2023 Beef Day @ Dal

BEEF DAY @ DAL Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture, Truro, NS

NOVEMBER 25, 2023

WWW.MARITIMEBEEF.CA

@MaritimeBeefCouncil

@maritime_beef

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Welcome from MBC Welcome to the 2023 inaugural Beef Day @ event, which will become a biennial event.

This year we are happy to collaborate with Dalhousie University and Springboard Atlantic in order to offer a one day event that is focused around Beef research and industry topics in the Maritimes.

This year’s event will feature updates from the current research being done in the region and supplements our annual AAFC Forage Field Day which happens in August to highlight some of the work being done at AAFC. The afternoon will turn it’s attention more to industry specific content. Ellen Crane is going to provide some BCRC insights, and you’ll be joined by Public & Stakeholder Engagement’s Lyndsay Beavers who will host a segment on the importance to Beef Advocacy in the Canadian marketplace.

You’ll get to head over to Atlantic Stockyards for a demonstration on the Carcass Ultrasound and how you can utilize this piece of technology on your own farm, as well as a talk from a Verified Beef Plus Auditor who will share her experiences of what she sees on the farm/ranch. The Reduce, Reuse, Ruminate short documentary will be screened in the Maritimes for the first time at this event and should not disappoint.

Take the time to visit the researchers and producers during the day and be sure to utilize the opportunity for networking to build the linkages to collaborate and keep the industry growing down the road. I unfortunately will not be able to join in on the learning and festivities, as I am heading to our Beef Cattle Research Council’s board meetings. I have been the Maritime Director to that board for ____ YEARS and it is very nice to see the Maritimes working with this sort of industry and research collaboration.

Most importantly, enjoy the day!

-Dean Manning Chair, Maritime Beef Council

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Please make sure you fill out the event survey- and any ideas you have for future programming!

WELCOME – PJILA’SI

WELCOME – PJILA’SI

Our Faculty of Agriculture is pleased to welcome the Maritime Beef Council, their industry partners and government supporters to our Agricultural Campus for Beef Day @ Dal 2023.

Events that bring industry and academia together are important. The discussion of industry challenges, the collaboration on research, and the many insights that will support the next generation of producers is key to the success of the beef industry.

On Dalhousie’s Agricultural Campus, we believe that agriculture is a community. A community of people passionate about putting food on our tables, protecting our environment, and cultivating our land.

Our Faculty of Agriculture programs combine the core disciplines of agricultural sciences with business management and innovative technology. Here, the next generation of agriculture professionals can study engineering, landscape architecture, international food business, aquaculture, and many more. Our classes include lively discussions around current issues as well as hands-on learning in the classroom, the lab, and the field, giving students practical experience and a competitive advantage heading into careers on a local, national, and global scale.

We are extremely proud of our researchers, our students, and our alumni. We are all passionate about food and strive to teach, research, and innovate to feed a world population that is expected to hit nine billion people over the next 30 years.

I wish the Maritime Beef Council a successful day and I look forward to more research collaborations that will help the beef sector achieve greater success in the decades to come.

Sincerely, Dr. Gefu Wang-Pruski Acting Dean and Campus Principal

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PRIME Sponsors

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Researchers Dr. Paul Manning Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture Dr. Manning's research aims to better understand the importance of biodiversity (specifically insects) to the health and functioning of agricultural ecosystems. He has particular interests in entomology, ecotoxicology, citizen science, community ecology, and natural history. He regularly writes about insects for general audiences (e.g. The Conversation), and gives regular, workshops, and seminars in the wider community for people of all ages.

Dr. Manning holds a DPhil in Zoology from the University of Oxford, and a BSc Agriculture from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College/Dalhousie University. He has been employed at the Faculty of Agriculture (Dalhousie) for the past five years as a postdoctoral researcher, a sessional instructor, and as a part-time academic.

Dr. David Barrett Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture Research Topics: Controlled breeding protocols (ovarian follicular wave, heat, and ovulation) for sheep and cattle Effects of beneficial fatty acids (omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid) on reproductive performance Effects of phytoestrogens, from clover and soybean, on reproductive performance Education B.Sc. (Hon.) (Memorial) MSc (University of Saskatchewan) PhD (University of Saskatchewan) Research interests Controlled breeding Nutrition Exogenous steroidogenic compounds

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Researchers

Dr Rebecca Meaghar

Dr Stanley Asah

I joined the Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture as Assistant Professor in Animal Welfare in August 2019. Originally from Kitchener, Ontario, I completed a BSc in Zoology from the University of Toronto, specialising in Animal Behaviour. I began working with farm animals through my PhD at the University of Guelph and my postdoctoral research at the University of British Columbia's Animal Welfare Program. My research interests include welfare assessment methods with a particular focus on emotional states such as boredom, effects of the early environment, and understanding and managing individual differences.

Dr. Asah is a Conservation Psychologist who researches strategies and approaches for influencing behaviors. His work in the agricultural sector is mainly about understanding and influencing the adoption, diffusion, retention, and social impacts and acceptance of agricultural technovations (innovative technologies and technical practices).

Dr. Asah’s work is influenced by the realization that we make advances in technology without paying commensurate attention to human behavior, which ends up undermining and worsening many of the very issues that the technologies sought to address. He uses both qualitative and quantitative approaches to understand agricultural issues as they are grounded in the realities of actual agricultural practices and from the standpoints of those who, in point of fact, engage in those practices.

Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture

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Dalhousie University

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Sponsors

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Researchers

Dr Nancy McLean

Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture Nancy McLean was educated in Agronomy and Plant Genetics at Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Macdonald Campus of McGill University, and Dalhousie University.

She currently teaches three courses at Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture: Genetics, Forages and Cover Crops, and Plant Breeding. Research includes forage crop and cover crop management and planting for pollinators. She lives on a farm in Springville, Nova Scotia.

Dr Katy Proudfoot

Director of the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre; Associate Professor Katy has spent the last 15+ years studying and teaching animal behavior and welfare. Her current research focuses on the welfare of dairy cows before and after giving birth.

1) using knowledge of animal behaviour to help design and build better environments for animals 2) developing novel measurements of stress in animals and understanding the impact of stressors on behaviour, health and immunity 3) using a mixed methods approach to resolve controversial animal welfare concerns

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Speakers ELLEN CRANE "Beef Cattle Research Council Update" Beef Cattle Research Council

Ellen Crane helps coordinate the development, maintenance and utilization of various extension resources, including the BCRC’s webinars, blog articles, and other content on www.BeefResearch.ca.

Ellen received a Master’s of Science in Animal Science at Dalhousie University. She is a graduate of the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders Program, and a 2018 Nuffield Scholar. Her family raises cattle on Prince Edward Island.

Amy Higgins

Project Coordinator- Agricommodity Management Association

Amy is from Quispamsis, NB and grew up on a purebred Angus farm. She worked in Manitoba and Saskatchewan with Cargill for 11 years, and then moved back to the Maritimes working for the Sussex Co-op for a couple of years before moving over into the Maritime Beef Council industry coordinator role. Amy wears many hats with different projects at the Maritime Beef Council.

Lynsay Beavers Canadian Beef Advocacy

Public & Stakeholder Engagement- CCA Lynsay Beavers is the Stakeholder Engagement Specialist at the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA). Working as part of the Public and Stakeholder Engagement (PSE) team, Lynsay leads various projects to promote consumer trust in the Canadian beef industry including the Beef Advocacy Canada program and Guardians of the Grasslands Game. Lynsay also supports the PSE team in issues response and assists with campaign strategy and execution. Prior to joining CCA, Lynsay worked in the dairy industry in extension, marketing, and communications.

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The first 200 producers to complete the survey will recieve a BCRC toque and pair of cotton gloves 11

Speakers Michelle Bryan VBP+ technical manager Michelle completed her BSc in Biological Sciences at the University of Lethbridge and an MSc in Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan, where she focused on livestock welfare during long distance transportation. She has also holds a CRSP (Canadian Registered Safety Professional) with a focus in on-farm safety as well as Oil & Gas, trucking, and international logistics. Michelle has worked within the Canadian cattle feeding sector and also within the oil and gas industry as a technical consultant and data analyst with emphasis on quality, safety and environmental metrics. Michelle enjoys trail riding out in the mountains on horseback and working border collies

Jacy McInnis NSCP Carcass Ultrasound Technician A cow/calf and feedlot producer located in Colchester county, as well as Herdsman at the Maritime Beef Test Station in Nappan. The Test Station is where Jacy's interest in carcass traits began and in 2022 through the Nova Scotia Cattle Producers, she became a Beef Carcass Ultrasound technician certified with the North American UGC.

Clcik Here for info on booking Ultrasound Services

Cattle used in Ultrasound Demonstration from Lorcain Farms

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CLICK HERE to bypass the $50 payment and get the training FREE OF CHARGE 13

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Lynsay Beavers Public & Stakeholder Engagement

Lynsay was introduced earlier, and in this segment will lead a discussion post-documentary screening around the benefits of how cattle can upcycle food waste.

Jaime White Loop Resources- Projects Director

Jaime was raised in central BC and currently lives on a farm near Dawson Creek, BC with his family. Loop was formed to divert unsold food from grocery stores away from the landfill towards charities and to networks of local farms that use it as animal feed.

As one of the first farms participating in Loop when it began in 2017, and with his background in business, Jaime set up the waivers and insurance that grocery stores required. His continued involvement has helped Loop expand coast to coast in Canada.

Loop remains rooted in local farms connecting with each other and with local grocery stores and has gradually grown to involve 350+ stores, 3500+ farmers, and 200+ charities.

“Our mash goes to the Fraser Farm in Bayhead. They pick it up and then give it to their cows for a meal. The cows come running when they bring the spent grains”

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BEEF DAY @ DAL CLICK HERE OR SCAN QR CODE FOR FEEDBACK SURVEY

WWW.MARITIMEBEEF.CA

@MaritimeBeefCouncil @maritime_beef