Saskatchewan cattlemen’s connection (current issue)

Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s

Connection The voice of saskatchewan’s cattle producers

Vol. 6 No. 1

IN RED AND WHITE

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2016

| P. 6

Connection is published in Saskatoon in partnership with Western Producer Publications. Mail Agreement No. 40069240

inside:

THE YEAR AHEAD

| P. 28

SCA RESOLUTIONS

| P. 32

FEBRUARY 2016 Vol. 6 Issue 1 Published for the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association www.saskbeef.com

10 IT’S TIME TO HEAL THE PAIN Jan. 1 – Beef Code of Practice expects producers to use pain control to mitigate pain under certain conditions.

contents 20

Beef Centre reports 18 high usage Trade missions and large retailers line up to use Beef Centre of Excellence.

The tale of pintail

Could this be the next new feed option?

4 Chair Report 5 News in Brief 12 Livestock Price Insurance 14 Time To Take Tracking Seriously

SASKATCHEWAN CATTLEMEN’S

CONNECTION THE VOICE OF SASKATCHEWAN’S CATTLE PRODUCERS

16 CCA President’s Message

VOL. 6 NO. 1

22 Outstanding Research & Innovation

24 Agriculture Goes To School

IN RED AND WHITE

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2016

| P. 6

26 Livestock & Forage Centre of Excellence

28 The Year Ahead

Publisher:

Editor:

Art Director:

Layout Designer: Advertising Director:

Creative Director: Marketing Manager: SCA Representative:

Shaun Jessome Bonnie Warnyca Michelle Houlden Philip Magorrian Kelly Berg Robert Magnell Jack Phipps Ryder Lee

Editorial: P: 306-695-3976 C: 306-539-9381 Editorial fax: 306-665-3587 bonniest@sasktel.net Advertising: 1-800-667-7776 Advertising fax: 306-653-8750 connection.advertising@producer.com Retail sales: Trevor Malkoske 306-665-3553 National sales: Lisa Graham / Denise Bott Suite 201-300 Willow Road Guelph, ON N1H 7C6 Tel: 519-836-4072 Fax: 519-836-2499 Subscriptions: 1-800-667-6929 Subscriptions fax: 306-244-9445 subscriptions@producer.com Send inquiries to: Connection Subscriptions, Box 2500, Saskatoon, SK. S7K 2C4.

Connection magazine is published in partnership with Western Producer Publications. Contents copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

No part of Connection magazine may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written consent from Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association.

The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or staff. Connection and Western Producer Publications do not take responsibility for any unsolicited materials. Advertising in Connection does not indicate an endorsement by the SCA. We strive for accuracy in presenting articles and charts.

However, we are not responsible for errors or liability in the event of losses resulting from readers’ use of our magazine and website.

Connection is published in Saskatoon in partnership with Western Producer Publications. Mail Agreement No. 40069240

INSIDE:

THE YEAR AHEAD

| P. 28

SCA RESOLUTIONS

| P. 32

On the cover: The Howe family expands their customer base with two cattle breed options | P 6

30 Food For Thought 31 SBIDF Funding Report

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, 102-2255 13th Ave., Regina, SK., S4P 2M6.

32 SCA Resolutions 38 CEO Report

@saskcattlemens

™

Printed with inks containing canola oil

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240 Registration No. 10676

chair report

let’s introduce ourselves

As the new chair of

SCA, I would like to use my first report to introduce myself to those of you who don’t know me.

I was raised on my family’s ranch nine miles south of Fort Walsh on Battle Creek, about 70 kilometres southwest of Maple Creek.

My dad and brother still operate a commercial, purebred Black Angus, and backgrounding operation there.

I went to school in Consul, then took ag-business at Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alta.

2016 SCA BOARD MEMBERS Front row: Ryder Lee (SCA

CEO), Rick Toney, Ryan Beierbach, Bill Jameson, Levi Hull

Middle: Arnold Balicki, Paula

Larson, Brad Welter, Larry Grant, Lloyd Thompson, Chad Ross

Back: Mike Spratt, Garrett Hill Missing: Harold Martens, Philip Lynn, Laurie Disney, Dean Moore

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After graduating from college, I moved home and ranched with my dad and brother for a couple years, then rented my grandpa’s place near Irvine, Alta.

I married my wife, Tania, and we lived there for two years, then moved to Whitewood, Sask., in 2002.

We have three kids: Lara, 11, Rana, 10, and Jace, 9. They help on the ranch and enjoy riding horses. We run a cow/calf operation focused on raising top quality females and sell bred heifers each fall. We also operate a ranch supply and tack store.

I have been chair of the environment and animal health committee on SCA, as well as representing Saskatchewan producers on the Beef Cattle Research Council and the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. I look forward to serving you as Chair of SCA in the coming year.

We are enjoying a profitable time in the cow/calf business.

We need to use this as an opportunity to make our industry more competitive, and do what we can to make sure we are getting the most value for end products.

Research and adoption of best practices, along with new technology, will keep us competitive in the world market.

This keeps more dollars in the pockets of everyone along the value chain and helps us improve our end product.

Having competitive tariffs or free trade agreements with important markets means that each part of every animal can go to where it is worth the most.

Having an effective marketing strategy to show the value of Canadian beef vs beef from competing countries enables us to sell our premium product at a premium price.

Our marketing strategy,, along with freer access to foreign markets, creates a bigger pie and that should allow for

each part of the industry to have a larger piece.

The National Beef Strategy, along with the funding plan for it (funded by our $2.50 per head national checkoff), once implemented, will tie all of this together.

This will put us ahead of countries that we compete against and help us to get better value out of our check-off dollars. It was great to see really strong support for both the strategy and increase of checkoff at our annual meeting in January.

We have exciting initiatives planned for the coming year, please send your email address to our office (communications@saskbeef.com) and keep reading the Cattlemen’s Connection so you know what is going on in our industry. We also communicate via our website, Twitter and Facebook.

RYAN BEIERBACH | SCA CHAIR

District 1:

Ryan Beierbach • Whitewood, SK P: 306-532-4809 C: 306-735-1341 E: shophighplains@me.com

District 2:

Philip Lynn • Marquis, SK P: 306-788-4421 C: 306-361-9299 E: Philip@bpcattle.com

District 3A:

January, 2016, beginning of demolition at Evraz Place to make room for the new International Business Centre which is scheduled to open in 2017.

Laurie Disney • Rockglen, SK P: 306-476-2729 C: 306-476-7522 E: odiznee@gmail.com

District 3B:

NEWS IN BRIEF

Larry Grant • Val Marie, SK P: 306-298-4901 C: 306-741-9867 E: drylake@sasktel.net

RESEARCH FUNDING ANNOUNCED

District 4:

While attending the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference in Saskatoon in January, Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart announced more than $7.8 million in funding for 26 livestock and forage research projects. This investment through the ADF (Agriculture Development Fund) includes the renewal of five year core funding for the Prairie Swine Centre and the Vaccine and Infectious Disease organization.

Examples of research projects include the efficiency of feed and nutrient status based on the core body temperature of beef cattle, comparing cicer milkvetch varieties and advancing the control of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea.

An additional $800,000 was also invested by third party organizations including the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Association, the Western Grain Research Foundation and the Saskatchewan Pork Development Board, among others.

National Check-Off Agency appoints new general manager

NEW RESEARCH CLARIFIES ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Rick Toney • Gull Lake, SK P: 306-672-3703 C: 306-671-7900 E: rtoney@xplornet.com

The Canadian Beef Cattle Research, Market Development and Promotion Agency (the Agency currently operating as Canada Beef), announced the appointment of Melinda German as the new Agency General Manager.

Under the direction of the Board of Directors, German’s role will be to ensure transparency and accountability around the National Check-Off. She will work closely with funders, including importers, exporters, and cattle producers, as well as with provincial and federal stakeholders, and be accountable for organizational performance and alignment with activities under the purview of the Farm Products Agencies Act. She begins her new post on March 1, 2016.

Canada’s beef industry continues to improve efficiencies that lessen its environmental impacts, with production of one kilogram of Canadian beef creating 15 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions in 2011, compared to 1981, according to a new study.

Conducted by researchers at the University of Manitoba, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Lethbridge and Environment Canada, the study found that there has been a 15 percent decrease in methane, 16 percent decrease in nitrous dioxide and 13 percent decrease in carbon dioxide from beef production in Canada over the recent 30 year period.

Comparing the same time periods, it took 29 percent fewer cattle in the breeding herd and 24 percent less land to produce the same amount of beef.

To read more go to: www. beefresearch.ca/blog/newresearch-clarifies

Levi Hull • Willowbrook, SK P: 306-641-6271 E: levihull507@msn.com

District 5:

District 6:

Garret Hill • Duval, SK P: 306-725-4909 C: 306-725-7451 E: lbranch.ghill@gmail.com

District 7:

Paula Larson • D’Arcy, SK P: 306-379-4523 C: 306-221-0509 E: larsonranchphoto@sasktel.net

District 8:

Michael Spratt • Melfort, SK P: 306-752-6336 C: 306-921-7175 E: mspratt@sasktel.net

District 9A:

Arnold Balicki • Shellbrook, SK P: 306-468-2935 C: 306-468-7240 E: balickiangus@yahoo.com

District 9B:

Dean Moore • Paradise Hill, SK P: 306-344-5370 C: 306-344-7981 E: dsmoore@bellevista.ca

SCFA

Bill Jameson, Board Chair • Moose Jaw, SK P: 306-692-4911 C: 306-631-0005 E: billjameson@jglcattle.com Brad Welter . Viscount, SK Phone: 306-365-4281 E: welter@pound-maker.ca

SSGA

Lloyd Thompson • Estevan, SK P: 701-340-5133 E: tfourranches@xplornet.com Harold Martens • Swift Current, SK P: 306-741-3961 / SSGA: 306-757-8523 E: mranchltd@shaw.ca

Staff Ryder Lee, CEO

P: 306-585-2333 E: ceo@saskbeef.com

Christina Patterson, Policy Analyst

P: 306-585-2333 E: policy@saskbeef.com

Scott Sakatch, Communications Specialist

P: 306-585-2333 E: communications @saskbeef.com

cov er story

IN RED AND WHITE The Howe family raises two purebred breeds

By Bonnie Warnyca | EDITOR

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When Charolais cattle began appearing on the Prairies in the 1960s, they were an oddity. But when paired with popular British breeds, they became known as a performance animal and were used as a terminal breed.

Dale and Doug Howe, south of Moose Jaw, were some of the first breeders to acquire purebred Charolais genetics. When paired with Hereford and Angus cattle, Charolais proved effective, gaining about eight to 15 percent more in calf weaning weights, and were sought after in the sales ring.

In 1986, the family added a purebred Angus herd to complement the Charolais. “Under the banner of White Cap Charolais and Howe Red Angus, the family has done extensive showing and marketing of the Charolais genetics and attracted a strong purebred and commercial customer base,�

Charolais and Red Angus cattle in a paddock at the Howe family ranch | DAVE FURMAN PHOTO

says Dale’s son, Kelly Howe.

“But over time, the focus of the genetic combinations has changed. When they first came to Canada, the Charolais were new and shiny. But the long-term sustainability wasn’t in the show ring. With the Charolais, we still wrestle with the perception of being referred to as the terminal breed in the industry. But the larger, flatter cattle of years ago have become more moderate, easy fleshing, with a good foot, sound udder and good hair coat.”

Howe says if you go through the two herds, you will find that the cows in both breeds have become similar. The Charolais cows are now more moderately framed and weigh in the 1,400 to 1,500 pound range while the Red Angus cow herd has grown in frame size to 1,300 to 1,400 lb. Both herds exhibit the easy fleshing and longevity.

“Having our cow herd in this range means we aren’t caught in one extreme or the other,” says Howe. “If the market demand is there for a bigger female, we can use a larger framed performance bull to meet that demand. Much of our current customer base is mixed farming operations with anywhere from 60 to 600 head of cattle who don’t want calving problems during seeding.”

He says commercial cattle producers are still breeding Charolais to gain hybrid vigor but want lower birthweight calves in the 90 to 100 lb. range. Years ago, 120 lb-130 lb. birth weights were acceptable.

“Our Angus customers want easy calving but they also want calves with bone and muscle pattern similar to the Charolais calves. We look for younger calves to wean anywhere from 500 to 550 lbs. and the older calves to wean out between 700 to 750 lbs.”

In the past couple of years, they’ve seen more of their bull customers using artificial insemination and running their bulls with the herd to boost productivity, especially in light of the higher cost for bulls.

Doug Howe stepped back from the operation in 2009 when Kelly and his wife JulieAnne bought his cattle shares and land.

They now own about one quarter of the operation, while brother Michael and his partner Lisa Cunningham (a veterinarian) and father Dale and mother Lois, own the rest.

Michael and Dale handle the day-to-day operation while Lisa heads to the Moose Jaw Animal Clinic. Lois does the bulk of the financials, administration and record keeping. Kelly works as a grain marketing advisor for Cargill and Julie-Anne, with a Mascontinued on page 8 ››

FEBRUARY / March 2016 |

7

Kelly Howe focuses on the judge during the 2015 CWA Charolais show | DAVE FURHMAN PHOTO

We feed less grain and still keep our heifers and older cows in good shape, and I think our cows are better for it.

Kelly Howe

ter’s degree in Animal Science, works for the Ministry of Agriculture. The combination of experience in animal nutrition, grain marketing and animal health on farm is invaluable for this third generation of cattle producers.

“Julie-Anne and I help out with chores nights and weekends and we look after the social media and grain marketing. We also handle the registrations and other office work,” says Kelly. “Michael has a diploma in marketing but prefers the hands-on work with the cattle.”

Between the two herds, they will calve out 280 cows this spring. Calving begins in Feb-

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ruary and the bulk of the herd is calved out by the end of March. The Howes run a synchronized AI program for the heifers to improve fertility and management at calving time. Additionally, cows are inseminated upon heat detection for their first two cycles until they are turned out to pasture in May in breeding groups. During the breeding season, they manage the cows in separate pastures in smaller groups with 25 cows per bull.

“As a family business, management and marketing decisions are made collectively; depending on the year and the available crops and economics, we aren’t afraid to ad-

just the ration plan. Long-term management strategies such as herd health programming are reviewed regularly.”

Howe says, like many ranchers over the years, they fed the traditional bale of hay and a pail of chop when feeding fewer than 100 cows. But with the larger herd size, they’ve used several other combinations, including haylage and silage, and have incorporated corn. They’ve swath grazed and found screening pellets economical. He says they can feed pellets cheaper than they can grow barley, roll it and process it and the pellets, contain all the trace minerals and Rumensin.

“The cattle get more energy from silage and a hay and straw diet and maintain condition,” says Howe. “We feed less grain and still keep our heifers and older cows in good shape, and I think our cows are better for it.

“Cows need to be fed well in order to handle the nutritional needs of calving, milking and returning to cycle but they can’t be too fat or too thin. We work hard to have them milking well, but not overly fleshy, and

C OVER STORY

breeding in the first cycle. We estimate our feed costs to be $1.25 per day overall.”

Irrigation allows the family to crop 1,200 acres and grow alfalfa, grass, barley, wheat, flax and canola. The pivots were erected in 1982 and the water source is rather unique.

“The idea sprouted from irrigation/sustainability work by Saskatchewan Environment and the City of Moose Jaw,” explains Howe. “It is a means of disposing effluent water through a wastewater treatment plant to create a sustainable agriculture system on land that wouldn’t normally be productive.

Our soil composition of loamy sand seems a perfect match for the project.

“We also practice rotational grazing on 1,100 acres in paddocks ranging in size from 20 to 100 acre fields, and protect riparian zones by fencing them off and pumping out water, which in turn provides higher quality drinking water for livestock. The grazing

land encompasses close to 2,400 acres of tame and native grass.”

The Howes market about 70 bulls annually through a video sale in April and sell another 15 or so from the farmgate. Having a video sale removes the stress of a live bull sale, both for the animals and the ranchers.

The bulls are in pens with their herd-mates and viewers get a better picture of the program when selecting new herd sires.

“We do sell some semen but we prefer to keep much of our genetics in herd keeping the offspring more exclusive,” says Howe.

“Our philosophy is not to market a lot of semen but market the offspring of these bulls.

“We’ve done more business in the U.S. and Mexico in the past two years. We shipped 60 purebred Red Angus heifers to South Dakota and Mexico and some of them have been quite successful. At the World Angus Technical Forum in Mexico this past Octo-

ber, one of the females was shown with calf at side and won reserve champion female.

Another female was undefeated after multiple shows during the summer and fall show season in the U.S.” While some people might think that managing and marketing two different breeds of cattle is more difficult, the Howes see it as a way to provide choice and more value to their commercial customers.

Currently, Michael is president of the Saskatchewan Angus Association. Kelly is the second vice-president of the Saskatchewan Charolais Association, and sits on the Saskatchewan Livestock Association board of directors and on the Agribition youth board. Association meetings take them away from home, but it’s a great way to stay on top of the issues that affect their dual breed program.

Three generations of Howes work together to make this purebred cattle operation successful | DAVE FURMAN PHOTO

FEBRUARY / March 2016 |

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Pa i n fu l p r o c e d u r e s

time to deal with the pain

U of S vet student Travis Marfleet castrates a young calf during one of their trials using pain control with the procedure | Dr. John Campbell PHOTO

By Shirley Byers Pain mitigation is a hot topic these days, says Dr. John Campbell, professor and department head of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

“It’s talked about at veterinary conferences and lots of papers are presented on it. It’s now a major part of the curriculum in veterinary programs.”

As of Jan. 1, the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle expects producers to use pain control, in consultation with their veterinarian, to mitigate pain associated with dehorning calves after bud attachment and when castrating bulls older than nine months. There are also recommendations to discuss pain control with your veterinarian when doing other painful procedures such as branding.

Campbell says in the past several years, a couple of things have happened that helped to bring about this change. More products for pain control in large animals have been developed, and there’s been a growing awareness of the necessity for pain control in terms of healing.

“We know that in people, if pain is managed, recovery will be faster and the patient will feel better,” he says. “I think the same is true in animals. We’re gaining more knowledge as time goes on regarding various options for pain control. We’ve always taught about local anesthetics and pain control during surgery.

It’s the post-surgery we probably didn’t manage as well back then.”

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Types of pain management drugs Anesthetics and analgesics are the two types of pain control that are available for use in cattle. Local anesthetics such as Lidocaine are administered before a procedure to freeze the area and dull the pain. Analgesics, comparable to Aspirin and Tylenol for humans, are given for pain relief after a procedure.

Most of the anesthetic and analgesics are available only through a veterinary prescription. “They are the best people to give advice on dosage and use,” says Campbell.

The main class of products available for pain mitigation in cattle are NSAIDs or nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs. “The NSAIDs are the same products humans use such as Ibuprofen and aspirin. They address both inflammation and pain control.

The three NSAIDs approved for cattle use include Anafen, with the trade name of Ketaprofen; Flunixin with the trade name Banamine; and the newest Meloxicam or Metacam, which has been available as an injectable drug and has just been released in Canada as an oral product. All of the aforementioned products provide good pain relief.

“All of these drugs are fairly safe unless they’re given multiple times,” he says. “You can start having a variety of issues using them in longer term. For one dosage, at application dosage there’s nothing to worry about.

“Whether or not dehorning and castration without pain management has an economic

effect over time is pretty tough to show in the long run, but some studies on calves show that if they had pain control during castration, they’re less likely to get sick afterwards.

Furthermore, lots of behaviour studies show differences in behaviour after pain control.

The calves tend to reunite with their mothers sooner, so time is saved as they move faster if they’ve had pain control.”

Using pain medication doesn’t necessarily mean a return of a lot of extra dollars at the end of the day because it’s hard to show those long term effects in gain. Some studies have shown minor effects but others didn’t show anything.

Are producers receiving the message?

As yet there’s not enough data to answer that question, says Campbell. “A survey of about 100 producers is currently being done by us and Dr. Clair Windeyer and Dr. Melissa Moggy at the University of Calgary School of Veterinary Medicine, which should tell us more.”

Anecdotally, he says some producers are very happy with the new code, while others are just learning about it, so it will take time for it to filter down to most producers.

He emphasizes that the Code is not meant to be a regulatory document but more to offer advice on how the industry should approach pain mitigation and do the right thing. A PDF version of the Code is available at www. saskbeef.com/links under the Government Regulations heading.

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FEBRUARY / March 2016 |

11

W LPIP

Livestock price insurance works

By Rae Groeneveld | Communications Consultant, Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp.

In 2015 the cattle market went

through substantial ups and downs. Producers who purchased livestock price insurance were able to gain a level of protection to help offset the impact of market volatility.

In the spring of 2015, 1,018 calf price insurance policies were purchased in Saskatchewan through the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP). This resulted in approximately 120,000 calves or 15 per cent of the provincial marketable calf crop being covered through the program. The total coverage provided was $186 million.

At the time the coverage was purchased, markets were at re-

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cord highs. Producers were locking in price insurance protection from $226 per hundred weight (CWT) to $286 per CWT. Some producers selected higher coverage levels for a higher premium, while others selected lower coverage levels at a lower premium cost. Producers were evaluating the market, their risk protection needs and finding the right fit for their operation with the price insurance options.

In September and October the cattle market came off from its record highs earlier in the year.

This decline in prices put producers who had purchased the calf price insurance into a claim position. During October, November and December produc-

ers who had purchased calf price insurance in the spring were receiving benefits as the market prices were lower than the prices the producers purchased coverage on. WLPIP provided over $4 million in benefits to Saskatchewan producers who purchased calf price insurance in the spring.

Where do your settlement values come from?

When a producer purchases price insurance for their cattle they have a forecasted price based on a number of factors including the futures market, currency exchange and basis.

The producer also selects the time frame for when their in-

surance will provide coverage, which is anywhere from 12 to 36 weeks. Claims are made during the final four weeks of the insurance policy. Producers compare their insured price to the settlement price offered by the program. If the settlement price is lower the producer is in a benefit position.

This settlement price is based on the actual sales data from Western Canadian auction marts. Depending on the area the policy was purchased for, either Saskatchewan/Manitoba or Alberta, the settlement price reflects the market sales in those regions. WLPIP accesses market data from 42 auction marts across the western provinces

Sample calculation On May 28, 2015, a producer had 100 calves they planned to market in mid-October, each weighing an average of 600 lb.

Insured weight = number of head x expected sale weight ÷ 100 = (100 calves x 600 lb.) ÷ 100 = 600 cwt The premium table on May 28, 2015 offered insurance coverage for mid-October at $282/cwt or $2.82/lb.

The coverage costs $2.80/cwt.

Premium cost = 600 X $2.80 = $1,680 The producer has a floor price of $2.82/lb. In October, during the final four weeks of the policy, the producer reviews the settlement prices.

• Week 1 of claim window, Sept. 28 = $294.54: above coverage • Week 2 of claim window, Oct. 5 = $280.82: below coverage • Week 3 of claim window, Oct. 12 = $269.83: below coverage, can make a claim

including the internet auctions of TEAM and DLMS. This data provides a true reflection of the current prices producers are receiving for their livestock. This is the most comprehensive collection of cattle market data in Western Canada.

WLPIP is on sound financial footing. The claims producers had this past fall did not exceed the premium collected during the two years the program has been operating. WLPIP has been designed to be actuarially

sound; over time claims will equal premiums collected. If claims should surpass the premium collected, there is deficit backing from the federal government and reinsurance is a part of the program to cover sizable payments.

What’s next?

The opportunity to purchase price insurance for feeder cattle, fed cattle or hogs is available year-round. Calf price insurance has a deadline to purchase,

• Week 4 of claim window, Oct. 19 = $274.98: below coverage, claim automatically settles During the second and third week of the claim window the producer could have submitted a claim for a portion or all of their insured weight. In week four, if the producer had any of the insured weight remaining it would have automatically settled. For this example the producer let the claim automatically settle in the final week for all of the insured weight: Claim= (Insured weight x selected coverage price) - (insured weight x settlement price) = (600 x $282) - (600 x $274.98) = $169,200 - 164,988 = $4,212 • This producer would have automatically received a payment from WLPIP for $4,212.

as it is designed to protect against price declines on calves born in the spring and marketed in the fall.

Calf price insurance became available for purchase on February 2, 2016. The deadline to purchase calf price insurance is May 31, 2016.

Price insurance is purchased through an online process. If a producer does not have an online account and is interested in purchasing calf price insurance before the May 31 deadline, they

need to contact their local Crop Insurance office to start the application process.

SCIC can also provide more information on how livestock price insurance works, the signup process and how to purchase policies.

For more information regarding the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program, visit www.saskcropinsurance.com/ wlpip, call 1-800-935-0000 or contact your local Crop Insurance Office.

FEBRUARY / March 2016 |

13

TRA C EA B ILITY

it’s time to take tracking seriously

BY Deborah Wilson | Sr. vice-president of BIXSco Inc. and Joni Avram After another exportthreatening case of BSE was reported in Canada last year (and, nine months later, deemed an isolated incident), South Korea re-opened its borders to Canadian beef. That’s great news for our multi-billion dollar beef industry. But there could be even better news for exports on the horizon. That’s because there are other, much bigger markets for beef, mostly notably, China. But it’ll take significant industry collaboration to fully capitalize on this opportunity.

We’d all like to believe that international importing decisions are based on science, and not emotion. But, realistically, fear is a driving factor. That’s why even the possibility of a new case of BSE hastens the need to enhance our reputation at home and abroad. A system for effectively tracking cattle through every stage of the food chain — from producer to feedlots, packers to retailers —is critical for the reputation of the entire industry, its long-term sustainability, and access to emerging markets.

It’s hard for Canadians to fathom the size of the Chinese mar-

ket. There are more people in China learning English than English speakers in the entire United States. Over the course of 10 days during Chinese New Year, telephone companies generated nearly $750 million dollars on SMS messages — at pennies per text.

Canada enjoys a good reputation among the Chinese. There’s a high level of trust and respect within China for Canada. Plus, they like the taste of our beef — once they have a chance to try it — especially in comparison to Australian beef, a much more common import. But Australia can only produce so much and not nearly enough to meet the growing demand for beef in China.

If you look at who’s buying imported beef from China, it’s the affluent. They want to show their success, and they want to enjoy what the world has to offer. Even more than designer bags and fancy cars, they want beef. And they’re willing to pay a premium price for it. One Canadian wine manufacturer that sells his product for $55 here in Canada, gets US$900 per bottle for the

same product in China. If Canadian beef is properly marketed, producers can command these same premium prices.

Despite the massive opportunity the Chinese market represents, there’s one problem — food safety is a top priority for China. So whatever claim Canada’s beef industry makes for exports to China, we’re going to need to back those claims with verifiable data. With at least 19 BSE cases reported over the 12 years, the Canadian beef industry has to do more to prove to the Chinese government that the quality of our beef can be trusted, and that trust can be verified.

To build trust with international governments like China, the entire supply chain will have to collaborate to allow us to track our beef from farm to fork. Until recently, parts of the supply chain have been more interested in domination than collaboration. But, by necessity, that’s changing and rapidly. As consumers everywhere demand to know more about the history of care and quality of their beef, a coordinated response is the key to maintaining consumer trust

As an ancient Chinese proverb suggests, ‘Opportunity knocks at the door only once’.

Twelve years after the first BSE case, it’s time to get serious about tracking our beef.

HUBERT LAU president and CEO of BIXSco Ltd.

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and credibility that will sustain the industry and allow us to expand into bigger, more lucrative markets.

We’re not quite there, but through the Beef InfoXChange System (BIXS), an unprecedented number of industry leaders are beginning to work together to make the dream of industrywide tracking a reality. By working with different parts of the value chain as an independent value-added provider, BIXS is becoming the backbone of Canada’s beef industry. Building a system that verifies the quality of Canadian beef is not only helping to unlock the value of data for everyone from producers to retailers, it’s building trust in the entire supply chain, which is vital here at home, and the rest of the world.

The information needed to open the door to emerging markets like China lies dormant in thousands of desktops and smartphones across the industry.

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FEBRUARY / March 2016 |

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C a n a d i a n C at t l e m e n ’ s A s s o c i at i o n

CCA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Several significant

developments occurred in 2015 that will help to unlock the potential of the Canadian beef industry. The successful repeal of U.S. mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) in December is a historic achievement that represents the culmination of years of hard work by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) and industry and government allies. Beef producers who paid the $4 million in legal fees to fight COOL through their provincial check-off share in this victory.

New trade agreements are offering the strongest market access prospects industry has seen in nearly three decades. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement is among those agreements. The CCA is lobbying the government of Canada to ratify the TPP Agreement reached in October. The TPP offers beef producers improved access to Japan and other growing markets in Asia. Canada could double or triple its annual beef exports to Japan to nearly $300 million under the agreement once ratified.

In January, I relayed the importance of the TPP to Canada’s beef producers directly to Interna-

Tokyo, Japan – Ready to increase Canadian beef imports | iStock PHOTO

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tional Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland at a roundtable meeting in Edmonton. CCA also sent the Minister a formal letter outlining the full value of the agreement and the need to ratify the deal. I encourage all producers to contact their Member of Parliament to communicate the importance of the TPP and to urge the government to ratify the agreement.

Trade with South Korea resumed in time for the one-year anniversary of the implementation of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement, enacting the second of 15 tariff reductions on Canadian beef and offals under Korea’s beef tariff phaseout with Canada. The value of Canadian beef exports to China more than doubled in 2015 and there is further potential once access is expanded to also include bone-in beef.

The long-term outlook for Canada’s beef industry looks solid supported by tariff reductions, market access expansion and continued world growth in high quality beef demand. The goal of the National Beef Strategy is to unlock further potential through strengthening industry competitiveness, the brand appeal of Canadian product and the connec-

tion between industry and customers, consumers, and the public, enhances the outlook.

The National Beef Strategy was a key feature of the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference (SBIC) held in Saskatoon in January. I attended the SBIC and was part of the Canadian Beef Advisors Panel, which discussed the National Beef Strategy and the benefits it holds for industry.

The benefits of a robust industry are clear to Alanna Koch, Deputy Minister, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. At an evening reception prior to the Panel, the Deputy Minister spoke passionately about agriculture and trade. I later thanked her for her supportive remarks, and also Lyle Stewart, Minister of Agriculture and Premier Brad Wall for making the Saskatchewan Government such a strong voice for agriculture.

My fellow Canadian Beef Advisors panelists did an excellent job explaining the Strategy and how it intends to address a number of issues facing the industry.

I pointed out that in order for the strategy to be successful, there is a need to expand the national cow herd. Part of our competitiveness relies on the infrastructure we have now. With the

New trade agreements are offering the strongest market access prospects industry has seen in nearly three decades. repeal of COOL we could again exceed 1 million head of live cattle exports. That’s going to squeeze domestic supply at home and could put pressure on Canadian processing plants. Also, Asian markets love Canadian beef but reliability of supply has been a problem. I would like to see the cow herd rebound to 5 million head. Currently we’re under 4 million head.

The strategy was well received and the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association unanimously agreed to support the strategy and the National Check-off increase required to

achieve its goals.

Trade and market access will be continuing themes going forward. CCA will be meeting with Alberta Ministers of Agriculture and Trade as members of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance to encourage strong support for the TPP. Next up is a trilateral meeting with the U.S. and Mexico beef producer associations at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) annual meeting. I am looking forward to celebrating the COOL victory with these important allies.

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FEBRUARY / March 2016 |

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IND U STRY

Beef centre reports high usage

BY BONNIE WARNYCA | EDITOR Open less than a year, the Calgary-

Marty Carpenter | DAVE FURMAN PHOTO

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based Beef Centre of Excellence has welcomed an unexpected number of foreign and domestic visitors. The centre has hosted 16 different trade missions from key global markets in addition to large domestic retailers and food service companies.

“The trade missions come from international beef customers looking to grow their beef sales with Canadian beef, such as Asia, Latin America and the Middle East,” says Marty Carpenter, director of the centre.

“Some of the trade missions are driven from the Canada Beef business development teams located worldwide while others come to us from the federal and provincial governments under trade initiative programs.

“Preparing for each trade mission is an extensive undertaking. When the group arrives, they are given a tour of a ranch, feedlot and a packing plant. After that, it’s back to the centre for the technical outline of designated products they’ve shown an interest in.

In the demo lab we are able to break down the raw product and then head to the stateof-the-art kitchen to prepare the food for sampling. Once the client sees the quality of the meat and tastes the product, we discuss various ways to market them in their regions.”

While the international interest is brisk, the centre facilitates discussions around helping the Canadian food industry more effectively engage their customers.

“First and foremost we educate our customers about the story behind Canadian beef and then we look at ways to convey that story in order to build loyalty around that brand,” says Carpenter. “It’s important to emotionally connect the client to the brand.

“In today’s higher priced beef market, it’s even more important to educate the consumer about how to select the right cut of beef for each recipe and give them cooking tips.”

Carpenter admits that the beef retail counter is probably the most complex of any

in the store. Research has shown that most consumers have a favorite recipe list of about eight items and cycle it through their monthly meal plan. While it may be a challenge to move them outside their comfort zone, it’s also an opportunity to introduce them to new, more economical and easy-toprepare menu items.

The home-based kitchen is no different than kitchens in the restaurant chains or high-end restaurants - if the beef portion of the meal is not successful, you could lose a customer.

“We recently worked with a group from Loblaw’s discussing some of the beef cuts outside the more traditional ones,” says Carpenter. “We offered up ideas on how to provide more information either on the package or with store signage. Retailers are looking for ways to provide more information, such as how many family members the beef cut will feed and more recipe ideas.

The Roundup App | Screen Capture

“Retailers recognize that they must continue to adopt new methods of interacting with the beef customer to provide a satisfactory eating experience.”

The Beef Centre of Excellence also recently completed a session with Fairmont Hotels, which includes the Banff Springs, the Palliser in Calgary and the Jasper Park Lodge – all international venues.

“We discussed a number of beef cuts outside the traditional middle meats such as petite tenders, skirt meat and chuck flats,” says Carpenter. “These meats can be utilized for different theme dishes.

“The chefs liked the different ways we showed them how to cook the petite beef tenders to include them in their lunch and dinner menus. Our work with the food industry is aimed at creatively helping them to build a more diverse menu utilizing more of the carcass cuts.”

An unexpected interest for the centre has been from the number of wineries looking for ways to pair Canadian wines with beef features such as offering a rich cabernet to go with a braised chuck flat.

“We also see a number of R & D chefs from restaurant chains looking for new menu ideas,” says Carpenter. “They need menu items which can be duplicated quickly and perfectly every time.”

The centre hosted an Alberta organic beef group first working with professional chefs and retail butchers, and followed up with a group of consumers.

Carpenter found it interesting that many group members were only familiar with a few of the carcass cuts and didn’t always know how to prepare them properly. It reinforced the whole purpose of the Beef Centre of Excellence, which is to connect, innovate and inspire.

“We can only obtain the true value of a Canadian beef carcass by being able to market every cut from nose to tail,” says Carpen-

Tips for success in the kitchen: Rest steaks and roasts after cooking. Use foil to tent a roast and let it sit for about 10 minutes before eating. Steaks can rest for about three minutes before eating.

“Resting allows the meat to relax after cooking and become more tender and juicy,” says Marty Carpenter, Certified Chef de Cuisine.

ter. “We’re seeing renewed demand for cuts such as beef cheeks and oxtails.

“On the R & D side, the centre is looking at whole categories and creating new recipes and marketing strategies for the lessor known cuts and products.”

Take sausage, for instance: Carpenter says other cultures do a great job around the sausage trade yet Canada doesn’t sell a lot at retail. The centre is testing new gourmet flavours for the beef sausage market such as Saskatoon berry maple, which they believe has the potential to fly off the shelves, especially in western Canada.

While the centre personnel can’t be in every kitchen in the country, there are now many aids for the home cook.

Canada Beef has developed a new generation of apps that are designed to offer instant help for consumers. The Roundup app for smart phones provides beef menu options and suggestions about what cut of beef offers the best results. Canada Beef’s new online MakeitBeef club provides additional information around buying beef and preparation. In addition, the Beef Centre of Excellence home economist Joyce Parslow offers foodies new beef recipes and pairing options as well as beef buying, handling and cooking information at www.makeitbeef.ca.

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FEBRUARY / March 2016 |

19

NE W F EED OPTION

The tale of Pintail A new hardy winter wheat could be a game changer

BY SHIRLEY BYERS When the drought of 2015 hit the Prairies, Sundre seed grower Bob Mastin received calls from cattle producers looking for triticale.

“I was getting phone call after phone call,” he says. “The first couple I told producers it was hard to come by. Then I started thinking that I had winter wheat that’s as tough as triticale, why won’t it work as a substitute?”

The winter wheat was Pintail and substitute he did. When the dust settled, Mastin had shipped 20 B trains of Pintail from his farm, two thirds of which went to cattle producers.

A new winter wheat Winter wheat seeded in summer can be lightly grazed in fall, re-grazed in spring and then turned into a grain or silage crop.

Mastin believes Pintail is a good alternative for livestock producers who traditionally seed rye or triticale for grazing. Normally, winter wheat is the least hardy of the winter crop trinity of rye, triticale and wheat, but Pintail is a game changer; it’s just as robust as triticale and rivals fall rye in hardiness.

Mastin obtained the worldwide exclusive rights for Pintail in 2013 and began multiplying the seed. He planted two acres in a one quarter mile strip in a field along a highway. That winter the temperature dropped to – 40 C in January and parts of his long, narrow plot had no snow cover. “They told me it was tough,” he says “I thought, well, I guess this is going to be a test. It’s got to perform in the real world.”

When spring came, he was more than pleased with the results: one hundred per cent survival and that two-acre plot yielded 110 bu/acre.

in its genetic background, produced 104 per cent of the general purpose checks over three years of testing. Mastin attributes those high yields to the length of the heads, which are almost twice as long as normal wheat (see illustration.)

In its technical bulletin, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry describes Pintail as having good resistance to stripe rust and good lodging resistance, moderate resistance to leaf spots and powdery mildew, intermediate resistance to stem and leaf rust (Puccinia graminis and P. triticina), and a test weight within the range of general purpose checks.

On the negative side, it is susceptible to fusarium headblight and common bunt, with resistance equal to general purpose checks.

Acing the tests

What growers are saying

Pintail, with hardy Canadian winter wheat varieties such as Norstar and Norwin

Mastin is hearing positive feedback from producers who have grown Pintail. Paul

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Pintail Wheat heads are almost twice as long as normal wheat | MASTIN SEEDS PHOTO

Hofer, field boss at the Silver Creek Colony, says Pintail was first grown there in the fall of 2013. It was a dry year and seeding depth was uneven. “Some was down two inches, some sat in the dust,” says Hofer.

Germination was uneven and to make matters worse that winter there was little snow cover. “But in the spring, I’ve never seen a nicer crop. The whole field was covered and it was just beautiful.”

Hofer was impressed with the length of the seed heads, too. That’s where the yield comes from, he says. “The first year even though we got 40 per cent hail, we still averaged 85 bu/acre.”

In 2014, Pintail was sown again at Silver Creek, this time with a Bourgault precision drill into excellent moisture, but in a hilly area. The crop emerged five days later.

Snow was sparse again and the hills were bare in - 30 to - 40 C weather.

The only problem I see with Pintail is trying to kill the volunteers in the previous crop. It is hard to get it out of the land. It is a very, very hardy crop.

Paul Hofer | Silver Creek Colony

“But in spring you wouldn’t have known the difference,” says Hofer.

“Come April, the hills were lush, grass green. That’s how it over wintered.”

Rye is known to be the most hardy of the three winter crops, says Hofer, adding, “ I would say Pintail is as good if not even better than fall rye.”

Pintail did well in the drought of 2015 too, he says, with a 95 bu/acre yield on less than three inches of rain.

“The only problem I see with Pintail is trying to kill the volunteers in the previous crop. It is hard to get it out of the land. It is a very, very hardy crop.”

Dave Solverson, president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, is also interested in Pintail.

He says he can see the advantage in having some winter annual forage to

turn cattle onto in the spring, when they’re lactating, especially if that pasture could later be used for silage or harvested as a wheat crop.

“This is the kind of thing we need to concentrate our research dollars on,” he says.

“Our cereals have been left behind when you compare it to canola and how far it has come; from 30 bu/acre being a good crop 15 years ago to now expecting 50-60 bu/acre. Corn has also doubled in yield in the last 20 years, whereas our cereals have only had limited research and it’s been somewhat the same with forages.”

For more information, contact Bob Mastin at Mastin Seeds, RR 1 Sundre, AB T0M 1X0, (403) 556-2609, or visit the website at: www.mastinseeds.com.

Bob Mastin believes Pintail wheat is a good alternative for livestock producers who traditionally seed rye or triticale for grazing | MASTIN SEEDS PHOTO

FEBRUARY / March 2016 |

21

RESEAR C H

Outstanding research and innovation Dr. John McKinnon receives the Canadian Beef Industry award for outstanding research and innovation at the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference in January | (Photo (L-R): Tim Oleksyn (Chair, BCRC), Brad Wildeman (Nominator), Dr. John McKinnon (Recipient), Sandy RusseLl (Nominator). | SHERI GRANT PHOTO

Nominations wanted

John McKinnon is a re-

searcher, professor and the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Research Chair at the University of Saskatchewan and well-known to many Saskatchewan cattle producers.

“Dr. McKinnon has made phenomenal contributions to advancements in the competitiveness and sustainability of the beef industry through his long-term passion and dedication to progressive science,” says Tim Oleksyn, cow-calf producer and Chair of BCRC. “His research focuses on nutritional and environmental factors influencing the growth and carcass quality of feeder cattle and the nutrition of the breeding herd.

“Areas of emphasis within his research program include the use of wet distiller’s byproducts

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for feedlot cattle, nutritional evaluation of grain screenings for growing cattle, and use of real-time ultrasound for predicting carcass quality of breeding and finishing cattle. Other areas include the impact of the environment on performance of cattle to Western Canada and the use of high lipid feeds for growing and finishing.”

Dr. McKinnon takes a whole systems approach to beef production and his leadership in collaboration and cross-discipline research has been extremely beneficial to improving the competitive advantage of Canadian beef producers.

As a leader in research extension, McKinnon has authored many scientific publications and countless articles appearing in Canadian beef industry magazines and publications.

He also makes himself available to speak at producer meetings and industry events. In addition, he works directly and one-onone with numerous cow-calf producers, feedlot operators, veteri-

narians and feeding industry personnel on their feeding and management programs.

As a dedicated professor at the University of Saskatchewan, Dr. McKinnon has mentored numerous students and researchers throughout his long career. He has supervised or co-supervised more than 35 M.Sc. and Ph.D. students to program completion and supervised numerous post-doctoral researchers.

“Dr. McKinnon is dedicated to keeping a practical focus in his research initiatives and has always maintained the need for real-world application with the beef industry,” says Oleksyn.

“He continues to provide leadership for the future of the industry through his ongoing efforts in the development of the Beef Cattle Research and Teaching Unit. This infrastructure will be a tremendous asset in maintaining the competitiveness of the Canadian beef industry well beyond his career with the U of S.”

The Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation is presented annually by the BCRC on behalf of Canada’s industry stakeholders. The award recognizes scientists and academics that are involved in strong research programs aligned with industry priorities, continually engage with industry stakeholders, and demonstrate their passion and long-term commitment.

Nominations are accepted by the BCRC from industry stakeholders and must be accompanied by letters of support from both industry and scientific colleagues. The recipient for 2016 will be selected by a committee comprised of beef producers, industry experts and retired beef-related researchers across the country. Deadline for nominations is May 1. Remaining nominations will also be considered for the 2016 award, which will be presented at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in August of this year.

NEWS IN BRIEF HALL OF FAME The Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame will induct six new members on August 6, 2016 at their induction ceremonies at Saskatoon’s Western Development Museum.

This year’s honourees include Brynne Rothwell, Florian Possberg, Barry Andrew, Linda Braun, Robin Morrall and Pat Beaujot.

AGRIBITION RECOGNITION Canadian Western Agribition recognized two individuals for their efforts in promoting CWA internationally as a showcase for Canadian livestock genetics and agriculture technology.

Brian Rossnagel who led a highly successful 35 year career at the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan began his involvement with CWA as part of the Grain Show and later became CWA president for a total of 18 years of volunteer service to CWA. He received the coveted Jim Lewthwaite Memorial Award.

Neil Jahnke received the Chris Sutter Award (originally known as the CWA Builder Award), posthumously for his activities as vice-president of CWA. Jahnke was a founding member of Canada Beef Export Federation, president of the Saskatchewan Livestock Association, and president of the Saskatchewan Stock Growers’ Association.

CCIA RELEASES TAG RETENTION PROJECT FINDINGS The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency’s national Tag Retention Project involves animals from various geographical areas across Canada with various farming styles and en-

vironments. The study tagged more than 5,000 animals with equal distribution of approved CCIA radio frequency identification (RFID) tag types/brands at each test site.

“The mature cow data collected in 2014 includes cattle of varying ages from those tagged as calves in the spring of 2011 to mature cows tagged in 2011,” says CCIA vice-chair and tag retention committee chair Mark Elford. “Tag readability at the first stage of the project was greater than 99 percent.

Recent preliminary findings on tag retention across all of the project herds averaged 88.9 percent, with a range of 64.7 to 100 percent. This means within three years, tag loss ranged from 3.8 to 35.3 percent, with an average of 11.1 percent.”

“The average mature cow tag retention percentage was 89.7 percent across the 13 herds where data was gathered in 2014,” says CCIA Tag Retention Project Manager Ross MacDonald. “Since the final calf/yearling tag retention percentage presented in April, 2013 was 98.9 percent, the preliminary mature cow data represents an average decrease in retention of 9.2 percent.

“Although the mature cow data has yet to be analyzed for statistical significance, preliminary tag retention data for the mature cows is lower and more variable than in the calf/yearling group. We will summarize and analyze the mature cow data for tag retention across all herds, tag loss by herd and tag brand as well as readability.”

CCIA anticipates completion of the mature cow scans, final analysis and final report in the second quarter of 2016 to be posted online at www.canadaid.ca

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Janice provides consulting services in the area of livestock, forage and grazing management. Her current focus includes working with stakeholders (producers, industry groups, government, and academia) ensuring that research initiatives meet the needs of all.

“A professional agrologist (PAg) designation gives recognition of the training and provides opportunities to connect with other agrologists across Canada with an instant recognition of qualifications.”

Janice was raised on a cow calf operation near Outlook, SK. She received a BSA in animal science and an MSc in grazing management from the University of Saskatchewan. Janice previously worked with the Western Beef Development Centre and the Saskatchewan Forage Council, starting the consulting firm in 2003.

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As a nutritionist with Co-op Feeds, Amanda is responsible for ration formulation, ingredient standards and quality control, and compliance with CFIA regulations. She provides technical support for producers and sales people. Amanda also has a role in research initiatives.

“The professional agrologist (PAg) designation is recognition of the science-based professionals in agriculture who are highly trained and bound to a code of ethics, practice standards, and continuing professional development.”

Amanda was raised on an acreage at Moosomin, SK. She received her BSA in Animal Science and MSc in Ruminant Nutrition from the University of Saskatchewan. Amanda joined Co-op Feeds in 2010.

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FEBRUARY / March 2016 |

23

ADVO C A C Y

Agriculture goes to school The winning Grade 10 team named their presentation AGing and used plastic eggs filled with slime to bring awareness to the many job opportunities in agriculture | CAMPBELL COLLEGIATE PHOTO

BY BONNIE WARNYCA | EDITOR Last fall, a new agriculture pilot project for students at Campbell Collegiate in Regina was introduced as a case study in the business and social technology classes.

Todd Klink, executive vice-president and chief marketing officer for Farm Credit Canada (FCC), felt this initiative would help to introduce urban and rural high school students to career opportunities within the Ag sector.

“My children attend Campbell and often talked about (Jorden) McFarlen’s business classes,” says Klink. “They also talked about how industries sent people to talk to the students about careers yet agriculture didn’t appear on the list of visitors. I realized our industry was missing an opportunity to reach out to students in Grades 10 to 12 to consider jobs in the Ag sector in areas perhaps they weren’t aware of, such as human resources, IT, research and marketing, to name a few.

“I called Mr. McFarlen and, after a few

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meetings, we put together a survey on the students to find out just how much they actually knew about one of the biggest economies in their province. Only three out of 65 students had some connection with agriculture and almost all admitted they had no reason to look at it as a career choice. None understood the breadth and depth of the industry outside primary production. Nor did they realize how agriculture impacts the Canadian economy and its relevance internationally.”

Sixty-five students were divided into 16 case teams and tasked with marketing Agrelated careers to students with little or no knowledge of the Ag industry.

“We got their attention when we explained to them that one in eight Canadian jobs is currently related to agriculture and Agrifood,” says McFarlen. “And by 2050, there will be nine billion mouths to feed worldwide, and in the next 15 years, the middle class will have increased by three billion and will expect more protein and better quality food.

“To fill that void, agriculture requires leading-edge technology, management skills and innovation.”

The AgriBiz case study began Sept. 28, 2015 and finished Oct. 23. During the month-long project, members of the agricultural community, including Marty Seymour, CEO of Agribition, Kim McConnel founder of AdFarm Marketing in Calgary, Murad Al-Katib, CEO of Alliance Grain Traders and local grain farmer Peter Flaman, went to the school to speak to the students.

The students were also bused to nearby Regina locations of South Country Equipment and Richardson Pioneer. ThinkAg members from the Ministry of Agriculture joined the bus tour to discuss livestock-related opportunities including primary production, feedlot sectors and other possible spinoff career paths.

The high school teams were encouraged to use social media to engage fellow students to learn about agriculture and its many job opportunities.

The winning team was a group of Grade 10 students who borrowed their “AGing” idea from the ALS ice bucket challenge that went viral on the internet a few years ago. Team member Ben Katz came up with the idea.

“Our goal was to bring agriculture to the student body by using something fun and with a sense of humour,” says Kodiak Reinson, a member of the winning team.

“I was surprised how much work it was to develop a marketing plan and how we had to rely on each member of the team’s strengths to make it happen.

“In the end, we named our presentation AGing and instead of cracking real eggs over people’s heads, we used plastic eggs filled with shampoo to represent slime. We put a sticker on each egg to represent a particular career in agriculture.”

To get the word out among the student

Marty Seymour, CWA CEO toured Campbell Collegiate students around Agribition to teach them more about agriculture business opportunities | DAVE FURMAN PHOTOs

Agri-ed program

body, the team put posters around the school, created a social media campaign using #AGhead and invited the industry judges and others to participate in the AGing.

Many were willing to join the fun.

As an unanticipated perk for the AGing, the Saskatchewan Egg Producers joined in the event and donated 15,000 eggs to the Regina Food Bank.

Ryland Hanley, a Grade 10 student at Campbell Collegiate, also participated in the agriculture case study. He lives on a 2,700-acre grain farm near Rouleau.

“I had always thought I would take agron-

omy after high school, but having gone through this case study, I have become more interested in heavy duty mechanics,” he says.

“I have done well with welding in my high school shop class and enjoy the hands on work. I can still see myself as a partner on the farm in the future and being able to repair farm equipment would be a huge bonus to the operation.”

Currently, FCC and Campbell’s business teacher Jorden McFarlen are discussing ways to share the agriculture case study with other high schools throughout the province and potentially across the country.

For 29 years, Agribition’s Agri-Ed program has been one of agriculture industry’s best tools to educate elementary school children in grades K-6 about agriculture and its role in food production. And, in the last few years, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Ag Awareness Initiative part of Growing Forward 2 has supported more than 40 programs focusing on closing the gap between food production and young consumers. One of the programs, thinkAG, profiles young people working in diverse careers in agriculture to help to spread the message that Agriculture offers many career opportunities for young people with or without any Ag experience.

FEBRUARY / March 2016 |

25

RESEAR C H

checking in with the

Livestock & Forage Centre of Excellence

BY SHIRLEY BYERS It’s one thing for the uni-

versity to build facilities,” says Professor John McKinnon, Saskatchewan Beef Industry Chair, “but the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence, to be built with industry and the federal and provincial governments, shows the commitment for generating research and technology the industry can utilize as well as for training university graduates to serve the industry.”

The Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association will contribute $1 million over five years to the construction of the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence. Final cost of the facility is estimated at $25 million. The Federal and Provincial governments kicked in $10 million in funding for the Centre under

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Growing Forward 2 and the University of Saskatchewan has committed $10 million as well as providing the land.

The state of the art research facility will be based in two locations, both easily accessible from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. It will consist of a Beef Cattle Research and Teaching Unit near Clavet and the Forage and Cow-Calf Research and Teaching Unit at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s existing research farm near Floral, Saskatchewan.

The Clavet side of the project is fairly well advanced in terms of its planning, says McKinnon.

“Engineers’ drawings for conceptual designs have been completed for a few years, as have detailed costing estimates and research plans for use of the facility. Once initial environ-

mental work has been done, construction should start in the spring.

“The Clavet facility’s focus is the intensive side of beef production. Its resources will be used to look at research questions facing the management and operation of backgrounding and finishing operations as well as very intensive metabolic and physiology studies.”

McKinnon says the Floral site’s emphasis will be on herd health and reproductive management as well as the cow/calf forage interface, balancing the intensive emphasis at Clavet.

The existing facility at Floral has been managed by the Western College of Veterinary Medicine while cow-calf forage research is currently managed at the Western Beef Development Centre at Termuende Research Ranch

near Lanigan. Potentially, cows from Termuende will be transferred to the new facility at Floral, and the work of the WBDC will be transferred to the Floral site.

Why was a new centre needed?

The current beef cattle research site at Saskatoon was built around 1963 and has not changed appreciably since then, says McKinnon. “There are numerous feedlots across Western Canada that probably have greater technology in terms of cattle handling and management than we do. It’s challenging to provide current and upto-date information for the industry to use when you don’t have the facilities to generate it in.”

Some of the studies researchers want to look at centre on issues like feed efficiency, animal be-

OPPOSITE PAGE: Cow-calf research currently managed by the Western Beef Development Centre now takes place at the Termuende Research Ranch near Lanigan | U of S PHOTO RIGHT: Research cattle at the Termuende Research Ranch near Lanigan will potentially move to the Floral site when construction is completed | U of S PHOTO

haviour and genetic selection of cattle for different genotypes, carcass composition and eating quality.

For example, he explains, to measure feed efficiency we need to know individual feed intake of animals. To study genetic selection, facilities are required that allow the management of animals according to genotypes.

“We need to be able to get the information on individual animal performance,” he says.

The new facility will address this issue. It will have specific pen construction, design and equipment that allows for individual feed intake of cattle and that allows for individual management of cattle.

A classic example of the work done at the U of S has been in the area of by-product feeds such as distiller’s grains. The new facility will allow researchers to enhance this type of work, particularly in terms of nutrient metabolism and optimum feed and diet utilization, which they will be able to evaluate using the new Metabolism Barn. “We will look at opportunities for the industry to utilize new feed products as they become available, such as the emergence of corn as forage and cereal grain sources, or novel protein sources such as carinata meal in Western Canada,” says McKinnon.

Other studies might look at the absorption capabilities across the rumen or immune function.

“The possibilities are only limited by the imagination of the people who will use it,” he says.

An opportunity to study environmental impacts The land where the facility will be located at Floral has never

had intensively housed cattle on it before. This will present a unique opportunity for the study of environmental effects of intensive feeding operations.

The facility will be designed to allow analysis of runoff from selected cattle pens and extensive monitoring of local surface and ground water. This will be used to look at the environmental impacts of intensive cattle feeding operations, and to develop mitigation strategies for best management practices.

“We don’t have sound, scientific numbers about the impact of cattle operations on ground water quality and nutrient movement through soil,” he says.

“This is our opportunity to take land that has really never seen cattle before and put this facility onsite. Through this project we’re proposing very intensive monitoring of the environment, to be able to document how fast nutrients are actually moving through the soil.

The College of Engineering is collaborating with us on this.

“Another benefit of this new facility will be that it will allow a continuum of research from the lab to field trials to commercial application. For example, at his lab in the Animal Science Building on the U of S Campus, Dr. Greg Penner can look at isolated segments of the rumen.

He can look at metabolic factors that influence nutrient absorption, factors that influence immune function and digestive upsets such as acidosis. “ Now researchers will be able to take the information from local laboratories to metabolism pens, and from metabolism pens where they can do

single animals studies in very intensive nature to the small pens planned for the feedlot.

“So we see a continuum of research at a very basic scientific level to intensive nutrition physiology studies with commercial

application,” says McKinnon.

“That’s where we see the real value of this facility as future researchers come on stream, as they will have the resources to conduct basic to applied research at one facility.”

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sca outlook

The year ahead

By Scott Sakatch

The repeal of mandatory country of

SCA CEO Ryder Lee outlined some of the challenges facing the industry in the year to come at the AGM in Saskatoon. | SCA PHOTO

28

| connection

origin labelling legislation in the United States is a testament to the success of Canadian beef advocacy, but Saskatchewan producers will have to wait and see what comes next as the industry enters the new year, says SCA Chief Executive Officer Ryder Lee. “In any market where we are successful, we can be sure competitors will be looking for ways to push us back.”

One thing is for sure: Producers are the key to success of any advocacy undertaking.

“The cattle industry’s voice is as loud and respected as it is because we show up and we bring the answers to the problems we are addressing,” Lee told the crowd of delegates at the SCA’s annual general meeting in Saskatoon Jan. 21.

Lee says the SCA will continue to work with and influence the CCA to prioritize activities that will improve competitiveness of the Canadian cattle and beef production sectors on the international stage, and continue to lobby in Ottawa on dedicated “fly-in days” that allow decision makers to meet directly with Saskatchewan producers.

“It takes real producers showing up to deliver messages and to build momentum when lobbying.”

Competitiveness in production relies on research, says Lee, and reminded the audience that the SCA dedicates 30 cents of every dollar of national check-off to research, the highest of any province. Those funds go to the Beef Cattle Research Council in sup-

port of the National Beef Research Strategy via the Beef Science Cluster, a partnership with the federal government. The $5 million in check-off dollars is leveraged with $15 million from Growing Forward 2 in a fiveyear project.

The National Beef Strategy (NBS) will require an increase in national checkoff of $1.50 per head, which received unanimous support at the AGM. Lee says the National Beef Research Strategy and the next Beef Science Cluster depend on the NBS moving forward. The SCA will continue to work with other provincial funders to ensure the national check-off administration, Canada Beef and the BCRC are well-funded and well-managed.

Another key to moving the beef industry forward is sustainability, says Lee. That may be a buzzword for many, but beef producers need to keep taking an active role in applying it to their own operations and to the industry. The development of new modules for Verified Beef Production will provide producers the tools to tell the positive story they have when it comes to sustainability.

This will help retail and food service answer the increasing demands from consumers looking for information about their food purchases.

“The industry is working to provide tools that work for producers while providing the information that consumers demand.

“Working together and making sure we are all heard at the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef is important. The goal is to have decisions based on an improved un-

Working together and making sure we are all heard at the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef is important. The goal is to have decisions based on an improved understanding of beef cattle production in Canada.

RYder Lee | SCA CEO SEC-HAYM15-M_SKCC_SEC-HAYM15-M_SKCC.qxd 2016-01-25 11:30 PM Page 1

Produced by: SeCan Product/Campaign Name: SeCan CDC Haymaker Date Produced: January 2016

Ad Number: SEC-HAYM15-M Publication: SK Cattlemen’s Connection Half page island: 4.5” x 7”

derstanding of beef cattle production in Canada.”

Providing tools to producers is the SCA’s job, says Lee, and one of the key tools for the coming year will be education in dealing with volatile markets and taking advantage of alternative markets. A series of afternoon meetings in the spring will be designed to offer information on price insurance, crop insurance, business risk management and the beef code of practice, among other topics.

“The aim will be to have something around the lunch hour and after, so you can come after doing your chores but be done before the end of the day and take home some new information that may help you tweak your business in a positive way.”

Producers can learn more about the information sessions by following the SCA on Twitter and Facebook, via the www.saskbeef.com website, and by making sure they’re on the SCA’s email list.

Marketing will also be the focus of a new initiative to link Saskatchewan producers with buyers who are not in the local market.

Lee said buyers abroad may be missing out on buying Saskatchewan cattle because of a lack of information on things such as brokers and shipping distance. The SCA is working on a resource that will offer buyers that information and make it easier to understand and take advantage of the Saskatchewan market.

“More buyers usually means better returns,” says Lee. “This is one way we see to help make that happen.”

On the ground, the SCA has heard from a number of producers about issues such as hunters and land access, predators, and the regulations and difficulties involved in grazing on Crown lands. Lee says the SCA will continue to address all of these issues in the year to come, particularly in engaging the RCMP and educating them on what the beef industry needs from them.

Follow the SCA on Facebook at facebook. com/saskbeef and on Twitter at @SaskCattlemens.

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food for thought

Once the mercury starts to drop and the inches of snow start to climb, it’s time to seek out a steamy beef bowl recipe to warm your hands (and heart): noodle bowls, hot pots, fondue and soups – seems like every cuisine has their take on it.

Canada Beef’s Hub in China hosted a Foodie Weekend event back in December and seeing their Hot Pot demo got me digging through the files for recipes like this to share.

Big Benefits: The best thing about this style of cooking is that it helps to stretch your grocery budget. Your meat goes further sliced thinly or into cut into small pieces.

You can use less expensive less tender cuts when you cut meat thinly. And don’t stick to pricey veggie imports – feel free to use what you have or what’s affordable: instead of bean sprouts, try thinly sliced cabbage, use frozen spinach or kale instead of fresh, sub in frozen peas for fresh green beans. Think cooking local and in season for savings – and don’t dismiss your frozen veg options – there is no nutritional compromise when compared to the fresh.

Joyce Parslow is a home economist with Canada Beef. She champions all things culinary when it comes to buying, handling and cooking beef at home.

beef noodle bowl

Made with a simple ginger-infused broth and thinly sliced lean Flank Steak for beef, this delicious meal-soup is low in fat and high in flavour. You can substitute stir-fry strips or other thinly sliced steak. Cooked spaghettini or capellini pasta or two 85 g packages of dried oriental noodles can sub-in for the fresh chow mein noodles (omitting the flavouring sachets). Stay warm and think cozy! Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 20 mins

1/4 c.

1 tbsp.

12 oz

5 c.

3

2

2 c.

Half a pkg

1/4 c.

1/4 c.

soy sauce (low sodium) Asian chili sauce beef flank or other steak cut in very thin slices across the grain beef or chicken stock (low sodium) slices ginger root, cut into 1/4-inch thick pieces cloves garlic, sliced sliced bok choy or shredded spinach leaves refrigerated fresh steamed chow mein noodles slivered sweet red pepper or carrot sliced green beans or snow peas chopped green onion and fresh cilantro to taste sesame oil, fish sauce and/or oyster/hoisin sauce to taste

| connection

50 mL 15 mL 375 g 1.25 L

500 mL 175 g 50 mL 50 mL

Combine soy sauce and chili sauce in large sealable freezer bag. Add beef strips and set aside.

Combine stock, gingerroot and garlic in stock pot; bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in bok choy and noodles; return to simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Add beef and its marinade; return to simmer and cook for 3 minutes or until beef is just pink inside and noodles are tender.

Transfer about 1 cup (250 mL) noodles, meat and bok choy with tongs to each of 4 soup bowls.

Top each with sweet red pepper, green beans, and onion and cilantro to taste and about 1 cup (250 mL) hot broth.

Finish each with a few drops of sesame oil, fish sauce and oyster or hoisin sauce.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories: 276 Fat: 3 g Carbohydrates: 31 g Protein: 30 g.

For more information, visit www.beefinfo.org.

30

| serves 4

Trim: 8.125” x 5.312” Bleed 8.625” x 5.625”

Date Produced: February 2015

S B ID F F U NDING REPORT

SBIDF FUNDING REPORT The Saskatchewan Beef Industry Development Fund provides money from the provincial levy to support various research, promotion, education and advocacy projects that benefit the Saskatchewan beef industry. The following is a list of projects approved by the SBIDF committee in 2015:

APPLICATIONS APPROVED FOR FUNDING SPRING 2015

APPLICATIONS APPROVED FOR FUNDING FALL 2015

SSGA Travel Fund, $20,000.00

Prairie Diagnostic Services Preparing for emerging Viral Diseases $40,000.00

Livestock Marketers of Sask.

Promoting Careers in Sask. Cattle Sector $43,850.00

WBDC Evaluation of New Triticale Varieties $30,000.00

WBDC Performance and Characterization of New Forage Legume Varieties $15,000.00 over three years

SCFA Western Canada Feedlot Management School, $20,000.00 Farm and Food Care SK. $25,000.00 SEC-MAV14-M_SKCC.qxd

Ag in the Classroom $25,000.00

2/9/15

WBDC Evaluating Core Body Temp as 6:26 PM Page 1 an indicator of feed efficiency $10,000.00

Farm and Food Care Sask. $25,000.00

Sask Forage Council $135,000.00 (over 3 years) SSGA 103rd Convention and AGM $2,500.00 SSGA Agri Ed Showcase $36,300.00 Sask Conservation Action Plan $20,000.00

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31

RESOL U TIONS

SCA RESOLUTIONS The SCA’s annual general meeting

Jan. 21 saw a unanimous vote for a $1.50 increase in national checkoff to fund the National Beef Strategy, as well as a number of other resolutions to guide the asso-

ciation for the coming year.

The meeting, which was in conjunction with the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference in Saskatoon, also saw the election of Duane Thompson to a one-year term as a

new representative to the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, along with the re-election of Reg Schellenberg and Pat Hayes to two-year terms with the CCA. Ryan Beierbach was elected Chair of the

RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS

BSE TESTING

CHECKOFF REFUNDS

Resolution 1: That SCA investigate the feasibility of product liability to protect producers from liability suits brought against their product

Resolution 1: Whereas BSE testing numbers are dropping below OIE requirements. Be it resolved that SCA investigate the feasibility of doing inspections at provincially inspected slaughter plants

»»

»»CARRIED

»»

Resolution 2: That SCA move that for those producers who are involved in custom grazing of private land or grazing associations should be able to participate in some program covered through forage insurance in order to protect their financial risk

»»DEFEATED

Resolution 3: That SCA continue to engage WLPIP to work towards more equality in insurance programming by allowing livestock producers to defer premium payments tied to the expiration of their policy

FORAGE RESEARCH

»»

»»CARRIED »»

Resolution 2:

»»That SCA lobby CFIA for the feasibility of

Resolution 4:

technology to allow producers to better manage the time sensitivity of the program

»»CARRIED

»»Whereas a viable cattle industry relies on a productive grass and forage resource base. Be it resolved that SCA increase its effort (both funds allocated and lobbying effort) to ensure increased research and breeding activity in grass and forage production

»»CARRIED

»»CARRIED

PREDATORS AND COMPENSATION

LIVESTOCK SERVICES SASKATCHEWAN

»»That SCA lobby the provincial government

Resolution 1:

»»

That SCA lobby the LSS board of directors to hire a RCMP enforcement officer to work exclusively with LSS

»»CARRIED

HORNED CATTLE

»»Whereas the administrative costs required to enforce the collection of fees on cattle with horns far exceed the revenue generated and whereas the market place already discounts the value of those animals, therefore SCA supports the repeal of the Horned Cattle Purchases Act

»»TABLED 32

| connection

refunds on the advice of their accountants.

Whereas accountants can use a blank refund form to give to producers. Be it resolved that the SCA begin only allowing check off requests on forms issued from SCA’s office and accomplish this by numbering request forms

»»CARRIED

paying $350.00/head for BSE testing cattle

»»DEFEATED

»»Be it resolved that WLPIP updates their

»»Whereas some producers receive check off

»»

to create an appeal process independent of SCIC control for suspected losses due to predators and to address how the compensation paid to producers is determined CARRIED

Resolution 2:

»»That SCA lobby the provincial government to remove the designation of fur bearing animal as it pertains to wolves in the agriculture areas of the province

»»CARRIED

BOARD APPOINTEES

»»That SCA lobby that the U of S Board of

Governors contain members with agriculture backgrounds

»»CARRIED

NATIONAL CHECKOFF / NATIONAL BEEF STRATEGY

»»That SCA support the increase to the

National Check Off to $2.50 to support the National Beef Strategy

»»CARRIED

PER DIEM RATE

»»That the per diem rate for SCA board

members is $230/day or $115/half day and that the board’s Chair per diem rate is $300/ day

»»CARRIED

SCA Board of Directors, with Rick Toney becoming finance chair, Philip Lynn becoming research chair and Levi Hull becoming executive member at large.

FLOOR RESOLUTIONS Resolution 1: Whereas the beef industry is under increasing pressure to be more efficient in the areas of production and environmental footprint all while maintaining our social license through enhancing biodiversity on the land we operate on. This challenge depends on a viable and productive research program.

»»

Therefore be it resolved that the Saskatchewan cattle industry increase the portion of National Check Off going to research by 10% of the check off

»»TABLED

Resolution 2: Whereas the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association recognizes the importance to support the pillars and outcomes of the National Beef Strategy therefore, be it resolved that the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association move forward with the implementation of the National Beef Strategy

»»

»»CARRIED

Resolution 3:

»»Whereas the Western Livestock Price

Insurance Program (WLPIP) requires payments of premiums up front, while other Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) insurance programs allow for payment to be made later, be it resolved that the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association seek support from the Ministry of Agriculture to consider alternative payment methods within a reasonable time frame

»»CARRIED

Resolution 4:

»»That SCA request CCA to request to CFIA

that APHIS remove the requirement of the CAN Brand on export feeder cattle, thus eliminating the need to unload feedlot destined cattle at the border

»»CARRIED

SCOTT SAKATCH PHOTOS

FEBRUARY / March 2016 |

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C EO REPORT

If you don’t ask, you don’t get

April 4 is election day in Sas-

katchewan. This means the next month is full-on campaign season. This is a once-in-a-while opportunity for you to engage your future MLA and their competitors on issues of importance.

Incumbents want to defend their seats and new candidates want to take over. The only way to do that is to get the most supporters out on voting day. You get supporters out by direct interaction and ensuring they are committed to voting.

This need for direct confirmation creates a unique opportunity for everyone this coming month.

An opportunity to ensure your future MLA and their opponents know what is important to you.

Even if you think you know who will win your riding this election, it is important to talk to candidates from all parties. Those who

38

| connection

do not win elections often take positions with the party between elections. These positions can be very influential, so the time spent with these people is useful.

And over time, parties in power change. The importance of ensuring all parties understand our issues and their importance shone through in the last few months. When I was working for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (and since I left), all parties heard from cattle producers on what our needs are, how they can help us and how that will help them. When the party in power changed, the Country of Origin Labelling battle continued on the same track. It appears support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership is also moving along, although more tentatively. If we had ignored all but the governing party, these issues would have been much more difficult to keep on track.

There are two tasks to check off in these conversations. The first is making sure they know where your concerns stem from. Tell them you are a cattle producer and depend on the cattle business for your family’s livelihood. Tell them also that beef cattle production is a major driver in the Saskatchewan economy. Livestock receipts last year were over $2.7 billion dollars in Saskatchewan.

At 1.3 million head, Saskatche-

wan’s beef cattle herd is second in size only to Alberta. Cattle need to be cared for every day and the industry is a year-round employer, not only for owner-operators but employees across the province.

Then you tell them what they need to know or do to help move your operation and the industry forward. Depending on where you live, this may mean different things. You may have some developments in your RM that are affecting your operation directly.

Or you may have some experiences with the provincial government that make one issue or another a priority. And there is a long list of things that affect the profitability and operating environment for cattle producers.

But bear in mind you only get a few minutes with these people, and a long list is not helpful. A good thing to do is focus on one or two things that are timely or that relate to the person to whom you’re speaking.

The economy will play a big part in this election. That is OK by me, as long as candidates and parties remember how much agriculture contributes to Saskatchewan’s economy. If they do, you can drive home that, whatever the subject that comes up in the Legislature, they can help you by remembering a few things.

First is cattle producers in Sas-

katchewan rely on exports. We sell calves, feeders and cull cows to feeders and processors in other provinces or in the United States.

In order to do this, we need to be competitive and have competitive access. The best way to remain competitive is through improvements brought about by research. We also need a competitive regulatory environment. This means sensible government rules around production, land use, and access to inputs, including workers and government programs. Access to markets needs to be pursued, maintained and defended. Our provincial government plays an important role in influencing the federal and other provincial governments on the market access front.

If you can get a commitment from your candidate to champion investments in forage and livestock research, regulatory competitiveness and to champion market access for cattle and beef, then you have done a good job lobbying. If you can get that kind of a commitment from all candidates, you have set a good foundation for the industry in your riding.

Keep an eye on www.saskbeef. com for election related information.

Ryder Lee | SCA CEO

Davidson Gelbvieh & Lonesome Dove Ranch

Overby Stock Farm

Vernon & Eileen Davidson 306-625-3755 davidsongelbvieh@sasktel.net www.davidsongelbvieh.com Ross & Tara Davidson & Family 306-625-3513 lonesomedoveranch@sasktel.net www.davidsonlonesomedoveranch.com

Neil Overby 204-447-5552 St. Rose Du Lac, MB neil.overby@gov.mb.ca

Fir River Livestock

Dave Hrebeniuk - 306-865-6603 Darcy, Renee, Colt & Kenzie Hrebeniuk - 306-865-7859 Hudson Bay, SK firriver@xplornet.com www.gelbviehworld.com

CANADIAN GELBVIEH ASSOCIATION

Keriness Cattle Company Ltd. Kert Ness - 403-860-4634 kertness@shaw.ca Joe Ness - 403-852-7332 Airdrie, AB jonus@telus.blackberry.net

Carlson Gelbvieh Farms

Lon Carlson & Lorraine Beaudin 403-894-3413 Magrath, AB rstar91@yahoo.ca www.carlsoncattlecompany.com

5160 Skyline Way NE Calgary, Alberta T2E 6V1 Ph: 403.250.8640 • Fax: 403.291.5624 Email: gelbvieh@gelbvieh.ca

Twin Bridge Farms Ltd.

Ron, Carol, Ross, Gail, Owen & Aaron Birch Ron & Carol 403-792-2123 Aaron 403-485-5518 Lomond, AB aaron@tbfarms.ca www.tbfarms.ca

Royal Western Gelbvieh Rodney & Tanya Hollman 403-754-5499 Rodney 403-588-8620 Red Deer County, AB rodscattle@platinum.ca

www.gelbvieh.ca

Canada’s On-Farm Food Safety Program for Cattle Producers

Verified Beef Production in

SASKATCHEWAN DRIVING CONSUMER CONFIDENCE

A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO FOOD SAFETY

PROOF OF RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT

Canadian Beef is Sustainable, Safe and Wholesome.

Lets become VERIFIED and show consumers why!

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

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 services provided

Eligible equipment remains the same

by a Vet to conduct and develop:

as food safety funding*. To be eligible,

Biosecurity Assessment

producers must have their cattle

Disease prevention protocols

operation VBP Registered (on-farm audit).

•

Extra restraint on squeezes*

•

Individual livestock scales (load bars)

•

•

Recordkeeping software

•

*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