The Agri Post
December 29, 2014
Beef Business Built in Tough Times
Community Minded Austin Hick Chicks Lend a Helping Hand ““W We decided we wanted to give back to the community by helping to raise awareness to various causes.” By Joan Airey A dream came true for a local horsewoman when Lynn and Angela Dyck a mother daughter team and Luella Jegel started “Austin Hick Chicks” a precision riding group in 2008. The group practices once or twice a week from April to till the end of October. They first performed at Austin Rodeo doing grand entry and drill patterns and now they are asked to perform at fairs across the province and in Saskatchewan. “We are a riding group of females from sixteen to fifty plus. We welcome new and experienced riders sixteen or older to join the group,” said Lynn Dyck co-leader of the group. “We were asked to perform at the Manitoba Rodeo Finals this year. It was a real successful year for our team of riders.” “We decided we wanted to give back to the community by helping to raise awareness to various causes. Every year we hold a Christmas banquet with a turkey supper and penny parade. This year we had Bert Wytinck cowboy poet and singer from Cypress River performing. This year part of the proceeds will be donated to Sprucedale Industries here in town. Sprucedale Industries, which handles the recycling for the RM of Norfolk, works with mentally handicapped and challenged individuals. They are planning to build a new workshop,” said Dyck. The riders have also raised money to help the Austin Museum. When not riding horses they take on Community projects like a pancake breakfast to celebrate July 1. “We have an on-going project to help a young rider nineyear-old Desiree Zacharias who lost her leg to cancer last year. We’re happy to say Desiree is doing great and back in the saddle riding her horse,” said Dyck. Miriam Funk and Janelle Dyck getting ready to perform at Austin last summer. When the ladies are not performing, they can be found Photo by Joan Airey behind the scenes helping at numerous community events.
Randy Tkachyk developed a grass fed beef business during tough times and plans to maintain it during the upswing in prices. Photo by Les Kletke
By Les Kletke Randy Tkachyk acknowledges that it was tough times in the beef industry that drove him to develop a grass fed beef business that is much closer to the end consumer than the typical beef producer is. He also acknowledges that in today’s market he does not see the same premium for his product but that he has no intention to leave the marketing channel he has built. Tkachyk was one of the speakers at the Manitoba Forage and Livestock Symposium in Portage and told the audience that he may not be able to see the same premium he did for his product as beef prices rise and there is speculation that consumption may decline. “We don’t know where that is going to go,” he said. “We do know we built our business at a time the industry was struggling and we work hard to build customer relationships. We will continue to do that.”
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The Agri Post
December 29, 2014
Another Hit to Manitoba’s Hog Industry
The NDP’s policies have been negatively affecting Manitoba’s hog industry for years, and we are seeing a ripple effect in our province according to the PC party and its opposition critic who discovered that the Maple Leaf Foods plant on Panet Road in Winnipeg will closed on December 31. “High taxation and over-regulation have caused Manitoba to lose its competitive edge in the hog industry,” said Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Critic Blaine Pedersen. This past spring, a shortage of hogs forced Maple Leaf to reduce working hours at its plant in Brandon because it wasn’t able to run at full production. The bottom lines of more than 2,200 workers took a hit as a result. “Well-paying and permanent jobs are being cut in Manitoba because of NDP policies,” added Pedersen. The NDP refuses to implement the reforms needed to save Manitoba’s hog industry. As a result, jobs related to the industry continue to be put in jeopardy.
New South Korean Trade Deal Begins January The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) welcomes the news that the Canada- Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA) will be implemented on January 1, 2015. “The completion of the CKFTA was of critical importance for the Canadian pork sector. South Korea has long recognized the quality of our pork and we look forward to rebuilding market share lost in recent years,” stated CPC’s Chair Jean-Guy Vincent. “The absence of an FTA with Korea was causing substantial and growing prejudice to the Canadian pork industry due to tariff rate disadvantages arising from all of our key competitors, the United States, the European Union and Chile which already having FTAs with South Korea in place.” The CKFTA will allow the pork industry the possibility of being on an equal footing with those competitors in what has at times been the industry’s third or fourth most important export market. The high value of pork items sold there, such as shoulder cuts and bellies, is significant enough to have a major impact on Canadian hog prices and jobs in both the farming and processing sectors. An American study evaluated the benefits for the US pork sector of the FTA between US and Korea at US $10 per hog and the benefits for the Canadian pork industry of a free trade deal with South Korea should be simi-
lar as those in the US. Having the CKFTA implemented by January 1 was a critical objective for the Canadian beef sector as it enables Canada to keep pace with its US and Australian competitors from a tariff reduction perspective. “Now that both Parliaments have ratified the CKFTA, it can be implemented in time to avoid the US gaining another year’s tariff reduction ahead of Canada,” said CCA President Dave Solverson. “I am very pleased that the CKFTA will be in place on time to restore a competitive position for Canadian beef in the Korean market.” Since the U.S. implemented its own FTA with Korea in 2012, US beef has enjoyed an increasing tariff advantage over Canadian beef in Korea. Australia also reached a FTA with Korea in December 2013 and will have that agreement come into effect on January 1, 2015. The impact of the tariff disadvantage is clear. In 2002, Korea was a $40 million market for Canadian beef and its fourth largest export destination. In 2013, with a growing tariff disadvantage relative to US beef, Canada exported $7.8 million. “The CKFTA signals to Korean buyers that they can resume their relationship with Canadian beef and maintain a long-term competitive position,” Solverson said. Under the terms of the agree-
ment, the 40 % Korean tariff on fresh and frozen beef will be fully eliminated in 15 equal annual steps and the 18 per cent tariff on offals will be fully eliminated in 11 equal annual steps. “South Korea is a valuable market for Canadian grain producers,” said Gary Stanford, President of the Grain Growers of Canada. The CKFTA will result in the elimination of tariffs on nearly 90 % of Canada’s current exports. This will give Canadian agricultural products preferential access to the South Korean market, placing them on a level playing field with South Korea’s current trade partners, such as the US and the European Union. “Grain Growers’ members strongly support an aggressive free trade agenda, and we commend the work of the Federal Government in negotiating this historic agreement,” said Matt Sawyer, Chair of the Grain Growers Trade and Marketing Committee. “Gaining access to the extensive and growing South Korean markets will mean economic certainty for many years to come.” Canola farmers will also benefit from improved access to the growing South Korean consumer market. “Farmers have been waiting anxiously to capitalize on CKFTA’s opportunities. Cana-
dian canola products, including seed and oil, will now be on similar tariff terms with our oilseed competitors including the US and Australia,” said Brett Halstead, President of Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA). Under the CKFTA, South Korea will eliminate the 5 % tariff applied to canola seed. It will also see tariffs on refined canola oil and crude oil tariffs removed within three and seven years, respectively. Today, South Korea imports of Canadian canola seed and oil are valued at $60-90 million annually. “Under the agreement, those export numbers could grow substantially,” said Rick White, CEO of CCGA. “It’s also encouraging to see Canada’s first free trade agreement in the Asia-Pacific region, with other trade files including the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Canada-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement still under negotiation. These agreements will improve market access even further for our farmers.” Tabled in the Canadian Parliament in June, the final text of the agreement between Canada and the Republic of Korea was signed in September by Prime Minister Harper and Korean President Park Geun-Hye. Bill C-41 was introduced in September and cleared both the House of Commons and Senate quickly with strong support by all parties.
Insurance Program Locks in Price By Les Kletke Jason Dobbin knows that these are good times in the beef industry and after a decade of difficult times producers want to be in a position to take advantage of the highs in the market. That means additional risk and the potential to wait past the peak in market prices. Dobbin is with Manitoba Agriculture Services Corporation based in Portage la Prairie and was on hand at the Manitoba Forage and Livestock Symposium to explain the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program. “It allows you to lock in a floor price and guarantee yourself a level of return but still take advantage of an upside in the market,” said Dobbin who is the Coordinator of the Livestock Price Insurance Program. He acknowledged that there is a cost to the insurance but said that it is a reasonable price to pay for the removal of risk in marketing animals. “You are not insuring the price of your individual animals,” he said. “You are insuring the amount of cattle you will be selling and the program is based on the price at the time that you market your cattle.” Producers can choose their range of coverage and policy options to help them manage the price risk. The program funding is through Growing Forward 2 and gives producers in western Canada access to a risk management tool in case of market volatility. He said that while prices are currently high this is a time the program is most needed to help cover losses should a drop in prices occur. Most of the producers in the audience agreed that prices would fall eventually. “Prices drop,” said Dobbin. “You only need to look at what grain prices did last year, what oil prices are doing now and you can see the potential is there. Cattle prices might stay strong for three years but we know that it will not last forever.” Dobbin said the program is set up to allow producers a quick turn around when a payout is coming and prices are based on local auction mart prices around the province. “You can give it a try and get familiar with the program,” he said. “You do need a computer and an email address to enrol but if you don’t have that we will set something up that will allow you into the program and have someone act on your behalf.”
CropConnect Conference The CropConnect Conference is scheduled to take place on February 17 and 18, 2015 at the Victoria Inn Hotel and Convention Centre in Winnipeg hosted by Manitoba Canola Growers Association, Manitoba Corn Growers Association, Manitoba Flax Growers Association, Manitoba Pulse Growers Association, the National Sunflower Association of Canada and Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association. For more information go to cropconnectconference.ca.
The Agri Post
Farm Life Comes to the Zoo By Les Kletke The Assiniboine Park Zoo is going to get a taste of agriculture with a view of days gone by. In a recent announcement, the zoo will get a Heavy Horse facility as a part of its remodelling plans. Ray McFeetors has stepped forward and committed a considerable part of the funding for a project with a million dollars. Great West Life where he served as CEO
before his retirement has committed another $250,000 to the project. The barn and surrounding paddocks will be home to a team of Percheron horses that will be used for wagon rides in summer and sleigh rides in winter. The breed was chosen because of its size and temperament. He stated it was not his first choice. “I would have preferred Clydesdales, but there are reasons for the
“...this is a way to make sure that they are remembered and people get to see the animals that made such a great contribution to this country.” Percherons and we will likely have a Clyde and foal visit in the summer.” He said plans are not yet complete but expectations are that the facility will be similar to what American theme parks have. “It will be a top quality facility where the animals can
Ag Minister Says Canadian Agriculture Looks Bright By Harry Siemens In a year end interview, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said he thinks producers would agree with him, the future looks bright for Canadian farmers and agriculture as a whole. “We have growing middle classes in China, in India, both are big buyers of Canadian produce and we certainly want to take advantage of that,” said Ritz. “We’re seeing a lot more potential like markets in Korea with the free trade agreement coming into force on January 1, 2015. And of course the Japanese market is constantly a good spot for Canadian producers to park some product.” Q: AgriPost - Whether the new CWB or the old, defunct, dethroned Canadian Wheat Board whose wheels fell off, is up for discussion again. Some people seem to have an endless supply of money wanting to go back to the Supreme Court, and people are telling you Mr. Minister to make some decisions. Where are we at right now with the ‘new’ CWB? A: Minister Gerry Ritz: As you know, the ‘new’ CWB is actively courting looking for a partner that will help them capitalize, continue to increase their footprint across Canada, not just western Canada any more. They’ve purchased export capacity through Thunder Bay and down through the St. Lawrence Seaway and into Quebec. They’ve also put together a package to see their footprint increase with their own catchments throughout western Canada. Four new builds on the map, two of them the concrete is rising. They’ve bought two existing terminals with some shortline rail capacity. They are as I said looking for a partner with capacity. All of the tenders, certainly not a political process, the CWB is driving this themselves with the help of an internationally accredited accounting firm and a legal team to make sure that each offer is adjudicated what’s in the best interests of farmers moving forward. Q: AgriPost - I like the term partner where on the one hand you say farmers can put money into the trust and then of course others are saying I’m not putting money in if it just goes to a multinational and they get it for nothing. A: Minister Gerry Ritz - No one has ever said they will get anything for nothing. There is value to the CWB as they grow their footprint. The assets they brought forward under the old CWB were heavily leveraged. As you know, the rail cars are approaching some 40 years of age and require lots of maintenance at that age. They don’t run forever. That is why court after court is finding that the assets are still there, they are still in play for western Canadians and all Canadian farmers now. That is why the rulings favour the directions we’ve taken and against the Alliance and the Friends of the CWB who keep bringing these court actions forward. Q: AgriPost - Why not make some of this a bit more transparent? A: Minister Gerry Ritz - It is possible, but it is up to the CWB as they seek moving towards a private sector component to hold it in house. You don’t see the bottom lines of competitors. They give you certain indications and direction of how things are going for their shareholders, but at the end of the day, the CWB has the right to withhold commercially sensitive material. So when you see groups like FNA come forward, while wanting to be a part of the future of the CWB, an admirable request, it was ruled inadequate by the group the CWB put together to adjudicate these applications. Q: AgriPost - Is supply management safe? A: Minister Gerry Ritz – We’ve been able to do that and deliver good trade for the trade file. Our supply management is not a closed shop as such either. On the poultry side, about $400 million dollars is traded out of Canada, while on the dairy side, 100-120 million dollars worth of processed dairy products comes into this country. We were able to complete the Canada European Free Trade agreement and maintain the strong pillars of the supply managed system. That was our first foray into maintaining our supply managed system while signing a very comprehensive free trade agreement. We use that as the model as we move forward on the multilateral and bilateral trade agreements.
be showcased in great surroundings,” said McFeetors. When asked why would someone not involved in agriculture step forward to fund the project he replied, “I grew up in Holland [Manitoba] and always remember the horses and going out to farms. So this is a way to make sure that they are remembered and people get to see the animals that made such a great contribution to this country,” he said. McFeetors recounts a milkman in Holland making daily deliveries with his horse and wagon in summer and sleigh in winter. “I remember holding on the back of the sleigh and sliding along the street,” he said with a chuckle. “I guess it was our version of bumper shining. I don’t think that will happen in the park but it was a lot of fun for us as kids.” McFeetors hopes to get a turn at the reins as well. “I don’t think I could handle a 6 horse hitch but I would really like to try a team,” he said.
December 29, 2014
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Beef continued... Continued from page 1 Many in the room agreed that current high prices will not last forever, it was best to be prepared for the time prices slide, and marketing becomes more of an issue. “We get people questioning the price but when they do a side by side comparison they are usually willing to pay a premium for our beef,” said Tkachyk also adding that many of his customers are repeat. His grass-fed operation is not something that is easy to enter and leave since he has spent time acquiring the proper genetics for his operation. When questioned about breeds he said that any breed could work in the grass feed system. “It is more about the individual animal and the genetics are available in any breed to provide an animal that will work on grass,” he said. His concern is with the purebred industry pushing animals for bull sales. “The purebred industry pushes those young animals on a hot ration to get them to a certain size as quickly as possible and that is not a true rating of the ani-
mal or how it will work in a grass fed system,” he said. He selects for smaller animals that will produce a good size calf. “I want my cows to be about 1,200 lbs when they are mature and my bulls to be about 1,800. They don’t have to give me the biggest calf but I want a healthy calf that can survive without a lot of attention.” He finds that large cows cost more to maintain and break down sooner, “They may give you more pounds of calf at birth but long term in the herd they are not a good investment.”
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December 29, 2014
The Agri Post
Producer Involvement Needed Before Enacting Amendment to Canada Grain Act Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) views the option for a fund-based model of producer payment security introduced through Bill C-48 as a step in the right direction to addressing the problems with the current system but stresses that farmer involvement and oversight is required to ensure such a fund serves the needs of producers. Under the proposed amendments to the Canada Grain Act introduced recently, a fund can be created by the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) to provide compensation to farmers if grain buyers default on payments for grain purchased. This fund could replace the current bonding system the CGC has in place, and is an alternative to the insurance-based option the CGC has explored. “We are pleased the Federal Government moved so quickly after negotiations failed on an insurance-based option,” said KAP President Doug Chorney. “KAP is eager to work with CGC, as well as other stakeholders, to develop a fund-based system that is comprehensive and transparent.” The federal government has indicated money for the potential fund would not come directly from farm sales in the form of a check-off. It would instead be paid by licensed purchasers and typically included in the basis [price] they offer to farmers. This is something that Rob Brunel, Chair of KAP’s Grains, Oilseeds and Pulses Committee, is not entirely comfortable with as a method. He told members of the committee who met today that a direct check-off to farmers to create and maintain the fund would be more transparent than collecting money from grain buyers who will pass the cost onto farmers. “As a solution to this, I strongly advocate that the rates the CGC would charge grain buyers is made public, so farmers can calculate what basis they’re getting before the rate is added on,” he said. Brunel also called for the establishment of an advisory board, with farmer representation, that would oversee the fund to ensure both transparency in management and responsiveness to changes in the grain industry. Chorney said another important point is the inclusion of feed mills in the program. “The current bonding system does not include feed mills, and those selling to feed mills are very vulnerable. When a major feed mill filed for creditor protection several years ago, Manitoba farmers lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, so you can see it’s imperative these sellers are protected,” Chorney said. KAP urges the federal government to hold in-depth consultations with farm groups and work with them to develop the mechanisms of the fund.
Manitoba Dairy Farmers Now Have a Credit Exchange Program By Harry Siemens Dairy producers in Manitoba can now exchange unused production credits instead of moving cows from farm to farm, if they meet the right criteria says Rosser dairy farmer Henry Holtmann and Vice-Chairman of the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba (DFM). The first transactions under the new credit exchange for unused credits was scheduled to happen on the Dec 20, 2014, and on the 20th of every month, if it falls on a business day. DFM received its approval in November, and the office notified producers in early December they could put in bids to sell and buy unused production credits. Once the bids all come in, the calculations are made and wherever the volumes match, this determines the price and who is successful in selling and buying. Dairy farmers can use it retroactively in the current month. For instance, if a dairy farm is getting to the point of producing too much milk, it can buy another dairy farmer’s underproduction bids to make sure the milk producing is covered and in quota, he added. For many years, to keep the
milk supply close to the demand across Canada, the provincial milk marketing board would implement significant penalties for over or under production. “The quota credit exchange program allows producers to trade their underproduction and overproduction credits with other dairy farmers,” said Holtmann. “In Manitoba, producers can a have a range of 20 days of flexibility to fall behind on the quota. A producer’s quota is based at day zero. He can fall below his quota by an equivalent of 20 full production days without losing the right to refill those underproduction days.” Holtmann said when a producer has a bump in production they can go right back to zero giving them lots of flexibility in the different seasons. “On some farms now what they can do is actually trade with production credits on a public exchange,” said Holtmann. “Then farmers who have already filled their production quota, come to the end of their production days and still have a flush of cows coming, they can then buy those production credits and cover that rise of milk production on the farm.” In some cases, a dairy farmer
will pull out all stops to make sure they fill every litre of milk in their quota and there is nothing wrong with doing that, he said. “But sometimes you go over and there is no monetary value in the milk when you go over,” he said. This will allow them to manage production because the tool is quick and a dairy farmer can review production in the middle of the month to see where it’s going. “Maybe your butterfat is off, or your milk production is off, and I don’t have enough room to make it to the end of the month so should I buy some under production credits and cover that off ,” said Holtmann. “The milk they produce is a credit transfer from farm to farm and the producer gets the same price for the milk, and the value of the milk remains the same.” There is a cost to buy the production credit that can range anywhere from 2 to 5 dollars and all the way up to 12 and 15 dollars per kilogram. Holtmann looks forward to using it on his farm as a great tool and it is much safer to move credits on paper from farm to farm rather than move cows back and forth especially because of the greater emphasis on biosecurity.
The Agri Post
December 29, 2014
The Hog Carcass Competition is Win-Win for Everyone By Harry Siemens There was a time where the hog carcass competition during hog and poultry days alternating between Brandon and Winnipeg, was not considered important to the industry, as it has been most recently. This year, changing the name from Hog and Poultry Days to the Prairie Livestock Expo and into brand new venue saw thousands of farmers and suppliers take in the one-day event that filled up the hall for the announcement of the carcass winners. Aspenheim Colony of Bagot, Manitoba claimed the top award at the 2014 Pork Quality Competition held in conjunction with PLE in Winnipeg on Dec 14, which attracted 36 entries from farms across the province. Wellwood Colony Farms of Ninette received the reserve champion carcass prize, and Glenway Colony Farms of Dominion City claimed third. The event, in support of local, national and international charities chosen by the winners and local food banks, brings together pork producers to highlight their products.
Jason Care, the ManagerAuditor of Manitoba Hog Grading and one of the event judges, said they have designed the criteria for the competition to reflect what the processors are looking for. That is why the competition is important to the producers and to the industry as a whole. “A lot of those who enter into the competition ship to the processors, whether it’s Maple Leaf or Hylife or the other provincial abattoirs,” said Care. “They set up this competition to what they would call the best pork marketable in Manitoba so the guidelines are set to follow it on that basis. It’s a judging of the loin, the back fat, the belly, the colour of it, so it’s all levels that they set the criteria and that’s what we move forward with.” He stated the biggest one is usually the loin, basing the winner on the marbling because it is not very common to have a lot of marbling in pork. “In this competition when you look at these loins you see this increased marbling and that comes down to the genetics that we have here in Manitoba which the processors are really looking forward to,” said Care.
The hog competition judge said all 9,000 pounds of pork from the producers would be donated to local food banks and the just over $21,000 in prize money would be shared amongst the charities chosen by the winners. Kenny Kleinsasser, the hog boss on the Aspenheim Colony and holder of last year’s grand champion carcass said it is a big thing for the hog industry and a win-win for everyone because all the money and the carcasses go to charity. “It is just a great feeling to be able to win the number one carcass. It is almost indescribable,” said Kleinsasser who runs a 500sow, farrow to finish operation. “We ship about 14,000 pigs a year to Maple Leaf Foods at Brandon using Danbred DNA Genetics.” Kleinsasser said there is hardly any extra preparation for this competition. “Not much really. We did a little bit of scaling, and a little bit of sorting to make sure our weight was right,” he said. “Then we selected ten pigs and bring that number down to two for slaughter to enter those carcasses in the competition.”
un-COOL Appeal The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) is disappointed that the US appealed the World Trade Organization (WTO) Compliance Panel ruling of October 20, which found that the U.S. had failed to bring its Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) program into compliance with its WTO obligations. While the appeal was expected, it is the US’s final procedural option before Canada can exercise its right to retaliate, and the CCA remains focused on eliminating the unfair discrimination on US imports of cattle and hogs. CCA President Dave Solverson said the move by the US just means a little longer wait for the U.S. mandatory COOL battle to be over. “When the WTO Compliance Panel released its decision on October 20, it was the third time the WTO has found the US has failed to meet its international trade obligations,” Solverson said. “Moreover, the compliance panel report made it crystal clear that it is the US COOL legislation that is causing discrimination against imports of live cattle and hogs in the U.S. marketplace. This is a stall
tactic by the US for sure, but one that can only end with the US making an appropriate resolution to COOL that is acceptable to Canada and Mexico in order to avoid retaliation.” At this stage, the CCA is interested in the right fix as opposed to a fast fix, Solverson added. In a joint statement, Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food said, “Canada fully expected the United States to live up to its international trade obligations and comply with the WTO ruling, which reaffirms Canada’s long-standing view that the revised US COOL measure is blatantly protectionist and fails to comply with the WTO’s original ruling against it.” Further they wrote, “With this delay, the United States is yet again preventing both of our countries from enjoying the benefits of freer and more open trade and is hurting farmers, ranchers and workers in the United States and Canada. We are confident that the WTO Appellate Body in the compliance process will uphold the principal finding of the report: that the amended U.S. COOL mea-
sure discriminates against Canadian livestock. That finding marks another clear victory for Canada and recognizes the integrated nature of the North American supply chain. Our government will always stand with our farmers and ranchers, and we will take whatever steps may be necessary, including retaliation, to achieve a fair resolution.” Canada will be in a position to request WTO authority to retaliate once a decision on this appeal is received. This process is expected to take several months with a decision perhaps as early as the spring of 2015. The impact of COOL on the combined Canadian cattle and hog sectors was estimated in 2012 to be about $1.1 billion per year; however, the impact has increased since the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) amended the regulation in 2013. The CCA will continue to work with the Government of Canada on the COOL file until it is fully resolved, including preparing to impose tariffs on U.S. exports selected from the list of targeted commodities, including beef.
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Forage Seed Conference
The Aspenheim Colony of Bagot, Manitoba takes the grand champion trophy at the 2014 Hog Carcass competition during the one-day Prairie Livestock Expo. The Wellwood Colony Farms of Ninette received the reserve champion carcass prize and Glenway Colony Farms of Dominion City claimed third honours.
The Manitoba Forage Seed Association Annual Conference will be happening on January 11 and 12 at the Victoria Inn, Winnipeg. The conference promises the most up to date, leading edge information in regards to forage seed agronomy or marketing. For a more detailed agenda contact the Manitoba Forage Seed Association Office at 204-376-3309 or go to forageseed.net.
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December 29, 2014
The Agri Post
Tough Times Don ough Decisions Do Don’t’t Last, TTough It is that time of year, one calendar ending and another about to begin. We are set upon to make the resolutions that we have been putting off for the past couple of months. Oh, how have things changed from back when I started to attend farmer meetings. The chairs were set with ashtrays, yes people used to smoke inside. Now there are not even enough smokers to make it a trendy resolution, and the industry has gone its way in southern Ontario, to be replaced by something else. The resolution to lose some weight and get into better shape is still trendy but really is that going to happen? Not too likely. We have come through a relatively good period in our industry, the red meat sector is facing some good times after a decade of struggles and the grain sector is fighting with the railway. So it is good to know there are some constants in our business. Tough times have come and gone, as well as some of the people in our industry but the ones who remain are indeed experienced. What have kept them here are tough decisions they have made. The decisions that are not easy and often avoided but need to be done. Succession planning has become a popular topic at farmer meetings. I am rating it a solid number 2 behind only insurance programs. From the meetings I have attended this year the only thing that you cannot insure is the cost of your insurance and I am sure that someone from that industry is working on it. That is my prediction for 2015 watch for insurance of your insurance costs. This past month I heard a fellow from Montana talk about his business of consulting with ranchers. That is a tough job. Imagine going to a ranch, and telling a rancher what to do and then asking him to pay you. I didn’t ask if he was a Navy Seal in a previous career but this falls in that ‘the difficult we do right away, the impossible takes a little longer’ category. Roland Kroos makes a living making tough calls but chooses to help people stay in business. He said a few things that helped as well. It might have been easier to quit smoking, it might be easier to lose weight, but it is time to take careful stock of the operation and eliminate the things that aren’t making money and concentrate on the ones that are. Then the next step is deciding how to turn it over to the next generation. Wow, there is a lot to do in 2015. Happy New Year.
Who is PPaying aying and Who Gets What? It just doesn’t go away, but maybe it will and maybe it won’t, at this point, I really think no one knows for sure. On the one hand, the new CWB is working hard together with government I believe at getting it ready for sale, or a quiet takeover by some multinational grain company, not yet in the business of moving grain from farmers’ yards to export position and to the final market destination. Here is one tricky issue. Should the CWB sell for a sum, Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board could say it has real value and who gets to keep the cash. On the other hand, if it goes for nothing, complaints from pro-monopoly people living in the past will complain until the cows come home, or when the dust settles. Here’s the kicker. A group of farmers who wanted to keep their precious monopoly over wheat and malt barley sales has formally applied for leave to have its class-action lawsuit heard in the Supreme Court of Canada. Question: Where is this group of farmers getting the cash to pay the lawyers and travel, travel, travel. The group said last November it would be filing a request for leave to appeal its case to the Supreme Court, and on December 15, 2014, they did so. In December 2013, a Federal Court judge denied most of the group’s $17-billion class-action claim, which seeks financial compensation for things such as loss of goodwill and assets the group claims were expropriated when the federal government took away the board’s single-desk monopoly. But the Federal Court of Appeal gave the group the green light to proceed with the parts of the lawsuit based on its claim of a misallocation of CWB Pool account funds dur-
Tak olitics Out of akee PPolitics Agriculture
Penners Points by Rolf Penner
rolfpenner@agripost.ca As a political system, democracy is, of course, far preferable to dictatorship. But a voluntary society – one in which the total effect of politics on our lives is minimized – trumps both of those concepts easily. Far too many people treat political processes as sacred. They shouldn’t. No one gets any more ethical or smarter the second they step into a voting both. As John Stossel said in a recent op-ed, “If anything, the decisions we make there are more ignorant and reckless than the ones we make when buying a car.” A new poll conducted by Ipsos MORI backs up his statement. The company did a survey in 14 different countries to see how closely voters’ perceptions on particular issues actually lined up with reality. Italians did the worst, with Americans coming in second last. Swedes did the best, while Canada ranked number eight out of fourteen. The questions asked had to do with how old one believes the population to be, how many Christians and Muslims live in one’s country, rates of unemployment, teenage pregnancy and murder, the numbers on immigration and voter turnout in elections. And a number of other such items of general knowledge. While some countries did better than others, in the end none of them did spectacularly well. One reporter for the Huffington Post UK summed up the results this way, “Everyone is wrong about almost everything.” This doesn’t bode well for the overall democratic process. It means that politicians cater more and more to the perceptions of voters with low or poor levels of information, rather than accurate real-world data. None of this is particularly good news for farmers in general or agriculture as a whole. As a very small percentage of the population, our votes really don’t count for much. Break the industry down into all of the various specialties – grains, oilseeds, hogs, cattle, dairy, greenhouses, etc. – and that voice is even more fragmented. So the more the process of food production is politicized, the more it becomes subject to the ever-changing whims of people who have little to no knowledge on how any of it really works, and no incentive to find out. In a November article titled, “Too Dumb for Democracy,” a long-time economics magazine called The Freeman points out that, “Ignorance, like knowledge, tends to be specialized. We all know highly educated people who haven’t a clue how prices and wages work.” The writer goes on to say that, “The problem isn’t that Americans (and Italians, and voters in every country) are ‘wrong about almost everything’. The problem is that they’re being asked to make decisions outside those fields in which they have plenty of knowledge.” This is where some people jump in and say we need to put “experts” in charge, who really know what’s going on. But that doesn’t work either. Agriculture is far too complex and far too dynamic for any base of centralized knowledge to know what works best for every farm all the time. It’s like asking someone who doesn’t know how many people are in your family, or what’s in your fridge and cupboards, to go grocery shopping for you. What works best is the kind of spontaneous order that emerges from voluntary relationships. As The Freeman article says, this has the, “Means of directing specialized knowledge to the benefit of the general welfare while minimizing the consequences of our ignorance,” and that “The solution to our irreparable ignorance is simple; we need less government policy and more voluntary interaction.” Entertainer and outspoken libertarian Penn Jillette has a less eloquent, but relevant take on the subject. “Democracy without respect for individual rights sucks. It’s just ganging up against the weird kid, and I’m always the weird kid.” Indeed, and to the rest of the world so is agriculture. That means it works better if, as far as possible, we take politics out of it. ing the board’s transition away from a mandatory marketing organization. So when you are already talking about alleged $17 billion losses – why not toss in another 5 billion? That it seems is the latest strategy from former NFU President and lead hand for the group trying to sue Ottawa over revocation of the CWB monopoly. Stewart Wells says on top of the $17 billion loss through CWB business ventures, “hard assets” and the elusive “contingency fund” another $5 billion is now owed farmers. To some – this on-going campaign and continuous hand wringing over the former CWB monopoly position, appears to be a waste of time and money. And they may be correct. However, lest anyone think it’s a slam-dunk that Stewart Wells and the “Friends” will lose this case – we think they should consider two words – Anders Bruun. Those like me who have heard and even participated ad nauseum in these wheat board monopoly discussions may recall that back in the nineties – there were a few months of glorious marketing freedom called the “ dual barley market” – when people went crazy with contracts to move barley into the US market without the blessings of the CWB. Insiders know that as legal counsel for Manitoba Pool Elevators of the day, Anders Bruun successfully quarterbacked the legal decision, which scuttled aforementioned dual market. Is he good enough and smart enough to turn around the federally mandated “marketing freedom” era put in place August 2012? Yes, he may well be. My other question is where is barley today? The only concern I have is whether the feds will take this seriously enough to present their case if it comes to that. Under former CWB minister Chuck Strahl, they lost because they didn’t take it seriously. Under Ag Minister Gerry Ritz, they did and won. I have some real concerns that those farmers who fought hard for this to happen, think they will always have their cake and eat it too. Case in point - CWB supporters in Saskatchewan run the newly elected cereals committee and got on their almost by default. It might make for interesting bedfellows should this go to the Supreme Court and maybe it would open up some things that people don’t want to see.
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The New CWB is Serious and Moving Forward By Harry Siemens The new CWB is conditionally sold but the deal to grow a new future for the Canadian Wheat Board is still a work in progress. President and CEO Ian White said the sale of the 143,000square- foot, eight-storey head office at 423 Main St. in Winnipeg would close around the end of January or early February. The deal specifies that the board will lease two floors of office space, up from the one floor it currently occupies. “It is conditionally sold saying they aren’t in the business owning property and lease out to others,” said White in an interview. “We had the building on the market for a couple of years and this is the best offer we could find. We are very fortunate in this, although we won’t recoup all the value we have on the books; there is a small difference and as part of the transition, the government agreed to reimburse the difference.” White said they are serious at growing the business and continuing to serve the farmer. “That’s our aim. As part of our future plans we have a farmer equity plan, really the value of the CWB today,” he said. “Whatever that value is by and large, part of our plan is to provide that to farmers in a future equity plan as they do business with us, they start to get equity metered out over a number of years.” The CWB’s current program will allow farmers to obtain $5 in equity for every tonne of grain delivered against a 2013-14 or 2014-15 CWB contract. When asked how the farmers are responding to whom they are actually doing business with, White said there was a period where farmers dealt with the CWB through other companies. “Through our handling partners, farmers have had some
NDP Government Stoops to Desperate New Low Dear Editor: While Manitobans turn their focus to friends, home and family this holiday season, the NDP is using a cabinet order to attack rural families. In a closed door meeting, the NDP ordered Manitoba Hydro to stuff landowners’ stockings with expropriation orders to seize land that, in many cases, has been part of a family farm for generations. All Manitoba homeowners should be alarmed at the NDP Government’s reckless disregard for property rights and due process. By unilaterally stripping landowners of their private property this holiday season, the self-serving NDP Government has reminded Manitoba families, yet again, the NDP believes it can impose massive tax hikes or seize private property whenever they see fit to do so. For months the NDP Government denied farmers their right to bargain collectively to protect their property from the BiPole III boondoggle. The NDP Government has now hijacked the process to punish rural families for standing up for their rights as Manitobans. By resorting to the extreme step of expropriation the NDP has signaled its willingness to sacrifice not only the prosperity of farmers but the property rights of all Manitobans. MLA Blaine Pedersen MLA Ralph Eichler
Not on Same Page Dear Editor: A couple of weeks ago the Harper government gave multinational seed companies more power and RIGHTS. These new rights are enshrined inside the legislation. At the same time, the Harper government allowed farmers a narrowly defined PRIVILEGE to replant some of their seeds. But this privilege is not enshrined - it can be limited or withdrawn by regulations, which can be created by the Minister at any time he sees fit. So, seed companies get more RIGHTS. Farmers get a temporary PRIVILEGE and another knife in the back from the Harper government. Yours truly, Ron Watson Lancer, SK
good experiences with that, and then not so good experiences,” he said. “We always knew that over time, that would be a limiting factor for the CWB.” White said that by buying the Great SandHills Terminal at Leader, Saskatchewan, Prairie West Terminals that owns three facilities, and building four of their own elevators, they started to see a different attitude from farmers. “Farmers by and large are welcoming us, as they look at an increased competitive position on the Prairies and seeing the CWB put money into high quality, high speed facilities that will take and ship their grain quickly. There is a lot of interest from that perspective,” he said. When asked about Agricultural Minister Gerry Ritz’s rejection of the offer from Farmers of North America, White said the minister explained it and in his view, he saw no issues. “We have a set of criteria, and those are
fairly extensive, we need a company that has the necessary capital, not just for today, but for the future of the business and to be able to take that business forward into the larger agribusiness world,” said White. “And to be able to provide a world class element hooked into the rest of the world, in much greater ways than the CWB is doing right now.” He said the goal is to put together a network of assets, both at port and in the country. The experience in the port infrastructure side of things from their perspective is very important he said. “The new CWB wants a partner company where together we can provide a real competitive alternative and not just merged and/or absorbed,” said White. “From our perspective we want to create a real alternative competitive force on the Prairies for farmers. From that perspective we will choose a partner that can help us do that.”
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Water Important for Good Milk Production in Winter Months Once the threat of heat stress is over and autumn quickly turns into a long Canadian winter, we tend to forget that water is still important for the health and performance of high milk producing dairy cows. After all, water makes up 65% of their bodies and milk is 87.5% water. Therefore, producers should make a conscious effort that all water troughs and other waterers provide enough high quality drinking water to dairy cows on the milk-line. Leave it to Mother Nature that says there is absolutely no substitute for good drinking water for dairy cows in winter. She dictates that a mature dairy cow must drink a lot of water, which provides about 90% of the cow’s overall water requirements for vital functions as well as supports good milk production, while a small remainder comes from moisture found in her lactation diet. Although, this actual amount of water depends on the dairy cow’s age, health status, body size and milk production water consumption for most milk cows during a typical lactation cycle can be estimated with relative accuracy in two major ways: (1) provide 4 – 5 litres of water for every 1.0 kilo of dry matter feed consumed or (2) provide 3 – 3.5 litres of water for every litre of milk produced. Reported university observations have shown that dairy cows spend approximately 6 – 8 hours per day at the feed bunk, yet spend a nominal total of 20 – 30 minutes per day drinking water. They also demonstrated that most dairy cows prefer to do the majority of their drinking time, right after exiting the milking parlor. Cows have been shown to consume about 50 – 60% of their daily water intake within an hour after each milking. These facts highlight that good design and placement of any water system should be setup to help optimize water consumption by the lactating dairy herd. For example in a free-stall loafing barn, it is recommended that at least two feet of trough space be provided per 20 cows and at a height of about 24 – 30 inches off the floor. The tank should also have enough depth that allows cows to submerge their muzzles by a couple of inches. Furthermore, a free-stall trough should be placed near the milking parlor exit and within 20 metres of the feed bunk or at the crossalleys in the barn. Tanks should also have a
Horses Can Be Healthy Choices Little Aislynee Coulthard was thrilled to pet a real live horse named ‘When’ belonging to Mable Elliott at Agribition. Elliott is an internationally licensed Teacher of Psychosomatic Therapy teaching compassionate choices with Horse Sense and Cowgirl Logic and makes her home at Langham, Saskatchewan.
Photo By Joan Airey
recovery fill-rate of about 30 to 40 litres per minute. Since most troughs are metal (plastic ones are becoming popular), each tank should be regularly checked to be guaranteed free of stray-voltage. Regardless of accessibility, drinking water for lactating dairy cows must be high quality and good tasting. Consequently, here are a few familiar parameters that determine water quality for dairy cattle: - Total Dissolved Solids (TDS): TDS provides an overall evaluation of water quality in a single index. Salinity makes up a large part of TDS. TDS of less than 3,000 mg/ml is considered safe. - Water pH: Water should fall within a pH of 6.5 – 8.5 for cattle. Values outside these limits cause reduced feed intakes and interfere with feed digestion. - Mineral concentrations: Sulphates and trace minerals such as copper and iron are suspect to either bind nutrients or compete with them for specific absorptive sites in the gut, thereby increasing the cows’ nutrient requirements for essential nutrients. - Bacteria contamination: Even cold water near its freezing point can teem with bacteria. Pathogenic E.Coli (causes disease), coliform bacteria (including fecal) and salmonella counts should be zero. - Algae and feed contamination: Algae growth and decaying feed (black sludge) are a common phenomenon even during winter. On occasion, shut off the water, empty the water from the trough and scrub it down with a mild chlorine solution. Given these water quality parameters, water samples from incoming sources should be taken on a seasonal basis (including wintertime) to determine its quality entering the dairy barn. Proper sample bottles and procedures for collecting water samples should be obtained and sent away and tested for the above TDS, pH, mineral and bacteria contamination. Once, the analysis is completed and reviewed, appropriate action can be taken if water quality problems are identified. Even if no water quality problems are discovered a typical water analysis sheet is written confirmation that a clean source of water is available for your dairy herd. On the same farm, a thawed-out water line is practical experience that water is still important to lactating dairy cows in the wintertime and only beneficial when they are able to drink it.
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Great Traceability Says Seed Grower By Harry Siemens Any audit can produce sweaty palms and tension headaches but the seed audit for seed grower and retailer Simon Ellis of Ellis Farm Supplies Ltd., a seed and agri-service business in Wawanesa it was well worth his while. To maintain certification the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) sends out a third party inspector every few years to inspect his retail seed growing operation and audits the seed growing and sale records. “Proper record keeping of seed and sample tags, keeping samples of all of the seed grown and processed at our location and anything we sell,” said Simon on the scope of the audit. “So that if in the future an issue arises, we have the proper documentation and proper samples to prove what we have on hand and what we said it was.” While the actual inspection, may take three to four hours, or a morning in Simon’s case, the preparation and paper work happens all year. “We keep all our samples for about two years and after that we can dispose of them,” he said. “For every lot of seed that goes off this yard we have to keep a sample as well as a sample of everything we grow. It sounds like it could be a lot
of seed but actually lots can range in size from 50 bushels all the way up to 50,000 or more and onward.” By the end of the day, the samples he keeps are dependent on the variety and amount of seed lots Ellis Seeds sells. Individual seed samples weigh about 4.5 kg on his seed farm, while CFIA requires them to be 2 kg. In his short time, selling seed there have been no real issues, but back in his dad’s time, they had to go back to a sample here and there. “Just to make sure; everything turned out alright,” said Ellis. “I’ve heard of where in some other cases, seed mixture got into a seed lot and they’ve had to go back to their samples, find the sample and prove what actually happened.” This young farmer and seed grower thinks it is another great traceability system in Canadian agriculture. “It is a great tool for retail seed people. Absolutely,” he said. “It is a very good tool and limits our liability and increases the traceability of seed sold from our location. This is one of the side benefits farmers get when they buy certified seed, the knowledge and traceability, knowing exactly where all their seed comes from.” To become a certified seed grower, a seed grower must apply to the CFIA through the Canadian Seed Institute,
and take a grading course to actually apply grades to seed. Growers also, take an operator’s course and other training to become a seed retailer in order to grade, store and sell retail seed off
“Where earlier, it took a lot grunt work and even more hand paperwork, computers and iPads and things like that limits the paper, but the actual work
is still there,” said Simon. “It also needs doing on time as not to miss anything that can come back to bite the grower in the backside later on.”
Purebred Cattle Prices on the Up Swing in Manitoba
Helge By opens No Borders Sale in Virden on December 9. Warm weather brought buyers out and sales management was busy taking bids via phone from across Canada. Photo by Joan Airey
By Joan Airey
Simon Ellis of Ellis Farm Supplies of Wawanesa said the seed certification system is another great traceability system in Canadian agriculture.
the farm. Depending on the degree of infraction, the consequences can be either an order to improve by the next inspection or a licence suspension in extreme cases.
Sixty-one lots were sold and grossed $295,650 with an average sale price of $4,846 during the Manitoba Keystone Classic held on December 6 in Brandon Sale results included17 Black Angus Heifer Calves at an average of $3,952.94, 17 Black Angus Bred Heifers that averaged $6,602.94, 16 Red Angus Calves averaging $3,609.38 and 11 Red Angus Bred Heifers averaging $5,313.64. The highest selling Black Bred heifer was Brookmore Disy 116A purchased by Cor Vet Cattle Co. of Melita for $14,000. Cor Vet Cattle Co. also picked up the highest selling Black Heifer calf, HBH Karama 409Bfor $8,000. A
Red Bred heifer, Red Mar Mac Ruby Lee 59A, was purchased by Nu-Horizon genetics of Lipton, Saskatchewan for $8,000 and the high selling Red Heifer Calf was Red Fraser Heather 460B that was purchased by Kenray Ranch Redvers, Saskatchewan for $5,500. The No Borders Purebred Charolais Sale held in Virden in December saw 49 lots sold and grossed $293,100 with an average price of $5,982. The sale included a Cow/Calf pair, which sold for $6,800, 2 bred cows averaged $10,500, 38 bred heifers averaged $5,886, 7 heifer calves averaged $4,879 and 1 Flush sold for $7,500. The highest selling bred cow was High Bluff Esperenza 7X that sold for $13,000 to Pro-Char Charolais. Glenevis, Alberta. The highest selling bred heifer
was Steppler Miss 264A sold for $10,200 to A. Sparrow Farms, Vanscoy, Saskatchewan and the highest selling heifer calf, SCF Bella 223B, sold for $8,600 to Silver Lake Farms, Cartwright, MB. The 36th Annual Keystone Simmental Association Sale was held on December 9 with an enthusiastic crowd of Simmental cattlemen in attendance. The day started with the Sim Acta heifer calf show. Winners were Mar Mac Farms in 1st place, Broken Oak 2nd and 10 Workman Farms placed 3rd. Three bulls sold for a total of $23,600, averaging $7,867 each, 16 heifer calves were sold for a total of $55,550, averaging $3,472
and 22 breds sold for a total of $105,400, averaging $4,791 each. The sale saw 41 lots going for $184,550. The highest selling bull was Cherry Creek Richview 28A that sold for $12,750 to Bill Seymour of Saskatchewan. Highest selling bred females included Antrim Miss Witichita 3A which sold for $7,800 to City View Simmentals, Saskatchewan and Crest’s View 73A sold to Dana and Megan Johns, Kenton for $7,500. The highest selling heifer calf was Mar Mac Miss 32B selling at $5,500 to Cody Carson, Rossburn and Broken Oak Black Betty, an Upgrade Black Purebred Female, sold for $4,600 to Bert’s NR Simmentals, Haywood, Manitoba.
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“Crop Cocktails” Beneficial
Nuffield Scholar Clayton Robins challenged the conventional crop mix in forages explaining how Chicory could increase soil nutrients. Photo by Les Kletke
By Les Kletke Clayton Robbins is not afraid to challenge conventional thinking. In fact, he prides himself on this. Robbins told the attendees at the Manitoba Forage and Livestock Symposium that some non-traditional crops might soon have a place in this provinces forage rotation. One that he touts as having great potential is Chicory. He said that it is time to think about seeding, “Cocktails of crops with several different species that produce at different times providing a healthy pasture for a longer period of time.” Robbins explained that Chicory has an aggressive root system that can improve degraded soils as well as help with compaction issues while providing a nutrient rich gazing crop. He has worked extensively on energy-dense forages because of the huge market potential when these crops are introduced into rotation. “Any forage has the potential to be an energy dense crop, though it might be only a small window of the
growing season,” he said. He defines energy dense crops as having high digestibility and low non-digestive fibres as well as above normal lipids. Using chicory as an example he explained that it provides a similar nutrient profile to barley, it is a nutrient scavenger, does a much better job at getting nutrients from the soil and is great for grazing. Robbins has just completed his Nuffield Scholarship for which he travelled much of the world looking at options for grazing programs. On his farm, he took the concept of swath grazing one-step further storing his feed in small square bales in the field. “That way the cattle are eating them in the field and depositing the nutrients where it should be back on the field and saving me the cost of yardage and cleaning a feedlot,” said Robbins. He has also done some work with Fistulous, which is a cross of rye grass and meadow fescue. At least one Manitoba seed company has added Perseus a fistulous variety to their seed line up for the current year and he said it is deep-rooted crop that shows well in their testing. Robbins continues his research for the right mix of crops that will provide continuous growth throughout the growing season. “In this situation you have to be very aware of the disease challenges as well,” he said. “You need to select varieties that have a good disease resistance package.”
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Three Time Champ Qualifies for RBC Beef Supreme Challenge
Pictured from left to right: Jerry, Wendy, Cameron and Kaitlin Nykoliation alongside competition judge Jay Holmes holding the banner as a Saskatchewan Cattleman’s Association representative with a John Deere Corporate representative holding a prize jacket. Photo Courtesy of Grant Ralston
By Joan Airey N7’s BLK Woodlady 2T and her Calf N7’s Blackwood Lady 48D were recently awarded National Grand Champion Black Angus Female at Canadian Western Agribiton in Regina, Saskatchewan. She was also awarded Supreme Champion Female at Harding Fair in Harding, Manitoba and Grand Champion Black Angus Female and
Supreme Champion Female over all breeds at the Manitoba Livestock Expo in Brandon. That made her a three-time qualifier for the RBC Beef Supreme Challenge at Agribition. N7’s BLK Wood Lady 2T is owned by N7 Stock Farms Jerry and Wendy, Alan and Carolyn Nykoliation from Crandall and NYK Cattle Company owners Cameron and Kaitlin Nykoliation of Douglas. The cow/calf pair was raised by the Nykoliation
family. “Wendy and Jerry first bought a package of six pure bred Black Angus heifers in 1999. The family has built up a herd of over hundred and fifty head of purebred Angus cattle. Cameron and I moved our twenty head to a farm near Douglas this year. This makes it easier for us to work with the cattle as our jobs are in Brandon,” said Kaitlin Nykoliation.
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Minimum Grain Volume Requirements for Railways Extended Transport Minister Lisa Raitt and Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced that minimum grain volume requirements would be extended until March 28, 2015. This measure, initially introduced in March 2014, will help to maintain Canada’s reputation as a reliable supplier to world markets. The government has put in place volume requirements that are designed to move the remainder of last year’s crop along with this year’s crop and ensure that the grain supply chain will return to normal operations. The Order maintains direct legal obligations on railways to move grain and if not then penalties for non-compliance amount up to $100,000 per violation. The requirement for railways to report on demand and volume remains in effect. To further support the efficiency of the grain supply chain, the government expects both Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific (CP) railways to submit formal winter contingency plans that include service plans for producer car loaders and short line railways for the remaining crop year. In order to expand transparency railways are also expected to provide information on car order fulfillment by corridor, including the placement of rail cars at producer car loading sites and along short line railways to the Grain Monitor. “The Grain Growers look forward to continuing to work closely with all parties to build on the improvements that have already taken place,” said Gary Stanford, President of the Grain Growers of Canada. “The reliable movement of Canadian product is of vital importance to the livelihoods of our members across the country.” Grain Growers are particularly pleased to see that CN and CP railways will be required to submit formal winter contingency plans. These plans will be integral in responding rapidly to changing winter conditions and will provide confidence to grain shippers. “These minimums and contingency plans are absolutely necessary to avoid financial stress for farmers,” said Brett Halstead, President of the Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA). “We’ve seen producer deliveries, terminal receipts and exports all up significantly, compared to the same time last year. With this heavy shipping season ahead of us, now is not the time to ease up on railway accountability to farmers and the national economy.” “While CCGA prefers more market-based solutions that benefit all shippers and would address the grain movement issue, there remains nothing commercially available to compel the railways to maintain accountability in the face of ample supply, a strong commercial grain marketing program and impending cold weather,” said Rick White, Chief Executive Officer of the CCGA. “The provision of information on car order fulfillment by corridor will bring a new degree of transparency to the logistics system.” Under the new Order in Council, which took effect on November 30, CN and CP must each move the following amounts of grain:
Farmers Grow What the Market Dictates By Harry Siemens With flexibility Manitoba, farmers can meet the challenges that the market dictates. That is what an on-farm seed grower and seed retailer, Simon Ellis of Ellis Farm Supplies Ltd, at Wawanesa explained. Ellis said he saw a fair bit of soybeans and some wheat booked up last fall when farmers could cash in on good discounts. Still for the most part, farmers will wait and decide which varieties will work best for them in the upcoming crop year.
“Certainly in western Manitoba soybeans are picking up acres in a big hurry. They had another good year where farmers planted them in the 2014 growing season,” Ellis said. “Wheat is another one where there are some strong varieties out there today. The spring wheat will be taking over in some areas from winter wheat where fusarium counts came in too high. But barley seems to be going by the wayside with poorer crops and weaker malting contracts.” Ellis added that there was a time farmers did not have as many options compared to today’s seed varieties. Even when markets dropped, they would continue growing the same crop year after year, storing as much as they could afford, and fire selling the rest.
Fruit Preservation Workshop Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) is hosting a Fruit Preservation Workshop at the Food Development Centre on Thursday, January 15, from 8 am - 4 pm. Cost is $99 and includes lunch and materials. Participants will learn all about fruit processing, including food safety protocols and quality control, and will process jam and a spread using the Centre’s equipment. Space is limited. Contact 204-239-3362 or jacqueline.simpsoncleaver@gov.mb.ca.
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A Year in Review for Manitoba Beef Producers Like most years in the beef industry, it has been a busy one with many unexpected issues arising. The industry weathered a protracted winter, and when repeated heavy rains came in June and July, we knew we were in for a challenging year. Many areas of Manitoba struggled with prolonged rain events, flooding rivers and lakes and the unwelcome consequences that arose in pasture and forage shortfalls. Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) has been working with governments and producers to address both the immediate and long-term issues. Once we ensured no herds were in immediate danger MBP worked on securing short-term programming such as a needs-based forage shortfall and a feed and livestock transportation program. From the outset, MBP asked the federal and provincial governments to provide meaningful assistance that would lessen the risk of the continued herd contraction we have seen in Manitoba. As well, we asked the federal government to consider enacting the livestock tax deferral provision to provide support for producers forced to significantly downsize breeding animals to offset the lack of winter-feed supplies. In the past, these programs have been used to provide some assistance in times of emergency and devastating losses. Longer term, MBP has been working to ensure the provincial and federal governments address water management issues so we can move away from ad hoc compensation programs and get back to the business of planning for our production year and marketing a calf crop. In November, the federal and provincial governments announced the Canada-Manitoba Forage Shortfall and Transportation Assistance Initiative under AgriRecovery. These programs are being rolled out but we are actively engaging both governments to discuss their limitations and to reassess for inclusion those hard hit areas of the province that have been excluded from the forage shortfall programming. MBP continually lobbies governments to provide policies and programming that will help lead us to a position that will see Manitoba’s beef industry grow. Manitoba and Canada’s beef industries are at a critical juncture. In the last year, we have seen tremendous work done by industry and governments to open up significant international markets. Many of these markets were lost to us when we dealt with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in 2003. Of note is the CanadianEuropean Trade Agreement, which once ratified will provide new duty free access for 64,950 tonnes of Canadian beef worth approximately $600 million annually. This European deal is for hormone free beef and will provide an additional marketing stream for our beef producers. That is just the tip of the iceberg as we see many Asian markets opening up for Canadian beef. The Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement was signed in September and over time; we will see their tariff on fresh, frozen and offal products eliminated. As markets in Korea and Taiwan open up to Canada and as the populations in Asian countries, including China grow the demand for our high quality beef will grow as well. More markets will mean more opportunities. Does this mean smooth sailing from here on? No, even with these opportunities we will deal with challenges. One of the significant barriers has been COOL or Country of Origin Labelling. Implemented in 2008, this American policy has cost the Canadian cattle and hog industries a minimum of $1.1 billion dollars annually. Despite a second successful ruling by the World Trade Organizations Compliance Panel indicating that the US continues to discriminate against live imports, the United States has once again appealed this decision. It may seem like we continue doing the same thing over and over again without any results but in reality, we are one step closer to initiating retaliatory tariffs on certain US exports into Canada. This step will send a clear message that Canadians will not continue to accept this trade barrier. After fighting this issue for several years, we are starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel, and we applauded the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and governments for their ongoing attention to this important issue. MBP is your provincial voice and is also represented nationally on various boards, including the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and the National Cattle Feeders Association. We have had a very busy year working on these and many other important issues and challenges. I want to leave you with one last thought, one that is critical to our industry. For some time we have struggled with finding skilled workers for farms, feedlots and packing plants. Many young and skilled workers have gone to the resource rich areas of Canada to work in the oil and gas industries. Now granted, the tide is turning somewhat with the current price of oil, but we have for a long time struggled with labour shortages. At first, I did not think this was a significant issue here in Manitoba until we were on the road at our fall district meetings. I ran into a former colleague who, after retiring from his career said he is now working harder than ever on his farm. When I asked what was happening he told me his hired man quit, as he had retired at the youthful age of 70. While I am pleased that my friend’s hired hand has retired and will enjoy the fruits of all his years of hard work, I can now see the start of a crisis here. More and more we hear of producers struggling to find a skilled hired hand or labourer. More and more we hear of feedlots and packing plants struggling to find enough skilled labourers to run at full capacity. Now if I think back to the ‘dark ages’ of BSE and how, despite the closed borders, we were still able to move animals, albeit slowly, through our value chain. Imagine that scenario now knowing these key players in the beef industry are no longer running at full capacity. It paints a frightening picture if we do not find some potential solutions. This issue continues to be a priority issue for MBP. The beef industry did have a win this summer when we successfully lobbied to have feedlots listed as ‘primary producers’ thus allowing them access to the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program. It is challenging to present to you all the activities MBP has been involved in this past year but I hope I was able to highlight a few of the major issues and opportunities. Perhaps our paths will cross over the next year and I can fill you in on the exciting extension and education activities we have been involved in as well. If you have any questions or comments and we missed you at your district meeting please mark your calendar for our Annual General Meeting at Brandon’s Victoria Inn on February 5 and 6. We have an exciting line-up of presenters and we would be happy to discuss any issues or ideas you have in mind. Stay safe and warm this winter season and from Manitoba Beef Producers we wish you and your family a happy holiday season. Melinda German is the MBP General Manager.
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Mobile Biomass Fuel Highlight for Spring Workshops Manitobans looking for another environmentally friendly energy source for space and water heating may soon find it in their backyards. The 2015 Biomass Workshop and Tour held at the end of February or early March will cover the latest research in the province and the equipment needed to create biomass cubes. Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) is testing a practical mobile densification system that may make it easier for agricultural producers or communities to create a valuable fuel source out of biomass such as straw, grass or wood. “The technology to compress material into cubes or pellets isn’t new, but our system is,” said Lorne Grieger, Project Manager with PAMI. “It is fully contained on a semi-trailer and is designed to be moved from field to field to allow the biomass to be processed where it is available.” The mobile densification system forces biomass material through dies. Pressure heats the material and causes it to harden into usable cubes that, like coal, can be burned for fuel. The cubes can be transported in a regular auger. Many farmers have bales in their back yard, but are unable to convert them to fuel, as they do not have access to the necessary equipment. Introducing mobile densification systems to producers or co-ops would make it easier to use readily available resources for heat. “This system is especially important for people in Manitoba who are adopting a new fuel source to convert from coal which is being banned due to its impact on the environment,” said Grieger. “From Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development’s (MAFRD) perspective, we’re always encouraging farmers to replace coal with biomass as it’s better for the environment,” said Eric Liu, Business
Biomass cubes created out of cattails.
PAMI’s mobile densification system.
Development Specialist, fibre and composites with MAFRD. “This system could create a practical solution to burning more harmful materials, and also could create extra income for farmers or co-ops if they own the machine and choose to rent it out or sell the biomass cubes.” PAMI has tested multiple types of straw in the unit, including cereal crop, corn, forestry residue and even cattails. Most of the tested materials were converted successfully to usable fuel sources. “We’re still testing the system, but we believe that it could be a feasible solution for producers in Manitoba for the future,” said Grieger. “It is definitely something we will keep improving and exploring.” PAMI’s test facility is in Portage la Prairie and trials are still taking place.
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December 29, 2014
Prioritize Those Barn Repairs By Les Kletke Hog producers have been waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel for the past 6 years and now that it is here, they need to make the right decisions on what to do with their returns. “Producers have gone through a period of poor returns and now they are making money,” said Lee Whittington. “Now they
House Hunters for Hogs Be Les Kletke Lee Whittington is borrowing a concept from the well know television program, House Hunters, to help hog producers transition to group housing for sows. Whittington, the President of the Prairie Swine Centre in Saskatoon is searching for two producers in each province who will be a part of the program to transition existing barns to group housing. “We are hoping to work with two producers in each province and develop plans that would allow them to transition to a new system,” said Whittington. The program will provide the producer with three options just like House Hunters. The options will be developed after a series of interviews with the producer to determine the features he would like to see in the renovated facility combined with budget considerations. “We want to provide them with a look at what they can have and help them determine what makes economic sense,” he said. “On location in Ontario the producer decided to convert the existing barn to a feeder facility and build a new sow barn.” The intent of the program is not just to benefit a small number of producers. Development of the facilities will be monitored and hopefully be a value to others who are making the same transition. “We can’t offer the next producer tours of the barn after it is populated [because of biosecurity] but with video cameras we can offer them virtual tours and the option of speaking to the producer that has gone through the transition and the option of finding out which features of the new barn are most valuable.” Whittington stated he is working with the University of Manitoba on the program with a start date in early 2015. Whittington was in Winnipeg for the Prairie Livestock Expo in early December. The Prairie Swine Centre works with industry, academia and producers to provide information that advances the swine industry and benefits participants in its unique blend of research and production. Lee Whittington of the Prairie Swine Centre in Saskatoon was in Winnipeg to talk to producers about the possibility of renovating existing barns in preparation for group housing.
need to decide where to spend that money.” Whittington is the President of the Prairie Swine Institute in Saskatoon and was in Winnipeg for the Prairie Livestock Forum. He estimates it will take another six months of profits to pay off expenses that have accrued. “Then it is a matter of upgrading their facilities,” he said. “Many barns have been under a limited maintenance program during the tough times and now producers can make some repairs but it is important that they make the right repairs.” Whittington maintains that the light producers carry should be a good quality flashlight while doing their barn evaluations. “Whether it is going down into the pit or up into the attic they need a good quality light to see what has happened to their barn in recent years and then make the choices to fix the things that could have disastrous effects if not repaired.” He uses the example of worn floors versus rusted rafter plates. “Producers with a pit may see worn floors where concrete has been chipped away from the rebar. That is a visual problem but not a structural issue,” he said. “If left untreated it may result in an animal falling through the floor – bad but not devastating.” He recounted that he has visited barns where a trip to the attic revealed the plates on the rafters have rusted to the point that he wonders what is holding the rafters in place. “This if left untreated could result in collapse of the barn, that is devastating,” he said. Whittington suggests that producers make a thorough inspection and include an outside opinion. To help, he has prepared a document that can be used while evaluating their barns with a scale of 1-5 for each issue that requires attention. “Then they can decide where that first dollar should go and prioritize their list of items that they want to upgrade as money becomes available,” said Whittington. Currently the form is available as a spreadsheet and he expects it be in electronic format soon.
Time to Take a Mid-Winter Feed Inventory By Peter Vitti Late-gestating beef cattle that are a few months away from calving are going to need more dietary energy to maintain good body condition until calving and to keep warm. Although, most people estimate the amount of cattle feed needed at the beginning of winter, it is a good idea to do a mid-winter review of the immediate feed inventory to assure all cows receive adequate dietary energy and other nutrients that prepares them for a successful calving season. It becomes a matter of supplying enough dietary energy to your mature cows in order to maintain or achieve a BCS of 2.5 – 2.75 (thin = 1, and 5 = obese) by calving time, while replacement heifers should calve out a little better BCS of 3.0. With a growing fetus (and placenta), their energy requirements are up about 25% and protein needs increased by 10 – 15% compared to the start of the winter. The nutrient requirements of the 1st calf heifers are slightly more, because their bodies are still growing. They should be fed to gain 0.25 – 0.50 kg daily in addition to fetal weight gain. Thin mature cows can be fed, similarly. Regardless of gestation stage, when outside temperatures in mid-winter go into an arctic free-fall the total energy requirements of every cow dramatically increases. University and extension environmental study on beef cattle has come up with a linear cold weather rule of thumb as follows: for every 1 C drop in temperature below 0 C, the beef cows’ TDN energy maintenance requirements are increased by about 2%. This means that if an early morning temperature is -25C, there is an increase of about 50% in the cows’ basic dietary energy needs. Knowing that beef cows will need more energy for late-gestation (assuming - April 1 calving date) and to get them through the coldest months of the winter (January and February), gives us a basis to take an informative mid-winter feed inventory. This means most beef cows with a decent BCS will require forage-based diets (supplemented with grain and protein feeds); of about 55 – 58 % TDN (total digestible nutrients) and about 11 – 12% protein to maintain good body condition until calving. Given that a mature gestating beef cow (re: 500 - 600 kg) consumes about 2 – 2.25% of her body weight (dmi, basis) or about 11 – 13 kg of dry-based feed and wastes an additional amount of about 15%; encompasses a mid-winter inventory of hundreds of available over-wintering diets that can be fed on a cow-calf operation. Here is a breakdown feed inventory of a typical over wintering diet, which takes into account these variables and could be fed in a 200-cow sample operation for a 90 day period until the first cow calves:
Photo by Les Kletke
Note: we are assuming an April 1 calving date, better quality alfalfa-grass forage; grain was saved and will be fed for 30 days after calving until beef cows are released on pasture.
For demonstration purposes, this practical example actually illustrates the feed inventory for 200 mature beef cows. However, one’s own feed table should be customized depending on the individual situation by # of mature cows, # of 1st calf heifers, # of replacement heifers and # of thin cows in the herd. There might be some late spring calves that were not sold in the fall. These calves require the same feeds. Compared to the mature cows, these latter groups of cows might have lower feed intakes, but slightly higher energy and other nutrient requirements. After we draw up such a comprehensive mid-winter inventory, we can anticipate potential feed shortages by the time of calving. For example, if our cowherd is caught short of important forage and we need to stretch current inventory, there are a few available options, such as: (1) specifically match feed inventory with lategestation needs, (2) reduce feed and storage waste, (3) reduce wildlife damage and even (4) purchase forage shortage before calving season. Whether our mid-winter feed inventory shows us a shortage or ample feed supply for our late-gestation cows until calving, it is a good diagnostic tool. It helps us determine and assure that they receive the proper amount of nutrition, which they need to prepare for calving and to survive a typical Canadian winter. Those cows that come through successfully will likely give birth to strong, healthy and profitable calves.
The Agri Post
Low Cost Changes Drives Up Quality By Les Kletke Dan Undersander’s message was clear to the Manitoba
Forage and Livestock Symposium to survive in current conditions any livestock operation needs high quality feed
Dan Undersander of Wisconsin was in Portage for the Forage Symposium speaking to producers about low cost changes such as a pre-cutting tool that ensures quality feed while reducing waste. Photo by Les Kletke
Hire Insured Contractors So, you plan to do a renovation project. Let’s say for a moment that you have a business and you rent out a portion of your building to another business. You hire a contractor to do the work and while doing this, they start a fire or cause some other damage to the building. Tenants or customers may be injured; your business could be shut down leaving you with loss of income. Maybe you are fortunate enough to be able to re-locate temporarily with added expenses and therefore less loss of income. Your tenants may also have to do business elsewhere, which may leave them with loss of revenue. The contents of your building would be damaged and the building next to yours could suffer damage. If the contractor is adequately insured, their insurance policy may respond to all of these losses. If this contractor does not carry insurance and has no other resources, you may be held responsible for all of the losses. Your insurance policy may cover these but you would still be responsible for your deductibles and there is the risk of your renewal premium increasing at renewal. If you did not buy adequate insurance, you would have to cover the uninsured losses on your own and you could suffer the poor PR with your clients. For example, the lack of services or a customer is injured. All of this is irrespective of whether or not you are the negligent party. The above scenario could put you into a serious financial situation. What can you do? - Only hire contractors or sub-trades that have insurance. - Request Certificates of Insurance to confirm insurance coverage and limit. - Implement a system to track and verify these certificates. Set minimum standards for coverage and limits carried by the certificate providers. Hiring capable people and having appropriate processes in place to obtain and verify insurance certificates is your best defense. Be sure to seek advice and purchase insurance from those who understand your business! Andy Anderson is an Associate Insurance Broker specializing in General, Life and Group Benefits for Farm and Business Ph 204-746-5589, F 866-765-3351, andya@rempelinsurance.com / rempelinsurance.com / valleyfinancial.ca.
and not high cost feed. Undersander from the University of Wisconsin is a regular speaker at forage events in Manitoba and has developed a dedicated following, while normally targeting dairy producers he adapted his information to the mainly beef producing audience in Portage la Prairie. “We used to have a lot of tower silos but those days are gone,” he said. “The silage packed itself in those structures, now we have to rely on packing the silage and it is an important part of the operation, too often overlooked and under done.” He recommends a packed density of 45 lbs per square foot or 20 kg per 30 square centimeters. “If you wonder what that is, it is about the density of gyproc. If you punch with your fist and it gives a half inch you need more packing. That should not give a bit when you punch it,” said Undersander who suggests the largest tractor available be used and if possible have some added weight. Undersander recommends that paying attention to weather forecasts is a low cost factor that can show a good return on quality of forage. “The reliability of forecasts has gotten much better and especially for the next day or two,” he said. “When the weather forecaster is calling for rain you are best to get your silage put up because each day it is out in the field it is declining in quality and you can’t afford that in this market.” He recommends 60-65% moisture for corn silage and 75-80% for grass. “If you’re cutting grass to dry down you should be using a system that puts down a wide swath, about 70% of the area that you are cutting,” he said. He also noted that a pre-cutting tool for taking silage from the pile to reduce waste, and oxygen getting into the pile should be used. “If you’re lifting that feed with a loader you’re letting oxygen in and that causes waste, our research shows that a pre-cutting tool gives a good return from the reduced loss,” said Undersander. He said proper wrapping is the key to quality bales and recommends as much six layers of plastic for the best protection for feed. “Cows will eat mouldy feed when they are forced to but their production will drop, even a small amount of meld will impact them, so when you see meld in your feed get it out of there. Amounts that are small to measure can have a dramatic impact on the herd,” he said.
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Carman Couple Awarded Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2014
Carmen farmers and winners of this year’s Outstanding Young Farmers award, Myron and Jill Krahn have seen their family farm thrive through hard work, determination and dedication. They share their passion and work ethic with their two daughters, Cadence and Keira, and an appreciation for where their food comes from.
By Harry Siemens Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers (OYF) for 2014 are grain farmers Myron and Jill Krahn of Carman and potato farmers Andrew and Heidi Lawless of Kinkora, PEI. These two farm families were chosen from seven regional farm couples across Canada, at the annual national OYF event held recently in Quebec City, Quebec on December 2. “It was great, just fantastic,” is how Myron Krahn described winning this award together with his wife Jill. “We learned lots, had loads of fun, met some really, really interesting and positive people. Something we will certainly never forget.” The judges scored the applicants based on criteria that included environmental stewardship, farm progress, where the farm was, to where it is today, where they are going with the operation, and being an ambassador for agriculture. “Graded on our presentation, reviewing our financial progress, from where we started to where we are now, community involvement, the ways you promote agriculture, and being an ambassador, all those criteria were factored in,” said Myron. “We present that to the judges and they score you.” The Krahn’s farm continues to grow with diversity in grain, seed production and seed retail, since they took it over from their parents about ten years ago. Myron and Jill Krahn farm for one simple reason, they love it. “We farm because we absolutely, genuinely love to farm even through the good days and bad days. Every part of it we seem to enjoy,” said Myron. After they both completed agriculture degrees from the University of Manitoba, they took over the 900-acre farm, Krahn Agri Farms Ltd. several miles north of Carman, increasing the size to 3,000 acres of grain, corn, canola and soybeans. An independent seed retail arm, a new on-site seed treating system, custom seeding, harvesting and grain drying has diversified the farm operation. They explained that taking over the family farm required significant changes to maintain profitability. With their appreciation for where food comes from, they also share their passion and work ethic with their two daughters, Cadence and Keira. The couple let their children know the farm is here because of hard work and a business plan that they actually follow. “We have a passion for farming, also the fact we are honing our children’s skills in agriculture and that goes beyond just having them sit with us in the tractor cab,” said Myron. “We are doing our best to teach our children about farming, where their food comes from, about plants, soils, and the business side of farming.” Their farm has three distinct segments, grains and oilseeds production, which is a big part of the farm and the independent seed retail business. “An independent seed retailer simply means not tied to any other company large or small, a stand alone seed business, meaning just us,” he said. “We grow our own seed for sale and buy wholesale from other seed growers for resale.” The Krahns added that environmental stewardship for them is taking care of their land that make’s their living.
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The Agri Post
Beavis Brothers Threshing Outfit In a 1905 edition of Canadian Thresherman and Farmer magazine the first gasoline traction engine was reported in Manitoba and the Northwest Territories. The Waterous traction engine was on a 25 hp tractor combined with a McCloskey thresher owned by the Beavis Brothers threshing outfit. Waterous gas tractors were not a common site at the time and it appears very few were made and none has survived. What is known is C.H. Waterous owned a foundry located in Brantford, Ontario and later entered the steam engine business by purchasing the Canadian rights to the Champion steam engine from Champion’s American owner. Eventually, C.H. Waterous sent his two sons west to Winnipeg in 1881 to operate a plant making fire equipment. However, in 1886 the two sons moved the operation to Minneapolis in response to US state incentives. The Minneapolis branch of Waterous was very innovative and built the first fire pump driven by a gasoline engine, the first fire engine propelled by a gasoline engine and the few Waterous gasoline traction engines ever made. The John Goodison Threshing Machine Company was formed in 1889 by John Goodison of Sarnia, Ontario who purchased the Sarnia Agricultural Implement Company from the Sawyer Massey Company, which had purchased the Sarnia Company the preceding year when it went bankrupt. John Goodison rapidly built up a successful threshing machine business managing to penetrate the US market. By 1890, John McCloskey of Sarnia was making a reputation for himself with designs for cutting edge threshing machines. In 1892, Goodison secured the rights to build a threshing machine designed by McCloskey and persuaded McClosky to work for Goodison for 10 years.
Life is How You Live It By Les Kletke Leona Dargis could have sat back and said, “Life isn’t fair,” and complained about the fate it dealt her but she did not. She and her four sisters decided to carry on with the family farm her parents had built after both her parents and grandmother were killed in an airplane crash. Today Dargis tells the story about the struggle the five girls went through taking over the farm and thanks the people who helped them. She also encourages farmers to have a succession plan in place and to keep it updated. “My parents had a will but it had been written when there were only two children,” she told an audience in Portage at the Manitoba Forage and Livestock Symposium. “We had to work through some of the things at a very difficult time.” Dargis a graduate of the Agri Business Program at Olds College and a Nuffield Scholar tells the story to agricultural audiences across the country. The farm had grown to 4,000 head of cattle and 7,000 acres at the time of her parent’s death is now scaled back and managed by her younger sister. The other sisters have chosen off farm employment. “That was one thing that our parents always encouraged us to do… follow our dreams. So one of my sisters is in the fashion trade and another is a dietician. We had different interests,” said Dargis. She said that her opportunity to travel and experience agriculture in other parts of the world has strengthened her tie to the family farm in northern Alberta.
Leona Dargis and her four sisters took over their Alberta farm after the death of her parents in an accident, she advised producers to update their wills and succession plans. Photo by Les Kletke
“Seeing the difference rotational grazing can make in Kenya when people only have one cow had a tremendous impact,” she said. “I would like to go back and see how the village has changed and hope that everyone has their own cow.” “The community gardens in Singapore made me much more aware of what can be done on limited space and what the potential is. We are going to have to deal with some of these issues to feed the world in the next decades.” Dargis has also picked up the crusade to reduce waste. “We can do a lot to feed the world by reducing the waste of what we have. It is estimated that at this time 1/3 of the food produced in the world goes to waste,” said Dargis. Her final comment to the crowd was a challenge, “Don’t complain about the things that you are not willing to change.”
No Excuses to Making Profits
Over the next few years, Goodison become the first manufacturer to add wind stackers, high grain elevators able to fill grain bins and self-feeders to their threshers. Goodison never had a western Canada branch. Instead, they had branch operations in the US and today Goodison threshing machines are better known there than in Canada. Goodison went on to building their own steam engines beginning in 1904. The Beavis Brothers outfit was state of the art for 1904. The Goodison thresher has a “high bagger” elevator, a wind stacker and a self-feeder. The Waterous gasoline traction engine appears to be powered by a massive single cylinder engine. The large square box above the engine is a cooling water tank set up for thermosyphon cooling of the engine. The long tube running up through the canopy looks to be an engine exhaust. The short elbow seen coming out of the cylinder head is believed to be the air intake feeding the fuel mixer. No one at the time was concerned about dust getting sucked into the engine through the air intake. Very noticeable are the whistles mounted on the canopy. This was a feature on early gas tractors and the whistles were fed from the engine exhaust. Exhaust whistles ended up disappearing by 1909. Also of note is the shotgun leaning against the operator’s platform on the tractor. The Beavis crew may have been supplementing the dinner table with prairie chicken and other wildlife. The Beavis Family is one of the pioneering families in the Crystal City area, having come to the area with Thomas Greenway in 1879. According to the family, the threshing outfit was owned in partnership between the J.H. Beavis and William Pyper a local farmer who grew and sold registered seed.
Roland Kroos said it is time to change our approach to farming, and if we are not making money, it is time to make some changes. Photo by Les Kletke
By Les Kletke While speaking at the Manitoba Forage and Livestock Symposium in Portage in early December Kroos a Montana farm advisor said, there is no excuse for not being profitable even in challenging times. Kroos said the first step is to be business minded and design a way to be profitable. “There is no excuse for not being profitable. It is not the market that is the problem it is the expenses you have that don’t allow you to make a profit.” He suggested the first change is in the approach to profit. “Income is what is left after planned
profit and expenses. If you don’t plan on a profit why are you in business and more importantly why do you expect your children to stay in the operation after they have seen you barely break even for 20 years?” questioned Kroos. He advised producers to challenge every aspect of their operation. “Just because Dad and Grandpa did it that way does not make it right, and you might not be able to afford to do it that way,” stated Kroos. According to Kroos, producers can increase their profits by 50% in feed cost savings with a change in calving time from February to May. “That is a tremendous amount on the bottom line, if you can maintain your cows on a low cost ration when you don’t have grass. That is a big saving,” he said. “If you’re buying grain that is your most expensive feed and you need it during the third trimester of pregnancy when consumption is high. Get away from it.” He related the story of a well-integrated cattle operation that had a purebred, commercial herd and feedlot as well as back grounding calves. “He loved his purebred operation but when we did the math we found it wasn’t carrying itself and would soon pull down the entire operation,” he said. “When I showed him that the purebred cattle were gone within a month.” Kroos said buying expensive cattle is not often the best economic decision. “I have a friend that sold his cows, bought lower price cows that were out of condition and he can improve with just a bit of feed.” He advises producers to be aware of their real costs and use the numbers to make their decisions. “If you know your real costs you can decide if a part of your operation needs improving or should be eliminated,” said Kroos.
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Ukraine’s PEDv Could Be the Start of a Major European Outbreak By Harry Siemens According to Dr. John Carr of England an international livestock consultant and veterinarian, a PED virus outbreak at several sow farms in the Ukraine could lead to the deaths of millions of pigs in Europe and have a major impact on global pig numbers. In an interview from London near the Heathrow Airport, after spending ten days in the Ukraine on the three farms with PEDv, Dr. Carr said because of other things happening in the Ukraine, diseased pigs are not a high priority. “I’m still struggling to get it typed because the Ukraine doesn’t have the technology and obviously the people in the Ukraine have some other issues to worry about,” he said. “Normally, I’d send my samples to Russia but they aren’t quite talking to me at the moment either, making this situation a bit awkward.” From what Carr can see, and he has dealt with PEDv outbreaks in different parts of the world for 20 years spotting it as early 1972 on local farms, the PEDv outbreak in Ukraine is certainly similar to China and America, but not like the earlier Europe cases. “So it is a bit of a problem and I suspect this is the beginning of the European outbreak,” he said cautiously. “My estimation is this will kill 25 million to 35 million pigs over the next 18 months and it will not stop until it gets to Spain, having a substantial impact on the European and global pig numbers if Europe loses 30 million pigs over the next 18 months.” When he talks to producers in the US, the PEDv outbreak there is much worse than officials are letting on. US producers are trying to produce bigger hogs to maintain and increase meat output. “It isn’t a game I would play but you must also think of your pig flow,” said Carr. “If you are going to keep your pigs for two more weeks, you haven’t put two more buildings down.” He questions whether the biosecurity and efficiencies are as tight with the push for extra weight and how will those producers handle the all in and all out system of batching, the truck washing and cleaning. “The three big farms I have in the Ukraine, two are under control, and the other one is getting under control,” said Carr. “This sow outbreak in the
Ukraine is certainly worse than I’ve ever experienced in Asia.” Dr. Carr shared that there is an urgent need for hog producers, support workers, and industry participants around the world to tighten up biosecurity. He stated this is the best line of defence. “I lost 10,000 pigs in four days; being a larger farm
makes the problem so much bigger,” he said. “I can tell you, it is heart-breaking.” While in Ukraine, Carr walked around looking at various pens, explaining and pointing out to the two local vets, that they are going to die, those will die, and so will those. When he finished his rounds, one of the local vets told him that the tally was over 10,000
Dr. John Carr sitting in a hotel near the Heathrow Airport, London, England on Sunday, Nov 23 after consulting in Ukraine is very concerned that Europe’s pig industry is on the verge of a major PED virus outbreak.
PEDv Strain in Europe Same as in China and the United States By Harry Siemens Dr. John Carr, worldwide livestock consultant finally had it confirmed that the same highly-virulent porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDv) has spread to Europe, increasing the risk of spread to Britain, while African swine fever has also been reported in Ukraine this year. “The Europeans are concerned as the China/US PEDv is now confirmed on the continent,” Carr reported late Thursday evening from London, England. In late November Dr. Carr dealt with three outbreaks of PEDv on pig farms in Ukraine. Carr, who advised these farmers, struggled to get the disease typed in the region, is now able to confirm the strain sequenced in Britain. Having seen PEDv in its various guises around the world over the past 20 years, he suspected that what he saw in Ukraine was much like the ChineseAmerican PEDv than its milder European counterpart. The high mortality he observed on the Ukraine units shocked him profoundly, with thousands of threeand-four-day-old piglets vomiting themselves to death. With his help, the outbreaks were brought under control, but they throw into sharp relief the importance of irreproachable transport hygiene on British pig units.
“To be honest, it shocked me deeply after all my years of dealing with this, when it’s your pigs and your guys and I’m the one sitting there trying to stop it, I cannot do anything. I cried ... nobody watching, tears rolling asking please let me do something. It changes you a bit,” he said. Dr. Carr recounted his emotional Ukraine experience to stress the need for everyone whether in Canada, the US, Ukraine, or Asia to clean the trucks just a little more and heighten all biosecurity measures.
pigs. “The two vets argued with me and said no, no we’ll save them. Well, you’re better vets than I am, I said. The next morn-
ing these, three and fourday old piglets were all dead. Next, those same vets euthanized the other pigs he had asked them to do, to try to create a firebreak.
They said they had never seen anything so sad. You have a three or four day old piglet just vomiting itself to death. Pretty horrible way of going,” he recounted.
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