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New variety a milestone in the battle against clubroot Double resistance a big step forward, but clubroot strains are quickly multiplying

Hay! Guess who’s hiring a forage researcher? New forage research job at Beaverlodge is a pleasant surprise after years of funding cutbacks

By JENNIFER BLAIR AF staff

new canola variety resistant to multiple strains of clubroot will hit the market in time for spring seeding. But the new variety from Crop Production Services will only be available in limited quantities and a clubroot expert says growers can’t expect it to be “a saviour.” CPS Canada says the variety, Proven Seed PV 580 GC, has shown “high levels of resistance to the current predominant clubroot pathotypes, as well as some of the newly discovered highly virulent clubroot pathotypes referred to as 5X.” “We’re really excited about this new variety because it’s the first multigenic clubroot-resistant variety that will be available to growers,” said Ryan McCann, director of seed for CPS Canada. “This is another tool that will help them combat the spread of clubroot by having another gene available in rotation with their other crops.”

see CLUBROOT } page 7

This year’s field day at the Peace Country Beef and Forage Association’s plot trials in Fairview in August drew a big crowd, eager to learn about yields and feed quality in their forage test plots. PHOTO: Peace Country Beef and Forage Association

By Alexis Kienlen AF STAFF

he forage industry has been asking for more researchers for a long time and finally, it seems the federal government has listened. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada recently issued a job posting for a forage researcher at its Beaverlodge research farm. It’s a term job — running until 2018 — but a step in the right direction, says the chair of the

No regrets:

Canadian Forage and Grassland Association. “It’s a welcome sign that there’s a realization on the part of the federal government that there is a need for forage research and that there’s a need for (government) to be involved,” said Doug Wray, who ranches near Irricana. Beaverlodge has a long history of forage research, and thanks to its long summer days, the Peace Country provides ideal growing conditions. Having a forage researcher in their backyard will be a big boost for local groups such as the Peace

Country Beef and Forage Association, said Wray. “Forages are an important crop in that region and it’s great to see that somebody will be working on it in that region. Just having that scientific knowledge up there will be a big benefit,” said Wray. Peace Country Beef and Forage Association already does some limited joint work with Agriculture Canada and is keen to do more, said Monika Benoit, the association’s manager. “We’re very excited — we love to collaborate and love to put our resources together to

have strong projects and better data,” said Benoit. “We just see it as a very positive development for the industry and the producers of Alberta.” The hiring will also raise hopes that it might signal the beginning of the end to the steep decline in forage research over the last 15 years that has left the country with only a handful of forage scientists. Part of the problem is that most producers are two steps removed, buying seed from seed growers but having no

see FORAGE } page 6

Gerry Ritz proud of his record } PAGE 33

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news » inside this week

inside » ON THE AGENDA Ralph Goodale lays out Liberals’ agriculture priorities

NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

livestock

crops

‘THEY’RE DUMB COWS’

TOUGH YEAR, BIG PAYOUTS

columNists John Morriss

Brenda Schoepp

Look to other ag sectors for bright ideas

LOTS TO SEE AND DO Farmfair and Agri-Trade will keep you busy

Time to get to know the new Ottawa crowd

Daniel Bezte

But your handling facility still has to go with the flow

Crop insurance payments soar because of hail and drought

Will Mother Nature be nasty or nice this winter?

Making it better when it is wetter — and when it’s dry, too Ducks Unlimited has two wetlands restoration programs drawing on $31 million in provincial funding BY JEFF MELCHIOR AF contributor

hether floods in 2013 or drought this year, extreme weather has taken its toll on producers throughout Alberta in recent years. The good news is Mother Nature can help with that. And the provincial government is also chipping in, with $31 million in funding over three years to encourage farmers and other rural landowners to restore wetlands and fish habitats destroyed before or after the 2013 flood. These funds, part of the Watershed Resiliency and Restoration program, come from $600 million the province pledged earlier this year for flood mitigation. The funding is being channelled through two programs administered by Ducks Unlimited Canada — the 10-year lease program and the Revolving Land Purchase program. Barry and Charmaine Ronsko, who raise cattle east of Camrose, have partnered with Ducks Unlimited at various times over the past 15 years. While there are many benefits to reclaiming wetlands and riparian areas, the biggest one comes down to the way these locations build up reserves of water for dry seasons and absorb water in times of excess moisture, they said. “You always need water when you have cattle and it’s a worry when there isn’t any, especially in a dry year,” said Barry Ronsko. “It gives you a bit of a reserve if you have a drought and you have that wetland the cattle can go into and graze.”

Barry and Charmaine Ronsko have restored wetlands on one quarter and purchased two others under another restoration program. PHOTO: RONSKO FAMILY How it works

Both programs compensate landowners. The 10-year lease program offers annual payments based on current fair market value for Ducks Unlimited to restore a wetland area on a farm. The organization also pays for all of the restoration costs associated with the leased area while the landowner continues to graze or hay and otherwise manage the restored area. Under the Revolving Land Purchase program, Ducks Unlimited buys land, restores the wetland and upland habitat, and then sells it with a conservation easement on the land title. The easement allows uses such as haying and grazing, but prevents the breaking, cultivating or development of wetlands for uses that are not permitted.

“Proceeds of the land sale are then used to fund more restoration projects,” said Cathy MacKenzie, communications specialist with Alberta Ducks Unlimited Canada. The most eligible properties for these two programs are within highcapability waterfowl production areas, including wetlands and uplands.

The benefits

Working with Ducks Unlimited was not a difficult decision for the Ronskos, who restored one of their quarters of land. “It fit into our program and it wasn’t going to hurt us as far as we were concerned — we could still use the land,” said Barry Ronsko. “The way it worked out is the wetland areas control the water better now. In the spring,

it builds up the soil, while before we would sometimes get flooded out. It just seems to be managed a lot better and seems to be working out for us.” “This year, despite the drought, we had a lot of reserve in our water table,” added Charmaine Ronsko. “The dugout stays full.” Their wetlands have also made a big difference in terms of wildlife, helping keep deer and moose away from adjacent cropland. Although grain farmers are sometimes reluctant to take crop acres out of production in order to reclaim wetlands, Barry said they are beneficial for keeping wildlife out of fields and grain storage. “Eventually if all this land gets broke there’ll be no place for wildlife to go so they become kind of a nuisance,” he said. There are also benefits in a simply esthetic sense, said Charmaine. “It provides a place for the ducks to come and migrate. It’s kind of nice to see them flying around.” The Ronskos also bought 320 acres of land reclaimed by Ducks Unlimited as part of the Revolving Land Purchase program. “We purchased it with no hesitation,” said Barry. “The price was a little lower so it gave us an alternative to buying more expensive cropland.” They also like the fact there are no restrictions on putting cattle on the wetlands. “It just can’t be broke or drained for as long as the land is here,” said Charmaine. “Even when we’re gone it will stay in its natural state. It’s kind of reassuring to know there will still be some nature left.”

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A Liberal ‘fix’ for temporary foreign worker program may be elusive New government’s pledge to help beleaguered meat processors will be a tough sell tor of international that taking something trade, government, like that and turning it AF staff / Red Deer and media relations. into a program that they “We’ve got two new can sell is a challenge,” he new Liberal government trade deals out there, said the former senior has vowed to fix the broken which hopefully will civil servant with Agrifederal temporary foreign open substantial culture and Agri-Food worker program for Canada’s belea- new markets. But we Canada and other fedguered meat processors — but that don’t have the workeral departments. may not be enough. ers to take advantage “We have to tell them Despite “endless” domestic of that.” what we want and we recruitment and a seven per cent Liberal Party of have to give them the Ron Davidson unemployment rate in Canada, the Canada president information to justify it.” country’s meat industry is still short Anna Gainey sent a There’s “a solid 80 per about 1,000 workers. letter to the council prior to the elec- cent public animosity” towards the And the situation “just gets tion promising to “fix the program.” temporary foreign worker program, worse and worse,” an official with “We need accurate labour market and Canadians are skeptical about the Canadian Meat Council told data, clear rules, strong enforce- whether it’s really needed, he said. attendees at the recent Ag Labour ment, and a credible pathway to “We continue to be told, ‘If you Summit. citizenship for foreign workers,” recruit harder and pay more, you’re “We’re not going to be able to sus- Gainey stated in the letter. going to get all the workers you tain long term a competitive meat But it’s not just the program that’s want,’” said Davidson. “People have industry if we can’t have workers to an issue, but also the public’s per- a hard time understanding how you fill our plants or on our farms where ception of it, said Davidson. can have a worker shortage if there’s livestock is being produced,” said “After three decades in Ottawa — all these unemployed Canadians Meat processors, including Cargill’s High River facility, are struggling to find workers despite “endless” domestic recruitment. PHOTO: CARGILL MEATS Ron Davidson, the council’s direc- mostly inside government — I know out there. “We know there are many unemployed Canadians. The problem is battle, livestock producers are pay- value in them, they were going into trying to recruit them.” ing a price, too, he said. rendering. That is not a winning And recent changes to the pro“I don’t care if you’re a producer, formula for a sustainable indusgram — including hiring caps of a processor, a worker, or a con- try,” he said. “We’re supposed to 20 per cent of a company’s work- sumer — everyone loses under the be doing value added and product force (which will drop to 10 per current program when you have innovation, and this reduces those. cent next year), increased fees, empty workstations in the plants,” We want investment in Canada, and decreased work terms — have said Davidson. “It doesn’t matter and this reduces investment in The temporary foreign worker program can made it harder to hire temporary where you are in the value chain. If Canada and quite frankly transfers be tough for farmers to navigate without help foreign workers. you’ve got a link in that chain that’s it overseas.” “We still do not have a pathway not functioning properly, we’re all That makes it critical for the meat is another big challenge, and not that’s working as well as we need it hurting.” industry to convince both the new By JENNIFER BLAIR meeting those requirements is to, to get workers into the industry,” One example is offal. There are government and the Canadian pubAF staff / Red Deer usually the reason applications said Davidson. “We took a program strong markets, particularly in Asia, lic that it is “hiring everybody we can are refused, she said. that wasn’t designed for full-time for liver, tongue, tripe and other domestically.” f you want to hire tempoService Canada rules spell out openings and started using it. We’re organ meats but the worker short“We just have to work with them rary foreign workers for the minimum you must do in caught in this program, and we’re age means plants aren’t able to col- to make it palatable and explain it to your agricultural operation, your recruitment effort. certainly feeling the impact.” lect offal. the media and the public.” get ready to do some serious “But just meeting the miniAnd while meat packers and pro“Instead of going into South paperwork. mum requirements is setting cessors are on the front line of this Korea or China as exports with jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com The “most challenging com- yourself up for failure,” said ponent” of the program is Varekamp-Bos. “I suggest you something called a labour mar- do more. Over-the-top adverket impact assessment, immi- tising is my suggestion.” gration consultant Martine The minimum includes Varekamp-Bos said at the recent advertising on the Government Ag Labour Summit. of Canada’s Job Bank, which The intent of the program, can be “cumbersome,” and two managed by Service Canada, is other places, one of which must straightforward enough. be national. “They want to make sure “Craigslist or Kijiji are not you’ve truly tried to find that considered national in scope Canadian or permanent resi- because you actually have to dent first before you’re going to select a region for your job reach out to a foreign worker,” search,” she said. “What Service said Varekamp-Bos, who Canada wants you to have in the operates Immigration Care in site that you’re using is someLacombe. thing like Monster or WorkopoBut the devil is in the detail, lis, where you put in the occupaGRAIN & LIVESTOCK and there’s lots of those. tion and all the positions show COMMODITIES Take, for example, wages. up, not just the ones in Alberta.” ONE APPLICATION, Service Canada has a median And don’t just dash off a helpONE LOW FEE hourly wage for each province, wanted ad. There are “very, very INTEREST FREE which in Alberta’s case is $25 an specific” rules on what must be hour. If you pay more than that, in an ad, including job duties, you have to have a plan for either terms of employment, wage, finding a Canadian worker or benefits, and skill requirements. training a Canadian to do the Ads need to be posted for job of the skilled worker you’ve at least two weeks, but again, brought in. But even if you pay it’s better to do more to show less than that, you can run into you are “committed to hiring a Visit our booth at trouble. Canadian,” she said. MAXIMUM ADVANCE Agri-Trade in Red Deer “I really want to warn employAlso keep screenshots and on November 11-14. ers about giving raises,” said copies of each ad from the start, Varekamp-Bos. “A Service middle and end of the advertisCanada officer might say, ‘You ing period. advertised the job for $18 and And with “variations and Find out more at 1-866-745-2256 Whether you’re just getting started or have been farming for years, a cash advance you’re now paying him $24, and exceptions” for each sector, even or www.ccga.ca. offers solutions for your farm, including: if you had advertised that job at Service Canada officials can get $24 an hour, maybe a suitable confused and request some• financial flexibility, so you can market your crop or livestock when the Canadian would have applied.’ thing not applicable to your timing and price is best for you, “I suggest that, when you application, said Varekamp-Bos. • a low blended interest rate, so you can lower your cost of production, and advertise that job, you actually “You really need to know • cash flow solutions for the everyday challenges of managing a farm. The cash advance program administered by include the wage range that what you’re getting yourself into CCGA is made available to Canadian farmers Applying is easier than ever too, with all your advance needs in one place at CCGA. would include the possible raise before you start on this.” through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Fall advances for livestock and stored grains are available now. Advance Payments Program. you have in mind.” The rules around recruitment jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com By JENNIFER BLAIR

Foreign worker program a paperwork jungle

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It’s time to start knocking on some new doors

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Farmers and their organizations need to reach out — and move quickly — to get on the agenda of the new Liberal government

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BY JOHN MORRISS ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

side from the difference in political stripe, the new federal government means quite a change for western farmers. You may or may not have agreed with their policies, but at least the Conservatives had plenty of MPs who knew how to run a swather, sort cattle, or fill out an AgriStability form. There are some fine MPs in the new Trudeau government, but those are skills that few or any possess. That leads us to as good a place as any to start a list of suggestions for the new government — appoint some farmers to the Senate. It may not be a popular institution these days, but the political and constitutional reality is that we’re stuck with it, so let’s fill it with good people. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pledged that non-partisan Senate appointments will be made by a new third-party process. Farm groups should support that and make their case for qualified farmers to be nominated to fill some of the several vacant positions. The next suggestion is one that many others have made, and that is that the new government must respect science and scientists. It should be acknowledged that those of us covering agriculture have been slightly better off than other journalists covering other departments, especially environment. Unlike those scientists who have been muzzled completely, some Agriculture Canada staff such as plant breeders have actually been able to speak to us and say whether one variety has better disease resistance than the other,

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demand, water-quality problems and essentially uncontrolled drainage, there is an urgent need for a Prairie-wide waterand soil-management strategy. A revived PFRA might be ideal to develop and implement one, and keeping the old name wouldn’t hurt. Farmers trusted the PFRA, and knew that its staff understood their needs as well as the needs of the environment, which will get a lot more attention under the new government. Farmers and their organizations need to be prepared for that. The perception, if not the reality, is that since Prairie farmers have so strongly supported the Conservatives, they also support the Conservative position on the environment, especially the relationship between greenhouse gases and climate change. That position has been grudging acceptance in public and outright denial in private. Farmers and their organizations need to realize that if they want the regulations on the safety of pesticides and genetically modified crops to be based on the vast majority of scientific opinion, they had better accept the vast majority of scientific opinion on climate change. Otherwise they won’t be taken seriously. Canada’s “big city” mayors have clearly done a good job of establishing a relationship with the Trudeau Liberals, and making their case for more money to rebuild crumbling urban infrastructure. Western Canada’s municipal and other rural representatives will need to work hard on building the same relationship. When they visit Ottawa, they can no longer drop in to see a local MP who is part of the government. It’s time to start knocking on some new doors, and speaking the same language when they get in.

‘Probably carcinogenic’ needs to be put in context The risk — if there is one — is small, and the nutritional benefits of red meat are known and are substantial

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though probably after checking with the minister’s office first. The reign of terror that partisan ministerial officials have held over scientists and other public servants was not started by Stephen Harper’s government. It’s been a creeping problem since the last Trudeau administration. The new one should set scientists free to speak about their work. That policy should apply to all public servants. Again, it did not start with Mr. Harper, but this country has seen a disturbing trend of government employees being labelled as “bureaucrats,” a word which has mistakenly come to imply “meddlesome officials.” Former prime minister Harper missed no opportunity to portray them as that or worse — people doing unnecessary work at taxpayers’ expense. Prime Minister Trudeau should work to help restore the image of public service as an honourable profession. Speaking of sound science and public service, there has never been a better example than the work of the former Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA), which arguably saved Western Canada from turning into a desert in the 1930s. A few years ago the PFRA was absorbed into the “Agri-Environment Services Branch” of Agriculture Canada, suspiciously not long after releasing a major report which documented that the condition of soil and water in Western Canada was not as rosy as some would like to claim. In 2012, in a bizarre example of penny-pinching for no good reason, the Harper government unloaded the remaining PFRA community pasture and shelterbelt programs. Given climate change, the decline of glaciers in the Rockies, increasing water

Canadian Cattlemen’s Association release

he Canadian Cattlemen’s Association has reviewed the monograph, Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat as published in The Lancet, which summarizes the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) review of red meat and processed meats. The Working Group charged with the review classified consumption of red meat in Group 2A, or “probably carcinogenic to humans,” which refers to a degree of certainty of causation. It is important to note that IARC conducts hazard assessments, not risk assessments. That means it considers whether meat at some level, under some circumstance could pose a risk. IARC has found hazards in about half of the agents it has reviewed. In reaching the 2A classification, the Working Group’s review of 800 existing epidemiological studies from around the world “concluded that there is limited evidence in human beings for the carcinogenicity of the consump-

photo: Thinkstock tion of red meat,” and that “… no clear association was seen in several of the high-quality studies and residual confounding from other diet and lifestyle risk is difficult to exclude.” The IARC monograph reported that colorectal cancer was its principle focus relative to red meat and that “a meta-analysis of colorectal cancer in 10 cohort studies reported a statistically significant dose-response relationship, with

a 17 per cent increased risk (95 per cent CI 1·05–1·31) per 100 grams per day of red meat.” The American Society of Clinical Oncology has estimated that “a person with an average risk of colorectal cancer has about a five per cent chance of developing colorectal cancer overall.” By this estimate, consuming 100 grams per day of red meat would increase the risk of colorectal cancer by just under one per cent in absolute terms. The meat industry has previously estimated that, on average, Canadians consume approximately 50 grams of fresh red meat or half this amount. Accordingly, if there is an increase in the potential risk of colorectal cancer from red meat consumption, by these estimates it is small and must be considered relative to the very significant nutritional benefits that red meat provides. While meat’s very significant nutritional benefits are not considered directly in the IARC evaluation, it did note that “red meat contains high biological value proteins and important micronutrients such as B vitamins, iron (both free iron and haem iron), and zinc.”

The World Health Organization has previously stated that two billion people — over 30 per cent of the world’s population — have anemia, many due to iron deficiency. Beef is among the best food sources of well-absorbed iron. Meat has long provided an important source of nutrients for Canadians and the industry takes pride in providing high-quality beef products to consumers. There are many theories why red and processed meat may be linked to cancer, however, it’s important to note that no scientific consensus has been reached. Canadians hear a great deal about what foods we should eat and the perspective from the scientific community can change over time. Certainly cancer is a complex disease with many contributing factors including age, genetics, and lifestyle. As with so many aspects of daily life achieving the right balance for your individual circumstance is key and we continue to recommend to Canadians that they follow the Government of Canada’s Food Guide.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

Our future Canadian farm leaders need to network There is incredible diversity in the ag sector and great benefit in sharing ideas with farmers in other sectors By BRENDA SCHOEPP AF columnist

f we are to spread our wings in agriculture, it is often a good idea to look around. We gain an appreciation of the whole of agriculture if we look at all of it, rather than be limited to our sector. There are many good examples of how commitment can bring something into the mainstream. The many hours spent in promotion, meetings and advertising has made the Certified Angus Beef program the most recognized brand in the North American beef industry. No-till farming was not easy to sell at first and now is our greatest contributor to a low environmental footprint. To get there, many people gave of time and talent. Canada did not become the world’s leading exporter of lentils by chance. There was heart behind the story that took us to first place — and time given by those within the commodity. As always, there is more to agriculture than meets the eye and most certainly there is a world to discover beyond our fenceline.

Canada is the world’s largest producer of maple syrup and supplies tons of apples, cherries, cranberries and blueberries (we are the world’s largest producer of wild blueberries) to trading partners overnight. We have young enthusiastic farmers paying $100,000 an acre for land because they have markets for tomatoes (while growing a record 165 pounds per square metre), cucumbers and peppers both in North America and abroad. Canadians bought seven billion of their own eggs this past year and we are the second-largest exporter of malting barley in the world. We grow 150 varieties of potatoes and make more than 700 kinds of cheese. We sell hundreds of millions of dollars in genetics, flowers, and oils and more than 1.5 million Christmas trees. There is room for every farmer and it is our differences that should be embraced. Organic foods are marching ahead at a record pace and farmers’ markets sold $1 billion worth of product last year. New Canadians are wanting for new products such as goat and ethnic veggies like okra. Cana-

dian manufacturers export food made from farm products to billions of people and our own consumers fill their basket with 70 per cent Canadian food. From salad and samosas to Korean ribs and sauerkraut, there is a growing demand for safe, quality food that Canadian farmers produce and manufacturers add value to. Farming has the privilege of being without the constraint of border, class, caste, gender, religion or politics. It is a united effort around the world to better our families and feed the community or world around us. That is why it is a self-imposed restraint to our intelligence to only hang out in the beef sale barn, the chicken symposium, or the blueberry field day. To ‘cross over to the other side’ is an exhilarating learning experience. For an article on one ag sector, I might first read about cars, human health, chickens, urban trends, tobacco, or human rights. Or tour a blueberry field or a kiwipacking plant. There are both commonalities and something new to learn. More often it is the events in another industry that

cause me to do a comparative analysis of the industry that I am in. Being with other farmers, scientists, and processors outside of beef is where the real learning is. That is why I am so strongly supportive of young farmer groups. The only criteria for joining one is being under 40 years of age. It is an open platform for dialogue where there is gender equality, creative thinking, and an opportunity to address and solve problems specific to young farmers. If you are a young farmer and not involved then consider joining. A young farmer group is fun, without the boundaries of the farm in which you live, or work and you are not committed to one policy toward an end. This is the Silicon Valley of agriculture where the goal is to network and share ideas. What you take home is your call. There are young farmer groups from British Columbia to Newfoundland, and the umbrella Canadian Young Farmers Forum (@CYFF or www.cyff.ca). Last January, Alberta launched the new Alberta Young Farmers & Ranchers (@AYFR_NET-

WORK or www.facebook.com/ ayfrnetwork). Check out the many events held across Canada and plan to attend. This is your time to stretch the limits of your imagination and get into a great discussion with other young farmers. You can wear whatever hat you like that identifies the important sector you represent, but at the end of the day we are all farmers working for the greater good. As we turn the corner on the year 2015, remember that one in eight jobs in our nation is in agriculture and a full 98 per cent of our farms are family farms. Recognize that more than 50,000 people enter an agricultural career every year and that when it comes to contributing to the economy of our nation, agriculture trumps oil and gas. Ag is it! As young farmers you are our current and future leaders. Shouldn’t you get together on this? 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

We don’t need more ag research — we need the right kind of research Public and private research should complement each other, and both farmers’ and end-users’ needs are paramount By Cam Dahl

President of Cereals Canada

ne of the oldest clichés in agriculture might be that ‘research and innovation are the keys to our future.’ But just because it is a cliché does not mean it is not true. The federal election is over, Canada has a new government, and agriculture lobby groups from every region will be asking government and MPs to support research. But what kind of research should we be asking them to support? Should it be all public? How do producers’ checkoff investments build upon renewed private interest in variety development? How we answer these questions will determine if Canada is going to be a leader in innovation or if it is going to be left behind.

Let’s deal with the first question. Canada has a strong history of public investment in research and development. Marquis wheat and the first canola are just two examples of revolutionary innovations that came from public research. The economic returns to the public and the country have been enormous. But so have the returns to farmers, grain handlers, processors and everyone else involved in the value chain and we cannot expect the Canadian taxpayer to foot the whole bill for the next round of agriculture-specific innovation. Furthermore, trying to go down this path would mean that private investment goes to our competitors, putting Canadian agriculture at a disadvantage. We need a combination of private, public and producer investment in order to remain competitive. Continued public research is important, but this cannot be carried out in isolation. We need to do a better job of co-ordinating

this work with private and producer investments to ensue funding from each source is complementary. We will be worse off if tax dollars invested in research drives out private interest and investments are made in the U.S. or Australia instead of Canada. Funding sources should not be competing with each other. There are some recent good examples of public-private-producer partnerships. The agreement between Canterra Seeds, the Alberta Wheat Commission and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is an example of how funders can work together to bring new innovation to farmers. How can the country maximize the impact of public research dollars while encouraging private companies to invest in Canada? A key step on the path to success must be clear strategic objectives for cereals research. What is Canada’s competitive advantage in the increasingly global cereals market? We need researchers

and funders — both public and private — to come together to answer this question. The strategic vision for cereals research must consider the fact that there are two customers for innovation. Farmers must benefit from new varieties developed for Canadian growing conditions — if not, innovation will never make it to the field and investment will be lost. But farmers are not the only customer for innovation. Research and variety development must also take into account the needs of end-use customers. What do customers want to buy from Canada? What are those unique quality characteristics from Canada that gain a premium from international millers? These are critical questions that need to be answered by all parts of the value chain. If public research is isolated from private and producer investment, Canada will not become the world’s centre for

cereals research. Neither public nor private research will successfully increase the value of Canadian cereals production if the needs of both farmers and end-use customers are not considered. Success will come when the public and private research fits seamlessly with Canada’s market development efforts. So what does this all mean for our newly elected federal politicians and agriculture’s requests for research funding? It is not good enough to just tell elected officials, ‘You need to fund research.’ Instead we need to present a clear strategic research plan that demonstrates public investment complementing private and producer dollars and how this will drive Canada to the forefront of innovation and development. Instead of just saying, ‘We need more money,’ we need to say, ‘We have a plan, this is where governments fit and, we need you to do your part.’

Off the front

November 9, 2015 • Albertafarmexpress.ca

PHOTO: Peace Country Beef and Forage Association FORAGE } from page 1

“It’s a welcome sign that there’s a realization on the part of the federal government that there is a need for forage research.” Doug Wray

direct connection to researchers, said Wray. So it takes awhile for a producer to feel the effects of the dwindling number of researchers. That’s why his organization and others — such as the Alberta Forage Industry Network and the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta — have not only been highlighting the problem, but also promoting the work of the remaining researchers, said Wray. “These groups have allowed producers to get to know these researchers and what they do,” he said. “As soon as you find out what they do — and that there are less and less of them and that most of them are going to retire in the next five years — it’s pretty obvious we’ve got a problem on our hands. “The only way we stay competi-

tive in the world marketplace is to keep getting better at what we do.” That message has been widely heard and received in the Peace, said Benoit. “We have just over 160 members and people renew their membership every year, so they’re very, very actively engaged,” she said. Still, forage research has “taken a back seat” in recent years, she said. The pattern has been to offload research to industry, said Wray, but the livestock sector isn’t like the grain industry, where farm groups collect checkoffs and used those dollars to directly fund research. “In the forage world, those checkoffs have to come from the beef and dairy industry,” said Wray. “We’re a second-tier industry.” As well, there’s less financial incentive for the private sector to

develop perennial crops, simply because producers aren’t reseeding pastures every year. “You can have it in your stand for 10 or 15 years if you manage it well,” said Wray. But none of that lessens the need to create new and better forage cultivars, he added. There’s also a need to test varieties in different regions, said Benoit and Akim Omokanye, the association’s research coordinator. Their group runs small trials on a host of forages at four locations in the Peace, with a major emphasis on finding out which varieties yield well in their region and produce quality feed. It’s exciting to have a new researcher in the province, said Omokanye. “This is a good day in terms of collaboration, for basic research, and also for applied research,” he said.

At 13 million hectares, forages are the largest cultivated crop in Canada (with another 15 million hectares of native pasture land). The forage industry is valued at $5.1 billion, and Canada exports nearly $300 million of forages annually to countries such as Japan, the United States and China. “Forage has an impact on tonnes of beef per acre and kilograms of milk per acre,” said Wray. “That’s the bottom line.” And that’s why government needs to step in with research dollars, he said. “It’s quite important for provincial and federal government to get involved, because there’s definitely a benefit to it. The industry really benefits from improved efficiencies and the long-term production of these forages.” — with staff files akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

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“Plus, producers may be interested in the Growing Forward 2 funding support to construct new or improve an existing catch basin.” Alberta Agriculture and Forestry also has a CADMAN liquid manure pump and CADMAN travelling sprinkler unit available for producers to borrow to empty their catch basins. “The unit is currently in the Lethbridge area and operators are asked to complete equipment training and develop a catch basin management plan prior to use,” said Metheral. For more information on catch basin management, funding support, and borrowing the catch basin pumping unit, call the Alberta Ag-Info Centre at 310-FARM (3276).

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Albertafarmexpress.ca • November 9, 2015

CLUBROOT } from page 1 This variety is “a good start,” said Canola Council of Canada agronomist Dan Orchard. “There would be fields and areas identified where this could be deployed quite reasonably, but because of all the different strains out there, we certainly can’t make a blanket statement that this is going to combat clubroot in everybody’s fields,” he said. “It’s definitely a step in the right direction. It’s promising for the industry that there’s more resistance out there and more to come.” The variety, which also has good blackleg resistance, will be available in areas where clubroot is already a problem in Alberta, primarily in the north-central area around Edmonton.

“It’s definitely a step in the right direction. It’s promising for the industry that there’s more resistance out there and more to come.”

tools you do have in place. You can micromanage those areas provided that you know where they are.” But once clubroot becomes established in the field, moving to a longer rotation and deploying resistance are really the only management tools producers have, he added. “There are some techniques that are available, but not once the field becomes heavily infested,” said Orchard. “Then our only tool seems to be extending your rotation significantly with a resistant variety.” McCann sees this new variety as part of a “stewardship approach” in areas where clubroot is already a problem. And that means following proper rotations. “We don’t want growers using this as an excuse to grow canola back to back,” said McCann, who recommends “a responsible canola rotation.” “We always want to practise a good rotation first, because that’s your best combat against the disease, and this is the best option in those rotations.” So far, canola growers have been “pretty lucky” in having new varieties with better clubroot resistance come to market,

A new multigenic clubroot-resistant variety will be a boon for some canola growers, but it’s not ‘a saviour,’ says agronomist Dan Orchard. PHOTO: RYAN IMMERKAR “but the next steps will be a little more difficult.” “We’ve picked the low-hanging fruit already, and now it’s time to get up to the fruit that’s not so easy to pick,” McCann said. “It’s such a

complex organism that we’re really just at the tip of the iceberg. We’re getting there, but we’ve certainly got a long road ahead.” But the new variety is a sign the journey has begun, said Orchard.

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Dan Orchard

“We have good supply, but we certainly don’t have ample supply of this variety,” said McCann. “It’s more part of a resistance package or rotation that the grower would use in a clubroot area.” This “multigenic” resistance — meaning it has two genes with resistance — is important because, in most fields, there isn’t just one strain of clubroot, said Orchard. “We’re finding these populations that aren’t just single strain within fields,” he said. “The more strains that we have resistance to and the more diversity we have in how the resistance reacts, the better chance we have to keep it in check.” But with so many unclassified strains of clubroot present in the Canadian Prairies, this new variety won’t protect against them all. “It’s just the tip of the iceberg with the discovery of these strains that haven’t been classified yet,” said Orchard, adding there are “many variations of 5X.” “I wouldn’t want to call it a saviour for all the strains out there that we haven’t classified. We don’t know that yet, because these strains are popping up as we speak.” Because clubroot-resistant varieties aren’t 100 per cent effective against unclassified strains, scouting is still “the No. 1 most important” thing producers can do to protect themselves from clubroot, said Orchard. “The quicker and earlier you can discover clubroot on your farm, the more management

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Saskatchewan moves to toughen farmland ownership law Legislation will tighten rules to keep foreign investors from buying farmland in the province STAFF

T A flax field west of Pathlow, Sask. in August. The Saskatchewan government is tightening its rules on who can and can’t own more than 10 acres of the province’s farmland. photo: dave bedard

he Saskatchewan government is set to lay down more law on who can and can’t buy farmland in the province, backstopped with more enforcement and heavier penalties. Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart recently introduced amendments to the province’s Farmland Security Act, the legislation that already prevents non-Canadians and entities that aren’t 100 per cent Canadian owned from

having more than 10 acres of Saskatchewan farmland. The definition of “Canadianowned entity” in the act, last updated in 2002, hasn’t specifically included pension plans or investment trusts, which in turn made those entities ineligible — but the amendments will specifically rule out not only pension plans, but administrators of pension fund assets and trusts. The amendments also tighten the definition of “having an interest in farmland” to include any type of interest or benefit (for example, capital appreciation),

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either directly or indirectly, normally associated with ownership of the land. The amendments will also require that anyone financing a purchase of farmland must handle all such financing through a financial institution registered to do business in Canada, or through a Canadian resident. The provincial Farm Land Security Board, which has the authority to grant exemptions to the landownership rules, will also get new enforcement powers. For example, at the board’s discretion, any person buying farmland must complete a statutory declaration. The amendments will also put the onus on a buyer to prove compliance with the legislation. The maximum fines for breaching the act will rise to $50,000 for individuals (up from $10,000) and $500,000 (from $100,000) for corporations. Saskatchewan farmland values, had lagged those in Alberta and Manitoba, but surged on stronger commodity prices and low interest rates.

The maximum fines for breaching the act will rise to $50,000 for individuals (up from $10,000) and $500,000 (from $100,000) for corporations.

At least one group, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers, recommended the four western provinces take a consistent approach and cap the limit for non-Canadians at 40 acres. B.C. has no restrictions, while Alberta and Manitoba have caps of 20 and 40 acres respectively. The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, which has so far been allowed to buy farmland under the existing legislation, says it supports having a “diverse set of participants” in the farmland market because that provides “stability and liquidity” in the land market.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

Will rodeo’s top showcase leave town?

Funding available for beef sector in Alberta

Northlands’ contract for the Canadian Finals Rodeo is up in 2017 and there’s a chance the rodeo could saddle up and mosey on By Alexis Kienlen AF STAFF

The Livestock Welfare Delivery Agent Program promotes the use of best practices and technologies Growing Forward 2 release

SEC_BRANDON15_#19_MC_SEC_BRANDON15_#19_MC.qxd 2015-10-14 6:26 PM Page 1

“We’ve tried to appeal to the fact that they’ve got a branded market that has 42 years of history. The value of that in itself is something that most major brands dream of having.”

Tim Reid

ing an estimated $50 million in the local economy. “We at Northlands feel that this is a product that was built in Edmonton, supported by Edmontonians (and surrounding area), and it deserves to stay

in Edmonton going forward,” said Reid. “It’s the healthiest environment for the contestants, the animals and the development of the brand.” akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Produced by: SeCan Product/Campaign Name: SeCan AAC Brandon Wheat King Date Produced: October 2015

Ad Number: SEC_BRANDON15_#19_MC Publication: Manitoba Cooperator Size: 4Col x 140 (8.125” x 10”) Non Bleed

Members of Alberta’s livestock sector can now apply for funding to promote the use of best practices and technologies that enhance productive capacity and maintain social licence for agri-food industries in the province. The Growing Forward 2 Livestock Welfare Delivery Agent Program is aimed at enhancing competitiveness in domestic and international markets by encouraging adaptability and sustainability. Program participants — who can be individuals, companies, nonprofits, or post-secondary institutions — will be reimbursed for up to 100 per cent of eligible costs, subject to a maximum of $300,000 per application and $300,000 per applicant per fiscal year. Eligible projects include education, implementation, and adoption of national livestock welfare standards and assessment programs, as well as adaptation and implementation of technologies for the improvement of livestock welfare in Alberta. To be eligible, delivery agents must be dedicated to improved livestock welfare and have a record of successful delivery of programs and services that benefit livestock producers and processors. Applications completed to the satisfaction of the minister of agriculture will be considered for approval on a case-bycase basis. The application deadline is Dec. 4.

ill Edmonton still be the host of Canada’s top rodeo in 2017? The Canadian Finals Rodeo has been held in conjunction with Farmfair International, owned by Northlands, for 42 years, but the contract for the rodeo showcase is up for renewal. The Canadian Professional Rodeo Association plans to issue a request for proposals, and that could lead to the rodeo moving to Calgary or another city. But Northlands CEO and president Tim Reid said his organization is doing everything it can to keep the event. “We’ve tried to appeal to the fact that they’ve got a branded market that has 42 years of history,” said Reid. “The value of that in itself is something that most major brands dream of having.”

But his organization is also open to working with the rodeo association if it wants to move to Rogers Place, Edmonton’s under-construction arena which will be the new home of the Oilers. However, the new arena doesn’t have the same space and facilities for horses and cattle that it has at its current home at Rexall Place, next to Northlands. “That’s where Northlands could always have a role,” said Reid. “We do have an ability to house a couple thousand animals on site at any given time. If it was to move downtown, there would still be a role for Northlands to play.” Northlands, the City of Edmonton and Edmonton Tourism hope to negotiate with the rodeo association to keep the event in the city. Last year, a combined 181,565 people attended the two events, pump-

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NEWS » Markets

NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

The world has a new breadbasket

Grain glut adds to income woes

The states comprising the former Soviet Union, also known as the FSU-12, will export a record 45 million tons of wheat this crop year, says the USDA. Black Sea farmers have nearly quadrupled their share of world wheat exports since the mid-1990s, grabbing a 28 per cent market share. The region is now the largest wheat exporter on the planet, surpassing the U.S. as the world’s breadbasket. Three decades ago, the U.S., Canada, Europe, Argentina, and Australia accounted for 96 per cent of global wheat exports. Russia and Ukraine produce 75 per cent of wheat in the region and 85 per cent of wheat exports in FSU-12. — Reuters

U.S. grain warehouses are filled to overflowing. A third year of a global supply glut exacerbated by exceptional yields and weaker-than-expected U.S. exports has wrong-footed some farmers, storage operators and traders. Some warehouses are now rejecting spot deliveries. With crop prices already down 50 per cent from their 2012 peaks, U.S. farm incomes are expected to drop 36 per cent this year. Experts say poor returns could prompt farmers to idle less-productive farmland, cut back on inputs, and switch to crops like sorghum that are cheaper to grow. — Reuters

Canola continues to trade near its key support level of $470 Hefty supplies of vegetable oil around the world seem to have canola stuck in range-bound trade BY DAVE SIMS

Commodity News Service Canada

CE Futures Canada canola contracts spent most of the week ended Oct. 30 locked in range-bound trade as comfortable supplies cancelled out China’s demand for vegetable oil. The November contract neared expiry and gave way to its January counterpart but not before generating a healthy spread trade at the beginning of the week. Strength in the Canadian dollar buffeted canola at times but it received support from slow farmer selling and steady buying from crushers. Malaysian palm oil was also supportive due to currency issues. However, canola did feel technical pressure early in the week that sent it below the 50-day moving average, which, according to one trader, likely sparked some interest from large funds. A lack of fresh news meant canola was mainly a follower for the early and middle parts of the week. Ideas that the next government survey will point towards a much larger canola crop than previously forecast kept the market undermined along with rains in Brazil that alleviated concerns over dryness in soybean fields. Towards the end of the week canola settled at its weakest level in over a month. That may have sparked a move

by speculators on Friday morning as the January contract rose despite a strong Canadian dollar and weak vegetable oil market. Canola gave back most of the gains at the end of the day though to finish near its key support level of $470 per tonne. The next factor that could potentially move the market is the USDA’s November crop report, along with any weather events in South America. For now, hefty supplies of vegetable oil around the world seem to have canola stuck in range-bound trade. Soybeans remained caught in sideways trade and looking for overall direction. Exports remained solid as China moved in again with another large purchase which calmed investors who worried the country had decided to back away from the U.S. market in search of cheaper supplies. Wheat rose slowly through the week as improving demand and reports of dryness in several key regions of the world buoyed values. The U.S. Southern Plains, Australia and the Black Sea region are all facing moisture problems to some extent. Corn received some support from good export demand. However, some farmers in the Midwest were forced to unload supplies due to a lack of storage space. Corn was lacking any major news though, which left it vulnerable to up-and-down action from wheat and soybeans.

pHOTO: tHINKSTOCK

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

Wheat bids rose last week on improved basis levels CWRS basis levels across Western Canada range from $2 to $22 below the futures By Commodity News Service Canada

ash wheat bids across Western Canada moved up slightly during the week ended Oct. 30 as basis levels showed modest improvement. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat prices were up by $3 to $6 per tonne on average across the three Prairie provinces, according to price quotes from a cross-section of delivery points. Bids ranged from $226 per tonne in Manitoba to as high

as $244 per tonne in southern Alberta. Quoted basis levels varied from location to location, but improved by $6 on average to sit at $45 above the futures when using the grain company methodology of quoting the basis as the difference between the U.S. dollar denominated futures and the Canadian dollar cash bids. When accounting for the currency exchange rates by adjusting the Canadian prices to U.S. dollars ($1=US$0.7648 as of Oct. 30) CWRS bids ranged from US$173 to US$187 per tonne. That would put the currency-adjusted basis levels

at about US$3 to US$17 below the futures. Looking at it the other way around, if the Minneapolis futures are converted to Canadian dollars, CWRS basis levels across Western Canada range from $2 to $22 below the futures. Average Canada Prairie Red Spring (CPRS) bids were down by $2 to $4 per tonne. CPRS prices came in at about $181 per tonne in Manitoba, $189 to $192 per tonne in Saskatchewan, and $201 to $205 per tonne in Alberta. Soft white spring wheat prices were up by $11 to $12 per tonne, ranging from $219 to $220 per tonne in Alberta.

Winter wheat prices rose by $6 to $7 per tonne compared to the previous week. Prices ranged from roughly $180 to $187 per tonne across the Prairies. Average durum prices were down $5 to $11 per tonne. Bids in southern Saskatchewan, where the bulk of the crop is grown, lost $7 per tonne to sit at $304 per tonne. The December spring wheat contract in Minneapolis, which most CWRS contracts in Canada are based off of, was quoted at US$5.2550 per bushel on Oct. 30, up 17.50 U.S. cents from the week prior.

Kansas City hard red winter wheat futures, which are now traded in Chicago, are more closely linked to CPRS in Canada. The December Kansas City wheat contract was quoted at US$4.9375 per bushel on Oct. 30, up 18.25 U.S. cents from the week before. The December Chicago Board of Trade soft wheat contract settled at US$5.2200 on Oct. 30, which was 31.50 U.S. cents stronger compared to the week prior. The Canadian dollar closed at 76.48 U.S. cents on Oct. 30, which was up by over half a cent relative to its U.S. counterpart compared to the previous week.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

Flax pressured as buyers fill up with contracted supplies S

easonal harvest pressure has weighed on flaxseed bids in Western Canada over the past month or so, but the weaker Canadian dollar is providing some support. Spot flaxseed bids are in the $11- to $11.50-per-bushel area, with top-end prices having lost over $1 during October, according to Prairie Ag Hotwire data. “There’s not a huge amount of demand for spot load flaxseed at the moment, with most people still bringing in their contracted volumes,” said Mike Popowich, co-owner of TA Foods, a flaxseed processor and exporter in Yorkton, Sask. He said current spot pricing was about 50 cents per bushel lower than contracted

levels, with roughly three-quarters of the flaxseed grown likely contracted. The lack of a futures market for flaxseed kept it acting much like a special crop, with most companies preferring to contract ahead of time so they can book sales, he said. The weak Canadian dollar is generating more interest from south of the border and lending some support to local prices, he added. Canada’s 2015 flaxseed crop is pegged at 889,000 tonnes, according to the latest Statistics Canada estimates. That compares with the 872,500 tonnes grown in 2014. — Commodity News Service Canada

Canada’s 2015 flaxseed crop is pegged at 889,000 tonnes compared to 872,500 tonnes in 2014. FIle Photo

U.S. agriculture groups opposed to insurance cuts in budget deal U.S. agriculture groups are trying to prevent a proposed federal budget deal from cutting crop insurance programs from a farm bill enacted last year following years of contentious debate. The budget bill seeks to cap the rate of return for insurance providers at 8.9 per cent from 2017 to 2022, a move that was estimated to save $3 billion. Opponents say that will gut the programs, and both the House and Senate agriculture committees, which shaped the farm bill, opposed the changes saying they “would undermine a critical risk management tool for American agriculture producers and consumers.” Crop insurance groups, which claim that the industry already has sustained $12 billion in cuts since 2008, said the plan proposed in the budget would be “devastating.” Sharp declines in crop prices during the past two years have highlighted the need for insurance, a lobbying group for soybean farmers said. “Farmers need a stronger safety net, not a weaker one, and now is hardly the time to pull the rug out from under them by weakening the nation’s investment in the crop insurance program,” the American Soybean Association said in a statement. — Reuters

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news » livestock

NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Legacy Fund did its job

How much is that roast worth?

An independent review of the Legacy Fund has found it was well managed, says Travis Toews, chair of the Canadian Cattlemen Market Development Council. The council was set up to administer the $80-million fund created by Ottawa and the province in 2005 to support the industry in the wake of BSE. The independent review found it did a good job of governance and the fund was an important catalyst for developing a distinct Canadian brand. It also “identified areas of improvement,” said Toews. The review report can be found at www.cattle.ca (search for ‘legacy fund’). — Canadian Cattlemen’s Association release

Alberta Agriculture and Forestry has a new fact sheet on pricing meat products. “When you sell direct to market, there is a lot more involved than production,” said new-venture specialist Kathy Bosse. You also have to manage processing, packaging and delivery and think about consumer demand. “The new Pricing Meat Products: An Introduction fact sheet covers a very important piece of the puzzle, that being pricing your meat products.” It can be found at www.agriculture.alberta.ca (search for ‘pricing meat’) or by calling 780-427-0391 or emailing publications.office@gov.ab.ca. — AAF release

Pressure and cattle positioning promote flow in handling systems These simple changes to cattle-handling facilities can improve flow and reduce stress in the animals By JENNIFER BLAIR

“There’s not an alley been built that I’ve seen yet that creates flow.”

AF staff / airdrie

f you want to build a cattlehandling facility with good flow, you’ve got to get back “to the very basics” of cattle handling. “If you don’t understand the cattle to start with, you can’t ever build a facility that’s going to be 100 per cent foolproof,” said Jack Nester of Nester Livestock Equipment. Good flow centres around two “absolutely predictable cattle behaviours,” Nester said at a Foothills Forage and Grazing Association workshop this fall. First, use cattle’s natural urge to move away from pressure. “We’re human beings. They’re dumb cows. We can put a man on the moon, so we can certainly apply the pressure to drive a cow out of the chute.” And second, cattle “always want to go back to where they came from.” “We run them into a pen, and they’ll turn around and want to go back that same way,” said Nester, adding you want to position the cattle so they think they’re going back to where they came from. When you combine those two things — pressure and positioning — you create flow, he said. But in a lot of cases, handling facilities are designed to work against those cattle behaviours. The problem starts with crowding tubs. “Crowding tubs are operated backwards. We’re loading cattle in the wrong side of a crowding tub if we expect them to flow out,”

Jack Nester

Equipment salesman Jack Nester offered up some straight talk on S-alleys at a recent facility design workshop. PHOTO: JENNIFER BLAIR said Nester, adding that producers need to “push them in where you want them to come out.” “If I want to take the cattle out the right side, I want to load the right side. If I want to take them out the left side, I want to load the left side. I don’t want to load them on the right and take them out the left because they’re going to want to come back out the right.” Alleys are another example of flow devices that, well, “don’t create flow.” “There’s not an alley been built that I’ve seen yet that creates flow,” said Nester. “We’ve developed left-curving alleys, rightcurving alleys, S-alleys, double

alleys — all under the pretence of creating flow. “But the problem I see in all of that is the cows never got the memo. The cows still want to go back to where they came from.” The most important thing you need to look for in an alley is whether it will prevent the cow from turning around, he said. And S-alleys don’t necessarily do that. “The S-alley is marketed as a wonderful thing because cattle want to go around curves all the time, but I question the actual benefit that you’re receiving by having your alley in an S,” said Nester. “If I stand at the back

of an S-alley and I look forward through that alley, I will see the back of the chute. Unless that cow’s blind, she’s likely going to see what I see. “And what I see when I look at an S-alley is a very expensive crooked line.” Tapered alleys (or V-alleys), which narrow at the bottom, are a better bet, he said. “If you can keep it narrowed up and keep their head up, they’re going to flow. There’s only one place to go, and that’s ahead.” While a V-alley won’t necessarily keep a cow standing, it does the trick for most cows. “You can put the bottom much

narrower than most people realize,” said Nester, adding cows can “easily” walk in widths as small as 12 inches. “That will keep most cows up.” And once the cows are in the alley, you need to keep the right kind of pressure on to get them moving. “Cows go down there because of what we do alongside an alley — what conditions we create to make them move forward. It’s usually vision and noise,” he said. “They need to see an exit point where they imagine they’re going back and getting out of the pressure.” A lot of flow problems come from cows seeing and hearing people working alongside the alley. “What we’re telling the cow when we’re standing in front of him is ‘go back,’” said Nester, adding simple things — such as sheeting to block the view — can make a difference. “Anything that we can do to reduce the stress that we put on our livestock when we’re bringing them through is going to be a net benefit in our pocket.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

Livestock facilities in the wrong spot? A new guide identifies environmental risks for old facilities and what can be done about them Alberta Agriculture and Forestry release

lberta Agriculture and Forestry has released its new Relocation of Livestock Facilities Planning Guide. “Access to water was a major concern when many farmsteads were

established and today producers are increasingly concerned with the impact their site has on the watershed, and the perceptions of their neighbours and other water users,” said Chris Ullmann, a provincial confined feeding operation extension specialist. “Proactive producers may have questions about improving the site they have or how to move to a better location.”

The new relocation guide helps identify environmental risks at current livestock facilities, potential mitigation measures, and steps to consider when relocating facilities. “The information in the guide is really for those facilities that are located close to water resources and where the producer isn’t sure what the envi-

ronmental impact to that site might be,” said Ullmann. “It takes them through a process of looking at the site, assessing it and looking at ways to improve it, such as mitigation. Sometimes, these options just aren’t viable, and for those cases, the guide has information to help the producer pick a new site.” The guide also contains case

studies and a worksheet for estimating the cost of relocating a facility. The Relocation of Livestock Facilities Planning Guide can be downloaded at www.agriculture. alberta.ca (search for ‘relocation livestock facilities’ and follow the links). Hard copies can be ordered by calling 780-427-0391 or emailing publications.office@gov.ab.ca.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

Demystifying equine lameness Overtraining young horses can set the stage for lameness issues later in life BY CAROL SHWETZ, DVM

ameness has become somewhat of a catch-all term for a broad spectrum of abnormalities in a horse’s movement caused by pain or reduced motion. Though often thought of as a problem of the feet or legs, the roots of many lamenesses are now being discovered to originate elsewhere. These discoveries are important since horse owners and veterinarians are no longer left simply managing pain, but rather they are becoming increasingly empowered to manage the lifestyle and welfare leading to the ever-growing phenomena of lameness in the present-day horse population. Lamenesses in horses rarely “just happen.” Whilst addressing the horse’s present condition or local lesion is very important it is equally important to question the root cause of the lameness. “How and why did the horse arrive at this place of lameness?” Of course, some lamenesses such as hoof abscesses, stone bruises, or trauma to the limbs are more simple than others, such as developmental bone diseases, arthritis, bowed tendons, and laminitis which often have much deeper roots of cause. Nutrition, living conditions, horsemanship, riding practices, tack, dental care, hoof care, and exercise programs (too little, too much or poorly executed) are factors which influence and contribute to the horse’s state of soundness and these are equally important factors to consider when evaluating lameness.

For example a youngster that is “overconditioned” to meet show and/or sale agendas and then asked to meet performance and training standards beyond its physical maturity is a prime candidate for lameness a few years later as it reaches four or five years of age. One could certainly report the horse’s lameness to be the result of developmental bone disease or arthritis, however, these labels only describe the symptomatic pathology and do little to acknowledge the causative insults. Although the connection between an overly rich diet, an overzealous training program and lameness spans the time period of many years, these connections are nonetheless repeatable and predictable in the population of young performance horses. On the surface, pain management appears to provide a reasonable means to improve the horse’s welfare, yet the horse’s welfare would have been better served by both a moderate and proper diet and a reasonable and patient training program. Another example is the horse that is struggling with gastric and/ or intestinal ulcers. These horses may present a confusing picture of mixed lamenesses exhibiting short striding and/or gaiting asymmetrically in an attempt to find a way of going which best suits their ailing gut. Ultimately dietary corrections and environmental enrichment are necessary to address the unsoundness. From my perspective, even the riding horse that begins to buck is showing a form of lameness as the horse is no longer willing to move

Vet students at the University of Calgary assess a horse for lameness. Photo: Laura Rance forward. A thorough investigation may reveal the source of bucking to be an ill-fitting saddle or dental discomfort. Once the source is found and corrected the horse no longer bucks. Many lamenesses are in the process of happening when owners report issues such as resistance, or behaviour/attitude problems. These are often the beginnings of what eventually turns into pathology. Lamenesses in the limbs can often be the result of a sustained duration of compensations and adaptations from loss of mobility in structures elsewhere in the body, such as the dental arcade,

neck, shoulder girdle, back, or pelvis. For example, a sore back can lead to abnormal limb kinematics and thus the horse appears lame. Hence the end issue of lameness often does not exist in isolation, rather, is rooted somewhere else in the body. Pain and/or lameness is merely a messenger or an end point, seeking resolve and understanding. Changes at the root level capable of returning and ensuring soundness in horses can be remarkably simple practices such as proper nutrition, turnout time, improved tack or horsemanship, patience, rest, or proper dental/hoof care. Pain management for lame-

What looks like a healthy profit might actually be razor thin Alberta Agriculture and Forestry release

dd up all the costs when backgrounding, says a farm business management spe-

cialist. “At this time of year the profitability of backgrounding calves also comes into question,” said Ted Nibourg. “Focusing on just the feed costs can give the impression that backgrounding will be economically feasible this fall. While feed costs are a major part of any production system, they are certainly not the only ones.” For example, consider the costs of taking six-weight steers to eight-weights. Steers in central Alberta averaging 650 pounds have recently sold for an average of $1,710 ($263/cwt) and 850pound steers for $2,066 ($243/ cwt). Assuming the price hold, the profit potential is $356 per head before expenses. Assuming it takes 20 pounds of feed to generate two pounds of gain per day, feed costs over a 100day period will be about $200 (six pounds of barley and 14 pounds of hay at an average of 10 cents per pound).

“If feed is the only cost considered, this leaves a healthy profit even with strong hay prices,” said Nibourg. “However, other costs also come into play.” Yardage at 50 cents per day will total $50 per head; a one per cent death loss adds $17; carrying costs add $23; commissions $22; and trucking, checkoffs and brand inspection another $14. “Total expenses add up to about $326 leaving a $30 margin,” said Nibourg, adding that margin depends on the price for eightweight steers staying at $243/cwt. “Risk management is a cost that is difficult to calculate,” he said. “As of Oct. 15, the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP) for feeders will guarantee a price of only $208/cwt for a premium cost of $54/head, leaving a negative $24/head margin if one chooses to go that route. “Basically, the WLPIP will only mitigate a price wreck and should not be looked upon as a profit centre in this scenario.” Knowing your costs is the best way to manage them, said Nibourg. “There may be ways of reducing or even eliminating some costs to help generate profit or, alternatively, decide not to participate in a money-losing proposition.”

Carol Shwetz is a veterinarian focusing on equine practice in Millarville, Alberta.

LE A 15 S S 20 NT 13, ICA ber BR em LU ov R il N TE unt IN W W NO

Backgrounding margins can disappear in a hurry

ness is only one small part in the recovery of the horse to soundness. Painkillers bear the unfortunate outcome of asking the horse to ignore the pain and continue using its body in spite of the horse’s own internal message to rest select joints, bones, tendons, or muscles. So, although the reliance on painkillers may appear superficially beneficial and bring shortterm results, their indiscriminate use may ultimately decrease the horse’s performance career.

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NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Pain control for cattle the new normal The beef code of practice recommends pain control medication for procedures such as dehorning and castrating By Alexis Kienlen AF STAFF

imes are changing, and both growing social pressure and knowledge about animal welfare is making pain control part of the equation in cattle production. “Society expects it of us, and it’s part of that social licence to operate,” said John Campbell, a veterinarian and head of largeanimal clinical sciences at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon. “This is something we will have to grapple with as we move forward.” Pain control for procedures such as castration, dehorning and branding is included in the National Beef Code of practice, and some requirements come into effect Jan. 1. Pain control treatments come in two classes. Anesthetic drugs cause a lack

of feeling and awareness and are used to dull the pain to permit surgery and other painful procedures. In cattle, the primary anesthetic used is Lidocaine. The other type is analgesics, which relieve pain without affecting awareness (it’s similar to Tylenol or aspirin in humans). The most common analgesics in animals and people are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The three analgesics for cattle are: ketoprofen (sold as Anafen), flunixin (Banamine), and meloxicam (Metacam). All three are injectable and have variable withdrawal times. Producers should talk to their veterinarians and create a plan to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain control during and after painful procedures, Campbell said during a recent Beef Cattle Research Council webinar.

Dehorning

The most research has been done

“Society expects it of us, and it’s part of that social licence to operate.”

a simple method, and most veterinarians can train producers how to do it, he said. Research has shown that the animal’s pain can be reduced when it is given Lidocaine and an injection of an analgesic called Meloxicam.

Branding

John Campbell

on controlling pain in dehorning. Dehorning should only be performed by competent personnel, and producers should consult with their veterinarian about pain control. Calves should be dehorned as young as possible. “Typically, around two to three months of age, the horn bud starts to attach to the skull and starts to go from bud formation to horn,” said Campbell. “It really increases

the pain level if you’re dehorning calves after the horn bud attachment.” He recommends using polled bulls whenever possible and try to dehorn before weaning to reduce the stress on the animal. As of Jan. 1, the beef code requires pain control after horn bud attachment. Campbell dehorns by injecting Lidocaine into the crest between the eye and the horn bud. This is

There hasn’t been as much research on pain control in branding, which is still used by many producers. The code of practice recommends producers use proper restraints, equipment, and trained personnel and ask their veterinarians about pain control. Rebranding and surgical alterations such as wattling and ear splitting should be avoided. Brands should be appropriate to the size of the animal. Campbell said that he has heard some anecdotes about producers in Alberta and British Columbia who have used Meloxicam after branding their cattle, and have found that it seems to reduce pain. “There’s no real practical method of local anesthesia available. Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs can help with branding pain, but we don’t have a lot of research done on that yet,” he said.

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There has been a fair amount of research done on castration, but the data is complicated by the age of the cattle, the types of castration, and the different drugs used. It’s almost impossible to use local anesthesia for castrating cattle. In fact, the No. 1 thing producers can do to minimize pain is to castrate when the animals are young. “The method of castration may not matter as much as the timing of the procedure,” said Campbell. Research has shown that older calves will lose more weight after castration than younger calves. “There’s very little effect on young calves, but a pretty dramatic effect on older calves,” he said. As of Jan. 1, pain control is required for bulls older than nine months. That changes to six months as of Jan. 1, 2018. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

Feedlot cattle placements at 20-year low

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On-feed data suggests farmers are retaining heifers to rebuild herds Reuters

The number of cattle moved into U.S. feedlots in September fell to its lowest since the government began compiling the data in 1996. The figures were in line with analysts’ expectations. A USDA report showed September placements at 1.931 million head, down four per cent from 2.014 million last year. USDA put the feedlot cattle supply as of Oct. 1 at 10.218 million head, up two per cent from 9.985 million a year ago.

“That tells us that we’re starting to work through the heavierweight cattle, but we still haven’t made a lot of headway.” Jessica Sampson Livestock Marketing Information Center

“Placements were a bit higher than I had expected which probably reflects the heavyweight cattle and the number of them available to get placed on feed,” said University of Missouri extension economist Ron Plain. Ranchers and feedlots held back cattle to avoid lower prices which, along with cheaper feed and healthy pastures, ultimately caused them to grow heavier, he said. The industry is still slaughtering fewer cattle than the number of animals on feed, suggesting that packers last month had difficulty coping with the backlog of heavy animals, said analysts. USDA’s report included quarterly cattle-on-feed data that showed feedlot supply of steers up 7.4 per cent and heifers down seven per cent, reflecting heifers are being retained to rebuild the U.S. herd after several years of drought.

EU can resume beef exports to Canada The European Union is to resume exports of beef to Canada from 19 of its member countries for the first time since 1996, when they were halted over BSE. The EU Commission said Canada’s action was part of a trend to recognize measures to eradicate BSE. Countries cleared for exports include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the U.K. Another six countries are approved but are not actively shipping to Canada. — Staff

A string of riders head out to enjoy the autumn colours, on the Anchor D Ranch, west of Turner Valley, Alta. Photo: Wendy Dudley

NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Wet the new threat in California

Warming in Gulf of Maine ‘a wake-up call’

Drought-stricken California is bracing for torrential downpours this winter from El Niño, prompting authorities to stockpile extra sandbags across the state and put hundreds of personnel through floodcontrol training. Powerful winter storms and drenching rains are seen as a mixed blessing. Forecasters say El Niño may ease the drought but is unlikely to end California’s water crisis. It also poses a risk of devastating floods and mudslides, especially in areas recently stripped of vegetation by wildfires. One in five California residents lives in a flood plain, and homeowners are being encouraged to buy flood insurance. — Reuters

Rapid warming of the Gulf of Maine off the eastern U.S. has made the water too hot for cod, pushing stocks towards collapse despite deep reductions in the number of fish caught, a new study says. The Gulf of Maine had warmed faster than 99 per cent of the rest of the world’s oceans in the past decade, influenced by shifts in the Atlantic Gulf Stream, changes in the Pacific Ocean, and a wider trend of climate change, the report said. From 2004, temperatures rose by more than 0.23 C. The resulting deep drop in the amount of cod being caught in the gulf is a “wake-up call,” said one of the report’s authors. — Reuters

The latest winter outlook and more on cold weather precipitation October was a pleasant change from September, but will the warmer-than-average weather continue for the rest of the year?

BY DANIEL BEZTE

n the last issue I said that we’d continue our discussion on cold weather precipitation but before diving into that icy topic, I want to take a look at the weather so far this fall and see if the long-range winter forecasts have changed. After experiencing a cooler- and wetter-than-average September across pretty much all of agricultural Alberta, October did an about-face. All three of the locations I use to develop a snapshot of monthly weather across Alberta (Calgary, Edmonton, and Peace River) saw temperatures that were between 2.2 C and 2.8 C above the long-term average. Mild weather at this time of the year is often accompanied by dry conditions and October was no exception, with all three locations reporting below-average amounts. (It should be noted that the Peace River region was just barely below average.) Will these mild and dry conditions continue into November and December? According to Environment Canada they will, along with near-average amounts of precipitation. The Old Farmer’s Almanac forecast goes in the opposite direction as it is calling for a below-average November and then a well-below-average December. On the precipitation side, it is calling for near- to slightly above-average amounts in November and then below-average amounts in December. The Canadian Farmer’s Almanac appears to be calling for coolerthan-average temperatures as it mentions cold weather several times. As for precipitation, it mentions rain or snow several times in November and then snowy and stormy conditions several times in December, so I think that would mean above-average amounts of precipitation. As for my forecast, I am still leaning towards a warmer- and drier-than-average period with occasional blasts of cold weather. The trouble with this kind of pattern is it can produce some fairly strong storm systems and at this time of the year, one strong storm can easily bring a month or two worth of precipitation.

This map shows September’s global temperatures as percentiles ranging from record cold to record warmth. It’s easy to see just why it was one of, if not the, warmest September on record. With the exception of a few small areas of cooler to much cooler-than-average temperatures, most of the planet saw warmer to much warmer-than-average temperatures, with large areas seeing record warmth.

OK, now on to cold weather precipitation. In the last issue I discussed the general process that produces most of the precipitation in our region, and that was the Bergeron process. This is the process that allows for the rapid development of ice crystals that in turn leads to the development of snowflakes. While snow is the most common form of winter precipitation, it is not the only frozen form of precipitation we see. Before getting into the details on these forms of precipitation, let’s remove one type of frozen precipitation that just doesn’t belong (or form) in the winter — hail. Hail, while being ice, does not form during cold weather. For

hail to form you need strong up- and downdrafts in the atmosphere that can take an ice crystal repeatedly between the liquid and frozen areas of a cloud. This allows the buildup of ice into layers to create a hailstone. In order for this to happen, you need a warm section of cloud that contains large amounts of liquid water, along with strong updrafts, which are only found in thunderstorms. While hailstones are not a winter- or cold weathertype of precipitation there is a close relative that is similar to and often confused with hail — ice pellets. Ice pellets, also known as sleet, look somewhat like hailstones as they are made of

solid ice, but they are not large (tending to be only a few millimetres across) and do not form in the same way. Ice pellets are formed when falling snow encounters a shallow layer of warm air that either partially or entirely melts the snowflake. This melted flake then re-enters a layer of cold air near the ground where it freezes again forming the hard ice pellets. Ice pellets are hard enough that they will bounce when they hit the ground and are difficult to break, making them seem like hailstones. The next form of frozen precipitation is the snow pellet. These form when a snowflake partially melts and then refreezes, creating a small layer

of ice overtop of a small pellet of snow. These snow pellets can be hard enough to bounce when they hit the ground, but are soft enough to break easily. As well, where ice pellets will typically be clear, snow pellets are white due to the inner layer of snow. Next issue we’ll take a break from our look at cold weather precipitation and instead look at some weather-related Christmas gift ideas. 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.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

Trim: 10.25”

New profile of Alberta’s greenhouse sector

Crop insurance payouts soar after drought and hail The final tally will top $700 million and may reach $900 million, with more than 6,400 hail claims processed already

Alberta Agriculture and Forestry has released the 2014 Alberta Greenhouse Profile Report, which is based on a survey conducted in partnership with the Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association. It provides current benchmark data on the province’s 230 greenhouses, including size, distribution in different regions within the province, heating systems, water and energy use trends, labour, as well as opportunities and issues related to financing, the environment, business climate and regulation, competitiveness with imports, and other benchmarks and future trends. The report can be found at www.agriculture.alberta.ca (search for ‘greenhouse profile’). — AAF release

By Alexis Kienlen AF STAFF

Trim: 15.58”

hile yields may be better than expected in many areas, this season’s drought and hail still hit producers hard. Agricultural Financial Services Corporation expects to pay out between $700 million and $900 million in crop insurance payments — a huge increase from the 2014 tally of $370 million. “The payouts are expected to be higher than a typical year,” said corporation spokesperson Nikki Booth. “It’s been a real mixed year. We’ve had hail, lack of moisture, a whole lot of moisture and then the wildlife issue as well. It’s been a real mixed bag.” Not all of the claims are in, and while about $300 million in payments had gone out by mid-October, the total won’t be known until later this month. The claims that have come in so far are a mix of preharvest losses due to drought and hail. The highest number of claims came from the Parkland region (Camrose to Drumheller) and the southern part of the province (Calgary to Foremost). The eastern part of the province was especially hard hit by drought, said Gary Stanford, president of the Grain Growers of Canada and an Alberta Wheat Commission director. “I heard that through the Wainwright area and over by Viking, there

FILE PHOTOS was a lot of land that was quite dry,” said Stanford. Late rains kept farmers in his area from having to resort to using drought insurance, said the Magrath-area producer. “As dry as it was in May and June, most farmers were pleasantly surprised by how good their yields were,” he said. “Certain areas were worse than others (but) the drought wasn’t nearly as big as I would have thought.” And those filing drought claims should see decent payments, he added. “When I farmed in the 1980s, coverage didn’t even cover all our expenses, because it was a drought year after a drought year,” said Stanford. Since this year’s drought was preceded by two or three years of good yield, most producers have more coverage on their land. “When your yield is higher, you

can take more money for drought insurance to help cover it when there is a drought — it’s way better than it used to be back in the 1980s,” said Stanford. Many of this year’s claims were related to hail. “We can see where there have been big hailstorms, and how this has affected the claim numbers this year,” said Booth. “Once the rains came, we did see a significant amount of hail claims.” About 6,400 of the 11,000 processed claims were for hail. Some areas, such as Cardston and Strathmore, were especially hard hit. There have also been a significant number of claims for wildlife damage. Because of the rain and wet conditions around harvest time, many producers were unable to get their crop off before wildlife could get to it. Booth is anticipating sales of insurance will go up over the next

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couple of years as producers see the benefit of having insurance. “For the next year or two after a situation like this occurs, we do see an increase in the number of producers purchasing insurance,” she said. “That’s something we might see, but it’s a bit of speculation on our part.” More producers are buying more hail insurance because there’s so much money on the line. “It costs so much money to put crops in, and people have high machinery payments and expenses, so people are buying as much coverage as they can for hail,” he said. “I used to just buy enough so I could make land or rent payments, but those days are gone. We have so many expenses that you want to make sure you have everything covered when you’re buying hail insurance,” he said. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Freight costs rise less than for other inputs: CP But grain transportation monitor says the company is being selective in its use of stats By Alex Binkley af contributor

otal farm production costs have risen almost three times more than the freight rates for delivering Prairie grain to waiting ships or U.S. destinations, says a Canadian Pacific executive. “The cost of all major inputs have far outpaced increases in CP’s freight rates,” said Robert Taylor, assistant vice-president of North American Advocacy. “The cost of using rail is an everdecreasing proportion of farm input costs.” The cost of all farm inputs such as fertilizer, seeds, machinery and fuel rose by 58 per cent between 2002 and 2014, while rail rates increased only 22 per cent, Taylor said. Thanks to higher grain prices and increased yields, farm income has risen by 160 per cent to $11.8 billion since 2000, he added.

CP says it’s making record annual investments of $1.5 billion to upgrade its network. fILE photo

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Taylor said CP is spending about $1.5 billion a year to upgrade its network and during the next four years will inject record levels of investment into the system. The result is increased productivity and “competitive rates to our customers.”

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CP and CN are both opposing calls for tighter regulation of grain freight rates and service levels under a review of the Canada Transportation Act. The review, due by the end of the year, is aimed at advising the federal government on what it should do to avoid a repeat of the grain transportation backlog during the winter of 2013-14. But CP is being selective in the numbers it uses to make its case, said Mark Hemmes, the federally appointed grain transportation monitor. The railway’s statistics cover all agricultural products. When only western Canadian grain crops are considered, farm input costs have risen on average by 6.3 per cent annually, as opposed to the 4.3 per cent annually that CP suggests, Hemmes said. In other words the gap between total costs and freight rates in the grain sector is not as wide as CP suggests. As well, the operating costs of the railways have been rising by only a modest 1.9 per cent a year since 2002 “without taking into account productivity improvements,” Hemmes added.

“The cost of all major inputs have far outpaced increases in CP’s freight rates.”

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While the size of the grain harvest has been grown during the last two decades, a wide variability in annual production caused by weather conditions complicates efforts to improve efficiency, Taylor said. For example, following the binbusting crop of 2013, production fell sharply in 2014-15. “The variability makes annual capacity planning a considerable challenge,” said Taylor. But Hemmes pointed out that the rest of the grain industry has also been making major investments in their facilities to improve productivity. Grain companies spent $763 million during 2013 and 2014, port terminals $304 million, and country elevators $284 million. As well, $175 million has been spent on new country elevators while farmers have spent $44 million on new machinery and equipment and expanded on farm storage. Outgoing Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said he plans to push the new Liberal government to toughen the regulations controlling the railways. Ritz was the prime mover behind getting the CTA review to focus on grain transportation first and then other issues in the rail, airline and marine sectors.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

GMO backlash threatens beet farmers as food makers swap sugars Beets’ share of the U.S. sugar market fell to a record low last year BY CHRIS PRENTICE New York / Reuters

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merica’s sugar beet growers are under siege as U.S. food companies increasingly shun genetically modified crops. In the past seven years, the farmers — many in Minnesota, North Dakota, Michigan and Idaho — have all switched to GMO seeds created by Monsanto as they seek to increase yields and cut costs. Now, as public sentiment moves against GMO crops and imports of cane sugar rise, sugar beet growers have seen their share of the U.S. sugar market slip to the smallest on record. Beets’ share of all U.S. sugar deliveries fell to less than 41 per cent of the U.S. market — versus 47 per cent in 2008, the year the biotech seeds were introduced on a commercial scale. Although it’s not clear that the erosion in demand comes from reaction against GMO food, industry sources said the trend is beginning to pressure the beet industry. Food manufacturers are taking this issue seriously. Companies including Hershey, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Unilever subsidiary Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, and General Mills Inc. have pledged to ditch GMO ingredients in some products, bowing to customer pressure. “Millennials care about the ingredients that are in our products,” said Eric Boyle, director of responsible sourcing at Hershey. “Simple ingredients are a longterm trend. This is where things are going.” Hershey will stop using beet sugar in its Kisses and Milk Chocolate bars, two of its best-known products, by the end of the year. Vermont has passed a law, due to come into effect next year, which SEC-MAV14-T_AFE.qxd requires food with GMO 11/11/14 ingredi-

Briefs Survey looks at gender barriers The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council is conducting a survey to examine possible barriers to women advancing to leadership roles in agriculture. The 15-minute survey will be open at www. cahrc-ccrha.ca/Support ingwomeninagriculture, until Nov. 30. “We are equally interested in hearing from men in agriculture in this survey as they are the other side of the equation,” said executive director Portia MacDonald-Dewhirst. The project involves a comprehensive assessment of the current situation facing women aspiring to senior management and executive positions in agriculture. — CAHRC release

Three canola directors acclaimed

Herbicide-tolerant varieties are used on almost all U.S. sugar beet farms. Photo: Thinkstock ents to be so labelled. It’s the first such law in the nation and a move that some industry experts think could drive consumers toward organic and other non-GMO foods.

Market protection

The U.S. protects the domestic sugar market through a network of import quota and marketing allotments, and guarantees U.S. growers a premium that’s now about four cents a pound above global prices, which have been depressed 8:24toPM Page 1 due oversupply.

Refined cane sugar typically trades at a slight premium over refined beet sugar. Raw sugar costs about 25 cents a pound in the United States. It’s easy to see why beet farmers made the switch to biotech. Within two years of the seed’s launch in 2008, they were used in almost every U.S. beet farm, boosting yields to record highs and slashing herbicide costs. For most beet farmers, returning to conventional seeds is inconceivable. “If we had to go back to con-

ventional seeds, our co-operative couldn’t survive,” said Rebecca Larson, an agronomist with Western Sugar Co-operative in Denver. Sugar from beets and sugar from cane look and taste the same. Proponents of GMO sugar say that the product is safe and identical to its non-GMO competition. Even so, consumers are turning to organic and less processed foods, said Billy Roberts, a senior food and drink analyst at Mintel. “People are interested in avoiding Frankenfood and foods they don’t understand,” Roberts said.

Three canola producers have been acclaimed to the board of the Alberta Canola Producers Commission. They are: Renn Breitkreuz from Onoway (Region 6), Kevin Serfas from Turin (Region 9), and Denis Guindon from Falher (Region 3). These producers will begin their three-year term as directors at the commission’s annual general meeting in January. Also taking place at the AGM will be an election for Region 12. Retiring from the board in January will be current chair Lee Markert from Vulcan, Ray Blanchette of Falher, and Marlene Caskey of Oyen. — ACPC release

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NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

High protein, but low premiums Ample supplies mean grain companies are not eager for supplies

he saturation of highprotein wheat in the market this year may mean fewer premiums for Prairie growers. The premiums for highprotein wheat have eroded to the point where there’s a shift from grain companies in the type of wheat they’re looking for, said John De Pape of Farmers Advanced Risk Management. When protein levels are too high, not only will grain companies not pay a premium, they may not be interested in that wheat at all, he said. Canada Western Red Spring wheat at 14 per cent protein will fetch about $2.19 per tonne

over the base level and Canada Western Amber durum at 13.5 per cent protein will bring in a $1.15-per-tonne premium above the base level, according to the pdqinfo.ca website, which compiles an average from across Western Canada. “One thing that’s important to remember is there’s a very narrow market for highprotein wheat to begin with. There’s not that many buyers,” said Neil Townsend of G3 Canada, formerly CWB. Only a few products require a higher protein, so grain companies buying high-protein wheat often need to blend it with lower-protein wheat. — CNS Canada

U.S. consulting on registration for drones Canada plans a registration process for light unmanned aircraft next year STAFF

U.S. officials say they now get reports every day of “potentially unsafe” drone operations, such as over wildfires, near airports and over major sports events. File Photo

.S. federal transportation and aviation officials are drawing up a registration process for unmanned aircraft systems, more popularly known as drones. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) administrator Michael Huerta have set up a task force to develop recommendations. “Registering unmanned aircraft will help build a culture of accountability and responsibility, especially with new users who have no experience operating in the U.S. aviation system,” Foxx said. The task force is also expected to look at options for a streamlined system that would make registrations “less burdensome” for commercial-level drone operators. The FAA said it now gets reports every day of potentially unsafe drone operations. Pilot sightings of drones, for example, have doubled in the last year. Other reports ranged from incidents at major sporting events and flights near manned aircraft to interference with wildfire operations. “These reports signal a troubling trend,” Huerta said. “Registration will help make sure that operators know the rules and remain accountable to the public for flying their unmanned aircraft responsibly.” Measure, a Washington, D.C. company operating commercial drones for clients in farming and other sectors, said it supports the FAA’s plans. “Too many newcomers to the industry have ignored the rules and put aircraft in the national airspace at risk, while commercial drone service providers have made the effort to work with the FAA,” CEO Brandon Torres said in an FAA release. “This pattern has been bad for business, bad for the industry, and bad for the American public.” Torres forecast that over a million drones will be sold in the U.S. this holiday season, and “we need to ensure that everyone learns how to operate safely.” Canada’s Transport Minister Lisa Raitt announced in May the ministry plans to set up similar regulations in 2016, covering flight rules, aircraft marking and registration, minimum age limits, “knowledge testing” and pilot permits for certain drone operators. Transport Canada in May cited “several reports of reckless and negligent (drone) use,” such as near airports or at high altitudes, and said it has launched 50 investigations of incidents involving drones in Canada since 2010.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

HOME ON THE RANGE

This herd of horses grazes in belly-high grass along the mountains, north of Lundbreck, Alta. Photo: Wendy Dudley

California weighs plan to list glyphosate as cancer cause A plan by California environmental officials to list glyphosate as cancer causing could be considered illegal because they are not considering valid scientific evidence, Monsanto says. The state’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment gave notice in September that it intended to list glyphosate under Proposition 65, a state initiative enacted in 1986 to inform residents about cancer-causing chemicals. State officials said the action is required after the World Health Organization’s cancer research committee in March classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen. But listing glyphosate as a cancer cause “has the potential to deny farmers and public agencies the use of this highly effective herbicide,” Monsanto said in its public filing. “Global regulatory authorities… agree that glyphosate is not carcinogenic.” Others applauded California’s effort to list glyphosate as a cause of cancer. Several farming, public health and environmental groups say the rising use of glyphosate presents a danger to people and animals. — Reuters

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FACT #10: Proven Seed set the bar in standability. New hybrids, like PV 200 CL, build on this world class standard while offering high yield potential and a non-GMO premium contract option with the Clearfield® production system. FACT #51: Manage your acres and harvest timing. PV 531 G brings strong yields, excellent standability and early maturity so growers can manage harvest windows without sacrifice. Suitable for the short growing zones of the Prairies, this Genuity® Roundup Ready® hybrid lives up to the name Proven Seed.

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FACT #88: Clubroot is a potentially devastating soil-borne disease that causes swelling or galls to form on roots in canola, ultimately killing the plant. The next generation of advanced CPS-bred Brassica napus canola hybrids demonstrate high levels of resistance to clubroot pathotype 5X, and will mark a first in the fight against the growing threat of this disease. FACT #133: The Proven Performance Trials program is the largest retail comparison program in Western Canada. With over 200 trials in 2015, the Proven Seed portfolio

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NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Briefs Rains hit Australian harvest Australia’s wheat crop could face quality downgrades as parts of the country’s eastern Grain Belt were forecast to receive heavy rains at the start of harvest. Dry weather in September and above-average temperatures this month have already curbed yields of high-protein Australian prime hard wheat. Global wheat prices have rallied on concerns over dry weather in the Black Sea region and the United States. Any crop damage to Australian wheat could further fuel rising prices.

It could also boost the export prospects for Canadian and American wheat producers. — Reuters

Beverly Yee new deputy minister for agriculture A former assistant deputy minister in municipal affairs is now Alberta’s chief agricultural bureaucrat. Beverly Yee is the new deputy minister for agriculture and forestry, replacing Jason Krips. Yee, who has worked for the province since 1994, has held several executive man-

agement positions. Her most recent posting was as assistant deputy minister for municipal affairs, in the ministry’s Municipal Assessment and Grants division. Krips moves to become the deputy minister in the province’s new Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. — AGCanada.com

Brazil sets corn record Brazilian corn exports set a record in October by undercutting U.S. Gulf port prices, say analysts. Brazil’s Trade Ministry said Brazil shipped a record 5.55

million tonnes of corn in October, up from the previous record of 3.95 million tonnes set in October 2013. And more Brazilian corn is coming, said Paulo Molinari, a corn specialist at local analysts Safras e Mercado. “Ship lineups indicate exports will be almost six million tonnes in November,” he said, noting August and September also saw record shipments. The surge in corn exports from Brazil — coming at a time when the U.S. is flush with grain — is a recent development as the country upped production after prices shot

up due to a U.S. drought in 2012. Free-on-board Paranagua port prices for corn were $10 to $15 per tonne cheaper than U.S. Gulf port prices, said Molinari But demand is also strong. “The end of the embargo on Iran and the drop in European corn output this year has helped keep demand strong,” he said, adding that these kinds of export numbers could stimulate planting of the grain in early 2016 in Brazil. The roughly 30 per cent depreciation of Brazil’s real against the dollar is also a major factor. — Reuters

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The cost of living may be a lot more than you think Cash flow is king in any business, and farmers need to factor in family living costs when preparing their business plans Alberta Agriculture and Forestry release

ow that the 2015 crop is off, it is important to review cash flow projections and marketing plans. That process involves budgeting for family living expenses — a number that may shock you. “In the last five years, family living costs have increased substantially due to inflation and good farm margins,” said Rick Dehod, a farm financial specialist with the province. “The average Alberta farm family living costs in 2013 as reported by Statistics Canada were $71,429 before income taxes. Farm families today enjoy the same standard of living as their urban cousins.” While cash flow projections are critical, especially in times of need, producers don’t have to wait for a crisis to benefit from good cash flow planning, said Dehod. A properly developed cash flow projection can help a business foresee and prepare for potential

shortages. Cash flow management can also help: • Maintain adequate cash reserves to pay all living costs; make bill payments on time; or invest in expanding the business should an opportunity arise • Reduce interest costs through managed borrowing • I ncrease interest income by transferring surplus funds into interest-bearing accounts temporarily, if appropriate • Control costs by having the cash available to take advantage of buying inputs at favourable prices • Improve relations with the bank manager and trade creditors • Plan for the next crop year “As family living costs and the farm’s business costs are blended in, a farm business that prepares cash flow projections often learns something about their systems, the dynamics of their business, and the cash demands on their farm,” said Dehod. They often have other positive outcomes as well. “For example, you might discover that you need to pay more

Rick Dehod

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“As family living costs and the farm’s business costs are blended in, a farm business that prepares cash flow projections often learns something about their systems, the dynamics of their business, and the cash demands on their farm.”

attention to markets to obtain the right price, or that you need to have a better understanding of your cost of production,” said Dehod. “You may decide you need to take a marketing course so that you can make better decisions to protect or improve your farm’s profit. Or, you may find that you really don’t know what your living costs are, and what effects these living costs have on your working capital position.” To assist with cash flow planning, Alberta Agriculture has a cash flow analysis tool called Cash Flow Analyzer. It can be found at www.agriculture.alberta.ca StatsCan says the average Alberta family spent $9,300 on food in 2013 — the third-highest (search for ‘cash flow’). SEC-HAYM15-T_AFE_SEC-HAYM15-T_AFE.qxd 2015-10-27 10:40 AMexpense Page 1 after shelter and transportation. PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

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NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

DowPont? MonsanDow? Seed business has problems, but chemicals seen as an attractive buy BY SWETHA GOPINATH AND SNEHA BANERJEE / REUTERS

hemical conglomerates Dow Chemical and DuPont both made big bets on their farm businesses over the past two years, but their fortunes have diverged dramatically. While DuPont is growing ever more dependent on its farm business, Dow said last month that it may exit the business altogether, and analysts touted DuPont and Monsanto as potential buyers. The agriculture industry is struggling to cope with falling crop prices and weak demand for crop protection products, which has led to falling sales in the farm business at both Dow and DuPont. But analysts say that while DuPont’s fortunes could turn as the industry recovers, Dow is also struggling with more company-specific problems at its seed business. These issues, which include a poor distribution network, a limited variety of hybrids and high R&D costs, would not hinder companies with a bigger scale and they could even benefit from Dow’s R&D capability and a robust pipeline of new products. “A different owner might be able to boost profitability immediately,” said James Sheehan, an analyst with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. He estimates selling the business could net Dow proceeds of about $15

“A different owner might be able to boost profitability immediately.”

James Sheehan

billion. Monsanto, the world’s largest seed company, is looking for acquisitions after its failed $47-billion bid for Syngenta. But Dow’s agrosciences business is no match to Syngenta — it is only half the size and its seed business lags far behind. For DuPont, however, buying Dow’s farm business would give it the scale to compete with bigger players, especially in the crop protection market. DuPont’s global market share would jump to about 16 per cent after a deal, similar to that of Syngenta, Bayer AG and BASF SE, said Grayson Witcher, a portfolio manager at Mawer Investment Management Ltd. A deal would also help DuPont boost its trait business through Dow’s genetically modified “Enlist” corn and soybean traits, which Dow has said has a market opportunity of about $1 billion.

Dow AgroSciences, which has its headquarters in Indianapolis, may be up for sale. PHOTO: DOW AGROSCIENCES

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

Database to keep eye on large-scale farmland deals

AT THE FORK IN THE TREES

The system hopes to document 100 such sales by year’s end BY CHRIS ARSENAULT

Thomson Reuters Foundation

arge purchases of farmland can at times be cloaked in secrecy, but a new online database aims to shed light on such deals globally, by publishing contracts between governments and investors, according to its organizers. OpenLandContracts.org, based at Columbia University in New York and backed by the World Bank, lists details of 69 deals so far involving palm oil plantations, sugar cane, biofuels, soybeans, tea, and other crops in eight countries. Organizers expect to have some 100 entries by year’s end. The database could lead more companies and countries to make the details of land deals public, said Kaitlin Cordes, head of land and agriculture at Columbia’s Center on Sustainable Investment.

“There is such a lack of transparency around these deals,” said Cordes. “Making contracts transparent can help individuals, communities and civil society monitor whether governments and investors are fulfilling their responsibilities.” Large land deals, which can pit international investors against small-scale farmers, can be controversial when signed in secret without local input. If firms do not have to disclose details of their deals, they have less incentive to incorporate social investments such as environmental management, training and jobs for local people, she said. The site, which launched earlier this month, so far shows deals in Liberia, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Cambodia, Cameroon, South Sudan, and East Timor.

Cow-calf producers may be able to endure softer cattle prices if the Prairies receive much-needed moisture this winter. But if this winter proves dry, as in they experience back-to-back arid conditions, markets could be tough. This calf, near Millarville, Alta., is taking it all in stride. Photo: Wendy Dudley A cartoon illustrating the plight of smallholder farmers losing their land to large corporate interests. Image: ActionAid USA

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2015-10-28 8:41 AM

NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Reversal pattern alerts producers to downturn in lean hog market The hog market took four years to climb, but only nine months to fall back By david drozd

ean hog futures have been on a slippery slope since the bull market rally ended in July 2014. The nearby futures contract went from a historical high of $133.875 per hundredweight to $57.775, losing 57 per cent of its value in only nine months. To put the enormity of this collapse in perspective, it took the market four years and nine months to rally from $57.775 to $133.875 and only nine months to drop back down to $57.775. The fact markets can decline so swiftly is one of the reasons we recommend producers lock in prices on the way up the hill. Once prices fall off the cliff, producers generally set their price targets above the market, in hopes of catching the previous high. However, as the market accelerates downward, hopes are often dashed when their pricing orders go unfilled with each bounce being progressively lower than the last. A bear market can be described as a market that is putting in lower highs and lower lows. The trend remains down until the market starts making higher highs and higher lows. Identifying the trend is the basis for developing a selling strategy. Once a bear market is established, a common strategy is to place sell orders at points of resistance. Resistance is a term used to describe a price level where the selling of futures contracts is

expected to noticeably increase and at least temporarily halt the current direction of the market. This could be a previous high, a fibonacci retracement, a congestion area or even a gap. After a significant drop in price, a market will rebound in an attempt to go up and fill a gap that occurred on the way down. A gap is an area on the chart where no trading occurs. In this instance, prices opened below the prior week’s low so it is considered a downside gap and it’s an indication of additional weakness. In March 2015 the nearby lean hog futures chart turned up from the low at $57.775 and rallied $27.350 per hundredweight before running into an area of resistance in May 2015 at $85.125. Resistance here is the gap between $83.850 and $86.450. On May 29, 2015 not only did the futures rally into resistance, but a reversal pattern called a doji developed, indicating a possible downturn. This is illustrated in the accompanying chart. A reversal pattern appearing at a point of resistance is further verification a market is about to turn back down.

Doji

A doji is a candlestick formation that has the same opening and closing price. It is a point of indecision with neither the bulls nor the bears gaining the upper hand as the market closes at the same price it opened. A doji can also indicate a market is about to reverse direction.

GRAPH CME LEAN HOG WEEKLY NEARBY Chart as of October 28, 2015

This is more significant when the doji candlestick pattern occurs after a significant move to the upside and is at resistance. In this example, the following week’s action proved to be bearish with the market closing below the prior week’s low, which is an indication to make a sale in anticipation of a downturn.

Market psychology

Price advances need buying in order to be sustained. The mar-

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ket advances until all the potential buyers have been satisfied. At this point, the market begins to fall under its own weight as recent longs sell to liquidate their positions and new shorts enter the market. In the normal ebb and flow of the market some of this selling is satisfied when prices rebound. However, not all orders above the market are filled, so these sellers become more aggressive and lower their offers on the next rebound for fear of missing the next downturn. This causes

the market to have lower highs and lower lows. Send your questions or comments about this article and chart to info@ag-chieve.ca. David Drozd is president and senior market analyst for Winnipeg-based Ag-Chieve Corporation. The opinions expressed are those of the writer and are solely intended to assist readers with a better understanding of technical analysis. Visit Ag-Chieve online at www.ag-chieve.ca for information about our grainmarketing advisory service or call 1-888-274-3138 for a free consultation.

RENN Mill Center buys the Jiffy line of ag products Lacombe-area company will now build and sell Jiffy bale shredders, hay rakes and harrow drawbars RENN Mill Center release

ENN Mill Center Inc. has purchased the manufacturing and distribution rights to the popular Jiffy brand of agriculture equipment, which includes the Jiffy bale shredder, hay rake and harrow drawbar. “We’ve been wanting to expand our product line for a while now,” says RENN president Doug Hilsabeck. “We’ve been looking for a brand of equipment that fits well with ours, in terms of proven quality and dependability that earns the trust of farmers. Jiffy has been a trusted name in agriculture for many years.” The company has been preparing for expansion by increasing the size of its manufacturing facility east of Lacombe and investing in automation and robotics, he added.

RENN makes grain-processing equipment for livestock operations and grainbagging equipment for crop production. It purchased the Jiffy product line from ProAll International Manufacturing Inc., an equipment manufacturer based in Olds, where Jiffy products have been manufactured since 1959. RENN also purchased the Pro-Care line of lawn maintenance equipment from ProAll as part of the deal. Growing demand for ProAll’s Reimer concrete mixers has required the company to shift focus to the construction and industrial side of its business, and to find a new home for its Pro-Care and Jiffy product lines, said ProAll CEO Larry Koop. RENN products are sold to farmers in more than 20 countries worldwide, including the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Australia and eastern Europe.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

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NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

CWB sale to be scrutinized by new Liberal government The wheat board is gone for good, but its sale will be reviewed BY ALLAN DAWSON Staff

The Canadian Wheat Board won’t be restored under the new Liberal government, but farmers could finally see its books, kept secret since the government removed its marketing monopoly in 2012. “A number of farmers has raised the question and said the numbers just don’t add up,” said Saskatchewan MP and former agriculture minister Ralph Goodale. “Once we have a chance to examine the information that’s available internally maybe we will be able to shed some light for farmers on just exactly what transpired. What values were involved, what money changed hands, how the assets were valued, and how it came about that Bunge and Saudi Arabia are now effectively the owners of what used to be the wheat board. “It appears to have been a gift. But until we have a chance to view the internal information it’s just impossible to fully assess what has gone on here. You can imagine why some farmers are curious.” In July, G3 Global Grain Group, a joint venture of Bunge and state-owned Saudi Agricultural Livestock Investment Company, ostensibly bought CWB for $250.5 million. However, the newly formed company kept the money instead of paying the Canadian government, which owned CWB. While the transaction raised eyebrows among some Canadian grain company executives and was criticized by several farm groups, former agriculture minister Gerry Ritz defended it, saying it made for a stronger new company. Canada’s agriculture minister is obliged to present the wheat board’s annual report to Parliament — something Ritz said he did. However, what was made public revealed almost nothing. Ritz said he was permitted to keep sensitive information private. “For all of the complaints about the old wheat board, it was far more transparent than the new entity has ever been,” Goodale said. “And now that the remains are in the hands of a foreign corporation and a foreign government, you’ll never be able to have the complete story.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

New Liberal government has lots on its ag ‘to do’ list Ralph Goodale says improvements to grain transportation and trade are top priorities, but safety nets and research are also on the agenda BY ALLAN DAWSON Staff

“Science within the Government of Canada is totally messed up and the scientific community within the government is obviously muzzled and intimidated.”

rain transportation and trade will top the new Liberal government’s agricultural agenda, says veteran Saskatchewan MP and former agriculture minister Ralph Goodale. Other priorities include determining if farm aid programs are adequate, investing in infrastructure to protect soil and water, and refocusing the government’s role in scientific research. And while the Canadian Wheat Board isn’t coming back, the new Liberal government will dig into its apparent ‘giveaway’ to a foreign company and perhaps release financial statements that former agriculture minister Gerry Ritz kept secret (see accompanying story). Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet, including an agriculture minister, were to be sworn in Nov. 4 — just after this edition of Alberta Farmer went to press. Grain transportation is a priority, Goodale said prior to the swearing in, noting a review of the Canadian Transportation Act led by former cabinet minister David Emerson is due by year’s end. “This presents an opportunity for significant improvements in the system. It will be important to seize that opportunity to put in place a system that will not be prone to the kind of disaster that happened in 2013-14.” A record crop that year led to a grain transportation gridlock, something farmers and grain companies say was made worse by the railways not investing in enough surge capacity — although CN and CP blamed the massive harvest and a cold winter. Although the new government will consider Emerson’s recommendations, it’s on record as supporting subjecting the railways to commercial penalties for failing to fulfil service agreements with grain shippers. That’s just normal contractual law, Goodale said. “This is the only case where it

Ralph Goodale

It’s time to ‘seize that opportunity’ to fix the rail transportation system, says Ralph Goodale. Photo: Allan Dawson doesn’t apply,” he added. “What seems astounding is that the railways seem astounded when you say the basic principles of business and contract law should apply to them.” It’s also time to calculate the railways’ costs of shipping grain — something last done in 1992, Goodale said. The formula used to set the railways’ maximum revenue entitlement is based on those 1992 costs, adjusted annually for inflation. However, it’s widely believed by farm groups that many railway costs have declined due to increased rail and grain-handling efficiency, resulting in farmers paying much more than intended. “It is reasonable I think, to update the arithmetic,” Goodale said.

Trade and infrastructure

The new government is also keen to review the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement before endorsing it. While former minister Gerry Ritz was widely praised for his many trade missions to boost Cana-

dian farm exports, Goodale isn’t impressed. “The previous government seemed content to go from one trade negotiation to the other without a heck of a lot of followup,” he said. “Once you’ve got the market access then you’ve got to make use of it and this government has not had a marketing or sales strategy. The end result is we’ve had 55 months of trade deficits under the Harper government.” Ritz’s efforts lack the “pizzaz” of the Team Canada trade missions conducted by the former Liberal government, according to Goodale. The Conservative government also cut farm program budgets and made it harder to trigger payments from AgriStability. Goodale said the new government will consult with farm groups and the provinces to see if the programs can better meet farmers’ needs when commodity prices fall. Some of the Liberal government’s infrastructure spending is intended for natural resources infrastructure, Goodale said. “With the onset of more and more consequences from climate

change we are very likely to have more frequent and more severe cycles of floods and droughts,” he said. “The frustration is some years you have a flood and lack systems to control it or save it and then next year you have a drought.” The Liberals plan big changes to government scientific research, including in agriculture. There will be more basic, curiosity research, not just applied research tied to a commercial outcome, Goodale said. “Science within the Government of Canada is totally messed up and the scientific community within the government is obviously muzzled and intimidated,” he said. “The whole thing needs to be examined from top to bottom to get science policy right. “There’s a lot of work to do to repair the damage that has been done.” Although the Liberals won a strong majority Oct. 19, outside of Atlantic Canada they have few rural seats. Asked how the new government will avoid becoming city-centric Goodale replied: “We’ll just have to work very hard at it. The prime minister-elect has made it very clear that he wants to be a prime minister for all of Canada and we’ll work very hard to achieve that.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

U.S. eyes genetic database to target pathogens Big food companies being urged to share genetic sequences of pathogens found in processing plants Reuters

.S. regulators want food companies to be more proactive in preventing foodborne diseases, citing new data showing that multi-state outbreaks — which involve widely distributed products — cause more than half of all food poisoning deaths, even though they account for just three per cent of all outbreaks. The call to action comes amid multi-state E. coli outbreaks involving 167,427 pounds of ground beef made by All American Meats of Omaha, Nebraska, and the closing of several Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. restaurants in Washington and Oregon. Just three germs — salmonella, E. coli, and listeria — cause 91 per cent of outbreaks, according to a new report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Top officials from the CDC were joined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the USDA in issuing the warning. “Americans should not have to worry about

U.S. regulators want food companies to voluntarily submit the genetic sequences of pathogens such as E. coli to a nationwide database so sources of outbreaks can be tracked more quickly. PHOTO: THINKSTOCK getting sick from the food they eat,” CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden said in a statement. Frieden said state-of-the-art disease-tracking tools, and the introduction of gene tools, are helping to quickly track down the source of foodborne outbreaks. “Together with our national partners, we

are working with the food industry to prevent them from happening in the first place,” Frieden said. In recent months, the CDC, FDA and USDA have been trying to persuade U.S. food companies to voluntarily submit the genetic sequences of the pathogens they find in their food production plants to a nationwide database that could be used to track down the source of outbreaks earlier. In the report, scientists analyzed CDC data on outbreaks from 2010 to 2014, comparing outbreaks that occurred in two or more states to those that occurred in a single state. They found that the 120 multi-state outbreaks accounted for 11 per cent of illnesses, 34 per cent of hospitalizations and 56 per cent of deaths. An average of 24 multi-state outbreaks occurred each year. The report stressed the need for food industries to play a bigger role in improving food safety by keeping detailed records to allow for faster tracing of foods, using store loyalty cards to identify which foods made people sick, and notifying customers of recalls.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

The 20-pound cereal box on your counter Having healthy snacks handy is good, but sugary ones spell trouble CORNELL UNIVERSITY RELEASE

he food on your counter can predict your weight — especially if it’s cereal or soft drinks. Over 200 American kitchens were photographed to determine if the food sitting out on counters could predict the weight of the woman living in each home. The new Cornell study found that women who had breakfast cereal sitting on their counters weighed 20 pounds more than their neighbours who didn’t, and those with soft drinks sitting out weighed 24 to 26 pounds more. The good news? Those who had a fruit bowl weighed about 13 pounds less. “It’s your basic See-Food Diet — you eat what you see,” said lead author Brian Wan-

sink, professor and director of the Cornell Food and Brand lab and author of Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life. “As a cereal lover, that shocked me. Cereal has a health halo, but if you eat a handful every time you walk by, it’s not going to make you skinny.” Although the study cautions that the findings are correlational — not proof of cause and effect, Wansink said, “We’ve got a saying in our lab, ‘If you want to be skinny, do what skinny people do.’ If skinny people make their homes ‘Slim by Design’ by clearing the counters of everything but the fruit bowl, it won’t hurt us to do the same.” The forthcoming study is dubbed “The Syracuse Study” because all of the photographed households were in Syracuse, N.Y.

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The foods kept on the kitchen counter correlate with resident’s weight. Image: Daniel Miller/Cornell

Brief Unlocking pineapple’s genetic secrets By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON / Reuters

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The pineapple, the tropical fruit enjoyed by people worldwide in slices, chunks, juice, upside-down cakes, piña coladas, glazed ham and pizza, is finally giving up its genetic secrets. Scientists say they have sequenced the genome of the pineapple, learning about the genetic underpinning of the plant’s drought tolerance and special form of photosynthesis. The genome provides a foundation for developing cultivated varieties that are improved for disease and insect resistance, quality, productivity and prolonged shelf life, said University of Illinois plant biologist Ray Ming. Pineapples, domesticated about 6,000 years ago in what is now southwest Brazil and eastern Paraguay and currently grown in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, are big business. They are the second most important tropical fruit crop behind bananas, and are grown in more than 80 countries, with an annual value of more than $8 billion. “The industrial production of pineapple in Hawaii a century ago made pineapple a popular fruit worldwide because of its extraordinary flavour and aroma,” Ming said.

Pineapples are the most economically important crop that uses a type of photosynthesis called CAM, or crassulacean acid metabolism, that evolved in arid locales for high wateruse efficiency. It is one of three types of photosynthesis and differs from the forms in the vast majority of plants. Most crop plants use a type of photosynthesis known as C3. Plants with CAM photosynthesis use 20 to 80 per cent less water than typical crop plants and can grow in arid, marginal lands unsuited for most crops. Mindful of global climate change forecasts, the researchers said understanding the pineapple genome may help to engineer drought tolerance into other crops and even engineer C3 photosynthesis crops like rice and wheat to use CAM photosynthesis. “As such, CAM photosynthesis applications could hold major significance for the entire food industry,” added plant molecular biologist Qingyi Yu of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center at Dallas. Some of the pineapple’s photosynthesis genes are governed by its circadian clock genes, which enable plants to distinguish between day and night and adapt their metabolism accordingly. Ming said this makes sense because CAM photosynthesis lets plants close pores in their leaves during daytime and open them at night, helping retain moisture. The research appears in the journal Nature Genetics.

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NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

BriefS Thousands homeless as El Niño floods sweep Somalia

SIESTA TIME

Flash floods in Somalia have destroyed thousands of makeshift homes, with the UN predicting up to 900,000 people could be hit by the strongest El Niño weather phenomenon in decades. The floods, which have made roads impassable and cut thousands off from aid, could reverse many of the humanitarian gains made in southern Somalia since 2011 when the Horn of Africa nation was devastated by famine, experts say. Some 3.2 million Somalis — one-third of the population — already needed life-saving aid and over one million were internally displaced before the rains began in early October. The United Nations said it could not give a figure for the number of people hit by flooding nationwide. Its regional breakdown detailed over 55,000 affected, at least 18,000 of whom had been displaced, in seven areas. Between 500,000 and 900,000 Somalis could be affected by El Niño, the United Nations said. — Thomson Reuters Foundation

Syngenta CEO leaves in wake of Monsanto deal rejection Syngenta CEO Mike Mack has stepped down as head of the Swiss agrochemicals group just two months after the company spurned a US$47-billion takeover approach from American rival Monsanto. Syngenta, the world’s largest maker of pesticides, has been under pressure to boost shareholder returns after rejecting the possible deal with rival Monsanto — and a group of unhappy shareholders welcomed Mack’s departure. “It shows that somebody takes responsibility,” said Folke Rauscher, a member of a group calling itself the “Alliance of Critical Syngenta Shareholders.” Analysts linked Mack’s departure to Monsanto’s spurned takeover bid as well as disappointing third-quarter earnings. Syngenta’s shares dropped 23 per cent on the day that Monsanto abandoned its pursuit of the Swiss company. — Reuters

A ranch horse west of Turner Valley snoozes beneath an aspen in its gold foliage. Photo: Wendy Dudley

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COMBINE

2012 NH CR7090 SH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $249,000 2012 NH CR7090 BR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $269,000 2012 NH CR8090 SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$310,000 2012 NH CR8090 SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$310,000 2012 NH CR8090 MJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $329,000 2012 NH CR8090 TA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $349,000 2013 NH CR8090 SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$310,000 2013 NH CR8090 MH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $349,000 2013 NH CR8090 SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $349,000 2013 NH CR8090 SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $349,000 2013 NH CR8090 SH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $399,000 2008 NH CR9060 MH . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$189,000 2008 NH CR9060 MJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$189,000 2009 NH CR9060 MJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$189,000 2010 NH CR9060 SH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $259,000 2008 NH CR9070 BR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $239,000 2009 NH CR9070 MH . . . . . . . . . . . . . $239,000 2010 NH CR9070 MH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $259,000 2011 NH CR9070 SH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $269,000 2011 NH CR9070 TA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $269,000 2011 NH CR9070 SH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $269,000 2005 NH CR960 BR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $129,000 2007 NH CX8080 SH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $159,000 2005 NH CX840 MH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $99,000 2003 NH CX860 SH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $99,000

DEEP TILLAGE

2012 Horsch Anderson RT370 TA. . . . $85,000

Eng Hrs 797, Sep Hrs 575, 408 HP, 315 BU

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DISK

John Deere 335 TA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$29,000

HEADER COMBINE

2014 Honey Bee 4036 SH . . . . . . . . . . . .$75,000 2003 Honey Bee 94C TA . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19,000 1997 Honey Bee SP30 MJ . . . . . . . . . . . . $21,000 1996 Honey Bee SP36 SH . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,000 1998 Honey Bee SP36 SC . . . . . . . . . . . .$22,000 2005 Honey Bee SP36 SH . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000 2012 Honey Bee SP40 SH . . . . . . . . . . .$49,000 2013 NH 740CF TA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$35,000 2009 NH 74C MH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$29,000 2014 NH 790CP SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000 2014 NH 790CP MH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000 2014 NH 880CF SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $99,000 2014 NH 880CF SH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $99,000 2014 NH 880CF SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $99,000 2004 NH 94C SH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$35,000 2010 NH 94C BR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$49,000 2012 NH 94C SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$35,000 2012 NH 94C SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$62,000

MANURE SPREADER

2015 NH 195HBS MJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$29,000

MOWER CONDITIONER

2006 AGCO Hesston 1275 MJ . . . . . . . . $17,000 1994 Case IH 8370 BR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 1990 John Deere 1600 BR . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6,500 2008 NH 1441 SH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000 1999 NH 1475 SH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17,000

SHAUNAVON

2001 NH 1475/2300 SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19,000 2006 NH 1475/2316 MJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$23,000 2005 NH 1475/HS18 SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$23,000 2009 NH H7150/HS16 SC . . . . . . . . . . . .$29,000 2009 NH H7450 BR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $27,000 2012 NH H7460 MJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$34,000

RAKE/WHEEL

2009 Misc 14 WHEEL RK SC . . . . . . . . . $13,000 2015 NH 1225 SC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$23,000

SPRAYER

1999 Flexi-Coil S67 SH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 2009 NH S1070 BR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$35,000 2012 NH S1070 MH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000

SPRAYER/HIGH CLEARANCE

2012 NH SP.275R SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $289,000

TRACTOR

1984 Case IH 886 MH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13,500 2005 Case IH STX425Q MH . . . . . . . . $179,000 1950 John Deere 401 SH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,500 1994 John Deere 7600 MH . . . . . . . . . . .$39,000 2010 NH 3040 SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$23,000 2012 NH T8.275 SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $179,000 2003 NH TC21DA SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,000

WINDROWER

1998 Case IH 8825HP SC . . . . . . . . . . . .$29,000 2005 MacDon 9352I SC . . . . . . . . . . . . .$72,000 1989 NH 1118 BR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12,500 2011 NH H8040 BR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$75,000

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NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

IT’S INNOVATION. NOT IMITATION. Meet the New John Deere 9RX Series Tractor The New 9RX Series Tractor is no copycat. We kept innovation at the forefront, using your feedback to make it right. The result is a game-changing 4-Track tractor that’s anything but ordinary. Just how unique and innovative? The upswept axle component is the largest cast our foundry pours and allows the 9RX to have a larger drive wheel, putting more power to the ground and increasing reliability. The e18™ Transmission with Effciency Manager helps keep productivity levels high and inputs low. It responds quickly and automatically in intense feld conditions to actively improve the tractor’s performance and your drive experience, while reducing fuel consumption. Under the hood, you’ve got a horsepower range of 470 to 620. Pair that with increased hydraulic fow and the 9RX is ready to cover large acres and pull big implements in less time. Bring on the sloped, wet, and loose feld conditions too, because the 9RX’s unique track design adds to its superior and agile performance in the feld and on the road. The larger articulated footprint allows for more fotation and better grip resulting in less berming and reduced soil disturbance, improving yield potential. The 9RX also comes JDLink™ Connect and AutoTrac™ ready to boost performance and effciency even more. We could go on, but we’ve run out of room. Visit your John Deere Dealer today, and test drive our most anticipated tractor yet, the New John Deere 9RX Series Tractor. Nothing Runs Like a Deere™.

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64301-5_9RX_Intro_1p_CA.indd 1

10/28/15 1:45 AM

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

New Safety Smarts instructor in the Peace

Workshop series for exporters

Carla Richard is the new Safety Smarts instructor at the Farm Safety Centre in Peace Country. The Safety Smarts program teaches rural children from kindergarten to Grade 6 how to recognize and react safely to a wide variety of potential farm hazards. “The program has been running since 1998 and this year it will reach a huge milestone of reaching 500,000 rural children across the province,” said Richard. The program is delivered by a team of eight regional instructors and presentations are offered to public, separate, and Hutterite colony schools. For more info, visit www.abfarmsafety.com. — AAF release

The Export Readiness Workshop Series takes place Nov. 23-24 at Agri-Food Discovery Place in Edmonton and Nov. 25-26 at the Calgary Economic Development’s Global Centre. The workshops are targeted at companies wanting to start exporting or move into new export markets. The two-day program includes training on building an export plan, including market research and intelligence; sales strategies; and items such as logistics and regulations. The workshops are hands-on sessions, said international initiatives officer Shelly Nguyen. For more info contact Nguyen at 780-422-7103 or shelly.nguyen@gov.ab.ca. — AAF release

Gerry Ritz reflects HEARTLAND

Ritz explains quick end to CWB monopoly

Former ag minister didn’t order in-depth studies or consult the wheat board’s directors BY ALLAN DAWSON Staff

ost western Canadian farmers will remember Gerry Ritz as the agriculture minister who ended the Canadian Wheat Board’s marketing monopoly. It wasn’t a secret that former prime minister Stephen Harper had long wanted to end the monopoly, but what took board supporters by surprise was how quickly the government moved. It won its majority in May 2011 and the legislation was law by mid-December. The monopoly ended Aug. 1, 2012, the start of the new crop year. There were no in-depth studies, reviews or much in the way of consultations, except among open-market supporters. Ritz declined wheat board directors’ invitations for a meeting. As one industry observer put it,

Ritz knew this was a dog he had to shoot — looking it in the eye wouldn’t make it easier. There were farm rallies and lawsuits to save the wheat board, but Ritz said he was determined to move quickly. “The bureaucrats and even some of the politicians I work with said, ‘Let’s do this in stages. Let’s do barley, then durum and wheat over a period of five to seven years.’ “I said, ‘No, if we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it because no farmer wants that dragged-out thing.’ They want business decisions made. So we decided that we’re going to map it out and here’s how it’s going to be and that’s the way it went.” Since then farmers have embraced the change, he said. “They are doing well.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

on his time as agriculture minister

Not everyone agrees with them, but Ritz made more changes than any minister in recent history BY ALLAN DAWSON Staff

t’s Oct. 20 — the day after the night before — and you’d never know Gerry Ritz’s Conservative Party had lost the election or that he’ll no longer be agriculture minister in a few weeks. Canada’s 33rd minister of agriculture is his usual chipper, upbeat self, talking a mile a minute and cracking jokes, some at his own expense. “I think the biggest highlight for me was seeing (most) rural Canada painted blue,” Ritz said in a telephone interview. “So I feel very good about that. That speaks to the quality of the work we have done with the industry from coast to coast to coast. The MP for Battlefords-Lloydminster, first elected in 1997 as a Reform Party candidate, was

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz probably made more changes to Canada’s agricultural sector than any of his predecessors. He says he’ll miss the job but welcomes more time to spend with family. file Photo re-elected for the sixth time in a landslide with more than 20,000 votes — 61 per cent of the ballots cast.

“I think the biggest thing I am proud of is expanding agriculture’s footprint at the government level — both provincial and federal,” said Ritz, who was appointed agriculture minister in 2007. The 64-year-old former farmer, contractor and newspaper co-owner kept a gruelling pace, with legislation — some of it controversial — and travelling the world more often than his predecessors promoting Canadian agricultural production. Ritz, who averaged just three nights at home a month during his last term, said his wife didn’t want him to run again, but he had unfinished business, including the fight to get the U.S. to abandon its protectionist country-of-origin labelling (COOL) law and the

see Gerry Ritz } page 34

NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Gerry Ritz } from page 33 Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement. “Until you’ve done it, you have no concept of the 24-7 on call that you are,” Ritz says. “We went global. We have expanded trade. It’s up some 77 per cent from when I took over a little over eight years ago. We’re tickling $60 billion in ag exports — the thirdlargest driver of GDP. It’s just a tremendous success story with more to be done.”

Major changes

Arguably no other minister of agriculture has made as many changes. The biggest and most contentious was killing the Canadian Wheat Board’s marketing monopoly, but also includes: • Amending the Canada Grain Act and the role of the Canadian Grain Commission. Legislation to make more changes, including adding feed mills to the commission’s producer payment security plan, died when Parliament was prorogued for the election. • Legislation aimed at improving railway grain-shipping services for farmers. • Ordering the railways to move a minimum specified volume of grain weekly or face fines to deal with a massive backlog in grain shipments to export in 2013-14. • A review of the Canada Transportation Act, including regulations around how grain is shipped by rail. Recommendations will be presented to the government in December. • Changes to AgriStability, mak-

“I certainly will look anybody in the eye and say, ‘The greater good prevailed.’”

colleagues, Ritz was readily available to reporters. “He (former prime minister Stephen Harper) gave me as much leeway as I needed,” Ritz said. “He often said to me, ‘Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it because I’m not getting calls from farmers.’”

Too-quick quips Gerry Ritz

ing it harder for payouts to be triggered. • Divesting the federal government of its public pastures and Indian Head Tree Nursery. • Ratifying UPOV ’91, enhancing plant breeders’ rights. • E nding kernel visual distinguishability as a requirement to commercialize new wheats in Western Canada. • Ordering variety recommending committees to streamline their operating procedures. Now an opposition MP, Ritz said he’ll do what the party asks, but his life will be a bit less hectic. “I won’t miss the BlackBerry going off at one or two in the morning when (international trade minister) Ed Fast is at a meeting and needs an answer on something,” he said. There should be more time for his grandchildren too. He recently missed his granddaughter’s sixth birthday while quarterbacking the TPP deal from Ottawa. “I’m not sure my wife (of 40 years) can handle me 24-7,” Ritz quips. “We’ve got to get reintroduced to each other.” Unlike many of his cabinet

Ritz’s ‘shoot-from-the-lip’ style and his humour were different from most of his cabinet colleagues. They sometimes landed him in hot water, including when in September 2008 during a staff teleconference on the listeriosis outbreak at Maple Leaf Foods that killed 17 people Ritz was reported to have said: “This is like a death by a thousand cuts. Or should I say cold cuts.” When told of a death in Prince Edward Island, Ritz said. “Please tell me it’s (Liberal MP) Wayne Easter.” Ritz later apologized. Not everyone understands his humour, Ritz admits. “I remember in 2008 getting pilloried for something I said that had absolutely nothing to do with listeria and everything to do with chastising CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency).” He said he is proud of his record and “not ashamed of anything I have done or how I’ve done it.” “I certainly will look anybody in the eye and say, ‘The greater good prevailed,’” he said. And he has some advice for Canada’s 34th agriculture minister: “Get a good pair of orthotics in your shoes. There’s all sorts of work to be done. You’re going to be running hard.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

Subway taking U.S. meat supplies antibiotic free No timeline is yet in place for Subway’s Canadian supply chain BY P.J. HUFFSTUTTER Chicago/Reuters

andwich chain Subway will start serving antibiotic-free chicken and turkey at its U.S. restaurants next year, and within the next nine years will stop selling any meat from animals given antibiotics. Rivals such as Chipotle Mexican Grill and McDonald’s have announced similar supply-chain shifts, adding pressure on U.S. livestock producers to cut human antibiotics from their beef, hogs and poultry production. Subway said customers will be able to start buying chicken raised without antibiotics at its more than 27,000 fast-food restaurants starting in March. By 2018 it expects to shift all chicken and turkey supplies over to antibiotic-free meats. The company said that within six years after that, it will begin serving pork and beef only from animals raised without antibiotics. The plans only apply to the U.S. stores’ suppliers, but while those moves are underway, a company spokesperson said the chain “will continue to work with our sup-

The 2016

pliers in Canada and around the world to make progress on all our initiatives.” “A change like this will take some time, particularly since the supply of beef raised without antibiotics in the U.S. is extremely limited and cattle take significantly longer to raise,” said Dennis Clabby, executive vicepresident of Subway’s independent purchasing co-operative. “But we are working diligently with our suppliers to make it happen.” Public health experts and federal regulators have long been concerned that routine feeding of antibiotics to animals could lead to antibiotic-resistant superbugs, a health hazard for humans. But finding enough protein raised in the U.S. without such drugs has proved to be a challenge for food companies. McDonald’s has said it plans to source only chicken raised without antibiotics important to human medicine by 2017 for its U.S. restaurants. Subway also announced in June that it will remove all artificial colours, flavours and preservatives from its sandwiches, salads, soups and cookies.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

Researchers take aim at chronic wasting disease Finding out why prions misfold is key to finding a treatment for CWD and BSE Canadian Light Source release

hronic wasting disease (CWD) threatens populations of mule deer, whitetail deer, and elk throughout the Prairies, and scientists are working hard towards finding a solution Like bovine spongiform encephalopathy, CWD is caused by the misfolding of a mysterious class of proteins known as prions. While researchers are not clear on the function of prions in mammals, they do know that misfolded prions can cause devastating transmissible infectious diseases. “The devastating effects that CWD has on these poor deer is just unbelievable,” said University of Alberta researcher Dr. Michael James. “Prion diseases cause progressive dementia, debilitating motor dysfunction, and eventually death.”

James and his colleagues are using synchrotron techniques to develop three-dimensional structures of the prion molecules in order to see the differences between how the healthy protein folds and how the unhealthy forms might develop. “Our ultimate goal is to develop small molecules that would bind to the prion proteins in their normal form and prevent them from being converted into the infected form,” says James. A treatment for prion disease would be a vital safeguard for Canadian farmers, and prevent an economic crisis like that caused by BSE, which resulted in hundreds of cattle being slaughtered and Canadian cattle producers losing between $8 billion and $10 billion. The first step in developing a molecule to block prion misfolding and disease is to understand the prion’s function. Then a molecular struc-

ture can be honed to block the misfolding. To get this 3D information, the team uses crystallized versions of the proteins bound to the molecules they are interested in. Then they use X-ray diffraction methods to gather complex information about their 3D structures. Individual and isolated prions have been notoriously difficult to crystallize, but James’ team has overcome the difficulty by pairing prions with cognate antibodies, providing stable crystals and clear structural data. James’ team has determined the 3D structures of four prion proteins — one each from cattle, deer, elk, and Syrian hamster — thereby identifying subtle differences in their folding. These differences could help to explain differences in disease transmissibility between different strains, while their similarities point to potential paths for treatment.

By binding a cognate antibody (a portion of which is shown in green) to a deer prion (salmon coloured) researchers were able to determine the three-dimensional structure of the prion protein. PHOTO: Canadian Light Source

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*0% – 24 month on Select Case IH Combines 2013 Case IH 9230, 847/615 hrs, duals, loaded ...........$299,000 2013 Case IH 9230, duals, loaded, 1035/761 hrs ...................................................... $299,000 2013 Case IH 9230, 1041/746 hrs, Guidance, L/A, duals, PU header .......................................................$299,000 2013 Case IH 9230, duals, guidance, 1147/827 hrs .....$299,000 2013 Case IH 9230, new cab, 660/529 hrs, loaded ......$389,000 2013 NH CR9090, 520/350 hrs, L/A, duals, guidance ...................................................................$350,000 2012 NH 9090, loaded, 670/500 hrs ............................$310,000 2012 NH CR9090, 1240/910 hrs, Guidance, DSP, diff, duals .............................................................$299,000 2012 Case IH 8230, L/A Duals, 752/578 ..................... $315,000 2011 NH CR9090Z, 1026/724 hrs, L/A, duals, guidance ...................................................................$289,000 2011 Case IH 7120, duals, Guidance, PU, 1100/805 hrs ............................................................$249,000 2010 NH CR9090Z, 850/650 HRs., Guidance, L/A, PU header ..........................................................$289,000 2010 Case IH 8120, Guidance, 1424/1126 hrs, sm tube RT, fine cut chopper .....................................$249,000 2009 Case IH 8120, 1850/1250 hrs, L/A, duals, hopper top ......................................................$210,000 2009 Case IH 8120, duals, L/A 1643/1357 hrs .............$210,000 2009 NH CR9070, 1350/1200 hrs, Duals, L/A, .............$215,000 2009 NH CX8080, L/A, 1750/1300 hrs .........................$189,000 2008 Case IH 7010, duals, fine cut chopper, L/A, 1661/1249 hrs ...................................................$210,000 2007 NH CR9070, L/A, 1542/1264 hrs .........................$199,000 2007 Case IH 7010, duals, new chopper, 2630/1630 hrs, P/U header, L/A .................................$149,000 2006 NH CR960, 2050/1687 hrs ...................................$99,000 2005 JD 9660, 2187/1629 hrs, guidance .....................$149,000 2004 Case IH 8010, 2006 2016, L/A, singles, 2663/1968 hrs..............................................$169,000 2004 Case IH 2388, AFX rotor, chopper, AFS, 2357/2028 hrs., L/A, 2015 swathmaster PU ................$99,000 2003 Case IH 2388, 2580/1992 hrs, L/A, PU Header ......$95,000

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2013 Case IH 1903 Windrower, 50hrs, 36 ft, shears deluxe cab

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1999 Case IH 2388, hopper top, 4100/2876 hrs, 1015 PU header, L/A ....................................................$89,000 1998 Case IH 2388, hoptop, PU, L/A, 3428/2535 hrs ...........................................................$75,000 1994 JD 9500, 4208/2980 hrs, 914 PU.............SOLD $39,000 1992 Case IH 1680, 4033 hrs, L/A, 1015 PU header ..........................................................$25,000 1986 Case IH 1680, PU header, 25’, 1010 header, 4200 hrs ................................................$29,000

USED WINDROWERS

2013 Case IH WD1903, 36 ft, shears, deluxe cab, 110/60 hrs..............................................$114,000 2012 Case IH WD2303, 36 ft, 550 hrs, shears ..............$110,000 2011 MacDon M205, 30 ft, 950/686 hrs ......................$125,000 2008 WD1203, 36ft, hyd roller, 550/403 hrs...................$95,000 2008 Case IH WD1203, 36ft, 753 hrs ................SOLD $69,000 2006 Praire 4940, 30ft, DS, shears, Split reel, 1019/754 hrs ..............................................................$69,000 1998 Macdon 4920, 30ft, PU Reel, 1700 hrs ..................$45,000

USED 2WD TRACTORS

2012 Case IH Farmall, 140A, Loaded, MFD, 700 hrs .......$89,000 2008 Challenger MT565B, MFD, Loader/Grapple, powershift ...................................................................$79,000

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Combine, Loaded, 847/615 hrs, duals, spreaders

1999 Case IH 2388

2012 Case IH 4430, 120 ft aim, viper, 2008 Case IH 535 Quad, 3030 hrs, diff lock, guidance, PTO ...........................................................$239,000 guidance, loaded, 1275 hrs .......................................$279,000 2004 Case IH STX450, 700/42 duals, 2011 Rogator 1194, 120 ft, sectional, viper, 2250 hrs, 2800 hrs, diff lock ........................................SOLD $169,000 2 set tires ..................................................................$205,000 1993 Ford 876, 5800 hrs, duals .....................................$49,000 2009 Case IH 4420, 120 ft, Aim, 2 sets tires, 1981 JD 8440, 9400 hrs, 18.4/38 duals, 4 hyd ..............$19,000 viper, 2550 hrs ..........................................................$239,000 2009 Case IH 4420, Guidance, 120ft, Aim, auto box, 2 - 2014 Case IH 3162, 45’, auger, transpeed ................$89,000 2 sets tires, 2200 hrs ................................................$239,000 2007 Rogator 874SS, 3100 hrs, 320-50, 800 gal, fenders, 2011 Case IH 2152, 40 ft auger, single knife, no adapter...................................................................$40,000 480/42 tires ..............................................................$119,000 2008 MacDon D60, 40 ft, adapter, auger, trans ..............$38,000 2007 JD 4720, 90ft, Guidance, 1490 hrs......................$189,000 2008 NH 94C, 36 ft, adapter, trans, auger ......................$45,000 2005 Rogator 1074, Auto Boom, 2 sets of tires, 2005 NH 994-30, 30 ft U2 pickup reel, tx adapter ..........$27,500 3700 hrs, 100’ ..........................................................$115,000 2005 NH 94C-30, 30 ft hyd fore/aft.,trans, gauge wheels .............................................................$39,500 2005 NH 94C - 42 ft., transport, auger, CR adapter ........$39,000 2011 Case IH PH800, 60on10, DS, VR, 3 - 2004 MacDon 973, headers, auger, TBT 2010 3430 ........................................................$200,000 transport, CR adapters.................................................$35,000 2010 Case IH P800/3430 Tank, 70ft, 12inch, DS ..........$149,000 2004 Honeybee, GB36, 36 ft, Split Reel, transport ..........$39,000 1994 Macdon 960, 30ft, tr adapter ...............................$10,000 2008 Case IH SDX40/ADX3430 tank, VR, 40ft, liquid kit ....................................................................$139,000 2008 Seedmaster 50ft, 10”, NH P1060 430 B, tank, 2013 NH BR7090, 1000 PTO, Net/Twine, DS, liquid tank on board ............................................$169,000 wide PU..........................................................SOLD $35,900 2007 Seedhawk 66’, 12”, Bourgault DS .......................$110,000 2004 NH BR780, 590 pto, STD PU, Auto Wrap ................ $16,900 1997 Bourgault 4300 Tank, DS ......................................$35,000

USED HEADERS

USED AIRDRILLS

USED ROUND BALERS USED HARROWS

USED DISCS

USED SPRAYERS

2012 Case IH, 1240 Pivit Planter 16/31 rows, bulk fill ........................................................................$99,000

2009 NH H7460 discbine, 16 ft, 1000 PTO, rubber/rubber ..............................................................$29,000 1999 NH 1475, 18ft ....................................................... $11,999 2008 Riteway 8168, 68 ft, Hyd. Pressure .......................$35,000 2010 Lemken, Rubin 12S/1200, 40ft new blades .........$139,000 1999 NH 1475, 16’, rubber rolls .....................................$16,000 2004 Brandt 7000, 70 ft, Hyd. angle ..............................$28,900 1999 Riteway 77 ft, Hyd. angle ......................................$22,000

BALE PROCESSORS

2006 Highline 8000, 1000 PTO ......................................$12,900 Hesston BR25, tub style ...................................................$3,999

PLANTERS

*0% to 1/1/17 2014 Case IH 3230, loaded, 100 ft., no Aim, ...SOLD $279,000 2013 Case IH 4430, 120ft, loaded, 983 hrs ..................$329,000 2014 Unverferth 1610, U-Harvest, scale, 2012 Case IH 4430, 120ft, 1082 hrs, AIM, *0%/60 months or 4.25 for 84 months Guidance, Dividers, 2 sets tires ..................................$299,000 tarp, tracks ................................................................$149,000 2013 NH T9.615, 1020 hrs, luxury, 36” Tracks, 2013 Unverferth 9250, scale, tarp ..................................$52,000 HID, Cab Susp, guidance ...........................................$389,000 2012 Case IH 3330, 100ft, Aim, 2 sets tires, 2013 Case IH 600 Quad, PTO, 1700 hrs .......................$399,000 autoboom, accuboom, 1300 hrs ................................$269,000 2013 Unverferth 1315, scale, tarp ..................................$82,000

USED 4WD TRACTORS

* See Dealer for Details, Restrictions May Apply.

NEW GRAIN CARTS

NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Border beagles have a serious job New Zealand’s dependence on agriculture means officials are ‘petrified’ of destructive pests or diseases slipping into the island nation BY SHANNON VANRAES Staff / Hamilton, N.Z.

Kelsie the beagle is in training to become one of New Zealand’s front-line defenders in the battle for biosecurity. Photo: Shannon VanRaes

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iosecurity doesn’t get much cuter than this, and the Kiwis know it. Floppy-eared beagles, with patches of tan and white fur, greet visitors and returning locals alike as they disembark at any of New Zealand’s international airports. But the friendly and curious canines play a vital role in New Zealand’s intense network of biosecurity measures, aimed at protecting the country’s fruit, honey, and livestock industries. “The beagle is the face of biosecurity in New Zealand,” said Brett Hickman, detection technology manager for New Zealand’s Ministry of Primary Industries, or MPI, which is responsible for all aspects of agriculture on the island nation. “If you come into the country, you’ll see us here at the border, it’s one of the first things visitors see, but it is only one part of our multi-layered system,” he said. “It might be the most visible, but the detector dogs work as part of our bigger biosecurity system.” Even before visitors see the beagles — which are trained to detect any sort of fruit or vegetable, along with honey and animal or fish products — they are instructed to “dispose or declare” all such items. But Hickman said not everyone does. Some people aren’t familiar with the concept of biosecurity, others forget about the banana in the bottom of their bag, and a few just believe the rules don’t apply to them, said Hickman. Uniformed quarantine officers also speak to each individual, asking questions about food, shoes, farm and animal exposure, and even if visitors are bringing in camping gear. “Many people don’t think about outdoor kit, but soil on shoes or tents can pose a serious risk as well,” Hickman said. Maintaining biosecurity is crucial for New Zealand. The country is already dealing with dozens of invasive plants, as well as rats and possums. The latter are devastating some areas, giving rise to a market for possum wool in an attempt to encourage hunting and trapping of the destructive species. The current fear is that fruit flies will make it onto the South

Pacific nation and devastate the country’s orchards and vineyards. And the possibility of footand-mouth disease is never far from the minds of producers. “As an exporting and trading nation, protecting our economy is really important,” said Nathan Guy, minister of primary industries. “We’re petrified of getting a disease into this country that could cause major ramifications.” However, biosecurity doesn’t come cheap. The New Zealand government recently announced it would be introducing a border levy on visitors to help defray the expense of its costly system. Part of that new revenue stream will be used to train and implement more detector-dog teams, which also patrol docks, cruise ships and the country’s international mail centre in Auckland.

“And when I say they are cute and cuddly, that is actually really important for us, a lot of people don’t like dogs.” Brett Hickman

That will mean 20 more dogs (for a total of about 60) and more posts for the beagles’ Facebook page, which is used to educate the public about the seriousness of biosecurity threats. “It’s been great, because yes a lot of dog lovers go on Facebook and look at the dogs, but then they also start to ask about biosecurity and what they can and can’t bring into the country,” said Hickman. “So for us it’s brilliant.” Picking beagles was a strategic choice. “They tick every single box for us and they’re as cute as can be,” said the border officer. “And when I say they are cute and cuddly, that is actually really important for us, a lot of people don’t like dogs, and we want people to be comfortable if the dog comes up and smells their bag.” shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

Please contact us today for your free information package.

www.ab.bluecross.ca Toll free 1-800-394-1965 dental • prescription drugs • vision • travel • massage • chiropractic • ambulance and more ABC 83309 2015/04

Alberta Blue Cross 83309 Alberta Farmer - 6” x 6.25” RUN NOV 9, 2015

New Zealand is overrun with possums, a non-native species introduced from Australia in the 1850s. Photo: Wikipedia/Creative Commons

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

Taking a cattle operation from global to local control Setting up next to a Superstore was a gutsy move, but it’s paid off for this Manitoba farm family rural entrepreneurs. “What I am getting paid for wheat depends on Russia. When you have a store in Winkler, it is a local market... It is totally foreign to the farmer in me.” Knowing that they could not compete with their Goliath counterpart on price, the brothers built their store — Spenst Bros. — on the basis that people would appreciate knowing where their food was coming from. “You need to have a clear understanding of what your advantage is over that guy,” said Spenst. “Your advantage is going to come in one of three ways; you have them on price, product or service. I am pretty sure it’s not going to win on price, so you need to focus on product and service.” The shop opened a few weeks after the Superstore and the town was abuzz. “People in town started talking and laughing — I found out later that there were some bets going around about how long this store would last,” said Spenst. “If you have an idea and you know that it is good, you believe that it is good, don’t be

BY JENNIFER PAIGE Staff / Dauphin, Man.

hen BSE struck in 2003, a big part of the ‘local’ market for the Spenst family’s cattle operation slammed shut because the Manitoba farmers live near the U.S. border. “Things were going really well and then BSE happened. When the border closed to cattle, it just took the life right out of us,” said Paul Spenst, who runs 360 head on 1,000 acres. “Mom and Dad had their farm assets secure but my brother, Garreth, and I were working nights to keep going. It was a pretty tough time for us.” Nevertheless, they decided to put their future in the hands of a more distant market — a store 12 miles north in the fastgrowing Red River Valley town of Winkler. What’s more the Spenst family positioned their store kitty-corner to Winkler’s brand-new Superstore. “It is just such a different mindset when you have a store, because on the farm, it is a global market,” Spenst told a recent Take the Leap conference for

afraid to be laughed at. But the people in Winkler decided that they were going to support us and they came in and bought ground beef.” Focused on offering food the way Mom made it, Spenst Bros. offers homegrown meats, raised without added hormones and steroids, and served fresh. “We raise our own beef and try to get around 650 head through the store every year,” said Spenst. “At our store you can buy ground beef that is cut every day fresh. All of the deli meat we make in the store. Speciality sausage, we make it all right there.” Starting with fresh cuts, the store has quickly diversified into offering sausages, hamburger patties, smoked meats, BBQready products, baked goods, pizza and recently expanded to offer catering services. “We love what we have become, what we have evolved into or what we think we are trying to be and that is a family of food. Food the way Mom makes it. We are proud to make food that we want to feed our kids,” Spenst said. jennifer.paige@fbcpublishing.com

Paul Spenst discussed his family’s transition from the farm to retail at a recent entrepreneurism conference. PHOTO: JENNIFER PAIGE

USED EQUIPMENT NEW & IN STOCK • Parker Grain Carts • Rem Grain Vacs • Haybuster Bale Processors • PRO ALL Medium Harrow 70’

This year’s Value Bonanza sales event gives you more SMART WAYS TO SAVE! It starts with BONANZA BUCKS – it’s like bonus cash just for buying select New Holland tractors and equipment. And, your savings continue with 0% FINANCING or CASH BACK in lieu of financing. But hurry! The clock is ticking. See us before this offer ends on November 30, 2015. See all the SMART deals at nhvaluebonanza.com *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 November 30, 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.

519766

628424

2008 New Holland CR9060 2011 New Holland 9070 Combine, 950hrs, Excellent Combine, 650hrs, Excellent cond. cond., loaded

$179,000

$235,000

696792

705944

2013 New Holland 2013 New Holland T7.235 T9.450HD Tractor - 4WD, Tractor, MFD, 1750hrs, 2150hrs, 450HP, Good 155HP, Good cond., loader, cond., 1000PTO,mega flow, suspended cab, 3 hyd, 3 pt GPS,new 710R42 duals

$275,000

HARVEST EQUIP 0% 30 MON USED COMBINES

NH CR9070, 2011,525 sep hrs, gps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $235,000 NH CR9070, 2011,550 sep hrs, gps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $235,000 NH CR8090,2013,400sep,dsp,gps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $345,000 NH CR9060, 2008,940 sep hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $175,000 NH TR95 combine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12,500 NH 840CD-30 like new,cross auger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $64,500 NH 840CD-30, header height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $59,500 MacDon 972-30’ header,TR/TX adptr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20,000 NH 971-30’,header,batt reel trspt (2) TR-TX adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6,500

TRACTORS 0% 36 MON USED 4WD TRACTORS

NH T9.450HD ,2013,1000PTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $265,000 NH T9.450HD,2014,1000pto,620hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $299,500 NH T9.450HD,2013,2250hrs,1000pto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250,000 NH T7.235,2260hrs,ldr,3pt,2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $131,000 NH T7.235,2013.PS,ldr,grpl,4 hyd,1750hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $135,000 NH T7.235,2575hrs,ldr3pt,2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $129,500 NH T7.200,1650hrs,ldr,3pt,2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $129,500

$135,000

711354

718049

2009 Case IH PS160 Sprayer, Good cond., 1600 gal,100’,dual wheels,ISO control

1983 International 684 Tractor, 3700hrs, 65HP, Good cond., 2 speed ps, loader, grapple

$38,500

$11,000

NH 846 6200hrs,12 spdd std,14’ blade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $49,500 CIH 430 Steiger,2007,2600hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $185,000 CIH Puma 140,1000hrs,PS,2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $110,000 CIH 9270,6300hrs,PS,20.8R42 duals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $65,000 CIH MXU135,6600hrs,ldr,3pt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $45,000 Steiger Panther 1000, PS, 14’ blade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $58,500

SWATHERS NH H8040-30’,2 roto shears,Trimble easy pilot,2013.410hrs . . . . . . . . . . $129,500 NH M130-30’ swather,2 roto shears, auto steer Westward 7000-25’ 1992 $10,000

LAWN GARDEN Deines 1800KT-60” front mower,320hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cub Cadet RZR50, zero turn mower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NH G4050 xero turn mower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Grasshopper T616-48” front mower, powerfold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

$4,900 $2,950 $3,250 $7,900

SEEDING & TILLAGE Bourgault 6000-70’ mid harrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35,000 Morris 725-25 cutivator,harrows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,900

719200

730275

2006 Case IH MXU135 Tractor, 6700hrs, Good cond., 750 ldr,grapple, 3 point

2011 Bourgault 6000 Harrow, Excellent cond., mid harrow, hyd tines

$345,000

$52,500

$36,500

SPRAYERS

FlexiCoil S67XL,100’,scrns,SP655,mrkrs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11.500 FlexiCoil S65XL,100’, screens, markers, SP655 monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9,500 CIH PS160-100’ suspended sprayer,duals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $38,500

HAYING & LIVESTOCK

NH 499 mower conditioner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9,900 Tycrop 12 12 ton 16’ hidump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9,500 Sitrex 10 wheel V-rake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,500 NH RB560 net/twine, specialty,2015. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $52,500 Haybuster 2650 bale processo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11,500 JF Stoll 1360 forage harvestor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39,500

AUGERS

Sakundiak HD8x1600,24hp,mover,clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,900 Sakundiak HD10x1200,31hp,mover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9,500 Westfield MK130x71,hyd swing & lift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $16,500 Farm King 1370,electric swing & lift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14,500 Brandt 5000 grain vac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12,900 Turbo 990 grain vac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,900 Rem 27Hundred grain vac,225hrs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $16,500

Linden Agri-Centre Ltd.

(403)546-3814

www.lindenag.com

731468

2014 New Holland CR8090 Combine, 380hrs, Excellent cond., leather, full GPS, DSP, folding hopper

(403)263-4688

Sales Manager - Ken Toews 888-8109 (cell) 546-2634 (res) • Ian Anhorn 888-8121 (cell) 631-2260 (res) • Kevin Helmer 373-5554 • Andy Nelson 588-4355

NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Adding a third dimension to a wildlife barrier fence While not quite as effective as a tall barrier fence, the 3D alternative is considerably cheaper

The intent of 3D fencing is to capitalize on the poor depth perception of wildlife and create an intimidating visual barrier. BY JENNIFER PAIGE Staff / Brandon, Man.

he growing popularity of practices such as bale and swath grazing in winter means more feed is being stored in the field where it is highly vulnerable to wildlife. “With winter feeding being one of the larger costs of any cow-calf operation, we definitely don’t want to be sharing it with the wildlife,” said Elizabeth Nernberg, a livestock extension specialist with Manitoba’s Agriculture Department. The department has been

running a pilot project on 3D fencing, which uses two parallel fences that provide height, depth and width. This makes deer and elk hesitate before trying to jump the fence because they have poor depth perception because their eyes are on the side of their head. And because the fence is electrified, curious wildlife will “get a shock that reinforces the danger of the visual barrier.” The trick is finding the best design and that’s a work in progress for the Manitoba pilot project, which is being done in collaboration with the Peace River Forage Association of

Designing 3D fencing consists of setting up two parallel fences and focusing on height, depth and width to create a daunting barrier. PhotoS: Manitoba Agriculture British Columbia, which has developed several designs over the past few years. “Initially the fence was deterring the wildlife away. Upon closer examination we have seen some issues,” Nernberg said. “The wildlife will find the weak points, which we found to be the gates and areas where the wires may cross. “From what I have seen, it seems like the 3D fence is more of a barrier for the elk. The deer seem to be less cautious and will go through or between.” Previous trials found a threefoot space between the fences to be the most effective.

“In our trial, the interior fence has the three wires, 18 to 20 inches off of the ground for the bottom wire, 35 to 40 inches for the middle wire and 54 to 60 inches for the top wire,” said Nernberg. Initial findings from the study show 3D fences to be about 75 per cent effective compared to 90-plus per cent effectiveness with traditional barrier fences, which are generally eight to nine feet tall with woven wire. But there’s a big cost difference. A 3D fence costs $1.75 to $2 per linear foot (including $1 for materials) while it’s $6 a foot just for materials for a barrier

fence and a total cost “pushing $11 and $12 per foot” when you factor in labour and equipment, said Nernberg. Any producer who has built an electric fence could put this on their own farm but she warns they need to think about snow depth and the fact that fence heights may need to be altered for the winter. “Some producers have tried ABS hollow pipes that went over smaller-diameter posts where the sleeves could be raised as the snow depth increases,” she said. jennifer.paige@fbcpublishing.com

Feed prices hold, though quality may vary

ONE IN SEVEN

Fusarium is a ‘big issue’ in wheat, say southern Alberta feed grain traders

Alberta men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.

BY DAVE SIMS CNS Canada

ome feedlot operators say they’ve noticed more feed-quality barley and wheat on the Prairies than expected. Quality varies greatly, with some second-cut wheat being accepted as high quality with reasonable protein, while other loads arrive with sprouting, bleaching and fusarium. Prices in Lethbridge’s feedlot alley were steady in October at $210 to $215 per tonne for barley and $215 to $220 on wheat. “On a year like this where

When detected early, there is a 95% survival rate. Your grain donation helps bring the Man VanTM to your community, offering a quick, simple baseline PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) blood test to men over 40.

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you have everything from high fusarium to sprouting to just low protein or bleached-out wheat, that does create different feed values, even in our market,” said Jim Beusekom of Market Place Commodities near Lethbridge. Feedlots aren’t buying large volumes right now, which has left the cash market relatively flat, he said. Also, “fusarium wasn’t an issue last year, but this year we’re finding fusarium is a big issue in the feed wheat and we really have to be careful bringing feed wheat into Alberta,” he said, adding commercial buyers require low levels of fusarium.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

USED FARM EQUIPMENT This year’s Value Bonanza sales event gives you more SMART WAYS TO SAVE! It starts with BONANZA BUCKS – it’s like bonus cash just for buying select New Holland tractors and equipment. And, your savings continue with 0% FINANCING or CASH BACK in lieu of financing. But hurry! The clock is ticking. See us before this offer ends on November 30, 2015. See all the SMART deals at nhvaluebonanza.com

AIR DRILL

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

AIR SEEDER

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

AIR TANK/CART

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

BALER/ROUND

Case IH RBX562 2004 Number of Bales: 12600Bales ......................... $13,800 New Holland BR7090 2009................ $29,800 New Holland BR780 2003.................. $11,800 New Holland BR780 2003.................... $7,900 New Holland BR780 2005.................. $13,500 New Holland BR780A 2006 ............... $14,500

BLADE

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

COMBINE

AGCO Gleaner S77 2012 Engine Hours: 446 Sep Hours: 346 .......... $298,000 AGCO Gleaner S77 2012 Engine Hours: 423 Sep Hours: 323 .......... $298,000 Case IH 2388 2000 Engine Hours: 1986 ...... $0 Case IH 8010 2000 Engine Hours: 1728 Sep Hours: 1322 ................ $189,000 Claas 760 2013 Engine Hours: 361 Sep Hours: 233 ........................... $389,000 John Deere 9860STS 2005 Engine Hours: 1497 ................................ $148,000 John Deere 9860STS 2007 Engine Hours: 1627 Sep Hours: 1161 ...... $208,000 New Holland CR8090 2012 Sep Hours: 480 .................................. $339,000

New Holland CR8090 2012 Engine Hours: 554 Sep Hours: 434 .......... $359,000 New Holland CR9070 2010 Engine Hours: 1654 Sep Hours: 1240 ...... $189,000 New Holland CR9070 2010 Engine Hours: 1616 Sep Hours: 1190 ...... $189,000 New Holland CR9070 2010 Engine Hours: 1655 Sep Hours: 1239 ...... $189,000 New Holland CR9070 2008 Engine Hours: 1434 Sep Hours: 1023 ...... $189,500 New Holland CR9070 2008 Engine Hours: 1489 Sep Hours: 1020 ...... $195,000 New Holland CR9070 2007 Engine Hours: 948 Sep Hours: 780 .......... $198,000 New Holland CR9070 2009 Sep Hours: 920 .................................. $239,000 New Holland CR9070 2007 Engine Hours: 1710 Sep Hours: 1253 ...... $179,000 New Holland CR9080 2009 Engine Hours: 1347 Sep Hours: 980 ........ $249,000 New Holland CR9090 2012 Engine Hours: 677 Sep Hours: 542 .......... $369,000 New Holland CR9090 2012 Engine Hours: 546 .................................. $369,000 New Holland CR9090 2012 Engine Hours: 860 Sep Hours: 630 .......... $359,000 New Holland CR9090 2011 Engine Hours: 1069 Sep Hours: 827 ........ $308,000 New Holland CR9090 2010 Engine Hours: 1165 Sep Hours: 796 ........ $318,000 New Holland CR9090 2012 Engine Hours: 635 Sep Hours: 458 .......... $369,000 New Holland CR970 2006 Engine Hours: 1400 Sep Hours: 1100 ...... $178,000 New Holland CR970 2006 Engine Hours: 1861 Sep Hours: 1300 ...... $169,500 New Holland CR970 2005 Engine Hours: 2459 Sep Hours: 1821 ...... $138,000 New Holland CR970 2005 ............... $138,000 New Holland CR970 2006 Engine Hours: 1547 Sep Hours: 1219 ...... $189,500 New Holland CX8080 2007 Engine Hours: 1002 Sep Hours: 785 ........ $189,000 New Holland CX8080 2008 Engine Hours: 2009 Sep Hours: 1522 ................. $0 New Holland CX8080 2008 Engine Hours: 2005 Sep Hours: 1538 ................. $0 New Holland CX840 2002 Engine Hours: 3700 Sep Hours: 2500 ........ $78,000 New Holland TR98 1996 Engine Hours: 2931 Sep Hours: 2211 ........ $39,000 New Holland TR98 1997 Engine Hours: 2740 Sep Hours: 1934 ........ $48,000 New Holland TX36 1993 Engine Hours: 3079 .................................. $25,000 New Holland TX66 1999 ............................. $0 New Holland TX66 1997 Engine Hours: 3754 Sep Hours: 2781 ........ $38,500 New Holland TX66 1998 Engine Hours: 3438 Sep Hours: 2643 ........ $39,500 New Holland TX66 1996 Engine Hours: 2796 Sep Hours: 2188 ........ $48,000

DEEP TILLAGE

SPRAYER/HIGH CLEARANCE

Mandako MT3620RB 2013 ................ $65,000 Case IH Patriot 3320 2008 Engine Hours: 3030 ................................ $148,000 New Holland SP240F 2011 Engine Valmar 3255 2014 ............................ $12,800 Hours: 747 Spray Hours: 542....... $268,000 Grain Auger Brandt 1390 2001 ............................... $9,000 RoGator 1396 2011 Engine Hours: 900 ............................................ $288,000 NuVision 5395 2010 ......................... $21,000

FIELD CULTIVATOR

GRAIN VAC

SWATHER

REM Mfg 3700 2008 ......................... $22,000 AGCO Hesston 1200 1990 .................. $2,800 MacDon M105 2013 Hours: 170 ...... $138,000 Honey Bee HB36 2008 ....................... $48,000 MacDon M150 2010 Hours: 950 ...... $109,500 Honey Bee SP25 1996 ....................... $18,500 MacDon M150 2009 Hours: 911 ........ $95,000 Honey Bee SP30 1995 ....................... $29,500 MacDon M150 2011 Hours: 871 ...... $125,000 Honey Bee SP36 1994 ....................... $19,500 Massey Ferguson 9740 2012 ............. $98,000 John Deere 936D 2008 ...................... $39,900 New Holland H8060 2010 ................. $89,000 MacDon FD70-40 2012 .............................. $0 Premier 2952 2003 Hours: 2098 ........ $48,000 MacDon FD70-45 2011 ..................... $75,000 Westward 9352 2005 Hours: 1450 .... $69,000 Massey Ferguson 5100-35 2010 ........ $58,000 New Holland 88C-36 2006 ................ $58,000 John Deere 4255 1990 Engine New Holland 88C-42 2009 ................ $68,000 Hours: 8485 .................................. $32,000 New Holland 94C-30 2009 ................ $39,800 Kubota BX2350 2007 ........................ $15,000 New Holland 94C-30 2008 ......................... $0 Kubota BX2660 2008 Engine Hours: New Holland 94C-36 2003 ................ $39,500 200 .............................................. $11,500 New Holland 94C-36 2008 ................ $49,500 Kubota M135 2014 Engine Hours: New Holland 94C-36 2009 ................ $44,000 1150 ............................................ $78,000 New Holland 994-25 1998 ................ $28,500 New Holland 8970 1994 Engine New Holland 994-30 1999 ................ $29,500 Hours: 9250 .................................. $48,000 New Holland 994-30 2000 ................ $38,000 New Holland T6030 2009 Engine New Holland 994-36 1998 ................ $19,000 Hours: 4550 .................................. $89,000 New Holland 994-36 1998 ................ $19,000 New Holland T7.170 2011 Engine New Holland 994-36 1999 ................ $29,000 Hours: 1850 ................................ $119,000 New Holland HB30 2006 ................... $26,000 New Holland T7.235 AutoComNew Holland SP30 1992 ............................. $0 mand 2011 Engine Hours: 2000 .. $119,000 New Holland SP30 1994 ...................... $9,800 New Holland T7.270 AutoComNew Holland SP30 1998 .................... $28,500 mand 2011 Engine Hours: 2360 .. $178,000 New Holland T7040 2010 Engine Draper MacDon 960 1998 ................. $25,000 Hours: 2570 ................................ $118,000 Draper MacDon 960 1998 ................... $9,500 New Holland T9.615 2012 Engine Draper MacDon D65 2013................. $59,000 Hours: 2706 ................................ $259,000 New Holland TM125 2001 Engine John Deere 1600 1992 ........................ $5,800 Hours: 7435 .................................. $48,000 MacDon 5010 2000 .......................... $12,000 New Holland TV6070 2009 Engine New Holland 1475 2006 ................... $21,500 Hours: 4660 .................................. $95,000 New Holland 2216 1995 ..................... $9,500 New Holland TV6070 2009 ............... $89,000 New Holland 2216 1995 ..................... $7,500 New Holland TV6070 2008 Engine New Holland 2300 2000 ................... $10,500 Hours: 4555 .................................. $79,500 New Holland H7460 2013 ................. $37,500 New Holland H7560 2012 ................. $28,000 Buhler Versatile 500 2012 Engine New Holland HS18 2006 ................... $24,500 Hours: 925 .................................. $285,000

HEADER COMBINE

TRACTOR

HEADER

HAYBINE

TRACTOR 4WD

ROW CROP TILLAGE

Case IH STX535Q 2009 Engine Hours: 3103 ................................ $278,000 New Holland T9.615 2014 Engine Hours: 1263 ................................ $338,000 Caterpillar C289C 2009..................... $28,000 New Holland TJ450 2002 Engine Hours: 9000 ................................ $138,000 Flexi-Coil S65 1993 ............................. $7,900 Flexi-Coil S67 2003 ........................... $19,500 New Holland SF115 2008 .................. $24,900 Salford 570 RTS 2010 ........................ $68,000 Riteway 8100 2010 ........................... $36,000

SKID STEER LOADER SPRAYER

VERTICAL TILLAGE

BOX 89, PARADISE HILL, SK. S0M 2G0

1-306-344-4448 • 1-877-344-4433

www.novlanbros.com

NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

BriefS

GET ALONG LITTLE DONKEY

Concrete may be coming down in price Thinking of building? Check out the price of concrete first. “Concrete seems to be more expensive in the Prairie region as compared to British Columbia and Ontario,” said Todd Bergen-Henengouwen, a market analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “I found that the price of a 32 MPa (megapascal) concrete in B.C. and Ontario was about $160 per cubic metre, whereas in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba it was closer to $220.” The high price is the result of a once-hot economy combined with a high number of housing starts, but with construction spending falling sharply — an estimated nine per cent this year — prices may now be at a peak, said BergenHenengouwen. Many farm buildings use a lot of concrete, he added. “Hog barns, in particular use large amounts as they have slatted concrete floors, walls, and pits beneath,” he said. “It’s estimated 25 per cent of the cost to build a hog barn can go to pay for concrete. “Those who are considering building a hog barn, or any other structure that requires a large amount of concrete, should consider this when making a decision.” — AAF release

Maple Leaf Foods swings to profit but shares slide Maple Leaf Foods swung to a rare profit in the third quarter as the company nears the end of its restructuring plan. The profit is only Maple Leaf’s second in the past 11 quarters, but was slightly smaller than expected. The company rolled out a program in 2010 to boost earnings by shutting some plants and modernizing others. “We are making meaningful progress on eliminating inefficiencies driven by the ramp-up of our new facilities, though not at the pace we had hoped for,” said chief executive Michael McCain. Maple Leaf disappointed by delaying to 2016 its target of increasing EBITDA as a percentage of revenue to 10 per cent, said Canaccord Genuity analyst Derek Dley in a note. The profitability measure amounted to 7.1 per cent during the quarter, up from the previous quarter but below expectations, he said. — Reuters

A large standard donkey trots through an aspen grove ablaze with golden autumn colour, near Millarville, Alta. . Photo: Wendy Dudley

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, E016122 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $49,500 NH Boomer 3050 2013 50hp, Cab, Loader, CVT Tranmission E016646 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $38,500 JD 4020 Loader E016278 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9,500 NH TV140-TV6070 Loader, Grapple, 105 PTO HP . . . . . . . . . . $32,900 Cat 75 E016131 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $32,900 NH T9060 Triples, 57gpm Hyds. E014421 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $225,000

SPRAYERS

FC Used Pull Type Sprayers, Various Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $21,900 Apache AS1210 2009 100ft, 1200 gal, AutoBoom, 5 Section Boom, Envizio Pro E015883 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $155,900 Wilmar 8100 1997 E016135 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35,000 Apache AS1220+II 2014, 100’ Booms, Duals Available, Raven GPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $274,900

FEEDING

Haybuster 2650 With Grain Tank E013339 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $18,600 Haybuster 2650 With Grain Tank E015596 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,900 Haybuster 2650 No Tank E015141 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13,900

TILLAGE & SEEDING

Summers 60ft Heavy Harrows E014008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $22,900 FC 820/1720/Pack 33’x9”, Single Shoot, TBH, Air Seeder, Packer Bar E015372 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $22,000 FC 5000/1720 33’x9”, Single Shoot, TBH, 4” Rubber Packers E015789 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $30,000 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. E013197 . . . . . $125,900

NH P1060 Mechanical Drive, 8 Run, Tow-Behind Air Cart E016853 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $67,900 0% for 30 Months OAC Followed By CQR.

COMBINES & HEADERS

NH CX8070 2008 1000 T Hours E014437 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $169,900 NH CX8080 2009-12 9 Available Starting At . . . . . . . . . . . . . $175,000 NH CX8090 2013 Cast Drum, Tier IV, GPS, Duals, 200 T Hours E013496 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $325,000 NH CR9080 2010 Duals, RWA, GPS, Lux Cab, 850 T Hours. E016610 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $225,000 NH CR9090 2012 c/w Pickup Header, RWA, GPS, Luxury Cab, 690 T Hours E016124 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $310,000 NH Selection Of NH Straight Cut & Draper Headers Various Sizes Available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $22,000 New Units Also In Stock at Great Pricing!!!

GRAIN CARTS & BAGGING EQUIPMENT Demco 1150 2014 1150 Bu, Black or Blue, PTO & Hyd. Drive, 900 Tires, Tarp & Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $59,900 United Farmer 750bu. Hydraulic Drive Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13,700 Akron 9250D 9’ Bagger E014522 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14,900 Richiger R1050 10’ Bagger E014819 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19,900

SWATHERS

CaseIH 6000 25’ Draper & 14’ Mower Conditioner, Excellent Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,900 Premier 2930 1998 25’ 960 Header, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25,000 Westward 9352 2002 25’ 972 Header, Swath Roller, Mint Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $52,900 MacDon 4952 2000 30’ 972, New Drive Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $47,900 Westward 9352i 2005 30’ 963 Header, Premium Unit . . . . . . . . $59,000

MacDon M150-M155 30’ & 35’ D60/D65, Double Knife, Trans, Triple Del, Swath Rollers Available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $97,900

DISCBINES/HAYBINES/RAKES CIH 8360 12ft Hydroswing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,500 CIH 8380 16’ Hydroswing E016393 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6,500 NH 1475 2006 16ft Hydroswing E014022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17,500 NH 1431 13’ Discbine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20,000 NH H7450 2011 13’ Discbine, ShockPro Hubs, Premium Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coming In Sitrex MX12 12 Wheel V-Rake E016379 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,500 NH HW305s/HS16 2006 Two 16’ SP Haybines . . . . . . . . . . . Coming In

BALERS JD 567 2006 Twine Wrap, Wide P/U Choice Of Two NH BR7090 Specialty Crop, Wide P/U, Twine & Net Wrap, Excellent Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coming In NH BR780A 2007 Auto Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coming In

CONSIGNMENTS JD 530 John Deere Round Baler E016207 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,400 FK Y720 Farm King 72” Rotary Cutter E016017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,700 Wheat-Belt Never used 20’ Electric Bale Elevator . . . . . . . . . . . $5,900 Kub ZG227 54” Zero-Turn Mower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,500 DR Pro Lawn Vac & Chipper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,600 NH Boomer 3040 2012 40hp, Loader, Skid Steer Q/A, CVT Trans. E016441 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39,000 JD 701 10 Wheel V-Rake E016365 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,900 *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 November 30, 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.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

Butter back in the good books

Pro-bacon backlash erupts on social media

Once the bad boy of foods, butter is regaining its place at the table as consumers look to richer tastes

Negative tweets on report linking processed meat to cancer outnumbered positive ones by more than 6.5 to 1

BY SHANNON VANRAES Staff

onsumers are beginning to warm up to butter — again. After years of anti-fat admonishments, diets and fads, butter is regaining popularity, according to Dairy Farmers of Manitoba. “It’s an amazing story, because years ago the medical profession said butter was bad for you,” said Henry Holtman, the organization’s vice-chairman. “Now that whole opinion has changed.” Linking the shift in consumer preference to a new-found interest in food and its production, people have also begun to see that high-fat foods like butter and cheese are healthy when consumed in moderation, he said. “They are interested in their health, but they are also interested in the taste of food and the experience food provides,” said Holtman. “That’s why people like me put cream in their coffee. I don’t just do it because I’m a dairy farmer, I do it because I like the taste of it. “Once in a while a little bit of indulgence isn’t going to hurt and I think that resonates with people. So a return to quality food and taste, that’s the biggest reason people are experimenting with different foods and different experiences.” While fluid milk consumption has been decreasing over the last two decades, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization notes cheese consumption in Canada has been increasing. Butter consumption, according to Statistics Canada, also increased by nearly six per cent in 2014 over the previous fiveyear average. But after years of meeting market demand that called for low-

BY MELISSA FARES / REUTERS

Butter lovers are smiling because of better news about health, and 2014 consumption was almost six per cent higher than the previous five-year average. Photo: Thinkstock fat products, dairy production in Manitoba has been geared towards fluid milk, not butterfat. “That will be the challenge going forward,” said Holtman. “But any challenge we’ve had, we’ve been able to meet, and we will be able to meet this challenge as well.” Fluid milk can yield other products and innovation can balance production, use and consumption, he said. “The interesting thing with dairy products is that you can fortify dairy products with things like additional protein,” Holtman said. “So you can have the fat, but then you can also have way more health benefits, not by adding outside sources, but by using what is naturally occurring in milk, so technology has allowed us to do that.”

Alberta SPCA

The Alberta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Alberta SPCA) is a provincially incorporated charity dedicated to the welfare of animals. The Alberta SPCA’s mission is to protect, promote and enhance the well-being of animals in Alberta. The Alberta SPCA is responsible for addressing animal care issues for both livestock and companion animals in rural Alberta. It promotes the humane treatment of animals through the enforcement of provincial animal protection legislation and through community education.

The Alberta SPCA is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors with authority designated under the Societies Act of Alberta. The Board of Directors has the responsibility to set the strategic direction of the Alberta SPCA, to ensure that a strong framework is maintained for Board governance, and to develop and preserve the operational policies of the Board.

The move towards more milk fats is an exciting one for producers, he added. “I look at it as an opportunity, I don’t think it’s a negative thing. Tastes evolve, and it’s just a matter of making sure that all the components of milk we produce have value and have a marketplace.” shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

with large animals and animal husbandry practices would be very beneficial. For information about the expectations of Board members, meeting schedules, etc., contact Doug Sawyer, Director, at 403-598-5144 or ghostpinealberta@gmail.com or Terra Johnston, Executive Director, at 780-732-3737 or execdir@albertaspca.org.

This ‘I heart bacon’ photo was among many pro-pork images on the Twitterverse. Photo: Twitter Fashion designer Kenneth Cole (@mr_kennethcole) tweeted “Sugar is bad for you, Carbs are bad for you, and now so is #Bacon, but don’t worry about it, because that’s bad for you too. #IfTheShoeFits” Austrian politician Andrae Rupprechter (@Andrä Rupprechter) posted a picture of himself on his Facebook page with a platter of cold cuts, calling the report a “farce.” Germany’s agriculture minister, Christian Schmidt, also said “no one should be afraid if they eat a bratwurst (sausage) every now and then.”

SUCCESSION

THROUGH INNOVATION Lead the farm is a one day conference. Focusing on leadership on your farm and in your business.

NOVEMBER 12th, 2015 Sheraton Red Deer Hotel

Brenda Schoepp

Keynote Speaker Brenda Schoepp

Interested in being involved with the Alberta SPCA? The Alberta SPCA is looking for people to join its volunteer Board of Directors. Prospective Board members should have a genuine concern for animal welfare; the ability to think strategically in response to emerging animal welfare issues; the ability to work collaboratively within a diverse framework; and political sensitivity. Experience

acon lovers took to social media to express disdain over a recent World Health Organization report that said processed meat is likely to cause cancer. The hashtags #FreeBacon, #Bacongeddon and #JeSuisBacon were among the top-trending topics worldwide as celebrities, politicians and ordinary consumers reacted to the announcement by the WHO that eating processed meats — including hotdogs, sausages and bacon — can cause colorectal cancer in humans, and that red meat is also a likely cause of the disease. The review of 800 studies by WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer prompted it to conclude there was some link between the consumption of red meat and pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer. An analysis of social media sentiment by Thomson Reuters found that social media participants were not happy about the review, with negative tweets outnumbering positive ones by 6.5 to 1 or more. (It used an analysis tool that tracks and aggregates positive, neutral and negative tweets with hashtags #cancer and #bacon in order to generate a sentiment score.)

Brenda is from Alberta where she ranches and operates an equine rescue operation. She enjoys a young, vibrant client base as a mentor for men and women in eight nations. She has recently completed her Nuffield Scholarship entitled: The Development of Mentorship Programs for Women in Agriculture – A Global Perspective. As a published author, her work in agriculture and food systems is featured by media in 36 countries, in classrooms on World Food Day in the UK, by USDA Resource Conservation, extensively with Future Farmers of America and she was featured at the 2015 Global Economic Summit in Mumbai. Brenda is a strong supporter of youth on the farm and in the boardroom.

Lead The Farm 2015 Agenda November 12th Red Deer Alberta 4:30 pm - Cocktails 5:30 pm - Welcome speeches 6:00 pm - Supper 7:00 pm - Keynote speaker 8:30 pm - Networking Registration Fee $40.00 Member $60.00 Non-member

Please Register at:

www.albertayoungfarmersandranchers.mysimplestore.com Or follow the link at www.ayfr.net Proudly sponsored by

Contact Us: Phone: 780-638-3931 Email: ayfrcontact@gmail.com Rm 100 a, JG O’Donoghue Bldg, 7000 113th Street Edmonton AB T6H 5T6

NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Community news and events from across the province

Under the northern stars, students remember the fallen

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

Night in the Trenches is a Remembrance Day event that gives students a glimpse into what war is really like

Nov. 11: Small Ruminant Day at Farmfair, Meeting Room 108, Edmonton Expo Centre, Edmonton. Contact: Northlands — Livestock Programs Inquiry 1-888-800-7275

By Alexis Kienlen AF STAFF

n the evening of Remembrance Day, 15 students from Eaglesham School will march to a field on the outskirts of their hamlet to dig chest-deep trenches. Then they’ll pull their blankets around themselves and try to sleep. The Night in the Trenches — a tradition at the K-12 school since 2008 — is the brainchild of teacher Mike McKay, who spent eight years in the military as a reservist. “When kids found out that I was in the army, they had all these questions that were basically generated by playing video games and watching violent movies,” said McKay. “They asked how many people I had killed and what kinds of guns I had used. I would try to tell them what military life was like and it didn’t really affect them.” So after the umpteenth such question, McKay asked the students if they would like to dig trenches and stay in them overnight. “They were all for it,” he said. The temperature fell to -15 C that night and any sleeping was fitful, with the students dozing off in class the next day. McKay thought that would be the end of it but the next year, students asked if they were going to do it again. McKay saw this as an opportunity to revive dwindling interest in Remembrance Day ceremonies at the hamlet of 120 people, which is located 90 kilometres northeast of Grande Prairie. “There weren’t many people coming to it, and no one wanted to organize it,” he said. So McKay asked the students to go home and research family members who had been in the war. The students organized a slide show and took over the Remembrance Day ceremony. Now the community hall is filled with residents and visitors from Grande Prairie and other surrounding communities. Night in the Trenches is open to students from Grades 7 to 12 and follows a similar format each year. At 3:30 on Nov. 10, students bundle up in their winter gear and are handed two wool blankets — the standard issue for First World War soldiers. By 8, the deep trenches are dug and they march to the nearby community hall, where the Eaglesham Royal Purple of Canada is supposed to serve them a watery stew similar to soldiers’ fare a century ago. “Of course, they usually make something totally delicious instead,” said McKay. After setting up the hall for the Remembrance Day ceremonies,

what’s

Nov. 11-14: Agri-Trade, Westerner Park, Red Deer Nov. 11-15: Farmfair International, Northlands, Edmonton. Contact: Northlands 1-888-800-7275. Nov. 12: Alberta Crops Breakfast, Sheraton Inn, Red Deer. Contact: Rick Taillieu 780-678-6167 Nov. 12: Working Well Workshop, Exshaw (also Nov. 17 in Morinville, Nov. 19 in Ft. Macleod, Nov. 24 in Brazeau County, Nov. 26 in Beaver County, and Dec. 2 in Sedalia). Contact: Kendra Tippe 1-403-673-3611 Ext. 234 Nov. 14: Explore Horticulture!, Lethbridge Exhibition Park, Lethbridge (also Nov. 28 in Lacombe, Jan. 9 in Airdrie, and Jan. 23 in Westlock). Contact: Dustin Morton 403-740-6539

Mike McKay, a teacher at Eaglesham School, leads a group of students to a nearby field during a previous Night in the Trenches. The students spend a night in the trenches to learn about the hardships of war. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Nov. 16: Save Tax and Simplify Farm Transfer, Alliance Church, Linden. Contact: Farm Credit Canada 1-888-3323301 Nov. 17: 6th Annual Cattlemen Clinic, Oyen Senior’s Center, Oyen. Contact: Olivia 403-664-3777 Nov. 17: Wetland Policy for Producers, Athabasca Agriplex, Athabasca County. Contact: Sheila Wooten 780-206-7326 Nov. 17-19: Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance Convention, Deerfoot Inn and Casino, Calgary. Contact: Lori-Jo Graham 403-556-4244 Nov. 17 and 24: Optimizing Wheat Productivity (two-day seminar), MNP, Lethbridge. Contact: Brenda Martin 403-380-1657

For the past eight years, Eaglesham School students have been digging trenches and sleeping in them for a night as a part of their Remembrance Day activities. PHOTO: DOUG GREENFIELD

Mike McKay and some of his students are crouched in a trench for their annual Night in the Trenches to honour war veterans. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

“When kids found out that I was in the army, they had all these questions that were basically generated by playing video games and watching violent movies.”

Nov. 19: Cattlemen’s Day, Dovercourt Hall, Rocky Mountain House. Contact: Anne-Marie Bertagnolli 403-845-4444 Nov. 19: Farm Succession - Planning for the Next Generation with Elaine Froese, Bonnyville Agricultural Society, Bonnyville (also Nov. 20 in Vilna). Contact: Lakeland Agricultural Research Association 1-780-826-7260

73,900

$ The students must keep digging in the dark if they haven’t completed their trenches. PHOTO: DOUG GREENFIELD it’s back to the trenches to sleep. In some years, the students have conducted practice drills that the soldiers would have done, such as loading people on stretchers. Sometimes firecrackers are set off in the vicinity. Last year, the Eaglesham students were joined by students from two other schools, so they did a co-ordinated attack, charging out of the trenches. The trench inspection is no longer conducted as the two Second World War veterans from the

Mike McKay

community who used to do them have passed away, but sometimes military personnel from Edmonton come by for a visit. Morning finds a tired and dirty group of kids who hasn’t slept very much. The Royal Purple visits them to serve a bland, tasteless porridge. Then it’s time to fill in the trenches and march back to the hall to conduct the Remembrance Day ceremonies and enjoy a lunch provided by the Eaglesham Agricultural Society.

The yearly tradition has changed the students’ view of what Remembrance Day is all about. “One student said, ‘I’ll never look at Remembrance Day the same way again,’” said McKay. “Another kid said, ‘Remembrance Day used to be a day off school to us. Now it’s really worth remembering, especially when we think about members of our family who have served.’” akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

2010 Doepker Super B Grain Trailer, new safety, 24.5 good rubber on aluminum wheels excellent condition

51,000

2006 Doepker Super B Grain Trailer, 11R22.5 tires on aluminum wheels, flat fenders, AB safety

The Trucker’s Best Friend 1110 - 39 Street North Lethbridge, AB T1H 5L8

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

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Both tough and accommodating. This 2016 three horse Frontier Livestock trailer features an aluminum frame and body and stands 84” in height to accommodate horses as well as cattle. 5K torsion axles allow for heavy hauling while the 36” gravel guard protects the trailer from the damage caused by gravel roads.

This 2016, 24’ Frontier Livestock Combo GN features an aluminum frame and body and stands 84” in height to accommodate horses as well as cattle and 7K torsion axles allow for heavy hauling. Gooseneck has 2 sliding windows, removeable saddle rack, a blanket bar and adjustable row of bridle hooks.

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All Aluminum, solidly built, 7’ 6” wide and 7’ tall, this trailer comes with 8000# torsion axles, 14 ply tires and spare, 2 center gates (with sliders) halogen loading light, Canadian light package, track for Plexiglass (55’), grease-able hinges and electric brakes. Reduced, Reduced, Reduced!

This 2016, 24’ Frontier Livestock GN features an aluminum frame and body and stands 84” in height to accommodate horses as well as cattle and 7K torsion axles allow for heavy hauling

26,900.00

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November Update For MorE INForMATIoN 165, 6815 – 8 Street NE Calgary, AB Canada T2E 7H7 tel 403.275.4400 fax 403.274.0007 www.albertabeef.org famoustaste.albertabeef.org

GF2 Livestock WeLFare DeLivery aGent acceptinG appLications The Livestock Welfare Delivery Agent Program is accepting applications that must be received by December 4, 2015. The purpose of this program is to enable the adoption of nationally applicable best practices and technologies to enhance productive capacity and maintain social license for agrifood industries in Alberta. There is limited funding in the Program each Fiscal Year. Applications completed to the satisfaction of the Minister will be considered for approval on a case-by-case basis, subject to the Program assessment criteria and Program funding constraints.

The Growing Forward 2 Livestock Welfare Delivery Agent Program addresses two important industry priorities: • Competitiveness in Domestic and International Markets An industry that invests in innovation to enhance its competitiveness. • Adaptability and Sustainability - An industry that adopts best practices to enhance its productive capacity and maintains the social license to operate. Program participants will be reimbursed for up to 100 percent of eligible costs, subject to a maximum of $300,000 per application and $300,000 per applicant per fiscal year. Eligible projects support: • education, implementation and adoption of National Livestock welfare standards and assessment programs,

•

the adaptation and implementation of technologies for the improvement of livestock welfare in Alberta.

The following groups are eligible to apply for funding: Delivery Agents that are dedicated to improved livestock welfare and have a record of successful delivery of programs and services that are of benefit to livestock producers and processors. Delivery agents can include an individual, corporate entity, partnership, post-secondary institution, or non-profit organization that provides training, education and related services to the agri-food industry in Alberta that relate to the improvement of Livestock welfare and which is of benefit to Livestock producers and processors.

aBp annuaL MeetinG Producers, media, industry and all interested people are welcome to attend this year’s Alberta Beef Producers Annual General Meeting on December 7-9 in Calgary at the Sheraton Cavalier Hotel. The three-day session will feature speakers, industry updates and resolutions debate. Elections will take place for various council, director, chair and executive positions, and the 2016 Environmental Stewardship Award will be presented at the Tuesday evening banquet. For more information and registration go to www.albertabeef.org. You can sign up for our weekly news updates online at www.albertabeef.org/page/ news/ or by contacting katelynl@albertabeef.org. ABP is on twitter and you can find us @albertabeef.

NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Alberta communities recognized as wellness champions Initiatives range from healthier school snacks and walking trails to walkability workshops and exercise breaks at city meetings Alberta Recreation and Parks Association release

This year’s Value Bonanza sales event gives you more SMART WAYS TO SAVE! It starts with BONANZA BUCKS – it’s like bonus cash just for buying select See all the SMART deals at nhvaluebonanza.com

See us before this offer ends on November 30, 2015.

USED EQUIPMENT 643385

$98,000

643386

$98,000

2004 New Holland SD440 Air Drill, Excellent cond., SC430 TBH Air Cart, 9” spacing, 5.5” rubber packers

2003 John Deere 1895 Air Drill, Good cond., 430 Bu 1910 Air cart

685875

$42,000

702455

$14,500

2002 Flexi-Coil 3450 Air Cart, Good cond.

2008 New Holland SF216 Sprayer, Good cond.

713234

$35,000

734854

$29,500

2011 Renn RGU1214 Grain Extractor, Good cond.

1996 Agco 9635 Tractor, 4WD, 9944hrs, 135HP

734856

734858

wenty Alberta communities and individuals have been recognized as wellness champions by making the province a healthier place to live, through active living, healthy eating and overall community wellness. Among the honourees recognized by the Communities ChooseWell program are: • L ongview for a policy passed by town council that stipulates that council will support non-profit programming, including healthy eating and active living programs, through donation of time at the community hall and in local parks. • Vermilion for offering healthier food choices at the Vermilion Arena. Their new contract with the concession and vending operators stipulates that they will work towards offering 80 per cent ‘Choose Most Often’ and ‘Choose Sometimes’ foods. • Lacombe is developing a policy that would require the city to provide nutritious food options at all events it hosts, and would also require ‘ChooseWell breaks’ during all city meetings. These breaks encourage participants to get up and get moving for a few minutes. The city has also passed a bylaw requiring new subdivisions to build trails that link up to the existing trail system and build a park or playground area. • S exsmith for providing opportunities for residents to learn more about healthy eating and active living, including a portable com-

munity garden project, walkability workshop, and a walk-to-school campaign. • Morinville for its ‘What Have You Got To Lose’ program, which focuses on the first steps to getting active and offers tips of how to eat more nutritiously. • C oronation for its annual fishing derby and community picnic, along with its healthy snack program at the school. • S trathcona County for altering its preschool programming to focus on physical literacy and emphasize the value of social connections with a love to play. • Alix for building a community garden through its Youth Leadership program, teaching children and youth in the community how to grow fresh produce and flowers, who planted all of the flower boxes down Main Street with different vegetables. • G rande Cache for revitalizing its Griffith Trail, including making it stroller friendly. • Drumheller’s St. Anthony’s School for promoting healthy living with many projects, including having fresh fruits and vegetables delivered to each class weekly, an outdoor play day and winter carnival, a lunchtime activity week, and an indoor growing tower where they grow fresh produce with hydroponics. • Strathmore for hosting the 55-plus summer games, developing a disc golf course, and paving more walking paths. For more on the program, an initiative of the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association, see www.choosewell.arpaonline.ca.

The downside of an option-to-purchase agreement This type of agreement doesn’t oblige an energy or utility company to buy the land

$275,000

$5,400

2013 New Holland CX8080 Combine, 681hrs

2006 Bergen 6000ST Windrower Transport

SPRAYERS & SEEDING

SWATHERS/COMBINES

FC 2340 VR Cart, w/3rd Tank . . . .$22,000 FC 2340 variable rate air cart . . . .$19,500

NH H8080, ‘08, w/25’ draper hdr & 18’ disc hdr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$121,000

FC 5000, ‘98, 57’ drill w/3450 cart $46,000

NH HB30 Header, ‘13 . . . . . . . . . .$35,000

NH P2070, ‘11, 60’ precision drill$112,000

CIH 8230, ‘12, 818 HRS . . . . . . . .$275,000

HAYING EQUIPMENT

NH SP36 Header, w/NH Adaptor $25,000

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

MISCELLANEOUS

NH 688, ‘00, bale comm., 17, 694 bales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12,000

Arctic Cat 1000 Mud Pro, ‘10, 1230 kms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,200

$20,000

Rem 2700 Grain Vac, ‘10 . . . . . . . .$14,500

NH BR780, ‘03, w/net, wide PU

Claresholm, AB 403-625-3321

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

Alberta Agriculture and Forestry release

he Farmers’ Advocate Office has received numerous inquiries on option-to-purchase agreements between landowners and the energy and utility sectors. “It’s important that landowners are aware of the risks of option-topurchase agreements,” said Jeana Les, research and communications specialist for the advocate office. “An option-to-purchase agreement locks a landowner into selling to a certain company at a certain price at a future date, but doesn’t obligate the company to buy the land.” An option-to-purchase agreement is different than a right of first refusal. The latter commits a seller to offering property to a specified party first with the same price, terms, and conditions that

they would otherwise be selling it at. While a right of first refusal can follow market trends, an option to purchase provides a static price for an unknown development. “For the energy industry, optionto-purchase agreements provide companies with a low-risk investment,” said Les. “The company will arrange an option to purchase based on speculation for future developments. If the developments don’t come to fruition, it’s no loss for the company. However, if the land is developed, the company gets it for a set price that may not be reflective of current market prices. “The option to purchase also precludes a landowner from making other arrangements during the specified time frame, so they may forgo other opportunities only to have the option to purchase turned down at the end of the term.” The Farmers’ Advocate Office can be reached at 310-FARM (3276).

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

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

inDEx Tributes/Memoriam Announcements_ Airplanes Alarms_&_Security_Systems ANTIqUES Antiques_For_Sale Antique_Equipment Antique_Vehicles_ Antiques_Wanted Arenas AUCTION SAlES BC_Auction AB_Auction_Peace_ AB_Auction_North AB_Auction_Central_ AB_Auction_South SK_Auction MB_Auction_Parkland MB_Auction_Westman_ MB_Auction_Interlake MB_Auction_Red_River_ Auction_Various_ U.S._Auctions Auction_Schools AUTO & TRANSPORT Auto_Service_&_Repairs Auto_&_Truck_Parts Autos Trucks Semi_Trucks Sport_Utilities_ Vans_ Vehicles_Various_ Vehicles_Wanted BEEKEEPING Honey_Bees_ Cutter_Bees Bee_Equipment Belting_ Biodiesel_Equipment_ Books_&_Magazines_ BUIlDING & RENOVATIONS Building_Supplies_ Concrete_Repair_ Doors_&_Windows_ Electrical_&_Plumbing Insulation Lumber_ Roofing_ Buildings Business_Machines_ Business_Opportunities_ BUSINESS SERVICES Crop_Consulting Financial_&_Legal_ Insurance/Investments_ Butchers_Supply_ Chemicals Clothing/Work_wear_

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SPRAyING EqUIPMENT Sprayers Spray_Various_ TIllAGE & SEEDING Air_Drills_ Air_Seeders_ Harrows_&_Packers_ Seeding_Various_ Tillage_Equipment_ Tillage_&_Seeding_Various_ TRACTORS Agco_ Allis/Deutz_ Belarus_ Case/IH_ Caterpillar_ Ford_ John_Deere_ Kubota_ Massey_Ferguson_ New_Holland_ Steiger_ Universal_ Versatile_ White_ Zetor_ 2-Wheel_Drive 4-Wheel_Drive_ Various_ Fencing_ Firewood_ Fish_Farm_ Forestry/Logging_ Fork_Lifts/Pallet_Trucks_ Fur_Farming_ Generators_ GPS_ Health_Care_ Heat_&_Air_Conditioning_ Hides/Furs/Leathers_ Hobby_&_Handicrafts_ Household_Items_ Iron_&_Steel_ lANDSCAPING Greenhouses_ Lawn_&_Garden_ lIVESTOCK Cattle Cattle_Auctions__ Angus_ Black_Angus_ Red_Angus_ Aryshire_ Belgian_Blue_ Blonde_d'Aquitaine_ Brahman_ Brangus_ Braunvieh_ BueLingo_ Charolais_ Dairy_ Dexter_ Excellerator_ Galloway_ Gelbvieh_ Guernsey_ Hereford_ Highland_

Holstein_ Jersey_ Limousin_ Lowline_ Luing_ Maine-Anjou_ Miniature_ Murray_Grey_ Piedmontese_ Pinzgauer_ Red_Poll_ Salers_ Santa_Gertrudis_ Shaver_Beefblend_ Shorthorn_ Simmental South_Devon Speckle_Park Tarentaise_ Texas_Longhorn_ Wagyu_ Welsh_Black_ Cattle_Composite_ Cattle_Various_ Cattle_Wanted lIVESTOCK horses Horse_Auctions_ American_Saddlebred_ Appaloosa Arabian_ Belgian_ Canadian_ Clydesdale_ Draft_ Donkeys_ Haflinger_ Miniature_ Morgan_ Mules_ Norwegian_Ford_ Paint_ Palomino_ Percheron_ Peruvian_ Pinto_ Ponies_ Quarter_Horse_ Shetland_ Sport_Horses_ Standardbred_ Tennessee_Walker_ Thoroughbred_ Warmblood_ Welsh_ Horses_For_Sale_ Horses_Wanted_ lIVESTOCK Poultry Poultry_For_Sale_ Poultry_Wanted_ lIVESTOCK Sheep Sheep_Auction_ Arcott_ Columbia_ Dorper_ Dorset_ Katahdin_ Lincoln_ Suffolk_ Texel_Sheep_ Sheep_For_Sale_ Sheep_Wanted_

display Classified

• Minimum charge — $15.00 per week for first 25 words or less and an additional 60 cents per word for every word over 25. Additional bolding 75 cents per word. GST is extra. $2.50 billing charge is added to billed ads only. • Terms: Payment due upon receipt of invoice. • 10% discount for prepaid ads. If phoning in your ad you must pay with VISA or MasterCard to qualify for discount. • Ask about our Priority Placement • Prepayment Bonus: Prepay for 3 weeks and get a bonus of 2 weeks; bonus weeks run consecutively and cannot be used separately from original ad; additions and changes accepted only during first 3 weeks. • If you wish to have replies sent to a confidential box number, please add $5.00 per week to your total. Count eight words for your address. Example: Ad XXXX, Alberta Farmer Express , Box 9800, Winnipeg, R3C 3K7. • Your complete name & address must be submitted to our office before publication. (This information will be kept confidential & will not appear in the ad unless requested.)

• Advertising copy deviating in any way from the regular classified style will be considered display and charged at the display rate of $34.30 per column inch ($2.45 per agate line). • Minimum charge $34.30 per week. • Illustrations and logos are allowed with full border. • Advertising rates are flat with no discount for frequency of insertion or volume of space used. • Terms: Payment due upon receipt of invoice. • Price quoted does not include GST.

Published by Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 WINNIPEG OFFICE Alberta Farmer Express 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 Toll-Free in Canada 1-800-665-1362 Phone 403-341-0442 in Winnipeg FAX 403-341-0615 Mailing Address: Box 9800, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3K7 • •

•

AGREEMENT The publisher reserves the right to refuse any or all advertising for any reason stated or unstated. Advertisers requesting publication of either display or classified advertisements agree that should the advertisement be omitted from the issue ordered for whatever reason, the Alberta Farmer Express shall not be held liable. It is also agreed that in the event of an error appearing in the published advertisement, the Alberta Farmer Express accepts no liability beyond the amount paid for that portion of the advertisement in which the error appears or affects. Claims for adjustment are limited to errors appearing in the first insertion only. While every endeavor will be made to forward box number replies as soon as possible, we accept no liability in respect to loss or damage alleged to a rise through either failure or delay in forwarding such replies, however caused, whether by negligence or otherwise.

(2 weeks prior)

ORGANIC Organic_Certified_ Organic_Food_ Organic_Grains_ Outfitters_ Personal_ Pest_Control Pets_&_Supplies_ Photography_ Propane_ Pumps_ Radio,_TV_&_Satellite_ REAl ESTATE Commercial_Buildings_ Condos_ Cottages_&_Lots_ Houses_&_Lots_ Land_For_Rent_ Land_For_Sale_ Mobile_Homes_ Motels_&_Hotels_ Resorts Vacation_Property_ Farms & Ranches British_Columbia_ Alberta_ Saskatchewan_ Manitoba_ Acreages/Hobby_Farms_ Farms/Ranches_Wanted_ Pastureland_ RECREATIONAl VEhIClES All_Terrain_Vehicles_ Boats_&_Water_ Campers_&_Trailers_ Golf_Carts_ Motor_Homes_ Motorcycles_ Snowmobiles Recycling Refrigeration Restaurant_Supplies Sausage_Equipment_ Sawmills_ Scales_

COMMON SEED Cereal_Seeds_ Forage_Seeds_ Grass_Seeds_ Oilseeds_ Pulse_Crops_ Common_Seed_Various_ SEED/FEED/GRAIN Feed_Grain_ Hay_&_Straw_ Feed_Wanted_ Grain_Wanted_ Hay_&_Feed_Wanted_ Seed_Wanted_ Sewing_Machines_ Sharpening_Services_ Silos_ Sporting_Goods_ Stamps_&_Coins_ Swap_ Tanks_ Tarpaulins_ Tenders_ Tickets_ Tires_ Tools_ TRAIlERS Grain_Trailers_ Livestock_Trailers_ Trailers_Miscellaneous_ Travel_ Water_Pumps_ Water_Treatment_ Welding_ Well_Drilling_ Well_&_Cistern__ Winches_ CAREERS Career_Training_ Child_Care_ Construction_ Domestic_Services_ Farm/Ranch_ Forestry/Log_ Health_Care_ Help_Wanted_ Management Mining_ Oil_Field_ Professional_ Resume_Services_ Sales/Marketing_ Trades/Tech_ Truck_Drivers_ Employment_Wanted_

MAiL TO: Alberta Farmer Express, Box 9800, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3K7 FAx TO: 403-341-0615 PhOnE in: Toll-Free in Canada 1-800-665-1362 OR (403) 341-0442 in Alberta

NAME_ ___________________________________________________________ ______PHONE_#_______________________________ ADDRESS_____________________________________________ ______TOWN_____________________________________________ PROVINCE____________________________ _____POSTAL_CODE__________________________

All classified ads are non-commissionable.

advertising deadline Wednesday noon

Livestock_Equipment_ Livestock_Services_&_Vet_Supplies_ Miscellaneous_Articles_ Miscellaneous_Articles_Wanted_ Musical_ Notices_ On-Line_Services_

CERTIFIED SEED Cereal_Seeds Forage_Seeds Oilseeds Pulse_Crops Specialty_Crops

AD ORDER FORM

adveRtising Rates & infoRmation

RegulaR Classified

lIVESTOCK Swine Swine_Auction_ Swine_For_Sale_ Swine_Wanted_ lIVESTOCK Specialty Alpacas_ Bison_(Buffalo)_ Deer_ Elk_ Goats_ Llama_ Rabbits_ Emu/Ostrich/Rhea_ Yaks_ Various_

Even if you do not want your name & address to appear in your ad, we need the information for our files.

PLEASE_PRINT_YOUR_AD_BELOW_ ______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CAUTION The Alberta Farmer Express, while assuming no responsibility for advertisements appearing in its columns, exercises the greatest care in an endeavor to restrict advertising to wholly reliable firms or individuals. However, please do not send money to a Manitoba Co-operator box number. Buyers are advised to request shipment C.O.D. when ordering from an unknown advertiser, thus minimizing the chance of fraud and eliminating the necessity of a refund where the goods have already been sold. At Farm Business Communications we have a firm commitment to protecting your privacy and security as our customer. Farm Business Communications will only collect personal information if it is required for the proper functioning of our business. As part of our commitment to enhance customer service, we may share this personal information with other strategic business partners. For more information regarding our Customer Information Privacy Policy, write to: Information Protection Officer, Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1. Occasionally we make our list of subscribers available to other reputable firms whose products and services might be of interest to you. If you would prefer not to receive such offers, please contact us at the address in the preceding paragraph, or call (204)-954-1456. The editors and journalists who write, contribute and provide opinions to Alberta Farmer Express and Farm Business Communications attempt to provide accurate and useful opinions, information and analysis. However, the editors, journalists and Alberta Farmer Express and Farm Business Communications, cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the editors as well as Alberta Farmer Express and Farm Business Communication assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader for this publication based on any and all information provided.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CLASSIFICATION__________________________ ❏ I would like to take advantage of the Prepayment Bonus of 2 FREE weeks when I prepay for 3 weeks. _

No._of_words_______________________x____$0.60____x_____No._of_weeks___ ______________ __=____ ______________ _ Minimum charge $15.00 per week

❏

VISA

❏

MASTERCARD

Card_No.___/__/__/__/____/__/__/__/____/__/__/__/____/__/__/__/____

Add $2.50 if being billed / Minus 10% if prepaying ________________ Expiry_Date___/__/_____/__/

Add 5% GST ________________

Signature_________________________________________________________________________ _

TOTAL _____________

NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

BUSINESS SERVICES Crop Consulting

ANNOUNCEMENTS

SPRAYING EQUIPMENT Sprayers

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

SPRAYING EQUIPMENT Sprayers

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

Back-Track InvesTIgaTIons

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

Available at:

FARM MACHINERY

Edberg Crop Management Inc. Edberg, AB

FARM MACHINERY Specialty Equipment CORR GRAIN SYSTEMS INC Dealers for Westeel Grain & Fertilizer storage products. Bin Sense monitoring available. Call Allen Capnerhurst (403)396-0242, John Thomas (403)506-4742 for pricing.

(780) 877-0003 www.dseriescanola.ca

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

Available at:

Wild Rose Cooperative Association Ltd.

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

GOOD SELECTION OF JD & CASE SP SPRAYERS AND 4WD TRACTORS

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

Sedgewick, AB

(780) 384-3877 www.dseriescanola.ca

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

HAYING & HARVESTING Baling Equipment

TRACTORS Various

2004 ROGATER 1264, 1200-GAL., 80-ft outback auto steer, Raven auto rate, Raven GPS w/mapBUILDINGS 15-08-19 9:58 AM WANTED: JD 7810 c/w FEL & 3-PTH; sp or PTO 1142 D-Series Alberta Calssifieds.indd 18 15-08-19 9:58 AM 1142 D-Series Alberta Calssifieds.indd 16 ping, rear duals, 2 sets of tips, $68,000; 1990 bale wagon; JD or IHC end wheel drills. Small Kongskilde 700 Grain Vac, $2,000; 2007 Lexion square baler. (403)394-4401 570W, 1420-sep hrs, Swath Master, chaff spreader, Outback autosteer, $115,000. Call: (403)665-2341, STEEL STORAGE CONTAINERS, Craigmyle, AB. 20-ft & 40-ft. Wind, water & rodent proof. (403) 540-7691 1-866-517-8335, (403)540-4164, (403)226-1722 ACREAGE EQUIPMENT: 3-PT. CULTIVATORS, magnate@telus.net ronsauer@shaw.ca Discs, Plows, Blades, Harrows, Etc. (780)892-3092,

RON SAUER

MACHINERY LTD.

Wabamun, AB.

Stretch your ADVERTISING DOLLAR!

1-800-665-1362

CASE 6000 SWATHER 25-FT, shiftable table, 1200-hrs, gas, PU reels; 25 JD disc wing-type; 14-ft Cockshut deep tillage cultivator; 22-ft Case 5500 deep tillage cultivator w/mount harrows; 1976 3tonne GMC grain truck; 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada SUV, 260,000-kms, AWD; 1998 Ford 150 Ext cab Pickup truck; 70x40 Brandt grain auger w/16-hp Kohler engine & various grain augers; MF 88 gas tractor w/#80 Ezee-On loader; Ford utility tractor w/FEL; Case 2590 2WD tractor, duals, 5700-hrs. Phone (780)919-9985. KUBOTA 60-IN BELLY MOUNT mower, fits all “B” series tractors, used only 4-hrs. Asking $1999.00. (403)318-1667. Hit our readers where it counts… in the classifieds. Place your ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifed section. 1-800-665-1362.

FARMING IS ENOUGH OF A GAMBLE... Available at:

Neerlandia Co-op Assoc. Ltd.

Advertise in the Alberta Farmer Express Classifieds, it’s a Sure Thing!

Neerlandia, AB

(780) 674-3020 www.dseriescanola.ca 1142 D-Series Alberta Calssifieds.indd 9

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NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

If you’re buying a utility tractor, have you thought through the true costs of ownership?

Choosing what kind of tractor to buy can be confusing and stressful. Lots of brands offer claims of greater productivity, higher effciency, and so on. And it’s all too easy to get caught up in the hype — and then be lured by low-ball pricing and huge discounts. But the true purchase cost of any tractor is often buried deep within the operator’s manual. And this surprise may end up costing you thousands.

Now, compare the John Deere 5M Series. A simple oil change is the only routine maintenance you’ll need to perform during the frst two years of ownership. We design our tractors with built-in durability – with components and parts designed to last and last. Need a little proof?

Our 5Ms feature durable steel brake lines — unlike the less-costly and fatigue-prone rubber hoses found on other One brand of utility tractor in the 75 to 125 hp class has routine tractor makes. maintenance requirements that would have you replacing up to Then consider our abrasion resistant braided wire hoses used in 27 parts every two years. This includes oil, air, and fuel flters plus our steering system and rear hitch – they are simply stronger, and all sorts of hoses, cables, and lines. The costs really add up. longer lasting than the conventional hoses used by some other manufacturers. What’s hiding in the fne print

So when you’re ready to buy your next tractor, be sure to ask one vital question: “What will it cost to maintain – year-after-year?” The answer might surprise you. Then, talk to your John Deere dealer. See how a new 5M delivers one of the lowest costs of ownership of any utility tractor in its class. It’s a question you won’t regret asking.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • NOVEMBER 9, 2015

Plan your day at Agri-Trade

A jam-packed schedule at Farmfair

If you plan to do some advance planning before heading to Agri-Trade, check out the online material at www.agri-trade.com. There is a list of all exhibitors — 456 in all — as well as the exhibitor floor plans for Agricentre East and West; Centrium concourse and lower level; Harvest Centre; Parkland, Prairie, and Stockman pavilions; and outdoor exhibits. You can zoom in on the floor plans and click on booths and exhibition areas to get exhibitor details. The exhibitor list and floor plans can be found by clicking on the Trade Show Info tab on the show’s home page.

With dozens of events, it’s easy to have a ‘blink and you missed it’ moment at Farmfair International. Among the events are the Miss Rodeo Canada horsemanship competition; a veterinary medicine demonstration; stock dog competition; heavy horse pull; horse wellness expo; and numerous breed shows, including Speckle Park, Maine Anjou, Shorthorn, Limousin, multi-breed, Lowline, Gelbvieh, Western Hereford, Simmental, Red Angus, Black Angus, and Charolais. If you want to attend the Heritage Ranch Rodeo, you can purchase three-day packages or single-day tickets (www. ticketmaster.ca or 1-855-780-3000). For a complete schedule, visit www.farmfairinternational.com.

Agri-trade & FARM FAIR INTERNATIONAL

Farmfair International showcases Canadian cattle to the world The inbound buyer program is at the heart of a growing global focus for the Edmonton ag show BY JEFF MELCHIOR AF contributor

very year for the past 30 years, Roger Peters of Red Deer has made the trek to Edmonton in November to promote his export company, Peterosa Exports, to an international audience at Farmfair International. This year will be no exception. For Peters, who specializes in selling to the Mexican market, the reasons are simple. “It’s all under one roof — that’s No. 1,” said Peters, whose company co-sponsors the show’s international room. “The quality of the purebred livestock on display is the best in Canada, if not North America. You see all the breeds in comfortable surroundings.” Now in its 42nd year, Farmfair International is set to go at Northlands’ Edmonton EXPO Centre Nov. 11-15. Billed as one of Canada’s top agricultural shows, the event attracts cattle buyers and sellers from all over Canada and the globe and features a wide range of exhibitions and agriculture-focused activities. Perhaps one of the show’s biggest draws is its international marketing program. This year

It’s the quality of the livestock that draws buyers and sellers to Farmfair International. PHOTO: FARMFAIR

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FOCUS ON AGRI-TRADE & FARMFAIR INTERNATIONAL Farmfair } from page 49

“The quality of the purebred livestock on display is the best in Canada, if not North America.”

Farmfair is hosting representatives of about 50 organizations from 11 countries in the buyer’s group, said Stacy Felkar, international marketing manager of signature events at Northlands. “Our international program is growing year after year. Since 2010, when we changed to the current format, we’ve seen millions of dollars in livestock and genetics sold. We usually see around $1 million in sales every year. Overall year after year we’ve had a steady increase of inquiries into the program.”

Roger Peters

Participation growing

The inbound buyer program, a show mainstay since 2010, teams Farmfair reps with Canadian breeders and genetics companies to help buyers from around the world travel to the show. It offers customized support to these buyers as well as a farm and industry tour day, invitations to special beef-related events, and pre- and post-show tour support. New registrants this year include buyers from Finland and Ireland, although unregistered delegates from both those countries have visited Farmfair before “The others include Colombia, the U.S., the U.K., Kazakhstan, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, Australia and Norway,” said Felkar. “The inbound program is mainly focused on the purebred beef cattle side of things, but we’ve had some diversification into livestock equipment as well as dairy genetics.” Attracting new international

There’s lots to see at Farmfair International and admission is only $5 (free for kids six and under). photos: farmfair delegates to the show is a yearround process, and includes assigning ambassadors to key markets around the world. “Sometimes they’re beef producers, sometimes they’re agricultural consultants; they’re people connected to industries within their countries. Through-

out the year they promote Farmfair International as a destination for connecting with Canadian livestock and genetics.” Farmfair representatives and Canadian marketers also go abroad to promote the show and the Canadian beef industry. This group of delegates recently

returned from the World Angus Secretariat in Mexico. “We’ve already started the preliminary planning for next year’s mission to the Royal Easter Show in Australia,” said Felkar. “We have to have the ball rolling because it’s going to be a spring mission.”

Peters, one of this year’s delegates to Mexico, said the country is a growth market for Canada. “They like the people,” he said. “Farmfair is a place to show the people down south what we have.”

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photos: farmfair Farmfair } from page 50 The show also features a strong domestic program, one that possibly surpasses the international action in terms of sales, said Felkar. “However, we don’t have those numbers tracked because those are direct sales that we don’t have any way of capturing in terms of data.” Farmfair also has a new tool this year to help buyers and sellers connect. The Exhibitor is a digital and print catalogue featuring beef cattle exhibitors and where they can be found in the barns. The digital version can be found at www.farmfairinternational.com and copies of the print version will be available at the show. “The catalogue gives our exhibitors the opportunity to take out economically feasible ad space in order to attract commercial cattlemen to their stalls in the barn,” said Felkar. “Say you liked the look of the cattle from a given farm in an ad, with the catalogue you’ll be able to pinpoint where they are in the barn.” Along with cattle exhibitions, equine events, competitions and special events, the Canadian Finals Rodeo at neighbouring Rexall Place runs concurrently with the show.

his year’s Farmfair International features several new attrac-

tions: Canadian Trick Riding Competition (Nov. 11, 4:30 p.m., Hall D): Held in conjunction with the Canadian Trick Riders Association, this event will feature participation from preteens, teens and adults. “It will be a very exciting, fast-paced competition,” said Suzanne Bielert, event manager with Northlands. Small Ruminant Day (Nov. 11, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Meeting Room 108): An opportunity for cow-calf, ewe flock and other species producers. Topics include nutrition for sheep and goats, shepherding 101, making small flocks count and dealing with your feed mill.

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FOCUS ON AGRI-TRADE & FARMFAIR INTERNATIONAL

There’s lots to look at — and places to chat — at Agri-Trade This year’s edition of the popular Red Deer exhibition is ‘all about networking’ By JILL BURKHARDT AF contributor

The equipment displays at Agri-Trade are always a big draw, but the show is also a chance to network with fellow producers. PHOTO: AGRI-TRADE

Quiet industry Leader

fter a year like this one, we need to talk. And there will be lots of opportunities to do just that at this year’s edition of Agri-Trade. “This year is all about networking — getting people into the show, allowing people the chance to sit, visit and get caught up with their neighbours and friends from out of (their) region,” said Dianne Smirl, show manager of the Red Deer event, which runs from Nov. 11-14. To encourage networking during the four-day event, there will be designated areas set up throughout the show. Attendees are encouraged to use these areas to visit, see what is going on in other regions of the province, and exchange information on new technologies in agriculture, said Smirl. “This year has been a very interesting year in agriculture,” she said. “Depending where you were at, there was a different result. The northern areas were declaring states of agriculture disaster, southern areas were good, and central areas were very spotty. “We want people to come together and discuss ‘Wow what a year!’ and see what they are planning for 2016.” The event features more than 400 exhibitors, and there are many new ones. All have been encouraged to showcase what is new for them, whether that’s products or how they can be used, Smirl said. Agri-Trade also has some star power this year. Jamie Davis, the star of Discovery Channel’s “Highway Thru Hell” — the reality TV show about a heavy vehicle rescue and recovery towing company operating in B.C. and northern Alberta — will be signing autographs on Thursday. There will also be a breakfast on

“We want people to come together and discuss ‘Wow what a year!’” Dianne Smirl

Thursday morning for Olds College alumni and donors featuring a presentation on the college’s agriculture programs. Agri-Trade also supports the college by donating $1 from every admission for bursaries. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, the final day). The opening day coincides with Remembrance Day, and Smirl advises people to get there early as the show typically sees a surge in attendance when it opens on a holiday. And after you have caught up with your fellow producers, Smirl asks that visitors let her and her team know what they thought of this year’s show. “What we are looking for is attendees to give feedback about the show — what they want to see, what they liked, what they didn’t like,” she said. “We are also encouraging people to be active on social media by using the hashtag #Agritrade15. We want the attendees to drive the presentation of the show.” Agri-Trade is held at Westerner Park in Red Deer. Admission is $14 per person and includes GST and parking. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult. Multi-day passes can be purchased at the gate or the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce office. For a list of exhibitors and floor plans, visit www.agri-trade.com.

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Agri-Trade awards showcase new and innovative technologies Keeping spray consistent, reducing plugging in air drills, and a new field app garner Ag Innovation awards By JILL BURKHARDT AF contributor

nnovations drive the agriculture industry — and it’s at farm shows like Agri-Trade where producers get a front and centre look at what’s new and different. For the past eight years, the Red Deer show has highlighted that with its Ag Innovation awards program. This year’s winners — chosen by a panel of farmers — are the Hawkeye Nozzle Control System by Raven Industries, the Blockage Prevention System by Airguard, and the Agri-Data Mobile App by Agri-Data Solution System.

Raven Industries: Hawkeye Nozzle Control System

Raven Industries began in 1956 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and now has a satellite office in Stockholm, Sask. One of its three divisions, the applied technology division, focuses mainly on application control and everything that goes with it — GPS, field computers, and related technologies. The amount of spray applied by a conventional sprayer is regulated by the amount of flow, so driving at different speeds across the field will alter the spray pattern. “We use a pulse width (that is) modulated at each nozzle to maintain constant pressure and spray pattern regardless of speed,” said Gary Esselink, lead technical application specialist with Raven. “When applying products with a sprayer you don’t want to over- or underapply. If we can maintain a constant spray pattern at the manufacturer’s recommended rate, regardless of speed, the spray pattern will not be altered and an even application will result.” Turn compensation happens

automatically with this system. When spraying while turning in the field, the outside boom goes faster than the inside boom resulting in underapplication on the outside and overapplication on the inside. “We’ve added a turn compensation so application is equal across the boom,” said Esselink. The Hawkeye Nozzle Control System is ISO compatible, including Viper 4; is fully integrated with machine application control systems; and has free support materials on the company’s YouTube channel and website (RavenHelp. com).

Airguard Inc.: Blockage Prevention System

Airguard, founded in 2012, is located in Abbotsford, B.C. Its first product was seed brakes, and the company’s focus is on improving air systems and air drills. Farmers told company reps that they have issues with plugging, especially with poor fertilizer quality. The company’s investigation found that farmers overseas were using a product to help with the plugging issues. “We took that concept we saw overseas and improved upon it,” said Brian Cruson, Airguard’s CEO. The Blockage Prevention System regulates the temperature of the air and reduces the relative humidity in the lines, preventing fertilizer dust from building up and plugging lines. The system takes the hydraulic oil in the tractor and recirculates it in a radiator. There is a manifold that regulates the pressure and the flow rate going through the radiator. “The product is fairly simple, by using the latent heat of the hydraulic oil, in turn cooling the oil in the tractor which is another

The Hawkeye Nozzle maintains constant pressure and spray pattern regardless of speed and compensates when turning in the field. GRAPHIC: Raven Industries

side benefit of the product,” Cruson said. The system mounts directly onto the fan of the air tank, and works for all major air seeding systems. “If anyone has a drill we don’t have a bracket for, we can easily make one up,” he said.

The Agri-Data Solution: Agri-Data Mobile App

The Agri-Data Mobile App is a full farm-management system. It works offline and does not require cell connectivity to record data in real time. The app has mapping functions for each field, setting benchmarks in fields and navigating back to those benchmark

Airguard’s Blockage Prevention System takes the hydraulic oil in the tractor and recirculates it in a radiator to regulate air temperature and reduce relative humidity, preventing fertilizer dust from building up and plugging lines. PHOTO: Airguard Inc.

points. It allows for multiple farm users including third-party users, such as agronomists, to log in and record data. The app contains a field scouting module with integration of photos and information on weeds, insects, soil moisture, and key plant development stages. Custom templates for specialty crops such as potatoes, tomatoes, and strawberries are included. It also integrates bin manage-

ment and grain contracts into the same applications, which allow users to track their grain contracts and all loads from the field to a bin; bin to bin; or bin to a contract. An advanced security system allows for different users on the farm to see specific functions. For example, the sprayer operator can only see and enter spray events while the grain hauler can only see and enter loads of grain.

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NOVEMBER 9, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Fatigue and driving a deadly combination Driving while overtired is the equivalent to driving drunk, sleep experts say BY LORRAINE STEVENSON

“Sleep deprivation... can result in a very significant degree of impairment.”

Staff

ou are... getting sleepier. And you’re not alone. About 100,000accidents across North America each year are linked to driver fatigue, according to the National Sleep Association, an American research and educational organization. They happen because driving when you’re overtired is the equivalent of driving drunk, says an Alberta-based sleep expert. Being awake for 20 hours impairs driving ability as much as having a blood alcohol level of .08, said Dr. Adam Moscovitch, medical director at the Sleep and Fatigue Institute in Calgary. “It’s been demonstrated in a multitude of studies, at least 10 studies using driving simulators that compare fatigue to different levels of intoxication,” he said. “Sleep deprivation — whether because of not sleeping enough or by having an underlying sleep disorder that’s not being treated — can result in a very significant degree of impairment.” There’s no way of measuring driver fatigue — although efforts are being made to develop a ‘fatigue-alzyer’ — and that means a shortage of hard data. For example, Manitoba data shows less than one per cent of all collisions are caused or partly caused by fatigue, but the numbers don’t tell the whole story. That’s because they only reflect what drivers admit. If they don’t identify their own fatigue, or worse,

Dr. Adam Moscovitch

If you are yawning or experiencing head bobbing, you are close to falling asleep at the wheel. haven’t survived the accident, fatigue as a cause of an accident goes unrecorded. “We do know that Manitobans get into collisions because of fatigue, absolutely,” said Brian Smiley, spokesman for Manitoba Public Insurance. “But it’s selfreported. Without conclusive evidence, either in police reports or independent witnesses, there’s really no way we can capture that data in terms of drowsy driving.”

Deadly consequences

The biggest concern is that collisions from drowsy driving tend to be very serious. “Typically the driver will leave the roadway or crash into another vehicle,” said Smiley. “The consequences can be a fatality, or they can kill other people. That’s all happened in the past.” Sleep experts generally define drowsy driving as being either sleepy or fatigued to the point

mOBile

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

where the driver’s ability to operate a motor vehicle safely is impaired. Inadequate sleep or accumulated sleep debt; the use of medications or alcohol while driving; or undiagnosed or untreated sleep disorders all contribute to fatigue, which in turn impairs alertness and judgment. Ideally, no one should be driving tired in the first place, says a Canadian Automotive Association spokesperson.

But we all do it, said Liz Kulyk. “Drowsy driving is something that’s pretty epidemic,” she said. The association’s main message is to be more aware of physical tiredness. Symptoms include eyelids that feel “heavy,” eyes that feel dry, and irritability, she said. Trouble focusing on the road, being unable to concentrate, yawning or head bobbing are all signs you’re actually physically falling asleep. “When that’s happening you need to pull over,” said Kulyk. A 20-minute nap in a rest area can be very helpful, but coffee will only keep you awake temporarily — for perhaps a half-hour to an hour, she said. “Don’t plan to use it knowing you won’t have enough time to sleep ahead of time,” she said. lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

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