The Agri Post
January 30, 2015
For a Great Crop It’s All About the Water By Les Kletke
Weaker Looney Helps Us Compete By Harry Siemens After seven lean years as a hog producer and making some changes going forward, it is good to see some big profits returning to the pig business, said past Chair of the Canadian Pork Council and an Alberta mixed farmer. Jurgen Preugschas who has farmed since 1970, said following seven lean years in the pig business, he hopes there will be seven good years. “That would be a genuine pleasure, but I’m also a realist,” he said in a conversation at the recent Banff Pork Seminar. “It is certainly better because we’ve recovered some of our losses in this past years, certainly unprecedented profits.” Preugschas said with 2014 behind it feels great but he knows the industry will need to manage really, really well to be competitive globally. Not everyone came through those seven lean years. Preugschas and his son did, but not without significant changes to their operation. “Unfortunately, a lot of families went out of the business. Some lost their operations, some lost their homes, and that to me is the most difficult part,” he stressed. “We were fortunate in being able to sweat through it, changing our operation to where we now custom finish for OlySky now and that is working very, very well.” Preugschas outlined what brought them to that decision, knowing that things down the road could turn around, and any higher profits would not necessarily accrue to them, if they fed pigs for someone else. “Well, the banks were a big help in that decision. You can only borrow money for so long. And even if the equity is there, enough is enough,” he said. “So we had to take a real strong hard look at things. In our total operation, we had to sell some land to meet our commitments and acquire a contract with OlySky to custom finish pigs. My son is a partner with us and he’s is very happy with this setup in terms of having, regardless of where the prices are, a monthly income that we can live off of.” The Preugschas family operates several farms, in-
“We will need more than one year of profitability before we see a major expansion taking place,” said former Chair of the Canadian Pork Council, Jurgen Preugschas to an audience at the recent Banff Pork Seminar.
cluding one where they custom finish pigs, called Pigs Are Us Inc., a 9,000 hog finisher unit. Their home farm is the breeding unit and part of Peak Swine Genetics. They do not have sows anymore on the home farm because of the biosecurity issues even though it is three miles apart because of traffic flowing back and forth. He said that he feels optimistic about the future. “We always have to take a look at where do we fit in as an exporting nation with the world,” Preugschas said. “Certainly, the much weaker Canadian dollar is a very positive thing for us today, down at under 82 cents whereas a year ago we were at par. So that helps us in Canada to compete with the world and get us back in line; our packers and everyone back in line with our relatively high wages that we have to pay, and other higher costs like energy, with some of our regulatory costs much higher than many other countries.” The weaker dollar allows Canadian producers to be more competitive and the outlook is relatively positive except in the area of new expansion. “I think with what we’ve gone through here in Canada especially, it is harder on us, than say the American producers, so our expansion is going to happen with a little more thought and a little slower than it will possibly in the US,” said Preugschas. “We will need more than one year of profitability before we see a major expansion taking place.”
Rigas Karamos who spent time at the University of Manitoba is now with Koch Fertilizers in Edmonton told the audience at St. Jean Farm Days in January that water is still the most important part of producing a crop. Karamos does not downplay the value of a good nutrient program in producing a crop. “But it is all about the water,” he said. “Things may change in the future as new varieties have different rates of water requirements and we might see varieties that can produce great yields with lower moisture requirements, but water use is going to remain the prime component of producing a crop.” He said that change is going Rigas Kamaros says water to continue in crop production is still the determining factor but at varying rates. “In 1973 in producing a crop and the when I started working in crop has only two choices Manitoba I carried a large cell ground water or rain water. phone that might work in some areas. Today there are phones a fraction of the size but not all changes happen at that rate. The organic matter in the soil does not happen at the same rate as Apple products 1, 2, or 3. We need to be aware of the conditions in the soil and base our crop expectations on that.” He went on to explain what many producers might think as the obvious but may not relate to their crop expectations. “There are two sources of water during the growing season, the ground water and what comes from either rain or irrigation,” he said. “That amount of moisture is what limits crop production.” He went on to explain that ground water usage is what is important during times when producers are surprised by their yields during dry years. “Often farmers are surprised at yields but what is happening is that ground water is being used and unless it is replenished it will not be there for subsequent crops.” Kamaros advocated the use of a simple instrument called the Brown Probe to find the level of soil moisture. “It is a ½ inch rod with a 5/8 inch ball bearing on the end and as far as you can push it in the ground tells you how deep the soil moisture is,” said Kamaros. He recommends that producers consider the level of soil moisture when determining their nutrient program for the year and targeting yields. “Soil fertility is important but knowing the moisture available is a critical part and until we have different seed varieties it remains the key issue,” he further added.
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The Agri Post
Consider All Factors Before Accepting a Selling Price By Les Kletke Lorne Boundy is with Paterson Grain and as a main speaker at St. Jean Farm Days 2015, told the audience there are other factors to consider along with price before selling a crop. He said selling your crop at the right time is more than trying to hit the top of the mar-
ket. “You have to look at things like your cost of production, yield expectations, storage space, and risk tolerance,” said Boundy. While his presentation dealt with the mechanics of developing a marketing program, he did provide an outlook of some potential areas worth watching. “Oats looks better than last year and the futures
are drifting along,” he said. “Indications are that acres could be the same and that will mean a struggle to fill the pipeline.” He suggested some crops might see rallies closer to seeding as processors try to buy acres to fill their needs and assure that enough of the crop is planted. He said a crop like oats is
one that requires considerations of some of the other factors. “You have to consider your storage space available at harvest and what you can do to address those issues with a crop like oats that are in large volume,” said Boundy. “Soybeans have fallen from their highs but they could benefit from a weather event in South America so the market bears watching.” According to Boundy, the soybean price has a great influence on the canola market. “Beans really do drive the canola train and have rebounded a bit,” he said. “It is worth looking at some of the old levels as price points and they might be support levels.” Boundy said that on his farm, he is typically marketing crop a year ahead of production and as seeding gets closer, he is more comfortable moving that
Lorne Boundy of Paterson Grain advises farmers to consider other factors than just price when marketing their crop.
even further out. “By seeding time I might be selling crop a year and a half out,” he said. “That depends on your comfort with risk and what you know your average yields are. You have to be comfortable with being able to produce what you are going to sell.” When the crop emerges from the ground, he
will sell more. He expects the crude oil prices will have an effect on commodity markets for the next two quarters and advised producers to be watching for price levels that provide them a return. “Know your production costs and be ready to sell some crop when prices are above that,” he said.
Staying the Course in Southeastern Manitoba By Les Kletke Mike Harushyk has a cowherd in southeastern Manitoba and he said that while 2014 was not perfect he would settle for more of the same in 2015. “Compared to the last 10 years, this is pretty good,” he said. “We went through a long time of low prices and this market is a lot more fun.” He said that his feed stock has been replenished after drawing it down considerably last winter because he was able to save a bit of feed from the later fall and mild temperatures. “I like to have a year of feed on hand in case of a bad year, and last winter took its toll on that, we were feeding cows for a long time and through some very cold times and that used a lot more feed than a usual winter.” He expects to calf out about 250 cows this year with calving beginning in February. “We spread our calving out over a longer period and that way we have calves to market at different times,” he said. “We find that works better for the marketing even though it does make for a longer calving time.” His herd is split into four groups and the breeding is staggered so that the first group begins calving in February and the last group will deliver calves in May. “Those are much more on their own and by that time of the year we don’t need to monitor them as closely. It is closer to what nature does, and it is mostly a matter of predator control for that group.” Predators remain a problem for him with young calves on pasture and while the birthing goes well there are still risks. He has enlisted the use of a guard donkey and said it has helped, “But nothing is perfect.” Harushyk is confident beef prices will stay for the next two years but has not expanded his herd. “We had this number through the tough times and we will keep them in the good times, if we look after this herd at these prices they can give us a decent return,” he added. “We know that these high prices won’t last forever either but the down market lasted longer than usual or anyone expected.”
The Agri Post
Soybeans Become a Cornerstone By Les Kletke Paul Graham farms at Minnedosa and admits he was apprehensive about including soybeans in his rotation but now they have become one of the cornerstones on his 4,000 acres. “We weren’t sure,” he said. “We gave them a try a few years ago and they have proven themselves. We continue to expand the acreage but now we are at the limit.” For him, canola and cereals had to prove themselves before taking over significant acreage on the farm. “We are short of manpower and when things get busy we are not looking for more things to do or learn to grow a new crop. It has to show a return and be worth our time,” he said. Soybeans have done that and as fertilizer prices moved upward, the crop took over a bigger part of the farm. “The fertilizer costs are down but seed and inoculants bring up the input
costs,” he said. “Over all we find that the cost of production is a bit lower but what really matters is what you keep in your pocket.” The weather has provided some challenges in the Minnedosa area over the last two years and Graham said that soybeans have come through the adverse conditions better than other crops. “We used to grow a lot more barley but had some problems and a few tough harvests where the crop deteriorated and lost a lot of value,” he explained. “We can’t have that and we find with soybeans it spreads the harvest from the cereals and they can take a bit of foul weather and still remain good quality.” He acknowledged that new varieties targeted to the northern edge of the growing region have been a benefit to him and is a factor in the crop fitting on his farm. “The varieties mature early and we try to split our acres for
early maturity and maximum yield,” said Graham. “We want to make sure that we get a crop but we would like it to be as big as possible.” He has reduced his barley acreage over the past three years but he is considering a small increase for 2015. “We are going to have to see what the market says as we get close to spring seeding. If they want the acres they are going to have to pay the price,” he noted.
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The Agri Post
January 30, 2015
Hill Family Named Premier Charolais Commercial Producer for 2014
Shawn Airey, Manitoba Charolais Association President presenting the Hill family with the Premier Charolais Producer Award in January during the 2015 Manitoba Ag Days held in Brandon at the Keystone Centre. Robin, Connie, Riki in front, Jaylin, Cody, Brenda and Allan Hill with their award.
By Joan Airey In late January during the Manitoba Ag Days held in Brandon at the Keystone Centre, the Hill family was presented with one of the highest achievements, the Premier Charolais Producer Award for 2014. In 2007, Robin and Connie Hill moved to the family farm near Lenore to taken over the operation when Robin’s dad, Allan decided to retire. His Dad had started using Charolais bulls on his Angus cows in 1970. “When the calf crop came in the next year it was a no brainer that the Charolais bull was going to stay. Dad saw the benefits of crossbreeding the British cows with the Charolais bull. With those cows bringing in heavy calves at weaning time which would make a profit for the farm,” said Robin Hill. When Robin was growing up, he was a member of the Lenore 4-H club for eleven years and showed the Charolais cross calves that his dad was raising. He had two Grand Champion market steer at Virden and District Fat Stock Show and Sale. “The commercial cattle operation now is at a hundred Char cross cows and Red Angus/ Simmental cross cows. Our three children Cody, Jaylin, and Ricki are now members of the Lenore 4-H Club. In 2009, Cody won Champion Yearling Heifer, Grand Champion Market Steer and both were Charcross animals off a Beaver Creek bull. Jaylin won Grand Champion market steers in 2011. In 2013, Jaylin came home with the Grand Champion Market Steer title again showing a Char cross steers off a High Bluff Stock Farm Charolais bull. All these Char cross 4-H steers were home raised and there was no need to go shopping off the farm when we breed our own commercial cows to the best Charolais bulls we could buy for our herd. We also enjoy taking a few of what we think are our best pairs to the local fair at Harding every year to compete in the commercial cow/calf class. Our favourite cross is the Red Angus/Simmental cross cow. Nothing looks better than watching that cow raise a buckskin calf that grows over her back,” said Robin. “The growth and quality of our char cross calves being born March 10, till the time we sell them at the end of October at the Charolais Influence pre-sort sale at Heartland Livestock Services in Virden, with an average weight of 675 lbs, is nothing but money in our pocket. We take a lot of pride when we sell our calves and don’t think anyone can convince us to change to another breed of bull, we are convinced that Charolais is the way to go,” said Robin.
Insurance RRules ules for VVacant acant Buildings VVery ery Stringent Insurance companies take buildings that are vacant very seriously. Historically, the experiences with vacant buildings have not been good so the rules for these are quite stringent. Examples of very concerning situations are with empty properties such as a house, barn or office building. Machine sheds or grain bins are not a concern to insurance companies because they are typically empty on a seasonal basis. Insurers understand this and it does not change the exposure at all. You have to notify your insurance company of a building that is vacant immediately. If you do not, it may nullify any coverage on the building. Every
insurance company will have different ways of dealing with this situation. Some insurers put a notice on your policy (vacancy permit) that indicates its vacancy status and every 2 or 3 months you have to confirm this again with them in order to keep coverage in place. If it is forgotten and they are not kept updated with this fact, again you are in jeopardy of having no coverage at all. Some companies will contact you regularly (through your broker) for updates. The level of coverage changes when a building becomes vacant. Typically, you no longer have replacement cost coverage, building collapse, vandalism coverage or water pipe breakage coverage to name a few. It is always very important to talk to your insurance broker as soon as possible to allow for the most proactive approach to this situation. Be sure to seek advice and purchase insurance from those who understand your business!valleyfinancial.ca.
Andy Anderson is an Associate Insurance Broker specializing in General, Life and Group Benefits for Farm and Business P: 1-204-746-5589, F: 1-866-765-3351 andya@rempelinsurance.com / rempelinsurance.com /
The Agri Post
January 30, 2015
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High Bluff Stock Farm Win Premier Purebred Charolais Breeder Award By Joan Airey High Bluff Stock Farm won the Premier Purebred Charolais Breeder Award for 2014 during the Manitoba Ag-Days held in Brandon, January 20 – 11 at the Keystone Centre. Carman and Donna Jackson owners of High Bluff Stock located at Inglis, Manitoba operate a diverse farm of 4,000 acres including purebred and commercial cattle and growing registered seed grain. “Our cattle operation includes 140 purebred Charolais cows and 60 purebred Simmental cows,” said Donna Jackson. They also run a small herd of Simmental/ Red Angus commercial cows. “We select heifers as replacements and market our bulls at the annual Family Tradition Bull Sale held at my family’s farm at Dropmore, Manitoba. March 20th will mark our twelfth bull sale. We background culled heifers, bulls, commercial steers and heifers,” said Donna Jackson. The Jackson’s grain operation includes wheat, oats, barley and canola. Much of the grain they grow is seed grain and marketed through Jackson Seed Farm. “We are both fourth generation farmers and have been very involved in 4-H as leaders of the Inglis 4-H Variety Club as well as the purebred livestock industry. We have been showing cattle for thirty years with our five daughters. We have shown at Brandon Livestock Expo, Agribition, Ag Days in Brandon, Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, many summer shows and, in more recent years also at Edmonton Fall Fair and Calgary Stampede,” said Donna Jackson.
Planning for Tile Drain on Heavy Clay Soils By Les Kletke One of the questions asked at the two –day St. Jean Farm Days event was if tile drainage works on heavy clay soils. Work done by Agriculture Canada at Kelburn Farms show the answer is a clear, “Yes.” On whether tile drainage is a good investment on the heavy clays of the Red River Valley, the answer was, “Maybe.” Steve Sager is with Agriculture Canada in Morden and conducted trials with tile drainage on sites at the Kelburn Farm south of Winnipeg. His work shows that tile drainage is not a silver bullet that solves all drainage issues. “The tile drainage did improve field trafficablity, and reduce the risk of the crop drowning out,” Sager told the audience at St. Jean Farm Days, many of whom farm on heavy clay soils. He went on to say that the drains proved most beneficial when used in conjunction with good surface drainage. “The tile drains were effective in lowering the water level but they did not prove to be effective in areas that had severe ponding,” said Sager. “They did not take the place of surface drainage but rather worked in conjunction with good drainage.” He suggested where tile drainage might have its greatest value is in allowing seeding operations to begin earlier. “We know that we typically loose 5-10% of the yield potential for each week seeding is delayed in May so if we can get on the field earlier that has an economic benefit,” he said. “Tile drain helps with the wa-
Steve Sager of Agriculture Canada has conducted tests on tile draining heavy clay soils. He says the drainage works but is not a silver bullet it must be used in conjunction with other practices.
ter infiltration into the soil and the surface to dry soon and get on the land earlier.” He added that it also helps reduce the potential of losing a crop to flooding but it does not eliminate it, because of the slow water movement through the heavy clay soils. The trials conducted at Kelburn had drain spacing at 10 and 20 meters distance in the field. The wider spacing did show twice the movement of water as expected but no work has been done on the evaluation of the additional costs or if the placement will have a significant profit return. Sager said that while the work did show that tile drain works in heavy clay soils, there has not been enough evaluation done on the economic return. “There are a number of factors to consider,” he said. “It does increase the value of the land but we don’t know if it will prove a good return economically.” He suggested farmers try a small parcel of land and evaluate the return on their farm before they go to largescale tile drain applications.
The Jackson’s have done very well with their Charolais cattle in the show and sale ring. High Bluff Ms Red Vinaza 80A a bred heifer sold for $9,250 to Elder Charolais of Coronach, Saskatchewan at the Charolais National Sale at Brandon Livestock Expo in Brandon in 2014. Carman is past President of the Manitoba Charolais Association and served on advisory boards with the Canadian Charolais Association. Donna is currently an adult advisor for the Canadian Charolais Youth Association. The Jackson’s not only give their time and expertise, they encouraged their daughters, Erin, Fawn, Haylan, Autumn and Tomina when they took on leadership roles at a provincial and national level. Their daughters have all given their time to help Junior Charolais Programs to become the envied program it is. Carman and Donna have spent a lot of time and energy promot-
Carman and Donna Jackson at the 2015 Ag Days in Brandon were winners of the Premier Purebred Charolais Breeder Award for 2014.
ing youth, encouraging youth to develop their own ideas and helping them to execute their plans. They also received the CCYA Honouree Award for 2014.
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The Agri Post
The Agri Post
Leaning Spruce Stock Farm Named Angus Commercial Breeder of the Year By Joan Airey Family owned, Leaning Spruce Stock Farm was named 2014 Angus Commercial Breeder of the Year at the recent Manitoba Livestock Expo held in Brandon. Elwood and Pat Shearer along with their son Ryan, and his wife Wendy and their three children, Kain, Jensen and Lexie operate Leaning Spruce Stock Farm near Wawanesa. Elwood started farming in 1970 in 1990 Ryan became a partner. “We calve out four hundred cows and heifers. Calving starts in March with the heifers and the cows we have on a share/management agreement with Botany farms. Some of them are purebred and we flush some of the cows. We had a partnership with Moutainview Angus and Botany Angus in two embryo programs which made it possible to get some very high quality bulls and heifer to start a herd of purebred Angus. The cows are used as commercial and bred AI to produce some of our bulls for in-herd use. The Angus breed is working well for us,” said Ryan. Their marketing varies from year to year. Generally they offer a large group of bred
January 30, 2015
Top Achievemers for Simmental Commercial Producers By Joan Airey
At the recent Manitoba Livestock Expo held in Brandon, Allan Nykiolation presents the Angus Commercial Breeder of the Year 2014 to Wendy, Ryan, Elwood, and Pat Shearer in front their children Lexie, Jesen, Kain.
commercial heifers for sale. Cows are culled on performance, attitude, udder quality, feet and legs as well as age. The culled cows and heifers are finished for slaughter and the fat steers are sold through P. Quintaine & Sons Ltd. In the past, semi-loads have gone to eastern and western Canada and many loads have gone to the US. “I’d like to slow down a little now. My wife Pat has retired from forty years working as a registered nurse. Our eleven grandchildren keep her busy. I’ve coached hockey for twenty years. We want to still offer quality bred heifers for market and with the market like
it is now there are more choices out there,” said Elwood Shearer. “We’re a busy household. Wendy works at Wawanesa Mutual full-time and does hair evenings besides chauffeuring kids to hockey, baseball, volleyball, 4-H and curling. My brothers Derrick, Mark and Brock although not involved in the farm directly have and still come to bale, combine and do silage when we need a hand. A story about our farm wouldn’t be right without them in it. As far as Dad slowing down that is a work in progress. He... still loves the farm and I’m glad he does,” said Ryan.
At the recent Manitoba Livestock Expo in Brandon, the Award for the Simmental Association Commercial Producers for 2014 went to the Routledge Family. Kevin and Cindy Routledge farm three thousand acres of grain land south of Hamiota growing cereals, canola and soybeans and run a two hundred head cow/calf operation. “We have been involved with the Simmental breed for nearly thirty years. My Dad, Ivan was looking for more growth out of his mainly traditional herd of cows. The first Simmental bull he purchased came from Gerry Joynt and I can still see Dad’s look of disbelief and satisfaction with that first set of Simmental calves the following fall! As I became involved in the operation, I began to accumulate a few cows still using the Simmental bulls that Dad was buying. In the fall of 1997, looking to expand the base to a quality herd we purchased five bred cows from Allan Preston, followed by a number of cow/calf pairs from Gerry Joynt. We have purchased bred heifers at West Central, Harvest Hoe Down sales and private treaty from operations such as MRL. At the time, it seemed like it was an impossible feat to expand our herd to sixty or even eighty head. Today with our current
Keystone Simmental Association Commercial Producers Kevin and Cindy Routledge received their sign from Blair and Lois McRae at the 2014 Manitoba Livestock Expo held in Brandon. Photo courtesy of Simmental Focus
herd size we are able to mainly select our replacements from with our own herd,” said Kevin Routledge. The Routledges have been purchasing bulls from Keystone members over the years including Gerry Joynt, Everett More and Mar Mac Farms. “We calf starting in February to be able to manage the labour of putting in a crop in April and May. This produces those heavy steer calves that can be weaned in September and sold directly off the cow at Heartland Auction Mart in Virden. We have been always appreciative of the Simmental cow for being a great producing mother. The heifers we keep until February when we pick our replacements and ship the rest. We have to give our cows and their big calves most of the credit for keeping us going over the last ten years. We are very grateful to still be in the beef business today to enjoy the rewards,” said Routledge. The Keystone Association also nominated the Routledges to receive the Ambassador Award.
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Gould’s Receive Manitoba Simmental Ambassador Award By Joan Airey At the recent Manitoba Livestock Expo in Brandon, long-time Simmental ranchers Blaine and Lois Gould were honoured with the 2014 Manitoba Simmental Ambassador Award. The couple was introduced to the Simmental breed back in 1980. Knowing they had to be involved with Simmental cattle, they purchased a group of purebred cows, joined the Pembina Triangle Simmental Association and started consigning cattle to their sale in 1981 until 1995. An interesting note is that the bull they sold at Pembina Triangle Sale in 1990 set a record for the highest selling animal. That sale a record stood until 2014. “We sold cattle at various MSA sales, the Brandon Bull Sale and enjoyed showing at summer fairs, Ag-Ex and Agribiton with the help of our children Joanne, Jennifer and Michael,” said Lois Gould. Blaine served as treasurer for the Pembina Triangle for many years, and then served as President. Lois was the Pembina Triangle sale secretary for several years. She served on the executive of the Manitoba Simmental Belles and was the reporter for the Canadian
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Diamond T Limousin Receive Limousin Ambassador Award for 2014 By Joan Airey
The Simmental Ambassador Award was presented to Blaine and Lois Gould. L to R: Blair McRae (CSA rep), Blaine and Lois Gould and Everett Olson (Manitoba Simmental President). Photograph courtesy of Joanne Best
Belles for a number of years. She served two terms as director on the Manitoba Simmental Board, sitting on the YCS advertising and commercial committees. In 1995, she became the first and only woman to serve as President of the Manitoba Simmental Association. “In 1991 the Simmental Focus was born, and together Lois and Blaine grew it from a small newsletter to the full colour magazine that it is today. It serves purebred and commercial producers in western Canada and beyond. For the past 24 years, this has been a labour of love for Lois, enabling her to combine her passion for Simmentals with her journalistic training. The
Focus has many times served as her soapbox, using it to promote the advantages of the Simmental breed. Along the way the entire family has contributed to the Simmental breed and to the success of the Focus and they are proud to say it will remain in the family, as daughter Joanne and her husband, John have recently taken over the reins,” said Lois McRae. “We still run a fifty cow commercial Simmental operation and still believe in the superior traits that drew us to the breed so long ago. We also raise quarter horses and have a herd of about thirty. Blaine and John also have off farm jobs with CFIA,” said Lois Gould.
During the December 2014, Manitoba Livestock Expo held in Brandon, Diamond T Limousin were the recipients of the Limousin Ambassador Award. Diamond T Limousin located near Kenton, Manitoba started in 1979 with a handful of Limousin cows that were purchased from Ron Sangster and Stan Cochrane. Over the last 35 years, Travis and Rilla Hunter and sons have increased that to over 125 cows, both purebred and commercial. “Over the last three decades, we have spent a lot of time and put on a lot of miles promoting the Limousin breed. We’ve enjoyed showing cattle at the Toronto Royal, Agribition, Manitoba Livestock Expo and many local summer fairs. When Dillon and Brodie were old enough to join the junior association, we attended junior conferences
Travis, Rilla and Brodie at the AGM are presented the Limousin Ambassador award by Mark Angus, Manitoba Limousin Association President.
and shows from Alberta to Ontario,” said Rilla Hunter. “I’ve been a member to the Manitoba Limousin Association for twenty-six plus years, holding most positions on the board at one time or another. Rilla has been treasurer for the association for the past eleven years,” said Travis Hunter. Dillon and Brodie have been members of the Manitoba Junior Limousin Association for the past twelve years, each taking their turn at positions of secretary, treasurer and president. Brodie is currently Junior Association President. Dillon also served on the Canadian Junior Limousin Association Board, holding the present position for a term.
“Our farm is family owned and operated. For the past ten to twelve years we have back grounded all our calves. We retain fifteen to twenty heifers every year to both sell as bred females or to put back into the herd. We have held our annual bull sale at the farm for the past nine years, enjoying the loyalty and friendship of many new and repeat bull buyers,” said Travis. “Although, at present, both boys are away from the farm pursuing postsecondary education, they still help out when they are at home. We have enjoyed our time spent with the Limousin breed, the friendships we have formed and are looking forward to more years with the Limousin family,” said Rilla Hunter.
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St. Jean Farm Days Celebrates Thirty Years By Les Kletke Over three decades St. Jean Farms Days has established itself on the calendar as the first show of the New Year that delivers on two promises, a solid program of good information and bitterly cold weather. True to form, it delivered on both counts in early January. The agricultural event has kept its two day format since inception in 1985 and remains a mid week event in January. Each day promises a line up of interesting speakers and over fifty commercial exhibitors are on hand. Emerson MLA Cliff Graydon was on hand this year to present a plaque of congratulations from the provincial government and commented that he had been at nearly all the events in various capacities. “I think I have been to all or almost all of the Farm Days here in St. Jean first as a farmer and now as the MLA,” said Graydon. “Congratulations to the committee and good luck in the future.” Gilbert Sabourin accepted the plaque and he is a second-generation committee member. His farther Guy and mother Lucille were on the original committee for Farm Days continuing to serve in various capacities. Long time committee member Flo Baudette said that there was a time the group considered stopping the show but support from the business committee saved it. “We had businesses telling us to continue the show and they were will to support us with exhibitor fees and the show has grown,” said Baudette. “St. Jean Farm Days draws a good crowd because it has relevant information,” said Ben Peters who farms west of the community. “It is the first show of the season and a good chance to get information that applies to our area.” He likes the fact that exhibitors are from the area and many of the same people he deals with throughout the year. “It is a chance to see them in a relaxed environment, and catch up on what’s new and what we can be watching for in the next year.” No one from either the exhibitor or audience side denies the show has been held on some of the coldest days of the last 30 years. “It’s Manitoba in January,” said one exhibitor as we went out to start his truck at the end of the day hoping that Highway 75 had been reopened after a closure in the afternoon. Blowing snow conditions had the highway closed for a while but winds slowed and farmers and exhibitors made their way home while plans began for Farm Days 2016.
Canola Industry Sets Target for Market Growth
Emerson MLA Cliff Graydon presents a plaque to Farm Days Chairman Gilbert Sabourin at Farm Days XXX in St. Jean.
Canadian Farmers Burnt Out By Government Red TTape ape Farmers are burnt out by excessive government regulations, confusing forms and bad customer service. These and other findings were released recently by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), which also found that one-third of agri-business owners would not advise their children to start a business given the burden of government red tape. “Red tape hits home the closest for farmers,” said Marilyn Braun-Pollon, CFIB’s VicePresident for Agri-business.
“A farmer doesn’t have time to sit on the phone waiting for government to answer questions or fill out piles of confusing paperwork in the middle of calving. To add insult to injury, farmers feel the red tape burden is getting worse.” Respondents to the red-tape survey said it adds significant stress (86%), takes time away from friends and family (72%), significantly reduces productivity in their business (64%), discourages business growth (63%) and would not advise their children to start a business, given the red tape burden (35%). “Canada has a proud farming tradition, and red tape shouldn’t be allowed to hold back the next generation from wanting to take over,” added Senior Policy Analyst, Mandy D’Autremont.
Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced funding of up to $9.5 million to support market access and development activities for Canada’s canola industry through Agricultural and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriMarketing Program. The $9.5 million in government funding will be combined with industry contributions for a total of $19 million over the next five years. Support for activities is aimed at market entry and its development to increase the consumption and value of canola oil and meal in both domestic and global markets. “The canola industry is an important economic engine in Canada and we need ongoing investment to keep this momentum up and reach our target of 26 million metric tonnes of sustained market demand and production by 2025,” said Canadian Canola Council (CCC) President, Patti Miller. “Because 90% of our canola production is exported around the world, it’s critical to grow current markets and create new market opportunities too.” The Canadian canola industry generates $19.3 billion annual in economic activity and nearly a quarter of a million jobs. The continuance of funding will help industry build more markets and strengthen them by developing a deep understanding of social, economic and political drivers of the target geographies, engaging experts to develop strong partnerships with key influencers, educating the end user in the positive attributes of canola oil and meal and coordinating with partners on market access barriers.
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Consumer Demand Will Dictate Profits this Year not PEDv By Harry Siemens Tyler Fulton, the Director of Risk Management with h@ms Marketing Services in Winnipeg, warns if US hog numbers increase as expected
and American pork producers maintain year ago level weights, hog prices will drop in 2015. There was a time not that long ago, when packers required hogs to weigh a spe-
cific weight. As the PED virus killed millions of piglets in 2013 and 2014, the US hog industry compensated by keeping the pigs in the barn longer and letting them add more weight.
USDA figures now show US pork producers are responding to record hog prices in 2014 by expanding production. According to Fulton, finishing weights will be key factors this year. “The losses in PED over the course of last year camouflaged the increases US producers were making in terms of their breeding herd and also their market hog numbers,” said Fulton. “Quite simply I think we are already in a situation where we’re going to be dealing with heavier supply.” He said the remaining question is whether hog weights will be maintained at levels near comparable to what they did last year. There is increasing uncertainty that those weights will drop dramatically and then as a result pork production will not profit as what they could if hog weights maintained themselves. “But that’s where the real uncertainty lies and arguably if we maintain hogs weights within a pound or two of a year ago levels and we also see as the USDA suggests, market hog numbers increase by 4.5 to 5 % in the latter half of 2015, we could be dealing with very heavy supplies and pressure on hog prices,” he said. Fulton acknowledged PED will not be a zero factor this year but he said industry is doing a fantastic job containing it, which is a good thing. On the other hand, while production numbers drive hog prices up or down, Fulton thinks consumer demand for pork will be the key for hog farmer profits in 2015. In 2014 pork producers saw record-breaking profits as PED constrained hog supply pushing hog prices up just
below $300 CAD per pig. This year PED seems to be much less of a factor and instead demand, will play a role. “As far as the US and Canadian economies go, things are firing on all cylinders, and so generally there’s a greater ability for US consumers to be buying pork,” said Fulton. “Now the question comes down to willingness and that, in large part, is the question that comes into play when you’re considering the alternatives.” The consumer will be mak-
ing decisions on buying pork while faced with very expensive beef or very plentiful and inexpensive chicken. “The other factor that comes into play on the demand side is export sales and quite simply the US dollar being as high and as strong as it is,” said Fulton. “It’s really kind of making it difficult to maintain or even come anywhere close to a year ago pork sales to countries like Japan, Korea and even Mexico and so that’s going to be factor that needs to be dealt with.”
Rotation in Weed Control Important Too By Les Kletke Ben Peters has had two good years of crop production and will continue with the same plan for crop rotation year. “I hope things work as well from the weather side,” said Peters laughing. “The old saying about the definition of crazy is doing things the same and expecting a different result. In farming we can do things the same and not get the same result.” Peters said the 2014 crop was not the bin buster of the previous year but was above the long-term average on his heavy clay soils in the Lowe Farm area. He will continue with the same rotation he has for the past several years. While his rotation will stay fairly constant, he will try to mix things up with his herbicide program. “We have to pay attention to resistance and taking some time now is better than after the fact so we try to rotate our weed control as much as our crops.” said Peters. “We have increased the soybean acres for the past several years and are at the point where they will level off,” said Peters. “We can’t keep expanding them even though they are showing a good return.” He plans to plant just over a third of his farm to wheat. “The crop has been good for the past couple of years, and we need it in the rotation,” he said. “I would have liked to get more winter wheat in last fall but we didn’t get the canola off in time to plant as much wheat as we would have liked.” He also follows his canola crops with a wheat rotation and the wheat is split between spring and winter wheat. “Winter wheat has not shown the greatest cash return but we like the break in seeding because if things get wet in spring it can get a bit over whelming. Winter wheat allows us to know we have some crop in the ground from the get go.” He values the reduced pressure at seeding and early harvest as a premium that makes up for the lower cash return. Through a number of outlets, he markets his spring wheat and does not see much of a crop marketing impact from the removal of the CWB monopoly. “They had provided some pricing options we used and the process worked for us; we have gone to some other companies and are able to market the crop there,” said Peters.
New TTool ool for Body Condition Scoring Launched A new webpage offers a fresh look at the importance of monitoring the nutrition of beef cows and the role body condition plays in overall productivity and profit. The webpage, bodyconditionscoring.ca, features an interactive tool that makes the value of maintaining cows at the right body condition abundantly clear in terms of reproductive performance, calf health, weaning weights and other important aspects of production. It also includes a four-minute video that shows examples of cows in various conditions, and explains how to quickly and easily measure fat cover. The nutritional information available will help producers decide how to manage their rations once they have an accurate measure of their cows’ condition to get and keep their animals in the right condition. Because internet access is still a barrier in some regions, all of the webpage’s content will be available on USB data sticks. Producers needing to access the information offline can pick up a USB stick at some industry events or through a direct request to the Beef Cattle Research Council.
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Promote Your Farm and Make Your Phone Pay By Les Kletke It is time to make your phone pay and work for you according to Andrew Campbell. “Your phone bill is there and it is not likely to decrease so it is up to you to make it pay,” said Campbell who farms with his family in Middlesex County in southern Ontario. Their farm is a mixed cash crop and dairy with 3 generations involved. Through his communication company, he has chosen to take the message of technology to farmers and help them show a return on their costs. “You have a phone and it can be used for so much more than phone calls, but that should not only be games. You need to find the apps that work for you, not just play Candy Crunch.” He uses the example of record keeping in their dairy operation. “We can make specific notes on cows as we see them in the barn, or we can make notes on a specific cow when we are in the office and use the number to find her in the herd,” said Campbell. He also advocates using the same brand of equipment for phones, laptops and desktops. “The interface is a problem and if you can’t get your tools talking to each other the efficiencies are lost,” he explained. “You don’t want to have trouble transferring information from your phone to the computer in the farm office. That adds to the frustration and doesn’t help with the efficiency at all.” Campbell caused an international stir earlier this year when he started a blog that featured a daily picture from his farm. Several animal rights’ activists commented on the site and some went so far as to threaten him with physical violence. “When they called us rapists for breeding the cows we knew we had to carry on with the information side of this,” he said with a chuckle. “But it was not always funny when they threatened to come to the farm and kill us, things got serious.” He said the site has proven extremely popular and spurred similar sites in Australia and England. “The message needs to be spread all over the world, people need to see what farmers do and where their food comes from,” he said. “We can use technology on the farm but we also have to use technology to promote our business and tell the message of what we do.”
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Feed More Energy to PPre re re--Weaned Dairy Calves Housed in Cold Barns Newborn dairy calves until about a month old raised in unheated or cold facilities often struggle with poor growth rates and are more susceptible to disease. By assuring a high plane of dietary milk energy, dairy producers can largely avoid bringing a winter energy crisis inside the calf barn. When temperatures in the calf barn are moderate, the calf meets vital maintenance requirements (NEm), which is the amount of metabolizable dietary energy (ME) that will result in no loss or gain in body energy. When more ME is consumed than needed for NEm, this energy surplus allows the calf to grow (protein/fat deposition), which is dependent upon its net energy requirement for growth (NEg). Subsequent ambient temperatures of a warm calf barn where a young pre-weaned dairy calf do not need to expend extra ME to stay warm (or cool) is referred as the “thermal neutral zone” (TNZ). The comfort zone for most indoor-housed dairy calves’ ranges between 10 – 25 ºC. In cold calf barns, a low critical end-point of the TNZ is often reached and the pre-weaned calf will not maintain its body temperature and other body functions unless it obtains and then uses additional ME (as heat) just to keep warm. For calves 0-3 weeks of age, this lower critical temperature is 20ºC and for calves older than 3 weeks of age, it’s 10ºC. In order to meet this extra demand in NEm under cold temperatures outside the TNZ, it becomes a straightforward matter of providing more dietary energy to the baby calf! Since whole milk (3.5% b.f.) contains about 2.80 MJ/l (22.4 MJ/kg, dm basis), about 5 liters per head per day should be fed to a less than month-old dairy calf housed at 20 ºC (in the TNZ). If the calf barn temperature falls to 0ºC (outside the TNZ) then a total of 6.5 liters of milk should be put in front of this calf. At both temperatures, the dietary energy of these respective milk quantities satisfies the calf’s total ME and provides enough extra energy to support a daily growth rate of 500 g per head per day. Conversely, if no more than the initial 5 liters of whole milk was supplied in the second situation (still outside the TNZ), the ME of the same calf would be satisfied but not enough dietary energy would meet its NEg requirements. As a result, the growth rate of this baby calf would suffer. In this case, a
rough milk feeding rule of thumb in order to provide enough nutrition for both NEm and NEg is to increase the amount of milk (or milk replacer) fed by about 2% for every 1 degree, the temperature drops below 20ºC. Further advice is warranted for those dairy producers that purchase calf milk replacers rather than feed whole milk. It is recommended that producers buy only a high quality commercial product with a 20% fat content. A 20% high fat milk replacer contains 95% of the energy content of whole milk (21.0 – 21.4 MJ/kg). Milk replacers’ dietary energy is provided in the protein, fat and lactose (milk carbohydrate) found in its ingredients such as skim milk, whey protein concentrates, whey and edible bleached fats. By using the same whole milk feeding protocol, when feeding milk replacer to 0 – 3 week old calves housed in a calf barn at 0ºC (outside the TNZ), we provide about 855 grams (18.2 - 21.4 MJ) of milk replacer powder on a daily basis. Reconstituted at the rate of 125 g/liter of water (same dm of whole milk), then we should provide about 7 liters of mixture per calf per day. Since this daily volume of liquid might constitute a significant belly-full for some of the younger dairy calves in two routine feedings, a third feeding is warranted in order to assure that calves drink enough milk replacer and to prevent digestive upsets. Similarly, milk-fed baby calves younger than three weeks of age do not eat much energy-containing calf starter, but it is a good idea to set out a small meal at one to two weeks of age. They will nibble at it at first, but eventually will eat more of this dry feed. In addition, 1 – 2 liters of extra fresh water per animal should be fed separately from whole milk or milk replacer. This practice encourages young and older ones alike to either accept or consume more of this dry feed. Regardless of such calf starter acceptance, baby calves raised under cold housing conditions during the winter must still rely upon a good whole milk or milk replacer feeding program. Freezing temperatures, particularly in unheated or cold calf barns means that young pre-weaned dairy calves need extra energy in their diets. Supply enough milk-based energy goes a long way in reducing cold stress upon dairy calves that remain healthy and grow.
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Put Our Best Feed Forward After Calving By Peter Vitti Beef cows after calving require a higher plane of nutrition compared to past months of gestation. Much of this heightened nutrition is geared to drive milk production, help first-time mothers grow and prepare the entire cowherd to cycle and get rebred within 80 – 90 days, post-partum. Therefore, it is important to feed them well-balanced diets after calving. According to National Research Council estimates; post-calving beef cows, which maintain a desired body condition of 2.5 – 3.0 (1 = emaciated and 5 = obese) and are nursing a newborn calf need about 50% more dietary energy and 10 – 15% more protein over gestation for about 30 – 45 days after calving. This means post-partum beef cows must consume about 60 - 62% TDN (total digestible nutrients) and about 11 – 12% crude protein in their daily diet when they are milking at their highest levels (re: 10 litres per day). First-calf cows do not eat and do not milk as well as older cows, but their dietary requirements are almost identical, due to growth. It is also important to realize that all cows that calve out in early February to April need 20 – 30% more dietary energy just to keep warm and supersedes nutrients required for milk production and reproduction. Essential cattle minerals (and A, D and E vitamins) should also be provided in post-partum cow diets, such as calcium, phosphorus and other essential macro-minerals. They need to compliment whatever mineral levels often found lacking in post-partum forages and other supplemented feeds. In a similar fashion, trace mineral requirements of beef cows nearly double since the start of the winter season, and respective bio-available sources of copper, zinc, manganese, iodine, cobalt, and selenium should be fed. Consequently, it’s easy to agree with the reasoning behind heightened post-partum cow nutrition. It’s another thing to actually feed economical and practical beef diets usually comprised up to 85 – 90% homegrown forages supplemented with energy-enriched grains and high protein feedstuffs. Case-in-point: straw, prairie grass, crop residues and other low-quality forage that fit easily into early to mid-gestation diets will simply not work in most post-partum beef cow diets. So it is crucial that one switches to higher quality forage and balance essential nutrients, accordingly. There are several hundreds of post-calving diets that are fed to the typical beef cowherd after calving. Some of these either pass by meeting their nutrient requirements or fail for one reason or another. Consider the judgement of the six post-partum beef cow diets:
A general synopsis of this feeding table shows: appropriate energy/protein/mineral supplementation of these home-grown forages yield a passing grade for cow diets; #1, #3, #4 and #6, because they meet the overall nutrient requirements of post-partum beef cows. Straw-based diet #2 failed because its protein content was marginal (9%) and its dietary TDN energy value (55%) was deficient. Nearly identical to passed diet #4, diet, #5 failed because a nominal trace mineral salt block (no vitamins) was provided, rather than a well-fortified commercial cattle mineral (with vitamins). Although post-partum diets with a passing grade are expected to help cows nursing their calves and provide growth in first-calf cows they also retain optimum body condition (BCS = 2.5 – 3.0) into breeding season. A good BCS is needed to return beef cows after calving to strong estrus to get re-bred and conceive early in the breeding season. These ‘next years’ calves tend to be born earlier in the calving season, which also results in higher weaning weights. Such sensible nutrition to maintain or build optimum BCS/fertility in beef cows is most effective when nutritious feeding programs are implemented at the start of the cows’ late-gestation stage. Therefore, producers should start increasing the plane of cow nutrition about 90 days before calving and subsequent post-partum diets should dovetail afterwards to retain precious BCS from the day of calving until beginning of the breeding season. Thin cows (BCS < 2.5) and first-calf cows that are struggling to maintain body condition after calving might be segregated and fed separately. Whether beef cows are segregated after calving or not, those producers that segregate better quality forage to be formulated into well-balanced diets for the post-partum cowherd have taken one of the best steps forward. These people are more likely to meet universal post-calving goals. Ultimately, meeting these goals leads to this year’s crop of good growing calves and later-on more cows that are pregnant.
Best New Product Award Winner of the Best New Product 2015 at Manitoba Ag Days was Honey Bee Manufacturing with their AirFlex combine draper header. Pictured from left to right: Jamie Pegg, Honey Bee; Blake Nestibo, Manitoba Ag Days; Perry Gryde, Honey Bee.
The Agri Post
BNSF Shows How a Railroad Can Be Customer Efficient and Profitable
In Winnipeg at the Western Canadian Wheat Growers 45th convention in early 2015, the convention theme, ‘Moving Forward’ saw some real forward and practical thinking from Barb Haertling General Director Agricultural Products Marketing with the BNSF railroad company.
By Harry Siemens With 52,000 kilometres of railroad track in 28 states, over 7,000 locomotives, over 46,000 employees, adding 6,000 of those in 2014, this railroad company means business; all kinds of business. It is the largest network in any of the railroads in North America. Five years ago, Warren Buffett decided to buy the railway company for $26.5 billion. “You have to have pretty deep pockets to buy a company as big as BNSF and things keep moving forward,” said Barb Haertling, General Director Agricultural Products Marketing while speaking to an audience at the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association meeting held in Winnipeg early January. “I think as you will see, Warren is very open to investing in the company going forward and just really feels railroads underpin the US economy and that is where he wants to put his money.” Buoyed by an onshore oil boom, BNSF has become a cash machine for Buffett and the business is on pace to return all the cash Buffett spent taking it private by the end of 2014. However, the intriguing and interesting content of the speech Haertling gave to the Wheat Growers had to do with the stark contrast to how the Canadian railroads operate. “We actually go into three provinces as an American railroad,” she said. They go into Vancouver, British Columbia, Northgate, Saskatchewan and from Noyse, Minnesota to Winnipeg. “You are aware of your problems last winter, and we had similar problems on the American side too,” she said. “We are spending a lot of money to upgrade our network to address those problems. We have many employees and keep hiring many more.” Haertling said when hiring new employees, they concentrate in the areas they need them the most, but in the areas affected by the recent boom in the oil industry they competed for the same employee pool. “With the drop in oil prices, it is slackening off and we will have to wait to see how that plays out,” she added. While people are watching the situation in Canada, ripping up track, getting rid of locomotives and railcars and laying off employees to appease shareholders, BNSF is doing the opposite. “We do a lot of planning to be ready for things moving forward because many things have to
fall into place to make it happen and satisfy the customer,” said Haertling. “We need six months notice to be able to get crews in place, locomotives, and any capital expenditures we need to make, and for tracking construction, it takes even longer.” In 2014, Buffett invested $5.5 billion to improve efficiencies and fix the problems that saw the big rail snags of 2013 and part of 2014. The budget calls for another investment of $6 billion for 2015. Haertling, while not making any excuses said a number of things came together in 2013 causing the big snags on their side of the border in rail traffic. No one saw the big boom in crude oil coming that required the movement of oil out and supplies in. No one foresaw the skyrocketing natural gas prices, making coal much more attractive and required moving coal to many destinations. Then the big crop of 2013 surpassed all guesstimates that was followed by the worst winter in 35 years, snags and snarl-ups occurred. Yet, BNSF has not been idle nor has the company made excuses. By April 2014, the company had seen results within their strategic planning that was designed to make sure huge delays would not continue. While not caught up totally, because the company still had a 17,000 car short fall, through strategic investments, providing incentives to load faster and allowing the free market system to work, things are looking much better. According to BNSF, meeting the needs of agricultural customers is at the core of their North American business. Haertling commented that, no one is quite sure how most railroads allocate freight however, the BNSF business model lets the market determine who gets the freight. She said the Canadian rail sector is heavily regulated while the U.S. grain trade has an open market approach to car supply. “They like that the market determines who gets the freight,” said Haertling. “There is more transparency, especially in the secondary market.” “What an original idea,” quipped former Canadian Wheat Board Minister Charlie Mayer.
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Oakbank Farmer Knows What He Wants from His Crops By Harry Siemens Edward Cook of Oakbank owns and operates Dundee Farms growing the crops that make him money, fit his rotation, and allow him to market as he sees fit, whether five or 250 km away. At the end of the day, if the dollars and circumstances are right, he, and he alone makes the decisions on where those crops end up. In a recent interview at the convention of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers in Winnipeg, Cook said the Wheat Growers as an organization is very relevant because they keep working on all the policies that affect the farm in general. “We have policies on grading, transportation, and others to deal with,” he said. “The board [CWB monopoly] is gone and that was one step in the big puzzle that we had to free up so we are freer and to move and sell our own product.” Cook said this does not mean the issues facing farmers have disappeared. While the old CWB is gone, the board was also part of the issue, so issues the board sat on for so long in one way or another keep popping up. “There are other issues in our whole grading, marketing, and transportation systems we still have to keep working on to get us into the 21 century,” he said. Personally, he is moving as quickly as he can into the 21 century on his farm including the use of advisors who look ahead. “I’m using all the technology that I can and using all the marketing I can get my hands on including using a marketing company to help me market my product because I can’t do it all,” said Cook who specializes in grain and specials crops. “There is so much paper work today compared say even 25 years ago, that I have to hire people to help me maximize my profits.” Freedom to market when, where and at what price has opened up a brand new world to him. “I’m delivering grain to far more companies, and far more different companies than I ever did before because I have that freedom to do so,” Cook said. “This year we haven’t moved any product to the US, it is a grading issue, but we found other markets within our own area that we never even thought would be there,” he added. On January 9, 2015, Cook’s bins were almost empty of his 2014 crop. “My fusarium, high fuzz winter wheat is all gone, gone for three months. There is no issue if I have this grade, I can find a market for that and not be beholden to an elevator company that’s five miles down the road,” said Cook. “If the sale destination is 100 miles away, it goes on the truck, it goes. If it is 200 miles, it will go too if the dollars are right at the end of the day.”
Consider Your Soil Nutrient Bank Before Fertilizing By Les Kletke Nutrient accounts in the soil are a lot like bank accounts and should be treated accordingly. “It should be a balanced approach,” said John Heard, a soil fertility specialist with Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Development (MAFRD). Heard was one of the keynote speakers at the 30th Anniversary for St. Jean Farm Days. He told the audience that several factors other than rate should be considered before fertilizer application. He went on to say, a fertilizer plan should include what crop was produced previously as well as the target goal. “You have to consider replacement of those nutrients that the previous crop used,” he said. “That is the first consideration and brings it to a zero balance so that you are not depleting the soil bank of the nutrients you have. Then you need to consider what your goals for the next crop are.” Rather than suggest the use of target yields as a guide for application is wrong, he said the first consideration should be the previous crop. He suggested that following old guidelines would deplete the soil over an extended time. Heard explained that MAFRD has a spreadsheet listing the amount of nutrients used by each crop. As case examples, he noted that a 70-bushel crop of spring wheat or 50-bushel canola crop would use 35 lbs of phosphate from the soil while a 130-bushel oat crop will used considerably less. “Before you go to buy fertilizer check with MAFRD and see what your last crop used, it could impact your buying,” said Heard. Other factors that impact the amount of nutrients needed are the timing and placement of fertilizers as well as the source. Heard always the witty practicum suggested that producers might also consider their age. “Soil tests show that we don’t need sulphur on most soils in Manitoba but producers keep applying it ‘just in case’. You might want to start to cash in on the sulphur you have in your soil if it is late in your career and your thinking about cashing in the farm,” he said. He encourages producers to look at their fertilizer program over the long-term, to consider changes within their production practices on how they apply fertilizers. “If you are in a zero till regime, you need to think about a practical way to apply the nutrients that will work for the crop next year,” he said. “Yields have increased and those higher yields use more nutrients so if you are using blanket guidelines you may want to consider that you are producing more than a decade ago and those nutrients need to be replaced in the soil account.”
Flexibility and Genetics Help with Success By Harry Siemens Edward Cook a farmer in the Oakbank area is mostly ready for the 2015 crop year. It is a little easier for him this year because most of his bins are empty from his 2014 crop year. This year Cook is looking at putting in the same mix of crops as 2014. Right now, the budgets are showing that canola is not a good crop to plant but it will go in because of rotational reasons. “There are decisions you make like that because well yes it is a little tight, but we’ll make it work,” said Cook. “Maybe by harvest time, we’ll pre sell some and look at what is happening in the markets. So we have canola, soybeans, wheat, oats, looking at sunflowers and maybe corn.” Another interesting concept that goes into his crop planning is if corn starts to move back up over the $4.50 a bushel mark. As a smaller farm using older equipment, he has the flexibility to not grow corn, if it does not work for him. “We can leave that $15,000 planter sitting in the shed, no less for wear and tear if I don’t use it.” He further added that for him there is no debate over genetics or gene modifications in the crops he uses. He explained that he is proud of the technology that goes into the genetics that help him grow the best crops. Cook said man has changed genetics for thousands of years. “Today we have GMO’s and nonGMO’s, but it is all genetically modified at some point in time,” he commented. “If you take that initial wheat that came out of Egypt how many years ago, and compare it to the wheat farmers grow today, even though the wheat is classified as non-GMO, man still has modified the genes. So we can produce what we produce today and it is all safe and good.”
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The Agri Post
Valentine Insurance It’s that time of year when the aisles of most stores are inundated with red heart shaped boxes, and florists have no conscience at all and the prices of roses goes up faster than beef prices in the fall. It was a phone call from a long time friend and former University Instructor Al Loyns that brought a new dimension to the time of Valentine. He suggested that farmers should have marriage insurance to ensure the future of their operation. Al has never been one to back away from a little bit of unconventional thinking or to challenge the status quo and I took the bait. “Marriage Insurance?” I asked. “I have been doing a lot of stories about insurance lately and I agree there are new products on the market but I am not aware of anyone offering Marriage Insurance.” “They should,” came the reply and he continued. “You can recover from losing a crop but you often can’t recover economically from a divorce.” He still talked like a Marketing professor. He went on to explain the devastation that a divorce could cause economically never mind the emotionally gobbledee gook. He was not about hugs, he was about the numbers back in the 1970’s and that continued. We agreed to leave the emotion and chocolates on the sidelines and discuss the issue. He is right we have all kinds of insurance available but the one event we cannot recover from is something we cannot insure against. He went on to point out this is not about a pre nuptial agreement which determines what is mine stays mine, and maybe some of yours. What Al was talking about was an insurance that would allow the operation to continue through the time of divorce and the economic challenges that accompany it. Always the pragmatist he pointed out that half of all marriages today end in divorce, “So why would you believe you can beat the odds?” Al Loyns taught Marketing to farm kids, he did not develop marketing programs for large corporations though some people at the time thought he did. Marriage insurance might not sell well in early February when its competing with heart shaped boxes for the consumer dollar, but it might not be a bad business choice for anyone who is going into business with their spouse, and that is what farmers do. Don’t know you will be the first to sell it but watch for Marriage Insurance along with all the other great products your insurance salesman offers.
Life with Glyph Glyphosate – more commonly called Round-up—is once again climbing up the activist hit list. From Facebook to Twitter, all over the ‘interwebz’, members are making the rounds with claims that, “Half of All Children Will Be Autistic by 2025” because farmers use the popular herbicide. This latest charge is nothing more than poppycock fuelled by junk science. At first glance, the source of the latest scare looks legitimate. It comes from Stephanie Seneff, PhD, who has 170 scholarly peer-reviewed articles to her name. It’s written that, “In recent years she has concentrated on the relationship between nutrition and health, tackling such topics as alzheimer, autism and cardiovascular diseases, as well as the impact of nutritional deficiencies and environmental toxins on human health.” by Rolf Dig into this a little bit and you find that Seneff’s credenPenner tials aren’t exactly as advertised. She’s a Senior Research rolfpenner@agripost.ca Scientist at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, but she’s never done any kind of research on glyphosate. Her training, level of expertise and any actual research she has conducted is completely unrelated to what is being claimed. No new research from anywhere else backs up the assertion concerning autism either. What we do find is a simplistic extrapolation of current trends well into the future. This is not science. Correlation is not causation. Using the same methodology, one could just as easily claim that the increase in organic food sales is responsible for an increasing level of autism. The website sciencebasedmedicine.org did just that while debunking Seneff’s fear-mongering pseudoscience. Yes, glyphosate has been around for 40 years and, yes, we do use more of it now than ever. That’s thanks to genetically modified crops and the fact that the patent on it has expired, which allows it to be sold inexpensively. But it is also one of the most studied, most well understood, and most benign crop protection products out there. It is probably the least toxic herbicide that exists. Glyphosate works by inhibiting a very specific enzyme that in turn interferes with the shikimic acid pathway in plants. The result is an accumulation of shikimic acid in plants, which kills them. In and of itself, this is both cool and scary at the same time. However – and this is the part that activists and fear-mongers never talk about – both the enzyme and the pathway we’re talking about do not exist in animals, including human beings. We are not plants! A ton of properly done, peer-reviewed research also shows that glyphosate doesn’t bioaccumulate in any animal tissue, nor does it result in adverse effects on development, reproduction, or endocrine systems in humans and other mammals. Epidemiological studies have not been able to identify any kind of negative associations between disease and exposure to glyphosate in anyone. This includes research that looked primarily for a link with cancer. What we have here is another case of someone using their credentials to make you believe that they’re an expert in something that they’re not, for what appears to further a personal anti-GMO agenda. Real evidence and solid research is ignored in favour of speculation, random coincidence and a scary story. It should be filed right next to reports of Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.
Penners Points
Hashtags, Farm Meetings and Items in File 13 As I sat in the Banff Centre Hotel contemplating what to write for this column, several things come to mind. While still attending a few key farm meetings and conventions, it is certainly not possible for me to attend the shear numbers I did as a young farm journalist. However, it is easier to get updates from the ones I can’t make because of hashtags on Twitter and people tweeting from those events, as was the case in January. While reporting, tweeting and podcasting from the Banff Pork Seminar, I kept up through the hashtag #agdays2015 on what people were doing at Ag Days in Brandon. So far, in 2015, the Wheat Growers in Winnipeg and the BPS in Banff both conventions have truly been exciting. First, there are still younger farmers excited about the business of producing food going forward and secondly, sitting at a table with fellow farm journalists, tweeting and retweeting comments speakers were making, in almost real time, including pictures. Wow producing food is the place to be as the most basic industry mankind has going for itself, and to be part of it, as a journalist first, and as an advocate, a close second makes me feel real good. That doesn’t exclude tough questions like the one Les Routledge, the small retiring farmer from Killarney asked me recently. While often attaching my name to the answers I write, most come from spending time at these meetings, and asking the same questions of others, over and over again. Where do the estimates of billions of dollars of losses come from that some organizations still keep raising when it comes to the short time period following the demise of the CWB? Were those actual losses or were the figures based on sales that have
been delayed by a few months, asks Les. Here is my answer to that question. On the grain transportation issue, in my opinion, delayed delivery, bigger crops, and some fabrication. The fabrication figures come from an organization that is long in the tooth, as witnessed by their annual meeting in Saskatoon in December where ‘relevance’ as an organization still able to attract younger members focused on a logo change. Yes, I agree there were too many delays and yes, the grain companies took advantage of farmers, but in the end, I believe it will even out. “Come out in the wash’, as the saying goes. While not so in all areas, farmers within a couple of 100 miles from the US border hauled south big time. Several farmer-owned trucking companies quickly formed and grew and now with fuel prices dropping, things get even better. After the harvest of the 2013 crop, some farmers called local elevators early on. There was little room, and the freight basis widened, indicating grain companies really weren’t interested in the farmers’ grain at that point. Brokers found markets, truckers found trucks, and grain moved south without a hitch, mostly, if the required paperwork was concise and complete. Later those same elevator managers called to say they could now take the grain: Sorry said many farmers, we just shipped, almost in some cases with glee in their voices. The CWB monopoly bulldozed, ploughed and turned over stuff for 70 years. The transportation and marketing systems need a little time to adjust, and it will. Levi Wood, a farmer from Regina, and President of the Wheat Growers says issues crop up almost daily, many of which were there before but the CWB would often massage them always to their benefit, and in some cases filed them away. Today as the transparency opens up the system, and in some cases dust off those file 13 items, the system has to deal with them, to go forward.
Free FFarm arm Safety Workshops To help farmers comply with Workplace Safety and Health regulations, inspections and help them protect themselves, their families and their workers Keystone Agricultural Producers has partnered with the School of Agriculture to present a series of free safety workshops open to farmers in Manitoba. There are two scheduled workshop dates. The first free workshop is in Brandon on Thursday, February 5 hosted by the Westman Aerial. Contact Bonnie at 204-763-8998 to register. The second is in Dauphin on Thursday, February 12 at St. Viator’s Church. To register go to eventbrite.ca.
The Agri Post
Stepping Down My term as CPC’s Chairman has come to a close. I believe it is prudent to take a moment to reflect on the past in order to focus on 2015 and the future. First, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each one of my colleagues for allowing me to serve as your Chairman for the past three years. It has been my honour and pleasure to work on behalf of producers from coast to coast and to work with you to further strengthen and grow the pork industry. By Jean-Guy Vincent Trade agreements remain a key priority for our industry and the implementation on January 1 of the Canada-Korea FTA as well as the finalization of the Canada-European Union economic and trade agreement will benefit our industry moving forward. US Country of Origin Labelling, however, continues to cost the industry time and money as the US prolongs the WTO dispute by its most recent appeal. While our industry relies on exports for over 70% percent of our production, a number of the more significant markets are unstable. Russia is an important customer but the repeated interruptions in this market make us vulnerable. Our industry will have to overcome future market disruptions and challenges but in the near term, we must focus efforts to increase market share in stable markets such as Japan, Korea and other emerging markets in Asia. Maintaining our industry’s health status is vital and key to market access. An excellent health status begins at the farm level by implementing and following a strong biosecurity plan. Fortunately, industry leaders around the CPC table have developed the tools and knowledge to limit the spread of a virus and prevent its introduction into a barn. As we have seen with the rapid spread of PEDv in the United States, the financial consequences can be devastating. National and provincial organizations have their own responsibility in disease management and a co-ordination through the CPC will serve our membership well by increased efficiency and elimination of unnecessary duplication. The Canadian pork industry is recognized throughout the world as providing to consumers a safe and nutritious quality product. The world-class Canadian pork brand is the result of producers’ efforts and the flexibility of our industry to adapt to consumer demands. The CPC has been very proactive by setting standards that guarantee a production adapted to international markets. Biosecurity standards at the farm, CQA and animal care programs and traceability reassure our customers around the world and differentiate our product. I believe strongly that the pork sector has the tools to be prosperous, increase market access and take advantage of growing demand. I wish every success to the members of the new Board of Directors. They have skills to represent the producers and to make the right decisions. It is a great responsibility but they have the knowledge and the ability to do so. Jean-Guy Vincent will step down as Chair of the Canadian Pork Council’s Board of Directors. Jean-Guy has been consistently selected by his peers on the CPC’s board of directors to serve in senior officer capacities up to the position of CPC Chair where he has served for the past three years.
End the Debate We Are All GMOs We are all genetically modified organisms (GMOs), all 7.1 billion of us and every other creature on earth produced by sexual reproduction. We are all a random combination of our mother’s and father’s genes and are therefore genetically unique modifications. Only identical clones are not genetiBy Dr. Patrick Moore cally modified. I point this out because the now negatively loaded term “genetically modified” has been misused, abused and confused to describe recombinant DNA biotechnology, one of the most important advances in the 10,000-year history of agriculture. Throw in Frankenstein Foods, Killer Tomatoes, and Terminator Seeds, all titles borrowed from scary Hollywood fantasies, and you have the makings of perhaps the most baseless anti-science campaign in the history of anti-science campaigns. We have been modifying the genetics of plants and animals since agriculture began, first by choosing which superior individuals to select for breeding, and more recently by using radiation and chemicals to induce mutations. How many people know that the Durham Wheat used to make most of our pasta had its DNA modified by exposing seeds to high-level gamma radiation? No labeling required. Oh no, the anti-GMOers opine, “Nature never moves DNA from one species to another; therefore GMOs are ‘unnatural’.” Not so, genes have been moving across species since life began. The random movement of genetic material from one species to another has been one of the driving forces of evolution. The human genome has 70 percent of its genes in common with the sea urchin for example. We would be remiss if we did not harness this naturally occurring phenomenon to improve the genetic makeup of our food crops. And just how “natural” are automobiles, poodles, circus clowns, and satellite TV? The new biotech crop varieties have been adopted at such a rapid rate that today 280 million farmers in 27 countries are growing GM crops on 12 percent of the world’s farmland. It would be at least three times that if not for bans and restrictions due to irrational opposition. And now smallholder farmers in developing countries grow the majority of GM crops. Every credible science, health, and nutrition organization in the world says the GM food available today is safe, without reservation. This includes the World Health Organization, the European Commission, and the Society for Toxicology. These conservative groups would not make such a definitive statement if there were the slightest doubt. But then there are the demon seed companies, with Monsanto leading the effort to “control the world’s food supply”. First, these companies are not weapon manufacturers or drug cartels; they are trying to make better seeds for agriculture; and second, they don’t decide which seeds to plant; farmers do that and they have hundreds of varieties to choose from. It is hard to imagine how seed companies that grow no food crops themselves, and only sell seeds to millions of farmers who want them, could control the world’s food supply. It is a ludicrous accusation. Recently the first meta-study compiling the results of GM crop performance around the world reported some surprising numbers. On average, GM crops increase yield by 22 percent, reduce pesticide use 37 percent, and increase farmer profits by 68 percent. You don’t have to force those results down farmer’s throats; they line up for more. It’s time to put an end to the debate over the safety of GM crops and foods. Today nearly all of our beer, wine, cheese and yogurt are made with GM yeast and culture. Most of our livestock are fed GM corn and soybeans, and most of our prepared foods contain GM ingredients. People who want to believe there is something sinister or unhealthy about GM plants should either buy food that is labeled non-GM or pay double for “organic” food. Then the rest of us who are not afraid of good science can get on with healthy and productive lives. A Co-Founder and leader of Greenpeace for 15 years, Dr. Patrick Moore is now an independent environmentalist and Chair of Environment, Ecology, and Prosperity with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.
January 30, 2015
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Salinity, a Growing Problem in Manitoba Salinity is increased salt content of soils, like that experienced close to the Portage Diversion in one of my recent visits with farmers, is a growing problem in Manitoba. Salinity happens when water in an elevated channel is higher than the surrounding land and is able to “leak” through creating water (hyBy Dr. Jon Gerrard drologic) pressure locally. (see Figure 1). This situation occurs in land adjacent to the Portage Diversion when it is carrying substantial amounts of water. Stephen Hoyes, a farmer northwest of Portage la Prairie, saw this on his land beside the diversion following each large flood year (2012 and 2014). Shallots represent a high value crop grown in this area and are very sensitive to salinity. Figure 2 compares shallots grown near the Portage Diversion in 2003 with the dramatic impact of salinity in 2012 in the same area. Salinity concentration virtually wiped out the crop. In 2014, the wheat crop, adjacent to the Portage Diversion was also drastically reduced to about 20 bushels an acre due to the salinity. Before the 2011 flood, the yield was 60 bushels to the Figure 1: Water in a channel higher than the adjacent land, can create problems of salinity on the adjacent acre across the whole field. The water pressure that is created as land. a result of the operation of the Portage Diversion is to be found not just right beside the Diversion, but increasingly further away where sandier seams allow the water to pass more freely. This is the case for the land 2.5 kilometers away from the Diversion where Bert Rutbeek farms. In Bert’s case, his records show a large salinity increase in his soils in the flood years of 2011 and in 2014 2011 being worse than 2014. The increased salinity caused a drastic reduction in his production of shallots, which he grew successfully before the salinity occurred. The Diversion was built to pro- Figure 2: Field with shallots growing in 2003 on land tect others from flooding and it is adjacent to the Portage Diversion (left photo) and the same not a natural structure. Action needs field in 2012 (right photo). The Diversion is visible in the to be taken to address the salinity distance. The very poor yield in 2012 was due to salinity as problem in the soils adjacent to the a result of the Portage Diversion being operated extensively Portage Diversion. in 2011. I discussed the following, with local area farmers, as four possible solutions. - Provincial government buys out the land. This would be a very expensive option, and is certainly not an option that local farmers want. - Compensation. In the short term there should be compensation for farmers who can document their losses due to the salinity. While a short term option, it is not a permanent solution. - Putting a clay (or other) lining on the Portage Diversion, which prevents leakage of water. This can be considered, though I was told that there are reasons that make this option unlikely to be successful. - Addressing the issue of salinity directly by using tile drainage. This option is possible, but because of the flat land, it presents some difficulties. For tile drainage to be effective there has to be an outlet for the tile, which is lower than the field itself. Creating such an outlet in the flat land beside the diversion and near Lake Manitoba may involve both having a deep enough ditch and the ability to pump water out of it and into the Diversion itself or into Lake Manitoba. A solution appears to be possible and, in the context of the multi-million dollar expansion of the Diversion, would appear to be essential for farmers near the Portage Diversion. I want to thank Bert Rutbeek, Stephen Hoyes, Mark Peters, Darlene Doty and Marlo Mynott for helping me to better understand the problem of salinity near the Portage Diversion and near Lake Manitoba.
Tories Oppose LongGun RRegistry egistry Long-Gun Dear Editor: It was news that many Manitobans and Canadians may have missed, but in early December federal NDP leader Thomas Mulcair said if elected into government he would bring back the failed national longgun registry. Canadians remember well that the former long-gun registry, which essentially targeted law-abiding gun owners such as hunters and farmers, cost Canadians billions of dollars and was plagued with errors. And because criminals don’t register their guns, it didn’t make Canadians safer. With the federal NDP now promising to bring back the wasteful and ineffective long-gun registry, their provincial cousins
have gone silent on the issue. The federal NDP and the provincial NDP are closely tied and the silence from Manitoba’s New Democrat’s on the potential return of the long-gun registry should be concerning to farmers, hunters and lawabiding gun owners. The silence of the provincial NDP on their federal cousins plan to bring back the long-gun registry actually speaks volumes. And that should concern Manitoba farmers, hunters and other law-abiding gun owners. MLA Kelvin Goertzen Justice Critic and MLA for Steinbach
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January 30, 2015
The Agri Post