Willingdon Remembrance Day Ceremony held at Willingdon Seniors Centre

Remembrance Day ceremony for the residents of Willingdon took place at the Willingdon Seniors Centre November 11.

Far Left: George Leonty

Bottom

Bottom

New Myrnam School Remembrance Day Ceremony Held on November 8

Pathfinder Hall Perogy Supper and Dance a tremendous success

If you have any news items to share with our community or would like to advertise, feel free to contact us.

Feed barley prices are moderating Forage sources

Feed barley prices have been slipping lower despite the dry conditions across much of Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan.

Feeders who realize they are short of forage are trying to secure their winter feed supplies.

“Barley is the feed grain of choice for most Alberta cattle feeders,” says Neil Blue, provincial crops market analyst with the Alberta government. “Other feed grains are used, but if available and price competitive, barley is the major ingredient in cattle finishing rations. Of course, other animals also are fed significant volumes of barley.”

Barley prices rose to record highs in June 2022 following the 2021 drought, retreated during the improved growing conditions of 2022, then rose in late 2022 with the early and cold start to last winter. Feed barley prices have been slipping lower despite the dry conditions across much of Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan.

“As winter begins, cattle and sheep producers are reassessing their forage needs and sources to ensure that they have adequate feed for the winter-feeding period,” says Neil Blue, provincial crops market analyst with the Alberta government.

Although the early season dry weather helped hay crops to be harvested in good condition, that dry start led to lower than average hay yields. Feeders who realize they are short of forage are trying to secure their winter feed supplies.

“There is some carryover forage supply from the 2022 crop. Depending how that forage has been stored, it still is a feed source with value. It should be purchased and fed with caution, however, because some deterioration has likely occurred.”

“For those who need to buy hay or straw, there are a few sources to consider for prices and contacts,” points out Blue.

In no order of priority, here are some of those potential sources. One source is custom hay cutting and baling operators, who may have acquired standing crops or a crop share as part of their business. Some hay truckers are also hay brokers, who either act as a reseller or as an agent for a hay seller. Another source of hay or pellets are the hay processors. A list of hay processors can be found under “Alfalfa” and “Hay” within the latest publication of the “Alberta Agricultural Processing Industry Directory.

“There are a number of factors which have contributed to the price moderation of feed barley,” says Blue. “During recent years when barley was in relatively short supply and prices rose to those record levels, livestock feeders sought lower cost rations. Milling wheat was even selling as feed wheat to meet feed demand. Oats and other feedgrains were also substituted for part of rations. Unit trains of imported U.S. corn became more common in the Lethbridge area as logistic challenges of those imports were overcome. Feeding imported corn has become common when price competitive.”

In 2022, Australia produced a record grain crop. Then, during 2023, China relaxed its restrictive import tariffs against Australian products that began in 2020 during the early Covid period. During the period that Australia was unable to compete with Canada for crop sales to China, Canadian crop exports to China rose, further tightening Canada’s domestic supplies.

However, Blue points out with that Canadian advantage now gone, Canadian barley exports to early November 2023 total just 592,000 tonnes, compared to 816,000 tonnes at this time last year, and 970,000 tonnes in November 2021.

“Positives for the barley price outlook are that 2023 Canadian barley production was limited by a reduced acreage and lack of moisture,” explains Blue. Statistics Canada estimates the 2023 average barley yield at 55 bushels/acre compared to last year’s 70 bushels/acre. Some postharvest yield reports came in better than mid-summer expectations, but total Canadian barley supplies are significantly lower than last crop year.

“The shortage of hay for cattle feeding may lead to more straw-grain rations, with barley, oats and pellets the most likely concentrate source. Barley prices have dropped, becoming more competitive with world prices, increasing the prospects of improved barley exports as the crop year progresses. Also, malting barley demand remains firm.

“Meanwhile, the cost of imported U.S. corn is a major factor for feed barley prices, keeping in mind that some feeders prefer feeding barley, even at a premium price to corn. Traditional advice applies to barley marketing this crop year. Know your product, consider your cash flow needs, follow the market situation, and shop widely for the best, financially secure farm gate price,” says Blue.

Some crop producers silaged some of their annual crops to salvage a crop that was deteriorating from lack of rain. In areas where rainfall was more abundant, there was significant straw produced and baled from this year’s cereal crop harvest. Straw is used as bedding and cows will eat straw, but supplemental concentrate, whether grain, screenings, pellets, or protein meal, will be needed to supplement that straw. Producers will need to consider their ration alternatives to determine the least cost, available feeding combinations.

Farming the Web, a project of the Alberta Forage Industry Network, lists some forage for sale. The Kijiji website, with a search of “hay” or “straw” may also have forage listings. Facebook also has sites for hay.

For a general price reference, Agriculture Financial Services Corporation lists historic Alberta quarterly hay and straw prices along with other commodity prices on its resources page.

“Farmers are resilient, and despite the discouraging weather conditions this past season, will find the means to deal with this year’s shortage of quality, reasonably priced feed,” says Blue.

Artificial intelligence, the food sector and the consumer

AI use has accelerated in recent years and significantly transformed numerous industries, including the grocery and food service industries.

Consider the right time for manure or compost application

Applying manure at the ‘right’ time helps to improve nutrient use efficiency, while reducing nutrient loss and environmental risks.

“Deciding on the ‘right’ time (one of the 4Rs of nutrient stewardship) for application will depend on the situation and will be driven by agronomic, economic, environmental or neighbour considerations,” says Trevor Wallace, nutrient management specialist with the Alberta government.

The ‘right’ or optimal time for application in a field depends on:

“Artificial intelligence (AI) use in the retail and service sectors has created many opportunities as well as challenges,” says Jeewani Fernando, provincial consumer market analyst with the Alberta government. “Retail experts think AI is going to be a huge disruptor in the grocery business. Research indicates most grocery industry executives agree that AI will revolutionize information sharing and interacting with customers.”

Fernando says the grocery industry uses AI in a number of ways, including:

• Pricing and promotion –There are AI-driven applications that use historical data to simulate the future and find the optimal price and product mix to grow retails sales.

• Business and supply chain optimization – AI can help wholesalers and retailers examine demand and supply to arrange deliveries at the best times and keep the right products on shelves.

• Cashier-free payments –With AI in point-of-sale applications, cashierless grocery stores are becoming mainstream.

“AI is also quicky becoming integral to restaurant operations, from streamlining processes to enhancing the customer experience,” adds Fernando. “For example, AI is being used to automate a number of simple and routine tasks in restaurants, which helps cut costs. By embracing AI’s ability to perform these tasks, restaurants can free up employees to do what they do best, which is focusing on guests. And AI-based market- ing applications can supercharge a restaurant’s efforts to identify new customers and send targeted promotions that translate into business transactions.”

A recent study by Dalhousie University gauged consumer awareness of AI use within the food industry. Among the findings:

• When asked if they were aware of the use of AI in the food industry, 37.9% of Canadians had never heard of it being used.

• When asked if they were worried about AI use in the grocery or food service industries, 26.5% of respondents said they were worried about the potential negative impact on jobs.

• When asked about the use of AI for personalized recommendations for groceries or restaurant menu items, 23.4% of respondents thought it was a good idea.

• The survey revealed Canadian consumers do not want to pay more for food when AI is used.

“Grocers and food service operators are benefiting from using AI-based applications and technologies in their operations, which allow them to deliver more personal, affordable and sustainable experiences for their customers,” says Fernando. “The food industry needs to use AI to meet evolving consumer preferences, behaviours and demands; but it is essential for the food industry to build consumer trust in AI use through ethical practices and transparency.”

• operational factors such as cropping plans, past nutrient applications, manure storage capacity and regulatory requirements

• site-specific factors such as soil conditions and soil nutrient level

• environmental conditions such as the season, weather and runoff risk potential, and

• social factors such as neighbours and local events

“To maximize nutrient use efficiency and reduce the risk of nutrient loss, it is best to apply the nutrient source as close to crop needs as possible. This ensures there is adequate time for nutrient release and plant uptake.”

While spring application may be ideal for annual crops, it is not always achievable. In Alberta, the option for spring application is limited by our short growing season. Applying in the spring adds to an already busy season and can delay seeding if manure application is hampered by road restrictions, wet soils or equipment availability. Thus more often manure is applied later in the year, into the fall, when soils are generally drier and more time is available; but the risk for nutrient loss is greater because crops are not actively taking up nutrients and the absence of ground cover increases the risk of runoff potential.

“When possible, apply manure or compost in the late summer or early fall. This allows manure nutrients to infiltrate the soil and stabilize with the soil. The later the manure is applied, the greater the risk of nutrient loss via snowmelt and spring runoff. The risk of nutrient loss from fall applied manure and compost can be reduced by incorporation or injection as well as ensuring application setbacks are followed.”

Several operational changes can be made to widen the window of opportunity for manure or compost application. Through the adoption of new practices, crops or technologies or by working with neighbours, an operation may find opportunities to expand inseason manure application windows.

“Post seeding or in-crop application of manure or compost are additional windows for manure application. Research is showing that liquid manure dragline application can be done until a corn crop reaches the V-4 leaf stage without harming the corn crop stand. To find out more about this research, read this article from Ohio State University. Solid/liquid separation technology can be used to separate solids, allowing the liquid portion of the manure to be applied through irrigation systems into growing crops."

Forages or winter cereals can provide additional in-season windows for application as they capture readily available nutrients, reducing the risk of nutrient loss and spreading out the workload.

The least optimal time for manure application is on frozen or snow-covered ground. The risk of nutrient loss is much greater as infiltration is limited and plants are not growing to utilize applied nutrients. This is why new or expanding confined feeding operations and those operations modifying their facilities are required to have a minimum 9 months of manure storage to help eliminate the need for winter spreading. In addition, confined feeding operators must obtain permission from the Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) before applying.

“A full or imminently full manure or compost storage may force an emergency application on frozen or snowcovered ground. If it appears you may have to spread manure on frozen or snow-covered ground, please contact the NRCB field office nearest you to ensure that you are complying with the regulations and minimizing environmental risks and neighbour conflicts. For more information, check out the NRCB’s fact sheet (PDF, 295 KB).”

Understanding the trade-offs associated with decisions about timing of application is key to ensuring producers are getting the most beneficial return from available manure or compost resources, while minimizing potential environmental impacts and neighbour conflicts.

“Remember no matter what time of year, plan to minimize risks and conflicts, notify the appropriate authorities if required to do so, and ensure you follow manure spreading requirements,” says Wallace.