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RANGE WARS

LONG WAY FROM LA CRETE

Report on grazing leases ignites an old debate » PG 22

But country stars Brad and Curtis Rempel haven’t forgotten their farm roots » PG 32 Publications Mail Agreement # 40069240

V o l u m e 1 2 , n u m b e r 1 6 A u g u s t 3 , 2 0 1 5

No word on farm aid until after harvest Livestock producers have a tax deferral option, but government waiting to see if crop insurance is adequate By Alexis Kienlen AF STAFF

Farm leaders say workers’ compensation coverage is a good thing Mandatory enrolment could be announced this fall, but leaders say cost and paperwork won’t be onerous

rop producers will have to wait until after harvest to find out if there is any government drought assistance, says the president of the Grain Growers of Canada. The question of additional farm aid was put to Oneil Carlier, the new NDP agriculture minister, when he attended an Alberta Wheat Commission directors’ meeting in Red Deer on July 21, said Gary Stanford, who is also a director with that organization. “I asked him if there will be any form of funding for cattle and hay, and also for some areas that are so dry that crop insurance for grain farmers won’t really cover everything,” said the Magrath-area producer. “He said that he will probably wait until after harvest is over and he gets the crop insurance information back from the Agricultural Financial Services Corporation to see what the facts are. He’ll then find out which counties are in the worst shape.” That same stance was taken by Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz at a national meeting of agriculture ministers held in mid-

see FARM AID } page 6 You don’t have to go far to find hazards on a farm, and that’s why new workplace safety regulations are inevitable, say farm leaders. PHOTOS: COURTESY Canadian Agricultural Safety Association

By JENNIFER BLAIR AF staff

hanges to farm safety regulations are expected soon — and that might not be a bad thing for Alberta farmers, says the president of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture. “Workers’ compensation or private insurance really is a great risk management tool for farms nowadays,” said Lynn Jacobson. “That protection against litigation is one of the big selling fac-

tors for workers’ compensation.” Oneil Carlier, the new NDP agriculture minister, has vowed to extend workplace safety regulations to farm workers who aren’t currently covered by workers’ compensation or Occupational Health and Safety regulations. Today, only around seven per cent of Alberta farm employers voluntarily carry workers’ compensation for their operations. But offering that protection — both for employers and employees — is one of the realities of farm-

ing today, said Jacobson, who farms near Enchant. “There’s getting to be more and more hired help on the farm and we’re employing more people,” he said. “It gives protection from litigation and other advantages, and if you don’t have it, there can be some serious consequences.” And farm workers today “aren’t just interested in a paycheque,” he said. “They’re starting to realize, ‘If I get hurt on this job, where’s the protection for my family?’ When it comes down to it, a farm that has some type of

protection for those people is going to have a lot easier time hiring people.”

Cost and paperwork

There are “some misconceptions” about workers’ compensation that have made Alberta farmers reluctant to offer coverage to their workers, said Jacobson. “Some people don’t like that administrative role and the paperwork that is associated with the program at this point in time,” he said.

see COVERAGE } page 7

news » inside this week

inside »

AUGUST 3, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

livestock

A 100-BUSHEL TARGET New prize encourages canola growers to think big

IT’S A NEW WORLD FOR BEEF

Rancher Cherie CopithorneBarnes has seen first hand how the cattle business is changing

columNists

LEAVING DOLLARS IN THE DIRT

Laura Rance A higher revenue cap isn’t a fix for poor rail service

It’s easy to lose a bushel an acre out of the back of the combine

FIXING A BROKEN SYSTEM Here’s what grain growers and shippers recommend to improve rail transport

crops

Brenda Schoepp The cost of single-trait selection can be very high

Cam Dahl Forget nostalgia, these are the good old days

4 5 5

Here’s the (best) beef: New Centre of Excellence shows how good it can be Beef Centre of Excellence showing chefs and buyers from around the world that Canadian beef is ‘best in class’ BY ALLAN DAWSON Staff / Calgary

he new Beef Centre of Excellence is pursuing mindshare, not merely market share, says Canada Beef president Rob Meijer. The centre promotes Canadian beef at home and abroad, and is experimenting with ways to add value through how it’s cut, displayed, and cooked. “We need to change the paradigm to put (beef) producers and consumers in a space where they can talk and tell stories,” Meijer said during a tour of the centre earlier this summer. “Because without that relationship, without the integrity, you cannot create trust, you cannot… earn what we call brand loyalty.” The facility opened in January with funding from the cattle producers’ checkoff and Western Economic Development Canada. Quality and food safety are just table stakes in global beef marketing, matched by Canada’s competitors in the U.S. and Australia, said Meijer. “Where we set ourselves apart is when you emotionally connect with the consumer about what’s most important to them,” Meijer said. “So when the Japanese — or the Koreans or the Mexicans or domestic retailers — leave they will… know we are best in class. But you

Abe Van Melle wants to find new homes for underutilized cuts, such as rope meat. Traditionally ground into hamburger, it makes an excellent steak when marinated and cooked slowly. PHOTO: LAURA RANCE have to prove it. You have to cook it. You have to cut it. You have to experience it and let them decide.”

Double duty

The centre’s boardroom does double duty, hosting meetings as well as receptions and white tablecloth banquets. Slide back the “barn door” on one wall and there’s a modern demonstration kitchen wired to record video or to broadcast to TV or the Internet. Behind the kitchen there’s a small-scale

butchering facility with a walk-in cooler and freezer. The centre is to Canadian beef what the Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) in Winnipeg is to Canadian crops. Cigi, created in 1972, describes itself as a “onestop shop of technical expertise and facilities uniquely housed under one roof.” Cigi is an inspiration and Canada Beef visited it and other technical institutes for ideas, said Ron Glaser, Canada Beef’s vice-president of corporate affairs and operations. “The icing on the cake beyond Cigi’s technical prowess, which we built into this, is the emotional side,” Meijer said. “We can bring our brand to life through culinary ideation and innovation. “From a consumer and commercial side, with chefs in mind, we can bring missions in from around the world. They can create menus and recipes and concepts and flavour profiles and dressings and sauces and oils. They can test it and taste it and capture it with video and we can use it for training and they can take it back and plug it into their cultural diversity.”

Niche exporter

Canada only exports 65,000 to 70,000 tonnes of beef offshore a year. “The U.S. can put that into one market in three weeks,” Meijer said. “So we’re a niche player. But that’s

good because we can be nimble. We can pick our partners... and create higher value. If you just blitz the market and try to gain market share we become a commodity player and that’s not where we want to be.” Canada’s main offshore markets are Mexico, Japan, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Dubai. Not everyone consumes beef like Canadians, Meijer said. In Japan, Canada Beef is pushing steak houses and barbecue. The latter is proving so popular, barbecue sales are on the rise, said Meijer. There are opportunities to boost beef sales at home too, said Abe Van Melle, a veteran butcher and the centre’s technical manager. Beef sausage is popular in Australia and Van Melle believes it can be here too. Rope meat, also known as hanging tender, which is traditionally ground into hamburger, has potential as a roast or steak. It’s similar to flank steak in that if marinated and cooked slowly at lower temperatures it’s tender and tasty. “It’s really something that’s underutilized,” Van Melle said. “There’s only one on every animal so if it gets some success in terms of product ideation we may find a market globally for it.”

Dry aging

The centre is also experimenting with different post-killing processes

such as dry aging, which concentrates flavour, but reduces yield through shrink. Taste comparisons are being done between grass- and grain-fed animals. The centre will work with any type of beef, or beef-raising process — including those under a ‘free-from program,’ located anywhere in Canada, so long as it doesn’t claim to be superior to others. “We wouldn’t allow one group to say ‘we’re better’ than another group, or let one region say it was better than another, or let one production group say, ‘We’re healthier or safer or more sustainable’ than another,” Glaser said. “We believe there is a place for all those types of production systems.” The centre also has regular beef buyers in mind. While there hasn’t been a consumer push-back against high beef prices, Canadians are looking for ways to make their beef dollar go further, said Meijer. “People understand that beef is quality,” he said. “What we don’t want to ever happen is beef to become like crab legs or lobster — you only have it on special occasions. “We want to make sure it’s in the consumer’s mind. That’s why we’re working on mindshare, not market share.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

Pill allows celiac sufferers to ingest gluten A decade of work at the University of Alberta has created a pill made from antibodies in chicken yolks that binds gluten By ALEXIS KIENLEN AF staff

eliac sufferers may soon be able to have their cake and eat it too. University of Alberta researchers have created a pill that uses natural antibodies in chicken yolk to prevent celiac sufferers from reacting to gluten. The natural supplement prevents the absorption of giladin, a component of gluten that people with celiac disease are unable to digest. “Antibodies are a powerful natural gift that prevent diseases,” said Hoon Sunwoo, an associate professor in the department of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. “The egg yolk antibody, in its natural form, contains a high level of very specific antibodies against gluten. These antibodies are able to neutralize the gluten from food,” he said. The celiac sufferer can take the pill five or 10 minutes before they eat a food containing gluten. The supplement binds with gluten in the stomach, preventing its absorption by the small intestine. It’s not a cure, just a temporary solution that allows a celiac

University of Alberta researcher Hoon Sunwoo has developed a pill that allows celiac sufferers to ingest gluten. PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA

sufferer to eat gluten — found in food and beverages made from wheat, barley, rye, and triticale — every once in a while, explained Sunwoo. The project has been in the works for 10 years. Sunwoo, who has spent 20 years researching chicken immunology and anti-

bodies, was inspired to start his research after learning about celiac disease from a friend. He began by isolating the problematic molecular component of gluten and using the egg yolk antibody to fight it. A Canadian human safety trial for the product has just finished, with promising results. Sunwoo and research partner Jeong Sim, a retired professor from the department of agriculture, life and environmental sciences, plan to start a human efficacy trial in June 2016. It’s hoped the product will be available in the next couple of years. The project was initially funded by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency and Alberta Innovates Technology Futures. TEC Edmonton recently brokered a deal worth over $2.5 million with the U.K.-based firm, Vetanda Group, to fund more research. Sunwoo who has a PhD in food science technology from the University of Alberta and a post-doctorate in immunology, is interested in pursuing more research on using natural antibodies to treat other digestive diseases like Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 3, 2015

Preserving the family farm — with people who aren’t family Veteran ranchers partner with young producers who don’t own an acre but are keen to have a farming career By JENNIFER BLAIR AF staff / Red Deer

om and Margaret Towers were looking to downsize their cattle operation when they went on Kijiji in search of grass-finished beef to add to their reduced herd. Instead, they found Blake and Angela Hall, a young couple in need of a long-term solution to their land troubles. Together, the couples started the Tamara Ranch Project — a bit of an unorthodox approach to succession planning that’s making life easier for both couples. “Even though you don’t like to think it, you get to a certain age that you can’t do as much as you used to be able to,” said Margaret Towers, who farms with her husband just south of Red Deer. Their son lives in Vancouver and isn’t interested in farming, but the couple didn’t want to leave the ranch nor sell land homesteaded by Tom’s great-grandfather in 1894. “We’ve watched land being sold around, and it just becomes part of another big operation,” said Tom. “We didn’t really want that to happen.” The Halls also faced a dilemma. “Land prices are well beyond the means of production, and a younger-generation farmer can’t really buy in,” said Blake Hall. “We had to get unconventional.” The couple is confident they can establish their 220-head grass-finished beef operation, Prairie Gold Pastured Meats, without owning land. But in their first six years, they moved farms four times — an “exhausting and expensive and stressful” process. “We’re pretty happy to have some stable land tenure, which has been our biggest issue up until two years ago with our arrival here,” said Hall. His brother-in-law, Mike Kozlowski, was facing the same challenge with his communitysupported agriculture vegetable farm, Steel Pony Farm — moving three times in five years. So he, too, was brought into the fold. “To get into agriculture when land prices are $10,000-plus an acre is really challenging,” said Kozlowski. “If you’re looking at how you can help and enable and support young people trying to get into this type of endeavour, it’s that land security that really, really matters. “This relationship with Tom and Margaret has been really awesome, because for the last two years, I’ve felt really secure.”

Common values

Although land transfer isn’t an issue, this type of arrangement still calls for succession planning. Early into their partnership, the group hired consultant Kelly Sidoryk to help them develop a plan for working with each other. “It’s easy to do a financial plan on paper; it’s easy to go out and build fences,” said Sidoryk. “The very hardest work we’ll ever do is the people part of things.” Over the course of a weekend, Sidoryk helped them set some goals and create a vision for the operation by posing some key questions.

“It’s easy to go out and build fences. The very hardest work we’ll ever do is the people part of things.” Kelly Sidoryk

Mike Kozlowski (left) and Blake and Angela Hall with son Hawksley (right) have partnered with Tom and Margaret Towers in a unique approach to succession planning. PHOTO: JENNIFER BLAIR “In a perfect world, how do we want things to be in five years? And if this is what we’re envisioning for the operation, what do we need to start doing this year? What are our priorities that are taking us toward that? Those are the things you need to talk about,” said Sidoryk. Making those sorts of things clear from the outset is critical, said Hall. “Nobody’s a mindreader. If you have it clear in your mind what you want on your farm, you need to vocalize that to the next generation and then they can manage it accordingly.”

their expectations are different than what is happening.” A commitment to building trust is the “big thing,” said Sidoryk. “Even though they’re getting together at the meetings to talk about production and how-to, there’s still the commitment to making sure there’s trust,” she said. “We need to create an environment where people feel comfortable to share.”

Passion is key

It’s a whole new ball game for the Towers. “When you’ve made basically all the decisions for yourself, and then you have another generation

coming along that has a lot different ideas, letting go of control is a big issue,” said Margaret. “But if you can’t let go of that, it’s not going to work.” Hall agrees. “If we’d have come here and been really tied down, with Tom always looking over my shoulder, it probably would have discouraged me,” he said. “There needs to be accountability and monitoring of course, but that younger person needs the autonomy to function and feel empowered.” That means the older generation can’t be “set in your ways,” Margaret added.

“Sometimes you have to shift your thinking big time.” The Tamara Ranch Project remains just that — a project. The group “doesn’t have all the answers,” but everyone shares a deep passion for the land and ranching, said Margaret. “It is important that you find the right people and that you share the same vision,” she said. “Blake and Mike are the kind of people I would be proud to call my sons and Ang my daughterin-law. You have to find those kinds of people to work with.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

On same page

That comes down to communication, added Hall. “Communication is so critical — having the capacity to bring up the smallest grievance so that those things don’t grow,” he said. “If I’m not feeling right about something and would typically just choke it down, I try to make the effort to bring it up. It’s put out a lot of fires when they’re small.” Every Monday, the Halls and the Towers meet over coffee so Blake can bring everyone up to speed on what’s happening on the farm. Once a month, they talk about the operation’s larger goals, and every year, everyone signs a memorandum of agreement for each operation that outlines responsibilities and commitments. That allows the group to clear up any miscommunication quickly. “You might have a five-minute conversation and everyone walks away thinking something different. We’ve had to work through a few challenges on that front,” said Hall. “That’s where the vision comes in. If you know you’re working toward a common goal, when you hit those roadblocks you can get around them and get back on track.” Everyone has had to adapt, said Kozlowski. “There’s setbacks where trust is broken by one group or another, and you feel like it’s hard to get through, but overall, I think we’re on an increasing curve of trust,” he said. “Tom and Margaret have been great about letting us know when

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AUGUST 3, 2015 • 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

Revenue cap isn’t the biggest issue in grain movement

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

CIRCULATION manager Heather Anderson Email: heather@fbcpublishing.com

PRODUCTION director

The maximum revenue entitlement gets a lot of attention, but it doesn’t address the key issue of service

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BY LAURA RANCE

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MANITOBA CO-OPERATOR EDITOR

ne of the most heated farm policy debates of late has been over the fate of the maximum revenue entitlement (MRE) keeping a lid on grain freight rates. In the debate that emerged from the abysmal railway performance through the winter of 2013-14, axing the MRE has increasingly been portrayed as a quid pro quo for better service. The MRE was introduced in 2000 to replace the arbitrary rate cap imposed when the government axed the Crow Benefit. It was never intended to be a long-term policy, but rather part of a five-year transition to more commercialized (read deregulated) pricing environment. It is designed to protect shippers while allowing the railways to set individual rates for shipping western grain, while requiring them to stay within a total revenue limit based on all western movements. But is it good public policy or is it standing in the way of railways’ investment in modernizing the system or unduly hurting their revenues? Even Murad Al-Katib, the grain sector lead adviser to the Canadian Transportation Act review secretariat, hinted at a recent grain transportation forum in Saskatoon that if it comes down to a discussion between freight rates and service, it’s service that shippers care the most about. “I cannot recall one non-revenue entitlement sector talking about how their rates were their biggest concern — rates did not come up on my committee,” Al-Katib said. “Service is really the issue everyone is talking about.”

Mary Jane Bennett, representing the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, told that same conference the railways are being choked by regulation under the MRE. “Rates under the revenue cap are below market, so you are getting a good deal for the grain — it is at 25 per cent less than other commodities. But that low rate comes as a problem and conditions are being created not unlike that of the 1950s and ’60s when grain commitments to the USSR and China could not be honoured. Yet despite the crisis… the people around this room say keep the revenue cap, tinker with it a bit, introduce running rights, which is basically stateordered taking of rail’s private property and conduct intrusive review of railway costs — all so farmers can get a cheaper rate.” Bennett cited the 2013-14 winter as the end result of too much regulation, rather than not enough. Service is indeed key to getting western grain to markets and there is little argument that it has been lacking of late. But a newly released report by a subcommittee of the Crop Logistics Working Group says the MRE debate should be decoupled from the question of service issues facing grain shippers. “It is well established that there is no relationship between the cost of freight and the provision of service in the rail market,” the committee report says. The MRE does not cap how much grain the railways can move, nor does it cap how much they earn. It merely caps the average rate they can charge per tonne, adjusted for railway inflation and the distance travelled. In other words, the more grain the railways move, the more revenue they earn from moving grain. The report noted commodities that don’t fall under the MRE criteria do not receive better service or lower rates.

In the grain sector, where the railways have a monopoly position at 88 per cent of the delivery points, “there is no practical or competitive alternative for grain transport, so the business and volumes will always be there and will move subject to the operational planning of the railway, not the commercial timing of the shipper.” The subcommittee review found it was never anticipated that railway revenues would meet or exceed the MRE as is routinely the case. Rather, it was thought that overall rates would decrease due to competition — which has never materialized. It would appear railway earnings from hauling grain are as close to the maximum as possible without going over, which would result in penalties paid to the Western Grain Research Foundation. The railways have done quite well as a result of the MRE, rather than it being a drag on earnings. The evidence would suggest that in the absence of any competition railway service is driven by shareholders’ priorities rather than shippers’. So on one hand, the MRE is working: It protects producers from being gouged in a non-competitive market. But on the other, it also ensures the railways earn more hauling grain than they would if they had to compete for it. But while the MRE has little impact on service, the lack of competition does. It’s unlikely a solution will be found to the non-competitive nature of Canadian rail network any time soon. Even greater interswitching and open running rights offer limited gains. That leaves regulatory intervention as the best means of assuring reasonable service at a reasonable cost. laura@fbcpublishing.com

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Findings of a study of the maximum revenue entitlement

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Excerpts from the recent report of the Maximum Revenue Entitlement (MRE) Subcommittee of the Crop Logistics Working Group.

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Major observations:

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The MRE is a dynamic and elastic framework that ensures the rail service providers derive a profit. It is proportional, in that the more grain moved, the more revenue earned. In the absence of a true competitive market, the structure of the Canadian grain supply chain and the distances required to move grains and oilseed product from country to export, it is intended to keep Canada competitive in global markets and to provide a degree of price protection to grain producers – while ensuring a reasonable return to the rail service providers. Over the last 13 years, total railway revenue/revenue tonne-mile (R/ RTM) has increased an average of 2.26 per cent annually while grain subject to the MRE has increased by an average of 2.24 per cent annually. There exists many misconceptions regarding the MRE, its policy intent and effects. There are many examples of publicly promoted misinforma-

tion regarding the MRE in the aftermath of the 2013-14 rail transportation difficulties and most recently in conjunction with the review of The Canada Transportation Act itself. The most concerning of these misconceptions is that the MRE and service to shippers are related. This is patently false. The assertion that has been made, especially in light of the 2013-14 rail transportation difficulties, is that if western Canadian grain shippers paid more (e.g. higher tariff rates) for rail service they would receive improved service. It is well established that there is no relationship between the cost of freight and the provision of service in the rail market. For example, Canadian grain and special crops that are not on Schedule II, or non-regulated movements (e.g. domestic or to the U.S.) do not receive superior service while paying higher rates. Economic analyses clearly indicates rail service providers apply differential pricing and paying a higher freight rate does not guarantee better service. There exists misconceptions regarding the relationship between the MRE and railway investment.

The design of the MRE policy promotes investment by the rail service providers, and compensates them for hopper car investment and joint-capital projects under the Industrial Development Fund provisions. Similarly, grain sector investment in the GHTS during the existence of the MRE, has been significant with the majority of the productivity gains (from a railway costing perspective) being accrued by the railways. The assertion that the MRE inhibits railway investment and the returns from grain inhibit profitability, and by extension investment, is questionable. The MRE is an important public policy as the Canadian grain transportation market is not competitive and the two service providers wield significant market power. Of the current 370 primary and process elevators in the GHTS, only four are served by both Class 1 railways. This situation can be described as the operation of two monopolies in the grain transport marketplace. Under the extended interswitching provisions, approximately 50 facilities now have access to this provision (up from 14) although operational use of this is understood to be

minimal. Where a business has no effective competition, there is no motivating factor for investment and improving the provision of service.

Major findings:

The MRE as a public policy tool is working. Allowing the rail service providers to flexibly price services while ensuring they are adequately compensated, Canadian grain movement is a foundational component of railway profitability. It protects shippers against the potential for unconstrained increase of grain rates (ultimately affecting producers) which only will increase grains’ contribution to railway constant cost. The increase in average freight revenue is in step with that of grain. • The issues around rail service to shippers (e.g. to the grain sector and all sectors) need to be resolved, solutions implemented and operationally demonstrated prior to discussion of an MRE costing review. These need to be examined separately, as the two issues have been publicly conflated. Service issues exist in all sectors, regardless of the freight rate.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 3, 2015

The time has come to rethink single-trait selection Temple Grandin was right about animal welfare, and she’s right about respecting the dual purpose of food animals, too By BRENDA SCHOEPP AF columnist

am a big fan of Dr. Temple Grandin. A long time ago we stood in a small community hall in Alberta with 60 farmers in attendance. She talked about an animal’s reaction to light, movement, and sound, and encouraged producers to see their facilities through the eyes of their livestock. I talked about shrinkage and creative marketing. As Dr. Grandin said, “They told us we were crazy.” We were both paid $80. Today Dr. Grandin is known in every corner of the world and is the world leader in animal behaviour and welfare. She is mentoring a new generation of students and her handling designs are scattered around the globe from farmers’ yards through to processing floors. I had the opportunity to share the stage with her 30 years later where she talked about animal behaviour and welfare and I tied it into creative marketing. This time there were 600 people and no one was laughing. Having crawled through my corrals and looked at her suggestions in those early years, I saw the relevance in what she said. It was easy to change a little here and there, and most certainly I could change my pattern of behaviour around the cattle. Open minds and honest voices create change, and as a leader in this area Dr. Grandin has influenced producers and pro-

cessors for decades. Recently, she was asked about what she sees emerging in the industry and in her no-nonsense approach, she had some harsh words for the dairy industry. It is an industry she says that has forgotten that dairy cattle serve two purposes: as a producer of milk and as a source of beef. In her own words, beef is the dairy cow’s “second career.” I grew up on a dairy farm in Alberta. The cows did not have a 1.5 lactation production life — we milked them for a decade. To do this we focused on multiple-trait selection and animal care. Whenever an industry goes for single-trait selection — such as milk in dairy or gain in beef — there will be a cost somewhere else. In the case of hogs, the breeding programs for performance often resulted in leg issues. In chickens, we see the breeding programs for breast result in the same “front heavy” problems that contribute to discomfort. As in dairy, the beef industry struggles with lameness in cattle on high-performance diets. The change here is not how we handled the cattle but in how we have bred them. This single-trait breeding creates animal welfare issues and leaves little but scrap for their secondary purpose. It is Dr. Grandin who said that “animals are here for our use, we need to respect that,” — and it is she who went on to make this usefulness and end of life less stressful for them. When cattle or fowl can’t walk, folks get impatient and that is when things go really sideways. We have been busted

as a food industry in several videos that have gone public. Farmers may then lock the barn door, but locking the door is not the solution. Creating an environment that looks at the multiple function and design of the food animal lends itself to improvement. Animal husbandry and handling has improved tremendously through the encouraging and tireless work and words of one woman. And if the problem is the solution, then genetic selection can turn the tide in genetic problems. In our quest for instant wealth and extreme performance, we may have lost sight of the real ‘value’ of our food animal. A short lifespan means less manure which is a valuable resource. It means intense diets that are costly, move away from the natural ability of cattle to graze, and cramps the natural structure of the bovine who is designed to have her head down eating. There is a higher cost in service as extreme performance affects fertility, and fertility is an economic driver in all animal agriculture. Most importantly, if an animal is lame, there is a threshold of pain that at some point is production negative. As for the idea of a second career, the beef industry is made up of fed and commercial beef. It is the commercial beef that comes from bulls, cows and open heifers that is vital to processing profitability. When the dairy cow comes in slowly (which is costly to the line) and without much left on her bones because it is all in her bag, then it has

a huge impact on the beef industry, even when dairy cattle are now on a short production cycle. Perhaps we can find solutions together. The dairy farmers I know are very focused on the health and welfare of their cows. They are stewards of a production animal that is entrusted to their care. And although they are besieged by lameness and infertility because of single-trait selection, genetics selection can change that. In my travels I have seen the other barns as well — the ones with the closed doors and there has been no joy in that. They need a Dr. Grandin to move them off the old production wheel and into the future. The evolution of the food animal has always been based on the multifunction of that animal in the eco-agro system. It is because of them that man has evolved to live longer. We can still house in barns and focus on performance so society has the milk and milk products it needs at a reasonable cost. But it does not remove the industry from continued improvement in animal welfare right to end of life. Nor can we turn away from addressing the critical issues of the day co-operatively as dairy and beef producers. The dairy cow is a respected servant to both industries. 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 2015

These are golden times in agriculture — with even better days ahead It’s a tale that needs to be told: In the developed world, food is safer, cheaper, and more abundant than it’s ever been By Cam Dahl

President of Cereals Canada

ome people look with nostalgia at the “good ol’ days” — thinking that the world would be a better place if we could just go back in time, give up on technology and return food and farming to the way it used to be. To these people I say, “poppycock!” These garbled views of the past are not only wrong headed, they are dangerous. The days before science delivered modern agricultural practices, such as advanced plant breeding and effective crop inputs, saw the rural Canadian landscape filled with poverty, hardship, and reduced life expectancy. And this is not that long ago — a generation or two at best. No one who lived through these times would want to go back. People who live in these conditions today, in developing parts of the world, deserve the chance to get out. Agriculture’s best days are not

in the past, they are ahead. And science and research is the path that will take us there. Science and research have already delivered. Never in the history of human development has food been as cheap and abundant as it is today in the developed world. Never in the history of human development has food been as safe to eat as it is today in the developed world. And I would argue that never in the history of human development has agriculture been as environmentally sustainable as it is today. Modern agricultural practices like zero and conservation tillage mean that Saskatchewan does not blow into Ontario anymore like it did when my dad was growing up. Precision agriculture and modern crop inputs minimize greenhouse gas emissions and maximize the efficiency of crop nutrients. New varieties developed through modern plant breeding are delivering more and

more food without having to cut down more trees. Safe food abundantly produced in a sustainable manner. Brought to you by science, research, and modern agriculture. The forecast for the future is more of the same, only faster. You might not see this message on the Internet much because agriculture has been particularly bad at communicating the benefits we deliver to society. Too often we assume everyone knows and just go about our business producing more food. But in an increasingly urban country with generations of separation between the city and the farm (if there ever was a connection) this assumption is dangerously wrong. It is dangerous to assume that consumers are aware of the benefits of modern farming because the vacuum created by the lack of communication from agriculture is being filled by those who want us to reject

science and turn our backs on the future benefits that research can deliver. Farms and industry must speak out in defence of science or we will lose our ability to advance the industry. Examples of the anti-science message are all around us, from those who put us all at risk because they don’t trust vaccinations to those who want to ban pesticides, seed treatments, or varieties developed through modern biotechnology. Fortunately, we are seeing renewed investment in Canadian agriculture research. Recently the French firm Limagrain and Canterra Seeds announced a major research partnership. The Alberta Wheat Commission and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are partnering with private industry to deliver new varieties to Canadian farmers. Bayer has recently announced significant investments in wheat breeding in Western Canada. Richardson

has recently completed expansion of its research farm in Manitoba. These are just a few examples demonstrating great optimism in the future of Canadian agriculture. The economic benefits delivered by agriculture research and development is part of the Canadian DNA. In 1904, Dr. Charles Saunders’ first planting of Marquis wheat was 12 seeds. Less than 20 years later there were 20 million acres of Marquis grown in Western Canada and the U.S. This research, these 12 seeds, opened up the Canadian Prairies, delivered jobs and growth, and was the backbone of communities that seemed to spring up overnight. Marquis wheat is a powerful demonstration of what research delivers. I have a sheaf of Marquis wheat (a little sheaf) on my mantel at home. To me, it is a symbol of what agriculture research will accomplish again — if society lets it happen.

Off the front

FARM AID } from page 1 July. Ritz said he wants to see crop insurance reports before deciding if federal aid is required. However, he has authorized tax deferrals for some regions in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and B.C. (see below). Since AgriStability, one of the federal government’s safety programs to help with income losses, has changed in the past few years, it’s not known if coverage will be adequate. The premiums have stayed the same, but coverage is much lower. “For AgriStability, it’s almost like you have to have low grain prices and lower-yielding crops to get it to trigger,” said Stanford. When grain prices were high, many producers opted out of AgriStability. “Grain prices are going up a little bit because of the drought, so right now, we’re just going to wait and see how bad it will be in a few counties,” he said. However, while a high percentage of producers take crop insurance, only about 30 to 40 per cent of producers take pasture insurance, said Stanford. Recent rains have helped in some areas but for many, they’ve arrived too late. “There will still be a lot of very bad crops in Alberta because there was no rain in May or June,” said Stanford.

August 3, 2015 • Albertafarmexpress.ca

can be partially offset by the cost of replacing breeding stock. In order to be eligible to defer income, a breeding herd must have been reduced by 15 per cent, to allow for a 30 per cent deferral of income from net sales. If a herd declines by 30 per cent or more, 90 per cent of income from net sales can be deferred. Eligible producers can request the deferral on their 2015 income tax returns. Producers facing cash flow challenge, especially if they need funds to purchase feed, can apply to the federal government’s Advance Payments Program to access low-interest loans. For a list of counties that are eligible for tax deferral, go to www. agr.gc.ca and type ‘livestock tax deferral’ in the search box. The list currently covers dozens of counties and municipal districts and could be expanded after consultation with the province.

Disaster declarations raise awareness Declaring an agricultural disaster can help speed crop insurance claims and might trigger additional government aid By Alexis Kienlen AF STAFF

“For AgriStability, it’s almost like you have to have low grain prices and lower-yielding crops to get it to trigger.”

ecent dry conditions and grasshopper infestations have led several counties to declare a state of agricultural disaster. Sturgeon, Parkland, Brazeau, Thorhild, Leduc, and Mackenzie counties have issued disaster declarations. They don’t trigger aid but raising awareness of the situation can be very helpful, said one county official. “Based on past experiences, making the provincial and federal governments aware has resulted in aid programs and plans,” said James Leskiw, supervisor of agricultural agronomics with Parkland County. “We’ve already had producers and companies offer up hay because they’ve heard in the media that we are in tough times here. Those kind of things have been rolling in since the declaration.” A declaration when dealing with the Agricultural Financial Services Corporation. In the case of an agricultural disaster, adjusters may waive a formal site visit before allowing producers to pasture their livestock on grain crops that won’t be worth harvesting. “Instead of having to wait for

Gary Stanford

akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Tax relief

In regions where tax deferrals for 2015 have been authorized, producers will be able to defer a portion of the proceeds from the 2015 sale of breeding livestock to help them replenish their stock in 2016. Proceeds from these deferred sales will then be included as part of the producer’s income for the 2016 tax year, when the income

“The more that declare, the more it registers with the province and the feds that there is a problem.”

ALERT LINE Help is a phone call away Producers who are struggling with livestock issues because of drought are being urged to call the ALERT Line: 1-800-506-2273. “The ALERT Line is a ‘producers helping producers’ resource that producers can call if they have any questions or concerns about livestock welfare,” said Kristen Hall, marketing and communications manager with Alberta Farm Animal Care. “With this drought, we want to try and be proactive with animal care as we are anticipating problems due to lack of feed and water.” All calls to the line are confidential, and there are additional resources to help livestock producers. These include a resource team composed of area farmers and community members, as well as a veterinarian program that provides knowledgeable counsel on health concerns and caring for livestock. — Staff

James Leskiw

an adjuster to inspect the crop, the people can talk to their adjuster, graze their animals immediately, and work out their insurance after the fact,” said Leskiw. Several other counties are looking at declaring an agricultural disaster and every such vote is welcome, said Leskiw. “The more that declare, the more it registers with the province and the feds that there is a problem and it’s not just isolated,” he said. “This can influence the magnitude and the breadth of the programs.” In 2009, 10 counties in Alberta declared a state of agricultural disaster. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

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Albertafarmexpress.ca • August 3, 2015

COVERAGE } from page 1 But the workload isn’t much more than paying employment insurance premiums, said Bob Barnetson, a labour relations researcher at Athabasca University. “You sign up for workers’ compensation, you report your payroll to the Workers’ Compensation Board, and they assess your premiums,” he said. Cost is another common complaint among farmers, he added, but it is also manageable. “Right now for an agricultural operator to take out coverage, they would be looking at paying about $2.75 per $100 of payroll,” said Barnetson, adding that provides full liability insurance for the employer. “Farm operators in other provinces seem to still be able to make a go of it having to provide their workers with insurance coverage. I don’t imagine it would be a catastrophic financial hit to Alberta producers. “I find it strange that more producers don’t take advantage of the very inexpensive liability shield provided by workers’ compensation.” The barrier may be more philosophical than practical, he said. “There seems to be a strong ‘get off my land’ streak to Alberta producers who are resistant to the regulation of employment,” said Barnetson. “Much of this seems to be an ideological rejection of the government’s right to regulate employment.”

“We were really operating in the hinterlands in terms of modern safety practices for employer/ employee relationships,” said Chorney, who grows grain and vegetables near East Selkirk. “It was a steep learning curve, but we’ve come a long way.” Education and a “patient” government in the early stages of the process helped. “They took a soft enforcement approach — everyone was subject to the regulations, but they weren’t really enforcing it for every farmer they found that was out of compliance,” said Chorney. “They worked very closely with our farm organizations, and I think that was, in hindsight, a good idea because it gave farmers an opportunity to learn.” Compliance is now expected in all cases and while that’s generally happening, there’s still some cases where “producers have learning to do.” “There’s always a challenge in helping producers come into compliance. Are we perfect at this point? I would guess we’re not. It takes time,” said Chorney. “Preventable incidents do still happen on farms, and fatalities happen. We’re still learning.” Workers’ compensation cov-

“A farm that has some type of protection for those people is going to have a lot easier time hiring people,” says Lynn Jacobson. erage hasn’t been “the be all and end all” for improving farm safety in Manitoba, but “it has increased awareness” among farmers, he added.

Bob Barnetson: “I find it strange that more producers don’t take advantage of the very inexpensive liability shield provided by workers’ compensation.”

“We still have our issues, don’t get me wrong. Safety on farms is a challenge that’s ongoing,” he said. “But I think we’re moving forward in the right direc-

tion in terms of changing attitudes among employers and workers.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

Manitoba’s experience

That was the “biggest challenge” when Manitoba rolled out mandatory workers’ compensation coverage for farms in 2009. “Farmers had to accept that they had to comply with these new regulations,” said Doug Chorney, past president of Keystone Agricultural Producers, the province’s main farm group. “Farmers were basically doing whatever they wanted, and you know how independent minded entrepreneurial farmers are. They like that freedom.” Before Manitoba changed its regulations, there were no employment standards for agricultural operations, he said.

A powerful combination. “We were really operating in the hinterlands in terms of modern safety practices for employer/employee relationships. It was a steep learning curve, but we’ve come a long way.” Doug Chorney

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For complete offer details, see your retailer or visit powerfulcombination.ca *Heat® WG is also an eligible product. *The Roundup Transorb® HC, HEAT and DISTINCT offer off-invoice discount acres will be calculated using the following label rates: One case of Heat® LQ = 80 acres (jug of Heat® LQ = 80 acres), one case of Heat® WG = 640 acres (jug of Heat® WG = 80 acres), one case of Distinct® = 80 acres (jug of Distinct® = 40 acres), Roundup Transorb® HC 0.67L = 1 acre (10L = 15 acres, 115L = 172 acres, 450L = 675 acres, 800L = 1,200 acres). ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Tank mixtures: The applicable labelling for each product must be in the possession of the user at the time of application. Follow applicable use instructions, including application rates, precautions and restrictions of each product used in the tank mixture. Monsanto has not tested all tank mix product formulations for compatibility or performance other than specifically listed by brand name. Always predetermine the compatibility of tank mixtures by mixing small proportional quantities in advance. Roundup Transorb® is a registered trade-mark of Monsanto Technology LLC, Monsanto Canada, Inc. licensee. AgSolutions® and DISTINCT are registered trade-marks of BASF Corporation; and HEAT and KIXOR® are registered trade-marks of BASF SE; all used with permission by BASF Canada Inc. MERGE® is a registered trade-mark of BASF Canada Inc. © 2014 Monsanto Canada, Inc. and BASF Canada Inc.

AUGUST 3, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

The devil is in the detail when it comes to workplace rules Farms aren’t like other workplaces and regulations need to reflect that, say farm leaders By JENNIFER BLAIR AF staff

oug Chorney has some advice for Alberta farmers who are nervous about upcoming changes to health and safety regulations: “Don’t be scared of having the conversation.” “You’re better off having the conversation with government rather than just waiting for regulations to come in without your input,” said Chorney, past president of Keystone Agricultural Producers, Manitoba’s main farm group. “Farmers bring a lot of perspectives to the discussion that are unique to our workplace. We can’t rely on people who haven’t got an understanding of agriculture to make decisions for us.”

When the Manitoba government extended mandatory workers’ compensation coverage to agricultural operations in 2009, his group strongly lobbied for changes that would work for Manitoba farms. “We’ve made a lot of improvements because of Keystone Agricultural Producers being at the table and discussing the best way to implement change,” said Chorney. “That just speaks to the importance of having good farm lobby organizations representing producers.” Right now in Alberta, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Oneil Carlier is consulting with farm groups about changes to workers’ compensation and Occupational Health and Safety regulations. “He’s open to everything. He’s

not ruling out anything,” said Lynn Jacobson, president of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture. “He wants to work for a solution for agriculture that works for the majority of producers.” A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach won’t work for agriculture, he said, because a farm is very different from other workplaces. “There’s differences between us and an oilfield operation. There’s differences between us and construction. Those differences have to be taken into account,” said Jacobson. “By being at the table and presenting the differences, I think we can develop rules and regulations that will fit a farm.” For example, the farmyard is also the homestead on most operations. That not only blurs the line between work and home

life, but ups the risk for family members. “In a lot of cases, it’s... our children, our grandfathers, our uncles — the oldest and youngest are most vulnerable on farms,” said Chorney. It’s expected changes to workers’ compensation regulations will be on cabinet’s agenda this fall. When details of proposed changes become public, Alberta farmers should “keep an open mind,” said Jacobson. “Don’t be scared of any legislation coming down,” he said. “You’re going to have agriculture’s voices at the table, and the government seems to be willing to fit the programs to agriculture.” Producers also have to accept that workers’ compensation coverage is a “modern reality of the workplace,” said Chorney.

Alberta, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Oneil Carlier is consulting with farm groups about changes to workers’ compensation and Occupational Health and Safety regulations.

Province preparing surface rights maps Online maps will link to actual agreements

WHEN ENERGY IS SHARED, RURAL COMMUNITIES THRIVE.

For more than 100 years, ATCO has delivered essential services to 350 communities across Alberta. From lighting and heating homes, to supplying the power that fuels our province’s agricultural operations and industries, ATCO’s diverse group of companies are an essential part of daily life in Alberta. As a Founding Member of Ag for Life, ATCO shares an unparalleled commitment to community safety and education.

06/15-23180_01

he Farmers’ Advocate Office (FAO) is currently collecting surface lease, transmission line, seismic, and pipeline rightof-way agreements from landowners for the Surface Rights, Land, and Energy: Pricing Transparency Mapping Project. “There is currently no central repository where this type of information is compiled and accessible to landowners,” said Jeana Les, research and communications specialist for the FAO. “When negotiating with energy companies, landowners want to know if the compensation offer made by the land agent is within the range offered to other landowners,” says Les. “The Pricing Transparency Maps will provide a starting point for rural landowners who are negotiating with energy companies.” Landowners were positive about the compensation maps the FAO produced from 2007-09, said Les. The four new online maps, to be released this fall, will be more robust and interactive, and include a greater number of details and better sorting functions. They will be updated on a continuous basis. The FAO is currently accepting seismic and pipeline right-of-way agreements no older than 2011, and surface lease and transmission agreements no older than 2010. Originals should not be submitted, as they will not be returned, and no agreements containing a privacy clause will be accepted. Participants will be required to sign a release pursuant to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Names and contact information will not be released through the maps, but the legal land description will be included. For more information, contact Les at jeana.les@gov.ab.ca or 310FARM (3276).

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 3, 2015

Big prize on the line for 100-bushel canola Farmers can vie for the use of a fleet of John Deere equipment by boosting their canola production BY LAURA RANCE

Staff / Langham, Sask.

he first farmer to crack the 100-bushel-per-acre barrier for canola yields — or the one who comes closest — gets more than bragging rights at the local coffee shop. He or she would be using a fleet of John Deere farm equipment for 100 hours. The Canola 100 Agri-Prize unveiled at the inaugural Ag in Motion farm show last month gives farmers in Canada and the U.S. three years to break new ground in canola yields. “Many farmers have reported yields that hit 80 and one I know of has hit 90 bushels per acre. So can 100 bushels per acre be done on 50 acres? We believe so. Has it ever been done before? Not to our knowledge,” said Rob Saik, CEO of Agri-Trend. The yield must be over 50 acres and will be independently verified, Saik said. If no one reaches 100 bushels, the one who comes closest wins the prize. The prize package includes 100 hours each of a John Deere tractor, air seeder, high-clearance sprayer, windrower and combine. “It’s about paying attention to details,” Saik said. “The winning farmer undoubtedly has to have weather on his side. We know that. But in the event that weather does happen, what are the things that we can hone in and fine tune in canola?”

The first farmer to crack the 100-bushel barrier for canola will win the use of a complete fleet of John Deere equipment in a new contest sponsored by Agri-Trend, John Deere and Glacier Farm Media. Photo: Laura Rance “It’s just going to be fun to watch. This is going to be great and I think that we are going to learn a lot,” he said. The Canola Council of Canada has set a production target for average yields to hit 52 bushels per acre by 2020. The 2013 average canola yield was 41 bushels per acre.

Agri-Trend is partnering with John Deere farm equipment and Glacier Farm Media, which publishes Alberta Farmer and a host of other major farm publications in Canada in the project. The contest is open to any nonirrigated farmer growing springseeded canola in the Canola Belt of Canada and the United States.

It’s open to any type of genetics and farming technology. Saik said he got the idea from following the X Prize Foundation chairman and CEO Peter Diamandis, who co-authored the bestselling book Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think. “I said, why don’t we do something for agriculture?” he said.

“There could be technology prizes coming down the pike and I am envisioning this as being a longterm type of contest.” Farmers can enter between Sept. 15 and Jan. 31 for the 2016 crop. For contest rules and details go to www.agriprize.com. laura@fbcpublishing.com

Farmers, start your engines. You could win the ultimate Phoenix racing experience. For every 10 litres* of Pennzoil® product you buy from UFA until August 31, you’re automatically entered to win a VIP trip for two to Phoenix, Arizona. The trip package includes, Pennzoil’s “Best Seat in the House,” meet-and-greet with Pennzoil #22 driver, pit access, an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour, and much more! Plus, you can double your chances of winning when you purchase Pennzoil Platinum® synthetic motor oil. Visit UFA.com or make a pit stop at your nearest UFA petroleum location to learn more.

UFA.com 44872 UFA_Penzoil Phoenix 10.25x7.75_AFE.indd 1

2015-07-20 4:38 PM

NEWS » Markets

}technology

AUGUST 3, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Funding for bioindustrial products

Start at a farmers’ market

Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions has launched a new funding program aimed at helping companies with pre-commercial or commercial development of new bioindustrial products or technologies. Bioindustrial products derived from agricultural or forest biomass are currently used in several sectors, ranging from areas such as personal-care products, chemicals, the energy industry, construction and manufacturing. A minimum of $250,000 and a maximum of $1 million is available for projects that need pilot or scale-up work or prototype development and will be ready for the market within three years. — AAF release

An approved farmers’ market is a good place to start when selling directly to consumers, says a provincial new venture specialist. “Farmers’ markets have always been seen as a business incubator where new businesses can start selling direct to consumers,” said Marissa Brewer. “They get that immediate feedback and learn quickly how to market and hone their skills. Many of our vendors have ‘graduated’ to retail stores with their products but we also have a lot of vendors who continue to use the farmers’ markets as one of their many sales outlets.” For a listing of all Alberta-approved farmers’ markets visit www.sunnygirl.ca.

Tight canola stocks, but a bearish overall oilseed complex CWB tour finds wheat and canola better than expected, but the durum crop was hit hard by drought By Phil Franz-Warkentin, Commodity News Service Canada

CE Futures Canada canola contracts held within a rather narrow range for most of the week ended July 24, but fell to their lowest levels in a month by Friday’s close as declines in the U.S. soy complex put some spillover pressure on the Canadian oilseed. Recent rainfall in some of the dry parts of the Prairies contributed to the softer tone in canola. While the moisture was unlikely to provide much of a yield benefit at this stage, it should at least help stabilize what’s there. That said, production estimates continue to deteriorate. Three CWB crop tour groups underway met in Regina and settled on a canola production of only 12.5 million tonnes. That would be well below the 15.56 million tonnes grown in 2014. However, just a few days earlier CWB analysts had forecast canola production at only 12.2 million tonnes. While they found plenty of problems with both dryness and excess moisture, CWB tour group participants said overall production prospects were a bit better than originally thought. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada put out its own estimates during the week, and the government agency was a bit more optimistic, forecasting canola production at 14.30 million tonnes. Statistics Canada’s own official surveybased numbers won’t be out until the end of August, but most industry participants seem to be leaning towards the lower end of 12-million- to 14-million-tonne range when it comes to predicting this year’s crop. With such a small crop, demand rationing is to be expected. That should support for prices in the long run, but canola does not operate in a vacuum and activity in outside oilseed and financial markets will also be important to follow. In the U.S., soybeans and corn were both lower during the week, and appear to have more reasons to go down than up for the time being. Midwestern weather conditions were generally showing some improvement, while a strengthening U.S. dollar is also bearish for prices. Without a fresh weather scare, the technical outlook is a bit bearish for both beans and corn, with soybeans falling below the psychological US$10-per-bushel mark during the week and corn dipping below US$4 per bushel. U.S. wheat futures also dropped sharply during the week, as the advancing U.S. winter wheat harvest and poor international export demand weighed on prices. U.S. wheat traders were following the news out of the CWB tour closely as well, with the story much the same in wheat as it was in canola.

Photo: Thinkstock Conditions for the Canadian wheat crop were highly variable across the three Prairie provinces, with total production in Western Canada pegged at 23.1 million tonnes by the company. That would be down 21 per cent from the previous year, but above an estimate out earlier in the week of only 22 million tonnes. Canada’s smaller wheat crop is not a major factor in the larger international picture, but the durum side of the market could be interesting. Canada is one of the largest players in the durum export market, and CWB estimates place the crop at only 4.2 million tonnes. That would be about a million tonnes lower than what was grown in 2014, and the smallest Canadian durum crop in five years.

For three-times-daily markets reports and more from Commodity News Service Canada, visit the Markets section at www.albertafarmexpress.ca.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 3, 2015

USED FARM EQUIPMENT *For commercial use only. Offer subject to credit qualification and approval by CNH Industrial Capital Canada Ltd. See your New Holland dealer for details and eligibility requirements. CNH Industrial Capital Canada Ltd. standard terms and conditions will apply. Depending on model, a down payment may be required. Offer good through August 31, 2015, at participating New Holland dealers in Canada. Offer subject to change. Taxes, freight, set-up, delivery, additional options or attachments not included in price. © 2015 CNH Industrial Capital America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland Agriculture is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. CNH Industrial Capital and New Holland Construction are trademarks in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.

AIR DRILL

2009 Bourgault 3310 ........................... $148,000 2011 Bourgault 3310 ........................... $158,000 2010 Bourgault 3710 ........................... $289,000 2013 Bourgault 3710 ........................... $198,000 2011 Bourgault 3710 ........................... $184,000 2012 Bourgault 3710-50 ..................... $159,000 2002 Bourgault 5710 ............................. $55,800 2008 Bourgault 5710 ........................... $108,000 1998 Bourgault 5710 ............................. $59,900 1997 Bourgault 5710 ............................. $48,000 2007 Case IH ATX700/3430 .................. $79,000 2001 Flexi-Coil 3450 ............................. $39,500 2000 Flexi-Coil 3450 ........................... $115,000 2003 Flexi-Coil 5000/3450 ................... $89,000 2002 Flexi-Coil 6000 / 3450 ............... $115,000 2010 Flexi-Coil P2060 ........................... $68,000 2008 NH SD550 ................................... $59,000

AIR SEEDER

2013 Bourgault 3320/L6550 ............... $289,000 2001 Bourgault 5440 ............................. $48,000 2012 Bourgault 6450 ........................... $125,000 2010 Bourgault 6450 ........................... $108,000 2010 Bourgault 6650 ........................... $115,000 2011 Bourgault L6550 ......................... $105,000 2 - 2009 Bourgault L6550 .................... $105,000

AIR TANK/CART

Bourgault 3225 ...................................... $13,500 2000 Bourgault LFC2000 ......................... $8,200 1995 Flexi-Coil 2320 ............................. $13,500

BALE PROCESSOR

2003 Bale King 3100 ............................... $9,800

BALER/ROUND

2004 Case IH RBX562, 12600 Bales ....... $13,800 2008 Case IH RBX564 ........................... $19,800 2011 NH BR7090 ........................................... $0 2008 NH BR7090 .................................. $19,500 2005 NH BR780 .................................... $13,500 2004 NH BR780 .................................... $12,500 2003 NH BR780 ...................................... $7,900 2007 NH BR780A ................................. $15,900 2006 NH BR780A ................................. $14,500 2007 NH BR780A ................................. $12,800

BLADE

2012 Leon Q5000 ................................. $33,000 2 - 2013 Leon Q5000 ............................ $33,000

COMBINE

2013 AGCO Gleaner S77 Eng Hrs: 374 Sep Hrs: 296 ....... $329,000 2012 AGCO Gleaner S77 Eng Hrs: 423 Sep Hrs: 323 ....... $298,000 2012 AGCO Gleaner S77 Eng Hrs: 446 Sep Hrs: 346 ....... $298,000 1999 Case IH 2388 Eng Hrs: 2518 Sep Hrs: 1950 ............ $68,000 2000 Case IH 8010 Eng Hrs: 1728 Sep Hrs: 1322 .......... $189,000 2008 Case IH 8010 Eng Hrs: 1781 Sep Hrs: 1169 .......... $169,500 2013 Claas 760 Eng Hrs: 361 Sep Hrs: 233 .............. $389,000 2000 John Deere 9650 Sep Hrs: 2030 .... $98,000 2007 John Deere 9860STS Eng Hrs: 1627 Sep Hrs: 1161 .............................................. $208,000 2012 John Deere S680 Eng Hrs: 439 Sep Hrs: 343 ............................ $359,000 2013 NH CR8090 Sep Hrs: 440 ........... $359,000

2012 NH CR8090 Eng Hrs: 554 Sep Hrs: 434 .............. $359,000 2012 NH CR8090 Sep Hrs: 480 ........... $339,000 2007 NH CR9070 Eng Hrs: 1710 Sep Hrs: 1253 .......... $229,500 2011 NH CR9070 Eng Hrs: 1487 Sep Hrs: 1088 ..................... $0 2010 NH CR9070 Eng Hrs: 1654 Sep Hrs: 1240 ..................... $0 2010 NH CR9070 Eng Hrs: 1616 Sep Hrs: 1190 ..................... $0 2010 NH CR9070 Eng Hrs: 1655 Sep Hrs: 1239 ..................... $0 2008 NH CR9070 Eng Hrs: 1489 Sep Hrs: 1020 .......... $195,000 2009 NH CR9070 Sep Hrs: 920 ........... $239,000 2007 NH CR9070 Eng Hrs: 948 Sep Hrs: 780 .............. $198,000 2008 NH CR9070 Eng Hrs: 1434 Sep Hrs: 1023 .......... $249,000 2009 NH CR9080 Eng Hrs: 1347 Sep Hrs: 980 ............ $249,000 2010 NH CR9080 Eng Hrs: 1417 Sep Hrs: 1045 .......... $259,000 2011 NH CR9090Z Eng Hrs: 1024 Sep Hrs: 699 ............ $339,000 2012 NH CR9090Z Eng Hrs: 860 Sep Hrs: 630 .............. $359,000 2014 NH CR9090Z Eng Hrs: 491 Sep Hrs: 342 .............. $389,000 2012 NH CR9090Z Eng Hrs: 677 Sep Hrs: 542 .............. $369,000 2014 NH CR9090Z Eng Hrs: 458 Sep Hrs: 319 .............. $395,000 2010 NH CR9090Z Eng Hrs: 1165 Sep Hrs: 796 ............ $318,000 2010 NH CR9090Z Eng Hrs: 1040 Sep Hrs: 751 ............ $349,000 2006 NH CR970 Eng Hrs: 1861 Sep Hrs: 1300 .......... $169,500 2006 NH CR970 Eng Hrs: 1547 Sep Hrs: 1219 .......... $189,500 2005 NH CR970 Eng Hrs: 2459 Sep Hrs: 1821 .......... $159,000 2013 NH CX8080 Eng Hrs: 185 Sep Hrs: 137 .............. $358,000 2- -2014 NH CX8080 Eng Hrs: 50 -60 ............. $0 2008 NH CX8080 Eng Hrs: 1311 Sep Hrs: 990 ............ $189,000 2009 NH CX8080 .......................................... $0 2007 NH CX8080 Eng Hrs: 1002 Sep Hrs: 785 ............ $218,000 2013 NH CX8090 Eng Hrs: 447 Sep Hrs: 335 .............. $348,000 2004 NH CX860 Eng Hrs: 2374 Sep Hrs: 1851 .......... $138,000 2003 NH CX860 Eng Hrs: 1955 Sep Hrs: 1458 .......... $129,000 2004 NH CX860 Eng Hrs: 2046 Sep Hrs: 1532 $0 1996 NH TR98 Eng Hrs: 2931 Sep Hrs: 2211 ............ $39,000 1997 NH TR98 Eng Hrs: 2740 Sep Hrs: 1934 ............ $48,000 1999 NH TR99 Eng Hrs: 2061 Sep Hrs: 1463 ............ $69,000 1993 NH TX36 Eng Hrs: 3079 ................ $25,000 1996 NH TX6 Eng Hrs: 2796 Sep Hrs: 2188 ........... $48,000 1998 NH TX66 Eng Hrs: 2696 Sep Hrs: 2024 ............ $49,500

1997 NH TX66 Eng Hrs: 3754 Sep Hrs: 2781 ............ $38,500 1998 NH TX66 Eng Hrs: 3438 Sep Hrs: 2643 ............ $39,500 1998 NH TX66 ...................................... $48,000

FIELD CULTIVATOR

2014 Valmar 3255 ................................ $12,800

GRAIN AUGER

2001 Brandt 1390 ................................... $9,000 2010 NuVision 5395 ............................. $21,000

GRAIN VAC

2008 REM Mfg 3700 ............................. $22,000

HARROW HEAVY

2007 Bourgault 7200-72 ................................ $0

HEADER COMBINE

2008 Honey Bee HB36 ........................... $48,000 1996 Honey Bee SP25 ........................... $18,500 1995 Honey Bee SP30 ........................... $29,500 1997 Honey Bee SP30 ........................... $29,900 1994 Honey Bee SP36 ........................... $19,500 2007 Honey Bee SP36 ........................... $29,500 2012 John Deere 635 ............................ $68,000 2008 John Deere 936D .......................... $39,900 1998 MacDon 871 .................................. $6,000 2010 MacDon D60 ................................ $59,500 2011 MacDon FD70 .............................. $89,500 2011 MacDon FD70-45 ......................... $75,000 2013 MacDon FD75 .............................. $79,000 2010 MF 5100-35 ................................. $58,000 2006 NH 88C-36 .................................. $58,000 2009 NH 88C-42 .................................. $68,000 2007 NH 94C-25 .................................. $29,500 2000 NH 94C-25 ........................................... $0 2003 NH 94C-30 .................................. $29,500 2005 NH 94C-30 .................................. $29,500 2008 NH 94C-36 .................................. $49,500 2003 NH 94C-36 .................................. $44,000 2009 NH 94C-36 .................................. $44,000 2004 NH 94C-36 .................................. $45,000 2009 NH 94C-36 .................................. $53,000 2003 NH 94C-36 .................................. $39,500 2 - 1999 NH 994-25 ............... $25,000-$26,800 1998 NH 994-25 .................................. $28,500 1999 NH 994-30 .................................. $29,500 2000 NH 994-30 .................................. $38,000 1999 NH 994-36 .................................. $29,000 2 - 1998 NH 994-36 ............................. $19,000 1998 NH SP30 ...................................... $28,500 1994 NH SP30 ...................................... $19,500

HEADER DRAPER

1998 MacDon 960 ................................ $25,000 1998 MacDon 960 .................................. $9,500 1996 MacDon 960 ......................................... $0 1992 MacDon 960-30 ........................... $19,800 2003 MacDon 972 ................................ $39,000 2013 MacDon D65 ................................ $59,000

MOWER CONDITIONER

1992 John Deere 1600 ............................ $5,800 2000 MacDon 5010 .............................. $12,000

2006 NH 1475 ..................................... $21,500 1998 NH 1475 ..................................... $13,800 2007 NH 1475 ..................................... $22,000 2 - 1995 NH 2216 .................... $7,500 - $9,500 1999 NH 2300 ..................................... $10,500 2000 NH 2300 ..................................... $10,500 2013 NH H7460 ............................................ $0 2012 NH H7560 ............................................ $0 2006 NH HS18 ..................................... $24,500

ROW CROP TILLAGE

2010 Riteway 8100 ............................... $36,000

SPRAYER

1993 Flexi-Coil S65 ................................. $7,900 2003 Flexi-Coil S67 ............................... $19,500 2008 NH SF115 .................................... $24,900

SPRAYER/HIGH CLEARANCE 2008 Case IH Patriot 3320 Eng Hrs: 3030 ........................ $148,000 2011 NH SP240F Eng Hrs: 747 Spray Hrs: 542 ........... $268,000 2011 RoGator 1396 Eng Hrs: 900 ........ $288,000

SWATHER

1990 AGCO Hesston 1200 ...................... $2,800 2008 John Deere 4895 Hrs: 643 ............ $82,500 2013 MacDon M105 Hrs: 170 ............. $138,000 2010 MacDon M150 Hrs: 950 ............. $109,500 2 - 2011 MacDon M150 .... $119,000 - $125,000 2013 MacDon M155 ........................... $138,000 2006 MF 9420 Hrs: 2060 ...................... $58,000 2011 MF M9435-453 Hrs: 435 .............. $79,000 1999 NH 2450 .............................................. $0 2009 NH H8040 Hrs: 520 ..................... $98,000 2006 NH HB30 ..................................... $26,000 2003 Premier 2952 Hrs: 2098 ................ $48,000 1998 Westward 9300 Hrs: 3268 ............ $35,800 2005 Westward 9352 Hrs: 1450 ............ $69,000

TRACTOR

2009 McCormick TTX230 Eng Hrs: 1640 $99,000 1994 NH 8970 Eng Hrs: 9250 ............... $48,000 2009 NH T6030 Eng Hrs: 4550 .............. $85,000 2010 NH T6070 WLDR Eng Hrs: 2271 ... $93,000 2011 NH T7.170 Eng Hrs: 1850 ........... $119,000 2011 NH T7.235 AutoCommand Eng Hrs: 2000 ......... $119,000 2011 NH T7.270 AutoCommand Eng Hrs: 2360 ......... $178,000 2010 NH T7040 Eng Hrs: 2570 ............ $118,000 2011 NH TV6070 Eng Hrs: 2560 ......... $118,000 2009 NH TV6070 Eng Hrs: 4660 ........... $95,000 2008 NH TV6070 Eng Hrs: 4555 ........... $79,500

TRACTOR 4WD

2012 Buhler Versatile 500 Eng Hrs: 925 $285,000 2012 Buhler Versatile 500 Eng Hrs: 390 $275,000 2009 Case IH STX535Q Eng Hrs: 3103 $278,000 2014 NH T9.615 Eng Hrs: 1263 ........... $338,000 2002 NH TJ450 Eng Hrs: 9000 ............ $138,000

VERTICAL TILLAGE

2013 Bourgault 8910 - 70 ................... $115,000 2010 Salford 570 RTS ............................ $68,000

BOX 89, PARADISE HILL, SK. S0M 2G0

1-306-344-4448 • 1-877-344-4433

www.novlanbros.com

news » livestock

AUGUST 3, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Alberta Beef seeking delegates

VAHS scoops national award

Alberta Beef Producers is accepting nominations for delegates to run in the 2015 fall elections. “Our effectiveness is very much influenced by the quality of the producers who become our leaders. The producers who are elected as ABP delegates provide leadership to the organization and a critical connection to the grassroots producers in their respective zones.” Delegates are expected to connect with producers, and bring their concerns and issues forward, and inform them about ABP activities. For more info, go to the About Us section of www.albertabeef.org and click on Delegates and Directors. — Grass Routes Newsletter

Veterinary Agri-Health Services (VAHS) in Airdrie has been given the Practice of the Year Award by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. The award recognizes a veterinary practice team for outstanding achievement within its local community. VAHS was also cited for its research projects with a number of academic, government and pharmaceutical industry partners. VAHS was founded in 1993 by Dr. Michael Jelinski and focuses on feedlot and cow-calf operations across Western Canada. Its other veterinarians are Craig Dorin, Cody Creelman, Megan Simard, and Paul Hardes. — CVMA release

The new world of ‘sustainable’ beef Rancher Cherie Copithorne-Barnes has dealt with the movers and shakers in the sustainable beef movement — and they’re not all the same BY BRAD BRINKWORTH

“Business is business whether we like it or not. It had to follow consumers’ dollars.”

Meristem Land and Science

ho’s driving this bus? Amid ‘grocery wars,’ Jamie Oliver, ‘hormone free,’ Walmart, and a storm of related debate, this is the core question many producers and others in animal agriculture have about the new swath of expectations and ‘sustainability’ programs taking hold in the industry and the marketplace. One person with a unique, upclose perspective on what’s happening at both the ranch and the boardroom level, is Cherie Copithorne-Barnes, a fourthgeneration rancher and CEO of CL Ranches, which grazes around 28,000 acres near Jumping Pound, just west of Calgary. Copithorne-Barnes grapples daily with the practical realities of today’s rising pressures on animal agriculture and has also dealt directly with many of the movers and shakers behind initiatives at Sobeys, A&W, McDonald’s and others. She also has a front-row seat to developments both nationally and internationally, through her role as chair of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. Copithorne-Barnes spoke at the 5th Annual UCVM Beef Cattle Conference in Calgary in June and offered a number of insights.

Undercover visit

In July 2013, unbeknownst to her, a marketing representative of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver posed as a member of the Sobeys meat team out for a tour of the ranch, asking questions about animal welfare and videotaping her answers. “I thought it was a little odd that he was adamant about seeing our feedlots, even though we had emptied them out about the third week of April. He wanted to see the pens. And when we got there one of the questions he asked was, ‘Why would you put all of these calves into these backgrounding pens when you have these big, beautiful open fields?’ “I was beginning to get a bit suspicious of the line of questioning and I said, ‘Think of yourself being here in the middle of January when it’s

Cherie CopithorneBarnes

Cherie Copithorne-Barnes has had a front-row seat as global giants like McDonald’s and Walmart move to selling ‘sustainable’ beef. PHOTOS: MERISTEM LAND AND SCIENCE

40 below, the wind is blowing, and there’s a foot of snow on the ground. Where would you rather be? In these pens with the protection of the fence, clean bedding and adequate food, or out in the open field, facing that wind?’” A month later she learned the truth about the covert mission — Oliver’s team was evaluating beef suppliers to help Oliver decide if he would participate with Sobeys on what has become the “Sobeys and Jamie Oliver Partnership,” a highprofile marketing initiative built around the “Certified Humane” concept. She may not agree with all parts of the approach, but Copithorne-Barnes said it’s hard to fault Sobeys from a purely business perspective. “How do you say this was a wrong move for Sobeys to make? Jamie Oliver has 4.5 million (Twitter) followers. This is a man of incredible influence.”

‘Better Beef’

The next group to visit was A&W, which was considering a “Better Beef” campaign, which promises beef with no added hormones and steroids. “Before A&W rolled out its marketing plan, its executives actually took the time to come out and visit a number of operations,” she said. “The questions they asked were real, genuine, and they really tried to learn and understand. But we all know the reality of their marketing when they rolled this program out. I am no way endorsing the fact that to call this better beef was

responsible. Thankfully, even they eventually started to realize the negative impact this was having at the producer level. That’s why you don’t see the words better beef in the slogan anymore.” Despite the damage caused, again it’s hard to argue the business rationale, she said. “A&W decided that the hormone-free concept was something its consumers were asking for. It needed to learn how to supply it and it became the very first national hormone-free burger available to Canadians. Business is business whether we like it or not. It had to follow consumers’ dollars and this is where A&W decided to go.”

‘Verified sustainable’

Arguably the most important retailer initiative is McDonald’s pledge to begin purchasing “verified sustainable” beef in 2016, with Canada selected for the company’s first verified sustainable beef pilot project. Copithorne-Barnes said the inclusive and collaborative approach McDonald’s has chosen is encouraging and arguably the best among the big retailers. “It’s really been a driving force in bringing together a multi-collaborative platform in order to ensure that sustainable beef will be defined in a way that everybody can define and accept.” That multi-stakeholder process stands in contrast to the opportunistic approaches of some companies, she said. “You look at one of the more extreme examples, such as what Chipotle in the U.S. is doing,

where it’s clear it has decided to drive consumers’ thinking for its own gain, whether there’s truth or not to how it is representing things,” she said. “McDonald’s, on the other hand, wants to make sure that everyone involved in this concept has a voice at the table and it gets it right.” This means working with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, the Canadian roundtable, Alberta Beef Producers, and many other industry players. It also includes a strong science basis. This shows in McDonald’s position on antimicrobial use. Rather than promote antibiotic free, it supports ‘judicious decision-making.’ Bruce Feinberg, McDonald’s global animal health and welfare officer, has simply stated: “McDonald’s believes that animals deserve care and we still support the treatment of sick animals.” It’s important for producers to have clear, science-based criteria that aren’t unfairly restrictive, said Copithorne-Barnes. “This is more likely to happen when industry is part of the decision-making team.”

The road ahead

Copithorne-Barnes’ take on Walmart is an interesting one. The company recently urged its meat and egg supplier to curb antimicrobial use, which garnered massive media coverage. “The press called this absolutely earth shattering and a game changer, which made me laugh because it was about the last one in the game.” But she was still relatively happy at where Walmart landed. “What I was most proud of with Walmart is that for once it was a recommendation. Walmart has a tendency to send out prescriptive edicts. ‘You will or else we won’t.’ This was the first time when it comes to a sustainabil-

ity factor that Walmart has said we ‘recommend,’ and the reality is I think a lot of that has to do with McDonald’s and others making a lot of headway through the concept of collaboration.” But there are other issues to deal with. “For example, I know first hand that antimicrobials are just the first step. We will be facing more questions about Ractopamine and hormones coming up very soon.” But the recent signs of progress are also encouraging, she said. “If we can keep what we’re doing open and transparent, at both a national and global level, hopefully these companies such as Walmart, Unilever, Nestlé, that are all walking down this path right now, will pay attention to this and we will have approaches we can live with.” It’s important for the beef industry to work together, reach out to consumers and retailers, and “continually come up with new and creative ways to influence and deliver our messages.” Social media will be a key part of that, but old-style communication is, too. “One of the most productive things I’ve been able to accomplish in the past year and a half is to have people come out to the ranch so I can show them what we’re doing,” she said. “It’s one thing to have a 400-page document explaining what we’re doing. It’s another if you can see it or if I can tell you in my own words. “We don’t need to get complicated. Just talk about the simple things we do every day and why we do them. That can go a long way.” Meristem Land and Science (www.meristem.com) is a Calgarybased communications firm that specializes in writing about western agriculture, food and land use.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 3, 2015

Bringing the advantages of hydrotherapy to your horse horse health } It is soothing as well as therapeutic

when dealing with wounds or injuries By Carol Shwetz DVM

ne of the most valuable allies in the “doctor’s” kit of every horseman ought to be water — simple, soothing, inexpensive, and most often readily available. The application of water, a.k.a. hydrotherapy, to encourage healing brings plenty of advantages in many equine injuries. In spite of the many advancements in veterinary medicine, hydrotherapy remains a solid therapeutic modality on the front lines of first aid treatment as well as extending benefit into the healing period thereafter. Veterinarians frequently counsel horse owners to cold hose an injury for a duration of about 20 minutes. Many horse owners quickly realize the benefits of this practice and will often have hydrotherapy well underway even before the veterinarian has arrived to tend to an injury. Initially hydrotherapy serves to cleanse an open wound of dirt and debris. A clean wound is not only the first step to effective healing, it is also valuable therapy for ongoing healing. This first step in cleaning will be important whether the wound is sutured or left to heal as an open wound. If the injury is left to heal as an open wound, hosing the wound for 20 minutes daily encourages further healing. This process can be repeated every day for weeks after the injury depending on the wound’s progress. The beneficial effects of hydrotherapy extend beyond cleansing the injury. Hydrotherapy is also remarkably effective at controlling and regulating the three main symptoms of inflammation — heat, swelling and pain. These three processes are natural and functional responses to injury, yet they can overwhelm and slow the healing process. Hydrotherapy appears to modulate the horse’s natural mechanisms to heal an injury by capitalizing on the stimulating effects of improved circulation. Both the immune system and tissue regeneration appear to be enhanced as well. The timely application of cold hydrotherapy to a laceration, blunt trauma, or strained and/or sprained soft tissue constricts and decreases the permeability of blood vessels at the injury site and thus reduces the amount of fluid accumulation. Cold therapy reduces the tissue’s

If an injury is left to heal as an open wound, hosing the wound for 20 minutes daily encourages further healing. This process can be repeated every day for weeks after the injury depending on the wound’s progress. PHOTo: Carol Shwetz demand for oxygen and so limits the triggers for hypoxic injury. Contraction of the vessels due to the cold also encourages the movement of fluid from the affected area, further reducing swelling. One of the often overlooked benefits of cold hydrotherapy is that of analgesia and pain relief. Invariably the afflicted site shows noticeable improvement and appears less painful for the horse. Horses quickly learn to accept and enjoy the benefits of hydrotherapy. Owners often comment on the favourable influence hydrotherapy will have on their horse’s overall attitude. There are numerous variations on the theme of hydrotherapy. Cold therapy is recommended until the initial inflammation has subsided. Once the injury feels cool to the touch, heat can be applied to encourage blood circulation to the affected area. Hosing with warm and/or tepid water can be done if such is readily available. Hot compresses can also be utilized to accomplish this end. When heat is applied to the surface of an injury it causes the blood vessels to dilate and increase blood flow to the site bringing nutrients and oxygen to the injured tissue.

Young producer from Provost wins OYF scholarship Myles Butt of Provost is one of two recipients of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers memorial scholarships. Butt and Ontario’s Deanna Ringelberg will each receive $1,000 to support their postsecondary agricultural studies in Canada. Butt is a fourth-generation farmer, and his family grows 3,000 acres of crops and raises about 700 head of commercial beef cattle. He will begin his bachelor’s studies in agriculture business at the

University of Saskatchewan this fall. “This is a huge honour,” says Butt. “I am thrilled to be one of the recipients of the OYF memorial scholarship, and I really appreciate the money that will help cover the cost of my studies.” Butt will be formally presented with his scholarship at the OYF national event in Edmonton from Nov. 17-22. Information on the national event can be found at www. oyfcanada.com. — OYF release

Although dry heat from lamps or heating pads can be helpful, moist heat from compresses are better able to penetrate deeper into the tissues. However, if heat is applied too early after an injury the heat can spur undesirable inflammation. Therefore, as a general rule one would apply cold if the injury is warm and/or hot and apply heat if the injury feels cool/cold. The change of therapy from cold to hot can take from days to a week

depending on the nature and severity of the injury. Contrast baths are another practice that can be used to stimulate healing. An alternating series of warm (not hot) and cold applications are used to encourage the movement of nourishing fluids into the affected area and removal of stagnant fluids out of the healing site by cycling dilation and contraction of blood vessels.

It is important not to overlook the inexpensive nature and extremely wide margin of safety hydrotherapy offers. As such, it presents strong arguments in its favour, bringing a multitude of advantages to horse owners when presented with acute injuries or wounds. Carol Shwetz is a veterinarian focusing on equine practice in Millarville, Alberta.

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AUGUST 3, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Anthrax warning issued after two bison die near North Battleford There is a greater risk of anthrax in dry conditions and a sudden unexplained death is the key warning sign By Alexis Kienlen AF STAFF

Anthrax can be a threat to bison, cattle, sheep and goats during drier years, says veterinarian Kent Weir. PHOTO: COURTESY KENT WEIR

uthorities are warning that the anthrax danger is higher after two bison northwest of North Battleford, Sask. recently died after contracting the highly contagious disease. “Whenever we have drier summers, anthrax is always a higher risk,” said Dr. Kent Weir, associate veterinarian with Weir Veterinary services in Lloydminster.

Anthrax spores can survive for decades in wet areas such as sloughs and potholes, especially in alkaline soils. When bodies of water dry up, spores are exposed and animals can ingest them with their corpses leaving more spores on the ground and heightening the danger. Since the disease can kill cattle in as little as two hours, sudden death is the most common symptom. “The thing a producer needs to be most wary of is something that is unexplainably dead,” said Weir. “When you find them, the animals are

A FIELD FULL OF BALES IS NO LONGER THE DREADED CHORE IT ONCE WAS

often extremely bloated — more bloated than you would expect for the amount of time that they have been dead. “It’s literally like you check the cows the night before and you show up the next morning and you have a dead cow.” Animals that have died from anthrax will often have blood coming out of an orifice. Humans are susceptible to anthrax and can contract it if they cut into animals that have died of anthrax, and inhale some of the spores. They could also become infected if they have a cut or skin abrasion that comes into contact with the spores. Humans who catch anthrax will have flu-like symptoms, nausea, high fever and have trouble breathing. They may also cough up blood, and in rare occasions, can die. “The risk to humans is quite low and it’s not something that you need to worry about unless you’re cutting into them,” said Weir. A producer who suspects a case of anthrax should call their veterinarian immediately and cover the body with a tarp to prevent scavenging and spread of disease. The vet will come out and take blood samples. (Blood doesn’t clot in an animal that has died of anthrax.) Anthrax is a federally reportable disease, and all cases will be reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. If anthrax is suspected, producers should move their live animals off that pasture to avoid contamination. “The disease doesn’t transfer from animal to animal,” said Weir. “If one cow inhales it and then walks over to another cow and breathes on it, it doesn’t get transferred that way. It’s from ingesting it.”

“The risk to humans is quite low and it’s not something that you need to worry about unless you’re cutting into them.”

Kent Weir

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After the veterinarian has taken samples from the dead animal, producers should burn the carcass and bury the remains to ensure they are killing the anthrax spore. Producers who have had more than one anthrax death may want to invest in the anthrax vaccine. Although not expensive, the vaccine must be specially ordered as it’s not commonly used. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 3, 2015

Hog and cattle expansion will be slow New report says both cattle and hog producers ‘cautious’ about expanding Alberta Agriculture and Forestry release / Staff

new report from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) says the cattle and hog sectors face challenges, but their economic prospects over the next decade ARE positive. The report predicts there will be a modest increase in the provincial cattle herd, partly because producers are “cautious” about additional investments. “The rapid improvement in the equity position is a doubleedged sword, with some producers choosing to exit the industry while others are investing — although the extent and pace of exit are likely tempered by tax considerations,” states the report prepared by Informa Economics. The beef sector has been challenged by country-of-origin labelling laws, higher feed costs and BSE in the past decade, said Clint Dobson, ALMA’s senior manager of research and policy. But the market is sending positive signals, he added. “Global production of beef has slowed and export opportunities continue with strong demands in markets such as China which will remain important factors.”

The study also looked at the economic impact the sectors have on the provincial economy. “What is obvious is how important the cattle and hog sectors are to the provincial economy measured by direct and indirect impacts including sales, service, and purchasing trends,” said Dobson. “The results show that the two industries combined contributed over $7 billion in GDP to Alberta’s economy and employs over 96,000 workers. The report projects that those totals will change to $11.5 billion in GDP and employ approximately 155,000 by 2025.” However, labour availability was identified as a key challenge to expanding both sectors, Dobson said. The full report and executive summary of Medium-Term Economic Outlook for Alberta’s Cattle and Hog Sectors can be found in the News and Events section of www.alma.alberta.ca.

Hog producers aren’t planning on expanding their herds for at least another five years, says a new report. aPHOTO: ALBERTA PORK

“Global production of beef has slowed and export opportunities continue with strong demands in markets such as China which will remain important factors.”

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World hog production is growing slower than it has historically while demand remains strong. “In Alberta, the sector is still rebuilding from lost equity despite positive margins in 2014,” said Dobson. The report estimates that producers have recovered just 30 to 40 per cent of the losses they suffered in the previous decade and forecasts only very modest growth in herd numbers. “Producers are being cautious,” the report states. “They are very aware of increasing U.S. herds. No one expects growth over the next five years, as farmers do not have the equity to put into their operations, and there is little, if any, interest from the banking sector in extending credit. If margins remain positive, it will likely be five to seven years before organic growth occurs.”

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AUGUST 3, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Irrigation district faces record fine

AC for Italian cows and pigs

A northern California irrigation district accused of defying emergency drought restrictions is facing the prospect of a $1.5-million fine. The penalty, if approved by the state Water Resources Control Board, would be the largest ever levied against a water user for an alleged unauthorized diversion during a drought. Byron-Bethany Irrigation District supplies water to 160 agricultural customers — mostly cattle ranches, alfalfa growers and vineyards — on 12,000 acres east of San Francisco Bay. It’s accused of taking an intake channel for two weeks after being ordered to stop. — Reuters

A heat wave last month prompted Italian farmers to install showers and air conditioning in cowsheds and pigsties to allow the animals to freshen up in the baking summer heat. Farm animals in Italy — particularly in the muggy agricultural heartland around the Po River near Milan — were under stress as temperatures hit 40 C in the hottest July for more than a decade. Italian cows produced 50 million litres less milk than usual in the first 15 days of the month and chickens laid between five and 10 per cent fewer eggs, an Italian farm group said in a statement. — Reuters

Severe summer weather — thunderstorms and wind

Everyone knows what a funnel cloud looks like, but understanding how it forms isn’t easy BY DANIEL BEZTE

his issue we’ll continue our look at severe thunderstorms, and specifically, the most deadly part — tornadoes. What are tornadoes and how do they form? A classic definition of a tornado is a violently rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground, which may or may not be visible as a funnel cloud. For this rotating column of air to be classified as a tornado, it must touch the ground. As to how tornadoes form, the real answer is: We just don’t know. Tornadoes usually develop from supercell thunderstorms, but these are difficult to predict. Even if we were able to accurately predict where and when these thunderstorms would develop, the intense part of the thunderstorm usually only covers an area of a few hundred square kilometres. Within this few hundred square kilometres, the really severe weather may only occur in a small area of maybe 10 to 20 square kilometres. Now, if we look at the size of a tornado, we would find that they range from as small as about 40 metres to as large as two kilometres across, with the average width being around 100 to 200 metres. This means that, as far as weather phenomena are concerned, tornadoes are very small, which makes them difficult to study. Now, before I go on to look at tornadoes in more detail, let’s first take a look at one of the weakest members of the tornado family — the funnel cloud, and in particular, something called a cold-air funnel. The fundamentals behind the development of these funnel clouds are very similar to how tornadoes get started and will serve as a good starting point for our look at tornadoes. All tornadoes develop out of what we refer to as a funnel cloud. In strong thunderstorms, these funnels

14 Day Accumulated Precipitation (Prairie Region) July 10, 2015 to July 23, 2015

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

This map shows the precipitation index or drought index for the 90-day period ending July 21. What immediately jumps out at you is the amount of browns. These colours indicate regions experiencing drier-than-average weather, with the brown areas experiencing one-in-50- to onein-100-year drought conditions. Only a few scattered locations have seen near-average amounts of rain (green) with no regions reporting above-average amounts.

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 © 2015 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: 07/24/15 www.agr.gc.ca/drought

cutline elongate and may eventually touch the ground to become a tornado, but a funnel cloud all by itself is not considered a tornado. While a fair bit of research has been done on tornadoes and the storms that produce them, very little research has been done on cold-air funnels and so we know very little about them. In general, cold-air funnels form in environments where we would not typically expect severe weather to develop, that is, in hot, muggy, unstable air. Usually, cold-air funnels will form when there is a large pool of cold air aloft that is most often associated with an upper-level low. These conditions provide two critical ingredients that are believed to be necessary for the development of cold-air funnels — instability and vorticity. If you think back to what

you know about instability in the atmosphere, you should remember that warm air will rise and cold air will sink. If the atmosphere is unstable you need either really warm air at the surface, or very cold air in the upper atmosphere. This is why there needs to be a pool of cold air aloft for cold-air funnels to form, because this provides the first ingredient — instability, or rising air. The second ingredient is vorticity. This simply means spinning air. Areas of low pressure are large areas of spinning air, too large to form into a funnel cloud or tornado. But within this large area of spinning air, smaller regions get ‘spun up’ creating what meteorologists call a vorticity-rich environment, which contain lots of little eddies of spinning air. Scientists believe one of these small eddies of spinning air

gets caught in an updraft. This updraft then pulls on and elongates the eddy, causing it to contract in width. And just like a figure skater pulling their arms in during a spin, this causes the rotation to gain momentum, creating a funnel cloud. These funnel clouds are generally very weak and short lived, and will rarely become strong enough or last long enough to touch down. If they do touch down, they can then be referred to as tornadoes, but even then they rarely cause much damage, often comparable to that of a very strong dust devil. In fact, when these cold-air funnels do touch down they are sometimes referred to as land spouts. Since the potential exists for cold-air funnels to touch down as a tornado, Environ-

ment Canada has to issue special weather statements to warn the public about them. Since they rarely touch down, and even when they do they rarely cause damage, such statements will usually urge the public to be watchful for these to occur and to take precautions if necessary. So you don’t have to go diving for the nearest storm shelter if you do see one of them forming. We’ll continue our discussion on more severe tornadoes and straight-line winds in the next issue. 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.

Trim: 10.25”

Recycle pesticide containers Farmers can recycle empty commercial pesticide and fertilizer containers at no charge. Clean empty containers that are 23 litres or smaller can be taken to the nearest collection site. Containers larger than 23 litres should be returned to the point of sale or to the manufacturer for disposal. Containers used for home and garden care with the words ‘Domestic’ on their label should be disposed of through an appropriate municipal program. Along with being properly cleaned, caps and paper booklets should be removed as they require a different recycling process. Glued-on labels can stay on the container. For more info and collection site map, visit www.cleanfarms.ca. — AAF release

Harvest loss: An app and Top 10 tips

Save big bucks by measuring harvest waste, calculating the loss, and adjusting harvest management practices accordingly By JENNIFER BLAIR

“There’s a lot more harvest loss than people want to admit.”

AF staff / Lacombe

n a drought year like this one, when every bushel counts, the last thing a producer wants to do is to leave grain on the ground. But harvest loss — to the tune of up to five bushels an acre — is a costly problem for growers across the Prairies. And more often than not, the cause of it sits behind the wheel of a combine. “There’s a lot more harvest loss than people want to admit,” said Jim Bessel, a retired harvest specialist with the Canola Council of Canada. “The technology that we have is incredible, and the knowledge that we’re learning is impeccable. The problem is some of the basics have been forgotten. The monitor is only as good as the person who set it.” On average, producers are going to lose a bushel an acre out the back of a combine during harvest, said Bessel, who spoke at canolaPALOOZA in late June. But a research study conducted across the Prairies from 2010 to 2012 showed harvest losses in canola that ranged between two per cent and 11 per cent, depending on the area. And a producer’s need for speed increases that loss. “We have a lot of horsepower on these things now, so we don’t have to go through the labour of unplugging like we used to,” said Bes-

Jim Bessel

Retired canola council harvest specialist Jim Bessel uses a one-square-foot drop pan to measure harvest loss quickly and easily. PHOTO: JENNIFER BLAIR sel. “With that horsepower, we just use a little speed. You’ve got to have efficiency, granted, but you’ve also got to get the job done right.” Using some “simple math,” Bessel showed that at $10 a bushel and 20 acres an hour, losing one bushel an acre every hour costs a producer $200 an hour — or $1,600 over a quarter section. And in many cases, producers aren’t just losing one bushel an acre. “Instead of 20 acres an hour, let’s go down to 15,” he said. “If we go rent, buy, lease, have a custom guy come in — do whatever to find another combine — and slow down to 15 acres an hour on that same quarter section, we actually save some time because we’re doing double.” Even with the added expense of a second com-

bine, he said, producers should see cost savings of around $100 an hour. Slowing down from four to three miles per hour can save an extra bushel per acre.

First step

But first, said Bessel, producers need to actually calculate their harvest loss to decide whether the gain will be worth the drop in efficiency. And the first step is to measure it. “It’s kind of like taking a soil test,” he said. “You have to have a baseline to work from to know what type of fertility program you want to use on a particular piece of land. The same thing goes for harvesting.” The best way to measure isn’t by “getting down there with your nose to the ground,” he said. Instead, producers should be using a drop pan. “Drop pans are great to give you an idea of what’s happening out the back of the machine.” One of the easiest ways to do that is by turning off the

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chaff spreader and straw chopper and then throwing a one-square-foot pan under the combine to capture losses as the combine passes over the pan, he said. Once the pan catches the sample, clean the sample of any debris and then weigh the remaining seed sample using a portable scale. Next, producers will need to determine the ‘concentration factor’ — “the full width of your cut in relation to the width of the back end” — using a guide created by the canola council and the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (Google ‘Combine Seed Loss Guide’). Once the concentration factor has been determined, the guide will show the loss per acre, at which point producers can decide whether the loss is enough to warrant any adjustments — the last step in reducing harvest loss. At that point, producers should check for leaks, consider lowering their speed, and adjust the settings on the combine if needed, said Bessel. “Those three steps are key to making sure you’re getting the maximum efficiency and productivity out of whatever machine you’re driving,” he said. “We’re looking at something here that can make you a fair amount of dollars per acre, but if it’s not calibrated properly and adjusted accordingly, it can cost you a lot of money.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

Trim: 15.58”

Here are two more resources for calculating and reducing harvest loss. The Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association has created a free app — SSCA Harvest Loss Calculator — for iPhones and iPads. The tool allows the user to enter the amount of seed in a sampling area of known size, either in weight, volume, or kernel number. The cutting width and sieve width are entered to determine the concentration factor. The app uses bushel or seed weight to calculate losses. These can be expressed in total loss (pounds/ acre or bushels/acre), as a percentage of yield, or as a cost. To get the app, Google ‘SSCA Harvest Loss Calculator.’ Canola Watch has a Top 10 list for reducing losses, including information on chaffer and sieve settings, fan speed, and over- and underthreshing. It can be found by searching for ‘combine loss’ at www.canolawatch.org. — Staff

Measuring harvest loss the first step to managing it

}

ENVIRONMENT

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 3, 2015

AUGUST 3, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

The British are coming! And taking precision tillage to a new level U.K. machine is pricey, but organic grain grower says it will easily pay for itself BY LORRAINE STEVENSON Staff / Somerset, Man.

eremiah Evans has a new hightech hand helping him control weeds on his organic farm. Last fall, Evans took delivery of a custom-built U.K.-manufactured Robocrop InRow Weeder, which uses cutting-edge video image analysis to identify and target weeds, leaving the crop behind. After seeing what the cultivator could do to his wild oats, thistle and quackgrass this spring, the south-central Manitoba farmer is convinced he’s found a solution to his weed problems. And visitors are equally impressed. “I’ve had a few tours to the farm this summer,” said Evans. Those watching the 22-foot cultivator yank out weeds between his 6-1/2inch row field crops are calling this “a complete game changer for the organic industry.” “Everyone is pretty excited about it,” he said during a recent organic farming systems tour. “I think it’s going to change organics in Western Canada. There’s good potential in organic, but the weed competition always seems to take that potential out.” The 38-year-old, who is also an electrician, has farmed 500 acres organically since switching out of a much larger conventional farm operation in 2004 when his health was affected by chemicals.

Nervous at first

Any new and relatively effective mechanical means to control weeds is bound to be welcomed by organic farmers, whose weed

Manitoba organic farmer Jeremiah Evans is impressed with the weed control he’s getting with a new U.K.-made in-row cultivator. PHOTO: LORRAINE STEVENSON problems can quickly get out of hand despite using careful rotations, use of cover crops, or increased seeding rates. Evans said what prompted him to seek alternatives was a combination of his own mounting frustration with narrow windows to

harrow, which he’s largely relied on for weed control, plus a question raised at last year’s organic field tour: ‘Isn’t there another way to control weeds after seeding?’ “I started searching on the Internet and stumbled across this watching YouTube videos,”

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and flax, with the machine covering between 10 and 12 acres an hour. Evans said he’s impressed with its ability to consistently cut down weeds, regardless of what height they’ve reached, while leaving the crop behind.

“I think it’s going to change organics in Western Canada.”

Jeremiah Evans

How it works

Return all bulk pesticide containers to your crop inputs retailer. Do not return any bulk containers to municipal collection sites.

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he said. A few conversations with U.K manufacturer Garford and a long look at his own fields’ weed patterns convinced him this approach might work. “Harrowing needs to be done within a matter of days and I wasn’t getting the timing perfect,” he said. He admits being nervous on the first day out with the Robocrop, wondering just how precise it would be. “I think it took about three hours to make the first outside round... I was just constantly checking, and you have to get the cameras set up so they follow the rows properly,” he said. But any fears of ripping out his newly planted field were quickly dispelled.

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Store all obsolete pesticides safely on-farm until called in for scheduled pick up at designated collection sites.

The cultivator is guided by two video cameras that use colour and pattern recognition software to identify the weeds and control the weeding rotor that takes them out. It is extremely precise, says Evans, adding that the company’s own claim is it is accurate to within three-eighths of an inch (10 millimetres). “This is more accurate than RTK GPS which is only accurate to one inch,” he said. He has used it on crops of peas, mustard, beans, wheat, barley

“I’m very happy with the way it’s performing and the job it’s doing.” He has set up test plots to determine what his new weed control measure will do for yields. But he’s already convinced the machine is worth its $80,000 price tag. “A yield increase of a bushel an acre will justify the cost,” he said. The cultivator was purchased from Willsie Equipment Sales in Ontario. lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

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Continue to return small pesticide containers (under 23L) to your local municipal collection site. REMEMBER: Triple rinsing containers is essential!

These changes are now in effect and more detail can be found at cleanfarms.ca. Thank you Alberta growers for your cooperation and leadership in ag-waste stewardship.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 3, 2015

Farmers should see lower diesel prices soon But expert says it’s impossible to know when the drop in oil prices will be reflected at the pump By Dave Sims CNS Canada

anadian diesel prices should go down between now and the end of the summer, according to a fuel expert. Since early May, the price of diesel across the Prairies has largely been in and around the 94- to 98-cents-per-litre range. Tom Kloza of the Oil Price Information Service reported prices on July 6 in the U.S. fell 12 to 13 cents per gallon in futures trading. “It was one of those days where it didn’t matter if it was crude or diesel. You had a loss of about 7-1/2 per cent. That’s a big move.”

Up to that point, he said, North American diesel had been locked in a tight trading range for a considerable period. While Kloza said he believes relief at the diesel pump should be felt soon, he cautions it’s impossible to know how long it may take. “It’s a bit of the rocket and feather, where it rockets higher but trips like a feather lower. But between now and the end of August there’s nothing to stop the erosion of the price of diesel fuel.” Several new world-class oil refineries have also opened up in several countries, he said. “These refineries have been geared to creating as much diesel as they could possibly make.”

While crude oil is currently buffeted by a number of factors including the Greek debt crisis, the Iran nuclear deal and the slumping Chinese economy, Kloza said diesel should be relatively unaffected for now. “I think any additional crude oil exports from Iran (as a result of a successful nuclear deal) are a 2016 event. I also have to tell you that everything else from the last week or so is pretty bearish for the petroleum-pricing structure,” he said. However, “once we get closer to winter the diesel market should recover and harvest demand will help. But between now and 30 days before harvest time, you just can’t find a catalyst to move prices higher.”

Mountain invader heading towards us

range hawkweed has been spotted in recent years along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. It is common in forestry cut blocks and is spreading rapidly down ATV trails and roads. Hawkweed is an extremely invasive plant, with a triple-threat arsenal of reproductive methods. It is not only a prolific seed producer, but has an extensive fibrous root system and can produce stolons (short, strawberry-like runners). It adapts to many environments and can even grow happily under coniferous trees. Orange hawkweed can be recognized by its fiery-orange flowers which have square-edged, notched petals. Leaves are elliptical in shape and mostly clustered at the base. Both leaves and stems are covered with bristly hairs. Contact your local fieldman at www.aaaf.ab.ca

Harsh conditions don’t bother orange hawkweed, which is spreading down the eastern slopes of the Rockies. PHOTO: LINDSEY COCKERILL Other varieties of hawkweed can also have yellow or white flowers, but orange hawkweed is the only variety with just orange flowers. Once established, this fastspreading weed is very hard to control, so contact your local Agricultural Fieldman if you think you’ve spotted it. For more information on noxious weeds: www.abinvasives.ca

Cargill opens crush plant in Camrose Cargill has officially opened its canola-processing facility in Camrose, saying it will “place Alberta’s canola sector at a competitive advantage in the global marketplace as markets become available through the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership” trade deal. “This plant has the capacity to process over one million tonnes of canola per year and will provide Alberta canola growers with a competitive point of delivery in this region,” said Ken Stone, assistant vice-president for the company’s canola-processing business.— Staff

Horner new CSTA president Scott Horner of HyTech Production in Lethbridge is the new president of the Canadian Seed Trade Association. Horner has been a member of the group’s board since 2008, and represents it on the Seed Association of the Americas. He has also chaired the hybrid canola seed production subcommittee. He succeeds Peter Entz. The Canadian Seed Trade Association is the national voice of 130 seed company members engaged in all aspects of seed research, production, and marketing and trade, both domestically and internationally. — CSTA release

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*Terms and Conditions: Program #RP-15-07-01-GH. Farm King customers that purchase a new Farm King auger will be eligible for a discount off invoice at time of purchase; $500 on 10" augers (models 1050, 1060, 1070, 1080), 13" augers (1370, 1385, 1395) or 16" augers (1684, 16104). Dealer must submit a copy of the retail contract and warranty registration to Corporate Office before the end of the day August 30, 2015. Valid in the United States and Canada only. No changes or substitutes. See your local Farm King dealer for details. Farm King and the Farm King logo are registered trademarks of Buhler Industries Inc. ©2015 Buhler Industries Inc.

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AUGUST 3, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Service Since 1 9 3 3

EBB’S

CLARK PIPKE

MIKE GOTTSELIG

TRAVIS GIEBELHAUS

MILES MACKOW

VEGREVILLE, AB

RANDY REICHEL

PETER D. POLISCHUK

LAMONT, AB

KEVIN MARTIN

MIKE SYMES

COLTON DRAVES

VERMILION, AB

1-877-632-6772 1-855-895-2189 1-888-853-5196

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MF 9435....................... $79,000

JD 9770 STS .............. $199,900

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BLOWOUT PRICE • Cash No Trade

NH CR 9080 ............... $199,900 BLOWOUT PRICE • Cash No Trade

COMBINES

BLOWOUT PRICE • Cash No Trade

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NH CR960 .................... $99,900 Stk # 4226

NH T7.210 .................. $125,000 BLOWOUT PRICE • Cash No Trade

JD 8820, 1983, 4032 212 pick up, chopper, turbo, dial a speed, chaff spreader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $16,000 NH TX66, 199,7 3423/2518 14’ swathmaster p/u, long auger, chopper, lateral tilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $40,000 NH TX66, 1997, 2700/2058 14’ swathmaster p/u, long auger, chopper, lateral tilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $49,000 NH TX66, 1999, 3140/2427 chopper, chaff spreader . . . . . . . . . $55,000 NH CR960, 2003, 1975/1405 14’ SW, 900 tires , 2 speed rotors, dlx Chop, moisture sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $122,000 NH CR970, 2004, 238/1767 76C-14, Dlx Chopper, 900 Tires . $125,000 NH CR960, 2005, 1993/1436 14’ SW, 900 singles, dlx cab, dlx chopper, single speed rotors, beacons, Y&M . . . . . . . . . $129,000 NH CR970, 2004, 1885/1361 14’SW, dlx cab, DLX chopper, Y&M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $148,000 NH CR970, 2005, 2010/1488 76C-14, 900 tires, deluxe chopper, moisture sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $148,000 NH CR970, 2005, 1963/1420 900 singles, long auger, Y&M, 76C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $155,000 NH CR970, 2005, 1835/1366 14’, rake-up 900 tires . . . . . . . . $158,000 NH CR9070, 2009, 2280/1820 16’SW, 900 singles, dlx chopper, diff lock, long auger, electric mirrors, LCTS . . . . . . . . . $159,000 NH CR9070, 2008, 1306/907 singles, long auger, Y&M, dlx chopper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $212,000 NH CR9070, 2011, 904/723 16’ swathmaster, dlx chopper, 900 tires, long auger, diff lock, intellisteer ready, Y&M, SCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $255,000 NH CR9080, 2009, 1353/1035 20.8R42 duals, dlx chopper, no diff lock, long auger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $265,000 NH CR9070, 2011 490/397 16’, 76C, singles, diff lock, dlx chopper, electric mirrors, HID, long auger, auto steer . . . . . . $282,000 NH CR9070, 2011, 633/496 790CP, singles, diff lock, dlx chopper, electric mirrors, HID, long auger, auto steer . . . . . . $282,000 NH CR9070, 2011, 914/618 duals, GPS, diff lock, HID, Y&M, Michels cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $295,000 NH CR8090 2013 850/625 900 singles, DSP, diff lock, dlx chopper, HID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $305,000 NH CR9080, 201,1 1046/699 790CP, 620 duals, full GPS, HID, deluxe chopper, Michel’s covers, diff lock . . . . . . . . . $309,000 NH CR9090, 2012, 893/686 790CP, dlx cab, dlx chopper, full GPS, 900 tires, ASP, elec fold covers, leather seat, HID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $309,000 NH CR8090, 2012, 757/542 DSP, 900 singles, long auger, leather, dlx chopper, GPS ready, HID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $316,000

MF 9430....................... $59,000 BLOWOUT PRICE • Cash No Trade

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NH TR98 ....................... $25,000 BLOWOUT PRICE • Cash No Trade

NH CR8090, 2012, 834/595 duals, diff lock, dlx chopper, HID, leather, DSP w/ kit, GPS complete, incab covers . . $328,000 NH CR8090, 2013, 452/352 DSP, duals, covers, HID, leather, deluxe chopper, GPS ready, twin pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $366,000 NH CR8090, 2014, 306/242 790CP, 900 tires, full GPS, DSP, dlx chopper, HID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $385,000 NH CR8090, 2014, 290/236 790CP, 900 tires, twin pitch, DSP, diff lock, GPS ready, Phase 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $385,000 NH CX860, 2006, 2432/1928 76C-14, lateral tilt, blowers . . . . $133,000 NH CX8080, 2007, 2366/1875 76C-14, lateral tilt, blowers, LCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $153,000 NH CX8080, 2008, 2146/1699 76C-14, lateral tilt, blowers, LCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $173,000

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NH CX8080, 2008, 1200/853 rake up, diff locks, HID, singles, Dlx Chopper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $207,000 NH CX8080, 2014 273/203 No pick-up, full GPS, dlx chopper, HID, cast drum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $350,000

SWATHERS

NH HB30, 2005, 30’, SK, Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12,500 HB WS30, 2006, 30’, DK, HCC reel, transport, came off of JD 4895 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $21,500 MF 220, 1998, 2500 26’, SK, UII p/u reel, roto shears . . . . . . . . $33,000 NH HW320, 2000, 2438 30’ , SK, gauge wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . $34,000 NH HB30, 2012, 30’, DK, UII reel, transport, came off of H8060 . $39,000 MACDON, 9300, 1997 2475 30’ SK, gauge wheels, Turbo, 2 Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $42,000 HESSTON 8250S, 2002, 1900 30’, SK, DS, rotoshears . . . . . . . $42,500 MACDON D60, 2008, 30’, DK, trip del, transport, split 6 bat reel, poly cutterbar, swather header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $44,000 MACDON 4952C, 2003, 2668 25’, pick-up reel, swath roller, SK, 500/70R24 front tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $60,000 MACDON 4952i, 2004, 2855 25’, pick-up reel, swath roller, SK, 19.5L-24 front tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $60,000 MACDON 4952C, 2003, 2810 25’, pick-up reel, swath roller, DK, 500/70R24 front tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $60,000 MACDON 9352i, 2005, 1684 30’, split reel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $65,000 MACDON 9352i, 2006 , 30ft, SK, gauge wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . $72,000 MF 9220, 2008, 360 30’, SK, UII reel, roto shears, gauge wheels $79,500 MF 9435, 2009, 1340 30’, SK, UII Reel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $82,500 MF 9435, 2010, 350 25’, p/u reel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $95,000 CASE WD1203, 2010, 380 30’, DK, elec mirrors, cab & rear axle suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $99,000 MACDON M150, 2009, 1343/1003 30, sk, pick-up reel, transport, D60 s/n: 187220-09 (7186-2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . $109,000 MF WR9740, 2013, 325/176 36’, SK, Susp Cab & Axle, 21mph speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $119,000 NH H8040, 2013, 400 30’, DK, UII reel, 5 bat reel, skid shoes, hyd F&A, transport, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $119,500 NH H8060, 2013, 320 190HP, 2 speed Prairie Special, dlx cab, 600/65R28 tires, HB30 header, DK, DS, EZ pilot, & FM750 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $135,000 MACDON M205, 201,2 969/267 30’, DK, stabilizer wheels . . . $145,000

CONSIGNMENT

NH CR970, 2006 ,2114/1533 76C-16’ P.U., duals, dlx chopper dlx cab, 21’ Auger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $135,000

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 3, 2015

Recipes for better soil More earthworm slime and protozoa excretions? You betcha! By ALEXIS KIENLEN AF STAFF / HOLBORN

ou can’t control Mother Nature, but you can have some control over the health of your soil. At a recent workshop, soil scientist Jill Clapperton outlined some visible indicators of soil health, and described a few things producers could do to improve their soil. “If you have healthy plants, you have an excellent indicator that your soils are also very healthy. That’s the No. 1 thing you want to pay attention to,” said Clapperton, a rhizosphere ecologist with Agriculture and AgriFood Canada in Lethbridge for 16 years before moving to the States and starting a consulting company called Rhizoterra. Another indicator is good water filtration. “The water percolates down and micro-organisms use what they want and water is not running off,” she said. And give a thought — or three — to those invisible critters below the surface. Clapperton is a longtime proponent of fostering microbial life, which is increasingly gaining recognition in a time of sky-high input costs. Compaction is a killer for protozoa, which play an important role in nutrient recycling (they excrete nitrogen after gobbling up bacteria), but they “need to be able to move in order to do their jobs.” “The soil structure is important for amoeba and protozoa because they can’t tunnel or burrow,” said Clapperton. “They move in tunnels with the water flow. If the soil is compacted, they can’t move.” If these creatures can’t move, soil health can degrade, and a producer can be left with a patchy field. When soil has good structure, there will be more mycorrhizae, which are formed by soil fungus and plant roots to create a symbiotic association in which plants provide carbohydrates, such as glucose and sucrose, while the fungus makes more nutrients available to plants. “Some plants are more mycorrhizal than others,” said Clapperton. Flax, barley, and legumes are mycorrhizal, while wheat and canola are not, so Clapperton recommends a rotation of wheat, canola, peas and barley to keep mycorrhizal populations from dwindling.

Slimy friends

The lowly earthworm is a farmer’s friend, creating channels that improve water infiltration and provide pathways for protozoa and plant roots. On top of that, they offer a bonus — a slime full of calcium and carbohydrates left on the sides of their tiny tunnels. This slime promotes a growth of bacteria that converts ammonium to nitrate, said Clapperton. “Wellfed earthworms leak ammonia through their skins. If they’re not well fed, it’s nitrate. Either way, the plants win.” So another way to gauge soil health is to count earthworms. That’s best done in spring, when the soil temperature is between 5 C to 8 C, which is when earthworms are at their most active. To get an idea of earthworm populations, dig a hole that is about 25 centimetres across and 15 centimetres deep. If you find 10 earthworms, you’ve got an excellent population, said Clapperton. When digging, look for earthworm channels, cocoons (which are about the size and shape of wheat seeds and full of unhatched young worms), and the soil texture.

“When soil is being worked by earthworms, it will have a mottled look,” said Clapperton. Tillage dramatically reduces earthworm populations, and the recovery is slow — although more earthworms will survive if tillage is done in spring or summer, rather than fall. To check on pastures, lay a piece of plywood on the field and check under it a week later to see how many earthworms have surfaced.

The more, the merrier

In addition to no till, Clapperton offered a list of other beneficial practices to improve soil health. For compacted fields, she recommends plants with long roots — such as tillage radishes or sunflowers — to bust up soil and add organic matter. Corn or fababeans will do the same for forage land. Interplanting is another of her favourite practices. “The more diversity you have above ground, the more diversity you have below ground,” said Clapperton. “The more (crops) you can

have at one time, the better off you are.” Cover and green manure crops that can be grazed can be very profitable, and can improve soil health at the same time. “Growing a forage crop as a cover crop and grazing it is a net gain,” said Clapperton. She’s currently experimenting with companion planting. “We’re now getting the technology in our drills and seeding equipment that will allow us to have the opportunity to seed between our rows, change our row spacing and put other things between the rows athat will actually add that diversity in,” she said. “Sometimes it can even be two crops.” Clapperton has grown chickpeas in between rows of wheat, and clovers in between rows of sunflowers. She’s seen producers grow lentils and flax together. “There is a lot of opportunity to grow more than one thing in a field at one time,” she said. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Renowned soil scientist Jill Clapperton climbs into a pit to show some features of soil, during a hands-on workshop on soil health. Photo: ALEXIS KIENLEN

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AUGUST 3, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Auditor general’s report fires up grazing lease debate The auditor general says ranchers are scooping up millions in payments that should go to the province, but leaseholders say that’s nonsense By Madeleine Baerg af contributor

new report on Alberta’s grazing lease system by the provincial auditor general is throwing fuel on the long-simmering, controversial debate. The report estimates the province could be losing up to $25 million annually by allowing ranchers to keep compensation from energy companies when they drill or lay a pipeline. The report also says the province is being shortchanged on lease payments, which haven’t gone up in more than two decades. “The AG (auditor general) is stirring up a whole lot of fearmongering,” said Larry Sears, chair of the Alberta Grazing Leaseholders Association. “This is an issue we’ve been dealing with for 30 years. Every time we deal with it, it seems to crop up somewhere else, with more exaggeration and erroneous sorts of stories. “When it is presented as truth by the auditor general, it gets more credibility in the public’s eyes.” Not so, replied Cliff Wallis, spokesperson for the Alberta Wilderness Association. “This report is a necessary first step,” he said. “Public lands are in essence a public resource. Ranching may have been the priority for 100 years but things change. To have the small number of leaseholders overriding the priorities of millions of Albertans — they shouldn’t have that much say.” Since the late 1880s, Alberta ranchers have acted as the appointed stewards of much of this province’s public grasslands. In exchange for the right to graze their cattle on the land, holders of Alberta’s approximately 5,700 Crown land leases carry the respon-

Many grazing leases are along the foothills, an area that is also popular with recreationists. Photo: Wendy Dudley sibility of managing about five million acres of grasslands. While few dispute ranchers have done a good job of maintaining healthy and productive ecosystems, the question of the financial benefits they receive is getting increasing attention — especially because oil and gas activity on some of the Crown lands can make leases very lucrative. Under the current system, ranchers pay a lease fee to government but are entitled to keep dollars earned from charging energy companies for access to their leased lands. Auditor General Merwan Saher came up with the $25-million figure by extrapolating public reports from 54 grazing associations. They paid roughly $60,000 in yearly rent for about 600,000 acres of public land, but collected nearly $350,000 in payments from energy companies. Sears called the estimate “completely irresponsible.”

“He has no idea, nor have we,” said Sears, who ranches near Stavely. “He extrapolated that number over all the acreage and it’s completely wrong. Less than half of the leases have any oil and gas activity at all.” Whether the number is correct or not, the debate about the principle behind surface rights payments remains. “No Albertan should derive personal benefits from Alberta public assets beyond uses the assets are intended to provide,” Saher wrote in his report. However, lease-holding ranchers argue surface right payments from oil and gas companies are fair and justified compensation for the significant disruption, damage and risk from oil and gas development carried by the rancher. “The ranchers I talk to all seem to agree — while they recognize it is important that the province has oil

I M P O R T A N T N O T I C E

Grain producers: do you grow these varieties of flaxseed? The variety registration for the following Canada Western flaxseed varieties will be cancelled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency: • CDC Arras on August 1, 2017 • Flanders on August 1, 2017 • Somme on August 1, 2017 As of August 1, 2017, the flaxseed varieties listed above will be removed from the Canadian Grain Commission’s variety designation list.

1-800-853-6705 or 204-984-0506 TTY: 1-866-317-4289 www.grainscanada.gc.ca

and gas development, they wish it wasn’t on their land, even with the current payment structure,” said Sears. “The downside to changing the structure we’ve got is you’ll lose the vigilance of a day-to-day steward and on-the-ground manager.” One thing all sides seem to agree on is the need for an adjustment of lease rates, unchanged since 1993 and far out of line with neighbouring provinces. Sears said he expects to see rental rates rise to more than double. A big hike is needed both to improve the public’s perception of the system and to protect Canadian beef from competitors who might argue low rates equate to an unfair trade advantage. Agreement on land access is a whole lot less likely. “There’s never been a public lands policy or direction so we still have archaic ideas that the highest, best use of these public lands is agriculture — wildlife being secondary, recreation being even further down the list,” said Wallis. “Exclusive livestock grazing is not the right answer for public lands. Why is a small group able to dictate what is able to happen on our land?” “Recreationists want to label this public land but in reality, these are Crown lands with an agricultural

disposition and an agricultural priority,” replied Sears. “Ranchers make very extensive property and improvements on these lands. We have to make best decisions on our land. It cannot be unfettered access. This is our right to feed people.” What happens next is anyone’s guess. Sears said he hopes meetings scheduled with the province will “give the AG a better understanding of an issue he knows little about” and that any changes will be made by provincial officials who understand the complexity of the issues. Wallis counters that changes are necessary, for the good of the ecosystem, the citizens of Alberta, and leaseholders themselves. “This is not an ‘us-versus-them’ issue,” he said. “We have lots of common interests with ranchers. If we can’t agree with where we want to go with public lands, there are lots of other people who have ideas with what to do with public lands, whether it’s off-highway vehicle use or wind farms. “My hope for the next steps is we will actually get public lands policy that modernizes the approach to public lands for the 21st century. That includes foot access to leased land, a better rationale for lease fees, and surface rights payments going to Crown for dedicated conservation efforts.”

Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. Commercialized products have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready® crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides. Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for canola contains the active ingredients difenoconazole, metalaxyl (M and S isomers), fludioxonil and thiamethoxam. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for canola plus Vibrance® is a combination of two separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients difenoconazole, metalaxyl (M and S isomers), fludioxonil, thiamethoxam, and sedaxane. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn (fungicides and insecticide) is a combination of four separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin, ipconazole, and clothianidin. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn (fungicides only) is a combination of three separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin and ipconazole. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn with Poncho®/ VoTivo™ (fungicides, insecticide and nematicide) is a combination of five separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin, ipconazole, clothianidin and Bacillus firmus strain I-1582. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for soybeans (fungicides and insecticide) is a combination of four separate individually registered products, which together contain the active ingredients fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin, metalaxyl and imidacloprid. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for soybeans (fungicides only) is a combination of three separate individually registered products, which together contain the active ingredients fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin and metalaxyl. Acceleron and Design®, Acceleron®, DEKALB and Design®, DEKALB®, Genuity and Design®, Genuity®, JumpStart®, RIB Complete and Design®, RIB Complete®, Roundup Ready 2 Technology and Design®, Roundup Ready 2 Yield®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup Transorb®, Roundup WeatherMAX®, Roundup®, SmartStax and Design®, SmartStax®, Transorb®, VT Double PRO®, and VT Triple PRO® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC, Used under license. Vibrance® and Fortenza® are registered trademarks of a Syngenta group company. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design are trademarks of Bayer. Used under license. Herculex® is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC. Used under license. Poncho® and Votivo™ are trademarks of Bayer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 3, 2015

D L O S NEW HOLLAND 1020

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2013 NEW HOLLAND BOOMER 20

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NEW HOLLAND DISCBINE 415 2005

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NEW HOLLAND BOOMER 3045 CVT 2010, cab, air, 3pt super steer, 162 hrs

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AUGUST 3, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Experts decry decline in funding for basic ag research Federal labs have closed and staffing levels cut while university researchers scramble to find funding By Alex Binkley

AF contributor / Ottawa

he pursuit of basic science in agriculture and agrifood has been squeezed out of federal priorities in recent years, speakers told a recent Agriculture Institute of Canada conference. “Funding remains a challenge for us,” said Robert Gordon, dean of the Ontario Agriculture College. Despite agri-food’s status as one of the leading manufacturing sectors, employing one in eight Canadians, “research funding available to us is lower than for other sectors,” he said. Canada has become very weak in basic research, said Wilf Keller, president and CEO of Ag-West Bio Inc. “There is not enough funding to support a university faculty. We’re seeing a terrible waste of young brain power.” Global research projects have become increasingly important, but Canadians cannot receive funding to participate in them, he added. While many farm groups have

research checkoffs, no way exists to integrate the funds into common projects, he added. For example the partnership of Canterra, Agriculture Canada and the Alberta Wheat Commission leaves out the enhanced research impact of including wheat farmers in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario in the project, he noted. “We could do a lot of basic research to make sure our wheat industry will be competitive 30 years from now.” Universities have taken on a greater role as the federal government has closed labs and cut or not replaced scientists who did much of the fundamental research, Keller said. Unless basic and commercialization research is balanced, “we will have a disaster,” said Clarke Topp, a soil physicist. The current drought on the Prairies would be as bad as the dust bowl of the 1930s if researchers hadn’t determined no-till farming preserved the soil. Today, Canada needs to put more effort into understanding how climate change will impact the agri-food sector, he said. “We don’t have a lot of time to waste. We need to be better

About 30 per cent of the funding comes from Ottawa and 20 per cent from farmers and the food industry. There is a growing emphasis on intellectual property in research and the college produces about 92 per cent of the patents earned by the University of Guelph.

equipped with the disaster coming down the road.” While the country needs more basic research to deal with climate change and other environmental problems, it also “needs to break down the barriers between

applied and basic research,” he added. “The two groups need to work together to stimulate ideas.”

Student labour

Although universities are involved in policy development and basic research, there is less support for professors to hire technical support. That makes them increasingly dependent on graduate or postdoctoral students who aren’t able to provide the required long-term research support because of their own academic priorities, he noted. Also the profs are supervising five graduate students when in the past they would have had two or three. “It’s hard for them to work on a project with a long-term framework,” he said. The Ontario Agriculture College currently conducts about $58 million worth of research annually, about half of all the research at the University of Guelph, Gordon said. About 30 per cent of the funding comes from Ottawa and 20 per cent from farmers and the food industry. There is a growing emphasis on intellectual property in research and the college

produces about 92 per cent of the patents earned by the University of Guelph. Keller noted that in 2007, the government created the Science and Technology Innovation Council as an advisory board for government research funding. It identified four key areas, which didn’t include agri-food. A year later the sector moved to the No. 1 rank among manufacturers and was lumped under the natural resources. “Agriculture Canada should have a much stronger mandate for basic research,” he said. Its research staff has dwindled from 1,000 in the 1970s to fewer than 400 today. Many of them are close to retirement and there is no plan to replace them. “There has also been a serious depredation of research capacity at the National Research Council,” he added. “Where are the longterm ideas going to come from? We need a national system that rejuvenates the federal labs. We cannot depend on the universities to conduct all the research.” He urged farm organizations to create a forum in which farmers, the food industry and scientists can discuss research priorities.

USED EQUIPMENT USED COMBINES/HEADERS 2 - 2012 CR8090 Combines, c/w Stone trap and GPS Choice @ $295,000 2012 CR8090, 550 hrs, loaded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $295,000 2008 NH CR 9060, 1400 hrs DLX chopper . . . . . . . . . . .$185,000 SOLD 2007 NH CR9060 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $99,800 SOLD 2009 MacDon FD-70, 40’ Flex header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$58,000 2012 94C, 30’ head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$58,000 SP30N Honeybee Header, fits CNH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$45,000 2-NH 74C, 36’ auger flex headers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$37,500 2 - 2012 CA25 MacDon adaptors, to fit CNH combines . . . . . . . . . .$12,500 NH 72C, 25’ excellent condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9,900

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USED FORAGE/HAYING New Holland BB960A, 3x4 square baler. . . . . . . . . . . . . $58,000 SOLD

USED SWATHERS/SPRAYERS

2011 NH SP365F, 1600 gal, 120’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $295,000 MacDon 9352i, C/W 30’ header Very low hours . . . . . . . . . . . . .$89,000 2007 MacDon M150, C/W 2010 35’ D60 header. . . . . . . . . . . . .$80,000 MacDon 4952i, C/W 30’ header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$62,500 MacDon 2940, C/W 30’ header. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$48,000 2006 Spray Air 3600, deluxe 100ft booms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$28,900 M&S suspended boom sprayer, 1000 gal, 86’ booms auto rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,500 MacDon 14’ hay header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Call 1- MacDon 18’ multi crop header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Coming in NH SF215, suspended boom sprayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coming In

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2006 NH C185, compact track loader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$32,500

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1996 NH FX45,

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AUGUST 3, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

FOCUS ON GRAIN STORAGE and HANDLING

Cutting through the clutter on aeration What equipment you need and when to aerate are just two of many questions when it comes to protecting grain in the bin BY JEFF MELCHIOR AF Contributor

ith hot and dry conditions throughout much of this year’s growing season, proper aeration of grain has become more important than ever in order to prevent overheated grain or spoilage. At the same time, there’s a neverending parade of new aeration solutions on the market, creating a lot of confusion among growers looking for better efficiency from their systems. The first step is to know the basics and then work from there, says a project manager with a Saskatchewan-based applied research organization. That way, producers can be more informed when they attempt to buy aeration equipment. “The salesperson may tell them to use this ducting system or this size fan for this size bin but without background knowledge or understanding of what is happening they’re only taking their word for it,” said Joy Agnew with the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI). “It’s a big investment when you’re talking about a 10,000-bushel bin with canola that’s worth $100,000.”

What is aeration?

Although the terms aeration and natural air drying are often used interchangeably, grain aeration focuses on cooling and conditioning grain to a uniform temperature throughout the bin. Natural air drying removes moisture. The key difference between the two is airflow rate, with natural air drying requiring a much higher airflow rate than aeration. “Aeration is just one of the tools producers can use to help manage their stored grain,” said Agnew. “The equipment that’s needed is pretty basic and widely

Installation of a temperature cable in a small hopper bin.

“Farmers need to educate themselves on airflow rate and the things that affect airflow rate.” Joy Agnew

Installation of a fan on a 4,000-bushel hopper bin. PHOTOs: Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute available: Ducting or air distribution at the bottom of the bin and a fan attached to the bin to blow air through the grain. Depending on the size of the bin, added ventilation may be required. But for smaller bins of less than 5,000 bushels, the bin cap is usually sufficient.” The need to aerate depends on the grain’s condition, temperature, and moisture content. “For grains like canola, we recommend aeration as soon as it goes in the bin. You have to cool the grain and reduce moisture content due to the potential for respiration for roughly six weeks after harvest. Others — like wheat, peas and barley — do not necessarily need to be aerated unless they’re harvested on a hot day or they go into the bin warm and/or tough.”

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Temperature must be uniform

Uniformity is key to any successful aeration system. “If the airflow through the grain isn’t uniform there will be pockets of grain in the bin that don’t get any airflow. What provides that uniformity is the air distribution system or ducting system.” There are new types of ducting systems coming on the market all the time, said Agnew. However, there has been little third-party testing on the effectiveness of most of these systems. “The gold standard aeration ducting is full floor aeration for flat bottom bins and the ‘rocket-style’ system for hopper bottom bins, which helps situate the air in the centre of the bin and pushes air out through the side and the top.” Temperature sensors are a crucial part of any aeration system. Installed in the bin prior to grain placement, these sensors are mounted on cables suspended from the ceiling of the bin and run through the depth of the structure. These cables are equipped with three or four sensors that allow producers to read the bin temperature with either a handheld reader or, in some cases, a cellphone. Smaller bins usually only require a single cable, but larger bins may require more. “These are popular and affordable and can almost be considered insurance on the grain stored in the bin,” said Agnew. “There’s no way to know what’s going on in the bin without those sensors inside.” Some temperature sensors are also able to read the moisture content of the grain. “In-bin moisture sensors are ideal for monitoring the progress of natural air drying. Monitoring temperature alone isn’t always a good indicator of drying rates,” she said.

The safe store zone

OPI Monitoring Cables

IN STOCK

The optimal temperature for grain is 15 C. “That’s pretty much universal for the grain types,” said Agnew. “You want to get the grain to 15°

or lower to get it in the safe storage zone.” However, a cooler benchmark may be required depending on whether the grain falls within moisture content limitations for safe storage. “For most cereals the target moisture content is around 14 to 14.5 per cent. With oilseeds you want a lower moisture content than that, around nine or 10 per cent.”

Night or day?

The best time of day to aerate is one of the most common questions Agnew gets from producers. “The conventional wisdom for the past 30 years said daytime air is best for drying,” she said. “However, a few years ago some researchers from Saskatchewan concluded that nighttime air is best. That debate raged back and forth for about a year or two and there are still questions of when producers should run their fans for drying.” Agnew maintains that daytime air has the greatest drying capacity. However, nighttime aeration may be sufficient to reach moisture benchmarks depending on the condition of the grain. “Cool nighttime air is relatively dry. It doesn’t hold a lot of moisture to begin with so when cool outside air is passed through the warm grain the air is going to warm up and expand its capacity to hold moisture,” she said. “That results in taking off a maximum of two per cent moisture content. So if you have just barely tough grain and you only need to take out one per cent, then running your fans only at night will dry it enough that it’s at a safe to store condition. “But if it’s tough grain and you need to take off three or four per cent to get it into that safe storage zone, daytime air is the best to remove moisture until you’re about one per cent above the safe to store moisture content. Then nighttime air can be used to finish drying and cool the grain for safer storage.”

Top down or bottom up?

Aeration can be achieved either by

blowing the air from the bottom of the bin or pulling air from the top. In Western Canada, the preferred choice by far is bottom up, while the reverse is common in Eastern Canada, particularly Quebec. Agnew said the bottom-up choice largely comes down to bin capacity. “When you have the air ducting at the top you have to wait until the bin is full before you can actually engage it. A lot of producers in Western Canada prefer to use their aeration system whether it’s full, half-full or even a quarter-full. The top-down system is not ideal for that.”

Safety considerations

As with all farm activities, personal safety is paramount when dealing with grain bins and aeration equipment. “Basically never enter the bin — no matter what — when there’s grain in there,” said Agnew. “The biggest hazard is people climbing into bins to either probe it for temperature or to fix a sensor. Make sure you’re only doing those kinds of modifications or repairs when the bin is empty.” Also, when using aeration equipment to dry grain, producers should not use rigged-up systems to add supplemental heat. “Some farmers have been talking about rigging up their own systems with a propane torch of some sort. Those kinds of systems are not CSA certified and they can cause massive issues and pose great safety hazards. Always install and use properly certified equipment and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when installing it to ensure safety.” There are a lot of specifics involved in aeration. PAMI has fact sheets and studies that can help producers make the right decisions regarding airflow rates for specific grains, fan sizes and a host of other factors. Further information can be found at www.pami.ca. “Farmers need to educate themselves on airflow rate and the things that affect airflow rate because those will have a huge impact on the effectiveness of aeration or natural air drying,” said Agnew.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 3, 2015

FOCUS ON GRAIN STORAGE and HANDLING

Beat high winds by anchoring your bins More extreme weather coupled with modern bins that are taller and lighter is a recipe for trouble are still susceptible to heavy rains or moisture conditions where the ground shifts and then the bin shifts — you don’t get that on concrete.” A concrete base also helps keep areas beneath and around the bin clean. “When you have the leg structure on concrete, it’s easy to clean if you get anything underneath the bin,” said Reimer.

BY JEFF MELCHIOR AF Contributor

t doesn’t matter what side of the climate change debate you’re on, few producers would deny that, for whatever reason, weather is getting more extreme. Between hurricane-force winds and the generally lighter and taller designs of many modern grain bins, there seems to be more instances of grain bins being knocked over or otherwise damaged. That means proper anchoring has become more important than ever. “It seems like we’re getting more and more of these kinds of storms all the time,” said Rob Reimer, Canadian sales manager with Meridian Manufacturing. “The anchoring of bins is definitely happening more now than it was years ago. I always say it doesn’t matter how long you have the bin empty, if it’s going to be empty for any amount of time the best thing is to anchor it and secure it properly.” While anchoring doesn’t guarantee an empty bin won’t blow over, it reduces the odds, shows due diligence if there’s an insurance claim, and, best of all, it’s cheap. “With anchor screws you’re

All about the base These bins were anchored with cables, but the cables snapped when the bins started rocking when winds in the Bonnyville area gusted to 130 kilometres an hour in January 2014. PHOTO: Taylor Snyder looking at $20 to $25 each so if you put four of them into the ground you’re looking at $100 max,” said Reimer. Ryan Steinley with Flaman Agriculture in Lethbridge agrees. “The largest flat bottom I’ve seen blow over was probably a 20,000 bushel,” he said. “The biggest hopper bottom bin I’ve seen blow over is probably about a 10,000 bushel in 110-mile-an-hour wind. “Basically the bigger anchor you can use and the farther down you can get it in the better. The more anchors you can use the better. For hopper bottom bins, anchor every hopper leg.”

Concrete best bet

Anchoring a bin is done one of two ways: either by installing on a concrete pad or by using a steel skid anchor. Concrete is preferable whenever possible, said Reimer, and best secured by anchor bolts drilled into the concrete pad, usually with a hammer gun. “Your bin really won’t go anywhere on concrete,” said Reimer. “If the plow winds are strong enough, you can get some damage on the sidewall of the bin. But those anchors on the concrete will not give in. “On a skid base on gravel you

Steel skid anchors, which are essentially a series of screws installed in the ground and attached to a bin with cables, are a good option for producers using bins in temporary locations or looking to retain the resale value of their bins. However, they are only as effective as the strength of the grain bin base and its depth into the ground, said Reimer, who encourages producers to use a gravel base or some other kind of solid base. “We will generally request that they take out the topsoil, get it down to a firm bottom, roughly in the 12-inch range, and then put a solid base on top,” he said. “With any structure, if the base underneath is not solid or if there’s too much give on the bottom the base or

the structure of the bin will fail.” Skid anchor screws are usually four feet long and are equipped with four- to six-inch flighting that prevents them from easily coming out of the ground. They are usually screwed into the ground by hand, although they can also be installed with three-quarter-horsepower air compressors or even fishing augers. “The four- and the six-inch (flighting) screws are commonly used,” said Steinley. “You can get up to 12 inches (flighting) but hardly any farmer’s got anything to turn that in. The bigger the flighting and the farther into the earth it can go depending on your soil type is the best way to go.” Although anchoring is key to keeping bins secure, growers should not neglect the importance of bin placement, said Steinley. If bins are too close together, they can create a solid wall that does not allow the wind to get through, in turn causing damage to bin sidewalls. Placement of six to 10 feet apart is generally recommended. “You don’t want them too far apart but no closer than two feet apart — a little further would be better,” he said.

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AUGUST 3, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

No matter what the crop — canola, alfalfa, grass, small grains, lentils, or peas — New Holland H8000 Series Speedrower® windrowers deliver capacity that can’t be matched by any other machine. Not only do you have the power to drive the widest variety of headers, you also get outstanding visibility, comfort, and header control – giving you a SMART choice in the ultimate crop-cutting PLUS machine.

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PHENOMENAL PHENOMENAL CAPACITY AND IN-FIELD CONTROL. CAPACITY AND No matter what the crop – canola, alfalfa, grass, small grains, lentils, or peas – New Holland H8000 Series Speadrower® windrowers deliver capacity that can’t be matched by any other machine. Not only do you have the power to drive the widest variety of headers, you also get outstanding visibility, comfort, and header control – giving you a SMART choice in the ultimate crop-cutting machine.

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2012 NEW HOLLAND H8060

#HW3388A. 508 HRS, #HW3387A. 551 HRS, AIR *For commercial use only. Customer participation subject to credit qualification andSPRING approval SUSPENSION, by CNH Capital America AIR SPRING SUSPENFULL LLC or CNH Capital Canada Ltd. See your participating New Holland dealer for details and eligibility requirements. Down paySION, FULL CAB W/AC, CAB W/AC, CAB DELUXE ment may be required. Offer good through November 30, 2013. Not all customers or applicants may qualify for this rate or term. PILOT GUIDANCE, UPGRADE, 36’ HEADER, CNH Capital America LLC or EZEE CNH Capital Canada Ltd. Standard terms and conditions will apply. This transaction will be unconditionally interest free. Canada Example - 0.00% 36’ term HEADER, DOUBLE DOUBLE KNIFE, per annum for a total contract of 36 months: Based on a retail contract date of October 15, 2013, with a suggested retail price on a new T7.170 tractorSINGLE of C$131,116.70 KNIFE, SINGLE UII SWATH TRANScustomer provides down payment of C$26,212.70 and REEL. finances the balance of C$104,904.00 at 0.00% per annum for 36 months. There will bePU 35 REEL, equal monthly installment payments of C$2,914.00 each, the firstHUMBOLDT due on November 15, 2013 and one final installment of C$2,914.00 due on October 15, 2016. The totalPORT amount GAUGE payable will be C$131,116.70, WHEEL which includes finance charges of C$0.00. Taxes, freight, setup, delivery, additional options or attachments not included in suggested retail price. Offer subject to change or PACKAGE. HUMBOLDT

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 3, 2015

Aussies to introduce labelling law

Bird flu could jump to humans

Australia will introduce mandatory country-of-origin food labelling from 2016, following a hepatitis outbreak earlier in the year blamed on contaminated berries from China. Under the new rules, food labels will show consumers where products are made, grown or packaged, said Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Domestically produced products will have a green and gold kangaroo logo, alongside a bar chart showing the proportions of ingredients coming from Australia. Abbott said he was confident the new regulations would satisfy WTO rules and aren’t comparable to the U.S. COOL law. — Reuters

A highly contagious strain of avian flu is spreading across West Africa, decimating poultry farms and stoking fears the virus will jump from birds to humans, says the UN’s food agency. Markets and farms in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, Ivory Coast and Ghana have been hit with the deadly H5N1 virus over the past six months, with 1.6 million culled or killed by the virus. “Urgent action is needed to strengthen veterinary investigation and reporting systems... to tackle the disease at the root, before there is a spillover to humans,” said Juan Lubroth, head of the FAO’s animal health division. — Thomson Reuters Foundation

Group calls for sweeping changes to HEARTLAND curb railways’ ‘monopolistic behaviour’ Crops Logistics Working Group wants penalties for not delivering rail cars and meaningful sharing of data By SHANNON VANRAES Staff

Gerry Ritz says he’s ready to use regulations to ensure railways — which charge for rail cars not loaded on time — have to pay when cars aren’t delivered on time. FILE PHOTO

ngoing assessment and better protection for small shippers are two ways to fix the grain transportation system. Those are two of eight recommendations made by the Crop Logistics Working Group as part of a review of the Canada Transportation Act. The working group — composed of 18 groups representing growers, handlers and millers — said there’s no free market when it comes to shipping Prairie grain. “Most shippers are served by only one carrier,” the report states. “This reality renders most shippers captive to one rail company and subject to pricing and service strategies that are characteristic of monopolistic behaviour.” Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz flew to Winnipeg to release the report and backed many of its recommendations.

“I think the biggest thing would be the data that railways aren’t sharing with shippers,” said Ritz. “They measure on what they supply when it comes to cars, not what the market is actually asking them to deliver. There is a double standard there — they say their commitment is to supplying the cars they’re going to supply, not what’s actually asked of them.” “Our mandate was to establish a consensus position within the grain supply chain,” said Murdoch MacKay, commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission and chair of the working group. “I think the most important thing here is that all 18 organizations came together and have all agreed to the recommendations in the report… It’s a consensus.” Ritz also backs the group’s call for a level playing field between shippers and producers. There needs to be a “reciprocity of penalties,” he said, noting railways are able to charge producers $110 per car not filled on time.

“But there is no reciprocal penalty if they’re late delivering it or late picking it up,” he noted. Ideally, that reciprocity would be enshrined in a service-level agreement between producers and companies. “But we want to make sure that everybody has the ability to sign those, and if it takes regulation to make sure that CN or CP come to the table to negotiate with companies X, that’s something we’re prepared to do,” Ritz said. The final report of the arms’-length review of the transportation act, led by former cabinet minister David Emerson, is expected this winter. The report was the third and last mandate for the working group, which previously provided recommendations to the Rail Freight Service Review. “Now it’s up to David Emerson and his group to see the value of what we’re recommending,” said MacKay. shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

Eight fixes for an ailing system H

ere are excerpts from the Crop Logistics Working Group (CLWG) on its eight recommendations to improve the grain-handling and transportation system. The full report can be found at www. albertafarmexpress.ca by entering ‘CLWG Submission to the CTA’ in the search window in the upper right corner.

Recommendation 1: Enhance Transparency in the Rail Market

CLWG members request that the government encourage CN and CP to accurately report car order fulfilment data in a way that is reflective of all rail cars ordered by shippers, and is not artificially restricted by the individual railway’s carordering programs. If the rail companies are unwilling to amend their methodology to reflect true demand and to provide this data voluntarily, it is encouraged that the government amend current transportation information regulations to compel provision of the data required and at a level of detail sufficient to allow for the establishment of adequate measures.

Recommendation 2: Enhance CTA Provisions and Processes Related to Commercial Contracts

In a free market, a supplier who fails to meet commitments or refuses to make commitments loses the business. No such market discipline exists for rail companies. Provisions to allow for penalties or liquidated damages to be assessed to rail companies are intended to simulate the result that the market would otherwise provide; that is, impose a consequence for failing to meet or make commitments. Therefore, amendments are needed that provide for financial consequences for non-performance in SLAs (service-level agreements).

Recommendation 3: Enhanced Powers of the (Canadian Transportation) Agency

Where the agency sees trends in service failures, it would be useful for the agency to have the authority to undertake investigations on its own initiative. The agency is in the best position to recognize such trends and shippers may be reluctant to bring complaints

forward for fear of retaliation and because of the costs and uncertainty of outcome.

Recommendation 4: Continued Assessment of Grain Movement Volume

In preparation for the case where rail company performance be determined to be inadequate, a mechanism that allows for the reinstatement of minimum volume requirements must be retained. To this end, it is recommended that the amendment to the CTA (Canadian Transportation Agency) in the Fair Rail for Grain Farmers Act allowing for minimum volume requirements to be imposed through an OIC (order-in-council) be maintained. Furthermore, it is also recommended that any use of this authority is supported by penalties that are sufficient to provide adequate incentive for the rail companies to take action.

Recommendation 5: Enhanced Competitive Tools

To enhance the applicability of interswitching it is recommended that the 160-kilome-

tre limit for interswitching distances, as enabled by Bill C-30, be made permanent. Other suggestions to enhance the effectiveness of interswitching include: ensure physical switches are operational, and clarify who is responsible for crew maintenance and siding scheduling.

Recommendation 6: Expand Agency Involvement in the Rail Line Discontinuance Process

It is recommended that the agency be permitted to investigate cases of rail line abandonment. It is also recommended that the agency be permitted to intervene in the discontinuance process to ensure that prospective buyers are given the proper opportunity to preserve the infrastructure and ensure continued service. Allowing the agency to become more involved in the process will ensure that, at a minimum, the existing process is followed, as well as promoting full consideration of economic impacts and assessment of options to maintain use of the rail line.

Recommendation 7: Expansion of Crops Listed in Schedule II to the CTA

It is recommended that soybeans and chickpeas be added to the list of crops in Schedule II to ensure they have the same regulatory protection as other western Canadian crops. Furthermore, it is proposed that Schedule II be periodically reviewed to ensure that it captures all crops grown extensively in Western Canada.

Recommendation 8: Increased Protection and Support for Producer Car and Other Small Shippers

These shipping methods provide alternatives to the general grain-handling and transportation system, and allow stakeholders to take advantage of a wider range of marketing opportunities. Without enhanced legislative and regulatory protections, these shippers will gradually receive less service until such point that they are no longer economical. More specifically, the continued ability to ship producer cars and for other small shippers to receive adequate service needs to be recognized and ensured.

AUGUST 3, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Baited fence offers deer a shocking lesson However, to be effective the deer need to learn early why they don’t want to touch that ribbon BY ALLAN DAWSON Staff

eer. Sure they’re magnificent in the wild with their big dewy eyes, licorice noses and flashing white tails effortlessly clearing fences as if bouncing off hidden trampolines. But when they chow down on your garden, benevolence turns to malevolence. Where deer are plentiful protecting produce can be a big job for rural and urban gardeners alike. Putting up and tearing down seven foot or higher page wire fences is a lot of work. That’s why the two-strand ribbon electric fence at the University of Manitoba’s research farm caught my eye during the recent Crop Diagnostic School. With one ribbon about four to five feet off the ground and another about a foot up, it appeared deer could walk in between or jump over. But Yvonne Lawley, an assistant professor of agronomy and cropping systems, says the fence is working — so far. This is just the second year she and her crew have used it. “Last year we had a good year with minimal deer damage once the fence was up,” Lawley said in an email. “We are not expecting this fencing strategy to work forever as deer learn and adapt. I expect it also depends on how desperate the deer are for the food inside.” But this fence story has a twist that may delay a deer’s development of resistance. The top ribbon is baited with peanut butter, said Eric Wallace, a technician working with Lawley. When deer nibble the peanut butter they get the shock of their lives. “Hopefully, this encounter provides enough of a deterrent for them to look elsewhere for food,” Wallace wrote in an email.

Can an electric fence keep deer out? So far it’s protecting this plot at the University of Manitoba’s Ian N. Morrison Research Farm at Carman. But the deer need to be trained. PHOTO: ALLAN DAWSON “The fence is designed to provide a psychological barrier to the deer, not a physical one.” Electric fences have been used to keep animals in for years, so if designed correctly, they should be able to keep animals out. Steve Kenyon uses the same principle to discourage predators from dining on

newborn calves on his Alberta ranch. But instead of peanut butter, Kenyon wraps bacon on his electric fence. He recently wrote about it in Canadian Cattlemen. Placing bacon every 100 yards or so on the electric wire, Kenton calls it his guardian pig. He runs seven kilovolts through the wire. “This trains them (predators) to stay

away,” he wrote. “If we just remove the predator, this opens up a vacancy allowing new predators to arrive, thus only addressing a symptom that will return. The guardian pig addresses a problem by training existing predators, which keeps other predators out of the area. Problem solved.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

Copper toxicity an issue for lamb producers

lberta Lamb Producers says there have been reports of copper toxicity in market lambs and is urging producers to take care. The organization says rations for cattle, goats, or horses should never be fed to sheep, and that land fertilized with hog manure can have high levels of copper. “Since copper is stored in the liver, at times of stress there may be a massive release of copper, which causes the acute disease,” the association said in a recent N’ewesline article. Clinical signs include animals that are depressed, off feed,

Ready, set, harvest. When it’s time to go, UFA fuels the way.

weak and may have diarrhea. Many animals are simply found dead. Others may have red urine or show yellowing of the mouth and eyes (jaundice). Blood samples are needed to confirm a diagnosis, and “affected animals should probably be euthanized,” the association says. Producers are also being urged to save the label and a sample from every feed purchase until lambs go to market. For more information, see www.ablamb.ca (click on Management Modules under the Resources tab and then scroll down to Sheep and Goat Management in Alberta). — Staff

Fuel your harvest with UFA and you could win one of three prizes. For every 2000L of ag-marked fuel purchased between July 27 and September 30, you’re automatically entered to win a bold new Ram 2500, a topped-up 11,000L Westeel double-wall fuel tank, or a 1620 Meridian smooth-wall bin. Visit UFA.com for complete contest details. UFA.com

Alberta lamb producers are being warned about the danger of copper toxicity. Photo: Thinkstock

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2015-07-24 11:17 AM

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 3, 2015

Dairy Farmers of Canada embraces new criteria The proAction program highlights responsible production methods Staff airy Farmers of Canada (DFC) delegates are moving forward on four new elements of an industry program to proactively demonstrate that dairy production methods are responsible. More than 97 per cent of Canadian dairy farms have successfully undergone validation of the food safety component of DFC’s “proAction” program. That program has also been recognized by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for its technical soundness in meeting the HACCP principles of on-farm food safety programs, DFC says in a release. Delegates to their annual meeting in Vancouver recently voted on the validation criteria for animal care, traceability, biosecurity, and environment. “Dairy farmers are innovative and forward looking,” said Wally Smith, DFC president. “They realize there is a need to address the modern-day consumers who have expectations about how their food is produced. With proAction, farmers are proactively demonstrating that they share the same values as consumers and they respect high standards for quality, with care for animals and environment.” In recent years, dairy farmers have made improvements in various on-farm criteria. Worth noting is that all farmers have invested to improve milk quality to keep up with the highest

Dairy Farmers of Canada want consumers to know they share their concerns about animal care, the environment and food safety. FILE PHOTO standards in the world. Just to improve quality, farmers have invested over $75 million and have collaborated with their veterinarians and various stakeholders. In recent years, $28 million was spent on time-temperature

recorders that provide huge benefit to safeguarding milk safety and quality and another $50 million a year on products like mattresses and brushes that improve the comfort of cows in barns; and services, such as herd improvement and classification programs.

It is estimated that $200 million will be invested in future years on the implementation of proAction, to demonstrate the commitment to continuous improvement of sustainability and quality on Canadian dairy farms.

A new proAction website, www.dairyfarmers.ca/proAction provides information about the current objectives and landscape that are currently available. It will track the progress made towards the evolving targets.

14250 – 100 Street, Grande Prairie, AB T8V 7C7 Phone: (780)532-5344 • (888)532-5344 • Fax: (780)532-2457 11508 – 8th Street, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H3 Phone: (250)782-7511 • (800)663-3572 • Fax: (250)782-7511 TRACTORS:

NH L230 2011 3000lb Lift Capacity, Full Load, High Flow Hyds, Hyd Q/A, Stk#E016122 400 eng hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $49,500 Kubota RTV-900 2010 SidexSide Stk#E015145 1180 eng hrs . . . . . . $10,500 Woods CZR2652 2012 52” Zero Turn Mower Stk#E014133 . . . . . . . . $4,100 Kubota B7510 4wd, 60” Sweeper, 60” Mower, 60” Blade & 48” Tiller Stk#E011076 500 eng hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13,000 NH TS110 FWA, FK 595 Loader Stk#E016021 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39,000 NH TV140-TV6070 Loader, Grapple, 105 PTO HP Starting At: . . . . . $32,900 Steiger CM280 1984 Good Shape. Stk#E015984 7110 eng hrs . . . . $26,000 Cat 75 Stk#E016131 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $38,700 NH T9060 Triples Stk#E014421 1300 eng hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $225,000 NH T9.670HD 2011 800 Duals, 600hp, GPS, Lux Cab, Mega Flow Hyds Stk#E013694 200 eng hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $307,000

SPRAYERS:

FC Used Pull Type Sprayers, Various Models Starting At: . . . . . . . . . $21,900 Apache AS1210 2009 100ft, 1200 gal, AutoBoom, 5 Section Boom, Envizio Pro 850. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $159,900 Wilmar 8100 1997 Stk#E016135 Coming In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35,000

FEEDING:

Haybuster 2650 Grain Tank Starting At: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13,900

TILLAGE & SEEDING:

Summers 60ft Heavy Harrows Stk#E014008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $22,900 JD 220 18ft Disc Stk#E014891 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,250 FC 3450 340bu, Variable Rate & Mechanical Rate Units Available, T ow-Behind Starting At: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29,900 FC 820/1720/Pack 33’x9”, Single Shoot, TBH, Air Seeder, Packer Bar Stk#E015372 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $22,000 FC 5000/1720 33’x9”, Single Shoot, TBH, 4” Rubber Packers Stk#E015789 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $30,000 FC 5000 45’x9”, Double Shoot, TBH, 4” Rubber or Steel, Two To Choose From Starting At: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $40,000

FC 5000/3450 2002 57’x7.2”, TBT, Mech Cart, Single Shoot . . . . . . $55,000 NH P2060/P1060 2009 70’x12”, TBH, Variable Rate, Double Shoot, AgTron Blockage Monitor On Seed Runs, 4” Paired Row Atom Jet Openers, 5.5” Rubber Packers, Clean Unit. Stk#E013197 . . . . . . $125,900

COMBINES & HEADERS:

CIH 2388 2003 With Pickup Header, Hopper Cover, 1,650 T Hours Stk#E014945 2210 eng hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $72,000 NH 94C 25’ Draper to fit 2388 Stk#E014946 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25,000 Lexion 570 2011 RWA, Clean Unit, Stk#E014936 850 eng hrs . . . . $159,900 NH CX8070 2008 1000 T Hours Stk#E014437 1300 eng hrs . . . . . . $169,900 NH CX8080 2009-12 9 Available Starting At: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $175,000 NH CX8090 2013 Cast Drum, Tier IV, GPS, Duals, 200 T Hours Stk#E013496 270 eng hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $325,000 NH CR9070 2008 Hopper Cover, 490 T Hours Stk#E012246 730 . . $199,900 NH CR9090 2012 c/w Pickup Header, RWA, GPS, Luxury Cab, Stk#E016124 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $310,000 NH Selection Of NH Straight Cut & Draper Headers Various Sizes Available Starting At:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $22,000 JD 9860 2004 Hopper Cover, Clean & Ready To Work, 1,815 T Hours Stk#E015728 2420 eng hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $124,900

GRAIN CARTS:

Demco 850-1150 2014 850 to 1150 Bu, Black or Blue, PTO & Hyd. Drive, 900 Tires, Tarp & Scales New Starting At: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $49,900

SWATHERS:

Hesston 8400 1994 21ft Draper Stk#E014240 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13,500 MacDon 2930 1996 30ft 960, Single Knife Stk#E012437 1725 eng hrs. . $26,900 MacDon 9352i 2005 30ft 972, Double Knife, Triple Del. Stk#E012026 . . $59,900 MacDon 4952i 2006 30ft 972, Double Knife, Triple Del. Stk#E013760 . . $64,900 MacDon M105 2013 25ft D65, Single Knife, Triple Del. Stk#E014431 125 eng hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $129,900 MacDon M150-M155 30’ & 35’ D60/D65, Double Knife, Trans, Triple Del, Swath Rollers Available Starting At: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $101,900

DISCBINES/HAYBINES/RAKES: NH 488 1996 9’3” Side Pull Haybine Stk#E015827 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,900 NH 1411 2003 10ft Sidepull Stk#E014170 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11,900 CIH 8360 12ft Hydroswing Two To Pick From: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,500 NH 1475 2006 16ft Hydroswing Stk#E014022. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17,500 NH 1431 13’ Discbines, 2 to choose from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20,000

BALERS:

NH BR780/BR780A Auto Wrap, 2.07m P/U Starting At: . . . . . . . . . . $13,900 NH BR780A 2006 TW/NW, 2.07m P/U Stk#E007409. . . . . . . . . . . . . $18,900

CONSIGNMENTS:

JD 9600 2830 Threshing Hours 4165 eng hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35,000 JD 925 25’ Auger Header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 JD 2520 Tractor, Loader, Backhoe, Disc, Mower, Rear Blade, Wood Chipper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $28,000 JD 930 10’ Side Pull Disc Mower Conditioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,500 JF FCT1350 JF Forage Harvester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $16,900 NH BC5060 New Holland Square Baler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17,000 NH 492 New Holland Haybine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 KV 3PT-4BT Kvernland 4 Bottom Plow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,000 AG 3PT-2BT Dearborn 2 Bottom Plow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $600 JD 530 John Deere Round Baler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,400 NH BR780 New Holland Round Baler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12,000 FK Y720 Farm King 72” Rotary Cutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,700 SS 900 Supreme Twin Screw Feed Mixer Wagon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $32,000 RN 350 Renn Stockmaster Feed Wagon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,000 Wheat-Belt Never used 20’ Electric Bale Elevator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,900 NH CX860 2004, 76C P/U, 1602T Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $95,000 JD 640D 2012 40’ Combine Draper c/w Upper Cross Auger & HLA 4 Wheel Steer Header Cart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $71,000 Kub ZG227 54” Zero-Turn Mower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,500 DR Pro Lawn Vac & Chipper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,600 *For commercial use only. Offer subject to credit qualification and approval by CNH Industrial Capital Canada Ltd. See your New Holland dealer for details and eligibility requirements. CNH Industrial Capital Canada Ltd. standard terms and conditions will apply. Depending on model, a down payment may be required. Offer good through August 31, 2015, at participating New Holland dealers in Canada. Offer subject to change. Taxes, freight, set-up, delivery, additional options or attachments not included in price. © 2015 CNH Industrial Capital America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland Agriculture is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. CNH Industrial Capital and New Holland Construction are trademarks in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.

AUGUST 3, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Community news and events from across the province

You’ll never take La Crete out of these country music stars BY DIANNE FINSTAD AF contributor

ow in the world do a couple of Mennonite farm boys from the far reaches of northern Alberta find themselves in Nashville en route to country music stardom? It’s a question Brad and Curtis Rempel often ask themselves. With talent, determination and divine intervention, you could say. The brothers, who perform as High Valley, are riding high these days. Their fourth album, “County Line,” is a Top 10 seller in Canada and a Canadian Country Music Association album-of-the-year nominee, among other honours. And they’ve been on the road from California to P.E.I., with a recent stop at Red Deer’s Westerner Days. They also took their full band, big show, and a CMT TV documentary crew back to where it all got started — in La Crete, 500 kilometres north of Grand Prairie. “It was pretty special,” said Curtis. “We’ve been bragging about how unique and different our town is since we hit the road. Now we get to share our hometown with the world.” The concert was a fundraiser for the local rodeo grounds and the La Crete Ferry Campground. “The documentary is about how unlikely it is to do country music for a living, how unlikely it is to be from an ‘across the ice bridge’ Mennonite farming town in northern Alberta, and

Curtis Rempel (centre) and brother Brad (right) performed at Red Deer’s Westerner Days before heading home to La Crete for a very special concert in late July. PHOTO: DIANNE FINSTAD then how ridiculously unlikely it is to bridge the gap between those two worlds,” added older brother Brad. The boys, from a musical family of six, grew up singing harmony in church and along with brother Bryan (who wearied of the road and returned to La Crete) began performing as a country gospel group before they were teenagers.

Farm tales

When not making music, they were busy working on the family’s 1,400-acre farm, and helping their father who was the local dealer for Twister bins and Keho grain dryers. “We built a lot of wooden floors for grain bins,” recalled Curtis. “Drinking lukewarm Pepsi

out of a can with a farmer’s sausage sandwich was pretty good too, on the combine,” added Brad. In those days, the combines were 1981 and 1982 1460 Internationals. “Neither of them had the header reverser, so we had to manually unplug the header every single time, which happened quite often,” said Curtis. “I was too scared of Dad for it to happen ‘quite often,’” added Brad. “I think I drove probably too slow.” “Not me, I always tried to lap Dad on the field!” replied Curtis. Memories of farm life keep them grounded. “The main thing I learned was how spoiled we are,” said Brad.

“Any time I’m with a musician, and they’re complaining about a ‘tough day,’ I always think, ‘We’re a bunch of wusses!’ “A rough day for us is if our sound check goes too long, or there’s a problem with our monitors. It is so easy. I try hard to remember how normal it would’ve been for us to be farmers, working with our hands.” Curtis still has ties to the land. “I bought 300 acres from my dad and farmed it for a few years. That was before I decided to move to Nashville. I still have the farmland, but I’m renting it out to my cousin, who just loves farming more than anything in the world. I’m really happy to see him working the land.”

Keeping perspective

Brad stayed true to his roots by buying six acres of land and an old farmhouse in Columbia, Tennessee, where he can still do some regular hands-on labour. “Our dad could always fix anything. He still says the word ‘hire’ as if it’s a swear word,” said Brad. “That was the thing he taught us, just by example,” added Curtis. “If you can do something yourself, then do it. If you can’t, then learn by trial and error.” That’s been a valuable asset in their approach to music. “We recorded “County Line” with no help from a record label. Curtis and I saved up the money and paid for the

record ourselves. We had no manager. That’s all stuff that we learned from wanting to do it ourselves.” Connecting with the fans has become a trademark for High Valley. The duo has a large online presence, and they do things like fly fan club members down to get the Nashville experience, High Valley style. They even sent demos to fans to help them select the songs that made it to “County Line.” “We used to record songs and hope our fans loved them,” said Brad. “Now we found out which songs our fans loved, and recorded them. We’ve never heard of anyone else actually doing it that way.” Their up-tempo, toe-tapping music has been dubbed ‘pop grass’ — a mix of pop and bluegrass. The authenticity of their songs — many of them co-written by Brad, who works with some of Nashville’s biggest songwriters — also rings true with fans. “Faith, family, and farming. Those have always been the three things we’ve sung about,” said Brad, adding they limit touring to spend time with their young families. “No matter how our style changes, as long as we keep that at the root of it, our fans seem to be evolving with us, as musical styles are always evolving. I feel like what we sing about remains true and steady through the 18 years we’ve been doing this. “We’re very proud of the farm and where we come from.”

Nashville didn’t get combines — but fans did BY DIANNE FINSTAD AF contributor

beloved High Valley favourite called “On the Combine” almost never came

to be. The Rempel brothers were about to cut their first record in Nashville when Brad suggested the song. “Back in the day, we were in Nashville, working with some folks. It was the first record deal we signed, and we were trying to choose songs,” recalled Curtis. “Brad brought this song to the table. “Everybody in the room was like, ‘What’s a combine?’” recalled Curtis. “They told us, ‘Nobody’s going to relate to this song. Farmers are not a majority in this world.’” But the brother fought to have the song on the album, and won. “We cut it, released it, and started playing it. We were really impressed with how well it was received by the folks up here in the Prairies, and even in the northern states.

All the farmers just love it, because there’s not a lot of stuff like that out there. That was a huge deal for us — we were known as the ‘combine’ band.” The song also attracted the attention of a charity which operates Bible camps in developing countries, and it became the theme song when 200 combines gathered in Winkler, Man. and set a Guinness World Record. They were also part of the effort in Saskatoon in 2012, where 249 combines upped the bar (and tore through 320 acres in under 10 minutes). These days, High Valley has its own charity connection. The band has ‘adopted’ a farming village in Burundi with Food for the Hungry. They’ve visited it several times, and encourage fans to sponsor children there. “Our goal is to keep working there and someday see a kid actually graduate, not only from school, but from college. We know it’s a longterm deal. Right now if you live to be 35 there, it’s like being 95 here.”

“On The Combine” has become an iconic High Valley anthem and the theme song when 200 combines gathered in Winkler, Man. and set a Guinness World Record. PHOTO: HARVEST FOR KIDS

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 3, 2015

what’s

up Send agriculture-related meeting and event announcements to: glenn.cheater@fbcpublishing.com Aug. 4: Building Soil — Creating Land (Christine Jones), Bonnyville (also Aug. 5 in Castor). Contact: Lakeland Agricultural Research Association 780826-7260 Aug. 5: A Morning at the Research Farm, Fairview Research Farm, Fairview. Contact: Peace Country Beef & Forage Association 780-835-6799 Aug. 6: Battle River Research Field Day, Battle River Research office in Forestburg. Contact: Battle River Research 780-582-7308 Aug. 6: U of A Cereal Agronomy & Pulse Research Tour, South Campus, Edmonton. Contact: Christy Hoy 780-422-3825

Aug. 12: Dugout Workshop (Lakeland Agricultural Research Association), Fort Kent. Contact: Kellie 780-826-7260 Aug. 12: Water Treatment System Workshop (Lakeland Agricultural Research Association), Centennial Centre, Bonnyville. Contact: Kellie Nichiporik 780-826-7260 Aug. 24-25: HortSnacks on Wheels. Bus tour of Kathy’s Greenhouse in Kitscoty and three Saskatoon greenhouses. Departs from Salisbury Greenhouse in Sherwood Park. Contact: Dustin Morton 310-3276 Sept. 1: HortSnacks in the Field, Hidden Valley Garden, Sylvan Lake. Contact: Ag-Info Centre 1-800-387-6030

Aug. 10: HortSnacks in the Field, Solstice Berry Farm, Crossfield, Contact: Ag-Info Centre 1-800387-6030

Sept. 12: Explore Horticulture, Grande Prairie Provincial Building, Grande Prairie (also Sept. 19 in Red Deer and Sept. 26 in Lethbridge). Contact: Ag-Info Centre 1-800387-6030

Aug. 11: Cereal Agronomy & Pulse Research Tour, Alberta Agriculture’s pulse and cereal sites at Killam. Contact: Christy Hoy 780-422-3825

Oct. 3: Ponoka Women’s Conference, Ponoka Community Centre, Ponoka. Contact: Lauraine Weir 403-783-3713

Nominees sought for Alberta Milk award N ominations are now open for the Alberta Milk Dairy Industry Achievement Award. The award recognizes the contributions of individuals or organizations to the leadership and development of Alberta’s dairy industry. These include: • Volunteer efforts or committee work in service to the dairy industry; • A gricultural education and youth activities in the dairy industry; • Lobbying or championship efforts on behalf of the Alberta dairy industry;

• S cientific contributions to increase production or animal health; • Environmental or animal stewardship and ambassador. This year’s recipient will be recognized at Alberta Milk’s dairy conference on Nov. 18, and will be given a commemorative print and vest valued at $500. The nomination form and more information can be found in the News and Events section of www.albertamilk. com. The deadline for nominations is Sept. 30. — Alberta Milk release

Regular testing is the only way to ensure clean, safe water Testing not only protects families, but can identify maintenance problems or other issues early on Alberta Agriculture and Forestry release

egulations ensure urban water supplies are regularly treated and tested, but rural residents can’t just turn on a tap and be assured of clean drinking water. If you get water from a private well, you’re responsible for managing and maintaining the well and ensuring the water supply is tested regularly and is safe to drink. “Even though testing is free of charge for residential users through Alberta Health Services, we’re finding that some people aren’t testing their water,” said Debra Mooney, an environmental health consultant with Alberta Health and an advocate for the Working Well Program. “People need to know what’s in their water. Some well water has high nitrate levels which can be harmful to small infants when mixed in their formula. Other harmful substances can also make their way into wells and since water quality can change over the lifetime of a well, regular testing is

the only way to be certain that well water is safe for human consumption.” Testing well water on a regular basis also provides a baseline of the water quality, which can be very important to a well owner if things go wrong. “Routine testing can pick up changes in water quality early on and help a well owner realize that certain maintenance procedures need to be done to preserve water quality and increase the lifetime of a well,” said Jamie Wuite, executive director of Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s irrigation and farm water division. “A baseline is also important information to have when you suspect your water quality has been negatively affected by another party. If you never tested your water quality, it’s hard to prove that it has been negatively affected.” Land use changes or structural degradation of an aging well can also change or affect water quality. For more information, including a fact sheet on taking water samples, visit the Working Well website at www.working well.alberta.ca.

SUPERIOR COMFORT. SUPERIOR COMFORT.

SMART. SMART.

New Holland 200 Series skid steer loaders are the SMART way to work, offering operators the most comfort and the best visibility. The Super Boom™ cab provides ample leg and foot room. Visibility is excellent in all directions. To the front, the threshold is lower for New Holland to 200 skid steer loaders are the SMART tobucket work, offering better sightlines theSeries bucket edge, and you have a clear view way to the at full height operators the most comfort and theofbest visibility. SuperisBoom™ cab with the by looking through a see-through area the roof. RearThe visibility best in class provides amplelow leg engine and foot room. excellent in to all get directions. To the large rear window, hood andVisibility no rear is frame towers in your way. Work the front,way the with threshold lower for better sightlines to the bucket edge, and you have SMART a NewisHolland skid steer. a clear view to the bucket at full height by looking through a see-through area of

• Optional and pressurized cab with and air the roof.sealed Rear visibility is best in class withheat the large rear window, low engine conditioning hood and no rear frame towers to get in your way. Work the SMART way with a • Glide option forsteer. a smoother ride Newride Holland skid • Hydraulic quick coupler option for fast attachment changes • Optional sealed anddaily pressurized cab with • Quick servicing with checkpoints under rear hood heat and air conditioning and door, and if full access is needed, the entire cab tilts • Glide ride option for a smoother ride forward • Hydraulic quick coupler option for fast

© 2014 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland Agriculture is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial attachment N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. Newchanges Holland Construction is a trademark in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.

• Quick servicing with daily checkpoints under rear hood and door, and if full access is needed, the entire cab tilts forward

USED EQUIPMENT 708844

713220

$95,000

$19,800

2008 New Holland H8080 Mower Conditioner-SP, 1230hrs, Good cond.

2007 Case IH DCX161 Disc Mower Conditioner, Good cond.

© 2014 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland Agriculture is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. other 713233 New Holland Construction is a trademark in the United States and many713234 countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.

$14,500

$35,000

2008 Rem 2700 Grain Vac,

2011 Renn RGU1214 Grain Extractor,

Good cond.

TRACTORS Kubota ZG20, ‘04, mower . . . . . . . . $3,900 IHC 234, ‘86, hydro, 15 hp, 450 hrs . $4,300

SPRAYERS & SEEDING FC 2340 variable rate air cart . . . .$19,500 FC 5000 57’, w/3450 TBH air cart $46,000 NH P2070, ‘11, 60’ precision drill$112,000

HAYING EQUIPMENT MF 1375, ‘10, 15’ disc mower

$22,000

NH 2300, ‘99, 18’ header . . . . . . . . $9,000

NH 688, ‘00, bale comm., 17, 694 bales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12,000 NH 688, ‘00, w/auto tie . . . . . . . . .$10,000 NH BR7090, ‘12, w/net . . . . . . . . .$29,500

OFF ROAD UTILITY Honda TRX500 Foreman, ‘07 . . . . . $4,500 Kawasaki Teryx 750, ‘13 . . . . . . . .$11,000 Arctic Cat XTZ1000 Prowler, ‘11. . . $9,900

MISCELLANEOUS Renn RGU1214, ‘11, 12’ bag extractor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$35,000

Claresholm, AB 403-625-3321

1-800-852-7270 www.challengernh.ca

AUGUST 3, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

1-800-665-1362 • abclassifieds@fbcpublishing.com

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FARM CHEMICAL / SEED COMPLAINTS We also specialize in: agricultural complaints of any nature; Crop ins. appeals; Spray drift; Chemical failure; Residual herbicide; Custom operator issues; Equip. malfunctions. Licensed Agrologist on Staff. For assistance and compensation call

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HAYING & HARVESTING Various 2015 Hay Trailer Hauls 17-22 Rd Bales, 5th Wheel Style Steering, Turns on a Dime, 11x22.5 dual tires, Heavy Build Trailer, 9’ 9"x36’ Steel Deck, $6,400 Delivery Available in MB (204)362-7480 FOR SALE-1991 HESSTON 4655 inline square baler-good condition $7000. New holland 1033 square bale retrieving wagon-good condition $4000. Can be delivered to Edmonton. (780)285-2009. Round up the cash! Advertise your unwanted equipment in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds.

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

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

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

25’ 8100 Hesston Swather, pickup reel, keer sheers ....$21,500 25’ 725 CIH (MacDon) PT Swather .........................$3,000 (3) CIH Late Model High HP Tractors, 1 with pto .......... CALL Wanted - 30’ to 40’ JD 9450 Hoe Drills, complete with mover .................................................................... CALL 40’ Morris 3100 Hoe Drills, mover and hitch ............$10,000 946 Versatile Ford Tractor, 5,000 hrs, 24.5 x 32 D....$50,000 275 MF Tractor & Loader, diesel, multi power, 3 pth, new 18.4 x 30 rears, looks and runs great.................... $13,000 MF Cab, fits models 255, 265, 275 tractors ......................$1,000 B275 IHC Tractor & Loader .....................................$3,500 560 Hesston Round Baler, 1,000 PTO ................... $5,500 New NH 1060 TBT Air Tank, on duals ................... $85,000 NH P1060 TBH Air Tank, as new ........................... $69,500 35’ 4590 EEZE-ON Double Disc, good condition .... $36,000 44’ 820 F.C. Deep Till Air Seeder, harrows ................. CALL 2320 F.C. TBH Air Tank, complete with 320rd tank ......... CALL 40’ 340 F.C. Chisel Plow & 75 Packer Bar, P30’s... $33,000 62’ F.C. S75 Packer BAR P30’s, good condition .... $13,500 48’ F.C. S75 Packer Bar, P30, as new ....................... $35,000 2003 4300 IHC Service Truck, 466 diesel, 5 speed Allison auto, crane, compressor, welder, nice ................ $50,000 51’ Degelman Landroller, as new.... ...................... $40,000 Degelman Dozer Frame MF 4000 Series 4WD .....$1,000 41’ Flexicoil 300 B Chisel Plow, 3 bar harrows ..... $12,500 Flexicoil 6 Run Seed Treater....................................... $750 100’ 65XL Flexicoil Sprayer, complete with windguards, elec. end nozzles single tips, auto rate, excellent condition ... $12,500 225 DOW Kello-Bilt Tandem Disc, 28” smooth front & rear blades, 10.5” spacing, oil, bath bearings, as new ........ $60,000 47’ 820 Flexicoil Chisel Plow, 4 bar harrows ......... $67,500 2009 GMC Topkick 20 ft. Grain Truck, automatic, silage gate, air ride suspension,approx. 7,000 kms ...$105,000 New E-Kay 7”, 8”, 9” Bin Sweeps available .......... CALL 13 x 70 Farm King Grain Auger, complete with spout, Brehon elec. winch & swing, full bin alarm ....... $10,500 HD 12 x 1200 (39.37’) Sakundiak Grain Auger, Kohler Diesel, Hawes Mover, clutch, reverser & lights, excellent condition ................................................... $14,500 HD 8 x 1600 (53‘) Sakundiak Grain Auger, 24 HP Onan eng., E-Kay round about mover, clutch & spout .......$4,500 HD 8 x 1600 (53’) Sakundiak Grain Auger ..........$1,250 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** $1250 New Outback VSI Steering Wheel Kits .................. In Stock 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**

FARM MACHINERY FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous ACREAGE EQUIPMENT: 3-PT. CULTIVATORS, Discs, Plows, Blades, Harrows, Etc. (780)892-3092, Wabamun, AB. MF 820 TANDEM DISC, 33-ft, $7,500; 2004 Rogater 1264, 1200-gal., 80-ft outback auto steer, Raven auto rate, Raven GPS w/mapping, rear duals, 2 sets of tips, $85,000. 1990 Kongskilde 700 Grain Vac, $4,500. Call:(403)665-2341, Craigmyle, AB.

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

HAYING & HARVESTING HAYING & HARVESTING Baling Equipment WANTED: JD 7810 c/w FEL & 3-PTH; sp or PTO bale wagon; JD or IHC end wheel drills. Small square baler. (403)394-4401

Stretch your ADVERTISING DOLLAR!

1-800-665-1362

TracTors TRACTORS Various IHC 885 c/w loader, 3 pth JD 2130 with loader, 3 pth JD 4250 FWA, with 280 loader JD 4440 FWA, c/w loader JD 4450 FWA, loader available JD 7130 FWA, with loader, 3 pth JD 7410 FWA, with loader, 3pth JD 7600 FWA, 740 loader with 3 pth JD 7800 FWA, with 3 pth JD 7810 FWA, with 740 loader Clamp on Duals, 20.8x38-18.4x38

FINANCE, TRADES WELCOME 780-696-3527, BRETON, AB

S670/680/690 JD Combine low hrs 4730 JD Sprayer, 100 ft. 854 Rogator SP Sprayer, complete with JD auto steer, swath pro Special 450 CIH Quadtrac with big pump 554 Rogator Sprayer SP 4840 JD 2WD, low hours, new tires GOOD SELECTION OF JD & CASE SP SPRAYERS AND 4WD TRACTORS

LIVESTOCK

Big Tractor Parts, Inc.

LIVESTOCK Cattle Various

Geared For The Future

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.

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

HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING

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

1-800-587-4711

“ON FARM PICK UP”

1-877-250-5252

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

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

1-877-641-2798

TRAILERS

REGISTERED POLLED HEREFORD & Black Angus 2-yr old bulls, no grain. Double N Ranch, Sundre AB. Call Gerald or Shelley (403)638-2356, www.doublen.ca

ORGANIC ORGANIC Organic – Certified WANT THE ORGANIC ADVANTAGE? Contact an organic Agrologist at Pro-Cert for information on organic farming: prospects, transition, barriers, benefits, certification & marketing. Call:(306)382-1299, Saskatoon, SK or at info@pro-cert.org

LOOKING FOR EQUIPMENT?

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REAL ESTATE

TRAILERS Trailers Miscellaneous FOR SALE: 2006 PETERBILT 379 hiway tractor; 70-in bunk, moose bumper, very good rubber, 13-spd, 40 rears, 475 ISX, 1.2million kms. Excellent condition. $52,000 OBO. 1997 Lodeking tridem 3 hopper grain trailer with almost new Michaels aluminum augers, VGC. $30,000 OBO. Call:(780)926-0983 or (780)841-2984.

TRAVEL

RURAL & CULTURAL TOURS Italian Villa ~ Oct 2015 Spain & Portugal ~ Nov 2015 European River Cruise ~ Multiple dates Australia/New Zealand ~ Jan 2016 Costa Rica/Panama Canal ~ Jan 2016 Tanzania/Zimbabwe ~ Jan 2016 South America ~ Feb 2016 India ~ 2016 *Portion of tours may be Tax Deductible

REAL ESTATE Land For Sale 18-ACRE LOT FOR SALE. Located in NW Montana. Lincoln County Hwy-56, in the cabinet mountains. Easy access to a private pine wooded paradise with a blue ribbon trout river. 549-ft river frontage, fishing, hunting, kayaking, floating. Build your dream cabin surrounded by mountains! Land is set up for 1 or 2 lots, private financing available. $199,000. Call Mark (507)402-7405.

Select Holidays 1-800-661-4326

www.selectholidays.com CAREERS CAREERS Help Wanted

SEED / FEED / GRAIN SEED/FEED/GRAIN Feed Grain

www.penta.ca

• Competitive Prices • Prompt Movement • Spring Thrashed

BOW VALLEY TRADING LTD.

TRACTORS Various

STEIGER TRACTOR SPECIALIST

Combines

Back-Track InvesTIgaTIons

RON SAUER

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

“LIKE MANY BEFORE, WE’LL HAVE YOU SAYING THERE’S NO DEAL LIKE A KEN DEAL” • Phone: (403)330-7847 • Cell: (403)504-4929 • Email: kendeal@shaw.ca

COMBINES Accessories

1-866-882-4779. www.backtrackcanada.com

BUYING:

HEATED CANOLA & FLAX

4-7459 Edgar Industrial Bend, Red Deer AB Ph: 403-346-2933 Email: info@advanteklighting.com

LIGHTING SOLUTIONS

SEED/FEED/GRAIN Grain Wanted

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

MUST HAVE FARM EXPERIENCE, mechanically inclined, be able to do any structural repairs to buildings, must be able to run combine, swather, tractor, balers, haybines, farm equipment. Mixed farm. Wages are negotiable depending on experience, potential to make $50,000 plus per year, for the right individual. (204)738-2716.

Prairie-Wide Display Classifieds

MORE OPTIONS TO SAVE YOU MONEY

Buy one province, buy two provinces or buy all three. Great rates whatever you choose

Contact Sharon

Email: sharon.komoski@fbcpublishing.com

AUGUST 3, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

125,000

69,000

‘05 NEW HOLLAND CR960

3,400

VERTICAL TILLAGE, EXCELLENT COND.

5,000

‘09 NEW HOLLAND 737GC

12,000

NEW HOLLAND 688

ROUND BALER, BALE COMMAND,NET AND TWINE, HYD PICKUP,1000 PTO

42,500

D L SO

AIR CART, EXCELLENT COND., 155 BUS TANK, CART ONLY, MAKE OFFER

185,000

9,700

17,800

D L SO

LAURIER 60 PACKER HARROW

99,000

‘09 NEW HOLLAND H7460

‘04 NEW HOLLAND CR940 COMBINE, 21’ UNLOADING AUGER

147,500

‘05 NEW HOLLAND FP230

‘07 NEW HOLLAND CR9070

15,900

FORAGE HARVESTER, 2700HRS, HYD.SWING TONQUE BUNDLE,VERT EXT 7 SUPPORT BUNDLE

COMBINE, SRAWCH 4R,HEADER LIFT CYL 70MM,PLATFORM EXT 10”

CALL

NEW HOLLAND BR780A

ROUND BALER, TWINE ONLY, HYD PICKUP, EXTRA SWEEP PICKUP. BALE COMMAND

‘15 NEW HOLLAND 195HBS MANURE SPREADER. 0% FINANCING FOR 2 YEARS!

295,000

CALL

MOWER CONDITIONER, REFURBISHED, DRAWBAR SWIVEL HITCH TONG

TRACTOR, EXCELLENT COND., 110V COLD WEATHER PKG, WEIGHT CARRIER, FUEL COOLER

69,500

‘12 NEW HOLLAND T7.185

COMBINE, NAV II AUTO GUIDANCE, DIFF LOCKS, GPS, HID LIGHTS, 790CP

COMBINE, 16’ STRAWMASTER P/U HDR, STRAW CHOPPER DELUXE, LONG UNLOADING AUGER

‘08 NEW HOLLAND 94C

‘12 NEW HOLLAND CR9090

‘08 NEW HOLLAND CR9070

HEADER, NEW KNIFE, NEW GUARDS, CANVAS DRIVE MOTORS

‘97 BOURGAULT 2155

MOWER, 6 FT, ROUGH CUT MOWER, 3 PT HITCH ATTACHMENT

125,000

‘14 LANDOLL 7431-29

COMBINE, HEADER LIFT,PLATFORM EXT 20”,ROTOR DRIVE SINGLE HIGH SPEED

295,000

NEW HOLLAND TV6070

TRACTOR, WHEEL WEIGHTS, REVERSING ENGINE FAN, ENGINE AND TRANS HEATERS

240,800

‘12 NEW HOLLAND CR9090 NAV II AUTO GUIDANCE, DIFF LOCKS, GPS, HID LIGHTS, 790CP

29,000

D L SO

‘11 JOHN DEERE 9870

COMBINE, PREMIER CAB, HIGH CAPACITY LIFT CYLINDERS, HEAVY DUTY FINAL DRIVE

‘14 AKRON 3230 GRAIN BAGGER

4723 - 39 Ave., Wetaskiwin, AB T9A 2J4

1-888-644-5463 www.hilinecnh.com