Issuu

DECEMBER 2023

BACK TO BASICS CALF CARE

Plus, creating a farm emergency response plan

THE VOICE OF ONTARIO DAIRY PRODUCERS

INDUSTRY IMPACT DFO chair Murray Sherk on caring for our communities, giving back and a strong dairy sector

40063866 .Publications Mail Sales Agreement No

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December 2023 | Vol. 99 No. 8

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

ON T HE C OV E R

GRAPHIC DESIGN Katrina Teimo

MANAGER, COMMUNICATIONS Sharon Laidlaw sharon.laidlaw@milk.org

In this special issue, journey through the dairy supply chain within Ontario and beyond, to expore the impact we make on the lives of those in our communities.

CONTRIBUTORS Dairy Farmers of Canada, Ryan Dick Essi Evans, Jeanine Moyer, Lilian Schaer Veal Farmers of Ontario, Brittany Wood Canada Post Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No.40063866. Return postage guaranteed. Circulation: 8,000. ISSN 0030-3038. Printed in Canada. 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. *All marks owned by Dairy Farmers of Ontario. WEBSITES & SOCIAL MEDIA www.milkproducer.ca www.milk.org Facebook: /OntarioDairy X: @OntarioDairy Instagram: @OntarioDairy LinkedIn: dairy-farmers-of-ontario

INDU S T R Y IMPAC T 6

Local: Dairy Producer Committees and MilkUP

18 Provincial: Milk and Cookies Holiday Campaign

19 Provincial: Student Nutrition Ontario

20 Provincial: Feed Ontario 20 Provincial: Transporters 22 Provincial: Processors 26 National: Canadian Dairy 27 International: S.H.A.R.E. Agriculture Foundation

28 International: International Dairy Federation

RE SE A R CH 29 Farm Management: Planning for the Unexpected

31 Calf Care: Protocols 34 Research: Canola Meal in Dairy Rations

37 Research: Sustainability

34 DE PA R T ME N T S 4 Board Editorial 13 Dairynomics 40 Ad Index 42 Back40 W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • 3

B OA R D E DI T O R I A L

MAKING AN IMPACT

BY Murray Sherk, BOARD MEMBER REGION 8 — OXFORD AND WATERLOO, AND CHAIR, DAIRY FARMERS OF ONTARIO

My term as chair with Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) is coming to an end and the torch is being passed to new leadership. It has been a privilege to serve on the board for the past 12 years and I am grateful to the board, which has endorsed me as chair for the past five. It has become abundantly clear to me in recent years Ontario’s dairy industry has a tremendous impact on our economy. The entire dairy supply chain contributes more than $8.1 billion to the provincial GDP. We are the largest agricultural sector in Ontario, with 3,213 farms producing more than three billion litres of milk annually with a value of $2.95 billion. More than 100,000 truckloads of milk made their way to 87 plants for processing across our province this year. In addition to the thousands that work in the direct supply chain, a strong, vibrant, growing

dairy industry provides opportunities for construction workers, electricians, plumbers and engineers as we build new facilities on the farm. We create opportunities for farm equipment dealers, mechanics and feed suppliers. We have a strong commitment to research and education and provide opportunities for veterinarians, researchers and those involved in agricultural education. Our farmers are heavily involved in community activities and making an impact. The stability of supply management has meant farms can be profitable and has helped sustain rural communities. Our Dairy Producer Committees undertake all sorts of activities to not only promote dairy but also contribute to creating vibrant rural communities. Together, we are the largest food donor to Ontario food banks, donating more than 100,000 litres of milk monthly with the support of transporters and processors.

Murray Sherk

Dairy is the largest purchase in the grocery store. We help nourish nearly 15 million Ontarians with high-quality, nutritious, delicious dairy products that give them the energy they need each day. These are just a few of the impacts a strong dairy industry makes. I am proud to be a dairy farmer and to have had the opportunity to be involved in executing DFO’s vision of a dynamic, profitable, growing Canadian dairy industry.

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

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LOCAL

ACROSS ONTARIO, DAIRY PRODUCER COMMITTEES ARE IMPACTING COMMUNITIES

DAIRY PRODUCER COMMITTEES (DPCs) are local ambassadors for the dairy industry. In communities across Ontario, they step up and show up to support local food banks, teams and cultural events, fairs, schools and so much more. These pages proudly highlight some of the work being done by DPCs to share and ignite our collective love for milk and dairy products, while giving back to the places we call home and the people we care about. As dairy producers, we take great pride in producing high-quality milk, one of nature’s most nutrient-rich foods. It’s our nature to nourish caring, compassionate communities and support nutrition. Thank you to our producers and DPCs for a wonderful year of giving and for making such a positive impact in our communities.

DUFFERIN Throughout the 2023 International

Plowing Match & Rural Expo, Dufferin DPC collected funds through ice cream sales. All funds were put back into the community, with Dufferin presenting a $3,000 cheque to the Orangeville District Secondary School to go toward its youth sports program. Dufferin DPC also donated an additional $2,500 to the Centre Dufferin District High School and $1,500 to a local food bank. Ron Groen with daughters Hannah and Lucy.

BRUCE In December, Bruce DPC helped collect food from the grocery store for the local food bank. Shoppers were encouraged to contribute prepackaged donation bags, food from the store or a cash donation.

CARLETON

Carleton DPC gets into the holiday spirit spreading cheer and cheese. Last year, the DPC constructed a float that could easily slip into the back of a pickup truck. It made its way to several local Santa Claus parades, including those in Osgoode and Richmond. Dairy family members, young and old, handed out cheese strings to community members, providing a delicious and nutritious treat. The float and its attendance at parades has brought community members together, giving everyone a chance to get involved and give back to the community. This year, the DPC plans to make the banners interchangeable so the float can be used at various events, including Canada Day, Heritage Days, etc. 6 • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A

LOCAL

DURHAM Jennifer Ashleigh Children’s Charity (JACC) hosted its Annual Country BBQ in August on the farm of founder, Norm Clements, near Uxbridge.

Durham DPC partnered with JACC, donating chocolate milk and butter, along with its milk booth, games and prizes to help make the magical day even more memorable. Over the past 33 years, JACC has helped more than 16,500 children and their families navigate the expenses that come with having a sick or disabled child. JACC helps with emergency expenses when children are hospitalized, including costs for transportation and accommodations. As children transition from hospital to home, JACC helps improve the quality of life for the child by funding developmental therapy costs (physio, speech therapy), medical supplies and medications not covered by OHIP. JACC also recognizes the mental strain on parents caring for a child with life-limiting challenges can be exhausting. JACC funds respite care to give the caregiver a muchneeded mental health break knowing their child is receiving specialized one-on-one supervision.

GRENVILLE Grenville DPC was invited to the “Fall for

Merrickville” Thanksgiving Market, in Merrickville, Ont., in October. Although the weather didn’t co-operate, attendance was strong and Maple the cow was a hit with the kids. The event was a great opportunity to promote dairy, showcase dairy farming, and most importantly, support the local food bank with a donation to help support its efforts to provide quality dairy products to those in the community.

Rob Kirkconnell explains how a cow is milked while Hayden Torrie demonstrates.

GREY Each April, Grey DPC participates in Grown in Grey.

Over the course of two days, more than 600 grade five students visit more than 30 stations about agriculture in Grey County. Grey DPC also provides chocolate.

W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • 7

LOCAL

HURON

Grateful to all its local firefighters, Huron DPC donated 4,048 servings of chocolate milk to five local firefighter breakfasts. The DPC also participated in five local Santa Claus parades, handing out chocolate milk to excited children and personally delivering a Christmas gift of chocolate milk to each child in elementary school in Huron County. Left to right: Sven van Hittersum, Lieven Verschaeve, Frank van Hittersum, Tony Van Hittersum, Jeff Bylsma and families, hand out chocolate milk at a Huron County Christmas parade.

PETERBOROUGH

Thanksgiving weekend is all about family traditions for the Peterborough DPC. For many years, this has meant a booth at the ever-popular Norwood Fall Fair selling cheese curds locally sourced from Empire Cheese in Campbellford, Kawartha Dairy chocolate milk from Bobcaygeon, and Central Smith ice cream from Peterborough. DPC members take shifts running the booth throughout the weekend, selling dairy products, teaching kids how to milk Maple the cow, and educating the public about our great industry.

Continuing the family tradition of the Norwood Fall Fair and the milk booth is the next generation of the Crowley family, Blake, Claire, Madison and Beau, grandchildren of John and Cynthia Crowley.

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

MANITOULIN WEST — SUDBURY Funds are available to the team through Dairy Farmers of

Ontario’s MilkUP program, and will be used for safety equipment, bikes and travel to races. The objective is to empower youth to reach their full potential, foster community and consumer engagement through sport, and build appreciation for local dairy. The support will make mountain biking accessible to a greater number of youths on Manitoulin. Alex Anstice, left, presented a cheque on behalf of Manitoulin West — Sudbury DPC to Ben Quackenbush, coach for Manitoulin Youth Mountain Bike Team.

LOCAL

PRINCE EDWARD Prince Edward County DPC helped fund the 2022 TD Canadian 4-H Dairy

Classic team at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair by putting money toward transportation, display materials, hotel and other expenses, so the young group of dairy enthusiasts could attend The Royal. While there, the team helped educate the public about the process of producing milk and the ways the industry is helping reduce climate change. It was very meaningful since there were many opportunities to educate and help people learn where their food comes from. The team is very thankful for the support from the local DPC.

STORMONT AND GLENGARRY

Last year, Stormont and Glengarry DPCs came together to organize the inaugural Dairy Cares 4 SD&G (Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry) fundraising gala. The event brought together dairy producers and industry partners to raise money for three local hospitals. After an evening of entertainment, live auction and dancing, more than $187,000 was raised. The money was used by the hospitals to purchase new medical equipment and fund other important projects.

PRESCOTT

Prescott DPC was proud again to help La Barouche chip stand, located in St. Isidore, cover the cost of free ice cream on Wednesday nights this summer. Many people lined up each week, happy to go out and enjoy a delicious and free treat. The event was so popular, Prescott DPC accepted the help of TD Canada Trust in the sponsorship, meaning even more people could enjoy free ice cream.

RENFREW Renfrew DPC has been hosting a golf tournament since 2001. The

tournament typically sells out with 36 teams and lots of support from farmers and local agriculture businesses. Proceeds are donated to Hospice Renfrew, local food banks and Robbie Dean Counselling Centre. This year, the DPC donated $7,000 with a total of more than $100,000 to date. W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • 9

LOCAL

WATERLOO In April, Waterloo DPC attended the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival. In its 59th year, and the first time back after three years, the festival welcomed more than 70,000 guests and raised more than $35,000 for local charities. In addition to handing out more than 10,000 servings of milk, the DPC was set up in the Family Fun area with Mootilda the cow and other dairy-themed activities.

WENTWORTH Wentworth DPC’s “Christmas on the Farm” event was held at

Loewith’s farm last December. It was a huge success with 1,500 people attending. The DPC served 1,000 hot chocolate milks with whipping cream and 800 poutines. Many families from the surrounding area, including Hamilton, attended the free event. Farm tours are given by local dairy farmers who also love to answer questions, and food is collected and donated to the local food bank.

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1 0 • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A

2 LOCAL

MILKUP

The MilkUP DPC program continues to grow, with a record-high 44 DPC groups supporting their communities this year. The DPCs promoted milk consumption in their local communities through sport-related activities and supported more than 80 MilkUP rink boards across Ontario.

New activation kits — including a Milk Spin Wheel and DFO-branded bag toss game — have been used at more than 50 events this year, creating many special milk moments. After DFO launched the milk patch on the Toronto Maple Leafs sweater, local grassroots teams expressed their desire to sport the patch like the players they admire. More than 10,000 youth jerseys now proudly sport the milk patch thanks to the amazing work of our DPCs.

7 1. Perth 2. Renfrew 3. Carleton 4. Norfolk

5. Grey 6. City of Kawartha Lakes 7. Middlesex 8. Manitoulin W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • 1 1

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DECEMBER 2023

VOLATILITY IN DEMAND MAKES LONG-TERM FORECAST MORE CHALLENGING By Constantin Urtilescu • SENIOR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS SPECIALIST Volatility in demand for the 2023 calendar year has made the establishment of a long-term forecast more challenging for the 2023-24 dairy year. This volatility in demand has played a role in the more recent fall period, which explains some of the changes around the number of fall incentive days. Incentive days are mostly used to manage seasonality in the fall period (high demand and lower production) since the fall is normally when P5 demand is the strongest in the year. August and September demand showed stronger numbers than in past years while production was weaker than expected. October demand is on the downside compared with October 2022 at slightly more than minus one per cent. As for the long-term forecast, production and market are expected to align in a balanced way to meet this year’s annual butter stock target level

of 32,500 tonnes. It was agreed at the national level that butter stocks will be established on an annual basis using a five-year Olympic average (drop lowest and highest year) of the equivalent of a three-month period of butter consumption. “At this point, nothing indicates we will need to make an adjustment to the long-term production signal and the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) has set February 2024 as the date to assess if there is a need to review its forecast for the rest of the current dairy year,” says Patrice Dubé, Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s chief economics and policy development officer. “P10/ P5 demand is currently tracking for the first 10 months of the calendar year with the CDC’s most conservative demand model, which is the base model minus one per cent, an improvement in comparison to where the P5 demand was during the early summer period.” In October 2023, butter stocks reached 26,857 tonnes, down from September by only 446

tonnes (butter stocks are normally dropping by 2,000 tonnes per month in the fall period). October butter stock levels are still higher than where they were in October 2022 by 5,747 tonnes. Having said that, the butter stock levels did drop only slightly in October in part due to a sharp drop in retail and food service sales in October compared with the same month last year. Overall, from August to the end of October, butter stocks have dropped by 6,500 tonnes, or about 2,000 tonnes a month, which is more normal for the fall period as indicated above. Cheese stock levels for the month of October 2023 were at 99,191 tonnes, up 383 tonnes from September and higher than where they were in October 2022 (97,896). For the 52-weeks ending Nov. 4, 2023, sales for fluid milk, fluid cream, yogurt, ice cream, cheese and butter increased/decreased by -1.5, -2.6, 3.2, 1.4, 0 and -5.3 per cent, respectively, compared with Sept. 30, 2022.

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • M O N T H LY R E T A I L M A R K E T S A N D P R O D U C T I O N R E P O R T • A

DA I RY N O M I C S – M A R K E T U P DAT E

A monthly recap of markets and production trends in Canada and Ontario C A NA DI A N R EQU I R E M E N T S A N D PRODUC T ION Canadian butterfat requirements in kilograms and actual butterfat production across the P10. 1,350,000

Butterfat (Daily kgs)

1,300,000

12-month production (in millions of kilograms)

406.9

12-month requirements (in millions of kilograms)

421.2

1,250,000 1,200,000 1,150,000 1,100,000 1,050,000 1,000,000 950,000 Oct 2022

Nov 2022

Dec 2022

Jan 2023

Feb 2023

March 2023

April 2023

Requirements

May 2023

June 2023

July 2023

Aug. 2023

Sept. 2023

Oct. 2023

Canadian production has increased by 3.0 per cent over the previous 12 months, and requirements have increased by 1.2 per cent over the previous 12 months.

Production

S OL I D S NON-FAT T O BU T T E R FAT (S N F-B F ) R AT IO This graph shows Ontario’s SNF-BF ratio for the last 12 months in relation to Ontario’s target SNF-BF ratio of 2.2840.

SNF:BF Ratio

2.35 2.30 2.25 2.20 2.15

October 2023: 2.1586

2.10 Nov 2022

Dec 2022

Jan 2023

Feb 2023

March 2023

April 2023

May 2023

Ontario SNF:BF ratio

June 2023

Average increase in retail sales for dairy products sold in Ontario and the dairy product’s share of the total market sales, including at hotels, restaurants and institutions.

12 MONTHS ENDING OCTOBER 28, 2023

RETAIL SHARE OF TOTAL MARKET

Fluid milk

-1.60%

81.50%

Cream

-2.60%

40.90%

Cheese

0.20%

54.40%

Butter

-5.00%

57.60%

Ice cream

1.40%

70.70%

Yogurt As of March 26 , 202 23.10%

94.40%

B • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • M O N T H LY R E T A I L M A R K E T S A N D P R O D U C T I O N R E P O R T

Aug 2023

Sept 2023

Oct 2023

Target

NAT IONA L R E TA I L S A L E S

* Source: AC Nielsen & StatsCan NOTE: There is a two-month lag in the national retail sales data.

July 2023

NOVEMBER HIGHLIGHTS • Incentive days are mostly used to manage seasonality in the fall period (high demand and lower production) since the fall is normally when P5 demand is the strongest in the year. August and September demand showed stronger numbers than in past years while production was weaker than expected; • As for the long-term forecast, production and market are expected to align in a balanced way to meet this year’s annual butter stock target level of 32,500 tonnes; • P10/P5 demand is currently tracking for the first 10 months of the calendar year with the CDC’s most conservative demand model, which is the base model minus one per cent, an improvement in comparison to where the P5 demand was during the early summer period.

DAIRYNOMICS – UTILIZATION UPDATE

202310

ON TA R IO U T I L I Z AT ION

Percentage of the total milk produced in Ontario that was used Fluid to produce Milk & dairy Creamproducts. Yogurt and Ice Cream Butter & Powders

Cheese

Skim Milk Disposal

SEPTEMBER 2023

OCTOBER 2023

12-MONTH AVERAGE

October 2023

Fluid milk & cream

30.7%

29.4%

Yogurt & ice cream

7.1%

7.5%

7.2%

Cheese

29.2%

30.1%

28.8%

Butter & powders

32.4%

30.3%

31.2%

Skimming

0.6%

1.4%

3.4%

Fluid milk & cream 31%

30%

Yogurt & ice cream Cheese

8% 30%

Butter & powders Skimming

P 10 U T I L I Z AT ION BY C L A S S For October 2023 (kg of butterfat/kg of solids non-fat) *There is a two-month lag reporting these figures

% Revenue

Class 1a1 (includes Classes 1a2, 1a3, 1c and 1d for confidentiality reasons) Fluid milk and beverages

1a1

26.53%

Class 1b Fluid creams Class 2a Yogurt, yogurt beverages, kefir and lassi

9.69%

5.14%

2b4

2.09%

Class 2b4 (includes Classes 2b1, 2b2 and 2b3 for confidentiality reasons) Fresh dairy desserts, sour cream, milkshakes and sports nutrition drinks

2b5

0.93%

3a1

1.13%

3a2

5.19%

Class 3b2 (includes Class 3b1 for confidentiality reasons) Cheddar cheese and aged cheddar

3b2

13.87%

Class 3c1 Feta

3c1

0.98%

Class 3c2 Asiago, Gouda, Havarti, Parmesan and Swiss

3c2

2.73%

3c4

8.75%

3c6

0.48%

3.39%

12.35%

1.21%

Class 4a Butter and powders

1.55%

3.30%

Class 4d (includes Classes 4b1, 4b2, 4c and 4m for confidentiality reasons) Concentrated milk for retail, losses and animal feed

0.68%

% Butterfat

-5%

% Solids non-fat

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Class 2b5 Ice cream and frozen yogurt Class 3a1 Specialty cheese Class 3a2 Cheese curds and fresh cheeses

Class 3c4 (includes Classes 3c3 and 3c5 for confidentiality reasons) Brick, Colby, farmer’s, jack, Monterey jack, muenster, pizza cheese, pizza mozzarella and mozzarella other than what falls within 3d Class 3c6 Paneer Class 3d Mozzarella used strictly on fresh pizzas by establishments registered with the Canadian Dairy Commission

Class 5a Cheese for further processing Class 5b Non-cheese products for further processing

35%Class 5c Confectionery products

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • M O N T H LY R E T A I L M A R K E T S A N D P R O D U C T I O N R E P O R T • C

DA I RY N O M I C S – P R I C E S U P DAT E

ONTARIO MONTHLY PRODUCER AVERAGE GROSS BLEND PRICE

ONTARIO DEDUCTIONS, PER HL

A total 3,213 producers sold milk to DFO in October compared with 3,273 a year earlier.

For October 2023

$100 $95 $90

October 2023: $95.34

$85 $80 $75

Dec 2022

Jan 2023

Feb 2023

March 2023

April 2023

May 2023

June 2023

July 2023

Aug 2023

Sept 2023

DFO administration DFO research CanWest DHI Transportation Market expansion Total deductions Average total net

Overquota

$0.675

$0.050

$0.060

$3.290

$1.400

$5.475

$89.224

-$5.475

* These figures are based on Ontario’s average composition for October 2023 of 4.2730 kg butterfat, 3.2937 kg protein and 5.9300 kg other solids, rounded to the nearest cent.

$70 Nov 2022

Within quota

Oct 2023

P5 A N D W E S T E R N M I L K P O OL B L E N D PR IC E S *

U. S . C L A S S PR IC E S

The graph below shows the 12-month blend price for the P5 provinces and Western Milk Pool (WMP).

The November 2023 Class III Price, US$17.15 per hundredweight, is equivalent to C$52.90 per hectolitre. This equivalent is based on the exchange rate US$1 = C$ 1.35885 the exchange rate when the USDA announced the Class III Price.

*There is a two-month lag reporting these figures

Blend price in $/hL

$92 $90 $88 $86

WMP: $89.24

$84

P5: $90.04

$82 $80 $78 $76 Nov 2022

Dec 2022

Jan 2023

Feb 2023

March 2023

April 2023

WMP blend price

May 2023

June 2023

July 2023

Aug 2023

Sept 2023

Oct 2023

The Class III Price is in $ US per hundredweight at 3.5 per cent butterfat. One hundredweight equals 0.44 hectolitres. Canadian Class 5a and Class 5b prices track U.S. prices set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Source: USDA

P5 blend price

MON T H LY QUO TA PR IC E S ($/ KG) PRICE/KG

AMOUNT WANTED/KG

AMOUNT FOR SALE/KG

AMOUNT PURCHASED/

Alberta

$ 50,788

308.96

140.85

135.85

Saskatchewan

$ 38,000

70.00

178.70

30.00

Manitoba

$ 40,800

260.18

309.97

103.00

British Columbia

$ 36,000

155.57

282.23

155.57

Ontario

$ 24,000

22,402.67

342.85

343.11

Quebec

$ 24,000

16,195.45

1,052.58

1,052.52

New Brunswick

$ 24,000

346.10

28.40

NOVEMBER PRICES

PROVINCE

PEI Nova Scotia

No Clearing Price Established $ 24,000

* Newfoundland does not operate a monthly quota exchange. Quota is traded between producers. ** Quota cap price of $24,000 in effect in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec.

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Co-ordinated by Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s communications and economics divisions. Questions? Please email questions@milk.org. STAY UP TO DATE! Weekly Update email newsletter every Friday for Ontario dairy producers. Milk Producer magazine is the voice of Ontario dairy producers. Subscribe for free or read online at www.milkproducer.ca. Dairy Farmer Update provides updates with the monthly milk cheque. Producer Dashboard, a secure platform behind your password on MMS that contains important news, updates and forms. www.milk.org Facebook: /OntarioDairy Twitter: @OntarioDairy Instagram: @OntarioDairy LinkedIn: /company/Dairy-Farmers-of-Ontario

PROVINCIAL

MAKING MILK AND COOKIES MEAN EVEN MORE THIS SEASON, to support communities and spread holiday cheer across Ontario, Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) launched its fifth consecutive Milk and Cookies holiday campaign with a donation to SickKids and other Ontario children’s hospitals in Hamilton (McMaster Children’s Hospital), London (Children’s Hospital) and Ottawa (Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario). To make the magical ritual of milk and cookies for Santa mean even more, DFO gave keepsake milk glasses to children spending the holidays at SickKids and other Ontario children’s hospitals to ensure they could participate in the magical ritual of leaving milk and cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve. DFO invited children across the province to help create the milk glasses by submitting designs that were transformed into a cookie cutter on the bottom of the glass and printed on the side. The campaign was anchored by the “Home for Christmas” TV commercial, supported by billboards, social media, influencers,

public relations, radio ads, radio drops and broadcast segments on Breakfast Television. The goal of the campaign is to strengthen industry perceptions by demonstrating Ontario dairy farmers’ support for their communities, driving awareness of the longstanding partnership with SickKids, and driving consumer engagement with the #MagicMilkGlass initiative to let kids and families spending the holidays in Ontario

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children’s hospitals know Ontario dairy farmers and families across the province are thinking of them.

“DFO is committed to making an impact in Ontario communities through meaningful partnerships, grassroots sponsorships and corporate responsibility initiatives, which includes donating more than 1.3 million litres of milk to food banks through Feed Ontario, reaching more than one million kids through sports sponsorships and our annual Milk and Cookies campaign. This year, we donated $500,000 to SickKids and other Ontario children’s hospitals to help bring joy to patients and families. We are proud of the work we do and how we show up for our communities throughout the year.” — Cheryl Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Dairy Farmers of Ontario

PROVINCIAL

STUDENT NUTRITION ONTARIO DAIRY FARMERS OF ONTARIO (DFO) is proudly entering its fifth year of partnership with Student Nutrition Ontario (SNO) to provide ongoing funding throughout the school year to ensure all Ontario children have equal opportunity to access milk. DFO rebates 10 cents for every purchased serving of milk, enabling free meal programs to consistently provide milk to more than 1.5 million students throughout the school year. Children deserve the best possible chance at a healthy diet and milk is one of the quickest ways to provide that goodness. With 15 essential nutrients in every glass, milk gives students the nutritional edge they need to stay attentive, energetic and perform their best.

“Our school has a student who stocks the fridge with cartons of milk each delivery day. They take pride in the presentation of the milk in the fridge and in knowing there is milk there for any student who needs it.” — A school nutrition program coordinator

2022-2023 School Year Participating Schools: 1,029 Students Impacted: 1,542,252 Servings: 2,213,656

“We are very grateful to Dairy Farmers of Ontario for its commitment to support our children. Many nutrition programs simply can’t afford to serve milk each day and yet we all know that this is an important nutrient-dense food. Ontario dairy farmers supporting Ontario’s children — what could be better!” — Catharine Parsonage, co-chair, Student Nutrition Ontario

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PROVINCIAL Fresh milk is unloaded at the Regional Food Distribution Association (RFDA) in Thunder Bay by C&C Transportation.

FEEDING ONTARIO THIS PAST YEAR, Feed Ontario’s network of more than 1,200 food banks and hunger relief organizations experienced the largest increase of food bank use on record as more than 800,000 people turned to food banks for help.

Food banks throughout the province are working hard to meet the increased need in their communities and thanks to the Milk Donation Program in partnership with Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO), more than 1.2 million litres of milk are provided annually to food banks across the province. Last year, dairy farmers, working with processors and the Ontario Milk Transportation Association (OMTA), helped ensure Ontario food banks were able to provide fresh, nutritious milk that supplies an essential source of protein for families facing hunger. “The Ontario Milk Program is Feed Ontario’s first and longeststanding fresh food program,” says Carolyn Stewart, CEO, Feed Ontario. “For more than 25 years, dairy farmers’ support has been vitally important to ensuring food banks can be there for Ontarians who rely on them. We can’t thank everyone involved in the Ontario Milk Program enough for their continued generosity and commitment to helping those facing hunger.” In addition to this support, DFO has also joined Feed Ontario’s new Full Shelves campaign as a foundational partner. With an everincreasing number of people relying on food banks to make ends meet, the Full Shelves campaign aims to ensure food bank shelves remain stocked with healthy and nutritious pantry staples and fresh foods, including dairy products. DFO’s participation in this campaign will allow Feed Ontario to leverage its support with DFO’s bulk purchasing power and partner network to supply and distribute even more urgently needed dairy products to Ontario food banks.

Hunger Report

Between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023: • More than 800,000 people visited a food bank. • Visits totalled more than 5.9 million times. • 1 in 19 Ontarians accessed a food bank last year. • Almost 70 per cent of food banks are concerned about having enough food to serve those in need in their community.

Milk Program Stats

• Since 2010, the Ontario Milk Program has provided almost 13.5 million litres of milk to Feed Ontario. • From the start of the pandemic in 2020 to now, the Ontario Milk Program has provided nearly five million litres of milk to Feed Ontario. • More than 120 local and community food banks across the province receive fresh milk every month through the Ontario Milk Program. 2 0 • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A

TRANSPORTERS Partners in milk donation

For more than 25 years, Dairy Farmers of Ontario has partnered with the Ontario Dairy Council and the Ontario Milk Transportation Association (OMTA) to donate fluid milk products to Ontario food banks through Feed Ontario.

In fiscal 2023:

1,351,639

493

Total litres of milk donated by producers

Producers participated

Processors participated

“OMTA and its members are delighted to be long-time supporters of the Food Bank Donation Program in partnership with Dairy Farmers of Ontario and the Ontario Dairy Council. With challenging economic times, Canadians are more and more concerned with food affordability, which has resulted in unprecedented demand on food banks across the province. Support of the Food Bank Donation Program is just one small contribution in addressing the much broader food insecurity issue.” — P aul Hetherington, general manager, Ontario Milk Transport Association

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PROVINCIAL

PROCESSORS Giving the gift of nutrition and inspiration By Jeanine Moyer CANADIAN DAIRY PROCESSORS often align community support and donations with their own dairy products but the contributions these companies make extend much further than a glass of chocolate milk at a homeless shelter or yogurt at a school nutrition program. The commitment and spirit in which the dairy industry and processors serve their communities, support youth and foster a culture of giving within their own companies makes a significant impact on the lives of those they serve and their employees.

Organic Meadow supports Food Banks Canada’s After the Bell program by providing single-serve containers of milk and packing food boxes.

L O C A L S U PP ORT

“If there’s an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life, we’ll do it,” says Jim Eby, owner of Eby Manor Farm, a 130-cow dairy farm and retail store in Waterloo, Ont., that also distributes products across Ontario. With a hand in the processing business, Eby Manor partners with companies, such as Hewitt’s Dairy and Bright Cheese and Butter, to process the farm’s Guernsey A2 protein milk. As a small-scale dairy business, Eby Manor typically supports community causes, fundraisers, food programs and shelters with its own products. Chocolate milk is popular, especially when supporting youth groups or sports teams. Regularly supporting the Ray of Hope, a local shelter with milk and cream is one of the farm’s greatest priorities. The farm also responds to regular donation requests with milk products and gift baskets, helping local charities and organizations raise money for their causes. “It’s about strengthening our community. People know we support them where we can, and in turn, they support our small business, too,” notes Eby. Always looking for an opportunity give back, Eby Manor extends its community support through volunteering and hosting high school and university co-op students to help foster career development in the agri-food industry. Over the years, Eby has served as a volunteer and in leadership roles with many agriculture and community organizations, including his church, local fair board and breed association. Over the years, the farm has had great success mentoring students who are eager to learn about every aspect of the business, from herd management to product marketing. “Investing our time is always a rewarding experience,” says Eby.

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Lactalis Canada supported World Clean Up Day and more in 2023.

C OM M U N I T Y-B A S E D A PPROAC H

Supporting the community is also one of Organic Meadow’s core pillars. For more than 30 years, the farmer-owned co-operative has been producing Canadian organic dairy products and is proud to focus giving initiatives on providing access to healthy, nutritious foods to those less fortunate. “One of the primary ways we give back is through our support of monthly food bank donations and our annual participation in the Food Banks Canada After the Bell program,” says Maurice Bianchi, vice-president of sales and marketing with Organic Meadow Limited Partnership. The company supports the After the Bell program by providing single-serve containers of milk and participating in packing food boxes. The co-operative also makes monthly milk donations to local food banks and contributes to charities and organizations as opportunities arise. “We’re proud to support our communities and share nutritious, quality milk products,” says Bianchi.

PROVINCIAL

C OU N T RY-W I DE G I V I N G

When it comes to charitable involvement and helping communities, Lactalis Canada has a formalized purpose that aligns to initiatives that support youth well-being, feeding communities, promoting community well-being and contributing to a thriving planet. “We’re proud to deliver on our purpose to enrich and nurture the lives of Canadians through our nutritious and high-quality Canadian

Did You Know More than one-third of food bank users over the past year were children. Food Banks Canada

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dairy products, as well as through a wide array of activities and initiatives in the communities where we live and work,” says Gilles Froment, senior vicepresident of industry and government relations at Lactalis Canada.

Managing Partner Beckelm Farms (2018) Ltd. is a 400-cow dairy facility on 1200 acres located in Salisbury NB. The cows are housed in a modern 6 Robot barn built in 2019. Production is currently 15000 kg ME (300 BCA) with a quota base over 500 kgs. Beckelm Farms was built by a partnership of dairy farmers. Currently, we are looking for a candidate for the role as Managing Partner. The Managing Partner would be expected to take a significant ownership interest in the business. In addition to strategic planning, they would be responsible for all day-to-day activities at the farm. This would include, but not be limited to, staff, cows, crops, financial and compliance items at the farm. The partners at Beckelm Farms are committed to the farm. We value future growth and strategic progression of the business.

Interested parties should submit an Expression of Interest to john@schenkelsfarms.ca. Please include all relevant management experience and ownership expectations.

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With an average annual community investment of $2.9 million, Lactalis Jim Eby, owner of Eby Manor Farm Canada supports in Waterloo, Ont., supports many charitable organizations and community causes. community initiatives across the country through product donations, corporate sponsorships, in-kind contributions and brandinitiated campaigns. Froment notes the company’s annual product contributions total nearly one million kilograms of milk and dairy products combined. With a focus on national programs that support youth well-being and mental health, the company is proud of its 35-year founding partnership with Kids Help Phone and its long-standing sponsorship of The Grocery Foundation to help feed hungry children. Locally, Lactalis Canada encourages employees to give back to their communities, supporting local programs with donations and even providing salaried employees with one paid day per year to volunteer to causes and initiatives they care about. “In 2022, we launched the Lactalis Canada Community Enrichment Fund, making an annual commitment of more than $250,000 for each of our sites across Canada to empower our people to make a meaningful impact, build relationships and engage at a local level through participation and support of community programs that align with our company purpose,” says Froment. The early results of this initiative have already made positive impacts on communities and company employees, he says. “Communities are really the backbone of who we are as a company and Lactalis Canada places great importance on our role as a good neighbour,” explains Froment.

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Keith Siemon Farm Systems Ltd. Walton — 519 345-2734 Lamers Silos Ltd. Ingersoll — 519 485-4578 Lawrence’s Dairy Supply Inc. Moose Creek — 613 538-2559 McCann Farm Automation Ltd. Seeley’s Bay — 613 382-7411 Brockville — 613 926-2220 McLaren Systems Cobden — 613 646-2062 Melbourne Farm Automation Melbourne — 519 289-5256 Aylmer — 519 773-2740 Watford — 519-876-2420 Silver-Tech Systems Inc. Dunnville — 905 981-2350

ATLANTIC PROVINCES Atlantic Dairy Tech. Charlottetown, PE — 902 368-1719 Mactaquac Farm Equip. Ltd. Mactaquac, NB — 506 363-2340 Sheehy Enterprises Ltd. Shubenacadie, NS — 902 758-2002 Sussex Farm Supplies Sussex, NB — 506 433-1699

NATIONAL

CANADA’S DAIRY FARMERS HELP KEEP OUR COUNTRY STRONG By Dairy Farmers of Canada CANADIAN DAIRY FARMERS ARE ESSENTIAL MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES. The impact of their work is great: the dairy sector supports more than 195,000 full-time equivalent jobs, generates more than $19 billion in annual economic activity from coast to coast and keeps millions of Canadians fed. At Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC), we are proud to help support our farmers through strategic partnerships that benefit our people and the planet. Here are a few of the ways dairy farmers have made an impact this past year.

PROV I DI N G C ONS E RVAT ION S OLU T IONS

As part of their commitment to Net Zero by 2050, Canadian dairy farmers are impacting their communities through wetland stewardship. Many receive support from Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) landowner programs, where farmers can source conservation information relevant to their specific region to protect essential habitats on or around their properties. Wetlands — swamps, marshes, bogs and floodplains being just a few examples — are incredible ecosystems. On top of being essential for biodiversity, they store carbon and keep it from being released into the atmosphere as greenhouse gas. They also act as sponges that capture, store and slowly release water over a long period of time, naturally filtering harmful nutrients and pollutants from water. The impact wetlands have on all communities, whether rural or urban, is staggering. DUC offers sustainable programming for farms in every part of the country. These include conservation agreements, covenants, easements and wetland restoration opportunities in all provinces. Farmers in Ontario can also access programs for livestock fencing, watering systems and water diversions, as well as the Grassland Offset Program and the Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program.

PL A N T I N G T R E E S AC RO S S T H E C OU N T RY

DFC has also been working with the non-profit organization, Tree Canada, to help plant and nurture trees in rural and urban environments since 2021. This past year, DFC launched a donation campaign around Earth Day, encouraging Canadians to join our farmers in support of Tree Canada by purchasing or donating tree plantings. 2 6 • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A

Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) helps support farmers through strategic partnerships that benefit our people and the planet. Through this partnership, dairy farmers are on their way to helping plant 25,000 trees across the country. Many are also getting their farms involved directly, by working with Tree Canada on assessing, planting and long-term monitoring of new trees. This work protects the soil, improves air and water quality, enhances wildlife habitats and beautifies the landscape. Trees can also act as a natural barrier to wind flow, positively affecting crop production by moderating water use, reducing physical damage, changing air and soil temperature, as well as impacting carbon dioxide levels and relative humidity.

F U N DR A I S I N G FOR V E T E R A NS

Every year, Canadian dairy farmers join millions of their fellow citizens in pinning a poppy to their lapels in the lead up to Remembrance Day on Nov. 11. This year, through DFC’s partnership with the Legion National Foundation (LNF) and our online Blue Cow Shop, dairy farmers raised more than $16,000 in just a few weeks. One hundred per cent of proceeds from the sale of a limited-edition, camo-style cap stylized with the Blue Cow logo, went directly to the LNF. This partnership was designed to raise both money and awareness for the poppy campaign since the physical distribution of poppies and donation collections have declined since the COVID-19 pandemic. With great enthusiasm, dairy farmers have helped the LNF continue their work supporting our nation’s veterans and their families while expressing gratitude to those who continue to serve in Canada’s armed forces. For more information on DFC’s strategic partnerships, visit dairyfarmersofcanada.ca.

INTERNATIONAL

MILK HELPS GIVE A HAND UP S.H.A.R.E. Agriculture Foundation helps improve lives in underdeveloped countries By Sharon Laidlaw

The organization enables poor and isolated agriculturally based communities to improve their quality of life by supporting projects that contribute to economic, social, and environmental development and sustainability.

S.H.A.R.E., WHICH STANDS FOR ’SENDING HELP AND RESOURCES EVERYWHERE,’ provides the most impoverished people a ’Hand Up’ not a ’Hand Out.’ The organization enables poor and isolated agriculturally based communities to improve their quality of life by supporting projects that contribute to economic, social, and environmental development and sustainability. Using the “pass on” principle, those helped assist others, thus ensuring healthy communities where people can improve their life through their own efforts. Milk Producer magazine spoke to Joe Gray, donor relations officer and long-time member, Gary Shaw, executive director who has been a supporter for many years, and Carl Fletcher, project manager for Central America and a S.H.A.R.E. supporter for 40 years, to learn more about the organization’s impact abroad.

How did S.H.A.R.E. get started and what was your first project? S.H.A.R.E.’s first project in 1977 was in Brazil, which involved supplying 38 Holstein heifers and three bulls. The community is still following the pass-on principle to this day. In fact, in 1993, we learned they were giving three litres of milk to an orphanage and school in Mossoro, the second most populous city in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Today, they are receiving 50 litres a day, which is more than enough for the orphanage and school, with extra milk going to poor people in the neighbourhood. We’ve had other dairy projects in Belize but have left that area because they are now self-sustaining, as well as in El Salvador and Guatemala, where we are still doing agricultural projects. Most of our founding directors were dairy farmers. In fact, a dairy farmer and his wife sold their herd and farm equipment and went to Brazil to help care for the cattle that were shipped for the first project. Many of our supporters over the years have been dairy farmers and some have even visited these countries to see the projects in action. W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • 2 7

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How does S.H.A.R.E. provide help?

We work with our southern partners, who hire technicians specialized in different areas. We also provide funds to purchase seeds, trees, plants, eco-stoves, water filters for potable water, small tools, fowl, dairy goats, pigs and other needed items.

What does S.H.A.R.E. aim to achieve?

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S.H.A.R.E.’s goal is mainly to lift people out of poverty to a much healthier and prosperous life, and ensure the whole community becomes self-sustaining. Farmers in these countries often need training in soil management. Ontario dairy farmers know how important crop production is to running a successful dairy farm. Proper soil management and irrigation practices give these farmers a successful life out of poverty.

What is the greatest area of need or training?

Good soil for growing crops to feed the animals, irrigation to support growing, good seed livestock and ongoing training to maximize return. Sometimes, there’s a need for small, value-added processing that might be accomplished by forming a co-op. Each area is diverse and has different capacities in income and infrastructure.

How important are your volunteers to the success of the organization’s projects? S.H.A.R.E. is a charity and our work is almost exclusively delivered by passionate and committed volunteers, many with decades of commitment to the organization and all with an empowering story of why they became involved. Supporters are S.H.A.R.E.’s largest asset and without donors, our volunteers couldn’t do anything. Our supporters are truly making a difference in this world and their recipients appreciate their thoughtfulness. More than 96 per cent of one’s donation goes toward these projects. Visit https://shareagfoundation.org.

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There are multiple ways in which milk and dairy support the community. The most important one is by nourishing more than six billion people worldwide with safe, healthy and nutritious foods, and ensuring essential protein and vitamin intake for vulnerable groups, such as children, pregnant women and ageing populations. Dairy also provides a livelihood for more than a billion people around the world, especially farmers and rural communities in developing countries. By producing dairy in increasingly sustainable ways, we are delivering healthy food and maintaining a healthy ecosystem with minimal environmental impact. — Caroline Emond, director-general, International Dairy Federation

FA R M M A NAG E M E N T : E M E R G E N C Y R E S P O N S E P L A N

PLANNING FOR THE UNEXPECTED

10 tips to strengthen your farm’s emergency response plan

By Ryan Dick

WHILE RISK AND HAZARD ASSESSMENTS ARE CRITICAL TO EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANNING, the risks of some emergencies are not always considered on the farm. Increasing phenomena like derechos, tornadoes and forest fires are becoming much more frequent across the province. Unfortunately, these events come with very little, if any, advance warning and pose entirely new challenges. These risks are cumulative with everyday emergency possibilities, such as equipment entanglement, barn and field fires, animal-induced injuries and traffic collisions. While these incidents can’t always be controlled on the farm, they can be planned for so their impact is minimized. Having a carefully prepared emergency response plan that is practised and familiar can be the difference between damage and destruction, or life and death. 10 tips for farm emergency preparedness

Prepare an emergency contact list. Every worker and family member should have an electronic copy of the list and a hard copy in their vehicle. Ensure the list has all contact information for workers, family members, nearby neighbours, emergency services, spill and poison control, environmental services, and at least one out-of-town contact person unlikely to be affected by the emergency. Include contact information for your veterinarian, at least one livestock transport company, deadstock removal, and any local animal shelters or animal care facilities in the area. Assign responsibilities and train all workers. Every worker should understand their responsibilities during an emergency. Train each worker on at least two of these responsibilities so there is always a backup available if the primary is incapacitated or absent.

Ensure there is sufficient feed onsite for prolonged emergency situations and have plans in place for moving and caring for animals. Panicked animals are unpredictable. Having preparations in place ahead of time can reduce the chance of animal and animal-induced injuries during an emergency. First responders are typically not trained to work near farm animals and may be unprepared to deal with them.

Write down the emergency response plan. In addition to contact and responsibility lists, a written plan should include an up-to-date site map that shows water, power and fuel sources and shut offs, fire extinguisher, first aid, as well as spill kit locations. Also include site entrances, access lanes, electric fence locations, manure pits and chemical storage areas. Include herd sizes, locations and backup shelter areas for the animals. Prepare one of these plans W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • 2 9

for every property you work on and keep them readily available in a waterproof container clearly marked near the main site entrance so it is accessible to any first responder.

Provide emergency response training, such as first aid or grain rescue, for workers and family members who are on-site. Keep the training up-to-date and clearly communicate who has what training in the plan.

Practice the emergency response plan multiple times throughout the year. Ensure you practice for different seasons and conduct dry runs during daylight and after dark to identify gaps in planning. Debrief after the exercises with everyone involved and adjust your emergency plans accordingly.

Ask the local fire department to participate in some of the emergency response drills and give them a tour of the facility so they are aware of key points onsite. Give them a copy of the emergency response plan and provide them with updates as it changes.

Keep housekeeping up-to-date on the farm, in, and around buildings. Make sure the access lanes have clear civic address numbers and are kept in good condition. Park equipment so it does not need to be moved out of the way or away from buildings. Keep debris accumulation to a minimum and ensure lighting fixtures are working. Clearly mark any manure lagoons, open trenches or electric fences so they are visible in poor light or snow-covered conditions.

Keep appropriate equipment ready for seasonal emergencies. Have tillage equipment hooked up to a tractor for all hay and harvest seasons in the event of a field fire, and snow removal equipment ready to go for the winter. The time it takes to get this equipment ready may be more than you have available during an emergency.

Determine a fast and reliable way to communicate with workers and family members over the course of the emergency, such as PA systems, group texts/chats, or runners providing communication either verbally or with notes. Keep everyone updated at regular intervals throughout the emergency to apprise them of the situation and any changes.

Ryan Dick is health and safety consultant, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services. Resources Farm Safety Roundup Podcast: https://wsps.news/farmsafetypodcast Tune in for helpful guidance to safeguard farm workers, prevent illness and injury, and meet occupational health and safety responsibilities all with the goal of keeping every worker, healthy and safe, every day. Free Ag Safety Resources: https://wsps.ca/farmsafety Download free tools and resources to support health and safety planning on your farm.

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C A L F C A R E : P RO T O C OL S

BACK TO BASICS CALF CARE The difference protocols will make to calf health on your farm By Veal Farmers of Ontario

MANAGING CALF HEALTH IS A TEAM EFFORT. Depending on farm size, this could mean a variety of people have responsibility for calf health, husbandry, biosecurity, cleaning, feeding and even euthanasia.

W H Y D O I N E E D PRO T O C OL S ?

The key to the best possible outcomes in all aspects of raising and managing calves is consistency and one of the best ways to achieve consistency is by developing a strong and detailed set of protocols or standard operating procedures. In a step-by-step way, the protocols spell out routine on-farm

procedures involved in everything from managing and treating certain diseases or conditions to implementing biosecurity, managing vaccination regimens or handling euthanasia. The goal is any new farm employee could read them and understand how the tasks should be performed, resulting in a consistent approach regardless of who is completing the job. Ultimately, following standard processes will result in healthier calves while also lowering the cost of production by ensuring compliance with drug withdrawal periods, making it easier to train new employees, and maximizing treatment success by reducing the number of errors or missed treatments.

W H AT K I N D OF I N FOR M AT ION I S PA RT OF A PRO T O C OL?

A treatment protocol for Bovine Respiratory Disease and pneumonia, for example, will describe early symptoms of the condition to help

A biosecurity and cleaning protocol describes daily tasks to clean feeding equipment, automatic calf feeders, hutches and pens, as well as tips on how to best minimize possible disease transmission.

W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • 3 1

detect which animals might be sick. A scoring chart of the severity of clinical signs helps determine whether or not an antimicrobial treatment is required, followed by a list of acceptable treatment options, their dose and frequency, and necessary withdrawal times.

The calf vaccination protocol indicates at what age calves should be vaccinated against AGRI-TRAC which diseases withthe which vaccine. AGRI-TRAC Milled our dairy barn floors in August givesand the cows Traction they need • Increase milk production of 2000. 22 Years later we just had AGRI-TRAC A biosecurity and cleaning protocol describes daily tasks Milled our dairy barn floors in August without being too aggressive on their feet.toWe also AGRI-TRAC gives the cows the Traction they need • Increase heat detection to do them again. It lasted 22 Years! We chose s later we just had AGRI-TRAC back cleanonfeeding equipment, automatic feeders, hutches and the floorcalf is easy to scrape and clean. without being too aggressive their feet. We alsolike how Providing AGRI-TRAC both times instead of grooving m again. It lasted 22 Years! We chose pens, as well as tips on how to best minimize possible disease • Reduce hoof and leg injuries like how the floor is easy to scrape and clean. Permanent Traction James Walker Walkerbrae Farms Providing because it works and lasts. We have experience, oth times instead of grooving transmission. • Reduce cull rates for farmers Guelph, ON Permanent James Walker Walkerbrae Farms NOT work! Traction Thank you AGRI-TRAC. s and lasts. We have experience, grooving does that lasts decades! for farmers Guelph, ON NOT work! Thank you AGRI-TRAC. Mario Vriens Friendly Farms HOW D O I G E T S TA RT E D ? that lasts decades! Over 25 Years Providing Permanent Traction 877-966-3546 Arthur, ON Mario Vriens Friendly Farms www.agritraction.com Your veterinarian is the best partner in helping develop and 877-966-3546 forON farmerswww.agritraction.com that lasts decades! Arthur, implement protocols appropriate for your farm. That’s because they have a broad range of knowledge about production AGRI-TRAC gives the cows the AGRI-TRAC milled our dairy barn traction they need without being floors in August of 2000. 22 years practices, health and welfare, and can work with you to put the too aggressive on their feet. We later we just had AGRI-TRAC back solutions in place that will work best for your herd and operation. also like how the floor is easy to to do them again. It lasted 22 Years! scrape and clean. We chose AGRI-TRAC both times The calfcare.ca website features a series of downloadable James Walker, Walkerbrae Farms instead of grooving because it works Guelph, ON and lasts. Thank you AGRI-TRAC. protocol templates that can be completed and customized with Mario Vriens, Friendly Farms, the help of your herd veterinarian. Protocols are available for: Arthur, ON

Over 25 Years

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• Bovine Respiratory Disease • Calf vaccination • Cleaning and biosecurity • Dry cow vaccination • Euthanasia • Navel infection treatment • Diarrhea treatment You may already be following most or even all the best practices and procedures from memory, but it’s always best to have a written plan in place that considers all aspects of animal welfare and human safety. Proper documentation will also help benchmark performance and encourage continuous improvement. Calf Care, brought to you by Veal Farmers of Ontario, delivers the latest information to help you improve the way calves are raised on your farm. Follow @CalfCareCorner on Facebook and X, and signup for monthly e-newsletters on calfcare.ca.

Your veterinarian is the best partner in helping develop and implement protocols appropriate for your farm. That’s because they have a broad range of knowledge about production practices, health and welfare, and can work with you to put the solutions in place that will work best for your herd and operation.

Canadian Made Electrolyte Solutions

Solvet Electrolyte Powders Solvet Electrolytes are formulated based on the latest research to support the transport of water, electrolytes, and dextrose from the gut into the blood. Our manufacturing facility in Calgary recently completed a state-of-the-art dry powder room. We are now offering Electrolyte Powder and Electrolyte HE Powder in individual pouches, 2 kg, 4 kg, and 10 kg pails.

Solvet Electrolyes come in convenient, resealable 2 kg, 4 kg and 10 kg pails.

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For more information, please contact your veterinarian. Solvet is a subsidiary of AVL Ltd. - I Care For Cattle logo is a trademark of Solvet/AVL.

FA R ER SE MAM RC AH NAG : C AEN MOL E NATM E A L I N DA I RY R AT ION S

RESEARCH REVIEW EXAMINES TWO DECADES OF CANOLA MEAL IN DAIRY RATIONS By Essi Evans and Brittany Wood

AUTHORS ESSI EVANS, E+E TECHNICAL ADVISORY SERVICES INC., AND BRITTANY WOOD, CANOLA COUNCIL OF CANADA, published an article in the September edition of the international journal Advances in Dairy Research. The article, “Canola meal as a feed ingredient for lactating dairy cows: A review” is a compilation of the large body of research published since 2000 on the composition of and use of the meal by dairy cattle. The review is divided into two sections: nutrient analyses and feeding trial results. The nutrient analyses section tabulates the nutrient values for the meal based on recent laboratory analysis and

digestibility studies. Included is a summary of a four-year sampling survey. This review is intended to provide nutritionists and others that formulate dairy rations with the most accurate information available to reliably formulate diets using the ingredient. The review updates values for rumen-undegraded protein and amino acids. A major change, consistent with newer methods of analysis performed by forage labs is the digestibility value for fibre. This resulted in higher energy values for canola meal. Although canola meal has a lower energy value than soybean meal, the difference is less than that found in older feed tables. Canola meal has a higher fat content than many other vegetable proteins and a higher fibre content than soybean meal. The fat is completely available and helps reduce the difference in energy content between the two meals. Canola protein has a rumen escape — or bypass protein — value that is greater than that found in soybean meal. In addition, the amino acid profile is more closely matched to the needs of the dairy cow than any other vegetable protein. Because the profile matches cows’ needs so effectively, the protein is used with high efficiency. In many of the trials evaluated, milk urea nitrogen (MUN) was reduced when canola meal was fed. The review tabulates and provides analyses of research completed at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, as well as research institutions in Canada and the United States. Some key facts emanating from the feeding experiments: • Canola meal is a highly palatable ingredient for lactating cows and encourages higher dry matter intake, particularly in early lactation. • When compared with soybean meal, results from 22 mid-lactation studies demonstrated a 1.1-kilogram advantage in milk yield for canola meal, with components unchanged or increased in most trials.

3 4 • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A

• Results from six early lactation comparisons showed a threekilogram advantage for the first 16 weeks in lactation, along with a 2.8 per cent improvement in feed efficiency. • One long-term (10-week) feeding experiment demonstrated canola meal improved past-peak persistency when compared with soybean meal as the major source of added protein. Diets were formulated to the same nutrient specifications and provided 16 per cent crude protein (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Results found after 10 weeks of feeding diets, formulated to the same specifications with either canola meal or soybean meal as the major source of added protein. At the end of 10 weeks, cows produced 42.7 kilograms with the canola meal diet and 39 kilograms of milk with the soybean meal diet. • Canola meal has been found to reduce greenhouse gas production per unit of dry matter intake and per unit of milk produced (Table 1). The reduction in methane output is proportional to the canola meal inclusion rate in the diet and can make a significant contribution. Table 1. Average methane output when canola meal is substituted for soybean meal. Average for six studies. Soybean Canola meal meal Energy corrected milk, kg

38.68

39.70

Methane, g/kg dry matter intake

19.52

18.05

Methane, g/kg energy corrected milk

12.27

11.22

Essi Evans is Owner, E+E Technical Advisory Services Inc., and Brittany Wood is Director, Canola Utilization, Canola Council of Canada. The full 12-page review, complete with references, is available at canolamazing.com.

CALLING ALL

ONTARIO

DAIRY FARMERS We seek to better understand the challenges you encounter while caring for down dairy cows, along with gaining insight into your decisionmaking process for effective management. Join us for a focus group, including an honorarium of $100 and lunch. Takes about 2 hours.

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John Brindle Dr. Dave Renaud Dr. Charlotte Winder

519-731-5828 brindlej@uoguelph.ca

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

Building credibility with traceability For Gerrit Damsteegt, traceability is important to build public trust and ensure that our industry can thrive by providing protection, prosperity, and peace of mind. What does traceability mean to you?

“

”

Traceability builds a lot of credibility for us as producers, to governments, to the consumer, to other countries. Gerrit Damsteegt Milking 140 cows in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia

Check out the new DairyTrace website!

Meet dairy producers across Canada in our video series as they share why and how they implement traceability on their farm. DairyTrace.ca • 1-866-55-TRACE (1-866-558-7223) • info@DairyTrace.ca

R E S E A RC H : FA S UR SM TAM I NA A NAG B I L IETMYE N T

GLOBAL FOOD SYSTEM CAN RISE TO CHALLENGES, NEW RESEARCH SHOWS Technology, innovation and incentives fundamental to change

— Tara McCarthy, global vice president of ESG (environment, social, governance), Alltech

By Lilian Schaer

A GLOBAL SURVEY INTO THE ATTITUDES TOWARD AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY shows there’s a realistic understanding of the challenges currently facing the agri-food industry, and respondents are overwhelmingly optimistic about the food system’s ability to rise to these challenges.

"Agriculture is an industry with an enviable purpose — we are feeding the world and our goal is to do that sustainably — so we have to stay aligned and continue to ask questions and look for answers.”

this summer during its Alltech ONE World Tour. More than 2,500 respondents from around the world participated in the survey, which was conducted for Alltech for the first time this year.

As well, they believe innovation and technology will be crucial to more sustainable food systems — and that change is unlikely to happen if farmers aren’t incentivized to do so.

“The world isn’t in a crisis, it is in a series of crises,” noted Tara McCarthy, Alltech’s global vice president of ESG (environment, social, governance) during a presentation in Calgary, listing the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, the war in Ukraine, cybersecurity and climate change as key issues challenging countries around the world.

Those are the highlights of the Alltech Sustainability Insights research the global animal nutrition company released earlier

“There is no doubt the environment will be one of the biggest challenges we face, but the challenge is that we don’t all agree how

to get out of it,” she added. “The environment is a megatrend, and we have to navigate this and the resource scarcity this implies.” Sustainability didn’t become a theme of conferences or a board room topic until the last few years, she noted, when the United Nations (UN) released its Sustainable Development Goals, and the UN climate change conferences began attracting sustainability investments and commitments from around the world. The European Union (EU) approved its Green Deal in 2020, with its goals of reducing emissions 55 per cent by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050. Governments in other countries are also making climate commitments. W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • 3 7

Alltech’s research into the challenges, opportunities, drivers and attitudes toward change and who will need to pay for it

88%

noted the pandemic and war in Ukraine have highlighted the vulnerability of the world’s food system

78%

of all respondents indicated climate change will make food production more difficult in the future

85%

of global respondents — 91 per cent in North America — had confidence the food system can rise to the challenges it faces, supported by a strong belief in technology.

“Obviously, that has an impact on our agriculture, where we’re seeing farmers protesting and feeling they’re no longer welcome, but we are also seeing new business models coming through where farmers are actually being rewarded for the new requests businesses are making of them,” McCarthy said. A desire to find out what makes agriculture around the world believe in the future was the catalyst for Alltech’s research into the challenges, opportunities, drivers and attitudes toward change and who will need to pay for it. Of the respondents, 88 per cent noted the pandemic and war in Ukraine have highlighted the vulnerability of the world’s food system. At the same time, 78 per cent of all respondents indicated climate change will make food production more difficult in the future, a figure that was higher in Latin America and Asia and dropped to only 56 per cent among North American respondents. And 85 per cent of global respondents — 91 per cent in North America — had confidence the food system can rise to the challenges it faces, supported by a strong belief in technology. Innovation, they noted, will be

3 8 • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A

key to creating a more sustainable food system and there must be incentives for farmers to drive change. Globally, respondents identified their top six drivers as rising costs and inflation, a growing world population, climate change, supply chain disruption, availability of agricultural labour and water quality. In North America, the picture is a bit different, where respondents selected the availability of agricultural labour as the top driver, followed by inflation and rising costs, supply chain disruption, a growing global population, market forces and declining water resources. Three quarters of global respondents think they can change their business practices in the next three years to improve their environmental sustainability, and 76 per cent believe they understand the changes that are needed to create a more sustainable food system. At the same time, only one in four is very confident in the environmental impact they will have, and although almost two-thirds of global respondents believe government should help drive sustainability changes, only 27 per cent in North America share that sentiment. Overall, noted McCarthy in a follow-up interview, the research team expected to see varying attitudes from different parts of the agri-food value chain, but that wasn’t the case. “The value chain in each geography is actually quite aligned, and although on certain topics there were some light nuances, like crop producers being more worried about water than others, it was pretty consistent on what was important,” she said. “There are different cultural nuances that influence points of view, too: regulation and government have a much stronger influence in the EU, whereas there is a more entrepreneurial free sprit in North America.” The results also showed strong concern in Europe around climate conversations,

whereas North American respondents pointed more toward the reputation of the agriculture sector and licence to operate as a fundamental concern. “My challenge to the North American industry is that while they have done amazing things with production efficiency and the adaptation of technology, past performance is not an indicator of future returns, so how do you make sure you are watching your horizons?” she asked. “Look at what is around you and ensure you aren’t out of step.” An important way to ensure reputation is protected is through data measurement, technological adaption and collaboration, with 92 per cent of survey respondents globally citing the need for regulators, farmers, investors and non-government organizations to work together and create frameworks that build trust. According to McCarthy, although the ESG agenda can be politicized, it’s fundamentally about increasing efficiency and productivity, and reducing waste, which benefits both farmers and the environment. For farm businesses, this means recording what they do, knowing their numbers and understanding opportunities for greater efficiency by looking at work practices, technology and innovation. “In this world, trust is at a premium, so you need to be able to prove what you’re doing — and as an industry, you’re only as good as your weakest link, so how do you make sure the rising tide raises all boats?” she asked. “Agriculture is an industry with an enviable purpose — we are feeding the world and our goal is to do that sustainably — so we have to stay aligned and continue to ask questions and look for answers.” This article is provided by Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC) as part of its ongoing efforts to report on research developments and outcomes affecting the Canadian livestock industry. LRIC is supported by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a five-year, federalprovincial-territorial initiative.

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4 0 • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A

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next issue The Future of Dairy

DFC

IN ACTION Holiday message from David Wiens, President of Dairy Farmers of Canada With winter quickly approaching, it’s a busy time both on and off the farm. Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) has continued tackling many challenges head on, and the team has not stopped working to protect the integrity of our industry. Your resiliency and dedication have been evident to everyone on the DFC team and inspire us all. Farmers are going into a well-deserved holiday season, and I hope everyone enjoys time with family and friends.

Optimism going into 2024

I love seeing the next generation of farmers grow, learn, and become leaders in their own right. That's why I'm proud that DFC will be sponsoring the Future Leaders Development Program in Winnipeg, Manitoba, from February 12 to 15, 2024. It offers young dairy producers the opportunity to learn more about the roles and responsibilities of being a director before they seek election or appointment to a dairy board. They'll grow and be inspired as they hear from an incredible lineup of top industry leaders. I hope these speakers - myself included - will walk away inspired, too Participants will be chosen by the sponsoring organizations, so spots are limited - contact your provincial dairy association for more information. You have until December 31 to apply. We also look forward to what next year holds for our sustainability efforts. DFC is excited about the Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge. Launched by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in November, this new program aims to help agricultural sectors, including dairy, reach net zero objectives. Up to $12 million will be awarded to innovators for low-cost and scalable practices, processes, and technologies designed to reduce methane emissions produced by cattle. Much positivity comes from the fact that this program was designed in collaboration with the sectors committed to emissions reduction, including DFC.

Encouraging consumers to choose Canadian dairy this holiday season

With more imports and plant-based products crowding store shelves, our Holiday Campaign is helping to remind consumers that nutritious, high-quality Canadian dairy should be on their grocery lists this season. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work involved in our campaigns – but they would not be as impactful without the work you are doing on your farms.

David Wiens

Dairy farmers took home many awards in 2023 This past year was full of awards for the Blue Cow logo, our sustainability messaging, and the global standing of Canadian dairy farmers. In June, DFC’s “Net Zero by 2050 – We’re In” campaign took home two World Dairy Innovation Awards at the Global Dairy Congress in London, England. This honour was followed with another win when, this October at the International Dairy Federation’s World Dairy Summit in Chicago, the campaign won in the Innovation in Marketing & Communication Initiative Building Dairy category. In November, “We’re In” was honoured once again – this time for Best Marketing Campaign at the World Beverage Innovation Awards in Nuremberg, Germany. Our awards weren’t limited to advertising – our publications are garnering the respect they deserve, too! DFC’s Net Zero by 2050: Best Management Practices Guide to Mitigate Emissions on Dairy Farms recently took first place in the Product Catalog & Guides category at the Canadian Agri-food Marketers Alliance (CAMA) annual awards gala this fall. These accolades would not be possible without your hard work. Every honour received recognizes the Canadian dairy industry’s commitment to continuous innovation, both on and off the farm. Our sector has taken sustainable milk production to new heights, and we aren’t stopping there. I cannot wait to see what’s next in 2024! From my family to yours, wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year.

David Wiens

President, Dairy Farmers of Canada

Join us at DFC’s 2024 Annual Policy Conference Building a Robust and Modern Canadian Dairy Industry for the Future is the theme of DFC’s 2024 Annual Policy Conference (APC). Taking place from February 5 to 8, dairy farmers can join in person at the Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa or watch online through a livestream. Learn more about the APC and register at dairyfarmersofcanada.ca/en/2024-annual policy-conference.

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

This December 1946 cover may be the ultimate image of a serene Silent Night but there’s more to the story.

4 2 • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • W W W. M I L K P R O D U C E R . C A

With the Second World War having ended only one year earlier, the world was still experiencing many aftereffects including homelessness, continued diplomatic tensions and the threat of nuclear warfare, as well as a European economy in ruins. Europe needed help.

would see Canada sell Great Britain 600 million bushels of wheat at a fixed price to ensure those half a world away could put bread on the table.

Canada, “the breadbasket of the Empire,” was called upon to increase food production, especially of wheat. A four-year agreement

“Raising a crop these years is more than money in your pocket... it's a glow in your heart,” writes Edna Jaques.

It was one price of victory Canadian farmers were happy to pay in order to impact the lives of relatives, friends and allies.

For the life of your dairy ™

NEXT GENERATION ROTARY Contact Your BouMatic Dealer Today! Dundas Agri-Systems Brinston 613-652-4844 Optimum Agri Belle Vallee 705-647-5040 Penner Farm Services Blumenort 800-461-9333 204-326-3781

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The BouMatic Xcalibur rotary is highly regarded for its quality, comfort, and reliability. The Next Generation Rotary features improved cow comfort with a lower profile bail and better unit alignment. Redesigning of the cabinet and changes to the serviceability of the rotary will bring the operator’s comfort of ownership to a new level. With sizes from 40 to 150 stalls. To learn more about how you can milk more cows with less labor and increased performance, visit us at BouMatic.com/Xcalibur2.0

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