Monthly Update October 2021 The Nova Scotia Cattle Producers issue a monthly update to all members, occurring the last Friday of each month. This is comprised of industry news and updates, upcoming events, upcoming sales and relevant articles. If you have content to potentially be added, such as an upcoming cattle event/workshop, please contact Ashley at the NSCP office at 902-893-7455 or aanderson@agricommodity.ca.
COVID-19 Update The NSCP office staff continue to be available for members and stakeholders during regular work hours from Monday to Friday. The office is currently restricting visitors, so please phone or email with questions or concerns. We can be reached at the below information: Brad McCallum: Krista Vroegh Ashley Anderson:
902-897-6742; bmccallum@agricommodity.ca 902-895-0581; ksaville@agricommodity.ca 902-893-7455; aanderson@agricommodity.ca
We recommend producers regularly visit the NSCP COVID-19 Updates webpage for industry related news.
Industry News and Upcoming Events • • •
BCRC – Optimum Condition = Maximum Production CCA Action News (Volume 28 Issue 2) FCC Knowledge (October 29, 2021)
October 30th – Cattle Appreciation Day NSCP & Dairy Farmers of NS are holding a Cattle Appreciation Day during the Breeding Stock Sale at the Atlantic Stockyards Ltd., where free hamburgers and ice cream bars will be provided for lunch. November 17th – March 16th – BCRC Webinar Series BCRC webinars are free to attend, with four varying topics for the 2021-2022 series. November 23rd – Maritime Beef Testing Society Annual General Meeting (Virtual)
Culling Cattle – Timing and Markets Webinar The NSCP hosted a Culling Cattle – Timing and Markets Webinar on Tuesday, October 26th, where Dr. Trevor Lawson, Fundy Vets Ltd., and Bruce Andrews, Atlantic Beef Products Inc., discussed cull cow condition and culling decisions, relating to market dynamics. This webinar was recorded and can be viewed here.
Maritime AgCast Ensure you subscribe to Maritime AgCast, as this local podcast, hosted by NSCP Managing Director Brad McCallum, showcases discussions from local, regional and national guests speaking on important topics within the industry. Many season one topics are relating to beef and/or the farm as a business. Season two began September 7 th, and will run until late Summer 2022. Subscribe via your favourite podcast platform, such as Spotify, iTunes or Google, or listen online: www.anchor.fm/maritime-agcast
CALP Survey An exciting collaboration is happening in Nova Scotia’s Cattle and Sheep industries and we need your help. The NSCP, Sheep Producers Association of Nova Scotia, Perennia, Nova Scotia’s Departments of Agriculture and Environment and Climate Change, and the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture are working together to help the industries prepare for climate change through the province’s Climate Adaptation Leadership Program (CALP). CALP is a capacity building program funded by the province and Natural Resources Canada. With support through CALP, a “Scan Team” of your peers across the Cattle and Sheep industries – from input suppliers and farms to processors and marketing - is working to develop a climate adaptation strategy built on stakeholder knowledge and experience. The Scan Team has helped to develop a survey to gather information about priorities and climate change risks and impacts across the industry as well as the strengths and capacities that exist within the industry to deal successfully with change. This is where you play a critical role – the team needs your input! Please take some time to complete the survey to add your voice to this important work. All those who complete the survey will be eligible to be entered into one $100 draw per week per sector for the first three weeks the survey is live, and one $250 grand prize draw per sector at the end of week 3 (November 17). Survey results will directly inform the development of a climate adaptation strategy for the Cattle and Sheep industries. Not only will the strategy better position the industries for climate change funding opportunities but this work will also be developing strategic networks across the industries for future adaptation initiatives. Your input will help define the future direction of the Cattle and Sheep sectors’ collaborative response to climate change. For more information, you can contact the Scan Team’s NSDA or Association Leads: Paula Putnam - Paula.Putnam@novascotia.ca, Sarah Turner - Sarah.Turner@novascotia.ca, Brad McCallum bmccallum@agricommodity.ca, or ECC’s Climate Adaptation Coordinator Meredith Flannery - Meredith.Flannery@novascotia.ca A sincere thank you from all of us on the CALP Cattle and Sheep Governance Team. Brad McCallum, Managing Director, NSCP Larry Weatherby, Chair, NSCP Andrew MacLennan, VP, SPANS Lynne Godlien, CEO, Perennia Heather Hughes, ED of Policy and Corporate Services, NSDA Lori Kittilsen, Acting Executive Director, Agriculture and Food Operations, NSDA Jason Hollett, Associate Deputy Minister, ECC Nancy Rondeaux, Director, Climate Change Division, ECC Carolyn Van Den Heuvel, Executive Director, NSFA
Soil, Pasture and Forage Management Program Pasture and forage management and improvement is a key area of focus in the Maritime Beef Industry Development and Expansion Strategy. Specifically, managing soil fertility to enhance productivity and strategically targeting feed type to cattle type and ration balancing. The NSCP Board is happy to announce the Soil, Pasture and Forage Management Program to help beef producers take the first step of improving quality- testing and analysis to form a baseline of their farm. The objective of the NSCP Soil, Pasture, and Forage Management Program is to support farm practices that improve fertility management and to enhance pasture and forage productivity for cattle growth and performance. For the program application form, please visit www.nscattle.ca/members/programs, or contact the NSCP office. Program application deadline is November 30th, 2021.
Simply Verified Beef – The Podcast Co-hosts Bree Patterson (VBP+ Coordinator from British Columbia) and Amy Higgins (VBP+ Coordinator from New Brunswick) join expert guests from coast to coast in this podcast, speaking on various parts of the Canadian beef supply chain from farmers and ranchers to consumers. Simply Verified Beef - The Podcast episodes release monthly, on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. “Episode 3 - Simply the Marketing:” is now available! You can find it at the following link, or on your favourite podcast platform: https://anchor.fm/simply-verified-beef
Atlantic Stockyards Ltd. Fall Feeder Sales November 9th, 2021
Producers are encouraged to pre-register all feeder cattle as early as possible. Atlantic Stockyards Limited (ASL) will be listing pre-registered cattle on their website.
November 23rd, 2021
Vaccinated cattle must be accompanied by a vaccination declaration and a receipt for the vaccine used. Vaccinated cattle will be uniquely identified; all cattle will be sold by order of arrival. Feeder sales begin at 10AM. There will also be a Breeding Stock Sale on Saturday, October 30th, 2021.
On-Farm Cattle Preconditioning Services In Fall 2019/Winter 2020 the NSCP conducted a Vaccination Screening project at the Atlantic Stockyards Ltd., with the assistance of Fundy Vets Ltd. This project illustrated that there was a need for proper preconditioning services, including tagging, vaccination, dehorning, castration and age verification, in the province. The objective of offering these cattle preconditioning services is to improve cattle herd health in Nova Scotia by increasing the quantity and quality of vaccinated brood cows and pre-conditioned feeder calves. Beginning late-fall 2021, we will be offering these services to Nova Scotia producers, available on-farm. For producers to participate in these on-farm services, they must: • • • • • •
participate in workshops and training, have a valid Veterinary-Client-Patient-Relationship (VCPR), participate in the Herd Health Program have a valid Premise Identification (PID) complete age verification be in good standing with the Nova Scotia Cattle Producers
Producers will be able to book any combination of available services through the NSCP office. Available services: • • • • • • •
Handling equipment and help Tagging Age verification Vaccination administration Castration Dehorning Weighing
All services will be provided by Scott Dixon and his trained team at the Atlantic Stockyards Ltd. For this pilot project, only the chute service fee of $35/hour will be charged. A producer information session was held in August through Zoom. This recording can be found on the NSCP YouTube channel. For additional inquiries, please visit the NSCP website or contact the office.
Programs Update The Nova Scotia Programs division was recently made aware of fraudulent emails or texts from someone impersonating a Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture employee. As an applicant to any Program through the Department, you will never be asked to send funds via e-transfer. Program partners will supply invoices directly to you. Please do not respond/communicate to any email requesting funds. If you have already done so, or have received a suspicious email or text, contact Programs and Business Risk Management at: Phone: Toll free: Email:
(902) 893-6377 1-866-844-4276 prm@novascotia.ca
Email from the PRM address should show as PRM prm@novascotia.ca when opened. Should you have concerns, please contact Programs to discuss.
CLT Training Canadian Livestock Transport are now offering a "Working Through the New Transportation Regulations" complimentary online course and support resource, developed for those with roles and responsibilities in the transportation of dairy calves and cull cattle. If you are interested, please visit their website for additional information.
Cattle and Sheep Industry Development Program The Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture launched the Cattle and Sheep Industry Development Program in July, with the goal to improve industry competitiveness and resilience by providing funding assistance, which gives producers the opportunity to make investments that increase livestock numbers. The program helps to address tight cash flow when livestock numbers are increasing. In short, the program will provide up front interest payments on cattle and sheep loans which are deferred for two years. Loans can be for anything deemed to increase the size of the herd/flock or investments that will lower operating expenses with the exception of lines of credit, refinancing, variable rate loans, milk related loans, machinery and equipment. For more information, please visit: https://novascotia.ca/programs/Cattle-Sheep-Industry-Development.
Government of Canada – COVID Financial Programs An all-inclusive information portal is available to help farmers, food processors and agri-food businesses find information on new and existing programs and financial resources to address hardships that many are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada website.
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