MBC121213

A CHANGING DAIRY DYNAMIC:

WINNING THE TB FIGHT A familiar face steps up to lead the fight » PAGE 3

DECEMBER 13, 2012

Newcomers don’t drink milk. » PAGE 37

SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | VOL. 70, NO. 50

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$1.75

Farmers may sue to recover Puratone losses It’s not clear who can be sued for the $1.5 million the farmers lost

By Allan Dawson CO-OPERATOR STAFF

F

armers who are owed an estimated $1.5 million for grain delivered to financially troubled hog producer Puratone are planning to go to the courts to get their money back.

But it’s not clear who they will sue.

“We’re looking at litigation against certain parties that were part of Puratone going into CCAA (Companies Creditor Arrangement Act) protection,”

A hog barn employee filmed sows in gestation stalls as part of an undercover investigation by the animal rights group Mercy for Animals.

PHOTO: MERCY FOR ANIMALS

National exposé is not a balanced view: MPC

See FARMERS SUE on page 7 »

Farmers say the undercover footage of a Manitoba hog operation isn’t a fair representation of the industry

By Shannon VanRaes CO-OPERATOR STAFF

V

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ideo shot by an undercover animal rights activist unfairly depicts animal care practices in Manitoba, farm groups say.

Featured on CTV’s W5 program, the grainy footage shows sows in gestation stalls, castration, tail docking, a cull sow being repeatedly shot with a captive bolt and piglets being slammed into cement floors.

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But what it doesn’t feature is a balanced look at the industr y, said Manitoba Pork Council (MPC) chairman Karl Kynoch.

“The images that were shown on W5 were very bad — they are going to be horrifying for a lot of the public,” he said.

“But you have to remember that video was taken over a three-month period and heavily edited.”

He said some of the images shown do not conform to the organization’s code of practice and should be investigated.

He also said the operation shown is the exception, not the norm.

Further examination

MPC has asked the Chief Veterinary Officer to examine the video, as has Mercy for Animals, the organization that filmed the hogs using a camera hidden on an employee at Interlake Weanlings in Arborg this summer. That footage, along with footage from other hog operations See BALANCED VIEW on page 6 »

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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

INSIDE

on the lighter side

LIVESTOCK

Dairy farmers one-up “milking” craze

A stock dog primer It takes work to develop a working dog

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Pouring a jug of milk over your head is the latest YouTube trend, but Austria’s farm lobby has created its own version to promote drinking milk vienna / reuters

CROPS

D

Different paths forward Seed growers ponder private inspection alternatives

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FEATURE They’re outstanding Manitoba’s OYF candidates share their experience

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umping a bottle of milk over your head and filming it for a video post on the Internet has become a popular youth craze, but Austrian farmers say the spillage is a crying shame.

“Milking,” as the trend is known, is among a variety of tongue-in-cheek stunts in which young people shoot pictures or videos of themselves posing as owls, planks of wood, or famous people and then share them on YouTube and other social media.

Austria’s AMA farm lobby has launched its own “true milking” campaign to decry the wanton waste of dairy resources and to encourage consumers to drink it instead.

“At a time when too much food already lands in the trash, it is worth questioning dumping milk. This is a valuable product of nature that our farmers provide daily with lots of love and labour,” AMA milk-marketing manager Peter Hamedinger said.

Milking has become an Internet hit, with one video from Newcastle in England getting more than half a million clicks on YouTube — www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtJPAv1UiAE. AMA’s marketing arm said the milking craze seems to reflect a strange, youthful protest

photo: caters news agency

against authority. It sought to one-up the video trend with its own clip featuring a young man who holds a carton of milk high above his head and drinks the contents without spilling a drop — www.youtube.com/watch?v =EsJ3OsP1Fks&feature=youtube.

“In line with the nature of the medium, this message is not communicated in a commercial way and absolutely not with finger pointing, but rather with a wink of the eye for the Internet generation,” the farm products board said in a statement.

CROSSROADS O Christmas Tree

4 5 8 10

Editorials Comments What’s Up Livestock Markets

READER’S PHOTO

‘Tis the season for wannabe lumberjacks

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Grain Markets Weather Vane Classifieds Sudoku

11 30 39 42

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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

news

A parting gift

University of Winnipeg to help more students learn co-op business model Manitoba university breaks new ground in co-op studies

By Lorraine Stevenson co-operator staff

Pam de Rocquigny of Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) is stepping down as editor of Seed Manitoba, an annual variety selection and growers’ source guide containing independent, third-party data. The publication is a joint effort of MAFRI, the Manitoba Seed Growers Association (MSGA) and Manitoba Co-operator. In appreciation for her work de Rocquigny (second from the left) received a framed picture of the four editions of Seed Manitoba she edited. The presentation, which took place during the MSGA’s annual meeting in Brandon Dec. 6, was made

by MAFRI’s Patti Rothenburger (l), MSGA president Ryan Murray and Manitoba Co-operator reporter Allan Dawson (far right). photo: Jennifer Stow, MSGA

New TB co-ordinator hopes to jumpstart TB eradication efforts Preston acknowledges that ranchers in the area are “tired, fed up, and burned out” over repeated testing for bovine TB

By Daniel Winters

“I really firmly believe that the powers that be on various levels, from industry stakeholders and government and non-government groups will pay significant attention to the opinions that we bring forward.”

co-operator staff

T

he newly appointed coordinator tasked with overseeing efforts to eradicate bovine tuberculosis is optimistic that the battle can be won sooner, rather than later.

“We’ll see what can be done in a year’s time, but I’m optimistic that we’ll make some progress,” said Dr. Allan Preston, who has been appointed for an initial one-year term position.

Preston, who recently retired as assistant deputy minister of agriculture, formerly served as a member of the “senior officials group” that brought together representatives from various provincial and federal ministries and government organizations with the aim of eradicating TB in the area around Riding Mountain National Park.

That group still exists, but the new TB co-ordinator position enables Preston to reach across ministerial jurisdictions to “reaffirm” the commitment to “teamwork” by all stakeholders towards the collective goal of achieving permanent TB-free status in the Riding Mountain Eradication Area.

Preston has not been given “draconian” powers over the forces at play, he said. However, as co-ordinator, his responsibility is to identify the “obstacles and barriers” in the way of progress and overcome them.

“I really firmly believe that the powers that be on various levels, from industry stakeholders and government and non-government groups will pay significant attention to the opinions that we bring forward,” said Preston.

He acknowledged that many

Dr. Allan Preston

Dr. Allan Preston, former assistant deputy minister of agriculture, has been chosen as the new TB co-ordinator covering the Riding Mountain Eradication Area. photo: Daniel Winters

ranchers in the area are “tired, fed up and burned out” after over two decades of having to muster their herds for testing by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, but said that the lack of a positive TB case in cattle for five years, and the declining incidence of the disease in whitetail deer and elk, shows that the process is working.

However, due to the fact that TB is a “slow-growing, insidious” type of disease, surveillance will need to continue for the forseeable future despite a more “aggressive” approach to stamping it out under his oversight.

Citing his lack of technical expertise in that specific field, Preston was not able to provide a progress update on the development by researchers of a singlejab blood test for TB surveillance to replace the two-stage caudal fold test which has been in use for a century.

Bu t h e s a i d t h a t n ove l approaches, such as the offer

by Manitoba Conservation of unlimited, free tags to whitetail deer hunters in the area in exchange for providing tissue samples, will help to further the eradication goal by casting a wider surveillance net, he added.

Although Preston is officially on the CFIA’s payroll, he said that his role as “an independent, arm’s length co-ordinator brought on board by the consortium of stakeholders,” means that he is no more beholden to the CFIA than he is to any other organization.

He acknowledged that some ranchers in the RMEA “don’t trust” the CFIA, but believes that MAFRI’s success at promoting TB-preventive measures such as fencing off hay storage areas from wildlife and the adoption of risk assessments for individual farms is helping to improve relations.

“I think if you look at the numbers, we’re testing far less cattle every year and that will certainly improve the image of those on the landscape who have to go out to the farms and request the presentation of herds for testing,” said Preston.

While a press release last week featured effusive praise from var-

ious organizations for Preston’s appointment as the new TB coordinator, not everyone in the RMEA is thrilled.

Rodney Checkowski, a rancher from Rossburn whose disputes with the CFIA’s testing protocol led to hefty fines for refusing to present his herd for testing, questions why the former assistant deputy minister was chosen instead of someone able to provide a fresh perspective.

“Surely to God there are lots of veterinarians who can do a better job. Somebody who’s impartial, willing to listen, and who’s not paid for by the CFIA,” he said.

With cattle producers in the area exiting the industry at a rate four times the provincial average, Checkowski fears that Preston’s appointment will be “the final nail in the coffin” for many of the holdouts.

“I really don’t know of anyone who’s been tested two or three times who doesn’t have health issues in their cattle,” he said.

“But it’s surprising how many people don’t want to rock the boat. I hear through the grapevine that they say, ‘Look what they did to the old guy in Rossburn.’” daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

A new chair in Co-operative Enterprises has been established at the University of Winnipeg, a first-ever position created in Canada with the goal of helping business students better understand co-operative business model.

The position will be in University of Winnipeg’s faculty of business and Economics and is being supported by joint contributions from the province, Manitoba co-op sector and the university.

At what’s nearing the close of the UN-declared 2012 International Year of the Co-operative, the move aims to give more business students opportunity to learn the co-operative model — an area of study long ignored in business schools.

Business students educated in traditional programs often remain underexposed to the co-operative model of business and unfamiliar with core principles of co-operatives, a news release said.

“The co-op movement is growing and is a niche market with its own requirements,” said Sylvie Albert, dean of the school’s faculty of business and economics in a news release.

“We are very proud to pioneer this program in Canada with our partners and look forward to future growth in academic programming and research around this topic.”

Courses in co-op and not-for-profit sector management already exist at the university. The chair in Co-operative Enterprises will develop new courses toward more concentrated areas of study in cooperative business, including the theory and practice of accounting and economics for co-operatives.

An international search has begun and the chair position is expected to be filled next summer. lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

OPINION/EDITORIAL

Laboratories in the field

T

he Deerwood Soil and Water Management Association received some welldeserved recognition at last week’s Manitoba Conservation District Association annual convention.

It was awarded the prestigious L.B. Thomson Conservation Award by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, an award that is presented annually to an individual or group that demonstrates the same passion and commitment Laura Rance towards soil and water conservation of its Editor namesake, the former director general of the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration.

Thomson practically lived out of his car transversing the Prairies during the 1930s in a bid to stop the soil erosion that threatened to turn the region into a desert.

Farming folks around Deerwood, an area perched on top of the Manitoba escarpment west of Miami, Man., were facing a similar crisis, albeit on a smaller scale when they formed the association in 1983. Whenever it rained, or during the spring snowmelt, the water’s rush to escape was tearing their farms apart, along with much of the downstream municipal infrastructure.

“In 1990, the DSWMA and some of its partners started the South Tobacco Creek Watershed Study. The project began with the construction of 26 small dams in the headwaters of the escarpment, a novel concept for watershed management at the time,” says the AAFC release announcing the award.

Novel is a polite way of putting it. There were many, including engineers, who said the idea was just plain loco — a waste of time and money. The naysayers were wrong.

“Not only did this concept prove to be successful, it led to significant findings on run-off characteristics in small Prairie watersheds which numerous organizations and professionals use today to advance the knowledge and science of water management and/or for implementing sustainable management practices on Manitoba landscapes,” their citation reads.

What began as a bid to save themselves has evolved over time into what is now nationally recognized as a “living laboratory,” a place for scientists to come and study ecological issues as they interact with farming.

Time and time again farmers and landowners in the area have demonstrated their capacity to co-operate with the needs of researchers looking to assemble reliable, replicated data while carrying out commercial farming operations. That is no small feat while juggling the time and economic pressures of modern farming in an ever-changing natural environment.

The outside attention it has attracted puts a pleasant face on farming at a time when agriculture is increasingly perceived by the non-farming public as being in conflict with the natural environment.

It is a strong public-private partnership.

In accepting the award on behalf of the association, area farmer and one of the founding members Les McEwan noted the research area covered by the association has expanded from the original 27-square-mile footprint to take in the entire Tobacco Creek watershed, some 400 square miles.

“We hope this living laboratory we have will someday be the research arm for the conservation districts of Manitoba,” he said.

It’s an intriguing idea, especially since the province is promoting the idea of conservation districts, not only becoming watershed based, but changing their names to “watershed authorities.” This implies a larger role in water management policy, enforcement and research.

CGC’s Elwin Hermanson on wheat variety registration Here is what Canadian Grain Commission’s Elwin Hermanson said to a panel discussing Western Canada’s wheat variety registration system at the recent Grain Industry Symposium in Ottawa:

I

thought all of you added good content into this discussion. The one seat that perhaps should have been filled up there that wasn’t was that of an end-use customer.

Those are the people we hear the most from when it comes to variety registration… It’s the end-use customer who has to buy what we grow.

I know, being a farmer myself, the coffee shop talk is always how many bushels to the acre did you get? And the more bushels to the acre I got, the bigger my cheque was... and the more prosperous my farm was. But if you grow a crop that yields better but doesn’t have a market, or doesn’t have a market at a price that pays the bills, that’s not going to totally solve the problem.

I think part of the failure in the past is we’ve had the tools and we’ve had the varieties but we have not matched our marketing strategies to take full advantage of the (wheat) classes that were in place.

I’m pleased to hear about the discussion about the CPS class (being expanded) because we feel there is great potential in that class and there is also potential to steer that CPS class perhaps in new directions that would meet some of the market challenges that we face. I think we’ve been negligent in that regard in the past.

The other important thing to note is... we do now have the general purpose class. We’re no longer shackled by KVD — kernel visual distinguishability. If there’s a variety that doesn’t meet the high milling qualities that Canada has been known for, there is an opportunity to develop

in that class and hopefully get more than feed prices...

That was a marketing issue. It wasn’t a quality issue or it wasn’t a variety registration issue. I think we need to get our heads around that.

The other thing I want to mention is environment is really important and we saw that this year. Actually we had winter wheats in Manitoba — Canadian registered varieties — yielding well over 100 bushels to the acre. They were of excellent quality and they were yielding better than winter wheats in the United States that had a different environment than they usually have.

Environment plays a role. In Canada we have an environment where we have to seed most of our grain in the spring and it’s not finished growing until it gets to the hottest part of the year when the days are the longest... and then we’re harvesting it when the days begin to get shorter and cooler. The environmental differences are important consideration when we’re determining what varieties will perform well in Canada.

This isn’t a defence for the status quo. I do believe there needs to be changes and there will be changes. I base that on the fact that there have been changes. The system is flexible and the system that we have now is industry driven. It’s producers, it’s seed developers, it’s breeders, it’s seed marketers that are involved in this process of recommending varieties.

The last point I want to make is there are more varieties approved than there are developed (commercially). Some people are saying the variety registration system is a blockage to new varieties coming forward. That has not been the case.

The case has been the fact that some varieties have not been picked up by the marketplace and that’s a different issue and needs to be thought through.

Face of extended grazing

Another tale of successful public-private research partnerships came to light last week as the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association honoured grassland researcher Duane McCartney with its first-ever leadership award.

McCartney, who spent his career with Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, knew it was possible to practise extended grazing on the Prairies; he knew producers who were doing it.

But it wasn’t widely practised when McCartney began looking at the idea in the early 1990s. It was the beginning of the BSE crisis in 2003 that provided the impetus for rapid adoption of new ideas.

Publicly funded researchers working with producer groups were able to show ranchers how they could significantly lower production costs with little required by way of capital investment — something that is highly unusual in modern agriculture.

“We basically found that we could lower the cost of wintering cattle by about 45 per cent compared to the traditional way,” McCartney says.

“We basically look at being able to extend the grazing season as the biggest cost saving that ever hit the beef industry,” he says.

“The farmers created it. All the researchers did was look at the systems, look at the economics, look at the herd health aspects and put the extension packages together.” laura@fbcpublishing.com

OUR HISTORY:

November 30, 1978

O

ur Nov. 30, 1978 issue reported on the Canadian Wheat Board’s controversial decision to tender for 2,000 hopper cars using producers’ money. The board said the new cars were essential to meet a growing backlog, which was described elsewhere in the issue as being above the record gluts in 1969-70. Board officials said a federal government refusal to buy an additional 4,000 cars and to repair 1,500 boxcars was a “turning point” in the decision.

Given the grain glut, delivery quotas were a big issue and more than 125 briefs had been presented to a committee that had been struck to recommend changes to the system.

Federal and provincial agriculture ministers had agreed to principles for a new national stabilization program in which farmers’ cash costs of production would be covered, plus 100 per cent of the average margin over the past five years.

The Crow rate was mentioned in three articles in the issue, including one in which it was criticized by University of Saskatchewan agricultural economics professor and later Premier Grant Devine.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

COMMENT/FEEDBACK

How high can land prices go?

The critical question marks are future crop prices and the ability of revenue insurance to help offset lower grain prices

By Daryll E. Ray and Harwood D. Schaffer

I

Letters

n recent weeks we have seen a flurry of reports of record or near-record cropland prices across the Corn Belt.

On Thursday, October 25, 2012, an 80.47-acre tract of land in Iowa sold for $21,900/acre. Earlier in that week, another parcel of prime Iowa farmland sold for $19,100/acre.

In Nebraska, 1,855 acres were sold on November 8, 2012 for $15.13 million or an average of $8,156.33/acre with some parcels selling in excess of $11,000/acre.

North Dakota saw an 80-acre parcel of sugar beet and potato farmland going for $800,000 or $10,000 an acre; it too was sold on November 8.

This past week, Drovers Cattle Network reported Indiana and Ohio land sales ranging from $5,817/acre to $11,194/acre.

A Corn and Soybean Digest article reported, “Iowa farmland prices have risen steadily in recent years. The value of tillable land jumped an average of 7.7 per cent in the state over the past six months, according to a recent farmland survey released by the Iowa Farm & Land Chapter No. 2 Realtors Land Institute. The value of Iowa cropland for potential corn production increased nearly 21.9 per cent over the 12 months ended in September, according to the survey.”

“North Dakota farmland values rose an average of 14 per cent in 2011, according to a survey by the North Dakota Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers,” reported a November 9, 2012 article in Prairie Business.

According to Farm and Dairy, “data from the Ohio Ag Statistics Service shows an increase of 13.6 per cent for bare cropland in Ohio for 2012.”

The same article said, “the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank and Purdue University both conducted surveys in June 2012 and found that cropland values in Indiana had appreciated 10-18.1 per cent from one year ago.”

But it doesn’t stop there. According to a Business Week online article by Alan Bjerga, the increase in farmland prices does not stop at the U.S. northern border; “the promise of a Canadian Corn Belt has helped push farmland values nationwide up 27 per cent from 2007 to 2011, to $1,610 an acre… The northward creep of the Corn Belt is turning Canadian farmland into a long-term investment play on global warming, says Tom Eisenhauer, president of Ottawa-based Bonnefield, a farmland investment firm

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.

We suggest a maximum of about 300 words.

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)

that owns 15,000 acres across the country.”

In some cases in both the U.S. and Canada, those paying these prices are neighbouring farmers while in others it is people looking at farmland as an investment. In either situation the factors driving the willingness to pay higher prices are similar: • High crop prices; • Low interest rates that make investments in bonds unattractive and the taking on of farmland mortgages at these prices possible; • A possible increase in taxes on longterm capital gains in the U.S. provides incentives for landholders to sell land; and • Federal Crop Insurance which can provide stable returns in the case of low prices or production problems.

• In addition, high prices have provided some farmers with the cash that they need to continue investing in the purchase of additional acreage.

For U.S. northern-tier and southern Canadian farmland, global warming and the introduction of new short-season corn varieties that yield well has allowed high-priced, higher-yielding corn production to supplant the growing of wheat and other small grains.

At the same time, it can be argued that high land prices are driven by underlying fundamentals. In the Farm and Dairy article, “Farmland value and rent outlook 2013,” author Barry Ward writes, “with strong balance sheets in spite of the drought, many farmers will continue to be in the land-buying mode.

The Income Method of Capitalization, an appraiser’s method of valuing assets, yields high land valuations based on 2013 projections for returns to land and interest rates…

“For example, using a $287.50/acre ‘return to land’ (the midpoint of the projected soybean ‘return to land’ for 2013) and a four per cent capitalization rate, farmland would be appraised (valued) at $7,187.50/acre.”

Others are not so sure. In a New York Times article, “Across Corn Belt, farmland prices keep soaring,” authors Ron Nixon and John Eligon write “two Fed surveys and sales data have raised concerns from bank regulators about a potential farmland bubble, similar to the housing frenzy that helped set off the financial crisis. A year ago, rising farmland prices prompted regulators to warn banks not to relax lending standards. In July, the Kansas City Fed held a symposium to discuss concerns about a bubble.

Balance in markets an oxymoron Paul Earl bleats a call for “farmer involvement” in the Nov. 22 Manitoba Co-operator because farmers lack voice achieved by the real Canadian Wheat Board power. He correctly suggests “very substantial imbalances of power” between farmers, between grain companies, and between farmers and grain companies exist post Harper’s rogue action Aug. 1. “Balance” in markets is an oxymoron.

Negotiating balance is the very reason that the majority voice of farmers voted to keep the CWB. A deaf Conservative government chose to listen to the minority voice of the anti-CWB grain companies and removed the farmer voice and power from the market price negotiation. Increased share of the farmers’ market price is now claimed by the exchange, by the elevator, by storage,

A dragonfly lands on a stalk of wheat ready for harvest during sunset on the Canadian Prairies. Land prices on the North American plains are experiencing unsustainable growth, some experts fear. photo: REUTERS/Todd Korol

“Any time you have an asset that doubles in value over a decade, there is cause for concern about how sustainable that growth is,” said Richard A. Brown, chief economist at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Whether current land prices are sustainable or a bubble largely depends on whether recent factors that have positively affected land price increases continue into the future. Interest rates are unlikely to go into the stratosphere in the near future and there will always be farmers looking to add acreage to their farms.

The critical question marks are future crop prices and the ability of revenue insurance to help offset lower grain prices. What if the U.S. produces 3.5 billion to four billion additional bushels of corn in each of the next couple years?

This could easily happen if corn yields return to trend levels and farmers plant the corn acreage they brought into production the last couple of years.

That would not be a problem if there is a corresponding jump in demand. But demand prospects look much different from what was experienced in the previous five years or so.

Clearly corn demand for ethanol will not repeat the explosive growth of earlier years. High feed prices and widespread drought have destroyed a significant portion of prospective livestock feed demand and U.S. exports are likely to be affected as much by our export competitors supplying additional grain as importers demanding more grain.

by certain loss of quality brand, and by rail since Aug. 1.

He should concern himself with the companies who squawk gleefully to merge and gain profit from farmers.

Earl’s view of freedom includes only individual farmer knowledge of the market. Oddly, he does not answer, that when farmers have united they increased their benefit. Real CWB unity represents greater individual freedom. The “producer direct sale” allowed for his qualms about freedom.

Friendly market advisers will talk on and on about supply shortages and demand slippage. The real CWB-farmers’-voice answer of negotiated price premiums among various buyers in more than 70 countries should be returned.

The plunder of the Canadian Wheat Board and the establishment of a conservative wheat barley CWB is two-legged pestilence.

Ian L. Robson Deleau, Man.

Revenue insurance provides farmers nearly a “home free” card when crop revenue drops during — or just following — times when grain prices are abnormally high, but provide little to no meaningful protection during extended periods of severely depressed prices.

(Editor’s note: That buffer no longer exists in Canadian support programs.

Canadian revenue protection insurance under AgriStability was recently lowered and the eligibility adjusted so that farmers are compensated based on the lesser of their reference margin or allowable expenses. In most circumstances, that means payments will be based on 70 per cent of allowable expenses. Previously, it was as high as 85 per cent of their reference margin, based on eligible sales.)

Two or three years of 14-billion- to 15-billion-bushel corn crops would most likely cause prices to be severely depressed. Since it is unlikely that revenue insurance could be the saviour it has been this year and given the political climate for the next Farm Bill, it is very possible that net income in the years ahead will not support current land prices, let alone further increases in land prices. Then again with continuing weather-based yield shortfalls and the resulting high crop prices…

Daryll E. Ray holds the Blasingame Chair of Excellence in Agricultural Policy, Institute of Agriculture, University of Tennessee, and is the director of UT’s Agricultural Policy Analysis Center (APAC). Harwood D. Schaffer is a research assistant professor at APAC. http://www.agpolicy.org.

Blame the government, not Hydro This is a hot topic that has been widely debated for a number of reasons. Unfortunately the lead line of the article “Manitoba Hydro just doesn’t understand modern farming and its Bipole III route will cause headaches...” is not accurate. The current route for Bipole III has been forced upon Manitoba Hydro by the provincial government. The nerds and bean counters at Hydro would much rather run Bipole III down the east side of Lake Winnipeg, but that route has been prohibited for reasons that, to this day, remain unclear.

Don’t target your frustration on Manitoba Hydro, target it on the provincial government that dictated the much longer and more expensive route.

Cliff Duke Beausejour, Man.

6

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

FROM PAGE ONE BALANCED VIEW from page 1

outside of the province, became the basis for the CTV program that aired nationally Dec. 8.

Kynoch said MPC staff and researchers were made available to CTV journalists, but that little of the information provided made it to air. “I don’t believe the footage was balanced,” he said.

Neither did a panel of experts from The Center for Food Integrity that reviewed the footage.

Dr. Robert Friendship of the University of Guelph points to claims of murky drinking water as unhealthy made in the program as one example of misleading footage. “That’s actually feed in the water and pigs like that,” said Friendship. “That isn’t hurting the animal at all.”

Although some of the footage, such of castration and tail docking, may be disturbing for viewers not accustomed to these practices, Dr. Laurie Conner of the University of Manitoba said the squeals of the pigs can’t necessarily be attributed to pain and suffering.

“It appears to me the pig is squealing just as much because it is being held upside down or because it is being restrained,”

“We’re moving forward to phase out the gestation stalls, and we’re actually pouring a lot of dollars into research on that right now.”

Karl Kynoch

said Connor, adding that the industry is looking into things such as using analgesics to make the procedure less painful.

However, some of the practices shown didn’t meet the standards of the panel, including the euthanization of piglets by slamming them into metal posts.

Mercy for Animals also sent the footage to humane slaughter expert, Temple Grandin, who is quoted in the W5 program as saying “blunt force trauma” as a means of euthanizing piglets should be phased out.

Focus on stalls

Much of the organization’s documentation focused on the use

Twyla Francois of Mercy for Animals speaks to Winnipeg media about undercover investigation at an Arborg weanling facility. Photo: Shannon VanRaes

of gestation stalls, which Mercy for Animals said is institutionalized cruelty.

“We promote a milk-, egg- and meat-free diet, but realize that

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isn’t possible for all people, and so we want to see these animals raised humanely in a group housing situation, with straw bedding,” said the organization’s director Twyla Francois during a press conference in Winnipeg Dec. 10.

Gestation stalls are already banned in the U.K., Sweden and several U.S. states and as of Jan. 2013 will be outlawed throughout the European Union.

Manitoba Pork Council has said it intends to help producers phase out gestation stalls by 2025. Maple Leaf Foods, which is in the process of purchasing the featured barn as part of its acquisition of Puratone assets, is on the record as phasing out stalls by 2017.

Francois said she doesn’t believe the industry is sincere about making the move to group housing and it takes shocking exposés to motivate industry and consumers.

However, the organization does not intend to lobby for financial assistance for producers so that they can make a more rapid transition to group housing, which MPC estimates will cost an industry already suffering financial troubles between $500 and $600 per sow.

“We’re moving forward to phase out the gestation stalls, and we’re actually pouring a lot of dollars into research on that right now,” said Kynoch. “We want to make sure we do it in the best possible way to make

sure this is a step forward for animal welfare.”

Time to move on

Manitoba’s Chief Veterinarian Dr. Wayne Lees noted gestation stalls were originally used to improve animal welfare by eliminating food inequality and aggression that can occur in group housing.

“But I think we have found these have created another set of issues and it may be time to move on to another solution,” he said.

Lees added that his office will review the information received and investigate the allegations before passing its findings on to the Crown for further review.

Doug Chorney of Keystone Agricultural Producers said the motivation of the group responsible for the video should also be examined.

“We have to know that the people behind these efforts have an agenda, they’re not really out there to demonstrate safe, healthy farm situations, they are out there looking for the extreme,” he said. “At the end of the day the producer’s No. 1 goal is to deliver the best animal welfare possible.”

Me rc y f o r A n i m a l s s a i d it hopes that the video will encourage consumers to demand grocery stores like Metro, Sobeys and Walmart to provide gestation-stall-free pork. shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

Moisture differences among comparisons were not significant. Yield data compiled from initial 2012 plots.

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The W5 coverage paints a not-so-pretty portrait of modern farming methods. Photo: Mercy for Animals.

11/15/12 8:55 AM

7

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

China says threats to harvests grow

FARMERS SUE Continued from page 1

The country’s food security is threatened by limits to agricultural growth BEIJING / REUTERS

C “Some people compared the losses of farmers to the losses of investors, but that’s different.

The investors made a decision to take this risk, but people selling their grain thought they were bonded and just doing business.”

DOUG CHORNEY

said John Sigurdson, a Riverton farmer and spokesman for the group. “We’re not saying who because we don’t know for sure ourselves. We’re at the early stages of (determining) that right now.”

Puratone, which operates about 50 hog barns in Manitoba and three feed mills, filed for creditor protection Sept. 12, owing creditors around $100 million, including $86 million to three lenders, which are secured creditors.

Maple Leaf Foods has since offered to buy the company’s assets for $42 million — well short of what is owed. And because it bought Puratone’s assets, and not the company itself, Maple Leaf is not responsible for paying the outstanding bills for grain.

In a bid to find some money for the farmers left on the hook, Keystone Agricultural Producers invited the players in the affair to a closed-door meeting last week. Officials from Puratone, Maple Leaf Foods, the Manitoba Pork Council, Farm Credit Canada, and an affected farmer, Kyle Foster of Arborg, took part.

Representatives from Deloitte and Touche, Bank of Montreal and the Animal Nutrition Association of Canada, who represent feed mills, were invited but didn’t attend.

To encourage frank discussion, participants agreed not to disclose details but when asked if the meeting clarified where the affected farmers stand, KAP president Doug Chorney replied: “No.” “I tried not to create false hopes, but this is something we had to try,” said Chorney. “At the very least he (Foster) had the opportunity to speak his mind and all these stakeholders would hear what happened to the farmers. That’s important.

“Some people compared the losses of farmers to the losses of investors, but that’s different. The investors made a decision to take this risk, but people selling their grain thought they were bonded and just doing business.”

“There wasn’t a lot to be said,” added Foster. “Obviously nobody wrote us a cheque.

It was good to see them come around the table and good that they heard us out.

“We were kind of hoping to hear some better news out of

that meeting Monday so I guess we’ll be going ahead with a lawsuit.”

So far 20 of the estimated 3 0 a f f e c t e d f a r m e r s h a ve agreed to explore a lawsuit, Sigurdson said. They are owed an estimated $960,000, but must decide if going to the courts will be worth the time and expense, Sigurdson said.

“Our lawyer has already told us this could take us two years, but we’re not going to let this go unnoticed,” Sigurdson said. “We’ve depleted all outside forces to get any financial aid. We’ve gone to every possible thing we can think of and it hasn’t got us anywhere.”

It’s particularly frustrating that those who delivered feed after Puratone sought protection under the Companies Creditor Arrangement Act were paid, but not those who delivered in the 15 days prior.

“All of a sudden when they go into CCAA protection, the Bank of Montreal was able to step up with $11 million to pay for feed,” Sigurdson said. “Anyone who delivered on Sept. 12 or after has been paid the next day.

“I think they think we’re just going to fade away into the background, but we refuse to be pushed away.

“We delivered the grain in good faith. It got used up and fed straight to their hogs. In reality you could say they stole our grain. They had no intentions of paying for it.”

Sigurdson and his brother Frank are owed $63,000. It’s the second major blow he’s suffered this year — on Aug. 1, 1,200 of his 4,000 acres were wiped out by hail. Sigurdson didn’t have hail insurance and his crop insurance payout was offset by good yields from fields that didn’t get hail.

Chorney said he hopes such a situation can be avoided in the future. His organization would like to see the Canadian Grain Commission expand its grain security program, which now only applies to grains named in the Canada Grain Act and delivered to CGC licensed facilities, to feed mills. The CGC is in the midst of revamping the program, which obliges grain buyers to post security to cover what is owed to farmers for their grain. allan@fbcpublishing.com

hina’s food security is under greater threat as its agriculture faces growing land, water and labour shortages over the next decade, the country’s agriculture minister said Nov. 9.

This year is expected to be China’s ninth consecutive year of rising grain output, but experts have warned it might struggle to continue improving yields, despite a campaign aimed at consolidating, mechanizing and commercializing its farms.

“The next five to 10 years are a key period for the development of China’s agriculture sector — with production

factors like land, water and labour getting tighter,” said Han Changfu at a session of the ruling Communist Party congress in Beijing.

“Agricultural production is facing greater risks — natural risks, market risks, security risks — and it is entering a period of high investment, high costs and high prices.”

Han said China continued to expect bumper harvests this year despite a global decline in agricultural production.

Soaring food demand from an increasingly prosperous population has piled the pressure on China’s pastures, but growing rates of urbanization and the encroachment of industrial projects on precious

farmland have also added to the problems.

Han said China would continue to press for the aggregation and mechanization of the farms in order to stave off the problems caused by decreasing acreage and the declining rural workforce.

“Beijing will breed a new type of agricultural player and develop large-scale mechanized farming,” he said.

In a speech at the same session, China’s Land and Resources Minister Xu Shaoshi said the country plans to restrict the amount of new land being taken over by industry, and would also seek to avoid encroaching upon farmland.

A woman sits on a pile of corn as she removes the husks on a road located on the outskirts of Beijing.

PHOTO: REUTERS/DAVID GRAY

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8

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

OYF couple glad to be among 2012 participants Saskatchewan wine producers and Quebec sheep farmers take home national award

By Lorraine Stevenson

agriculture has never been so strong.”

Manitoba was represented by Saskatchewan couple Dustin Williams, 35 and Laura who transformed their Mcdougald-Williams, 34, who horse hay farm into a own a 4,000-acre grain and fruit winery, and new farm oilseed farm near Souris.

Being able to participate in entrants who became successful Quebec sheep producers are the finals was an honour, said 2012 Outstanding Young Farm- Williams.

“We’ve met some great people ers national winners.

Sue Echlin and Vance Lester who will be lifelong friends,” he of Perdue, Saskatchewan, and said.

He and his wife were Martin Brodeur Choquette and Johanne Cameron of St- impressed with the diversity Charles-sur-Richelieu, Quebec of farms represented at this were chosen from seven farm event and it’s noteworthy that couples from across the country this year’s national winners are at the 32nd Outstanding Young both first-generation farms, he Farmers (OFY) event, held this added.

“There were only two of us year in Charlottetown, P.E.I. “Every year, OYF has the that were similar, and yet the unique opportunity to show- attitudes of all the couples were case Canadian farm families much the same.”

Keenly aware of the huge that exemplify the spirit and innovation that drives this challenges facing farmers, industry,” said Derek Janzen, which range from climate change to end of subsidy prothe organization’s president.

“When you consider the per- grams, these are young farmers severance that propels this who plan to be ready for those year’s winners to start a winery changes, he said.

The Souris’s couple, for examon the Canadian Prairies and establish a first-generation ple, has placed special emphaSEC_CAR11_T_MC.qxd 8/26/11 4:23 PM Page 1 livestock operation, Canadian sis on use of farm-produced co-operator staff

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Souris farmers Laura Mcdougald-Williams and her husband Dustin Williams holding their daughters Eva, one, and Ardyn, four, were the Manitoba representatives at the Outstanding Young Farmer nationals for 2012. photo: supplied

biofuels and biomass to reduce fossil fuel dependency. Their farm also includes cover crops and they use biological soil amendments, companion cropping, carbon sequestration and

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Echlin and Lester’s Living Sky Winery produces wine from farm- and locally grown fruits.

The couple was inspired during a visit to B.C. wine country and now has 1,500 apple trees and saskatoon bushes in full production. They’ve also earned awards for wine made from Saskatchewan-grown rhubarb, raspberry and haskap.

The Quebec couple sharing the 2012 title also had a dream, but no farm background when they began to develop the sheep and cash-crop farm business they own today near St-Charlessur-Richelieu. Brodeur started with one ewe when he was just 15 and pursued his agricultural studies until, by age 20, he had a flock of 350. Today, he and his wife have nearly 1,200 head, including 650 ewes and 210 acres of farmed land.

The program’s participants’ stories also continue to spread a message about how farmers also define successful farming.

Williams said he and his wife, who is a lawyer in Souris, work at finding a balance between farm and family life. The couple has two children ages four and one.

“When you consider the perseverance that propels this year’s winners to start a winery on the Canadian Prairies and establish a firstgeneration livestock operation, Canadian agriculture has never been so strong.”

Derek Janzen

OYF program president

“We’re still giving ourselves time to raise a wholesome family and to give back to our local community,” he said.

Williams began farming in his early 20s, trading his labour for use of his father’s farm equipment as he expanded the farm base.

T h e O u t s t a n d i n g Yo u n g Farmers program is open to participants 18 to 39 years of age who earn the majority of their income from their farm. lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

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9

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

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10

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

LIVESTOCK MARKETS Cattle Prices Winnipeg

December 7, 2012

Cattle supply meets aggressive demand from East’s buyers

Steers & Heifers 90.00 - 103.00 D1, 2 Cows 56.00 - 63.00 D3 Cows 48.00 - 56.00 Bulls 70.00 - 78.00 Feeder Cattle (Price ranges for feeders refer to top-quality animals only) Steers (901+ lbs.)

107.00 - 124.00 (801-900 lbs.)

110.00 - 133.00 (701-800 lbs.)

120.00 - 137.00 (601-700 lbs.)

135.00 - 146.00 (501-600 lbs.)

140.00 - 162.00 (401-500 lbs.)

148.00 - 170.00 Heifers (901+ lbs.)

106.00 - 117.00 (801-900 lbs.)

110.00 - 123.00 (701-800 lbs.)

115.00 - 124.00 (601-700 lbs.)

120.00 - 129.00 (501-600 lbs.)

127.00 - 136.00 (401-500 lbs.)

130.00 - 145.00

Heifers

Alberta South $ 118.00 - 119.25 118.50 - 119.00 60.00 - 74.00 50.00 - 67.00 — $ 122.00 - 133.00 125.00 - 137.00 130.00 - 140.00 135.00 - 154.00 145.00 - 169.00 162.00 - 186.00 $ 112.00 - 124.00 116.00 - 128.00 120.00 - 132.00 125.00 - 140.00 130.00 - 150.00 139.00 - 161.00

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

(850+ lbs.)

(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.)

Futures (December 7, 2012) in U.S. Fed Cattle Close Change December 2012 126.07 -2.13 February 2013 131.02 -1.08 April 2013 134.95 -0.95 June 2013 131.20 -0.72 August 2013 130.75 -0.40 October 2013 134.10 -0.25 Cattle Slaughter Canada East West Manitoba U.S.

Feeder Cattle January 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 August 2013 September 2013

U.S. exporters are uneasy over Russia’s potential beef ban Dwayne Klassen

Ontario $ 82.05 - 124.09 102.17 - 118.53 47.40 - 66.04 47.40 - 66.04 60.18 - 79.91 $ 120.52 - 139.94 119.57 - 142.31 107.91 - 145.72 118.34 - 155.67 119.05 - 161.36 131.40 - 165.98 $ 111.47 - 124.43 112.57 - 127.21 95.90 - 125.18 103.42 - 132.55 104.31 - 137.95 110.41 - 144.37

Close 148.25 150.80 152.05 153.70 157.87 158.40

Change 1.50 1.25 1.13 1.28 1.22 0.90

Cattle Grades (Canada)

Week Ending December 1, 2012 44,540 12,358 32,182 NA 635,000

Previous Year­ 55,848 15,847 40,001 NA 660,000

Week Ending December 1, 2012 472 18,409 12,423 654 688 11,054 14

Prime AAA AA A B D E

Previous Year 416 19,969 18,869 927 1,098 10,038 535

Hog Prices Source: Manitoba Agriculture

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

MB. (Index 100) (Fri-Thurs.)

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

P.Q. (Index 100) (Mon.-Fri.)

Current Week 162.00E 150.00E 150.38 152.04

Futures (December 7, 2012) in U.S. Hogs December 2012 February 2013 April 2013 May 2013 June 2013

Last Week 154.13 143.04 142.19 144.89

Close 83.45 84.45 88.97 97.30 99.02

Last Year (Index 100) 163.00E 152.00E 158.35 163.00

Change -0.25 -2.67 -2.43 -1.75 -2.25

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

(95 - 109 lb.)

(80 - 94 lb.)

(Under 80 lb.)

(New crop)

$1 Cdn: $ 1.0111 U.S. $1 U.S: $0.9890 Cdn.

COLUMN

(Friday to Thursday) Slaughter Cattle

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

EXCHANGES: December 7, 2012

Winnipeg 60.00 - 75.00 100.00 - 105.00 102.00 - 112.00 108.00 - 115.00 130.00 - 145.00 — (Wooled Fats)

Chickens Minimum broiler prices as of May 23, 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 December 16, 2012 Broiler Turkeys (6.2 kg or under, live weight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $2.050 Undergrade .............................. $1.960 Hen Turkeys (between 6.2 and 8.5 kg liveweight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $2.040 Undergrade .............................. $1.940 Light Tom/Heavy Hen Turkeys (between 8.5 and 10.8 kg liveweight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $2.040 Undergrade .............................. $1.940 Tom Turkeys (10.8 and 13.3 kg, live weight truck load average) Grade A..................................... $2.010 Undergrade............................... $1.925 Prices are quoted f.o.b. farm.

Toronto 73.12 - 102.58 108.97 - 123.76 118.07 - 133.35 121.71 - 149.60 131.48 - 224.63 —

SunGold Specialty Meats 40.00 - 60.00

Goats Toronto ($/cwt) 25.00 - 210.00 — 65.82 - 212.47

Horses <1,000 lbs.

1,000 lbs.+

Winnipeg ($/cwt) — —

T

here was a minimal slowdown in the amount of cattle being marketed in Manitoba during the week ended Dec. 7, with the numbers continuing to slow ahead of the Christmas and New Year’s holiday break.

Values for most classes of cattle generally held steady levels amid steady demand from all sectors.

“All prices held steady this week, including feeders as well as slaughter cows,” said Keith Cleaver, manager of Heartland Livestock Services at Brandon.

The number of animals coming in was just right to meet the demand that surfaced during the week, he said. He cautioned, however, that while cattle marketings next week should still be decent, the numbers coming to market in the following week will be down.

Marketings of cattle in the province are seen picking up again during the third week of January.

As for demand, there was plenty of aggressive interest from packers and feedlots in Eastern Canada, with western Canadian end-users also being good buyers of cattle from Manitoba.

Cleaver also noted some good interest from the U.S. for both feeder and slaughter animals during the week.

Local backgrounders were also picking up some bred cows to work with. “I would estimate that between 70 and 80 per cent of the bred cows being marketed were being picked up by these individuals,” Cleaver said. The remaining bred cows were generally on the older side and were destined for the slaughter sector.

A lot of the bred cows were being liquidated, as supplies of feed are on the tight side, Cleaver said.

“Producers have taken stock of their feed situation and have realized that they are carrying too many animals, resulting in the movement of these cows,” he said.

Some news of interest to cattle producers in Manitoba was that Russia was considering halting beef shipments from the U.S.

Toronto ($/cwt) 10.00 - 30.59 24.88 - 39.53

Last sale of 2012

First sale of 2013

Dec. 17, 2012

Jan. 14, 2013

Gladstone

Dec. 18, 2012

Jan. 15, 2013

Grunthal

Dec. 18, 2012

Jan. 8, 2013

Heartland, Brandon

Dec. 20, 2012

Jan. 8, 2013

Heartland, Virden

Dec. 19, 2012

Jan. 9, 2013

Ashern

Dec. 19, 2012

Jan. 16, 2013

Ste. Rose

Dec. 20, 2012

Jan. 10, 2013

Winnipeg

*Dec. 14/17, 2012

Jan. 4, 2013

* — Winnipeg has its last Friday sale Dec. 14, but will have a special sale Dec. 17 before the break.

“Producers have realized that they are carrying too many animals.” keith cleaver

Heartland Livestock Services, Brandon

Russian demands surfaced that the U.S. must certify that all of its pork and beef shipments contain no residue of the popular feed additive ractopamine. Failure to comply would result in the halt of U.S. exports, based on information from the U.S. Meat Export Federation. The deadline for the U.S. to comply was set for Dec. 7.

However, the U.S. government is opposed to the new trade requirement. The U.S. has officially asked Russia to scrap the testing requirements, because they break Russia’s commitment as a member of the World Trade Organization.

Ractopamine, prohibited by some other countries, is a popular chemical with U.S. pork producers who use it to help produce lean muscle in hogs instead of fat.

The announcement was also making the U.S. cattle industry uneasy, given the prospect that other countries could follow Russia’s lead.

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

news

Brazil denies BSE link

Eggs

Killarney

Japan halts beef from Brazil

Minimum prices to producers for ungraded eggs, f.o.b. egg grading station, set by the Manitoba Egg Producers Marketing Board effective June 12, 2011.

New Previous A Extra Large $1.8500 $1.8200 A Large 1.8500 1.8200 A Medium 1.6700 1.6400 A Small 1.2500 1.2200 A Pee Wee 0.3675 0.3675 Nest Run 24 + 1.7490 1.7210 B 0.45 0.45 C 0.15 0.15

Winnipeg ($/cwt) Kids 70.00 - 85.00 Billys 125.00 - 170.00 Mature —

CNSC

Auction markets’ holiday schedules

tokyo / reuters / Japan says it has halted beef imports from Brazil after the South American nation notified the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) of the discovery of the protein believed to cause bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a cow.

Brazilian officials said the animal that died in Parana in December 2010 did not have BSE, commonly called mad cow disease.

The OIE has maintained Brazil’s status as a country with an insignificant risk of BSE, Brazilian officials said, adding Brazil would

pursue legal action if necessary against any importer trying to exploit BSE claims to block imports of Brazilian beef.

Results of tests carried out in England this month by the OIE on tissue from the Brazilian cow, confirmed the presence of the protein, called a prion, Brazilian officials said Dec. 7.

They said the protein likely appeared after a spontaneous genetic mutation in the 13-year-old cow.

But the results suggested the animal would have been unlikely to go on to develop the disease had it not died of other causes, the Brazilian Agriculture Ministry said, adding the simple presence of the protein, called a prion, is considered an atypical case of BSE.

Looking for results? Check out the market reports from livestock auctions around the province. » PaGe 36

11

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

GRAIN MARKETS Export and International Prices

column

StatsCan’s final estimates point to tight canola supply CNSC

I

CE Futures Canada canola contracts moved up and down during the week ended Dec. 7, finishing only a little bit firmer overall.

The $600-per-tonne level was the key chart point to watch in the nearby January contract, as the futures made a brief attempt to climb above that psychological level before backing away. If the futures manage a sustained move above that point, the next resistance comes in around $620 to $625 — which was last seen in late October.

On the other side, support can be found at the $575 to $580 area.

For three-times-daily market reports from Commodity News Service Canada, visit “ICE Futures Canada updates” at www.manitobacooperator.ca.

Year Ago

Chicago wheat (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

319.36

319.36

273.80

Minneapolis wheat (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

342.14

342.14

313.76

Coarse Grains

between the grains and soybeans came in the form of export demand: China is still looking to buy more beans, but interest for U.S. corn and wheat remains lacklustre at best.

The U.S. sold over a million tonnes of soybeans in the latest weekly data, but fewer than 50,000 tonnes — or only one boatload — of corn during the same period. The demand rationing of corn is causing supplies in the countryside to build up, reducing some of the concerns over tightening supplies.

South American weather issues helped boost soybeans as well, as heavy rains in Argentina highlighted concerns over planting delays for the crop. However, long-range forecasts point to improving conditions in the region, with the weather expected to turn drier in Argentina, while Brazil should see some much-needed rain.

Traders will continue to follow the weather news out of the continent closely, as end-users are counting on record-large South American crops to alleviate any tightness in the U.S. For wheat, StatsCan raised its production estimate for this past year slightly, while reports out of Australia were pointing to a smaller crop than earlier forecasts. Canadian wheat production, including durum, was pegged at 27.2 million tonnes by StatsCan, which was up by about 500,000 tonnes from an earlier estimate and about two million tonnes larger than the 2011 crop. Australia, meanwhile, saw its crop prospects revised lower by 500,000 tonnes during the week.

Conflicting factors

Statistics Canada released its final production estimates of the year on Dec. 5, providing the industry with the official numbers that, right or wrong, will form the basis for any supply/ demand predictions going forward. At about 13.3 million tonnes, the crop may be the second largest on record, but is still considered incredibly tight given the changes in the canola industry over the past few years. The domestic crush capacity has grown considerably larger, while international demand also continues to improve.

Milling wheat futures did see some contracts trade during the week, but the activity was largely a function of participants with positions in the December contract either bailing out of the front month, or rolling those few contracts into the March futures.

Durum and barley lacked any real activity, and held steady on the week.

In the U.S., soybeans were higher during the week, while corn and wheat were lower in the most active contracts. The key difference

Week Ago

Wheat

End-users are counting on South America’s soybean crops Phil Franz-Warkentin

Last Week

All prices close of business December 6, 2012

With the outside wheat news largely a wash, U.S. futures continue to trade off of the conflicting factors of poor export demand but rising drought concerns. Much of the U.S. Great Plains remain very dry, and that lack of moisture will cut into the prospects for the winter wheat crop currently in the ground. However, U.S. exporters seem to be having a hard time selling the wheat they do have in the international market, as the country continues to miss out on tenders.

Canadian wheat export data is not as timely as that out of the U.S., but the latest numbers from the Canadian Grain Commission show wheat exports are relatively in line with last year’s levels. Excluding durum, Canada has exported 4.3 million tonnes of wheat to date, only about 200,000 tonnes behind the previous year’s level.

Durum sales are up on the year, with 1.6 million tonnes exported as of Dec. 2; that’s about 400,000 tonnes ahead of what was seen during the first five months of the 2011-12 crop year.

US corn Gulf ($US)

—

—

—

US barley (PNW) ($US)

—

—

—

Chicago corn (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

295.87

295.87

220.57

Chicago oats (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

233.92

233.92

255.48

Chicago soybeans (nearby future) ($US/tonne) Chicago soyoil ($US/tonne)

532.00

470.82

1,097.43

1,186.07

Winnipeg Futures ICE Futures Canada prices at close of business December 7, 2012 Western barley

Last Week

Week Ago

December 2012

245.00

245.00

March 2013

248.00

248.00

May 2013

249.00

249.00

Canola

Last Week

Week Ago

January 2013

598.60

594.30

March 2013

595.10

594.10

May 2013

593.30

592.60

Special Crops Report for December 10, 2012 — Bin run delivered plant Saskatchewan Spot Market

Spot Market

Lentils (Cdn. cents per pound)

Other ( Cdn. cents per pound unless otherwise specified)

Large Green 15/64

20.85 - 21.50

Canaryseed

Laird No. 1

20.20 - 20.85

Oil Sunflower Seed

Eston No. 2

20.00 - 22.00

Desi Chickpeas

24.85 - 28.50 — 27.00 - 28.75

Field Peas (Cdn. $ per bushel)

Beans (Cdn. cents per pound)

Green No. 1

Fababeans, large

—

Feed beans

—

No. 1 Navy/Pea Beans

—

13.00 - 15.00

Medium Yellow No. 1

8.25 - 8.75

Feed Peas (Cdn. $ per bushel) Feed Pea (Rail)

No. 1 Great Northern

—

Mustardseed (Cdn. cents per pound)

5.00 - 8.80

No. 1 Cranberry Beans

—

Yellow No. 1

38.75 - 41.75

No. 1 Light Red Kidney

—

Brown No. 1

32.75 - 36.75

No. 1 Dark Red Kidney

—

Oriental No. 1

26.40 - 27.75

No. 1 Black Beans

—

No. 1 Pinto Beans

—

Source: Stat Publishing SUNFLOWERS

No. 1 Small Red

—

No. 1 Pink

—

Fargo, ND

Goodlands, KS

FH 23.25/LH 23.75

25.55

—

—

Report for December 7, 2012 in US$ cwt NuSun (oilseed)

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

532.00 1,097.43

Confection Source: National Sunflower Association

Richardson sees year-end approval to buy Viterra assets The company will become one of two biggest western Canadian grain handlers winnipeg / reuters / Canadian grain handler Richardson International Ltd. expects to get Competition Bureau approval for its purchase of some Viterra Inc. assets by the end of the year, Richardson president Curt Vossen told Reuters Dec. 7.

Glencore International Plc’s $6-billion acquisition of Viterra, Canada’s biggest grain handler, has cleared its final regulatory hurdle and is expected to close Dec. 17, setting the stage for Glencore to trigger previously arranged sales of some Viterra assets to Richardson, Agrium Inc. and CF Industries Holdings Inc. Vossen said Canada’s Competition

Bureau has already had extensive discussions with Richardson.

“We’re feeling generally pretty confident that it will get approval pretty much in totality,” Vossen said in an interview. “I’m not getting a sense that there is going to be a wholesale concern by the Competition Bureau.”

Assuming the regulator approves the deal by year’s end, Richardson’s transaction with Glencore should close as early as Feb. 1 or as late as March, he said.

Richardson intends to buy 23 per cent of Viterra’s grain-handling assets and certain processing assets in North

America, for $900 million. The deal would leave Richardson and Glencore with roughly one-third each of Western Canada’s grain-handling capacity, and establish them as the two biggest players.

Glencore won approval from China’s Ministry of Commerce Dec. 7 to purchase Viterra Inc., clearing the last regulatory hurdle for the long-delayed deal.

The takeover, one of the largest in the global agriculture industry in years, was originally expected to close by late July.

The deal will give Swiss-based

Glencore, the world’s largest diversified commodities trader, a huge presence in grains — an area dominated

by Archer Daniels Midland Co., Cargill Inc. and Bunge Ltd. — complementing its strength in metals, minerals and oil.

Viterra, whose only significant asset in China is a joint venture canola-crushing plant, said it expects the deal to be finalized on Dec. 17.

There had been speculation that China was holding off on a decision until it found out if the Canadian government would approve a takeover of Canadian oil producer Nexen Inc. by China’s CNOOC Ltd.

12

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

Growing Forward to focus on innovation and agri-food customers The federal government is making good on its promise to pump more investment into innovation and market development

By Alex Binkley co-operator contributor | ottawa

G

rowing Forward 2 will provide $3 billion during the next five years to support innovation, foster competitiveness and nurture market development, says Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.

Grain Growers of Canada, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and BIOTECanada welcomed the changes announced by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz for the revamp of Growing Forward that kicks in next April.

Farm groups have criticized the decision by Ottawa and the provinces to dilute AgriStability and other programs that support farm incomes in the face of low prices or market disruptions. However, these new investments are welcomed.

“It’s a competitive world out there and these programs are critical to farmers’ success, facilitating continued growth for agriculture in Canada. We need them to support us in getting our products to our customers. These new programs will help make that happen,” Grain Growers president Stephen Vandervalk said in a statement.

Martin Unrau, president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, said the new focus dovetails with his organization’s priorities. “By focusing investments on research outcomes that address industry priorities, the government is enabling Canada to maintain its status as a leader in agriculture.”

Andrew Casey, president and CEO of BIOTECanada said the new programs “will increase productivity, growth and jobs… The

have the tools and resources they need to stay ahead of the everchanging demands of consumers.”

He insisted the business risk management programs in GF2 “will continue to help farmers withstand severe market volatility and disasters.”

Unrau said beef producers’ “ability to compete domestically and internationally is dependent on research to improve feed efficiency, improve feed, forage and grassland productivity, reduce animal health and welfare concerns, and ensure food safety.

The Beef Science Cluster allows industry to partner with governments to seek advancements in all these areas.”

Unrau also welcomed the government’s commitment to improve service delivery of the programs.

development of Canadian industrial and agricultural biotechnology represents a significant opportunity for the Canadian economy in the context of the emerging global bioeconomy.”

He said the industry is developing new transformative technologies and processes, but access to capital will be needed to commercialize those new ideas.

Ritz told a Banff audience that the innovation program will assist farmers and processors to develop new products, the marketing component will enable them to provide food safety and other assurances to consumers while the competitiveness program will provide support for changes that will bring better prices in domestic and foreign markets. “We are making sure farmers and the entire sector

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END OF THE LINE? } XL Foods processing now consolidated at Brooks, after Moose Jaw and Calgary plants shut down By madeleine Baerg

af CONtRIButOR | cAlgAry

T

he recently announced shutdown of XL foods’ beef kill plant and fabrication facility in Calgary is no surprise to those in the know.

“No, it’s not a shock,” said Herb Lock, owner of farm$ense Marketing in Edmonton. “the packing industry in North america is rightsizing itself. as soon as you have excess capacity, everybody is losing money. It’s not just a Calgary thing, it’s not just an alberta thing, it’s not just a Canadian thing. this is happening on both sides of the border.” that view was echoed by Charlie Gracey, a cattle industry consultant and current board member with the alberta Livestock and Meat agency.

“We’ve known for quite a long time that the herd was being sold down,” said Gracey. “It’s always regrettable to see a decline in what might be seen as competition. But there isn’t enough cattle herd to service the plant.”

Lock estimates the packing industry is currently about 25 to 30 per cent overbuilt across the Pacific Northwest. Most of the processing facilities were built several decades ago, in a time when herd numbers were significantly higher, he said.

Given that processing is a margin business, the only way for processors to make money is to operate at near full capacity. With today’s herd numbers at a 50-year low and the three- to fiveyear outlook not indicating much improvement, Lock sees the XL closure as a “nimble” preemptive move.

Competition for live cattle sales shouldn’t diminished, said Bryan Walton, CEO of the alberta Cattle feeders association.

“I don’t think the closures are going to have a material effect,” said Walton, noting XL foods still operates the Lakeside plant in Brooks.

Essentially, the Calgary and Brooks plants were competing for the same animals. selling the Calgary facilities, which are fairly old and sit on valuable real estate, makes good business sense, he said.

at strangmuir farms south of strathmore, Kerri ross oss (left) and Becky ttees spend their days riding through pens checking on the health of the cattle. Kevin LinK

Testing for bSe worthwhile FaIrLy LOw } Cost would be about $40 per head, but actual

financial benefits are uncertain

“I think it does give the impetus for people to take a serious look at it and say, ‘hey, this is something we could take advantage of.’” the study funded by PrioNet Canada, the alberta Prion Research Institute and the alberta Livestock and Meat agency weighed the costs and benefits of voluntarily testing cattle for BsE. It found the cost fairly low — just over $40 a head, or about five cents a pound carcass weight. that wouldn’t burden processors with huge added expenses and “drag down the operation of a beef plant,” Mussell said.

He said Japanese importers have periodically asked for BsE-tested beef over the past five years, so the demand for it should be there.

But whether the economic benefits

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While BsE has been devastating to all parts of the beef industry, Lock believes it may have had a positive — albeit short-term — influence on XL’s Calgary facilities. “the plants’ lives may have been extended by a

shutdown } page 6

AFAC ConFerenCe

JBs

© 2012/13 Farm Business Communications

By ron friesen

staff

A

new industry study concludes a voluntary BsE testing program for cattle could help boost Canada’s beef exports to asia.

But it cautions that BsE-tested beef would only be a niche market and the demand for it might be limited. testing alone may not fully restore Canada’s beef markets lost to BsE in Japan and other asian countries, says the study by the George Morris Centre in Guelph, Ontario.

But it’s still worth considering, said al Mussell, the study’s lead author.

“We think this has got potential. I think it needs to be explored further,” Mussell said following the study’s release March 31.

“We think this has got potential.” aL MussELL

GeorGe Morris Centre

of testing outweigh the cost is hard to say. a 2005 analysis by Rancher’s Beef, an alberta processor no longer in business, concluded BsE testing would increase the value of beef sold to Japan by $75.71 per head.

see Bse testing } page 26

Consumers must lead Changes in animal welfare } Page 33

oPerations, gloBal aQuisitions

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Oxfam debates future of agriculture — online The online discussion features daily essays from experts from around the world

O

xfam Canada began a 10-daylong online discussion on the future of agriculture this week.

Essays from experts around the world are being posted online addressing four questions relevant to the challenge of feeding an estimated global population of nine billion by 2050.

The questions are: What if farmers’ knowledge was the driver of innovations and investments? What if women owned the land they till and the food they produce?

What if all food was produced without fossil fuels? What if all farmers could rely on effective systems to manage risk?

The debate will run from December 10 to December 21 concurrently in English, French and Spanish. The discussion papers can be found at: • English: http://blogs. oxfam.org/future-ofagriculture • French: http://blogs. oxfam.org/fr/aveniragriculture • Spanish: http://blogs. oxfam.org/es/futuro-deagricultura The panel includes Nigerian farmer Susan Godwin struggling with her daughter’s desire to run the family farm, how IFPRI’s Shenggen Fan would address climate risks, and how FAO’s José Graziano da Silva would reduce farming’s dependence on oil. See if you agree with author Anna Lappé that agriculture can break free of oil.

Take on IFAD’s Kanayo Nwanze, who sees hope in smallholder innovation, or Harold Poelma from Cargill, who finds it in comparative advantage and free trade. Be challenged by Bangladeshi activist Rokeya Kabir, who argues women’s rights are fundamental to food security.

To conclude the discussion, Indian sustainable development expert Sonali Bisht and U.S. author Roger Thurow will provide overall analyses and draw out key recommendations. Two new essays will be posted daily, and every day will feature readers’ response to the experts’ ideas. All essays and comments will inform an Oxfam discussion paper to be published in 2013.

13

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

Program that helped aspiring farmers get started is closing its doors Co-ordinator says initiatives to get more people into farming are badly needed CO-OPERATOR STAFF

A

Manitoba program for aspiring farmers has closed its doors and will carry on as an informal network unless new funding can be found.

The Manitoba Farm Mentorship Program, launched i n 2 0 0 9 by t h e O r g a n i c Food Council of Manitoba, p u t o n t o u r s, w o rk s h o p s and courses, including one called Exploring Your Small Farm Dream. Young urbanites, inspired by the local food and food-security movements, typically participated.

But its funding, from a grant from Heifer International, a U.S.-based foundation, is now exhausted, said Sharon Taylor, who was the program’s co-ordinator.

Taylor recently circulated an open letter on the group’s behalf asking the province to consider funding the program.

Mentorship programs offer an entry point into smallscale farming for those who otherwise have none, said Taylor, adding that new Canadians were one of their target groups.

“This was for those really entrepreneurial, enterprising people, who have this

NEWS

“Our biggest achievement has been helping to grow that community of new entrants in farming. But it will continue through the grassroots.”

SHARON TAYLOR

dream but they don’t know where to go from there,” she said.

Ta y l o r s a i d h e r b i g g e s t concern with the loss of the program is that it closes a d o o r t o p e o p l e f ro m a broader population interested in far ming even as

It is celebrating 10 years in business

5525 CL

By Allan Dawson CO-OPERATOR STAFF / BRANDON

allan@fbcpublishing.com

lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

5525 CL Crushes NeXerA 2012 CL

Seed Depot offers free seed to CFGB projects

In celebration of its 10 years in business Seed Depot will provide free seed to Canadian Foodgrains Bank projects, John Smith, Seed Depot’s president and CEO, said in an interview here Dec. 6.

Project groups or local seed dealers can download a form at www.seeddepot. ca and then fill out the type and quantity of seed they want along with the name of the preferred seed dealer and grower group contact person. The form is then faxed to Seed Depot, which will contact the dealer.

The dealer will provide the seed to the project and Seed Depot will pay the dealer the wholesale price of the seed.

“In 2013 we will make CONLON barley and Souris oats available and in 2014 we will be making Cardale wheat available for Manitoba Growing Projects,” Seed Depot says on its website. “We hope to eventually expand this offer to Saskatchewan and Alberta.”

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank consists of 15 members representing 32 denominations with more than 17,000 congregations. It’s celebrating 30 years of operation in 2013 with a special “Grow 30 Acres for the CFGB” program.

The food grains bank has provided more than 1.1 million tonnes of food to hungry people in more than 80 countries.

farmers exit the business.

Her letter says with farmers’ numbers not increasing, the province should be looking for ways to help would-be farmers get started.

About 850 people attended the program’s courses and tours, including 20 interns

who were linked up with farmers for hands-on experience and mentorship.

They’ve formed an informal network that will carry on, Taylor said.

“I re a l l y re g re t c l o s i n g MFM’s doors,” she said. “Our biggest achievement has been helping to grow that community of new entrants in farming. But it will cont i n u e t h ro u g h t h e g ra s s roots.”

So m e p a s t p a r t i c i p a n t s have also begun working more closely with the Clearwater-based Harvest Moon Society.

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14

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

There’s no trick to giving calves a good start — it’s all about proper nutrition American dairy expert says raising a healthy calf comes down to the “five Cs” — colostrum, calories, comfort, cleanliness and consistency

By Shannon VanRaes CO-OPERATOR STAFF

I

f there’s a problem in your dairy herd, it’s likely the usual suspects are to blame.

“Don’t look for the exotic,” Dr. Fox Lance told producers at the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba conference in Winnipeg.

“We start to look for really exotic bugs... we think it’s got to be some new perplexing organism that we haven’t discovered on the face of the planet. But oftentimes we can go back and look at those little things and figure out our problems.”

The key to raising a healthy calf is paying attention to the “five Cs” when troubleshooting health and development issues — “colostrum, calories, comfort, cleanliness and consistency,” said the American dairy specialist.

And when it comes to colostrum, Lance said the best time is as soon as possible. Twenty years ago it was considered acceptable to feed colostrum to a calf 12 or 14 hours after birth.

But recent studies have found the sooner a calf receives the antibody-rich substance, the more antibodies it will absorb.

“The goal is to collect (colostrum) as soon as possible after calving,” said Lance, adding ideally the calf will receive it in a pair of two-litre doses given about six hours apart.

As well, the longer a cow sits before colostrum is collected, the greater the chance it will become diluted with milk, he said.

If natural colostrum isn’t an option because of a shortage, or an attempt to break an on-farm disease cycle, go with one of the commercially available alternatives, he said.

“I do tend to believe nature’s is best,” said Lance, adding colostrum can be collected from cows that are producing extra, but it will only last about three days in the fridge.

Frozen colostrum can be saved for up to a year.

“But if you collect that colostrum and you’re not very clean about that procedure, we now have a great substrate for growing bacteria... we want to give them as clean and pathogenfree colostrum as we can,” he stressed.

The other bacteria highway farmers will want to shut down promptly is the remains of the umbilical cord.

“That umbilicus is three tubes, a vein and artery and what we call the urachus — the waste tube. It’s where urine goes from the fetus,” he said. “All three tubes have to close down and dry out... that’s why we dip navels.”

Navels should be dipped directly after birth with a solution of seven per cent iodine, said Lance, adding that if time permits the navel should be dipped a second time after the mother licks off the calf.

Once a calf moves on to milk, and eventually grain and hay, getting enough calories becomes a priority — especially if the temperature falls below 10 C.

“For every degree drop below thermo-neutral zone (10 C to 24 C), that calf will require one per cent more energy,” said Lance.

At -17 C, calves will need 50 per cent more food.

No matter what the temperature is outside, milk or milk replacements given to calves should be at about 37 C, roughly the body temperature of a mother cow.

Cool milk can cause of bloat in calves, said the veterinarian.

Aggressive calves who drink too quickly can also be prone to bloat, but Lance noted there is a charming and cheap solution to that problem.

“You buy a little rubber ducky bath toy,” he said. “Throw that ducky in the pail when you go to feed them and they’ll actually play with that ducky and it will slow them right down.”

And although labour and time constraints might make it tempting, he warns against cutting nipples for bottle-fed calves to expedite the process, noting that, too, can lead to unnecessary bloating.

Getting a calf on to grain is the next most important step in ensuring proper development.

“When you go to wean that calf, our goal is to really

“Throw that ducky in the pail when you go to feed them and they’ll actually play with that ducky and it will slow them right down.”

FOX LANCE

minimize stress,” said Lance.

“They are born to drink milk, they don’t know how to eat grain.”

To help them learn, throw a little bit into the milk pails of newborn calves, and keep dry grain fresh and palatable, he said.

The results are worthwhile.

“When you do feed enough groceries to those baby calves, when you give them enough good colostrum, get them going and feed them at a high plain of nutrition... we get growth out of them, and those effects last,” said Lance. shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

Dr. Fox Lance told producers at the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba conference in Winnipeg there are tried and true basics to follow when building overall herd health. PHOTO: SHANNON VANRAES

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15

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

Suzuki advocates “back to the future” solution to avoid catastrophe Time running out for humanity? David Suzuki urges turning back the clock to a simpler time as a solution

By Daniel Winters CO-OPERATOR STAFF / BRANDON

E

Environmentalist David Suzuki gives the keynote address at the annual Manitoba Conservation Districts Association convention.

PHOTO: DANIEL WINTERS

sions beneath the critical 2º threshold that scientists warn is the tipping point for disaster.

Also, by consuming less “stuff,” burning less fuel, and reconnecting with nature, Suzuki argued that we’d be happier, healthier, and better able to preserve what’s left of the world’s resources for future generations.

The author of more than 50 books and narrator of TV’s “The Nature of Things” is particularly excited by former CIBC chief economist Jeff Rubin’s latest book, The End of Growth, which predicts that high oil prices

use it if “vast, human misery” is to be avoided within mere decades.

“We elevate the economy above the very things that keep us alive,” said Suzuki. “Why do we keep thinking that the economy has to grow? Are there no limits? Can it grow forever? How much is enough?”

The 76-year-old was sharply critical of the Stephen Harperled federal government’s attempts to “muzzle scientists” and undo years of progress in environmental activism, and he urged attendees to “get rid of this government.”

Suzuki’s address certainly had others talking.

Ernie Bayduza, a delegate from the Intermountain Conservation District who sat near the front, was visibly tormented

by Suzuki’s foray into political partisanship.

“He’s complaining about the present government, but what the hell did the previous government do?” said Bayduza, who admitted that he agreed with much of what Suzuki had to say.

Others complained, “he’s full of it,” and called him a “jetsetting environmentalist” who expects others to “do as I say, not as I do.”

But others found food for thought.

Endless economic growth isn’t sustainable, said David Rourke, who operates a largescale farm near Minto as well as Ag-Quest, a contract ag research company.

But making “straight line” projections into the future with regard to climate and population growth are the kinds of games only fools and bankers play, he said.

“If we don’t have as much fuel, population could go down faster. But then, the trick might be to have a bigger gun than everybody else,” said Rourke with a grin.

Fred Tait, 71, said he fears his grandchildren face a “brutal” future.

But the co-ordinator for the National Farmer’s Union said he’s optimistic society will collectively begin to connect the dots and demand action. And he noted that politicians of any stripe can respond quickly, given enough public pressure.

“There’s nothing that focuses the mind quicker than the knowledge that you’ll hang in the morning,” said Tait. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

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ver get misty eyed thinking about the good old days?

According to renowned environmentalist David Suzuki, the days of single-bathroom, 1,000-square-foot houses, streets devoid of traffic jams, and happy children roaming back lanes, fields and forests on the edge of town can — and must — return if humanity is to survive a terrifying array of looming catastrophes in the making.

“Do we have to grow all our own food and live in caves, they ask? Well, no, how about going back to 1950?” said Suzuki in his keynote address at the recent Manitoba Conservation Districts Association convention.

“We lived good, rich lives back then, even though the economy was many times smaller. How about setting that as a target?”

Shrinking the economy to postwar levels and relearning our grandparents’ habits of self-reliance and modest living would reduce the environmental footprint of the world’s seven billion human inhabitants and keep global temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emis-

caused by harder-to-extract fossil fuel supplies will permanently hamstring economic growth and force a rethink of civilization.

“Quite frankly, the global economy has got to break down.

And it will, because it was built on cheap oil,” said Suzuki, adding that he’s “praying” for that exact outcome.

“It’s not going to be easy.

But we’ve got elders who lived through the Great Depression.

They’ve got a lot to teach us.”

Suzuki, who is vociferous in his condemnation of industrial agriculture’s use of genetically modified organisms, monocultures, and pesticides, put forth his argument that continued human domination of the landscape and its productive capacity is “suicidal” because it denies the world’s 30 million other plant and animal species the room and means to survive.

Without species diversity, the critical components that make up the biosphere that made human life possible for 150,000 years by cycling nutrients and purifying the air will be irretrievably lost, he said.

Humans have the unique gift of “foresight” that allows us to look ahead and avoid future dangers, he said, and we must

Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship advises all licensed and permitted trapping has been banned effective immediately in provincial parks that have heavy year-round use by families and pets. The department is also banning trapping within 50 metres of developed areas and designated trails including hiking, ski, snowshoe, snowmobile, ATV and horse trails, in all provincial parks. The new measures will remain in place while the department undertakes an extensive review on how to better manage trapping and improve safety for all park users.

The changes follow a second unfortunate and unusual incident in which a pet was killed by a trap in a central region provincial park. An ongoing investigation into both incidents will determine whether fines, charges or other measures need to be taken.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

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Seed growers consider field inspection options The Canadian Seed Growers Association endorses an exclusive, third-party provider saying it would be simpler and more efficient, but some growers want competition

By Allan Dawson CO-OPERATOR STAFF /BRANDON

During the Manitoba Seed Growers Association’s (MSGA) annual meeting in Brandon Dec. 6 Dale Adolphe (l) of the Canadian Seed Growers Association and Roy van Wyk (r) of the Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) promoted the idea of CSI taking over as the exclusive provider of pedigreed crop field inspection from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in 2014. However, some MSGA members suggested multiple providers would keep costs down and service up. PHOTOS: ALLAN DAWSON

efficient and benefit from economies of scale. With multiple providers growers could end up with several different inspectors resulting in higher costs. It could also result in “cherry-picking,” leaving seed growers with smaller fields in remote areas without inspectors.

“When you start thinking through it the model we had with CFIA was a pretty damn good model,” Adolphe said. “And the privatization of that into a single, exclusive third-party inspection model is the conclusion that the board of directors came up with a couple of weeks ago.”

CSI, created 15 years ago to do audits and inspections related to seed and quality control, has five full-time staff and 28 to 30 contractors. If it were to take over CFIA’s field inspections it hopes to contract most of the 120 casual inspectors working seasonally for CFIA, van Wky said.

CSI also proposes joining forces with AgCall, a firm that hires and co-ordinates contract employees to work on agricultural-related projects to meet its client’s need.

AgCall has 4,000 associates across Canada and has experience in crop inspection and auditing.

CFIA is also considering other replacement options, including what’s referred to as first-party inspection and second-party inspection. Both exist, but on a very limited basis.

First-party inspection is where a company is growing its own firstgeneration seed with in-season variety verification testing, Adolphe said. It’s currently done with the production of hybrid corn and canola.

Second-party inspection is where a seed company is the assignee, seed grower and variety developer.

DuPont Pioneer does this with soybeans in Ontario and is the only firm doing it, Adolphe said.

Oak River seed grower Eric McLean said with the proper training seed growers could inspect their own fields, which would be cheaper and timelier.

But van Wyk said that approach could undermine the integrity of the seed certification system.

CSGA is also going to an electronic system to speed up the certification process, which could reduce the turnaround time for results from three weeks to a few days.

There isn’t much time — just one

“I want to make sure the message is clear — CFIA is not walking away from its role in terms of being Canada’s seed authority.”

BRIAN LEMON

growing season — to change to the new system, said Brian Lemon, director of CFIA’s field crops and inputs division.

“Getting people on side will be critical,” he said.

CFIA is getting out of field inspection of pedigreed crops, but is still responsible for overseeing seed certification, he said.

“Certainly we’re not getting out of this,” Lemon said. “I want to make sure the message is clear — CFIA is not walking away from its role in terms of being Canada’s seed authority.”

The

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anadian seed growers are grappling with options to privatize field inspection services the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will drop in 2014 due to federal government budget cuts announced in March.

The inspections are part of the process leading to pedigreed seed certification.

Last month the Canadian Seed Growers Association’s (CSGA) board of directors endorsed the not-for-profit Canadian Seed Institute’s plan to replace CFIA as the exclusive provider of pedigreed field crop inspections, CSGA executive director Dale Adolphe told the Manitoba Seed Growers Association’s (MSGA) annual meeting Dec. 6.

“From the CSGA’s standpoint there’s a considerable amount of work, time, effort and expense around data management in order to operate with a multiple number of (providers)... and the simplest model for CSGA is one where there is an exclusive third-party provider like the CSI model,” Adolphe said.

“In other words really the privatization of what CFIA is currently doing rather than a shotgun to (say) 200 service providers or 3,500.”

But some MSGA members are questioning that approach. Plumas seed grower Randy Court suggested competition might better serve seed growers.

“To me this is the greatest opportunity in our lifetime to rebuild this model, to rebuild crop inspection in Canada and free ourselves from single-service providers, which has always been a challenge,” he said.

“So to me we’ve got to open our minds here and think bigger and say, ‘can we handle multiple-service providers, can we change the way we do inspection in Canada?’

Don’t keep thinking about how we’re going to replace what we have, think about how to rebuild what we have.

Roy van Wyk, executive director of the Canadian Seed Institute, said a single provider would be more

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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

CWB offers farmers two new winter pools The Futures Choice Winter Pool pools the terminal basis risk, but allows farmers to price based on the futures market

By Allan Dawson CO-OPERATOR STAFF

T

he CWB is offering two new pools, including the Futures Choice Winter Pool, which combines some of the benefits of pooling and the cash market.

The new Winter Pool, which includes canola, is similar to the Early Deliver y Pool except it applies to the last six months of the crop instead of the first.

Both pools have the same flexibility as other CWB pools when it comes to which companies farmers can deliver their grain to and changing grades if necessary.

By contracting to either pool farmers are also guaranteed delivery this crop year, said Gord Flaten, the CWB’s vice-president for grain procurement.

“I’m obviously biased but I really do think this (Futures Choice Winter Pool) is a very nice contract option,” Flaten said in an interview Dec. 7, 2012.

Fa r m e r s i n t h e F u t u re s Choice Winter Pool can expect a final return for No. 1 CWRS 13.5 in store either Vancouver of Thunder Bay based on the futures value they lock in plus another $5 to $10 a tonne, the CWB said in a news release.

“There’s excess capacity this fall in spite of sales having been made because companies are having trouble getting farmers to sell.”

GORD FLATEN

The Futures Choice Winter Pool allows farmers to use the Minneapolis futures value to set a price, but pool the instore, terminal basis, Flaten said.

The in-store basis is affected by time, crop quality and location. For examp l e, t h e c a s h p r i c e f o r a certain grade of grain can jump relative to the future price because an avalanche in the Rocky Mountains has d e l a ye d g ra i n t ra i n s f ro m reaching port. On any given day the port basis can result in a farmer getting a higher or lower cash price in the country. The Futures Choice Winter Pool pools that risk.

Beat average price

In t h i s p o o l f a r m e r s w h o think they can beat the average price returned through a normal pool get the opportunity to try, although there’s no guarantee they will.

“And they can do it so easily

with this contract because our futures values are in Canadian dollars,” Flaten said. “They don’t have to talk to a broker they just have to call us and book it. It’s a one-minute process.”

Si g n - u p f o r t h e Fu t u re s Choice Winter Pool starts Jan. 7, 2013; sign-up for the Winter Pool began Dec. 12. The signup deadline for both pools is Feb. 15.

In the Futures Choice Winter Pool farmers can price against March, May or July futures prices, but there’s a deadline for pricing in each month with June 21, 2013 being the final deadline to price against the July futures.

Once a farmer commits to deliver a certain number of tonnes to the pool, he or she can price as little or as much as they want between Jan. 7 and June 21, 2013.

The CWB is consider ing offering the two new pools next year, as well as a Futures

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The new pools don’t mean the CWB is desperate to get more grain, he said. The CWB got a fair share of the wheat that has been committed so far, but a lot of wheat remains uncommitted to the CWB or grain companies, he said. “ We want to get a good share of the rest of it too and that’s why we’re offering this program,” Flaten said. “We’re also cash buying.

“We are a new business and we’re operating in a market that’s changing a lot so we need to respond to that so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the programs that we are offering are going to evolve.”

The CWB’s handling agreements with grain companies guarantee it access to the grain pipeline, Flaten said. It’s possible farmers might want to sell more grain later this crop year than the system can handle. There’s excess capaci t y n ow a n d n e x t m o n t h , which is unusual for this time of year.

“There’s excess capacity this fall in spite of sales having been made because companies are having trouble getting farmers to sell,” Flaten said.

Prices are strong now, in part, because grain companies are offering premiums to encourage farmers to sell, but many farmers are holing off believing prices will go higher. allan@fbcpublishing.com

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NEWS

Drought hit yields, but U.S. crop farmers may still enjoy record incomes

By Charles Abbott WASHINGTON / REUTERS

U.S. farm and ranch income shrivelled this summer during the worst drought in half a century, according to three Federal Reserve regional banks that oversee Farm Belt lending.

Even so, agricultural economists from the Fed banks say the farm sector could post record-high income this year, thanks to high market prices and insurance payments.

And land prices remain red hot despite the drought. In Nebraska, non-irrigated farmland values soared by 30 per cent from a year earlier. Iowa’s values were up 18 per cent and Illinois’ up 15 per cent.

“A lot of (farmers) think the future of agriculture is promising and want to expand,” said David Oppedahl, agricultural economist at the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank.

Many crop farmers are flush with cash and, with interest rates low, see few alternatives to land for investment, he added.

While high feed costs are hurting dairy, cattle and hog producers, crop farmers may actually make more money, a report from the banks said.

High market prices and crop insurance would offset the losses from “extreme heat and dryness in the Plains and Corn Belt,” it said, even as livestock costs climb.

Record farm income is within reach although the U.S. corn crop is the smallest since 2006 and soybeans the smallest in four years, said Pat Westhoff of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute.

Market prices are so high that revenue to growers could exceed 2011 despite smaller harvests, said Westhoff.

Corn prices are up about 21 per cent from a year ago and soybean prices are up about 18 per cent.

Feed prices are down somewhat from latesummer peaks, so the stress on livestock producers is slightly less. Still, many hog and dairy farmers face money-losing years.

“We have two tales of agriculture,” said Jason Henderson, of the Kansas City Fed.

19

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

Kazakh ministry suspects regions falsifying crop data

On the road again

Farmers complain of official pressure to exaggerate yields

By Raushan Nurshayeva astana / reuters

K

azakhstan’s Agriculture Mi n i s t r y s a i d i t s u s pected regional Grain Belt governments of exaggerating the size of their crops to win political favour, raising the possibility that exports could be lower than forecast.

According to figures supplied by local governments, the drought-ravaged grain crop fell to 12.3 million tonnes by clean weight this year from a post-Soviet high of 27 million tonnes last year, the ministry said.

Deputy Agriculture Minister Muslim Umiryayev said Nov. 13, however, that the three biggest grain regions — Akmola, Kostanai and Northern Kazakhstan — reported a combined grain crop of 11.2 million tonnes, while satellite monitoring data showed a c ro p o f j u s t 9.8 million tonnes.

“What causes the Agriculture Ministry concern is that

we have a discrepancy of 1.4 million tonnes,” Umiryayev told a news conference. The ministry will verify the data within a month.

Large-scale distortions of grain crop data in one of the world’s 10 biggest wheatexporting countries, if confir med, would smack of a Soviet-era corruption scandal, when the leaders of neighbouring Uzbekistan reported implausibly high cotton harvests, which were later disproved by satellite photos.

A f a r m e r f r o m Ko s t a n a i region wrote to the minister, A s y l z h a n Ma m y t b e k ov, o n Nov. 2. He identified himself as “Citizen” and said he had been compelled by district authorities to report higher yields than were true.

“These distortions are not by 0.1 or 0.2 tonnes per hectare, but twofold,” he wrote.

“Those refusing to do so are intimidated with non-stop inspections by various state bodies. How long will this lawlessness last?”

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A combine harvests wheat in a field near the town of Akkol, some 110 km (68 miles) north of the Kazakhstan capital Astana. Farmers say local governments have pressured them to inflate yield reports. photo: REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov

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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

NEWS

Seed grower honoured

Dow Chemical says China a bigger worry than fiscal cliff

By Ernest Scheyder new york / reuters

Ron Jefferies of Glenboro is one of the recipients of the Manitoba Seed Growers Association’s Outstanding Service Awards. MSGA president Ryan Murray (middle) presented the award to Ron and his wife Wanda at the association’s awards banquet Dec. 5 in Brandon. Jefferies started growing pedigreed seed in 1994. While on the MSGA board Ron served on many committees. He’s credited with helping the MSGA convince the Manitoba government to create a “genetic specialist” position.

Ron and Wanda were named Manitoba Farm Family of the year in 2003. They have two sons — Cale who is in his fourth year studying for a degree in agriculture at the University of Guelph and Riley who has a diploma in agriculture from the University of Manitoba and has returned home to join the family farm. photo: allan dawson

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Many executives say they’re anxious about the U.S. fiscal cliff negotiations, but Dow Chemical’s chief executive says he’s more bothered by the messy Chinese leadership transition, which he believes is wreaking greater harm on global markets.

“Markets have, in a holistic sense, really been suffering more from China’s slowdown than any slowdown here in the United States,” said Andrew Liveris.

China, Dow Chemical’s second-largest market by sales, unveiled its new leaders in November after months of speculation about who would assume top roles, as well as controversy about widespread corruption among government officials and the cooling growth of the country’s economy.

The leadership transition has been “very uncomfortable” for the Chinese and has “created a disruption to their supply chains and created a pause” in economic growth rates, Liveris said.

“We’d been used to double-digit growth rates in plastics in China now for the better part of a decade, and now that’s slowed to stopped in this last six months.”

The company expects Chinese GDP growth of only six to seven per cent, “which is way lower than it normally is,” Liveris said.

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Terry Boehm of Allan, Saskatchewan was reelected president of the National Farmers Union (NFU) by acclamation, at its 43rd annual National Convention held in Saskatoon, November 24 to 26, 2012.

Colleen Ross of Nelson, B.C. was elected as NFU first vice-president (policy).

Paul Slomp of Ottawa, Ontario was acclaimed as NFU second vicepresident (operations).

Joan Brady of Mindemoya, Ontario was acclaimed as NFU women’s president.

Cammie Harbottle of Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia was acclaimed as NFU youth president.

21

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

Rail legislation coming, but details on rail-service agreements still not known The slow-to-come draft bill is expected to be a watered-down version of what was promised

By Alex Binkley CO-OPERATOR CONTRIBUTOR / OTTAWA

G

rain farmers and other shippers may not have to wait much longer before they find out just how the federal government plans to give them legal clout in dealing with the railways.

The government is “formally committed to present the legislation this fall,” Transport Minister Denis Lebel said recently. “It will give shippers the right to negotiate service agreements with the railways.”

Winter officially starts on Dec. 21 — one week after Parliament breaks for the Christmas holidays. Even if the bill is presented before then, hearings won’t start until late winter.

U.S. told to COOL it by mid-May Canadian producers have suffered big losses

watered-down, bare-bones bill” stripped of the most contentious recommendations made in the 2010 report of the Rail Freight Service Review Panel. Those parts will be held over for the next overhaul of the Canadian Transportation Act, the source said.

The government announced a plan for implementing the report’s recommendations in March 2011 and then parked the initiative in a siding. In October 2011, it picked former Alberta cabinet minister Jim Dinning to try to facilitate an agreement between the two sides. He reported back in June.

The priority item for the members of the Coalition of Rail Shippers is the right to

“It will give shippers the right to negotiate service agreements with the railways.”

DENIS LEBEL

Transport minister

Lebel has been making the same promise for months. The draft bill has been moving like a heavily loaded, low-priority freight train as the railways and their customers duel in public about the need for shipper safeguards.

One well-placed source says the legislation will be “a

have a Service Level Agreement, which is supposed to counterbalance the railways’ power on rates and service delivery. Such agreements would include provisions on service, rates, and dispute resolution including financial penalties for failing to live up to the terms of the deal.

“Railways now have the right, by law to unilaterally and arbitrarily impose penalties on shippers for non-performance, such as demurrage charges for cars held too long for loading or unloading,” says coalition chairman Bob Ballantyne. “Shippers would like the same rights.”

The railways say such a g re e m e n t s w o u l d h a r m freight service and discour-

age investment in the rail system. — although Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has countered by saying railways wouldn’t be affected by the agreements if they provide good service.

Ballantyne echoes that view.

“Railways should not fear measures that would only come into effect if normal commercial negotiations fail,” he said. “This is all about getting more consistent, reliable service from the railways so companies can get their products to market and compete in the international marketplace.”

Prairie farm groups have been among the most vocal supporters of the proposed legislation.

Get AheAD AnD stAY AheAD

By Alex Binkley CO-OPERATOR CONTRIBUTOR / OTTAWA

PEKKO R2

F

arm groups are welcoming a World Trade Organization ruling ordering the U.S. to end its country-of-origin labelling discrimination against Canadian meat by May 23.

The U.S. law caused “significant losses” to Canadian livestock producers, said the president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

“We expect the U.S will abide by the WTO’s decision and correct its inconsistencies,” said Ron Bonnett.

Earlier this year, the WTO ruled the U.S. policy was discriminatory and violated international trade rules — a ruling upheld by appeals bodies. The U.S. had sought to delay the phase-out of the program until 2014. The fouryear-old policy forces American processors to segregate Canadian and Mexican meat and livestock, which not only reduced prices for producers in this country but resulted in beef and pork shipments falling by half.

Although farm leaders praised the WTO ruling, the COOL law resulted in “years of expensive, time-consuming challenges and litigation,” noted Jean-Guy Vincent, chair of the Canadian Pork Council.

Having lost its case and appeals, it’s time for Washington to act on ending COOL, said Jim Laws “They have dragged their feet long enough,” said Laws.

However, the WTO decision is no guarantee the political manoeuvring is over. The U.S. farm group R-CALF is asking the courts to order U.S Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to carry out, implement and enforce COOL. R-CALF also wants the court to compel U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk to cease and desist from negotiating away the sovereignty of the U.S. by attempting to amend and dilute COOL.

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22

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

After years of neglect, wheat research is in fashion again Undestanding wheat’s complicated genome is key to attracting research investment needed to boost yields

By Alex Binkley CO-OPERATOR CONTRIBUTOR / OTTAWA

A

fter being ignored for years, wheat is beginning to regain its lustre and attract the attention of researchers, says Peter Langridge, CEO of the Australian Centre for Plant Function Genomics.

For the world to feed the nine billion people expected by 2050, “we need an 82 per cent increase in wheat production,” Langridge told a recent Genomics Canada conference.

“The average yield for wheat is 3.1 tonnes per hectare compared to 4.3 for rice and 5.2 for corn.

By 2050, the FAO (the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization) says we will need to be getting more than eight tonnes of corn per hectare and close to five tonnes for wheat.”

That’s a huge challenge because governments around the world have downgraded wheat research and mainly let it pass into private hands, said Langridge, adding Canada’s participation in an initiative by the G20 group of countries to bolster wheat research is a step forward. That research is focused on developing varieties able to withstand the stress of climate change.

New varieties of wheat not only have to have higher yields but be profitable for farmers to grow, added Faouzi Bekkaoui, head of a wheat improvement program for the National Research Council.

“But it takes 11 to 14 years to breed new varieties, so we have to think long term about what we want to achieve,” he said.

While the Genome Canada conference was taking place, European and American scientists announced they had discovered key components of the genetic code for wheat — a finding that will bolster research efforts.

“Analysis of the wheat genome sequence data provides a new and very powerful foundation for breeding future generations of wheat more quickly and more precisely, to help address this problem,” stated an article on the discovery in the journal Nature.

Wheat is a complex hybrid and it’s almost five times bigger than the human genome.

Meanwhile, Syngenta announced the expansion of its wheat-breeding facility in Junction City, Kansas. The 100-acre facility includes research labs and greenhouses where breeders and researchers are employing cutting-edge applied technologies. These include hybridization (which brings yield stability and consistency), double haploid technology (which stabilizes the desired variety earlier and more quickly, cutting years out of the development cycle) and genetic markers (which allow for native trait identification in seedlings).

This kind of research could lead to major improvements, said Dave Sefton, chair for the Western Grains Research Foundation and a grain farmer from Broadview, Sask.

“We are supportive of, and look forward to, any public, private, producer partnerships that have the potential to deliver net benefits to Canadian farmers,” he said.

Wheat varieties developed in Canada for high yields, disease resistance and strong milling and baking characteristics have been sent to the Junction City facility for further testing and multiplication prior to field-scale trials in Canada.

His company wants “to transform wheat production worldwide by creating new technology platforms,” said Norm Dreger, Syngenta’s head of cereals in North America.

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK.COM

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23

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

U.S. drought expands, blankets High Plains

OUTSTANDING SERVICE IN SEED

Nearly 63 per cent of the contiguous U.S. is suffering moderate to extreme drought

By Carey Gillam REUTERS

D

Art Peters of Boissevain posthumously received one of the Outstanding Service Awards presented this year by the Manitoba Seed Growers Association at its awards banquet in Brandon Dec. 5. There to receive it were his widow Leona (l) and Scott, one of the Peters’ three sons. The award was presented by MSGA president Ryan Murray. Art, owner of West-Gro Seeds Services, had been a seed grower for 40 years when he was killed in a flying accident in 2010. Son Scott has taken over the farm. Kurt, the oldest, lives and works in Canal Flats, B.C., in the logging industry. Bradley, the second eldest, lives and works in Boissevain on information technology. PHOTO: ALLAN DAWSON

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rought is tightening its grip on the central United States as winter weather sets in, threatening to ravage the new wheat crop and spelling more hardship for farmers and ranchers already weary of the costly and ongoing dry conditions. While conditions started to improve earlier in November, they turned harsh to close out the month as above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation proved a dire combination in many regions, according to the Drought Monitor, a weekly compilation of data gathered by federal and academic scientists issued Nov. 29.

Forecasts for the next several days show little to no relief and weather watchers are predicting a drier-than-average winter for much of the central United States.

“The drought’s impacts are far reaching,” said Eric Luebehusen, a meteorologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in the report.

The U.S. High Plains, which includes key farm states of Nebraska, South Dakota, and Kansas, are the hardest hit. In that region, almost 58 per cent of the land area is in extreme or exceptional drought, the worst categories of drought. A week ago, the tally was 55.94 per cent.

Nebraska is by far the most parched state in the nation. One hundred per cent of the state is considered in severe or worse drought, with 77.46 per cent of the state considered in “exceptional” drought — the worst level, according to the Drought Monitor.

Overall, roughly 62.65 per cent of the contiguous United States was in at least “moderate” drought as of Nov. 27, up from 60.09 per cent a week earlier.

The portion of the contiguous United States under “extreme” or “exceptional” drought — the two most dire classifications — expanded to 20.12 per cent from 19.04 per cent.

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Only 7% of people have planned a gift in their Will, but 34% would if asked.

We’re asking.

For more information: Ph: (204) 949.2032 Toll-free: 1.888.473.4636 heartandstroke.mb.ca/ willplanning

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24

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

China grain imports to rise

China’s dependence on foreign markets is likely to increase as its population and economy grow BEIJING / REUTERS

C

hina will increasingly depend on overseas markets for its grain supplies as domestic production falls behind growing demand, the country’s top agriculture official said Nov. 29.

Chen Xiwen, director of the Chinese Communist Party’s top policy-making body for rural affairs, said the country would need an additional 40 million hectares of sowing areas, 25 per cent of its current total, in order to replace current import volumes with domestic production.

The migration of as many as 230 million farm workers to the cities since the turn of this century has eroded the country’s selfsufficiency in grains, Chen told a forum in Beijing.

China’s dependence on foreign markets is likely to increase as the population grows and the economy develops, he said, with greater rates of urbanization and higher living standards also boost-

ing consumption of edible oils, meat, poultry and eggs.

China’s grain imports reached 60.88 million tonnes in the first 10 months of the year, including 48.55 million tonnes of soybeans, and imports for the whole year will exceed 55 million tonnes, half of the world’s traded volume, Chen said.

Last year, China became a net importer of wheat, corn and rice at the same time.

Chen said China’s current land system has failed to protect precious farmland for agriculture production, allowing non-agricultural sectors to take over.

At this month’s Communist Party congress, Agriculture Minister Han Changfu said China’s food security was under greater threat as a result of land, water and labour shortages.

Chinese leaders have vowed to tighten the laws on farmland grabs, warning that the problem could fuel rural unrest and undermine the country’s food security.

A farmer winnows wheat with a rake at a farm in Liquan county, Shaanxi province. China, the world’s top wheat consumer, is expected to increase its import of grains as domestic production lags behind demand. PHOTO: REUTERS/ROONEY CHEN

T:17.4”

NEWS

Its name is general purpose — not feed STAFF / The Canadian Grain Commission is warning producers to avoid quality confusion at the elevator by declaring general purpose wheat upon delivery at primary elevators, even if it is being sold as feed.

“Mixing classes of wheat could harm Canada’s reputation for providing consistent quality grain,” said Daryl Beswitherick, program manager, quality assurance standards and reinspection at the Canadian Grain Commission.

“Customers buy grain by grade and class, so any error in assigning grade or class could result in a customer getting a different quality of grain than they expect.”

General purpose wheat varieties may be used for animal feed, but “feed” can also refer to a grade name in wheat milling classes.

That could lead to general purpose wheat being incorrectly declared as feed wheat at a primary elevator and becoming mixed with milling wheat.

To prevent mixing Canada Western General Purpose wheat with milling wheat graded as Canada Western Feed, the Canadian Grain Commission asks producers to: • Know their seed. Check variety designation lists to determine which class the wheat variety is eligible for.

• Maintain careful records of harvest.

• Declare the class of wheat at delivery. Producers must sign a declaration of eligibility for delivery of grains and oilseeds annually at each elevator to which they deliver. It confirms that the wheat being delivered is eligible for delivery into a specific class. Each subsequent load must be declared verbally on delivery.

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25

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

PLANT BREEDER RECOGNIZED

Aflatoxin levels complicate corn sourcing Tate & Lyle is worried about quality problems with the U.S. corn crop CHICAGO / REUTERS

T Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada barley breeder Bill Legge’s work has been recognized with an Honorary Life Award from the Manitoba Seed Growers Association. Legge (l) and his wife Ellen were presented with the honour Dec. 5 at the MSGA’s awards banquet in Brandon. Legge has released nine, two-row malting barley varieties, including AC Metcalfe, Newdale, and more recently Major, Cerveza and AAC Synergy. AC Metcalfe has been the dominant two-row malting barley variety in Western Canada since 2002 and received the 2010 Seed of the Year West award. PHOTO: ALLAN DAWSON

T:17.4”

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Bushels of smiles.

a t e & Ly l e, a Br i t i s h maker of sweeteners and starches, says quality problems with the U.S. corn harvest, primarily due to aflatoxin, the byproduct of a grain fungus, were raising costs and forcing changes to the firm’s buying program.

Aflatoxin is associated with a mould that thrives in hot and dry conditions, and it emerged in unusually high levels in the heart of the U.S. Corn Belt this autumn after the worst drought in half a century decimated the corn harvest.

Aflatoxin can cause liver disease and is considered carcinogenic. Processing contaminated corn can raise the concentration level of the toxin, threatening livestock that feed on the byproduct.

Under U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines, certain types of animal feed can contain an aflatoxin concentration of up to 300 parts p e r b i l l i o n ( p p b ) . Hu m a n foods must contain less than 20 ppb.

To avoid problems, corn processors and ethanol producers in heavyweight corn states including Illinois and Indiana have been “importing” clean grain from states like North Dakota and Mississippi, which are typically minor players in corn production.

“While the presence of aflatoxin resulted in the sale of a greater proportion of our CGM (corn gluten meal) and CGF (corn gluten feed) in lowervalue markets in the first few weeks following the harvest, we have taken steps to adjust our corn-sourcing program,” Tate & Lyle said in a semiannual earnings statement.

“Although significant efforts are underway to mitigate the impact of aflatoxin, and we continue to monitor the situation closely, based on what we know today we believe it will result in a small increase in net corn costs for the remainder of the financial year and through to the next harvest,” the company said.

Only 7% of people have planned a gift in their Will, but 34% would if asked.

We’re asking.

For more information: Ph: (204) 949.2032 Toll-free: 1.888.473.4636 heartandstroke.mb.ca/ willplanning

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26

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

COUNTRY CROSSROADS CON N EC T I NG RU R A L FA M I L I E S

Cutting down trees builds tradition Christmas tree farms bring people out of the city and into the country

Tracy Mullet (l) roasts marshmallows with daughters Felicity, Clair and Abigail at Cloverleaf Tree Farm near Anola. Photos: Shannon VanRaes

By Shannon VanRaes CO-OPERATOR STAFF / anola

S

ome farmers spend the year hoping for a green Christmas — an evergreen Christmas that is. “ We have a var iety of trees,” said Tom Glenwright, who operates Cloverleaf Tree Farm near Anola with his wife Kathy. “We started growing mostly Scots pine and then we moved over to some white spruce and a species called Black Hills spruce and we also have some blue spruce.”

Over the eight or so years he’s been selling trees, Glenwright said he has seen short-needle trees grow in popularity.

“When we started most people were growing Scots pine, and then the very first year we opened up, people started asking us about short-needle trees,” he said, noting some people find those needles easier to vacuum up.

The trees have to be sheared every year, you have to cut the grass around them, keep the weeds down.

Tom Glenwright

Rob Malcolm has a Christmas tree farm near Petersfield, and said the one thing you can’t predict is what people are going to be looking for in a tree.

But over the last several years he has been incorporating a new kind of green into his crop that’s proven popular.

“I’ve found over the last half-decade that just to heck with the chemicals,” he said. “The weeds have disappeared as the tall prairie grasses have come

Tom Glenwright planted his first trees at Cloverleaf Tree Farm near Anola more than a decade ago, but still enjoys the work.

in, and they don’t compete with the trees, they protect them.”

If nothing else, Malcolm said he feels good knowing his 20 acres of trees are providing oxygen and animal habitat.

He also feels good about the experience he provides people looking to get out of the city and cut their own tree.

Glenwright agrees.

“We really enjoy having the kids out. We build a big bonfire for the kids to roast marshmallows, and every kid gets a candy cane and that sort of thing so it’s a special day,” he said.

Many families come out and spend an hour or so tramping through the bush, looking for the perfect tree, before going back and cutting the first one they liked, he said laughing.

“It’s part of the Christmas tradition,” he said.

Tracy Mullet and her husband brought their three young daughters out to Anola to cut down their first tree.

“They’re really enjoying it,” she said as they toasted marshmallows.

Previously, the family bought their tree from a grocery store chain in Winnipeg, but after discovering the trees came from outside the province they decided to head to a tree farm and cut their own.

Growing trees also takes a lot of work and foresight, said Glenwright. Trees are planted several years before they can be sold, and must be maintained in the interim.

“The trees have to be sheared every year, you have to cut the grass around them, keep the weeds down,” he said.

Having recently retired, Glenwright hasn’t planted any new trees in the last two years and estimates he has two or three years of trees left to sell.

“We’re winding down now, but we really enjoyed it,” he said. shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

Murray Penner leads the way after a tree-cutting expedition at Cloverleaf Tree Farm near Anola.

Harvey Banting pulls a Christmas tree out of the bush at Cloverleaf Tree Farm near Anola.

27

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

RecipeSwap

Send your recipes or recipe request to: Manitoba Co-operator Recipe Swap Box 1794, Carman, Man. ROG OJO or email: lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

All you can eat It all goes to “waist” Herb And Swiss Popovers When holiday eating:

Lorraine Stevenson Crossroads Recipe Swap

Eating a little too much at party meals lately, I’ve been reminded of a story from a few weeks back of two guys kicked out of a restaurant’s all-you-can-eat buffet.

The owner made headlines in the U.K. when he asked them to leave because they were stuffing themselves and eating more than their share. Apparently, they’d been at it for weeks.

The story sparked a lot of interesting discussion about gluttony, the restaurant business, and even the history of all-you-can-eat buffets. It’s a Depression-era hold-over, when one price bought you all the food you could possibly eat.

Critics say all you can eat is just another way we diminish the value of food, by rewarding the best deal to those who eat (or waste) the most. Restaurant owners can’t have everyone pig out at their buffet without their margins getting eaten too. Then they have to set prices higher, delivering less value to those eating less.

And eaters do themselves no favours by overindulging. All that food is sooo tempting, of course, when you can help yourself and keep going back. But, as my dad used to joke, it all goes to “waist.”

Christmas can be one long all-you-can-eat buffet, with snacks on the side. Here’s a few tips courtesy of Dietitans of Canada reminding us this time of year is for socializing with friends and family — so focus on the reason for the season, and don’t overindulge.

• Plan ahead. Visualize what you’re going to eat and drink before attending an event. By having a game plan you’ll find it easier to pace yourself and make good choices.

• Maintain a basic healthy eating pattern. Eat at regular meal times, don’t skip breakfast, and enjoy healthy snacks. This will keep you from getting too hungry and overindulging in holiday treats.

• Limit appetizers to a few of your favourites, especially if you are planning to have a full meal later. At the buffet, survey the choices first and take moderate amounts of your favourite foods. Then step away from the buffet table!

• Let the holiday spirit move you. Make a specific plan to get regular exercise during the holidays — strive for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity a day. This won’t just burn calories; it may help you de-stress from the holiday bustle.

• Keep a good stock of healthy, lower-calorie snacks in the fridge. Choose fruit, vegetables, vegetable soups, low-fat yogurt, skim milk, hummus, whole grain crackers and breads, lean deli meats and nuts and seeds.

• When you’re the host, serve plenty of colourful fruits and vegetables. For dessert, serve up a big platter of fresh fruit next to a smaller plate of baked goodies.

• Alcoholic drinks are loaded with calories and can dehydrate you, so drink them in moderation. Plan to have water or soda water with a slice of lemon or lime between each drink to pace yourself. When you’re hosting, have one or more non-alcoholic options, such as sparkling water with lemon, cranberry juice spritzers, “virgin” caesars, non-alcoholic beers, and lower-fat eggnogs.

Pork Chops With Mustard, Rosemary And Apple This makes a delicious and easy meal for any cold night but great for a festive occasion too.

4 Canadian pork chops, centre cut, trimmed 1/4 c. apple jelly 2 tbsp. each Dijon mustard, olive oil 2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped, or 2 tsp. dried 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. cracked black peppercorns

PHOTO: PORK MARKETING CANADA

Remember the 80/20 rule — by eating nutritious higher-fibre, lower-fat foods 80 per cent of the time, you can indulge in a few treats (20 per cent of the time) without giving up your healthy eating pattern.

Source: Dietitians of Canada

In a small saucepan melt apple jelly over medium heat. Whisk in Dijon mustard, olive oil, rosemary, garlic, and cracked peppercorns.

Place pork chops in a non-metallic container, and pour sauce over — place in refrigerator to marinate for two to four hours. Grill chops over medium heat for a total of about 10 minutes, depending on thickness, or until chops are golden brown, with a hint of pink when cut. If using a meat thermometer, internal temperature should reach 155 F (68 C).

Yield: Serves 4. Cooking Time: 10 minutes.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes.

Recipe source: Pork Marketing Canada

Popovers are similar to Yorkshire puddings and this version has added herbs and the wonderful zip of Canadian Swiss cheese. Serve them as a side dish with roast chicken, pork, and of course, roast beef. You can also make these as appetizers using a mini muffin pan.* 3 eggs (at room temperature) 1-1/4 c. milk 1-1/4 c. all-purpose flour 1 c. shredded Canadian Swiss cheese 1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme or chives or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425 F. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs until foamy; beat in milk until blended. Add flour and beat on low speed until well blended. Stir in cheese, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Brush 12-cup non-stick muffin pan generously with melted butter. Heat in oven for two minutes.

Remove pan from oven and carefully scoop batter into cups, dividing equally (about a scant 1/3 cup each). Bake for 20 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Place muffin pan on a wire rack. Using a sharp knife, pierce the side of each popover. Let cool for two minutes. Remove from pans and serve hot. *For appetizers, make popovers in 36 cups of mini muffins pans, using a heaping tablespoon batter per cup. Reduce baking time to 10 minutes at each oven temperature. Serve plain or topped with fruit chutney or smoked salmon and crème fraîche.

Preparation time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 30 - 35 minutes. Yields: 12 popovers.

Recipe source: Dairy Farmers of Canada

Maria’s Super-Easy Chocolate Mocha/Almond Layer Cake Maria Rogalski of Winnipeg sent us this elegant and special-occasion dessert just in time for Christmas. It will make a time-saving, very attractive Christmas dessert because the cake can be baked the day before or frozen for use any time you need it. Thank you, Maria.

1 box chocolate cake mix 1 carton Nutriwhip Light 1-1/2 or 2 tsp. cocoa powder 1-1/2 tsp. crushed instant coffee granules 1 tsp. almond extract

Line two round layer cake pans with waxed paper.

Bake cake mix according to directions on package. Cool on rack for 10 minutes. Remove lining carefully.

Assembling: Empty entire carton of Nutriwhip Light into a deep mixing bowl. Whip until it begins to thicken. Add cocoa, coffee and almond flavouring while whipping until a good spreading consistency is reached, about 10 minutes. Cut each layer in half diagonally. Starting with the bottom layer cover each with some of the topping and spread only up to the edges. Repeat with each layer pressing it down lightly for an “oozing” effect. Cover top generously and decorate with Christmas sprinkles.

28

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

I

“

can’t believe you got the Christmas lights up already, Dad!” Randy Jackson sounded genuinely surprised. “It’s what, December the second? What happened to waiting till Christmas Eve and then having to hang the lights in a 50 below 0 snowstorm. Wasn’t that the way you always did it when we were kids?”

“Yeah, that’s the way I remember it too,” Randy’s sister Jennifer piped up. “That’s when I learned my entire vocabulary of bad words!”

Andrew just shrugged. “You get older, hopefully you get a little wiser,” he said. “Though my vocabulary hasn’t shrunk, I must admit.”

The Jackson family had retired to the drawing room, so to speak, after another successful Sunday dinner. Andrew reclined comfortably on the La-Z-Boy, Randy and his wife Jackie leaned up against each other on one half of the sectional couch while Brady, with his new wife Amanda did the same on the other half. Jennifer was sprawled out on the floor on a blanket and pillow. Rose was also on the floor next to the newly decorated tree, examining the many ornaments together with three-year-old granddaughter Allison. Last, but by no means least, little Andy Junior slept peacefully nestled in the corner of the couch.

“I like the little Santas on the front lawn,” said Jackie. “Those are new, aren’t they?”

Andrew nodded. “Got ’em at Zellers in the city for five bucks,” he said. “Zellers is clearing everything out you know.”

“Clearing out? Why? Are they closing?” said Brady.

“Wow, are you behind the times Brady!”

Jennifer laughed. “Zellers got bought by Target, like, a year ago! We won’t have to go to Grand Forks anymore to get our Target deals!”

“Well that sucks,” said Brady. “That’ll take all the fun out of shopping at Target.”

“That’s exactly what I said,” said Jackie.

“Shopping at Target was just an excuse to spend a weekend in Fargo! That’ll just be kind of pointless once there’s a Target on every corner in Winnipeg.”

“Look on the bright side darling,” said Randy.

“It’s an ill wind that blows nobody good. Every cloud has a silver lining.”

The

Jacksons

BY ROLLIN PENNER

Jackie gave her husband a confused look.

“Huh?” she said. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about when life hands you lemons, you gotta make lemonade,” said Randy. “So how about this? We’ll still go to Fargo for a weekend every so often but, thank God, we won’t have to go to Target while we’re there! Everybody wins!”

There was a moment of silence.

“Why on God’s green earth would anyone go to Fargo for a weekend except to shop at Target?” said Brady.

“To buy cheap booze obviously,” said Andrew.

“And guns. I’ve heard the Canadian military gets all its weapons at a pawn shop in Fargo.”

“If all you want is guns and booze,” said Brady, “you don’t have to go all the way to Fargo. You can just go to Thief River Falls.”

Andrew gave his son a disdainful glance.

“Now how would that look,” he said, “having the military buy its weapons in Thief River Falls?

Lame.”

“Won’t prices at Target stores in the States still be lower than at Target stores here? Isn’t that how it works?” said Amanda, joining the conversation.

“Not that I would know,” she added. “I’ve never been to the States.”

There was a moment of shocked silence.

“You’ve never been to the States?” said Randy.

“You’ve never gone to Grand Forks to get a good deal on a winter parka?” He paused. “Are you sure you’re from Manitoba?” he said suspiciously.

“No,” said Amanda. “I’m an alien from outer space.”

“Aha!” said Randy. “I knew there was something different about you. You better get a passport and head over the border pretty quick, because if the authorities find out you’ve never gone to Grand Forks to get a good deal on something they’ll know you’re an alien, and they’ll ship you right back to Santraginus Five.”

“Six,” said Amanda. “I’m from Santraginus Six. Come to think of it, I’ve never been to Santraginus Five either.”

“You really should get out more,” said Randy.

He looked at Brady. “You should take your wife to Fargo,” he said. “ Ye a h r i g h t ,” s a i d Br a d y. “A n d i f t h e American Border Patrol finds out she’s an alien from Santraginus Six, where do you think they’ll send her? They’ll send her to Mexico, because they’ll assume that’s where Santraginus Six is.”

“Nice,” said Andrew. “I wish I could get deported to Mexico. Just to get away from this insane conversation. And to be somewhere warm,” he added.

“I’ll call my buddy Bill, who’s a border guard at Gretna,” said Brady, “and see what I can arrange for you, Dad. What do you say to that?”

Andrew grinned. “Merry Christmas to me,” he said.

Create a wreath

Why buy when you can make an inexpensive, natural one?

By Albert Parsons FREELANCE CONTRIBUTOR

W

hen it comes to decorating for Christmas, I like to decorate using natural plant materials, and I always look around to see what I have in my own garden or can obtain from non-commercial sources (read: free!). Of all the items in the outdoor decorations department, I don’t think there is any item more popular than the wreath. A holiday wreath adds a festive touch even if no other decorations are used.

All-season garden centres and some retail outlets sell greens — branches of evergreen — that can be used for just such a purpose. I usually get mine from our local composting site during the late fall. It seems there is always someone cutting down a spruce or taking out an overgrown mugho pine, and sometimes I am lucky enough to come upon some cedar branches.

When creating a wreath, some kind of frame or solid apparatus on which to fasten all of the components is essential. Such a wreath ring, which is usually made of stiff wire, can be purchased, but you can easily make your own. The ring will not be visible, so it doesn’t matter what it looks like; it does, however, have to be strong enough to support the weight of the wreath and sturdy enough

to hang without having the whole thing collapse. I have had success simply cutting a few long willow stems and twining them into a circle, adding wire to fasten them securely together where necessary.

I have also seen wreath frames made of wood or Styrofoam.

The fastening of the evergreen branches to the frame begins by shoving the butt ends of the branches into the willow frame. This helps to keep them in place, although wire should be used to make sure they are securely fastened in place. After the first branch is fixed solidly in place, a second one is positioned so that the top part of it covers the butt end of the previously installed branch — you sort of work backwards around the wreath. When the second one has been fixed securely into place, the next one is added, then the next one, and so on until a circle of boughs is formed.

The branches, which should completely cover the frame, all point in the same direction and they should be placed close enough together to create a nice full wreath. There shouldn’t be too large of an opening left in the middle of the wreath and I think the wreath looks best if the outer edges are natural looking by having some of the branches extending a bit farther out than others — don’t make the shape too “perfect.” Thin, pliable wire can be used to fasten the branches in place,

Two Christmas wreaths are boxed and ready for sale at a garden centre.

You can easily make your own. PHOTO: ALBERT PARSONS

but avoid using shiny wire, which might be noticeable; you want the wire to disappear and not be visible.

A hanger must be added — securely fastened to the wreath and strong enough to hold it after it is hung. Next add some decorative touches. I like to add a large bow somewhere — off to the side near the bottom or centred at the top. If a really natural look is desired, a bow made of raffia could be used. If the theme of a natural Christmas wreath is carried through, only natural materials should be used, such as cones, red berries (perhaps from a mountain ash or cranberry bush), dried flowers such

as annual statice, dried seed pods such as poppy and datura (which could be sprayed to add colour).

If you are not a purist about the wreath being all natural, add some artificial ornaments such as Christmas balls.

Finally, hang the wreath and enjoy it throughout the holiday season, either outdoors or inside — although if it is used inside it should be kept away from all heat sources and open flames and be aware that it will not stay fresh as long as it would outdoors, as it will dry out more quickly.

Albert Parsons writes from Minnedosa, Man.

29

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

Country school concerts of the past Everyone came out to watch this district highlight

By Donna Gamache Freelance contributor

R

ecently, as I drove past a country school set off by itself in a snowy field, my thoughts turned back to longago Christmases, particularly those when I was a child attending classes in a similar oneroom school. In the eight years I attended, our school population ranged from about 20 students in the early years, to perhaps 14 later on.

As the days turned colder and shorter, the minds of teacher and pupils alike turned to plans for the Christmas concert. Looking back now, I wonder how the teacher ever managed to arrange classes for six to eight grades of students, at the same time as he or she organized a concert that would do the school proud. With low numbers of pupils, it must have been challenging.Onefirst-yearteacher recalls that it became almost a competition with a nearby school, to see which one could produce the better concert.

Children in the younger grades usually performed short, individual recitations, while older pupils would memorize lines and take part in short plays or skits. At least two plays were performed, sometimes three, and depending on the number of actors required, one child might be needed to take part in a couple of them — making for a lot of memorizing.

Besides plays and recitations, there was always singing — which involved everyone, not

just the musically talented — and usually a simple dance or a drill, where costumed pupils crossed the stage in criss-cross patterns. For musical numbers, someone from the district who played the piano usually came to help with the practices, and over the years we learned nearly all the traditional Christmas carols, as well as some of the newer songs.

Parental help was also needed to help with costumes and decorations.

Some schools, located near a district hall, had a permanent stage for their performance, but our district had no hall so the concert was held in the school. During the final week before the concert, a temporary stage of planks was set up across the back of the schoolroom, and curtains were hung.

The desks would be crowded towards the front of the school — but by that time we weren’t doing much schoolwork anyway! When the Christmas tree was set up and decorated, there was even less space for actual schoolwork.

Excitement grew and the big night finally arrived. I don’t recall that we ever had to postpone the concert, due to storms, although I did hear of that happening in some districts. December nights were often frosty and snowy, but the concert was a district highlight, and everyone came. The tree, festooned with tinsel and garlands, seemed magical as we

A typical rural class in the ’60s, dressed up for a photo (with young teacher in the back). photo: DONNA GAMACHE

crowded into the school. Desks had been shoved against the walls and chairs and benches were set up for the audience.

Usually the performance went off with only a few minor hitches. Perhaps the curtains weren’t closed at quite the correct time, or someone forgot a line or two in a play, but these were trivial items. I recall one year when we sang “Frosty the Snowman,” that the pupil attired as Frosty accidentally tumbled off the stage, but for-

Send someone a hug

By Pat Gerbrandt Freelance contributor

Would you like to send someone a hug? With modern printing capabilities, you can provide a hug pillow to ease someone’s loneliness or help distant grandchildren remember your face.

Supplies:

• A good-quality photo with fairly high resolution, enlarged and printed on white cotton (see note below) • 18x45-inch (46x114-cm) washable fabric for cushion cover • 1 8 x 1 8 - i n c h ( 4 6 x 4 6 - c m ) lightweight woven fabric • Matching thread

Prices will vary for the printing, and you may get a better deal for multiple copies.

Instructions:

Pin the stabilizing fabric to the middle of the larger piece, wrong sides together. Pin your photo fabric, face up, to the right side, centring it on top of the stabilized area. Machine baste the side edges of the stabilizing piece and cover fabric. With regular-length stitch, sew along the edges of the photo. Trim excess fabric from photo piece. Use a wide zigzag for satin stitching, carefully covering the cut edges of the fabric photo.

Make a narrow double hem

at each of the long ends of the cover. Then, with the picture in the centre of the length of fabric, fold both ends over, right sides together, overlapping the ends to create a square pocket. Stitch sides, using a 1/4-inch (2-cm) seam allowance. Zigzag or serge seams and trim threads. Turn the cover right side out and stuff the pillow inside.

If it’s too costly to mail the completed cushion, you could send just the cover. A soft towel or T-shirts could be used to stuff the hug pillow.

Who can put a price on a hug?

Pat Gerbrandt writes from Grunthal, Man.

Optional:

• A pillow for m [I used 18-inch (46-cm) square and removed about 25 per cent of the stuffing, making flatter pillows for younger children] Note: While there are fabric sheets for use in home printers, not all are guaranteed to be colourfast. I went to a commercial printer. Make sure to ask about a process that results in a washable product.

tunately he wasn’t hurt — perhaps because he had sufficient padding to create the snowman effect.

Near the end of the program the Christmas Nativity story was always performed. There would be Mary, Joseph, three wise men, perhaps a human donkey or cow, and as many a n g e l s a n d s h e p h e rd s a s needed so that all the children were included.

Of course, for the smaller children the highlight of the

Donna Gamache writes from MacGregor, Man.

From old cookie sheet to new magnet board

By La’Costa Godbout Freelance contributor

He re’s a h a n d y, i n e x p e n sive project made with items you may already have in your home.

Supplies:

• Old cookie sheet, washed and dried • Steel wool or sandpaper (optional) • Leftover primer and paint (either spray paint or canned — read label to see if suitable for metal) • Paintbrush (if using canned paint) • Painting drop cloth • Plate stand • Magnets and/or embellishments as desired

Instructions:

Tip: If using light-coloured paint, use two coats of primer.

This toddler took one look at her gift, exclaimed “Papa!” and showed she knew it was a hug pillow. photo: PAT GERBRANDT

evening was the arrival of Santa Claus. The last Christmas song was invariably “Here Comes Santa Claus,” and without fail — at least so far as I can recall — the jolly gentleman always appeared on cue, bringing in small bags of candy (purchased by the school trustees) and sometimes a Christmas orange for each child. The smallest ones might receive a little gift as well. The reindeer never appeared, but we figured they were resting in the school’s old barn — not much used by that time.

For some years my father was the school board chairman, so I suppose the choice of selecting a Santa sometimes fell to him. Indeed, I recall that one year Santa sounded remarkably like my uncle (Dad’s brother), though I didn’t find it suspect at the time.

Today’s larger schools often still hold a “holiday concert,” with each class contributing one musical item. But those who attended one-room schools still remember with pleasure the Christmas concerts of the past — a time when teacher and pupils co-operated fully, a time for bonding and friendships that today’s larger, many-roomed schools sometimes don’t produce.

These concerts were the country school version of the performing arts!

Optional: With a piece of steel wool or sandpaper, use circular motions across the entire surface of the cookie sheet. This will allow the paint to adhere better. Wipe down well before painting.

Work in a well-ventilated area. Place cookie sheet face side up on the drop cloth and

PHOTO: LA’COSTA GODBOUT

put on primer. Let dry one hour or as specified on container. Turn cookie sheet over and prime the back. Let dry.

Place cookie sheet face side up and coat with paint. Let dry one hour or as specified on container. Turn cookie sheet over and paint the back. Let dry for at least two hours or overnight to ensure that it is fully dry.

Embellish as desired. Keep it simple and use fancy magnets or use stencils and paint on a trim. Use your imagination and have fun!

Set up plate stand on the counter and place cookie sheet on the stand. Use magnets to hold recipes while cooking and baking or use to display weekly menu.

La’Costa Godbout writes from Winnipeg.

30

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

WEATHER VANE

Weather now for next week.

Get the Manitoba Co-operator mobile app and get local or national forecast info.

Download the free app at agreader.ca/mbc

I F T H E C R OW F L I E S L OW, T H E W I N D S W I L L B L OW. IF THE CROW FLIES HIGH, THE W INDS W ILL DIE.

No major storm systems expected Issued: Monday, December 10, 2012 · Covering: December 12 – December 19, 2012 Daniel Bezte Co-operator contributor

O

nce again confidence in this forecast period is low. This time it’s due to a split in the jet stream that looks like it may prevent any big storm systems from developing. This means there will be no major systems controlling the weather during this forecast period, leaving only weak systems around. Weak systems can change intensity very quickly and can be easily pushed or moved off their forecasted tracks.

The first of these systems is expected to form over northern Alberta late on Tuesday and then track southeastward and cross southern Manitoba sometime Wednesday. This system should bring light snow to most regions with only a few centimetres expected overall; a few locations may see as much as five cm.

High pressure will then build in from the north, but it currently looks as if the centre of this high pressure will stay over north-central Manitoba. Weak low pressure is expected to develop to our southwest later

next week. Depending on how strong the northern high is or how deep the southern low gets, southern regions could see anywhere from a mix of sun and clouds along with some light flurries to total sunshine and cold temperatures.

Over the weekend the southern low will likely pull off to the east, with the northern high following it. Another area of weak high pressure will build in to replace these two systems, resulting in partly to mainly sunny skies along with seasonable temperatures.

Next week looks to be a repeat of this week as high pressure once again builds to our north, while low pressure develops to our southwest. It currently looks like the northern high will win out, keeping us mostly dry for at least the first half of the week and temperatures once again on the seasonable side.

Usual temperature range for this period: Highs, -17 to -3 C; lows, -28 to -11 C. 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

This map is created by Environment Canada, but I do a fair bit of tidying up of the data displayed to make it easier to read. The data on the map should be seen as giving you a general idea of how much snow there is across the Prairies. This is especially true for western Alberta into B.C., where snowfall data from Environment Canada is usually very difficult to interpret. It has been awhile since there has been this much snow this early in the year. Looking back over the last five to 10 years I couldn’t find a map from early December that showed over 75 centimetres of snow anywhere on the Prairies this early in the winter season.

Creating your own forecast, Part 2 Strong agreement between WunderMaps’ models translate to confidence in a forecast

By Daniel Bezte CO-OPERATOR CONTRIBUTOR

A

few articles ago I introduced how you can create your own weather forecasts using the weather model data available on the Wu n d e r Ma p we ather page l o c a t e d a t w w w. w u n d e r ground.com. Hopefully some of you have taken a bit of time to check it out. In this issue I would like to go into a little more detail on how to use the data available at this site to improve your forecasting skills.

Before jumping into this topic I first have to discuss the snow event that hit northcentral Manitoba on Dec. 4.

A strong area of low pressure moved through central Manitoba that day, bringing rain and freezing rain to southern regions and heavy snow to more northern areas. The h e a v i e s t s n ow s f e l l f r o m Norway House eastwards to the Ontario border (see this week’s snow cover map). I still haven’t heard officially, but unofficial amounts of near 90 centimetres in a 24-hour period would make this the largest one-day snowfall in Manitoba history. It’s kind of creeping me out that I had dreams of record snowfall

and we have now seen two significant snowfall events, and it isn’t even the middle of December! The accompanying table lists some of the unofficial snowfall totals from this storm.

OK, now on to our continued look at using the Weather Underground to help you create your own weather forecasts.

For those of you who didn’t read the previous article or haven’t checked out the website, here is how you locate the correct web page. First, go to www.wunderground.com, then click on the Maps and Radar tab near the top of the page. From the drop-down list select WunderMaps. When this page loads it should automatically be focused on the part of the world where you live. For those of you who have used Google Maps or Google Earth, then you will recognize how to navigate around the map.

Some of you might notice this page has changed a bit as they have updated it over the last couple of weeks. To successfully use this page you’ll need to zoom out so you can see most of Canada and the United States. You then want to go to the right-hand side of the page and, using the Map

Layers, unclick the Weather Stations and Radar layers, then click on the Model Data layer. You then need to click on the little blue gear symbol to open up the display options for the weather models.

You can play around with different ways to move from day to day, but I find it easiest to use a couple of shortcut keys. Hitting the letters D and A on your keyboard will jump you forward and backward by 24 hours. The letters L and J will move you forward a n d b a c k w a rd o n e m o d e l time frame. This is every three hours for the first seven days, then every 12 hours to day 16 (at least for the GFS model).

In agreement

The weather model I start with is the GFS model, and the first piece of information I like to look at is the MSL map, which shows you pressure patterns and precipitation amounts. If you mouse over the word “Map Type” it will tell you more details about the map you are viewing. Once I’ve gone through these maps I then switch to the ECMWF model and do the same thing. What we are looking for is to see how closely t h e t w o d i f f e re n t we a t h e r

THE DEC. 4 SNOWSTORM Location

Snowfall (cm)

Norway House

60-90

Gods Lake Narrows

60-90

Island Lake Oxford House Cross Lake

60 45 30-40

Gillam

35

Grand Rapids

30

The Pas

30

Mafeking

23

models agree on what will happen. The closer they are to each other the more confidence we have in the forecast.

The other thing you need to do to create a reliable forecast is to check the weather models over several model runs to see if they are in agreement.

The GFS model recreates its maps every six hours based on the latest data. The ECMWF does this ever y 12 hours. If the information or forecasts the models have created is changing significantly every model run, then confidence in the forecast is not that high. The more you watch what these models do, the better you will get at doing this.

Once you have a good idea of what the general weather pattern will be over whatever time period you chose, you can now use some of the other pages to get more details. The 2mAG map type will show surface temperatures. Just remember that when you look at this data, the time shown at the top of the page is in GMT. To convert this to CST, subtract six hours. This map is colour coded, with the temperature scale shown on the bottom of the page.

The other map I find useful is the Wind map type.

This map uses colour shading to show wind speed and streamlines to show the wind direction. Wind speeds are in knots and if you want to do a quick conversion to kilometres per hour, then multiply the values shown on the map by two (it’s actually 1.8, but two is a heck of a lot easier to do). The stream lines can be a little tough to see, but if you look closely you will be able to see the arrows indicating the direction of airflow.

So if you haven’t tried to create your own forecast, I recommend you do. At least then you will have no one to blame for a bad forecast but yourself!

31

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

BRIEFS

NOTHING LIKE A SNOW BATH

FCC honours women in agriculture Nominations close Jan. 15 FCC RELEASE / Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is seeking nominations for the 2013 FCC Rosemary Davis Award, which recognizes and honours Canadian women for their leadership and commitment to agriculture.

Individuals are encouraged to take time to recognize a woman who is making a difference in the agriculture industry.

Self-nominations are also encouraged. Candidates are selected based on their demonstration of leadership — through giving back to their community and the agriculture industry — as well as their vision and passion for the industry. Since 2006, FCC has honoured 30 outstanding women with the Rosemary Davis Award.

Winners will be announced in March 2013. They will have the opportunity to attend the Simmons School of Management Leadership Conference in Boston on April 2, 2013.

“By attending this conference, winners of the award will have the unique opportunity to network and share knowledge,” says Kellie Garrett, senior vice-president, strategy, knowledge and reputation at FCC. “They will also have the chance to hear from some of the most respected women in the world who, just like them, decided to make a difference in their communities and the global village.”

FCC Rosemary Davis winners must be 21 years of age or older and actively involved in Canadian agriculture. Entries will only be received online at www.fccrose marydavisaward.ca.

Two stallions enjoying a mild day in the Turtle Mountains east of Goodlands, Man.

PHOTO: SHARLENE BENNIE

Calling all backyard weather watchers...

We need YOU! Are you interested in weather?

Measure precipitation in your own backyard — volunteer with CoCoRaHS!

First shipload of CWB canola heads to Japan WINNIPEG / REUTERS CWB has made its first overseas shipment of canola, marking the former monopoly grain marketer’s diversification into additional crops.

The 42,000-tonne shipload of canola is en route to Japan. The CWB said it bought the canola from grain companies and farmers on the cash market, as well as through its pooling program for farmers.

CWB is a buyer of wheat, barley and canola and now competes with grain companies such as Viterra and Richardson International.

Join the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow (CoCoRaHS) network and help the Province of Manitoba with flood forecasting by becoming a volunteer observer today!

It’s easy and fun!

To learn more or to become a volunteer observer, please visit our website at:

www.cocorahs.org

Email us at: canada@cocorahs.org

Funding for CoCoRaHS provided by

912152A05_FCB Dec. 05, 2012 TDCT M0219 AGRI The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012 M0219_Mag_C_2_ST

32

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33

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

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

briefs

Cattle hauler fined after losing his load A Pilot Mound-area cattle producer has been fined after several cattle fell out of a gooseneck trailer he was hauling en route to Brandon.

Motorists notified Carberry RCMP Dec. 5 that there was an injured cow lying on the TransCanada east of Carberry.

The animal was severely injured and euthanized.

Officers corralled a second cow that had fallen off the trailer in the same location and transported her to a local livestock yard. Three additional cattle from the same load are still missing.

The 52-year-old driver was charged under the Highway Traffic Act for transporting livestock in a manner that would cause injury or unnecessary suffering and fined $295.

Canada testing for ractopamine winnipeg/reuters The Canadian government started testing Dec. 7 for the feed additive ractopamine in pork and beef to be shipped to Russia, in order to comply with a new Russian requirement, a top Canadian pork industry official told Reuters.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has provided meat processors with testing guidelines and is responsible for signing certificates to make sure the products meet Russian standards, said Jacques Pomerleau, executive director of Canada Pork International.

Meat imports to Russia from producers using ractopamine must be tested and certified free of the feed additive, the country’s veterinary regulator said, denying Dec. 8 the requirement is a political retaliation.

The move, imposed a day after the U.S. Senate approved a bill to expand trade between Washington and Moscow that also sought to punish Russian human rights violators, could jeopardize North American meat beef and pork suppliers.

It would potentially give advantage to Chinese and European Union meat producers, where ractopamine is banned.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation said the U.S. Department of Agriculture had no testing and certification program in place for ractopamine.

Android-able.

The Manitoba Co-operator mobile app is available for Android mobile phones.

Download the free app at agreader.ca/mbc

You can teach a young dog the trick of proper herding Stock dog expert says getting a young border collie started right can mean the difference between heaven or hell

By Daniel Winters co-operator staff / brandon

B

order collie pups don’t come with an instruction booklet.

That’s too bad, because how they are introduced to livestock handling early in life makes all the difference in the world, said Martin Penfold, a cattle rancher, shepherd, and videographer from Moosomin, Sask.

Take the example of the farmer who was convinced that his two-year-old border collie was “nuts” because even as a pup, it constantly harassed the cattle in corrals.

One day the farmer decided to teach the dog a lesson it would never forget.

“Now it won’t go in the corral at all,” the farmer told Penfold, adding that he may have been “a bit nasty.”

“The fellow didn’t know what he was doing, and had already ruined the poor little dog,” said Penfold, who has worked with border collies for 40 years.

The key to training stock dogs is to understand the breed’s natural tendencies and use them to get each pup off to a good start, Penfold said in a presentation at the recent Manitoba Ranchers’ Forum.

The most common mistake made by inexperienced and uninformed border collie owners is to allow the dog to roam freely about the yard like any other breed. Inevitably, this results in the development of annoying habits and misery for both the owner and their livestock.

To prevent this, it’s necessary to keep the often manic, black-and-white dervishes in a run at all times, and only release them for exercise, training, or when there is work to do.

Penfold, who has produced a series of DVDs on training border collies, said he starts his dogs off on a lead and teaches them the basic commands such as “lie down” — a fundamentally important lesson akin to teaching a horse to “whoa.”

He does this by simply stepping on the lead, which forces the dog to lay on the ground. When it does this by voice alone, the lesson is complete.

A teachable moment is never far away, added Penfold, owner of Rural Route Video, a video production company.

When taking border collies out for exercise, he said he’s always on the lookout for good opportunities. When crossing a road, for example, he teaches them to lie down and wait, and cross only when he determines it is safe to do so.

The next step requires an understanding of the border collie’s natural instinct to circle a herd or flock in order to gather the animals together and drive them towards its owner.

An owner should never interfere with that tendency, he said. Instead, they should use it as a training tool.

Penfold takes a dog out for its first livestock working session in an open area with a dozen dry cows or ewes. As the dog circles the animals, he introduces commands such as “away to me” and “come by,” which indicate whether he wants them to move clockwise or counterclockwise.

The trainer’s job is to be patient as the dog learns on its own how to move the livestock, and provide “balance.” That means walking a few steps in different directions to provide the dog with a natural target to move the herd towards.

The verbal command, “there,” is used

file photo

Stock dog expert Martin Penfold explains how to get border collies started properly, at the recent Ranchers’ Forum. photo: Daniel Winters

to indicate to the dog that it has reached a desired pivot point for “swinging in to the herd” to move it in a specific direction.

“They get to understand it by continually doing it,” said Penfold. “It just gets filed away into the computer and eventually they get to understand what it means.

In three 10-minute sessions, you’ve got a working dog.”

“Gathering” towards the owner comes naturally to a dog, but “driving” — moving the flock or herd away from the owner — is much more difficult to master because it is the opposite of its instinctive behaviour.

Penfold said only 10 per cent of border collies have what it takes to be an excellent stock dog. There is a lot of variation in the breed, and the ability to listen and handle livestock is “100 per cent genetic,” he said.

For people who are serious about using dogs, investing $300 to $400 on a topnotch, well-bred and well-started animal is worth every penny, he added.

But owners still need to know how to handle the animal, he added.

Penfold recalled how in the 1960s, legendary Scottish stock dog handler Tommy Wilson had amazed crowds of Londoners in Hyde Park with a demonstration of his skills.

An earnest Daily Telegraph reporter asked him what was the hardest thing about working with dogs.

“Aye, that would be selling a border collie to an Englishman, because the dog will always be smarter than the man,” the Scot replied.

What the highland shepherd really meant, said Penfold, was that inexperienced, uninformed owners’ attempts to force a dog to conform to their vision of working livestock instead of capitalizing on the dog’s own instincts, is the true root of all training errors. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

34

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

“Safe areas” protect sheep from coyotes Fencing some of your pasture area can protect flocks, especially during lambing

By Nancy Tilt FOR THE ONTARIO SOIL AND CROP IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION

C

oyote predation is the biggest problem in sheep production, say Cherry Allen and Mark Ritchie who have raised sheep on Ontario’s Amherst Island near Kingston since 1992.

A decade ago, the couple put predator-resistant fencing around

A live wire nine inches above the page and another dead wire nine inches above that provide a total height of 5-1/2 feet — too high for coyotes to jump. PHOTO: OSCIA

“In the last 10 years we’ve had no sheep losses to coyotes within the safe area.”

CHERRY ALLEN

65 acres and have since expanded the “safe area” to 300 acres.

“In the last 10 years we’ve had no sheep losses to coyotes within the safe area,” says Allen.

Dick Kuiperij, another Ontario sheep producer, constructed his 45-acre safe area this summer using a similar design.

“I suffered severe losses to coyotes in 2005,” says Kuiperij. “Losses have been tolerable since then, but predator problems are unpredictable, and fencing is insurance against times of increased coyote predation.”

The two operations differ in both size and management practice. Ritchie and Allen’s 1,500 ewes lamb on pasture within the safe area in May, producing about 2,100 lambs annually. They are then moved elsewhere to give the

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pasture a rest before returning for weaning.

Kuiperij does accelerated lambing, with five lambings a year. His 400 ewes are on an eight-month lambing interval and produce over 1,000 lambs annually. He plans to use his safe area primarily for pasture, with the possibility of some fall lambing on grass. Generally, lambing ewes are under cover in the barn.

Annual coyote predation on Foot Flats Farm outside their safe area has ranged from 20 to 50 sheep.

“Losses of three per cent or less are economically tolerable, but keeping losses to that level without a safe area takes considerable time and energy,” says Ritchie.

“There is time spent every day checking livestock for predator activity, looking after maimed animals and implementing predator control measures” adds Allen.

“Dogs are a valuable predator control tool, but cost and time are significant factors in their training and care, and they are not 100 per cent successful in preventing predation.”

Predator-resistant fencing consists of 1047-6 galvanized page wire (10 rows, 47 inches high with six-inch verticals) with 12.5-gauge mesh fastened to T-bar posts. A live wire nine inches above the page and another dead wire nine inches above that provide a total height of 5-1/2 feet — too high for coyotes to jump.

Site preparation

Site preparation is important before stringing the fence. Brush, small trees and their roots should be removed to prevent suckering and to aid fence maintenance. In Kuiperij’s case, this amounted to 10 per cent of the cost.

Ritchie and Kuiperij stress that predator-resistant fencing must be put up properly. Posts should be no more than five yards apart to keep the fence tight, and the page wire needs to lie tight to the ground to discourage coyotes from digging under. Ritchie runs a 12.5-gauge wire along the ground before stringing the fence and wires the mesh to it.

Regular checking and filling of gaps between the ground and fence bottom, including gates, are essential. Gate openings are especially susceptible to gaps due to ruts created by vehicle traffic.

“A tight fence lasts longer and offers better protection,” says Kuiperij. “It’s essential to properly brace corner posts and crib them with stone.”

In addition to T-bar posts, he placed wooden posts, with horizontal wooden cleats below ground, at intervals along his fence for additional anchoring.

Gates on both farms are custom made to the necessary height and installed against the posts, rather than on hinges, to avoid gaps.

Kuiperij’s 45 acres required about 7,000 feet of fencing at a total cost of $28,000, with government funding covering about one-third of that. Fencing along his creek cost another $8,000, with most of that coming from environmental grants. Ritchie and Allen’s fencing costs were $2.66 per foot, established on a clean fenceline.

35

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

SHEEP & GOAT COLUMN

Sale numbers up, lightweight lambs lead the bidding Good-quality dairy does and bucks attracted strong bidding from buyers at the Dec. 5 sale at Winnipeg Livestock

By Mark Elliot CO-OPERATOR CONTRIBUTOR

P

roducers supplied 800 sheep and goats for the Dec. 5 sale at the Winnipeg Livestock auction. Once again, the Ontario market prices are influencing the bidding. The predictions for lamb and goat meat prices for next year are unknown but the predictions for retail beef and pork prices are to increase by four to 6.5 per cent for next year.

The average price for ewes ranged from $0.56 to $0.79 per pound. There was another price range from $0.42 to $0.56 per pound on ewes. A 100-pound Barbado-cross ewe brought $50 ($0.50 per pound). There was increased interest by the buyers and audience, when a group of three bred 188-pound Dorpercross ewes entered the arena.

These ewes brought $169.20 ($0.90 per pound). A pregnant 195-pound ewe, soon to lamb, brought $160.88 ($0.825 per pound).

There were more rams on offer at this sale and prices ranged from $0.63 to $0.96 per pound. An exception was a 180-pound Rideau-cross ram that brought $95.40 ($0.53 per pound). The four Icelandic rams, with massive curled h o r n s, p re s e n t e d a n o t h e r option for buyers. The 150pound Icelandic ram brought $108 ($0.72 per pound). The 1 8 0 - p o u n d Ic e l a n d i c ra m brought $112.50 ($0.625 per pound). The 160-pound Icelandic ram brought $120 ($0.75 per pound). The 75-pound Icelandic ram brought $52.50 ($0.70 per pound).

The demand remained constant from the last sale for the heavyweight lambs, mostly wool breeds. The price ranged

BRIEFS

Paraguay to tax soybean exports ASUNCION / REUTERS/ Paraguay’s Senate has approved a bill that would impose a 10 per cent tax on soybean exports.

The levy, which still needs lower house approval, is intended to support a fledgling soy-crushing industry in hopes the country can move to exporting soy oil and meal, instead of raw beans, officials say.

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But farm leaders say the move is essential by a tax on farmers to subsidize crushers. Export taxes have been a flashpoint in Argentina, where soy exports are taxed at a rate of 35 per cent.

EWES

Dec. 5, 2012

Nov. 21, 2012

$96.90 - $133.94

$65.19 -$97.50

$47.50 - $92.80 LAMBS (LBS.) 110+

$114 - $140

$103.50 - $129.05

95 - 110

$86.90 - $108.15

$102 - $110.160

80 - 94

$61.92 - $103.96

$91.02 - $94.40

70 - 79

$67.34 - $94.71

$81.03 - $89.27

60 - 69

$73.71 - $96.08

n/a

50 - 58

$41.31 - $69.60

$58.24 - $72.50 (56/58 lbs.)

48 / 49

$53.76 /$58.80

$52.88 (45 lbs.)

30 - 39

n/a

$28 (35 lbs.)

cross lambs that brought $67.34 ($0.91 per pound).

The lambs in the 61- to 68-pound range brought a price range from $1.17 to $1.40 per pound. Ten 68-pound Savycross lambs brought $36.72 ($0.54 per pound).

The 50- and 58-pound lambs ranged in price from $1.20 to $1.26 per pound. An exception was a group of eight 51-pound Cheviot-cross lambs that brought $41.31 ($0.81 per pound). There were some cull lambs that did not follow this strong bidding.

Thirteen 48-pound Suffolkcross lambs brought $53.76 ($1.12 per pound). Seventeen 49-pound Cheviot-cross lambs brought $58.80 ($1.20 per pound).

85-pound La Mancha-cross does brought $78 ($0.92 per pound). A 90-pound Alpinecross doe brought $67.50 ($0.75 per pound). Two 130-pound Nubian-cross does brought $75 ($0.58 per pound). The selection of meat does was of lesser bidding on the Boer-cross does.

The price ranged from $0.55 to $0.63 per pound. The bidding on some does dropped due to the lower quality of the does.

The dairy goat bucks drew some active bidding. The 125pound La Mancha-cross goat buck brought $125 ($1 per pound). The 95-pound Alpinecross goat buck brought $90 ($0.95 per pound). Four 96-pound Alpine-cross goat bucks brought $77 ($0.80 per pound). The bidding was slightly lower on the Boer-cross goat bucks, compared to the dairy bucks. The price ranged from $0.57 to $0.77 per pound

Under 80

from $0.99 to $1.02 per pound, with weight ranging from 125 to 140 pounds. The exceptions were five 120-pound Dorpercross lambs that brought $114 ($0.95 per pound).

The demand for market weight lambs was not as strong as the last sale.

The wool lambs dominated the feeder lambs on offer. The price ranged from $1.08 to $1.23 per pound. An exception was an 80-pound Cheviot-cross lamb that brought $74.40 ($0.93 per pound). The hair lambs had a price range from $0.72 to $0.99 per pound. The audience was entertained with an 80-pound Savy-cross lamb that brought $84.80 ($1.06 per pound).

There was a wide variety and selection in the lightweight lamb classification at this sale. The lambs in the 73- to 79-pound range attracted bidding similar to feeder lambs.

The price ranged from $1.02 to $1.23 per pound. An exception was a group of 74-pound Cheviot-cross and Dorper-

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Goats

Dairy does attracted strong bidding from the buyers. Three

for the heavier bucks. The two 85-pound Boer-cross bucks brought $84 ($0.99 per pound).

An 80-pound Boer-cross goat brought $49 ($0.61 per pound).

Similar to the Ontario market, the bidding on the lighterweight goats was strong and demand continued from the last sale. A 60-pound Nubiancross goat wether brought $102 ($1.71 per pound). A 65-pound La Mancha-cross goat wether brought $110 ($1.69 per pound).

A 60-pound Boer-cross goat kid brought $74 ($1.23 per pound).

There appeared to be no explanation for the difference in bidding with the goat kids in the 50-plus pound weights. Three 55-pound Boer-cross goat kids brought $87 ($1.58 per pound) and the group of 13 53-pound Boer-cross kids brought $49 ($0.89 per pound).

A group of four 48-pound Saanen-cross Boer goat kids brought $64 ($1.33 per pound).

A group of 12 43-pound Boercross goat kids brought $78 ($1.81 per pound). A group of 13 43-pound Boer-cross and La Mancha-cross goat kids brought $64 ($1.49 per pound).

Six 29-pound Boer-cross goat kids brought $53 ($1.83 per pound).

The Ontario Stockyard Report showed that the demand for the lightweight goats was high, causing top prices for this classification of goat kids. All other goats sold at constant prices with previous sales. This week, the heavier lambs dropped compared to the past couple weeks. The buyers had turned to bidding for the lightweight but full-developed lambs, creating top prices on these lambs.

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36

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

LIVESTOCK AUCTION RESULTS Weight Category

Ashern

Gladstone

Grunthal

Heartland

Heartland

Brandon

Virden

Killarney

Ste. Rose

Winnipeg

Feeder Steers

Dec-05

Dec-04

Dec-04

Dec-04

Dec-05

Dec-03

Dec-06

Dec-07

No. on offer

2,430

977

298

1,872

2,596

1,042

1,093

1,160

Over 1,000 lbs.

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

115.00-120.00

900-1,000

n/a

110.00-122.00

n/a

110.00-126.50

116.00-128.00

n/a

n/a

115.00-131.00

800-900

n/a

110.00-134.50

117.00-128.00

120.00-130.00

121.00-134.00

n/a

120.00-133.00

123.00-133.00

700-800

125.00-140.00

115.00-140.50

122.00-133.00

128.00-137.00

128.00-138.00

126.00-136.25

127.00-141.00

127.00-140.00

600-700

125.00-154.00

120.00-147.00

130.00-142.50

138.00-148.00

130.00-147.00

133.00-142.00

135.00-147.00

135.00-147.00

500-600

149.00-174.50

135.00-159.00

140.00-154.00

145.00-160.00

139.00-160.00

140.00-150.00

145.00-169.00

145.00-162.00

400-500

150.00-176.00

155.00-181.00

150.00-178.00

165.00-180.25

156.00-175.00

148.00-165.00

155.00-185.00

152.00-183.00

300-400

n/a

150.00-171.00

170.00-217.00

175.00-193.50

170.00-192.00

160.00-182.00

150.00-194.00

160.00-180.00

Feeder heifers 900-1,000 lbs.

n/a

90.00-110.50

n/a

95.00-112.00

109.00-119.00

n/a

n/a

95.00-109.00

800-900

n/a

100.00-118.50

107.00-118.50

110.00-120.00

111.00-121.00

n/a

n/a

105.00-116.00

700-800

110.00-119.00

115.00-124.50

110.00-120.50

115.00-123.50

116.00-126.00

114.00-124.50

118.00-125.00

115.00-125.00

600-700

124.00-139.00

120.00-128.00

115.00-124.50

120.00-132.00

119.00-132.00

118.00-130.00

120.00-131.00

120.00-135.00

500-600

130.00-147.00

125.00-131.75

120.00-131.00

125.00-138.00

123.00-142.00

123.00-135.00

123.00-137.00

127.00-144.00

400-500

135.00-149.50

130.00-161.00

130.00-153.00

135.00-147.50

130.00-148.00

130.00-148.00

130.00-160.00

130.00-147.00

300-400

140.00-165.00

130.00-153.00

150.00-180.00

140.00-155.00

n/a

130.00-150.00

130.00-149.00

130.00-147.00

Slaughter Market No. on offer

300

n/a

127

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

475

D1-D2 Cows

52.00-58.00

n/a

n/a

62.00-66.00

55.00-61.00

44.00-58.00

49.00-59.00

62.00-67.00

D3-D5 Cows

40.00 and up

40.00-66.00

42.00-48.00

53.00-61.00

49.00-55.00

55.00-62.00

35.00-48.00

48.00-58.00

Age Verified

58.00-66.50

n/a

n/a

n/a

60.00-67.00

55.00-62.00

58.00-66.00

82.00-87.00

Good Bulls

70.00-84.00

60.00-81.00

66.00-71.50

n/a

73.00-79.75

73.00-76.00

70.00-78.00

70.00-78.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

101.00-104.75

n/a

n/a

100.00-103.00

Butcher Steers Butcher Heifers

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

99.00-103.540

n/a

n/a

90.00-95.00

Feeder Cows

n/a

n/a

60.00-70.00

68.00-75.00

62.00-78.00

n/a

n/a

58.00-63.00

Fleshy Export Cows

n/a

n/a

55.00-61.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Lean Export Cows

n/a

n/a

45.00-53.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

* 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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37

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

Immigrants tend not to see milk as beverage Changing Canadian demographics will bring both challenges and opportunities to dairy farmers

By Shannon VanRaes CO-OPERATOR STAFF

Y

ou won’t see a milk moustache gracing the face of an increasing number of new Canadians, farmers attending the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba conference last week were told.

In 1970, most new immigrants came from the United Kingdom and the United States, followed

by Caribbean countries, said Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Global Public Affairs in presentation.

Today, the No. 1 source for Canadian immigrants is the Philippines, followed by India and China. “Anybody in business should be aware of these changes,” said Bricker.

“Here’s the question I ask you,” queried the demographer. “How do they use milk? How does a Filipino use milk? Do they use it as a beverage, or do they use it as an ingredient in cooking?”

As it turns out, none of Canada’s top three source countries

for immigration use milk as a beverage, which poses serious questions for the dairy industry, Bricker said.

“This country is changing drastically,” he told delegates.

Many of the changes Canada is experiencing are tied to Canada’s growing immigrant population and falling birth rate, but they’re affecting Canadians’ tastes and food preferences.

The people dairy farmers and processors are used to selling to are becoming a smaller proportion of the population, he said.

David Wiens, chairman of Dairy Farmers of Manitoba, said the Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) has been looking at the issue.

“Part of being part of a changing world is to investigate and see exactly how our marketplace is changing, what kind of products are needed and how we can best grow that market,” he said.

Studies have looked at how immigrants use milk products, and Wiens said DFC has also

investigated how second-generation immigrants use milk in their daily lives.

“I think that what’s important for us is how that second generation — born in Canada and raised by immigrant parents — uses milk,” he said. “Is there a change in their preferences, because obviously we’re influenced by the world around us.”

More work needs to be done to fully understand the impact, said Wiens, adding an aging Canadian population has also affected the dairy industry.

Older people tend to eat more cheese and drink less milk, he said.

But Bricker noted changing demographics are also influencing how Canadians see food as consumers.

Canadians are more educated than ever before and want more information about where there food comes from and who grows it.

Bricker said 61 per cent of Canadians know where their

food is produced, while 83 per cent indicated they wanted manufacturers to be more transparent about nutritional information.

More than two-thirds of Canadians also said they believe talking to a farmer would help them better understand where their food came from.

“Pictures featuring family farmers, men and women who actually produce milk; powerful,” he said. “Why? It gives an identity.”

It’s something people are looking for when they envision where their food comes from, said Bricker.

The demographer also said arguing for the importance of family farmers by focusing on sustaining rural jobs will fall on deaf ears. However, growing consumer trends around sustainability can present an opportunity for dairy farmers and other producers.

“If it’s about jobs, you just sound like a labour union,” said

Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Global Public Affairs, speaks to delegates at the annual Dairy Farmers of Manitoba conference in Winnipeg early this December. PHOTO: SHANNON VANRAES

Bricker. “Focus on the transparency of our food supply, we can guarantee its safety... they certainly trust you more than anybody shipping in stuff from abroad.” shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

U.S. cattle placements fall to 16-year low High feed prices are starting to bite

Protect Your Investment

By Theopolis Waters CHICAGO/ REUTERS

T

he number of cattle placed in U.S. feedlots for fattening fell 13 per cent in October to the smallest in 16 years for the month, a government report said recently, reflecting high feed costs during the worst drought in half a century.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s cattle-on-feed report showed the number of cattle arriving at feedlots in October at 2.180 million head, falling for a fifth straight month.

The 13 per cent fall from a year earlier puts October placements at the smallest for the month since the USDA began the data series in 1996. Analysts polled by Reuters, on average, expected a 12.6 per cent drop in placements.

September placements fell 19 per cent to its lowest on record for that month.

The government put supply of cattle in feedlots on Nov. 1 at 11.254 million head, or 95 per cent of the year-ago total, versus expectations for 94.7 per cent.

And, USDA said the number of cattle sold to packers, or marketings, in October was up three per cent from a year earlier, to 1.837 million head versus expectations of a 2.5 per cent increase.

Feed yards lost money on cattle they purchased from ranchers and sold to packing plants after fattening them as the drought parched pastures, sending feed grain prices to all-time highs last summer and doubled the cost for hay.

The pool of younger cattle had also diminished after last year’s drought in the U.S. southwest shrunk the herd to its smallest in 60 years — resulting in fewer cattle now.

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38

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

COLUMN

Treating common young calf problems Knowing the type will give you a head start on treatment for next calving season The two main diseases, scours and pneumonia, often are treated much differently and may not be as easy to tell apart as one thinks.

Roy Lewis, DVM Beef 911

E

very calving season veterinarians are called on to examine calves with a multitude of problems. Some are herd related but many are individual problems of no concern to the rest of the herd.

Most cases fall into a few broad categories. Each category has a much different treatment regime. This article will break out these different categories and hopefully make it easier to determine the course of treatment.

Clinically with calves, we need to differentiate between whether the condition involves the lungs (pneumonia), intestines (scours), navel (omphalophlebitis) or involves a

multitude of miscellaneous conditions.

The two main diseases, scours and pneumonia, often are treated much differently and may not be as easy to tell apart as one thinks. Scours may initially present as a very dopey, heavy-breathing calf. The calf may be quite acidotic and is attempting to blow off the acid through an increased respiratory rate, fooling you that he

has pneumonia. A calf born selenium deficient may have heart issues if the heart muscle is affected. The lungs will start to fill with fluid because of the heart failure, and again respiratory rate will be increased.

While specific antibiotics have been developed for pneumonia they often are not the same ones we use to treat scours.

Also the best initial treatment for scours is to give replacement fluids as the dehydration is what kills the calf. Many causes of scours are viral, against which antibiotics don’t work.

You can see making the distinction between which organ system is involved can be a difficult one and one your veterinarian may even struggle with at times.

Colostrum

As mentioned numerous other times before, we can never

SAVE 23%!

stress enough the importance of good-quality colostrum in giving calves a head start in life.

Their ability to fight off disease challenges is much greater.

Many cases of pneumonia, scours and septicemias (bloodborne infections) can be attributed to not receiving adequate colostrum.

The navel area is another area to pay close attention to as it is a common source for entry of infectious organisms into the body. Again we need adequate colostral uptake. Watch the area for signs of swelling and an arched back and tucked-up calf.

If you palpate the navel area and it is painful, that is a telltale sign infection is present. Backwards calves or those derived

by C-section have their navels rip off short and are much more susceptible to navel infection.

At our clinic, with any calves born by C-section we purposely

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separate the navel by hand further down the cord so the calf has a decently long navel cord when it is born. Some producers, if they have a problem, will even give prophylactic antibiotics at birth under the supervision of their veterinarian to counteract navel ills. If the navel infection spreads internally it has a good chance of landing in the joints and a severe arthritis ensues. Make sure and differentiate between navel infection and a simple hernia which may require surgery.

Lameness

Lame calves are another common condition with young calves. Again, you need to differentiate whether it is arthritis from a navel infection, trauma causing a sprain strain or trauma causing a broken leg. Each condition requires different treatment. The navel infection must be treated with drugs, which will get into the joints. Sprains are just left to convalesce and the broken legs need immediate attending by your veterinarian. If breaks are caught soon enough the prognosis and chances for recovery are very good. The lower the break the better. Young calves that are growing heal fast and put down bone very quickly so in three to four weeks we often have a complete recovery.

Calves commonly will get stepped on by cows in heat so having creep areas where they can separate themselves from the cow herd will pay dividends in fewer calf injuries.

Creep areas are also very good at getting calves started on creep feed so preventives for coccidiosis such as deccox can be added to the feed. Calves are naturally inquisitive so products such as diatomaceous earth give calves something to lick on rather than dirt, roughage and stagnant water where their odds of picking up something harmful is much greater.

Cr yptosporidiosis, another diarrhea disease of calves, spreads very similar to coccidiosis so prevention for one may help in prevention of the other.

Older calves become stronger and more resistant to picking up the common calfhood diseases such as scours or pneumonia. The four- to eight-week age is where the intestinal accidents and stomach ulcers develop. These conditions were gone into detail in a previous article but suffice it to say they are individual fluke-type cases.

It is probably most important to have a post-mortem done on sudden deaths to rule out infectious causes which could spread to other herdmates. Otherwise you can rest assured it was one of these fluke intestinal conditions of which you have no control over.

This spring try and differentiate these different categories of problems with young calves.

You will then be treating the right problem and your success rate will drastically improve and steps can be made for prevention of further cases.

Roy Lewis is a large-animal veterinarian practising at the Westlock, Alta. Veterinary Centre. His main interests are bovine reproduction and herd health.

39

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

FARMER'S

MARKETPLACE Call to place your classified ad in the next issue: 1-800-782-0794

Selling?

FAX your classified ads to: 204-954-1422 · Or eMAiL your classified ads to: mbclassifieds@fbcpublishing.com

Classification

index Tributes/Memory Announcements Airplanes Alarms & Security Systems AnTiqueS Antiques For Sale Antique Equipment Antique Vehicle Antiques Wanted Arenas

Your guide to the Classification Categories and sub-listings within this section.

Roofing Building Supplies Buildings Business Machines Business Opportunities BuSineSS SeRViCeS Crop Consulting Financial & Legal Insurance/Investments Butchers Supply Chemicals Clothing/Work wear Collectibles Compressors Computers

AuCTiOn SALeS BC Auction AB Auction Peace AB Auction North AB Auction Central AB Auction South SK Auction MB Auction Parkland MB Auction Westman MB Auction Interlake MB Auction Red River Auction Various U.S. Auctions Auction Schools

COnTRACTinG Custom Baling Custom Feeding Custom Harvest Custom Seeding Custom Silage Custom Spraying Custom Trucking Custom Tub Grinding Custom Work Construction Equipment Dairy Equipment Electrical Engines Entertainment Fertilizer

AuTO & TRAnSpORT Auto Service & Repairs Auto & Truck Parts Autos Trucks Semi Trucks Sport Utilities Vans Vehicles Vehicles Wanted

FARM MAChineRy Aeration Conveyors Equipment Monitors Fertilizer Equip Grain Augers Grains Bins Grain Carts Grain Cleaners Grain Dryers Grain Elevators Grain Handling Grain Testers Grain Vacuums

BeeKeepinG Honey Bees Cutter Bees Bee Equipment Belting Bio Diesel Equipment Books & Magazines BuiLDinG & RenOVATiOnS Concrete Repair Doors & Windows Electrical & Plumbing Insulation Lumber

New Holland Steiger Universal Versatile White Zetor Tractors 2WD Tractors 4WD Tractors Various Farm Machinery Miscellaneous Farm Machinery Wanted Fencing Firewood Fish Farm Forestry/Logging Fork Lifts/Pallets Fur Farming Generators GPS Health Care Heat & Air Conditioning Hides/Furs/Leathers Hobby & Handicrafts Household Items

hAyinG & hARVeSTinG Baling Equipment Mower Conditioners Swathers

Swather Accessories Haying & Harvesting Various COMBineS Belarus Case/IH Cl Caterpillar Lexion Deutz Ford/NH Gleaner John Deere Massey Ferguson Versatile White Combines Various Combine Accessories Hydraulics Irrigation Equipment Loaders & Dozers Parts & Accessories Salvage Potato & Row Crop Equipment Repairs Rockpickers Snowblowers/Plows Silage Equipment Specialty Equipment

LAnDSCApinG Greenhouses Lawn & Garden LiVeSTOCK CATTLe Cattle Auctions Angus Black Angus Red Angus Aryshire Belgian Blue Blonde d'Aquitaine Brahman Brangus Braunvieh BueLingo Charolais Dairy Dexter Excellerator Galloway Gelbvieh Guernsey Hereford Highland Holstein Jersey Limousin Lowline Luing Maine-Anjou Miniature Murray Grey Piedmontese

SpRAyinG Sprayers Spray Various TiLLAGe & SeeDinG Air Drills Air Seeders Harrows & Packers Seeding Various Tillage Equipment Tillage & Seeding Various TRACTORS Agco Allis/Deutz Belarus Case/IH Caterpillar Ford John Deere Kubota Massey Ferguson

Pinzgauer Red Poll Salers Santa Gertrudis Shaver Beefblend Shorthorn Simmental South Devon Speckle Park Tarentaise Texas Longhorn Wagyu Welsh Black Cattle Composite Cattle Various Cattle Wanted LiVeSTOCK hORSeS Horse Auctions American Saddlebred Appaloosa Arabian Belgian Canadian Clydesdale Draft Donkeys Haflinger Miniature Morgan Mules Norwegian Ford Paint Palomino Percheron Peruvian Pinto Ponies Quarter Horse Shetland Sport Horses Standardbred Tennessee Walker Thoroughbred Warmblood Welsh Horses For Sale Horses Wanted LiVeSTOCK Sheep Sheep Auction Arcott Columbia Dorper Dorset Katahdin Lincoln Suffolk Texel Sheep Sheep For Sale

Sheep Wanted LiVeSTOCK Swine Swine Auction Swine For Sale Swine Wanted LiVeSTOCK poultry Poultry For Sale Poultry Wanted LiVeSTOCK Specialty Alpacas Bison (Buffalo) Deer Elk Goats Llama Rabbits Emu Ostrich Rhea Yaks Specialty Livestock Various Livestock Equipment Livestock Services & Vet Supplies Miscellaneous Articles Miscellaneous Articles Wanted Musical Notices On-Line Services ORGAniC Organic Certified Organic Food Organic Grains Personal Pest Control Pets & Supplies Photography Propane Pumps Radio, TV & Satellite ReAL eSTATe Vacation Property Commercial Buildings Condos Cottages & Lots Houses & Lots Mobile Homes Motels & Hotels Resorts FARMS & RAnCheS British Columbia Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba Pastures Farms Wanted

Acreages/Hobby Farms Land For Sale Land For Rent

Oilseeds Pulse Crops Common Seed Various

ReCReATiOnAL VehiCLeS All Terrain Vehicles Boats & Water Campers & Trailers Golf Carts Motor Homes Motorcycles Snowmobiles Recycling Refrigeration Restaurant Supplies Sausage Equipment Sawmills Scales

FeeD/GRAin Feed Grain Hay & Straw Hay & Feed Wanted Feed Wanted Grain Wanted Seed Wanted Sewing Machines Sharpening Services Silos Sporting Goods Outfitters Stamps & Coins Swap Tanks Tarpaulins Tenders Tickets Tires Tools

SeeD/FeeD/GRAin pedigreed Cereal Seeds Barley Durum Oats Rye Triticale Wheat Cereals Various peDiGReeD FORAGe SeeDS Alfalfa Annual Forage Clover Forages Various Grass Seeds peDiGReeD OiLSeeDS Canola Flax Oilseeds Various peDiGReeD puLSe CROpS Beans Chickpeas Lentil Peas Pulses Various peDiGReeD SpeCiALTy CROpS Canary Seeds Mustard Potatoes Sunflower Specialty Crops Various COMMOn SeeD Cereal Seeds Forage Seeds Grass Seeds

TRAiLeRS Grain Trailers Livestock Trailers Trailers Miscellaneous Travel Water Pumps Water Treatment Welding Well Drilling Well & Cistern Winches COMMuniTy CALenDAR British Columbia Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba CAReeRS Career Training Child Care Construction Domestic Services Farm/Ranch Forestry/Log Health Care Help Wanted Management Mining Oil Field Professional Resume Services Sales/Marketing Trades/Tech Truck Drivers Employment Wanted

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Expiry Date: Signature: _______________________________________________ Published by Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 WINNIPEG OFFICE Manitoba Co-operator 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 Toll-Free in Canada 1-800-782-0794 Phone 204-954-1415 in Winnipeg FAX 204-954-1422 Mailing Address: Box 9800, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3K7

AGREEMENT The publisher reserves the right to refuse any or all advertising for any reason stated or unstated.

Advertisers requesting publication of either display or classified advertisements agree that should the advertisement be omitted from the issue ordered for whatever reason, the Manitoba Co-operator shall not be held liable. It is also agreed that in the event of an error appearing in the published advertisement, the Manitoba Co-operator accepts no liability beyond the amount paid for that portion of the advertisement in which the error appears or affects. Claims for adjustment are limited to errors appearing in the first insertion only.

While every endeavor will be made to forward box number replies as soon as possible, we accept no liability in respect to loss or damage alleged to a rise through either failure or delay in forwarding such replies, however caused, whether by negligence or otherwise.

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CAUTION The Manitoba Co-operator, while assuming no responsibility for advertisements appearing in its columns, exercises the greatest care in an endeavor to restrict advertising to wholly reliable firms or individuals.

However, please do not send money to a Manitoba Co-operator box number. Buyers are advised to request shipment C.O.D. when ordering from an unknown advertiser, thus minimizing the chance of fraud and eliminating the necessity of a refund where the goods have already been sold.

At Farm Business Communications we have a firm commitment to protecting your privacy and security as our customer. Farm Business Communications will only collect personal information if it is required for the proper functioning of our business. As part of our commitment to enhance customer service, we may share this personal information with other strategic business partners. For more information regarding our Customer Informa-

TOTAL: ______________________ tion Privacy Policy, write to: Information Protection Officer, Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1.

Occasionally we make our list of subscribers available to other reputable firms whose products and services might be of interest to you. If you would prefer not to receive such offers, please contact us at the address in the preceding paragraph, or call 1-800-782-0794.

The editors and journalists who write, contribute and provide opinions to Manitoba Co-operator and Farm Business Communications attempt to provide accurate and useful opinions, information and analysis. However, the editors, journalists and Manitoba Co-operator and Farm Business Communications, cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the editors as well as Manitoba Co-operator and Farm Business Communication assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader for this publication based on any and all information provided.

ADVERTISIng RATES & InfoRMATIon REgulAR ClASSIfIED • Minimum charge — $11.25 per week for first 25 words or less and an additional 45 cents per word for every word over 25. Additional bolding 75 cents per word. GST is extra. $2.50 billing charge is added to billed ads only.

• Terms: Payment due upon receipt of invoice.

• 10% discount for prepaid ads. If phoning in your ad you must pay with VISA or MasterCard to qualify for discount.

• Prepayment Bonus: Prepay for 3 weeks & get a bonus of 2 weeks; bonus weeks run consecutively & cannot be used separately from original ad; additions & changes accepted only during first 3 weeks.

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DISplAy ClASSIfIED • Advertising copy deviating in any way from the regular classified style will be considered display and charged at the display rate of $32.20 per column inch ($2.30 per agate line).

• Minimum charge $32.20 per week + $5.00 for online per week.

• Illustrations and logos are allowed with full border.

• Spot color: 25% of ad cost, with a minimum charge of $15.00.

• Advertising rates are flat with no discount for frequency of insertion or volume of space used.

• Telephone orders accepted • Terms: Payment due upon receipt of invoice.

• Price quoted does not include GST. All classified ads are non-commissionable.

40

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

AUTO & TRANSPORT

ANNOUNCEMENTS

AUTO & TRANSPORT Auto & Truck Parts

GET THE BOOK

REMANUFACTURED DSL ENGINES: GM 6.5L $4,750 installed; Ford/IH 7.3L $4950 installed; GM Duramax/Ford 6.0L, $8,500 installed; new 6.5L en-gines $6500; 24V 5.9L Cummins, $7,500 installed; other new/used & reman. engines available, can ship or install. Thickett Engine Rebuilding, 204-532-2187, Binscarth. 8:00am-5:30pm Mon.-Fri.

‘How To Make The DEAL Nobody Else Can Make!’

by Jerry Webb

Former Massey Ferguson Dealer

He made it easy for farmers to buy anything at value on trade

Examples include Movie Theater, Art Gallery, 1/4 section of land, Livestock... You Name It! Entertaining, Informative, Excellent for Buyer or Seller alike

BUCKET TRUCK 32-FT Sale- Trade, good working order. (204)726-1760.

FARM CHEMICAL SEED COMPLAINTS

FOR SALE: 1975 GMC 6500 truck 8x16 box & hoist, 5x2 trans, 10-20 tires, new safety, $6,300 OBO; 1993 F250 7.3 engine, automatic trans, extended cab, bucket seats, $2,600 OBO. Phone (204)745-2784.

AUTO & TRANSPORT Semi Trucks & Trailers 07’ & 08’ KENWORTH, T-800-CatC15 550-hp, 62in condo, excellent cond, fleet units, $59,500 each. for details call (204)487-1347.

ANTIQUES

BUILDING & RENOVATIONS

ANTIQUES Antiques For Sale

BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Roofing

2 SETS OF LIGHT driving harness; 2 sets of general purpose leather harness; Scotch tops; Antique ivory spread rings; several horse collars; several leather halters; cutter tongue eaveners & neck yokes; a good selection of antique horse machinery. Phone:(204)242-2809.

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

AUCTION DISTRICTS

B-Gr. coloured......................70¢/ft.2

PRICE TO CLEAR!!

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.

Birch River

Swan River Minitonas Durban

Winnipegosis

Roblin

Dauphin

Grandview

Ashern

Gilbert Plains

Parkland

Birtle

Riverton Eriksdale

McCreary

Gladstone

Rapid City

1

Brandon

Carberry

ALLIS CHALMERS HD16B HYD tilt dozer, HD12G loader, 4 in 1 bucket. For parts: HD16B,16A,14; New rails for a 16A, pins & bushings supplied & installed for most makes of Crawler tractors & backhoes. Call Ron (866)590-6458, (204)242-2204.

WANTED TO BUY an excavator, prefer 200-270 JD, Komatsu, Hitachi or Case, prefer 2000-2005, has to have thumb. Phone (204)871-0925.

FARM MACHINERY FARM MACHINERY Fertilizer Equipment FERTILIZER SPREADERS, 4-9-TONNE, $2500 up; Large selection 8T tender, $2500; 16T, $5900. www.zettlerfarmequipment.com (204)857-8403.

ST. LAZARE, MB. 1-800-510-3303

We know that farming is enough of a gamble so if you want to sell it fast place your ad in the Manitoba Co-operator classifieds. It’s a Sure Thing. Call our toll-free number today. We have friendly staff ready to help. 1-800-782-0794.

BUILDINGS

BUILDINGS

Treherne

Killarney

Pilot Mound Crystal City

Elm Creek

Sanford

Ste. Anne St. Pierre

242

Morris Winkler Morden

Altona

FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories

WALINGA GRAIN VACS

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.

Tired of shovelling out your bins, unhealthy dust and awkward augers?

Walinga manufactures a complete line of grain vacs to suit your every need.

With no filters to plug and less damage done to your product than an auger, you’re sure to find the right system to suit you. Call now for a free demonstration or trade in your old vac towards a new

1

Steinbach

Red River

AUCTION SALES

Rebuilt Concaves

Rebuild combine table augers Rebuild hydraulic cylinders Roller mills regrooved MFWD housings rebuilt Steel and aluminum welding Machine Shop Service Line boreing and welding

Penno’s Machining & Mfg. Ltd. Eden, MB 204-966-3221 Fax: 204-966-3248

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

AUCTION SALES U.S. Auctions

AUCTION SALES U.S. Auctions

CUSTOM BIN MOVING Book now! Fert Tanks.

Hopper Bins/flat. Buy/Sell. Call Tim (204)362-7103 or E-mail Requests binmovers@hotmail.com SUKUP GRAIN BINS Heavy Duty, hopper or flat bottom, setup available. Early order discount pricing now in effect. Call for more info (204)998-9915 WANTED: NEW OR USED grain bin hoppers, w/ or w/o skids, w/ or w/o bins. Phone (204)655-3458 pls lvg message.

Arnold Companies Inc. Equipment Locations: Kimball, MN St. Martin, MN

Willmar, MN Mankato, MN

Glencoe, MN Alden, MN

FARM MACHINERY Combine – Case/IH 2008 CASE-IH 2588 combine w/2015 PU, 476 sep hrs, 594 engine hrs, Pro 600 monitor, y/m, rice tires, hopper topper, shedded, heavy soil machine, $170,000 open to offers.

(204)735-2886, (204)981-5366.

FARM MACHINERY Combine – John Deere

COMBINE WORLD located 20 min. E of Saskatoon, SK on Hwy. #16. 1 year warranty on all new, used, and rebuilt parts. Canada’s largest inventory of late model combines & swathers.

1-800-667-4515 www.combineworld.com

Combine ACCessories FARM MACHINERY Combine – Accessories

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

FARM MACHINERY Loaders & Dozers BUHLER ALLIED LOADER MODEL 2895-S w/joystick, bucket & grabel fork, fits 9820 Case IH, loader built for 150-250 HP, $7,500. Phone (204)871-0925.

PREVIEW: Monday - Fridays from 8:00AM - 5:00PM Tractors, Combines, Skid Loaders, Corn & Flex Heads, Planters, Grain Carts, Tillage, Hay Equipment & More!

COMPLETE AUCTION LISTING AVAILABLE AT WWW.IQBID.COM 2.9%-60 month CNH financing available to pre-qualified buyers.

Must qualify before Dec. 21st. Contact Eric Gabrielson for financing info at (320) 693-9371

Kimball - Eric (320) 398-3800 Willmar - Jeff (320) 235-4898 Glencoe - Peter (320) 864-5531 St. Martin - Sharelle (320) 548-3285 Mankato - Randy (507) 387-5515 Alden - Brad (507) 874-3400 Additional information contract Eric Gabrielson, Steffes Auctioneers (320) 693-9371 24400 MN Hwy 22 South Litchfield, MN 55355

(320) 693-9371

www.steffesauctioneers.com

FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories 2408 GRAIN HANDLER DRYER 4 yr Old Grain Handler Dryer. Very Good Shape. Power on the dryer is 480V. This is a very clean & well taken care of machine. Capable of drying all types of grains including seed grains at equal rates. Capacity of the dryer: 1300-bph 5-pts 800-bph 10-pts. This price below doesn’t include shipping or set up. Customer is welcome to come PU & set up them selfs if wanted. Customer is responsible for all taxes or duty fees required to get across the border. PRICE: $87,000. (701)788-8927 NEW SUKUP GRAIN DRYERS w/canola screens, 1 or 3PH, LP or NG. Efficient & easy to operate. Early Order discount pricing now in effect. (204)998-9915 NEW MC DRYERS IN STOCK w/canola screens 300-2,000 BPH units. Why buy used, when you get new fuel efficient & better quality & control w/MC. Call Wall Grain for details (204)269-7616 or (306)244-1144 or (403)393-2662.

STEINBACH, MB. Ph. 326-2443 Toll-Free 1-800-881-7727 Fax (204) 326-5878 Web site: farmparts.ca E-mail: roy@farmparts.ca FARM MACHINERY Salvage GOODS USED TRACTOR PARTS: (204)564-2528 or 1-877-564-8734, Roblin, MB. TRACTORS FOR PARTS: IHC 1486, 1086, 886, 1066, 966, 1256, 656, 844, 806, 706, 660, 650, 560, 460, 624, 606, 504, 434, 340, 275, 240-4, W9, WD6, W6, W4, H, 340, B-414; CASE 4890, 4690, 2096, 2394, 2390, 2290, 2090, 2470, 1370, 1270, 1175, 1070, 970, 870, 1030, 930, 830, 730, 900, 800, 700, 600, 400, DC4, SC; MF 2745, 1805, 1155, 1135, 1105, 1100, 2675, 1500, 1085, 1080, 65, Super 90, 88, 202, 44, 30; JD 8640, 3140, 6400, 5020, 4020, 3020, 4010, 3010, 710; Cockshutt 1900, 1855, 1850, 1800, 1655, 1650, 560, 80, 40, 30; Oliver 66; White 4-150, 2-105; AC 7060, 7045, 7040, 190XT, 190, 170, WF; Deutz DX130, DX85, 100-06, 90-06, 80-05, 70-06; Volvo 800, 650; Universal 651, 640; Ford 7600, 6000, 5000, Super Major, Major; Belarus 5170, 952, 825, 425, MM 602, U, M5; Vers 700, 555, 145, 118; Steiger 210 Wildcat; Hesston 780. Also have parts for combines, swathers, square & round balers, tillage, press drills, & other misc machinery. MURPHY SALVAGE (204)858-2727 or toll free 1-877-858-2728 .

FARM MACHINERY Snowblowers, Plows FOR SALE: SHULTE 7-FT front mount snow blower, cylinders included, good condition, $800; Loader arms & cylinders for Leon front-end loader, no mounts, $500.

Phone:(204)825-8354 or (204)825-2784.

Tillage & Seeding

2006 CASE CONCORD ATX 3310 w/ADX 2230 tank, C-shank, Bourgault knock-ons, 3-in. Carbide Tip Openers, 10-in. spacing, excellent condition, low acs. Always shedded. (204)467-2787.

WANTED: GRAVITY TABLE IN good condition, 400 Kip Kelly or larger capacity, or equivalent.

Phone (204)655-3458 pls lvg message.

START: Dec. 10, 2012 END: Dec. 21, 2012

Large Inventory of new and remanufactured parts

FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Air Drills

FARM MACHINERY Grain Cleaners

FARM MACHINERY Grain Dryers

NEW & USED TRACTOR PARTS NEW COMBINE PARTS

Combines

FARM MACHINERY Grain Bins BIG BINS & FLOORS at old prices, 20,000-56,000bu. bins holding prices until spring. NEW MOISTURE CABLES! Call Wall Grain for details (204)269-7616 or (306)244-1144 or (403)393-2662.

NEW WOBBLE BOXES for Macdon JD, NH, IH, headers. Made in Europe, factory quality.

Get it direct from Western Canada’s sole distributor starting at $995. 1-800-667-4515. www.combineworld.com

Check out A & I online parts store www.pennosmachining.com

MCSHERRY AUCTION SERVICE LTD Estate & Moving Sat., Dec. 15th 10:30am Stonewall. #12 Patterson Dr. Large AUCTION Yard; Tools; Antiques; Quality Household Appliances; Furniture; Glassware; Die Cast Toy Collection; Modern Coca Cola Collection; Go to Website. Stuart McSherry (204)467-1858 or (204)8867027 www.mcsherryauction.com AFAB INDUSTRIES IS YOUR SUPERIOR post frame building company. For estimates and information call 1-888-816-AFAB(2322).

Website: www.postframebuilding.com

WaTRoUs, sK. Fax: 306-946-2444

FARM MACHINERY Haying & Harvesting – Various

FARM MACHINERY Combine – Various

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Interlake

WATROUS SALVAGE

Walinga agri-Vac! Fergus, On: (519) 787-8227 carman, MB: (204) 745-2951 Davidson, SK: (306) 567-3031

YEAR END SALE AT WHOLESALE PRICES: JD 930 Flex w/Crary air reel,$10,900; 930 Flex w/new Crary air reel, $16,750; 06 635 Hydraflex, $18,840.

Also have new 30-ft pole header trailer w/lights, $3,000; New 38-ft header trailer w/front dollies, 2-rear axles w/brakes & lights $6,800.

Phone:(204)746-6605 or (204)325-2496.

Beausejour

Carman

Mariapolis

FARM MACHINERY Grain Handling

Lac du Bonnet

Winnipeg

Austin

Souris

Boissevain

Stonewall Selkirk

Portage

Westman

Waskada

Interlake

Langruth

Neepawa

Hamiota

Melita

Arborg

Lundar

Erickson Minnedosa

Reston

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

Gimli

Shoal Lake

Virden

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

Fisher Branch

Ste. Rose du Lac Russell

BUSINESS SERVICES BUSINESS SERVICES Crop Consulting

Email: gwebb@mts.net

The Pas

SELLING NEVIN SEEDS, a well established bird seed company, included in sale are all bagging & packaging equip, bins, etc. as well as business contacts.

Reason for selling: semi-retiring.

Phone:(204)763-4470 or (204)761-3931.

AUTO & TRANSPORT Trucks

Book Available for only $7.95

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.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Harvest Salvage Co. Ltd. 1-866-729-9876 5150 Richmond Ave. East BRANDON, MB. www.harvestsalvage.ca New, Used & Re-man. Parts

Tractors Combines Swathers

FYFE PARTS

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”

www.fyfeparts.com The Manitoba Co-operator. Manitoba’s best-read farm publication.

Call our toll-free number to take advantage of our Prepayment Bonus. Prepay for 3 weeks and we’ll run your ad 2 more weeks for free. That’s 5 weeks for the price of 3. Call 1-800-782-0794 today!

FOR SALE: 33-FT FLEXI-COIL 5000 Air Drill w/1720 tank, 9-in spacing. Phone (204)825-2334 or (204)825-7127.

FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Seeding JD 610 AIR SEEDER 41-ft., harrows Haukaas markers c/w flexicoil air cart, 3 tanks, 2320 model, good working condition, $17,000 OBO. Phone (204)792-4257, Oakbank, MB.

FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Tillage 2008 7450 EZEE-ON CHISEL plow, 45-ft. w/12-in. spacing, knock-on shovels, VGC, asking $31,000 OBO. Phone (204)248-2268 or (204)745-7557, Notre Dame, MB. JD 61-FT, 2410 DEEP tiller w/harrows 2 yrs old, like new; Summers 60-ft. deep tiller w/ or w/o anhydrous unit & hitch. Call Ron (204)626-3283 or 1-855-272-5070.

TracTors FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Case/IH CASE IH 140-HP 5088, 3-PTH, FEL, cab & A/C, very good rubber, $17,000. Phone (204)871-0925.

FOR SALE: 2290 CASE 1982 3,300 original hours, very good shape. Phone:(204)768-9090.

TRACKMAN TRACKS FOR STX450 Quad, brand new, $7,500 each. 2 used scraper tracks for STX450, no rips or tears, $4,500 each.

(204)871-0925

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – John Deere 1979 JD 4440, W/148 FEL w/joystick, $19,500. www.waltersequipment.com (204)525-4521, Minitonas, MB. JD 4020 W/CAB, Phone:(204)239-0035.

LOADER

&

bale

fork.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – John Deere

LIVESTOCK

LIVESTOCK Cattle Various

FOR SALE: 7610 MFWD, PQ, LHR, 3-pt, 4,600 OMG hrs, w/740 S/L FEL, Grapple, Mint; 2, 4650 MFWD, 15-SPD, 3-pt, fact duals; 2, 4455 MFWD, 15-SPD, 3-pt w/280 FEL; 2, 4450 MFWD, 15-SPD, 3 pt; 4250 MFWD, 15-SPD, 3-pt; 4055 MFWD, 15-SPD, 3-pt; 2555 MFWD, 3-pt. All tractors can be sold w/new or used loaders. MITCH’S TRACTOR SALES LTD Box 418 St. Claude, MB R0G 1Z0 Phone: (204)750-2459

Merry Christmas

FOR SALE: 20 BRED heifers mostly Black, some Red Bred to Black Angus bull. To start calving mid March, asking, $1,650. Phone (204)379-2408, St Claude.

from

FOR SALE: 50 BRED heifers, 50% solid black, 50% solid red, home raised, full herd health program, preg checked Oct 15th, bred to proven calving ease Black Angus bull, due to start calving Jan 20th. Can also supply hay for these cattle.

Phone:(204)476-6447, Plumas.

JD 3130 W/CAB HEAT, low hrs, 3PTH, excellent for snowblower & all around utility tractor, $12,500.

Can take trade. Phone: (204)746-6605 or (204)325-2496.

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – 2 Wheel Drive 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.

FOR SALE: 75 GOOD young Simmental X bred cows, April 1st calving, bred Simmental. Will sell in smaller groups.

Phone:(204)248-2493, cell (204)526-5836, Notre Dame.

www.mancec.com 204-452-6353 - In Winnipeg 1-866-441-6232 - Toll Free

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Various FOR SALE: 9680 FORD/VERS, 8,600-hrs, 20.8-42 Michelin tires; JD 7800 MFWD tractor, 5,600-hrs, 14.9-46 tires, Hub duals. (701)265-2221, Hamilton, ND.

1981 MF 4840 4WD, 20.8x38 tires, 4750-hrs; 1987 Heston 6455 swather, 18-ft grain header PU reels, w/14-ft hay header, shedded; HD 6 Allis Chalmers crawler angle dozer, 3800-hrs, new Rad & Starter; 68-ft Inland sprayer, 800 gal. plastic tank, new HYD pump; Vermeer 605 C round baler, wide belts & new transmission; JD 1967 105 combine, overhauled motor by JD, belt PU, chopper, new starter; 24-ft Wilrich cult & harrows; HD 5 Allis Chalmers crawler, good clutches; 2500 Wilrich 25-ft 3-PTH cult, done 800-Ac. Contact (204)848-2205 or (204)867-7380.

1998 FORD LX 4X4, 4WD drive, half ton, 143,992-km, V6, 4.2 engine, safetied, $5,490 OBO, very good; 1999 Ols Intrigue GLS Sedan, V6, 3.8 engine, counsel trans, bronze colour, no rust, safetied, $3,290 OBO; New HD LR 177 1,250-gal Equinox tank, yellow, retail $878, special $565; New LR 175 Equinox tank, 1,250-gal tank, black retail $578, 1 left special $425; 1 New Honda motor 20-HP electric start, V twin, oil alert, retail $2,080 special $1,800. (204)822-1354, cell (204)823-1559.

70-FT. HEAVY DIAMOND HARROWS, $1,750; 7x41 Allied Auger, $300; Service tank w/pump, $165. Phone (204)745-2784.

FOR SALE: NEW GX 630 20-HP Honda engine, electric start, oil alert, 1-in. shaft, retail price $2,370 per engine, make an offer; 1998 Ford LX 4x4WD 1/2-Ton, 144,280-kms, safety, 4.2 engine, price asking $5,490 OBO; New 1,250-gal Equinox water tanks available. (204)823-1559.

INTERNATIONAL 810 SUNFLOWER HEADER w/trailer 20-ft, $3000; 820 Flexhead, $2000; 1020 30-ft, $8000; JD 925, $6500; JD 930, $7500; Large selection used grain carts, 450-1050-bu also Gravity wagons, 250-750-bu; new 400-bu w/12T wagon, $7100; 600-bu, $12,000; tarps available; grain screeners, hutch #1500, $1500; #1600, $2000; DMI 48-in, $2500; Kwik Kleen 5 tube, $4500; 7 tube, $6500; Hutchmaster rock cushion disc 25-ft, $9500; JD 331 30-ft, $9500; Bushog 21ft, $7000; DMI ripper 7 shank, $11,900; Valmar applicator, $850. Phone (204)857-8403.

JD MODEL 1050 CULTIVATOR, 61.5-ft, $6,000.

Phone:(204)386-2775 or Cell:(204)476-6631. Plumas, MB. LOW HRS; KOMATSU WA 320-1 3yd loader; (306)236-8023, Goodsoil, SK. ROTARY MOWERS: JD 709, $3000; Woods 7-ft, $3000; Woods 10-ft Batwing, $3500; 15-ft Batwing, $4500; IH 9-ft Sicle mower, $1650; NH 9-ft, $2200; Balers: JD 535, $5900; JD 530, $3900; JD 510, $1500; Scrapers: 440, $3900; 640, $5000; New Box Scrapers: 10-ft, $2250; 12-ft, $2450; 9-ft 3-PH blade, $900; JD 780 spreader, $8000; New Idea #3634, $4000; H-S 400-bu, $2500; Meyers 550, $11,900; Summers 70-ft heavy harrow, $14,000; Degelman 70-ft Strawmaster, $22,000; Leon 12-ft blade, $3000; 10-ft, $2500. Phone (204)857-8403 SKIDSTEERS BOBCAT 530, $4,900; Mustang 332, $4,500; Gehl 6625, $12,900; Snowblowers VType 3-PH, $250; Homemade 3 Auger, $1,000; 8-ft.

Single Auger, $800; Lorentz 8-ft. $1,700; McKee 7ft., $1,400; Front Blade Leon 12-ft., $3,000; 10-ft. $2,000; JD 9-ft., $2,500; Breaking Disc 12-ft. Kewannee, $18,000; Weigh Wagon Auger, $2,500; 150-bu. Feeder Cart, $750; 12-ft. Feed Body, $1,500; Harsh Feed Cart, $6,000; ROORDA Feed Cart, $2,000. Phone (204)857-8403.

WIRELESS DRIVEWAY ALARMS, calving/foaling barn cameras, video surveillance, rear view cameras for RV’s, trucks, combines, seeders, sprayers and augers. Mounted on magnet. Calgary, Ab. (403)616-6610. www.FAAsecurity.com

HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING

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

REGULAR SALE

Every Friday 9AM

BRED COW SALE

December 19 @ 9:00 am

Last Chance Butcher and Feeder Sale

December 17 @ 9:00 am Receiving open until 10PM Thursdays

NEXT SHEEP & GOAT SALE

Wednesday, December 19 @ 1:00 pm Gates Open Mon.-Wed. 8AM-4PM Thurs. 8AM-10PM Friday 8AM-6PM Sat. 8AM-4PM

We Will Buy Cattle Direct On Farm

For more information call: 204-694-8328 or Jim Christie 204-771-0753

www.winnipeglivestocksales.com Licence #1122

GRUNTHAL LIVESTOCK AUCTION MART. LTD.

1-800-587-4711

IRON & STEEL 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.

FULL LINE OF COLORED & galvanized roofing, siding & accessories, structural steel, tubing, plate, angles, flats, rounds etc. Phone:1-800-510-3303, Fouillard Steel Supplies Ltd, St Lazare.

LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING Lawn & Garden 2001 JD 445 GARDEN tractor under 600-hrs, 54-in mower, VGC, asking $6300 OBO. Phone (204)436-2364.

BEAT THE BULL RUSH! Proven purebred registered Charolais bull, 5-yrs old. Come see him & his calves. Anola area. Call evenings (204)755-2235.

North America’s Largest Charolais Sale! PerrotMartin Complete Dispersal, Sat., Dec. 15th, 10:30am CST, at the farm, Naicam, SK. 7-mi North on Hwy #6, 8-mi West, 1.5-mi South. Over 600 head sell, including all the bulls (50 long yearlings & 120 bull calves). Wintering & terms avail on bulls.

Also selling semen & embryos. Watch & bid online at www.LiveAuctions.TV For more info or a catalogue contact John (306)874-5496; Collin (306)874-2186 or T Bar C Cattle Co. Ltd. (306)933-4200 View the catalogue online at www.BuyAgro.com

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Limousin TRIPLE R LIMOUSIN, HAS bulls for sale for Fall breeding. Also pick out your 2013 Herdsire now.

Take delivery next Spring. Red or Black 40+ to pick from. Plus bred Heifers & 4H projects, steers & heifers. Your source for quality Limousin genetics. Call Art (204)685-2628 or (204)856-3440.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Maine-Anjou FOR SALE: 50 BRED heifers, 50% solid black, 50% solid red, home raised, full herd health program, preg checked Oct 15th, bred to proven calving ease Black Angus bull, due to start calving Jan 20th. Can also supply hay for these cattle.

Phone:(204)476-6447, Plumas.

GRUNTHAL, MB.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Simmental

AGENT FOR T.E.A.M. MARKETING

REGULAR CATTLE SALES EVERY TUESDAY AT 9 AM Tuesday, December 18th Last Regular Sale for 2012 Tuesdsay, January 8, 2013 Regular Sales will Resume Sales Agent for

HIQUAL INDUSTRIES

Livestock Handling Equipment for info regarding products or pricing, please call our office. We also have a line of Agri-blend all natural products for your livestock needs. (protein tubs, blocks, minerals, etc) For on farm appraisal of livestock or for marketing information please call

www.realindustries.com

FOR SALE: HOMEGROWN, RANCH raised bred Black Angus heifers & second calvers. Mark Taylor (204)529-2059 or (204)245-0536.

MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE

20 PUREBRED SIMMENTAL BRED heifers, many with AI bloodlines, also red cows & Cumming 2-yr old bulls. Acomb Family Farms, Minnedosa.

Phone:(204)867-2203.

BRED REGISTERED SIMMENTAL cows. 2 bred heifers & 6 young cows.

January calving. Most females are bulls. $1450 each for package.

(204)822-3657, Morden MB.

HEIFERS & Most bred for sired by A.I. Larry Dyck

OPEN RED SIMM HEIFERS, born Jan-Mar 2012, will make excellent replacement females. Boynecrest Stock Farm (204)828-3483 or (204)745-7168.

SPRING CREEK SIMMENTALS & guest consigners bred heifer sale. Heartland Livestock, Virden MB Dec 14th, 1:00pm. Selling 180 Simmental & Simm/Angus bred heifers.

Brian McCarthy (306)435-3590, cell (306)435-7527.

HERD DISPERSAL: 80 BRED cows, Tan Char X & Red Simmental Salers X. Bred Black Angus due Apr 10. Phone:(204)748-2873.

HERD DISPERSAL OF 40 young cows, Charolais Angus cross & hereford cross bred Charolais, womb exposed May 18, vac program, & Ivomec, includes 6 bred heifers & 13 second calvers, herd avg. under 5-yrs old.

(204)638-8502 or (204)648-5186, Dauphin.

LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO feed, calve & pasture cows for the 2013 season. Mostly Black Angus cows, starting to calve Apr 15th. Call Darrell (204)937-3719, Roblin, MB. MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY New Year from Don & Melanie Morin at Ridge Side Red Angus. 10 Bulls consigned at South West Bull Development Center. Sale date Apr 13th, 2013 in Oaklake, MB. Call Don (204)422-5216 or visit our new web site in the new year ridgesideredangus.com W + RANCH HAS 40 bred heifers, 1 Iron, Red Simmental + M4 Beef Booster crosses, exposed to M3 Beef Booster bulls July 9th, birth weights of 65-67lbs, full herd health program, $1400. Call Stewart (204)646-2338, RM of St Laurent.

LIVESTOCK Cattle Wanted WANTED: ALL CLASSES OF feeder cattle, yearlings & calves. Dealer Licence# 1353. Also wanted, light feed grains: wheat, barley & oats.

Phone:(204)325-2416. Manitou, MB.

TIRED OF THE HIGH COST OF MARKETING YOUR CALVES??

300-700 LBS. Steers & Heifers Rob: 528-3254, 724-3400 Ben: 721-3400 800-1000 LBS. Steers & Heifers Don: 528-3477, 729-7240

Swine

WWW.GRUNTHALLIVESTOCK.COM

12 BRED COWS START calving mid March asking $1,300. Also 6 bred heifers start calving Apr 1st asking $1,450. All animals are Simm X. Call (204)825-4289.

LIVESTOCK Swine For Sale

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Angus 10 ANGUS HEIFERS, 1000-LBS, bred to Black Anugs bull. To calve spring of 2013. Also 10 black cows bred Black Angus, due March-April. Phone (204)886-2083, Teulon.

200 VERY GOOD BRED BLACK ANGUS heifers born Spring 2011 in Southwest SK. AI bred to Final Answer, Right Answer & other easy calving BW 74, 78, 88, Angus bulls. Calving date approx March 24th, 2013. Call Harry Dalke (204)822-3643 cell (204)362-4101, Morden, MB. AGASSIZ ANGUS BALMORAL MB, herd reduction of closed herd. 200 Black Angus X Maine-Anjou bred cows, 50 bred heifers. Calving April 1, Pfizer herd health program. Phone:(204)981-6953.

Various For Sale: 50 Red and Black Angus bred heifers, preg checked, April/May calving and vaccinated. $1500.00 (204)268-5418

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Black Angus

OSSAWA ANGUS AT MARQUETTE, MB has for sale 1-5yr old herd sire & 6-20mo old bulls, ready for fall breeding. Phone:(204)375-6658.

REG BLACK ANGUS BULL calves for sale, low birth weight & very quiet, started on grain & ready to go, buy now & save. EPD’s & delivery avail.

(204)843-2287.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Red Angus F BAR & ASSOCIATES ANGUS bulls for sale.

Choose from 20, two yr old & yearling Red & Black Angus bulls. Great genetics, easy-handling, semen tested, delivery avail. Discount if purchased & delivered before Dec 31st. Call for sales list or other details. Inquiries & visitors are welcome. We are located in Eddystone, MB, about 20-mi East of Ste Rose, or 25-mi West of Lake Manitoba Narrows, just off Hwy 68. Call Allen & Merilyn Staheli (204)448-2124, E-mail amstaheli@inethome.ca HAMCO CATTLE CO. HAS registered Red Angus bred heifers for sale. Calving Feb-Apr. Some AI bred. Call Glen, Albert or Larissa Hamilton:(204)827-2358 or (204)526-0705.

130 BLACK & 20 Red bred heifers. Composite Cross heifers. Bred to easy calving, AI bulls w/60 day breeding season. Their Brothers sold at Douglas Test Station last Spring. Will fit into any natural program.

Price reduced.

Guy Johnson (204)448-2101 www.shorelinestockfarm.com 15 SIMM ANGUS COWS bred Red Angus, preg checked; 1 coming 3 yr old Reg Red Angus bull, 2 coming 2 yr old Simm Angus bulls. (204)727-6988 18 SIMMENTAL X BRED heifers, bred Red Angus, calving April 1st, $1650 each. Will sell in smaller groups. Phone:(204)248-2493 cell (204)526-5836, Notre Dame.

250 BRED HEIFERS. Blacks, Tans, Reds bred to Red Angus heifer bulls. Herd health program, plus pelvic measure & preg checked, start calving March 20. Your choice $1300. Volume Discount. Jim Abbott (204)745-3884 or cell (204)750-1157 Carman, MB. 30 ANGUS x LIMOUSIN cows bred to purebred Limousin bulls. For Apr 1 on, pick out of 45. Also 1570 CASE manure spreader.

Phone: (204)422-8643.

400 BRED HEIFERS, REDS, Blacks, Tans, full herd health program, bred to Black & Red Angus bulls, to start calving April 1st, 2013, over 200 are 1 Iron Blacks from a reputation herd.

Phone:(204)325-2416.

40 QUALITY ANGUS HEIFERS, calving Feb-Mar, bred to easy calving Red Angus bull, $1400 pick $1350 takes all. Phone:(204)728-7308.

41 IRON RED ANGUS cross Simmental heifers, bred Red Angus, all vaccinations, begin calving Feb. Inglis, MB (204)564-2699.

63 GOOD CHAROLAIS HEIFERS bred Limousin, calving Mar-Apr, pick of $1,385, for all them $1,285.

Phone (204)728-7308.

BRED HEIFERS FOR SALE, bred Black Angus to start calving about April 1st, mostly black but some good colored also. Dale Smith (204)876-4798, Snowflake MB. Complete Herd Dispersal 170 Simm X Cows, 80 Simm Angus X Heifers, $1800 choice or $1600 for all. Excellent line of bulls available.

Benito, MB; (204)539-2662 FOR SALE: 110 700-800-LB yearling steers, Angus, some Galloway crosses, never had grain, antibiotics, or growth hormones. Phone:(204)758-3374.

FOR SALE: 18 RED Angus cross Simmental heifers, approx 1000-lbs, very nice & deep, calving Mar-Apr. Call (204)746-0377 or (204)347-7490, St Malo.

Various Aluminum Fuel Tanks New & Used From $250 and up Call Ken 204-794-8383 #2 Mountain View Rd Winnipeg, MB

Trux-N-Parts Salvage Inc. MUSICAL MARSHALL STACK, $650; Deluxe Banjo, $899; Sigma Guitars, $295-$730; Wireless Mics, $50-$259; Electric Auto Harp, $399; German Violin $399; Electric Guitars, $99.95-$650; Amplifiers $50-$1,200; Student Guitars $79.95; Drums, Cymbals $399; Large Variety of Student & Pro Instruments & Accessories. Hildebrand Music Portage La Prairie Mall (204)857-3172.

PETS PETS & SUPPLIES FOR SALE: BORDER COLLIE pups 8 wks old, some tri colours, males & females, out of working parents, $150. Call (204)873-2430.

REAL ESTATE REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Manitoba FARM SPECIALIST: COUNT ON GRANT TWEED, informed, professional assistance for sellers & buyers. www.granttweed.com Call (204)761-6884 anytime. Service with integrity.

Contact: D.J. (Don) MacDonald Livestock Ltd. License #1110

LIVESTOCK Cattle Various

MB. Livestock Dealer #1111

1-888-848-6196

FOR SALE: 80 RED Angus cross heifers bred Black Angus to start calving Apr 15th. Phone (204)748-7829 or (204)748-3889.

Harold Unrau (Manager) Cell 871 0250 Auction Mart (204) 434-6519

90 BRED HEIFERS ANGUS, Angus Hereford cross from our own range, calving herd begin calving Feb 20th. Bred to calving ease Black Angus bulls, preg checked, vaccinated. Phone mornings or evenings (204)873-2525, Clearwater.

www.penta.ca

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Charolais

Season’s Greetings

from the owners and staff

THANK YOU To all our Customers & Happy Holidays!

GEILSER CATTLE CO HAS for sale top quality Black & Red Simm X bred heifers, due to start calving early Apr, bred to easy calving Black & Red Angus bulls. For more info (204)739-3011 or (204)768-3633.

LIVESTOCK Cattle Auctions

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

LIVESTOCK Livestock Equipment

FOR SALE: BERKSHIRE BOARS & gilds, also Tamworth. Delivery available at cost. Call Troy Collingridge (204)750-1493, (204)379-2004, (204)750-2759 or (204)828-3317.

LIVESTOCK Swine Wanted

WANTED: BUTCHER HOGS SOWS AND BOARS FOR EXPORT

P. QUINTAINE & SON LTD. 728-7549 Licence No. 1123

Specialty

Following An Excellent Year of Farm & Land Sales, We Are Actively Seeking Farm Property To Sell, & To Present At Our Farm Marketing Presentations I Will Be Making In The UK, Ireland, & South Africa During February 2013. To Obtain The Best Exposure For Your Farm, Please Give Me A ‘No Obligation’ Call To Discuss Your Plans (204)729-6644 Or You Can E-mail Me: mctorr@inethome.ca www.century21westman.com

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Wanted GOOD QUALITY GRAIN & Cattle Farms wanted for Canadian & Overseas Clients. For a confidential meeting to discuss the possible sale of your farm or to talk about what is involved, telephone Gordon Gentles (204)761-0511 www.homelifepro.com or Jim McLachlan (204)724-7753, www.homelifepro.com Home Professional Realty Inc. WANTED: GRAIN & LIVESTOCK farms for both foreign & domestic buyers. Receiving calls weekly from buyers looking to farm & invest. Considering selling? Now is the time to discuss all options. Professional service & confidentiality guaranteed. Contact Rick Taylor:(204)867-7551, Homelife Home Professional Realty. www.homelifepro.com

LIVESTOCK Livestock Equipment

REAL ESTATE Land For Sale

APOLLO ROLLER MILLS ELECTRIC & TTO, all sizes. Very cost efficient for both grain & cattle prices. 50 years experience to suit your application.

“Certainly Worth A Call!” Farmers Premium Equipment. Phone:(204)724-4529.

ALLEN M.LAMB of Eriksdale, MB intends to sell private lands: SE32-21-06W NE32-21-06W NW28-21-06W NE20-21-06W to BENJAMIN W.KINKEAD who intends to acquire the following Crown lands: NE29-21-06W NW29-21-06W SE29-21-06W SW29-21-06W. If you wish to comment on or object to the eligibility of this purchaser, please write to: Director, MAFRI, Agricultural Crown Lands, Box 1286, Minnedosa, MB. R0J 1E0 or Fax:(204)867-6578.

HEAVY BUILT CATTLE FEEDERS/TROUGHS 3/8-in. steel, 500 or 750-gal capacity, 4-ft.x18-ft. size, good for any type of feed or water, lifetime quality, $495 & up. Phone (204)362-0780, Morden.

JD 550 T.A. MANURE spr, $5500; NH 795 manure spr, $7,250. www.waltersequipment.com (204)525-4521, Minitonas, MB. 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.

NEW IDEA MANURE SPREADER Model 3743 430-bu., used very little, always shedded; Peerless Portable Roller Mill (P500) tank capacity 97-bu., always shedded. Phone (204)825-2309.

PORTABLE WINDBREAKS, CALF SHELTERS, free standing rod & pipe panels, fence line & field silage bunks. Also sell Speed-Rite & 7L Livestock fence equipment, drill pipe & sucker rod. Phone (204)827-2104 or (204)827-2551, Glenboro.

LARGE, APX. 2,000-AC, HIGH-PRODUCING Newdale clay loam soil farm, North of Brandon.

Phone:(204)856-3140 or Office:(204)885-5500.

Royal LaPage Alliance. Buying or Selling? Farm Specialist Henry Kuhl.

NOTICE ANDY KALIVOVICH of Garland, MB intends to sell private land SE 35-31-22W to Trevor & Emily Stevens, who intend to acquire the following Crown Lands NE 35-31-22W, NW 35-31-22W, SW 35-31-22W, SE 3-31-22W, SW 2-32-22W. If you wish to purchase the private land & apply for the Unit Transfer, contact the Lessee Andy Kalivovich at Box 117 Hamiota, MB R0M 0T0. If you wish to comment on or object to the eligibility of this Unit Transfer write Director, MAFRI, Agricultural Crown Lands, PO Box 1266, Minnedosa, MB R0J 1E0 or Fax (204)867-6578.

42

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

THE FOLLOWING PRIVATE LAND is being offered for sale: E1/2 31-29-16W, N1/2 7-30-16W, SW7-30-16W, SW20-30-16W, SE17-30-16W. The following Crown lands have been approved by Manitoba Agriculture, Food & Rural Initiatives for transfer to the purchaser of the private lands listed as these lands are part of the ranch unit held by Blain Johnson of Winnipegosis, MB: NW31-29-16W, NW32-29-16W, SW32-29-16W, SE06-30-16W, NW29-29-16W, NE30-29-16W LS 16, NE12-30-17W FR EX Road Plan No.2377 DLTO subject to MHYD easement, SE12-30-17W, SE29-30-16W, NE29-30-16W FR, NE06-30-16W, SW17-30-16W FR EX Road Plan Nos. 2184 & 2377 & 2999 DLTO, NW17-30-16W EX Road Plan Nos. 2184 & 2999 DLTO subject to MHYD easement, NE17-30-16W EX Road Plan Nos. 2184 & 2999 DLTO, SW21-30-16W EX Road Plan No 2999 DLTO, SE20-30-16W EX LS 2 & Road Plan No. 2999 DLTO, NW03-30-16w, SW03-30-16W, SE04-30-16W, SW04-30-16W. If you wish to purchase the private land & apply for the Unit Transfer, contact the Lessee Blain Johnson at Box 488, Winnipegosis, MB R0L 2G0. If you wish to comment on or object to the eligibility of this Unit Transfer, write the Director, MAFRI, Agricultural Crown Lands, PO Box 1286, Minnedosa, MB R0J 1E0; or Fax:(204)867-6578. If the public objects during the 30 day advertising period to the inclusion of the Crown Lands as part of the unit, they will have the right to appeal my descion to the Agricultural Crown Land Appeals Board.

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 )

GOOD PRODUCTIVE FARM LAND to rent in the Yorkton, SK area. For more info contact Harry Sheppard, Sutton Group- Results Realty, Regina, SK. (306)530-8035, saskland4rent@gmail.com

SCALES

Email: subscription@fbcpublishing.com

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NOTRE DAME USED OIL & FILTER DEPOT • Buy Batteries

ATTACH YOUR MAILING LABEL HERE • Collect Used Filters • Collect Oil Containers Southern and Western Manitoba Tel: 204-248-2110

U.S. Subscribers

❑ 1 Year: $51.45* ❑ 2 Years $90.82*

❑ 1 Year: $150.00 (US Funds)

*Taxes included

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES All Terrain Vehicles 2008 SUZUZKI 750, 4100-KMS, well maintained, farm use only, VGC, asking $5400 OBO. Phone (204)436-2364

Platform Scales Several sizes to choose from (no electrics)

❑ Money Order

❑ Visa

early payment discounts volume discounts

www.zeghersseed.com PEDIGREED SEED Forage – Various

Crate scales stationary & portable

Be sure to drop by & visit our booth at

Holland Beef & Forage Day January 10, 2013!!

BLOWOUT SNOWMOBILE, HELMETS ETC.!

Snow, MC, ATV, scooters & mopeds. Canadian 981 Main St. Phone:(204)582-4130.

WANTED: A TRACK FOR 1977 or 1978 JD Spitfire snowmobile.

Phone:(204)483-2274 or (204)523-4877.

RECYCLING

NOTRE DAME USED OIL & FILTER DEPOT

BuyUsed Used Oil Oil ••Buy •• Buy Buy Batteries Batteries ••Collect CollectUsed Used Filters Filters • Collect Oil • Collect OilContainers Containers • Antifreeze

Southern,Southern Eastern, and Manitoba Western Western

Phone: 204-526-2145 Toll Free: 1-866-526-2145 Email: info@zeghersseed.com

Call us right now! For all your FORAGE SEED needs!

Bale scales

Order and pay for your quality Northstar Seed at Zeghers Seed Inc. before January 31, 2013 …

Hopper Feeders w/Scale, 3pt., trk. mt. or trailer, hyd. motor or electric

306-445-2111 NORTH BATTLEFORD, SK. www.eliasscales.com

YOU’LL SAVE 8%!!

PEDIGREED SEED PEDIGREED SEED Cereal – Various DURAND SEEDS: CERT AC Carberry, Kane & Harvest wheat; Souris Oats; Conlon Barley; CDC Bethune & Sorrel flax; Mancan & Koma Buckwheat; Canola & Forage seed.

(204)248-2268,(204)745-7577, NotreDame, MB.

www.zeghersseed.com

FARMING IS ENOUGH OF A GAMBLE...

Manitoba

Tel: 204-248-2110 Advertise in the Manitoba Co-operator Classifieds, it’s a Sure Thing!

Stretch your advertising dollars! Place an ad in the classifieds. Our friendly staff is waiting for your call.

1-800-782-0794.

1-800-782-0794

If you want to sell it fast, call 1-800-782-0794.

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“NO WEIGH LIKE IT”

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES Snowmobiles

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wheat, Conlon barley, Lightning flax, Souris oats, Meadow peas

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RECREATIONAL VEHICLES

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• Buy Used Oil

2013 PEDIGREED SEED VARIETIES: Carberry, Glenn, Harvest, Kane & Pasteur

WANTED: LOOKING FOR CROPLAND in Argyle, Stonewall, Warren, Balmoral, Grosse Isle & surrounding area. Please call Deric (204)513-0332, leave msg.

Call, email or mail us today!

M S E R : 12345 2010/12 PUB John Smith C o m p a n y Name 123 E x a m ple St. T o w n , P r o vince, POSTAL CODE

Phone: 204-526-2145 Toll Free: 1-866-526-2145 Email: info@zeghersseed.com

The only company that collects, recycles and re-uses in Manitoba!

888-368-9378 ~ www.envirowestinc.com

REAL ESTATE Land For Rent

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PEDIGREED SEED Cereal – Various

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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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The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

43

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

PEDIGREED SEED Specialty – Various

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

Bioriginal Food & Science Corp., based in Saskatoon, are looking to contract Borage acres for the upcoming 2013 growing season.

�

� �

We are buyers of farm grains.

SEED / FEED / GRAIN

**SERVICE WITH INTEGRITY** www.delmarcommodities.com

Toll Free: 888-974-7246 SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Hay & Straw 4X4 SQUARE WHEAT STRAW bales, about 600 for sale, asking $20 per bale. Phone:(204)248-2407 or (204)526-5002, Notre Dame.

DAIRY, BEEF & HORSE hay for sale, large squares.

Phone: (204)526-7139 (day) or (204)827-2629 (evenings).

FOR SALE: 100 2011 & 50 2012 solid core alfalfa hay bales. Rossburn, MB Phone:(204)859-2695.

FOR SALE: 75 ROUND bales of second cut alfalfa, 100% alfalfa, feed analysis available, no rain.

Phone:(204)476-6447, Plumas.

HAY FOR SALE. Grass hay in 5x5 round bales.

Call after 8:00pm (204)646-4226.

LARGE QUANTITY OF WHEAT straw bales, 4x4x8. Can deliver. Phone Phil:(204)771-9700.

La Salle, MB. MEDIUM SQUARE STRAW BALES of wheat, barley, peas or alfalfa, $15. Also, small square straw bales of wheat & barley, $2.20. Phone Brandon:(204)721-1542.

VEGETABLE FARM 10-KM SOUTH of Wpg, hiring for May-Oct 2013, needs own transportation, must work Mon-Sat to plant, hoe & pick vegetables, physically demanding & must be able to lift 50-lbs, $10.25/hr. Reply to: P.D. Armstrong Co., 1221 Meyer Rd, St Germain, MB R5A 1E8.

Pacific Coastal Cruise ~ May 2013 Ukraine/Romania ~ May 2013 Austria/Switzerland ~ June 2013 Ireland ~ June 2013 Western Canada ~ June 2013 Alaska Land/Cruise ~ August 2013 Available Soon:

Stretch your advertising dollars! Place an ad in the classifieds. Our friendly staff is waiting for your call.

1-800-782-0794.

Advertise your unwanted equipment in the Classifieds. Call our toll-free number and place your ad with our friendly staff, and don’t forget to ask about our prepayment bonus. Prepay for 3 weeks and get 2 weeks free! 1-800-782-0794.

FARMING

Australia/New Zealand & South America 2014 *Tours may be tax Deductible

• Vomi wheat • Vomi barley • Feed wheat • Feed barley • Feed oats • Corn • Screenings • Peas • Light Weight Barley You can deliver or we can arrange for farm pickup.

Winnipeg 233-8418 Brandon 728-0231 Grunthal 434-6881 “Ask for grain buyer.”

5 LOCATIONS to serve you!

Head Office - Winkler (888) 974-7246 Jordan Elevator (204) 343-2323 Gladstone Elevator (204) 385-2292 Somerset Elevator (204) 744-2126 Sperling Elevator (204) 626-3261

DAIRY ASSISTANT REQUIRED AT Halarda Farms. Full-time w/shift work. The successful applicant will be self-motivated & a team player. No experience needed. Competitive wages and an extensive health & benefit package offered. Halarda Farms is a modern, large mixed farm located in the Elm Creek area. Fax resume to (204)436-3034 or call (204)436-2032.

Rural & Cultural Tours

306-229-9976 (cell) 306-975-9271 (office) sfalk@bioriginal.com

“Naturally Better!”

Soybean Crushing Facility (204) 331-3696

BRANDON TRAILER SALES “You will like our prices!” “It’s that Simple!” “Let’s compare quality & price!” “Certainly worth the call!”

Phone (204)724-4529. Dealer #4383

TRAVEL

Flexible contracting options available as well.

For more information, please contact Shane at:

CAREERS Help Wanted

STOCK TRAILERS 6X16 GN, $3,500; 7x22 GN, $3,300; Real 8.5x24 GN, $5,000; 2 Axle Dolly, $2,000; Single Axle Dolly, $1,900; 48-ft. Loboy, $6,500; New Decks for 1-Ton Trucks 9-ft., $2,350; 11-ft., $2,850. Phone (204)857-8403.

Attractive oil premiums and free on-farm pick-up.

Specializing in: • Corn, wheat, sunflower, canola,

soymeal, soybeans, soy oil, barley, rye, flax, oats (feed & milling) • Agents of the CWB • Licensed & bonded

CAREERS Help Wanted

GOOSENECK GRAIN TRAILER, 11-FT box, extensions, roll tarp, Honda power pack, $4,200.

Phone Brandon:(204)721-1542.

Great profit potential based on high yields, high prices and low input costs.

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Feed Grain

TRAILERS Trailers Miscellaneous

Contact Denis or Ben for pricing ~ 204-325-9555

NOW BUYING Confection and Oil Sunflowers, Brown & Yellow Flax and Red & White Millet

IS ENOUGH OF A GAMBLE...

Select Holidays 1-800-661-4326 www.selectholidays.com

CAREERS CAREERS Farm / Ranch Philgo Farms has employment opportunities for FT, year-round positions on our dairy farm. We are located near St. Claude & offer competitive salary/benefits. Experience with cattle/equipment an asset; willing to train. Contact Roger at (204)239-8152 or email resume to philgo@inetlink.ca SEEKING INDIVIDUAL TO ASSIST in farm operations. Will be required to operate & maintain equipment, maintain buildings, yard, ranch house & garden. Must be mechanically inclined, clean & responsible. Will be required to cook farm meals at times. Welding & some carpentry experience an asset. $11.50, housing available, full-time starting early spring 2013. Inquire to (204)745-8303.

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

Ask about our prepayment special, pay for 3 weeks, get 2 weeks free

Call Toll-Free 1-800-782-0794

CAREERS Help Wanted WANTED: FARM LABOUR on cattle operation, working w/cattle & equipment. Fax resume to Yellow Rose Farms (204)535-2072 or e-mail rcg@xplornet.ca

Buy and Sell

Licensed & Bonded P.O. Box 1236 129 Manitoba Rd. Winkler, MB. R6W 4B3

anything you need through the

FARMERS, RANCHERS, SEED PROCESSORS BUYING ALL FEED GRAINS

Classifieds

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

ROUND HARDCORE 2ND CUT Alfalfa Grass bales, dry, no rain, feed test results avail. Phone (204)966-3868 or (204)476-0597.

WHEAT & OAT STRAW bales for sale, 3 x 3 x 8.

Phone (204)343-2144 or cell (204)745-0085.

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

BUYING:

HEATED & GREEN CANOLA • Competitive Prices • Prompt Movement • Spring Thrashed

SWAP SWAP 56 INTERNATIONAL HALF-TONNE, partly restored, will swap for W6 or W9 tractor. Phone: (204)855-2212.

TIRES FEDERATION TIRE: 1100X12, 2000X20, used aircraft. Toll free 1-888-452-3850

“ON FARM PICK UP”

1-877-250-5252

Vanderveen Commodity Services Ltd. Licensed and Bonded Grain Brokers

37 4th Ave. NE Carman, MB R0G 0J0 Ph. (204) 745-6444 Email: vscltd@mts.net Andy Vanderveen · Brett Vanderveen Jesse Vanderveen

A Season to Grow… Only Days to Pay!

New 30.5L-32 16 ply, $2,195; 20.8-38 12 ply $866; 18.4-38 12 ply; $783; 24.5-32 14 ply, $1,749; 14.9-24 12 ply, $356; 16.9-28 12 ply $558. Factory direct. More sizes available new and used.

1-800-667-4515. www.combineworld.com

TRAILERS Grain Trailers 1993 40-FT LODE KING hopper trailer, air-ride on 22.5 rubber (50%), new brake drums & shoes, both hoppers have been re-sheeted from the inside, tarp is good, body is rusty, will be sold w/fresh safety.

Asking $10,800 OBO. Phone:(204)324-3264, Altona.

WE BUY OATS Call us today for pricing Box 424, Emerson, MB R0A 0L0 204-373-2328

TRAILERS Trailers Miscellaneous 1987 6X18 GN STOCK trailer, $2700; S.U. dozer blade, fits 07 Cat, VGC; Round grass hay bales.

Phone (204)345-3486.

Is your ag equipment search more like a needle in a haystack search?

OVER 43,000 PIECES OF AG EQUIPMENT!

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44

The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012

SEE THE BIG PICTURE. Gain a new perspective on your farm, family and future with this informative video series from Agvision, available at manitobacooperator.ca Upcoming video topics include:  How to Fix the Daughter-In-Law

“Please fix our daughter-in-law!” According to Dr. John Fast this is a very common complaint in farm businesses and a most convenient person to blame when things are not going well.  Farmers Without Wills

An untimely death without a will jeopardizes the financial viability of your farm and could leave your family in an absolute mess.  Who is the Boss?

Dr. John Fast is a leading expert on farm family business in Canada. As the founder and director of the Centre For Family Business and with his background as a family counselor, educator, and entrepreneur, John is sought after for his ability to motivate and inspire audiences to make a difference.

Family businesses face enormous complexity and this can result in role confusion and internal conflict. Who is the boss? Dad? The farm manager?  Changing the Farming Business Model

The number one reason Dad has trouble making the changes to the business model desired by the next generation is because of Dad’s fear the new generation will run the farm better than he did.

Don’t miss any of these informative videos – visit manitobacooperator.ca AGCanadaTV is sponsored by