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EXCLUSIVE: Loblaws jumps on board the sustainable beef initiative Canada’s largest food retailer has joined McDonald’s, the largest beef buyer, in an undertaking that could reshape the cattle sector By Alexis Kienlen af staff

anada’s largest food retailer has pledged to start selling sustainable beef, joining forces with the country’s largest beef buyer in an initiative that could reshape the industry, Alberta Farmer has learned. Loblaws, which has more than 1,000 stores serving 14 million Canadians weekly, already has a sustainable seafood program and is keen to do the

same with beef, said the company’s senior director of sustainability. “Right now, we’re really in the stage of learning, with the full supply chain, about sustainable beef,” said Melanie Agopian. “That’s why we are participating in the roundtable and the pilot. We just want to learn as much as we can with industry as a whole. We are always working to source with integrity and that is part of the effort.” Unlike McDonald’s, which boldly announced it would begin selling “verified sustainable” beef in 2016, Loblaws has not set a target date. Nor has it publicly announced its commitment,

although it did tell its fellow members on the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef at a meeting in Kelowna in September. The company is the retail member on the roundtable, which was set up by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) and has been working with McDonald’s on its plan to pilot verified sustainable beef in Canada. Despite the looming 2016 target date, there’s still no firm definition of sustainable beef — or what it means for producers — but details are slowly emerging. A key one is that McDonald’s has committed to using an expanded Verified Beef

Production program — dubbed Verified Beef Plus — that will have animal care and environmental modules in addition to its on-farm food safety protocols.

Indicators being tested

Another is that about 20 so-called “indicators” will be used to assess sustainability. “What we’re going to be doing at the Canadian roundtable over the next year is starting to develop those indicators; discuss whether these are appropriate for Canada and how we fit in to them;

see LOBLAWS BEEF } page 6

In this Nov. 11 photo, the Alberta Farmers’ Co-operative Elevator Company structure is already down while the top is off of the Alberta Pool Elevator model before it is ultimately toppled. Photo: Jason Paul Sailer

Demolition at Warner’s famed elevator row With the loss of two classic pioneer sentinels Alberta’s pioneer heritage takes a serious blow By Johnnie Bachusky af contributor

or Cody Kapcsos the shock of seeing the wreckage earlier this month at Warner was like looking at a once beautiful loved one and encountering utter physical devastation. “When I saw what happened to this iconic and beautiful row it was shocking to see, like someone whose beauty had long deserved admiration but now there was only missing teeth,” the 24-year-

old heritage enthusiast said of the toppling of two classic country grain elevators from Warner’s famed row. “Alberta no longer has any grain elevator rows left.” On Nov. 11, he frantically drove 36 kilometres from his home in Stirling to the southern Albertan village to confirm disturbing reports that the two historic elevators had been demolished. The demolition included an Alberta Pool Elevator model built in 1928. However, more upsetting for heritage preservationists was the loss of the prized grain eleva-

tor that was erected in 1913 by the Alberta Farmers’ Co-operative Elevator Company. The rare structure, which was twinned with a pool elevator in 1951, was only one of three left in Alberta. “I think it is a total insult to our heritage, and an insult to Albertans,” said Kapcsos. “We are watching our history before our eyes being pulverized into a billion different pieces.” With the loss of the two structures, Warner is left with three elevators, one of them twinned. There are now doubts whether

the province can still claim it has a rare sacred row. “The Canadian Grain Commission says a row consists of four grain elevators and they consider a twin as one elevator. Technically there is three, less than a row,” said Lethbridge’s Jason Paul Sailer, another grain elevator preservationist. The Warner row was one of only two left in the country, and the last to be commercially operational. The other row, a group of

see ELEVATORS } page 7

news » inside this week

inside » WHERE THERE’S A WILL There’s a way to give land to non-farming child

NOVEMBER 24, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

livestock

crops

WALKING THE WALK

SHINING A LIGHT

columNists JOHN MORRISS Wheat market a mess

brenda schoepp Quebec offers lessons to us

BIG ON BALE GRAZING Producer says system has a triple payback

Hog facility makes sweeping changes after abuse video

Photosynthesis creates soil, says Aussie expert

Anesthetics and horses

Wireless rumen bolus can track cattle and other livestock and also measure their temperature to predict sickness or fertility cycles By Alexis Kienlen af staff

Neil Helfrich holds one of his cattle boluses while standing next to his cousin, Sheldon Archibald of Irma. Photos: Supplied boluses, which changed his entire direction. “I realized that I didn’t want it in the ear tag, but in the stomach because that way it is tamper-proof,” he said. The bolus can only be removed when the animal dies. “Once the animal goes down beyond a certain threshold, you know the animal has been killed and the bolus will send out an alert,” he said. The devices, marketed by Helfrich’s company The Wandering Shepherd, cost US$5 each. There will also be a fee for each data transmission of between one and five cents, he said. Helfrich, who is currently taking preorders, said he’s received inquiries from Alberta, Australia, New Zealand and the U.S., including one from one of the bison ranches owned by media mogul Ted Turner.

“You can be halfway across the world and you can be checking on your livestock.”

Neil Helfrich

“We’re just getting the word out right now and seeing the interest in where we’re going to start setting up the networks,” he said. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

CAROL SHWETZ

Sherwood Park man invents new cattle tracker with multiple uses t all started with a simple idea. Neil Helfrich, a Sherwood Park inventor, had a moment of inspiration when his wife brought home a puppy in 2007. The dog had a microchip implant, which identifies the animal but can’t track it if it runs away. A device able to do the latter, Helfrich realized, would help producers like his cousin Sheldon Archibald, an Irma-area rancher. It took a few years of R&D, but Helfrich eventually created a wireless rumen bolus, which sends radio signals from an animal’s stomach and allows it to be tracked. “Think of it like a cellphone that can sit inside the stomach of about approximately 150 different type of animals,” said Helfrich. The bolus can work in cattle, bison, elk, goats, sheep, and even camels or giraffes. If a rancher has 500 cattle roaming across his or her property, all of the boluses will be networked together. This allows data to jump from one animal to another, so if one animal is out of reach of a cellphone tower, its data can be relayed via its herd mates. The data will then display on the rancher’s computer, cellphone, or tablet. “You can be halfway across the world and you can be checking on your livestock,” said Helfrich. “You can make changes to the programming of the bolus as well. Everything can be done wirelessly.” His technology uses a long-barrelled device placed in a cow’s throat to insert a bolus inside a cow’s rumen. “It’s kind of like a little pill that is given to them,” he said. About one inch wide and 2.5 inches long, a bolus can withstand a decade’s worth of digestive juices. In addition to thwarting rustlers, measuring temperature fluctuations can help predict sickness or fertility cycles. There are other electronic boluses on the market, but Helfrich’s is unique because its patented design (similar to Weeble Wobble toys) allows it to stay upright and his technology doesn’t require expensive handheld scanners or readers. “Because there are radio frequencies being sent to and from the bolus, I needed it to stay in an upright position even when the animal is moving,” he said. Helfrich initially tried to create a better RFID tag, until he read about

A bolus placed in a fish tank to show how it stays upright.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Déjà vu all over again at Alberta’s largest meatpacking plants Food processors hit hard by recent changes to the temporary foreign worker program BY JENNIFER BLAIR AF STAFF / RED DEER

H Cargill’s High River plant is struggling to find workers after changes to the temporary foreign worker program. PHOTO: CARGILL MEATS

‘Cover your butt’ is the name of the game Farm businesses are seeing frequent rule changes, inconsistent decision-making, and red tape following changes to the temporary foreign worker program BY JENNIFER BLAIR AF STAFF / RED DEER

hanges to the temporary foreign worker program has made hiring foreign labour more difficult and costly — especially for lower-skill, lower-wage positions most often seen in agriculture. And while primary agriculture gets some exemptions under the new rules implemented in June, the big challenge is red tape, says an immigration consultant who works with farms and feedlots in Alberta. And the only way to work around that red tape is to “cover your butt,” said Cassandra Conacher, owner of Mosaic Canadian Immigration Consulting in Lethbridge. “With the changes, we saw a recognition of an acute labour shortage in the agriculture industry, albeit just in primary agriculture,” said Conacher. “But Service Canada is going through a period right now where it’s trying to work things out after the changes, and it definitely doesn’t make it any easier.” Since June 20, the forms for high-skilled labour have changed four times, while those for low-skilled labour have changed three times, she said. In one case, a client of hers submitted forms in the morning, and during the course of the day, the forms changed and had to be redone. “There are changes happening, and there’s no announcements on the website,” she said. “The rules and procedures seem to change on a regular basis, and these changes are not being publicized.” Conacher recommends taking screenshots of the rules on

the program website the day an application is submitted. “It may seem excessive, but that has been a godsend for me on many occasions just to prove that, at the time we applied, we did it right under the rules at that time.”

Changing rules

Inconsistent decision-making is also holding up applications, she said. One feedlot operator was contacted by a program officer to clarify an item on his application, and during the course of the conversation, it came up that workers would be required to purchase and ride a horse to check pens. “The officer said, ‘Your job ad didn’t say that was a requirement. You’re going to have to go back, re-advertise, and then we can come back to this,’” said Conacher. The employer made the changes, reapplied, and “the officer came back and said, ‘It’s a little excessive that you put in your ads that you need a horse,’” she said.

Cassandra Conacher.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

“It’s very frustrating when we see that kind of inconsistent decision-making.” Another company wanted to switch two low-skilled workers to high-skilled positions to recognize their years of service. With only nine employees in total, the company was exempt from the 10-person program cap. The application was shredded, and the company was told that it needed to fill out a “cap application” because it was adding two new people. The company resubmitted the application, citing that it was cap exempt. “As of today, the application has been shredded three times for the same reason, and now the MP is involved,” said Conacher. “Unfortunately, what I’m finding is we’re oftentimes having to resort to getting an MP involved. It seems ridiculous that it has to get to that point.” Applications are being shredded for “something as simple as forgetting to put in a fax number” on a job ad, she said. “One of the frequent complaints I get from employers is that they had their application sent back because they were missing something minor in their job ads,” she said. “It’s just red tape.” Blanks on the application forms are another no-no, said Conacher. “If you’re leaving a blank in the application form, put ‘not applicable,’ or if you’re exempt from something, put ‘exempt,’” she said. “It seems ridiculous, but you don’t want to have your application shredded three times.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

ow will recent changes to the temporary foreign worker program impact agriculture’s ability to compete for labour? Paul Wannet, human resources manager for Cargill Meats in High River, knows — and he’s been through it before. The situation was dire for Alberta’s largest meat-packing plant in 2007 when the temporary foreign worker program renewal came into effect.

“Anyone trying to run an operation or facility with 40 per cent turnover knows it’s pretty tough to do.”

PAUL WANNET

“Prior to the 2007 temporary foreign worker program renewal, the volume of our facility capacity was starting to crash, resulting in a reduction in capital investments and impacting our business and competitiveness,” said Wannet. At that time, the plant was looking to hire 230 more people to deal with an extremely high turnover of employees. “Anyone trying to run an operation or facility with 40 per

cent turnover knows it’s pretty tough to do.” Cargill started recruiting heavily across the country, but still had difficulty hiring Canadian workers. The renewal of the temporary foreign worker program in 2007 provided Cargill with “an effective tool to meet the demand for higherqualified workers.” “For us as a plant, we were starting to get a sustainable workforce,” said Wannet. “We had the ability at that time to hire more qualified workers.” Since then, turnover has fallen to 20 per cent, and only seven per cent of foreign workers who have received permanent residency in the years have left the plant, which employs 2,000 people. “As of today, we have 651 people who have received their permanent residency,” he said. “To us in High River, that was a competitive advantage. We didn’t have to go and train people, and we had a sustainable workforce. The program does work.” But following program changes in June, which have made it both more expensive and more difficult to hire temporary foreign workers, Cargill is back where it started seven years ago. “Prior to the June 2014 announcement, we’re still 339 people short to meet market demands and to take advantage of new markets,” said Wannet, adding that the company is still having difficulties recruiting domestic workers. “Today, when I look at it, I’m back to 2007 where I was. But then I was 230 people short and now I’m 330 people short.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

Farm Manager

Your Business Resource agriculture.alberta.ca/farm-manager

Your farm is unique and so is your marketing plan. Let our Agricultural Marketing Guide enhance your farming decisions.

NOVEMBER 24, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

EDITOR Glenn Cheater Phone: 780-919-2320 Email: glenn.cheater@fbcpublishing.com twitter: @glenncheater

Reporters Alexis Kienlen, Edmonton 780-668-3121 Email: akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

The new wheat-marketing system isn’t just a mess — it’s a great big mess

Jennifer Blair, Red Deer 403-613-7573 Email: jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

PRODUCTION director Shawna Gibson Email: shawna@fbcpublishing.com

Director of Sales & Circulation Lynda Tityk Email: lynda.tityk@fbcpublishing.com

With Canada’s wheat selling at a discount to Russia’s, it’s time to admit the new open market isn’t working as it should

CIRCULATION manager Heather Anderson Email: heather@fbcpublishing.com

national ADVERTISING SALES James Shaw Phone: 416-231-1812 Fax: 416-233-4858 Email: jamesshaw@rogers.com

ADVERTISING sales Crystal McPeak Phone: 403-646-6211 or 403-360-3210 Email: crystal@fbcpublishing.com

classified ADVERTISING SALES Sharon Komoski Phone: 1-888-413-3325 Fax: 204-944-5562 Email: sharon.komoski@fbcpublishing.com

ADVERTISING Co-ordinator Arlene Bomback Phone: 204-944-5765 Fax: 204-944-5562 Email: ads@fbcpublishing.com

PUBLISHER Lynda Tityk Email: lynda.tityk@fbcpublishing.com

Associate PUBLISHER/ editorial director John Morriss Email: john.morriss@fbcpublishing.com

president Bob Willcox Glacier FarmMedia bwillcox@farmmedia.com 204-944-5751

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www.albertafarmexpress.ca or email: subscription@fbcpublishing.com At Farm Business Communications we have a firm commitment to protecting your privacy and security as our customer. Farm Business Communications will only collect personal information if it is required for the proper functioning of our business. As part of our commitment to enhance customer service, we may share this personal information with other strategic business partners. For more information regarding our Customer Information Privacy Policy, write to: Information Protection Officer, Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Ave., Wpg., MB R3H 0H1 Occasionally we make our list of subscribers available to other reputable firms whose products and services might be of interest to you. If you would prefer not to receive such offers, please contact us at the address in the preceding paragraph, or call 1-800-665-0502. The editors and journalists who write, contribute and provide opinions to Alberta Farmer Express and Farm Business Communications attempt to provide accurate and useful opinions, information and analysis. However, the editors, journalists and Alberta Farmer Express and Farm Business Communications, cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the editors as well as Alberta Farmer Express and Farm Business Communications assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader for this publication based on any and all information provided.

By JOHN MORRIsS EditorIAL DIRECTOR

ritics of the Canadian Wheat Board used to routinely point to published price quotes for U.S. Dark Northern Spring (DNS) wheat from the Pacific Northwest (PNW) and assume that was a benchmark price for all wheat sold in the world. If the board got less, it must have screwed up, said the critics. In fact, the DNS price tends to be at a premium for several reasons, not least of which was that it was a price for Japan, which pays a premium for high-quality spring wheat. It also used to pay a premium for Canadian CWRS over DNS. Apparently not anymore. Again, not all spring wheat trades at the PNW price. But why is Canadian CWRS being offered at almost $70 under DNS? On Oct. 24, CWRS 13.5 per cent f.o.b. Vancouver was quoted at $331.26. On the same day DNS 13.5 per cent f.o.b. Portland was quoted at $399.73. Though the price spread is not as dramatic, the numbers from a recent Iraq grain board tender for 50,000 tonnes of hard wheat are even more disturbing. Here are the “ciffo” (landed in Iraq) offers: (the Canadian one was for 100,000 tonnes; apparently the seller was eager). • Canada: $323.40; • Australia: $331.22; • Russia: $336.50; • U.S.: $352.70. That’s right, Canadian wheat is being offered at $13 under Russian wheat, and almost $30 under the U.S. We already knew the system was in a mess, but these numbers emphasize that it’s not just a mess — it’s a great big mess.

What’s to be done?

Let’s start by emphasizing to supporters of the old wheat board that it’s never coming back, so let’s forget about fighting that battle. By the same token, opponents of the old board need to acknowledge the problems arising from ending its monopoly. That may or may not have been a good idea, but it’s now apparent that doing it so abruptly has had major implications for co-ordination of the system. Having the biggest player in place for 77 years and then eliminating it overnight was akin to putting a stick of dynamite under the system and hoping that all the parts would fall back in the right place. They didn’t. The theory behind ending the monopoly was that it would create competition for the farmers’ grain — that is, the companies would sharpen their pencils and lower their handling costs, therefore leading to a higher price on the driveway. There are a couple of things wrong with that theory. One is that it’s clear that competition is working all right — the companies are now so eager to compete with each other that they’re even undercutting Russian wheat. But even if they weren’t, there’s another problem. The companies only need to sharpen their pencils and compete on the driveway if there is unrestricted access to the marketplace, which means the railways supplying every car requested and delivering it on time. It seems the only time we have that happy situation is when there is the unhappy one of a small crop. Otherwise, competition works — the farmers compete with each other to deliver, which means the companies can lower their price.

Currently, that means a nice margin for the grain companies (although it would be even nicer if they sold at Russian prices) because the railways can only charge as much as the legislated revenue cap allows. The solution, say some, is to get rid of the revenue cap — if farmers paid more to the railways, they’d supply more cars. That would be like the U.S. system, where grain companies currently have to bid premiums of up to $6,000 a car. So even if you really believe that the railways would supply more cars, what we’re really talking about is keeping the basis the same, but giving more to the railways and less to the grain company. There are disturbing rumblings that the federal government thinks that’s part of the U.S. system that we should copy. Unfortunately, it hasn’t seen fit to put in place any of the other framework that makes the open-market system work. Unlike in the U.S., there is no mandatory reporting of export sales. There is no routine collection and reporting of export quotes, local cash market prices, prices received at country elevators or vessels arriving in port. An open-market system only works properly if all the players have equal access to information. So far, the grain companies and railways hold all the cards, though if we look at export sales prices, it doesn’t look like the companies are playing them particularly well. What’s needed now is not an argument on the merits or otherwise of the old wheat board, but concerted pressure on the federal government to establish a regulatory framework for the open market to work properly. Right now, it sure doesn’t. john.morriss@fbcpublishing.com

A political prescription is needed to treat obesity Promoting sensible eating and active living isn’t enough, so government needs to also tax and regulate high-calorie, nutrient-poor food By Dr. John Fletcher and Dr. Kirsten Patrick

he Global Burden of Disease Study on global, regional and national trends in overweight and obesity from 1980 to 2013 has shown that obesity is still increasing worldwide, including in Canada, particularly among young people. The World Health Organization is convening the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity and its member states have set 2025 as a target date for stopping the rise in obesity. Stopping the rise of obesity and ending childhood obesity are laudable goals, but they cannot be achieved without a new approach. Governments must recognize that individual-level interventions, nutritional advice, and activity guidance are not working.

Our current approach to obesity relies on the assumption that people have choices, often fail to make the right ones, and should be educated and helped to make better choices. This view is simplistic and clearly absurd, given the continued rise in the prevalence of obesity in countries that have been tackling the problem for decades. Are millions of people really choosing to be overweight? People are not as free to choose as we would like to believe. Neurobiological desires for sweet and high-fat foods gave humans a survival advantage in a world where food was scarce and every calorie counted. Where food is inexpensive and easily available, biological processes related to eating can mirror addiction and will lead to our destruction. We need to change our approach. We need incentives beyond

educational messages. Strategies that include individual interventions, school-based nutrition and activity interventions, incentives for active commuting and changes to the built environment should continue. However, we also need robust ways to restrict portion sizes and reduce the sale of sugarsweetened beverages and other high-calorie, nutrient-poor food products. Our government needs to consider taxation as a tool to combat the consumption of these addictive foods and beverages, just as it regulates the sale of alcohol and tobacco products for the purposes of population health. To increase sales, food manufacturers deliberately exploit our appetites, desires and addictions with aggressive marketing and by manipulating foods. This is

normal corporate behaviour where the goal is to maximize profits. Government can counteract these tactics through the triedand-tested approaches of taxation and regulation that have been applied with success to reduce smoking rates. It is time to apply this same thinking to the food delivery systems that are making us fat. Our government needs to act to restrict the sale of high-calorie and nutrient-poor food products or reduce the incentive to buy them through increasing their prices via taxation. John Fletcher is editor-in-chief and Kirsten Patrick is deputy editor of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. This is an excerpt from the full editorial, available at www. cmaj.ca/content/early/2014/10/27/ cmaj.141306.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Data from your farm has value and shouldn’t be given away But under current rules, the end-user of the data is the owner, which means farmers are giving away an increasingly valuable commodity By brenda schoepp af columnist

here are many questions surrounding the use of data for and from farmers. Who owns the data? What is required? How does this benefit me as a farmer? I took to the streets with these questions as part as an ongoing quest to clarify just what it is that farmers may expect and more importantly, what are their rights under the current legislation. To start, it is fair to say that in the beef industry, we gave away our opportunity to profit from and control our data with mandatory identification. Identification was a necessity, but the number that went with the inventory had “value” and in that area farmers should have been better advised. It was sold as a way to access information about the performance and appreciated value of the animal as it moved along the commercial chain. This, of course, did not develop as under Canadian law, the information or intellectual property resides with the last owner of the inventory. Only voluntary sharing of information or a paid agreement allows producers access to information on their cattle. Today, the question of data ownership has broadened considerably as everyone

from service providers to food companies are suggesting that market access will be dependent on data submission. Remembering that the intellectual property lies with the last holder of the inventory, there is really only one way to profit with data and that is to be the end-user, unless there is a charge for data from the first or current owner of the property. The push that is going on in the food industry has producers convinced that they will not be able to sell unless they provide data on things like production protocols or sustainability. Whole Foods leads the way by requiring producers in the food chain to supply data for production protocols to ensure brand trust and they are paid accordingly. The reality now is that most companies are trying to mirror that model without compensation to the producer. What is happening? Secondary and end-users of commodities for food are busy setting their own standards to ensure brand security. They are tossing words like “sustainability” about freely without a sound descriptive of the meaning of the word or how it is supported. In my quest, I spoke to officials from several of the largest food companies in Canada who are spending years working on their future data requirements in the terms of sustainability. I also spoke to Canadian representatives of the res-

taurant industry who are trying to wade through the rigours of everyone for themselves. This is creating confusing messages for farmers. The advancement of prescriptive farming has finally pushed the door open for the discussion on data ownership. After years of submission from farmers in terms of the demand for data, producers are stepping back and saying, “Just a minute, who owns the data you take off my tractor?” And in livestock the use of data for tracing back is putting systems risk entirely on the farmer. Today livestock producers are also questioning the methodology of tracing back when the money for them is in selling the data and transferring the processing risk. In the top-down world of both regulation and fad, farmers have become victims and continue to behave in that manner, rushing about to meet the terms of someone who suggests that data supply is the only way to be paid. Shall we think this through? Certainly there is opportunity and value in production protocols that are focused on measurables such as animal welfare and environmental consciousness. And both producers and processors are in fear of losing their social licence to operate and innovate. So why is it that we accept the restrictions imposed in this area by those end-users rather than

collectively define them within our own industry and charge for that data accordingly? After all, it is data and technology that allows us as farmers to make these types of decisions from a knowledge base. If process defines substance, then we, the farmers of the nation, need to own the process. This is no longer rocket science as there are technologies available for us to do that and do it quickly. Our challenge will be in mending the fractures within agriculture to ensure a common voice or we will be no better than those competing voices of end-users who are shifting data requirements as they wade through their own competitive environment. The best use of data should be towards the building of your own wealth. The development of intelligent systems that demonstrate compelling evidence and value! More importantly, Canadians love farmers and they trust us. We must be a good friend to the consumer. This is our time to develop a relationship with consumers based on their needs and our collective wisdom that defines safe food produced with environmental consciousness. Brenda Schoepp is a farmer from Alberta who works as an international mentor and motivational speaker. She can be contacted through her website www.brendaschoepp. com. All rights reserved. Brenda Schoepp 2014

Guess what? Survey says farmers and scientists divided over climate change Researchers who surveyed climatologists and farmers say the two camps need to learn how to talk to each other Purdue University Release

rop producers and scientists hold deeply different views on climate change and its possible causes, a study by Purdue and Iowa State universities shows. A survey of 6,795 people in the agricultural sector in 2011-12 asked about climate change and whether variation in the climate is triggered by human activities, natural causes, or an equal combination of both. More than 90 per cent of the scientists and climatologists surveyed said they believed climate change was occurring, with more than 50 per cent attributing climate change primarily to human activities. In contrast, 66 per cent of corn producers surveyed said they believed climate change was occurring, with eight per cent pinpointing human activities as the main cause. A quarter of producers said they believed climate change was caused mostly by natural shifts in the environment, and 31 per cent said there was not enough evidence to determine whether climate change was happening or not.

Division

The survey results highlight the

division between scientists and farmers over climate change and the challenges in communicating climate data and trends in nonpolarizing ways, said Linda Prokopy, an associate professor of natural resource social science and one of the survey team. “Whenever climate change gets introduced, the conversation tends to turn political,” she said. “Scientists and climatologists are saying climate change is happening, and agricultural commodity groups and farmers are saying they don’t believe that. Our research suggests that this disparity in beliefs may cause agricultural stakeholders to respond to climate information very differently.” Climate change presents both potential gains and threats to agriculture. Warmer temperatures could extend the growing season in northern latitudes, and an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide could improve the water use efficiency of some crops. But increases in weather variability and extreme weather events could lower crop yields. Growers can manage the potential risks linked to extreme rain events and soil degradation by using adaptive strategies such as planting cover

crops, using no-till techniques, increasing the biodiversity of grasses and forage and extending crop rotations, Prokopy said. These strategies contribute to soil health and water quality and also help capture carbon dioxide, reducing the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by agricultural systems. Currently, agriculture accounts for 10 to 12 per cent of the total human-caused greenhouse gas emissions globally.

Focus on cause

Focusing on the causes of climate change, however, is likely to polarize the agricultural community and lead to inaction, said study co-author Lois Wright Morton, professor of sociology at Iowa State University. To foster productive dialogue, she said, scientists and climatologists need to “start from the farmer’s perspective.” “Farmers are problem solvers,” she said. “A majority of farmers views excess water on their land and variable weather as problems and are willing to adapt their practices to protect their farm operation. Initiating conversations about adaptive management is more effective than talking about the causes of climate change.”

A group of around 400 demonstrators participates in a protest by burying their heads in the sand at Sydney’s Bondi Beach Nov. 13. Hundreds of protesters participated in the event, held ahead of the Nov. 15 G20 summit in Brisbane, which was being promoted as a message to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s government that, “You have your head in the sand on climate change.” Photo: REUTERS/David Gray The gap in views on climate change is caused in part by how individuals combine scientific facts with their own personal values, Morton said. “Differences in beliefs are related to a variety of factors, such as personal experiences, cultural and social influences, and perceptions of risk and vulnerability,” she said. Prokopy advises scientists to “recognize that their world views may be different than those of farmers. Moderating communication of climate information based on that realization is key.”

Climate science could also be better communicated by using intermediaries such as extension educators and agricultural advisers to translate data in ways that are most relevant to growers, she said. “Farmers are by necessity very focused on short-term weather, in-season decisions and managing immediate risks,” she said. “They’re thinking about when they can get in their field to do what they need to do, rather than looking 20 to 30 years down the road.”

Off the front

November 24, 2014 • Albertafarmexpress.ca

LOBLAWS BEEF } from page 1 and all those sorts of broader discussions,” said Fawn Jackson, the CCA’s manager of environment and sustainability. “Development of the indicators isn’t a job that has been tackled yet. That’s upcoming.” However, McDonald’s is currently working with a group of producers across the country to test draft indicators and find ways to verify them. “Right now we’re in the process of getting a larger group of producers to massage these indicators some more,” said Bob Lowe, a CCA director and Nanton-area feedlot owner. But the key point is that this new system won’t impose rules from above or force producers to make sweeping changes to their operation, said Lowe, who sits on the verified beef and McDonald’s steering committees as well as the roundtable. For example, an indicator might be something like clean water, and depending on the ranch might mean fencing off dugouts, improving an existing watering system, or simply documenting what the operation is already doing, he said. “The outcome is cleaner water, but how you get there is up to you,” said Lowe. (For more on the indicator system, see accompanying story.) Part of the challenge is that the framework for these new protocols is still being developed. Originally called a life cycle analysis and expected to be completed in September, it has been expanded and is now called the “beef industry sustainability assessment.” Deloitte has been hired to help with the assessment, which is now due to be completed by next summer.

Target date looming

But the definition of sustainable beef will never be “set in stone,” said Lowe. “In the end, when these indicators get developed, they will define sustainability in Canada on that particular day,” said Lowe. “What I mean by that is that it’s an evolution and continuous improvement is needed. As sci-

Will BIXS be part of the new sustainable beef system? Fawn Jackson

Dennis Laycraft

Larry Thomas

By Alexis Kienlen

“Producers are not going to be audited every year. That’s a guarantee. That won’t happen.”

af staff

Bob Lowe

ence progresses, the indicators will change.” Meanwhile the clock is ticking for McDonald’s. The Canadian arm of the fastfood giant has been charged with delivering on its parent company’s promise of sourcing some sustainably produced beef by Jan. 1, 2016. “The McDonald’s project will be able to move ahead quicker than the roundtable,” said Doug Sawyer, a Pine Lake-area cattle producer and past chair of Alberta Beef Producers. McDonald’s did not respond to interview requests, but insiders said they expect the burger chain will start by granting some sort of designation to cattle operations and feedlots which adhere to the indicators it’s currently testing. “The thing about it is McDonald’s is happening first,” said Lowe. “They didn’t want that, and nobody did, but that’s just the way it has to be just because of the way things move.” But the company has made firm commitments to work with Canadian producers and the entire supply chain, he added. “I am totally convinced that McDonald’s realizes it can’t do this on its own,” he said. “It

Bob Lowe

Doug Sawyer

doesn’t want to change the industry. It wants to say that it is selling sustainable beef. With that is going to come some obligation by industry to document things. We aren’t going to be able to say anymore that what we’re doing is wonderful just because we’re doing it.”

all of the tools in place. What we don’t, we’re adding, like the new animal care code in the verified beef modules.” As well, all of the players insist there will be just one nationwide program, even though McDonald’s is ahead of the roundtable in developing protocols. “Right now, they’re two separate projects,” said Sawyer. “But they need to have the same beliefs and values, and they need to be linked. That’s vital.” McDonald’s is not attempting to design or control the program, and is using information provided by the roundtable, added Lowe. In the next year, the roundtable will establish itself as a functioning organization, and establish its governance and business strategy. It is chaired by Cherie CopithorneBarnes of CL Ranch near Calgary, while Jeffrey Fitzpatrick-Stilwell, manager of sustainability for McDonald’s Canada, chairs a working group overseeing its communication strategy.

Pieces in place

And while that will require more record-keeping and audits to “back that up,” producers won’t be snowed under with paperwork or subject to endless inspections, said Lowe. “Producers are not going to be audited every year,” he said. “That’s a guarantee. That won’t happen.” Nor will all producers have to comply by 2016, said Dennis Laycraft, the CCA’s executive vicepresident. “We would just start and go down the journey and look at greater and greater levels of compliance, so that the industry has time to get ready and really build it,” said Laycraft. “As producers, our sense is that we’ve got almost

akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Questions and answers on sustainable beef staff

Just what exactly does “sustainable beef” mean and who is deciding on the definition? The who is the members of the Global Roundtable on Sustainable Beef. There are now several hundred but the key players are companies such as Walmart, JBS, and Cargill, the World Wildlife Fund, and producer groups, including the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable, formed in 2010, has outlined five “core principles” (listed at http://grsbeef.org/DRAFTprinciples). How do principles translate to the ranch level? Each principle will come with a set of criteria, and each one of those will have a set of indicators. It’s the last bit — indicators — that will be used to set the protocols for sustainable beef production. That’s still pretty murky. What’s an example of the rubber meeting the road?

The Beef InfoXchange System has struggled to attract producers

Here are three, provided by Fawn Jackson, the CCA’s manager of environment and sustainability. But all three are just theoretical examples as the indicators are still being developed. The natural resource principle calls for responsible management of natural resources and enhancing ecosystem health, so caring for water resources is one of the criteria. That might mean, for example, protecting riparian areas on your land. For animal welfare, one criteria would be identifying health problems and taking appropriate action to control and treat disease. In this case, prompt treatment might be an indicator — something already required under the Beef Code of Practice 2013. The efficiency and innovation principle covers a wide range of things: innovation, optimizing production, reducing waste, and adding to economic viability. But under waste reduction, an example might be recycling pesticide containers or grain bags where recycling facilities are available.

OK, I’ve been doing those things for years. But I guess the question is how to prove it. Is this going to mean lots of paperwork? That is indeed the big question. Those involved in the initiative say there may be some additional record-keeping, but are adamant a practical system will be created that will be easy to use and won’t take tons of time. It doesn’t exist yet, but the goal appears to be combining the Verified Beef Production (VBP) system with a database. One option would be a greatly enhanced Beef InfoXchange System, but it appears BIXS may be struggling to gain producer acceptance. Auditing also appears to be part of the deal, and that would be a big change. Although about 80 per cent of Canadian producers are trained on the VBP system, the number who have voluntarily signed up for auditing is much lower. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

n order for McDonald’s to sell “verified sustainable beef,” someone will have to do the verifying — but questions remain about whether the favoured candidate is up to the job. “One of the reasons that McDonald’s chose to do the (pilot) project in Canada was because of the foundations like BIXS, the environmental farm plans, and VBP (Verified Beef Production),” said Fawn Jackson, manager of environment and sustainability for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. BIXS stands for Beef InfoXchange System, which provides carcass data to producers who enter their cattle into the database. The idea was that by adding animal care, environmental, and food safety data — all of which will be part of an expanded VBP — buyers like McDonald’s would be able to source cattle that met its sustainable beef protocols. For that to happen, large numbers of producers must start using the system, but the BIXS national manager Larry Thomas refuses to say how many have signed up. In August, Thomas said fewer than 1,000 producers were on the system, which was redesigned and relaunched last spring after numerous complaints the initial version was too cumbersome and prone to crashing. Currently, only about four to six producers are signing up each week, but Thomas said he was pleased with that figure. “That’s really neat from our standpoint because people have just been hearing about it from word of mouth,” he said. The system is also being constantly improved, with two new versions released since BIXS 2.0 was launched in March, he said. “You can test all you want in a testing environment, but when you go live and you have users come on, they find things that you don’t always in a demo testing site,” said Thomas. The system was also pitched to McDonald’s officials at a meeting of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef this fall. “We went down and presented to their U.S. and Canadian officials in September in Kelowna,” said Thomas. “At that meeting, we presented everything and it looked really positive.” BIXS was created by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, and the organization hopes it will be used for verifying sustainable beef production, said Jackson. “In our liaisons with McDonald’s and Loblaws, we’re always looking to see how we can use these existing tools,” she said. “I think the really great thing about the pilot project is that we can try a number of different options and tools. Certainly one of the things that we are anticipating them to try out in the pilot project is BIXS, although that may not be the only information transfer system used.” akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 24, 2014

ELEVATORS  from page 1 five elevators in Inglis, Man., is fully restored for tourism and is a protected national historic site. But Warner’s row had no legislative protection whatsoever and could not hold off the wrecking crew. Viterra, the country’s largest grain handler that owns the row, said in a statement the two elevators were demolished because a “number of issues were identified.” The company did not elaborate, other than to state the “only solution” was to demolish them. The company also said operations at the remaining Warner facilities would continue. Mayor Tyler Lindsay said Viterra was granted a permit in early October to demolish the two elevators, which he added were unused and had become a safety concern.

“I think it is a total insult to our heritage, and an insult to Albertans.”

Warner’s elevator row before the demolition. Toppled were the century-old Alberta Farmers’ Co-operative Elevator Company structure (far left) and the Alberta Pool Elevator model (centre) built in 1928. PHOTO: JOHNNIE BACHUSKY

Demolition crews have taken the top off the doomed pool elevator before it was ultimately toppled earlier this month. PHOTO: JASON PAUL SAILER

CODY KAPCSOS

The restored and preserved five grain elevators at Inglis, Man., is now Canada’s only grain elevator row. PHOTO: JOHNNIE BACHUSKY

Nevertheless, their loss is upsetting for the community of 385 residents, said the mayor. “It’s a good percentage of our commercial tax base so it is concerning,” said Lindsay. “And it’s a hard pill to swallow. It’s very personal to pretty well everybody who lives in Warner, anybody who has lived here their whole life. They’ve been here as long as most of the people.” The demolition of the Prairie icons is not only a blow to Warner’s row status, but another sign the days are numbered for Alberta’s remaining elevators. More than 80 years ago, just over 1,700 dotted the provincial landscape. Today there are fewer than120 remaining, with only about a dozen under provincial or municipal protection. “I want my grandkids to have the opportunity to see this kind of history,” said Kapcsos, who is trying to save the 89-year-old Prairie sentinel in Wrentham. “I think people just look at them and see a bundle of money — that they’re just something you will lose money off of with no money to be gained. They don’t want to see the historical potential with these buildings.”

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Talk to your DEKALB dealer today, or visit DEKALB.ca Cody Kapcsos, a heritage preservationist from Stirling, said losing Warner’s row status is an insult to Alberta’s history. PHOTO: JOHNNIE BACHUSKY

ALWAYS FOLLOW GRAIN MARKETING AND ALL OTHER STEWARDSHIP AND PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Details of these requirements can be found in the Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers printed in this publication ©2014 Monsanto Canada, Inc.

NOVEMBER 24, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Transparency key to dealing with animal rights activists Doing the ‘right thing,’ and owning up when things go wrong, should be at the core of any livestock operation — just ask the Calgary Stampede By Jennifer Blair af staff / calgary

s the battle over animal welfare heats up, ‘the greatest outdoor show on earth’ has some advice on responding to activists. “We have been on the ‘bleeding edge of the wedge’ in terms of activists targeting the Stampede because of the audience that we deal with,” said Bonni Clark, communications adviser for the Calgary Stampede. “Most of the people coming tend to be tourists, they tend to be city people, and they tend to be the sort of people who don’t see livestock all the time.” For those people, “it all comes down to their experiences,” said Clark, who spoke at the recent Alberta Pork annual general meeting.

“It used to be that image that a cowboy was a steward of the land and a responsible, caring steward of his animals, and there’s a movement out there that’s trying to erode that image.” Bonni Clark

“Today, only one in 50 people have regular contact with livestock, a very important factor we need to consider,” she said. “You have to make sure they’re not just getting that one experience of seeing that ad, hearing that tweet, seeing something on Facebook that’s really alarming or watching ‘W5’ (which has aired several undercover videos shot by Mercy for Animals).” To do that, it’s key to be “matter of fact and very up front” when things go wrong, she said. “We do everything we can immediately, with as much accuracy and transparency and detail as we possibly can, to give them everything they need,” said Clark. In one case earlier this year, a chuckwagon horse died of unknown causes during training. Stampede investigators discovered the animal’s lung ruptured because of an aneurism, likely due to a parasite infection that had weakened its artery walls. “When you have transparency plus details, you actually have context,” said Clark. “Without that context and detail, it’s hard for the media to present balance. “We want to make sure our voice is heard on par with the people who would speak to the issue without actually knowing the facts.”

Do the right thing

But it’s not enough to “talk the talk,” said Clark. “The very first foundational piece is to do the right thing,” she said. Just because we’ve been doing it the same way forever doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily the right way or the most up to date.

The Calgary Stampede is under constant scrutiny and learned it’s best to offer “as much accuracy and transparency and detail as we possibly can.” Photo: Calgary Stampede “You want to check your assumptions at the door.” In the past several years, the Stampede has brought in thirdparty experts and scientific innovations to direct best practices for animal care and handling at the show. “We want to be sure we’re putting that competence and those best practices into action,” said Clark. “When you know better, you do better.” The Stampede also invests in the best equipment, she said.

“It’s not cheap, but we’ve budgeted for it,” said Clark. “We couldn’t do it all at once, but over the course of four or five years, we got to the point where we could invest in the best in the world with all the latest innovations, according to what our animal experts were telling us.” And while a multimilliondollar rodeo is very different than a break-even livestock operation, the change in public attitudes is “something that is growing” and affects everyone

working in livestock agriculture, said Clark. “It used to be that image that a cowboy was a steward of the land and a responsible, caring steward of his animals, and there’s a movement out there that’s trying to erode that image,” she said. “That’s where we have to be cautious — all of us — that we’re not allowing the image of a food producer and the image of a cowboy to be eroded.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

New York Colony’s ‘furnished’ housing wins poultry sustainability awards Furnished housing provides a more natural open environment, with nesting areas, scratch pads, and perches staff

tate-of-the-art “furnished housing” for poultry has won the New York Hutterite Colony the inaugural Canadian Poultry Sustainability Award for both the table egg industry and the overall poultry industry honours. The Lethbridge-area colony was praised for being a progressive and forward-thinking egg farm, with a strong commitment to animal welfare and environmentally responsible farming practices. Levi Hofer accepted the awards at an event in Guelph, Ont. last month. After deciding their conventional barn needed replacing, Hofer and colony members spent four years researching housing options, including free range, free run, and enriched or furnished systems. They chose the latter, which provides a more natural open environ-

Scratch pads allow chickens to engage in natural behaviour. Photos: Courtesy Egg Farmers of Alberta

ment, with nesting areas, scratch pads, and perches. The new system was about 20 per cent more expensive to build and required constant management to have birds properly use nesting, feeding, and perch areas.

Hofer has been an enthusiastic advocate of the furnishedhousing system. “As a manager I love it because I can communicate with my flock by adjusting the tools of producing an egg — feed, water, humidity, air qual-

The orange paddles reduce the amount of light coming into the egg-laying area. ity, lighting,” Hofer said in an interview earlier this year. The chickens are more relaxed and that improves egg quality, he said. It also responds to consumer concerns, he said. “Keeping the consumer and

the distributor happy was a very big factor in choosing and building this barn,” he said. “We need the consumer to walk up to the egg shelf in the grocery store and look at the options and see choices like the furnished-housing system.”

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Forget about family fights over farm wills with these land transfer tips If you’re among the 80 per cent of farmers leaving some land to non-farming children, Merle Good has some creative land transfer advice By Jennifer Blair af staff / red deer

erle Good has one piece of advice for farmers who are drawing up their wills: “If you’re going to leave land to a non-farming child, get creative.” Thirty years ago, “hardly any land went to a non-farming child,” said Good, a longtime tax specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development who now runs a private consulting business. “When I sit down with clients and look at their wills, the vast majority have some land going to off-farm children,” said Good. “Parents are saying, ‘I think it’s only fair — not equal, but fair — that some of the land wealth will be transferred not to the traditional guy down the line from those who farm.’” Producers used to believe they needed to own their farmland, but that mentality has changed as more and more producers rent at least some land, he said. He said roughly 80 per cent of producers he talks to are willing some farm property to a nonfarming child. But to make the deal fair for both sides, farmers need to

be creative with their wills — although finding ways to do that isn’t easy, said Good. “Most lawyers are not very creative, and most accountants don’t even know what the word is,” he quipped at a breakfast presentation during Agri-Trade. But creative approaches do exist, he added. One is to attach a lease to the transfer of land. “If I’m going to leave some of my personal wealth of land to a non-farming child, I still want to protect the business — and to protect the business, I want access to that land,” said Good. “I can transfer the land to my daughter, on the condition that a lease be attached to that land so that the business has the right to farm the land for a certain number of years.” The rental rate should also be stipulated in the will, he said. An easy way to determine a fair rental rate is to “take the high price average for the crop insurance on your rotational crops, at 80 per cent production, multiplied by 25 per cent.” “You can put that in the will. ‘The rental rate shall be based on a third-party index.’ And then there’s no fights,” said Good. The farming child should also

Congratulations

BENT KAASTRUP KRISTIANSBORG FARM

“In will planning with farmers, we have to be a little more creative when it comes to land transfers.”

Merle Good

be offered the right of first refusal to purchase the land if it’s ever put up for sale — and the right should apply to all subsequent offers as well. “Make sure your offer in your right of first refusal says, ‘I have the right of first refusal on any offer or subsequent offer until the deal closes.’” In cases where the majority of the land will be going to the farming child, producers can instead put a mortgage against the land willed to the farming child. The mortgage payments go to the non-farming child. “You can transfer land to anybody with a mortgage attached

to that land, and the mortgage goes to somebody else,” he said. “I can transfer a quarter section to my son and say, ‘In the event of this quarter section being transferred, I place a $200,000 mortgage against that land, and that mortgage is transferred to my daughter.’” “Effectively, I sold the land for less than fair market, but I’ve created an income stream for my daughter, and she’ll get that money totally tax free.” However the will is worded, producers should be working on building a relationship between their children today, said Good. And that starts with the farm-

ing child handing a rent cheque every month to the non-farming child. “If I know the southeast of 17 is going to my daughter, I’m going to rent it to her for land taxes, and then she can turn around and rent it to the farm operating company,” he said. “If I’m going to guarantee — in my brain and in my heart — that some of my land is going to my off-farm child, I want the farm to rent it off her. If we’re going to do this, let’s create the relationship between brother and sister while you’re alive.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

Kristiansborg Farm

L-R: John Taylor, UFA truck driver in Vermilion; Doug Lindquist, UFA Petroleum Area Manager; Brad Kaastrup, Bent’s son; Bent Kaastrup, UFA member and 2014 winner; Darren Selte, UFA Vermilion Petroleum Agent; Trent Selte, UFA Delegate; Mads Merrild, Kristiansborg Farm.

Paradise Valley, AB

AND

RANDY & SANDRA RADAU COULEE CREST FARM Bowden, AB

2014 UFA Fuel Up for a Pickup™ Contest WINNERS! Coulee Crest Farm

L-R: Frank Radau; Darwin Baker, UFA truck driver in Innisfail; Jeff, Don & Wendy Miller, UFA Innisfail/Olds Petroleum Agents; Randy & Sandra Radau, UFA members and 2014 winners; Harlan Boss, Olds Farm & Ranch Supply store Manager; Darla Borbely, Director, Community & Co-operative Relations; Jim Donner, UFA Delegate

NEWS » Markets

}trade show

NOVEMBER 24, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Taste of Canada a hit

Limited rollout for Enlist

The Taste of Canada event, on Nov. 3-4 in San Francisco featured 40 Canadian exhibitors, 25 buyers, 345 pre-scheduled appointments, and 1,000 business-tobusiness interactions. The annual two-day food showcase attracted buyers such as Trader Joe’s, Williams Sonoma, Kroger, and Raley’s Fine Foods. “A buyer who attended told me that they got more done at Taste of Canada than any other show they had gone to,” said Paola Zaragoza, trade and relations officer with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “It’s become a Canadian flagship event in the U.S. market.” — AARD release

Dow AgroSciences will severely restrict the U.S. introduction of its Enlist GM crops after extensive talks with U.S. grain leaders who fear roiling trade with China. The company’s application for Chinese approval of its Enlist corn has languished for two years. Billed as the company’s most important product launch ever, Enlist corn grown by U.S. farmers can only be fed to livestock and they must agree to have the process audited. Farmers will be invoiced for Enlist corn seed only after China import approval is granted. Enlist soybeans will be allowed only for seed production. — Reuters

Canola up, then down as commercial demand retreats External factors are supporting U.S. wheat for now

file photo By Phil Franz-Warkentin

anola futures touched their highest levels in over three months for a brief moment during the week ended Nov. 14. However, “what comes up must come down” — and values finished the week lower overall. The biggest losses were in the front months, as the inverse that had been built into the futures vanished and canola moved back to a carry situation. The premiums that had been built into the nearby contracts were tied to strong end-user demand, with both exporters and domestic crushers raising their bids in the country in an effort to encourage some farmer sales. While producers remain reluctant sellers overall, the activity in the futures suggests commercial demand has backed away for the time being.

According to weekly Canadian Grain Commission data, there were 1.25 million tonnes of canola in commercial hands as of Nov. 9, down slightly from the previous week but ahead of the 1.08 million in visible stocks at the same point a year ago. Farmers have delivered a total of 4.72 million tonnes of canola into the commercial pipeline during the first three months of the crop year, well ahead of the 3.28 million seen at the same time a year ago. Both exports and domestic crush are running well ahead of the year-ago pace, with exports to date of about 2.49 million tonnes about half a million tonnes ahead of the previous year’s pace, according to CGC data. The domestic crush has slowed down slightly in recent weeks, but is still strong overall with 2.02 million tonnes crushed as of Nov. 12, which compares with 1.89 million at the same point in 2013, according to weekly data from the Canadian Oilseed Processors Association (COPA).

In the U.S., soybeans were also up and down during the week, settling softer overall as the large U.S. soybean harvest more than makes up for any nearby logistics issues. Corn and wheat, meanwhile, are trending higher, with some of the big-

For three-times-daily market reports from Resource News International, visit “ICE Futures Canada updates” at www.albertafarmexpress.ca.

gest gains found in the three U.S. wheat markets. Volatility in outside financial and energy markets accounted for some of the strength in U.S. wheat futures, as speculative money flowed into wheat. Cold weather in the forecasts for much of the U.S. Plains was also supportive for wheat, as freezing temperatures may damage winter wheat at this stage of development. General uncertainty in Ukraine and Russia also remains in the background of the wheat market, as the region is a major player on the world stage. However, prolonged strength in wheat may prove short lived, with international stockpiles generally thought to be sufficient to meet demand for now. Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Analysts divided on impact of U.S. vote on COOL resolution Some industry insiders believe it will be positive, while others predict no change BY ALEX BINKLEY AF CONTRIBUTOR

hile the fate of the Keystone XL pipeline has garnered most Canadian attention since the U.S. midterm elections gave the Republicans control of Congress, the prospects for resolution of the meat labelling dispute are also under examination. Last month, a report by a Compliance Panel of the World Trade Organization re-enforced two earlier WTO panel decisions that concluded the U.S. country-of-origin labelling (COOL) program violates international trade obligations by discriminating against imported products. While the Obama administration didn’t comment publicly on the latest rebuff before the Nov. 4 elections, officials indicated to various media outlets that the decision would be appealed to the full WTO, which would stall Canadian and Mexican threats to impose retaliatory tariffs. What happens to COOL when

the new Congress takes office remains up in the air. “I think we got the most favourable result in the election that we could have hoped for,” said John Masswohl, director of government and international relations for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. “We already had good support in the House of Representatives for fixing COOL and that remains solid. “The problem has been in the Senate where Debbie Stabenow, the chair of the agriculture committee, was not interested in a genuine fix.” With Republicans now in control of the Senate, it’s expected that Pat Roberts from Kansas will head the Senate agriculture committee. “Kansas is a state that has been acutely hurt by COOL and wants it fixed in a manner consistent with what we want, so we are optimistic that fixing COOL will be a priority for Senator Roberts,” said Masswohl. “We will still have a lot of advocacy work to do in D.C., but we think we have better ground to plow now.” A more cautious interpreta-

tion of the election outcome came from Ron Davidson, director, international trade, government and media relations for the Canadian Meat Council. Neither the U.S. administration nor the House have proposed amendments to the law to make it comply with the WTO ruling, he noted. “Therefore, it is unlikely, in and of itself, that the new composition of the Senate will result automatically in the creation of a WTO-compliant solution,” said Davidson. Still, the meat industry, which had worked closely with its counterpart, the American Meat Institute for changes to COOL, hopes the Obama administration will work with Congress to create “a WTO-compliant solution,” he said. Canada’s preferred choice is for Congress to immediately repeal the red meat requirements of the COOL legislation or revise the legislation in a manner that eliminates the need for U.S. cattle buyers to segregate imported from U.S.-born livestock.

Second coronavirus tests come back negative for pig-handling facility Pork producers warned to treat assembly yards, abattoirs and truck washes as potentially contaminated ALBERTA PORK RELEASE

The Alberta pig-handling facility where swine delta coronavirus had been previously detected was retested on Nov. 3, with all tests coming back negative for both coronavirus and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv). The facility had voluntarily suspended operations following the initial positive test, and has now resumed business. Surveillance testing of high-risk sites is useful as an early-warning system for the presence of disease, and the previous results are a reminder to everyone in the livestock industry to be vigilant about biosecurity at all times, particularly when transporting animals. It’s important to note that surveillance sample results are not a guarantee that high pig-traffic sites are free from disease. Any one of these sites could become positive at any time, and producers should treat assembly yards, abattoirs, and truck washes as potentially contaminated and take the appropriate biosecurity precautions.

If any truck tries to enter your farm that has not been cleaned, don’t let it on. It poses a serious risk for bringing PED or the coronavirus onto your farm and into your barn. Other biosecurity measures, such as cleaning and disinfecting load-out areas and requiring clean boots and clothing for all barn visitors, should also be strictly enforced. If you have any questions or concerns about biosecurity, contact Javier Bahamon at Alberta Pork at 1-877-2477675 or Javier.bahamon@ albertapork.com or speak to your herd veterinarian. Producers are also encouraged to complete the Alberta Pork Biosecurity Self-Assessment. It can be downloaded at www. albertapork.com. Call Javier if you’d like a copy by mail.

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PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

news » livestock

NOVEMBER 24, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Premises ID streamlined

Pasture the focus at conference

The Premises Identification (PID) online registration system has been updated to provide a more user-friendly way to register or update information. The mandatory PID program is the first step in the traceability system linking livestock and poultry to land locations. This allows industry and government to locate animals more quickly and accurately to confine a disease outbreak or respond to an emergency such as a flood or fire. For more information, go to www.agric.gov.ab.ca, search for ‘traceability,’ and click on the Welcome to Traceability in Alberta link. — AARD release

The Western Canadian Grazing Conference “Going Beyond Sustainability” will be held Dec. 9-11 at the Radisson Hotel, Edmonton South. This event is designed as a forum to discuss leading-edge grazing and forage techniques and theories for producers across Western Canada. Keynote speakers include Judith Schwartz who will speak on Cows Save the Planet and Diane Knight who will discuss How Legumes Feed the Soil. There will also be a producer panel on transitioning to pasture. For more info, see www.areca.ab.ca. — AARD release

Western Hog Exchange to producers: Stop shipping injured animals Chair Brent Moen says facility will now ‘walk the walk’ on animal care, and that includes cracking down on shipments of sick or injured animals By Jennifer Blair af staff / calgary

here’s no doubt in Brent Moen’s mind that Western Hog Exchange staff accused of animal welfare violations behaved inappropriately. “We were talking the talk, but not walking the walk,” said the chairman of the farmer-owned hog facility in Red Deer. “We had a significant disconnect between our procedure manual and actual implementation. We broke six out of six of our written procedures.” Last month, CTV’s W5 aired the latest undercover video from Mercy for Animals Canada, which showed workers kicking, striking, and dragging injured hogs. Since then, Western Hog Exchange has completed a third-party audit of its practices, as well as firing one employee and suspending two others for failing to follow proper handling protocols. But hog producers who ship compromised animals should share some of the blame, Moen said at Alberta Pork’s recent annual general meeting. Sick or injured animals, including those unable to stand or move without assistance, are not supposed to be shipped. When they are, it creates major problems for hog-handling facilities, he said. “The problems, in some cases, started at the farm, moved through the transportation processes, and ended up in our lap,” he said. Farmers sometimes ship animals they shouldn’t in the hope they won’t be out the price of the hogs, said Moen. “What we’ve done by making that decision is moved our problem from the farm to the transportation company,” he said. “Sometimes the trucker will say, ‘I’m not going to take that animal,’ and I’ve heard producers say, ‘Well, if you don’t want to take it, I’ll find a trucking company that will.’” Rather than pass the problem down the supply chain, producers need to “take own-

file photo ership” of their decisions, he said. “Ask yourself a simple question: When I load a compromised animal on a truck, would I like to have a picture of myself and my family beside that animal with a message that says, ‘Yes, I made the decision to ship this to market?’” said Moen. “If you can look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘Yeah, I’ll stand by that,’ then ship the animal.” And from now on, Western Hog Exchange will have zero tolerance for sick or injured animals shipped to the plant, he said. “If we witness transporters bringing compromised animals into our facility, we’re going to write it up, and we’re going to send a message to the owner of the transportation company and we’re going to send a message to the farmer,” said Moen, adding other plants bill farmers for shipping compromised hogs. “I don’t want to use a carrot

“I don’t want to use a carrot and a stick, but frankly, if we can’t get significant change in attitude with a carrot, then we will move to introducing actions with a stick.” Brent Moen

One Western Hog Exchange employee has been fired for abusing hogs, but chair Brent Moen says part of the problem is producers shipping sick or injured animals unable to walk. Photo: From Mercy for Animals video and a stick, but frankly, if we can’t get significant change in attitude with a carrot, then we will move to introducing actions with a stick.” Moen said he hopes the new policy will receive “100 per cent support” from hog producers.

“I want total co-operation because it’s critical to our industry,” he said. “As an industry, we need to demand 100 per cent compliance and become 100 per cent responsible.” The industry can’t afford to

live in a “vacuum” anymore, said Moen. “If you want to have the ostrich approach to life and put your head in the sand, there’s only one piece of your anatomy that’s sticking up in the air.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Anesthetics and horses horse health } General anesthesia is more risky for horses, so the

benefits and alternative options must be carefully considered By carol shwetz, dvm

any diagnostic, surgical, and manipulative procedures in horses require an anesthetic to aid the comfort of the horse and improve safety for both the horse and the people handling them. Often there is a tendency to focus on the medical procedure or operation itself with a lesser regard for the anesthesia. However, it is essential to consider the integral role anesthesia plays in a successful outcome. Sedation appears to be a very low-risk procedure for the horse whereas general anesthesia carries a greater risk of mortality and morbidity when compared to other commonly encountered species in veterinary medicine. Recent studies in North America and Europe have shown the overall death rate following general anesthesia in horses to be 1:100. Dogs and cats assume a favourably lesser risk at 1:1,000 and humans, better yet, with a risk of death of 1:100,000.

Anesthesia describes the insensitivity to pain and external stimulus that is artificially induced by the administration of injectable drugs or inhalation of volatile gases. Veterinarians select tranquilization sedation, local analgesia, injectable intravenous anesthetic, inhaled general anesthetic and/or various combinations to achieve the anesthetic plane necessary to carry out a medical procedure. For example horses generally require sedation for dental and radiographic evaluations. For a minimally invasive procedure such as repairing a superficial wound, performing a biopsy or removal of a growth, where unconsciousness is not necessary, a veterinarian may choose to combine sedation tranquilization with a local analgesia. When unconsciousness for a medical procedure is required general anesthesia will be necessary. General anesthesia is used for more invasive types of surgeries and/or more painful procedures. Such examples include castration, fracture repair, or colic. Injectable anesthetics

are often used in field situations for castrations, cast application/removal, or for the repair of a complicated laceration. General anesthetics can also be inhaled as a volatile gas through a mask or breathing tube connected to a vapourizing machine. This type of general anesthetic is generally carried out in clinic settings with surgical facilities. Colic surgeries and fracture repairs are most commonly performed under gas anesthesia. Patients scheduled for anesthesia will be given a complete physical exam to evaluate their health. Pre-anesthetic considerations may include blood work in compromised patients or patients with a medical condition. Whenever a horse is insured it will also be necessary for the horse owners to notify the insurance company prior to anesthetic. In an emergency, notification is best done as soon as is possible to uphold the agreement with the insurance company. Horses under anesthesia are carefully monitored until the procedure is completed. Blood pressure, eye reflexes, tissue

oxygenation, breathing and heart rate are all taken into consideration when assessing the plane of anesthesia. Drug combinations are chosen to optimize their desirable effects while simultaneously minimizing their undesirable sideeffects. Most general anesthesia will go very smoothly. Each animal is different requiring constant vigilance and adjustments while under anesthesia. As with any medical procedure, anesthesia also has its risks. Some patients may react negatively to the anesthetic medication or experience fluctuations in heart rate, breathing or blood pressure. Horses in a similar way to people can also suffer adverse reaction to drugs ranging from a skin rash to death. It is the horse’s large size which presents the majority of complications when under general anesthesia. When recumbent or laying down for durations of longer than an hour horses tend to experience significant compression of tissues with concurrent inadequate blood supply and oxygenation to muscle groups and vital organs. Lameness,

muscle damage, nerve injury, leg bone fractures, colic, and death are unfortunate sequela in which careful measures are taken by the veterinary team to avoid. When considering an anesthetic, veterinarians take into account the patient’s temperament, tractability and degree of excitement, breed, physiological condition, and state of illness. Then the availability and experience of the personnel involved in the procedure and state of the facilities and environment are assessed. Finally the requirements specific to the procedure will be considered when determining how to proceed with a horse’s anesthetic regime. Carol Shwetz is a veterinarian specializing in equine practice at Westlock, Alta.

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NOVEMBER 24, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

New program for dairy producers aims to reassure consumers ProAction replaces the Canadian Quality Milk program by adding components for animal care and environmental sustainability By Alexis Kienlen af staff

airy producers are revamping the Canadian Quality Milk program by adding protocols for animal care, on-farm food safety, traceability, biosecurity, and environmental sustainability. The new national accreditation program, called proAction, was designed with consumers in mind, said Mike Slomp, industry and member services manager with Alberta Milk. “ProAction is about the social licence to operate, and helps producers to earn the trust of society,” said Slomp. “This is a big part of us trying to earn the

trust of consumers in regards to the products we produce.” That trust was shaken this summer when Mercy For Animals Canada released an undercover video showing animal abuse — including cows being whipped and beaten with chains and canes — at Chilliwack Cattle Sales, the country’s largest dairy farm. “The Chilliwack incident was a reminder to us that it’s important to have protocols in place to help producers so they and their staff know about appropriate animal care,” said Slomp. Dairy Farmers of Canada is currently in the second phase of a pilot testing a brand new animal care system model that looks at animal injury score, hygiene,

body condition score, and lameness. A number of farms in the province are testing the animal care model. “If you can do an assessment of an animal on these four elements, that’s pretty much an overall assessment on the status of the care of that animal,” said Slomp. The milk quality component is already established, with penalties for poor quality and provincial regulations ensuring bacteria levels are at an acceptable level and there are no antibiotic residues. The on-farm food safety requires keeping detailed records based on HAACP (hazard analysis and critical control points) protocols ranging from milk temperature records

File Photo to dates when antibiotics are administered. The traceability component builds on record-keeping that has long been standard practice in the industry, said Slomp.

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“Identification has always been a key thing for dairy producers, since they rely so much on genetics for herd improvement,” he said. “There’s a lot of artificial insemination in dairy, so you’re forever tracking the mother and her offspring.” The biosecurity component involves tracking visitors and on-farm service providers and even movement from one barn to another on the farm, while the environmental regulations mirror provincial standards already in place. “We have a pretty robust set of regulations in Alberta,” said Slomp. “It deals primarily with manure management, and helps producers understand critical handling measures that need to be in place.” ProAction received unanimous support from all provinces last year and there’s a 10-year time frame for implementing it. “The support for the program is unanimous, but less than enthusiastic because we’re still not sure how it’s going to be implemented,” said Jeff Nonay, a dairy producer from Legal. “We were such early adopters of CQM (Canadian Quality Milk) and we were waiting for the East to catch up on that one. Alberta wants to drive ahead, but we don’t want to be running quite as far ahead as we did with CQM.” While it’s important to provide consumers with information, it’s not a given that proAction will boost trust as most people won’t understand technical terms such as animal lameness or body condition score, said Nonay. “I think there’s still a lot of gap between a program like proAction and how it will translate to consumer support or understanding for what we do,” he said. “I don’t know that this is a starting point for a conversation with consumers. We have industry that is way ahead on these issues, but where do you start at a consumer level?... What’s the translation to someone in the grocery store who doesn’t even care to come out to a farm? They just want to know that things are done right.” The program’s designers have widely consulted dairy producers in meetings across the country, said Slomp. “One of the principles of proAction is that it has to be designed and built by dairy producers for dairy producers,” he said. “We’ve had some really excellent sessions at these design meetings as we talk to producers and try to figure things out.” akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Bale grazing saves time and money, and boosts pasture productivity Cattle producers can save more than 40 cents per cow per day — but the time savings and more lush pastures are the big benefits By Jennifer Blair af staff

n “old throwback” way of feeding cattle is gaining traction among producers who are looking to save a little time in their day-to-day chores — and a bit of money. “Bale grazing is an approach to feeding cattle in winter that tries to look at reducing costs,” said Grant Lastiwka, a forage specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “When we looked at it in the latter part of the 2000s, it was around 40 cents per cow per day.” Most of those savings are in yardage costs, said Lastiwka, who has been bale grazing on his own operation since 1995. “We’re not looking at starting a tractor every day. We’re looking at putting feed in places for the cows to travel to them.” In most bale-grazing systems, producers place bales in the poorer areas of their pasture in the fall and then ration the feed using electric fencing. Many people simply push electric fence posts into the bales and then “leapfrog” the fencing to provide more access to feed, said Lastiwka. “The cows are about three feet away from heaven. When they come up to the hot fence, they can only eat what they’ve got back on their own side.” This reduces the hands-on time spent feeding every week. “People are finding it an opportunity to feed cattle and move electric fencing once a week,” said Lastiwka. “They feed them on the weekends, largely by cutting twines and moving wires and getting cows set up. During the week, they maybe move the wires once or twice.” That was the main appeal for Sean LaBrie, who began bale grazing in 2011. “We were looking for an alternative to typical feeding practices. I have a city job, which doesn’t allow me to be around to fire up machinery and feed every day,” said LaBrie, who runs 130 cow-calf pairs with wife Holly on their farm near Didsbury. The pair started bale grazing three years ago with four paddocks and equal amounts of straw, greenfeed, and hay in each — and saw the benefits right away. “I was only starting a tractor about every 23 to 25 days. Every five to six days, we were just opening a gate into the next bale-grazing pasture.” And the time savings have only continued on LaBrie’s farm in the years since then. “As opposed to doing an hour or two a day, now I’m taking maybe two or three days to set up the entire system,” he said. “This has given us time to put out feed when we have the time. Then it’s a matter of opening a gate or two. It’s pretty easy within our time constraints.”

Pasture improvement

Bale grazing has also allowed LaBrie to regain some of the pasture health lost by overgrazing, “We were certainly looking for a better, cost-effective way to feed animals, but also a better way to

Didsbury producers Sean and Holly LaBrie have seen big changes in pasture productivity thanks to bale grazing. Photos: supplied improve some of the tame pasture that we had that had been severely overgrazed before we bought the place,” he said. “The 80 acres that we turned into the bale-grazing program, we turned it into four paddocks, and we might have got three or four days out of each of the 20-acre paddocks. There was almost no grass in there at all.” The rejuvenation effort is now gathering steam. Last year, LaBrie grazed 100 cow-calf pairs on the four paddocks for 12 days. This year, he got 20 days even though he had 130 pairs on the paddocks and left lots of leaf and grass litter to capture rain and snow and provide shade to regulate soil temperature. In most bale-grazing systems, bales are placed where nutrients are needed most, and as the cattle feed, the waste from the animals and the feed rejuvenates the soil. “We’re really putting our feed where it’s going to do the most benefit,” said Lastiwka. “And what isn’t eaten contributes to the productivity of the stand into the future in terms of the nutrients but also organic matter and micronutrients as well.” Research out of the University of Saskatchewan has shown that the recapture of nitrogen in feeding systems like this was more than 30 per cent. Normal recovery from hauling manure to the pasture is between one and two per cent, said Lastiwka.

“As opposed to doing an hour or two a day, now I’m taking maybe two or three days to set up the entire system.”

Sean LaBrie

“All of a sudden you’re seeing a system where synergy comes into it,” he said. “We’re seeing those pastures double in production or go even above that, and a lot of it has to do with the high amount of fertility applied.” LaBrie has seen a marked difference in his own pastures. “We certainly have noticed that the grass and the alfalfa have come back. It’s considerably heavier,” he said. “Through feed testing, it’s also shown that there’s more total digestible nutrients and more protein in the available grass.” And his cows haven’t suffered from the change in diet. “Our cows have kept really good condition,” said LaBrie. “We have very little death loss in the spring from undercondi-

Didsbury producers Sean and Holly LaBrie have been bale grazing since 2011. tioned cows, and we don’t have much for sickness when it comes to calves getting sick from moms that are not in condition.” While bale grazing may not be for everyone — it does come with around 17 per cent feed wastage — more and more producers are considering it a well-rounded approach to overwintering cattle, said Lastiwka.

“People see the environment benefits of better-quality pastures and more productive pastures for years afterwards. They see the economic benefits of saving a bit of money. And they also see the personal benefits where they don’t have to be out there every day doing things.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

} u.s. project

NOVEMBER 24, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Water getting very pricey

‘Drought hedge’ in wheat market

California farmers could see irrigation costs more than double under a proposal to build tunnels under the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta to funnel water to farmland and urban areas. Environmentalists oppose the $19-billion project, saying it would endanger fish and wildlife in the already fragile delta, which supplies water to 25 million people along with farms in the San Joaquin Valley and other parts of the state. The huge cost is also controversial, but a new report from the state treasurer says farmers have the “capacity to pay” much higher water rates. — Reuters

Australian farmers are holding back wheat, betting a production drop caused by dryness in parts of the country’s eastern Grain Belt will boost global prices. The hoarding, amid worries about yields, could force key importers of Australian wheat such as Indonesia, Japan and South Korea to seek supplies from Canada and the U.S. Farmers are storing wheat “as a hedge against drought,” a Melbourne-based analyst said. “Forecasters have reduced the chances of El Niño, but try telling that to farmers in northwestern Victoria which hasn’t seen much rain for the last three months.”

A Christmas shopping list for weather aficionados There’s a wide range of gadgets available, from low-cost wireless thermometers to full weather stations by daniel bezte

nce upon a time, when you wanted to find that unique weather gadget, the best website to check out was U.S.-based Ambient Weather. While they still stock what I consider the best assortment of weather instruments, either high or low tech, they no longer ship internationally. So unless you have some kind of setup to deal with this type of situation, ordering from it is not really an option. That said, if you are really interested in what is available when it comes to weather-related items, do check them out… and no, I am not associated with them in any way. When it comes to purchasing a weather-related gift for that special person, then I personally think the sky is the limit. OK, maybe not. But it should work that way! For fun I thought I’d begin our look at holiday weather gift ideas by taking a page from some of the stars and look at the ridiculous amount of money that you could spend if money were no object. I spent some time trying to find super-expensive weather gadgets that were all blinged out in gold or diamonds, but interestingly enough, I couldn’t find any — go figure? Maybe people who are into weather aren’t that strange after all. If you think spending $500 or so on a computerized weather station is crazy, you could buy a complete Weather Hawk station for the low price of about $6,000! Not sure what makes these stations so special, but if I had one it better not ever break down! Now on to the more reasonable items. Let’s start with the least expensive items that I found available at different Canadian stores and websites. One of the best items is the La Crosse wireless thermometer. Its regular price is around $25, but you can usually find it on sale at Canadian Tire for about $10. This little gadget will tell you the time, indoor temperature, and outdoor temperature all without having to run a wire. As long as you don’t place the temperature sensor too far away from the receiver it works fine. The batteries seem to last forever. I’ve had two of these

1 Month (30 Days) Accumulated Precipitation (Prairie Region) October 15, 2014 to November 13, 2014

0 mm 0 - 5 mm 5 - 10 mm 10 - 15 mm 15 - 20 mm 20 - 25 mm 25 - 30 mm 30 - 40 mm 40 - 50 mm 50 - 60 mm 60 - 70 mm 70 - 80 mm 80 - 90 mm 90 - 100 mm 100 - 125 mm 125 - 150 mm 150 - 200 mm > 200 mm Extent of Agricultural Land Lakes and Rivers

Produced using near real-time data that has undergone initial quality control. The map may not be accurate for all regions due to data availability and data errors. Copyright © 2014 Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada Prepared by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s National Agroclimate Information Service (NAIS). Data provided through partnership with Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and many Provincial agencies.

Created: 11/14/14 www.agr.gc.ca/drought

This map shows total amount of precipitation for the 30-day period ending Nov. 13. While winter is usually seen as starting on Nov. 1 in our part of the world, we often see snow before this time, so this 30-day period kind of represents the amount of precipitation we have seen so far this winter. The map shows most of agricultural Manitoba has been dry with less than 10 mm in most areas. Saskatchewan was a little wetter, with most regions seeing between 15 and 30 mm, with a few areas seeing upwards of 50 mm. In Alberta, southern regions were fairly wet with 30 to 50 mm common and the Edmonton to Cold Lake area was a little drier with 10 to 20 mm reported. The wettest area was the western Peace River region where upwards of 70 mm of precipitation was reported.

over the last five or so years and even though I have a complete weather station at home, I find this great to take with me when we are away from home camping, at the cottage, or what have you. If you want to step it up a notch and get a full-blown weather station then I would not recommend spending the money on a hardware store version, even if it is on sale. If you want to invest in a weather station that will work well, be easy to install, and last for years and years, then in my opinion, your best bet is a Davis Weather station. There are several models available, but for simple ease of use your best bet is the Davis Vantage Vue. This station pretty much does it all. Temperature both inside and out, humidity, wind speed and direction, air pressure and rainfall — all in one nice little bundle. Add in a data

logger and then you are good to go with backing up data, looking at it on your computer, and even sharing it. All for less than $500 including tax, if you look around a little bit. If that price tag is a little high and you still want a full-blown weather station, then your next best bet is a higher-end La Crosse station or an Oregon Scientific station. With these stations you have to be careful as they put out a number of different units, some of which might leave you wanting more. If you are interested in a low-cost full weather station, then I would be leery of spending less than $200, unless it’s on sale. If you are looking for something more modest or unique, then consider a Galileo thermometer or a Stormglass. Both work using the same basic principle — changes in pressure of an encapsulated

liquid due to either changes in temperature or pressure. The Galileo thermometer is relatively inexpensive at between $10 and $20, and will show you the temperature based on the buoyancy of different glass balls floating in a liquid. The Stormglass works off of changes in pressure, which in turn causes crystals to grow or shrink in a contained unit. This one is more expensive at around $150 and I’ll have to admit, I’ve never actually seen one in person, but they are really cool! One of the best gifts for someone interested in weather is a rain gauge. They come in both digital form and your good old basic cylinder. Oregon Scientific make several different digital rain gauges that work fairly well and can be found for around $50. If you are looking for a good old-fashioned cylinder rain gauge, then the best

one that I have come across is the Stratus Long Term Professional Rain and Snow Gauge which sells for about $75 before tax. While there are plenty of other cylinderstyle gauges out there these large gauges work remarkably well and can handle large rainfalls and can record rainfall over long periods of time without losing much to evaporation. Well, I know this might not have been too much help, but I do hope you have a great time looking for that perfect gift this holiday season. Daniel Bezte is a teacher by profession with a BA (Hon.) in geography, specializing in climatology, from the U of W. He operates a computerized weather station near Birds Hill Park. Contact him with your questions and comments at daniel@bezte.ca.

Ban them anyway Germany says individual EU countries should be able to ban GM crops even when they’ve been approved as safe. “Social-economic reasons” should be taken into account and countries should be able to ban GM crops if a large part of its citizenry opposes them, said Germany’s farm minister. The EU is has approved only two GM crops. One was blocked by the courts while the other, a corn variety developed by Monsanto, has been grown in Spain and Portugal for a decade. The EU currently considering whether to approve a GM corn variety developed by DuPont and Dow Chemical. — Reuters

By Alexis Kienlen af staff / olds

“To have functional groups of microbes in the soil, you have to have different plants above ground.” Christine Jones

Australian soil scientist Christine Jones had some complex slides but a simple message — photosynthesis creates soil. Photo: Alexis Kienlen needs is controlled and regulated by microbes,” she said. The key is the relationship between mycorrhizal fungi and plant roots, she said. The fungi link plants together, and help exchange water, nutrients, and even information (in the form of chemical signals that can warn, for example, that pests or diseases are attacking nearby plants).

They also create energy in the form of what Jones calls “liquid carbon” that is used by microbes to create biologically available nitrogen. “It’s not about adding things to the soil to fix it,” said Jones, a critic of heavy use of chemical fertilizers, which she says harm soil quality. Instead, she said, farmers need to increase plant diversity on their

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fields and pastures, and foster plant growth for as long as possible in a season in order to boost the amount of photosynthesis. Both are key to building healthy and diverse microbial populations in soil, she said. She outlined two pathways to build soil carbon: The decomposition pathway, which occurs when

see PLANTS } page 18

Trim: 15.5”

hough many claim that soil is the building block of life, Christine Jones has a different approach. “It’s not the soil that is the building block of life. It’s the plants,” the internationally acclaimed soil scientist and agricultural consultant said at a sold-out appearance in Olds. The Australian also drew a large crowd in Rycroft, including a High River producer who was so eager to hear her that he booked a ticket to fly to the Peace Country to attend the event. In Olds, Jones spoke about the critical role that mycorrhizal fungi and microbes play in building healthy plant stands and how management of plants helps build soil. “Up to 85 to 90 per cent of the nutrient acquisition and plant

The

Australian soil scientist Christine Jones challenges conventional thinking by arguing microbes and fungi are the key to soil health

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 24, 2014

NOVEMBER 24, 2014 • Albertafarmexpress.ca

Be on guard for land agents with ‘questionable ethics’

PLANTS } Continued from page 17 plants break down, and the liquid carbon pathway, which occurs when plants add sugars that stimulate microbial activity. “This is why plant diversity is so important,” said Jones. “We need to have a diversity of functional roots in the soil. “It’s like a hidden village where you have a bank and a gas station and a post office and school and all those things. That’s what makes the community work — having all those things there. When you start taking those things away, it’s not going to work. To have functional groups of microbes in the soil, you have to have different plants above ground.” Microbial nitrogen fixing can happen on any plant, provided there are aggregates around the roots. This can be seen when soil sticks to the roots. Some producers may not want to hear it, Jones said, but adding chemical fertilizers can actually be detrimental because they can interfere with the interaction of the soil microbes. It’s possible to reduce or even eliminate chemical fertilizers, but plants first need to be weaned off them until rich microbiological activity is restored, she said.

A controversial approach

Among those in attendance was Grant Lastiwka, a livestock and forage specialist with Alberta Agriculture in Olds. Lastiwka, who raises cattle near Innisfail, was looking for answers on how to deal with drought when he stumbled across Jones’ work two decades ago. “As I tried to dig through things, I realized it came back to an approach,” he said. “For soils to be resilient and plants to be productive, it came down to the management of the green plant material so that the relationship with the plants was one in which they were partners with the soil and the soil organisms.” Jones’ approach was at odds with conventional practices, but made sense to him, he said. “I started to realize that in systems, things don’t add up,” said Lastiwka, who practises holistic management at his farm. “Things are synergistic or antagonistic, but they are never neutral. So much of science is based on a linear approach to things. It can’t really deal with systems.” Adhering to Jones’ principles

Steve Kenyon, a producer and grazing consultant from Busby, said that Jones’ message is one that producers should hear.

Carol Goodfellow says a bonus for signing quickly and not being offered complete information are warning signs

Photo: Alexis Kienlen

changed his farming practices, he said. He started maintaining a ground cover, which captured water and protected his soil. He improved soil quality by using bale grazing to amend the soil structure. This resulted in pastures that turned green earlier in spring, maintained that growth longer into the fall, and were more lush, especially under adverse conditions. Another enthusiastic attendee was Steve Kenyon, a grazing consultant and custom grazing operator from Busby. Encouraging development of soil organisms is central to his consulting work, he said. “When the mycorrhizal fungi is intact, it expands the root system,” said Kenyon. “As soon as you do one process that inhibits that — boom! — you can’t reach the network. “The mycorrhizal fungi is like the Internet — it interconnects every plant and they all communicate through it.” Jones’ take on soil and current farming practices is “something producers need to hear,” Kenyon said. “Although a lot of producers never will — even if they were here, they might not hear it,” he said. “This is controversial to traditional farming for sure, but it’s not controversial to sustainability or how we should be treating our primary resource. As agricultural producers, we need to take care of that, and that’s exactly what she is explaining to us.” A collection of papers and presentations by Jones can be found on her website www. amazingcarbon.com. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development release

armers, ranchers, land agents, and energy companies need to have a basic understanding of ethics as they relate to energy negotiations, says an official with the Farmers’ Advocate Office (FAO). “One of the roles of the FAO is to assist farmers and ranchers to understand the laws that guide the energy industry and their rights and obligations in relation to negotiations with energy companies,” said Carol Goodfellow, assistant farmers’ advocate for land and energy. “People who have never undergone energy negotiations may not have an understanding of what the process should look like, and, as a result, may unknowingly sign agreements that aren’t to their benefit. “While there are many excellent companies and land agents, unfortunately there are also some who use questionable ethics in their negotiations with farmers and ranchers.” Ethics are the standards of right and wrong that govern the behaviour of a society or group. “Legal requirements set a valuable baseline, but they are not a sufficient guideline for ethical behaviour,” said Goodfellow. “Just because something is legal doesn’t make it ethical. A land agent seeking to be ethical in energy negotiations must rise above the legal requirements.”

Don’t feel pressured

A landowner should have enough time to review an agreement, research, and ask questions prior to signing, said Goodfellow. “If the landowner lacks specific

expertise in the area of surface rights, he should be afforded the opportunity to seek representation,” she said. “Landowners should be aware that signing bonuses can be tactics to get a landowner to sign quickly (and ignorantly). Putting pressure on landowners by suggesting that the bonus will be withdrawn without expeditious signing of an agreement is a highly questionable approach.”

“While there are many excellent companies and land agents, unfortunately there are also some who use questionable ethics in their negotiations with farmers and ranchers.” From time to time, the FAO hears of situations where landowners have been given an agreement for review and been told they have a specified time to sign. “In reality, a landowner has 48 hours of uninterrupted time (not including weekends and holidays) to review the documents,” she said. “They may choose to take additional time after that.” The landowner also has a right to all information that affects them. “Agreements should fully disclose all impacts of the development and be forthright about the future intentions of the project as they relate to the landowner,” said Goodfellow. “Furthermore,

the agreement should detail all commitments that were formed during the discussions. This is vitally important for ensuring a landowner’s needs and interests are reflected throughout the development, maintenance, and reclamation processes. The obligation should be on the land agent to direct and lead the process in cases where the playing field may not be level.”

Treated with respect

Land agents should recognize the business acumen and diversity of skills it takes to be a farmer or rancher, and that they should be treated as professionals and as equals, said Goodfellow. And the negotiations should be respectful. “Many Albertans have invested deeply in their properties for generations, both financially and emotionally,” said Goodfellow. “A person who has spent their life on a piece of property will be rightfully insulted if they receive instructions from someone who has been on their property for a few hours. Land agents should be sensitive and polite, remembering that they are uninvited guests in a landowner’s home. Statements such as, ‘we will just force entry,’ or, ‘government and the Alberta Energy Regulator will support us,’ are unacceptable.” Land agents should remember that signing is a weighty decision for the landowner, she added. “Changes to their property have implications for a landowner’s family, farming operations, investment, and future.” For more information on ethics and energy negotiations, contact Carol Goodfellow at 780427-2350 or carol.goodfellow@ gov.ab.ca.

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Pasta prices on the boil after global durum crop disappoints Small and poorer-quality crops in key growing regions are creating a shortage of supply BY MICHAEL HIRTZER AND DAVID BROUGH CHICAGO/LONDON / REUTERS

asta lovers are not savouring the lowest wheat prices in years. This year’s wheat harvest was the biggest ever, but the durum crop was the smallest in 13 years. As a result, makers of the Italian cuisine staple face the highest costs in four years for the prized wheat variety milled into the semolina flour that makes pasta noodles. The higher durum prices are likely to be passed on to consumers. “The risk is that we can expect additional price increases (of durum wheat),” said Luciano Vagli, export manager with leading Italian pasta maker Buitoni. “If that were to happen, we would be forced — not only Buitoni, but all the industry — to reflect (the cost increase) on the price list. “All of the producers cannot sustain this high level of prices, and so we may have to ask retailers for higher prices,” he said. “The situation is really volatile.” Italian consumers will be hardest hit by any price increase as they eat an average 25.3 kilograms (55.8 pounds) of pasta per year, compared with 8.8 kg (19.4 lbs.)

per year in the United States, 8.1 kg (17.9 lbs.) in France, 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs.) in Britain and just 1.7 kg (3.7 lbs.) in Japan, according to the EU Pasta Manufacturers Association. Durum thrives in desert-like conditions of dry, hot days and cool nights, which produce brightyellow grain kernels that result in golden pasta noodles. Rains in North America, accounting for around two-thirds of global exports, late in the growing season and during harvest led to poorly coloured, or bleached, kernels and increased fungus that damaged the grain. Less than a quarter of western Canadian durum was likely to rate in the top two quality grades, close to an all-time low. Canada is the world’s top durum exporter, said CWB crop specialist Bruce Burnett. “The buyers who want the top end are pushing it hard,” said Jim Peterson, marketing director of the wheat commission in North Dakota, which produces more than half of the durum grown in the U.S. The sub-quality North American crops came after smaller harvests in the European Union, Turkey and Algeria, with the global durum crop down 12 per cent from a year ago to 33.3 million tonnes, according to the International Grains Council.

“The price of flour has doubled since earlier this year,” said Hank Thilmony, executive vice-president at Mayco Export Inc., a division of semolina miller Italgrani U.S.A.

“The Canadians think that they will be able to sell it at a higher price later so they sell very small amounts at an insane price.” XAVIER RIESCHER DIRECTOR GENERAL PANZANI

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

In France, the EU’s largest durum producer, prices have climbed to about 450 euros ($573) from about 250 euros ($319) a tonne before this summer’s harvest. “Today if we impacted the entire rise in durum prices on final products it would account for a rise of 20-25 per cent,” said Jean-Philippe Lefrancois, director general of pasta, semolina and couscous maker Alpina Savoie.

Savoie, France’s third-largest pasta maker, had filed for bankruptcy in 2008 to gain court protection from creditors after it was unable to offset higher durum wheat costs by raising its prices. “When prices soar at this level, there is just not enough material. The Canadians think that they will be able to sell it at a higher price later so they sell very small amounts at an insane price,” said Xavier Riescher, director

general of the EU’s second-largest pasta maker, Panzani. Benchmark Chicago Board of Trade wheat prices remain near the lowest levels in four years amid plentiful supplies of varieties used to make bread, cake and biscuits. Milling-quality hard amber durum is fetching as much as $22 per bushel in the United States while benchmark soft red winter wheat struggles to command a quarter of that price, trading at around $5.25 a bushel as of Nov. 5.

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NOVEMBER 24, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Manitoba farm group calls for mandatory price reporting Keystone Agricultural Producers asks government to follow the lead of the USDA and require companies to report sales information BY ALLAN DAWSON

STAFF /PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MANITOBA

armers are finding the promise of marketing freedom rings hollow in the absence of enough price information to make informed decisions. That’s prompted Keystone Agricultural Producers, Manitoba’s main farm group, to call on the federal and provincial governments to implement mandatory price reporting on agricultural commodities, similar to what exists in the U.S. “We’ve been given the right to freedom and choice to market our grain wherever we want now...

but we do not have access to all the information to make the best decisions that we want to make,” farmer Bill Campbell said in supporting the resolution approved at the organization’s recent general council meeting. “The companies are only going to pay exactly what you’re willing to sell for, not what they are willing to buy for.” Farmers need a system where they can compare all grain prices before they make a delivery decision, he said. “I think this would make the grain companies competitive, or at least more competitive.” Grain buyers in the U.S. are compelled to report sales information

to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which then makes it publicly available, said farmer Glen Franklin. While one delegate said there’s enough price information available through future markets and from elevator companies, another said it’s not easy to get elevator prices. Some companies post prices online, while others require farmers to contact them. As well, posted prices don’t all reflect the same grade and protein content. KAP president Doug Chorney said he agrees there’s a need for better price information. There’s often a big difference in prices between buyers, he said. “Given the opportunity it seems

some grain companies take advantage of farmers,” Chorney said. Making grain prices at port public would help, too, added Chorney. Farmers could compare what’s essentially the world price with what they are receiving in the country and then determine if it’s fair. One option would be to switch the delivery point for grain futures markets from places such as Minneapolis and Chicago to Canada’s West Coast, says University of Saskatchewan agricultural economist Richard Gray. He said there are still wide differences between port prices for top milling wheat at Portland, Oregon compared to elevators in Saskatchewan. Gray blames much of the

“Given the opportunity it seems some grain companies take advantage of farmers.” DOUG CHORNEY

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Alberta moved up to second spot this year in terms of inspected acres of pedigreed seed, but Manitoba remained the leader, thanks mainly to soybeans. Manitoba had 311,190 acres of inspected pedigreed seed in 2014, compared to 279,331 in Alberta and 276,310 in Saskatchewan. What makes the feat stand out is that Manitoba has around 12 million acres of cropland compared with around 38 million in Saskatchewan and 34 million in Alberta. All three provinces saw a drop in the number of inspected acres, largely because of bad weather affecting crops. Alberta had 325,708 inspected acres of pedigreed seed last year. In 2014, pedigreed seed acres accounted for almost three per cent of Manitoba’s crop production versus Saskatchewan’s 0.73 and Alberta’s 1.2 per cent. While soybeans and wheat made up the lion’s share of Manitoba’s acres, Alberta has a number of crops with significant acreage. Leading the list was pedigreed wheat with 68,003 acres followed by 52,923 acres of pedigreed hybrid canola (mostly grown on irrigated land in the south). Next came barley (43,555 acres), alfalfa (27,602 acres), peas (25,151 acres) and timothy (16,272 acres). Inspected pedigreed faba beans acres increased to 6,210 (from 2,586 in 2013) and hemp went to 3,926 acres (versus 2,208 last year). – Staff

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 24, 2014

First of two CWB lake freighters en route to Canada The ship has been named CWB Marquis after the historic wheat By Commodity News Service Canada

C photo: CWB

WB announced Nov. 10 it has taken delivery of the first of its two Equinox class laker vessels, which is now in international waters sailing east across the Pacific Ocean from China to North America. The CWB Marquis is expected to reach the St. Lawrence Seaway via the Panama Canal and the Atlantic Ocean by the end of December.

Clear sailing as St. Lawrence Seaway averts strike The seaway corporation and the union representing its 460 employees have agreed to binding arbitration By Alex Binkley af contributor

hippers are gearing up for a final push during the last weeks of the Great Lakes shipping season now that a possible strike by unionized workers has been averted. “This is positive for industry, labour, and the seaway as we innovate and aim for increased trading,” said Robert Lewis-Manning, president of the Canadian Shipowners Association. Details of the proposed settlement between the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation and the union representing its 460 employees have not been released. But the hot-button issue had been a plan to use “no

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hands” mooring for specially equipped ships passing through seaway locks. The seaway corporation has begun installing the system, which involves a magnet-like device that holds a ship in place and eliminates the need to tie and untie the ship with mooring lines. The union said the system was unsafe and would result in the layoff of workers needed to deal with emergencies. But the two sides wouldn’t say whether that was one of the issues being sent to binding arbitration as part of the contract agreement. However, the agreement means the seaway corporation won’t implement a phased shutdown to ensure no ships were trapped in the seaway system in the event workers walked off the job.

The second CWB vessel is scheduled to be completed in early 2015. Both laker vessels will be managed and operated by Algoma Central Corporation within their vessel pool. The ships will be used extensively to carry grain eastward out of Thunder Bay, and iron ore on the return trip from seaports back into the Great Lakes. “Algoma is very excited about the partnership with CWB and is looking forward to managing the vessels and providing continued quality service to our

customers,” said Algoma CEO Greg Wight. Equinox class vessels are the next generation of Great Lakes bulk carriers with the ability to carry more cargo, sail faster and consume less fuel than their predecessors. The ships are also more environmentally friendly with exhaust scrubbing systems designed to remove 97 per cent of sulphur oxide emissions generated by the vessel engines. CWB’s first Equinox class laker vessel is named after the historic “Marquis” wheat variety.

CWB raises PROs for canola, wheat and durum It published a special midterm outlook due to market changes By Commodity News Service Canada

CWB has raised Pool Return Outlooks (PROs) for durum, wheat and canola in its latest report. It noted it is a special midterm outlook issued Nov. 6 because of market changes since its Oct. 23 report. PROs were higher for all three crops due to the weaker Canadian dollar, and a stronger price outlook for durum, CWB said. Projected returns for durum ranged from $411 to $489 per tonne (versus $395 to $471 in the last report). Winter pool returns are projected between $382 to $495 per tonne (versus $369 to

$475) and projected Canadian Western Red Spring (CWRS) returns ranged from $247 to $290 per tonne (versus $254 to $297 in the winter pool). The last report had CWRS between $244 and $287 for the annual pool, and $251 to $294 in the winter pool. Canadian Prairie Red Spring (CPRS) and Canadian Western Red Winter (CWRW) wheat PROs were also upped, by $3 per tonne in both the winter and annual pools. Canola PROs were up $10 to $11 per tonne compared to the previous report. Field pea PROs were left unchanged, while malting barley returns were upped by $5 per tonne from the Oct. 23 report.

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NOVEMBER 24, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Radio a vital link for African farmers Farm Radio International broadcasts information relevant to farmers throughout Africa By Meghan Mast staff

Japhet Emmanuel (r) holds a LifePlayer radio, which is used by community listening groups in Africa. It’s both solar and crank powered, can record broadcasts to be played later, and be used to charge a mobile phone. Photo: Supplied

aphet Emmanuel was 10 years old when his father introduced him to radio, saying it was the best way to learn English. So every evening the young Tanzanian man would sit next to the small black radio listening to the one English program. “BBC World Service,” said Emmanuel, his voice deepening to sound like the announcer he mimicked every evening. These nightly practice sessions came in handy because today he works as a country program manager for Farm Radio International — a Canadian-based non-profit organization that works in partnership with around 400 radio broadcasters throughout Africa. He speaks mostly Swahili on air, but speaking English has allowed him to travel and share the stories of Farm Radio International. “In Africa we have a shortage of extension experts, especially in rural areas,” he said in a recent interview. “So this is where we think radio comes in so handy because you can use what extension experts you have on air and deliver the same messages that would be done by so many other experts.” Farm Radio International, formed in 1979 by the late CBC broadcaster George Atkins, creates programming for farmers throughout the 38 African countries it serves, tailoring content for each area depending on the agro-ecological zone.

Listening in

Programs cover everything from crop production and nutrition to farm safety, HIV/AIDS, and biosecurity. The total audience number isn’t known, but at least 2.2 million farmers in Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Malawi alone listen to Farm Radio, said Emmanuel. To illustrate its impact he tells the story of a cassava farmer from southern Tanzania. Her husband was largely absent and she was raising five children while trying to make enough money to feed, clothe and send them to school. “There were so many challenges she was facing,” said Emmanuel. She struggled to get decent yields from her cassava plants, which were growing slowly and often attacked by diseases. She often couldn’t bring in as much money as she needed to provide for her family. So she contacted the broadcaster from her area, saying she was looking for a more resilient, productive cassava variety. The local broad-

caster, a Farm Radio partner, connected her with a research institute that provided her with better-quality cuttings. “Radio remains a reliable, cheap way to give information,” said Emmanuel. “It creates dialogue and brings governments to the equation. Radio is another platform where voices of farmers can be heard by policy-makers.”

Two way

Of course radio can only communicate information one way. So Farm Radio started a phone service that cultivates information provided by farmers. Farmers are encouraged to register their cellphone numbers and respond to a list of questions so broadcasters can analyze the information and change their programming accordingly.

“We design programs around relevant issues.” Japhet Emmanuel

Farmers can use this number to communicate what they heard that benefited them and what they would like to hear more about. “Different challenges are faced in each area,” said Emmanuel. “We design programs around relevant issues.” Farm Radio also hosts a number that farmers can call to learn up-todate details on the weather along with information on how this affects their farming practices. Being able to communicate and receive input from farmers is a great way to find stories, said Emmanuel. When he later visited the farm of the woman from the village in southern Tanzania he found that life had improved substantially for her. She had brought the cassava cuttings home and once the new cuttings produced strong cassava plants and good yields for her, she started selling cuttings from her plants to the other farmers. “I asked her what she does with that extra money and she said, ‘Japhet, I have five kids. I need to buy clothes, I need to buy food, I need to send them to school,’” he said. “That’s the kind of story that moves me when I meet these farmers.” meghan.mast@fbcpublishing.com

Heat herbicides approved for pre-harvest canola Maximum residue limits have been approved for the use of Heat and Heat LQ herbicides for pre-harvest on canola, BASF announced Nov. 5. The products are promoted as a tool to facilitate straight cutting canola. “BASF is committed to providing canola growers with the tools and solutions that help them produce a better crop,” Danielle Eastman, a BASF brand manager said in a release. “Heat LQ herbicide

tank mixed with glyphosate provides fast, complete crop and weed dry-down to help growers to straight cut their canola and helps with field cleanup for next year.” For other crops registered on the HEAT label for pre-harvest use, growers should consult with the processing and exporting companies that they plan to sell their crops to before finalizing harvest aid desiccant decisions to ensure the marketability of the crop. — Staff

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Seed saving enshrined in amended agriculture bill The bill has been approved by the agriculture committee BY ALEX BINKLEY AF CONTRIBUTOR

An agriculture bill introduced in the Commons 11 months ago has finally been approved by the House of Commons agriculture committee. The approval came after the government amended the Agriculture Growth Act to enshrine the right of farmers to save harvested seeds to plant in the future without having to pay royalties — a change requested by a coalition of farm groups supporting the bill. The seed amendment “clearly sets out that storage, for the purposes of propagation, and conditioning for propagation, is permissible for the farmer for the sole purpose of propagation on his or her own holdings,” said Pierre Lemieux, parliamentary secretary for agriculture. The bill now returns to the Commons for report stage and third reading before heading to the Senate for approval. The opposition NDP and Liberals supported the seed amendment although they voted against many other clauses in the omnibus bill that also affects advance payments and appeals of financial penalties imposed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. All their attempts to amend the bill were rejected by the government. Most bills introduced around the same time as the Agriculture Growth Act have been already passed into law or have reached the final stages of approval in the Senate. Despite the casual pace, the government says it wants the legislation in place in time for the 2014 planting season. The amendment, promised by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, casts in plain language the so-called farmer privilege. The only thing producers can’t do is resell the seeds to other farmers for planting. The bill will bring Canada in line with the terms of the International Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties, which sets rules for plant breeders’ rights, patent-like protection for the developers of new varieties or strains of crops. About 90 countries are signatories to UPOV 91.

Manitoba’s main farm group struggles with shrinking membership Keystone Agricultural Producers rejects charging farmers a per-acre levy BY ALLAN DAWSON

STAFF /PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE

anitoba’s main farm group is struggling with a declining membership. Membership in Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) fell six per cent, to 3,326 members, delegates at a recent meeting were told. “I foresee if we do nothing, we will be nothing because we have to sustain ourselves and be a voice,” said Minto, Man., farmer Bill Campbell. He argued in favour of a resolution to “look into” a per-acre charge for membership, noting a 10-cent-an-acre fee would raise $1.2 million. But collecting such a fee would not only be an administrative nightmare, but result in

large-scale farmers paying more than smaller ones while still getting only one vote, said James Battershill, the organization’s general manager. The resolution was defeated. Manitoba legislation requires buyers to deduct three-quarters of one per cent on the gross value of farm products at point of sale and remit it to KAP. However, the total collected must reach $210 or the money must be returned. Battershill said a number of producers were just under that amount and he was hopeful the membership numbers would rise by year’s end. “I’m not overly concerned... but it points to some of the challenges we see with our membership revenue collection mechanism,” he said. KAP president Doug Chorney said he’s concerned compulsory membership, could be withdrawn

KAP general manager James Battershill says basing KAP membership on acreage would be difficult to administer. PHOTO: ALLAN DAWSON on the whim of the provincial government. “I think we need to be careful how we approach this and develop a value proposition for members

so they want to be members,” Chorney said. “We’re working really hard on that.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

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NOVEMBER 24, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 24, 2014

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NOVEMBER 24, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

David Bishop and Jeff Nielsen join Alberta Barley board Chair Matt Sawyer, Greg Stamp, and Glenn Logan leave board after completing their terms

Less than one-quarter of the crop made the top two grades By Terryn Shiells

Alberta Barley release

Commodity News Service Canada

wo new directors have joined the Alberta Barley board by acclamation. David Bishop of Barons will replace outgoing Enchant’s Greg Stamp in Region 1 while Jeff Nielsen of Olds will replace outgoing chairman and Region 2 director Matt Sawyer from Acme. Both Stamp and Sawyer will complete their second three-year term in December. Current director-at-large Glenn Logan from Lomond also finishes his term in December. The director-atlarge position remains open. After spending a year as delegate, Bishop said he was enthused to become more involved and represent the interests of Alberta’s barley farmers. Bishop is also a regional director and vicepresident of the Association of Alberta Co-op Seed Cleaning Plants.

The quality is the worst on record, but durum prices have still surged

T Dave Bishop

Jeff Nielsen

“There is no more important voice in agriculture than that of farmers,” he said. “I look forward to working with the board and representing the interests of the outstanding farmers we have in Region 1.” As a current delegate with Alberta Barley, and a regional representative with the Alberta Wheat Commission, Nielsen is no stranger to grassroots organizations. He said that he would tap

into this experience to ensure that barley farmers work together towards a sustainable future. “We are accountable to our farmers, and I look forward to representing them well,” said Nielsen. “One thing I’ve learned from my involvement with commissions is that cooperation and collaboration are the keys to success.” The directors’ terms officially commence on Dec. 11 at the annual general meeting.

he quality of the 2014-15 Canadian durum crop is the worst on record, Bruce Burnett, weather and crop specialist with CWB said during a presentation at the Cereals of North America conference in Winnipeg. Only four per cent of the Canadian crop is grading as No. 1, with another 19 per cent at No. 2, Burnett, said. Another 37 per cent is rated No. 3, 25 per cent No. 4, and 14 per cent No. 5, Burnett said. But protein levels for the crop are looking better than last year, although a recent Canadian Grain Commission survey wasn’t able to provide an average protein for No. 1 durum because it didn’t get enough samples. Overall, 2014-15 durum production was pegged at 5.233 million tonnes by CWB, which is higher than the most recent Statistics Canada estimate of 4.756 million tonnes. But ending stocks are still expected to be fairly tight at 1.386 million tonnes, with exports expected to be at about 4.325 million tonnes, Burnett said.

Canada isn’t the only country with quality problems, as it rained in France, Italy and Greece during harvest, downgrading their crops as well. Supplies in Mexico, another major durum producer, are also tight as it is nearing the end of its crop year. These problems have caused a surge in prices, which have doubled, and in some cases, tripled, from year-ago levels, Burnett added. Prairie Ag Hotwire pegged durum values between about $9.30 and $11.05 per bushel in Alberta and Saskatchewan cash markets in early November, up between $4.70 and $5.40 from year-ago levels. But the market may be reaching its top, according to Burnett, as quality is all “in the eye of the beholder.” What is rated as a lowerquality durum in Canada could still be considered of good quality in another part of the world, he added. Some international buyers of high-quality durum will start to accept lower-quality products because they’re not willing to pay the large premiums, he predicted. Recently, Algeria, normally a purchaser of No. 2 quality, bought some No. 3, Burnett added.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 24, 2014

USDA trims bin-busting U.S. corn crop, raises soybeans again

GMO labelling fails in Colorado, Oregon; GMO ban passes in Maui For every dollar the pro-label campaign raised the anti-label lobby spent four BY CAREY GILLAM REUTERS

BY ROS KRASNY

WASHINGTON / REUTERS

The 2014 U.S. corn crop, while still a record, will be slightly below recent market expectations, according to government data released Nov. 10, giving a small boost to beaten-down corn prices, while soybean production continues to rise. The U.S. Department of Agriculture trimmed its corn crop estimate to 14.407 billion bushels from 14.475 billion in October, and lowered ending stocks to 2.008 billion bushels from 2.081 billion. Traders had leaned toward higher estimates. “It was surprising to see the revision lower in corn production. The trade solidly felt an increase was due,” said Rich Nelson, chief strategist at Allendale Inc. USDA’s fourth round of 2014 crop estimates mostly reflected fine tuning, though, with a hearty dose of harvested data to inform the agency’s estimates. USDA estimated the U.S. soybean crop at a record 3.958 billion bushels, up less than one per cent from October and a hair below trade forecasts averaging 3.967 billion. The crop is inching closer to the onceunthought-of four-billionbushel mark. Projected 2014-15 U.S. soybean ending stocks were steady on the month at 450 million bushels. USDA raised its export and crush forecasts by a combined 30 million bushels to absorb the larger crop, a potential boon to major grain processors and exporters. U.S. corn yields will be a record 173.4 bushels per acre, with 22 states expected to post new yield marks. Nov. 1 yield data shows the highest number of ears on record for the 10 primary growing states, USDA said. Soybeans were also in great shape. Compared with final results for 2013, pod counts are up in eight of the 11 published states, USDA said. Fifteen states are heading toward record-high soybean yields, including No. 1 producer Illinois. Forecast U.S. wheat carry-out was lowered by 10 million bushels, to 644 million, as a notable cut in stocks of hard red spring wheat more than offset higher stocks of hard red winter wheat. USDA resurveyed some states’ wheat crops and lowered the 2014-15 U.S. wheat crop by nine million bushels. “Carry-out stocks are high for all three commodities. Overall, it is neutral for wheat and soybeans,” said Terry Reilly of Futures International.

he defeat of twin measures in Oregon and Colorado that would have required labelling of foods made with genetically modified ingredients sets the stage for a battle over the issue in the nation’s capitol. The Oregon measure was narrowly defeated, while voters in Colorado rejected labelling by a margin of nearly two to one. But both sides said the issue isn’t resolved. “The GMO labelling discus-

sion deserves a national solution,” said Jim Greenwood, chief executive officer of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, an organization that includes biotech seed companies. The twin losses in Oregon and Colorado will not set back consumer demands for the right to know if the food they buy contains GMOs, said Scott Faber, head of the Just Label It national advocacy organization. “The fight will shift to the nation’s capitol,” he said. Labelling proponents are pursuing a federal mandate

for labelling of GMO foods, while opponents are backing a proposed law that would nullify any mandatory labelling laws, including one approved by Vermont lawmakers earlier this year. The outcome at the polls comes after corporate food and agriculture interests put $36 million into anti-labelling campaigns in the two states. The same group, which includes the biotech seed and chemical companies Monsanto and DuPont, helped defeat labelling measures in California and Washington state in 2012 and 2013.

Backers of labelling mustered only $8 million in Oregon and $895,000 in Colorado to campaign for passage. Voters in Hawaii’s Maui County also took up GMO issues, approving a ban on the growing of GMO crops by a margin of 50 to 48 per cent. The measure imposes a temporary moratorium on genetically engineered crops until certain environmental and public health studies are conducted. Both Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences, a unit of Dow Chemical, have GMO crop operations in Maui County.

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NOVEMBER 24, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

New study traces the course of phosphorus pollution in lakes Research by the University of Minnesota suggests sewage and industrial phosphorus may be the biggest factors in causing algae blooms Staff

gricultural practices have been widely blamed as the source of unprecedented algae blooms in lakes, but U.S. researchers have identified another potentially important source. Satish Gupta, a University of Minnesota professor, and Ashley Grundtner, recently published a paper about their research regarding phosphorus contamination of Lake Pepin, a lake located on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin in the Journal of Environmental Quality. In recent years, Lake Pepin, like many lakes in the upper Midwest, has been experiencing unprecedented algae blooms. These blooms threaten fish and affect recreational activities. Researchers are now trying to identify upstream factors that could explain the increased concentration of phosphorus. One study zeroed in on riverbank materi-

als and the role they play as sources and carriers. It assessed how riverbank sediments acted as a source of P to the Minnesota River and Lake Pepin, and explored whether riverbank soil could absorb P from river waters and then carry it to the lake.

Selective transport

The results of the UMN research showed that selective transport of fine particles eroded from the riverbanks was the main source of phosphorus in Lake Pepin sediment before 1850, not agriculture. In this process, heavier particles such as sand (with lower phosphorus concentrations) remain behind in the river basin. Fine particles such as silt and clay (with higher phosphorus concentrations) are transported to downstream lakes. After 1850, the riverbanks absorbed P from the polluted river water providing additional phosphorus that could be transported downstream into Lake Pepin. History of the Lake Pepin area supports

the findings: In the 1880s, a series of meatprocessing plants began operation along the Mississippi River upstream of Lake Pepin. Prior to the 1930s, there were also no sewage treatment plants. As a result, “all domestic raw sewage and industrial waste was dumped in the rivers upstream of Lake Pepin,” says Gupta. In the 1940s, detergents used in washing machines also became a key source of phosphorus in rivers.

Contradictory

These results contradict the previously held view that agriculture was the biggest contributor of phosphorus in Lake Pepin, as it is in some other lakes and rivers. “Our research shows that (for Lake Pepin) most sediment phosphorus is likely the sewage and industrial phosphorus that was picked up by riverbank sediments,” says Gupta. The best solution will be to control phosphorus pollution upstream of Lake Pepin, thus controlling the amount of phosphorus

This September 2002 true-colour NASA photo shows algae blooms on lakes Manitoba and Winnipeg that are nearly as green as the surrounding vegetation. A new Minnesota study suggests sewage and industrial phosphorus, not agriculture, are the biggest factors behind the algae blooms. Photo: Jacques Descloitres/NASA/GSFC

that could be absorbed by the riverbanks. “Upgrading of sewage treatment plants should continue, not only near the Twin Cities, but in the rest of the Minnesota and Mississippi River basins upstream,” concludes Gupta.

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COPENHAGEN / Danish banks’ rebounding profits could prove short lived as tumbling agricultural prices and Russia’s ban on European food imports threaten to spark more defaults among farmers who have borrowed billions of crowns. The country’s top lenders reported better-than-expected earnings for the third quarter, with its largest bank Danske almost doubling profits and promising higher dividends amid overall lower loan losses and cost cuts. But the earnings conceal a growing problem: some banks’ agricultural loan losses are increasing because the ban and falling commodity prices are forcing some farmers off the land and producers out of business. “The current prices will make it difficult for them (agricultural companies) to balance their finances and some of them will have to cease production and sell their farms,” Sydbank, Denmark’s fourth-largest lender, said in its third-quarter report. It estimates prices for milk and pork have fallen 20 per cent since a peak earlier this year. This is having serious repercussions in a country where pigs outnumber humans two to one. Pork alone accounts for five per cent of Denmark’s total exports and it’s estimated the country stands to lose four billion Danish crowns ($685 million), or 12.5 per cent, of its pork export revenues this year due to Russia’s refusal to accept EU meat imports. – Reuters

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Initiative aims to showcase the benefits of growing winter wheat Ducks Unlimited Canada teams up with Lakeland ag students to explore winter wheat’s potential Ducks Unlimited Canada release

o many agricultural producers, winter wheat is an unknown and untried commodity. But a new project by Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is intended to show winter wheat can add to a producer’s pocketbook, the land’s productivity, and nature’s ecological balance. This fall, DUC conservation specialist Bryon Wolters invited Lakeland’s crop technology students to take part in a land reclamation project to supplement their Student Managed Farm experience. The project, located southwest of Vermilion, is on a piece of DUC land that presented some particular challenges for the previous owner. “The land — known as the Driver project — has 38 bodies of water, rolling hills, and some equipment access issues,” said Wolters. “This made it difficult for the previous owner to do much with it. Previous attempts to turn the land into grass did not go well, so when DUC took it over, we decided to reclaim it, and as part of the process, introduce a crop of winter wheat.” Wolters called Josie Van Lent, dean of Lakeland ag school, to

DUC’s Janine Paly, Lakeland instructor Peter Walsh, student Jenna Sahulka, DUC’s Bryon Wolters, and students Nathan Glassford and Kris Cavulchik. Photos: supplied

DUC’s Bryon Wolters (left) with Lakeland students Nathan Glassford and Kris Cavulchik.

see if the project would be of interest to her and her students. She jumped at the chance. “The timing of Bryon’s call was perfect,” says Van Lent. “For a while, we have wanted to do something with winter wheat on the Student Managed Farm.” Lakeland’s students and DUC seeded 135 acres in mid-September, and the crop was off to a good start as of mid-November. The students also met at the site with Janine Paly, DUC’s winter wheat agrologist in Alberta, to discuss the crop.

The results so far on this site also indicate that winter wheat is well suited to this climate and geography.” The students will learn more about weed management practices as well as marketing opportunities for winter wheat, said Lakeland crop technology instructor Peter Walsh. “The milling industry especially likes winter wheat for its reduced protein and gluten levels,” said Walsh. “It has characteristics that are very desirable for baking flours.”

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“Winter wheat is an attractive crop for a producer to have in their crop rotation — it has the potential to be high yielding and very profitable,” said Paly. “It is, however, an underutilized and underappreciated crop on the Canadian Prairies.” Seeding the crop is challenging because of the short growing season, but worth the effort, said Paly. “Producers who grow winter wheat are seeing multiple benefits which include added protection from soil erosion, and restored nutrient levels in the soil.

Winter wheat provides good nesting habitat for waterfowl, particularly northern pintail, whose numbers have been declining since the 1970s. The northern pintail is Alberta’s signature species, said Wolters. DUC is partnering with Bayer Crop Science and Richardson International in the Western Winter Wheat Initiative. This initiative includes work being done with winter wheat on six “super sites” within Alberta. For more information, visit www.grow winterwheat.ca.

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NOVEMBER 24, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Merck takes steps to return Zilmax to U.S. cattle market

HOOT GOES THERE?

The weight-gain product was pulled from the market in 2013 over concerns it caused lameness in cattle By P.J. Huffstutter reuters

Merck is taking steps to resume sales of its controversial cattle feed additive Zilmax by changing the way the drug is administered. The company is hoping to recapture some market share in the beef industry, where the U.S. herd has the fewest animals in more than 60 years. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved adjustments to the drug’s label that would allow veterinarians and feedlot operators to use a lower dose and alternative method of feeding the drug to beef cattle, the company said. The new “component feeding” option would allow Zilmax, which can add up to 30 pounds of marketable meat to a 1,300pound steer, to be fed in one smaller daily ration, rather than continually throughout the day, said Merck nutritionist Dr. David Yates. “We began working on this component feeding (label change) several years ago,” Yates said. The decision to do so was prompted by cattle producers, he said, looking for more “efficiency and convenience at a feed yard.” In August 2013, Merck suspended sales of Zilmax in the U.S. and Canada amid concerns about animals showing signs of distress after use of the weightgain product.

A pygmy owl nestles in a branch on a ranch near Priddis, Alta., as it watches a squirrel and birds on a nearby feeder. It may be one of the smallest owls, but it still has a hunter’s facial expression. Photo: Wendy Dudley

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A study published in March suggested that the number of U.S. cattle deaths that may be linked to Zilmax was much higher than the figures reported by the drug company to the federal government. U.S. regulators approved the label change Oct. 31, Yates said. The label still allows the drug to be fed continually to cattle. Merck, which said Zilmax is safe if properly used, also recently filed a proposed label update in Canada. When Zilmax was pulled off the market, many U.S. feedlot operators switched to ractopamine-based Optaflexx, made by Merck rival Eli Lily’s Elanco Animal Health unit. Elanco’s patent on ractopamine has expired, and Zoetis’s generic products are eating into Elanco’s dominance. Zoetis said sales of livestock products grew 12 per cent in the company’s third quarter, compared to the year-ago period. If Zilmax becomes available to U.S. feedlots again, it could appeal to U.S. livestock industry scrambling for tonnage. Betaagonist drugs like Zilmax can produce extra meat from a U.S. cattle herd fallen to its lowest point in 63 years. Cargill and Tyson Foods have refused to accept Zilmax-fed cattle since last year, following reports it may cause lameness in animals. The companies could not immediately be reached for comment on Merck’s new dosage plan.

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Most feed wheat in North America goes into poultry or swine as rations, as feedlot operations are reluctant to use large quantities because wheat ferments considerably more rapidly in the rumen than corn or barley. This increases the risk of ruminal acidosis, which can compromise the well-being and productivity of cattle. But new research from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Lethbridge Research Centre has found wheat can be fed at more than 50 per cent of dietary dry matter without an adverse impact. A research team led by WenZhu Yang conducted a metabolism trial using fistulated beef heifers to determine whether different types of wheat grain could be fed as an alternative energy source. The research looked at whether soft wheat versus hard wheat might ferment at different rates and, therefore, have different values for feeding beef cattle. They also evaluated the effect of feeding more monensin (an ionophore used to improve feed efficiency and prevent or control coccidiosis) than the current practice. “The evaluation of these dietary factors was investigated by measuring ruminal pH and rumen

fermentation, microbial protein synthesis in the rumen, and the site and extent of nutrient digestion by finishing beef heifers,” Yang said. While wheat can be fed at more than 50 per cent of dietary dry matter, beef producers need to pay attention to grain processing to ensure that ruminal starch digestion is not too fast, Yang said. This could result in subclinical ruminal acidosis or adversely impact animal health and growth performance. The researchers also found that increasing monensin supplementation decreased feed consumption and increased propionate in the ruminal fermentation pattern, Yang said. Greater monensin feeding suggests a potential for improving feed efficiency. “However, other factors such as proper feed adaptation, bunk management, and increasing the level of silage in the diet may also be effective management strategies,” Yang said. Future research will examine the optimum processing of wheat grain. The team is also developing near-infrared spectroscopy calibrations that will take composition and digestion rate into account. A paper on the research was published in the November 2014 issue of the Journal of Animal Science.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 24, 2014

The environmental pros and cons of feeding dried distillers grains Cattle fed DDGs produce less methane and more nitrogen, Lethbridge Research Station scientists have found ALMA RELEASE

n beef production, finding a balance between feed costs and environmental health takes continuous navigation. Feed is one of the highest onfarm costs and when the price of barley, corn and wheat rises, producers often turn to using dried distillers grains (DDGs) in their rations. While this ethanol co-product lowers methane production in cattle by as much as 16 per cent, its high protein content results in more nitrogen emissions. “Our research shows that when corn and wheat DDGs are included in diets for finishing cattle as an energy source, methane is reduced but there is a dramatic increase in nitrogen excretion in both urine and feces,” said Karen

Beauchemin, a scientist in ruminant nutrition at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Lethbridge Research Station. DDGs in the diet also increase phosphorus content in manure, she added. To counter the increased nitrogen excretion levels, Beauchemin supplemented the corn DDGbased diets with condensed tannins, which bind excess protein in the gastrointestinal tract. “Adding 2.5 per cent condensed tannins to beef cattle fed finishing diets containing corn DDG reduced urinary urea nitrogen excretion and improved the retention of nitrogen in manure, with less potential for volatilization or run-off,” said Beauchemin. This process shifted the route of nitrogen excretion from urine to feces, increasing the capture of excess nitrogen in manure. The

nitrogen-containing manure, if spread properly, could help improve soil fertility, while lessening the beef sector’s environmental footprint. However, at present, the cost savings from using DDGs are lost because of the cost of tannins, said Beauchemin, although new inexpensive sources of tannins are being explored by the team.

The research also found feeding corn DDG or fat-supplemented wheat DDG reduced the amount of methane produced in the animal’s rumen. Lower methane levels were a direct offshoot of the fat content of DDGs, as wheat DDG alone (without supplemental fat) did not change the methane emission levels. This is an important finding, as several

“There are so many variables to consider when making feed decisions, and from Dr. Beauchemin’s research, we can see it’s much more than just feed costs.” SUSAN NOVAK

n fo

Australia, China set to sign live cattle export deal

Selecting the right cereal variety has never been easier

The trade aimed at feeding China’s appetite for red meat could be worth $1 billion annually BY LINCOLN FEAST AND JAMES REGAN

SYDNEY / Australia will export up to one million head of cattle a year to China, worth around A$1 billion ($856 million), to help meet a growing appetite for red meat. After a decade of on again off again, discussions were “progressing well” and close to being announced jointly by the two countries, said Australia Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce. “It’s a million cattle, worth A$1 billion. The ink is not dry on the contract though. It’s a great breakthrough,” added Australian cabinet minister Christopher Pyne. China is Australia’s largest trading partner, with twoway trade of around $150 billion in 2013. The two countries are in the final stages of reaching a free trade agreement. Talks over live cattle exports were being conducted outside those for an FTA and at this late stage were focused on technical aspects of breaking into the Chinese market, such as biosecurity requirements, said Joyce. The presence of bluetongue disease, a virus spread by a tiny fly, in some Australian cattle has held up live export talks. While the disease typically has little effect on cattle, it would pose a threat to China’s 140-million-strong sheep flock, the world’s largest. – Reuters

ethanol plants are extracting the oil from corn DDG, thus reducing its fat content. Because methane is a known greenhouse gas, its production is under constant scrutiny. Produced more in cattle on a highforage diet, methane is released into the atmosphere during the normal cud-chewing process. Thus the balancing act. Producers must remain watchful of grain costs and weigh the practicality of adding DDGs to feed against its effect on the environment. “There are so many variables to consider when making feed decisions, and from Dr. Beauchemin’s research, we can see it’s much more than just feed costs,” said Susan Novak, executive director of strategic initiatives with the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency, which supported the research.

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Massive dairy planned

label a game changer

Mining tycoon Gina Rinehart has agreed to invest $500 million in partnership with a Chinese company to create one of Australia’s largest dairy farms to meet soaring demand for premium infant formula in China. Hope Dairies, majority owned by Rinehart with minority investment from a state-owned Chinese company, plans to process 30,000 tonnes, equivalent to 35 million tins, of infant formula annually. China’s imports of milk and milk powder are forecast to double to $31 billion by 2017, following a spate of food safety scandals involving infant formula. — Reuters

A new “Fair Food” label to help shoppers identify tomatoes grown under ethical working conditions is being rolled out. The label is the result of efforts to ensure Florida farmworkers’ rights to water, shade and fair wages. The label publicizes a campaign to reform an industry criticized by labour groups and prosecutors for unsafe and unfair working conditions. A dozen major buyers, including Walmart, Yum Brands, and Subway restaurants, are participating. Experts say the label is a game changer and could expand to other regions and crops. — Reuter

HEARTLAND Africa’s richest man targets

Surprise grain rally catches Asian feed millers Importers are now paying a premium for cargoes they booked but didn’t price

Nigeria’s rice deficit

Aliko Dangote plans to produce a million tonnes of rice in four years By Tim Cocks lagos / reuters

By Naveen Thukral singapore / reuters

sian feed millers have missed the boat on multi-year-low corn and soymeal prices after a surprise rally in the futures market over the past few weeks, leaving them with hefty costs even as global supplies hit record highs. Several millers in Asia’s top importers, including Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, have been ordering cargoes over the last few months by locking in premiums they must pay over futures, but leaving that futures level to be fixed later. U.S. soymeal futures jumped more than 30 per cent in October, while corn gained almost 18 per cent, with markets ignited by fund buying, logistical bottlenecks and harvest delays due to wet weather in the United States. “A lot of buyers in Asia have bought premium so they have the physical goods, but of course they haven’t priced their futures,” said a Singapore-based trader who sells feed grain cargoes in Asia. “They will have to pay a much higher price now.” When the outlook for grains markets was bearish, most importers fixed only one of the two components of prices. The premium on the commodity, which includes shipping and other costs, was being fixed, while the price traded on the futures market was to be set subsequently. In a bullish market, importers typically fix the futures price at the time of signing the deal. Asian demand for soymeal and corn is rapidly increasing as a growing middle class consumes more high-protein meat. Indonesia’s soymeal imports are forecast to rise by nearly a fifth in two years to 3.9 million tonnes in the year to September 2015, while Thailand is likely to see shipments climb around 10 per cent to 3.1 million tonnes, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Vietnam has seen corn imports double in five years to 2.2 million tonnes in 2013-14.

igeria enjoys a perfect rice-growing climate over a vast area. Yet it is the world’s second-biggest importer of the staple — often from countries in its warm, wet tropical latitude like top exporter Thailand. It’s one of those baffling Nigerian paradoxes, like the fact that it is Africa’s top oil producer yet suffers frequent fuel shortages; or that it is sitting on the world’s eighthlargest gas reserves but can only produce a few hours of power a day. As with the other bottlenecks holding back Africa’s biggest economy, decades of bad governance and corruption lie at the root of Nigeria’s agricultural dysfunction. But unlike oil, where reform remains deadlocked by vested interests, the government is making serious efforts to clean up the farming sector and attract investment. Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote thinks he can resolve the rice conundrum. He plans to do this by investing in farmland and mechanizing farming practices in a country where many farmers still depend on pre-industrial tilling techniques. Given his track record in other areas, this is a project to watch.

Get land, add water and sow

“Everything you need for rice is here, but unfortunately for a long time no one was interested,” he said. Not having enough land was the first obstacle that faced him after he thought of the idea. He was surprised at how easily that got solved, as the governments of Jigawa, Niger, Kebbi, Edo and Kwara states between them offered 50,000 hectares to Dangote Industries. “I think this is enough for us to grow and process up to a million tonnes of rice in the next four years,” he said. “I believe this is just the beginning.” To back up his optimism, he points to his past success in producing cement. Dangote grew his company over a decade from a relatively small cement import business to a behemoth that manufactures nearly 30 million tonnes of the stuff a year, makes up a third of Nigeria’s stock exchange and now has factories in various stages of completion across the continent. For decades Nigeria was one of the world’s biggest cement importers. “We (Nigeria) were producing less than two million tonnes of cement,” in 2004, the tycoon said. Ten years later and Nigeria as a whole now produces some 40 million tonnes a year, said Dangote, whose cement empire is worth an estimated $20 billion. That’s earned him the label “richest black person on the planet” from Forbes magazine.

Aliko Dangote, president and chief executive officer of Dangote Group and co-chair of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2014, speaks during a session at the WEF in Davos January. Photo: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse Like cement, demand for rice among Nigeria’s 170 million population is huge, so he won’t need to think about export. Dangote estimates the current rice deficit at 2.5 million tonnes a year. Nigerians eat rice in outsized portions and no party is complete without mountains of bright orange “jollof” rice — a West African style of cooking the grains in tomato paste, onions and fiery peppers. Parboiled, not white rice, is favoured.

Government support

President Goodluck Jonathan made local production of rice a signature promise before he was elected in 2011. His government has an ambitious target to import zero rice by the end of 2015, using incentives for farmers like free fertilizer and tax breaks for investors. Jonathan will seek another term in February. Agriculture Minister Akinwumi Adesina has cleaned up corruption in government handouts of imported fertilizer, which have

been hampered by fraud and an inefficient supply chain stretching from the port to the remote villages where it ends up. That was a major obstacle to development of the sector. Dangote said his own factories will soon be producing more fertilizer than Nigeria could ever need — 2.8 million tonnes a year — which would cut out the need for imports altogether. Rice smugglers from neighbouring Benin, Niger, and Cameroon are the biggest threat to his business model, Dangote complains, but it still stands to be highly profitable. But with a reputation as a ruthless monopolist, with interests in everything from food milling to petrochemicals and a personal fortune equal to four per cent of Nigeria’s GDP, is Dangote not getting too big? He expects some will say that. “People not investing will raise their hands and say, ‘he’s got a monopoly in rice,’” he said. “Everyone has an opportunity. If other people don’t invest, why is that my fault?”

NOVEMBER 24, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Curator of ag faculty museum has a passion for preserving history By Alexis Kienlen af staff / edmonton

ourteen years ago, Jack Francis began a letter-writing campaign, urging the University of Alberta to create a museum to house artifacts from its ag faculty. And when he got a positive response, he stepped up to the plate. “If one suggests something, you have to do something about it and help support it,” he said. Since then, he’s recreated a 1919 buggy, created models of the original south campus, and catalogued hundreds of farming implements associated with the faculty and farming in Western Canada. Now 87, Francis has logged a whopping 66 years with the department, now known as the faculty of agriculture, life and environmental sciences (ALES). While he was never a student, he began working at the campus in 1945, becoming an animal technician in 1949, and working on nutrition and genetic projects in beef, swine and cattle until his retirement in 1993. Having seen so much of its history, Francis knew it was worth preserving. “I was first attracted to it because I had a lot of experience with the stuff in the barns,” said Francis, now the museum’s volunteer co-ordinator. “There was a lot of experimental equipment that had

Jack Francis, volunteer curator at the University of Alberta ALES museum, stands with a 1919 buggy, one of his favourite items in the museum. Photo: Alexis Kienlen to be made for experiments that were finished. The equipment was sitting around doing nothing after the experiments. That’s what started the whole thing for me.” The first museum was housed in an unused area of the meat research section of the horse barn on the south campus in Edmonton. In 2010, it moved to the 1921 horse barn, tucked away in a corner near the physical education buildings, and now houses more than 470 items.

The collection includes photographs, building models, farm equipment, items associated with campus life, and laboratory equipment — some used on campus, others donated by community members. Among the treasures are unique items, such as the prophylometer, which was used to measure dwarf cattle. “I don’t know if you will find another one in Canada — it’s very rare,” said Francis. “It’s a caliper

that measures between the eyeballs from the outside.” He identifies and categorizes items, but support from faculty, alumni, and staff has been key. “The budget isn’t that great, so all help is honoured,” he said. The museum doesn’t have regular hours, but is opened for people who are doing archival research or identifying donations. It can also be rented for community events, and tours can be quickly arranged, said Francis, who lives

“There was a lot of experimental equipment that had to be made for experiments that were finished. The equipment was sitting around doing nothing after the experiments.” Jack Francis

nearby and is on site several days a week. “When you have a museum to look after, you have to look after it,” he said. To tour the museum or donate an item, contact Jack Francis at jvfrancis@shaw.com. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

HOW CUSTOMERS USE CANADIAN FIELD CROPS

It’s durum but it’s not pasta Durum wheat is famous for making good pasta, but there’s another market which is almost as large. Couscous is a staple food in the North African countries of Morocco, Algeria and Libya. It’s made by steaming durum semolina (coarse flour) and is served with a meat or vegetable stew.

cigi.ca

Canadian International Grains Institute

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Alberta farm receives national pollinator award Grass Roots Family Farm near Ferintosh has diversified into agroforestry

Trio of La Crete projects to split prize in UFA contest The fast-growing northern community wanted to finish off Jubilee Park, give a boost to an arena project, and help the fall fair UFA release

a Crete is the first winner in this year’s edition of UFA’s Get ’n’ Give contest. The community will use the $50,000 prize for finishing Jubilee Park, supporting the fall fair, and contributing to the fundraising for construction of a riding arena. “We are tickled pink,” said project spokesperson Susan Siemens. “This is going to make a world of difference to us.” The fast-growing community, 700 kilometres north of Edmonton, has a population of 8,000, with just over half under the age of 19. A riding facility, which is expected to cost $500,000, was chosen as a project because the community has an active 4-H club and large number of riders. It will be built on land owned by La Crete Agricultural Society.

Jubilee Park was conceived during the community’s 75th anniversary celebrations in 2011. A community group raised funds to remake some land owned by the Mackenzie County on Main Street. This included reshaping a hill, planting trees, digging a pond, and creating 1,000 metres of paved walking trails. The prize money will be used for lightposts, benches, and a washroom. The fall fair will receive $3,000 to buy 40 table skirts for its annual bench show. Marwayne Fire and Rescue, the previous Get ’n’ Give winner, chose La Crete because the three projects met the needs of a large portion of the population. “I loved that they showed us where they lived,” said Teresa Miskie of Marwayne. “We really liked the three projects and thought they would be very good for the whole community.”

A wide section of the La Crete community will benefit from the three projects which will split the $50,000 Get ’n’ Give prize. Photo: Supplied The Get ’n’ Give contest invites rural communities to profile local projects with innovative pitches, including a video, and the winner is chosen by the previous winner in the pay-itforward contest. Five projects will each receive $50,000 in

this year’s contest, which runs until April 5. Rural community groups, societies, schools and clubs have to be located within 200 kilometres of a UFA store or petroleum agency. For more info, visit www.getngiveufa. com.

Takota Coen (pictured) and parents Michael and Laura have been honoured for their creating pollinator habitats on their farm near Ferintosh. Photo: Grass Roots Family Farm

CFA release

rass Roots Family Farm is the 2014 recipient of the Canadian Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Award, which recognizes the contributions farmers make towards protecting pollinators and pollinator habitats. The 250-acre farm near Ferintosh, south of Camrose, is operated by Michael, Laura and Takota Coen. The Coens have been practising sustainable farming since the late 1980s, with son Takota recently investing in agroforestry and diversifying several acres where livestock graze between rows of planted fruit, nut, and timber trees. This approach benefits pollinators, which gain increased habitat and food supply. To support their “forest farm,” the Coens have created a unique community-supported agriculture (CSA) program, where people can purchase a share and over several years receive the value back in the form of nuts, fruit, honey, herbs, meat and more. More info on the family’s Forest Garden CSA can be found at www.grassrootsfamilyfarm.ca. “As pollinators directly contribute to the production of one-third of the human diet, their importance to our ecosystems cannot be overlooked,” said Ron Bonnett, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. “I applaud Michael, Laura and Takota Coen for their innovation and significant investment towards improving pollinator habitat.” The CFA works with the Pollinator Partnership project to help encourage conservation stewardship on farms while increasing awareness about the importance of pollinators. Canada is home to more than 1,000 species of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, moths, bats and beetles, which are essential to more than $1 billion worth of fruit and vegetable production annually.

“AGROTAIN ” IT’S NOT AGROTAIN. IF IT DOESN’T SAY

Don’t be fooled by imitators. AGROTAIN® nitrogen stabilizer is the original, most research-proven urease inhibitor technology on the market. With 20 years of trials and real-world results on millions of acres worldwide, it’s the one growers trust to protect their nitrogen investment and yield potential every time. Ask your retailer for AGROTAIN® stabilizer, or visit agrotain.com to learn more.

NOVEMBER 24, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Community news and events from across the province

Ag society conference in Oz an eye-opener for young Albertan af staff

Nov. 25: Cow-Calfenomics, Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede Company, Medicine Hat (also Nov. 26 in Lethbridge and Nov. 27 in Olds). Contact: Ag-Info Centre 1-800-387-6030 Nov. 25: Continuous Improvement Journey Workshop, Agri-Food Business Centre, Leduc. Contact: Sharon Faye 780-422-5326 Nov. 25: Working Well Workshop, Westlock (also Nov. 27 in Bonnyville and Lac La Biche; and Dec. 4 in East Coulee) Contact: Sheila Wooten 780 206-7326 Nov. 27: Hortsnacks@night, Arber Greenhouses, Wetaskiwin. Contact: Ag-Info Centre 1-800-387-6030 Nov. 27: Stewards in Motion, Rochon Sands, Buffalo Lake. Contact: Kelly 780-826-7260

The participants of the Next Gen speakers’ group (from left): Leona Dargis (Next Gen facilitator, Canada), Mike Halliday (Scotland), Lauren Hennig (Canada), Allan Murray (Scotland), Hannah Barber (Australia), and Breyton Milford (South Africa). Photos: Supplied phase, some of them will go under because they’re not going to bridge the gap of understanding,” she said. “That gap between boomers and millennials is bigger than any generational gap that we have ever seen due to the exponential increase in information, thanks to the Internet.” And this topic fit into the overall theme of the conference: Sustainability for agricultural shows and agricultural organizations. “This succession issue exists not just in terms of farm ownership, but in the changing of organizations,” she said. “I see a lot of organizations going under because they’re not appealing to the current audience, and they’re just keeping things status quo or doing things business as usual.” If young people aren’t invited to participate, they will likely create their own organizations, she said. If the older generation wants younger producers to participate,

they need to figure out how to be relevant to them. “That’s why I thought it was so amazing that my community sponsored me to go,” she said. “It created relevance for me, and because it believed in me, I worked really hard to bring back information of quality. I hope to engage other young people in my community, province, and in Canada to attend more of these opportunities and to get really excited about agriculture.” The conference, held every second year, will take place in Singapore in 2016 and in Edmonton at Northlands in 2018. “I already know that I’m going to help out in 2018,” said Hennig. “The friendships and the connections that were made were amazing. They do a wonderful job of creating an inclusive community.” akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

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Send agriculture-related meeting and event announcements to: glenn.cheater@fbcpublishing.com

By Alexis Kienlen

t took a trip Down Under to give Lauren Hennig a new perspective on agriculture. “I can’t tell you how exciting it was to see the passion for agriculture and rural communities from across the globe,” the 26-year-old junior high teacher said after returning from a Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth conference in Brisbane, Australia. Learning about the different countries and their relationship to agriculture was a highlight. “That was by far the most exciting because it made you part of a global experience, rather than just a community or a province. Now I feel like a global citizen promoting rural life and agriculture. I felt kind of like the way I felt when I was in 4-H, but what 4-H never gave me was the international perspective.” The Edmontonian participated in the program as a Next Gen delegate, designed for participants between the ages of 18 and 40. About 200 participants from agricultural societies all across the Commonwealth took part in the October conference. Hennig, the only Canadian Next Gen delegate, delivered a speech about Canada’s approach to combat rural depopulation. The other Canadian delegates were Next Gen facilitator Leona Dargis, and Stacy Felkar and Heather Shewchuk of Northlands, which gave Henning a scholarship to attend. In her youth, Hennig was active in 4-H and showed shorthorn cattle in Ardrossan, and is now a director for the Josephburg Agricultural Society. One of Hennig’s other eyeopening moments at the conference came from a presentation on millennials and baby boomers. These generations do think differently, and this has a huge impact for agricultural organizations, said Hennig. “When I think of organizations that are in a transitional

what’s

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL: CORALEA PAVOLL – SECRETARY/TREASURER – 780-724-3872 HARRY JACULA – SUPERVISOR – 780-853-2361

Nov. 28-29: Beeginners Beekeeping Course, Airdrie Agriculture Building, Airdrie. Contact: Ag-Info Centre Registration Line 1-800-387-6030 Dec. 3: Peace Country Beef Cattle Day, Dunvegan Motor Inn, Fairview. Contact: Nora at 780-836-3354 or Monika at 780-523-4033 Dec. 3-5: Canadian Ag & Food Outlook Conference, Sheraton Cavalier, Calgary. Contact: Chris Ferris 294-925-7072 Dec. 4: Good Wheat Marketing Basics - Pilot, MNP Office, Lethbridge. Brenda Martin 403-380-1657

Lauren Hennig, the Canadian Next Gen delegate gave a speech on Canada’s effort to mitigate rural depopulation at the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth conference.

Dec. 9-11: Western Canadian Grazing Conference, Radisson Hotel (Edmonton South), Edmonton. Contact: Monika Benoit 780-523-4033

Rosalind’s Charlie Gould inducted into the 4-H Hall of Fame

harlie Gould of Rosalind has been inducted into the 4-H Hall of Fame, following in the footsteps of his father, Stan, who was inducted into the hall in 1977. Charlie Gould joined 4-H as a beef club member and has been a leader in the Rosalind club for 35 years, running workshops on public speaking, animal health, and grooming on his farm, as well as representing the club on district and regional levels. He is also a volunteer with his community’s fire department, agricultural society and local church.

“Like his father before him, Charlie Gould exemplifies the selflessness and dedication of 4-H volunteers, and stands as an example of how generations of Albertans have been a part of 4-H,” said Verlyn Olson, minister of agriculture and rural development. There have been 81 members inducted into the 4-H Hall of Fame since 1971. Established in 1917, 4-H Alberta is the largest youth organization in the province with more than 250,000 alumni. — 4-H release

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HAYING & HARVESTING Various 2011 MACDON R85 DISC mower conditioner header. No use since $10,470.00 Warranty up-grade work order. Excellent condition. $24,900.00 Trades welcome. Toll free 1-877-862-2387, 1-877-862-2413

Contact your local CPS representative about our PrePay program and start earning.

Combines COMBINES Accessories RECONDITIONED COMBINE HEADERS. RIGID & flex, most makes & sizes; also header transports. Ed Lorenz, (306)344-4811 or Website: www.straightcutheaders.com Paradise Hill, SK.

10/14-40516-1A

40516_A CPS_PrePay Print_4x4_rev1.indd 1

BUILDINGS

4955 JD low hrs, 3 pth, very clean S680 JD Combine low hrs 2011 4730 JD Sprayer, 100 ft. 4050 JD, fwa loader with complete front end NH T8050 with fwa 4920 Macdon, 21 ft. D.S.A. GOOD SELECTION OF JD & CASE SP SPRAYERS AND 4WD TRACTORS

“LIKE MANY BEFORE, WE’LL HAVE YOU SAYING THERE’S NO DEAL LIKE A KEN DEAL” • Phone: (403)526-9644 • Cell: (403)504-4929 • Email: kendeal@shaw.ca Round up the cash! Advertise your unwanted equipment in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds.

Go public with an ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds. Phone 1-800-665-1362.

Watch your profits grow!

*Conditions apply.

BUILDINGS

JD 9400, 9420, 9520, 8970 JD 9860, 9760, 9750, 9650, 9600 JD 9430, 9530, 9630 Case STX 375, 425, 430, 450, 480, 500, 530 CIH 8010-2388, 2188 combine CIH 435Q, 535Q, 450Q, 550Q, 600Q pto avail. JD 4710, 4720, 4730, 4830, 4920, 4930 SP sprayers JD 9770 & 9870 w/CM & duals CIH 3185, 3230, 3330, 4430, 4420 sprayers

10/8/14 9:14 AM

ADVERTISE with AFE Classifieds 40’ X 60’ X 16’ RIGID FRAME STEEL BUILDING

Place your ad today call

$28,418

1-800-665-1362

When you go with steel you get the right deals!

Pioneer One Steel Buildings

Call toll free 1 (877) 525-2004 or see us online at www.pioneeronesteel.com STEEL STORAGE CONTAINERS, 20-ft & 40-ft. Wind, water & rodent proof. 1-866-517-8335, (403)540-4164, (403)226-1722 magnate@telus.net

BUSINESS SERVICES BUSINESS SERVICES Crop Consulting

FARM CHEMICAL SEED COMPLAINTS We also specialize in: Crop Insurance appeals; Chemical drift; Residual herbicide; Custom operator issues; Equipment malfunction; Yield comparisons, Plus Private Investigations of any nature. With our assistance the majority of our clients have received compensation previously denied. Back-Track Investigations investigates, documents your loss and assists in settling your claim. Licensed Agrologist on Staff. For more information Please call 1-866-882-4779

FARM MACHINERY FARM MACHINERY Grain Vacuums 2011 BUHLER 6640 GRAIN vacuum. NEW, never used. $19,900. Trades welcome. Call toll free: (877)862-2387 or (877)862-2413.

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous 1999 CAT 460 1,400 sep. hrs, rake up, $47,500; MacDon 962, 36-ft pick-up reel, $15,000; MacDon 871 CAT 460 adapter, $1,500. Call:(403)665-2341, Craigmyle, AB. ACREAGE EQUIPMENT: CULTIVATORS, DISCS, Plows, Blades, Post pounders, Haying Equipment, Etc. (780)892-3092, Wabamun, Ab. CASE 621 LOADER, 3-YD; 1996 Ford 7.3 Diesel, 5-spd, XL350 w/Haul-all compactor; 1980 Ford 8000 series gas tandem, 15-ft gravel box & hoist. (780)573-0292.

Search for

AG EQUIPMENT DEALS on your PHONE

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

RON SAUER

MACHINERY LTD. (403) 540-7691 ronsauer@shaw.ca

846 Ford Versatile Designation 6, 4WD Tractor 1990, newer 18.4 x 38 dualled tires,12 speed manual, 4 hyds., 6036 hrs., looks & runs good .............................. $28,500 555 JD Crawler Loader, 250 hrs. on rebuilt engine, good condition ................................................... $17,500 8070 AC Tractor, FWA, wheel base extended, duals .. $22,500 275 MF Tractor, diesel, multi power, 3 pth, new 18.4 x 30, front weights, loader available, looks and runs great ... $12,500 B275 IHC Tractor & Loader ................................ $3,500 51’ Degelman Landroller, only done 3,000 acres, as new.... .......................................................... $40,000 Degelman Dozer Frame MF 4000 Series 4WD .. $1,000 41’ Flexicoil 300 B Chisel Plow, 3 bar harrows, excellent condition .............................................. $12,500 Flexicoil 6 Run Seed Treater .............................. $1,000 134’ Flexicoil S68XL Sprayer, 2007, suspended boom, auto rate, joystick, rinse tank, triple quick jets, auto boom height, electric end nozzle & foam marker............. $32,500 100’ 65XL Flexicoil Sprayer, complete withwindguards,elec. end nozzles single tips, auto rate,excellent condition ... $12,500 10 Wheel MATR (Italy) Trailer Type V-Hayrake, hyd. fold, as new.................................................. $5,000 NEW 12-39 Sakundiak Grain Auger, 44 HP Generac engine, E-Kay HD mover, power steering, belt tightener, slim fit, lights, scissor lift, remote throttle, new tires ............ $23,500 8 x 1200 Sakundiak Auger, 25 HP Koehler engine, Hawes mover, clutch, runs good ............................... $8,500 7 x 1200 Sakunidak Auger, 20 HP Koehler engine, wheat heart mover, spout....................................................$3,500 7 x 1200 Sakundiak Auger, 18 HP Koehler engine, c/w sweep hyd. drive....................................$2,500 8 x 1400 Sakundiak Auger, 25 HP Robin engine, Hawes mover, clutch, spout, excellent condition, ...........CNT $10,000 1390 Brandt XL Swing Auger, elec. power swing, spout, adj. axle, as new ...................................... $22,500 225 Kello-Bilt Tandem Disc, 28” smooth front & rear blades, 10.5” spacing, oil, bath bearings, line new ............ $62,500 50’ Brandt Heavy Harrow, 27.5 x 5/8 tines, low acres ........................................................... $32,500 47’ 820 Flexicoil Chisel Plow, 4 bar harrows, line new ............................................................ $67,500 2009 GMC Topkick 20 ft. Grain Truck, automatic, silage gauge, air brake suspension,approx. 7,000 kms ..$105,000 40’ 5710 Bourgault SS Air Drill, 9.8” spacing, 3” steel packers w/ 3225 tb tank, c/w 3rd tank, new augers, drive sprockets, main clutch, excellent condition...... $25,000 New E-Kay 7” Bin Sweep .............**In Stock** $1,785 New E-Kay 7”, 8”, 9” Bin Sweeps available.........Call 8” Wheat Heart Transfer Auger, hydraulic drive .. $1,500 New Outback RTK BASE stn ...................................... Call New Outback MAX & STX guidance & mapping ...In Stock New Outback E-Drive, TC’s .................................In Stock New Outback E-Drive X, c/w free E turns ............In Stock New Outback S-Lite guidance ............ **In Stock** $900 New Outback VSI Swather Steering Kit...........In Stock New Outback E-Drive Hyd. kit, JD 40 series ........ $1,000 Used Outback E-Drive Hyd. kits..............................$500

**NuVision (Spray Air) & Meridian-Sakundiak Augers, Outback GPS Systems, EK Auger Movers, Belt Tighteners, Bin Sweeps & Crop Dividers, Kohler, Robin Subaru & Generac Engines, Headsight Harvesting Solutions, Greentronics Sprayer Auto Boom Height, Kello-Bilt Discs**

Looking for a hand around the farm? Place a help wanted ad in the classifieds. Call 1-800-665-1362.

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Wanted

Get the APP »»

WANTED: NH BALE WAGONS & retrievers, any condition. Farm Equipment Finding Service, P.O. Box 1363, Polson, MT 59860. (406)883-2118

Tillage & Seeding

LIVESTOCK Specialty – Alpacas

HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING

TILLAGE & SEEDING Air Seeders JD 730/1900 air drill, 36-ft, 270BU tbt, double disc openers on 6-in spacing $32,000. Can deliver. Call Brian:204-856-6119, 204-685-2896 MacGregor MB.

TracTors TRACTORS Case/ IH 1997 CIH 9330 4WD. 240-HP, 4700-hrs, 4-hyd, power shift, radar, EZ steer, 500-hrs on drop in engine, excellent condition, no pto. $68,900.00 Phone toll free 1-877-862-2387. 1-877-862-2413.

The Icynene Insulation System®

HERD DISPERSAL DUE TO personal health issues dual registered, champion bloodlines, 26 females, 17 males, open to offers as must sell. For more info alpacas@eidnet.org

• Sprayed foam insulation • Ideal for shops, barns or homes • Healthier, Quieter, More Energy Efficient®

SEED / FEED / GRAIN SEED/FEED/GRAIN Feed Grain BUYING ALL TYPES OF feed grain. Also have market for light offgrade or heated, picked up on the farm. Eisses Grain Marketing 1-888-882-7803, Lacombe.

www.penta.ca

1-800-587-4711

FEED GRAIN WANTED! ALSO buying; Light, tough, or offgrade grains. “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252

2012 CIH STEIGER 500HD. 696-hours, like new, full factory warranty until May 15th, 2015. Loaded w/options-no PTO. Almost anything on trade. $269,000.00 Phone toll free 1-877-862-2387 or 1-877-862-2413.

LIVESTOCK

SEED/FEED/GRAIN Grain Wanted

Go public with an ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Shorthorn

BUYING HEATED/DAMAGED PEAS, FLAX & GRAIN “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252

TRACTORS Various

JD 4255 FWA, 3 pth hitch, ldr. avail. JD 4255 2 WD, ldr. available JD 4440, loader available JD 6420 FWA, c/w ldr. 3 pth hitch JD 7200 FWA, c/w ldr. 3 pth hitch CASE IH 4700 Vibra Shank, 34ft. Clamp on Duals, 20.8x38-18.4x38 FINANCE, TRADES WELCOME 780-696-3527, BRETON, AB

Big Tractor Parts, Inc. Geared For The Future

STEIGER TRACTOR SPECIALIST

RED OR GREEN 1. 10-25% savings on new replacement parts for your Steiger drive train. 2. We rebuild axles, transmissions and dropboxes with ONE YEAR WARRANTY. 3. 50% savings on used parts.

4’S COMPANY 34th ANNUAL Purebred Shorthorn sale, Sun., Dec 7th. Camrose Regional Exhibition AB, 1:00pm. Canada’s longest running private sale. Bred Heifers, Heifer calves, Herd Sire prospects & commercial bred Heifers. View catalogue online, www.canadianshorthorn.com, catalogue’s call (780)763-2209. Please pre-register for online bidding at dlms.ca

BUYING SPRING THRASHED CANOLA & GRAIN “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252 Hit our readers where it counts… in the classifieds. Place your ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifed section. 1-800-665-1362.

Do one little thing and get 5% back on everything *

Ask your local CPS representative about our PrePay program and earn 5%* toward future crop inputs.

1-800-982-1769 www.bigtractorparts.com

40516_A CPS_PrePay Print_4x4_rev1.indd 2

*Conditions apply. 10/14-40516-2A

10/8/14 9:14 AM

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 24, 2014

CAREERS Management

TRAILERS

SEED/FEED/GRAIN Grain Wanted

BOW VALLEY TRADING LTD.

WE BUY DAMAGED GRAIN Wheat, Barley, Oats, Peas, etc. Green or Heated Canola/Flax

1-877-641-2798

Farming is enough of a gamble, advertise in the Alberta Farmer Express classified section. It’s a sure thing. 1-800-665-1362.

BUYING:

HEATED & GREEN CANOLA • Competitive Prices • Prompt Movement • Spring Thrashed

CAREERS Professional

CAREERS Management

TRAILERS Trailers Miscellaneous WWW.TRAILERGUY.CA 80 MISC. Semi-trailers check web for pics & prices. (306)222-2413 Aberdeen/Saskatoon, SK.

Give us five minutes and we’ll give you 5% back

TRAVEL

AGRICULTURAL TOURS Costa Rica ~ Feb 2015 South Africa/Zambia ~ Feb 2015 India ~ Feb 2015 Greece ~ April 2015 Japan ~ May 2015 Ireland/Scotland ~ June 2015 Scandinavia ~ June 2015 Alaska Land/Cruise ~ July 2015 NWT/Yukon ~ July 2015

Brett Young Seeds is a privately owned & trusted seed, production, distribution, sales & marketing company with international reach & strong local roots since 1934. Our goal is to deliver value to our customers through world class service & differentiated products. Based in Winnipeg, we have locations throughout Western Canada & are currently seeking a dynamic & experienced Retail Account Manager to complement our Retail Sales team in the Red Deer South Region.

See your local CPS expert. Sign up for the CPS PrePay program.

*Portion of tours may be Tax Deductible

Select Holidays

Retail Account Manager Based out of a home office in the Southern Alberta area, this challenging sales position requires a customer-oriented professional with a keen initiative. You will work independently within your own territory but will also work closely with Head Office & other representatives across Western Canada to achieve sales, territory & organizational goals. Exceptional communication skills are required to promote & support our exclusive line of canola, corn & forage seed products & our innovation BioBoostfi products; while we do provide extensive product training, knowledge of & previous work experience with these commodities is a definite asset. Extensive travel throughout the territory is required & depending on location of your home office some overnight travel days may be required to effectively manage the territory.

1-800-661-4326

“ON FARM PICK UP”

1-877-250-5252

www.selectholidays.com CAREERS

CANOLA WANTED Buying Tough, Heated, Green, Canola, Freight Options, Prompt Payment Bonded and Insured

CALL 1-866-388-6284

CAREERS Help Wanted

*Conditions apply. 10/14-40516-3A

NEW-HOLLAND/CIH TECHNICIAN REQUIRED IMMEDIATELY. Sunny Southern Alberta, growing independent dealership, competitive wages, benefits, relocation. Call Bob (403)625-3321 or email 40516_A CPS_PrePay Print_4x4_rev1.indd 3 service@challengernh.ca

In addition to the opportunity to join a team that values & celebrates everyone’s contributions, Brett Young Seeds is an organization that supports 10/8/14 9:14 AM professional growth & development & offers an attractive compensation package including salary, company vehicle & an outstanding & comprehensive benefits package. Brett Young Seeds is an Equal Opportunity employer.

CAREERS Management

Stretch your

www.milliganbiofuels.com

ADVERTISING DOLLAR!

TENDERS SASKATCHEWAN FARMLAND TENDER: 2 quarters of fully cultivated high quality land for sale in RM of Sask Landing No. 167 for full tender information, contact Neil Gibbings of Anderson & Co. at (306)773-2891. Tenders close Dec. 10th, 2014.

AG DEALS TO GO!

TRACTORS Various

Interested applicants are invited to apply to become a part of our team by submitting a letter of interest with salary expectations & a resume to:

Now Hiring! Territory Managers

Human Resources Brett-Young Seeds Box 99 St. Norbert Postal Station Winnipeg, MB R3V 1L5 Fax: (204)478-8370 Email: Human.Resources@brettyoung.ca

1-800-665-1362

with fast growing company “A Career Not a Job” Main Office Drayton Valley, AB For More Info Go To: www.sekuraauctions.com P: 780-542-4337 Fax Resume to: 780-542-3444 or E: kirsten@sekuraauctions.com

Ask About our Prairie Wide Classifieds

TRACTORS Various

We know that farming is enough of a gamble so if you want to sell it fast place your ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds. It’s a Sure Thing. Call our toll-free number today. We have friendly staff ready to help. 1-800-665-1362.

TRACTORS Various

SPECIAL EDITION Manitoba Ag Days Taking place Jan. 20, 21 & 22, 2015 at the Brandon Keystone Centre

The Manitoba Co-operator is presenting a great opportunity for you to feature your business, products or booth at Manitoba Ag Days in the Jan. 8th edition. The Manitoba Ag Days Show is a winter indoor exposition of agricultural production expertise, technology, and equipment held in Brandon every January. The Show attracts exhibitors and visitors from across Canada and North Central United States and provides an annual opportunity for producers to comparison shop for everything they need for their agricultural operations.

DEADLINE: DEC. 22nd · ISSUE DATE: JAN. 8th Contact your Manitoba Co-operator Sales representative to book your space today!

Terry McGarry Ph: 204-981-3730 Fax: 204-253-0879 Email: trmcgarr@mts.net

SEE YOU AT THE SHOW!

RISKS AND REWARDS OF FALL

GREAT GORP PROJECT Triathlete creates home-grown energy bar » PAGE 44

The pros and cons of applying in dry soil » PAGE 17

OCTOBER 11, 2012

Communications breakdown added to emergency Firefighting made more dangerous without communications By Lorraine Stevenson CO-OPERATOR STAFF

olunteer firefighters racing to reach fire-threatened Vita last week passed hundreds of vehicles headed the other direction and wondered what they were headed into, said veteran firefighter Alain Nadeau. “I’ve been doing this for 33 years and this was the scariest I’ve seen,” said the weary La Broquerie fire chief on Friday after an exhausting week. The air was so smoke filled around the southeastern village “we could barely breathe,” he said. See GRASS FIRES on page 6 »

SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | VOL. 70, NO. 41

GOT SEED? By Daniel Winters CO-OPERATOR STAFF / MELITA

ising corn acres and severe drought in the Midwestern United States may crimp supplies of popular corn seed varieties for the com-

ing year. “It’s really short,” said Ron Rabe, a Dekalb agronomist, who gave a brief talk on corn production in Manitoba at a recent WADO field tour. Derek Erb, who farms near Oak Bluff and sells Pioneer Hi-Bred corn

$1.75

MANITOBACOOPERATOR.CA

Corn seed might be tight next spring Rising demand and dismal growing conditions in the drought-stricken United States may limit supplies seed, said farmers looking to secure seed for next spring should act quickly to secure their supplies, even if it means placing orders earlier than usual. Pioneer Hi-Bred’s top varieties, which include D95 and D97, account for roughly half the acres seeded in the province. Erb said that with the harvest and quality testing still underway in some areas, it’s difficult to estimate how much corn seed will be available for next year. One thing’s for sure, waiting until Ag Days in January to secure supplies will

be too late. “I would pretty much bank on that,” said Erb. Dry conditions throughout the province have seen the corn harvest arriving about a month earlier than usual, and seed orders have started coming in sooner than usual too. Even with the possibility of a shortage of corn seed, Erb doesn’t expect the price of Pioneer’s supplies to rise much more than it has in recent years. Rob Park, of RJP Seeds in Carman, who deals in Hyland seed varieties, See CORN SEED on page 6 »

T:10.25”

NOVEMBER 24, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

THE ALL-NEW 2015

SILVERADO HD STRONG JUST GOT STRONGER FINANCE FROM

• BEST-IN-CLASS 19,600 LB. CONVENTIONAL TOWING† • BEST-IN-CLASS 7,374 LB. PAYLOAD

0.99% 36

††

FOR

• BEST PICKUP WARRANTY COVERAGE IN CANADA - 160,000 KM. 60,000KM MORE THAN F-150 AND RAM+ • OUTSTANDING 23,200 LB. FIFTH-WHEEL TOWING++ • AVAILABLE DURAMAX® ENGINE AND ALLISON® TRANSMISSION OFFERING 397 HP AND 765 LB.-FT. TORQUE WITH OVER 160 BILLION KMS OF REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE • NEW INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DESIGN WITH COMFORT AND REFINEMENT

MONTHS‡

PLUS

UP TO

$5,750

IN CASH CREDITS ON SELECT 2015 SILVERADO HD MODELS** INCLUDES $1,000 FALL BONUS‡‡

T:15.5”

3500HD CREW CAB LTZ DUAL REAR WHEEL MODEL SHOWN

OUR MOST CAPABLE SILVERADO HD EVER

YEARS/40,000 KM COMPLIMENTARY OIL CHANGES^

YEARS/160,000 KM POWERTRAIN WARRANTY ^^

YEARS/160,000 KM ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE ^^

CHEVROLET.CA

ON NOW AT YOUR ALBERTA CHEVROLET DEALERS. Chevrolet.ca 1-800-GM-DRIVE. Chevrolet is a brand of General Motors of Canada. Offers apply to the purchase and finance of a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado HD. Freight and PDI included. License, insurance, registration, administration fees, dealer fees, PPSA and taxes not included. Dealers are free to set individual prices. Offers apply to qualified retail customers in Alberta Chevrolet Dealer Marketing Association area only. Limited time offers which may not be combined with other offers, and are subject to change without notice. Dealer order and trade may be required. ‡ 0.99% purchase financing offered on approved credit by RBC Royal Bank/TD Auto Financing/Scotiabank for 36 months on new or demonstrator 2015 Silverado 2500/3500HD Gas & Diesel models. Example: $10,000 at 0.99% APR, the monthly payment is $282 for 36 months. Cost of borrowing is $153, total obligation is $10,153. ** $5,750/$5,000 is a combined credit consisting of a $4,750/$4,000 manufacturer to dealer delivery credit (tax exclusive) available on 2015 Silverado HD Double Cab/HD Crew Cab Gas and Diesel models, and a $1,000/$1,000 Fall Bonus for truck owners (tax inclusive). ‡‡ Offer applies to eligible current owners or lessees of any model year 1999 or newer pick-up truck that has been registered and insured in Canada in the customer’s name for the previous consecutive six (6) months. Credit is a manufacturer to consumer incentive (tax inclusive): $1,000 credit available towards the retail purchase, cash purchase or lease of one eligible 2013, 2014 or 2015 model year Chevrolet light or heavy duty pickup (except Colorado); delivered in Canada between November 1 and December 1, 2014. Offer applies to eligible current owners or lessees of any Pontiac/Saturn/SAAB/Hummer/Oldsmobile model year 1999 or newer vehicle or Chevrolet Cobalt or HHR that has been registered and insured in Canada in the customer’s name for the previous consecutive six (6) months. Credit valid towards the retail purchase or lease of one eligible 2013, 2014, 2015 model year Chevrolet car, SUV, crossover and pickups models delivered in Canada between November 1 and December 1, 2014. Credit is a manufacturer to consumer incentive (tax inclusive) and credit value depends on model purchased: $1500 credit available on all eligible Chevrolet vehicles. Offer is transferable to a family member living within the same household (proof of address required). As part of the transaction, dealer may request documentation and contact General Motors of Canada Limited (GMCL) to verify eligibility. This offer may not be redeemed for cash and may not be combined with certain other consumer incentives. Certain limitations or conditions apply. Void where prohibited by law. See your GMCL dealer for details. GMCL reserves the right to amend or terminate offers for any reason in whole or in part at any time without prior notice. † Requires 3500HD Crew Cab Dual Rear Wheel 4WD with available Duramax 6.6L Turbo Diesel V8 engine. Maximum trailer weight ratings are calculated assuming a base vehicle, except for any option(s) necessary to achieve the rating, plus driver. The weight of the other optional equipment, passengers and cargo will reduce the maximum trailer weight your vehicle can tow. See your Chevrolet dealer for additional details. †† Requires Regular Cab Long Box Dual Rear Wheel 4x2 with Vortec 6.0L V8 engine. Maximum payload capacity includes weight of driver, passengers, optional equipment and cargo. + Whichever comes first. See dealer/manufacturer for details. Based on Wardsauto.com 2013 Large Pickup segment and last available information at the time of posting. ++ Requires 3500 Regular Cab Long Box Dual Rear Wheel 4x4 with Duramax 6.6L V8 turbo diesel engine. ^ Whichever comes first. Limit of four ACDelco Lube-Oil-Filter services in total. Fluid top-offs, Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) refill, inspections, tire rotations, wheel alignments and balancing, etc., are not covered. Additional conditions and limitations apply. See dealer for details. ^^ Whichever comes first. See dealer for details.