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Participants in a small-farmers’ panel at the recent Borlaug Dialogue emphasized that extension and diversification are important tools to help improve the productivity of small-scale agriculture. Dadi Buta from Ethiopia (l to r), Birtukan Dagnachew from Ethiopia and Ellen WalshRosmann from Iowa. Photo: Laura RancE

Enough food to feed two billion people is wasted every year, leading UN agencies to create a new interactive platform to try to reduce the losses, which could easily feed the world’s 800 million hungry. The Global Community of Practice of Food Loss Reduction web portal allows users to get information about ways of reducing waste. An estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of food, or roughly 30 per cent of global production, is lost or wasted annually, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and experts say the new portal is a step in the right direction. “We need to close the gap between people being aware of this problem and what they do when they are standing in the grocery store or in the kitchen,” said Dana Gunders, a scientist with a U.S. environmental advocacy group. “Awareness is the first step; the more specific the information (available on the portal) the more helpful it is in terms of reductions.” More than 40 per cent of root crops, fruits and vegetables, 20 per cent of oilseeds and 35 per cent of fish never reach the mouths of hungry people, the FAO reported. In developed countries, food waste usually occurs in homes, restaurants, or grocery stores, but in the developing world, most spoilage happens during storage or transport, as infrastructure for refrigeration and preservation is often inadequate.

Backers hope information on the new platform will help farmers to “share experiences to concretely reduce losses,” said FAO official Anthony Bennett.

Solutions in the field

If farmers in Uganda, for example, find a new technique to reduce spoilage, they can upload information about the project to the portal so that others can learn from it. As part of the initiative, the World Food Program has provided metal silos and sophisticated storage bags to 400 small farmers in Burkina Faso and Uganda, which reduced post-harvest waste to less than two per cent during a 90-day trial period. The program is now being scaled up by taking it to 41,000 farmers and aiming for a 70 per cent reduction in postharvest losses. At first, the farmers were skeptical about the new silos and airtight, waterproof storage bags. “After watching the grain in the traditional storage units deteriorate quickly, they expected the same (or worse) to be occurring inside the new units,” said Simon Costa, the project’s manager. “Their disbelief quickly turned to jubilation when they discovered their harvest was in perfect condition.” Appropriate technologies like this don’t just keep food fresh for longer, Gunders said, they also help farmers to manage market cycles more effectively. Many farmers want to hold some of their produce for some time after the harvest, as prices rise when less food is available on the market.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

The lowdown on short-term manure storage Provincial specialist Chris Ullmann says producers need to review the rules before using shortterm manure storage Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development release

Short-term manure storage allows producers to manage their manure and field activities, but can raise issues, says a specialist in confined feeding operations with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “It’s also an activity that often generates questions,” said Chris Ullmann. “Short-term storage can be concerning to neighbours if the rules are not followed or if people don’t understand why you would store manure in a temporary location.” Producers use short-term storage for a variety of reasons, he said. “They can store their manure to avoid spreading when the potential for runoff losses is high, like when the ground is frozen, saturated or flooded,” said Ullmann. “They may also use short-term storage so that they can apply the manure at an appropriate time or at agronomic rates. As well, temporary sites can be used for composting in the field.” The practice is regulated by the Agricultural Operation Practices Act. “These rules are in place to protect surface, groundwater, soil (from nutrient accumulation) and to reduce impacts on neighbours,” said Ullmann. “Producers need to meet setbacks from neighbours, water bodies, water wells, groundwater and flooded areas, to protect water quality and reduce nuisance impact. “As well, the site must be short term and temporary. For example, if you store in early November and spread in late May (seven months), you must not use that spot again for another two years.” Ullmann recommends farmers read the Agricultural Operation Practices Act brochure on manure storage. “The 2008 AOPA reference guide is one of the best resources I have to help people understand the act and its regulations — it’s probably the No. 1 document that I hand out,” he said. To get a copy, go to www. agric.gov.ab.ca and enter ‘2008 AOPA reference guide’ in the search box. Or email publications.office@gov. ab.ca or call 310-FARM (3276) and ask to speak to a confined feeding operations extension specialist.

Workshop offered on CommunitySupported Agriculture Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development release

he local food movement has seen farms across the country offer CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) programs, in which customers pay up front and receive weekly shares of vegetables and other farm products during the growing season. Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s Explore Local initiative is hosting a one-day CSA workshop on Nov. 18 at the provincial building in Lacombe. “We’ll examine the basics of starting a CSA venture,” said Karen Goad, provincial farm direct-marketing specialist in Grande Prairie. “It’s a great opportunity for new farmers who want to start with a CSA enterprise as well as those looking to expand by add-

ing a CSA to an existing farmdirect operation. Participants can learn from the experience of others to gain the knowledge and skills needed to shorten their CSA learning curve and enhance their business success.” The workshop will look at what to expect when starting a CSA, costs, pricing, regulations, and the On Farm Food Safety program. Karen Sollid of Sunhill Gardens in Camrose and Nolan Fisher of Fisher Farms near Didsbury will speak about how they started their CSA and offer tips for success. The workshop runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the $35 fee includes snacks and lunch. The registration deadline is Nov. 12. To register, contact Delores at 780-427-4611. For more information, contact Karen Goad at 780-538-5629 or karen.goad@ gov.ab.ca.

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development is hosting a one-day CSA workshop on Nov. 18. Photo: Thinkstock

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NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Ranchers’ $5-million gift to boost animal welfare research Jack Anderson and daughter Wynne Chisholm want U of C to be ‘No. 1 in terms of animal care and welfare research in the world’ UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY RELEASE

“It represents a real turning point for cattle welfare research in Alberta and nationwide.”

ather and daughter cattle ranchers with a passion for animal care and welfare have donated $5 million to support research at the University of Calgary. Building on a commitment to best practices and the use of technology in their own operations, J.C. (Jack) Anderson and his daughter Wynne Chisholm from W.A. Ranches made the gift, which establishes the AndersonChisholm Chair in Animal Care and Welfare, to promote research and innovation in Alberta’s cattle industry and beyond. “We think the University of Calgary should be No. 1 in terms of animal care and welfare research in the world. We believe this gift is a way to make it happen,” said Chisholm. “They have some incredible staff on hand at the university, and there is some wonderful work being done. But they needed more support. This is an area that my dad and I are both passionate about and we are pretty fortunate to be able to help.” Animal behaviour and welfare professor, Ed Pajor will be the inaugural Anderson-Chisholm chair.

ED PAJOR

Jack Anderson and daughter Wynne Chisholm had successful business careers before returning to the cattle business in 2005. PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY “If we can use new knowledge to build on current management practices with new techniques and new approaches, then everyone benefits — the animal, the rancher and society,” said Pajor. Anderson has been working with cattle since shortly after high school. His passion started as a hobby, but soon grew into a thriving business. Wynne Chisholm grew up around cattle. But when

her father later moved on to pursue business interests in oil and gas, Chisholm, a University of Calgary graduate, launched her own consulting firm — Wynne Chisholm & Associates Inc. — focusing on organizational development. In 2005, Anderson, then in his 70s, urged Chisholm to join him in getting back into the cattle industry. The two formed W.A. Ranches, a cow and calf operation that has

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since grown to 900 cows on 18,000 acres of deeded or leased land. “In our operation, we work really hard to use best practices,” said Chisholm. “Because Dad and I both have very strong business backgrounds, we are used to looking at what is leading edge and what is the current research. We have brought a lot of new technology to the ranch and are always looking at what others are doing to see what we can do differently.” Pajor is an internationally recognized researcher and a leader in animal welfare outreach and engagement. He is also a wellknown face behind the chutes at the Calgary Stampede through his research investigating the behav-

iour of bucking horses and bulls. Pajor says the gift will dramatically expand research in cattle care and welfare at the university. “It represents a real turning point for cattle welfare research in Alberta and nationwide,” said Pajor. “This new funding will greatly increase our ability and capacity to conduct research in this important area.” The funds will support research projects such as an examination of the bond between a cow and her calf. Without the support of a defensive and protective mother, calves are more susceptible to predators and even diseases. The impact of difficult pregnancies on cattle, and the implications on how calves born in distress develop and survive, is another area of important research. Using scientific research to establish new best practices for the cattle industry is exactly why Chisholm and her father have created this new research chair. “As cattle ranchers, we think Albertans raise some of the best beef in the world,” said Chisholm. “I think some of this research will help demonstrate and showcase our deep interest in our animals, how they are cared for and how they make it through the food chain. This is part of the sustainability of ranching in Alberta.”

New equine biosecurity guide for horse events Free guide aimed at reducing the spread of infectious diseases such as strangles, equine herpes virus, and ringworm

he Alberta Equestrian Federation and the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association have partnered to create biosecurity guidelines that aim to limit the risk of horses contracting diseases at horse events. “We all want to keep our horses healthy,” says Mikki Shatosky, the equestrian federation’s project manager for its equine biosecurity outreach program. “Disease outbreaks not only risk the health and lives of individual horses, but also cost owners emotional and financial stress. Horse events have hightraffic areas, which mean steps need to be taken to reduce the chances of an infectious disease being carried onto the grounds or spread within the facility and beyond.” Horse Events: Biosecurity guidelines for organizers and competitors provides practi-

cal recommendations for both competitors and event organizers. By following some simple steps, the horse community can reduce the spread of infectious diseases such as strangles, equine herpes virus, and ringworm. “As veterinarians, we often treat horses that have diseases that are preventable,” said Dr. Krista Howden of the veterinary medical association’s equine committee. “By following the basic principles of biosecurity that are outlined in the guidelines, we can not only reduce the potential for spread of common equine infectious diseases during our day-to-day activities, but also do our part to prevent an outbreak occurring during an event in our province.” The guide can be found at http://albertaequestrian. com/Download/Industry/ Biosecurity-equine-events.pdf.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

U.S. set to continue COOL fight at WTO

CIRCLE OF GOLD

A third ruling backing Canada’s complaint will likely be appealed BY ALEX BINKLEY AF CONTRIBUTOR

Despite three straight rejections of its controversial country-of-origin labelling (COOL) law by the World Trade Organization, it doesn’t appear Washington is prepared to concede defeat on the issue. The U.S. is expected to appeal a Compliance Panel ruling that solidly endorsed two earlier WTO decisions that COOL violates international trade obligations by discriminating against imported meat and livestock. It also said the current version of the mandatory program is actually worse than the original one. American media have cited unnamed government officials as saying the U.S. is considering an appeal. “We are disappointed that the Compliance Panels have found COOL continues to discriminate against Canadian and Mexican livestock,” said a spokesman for the U.S. Trade Representative. The U.S. appeal would go to the full WTO membership, which likely wouldn’t rule until next year. If it supports the earlier decisions, Canada and Mexico would have a green light to begin imposing retaliatory tariffs. Canadian cattle and hog producers are looking to the federal government to live up to its promise to impose $1 billion a year in retaliatory tariffs on American imports. “Until COOL comes into compliance with the WTO, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association will continue to insist that the government prepare to impose prohibitively high tariffs on key U.S. exports to Canada, including beef,” said association president Dave Solverson. The decision “leaves no shadow of a doubt that COOL is causing discrimination against live imports of cattle and hogs into the U.S. marketplace,” he said. The WTO ruling came out “convincingly against the U.S.,” said Jurgen Preugschas, a former chairman of the Canadian Pork Council. More than 100 members of Congress have written to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging him to rescind the law. U.S. meat industry and farm groups, backed by Canadian counterparts, have been unsuccessful in getting American courts to rule against COOL laws. Canada’s first choice is for Congress to immediately repeal the red meat requirements of the COOL legislation or revise the legislation in a manner that eliminates the need for U.S. cattle buyers to segregate imported from U.S.-born livestock.

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NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Study examines lameness in feedlot cattle and treatment options Diagnosing the cause of lameness is not easy and so it’s difficult to know how to treat the animal or if culling is the best option By Stacey Domolewski NewStream Farm Animal Care

lthough feedlot pen riders do a good job of identifying lame cattle needing treatment, there has been very little work done to fully understand lameness in that sector. Knowing the types and prevalence of lameness could help to build better ways to treat and prevent it, says Agriculture and AgriFood Canada researcher Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein. “We need to pay more attention to lameness and the causes of it, particularly in the feedlot where management factors, type of cattle, and pen conditions can have a big influence,” she says. “In many cases it is obvious that the animal is in pain associated with lameness and it is important that these animals be dealt with quickly and appropriately. “The tricky part is knowing when an animal should be culled because, depending on the cause and the severity of the lameness, some animals may improve.” Schwartzkopf-Genswein and her team at the Lethbridge Research Centre along with researchers at the University of Calgary and Iowa State University are looking at the occurrence of lameness in healthy and chronic pens by season and its relationship to other health problems. In addition, they will characterize types of lameness and identify environmental and managerial factors associated with increased lameness.

File Photo “The main focus of this project is beef cattle welfare, but obviously it is strongly tied to economics,” she says. “If an animal is lame it doesn’t get up to feed or drink so it’s losing weight, not to mention the other expenses associated with this condition including increased labour and drug costs.”

Assessment challenges

Lameness is not always easy to diagnose — although it is obvious an animal is in pain, it’s not always clear why. The only way to get a confirmed diagnosis is to do a necropsy on a foot after slaughter. Visual assessment is one of the

few tools used for diagnosis and it can be difficult on a herd basis or to get a good idea of what is actually causing the problem. It can also be easy to misdiagnose what is causing lameness, Schwartzkopf-Genswein says. Often, feedlot records will show the diagnosis as foot rot when it could be one of many other conditions such as hairy heel wart or even an injury. To get a better understanding of the issue, Schwartzkopf-Genswein and her team are working with two feedlots in Alberta. They are recording all risk factors associated with lameness including diet, pen condi-

tions, weather, and distance transported. In each case, feedlot staff pull lame cattle from the pens. Once a week the animals are assessed based on several factors. First, a ‘gait score’ is completed where each animal is given a lameness score between one and five. As well, each animal has their hooves cleaned and visually assessed to determine overt signs (lesions, injuries, swelling hoof abnormalities) specific to different types of lameness. “We look for lesions and record the size and characteristics of each lesion for example, is there swelling, bleeding, pus or smell associated with it,” says SchwartzkopfGenswein. For each lame animal, blood, hair and saliva samples are taken to assess immunity, ‘substance P’ (a biomarker for pain), and cortisol levels to detect how stressed each animal is. As well, an infrared, heatsensitive image of the leg is taken to see where inflammation is occurring. All lame cattle that need to be culled are further assessed by conducting a post-mortem to determine what caused the lameness. The first year of this two-year study has shown some interesting results. Approximately 22 per cent of feedlot cattle were treated for some form of illness, with about six per cent treated for lameness. And while foot rot is the most common form of lameness, there are increasing incidences of hairy heel wart, a disease more commonly associated with the dairy industry. That could be because it has been misdiagnosed in the past, says Schwartzkopf-Genswein.

Next steps

One of the study’s goals is to create better diagnostic tools, says Schwartzkopf-Genswein. “With each type of disease we would like to build a disease profile. For example, we could show that foot rot has substance P levels at a certain level while cattle diagnosed with hairy heel wart may have a level that is much higher,” she says. “Understanding the individual disease profile will give feedlot managers a better understanding of the disease, if certain types are more painful, if pain increases as the problem persists and to what extent.” This will give feedlot managers a better idea of how an animal’s health will progress. If, as with foot rot, they will improve within a few days with treatment, or if in the case of more chronic types of lameness, will the animal actually recover and if so how long will it take? All of this will help to give producers better information on treatment and information to develop cull strategies if necessary. Stacey Domolewski prepared this article as part of her work with the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders program. She is part of her family’s Red Angus operation, C.D. Land and Cattle, near Taber.

Profitable U.S. feedlots buy more cattle in September September marketings are up one per cent from last year By Theopolis Waters

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chicago / The number of cattle placed in U.S. feedlots in September increased one per cent from a year ago. Analysts attributed the gain in part to continued profits by feedlots that allowed them to purchase more young calves, or feeder cattle, to fatten. The U.S. Department of Agriculture report showed September placements at 2.007 million head. It was up one per cent from 1.988 million a year earlier. Feedlots competed for calves while trying to capitalize on high-priced slaughter cattle and low-cost corn, both of which significantly reduced input costs at feed yards. “The cow-calf sector is making a lot of money right now, so they had considerable incentive to move young calves,” said Doane Advisory Services economist Dan Vaught. In September, Chicago Board of Trade corn futures averaged $3.39-5/8 per

File Photo bushel, compared with $3.583/8 the month before. “Corn is very cheap and a lot of it is available right now, which makes it a very good time to put cattle on feed,” said University of Missouri economist Ron Plain. Feedlots are drawing from a smaller pool of cattle after years of drought in parts of the United States hurt crops, which reduced the herd to its lowest level in 63 years. – Reuters

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Wisdom of drinking milk for the sake of your bones questioned However, eating cheese and yogurt was still found to have a positive effect BY STAFF

The British Medical Journal is reporting on a study that questions the conventional advice to drink milk for the sake of your bones. In fact, researchers who tracked the dairy intake of more than 100,000 men and women say their results link drinking milk to higher rates of fractures and mortality, particularly in women. While they say more research is necessary before changing dietary guidelines, they believe high levels of lactose and galactose sugars in milk increase oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, which contributes to more fractures and higher mortality. In contrast, they found a high intake of fermented milk products with a low lactose content (including yogurt and cheese) was associated with reduced rates of mortality and fracture, particularly in women. The Swedish research team followed two large groups of 61,433 women (aged 39-74 years in 1987-90) and 45,339 men (aged 45-79 years in 1997) who completed food frequency questionnaires for 96 common foods including milk, yogurt and cheese. Women were tracked for an average of 20 years, during which time 15,541 died and 17,252 had a fracture, of whom 4,259 had a hip fracture. “In women, no reduction in fracture risk with higher milk consumption was observed,” a report citing the research says. “Furthermore, women who drank more than three glasses of milk a day (average 680 ml) had a higher risk of death than women who drank less than one glass of milk a day (average 60 ml). “Men were tracked for an average of 11 years, during which time 10,112 died and 5,066 had a fracture, with 1,166 hip fracture cases. Men also had a higher risk of death with higher milk consumption, although this was less pronounced than in women.” “Our results may question the validity of recommendations to consume high amounts of milk to prevent fragility fractures,” they write.

When gas prices drop, people buy chocolate Twenty per cent of gas bar customers also stock up on treats BY LUC COHEN

NEW YORK / REUTERS

.S. chocolate demand may have received an extra boost from an unlikely source this Halloween: the U.S. shale revolution. With an abundance of crude oil due to the country’s fracking boom pushing average U.S. retail gasoline prices to their lowest in four years, consumers have spare change to buy sweets at gas station stores, said Hershey president and chief executive officer John Bilbrey. “You could say that we benefit because people aren’t spending as much at the pump and they’re going inside,” Bilbrey said during a conference call with investors. To be sure, consumers were still buying snacks on the road even when gas prices were much higher in recent years, and Hershey does not include fuel costs in its forecasting, Bilbrey said. But it’s an additional sweet

spot for the maker of Hershey Kisses and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups after better-than-expected demand ahead of Halloween, the biggest U.S. chocolate-selling holiday. Annual chocolate candy sales add up to as much as $18 billion in the United States. More than a quarter of those this year will be in forecourt retailers, including gas station shops like Shell, and convenience stores like 7-Eleven, according to market research firm Euromonitor. That’s second only to mixed retailers, which include department stores like Macy’s. Filling a tank up for less encourages consumers to spend more at convenience stores and boosts overall consumer sentiment, said Jeff Lenard, spokesman for the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). Chocolate may benefit more than other products because it’s considered a treat. “Particularly when we’re still dealing with a fragile economy,

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

chocolate’s considered one of those affordable luxuries,” Lenard said. NACS data show when customers buy gas, more than 20 per cent also stop in the store to purchase snacks, the second-most commonly bought product after drinks. The news is particularly welcome as analysts warn that retail price

hikes caused by soaring dairy and cocoa prices could hurt demand. Cocoa futures hit 2-1/2-year highs at the end of September on fears the Ebola virus might spread to top producers Ivory Coast and Ghana. Bilbrey warned consumers would continue to see higher prices on non-seasonal chocolates in the fourth quarter and 2015.

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NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

TRADITIONAL MIGRATION ROUTE

Sheep are herded during the annual sheep parade through Madrid Nov. 2. Shepherds parade the sheep through the city every year in order to exercise their right to use traditional routes to migrate their livestock from northern Spain to winter grazing pasture land in southern Spain. PHOTO: REUTERS/ SUSANA VERA

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Ireland eyes access to China’s beef China will start inspections of meat export facilities in Ireland in December, paving the way for it to be the first European country to gain coveted access to China’s fast-growing beef market. Demand for red meat in China, the world’s secondlargest economy, has risen strongly in recent years due to rising incomes and a richer diet. But even as its beef imports have surged to record levels, only seven countries — Canada, Australia, Uruguay, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil and Costa Rica — have access to the Chinese market. “If that goes well, there’s a very good chance that Irish beef will be allowed on to the market within the first half of next year,” said Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney. China has banned beef imports from European countries following an outbreak of deadly mad cow disease in the late 1980s. The U.S. and Britain are amongst countries seeking approval to re-enter the Chinese beef market. — Reuters

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Producers wanted for second pilot of the Alberta FarmSafe Plan Free, two-day workshops will be held in Edmonton, Red Deer, and Lethbridge, Grande Prairie, and Olds Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development release

lberta Agriculture and Rural Development is looking for interested farm owners and managers to participate in a second pilot of the Alberta FarmSafe Plan, a safety management resource for farmers. The first pilot program to test the plan took place in 2013-14 with nine participants The program has been revised based on the feedback received. Alberta Agriculture is currently seeking 50 to 75 participants for a second, larger pilot to run during the 2014-15 extension season. “We hope to get farmers involved representing a wide

variety of farming types and and two-day workshop takes sizes,” said Laurel Aitken, farm farmers through eight imporsafety co-ordinator with Alberta tant elements to achieve the Agriculture. goal of an individualized safety “It’s the best way to get the plan.” feedback we need to ensure The plan has been developed the FarmSafe Plan resources to comply with the Alberta Govare useful across the industry. ernment Certificate of Recogni“The plan offers a step-by- tion (COR). step process to develop a health “A completed FarmSafe plan and safety plan. will provide all the necessary “Farmers will learn how to building blocks to obtain a identify the hazards specific voluntary COR,” said Aitken. to their farm and how to take “Becoming COR certified signisteps to eliminate or control fies that a business has an effecthem,” said Aitken. “They will tive health and safety managecome out of the program under- ment system in place with the standing the importance of hav- added benefit of discounts on ing a safety plan and follow- Workers Compensation Board ing through with training and premiums.” communication to all workers, The workshop and all resource visitors and contractors. The material is free, and once a SEC_BRANDON14_T_AFE.qxd 10/28/14 5:48 PMhas Page 1 Alberta FarmSafe Plan manual participant completed the

workshop, the work continues on farm in co-operation with p a rtners and employees to ensure implementation of the plan. “The farm owner needs to go back to the farm and work with the employees who are doing these tasks every day in order to get a really good picture of the hazards and how to control them,” said Aiken. Farmers interested in funding for on-farm business management coaching or skills training related to health and safety training can go to Growing Forward (www.growingforward. alberta.ca) to learn about the Business Opportunity Program and the Business Skills Management Program. The province will review

the program after the second pilot. “The feedback from those involved in the pilots is vital in developing a resource that will be effective for farmers who want to ensure the safety and health of their families and workers.” Five sessions are planned for this winter, including Edmonton (Jan. 7 and 21), Red Deer (Jan. 29 and Feb. 5), and Lethbridge (Jan. 9 and 15). Dates for Grande Prairie and Olds are to be decided. To register for the workshops, call Lindsay at 780427-4187 or email lindsay.rodriguez@gov.ab.ca. For more information on the Alberta FarmSafe Plan, contact Laurel Aitken at 780-980-4230 or laurel.aitken@gov.ab.ca.

IGC raises 2014-15 world wheat, corn crop outlooks

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london / The International Grains Council raised its forecast for the 2014-15 global wheat crop by one million tonnes Oct. 30 to a record 718 million tonnes, and said global demand was forecast to increase quite strongly. In a monthly update, the IGC said planting of 2015-16 winter crops was well advanced, with total area projected to rise by one per cent year on year. “Global demand is forecast to increase quite strongly, due to above-average growth in food, feed and industrial consumption,” the IGC said. “Overall use is placed at a record 710 million tonnes, up one million compared to the September report and two per cent higher year on year.” Led by gains in the eight major exporters, end-season inventories are seen at their highest in four years, the IGC said. EU closing stocks are forecast to nearly double. The IGC also projected world corn production at 980 million tonnes, up six million from last month’s forecast, but still below the prior season’s record 983-million-tonne harvest. “Despite further upgrades to U.S. and EU crop forecasts, world production is still placed slightly short of last year’s record, due to expected declines in China and South America,” the IGC said. “Global supplies appear comfortable, particularly in the key exporters, with ending stocks forecast at their highest since 1987-88.” Consumption is projected to increase to a new record, the IGC said. “With world meat production continuing to rise, competitively priced maize should be well placed to capture additional demand,” it said. During October, prices consolidated from recent sharp losses, but remained close to four-year lows. — Reuters

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NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Community news and events from across the province

A French adventure for young Albertan By Alexis Kienlen af staff

driane Good now has a lifelong distinction — the first Canadian to participate in the World Young Shepherd’s Challenge. The 20-year-old travelled to France this fall to compete against other young shepherds from around the world — although it was friendly competition. “Honestly, the best part of it was meeting all these people from around the world, and just learning about how everyone does things differently, meeting all these people and making new friends,” said Good, who grew up on a farm near Brooks. “If I ever go to New Zealand, I have people that I can visit there.”

Adriane Good, 20, of Brooks, was the first Canadian to participate in the World Young Shepherd’s Challenge. Photo: B. Bouffartigue and J. Chabanne

She had her own flock of 30 sheep, which she obtained through her involvement with 4-H, and learned about the competition from 4-H Canada’s Facebook page. “I emailed, and got some more information and pretty much they just told me I could go, as long as I could afford the flights,” she said. “So I said I would find a way.” Good purchased her own plane tickets, and received $1,000 in support from Alberta Lamb Producers and the Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency. There was one other hitch — shearing is one of the events and Good had never done that before. Fortunately, a kind farmer from a neighbouring town let her come out and practise on his sheep. “I did not do well in the competition,

but I honestly wasn’t expecting to,” said Good, a fourth-year animal science student at the University of Saskatchewan. “I haven’t worked with sheep in four years, so I knew I wasn’t going to do well.” Thirty-one contestants aged 19 to 25 competed in the two-day competition. Contestants, who hailed from 16 countries, were judged on their general shepherding skills — hoof trimming, handling, shearing, body condition scoring and guessing the weight of lambs. They were also quizzed on breed identification and knowledge of the sheep industry, and had to demonstrate their quad manoeuvring skills in an obstacle course. The competition was held in two locations; Brioude Bonnefont Agricultural College (Haute Loire) and Sommet d’Elevage, France’s biggest agriculture show, in Auvergne. “They made a huge deal out of it. They had a big event and it was pretty crazy,” said Good. Participants came from across Europe, the U.S., New Zealand and Australia, and South America. “It was pretty international. There were only about five girls in the entire competition,” said Good. A New Zealander won the 19-21 division and a Brit took home the prize for the 21-25 division. “It was a very close race for the top spots,” noted Good. The group also toured Paris and the south of France, where participants visited agricultural colleges and sheeprelated businesses. Good’s studies are focused on feedlot animals because she sees better job prospects in the cattle sector. However, she loves working with sheep and hopes to do more with sheep in the future. And she recommends those who share her passion should consider following in her footsteps. “It’s so much fun. The competition is such a minor part of it. It’s important, but the competition isn’t why I went. I went to meet other sheep people from around the world and see how other people are doing things, and what other countries’ sheep industries are like.” The World Young Shepherd’s Challenge is held every two to three years, with the next competition slated to be held in South America. The inaugural event took place in 2011 in New Zealand. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

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The Banack clan poses with the new hired hand. From left, Allen Kennedy, Terry and Humphrey Banack, Rick Mercer, Nick Banack, Emily and Ken Jackson, with nephews Tim and Daniel Banack at the rear. Photos: Rick Mercer Report

Don’t let this comedian drive your combine By Alexis Kienlen af staff

ost farmers just go about their harvest days combining by themselves, alone in the cab. But that goes out the window when CBC TV star Rick Mercer shows up. “They had about three or four cameras all over the combine, and a drone with a camera on it taking pictures,” said Round Hill producer Humphrey Banack. “We got some really fantastic shots of harvest, with the three combines coming down the field one right behind each other. They got some really nice shots of harvest that we’ll keep and use. It turned out well.” They also got some shots of what happens when you let a comedian turn off auto steer and run the combine through a wheat field. “When your father sees the track I’ve made will he be able to tell I was driving?” Mercer asks Nick Banack after he allowed the TV star to take the wheel. “Absolutely,” deadpans Nick as a drone shot (pictured below) reveals the wildly zigzagging path through the field. Mercer also slides down a 25,000-bushel wheat pile and makes “grain angels” with Banack’s nephews, who stayed home from school to take in the action. The Rick Mercer Report crew came out on the first day of fall and while the Banack family gave up about 10 hours of combining time to participate in the filming, it was well worth it, said Humphrey Banack. “When he left here, I think we had impressed him with some knowledge of agriculture that he didn’t have before,” said the vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. “For me and my family, we consider that to be a success. Being on TV was a secondary thing.”

Rick Mercer makes ‘grain angels’ with Tim (l) and Daniel Banack. The CFA suggested the Banacks when contacted by the show, and Mercer was interested in the details of what it takes to run a family farm. “It was as much a learning experience for him as anything,” said Banack. “We also had some handouts for him on what you can use wheat for, and what you can use barley for. We tried to provide as much information for him as we could.” His family also learned a bit about making a TV show, he added, citing the work that went into setting up the shot of the harvest supper out in the field prepared by Banack’s motherin-law Donna Kennedy. “It was interesting, because the TV crew needed everyone in the right place. They needed the sun right, the picture right, and the combine behind it right. We had to move the table four times,” he said. “We spent more time setting up than eating.” The eight-minute segment, which aired in late October, can be found at www.cbc.ca/ mercerreport (look for Season 12 — Episode 4). akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

what’s

CWB says it’s not for sale But it is looking for a new partner to replace the federal government

Send agriculture-related meeting and event announcements to: glenn.cheater@fbcpublishing.com Nov. 10-14: Greener Pastures Ranching Ltd. presents: YearRound Grazing Systems, Westlock. Contact: Steve Kenyon 780-307-6500 Nov. 12: Safe Agricultural Practices Workshop, Edmonton. Contact: Sherri 204-294-4376 Nov. 15: Horses 101, New Serepta Agri-Plex, New Serepta. Contact: Robyn Moore 403-420-5949 Nov. 18: Getting Into CSA, Lacombe Provincial Building, Lacombe. Contact: Karen Goad 780-538-5629 Nov. 18-20: Alberta Milk AGM, Sheraton Cavalier Hotel, Calgary. Nov. 18 & 25: Optimizing Wheat Productivity Seminar, MNP Office, Lethbridge. Contact: Brenda Martin 403-380-1657

BY ALLAN DAWSON STAFF

WB isn’t a grain company on the auction block, it’s a company looking for a new partner, who along with farmershareholders, will help it grow to serve western Canadian farmers better. “I think there is a misunderstanding about what CWB is trying to do,” said Dayna Spiring, CWB’s chief strategy officer. “We’re not selling the CWB and that’s never been our goal. “We’ve said all along we want farmers to play a role in the CWB. That’s what our farmer equity is there to do. We want farmers to be a significant shareholder in the CWB. We need to bring an investor in to partner with farmers to replace the federal government. We’re not selling off the CWB and this is not a sale as anyone would typically see a sale.”

Nor has CWB accelerated the privatization process, she said. The company has long said it wants to complete the privatization process required under federal legislation sooner than later. That legislation says it must present a plan to the agriculture minister by 2016 and privatize or wind up operation by 2017. Last month, Farmers of North America (FNA) announced CWB rejected its bid to acquire CWB’s assets. FNA wants to create a majority farmer-owned grainhandling and -marketing company that also distributes fertilizer, including nitrogen FNA hopes will be produced by its proposed majority farmer-owned nitrogen-manufacturing company, known as ProjectN. Spiring declined to comment on FNA’s bid. However, she said CWB, which is being assisted in the privatization process by Deloitte, wants to get the best deal it can for farmers.

“We’re going to make sure we come up with the right plan and do all the due diligence that we can to assure CWB is a strong and viable organization going forward,” she said. Bob Friesen, FNA’s vice-president of government relations, said he didn’t know why the bid had been rejected. “If we had more time... we could get more farmers and get enough capital to put in a stronger bid,” Friesen said. “I’m not saying our bid wasn’t strong, I’m saying we’ve already been rejected.” FNA is appealing to Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz to order CWB to give FNA more time to get farmers to back its plan. “This is not a political process,” Ritz stated in an email about why the bid was being rejected. “The CWB will assess all serious bidders and then submit a plan for commercialization to the government, in accordance with the legislation passed (in) December 2011.”

“We’re not selling the CWB and that’s never been our goal.” DAYNA SPIRING

Spiring agreed CWB wants to create something more than a regular grain company. “We value farmers as our partners,” she said. “I don’t know of another example in the grain industry as a company gifting its equity to farmers in return for deliveries. I think that speaks fairly loudly as to where we see farmers playing a role in this organization.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

Nov. 21: Horses 201, Okotoks Agricultural Society, Okotoks. Contact: Robyn Moore 403-420-5949 Nov. 21-22: Beeginners Beekeeping Course, 17507 Fort Road NW, Edmonton. Contact: Ag-Info Centre Registration Line 1-800-387-6030 Nov. 25: Cow-Calfenomics, Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede Company, Medicine Hat (also Nov. 26 in Lethbridge and Nov. 27 in Olds). Contact: Ag-Info Centre 1-800-387-6030

Events online Lakeland College is offering the following online course. For more info, visit www. lakelandcollege.ca/agonline. Nov. 17 to Jan. 10: Winter Feeding and Grazing Management: Explore options for selecting winter feeding sites and rationing nutrients for animals on feed or pasture. Nov. 17 to March 15: Integrated Crop Management: Understand how ICM systems function and how traditional crop science disciplines may be integrated into a highly efficient overall crop management system. Nov. 17 to March 15: Nutrient Management: Learn about soil nutrients and plant interactions with their effect on the economic potential of a field. Nov. 17 to March 15: Extension Program Planning: This course provides a comprehensive online review of the critical aspects of program planning particular for extension work.

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More and more firms just calculate numbers. We help calculate your next move. MNP Understands Agriculture. In fact, it is both a specialty and a passion. Our business advisors, financial experts, and professional agrologists are intimately familiar with all aspects of the ag industry. Which means not only can we help you make sense of the now, but we can also help show you what’s next. Contact Bruce Tait at 1.800.661.8097 or bruce.tait@mnp.ca We specialize, you capitalize. Visit MNP.ca to learn more.

NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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AGREEMENT The publisher reserves the right to refuse any or all advertising for any reason stated or unstated. Advertisers requesting publication of either display or classified advertisements agree that should the advertisement be omitted from the issue ordered for whatever reason, the Alberta Farmer Express shall not be held liable. It is also agreed that in the event of an error appearing in the published advertisement, the Alberta Farmer Express accepts no liability beyond the amount paid for that portion of the advertisement in which the error appears or affects. Claims for adjustment are limited to errors appearing in the first insertion only. While every endeavor will be made to forward box number replies as soon as possible, we accept no liability in respect to loss or damage alleged to a rise through either failure or delay in forwarding such replies, however caused, whether by negligence or otherwise.

(2 weeks prior)

ORGANIC Organic_Certified_ Organic_Food_ Organic_Grains_ Outfitters_ Personal_ Pest_Control Pets_&_Supplies_ Photography_ Propane_ Pumps_ Radio,_TV_&_Satellite_ REAl ESTATE Commercial_Buildings_ Condos_ Cottages_&_Lots_ Houses_&_Lots_ Land_For_Rent_ Land_For_Sale_ Mobile_Homes_ Motels_&_Hotels_ Resorts Vacation_Property_ Farms & Ranches British_Columbia_ Alberta_ Saskatchewan_ Manitoba_ Acreages/Hobby_Farms_ Farms/Ranches_Wanted_ Pastureland_ RECREATIONAl VEhIClES All_Terrain_Vehicles_ Boats_&_Water_ Campers_&_Trailers_ Golf_Carts_ Motor_Homes_ Motorcycles_ Snowmobiles Recycling Refrigeration Restaurant_Supplies Sausage_Equipment_ Sawmills_ Scales_

COMMON SEED Cereal_Seeds_ Forage_Seeds_ Grass_Seeds_ Oilseeds_ Pulse_Crops_ Common_Seed_Various_ SEED/FEED/GRAIN Feed_Grain_ Hay_&_Straw_ Feed_Wanted_ Grain_Wanted_ Hay_&_Feed_Wanted_ Seed_Wanted_ Sewing_Machines_ Sharpening_Services_ Silos_ Sporting_Goods_ Stamps_&_Coins_ Swap_ Tanks_ Tarpaulins_ Tenders_ Tickets_ Tires_ Tools_ TRAIlERS Grain_Trailers_ Livestock_Trailers_ Trailers_Miscellaneous_ Travel_ Water_Pumps_ Water_Treatment_ Welding_ Well_Drilling_ Well_&_Cistern__ Winches_ CAREERS Career_Training_ Child_Care_ Construction_ Domestic_Services_ Farm/Ranch_ Forestry/Log_ Health_Care_ Help_Wanted_ Management Mining_ Oil_Field_ Professional_ Resume_Services_ Sales/Marketing_ Trades/Tech_ Truck_Drivers_ Employment_Wanted_

MAiL TO: Alberta Farmer Express, Box 9800, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3K7 FAx TO: 403-341-0615 PhOnE in: Toll-Free in Canada 1-800-665-1362 OR (403) 341-0442 in Alberta

NAME_ ___________________________________________________________ ______PHONE_#_______________________________ ADDRESS_____________________________________________ ______TOWN_____________________________________________ PROVINCE____________________________ _____POSTAL_CODE__________________________

All classified ads are non-commissionable.

advertising deadline Wednesday noon

Livestock_Equipment_ Livestock_Services_&_Vet_Supplies_ Miscellaneous_Articles_ Miscellaneous_Articles_Wanted_ Musical_ Notices_ On-Line_Services_

CERTIFIED SEED Cereal_Seeds Forage_Seeds Oilseeds Pulse_Crops Specialty_Crops

AD ORDER FORM

adveRtising Rates & infoRmation

RegulaR Classified

lIVESTOCK Swine Swine_Auction_ Swine_For_Sale_ Swine_Wanted_ lIVESTOCK Specialty Alpacas_ Bison_(Buffalo)_ Deer_ Elk_ Goats_ Llama_ Rabbits_ Emu/Ostrich/Rhea_ Yaks_ Various_

Even if you do not want your name & address to appear in your ad, we need the information for our files.

PLEASE_PRINT_YOUR_AD_BELOW_ ______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CAUTION The Alberta Farmer Express, while assuming no responsibility for advertisements appearing in its columns, exercises the greatest care in an endeavor to restrict advertising to wholly reliable firms or individuals. However, please do not send money to a Manitoba Co-operator box number. Buyers are advised to request shipment C.O.D. when ordering from an unknown advertiser, thus minimizing the chance of fraud and eliminating the necessity of a refund where the goods have already been sold. At Farm Business Communications we have a firm commitment to protecting your privacy and security as our customer. Farm Business Communications will only collect personal information if it is required for the proper functioning of our business. As part of our commitment to enhance customer service, we may share this personal information with other strategic business partners. For more information regarding our Customer Information Privacy Policy, write to: Information Protection Officer, Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1. Occasionally we make our list of subscribers available to other reputable firms whose products and services might be of interest to you. If you would prefer not to receive such offers, please contact us at the address in the preceding paragraph, or call (204)-954-1456. The editors and journalists who write, contribute and provide opinions to Alberta Farmer Express and Farm Business Communications attempt to provide accurate and useful opinions, information and analysis. However, the editors, journalists and Alberta Farmer Express and Farm Business Communications, cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the editors as well as Alberta Farmer Express and Farm Business Communication assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader for this publication based on any and all information provided.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CLASSIFICATION__________________________ ❏ I would like to take advantage of the Prepayment Bonus of 2 FREE weeks when I prepay for 3 weeks. _

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Five minutes can get you 5% back from CPS

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

Available at:

Wild Rose Co-op Association Ltd.

Contact your local CPS representative about our PrePay program and start earning.

Sedgewick, AB

(780) 384-3877

www.dseriescanola.ca

RON SAUER

*Conditions apply. 10/14-40516-1A

40516_A CPS_PrePay Print_4x4_rev1.indd 1

MACHINERY LTD. (403) 540-7691 ronsauer@shaw.ca

846 Ford Versatile Designation 6, 4WD Tractor 1990, newer 18.4 x 38 dualled tires,12 speed manual, 4 hyds., 6036 hrs., looks & runs good .............................. $28,500 10/8/14 9:14 AM 555 JD Crawler Loader, 250 hrs. on rebuilt engine, good condition ................................................... $17,500 8070 AC Tractor, FWA, wheel base extended, duals .. $22,500 STEEL STORAGE CONTAINERS, 275 MF Tractor, diesel, multi power, 3 pth, new 18.4 x 30, front weights, loader available, looks and runs great ... $12,500 20-ft & 40-ft. Wind, water & rodent proof. B275 IHC Tractor & Loader ................................ $3,500 1-866-517-8335, (403)540-4164, (403)226-1722 51’ Degelman Landroller, only done 3,000 acres, magnate@telus.net as new.... .......................................................... $40,000 Degelman Dozer Frame MF 4000 Series 4WD .. $1,000 41’ Flexicoil B Chisel Plow, 3 bar harrows, excellent condition .............................................. $12,500 Flexicoil 6 Run Seed Treater .............................. $1,000 134’ Flexicoil S68XL Sprayer, 2007, suspended boom, auto rate, joystick, rinse tank, triple quick jets, auto boom FARM MACHINERY height, electric end nozzle & foam marker............. $32,500 100’ 65XL Flexicoil Sprayer, complete withwindguards,elec. Grain Vacuums end nozzles single tips, auto rate,excellent condition ... $12,500 10 Wheel MATR (Italy) Trailer Type V-Hayrake, 2011 BUHLER 6640 GRAIN vacuum. NEW, never hyd. fold, as new.................................................. $5,000 NEW 12-39 Sakundiak Grain Auger, 44 HP Generac used. $19,900. Trades welcome. Call toll free: engine, E-Kay HD mover, power steering, belt tightener, slim fit, (877)862-2387 or (877)862-2413. lights, scissor lift, remote throttle, new tires ............ $23,500 8 x 1000 Sakundiak Auger, new 30 HP Koehler FARM MACHINERY engine, Hawes mover, gear box clutch, spout ....... CNT $9,000 8 x 1200 Sakundiak Auger, 25 HP Koehler engine, Machinery Miscellaneous Hawes mover, clutch, runs good ............................... $8,500 7 x 1200 Sakundiak Auger, 18 HP Koehler engine, c/w sweep hyd. drive....................................$2,500 1999 CAT 460 1,400 sep. hrs, rake up, $50,000; 8 x 1400 Sakundiak Auger, 25 HP Robin engine, Hawes MacDon 962, 36-ft pick-up reel, $15,500; MacDon mover, clutch, spout, excellent condition, ...........CNT $10,000 871 CAT 460 adapter, $2,000. Call:(403)665-2341, 8 x 41’ Wheat Heart Auger, 25HP Robin engine, mover, Craigmyle, AB. spout & light, only 3 yrs old, like new ..................... $7,000 8” E-Kay Bin Sweep, hoses to tractor ................... $1,000 1390 Brandt XL Swing Auger, elec. power swing, ACREAGE EQUIPMENT: CULTIVATORS, DISCS, spout, adj. axle, as new ...................................... $22,500 Plows, Blades, Post pounders, Haying Equipment, 225 Kello-Bilt Tandem Disc, 28” smooth front & rear blades, Etc. (780)892-3092, Wabamun, Ab. 10.5” spacing, oil, bath bearings, line new ............ $62,500 50’ Brandt Heavy Harrow, 27.5 x 5/8 tines, low acres ........................................................... $32,500 CASE 621 LOADER, 3-YD; 1996 Ford 7.3 Diesel, 47’ 820 Flexicoil Chisel Plow, 4 bar harrows, 5-spd, XL350 w/Haul-all compactor; 1980 Ford line new ............................................................ $67,500 8000 series gas tandem, 15-ft gravel box & hoist. 2009 GMC Topkick 20 ft. Grain Truck, automatic, silage gauge, air brake suspension,approx. 7,000 kms ..$105,000 (780)573-0292. 40’ 5710 Bourgault SS Air Drill, 9.8” spacing, 3” steel packers w/ 3225 tb tank, c/w 3rd tank, new augers, SOLD COWS. 2006 Haybuster bale processor, drive sprockets, main clutch, good condition ........... $25,000 model 2650, good shape, stored inside, $13,000. New E-Kay 7” Bin Sweep .............**In Stock** $1,785 New E-Kay 7”, 8”, 9” Bin Sweeps available.........Call Also calf sheds & round bale feeders. Also have a 8” Wheat Heart Transfer Auger, hydraulic drive .. $1,500 Westward 30-ft pull swather, $4000, has cut less 18.4 x 30, tractor tire & tube .....................................$350 than 8000-acs. (403)485-6530. New Outback RTK BASE stn ...................................... Call New Outback MAX & STX guidance & mapping ...In Stock New Outback E-Drive, TC’s .................................In Stock FARM MACHINERY New Outback E-Drive X, c/w free E turns ............In Stock Machinery Wanted New Outback S-Lite guidance ............ **In Stock** $900 New Outback VSI Swather Steering Kit...........In Stock New Outback E-Drive Hyd. kit, JD 40 series ........ $1,000 WANTED: NH BALE WAGONS & retrievers, any Used Outback E-Drive Hyd. kits..............................$500 condition. Farm Equipment Finding Service, P.O.

BUILDINGS

FARM MACHINERY

Available at:

Beaver Creek Co-op Association Ltd. Lamont, AB

(780) 895-2241

www.dseriescanola.ca AUTO & TRANSPORT AUTO & TRANSPORT Auto & Truck Parts 2004 DODGE DUALLY TRUCK box, white, good condition, asking $1,500. Phone (403)325-4695.

AUTO & TRANSPORT Trucks 1980 GMC 7000, STEEL box, hoist, roll-tarp; 1976 Ford F600, steel box, hoist. Phone (403)321-0455. 2005 GMC 3500 DURAMAX dually 4x4 crew cab long box, w/exhaust brake, 5th wheel rails, camper tie downs & full leather, in excellent condition, $23,000 +GST. (403)932-2343 (403)519-7815.

BUSINESS SERVICES BUSINESS SERVICES Crop Consulting

FARM CHEMICAL SEED COMPLAINTS We also specialize in: Crop Insurance appeals; Chemical drift; Residual herbicide; Custom operator issues; Equipment malfunction; Yield comparisons, Plus Private Investigations of any nature. With our assistance the majority of our clients have received compensation previously denied. Back-Track Investigations investigates, documents your loss and assists in settling your claim. Licensed Agrologist on Staff. For more information Please call 1-866-882-4779

BUILDINGS

Box 1363, Polson, MT 59860. (406)883-2118

HAYING & HARVESTING HAYING & HARVESTING Baling Equipment HESSTON 4655 INLINE SMALL square baler, quarter turn chute; New Holland 1033 square bale pickup wagon; 1948 Farmall M tractor, live hydraulics; single bottom 30-in breaking plow; Maxant single frame flail honey uncapper. Call (780)841-2984 WANTED: JD 7810 c/w FEL & 3-PTH; sp or PTO bale wagon; JD or IHC end wheel drills. Small square baler. (403)394-4401

HAYING & HARVESTING Various 2011 MACDON R85 DISC mower conditioner header. No use since $10,470.00 Warranty upgrade work order. Excellent condition. $24,900.00 Trades welcome. Toll free 1-877-862-2387, 1-877-862-2413

BUILDINGS

**NuVision (Spray Air) & Meridian-Sakundiak Augers, Outback GPS Systems, EK Auger Movers, Belt Tighteners, Bin Sweeps & Crop Dividers, Kohler, Robin Subaru & Generac Engines, Headsight Harvesting Solutions, Greentronics Sprayer Auto Boom Height, Kello-Bilt Discs**

Combines COMBINES Accessories RECONDITIONED COMBINE HEADERS. RIGID & flex, most makes & sizes; also header transports. Ed Lorenz, (306)344-4811 or Website: www.straightcutheaders.com Paradise Hill, SK.

Spraying EquipmEnt

SPRAYING EQUIPMENT Sprayers

JD 9400, 9420, 9520, 8970 JD 9860, 9760, 9750, 9650, 9600 JD 9430, 9530, 9630 Case STX 375, 425, 430, 450, 480, 500, 530 CIH 8010-2388, 2188 combine CIH 435Q, 535Q, 450Q, 550Q, 600Q pto avail. JD 4710, 4720, 4730, 4830, 4920, 4930 SP sprayers JD 9770 & 9870 w/CM & duals CIH 3185, 3230, 3330, 4430, 4420 sprayers

4955 JD low hrs, 3 pth, very clean S680 JD Combine low hrs 2011 4730 JD Sprayer, 100 ft. 4050 JD, fwa loader with complete front end NH T8050 with fwa 4920 Macdon, 21 ft. D.S.A.

“LIKE MANY BEFORE, WE’LL HAVE YOU SAYING THERE’S NO DEAL LIKE A KEN DEAL” • Phone: (403)526-9644 • Cell: (403)504-4929 • Email: kendeal@shaw.ca

TracTors TRACTORS Case/IH 1997 CIH 9330 4WD. 240-HP, 4700-hrs, 4-hyd, power shift, radar, EZ steer, 500-hrs on drop in engine, excellent condition, no pto. $68,900.00 Phone toll free 1-877-862-2387. 1-877-862-2413. 2012 CIH STEIGER 500HD. 696-hours, like new, full factory warranty until May 15th, 2015. Loaded w/options-no PTO. Almost anything on trade. $269,000.00 Phone toll free 1-877-862-2387 or 1-877-862-2413.

$28,418 When you go with steel you get the right deals!

Pioneer One Steel Buildings

Call toll free 1 (877) 525-2004 or see us online at www.pioneeronesteel.com

HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING

The Icynene Insulation System® • Sprayed foam insulation • Ideal for shops, barns or homes • Healthier, Quieter, More Energy Efficient®

CASE 2090 (1984) W/CAB, A/C, dual PTO, front weight & duals. Full engine rebuilt 7,000-hrs, in VGC, $14,000 +GST. (403)932-2343 or (403)519-7815 Alberta Farmer Express classifieds, 1-800-665-1362.

TRACTORS Various

JD 2130 c/w ldr., 3 pth hitch JD 3155 FWA, c/w ldr, 3 pth hitch JD 4255 2 WD, ldr. available JD 4440, loader available JD 6420 FWA, c/w ldr. 3 pth hitch JD 7200 FWA, c/w ldr. 3 pth hitch JD 7600 FWA, c/w ldr. 3 pth hitch CASE IH 4700 Vibra Shank, 34ft. Clamp on Duals, 20.8x38-18.4x38 148, 265, 740, JD ldr. FINANCE, TRADES WELCOME 780-696-3527, BRETON, AB

www.penta.ca

1-800-587-4711

LIVESTOCK LIVESTOCK Cattle – Shorthorn 4’S COMPANY 34th ANNUAL Purebred Shorthorn sale, Sun., Dec 7th. Camrose Regional Exhibition AB, 1:00pm. Canada’s longest running private sale. Bred Heifers, Heifer calves, Herd Sire prospects & commercial bred Heifers. View catalogue online, www.canadianshorthorn.com, catalogue’s call (780)763-2209. Please pre-register for online bidding at dlms.ca

LIVESTOCK Specialty – Alpacas HERD DISPERSAL DUE TO personal health issues dual registered, champion bloodlines, 26 females, 17 males, open to offers as must sell. For more info alpacas@eidnet.org

SEED / FEED / GRAIN SEED/FEED/GRAIN Feed Grain BUYING ALL TYPES OF feed grain. Also have market for light offgrade or heated, picked up on the farm. Eisses Grain Marketing 1-888-882-7803, Lacombe.

Available at:

Medicine Hat Co-op Ltd. Medicine Hat, AB

(403) 528-6609

FEED GRAIN WANTED! ALSO buying; Light, tough, or offgrade grains. “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252

SEED/FEED/GRAIN Grain Wanted BUYING HEATED/DAMAGED PEAS, FLAX & GRAIN “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252 BUYING SPRING THRASHED CANOLA & GRAIN “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252

www.dseriescanola.ca

Farming is enough of a gamble, advertise in the Alberta Farmer Express classified section. It’s a sure thing. 1-800-665-1362.

Looking for a hand around the farm? Place a help wanted ad in the classifieds. Call 1-800-665-1362.

TRACTORS Various

SEED/FEED/GRAIN Grain Wanted

Tillage & Seeding

Big Tractor Parts, Inc.

TILLAGE & SEEDING Air Seeders JD 730/1900 air drill, 36-ft, 270BU tbt, double disc openers on 6-in spacing $32,000. Can deliver. Call Brian:204-856-6119, 204-685-2896 MacGregor MB.

Geared For The Future

STEIGER TRACTOR SPECIALIST

40’ X 60’ X 16’ RIGID FRAME STEEL BUILDING

GOOD SELECTION OF JD & CASE SP SPRAYERS AND 4WD TRACTORS

Available at:

Webb’s Crop Services Ltd. Vermilion, AB

(780) 853-6565

www.dseriescanola.ca

RED OR GREEN 1. 10-25% savings on new replacement parts for your Steiger drive train. 2. We rebuild axles, transmissions and dropboxes with ONE YEAR WARRANTY. 3. 50% savings on used parts.

1-800-982-1769

BOW VALLEY TRADING LTD.

WE BUY DAMAGED GRAIN Wheat, Barley, Oats, Peas, etc. Green or Heated Canola/Flax

1-877-641-2798

If you want to sell it fast, call 1-800-665-1362.

BUYING:

HEATED & GREEN CANOLA • Competitive Prices • Prompt Movement • Spring Thrashed “ON FARM PICK UP”

1-877-250-5252

www.bigtractorparts.com

AG DEALS TO GO!

NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Manitoba

SEED/ FEED/GRAIN Grain Wanted

CANADIAN FARM REALTY

Available at:

48-FT. 1995 WILSON ALUMINUM Combo tandem hi-boy, new tires, new airbags. Hasn’t been used for 10 yrs, excellent condition, asking $11,500. Phone (403)325-4695.

Buying Tough, Heated, Green, Canola, Freight Options, Prompt Payment Bonded and Insured

GRAIN FARM FM 5609

17 adjoining quarters, beautiful newer home, machinery & grain storage, heated workshop Henry Carels 204.573.5396 henry@canadianfarmrealty.com

CALL 1-866-388-6284

Neerlandia Co-op Association Ltd.

www.milliganbiofuels.com

GRAIN FARM FM 6337

TRAILERS

1100 acre immaculate grain operation with all the bells and whistles Sheldon Froese 204.371.5131 sheldon@canadianfarmrealty.com

Neerlandia, AB

TRAILERS Livestock Trailers

(780) 674-2820

WILSON CATTLELINER ALUMINUM STRAIGHT, 1986, spring ride, weather inserts, barn doors, good condition, asking $10,750. Phone (403)325-4695

GRAIN FARM FM 5705

4600 acre grain farm, productive land located in Western Manitoba Sheldon Froese 204.371.5131 sheldon@canadianfarmrealty.com

Go public with an ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds. Phone 1-800-665-1362.

GRAIN FARM FM 6264

www.dseriescanola.ca 48-FT. ROADMASTER TANDEM DROPDECK, 1987, air ride, tires 65%, asking $9,750. Phone (403)325-4695.

If you want to sell it fast, call 1-800-665-1362.

Memory assistance.

Do one little thing and get 5% back on everything

2170 acres of productive farm land with excellent buildings Henry Carels 204.573.5396 henry@canadianfarmrealty.com

Network

GRAIN FARM FM 6372

Ask your local CPS representative about our PrePay program and earn 5%* toward future crop inputs.

CanadianFarmRealty.com Royal LePage Riverbend Realty

ADVERTISING DOLLAR!

Available at:

Central Alberta Co-op Ltd.

1-800-665-1362

Innisfail, AB

Ask About our Prairie Wide Classifieds TRACTORS Various

Search news. Read stories. Find insight.

Grain farm & Retail Seed business with 3767 workable acres in Southern Manitoba Stacey Hiebert 204.371.5930 Stacey@canadianfarmrealty.com

Stretch your

TRAILERS Trailers Miscellaneous

CANOLA WANTED

MANITOBA FARMS FOR SALE

www.

TRAILERS Trailers Miscellaneous

(403) 227-3466

TRACTORS Various

www.dseriescanola.ca

*Conditions apply. 10/14-40516-2A

40516_A CPS_PrePay Print_4x4_rev1.indd 2

10/8/14 9:14 AM

SPECIAL EDITION Manitoba Ag Days Taking place Jan. 20, 21 & 22, 2015 at the Brandon Keystone Centre

The Manitoba Co-operator is presenting a great opportunity for you to feature your business, products or booth at Manitoba Ag Days in the Jan. 8th edition. The Manitoba Ag Days Show is a winter indoor exposition of agricultural production expertise, technology, and equipment held in Brandon every January. The Show attracts exhibitors and visitors from across Canada and North Central United States and provides an annual opportunity for producers to comparison shop for everything they need for their agricultural operations.

DEADLINE: DEC. 22nd · ISSUE DATE: JAN. 8th Contact your Manitoba Co-operator Sales representative to book your space today!

Terry McGarry Ph: 204-981-3730 Fax: 204-253-0879 Email: trmcgarr@mts.net

SEE YOU AT THE SHOW!

RISKS AND REWARDS OF FALL

GREAT GORP PROJECT Triathlete creates home-grown energy bar » PAGE 44

The pros and cons of applying in dry soil » PAGE 17

OCTOBER 11, 2012

Communications breakdown added to emergency Firefighting made more dangerous without communications By Lorraine Stevenson CO-OPERATOR STAFF

olunteer firefighters racing to reach fire-threatened Vita last week passed hundreds of vehicles headed the other direction and wondered what they were headed into, said veteran firefighter Alain Nadeau. “I’ve been doing this for 33 years and this was the scariest I’ve seen,” said the weary La Broquerie fire chief on Friday after an exhausting week. The air was so smoke filled around the southeastern village “we could barely breathe,” he said.

SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | VOL. 70, NO. 41

GOT SEED? By Daniel Winters CO-OPERATOR STAFF / MELITA

ising corn acres and severe drought in the Midwestern United States may crimp supplies of popular corn seed varieties for the com-

ing year. “It’s really short,” said Ron Rabe, a Dekalb agronomist, who gave a brief talk on corn production in Manitoba at a recent WADO field tour. Derek Erb, who farms near Oak Bluff and sells Pioneer Hi-Bred corn

$1.75

MANITOBACOOPERATOR.CA

Corn seed might be tight next spring Rising demand and dismal growing conditions in the drought-stricken United States may limit supplies seed, said farmers looking to secure seed for next spring should act quickly to secure their supplies, even if it means placing orders earlier than usual. Pioneer Hi-Bred’s top varieties, which include D95 and D97, account for roughly half the acres seeded in the province. Erb said that with the harvest and quality testing still underway in some areas, it’s difficult to estimate how much corn seed will be available for next year. One thing’s for sure, waiting until Ag Days in January to secure supplies will

be too late. “I would pretty much bank on that,” said Erb. Dry conditions throughout the province have seen the corn harvest arriving about a month earlier than usual, and seed orders have started coming in sooner than usual too. Even with the possibility of a shortage of corn seed, Erb doesn’t expect the price of Pioneer’s supplies to rise much more than it has in recent years. Rob Park, of RJP Seeds in Carman, who deals in Hyland seed varieties, See CORN SEED on page 6 »

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 10, 2014

TRAILERS Trailers Miscellaneous

TRAVEL

CAREERS Management

53-FT. MANAC DRY VAN, 1997, spring ride, rollup door, fibreglass roof, no leaks. Great for storage or mobile shop, asking $6,450. Phone (403)325-4695. WWW.TRAILERGUY.CA 80 MISC. Semi-trailers check web for pics & prices. (306)222-2413 Aberdeen/Saskatoon, SK. We know that farming is enough of a gamble so if you want to sell it fast place your ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds. It’s a Sure Thing. Call our toll-free number today. We have friendly staff ready to help. 1-800-665-1362.

TRAVEL

Give us five minutes and we’ll give you 5% back

Now Hiring! Territory Managers with fast growing company “A Career Not a Job” Main Office Drayton Valley, AB For More Info Go To: www.sekuraauctions.com P: 780-542-4337 Fax Resume to: 780-542-3444 or E: kirsten@sekuraauctions.com

AGRICULTURAL TOURS Costa Rica ~ Feb 2015 South Africa/Zambia ~ Feb 2015 India ~ Feb 2015 Greece ~ April 2015 Japan ~ May 2015 Ireland/Scotland ~ June 2015 Scandinavia ~ June 2015 Alaska Land/Cruise ~ July 2015 NWT/Yukon ~ July 2015 *Portion of tours may be Tax Deductible

Select Holidays 1-800-661-4326

Available at:

www.selectholidays.com

South Country Co-op

*Conditions apply. Round up the cash! Advertise your unwanted equipment in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds.

10/14-40516-3A

40516_A CPS_PrePay Print_4x4_rev1.indd 3

KING SALMON

High River, AB

10/8/14 9:14 AM

CHESAPEAKE CHARTERS

**ALL INCLUSIVE** 3 & 4 DAY CHARTERS 250-600-2055 or 778-983-2018

(403) 652-4143

www.dseriescanola.ca CAREERS Help Wanted

ALMOST

Sturgeon Valley Fertilizers Legal, AB

claudegourlin@hotmail.com www.salmoncharters.ca

(780) 961-3088

PRINCE RUPERT BRITISH COLUMBIA

www.dseriescanola.ca

Brett Young Seeds is a privately owned & trusted seed, production, distribution, sales & marketing company with international reach & strong local roots since 1934. Our goal is to deliver value to our customers through world class service & differentiated products. Based in Winnipeg, we have locations throughout Western Canada & are currently seeking a dynamic & experienced Retail Account Manager to complement our Retail Sales team in the Red Deer South Region. Retail Account Manager

See your local CPS expert. Sign up for the CPS PrePay program.

Available at:

CAREERS Professional

CAREERS

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NEW-HOLLAND/CIH TECHNICIAN REQUIRED IMMEDIATELY. Sunny Southern Alberta, growing independent dealership, competitive wages, benefits, relocation. Call Bob (403)625-3321 or email service@challengernh.ca

In addition to the opportunity to join a team that values & celebrates everyone’s contributions, Brett Young Seeds is an organization that supports professional growth & development & offers an attractive compensation package including salary, company vehicle & an outstanding & comprehensive benefits package. Brett Young Seeds is an Equal Opportunity employer. Interested applicants are invited to apply to become a part of our team by submitting a letter of interest with salary expectations & a resume to: Human Resources Brett-Young Seeds Box 99 St. Norbert Postal Station Winnipeg, MB R3V 1L5 Fax: (204)478-8370 Email: Human.Resources@brettyoung.ca

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Based out of a home office in the Southern Alberta area, this challenging sales position requires a customer-oriented professional with a keen initiative. You will work independently within your own territory but will also work closely with Head Office & other representatives across Western Canada to achieve sales, territory & organizational goals. Exceptional communication skills are required to promote & support our exclusive line of canola, corn & forage seed products & our innovation BioBoostfi products; while we do provide extensive product training, knowledge of & previous work experience with these commodities is a definite asset. Extensive travel throughout the territory is required & depending on location of your home office some overnight travel days may be required to effectively manage the territory.

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Email: sharon.komoski@fbcpublishing.com

T:10.25”

NOVEMBER 10, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

THE REDESIGNED

2015 SIERRA HD OUR MOST POWERFUL HD YET T:15.5”

3500HD DUAL REAR WHEEL CREW CAB DENALI MODEL SHOWN

POWER AND DEPENDABILITY.

THE NEW STANDARD OF TRUCK INTERIORS.

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The available Duramax diesel engine and Allison transmission have over 160 billion real-world kilometres of experience, and deliver 397 hp and 765 lb.-ft. of torque.

Mix business with pleasure in the most comfortable HD on the road. Built with premium and durable materials and some of the industry’s most advanced technologies, you’ll find no shortage of supportive comfort.

Make work easier with best-in-class payload** of up to 7,374 lb. and best-in-class conventional towing*, or the incredible 23,200 lb. fifth wheel towing. And get the job done with trailer sway control, hill start assist and optional diesel exhaust brake.

GET A TRUCK THAT WORKS AS HARD AS YOU. 2015SIERRAHD.COM 2015SierraHD.com 1-800-GM-DRIVE. GMC is a brand of General Motors of Canada. **Requires 3500HD Regular Cab dual rear wheel 4x2 with 6.0L Vortec V8 engine. Maximum payload capacity includes weight of driver, passengers, optional equipment and cargo. * Best-in-class conventional towing of 19,600 lb. requires 3500HD Crew Cab Dual Rear Wheel 4x4 with available Duramax 6.6L Turbo Diesel V8 engine. Maximum trailer weight ratings are calculated assuming a base vehicle, except for any option(s) necessary to achieve the rating, plus driver. The weight of other optional equipment, passengers and cargo will reduce the maximum trailer weight your vehicle can tow. See your GMC dealer for additional details. Comparison based on wardsauto.com 2014 Large Pickup segment and latest competitive data available. Excludes other GM vehicles.