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The AgriPost

Committed to Being a Cattle Farmer

By Les Kletke “I want to be a cattle farmer. I said it when I got on the plane to Iowa,” said Alice Rose Rooke a student at Vincent Massey School in Brandon. “And I said it when I got off the plane when I came home. I want to be a cattle farmer.” She did acknowledge that the trip to Des Moines, Iowa for the 2016 World Food Prize Global Youth Institute held in October did make her aware of other opportunities that may detour her from the end goal but everything will be done with the end goal in mind. The determination is unusual for a Grade 10 student but Rooke has been on the course for a while. Last year while in Grade 9 she saw an advertisement for the contest, that offered a trip to the World Food Day on the matter of food security in an effort to combat global hunger. “The contest was for Grade 11 and 12’s primarily, but when I saw it in the Beef Magazine I thought it was worth a try and when I was selected for an interview I was surprised that I was one

Alice Rose is only in Grade 10 and she knows she wants to be a cattle farmerand a trip to World Food Day in Iowa confirmed it. Photo by Les Kletke

of the 4 Canadians chosen, so it was more than representing Manitoba.” Rooke’s essay was about quality feed and how putting up quality feed, could have

an impact for a subsistence farmer in Mexico and maintaining food security. When asked how does a grade 9 student conduct research on feeding issues in

Mexico she replied, “A lot of scouring the internet and my mom had worked in Mexico before we immigrated to Canada.” The family came continued on page 3

December 30, 2016

The AgriPost

Charities Are the Big Winners at Prairie Livestock Expo By Harry Siemens Producers, technicians and companies showed their wares on December 14 in Winnipeg to make the Prairie Livestock Expo, Canada’s newest multispecies consumer show a success. Originally organized more than 30 years ago for the hog and poultry sectors, the show has expanded to showcase the newest technology and information for the production needs of all livestock producers. The livestock sector, which consumes almost four million tonnes of grain and oilseed meal, accounts for almost half the farm receipts in Manitoba. In addition to being a major mar-

Cattle

continued... continued from page 1 from central England to Alexander, Manitoba just three years ago. They operate a 250-cow, commercial herd and have begun a certified Red Angus herd under the Rooke Land and Cattle banner. Rooke was one of the speakers at the Livestock Expo in Winnipeg on December 14. She spoke on the influence her trip had and on the essay that won her the Canadian representation. “We emphasize high quality feed on our farm with wrapping silage and that is what got me thinking if it makes a difference for us, how much of a difference could it make for a substance farmer with 5 cows?” she said. She said the trip would have a lasting impact because of being part of the 200 other students gathered and hearing speakers like US Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack. “And people from developing countries in Africa.” While Rooke has two years of High School left, she already has some plans in place, to study Agri Business. “I feel that the business part of the farm is important and I need that as well as the animal husbandry,” she said showing insight into her long-term goal of post-secondary education. What Rooke does know right now, is she wants to be a cattle farmer.

December 30, 2016

“The big thing is genetic improvement. Genetic companies, genetic research, they’re improving the genetics with every generation at amazing speeds.”

ket for grain farmers, it creates almost 25,000 jobs directly in the service, processing, distribution and retailing industries. A highlight of the show is the carcass competition. This is not just any competition. It pits hog producers, hog bosses and those who love looking after their animals against one another in the name of producing even better hogs. It also, shows how a competitor’s regular feeding program fares against the next producer. Dennis Stevenson, the pork quality competition Coordinator with the Prairie Livestock Expo organizing committee said Manitoba charities and local food banks are the real big winners of this year’s event. Producers entered 34 hog carcasses from across Manitoba. The carcasses are judged according to the criteria used by Manitoba’s pork processing plants, Maple Leaf in Brandon and HyLife in Neepawa, to grade pork quality including carcass weight, meat colour and loin size. Jamie Hofer, a pork producer with Starlite Colony near Starbuck, Manitoba said a combination of superior genetics, high quality feed and water, respectful animal handling and a blessing from above are the necessary ingredients for producing championship level pork. A hog carcass produced by Starlite Colony topped a field of 34 entries at the Pork Quality Competition held in conjunction with Prairie Livestock Expo 2016 in Winnipeg. Hofer said the 600 sow-farrow to finish operation runs Topigs Genetics with a PIC 337 boar line and ships 14 to 15 thousand market hogs per year to HyLife Foods in Neepawa. “The big thing is genetic improvement. Genetic companies, genetic research, they’re improving the genetics with every generation at amazing speeds,” said Hofer. “Feed is a big thing. You’ve got to have good feed, good quality grains and water. Water is very important. Have good quality clean water with good feed and water delivery systems and then animal handling. You’ve got to handle and treat the pigs in a calm and respectful manner. Then you’ve done yours and then you need a blessing from above.” Hofer said working in a hog barn, wearing a mask and earplugs all day can be a monotonous job but it is fun to prepare and select pigs for the show and being named grand champion

Starlite Colony paired with their charity Siloam Mission won top prize as the 2016 Grand Champion during the Prairie Livestock Expo winning $5,000 and a trip for two to World Pork Expo.

is a real motivator for barn staff. “I applaud the competition organizers and sponsors, but the real winners are the charities to which the prize money gets donated and the less fortunate who receive the pork through local food banks,” he said. The show committee raised $25,500. From the sponsorship money they take out the costs of the event with the rest put up as prize money. “Whatever is left, we split it between the top 10 places and those people have a choice,” said Stevenson. “The winner can contribute all the money to charity or they can keep up to a maximum of 50 percent of the prize money for use on their own farms or things like that but, in previous years we’ve seen most of the folks donate 100 percent of their winnings to charity. This year the winner gets an additional prize, a trip down to the Iowa Pork Expo.” The pork goes to charities in Winnipeg including Siloam Mission and Winnipeg Harvest who help with distributing meat throughout the Christmas season. The top ten winners were, first place 2016 Grand Champion winning $5,000 and trip for two to World Pork Expo was Starlite Colony. Their charity was Siloam Mission. In second and the 2016 Reserve Grand Champion was Boundary Lane Colony, winning $4,000 and their charity South East Integrated Care Unit, Moosomin, Saskatchewan. In third place was Aspenheim Colony, winning $3,000 ( Charity Portage District Hospital Foundation; Children’s Hospital Foundation of MB), fourth place Barrickman Colony, prize money $2,000 (charity Children’s Hospital Foundation of MB), fifth Rolling Acres Colony winning $1,500 (Charity Neepawa Hospital), sixth was New Haven Colony North at $1,000 (Charity Stonewall Hospital), seventh was Skyview Colony with $500 ( Charity Boundary Trail Hospital; Eden Mental Health Centre), eighth place Rose Valley Colony with $500 (Charity Boundary Trail Hospital), ninth place Waldheim Colony with $500 (Charity St Boniface Hospital) and rounding the top ten was Aspenheim Colony winning $500 (Charity Portage District Hospital Foundation; Children’s Hospital Foundation of MB).

December 30, 2016

The AgriPost

Naughty and Nice, Celebrity Farming The mainstream media love to share with us the opinions of celebrities, on pretty much every topic under the sun. Farming is no exception. So Michelle Miller, also known as the “Farm Babe,” decided to do a roundup (pun intended) of famous people who got it right and those who got it wrong. Let’s start with Leonardo DiCaprio. His propagandalaced Netflix movie “Cowspiracy,” is light on facts and heavy on agenda, and does a poor job of showing what really happens to cattle in North America. The primary source of information for the “documentary” was a

10-year-old study proven to be so shoddy its own authors retracted by it. On the other side, one of the good guys is country singer Luke Bryan. He grew up on a peanut farm and has teamed up with Bayer and Feeding America, with the goal of providing half a million meals to hungry people. Bryan also raises money to provide scholarships for farm kids. Alicia Silverstone makes the naughty list. She decided to pose nude for a PETA campaign about how supposedly cruel it is to shear sheep for the wool industry. Green Bay Packers’ wide receiver Jordy Nelson makes the nice list. Despite his $39-million football contract, he still helps out on his family’s farm during the off season. He regularly talks about how he identi-

fies more as a farmer than a football player, and how the work he does on the farm is harder than what he does in the NFL. Actor Mark Ruffalo gets a lump of coal in his stocking for his take on environmental issues, GMOs and livestock emissions. An extra cup of eggnog goes to late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel, who has had a number of guests on his show who talk about farming. His hilarious and viral video, “What is a GMO,” deserves special mention. It shows how people opposed to genetic modification of crops rarely have any idea what it actually means. Arnold Schwarzenegger is on the naughty list. His ridiculous scare commercial about “eat less meat” and global warming is about as

melodramatic and over the top as it gets. Not to mention the fact that you don’t get and maintain muscles like Schwarzenegger’s without above average protein consumption. The comedians and magicians Penn and Teller are a couple of the good guys. For years they’ve been setting the record straight on any one of a number of farming issues. From PETA to GMOs to organics, the duo debunk a lot of the myths surrounding modern agriculture. Their love of scientist Norman Borlaug, the father of modern plant breeding, is also notable. Musician Neil Young is especially naughty. His “The Monsanto Years” concert tour was the height of hypocrisy. Between songs, he would lecture his cigarette-smoking, booze-swill-

Penner’s Points By Rolf Penner

ing audiences about “toxic” GMOs and pesticides. Young himself is diabetic, and is kept alive through his use of GMO insulin. No stranger to this column is Mike Rowe, who probably does more to celebrate the average working man and set the record straight on farming than anyone else. The star of “Dirty Jobs” has castrated lambs and worked with eggs, pigs and cows. In one show, he even inseminated turkeys. He’s in favour of GMOs, regularly

stands up to the extreme animal-rights folks, and is never afraid to actually get his hands dirty. There are many more celebrities who could go on either list. Did any of these names surprise you? With the constant deluge of antitechnology, anti-farming messages we hear on such a regular basis, this columnist was pleasantly surprised by the number of famous people who are actually on our side. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Manitoba’s Throne Speech Gets the Ball Rolling I hope the days of making up regulations for the sake of doing it or for the sake of taking control of some segment or sector, or simply forcing a slow down on some part of the economy for no other reason than silly ideology are over. Why do I say that – Well, on two fronts. First off, I know someone who spent six years in a ministerial Health and Safety committee for the former NDP government, and often it seemed that the focus and the goal of that committee was to do just that. They devised regulations in the name of safety, health, workers, and what ever caught someone’s fancy without thinking of the practical aspect of it, or whether it would price something out of the market. Many times it did both. When Premier Brian Pallister campaigned to get the people to vote for him, and vote they did, one aspect that caught my attention among others, had to do with streamlining business by removing most likely many of those same silly regulations. In the most recent Throne Speech Premier Pallister outlined several areas of improving the economy in the

province and one has to do with establishing a Red Tape Reduction Task Force and create regulatory accountability through legislation. Keystone Agricultural Producers President Dan Mazier says that while the Department of Agriculture’s allocation of the provincial budget remains largely unchanged from 2015, he likes it. “This is good news for the industry,” says Mazier. “There is a reallocation of expenditures to Indigenous and Municipal Relations for rural development, but we were expecting this and it will not affect agricultural programming.” Mazier says one of the positive features of the budget is the commitment for more funding to agri-innovation and policy, which reverses the trend of declining investment – something KAP lobbied for during the provincial election. KAP likes the establishment of a red tape reduction task force. “KAP will be requesting to sit on the task force and has already begun the process of consulting with farmers to identify red tape problems,” says Mazier. “Unnecessary and poorly designed regulatory measures cost farmers thousands of

dollars every year in additional expenses and lost production opportunities. On average, half of the policies we adopt each year are related to these challenges.” Wow - get that and reread maybe what I said in this column at the beginning about unnecessary regs and red tape. Also included in the budget speech was a commitment to develop a madein-Manitoba carbon pricing mechanism. What I really like about this PC government is they don’t waste time getting things underway, and secondly that tells me they aren’t just setting up task forces to beat a dead horse and let the report collect dust, but actually want to improve things by listening, doing and implementing. In this case, as in so many other areas of the province, the government quickly got to work with Morris MLA Shannon Martin co-chairing the process. The 14-member group includes MLAs and external stakeholders with the other Co-Chair Carmele Peter, President of the Winnipeg-based Exchange Income Corporation. Martin knows their work is cut out for them, and says red tape is something he en-

countered frequently before becoming an MLA. The government says this task force will identify regulatory requirements detrimental to the competitiveness of business or that degrade the quality and availability of public services. I don’t think I could have said it better myself. Impacted stakeholders will also be engaged to identify solutions that will remove these barriers and eliminate unnecessary red tape. While KAP likes most of what is in that Throne Speech, two issues that are important to Manitoba producers are not addressed in this budget – the government’s commitment to a province-wide Alternative Land Use Services program and KAP’s request for an increase in the budget for the Farmland School Tax Rebate program. Mazier says a 2013 change to that program capped the rebate resulting in Manitoba farmers paying more than $7 million in additional education taxes annually on farmland. “We understand these are big expenditures that would not necessarily be addressed in the first budget, but we will lobby for these member priorities to be ad-

dressed in the future,” he says.

4-H Summit to Coincide with Canada’s 150th Anniversary The Federal government has announced funding of up to $780,040 to 4-H Canada to host the 2017 Global 4-H Network Summit. 4-H Canada is one of the longest running youth development organizations in Canada for youth aged six to twenty-five. The 4-H Canada mission is to provide strong national leadership to ensure a quality 4-H program across Canada. The Global 4-H Network Summit will take place in Ottawa, July 2017 and will coincide with the 150th Anniversary of Confederation. The summit will host over 600, 4-H delegates from across Canada and around the world where they will share experiences, develop skills and learn about agriculture. The summit will include four days of workshops and plenary sessions including a two-day trade show focusing on education and career opportunities.

The AgriPost

A New Seed Business Goes Mainstream

The New Year is upon us and a new business is coming to life. The Federal government has announced they are going to legalize recreational smoking, and in the words of Pinocchio, “Stand back, I have no idea how big this thing is going to be.” Like any other business it will be the first one’s in that make the Lion’s Share of the profit early and many of us who have not been in the business of providing recreational tobacco may be a bit late to the party, but there should be enough pie to give everyone a slice. Just about the time I was getting the news release from the Federal Government about them not knowing how to handle this new business, I met a lady who said her son was already in the business of growing medical marijuana and doing quite well financially. I asked her about growing enough for the demand, and I pointed out that sometimes potato farmers grew a few extra acres above their contract just in case the yield was low, or the processor needed a few extra bags. I think in some parts of the world they measure potato weights in bags. “Yes, I am sure he does that,” she said with a smile. “He seems to be doing very well and he is happy with the business.” We don’t know how this new product will be distributed but a bit of research shows that there is a distribution network in place already and the government might well learn efficiency from it. On the research side, I doubt any crop has advanced, as much in recent years as has dope. We think that we have come a long way from Columbus wheat, check out the potency of the smoking products that are available. We have heard that Canada’s wheat breeding program lags behind but it is laughable compared to the dope breeders and what they have done, without the benefit of the fancy labs provided by Ag Canada. Marketing and naming varieties, here is where we will really have to run to catch up. A Google search revealed names like Golden Goat, Purple Urkle, and Northern Light are already available by mail order. These guys make the seed catalogues that come to my mail box look ancient. I thought a new variety of cherry tomatoes was something when named Millions of Tomatoes. This is an industry that has been bubbling just below the surface and is about to go mainstream, if you want a hot tip for 2017, get into the growing business and do it soon.

New Crop Records Set in Manitoba By Elmer Heinrichs After a long extended harvest, Manitoba farmers anticipated the Christmas season and with the crop in the bin, they too can enjoy the winter and begin planning for 2017. But now that the crop is off, it seems that overall Manitoba producers enjoyed a good crop, and above average yields for some with a new yield record set for soybeans. Manitoba soybean specialist Dennis Lange confirms that Manitoba grew a great soybean crop, over 1.65 million acres yielding a record 41 bushels an acre. Pam de Rocquigny, a cereal crop specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, said soybeans seem to be one of those crops that can handle almost anything Mother Nature throws at it. She said it was also a good year for growing corn for grain and spring wheat. Statistics Canada said corn production soared by 48.4 per cent to 1.2 million tonnes in the wake of a 35 per cent increase in the number of acres that were harvested and record average yields of 139.4 bushels per acre. Manitoba corn growers saw record yields this year despite an adverse harvest and the trend of big crops is expected to continue, as varieties improve and more farmers commit to the crop. It was also a great year for grain corn with crop-insured producers averaging 143 bushels an acre on 142,400 acres. The province’s potato producers enjoyed a bountiful harvest smashing yield records for a second consecutive year. Manitoba potato growers harvested a record crop of spuds this fall, according to Dan Sawatzky, Manager of the Keystone Potato Growers Association. Sawatzky said the crop, “Benefitted from early emergence, timely rains helped, and a longer growing season, no early frost and moderate summer temperatures.” Manitoba’s potato yields rose for a fifth year and smashed yield records for a second consecutive year. As a result there is a large surplus waiting for a market. “Coupled with that, we got a slight increase in prices,” said Sawatzky. The excess totals about 100 million pounds, the equivalent of 1,300 semi-trailer loads which is above what producers are contracted to sell to French fry processors, McCain Foods and Simplot. Yields averaged 348,000 pounds of potatoes per acre for the processing market. It was a different story for table potatoes. Production is mainly in the Carman-Winkler area, which received more rains and lacked the climate enjoyed by the Carberry-Portage la Prairie region. Table potato production was not quite as large but for growers it was probably still the second or third-largest crop ever. Some potatoes were not harvested because fields were flooded or just too wet. There are about 55 potato producers for the processing market.

December 30, 2016

A Question for Group Health Insurance All business owners have Group Health Insurance Plans available to them. Yes, a Group of “1” qualifies for a Group Plan. When talking to clients about a Group Plan, the conversation often goes to questions about dental, travel insurance and massage therapy. It should because these are important coverages but not all employers want to spend much time discussing what I believe to be the most important exposure – Long Term Disability. If you or your employee(s) are not able to work and therefore cannot earn an income because of an illness or accident, what are you and your family to do? The type of dental plan chosen will not seem so important at this point. Assuming you are covered under worker’s compensation and you are injured while off work, worker’s compensation will not pay. If illness prevents you or your employee from working, worker’s compensation will not pay. If you have Employment insurance, they will pay for injury and illness, this is good, but they only pay for 15 weeks. Some business owners nod cautiously saying that they would want to continue paying their employees salary even if they could not work but are quick to point out that it is not sustainable and they would not do this for very long. One simple question to ask, “Will the Disability Benefit pay for 2 years, 5 years or to age 65?” 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, Commercial/Agri-business Ph: 204-746-5589, F: 866-765-3351, andya@ rempelinsurance.com / rempelinsurance.com / valleyfinancial.ca.

FCC Expands Support for Young Farmers Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is increasing its support for young farmers, doubling the amount of credit available under the FCC Young Farmer Loan. “A big focus of FCC’s mandate is to provide innovative financing products and knowledge to assist the next generation of Canadian farmers,” said Michael Hoffort, FCC President and CEO. “Changes to the Young Farmer Loan recognize the rising cost for young farmers to become established in the industry.” In addition to doubling the credit limit to $1 million from $500,000, FCC has lowered the possible minimum down payment required for a Young Farmer Loan to 20 per cent from 25 per cent of the value of the loan, which supports the purchase or improvement of farmland and buildings. This potentially makes more working capital available to qualified producers, under age 40, as they look to enter the industry or grow their business.

FCC will continue to offer a variable lending rate at prime plus 0.5 per cent, as well as offer a special fixed rate if producers choose that avenue of repayment. No loan processing fees are charged on the Young Farmer Loan, which was introduced in 2012. The loan fills a gap in the marketplace by enabling young farmers to access the

credit they need to get started and grow in the industry. In 2015-16, FCC overall approved more than $2.6 billion in financing including the Young Farmer Loan to farmers under age 40, representing more than one-quarter of the $9 billion in disbursements last year to help customers expand or start their operations.

December 30, 2016

The AgriPost

Cattle Producers Look at Declining Market Returns

By Les Kletke Heinz Reimer had a chance to visit with the provinces beef producers twice in short succession as President of the Manitoba Beef Producers. He made the circuit of district meetings earlier this fall and then was one of the speakers at Beef Days a series of meetings that moved across the province in late November. Reimer said that one the concerns that producers have is prices and that the record high prices of 2015 have gone by the way side. “We are down from the peak but realistically these are some of the highest prices we have seen in the beef industry,” he said. “The issue is that inputs have continued to climb in price and that is putting guys in a squeeze. There is still an opportunity to make money for the good operators, but it is not a given.” While visiting with producers across the province it became apparent to him that the first thing producers did with the good returns was pay down some debt. “They caught up on some of the personal things and paid back the people that had struggled along with them, the third thing was the expansion of the herd and that might have been where the money ran out.” Reimer said that on the production side producers are concerned about predators that have been increasing in recent years. “We have been working with the trappers association but fellows would like to see immediate results and that is not always the case,” he said. “We have heard of some innovative ideas that guys have come up with to deal with the predator problem and that is what they are going to have to do.” He said that while feed supplies were good the wet weather late into fall has meant that some of the feed did not get off the field and some is spoiling. “We won’t be short of feed but we will not have the surplus we first thought because some of the feed is spoiling as the water wicks up from the ground into the bales and spoils the bottom part,” said Reimer. He added that this fall has been as wet as he has ever seen for the province going into winter and he is unsure of what that means for next spring. He has had to pack trails into his feeding areas to move feed into pasture. The province’s initiative to increase cattle numbers was also a topic of discussion. “The province wants to increase cattle numbers but there is not much we can do about that,” he said. “Good returns from the market would look after that. The market has the biggest impact on the number of cattle.”

Glenlea is a Research Lab Necessary for Farm Innovation By Les Kletke Dr. Tracy Gilson is concerned about innovation on Manitoba farms, not now but over the next decade. “There is a time lag of 10 to 15 years for the adoption of innovation,” said Gilson who is the Operations Manager of the Glenlea Research Station. She was the open speaker at Livestock Expo in Winnipeg on December 14 and outlined the economic challenges of operating a research facility. “When I started at the University it was known as the Glenlea Research Farm,” she said. “It is not so much a farm as a laboratory.” In her presentation, she went on to outline the costs for operating the faculty and that labour costs were much different than on a farm primarily because of the amount of time that employees spend on administrative tasks. “Dr. Marvin Seale, long-time head of the Dairy Science program was fond of saying that ‘Milking with unionized help and hours that fit staff decreased herd production.”’ While Seale is no longer at the facility Gilson agrees that many of the tasks are scheduled around staff rather that optimum production, as is the case on a farm. “We are there to do research and some of the research has negative impact on the animals, some things that they might not recover from so our revenue is not like that of a farm,”

Dr. Tracy Gilson is concerned about feeding the research funnel and having innovative ideas for a decade from now. She says the U of M facility at Glenlea should be viewed more as a laboratory than a farm. Photo by Les Kletke

said Gilson. This is why she has turned to advocating for some operational changes through partnerships within the industry to conduct relevant research into the next decade. The facility is holding its own financially but most would agree funding increases, if any, will not keep up with increased cost and industry partners are the best source. “We need to be conducting research at the Glenlea facility that gets into the pipeline so that it is practical in a decade,” said Gilson. “We need to push the limits,” she continued. “Some say that I am too strong an advocate of change, but

change has been good for our industry.” In her presentation, Gilson referred to ‘disruptive change’ explaining we had not seen that since the introduction of the tractor. “We do a good job of working with the little things like drones and utilizing them for field mapping but we have to be looking for things that have a great impact and change the way we do things.” “Discovery may not be immediate change but we have to connect the dots and see how new things can be used in our industry,” She said. “The things that we are implementing now were concepts in the 1990s.”

Your Vet is Part of the Team Tackling Super Bugs

By Les Kletke Dr. Wayne Tomlinson said that it is imperative that beef producers have a good working relationship with a veterinarian. Tomlinson who is an extension veterinarian with Manitoba Agriculture told producers in Vita that changes to the regulations regarding antibiotics would make it even more important that producers have a good working relationship with a veterinarian. “It has always been a good idea,” he said. “To have a program in place and a veterinarian as a part of your production team but the changes that is coming about will make it even more important.” Tomlinson went on to explain the ‘over use’ of antibiotics has brought about the existence of super bugs that show resistance to all known antibiotics and that has triggered concern about the use of the drugs and now the pendulum is swinging the other way. In his presentation, he broke down the use of antibiotic for humans and animals and by far the greater use is for humans. He also explained resistant viruses have existed naturally but the use of antibiotics serves as a selective breeding program that allows the multiplication of these viruses in the population. He likens it to herbicide resistance in weeds, and how a pattern of overuse of one herbicide increases the percentage of resistant weeds in the population. Tomlinson brought the example home to many when he told of his father going into a hospital for treatment of cancer and contracting a super bug, which meant he required isolation when going to a hospital for any reason. “That is the reality,” he said. “That has triggered an increase in the regulations regarding antibiotics and while we are not exactly sure what it will mean on every product; we will see it and it is best to prepare for it on your farm.” He acknowledged that in some cases antibiotics were used as a preventative measure, particularly in feedlots where cattle from a number of farms are brought together. In those feedlots, cattle would receive a shot as a pre-emptive measure. “We may also have seen cases of inappropriate use, where the wrong drug was used, or over used,” he continued. “There are also cases of the wrong dose, where too low a dose was used and it helps to selectively breed that resistant bug. That is why it is important to use the right drug and complete the term of treatment recommended.” Tomlinson faced a series of questions about specific drugs and importation from the US. He said it was still too early to say exactly what the new regulations would be but was sure that they would be in place in the next year or two and those producers should prepare for the time when the new legislation is enacted.

The AgriPost

The Multi Paddock System is a Plan for Grazing Not Hazing By Les Kletke Yogi Berra said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might end up someplace else.” Berra’s adage is not only applicable to travelling the philosophy can be applied to multi-paddock grazing as well. Dr. Richard Teague is a researcher at Texas A & M and was one of the keynote speakers at Beef and Forage Days, the travelling show that visited 5 communities across the province. Teague’s message is that when you implement a grazing system the plan allows the producer to better handle the adverse conditions that are a part of the business. “We know that we will get extreme weather conditions and that will impact the growth of the plants in the pasture,” he said. “But if you have a plan in place you can deal with those types of situations be it drought as we get in Texas or extreme rains as you had this year.” Teague is familiar with conditions in Manitoba having conducted part of his research in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. He said one of the most common problems is putting

”Your cows may be hazing which is a combination of hungry and grazing.” cattle back on paddocks to soon, which is the case under normal growing conditions before weather takes its toll in either a lack of or with excess moisture. Teague recommended a minimum of 10 paddocks for a multi-paddock system, which he differentiates from rotational grazing. “If you have 8 or fewer paddocks you are rotational grazing and more than likely overgrazing,” he said. ”Your cows may be hazing which is a combination of hungry and grazing. You need to monitor the plant regrowth and make sure that it is adequate for grazing.” He said that sufficient plant regrowth does much more than just provide adequate feed for the animals; it changes the microbial activity in the soil and increases water retention. It is a longterm program that will pay dividends well down the road. “You might not see

it in 2 or 3 years but you will see it after that,” said Teague. “There is no product available to improve soil structure. That is something we have to do; there is no quick fix to having a highdensity plant population. A broad spectrum of plants will do that.” He made it clear that, “You need to understand the recovery period of the plants in your pasture and keep them at a leafy stage. That is how plants grow and take in sunlight and energy, they need leaves.” His research has shown that cows trampling down plants have a great benefit in the pasture. “Don’t think they are wasting feed, those plants will bring you longterm benefits in the pasture. Too often, we are overgrazing and using rotational grazing to underfeed the cattle and starve out pastures. We need to think about fertility, diversity and cover crops.”

December 30, 2016

The AgriPost

Self Sufficiency is More Than a Dream

By Les Kletke Justin Phillips believes that many of the provinces agricultural units could be selfsufficient in power. “We are not looking at this as a money making project,” he said. “Let’s start with cutting our power bills and becoming self-sufficient.” Phillips is one of the principals of Sycamore Energy and he said that the system in place to send power to the Manitoba Hydro grid would keep it from being a commercial venture. “It is a complicated formula but Manitoba Hydro does not pay at the highest rate for power you put into the gird. They do however pay you and you can use that account to pay for power you use from the grid.” Phillips and his solar panel display got a lot of attention

at Prairie Livestock Expo and he plans to be on hand in full force at Ag Days in Brandon. “We want to speak to more farmers about the possibility. At this time it is viable and we see the industry developing further.” Phillips said that Manitoba has the potential to become a have province in the solar energy business. “We don’t have the huge reaserves of fossil fuel and we know this is the future,” he said. “So let’s get on board at the beginning of the business.” His company has already installed several units at agricultural sites and estimates a 6 year time to recover the cost of the installation of the unit. That is using an interest cost of 4% and the life expectance of a today’s solar panel is 25 years in Manitoba con-

ditions. “We had one farmer question the ground space we were using for the solar panels, he insisted that land was valuable but when we did the calculations of what the panels would generate in reduced power bills, he said we could go ahead and use as much land as we wanted,” he said with a chuckle. His estimate is the solar panels show a 15% return on investment. Phillips said there are incentives in place from Manitoba Hydro that make the installation more attractive but the equipment does pay for itself in real time without added incentives. He is confident that the industry will continue to grow and sees potential for residential units as well but said that at this time the best results are achieved from high power using operations like hog barns.

Training Cattle to Eat Weeds By Les Kletke The idea of training cows to eat weeds may see a bit farfetched but it may not be far from reality. Having cows eat weeds is one of the projects being undertaken in the Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiative (MBFI). Caroline Kehler is with the Initiative and outlined the programs for producers attending Beef and Forage Day as it moved around the province. “MBFI cannot control the markets but we can do research that will control production costs and increase profits from the ground up,” said Kehler on one of those projects training cows to eat Leafy Spurge. While speaking in Vita she noted that the weed is not yet a big problem in eastern Manitoba as it is in our western pastures. “We don’t see as much of the weed here,” she said. “But we will and it would be best to have some type of measure in hand to control the weed when it becomes a greater problem.” She outlined how leafy spurge is introduced in tubs of regular feed. Overtime regular feed is reduced as Leafy Spurge is increased so that it becomes part of their diet. “Then when they are returned to pasture they continue to graze the Leafy Spurge,” she said. “They do not think of it as a delicacy but do eat it as part of their grazing.” Kehler explained that the research Initiative has 22 projects at three sites and some of these projects are in partnership with outside researchers. Another of the projects is designed to use temporary electric fencing that can be moved after planned grazing. Temporary electric fencing is a program intended to show long-term benefits particularly to soil structure and the resultant water retention. “That project has increased the grazing days to 124 which is an increase of 17 days over previous methods,” said Kehler. “That is showing immediate benefit and at a very practical level.” The initiative is also in the second year of a project that is evaluating extended grazing by comparing swath, bale and corn grazing. “We are in the second year of that project and are finding some very interesting results,” she noted. In 2016, MBFI hosted a summer field day that was well attended said Kehler. She is hopeful that more producers from the eastern part of the province see the value of the Initiative and attend the event in 2017. Kehler believes that with the establishment of a satellite site in eastern Manitoba it would benefit future research for producers throughout the province even more.

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December 30, 2016

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December 30, 2016

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December 30, 2016

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December 30, 2016

The AgriPost

December 30, 2016

Put the Pulse in Ag Ed By Joan Airey Sue Clayton the Executive Director of Agriculture in the Classroom shared the vision of Agriculture in the Classroom–Manitoba (AITC-M) with those attending the Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference in Portage la Prairie earlier this fall. AITC Manitoba will lead in the development and distribution of accurate, balanced and current information for use as education resources in school cur-

riculum. Their mission is to inspire interest in agriculture and agriculture careers, work collaboratively with industry partners to develop engaging interactive agricultural experiences for youth and to develop an appreciation and awareness of the importance of agriculture, socially and economically. “We work with over one hundred and sixty Manitoba schools and reach over thirty thousand students every year and deliver hands on experimental learning opportunities

through curriculum linked programs and resources. We have many curriculum based teaching tools available for educator to use in the classroom such as Pizza Farm and online resources, Lunch Box for Plants, and All About Food. In 2000, Amazing Agriculture Adventures was started in Winnipeg and now the program is available in Brandon, Russell and Winnipeg,” said Clayton. “We have hosted over one hundred and sixty Made in Manitoba Breakfasts in

Manitoba Schools to help students make the connection from the farm gate to their plate. Last year the Little Green Thumbs program reached over forty schools with twenty-eight hundred students and sixty-four teachers. We need more people to volunteer to help everyone see Canadian Agriculture as the modern industry it is. It takes everyone working together to fuel the understanding of where our food comes from and how critical our industry is to Manitoba

If Financial Security is the Destination, Financial Literacy is the Fuel By Joan Airey At this year’s, Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference Gwen Paddock spoke on how women can fill their tank with financial knowledge and get on the road to Financial Freedom. She is the National Manager, Agriculture and Agribusiness for RBC Royal Bank. In her role, Paddock focuses on client strategy development for the Agriculture and Agribusiness markets. She was raised on a Beef Cow-Calf farm and as a youth participated in 4-H and Junior Farmers. Her interest in agriculture influenced her decision to attend the University of Guelph where obtained a B.Sc. with a major in Agriculture Economics in 1985. “If financial security is the destination, financial literacy is the fuel. Financial literacy is a combination of awareness, knowledge, skill, attitude, and behaviour necessary to make sound financial decisions and ultimately achieve individual financial well-being. You need to know how to make money, how to manage it; invest it and how to donate it to help others. Women need to be sufficiently financially literate to effectively participate in economic activities and to make appropriate financial decisions for themselves and their families. The financial consequence of divorce are often more severe for women, and they typically tend to live longer than men,” said Paddock. “People who engage in financial planning report higher levels of emotional, financial and overall contentment over people who have done limited planning. They are on track with their financial goals and retirement plans so they are better able to indulge in their discretionary spending goals,” she explained. “The Wealthy Barber and Gail Vaz-Oxlade give this advice. First of all, have a plan and beware of credit cards. Save ten percent of all that you earn and invest it for long-term growth. Remove temptations. No one can have everything. Always live below your means but within your needs,” said Paddock. “The benefits of a financial plan are you accumulate wealth by saving and investing for growth. You protect your wealth by identifying and managing risks to your financial well-being. You can transfer your wealth to future generations according to your wishes and convert your wealth into tax efficient and a reliable stream of retirement income,” said Paddock. “If you work for a company participate in employee pension plans, maximize RSPs and TSFA contributions. If you are involved in a farming business, the advice is the same only with an exclamation mark!!! Are you ready for the next step to become financially literate and have a plan?” stressed Paddock. “Do you know the benefits of having a will? Your assets are distributed according to your wishes and not according to provincial laws. You get to choose who benefits how and by how much. You appoint the personal representative you trust to carry out your wishes in

Sue Clayton addresses the Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference in Portage la Prairie.

Photo by Joan airey

Gwen Paddock shares financial advice with those attending this year’s Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference.

Photo by Joan airey

administering your estate. You have a say on wealth transfer strategies that are tax efficient. In most jurisdictions if you have no living heirs and no will, your assets go to the government,” said Paddock. Resources that everyone can use Gwen Paddock suggested are “I’M Worth It—Financial Stories, Ideas, Strategies for Women”, the Manitoba Securities Commission website imworthit.ca, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada website fcacacfc. gc.ca for financial literacy initiatives projects and Wills and Will PlanningMaintaining your will throughout your lifetime, RBC Wealth Management.

and Canada. We couldn’t do it without partners, schools, businesses, volunteers, supporters and organizations,” said Clayton. AITC-M also runs the GenAg program, which fosters student participation in designing and implementing a marketing project in their respective schools that promotes agriculture careers to their peers. The students learn about career opportunities through field trips, guest speakers, and exploring career websites. GenAg is to serve as a platform to by highlighting the advancements of modern agriculture and the diversity of career opportunities that exist in this dynamic industry, engage high school students in exploring the myriad of career opportunities available in the agriculture industry and inspire students to envision themselves working in agriculture.

“The winner of this pilot program in 2016 was GAAL marketing. They developed their name and logo. They were a group of six girls from Carman Collegiate. They planned an agriculture career day for girls, followed by a scavenger hunt for all students in the school giving them opportunity to take part in it. They had presenters from different Agriculture careers speak to the groups of students. Students participating in this career day had to fill in questionnaires to say what they learnt from each presenter. It was interesting to see how many students were interested in an Agriculture career after participating in this career day,” said Diane Mauthe, Program Manager for ATIC. To find out how to become involved or get further information about AITC visit aitc. mb.ca.

December 30, 2016

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Extra Water for Pre-Weaned Dairy Calves is Important Feeding milk replacer or whole milk does not provide enough water for growing pre-weaned dairy calves. That’s because young calves have a natural requirement for water, which is often higher and separate than what is provided by the majority of milkbased feeding programs. By providing all the water needed, calves adapt to dry calf starter quicker, grow faster and ideally can be weaned at an earlier age and at heavier weights. Therefore, I recommend that clean and good quality water should be made available at all times in addition to their whole milk or milk replacer diets. The daily water intake by an average pre-weaned dairy calf is roughly 10% of its bodyweight. The actual amount of water drunk depends upon a host of factors such as calf age, diet, health status, stress level, type of housing, sanitation, environment and water quality. For example, a 90lb dairy calf housed outside in hutch; sunning itself at comfortable temperature of 10 °C and 65% humidity requires about 4.0 litres of clean water (re: 90 lbs x 10% / 2.2). Based upon this guideline, I put together the chart below, which matches the amount of milk replacer that a baby calf would need in order to meet its basic water requirement. In my illustration, I utilized four boundaries: 1. A 90 lb baby calf is born and started immediately on the milk replacer program. 2. Graduated weights of calves are provided. 3. Calves are weaned at 180 lbs and 4. A commercial milk replacer is fed; mixed at 150 g of milk powder to one litre of mixed solution (water and milk powder) or contains 85% water. My water comparisons are as follows:

As a dairy nutritionist, I can testify that more milk replacer (or whole milk) is needed solely to meet the basic water requirement of pre-weaned calves than recommend by many conventional milk feeding programs. I know of many dairy producers, who feed a maximum of 4 - 6 litres of milk replacer per day (plus supplemental calf starter) to thirsty calves without

extra water until weaning. I believe that they could theoretically raise better growing calves without changes to their calves’ feeding program, if only they would provide extra water on a free-choice basis. Case-in-point: A 1999 - 2000 research study conducted at the APC Calf Research Unit in Ames, Iowa tested water consumption in 120 newborn Holstein bull calves. The researchers offered “extra water” to each calf on a daily basis in addition to about 4 litres/day of a milk replacer diet. They reported many consistent results that demonstrate the importance of extra water made available for pre-weaned dairy calves. Highlights of their findings include: - The total amount of “total water” (milk replacer + extra water) balances out to about 6 - 8 litres consumed by each pre-weaned calf per day; the more liquids fed by milk replacer means less “extra water” is drunk and the vice-versa is true. One can assume the calves’ total water requirement to maintain life-giving

functions are achieved. - Water consumption is very much correlated with dry calf starter intake. These researchers stated that increased daily starter intake accounted for more than 60% of the variation recorded in increased water intake. According to Penn State University, as soon as a young calf readily accepts dry calf starter, its rumen development is accelerated which leads to superior growth rates and promotes early weaning. - Natural water consumption among calves varies greatly from individuals. The actual amount of total water required by each dairy calf differs, because of the large number of factors associated with the need for water. Dairy producers should also practice good water hygiene, by cleaning out all water buckets or water troughs for young dairy calves on a timely basis. One Utah State University field trial recorded a 9% better growth rate in pre-weaned calves that drank out of pails that were cleaned everyday as opposed to cleaned every two weeks. Similarly, algae growth tends to be a summer-time problem that can be alleviated by a daily scrubbing of calf pails, troughs and any drinking devices, respectively. Given the chance, pre-weaned calves may drink a lot of clean water in addition to their whole milk or milk replacer diet. However, satisfying this thirst also promotes good dry calf starter intake, which in turn encourages good rumen development and may advance their age of weaning. When good growing dairy calves are not bawling for more water, they off to a good start and they might just become the most profitable cows on the dairy farm.

I May be Wrong But the Fundamentals Are Not By Les Kletke Sandy Russel acknowledged that she did not read the 2016 cattle market correctly in her opening remarks to the Beef and Forage Day event in Vita. Because of a scheduling change in the event it was held twice in 2016, the event previously held in January was moved to December this year. “I don’t get to speak to the same crowd twice in one year very often,” said Russell who operates Spring Creek Land and Cattle Consulting with her husband in Saskatchewan. “I may be wrong but the fundamentals are never wrong, and we make mistakes when we leave the fundamentals, I am guilty of that in this past year.” “Too often we trade on emotions, and we all do it,” she said. “I am not trained in psychology. I am trained to raise cattle and that is what we should do.” “When the market started going up in 2015 we thought it would never stop going up,” said Russell but what goes up, comes down and it did in January of this year. We should have known that it would come down but it came down harder and faster than we ever expected.” Russell went on to say there was still room to make money in the cattle business but it was not as easy and without the great profits that 2015 prices allowed. She told producers to get ready for a wild ride in the coming months and into the next year. “Expect volatility increasing in our sector,” she said. “We need risk management to deal with that volatility.” “The fundamentals will prevail, emotions end up taking us on a fun ride,” she said. “Supply and demand will drive the market place and we have to be aware of that.” Russell said that producers should count themselves fortunate that the Canadian beef consumer stayed with the product through the prices of 2015. “We have a good product but there comes a time when consumers will choose a substitute based on price, we were very fortunate the consumer kept buying beef but prices are not at that level now and we have to produce product that will fit into that market in these times.” She said that Canada is a price taker not a price maker. “We are a fraction of the US market and we will see the same factors as the US,” said Russell. “Demand is established by the eastern seaboard, and we are the takers of those prices, the American beef price is established early in summer when the barbecuing season begins, the weather on the eastern seaboard impacts our cattle prices through the summer.” Russell who fielded several questions after her presentation said that she looked forward to returning in a year. “If you will have me, and I may be wrong again, but the fundamentals are never wrong.”

Government of Canada Approves Funding for Innovative Agricultural Equipment The Canadian agriculture sector received a boost with a Government of Canada investment under the Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative of $425,000 to further develop and commercialize an innovative no-till seeding system, the CX-6 SMART Seeder. Federal funding will enable Clean Seed Agricultural Technologies Ltd. to further develop the equipment using patented technology that will significantly enhance application control, reduce the over-application of fertilizer and pesticides, and lower fuel usage and input costs. While the company is headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia, testing will be conducted in Saskatchewan and the equipment will be manufactured in Manitoba. The federal repayable contribution WINN program will be matched by Clean Seed Agricultural Technologies Ltd.

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December 30, 2016

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Corn Residue Needs Special Awareness After Wet Fall

By Peter Vitti In the last few years, many beef producers have taken advantage of corn residue as part of their cowherd’s overwintering feeding program. It’s a low-cost feed and for the most part, because early gestating cows are allowed months of grazing without much trouble. Unfortunately, this wet fall has presented many challenges in feeding lower quality corn residue and in displaying a likely chance of serious mold contamination. I believe these issues must be addressed when feeding corn residues this year and strategies should be in place as the winter progresses. In any given year, the nutrient value of corn residue should be comparable to other low-cost overwintering feeds, including similar standing corn fed to overwintering beef cows:

Good corn residue is very comparable to wheat or barley straw and can support the nutrient requirements of gestating beef cows with the right amount and type of nutrient supplements. Specifically, early to mid-gestation cows need to consume about 52 -55% TDN and 8 - 9 % crude protein feed on a daily basis for body maintenance, to keep warm and to support an early-term fetus. Similarly, overwinter pre-calving cows need about 55 - 60% TDN and 9 11% crude protein to also maintain body condition, to survive winter, support a late-term fetus and to get ready for calving. Earlier this winter, I have walked into a few corn residue fields being grazed by cattle. The corn leaves left over from harvest, looked like straw, cornstalks snapped like wood kindling and the dropped cobs had corn kernels; either hard pebbles or were mushy. These observations only confirm my belief that this fall’s wet weather produced corn residue of lower nutrient value compared to those presented in the above table. In addition, I would expect that such limited nutrition would decrease further as the winter progressed. That’s because, beef cows are selective feeders and tend to graze only the most palatable portions of the corn residue, first and leave the worst parts until they absolutely are forced to eat it. Winter weather also plays havoc at the same time with corn residue and thereby tends to degrade all existing plant material. The good news is that there are many energy and/or protein feed supplements available, which should complement overwintering cow feeding programs based upon grazing lowquality corn residue. For example, many producers across western Canada have access to dried distillers’ grains, which is both a good energy and protein feed; 75% TDN and 28% crude protein. Adding 4.0 lbs. of DDGS can raise a diet of 23 lbs. of corn residue from 5 to 8 % protein and supply enough dietary energy for early and mid-gestation cows. Only because this is a challenging year for feeding corn residue, I would make sure that an increase in the plane of nutrition is put in place for the late-gestation or pre-calving cows. I would do this by substituting a portion of their corn residue diet with adequate quality forage. For example, I would provide grass hay or mixed grass-alfalfa mixtures with an energy TDN of 55 - 60% TDN and protein level of 11 - 12%. For this reason, I have witnessed beef producers roll out bales of this better-quality forage right onto corn residue pastures.

Consequently, cold weather in January and February will further increase energy demands for overwintering cows just to keep warm, regardless of corn residue quality. Therefore, an additional 0.5 - 1.0 kg of grain or DDGS should be provided. It is also important to purchase a well-balanced beef mineral with complimentary levels of calcium and phosphorus, fortified with essential trace minerals and vitamins A, D, and E. In addition to lower feed quality, this year’s corn residue was very susceptible to mold growth. In a few fields, I have witnessed corn leaves that were dotted with blue spots (penicillium mold?) and leftover corncobs with blue-green patches or furry white coats. Fortunately, most beef cows should stay away from moldy feeds because infected corn is less palatable than available clean residue. Then again, if the whole field is littered with moldy corncobs, stalks and leaves, gestating beef cows may have no choice, but to eat contaminated feed, which can lead to a substantial reduction in feed/nutrient intake. Significant mold levels will also lower feed digestibility as well as reduce energy and protein feed content. At their worst, some molds such as penicillium can produce potent toxins called mycotoxins, which can induce abnormal metabolism, damage organs, infertility and literarily shut down the cattle’s entire immune system that fights disease. Awareness of such mold contamination or of general lower quality corn residue after a wet fall is a big leap forward in assuring that gestating beef cows remain healthy and meet their overwintering nutrient requirements. The next step is to take appropriate actions; avoid moldy “hot-spots” in corn residue fields as well as supplement essential dietary nutrients, where needed. If you do this, you should be able to stop and enjoy the practical and economic benefits of feeding corn residues to your beef cows.

Manitoba Fall Weather Cuts into Winter Wheat Acres

By Harry Siemens Winter wheat continues to do battle with wet falls and late harvests as farmers try to meet the seeding date and eligibility for crop insurance should the crop fail. Jake Davidson, the Executive Director of Winter Cereals Canada said Saskatchewan has taken the lead in terms of the number of acres seeded to winter wheat as stated in Statistics Canada latest production numbers. He said from about August 15, conditions in Manitoba were wet and the canola crop did not come off the field. As a result, since canola is the primary stubble crop for winter wheat seeding was reduced especially in western Manitoba. “Overall, the prairies saw 535,000 acres of winter wheat planted this year down from around 600,000, all in Manitoba where producers took quite a hit on winter wheat acres,” said Davidson. “We’ve been running in the 200,000 to 225,000 and, because of our fall conditions; we’re down to 140,000 in Manitoba. Saskatchewan however did much better. They’re up to 265,000, which is an improvement over where they’ve been running at around 220,000.” Producers in Alberta held their own in winter wheat acres with 130,000 acres seeded. “It’s interesting; approximately 50 percent of the winter wheat grown in western Canada right now is coming out of Saskatchewan.” Davidson said, with the late fall, the planted winter wheat acres got off to a good start. There was a long vernalization period giving the crops a good opportunity to prepare for winter, now there is good snow cover and growers will be looking for that snow to remain in place. Despite the acres being down, he said winter wheat continues to provide a dramatic yield advantage over wheat varieties planted in the spring, and that spread could widen. Davidson

Several winter cereal and soybean harvests this year.

said winter wheat typically provides a dramatic yield advantage over the spring seeded wheat varieties and the crop harvested in 2016 was consistent with that trend. According to Statistics Canada overall on the Canadian prairies spring wheat was at 43.8 and winter wheat at 51.1 bushels per acre. “That still leaves us with a considerable yield improvement over spring wheat. Manitoba saw winter wheat at 61.4 and spring wheat at 49.5.” He went on to say that in Saskatchewan, there was 39.2 bushels for both winter and spring, because of the growing conditions. Alberta came in at 47.2 bushels per acre in spring wheat versus 55.3 for winter wheat. “Over all across the prairies, and if you look at the many years average, winter wheat significantly out yields spring wheat again this last year. With our new varieties coming out and new agronomy, that spread should continue and possibly grow.” While the fall-seeded winter wheat crop is off to a good start, the harvested winter seeded last fall also appears to be decent with not a lot of fusarium and at good protein levels. He said sometimes, even though the quality is down a little, it will end up going somewhere where the quality will not affect the premium but overall those people who did get the crop off were mostly pleased. Judging by the levy numbers, the crop is moving at a good rate.

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December 30, 2016

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Off to Market We Go By Cam Dahl, Murdoch MacKay and JoAnne Buth The Canadian cereals industry is united in reaching out to international customers. The 2016 Canadian Wheat New Crop Missions runs for seven weeks from the beginning of November to mid-December. The sessions kicked off on November 10 with a seminar for Canadian millers, the largest buyer of Canadian wheat. By the time the trek is done the missions will reach customers in 17 countries in Asia, Latin America, Europe, North Africa and West Africa. Some of our competitors, like the US Wheat Associates, also put on new crop seminars. But Canada is unique because we deliver the entire value chain including representation from farmers, exporters, Canadian Grain Commission (CGC), Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi), and Cereals Canada. When customers have a question on Canadian production, we have a farmer in the room to answer. When there are questions on supply or logistics, an exporter is there to provide the right information. Cigi and CGC provide unbiased technical information on the grading factors and the technical milling, baking, and pasta and noodle-making properties. This collaborative effort demonstrates the commitment of Canada’s value chain to supporting our customers and providing them with the opportunity to optimize the value and performance of Canadian wheat. The Canadian missions are about a lot more than industry representatives talking to international buyers. We are also there to listen directly to our customers’ needs and concerns. Bringing these needs and concerns back to Canada is one of the key objectives and values of the missions. This feedback allows Canada to adjust our grading and classification systems to give buyers what they want and to focus research goals on the traits and qualities that will get the highest return from the market. The recent changes to the wheat classification system are one example of adjustments made in Canada as a result of going abroad to listen directly to the needs of our customers. Talking to our customers is important in years when everything is going well and high-quality wheat is overflowing.

The conversations are even more important in years when things did not go as planned, like the 2016 growing season. Farmers know that the growing season was cooler and much wetter than normal and have experienced one of the most difficult harvests on record. Customers know this too and they want to know the quality effects of the curve balls thrown by Mother Nature. The news delivered by the Canadian team is better than many customers are expecting. Over half of the Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) crop is still in the top two grades. The Canadian team is able to assure customers that Canada has good quality to deliver. But the news is not all good and we can’t hide these facts. The cooler than normal wet summer experienced by much of the Prairies was an ideal environment for the growth of fusarium fungi. This year fusarium has had minimal effect on the milling, baking and pasta and noodle-making properties of wheat and durum. But fusarium also produces a mycotoxin called deoxynivalenol or DON, and there are strict limits on DON in most markets because of food safety concerns. Fusarium has especially impacted the record level durum crop, which has seen downgrades because of the fungus. Because the Canadian team includes the entire value chain we are able to work with customers to help ensure they can access the Canadian quality they have come to expect while meeting their country’s grain safety regulations. The missions also allow Canadian farmers to highlight the strong management practices that allow them to consistently deliver high quality grain that is sustainability produced. For example, this year’s missions feature presentations from producers that outline the sustainability of modern Canadian agriculture. Farmers demonstrate how their practices are reducing energy consumption, sequestering carbon, reducing erosion and improving soil health. This is a good news story both here and abroad. Telling the Canadian agricultural story gives context to our customers about who we are and demonstrates our collective commitment to upholding Canada’s reputation in the global market. Canada is known for quality, sustainability, and the investment of the value chain to ensure we are producing the

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best product, year after year. For more information about the New Crop Missions, including the seminars presented and technical data, please visit canadianwheat.ca. Cam Dahl is President of Cereals Canada, Murdoch MacKay is Commissioner for the Canadian Grain Commission and JoAnne Buth is CEO of the Canadian International Grains Institute.

FCC Contributes to Canadian 4-H Clubs The Farm Credit Canada (FCC) 4-H Club Fund is providing $122,750 to 253 4-H clubs across Canada to support various local events and activities. In Manitoba, 31 4-H clubs received a combined total of $15,250. The fund is part of FCC’s annual $250,000 contribution to 4-H Canada. This contribution, in addition to supporting local 4-H activities, supports national as well as provincial 4-H initiatives. The FCC 4-H Club Fund awards up to $500 for projects such as achievement days, horse clinics, field trips, public speaking workshops and purchases of equipment, just to name a few. The next application period opens in fall 2017. “We are thankful to FCC for their continued support of 4-H in Canada, and the unique and valuable opportunities they help to provide for our members at the grassroots level,” said 4-H Canada CEO, Shannon Benner. “This generous partnership is indicative of FCC’s commitment to youth leadership in agriculture, as we continue to help empower and build responsible, caring and contributing young leaders who are passionate about making meaningful contributions to the world around them.”

December 30, 2016

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