Beef Business November 2017

Beef Business Saskatchewan's Premiere Premier Cattle Saskatchewan`s Cattle Industry Industry Publication Publication November 2017

CELEBRATING

45

IN PUBLISHING

A Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association Publication Publication Mail Agreement #40011906

Working for Producers

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Contents

Beef Business

Cover photo courtesy of Cathy Piller - Grenfell, SK

A Proud Saskatchewan Tradition Since 1913

A Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) Publication

Industry News 6

It Pays to Take this Survey: WCCCS II

7

International Trade Scenarios Hold Opportunities and Risks

9

Pilot Project Will Reward Ranchers for Sustainable Beef Production

10

Titan Acquires Gibson Livestock

12

JGL Settles into New Facility Outside of Moose Jaw

13

Bigger is Better: Meadow Lake Stockyards Acquires Prince Albert, Lloydminster Locations

14

Holistic Farmer to Address Bison Ranchers

15

SSGA Aims for 10,000-Pound Food Bank Donation

16

Census of Agriculture 2016 – Farm Operators

18

SSGA Launches Wildfire Relief Fund to Assist Impacted Ranchers

General Manager: Chad MacPherson Box 4752, Evraz Place, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4 Tel: 306-757-8523 Fax: 306-569-8799 email: ssga@sasktel.net OR ssga.admin@sasktel.net Website: www.skstockgrowers.com Subscriptions Box 4752, Evraz Place, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4 Tel: 306-757-8523 Fax: 306-569-8799 email: ssga.admin@sasktel.net Subscription Rate: 1 yr $26.50 (GST included) Published 5 times per year Advertising Sales Tel: 306-757-8523 Fax: 306-569-8799 email: ssga.admin@sasktel.net

Markets and Trade 19

Retail Meat Price Survey

20

Weekly Charts

Design and Layout - Jackson Designs Candace Schwartz Tel: 306-772-0376 email: cjacksondesigns@gmail.com

Features 22

CCA Projects Targets Update for Grading and Carcass Information

28

What Could the Proposed Tax Changes Cost Your Livestock Operation?

30

Leadership Survey

Science and Production 38

Rules, Regulations and Common Sense

39

Where's the Beef? Missing Livestock Files

SSGA reserves the right to refuse advertising and to edit manuscripts. Contents of Beef Business may be reproduced with written permission obtained from the SSGA Manager and proper credit given to the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association. Articles submitted may not be the opinion of the Association.

SSGA assumes no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader from this publication based on any and all information provided.

Stewardship 40

Controlling Leafy Spurge to Restore Habitat for Species at Risk

42

Rangeland Reality Check: Basic Principles of Grazing Management

Association News, Reports and Events SSGA Director Profile: Lee Sexton

48

A Report from the SSGA President

49

Calendar of Events

50

Advertisers Index

51

Business Directory

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Re

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Publications Mail Agreement #40011906 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses (covers only) to: Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association Box 4752, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4

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facebook.com/skstockgrowers @SK_StockGrowers NOVEMBER 2017

Prairie Conservation Action Plan (PCAP) Manager: Carolyn Gaudet Box 4752, Evraz Place, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4 Tel: 306-352-0472 Fax: 306-569-8799 email: pcap@sasktel.net

Contributors Kathy Larson Phil Ambroziak Chad MacPherson Terry Bedard Tara Mulhern Davidson Jason Pollock Marvin Slingerland Fonda Froats Krista Connick Todd Jeff Gaye Shane Jahnke

This magazine is printed on paper that is comprised of 50% recycled paper and 25% post-consumer waste.

It is acid-free, elemental chlorine-free and is FSC certified

www.skstockgrowers.com | ŠBEEF BUSINESS | 5

Industry News It Pays to Take this Survey: WCCCS II

by Kathy Larson, MSc, PAg Beef Economist, Western Beef Development Centre

It has been three years since the first Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey (WCCCS) was conducted.

In 2014, approximately 400 producers across western Canada completed the survey which provided insight into how they manage their cow-calf operations.

The 2014 WCCCS essentially revived and expanded a survey last conducted in Alberta in 1998. The goal was to generate up-to-date production benchmarks for producers, get a better understanding of what producers were doing on their operations and determine ways to improve the productive efficiency of the industry. The findings of the 2014 WCCCS didn’t go unnoticed. In fact, similar surveys have been conducted in both Ontario and Atlantic Canada this year.

We hope to conduct the WCCCS every 3 to 5 years. The information collected is used to generate production benchmarks – breeding season length, conception rate, pounds weaned per cow exposed – and identify typical production practices of cow-calf producers.

Research has shown that producers who compare themselves to benchmarks tend to have better production performance (lbs of calf weaned per female exposed).

Being able to compare performance allows producers to identify where they are excelling and where there is room for improvement in their operation.

For the most part, the 2017 survey is quite similar to the one conducted in Fall/Winter 2014/15. However, a few things have changed. Firstly, survey respondents are eligible to receive up to $50 in gift cards for completing the survey. To receive $50, a producer must answer 80 percent of the questions in the survey and 100 percent of the questions in Section 7A (Q30 to 35).

Section 7A is also being referred to as the cost of production section as it asks for financial details – revenues and expenses – and winter feeding details for your

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operation. By collecting both production and financial information, this survey will allow us to determine which management practices are associated with profit.

remain confidential. Information cannot be linked to individual operations as data will be aggregated into averages and benchmarks.

Another change is the addition of followup questions to understand why some recommended management practices are not adopted. For example, if a survey respondent indicates that they do not pregnancy check, there is a follow-up question asking for their top reason why pregnancy checking is not done on their operation.

Some of the findings from the 2014 survey were:

We all can wager a reasonable guess why some practices are followed while others are not, and research has been done on which factors (age, education, herd size) influence management practice adoption, but actually surveying cow-calf producers for their non-adoption reasons is quite rare. By asking a producer for their top reason for non-adoption of a practice, we will be able to affirm and refine our understanding of why some practices and technologies are not adopted and then use the reasons to guide extension and research.

The survey consists of forty-nine questions, many of which require a check-box response, and focuses on the production and practices related to the 2017 calf crop, starting with the 2016 breeding season and ending with the weaning of the 2017-born calves. The survey will likely take 45-60 minutes to complete and will be offered in both paper and online formats.

A complementary one-page report summarizing a respondent’s production indicators will be offered similar to 2014. The individualized report will be provided by email to survey respondents that request theirs and will show key indicators based on their survey responses to allow them to compare with the posted benchmarks. All of the individual producer information collected will

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

•

average breeding season length: 92 days

•

average conception rate: 93%

•

average calf death loss: 7%

•

percentage of producers who pregnancy checked their cows: 60%

•

percentage of producers who performed breeding soundness evaluation on herdsires: 64%

•

percentage of producers that quality tested their forage: 47%

•

percentage of producers that implanted their calves prior to weaning: 24%

•

percentage of producer that used pain control when castrating: 4%

•

percentage of producers that weaned using traditional separation: 70%

If you wish to participate in WCCCS II, the online and paper versions of the survey can be found at: www.wcccs.ca The deadline to participate is February 28, 2018. Results will be available in early summer 2018.

This survey is the result of a joint effort among the Western Beef Development Centre; Canfax; the Beef Cattle Research Council; the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association; the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association; the Manitoba Beef Producers; the BC Cattlemen’s Association; the Alberta Beef Producers; and the provincial Ministries of Agriculture of Alberta, BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. B

NOVEMBER 2017

Industry News International Trade Scenarios Hold Opportunities and Risks The expression, “May you live in interesting times, is purported to be an old Chinese curse.

These are indeed interesting times on the international trade front, but there is as much potential for a blessing as for a curse. The dormant Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) may find new life even without the United States, and snags in the beef provisions of Canada’s Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Europe do not seem insurmountable.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiations, on the other hand, remain unpredictable.

NOVEMBER 2017

TPP Following the US withdrawal from the TPP process in January, the 11 remaining nations held ministerial level meetings in Chile to discuss the future of the agreement. Senior officials have met half a dozen times since then and more meetings are taking place in Vietnam this month.

John Masswohl, Director of Government and International Relations with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), says there are factors at play which could lead to a deal even without the US. Japan’s prime minister Shinzo Abe, a strong proponent of TPP, was re-

elected with a large majority last month.

“The feeling is that he really wants to implement it. That’s important,” Masswohl said.

For most participating countries, any deal would be weaker and less attractive without the US. Access to US markets was the main driver for them to participate.

But if the remaining countries reach an agreement, their negotiating positions will be stronger if the US comes around later and says they want in.

“The long-term goal for most countries is to do a deal with the United States,” Masswohl said. “If we move forward, US businesses will be left behind.” And while the Americans would like to see a bilateral continued on page 8

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 7

Industry News International Trade cont. from pg. 7 deal with Japan, Masswohl says Japan would like to have the leverage of having TPP done.

washing products used in Canada and in Europe, and the latter’s reluctance to accept our techniques.

Of course Canada already enjoys access to American markets, so that is less of an issue here. In fact, much of the resistance to TPP among Canadians was because of provisions the US wanted to negotiate into the agreement. With the Americans no longer at the table, “some of these things might come out, or be suspended,” Masswohl said, and it may be easier for the government to reach a deal that is palatable to Canadians.

On these matters, Masswohl says “the ball is in our court” – it is up to Canada to show independent research supporting the effectiveness and safety of our protocols.

And, he said, it would be valuable for regulators on both sides to engage in some confidence-building.

But with eventual access to the US driving other countries’ participation, “they will want the US in and those provisions will be back.”

CETA Following strategic sessions in Europe with federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay, Masswohl said Canada is “very much aligned with Europe” on implementing the beef provisions of CETA, which was signed a year ago.

There are three elements that need to be addressed before agriculture sectors on both sides of the Atlantic can take full advantage of the agreement. First of all, markets have to be developed to create the demand for imported products.

There is also a need for the Canadian beef industry to increase its supply capacity of EU-eligible product.

“My sense is Canadian packers are taking a good hard look at the agreement and trying to make it work under existing conditions,” Masswohl said. “If we had more cattle EU-eligible, we could sell them.”

The third part of the equation is market access or the technical barriers arising from different protocols and regulations on each side of the agreement. One example of this is the different carcass-

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“We should try to develop some regulatory convergence. Invite their regulators to Canada to visit facilities and meet their counterparts here,” he said. If we build these relationships, regulators from either side might be able to resolve concerns more easily.

“Instead of writing a memo and shutting things down, they might make a phone call.”

NAFTA Renegotiating NAFTA offers some improvements for Canada’s beef industry, but it also introduces some risks. President Donald Trump’s threat to withdraw from the agreement has raised the stakes of the negotiations.

As Masswohl tactfully puts it, “There’s a lot of process to go through.” The first thing for the integrated North American beef industry is “to keep what we have,” he said.

Another potential improvement for the Canadian industry would be access to US government procurement. Everything from school lunch and nutrition programs to feeding American military personnel is currently off-limits to imported beef.

The downside of the current process is the prospect of losing everything. What happens if talks fail? Who has authority to withdraw the US from NAFTA – is it the president, or Congress? If they pull out, does the 1988 Canada-US Free Trade Agreement come back into effect?

“Before we go too far into speculation,” Masswohl said, “it’s important to understand that Washington often operates on the basis of crisis and advocacy.” It will be Americans explaining to their government the benefits of the agreement that will make the difference.

“We at the CCA have put so much effort into advocacy with our counterparts. The federal and provincial governments have been doing the same,” he said. Masswohl says the interplay among all of our international agreements strengthens our position in our relationship with the US. “Having a viable CETA and TPP, having Canada in with the Asia Pacific countries, will give us beneficial leverage with the United States,” he said. B

“We’re on the same page as the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Meat Institute and Mexican cattle producers. We all like duty-free, quotafree access for cattle and meat.”

There are some aspects of the current arrangement that could be made better for Canada. A better functioning border is one – although the inspection standards between Canada and the US are mutually recognized, Canadian product is subject to re-inspection crossing the US border.

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

NOVEMBER 2017

Industry News Pilot Project Will Reward Ranchers for Sustainable Beef Production Cargill is taking the lead on a new partnership that will see VBP+ beef marketed at the retail level and producers paid for their sustainability efforts.

The pilot initiative, known as the Canadian Beef Sustainability Acceleration Project, includes Loblaws, McDonald’s and Swiss Chalet so far. It is open for more retailers to come on board during its 12 to 18-month run.

The sustainability indicators will be based on those developed by the Canadian Roundtable on Sustainable Beef (CSRB), and verified by the VBP+ audit process.

BIXS will track the animals’ chain of custody.

“We’re trying to accelerate the number of verified-sustainable animals that move through the chain. To do that we need increased participation by the producers at large. And that’s not just the feedlot industry, it’s the cow calf industry that that we really need on board,” said Deborah Wilson, senior vice-president with BIXS. Participating retailers have provided funds that will go to producers to defray the costs of the audit process.

“We’re very thankful that these retailers have come to the table and contributed funds to go back to the producers through the chain,” Wilson said. “The retailers are not really getting anything out of this other than hopefully encouraging the producers to understand that this is important to them. It’s important to their consumers and it’s important to them.”

Rather than using the verification process to reinvent beef production, Wilson says its value is largely in telling the positive story of where Canadian beef comes from. “Consumers are more inquisitive than ever, and they have instant access to information – whether that information is right or wrong,” she said.

NOVEMBER 2017

“Ninety per cent of producers are already doing what they need to do to be sustainable,” she said. “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, we’re building on what already exists out there.”

The pilot will allow retailers to make verifiable claims about the safety, quality and sustainable background of the beef they sell. That they are willing to pay producers for meeting that standard proves the value of Canada’s traceability system and BIXS’ place in that system, according to Wilson.

The amount to be paid to producers hasn’t yet been determined and will depend on the volume delivered as well as participation from the industry as a whole. But getting some of the added value of sustainable ranching into producers’ hands is an important step.

“I’m so excited about it,” Wilson said. “I hope producers realize the possibilities, especially when we see retailers doing this in the right way.”B

“Chain of custody traceability is extremely important,” Wilson said. “Consumers may not want to know what farm their steak came from, but they want the story that this farm did the right things raising its animals.

“A good result of the McDonald’s [Verified Sustainable Beef] pilot is seeing that we’re doing the right things. Can we improve?

Yes. Should we provide the public with a window into our practices? Why not?” she said.

To implement the sustainability acceleration pilot long-term, it will be important to have a mechanism for automatic information sharing, which is one of CRSB’s principles of sustainability.

BIXS, Wilson said, is in a good position to implement this as a disinterested third party, since BIXS doesn’t own, process or sell beef or cattle.

The pilot launched in October, and is still open for producers to participate.

Producers who are registered with BIXS should verify that their correct email or phone number is in the system. “We don’t collect mailing addresses,” Wilson said.

“BIXS will distribute credit [from the pilot program], but we have to reach producers by email or by phone to get their mailing address.”

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 9

Industry News Titan Acquires Gibson Livestock Edmonton-based Titan Livestock has acquired Gibson Livestock of Moose Jaw. According to Titan president John Lawton, the companies will continue to operate separately.

“Gibson’s clients won’t see any difference,” Lawton said. “We’ll have the same staff and Ryan Gibson is staying on as manager.”

Still, he said, the acquisition will allow both companies to do more. “We can benefit all of our clients better. There are things we do a lot of that Gibson didn’t do and there are markets Gibson has access to that some of the Titan customers didn’t.”

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Lawton said Titan’s particular strengths are in forward contracting, risk management and “going into the country buying cattle.”

The combined companies will buy and sell between 200,000 and 300,000 cattle per year.

Titan describes itself as “a diversified/ full service cattle procurement and risk management firm, servicing mid- to large-sized feedlots, background/stocker operators and large cow-calf operations that market their cattle privately.”

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

They cater to the North American cattle industry, “specifically the Canadian prairies, US mid-west and northern Great Plains.” Lawton said the company represents “very good” cattle feeders in western Canada and the United States.

Their services include forward purchase and sales, cash purchase and sales, feeder cattle imports and exports, and Linus 7-based risk management/full service.

“We’re excited to do more business in Saskatchewan,” Lawton said. “It will be good for us and for all of our customers.” B

NOVEMBER 2017

ATTENTION LIVESTOCK OPERATORS Expected livestock traceability regulatory amendments will require livestock operations, where animals are loaded and unloaded, to register and identify their premises with their local provincial or territorial government premises registry.

Livestock operators can PREPARE in two easy steps 1. Contact your local premises registry with your legal land description to confirm or acquire a premises identification (PID) number for your livestock site 2. Contact Canadian Cattle Identification Agency to confirm or acquire a Canadian Livestock Tracking System database account, and enter your valid PID into it by toll-free telephone 1-877-909-2333 or email info@canadaid.ca

FIND your local PREMISES REGISTRY BRITISH COLUMBIA: 1-888-221-7141 ALBERTA: 310-FARM (3276) SASKATCHEWAN: 1 - 8 6 6 - 4 5 7 - 2 3 7 7 MANITOBA: 1-204-945-7684 ONTARIO: 1-855-697-7743 QUEBEC: 1-866-270-4319 NEW BRUNSWICK: 1-506-453-2109 NOVA SCOTIA: 1-800-279-0825 PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND: 1-866-PEI-FARM NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR: 1-709-637-2088 YUKON: 1-867-667-3043

Industry News JGL Settles into New Facility Outside of Moose Jaw The JGL group of companies has moved out of its old location in Moose Jaw, and into a brand new facility 11 kilometres west of the city. The company held its grand opening in September.They had been in their Home Street location south of the CP tracks since 1979.

For the livestock department, the new facility offers more cattle pens, a bigger weigh scale and a bigger cattle processing chute. The highway location makes it easier for trucks and trailers to get in and out.

“Customers have told us that being able to sit in the scale room and have a cup of coffee while they watch their cattle getting weighed up, having a private room to make their deal in and leaving a short moment later with their cheque in hand are huge features for them,” Jones said.

The move allows all of the JGL companies – JGL Commodities, Hawk’s Agro, CCBC Cattle and JGL Livestock – to work under one roof.

“We literally grew out of our old location, “said Angie Jones, JGL’s marketing director. “JGL is a growing company and we needed to expand in order to keep up with the increase in business.”

With the growth in business for JGL comes an increase in staff and the employees

are happy with the new facility. “The staff loves the extra space. We are no longer working on top of each other. Each department has its own filing and storage areas. We have a big common kitchen where we can make meals and sit down and have lunch with our co-workers,” Jones said. There is even a gym and showers so the staff can get a workout.

Jones says the new location was built with everyone in mind – staff, clients, even cattle. “It’s absolutely beautiful,” she said.

“There’s lots more space than we’re used to, it’s better for our clients, especially with the new scale room. The truckers aren’t all on top of each other and our yards hold a lot more cattle.”B

Heartland Livestock Services | Swift Current Bred Sales Canada’s Source for Quality Breds Tuesday November 21

200 Head

1:00 PM

Bred Cow & Heifer Sale

Tuesday November 28

100 Head

1:00 PM

Bred Cow & Heifer Sale

Monday December 4

400 Head

1:00 PM Available on DLMS

Heifer Sale

1:00 PM

Bred Cow & Heifer Sale

Six Mile & Consignor - 400 Red & Black Angus Influence Fancy Thursday December 7

500 Head

Denis & Arlene Unvoas Dispersal - 140 Sim Angus Cross Cows John & Ruth Magee Purebred - Red Angus Production Sale - | 50 head Colin & Dodie Greenwald - 30 Home raised, powerful Black Brockle Heifers Wayne Flaherty - 40 Red 3-4 yr old Cows Monday December 11

550 Head

Maurice Bartzen Dispersal - 50 Char Cross Cows, Bred Char. 10 Heifers Darwin Dueck & Marcy Thoreson Dispersal - 16 young Black & Red Cows Wittman Farm - 30 Black Heifers 1:00 PM

Bred Heifer Sale

13th Annual Rock Solid Bred Heifer Sale - Canada's Finest *New location at Bircham Ranch Thursday December 14

600 Head

1:00 PM

Tom Graham Production Sale - 80 Black Heifers Gary Chamberlain 120 Red Cows Dispersal Trevor Platt Reduction – 40 Black Cows Thursday December 21

600 Head

Bred Cow & Heifer Sale Steve Gillis - 100 Black Heifers Peak Dot Ranch - 35 Cows

1:00 PM

Bred Cow & Heifer Sale

Norman Amthor (Poverty Valley Farms) Dispersal – 150 Black Cows & 5 Rising 3 yr. old Herd Bulls Lawrence & Kathryn Olson Dispersal – 200 Fancy Black Cows & 2 Herd Bulls Todd Dunham – 40 home raised Red Heifers

306.773.3174

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Manager Lee Crowley 306.741.5701

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

Donnie Peacock 306.662.8288

Sales Bret Jensen 306.741.3331

NOVEMBER 2017

Industry News Bigger is Better: Meadow Lake Stockyards Acquires Prince Albert, Lloydminster Locations

by Phil Ambroziak

“You have to think anyway, so why not think big?”

The quote may be attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump, but it also appears to be the mindset adopted by Brent Brooks of Northern Livestock Sales (NLS) whose recently rebranded company now heads up livestock sales operations in Prince Albert and Lloydminster in addition to Meadow Lake.

“When my sons, Blair and Brody, took over management of the day-to-day operations of Meadow Lake Livestock Sales (MLLS) in June 2016 and oversaw the erection of phase one of a three-phase facility upgrade, I realized it was time to expand or I was going to have to stay home,” Brooks noted.

Brody (left) and Blair Brooks

Brooks acquired the P.A. and Lloydminster operations from Heartland Livestock Services and officially took over the two locations Sept. 1.

employees made the decision to proceed easier.”

“It came to be mainly through a mutual agreement that determined this would work out best for both parties,” stated Stewart Stone, COO of Heartland Livestock Services. “This provides the operations in these two communities with an experienced manager.”

Brooks also said, since he took charge of the stockyards in Meadow Lake in June 2007, he has been overwhelmed with the support he has received from the livestock producers of northwestern Saskatchewan and the communities of Meadow Lake, Flying Dust and surrounding areas.

Brooks, meanwhile, said activity at his new locations would continue as normal for the time being, adding there are many people already on board keen to do the best job possible..

“By combining the experience, youth and commitment of all three facilities, Northern Livestock Sales will provide the northwest with a competitive, consistent and quality oriented livestock marketing system that will not only benefit livestock producers, but the buyers and feeding industry by ensuring they receive quality, properly sorted and handled cattle,” he continued.

“MLLS has been blessed with a knowledgeable, conscientious and long-term employee base that boasts a complementary mix of youth and experience,” he said. “When the opportunity arose to acquire the operations of the Prince Albert and Lloydminster facilities from HLS, a longterm association with many of the existing

NOVEMBER 2017

with cattle delivered in proper condition and in a timely fashion. “The future growth of Northern Livestock Sales will be measured in its ability to access, employ and educate quality and dedicated individuals who have a strong desire to make the northwest home,” he said.

Stone agreed. “We just want to make sure good services for the producers in those areas (Prince Albert and Lloydminster) continue and Brent has the management capability to make that happen,” he said.

“For them, things will carry on as usual.

They will continue to receive great service under Brent’s expertise.”B Reprinted with permission, Northern Pride Publications

Brooks went on to say, by scheduling sale days and sale times, NLS provides buyers the ability to participate in all sales, all cattle haulers to network and the feedlots

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 13

Industry News Holistic Farmer to Address Bison Ranchers Gabe Brown of Bismarck, North Dakota will be a keynote speaker at the Canadian Bison Association’s annual convention in Regina November 19 to 21.

Brown and his family employ holistic management on their 5,000-acre operation and he says his bankers helped him make that decision. “In the mid-90s we lost three crops to hail and drought,” he said. “The banks wouldn’t lend us any more money for the inputs we needed.”

And so began the family’s journey into regenerating soil without inputs and into grass-finished livestock. About 3,500 acres of their operation is grazed, and the rest is cropland. Among the 17 different enterprises they run from the farm are grass-finished beef and lamb, pastured pork and eggs from free-range hens.

Brown says the holistic approach has served him well. “When we started, our soil could only infiltrate half an inch of water per hour. Now the first inch infiltrates in nine seconds and the second in 16 seconds. That’s two inches in 25 seconds,” he said.

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As a result, his operation is droughtresistant. He says he could have collected $48,000 USD in drought relief this year, but his farm hadn’t been seriously damaged by the dry weather. “I said no, I’m not going to do it. We just refuse all government payments,” he said. “Why should I take money I did nothing to deserve?”

It’s not that Brown has anything against money. In fact, the whole point of the change from conventional to holistic farming is to make his operation more profitable. It’s the idea of “working with nature instead of against her,” he said.

And now the world is beating a path to his door. He gives 100 to 150 presentations a year all over North America. Visitors have come to the farm from all 50 states, all 10 provinces and from 22 foreign countries.

“They come to learn,” he said. “How do we meld cash crops, cover crops and livestock to regenerate soils? Everything is a tool.

Each producer will use different tools to fit their own operation.”

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Brown offers five principles for holistic management:

• Limit mechanical and chemical disturbance.

• Keep the soil covered. Keep a growing plant on the land as long as possible.

• Maximize diversity. “You don’t find monocultures in nature,” he said.

• Leave living roots in the ground as long as possible.

• Integrate animals and insects. “We need to get animals back on the landscape.”

“Think of your ranch as an ecosystem,” he added. “We have to encourage producers to think outside the box and not get caught up in the conventional mindset.”

Brown will give his presentation at 9:00 am and 10:15 am on Sunday, November 19. B

NOVEMBER 2017

Industry News SSGA Aims for 10,000-Pound Food Bank Donation The SSGA says the province’s beef industry did itself proud with last year’s Beef Drive for Saskatchewan food banks. This year they are asking ranchers to keep the momentum going.

When they launched the Beef Drive last year, the SSGA had modest goals. “Our members just wanted to pitch in and help people,” SSGA President Shane Jahnke said.

The association thought 1,000 pounds of packaged ground beef would be a realistic target. By the end of the campaign, producers had donated 8,500 pounds of beef with a retail value of $48,000. “More than eight times our target amount,” Jahnke said. “That says a lot about our people.”

This year the SSGA’s goal is to contribute 10,000 pounds of fresh ground beef and they’re already well on their way. On World Food Day October 16, SSGA members donated 3,000 pounds to the food banks – part of a total of 4,000 pounds so far this fall.

Under the Beef Drive, producers donate beef cattle or cash toward processing, and three packers –Treen Packers, West Bridgeford Meats and Western Prime Meat Processor – process the meat. The effort got a $10,000 USD boost from Elanco Animal Health’s 100 Communities initiative, whose goal is to eliminate hunger in 100 communities worldwide.

Elanco, whose vision is “Food and Companionship Enriching Life,” is committed to helping break the cycle of hunger in 100 communities across the world by the end of 2020. To achieve this, they have partnered with United Way Worldwide and have supported 72 communities to date by providing resources and support to help local, sustainable projects that have long-term benefits.

NOVEMBER 2017

The company announced in June that the Beef Drive was selected for funding support.

is very difficult for Saskatchewan food banks to provide to families looking for assistance during difficult times,” he said.

“Our first year was an overwhelming success and with Elanco’s help we hope to donate even more this year,” Jahnke said.

“Thanks to this amazing campaign by the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association and Elanco Animal Health, food banks can ensure that emergency hampers are well rounded and can provide multiple menu options.”B

“The food banks do fantastic work to help people put good, nutritious food on the table. Our members are always willing to help out a neighbour and the Beef Drive is our way of supporting the food banks and their clients.”

For more information on how you can contribute to the Beef Drive, contact the SSGA office at 306-757-8523.

Steve Compton, Executive Director of Food Banks of Saskatchewan, said the Beef Drive fills an important need.

“Nutritious protein such as ground beef

Did you know?

Saskatchewan beef producers and their veterinarians can access free Bovine Viral Diarrhea testing for their cattle through the Provincial Screening and Control Program. Any calves that are sick, dead, deformed or aborted are eligible.

For more information, contact: Wendy Wilkins Disease Surveillance Veterinarian Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture 306-798-0253

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 15

Industry News Census of Agriculture 2016 – Farm Operators Data from the Census of Population shows that from 2011 to 2016, Canada recorded the largest increase in the proportion of seniors since Confederation. This is the result of the first baby boomers reaching the age of 65. However, in Saskatchewan, we still have a higher percentage of people age 14 and younger than people 65 and older. I guess Saskatchewan is not the retirement province of choice!

Currently the Census of Agriculture (CEAG) allows for up to three farm operators per operation. Operators of two or more separate farms are included only once in the total. The word operator defines a person responsible for the management and/or financial decisions made in the production of agricultural commodities.

There were 45,350 farm operators in Saskatchewan in 2016, down eight per cent from 2011 and exceeding the decline in the number of farms (seven per cent).

The average farm operator age in Saskatchewan rose from 54.2 years in 2011

to 55.0 years in 2016. The proportion of young farm operators (under 35 years) is slowly increasing in Saskatchewan – the first increase in that age category since 1991.

The percentage of female farm operators in Saskatchewan is increasing – at 25 per cent in the 2016 CEAG, compared with 23 per cent in the 2010 CEAG. However, this is still below the national average of 29 per cent.

Forty-two per cent of farm operators in Saskatchewan reported having an offfarm job in 2015, down from 46 per cent in 2010, and below 44 per cent nationally. A higher percentage of females than males work off-farm, for an average of 30 hours per week. When males do work off-farm, they are more likely to work an average of 40 hours per week or more.

In terms of the number of hours worked for the agricultural operation in 2015, 44 per cent worked more than 40 hours per week on the farm compared with 47 per

cent reporting doing so for 2010. Twentysix per cent reported working less than 20 hours per week on the farm for 2015 versus 25 per cent doing so for 2010.

Farm operators continue to incorporate their farms. Twenty-seven per cent of all Saskatchewan farms were reported as incorporated in 2016 compared with 19 per cent in 2011 and four per cent in 1976. This does not mean that farms are being run by “suits” as 93 per cent of incorporated farms are identified as family corporations. Saskatchewan has the highest proportion of incorporated farms on the Prairies. Also, the proportion of farms being incorporated rises as gross farm receipts rise. Incorporation takes place for business reasons including taxation, liability, simplicity and ease of succession.

Next time . . . let’s look at livestock! B

SSGA Belt Buckles Please contact the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association office for orders:

$275 plus shipping and GST

16

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

Box 4752, Main Floor, Canada Centre Building Evraz Place, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4 TEL: (306) 757-8523 FAX: (306) 569-8799 Email: ssga@sasktel.net www.skstockgrowers.com

NOVEMBER 2017

NOVEMBER 2017

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 17

Industry News SSGA Launches Wildfire Relief Fund to Assist Impacted Ranchers The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association has launched a wildfire relief fund to help ranchers affected by devastating wildfires this fall. So far the fund has collected $200,000 worth of donations.

“We’re collecting donations of cash, hay, feed, trucking – whatever people can offer,” said SSGA President Shane Jahnke.

“The fires destroyed animals, buildings, fields, feed and everything else in its way.

As well, miles of fencing were destroyed.

With winter coming, there’s a lot of people who need help.”

The most recent fires near Burstall, Leader, and Tompkins on October 17 were propelled by 100 kilometre per hour wind gusts and advanced quickly across fields and grasslands. Another fire near Glentworth in early September also caused extensive damage.

Tens of thousands of acres were burnt in the fires and close to $1,000,000 worth of livestock died in the fires or had to be euthanized. “Some producers have lost over half their herds,” Jahnke said.

“The drought conditions that fueled the fires had already caused feed shortages,” he said. “Now producers need to buy winter feed to replace the grass and the bales they lost to the fires.”

“The damage is absolutely catastrophic and a lot of people are hurting. We’re calling on our members and everyone who is able to help, to pull together for the people in the ranching community who suffered damage and loss.”

At the end of October there were 4,600 bales of feed donated and approximately $25,000 in cash. Mainline Motors Group led the cash donations with $15,000.

In-kind donations include offers of trucking help; $5,000 in fencing materials or mineral tubs from Peavey Mart; sale prices on fencing materials and free post pounder rentals from the UFA; $15,000 in feed/supplement from O&T Farms; and $5,000 in products from Vetoquinol Animal Health.

“We’ve seen some very generous responses, but we appreciate the smaller contributions too,” Jahnke said. “It all adds up, and it all makes a difference.”

People can contribute by going to www. skstockgrowers.com or calling the SSGA office at (306) 757-8523, or producers can call that number to report what help they need. B Producers do not need to be SSGA members to qualify for help.

WILDFIRE RELIEF FUND RANCHERS HELPING RANCHERS

www.skstockgrowers.com

DONATE NOW

306.757.8523 SK Stock Growers Box 4752, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4 18

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

NOVEMBER 2017

Markets and Trade RETAIL MEAT PRICE SURVEY as of November 2, 2017 ($/lb)

CUTS Ground beef/lean

CO-OP 4.49

SAFEWAY 4.99

SAVE-ON-FOODS 5.99

SOBEYS 5.39

SUPERSTORE 4.48

*

*

*

5.08

2.79

5.99

6.99

*

6.99

*

*

*

*

14.78

*

3.99

*

*

*

5.75

Steak/rib eye

*

17.39

18.48

17.39

6.34

Steak/round

6.49

*

7.99

8.79

5.84

Steak/sirloin

7.99

5.66

11.01

12.99

*

Steak/T-bone

9.99

*

17.49

15.59

13.60

*

11.33

12.99

23.99

16.77

Ground beef/regular Roast/cross rib Roast/rib Roast/outside round

Steak/tenderloin

*these items were not in the display case on this date

LANE REALTY

0 $11,50 ebates After R $2,500

For the most VALUE & EXPOSURE that you deserve when selling your farm or ranch property, contact one of our Farm & Ranch Specialists today!

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BOB LANE - Broker JASON BEUTLER - Yorkton/Estevan ED BEUTLER - Yorkton/Whitewood DALE MURDOCH - Swift Current/Maple Creek/West Central JASON SELINGER - Regina/South Central SK DOUG JENSEN - Melville/Raymore DARREN SANDER - Saskatoon/Battlefords STAN HALL - Strasbourg/Watrous/Humboldt MURRAY MURDOCH - Kindersley/Rosetown/Davidson DARRELL HERAUF - Dairy/Poultry MORWENNA SUTTER - Melfort/Wadena DANIEL MOSTERD - Saskatoon/Prince Albert ASHLEY MURDOCH - Outlook Country Residential

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Contact Gallagher for rebate and product details at 204-526-7669.

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WITH OVER 35 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS

www.Gallagher.ca

NOVEMBER 2017

Visit our website at www.lanerealty.com to view current listings and virtual tours

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 19

Markets and Trade SK Weekly Average Price Heifers 500-600 lbs

2014 260

2015 2016

210

2017

160

280

2017

190.00

0.93

2014

160.00

2015

150.00

2016

140.00

2017

CDN $ - US terms

2016

0.83

2017

0.78

5 yr avg

0.73 0.68

Wk 1 Wk 4 Wk 7 Wk 10 Wk 13 Wk 16 Wk 19 Wk 22 Wk 25 Wk 28 Wk 31 Wk 34 Wk 37 Wk 40 Wk 43 Wk 46 Wk 49 Wk 52

Wk 1 Wk 4 Wk 7 Wk 10 Wk 13 Wk 16 Wk 19 Wk 22 Wk 25 Wk 28 Wk 31 Wk 34 Wk 37 Wk 40 Wk 43 Wk 46 Wk 49 Wk 52

0.88

Source: CanFax

Source: Bank of Canada

Lethbridge Barley Price

Alberta Weekly D1 & D2 Cows 270

160 150 140 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60

2014 2015 2016 2017

Price per tonne

250 230

2014

210

2015

190

2016

170

2017

Wk 1 Wk 4 Wk 7 Wk 10 Wk 13 Wk 16 Wk 19 Wk 22 Wk 25 Wk 28 Wk 31 Wk 34 Wk 37 Wk 40 Wk 43 Wk 46 Wk 49 Wk 52

150 Source:CanFax CanFax Source:

Wk 1 Wk 4 Wk 7 Wk 10 Wk 13 Wk 16 Wk 19 Wk 22 Wk 25 Wk 28 Wk 31 Wk 34 Wk 37 Wk 40 Wk 43 Wk 46 Wk 49 Wk 52

Price per hundred weight

0.98

120.00

Price per hundred weight

Source: CanFax

Weekly Canadian Dollar

200.00

130.00

2016

130

AB Fed Steer Prices

170.00

2015

180

Source: CanFax

210.00

180.00

2014

230

Wk 1 Wk 4 Wk 7 Wk 10 Wk 13 Wk 16 Wk 19 Wk 22 Wk 25 Wk 28 Wk 31 Wk 34 Wk 37 Wk 40 Wk 43 Wk 46 Wk 49 Wk 52

310

Price per hundred weight

360

Wk 1 Wk 4 Wk 7 Wk 10 Wk 13 Wk 16 Wk 19 Wk 22 Wk 25 Wk 28 Wk 31 Wk 34 Wk 37 Wk 40 Wk 43 Wk 46 Wk 49 Wk 52

Price per hundred weight

SK Weekly Average Price 500-600 lbs Steers

Source: CanFax

For more information visit www.canfax.ca

20

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

NOVEMBER 2017

to be INSPIRED is great.... but to inspire is

incredible!

March 16-18, 2018 Medicine Hat, Alberta Entries Open December 1, 2017

$20,000 in Youth Scholarships Awarded Annually.

All Attending Participants will be eligible to win a lease on an Aluminum Stock Trailer for a Year donated by T Down Trailers!

Visit www.codysibbaldlegacy.com For More Details!

Photos Courtesy of Lonesome Road Photography and Grant Rolston Photography

Feature CCA Projects Targets Update for Grading and Carcass Information Canada’s manual beef carcass grading system has changed very little over the decades but the use of technology can offer the opportunity to provide better information while at the same time reducing costs. To serve the industry better, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) is undertaking a fiveyear project to develop a Total Quality Management System (TQMS) that uses computer vision systems and other technologies.

The TQMS will use current parameters such as the quality and yield grade but also incorporate other important carcass data. The objective is to make some of the measurements that currently are done only once every five years, as part of the CCA’s National Beef Quality Audit, available for every carcass.

“At present we are focused on measurements of quality and yield grade. And that is just grading,” said Mark Klassen, CCA Director of Technical Services. “We want to go beyond that into other kinds of measurements. For example, did the animal have bruises on the side of the carcass that resulted in trimming and reduced carcass weight?

Can we try to predict some things like the tendency of an animal to produce dark cutting beef before the problem becomes severe enough to result in discounts to the producer?

“We want to move away from just a narrow assessment of the carcass, which is no doubt vital but strictly focused on grading, to a broader definition of quality that would encompass all the things that we do in the National Beef Quality Audit every five years.”

If this type of information can be shared with cattle producers it can reduce the costs to the industry resulting from quality defects, as well as improving research and management focus toward producing better quality beef.

22

Information System (CIS) software. The CIS software would be created with the goal of making carcass information more useful to both processors and feedlot suppliers.

In addition to providing cattle suppliers better information on carcass quality defects, there is also a shorter term and important opportunity to significantly enhance the way carcasses are graded.

The present grading system relies on human beef graders to assess the carcass and assign a quality and yield grade.

They assign a quality grade based on a visual assessment of the marbling and a yield grade based on fat thickness and the dimensions of the ribeye. It is known that the human assessment of marbling is influenced by multiple factors and that consistency is significantly enhanced by use of technology. In addition, the use of computer vision grading systems allows an actual measurement of carcass lean yield percentage to be made, even at larger plants with a faster moving line speed. At present Canada’s three class yield grade system essentially assigns only a “high”, “medium” and “low” estimate.

The yield grade classes are so wide there can be a 50-pound variance in lean meat within the Y1 category.

According to the CCA, Canadian Beef Grading Agency (CBGA) services cost large plants about half a million dollars per year.

If plants utilize a computer vision system this is an additional investment which covers both the equipment as well as plant operators of the camera.

A TQMS would incorporate Computer Vision System cameras and Carcass

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

The system would also allow the CBGA to verify carcasses remotely using a specially designed verification system module of the CIS. Instead of having four graders and a supervisor at large plants to inspect every carcass, alongside plant operators doing the same thing using computer vision technology, CBGA graders would conduct periodic checks. These checks would verify computer vision equipment calibration and grading results using verification software designed in collaboration with research scientists at the Agriculture and Agri-food Lacombe Research Centre.

The higher quality of information could eventually also allow packers to pay producers on the basis of yield percentage rather than yield grade category.

“It’s pretty logical,” Klassen said. “If you want to pay people in direct proportion to yield percentage, you need something more sophisticated than a yield grade system. The CIS system along with instrument grading could make this possible.

“It could lead to different ways to pay for yield,” he said. Charlie Gracey, founding President of the Canadian Beef Grading Agency, notes that a grading system which pays in direct proportion to the amount of beef in the carcass is long overdue and urgently needed. Gracey states that the grading system must provide direction to the entire supply chain and the current three yield class system is almost useless for this purpose.

It can also lead to different ways of producing quality and that could lead to better efficiency and better margins for producers. While producing heavier continued on page 24 NOVEMBER 2017

Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference 2018

What’s Your Piece of the Puzzle?

January 24 and 25, 2018 Saskatoon Inn & Conference Centre For more information or to register visit: www.saskbeefconference.com

Conference SASKATCHEWAN’S PREMIER BEEF EVENT

Feature Grading & Carcass Info cont. from pg. 22 carcasses has resulted in increased levels of marbling, it can also make the animals overly fat. Fatter cattle are less feed efficient and packers, meanwhile, may be paying for a AAA carcass that has many pounds of worthless trimmable fat.

But with more precise yield measurements, breeders can more easily select for animals that can maintain yield at heavier weights. Leaner animals with good marbling are cheaper to produce – a pound of fat costs two and a half times as much energy to produce as a pound of lean.

CCA’s five-year project will use existing and developing technologies. It could be the first system of its kind for gathering and sharing comprehensive beef quality data.

“I don’t think there’s anything at present that would represent the complete vision that we have here. This would be truly something new,” Klassen said. There are some systems that implement different pieces and components, but nothing that incorporates them to give the big picture.

“The company that’s working with us on this system has done some work to help producers using an app in South America, there are parallels there,” Klassen said.

“There are systems in Europe that try to do some of the similar kind of things, but from a food safety perspective.”

“So there are certain bits and pieces out there, but to this point I don’t think there’s anything existing like what we are trying to do. And the reason for that is that until very recently it just wouldn’t have been possible.”

As part of the five-year project, Harmony Beef will undertake a pilot project to model paying for cattle on the basis of lean yield percentage. This project will allow the plant and its cattle suppliers to explore this type of approach and examine potential advantages and any drawbacks.

The development of the CIS is the first step in the TQMS approach and is anticipated to be complete at the end of 2018. Organizations contributing to the project include Alberta Agriculture, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Alberta Beef Producers, Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association as well as EPlusV Technology GMBH, AAFC Lacombe Research Centre, Canadian Beef Grading Agency and participating plants and feedlots. B

SSGA BEEF DRIVE H E L P F I G H T H U N G E R T H I S H O L I D AY S E A S O N DONATE LIVESTOCK OR $ TO HELP PROVIDE NUTRITIOUS BEEF TO SK FAMILIES IN NEED. DONATE TODAY BY GOING TO: WWW.SKSTOCKGROWERS.COM/BEEF-DRIVE OR CALL (306) 757-8523

24

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

NOVEMBER 2017

Largest livestock show in Canada ALL UNDER ONE ROOF New 150,000 sq. ft International Trade Centre includes:

NEW WASH RACKS

NEW INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CENTRE

NEWEST, MOST UP-TO-DATE, LIVESTOCK FACILITY IN CANADA

NEW HOME TO CATTLE SHOW RING

PLUS State of the art ventilation and climate control New food and beverage options

www.agribition.com

Connecting Sustainability and Beef Production in Canada

Verified Beef Production in

SASKATCHEWAN DRIVING CONSUMER CONFIDENCE

A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO VERIFYING SUSTAINABILITY

PROOF OF RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT

Canadian Beef is Sustainable, Safe and Wholesome.

Let’s become VERIFIED and show consumers why!

Beef Producers in Saskatchewan may qualify for funding provided through Growing Forward 2, a federal/provincial/territorial initiative.

FUNDING APPLICATION DEADLINE IS JANUARY 21, 2018

NEW HE OT

T AM PROGR

Photo credit: Sam Wirzba samwirzba.com

Food Safety Funding

Biosecurity Funding

Food Safety VBP Registered Funding

50% UP TO $750/PRODUCER

50% UP TO $1,000/PRODUCER

50% UP TO $2,000/PRODUCER

Eligible equipment includes:

Eligible items include:

Eligible equipment remains the same

Vet Consultation Visits (Biosecurity

as food safety funding*. To be eligible,

•

Extra restraint on squeezes*

•

Individual livestock scales (load bars)

assessment & protocol development)

producers must have their cattle

•

Recordkeeping software

Segregation Pens (isolation/quarantine pens for incoming or sick cattle) NEW

operation VBP Registered (on-farm audit).

*Note: neck extender, head holder, shoulder holder

*Note: $750 cap per extra restraint mechanism

ENHANCING CONSUMER CONFIDENCE IN THE WHOLESOMENESS OF BEEF To learn more about Visit saskvbp.ca or contact Coy Schellenberg, Provincial VBP in Saskatchewan: Coordinator, at 306.859.9110 or office@saskvbp.ca

Biosecurity and Food Safety

2017 FALL WORKSHOPS TOWN

DATE

TIME

MAPLE CREEK

NOV 6, 2017 (MON)

5:00PM MAPLE CREEK VETERINARY SERVICES

SWIFT CURRENT

NOV 7, 2017 (TUE)

5:00PM SOUTH WEST ANIMAL HEALTH CENTRE

WAWOTA

NOV 8, 2017 (WED)

5:00PM MCCARTHY VETERINARY SERVICES

MOOSE JAW

NOV 13, 2017 (MON)

5:00PM MOOSE JAW ANIMAL CLINIC

DUCK LAKE

NOV 14, 2017 (TUE)

9:00AM @ ROTH’S RANCH

SASKATOON

NOV 15, 2017 (WED)

5:00PM CORMAN PARK VETERINARY SERVICES

CARNDUFF

NOV 17, 2017 (FRI)

5:00PM BORDERVET ANIMAL HEALTH SERVICES

STOUGHTON

NOV 27, 2017 (MON)

5:00PM STOUGHTON VETERINARY SERVICES

WEYBURN

NOV 28, 2017 (TUE)

5:00PM FLYING C VETERINARY SERVICES

All fall workshops begin with a FREE MEAL provided by Boehringer Ingelheim:

OGEMA

NOV 29, 2017 (WED)

5:00PM RY TRAIL VET SERVICES

ATTENTION PRODUCERS:

MANKOTA

NOV 30, 2017 (THU)

5:00PM POPLAR VALLEY ANIMAL CLINIC

•

DEC 4, 2017 (MON)

5:00PM LAKELAND VETERINARY SERVICES

NORTH BATTLEFORD WYNYARD

PARTNERING VET CLINIC

FREE MEAL AT ALL WORKSHOPS

In order to be eligible for any funding, producers need to complete the VBP

DEC 5, 2017 (TUE)

5:00PM

WYNYARD VETERINARY CLINIC & FOAM LAKE VETERINARY SERVICES

MELFORT

DEC 6, 2017 (WED)

5:00PM GATEWAY VETERINARY SERVICES

KINDERSLEY

DEC 11, 2017 (MON)

5:00PM KINDERSLEY VETERINARY CLINIC

ELROSE

DEC 12, 2017 (TUE)

5:00PM HOOVES N PAWS VETERINARY CLINIC ELROSE

Watch our website for further details, and please RSVP for Workshops in advance

training.

•

For Biosecurity Funding, producers must attend a Workshop.

•

For Food Safety Funding, producers must attend a Workshop or take the Online Course.

•

All Workshops and Online Courses are offered at no cost!

•

Please RSVP for the Workshop you plan on attending!

WORKSHOPS SPONSORED BY To learn more about Visit saskvbp.ca or contact Coy Schellenberg, Provincial VBP in Saskatchewan: Coordinator, at 306.859.9110 or office@saskvbp.ca

Feature What Could the Proposed Tax Changes Cost Your Livestock Operation?

by Marvin Slingerland, CPA, CA – MNP LLP

The last thing livestock producers want to worry about is tax planning. But these days many find themselves preoccupied about proposed federal tax changes that could come into effect in 2017 and 2018 and how they could change their children’s ability to come home one day and take over the operation. Until now, livestock operations in Canada have been encouraged to incorporate or organize a business structure to allow for fair treatment of spouses and children and for retirement and succession. That is about to change.

You’ve probably heard many experts saying, as a result of the proposed tax changes, you might be better off selling to a third party than transferring your farm to the next generation. If Section 246.1 of the new legislation isn’t revised before the rules go through, that may be true.

Here’s why: Under the current rules, the parents could gift their farm corporation shares to the children. The company could then purchase the farmland from the parents, with the parents sheltering the gain on the land using their capital gains exemption to reduce tax on the sale of the land to the extent possible.

Under the proposed changes, the transfer of the land to the children’s company could create a dividend to the parents that would be taxed at a high rate. This is because the wording of Section 246.1 is vague. It talks about the purpose of the transaction and if one of the purposes is to remove cash from a non-arm’s-length corporation (the children’s farm company), the capital gain eligible for the capital gain exemption is converted to a taxable dividend. On a gain of say $1,000,000, this could convert a tax-free transaction to a $400,000 tax liability, and up to $800,000 on a $2,000,000 gain. But there are no such issues if the land is sold to the arm’slength neighbor’s company.

28

The second scenario I want to discuss is related to income sprinkling. Let’s use a farm corporation in which mom and dad are both involved in the business.

They have three kids, aged 18, 21, and 24, all of whom are in post-secondary education and are involved in the farming operations, but likely not significantly enough to meet the new “actively engaged on a regular, continuous, and substantial” basis, as required by the draft legislation.

Currently, each of the children is paid $25,000 per year in dividends from the corporation. As the company has already paid the tax on this, the dividend does not create significant additional personal tax, so most or all of it is available to cover tuition and living expenses related to attending the educational organization.

This means that the students have close to $75,000 ($25,000 each) per year available to cover educational costs.

Under the proposed rules, because it would likely be impossible for a full-time student to meet the actively engaged threshold, they would have to pay tax on the dividend at the split income (TOSI) rate, which is approximately 40 percent in Saskatchewan. In order to get the same $75,000 to cover education costs, the corporation would have to pay the kids a total of $125,000, on which the kids would pay $50,000 in tax. Over a four-year post-secondary education period, that’s a $200,000 additional burden to the farm.

This significantly reduces your options when it comes to paying for your farming child’s post- secondary education costs.

The only solution might be to pay the dividends, you would have given the children, to the parents where they might be taxed at a somewhat lower rate assuming their dividend in total meets the “reasonableness” test for persons over age 24.

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

Like other business advisors, I’m concerned. The legislation related to income sprinkling is unnecessarily complex, adding significant stress to producers and adding compliance costs in attempting to determine what each person’s contribution is worth and whether they are subject to the new rules.

There is also a major concern with land and partnership interests and production quota transactions in determining whether the purpose test in section 246.1 is met, a highly subjective provision.

With a capital-intensive livestock industry based on continually escalating values of land you could be hit with a major unexpected tax bill, all because the CRA has interpreted the legislation differently than you did. And the rulings and court precedent relied on for the last 40 years since the last major tax reform will have to be rebuilt under the new legislation, a process that takes years.

The government consultation period deadline was October 2, 2017 and MNP had submitted a technical paper outlining our concerns. At the time of writing this article, the government has since announced there will be some changes to the initial proposed legislation but we are still unsure as to what they all are. As we await more details on the legislation, it’s important to stay in contact with your business advisor. In the meantime, we hope the government hears the concerns.

Otherwise, we’ll face years of uncertainty and producers risk losing a significant portion of the net worth they’ve worked so hard to build to these new taxes. B Marvin Slingerland, CPA, CA, is a Business Advisor with MNP focused on working with owner-managers of livestock operations as well as with other agri-businesses. He can be contacted at 403.359.7116 or marvin. slingerland@mnp.ca

NOVEMBER 2017

R E D

.

A N G U S

R E D

S I M M A N G U S

.

C H A R O L A I S

2YEAROLDSALEJAN31 YEARLINGSALEAPR9 Please join us....

The Moose Creek 2-Year-Old Sale will take place on January 31, 2018, at the ranch, featuring spring-born Red Angus and our entire offering of Charolais and Red SimmAngus. These bulls have been developed slowly with longevity and soundness in mind.

On April 9, 2018, we invite you to the 24th Annual Yearling Red Angus Bull Sale.

Our complete group of winter-born bulls sells at this annual event.

As always, please join us to enjoy our brand of hospitality.

You can come in the car, we’ll take care of the rest.

Moose Creek R

E

D

A

N

G

U

S

www.moosecreekredangus.com

Feature Leadership Survey: Ken Cheveldayoff

What will you do as Leader to improve the competitiveness of the Saskatchewan and Canadian cattle industry?

I have announced plans for several initiatives with a direct impact on the cattle industry. The Western Livestock Price Insurance Program is based on market conditions and governments has only been responsible for the administration cost. Similar to the other farm safety net programs, governments should provide support to lower the premiums that livestock producers need to pay. This would increase participation and provide support for cattle and hog producers in the event of market downturns. This is particularly important because in many cases Agri-Stability does not work well for cattle producers and many have dropped out of the program.

While Agri-Stability is a shared federal – provincial responsibility, I will work to scrap the program in favour of a more bankable and predictable approach.

What steps will you take as Leader to reduce regulatory red tape for livestock producers?

Ranchers in southern Saskatchewan can tell horror stories about federal environment regulations. While intended to protect endangered species, the regulations often hinder regular ranching activities with no real benefit to these species. Ranchers are the original

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environmentalists and should be treated as such. Unfortunately, this is primarily a federal area of responsibility and the province must work through the feds when trying to bring common sense to the rules and regulations. While no one likes more paperwork, sustainability initiatives show every sign of increasing in importance. As well, enhanced livestock identification with Premises ID can provide the Canadian industry with competitive advantages. Governments need to work together with industry to develop initiatives that provide tangible benefits while avoiding red tape that does not serve any purpose.

What is your position on increasing investment in agriculture research and research infrastructure?

Research results are not always generated within the four or five-year election cycle of governments and research funding seldom becomes a big election issue.

However, research is one of the best investments government can make. I am committed to maintaining the provincial investment in agricultural research and enhancing that investment as fiscal capacity improves. The University of Saskatchewan’s Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence under construction near Clavet is an excellent example of what can be accomplished through collaboration. The Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre is another important initiative.

As Leader will you reverse the decision to charge PST on insurance?

If elected leader, I will appoint a tax review panel with a 60-day consultation window and whose job would be to give recommendations about all aspects of PST application in the province, and all aspects of taxation policy and rates. Please see my policy at: http://www.chevyforleader.

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ca/ken_cheveldayoff_announces_tax_ review_panel.

What will you do as Leader to improve access to High Speed Internet in rural Saskatchewan?

I am putting forth policy that will mandate SaskTel to significantly improve rural Internet services. Both speed and data cap issues will be addressed. Specifically, SaskTel will be required to: provide a minimum high-speed Internet service to farms and rural areas of 10 MBPS within two years and of 25 MBPS within five years, and provide fibre-based Internet services with speeds up to 100 MBPS, without data caps, to all rural communities within five years. Please see my policy at: http://www. chevyforleader.ca/saskatchewan_party_ leadership_candidate_ken_cheveldayoff_ announces_his_plan_to_imp rove_rural_ internet_services_in_saskatchewan Backgrounder: http://www.chevyforleader. ca/leadership backgrounder.

What steps will you take to oppose the implementation of a national carbon tax?

I am against the carbon tax, but more than that, there is a great story to tell about agriculture and the carbon sink and how there is a better way to reach the same goals as the federal government is trying to do through the carbon tax, through innovation and food security and things like that. Revenues from a carbon tax would go back to the province, though provinces that have enacted their own legislation (that meets federal guidelines) would have autonomy over how that money is used. Please see my commentary: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mMobhF_RJ5A. Do you support maintaining Saskatchewan’s agriculture Crown land grazing leases?

In a word – yes. Crown land grazing leases have been a cornerstone of Saskatchewan’s continued on page 36

NOVEMBER 2017

Feature Leadership Survey: Alanna Koch What is your position on increasing investment in agriculture research and research infrastructure?

What will you do as Leader to improve the competitiveness of the Saskatchewan and Canadian cattle industry?

Saskatchewan is a global leader in agricultural exports and trade. As the second largest beef-producing province in Canada, we need to continue to promote market access and unfettered trade. I will encourage the federal government to aggressively pursue more bilateral trade agreements with key countries, especially now that NAFTA negotiations have become very challenging. My entire career I have worked in a variety of roles to promote free trade and, if I am Premier, one of my cornerstones will be to promote trade and ensure we remove barriers to getting our cattle, beef and beef products to market.

A positive business climate for the cattle industry includes competitive taxes, investment in infrastructure and a sciencebased approach to regulations to ensure the cattle industry has continued access to all tools and technology and can compete internationally.

What steps will you take as Leader to reduce regulatory red tape for livestock producers?

One of the things I am most proud of in my nine years as Deputy Minister of Agriculture was my work in reducing red tape. Many regulations were streamlined and/or eliminated. I placed particular emphasis on pressing the federal government to reduce the regulatory burden due to impractical and duplicated Canadian Food Inspection Agency regulations. I remain committed to further eliminating regulatory red tape.

NOVEMBER 2017

Investment in research and research infrastructure is a priority. We’ve seen record investments in this area over the past 10 years and the key has been collaboration with industry to better coordinate research investments and technology transfer including project funding, research capacity and funding for on-farm demonstration of new knowledge and technologies. One of the things I am especially proud of in my career was that as Deputy Minister of Agriculture, I worked closely with cattle organizations to advance a world class research facility in beef and forage at the University of Saskatchewan. As Leader, I will continue to support such strategic investments.

As Leader will you reverse the decision to charge PST on insurance?

I will review it. I understand the burden this places on livestock producers and I am committed to looking at it. I will extend the plan to balance the budget by one year to ensure the change to PST on insurance can be fiscally managed.

What will you do as Leader to improve access to High Speed Internet in rural Saskatchewan?

This is a priority. I know how important it is to livestock producers to have access to high speed internet and all of the technology high speed offers them for their business. SaskTel is investing $1.4 billion in capital in Saskatchewan through 2016-2021 and it has committed to expanding high speed rural internet as part of that investment. I am committed to ensuring that, as part of this capital investment, we accelerate rural Saskatchewan’s access to high speed internet and technology. The private sector is already providing internet to some rural areas of the province. The solution is a combination of investment from the Crown as well as the private sector.

What steps will you take to oppose the implementation of a national carbon tax?

One of the main things I would do is fight Ottawa to ensure they properly account for the carbon sequestered by our soils, grasslands and forests. I take climate change seriously and support the Brad Wall government’s efforts to move toward renewable energy and implementing carbon capture technology. Technology and investment should be the focus of carbon reduction, not taxes. Advancements due to research and innovation in agriculture, energy and mining have reduced emissions. As a global provider of food and energy security, Saskatchewan’s contributions must be recognized. Our farmers and ranchers are doing their part to feed the world while at the same time moving towards reduced emissions and continued responsible stewardship of our environment.

Do you support maintaining Saskatchewan’s agriculture Crown land grazing leases?

I strongly support using marginal Crown land for grazing.Where these lands are particularly sensitive or important for public purposes, they should remain owned by the Crown. Otherwise, they should be made available for purchase.

Farmers and ranchers have shown that they are the best stewards of these lands and when provided the opportunity to purchase them under the right circumstances, they prefer to do so. I also believe that this must be done over the longer term and in such a way as to not create undue hardship for those purchasing.

What is your position on the proposed reforms to corporate income tax?

I will continue to fight the Trudeau Liberals on the proposed tax changes.

I see that the federal government is already rethinking its approach on the new corporate tax regime. This is due to continued on page 36

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Feature Leadership Survey: Tina Beaudry-Mellor a requirement for participation in other Ministry programs. While I support our ability as a province to provide a rapid response to prevent the spread of animal disease, I have reservations about the process as I would prefer to see a voluntary buy-in. I am also very concerned about the delays that might ensue for reporting requirements at a time when our exporting access to US markets is already vulnerable.

What will you do as Leader to improve the competitiveness of the Saskatchewan and Canadian cattle industry?

The cattle industry is currently facing a number of challenges relating to international trade and export. The election of President Trump has ushered in a new era of US protectionism which is exemplified by some of the “Buy America” provisions in US procurement policies.

With over half of Saskatchewan’s cattle ultimately exported to the United States, the Premier of Saskatchewan will need to be a very strong voice for maintaining the status quo for cattle producers under NAFTA - duty-free access to the American market as well as for maintaining the current dispute mechanisms. We also need to ensure our cattle exports have access to markets in Europe where demands for documentation verifying our beef is free from growth enhancers is becoming more stringent. Elsewhere in the world, in countries like Japan, we need to either ensure the TPP provides terms of trade that level the playing field to Japanese markets with competitors like Australia or develop our own bilateral agreements with countries like it.

What steps will you take as Leader to reduce regulatory red tape for livestock producers?

Earlier this year, our government made participation in the Premises Identification program a requirement, which brought Saskatchewan in line with Manitoba and Alberta. I am concerned that the lack of voluntary participation in the program resulted in making participation 32

What is your position on increasing investment in agriculture research and research infrastructure?

I am committed to a balanced budget as returning to balance is what enables us to create an attractive climate for investment and upholds positive credit ratings. That said, I am also looking at the decade ahead and what strategic investments we can make where we can achieve a high rate of return in terms of positioning Saskatchewan as the economic powerhouse of the West. One area that I am very interested in which will enable strong gains on investment is the expansion of Internet connectivity.

Our government will always support the College of Agriculture and investments in research and research infrastructure will be made with a view to affordability and returns on investment.

As Leader will you reverse the decision to charge PST on insurance?

I was the first candidate to announce this and am also the only candidate who has committed to removing it from all insurance products. Insurance products are forms of savings purchased to protect oneself and one’s family from hardship.

Firstly, we should encourage responsible behavior, not discourage it. Secondly, when our provincial budget was passed in March, we did not know the extent of the federal government’s proposed small business tax changes. The significant impact of these changes, the threat of the carbon tax, the changes we made to fuel exemption, coupled with the PST on insurance premiums has a layered and

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crippling effect on small business farms.

We cannot impose this on our agricultural sector which is bolstering our provincial GDP while other sectors struggle.

What will you do as Leader to improve access to High Speed Internet in rural Saskatchewan?

One of my leadership goals is to have 100% 4G LTE coverage in Saskatchewan.

Advances in technology enable innovation in farming practices and the collection of data enables more efficiency.

As I have been traveling around the province, I am alarmed at the lengths farm families have to go to in order to conduct business, research and day to day communications as a result of poor Internet service. Many farms I visited have had boosters on their roofs and additional MiFi sticks just to be able to bring iPads in every day to download information – information that would be much more timely if it could be downloaded in real time right from the combines. The lack of service is holding us back as a province in setting ourselves up for the next decade of growth and progress. This is a priority for me.

What steps will you take to oppose the implementation of a national carbon tax?

I will be continuing the fight against a federally imposed Carbon Tax. The federal government refuses to acknowledge that Saskatchewan, through its innovative agricultural practices (such as zero-till) and our responsible forestry management practices, is actually a carbon sink. We also are moving towards 50% renewables in our electricity generation fleet, as well as more efficient, low emissions generation. This doesn’t even include our world-leading carbon capture technology employed at Boundary Dam, something which is also not being taken seriously by the federal government. Another tax is not what our resources sector needs and it has been demonstrated that this tax does not contribute to better emissions continued on page 36 NOVEMBER 2017

Feature Leadership Survey: Scott Moe As Leader will you reverse the decision to charge PST on insurance?

I have committed to reintroducing the PST exemption on crop, life and health insurance while still attaining a balanced budget in 2019-20.

What will you do as Leader to improve access to High Speed Internet in rural Saskatchewan?

What will you do as Leader to improve the competitiveness of the Saskatchewan and Canadian cattle industry?

Our farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our economy and rely on export markets. We will continue to focus on strengthening our agriculture industry by introducing a Ministry of International Trade and Exports and a Premier’s Council on International Trade. In addition, we will continue to stand up for producers against the federal government’s carbon tax and any future tax measures that would harm our industry.

What steps will you take as Leader to reduce regulatory red tape for livestock producers?

Not only have I heard this issue from farmers and ranchers in rural Saskatchewan, I have experienced these problems firsthand. Our government has worked to expand rural connectivity but there is a lot more work to be done.

Premier Wall has appointed a Legislative Secretary to look into this issue and determine the best steps forward to addressing the problem. As Premier I would work with the Legislative Secretary on how we can take action to address the specific issues that come from this review.

What steps will you take to oppose the implementation of a national carbon tax?

We have worked as a government over the past 10 years to create a business friendly environment that attracts investment and allows our industries to grow. We will work with livestock producers and the industry to take further measures to reduce red tape where possible.

As Environment Minister, I was appointed to lead the fight against the federal carbon tax by Premier Wall. As leader, I will continue to stand up for Saskatchewan businesses, families and communities to oppose this harmful policy. I stand by our position to take the federal government to court if necessary to ensure our economic drivers, such as agriculture, can continue to grow.

What is your position on increasing investment in agriculture research and research infrastructure?

Do you support maintaining Saskatchewan’s agriculture Crown land grazing leases?

Our Saskatchewan Party government has invested record funding into agriculture research. This includes support for the Beef Research Centre at the U of S and the Global Institute for Food Security. This will be a continued priority for me as we work together to grow the industry, increase profitability and ensure the long- term sustainability of the sector.

I support agriculture Crown land grazing leases, while also recognizing there may be opportunities for lessees to purchase their land.

NOVEMBER 2017

What is your position on the proposed reforms to corporate income tax?

I was very vocal in my opposition to the proposed federal changes to corporate income tax. While I am pleased they have now, in part, changed the original plan, I will continue to stand against the federal government on any tax changes that would negatively affect our agriculture producers. Quite simply, our ranches are not tax havens, as some federal liberals have suggested.

What steps will you take as Leader to address the chronic labour shortage in agriculture?

Labour challenges are now one of the most important facing our agriculture industry. We have taken steps through the immigrant nominee program that have helped to address this in some areas, but it continues to be a challenge in many parts of the sector. This is another reason why it is so important to maintain our Saskatchewan advantage and attract people to our province. I will work with the industry to address these challenges.

What is your position on recognizing and enabling conservation banking as part of a mitigation strategy in Saskatchewan?

I have been a strong and vocal proponent for the environmental record of our agriculture producers. I support working with both agriculture and conservation organizations to ensure that we are able to utilize the Saskatchewan landscape for our future economic use while preserving the environmental sustainability of our province.

Do you support the creation of an arm’s length surface rights advocate office?

If elected Premier I would continue the current government review of the Surface Rights Legislation to ensure that the end result would be fairness for landowners as well as industry. This review would include a new round of consultations with stakeholders like the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association. This would be done early in my mandate and would include legislative changes if necessary.

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Feature Leadership Survey: Trent Wotherspoon technologies for producers. As Premier, I would reverse the 5% cut the Sask. Party forced onto our universities last spring and increase investment in infrastructure so that our researchers and scientists can continue developing new and innovative ways to make our agriculture sector more efficient.

As Leader will you reverse the decision to charge PST on insurance?

What will you do as Leader to improve the competitiveness of the Saskatchewan and Canadian cattle industry?

Government should be a partner to promote the high quality livestock raised by our producers that the world desires.

But instead of partnering and helping producers gain a competitive edge, the Sask. Party has been increasing costs. One of the key ways government can improve the competitiveness of the cattle industry would be to scrap the Sask. Party’s $1 billion PST tax-grab that is forcing producers pay more for nearly everything they need to run their operation.

What steps will you take as Leader to reduce regulatory red tape for livestock producers?

I would look at addressing red tape through engaging in dialogue and consultation with producer groups. As Premier, my door would always be open to groups like the Stock Growers Association or the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan to hear how government can streamline regulations and reduce costs at the farm gate while protecting our food supply and our environment.

What is your position on increasing investment in agriculture research and research infrastructure?

Our universities are chronically underfunded. The University of Saskatchewan has a great College of Agriculture that does world-class work developing new methods and 34

Yes. Insurance is an investment in mitigating risk, and forcing producers to pay more now is not fair. For some beef businesses and mixed farm operators, this is a new expense of thousands of dollars that they couldn’t have planned for and this decision was made by the Sask.

Party without consultation. With so many variables - from extreme weather events to changes in fuel prices - agriculture can be a risky business. Adding a new tax to insurance premiums makes mitigating that risk even more difficult.

What will you do as Leader to improve access to High Speed Internet in rural Saskatchewan?

The current government has been too focused on trying to sell SaskTel and has forgotten to ensure this valuable Crown corporation is working for the benefit of Saskatchewan people. We need to make sure SaskTel remains 100% publicly owned so that it can invest in the infrastructure needed to make High Speed Internet available across all of Saskatchewan.

Private phone companies know that there isn’t much money to be made in rural High Speed infrastructure, but a Crown corporation like SaskTel can make those commitments as part of its mandate to provide reliable, affordable service. This would be a priority for me.

What steps will you take to oppose the implementation of a national carbon tax?

a made-in-Saskatchewan solution to ensure producers and others in emissionsintensive, trade-exposed sectors are able to remain competitive in the global marketplace. As Premier, I would work with stakeholders to come up with a made-in-Saskatchewan plan that would protect producers while recognizing their important role as stewards of the land. We need to ensure we are putting Saskatchewan’s interests first while acting in a meaningful way on climate change and building a comprehensive water management strategy in partnership with producers.

Do you support maintaining Saskatchewan’s agriculture Crown land grazing leases?

Yes, producers need to have certainty and predictability when it comes to the rates they’re charged for leasing Crown land. I’m also opposed to the Sask. Party’s fire sale of Crown lands and former PFRA lands. These lands have been responsibly managed for generations by the producers who raise livestock on them, and its shameful that the Sask. Party is turning their back on that long and proud tradition by auctioning these parcels off to the highest bidder.

What is your position on the proposed reforms to corporate income tax?

I’m glad to hear that most of the federal changes that would have affected producers have been rolled back in recent days and I was disappointed that these proposals were being pushed forward during harvest without producers being directly consulted. I’m also concerned about the unfair PST tax hikes without consultation from the Sask. Party at a tough time for our economy. I’ll always be prepared to stand up for and work together with producers and small businesses in Saskatchewan. continued on page 37

As opposed to allowing the federal government to impose its carbon price on our province, I would work to build

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NOVEMBER 2017

Feature Leadership Survey: Gord Wyant and reasonable or whether we are going beyond the core business of government and creating a burdensome environment for the private sector. As Premier, I will always be open to suggestions from industry experts, and producer groups like the Stock Growers to identify areas to make Saskatchewan’s regulatory environment competitive, fair, and ensure that it protects both the consumer and producer.

What will you do as Leader to improve the competitiveness of the Saskatchewan and Canadian cattle industry?

Improving the competitiveness of the Canadian cattle industry will be contingent on our producers having open access to traditional and emerging markets. We know Canadian producers are already impeded by high operating costs, and the ongoing NAFTA negotiations loom large over Saskatchewan’s export industries. Earlier in the campaign I outlined my priorities for federal-provincial relations, and trade is one of these key priorities. Maintaining a robust dispute resolution mechanism within NAFTA is critical to Saskatchewan producers, and I will push federal negotiators to take a strong stand against US suggestions to eliminate the binational panel which arbitrates disputes.

I am opposed to the federally-imposed carbon tax which would increase food costs and reduce competitiveness in our agricultural sector.

What steps will you take as Leader to reduce regulatory red tape for livestock producers?

One of the key questions elected officials need to always to be asking is ‘What is the core business of government?’ I believe that while our Saskatchewan Party government has a solid record of efforts to reduce red tape, we always need to be asking whether government policy, legislation, and regulation is effective

NOVEMBER 2017

What is your position on increasing investment in agriculture research and research infrastructure?

Once again, I am proud of the Saskatchewan Party government’s record on making meaningful investments in our research sector including initiatives like the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence. As Premier, I would specifically like to enhance our province’s relationship with the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine where we are fortunate to have world class researchers at work. Every dollar we invest in research focused on areas like animal health, improved feed, and sustainability will improve profitability for our producers.

As Leader will you reverse the decision to charge PST on insurance?

Over the past several weeks I have consulted with the insurance industry, the financial planning industry and heard from dozens of Saskatchewan taxpayers that removing the PST exemption on insurance premiums is a decision that needs to be reversed. I am proud to have been part of a government and a cabinet that has been willing to admit when mistakes were made and to change course when budget decisions had deeper implications than we’d anticipated. In the coming weeks you will hear more about my plan to reinstate the PST exemption on insurance premiums by finding a more fair way to recover the revenue this measure would have generated.

What will you do as Leader to improve access to High Speed Internet in rural Saskatchewan?

I believe that any conversation around High Speed Internet access in rural and remote locations is also a conversation about the long- term role that SaskTel will play in Saskatchewan. In some cases, the ability of the Crown corporation to deliver a cost-effective service has been outpaced by consumer need – especially in rural areas. Saskatchewan has the potential to be at the fore-front of a fully automated agriculture industry, but this will require enhanced technology and connectivity.

Complete High Speed Internet and cellular coverage however, will not be an inexpensive venture. Nonetheless, I am committed to working with SaskTel, and other service providers to determine how we can provide the best possible access to service at the lowest cost.

What steps will you take to oppose the implementation of a national carbon tax?

As Premier, I will use any and all tools at the province’s disposal to continue to fight the federally imposed carbon tax.

This includes pursuing a constitutional challenge against the federal government’s attempt to override our provincial authority to develop a madein-Saskatchewan solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). As the Minister of Justice and Attorney General I had the responsibility for mounting Saskatchewan’s constitutional challenge.

Given the work being done between the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Environment, I believe there is a very strong constitutional case with regard to a carbon tax being imposed upon the province of Saskatchewan. continued on page 37

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Feature Ken Cheveldayoff cont. from pg.30

Alanna Koch cont. from pg. 31

Tina Beaudry-Mellor cont. from pg. 32

cattle industry for generations. It is a winwin for cattle producers, the economy and the environment.

the enormous pressure that Canadians are putting on the federal government.

I have written to the Prime Minister on the proposed changes. We have to tell our Saskatchewan story to the federal government clearly and loudly so we get treated fairly – I am committed to that.

reductions – it just hurts job growth. There is a better way and Saskatchewan is already doing it. We need to communicate these better. If necessary, I am prepared to invoke the notwithstanding clause on this issue.

What is your position on the proposed reforms to corporate income tax?

I am opposed to any changes that negatively affect investment in Saskatchewan.

What steps will you take as Leader to address the chronic labour shortage in agriculture?

This is a topic addressed directly in my agriculture platform which states, “Skilled workforce training for Saskatchewan people seeking careers in the agri-food sector is important, but won’t be sufficient to meet the demand. There is also a need to improve the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program by developing a referral program for newcomers already in Saskatchewan that know of available skilled workers from elsewhere. The federal nominee program allocation for Saskatchewan also needs to increase from the existing 5400 to 6000 per year.

What is your position on recognizing and enabling conservation banking as part of a mitigation strategy in Saskatchewan?

This would appear to be a great approach. Producers who participate are compensated for the cost of protecting wildlife habitat and species at risk.

No one else is in a better position to provide this continuous stewardship. As I understand it, conservation banking will allow producers to market the creation of habitat to industry that may need to incur some unavoidable damages to the environment. I am eager to understand more about the details on this initiative.

Do you support the creation of an arm’s length surface rights advocate office?

I would commit to reviewing the Surface Rights Act. As a government, we must ensure that the rights of land owners are balanced with those of oil businesses that invest in our province’s oil sector.

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What steps will you take as Leader to address the chronic labour shortage in agriculture?

Under my leadership, as the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, we implemented for the first time ever an agriculture awareness branch with the primary goal of ensuring that Saskatchewan people understand and support agriculture. Part of that effort is programming directed at youth to educate them on the science of agriculture, as well as the multitude of diverse career and entrepreneurial opportunities the sector offers. Attracting young people into agriculture is one of my passions and it will continue to be something I am committed to. I will work with industry to further address this ongoing challenge.

What is your position on recognizing and enabling conservation banking as part of a mitigation strategy in Saskatchewan?

We know that for Saskatchewan's economy to grow there will be some impact on the environment. Conservation banking holds some promise in mitigating the habitat loss that occurs from development. As long as it is used appropriately and Saskatchewan’s contribution to achieving conservation goals is recognized in some way, I will support further work to explore the opportunities associated with conservation banking.

Do you support the creation of an arm’s length surface rights advocate office?

I am willing to take a look at this issue, in consultation with all stakeholders involved.

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Do you support maintaining Saskatchewan’s agriculture Crown land grazing leases?

I support minimizing our government footprint wherever possible and when it's prudent. That said, I know that there has been an ongoing decline in natural pasture lands across Saskatchewan farms. To this end, I support the current transitioning of Saskatchewan pasture lands to patron groups with 15 year leases. I believe that this process strikes the right balance between reducing our government footprint while ensuring there are continued grazing opportunities and environmental stewardship of the land.

What is your position on the proposed reforms to corporate income tax?

I strongly oppose the reforms and the grossly inadequate 75-day consultation period used to usher in these changes. The objective of the reforms is to reduce tax avoidance by the wealthy, but there is an evident lack of understanding about the incorporated nature of farms and ranches.

I am very concerned about the so-called “income sprinkling” provisions which place farm families in a position where the federal government will have a voice in what members of the family contribute to the operation and what those services “ought to be” worth. A similar problem occurs with the proposed changes to the capital gains piece which will harm the succession planning of farmland and ranch land to family members.

The federal government’s tax changes are also targeting passive investments, which would include mutual funds. You can expect me to continue to be a vocal opponent of these changes as a result of the impact they are having on important sectors of our economy, especially since they are at precisely the same time that Ottawa is looking to impose the carbon tax. continued on page 37 NOVEMBER 2017

Feature Tina Beaudry-Mellor cont. from pg. 36 What steps will you take as Leader to address the chronic labour shortage in agriculture?

Trent Wotherspoon cont. from pg. 34

Our province’s economy relies on a highly skilled workforce and the agriculture industry is no different. I am in favour of increased immigration and as the federal government is finalizing its 2018 immigration plan, I will be watching closely to ensure that Saskatchewan’s labour market needs are being met, and that in particular – the allocations within the skilled worker class of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) make sense. I will also look at ways to expand on the work of industry education councils to expose students to as many employment options as possible, including the exciting and varied opportunities within the agriculture industry.

I would listen and work collaboratively with industry on this front. I would also address the shortage in labour by working to stop the cuts in healthcare and education. In many towns and villages, health centres and schools are closing or laying off staff because of the Sask.

Party’s cuts. When those workers lose their jobs, they leave with their family to look for work elsewhere. The children and spouses of many of these healthcare and education workers often take jobs in agriculture, but when those jobs are gone, so are those workers. Supporting healthcare and education jobs will help to support rural communities that need agricultural workers too.

What is your position on recognizing and enabling conservation banking as part of a mitigation strategy in Saskatchewan?

What is your position on recognizing and enabling conservation banking as part of a mitigation strategy in Saskatchewan?

As Premier, I would be in favour of any opportunity to utilize market-based solutions to complex environmental issues, such as habitat protection for species at risk. Conservation banking has proven effective in other countries and I agree that a pre-emptive, pro-active approach to habitat protection is worthwhile. I also believe that the best public policy stems from partnerships across public and private sectors, and this is certainly the case with conservation banking. I understand the Ministry of Environment is currently developing tools to support habitat offset markets and I am in favour of this work continuing toward potential enabling of conservation banking in Saskatchewan.

Do you support the creation of an arm's length surface rights advocate office?

Not at this time. We already have a Surface Rights Board of Arbitration. Given our fiscal challenges, I am not prepared to expand our government's footprint into this area where the Board of Arbitration already works to settle disputes between parties.

NOVEMBER 2017

What steps will you take as Leader to address the chronic labour shortage in agriculture?

Conservation and stewardship of our wetlands and grasslands is something very important to me. I would work with producers and conservation experts in collaboration to look at the evidence and best practices to determine what role, if any, conservation banking should play in Saskatchewan.

Do you support the creation of an arm’s length surface rights advocate office?

I would be supportive of the creation of a surface rights or farmers’ advocate office to help producers when dealing with energy projects. Producers need to know their rights and have access to all the information they need in order to get a fair deal. We also need to update our surface rights legislation to ensure land owners and producers are treated fairly when they’re impacted by the energy sector and have access to fair land use protections. I’ve valued meetings with members of the South-East Saskatchewan Surface Rights’ Association and would introduce a modernized Surface Rights Act.

Gord Wyant cont. from pg. 35 Do you support maintaining Saskatchewan’s agriculture Crown land grazing leases?

I would fully support maintaining Crown land grazing leases. The government’s ecological assessment tool for Crown land – while not perfect – has meant that Crown land with the highest ecological value is not sold. Many grazing leases would fall into that category. As Premier, I would like to see government continue to own and lease that land to ranchers.

What is your position on the proposed reforms to corporate income tax?

As Premier, I will continue to defend the interests of our small businesses – including thousands of incorporated family farms – to ensure they are not unfairly targeted by the federal government’s punitive tax changes.

In early September, I wrote to Prime Minister Trudeau and federal Finance Minister Morneau to voice my opposition to their proposed changes to the tax code that will harm small businesses in Saskatchewan and right across Canada.

Our province’s business owners are risk-takers, innovators and job creators.

They do not deserve to be painted as tax-evaders who should be punished for investing in and growing their enterprises.

What steps will you take as Leader to address the chronic labour shortage in agriculture?

Our province’s economy relies on a highly skilled workforce and the agriculture industry is no different. I am in favour of increased immigration and as the federal government is finalizing its 2018 immigration plan, I will be watching closely to ensure that Saskatchewan’s labour market needs are being met, and that in particular – the allocations within the skilled worker class of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) make sense. I will also look at ways to expand on the work of industry education councils to expose students to as many employment options as continued on page 39

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Science and Production Rules, Regulations and Common Sense

by Jason Pollock, CEO

There is much to be said about these three items.

The first two, regulations and rules, often conjure up feelings of oppression, angst and generally negative consequences.

The third, common sense, is often seen as the redeeming feature of humanity and something we all strive toward. Too often, these three concepts are at odds with one another because what is common sense to one person may not be common sense to another. This places the regulations or rules in conflict with common sense.

The result, as seen in many areas of our current society, is that we are laden with regulations and rules; often at the expense of common sense.

As the livestock industry prepares for the incoming CFIA regulations and rules on traceability, LSS is looking to ease the transition for producers through improving access to their services and products. This makes sense to us and will hopefully be seen as common sense by our stakeholders.

October 31 will mark the end of a two year project to upgrade and improve our in-house data handling systems.

When we started the renovation process of the old system, we identified a few key principles that would allow us to adapt to any future requirements of the industry. Communication, efficiency, flexibility, scalability and access were of primary importance when considering how the new system would facilitate our stakeholder services and traceability.

Data integrity and flow between systems is critical to ensuring the needs of both commerce-based and health-based animal movement. Multiple processes have been built to ensure data integrity.

LSS is in the process of cleaning up old data that is out of date and corrupt due to

38

limitations of the old system. In addition, LSS is piloting a market integration scheme to allow for greater data efficiency and more timely movement of cattle.

Sellers and buyers know that every minute on a truck affects their bottom line. This initiative will reduce the time cattle are loaded and waiting for the paperwork before setting off to their next destination.

It will also reduce redundant data entry, which affects overhead and subsequent cost to the industry.

The new system will also allow dealers and producers to access a web-based portal for self-service activities. Brand renewals, registration and management will be one of the features offered as well as dealer information such as billing activities and licencing options. The new system is completely web-based which allows for future development of features such eManifests and ePermits to be generated as approved, legal transportation documents.

These components exist currently and LSS is working on implementing the supporting business processes to allow for full system use by any stakeholder group that wishes to move toward a paperless

There is no such thing as a ‘family’ brand. If you want to legally use your grandfather/mother/father/uncle’s, etc. brand it needs to be transferred into your name. Questions? Call the Brand Registrar, at 306-546-5086, for answers.

future. As part of this future focus, LSS is exploring continued development of this self-service component by extending functionality to a Smartphone app capable of managing the movement reporting required under the new guidelines.

LSS is a supporter of the Cattle Implementation Plan (CIP). The CIP was carefully developed by the industry for the industry. The CIP will accommodate health-based movement reporting as required by the CFIA without negatively impacting commerce-based movement and the bottom line of business. It uses established points in the marketing cycle to capture movement information to accurately track a single animal from birth to death. This makes common sense. New rules and regulations are right around the corner and as a service provider we want to translate the new landscape into something that makes common sense for our stakeholders. Health-based movement reporting has different goals than commerce-based movement and the goal for our new system is to offer features that support both without adding a burden to the process. B

over the coming months. As we move forward in the areas of data capacity and functionality, we will continue to work with producers, dealers, and regulators to deliver business tools and processes to accommodate new and existing rules and regulations. To us, this is common sense.

More information on our new system and features available to producers and dealers will be communicated

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

NOVEMBER 2017

Science and Production Active Missing Livestock Files November 2017

Area Missing From

Number of Head

Animal Description

Cupar

4

Brand Location

RCMP Subdivision

LSS Regional Office

Date Reported

2 Bulls NVB; 1 calf NVB; 1 cow

Right hip

Southey/ Punnichy

Yorkton 306-786-5712

September 25

1

Steer calf

Left hip

Broadview

Moosomin 306-435-4582

August 15

Maple Creek

9

Calves

Right rib

Maple Creek

Swift Current 306-778-8312

October 1

Spruce Lake

4

Yearling steers

Left hip

Turtleford

North Battleford 306-446-7404

Grenfell

Brand Description

September 29

Information provided by Livestock Services of Saskatchewan

Gord Wyant cont. from pg. 37 possible, including the exciting and varied opportunities within the agriculture industry.

What is your position on recognizing and enabling conservation banking as part of a mitigation strategy in Saskatchewan?

As Premier, I would be in favour of any opportunity to utilize market-based solutions to complex environmental issues, such as habitat protection for species at risk. Conservation banking has proven effective in other countries and I agree that a pre-emptive, proactive approach to habitat protection is worthwhile. I also believe that the best public policy stems from partnerships

NOVEMBER 2017

across public and private sectors, and this is certainly the case with conservation banking. I understand the Ministry of Environment is currently developing tools to support habitat offset markets and I am in favour of this work continuing toward potential enabling of conservation banking in Saskatchewan.

surface rights negotiations – particularly the compensation rates. I would consider bringing the responsibility for advocacy on surface rights under the responsibility of the Minister of Agriculture as opposed to creating a new stand-alone office, but I am certainly open to the advice of our landowners on this topic.

Do you support the creation of an arm’s length surface rights advocate office?

I am not necessarily in favour of increasing the footprint of government, so I would want to think carefully before creating new offices to deal with this and other advocacy issues. I want to hear more from landowners on this topic, but I believe that - for the most part - the relationship between landowners and energy companies is good. That said, there is a need to modernize aspects of

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 39

Stewardship Controlling Leafy Spurge to Restore Habitat for Species at Risk

by Krista Connick Todd, PAg

Southwestern Saskatchewan is critical to the recovery of Species at Risk (SAR), largely due to the considerable amount of native prairie that remains. Many species that are listed on the Species at Risk Act depend on prairie for habitat.

Restoration, or seeding cropland to native grasses and forbs in an effort to recreate natural functioning is an option. Restoration is not always seeding more grass, though, it can also include improving the functioning of prairie that is overrun with noxious weeds. Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) is a very aggressive, exotic, invasive plant. It has a deep root system and can produce thousands and thousands of seeds. Since this plant is exotic, it has no natural diseases or predators. It’s no wonder that it spreads so quickly, choking out native plants and destroying habitat. It is estimated that more than 100,000 acres in Saskatchewan are impacted by Leafy spurge.

The South of the Divide Conservation Action Program (SODCAP Inc.) has been focusing its habitat protection efforts on the Milk River Basin in southwestern Saskatchewan, where nearly half of the land base is still native range. Even in this area, where grasslands dominate the landscape, questions still remain; How do we increase the amount of habitat available? How can we restore habitat to help these species at risk?

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How does Leafy spurge affect habitat?

Many of the grassland birds listed on the Species at Risk Act have specific habitat requirements. Birds such as Sprague’s pipit, Baird’s sparrow and Longspurs prefer large blocks of prairie dominated by mid-grasses such as northern wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, and the needle grasses. They avoid areas dominated by broad leaved or shrubby species such as snowberry or spurge. In spurge infested areas the prairie still exists, but it is no longer providing habitat!

Chemical control tends to be the most popular option for Leafy spurge control.

Herbicides are available that provide good control, particularly when reapplied over a series of years. Herbicide is expensive though, even with government assistance programs available and application is difficult and time consuming. When Leafy spurge spreads through grassland hills, herbicide applications becomes even more difficult. These areas often require hand spraying.

Another option for large-scale control on grasslands is using small ruminants. Sheep and goats can be trained to effectively graze spurge, weakening the plant root and decreasing its competitive advantage.

Lee Sexton is Saskatchewan’s resident “Goat Guru”. He has spent many years studying and testing the best ways to get sheep and goats to graze Leafy spurge.

Both can be used to graze weeds, but while sheep will make spurge 50-60% of their diet, goats will consume 90% Leafy spurge. They are very effective target grazers.

“Perhaps the best way to deal with Leafy spurge is to take an integrated approach,” Sexton says. “Coming up with a plan of action and using proper tools is important. Long-term, multispecies grazing along with other biological control, such as beetles, is

NOVEMBER 2017

Stewardship an environmentally and economically sustainable solution. Investing money into the problem may seem futile, however those costs will perpetuate the wanted plant species and increase grazing capacity which increases holding capacity.

This, in turn, produces more pounds per acre therefore more profit.”

Proper timing of grazing is essential.

Sexton says to consider a “twice-over method.” Lightly graze the spurge in early spring. This will cause the spurge to re-grow, with new shoots. The second time around, the animals will graze the plant again, removing the potential of seed development. At this point, the Leafy spurge should be grazed heavily.

Grazed over several years, spurge plants are weakened and other desirable grasses can re-establish and begin to successfully compete against the weed.

SODCAP Inc is in the process of initiating two different Leafy spurge control projects, hoping to restore habitat to its previous quality! One project focuses on chemical control and one focuses on targeted grazing. Tom Harrison, Executive Director of SODCAP Inc, says “it’s very difficult to recreate habitat for many of these species at risk from scratch. It’s more than just seeding the right grass species. We need to recreate the actual functioning of the prairie, and that takes years. We are hoping that by significantly

decreasing the amount of Leafy spurge on these ranches, we will restore the existing habitat. Allowing birds, such as the Sprague’s pipit, to once again nest and prosper in these areas.” Both of the cooperating ranches have a large proportion of native range, as well as a large expanse of Leafy spurge that they have been struggling to control for many years. These ranches provide potential habitat for a number of different grassland birds, including Sprague’s pipit and the Loggerhead shrike. Projects involve a three year integrated management plan, targeting specific areas annually. “One ranch is interested in partnering with us to try some goat grazing,” says Harrison,

“It will be interesting at the end of the three years to see the extent of progress on their landscape.” Grazing goats comes with its own set of challenges regarding management and fencing, but with a single goat grazing more than 4 pounds of Leafy spurge a day, it’s an interesting option for weed control. B Regardless of the method used, controlling Leafy spurge is a slow, expensive project. For more information on Leafy Spurge control on grasslands, please contact Tom Harrison at ed@ sodcap.com or 306-530-1385.

Photo courtesy of Krista Connick Todd

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www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 41

Stewardship Rangeland Reality Check: Basic Principles of Grazing Management

by Tara Mulhern Davidson

Mother Nature certainly flexed her muscles in the 2017 growing season.

Drought, fires and poor stock water quality are just some issues that caused Saskatchewan ranchers grief. Challenging years like 2017 can lead producers to go back to the basics of range management to help them recover from the past and be productive in the future.

Native prairie grasslands are incredibly resilient and have developed over time to withstand extreme environmental conditions. No rancher looks forward to harsh years, however it is heartening to know that prairie ecosystems can recover provided some thoughtful management is used.

Managing native prairie is an art and a science. There is no perfect way to do things, and reality often gets in the way of theory. However, there are four basic principles of range management that producers can use to manage grasslands.

Balance forage supply and demand The old adage “it takes grass to make grass” is true. At the end of a grazing period, there should be adequate carryover of plants left remaining. This carryover allows plant leaves to continue catching sunlight and convert solar energy into leaf growth or stored energy in the root system. Carryover ensures the plants survival, maintains pasture health and function, and prepares plants to grow well in the next season. Carryover also provides habitat for species at risk, wildlife, and grassland birds; is useful for trapping snow; and creates litter, which insulates the soil, retains moisture, and provides nutrients for better plant growth.

The amount of forage consumed by livestock varies according to the type, weight and class of cattle. Alternately, the amount of grass a range ecosystem produces depends largely on the

42

Litter – essentially “drought-proofs” rangeland by keeping soil cool, improving water infiltration, and preventing soil erosion. Photo courtesy of Tara Mulhern Davidson

availability of moisture. Producers may need to make stocking rate adjustments from one year to the next to avoid tipping the balance too far in one direction.

The amount of forage in a native pasture can be calculated using range condition and range health assessment tools. Some producers may use historical knowledge to determine how many cattle a particular pasture can support in a season over the long term. If producers are lease land holders, their prairie pastures will be rated for a particular number of Animal Unit Months (AUMs), which is a measurement of available forage. One AUM is equivalent to the amount of forage a 1000 lb cow eats in one month.

Visit www.pcap-sk.org > Resources & Literature > Resources > Saskatchewan Range Ecosite Guide to look up individual stocking rate suggestions for particular range ecosites (i.e. clayey, loamy, sandy).

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

Rest and reset In order for prairie grass species to stay productive, pastures need to be rested between grazing times. This rest must take place during the growing season – “resting” a pasture while the plants are dormant in the fall or winter is not effective at all!

Many native plants can take up to a year to fully replace the energy that was drawn from their root systems in order to regrow after grazing. While a year may seem like a long time, this rest may already be accomplished through a simple rotational grazing plan. When producers consider their entire grazing resources, including tame grass, they may rest some fields longer than necessary and use others more often than recommended, but switching the order of use each year may provide the rest required long term for the grazing system as a whole. Building in time for rest will allow prairie to reach its production potential, maintain stability, and require fewer year-to-year stocking rate modifications. continued on page 45 NOVEMBER 2017

Stewardship Reality Check cont. from pg. 42 Decide to defer Another old range rule of thumb says “for every day you wait in the spring, you get two days later in fall.” Deferring grazing until after native plants are in the four-leaf stage or have passed a sensitive time, can be helpful. Waiting until June or later to graze prairie pastures allows plants a head start, and many have set seed. Deferred grazing may also benefit a particular species at risk or wildlife species by avoiding disturbance of breeding grounds. For producers who have both tame and native grassland, many choose to graze tame pastures early in the spring and save native pastures later in summer, fall and winter.

Manage for uniform grazing distribution Native pastures often have several range types within a single field. Different soil types, diverse topography, the type and quality of water sources and fencing can all affect how livestock use an area.

It’s generally a good practice to graze a pasture in a uniform manner to avoid getting significant pockets of overgrazing or large areas of underutilization.

Stock water is usually the limiting factor on the range, so it’s expected that there will be heavier grazing closer to a water source. Developing new water sources may not be feasible in some environments, so strategically placing salt and mineral can help draw cattle into areas that require more grazing. Herding and settling cattle in a particular area that you want them to graze can also be effective as can working with “home drift,” a herd’s natural tendency to migrate toward the direction of their wintering ground.

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NOVEMBER 2017

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 45

Association News, Reports, and Events Director Profile: Lee Sexton Lee joined the SSGA Board in 2016 as an Affiliate Member on behalf of the Saskatchewan Goat Breeders Association and in 2017 became a Director at Large.

Lee says the SSGA is a solid, ethical organization with a lot of history and he wanted to give back to an industry that has supported him over the years.

Lee and his wife Lynn operate a multispecies operation near Hanley, SK. Currently, they graze 75 cows alongside sheep and goats. Lee has always been involved with cattle but invested in sheep 23 years ago and added goats to the operation about seven years ago. Prior to moving to the Hanley area about 17 years ago, Lee was at Outlook, also working

for the PFRA for over 28 years. At the PFRA, Lee managed an irrigated forage production program for 25 years and then was the weed coordinator for the Elbow Pasture managing a group of 3300 sheep and goats grazing Leafy spurge.

Lee feels that one of the main challenges facing the SSGA and the beef industry is getting young people involved. There doesn’t seem to be enough margin for new producers to get started and survive without some form of support. He has family interested in the ranching business and shares his passion with them as often as he is able. Lee and Lynn enjoy having their family help out which is also starting to include their grandkids. B

You Be the Judge Bull and Heifer Sale December 11, 2017 Lunch at noon. Sale starts at 1:00 NCL Vermilion, Alberta.

60 – 2 year old Red Angus bulls • 200 – February calving heifers 400 – March calving heifers • 100 – April calving heifers For information or to get on our catalog mailing list: email thougham@littleloon.ca Follow us on Facebook

46

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

Contacts: Scott – 780-205-8269 Ken - 780-205-2283 Justin – 780-205-2680 Jim Pulyk - 780-853-0626 Tom – 306-307-4993

NOVEMBER 2017

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For more information, contact your local Crop Insurance office, call 1.888.935.0000 or visit our website.

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 47

Association News, Reports, and Events A Report From Shane Jahnke President, Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association I recently had the opportunity to attend a consultation meeting with Andrew Leslie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, regarding the ongoing NAFTA negotiations. As an industry, we have done well in expanding to other markets across the world, however at the end of the day the US has and will continue to be our largest trading partner.

It has been a really horrible summer and fall for many producers throughout the province due to the damage done by wildfires. My thoughts and prayers are with all of those who have been affected.

As cattlemen and cattlewomen, we take pride in how we take care of the land and these devastating fires have been a sad reminder of how, within a short period of time, everything about your operation can dramatically change. The SSGA is working to assist producers who have been affected by establishing a Wildfire Relief Fund.

The SSGA is accepting donations of cash, feed, hay, trucking, fencing supplies and just about anything else that could be of help and will redistribute the donations to the people in need. Anyone wishing to help can contact the SSGA directly or visit the website, where you can make a cash donation online. To date we have received an overwhelming amount of support and hope that people’s generosity continues.

To facilitate the timely delivery of the donations received to those who are in need there is an application form that can be completed by affected producers and submitted to the SSGA. We realize that not all producers will be comfortable asking for help and therefore we have also created a nomination form whereby neighbors can apply for those producers in need. Both of these applications can be obtained from the SSGA office or website.

48

The consensus at the consultation of the various industry groups involved was to “do no harm”. The current NAFTA agreement seems to work fine for both sides when it comes to our sector so like many things there can always be ways to tweak and refine the agreement but the nut and bolts need to remain the same as the existing agreement.

On World Food Day, October 16, the SSGA kicked off its second annual Beef Drive.

Building on the success of last year’s Beef Drive we have set a lofty goal, this year, of donating 10,000 lbs of ground beef to Saskatchewan Food Banks. We have once again partnered with Treen Packers

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in Swift Current, West Bridgeford Meats in Tugaske and Western Prime Meat Processors in Weyburn. After an initial single donation of 3000 pounds being delivered to the Regina Food Bank from ranchers in southeast Saskatchewan and Western Prime Meat Processors who matches all producer donations pound for pound and combined with other donations, our total thus far is 4000 lbs.

The markets are looking quite good going into the fall which I hope will continue along with the good weather to help everyone get their fall work done.

Agribition is just around the corner and I encourage everyone to stop by the SSGA trade show booth for a coffee and a visit.

Make sure to pencil in the Commercial Cattlemens Mixer get together on Friday November 24, after the Commercial Cattle show.

As always, if you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to give me a call. B

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NOVEMBER 2017

Calendar of Events NOVEMBER November 8-12

Edmonton, AB

Farmfair International

November 14-16 Canadian Forage and Grassland Association Conference November 18-21 Canadian Bison Association Annual Convention

Guelph, ON

November 20-25 Canadian Western Agribition November 24 Commercial Cattle Mixer & Bull Pen Alley People’s Choice

Regina, SK

Regina, SK Regina, SK

November 29

Windy Hill Livestock Bull & Female Sale DECEMBER

Moose Jaw, SK

December 5-7

Western Canada Conference on Soil Health and Grazing

Edmonton, AB

December 6

Cudlobe’s 18th Annual “Real Bull for Real Cowboys” Bull Sale

December 7

Peak Dot Ranch Fall Bull Sale

December 11

Y Coulee Land & Cattle Co. “You Be the Judge” Bull and Heifer Sale

Staveley, AB Wood Mountain, SK Vermilion, AB

December 11

Advertising deadline for January issue of Beef Business December 13-14 Farm & Food Care SK Annual Conference JANUARY 2018

Saskatoon, SK

January 24-25

SK Beef Industry Conference

Saskatoon, SK

January 25

SSGA Semi-Annual Meeting

Saskatoon, SK

January 27

McQuantock Bull Sale

January 31

Moose Creek Red Angus 2 Year Old Bull Sale FEBRUARY

February 1

SSGA Zone 1 Scholarship Application Deadline

February 1

SSGA Zones 3 & 12 Scholarship Application Deadline

February 6-9

Western Canada Feedlot Management School

February 7-8

Native Prairie Restoration & Reclamation Workshop

Saskatoon, SK

February 8-9

Manitoba Beef Producers AGM

Brandon, MB

February 12

Advertising deadline for March issue of Beef Business

Llyodminster, SK Kisbey, SK

Regina, SK

SSGA BOARD OF DIRECTORS THE EXECUTIVE

Shane Jahnke President/Director at Large Gouldtown, SK

DIRECTORS AT LARGE Phone: 784-2899

Bill Huber 1st Vice President/Director at Large Lipton, SK Phone: 336-2684 Kelcy Elford 2nd Vice President/Director at Large Caronport, SK

Phone: 690-5309

Jeff Yorga Finance Chair Flintoft, SK Phone: 531-5717 Doug Gillespie Past President Neville, SK Phone: 627-3619

NOVEMBER 2017

Jerry Chanig, Mankota Keith Day, Lacadena Gerald Duckworth, Courval Glen Elford, Milestone Calvin Gavelin, McCord Joe Gilchrist, Maple Creek Paula Larson, D'Arcy Norm Nordgulen, Assiniboia Lee Sexton, Hanley Barry Olney, Estevan Roy Rutledge, Assiniboia

ZONE CHAIR DIRECTORS Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 - Zone 5 - Zone 6 - Zone 7 - Zone 12 -

Henry McCarthy, Wawota Stephanie Deg, Weyburn Rod Gamble, Pambrun Brad Howe, Empress, AB Bill Huber, Lipton Brent Griffin, Elbow Kimberly Simpson, Kyle Kelly Williamson, Pambrun

478-2658 375-2934 394-4211 436-4688 478-2558 662-3986 379-4523 642-4961 544-2660 421-1495 642-5358

AFFILIATE DIRECTORS

Garner Deobald - Charolais Affiliate, Hodgeville 677-2589 Jack Ford - SaskMilk Affiliate, Wishart 328-4700 Tara Fritz - SImmental Affiliate, Shaunavon 297-3147 Russell Muri - Shorthorn Affiliate, Swift Current 773-6583 Laird Senft - Angus Affiliate, Fort Qu’Appelle 332-4823 Corbin St. John - Goat Breeders Affiliate, Brock 460-7361 Jeff Yorga - Limousin Affiliate, Flintoft 531-5717

APPOINTED DIRECTORS

Dr. Andy Acton- Veterinary Advisor, Ogema

459-2422

SASKATCHEWAN CCA DIRECTORS

739-2205 891-9894 582-2077 661-0409 336-2684 854-2050 375-5534 582-6102

Pat Hayes, Val Marie Lynn Grant, Val Marie Reg Schellenberg, Beechy Duane Thompson, Kelliher

298-2284 298-2268 859-4905 675-4562

Listings of email and fax numbers can be found on the SSGA website at www.skstockgrowers.com

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 49

Advertisers Index Adair Sales

10

Hi-Hog Farm & Ranch Equipment

48

Northstar Seed

52

Allen Leigh Security & Communications

51

John Brown Farms

54

Paysen Livestock Equipment

4,17

Apollo Machine & Products

53

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55

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52

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51

Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference

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52

Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association

INSERT

54

Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture

15

19

Saskatchewan Verified Beef Production Inc.

28-29

54

Simply Ag Solutions

51

52

Solar West

52

SSGA MEMBERSHIP

Solar The Saskatchewan StockKelln Growers 54 Barr & Olney Kramer Trailer Sales Association has entered into a 14 Canadian Bison Association Kyle Welding & Machine Shop partnership with Flaman to 11 Canadian Cattle Identification Agency LLB Angus increase and 25 Canadian Western AgribitionMemberships Lane Realty Corp.

21 Cody Sibbald Legacy Classic Linthicum Ranch Subscription readership.

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Cowtown Livestock Exchange, Inc.

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Luck Now Products

Cudlobe Angus

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D&R Prairie Supplies

41

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Target Cattle Concepts

44,52

Ducks Unlimited Canada

2

Masterfeeds

52

Terra Grain Fuels

51

Edward Jones

52

McCaw Livestock

54

Titan Livestock

51

As of September 1, Western 2008Beef the Saskatchewan The sponsored membership 45 29 Elanco Moose Creek Red Angus Development Centre prize by Flaman52 will be aN.M. McMahon Chartered Stock Growers offering a major prize 52 will be Federated Co-operatives Ltd. Professional Western Litho 51 12’ BERGEN STOCK TRAILER New Life Mills 51 Frostfree Nosepumps Ltd. Accountants

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Price Insurance Program draw for all paid newWestern andLivestock renewal of existing 53 Windy Hill Livestock memberships51 as follows: Y Coulee Land & Cattle 56

52

The member that sells the most SSGA new 40 Gemstone Cattle memberships will receive a free registration for 51 Gibson Livestock 2017 Ltd. two to the2009 SSGA AGM.

53 47 3 46

New or Existing Memberships:

51

Gem Silage/Morley Ag Sales

7

1 year

$105.00

1 entry

2 year

$194.25

2 entries

2 year spousal

$97.12

1 entry

Golden Thread Livestock Images

53

Grayson & Co.

51

3 year

$262.50

3 entries

Heartland Livestock Sales

12

3 year spousal

$131.25

2 entries

Life

$1050.00

10 entries

Life spousal

$525.00

4 entries

All draws will be made at the 2009 SSGA Annual Convention

For more information or to become a member, please contact the SSGA office at 306-757-8523

Membership type: Member

Associate

Membership status:

Affiliate (call for rate)

Renewal

New

1 Year $157.50...................

Spousal $78.75 Spousal $145.69 2 Year $291.38 ....................

3 Year $393.75 ....................

Spousal $196.88 Lifetime: $2625.00 ............

Spousal $1312.50 Junior Membership 1 Year $26.75 2 Year $52.50 3 Year $78.75 Subscription 1 Year $26.25 2 Year $47.25 3 Year $68.25

Name _______________________________________________ _ Address_ ____________________________________________ _ City/Town______________ Prov_____

Postal Code _________

SSGA MEMBERSHIP

Drive

Phone (________) _________________________________Email ______________________________ Ranch/company name___________________________________________Herd Size ________________ Fall Sale Dates___________________________Spring Sale Dates ________________________________

In order to be eligible to receive the prize a member, subscriber or advertiser who’s entry is drawn must answer a g skill question. testin The chances of winning the sponsored membership prize draw is dependant on the

50

and type of membership sold during the membership drive of September 1, 2008 to the 2009 AGM. During a comparable d in 2007, perio there were approximately 300 new and renewal memberships sold. | ©BEEFnumber BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com NOVEMBER 2017

©The Saskatchewan Stockgrower “Super Issue” - September 2008

11

Give us a call when it’s time to market your cattle.

NS

LE

titanlivestock.com

TT CA

TO

RE

R TU

John Lawton President C E 780-487-8769 NN Cell: 780-712-0140 CO john@titanlivestock.com G TIN

COWCAM

RYAN GIBSON BUS: 306.692.9668 CELL: 306.631.0070

FAX: 306.692.3252

TOLL-FREE: 1.800.667.7176

STOCK TRAILER DEALER

Wireless & IP Systems Makes your calving €easier, safer & more profitable!

• Smartphone compatible • Save more calves • Stop disturbing them and check more frequently Allen Leigh

Security & Communications Ltd.

Cam

545 Assiniboine Ave, Brandon, MB I TF: 1.866.289.8164 T: 204.728.8878 I info@allenleigh.ca

www.precisioncam.ca Trusted Quality,

Trusted Support,

Reputation of Quality 16, 20, 24 & 53’ ground loads in stock

7 YEAR STRUCTURAL WARRANTY

15’, 20’, 25’s in stock

Custom Orders are Welcome North Battleford, SK P: 306.445.5000 TF: 1.800.529.9958 Online Showroom at:

Trusted Service!

Working to create opportunities for farmers in Saskatchewan

Phone: 306-955-5477 / 1-866-298-7222 www.simplyag.ca

Integrity Commitment Results

Proudly providing legal services since 1883

(306) 693-6176

e-mail us at: admin@graysonandcompany.com 350 Langdon Crescent Moose Jaw, SK S6H 0X4

NEW VISION AGRO Box 479 Hague, SK S0K 1X0

BEEF & BISON FEED AVAILABLE IN: COMPLETE FEED PELLETS SUPPLEMENTS MASH FEEDS

CALL TOLL FREE 1-866-FEEDMAX (333-3629)

NOVEMBER 2017

PH: (306) 225-2226 FX: (306) 225-2063

email: newvisionagro@sasktel.net www.newvisionagro.com

Dealer & Distributor For: - Jay-Lor Vertical Feed Mixers - Masterfeeds - Cargill Rite Now Minerals - Baler twine, netwrap, silage bunker, covers, plastic wrap, Grain Bags

Check with us before you buy!

Call (306) 345-2280 or visit www.terragrainfuels.com for more information.

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 51

Pump Kit

There is a Dealer near You!

Solar West 500

BeefBusiness_1.pdf

Calmar, Alberta

1

12/14/15

7:25 PM

C

FOR ALL OF YOUR BEEF NUTRITION SOLUTIONS CALL:

Humboldt / 1-800-747-9186 Regina / 1-877-929-8696 Saskatoon / 1-888-681-4111 Swift Current / 1-877-773-3001

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

STOCK WATER TROUGHS

Kyle, SK

Forage Seed Mixes

306-375-2271

Corn Seed Neil McLeod 306-831-9401

Made of 12 gauge galvanized with angle iron reinforcement and cross braces. Has 2” drain outlet (and overflow outlet at top if required).

Available in standard 400, 500, 1000, or 1250 Imp.gal., or custom built to your needs. Movable water trough on wheels also available.

kylewelding@sasktel.net | www.kylewelding.com

www.lucknowproducts.com

TMR MIXER FEEDERS VERTICAL & HORIZONTAL

Snowblowers Also Available Contact

Randall Herperger For More Information 306-621-7031 www.edwardjones.com

Proud to provide all your livestock needs.

Brandon: (204) 727-0571 Calgary: (403) 531-6656

We are a Canadian distributor for Pneu-Dart

Edmonton: (780) 472-6767 Melfort: (306) 752-2894

Pneu-darT

Moosomin: (306) 435-3331

INC.

Saskatoon: (306) 477-6464 ®Registered trademark of TMC Distributing Ltd., Saskatoon S7K 3M9

Graham McKenzie

306.861.7074 52

Dale Watson

306.861.4618

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

Know your goals so you can choose your investments.

Tyler Knibbs

Financial Advisor .

461 King Street Unit 3 Estevan, SK S4A 1K6 306-634-4870 www.edwardjones.com

IT’S HERE Member – Canadian Investor Protection Fund

NOVEMBER 2017

Machine & Products Ltd. All types of commercial and purebred livestock auctions and farm sales.

Wash rack facilities for livestock

www.johnstoneauction.ca

Wayne or Scott Johnstone Box 818, Moose Jaw, SK 306-693-4715 (Bus) Fax 306-691-6650

• ROLLER MILLS ~ Electric or PTO models ~ 10 sizes available ~ Increase the nutrition value of your feed! ~ Manufactured in Saskatoon • SILAGE COVERS & GRAIN BAGS We regroove roller mill rolls - most brands

2502 Millar Ave, Saskatoon 306-242-9884 or 877-255-0187 apm@sasktel.net www.apollomachineandproducts.com

LIKE us on Facebook!

CT

Cowtown Livestock Exchange Inc. Maple Creek, SK

Regular Sales every Tuesday @ 11:00 a.m.

Locally Owned & Operated Call for info on Presort & Other Sales Phone 306-662-2648 Toll Free: 1-800-239-5933

www.cowtownlivestock.com

For Upcoming Gelbvieh Sales and Breeders in your area contact: Ian Thackeray President (306) 861-7687 tgfis@sasktel.net www.gelbvieh.ca

sbuchanan@gold-bar.com 306.681.5340 SARAH BUCHANAN

You are invited to attend the Commercial Cattlemen’s Beef on a Bun Friday November 24th

owing Immediately foll l Cattle Show the Commercia hange in the Stock Exc 6 pm) (approximately

Proudly Sponsored by: NOVEMBER 2017

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 53

B R E E D E RS Your AD could be here!

Contact 306-757-8523

(306) 567- 4702

Helen Finucane phone: 306-584-2773 cell: 306-537-2648 Carlyle, SK

Box 688, Davidson, SK S0G

LLB Angus Annual March Bull & Female Sale Private Treaty Sales LEE & LAURA BROWN Box 217, Erskine, Alberta T0C 1G0 Phone: 403-742-4226 email: llbangus@xplornet.com

www.llbangus.com

Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association, Advocating for Independent Cattle Producers in Saskatchewan for 104 Years.

Your AD could be here!

Annual Online 2 Year Old Bull Sale 3rd Friday in March

Contact 306-757-8523

Trevor, Cheryl, Brett & Carter Branvold Box 205 Wawota, Saskatchewan S0G 5A0 Ph: 306 739 2924 | Cell: 306 577 9141 gbtangus@sasktel.net | www.gbtangus.com

54

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

NOVEMBER 2017

Hoover No Doubt

Fall Bull Sale

SAV Top Soil

Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017 At the Ranch, Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan

View Sale Book at www.peakdotranch.com or phone Carson Moneo 306-266-4414 Clay Moneo 306-266-4411 Email:peakdot@gmail.com

SAV Radiance 0801

Cull Bull Incentive Program

Vision Unanimous 1418

This year we’re offering the best cull bull incentive program you will find anywhere. With the cull bull market down a bit from previous years we are going to help you get the most out of those old broken, down worn out bulls. Why take a chance on bunch of open cows this fall when you can replace them with fresh strong new bulls. All you have to do is email us prior to the bull sale or bring a copy of your bill of sale from the auction market after selling your cull bulls and you will receive a $500 credit on each new replacement bull you buy. (eg: If you cull 5 bulls you will receive a $500 deduction for each of the 5 replacement bulls you buy.) Credits must be used on a per bull basis and you cannot use more than 1 credit toward a new bull.

Bush Easy Decision 98

145 COMING TWO YEAR OLD BULLS NOVEMBER 2017

www.skstockgrowers.com | ŠBEEF BUSINESS | 55

Available at

NORHEIM Welcome to the

Next Generation of Feed Processors

RANCHING

Come see one for yourself at Visit us in the Eventplex November 20-25, 2017 in Regina SK

www.supremeinternational.com 1.800.563.2038 WWW.NORHEIMRANCHING.COM