Better your Beef | Better your Business HEREFORD
Better built for Canadian winters. Keeping a herd healthy and profitable isn’t always easy. And it gets even harder through Canada’s tough winters. Originally introduced to Canada because of our tough winters, Herefords and Hereford crosses are hardy enough to stay strong through the toughest weather. With these durable winter grazers, you’ll see lower feed costs and unmatched feed efficiency. It’s time to BETTER YOUR BEEF, and BETTER YOUR BUSINESS , with the enduring benefits of Hereford.
HIDDEN-VIEW POLLED HEREFORDS
Joe and Karen Paszternak NORWOOD, ON 705-9573739 or 705-957-7470 karen.paszternak@gmail.com Bulls for sale
JDL CATTLE CO. & D&S LIVESTOCK
David & Shirley Lasby
Josh Lasby, Justin & Jaimie Lasby & Family, Jessica Lasby & Travis Fulford & Family MULMUR, ON 519-943-4147 or 519-278-6819
jessica.lasby@hotmail.com
Good-looking, Sound, Functional Cattle!
LIAN MOR POLLED HEREFORD
Wally & Fern Pugh MONO, ON
Wally & Fern Pugh lianmor48@gmail.com · 519-941-8515
Trevor & Amy tpugh27@yahoo.com · 519-939-7489
Breeding Stock Available
MEDONTE HIGHLANDS POLLED HEREFORDS
3055 Universal Dr. Mississauga, Ontario (905) 625-3151 maria@standardmechanical.com
“6 Star Breeder”
O’SHEA FARMS
Jamie and Mel O’Shea DENFIELD, ON 519-477-1238
osheafarms@hotmail.com Bulls and Females for sale
WHISKEY LANE LIVESTOCK
Herford and Angus Scott, Paula, Jason and Shelby Cornish INDIAN RIVER, ON 705-295-2925
705-878-3248 (Scott’s Cell) 705-341-3220 (Paula’s Cell) wll@nexicom.net
Visitors Always Welcome
ON THE COVER:
After a brief and unexpected hiatus from the printed edition, Ontario Beef is back in your mailbox! In this issue of Ontario Beef you will find information about the recently announced increase in investment to RMP. There are two great profiles on producers who are embracing their locations and customers. We have updates from CCA and Canada Beef. OMAFA discusses the importance of keeping plant material from lawns and gardens away from cattle, and our Focus on Herd Health discusses vitamin supplementation for calves. This issue also celebrates our 10th anniversary of our Beef Program with Feed Ontario, this past year’s Sharecost Innovation Award winners, and the fun, new addition to the arena at the Paisley Community Centre. If you read the digital edition of the magazine in December, you might recognize a couple of the articles, but knowing not everyone received the digital version, we felt a couple of the great articles were worth sharing again!
Thank you to Emily McKinlay for submitting this beautiful, wintery cover photo. The photo of their cattle was taken by Sam Kennedy of Crown Point Photography. Don’t miss out on submitting your photos for our May issue. Please send your spring-inspired photos by April 15 to be considered for the cover. Digital photos in portrait orientation that are at least 300dpi are preferred, and can be
ONTARIO BEEF • Beef Farmers of Ontario 130 Malcolm Road, Guelph, ON N1K 1B1 • Phone: 519-824-0334 • Toll Free (for Ontario callers only) 1-866-370-BEEF (2333) Fax: 519-824-9101 • info@ontariobeef.com
EDITOR
LeaAnne Wurmli
CIRCULATION COORDINATOR
Charlene Yungblut
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Cathy Lasby, Preferred Agri-Marketing Services
Guelph, ON Phone: 519-763-8833 • Fax: 519-763-8833 pams@sentex.net
DESIGN and LAYOUT
Prism Studios Advertising and Design Inc. Guelph, ON
PRODUCTION and PRINTING
Beck’s Printing Services, Brantford, ON
PROVIDING A FORUM FOR THE ONTARIO BEEF INDUSTRY
Ontario Beef is the official publication of the Beef Farmers of Ontario. Contents of this publication may be reproduced only by permission of the Editor and with credit acknowledged.
Opinions expressed herein are those of the author and/or editor and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Beef Farmers of Ontario. Publication of advertisements does not constitute endorsement or approval by Ontario Beef or the Beef Farmers of Ontario of products or services advertised.
Advertising deadlines are January 10, April 15, July 15, September 15 and November 15. The publisher reserves the right to refuse or cancel any advertising, including advertising that is inconsistent with BFO’s Sponsorship Policy, available at www.ontariobeef.com. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of material published, however no responsibility can be assumed for advertising not received in clear, type-written form.
Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement Number 0040007029
POSTMASTER: Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Beef Farmers of Ontario, 130 Malcolm Road, Guelph, ON N1K 1B1
AHEAD OF THE HEARD
By Craig McLaughlin, BFO President info@ontariobeef.com • www.ontariobeef.com
Cold Temperatures and Hot Topics
Despite the cold temperatures, there has been no shortage of hot topics facing the Ontario and Canadian cattle sectors as we welcome a new year. Trade, a federal leadership race coupled with federal election speculations, the most recent news of a snap election in Ontario, as well as our proposed check-off increase have all provided some good fodder for lively coffee and water cooler conversations.
As we close the book on January 2025, we have some good news to add to the conversation. I will get to some of the realities we’re facing in a moment, but we can’t ignore the significance of the Government of Ontario’s recent announcement to increase their annual investment in the Risk Management Program (RMP) by $100 million.
Increasing the provincial investment into RMP has been of the highest priority for BFO for the last several years, and since the last increase of $50 million was committed to the program in 2020. At every opportunity, in every meeting, conversation, presentation, submission and consultation, we have remained steadfast in our request for additional funding for the program, which we know has a direct and significant impact on our farmers and their operations. Without question, this program has helped our sector sustain our beef production in the province since its inception in 2011.
As we face growing risks associated with rising costs and speculative trade uncertainty, RMP will become an even more important tool to help our operations manage risk that is completely out of our control. I strongly urge anyone who is not enrolled in the program, to learn more about it and seriously consider the insurance coverage. The deadline to enrol in the program and confirm coverage levels is typically April 1st, but more information can be found at agricorp.com, or by contacting the BFO office.
I would like to sincerely thank Premier Ford, Minister Bethlenfalvy, Minister Flack and all Members of Provincial Parliament and staff on both sides of the aisle who have advocated for and supported our
BFO BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2024
Craig McLaughlin (Eastern Director) – President
Phone: 613-504-1863 • Email: cmblackhorse@gmail.com
Jason Leblond (Northern Director) – Vice President
Email: jacres5@gmail.com
Don Badour (Cow-Calf Director)
Email: don.badour@gmail.com
Don Hargrave (Cow-Calf Director)
Email: dchargrave@gmail.com
Jim Whitley (Cow-Calf Director)
Email: modelaranch@hotmail.com
Joost van der Heiden (Background Director)
Email: jcvdheiden@hotmail.com
Joe Dickenson (Feedlot Director)
Email: joe@dickensonfarms.com
Jairus Maus (Feedlot Director)
Email: ellengowanfarms@gmail.com
Tom Kroesbergen (Feedlot Director)
Email: tomkroes50@hotmail.com
Ron Stevenson (Southern Director)
Email: ron@metzgervet.com
Ralph Eyre (Director-At-Large)
Email: ralph@eyrefarms.ca
Kim Jo Bliss (Director-At-Large)
Email: kimjobliss@gmail.com
Emily Bromley (Youth Director)
Email: fondoak@live.ca
request for increased investment in this critically important program for farmers and our food producing sectors.
Now onto the elephant in the room. As I noted in my previous column, following the U.S. election last November, President-Elect Donald Trump announced his pledge to implement a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports after being sworn in as president in January. Given the significance of our trading relationship for both beef and cattle, CCA got to work immediately by reviewing the economic impact of the proposed tariffs to help prepare our defense, if needed. That analysis has since been completed, and as expected, articulates the devastating impacts the tariffs could pose to the Canadian beef sector.
On January 20th, while we all held our collective breath as an industry and country, we fortunately evaded the implementation of the tariff pledge with no mention of Canada during the President’s inauguration speech. Shortly thereafter, while signing executive orders that evening, President Trump made suggestive comments that the tariffs could take effect on February 1. To be clear, no formal announcement from U.S. President Trump regarding tariffs has been made at the time of writing (late January).
Our work on this issue began early in the new year with a trip to the State Ag and Rural Leaders’ Summit in Des Moines, Iowa. Myself, BFO Executive Director Richard Horne and BFO Past President and CCA Director Jack Chaffe attended the three-day event where we met with a number of Canadian and U.S. officials to discuss the proposed tariffs and the detrimental impact that would be felt on both sides of the border.
During these conversations, we stressed that tariffs would greatly increase the cost of processing cattle and the cost of beef. Significant numbers of Canadian cattle are sent to packing plants in the U.S. for processing and are returned to Canada as beef for retail sale.
BFO STAFF
Executive Director
Richard Horne • richard@ontariobeef.com
Manager of Policy and Issues
Thomas Brandstetter • thomas@ontariobeef.com
Policy Advisor
Evan Chaffe • evan@ontariobeef.com
Director of Communications
LeaAnne Wurmli • leaanne@ontariobeef.com
Manager of Public Engagement and Digital Strategy
Jennifer Kyle • jennifer@ontariobeef.com
Engagement Coordinator
Charlene Yungblut • charlene@ontariobeef.com
Member Information Coordinator
Jamie Gamble • markets@ontariobeef.com
Accountant
Amber McIntyre • amber@ontariobeef.com
Office Manager
Lisandra Lima • lisandra@ontariobeef.com
Manager of Producer Relations & Director of the Ontario Beef Youth Alliance
Jaclyn Horenberg • jaclyn@ontariobeef.com
Senior Producer Relations Advisor
Dan Ferguson • dan@ontariobeef.com
Producer Relations Specialist
Robert McKinlay • robert@ontariobeef.com
Manager of Compliance
Chris Millar • chrism@ontariobeef.com
Provincial Supervisor, Ontario Feeder Cattle and Beef Breeder Co-op Programs
Cheryl Russwurm • crfeederfin@wightman.ca
Supervisor of Provincial Programs
Barb Caswell • barb@ontariobeef.com
Numerous U.S.-born cattle are fed in Canadian feedlots before returning to the U.S. for processing.
The integration of the North American live cattle and beef supply chain is unlike anywhere else in the world, contributing to both food security and local and regional food systems. The U.S. and Canada have the largest two-way trade in live cattle and beef in the world. U.S. small and medium sized processors and local and regional food systems rely on Canadian cattle to thrive and stay in business. Similarly, the U.S. is a crucial export partner for the Canadian beef industry.
We will be carrying this same message to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Convention in San Antonio, Texas the first week of February. BFO, CCA, the National Cattle Feeders’ Association and many of our provincial counterparts and industry partners will have a strong presence at the annual event to help assert the significance of our trading relationship. Both the proposed tariffs and the 2026 review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) will be the focus of our conversations.
Together with our national counterparts, this issue will be of the highest priority in the coming weeks and months. We are preparing for possible tariffs, but our hope is that our free trade and integrated market will prevail.
On a lighter note, in early January, I was invited to participate in Beef Day during the Grey Bruce Farmers’ Week program in Elmwood, Ontario. This was my first time attending the event, and it lived up to the hype. From Elmwood, I travelled to London, Ontario to attend the Ontario Beef Industry Convention hosted by the Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association (OCFA). The annual sold-out event featured excellent speakers, an all-star meal, a lively auction and the perfect venue to catch up with friends. On behalf of the BFO Board of Directors and staff, we congratulate the OCFA Board, Jim Clark and staff on hosting another successful convention.
We’ve also just wrapped up another year of local association annual general meetings. Along with many familiar faces, I was encouraged
to see the number of young producers attending these AGM’s. The beef industry is attracting the next generation of farmers, which is very exciting. One of my meeting assignments was the Leeds County AGM, and the highlight came after the meeting when Sarah Hunt invited myself and OFA Director Clint Cameron to visit the Farmersville Community Abattoir, owned by Sarah and her husband Chad. The couple, who farm in Pakenham, have really demonstrated the spirit of entrepreneurship by purchasing the business located in Athens in February 2020. I was truly impressed by the recent upgrades and how spotless and clean the abattoir presented itself. Thank you, Sarah and Chad (who located my lost phone)!
Regarding our AGM, we really do appreciate the participation of our members and the active discussion on a number of files, most specifically on the proposed check-off increase of $1.50 that will be presented to voting delegates at our AGM this month.
As we shared at these meetings, unlike other increases in recent years, this check-off increase request largely comes down to inflation and our ability to effectively maintain services, capacity and our presence with government and key decision makers, and to help align Ontario with our provincial counterparts and support our national groups who we believe are doing good work.
We encourage all of our members to have a healthy discussion on our proposal and to share their thoughts and comments with their local associations and voting delegates who will vote on the amendment to the Beef Cattle Marketing Act at our AGM. If you would like more background, please visit the homepage of our website at www.ontariobeef.com for a more fulsome review.
I hope to see many of you at our AGM this month in Toronto, and a reminder that our Cattle Academy program and meeting on February 18-20th is livestreamed for observers to watch the proceedings. Visit ontariobeefagm.com to catch us on the big stage.
Beef farming: Only for the brave. OB
AtResolutions Update THE BEEF BEAT
By Thomas Brandstetter, BFO Manager of Policy & Issues thomas@ontariobeef.com • www.ontariobeef.com
BFO’s Annual General Meeting last year, a number of resolutions were put forward and efforts to address the 2024 BFO resolutions are now complete. An overview of the resolution responses and associated actions can be found below. If you are interested in reading more about a particular resolution, all BFO resolution responses can be found on BFO’s website or by contacting the BFO office. Resolutions carried at BFO’s 2025 Annual General Meeting this month will also be posted by the end of the month.
23-01 MDS Guideline Enforcement
BFO is engaging with OMAFA to discuss concerns around improper application of MDS at the municipal level and efforts to ensure planners understand MDS, its importance, and steps that can be taken when there are valid concerns with the implementation of MDS by municipalities.
GLEN ISLAY KIND
For over 50 years we have been supplying bulls all across Canada and seven other countries. Our bulls provide a balance of calving ease, performance, fleshing ability, and eye appeal. Reserve your bulls now and we will semen test them and deliver them when you need them. No one ever regretted buying quality.
DON & JEANNETTE CURRIE
2234 Conc. 11, R R #1, Nottawa, Ontario L0M 1P0
Phone/Fax: 705-445-1526
Cell: 705-715-2234 • Email: doncurrie@glenislay.com
BFO has also been in communication with OFA to share the concerns addressed in this resolution and gain an understanding of OFA’s position on this matter and opportunities for our organizations to collaborate to advance this issue.
23-02 Access to Crown Land
Helping to grow Ontario’s agri-food land base through investments in community pastures and policy flexibility that allows Crown land to be accessed by farmers for food production is an issue we continue to raise with elected officials and ministry staff. BFO will continue to engage the provincial government to improve the process for accessing Crown land for agriculture and ensuring it is defined and transparent.
23-03 APP Loan Limits
Ensuring that the industry has access to predictable, timely, and effective BRM programs continues to be a critical pillar of BFO’s government relations priorities. The federal budget was officially announced on April 16, 2024 and it confirmed that the interest-free portion of APP for the 2024-25 program year will be $250,000. While we were disappointed the interest-free portion was not maintained at the $350,000 level, we were pleased it did not revert back to $100,000. BFO will continue to press this issue with CCA and the federal government as we know the importance of this program to Ontario producers.
23-04 E-Logs and Animal Welfare in Transporting Cattle
BFO has met with provincial officials to discuss the grassroots impact these regulations have on the livestock sector, outlined our concerns and requested immediate guidance to enforcement officers clearly stating that certain scenarios should be classified as ‘emergency situations’ when dealing with livestock transportation. In June 2024 we were pleased that relevant portions of the guideline relating to the regulations have been revised to provide guidance to industry and enforcement while adhering to the Federal Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations. They have been clarified that a risk to animal welfare is considered an emergency situation which would allow a driver to exceed 13 hours driving time and 14 hours on-duty time in order to reach their destination. All front-line enforcement staff in Ontario have been made aware of this change.
Sharecost Innovation Awards Announced
By BFO Staff
TheSharecost Program, administered each year by BFO, continues to be a well-utilized program with the majority of local associations participating. In support of producer and consumer education initiatives, 39 participating counties and districts took part in 2024, receiving a total return to the local level of just over $123,000. Each year, local associations put forth time, effort and commitment to supporting local initiatives and programs to promote and raise awareness of beef and beef farming in the province. In November 2024, final applications were submitted, including invoices and record of payment for each activity. In return, BFO provides a cost-share of 80 per cent, up to a maximum of $2,500 for consumer education initiatives and $2,500 for producer education initiatives, and new in 2024, a stream was added for food bank donations up to $1,000. The total maximum return of $6,000 was available to each local association. In 2024, qualifying producer applications ranged from youth programs and scholarships to educational workshops, while consumer activities included engaging consumers at agriculture awareness events and advertisement campaigns with radio stations and newspapers.
As an additional component of the BFO Sharecost Program, local associations were encouraged to send submissions for the BFO Sharecost Innovation Award. Associations may submit an application for either a consumer or producer project the local association is especially proud of. The award is presented based on leadership, innovation, creativity and success of execution. We had a number of entries this year with programs and projects submitted demonstrating beef farmers’ support for their communities and member engagement. We congratulate all of the local associations who took the time to apply. The first-place winner is awarded $500, while second place receives $250 and third place receives $100.
Congratulations to our 2024 winners: Beef Farmers of Wellington County, Beef Farmers of Frontenac, and Lambton Cattlemen’s Association!
1st Place – Engaging with Elected Officials
Beef Farmers of Wellington County hosted an invitational barbecue for Senators, MPs, MPPs and Mayors in their region as a way to engage with their elected officials and build their relationship with key decision makers in their county. The leadership of the association shared a short speech on the value of beef farming in Wellington County, which was followed by an Ontario beef barbecue and an afternoon of networking.
2nd Place – A Day to Talk About Beef
The Beef Farmers of Frontenac hosted a successful agricultural awareness event called Beef Day aimed at engaging with the public about beef farming. The event featured a variety of professionals who gave valuable insights into different aspects of beef farming - a veterinarian, a hoof trimmer, and a nutritionist were all on hand to provide demonstrations and interactive talks. The event was open to the public, giving local community members the opportunity to learn about beef farming practices and ask questions directly to industry experts. To make the event more enjoyable, guests were treated to a light lunch featuring Ontario beef on a bun!
3rd Place –Miracle Max’s Minions
Several local associations made generous donations to their local food banks, including the Lambton Cattlemen’s Association (LCA). Producer Tom Wilson delivered 70 lb of ground beef to the St. Andrew’s Foodbank in Corunna, Ont. on behalf of the LCA. Photo credit: St. Andrew’s Foodbank
The Lambton Cattlemen’s Association supported members of their local community and an important charity initiative in support of childhood cancer. Miracle Max’s Minions, is a project in memory of Max Rombouts, a two-year-old from Thedford, Ontario, who passed away in 2019 after battling leukemia. In his memory, each year, a number of sites in Lambton County plant fields of sunflowers in his memory and to raise money for important charities like Childcan, the TLC Foundation and Ronald McDonald House. Beef farmers care! OB
JPD ANGUS
Breeding for Cow Families
Purebred black Angus yearling bulls and heifers for sale by private treaty. Backed by superior genetics selected for phenotype,calving ease, growth and performance as well as carcass merit.
Please feel free to give us a call to arrange a farm visit or to discuss your needs and obtain a list of our offering.
Michaela’s cell: 705-720-0085
michaela.jpdangus@gmail.com
Lori’s cell: 705-720-0829
lorijchalmers@gmail.com
Located just north of Barrie off of Hwy 400 in Oro-Medonte.
23-05 Animal Care Advisor (ACA) Protocol for On-Farm Visits
BFO staff have created an ACA Program Guide which will serve as a manual for our animal care work with Animal Welfare Services (AWS) Inspectors. It covers when BFO gets involved in AWS inspections, the role that an ACA plays in these inspections, how ACAs are assigned, biosecurity protocols, safety factors on farm, reporting requirements, conflicts of interest, and confidentiality. A virtual ACA training session is taking place at the end of February where the content of the ACA Program Guide will be reviewed in detail.
23-06 Deadstock Collection Issues
Government launched the Increasing Deadstock Capacity Initiative in late 2023 to provide cost-share funding support for deadstock management to address immediate and short-term deadstock capacity needs at businesses, including new or existing deadstock service providers, and municipalities in Ontario through increasing capacity and improving sustainability. In November 2024, the program was expanded allowing primary livestock producers to apply. The intake has since closed with the funding being fully allocated. Existing deadstock service providers that our members utilize were successful in securing funding through the initiative allowing them to expand their service area radius. One provider launched a membership incentive program allowing beef farmers to access their service and have their sales tracked. At the end of the year they will receive a dividend.
23-07 Livestock Inspection Consistency
BFO has increased communication with CFIA and OMAFA inspection staff regarding our members’ concerns by meeting with them on a regular base to discuss them and have them addressed. Through these meetings, CFIA has asked BFO to obtain relevant and specific information from our members regarding complaints as this is key to finding actionable solutions to these concerns. We are creating a form that producers can access on our website, fill out and submit. BFO will then be able to track any problem areas within the province for both CFIA and OMAFA and work together towards practical solutions.
23-08 Vet Assistance Program Review
The Minister of Northern Development and Indigenous Affairs during his speech at BFO’s 2024 AGM in publicly announced plans to conduct the VAP review. Engagement sessions were held last spring and BFO provided comments and recommendations to improve program delivery that aligned with positions of other stakeholder groups. The ministry communicated to stakeholders that, following further analysis of stakeholder feedback, they intend to have their VAP recommendations finalized last fall. They have yet to be announced.
23-09 SRM Harmonization with U.S.
An extensive risk assessment was recently completed by an outside firm to compare Canada’s current SRM system to the system used in the United States. It sought to address the likelihood of
a susceptible animal species or human being exposed to a BSE agent under the current and proposed (U.S.) scheme, of the BSE agent being recycled in the cattle population under the current and proposed scheme of domestic or international market impacts as a result of the changed policy and of a changed policy having a negative impact on Canada’s BSE negligible risk status. The study is now complete and is currently in the process of being reviewed by international experts. Once this peer review process is complete, it will be up to the CFIA to determine the development of potential new regulations to support SRM policy, consult with industry and the public, and implement the changes, hopefully.
23-10 Feeder Finance Limits, Personal Loan Amounts and Total Amount
We were pleased that, on July 29, 2024, in Carleton Place, OMAFA Minister Flack announced an increase of the Ontario government guarantee under the Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program (OFCLGP) from $65M to $125M to allow total program lending to grow to up to $500M. Individual loan limit for experienced individuals is increasing from $1M to $2M and for experienced corporations from $1.5M to $3M. The loan limit for inexperienced individuals is increasing from $100K to $200K. All of the changes announced will allow the program to better respond to the escalation in cattle prices, and growing interest from new and existing beef farmers who value the program for its reliable access to affordable credit.
23-11 Separate Animal Welfare Legislation for Livestock
BFO continues to raise with elected officials and ministry staff the serious concerns we have with the PAWS Act and its enforcement. These include the internal decision-making process and standard operating procedures used to make decisions about whether animals should be removed from a farm or not, how that is then executed, and what happens after animals have been removed. Despite a working relationship that has been formed with the enforcement branch of Animal Welfare Services with the Ministry of the Solicitor General, BFO and many of our farm organization counterparts remain concerned with components of the current system and will continue to lobby for changes to address industry’s concerns.
23-12 Provincial Abattoir Funding
Last June BFO attended an agriculture roundtable focused on key topics impacting small businesses hosted by the Honourable Associate Minister of Small Business, Nina Tangri. BFO expressed that it is difficult for small businesses, such as small community abattoirs, to take advantage of cost-share programs due to a lack of available cash flow. We recommended strategic investments that align the government’s provincial agri-food strategy, Grow Ontario. These include a combination of no-interest, non-repayable loans and funding programs with a higher cost-share percentage that would allow abattoirs to meet the growing demand for Ontario beef while enhancing their financially stability. The recommendations were also brought up last November with elected officials during our Queen’s Park lobby day and we will continue to advocate on behalf of community abattoirs.
Continued on page 10.
23-13 Securing Ontario Conservation Land for Rental to Beef Farmers
BFO prepared a letter that was distributed to each conservation authority regarding opportunities to rent land to beef farmers for grazing purposes. In the letter, we ask interested conservation authorities to contact BFO regarding land that can be rented to beef farmers for pasture use or land that could be developed into pasture. For the conservation authorities who contact BFO about such opportunities, BFO will contact the respective local association regarding next steps. In addition to conservation authorities, BFO will continue to engage other conservation focused organizations, such as land trusts and other non-profit organizations like Ducks Unlimited to explore other opportunities to promote pasture development and partnerships with beef farmers
23-14 & 23-19 Funding Program Application Process Assistance & Program Delivery
When speaking with government representatives and program delivery agencies, BFO routinely emphasizes the importance of ensuring program applications are not overly complicated and administratively burdensome, are easily accessible, and are broadly and clearly communicated with producers. BFO staff met with funding program staff at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA), and with staff at AAC and OSCIA. In these discussions, it was clear there is an effort and a desire to continuously improve the funding program application experience and to address or remove barriers to accessing funding; however, what that looks and the pace in which these changes are made, looks different depending on who is delivering the program and the design of the program. BFO will continue to speak to producer concerns and provide feedback and recommendations to those responsible for designing and delivering funding programs for producers. BFO encourages producers who have experienced issues or challenges with funding programs to contact BFO staff, in addition to the organization delivering the program.
23-15 FMD Compensation Program
During federal lobby days we participated in with the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) and the National Cattle Feeders Association (NCFA), we brought this issue to the attention of our elected officials. During these meetings, we outlined the need to have a plan in place before FMD comes to Canada, as it has a wide-reaching impact on our trade status, consumer confidence, and farmers’ financial and mental well-being. While there is no dedicated program for FMD response, BFO, CCA and NCFA would fight aggressively to ensure timely and robust support was provided to industry and we will work to keep emergency preparedness top of mind for our elected officials and keep our members apprised of any relevant updates.
23- 16 Renewal Process for APP Loan Applications Through ACC
BFO discussed this issue with ACC representatives who were appreciative of making them aware of the issue. We were informed that in most instances it takes 10 days for payment to clear on an existing loan and four days for a new loan to be issued for a total of 14 days, or two weeks. There are instances when this process could be delayed, which include additional time required to obtain information from the credit bureau or the existence of a bank priority agreement which can be used in a variety of situations, including when a producer is utilizing APP. ACC recognizes this delay can lead to frustration from clients and have been working with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), who oversees APP, to try and improve the loan turnaround time for clients and minimize the instances when a bank priority agreement is required.
23-17 Provincial Tax Classifications for Abattoirs
We are in full support of more affordable rates for food producers, or some other financial support measure to help address tax burden challenges faced by local abattoirs. During our most recent provincial lobby day in November, we emphasized this with our elected officials with a vested interest in this issue, such as the Minster of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, the Minister of Rural Affairs, and the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. BFO is in the process of drafting a joint letter with other Ontario livestock associations to highlight the negative impact current property tax rates are creating for many abattoirs in Ontario, and to call on the provincial government to implement relief solutions, be that a new food production rate or subsidy, or some other financial assistance program.
23-18 Breeder Finance Program Enhancements
BFO recognizes the importance of addressing this issue, and we are committed to working with the Ontario government, industry stakeholders, and financial institutions to develop and implement a breeder finance program that mirrors the successful aspects of the Ontario Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program (OFCLGP). Our goal is to create a mechanism that enables producers to expand their herds and improve the long-term viability of their operations while contributing to the overall growth of Ontario’s cattle industry. BFO will continue to work with our Cow-Calf Committee to investigate ways the Beef Breeder Co-op Loan Program can be improved and how it can work better for our farmers. OB
Pleasant Dawn Mobile 103F x Steppler Tandem 157A
Padra P7 x Sparrows
WCR Bold Move 168P x LT Bridger 9191 PLD
DCR Mr Silver Gun E516 x Rosso Double Down 8Z
CONNECTING WITH CONSUMERS
By Jennifer Kyle, Manager of Public Engagement and Digital Strategy jennifer@ontariobeef.com
• www.ontbeef.com
A Year in Review
Ontario Beef supports all Ontario beef industry stakeholders by laying the foundation for the promotion of ALL Ontario beef products and the entire industry. Our focus is entirely on Ontario consumers and our efforts support the Ontario Beef Market Development Program, as well as individual farmers, brands, retailers, etc.
As a reminder, 25 cents of the $1.50 check-off increase, implemented in November 2019, stays with BFO to support producer and consumer engagement activities. 2024 saw us continue to build on the great momentum we set in motion back in 2020.
It’s become almost a tradition to share that, once again, 2024 was a fabulous year for our consumer engagement efforts. To freshen things up a bit, we did pivot away from some of our original activities in favour of some new and/or updated ideas, which worked out very well. While our budget was healthy, it’s always important to remind folks that, in the world of marketing and advertising dollars where it is pay-to-play, our budget is modest. With this in mind, remaining crafty to ensure we got the most out of every dollar spent remained a priority. As has become our mode of operation, we kept our plans mostly focused online and saw fabulous results again throughout 2024. We also saw a real up-tick in requests for our presence or materials at in-person events, which got us out and interacting with people at several events throughout the year.
In the past, we have talked about our “simmer and boil” approach, which has worked well for us thus far. As part of the refresh in 2024, we made a switch to more of an “always on” approach. In order to put this new plan in play, we retired the BBQ Battle idea to make more budget room for a bigger year-long general awareness campaign, and combined that with a reimagined Local Flavour campaign, among other activities. The following is the re-cap of the work we undertook in 2024.
The big change to our consumer engagement work last year was the creation of our Ask Your Butcher general awareness campaign. This campaign combined three humorous video commercials with some static image ads. We ran the ads on Meta (Facebook and Instagram), YouTube and Pinterest. This was our first experience working with acting talent, which was a cool experience and added a welcomed human element to our brand. To support the main campaign, we also created a series of three “guerilla-style” interview videos with three butchers in the downtown Toronto area that further added to that new human element. We also included a summer wave of podcast ads read by The Ongoing History of New Music’s Alan Cross and History of the 90s Kathy Kenzora to further support the campaign. The Ask Your Butcher campaign ran over two extended waves in the summer and fall/winter respectively. The campaign reception was fantastic. People loved the three commercials that anchored the campaign and grabbed attention with the customer asking the knowledgeable local butcher somewhat outrageous questions like whether penguins have knees, how to cure hiccups, and which shirt he should wear. The idea was to encourage shoppers to ask their butchers their questions to demystify the meat counter,
but most importantly to find the Ontario beef product options in the cooler. The performance numbers were awesome across all platforms. In total, the campaign accumulated 58,452,795 impressions and 4,513,703 engagements! These results surpassed our expected results by quite a margin.
Our successful Local Flavour campaign was reimagined in 2024 and rather than running only at the end of the year, we opted to run this campaign through the late summer and fall. In this campaign, we again partnered with three local Ontario brands to highlight all the wonderful products our province has to offer. Through showcasing delicious ways to enjoy these products with Ontario beef, we illuminated the benefits of supporting your local community and educated consumers on the benefits of buying local beef. This year’s partners were: Pickled Canadian, Furtado Farms Cook Wood, and ZERO Cocktail Bar. Each product pairs well with Ontario beef throughout the journey to cook and enjoy it. The campaign was bright and fun, and really hit the mark with our audience. The campaign generated 5.6 million impressions with over 90.4K engagements!
Throughout the course of the year, we also worked with influencers to create four separate “micro” influencer waves (one per quarter) to keep our messaging top of mind for our followers and to reach new audiences. Our four influencers and their efforts combined to achieve 4.5M impressions and over 395K engagements. Included in the waves were also two segments that appeared on Breakfast Television thanks to our work with Chef Paul Lillakas. We certainly had success reaching some new audiences with our influencers’ help!
2024 was a very busy year for in-person events. We were able to visit with the public at three Breakfast from the Farm events hosted by Farm and Food Care Ontario (FFCO), and all three were wellattended. We were present at both the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) and Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (RAWF) again this year. We had large crowds of visitors at both events, and our booth was a popular stop. The addition of our cow colouring page was a big draw at the CNE as visitors young (and young at heart) scrambled to colour their calf, give it a name, and add it to the “herd” of over 8,000 pictures on the clothes line. Managing a herd of that size, even a paper one, requires a great deal of care and careful culling, so hats off to the booth volunteers who helped with that job at the end of each day. There were some very creative names and artwork to go through! At the RAWF, we debuted our new touchscreen kiosk. Visitors, including Minister Flack, were able to play Guardians of the Grasslands on the big screen and watch a collection of BFO videos. A big thank you to everyone who volunteered their time to help at the booth at each event. Not only do folks like the opportunity to chat with “real farmers”, but we also really appreciate the support. We would like to say a BIG thank you to our Summer Engagement Coordinator, Sloane Murray, for her hard work and dedication to making our presence at the CNE awesome! The CNE is 19 days long, and Sloane was there for almost all of it again this year! THANK YOU!
In April, we had the opportunity to collaborate with Samurai Media to have a booth space at the Toronto Food & Drink Festival for the second year. Chef Joe Friday was serving up delicious Ontario beef smash burgers again, while mixologist Brenton mixed up delicious cocktails to go with it. Our booth was a hit again this year…we were better prepared for the crowds this year though, and had enough burgers for almost the entire show. We did still sell out by the afternoon on Sunday! Food & Drink Fest is an event that we would not be able to participate at on our own without a massive price tag to cover space, time, catering, ingredients, etc. Partnering with Samurai provided an awesome opportunity to be present without the additional costs to go on our own.
We completed production of a video featuring our 2024 TESA winner, Circle H Farms. The Hyatt family was happy to show us around their farm up in beautiful Rainy River District. They did an excellent job talking about stewarding native grasslands in Northern Ontario by pasturing their cattle and providing a home for many different species of birds and wildlife.
Traffic to the consumer website continues to increase steadily. We continued to drive traffic to the site as part of the call to action for our campaign work. We had over 55K visits to the website in 2024, and over 34K of the visitors were first-time visitors to the site. Our beef cuts page, recipes and store locator remain the most popular stops for visitors to the website. We continue to promote the store locator for butchers, retailers and farmers marketing direct. Currently, there are over 215 retailers included in the locator. We recognize there are still many others who may wish to be included in the listings. An online application is now available on the website for those wishing to have their retail business added to the map. In 2024, we added over 30 new retailers. Let’s see if we can double that in 2025!
Cattle prices are at record highs and climbing. Yet the industry seems reluctant to expand. We run purebred Red Angus and Polled Hereford cows like commercial cows. We are focused on the traits that build cow herds. Udders, feet, temperament with the ability to graze and wean a great calf year after year. No creep feeders or show halters here.
Our bulls o er an opportunity to get your replacement pen ready for the inevitable downturn.
Real c s, real pe le, real bu s.
CORNELL FARMS
Kim, Pat, Rebecca and Kelsey
807-486-3477 • cornellfarms@cornellfarms.ca www.cornellfarms.ca
On that note, there continues to be a number of promotional items and resources available through the office. These are great for use at fairs, ag awareness days and similar. Many of these items are also well-suited for retail settings and events. We were overwhelmed by the number of requests for materials this past year! Our materials and resources were put in the hands of countless event goers across the province in 2024. If you are interested in materials for promoting Ontario Beef at an event or retail business, contact the office. We have continued to work closely with AgScape to work on getting our beef messaging in front of students. Throughout 2024, our beef resource, An Exploration of Beef Farming in Ontario, continued to be one of the most-requested resources at AgScape. Touching on various subject areas from health and physical education to social studies, science, careers, and technology, the resource aims to provide an overview of the practices involved in the production of beef in Ontario from farm to table. We also had the opportunity to participate in several ThinkAg Career Competitions over the course of the year, which saw us connect with several thousand students from
grades 7-12. Our Guardians of the Grasslands video game was a big hit with students and teachers alike!
It truly was another banner year for our consumer engagement efforts. When we look at all of our 2024 activities, collectively, our content made over 68 million impressions, which doesn’t even include any in-person events we attended or the events we supported with materials. Looking to 2025, our mission will be to continue building momentum. We have some great plans in the works and look forward to bringing those plans to life. We will continue to put a focus on promoting those more affordable cuts in our activities to help combat the narrative that beef is too expensive, while continuing to work to increase awareness of Ontario beef and the great environmental benefits of beef farming. To stay up to date on what we are up to throughout the year, be sure to follow us on social media. OB
AgMaps: Your Gateway to Interactive Maps and Geographic Information
By the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness’ Environmental Management Branch
Every field tells a story and holds a lesson, and every day brings new insights gained through your hard work. Now, what if you could level up your deep-rooted expertise with cutting-edge tools that help enhance your long-term agricultural success? Enter AgMaps – a comprehensive (not to mention free!) online resource that empowers you to unlock all your land’s potential.
Developed and maintained by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, AgMaps is an interactive mapping application that helps visualize and analyze current and historical rural and agricultural data like never before, enabling farmers to better understand their land and factors that shape its productivity. This will not only help your farm and business thrive, but will help grow Ontario’s agri-food sector and contribute to a stronger economy for all of us.
All Your Data in One Place
AgMaps is your go-to hub for key rural and agricultural information. Whether you need high-resolution aerial imagery, municipal and tile drainage maps, soil data, or tools to assist in managing your land, it’s all easily accessible in one place. The magic lies in its customization, allowing you to combine and layer these details onto a single map, providing a comprehensive and personalized view of your farm.
Make it Your Own
More than just a tool to view data, AgMaps is an interactive toolkit
for farm planning. Draw field boundaries, measure distances or areas, and mark your maps with notes and custom drawings and addons. Whether you’re creating a resource management strategy, an Environmental Farm Plan or carrying out a Farmland Health Checkup, AgMaps makes it simple by offering ready-to-use templates tailored to your needs.
For Farmers Anywhere and Everywhere
With AgMaps, locating your property and its features is a breeze. Search by GPS coordinates, 911 addresses, lot and concession numbers, or even your Assessment Roll Number (ARN). Better yet, AgMaps can pinpoint your exact location with the tap of a button on a mobile device and populate a detailed map of your surroundings. Rest assured, your safety and privacy are paramount; all your data is stored locally on your device, meaning that no third parties can access your information.
Explore With Confidence (and for free)
Unlock the full potential of your land today. Visit ontario.ca/agmaps to dive into this game-changing tool, at no cost. Questions? The Agricultural Information Contact Centre is here to help at 1-877-424-1300 or via email at ag.info.omafa@ontario.ca.
With AgMaps, your farm’s future is at your fingertips—let’s map out success together! OB
TheUltimate Cross !
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RURAL RAMBLE
By Producer Engagement Team www.ontariobeef.com
Is it summer yet?!
With fridged winds and frozen water bowls, the Producer Engagement team is excitedly planning for summer producer tours! We are looking forward to farm tours and opportunities to connect with producers across the province.
We are still in the early stages of planning, but we encourage you to save the date for these events, and stay tuned for more event details.
Feedlot Management School
Tentatively planned for Wednesday, June 18th – Thursday, June 19th in Bruce County
This event will focus on feedlot best management practices that impact cattle performance and carcass quality. Featuring engaging feedlot tours with on-farm sessions covering feed and bunk management, receiving protocols, and benchmarking.
Will Stoneman 587.873.7257 Brian Whitwell 905.768.5148 k.whitwell@hotmail.com
First Line First Line ANGUS ANGUS
NEW EVENT!
BACK TO BASICS
Saturday, April 5th- Elora • Saturday, April 12th – Selby
Funded in partnership with the Beef Cattle Research Council
These in-person events will focus on the basics of cow-calf production that will help you produce a marketable calf crop through discussions on herd health protocols, nutrition management, and genetic selection. There are many factors that are out of farmers’ control, so let’s take control of the production practices that can directly impact the market demand for your calves.
Ontario Beef Youth Alliance (OBYA) Tour
Tentatively planned for July in Manitoulin
This event will feature farm tours that showcase cow-calf, feedlot, and birth-to-beef operations with direct marketing and excellent pasture management. This event is a great opportunity to network with other young producers. Open to all OBYA subscribers.
Registered Yearling Angus bulls; AgSight Performance Tested Select Registered & Commercial Replacement Heifers available Growth, Carcass Merit, Calving Ease and Maternal Performance are the foundations of our program Visitors always welcome!
Cow-Calf Management School
Tentatively planned for late August/early September in Eastern Ontario
Join us for farm tours of commercial and purebred cow-calf producers. This event will provide an opportunity to learn from other cow-calf producers and see best management practices in action on-farm.
Please stay tuned for more event details. We look forward summertime to hit the road with you! OB
Paisley’s Community Centre Upgrades Topped Off with Bull Zamboni
By BFO Staff and Bruce County Beef Farmers
It’sin the Bruce County Beef Farmers’ (BCBF) objectives to promote beef and beef farming in Bruce County and to that end they look for different opportunities to get in front of different audiences. When they heard the municipality of Arran-Elderslie was ordering a new Zamboni, they inquired about sponsorship opportunities. The Paisley Community Centre experienced a number of improvements in 2024, and the final upgrade would be their Zamboni.
Ontario Cattle Feeders Association share the mission to promote beef and beef farming and were also quick to support the project when BCBF asked. The advertising artwork on the snorting bull Zamboni now travels the ice sponsored by the BCBF; a fun nod to this rural village being in the heart of “Cattle Country”.
From there, the ideas started rolling for a design that would look like a bull driving on the ice, which would undoubtably attract attention. Folks in the stands would read the message on top of the Zamboni, which reads “Beef for Dinner, always a Winner.” Johnny Tint Graphics & Design was immediately excited about the project and really brought the ideas to life. Beef Farmers of Ontario and the
“Beef and hockey are core to the daily lives of Bruce County family and friends. The BCBF are eager to find new ways to promote and educate beef and saw the Paisley Arena Zamboni sponsorship as a unique way to reach customers, fellow farmers, and friends,” says Jasper Munro, President of the Bruce County Beef Farmers.
“The Township of Arran-Elderslie and Johnny’s Tint were great local partners that shared our vision for the project. The initiative not only promotes beef in a key Bruce County hub, but it also brings a smile to Paisley Arena visitors.”
The second floor of the Community Centre was made more accessible with a new elevator. The Paisley Branch of the Bruce County Public Library moved into this bright and welcoming space and a refreshed community hall is available for bookings. The Arran-Elderslie Ice Dogs and their competition are happy to have new rubberized flooring throughout the arena including the washrooms. The front of the building sports professional gardens and the Paisley Artscape Society has added a street piano and sculptures for the summer months, including the popular “Saugie” monster. It is a busy place and a great spot to encourage folks to buy and eat beef.
In addition to the Zamboni, the BCBF spreads the word with 10 billboards on busy routes throughout Bruce County to remind folks to consider beef for dinner. The Zamboni sponsorship is a nice extension of some great consumer engagement work already on the go. The sponsorship contract is for at least three years, so Zam-bulli or Bull-boni, as he is becoming known, will be delighting spectators at games, practices and figure skating nightly throughout the winter months for the next few years. If you’re in the Paisley area, be sure to stop in to see him, and maybe even snap a selfie!
SomeOMAFA UPDATE
Don’t throw your junk in my backyard!
By Christine O’Reilly, OMAFA Forage & Grazing Specialist
plants contain compounds that can make livestock sick.
In Ontario, incidents of livestock being poisoned by weeds are unusual. However, many common ornamental plants are also toxic to livestock. Keeping all plant material from lawns and gardens out of the pasture is an easy way to protect animals.
In 2024, six bred cows died from yew poisoning after eating branches that were tossed into their pasture. The toxins in yew act very quickly, and there is no effective antidote. More information about yew is available below.
Hostas can spread very rapidly through a flowerbed and are often thinned to allow other ornamental plants the space they need to grow. Hostas contain saponins, which can cause digestive upset in livestock. Hydrangeas are another common flowering ornamental that can be toxic, causing cyanide poisoning. Hydrangeas may end up as a discarded house plant, or else be trimmed back in the fall.
Even something as ordinary as grass clippings from the lawnmower should not be dumped in the pasture. The grass may be spoiling and mouldy, have high concentrations of nitrates, contain toxic endophytes, or cause choke.
Yew Poisoning in Horses and Ruminants
Learn how to recognize the yew plant and
signs of poisoning in horses and ruminants.
ISSN 1198-712X, Published October 2007
Introduction
The genus Taxus consists of three commonly grown ornamental shrubs — English yew, Canada yew and Japanese yew — and hybrids. The needles and seeds of all yews are highly poisonous to horses, cattle, sheep and goats, although the red, fleshy seed covering is not. Wild deer, moose and elk browse on yews as winter food and are not affected by the yew toxin. Humans, particularly children, are also susceptible to the toxins in these plants.
Yew species contain a number of toxic alkaloids, the most toxic of which are taxine A and B. They are collectively referred to as “taxine” and mainly affect the heart. Taxine inhibits normal sodium and calcium exchange across myocardial (heart muscle) cells, depressing electrical conduction across the heart and resulting in arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythm) [1]. Horses are commonly
The plants listed above are just a few common examples and are by no means a complete list of toxic ornamental plants. If you are unsure whether a plant is safe for livestock, talk to your veterinarian.
Compost piles should always be located out of reach of livestock. If your property contains known toxic ornamental plants, establish a separate compost heap specifically for lawn, yard, and food waste rather than adding these to the manure pile. Manure piles may be spread onto hay fields or pastures and could introduce toxic plants to these fields. The yard waste compost can be applied back on flower beds and other landscaped features away from the pasture.
It is worthwhile to remind neighbours who share the fence line not to toss yard waste of any kind into the pasture. While this may seem obvious to those of us with livestock, not everyone knows that some plants may harm herbivores. After all, these are animals that eat plants we can’t. Taking a few moments to mention responsible yard waste disposal to your neighbours may prevent a wreck.
poisoned by eating yews when they wander into an area around a house or barn that has yews planted in the landscaping. Livestock are accidentally poisoned when yew trimmings, or wreaths made of yew, are thrown onto manure piles or over a fence, where they are easily accessible to horses, cattle, sheep and/or goats.
Yews, fresh and dried, are toxic year-round. Consumption of as little as 1-10 g/kg of body weight for ruminants and 0.5-2 g/kg for horses is lethal [2]. This means that, for a 454-kg (1,000-lb) horse, as little as 227 g (0.5 lb) of yew needles could be fatal.
Clinical signs
Sudden death, often within 2-3 hours of ingestion, is the most common observation with yew poisoning [1]. Animals are often found dead next to yew bushes or clippings. Prior to death, muscle trembling, incoordination, nervousness, difficulty breathing, slow heart rate, vomiting, diarrhea and convulsions may be observed [1]. No post-mortem signs are specific to yew poisoning, unless partially digested twigs and needles are found in the mouth and stomach. There is no specific treatment or antidote for yew poisoning. Supportive therapies have variable success rates, depending on the amount of yew ingested and how quickly actions are taken.
Other causes of sudden death in horses and ruminants include (italics indicate the most susceptible species): bloat (ruminants) poison hemlock botulism
ionophore toxicity (monensin — Rumensin, lasalocid — Bovatec) (horses)
red maple leaf poisoning (horses)
copper poisoning (sheep)
clostridial diseases (ruminants)
anthrax
lightning strike
intestinal accidents
Identifying yew evergreens
The native yew species include the Canada yew (Taxus canadensis), a shrub found in Eastern Canada, and the Western yew (Taxus brevifolia), a medium tree up to 20 m high found on the West Coast. Various yews are common as landscape ornamentals and include the English yew (Taxus baccata), a tree/ shrub that can grow up to 25 m high, and the Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata), a smaller shrub. All are poisonous to horses, livestock and humans.
Yews are evergreens with soft, flat, abruptly pointed, needlelike leaves that are 15-30 mm long. The upper surface is dark green with a lighter green underside. Leaves are arranged spirally or in a flat plane. Most cultivated varieties are compact, and the plants retain a dense character with age.
The twigs are flexible. When young, they are green, becoming greenish-brown or reddish-brown with age. The bark is thin and scaly and varies from dark, reddish-brown to purplish-brown.
Yew seeds are hard, dark brown/blue, nut-like in shape and about 8 mm in diameter. Seeds are set inside an attractive, red, fleshy fruit (aril) that can be found on the underside of recent twigs.
Yews range in height from shrub-size to medium-sized trees 25 m high. They can live for several hundred years. With age, the trunk can become twisted and fluted with an irregular-shaped canopy, often with multiple tops, especially in the absence of pruning.
Summary
Yews are planted for many landscape purposes. They can withstand trimming and shaping and are easily transplanted. They can tolerate urban pollution but not road salt. Never plant yew trees or shrubs near horse and/or livestock pastures or areas of the property where horses or other livestock can nibble while pastured, ridden or exercised, e.g., around the farmhouse. Remove any yews growing wild in, or adjacent to, horse and livestock pastures, or wooded pastures.
Evergreen branch clippings of yew are sometimes used to make Christmas ornaments, such as wreaths and hanging decorations. Never hang wreaths of yew on barn doors or on fence posts where horses, ponies or other livestock can reach them. Never discard yew ornaments or hedge clippings of yew onto manure or compost piles where they are accessible to horses, cattle, sheep and/or goats. OB
Footnotes
[1] Back to paragraph^ Knight AP, Walter RG. A Guide to Plant Poisoning of Animals in North America. Jackson, Wyoming: Teton New Media, 2001.
[2] Back to paragraph^ Munro DB. Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System.
VANCISE CATTLE COMPANY RED ANGUS AVAILABLE PRIVATE TREATY
BULLS
• Two-year-old Bulls
• Yearling Bulls
Many calving ease options in both groups
FEMALES
• Red Angus open heifers: large selection
• F1 Commercial open heifers (Red Angus x Hereford)
• Select group of show heifer prospects
ALSO AVAILABLE
3- Two year old Hereford bulls
RESEARCH UPDATE
New Director of Research joins Livestock Research Innovation Corporation
Stephanie Lam, Ph.D., has assumed the newly created role of Director of Research at Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC). Lam comes to LRIC from the University of Guelph, where she held a Research Associate position in the Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock and managed projects in the beef, dairy and sheep industries.
As Director of Research at LRIC, she will be actively involved in the organization’s work to leverage national, provincial and international collaborations between academia, industry, and not-for-profit organizations to accelerate research and innovation for the Ontario livestock industry. She will also be involved in all aspects of LRIC’s research-focused operational activities as well as work closely with LRIC members and LRIC’s International Research Advisory Committee.
“We are excited about adding someone with Stephanie’s research background and industry experience to the LRIC team as we continue our work to drive innovation in the Ontario livestock industry,” says LRIC CEO Kelly Somerville. “Bridging gaps between industry, farmers and academia is a critical part of our work, as is getting more of Ontario’s cutting-edge livestock research into practice on our farms and Stephanie will play a key role in helping build and expand the networks we need to be successful.”
SILVER SPRINGS FARMS
Offering Red Angus, Simmental, Crossbred
Silver Springs Farms is offering yearling performance tested bulls through private treaty. All bulls are out of calving ease sires and strong maternal cow families. All performance data on Ag Sights bull test.
James, Joan, Robert and Emily McKinlay
James & Joan: 519-599-6236 • jmckinlay@bmts.com
Robert: 226-668-0775
Stephanie Lam
A 2023 Nuffield Canada Scholar and mentee of the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC)’s Beef Researcher Mentorship program, Lam also worked as a program officer with Genome Alberta in Calgary, and as a Post-Doctoral Researcher with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lacombe. She holds both an M.Sc. and a Ph.D. from the University of Guelph and is actively involved as proposal/ manuscript/content reviewer with a variety of livestock industry organizations and publications, including Results Driven Agricultural Research (RDAR), BCRC’s Genetic Literacy Project, Meat Science Journal and Journal of Dairy Science.
“I’m excited to meet new stakeholders and industry partners across the livestock industry, as well as other sectors that contribute directly to livestock innovation such as soil and crop sciences,” says Lam. “Each livestock sector is unique and faces its own set of challenges and opportunities and I look forward to helping each one find the networks, connections and innovations that will help them grow sustainably both now and into the future.”
Livestock Research Innovation Corporation was established in 2012 with support from Ontario’s beef, pork, dairy and poultry sector organizations and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. LRIC’s mission is driving innovation, and the organization takes a value chain approach to research and innovation by providing leadership in research priority setting, coordination and process; identifying and communicating emerging issues; and strengthening networks across the sector. LRIC is funded in part by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a 5-year, federal-provincial-territorial initiative. OB
AsFOCUS ON HERD HEALTH
By Dr. Jacques van Zyl, Metzger Veterinary Services
Vitamins Supplementation for Calves: Is It Necessary?
we head into calving season, many producers will be thinking about what is needed in their protocols to help set these calves up for a healthy and prosperous life. Calf protocols should be based on science and then tailored to your specific farm based on the health history of your calves. A common question I get this time of year is whether to include vitamin supplements at birth. I will answer some of the more common questions below:
What are Vitamins and What Do They Do?
Vitamins are small organic molecules that are required for the normal healthy function of living mammals. In cattle, commonly supplemented vitamins are A, D and E. Vitamins are very important in the last trimester of gestation and throughout a calf’s life, particularly the early days. In this document we will mainly be referring to vitamins A, D and E. These vitamins help with various functions of the calf’s immune system and helps with the integrity of the gut lining.
Calves with a deficiency of vitamin E have been shown to have a 3x higher risk of scours and 2.8x higher risk of death. Calves with a deficiency of vitamin A or Vitamin E don’t respond as well to vaccination when compared to their vitamin-supplemented counterparts. In one study, calves that were unvaccinated but supplemented with Vitamin A had similar health outcomes when exposed to Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV) than calves that were vaccinated but deficient in Vitamin A! Lastly, Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to increase the ability for calf immune cells to fight off intruders.
What about Selenium?
Selenium is a mineral that is very important in young calves. Ontario soils are deficient in selenium, and this can cause what is known as White Muscle Disease in calves. This is the most common in the first three months of a calf’s life and can show up as weakness, stiffness, panting and death. Selenium is not a vitamin, but it needs to be given to calves in Ontario. The reason we are mentioning selenium here is that injectable or oral selenium supplements generally also include some vitamins. When referring to vitamins in this article, I am not including selenium.
From What Sources can the Calf Get Vitamins?
There are a few different sources where calves can get vitamins. When the calf is still inside the cow, there is movement of these vitamins across the placenta. Cows that are supplemented with a mineral containing vitamins give birth to calves with higher amounts
of those vitamins in their liver, compared to cows that are not supplemented with vitamins.
Another major source of vitamins for calves is colostrum, and the subsequent milk from the cow. Cows that are supplemented appropriately with vitamins will also have higher amounts of vitamins A, D and E in their milk compared to cows that are not supplemented or on a poor-quality supplement. Lastly, there are products that we can administer to the calf to provide additional supplementation. Many producers use an injectable selenium and vitamin E shot. But there are others that contain vitamin A and D, or there are oral products that contain a few other vitamins and minerals. The goal of this article is not to be prescriptive but to get you thinking about what you may need so that you can discuss it with your veterinarian.
A downside of administering vitamins at birth, particularly vitamin A, is it takes approximately five days before it is in the calf’s liver in a form that is available to use. It is therefore not available in the early days of life to help prevent scours or help the immune system. Calves born with higher amounts of vitamins in their liver (if the cow was appropriately supplemented) have them available right away.
If the Cow Can
Provide Vitamins for
my
Calf, How Do I Ensure My Cows are Being Appropriately Supplemented?
Vitamins are in high quantities in leafy green forage, and low in stored feed. For this reason, when cattle are on good pasture we don’t usually run into any issues. It is when we feed stored feed that we are concerned if cows are consuming enough.
Moreover, vitamins in stored feeds, including your mineral, break down with time. This can be accelerated with humidity, oxygenation, and light exposure. Some stored feeds can lose up to 50 per cent of their vitamin A during four months of indoor storage! This is particularly concerning when we know that mid to late gestation is one of the most critical times for the developing calf to have these vitamins available. When we think of an average cow in Ontario, she is generally fed stored grassy hay up until calving. This can really be setting our calves up poorly. To combat this, we want to make sure we are doing the following:
• Feed high quality feed throughout winter.
• Feed a good quality mineral to your cows.
- Cows generally DO NOT consume enough mineral when fed free choice.
- Many producers try to save money on a mineral. Cheaper minerals usually cut vitamins out first.
- Vitamins break down with time. Buying your mineral in the late fall can help ensure it is fresh.
What do I Look for On the Mineral Tag?
Vitamins are generally measured in International Units (IUs). The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulates how much of some vitamins you can supplement to a cow. The CFIA Max is:
• Vitamin A – 100 000 IU/day
• Vitamin D: 33 000 IU/day
• There is no max limit for Vitamin E
Our goal for consumption in a cow should be:
• Vitamin A: 70 000 – 100 000 IU/day
• Vitamin D: 15 000 – 30 000 IU/day
• Vitamin E: 1000 – 5000 IU/ day
Most minerals are formulated for 100 to 150 grams/head/day. So, when looking at the mineral tag, a rule of thumb is:
• Vitamin A: 600 000 – 760 000 IU/kg
• Vitamin D: 22 000 – 67 000 IU/Kg
• Vitamin E: 3 300 – 6 000 IU/Kg
If the Calf Can Get These Vitamins from the Cow, Do I Still Need to Supplement it Additionally at Birth?
The answer is: it depends. Now we need to be careful here. Selenium still needs to be supplemented. Again, selenium is a mineral, but the reason we mention it here is because it is often included with vitamin supplements.
If your cows are on a good plane of nutrition, with good quality stored feed, and they are consuming enough of an appropriate mineral, then additional vitamin supplementation at birth is likely unnecessary. The key being they are actually consuming the mineral. However, many producers feel like they want to give the calf everything they can. If your cows are on a good mineral and you still want to provide additional vitamin supplementation to the calves, there does not seem to be any harm. Keep in mind, as we mentioned above, there is a delay in getting those vitamins into a usable form in the calf’s liver. Some producers may find it easier to administer a product to the calf rather than manage the cow herd differently.
There’s no right answer and every farm operation is different. You just need to work with your veterinarian to develop a protocol for your farm that works. OB
Collaboration Key: Canadian Beef Industry Works Together to Navigate Trade Challenges and Pursue Global Opportunities
TheCanadian Beef Advisors are pleased to release the 2025-30 National Beef Strategy. The strategy positions the Canadian Beef Industry for greater profitability, growth and being a high-quality beef product of choice in the world. “The National Beef Strategy is about the future. We want people to know that the beef industry is preparing the way for the next generation”, states Bob Lowe, Chair of Public and Stakeholder Engagement.
The Canadian Beef Advisors believe a united industry is a stronger industry which benefits all those working in it today and into the future. This collaboration is key as industry works together to navigate current trade challenges and pursue global opportunities. The National Beef Strategy facilitates collaboration and coordination between the national organizations to leverage available resources on behalf of producers and processors.
Substantial progress was made under the 2020-24 strategy, and the intention is to continue building on the momentum. Nathan Phinney, Chair of the Canadian Beef Advisors comments that “tracking goals has been a productive exercise. We are seeing wins, and the Beef Advisors are excited about where we can go next.”
There have been significant strides made toward recognizing the important role beef cattle play in environmental sustainability. However, it is also acknowledged that producers have faced a multi-year drought, along with higher interest rates and input costs that have shifted cost structures. Cross border engagement and
maintaining a strong Canada-U.S. trade relationship is a key priority. Staying on top of advocacy issues continues to be a strong focus and there are also bottlenecks to work on.
The National Strategy has been developed to achieve the Beef Industry 2030 goals. These are aligned with our shared vision and mission of a dynamic, profitable Canadian cattle and beef industry that produces the most trusted and competitive high-quality beef in the world, recognized for our superior value, safety, innovation and sustainable production methods. Calvin Vaags, from the Canadian Meat Council notes that “a growing population and middle class means that the demand for protein is outpacing production, driving prices higher. The protein pie is getting bigger and Canada, as a relatively low emissions intensity producer,1 deserves a seat at the table.”
The Canadian Beef Advisors consist of elected leaders and staff representation from the seven national beef organizations responsible for policy, marketing, research and sustainability. This diverse group of experienced industry representatives is responsible for advancing the strategy with the industry stakeholders, providing recommendations on future direction and reporting results toward strategy goals and objectives.
Learn more about how stakeholders can achieve a dynamic and profitable Canadian cattle and beef industry at www.beefstrategy.com. OB
J&E Meats: Southwestern Ontario’s Hub for Local, Quality Beef
Farm-to-table excellence with a focus on transparency, sustainability, and customer care.
By Jeanine Moyer
Joshand Emma Butler have built a southwestern Ontario destination for local food by embracing the birth to beef philosophy. Featuring their own beef, lamb and chicken the couple have also partnered with more than 50 other farmers and small businesses to sell their products and wares through an on-farm shop. But beef from their multigeneration family farm is the star of the show at J&E Meats.
The young couple started selling beef online and out of their garage in 2018, then just before the pandemic they built a small on-farm store front. And that’s when business really took off. Emma explains they leveled up quickly and in 2022 the couple built a larger on-farm butcher shop and store at a new location, ramped up their online presence and they haven’t looked back.
Located in Croton, Ont. the Butlers farm with Josh’s parents, raising 160 cow-calf pairs on Riverside Hill Farms Ltd.
“We’re proud to market 100 per cent of our own beef though our farm store,” says Emma. “We’ve built a model where one needs the other – our store needs beef and we need the store to sell the beef –and they work congruently.”
Quality, Feed and Genetics
At J&E Meats, their goal is to deliver the highest quality and consistent products their customers have come to expect.
“It’s quality or nothing for us,” notes Emma, explaining one of the reasons they built their butcher shop was to be able to control the quality and consistency of their meat cuts. Now, their animals are harvested at provincially inspected abattoirs and the carcasses are cut in their own facility. They also offer custom cutting to surrounding farmers too.
One of the greatest advantages of their birth to beef business model is their ability to control every step of their beef production to guarantee the best outcome.
Emma explains that genetics and quality feed are the two most important elements that contribute to the end result of their beef. Their dry aging process, combined with their single-sourced carcass method also ensures customers have the most flavourful, tender and consistent products.
“Single sourcing our cuts from one carcass has been a key to our success,” says Emma, noting that this process guarantees that every steak in their meat counter is consistent in size and flavour
because it is from one carcass at a time. Even their ground beef is all packaged from the same carcass and dry aged for 21-25 days. Emma points to their five-star Google reviews as proof they are delivering on their commitment to providing the best taste and experience for their customers, saying “we’ve never had an online review that’s been fewer than five stars!”
The commitment Emma and Josh have to delivering quality never stops. “Customer feedback means everything because everything we do is for our customers,” says Emma. “That’s why we are constantly improving in ways our customers want and need us to improve.”
Over the years, customer feedback has even influenced their carcase size. Recently the Butler family has introduced Angus genetics into their Limousin herd in an effort to bring their carcass size down. Emma explains that the larger Limousin carcasses were delivering larger cuts, and with the value of beef on the rise, the size of the cuts were driving up the price customers were paying at the retail counter. “Feedback is what our business is built on,” says Emma. “Our products sell themselves, and if there’s a way to improve the experience for our customers, we want to hear about it.”
New Barn Build
Since the inception of J&E Meats, demand for their beef has multiplied ten times over. To keep up with demand the family is in the
process of building a new state-of-theart cow-calf facility that is expected to be ready for summer calving. The new barn will accommodate 300 cow-calf pairs.
“We look forward to being able to implement new technologies to help us streamline our operation,” says Emma, noting that when it came to building a new barn two factors were non-negotiable in the construction planning. The first was that their cattle must always be cared for and comfortable in the new facility and the second was that the workload needed to be more manageable.
Josh took the lead on researching and planning the new barn, working with their contractor to design the most effective and efficient facility for their operation. As a result, they are incorporating a migrating pack system into their design. Common in dairy barns, the migrating pack system incorporates the slope and grade of the cattle pens to help remove excess moisture, increase animal comfort and improve bedding efficiency. Emma says they also focused on improving the flow in their new barn construction, including air flow, lighting and the flow of penning that will enable the animals to migrate through the barn by age, beginning with calving pens. She also points out that they’ve allowed for ample space throughout the barn to accommodate animal handling, cleaning and feeding equipment.
Not only will the new barn serve to help the family expand their herd and supply their growing customer demand for beef, but Emma also has plans to open their doors for customers too.
“I can’t wait to level up our farm to table offering again by inviting customers to tour our barn and see for themselves how much we care for our animals,” she says.
Trust and Transparency
While the quality of their beef sells itself, the couple still invest plenty of time and effort into marketing J&E Meats. Emma has built an inclusive online community by sharing behind the barn door videos, blogs and social media posts to attract and educate customers before they even step foot in the store.
“Transparency is important to us,” she explains. “We leverage every opportunity to educate and reassure our customers about the value, quality and safety of our products by sharing everything we do from on the farm through to the retail counter.”
Sharing their story and building trust with their customers comes naturally to Josh and Emma. Whether they are creating a video of what their own kids eat in a day (J&E Meats beef, of course) or taking followers through a video tour of their pasture, the Butlers are giving customers a glimpse of what its like to live and work on a family beef farm. Emma explains, “we want to break negative stereotypes of farmers and our food system, and the best way to do that is to be up front with our customers. After all, we’re real people too. This business is our career and our life.”
Josh and Emma have built J&E Meats into a brand that’s known for quality and trust by creating a business that embraces and leverages their birth to beef story. In fact, Emma even has a line of beef tallow-based skin care products, Camden Tallow, that extends their philosophy even further. “By consuming nose to tail we are honouring the beef animal and the gifts they give us,” she says.
The growing demand for their beef is enabling the young couple to expand their herd and build a new barn while serving their customers and community. Emma says she’s excited about the upcoming changes on their farm and is gearing up for more public engagement. She can’t wait to welcome more visitors to their farm and store to promote Ontario beef. OB
Contact any of these breeders to arrange for a private viewing of cattle for sale:
3
RIDGE FARMS
Jon Bell 217294 Conc. 3
Owen Sound, ON N4K 5N5 519-378-4006 roundbale14@hotmail.com
AFTER HOURS LIMOUSINS
Rob & Erin Weppler 117078 Grey Rd. 3 , Tara, ON 519-375-6108 rob@gbtel.ca
ARCON CATTLE CO
Art Thompson, Jim & Connor Wiley 5174 Concession Road 4 Everett, ON L0M 1J0
Art: 705-434-8582
Jim: 705-734-7379 arconcattleco@gmail.com
BEE ZEE ACRES
The Zwambag’s 4140 Glendon Dr. Glencoe, ON N0L 1M0
Bill: 519-494-9613
Matt: 519-870-3219 beezeeacres@gmail.com
BENNVILLE LIMOUSIN
Anita or Greta Haupt 613 Con. 14 RR #1, Hagersville. ON N0A 1H0
Greta: 905-865-2529 haupt@xplornet.ca www.bennvillelimousin.com
BOULDER LAND & CATTLE COMPANY
Ben Belanger
4510 Hwy 7 RR#1, Omemee, ON 705-875-0020 blcccattle@outlook.com
CROWN HILL ACRES
Craig and Michelle Kennedy 258 Sturgeon Rd. Omemee, ON K0L 2W0 705-741-6700 crownhillacres@gmail.com
DARLING FARMS
Dan, Mary Darling & Girls 4172 County Rd 25 Castleton, ON K0K 1M0 Dan: 905-375-4019 Carolyn: 905-396-2599 dmdarling13@gmail.com
GIBSON FARMS
Dave and Emily Gibson 2148 Concession 4, RR1, Ripley, ON N0G 2R0 Dave: 519-357-6174 Emily: 519-440-9907 gibsonfarmstrucking@gmail.com
HILLSIDE FARMS
Ray and Stacie Stanton 4250 King Road, King City, ON, L7B 1K4 416-505-0707 rays@londonproperty.ca
LAKESIDE FARM
Wayne and Nancy Lawrence 263657 Southgate Rd. 26 RR#4 Durham, ON N0G 1R0 519-369-2806 lakesidelimo@hotmail.com
NEW LIFE LIMOUSIN
Justin and Melissa Burgess 261269 Conc. 18 Hanover, ON N4N 3B8 519-270-5415 new.life.limousin@gmail.com
OPAL STOCK FARMS
Michael Machan 1268 Goshen Road, Renfrew, ON 613-293-OPAL 613-857-1496 (CELL) michael@opalstockfarm.com
PINCH HILL LIMOUSIN
Paul, Brandon & Chad Homer Stittsville, ON Chad: 519-339-9659 Brandon: 613-978-0822 pinchhill@gmail.com
POSTHAVEN LIMOUSIN #7396 Sideroad #20, RR #2, Alma, ON N0B 1A0 John Sr - 519-766-7178 ejpost@posthavenlimousin.com John Jr - 519-831-1869 john@posthavenlimousin.ca
RAIL LINE FARMS
Paul and Brad MacIntyre 221 Bruce County Rd. 1 RR #5, Lucknow, ON N0G 2H0 Paul: 519-357-0884 Brad: 519-357-5469 pcmacintyre@hurontel.on.ca
SAMMERICH FARMS
Joost & Carolyn van der Heiden 8493 Rd 176, Listowel, ON 519-292-1171 jcvheiden@hotmail.com
SMART LIMOUSIN
Garry and Sheila Smart 137606 Grey Road 12 RR#2, Meaford, ON N4L 1W6 519-538-4877
www.smartlimousin.com
SPARE TIME LIVESTOCK
Don & Donna Scott & family Oxford Mills, ON Don: 613-913-1579 Laura: 613-316-8728 sparetimelivestock@gmail.com
ANNA & ELISABETH STUDER
44390 Glenannon Rd Clifford, ON N0G 1M0 519-327-4489 anel.studer@gmail.com
WINDY GABLES LIMOUSIN
Nathan & Bryce Allen Box 189 Warkworth, ON K0K 3K0 705-761-9426
nathana@alleninsurance.ca
YOUNG LIMO FARMS
Jim and Joe Young 601 Tara Road Ennismore, ON 705-755-6820 young_electric@hotmail.com
MARCH 1 - FULLY LOADED ONLINE BULL SALE ONLINE TIMED AUCTION www.farmgatetimedauctions.ca
MARCH 23 - DARLING FARMS BULL & FEMALE Private Treaty Sale - Castleton, ON
MARCH 29 - POSTHAVEN LIMOUSIN OPEN HOUSE Alma, ON
APRIL 5 - SMART LIMOUSIN PRIVATE TREATY SALE Meaford, ON
APRIL 21 - BEE ZEE ACRES PRIVATE TREATY SALE & OPEN HOUSE Glencoe, ON & ONLINE TIMED AUCTION www.farmgatetimedauctions.ca
Cows in the City: JC Cattle Co. Pastures Herd in Downtown Cambridge
Innovative farming meets community outreach as
Speckle Park cattle graze alongside the Grand River, sparking conversation and connection in the heart of the city
By Jeanine Moyer
Theowners of JC Cattle Co. aren’t afraid to blaze their own trail, especially if it means pasturing their cattle right in the heart of the city and forming unique partnerships.
Earlier this year, Jonathan De Vries was searching for pastureland for his herd of Speckle Park cattle. Land was hard to find, so when he found a Facebook marketplace ad that led to an opportunity to partner with the rare Charitable Research Reserve, a part of the Grand River Conservation Authority, he said “why not?”
As a result, 25 cow and calf pairs were pastured right in the heart of downtown Preston, Ont. (close to the larger city of Cambridge), in the Preston Flats pasture that runs alongside the Grand River, a popular walking trail and a busy city bus stop. The pastured herd is affectionately known as the Cows of Cambridge.
“We’re always trying to do the right thing for our cows and the environment, so this collaboration just made sense,” says Christine Chalmers, co-owner of JC Cattle Co. “And the best part about the location is the unexpected community outreach and education opportunities that have come with it.”
Partnering for Success
JC Cattle Co. is made up of three friends who all share a passion for farming – Jonathan De Vries, Christine Chalmers and Morgan Kuepfer. Together, they manage their herd in Milverton, Ont. sharing roles and responsibilities that range from animal care and field work to marketing and managing the company’s online presence.
“We couldn’t do this without each other,” says Kuepfer. “As young farmers, it can be hard to get into farming, but we’ve learned that its okay to try a new approach to make things work.”
Admittedly, there have been times when the trio have felt discouraged when other farmers tell them their ideas won’t work.
“We like to do things differently, and the Cows of Cambridge is a great example of thinking outside the box,” notes Chalmers.
The lease agreement with the conservation authority came with specific guidelines about how the land can be used and where the cattle can and cannot be pastured. The pasture is also home to endangered species including the bobolink that lives in grasslands and adds extra precautions to land management.
Kuepfer says they did a lot of research to determine the best approach to protecting the wildlife while keeping the pasture and their cattle healthy. They were able to leverage grants to install solar powered water systems and electric fencing, and are grateful for the financial support, especially as young farmers in the early stages of building their farm business.
“Our goal is to keep the land and cows happy, so partnering with the conservation authority made sense,” says Chalmers, explaining they signed a long-term lease agreement with the conservation authority. “Promoting and following sustainable agricultural practices is also part of our focus for pasture and herd management.”
Since 2024 was the first year leasing the land, and they didn’t get access to the land until July 1, De Vries, Chalmers and Kuepfer spent the month of July fencing the 50 acres, developing a rotational grazing plan and installing water systems. They quickly realized one advantage of farming in the city, streetlights. In fact, they were able to work late and spent many nights fencing under the streetlights. The cattle were turned out on pasture in early August and remained on site until November.
Chalmers says one of her favourite memories was walking the pasture during the August long weekend while fireworks were going off in town. “It’s not too often cattle get a front row seat to a fireworks show,” she quips.
Community Raised Cattle
While some farmers might be hesitant to pasture their cattle near such high traffic, public areas, the JC Cattle Co. team embraced the opportunity. Chalmers says the first thing they noticed about the location was just how busy the streets surrounding the land were. So, she came up with the idea to create a community Facebook page titled Cows of Cambridge, where visitors could go for information about the cattle, ask questions and interact with the JC Cattle Co. farmers. Signs were also created and posted around the pasture and neighbouring bus stop promoting the Facebook page. The signs included the names and contact information for the farmers in case of an emergency or concern with the cattle. “People were going to see the cattle up close, so why not explain why they are there and what we’re doing?” says Chalmers. “There’s nothing to hide, so we opened the conversation to talk about beef farming and the Speckle Park breed for anyone who wanted to interact with us.”
but overall, the JC Cattle Co. team has been pleased with the experience of farming in the city and interacting with curious consumers.
Public response to the Cows of Cambridge has been overwhelmingly positive. The team has received comments on their Facebook page like ‘seeing your cows on my drive to work brings a smile to my face!’ and ‘I’ve never seen cows with those markings before’. The engagement is also an opportunity to steer traffic to their online store where they market their own beef and promote their displays at local farmers’ markets.
There have been a few minor incidents where stray dogs have entered the pasture, or visitors have been escorted out of the pasture,
When it comes to the day-to-day supervision of the cattle, an unexpected opportunity came to the team in the form of a family friend who is also a former beef farmer and lives close to the Preston Flats pasture lands. The gentleman volunteered to check on the cattle every day and provided updates via text messages. Chalmers says she’s grateful for the community approach to helping them manage their herd.
“We’ve learned a lot this year, and we are proud of everything we’ve accomplished,” says Kuepfer. “Our greatest take away is the importance of looking out for the next opportunity and being ready to take it. Cows of Cambridge is a great example of what can happen if you keep an open mind.” OB
CCA UPDATE A Busy Year Ahead
By Tina Zakowsky, Communications Manager, CCA www.cattle.ca
Onbehalf of the Canadian Cattle Association Board of Directors, representatives and staff, we offer our best wishes for a happy new year. Although the business of farming and ranching doesn’t take a break for holidays, hopefully everyone had a chance to relax and enjoy time with family and friends. By the time you are reading this, purebred breeds will be in the thick of calving season and there may be a few early arrivals in crossbred herds. Calving season is one of the best parts of our business; it brings so much optimism.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation as prime minister and party leader in early January, and Parliament was prorogued until March 24. All signs point to a spring election. Given these developments, CCA is updating our spring advocacy plan. Please watch our Action News bi-weekly newsletter and social media platforms for updates when Parliament resumes.
We have received some questions about the private members bills in which CCA invested considerable time and advocacy efforts last year. These efforts focused mainly on threats to future trade negotiations (C-282), opportunities to lower Carbon tax burden (C-234), attempts to target and potentially shrink animal agriculture (C-293 and C-355). When the writs drop for election, these bills will be cleared off the order table. It is possible but not likely that these bills could advance before an election is called. CCA is prepared to continue our advocacy efforts pertaining to these bills if they are not cleared.
Although Parliament is prorogued, we continue to work on your behalf, advocating to increase the business risk management program limit along with cost-shared premiums and higher coverage levels for price insurance. Our efforts are ongoing for equitable coverage. Technical barriers to trade with China, the United Kingdom and European Union continue, and we are committed to helping achieve the best deal for Canada and Canadian cattle. Work on changing the 100-day residency rule for Canadian cattle processed in the U.S. is ongoing and close to the finish line. Those last few steps are often the toughest and we are working with U.S. allies to finish this. That change should increase U.S. packer presence in the Canadian market, especially in Ontario east.
In early January, CCA participated in the State Agriculture and Rural Leaders (SARL) gathering along with other Canadian beef industry delegates. The event offered a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful and productive conversations with leaders and stakeholders from across North America. We were proud to
emphasize the deep integration of the U.S. and Canadian markets, showcasing the essential role our shared agricultural trade plays in the prosperity of both nations. Discussions focused on how we can continue to strengthen this partnership, ensuring sustainable growth and success for our farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to these important conversations. Together, we’re building a stronger future for agriculture on both sides of the border.
At the time of writing, we are waiting to find out if President-Elect Donald Trump will implement tariffs. CCA has been preparing for possible tariffs along with the rest of Canada. Our response is based in the National Beef Strategy that will pull our industry together to guide all necessary responses if tariffs are implemented. The strategy was developed by the Canadian Beef Advisors, a group that consists of the current chair or president and senior staff of each of the seven national beef organizations responsible for policy, marketing, research, and sustainability. The best possible outcome is no tariffs, and we hope that our free trade and integrated market will prevail.
The Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) program is accepting applications for the 2025–2026 program year until March 31. The program welcomes young people ages 18–35 from across Canada, involved in various aspects of the beef supply chain. Through mentorship, networking, and travel, the Canadian CYL Program acts as an industry succession planning tool to equip the next generation of leaders with the skills and tools they need to continue to drive the growth and profitability of the Canadian beef industry. If you are a young person looking to take your career in the beef industry to the next level, or you know of a young industry leader who would excel in this program, please visit the CYL website at www. canadiancattleyoungleaders.com to learn more and apply.
If you attended the Ontario Beef Industry Convention, you hopefully saw an invitation to join our community of beef advocates. In the fall, CCA launched a public engagement campaign to strengthen and expand the Canadian Cattle Association’s base of public supporters. Those who sign up will receive inspiring stories from local farmers and ranchers, delicious beef recipes, and keep informed about everything Canadian beef. If you have already signed up: thank you for your support! If you have not signed up or have not heard about the campaign, your voice matters—and we invite you to join the 12,000+ Canadians who have signed up to help spread the word about the vital role of beef producers across the country. Go to www.cattle.ca/supportcdnbeef to sign up and receive your personalized ribbon. OB
CANADIAN CATTLE IDENTIFICATION AGENCY c anadaid.c a
HAVE YOU GOT YOURS?
Contact Your Provincial Traceability Program to Obtain a Premises ID
Why? Premises Identification (PID) links livestock to land locations.
Having a PID number for your operation allows for traceability information to be accessed quickly for the protection of animal health, public health and market access for your industry.
A PID number is expected to be required for purchasing tags (indicators) and recording animal movements when the new CFIA regulations come into effect.
Contact CCIA and Update Your CLTS Account With Your Premises ID Number
Why? It is your responsibility to share your PID with CCIA and make sure your CLTS account contact information is up to date to avoid reporting issues. How? By calling 1-877-909-2333, emailing info@canadaid.ca or entering it yourself in your CLTS account.
Get Your FREE Provincial Premises ID Today:
BRITISH COLUMBIA
www.gov.bc.ca/premisesidprogram 1-888-221-7141
BCPID@gov.bc.ca
ALBERTA
www.alberta.ca/310-farm 310-FARM (3276) 310farm@gov.ab.ca
SASKATCHEWAN
https://premisesid. saskatchewan.ca/pid/ 1-866-457-2377
SaskPID@gov.sk.ca
MANITOBA www.manitoba.ca/agriculture/pid 204-945-7684
traceability@gov.mb.ca
ONTARIO
www.ontariopid.com/en-CA/ 1-888-247-4999
QUEBEC
https://sites.atq.qc.ca/?language=fr https://sites.atq.qc.ca/?language=en 1-866-270-4319
NEW BRUNSWICK
www.gnb.ca/agri-traceability-premises 506-453-2666
DAAF-MAAP@gnb.ca
NOVA SCOTIA
www.novascotia.ca/agri/premisesid 902-956-2707
NSPID@novascotia.ca
PRINCE EDWARD ISLANDAND www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/pid 902-368-5654
PEIPID@gov.pe.ca
NEWFOUNDLAND www.gov.nl.ca/ffa/public-education/ agriculture/safety/pid/ 709-637-2088 nlpid@gov.nl.ca
YUKON www.yukon.ca/premises-identification agriculture@yukon.ca
TheCANADA BEEF UPDATE
National Activity Report
By Gina Teel, Director, Stakeholder Communications, Canada Beef
transition from the end of one fiscal year to the start of the new one typically involves a confluence of known factors and anticipated challenges for Canada’s beef industry backdropped against uncertainties created by external circumstances. While 2025 is rife with geopolitical events and economic headwinds, beef producers can rest assured that Canada Beef has its eye on the ball in terms of the challenges and opportunities to maintain demand for Canadian beef.
A new business plan effective April 1, 2025, features initiatives to maintain and grow mindshare for Canadian beef and more deeply engage an evolving consumer base, with an emphasis on seniors and healthy aging and new Canadians and ethnicity. Continued collaboration with industry on marketing and promotional initiatives for Canadian beef is another goal for Canada Beef in F2025-2026.
Meantime, engagement initiatives from the current business plan are coming to fruition in a fast and furious pace ahead of the March 31 fiscal year end.
The Canadian Beef Masters Culinary Competition is a new initiative that puts the spotlight on key focus areas - maximizing underutilized beef cuts and ethnic dishes. The national competition is for people either employed in a foodservice establishment as a cook, chef or back house staff or enrolled in a culinary school. Participants must
BCMPLUS k
create an entree with one of five featured underutilized cuts (clod-outside skirt, flank, inside skirt, tri tip and chuck roll). Eighteen recipes will be chosen, and six finalists to be flown to the Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence (CBCE) for a final cook-off event. Entries close on February 16.
The CBCE recently released four new videos on opportunities to leverage the venue’s test kitchen facility, its Canadian beef educational and marketing media libraries, content creation capabilities, and the Centre’s purposebuilt facilities to support partner training and market development initiatives.
After two years in the making, the Beef Quality Reference Tool is ready for distribution. The Beef Quality Reference Tool is a visual aid designed to help processors and distributors educate their clients on key Canadian beef quality attributes such as marbling. This new tool can and will be customized for stakeholders
The Burger It Forward (BIF) campaign remains a great way to get Canada’s consumers on board with beef in support of a good cause. The third annual campaign launched February 1 with a record 263 participating restaurants signed up, and over 40 in Ontario.
The BIF campaign is a giveback initiative created by Canada’s beef farmers and ranchers to support community restaurants and Canadian ground beef supply, while raising funds for food banks at local, regional and national levels.
For every campaign-featured 100% Canadian beef burger purchased, Canada Beef will donate the equivalent of one meal to Food Banks Canada, up to a maximum of 20,000 meals (based on Food Banks Canada’s meal metric: $1 = two meals), demonstrating a commitment to corporate social responsibility. Participating provincial cattle producer associations like Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) also provide support tor their regional food banks by donation of funds or ground beef.
The 2024 campaign raised $67,406 for food banks and sold 59,794 burgers at 199 participating restaurants across Canada. The goal is to best that outcome this year.
BIF 2025 runs February 1-28. Check out the BIF website to find participating restaurants in regions near you.
Canada Beef’s involvement in many aspects of the beef value chain ensures collaboration with industry and alignment on matters of importance.
In March, Canada Beef President Eric Bienvenue will participate in the Annual Meat Conference in Florida, to take in the latest innovation and trends in the retail meat space as well as perspectives on the future of meat retail.
In February he’ll attend CattleCon 2025 in Texas to network with producers and learn more about National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and U.S. Meat Export Federation perspectives on the new U.S. administration as well as initiatives abroad.
Canada Beef also participated in the Your National Check-off Dollars at Work session at Cattle Academy at BFO’s 2025 annual general meeting in February. Canada Beef was among the national partners invited to share how their organization uses and leverages check-off dollars to benefit beef farmers in eastern Canada. Canada Beef also ran a booth at the BFO trade show.
Canada Beef attended the Ontario Cattle Feeders Association Annual Beef Industry Convention in January. Bienvenue presented at the conference and the team ran a booth. Bienvenue and Canada Beef leadership visited a feedlot owned by Robert Bielak, President of St. Helen’s Meat Packers.
Bienvenue also attended Agriculture and Agri-food Canada’s Animal Protein Table Meeting in Ottawa in January to discuss issues affecting the beef sector,
In December, Canada Beef participated in the Team Canada Trade Mission (TCTM) to Indonesia and the Philippines led by Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, Mary Ng.
Indonesia and the Philippines represent an opportunity for grain-fed Canadian beef as both countries seek to diversify their beef imports from a food security perspective.
In addition to the formal TCTM program, Canada Beef and the CCA met with local importers, distributors, retailers and foodservice industry representatives in both countries to showcase Canadian beef and position Canada as a reliable supplier of high-quality protein.
Canadian beef was promoted to local buyers and food industry influencers in workshops organized by Canada Beef and was served and featured at most of the networking events organized for participants and local industry invitees in this mission. Building awareness of the Canadian Beef Advantage, the stewardship and care of Canada’s beef producers, and Canada’s sustainable beef production system.
For detailed information on domestic and international market initiatives to increase demand for Canadian beef while ensuring the maximum value for producer dollars, please subscribe to Canada Beef Performs and follow Canada Beef on LinkedIn. OB
DLMS FARMGATE TIMED SALE
Opening Sunday, March 16th at 9:00am and closing Monday, March 17th at 8:00pm
• Selling thick, long and sound, coming 2 year old Full French bulls sired by MLCC 113H (SCF FERNANDO/M&L TREZEGOAL)
• and 2 thick, polled yearling Full Fleck Simmentals.
• Also a sale feature: Herdsire M&L KHAN 3K. Structurally correct with rare calving ease and maternal EPDs, for a polled Full French bull of this caliber.
Look for photos and videos online in March at www.mlcattleco.com
Roger Maloney and Helen Lynett
936 Douro Third Line, Douro-Dummer, ON, K0L 2H0
Roger: 705.761.7316
roger@mlcattleco.com www.mlcattleco.com
M&L TREZEGOAL 268C (MLCC 268C) at 9 months
ANTRIM KINGSLEY 9K (Son sells)
APS 9k with son selling M&L 9M (RMHL 9M)
SCF FERNANDO 435F (SCF 435F)
M&L KHAN 3K (MLCC 3K) He Sells
Farm & Food Care Ontario Year in Review
Thanks to the continued support of longstanding partners like Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO), 2024 was another successful year for Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO). Through collaboration with BFO and other partners, FFCO facilitated numerous opportunities for farmers, agribusinesses and the public to engage, building confidence in Ontario farms and food systems. These initiatives helped bring farming and non-farming communities together, allowing urban and suburban consumers to interact directly with Ontario’s farmers and food producers while learning more about agriculture.
In 2024, FFCO and BFO partnered on initiatives designed to address consumer questions about cattle farming in Ontario. BFO Director Joost van der Heiden serves as a member of the FFCO Board of Directors, further strengthening this important partnership.
[Subhead] Breakfast on the Farm
FFCO hosted three Breakfast on the Farm (BOTF) events across Ontario in 2024, drawing over 24,800 guests. The first event took place in partnership with the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival, where FFCO organized a Farm Discovery Zone. Additional events were held at farms in Ottawa and Perth County. These events featured livestock displays, equipment showcases, educational exhibits, with all-Ontario breakfasts served by volunteers.
FFCO partnered with BFO at all three events, providing volunteers and hosting exhibits featuring live cattle supported by Ontario beef farmers. Broadway Farms (Angus), Brandon Homer (Limousin), and JC Cattle Company (Speckle Park) showcased their cattle, enriching the experience and sparking meaningful conversations about beef farming.
Farm Tours
2024 marked a milestone for FFCO’s farm tour program with its 100th tour. Since 2004, 258 farms and food processing facilities have been featured. This year, FFCO focused on modifying the program to reach to new audiences, launching food industry professional tours, and hosting four culinary student tours. Several tours brought guests to beef farms, including one for Toronto-area food industry professionals who visited Roy-A-Lea Farms Ltd. During the visit and throughout the day long tour, Jennifer Kyle from BFO shared valuable insights into beef farming. Centennial College students visited MurrayHill Farm, a purebred Limousin farm, to meet the Byers family and learn about pasture-raised cattle. Dan Ferguson from Ontario Beef also joined the tour to discuss beef production and answer students’ questions.
To assess the impact of these tours, FFCO surveys culinary students before and after each tour. The results revealed a significant shift in perceptions of Ontario agriculture, with positive impressions increasing from 61 per cent pre-tour to 98 per cent post-tour.
Events and Outreach
FFCO participated in several key events in 2024, further extending the reach of its programs. In August, FFCO, alongside members including BFO, spent 18 days at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), showcasing a theatre-style FarmFood360 kiosk. This interactive exhibit allowed visitors to experience a real Ontario beef farm through virtual reality, attracting 7,470 visitors. The same experience was offered at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (RAWF), engaging an additional 1,800 attendees.
In addition, FFCO had the distinct honour of hosting Dr. Temple Grandin, who shared insights into animal welfare and behavior with a capacity crowd of farmers, industry professionals and FFCO members.
Digital Outreach
In addition to in-person events, digital outreach is vital to FFCO’s work. Through Faces Behind Food on Instagram and Facebook, FFCO shared the stories of 103 individuals from across agriculture and food industries. FFCO also answered 40 Ask a Farmer questions, reaching 2.5 million Canadians across social media. Six beef farmers were featured in the Ask a Farmer series.
Training and Workshops
In addition to the many projects and events that took place in 2024, FFCO also continues to prioritize other important industry issues.
Thanks in part to partnerships with BFO, FFCO facilitated livestock emergency response workshops in Newcastle, Cochrane, Lambton, and Clinton, attended by 151 first responders. These workshops focused on livestock trailer designs, safe animal extrication, and regulations on animal transportation. FFCO also delivered 26 sessions on agriculture media training, Speak Up training, and boothmanship to industry professionals.
WAYDAMAR SIMMENTALS
Bulls is our Business & Information to support Production Decisions
Red, Black & Blazed Face Yearling & coming 2 Simmental Bulls Performance, Ultrasound, Thermal Index & Semen Tested Calving Ease • Temperament • Customer Service
Dave, Gayle & Grant Milliner
225641 Southgate Road #22 • Dundalk, ON N0C 1B0
Phone: 519-923-9188 • Cell: 519-377-9188
Email: milliner.dg@gmail.com
Follow us on: www.facebook.com/WaydamarFarms & Agsights/Services/Genetic Evaluations/Waydamar Report
Marywood Breeders Group Bull Test
Bred Heifers Available for Sale
Contact: Dave: 519-375-0122
Josh: 519-362-5373 • Grant: 519-387-0429
Opportunities for Engagement
FFCO remains committed to fostering opportunities for members to connect. This year, FFCO hosted quarterly #OntAg communicators calls, tri-annual Member Forum meetings, and regular discussions with like-minded organizations across Canada.
To Learn More
To learn more about FFCO’s initiatives, visit www. FarmFoodCareON.org and subscribe to the monthly e-newsletter. Comments and questions can always be directed to FFCO staff at info@farmfoodcare.org OB
Beefing Up Ontario’s Food Banks Ontario Beef Program Marks 10 Years
By LeaAnne Wurmli, BFO Director of Communications
This November marked an important milestone for Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) and its partnership with Feed Ontario, the province’s largest collective of hunger-relief organizations.
Feed Ontario represents a network of more than 1,200 food banks and hunger-relief organizations across Ontario. Through their network, they deliver millions of pounds of food across Ontario, serving more than one million people each year. While they work to strengthen and grow the capacity of the provincial food bank network, they also work to advocate for evidence-based programs and solutions to make ending hunger and poverty a priority in our province.
In 2014, BFO signed an agreement with Feed Ontario to develop an Ontario Beef Program that would deliver fresh Ontario ground beef to people facing hunger. Through a tender process, BFO’s cash donation is used for the direct purchase of Ontario ground beef from an Ontario processor, with the transportation generously provided by the Erb Group, another partner of Feed Ontario. To provide fair and equitable distribution of the beef, each year Feed Ontario rotates the receiving zone through their network of food banks.
Over the last ten years, BFO’s cash contribution to the program has totalled $360,000, supported the purchase of 127,045 pounds of beef, and provided 769,969 servings of Ontario ground beef for those in need.
“We understand protein is by far one of the most sought-after items by food banks,” shares Craig McLaughlin, BFO President. “With more and more people needing the support of a food bank, coupled with declining donations, it’s become much more important for us to be at the table to help address food security and ensure all Ontarians have access to nutritious beef to help maintain a healthy diet.”
To help keep pace with demand and to account for the cost of beef, BFO’s donation has grown to an annual contribution of $50,000. During the pandemic, BFO bumped its contribution when we saw a spike in those needing emergency access to food through a food bank.
Continued on page 46.
BFO accepting the 2022 Paul Mistele Memorial Award from Feed Ontario.
BFO presenting Feed Ontario with our annual contribution at our 2022 Queen’s Park Barbecue.
FOOD BANK USE
1,001,150 adults and children accessed a food bank in Ontario between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024 – an increase of 25 per cent over last year and 86 per cent since 2019-2020.
Ontario’s food banks were visited a total of 7,689,580 times throughout the year, an increase of 31 per cent over last year and 134 per cent since 2019-2020.
DRIVERS OF FOOD BANK USE
Food bank visitors who cited employment as their primary source of income increased by 82 per cent increase over pre-pandemic levels and 37 per cent increase over the previous year.
Social assistance remains the primary source of income for the majority of food bank visitors with 30 per cent relying on OW and 29 per cent relying on ODSP.
A minimum wage worker needs to work 66 hours per week to afford the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Ontario.
FOOD BANK SUSTAINABILITY
38 per cent of food banks have reported having to reduce the amount of food they can give, and more than half worry they will not have enough food or funds to meet the needs of their community.
“Protein, especially meat is often seen as a luxury for our clients. The Beef Farmers of Ontario have our sincerest thanks in helping PortCares provide healthy, high-quality choices to the community.”
- Meagan Gallant on behalf of Port Cares
MESSAGE FROM ONTARIO FOOD BANKS
“We are incredibly grateful for the generous donation of beef that we received. The ground beef we received made a significant impact on the families and individuals we serve. Protein-rich foods like beef are essential for maintaining health, especially for children, seniors, and those with medical conditions that require a balanced diet. The addition of beef to our pantry also assists with the meals we are able to offer and allows us to distribute more balanced meals, and the clients definitely enjoyed the meatloaf and spaghetti meals! Thank you for making a difference in the lives of those we serve. Your support helps to alleviate hunger and improve the well-being of our community members.”
- Roni Delleman on behalf of the Bruce Peninsula Community Food Bank
“Our clients look forward to the visits when ground beef is available. We try to do it at least once a month and the shipment of beef from the Beef Farmers of Ontario allowed us one extra day of supply. The packaging made storage much easier.”
- Dave Lane on behalf of Hagersville Food Bank
“Thanks Beef Farmers of Ontario – your donation of ground beef helps provide much needed protein to food banks to distribute and the versatility of ground beef in so many recipes helps to raise the nutrition level in our food hampers!”
- Myles Vanni on behalf of Inn of the Good Shepherd Sarnia
“The families who access the services of Chatham Outreach for Hunger were very grateful to receive this versatile food. Many commented on the importance of such a nutritional addition to their otherwise empty dinner table. Thank you for this tremendous gift.”
- Brenda LeClair on behalf of Chatham Outreach for Hunger
“With the donation from the Beef Farmers of Ontario through the Feed Ontario Beef Program 2024, the Meaford Food Bank and Outreach were able to provide one package of beef to all the households that attend the foodbank on a regular basis. This donation allowed us to ensure that our funds stretched the entire year, with the increase in prices of grocery items. We thank them greatly for their support.”
- Amber Knott on behalf of Meaford Food Bank and Outreach
“The Palmerston Food Bank received a case of ground beef, which lasted about a month at our small Food Bank. Our clients mentioned that they were pleased with the quality of the ground beef they received, and the food bank was able to redirect those funds to purchase other protein products we are not usually able to afford. A win/win!”
- Deanna Martin on behalf of Palmerston Food Bank
In addition to BFO’s relationship with Feed Ontario, the association’s local branches are also very committed to supporting their regional food banks and communities. Over the last couple of years, BFO has started tracking food bank donations through its annual Sharecost Program, and in 2024, the local associations, with support from BFO, provided over $47,000 in beef donations to local food banks.
“Feed Ontario is incredibly grateful for the generous support from Ontario beef farmers,” says Carolyn Stewart, CEO of Feed Ontario. “They have been an important partner over the past 10 years, providing 770,000 servings of locally grown and produced beef that Feed Ontario distributes to food banks across Ontario. Ontario beef farmers are making a significant impact in people’s lives by ensuring everyone has access to healthy and nutritious food.“
Continued on page 48.
BFO has been fortunate to be recognized for our Ontario Beef Program with Feed Ontario on a couple of occasions. In 2015 and in 2022, BFO was presented with the Paul Mistele Memorial Award, which is named for the late farm leader who founded Ontario Pork’s Donate-A-Hog program in 1998. The award recognizes agricultural partners who have shown a significant and enduring commitment to ending hunger in Ontario.
“As we head into the holiday season, we are truly grateful for our ten-year relationship with Feed Ontario, and we thank the Ontario food banks and their volunteers, VG Meats, Townsend Butchers and the Erb Group who have all played a role over the years in helping us to keep Ontario beef on the plates of those in need,” says McLaughlin.
Unfortunately, hunger and food insecurity in Ontario is increasing. Earlier this month, Feed Ontario released their annual Hunger Report which cites that food bank use has been on the rise in our province for eight consecutive years, and this is the second year in a row food banks have experienced an unprecedented surge in demand.
Ontarians are having trouble making ends meet, with more than one million people accessing food banks nearly 7.7 million times last year alone. To put this into perspective, one million people is greater than the entire population of Nova Scotia and means 1 in 16 people in Ontario have no choice but to turn to food banks to put food on the table for their families or themselves.
“People only turn to food banks after they’ve exhausted all other options – and yet over one million Ontarians still needed our help. This is the highest number of people on record, occurring at a time when donations are declining as more individuals can no longer afford to give. As a result, food banks are being stretched beyond their capacity and running out of resources at a time when people and families need them the most,” shares Stewart.
If you want to learn more about Feed Ontario and the Ontario Beef Program, read the 2024 Hunger Report, or perhaps make a donation to provide warm meals, fresh groceries, and hope to those struggling to make ends meet, visit www.feedontario.ca to learn more. OB
ONTARIO BEEF FARMERS: WE NEED YOU
Raising beef is vital to your family, your farm, your community, and Ontario as a whole. The product you raise deserves to reach appreciative family tables close to home, ensuring you receive the best value for your hard work. At VG Meats, we’ve partnered with small beef farmers across Ontario who share our commitment to quality, sustainability, and continuous improvement. Now, we’d like to work with you.
We’re looking to purchase your finished cattle and provide you with valuable data on each animal’s tenderness, yield, quality, and weight. This information not only helps you secure a premium for your beef but also supports better management and genetic decisions for generations to come. By working together, we can help regenerate the lives, profits, and land of Ontario’s beef farming families.
Over the years, we’ve also expanded our connections across Ontario’s retail landscape, creating more opportunities for locally raised beef to reach appreciative consumers. You can learn more about this exciting initiative and how it benefits Ontario farmers at harvesttogather.ca.
If your family finishes cattle and you’re ready to explore this opportunity, reach out to me, Cory Van Groningen, at cory@vgmeats.ca, and I’ll share the details of our program. Let’s schedule a time to discuss how VG Meats can help bring your beef to market while supporting your farm’s growth. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
ItMARKET INFORMATION UPDATE
By Jamie Kerr, Market Analyst for Canfax and BFO markets@ontariobeef.com • www.ontariobeef.com
was another record-setting year in 2024. Fed steers established new all-time highs in July, August, and again in December. Feeder cattle moved higher throughout the year. All classes of steer calves and yearling steers posted new all-time highs several times in 2024, including December. The cull cow market largely followed in line with seasonal trends, while managing to establish new all-time highs several times between March and August. To the end of November, live exports of fed, non-fed and feeder cattle were above a year ago; a softer Canadian dollar has been supportive to exports. Corn prices spent most of the year below historical levels, reducing cost-of-gain.
Fed steers and heifers averaged $242/cwt (live) in 2024, with steers up six per cent from 2023 and heifers climbing 10 per cent higher. Railgrade prices averaged $405/cwt, eight per cent higher. There were concerns the Guelph plant shutdown due to the worker strike action in June would result in a backlog of fed cattle and lower prices, at least through the third quarter of 2024. These concerns were alleviated as feedlots managed front-end supplies, with only seasonal softening occurring in the third quarter. Feedlots appeared to re-gain leverage in the fourth quarter as fed cattle prices strengthened, pushing towards $255/cwt by December. However, feedlot margins (on the cash market with no risk management) averaged -$6/cwt in 2024, ranging from almost $20/cwt in the red to $13/cwt in the black for cattle marketed between January and December 2024. Average breakeven prices were estimated at $247/cwt in 2024, peaking at $251/cwt for steers placed in May 2024 and marketed in November. Despite the year-over-year strength in the Ontario fed market, fed steers averaged a $3/cwt discount to Alberta fed steers.
The Ontario-to-Nebraska cash basis averaged -$13/cwt in 2024, steady with 2023 but $6/cwt weaker than the five-year average. The Ontario cash basis moved counter-seasonal to both 2023 and the five-year average for much of the year. The Ontario cash-to-futures basis averaged -$7/cwt in 2024, around $1/cwt stronger than 2023 but $4/cwt weaker than the five-year average. The futures basis loosely followed historical trends, though there was some counterseasonal weakening in the fourth quarter.
Ontario fed slaughter volumes (federally inspected) in 2024 were down 10 per cent from 2023 driven partly by the Guelph plant shutdown in June. Fed steer and heifer carcass weights averaged 15-20 pounds heavier than 2023, supporting fed production, which was only down eight per cent from 2023. Non-fed slaughter volumes were down 27 per cent with carcass weights down 11-35 pounds, resulting in nonfed production being down 29 per cent from 2023.
Ontario D2 cow prices averaged $155/cwt in 2024, a 22 per cent premium to 2023 and 72 per cent stronger than the five-year average, and mostly followed seasonal trends. Ontario D3 cows kept pace, ending 2024 up 24 per cent from 2023 and up 74 per cent from the five-year average. Cull cow prices re-established new all-time highs almost every month between March and August, peaking at $178/cwt, before seasonally softening over the last four months. In 2024, Ontario D2 cows averaged a $17/cwt discount to Alberta D2 cows and an $18/ cwt discount to U.S. Utility cows.
Ontario auction volumes largely followed historical trends, putting in two distinct peaks. The first peak was in May before the summer grass market, and the second came in October with the annual fall run. Auction volumes were just shy of 225,000 head, down four per cent from last year and down six per cent from the five-year average. This is not unexpected given that Statistics Canada’s July 1st inventory report estimated the Ontario calf crop was down four per cent in 2024.
Continued on page 52.
Canadian Angus Bulls –The Genetic Advantage
Because of their balanced profile of calving ease, growth and carcass quality, Canadian Angus cattle work well in both purebred and commercial operations. Use Angus bulls to make top performing feedlot steers and beautiful replacement females
Visit the Ontario Angus Association website for more information: www.cdnangus.ca/ontario-angus-association
Contact any of the breeders below to arrange for your private viewing of cattle for sale.
Cairnlee Acres
Victor, Yvonne & Andrew Richardson 6193 Walkers Dr, Strathroy, ON Vic Cell: (519) 871-4240
Cambray Livestock Company
Luke, Matt, Joe and Carl Jewell 1153 The Glen Road, Woodville ON 705-934-2853
Fallis Land and Cattle
Mike, Lisa and Cole Fallis 1273 6th Line, Selwyn, ON K9J 6X5 705-740-4878 | sunsetacres@nexicom.net
Gilchrist Farms
Brad & Kristie Gilchrist 1269 Grey Ox Ave RR#5 Lucknow, ON N0G 2H0 519-440-6720 | brad@gilchristfarms.com
Glen Islay Angus
Don Currie 2234 Conc 11, Nottawa, ON L0M1P0 705-715-2234 | doncurrie@glenislay.com
Loval Farms
Scott & Sandra Honey 127 Honey Road, Warkworth, ON K0K 3K0 705-924-3809 | lovalfarms@gmail.com
Harprey Farms
Allan Hargrave/Don Hargrave 307483 Centre Line A Proton Station, ON N0C 1L0 Allan 519-375-5541 | Don 519-375-1500 harprey@gmail.com
Maple Line Farm
Ian & Tim Rudkin 3320 Bradburn Road, Blackstock, On L0B 1B0 Ian 905-718-5331 | Tim 905-213-6518 maplelinefarm@hotmail.com
Meadow Bridge Angus
JJ Deslippe 922580 Rd 92 RR # 4, St Mary’s, ON N4X 1C7 519-275-1739 | deslippe@quadro.net
Rob Roy Angus
Don & Betty McNalty 634514 Road 63 RR#2 Singhampton, ON N0C 1M0 705-446-4740 | robroyangus@gmail.com
SCOMAC Livestock
Scott & Elizabeth MacDonald 4169 Highway # 6 Hagersville, ON N0A 1H0 Scott 519-820-1272 | Elizabeth 226-971-0015 scomaclivestock@gmail.com
Silver Springs Farm
James, Joan, Robert and Emily McKinlay 609027 12th Sideroad RR#1 Ravenna, ON N0H 2E0 519-599-6236 | jmckinlay@bmts.com
Tullamore Farms
Bill & Sylvia Jackson 260 Regional RD 39 Zephyr, ON L0E 1T0 Cell 647-990-2697 tullamore.angus@gmail.com
Whiskey Lane Livestock
Scott, Paula, Jason & Shelby Cornish 2295 Hwy 7, Indian River, ON K0L 2B0 705-341-3220 | wll@nexicom.net
Windcroft Farms
Darcy & Courtney McMorris 573333 Boot Jack Ranch Road
Priceville, ON N0C 1K0 226-203-4506 | windcroftfarms@gmail.com
Worth-Mor Cattle
Kyle, Rachel, Jordyn and Mason Petherick 950 County Rd 8 Campbellford, ON K0L 1L0 705-768-3560 | worth-mor@hotmail.com
Smaller auction volumes supported calf and feeder prices in 2024, with all weight classes of steers and heifers re-establishing new all-time annual highs. Heifers slightly out-performed steers last year. Light-weight steers under 700 pounds were 22-30 per cent stronger than 2023 with same-weight heifers 26-35 per cent stronger. Medium-weight steers climbed 17-20 per cent year-over-year, with heifers moving 22-24 per cent higher. Heavy-weight steers were 13 per cent stronger, while heavy heifers were up 18 per cent. Record high prices for feeder cattle during the second half of 2024 have translated into record high breakeven prices for fed cattle for the first half of 2025.
Steer calves from 500-600 pounds averaged $412/cwt in 2024, 26 per cent higher than 2023 and 69 per cent higher than the five-year average. A steadily strengthening market throughout 2024, capped with counter-seasonal strength in the fourth quarter drove the average price higher. Feeder steers from 800-900 pounds averaged $335/cwt in 2024, 17 per cent higher than 2023 and 60 per cent higher than the five-year average. Feeder steers followed very closely with historical seasonality in 2024.
To the end of November, Ontario fed cattle exports to the U.S. were up 43 per cent from last year and were the largest on record going back to 1998. Fed exports averaged nearly 11,000 head between May and July, compared to 4,700 head in 2023, driving the increase. This points to how feedlots managed supplies to minimize the impact of the Cargill plant shutdown. Non-fed exports are up five per cent year-to-date, and although larger than both 2022 and 2023, are on the small end of historical volumes. Feeder exports are up 211 per cent year-to-date. Larger feeder export volumes were driven entirely by October and November, when exports averaged around 1,300 head per month. These were the largest monthly volumes since September and October 2015, when they averaged 1,700 head per month.
Corn prices averaged $214/tonne in 2024, 24 per cent below 2023 and six per cent below the five-year average. Corn prices were below the 10-year average for much of 2024, but strengthened enough to align with both the five-year average and the 10-year average in December at $228/tonne. Lower corn prices have reduced fed cattle cost of gain. OB
Continued on page 54.
WEEKLY LIVE CATTLE EXPORTS-ONTARIO
BEEF EXPORTS – CANADA (AAFC)
LIVE CATTLE – CANADA (AAFC)
BEEF PRODUCTION – CANADA (AAFC)
BEEF IMPORTS – CANADA (AAFC)
CALENDAR
Ontario Beef Industry Events
February 17 – Elm Tree Farms Online Bull Sale (DLMS)
February 19 – Beck McCoy Annual Hereford Bull Sale, Milestone, SK
February 18 – Cattle Academy, Hosted in conjunction with BFO’s AGM, Delta Hotels Toronto Airport and Conference Centre. To join virtually, visit www.ontariobeef.com
February 19-20 – BFO Annual General Meeting, Delta Hotel Toronto Airport and Conference Centre
March 1 – Fully Loaded Limousin Bull Sale (online)
March 1 – Ontario Simmental Association Annual Meeting, London
March 4-6 – Profitable Pastures Webinar Series. For more information and to register, visit www.onforagenetwork.ca
March 8 – Source For Success
Simmental and Angus Bull and Female Sale, Indian River
March 8 – Blackbern & Whitewater 14th Annual Charolais Bull Sale, Cobden
March 15-16 – Spring Thaw Sale (featuring Harprey Angus, Proton Station)
March 16 – M&L Cattle Co Charolais Sale (online),Indian River
March 22 – Cornerview Charolais Bull Sale, Cobden
March 22 – Clarke Family Farms
Inc and guest Jon-Ern Farms
Ltd IV Annual Bull and Female Sale, Blenheim
March 23 – Darling Farms
Limousin Bull and Female Sale, Castleton
March 26 – Virtual FCC Young Farmer Summit. For more information and to register, visit www.eventbrite.ca/cc/fccyoung-farmer-summit-2980199
March 29 – Posthaven Limousin Open House, Alma
April 5 – Smart Limousin 27th Open House and Private Treaty Sale, Meaford
April 5 – Saunders Charolais 20th Annual Bull Sale, Keady
April 5 – Back to Beef Basics West. Elora, Ontario – watch the BFO website for registration details.
April 6 – O’Shea Hereford Farms, Open House and Tag Sale, Denfield
April 12 – Back to Beef Basics East. Selby, Ontario – watch the BFO website for registration details.
April 21 – BeeZee Acres Limousin Open House and Sale, Glencoe
PRIVATE TREATY
Boomer Creek Simmentals, Wallenstein
Double B Charolais, Oro-Medonte
Cedardale Charolais, Nestleton
Cornell Farms, Devlin
Earley Livestock, Kerwood
First Line Angus, Hagersville
Glen Islay Angus, Nottawa
JPD Angus, Oro-Medonte
Miller Land & Livestock, Jarvis
River Point Cattle Co., Glencoe
Silver Springs Farms, Ravenna
Sunrise Charolais, Stayner
Vancise Cattle Company, Stayer Waydamar Simmentals, Dundalk
Daryl and Connie Clarke and Family 342 Chatham Street South, Blenheim, Ontario N0P 1A0
Herdsman and Marketing Manager Hugh M. Ross: 519-365-4026 hugh.clarkeffi@gmail.com
Changes to Ontario Licensed Dealers List
Now Licensed
Abattoir
11261991 Canada Inc.
o/a H.M. Halal Meat 82 Enford Crescent Brampton, L6X 4N7
2833017 Ontario Inc. o/a Henderson’s Meats. 13200 Mackenzie Road Chesterville, K0C 1H0
Now Licensed: Country Dealer
Ryan William Leduc
o/a SD & G Custom Farming 132 Beechwood Road Napanee, K7R 3L1
The Ontario Beef Cattle Financial Protection Program is administered by Agricorp. The listing of licensed dealers is updated regularly and the complete listing can be found on the Agricorp website. OB
BEEF FARMERS OF ONTARIO PRIVACY STATEMENT
The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of producers’ personal information in compliance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
Subscribers to Ontario Beef magazine, the official publication of the Beef Farmers of Ontario, do so on a voluntary basis. By subscribing, subscribers are consenting to have their contact information used for the purposes of receiving the magazine and developing an BFO mailing list.
This mailing list will be used for the distribution of the BFO magazine.
The BFO will not sell, trade or otherwise share its Ontario Beef mailing list under any circumstances. A service may be provided whereby items are submitted to the BFO and mailed internally with the magazine but all materials must be approved by and acceptable to the BFO. In rare instances where external, non-commercial organizations, like the provincial or federal government, wish to use the Ontario Beef mailing list to distribute information, the government must provide their mailing materials in a finished format to BFO and/or its mailing house. BFO will then coordinate the mailing, at the requesting organization’s cost, thus maintaining confidentiality of the list. In cases where the BFO may commission a mailing, the company providing the service is required to sign a mandatory confidentiality agreement.
Subscribers to the Ontario Beef mailing list who wish to have their names removed, should call 519-824-0334 or email info@ontariobeef.com. Please allow 15 business days to allow us to update our records accordingly.
BFO’s complete privacy statement, covering areas of information including the electronic update system, Website, membership list and market information can be viewed on its Website at http://www.ontariobeef.com/privacy.asp
SILVERTIP
Sheila’s Cell: 519-379-4877 smartlimousin@gmail.com www.smartlimousin.com
WELLNESS ON THE FARM
Information provided by Agriculture Wellness Ontario Staff
Winter Wellness Tips from Agriculture Wellness Ontario
Ontariowinters bring colder temperatures, less sunlight, and sometimes a drop in energy or mood. While these changes are part of the season, it’s important to prioritize your mental and physical health. Stay well this winter with these helpful tips:
• Embrace indoor time: Winter is a great opportunity to slow down and connect with loved ones. Spend quality time with family and friends, pick up a favorite hobby, dive into a good book, or catch up on movies and shows you’ve been meaning to watch.
• Soak up the sun: On bright winter days, take advantage of the sunlight. Spending just 10 minutes outside, whether it’s on a walk or simply stepping out onto the porch, can give your mood a significant boost.
• Maintain your routines: Consistency is key for wellbeing, especially during darker mornings. Wake up and go to bed at the same time each day to help regulate your internal clock and keep your energy levels steady.
BULLS & HEIFERS FOR SALE
An outstanding group of bulls, open heifers and bred heifers are on offer from the Limousin industry’s leading sires.
Don’t be disappointed – call today to arrange a private viewing or discuss the sale offering.
• Prepare for livestock births: For those managing livestock during winter, staying warm is crucial. Bundle up in layers, stay hydrated, and refuel with warm meals rich in vitamin C, such as hearty soups and stews, to maintain your energy and immunity.
• Address low moods early: Feeling a little blue is common in the winter months, but if your mood stays low for extended periods, don’t hesitate to reach out. Lean on your support network, contact the Farmer Wellness Initiative, or speak with a trusted healthcare professional to get the help you need.
Remember, your health is vital, both for you and your farm. Stay safe, stay warm, and take care of yourself this winter!
About Agriculture Wellness Ontario
Agriculture Wellness Ontario (AgWO) is a suite of free programs that brings mental health education, counselling services and enhanced community support to rural and agricultural communities across the province. AgWO is managed by the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division, in partnership with other stakeholders in the agricultural community.
Please Join Us: 27th ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE AND PRIVATE TREATY SALE
Saturday, April 5th, 2025 • 10:00am to 5:00pm • At the Farm Follow us on Facebook (smartlimousin). And check our website for videos and sale catalogue.
Garry & Sheila Smart 137606 Grey Rd. 12, RR#2 • Meaford, Ontario N4L 1W6 Cell: 519-372-7459 (Garry) • 519-379-4877 (Sheila) smartlimousin@gmail.com www.smartlimousin.com
Our dedicated team works across the province, delivering programming and training to promote wellbeing among farmers, farm families, and agricultural workers. Whether through workshops, events, or one-on-one support, we are committed to meeting people where they are—both geographically and on their mental health journeys. Our mission is to provide meaningful, accessible support that helps the agricultural community thrive.
www.AgricultureWellnessOntario.ca OB
In the Know was developed by a research team at the University of Guelph in 2019 In 2021, CMHA Ontario became the delivery partner for In the Know in Ontario.
What you’ll learn:
Awareness of mental health stigma in the agricultural community
Common stressors and mental health concerns in agriculture
How to identify warning signs of stress, depression, anxiety, substance use, and suicide
How to start a conversation around mental health
The importance of self-care of farmers were classified as experiencing moderate or high perceived stress1 of producers across Canada reported they would feel uneasy about seeking professional help due to what people may think2
Having conversations about mental health is important
Workshop basics:
Free to participate Uses agricultural examples
In the Know is appropriate for everyone who is connected to Ontario’s agriculture community!
Free to agricultural businesses and organizations, for groups of 5 to 30 people
3 hours of content
Virtual and in-person delivery options
Great offering for:
Boards of directors
Staff teams
Membership
Community members
of In the Know participants reported that their confidence in their ability to speak to someone about their mental health increased following the session
Individuals
Sign up for one of our monthly virtual workshops today! Open to producers, agriculture professionals and community members!
Groups
Request a private training for your group. Great for professional and community development!
1Briana N M Hagen, Alex Sawatzky, Sherilee L Harper, Terri L O’Sullivan & Andria Jones-Bitton (2022) “Farmers
