Mbc150423

The soil choices we make

Transparent grain prices Company data needed by Aug. 1 » Pg 8

Soil Conservation Week » Pg 5

April 23, 2015

SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | Vol. 73, No. 17

New hog barns for Manitoba?

The rules haven’t changed but…

By Shannon VanRaes co-operator staff

A

fter years of being locked in a standoff, producers and the Manitoba government are inching closer to consensus on how to go about renewing the province’s aging pig production capacity.

Producers attending the Manitoba Pork Council annual meeting last week were told a “special pilot protocol” would result in the resumption of new barn construction although there were contradictory messages around whether this translates to an end of the province’s moratorium on new hog barns.

“We’ve been in negotiations with the province for quite a while and we’ve reached an agreement, which we’re referring to as a special pilot project protocol,” said Mike Teillet, sustainable development manager for the council. “That protocol outlines 11 additional steps that producers have to go through in order to build a barn. Up until now, we’ve been essentially under a moratorium. Now under this new, special pilot project protocol, we are now able to build barns again.”

A spokesman for Manitoba minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives later said although the provincial government supports the concept, it has not yet been approved.

“It hasn’t even been officially submitted as a pilot project to

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See HOG BARNS on page 6 »

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$1.75

High winds and fire an extremely dangerous combo, say fire officials A ban on burning is now in effect across eastern and central Manitoba

Firefighters work to contain a grass fire on the western edge of Carman last week after 75 km/h winds helped it escape across fields and jump the railway tracks. Photo: Laura Rance

By Lorraine Stevenson co-operator staff

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deadly combination of wind and runaway grass fires claimed the life of one man and destroyed multiple properties across southern Manitoba last week as rural firefighters scrambled from one incident to the next.

High winds April 13, 14 and 15 also blackened the skies with soil blowing off of unplanted fields, a sombre reminder of the risks of erosion as the country recognizes this week as Soil Conservation Week.

The fire that tore through an acreage just south of Halbstadt mid-afternoon on April 13 trapped and killed a man neighbours identified as Harvey Zacharias, 72, of Winnipeg.

The incident remained under investigation last week and RCMP released few details except to say the fire, which destroyed the home and outbuildings

and scorched the property did not appear suspicious.

Farm neighbour Howard Friesen said he’d been working in the wind all afternoon and had moved inside his farm shop, when intense gusts around 3:30 made him look outside to see what was up. That’s when he saw large volumes of smoke billowing over Zacharias’s property and he and others dashed over there immediately.

“We suspect that he was probably burning leaves or something,” Friesen said, adding that Zacharias, who frequently visited the farm site and to look after the property, may never had realized how intensely the wind was blowing that afternoon.

“When you get on the yard, you don’t sense the wind,” said Friesen. “But when you get outside the bush, it’s terribly windy. And if you have wind, fire can get out of hand really quick.”

He’s had a few “close calls” himself over the years, he added. “It seems

like as soon as you light a fire the wind picks up. That’s what’s happened to me anyways.”

That’s the warning fire chiefs had for Manitobans last week.

Volunteer firefighters were putting in long days last week called out to blazes in the extreme wind and dry conditions of central and eastern Manitoba, including those set by homeowners to burn grass or leaves.

“There’s no such thing as a controlled burn,” said Irv Braun, fire chief for the RM of Rhineland and Altona. “I always maintain that the minute you’ve pulled matches out of your pocket, you’ve lost control.”

What often happens is people set fires without taking heed of the wind’s speed or direction, he said.

“People will say, ‘when I lit it the wind was just right and I had it all under control until the wind changed,’” he See FIRE on page 6 »

SOLD!: CWB SALE MARKS END OF AN ERA » PAGE 3

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The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

INSIDE

Did you know?

LIVESTOCK

Beer from bread that never became a sandwich

A new plan Federal government to impose limits on bulk antimicrobial imports

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A Brussels brewery is making beer out of stale bread to reduce waste

By Robert-Jan Bartunek brussels / reuters

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CROPS Federal glyphosate review complete

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Minor label changes are recommended

FEATURE Artisanal flare Chefs asked to evaluate cold-pressed extra-virgin canola oil

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CROSSROADS

small Brussels-based brewery has embarked on a project to make beer from leftover bread, harking back to antiquity, when bread, rather than barley, was the main ingredient.

The idea for brewing with bread came when 31-year-old Frenchman Sebastien Morvan talked to a friend about food waste, specifically the bread thrown away because supermarkets, eager to offer fresh bread to shoppers all day, baked until late afternoon.

“Twelve per cent of food waste in Brussels is bread — it’s quite astonishing,” Morvan, one of the founders of microbrewery Brussels Beer Project, told Reuters.

Mo r va n c a l c u l a t e d t h a t about 30 per cent of the barley used in brewing could be replaced with 1-1/2 slices of bread per bottle. Brewing 4,000 litres (1,057 U.S. gallons) would use up 500 kilos of bread. A nearby social project, “Atelier Groot Eiland,” arranged to get unsold bread from nearby supermarkets, dry it and cut it into flakes for him.

Sebastien Morvan, one of the founders of microbrewery Brussels Beer Project, displays bread and serves a beer called Babylone at Barbeton bar in central Brussels. photo: REUTERS/Yves Herman The oldest surviving recipe for beer dates back about 4,000 years to ancient Mesopotamia and calls for thick, multi-grain loaves to be mixed with honey. The Belgian bread beer is more modern, using hops from the United States and Britain and adds yeast instead of relying on spontaneous fermentation.

Getting the recipe right took about a year. Initial trials failed before the brewers worked out the ideal ratio of bread to barley and how to cut the bread so

it would not clog the brewing equipment.

The resulting beer, called “Babylone,” is a seven per cent amber brew, with a subtle salty taste from the bread and a hoppy finish. For now, most of it is being sold to local cafés and bars.

“It’s fusion between maybe what they used to do with bread 1,000 years ago and contemporary brewing,” said Morvan. “It might not please everybody’s palate, but I think the ones who like this will really enjoy it.”

Wild treats Woodlot owners are considering their options for wild food

Editorials Comments What’s Up Livestock Markets

4 5 8 10

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Grain Markets Weather Vane Classifieds Sudoku

READER’S PHOTO

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The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

Newly created buyer G3 to take majority ownership of government-owned CWB Farmers can earn equity in CWB by delivering grain but it won’t be farmer controlled

By Allan Dawson

“This is a win for Canadian farmers. The Canadian Wheat Board will be a private company fully off the government’s books.”

co-operator staff

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h e n t h e Ca n a d i a n W h e a t Board had a monopoly to market western wheat and barley, grain farmers controlled its operation.

But they didn’t own it.

Now farmers who deliver grain to CWB can collectively own up to 49.9 per cent through a farmers’ trust, but they will have no control and little input. Control is with G3 Global Grain Group, which is buying 50.1 per cent of governmentowned CWB for $250.5 million.

Agriculture Minister Gerr y Ritz announced the sale in Winnipeg April 15.

G3, newly formed for the deal, is a joint venture firm majority owned by multinational, publicly traded Bunge, the world’s third-largest grain and food company and state-owned Saudi Agricultural Livestock Investment Company (SALIC).

G3’s money will stay with CWB instead of going to the seller. When combined with the farmers’ equity allocated at a rate of $5 for every tonne of grain delivered retroactive to Aug. 1, 2103, CWB has a book value of $500 million.

“This is a win for Canadian farmers,” Ritz said. “The Canadian Wheat Board will be a private company fully off the government’s books.”

The sale has been approved by Industry Canada and is pending by the Competition Bureau, he said. The deal should close by July.

The farmers’ equity has no guaranteed value but costs only patronage. Equity isn’t taxable until paid in cash.

“This transaction ensures farmers will share in the success (of CWB) as they do business with us,” CWB president and chief executive officer Ian White said.

Offering equity is a way to encourage farmers to boost CWB’s marketshare, Ritz said.

G3 chief executive officer Karl Gerrand said the new company will keep the CWB name and pooling.

The former CEO of Can-Oat Milling was raised on a farm near Virden. He also worked for Viterra before becoming Bunge Canada’s managing director. G3’s staff of 12 will join 100 CWB employees working out of two floors leased back from the building it sold in February.

The new CWB will have two shareholders — G3 and the farmers’ equity trust. Farmers who deliver to CWB will own units in the trust and the trust will own CWB shares. CWB will be a private company exempt from making financial reports public.

Gerry Ritz

Sold! CWB’s new elevator at Bloom, Manitoba will be part of the new privatized CWB owned 50.1 per cent by G3, a joint venture firm majority owned by multinational, publicly traded Bunge and state-owned Saudi Agricultural Livestock Investment Company and farmers who can own up to 49.9 per cent earning equity through grain deliveries. photo: allan dawson

The trust will be overseen by three independent trustees selected by CWB. One trustee will sit on CWB’s sevendirector board.

After the farmers’ equity is fully allocated, or in seven years, G3 can buy the equity, but isn’t obliged to, said Dayna

Spiring, CWB’s chief strategy officer and chief counsel.

Norm Hall, president of the Agricultural Producers of Saskatchewan, said farmers should have the option to retain their equity.

Gerrand said he can’t predict if G3 will

eventually buy farmers out. “What I can say today is we embrace this equity component and the farmer involvement in our business.”

Allocating the equity could take awhile. CWB has about four per cent of the West’s country elevator space. If it handles four per cent of the system’s average annual 35 million tonnes, allocation will take 36 years.

Equity will be redeemed when a farmer quits, or dies, or if CWB is sold or launches a public share offering, Spiring said. There won’t a minority shareholder discount when shares are liquidated.

Farmers’ equity can be diluted but if so, farmers will own a smaller piece of a bigger company, a CWB official said.

Bunge Canada, through G3, will add one elevator in Ontario and three in Quebec, plus a port terminal in Quebec City.

The new CWB plans “to build a coastto-coast grain-handling network,” Ritz said.

In the interim CWB will continue to move grain from the country and West Coast ports through handling agreements with other grain companies.

“In addition to that we see possibilities and potential for development on the West Coast all of which we plan to look into,” Spiring said.

CWB, which didn’t own any elevators or port terminals, has been buying and building facilities the last 18 months. It purchased port terminals at Thunder Bay and Trois-Rivières, bought inland Prair ie West Ter minal and Great Sandhills Terminal and is building four new country elevators, including at Bloom and near Ste. Agathe in Manitoba.

The Harper government ended the wheat board’s 69-year-old monopoly in 2012, fulfilling an election promise.

See related story pg 20 allan@fbcpublishing.com

Mixed reaction to sale details: some like it not, some like it sold Opponents say the lack of farmer control and foreign ownership is offensive while others are glad the deal is done

By Allan Dawson Co-operator Staff

The Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board (FCWB) and National Farmers Union and federal NDP oppose the sale.

“This was just another step in the largest transfer of wealth away from farmers in the history of this country,” said FCWB chair Stewart Wells who farms at Swift Current, Sask., and served as an elected wheat board director.

“In 2012 they seized the assets farmers paid for and now they are giving those assets to one of the largest grain and food handlers in the world. It just adds insult to injury.”

The Western Canadian Wheat

Growers Association, Western Barley Growers Association and Grain Growers of Canada support the deal.

“Overall we see this deal as a positive development for farmers,” WCWGA president Levi Wood said in a release. “It strengthens competition, increases grain-handling capacity and gives farmers an opportunity to share in the growth of the CWB.” Neither the Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) nor the Agricultural Producers of Saskatchewan (APAS) have an official position, however, both presidents Dan Mazier and Norm Hall, echoed Wood’s comments.

Saskatchewan’s Progressive Conservative Party issued a release saying farmers aren’t getting what was promised.

“Many producers hoped this equity position would translate into some say in governance of a privatized CWB as was promised

by Minister Ritz…” PC leader Rick Swenson said in a release.

The PCs oppose the sale because the Saudi Agricultural Livestock Investment Company (SALIC), is owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“What self-respecting Canadian farmer is going to risk their money and their grain with a country which does not respect the Rule of Law, doesn’t have a self-regulated securities commission, does not let its female citizens have basic rights like a driver’s licence, beheads people in public squares after conviction in religious courts

and funds fundamentalist Muslim jihadists worldwide?” the release said. “These same people are being allowed to take a 100 per cent control of a segment of the Canadian grain industry after seven years with no say by the Canadian farmer equity holders.”

The Western Grain Elevator Association said its members look forward to closing this chapter of Prairie history.

“It is hard to be able to judge whether this deal is good for farmers or taxpayers not knowing how they arrived at the valuation or how much government money may or may not have been transferred,” executive director Wade Sobkowich said in an email. “That being said it is positive that the government

appears to be ending its involvement with the CWB so we as an industry can close this chapter and move forward.”

The Farmers of North America (FNA) are asking questions too. Last fall CWB rejected its plan to buy CWB creating a majority farmerowned grain-handling and marketing company that also distributes fertilizer. FNA questions how well farmers will be served as minority shareholders in partnership with foreign-owned G3.

Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn, who is pleased CWB’s headquarters remain in Winnipeg, said he wants farmers to have a role in the new CWB. allan@fbcpublishing.com

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The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

OPINION/EDITORIAL

The farmers’ trust

T

he farmers’ equity component is perhaps the most puzzling aspect of last week’s announcement that CWB has been sold.

We can see the advantages to the Harper government of getting the company off its books. Moving the western Canadian grain-marketing system to an open market was an election promise that came with baggage; the administration ideologiLaura Rance cally opposed to government intervention Editor wound up owning and propping up an ittybitty grain company going head to navel with the private trade.

The fact that one of the partners in this new deal — the Saudi Agricultural Land and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC) — is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian government is too rich for words.

They have deep pockets and a vested interest in Canadian grain getting to export. The desert kingdom realized a few years ago the region doesn’t have enough water to produce all its own grain, so it’s been investing heavily overseas to secure supplies. Saudi Arabia imports more than nine million tonnes of barley a year, which may explain some of its interest in Canada.

We can see the benefits to Bunge Canada, the majority stakeholder in the newly formed Global Grain Group (G3) that will own 50.1 per cent of CWB when the deal closes in July. Bunge, already a player in export terminals and canola processing, gains a toehold in the Prairie grain-handling system and a source of wheat for its U.S. mills.

We can also see the advantages of bringing another competitive grain buyer onto the scene, especially one with international connections. But that said, CWB is breaking into a mature industry known for razor-thin margins. All the CWB export terminal capacity is in the East, putting it at a disadvantage in the larger market off the West Coast. With owned and planned country capacity of less than four per cent of the Prairie total, it’s got a tough road ahead.

CWB says it plans to continue delivering through other companies, but we don’t know how that’s going to work out.

Does Wal-Mart carry President’s Choice products?

That brings us to the other “partner” in this deal — the farmers’ equity trust.

Farmers who deliver to CWB will be allocated $5 per tonne in equity in the partnership. That equity will be held in a trust for a minimum of seven years or until the trust, which owns 49.9 per cent of the company, is fully allocated.

After seven years, G3 has the option to buy out the farmers’ equity at fair market value. However, farmers don’t have the opportunity to dispose of it unless they retire or die.

There are some similarities to the patronage equity farmers once earned in the now-defunct grain co-ops. But there are also important differences: • They don’t pay tax on their equity until and unless they make money from it; • Although the farmers’ trust is overseen by three trustees, one of which will be appointed to CWB’s seven-member board of directors, there is no process for farmers to choose those trustees or influence the company direction.

“We want a trustee that is responsible, that has financial literacy, that understands the obligations of being a trustee and beyond that, we will determine who the trustees will be,” said an official during the technical briefing. Being a farmer isn’t on that list of criteria.

So even those who are philosophically in favour of owning a piece of the grain-handling pie have to step back and consider how much “ownership” and what value this proposition represents.

CWB says the $5 per tonne in equity is awarded at no cost to farmers. But will the new CWB be paying an “on-the-driveway” price that matches the competition’s plus the $5-pertonne equity, or minus? If the farmer is delivering into a pool, how does one know?

And how have those voluntary pools been performing anyway? That information has been deemed “commercially sensitive” and hasn’t been released. We suspect if they’d been wildly successful we’d be hearing about it.

Based on average total deliveries of 35 million tonnes a year and its current share of elevator capacity, CWB’s handle will be about 1.36 million tonnes annually for an equity allocation of $6.8 million. At that pace, it would take 36 years to build the farmers’ equity to 49.9 per cent or $250 million.

While some farmers have questioned why they could be forced to sell their equity stake after seven years, perhaps the more relevant question is how long might they be forced to hold on to it? At least with Air Miles you can go on a holiday.

All of the platitudes about “exciting opportunities” aside, getting rid of the single-desk monopoly wasn’t about giving western Canadian farmers another grain company. It was about giving them marketing freedom. In that spirit, we expect they’ll be voting on this proposition with their trucks. laura@fbcpublishing.com

Support for single desk wasn’t ‘cooked up’ And farmers won’t control the voluntary CWB

By Allan Dawson co-operator staff

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n the heat of debate it’s easy to forget a fact or dismiss your opponent’s argument out of hand.

Perhaps that explains why Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz accused Lowe Farm farmer Dean Harder of citing a “cooked up” number when the two were sparring April 15 in Winnipeg over the privatization of CWB — the remnants of the old Canadian Wheat Board stripped of its monopoly marketing authority over western Canadian wheat and barley Aug. 1, 2012.

“Sixty-two per cent of western Canadian farmers wanted to keep the single-desk selling, so choice does matter,” Harder told Ritz. “And now we are not given the choice of control (of CWB) anymore.”

“That’s a number you cooked up,” Ritz said. “I don’t agree with that at all.”

But the number wasn’t “cooked up.” In the summer of 2011, the wheat board conducted its own plebiscite, when counter to the wheat board act, the government refused to do so.

Farmers were asked if they wanted to retain the single desk or replace it with an open market.

More than 38,000 ballots (a 56 per cent return) were counted and 61.8 per cent of farmers voted to keep the single desk for wheat and 51.1 per cent voted to keep it for barley.

As much as Harder would like the single desk returned, his question to Ritz was about the soon-to-be sold CWB not having any farmer control.

OUR HISTORY:

T

“My point is, will you reconsider the ownership (in CWB) — farmers gaining majority ownership?

Because that is a travesty — a major travesty,” Harder said.

“In your opinion it is, but you’re a very minor portion of farmers out there,” Ritz replied. He earlier stated all the “relevant” farm groups support the sale.

Ritz had earlier promised farmers could have an open market and a “strong and viable” voluntary board controlled by farmers.

Appearing before the House of Commons agriculture committee Nov. 2, 2011 Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz was specifically asked if farmers would control a post-monopoly wheat board.

“Yes, they will elect their own board,” he replied. “After the interim period, where we control it as a government, yes, they will elect their own board should they decide to do that.

“So once we’re past that interim (period) absolutely farmers will run it.”

Last week’s deal reveals farmers can earn up to 49.9 per cent equity in the new CWB by delivering grain, but only one trustee overseeing that equity will serve on CWB’s sevenperson board — and equity holders won’t be able to choose that representative. After seven years, CWB has the option to buy out the farmers’ equity trust. However, farmers have no ability to cash in their equity unless they retire from farming or die.

CWB also says the company’s financial report will not be made public, although some details will be shared with farmers in the equity trust.

Nor will there be annual farmer accountability meetings like the wheat board used to have. allan@fbcpublishing.com

April 1986

his CN ad from our April 24, 1986 issue thanked producers for attending its meetings across the Prairies that winter.

Stories about low grain prices were prominent in the issue. The U.S. had launched the Bonus Incentive Commodity Export Program (BICEP), later renamed the Export Enhancement Program (EEP). There was speculation that the grain export subsidy program would spark an all-out trade war with the European Union.

A rally in Carman drew more than 600 producers asking for government help to offset low grain prices.

A two-price wheat program in place in 1986 required Canadian millers to pay $7 per bushel for wheat for domestic consumption, double the wheat board initial payment of $3.54. We reported that the Grocery Products Manufacturers of Canada was concerned about a Conservative backbencher’s proposal to raise the price by another $3 to $5 per bushel.

At a series of Manitoba Beef Commission meetings around the province, 88 per cent of producers answering a questionnaire favoured the current provincial beef stabilization program over a proposed federal tripartite plan.

At the Manitoba Hog Producers Marketing Board annual meeting, chairman Bill Vaags expressed concern that the tripartite program for hogs could lead to even higher duties being imposed on U.S. imports.

Opposition leader Gary Filmon had shuffled his

shadow cabinet, moving Jim Downey from agriculture critic to municipal affairs, replacing him with rookie MLA Glenn Findlay.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

COMMENT/FEEDBACK

Soil care: Will we make the right choices?

When net effects are considered, tillage can never be justified

By Don Lobb

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015 is International Year of the Soil, and from April 19-25, National Soil Conservation Week brings focus to soil care in Canada. We need to consider our record through the ages as we implement soil protection now.

Through the past 10,000 years, history records the successive rise and failure of great civilizations and powerful nations.

For example, Mesopotamia (now Iraq), with nearly 20 million people in 3,000 BC, was the most progressive nation in history and then it declined. By 100 BC, Rome had become the most powerful and industrious, but by 500 AD the power of Rome was gone.

The decline of these and most civilizations happened for many reasons, but ultimately when their capacity to grow food declined people moved on to new frontiers and fresh soil.

There are no new frontiers. We cannot afford to repeat past mistakes.

The ancients did not carelessly squander their land. It gave them food, wealth and strategic political advantage. Productive soil was a prized possession, yet over the centuries its productivity slipped away. Failure came when agriculture was extended to fragile land, when the cropland water supply failed and when the soil was depleted by tillage-based agriculture.

No tillage productive

Letters

Tillage always removes more from the soil than can be returned. Plato, a Greek citizen and philosopher who tended his own soil, observed that soil building ended and soil erosion began with plowbased agriculture. In 350 BC, plowing was banned on hillsides in Greece.

By 1500 AD, farmers in Lowlands Europe — Holland, Belgium and adjoining lands in France and Germany — had learned how to build soil organic matter and improve productivity with the use of plant residues, manures, crop rotation and new plant types such as legumes. In the late 1800s, Charles Darwin recognized the value of earthworms in soil building. Much later, mycorrhiza fungi were recognized as important contributors to nutrient retrieval for plants and for the development of soil aggregates that resist wind and water erosion.

All of this contributes to biologically active, healthy, productive soil as well as the soil-building process.

Around 1730, Jethro Tull, an English entrepreneur studying plant growth, wrongly concluded that plants grow by absorbing small particles of soil through their roots. Thus, intensive tillage was

We welcome readers’ comments on issues that have been covered in the Manitoba Co-operator. In most cases we cannot accept “open” letters or copies of letters which have been sent to several publications. Letters are subject to editing for length or taste.

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Please forward letters to Manitoba Co-operator, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, R3H 0H1 or Fax: 204-954-1422 or email: news@fbcpublishing.com (subject: To the editor)

advocated. The plant-growth response was actually the outcome of nutrient release by bacteria that prefer tillage.

However, tillage destroys soil biology, organic matter and aggregates — the entire soil-building process.

Mimic nature

Zero tillage (direct seeding or no till) should disturb as little soil as possible.

Zero-tillage equipment that aggressively disturbs soil does not contribute to soil conservation nor does vertical tillage or the rotation of tillage practices. All these contribute to soil degradation and tillage erosion.

Tillage by itself erodes far more soil than wind and water combined and it does so every year — largely unnoticed — even on gently undulating land. The long-term cost in lost soil productivity is enormous. When net effects are considered, tillage can never be justified.

For example, tillage to reduce soluble phosphorus loss results in unacceptable loss of soil aggregates and organic matter that are both essential to sustainable crop production. We should apply best alternatives to tillage.

Geomorphologists tell us that the only sustainable way to use soil is to mimic nature. On either the dry grasslands of the Prairies or the moist woodlands of the East, undisturbed soil is highly aggregated. This provides strong resistance to water or wind erosion and creates important capacity for water infiltration. The ground is covered with protective plant litter and the soil is stabilized by undisturbed root systems.

Undisturbed biota contributes to plant nutrient supply, soil aggregation and soil development.

Only no-till or direct-seeding crop production mimics nature. Farmers have used this practice successfully and profitably. They can actually conserve moisture and build soil through careful management of crop residue.

Water link

Soil degradation has always been influenced by water — either too much or too little. In the humid Great Lakes and Eastern Canada region, excess precipitation has resulted in gully formation, serious topsoil erosion and lost productivity.

The management of surface water runoff and soil moisture is critical to reducing soil erosion.

On the dryland Prairies, moisture shortage contributed to the dust bowl disaster and continues to limit soil productivity in dry cycles. Here, we now benefit from continuous cropping and have learned the real value of crop stub-

CWB sale: The ultimate betrayal Something is missing in the debate about the impending sale of the CWB to the agricultural arm of the Saudi Arabian government.

A Saudi court sentenced Raif Badawi to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes.

In January he was lashed 50 times and will receive the rest over seven years. The sentencing judge wrote in his verdict that he was confident Raif was an apostate (abandoning or renouncing Islam).

Punishment for apostasy is death, usually by public beheading.

The effects of water erosion on a denuded hillside in the Boricha district of southern Ethiopia. Photo: Laura Rance

A dry spring mixed with high winds last week mean southern Manitoba ditches were filled with soil instead of water. Photo: Lorraine Stevenson

ble/residue and wind breaks in trapping snow to retain moisture and reduce wind-induced water evaporation. When experiencing the wet phase of long-term weather cycles, we should not become careless about the need for moisture conservation and protection from the devastation of wind erosion.

The retention of wetlands and potholes can be a nuisance for field activity, however, they add to the water-holding capacity of the landscape. The construction of many small headwaters reservoirs can add to this benefit and reduce the need for downstream flood control.

Where water is retained there is opportunity to irrigate high-value crops or add productivity to field cropland. This value should be considered as it contributes to overall landscape management.

Sad legacy

during the past 10,000 years. He then points out that “Soil is not lost because we farm — soil is lost because of how we farm.”

As we look forward we must remember that like us, the ancients did have good soil, and they were serious about soil care — and yet they lost it. Today we have tools and knowledge that can allow us to avoid that fate. Will we use them? What will be our legacy to future generations? Will we make the right choices?

The Soil Conservation Council of Canada encourages sober reflection of the lessons of history. It encourages enthusiastic adoption of new and truly sustainable practices that protect our soil, water and natural heritage. The SCCC believes that “how we farm” matters. This is what can set us apart from history.

David Montgomery, author of DIRT – The Erosion of Civilizations, recounts the sad legacy of tillage-degraded soil

Don Lobb is a recipient of the L.B. Thomson Award, a member of the Canadian Conservation Hall of Fame and a lifelong soil care advocate.

Raif’s ‘crime’ was to start a blog where he and others openly criticized the Saudi government.

Protecting human rights of Iraqi people was used to justify Canada going to war against ISIS. Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicholson described the mission as a matter of “moral clarity.”

Rather than selling to a farmerowned company with a higher bid, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz is eager to let a kingdom that commits serious human rights violations, buy the CWB for half its asset value and the lowest bid.

Regardless of one’s disposition towards the CWB, the fact that the

Harper government is dealing with a country that aims to behead a person for criticizing his government is reprehensible. It’s not surprising, given Bill C-51 which could deem as terrorists, human rights and farmer activists.

Farmers who morally oppose Saudi oppression and who planned to do business with the CWB now have one less place to sell their grain. Or, as equity holders, they become culpable supporters of human rights violations.

This is what the new freedom of choice for farmers involves.

Ruth Pryzner Alexander, Man.

6

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

FROM PAGE ONE FIRE Continued from page 1

said. But things can change so quickly.

“We can have a strong wind coming out of the southeast, and all of a sudden it will die down, and then it will come up from the north in a matter of a 20-minute shift,” he said. “Then you start to turn the fire back in the direction you were trying to avoid.”

People misjudge other things too, such as assuming damp earth will help to slow the spread of a fire lit to burn leaves or grass on it. It won’t, said Braun.

Dry leaves or branches can be extremely flammable, he said.

“That moisture underneath does very little to slow down or stop the spread of fire,” he said.

Human-caused fires are one of their biggest concerns, deputy fire commissioner for Manitoba Robert Pike told other media last week, noting those actions can also include careless tossing of a cigarette butt, or getting debris caught in the exhaust of an ATV or machinery.

The only time to light a fire is when wind speeds are 15 km an hour or less, and only when other precautions have been taken including having sufficient water sources and manpower to control it, Pike said during a CBC Radio interview.

“You need to understand that any outdoor fire can quickly become an uncontrolled wildfire.”

O n Ap r i l 1 4 , M a n i t o b a C o n s e r v a t i o n a n d Wa t e r Stewardship cancelled all burning permits issued in the

“I always maintain that the minute you’ve pulled matches out of your pocket, you’ve lost control.”

Irv Braun

RM of Rhineland and Altona fire chief

A man in his early 70s died after fire swept through this southern Manitoba farm property on April 13. PHOTO: LORRAINE STEVENSON

eastern and central regions of Manitoba due to dry conditions and the forecast of continued high winds. The ban affects an area extending from the United States border on the south, through the Interlake to Gypsumville and Berens River in the north and east to the Ontario border.

Statistics from the Office of the Fire Commissioner show last year there were 95 reports

of inadequately controlled fires that started out as controlled grass fires.

Meanwhile, as weekend rain dialled the threat, other rural Manitobans were left cleaning up other types of losses from fires they had no part in setting.

A Miami-area couple lost two barns after a hydro line loosened in the extreme wind and set the grass alight on their property.

Beth and Don Cruikshank say

HOG BARNS Continued from page 1

the province for approval,” said Caedmon Malowany in a later interview. “We’re hoping that this pilot project would go through, but certainly Manitoba Pork has not submitted an official proposal for the pilot project, so we can’t approve it or deny it till we get a formal request for it, but certainly we support the idea of it.”

What constitutes an official proposal was not made clear, but Minister Ron Kostyshyn addressed the pilot project proposal as recently as this February. Speaking at a Keystone Agricultural Producers meeting, he said, “we keep improving on the regulations, in partnership with Manitoba Pork, and I think we’ve come to a consensus that we’re addressing the one situation from both sides.”

He then went on to say that pilot projects exploring alternatives to anaerobic digestion, particularly in areas of the province with lower levels of phosphorus, were under consideration.

That language was echoed in the protocol announced by Manitoba Pork last week, which says new barns can be constructed west of the Red River and existing facilities can be expanded in the east, with the exception of the rural municipalities of Hanover and La Broquerie.

To qualify, producers must prove they have an adequate land base for phosphorus dispersal, and must agree to either inject manure or incorporate it into soil within 48 hours to prevent run-off.

Producers will also be limited

Karl Kynoch Photos: Shannon VanRaes

Michael McCain

“The whole thing has been politics right from the start… and that’s been our challenge, it hasn’t been based on facts.”

Karl Kynoch

to a soil phosphorus level of 60 parts per million — a 200 per cent reduction from the current limit of 180 parts per million, Teillet said.

“We had very, very, let me emphasize this, very, direct communication from the senior staff level that this protocol is a go.

So from our perspective this is a go,” he said.

That was also the message given by outgoing council chairman Karl Kynoch, who described the deal as a “fix” while standing in front of a photograph of him sitting down with Kostyshyn, as well as Premier Greg Selinger and Water

Stewardship Minister Gord Mackintosh.

Kynoch noted the provincial government was unable to make an announcement regarding new barn construction, due to an ongoing byelection in The Pas. “They’re not allowed to talk about any of these things, but yes, through several years of meetings and especially the last few months, I think we’ve come to an agreement,” Kynoch said.

“We’ve come to understand each other’s needs and goals, and yes, we’ve finally achieved the ability to start rebuilding the infrastructure.”

Malowany said that should

they weren’t even aware it had started until a neighbour rushed in to tell them their barn was on fire. They were astonished at how quickly it spread.

“It went from the one barn on the south side to the barn next to it and then over to the bush and then to a shed,” said Beth Cruikshank. “It got halfway around our windbreak in half an hour.”

Miami and Roland fire

new barns be constructed under such a pilot protocol, it would not be at odds with a moratorium on new barn construction.

Manitoba’s Environment Act doesn’t actually make use of the term “moratorium.” However, both the province and the Pork Council have used the term to describe the current regulations around intensive swine operations.

Rather, under the heading of prohibition, the act indicates that permits for new hog barns may be issued by the province if they provide “anaerobic digestion in a manner acceptable to the director, or another environmentally sound treatment that is similar to, or better than, anaerobic digestion and is acceptable to the director” of environmental approvals.

“There’s been no legislative change, the moratorium is still in place,” said regulatory director Tracy Braun. “Basically what the environment act allows is, if somebody can demonstrate through an application process that they can meet the environment requirements, which is zero impact to Lake Winnipeg or other waterways, they can apply for a permit.”

Braun said that she is not aware of anyone having used the secondary clause in the act to apply for a hog barn permit in the past. But she believes that will change.

“I think that this is coming out, that people are now wanting to try and see if they can make a case for an alternative to the anaerobic digestion that will still demonstrate that the overall impacts to the environment are the same,” said the

departments arrived quickly and so did volunteers from n e a r by Sk y v i e w Hu t t e r i t e Colony but they couldn’t save the two barns, which contained some antique tractors and other stored items, added Don Cruikshank.

Extreme wind is usually coming out of the north during a blizzard, he said.

“A south wind of that speed... that’s pretty rare.”

Downed power lines also sparked another blaze near Manitou on April 14, destroyi n g a w o o d e n f a r m h o u s e, the Lea House, which was a municipally designated heritage site dating 1880.

A grass fire that started up 1.5 km south of Steinbach just after 1 p.m. on April 17 resulted in the evacuation of 15 homes in the area as a precaution. An RCMP report said residents were allowed to return around 3:30 p.m. the same day after the fire was put out. lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

director. “I haven’t received any application for this, so I cannot comment on an application I haven’t received… I’m hoping we’ll get applications some time in the next six months.”

Braun said applications will be reviewed in the context of net impact to Lake Winnipeg.

There will also be a public support component.

Since the adoption of Bill 17 in 2008, just four hog barns have been built in the province.

According to the Manitoba Pork Council, that has resulted in an overall drop in pork production.

A shortage of pigs forced Maple Leaf Food’s Brandon processing plant to enact “nonproduction” days in recent months. Company president and CEO Michael McCain was in Winnipeg last week and told council members it would take 175 new barns to balance production in the province.

Kynoch pointed out that while he believes that construction on new barns will begin in the coming years, the government has not relinquished its control over expansion.

“The whole thing has been politics right from the start… and that’s been our challenge, it hasn’t been based on facts,” he said. “I think if we’d had a lot less misconceptions from the start, this would have been resolved a lot sooner, but I think we’ve finally got to a point I think government is comfortable with what the hog industry is doing and is prepared to do, and that’s why we’ve been allowed to have more options.” shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

7

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

Manitoba Pork Council veteran takes over as chair Issues of trade, capacity and welfare will continue to be dealt with under new MPC chairperson

By Shannon VanRaes co-operator staff

A

fter more than a decade, there is a new face at the helm of the Manitoba Pork Council.

George Matheson was chosen as the council’s new chairperson by the organization’s board of directors following its annual general meeting in Winnipeg last week.

“We have a great group this year, with three new members… and that’s exciting,” said Matheson, who farms near Stonewall and has been on the board of directors for almost a decade.

He replaces outgoing chairperson Karl Kynoch, who’d held the position for 11 years.

“The previous chair, the number of challenges he had to deal with is really staggering, and I would like to think that everything that can go wrong, has gone wrong and there will be smooth sailing for me in the future. But I know that’s not going to be the case,” said Matheson, adding it was an honour to be chosen for the position.

ing up, with more new producers and more production,” Matheson said, adding that the ability to build new hog barns will be integral to that process.

With lower feed prices and better returns, the newly elected chairperson said he believes now is the time to bring production in line with the province’s processing capacity. He also noted that Maple Leaf’s Brandon plant is still short 20,000 hogs each week.

“We’re opposite of Ontario. We have not enough hogs for our processing plants, and Ontario has got too many. It’s too bad we weren’t side by side, we could

trade situations… the Brandon plant is getting 70,000 a week when its capacity is 90,000, so we are hoping to change that,” said Matheson.

In addition to building production capacity, changes to animal welfare and the move to open housing for gestating sows will also continue to be important issues. Increasing access to foreign markets, trade relations and limited human resources are also on the board’s radar, said Matheson.

“Those are all things we’ll keep an eye on as needed,” he said. shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

T:8.125”George

Matheson photo: manitoba pork council

“Sooner or later we’ve got to hit bottom and start building up, with more new producers and more production.”

George Matheson

T:10”

For his part, Kynoch said he’ll miss the job, but felt it was time to move on. He announced his intention not to seek re-election a number of months ago, noting he has witnessed many changes during his 15 years with the council.

“One of the biggest changes has been the loss of producers. When I first started, we used to use a number of about 1,700 levy paying producers and today that number is down to 200. We’ve lost a lot of independent producers due to economic hardships, due to regulatory changes that came out, the moratorium, all different things,” he said. “But I am going to miss it — it’s been a tremendous group of people I’ve worked with, both the board of directors and the staff. Having the privilege to represent the hog producers of the province… it’s been an honour.”

The incoming head of council said that building Manitoba’s hog industry and replacing aging infrastructure will continue to be a priority for the council.

“Sooner or later we’ve got to hit bottom and start build-

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8

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

Clock ticking to get company co-operation for grain price transparency Gerry Ritz wants information posted starting Aug. 1 and John De Pape is confident the target can be met

By Allan Dawson co-operator staff / portage la prairie

J

ohn De Pape is trying to get all Prairie grain companies to give him their prices so he can post regional averages starting Aug. 1, but if they don’t the federal government might have to force them to.

“It’s a stick the (agriculture) minister (Gerry Ritz) has,” De Pape, president of FARMCO, told the Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) General Council April 16. “He’s reluctant to use it, but in all honesty if we fail in getting compliance voluntarily I’ll have to make that recommendation to the minister.

“Nobody wants to do that, in my view anyway. If you regulate it you never get the same result as if you’d done it on your own.”

De Pape and the Alberta Wheat Commission, with funding from Growing Forward 2, are working to deliver better grain market transparency.

A prototype website displaying daily prices based on data provided by a limited number of companies can be found at http://www.pdqinfo.ca.

Currently the site shows average prices in eight regions for four crops — Canada Western Red Spring wheat, Canada Western Amber durum, Canada Prairie Spring wheat and canola. The goal is to post prices for all western crops, De Pape said. However, companies can be “pretty protective” of prices.

“There is a large proportion of bids out there that are not available to everybody. I’m not going to name names but there are four companies that do not provide prices beyond their own customers.

“When a company puts out a price as a bid, that, in my view, is a public good. But some compa-

FARMCO president John De Pape, who is working with the Alberta Wheat Commission to bring price transparency to western Canadian grain markets, is still negotiating with companies to get prices voluntarily. photo: allan dawson

nies say, ‘that’s my price, I’m not going to share it with everybody, just the people I deal with.’ Well, that’s not full disclosure.”

Markets need information to work properly, to encourage competition and arbitrage prices, De Pape said. It’s not a new idea. Many grain markets, including in the United States, have better information, he said.

“Better information makes for better decisions,” he said.

For example, recently Manitoba canola prices were $36 a tonne higher than in northeast Saskatchewan. That might be enough to encourage some farmers to truck canola to Manitoba, De Pape said.

Port prices not visible

Western Canadian farmers have been seeking more price information since the demise of the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly in 2012. But the wide gap between inland and port prices last crop year focused a light on the problem. At times farmers were getting $4 or $5 per

WHAT’S UP Please forward your agricultural events to daveb@fbcpublishing.com or call 204-944-5762.

April 23: Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba (AITC-MB) annual general meeting, 5 p.m., Nott South Auto and Art Gallery, 1322 Waverley St., Winnipeg. For more info call 1-866-487-4029.

April 23: Manitoba Organic Alliance annual general meeting and discussion on “Building the Organic Market for Local Food,” 1 to 5 p.m., Anhang room, Millennium Library, 251 Donald St., Winnipeg. For more info visit www.organicfoodcouncil.org.​ May 13: Canadian Institute of Food Safety and Technology (CIFST) Manitoba Supplier Expo, 12:30 to 6 p.m., Victoria Inn, 1808 Wellington Ave., Winnipeg. Pre-registration required at manitobasection@cifst. ca.

May 28-30: Canadian Nutrition Society annual conference, RBC Convention Centre, 375 York Ave., Winnipeg. For more info visit www. csn-scn.ca, email dallas@goodwinballance.ca or call 204-475-8585.

June 6: DIY Homesteader Festival, Nourished Roots Farm, Fraserwood.

For more info visit homesteaderfest. ca.

June 24-26: International Symposium on Bison Health, Radisson Hotel, 405-20th St. E., Saskatoon. For more info visit www. bisonhealth.ca.

July 5-9: 14th International Rapeseed Congress, TCU Place, 35-22nd St. E., Saskatoon. For more info visit eventwizard.com/irc2015/0/welcome/.

July 7-9, 14-16: Crop Diagnostic School, University of Manitoba’s Ian N. Morrison Research Farm, Carman.

For more info or to register call 204745-5663.

July 22: Hudson Bay Route Association annual general meeting and convention, venue TBA, Churchill.

For more info on the AGM and Churchill tour (July 19-25) visit www. hbra.ca.​ Aug. 12-15: Canadian Cattlemen’s Association semi-annual meeting and convention, location TBA, Winnipeg.

For more info visit http://www.cattle. ca.

bushel less for their wheat than what it was selling for in Vancouver, De Pape said.

That’s also triggered demands for more information about grain prices at port. But getting accurate numbers there is a bigger problem, De Pape said. For starters not much grain changes ownership at port. In addition, there’s usually several months

between when a sale is made and when the grain arrives at port, making it complicated to compare the port price with a country one.

Moreover, the difference between the port and country price reveals how much a company is grossing.

“I’m really not in favour of going to the companies and asking, ‘what did you sell for?’ I am sensitive to their competitive interests. I think the detriment of that is greater than the benefit.”

There are other ways to gauge whether port and inland prices are too far apart, including a demurrage index that would reflect delays in rail movement, which of late have been blamed for the wide basis (difference between cash and futures prices), he said.

Market transparency also requires assess to good data, including stocks and export reports and production estimates, De Pape said. He compared seven months of canola exports and found the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) reported almost 250,000 fewer tonnes of canola exports than

Statistics Canada. Export statistics are also almost two months old. Data needs to be accurate and timely, De Pape said.

There are also gaps in the data. For example, the CGC doesn’t track the volume of grain exported from Canada in containers. (Amendments before the House of Commons are meant to fix that.) Last crop year 18 per cent of Canada’s grain exports was shipped in containers, he said.

Meanwhile, De Pape continues to negotiate to get grain prices through the Western Grain Elevator Association, which represents the West’s major grain firms.

“They have ideas and we have ideas and we’re trying to find common ground,” he told reporters. “There are a number of things that we agree on. They have not said no. They say they just want to make sure it’s done right. They have their own corporate interests in mind in terms of what is right. We may have a hard time agreeing on what is right.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

9

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

Roadside recognition for official provincial soil proposed 2015’s Year of the Soil a perfect time to get the idea off the ground, say Newdale residents

By Lorraine Stevenson co-operator staff / Newdale

F

Newdale farmers (l to r) Carol and Bruce Dalgarno holding handfuls of Newdale Clay Loam, recently met with Newdale Historical Society members Shirley Pederson and Margaret Ann Howard, and Newdale farmers Enid and Gordon Clark to talk over the idea of a local roadside symbol at Newdale to acknowledge Manitoba’s official soil. Manitoba soil scientist John Heard and land use specialist Elaine Gauer, who joined them in Newdale to talk over the concept, call it a wonderful idea. photos: lorraine stevenson

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ive years after Manitoba officially proclaimed the Newdale Clay Loam its provincial soil, the tiny village bearing the same name wants to recognize it too.

Local residents view International Year of the Soil as the perfect time to get their idea off the ground — so to speak.

So last week — just in time for Soil Conservation Week in Canada — they met with provincial soil scientists to dig a little deeper into the plan.

“Ever since Newdale Clay Loam was designated Manitoba’s official soil, I’ve thought that we as the community of Newdale should do something to acknowledge it and celebrate it,” said Bruce Dalgarno who farms at Newdale.

It’s a great idea, say Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Development’s soil fertility specialist John Heard and land use specialist Elaine Gauer, after a meeting with Dalgarno, his wife Carol and other members of the village’s historical society.

The Manitoba Soil Science Society (MSSS) worked very hard to have a provincial soil declared, said Gauer. A partnership with a town bearing the same name is a perfect fit.

“This is a great opportunity to teach people about the importance of soil and about the importance of agriculture, which are two things people don’t give enough thought to,” said Gauer.

Talk last week was mostly about erecting a sign just outside Newdale along Hwy. 16, and possibly some sort of small interpretive centre in town explaining both the formation of Newdale soil and including some of the village’s own history as well.

The link between this soil and their community’s origins are seamless, Dalgarno said.

“The soil is what brought people here 140 years ago. It’s what gave life to the Prairie,” he said. “We’ll get some discussion going as to what’s the next step and who we can get on board to help us.”

Another idea floated at the April meeting was hosting a field day later this year, possibly in fall to involve local children and youth.

Newdale won a lottery of sorts five years ago when the province acclaimed Newdale Clay Loam.

That’s because there are over 10,000 soils in Manitoba and they all bear place names, explains Gauer.

“When the soil survey was done, starting in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, we needed names, and they just picked the name of the nearest town or village or whistle stop along the way,” she said, adding today some soils today bear names of towns that no longer exist.

Newdale Clay Loam, which covers some 1.3 million acres and typifies the clay loam soil farmed across western Manitoba, developed under grass-

“Ever since Newdale Clay Loam was designated Manitoba’s official soil, I’ve thought that we as the community of Newdale should do something to acknowledge it and celebrate it.”

Bruce Dalgarno Newdale farmer

lands over many thousands of years.

This Black Chernozem soil — there’s more in this province than any other in Canada — formed after the ice age, when glaciers acting like a giant blender ground together granite, limestone and shale.

About 12,000 years of Prairie grass growth overtop eventually formed this rich soil with its characteristic darker surface layer, said Heard.

Linking their own spot on the map to the provincially acclaimed soil is something that, to his knowledge no other province or state has done, he said.

Other provinces also officially recognized soils including the Charlottetown Soil of Prince Edward Island and Queens Soil of Nova Scotia, he said.

“It would be unusual to have that celebration of having the soil recognized along with the community,” he said.

“We would be unique in celebrating and recognizing it as an icon.”

American states also have designated soils but not all are enshrined in legislation, Heard said. Many U.S. soils are also named after towns, but most bear names of Native American tribes. lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

MAFRD soil specialist John Heard displays a sample of the provincially recognized Newdale Clay Loam extracted from a field just north of the town of the same name.

10

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

LIVESTOCK MARKETS Cattle Prices

Heifers

Alberta South 201.50 — 143.00 - 158.00 120.00 - 142.00 170.00 $ 225.00 - 238.00 243.00 - 257.00 268.00 - 291.00 300.00 - 321.00 321.00 - 345.00 337.00 - 362.00 $ 213.00 - 225.00 231.00 - 245.00 247.00 - 266.00 269.00 - 292.00 295.00 - 319.00 315.00 - 340.00

($/cwt) (1,000+ lbs.)

(850+ lbs.)

Futures (April 17, 2015) in U.S. Fed Cattle Close Change Feeder Cattle April 2015 160.80 -1.00 April 2015 June 2015 152.00 0.43 May 2015 August 2015 149.67 1.00 August 2015 October 2015 150.97 0.37 September 2015 December 2015 151.77 0.37 October 2015 February 2016 151.32 0.80 November 2015 Cattle Slaughter Canada East West Manitoba U.S.

April 17, 2015

Heifers draw noteworthy bids at Manitoba sales Expect activity to slow as the grass gets greener Dave Sims

Close 215.80 213.00 214.67 213.52 212.55 211.60

Change -0.67 -0.70 -0.35 -1.00 -0.95 -0.77

Cattle Grades (Canada) Previous Year­ 50,793 12,442 38,351 N/A 575,000

Week Ending April 11, 2015 1,374 30,476 10,907 492 649 6,668 123

Prime AAA AA A B D E

Previous Year 968 30,601 15,187 782 818 7,652 65

Hog Prices Source: Manitoba Agriculture

(Friday to Thursday) ($/100 kg) E - Estimation MB. ($/hog) MB (All wts.) (Fri-Thurs.)

MB (Index 100) (Fri-Thurs.)

ON (Index 100) (Mon.-Thurs.)

PQ (Index 100) (Mon.-Fri.)

Current Week 165.00 E 153.00 E 139.39 140.84

Last Week 157.05 146.04 135.80 137.79

Last Year (Index 100) 245.61 226.73 245.48 254,57

Futures (April 10, 2015) in U.S. Hogs April 2015 May 2015 June 2015 July 2015 August 2015

Close 71.02 76.37 77.80 77.92 71.52

Change 0.52 -0.43 -0.32 -0.30 0.80

Other Market Prices Sheep and Lambs $/cwt Ewes Choice Lambs (110+ lb.)

(95 - 109 lb.)

(80 - 94 lb.)

(Under 80 lb.)

(New crop)

Winnipeg (155 Hd) Wooled Fats 110.00 - 120.00 200.00 - 210.00 200.00 - 210.00 200.00 - 210.00 — —

Chickens Minimum broiler prices as of April 13, 2010 Under 1.2 kg................................... $1.5130 1.2 - 1.65 kg.................................... $1.3230 1.65 - 2.1 kg.................................... $1.3830 2.1 - 2.6 kg...................................... $1.3230

Turkeys Minimum prices as of April 19, 2015 Broiler Turkeys (6.2 kg or under, live weight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $1.955 Undergrade .............................. $1.865 Hen Turkeys (between 6.2 and 8.5 kg liveweight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $1.940 Undergrade .............................. $1.840 Light Tom/Heavy Hen Turkeys (between 8.5 and 10.8 kg liveweight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $1.940 Undergrade .............................. $1.840 Tom Turkeys (10.8 and 13.3 kg, live weight truck load average) Grade A..................................... $1.895 Undergrade............................... $1.810 Prices are quoted f.o.b. producers premise.

Toronto 100.79 - 132.59 202.13 - 222.51 255.80 - 275.52 262.41 - 286.14 269.31 - 313.60 —

SunGold Specialty Meats —

Eggs Minimum prices to producers for ungraded eggs, f.o.b. egg grading station, set by the Manitoba Egg Producers Marketing Board effective November 10, 2013.

New Previous A Extra Large $2.00 $2.05 A Large 2.00 2.05 A Medium 1.82 1.87 A Small 1.40 1.45 A Pee Wee 0.3775 0.3775 Nest Run 24 + 1.8910 1.9390 B 0.45 0.45 C 0.15 0.15

Goats Kids Billys Mature

Winnipeg (110 Hd Fats) — — —

<1,000 lbs.

1,000 lbs.+

T

he market stayed strong for both feeder and slaughter classes of livestock at Manitoba stockyards during the week ended April 17.

In all, 8,652 animals made their way through the rings before being sent to destinations in the U.S. as well as in Western and Eastern Canada.

Better-end heifers attracted especially strong bids, possibly for breeding purposes, one analyst said. Butcher cows traded barely steady in the $144-$148 range, another participant said, noting good bulls topped out in the $174 area.

A rise in the Canadian dollar toward the end of last week may have softened some activity for a few auction marts, but they still reported strong interest from U.S. buyers.

One of them said several groups of Holstein steers (700 pounds) received bids $200 per hundredweight higher while steers (500 lbs.) crept up $235.

“It seems like every week the market wants to increase a little bit. We’re running at the tail-end of the cattle coming through and we’ve never seen a market this high before,” said Dave Nickel of Gladstone Auction Mart.

The U.S. continues to be a main buyer of Manitoba cattle, Nickel said, with many feeders heading south of the border in the past several weeks.

dave nickel

“I know that the south is the big driving force in our market today,” he said.

Reports out of Chicago indicate the U.S. has had significant difficulty exporting beef this year due to the strength of the U.S. dollar. U.S. beef imports, however, were up 48.8 per cent in February, compared to last year.

Nickel said the market will likely start running out of cattle in the next few weeks as farmers prepare for summer.

“The weather’s warming up and things are happening; pretty soon we’ll see some grass coming, but it’s still a little early,” he said.

Finding trucks is relatively easy right now, compared to other times of year, so farmers should be able to get their hands on units if they need to, Nickel added.

Many farmers in Manitoba are down to the lower part of their feed reserves, but producers in the Gladstone region were able to make it through the winter relatively unscathed, he said.

Dave Sims writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

briefs

Bird flu confirmed on second farm in Ontario toronto / reuters / Preliminary testing has confirmed the presence of H5 avian influenza on a second Ontario farm, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said April 18.

The federal agency said the broiler breeder chicken farm has been placed under quarantine to control the spread of the disease. Further testing is underway to determine the precise subtype and strain of the virus.

Avian influenza is an infectious viral disease of birds.

Most bird flu viruses do not infect humans or pose a food safety risk when poultry products are properly handled and cooked.

Canadian authorities earlier this month confirmed the presence of H5 avian

influenza on a turkey farm near Woodstock. The virus on the turkey farm was the highly pathogenic H5N2 strain, similar to one that has spread across the United States.

Since the beginning of the year, H5N2 has been found in birds in 12 U.S. states stretching from Oregon to Arkansas.

U.S. presses Mexico to ease poultry import limits chicago / reuters / The United States is pressing Mexico, the top importer of U.S. chickens and turkeys, to relax restrictions imposed on poultry shipments because of an outbreak of a strain of avian flu deadly to birds, an Agriculture Department

spokeswoman confirmed April 17.

Negotiations are playing out as the number of U.S. poultry flocks infected with the disease continues to rise and the cost of the U.S. government response is approaching $50 million.

Government officials are aiming to limit the economic pain the H5N2 flu causes to producers and exporters by asking Mexico to restrict imports only from counties that are home to infected flocks. The disease can kill nearly an entire infected flock of poultry within 48 hours.

So far, Mexico has imposed trade restrictions on entire states, including top U.S. turkey producer Minnesota, when infections have been detected.

Mexico has limited poultry imports from states with infections in commercial operations.

Toronto ($/cwt) 65.00 -382.50 — 75.90 -248.50

Horses Winnipeg ($/cwt) — —

“It seems like every week the market wants to increase a little bit.”

CNSC

Ontario $ 192.40 - 209.16 186.29 - 204.83 102.60 - 139.86 102.60 - 139.86 135.30 - 171.72 $ 217.83 - 250.64 236.69 - 269.41 258.94 - 304.92 261.19 - 328.53 294.73 - 358.88 270.71 - 364.63 $ 200.53 - 219.75 220.94 - 241.59 234.15 - 267.22 246.56 - 313.30 254.62 - 326.63 271.28 - 345.79

$

(901+ lbs.)

(801-900 lbs.)

(701-800 lbs.)

(601-700 lbs.)

(501-600 lbs.)

(401-500 lbs.)

(901+ lbs.)

(801-900 lbs.)

(701-800 lbs.)

(601-700 lbs.)

(501-600 lbs.)

(401-500 lbs.)

Week Ending April 11, 2015 51,198 12,144 39,054 N/A 502,000

$1 Cdn: $.8177 U.S. $1 U.S: $1.2229 Cdn.

COLUMN

(Friday to Thursday) Winnipeg Slaughter Cattle Steers — Heifers — D1, 2 Cows 135.00 - 145.00 D3 Cows 118.00 - 130.00 Bulls 160.00 - 165.00 Feeder Cattle (Price ranges for feeders refer to top-quality animals only) Steers (901+ lbs.) $ 200.00 - 241.00 (801-900 lbs.)

215.00 - 253.00 (701-800 lbs.)

240.00 - 290.00 (601-700 lbs.)

265.00 - 325.00 (501-600 lbs.)

310.00 - 375.00 (401-500 lbs.)

320.00 - 410.00 Heifers (901+ lbs.)

180.00 - 215.00 (801-900 lbs.)

205.00 - 230.00 (701-800 lbs.)

215.00 - 261.00 (601-700 lbs.)

250.00 - 313.00 (501-600 lbs.)

260.00 - 318.00 (401-500 lbs.)

300.00 - 358.00 Slaughter Cattle Grade A Steers Grade A Heifers D1, 2 Cows D3 Cows Bulls Steers

EXCHANGES: aPRIL 10, 2015

Toronto ($/cwt) 20.00 - 62.00 34.25 - 74.35

Looking for results? Check out the market reports from livestock auctions around the province. » PaGe 14

11

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

GRAIN MARKETS Manitoba Elevator Prices

column

Average quotes as of April 17, 2015 ($/tonne)

Rise in Canadian dollar pressures canola values

Future

How a new CWB owner affects markets remains to be seen

Net

Weekly Change

Red spring wheat

199.33

9.94

209.27

-10.66

Red winter wheat

188.56

-29.82

158.74

-5.82

Prairie spring wheat

188.56

-42.46

146.10

-19.83

Canola

450.11

-15.21

434.90

-4.46

Port Prices As of Friday, April 17, 2015 ($/tonne)

Phil Franz-Warkentin CNSC

I

CE Futures Canada canola contracts dropped hard on Thursday (April 16) but managed to claw back some of those losses by Friday.

The old-crop May and July contracts were both lower on the week, as a strengthening Canadian dollar provided the catalyst for a round of fund selling. The currency climbed by over two cents relative to its U.S. counterpart during the week, which cuts into crush margins and makes exports less attractive to international buyers.

Canola did not stay down for long, as oversold price sentiment and spillover from the firmer tone in the CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade) soy complex provided some support.

The old-crop months were well off their weekly lows by Friday, and the new-crop months were steady to slightly higher on the week.

Some of that relative strength in the newcrop months is likely tied to the underlying uncertainty over the size of a crop that hasn’t even been seeded yet and the need to keep some weather premiums in the futures. With an early spring across the Prairies, seeding operations are also getting started a bit quicker than normal.

Statistics Canada releases its first surveybased acreage estimates on April 23. Opinions in the trade are divided over whether canola area will be up or down from the 20.3 million acres seeded in 2014, although average guesses call for a slight increase, just given the fact that much of the land flooded out in Saskatchewan in recent years should be back in production.

Great expectations

Basis

In the U.S., soybeans moved higher during the week, with soymeal pulling the rest of the soy complex higher as demand remains solid for the livestock feed. However, any upside may be limited in soybeans, with big South American crops starting to become a larger factor in the international market and expectations mounting for a big U.S. crop as well.

Corn found some modest support from seeding delays in parts of the southern U.S. However, planting conditions were good in other areas, and the moisture slowing operations in some cases will also be good for yields in the long run.

Wheat was down across the board during the

For three-times-daily market reports from Commodity News Service Canada, visit “Today in Markets” at www.manitobacooperator.ca.

Last Week

Weekly Change

U.S. hard red winter 12% Houston

215.59

-19.10

U.S. spring wheat 14% Portland

285.68

-30.58

Canola Thunder Bay

472.50

-5.80

Canola Vancouver

482.50

-5.80

Recent sales reported For an Apr. 24 Iraq Grain Board tender, Russian wheat was offered lowest at $242.60 a tonne c&f. The lowest offer for U.S. wheat was $257.35, for Australian $262.50 and for Canadian $264.95.

Bangladesh: 50,000 tonnes of French wheat at $243.69 a tonne CIF. Egypt’s: 300,000 tonnes of French, Russian and Romanian wheat at an average price of $221.39 c&f

week, with the Kansas City and Minneapolis hard wheat contracts hitting fresh lows. For winter wheat, some much-needed rainfall across the southern Plains should help improve the condition ratings for the crops there.

Meanwhile, weather in the northern-tier states was good for seeding the spring wheat crop, with planting operations running well ahead of normal.

The big news from a Canadian wheat standpoint during the week was the announcement that the former Canadian Wheat Board (now known simply as CWB) is to be purchased by the newly created G3 Global Grain Group. G3, a joint venture between Bunge Canada and Saudi Arabia’s SALIC Canada, will buy 50.1 per cent of the company for $250 million, with the minority stake going to farmers who deliver to CWB. However, G3 has the option to buy out that farmer equity in seven years’ time.

There will obviously be some heated ideological debates over the details of the CWB sale to foreign interests. However, from a marketing perspective, whether any new ownership leads to a significant change in grain pricing in the Prairie landscape remains to be seen.

The corporate and government line was that the creation of a new company would be “a win” for farmers, bringing in more competition for their grain. While more competition can’t hurt, it’s also worth noting that the G3 deal doesn’t include any new infrastructure (aside from the previously announced CWB terminals already being built). Rather, it’s more of a reshuffling of what’s already there.

Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

Closing Futures Prices As of Thursday, April 16, 2015 ($/tonne) Last Week

Weekly Change

ICE canola

454.00

0.70

ICE milling wheat

213.00

-22.00

ICE barley

205.00

0.00

Mpls. HRS wheat

195.85

-15.07

Chicago SRW wheat

181.88

-8.73

Kansas City HRW wheat

187.03

-15.62

Corn

149.60

0.79

Oats

170.21

-4.21

Soybeans

356.05

5.70

Soymeal

347.13

3.20

Soyoil

695.02

14.99

Last Week

Weekly Change

Cash Prices Winnipeg As of Friday, April 17, 2015 ($/tonne)

Feed wheat

167.53

n/a

Feed barley

178.21

8.73

Rye

n/a

n/a

516.11

-43.70

n/a

n/a

Oats

195.82

-5.84

Soybeans

357.52

-0.73

Sunflower (NuSun) Fargo, ND ($U.S./CWT)

19.45

-0.10

Ask

Ask

Flaxseed Feed peas

Sunflower (Confection) Fargo, ND ($U.S./CWT)

Prairie wheat bids slide with U.S. futures CWRS bids ranged from $185 per tonne in north-central Saskatchewan to $209 per tonne in Manitoba

By Phil Franz-Warkentin Commodity News Service Canada

C

ash bids for Canadian wheat were down during the week ended April 17, as losses in the U.S. futures weighed on values.

Av e r a g e C a n a d a We s t e r n Re d Spring (CWRS) wheat prices were down by $10 to $19 per tonne, with bids ranging from $185 per tonne in north-central Saskatchewan to $209 per tonne in Manitoba, according to price quotes from a cross-section of delivery points across Western Canada.

Quoted basis levels varied from location to location, but generally deteriorated by $5 to $10 per tonne if using the grain company

methodology of quoting the basis as the difference between the U.S. dollar denominated futures and the Canadian dollar cash bids.

When accounting for the currency exchange rates by adjusting the Canadian prices to U.S. dollars ($1=US$0.8178 as of April 17), CWRS bids ranged from US$151 to US$171. That would put the currency adjusted basis levels at about US$28 to US$48 below the futures.

Looking at it the other way around, if the Minneapolis futures are converted to Canadian dollars, CWRS basis levels across Western Canada range from $34 to $58 below the futures.

Average Canada Prairie Red Spring (CPRS) bids were down by $18 to

$22 per tonne compared to the week prior. CPRS prices came in at about $146 in Manitoba, at about $150 to $151 per tonne in Saskatchewan, and $159 to $164 in Alberta.

Soft white spring wheat prices were down by about $16 per tonne, ranging from $167 to $168 per tonne in Alberta. Winter wheat prices were $3 to $9 per tonne lower, ranging from $144 to $159 per tonne across Western Canada.

Durum prices were down by anywhere from $7 to $17 per tonne, with prices in southern Saskatchewan, where the bulk of the crop is grown, quoted at about $293 per tonne.

The July spring wheat contract in Minneapolis, which most CWRS contracts in Canada are based off,

was quoted at US$5.4425 per bushel on April 17, down 42.25 cents from the previous week.

The Kansas City hard red winter wheat futures, which are now traded in Chicago, are more closely linked to CPRS in Canada. The July Kansas City wheat contract was quoted at US$5.1475 per bushel on April 17, down 47.75 cents from last week.

The July Chicago Board of Trade soft wheat contract settled at US$4.8925 on April 17, which was 34.75 cents weaker compared to the week prior.

The Canadian dollar finished the week at 81.78 U.S. cents, which was up by over two cents relative to its U.S. counterpart compared to the previous week.

12

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

LIVESTOCK h u s b a n d r y — t h e s c i e n c e , S K I L L O R ART O F F AR M IN G

U.S. meat industry bought more human antibiotics to 2013

By P.J. Huffstutter chicago / reuters

Last year the Canadian Animal Health Institute voluntarily offered to stop labelling about 60 medications as livestock growth promotants. Photo: Thinkstock

Federal government unveils plans to tackle drug resistance Federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose has held a workshop with industry to discuss the plan

By Alex Binkley Co-operator contributor

T

he federal government has unveiled a national plan for tackling the g row i n g t h re a t f ro m b a c t e r i a increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

Late on April 17, the Department of Health issued a press release saying it would propose regulations under the Food and Drugs Act to end growth-promoting claims and bulk imports. It didn’t provide any details on the contents of the regulations.

“There’s a lot of detail in it that needs to be fleshed out,” Jim Fairles, past president of the Canadian Veterinary Medicine Association, said in an interview after participating in a recent workshop with Health Minister Rona Ambrose and her officials on the plan. “Along with the farm commodity groups, we discussed the steps we’ve already taken and what more we need to do. We’ll need a lot more discussion on human and livestock medicines.”

Back in 2008, the veterinary association and the Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI), which represents drug manufacturers, launched a prudent use campaign to teach farmers about the appropriate use of antibiotics to control sickness in their animals without jeopardizing their effectiveness in treating humans. The program was embraced by the major livestock associations and is included in their sustainable agriculture guidelines.

The issue gained a higher profile last year when U.S. President Obama announced a $44-million program to combat antimicrobial resistance, which he said causes at least two million illnesses and 23,000 deaths in the U.S. annually. Comparable numbers for Canada are not available.

The Ontario Medical Association last year called for tighter controls over the use of medicines in livestock production to prevent a worsening AMR situation.

“There’s a lot of detail in it that needs to be fleshed out… We’ll need a lot more discussion on human and livestock medicines.”

Jim Fairles

CAHI president Jean Szkotnicki said in an interview that Canada needs to “harmonize its antimicrobial-resistance (AMR) policies with the rest of the world.

Otherwise we could lose trade opportunities.”

Last year, her association voluntarily offered to stop labelling about 60 medicines for use as livestock growth promoters, which comes into effect next year. It also urged the federal government to stop allowing farmers to import

medicines from the U.S., which they can administer without veterinary supervision.

It now is urging Health Canada to end the import of bulk active pharmaceutical ingredients, which are unregulated.

“There are no controls on where these products come from or on the quality of the ingredients.” The own-use and bulk imports account for about 30 per cent of the antibiotics used on farms.

The veterinary association agrees that both types of imports should be ended.

At the workshop, Ambrose acknowledged that AMR is a global challenge and said Canada will contribute US$250,000 to support a World Bank study of the economic impacts of AMR. Health Canada will work closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on an AMR approach “given the high degree of integration of the meat and livestock production markets in both countries.”

Health Canada and the Public Health Agency will begin a project to collect data to create “an integrated, national picture of antimicrobial use and resistance across Canada.”

As well, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Agriculture Canada will develop a plan for monitoring antibiotic use in livestock production.

The Public Health Agency says that more than three-quarters of antimicrobials are administered in Canada, mostly to promote growth by reducing illness.

“Using antibiotics in animals should be limited to treating infection.”

Sales of medically important antibiotics in the United States for use in livestock jumped by 20 per cent between 2009 and 2013, federal regulators said April 9, although recent statements by producers suggest those figures could be dropping.

Between 2012 and 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said its annual report, domestic sales and distribution of antibiotics approved for use in food animals increased three per cent.

Companies such as Tyson Foods Inc. and Perdue Farms have said in the past year, however, they have either reduced or eliminated the use in chicken barns and poultry hatcheries of antibiotics used on humans.

“A lot of these announcements came in either late 2013 or in 2014, so we don’t really expect to see that reflected in the data we’re looking at right now,” said Gail Hansen, a senior officer for Pew Charitable Trusts’ antibiotic-resistance project. “At some point, though, we should be seeing a decrease.”

What specific antibiotics are being fed to which animals, and in what volume and for what reasons, is not clear.

Trade group North American Meat Institute told Reuters it supports the voluntary guidelines FDA released in 2013 for drug makers and agricultural companies to phase out antibiotic use as a growth enhancer in livestock.

However, “it is hard to glean much information about what the (FDA) report means as far as the key issue of antibiotic resistance is concerned,” said Betsy Booren, the group’s vicepresident of scientific affairs.

Public health advocates, along with some lawmakers and scientists, have criticized the long-standing practice of using antibiotics in livestock, saying it is fuelling the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Agribusinesses defend the practice, saying animal drugs are needed to help keep cattle, pigs and chickens healthy, and increase production of meat for U.S. consumers.

Though the FDA sales data is not current, Hansen said it will help federal regulators create a baseline for their current research efforts.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to begin collecting more detailed data on antibiotics used on farms in a potential precursor to reducing use of such drugs in livestock.

The agency is awaiting funding approval for the research. The White House recently issued a sweeping plan to slow antibiotic resistance over the next five years.

13

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

COLUMN

The last thing you want to see in a prized bull Injuries that prevent a bull from breeding can be successfully treated, and about 50 per cent of cases will heal Roy Lewis, DVM Beef 911

N

umerous times during the breeding season, calls come in to veterinary clinics in regards to swellings along the sheath of bulls.

In many instances, a favourable outcome is highly attainable. And with today’s bull prices this may be good news.

The location of the swelling says a lot about its cause.

Generally if the penis has been broken the swelling is just ahead of the scrotum.

Swellings lower down on the sheath are common with lacerations to either the penis or the prepuce.

A broken penis is the result of a rent created in the sinus of the penis. Blood accumulates in the sinus causing the erection. A sudden bend to an erect penis such as being hit when breeding will cause such a break. Then in subsequent breeding attempts, blood is pumped out through this defect. The blood is trapped in this location causing the visible swelling. The d e g re e o f s w e l l i n g t h e re fore depends on how many breeding attempts have been made before the producer can pull the bull from the breeding herd. Some bulls will be turned off sexually and may not attempt further breeding.

To diagnose a cut penis, your veterinarian will either sedate the bull to have a good look at his penis or use an electro ejaculator to be able to visualize it. Cuts are the result of breeding in bush, over fences, etc. Some bulls are more prone because of their aggressive nature. A few polled bulls have a tendency to have their sheath prolapsed constantly. All these things greatly increase the likelihood of lacerations and tears.

Complications involve several scenarios, which can be vastly different in each case.

Large cuts can result in infection and subsequent scarr i n g w h i c h c o u l d p re v e n t the bull from extending his penis, therefore not achieving intromission. I personally have seen a case where 100 per cent of a herd was open because the herd bull had a scarred-down penis from an

FARMING IS ENOUGH OF A GAMBLE...

injury the previous year. This is another very good reason to semen evaluate and make sure the penis can be fully extended.

If severe swelling has occurred, the prepuce may be prolapsed. This can also occur with broken penises and the resulting drying, swelling and cracking of the prolapsed prepuce cause a serious complication. Hydrotherapy with medicating ointments is often prescribed. The swelling must be brought down to allow retraction of the prepuce back into the sheath. In all these cases the bulls can be immediately shipped for emergency slaughter as long as no medication has been given. However, a vast majority can be treated so depending on age of bull and his value to your herd this option is always available.

Treatment is not complicated or costly; some labour and the tincture of time with sexual rest resolve many of them. Broken penises require hydrotherapy initially and then a long sexual rest. A few months later the bull may be tested to see if erection is possible. About 50 per cent of the cases will heal (if caught early before large swellings have occurred), but they do have a higher incidence of reoccurring than normal bulls.

Su r g e r y w a s t r i e d m o re often in the past but because of the large blood clot that formed, infection is a very real complication. Prognosis is no better than the conservative medical approach. The blood clot is absorbed over time and as long as adhesions are minimized with hydrotherapy, infection is unlikely.

Cut penises involve careful

scrutinization by your veterinarian. Flushing medication up the sheath along with hydrotherapy and systemic drugs are used in bad cases.

Minor cases will be left with just sexual rest and time. If breeding is allowed, the laceration may be extended. As well, blood is very detrimental to sperm. With fresh cuts this mixing of blood and sperm can result in very poor fertility.

Many minor cuts heal on their own as we see from the scars on penises at semen evaluation in subsequent years. These cuts most likely occurred the previous breeding season. The seriousness of the injury will determine prognosis and estimated re t u r n t o f u n c t i o n . S o m e minor cuts will be healed and the bull ready to use in two to three weeks, but they should be checked to make sure com-

plete healing has occurred.

A high percentage of cuts will heal however, keeping that bull till the next breeding season may be warranted depending on the value of the bull. Again, that choice is made based on the value of the bull, his age, and when in the breeding season the laceration occurred.

When checking your bulls during the breeding season watch for full extension when breeding, blood on breeding, and keep a careful watch of the sheath area for any abnormal swellings. If anything is noticed, pull them immediately and get them attended to.

Roy Lewis practised large-animal veterinary medicine for more than 30 years and now works part time as a technical services veterinarian for Merck Animal Health.

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14

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

LIVESTOCK AUCTION RESULTS Weight Category

Ashern

Gladstone

Grunthal

Heartland

Heartland

Brandon

Virden

Killarney

Ste. Rose

Winnipeg

Feeder Steers

Apr-15

Apr-14

Apr-14

Apr-14

Apr-15

Apr-13

Apr-16

Apr-17

No. on offer

1,175

552

483*

983*

2,041

763

1,305

1,350

Over 1,000 lbs.

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

900-1,000

n/a

210.00-231.50

n/a

220.00-233.00

219.00-239.00

n/a

n/a

200.00-229.00

800-900

230.00-243.00

215.00-250.50

210.00-235.00

245.00-269.50

242.00-263.00

240.00-254.00

235.00-250.00 (253.00)

225.00-255.00

700-800

240.00-282.00

240.00-290.00

230.00-270.00

265.00-304.00

255.00-292.00

255.00-283.00

245.00-290.00 (307.00)

240.00-290.00

600-700

160.00-330.00

270.00-316.00

270.00-335.00

295.00-337.00

290.00-326.00

280.00-320.00 (332.50)

290.00-320.00 (328.00)

270.00-319.00

500-600

280.00-355.00

320.00-351.00

325.00-366.00

325.00-352.00

315.00-348.00

325.00-352.50

295.00-365.00 (370.00)

310.00-360.00

400-500

290.00-387.50

340.00-362.00

350.00-405.00

360.00-400.00

335.00-390.00

345.00-380.00 (388.00)

290.00-370.00 (385.00)

318.00-368.00

300-400

300.00-390.00

345.00-371.00

360.00-410.00

n/a

n/a

350.00-380.00 (390.00)

290.00-370.00 (394.00)

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

190.00-211.00

200.00-218.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

Feeder heifers 900-1,000 lbs.

800-900

205.00-238.00

200.00-228.00

200.00-222.00

220.00-240.00

219.00-235.00

n/a

210.00-235.00 (241.00)

200.00-231.00

700-800

230.00-268.00

220.00-252.00

220.00-250.00

235.00-267.00

238.00-262.00

240.00-255.00 (262.50)

225.00-260.00 (269.00)

220.00-262.00

600-700

250.00-290.00

240.00-290.00

250.00-305.00

265.00-290.00

255.00-288.00

260.00-280.00 (286.00)

245.00-285.00 (297.00)

230.00-285.00

500-600

270.00-320.00

280.00-345.00

300.00-330.00

275.00-311.00

285.00-312.00

290.00-325.00 (336.00)

275.00-290.00 (320.00)

265.00-310.00

400-500

280.00-339.00

310.00-351.00

320.00-350.00

320.00-350.00

315.00-344.00

315.00-345.00 (355.00)

295.00-340.00 (345.00)

300.00-350.00

300-400

n/a

340.00-372.00

325.00-380.00

n/a

n/a

320.00-365.00 (379.00)

300.00-345.00 (349.00)

n/a

No. on offer

175

552

89

109

n/a

n/a

n/a

220

D1-D2 Cows

120.00-130.00

110.00-140.00

110.00-132.00

133.00-146.00

131.00-142.00

130.00-143.25

130.00-155.00 (162.00)

132.00-145.00

D3-D5 Cows

100.00-120.00

n/a

n/a

119.00-132.00

120.00-130.00

n/a

110.00-130.00

120.00-130.00

Slaughter Market

Age Verified

135.00-155.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

130.00-145.00

n/a

n/a

Good Bulls

150.00-183.00

n/a

152.00-160.25

165.00-176.50

164.00-183.00

155.00-168.50

150.00-176.50 (183.00)

165.00-172.00

Butcher Steers

n/a

n/a

n/a

174.00-182.50

177.00-183.50

n/a

n/a

upto-169.50

Butcher Heifers

n/a

n/a

n/a

173.00-179.00

176.00-182.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

Feeder Cows

n/a

n/a

138.00-145.00

n/a

142.00-165.00

135.00-153.00

n/a

138.00-150.00

Fleshy Export Cows

n/a

n/a

132.00-142.50

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Lean Export Cows

n/a

n/a

112.00-120.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Heiferettes

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

158.00-175.00

* includes slaughter market

(Note all prices in CDN$ per cwt. These prices also generally represent the top one-third of sales reported by the auction yard.)

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The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

World’s largest cattle farm for sale Australia’s largest private landowner is getting out of the cattle business

By Colin Packham sydney / reuters

A

ustralia’s largest private landowner will sell its cattle operations, including the world’s largest ranch and an area equivalent in size to South Korea, to raise cash for other businesses and investments.

S. Kidman & Co. said it will sell its privately owned 11 cattle stations and a feedlot, complete with more than 200,000 head of cattle and more than 100,000 square kilometres (25 million acres) of land spread across Western Australia, t h e No r t h e r n Te r r i t o r y, Queensland and South Australia.

The announcement of the sale — which is expected to attract significant foreign interest — comes a month after the government said it would clamp down on foreign ownership of agricultural land.

The cattle stations on offer include Anna Creek, the world’s largest cattle farm at more than 23,000 sq. km.

S. Kidman & Co. managing director, Greg Campbell, said the sales decision by the Kidman family was driven by a desire to capitalize on demand for Australian agricultural assets.

“Many of the family have other existing investments in Australian agriculture and elsewhere and the sale will allow them to convert long-term capital gains into cash to support their other businesses and investments,” Campbell said.

Australia is the world’s third-largest exporter of beef — selling more than 1.5 million tonnes a year of the red meat — according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Australian agricultural assets have become increasingly desirable despite the often volatile incomes, and some industry experts estimate more than 20 per cent of Australian agricultural land is owned by overseas investors.

Concerned it is losing control of its own food security, Australia in February slashed the amount beyond which land purchases would require regulatory approval.

From March 1, foreign purchases of agricultural l a n d ov e r A $ 1 5 m i l l i o n (US$12.5 million) are subject to regulatory approval from Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board.

London-based private equity company Terra Firma was last year rumoured to be interested in purchasing a 50 per cent stake in S. Kidman & Co. in a deal valuing the Australian beef producer at between A$250 million and A$300 million.

“The company is in excellent financial shape, being debt free with no mortgages over any assets,” said Campbell.

S. Kidman & Co.’s business produces an average 15,000 tonnes of beef each year, supplying 1.3 per cent of Australia’s slaughtered beef exports, the company said.

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Deadline for applications: May 15, 2015

SHEEP & GOAT COLUMN

Post-Easter prices remain constant at April 15 sale Strong bidding for some classes of sheep; limited supply of goats

By Mark Elliot

April 15, 2015

Co-operator contributor

Ewes

W

innipeg Livestock Auction had 150 sheep and goats delivered for the April 15 sale.

There was some exciting bidding limited classifications of sheep, but the supply of goats remained low.

Bidding was strong for ewes, especially on the lightweight ewes. The price ranged from $1.12 to $1.25 per pound. There appeared to be no price difference between the wool and hair ewes.

The classification of rams was represented by a group of three 218-pound Cheviot-cross rams.

These rams brought $250.70 ($1.15 per pound). A 235-pound Katahdin-cross ram brought $277.30 ($1.18 per pound).

The bidding on the heavyweight lambs was strong. Fifteen 114-pound Cheviot-cross lambs brought $238.26 ($2.09 per pound). Eighteen 111pound woolly Dorset-cross lambs brought $209.79 ($1.89).

Another group consisting of two large lambs and a ewe with an average weight of 130 pounds brought $223.60 ($1.72).

No market weight lambs were supplied.

The feeder lamb classification dominated this auction. Strong bidding continued for these lambs, with no price difference between wool and hair lambs.

The price ranged from $2.30 to $2.31 per pound.

The price bidding remained strong for the lightweight

$155 - $227.20

Lambs (lbs.)

110+

$209.79 - $238.26

95 - 110

n/a

80 - 94

$191.73 - $204.70

Under 80 78

$170.04

60

$109.50 - $150.08

GOAT DOES WETHERS

/ lb.

animal weight

$2.58

78 lbs.

$2.28

88 lbs.

$2.45

95 lbs.

$2.19

103 lbs.

$1.43

185 lbs.

BUCKS meat

lambs. Three 78-pound woolly Dorset-cross lambs brought $170.04 ($2.18 per pound).

The 60-plus pound lambs produced some exciting bids.

Three 60-pound Rideau-cross lambs brought $1.825 per pound. Eleven 64-pound Cheviot-cross lambs brought $2.19.

A group of 11 67-pound lambs brought $2.24.

The audience was entertained by sheep family units — quality and appearance is an additional factor. A couple of units will require extra attention by the buyers as milk production might be an issue. The first unit with one lamb brought $1.09 per pound. A similar unit

brought $1.44 per pound. The third unit brought $1.36 per pound. The final unit consisting of a ewe with two lambs brought $0.97 per pound.

There were no goat does or goat kids (under 80 pounds) supplied for this sale. A 185pound Boer-cross buck represented the classification.

The goat-cross wethers had a Kiko structure and appearance, with strong muscle Boercross formation. The quality of the wethers had the buyers’ approval. The group of three Kiko-cross Alpine wethers had similar traits. The Alpinecross goat had a very muscular frame.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

WEATHER VANE “ E v e r y o n e talks a b out the weathe r , b ut n o o n e does a n y th i n g a b out i t . ” M a r k Tw a i n , 18 9 7

Cool weather pattern returns Issued: Monday, April 20, 2015 · Covering: April 22 – April 29, 2015 Daniel Bezte Co-operator contributor

A

s the weather models predicted last week, a strong area of low pressure in both the lower and upper levels of the atmosphere has developed to our east over the Great Lakes. At first it looked like this low would be smaller and farther east, only bringing us a short shot of cold air, but it ended up becoming quite large and now we’ll have to deal with colder-than-average conditions at least until the weekend, maybe even a little longer.

The two main weather models, American and U.K., are handling the eastern upper low a little differently. The American model is stalling the low over northern Ontario until at least Friday or Saturday. This will keep us in a cool northerly flow with scattered clouds as pieces of energy rotate around this large low. Daytime highs will only be in the +2 to +6 C range and overnight lows around -5 C. Eastern regions will be the coolest, with temperatures moderating the farther west you go.

The U.K. model moves the upper low out more quickly, allowing milder air to begin building in by Friday.

Over the weekend we should see temperatures moderate a little bit as the upper low finally weakens and slides farther east.

Temperatures will slowly moderate over the weekend, with highs pushing the 10 C mark by Sunday. The one positive will be that the winds should be light over the weekend.

For the first half of next week, the models show an area of low pressure developing to our west. A mild southerly flow will develop ahead of this low, allowing for temperatures to climb back up toward the 20 C mark

by Wednesday. Along with the milder air will come increasing humidity and the chance of showers or thundershowers

by Wednesday. Further ahead, it looks like we may be entering a more summer-like pattern, with warm but wetter conditions moving in.

Usual temperature range for this period: Highs, +6 to +20 C; lows, -5 to +5 C. Probability of precipitation falling as snow: 20 per cent.

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.

WEATHER MAP - WESTERN CANADA

1 Month (30 Days) Departure from Average Precipitation (Prairie Region) March 10, 2015 to April 8, 2015

< -60 mm -60 to -50 mm -50 to -40 mm -40 to -30 mm -30 to -20 mm -20 to -10 mm -10 to 0 mm 0 to 10 mm 10 to 20 mm 20 to 30 mm 30 to 40 mm 40 to 50 mm 50 to 60 mm > 60 mm 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 © 2015 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: 04/10/15 www.agr.gc.ca/drought

This issue’s map shows the amount of precipitation that fell across the Prairies as a departure from average during the 30 days ending April 8. Most of agricultural Manitoba saw amounts zero to 10 millimetres below average, with far-western regions seeing about 10 mm more than average. You have to go all the way to far-western Alberta to see significantly wet conditions, with some regions seeing 30 to more than 60 mm greater-than-average precipitation.

Beginning our look at severe summer weather Knowing an alert from a watch or a warning will help keep you informed, and safe

By Daniel Bezte co-operator contributor

U

sually around this time of the year I start my annual look at severe summer weather, but before we dive into that topic, the global March temperatures are in and the planet has beat another record. March 2015, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), was the warmest March since records began in 1880. It was the third-warmest March, according to NASA, and the lower atmosphere recorded the fifth-warmest March in the 37-year satellite record, according to the University of Alabama Huntsville.

According to the Weather Underground, the NASA datab a s e s h ow e d Ma rc h 2 0 1 5 as having the fifth-greatest departure from average and so far we have seen five of the top 10 monthly departures from average occur over the last year. In NOAA’s data, the last 12 months have been the warmest 12-month period on record, with seven of the past 11 months tying or setting a global monthly record. Personally, I am still sticking to my opinion that the cool pattern that has been keeping eastern North America below average will

I am still sticking to my opinion that the cool pattern keeping eastern North America below average will continue to slowly shift eastward.

Table: Severe weather on the Prairies Dust storm

Blowing dust reducing visibility to less than 800 metres for more than one hour.

Heat Temperature or humidex values expected to reach 40 C. Rainfall (short duration) 50 mm or more rain is expected to fall within one hour.

Rainfall (long duration) 50 mm or more rain is expected in 24 hours or 75 mm or more in 48 hours.

continue to slowly shift eastward, setting the stage for a very warm late spring and summer across central North America.

Alert Ready

OK, now on to this issue’s topic: severe summer weather. It seems appropriate to start this off by talking about the federal government’s recent announcement about a new emergency alert system, Alert Ready. It is basically a distribution infrastructure that will allow for the rapid dissemination of information about imminent danger coming from any source. The technology for this new system has been in place for years and was voluntary, but as of March 31, it now has to be used by all broadcasters. Check out aler tready.ca for more information.

When it comes to severe summer weather, or any severe weather, there are three levels of alert. Knowing these levels and what they mean is the first step to keeping yourself informed and safe. Personally, it drives

me crazy when I hear people talking about different alerts, because often they get them all mixed up! The first level is a special weather statement.

These are issued when unusual weather is expected to develop, but isn’t expected to meet or exceed severe weather levels.

This type of alert means the weather will likely affect your day, but probably won’t cause a serious disruption to your daily routine.

The next level is a weather watch. This means severe weather conditions have not yet developed, but forecasters feel there is a good chance that they will develop. This is the one most people get mixed up. When a watch is issued, it means you should pay attention to the weather around you and keep an eye on the weather around you. You should keep track of weather reports and other online weather sources.

Be prepared to take safety precautions and to take action quickly should severe weather

Severe thunderstorm One or more of the following conditions is imminent or occurring: Wind gusts of greater than 90 km/h; hail two centimetres in diameter; heavy rainfall as per rainfall criteria.

Tornado

A tornado has been reported or there is evidence on radar of a tornado.

Wind

Sustained winds of 70 km/h or more, and/or gusts to 90 km/h or more.

Source: Environment Canada

develop and a warning is issued.

You guessed it: the final level is a weather warning.

This means severe weather has developed and is occurring. When dealing with severe summer weather, warnings can sometimes be issued in advance, but due to the nature of summer severe weather the lead time is often very short, sometimes giving you only a few minutes. This is why you need to be paying attention when there is a weather watch issued. If you hear of a warning for your area, take action immediately.

What’s severe here?

So, what kind of severe sum-

mer weather affects our region of the world? The table here shows Environment Canada’s list of the different weather warnings we could see across the Prairies during the summer, along with brief descriptions.

This year I’m going to take a little bit of a different slant on examining these conditions.

While we will still take a closer look at the main severe weather culprit, thunderstorms, I am going to take a wider view by examining the weather pattern and conditions needed for these seven different types of warnings to develop. So stay tuned, and let’s hope that severe summer weather holds off for a little while yet!

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

17

Trim: 10.25”

CROPS h u s b a n d r y — th e s ci e n c e , S K I L L O R A R T O F F A R M I N G

Health Canada completes review of glyphosate Minor labelling changes are proposed

By Alex Binkley Co-operator contributor

H

ealth Canada is seeking public comments on its proposal to approve the ongoing registration of glyphosate, the widely used weed killer better known as Roundup.

The department says its evaluation of scientific information “found that products containing glyphosate do not present unacceptable risks to health or the environment when used according to the proposal label directions.”

The department says that after a five-year review of glyphosate that it’s recommending the existing label directions be amended to include direction not to use it near populated areas and to take steps to keep it out of watercourses. Farm and forestry workers should stay out of sprayed area for 12 hours.

Generally, the proposed label instructions match advice already given to farmers by researchers about protecting the environment during the growing season.

The public has until June 12 to post comments on the Health Canada website www. hc-sc.gc.ca on the 350-page consultation document.

Last month, an advisory committee to the World Health Organization warned that glyphosate should be banned because it’s possibly carcinogenic to humans. Although the WHO hasn’t commented on the report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, its report has triggered a lively debate within the scientific community.

Health Canada said the IARC report did not take into account the actual exposure levels of humans to glyphosate. Pesticides are only registered for use in Canada “if the level of exposure to Canadians does not cause any harmful effects, including cancer.”

As well, the amount of glyphosate residues in food is believed to have no harmful effects over their lifetime, the department said.

Trish Jordan, spokeswoman for Monsanto, which makes the Roundup version, said in an interview the company is still studying the Health Canada re-evaluation decision and

Generally, the proposed label instructions match advice already given to farmers by researchers about protecting the environment during the growing season.

will comment when that review is complete.

There didn’t appear to be “anything startling or restrictive in the new label directions that farmers are not already doing.

In its outline of the contents of the review, Health Canada says products containing glyphosate, “are unlikely to affect your health when used according to label directions.”

Maximum residue limits of glyphosates on food are well established and have not proven to be a concern.

Trim: 15.58”

True grit

Some southern Manitoba farmers weren’t deterred by high winds April 15. Photo: Lorraine Stevenson

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The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

Fears over Roundup herbicide residues prompt private testing Its presence in samples is not a human health hazard, it’s the amount that counts, Monsanto says

By Carey Gillam reuters

U

.S. consumer groups, scientists and food companies are test ing substances ranging from breakfast cereal to breast milk for residues of the world’s most widely used herbicide on rising concerns over its possible links to disease.

The focus is on glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup. Testing has increased in the last two years, but scientists say requests spiked after a World Health Organization research unit said last month it was classifying glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”

“The requests keep coming in,” said Ben Winkler, laboratory manager at Microbe Inotech Laboratories in St.

Louis. The commercial lab has received three to four requests a week to test foods and other substances for glyphosate residues. In prior years, it received only three to four requests annually, according to its records.

“Some people want to stay out in front of this. Nobody knows what it means yet, but a lot of people are testing,” said Winkler.

Microbe has handled recent requests for glyphosate residue testing from small food companies, an advocacy group testing baby formula and a group of doctors that wants to test patients’ urine for glyphosate residues, said Winkler. The firms and doctors do not want their identities published.

Abraxis LLC, a Warminster, Pe n n s y l v a n i a - b a s e d d i a g -

nostics company, has also seen a “measurable increase” in glyphosate testing, said Abraxis partner Dave Deardorff.

Monsanto Co., the maker of Roundup, on April 1 posted a blog seeking to reassure consumers and others about glyphosate residues.

“A c c o r d i n g t o p h y s i cians and other food safety experts, the mere presence of a chemical itself is not a human health hazard. It is the amount, or dose, that matters,” Monsanto senior toxicologist Kimberly HodgeBell said in the blog. Trace amounts are not unsafe, she stated.

Company spokeswoman Charla Lord said last week that further questions could be directed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

There are numerous studies that have determined glyphosate to be safe, but several others have linked it to human health ailments. Critics say they fear that glyphosate is so per vasive in the environment that extended exposure even to trace amounts can be harmful.

Te s t s by A b r a x i s f o u n d glyphosate residues in 41 of 69 honey samples and in 10 of 28 soy sauces; Microbe tests detected glyphosate in three of 18 breast milk samples and in six of 40 infant formula samples.

North Dakota State University agronomist Joel Ransom reported to the U.S. Wheat Quality Council in February that tests he ordered showed traces of glyphosate in several U.S. and Canadian flour samples.

briefs

Ivory Coast seeks to woo agricultural investors

By Ange Aboa abidjan / reuters

Ivory Coast is hoping to attract billions of dollars of investment and become self-sufficient in food by offering more tax breaks for agricultural firms and stepping up land reform and infrastructure projects, its agriculture minister said.

The West African country is already the world’s largest producer of cocoa and has drawn up a plan to diversify its output by pulling in about two trillion CFA francs ($3.25 billion) in investment from donors and investors up to 2016.

President Alassane Ouattara’s government hopes the National Plan for Agricultural Investment (NPAI) will reduce poverty and lead to the local processing of half of Ivory Coast’s agricultural output.

Agriculture makes up around a quarter of Ivory Coast’s roughly $35-billion economy and employs two-thirds of the workforce, but rural infrastructure requires large-scale investment after a decade of political turmoil that ended in a brief 2011 civil war.

Chinese citizens sue government beijing / reuters / Three Chinese citizens are taking China’s Ministry of Agriculture to court in a bid to make public a toxicology report supporting the approval of Monsanto’s p o p u l a r w e e d k i l l e r, Roundup, 27 years ago.

The case, a rare example of a lawsuit by private citizens against the Chinese government, comes amid renewed attention on glyphosate, the key ingredient in Roundup, after a controversial report by a World Health Organization group last month found it to be “probably carcinogenic to humans” — a claim denied by Monsanto.

It also underlines the deep-seated fears held by some Chinese over genetically modified food.

Beijing No. 3 Intermediate People’s Court had accepted the case but a date for a hearing has not yet been set, an official at the court told Reuters.

19

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

The plan puts institutional investors on ice The province wants to review the legislation with a view to tightening its provisions toronto / reuters

T

he Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), the count r y ’s l a r g e s t p e n s i o n f u n d manager, said April 13 it is concerned about the Saskatchewan government’s decision to temporarily ban certain institutional investors from buying farmland in the province.

The western province said it plans a review of farmland ownership rules under the Saskatchewan Farm Security Act. Pension plans and other institutional investors will be unable to purchase farmland in Saskatch-

ewan while the review is ongoing. No completion date was given for the review.

In January, Reuters reported the province, whose plains grow more wheat than Argentina, is likely to tighten what are already some of North America’s strictest rules for buying farmland as Saskatchewan looks to fend off big money managers hungry for what they see as a winning investment.

Saskatchewan law already requires that companies that invest in farmland be 100 per cent owned by Canadians. Purchases by pension funds

are also banned, but the Saskatchewan Farm Land Security Board allowed CPPIB to buy 115,000 acres in 2013 on the basis that its corporate structure was unique.

“Our goal is not to limit investment but to ensure the long-term success of Saskatchewan’s agriculture industry and economy,” Lyle Stewart, the province’s agriculture minister, said in a statement.

The province plans to release details on the consultation process later this spring.

The CPPIB, which manages contributions from 18 million Canadians

to support the Canada Pension Plan, said it had ensured it was a qualified buyer before it bought farmland in the province and notified Saskatchewan’s Farm Land Security Board about its plans in advance.

CPPIB said it did not receive any indication at the time that its investments in farmland were not welcome.

“We are confident that our farml a n d i n v e s t m e n t s w i l l g e n e ra t e returns for the CPP Fund while doing no harm to Saskatchewan, its farmland market or the farmers,” CPPIB’s senior managing director Michel Leduc said in a statement.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

Bunge boss of two years faces pressure to improve results The company has struggled with risk management, incurring huge hedging losses in soybeans

By Tom Polansek chicago / reuters

A

$250-million deal for Bunge Ltd. to take control of Canadian grain handler CWB may not help the head of the agribusiness firm in his drive to boost profits.

The transaction was announced April 15 as Bunge chief executive Soren Schroder, 53, faces pressure to improve earnings after leading the world’s largest oilseed processor for nearly two years.

Since he became CEO in June 2013, the company’s stock price has advanced 23 per cent, lagging gains of nearly 50 per cent for rival Archer Daniels Midland Co. Investors and analysts are hoping Schroder on April 30 delivers strong firstquarter earnings after operating profits in Bunge’s core agribusiness segment fell 14 per cent in 2014.

It should be easy for trading houses like Bunge and ADM to increase earnings as large harvests provide ample opportunity to make money out of their bread-and-butter business of transporting, storing and selling grain. However, Bunge has struggled with managing risk and hedging soybeans, with missteps in these areas repeatedly hurting profits.

Bunge expects the CWB deal, which partners the company with Saudi Arabia’s state-owned agricultural investment firm, to close in July, and it will not factor into first-quarter earnings. Once it is finalized, it will be too small to significantly impact results, said Jeff Stafford, senior analyst for Morningstar, noting Bunge’s market capitalization tops $12 billion.

For the first quarter, Bunge is expected to earn $1.19 per share excluding certain items, up from a loss of 12 cents a

Brett Wong, senior research analyst for Piper Jaffray & Co., about Bunge.

Last year, Schroder’s compensation climbed 55 per cent to $10.1 million as his salary rose 20 per cent to $1.2 million and options awards increased, regulatory filings show.

Privately held commodity trader Cargill Inc. has set the bar high for Bunge’s upcoming earnings, reporting last week that profits for the quarter ended Feb. 28 rose 33 per cent on the year.

And Goldman Sachs recently raised its rating for Bunge to a buy, citing the best macro environment for the company in years.

“Everybody’s benefiting from this environment, it’s just that Bunge keeps shooting itself in the foot,” Wong said last month, referring to hedging losses.

year earlier, according to Thomson Reuters data. In the fourth quarter, profits fell short of expectations largely due to hedging losses.

Bunge logged an $80-million loss on its books in the quarter because prices for oilseeds in North America and fuel shifted after the company locked in margins. Schroder has said he will make this back in the first half of 2015.

Bunge had a similar $80-million hedging loss in oilseed businesses in the third quarter of 2014, which it recouped in the fourth quarter.

The company lost out further in the fourth quarter when the value of soybeans it was delivering to top importer China dropped $30 million below the amount the company had paid for them.

“I don’t want to critique its hedging policy, other than it hasn’t worked,” said

™

EmpOwEring FarmErS

The company was growing a high-yielding variety with no resistance

 Ag in Motion brings innovation to the field All fArmers know decisions are made in the field. Imagine a place, an event, created to empower farmers by providing the information they need to make these important decisions.

A place where they can see the latest equipment in action, in the field – operating in the same environment it’s made for. A place where farmers can see multiple varieties of live crop plots growing side by side in the field.

This summer, such a place will exist.

Introducing Ag in motion, Western Canada’s newest and only outdoor farm expo. Debuting July 21 to 23, on a half-section (320 acres) near Saskatoon, SK, it’s the only show that provides an outdoor venue for progressive farmers in Western Canada that want to see and experience the latest agricultural innovation, all in one place. Ag in motion will feature field equipment demonstrations, live crop plots and interactive exhibits such as “ride and drives” and smaller equipment demos.

“Ag in motion will offer farmers a unique opportunity to compare crop plots and machinery, in action, and ultimately help them make decisions about the best products for their operations,” says Show Director Rob O’Connor. “There’s nowhere else in Western Canada where farmers can actually see multiple pieces of farm equipment in operation, take a test drive, or compare different crop varieties all in one place.”

What does an outdoor show look like?

The Ag in motion team brings together the expertise of seasoned farm show organizers.

beijing / reuters

C

The Expo is operated by Glacier FarmMedia, who owns Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, the country’s largest outdoor farm show held annually near Woodstock, Ontario. Also part of Glacier FarmMedia are Western Producer, Manitoba Co-operator, Grainews, Country Guide, Canadian Cattlemen, Alberta Farmer Express and AgDealer. The team knows what’s involved in delivering an outdoor show, and the potential such a venue provides.

Now in its 22nd year, Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show delivers 750 exhibitors and 42,000 visitors each year. Most attendees come to see the newest technologies in agriculture. Its success is based on the fact that active farmers attend to do business – make decisions – and the show is dedicated solely to agricultural products, equipment and services.

Ag in motion is applying the same model and will become a must-see event by showcasing cutting-edge agricultural advancements that empower Canadian farmers to help meet their goals in producing high quality, safe food in a competitive marketplace.

To learn more about how an outdoor show looks and operates, view the videos on the Ag in motion website, www.aginmotion.ca.

Live Demos and Interactive Exhibits The number of Ag in motion exhibitors is growing steadily each week and includes seed and crop protection companies, field equipment and livestock handling manufacturers, financial services, nutrition, baling products, tires, fertilizers and much more.

SOmETHing nEw iS in THE FiEld. ViSiT ag in mOTiOn THiS SUmmEr - JUlY 21-23 For more information about Ag in Motion please call toll free: (800) 563-5441 or email: info@aginmotion.ca www.facebook.com/AginMotion

SEE Technology ™ Denotes a trade-mark of Canada’s Outdoor Shows Limited Partnership.

China super-rice varieties hit by rice blast

TOUCH Innovation

BE Empowered

@AginMotion

www.aginmotion.ca

hina’s super-rice grower, Yuan Longping HighTech Agriculture Co. Ltd., blamed abnormal weather and disease for large crop failures in the rice-growing province of Anhui last year.

Rice blast fungus caused a reduction in yields or no harvests in many areas in the province, said an executive with the company founded by Yuan Longping, an agricultural scientist who is sometimes referred to by Chinese media as “the father of hybrid rice.”

“Last year, because of the abnormal weather, the areas which normally have a low outbreak of rice blast were unexpectedly hit with frequent outbreaks, causing big losses for farmers,” said Peng Guangjian, the company’s president.

C h i n e s e m e d i a re c e n t l y reported that the super-rice strain, “Liangyou 0293,” produced by the company, caused widespread crop failure in six areas in Anhui province last year.

“The disadvantage of the strain is that it is not resistant to rice blast, although it has many advantages, including high yield...,” Peng told a local television station.

Super hybrid rice accounts for about 30 per cent of the country’s total rice area and average yield was 590.8 kg per mu (0.07 hectare), the official People’s Daily reported on Sunday, citing an Agriculture Ministry official.

China, the world’s top rice grower and consumer, harvested 206.43 million tonnes of rice in 2014, 1.4 per cent more than in the previous year.

21

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

briefs

Suitable stopover

BASF contest winners Boissevain farmer Bill Simpson is among three farmers in Western Canada to receive $5,000 in herbicides from BASF Canada.

Growers were entered into the grand prize drawing after watching a video about resistance management and how to minimize the impact of weeds on their farm, the company said in a release.

“BASF is committed to educating growers on herbicide resistance,” said Danielle Eastman, western herbicides brand manager at BASF Canada. “This contest gave growers the opportunity to learn more about best practices for managing resistance from experts in the field, while giving them a chance to win a great prize.”

After a long journey north, these geese were no doubt happy to find both food and water in this field east of Souris. photo: jeannette greaves

Scholarship applications open The Major Jay Fox Memorial Scholarship is accepting applications from students age 17 and older who are registered in a post-secondary agricultural program for a $500 scholarship.

The scholarship in honour of the late president of Manitoba Cattle Producers Association and Outstanding Young Farmer recipient is awarded annually to a student who demonstrates commitment to their community.

This year’s applicants must write a 250-word essay stating their future goals in agriculture and addressing the topic: “In your opinion, what could be done to retain a larger number of young people in agriculture in Manitoba (Canada).”

They must also supply two letters of reference, a list of community involvements and proof of enrolment. Deadline for applications is May 22.

Applications can be filed electronically to Manitoba Outstanding Young Farmers, c/o Tracy Bassa, labass@ mts.net.

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22

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

California regulators defend farmers’ access to water The $45-billion agriculture sector accounts for 80 per cent of water used in the country’s most populous state

By Sharon Bernstein sacramento, calif. / reuters

T

he administration of California Governor Jerry Brown hit back earlier this month against criticism that its drought conservation mandates apply to consumers but do not include the state’s $45-billion agriculture business.

Push-back from top water regulators came in response to complaints from environmentalists that agriculture, which accounts for 80 per cent of water used by humans in the most populous U.S. state, should also be required to conserve.

“Agriculture in California produces the food we all rely on,” said Secretary for

Natural Resources John Laird at a briefing on the drought in Sacramento. “Folks want to point fingers, but we’re all in this together.”

The state produces half of all U.S. produce, and nearly all of such crops as broccoli, almonds and walnuts, Laird said, and farmers have already experienced cutbacks in their water supply that last year forced them to fallow 400,000 acres (162,000 hectares) of cropland and lay off 17,000 workers.

Making water even harder for farmers to get could damage the state’s economy and force up food prices, he said.

The controversy began bubbling up hours after Brown, a Democrat, ordered a 25 per cent reduction in urban water

use in early April in California’s first-ever mandatory cutbacks, standing in a dry meadow in the Sierra Nevada mountains to emphasize that there was no snow to melt in the spring to feed rivers and streams.

Urban water systems would have to persuade consumers to cut back watering lawns and flushing toilets or face fines, but farmers would be exempt, Brown said, sparking criticism on op-ed pages and social media.

The angry response has led farmers, struggling amid record-high temperatures and low water allocations from state and federal suppliers, to feel besieged, said Paul Wenger, president of the California Farm Bureau.

“I’m getting so many calls from farmers saying, ‘I feel like I’ve got a target on my back,’” Wenger said.

Heather Cooley, a water expert at the Pacific Institute think-tank, said agriculture worldwide typically accounts for up to 80 per cent of a region’s water use.

“It takes water to grow food,” Cooley said. California farmers have become more efficient, but still have room to improve, she said.

Water Resources Control Board chair Felicia Marcus said the state has to balance urban, agricultural and environmental needs for water.

“We don’t have the option of saying let’s forget about the fish or let’s forget about agriculture,” Marcus said.

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23

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

U.S. farmers take a gamble with belt tightening as incomes slide Farmers are buying cheaper seeds, using less fertilizer and staying away from farm machinery expos

By Karl Plume and P.J. Huffstutter chicago / reuters

B

racing for their leanest season in eight years, U.S. farmers are skimping on everything from machinery to fertilizers, betting that they can go downmarket and yet maintain crop production and quality.

The belt tightening has already squeezed sales of suppliers, and farming experts

warn the gamble can backfire: less robust crop protection and less resilient seeds combined with some rough weather could hurt crops this year and beyond.

Jon Sparks, who farms 1,400 acres in eastern Indiana, is scrambling to cut costs wherever he can: buying cheaper seeds, using less fertilizer, and hoping his farm equipment will not break down this year.

Sparks is not alone as farm-

ers nationwide are scr utinizing every expense. After four years of bumper crops and earnings, grain prices are plummeting and the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts this growing season to be the least profitable since 2007.

Across the nation’s Midwestern Corn Belt, new f a r m e q u i p m e n t s a l e s a re down, seed salesmen from Monsanto and DuPont Pio-

neer talk of a slump in business and fertilizer suppliers Mosaic and PotashCorp are reporting lower sales volumes for some products.

How such cutbacks, which have intensified since last autumn’s record harvest, will affect grain production is not yet clear, but the risks are considerable.

Right now, weather forecasts are largely favourable for U.S. grains this summer.

Yet as any forecasts, they come with a degree of uncertainty. If the weather turns foul, say agronomists, corn a n d s oy b e a n y i e l d s c o u l d drop 20 per cent or more if growers skip disease or insect treatments to save money.

The United States is the w o r l d’s t o p s oy b e a n s a n d corn producer and a major exporter, so any dent in output would ripple through global markets. It could also hurt U.S. cattle and hog producers, who use corn and soybeans as feed.

“Whether it is new equipment, fertilizer or other i n p u t s s u c h a s f u n g i c i d e, g r ow e r s a re re - e v a l u a t i n g every one of those decisions this year, probably at a higher level than they have in the p a s t ,” To m Ei c k h o f f , c o r n agronomic systems lead for Monsanto, one of the biggest seed makers, told Reuters.

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LIGHT ’EM UP

It is too early to gauge how deep the farm spending cuts are, but the squeeze to suppliers’ profits and sales gives some sense of the scale of the belt tightening.

Deere & Co., the world’s largest farm equipment maker, reported a 43 per cent drop in profit in its first quarter to Jan. 31 and has already laid off 1,500 plant workers in Iowa, Illinois and Kansas, and furloughed another 500.

New equipment is “a convenience more than a necessity right now,” said Sparks.

Other cuts involve some risk taking. Sparks is planting corn seed without genetic resistance to rootworms in some of his fields this year because they lie outside the “hot zone” for the pest the USDA estimates causes $800 million of losses each year.

Monsanto last week reported a 10 per cent drop in seed sales in its second quarter to Feb. 28, with corn seed sales, its biggest revenue generator, down 15 per cent.

A March 31 USDA report confir med that U.S. far mers are planning to devote

the least acres to corn in five years this season, switching to cheaper soybeans that require less fertilizer.

Meanwhile, more farmers than usual are passing on Monsanto’s newly launched, a n d m o s t e x p e n s i ve, c o r n hybrids in favour of slightly older and cheaper ones, the company said.

In response, the biotech giant is cutting its seed production plans. Company officials told Reuters their contracted farmers will plant less seed corn this summer for use in the 2016 season, but declined to discuss the matter in detail.

D u Po n t P i o n e e r, w h i c h reports quarterly results later this month, said the shift away from corn planting is hurting demand for some of its bug-battling hybrids, but offered no further details on seed sales.

Balancing act

Choices made today will affect farmers until next season as they are trying to strike a balance between costs and crop quality and protection.

Pl a n t i n g a l e s s re s i l i e n t seed or too much of a single variety can amplify crop losses if there is a spell of poor weather, or an insect or disease outbreak. Skimping on fertilizer saves money, but also can reduce crop yields.

Still, Brian Duncan, who farms in Polo, Illinois, said he will forgo spraying his corn crop with fungicide and supplemental insecticide.

Instead, he will rely on the built-in bug protection in his biotech corn seed, bought from a single company to get a bulk discount. If applied on all of the cornfields of his 3,900-acre farm, the strategy could save him as much as $35 an acre, or up to $123,000.

Many shun the new and embrace the old.

Southwest Indiana farmer Don Villwock is putting off a trial of DuPont Pioneer’s latest data-science advisor y ser vice this season, a $12-an-acre subscription, and will instead rely on his local agronomist for guidance, paying $8 an acre.

He is also tuning up his three-year-old corn planter instead of trading it in for a new one. Villwock skipped a trip to the annual Louisville Farm Show showcasing shiny new machinery for the first time in a decade. “I figured it’s best not to be tempted, so I stayed home.”

Where the stories go.

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24

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

China farm pollution worsens, despite moves to curb excessive fertilizers, pesticides The government is urging farmers to cut back on fertilizer, but soil scientists say it is needed

By Dominique Patton beijing / reuters

F

arm pollution in China is worsening, despite moves to reduce excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, said the Agriculture Ministry, urging farmers to switch to organic alternatives to tackle severe soil and water pollution.

But experts say achieving the ministry’s goal will be difficult without sacrificing food output, a top priority in the world’s most populous country.

China consumes around a third of global fertilizers, with rapid growth in use in recent years driven largely by higher fruit and vegetable production.

China is the world’s biggest grower of apples, strawberries, watermelons and a range of vegetables.

Excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has led to polluted water sources, contamination of soil with heavy metals and high pesticide residues on food, threatening both public health and agricultural productivity.

“A g r i c u l t u ral non-pointsource pollution is worsening, exacerbating the risk of soil and water pollution,” said the Agriculture Ministry in a statement.

Growers apply 550 kg of fertilizer to a hectare of fruit trees and 365 kg of fertilizer to a hectare of vegetables, Vice-Agriculture Minister Zhang Taolin told reporters on Tuesday.

World Bank data showed China used 647.6 kg of fertilizer per hectare of arable land in 2012, compared with 131 kg in the United States and 124.3 kg in Spain.

Pesticide consumption should be cut to 300,000 tonnes, down from the current 320,000 tonnes, said Zhang.

China’s use of chemical fertilizer grew by an average 5.2 per cent a year over the past three decades, reaching 59 million tonnes in 2013, Xinhua said last month.

“There is large space to reduce this growth,” Zhang said, reiterating a target announced late last year to halt growth in fertilizer use nationwide by 2020.

“I believe it is absolutely possible to guarantee our food security strategy,” added Zhang, while proposing farmers use more organic fertilizers.

Qiu Huanguang, professor at Renmin University, expressed doubt over the plan, however.

“China’s soil fertility is declining so it needs fertilizers to maintain it,” he said, adding that switching to organic fertilizers such as animal manure was much more labour intensive for farmers already facing rising labour costs.

“The Agriculture Ministry’s main goal is to stabilize production, or increase it. Environmental protection is not its No. 1 function,” added Qiu. Beijing also wants to promote the use of waste management systems at livestock farms and try to reduce pollution from plastic film, promoting biodegradable products as an alternative, said Zhang.

Far mers use 2.5 million tonnes of sheeting a year to

“Agricultural non-pointsource pollution is worsening, exacerbating the risk of soil and water pollution.”

Agriculture Ministry

prevent moisture evaporation and for weed control but the plastic is often left in the soil damaging soil, water and animal health.

China is also targeting more efficient irrigation and recycling of straw left after harvesting for use as mulch, animal feed and biomass.

In this 2013 photo, a fisherman pushes aside the algae floating on the surface of a sea cucumber farm to make air, near the coastline of Qingdao, Shandong province. photo: REUTERS/China Daily

25

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

Asian grain mills stick with containers despite higher cost Containers are preferred by smaller mills seeking door-to-door delivery

By Naveen Thukral singapore / reuters

R

Shipping containers stand at a port in Bangkok March 30, 2015.

photo: REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

apid growth in the use of containers to ship grains and oilseeds to Southeast Asia could take a step back this year after a fall in bulk freight rates to record lows, although smaller mills will mostly stick with containers, traders said.

Asian millers started importing grains in shipping containers about a decade ago, using empty boxes that were returning to Asia after delivering electronics and white goods, rather than traditional bulk cargo vessels.

Offering door-to-door shipments, regular scheduling and small-volume contracts, containers accounted for about 20 per cent of Southeast Asia’s grain and oilseed shipments

in 2014, grain traders said, up from 10 to 15 per cent the year before.

However, an expansion in the global bulker fleet and a steep drop in crude oil prices dragged global bulk shipping rates to record lows in February. Prices are down 25 per cent this year.

The quoted rate for a 50,000tonne bulk vessel from the western United States to Port Klang in Malaysia has fallen to around $20 to $25 per tonne, while the container rate has held largely steady at around $40 to $45 a tonne, shipping sources said.

The widening cost difference has pushed some users, such as feed purchasers in Vietnam back to bulk shipments, traders said, but the gap would need to widen by a further $10 to $15 a tonne to erode the benefits of containers for most smaller mills.

“The volume shipped in containers has kept more or less intact,” said Voytek Chelkowski, managing director of Singapore-based freight consulting firm Seamind.

“While we expect that the depressed bulk market may temporarily reduce the volume of grains shipped in containers, the value and opportunities of this mode of transportation will keep this segment vibrant,” he said.

Small millers in countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines want lower volumes than a bulk carrier load. International trading companies that bring grains on larger vessels often end up selling one cargo to several different mills, traders said.

“The main reason is flexibility, as shipping grain in containers means impor ters can control the unloading much more effectively and get the grain to off-port locations with greater ease,” said Timothy Simpson, director of marketing and communications for North America at Maersk, the world’s biggest container shipping company.

Containers also allowed for easy shipment and tracking of non-genetically modified grains and organic food.

FARMING IS ENOUGH OF A GAMBLE...

Advertise in the Manitoba Co-operator Classifieds, it’s a Sure Thing!

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The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015 The Manitoba Co-Operator | October 6, 2011

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27

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

AUCTION DISTRICTS

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Interlake

Parkland – North of Hwy 1; west of PR 242, following the west shore of Lake Manitoba and east shore of Lake Winnipegosis.

Westman – South of Hwy 1; west of PR 242.

Interlake – North of Hwy 1; east of PR 242, following the west shore of Lake Manitoba and east shore of Lake Winnipegosis.

Red River – South ofHwy 1; east of PR 242.

The Pas

Swan River Minitonas Durban

Winnipegosis

Dauphin

Grandview

Ashern

Gilbert Plains

Russell

Parkland

Birtle

Riverton Eriksdale

McCreary

Gladstone

Rapid City

1

Carberry

Boissevain

Killarney

Elm Creek

Crystal City

FORKLIFT

Beausejour

Sanford

Ste. Anne

Carman

Mariapolis

Pilot Mound

Lac du Bonnet

Cat propane forklift model TC60E, triple mast*

Winnipeg

Austin Treherne

Westman

Waskada

Stonewall Selkirk

Portage

Brandon Souris

Melita

Interlake

Langruth

Neepawa

Hamiota

Virden

(Viewing Friday, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Day Before Sale Only)

Arborg

Lundar

Erickson Minnedosa

Reston

AT 11 Higgins Ave. (In Back)

FOR ERICH SCHMIDT & NEIGHBOURS

Gimli

Shoal Lake

St. Pierre

242

Morris Winkler Morden

Altona

Steinbach

SIDE BY SIDE RIDING MOWER, SNOWBLOWER

1

Red River

Kubota side by side w/cab model RTV 900 w/power steering, diesel* John Deere 110 lawnmower tractor w/ snow blower & roto tiller* Craftsman 10-HP snow blower*

AUCTION SALES

LATHES, RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT, ETC.

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Parkland

Colchester lathe w/3’bed & older Alagator Sherry(pump not working)* Sem Security disintegrator* SCM planer model S63B* Concord C350 planer w/Delta power feed*

AB cutter* Large homemade shredder* Hobart 2410 welder* older Esab mig welder* older Lincoln bullet type welder* Poly Mac board taper* Beca solvent recycler* large trailer type Hopper mixer w/electric motor* Euro Pac 10-HP dust collector** Carolina metal cutting band saw* air compressor tank w/vacuum tank* Digital platfom scale* 24” separator & vibrator* True 3-door mobile self contained back bar freezer* Foster upright chiller* Hobart mixer/grinder model 4352* Butcher Boy mixer/grinder model 200/62 (parts)* Ross chain drive tenderizer?* Berr Varimixer 60 qt. w/bowls* assort orange & blue pallet racking* older Onan gas generator*

MISCELLANEOUS

Assorted pipes (metal & PVC)* steel ramp gates* assorted rollers* 2-Transfer pumps* giftware* Fabric*

TERMS: Cash, Visa, Mastercard or Debit Paid in Full Same Day of Sale. 5% Buyer’s Fee “Everything Sold As is, Where is” with no warranties implied or expressed “SUBJECT TO ADDITIONS & DELETIONS”

KAYE’S AUCTIONS 204-668-0183 Wpg.

GARTON’S AUCTION SERVICE WILL be conducting a Farm Estate Auction for the Late William (Billy) Soloway on May 2, 2015, 1-mi N of Pine River, MB. Included in this auction are Tractors: Cockshutt, Versatile, White, Ford & Farmall; Harvest Equipment: Combines, Grain Dryer, Swathers, Augers, Moisture Tester; Seeding/Tillage Equipment: Stone Picker, Scraper, Cultivators, Seed Drill, Harrow Bars, Bale Elevator, Gravity Boxes; Grain Bins: Westeel Rosco, Steel Shed, Tools & Misc Farm Items: Fuel Tanks, Welders, Steel Wheels, Vehicles: GMC Grain Truck, Chev Sprint Car, Ford 3/4 Ton, Gooseneck Trailer, Scrap Iron, Antiques & Collectibles: Vauxhall Deluxe Car, North Star Sign, Cook Stove & Household items. For complete details & photos visit www.gartonsauction.com or call Larry:(204)648-4541. For any additional info, call Terry:(204)889-4204 or (204)797-2141.

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Westman

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Red River

UPCOMING AUCTIONS EQUIPMENT AUCTION SATURDAY MAY 2nd 10:00 AM

Saturday, April 25th at 11:00 AM

Fisher Branch

Ste. Rose du Lac

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Red River

UNRESERVED MOVING

AUCTION SALE

Birch River

Roblin

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Interlake

www.kayesauctions.com

Location: 5 Km North Of Sprague, MB on Hwy #308

TRACTORS & SKIDDERS

• C.S. Tree Farmer Skidder w/ 353 Detroit Diesel • 70-30 Allis ChalmersDiesel Tractor w/ Loader

FARM EQUIPMENT • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

7200 Case IH Hoe Drills Melroe Spray Coupe 750 Massey Ferguson Combine Gleener Combine w/ 3 Row Corn Header 2 Bottom 3PTH Plow 22ft 45 International Cultivator 18ft 45 International Cultivator 15ft Disk (Co-op Heavy Duty) 14ft Glenco Cultivator 10ft Heavy Duty John Deere Cultivator 8ft International Disc (2) Farm Wagons Peerless PTO Rolling Mill 18ft Coil Packer 16ft Int Disk 760 40ft Harrows 18ft Vibre Chisel 40ft John Deere 350 Drill Press

TRUCKS & TRAILERS

• Western Star Truck w/ Hawk Loader, 671 Engine • Chevrolet Truck w/ Barko 80 Loader w/ 671 Engine • 20ft Cattle Trailer

TOOLS & SHOP EQUIPMENT

• Military Hot Water/ Steamer Pressure Washer • Radial Arm Saw • Metal Bender • Husqvarna Lawn Tractor w/ 46in Deck • 16KW Generator w/ 2 Cyl. Wittie Diesel • (2) Drills • Pipe Bender • Porta Power • (2) 18-34 Tractor Tires on Rims • (2) 14-9-46 Tires & Rims w/ Cast Hubs • (2) 28-26 Rice Tires • (200+) Cedar Fence Posts 7ft-8ft

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Westman

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Westman

HOUSEHOLD & ANTIQUES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Antique Cook Stove Pallet of Floor Tiles Small Fridge BBQ Cooker Antique Oil Cans Furniture Lantern Antique Fire Extinguisher - Copper Oil Cans Sausage Maker Pioneer Oil Cans Copper Gravy Boat Crocks Old Tractor Books Antique Horse Breaking Plow Steel Wheels Walk Behind Horse Plow

MISCELLANEOUS • • • • • • • • • • • •

Approx 200 Tons of Scrap 1992 Volvo 960 Car Ford Versatile Drive Shafts (new) Set of HD Skidder Chains Rolls of New Barb Wire (3) Log Splitters 6X6 Ash Timbers Fence Lumber Fence Rails (3) 30in Plastic Culverts 16ft 30in Plastic Culvert 20ft Telescopic Truck Hoist for 16ft Box (new) • Set of Lumber Forks for Skid Steer • Scissor Truck Hoist

LARGE EQUIPMENT AUCTION SATURDAY MAY 9th 10:00 AM

Location: 218 Brandt St. Steinbach, MB Partial List: Much More to Come!!

UNRESEREVED LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT AUCTION for VANDOORNE

ENTERPRISES LAND & CATTLE and GUEST CONSIGNORS BOLDUC FARMS of DELORAINE, MB. • SATURDAY, MAY 2nd 10:00 am DIRECTIONS: (From Deloraine, MB. Jct #3 & #21) 3.5kms north on #21 to sale site on east side of the highway. Watch for signs Sale Day.

For a complete list with full details visit www.fraserauction.com VANDOORNE ENTERPRISES LAND & CATTLE ITEMS: TRACTORS & LOADER: *Versatile 276 Bi-Directional 116hp w/

Cummins engine, new rubber, 3pt and 540 PTO at loader end, 11.735hrs showing *JD 2010 dsl 2wd tractor 46hp w/jobber 3pt, dual hyd (1 front – 1 rear), 540 PTO, Syncro Trans, 4759hrs showing *1978 JD 850 dsl 2wd Utility tractor 22hp w/3pt, 540 PTO, single hyd, 2155hrs showing *JD 260 SL loader w/bucket, grapple, joystick controls and hyd splitter block TRUCKS & TRAILERS: *2002 Ford F-350 Super Duty Lariat 4 door 4x4 w/6 passenger seating, 7.3L dsl, auto trans, fully loaded with leather, fifth wheel plate, roof lights, 412,386kms showing, SAFTIED *2002 Ford F-350 Super Duty Lariat 4 door 4x4 w/5 passenger seating, 7.3L dsl, auto trans, fully loaded with leather, fifth wheel plate, 299,585kms showing, SAFTIED *2003 EBY 24’ aluminum t/a stock trailer w/roll up door, 2 adjustable partitions, 235/85R16 rubber *1992 Wilson 48’ cattle pot w/24.5 rubber, spring ride with air assist, SAFTIED *1987 Doepker B-Train flat deck hay trailers w/32’ lead, 28’ rear, folding bale extensions, folding light bar extensions, completely rebuilt running gear (new Kingpins, new brakes, new brake drums, new brake pots, new S-cams, new slack adjusters), SAFTIED *25’ Shop Built flat deck trailer w/2–10,000lbs dueled axles, beaver tails with ramps *48’ Monon tri axle container trailer *Shop Built swather transport (was a high clearance sprayer trailer converted to haul a MacDon swather with hay header) HAYING & FEEDING EQUIPMENT: *NH HT154 16 wheel V-rake *2007 JD 568 rd baler w/Mega Wide Plus p/u, 1000 PTO, net wrap, big rubber, hyd p/u, bale kicker *2002 JD 567 rd baler w/Mega Wide p/u, 1000 PTO, hyd p/u, bale kicker, updated sq p/u teeth *spare monitor for JD 567 rd baler (works with 2001-2002-2003 models) *Laurier single row bale mover *Bale King Vortex 3100 bale processor w/right hand discharge, 1000 PTO, big rubber *hyd drive 40bus feed wagon *Sven 6” 1ph electric roller mill *Redecop chaff blower & cyclone (fits JD 8820 – 9600 – 9610 combine) *Redecop chaff wagon *liquid inoculator for rd baler OTHER EQUIPMENT: *20’ Ag Shield 8-20-1 land roller w/mole hill leveler, grass seed attachment, hyd swing transport, Valmar ready *Terex 6000 gallon self-propelled water tanker w/Detroit engine *Big Bad John Shop Built Proto Type t/a hydro push manure spreader w/dbl beaters, 1000 PTO, approx 24’x6’x4’ *JD 7100 3pt 12 row corn planter w/Yetter trash cleaners, disc markers, new discs, new scrapers, new chains, s/n037170A (planter was calibrated by JD) *JD 12 row mid mount row crop cultivator *Wheatheart bucket mount hyd post hole w/9” bit *John Blue t/a fertilizer spreader *6’ JD 3pt rotary mower *JD 5 bottom plow *Melroe 8 bottom plow WAGONS & OTHER ITEMS: *(3) JD heavy duty 4 wheel farm wagons with wooden rack decks *(2) 40’ Sea Can shipping containers LIVESTOCK SCALE: *14’X8’ Prairie Scale livestock scale w/digital scale head (legal trade), Class III HD, 6000kg max capacity HANDLING SYSTEMS & ALLEYS: *Hi-Hog fully hyd squeeze chute w/Hi-Hog self-contained hyd power pack *Hi-Hog mechanical squeeze chute *Hi-Hog V bottom adjustable palpation cage *(3) 10’ Hi-Hog S alleys w/side mounted man walks *Hi-Hog crowding tub *(3) 10’ Hi-Hog tub panels (to extend tub) *assortment of Hi-Hog add-ons (back-up stoppers, alley slide gates, swing gates, ect) *(2) 10’x8’ fully enclosed alley sections (90 degree turn) mount to Hi-Hog *(1) 10’x8’ fully enclosed alley section (straight thru run) mount to Hi-Hog *(3) 20’x8’ fully enclosed alley sections (straight run) mount to Hi-Hog *assortment of Hi-Hog matching joiner posts MATURNITY PEN, CALVING PENS, & PORTABLE LOADING CHUTE: *Hi-Hog portable loading chute w/adjustable floor *Hi-Hog maternity pen w/head gate *(5) 10’x8’ calving pens w/walk through gates on one side and feeder panels on one side PANELS & GATES: *(20) 24’ free standing panels 4 bar (3” I beam construction) *(13) 24’ free standing panels 4 bar (1 ½”x3” tube construction) *(40+) 10’ 1” tube gates *(+/-150) huge selection of 1” tube panels 8’ – 10’ – 12’ *assorted 2” pipe Hi-Hog and shop built sorting and walk thru gates with full steel fillers (dbl walk thru, single walk thru, 8’ sort and 4’ sort gates) all built to match Hi-Hog *(100+) 20’ 6 bar 1” tube panels (built to bolt to ties) *huge selection of 1” tube gates (various sizes) *10’ fence line feeder panels 2” tube construction (24 cable style and 15 2” bar style) built to bolt to ties *(5) portable wind break panels (built on old Herman harrow bars. Various lengths) OILERS, FEEDERS & SHELTERS: *175bus Ranchers Welding creep feeder on wheels w/winch up panels *(5) Lewis oilers w/dbl wicks, single aprons, and mineral tubs *Lewis oiler transport wagon *misc. shop built oiler frames and mineral feeders *assorted metal bunk feeders and troughs *(5) poly 4 wheel lick tanks *selection of rd bale feeders *metal frame metal clad calf shelter WATERING SYSTEMS & TANKS: *selection of 24 volt solar watering equipment (24 volt submersible pump with pressure system, 24 volt piston pump with pressure system *(3) Uni-Solar solar panels (dbls 64 watt each panel) *24 volt windmill generator *Ritchie S/S water bowl *(5) Ritchie water bowls *(5) mining tire water troughs (some with Gallagher floats) *portable pasture water trough built around a 4 wheel farm wagon *assorted water troughs *assorted water bowl divider panels *1000 gal metal water tank *(2) 500 gal metal water tanks DRILL STEM, RAIL TIES, & POSTS: *approx 50 lengths of 2 3/8” drill stem *(20) 8’ Heavy Duty steel corner posts *approx 380 rail ties *approx 2400 treated fence posts (5-6”x6’) *approx 640 treated fence posts (3-4”x6’) *(6) hydro poles ELECTRIC FENCERS & FENCE SUPPLIES: *Speedrite 36000 110 volt electric fencer w/remote *Gallagher 400 110 volt electric fencer *Gallagher 260 12 volt electric fencer *Gallagher 250 12 volt electric fencer *selection of Gallagher electric fence supplies (power rolls, insulators, gate springs, ect) *pails of fence staples *barbed wire ATV’S & DIRT BIKE: *2012 Honda TRX 420 Four Trax 4wd Rancher ATV w/auto and manual shift, winch, front & rear racks, after market rims with ITP Mud Lite tires *JD Buck 500 4x4 ATV *Honda TRX 90 2wd ATV w/electric start *2007 Honda CRF50F dirt bike COAL BURNING FURNACES: *Coalman 400 outdoor coal burning hot water stoker furnace *Pelco 1000 coal burning boiler w/auto feed auger and auto clean out auger BOLDUC FARMS ITEMS: *2009 JD 568 rd baler w/Mega Wide Plus p/u, 1000 PTO, net wrap, bale kicker, always shedded, like new only done approx 2200 bales *1992 MacDon 920 16’ crimper header, very straight, always shedded *Walinga 510 grain vac w/1000 PTO, always shedded *Bale King Vortex 3100 bale processor w/right hand discharge, 1000 PTO, always shedded and very clean *2001 Norbert’s 20’x7½’t/a stock trailer w/2 partition gates, rubber floor, always shedded and super clean *2011 Sure-Trac s/a 10’ enclosed utility trailer *8 row JD856 3pt row crop cultivator w/rear shields, Nickel knock-on shovels *8 row JD 853A corn header w/4 wheel farm wagon transport *9’ buhler 3pt 6 way blade *8 bottom JD F380 plow w/Nitrogen resets *50’ Summers harrow packer bar w/P30 packers

TRACTORS • • • • • • • • •

7220 JD Tractor, Loader, Cab, MFWD 875 Versatile 4WD Tractor 2130 JD Tractor, Loader, 3 PTH 2014 JD 1025R Sub-Compact Utility Tractor, Loader, 3 PTH Model D JD Tractor JD Model A 620 JD w/ Power Steering 730 Case Diesel Tractor 830 Case Diesel Tractor

TRUCKS

• 08 Dodge Ram 3500 Cummins Diesel, • Quad Cab, 4X4, 209K, Safetied • 2006 Dodge RAM 3500 Cummins Diesel, 4X4, Mega Cab, 220K, Safetied • 07 Ford F250 Powerstroke Diesel, Ext Cab, Longbox, 4X4, Safetied *

STORAGE BUILDINGS & CONTAINER

• 40ft Lightly Used 1 Way Shipping Container w/ Double Doors & Both Ends • 40ftX60ftX20ft Gable Truss PVC Quonset Building • 30ftX85ftX15ft High Ceiling Fabric Covered Storage Building • 30ftX40ftX15ft Fabric Building • 20X30ftX12ft Fabric Covered Building * • Pagoda 20ftX40ft Party Tent/Event Tent * • 16ftX22ft Party Tent/Event Tent

TRAILERS

• 2015 BW Trail Aluminum Triple Axle Trailer, 15000lb GVWR • 2015 BW Trail Aluminum Hydraulic Dump Trailer, 7000lb Axle Rating

SKID STEER ATTACHMENTS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

(2) Sets of 2-60in Forks Set of 4 Forerunner SKS-1 12-16.5 Tires Set of 4 Forerunner SKS-1 10-16.5 Tires Stout 48in Pallet Forks Stout Walk-Thru 48in Pallet Forks Stout Full Back 48in Pallet Forks Stout Stump Grinder SG-13R Stout Rock Bucket Grapple HD72-3 Stout Brush Grapple HD72-8 Stout XHD84-6 Rock Bucket Grapple Lowe Hyd Auger 750CH w/ 9in, 12in & 15in Bits Lowe Hyd Auger 1650CH w/ 12in & 18in Bits Stout Material Bucket 72” Stout Weld On Plates Stout Hitch Receiver (2) 84” Hydraulic Skid Steer Snow Plow Dozer

INDUSTRIAL TOOLS

• Heavy Duty Tire Changer, 110V • Heavy Duty Wheel Balancer • 13,000 Watt Dual Fuel Generator Natural Gas Or Propane w/ Honda GX690 22 HP Electric Start Engine • Pallet Lots Of Hunting Clothing & Boots *Pallet Lots Of Tools *

EQUIPMENT

• Ezee-On 28ft Cultivator • Ezee-On 12Ft Disc • Great Northern 60ft Field Sprayer w/ 500 gal poly Tank

FARM AUCTION For Mel Kachur

FARM AUCTION

SATURDAY MAY 23rd 10:00 AM

For Rodger & Susanne Gooselin

TRACTORS, HAYING, TILLAGE, SHOP TOOLS & MUCH MORE!!

Location: From St. Malo, MB 1 Miles South on Hwy 59, then turn right on Moose Creek Rd and 1 1/4 miles south.

Location: From Rosa, MB 1/2 mile south on 59 then 4 miles west on 16N and 1/2 mile south on 24E. Driveway 15109

FARM & REAL ESTATE PROPERTY AUCTION David & Anna Wieler SATURDAY JUNE 20th 10:00 AM

Location: From Grunthal, MB, 4 Miles East on 205, then 1 1/4 south on 30E #25117 REAL ESTATE: 80 Acre Country Property Including Shop & House. Open House TBA. EQUIPMENT: Tractors *Trailers *Atvs; Vehicles *Scrap Iron *Yard Equipment & Tools

SATURDAY MAY 30th 10:00 AM

2003 CASE IH MX110 W/ LOADER; HARVEST EQUIPMENT *TILLAGE EQUIPMENT & MUCH MORE!!

JUNE EQUIPMENT AUCTION

SATURDAY JUNE 13th 10:00 AM Location: 218 Brandt St. Steinbach, MB

CALL TO CONSIGN!!

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT SELLERS:

Full Listing At www.pennerauctions.com

KELLY VANDOORNE 204-522-5428 (Vandoorne Enterprises Land & Cattle) CALVIN BOLDUC 204-747-4059 or Dennis Bolduc 204-747-4057 (Bolduc Farms)

PENNER AUCTION SALES LTD.

FRASER AUCTION SERVICE LTD.

BRANDON, MANITOBA Licensed and bonded. P.L. License #918093. Member of M.A.A., S.A.A., A.A.A., A.A.C. PHONE: (204) 727-2001 FAX: (204) 729-9912 www.fraserauction.com EMAIL: office@fraserauction.com Auctioneer: Scott Campbell Not responsible for errors in description. Subject to additions and or deletions. Property owners and Fraser Auction Service not responsible for any accidents.

GST & PST where applicable. TERMS: Cash or cheque. NOTE: cheques of $50,000 or more must be accompanied by bank letter of credit.

Sale conducted by FRASER AUCTION SERVICE 1-800-483-5856 www.fraserauction.com

218 Brandt Street Steinbach, MB Ph: 204.326.3061 Fax: 204.326.7529 Toll Free: 1-866-512-8992 www.pennerauctions.com

Sale Conducted by: PENNER AUCTION SALES LTD.

28

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Interlake

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Interlake

McSherry Auction Service Ltd

McSherry Auction Service Ltd

AUCTION SALE

Estate of Bruno Janowski

REMINDER:

Saturday, April 25 @ 10:00 am Clandeboye, MB 3 Miles on Clandeboye Hwy then South 1 ¼ miles on Hwy # 8, #8265 Contact: (204) 453-1465

AUCTION SALES Saskatchewan Auctions

Unreserved Public Farm Auction

Willow Creek Ranch

Ed & Leona Johnston Grenfell, SK | April 29, 2015 · 10 am

AUCTION SALE

Patricia Goodman

REMINDER:

Sunday, April 26 @ 11:00 am East Selkirk, MB Jct 44 & 59, North 1 ½ Mile on 59 then East ½ Mile on Goodman Rd. Contact: (204) 757-2069

Tractors * Haying & Misc Equip * Grain Equip * Graneries & Misc

Tractors * Equipment * Vehicles & Camper * Misc * Antiques * Household Furniture

Stuart McSherry (204) 467-1858 | (204) 886-7027 For full listings visit www.mcsherryauction.com

Stuart McSherry (204) 467-1858 | (204) 886-7027 For full listings visit www.mcsherryauction.com

McSherry Auction Service Ltd

BUILDING SUPPLY & EQUIPMENT AUCTION Saturday, May 2 @ 10:00 am Stonewall, MB - #12 Patterson Drive

SEMI Load: of Lumber * Various Bldg Supplies * Cabinet Quality Lumber Equip: Toyota Propane 13’ 5000 lb Forklift * MF 1100 Cab w/ Fel * 05 Gooseneck 22’ Flat Deck Tandem Trailer * 48’ Semi Flat Deck Trailer * 53’ Semi Moving Container Transport * 36’ Gooseneck Flat Deck * 30’ Semi Single Axle Trailer * BH 14’ Tandem Stock Trailer * Dozer Blades * Trailer Hyd Wood Splitter * 50’ Springtine Harrows * 95 Ford gas 3 ton w/ Service Box * Livestock Equip: 40) 10’ Coral Panels * 12) 25’ Self Standing Metal Panels * RD Bale Feeders * Metal Port Creep Feeders * Com Meat Band Saw & Meat Grinder * Storage Sheds: 20x40, 20x30, 10x20, 16x22 * Storage Sheds & Event Tents * 94 Salem 26’ 5th Wheel Camper w/ AC, Fridge, Stove, Sleeps 7 * Close Out: Along w/ New Hardware Store: * Oils * Fluids * Oils * Filters * HD 30 Drawer Chest * Tire Changer * Wheel Balancer * Drill Press * Band Saw * Radial Arm Saw * 12’ Thickness Planer * Jointer/Planer * ProMax 30” Sander * Router * Power Tools * New Generator * Delta Dust Collector * Air Comp * Work Station * Along w/ Cabinet Tool Shop Close Out * Guns & Accessories * Go to the Website for Listing & Pictures!!

MACK AUCTION CO. PRESENTS a farm equipment auction for Garry, Michael & Lisa Hahn (306)730-7279 Sat., May 2nd, 2015, 10:00am. Directions from Melville, SK at junction of Hwy 10 & 47 North go 1-mi North, 2-mi West & 1-mi North.

Watch for signs! Live Internet bidding at www.bidspotter.com. JD 9200 4WD tractor w/4020-hrs; JD 4640 2WD tractor w/8,150-hrs & duals; JD 4640 2WD tractor w/4,490-hrs; JD 9600 SP combine w/3880 sep hrs & 2014 $27,000 Greenlight work order; JD 230 straight cut 30-ft header; Premier 2930 SP swather w/30-ft MacDon 960 draper header w/1,650-hrs; Farm King steel drum swath roller, White 601 PT swather, JD 40-ft 1820 air drill & JD 1910 air cart w/12-in paired row openers; 36-ft Case IH DT 5600 cultivator; Morris 50-ft & 70-ft tine harrows, IH 820 press drills; 1998 IH Eagle 9300 tandem axle grain truck w/rear controls & roll tarp; 1976 Chev Scottsdale 30 one-ton dually grain truck w/steel box & hoist; 1975 Ford F-600 flat deck truck w/1,200-gal poly water tank & GC-160 Honda pump; 1973 Loadstar 1600 grain truck w/steel box; Degelman 4 batt ground drive rock picker; Brandt QF1500 PT 90-ft sprayer w/chem mixer & foam marker; NH square baler hayliner 273, trailer & mounted water tank & pump; trailer mounted PTO hammer mill; round bale feeders; poly grain trough; 2011 Wheatheart BH-851 grain auger w/mover & Kohler command Pro 30 engine; Brandt 10-60 swing auger; Sakundiak 6-33 auger w/Wisconsin engine; Farm King 7-40 PTO auger; Wheatheart transfer auger & electric motor; Kendon 100-bu hopper wagon; Labtronics grain moisture tester; Labtronics dockage screens; 3, Westeel 2000-bu bins on steel & wood floors; 4, Westeel 1650-bu bins on wood floors; 3, Behlin 1200 & 1700-bu bins floors; 2, Westeel 1350 & 1650-bu bins on wood floors; 4, 5,000-bu temporary grain rings & tarps; 8x14 playhouse storage shed, 1000-gal. fuel tank w/electric pump. Plus much more! Visit www.mackauctioncompany.com for sale bill & photos. Join us on Facebook & Twitter. (306)421-2928 or (306)487-7815 Mack Auction Co. PL 311962

1996 John Deere 9600

1982 Massey Ferguson 4800

2001 Massey Ferguson 6280

Bourgault 8810 40 Ft w/3325

1978 Western Star

1993 Bobcat 7753

2004 Duncan 24 Ft

Stuart McSherry (204) 467-1858 or (204) 886-7027 www.mcsherryauction.com

McSherry Auction Service Ltd

AUCTION SALE John Kuklica

Sunday, May 3 @ 11:00 am St Andrews, MB - 274 River Road Contact: (204) 338-8315

Tractors: JD 4010 Cab Dual Hyd 540 PTO w/JD 158 FEL, 7983 hrs * Cockshutt 1655 dsl Cab 540 PTO w/ FEL 6374 hrs * Cockshutt 550 gas 540 PTO * Int 560 Single Hyd * Vehicles: 02 Pontiac Sun Fire 4D * 2) 76 Chev 1/2 Equip: Case 310, 16’ Discer Seeder * 2) Int 300, 16’ Discer Seeder * Coop 500 Swather * 3PH 6’ Snowblower * Saw Mandrel * Vintage Semi Tractors: 74 Int C/O 4070, 220 Cum Rebuilt 10 spd * 64 White 200 Cum * 64 White C/O * Trailers: 2) Can Car 45’ Semi Freight * Fruehauf 42’ Semi Freight * 32’ Single Axle Freight Trailer * Utility Trailer * Yard: JD 755 dsl Hyd 3PH PTO Sold w/ JD 48” Frt Mt Snowblower & 3PH JD Rotovator, 286 hrs Exc Cond * EZ GO Battery 4 Wheel Golf Cart * 48” Frt Mt Snowblower Attach * Yard Trailer * 3PH Single Plow *Merry Roto Tiller * Trailer Yard Sprayer * JD Fert Spreader * Along w/ Tools & Misc * Various Household Stuart McSherry (204) 467-1858 or (204) 886-7027 www.mcsherryauction.com AUCTION SALES Saskatchewan Auctions

AUCTION SALES Saskatchewan Auctions

MACK AUCTION CO. PRESENTS a farm equipment auction for Robert & Linda Winter (306)891-9899. Mon Apr 27, 2015 @10am. Directions from Midale, Sk. go 5-mi N on Hwy#606 & 2-mi E! Watch for Signs! Live internet bidding at www.bidspotter.com Consignments Welcome! 2009 JD 7830 FWA tractor and JD 746 FEL plus 3PTH w/only 586-hrs. JD 3020 DSL tractor w/4,505-hrs, 2009 Premier A30-D 18-ft hydro-swing haybine, JD CX15 Flex wing rotary mower, Farm King 960 3PTH snow blower, 2010 Dodge Challenger car w/under 20,000-km, 16-ft tandem axle flat deck home built trailer, Adga estate yard sprayer, 2 JD seed rollers for 1900 air cart, 2000 Sportsmen 25-ft 5th wheel camper w/large slide out, 1983 Ski Doo Alpine snow machine w/new double track white paint & single ski, Polaris ATV push blade, snowmobile trailer, antique JD bicycle, 7-2400-bu oilfield ank hopper bottom grain bins w/Muirhead Mfg hopper bottoms, Pool 6-41 grain auger w/16HP Briggs, 3-40-ton Friessen fertilizer bins epoxy coated, 5-Aeration fans, 500 barrel oilfield tank, complete line of shop tools, 1000-gal poly water tank, 300-gal galvanized water tank, Ingersol Rand air compressor, 15-ton shop press, Lincoln electric welder, radial arm saw, Turf 18 walk behind rototiller, small poly water tank & pump, bench grinder, antique radios & cream cans, plus much more! Consignments Welcome! Visit www.mackauctioncompany.com for sale bill & photos. Join us on Facebook & Twitter. (306)421-2928 or (306)487-7815 Mack Auction Co. PL 311962

AUCTION LOCATION: From GRENFELL, SK, go 11.6 km (7.2 miles) West on Hwy 1, then go 1.7 km (1 mile) South OR From WOLSELEY, SK, go 13.1 km (8.13 miles) East on Hwy 1, then go 1.7 km (1 mile) South. Yard on East side. GPS: 50.396000, -103.08300 A PARTIAL EQUIPMENT LIST INCLUDES: 1982 Massey Ferguson 4800 4WD · 2001 Massey Ferguson 6280 MFWD · 1979 Massey Ferguson 2705 2WD · 1974 Massey Ferguson 1085 2WD · 1996 John Deere 9600 Combine · 1983 Massey Ferguson 855 25 Ft Swather · 1978 Western Star T/A Grain Truck · Ford 600 S/A Grain Truck · 1997 Lode King 53 Ft T/A Step Deck Trailer · 2004

rbauction.com | 800.491.4494

Crown 250 2.5 Cy Pull Scraper · Bourgault 8810 40 Ft Air Seeder · 1986 Flexi-Coil 60 80 Ft Field Sprayer · Case IH 1580 Manure Spreader · Qty of Livestock Equipment...AND MUCH MORE!

Ritchie Bros. Territory Manager – Kevin Ortt: 306.451.7388 800.491.4494

Farming is enough of a gamble, advertise in the Manitoba Co-operator classified section. It’s a sure thing.

1-800-782-0794.

The deadline to be included is May 8, 2015.

Brad Goossen Agricultural Territory Manager Manitoba East bgoossen@rbauction.com 204.781.2336

Trailer · 1993 Bobcat 7753 Skid Steer Loader ·

Ed & Leona Johnston: 306.697.3008 (h) 306.697.7571 (c), willowcreek7@outlook.com

Every year, more farmers are choosing Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers to conduct their farm auctions.

Showcase your agricultural equipment & real estate in our Summer 2015 Auction Guide and maximize your exposure.

Call use today for a free, no hassle, proposal:

1994 King Of The Road 16 Ft T/A Gooseneck Horse

For up-to-date equipment listings, please check our website: rbauction.com

Before auction day, you need the Summer 2015 Auction Guide.

we would like to take this time to thank everyone for your loyal patronage.

Duncan 24 Ft T/A 5th Wheel Equipment Trailer ·

Steven Perrin Agricultural Territory Manager Manitoba West sperrin@rbauction.com 204.573.0993

Hit our readers where it counts… in the classifieds.

Place your ad in the Manitoba Co-operator classifed section. 1-800-782-0794.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Doors & Windows

FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories

HAYING & HARVESTING Baling Equipment

GOODS USED TRACTOR PARTS: (204)564-2528 or 1-877-564-8734, Roblin, MB.

FOR SALE: JD 567 round baler, 2004, 1 owner, megawide PU, kicker, shedded, excellent condition, asking $18,000 OBO. Call (204)535-2593, Baldur.

BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Doors & Windows

MURPHY SALVAGE New & used parts for tractors, combines, swathers, square & round balers, tillage, press drills & other misc machinery. MURPHY SALVAGE (204)858-2727 or toll free 1-877-858-2728.

FYFE PARTS

Serving Manitoba, Saskatchewan, NW Ontario & Alberta....Since 1937

1-800-667-9871 • Regina 1-800-667-3095 • Saskatoon 1-800-387-2768 • Winnipeg 1-800-222-6594 • Edmonton “For All Your Farm Parts”

• Quality Commercial/Agricultural/Residential Overhead Doors & Operators.

• Aluminum Polycarbonate Doors Available.

• Non-Insulated and Insulated Sectional Doors Available.

• Liftmaster Heavy Duty Operators.

• Mullion Slide Away Centre Posts.

• Commercial/Agricultural Steel Man Doors and Frames.

• Your washbay door specialists. • Quality Installation & Service.

• 24 Hour Service. • Replacement Springs & Cables.

Phone: 204-326-4556 Fax: 204-326-5013 Toll Free: 1-855-326-4556 www.reimeroverheaddoors.com email: kurtis@reimeroverheaddoors.com AUTO & TRANSPORT AUTO & TRANSPORT Trucks 05 F250 6-LITRE DSL, super cab 4x4, long box, 2 sets of tires plus wheels, lots of maintenance work done, 1 owner, safetied, good condition, $10,500 OBO. (204)685-2095.

06 GMC DURAMAX DSL 4x4, extended cab, runs very nice, 310,000-km, good rubber, $9,000 w/new safety. (204)871-0925

AUTO & TRANSPORT Semi Trucks & Trailers DOWNSIZING FARMING: 2006 CASTLETON Super B, new tarps, new brakes & drums, good rubber, safetied, $45,000 OBO; 2009 Castleton Super B, good condition, good rubber, safetied, $45,000 OBO. (204)734-8355.

BEEKEEPING BEEKEEPING Bee Equipment HONEY BEES FOR SALE. Phone Roger (204)434-6918

BUILDING & RENOVATIONS

BUILDINGS

HHM BUILDERS Farm Sheds Garages Tool & Garden Sheds Home Building/Home Renovations Cabins Corral Set Ups Farm & Yard Clean Ups Farm Landscaping

Call: 204-727-8550

Toll Free: 1-877-253-7567 Email: orest@helpfulhandyman.ca

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

www.fyfeparts.com The Real Used FaRm PaRTs sUPeRsToRe Over 2700 Units for Salvage • TRACTORS • COMBINES • SWATHERS • DISCERS Call Joe, leN oR daRWIN (306) 946-2222 monday-Friday - 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT 2004 NH RG200B GRADER air, dozer & ripper, 5,000-hrs; 2003 Hitachi ZX200LC track hoe & thumb; Case 621 3-yd loader; D7F dozer ripper, PWR shift; New Quonset in crate 52x35x18-ft. $17,000; 1999 GMC T8500 Cat DSL, tow truck, 20ft. tilt & wheel lift, $14,500; 1977 IHC 1700 series floater w/tiler fertilizer spreader, $5,000; 3-Ton fertilizer spread $1,500; Rotex SR7 Pwr parachute needs frame, as is, $3,000; Ford Major DSL loader 3-PTH bale fork, $6,700. (306)236-8023

FARM MACHINERY Fertilizer Equipment FERTILIZER TANKS 12,500 & 15,000-gal capacity w/2 & 3-in. valves, VGC. Phone (204)746-8851, Morris, MB.

FARM MACHINERY Grain Bins CUSTOM BIN MOVING Book now! Fert Tanks.

Hopper Bins/flat. Buy/Sell. Call Tim (204)362-7103 or E-mail Requests binmover50@gmail.com FOR SALE: (2)14-FT diameter, 6 ring Roscoe bin, cone fan ladder, 2,200-bu; (1)Meridian 14x12 hopper bin; also, (2)Power-matic harrow drawbars, 110-ft & 125-ft. Will sell cheap. Phone: (204)746-5727.

St. Jean Baptiste, MB.

FARM MACHINERY Grain Dryers WESTERN GRAIN DRYER, manufactures advanced screenless grain dryers, integrated w/PLC, HMI technology for automatic moisture & drying system controls. Update for Vertec, Ibec & other screenless dryers such as enclosed roof, drying tiers, & burners etc. are available. 1-888-288-6857. www.westerngraindryer.com

BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Roofing

PRICE TO CLEAR!!

BUSINESS SERVICES

75 truckloads 29 gauge full hard 100,000PSI high tensile roofing & siding. 16 colours to choose from.

BUSINESS SERVICES Crop Consulting

FARM MACHINERY Grain Vacuums

FARM CHEMICAL SEED COMPLAINTS

CURT’S GRAIN VAC SERVICES, parts & repair for all makes & models. Craik SK, (306)734-2228.

Multi-coloured millends.........49¢/ft.2

Ask about our blowout colours...65¢/ft.2 Also in stock low rib white 29 ga. ideal for archrib buildings BEAT THE PRICE INCREASES CALL NOW

FOUILLARD STEEL SUPPLIES LTD. ST. LAZARE, MB. 1-800-510-3303

BUILDINGS AFAB INDUSTRIES IS YOUR SUPERIOR post frame building company. For estimates and information call 1-888-816-AFAB(2322).

Website: www.postframebuilding.com CONCRETE FLATWORK: Specializing in place & finish of concrete floors. Can accommodate any floor design. References available. Alexander, MB. 204-752-2069.

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

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

FARM MACHINERY Grain Elevators 80-FT. BUCKET ELEVATING LEG w/3 phase 10-HP electric motor. Phone (204)886-3304.

FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories NEW & USED TRACTOR PARTS NEW COMBINE PARTS Large Inventory of new and remanufactured parts

Go public with an ad in the Co-operator classifieds.

CONTRACTING CONTRACTING Custom Work CORRAL CLEANER WITH 3-YARD loader & 3 vertical spreaders, taking new customers. Call (204)730-3139 or (204)721-2629.

MANURE HAULING & SPREADING. Phone Rene (204)526-0932

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

Seed/grain

processing for cleaning and upgrading.

WaTRoUs, sK. Fax: 306-946-2444

FARM MACHINERY Salvage

COMBINES Accessories CASE IH MACDON DRAPER header model #2062, 30-ft. w/gauge wheels, $40,000. (204)871-0925.

FLEX PLATFORMS- All Makes, Models, Sizes. In Stock: JD 630, 635, 922, 925, 930 avail. CIH 1020: 20-ft., 25-ft., 30-ft.; 2020: 30-ft., 35-ft. NH 973, 30-ft. 74C, 30-ft., 35-ft.

AGCO, MF, CAT also avail. Corn Heads- JD 893, 843, CIH 1083 avail. Chopping Heads for All Makes. Reimer Farm Equipment, Hwy#12 N, Steinbach, MB. www.reimerfarmequip-ment.com Gary Reimer: (204)326-7000.

HEADER TRAILERS & ACCESSORIES. Arc-Fab Industries. 204-355-9595 charles@arcfab.ca www.arcfab.ca

Tillage & Seeding TILLAGE & SEEDING Air Drills

PARTING OUT TRACTORS & other farm equipment: Vers. 500, Allis 750, Case 930, 7700 JD combine & other equipment & older trucks, including tires & rims, etc. Phone:(204)871-2708 or (204)685-2124.

DOWNSIZING FARMING: FLEXICOIL MODEL 6000 40-ft., Barton openers, new discs, 3450 air tank, excellent condition, $60,000 OBO. (204)734-8355

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

TILLAGE & SEEDING Air Seeders

1980 230 TIMBER JACK cable skidder, excellent condition, new starter, injectors, main line, standard transmission, front chains, runs good, asking $11,500 OBO, will trade for cows. Call (807)466-7610 or (807)548-4435.

1996 36-FT. BOURGAULT air seeder w/8800 cultivator w/2155 tank, VGC, $25,000 OBO. (204)745-7445.

FARM MACHINERY

COUNTRY HOTEL FOR SALE, owners retiring after 25-yrs, 55 seat beverage room, beer vendor, 2 VLT’s & 5 rental rooms. Located close to RM NP. Contact Bob at Corona Hotel, Glenella MB. (204)352-4221.

B-Gr. coloured......................70¢/ft.2

WATROUS SALVAGE

Combines

60-FT POWERMATIC HARROWS ASKING $1,100 OBO; 2 hydraulic cylinders, 3.5x20-in in excellent cond, $100 each OBO. (204)334-6885, cell (204)794-5098.

8.5-FT. ROME TANDEM BREAKING disc, no transport, good condition, asking $2,100; Morris rotary rock picker ground drive w/clutch, asking $2,600; 38-ft. Fruehauf flat bed trailer, safetied, asking $3,000; AC 35-ft. field cultivator w/anhydrous kit, asking $850. Phone (204)728-18611 894 ALLIED LOADER, NON-SELF levelling w/8-ft bucket, excellent shape, w/Ford mountings, $3000 OBO. (204)373-2730 GRAIN SCREENERS HUTCHISON & DMC screeners, $1,500 Up; Kwik Kleen 5 tube, $5,000; 7 tube, $6,500 Up; Scrapers fieldmaster 4-yd, $3,900; Ashland 4.5-yd, $4,500; Eversman 6-yd, $6,000; Degelman 570 rock picker ground drive, $2,500 Up; Fork type, $3,500; Single axle dolly, $2,000; 15000Watt generator PTO, $1,800; Glencoe 10-ft. 3PH cultivator, $750; AC 15 shank, $850; Rowcrop cultivators 4-12R, $600 Up; Lilliston 6-12R. (204)857-8403

2008 CASE IH ATX 400 45-ft. air drill, double fan, variable rate, double chute, 4-in. packers, ADX 3430 tank; Phone:(204)799-7417 or (204)612-1734.

21-FT EDWARDS HOE DRILL w/steel packers, 2115 Bourdeau air tank & liquid fert. caddy. As is, $7,250. Phone:(204)476-6907.

BOURGAULT 3225 TANK, RECONDITIONED once, POM & SS metering auger, new stlye lids in 2014, stored inside, $10,500 OBO Call:(204)365-7018.

Mervyn Simpson, Shoal Lake.

TILLAGE & SEEDING Seeding Various 14-FT LODE KING MODEL HDF14 8/6 drill fill w/5in augers, steel lids, very good shape. $950 OBO. Phone:(204)746-8563.

2, 42-FT. CASE IH 7200 hoe drills, $3,000 each OBO; Case IH 36-ft. 6200 disc drill, $700 OBO. (204)745-7445.

CASE IH 36-FT PRESS drill, steel press, good condition, shedded. Phone:(204)637-2031. Austin, MB.

TILLAGE & SEEDING Tillage Various

JD HOE DRILL 9450 30-ft.; PTO 3000 Westward swather 25-ft.; 1680 Case IH Combine; 1256 IH tractor; For Sale. Will accept any reasonable offer.

(204)967-2277.

2003 30-FT. SEEDHAWK air seeder & 6130 Morris air cart, engine driven, fan, dual chute, 130-bu capacity, excellent condition. Phone (204)526-0932.

MOWERS WOODS 7-FT. ROTARY PT, $3,000; JD 1508, $6,000; JD 1518, $7,000; JD 2018, $11,000; Buschwhacker 20-ft., $12,000; NH 9-ft. sickle mower, $2,200; IH 9-ft., $1,500; IH 7-ft., $850; Bushog 9-ft. 3-PH disc mower, $2,000; Plows Melroe auto reset 7-18, $2,000; 8-18, $3,000; White 5-16 3-PH rollover, $3,500; JD 4-16 3PH, $1,000; JD 3-16 3-PH, $850; Danhauser post auger 3-PH, $650; HD, $1,200; Lowe hyd post auger, $2,250; JD V Ditcher, $1,500. (204)857-8403

45-FT FLEXI-COIL AIRDRILL, 500-LB trip, 7-in spacing, 3-in packers, liquid kit, 2320 pull-between airtank. Phone (204)648-4935 or (204)638-7561.

PLANTERS JD 7000 8RN, $7,000; 8RW w/fert, $6,500; Valmar applicators 3255, $3,500; 1655, $3,000; 1620, $2,500; JD 6T Lime spreader, $7,500; DMI rippers 5 shank, $8,900; 7 shank, $10,900; Phoenix harrows 33-42-53 ft; Vermeer twin rake hyd, $7,500; NH 216 hyd rake, $8,500; Hay conditioners $300 Up; Gehl 2270 14-ft. haybine $3,900; JD 785 spreader hydrapush, $11,000; Gehl 1410 same as 195 NH, $8,000; H&S 400-bu., $2,500. (204)857-8403.

21-FT. CCIL DEEP TILLER, $1,500 OBO. (204)745-7445.

FOR SALE: 20-FT. IHC press drill transport & packers, good condition, $2,000; 53-ft. Herman harrow bar, tine harrows, good condition, $2,000; 17-ft.

JD deep tiller, $500. (204)637-2393 FOR SALE: FLEXICOIL 5000 air drill, 45-ft., 7-in. spacing, steel packers, Haukass markers, c/w 2320 tank, field ready, excellent condition. Bryan De Baets (204)743-2142, St Alphonse.

WESTERN DRILL FILL (Electric Overhydraulic); Galvanized grain-fertilizer tank (Diamond shape w/lid); 24-ft CIL Duplex discer in VGC, SA & FA; 18ft CIL discer SA & FA w/extensions (nice shape) Contact (204)745-7740

TracTors

WOODS DIXIE CUTTER FINISHING mower, PTO, 5-ft cut, 3-PTH; Combo 2 bottom plow/scraper blade, 3-PTH. Call (204)345-8778, Lac Du Bonnett.

TRACTORS Allis/Deutz

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Wanted

FOR SALE: ALLIS 7000 Serial No. 8138, overhauled motor, 2 new back tires, 200-hrs since overhauled. Phone (204)744-2415.

STEINBACH, MB. Ph. 326-2443

TRACTORS Case/IH

Toll-Free 1-800-881-7727 Fax (204) 326-5878 Web site: farmparts.ca E-mail: roy@farmparts.ca

214 JOHN DEERE GARDEN tractor for parts, must have Kohler engine; 212 John Deere garden tractor, Kohler engine for parts. (204)222-5479 after 6:00pm.

WANTED: INTERNATIONAL OR JOHN Deere hoe press drills. (204)268-5703.

08 STX 430 CASE IH 4x4 tractor, just over 3,000-hrs, brand new 620-70-42 tires, delux cab, heated leather seat, $160,000. (204)871-0925, McGregor.

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

location: oakville manitoba • • • • • • •

Removes FHB from wheat and barley Cleans seed, all grains Removes ergot from all grains Sunflower cleaning Separation of grain mixtures Clean gluten content from oats for gluten free oats Removes soybeans from edible beans

intelseed.ca

For more information contact Don Campbell: 204 267-7389 • don@intelseed.ca • Oakville, Manitoba

30

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

Man Soweth and Man Reapeth

by Adrian Powell

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Really stink 33 Keister Space station drink 35 Almond-flavoured liqueur Cookie Monster cohort 36 Orator's stand Four letter word on a gas pump 37 Fly fisherman's fly S-shaped curve 39 Spanish artist El ___ Noble acts 40 Clad 41 Maidenhair tree DOWN 42 Popular citrus 1 Put your hands together 43 Vampire's canine 2 Major Baltic port 44 Mah-jongg pieces 3 One of the Gulf States 45 Stethoscope sounds 4 Geisha's sash 47 Pull the trigger 5 Like studded tires 49 What you plant corn in, usually 6 Christopher Plummer's forte 50 Author Bagnold 7 Clubhouse alternative, 51 Plays for a sucker initially speaking 53 Kid's school yard game 8 "Well, ___-di-dah!"

54 67 deg., 30 min.

9 It might begin with 55 "___ you certain?"

EFPTOZLPED 10 Throughout this document SOLUTION TO PUZZLE 11 "Shaft" singer Hayes 12 Bitter ill will 13 Since, on New Year's 18 Tattooist's canvas 19 Common sports injury location 23 Really gung-ho 24 Corn, cabbages or kale 25 "Aw, heck!"

26 Blow a gasket 27 Alpine wild goat 28 First American in orbit 31 Hindu spiritual leader 32 Venetian blind strip R A G E

D R A T

R I G A

C L A P

O O N M B O A I N S N S K A K I I V I N B I D E D X

G R O I N

ACROSS 1 Sing softly 6 Quite capable 10 Leaky radiator sound 14 Dance under the bar 15 Manitoba gumbo, basically 16 Spot for a second 17 Out of character, compared to other farmers?

20 Prospector's tool 21 Hit the slopes 22 Whip up 23 Of a similar nature 24 Voter's privilege 25 Wheat farmer's post-harvest activity?

29 Like a mad dog, maybe 30 Forsaken, poetically 31 5% surcharge, for most things 34 Well over 90 35 Highly skilled 37 Dilly 38 Singing cowboy Ritter 39 US fed. agent, slangily 40 Paranormal phenomena 41 Counterbalance to "lie of the land"?

44 Judges and juries 46 Mark out of ten, say 47 Groom-to-be 48 Puzzling cuckoo bird 49 Moldovan money 52 Result of robbing a few silos?

*Taxes included

Payment Enclosed ❑ Cheque

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G R E C O

❑ 1 Year: $150.00 (US Funds)

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H I S S E S P Y R A I N E A T E I C E N G S T L U L U U R A S R U T H E L E U A I N S R N I E E E D S

❑ 1 Year: $61.00* ❑ 2 Year: $103.00* ❑ 3 Years $129.00*

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A T T I R E D

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Call, email or mail us today!

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Renew your subscription to the Manitoba Co-operator for 2 years BEFORE we mail your renewal notice, and we'll extend your subscription by 2 additional months.

That's 26 months for the price of 24. OR - Renew for one year and receive 13 months for the price of 12!

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Sudoku 3 2

Make cheque or money order payable to Manitoba Co-operator and mail to:

Box 9800, Stn. Main, Winnipeg, MB R3C 3K7 Help us make the Manitoba Co-operator an even better read!

Please fill in the spaces below that apply to you. Thank you!

If you're not the owner/operator of a farm are you: q In agri-business (bank, elevator, ag supplies etc.) q Other total farm size (including rented land)_______________ Year of birth________ q I’m farming or ranching q I own a farm or ranch but i'm not involved in it's operations or management

My Main crops are: No. of acres 1. Wheat ____________ 2. Barley ____________ 3. Oats ____________ 4. Canola ____________ 5. Flax ____________ 6. Durum ____________ 7. Rye ____________ 8. Peas ____________ 9. Chick Peas ____________ Livestock Enterpise No. of head 1. Registered Beef ____________ 2. Commercial Cow ____________ 3. Fed Cattle (sold yearly) ____________ 4. Hog Weaners (sold yearly) __________

My Main crops are: No. of acres 10. Lentils ___________ 11. Dry Beans ___________ 12. Hay ___________ 13. Pasture ___________ 14. Summerfallow ___________ 15. Alfalfa ___________ 16. Forage Seed ___________ 17. Mustard ___________ 18. Other (specify) ___________ Livestock Enterpise No. of head 5. Hog farrow-to-finish (# sows) ______ 6. Finished Pigs (sold yearly) _________ 7. Dairy Cows ___________ 8. Other Livestock (specify) __________

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Occasionally Farm Business Communications makes its list of subscribers available to other reputable firms whose products and services may be of interest to you. If you PReFeR NOt tO ReCeIve such farm-related offers please check the box below. q I PReFeR MY NAM AND ADDReSS NOt Be MADe AvAILABLe tO OtHeRS

5 9 6

Last week's answer

5 2 7 4 3 9 5 7

3 8

1

5 8 4 5

5

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1 6 8 5 3 9 5 1

5 2 7 1 6 3 9 8 4

9 8 3 4 2 5 1 6 7

4 6 1 8 7 9 2 3 5

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1 5 9 3 8 7 6 4 2

2 3 6 5 4 1 8 7 9

6 1 5 9 3 4 7 2 8

3 9 2 7 1 8 4 5 6

8 7 4 6 5 2 3 9 1

Puzzle by websudoku.com

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Puzzle by websudoku.com

Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.

The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

31

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

TRACTORS Case/ IH 2294 CASE W/3PTH, good rubber, 6,685-hrs, always shedded; Trailer-type post pounder, hyd. drive; 6200 IHC press drill, fuel packers, 2 8-ft’s.

Phone:(204)526-2424.

TRACTORS John Deere 1986 JD 2550, 65HP, MFD, w/loader, 3pt, 9,500-hrs, $13,000; 01 JD 6410, Q970 loader, 24spd, $39,500. JD 3020, 46A loader, $6,500. Also dairy cows. Can email pictures or text. No Sunday sales. Ph:(204)494-9412.

(2) JD 1830 3PTH, JD loader, $10,900 ea. JD 3020 cab, add on 3pth, JD loader, $7,900. Reimer Farm Equipment.

Hwy#12 N, Steinbach, MB. www.reimerfarmequipment.com Gary Reimer: (204)326-7000.

FOR SALE: JD 1840 hi/low, 3-pt; JD 2130 hi/low, 3-pt, w/FEL; JD 2750 2WD, O.S., 3-pt, Hi/Low shift w/146 FEL; JD 4050 MFWD, 3-pt, PS, w/280 FEL; JD 4055 2WD, 3-pt, Quad shift; JD 4240 Quad shift; JD 4440 (2) Quad shifts; JD 4455 MFWD, PS, w/280 FEL; JD 4640 Quad, add on 3-pt, w/FEL; JD 6400 MFWD, CAH, 3-pt, PQ, w/640 FEL; JD 6420 MFWD, 3-pt, 24-SPD w/LHR, loader; JD 7410 MFWD, 3-pt, PQ w/LHR, w/740 FEL; JD 8630 4WD, 3 hyd’s, Quad shift, PTO. All tractors can be sold with new or used loaders. Mitch’s Tractor Sales Ltd St. Claude, MB (204)750-2459 (cell), Mitchstractorsales.com JD 8450 TRACTOR. 16spd, quad range trans.

7,637-hrs. Clean condition, very good tires. $24,000. Phone:(204)345-8492.

TRACTORS Massey Ferguson 1982 2745 W/3PTH, 24spd, 540 PTO, Goodyear 20.8 x 38 duals, front 16.5 x 16.1, tires very good. 3 hyd., front suitcase weights. Only 6,030-hrs. $9,500 OBO. Phone: (204)746-8563.

MF 2-135 GAS TRACTOR w/ 3pth, PTO & power steering, $3,900; MF 1085 dsl, 3pth, MF loader, $7,500; MF 1105, 3pth, Leon loader, 18.4x38 radials, $6,500. Phone:(204)871-2708, (204)685-2124.

TRACTORS Versatile 1976 SERIES 2 VERS. 750 4WD tractor w/855 engine. 18.4x38 radial tires & air seat. Comes w/Atom jet hyd. system. Premium unit, $18,500 OBO. Phone:(204)528-3392 or (204)725-6679.Ninette.

1978 835 VERS 6,500-HRS, $18,000 OBO. Phone (204)526-0932

HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Black Angus

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Salers

The Icynene Insulation System®

BOTANY ANGUS FARM & Leaning Spruce Stock farm have for sale yearling & two 2-yr old Black Angus bulls. Come early, a deposit will hold your purchase until spring. For more info & prices contact Ryan Shearer (204)824-2151 or cell (204)761-5232.

PRIME SALERS BULLS, POLLED, Red or Black, hand fed, very quiet. BW as low as 74-lbs. Ken Sweetland, Lundar: (204)762-5512. www.sweetlandsalers.com

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

www.penta.ca

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You receive base pump, rad hose, insulation, fittings, rust inhibitor PLUS our FC30HD (can heat 1 building) WOOD WATER FURNACE Some claim this is “North America’s Hottest Deal!”

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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 www.bigtractorparts.com

GRUNTHAL, MB.

REGULAR CATTLE SALES

every TUESDAY at 9 am April 28th

Monday, April 27th 12:00 pm

Sheep and Goat with Small Animals & Holstein Calves

Saturday, May 2nd 10:00 am

Tack and Horse Sale

For on farm appraisal of livestock or for marketing information please call

Harold Unrau (Manager) Cell 871 0250 Auction Mart (204) 434-6519 MB. Livestock Dealer #1111

WWW.GRUNTHALLIVESTOCK.COM

FREE STANDING CORRAL PANELS, Feeders & Alley ways, 30ft or order to size. Oil Field Pipe: 1.3, 1.6, 1.9, 1 7/8, 2-in, 2 3/8, 2 7/8, 3 1/2. Sucker Rod: 3/4, 7/8, 1. Casing Pipes: 4-9inch. Sold by the piece or semi load lots. For special pricing call Art (204)685-2628 or cell (204)856-3440.

LIVESTOCK LIVESTOCK Cattle Auctions

Geared For The Future

STEIGER TRACTOR SPECIALIST

GRUNTHAL LIVESTOCK AUCTION MART. LTD.

Hwy #205, Grunthal • (204) 434-6519

STEVE’S TRACTOR REBUILDER specializing in JD tractors in need of repair or burnt, or will buy for parts. JD parts available. Phone: 204-466-2927 or cell: 204-871-5170, Austin.

Big Tractor Parts, Inc.

LIVESTOCK Cattle Auctions

SELLING FAST - BOOK NOW Don’t be disappointed!

1-204-388-6150 • Toll Free 1-855-897-7278

CASE 1410 3PTH, LOADER, $8,900. JD 444 Diesel, Payloader, Runs good $15,900. IHC 3688 cab, nice $9,900. Reimer Farm Equipment. Hwy#12 N, Steinbach, MB. www.reimerfarmequipment.com Gary Reimer:(204)326-7000.

N7 STOCK FARM HAVE 30 top quality yearling Black Angus Bulls for sale by private treaty. Sired by some of the breed’s leading AI sires, bulls are developed on a homemade oat ration & free choice hay. Performance records available, will be semen tested, delivery available. Contact Gerald & Wendy Nykoliation: (204)562-3530 or Allan’s cell (204)748-5128.

1-800-587-4711

TRACTORS 2-Wheel Drive

TRACTORS Various

CRANBERRY CREEK ANGUS REGISTERED bulls for sale. Sired by Windy 702, Remitall Rachis, Vermilion Yellowstone, Game Day, Cranberry CRK Pioneer, HF Kodiak. Bulls are easy going with great dispositions. Hand fed for longevity. Semen tested, guaranteed & delivered. Will hold until the end of April. All weights & EPD’s available. Call (204)534-2380, or cranberrycreek27@gmail.com for more info, David & Jeanette Neufeld, Boissevain

REGULAR BUTCHER & FEEDER SALE Fri., Apr. 24, 2015 @ 9:00 a.m.

SPRING HORSE SALE Mon., Apr. 27, 2015 @ 10:00 a.m.

CANADIAN LIVESTOCK AUCTIONEER CHAMPIONSHIP

Fri., May 29, 2015 @ 10:00 a.m.

(Consign Cattle)

We Have 5 to 6 Cow Buyers 6 to 7 Order Buyers - 3 to 5 Local Buyers “Where Buyers & Sellers Meet” To Consign or for more information call:

204-694-8328 or call Mike at 204-807-0747

www.winnipeglivestocksales.com Licence #1122

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Angus 2-YR OLD BLACK & Red Angus bulls for sale, also 1 Red 5-yr old her sire. For Reds phone Dick (204)427-3234. For Blacks phone Jeff (204)373-2370.

Delivery available.

BATTLE LAKE FARM has yearling & 2-yr old Angus bulls for sale. Semen tested & EPD’s available.

(204)834-2202.

FOR SALE: 2 HIGHLY proven young Red Homo Polled Rendezvous herdsires. Also offering 1, 2 yr old Fullblood bull. Ready for heavy service & semen tested. Direct all inquiries to David Maguet (204)447-7573, Ste Rose.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Red Angus 2-YR OLD PUREBRED BULLS, no papers. will semen test. (204)371-6404, Ste Anne.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Blonde d’Aquitaine BELLEVUE BLONDES HAS AN excellent group of performance & semen tested, polled Purebred Reg. Blonde yearling bulls for sale. Reasonably priced.

Call Marcel (204)379-2426 or (204)745-7412, Haywood, MB.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Charolais 1 POLLED, MATURE CHAROLAIS herd sire.

Steppler bloodlines. Will semen test, guarantee & deliver. Phone:(204)857-8220.

2 YEAR OLD SPECIALIST & Date Line bulls, yearling bulls by Silver Bullet & Specialist. Martens Charolais:(204)534-8370.

PB & FULLBLOOD 2-YR old & yearling polled Red Simmental bulls. Acomb Valley Simmentals (204)867-2203. Minnedosa, MB. SIMM BULLS FOR SALE Kenorma Simmentals.

Phone (204)642-3058.

LIVESTOCK Cattle Various SELLING 40 YEARLING SIMM Angus X heifers, will pasture & breed to your calving needs, preg checked by Oct 1st. Call for details (204)345-8492, Lac du Bonnet.

LIVESTOCK Horse Auctions ROCKING W HORSE Spring Horse Sale 3:00pm & Tack Sale 9:00am, Sat., Apr. 25th, 2015, Keystone Centre, Brandon, MB. Phone (204)325-7237 www.rockingw.com

CLINE CATTLE COMPANY HAS for sale PB Char yearling & 2 yr old bulls, White & Red factor. Call Brad (204)523-0062 www.clinecattlecompany.ca FOR SALE: YEARLING PUREBRED Charolais bulls, most are polled, some Red factored, some good for heifers, will be semen tested in spring, guaranteed & delivered. R & G McDonald Livestock, Sidney MB (204)466-2883, (204)724-2811.

THREE 2-YR OLD PUREBRED Registered Charolais bulls, Very good dispositions, will be easy calving, born in April & May, will be semen tested & guaranteed. Also 2-yearlings (Bluegrass grandsons). Phone:(204)748-1024, Virden, KEH Charolais, Keith Hagan.

WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT selection of PB Charolais bulls, both Red & white yearling & 2-yr olds.

Pictures & info on the net www.defoortstockfarm.com. Call Gord or Sue:(204)743-2109.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Hereford

POLLED HEREFORD BULLS 20-30 months, quiet, broke to tie, guaranteed delivery avail, naturally developed on forage based feeding program. Catt Brothers:(204)723-2831. Austin, MB.

BLACKHAWK ANGUS HAS YEARLING & 2-yr old bulls for sale. Hand fed & quiet... no creep feed.

Calving ease & good maternal traits. Call Kevin (204)529-2605 or call/text (204)245-1110.

YEARLING SHORTHORN BULLS FOR SALE. Well grown Jan-Feb bulls. Also one, 3 yr old suitable for breeding heifers. Greg Tough (204)748-3136, Hargrave, MB.

REGISTERED BLACK ANGUS BULLS, one 2-yr old, 80-lb birthweight, $4300; Two 1-yr olds, 79-lb birthweight, $3100 each. Delivery up to 100-km.

Les Case (204)428-3625, Portage.

RED & BLACK 2-YR old & yearling Angus bulls for sale; we have 10 bulls @ the Douglas Bull Test station; visit our website: ridgesideredangus.com Call Don:(204)422-5216. Thank you, have a great day!

10 ANGUS BULLS FOR sale, Douglas Test Station April 4th. Including first & second high gaining bulls, & high gaining group. High gainer last 3-yrs, 2013, 2014 & 2015. 10 bulls on feed efficiency test (RFI) silage based. Also mature bulls & Sim Angus bulls.

Blue Gentian Angus. Norman Bednar (204)425-3401, cell (204)380-2551.

YEARLING & 2 YR old Shorthorn bulls, Roan & Red. Orville Renwick (204)522-8686, Melita.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Simmental

FOR SALE: REGISTERED HORNED Hereford bulls, 2-yr olds & yearlings. Semen tested & delivered.

For more info, call Morley Wilson: (204)246-2142.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Black Angus

ATTENTION GRADUATES: SHORTHORN BREEDERS of Manitoba will be accepting applications for the John A. Nevin Cattle Growers Education Fund Award until June 1st, 2015. Contact: Susan Armbruster PO Box 597 Rossburn, MB R0J 1B0. Phone & Fax: (204)859-2088. Email:shorthornsue@gmail.com

OSSAWA ANGUS AT MARQUETTE, MB has for sale: Yearling bulls, 3-yr old herd sire, also yearling heifers for sale. For more info call (204)375-6658, cell (204)383-0703.

HAMCO CATTLE CO. HAS for sale Reg Red & Black Angus yearling bulls & 2-yr olds. Good selection. Semen tested, performance data & EPD’s available. Top genetics, Free Delivery. Contact Glen, Albert, Larissa Hamilton (204)827-2358 or David Hamilton (204)325-3635.

RED & BLACK YEARLING & 2 yr old Angus bulls for sale, will semen test, delivery avail. Call Wayne (204)383-5802 or (204)383-0100

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Shorthorn

PUREBRED YEARLING & TWO-YEAR old Hereford Bulls for sale. The bulls are pail fed, easy going & have great disposition. They are fed a well balanced ration for optimal growth. They are thick, long & deep w/great hair coats. We will semen test & deliver bulls. Will winter bulls until May 1st. Can be viewed online at www.rocknabh.com or call anytime to discuss. Allan/Bonnie at (204)764-0364 or Kevin/Holly at (204)764-0331 or (204)764-0332.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Limousin TRIPLE R LIMOUSIN HAS 35+ yearling & 2-yr old bulls for sale. Red & Black & polled, calving ease or performance. Come browse bulls & enjoy refreshments. Semen tested & guaranteed, delivery available. Your source for quality Limousin genetics. For pedigree or more information, Call Art:(204)685-2628 or Cell:(204)856-3440.

SPRING HORSE SALE

“Open to All Classes” Mon., Apr. 27, 2015 @ 10:00 a.m.

“Where Buyers & Sellers Meet” To Consign or for more information call:

204-694-8328 or call Mike at 204-807-0747

www.winnipeglivestocksales.com Licence #1122

Gladstone Auction Mart

Open Horse & Tack Sale Saturday, May 9th at 12:00 noon Order of Sale Tack Performance Horses Regular Horses Receiving Horses Friday May 8th from 11:00AM till 7:00PM Have EID forms filled out For more info call Terra Fulton manager at the mart (204)385-2537 License # 1413 LIVESTOCK Horses – Percheron WINDERMERE KING KONG, SON, Percheron stud service avail. Joseph Weber Box 390 Gladstone, MB 1.5-mi N, Hwy 16, 2-mi East of Hwy #260.

LIVESTOCK Swine For Sale BUTCHER HOGS, 320-LBS AVERAGE, raised in outdoor environment, $1.00/lb live weight. Call (204)745-8421, or (204)435-2799, No Sunday calls please.

Watch your profits grow!

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32

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

REAL ESTATE Land For Sale 1/2 SECTION OF FARMLAND & pasture in HartUSED ney NOTRE area for sale. DAME S1/2 21-5-23W1 in RM OIL of Cameron. 312.79-ac w/185 arable DEPOT acres of Heaslip clay & FILTER loam. All fenced & cross fenced. Being offered for sale thisUsed spring.

• Buy OilContact Gary:(204)483-2404.

• Buy Batteries

• Collect Used Filters • Collect Oil Containers

8 QUARTERS MOOSOMIN SK area, house, grain and Western Manitoba storage,Southern cattle shelters, soil type GNH, average assessment $61,865 quarter, consider 5 quarter 3 Tel:per 204-248-2110 quarter split. (306)739-2640

ALTERNATIVE POWER BY SUNDOG SOLAR, portable/remote solar water pumping for winter/summer. Call for pricing on solar systems, wind generators, aeration. Carl Driedger, (204)556-2346 or (204)851-0145, Virden.

KELLN SOLAR SUMMER/WINTER WATERING System, provides water in remote areas, improves water quality, increases pasture productivity, extends dugout life. St. Claude/Portage, 204-379-2763.

Go public with an ad in the Manitoba Co-operator classifieds. Phone 1-800-782-0794.

12V. or Hydraulic Electronic Scale Opt.

1 877 695 2532 www.ezefeeder.ca

LIVESTOCK SERVICES & VET SUPPLIES CORRAL CLEANER WITH 3-YARD loader & 3 vertical spreaders, taking new customers. Call (204)730-3139 or (204)721-2629.

ORGANIC ORGANIC Organic – Certified WANT THE ORGANIC ADVANTAGE? Contact an organic Agrologist at Pro-Cert for information on organic farming: prospects, transition, barriers, benefits, certification & marketing. Call:(306)382-1299, Saskatoon, SK or at info@pro-cert.org

ORGANIC Organic – Grains GROW ORGANIC QUINOA! Total production contracts available.

Visit: www.quinoa.com or Phone:(306)933-9525.

WANTED: ORGANIC Phone:(306)933-9525.

BROWN/YELLOW

FOR SALE BY TENDER Part of NW 34-10-9 W1 in the RM of North Norfolk as described in Certificate of Title #1890255 in the Portage la Prairie Land Titles Office. 13.77 acres located 10kms. South of Bagot, MB. on paved Highway #242. 10 acres of cultivated land. Buildings on the property consist of a 72’ by 120’ insulated storage shed with 3 phase 600 volt power supply as well as a 40’ by 40’ storage shed.

Access to city water.

For viewing by appointment contact 204.648.3822 or visit http://www. bluediamondagra.com/index.html.

Additional information also available at 204-937-7187.

Tenders close on Thursday April 30th at 4:00 P.M. Mail Tenders to “Land Tender”, Box 916, Dauphin, MB, R7N 3J5.

Highest or any tender not necessarily accepted. 20% deposit by certified cheque or bank draft required within 48 hours of acceptance of any successful tender.

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Acreages/Hobby

FLAX.

Round up the cash! Advertise your unwanted equipment in the Manitoba Co-operator classifieds.

PETS & SUPPLIES 6 CATS LOOKING FOR a good farm home, they are spayed & neutered, must be a home that will care for them. Phone (204)773-0107

REAL ESTATE REAL ESTATE Houses & Lots READY TO MOVE HOMES- Available now1,520-sq.ft & 1,320-sq.ft homes. All homes completely finished including cabinets, interior woodwork, light fixtures, bath fixtures, 200-amp service, painted. Flooring not included. Will also custom build your plan. Call for quote MARVIN HOMES (since 1976) Steinbach area (204)326-1493 or (204)355-8484, www.marvinhomes.ca

3 KIPLING LANE 1604 sq. ft. 2 storey $319,900 in Niverville, 20 min. south of Wpg. 3+1 BR. 3.5 bath.

Modern open concept main floor w. espresso finished hardwoods. Gas fireplace. Island & high end stainless steel appliances, under cab. lighting.

Huge master w. tray ceiling, WIC + bath. 2nd flr. Laundry w. front load appl. Fin. bsmt. 12x20 deck, dble detached garage. Must see!

NIVERVILLE,MB · PH:1-204-899-7684

MB Farm Real Estate is my specialty & I can help you complete a successful transaction. I will help you avoid the pitfalls & get fair value. Call for a consultation.

Grant Tweed Ph. 204-761-6884 grant@granttweed.com

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Manitoba EXCELLENT LIVESTOCK FARM 1,732 deeded acres w/4,425-ac of Crown land. All the land is fenced & the farm has very good buildings & metal corral system. The farm can carry up to 400-450 cow/calf pairs. There is a small bungalow home. Also, excellent 254-ac property located in the RM of Alexander at the junction of Maskwa & the Winnipeg River. This would make a first class cottage development, or is suitable for other uses. 235-ac of pastureland in Rapid City area. Jim McLachlan (204)724-7753. Homelife Home Professional Realty Inc. www.homelifepro.com GLENBORO, MB: ORGANIC BEEF farm 400-acs, 80-acs arable, balance open hay & pasture. Buildings include good barn 40x140-ft., 2 good cattle sheds, good shelter belt & water. Olde 2.5 storey home, hwy frontage. Firm price $500,000. Enclosed listing.

Countryland Realty Dave Mooney (204)824-2094.

Farming is enough of a gamble, advertise in the Manitoba Co-operator classified section. It’s a sure thing.

1-800-782-0794.

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES

Contact Sheldon Froese 204-371-5131 REAL ESTATE Land For Sale ROY FORSYTH OF EDDYSTONE, MB intends to sell private lands: NE 01-25-13W, SW 06-25-12W, SW 08-25-13W to Wes Bates who intends to acquire the following agricultural Crown land leases: SW 05-25-12W, N 1/2 10-25-13W, SE 18-25-12W, Section 11-25-13W, Section 35-24-13W, NW 13-25-13W, NW 07-25-12W, S 1/2 13-25-13W, NW 01-25-13W, E 1/2 14-25-13W, Section 02-25-13W

by Unit transfer. If you wish to comment on or object to the eligibility of this purchaser, please write to: Director, MAFRD, Agricultural Crown Lands, PO Box 1286, Minnedosa, MB R0J 1E0; or Fax:(204)867-6578.

LESS FUSARIUM MORE BOTTOM LINE. GP Wheat WFT603 seed available. Suitable for ethanol production, livestock feed. Western Feed Grain Development Co-op Ltd. 1-877-250-1552 www.wfgd.ca Manitoba Co-operator classifieds, 1-800-782-0794.

CERTIFIED AAC BRANDON & Carberry Wheat.

Call (204)745-3301. Elias Seeds. Carman, Miami, MB. CERTIFIED CARBERRY WHEAT. CERTIFIED Summit Oats. Certified Tradition Barley. Ph: (204) 385-2486. Cell: (204) 212-0531 Wilmot Milne, Gladstone.

CERT PASTURE SPRING WHEAT high yielding w/good quality. Great replacement for winter wheat acs not seeded. Call Jefferies Seeds Ltd Glenboro (204)827-2102.

DURAND SEEDS: CERT AAC Brandon, Cardale & Carberry Wheat; Souris & Stride Oats; CDC Bethune Flax; Mancan Buckwheat avail w/contracts; Forage & Canola Seed.

(204)248-2268, (204)745-7577, NotreDame, MB. JAMES FARMS LTD Brandon, Cardale & Carberry wheat, summit oats, Mcleod & Chadburn R2 soybeans, tradition barley & forage seeds. Various canola & sunflower seed varieties. Custom processing, seed treating, inoculating, as well as delivery are available. Early payment discount. For info call (204)222-8785, or toll-free 1-866-283-8785, Winnipeg. djames@jamesfarms.com PUGH SEEDS: CERT CARDALE WHEAT, Souris oats, Conlon barley, Registered & Certified Sorrel flax. Phone:(204)274-2179 or Cell:(204)871-1467, Portage,MB. SANDERS SEED FARM: Certified AAC Brandon, Carberry, Domain, Glenn wheat; celebration barley & Cangerra canola varieties. (204)242-4200. Manitou, MB.

CourtSeeds AAC Proclaim CWGP  Good yields, medium maturity  Excellent Fusarium resistance  Quality General Purpose variety

Plumas, MB courtseeds@gmail.com 204-386-2354 courtseeds.ca

CERTIFIED SEED Forage Seeds CERTIFIED MF 5301 ALFALFA seed, pre-inoculated in 50-lb bags, $3.50/lb. Common Timothy seed, $1.80/lb. Call (204)642-2572, Riverton.

CERTIFIED SEED Oilseeds CERTIFIED RECONSTITUTED BETHUNE FLAX; triffid free. Call:(204)792-8613 or (204)941-0403.

Domain, MB.

BRAND NEW ATVS, DIRTBIKES & Dune Buggies.

Best prices in Manitoba! 110cc ATV $839, 125cc dirt bike $899; 125cc dune buggy $1,699; Full Warranty, Brandon, MB will add. Phone:(204)724-4372. www.canadattatv.com

1-800-782-0794 Stretch your ADVERTISING DOLLAR!

CERTIFIED SEED Specialty Crops

RECYCLING

GROW QUINOA! TOTAL PRODUCTION contracts available. Competitive returns. 20-yrs agronomic experience. www.quinoa.com or (306)933-9525.

COMMON SEED

We BUY used oil & filters Collection of plastic oil jugs Glycol recovery services Specialized waste removal Winter & Summer windshield washer fluid Peak Performance anti-freeze ( available in bulk or drums )

The only company that collects, recycles and re-uses in Manitoba!

888-368-9378 ~ www.envirowestinc.com

for cleaning and upgrading.

• • • • • • •

Removes FHB from wheat and barley Cleans seed, all grains Removes ergot from all grains Sunflower cleaning Separation of grain mixtures Clean gluten content from oats for gluten free oats Removes soybeans from edible beans

For more information contact Don Campbell: 204 267-7389 don@intelseed.ca Oakville, Manitoba

COMMON SEED Forage Seeds FOR SALE: ALFALFA, TIMOTHY, Brome, Clover, hay & pasture blends, millet seed, Crown, Red Prozo, cleaned common seed oats. Leonard Friesen (204)685-2376, Austin, MB. MILLET SEED, TOP YIELDER, 65 day Foxtail Millet, commonly 8,000-10,000 lbs/acre. A High percentage Leaf Hay, ready by usually dry Aug. Haying seed 8-10 lbs/ac; totes 50 cents/lb. Info D. WHITE SEEDS phone (204)822-3649, Morden.

SEED / FEED / GRAIN SEED/ FEED/GRAIN Feed Grain LESS FUSARIUM MORE BOTTOM LINE. GP Wheat WFT603 seed available. Suitable for ethanol production, livestock feed. Western Feed Grain Development Co-op Ltd. 1-877-250-1552 www.wfgd.ca

SEED/FEED/GRAIN Grain Wanted

FARMERS, RANCHERS, SEED PROCESSORS BUYING ALL FEED GRAINS Heated/Spring Threshed Lightweight/Green/Tough, Mixed Grain - Barley, Oats, Rye, Flax, Wheat, Durum, Lentils, Peas, Canola, Chickpeas, Triticale, Sunflowers, Screenings, Organics and By-Products √ ON-FARM PICKUP √ PROMPT PAYMENT √ LICENSED AND BONDED SASKATOON, LLOYDMINSTER, LETHBRIDGE, VANCOUVER, MINNEDOSA

1-204-724-6741

TRAVEL

AGRICULTURAL TOURS Ireland/Scotland ~ June 2015 NWT/Yukon ~ July 2015 Alaska Cruise ~ July 2015 Australia/New Zealand ~ Jan 2016 Kenya/Tanzania ~ Jan 2016 South America ~ Feb 2016 South Africa ~ 2016 India ~ 2016 *Portion of tours may be Tax Deductible

SEED/FEED/GRAIN Hay & Straw 200 4X4X8 SQUARE RYE grass bales, re-growth behind combine, 1200-1400-lbs, $40 each.

(204)526-5225 300 BALES, OF ROUND bale alfalfa silage, 2100-lbs per bale, $55.00/bale. Call (204)642-2572, Riverton.

The Manitoba Co-operator. Manitoba’s best-read farm publication.

6X5 ROUND 1ST CUT Alfalfa Grass bales. Phone (204)749-2194 cell (204)526-0733.

FIRST CUT ALFALFA & Alfalfa Timothy 3x3 square bales, feed test available. Phone Howard (204)483-2990, Souris.

FIRST & SECOND CUT, 5x6 round bales of grass & alfalfa mixtures, weight 1400-lbs plus, no rain, feed analysis available, will load & delivery available. Phone (204)750-4300, if no answer please leave detailed message.

LARGE ROUND BALES OF wheat & oat straw; Large round bales of hay. (204)325-2416.

Hit our readers where it counts… in the classifieds.

Place your ad in the Manitoba Co-operator classifed section. 1-800-782-0794.

SEED/FEED/GRAIN Grain Wanted

WE BUY OATS Call us today for pricing Box 424, Emerson, MB R0A 0L0 204-373-2328

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33

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

MORE NEWS loc a l, nationa l a nd internationa l news

Search Canada’s top agriculture publications… with just a click. Network SEARCH

Taking canola oil artisanal

Manitoba chefs were recently offered a taste of cold-pressed, extra-virgin canola oil

By Jennifer Paige Co-operator staff

C

ulinary experts throughout the province recently got their hands on a few samples of an innovative new canola product, straight out of the product development department at Portage’s Food Development Centre.

The Manitoba Canola Growers Association in collaboration with the Manitoba Agri-Health Research Network Inc. (MAHRN) have started cold pressing canola to develop virgin canola oil.

“Last year in conjunction with the MCGA, we decided we would look at canola as it is clearly a large commodity in Manitoba,” said Lee Anne Murphy, executive director with MAHRN. “There are several different ways to press canola seed, but we wanted to look at one that would allow us to feature that craft, artisanal-type of product.”

“I think we are really just on the cusp of this project and it is quite interesting to be involved. The MCGA was excited to partner with the MAHRN and I can’t wait to see where this project is going to take us,” said Ellen Pruden, education and promotions manager with the MCGA. In the initial stages of the project, MCGA located grower members who had grown the same variety of canola in three different areas throughout the province.

“Just like wine, how the same variety grown in different regions often results in differing flavours, we wanted to see if we could apply that concept to canola,” said Pruden.

This past winter, the MCGA acquired canola seed from grower members in Winkler, Grandview and East Selkirk.

“If you look at these locations on a map, they pretty much represent the north to south reaches of where canola is grown in Manitoba,” said Murphy. “We weren’t sure what kind of end result we were going to come out with. We then used a cold-pressing system that is not expensive, keeping in mind the future possibility of transferring it to an onfarm enterprise.”

The conventional process of canola crushing uses solvents to extract oil from the seed, whereas the cold-pressing process uses only mechanical expellers, resulting in a higher oil and high meal as its byproduct.

The cold-press technique does not require solvent, bleach, deodorization or chemical degumming, which helps the oil retain its natural colour and omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids.

“Cold pressing is exactly what it sounds like. It is a low-temperature pressing of an oilseed to extract as virgin of oil as you can get out of it,” said Murphy. “There is very minimal processing, beyond prepping and a little bit of natural settling.”

Conventionally processed canola oil is generally a light-yellow colour with a neutral taste, while, cold-pressed canola results in a more pronounced colour, taste and odour and because of the ability to retain antioxidant levels, it boasts an extended shelf life.

“We anticipated the results to be different as there are a number of differences in the land but then to see how the finished product is so different is really quite unique,” said Pruden.

“You can certainly see the difference between the different locations in taste and appearance. Biochemically, one of them has a little bit more iron than the other one and one has a slightly different vitamin profile,” said Murphy. “We contribute this all back to the growing

The Manitoba Culinary Institute recently received samples of virgin canola oil. The canola seed used for the product was sourced from three different locations in the province, but stem from the same variety and growing year. After being cold-press processed, the oil has obvious differences in appearance and taste: (l to r) Grandview product, East Selkirk product, Winkler product. photo: Jennifer Paige

“Cold pressing is exactly what it sounds like. It is a low-temperature pressing of an oilseed to extract as virgin of oil as you can get out of it. There is very minimal processing, beyond prepping and a little bit of natural settling.”

Lee Anne Murphy

executive director with the Manitoba Agri-Health Research Network Inc.

conditions because the only difference between them was the location. They were all the same variety, same growing season and same processing method.”

Most recently, the organizations distributed samples of the virgin canola oil to various culinary operations and food writers throughout the province to gain feedback from the industry.

“The MCGA and the MAHRN have sent out these samples to a number of places and we were lucky enough to get some,” said Bryan Hendricks, culinary arts instructor at the Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts. “They are asking for us to give them a review on how we used it and what we think.”

“We went to our network of culinary contacts and the Manitoba Culinary Institute is one of them. The Canola Growers proudly sponsors their culinary kitchen as well as offers a number of scholarships. Samples were also dispersed to Red River College, Louis Riel school division, the culinary school in Winkler, as well as a number of local chefs,” said Pruden.

Response from these parties will be key in determining if cold-pressed virgin canola oil can be a viable commercial product and possibly a new revenue stream for farms looking to sell consumer-ready products.

“I am going to take some time and play with it. Some oils get bitter when you whip them in a blender or by hand.

Heating it up can also change the flavour,” said Hendricks. “I am looking for-

Virgin canola oil from the Manitoba Canola Growers Association and the Manitoba Agri-Health Research Network Inc., latest product development project has been bottled in both 500-ml and four-litre jugs with the source location worked into the label. photo: MAHRN

ward to working with it and seeing how it will react to different mediums and then giving my feedback. I believe they are eventually planning to take this to market and I personally think there will definitely be a market for this.”

The project bottled the oil in both 500ml bottles as well as four-litre jugs for distribution to food-service venues.

“We don’t expect it will be used as a frying oil as there is a lot of good canola oil around for that. This is more geared towards that higher-end recipe development,” said Murphy. “We are really looking to generate some support and excitement with the chef community and local food supporters.”

As feedback is gathered, the organizations will move into the second phase of the project, which focuses on adding value to all components of the seed, expanding crop sources next year to compare and contrast the product results and determining the best path to move the process on farm.

“The ultimate goal is that this will go beyond the associations that are working together on the project and see this really as a farm enterprise. It will really leverage into that local, know your grower, artisanal market and will hold a high value,” said Murphy.

Jennifer.paige@fbcpublishing.com

34

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

Australia beef exports to fall on lower slaughter rate

Picking up the pace

An easing drought means farmers will start to rebuild their herds

By Colin Packham sydney / reuters

E A rooster makes a dash across the frozen farmyard.

photo: stephanie nikkel

Calling all farmers We need your help to tell a story that directly affects your livelihood.

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If you care about how the story of agriculture is being told, we need your support to make this movie a reality. Please go to www.knowGMOtheMovie.com to learn more and to donate.

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“Fear sells and is easy to believe.

We made a mistake in not telling agriculture’s story.

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Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Donations are tax deductible through the Farm & Food Care Foundation (KNOW GMO MOVIE)

xports of Australian beef are likely to fall faster than previously expected as slaughter rates drop off as a twoyear drought eases, threatening to add fuel to a rally in U.S. beef prices.

A record slaughter rate has dropped nearly a fifth in the last two weeks, as farmers start to rebuild a herd that has fallen to the smallest in 17 years.

Farmers typically send more cattle to slaughter in drought conditions given a lack of pasture and to cut feed costs.

A drop in slaughter rates will mean lower exports from the world’s third-largest beef seller and risks boosting U.S. beef prices that have jumped nearly a fifth since January 2014.

U.S. pr ices soared after drought in California wilted pasture, cutting the national herd to a 63-year low in 2014. Australian imports helped fill the gap and while cheaper feed is allowing the U.S. herd to recover, imports are set to stay high.

“The liquidation of Australian cattle cannot continue and this will pose a question for the U.S. How much will it be willing to pay for supplies, particularly given the much cheaper alternate protein sources available?” said Matt Costello, an animal proteins analyst at Rabobank.

In the first two weeks of April, just shy of 280,000 head of cattle were slaughtered, more than 17 per cent lower than the twoweek period one month earlier, data from industry body, Meat and Livestock Australia, showed.

Further falls are likely should a favourable forecast from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology materialize.

Between April and June, it sees a more than 60 per cent chance of better-than-average rains across key production regions in Queensland, which should replenish pasture and dams.

Australian beef exports have had three record years, peaking last season at 1.223 million tonnes, but the government is predicting exports will fall five per cent in the 2015-16 season.

However, with wetter weather, exports could fall more sharply leaving the United States short of beef.

More than a third of Australian beef exports go to the United States, while Japan is also a big buyer, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences.

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35

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

Brazil landowners’ group contests limits on foreign land purchases Existing laws prevent a single owner from owning large quantities of land

By Caroline Stauffer sao paulo / reuters

B

r a z i l ’s Ru r a l So c i e t y of landowners filed a case with the country’s Supreme Court April 16 seeking to overturn restrictions on the amount of land foreigners can purchase.

The attorney general’s office tightened restrictions on foreign land ownership in Brazil in 2010, an action that officials privately said was mostly aimed at restricting China’s access to untapped farmland in the country, the world’s No. 2 soybean producer.

Gustavo Junqueira, president of the Rural Society, said that in trying to reverse the 2010 land restrictions, the society did not seek to allow the purchase of large swathes of land by coun-

tries like China or by sovereign wealth funds.

“We want people, investors and companies linked to agriculture to have the right to invest,” he said in an interview, adding that existing laws would prevent the concentration of large quantities of land in the hands of a single owner.

The Rural Society argues the 2010 restrictions violate Brazil’s constitution.

Brazil’s land reform agency Incra is allowed to approve sales of small parcels of land to nonBrazilians, but it has been slow to do so. Incra approved the first such sales in September 2013, three years after the new rules were applied.

Sales of properties larger than 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres) require approval from Congress.

Junqueira said Brazil had forfeited billions of dollars in investments in sugar cane mills and pulp plants because of the restrictions, which also raised questions about existing land titles.

“There are companies that bought land in the 1980s and are worried about this, wondering if they should write off the property,” he said.

Although the 2010 regulations made foreign investors more cautious, they have not prevented them from coming to Brazil. Many have teamed up with Brazilian nationals to buy properties or have been leasing rather than purchasing properties.

The creation of joint ventures and holding companies resulted in even more confusion, Junqueira said, because the true ownT:10.25”

In this September 2014 photo, a tree is seen at a plantation of Da Mata, the Brazilian sugar cane processor, in Valparaiso, 355 miles northwest of Sao Paulo. Brazil is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of sugar and ethanol. photo: REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker

ers of Brazilian properties can be hidden.

He said the restrictions also affect sectors like mining, real

estate and automakers that require rural property and it hoped other groups would file complementary lawsuits.

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36

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

COUNTRY CROSSROADS CON N EC T I NG RU R A L FA M I L I E S

Assessing the validity of wild food production in Manitoba Can Manitoba landowners harness the potential that grows in untouched wooded areas?

Woodlot owners are considering the potential for developing a wild food sector photo: Thinstock

By Jennifer Paige Co-operator staff

M

anitoba forests and wooded areas could be a cornucopia of wild edibles ranging from mushrooms to herbal teas, the Woodlot Association of Manitoba (WAM) says.

It has been consulting with woodlot owners this spring about the potential for creating a sustainable woodland food industry.

“We are trying to suggest to landowners that they can do something with these unused areas,” said Mike James of WAM. The initiative is looking at woodlots, shelterbelts, treed lots or river bottom forest to assess the inventory of existing wild food production and the potential for enhanced use of wooded farmlands to grow wild foods.

The Woodland Farm Food Project has been supported

by M a n i t o b a A g r i c u l t u re, Food and Rural Development and the Growing Forward 2 initiative.

“We thought that the best way to go about this was to set up consultation meetings not just to talk about timber forest

products or wild foods but to ask people what they thought about this and what they have been doing and what kind of direction they would like to see this move,” said James.

According to WAM, Manitoba currently has 2.4 m i l l i o n a c re s o f p r i va t e l y owned wooded land, shared by approximately 13,500 landow n e r s. T h e o r g a n i z a t i o n believes that these areas offer an untapped opportunity for economic diversity.

Wooded lands can offer a multitude of consumables, including wild nuts, berries, forest honey, birch and maple syrup, edible fungi, herbal tea sources, essential oil sources and wild salad ingredients.

Consultations have been held in The Pas, Dauphin, Brandon, Portage, and meetings are scheduled in Selkirk and Lac du Bonnet later this month. “ We h a ve s e e n a c ro s s section of individuals attend these meetings, everyday producers, Hutterites, First Nations individuals as well as woodlot owners. The interest is there and we have received some good response on our survey,” said James.

The project builds on pre-

“Through the feedback I have received, I really believe that the development of a co-operative is critical in getting this industry to take off. We are suggesting that there is a need for one or two smaller co-operatives in Manitoba that would be a resource to sell these products.”

Mike James, co-presenter with Woodlot Association of Manitoba

vious work done by the Manitoba Model Forest and the Northern Development Centre, which had previously focused on forested areas in the North on First Nations’ land.

WAM has now shifted focus to the wooded lands in the province’s agriculture zone and is looking at how practices used in the North can be adapted and improved for the southern areas.

“In the past there have been a lot of harvesters trained to harvest various products and wild foods but there has been difficulty getting them to market, as many buyers don’t want to purchase in small amounts,” said James. “But, we

have certainly seen a market for these products and as consumers move more towards natural products, we expect the demand to increase.”

WAM believes that creating a co-operative would be the ideal solution.

Participants of the consultations said rather than a large co-operative they prefer forming a small collective where harvesters could get training, collect materials and share equipment.

“Through the feedback I have received, I really believe that the development of a co-operative is critical in getting this industry to take off,” said James. “We are suggesting that there is a need for

one or two smaller co-operatives in Manitoba that would be a resource to sell these products.”

Up o n c o n c l u s i o n o f t h e meetings, WAM is expected to complete a report outlining the validity of harvesting and marketing wild foods in Manitoba by the end of May. The organization will also look at the possibility of developing an assessment tool to assist landowners in determining what is currently growing on their land and what their land is best suited for.

“Following the consultation and report we are hoping to gain further funding in order to develop an assessment tool, create training sessions to inform people what they can grow on their property and how to harvest in a sustainable way and look to create a pilot co-operative to see if this would improve the validity of bringing these materials to market,” said James.

Anyone interested in growing or harvesting wild foods is encouraged to visit www. woodlotmanitoba.com or send questions and comments to wff@woodlotmanitoba.com.

Jennifer.paige@fbcpublishing.com

37

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

Prairie Fare

Grilled asparagus adds variety, nutrition to menu Julie Garden-Robinson Food and Nutrition Specialist NDSU Extension Service

I

noticed the thick bunches of asparagus at a grocery store and the sight of the green stalks carried me right back to my childhood. In the early summer, with paper bags in hand, my dad and I hunted for asparagus near our home. We walked about one-half mile to an asparagus patch in a ditch along a seldomtravelled gravel road.

I’m not sure how the asparagus landed in that area, but someone must have planted it at some point. Asparagus is not harvested until at least three years after it is planted and it is productive for about 15 years. The asparagus patch in my hometown had been there quite awhile.

When I spotted the green spears among the green blades of grass, I harvested them and added them to my paper bag. We did not pick the super-skinny stalks because, in the case of asparagus, the larger stems are more tender than the tiny stems.

My dad and I had a little contest going during these hunts: Who could find the most asparagus? Being young and closer to the ground, I was pretty quick at nabbing these members of the lily family, which also includes onions and garlic. Actually, I think he let me win.

Once in a while, we missed spotting the asparagus stalks and discovered they had grown feathery ferns that later produced red berries. At the fern stage, the asparagus was no longer food for our dinner table. This was a disappointment but a natural progression of the plant. The asparagus was storing up its own nutrients for next season, so we left it alone.

We “bagged” quite a few asparagus in those days long ago. Then someone else discovered our asparagus hunting ground. I remember when we first found tiny green stumps where the stems had been. Someone was poaching “our” veggies. We had our suspicions but never saw anyone else picking asparagus, so we altered our hunting time.

I wonder if the other asparagus hunter was scouting the spot with binoculars fixed on the patch. Eventually the asparagus

Grilled Asparagus 1 lb. fresh asparagus 1 tsp. minced garlic 2 tbsp. olive oil, canola oil or other oil Salt (to taste)

photo: Thinkstock

patch stopped producing and we needed to buy it at the grocery store. But the experience wasn’t the same.

If you happen to like asparagus, pat yourself on the back. One cup of asparagus has about 25 calories and three grams of dietary fibre. Fibre is necessary to maintain the healthy functioning of our digestive system. Asparagus provides potassium, which is necessary for muscle contraction, including our all-important heart muscle. Vitamins C, K, A and thiamin also are found in asparagus.

Asparagus is especially rich in folate. This B vitamin is known to help prevent birth defects, including spina bifida where the baby’s spine may not be fully closed at birth. Spina bifida potentially is linked to paralysis. Throughout life, folate plays a role in maintaining the health of the cells in our body.

As part of an overall healthful diet, asparagus and other healthful foods may reduce our risk for cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Despite its nutritional benefits, asparagus does have an interesting “side-effect” that may show up as soon as 15 minutes after eating. Asparagus naturally contains sulphur-containing amino acids, and people who enjoy asparagus will excrete the natural sulphurous chemicals in their urine.

However, not everyone can smell this natural chemical with a scent similar to cooking cabbage. An estimated 25 to 50 per cent of people can detect the smell. You can try this experiment in the privacy of your own home.

Asparagus is in season in the spring in grocery stores, so it is at its best quality and price. After purchase, try to use it within about three days for best quality. The ends may dry out, so dampen a paper towel and wrap it around the bottom of the stalk.

Asparagus can be prepared in a variety of ways, including steaming, microwaving, stir-frying and grilling. If you have extra, you can blanch it in boiling water for a couple of minutes, cool it under cold water, drain it and package it in freezer containers or freezer bags.

As my older daughter and I rinsed the asparagus that triggered my trip down memory lane, I looked forward to the tasty meal the big bunch of asparagus would provide and the memories it will make for my family.

Note: when grilling vegetables, consider using a grill pan available in many stores where grilling supplies are sold.

Prepare the grill. Rinse the asparagus stalks under running water. Drain well and place in a pan. Mix the oil and garlic and drizzle the mixture over the asparagus. Grill for about five minutes and turn regularly with tongs. Grill until tender but not mushy. The natural sugars will caramelize and produce a delicious flavour during the grilling process.

Makes four servings. Each serving has 80 calories, 7 grams (g) of fat, 5 g of carbohydrate, 3 g of protein and 3 g of fibre. Without added salt, the recipe has no sodium.

Julie Garden-Robinson, PhD, R.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension Service food and nutrition specialist and professor in the department of health, nutrition and exercise sciences.

38

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

S

“

omething is wrong with this picture.” Randy Jackson shielded his eyes as a gust of wind blew dust from the truck bed into his face.

The tailgate on which he and Andrew and Brady sat creaked as he shifted his weight. “It’s not normal,” he concluded.

“What’s not normal?” asked Brady.

“The weather,” said Randy. “It’s the middle of April. “The snow has been gone for two weeks.

It hasn’t rained. Every day it’s windy and dry and way warmer than it should be at this time of year.

I should be happy that it’s not freezing cold and snowing every day, but this weather just makes me anxious.”

Andrew pulled his hat down lower to keep it from flying off in the wind. “When it comes to weather,” he said, “there’s no such thing as normal. Take 2004. It never got up to 20° during the spring. Not once. It hit 20° on June 21, the first day of summer. On May 12 we had a snowstorm.

The leaves didn’t come out on the trees till the last day of May. June and July were cold. It finally warmed up enough in August so people could go to the beach. Of course it was 30° in the end of September, but what’s the point of that? The days are so short by then. You’ve got no time to enjoy the heat.”

There was a moment of silence.

“What’s your point?” said Randy.

“Stop being anxious,” said Andrew. “Que sera sera.”

“That’s very helpful,” said Randy. “Another week of this wind and our cropland is going to be somewhere in the Interlake. And that’s going to make seeding a logistical nightmare. So don’t que sera sera me.”

“You worry too much,” said Brady.

“Somebody has to do it,” said Randy. “And I’m really good at it.”

“You’re good at it?” said Brady. “How can you tell that you’re good at worrying?”

“Because 99 per cent of the things I worry about never happen,” said Randy.

“I’ll wager none of them would happen even if you didn’t worry about them,” said Brady.

“Ah, but you don’t know that for sure,” said Randy. “Are you willing to take that risk?”

The

Jacksons

By Rollin Penner

“Absolutely,” said Brady.

Randy sighed. “People who don’t worry have no idea,” he said.

“We appreciate all your hard work Randy,” said Andrew. “Thank you for saving us from all those imaginary disasters.”

“You’re welcome,” said Randy.

“It’s going to rain next week,” said Andrew.

“Oh goody,” said Randy. “Dad says it’s going to rain next week. All of my troubles are over.”

“I have three weather apps on my iPhone,” said Andrew, “and they all agree that it’s going to rain next week.”

“I have an app on my iPhone,” said Brady pulling the phone from his pocket, “that tells me next week is going to be a great week for romance, and also for finishing that novel I’ve been working on.”

Andrew and Randy looked surprised. “You’re working on a novel?” said Andrew.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Brady. “Of course not.

But my iPhone apparently thinks I am. Which just goes to show that my iPhone doesn’t know any more about me than your iPhone knows about the weather.”

“Don’t insult my iPhone,” said Andrew. “My iPhone is very sensitive. Last week I got peeved with it when it tried to tell me that hurryhard isn’t a word in the Scrabble dictionary and I flung it across the living room onto the couch and it stopped working for like, 12 hours.”

“You should get an Android,” said Randy. “I swear at mine all the time and it never stops working.”

“How come you swear at it all the time?” asked Andrew.

“Because it’s a piece of crap,” said Randy. “But at least it isn’t overly sensitive.”

“Does it tell you that it’s going to rain next week?” said Andrew. “Because if it doesn’t, you should get a new one.”

“Of course it does,” said Randy. “It always tells me that it’s going to rain next week. It also always tells me that it’s going to be sunny next week. So depending on how you look at it, it’s either always right or it’s always wrong. And I’m more of an always wrong kind of guy.”

“That’s true,” said Andrew. “You definitely are.”

A sudden gust of wind forced all three of them to grab for their hats.

“It’s going to be a good summer,” said Andrew.

“Is it?” said Randy. “How do you know?”

“I don’t,” said Andrew. “It’s just a random guess.”

Brady looked up from his phone. “My iPhone agrees with you,” he said.

Andrew patted Randy’s knee. “See?” he said pointing at Brady’s phone. “You should get one of those.”

Gardening programs for children As the population becomes more urban, many are disconnected from the land

By Albert Parsons

These provide wonderful programs and help connect children — both farm kids and town kids — to the earth.

Freelance contributor

A

s our population becomes more urban and fewer Prairie residents have any sort of roots in the rural farming community, our young people are becoming more and more disconnected from the land and from nature.

Children might naturally assume that milk comes from a plastic jug in the refrigerator and that the vegetables they eat magically appear, all washed and ready for the table, and have never seen these plants actually growing in the earth. Some farmers are trying to combat this by holding open farm days, and agri-tourism has gained a foothold. Another way to educate young people about where our food comes from is to promote Junior Garden Clubs.

I am a member of the Minnedosa Horticultural Society and in the ’90s when we lived in Carberry, I belonged to a similar group there. In both communities, the hort. societies sponsored Junior Garden Clubs. Sadly, the Carberry society has folded, but the one in Minnedosa is still going strong and we sponsor a Junior Garden Club every year. Our neighbouring societies in Newdale and Neepawa also have very active Junior Garden Clubs.

These provide wonderful programs and help connect children — both farm kids and town kids — to the earth. The success depends almost entirely on the leader’s ability to connect with the kids and to engage them in the activities. This is

Barb Pedersen and Helen Caird, leaders of the Newdale Junior Garden Club, are always coming up with novel ideas to keep the kids engaged. This past year everything they grew was purple, including purple asters, eggplant, purple lettuce and cabbage, purple gladiolas, purple carrots, and these purple beans.

Last year Glenda McPhee, the club leader in Neepawa, had the children out to her acreage where they could pick anything they wanted to create their show exhibits. The winner of the best arrangement in the show went to a Junior Garden Club member. PHOTOS: ALBERT PARSONS

a great project for anyone interested in working with young people and who also has an interest in gardening. Here are some things that I have seen work well when running a club.

Although the most exciting projects will occur during the growing season, some clubs operate year round. Projects in the winter might include carpentry to build

raised beds, wooden planters, trellises, or vermiculture bins. Most young people enjoy food preparation, so there might be a session on making something from a vegetable they have grown and stored.

Terrariums, bottle gardens, succulent and cactus gardens and growing sprouts are other possible winter projects.

During the summer months, things that keep the young people actively involved include growing their own gardens, complete with garden signs and the prospect of having the gardens judged in late summer. Most horticultural societies and garden clubs have fall shows and this will give them something to work toward. An exhibitors’ workshop will show them how to exhibit flowers, fruits and vegetables.

Inclusion of fun classes, such as the biggest zucchini or sunflower head and the most strangely shaped carrot intrigue children.

Supplying seeds and plants is part of the sponsorship. Choosing things to grow that will interest children is important, like carrots (they are good to eat raw), sunflowers (kids are amazed by their size), and snap peas (to snack on while in the garden). Arranging a tour so the children can see everyone else’s garden is a good idea, as are social events, such as combining a picnic at the beach with the exhibitors’ workshop or having a get-together on judging day.

Junior Garden Clubs are truly wonderful organizations. Make the effort, if you are interested, or know of someone who would be a perfect fit as a leader, to get one started in your community. The benefits to both the children and to the community are innumerable — and you might learn a thing or two as well!

Albert Parsons writes from Minnedosa, Manitoba

39

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

Prairie crocus: an emblem worth a search If you’ve never seen them growing in the wild make this the year to search them out

By Donna Gamache Freelance contributor

W

ith the first really warm days of spring and melting of most of the snow, I begin planning a trip to hunt for our earliest spring flower — the Prairie crocus (anemone patens or pulsatilla patens).

Also called pasque flower or wind flower, the crocus is hardy enough to begin pushing through the surface even as the snow melts. A worthy candidate, it was adopted as our provincial emblem in 1906. (We aren’t the only ones who honour it, as South Dakota also chose the crocus as its emblem.)

The term “crocus” is rather a misnomer. It was applied by early European immigrants, because it reminded them of the European crocus, which is actually a completely different plant, one which grows from bulbs, not seeds like the Prairie crocus.

By blooming so early in the spring, the crocus is able to attract the earliest of pollinators, such as small bees and other insects. Seeds can then ripen by early June and will germinate if there is sufficient rain. Or they may lie dormant until the following spring. Early flowering also helps the plant to compete with later-growing grass and flowers. According to biologists, the crocus can live for 50 years, given suitable conditions.

Read more about the biology of the crocus plant at: http://www.

Because it blooms so early, the crocus is a welcome attraction for early pollinators. GAMACHE PHOTOS

naturenorth.com/spring/flora/ crocus/Prairie_Crocus2.html.

The crocus grows best on short-grass prairie but unfortunately, with much of its habitat now taken over by crops, roads and cities, the spots where it still flourishes are limited. Once it grew everywhere in southern Manitoba; now you really have to hunt for it. Today you are most likely to find crocuses growing in pastures that have been grazed by cattle, or on drier, hilly slopes where the grass has not grown too thickly. (In earlier times, bison grazing on the grass kept it short and helped create suitable growing habitat, as did occasional natural fires that burned back bushes and trees.)

The area my husband and I visit most springs in our search

for the crocus used to be covered with blossoms each year. But that area is no longer pastured, and the crocuses must struggle through a thick mat of last year’s grass. Some plants still manage to push through, but later in the spring. Only on the steeper, sandier slopes, where the grass is not so thick do the crocuses still manage to thrive.

For me, the crocus is of particular significance. My childhood home was in the Crocus Hill district, north of Minnedosa, and our family farm was mainly comprised of hilly pasture land. Most years the hills were covered with a lovely mauve blanket of crocus blossoms. Crocus Hill School where I attended, had a couple of nearby crocus-growing hills, and each spring there was a contest

If you’re lucky you may find a field of blooms.

to see which student could locate the first crocus blossom.

Today, some of the best places to search for wild crocuses are the Brandon and Pembina hills; the Portage and Carberry sandhills; south-facing hills along the Assiniboine, Little Saskatchewan and Birdtail rivers; as well as Birds Hill Park, and the Sandilands. Usually a short hike will be necessary. Another place where you can probably locate some crocuses, as well as a crocus statue, is the village of Arden. It holds an annual Crocus Fest on the first Saturday of May (May 2, this year).

Another spot to visit is the Living Prairie Museum, a 12-hectare (30-acre) tall-grass prairie preserve in Winnipeg. Prairie crocus seeds are usually offered

for sale there, although growing them requires patience. The seeds germinate slowly and the plants are also slow growing. It is usually the third year before they begin to flower, and a couple more years before the blooms become numerous. If you do grow some in your garden, remember that the plant is highly toxic, so it definitely should not be eaten.

Some people may not have ever seen our provincial flower growing wild. Maybe this is the spring to search for it. When to look will depend on the weather.

Last year we took our pictures on May 1; in 2013 on May 5; but in 2012 it was on April 1!

Donna Gamache writes from MacGregor, Manitoba

Co-operator barn series revival Do you know this barn?

I

f you do, a Manitoba historian wants to hear from you. In early 1981 the Co-operator worked with provincial Manitoba Historic Resources Branch staff to photograph and publish a series on rural buildings in Manitoba. Each week a photo and a story were published about why each of the buildings were rare or unusual.

Now Gordon Goldsborough, webmaster and journal editor with the Manitoba Historical Society (MHS) is looking for Co-operator readers’ help to relocate these barns. He has looked for them during road trips in rural Manitoba, but because the site’s location details are scant, he has been unable to find them. He wants to include the buildings, with their GPS co-ordinates on a map of historic sites being prepared for the MHS.

This photograph was taken by now-retired Co-operator editor Bob Hainstock who took the photo in the 1980s for the earlier project. Many of the photos were eventually included in Hainstock’s 1986 book Barns of Western Canada: An Illustrated Century.

We are including the original “caption” that ran with his photo, hoping a reader can answer these questions: 1. Does the building still stand?

2. If so, where is it?

3. What are its GPS co-ordinates?

4. What other information can you provide on its state of preservation or other details about its history since the original story in the 1980s?

Please send your responses to Gordon Goldsborough at: email: gordon@mhs.mb.ca Telephone: (204) 474-7469 Mail: 2021 Loudoun Rd. Winnipeg, Man. R3S 1A3.

This wooden grain silo north of St. Pierre has outlasted the main farm buildings. Small wonder. Built of solid five-inch squared timbers, every one of the 81 layers was nailed to the preceding timbers, and long corner bolts used to anchor the eight corners. Most silos had additional wooden walls built inside the main timbers, some of which were lined or coated with moisture-resistant materials.

40

The Manitoba Co-operator | April 23, 2015

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