2022 Early Summer

SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

ADDING SOLAR ENERGY AND ROTATIONAL GRAZING TO THE SUSTAINABILITY TOOLBOX

Plus, a Ukranian dairy farmer fights to survive Pg 12

THE VOICE OF ONTARIO DAIRY PRODUCERS • EARLY SUMMER 2022

FROM GROUND ZERO TO NET-ZERO

Small steps lead to big change on the road to net-zero Publications Mail Sales Agreement No. 40063866

Quality milk brings a

BIGGER

productive life

milk cheque.

Get a better pulse on your herd to improve your bottom line.

― we have the answers to that

Boost performance Understand profit values Minimize production loss Manage treatment plans Practice Selective Dry Cow Therapy Measure progress Enable benchmarking Provide information to advisors Achieve greater control and predictability “The data we receive through milk recording allows us to manage milk quality more effectively. These timely reports provide information about our herd that supports the goal of greater profitability.”

Jeff Stewardson Stewardson Dairy, Thedford, Ontario

CANADA’S

Best Managed Dairy Herds

2021

Photo: Stewardson Dairy #1 dairy herd in Canada based on Lactanet’s 2021 Herd Performance Index.

I N S P I R E D

1 800 549 4373

lactanet.ca

B Y

R E S U L T S

Early Summer 2022 | Vol. 98 No. 4

PUBLISHED BY DAIRY FARMERS OF ONTARIO 6780 Campobello Road Mississauga, ON L5N 2L8 EDITOR Theresa Rogers theresa.rogers@milk.org

CONTENTS

ADVERTISING Pat Logan pat.logan@milk.org 519-788-1559 GRAPHIC DESIGN Katrina Teimo

ON T HE C OV E R

CONTRIBUTORS Matt Belo, Canadian Forage and Grassland Association, Dairy Farmers of Canada, Brittany Dyck, Jana Manolakos, Chris McCullough, Lilian Schaer, Lyndsey Smith

14

Canada Post Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No.40063866.

Return postage guaranteed. Circulation: 8,000.

ISSN 0030-3038. Printed in Canada.

Kevin MacLean farms for the future with practical onfarm technologies

SUBSCRIPTIONS For subscription changes or to unsubscribe, contact: MILK PRODUCER 6780 Campobello Road Mississauga, ON L5N 2L8 Phone: (905) 821-8970 Fax: (905) 821-3160 Email: milkproducer@milk.org Opinions expressed herein are those of the author and/or editor and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or policies of Dairy Farmers of Ontario.

Publication of advertisements does not constitute endorsement or approval by Milk Producer or Dairy Farmers of Ontario of products or services advertised.

Milk Producer welcomes letters to the editor about magazine content.

WEBSITES & SOCIAL MEDIA www.milkproducer.ca www.milk.org Facebook: /OntarioDairy Twitter: @OntarioDairy Instagram: @OntarioDairy LinkedIn: dairy-farmers-of-ontario

WORL D DA IR Y

SU S TA IN A BIL I T Y

12

22 24 26 31 34 38

Crisis in Ukraine

DE PA R T ME N T S 4 6 8 41 45 46

Editorial The Explainer – Life Cycle Assessment Dairy News Canadian Dairy Ad Index Back40

38

Solar Energy Soil Health Spent Grains Grazing Small Changes Canola Meal

26

E DI T O R I A L

SMALL CONTRIBUTIONS

BY MANY FARMS MAKE A BIG IMPACT

By Adam Petherick • 2ND VICE-CHAIR, DAIRY FARMERS OF ONTARIO; CHAIR, SUSTAINABILITY SUB-COMMITTEE Practicing sustainability has long been a fundamental part of farming, even before there was a politically correct and trendy word for it. It’s so natural that many farmers wouldn’t even think to mention what they’re already doing.

When Dairy Farmers of Canada announced a national commitment of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at its annual policy conference earlier this year, it left some producers to wonder what it would mean for their farm. As part of this larger national undertaking, our efforts at Dairy Farmers of Ontario will focus on voluntary adoption of common-sense best management practices, improvements in production efficiency, and advocating for producers who choose to invest in large capital projects that make sense for their own operations.

Benchmarking at the farm level will allow us to leverage what is already happening as a strong starting point and position our dairy sector as part of the solution in mitigating climate change in this province and the country. Seemingly modest contributions from individual farmers, when viewed at an aggregated industry level, will substantially advance the dairy industry in meeting our sustainability goals.

Consumers and our direct customers, dairy processors, want to know what initiatives we are undertaking to meet our societal obligations. We have positive stories to tell about how our industry contributes to a sustainable environment and the positive steps we will be taking moving forward.

Communicating our efforts will be essential so that consumers can continue to feel good about our products while not leaving any room for the misinformation that some will try to perpetuate.

Adam Petherick

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Nobody has been working on sustainability longer than farmers!

Theresa Rogers

FARMING FOR THE FUTURE

By Theresea Rogers • EDITOR FARMERS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN STEWARDS OF THE LAND. Simple but effective practices such as crop rotation, which some historians believe was used as early as 6,000 BC, keep the land fertile. We’re focusing on some of these key practices in this issue.

Crop rotation allows the soil to replenish any nutrients used because plants give and take nutrients differently. Diversity of crops and livestock, and application of manure are also replenishers.

In fact, an article in the April 1948 issue of Milk Producer says cows are soil builders. According to the article, countries that first focused on grain farming then livestock, then dairy specifically, are among the best fed and most prosperous in the world.

In the 1870s, the once-fertile soil of Wisconsin had become so depleted after decades of grain farming, farmers were discouraged and agriculture in the state was at a low point. The average yield of wheat was eight bushels per acre. W.D. Hoard, Founder of Hoard’s Dairyman, believed the dairy cow was the answer.

Hoard turned to researchers at the New Jersey Agricultural Experimental Station who proved the value of manure in soil fertility.

The practice was widely implemented and Wisconsin became “one of the richest, most fertile, and prosperous states in the nation.”

Credit was given to the dairy cow.

Today, data shows the winter wheat yield for the state is 75 bushels per acre, while the U.S. yield is approximately 44.3 bushels per acre.

Dairy farmers have always understood the need to adopt new tactics and technologies for improved environmental outcomes.

Farmers are already making great strides in reducing GHG emissions, water and land use, but also in managing plastic, maintaining soil health, and expanding local biodiversity. This legacy will continue.

Your animals. Our solutions.

John Deere Dairy Solutions & Support Keeping your herd healthy and productive is your top priority. Helping you do it is ours. From tractors, balers and unrivaled dealer support, John Deere has the solutions and support for every need on a dairy farm.

Contact your dealer or learn more at JohnDeere.ca/Dairy.

S U S TA I NA B I L I T Y: T H E E X P L A I N E R

SUSTAINED PROGRESS: ENVIRONMENTAL EFFICIENCY OF CANADIAN MILK PROUCTION

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT

Environmental stewardship

This study includes all life cycle stages that contribute to the environmental footprint of dairy farming, from inputs up to and including transportation of milk from the farm to the processor.

is a central value for Canadian dairy farmers.

To build on this longstanding commitment, Dairy Farmers of Canada conducted two life cycle assessments (LCA) to

Dairy farms are efficient. Since 2011, the average annual milk production per cow has increased 13% as a result of improvements in animal nutrition, genetics and housing.

13%

measure their environmental impact and identify areas for

CANADIAN DAIRY FARMERS CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE PRODUCTION PRACTICES

improvement.

INFORMED BY SCIENCE, FARMERS CONTINUE TO ADOPT PRACTICES THAT BENEFIT THE ENVIRONMENT, SUCH AS: ACTION

IMPACT

ACTION

IMPACT

Farmers Empty Manure Storage More Frequently

GHG Emissions (nitrous oxide, methane)

More Farms Adopt Crop Rotations

Land Used & Water Consumption

ACTION

IMPACT

Increased Use Of Precision Agriculture Technologies

Yield Increases

IMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AMONG THE LOWEST CARBON FOOTPRINTS FOR DAIRY IN THE WORLD Producing one litre of milk in Canada emits less than 1/2 the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to the global average1.

IN 2011 IN 2016

CANADA

GLOBAL AVERAGE

2.5 1.03 0.94

Courtesy Dairy Farmers of Canada

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kg CO2eq/L milk

Consumers can enjoy their daily dairy products knowing that the footprint of milk produced in Canada has decreased over time. In the past 5 years:

7% LOWER CARBON FOOTPRINT 6% LOWER WATER CONSUMPTION 11% LOWER LAND USE

In 2016, Canadian milk production was responsible for generating or using:

1.3%

OF CANADA’S TOTAL GHG EMISSIONS3

0.02%

OF SOUTHERN CANADA’S FRESHWATER SUPPLY4

2.9%

OF CANADA’S TOTAL AGRICULTURAL LAND USE5

Study conducted in 2018 by

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DA I RY N E W S

SAVOURING ONTARIO Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s culinary brand, Savour Ontario, launched its Spring campaign, Savour Ontario: The Art of Local, on April 25. The campaign focuses on driving awareness of the many great local cheeses made in the province.

The social media, digital and influencer-led campaign will run until June 19 and highlight the craft story behind Ontario’s great-tasting specialty cheeses.

Social media and website content will

feature delicious recipes and informative articles such as Cheese 101s, How to Identify Local Cheese, History of Award-Winning Cheese, select Cheesemaker Profiles, and more. The website will also feature a new Cheese Map featuring cheesemakers across the province.

The campaign will be supported by outof-home digital billboards to increase consumer reach across Ontario. For more information, visit www.savourontario.ca.

LACTALIS CANADA FOCUSES ON WASTE REDUCTION Lactalis Canada unveiled what it calls an “innovation program” focused on waste reduction on Earth Day in late April.

Lactalis Canada NEXT Ventures is designed to spur innovation and creativity by empowering employees to explore ideas and bring to market new products, processes, technologies or business models, the company says.

Following an open innovation model, contributors with the most inventive and potentially viable proposals will have an opportunity to participate in a comprehensive program to further explore and develop the new ideas.

To view more farms for sale, visit:

www.farmdivision.ca Quota available monthly for purchase through DFM exchange

Farms for Sale MANITOBA

Dairy Farm D 14634

• Free stall dairy • Capacity for up to 200 kgs • Located near Winnipeg

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Dairy Farm D 14401 • M2 Merlin robot milker • 77.13 kgs dairy quota • Located near Steinbach

Sheldon Froese • 204.371.5131 sheldonfroese@royallepage.ca

Dairy Farm D 14705

• Modern 112 free stall dairy • 69.87 kgs dairy quota • Located near St. Claude

“The best and most disruptive ideas can often come from within an organization and Lactalis Canada NEXT Ventures further opens our innovation funnel to tap into the talent, creativity and expertise of our own people with the potential to work with external partners to discover the next big idea for our business,” says Mark Taylor, President and CEO, Lactalis Canada.

The annual program will feature a new theme each year. The program’s 2022 kickoff will focus on reducing waste in any form including time, abilities, financial resources, food, processing, packaging, energy, and material resources.

Lactalis says its commitment to waste reduction already features some innovative solutions including a collaboration with Ontario-based Dairy Distillery where the milk permeate byproduct of ultrafiltered milk production from its Winchester, ON, plant is supplied to the distillery to turn into alcohol for Vodkow and Vodkow Cream spirits.

Protect Your Milk and Your Profits Stay in Control of Your Product Paul Mueller Company’s Milk Tower™ offers increased storage capacity. Avoid wasted product during inclement weather—when your hauler can’t complete a pickup—and reduce transportation and labor costs to operate more profitably.

Choose a Paul Mueller Company milk tower.

The tower’s inner tank incorporates Mueller® Temp-Plate® heat transfer surface to remove more heat from milk in the same amount of time when compared to other silos.

Ultimate product protection enables you to deliver the highest quality milk possible.

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DA I RY N E W S

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MILK CLUB APP LAUNCHES Milk Club is a free app that rewards Ontario students of all ages for engaging with dairy at home and at school through educational modules, recipe creations, or by sharing what’s in their grocery carts. Students can also earn a secret redemption code when a dairy educator visits their classroom. This code can be redeemed in the “Learn” module of the app. When students complete these activities, they will earn points that can be redeemed for prizes in the Milk Club store. The prizes are for children of all ages and interests, whether they are a culinary whiz, Lego architect, superior athlete, or art expressionist. Milk Club will be updated with prizes, content and new point-earning activities, so kids stay involved year-round!

Register at www.milkclub.ca

The DairyTrace Story  Crisis Affects Everyone Animal traceability helps protect your herd in the event of a crisis. It‘s essential to your livelihood and the economic health of the Canadian dairy industry. DairyTrace strengthens the industries reputation and competitive advantage for quality dairy products at home and around the world.

ARE YOU PROTECTING YOUR HERD?

Get Started

Free, Easy On-line Access

Visit DairyTrace.ca, set-up your DairyTrace account and get started.

Report from the DairyTrace portal, mobile app, or from select on-farm software.

 Safeguard Your Business Effective traceability includes animal identification and movement reporting.

With timely, accurate and relevant traceback information, you can count on DairyTrace to protect your herd and address food safety issues to reduce unfavourable fallout.  Beyond Milk By knowing where animals come from and where they reside, consumers and suppliers alike can feel confident in their food supply chain of animal products.

Read our full story at dairytrace.ca/ sustainability/advantages/

One-Stop Tag Shop Choose from three styles of dual tag sets or the DairyTrace WHITE single button RFID tag.

We’re Here to Help DairyTrace supports you in meeting proAction® livestock identification and traceability requirements.

DairyTrace DairyTrace.ca | 1-866-55-TRACE (1-866-558-7223) | info@DairyTrace.ca

WOR L D DA I RY: C R I S I S I N U K R A I N E

UKRAINE DAIRY FARMER STRUGGLES TO KEEP FARM RUNNING

By Chris McCullough

While dairy farmers in Ontario suffer higher costs of production triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, their Ukranian counterparts are struggling to survive.

Dairy farmers like Andrii Pastushenko have been forced to slaughter their cows to find ways to feed farm staff and local villagers.

Dairy farmers around the world are facing higher costs of fertilizer, feed and fuel, driving up their break-even prices. In the UK, for example, the price of milk could increase 50 per cent to counteract the surge in farm costs.

But for Pastushenko, every day is a struggle on his southeast Ukraine farm. It is made even worse by the fact he had to leave to drive his son to safety across the border into Slovakia and cannot return because the Russians are bombing the local city of Kherson, just 20 kilometres away.

The staff remaining on the farm are slaughtering one cow every two days so that they and local villagers have something to eat. They are also turning the stored grain supply into porridge and the cows’ milk into other dairy products.

Russian soldiers initially took control of Kherson in early March, but the brave Ukrainian forces are fighting back to regain control.

Speaking from safety in western Ukraine, Pastushenko says, “Just one week ago we had 30 Russian tanks just a few metres from our farm border, but now only three remain. I left to take my son to safety over the border to Slovakia and I can’t get back to the farm.

“The Ukrainian forces are fighting hard to get rid of the Russians in the region so I must wait until the area is safe. The staff are okay at the moment,” he says.

Pastushenko’s wife and other young son had previously fled to their hometown, Zhytomyr, in the northwest of the country, 575 kilometres from Kherson.

The farm extends to 1,500 hectares of arable land, including 500 hectares of irrigated land. The farm runs 350 Holstein Friesian cows and 400 offspring.

“Before the war started, our cows were giving over 10 tonnes of milk per day or 31.5 litres per cow, per day,” says Pastushenko.

“Now we have had to cut their feed as it is running out. We only feed corn silage and alfalfa to the cows and the milk produced has dropped to around six tonnes per day.”

The animals are kept in the barn during the winter but from April to November they stay in the open yards. Pastushenko grows corn silage, alfalfa hay, rye silage, barley, corn and barley to feed his animals and has to buy rapeseed meal, soybean meal, sunflower meal, spent grains, urea, sugar, and minerals to complete the ration.

Feed stocks are running low and Pastushenko is worried staff won’t be able to get into the fields to prepare for this year’s crop and grass harvests.

“We have about 70 workers,” he says. “Right now, everyone stays on the farm and keeps working. The cows are milked twice per day and we continue to pay our workers’ wages.

“Before the war, our milk was sold to the French dairy processor Lactalis in Mykolaiv and we received 45 euro cents per litre payment price.

“In the first five days of the war, a milk truck came from Kherson and picked up four tonnes of milk and delivered it to all the city's hospitals, before distributing the leftovers to the local people.

Andrii Pastushenko on his farm, 20 km from Russian-occupied Kherson.

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“Since February 28, Kherson has been occupied by the Russians and surrounded,

ONTARIO VET WORKS AT UKRAINE BORDER Amidst all the chaos at Ukraine’s border with Poland, Canadian veterinarian Dr. Cliff Redford helped care for animals belonging to fleeing refugees and those that were left behind.

Redford normally practices at Wellington Veterinary Hospital, located in Markham, ON, but also travels on animal rescue missions around the world.

Churning milk into other dairy products is a daily task.

therefore no cars are allowed in or out. In the first 10 days we gave away milk worth 50,000 euros. Now we are producing our own butter, quark, and cream in the barn and crush our barley supply to make into porridge. We need food as it’s impossible to go out and buy.

“Now we have someone in every village who comes to the farm and picks up milk and food then distributes it, with the help of the churches,” he says.

The Russians have completely destroyed the small villages close to Pastushenko’s farm and he must wait until Ukrainian forces say it is clear before he can return.

“We have our own fodder until harvest, but we don't know if we will have a harvest,” he says. “We will need to harvest silage in June for the cows to eat next winter.”

Pastushenko says before the war, his fields were fertilized with nitrogen and around 50 hectares of alfalfa were drilled. Ninety hectares of spring barley were also sown but now there are no more necessities like fuel or seeds until Ukrainian forces manage

to retake the city of Kherson.

“We only have one month’s supply of diesel left and we know the Russians are looking for diesel,” Pastushenko says. “Seeds of corn and sunflower were paid for in the fall and should have already been delivered but they have not arrived. All we can do is use what we have and wait for our brave soldiers to drive the Russians out so logistical routes can be reopened.”

Chris McCullough is an award-winning freelance journalist based in northern Ireland specializing in agriculture. He has spent the past 20 years travelling the globe hunting for the best stories in food, farming and politics.

Chris was brought up on a dairy farm in the heart of northern Ireland and has reported throughout Europe but also from Canada, the U.S., India, Australia, and Africa.

In March, Redford, aided by his 21-year-old daughter Emily, worked in animal shelters in Przemysl, on the Polish side of the border. There, they attended to many pets with various problems, and also cared for a goat and a deer.

Redford also travelled to the Ukrainian city of Lviv to assist with many dogs in a shelter, bringing some back to safety across the border.

After two weeks, Redford returned to Canada and vows to venture on more volunteer animal caring trips in the future.

*This story was accurate at the time of writing in March. The current situation in Kherson is still very tense with Russian forces still occupying most of the city. The writer continues to communicate with Pastushenko who still waits for a safe passage back to his farm.

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S U S TA I NA B I L I T Y: C OV E R S T O RY

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COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY, AND THEIR LEGACY Ontario’s dairy farmers build on existing practices in the name of environmental stewardship

By Jana Manolakos

K

EVIN MACLEAN IS TAKING THE BULL BY THE HORNS. He’s choosing his own path toward sustainable dairy operations and he’s doing it before government environmental regulators do it for him, he says. Like previous generations of farmers, he’s one of many Ontario dairy producers doing their part as stewards of the environment today.

MacLean, third-generation operator and owner of Ripplebrook Farm in Napanee, ON, is involved in an on-farm plastics recycling pilot he hopes will eventually lead to a low-cost solution to plastics in landfill.

“We’re always trying to do better in how we manage the environmental side of things,” he explains.

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“Plastic is something that every farmer has to deal with and we need to do it in a collective, sustainable way.”

S U S TA I NA B I L I T Y: C OV E R S T O RY

—Kevin MacLean, Napanee, ON

MAX PACK

Silage compaction roller

increasing storage capacity and silage quality Adjust the weight of MAX PACK by filling the drum with water Provides a raking action to help level the silage The 4 in. high fins help press in silage tight, while solid

Product guide 2022 drum packs

Silage Management

Side shift models available

Y 5% EARL R E D R O T DISCOUN IL T N U 4TH MARCH

Hydraulically shift the MAX PACK 3 ft left or right for

5259 Hwy 8, Mitchell, ON

better safety in drive over piles and when silage is

(519) 393-8290

high above bunker walls

Visit our website for a dealer near youdamage www.zuidervaartagrI.com to walls and machine

NEEDS

FULL LOADS YES 11.5 ft TO INDIVIDUAL MPBUNDLES 300 NO 10 ft MP 350 SS

• Megaplast Power Silage Covers Widths from 20’ to 105’

• Mega Barrier Low OTR oxygen barrier

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10 ft

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2,600, 3,000 & 3,600 m/roll

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ilage accessories

7-layer bale wrap

• VH Net Wrap

Zuidervaart Agri-Import Ltd 519-393-8290

Kevin MacLean loads his on-farm plastic compactor which is constructed of pressuretreated wood. A plunger compacts the plastic.

Once the compactor is full, baler twine is used to tie the bale and the wood form is lifted off.

The compacted bale of plastic is ready for transportation to a recycling facility.

Filled weight

Vapour Barrier

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Empty weight

Silage accessories

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Side Width SIDEWALL Shift MPTIRES 250 SS YES 8 ft Model

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% EARLY ORDER T ISCOUN IL T N U H ARCH 4T

Silage Management

The MAX PACK has been specially designed to increase forage compaction to pack silage tighter,

MacLean has also been planting cover crops for several years and recently installed a soybean roaster to keep proteins on-farm, which helps reduce transportation costs to and from the farm.

According to Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) Director, Steve Brackenridge, more than 3,500 tonnes of plastic agricultural waste are generated in Ontario each year, including plastic bale wraps and silage plastic. Discarded plastic is dumped into landfill, buried on the farm or in some cases, burned. It’s one

FOUR FINANCIAL SOURCES TO HELP YOU MEET SUSTAINABILITY GOALS 1. E nvironment and Climate Change Canada funding programs offer various grants and contributions programs for eligible groups, organizations and individuals working on projects that protect or conserve our natural environment.

2. T he Agricultural Climate Solutions: On-Farm Climate Action Fund from the federal government helps farmers adopt sustainable practices such as cover crops, rotational grazing and fertilizer management.

3. The federal Agricultural Clean Technology Program supports the development and purchase of more energy-efficient farm equipment.

4. L ast July, Ontario introduced new regulations that enable new on-farm biogas systems and the expansion of existing systems to be approved more easily and at a lower cost. of the biggest environmental issues facing dairy producers today says MacLean and a reason he’s part of the OFA Northern Ontario Plastics Disposal Pilot Project.

The pilot, involving Cleanfarms and U Pac Agri Service, started in mid-2020 and has grown to 25 compactors in the north and another five in eastern Ontario. About the size of two side-by-side fridges, the equipment compresses plastic waste from hay bales or bunker silos into four- to five-foot cubes that weigh up to 1,200 pounds each. Many are located on-farm, while some are mobile and shared among producers.

There’s also a community compressor located at the public works yard in the Township of Chisholm. Collectively, the small group has aggregated more than 90 tons of plastic to date.

“Plastic is something that every farmer has to deal with and we need to do it in a collective, sustainable way,” says MacLean. “In my compactor, I’ve recycled two tons of plastic within a year.

The compactor cost $900 which includes the cost of transporting the plastic off the farm. MacLean’s local feed and seed distributor picks up the plastic bales and acts as a collection site before the bales are loaded on a transport for delivery to the end recycling facility.

“Some of the comments from other producers I’ve talked to are that it saves them money on sending it to the landfill. It also keeps your operation cleaner. There’s not plastic flying all over the place, but it does

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S U S TA I NA B I L I T Y: C OV E R S T O RY

take some time and you have to be committed to it. Those compactors will make a difference,” he says.

In March, the federal government released the first of a series of emissions reduction plans, entitled “2030 Emissions Reduction Plan – Canada’s Next Steps for Clean Air and a Strong Economy”, under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. The plan describes what is being done to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and includes new measures for achieving a net-zero emissions target by 2050, something that working groups and committees at both Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) and Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) are already tackling.

Dairy groups are also looking at the tertiary impacts of the climate conversation, such as the dramatic growth in consumer demand for sustainably produced foods. According to a Nanos report commissioned by DFC last year, eight in 10 Canadians say it is necessary or somewhat necessary for Canada’s dairy farms to achieve net-zero emissions ahead of the 2050 target timeline; three in four are willing to pay a premium on dairy products to help achieve this.

BY THE NUMBERS Dairy industry environmental stewardship •

Canada has one of the lowest carbon footprints per litre of milk in the world.

•

From 1990 to 2019, the carbon footprint of a litre of Canadian milk decreased 22%.

•

Canadian cows produce three times more milk than 50 years ago.

•

Dairy production represents less than 0.9% of Canada’s total GHG emissions.

•

Dairy farming in southern Canada uses less than 0.03% of our freshwater reserves.

•

Dairy farms are efficient. Since 2011, the average annual milk production per cow has increased 13% because of improved nutrition, genetics and housing.

•

Canadian dairy farmers have reduced the amount of water needed to produce a kilogram of milk by 6%, as well as the amount of land by 11% in recent years.

•

About 80% of Canadians say it is necessary or somewhat necessary for Canada’s dairy farms to achieve net-zero emissions ahead of the 2050 target timeline while 75% are willing to pay a premium on dairy products to help achieve this.

Ontario dairy producers like MacLean are already well ahead of that curve with several sustainability initiatives underway in not only managing plastics, but also GHG emissions, water and land use, soil health, and local biodiversity.

The dairy sector represents only one per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to DFC. Farm management techniques, genetics and feed efficiencies have dramatically reduced the carbon footprint for milk production which now emits less than half of greenhouse gases, compared to the global average.

At Guelph University, for example, researchers are studying the genetics of low methane-producing cows in order to select for environment friendly livestock.

And a recent study from Penn State University, found that a diet containing small amounts of seaweed will reduce methane emissions from belching cows by 80 per cent.

Additionally, dairy farmers utilize by-products of different industries or farms when working to create nutrient-rich feed mix. Cows are the ultimate upcyclers, eating by-products that humans cannot eat, such as citrus pulp, almond hulls, Brewer’s grain and more, that reduces our food waste going into landfills. These by-products are also beneficial to the cows, providing needed energy to produce milk more efficiently.

Canada’s farmers are also leaders in cover cropping, which has been practiced since Roman times. For producers like Bart Rijke, cropping 600 acres at his farm in Hammond, ON, is a key land-use strategy that improves soil health, regulates moisture, and assists in weed and pest management among many other benefits.

“The goal is to have the ground covered with a crop year-round to prevent erosion and add organic matter to the soil,” he says. While the cover crops are an added

“After corn silage, we plant fall rye, and then plant soybeans.

Some of the rye is harvested and used as feed for our young stock, and some is left in the field. We have also planted a mix of oats and peas in the fall.”

—Bart Rijke, Hammond, ON

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Sustainable farming practices are key to creating a vibrant, productive farm for future generations (Kevin MacLean with stepson Taylor Earl and grandson Hank Dustin Earl). expense, he believes there is good return in the form of extra feed and improved soil health.

zinc emissions during the processing of aluminum, is spread on the field to raise the soil PH.

“After corn silage, we plant fall rye, and then plant soybeans. Some of the rye is harvested and used as feed for our young stock, and some is left in the field. We have also planted a mix of oats and peas in the fall as well as inter-seeded clover and ryegrass in corn which leaves a green field after the corn is harvested,” he explains.

He is also looking into adding solar panels and is interested in a biodigester, “but due to financial restraints, this may have to wait a few years,” he says.

Rijke is currently experimenting with a by-product from the aluminum industry. Leftover lime used by the industry to prevent

The good news is that digesters are quite scaleable when it comes to producing biogas, according to producer Korb Whale, who owns Clovermead Farms in Alma, ON, a 475-acre spread with 160 cows.

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S U S TA I NA B I L I T Y: C OV E R S T O RY

In 2009, the Whale family invested $2 million to construct two biodigesters. Since then, the investment has been paying dividends.

“We’re killing weed seeds and reducing pathogens so groundwater is safer.”

— Korb Whale, Alma, ON

The operation became the subject of a study

by Claudia Wagner-Riddle, an atmospheric scientist from Guelph University. She monitored the farm’s emissions before and since the purchase of the biodigesters and found the biodigesters reduced GHGs on the farm by 50 per cent in the early days.

Since then, that number has jumped to 95 per cent.

“Our family has always believed in sustainable agriculture, but it has to be economically viable before you even consider making these kinds of major changes and investments,” he explains.

“We’re reducing our greenhouse gas waste and are selling back power to the grid through Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator. The heat we get is a byproduct of electricity generation and we use it to heat all the water on the farm, our barns, houses, outdoor pads, and drying capabilities. The solids from the digestate are used back in the barn for bedding. The remaining fertilizer is much better than manure and has allowed us to not purchase any commercial fertilizer for several years.

It reduces weed seeds, and we also have two more income streams: one from the electricity and another for receiving off-farm waste.”

The biodigesters are saving the Whale family $40,000 in heating costs for the house, barn and water. Recycling cows’ bedding saves them $20,000.

Korb Whale, his wife Kelly Forster and his parents Bruce and Deborah Whale, saw the advantages of on-farm digesters more than a decade ago. Today they use high and low-tech practices – like covercropping and planting trees – to make their operation more sustainable.

Bacteria in the biodigester metabolize waste in a process that creates biofuels and nutrient-rich fertilizer which is more potent than traditional fertilizers. “And we’re killing weed seeds and reducing pathogens so groundwater is safer,” Whale adds.

digester, creates electricity, heat, fertilizer, and bedding for our cows.”

In addition to about 25 tons of manure daily from his farm, the digester annually processes about 8,000 tons of food waste from local food and beverage producers.

Whale explains, “Biodigesters are a key component of a circular economy. We produce food on the farm that we send to processors to make food for people. The waste from that food comes back to our

He believes that for smaller operations, a simple, small-scale biogas set up with net metering is relatively inexpensive. For example, Harcolm Farms near Woodstock, ON, produces 20 kilowatts of power from the manure of 70 cows.

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Whale suggests that operators who may be thinking of introducing a biodigester need to recognize that they can benefit from a marketable product – such as raw biogas for heating, scrubbed biogas as a source of renewable natural gas or the sale of carbon credits from the reduction of GHGs that the process delivers. “In our case, it was a 20-year contract for electricity sales.”

Whether selling electricity back to the grid, recycling plastics, cover cropping or any number of other sustainability measures, Ontario dairy farmers are leaders and environmental custodians.

“We lead by example,” says MacLean. “That’s how you teach your children and those around you.”

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S U S TA I NA B I L I T Y: S O L A R E N E R G Y

REDUCE COSTS AND MAKE A STATEMENT WITH ON-FARM SOLAR PV

By Matthew Belo

A solar installation on the Lintfield Farms barn roof has a big impact when viewed from the air and from the owners' pocketbook.

REMCO AND KAREN BRINKE were tired of seeing their electricity bills go up every year and decided it was time to do something about it. Today, the roof of their heifer barn is home to a 150 kw AC (180 kw DC) solar photovoltaic (PV) system that offsets 95 per cent of their power consumption.

The Brinkes realized that energy costs would continue to increase.

They had considered adding solar PV to their farm operation for some time, and in 2020, contacted Toews Power to gain a better understanding of the feasibility of a system and the expected payback of their investment.

The Brinkes operate and run Lintfield Farms, a dairy operation located in Granton, ON, just outside of St. Marys. Remco’s parents, Ben and Annemieke Brinke, started the farm when they first moved to Canada from Holland in 1990. What started with a tie-stall operation has now expanded several times over the years to 350 milking cows.

Their operation continues to grow, which also means increased energy demands. These days, those costs are compounded by Ontario’s ever-rising energy prices.

“We knew solar would be an up-front investment, but it would help us to offset rising energy costs and lock in our monthly hydro bill at a reasonable rate for the life of the solar generator, which is projected to last 25 to 30 years,” says Remco.

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Solar is a great option for dairy farmers and small-medium businesses who pay some of the highest electricity rates in Ontario falling into the General Service Energy and Energy Service Demand

“We wanted to invest in the future of our farm, and we’re very happy with the results.”

— Remco Brinke, Granton, ON

billing classes. Most dairy farm operations can expect paybacks of five to 10 years on their 30-year investment, but the numbers get even better if they can take advantage of grants such as the Agriculture Clean Technology (ACT) grant, or for other types of farms, the Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program (PEFIP).

Solar also provides great tax benefits. Solar generating equipment qualifies for accelerated depreciation, allowing businesses to reduce their taxable income in the early years of an asset’s operation by claiming a larger than usual depreciation, therefore improving cash flow. The takeaway? If your business is paying taxes, you can save up to 26.5 per cent (depending on your tax rate) of your system in the first year.

The Brinkes utilized grant funding from the Climate Action Incentive Fund (CAIF), an initiative funded by a portion of carbon tax revenues to help support actions around energy efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions.

“We wanted to invest in the future of our farm, and we’re very happy with the results,” says Remco. isit Compass Energy Consulting at V https://compassenergyconsulting.ca or Toews Power at https://toewspower.com.

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S U S TA I NA B I L I T Y: S O I L H E A LT H

SOIL HEALTH COMES WITH ECONOMIC BENEFITS New study puts dollars to six soil management practices

By Lilian Schaer THE AGRONOMIC BENEFITS OF SOIL HEALTH PRACTICES ARE WELL KNOWN, from improving yield and boosting soil organic matter to improving resilience to drought and excess moisture. Now, a new study from the Greenbelt Foundation and University of Guelph researchers shows there’s economic benefit to these practices too.

Simply put, soil health pays.

The long-term sustained increase in Ontario farm net returns if six different soil health practices were adopted on even 10 per cent more farmland is estimated at approximately $14.6 million per year. Those practices include tillage reduction, cover crops, diversifying crop rotations, nutrient management, organic amendments, and rotational grazing.

The research team analyzed each of these practices in the context of a southwestern Ontario farm, using current, quantified costs and benefits. For the crop portion of the farm, the basic rotation analyzed was corn-soybean, and a representative cow-calf operation was used to analyze rotational grazing. The net returns for most practices vary due to climate, soil properties and the diversity of Ontario’s landscapes, but here’s what the study found and what it means on the farm. Understanding the economic effect of soil health practices beyond corn-soybean operations is critical to encouraging wider adoption of beneficial management practices across southern Ontario.

Soil ecosystems build productivity, fertility and biodiversity, resulting in better water retention, less dependency on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and bigger margins for farmers. In order to realize these benefits, however, shifts are required in farm practices.

Tillage intensity: On a typical farm with a corn-soybean rotation, the fuel, labour and maintenance savings of switching from conventional to no-till are offset by lower yields in the first several years. The losses ease by year five and the net return is ultimately better for no-till, with gains in the soybean crops compensating for losses in corn. Rotation net return by Year 5: $10.70/acre.

Cover crops: Establishing cover crop mixes comes with higher start-up costs, but revenue benefits increase over five years as yields

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build. Cover crop mixes with legumes tend to bring higher returns than a single crop like cereal rye, so choosing the right mix and seeding rates will help keep cover cropping costs manageable. Mean rotation net return by Year 5: $9.05/acre.

Diversifying crop rotations: Adding winter wheat to a corn-soybean crop rotation over four years can show positive benefits as soon as year two. It does come with initial costs but benefits like higher yields grow over time, reaching their maximum by year four. Change in mean net return compared to corn-soybean rotation by Year 4: $52.4/acre.

Nutrient management: The research team looked at the impact of the following 4R nutrient management practices: • Right Timing = split nitrogen application • Right Source = nitrification and urease inhibitor application • Right Rate = modes nitrogen rate reductions • Right Placement = variable rate nitrogen application Rate reduction was found to have the smallest range in net returns, followed by split nitrogen application. When nitrogen prices are high, 4R practices that reduce nitrogen use have a greater effect on net returns.

Organic amendments: manure is a valuable resource with a range of additional benefits over traditional mineral fertilizer, including application of carbon, micronutrients, and soil microbes. When nitrogen costs are high, manure can offer cost savings and transport over greater distances for application becomes more feasible.

Change in net returns for liquid dairy manure at 2021 fertilizer costs: $7.58/acre. Change in net returns for liquid dairy manure at double 2021 fertilizer costs: $131.33/acre.

Rotational grazing: Depending on its intensity, rotational grazing can have relatively small costs and benefits over continuous grazing practices. Higher grazing intensity can potentially result in greater net returns, due to longer grazing days, higher stocking density and lowered feed costs, but this comes with much higher upfront capital costs for fencing and water. Change in net return with

management-intensive grazing: $16.96/ acre.

This study focused on popular field crops and cow-calf beef production, but researchers noted that work should also be done in other types of livestock, as well as field horticulture to gain a wider perspective on the economic benefits of soil health practices and encourage more farmers to adopt them.

Greenbelt Foundation and Équiterre have released a new report — The Power of Soil – An Agenda for Change to Benefit Farmers and Climate Resilience — which illustrates how healthy soils will help the country’s farmers adapt to climate change and play an even larger role in addressing the climate crisis.

More information about the study is available at https://www.greenbelt. ca/business_case_soil_health.

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S U S TA I NA B I L I T Y: S P E N T G R A I N S

SPENT GRAINS AND WORMS

Low-tech and out-of-thebox thinking in the name of sustainable farming WHEN IT COMES TO IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES, farmers need to make decisions that are right for their farm.

“It’s not about putting practices in place that are so expensive that they run out of business. It’s about how do they make their farm business better able to handle and adapt to the future for their son or daughter taking over the farm,” says Brian Lindsay, director for the Dairy Sustainability Framework, an organization developed to provide overarching goals and alignment of the sector’s actions globally on the path to sustainability.

Though there is a lot of discussion around what a sustainable farming system entails, it’s generally agreed to mean as little waste as possible in the supply chain and increasingly sophisticated and progressive technologies that make a farm more efficient and profitable.

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Research on finding practical solutions for increased efficiency on the farm is increasing daily and every stakeholder in the supply chain is looking for ways to improve practices to win the hearts and minds of the consumer. But it will take collaboration and a willingness to adopt a sustainable, forward-thinking and holistic approach, Lindsay says.

“We operate in a biological system; it doesn’t change overnight by the click of a switch.”

— Brian Lindsay, Dairy Sustainability Framework

Austin Allred of Royal Dairy in Washington piloted a new technology from Biofiltro that uses the digestive power of worms and microbes in a biofilter to convert dirty water into irrigation-quality water, in addition to creating a valuable soil amendment, which improves soil health, crop yield and carbon sequestration. According to Biofiltro, studies have shown this process cuts greenhouse gas emissions by 91 per cent.

And in the United Kingdom, a dairy farmer managed to not only replace single-use plastic cartons with glass bottles for his onfarm processing business, he also put plans in place to eventually eliminate single-use plastics from feed, chemicals and other inputs,

as well as find alternatives to plastic silage wraps used to store fodder for feeding the cows over the winter.

“Sustainability is different for each farm because it depends on so many different things, such as how much they’re borrowing, their input costs. Farmers should ask themselves ‘what have I got and how can I use this more effectively to reduce the impact of external price pressures while still making my farm more sustainable?’” Lindsay adds.

Niche products that recognize milk produced with reduced environmental impact could open up new markets for dairy products, so starting now with low-tech, easy-to-implement technologies helps farmers get a jumpstart.

The increasing use of data-driven technology on the farm also

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“We operate in a biological system; it doesn’t change overnight by the click of a switch. We have to find solutions in a sustainable, collaborative way. This is bigger than any one company, bigger than any one country. This is about figuring out where the dairy sector is going in the future and what we need to do to ensure it’s part of a sustainable future.”

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— Adam Liddle “We have been using Udder Comfort™ for 15 years. We use it on all fresh cows and when we are bagging and showing cows. It helps get the udder quality back quickly after they calve,” says Adam Liddle, Argyle, N.Y. At Liddleholme Farm, the family breeds top Holsteins like 2018 All-American All-Canadian Production Cow Liddleholme Resur Lu-RC-ET EX97 3E. She passed away at 13 with fans worldwide loving her dairy strength and with lifetime 89,036 kgs M 4.2 3702 kgs F 3.3 2906 kgs P. “We like deep pedigreed cows. Lu was exactly what we look for, a great cow from a great family,” says Adam. He appreciates learning from other breeders, excited to see the next generation. “It requires a lot of hard work and time. If you don’t have passion for it, it will be overwhelming,” he adds.

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S U S TA I NA B I L I T Y: G R A Z I N G

ROTATIONAL GRAZING HELPS REDUCE GHG EMISSIONS New government funding will support farmers in on-farm planning and implementation

By Canadian Forage and Grassland Association ROTATIONAL GRAZING is a beneficial management practice in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing soil carbon sequestration.

The federal government is recognizing the sustainability of the practice and recently announced an investment of up to $10 million through its On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) and the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA). The funding will support farmers in planning and implementing rotational grazing practices.

Chris Martin, Chair, CFGA and forage producer in Ontario.

It is part of proposed investments of more than $1 billion in new money under the government’s Emissions Reduction Plan to help Canada reach its emissions reduction target of 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.

Chris Martin, CFGA chair and a forage producer in Ontario, says the CFGA has long advocated for recognition of Canadian agriculture’s opportunity to provide nature-based solutions to climate change.

“The goals of the OFCAF program mirror the outcomes of targeted scientific and extension work that the association has undertaken over the past five years,” says Martin. “This investment by Agriculture and AgriFood Canada will empower forage producers across the country to prioritize and deploy climate-smart management practices to improve farm resilience and work on behalf of all Canadians to stem the impacts of climate change.”

Amber Dyck, CFGA grazing mentorship intern.

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BENEFITS OF GRAZING Proponents say grazing can:

Lower •

Cropping costs

•

Money spent on housing and herd management

•

GHG emissions

Increase •

Soil carbon sequestration

•

Animal health so they stay in the herd longer

•

Pasture health and productivity

G R A Z I N G M E N T OR S H I P PRO G R A M

Funding will support farmers in planning and implementing rotational grazing practices.

The OFCAF funding will help the CFGA build on its recently launched grazing mentorship program, Advanced Grazing Systems. With the goal of supporting and inspiring healthier and more productive pastures, livestock and ecosystems, Advanced Grazing Systems is a program where extension professionals and farm operators can learn the basic techniques of rotational grazing.

Custom grazer Steve Kenyon developed the curriculum and training materials for the program. He will provide train-the-trainer sessions to mentors through a learning management system (LMS). Mentors will be encouraged to provide the mentorship training to others to grow a network of people who can help grazers from a variety of sectors, including dairy, to implement advanced grazing systems on their farms and ranches by accessing OFCAF funding.

“We’re trying to keep the mentorship program fairly basic because there are lots of schools of thoughts on grazing,” says Kenyon.

The program is built around six core concepts (graze period, rest period, animal impact, stock density, soil armour, and economics) that are the same across Canada. However, Kenyon says, each school of thought can adapt the concepts to their model and each producer can adapt to the context of their own farm or ranch.

The CFGA hired Amber Dyck from Guelph, ON, as its grazing mentorship intern.

During her internship, Amber gathered provincially and regionally appropriate grazing resources to assist the grazing mentors and farmers improve their grazing management systems and shift toward more intensive and adaptive management that produces higher yields, profits and ecosystem services. She also helped with the program’s curriculum design.

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“A number of Ontario milk producers have been practicing grass-fed dairy, and many are already participating in the DFC’s Grassfed certification pilot study,” Dyck says.

“The CFGA’s Grazing Mentorship Program will also help interested farmers implement improved grazing management practices and support farmer-to-farmer learning.”

“Graziers do spend as much if not more on feed as conventional dairies but where they make up the differences is in lower cropping costs, less money spent on housing... and and having animals that are healthier and stay in the herd longer, all of which comes at a lower cost.”

— Tom Cadwallader, Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship

G R A Z I N G FOR DA I R I E S

While grazing isn’t a widespread practice for Ontario dairy producers, Dyck says there are some dairies that use it and there are benefits, particularly in reducing costs. She points to a U.S. study done by the Green Lands Blue Waters Perennial Forage Working Group and Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship, Inc. on a project titled Testing Reduction of Dairy Financial Risk Through Grazing and Insurance.

“Graziers do spend as much if not more on feed as conventional dairies but where they make up the difference is in lower cropping costs, less money spent on housing and managing the herd, and having animals that are healthier and stay in the herd longer, all of which come at a lower cost,” writes Tom Cadwallader with Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship, in a paper about the study.

“That is the competitive advantage for grazing dairies."

6 CORE COMPONENTS OF ADVANCED GRAZING SYSTEMS 1. Graze period 2. Rest period 3. Animal impact 4. Stock density 5. Soil armour 6. Economics

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or more information about the F national mentorship program, visit the projects page of the CFGA website at www.canadianfga.ca.

DR. HOOF SERIES 2 • Auto-catch headgate • Wide belly band • Exceptional rear leg control The Dr. Hoof Series II hoof trimming chute works excellent for trimming and wrapping hooves, and can accommodate DA, AI, and PG testing. This chute offers both front and rear leg lifts with the front being a new swing out design that allows for better control and access to the front hooves. It also comes with swing out sides on each side creating a large opening for a large work area to make it much easier to reach those tough to access spots.

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W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A • E A R LY S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 • 3 3

S U S TA I NA B I L I T Y: S M A L L C H A N G E S

SMALL CHANGES ADD UP

Sustainability on the farm doesn’t have to mean new equipment or biodigesters — everyday action and small decisions add up to big results

By Lyndsey Smith

FOR ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY FARMERS CARRY FROM DAYTO-DAY, care for the environment at first glance can seem like a very large ask. However, farmers have already incorporated many changes to address greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient movement off-farm, and habitat preservation. What’s more, there are plenty of small steps farmers can do right now or this season on individual farms that add up to big changes — and nearly all add to the bottom line, too.

cover cropping is resulting in both measurable and intangible benefits, Harrop says.

Taking care of the soil, water, and air benefits all — including the bottom line (economic sustainability is one of the three pillars of sustainability). On Janet Harrop’s dairy farm near Fergus, ON, finetuning the nutrient management strategy has saved the farm money and has reduced the risk of excess nutrients entering waterways.

Reducing tillage has also meant fewer hours in the tractor, and that’s saved on diesel fuel use and the resulting emissions, all while maintaining or even improving crop yield.

N U T R I E N T M A NAG E M E N T

Farmers have always been master re-users, and, with the help of livestock, plenty of food cast-offs are being turned in to nutrientdense food for humans.

Using the AgriSuite program through the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Harrop says the farm has balanced manure applications on each field with added fertilizer to meet the crop’s needs but not exceed what the soil can hold, minimizing the risk of loss or over-fertilizing.

“About 60 per cent of the dairy cows in Ontario are under a nutrient management plan, so a lot of farmers are already doing this work,” she says.

On her farm, they’ve also added the practice of growing a cover crop after harvest to keep the soil protected and hold nutrients in place.

Harrop says the added side benefit of significant weed reduction because of the cover crop practice has been an excellent bonus.

The farm is also decreasing the amount of tillage it uses, and the combination of more intensive nutrient management planning and

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“I did soil sampling four years apart, and we saw a significant increase in organic matter and a positive change in pH,” she says.

The added organic matter supports yield, and acts like a sponge during rain events, creating more resilient soils in big rain events, and more water holding capacity for dry spells.

L E S S F E E D, MOR E FO OD

For example, beef, sheep, and dairy farmers make use of brewer’s grains (left over from the beer brewing process) to feed livestock, diverting this waste from landfills. Fruit and bakery “waste” is still food — just not for humans. Cattle and sheep take these odds and ends and turn them into meat and milk. Many processors and brewers are looking for cost-effective ways to deal with waste; a phone call or a meeting may be all you need to do to take advantage of a new low-cost feed source.

But making use of waste food is only part of the solution. On Harrop’s farm, calves are genotyped at birth so that they know well ahead of the animal’s productive life whether or not they are making steps toward animals that require less feed.

“When our cows are eating less, or require less feed to produce the

THE LITTLE THINGS Not all changes have to be large-scale or expensive to address key environmental concerns. Here are a few quick things you can do or habits you can adopt today that add up to big impacts.

Janet Harrop farms with her family near Fergus, ON.

• Check all water sources. Drips and leaks can add up to huge volumes over time. Check all taps, hoses, and connections for leaks and fix immediately. Need to offer water? On-demand systems use less, and reduce evaporation. Set up any exterior water sources on a float system.

•R educe plastic packaging. Buy in bulk, if you can, and return/reuse containers.

• Stop idling. Unless it’s very cold or very hot, does that engine really need to be running? Get in the habit of turning off equipment and vehicles.

same amount of milk, that reduces greenhouse gases,” Harrop says.

Over thousands of animals every year, these small, incremental gains really add up to big reductions in emissions.

Not all farmers have the advantage that dairy farmers have of genetic data to select for animals that will make the most of feed, and so good record keeping can be a small way to make big changes in the long term. Even without genotyping, measuring weight gain against feed used can help identify which animals’ lineage is more efficient.

The reduced emissions from thriftier animals translates to better margins for farmers, too.

•R emember that sustainability includes community, too. Make sure you’re taking care of yourself — volunteering is a great way to give back to the community and get a much needed break from every day at the farm.

PL A S T IC WA S T E There are still many challenges ahead for recycling farm plastics.

That said, there are still opportunities to make a difference in the amount of plastic waste the farm produces. In the three Rs, the first

W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A • E A R LY S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 • 3 5

R is “reduce.” Take a look at every step of the food production process and assess if there is a way to reduce the amount of packaging or single-use plastic. Look at every facet of the farm — from your own use in the house or field, to the containers in the barn or supplies used for feed.

Once you’ve reduced the total amount of plastic, it’s time to identify a second life for as much of the unrecyclable plastic as possible. Totes for hay preservative or other products, once cleaned, can make great water totes for gardens or livestock, or even pens for kids and lambs at a neighbour’s. Silage plastic or bale wrap can find a second home at a market garden as weed suppression. The key here is finding a new life at a new farm, as your own may not have a means to re-use it.

Recycling plastic is a great option, but isn’t available in all counties or regions, or for all types of plastic. Contact your local waste management organization to determine what kinds of plastics can be recycled, and continue to push for better recycling options of products such as bale wrap or twine.

D O S OM E T H I N G , S AY S OM E T H I N G If you’re frustrated by farmers shouldering the brunt of environmental finger-pointing, remember that pictures speak louder than words, and that our customers don’t usually get to see a farm or meet a farmer.

Cover crops, fall-planted crops, perennial cover, or delayed-cut hay all contribute to bird, small mammal, and insect habitat. If you use any of these practices, snap a photo of the butterflies you see or the bird nests you find: what is a common site for you is a wonder to someone else. If you see something neat, share it!

AGRI-TRAC Milled our dairy barn floorsheat in August • Increase milk production • Increase detection • Reduce hoof and leg injuries • Reduce cull ratesgives the cow AGRI-TRAC of 2000. 22 Years later we just had AGRI-TRAC without being too aggressiv back to do them again.

It lasted 22 Years! We chose AGRI-TRAC milled ourlike dairy barnthe floor is easy to AGRI-TRAC gives the cows the traction how floors in August of 2000. they need without tooinstead aggressiveof grooving Over 25 Years Providing AGRI-TRAC bothbeing times years later we just had AGRIPermanent22Traction James Wa on theiritfeet.

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Take a walk around your farm with a critical eye — is there a field margin that never really produces well that would be better suited to perennial cover that doubles as pollinator habitat? Seed it down, then get some photos. Share those photos on social media or with your local community to let customers know you’re doing the good work. Explain why you make the decisions you do, and share the concerns you have about soil health, clean water, and clean air. Customers want to know that farmers share the same values.

Have you found a great new way to re-use plastic and keep it out of landfills? Share your solution with others, and make sure to let the world know that you’re finding small ways to make a big difference.

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S U S TA I NA B I L I T Y: C A N O L A M E A L

Flowering canola. Photo Credit: Justine Cornelsen

CANOLA CONTRIBUTES TO SUSTAINABLE DAIRY PRODUCTION

By Brittany Dyck

CANOLA IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE SUSTAINABLE DAIRY PRODUCTION CONVERSATION. With high protein content and an excellent amino acid profile, canola meal supports high levels of production in livestock, including dairy.

It’s readily digested and highly palatable, making it an alternative to other vegetable proteins in livestock rations.

And while the oilseed is one of Canada’s most important crops and canola growers employ best management practices that help sequester carbon and conserve soil, the fact that canola meal supports positive outcomes for sustainable dairy production in Canada by supporting greater milk yield and improving protein use efficiency is its biggest benefit.

Research has shown that the protein in canola meal is ideally suited to supporting milk production in dairy cows. On average, canola meal improves milk yield over other vegetable proteins by one kilogram per cow per day, and even more in early lactation. This results in an

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improved milk/feed ratio. With an amino acid profile that is closer to that of milk than any other vegetable protein and a high bypass protein value, canola meal supports milk production with less protein needed in the diet. This means there is less nitrogen entering the manure where it can be converted to nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas.

A factor that has bewildered many researchers is the performance provided by canola meal, which proves consistently better than feed formulation programs predict. The energy value for canola meal from many tabular sources is consistently lower than what can be calculated from feeding trial results. Where is the extra energy coming from?

Two recent research studies have shown that canola meal is also a factor in contributing to reduced enteric methane. Methane not only impacts the environment, but also represents a loss in energy to the cow. With canola meal, the energy that would otherwise be lost to the atmosphere is available to support the needs of the cow,

effectively increasing the energy value of the diet, above what feed formulation programs predict.

In a preliminary experiment conducted at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center in Madison, WI, the canola meal diet reduced total enteric methane output by 12 per cent when canola meal was substituted for soybean meal.

Researchers at the Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre (Quebec) of

CANOLA FACTS

556,000

tonnes of canola meal is used annually in Canadian livestock diets.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, under the guidance of Dr. Chaouki Benchaar, conducted a study evaluating the replacement of soybean meal and soybean hulls with canola meal. The soybean meal and hulls together provided the same amounts of protein and fibre as the canola meal. All other ingredients in the diet remained the same. The four test diets were formulated to contain zero (all soybean meal), eight, 16 or 24 per cent canola meal.

All of the diets provided 16 per cent crude protein on a dry basis. Energy-corrected milk increased as more canola meal was included in the diet. The soybean meal diet allowed for 44 kg of milk to be produced. In contrast, milk production was 45, 45.6 and 46.2 kg per cow, per day with the canola meal at eight, 16 or 24 per cent.

The results also showed that total methane declined as canola meal increased in the diet. With as little as eight per cent canola meal in the diet, methane was reduced 5.8 per cent when expressed on a dry matter basis, and 4.3 per cent when expressed per kilogram of milk. The ability to reduce

Canola meal supports positive outcomes for sustainable dairy production in Canada by supporting greater milk yield and improving protein use efficiency.

methane output increases as more canola meal is included in the diet.

Clearly, canola meal is an effective means of reducing the production of methane and equally important, improving milk production. This makes it another tool in the sustainability toolbox.

References are available from the author on request.

Brittany Dyck is Director, Canola Utilization, Canola Council of Canada.

Visit www.canoloacouncil.org.

Canadian dairy farmers include canola meal at approximately at

9%

in the diets of milking cows.

Dairy cows fed canola meal experience a

6 to 12%

reduction in methane output.

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W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A • E A R LY S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 • 3 9

We have a new family member!

This year, GEA ProManure welcomed a NEW addition to the 10-inch lagoon pump family, the Lagoon Agi-Pompe The 10-inch lagoon Agi-Pompe features a field-proven heavy-duty propeller capable of displacing tens of thousands of gallons of manure every minute. No matter the quantity or consistency of manure you have to deal with, GEA ProManure has a five-star pump made for you!

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Mountain View Electric Ltd. Enderby — 250 838-6455

Dairy Lane Systems Osler — 306 242-5850 Emerald Park — 306 721-6844

Pacific Dairy Centre Ltd. Chilliwack — 604 852-9020 ALBERTA D. H. & P. Supplies & Equipement Ltd. Lacombe Country — 403 782-6473 Dairy Lane Systems Leduc — 780 986-5600 Lethbridge Dairy Mart Ltd. Lethbridge — 888 329-6202

MANITOBA / NW ONTARIO Penner Farm Services Ltd. Blumenort — 204 326-3781 Thunder Bay – 800 461-9333 ONTARIO Claire Snoddon Farm Machinery Sunderland — 705 357-3579 Conestogo Agri Systems Inc. Drayton — 519 638-3022 1 800 461-3022

CONFIDENCE County Automation Ameliasburg — 613 962-7474 Dairy Lane Systems Komoka — 519 666-1404 Keith Siemon Farm Systems Ltd. Walton — 519 345-2734

WEAR RESISTANCE Melbourne Farm Automation Melbourne — 519 289-5256 Aylmer — 519 773-2740 Silver-Tech Systems Inc. Dunnville — 905 981-2350 ATLANTIC PROVINCES

Lamers Silos Ltd. Ingersoll — 519 485-4578

Atlantic Dairy Tech.

Charlottetown, PE — 902 368-1719

Lawrence’s Dairy Supply Inc. Moose Creek — 613 538-2559

Mactaquac Farm Equip. Ltd. Mactaquac, NB — 506 363-2340

McCann Farm Automation Ltd. Seeley’s Bay — 613 382-7411 Brockville — 613 926-2220

Sheehy Enterprises Ltd. Shubenacadie, NS — 902 758-2002

McLaren Systems Cobden — 613 646-2062

Sussex Farm Supplies Sussex, NB — 506 433-1699

C A NA DI A N DA I RY

FEDERAL BUDGET INCLUDES SUSTAINABILITY INVESTMENTS

By Dairy Farmers of Canada

ON APRIL 7, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland, delivered the federal government’s 2022 budget, outlining its spending priorities for the coming year. In it, the Liberals reannounced a series of initiatives introduced the week prior to help farmers combat climate change but committed only to announcing the details of compensation for CUSMA in a Fall fiscal update.

Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) recently aligned with the government’s climate change objectives by setting a goal of netzero emissions from farm-level dairy production by 2050, and as such, we welcome the funding announced in the budget to support the energy transition and sustainability at the farm level. However, compensation for the impacts of CUSMA is equally vital, as farmers will need to dedicate additional resources to support innovation and sustainability initiatives.

DFC issued a statement to the media noting that the absence of compensation details left dairy farmers wanting. We will continue to engage directly with government officials from the ministries

of Agriculture and Agri-Food, International Trade, and Finance to ensure full and fair compensation for CUSMA is announced in the Fall update as promised.

DFC has contacted the government for additional clarity on programs such as the Agricultural Clean Technology Program, the On-Farm Climate Action Fund, and the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund and will be provided a technical briefing to clarify how they can best be utilized to support dairy farmers in their sustainability efforts.

Taking more action to eliminate plastic waste, Budget 2022 proposes to provide $183.1 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, to Environment and Climate Change Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Health Canada, Transport Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Statistics Canada, and the National Research Council. This investment will reduce plastic waste and increase plastic circularity by developing and implementing regulatory measures and conducting scientific research to inform

W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A • E A R LY S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 • 4 1

policymaking. DFC continues to work in collaboration with Dairy Processors Association of Canada to assess any potential impacts of new regulations on plastics on dairy product packaging and on-farm plastics.

The announcement of $2.75 billion for the Universal Broadband Fund to improve high-speed Internet access in rural and remote areas reflects the Canadian Federation of Agriculture

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Budget highlights for dairy farmers • A further $329.4 million over six years, starting in 2022-23, with $0.6 million in remaining amortization, to triple the size of the Agricultural Clean Technology Program.

• $469.5 million over six years, with $0.5 million in remaining amortization, starting in 2022-23, to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to expand the Agricultural Climate Solutions program’s On-Farm Climate Action Fund.

• $150 million for a resilient agricultural landscape program to support carbon sequestration, adaptation, and address other environmental co-benefits, to be discussed with provinces and territories.

• $100 million over six years, starting in 2023, to the federal granting councils to support post-secondary research in developing technologies and crop varieties that will allow for net-zero emission agriculture.

• $780 million over five years, starting in 2022-23 to Environment and Climate Change Canada to expand the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund.

• $120 million to AgriRecovery in response to the BC floods.

• $30 million for a Trusted Employer program for foreign workers.

(CFA)’s advocacy on this issue and will help address barriers to the introduction of new on-farm technologies.

Improving the temporary foreign workers program includes introducing a Trusted Employer Model that reduces red tape for repeat employers who meet the highest standards for working and living conditions, protections, and wages in high-demand fields. Further investments over the next three years are positive developments reflective of CFA’s advocacy on this file which DFC has been engaged in. DFC will continue to support CFA as it seeks additional information from government on next steps.

For more information on DFC’s advocacy and sustainability work on your behalf, visit https:// dairyfarmersofcanada.ca/en/ who-we-are/our-commitments/ sustainability.

“ We are improving the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to better meet the urgent need for workers while also ensuring greater protection for workers. We are also making investments to help entrepreneurs innovate and adopt new technologies to accelerate the green shift.”

— Marie-Claude Bibeau, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

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under 18%.1,2 Simply improving reproduction protocol compliance adds no cost and it could rev up pregnancy rates, by making sure that every eligible cow is bred in due time. Ready to shift gears Vetoquinol Repro 360. Reproduction done accurately.

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GEA Pro Manure............................................ 40

Michaels Stabling Developments.... 36

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Grober Nutrition............................................... 7

MNP............................................................... 43

Agri-Trac................................................................. 36

Hugo Van Woerden ....................................... 19

Mueller Dairy Equipment........................ 9

Boumatic..................................................................45

JemBrook Welding ........................................ 42

New Life Mills............................................ 25

Calf Star.................................................................... 47

Jeni Mobile Wash .......................................... 42

Norwell Dairy............................................. 29

Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show................... 21

John Deere ........................................................... 5

Udder Comfort.......................................... 28

Canadian Farm Realty........................................ 8

Lactanet .............................................................. 2

Vetoquinol.................................................... 44

Compass Energy / Toews Power................23

Lactanet DairyTrace....................................... 11

Vic Daniels................................................... 21

Dairymaster Swift-flo Rotary....................... 43

Lallemand ......................................................... 10

We Cover Structures............................. 35

Donkers Agri......................................................... 28

Liquid Feeds International........................ 32

Weber’s Farm Service........................... 33

EastGen.................................................................. 48

MapleView Agri ............................................. 37

World Dairy Expo...................................... 27

GEA Dairy Robots............................................. 30

McFeeters Wood Shavings Inc.............. 26

Zuidervaart Agri-Import Ltd............... 16

NEXT ISSUE Young Producers | Coming June 28 W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A • E A R LY S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 • 4 5

B AC K4 0 : A L O O K B AC K I N M I L K P RO DUC E R M AG A Z I N E H I S T ORY

In the aftermath of WWII, Canadian veterans reentered civilian life, marrying, having children (kicking off the baby boom), and going on a buying frenzy. For the first time since the Great Depression, Canadians indulged, but the dramatic increase in consumption put pressure on all systems.

The United States, the world leader in industrial capacity and technology, was nearing the limits to which it could exploit some of its natural resources.

Canada, with many untapped resources available, gave the U.S. access as they were developed, largely with U.S. capital.

This ad in the February 1948 issue of Milk Producer asked all consumers to reduce electricity use to avoid a crash of the system.

It was both a message of conservation and a message of necessity as Ontario undertook a massive, 10-year, $200-million upgrade to its entire electrical grid which was so inadequate, flickering lights were as common as the jokes about it.

An article in Maclean’s magazine said, “southwest Ontario was left as the only large 25-cycle island in a 60-cycle sea. In the last few years this situation has given the 25-cycle consumer more cause for headaches than flickering lights.”

Manufacturers and farmers pointed enviously to the

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cheaper, more modern motors that would be available to them if their power was modernized.

After his farm was converted, one Woodbridge dairy farmer thanked the new system for relieving him of his last handmilking chore. “All but one of his herd used to submit to a 25-cycle milking machine, but it took the new rhythm supplied by 60 cycles to convince the last reluctant cow.”

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Visit the BouMatic website for more product information.

• Activity – Ability to identify cows requiring attention for servicing or for potential preventive health treatment • In barn or Out barn – The activity controller will read any tag within 350ft (100m) for use in barn or central location. And using same controller it can read any tag within 2500ft (750m) for out of barn installations, great for dry/open pasture-based farms.

• Eating time – Monitors additional animal health parameters in relation to their feed intake behavior • IDs anywhere – There is no need for the animal to walk through a parlor ID portal making it ideal for heifers and dry cows • Advanced herd management – Use with HerdMetrix™ to provide you flexibility in the reporting to tune it to your own management style • Accessible – Phone app makes data accessible anywhere, anytime Contact Your BouMatic Dealer Today!

Strathroy-Salford-Dunnville Dortmans Bros 1-800-265-3435

Blumenort Penner Farm Services 800-461-9333 204-326-3781

Lindsay Ron’s Bearings Equipment Sales 705.878.4515

Tara-Partner Ag Services 519-934-2343 877-349-3276

Wellesley Advanced Dairy Systems 519-656-2379

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Brinston Dundas Agri-Systems 613-652-4844

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Belle Vallee Optimum Agri 705-647-5040

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Alcove WESTCOAST

Elamarc Alcove Dinastie VG-85-2YR-CAN Owner: Ferme Elamarc Inc., St. Charles, QC Photo | Carl Saucier

+3829 GLPI $3175 PRO$ +2379 MILK +147 FAT +.44% +98 PROTEIN +.13% +9 CONFORMATION +15 DAIRY STRENGTH 103 CALVING ABILITY 61 SEMEN FERTILITY GEBV 22* APR

DUKE x MVP x EPIC

Westcoast ALCOVE is now in an absolute class of his own. The Fertility FirstTM and A2A2 designated superstar continues to dominate Canada’s top lists holding down the #1 GLPI, #2 Pro$, #1 Fat, and #1 Combined Fat & Protein positions and is +9 for Conformation! ALCOVE is literally redefining genetic excellence. A truly generational sire, ALCOVE offers an unprecedented combination of extraordinary profit and production potential with rock-solid type, strong capacious frames, and calving ease. With ALCOVE, we are literally witnessing history in the making!