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International Year of Soils ends with a bang in Alberta Attendees at sold-out conference say it was a thrill to gather with people who ‘get’ soil health

Team Canada a hit with foreign wheat buyers Buyers want to know about this year’s crop, talk about what matters most to them, and get to know the farmers who grow the wheat

By Alexis Kienlen AF STAFF / EDMONTON

f the International Year of Soils didn’t seem like a big deal — then you weren’t at the Western Canada Conference On Soil Health earlier this month. That is, if you could get in. “We originally planned for 250 people, and we had room for 300,” said conference co-chair Tom Fromme. “The facility was able to accommodate an extra 100 and we were still turning people away.” Having the UN designate soils for its international year helped attract attention for the first-ever conference of its kind on the Prairies, said Fromme. But interest in soil health has been building ever since North Dakota producer and cover cropping guru Gabe Brown gave a presentation in Peace Country a few years ago, he added. Although only 35 or 40 producers came out for that first visit, they didn’t stop talking about what they heard — namely, that productivity can take off when you stop treating soil like dirt, said Fromme, research co-ordinator with the North Peace Applied Research Association.

Greg Porozni (back left) with Team Canada mission members and Canadian wheat customers in Jakarta. The whirlwind trip through Asia was an eye-opener, says the Willingdon producer. PHOTO: COURTESY Greg Porozni

see SOIL YEAR } page 6 By Alexis Kienlen AF STAFF

t was a whirlwind visit — seven Asian nations in just 18 days — and an eyeopener for Willingdon farmer Greg Porozni. “It was a gruelling trip, but it was good,” Porozni said after his recent Team Canada mission. “All we did was travel and present and we kept moving.” The chair of Cereals Canada travelled with other grain industry officials to Japan, China, Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Bangladesh, and learned something with every visit. “Japan wants the highest quality — it only wants No. 1 with fairly high protein, between 13.5 and 14 per cent protein,” he said.

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Other Asian countries are looking for No. 2, blending Canadian Prairie Spring with wheat from the Black Sea region or Canadian Hard Red with low-protein wheats. “That’s part of why hard red spring, especially Canadian Hard Red Spring, is in such demand. It’s because it’s so versatile,” said Porozni. “Part of that has to do with our (Canadian Grain Commission) classification system, and (because Prairie) growers do a good job of growing high-gluten, high-protein wheat.” And that bodes well for the future. One Asian grain official told Porozni that the Chinese middle class is expected to grow by 600 million in the next 20 years. The middle class in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Bangladesh is becoming larger as well, and millers are expanding their capacity and planning to buy more Canadian wheat.

Buyers were also pretty excited about shipping prices, which have plunged along with demand for other commodities in the last couple of years. “If you can believe it, ocean freight from Vancouver to Singapore is $12 a tonne,” said Porozni. “Wheat is moving everywhere throughout the world because the ocean freight is so low.” Henry Vos had a somewhat less hectic schedule on his Team Canada travels, but still squeezed in visits to London and the Italian cities of Foggia and Bologna in a six-day trip to Europe. There are many long-standing European customers of Canadian wheat, a fact driven home by one British official. “In the U.K., the managing director of the miller and bakers’ association

see TEAM CANADA } page 7

Alberta home to new grain company } PAGE 28

news » inside this week

inside » OUR BACON AMBASSADOR Everyone’s favourite cured meat has found a new sizzle with foodies

DECEMBER 21, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

livestock

crops

columNists

TIPS FOR WINTER WATERING

CANOLA YIELD MYSTERY

Every food on your table has a rich history

Dustin Morton A special Santa list for the family horticulturalist

YOUR TINY UNPAID EMPLOYEES Nurture those tiny critters in your soil to save money and boost your yields

brenda schoepp

Here’s some help if you’re having trouble sorting through all the options

The expected wreck never happened, but don’t expect to see its likes again

The grocery bill is higher, but it’s still a bargain

A pulse-based version of the Italian ice-cream treat takes top prize at Mission ImPULSEible By JENNIFER BLAIR AF staff / Edmonton

The winning Mission ImPULSEible team (from left to right) Nicolle Mah, Sujata Patel, Chandre Van de Merwe, and Austen Neil, flanked by pulse commission chair Allison Ammeter (left) and competition co-ordinator Debra McLennan. PHOTOs: JENNIFER BLAIR “We thought, ‘Why don’t we do our first product as a traditional Canadian flavour?’” said Van de Merwe. “We wanted to represent where we’re from, and we thought maple walnut is a traditional Canadian flavour that you would usually find.” The team wants to play with some other flavours next, with plans to increase their offerings and eventually commercialize the product. That’s the ultimate goal of the competition, said Ammeter. “We work to encourage them to see all of their hard work taken through to a commercial product,” she said. The winning team gets a chance to work with the food scientists at the Leduc Food Processing Centre — “an absolute gem in Alberta,” said Ammeter. But with International Year of the Pulses right around the corner, Mission ImPULSEible serves another purpose as well, she said. “One of our stated goals in International Year of the Pulses is to have pulses available in more consumer products worldwide,” said Ammeter. “The way that happens is by encouraging innovation. That’s really what’s behind all of the new food products.” The students certainly delivered on

Sylvain Charlebois

Mamma mia! They don’t make gelato like this in Italy f someone were to tell you that one day you could sample dairy-free gelato made from fermented beans — and actually enjoy it — you might think that was impossible. Well, when you’re at Mission ImPULSEible, nothing is impossible. “I never cease to be amazed at the unique ways that pulses can be processed into yummy food,” said Allison Ammeter, chair of Alberta Pulse Growers, which co-ordinates the provincial edition of the annual pulse-based food development competition. “If you had given me that gelato in a blind taste test, I would have said, ‘It’s a milk product.’ That gelato was incredible.” Three teams from culinary programs across the province went head to head to compete for this year’s Mission ImPULSEible title, which comes with an all-expenses-paid trip to the national competition in Vancouver next year. NAIT’s Stephanie Stolk offered up Cinnamon Delights — gluten-free, vegetarian mini-donuts made with chickpea flour — while Portage College culinary students Clarissa Cardinal, Tara Collins, and Kali Brodbin created the Freak Santé energy bar, a nod to traditional Aboriginal pemmican made from roasted chickpeas, lentil purée, and pea protein. But top honours went to BiotaGelata, developed by University of Alberta students Austen Neil, Sujata Patel, Chandre Van de Merwe, and Nicolle Mah. “This was just an incredible opportunity to learn more about pulses and what we can do with our creativity,” said Mah. “We could use our creativity in ways that we never imagined.” “It was so much fun,” added Neil. “We caught ourselves doing this instead of our actual classwork because it was so much more enjoyable.” The team was inspired to create a dairy-free gelato after a stint working for a gelato company over the summer. “I’m a big fan of Fiasco Gelato. It’s a local company, and they’re so great,” said Neil. “They inspired me to make something that’s dairy free but still gelato-like — not a sorbet.” The team used locally produced white beans, which were fermented for several days and then mixed in a gelato machine with other ingredients to create the creamy confection (which didn’t taste a thing like white beans, thanks to the salty-sweet maple walnut flavour of the gelato.)

BiotaGelata — a dairy-free gelato made from fermented white beans — took home top honours at the recent Mission ImPULSEible student food development competition. that, said Ammeter, who farms near Sylvan Lake with husband Mike. “It is very, very rewarding to know that not only do we grow food, but that the food we grow can be used in so many creative ways,” she said. That’s what initially drew the BiotaGelata team to the competition.

“I think that Alberta’s agriculture is much more diverse than people realize,” said Van de Merwe. “It’s interesting to see how much more there is out there that Alberta farmers do.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 21, 2015

Living large — and eating only local — in a land of bounty It’s a huge shift to eat only foods produced in Alberta, but the members of the Ruzicka family consider themselves ‘so lucky’ By Alexis Kienlen AF STAFF

n a season where most people spend more, the Ruzicka family is learning to live with less. Shannon and Danny Ruzicka and children Madalynne, Joshua and Molly have been living on local foods since August. “Our experiment is to live off the Albertan land for a year — we live off what we grow, raise or forage ourselves, or what we can buy directly from another farmer,” said Shannon Ruzicka, who owns and operates Nature’s Green Acres with her family near Viking. The family raises grass-fed beef and pastured pork, and also has a large vegetable garden, milk cow, and laying hens. But the inspiration came from a documentary about rural Guatemalans living on $1 a day and the biography of Ruzicka’s great-grandfather and his hardships as a pioneer who moved from Russia to Manitoba. “As we discussed the pioneer world and the documentary, we started talking about how we have all these modern conveniences like vehicles, freezers and power, and how we can’t even feed ourselves,” she said. “We’re in the land of plenty. There is food and farmers and farmers’ markets everywhere.” Since mid-August, the family has only sourced food products grown in Alberta, with two exceptions: sugar and salt, which are needed for preserving. They’re also forgoing activities such as going to the movies and restaurants or shopping. “It’s only about buying what’s a necessity and not focusing on anything else. Allowable purchases are business expenses,” she said. But it’s not a life of austerity. They accept gifts of food from friends, use modern technology, and the kids participate in regular extracurricular activities such as taekwondo, gymnastics, and skating. Still, the new lifestyle was a challenge and came with a big learning curve — such as making cheese without rennet and culture, and breads without baking soda. The family did a lot of research, and got many ideas from the Internet and books such as The Little House on the Prairie series. They also discovered that the food of yesteryear is “incredibly different from most modern food.” Bread, for example, is more sour and dense, said Ruzicka. Of course, a big vegetable garden is key — and both their freezer and root cellar are well stocked. The family has also got to know a lot of producers of local food. Socializing also presents challenges. “If we invite somebody over for supper and they want wine, they have to bring it, otherwise we will be drinking water,” she said.

Shannon and Danny Ruzicka and children Madalynne, Joshua and Molly are only eating local food for a year. PHOTO: RUZICKA FAMILY

“We’re enjoying the food. There is so much flavour in everything. We’re also enjoying thinking out of the box and making things up as we go.” Shannon Ruzicka

Guests who stay overnight have to bring their own coffee if they want a cup of joe in the morning. “I hate that aspect of it because I feel like a mooch,” said Ruzicka. “The point isn’t to live off of other people, but it’s just those little creature comforts that are expected in entertaining or when out with friends.” But the experiment has been worth it, she quickly added. “We’re really enjoying it all around, other than the inconvenience of it. We’re enjoying the food, there is so much flavour in every-

thing. We’re also enjoying thinking out of the box and making things up as we go.” The children love the educational aspects of the experiment. “They’re right in there, helping me with stuff and wanting to do things. Every once in a while, one of them will say, ‘We’re so lucky. Most people don’t know how to do this.’ And I say, ‘You’re absolutely right.’” It has also brought them closer together as a family. Danny, who works as a farrier, is gone a lot of the time, and used to just grab dinner on the road and work late. Now,

he’s spending more time at home. Since the family is focused on activities that don’t involve consumption, they spend more time together playing board games and cards. It has also changed how the family thinks about food as they’ve had to learn how to preserve and store things. The Ruzickas will celebrate Christmas in a normal fashion, sharing food brought over by family members, and accepting invitations from others. Looming not so far ahead is April, which was known in pioneer days as ‘starvation month’ because the winter food supply is almost gone, and it’s still too early for things to grow. “We’re a little bit nervous about it, but at the same time, we live in the land of plenty,” said Ruzicka. “If we didn’t buy enough carrots or put up enough potatoes, I’m sure there will be some grower who will have potatoes in storage that we can buy from. “There is somebody who will have abundance.” akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

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DECEMBER 21, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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

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

Every item of the feast has a great story behind it

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

CIRCULATION manager Heather Anderson Email: heather@fbcpublishing.com

PRODUCTION director

When the table is set, give thanks to those who grew and processed the food — and all those who played a role in its history

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By BRENDA SCHOEPP

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y son gifts me a subscription to a Quebec-based cuisine magazine entitled Ricardo. The last issue had a little sidebar that read, “If you calculate the time elapsed from the moment seeds are sown, the festive meal takes an average of 295 days to land on our tables.” When you think about great meals in those terms, it brings to light the importance of the farmer. A typical meal may include both fowl and red meat that has taken anywhere between four weeks and 14 months to grow. This includes dedicated animal husbandry and housing by the farmer or grower, and an acute attention to the nutritional needs of the animal. There will be forages, grains and waste products used for gain, and grain or wood products used for bedding. The journey to the grocery shelf includes marketing, processing, packaging, and labelling in a temperature-controlled environment. Included on the plate may be potatoes grown from one of the 150 varieties in Canada or another source of carbs such as wild rice from Saskatchewan or pasta from Prairie wheat. Again, from seeding to harvest is several months and there is cleaning, milling, and transforming the product to make it table ready. The research behind those crops is staggering and farmers invest in technology and equipment to bring out the best from the seed from spuds to bread. A little stuffing includes a variety of herbs, fresh or dried, that grow in Canadian gardens such as sage, thyme, basil, chive, dill or rosemary. The salted flavour may come from sea salt from our own coasts or other flavours that farmers contribute to from around the world. Some cooks include imported field crops such as celery in their dressing. The food miles on celery from Los

Angeles to Edmonton is 1,750 miles and the science and technology behind a fresh delivery has taken decades to perfect. Farmers throughout time and history have contributed to our festive table. Many varieties have evolved through genetic selection to the vegetable we see on our plate today. Broccoli, a cultivar of wild cabbage, was imported into Canada from Italy. Cauliflower is of Syrian descent and a celebrated plant in Afghanistan where it still blooms on the mountainsides as a “wildflower.” Peas are from the Mediterranean and Near East. Carrots, originally grown for their leaves, began their domestication from Persia and Asia Minor where they started as purple, yellow or white thin taproots. They were developed into the colour orange by the Dutch in honour of William the Orange. A favourite of mine is butternut squash, which was discovered growing wild in Guatemala and Mexico. And the list goes on. At some time, all of these plants were adapted to our current agronomic, visual, and nutritional needs. It did not take days or months to do this — it took years. The food on our plate may have taken 295 days to land there from planning, planting, harvest, processing, packaging and delivery, but it took generations to develop it for western tastes. The cranberry has an interesting story and Canada is a major producer and exporter of cranberries, as well as blueberries, cherries, apples, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. Cranberries are indigenous to North American wetlands and natives taught early settlers how to manage them. The vines can grow for up to 150 years and bogs are flooded for ease of harvesting. I spice my whole cranberries with cinnamon, which is originally from Sri Lanka and was so valuable it was once used as currency. Salad is often on the festive table and will be grown in a greenhouse in Canada or the U.S. Ask your grocer to source local Canadian lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and

peppers as we grow them in abundance. Tomatoes originated in the Andes, cucumbers in India (where they still grow wild), and bell pepper originated in Central and South America. The brassicas such as kale and cabbage were first grown by the Greeks and Romans. Bread has been presented on tables throughout history, and was often unleavened in early times. To get to the table, the chain of events included planting through to harvest which is roughly 150 days and then the storage, sorting, and transportation to milling which is roughly another 60 days through to inspection, packaging and labelling to be presented back to the shelf as flour or as a baked product. Enjoying a festive meal may include soda such as ginger ale developed from the ginger root originally from south China or root beer from sassafras tree roots which is native to North America (and grows in Ontario). Beer from our multitude of craft breweries and national brands use world-class Canadian hops or malting barley, and wineries depend on Canadian grapes for that distinct flavour. The wine depends on the grape, and farmers have been cultivating grapes for more than 8,000 years with the oldest winery over 4,000 years old in Armenia. Ending the meal with a sweet comes from the sugar “reed” originally grown in India and known today as sugar cane. Canadian sugar beets also sweeten the palate. When the table is set, remember that there is not only 295 days of commitment from farmers and food processors to bring you a special meal — there is thousands of years of history, science, technology, curiosity, and commitment behind each bite. Bon appetite! 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

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Old food has become new again Many new farmers are studying old ways too BY ALAN GUEBERT

helsea Market, a block-long, block-wide brick building in New York’s lower west side, was built 120 years ago on the edge of the city’s then-bustling meatpacking district to house a rising food powerhouse, the National Biscuit Company. It was no accident that the stateof-the-art food factory was located near the city’s slaughterhouses; the neighbourhood was knee deep in one key Nabisco input: lard. Today, Nabisco’s roaring ovens, bustling loading docks, and loud tin shop are long gone. It is now home to dozens of restaurants and retailers selling everything from Sunday brunch to everyday kitchen knives. Six million shoppers visit it each year. Walking through the old-factory-turned-new-market is a walk through the evolution of the American food system. A century ago,

its nearness to inputs, an endless river of immigrant labour, and the nation’s growing population combined to make this newfangled concept — a food factory — an enormous success. Today, however, the building is all newfangled food. Even more striking is that today’s “new” food looks a lot like yesterday’s “old” food. Chelsea Market’s bakery, butcher shop, and fishmonger look more like 1915 than 2015. But that yesterday — the yesterday of Big Food pioneer Nabisco — was all about scale, efficiency, and profitability. Today’s New Food yesterday is more about quality, experience, and flavour. As such, many of New Food’s farmers, retailers and restaurants don’t see themselves as competitors to Big Food. Instead, they see themselves more as an alternative to Big Food. Growing evidence supports that view. Retail organic food sales alone this year will top $40 billion. That’s about 10 per cent larger than esti-

mated farm value of the 2015 American soybean crop, figures the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Even more surprising, players no one even knew existed a decade ago are expanding their New Food reach. In June, Costco passed Whole Foods as the nation’s largest organic food seller, moving about $4 billion of retail organic food through its stores last year. Other aspects of New Food are getting traction, too. The justcompleted annual Young Farmers Conference at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, now in its eighth year, had twice as many applicants — 500 — than it could accommodate. The lucky 250 who were invited to attend listened to New/Old Food sessions like “Whole Animal Butchery” and “Edible Ecosystems.” Ten years ago, a young farmers’ conference like this would not have succeeded, let alone succeeded this wildly, on the East Coast. Why?

Because the how and what this nation eats and drinks is changing and changing rapidly. It’s the same with almost every aspect of food — from farm food to fast food. McDonald’s Corp., which uses 1.8 billion eggs per year, announced in September that it plans to switch to only eggs from “cage-free” hens in its restaurants. Mickey Ds has gone all gushy over “happy” hens or, as some ag commenters have suggested, it’s being pressured by animal welfare groups. It’s far simpler: customers want the eggs and the fast-food giant knows it has to deliver ’em or risk becoming a dead duck. If farming and ranching is really about food, then farmers and ranchers should be at the forefront of New Food, not in the lead ranks of the Old Guard. Their new customers, after all, already are. The Farm and Food File is published weekly through the U.S. and Canada. www.farmandfoodfile.com.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 21, 2015

This holiday season think green (as in green thumb) Whether it’s high-res imaging, bugs, or cover crops, there’s no shortage of ways to make the family horticulturalist happy By Dustin Morton

Commercial horticulture specialist, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry

ith the holiday season upon us, there is one question causing the good people of the province to lose sleep at night: What to get the horticulturalist in their life? With that question in mind (and tongue firmly planted in cheek) I’ve compiled a list of ideas with something for every budget that is sure to keep production humming along in the new year.

Portable microscopes

Gone are the days of calling your favourite commercial horticulture specialist with a worried tone and a blurry picture. Portable digital microscopes allow you to take pictures wherever you might be with a resolution that was previously impossible for most producers. Products such as Celestron’s Portable LCD Digital Microscope or Dino-Lite’s Edge series run anywhere from $100 to $300 and can zoom up

to 220x in some cases. If that’s too much, look no further than the EZ-macro. A macro lens on an elastic band, this $15 bad boy will have you taking textbook-quality pictures on your smartphone in seconds. And as always, the call to the commercial horticulture specialist is still free!

area as you like. When considering irrigation, don’t forget to consider your water source and quality. This will have a substantial impact on emitters, filters, pumps, etc. and ultimately mean the difference between a system that works and a very expensive soil holder.

Irrigation

Bugs

Dryland production got you down? Regardless of where you are in the province, this year was not great for rainfall. Horticultural crops are especially dependent on moisture, making irrigation a very expensive (but worthwhile) safety net. Alberta has no lack of irrigation equipment supply companies that can design and set up a system for you from pump to emitters, and will have you watering in no time (assuming that you have legal access to your water source). Alternatively, if the horticulturalist in your life is more of a DIY-type person, companies like Dubois Agrinovation sell kits that you can assemble yourself for as much or little

Beneficial insects are all the rage right now and why wouldn’t they be? Eat bad bugs? Check! Turn bad bugs into mummies? Check! Make your crop cleaner with fewer chemicals and worries? Check, Check! Beneficial insect companies like BioBest and Koppert can help you find a bug for your problem and your crop. If Canada thistle is a problem, you may want to look at the Canada thistle stem mining weevil (Hadroplontus litura). These stem mining wonders are typically released in the fall and can significantly reduce Canada thistle stands in as little as two to three years. They get shipped in from Montana by West Central Forage and

have become a very hot commodity so book soon!

legumes (for their nitrogenfixing capacity).

A nice cover crop mix

Free resource material

Who doesn’t love peas! Oats are awesome! How about mixing the two together for a green manure? Weed issues? Maybe some buckwheat is just what the doctor ordered. As the International Year of Soils wraps up, cover crops are riding high because of their ability to smother weeds, add precious nutrients to the soil, and increase organic matter. While there is a considerable amount of work that still needs to be done on them in the Alberta context, if you’re looking to dabble, tools like http:// decision-tool.incovercrops. ca/ can help you pick species according to your soil and end use (such as soil builder, compaction fighter, or potential biofumigant). Some proven winners are the previously mentioned buckwheat (known for its fastgrowing, smothering capability), tillage radish (for its ability to break through all but the toughest of hardpans), and

For the frugal or those on a tight budget, the web is an incredible resource of information just waiting to be printed and bound, pinned to a Pinterest board, or otherwise exploited. Websites like Cornell’s small farm program, Farm Hack, and Farm Start are great for the beginning producer. Others such as the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management (IPM), New York State IPM, or Purdue Extension have material that even the most seasoned producer can use. While not all of this information is relevant to our climate and production cycle, much of the research can be adapted and used, making it irreplaceable. With any luck, this list has brought both some levity and actual value to your day. It’s been a very challenging year and the holiday season presents a fantastic opportunity to relax, reflect, and plan for the future.

Food inflation is creeping up, but that’s not a bad thing Canadians saw a big jump in food prices this year, but are still getting one of the best deals anywhere By Sylvain Charlebois

his year, Canadian consumers again had to cope with higher prices at the grocery store. Food prices rose by 4.1 per cent, which was significantly above inflation, and this means the average Canadian household paid about $325 more for the same products than last year. And if we are to believe recent forecasts for 2016, Canadian households may be paying an additional $365 or more for food over the next 12 months. As most of the industrialized world is seeing lower food inflation rates these days, one has to wonder why Canada’s food retailing landscape is in sharp contrast with global trends. In most of Europe, starting with Britain, food inflation rates barely reached one per cent during the past year. In some regions of Europe, supplies exceed demand

for many commodities due to Russian embargoes that began more than a year ago. This is the case for dairy and meat products, in particular. Food distributors are desperately fighting to maintain market margins while trying to achieve sales growth in a zero interest rate environment. The U.S. is still the champion of the cheapest calories in the world. Most households spend less than seven per cent of their budget on food — less than half of what European households spend. In recent years, Canadians have seen higher food prices, with meat increasing by 30 per cent in the last two years. Yet Canada is still the place where you can find the cheapest food basket in the world relative to salaries. Canadian food prices are just slowly catching up to other countries after many decades of quasi-food stagflation. As much as it is hard to believe for many — particularly families with less means — only a handful

of countries offers a better deal than Canada’s food prices in relation to consumers’ wealth. Using only the United States as a benchmark when looking at food prices is unwise. On economics alone, the country’s population density and sugar-centric food trends make the American market different from ours, at least from a pricing perspective. So who wins with higher prices these days? Food distributors. Most posted impressive financial results over the year. Food retailers in Canada are doing well as they face lower competition and generate higher profit margins. The sector was able to successfully transfer top-line gains into bottomline increases, which is no easy task. It appears that there is market discipline as food retailers continue to protect margins. Shareholders are obvious short-term beneficiaries, but consumers can only gain from a financially healthy food distribution sector.

With incredibly low margins, price wars generate casualties, similar to those witnessed in Canada in the 1970s and early 1980s. A highly competitive marketplace in food retailing forces everyone to compete on one common denominator: price. Everything else becomes secondary: service, taste, experience, variety, and so forth. With a better balance of power in the marketplace coupled with better management, the industry can respond to consumer needs. The three major consumer trends we expect in 2016 are supply chain transparency and animal welfare; gut health; and vegetable proteins. Because the industry has shown to be more responsive than ever these past few years, expect these trends to continue into the new year. So yes, shopping for food is getting more expensive in Canada, but the quality and service we are receiving from industry have never been better. Let’s hope Canadian consumers are noticing.

What is dearly needed in the future though is female leadership. Given that the majority of consumers shopping for food is still women, it is still quite surprising that few play an influential role in the industry. The gender imbalance becomes ever more obvious, even embarrassing, when attending key events and award ceremonies in the industry. Almost 90 per cent, if not more, who occupy key roles in the industry are men. All current leaders are very capable individuals, but in the era of food democracy — in which the voice of the consumer is key — women need a stronger voice in the food retailing industry as executives. As such, the industry would only get stronger. As one well-known Canadian reminded us recently, “it’s 2015.” Well, it’s practically 2016 now. Sylvain Charlebois is professor in the College of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph.

Off the front

December 21, 2015 • Albertafarmexpress.ca

SOIL YEAR } from page 1 That initial buzz prompted his association and its eight sister groups that make up the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta to bring soil health experts such as Christine Jones, Jill Clapperton, and Peter Donovan to Alberta. The groups also organized the soil health conference, which attracted producers from across the province as well as a number of people from Saskatchewan and Manitoba. “We had people from California and at least one registrant from Africa who made it. We had two other Africans who couldn’t come because of visa problems, but they would have been here,” said Fromme. He and co-chair Nora Paulovich also noted there was a good number of young producers, which was not a surprise to Fromme. “I am more excited about agriculture right now than I have ever been in my whole life,” he said. “I’ve been a researcher for longer than I can remember, and I just feel like this is the right direction. It’s not easy to buck the establishment, but here you see 400 people who have very little fear about doing it.

Odette Menard, an agricultural engineer and soil conservation expert with Quebec’s Ministry of Agriculture, speaks to a packed house during the Western Canada Conference on Soil Health.

A packed trade show during the Western Canada Conference on Soil Health. The event attracted more than 400 producers, and more had to be turned away. PHOTOs: Courtesy of McDonald’s Verified Sustainable Beef Pilot project

“I’m sure they are apprehensive and unsure, but there are enough examples now, and I’m sure they’ll be able to get out to farms and ranches to see how it is working.” The two-day conference featured presentations on topics such as grazing management,

That was evident when the conference went into overtime and the majority of attendees stayed until the final event, a producer panel and Q&A session, was done. Russel Horvey, a purebred Galloway producer, was one of

soil organisms, earthworms, and cover crops. “This is not about people selling things,” said Fromme. “There are not people who are in it for fame, fortune or power. They’re in it because it’s exciting and they believe in it.”

those who stayed right to the end. The former Alberta Agriculture extension specialist has studied holistic management for 50 years and has also studied with one of the featured speakers, rhizosphere ecologist Jill Clapperton. “I’ve always been interested in the living part of soils,” said Horvey. “When I heard the first two speakers on the first morning, it brought a lump to my throat. They reinforced to me that this isn’t just words. It’s about soils and the biological living side of soils.”

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Horvey said he studied soil organisms in university, but the topic was never discussed during his agricultural career. “We’re finally talking about the living part of the soils,” he said. “It’s so exciting to see a room of people who are getting it, who are hungry to understand this and how to build healthier soils.” Fromme said the feedback from other attendees was “great.” “They’ve been to a lot of conferences and this one came off,” he said. “They want to credit us, but it’s a credit to the speakers. They’re the ones who draw the crowd.” akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Albertafarmexpress.ca • December 21, 2015

team canada } from page 1 reminded the group that the U.K. has bought wheat from Canada since 1842,” said Vos, who farms near Fairview. The Italians and the British are big buyers of amber durum and Canadian Western Red Spring wheat. “In the U.K., they order about 1.5 million tonnes of CWRS and about half a million tonnes of durum annually,” said Vos. “In Italy, it’s the reverse of that.” One of his goals was to talk about the quality of the 2015 wheat crop, while buyers wanted to impress on the Canadians that quality storage, mycotoxins, and pesticide levels are top issues on their radar. The Team Canada missions were started a year ago by Cigi, the Canadian Grain Commission, and Cereals Canada to both present new crop data and strengthen the bond between buyers and sellers of this country’s wheat. The latter is important, said Vos, an Alberta Wheat Commission director. “The one thing that I had a learning and appreciation of is the loyalty they have to Canadian wheat,” he said. “We need to respect their interest in buying our wheat year after year. It’s important to them.” Having farmers go with officials from Cigi and the grain commission makes for a winning formula, both men said. “We had a strong team that presented a positive message and we worked well together as a team to represent the entire value chain,” said Porozni. “When you come into those countries and they see that, they see the value in that.”

Decades of working with foreign millers, bakers, and grain buyers from abroad has allowed Cigi (short for the Canadian International Grains Institute) to build close ties, said Porozni, who is also an Alberta Wheat Commission director. “I think a lot of times, if the price is close, they’ll buy Canadian wheat just because of those strong relationships.” The buyers he met (which included millers in Toronto) were also very keen on Canada’s wheat classification system.

“We need to respect their interest in buying our wheat year after year.”

The Team Canada new crop mission visited many stops, including the Grain Exchange in Bologna, Italy. PHOTO: COURTESY HENRY VOS

Henry Vos

“There are some growers who think it is too regulatory and strict, but all we hear time and time again is how they really like the system and how it ends up being a very consistent milling wheat,” said Porozni. The grain commission is in the midst of revamping the system, with two new classes — Canada Northern Hard Red and Canada Western Special Purpose — coming into effect on Aug. 1. Part of the revamp was to address buyers’ concern about low gluten levels. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Henry Vos (left) with famous Italian chef Stefano Callegari, inventor of the “trapizzino” — a sandwich pizza. PHOTO: COURTESY HENRY VOS

Greg Porozni at a seminar in Beijing. PHOTO: COURTESY Greg Porozni

*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 December 31, 2015, at participating New Holland dealers in Canada. Offer subject to change. Taxes, freight, set-up, delivery, additional options or attachments not included in price. © 2015 CNH Industrial Capital America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland Agriculture is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. CNH Industrial Capital is a trademark in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.

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NH CR8090,2013,400sep,dsp,gps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $350,000 NH CR8090,2012,625sep hrs,gps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $300,000 NH CR9060, 2008,940 sep hr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $175,000 NH CR9080,2011,950 sep hr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $265,000 NH CX8090, 2007,1850 sep hr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $175,000 NH CX8080,2012,730 sep hr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $265,000 NH TR95 combine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 CIH 2388,2005,1650sep hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $95,000 CIH 2388,2002,1750sep hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $85,000 NH 840CD-30 like new,crossauger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $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 TR-TX adapter . . . . $4,500 CIH 1010-25’,trspt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,000

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NH T9.450HD ,2013,1000PTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $265,000 NH T9.450HD,2014,1000pto,620hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . $310,000

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2015 New Holland Rollbelt 560 Round Baler, Excellent cond., 1000 PTO, Specialty Crop, 500 bales, warranty

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SWATHERS

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SEEDING & TILLAGE

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SPRAYERS

FlexiCoil S67XL,100’,scrns,SP655,mrkrs. . . . . . . . . . $11.500 NH S1070-100’, suspended boom, scrns, auto hght, Trimble control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $45,000 CIH PS160-100’ suspended sprayer,duals . . . . . . . . $38,500

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DECEMBER 21, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Farm leaders aren’t happy, but willing to try again The last round of farm safety ‘consultations’ wasn’t meaningful, but farm reps say they’re cautiously hopeful the next round will be By JENNIFER BLAIR AF staff

s far as Alberta farm leaders are concerned, “all bets are off” on whether producer groups will be consulted on farm safety regulations following the passing of the controversial Bill 6. “We were told right from the get-go with the new NDP government that they wanted to consult with us, and I guess that means different things to different people,” said Michael Ammeter, chair of Alberta Barley. “We waited all summer and into the fall, up until the announcement of Bill 6, to be consulted and part of the conversation, and that never happened. “I hope we’re included in this in a meaningful way, not just as window dressing. I have hopes, but that’s as far as it goes.” Following three tense weeks of protests, raucous town hall meetings, and social media outrage, Bill 6 (the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act) passed third reading on Dec. 10 — but not until the government backtracked on some of the more contentious parts of the legislation, including a stipulation that extending workplace safety rules to agriculture won’t apply to family members, whether they are paid or not. But despite the furore, farm leaders said they will look for

ways to work with the government to create practical regulations. “The bill has passed, and we still want to be part of the conversation,” said Ammeter, who farms near Sylvan Lake. “But we’re still waiting for the phone to ring — for the government to include us.” The Alberta Federation of Agriculture has a meeting scheduled with the government early in the new year, said president Lynn Jacobson. “Hopefully, the government will live up to what it’s been saying on the consultation process,” said Jacobson, who farms near Enchant. “If it doesn’t, it’s going to have serious trouble again.” Alberta Beef Producers was skeptical. “Producers who so strongly opposed Bill 6 likely will not have much faith in this process,” the organization said in a statement. “Similarly, commodity organizations that have been criticized by producers for our efforts before and after the introduction of Bill 6 also will face a challenge in convincing producers that future consultations will produce better results.”

Consultation process

At this point, working with the government — not against it — is the best way to move forward, said Jacobson.

“We want a process, we want it in writing, and we want a report coming out of that process showing that we told them these things and that they understand what we’re asking for.” Kent Erickson

“Standing up and thumping the table at this time isn’t going to help,” he said. Alberta Wheat chair Kent Erickson agrees — to a point. “Producers are still mad. They’re still fighting,” said the Irma producer. “But as producer groups and stakeholders, we need to find how we’re going to manage the regulations if — worst-case scenario — it comes into effect as is. “As commissions, we need to get together, sit down, and figure out how we can present the most unified, cohesive response to the regulations.” But in order to work with the government, the commissions need a “clear process,” said Erickson. “We want a process, we want it in writing, and we want a report coming out of that process show-

ing that we told them these things and that they understand what we’re asking for,” he said. “They need to show taxpayers that this is what we asked for and this is what we did or didn’t get.” But Jacobson doesn’t “want to start a fight before we even get in the room.” “We’re taking them at their word that they want to consult, and we’ll go in with what we would like to see,” he said. “But coming in with demands about what it should look like is not realistic. You’re not going to get that far.”

Lost trust

However, taking the government at its word could prove to be a challenge, said Ammeter. “This government has really lost the trust of agriculture, and quite frankly, I think it’s done

some damage in the urban centres, too,” he said. Some producers won’t be happy with the regulations no matter what, added Erickson. “Producers are definitely not trusting government, and I don’t think anything it does is going to be enough for producers,” he said. “The confidence is too damaged. It’s going to be a hard battle back.” And that could put the commissions in the crosshairs. “As commissions, we’re nonpartisan, but we’re going to be the messengers of this regulation in a lot of people’s eyes,” said Erickson. “How we can work with government to manage this without looking like we’re supporting government is going to be a real tricky one.” But the regulations will be fleshed out anyway, said Ammeter, and the commissions need to be at the table — even at the risk of producer complaints. “At the end of the day, this is law, and we need to be part of going forward from here, no matter how unpalatable we find it,” said Ammeter. “No matter if you like it or not, we really need to be there to represent producers. There’s a bit of a risk either way we go, but I think the biggest risk would be not being there.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 21, 2015

‘12 NEW HOLLAND T8.275, Eng Hrs 1403, 273 HP $179,000 SC

‘14 NEW HOLLAND H7150/HS16,

‘13 NEW HOLLAND CR7090,

NEW ‘14 NH SPDRWR 130,

$45,000 SC

Eng Hrs 797, Sep Hrs 575, 408 HP, 315 BU $269,000 SC

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Eng Hrs 367, Sep Hrs 273, Duals, Elec Trap $409,000 SC

9000 Bales, 2.07m PU, hydraulic pickup lift, $25,000 SC

AIR DRILL

1996 Bourgault 5710/3225 . . . . . . . . . . .$39,000 1996 Bourgault 5710/4350 . . . . . . . . . . .$49,000 1994 Flexi-Coil 5000/1720 . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000 1995 Flexi-Coil 5000/2320 . . . . . . . . . .$49,000 1997 Flexi-Coil 5000/2320 . . . . . . . . . .$39,000 2000 Flexi-Coil 5000/3450 . . . . . . . . .$79,000 2008 Flexi-Coil 5500/4350 . . . . . . . . . $139,000 2009 Morris C1/8370 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$210,000 2010 Morris CONTOUR/8650 . . . . . . $225,000 2006 New Holland 500/3450/345 . $115,000 2009 New Holland P2050/P1060 . . . .$49,000 2009 New Holland P2060/P1060. . .$149,000 2010 New Holland P2070/P1060 . . .$185,000 2011 New Holland P2070/P1060 . . . .$185,000 2002 New Holland SD440/SC380 . . $69,000

BALE WAGON

1950 Misc HAAKUS WGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,500

BALER/ROUND

2008 New Holland BR7090 . . . . . . . . . .$23,000 2008 New Holland BR7090 . . . . . . . . . .$23,000 2009 New Holland BR7090 . . . . . . . . . .$25,000 2011 New Holland BR7090 . . . . . . . . . . .$29,000 2011 New Holland BR7090 . . . . . . . . . . .$32,000 2012 New Holland BR7090 . . . . . . . . . . .$29,000 2012 New Holland BR7090 . . . . . . . . . . .$29,000 2012 New Holland BR7090 . . . . . . . . . . .$32,000 2004 New Holland BR780 . . . . . . . . . . . $12,000

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CALL FOR PRICING TA

2012 New Holland CR8090 . . . . . . . . .$310,000 2012 New Holland CR8090 . . . . . . . . $349,000 2013 New Holland CR8090 . . . . . . . . .$310,000 2013 New Holland CR8090 . . . . . . . . $349,000 2013 New Holland CR8090 . . . . . . . . $349,000 2013 New Holland CR8090 . . . . . . . . $349,000 2013 New Holland CR8090 . . . . . . . . $399,000 2008 New Holland CR9060. . . . . . . . .$189,000 2008 New Holland CR9060. . . . . . . . .$189,000 2009 New Holland CR9060. . . . . . . . .$189,000 2010 New Holland CR9060 . . . . . . . . $259,000 2008 New Holland CR9070 . . . . . . . . $239,000 2010 New Holland CR9070 . . . . . . . . $259,000 2010 New Holland CR9070 . . . . . . . . $259,000 2011 New Holland CR9070 . . . . . . . . . $269,000 2011 New Holland CR9070 . . . . . . . . . $269,000 2011 New Holland CR9070 . . . . . . . . . $269,000 2005 New Holland CR960 . . . . . . . . . .$109,000 2005 New Holland CR960 . . . . . . . . . . $129,000 2006 New Holland CR970 . . . . . . . . . .$189,000 2007 New Holland CX8080 . . . . . . . . . $159,000 2001 New Holland CX840 . . . . . . . . . . . $99,000 2003 New Holland CX860 . . . . . . . . . . $99,000

1996 Honey Bee SP36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,000 1998 Honey Bee SP36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$22,000 2005 Honey Bee SP36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000 2008 Honey Bee SP36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$35,000 2012 Honey Bee SP40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$49,000 2012 New Holland 740CF . . . . . . . . . . . .$33,000 2013 New Holland 740CF . . . . . . . . . . . .$35,000 2009 New Holland 74C . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$29,000 2009 New Holland 74C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $37,000 2009 New Holland 74C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $37,000 2005 New Holland 76C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19,000 2006 New Holland 76C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19,000 2014 New Holland 790CP . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000 2014 New Holland 880CF . . . . . . . . . . . $99,000 2014 New Holland 880CF . . . . . . . . . . . $99,000 2014 New Holland 880CF . . . . . . . . . . . $99,000 2004 New Holland 94C . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$35,000 2006 New Holland 94C . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000 2006 New Holland 94C . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000 2006 New Holland 94C . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000 2010 New Holland 94C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$49,000 2012 New Holland 94C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$35,000 2012 New Holland 94C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $55,000 2012 New Holland 94C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$62,000

DEEP TILLAGE

30’

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

HEADER DRAPER FLEX

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

MOWER CONDITIONER

DISK

HEADER COMBINE

2011 AGCO Gleaner 9250-35 . . . . . . . . .$75,000 2012 Case IH 3016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$24,000 2014 Honey Bee 4036. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$75,000 2003 Honey Bee 94C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19,000 1997 Honey Bee SP30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $21,000

NEW, 305-365 HP, 120’, Fr Boom, CALL FOR PRICING SC

2014 New Holland 880 CF. . . . . . . . . . . $69,000 2006 AGCO Hesston 1275 . . . . . . . . . . . $17,000 1994 Case IH 8370 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 1990 John Deere 1600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6,500 2008 New Holland 1441 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000 1999 New Holland 1475 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17,000 2001 New Holland 1475/2300 . . . . . . . . $19,000 2006 New Holland 1475/2316 . . . . . . . .$23,000

SHAUNAVON

2005 New Holland 1475/HS18 . . . . . . .$23,000 2009 New Holland H7150/HS16 . . . . .$29,000 2013 New Holland H7150/HS18 . . . . . $45,000 2009 New Holland H7450 . . . . . . . . . . . $27,000 2012 New Holland H7460 . . . . . . . . . . . .$34,000

RAKE/WHEEL

2009 Misc 14 WHEEL RK . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13,000 2015 New Holland 1225 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$23,000

SPRAYER

2009 New Holland S1070 . . . . . . . . . . . .$35,000 2012 New Holland S1070 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000

SPRAYER/HIGH CLEARANCE

2008 Apache 1010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $139,000 2012 Apache 1020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$189,000 2013 Apache AS1220 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$215,000 2013 Apache AS1220 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$215,000 2013 Apache AS1220 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$215,000 2011 New Holland SP.365F . . . . . . . . . $245,000

TRACTOR

1984 Case IH 886 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13,500 2005 Case IH STX425Q . . . . . . . . . . . . $179,000 1994 John Deere 7600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$39,000 2004 Massey Ferguson 7475 . . . . . . . . $55,000 2010 New Holland 3040 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$23,000 2008 New Holland T6070/840TL . . . .$79,000 2012 New Holland T8.275 . . . . . . . . . . . $179,000 2003 New Holland TC21DA. . . . . . . . . . . $15,000 2001 New Holland TM125 . . . . . . . . . . . $46,000

WINDROWER

1998 Case IH 8825HP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$29,000 1989 New Holland 1118 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12,500 2008 New Holland H8080 . . . . . . . . . . $80,000

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NEWS » Markets

DECEMBER 21, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Cash-strapped farmers may sell

Ask Santa for a bin of lentils

Falling incomes in the U.S. are making it more challenging for farmers to hold stocks as they wait for prices to recover from current depressed levels, says USDA chief economist Robert Johansson. A strong dollar and ample world supplies has pushed down crop and livestock prices and that will see U.S. farm incomes drop to a 13-year low. “Our grains, oilseeds and livestock producers are really getting hammered by the high dollar value,” Johansson said. But he said farmers’ ability to wait for higher prices is becoming “somewhat limited” even as competitors such as Brazil are being given strong price signals to boost production. — Reuters

Lentil prices just keep moving up in Western Canada, with no end in sight to the rising market in the short run. However, the high prices may prove unsustainable as values are already expensive for international buyers and strong new-crop prices should lead to increased acres in 2016. Red lentil bids as high as 53 cents per pound are being reported in some locations, while No. 2 large green lentils are now hitting prices as high as 60 cents, according to the latest Prairie Ag Hotwire data from early December. Production shortages in India have been the big factor, with the low loonie also helping out. — CNS Canada

Weaker loonie supports canola against oilseed market pressure Markets await the U.S. Fed’s decision on interest rates By Phil Franz-Warkentin

CE Futures Canada canola contracts bounced around within a $5 range during the week ended Dec. 11, but jumped to the top end of that range by Friday’s close as the plummeting Canadian dollar was more than enough to counter the general weakness in the Chicago soy complex. The currency fell below 73 U.S. cents during the week, losing a full two cents compared to its U.S. counterpart. When factoring in the currency, canola actually lost ground on a U.S. dollar basis during the week, which should be making the oilseed more attractive to international buyers. March canola has shifted to the role of the “contract to watch” in canola as participants were busy rolling out of the nearby January contract during the week. The March contract settled at C$485.80 per tonne on Dec. 11, up from $483 the previous week. However, on a U.S. dollar basis, global customers pricing in the U.S. currency could buy a tonne of canola for US$353.50 on Dec. 11 (C$1 at 72.77 U.S. cents), which was actually cheaper than the US$361 they were paying only a week earlier when the Canadian dollar was worth 74.76 U.S. cents. Beyond the currency-related strength, the news is a little more bearish for canola. While both the export and domestic crush pace are running slightly ahead of the yearago level, the country also grew a largerthan-expected crop this year — which will need to be worked through.

Photos: Thinkstock In the U.S., soybeans, corn and wheat were all lower during the week. While Canadian commodities benefited from a weaker currency, the situation was the opposite in the U.S., where a rising U.S. dollar makes that country’s grains and oilseeds less attractive for international buyers. Relatively favourable crop prospects out of South America were another bearish influence in the background for soybeans and corn. Prospects for increased exports out of Argentina, following the swearing-in of a new government there, also weigh in the background. The U.S. Department of Agriculture released updated supply/demand estimates on Dec. 9, but the slight adjustments were not thought to be enough to break beans or corn out of their sideways trading ranges.

With foreign exchange rates at the forefront of the commodity markets, attention will be on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s interest rate announcement, due Dec. 16. Many economists are of the opinion that the Fed could be set to raise rates for the first time in nearly a decade, which would cause some major ripples through the global financial markets. However, there is also a growing opinion that any rate hikes may be postponed yet again, given the latest weakness in the energy sector, which could lead to its own consequences in the broader markets.

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

Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

Hay producers see more sellers, lower prices Prices are down sharply from the peaks seen in August and September BY JADE MARKUS CNS Canada

anada’s export hay prices have come down from summer highs and now sit at less than half their previous levels. But despite competition abroad, a weak loonie is helping Canadian producers. South Africa, Eastern Europe and Argentina have increased their alfalfa production, said Edward J. Shaw, director of market development at Green Prairie International. “So we’ve got more competitors out there,” he said. The U.S. is also adding to global supplies, especially as China has been buying less from the country, said Shaw. “The U.S. is awash with alfalfa. A lot of farmers sat on inventory — they thought it was worth gold.” The exchange rate is helping Canadian producers, Shaw added — a sentiment echoed by Tara Mulhern Davidson, project co-ordinator at the Saskatchewan Forage Council.

“When hay is already worth quite a bit in Canada, it’s going to be hard to encourage people to buy hay from the States.” At their summer highs, hay prices sat around C$200 for a round bale, according to Shaw — but are now around $75 to $100, he said. Prices peaked in August and into September on supply concerns. Saskatchewan producers weren’t able to get two cuts of hay, “so that kind of freaked people out,” Mulhern Davidson said. Prices softened after timely rains across Saskatchewan eased supply concerns. A relatively warm winter is also dragging on prices. “There’s still a lot of people who still have cattle out grazing right now,” she said. “It’s one less day, one less week, one less month that they’re sitting in a yard needing to be fed.” Mulhern Davidson said she expects increased acres next year, as many producers postponed seeding last season.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 21, 2015

Stop the blame game in foods, say experts

ingling out foods as being bad or good is counterproductive to healthy eating, according to nutrition experts attending the recent SINU (La Società Italiana di Nutrizione Umana) national congress. “It is probably counterproductive to categorize a single food as a ‘bad’ food and establish rigid bans on a specific food, because the first reaction would be to violate the ban, particularly among certain age groups like adolescents,” said Robert Gibson, a University of Adelaide expert in functional food science. Delegates were critical of studies that are often confusing to the public about single food items such as red meat, processed meat, sugar, milk and gluten. Even hot drinks such as coffee are implicated as causing harm. “It is an incorrect approach anyway; especially from a communicative and educational perspective, because it focuses on a single nutrient or food, without considering the diet in its entirety,” said Furio Brighenti, president of SINU. “We should be skeptical of this ‘reductionism,’ and instead adopt an educational approach to a balanced diet, which considers all the foods we consume, as well as our lifestyles.” — Staff

Photo: THINKSTOCK

Norsask

FARM F ARM EQUIPMENT L LTD. TD. 725008

650493

2005 John Deere 9660 Combine, L/A, Guidance,

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USED COMBINES

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667978

2011 Case IH PH800

Air Drill, 60on10,DS,VR, TBT 2010 3430 tank

$200,000

*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 ...............SOLD $310,000 2012 NH CR9090, 1240/910 hrs, Guidance, DSP, diff, duals .............................................................$299,000 2012 Case IH 8230, L/A Duals, 752/578 ......... SOLD $315,000 2011 NH CR9080, Deluxe PSD Chopper, Guidance, Leather, HID, 620 Duals, 1005/730 hrs...........................................$229,000 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 .............................................SOLD $289,000 2010 Case IH 8120, Guidance, 1424/1126 hrs, sm tube RT, fine cut chopper ........................SOLD $249,000 2009 Case IH 6088, YPM, Leather, Ext wear, 950/750 hrs ..............................................................$195,000 2009 Case IH 8120, 1850/1250 hrs, L/A, duals, hopper top ......................................................$210,000 2009 Case IH 8120, duals, L/A 1643/1357 hrs SOLD $210,000 2009 NH CR9070, 1350/1200 hrs, Duals, L/A, SOLD $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 Case IH 2588, 2500/1925 hrs, chopper, HID, Duals ...................................................$149,000 2007 NH CR9070, L/A, 1542/1264 hrs .........................$199,000 2007 Case IH 7010, duals, 2630/1630 hrs, P/U header, L/A .................................$149,000 2006 NH CR960, 2300/1900 hrs, Pickup Header..........$119,000

725012

2009 Case IH 4420 Sprayer, 2550hrs, 120’ boom, AIM, 2 sets of tires, viper

$239,000

2006 NH CR960, 2050/1687 hrs ......................SOLD $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 1999 Case IH 2388, hopper top, 4100/2876 hrs, 1015 PU header, L/A ....................................................$89,000 1992 Case IH 1680, 4033 hrs, L/A, 1015 PU header .............................................SOLD $25,000 1986 Case IH 1680, PU header, 25’,4200 hrs .................$22,900

USED WINDROWERS

2013 Case IH WD1903, 36 ft, shears, deluxe cab, 110/60 hrs.................................SOLD $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 1998 Macdon 4920, 30ft, PU Reel, 1700 hrs .....SOLD $45,000

USED 2WD TRACTORS

2014 Case IH Farmall, 140A, Loader, MFD, 830 hrs ........$86,000 2012 Case IH Farmall, 140A, Loaded, MFD, 700 hrs .......$89,000 2008 Challenger MT565B, MFD, Loader/Grapple, powershift ......................................................SOLD $79,000

USED HAYBINES

725013

725014

2013 Case IH 9230

2013 Case IH 9230 Combine, loaded, 1035/761 hrs, duals, spreaders

Combine, hopper top, 4100/2876 hrs, 1015 PU header, L/A

$299,000

$89,000

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

1999 Case IH 2388

2013 NH T9.615, 1020 hrs, luxury, 36” Tracks, HID, Cab Susp, guidance ..............................SOLD $389,000 2013 Case IH 600 Quad, PTO, 1700 hrs ..........SOLD $399,000 2009 Case IH 485, 800/38 Duals, Diff Lock, 5 Hyds, Guidance, HD Hyd ......................................................................$239,000 2008 Case IH 535 Quad, 3380 hrs, diff lock, guidance, PTO ...........................................................$239,000 1993 Ford 876, 5800 hrs, duals .....................................$49,000 1981 JD 8440, 9400 hrs, 18.4/38 duals, 4 hyd ..............$19,000

2012 Case IH 4430, 120 ft aim, viper, guidance, loaded, 1275 hrs .......................................$279,000 2011 Rogator 1194, 120 ft, sectional, viper, 2250 hrs, 2 set tires ..................................................................$205,000 2009 Case IH 4420, 120 ft, Aim, 2 sets tires, viper, 2550 hrs ..........................................................$239,000 2009 Case IH 4420, Guidance, 120ft, Aim, auto box, 2 sets tires, 2200 hrs ................................................$239,000 2007 Rogator 874SS, 3100 hrs, 320-50, 800 gal, fenders, 480/42 tires .................................................SOLD $119,000 2007 JD 4720, 90ft, Guidance, 1490 hrs......................$189,000 2 - 2014 Case IH 3162, 45’, auger, transpeed ................$89,000 2005 Rogator 1074, Auto Boom, 2 sets of tires, 2011 Case IH 2152, 40 ft auger, single knife, 3700 hrs, 100’ .............................................SOLD $115,000 no adapter......................................................SOLD $40,000 1998 Tyler Patriot XL, 5147 hrs, 750 gal, 90’ booms, 2008 MacDon D60, 40 ft, adapter, auger, trans ..............$38,000 12.4/38 tires, 3 way nozzle bodies ..............................$45,900 2008 NH 94C, 36 ft, adapter, trans, auger .........SOLD $45,000 2005 NH 994-30, 30 ft U2 pickup reel, tx adapter ..........$27,500 2005 NH 94C-30, 30 ft hyd fore/aft.,trans, gauge wheels .$39,500 2011 Case IH PH800, 60on10, DS, VR,TBT 2010 3430 $200,000 2005 NH 94C - 42 ft., transport, auger, 2010 Case IH P800/3430 Tank, 70ft, 12inch, DS ..........$149,000 CR adapter .....................................................SOLD $39,000 2008 Case IH SDX40/ADX3430 tank, VR, 40ft, 3 - 2004 MacDon 973, headers, auger, liquid kit ....................................................................$139,000 transport, CR adapters....................................SOLD $35,000 2008 Seedmaster 50ft, 10”, NH P1060 430 B, tank, 2004 Honeybee, GB36, 36 ft, Split Reel, DS, liquid tank on board ............................................$169,000 transport ........................................................SOLD $39,000 2007 Seedhawk 66’, 12”, Bourgault DS ..........SOLD $110,000 1994 Macdon 960, 30ft, tr adapter ...............................$10,000 1997 Bourgault 4300 Tank, DS ......................................$35,000

USED HEADERS

USED AIRDRILLS

USED ROUND BALERS

USED DISCS

2004 NH BR780, 590 pto, STD PU, Auto Wrap ................ $16,900 2010 Lemken, Rubin 12S/1200, 40ft new blades .........$139,000

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 2012 Case IH, 1240 Pivit Planter 16/31 rows, bulk fill ....$99,000 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 2014 Unverferth 1610, U-Harvest, scale, tarp, tracks ................................................................$149,000 2006 Highline 8000, 1000 PTO ......................................$12,900 *0% for 24 Months on select Case IH Sprayers 2013 Unverferth 9250, scale, tarp ..................................$52,000 Hesston BR25, tub style ......................................SOLD $3,999 2013 Case IH 4430, 120ft, loaded, 983 hrs ..................$329,000 2013 Unverferth 1315, scale, tarp ..................................$82,000 2012 Case IH 4430, 120ft, 1082 hrs, AIM, *0%/24 months or 4.25 for 84 months Guidance, Dividers, 2 sets tires ..................................$299,000 2008 Case IH 485 Quad, diff lock, guidance, 2013 Case SV250, cab/AC,heat, radio, 2 spd, 2775 hrs, 2012 Case IH 3330, 100ft, Aim, 2 sets tires, 30” tracks, 4500 hrs .................................................$229,000 autoboom, accuboom, 1300 hrs ................................$269,000 new tires, hyd coupler, H controls ................................$42,900

USED HARROWS

BALE PROCESSORS

PLANTERS

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USED SPRAYERS

USED 4WD TRACTORS

* See Dealer for Details, Restrictions May Apply.

USED SKIDSTEER

news » livestock

DECEMBER 21, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Funding for forage research projects

New national beef conference

Seven projects were awarded funding through Alberta Beef Producers’ $1-million forage research call. They include breeding projects focused on forage wheat, hybrid brome with improved neutral detergent fibre digestibility, and production of oil in the vegetative tissues of legumes. Other projects are quantification of varietal and species differences (variety evaluation trials in multiple soil zones; evaluating alfalfa for reduced fall dormancy and improved winter hardiness; and management (best methods for pasture rejuvenation, how to reintroduce sainfoin into existing alfalfa and grass pastures). All projects will be completed by the fall of 2018. — ABP

Canada’s beef cattle industry has joined forces to create the Canadian Beef Industry Conference. “The recently established National Beef Strategy has four pillars, one of which is connectivity,” said Rob Smith, a beef producer and CEO of the Canadian Angus Association. “This conference will allow everyone from industry leaders to smaller-scale producers to come together and help grow our industry.” The conference, to be held Aug. 9-11 in Calgary, is an initiative of the Beef Cattle Research Council, Canada Beef, the Canadian Beef Breeds Council, and the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. For info see www.canadianbeefindustryconference.com. — BCRC release

Experimentation key to farmer’s homemade remote waterer Conrad Dolen built his own system and is testing it this winter to see how it compares with his commercial system

The ins and outs of watering cattle in winter There are lots of options but start by knowing how much water your cattle will need each day

BY JEFF MELCHIOR

AF contributor

You can buy a winter watering system off the shelf, or you can do what Conrad Dolen did and build your own. “We thought we could do it cheaper if we did it ourselves,” said Dolen, who operates Dolen Land and Cattle with siblings Quinton and Erica near Silver Valley. “We bought the pump, solar panels, and batteries but we were able to reuse some axles off an old cultivator to get some wheels.” The waterer includes a 5x7-foot steel frame, and a two-foot-deep trough with a float and valve system to control water flow. Both this and his commercial system are designed to water cattle herds of over 200 head. “We put the float inside a pipe, ran it up and down the edge of the trough, and routed the float into the pipe,” he said. “There’s a bit of room on the bottom for the water to move in and out so the cattle can’t interfere with the float. Also, if it’s windy the waves won’t start making the pump cut in and out unnecessarily.” The system ices up occasionally, but Dolen hopes to address this by putting some mineral oil into the pipe — an idea he got from a commercial watering system he saw at a local retailer. “The oil should just ride on top of the water so the float doesn’t freeze up,” he said. Finding the appropriate power for the pump has been a process of experimentation. His homemade waterer features a 12-volt pump with three 125-watt solar panels. However, he also owns a commercial system powered by a 24-volt pump and one 250-watt solar panel. “The 12-volt system doesn’t seem to pump the water as well,” he said. The limited number of daylight hours in winter presents a challenge for solar systems. “By December when we start getting some cloudy days, we’ll have to start charging batteries and changing batteries out,” he said. Dolen is waiting to see how both systems perform in winter. “We are curious to see if the 24-volt system will do better than the 12-volt system. I know with the 12 volt there’s about a 40-day section in the winter where getting enough daylight is hard.”

inter is here, and if you’re winter grazing, it’s not easy to know how best to deliver water to cattle on pasture. But Stacy Pritchard of the Peace Country Beef and Forage Association has some tips to get the best results from your watering program. Contrary to popular belief, snow can be an effective water source for animals, but it requires careful management, and that starts with knowing how much water your cattle need, said Pritchard. “Bred heifers and dry cows require between 20 and 33 litres of water per day,” she said. “In the winter a good average to use is 20 litres per cow per day and lactating animals require 50 per cent more water than dry cows. It takes 10 centimetres of snow to get one centimetre of water.” However, the snow has to be the right texture. “Snow must be clean and soft in order to be used as a water source; cattle must be able to lick large quantities into their mouths,” she said. “Trampled or crusted snow with lots of ice crystals makes it difficult for cattle to consume enough to meet their requirements.” There is also the safety factor to consider. “Watering on dugouts and cutting holes in ice to water is risky to both people and animals,” she said. Watering on snow can also affect the condition of cattle, said Conrad Dolen, a mixed farmer from Silver Valley, northwest of Grande Prairie. “We have our cows eat snow sometimes but we’re not comfortable with it unless they’re in really good shape and we have high-quality feed,” he said. “We find our cows don’t eat enough if they’re licking snow, especially in the cold weather or if they’re eating marginal feed.” The bottom line is that producers should have some kind of backup such as a remote waterer, said Pritchard. “You could get some freezing

The Peace Country Beef and Forage Association organizes tours of winter watering systems so producers can see what works and what doesn’t in their region. PHOTOs: Peace Country Beef and Forage Association

This system features an insulated trough serviced by a pump running from a dugout and powered by solar panels. rain or super high winds that crust the snow over or there may just not be enough snow in a given year. Either way you need a backup.”

Off the grid

Geothermal waterers are probably the most popular type of remote watering system. Although these are constantly evolving — mostly in the ways animals access the water — the basic components are the same: A supply line which enters an insulated tube below the frost line. “The insulated tube, whether it’s a culvert or even industrial tires, contains the geothermal warmth and keeps the supply line from freezing,” said Pritchard. Geothermal systems that don’t require electrical power offer substantial energy savings, said Pritchard. And electrical systems such as motioncontrolled water bowls can be made more flexible and cost effective with the use of battery power.

“Incorporating solar as well will help in accessing your pastures that don’t have access to the power grid.” Pritchard recommends marine or leisure deep cycle batteries. One way to make sure batteries stay charged is to use discarded chest freezers as storage compartments. “These will protect batteries from the elements. Warm batteries charge better so keeping them insulated against the weather is important,” she said.

Other factors

Geothermal units, or at least the geothermal components of the watering system, typically do not require a lot in the way of maintenance simply because there are not a lot of moving parts involved. However, it pays to be vigilant. “When you’re watering in -40 C, every kind of watering system is going to require some maintenance because there’s always potential for even the best insulated ones to freeze,” said Pritchard. “When it gets

as cold as it does in Alberta you want to make sure you’re keeping an eye on them to make sure there’s water for your animals.” Solar-powered systems should be regularly monitored no matter what the temperature. “In the north, for example, we only get so many hours of sunlight in a given day, so if you’re running your waterer on solar panels and batteries, it’s a good idea to check it every so often to make sure you still have juice in those batteries to run the pumps,” said Pritchard. “Consider providing a backup power source like a wind generator for stretches without much sunlight.” Solar panels also need to be kept clear of snow and should have a minimum angle of 15 degrees. “This prevents buildup of dust and dirt and the rain can wash the surface of the panel.” The capacity of the trough also needs to be matched to herd size. “If you have capacity to water 100 head but you’re only watering 25 head there’s not enough circulation in the system and there’s potential for it to freeze up,” said Pritchard. Most of the water troughs on the market carry a rating on how many head of cattle they can easily water.” There is funding available for some remote water system projects through Growing Forward 2’s On-Farm Stewardship Program. “There is money available for producers for year-round watering systems, which includes winter watering systems, so that can help them out a fair bit,” said Pritchard. But before investing in a system, find out what other producers in your area are doing. Many of the innovations in remote watering have been made by producers themselves, said Pritchard. Her organization conducts winter watering system tours (the next one is in Birch Hills County on Jan. 30) so farmers can “brainstorm and troubleshoot... and network with producers facing the same challenges.”

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 21, 2015

ABP and government partner on new research initiative The five-year agreement has a series of specific goals to reduce costs and boost productivity ABP release

lberta Beef Producers and the provincial and federal governments have agreed to a five-year partnership to advance research and extension activities related to the forage and beef sectors in the province. The agreement has specific, measurable, long-term strategic goals: • Build and maintain research and extension capacity; • Reduce winter feeding costs by 50 per cent; • Reduce environmental footprint of the cow herd by 15 per cent; • Improve cow efficiency by 15 per cent; • Reduce backgrounding costs by 50 per cent; • Improve late-summer/fall pasture productivity by 30 per cent.

“This agreement demonstrates the commitment of beef producers in Alberta to forage and beef research and extension efforts across the province.” Greg Bowie

The concept for the Alberta Beef, Forage and Grazing Centre arose from producer and industry group concerns regarding the need for essential applied forage research and extension for beef producers in Alberta. The centre is a virtual one. Much of the core expertise is currently located at the Lacombe Research and Development Centre, but additional activities will be carried out through collaborations with partners, industry, and academia at other locations, both in the province and interprovincially. “The centre’s commitment to collaborative science will provide Canada’s beef and forage sectors with the tools they need to remain competitive on the global stage,” said federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay. Alberta Beef Producers will provide $25,000 per year for this initiative, funds permitting, to augment work being done by federal and provincial researchers. “This agreement demonstrates the commitment of beef producers in Alberta to forage and beef research and extension efforts across the province, while encouraging co-ordination and collaboration between current research and extension initiatives,” said Greg Bowie, past ABP chair.

Improving late-season pasture productivity by 30 per cent is one of the goals of a new five-year partnership on beef and forage research. Photo: Thinkstock

Bob Lowe new chair of Alberta Beef Producers Bob Lowe is the new chair of Alberta Beef Producers. The Nanton producer was elected at the organization’s meeting earlier this month. The other executive board members are vice-chair Roland Cailliau (Valleyview), finance chair Charlie Christie (Trochu), and past chair Greg Bowie (Ponoka). The other members on the 2016 board of directors are Howard Bekkering (Vauxhall), Cecilie Fleming (Granum), Chris Israelson (Didsbury), Tim Smith (Coronation), Kelly Fraser (Red Deer County), Tim Sekura (Rocky Rapids), Colin Campbell (Bon Accord), Lyndon Mansell (Innisfree), Norm Hennigar (Grande Prairie), Rick Friesen (Vauxhall), John Buckley (Cochrane), Melanie Wowk (Beauvallon), and Bryan Thiessen (Strathmore). — ABP release

DECEMBER 21, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Put more jingle in your jeans this winter Shopping around, alternative feeds, and how you store your hay can make a huge difference to the bottom line By JENNIFER BLAIR

AF staff / Rocky Mountain House

ith cattle prices off their record highs, many producers are sharpening their pencils. And it can be well worth it. “We have to watch our input costs — that’s the one thing we can control,” said Dean Dyck, a farm business management specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “If our incomes go up but our expenses go up, we’re not making money. You’ve got to know your costs.” Yardage tends to be neglected in budgeting, said Dyck, who spoke at Clearwater County’s Cattlemen’s Day in late November. Producers need to factor in costs such as labour, medication, processing, repairs, and taxes. Around $1.20 per head per day is a reasonable estimate for yardage, but producers usually lowball budget yardage costs, he said. “A lot of guys look at 90 cents or $1 per head per day in yardage, but that needs to get priced in for profit,” he said. “Yardage can vary a lot from operation to operation, and one size doesn’t fit all. Use your own numbers and do your own math to figure it out.” Winter feeding accounts for roughly 40 per cent of costs — on average, about $2.60 per head per day, said Dyck. “For every $5 a tonne that hay goes up, your cost per day increases three cents per head per day. A 10-centsper-bushel increase in barley prices results in a cost-per-day increase of two cents per head.” So shopping around for better prices can have a major impact. “If you can get straw at $35 a bale, barley at $3.38 a bushel, and hay at seven cents a pound, you’re now down to $2.33 a head per day,” said Dyck.

The pyramid stack is “probably the worst way to store the hay,” says a provincial forage specialist. PHOTO: tHINKSTOCK Producers should also consider lower-quality feeds when it makes sense, added provincial beef forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. For instance, feeding a straight hay ration over 225 days works out to about $1,023 a cow, but a ration of straw and grain prior to calving drops that cost to around $684 a head. “There’s about a $350 savings if you want to look at slough hay or some poor-quality forages that are less expensive than hay,” said Yaremcio. “In a 275-head cow herd, that’s almost $100,000.”

Reducing waste

But producers need to be careful when dropping the quality of their feed over the winter, he cautioned. “The nutrient content of straw is so low that I feel there should be little or no straw in an after-calving

ration,” said Yaremcio. “It’s just too low of quality — not enough energy, not enough protein. Your cows will lose weight and they won’t milk properly.” So how can producers reduce waste and maintain feed quality over the winter? It starts with stacking. “The pyramid stack is probably the worst way to store the hay,” said Yaremcio. “With the pyramid stack, typically what happens when you get snow or water, it leaks all the way down the bales to the bottom. “Wherever those two bales are touching and water hits, that’s where you’re going to get the spoilage.” The mushroom stack — where one bale is placed on its side atop another bale — is better, but the best bet is not stacking at all. “If you have the space and you

Don’t take chances with your health

“There’s about a $350 savings if you want to look at slough hay or some poor-quality forages that are less expensive than hay.” Barry Yaremcio

jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

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can stack the bales in single rows, leaving six to 10 inches between the bales so they’re not touching, that’s going to minimize your waste,” said Yaremcio. Producers also need to look at how they’re feeding. With a bale processor, producers can expect around 19 per cent waste. “The fine material — the highquality material, the cream of the crop — that’s what they were leaving behind. We lost 30 per cent protein and 23 per cent of the calcium out of that feed.” Simply unrolling a bale results in around 12 per cent waste, while bale feeders are anywhere between three to 20 per cent, depending on the feeder. “If it gets outside the feeder and they start stepping on it, it’s very expensive bedding,” said Yaremcio. “If you’re using a bale processor or putting silage out, put it in tubs or tires or any kind of feeder — anything that will prevent the cows from walking over the feed. “That’s going to save you big dollars, around $250 on feed waste alone.”

ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready® crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides. Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for canola contains the active ingredients difenoconazole, metalaxyl (M and S isomers), fludioxonil and thiamethoxam. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for canola plus Vibrance® is a combination of two separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients difenoconazole, metalaxyl (M and S isomers), fludioxonil, thiamethoxam, and sedaxane. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn (fungicides and insecticide) is a combination of four separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin, ipconazole, and clothianidin. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn (fungicides only) is a combination of three separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin and ipconazole. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn with Poncho®/ VoTivo™ (fungicides, insecticide and nematicide) is a combination of five separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin, ipconazole, clothianidin and Bacillus firmus strain I-1582. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for soybeans (fungicides and insecticide) is a combination of four separate individually registered products, which together contain the active ingredients fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin, metalaxyl and imidacloprid. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for soybeans (fungicides only) is a combination of three separate individually registered products, which together contain the active ingredients fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin and metalaxyl. Acceleron and Design®, Acceleron®, DEKALB and Design®, DEKALB®, Genuity and Design®, Genuity®, JumpStart®, RIB Complete and Design®, RIB Complete®, Roundup Ready 2 Technology and Design®, Roundup Ready 2 Yield®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup Transorb®, Roundup WeatherMAX®, Roundup®, SmartStax and Design®, SmartStax®, Transorb®, VT Double PRO®, and VT Triple PRO® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC, Used under license. Vibrance® and Fortenza® are registered trademarks of a Syngenta group company. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design are trademarks of Bayer. Used under license. Herculex® is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC. Used under license. Poncho® and Votivo™ are trademarks of Bayer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 21, 2015

Proper treatment of a prolapse starts with knowing the cause beef 911 } Rigorous culling has reduced the incidence of this problem,

which is often a challenge to deal with By roy lewis, dvm

he act of replacing vaginal prolapses is the visible part, but there are many other aspects veterinarians consider when they are working on this condition. The cause, method of replacement, long-term care, and expected force of straining afterwards must all be considered when they are corrected. There are times when I must use my complete bag of tricks to help the producer arrive at a favourable outcome. The classic vaginal prolapses — which occurred before calving where a soccer ball-sized or bigger mass protruded from the vagina — have been greatly reduced by culling these cows. Once it was known to be highly heritable, producers eliminated these cows from the gene pool and didn’t keep any of their heifer offspring as replacements, so occurrence declined remarkably. Now we see many different causes and these must be differentiated in order to provide service to our clients. It isn’t enough in my mind to simply freeze with an epidural, reduce the prolapse suture, and leave.

A more in-depth physical exam may identify the cause of the straining (the prolapse is simply the end result of the straining). Kidney and/ or bladder infection, low-grade peritonitis, a uterus full of infection, or a large full-term calf or twins are some of the reasons cows start straining. There are many other causes — I have even seen prolapses in overweight, out-of-shape show cows. Once the vagina protrudes through the vaginal lips it can dry out and have manure stick to it. This in itself is irritating and results in further straining, plus the prolapse gets bigger from edema or a fuller bladder kinked off underneath it. To me, it’s absolutely critical for the veterinarian if these medical reasons are found for the prolapse that he or she treats them as well as the prolapse. After the prolapse is reduced in the cases of heavily pregnant cows, it’s important for your veterinarian to give some idea of how pregnant the cow is and when to watch for imminent calving. In some cases, we can induce the cow to calve. If you have a good idea of when to observe calving, there is a good chance of survival especially if you have to cut the vaginal suture. Inducing is only advisable if the cow is within 10 days

of her calving date. Otherwise, in emergency situations, you and your veterinarian may need to take size of the fetus, udder fill with colostrum, looseness of the vulval lips, and even when she calved last year as clues as to whether she is close enough. You want to maximize the chances of a viable calf whenever you induce. With inducing early there is also the problem of retained placentas you will need to contend with. There are three main ways we reduce prolapses. The standard purse string suture which acts as a drawstring to pull the vaginal lips together. I only use this technique in cows that are severely straining or non-pregnant cows. Another technique your vet may use is tying rubber tubing across the suture ends. Large knot balls left at the loose ends of the suture ends are pulled tight and the rubber tubing is knotted over the ends. The advantage of this technique is if you are not present to cut the suture, the straining of the cow has the calf’s legs forced out, breaking or separating the tubing, the vaginal lips fall out of the way and the calf is delivered naturally. Most times after calving, the prolapse will not reoccur until, of course, next year with the hereditary ones.

If the suture is to be left in on prolapsed vaginas done after calving, care must be taken to ensure enough room is left in case a bull breeds the cow. The last thing we want is an injured bull from a vaginal suture catching his penis at breeding. If at all possible keep the cow separate — don’t breed her and ship her when the calf is weaned. This, of course, is true unless the other causes of prolapsing such as a kidney infection or peritonitis are cured with medication. My rule is most prolapsed vaginas may crop up again. For instance, kidneys are strained close to calving from filtering the calf’s blood as well as the cow’s, so low-grade infections tend to reappear then. The last technique involves reducing the prolapse. With a good epidural, a device which holds the vagina in and pins it in and out through the musculature in the pelvis. Then a plastic washer is placed over this pin. I only use this if cows are close to calving and not overly straining. Cows will calve totally past this and the whole apparatus can be left in until calving but must be removed after this. Some veterinarians will use this on both sides of the pelvis

— a double repair, so to speak. The cow should calve normally with little risk of any complications. It is not uncommon if we palpate the cows close to calving we find either a large calf or twins. This pressure with these calves together with a full rumen can push her vagina out the back end hence the problem. If they go back in when the cow runs around, I don’t panic as these are better left, hoping she calves and your problem is over. If they stay out, they must be repaired as the cow cannot have a calf by this large mass. Older cows may have the condition worsen year by year starting with a small bubble which just protrudes a little bit when lying down. Work with your veterinarian to reduce the incidence of these in the future and remember the initial cause is what we also need to know. It’s not enough to simply reduce and suture in all cases and often an explanation can be found if one looks. Roy Lewis practised large-animal veterinary medicine for more than 30 years and now works part time as a technical services veterinarian for Merck Animal Health.

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} forecasts

DECEMBER 21, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

More wild weather ahead?

Two degrees is too much

Scientists have a message for everyone bracing for one of the strongest El Niño events on record: Get used to it. While El Niño oscillates on a more or less yearly cycle, another dynamic in Pacific Ocean water temperatures, known as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, may accelerate global warming and increase the severity of El Niño episodes. The 15-year period up to January 2014 had mostly negative values for the oscillation and saw only weak or moderate El Niño events. Now, scientists say the period of relative El Niño calm is coming to a close, marking the start of a warmer, stormier era akin to the 1980s and ’90s. — Reuters

Even though they won’t likely limit the rise in global temperatures to 2 C above pre-industrial levels, more countries now say the target should be 1.5 C. At the recent climate talks in Paris, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States would join around 100 countries in a “high ambition coalition” seeking to go beyond 2 C, a level that low-lying island states such as the Marshall Islands say may not be enough to stop them being submerged by the end of the century. Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Tony de Brum, who formed the ad hoc group, urged countries to “ratchet up” their emissions cuts. — Reuters

What is your idea of perfect Christmas weather? Some want it warm, some want a dusting of snow, and others dream of a big storm that keeps the family at home for a couple of days

BY DANIEL BEZTE

ith the first half of December starting off with record-warm temperatures and well-belowaverage snow cover across most of the Prairies, it’s time to take our annual look at Christmas weather. The big question is whether we’ll have perfect Christmas weather, but the million-dollar question is: Just what is perfect Christmas weather? For those of you who have followed my articles, it’s probably no secret that my perfect Christmas weather is to have a nice big snowstorm that keeps everyone at home for a couple of days. I know that a big storm at this time of the year would cause all sorts of problems and hardships. But I like the idea of being stuck at home for a few days with no pressure to go anywhere (because you can’t), plenty of food available, family around you, and hopefully something new to play with. For me, that’s a perfect time to be forced to sit back and just relax and get away from all the holiday bustle. But that’s my holiday weather wish and I am sure there are others out there — such as no snow and record warmth, or daytime highs right around zero with great big lazy snowflakes falling, and maybe even clear skies and frigid cold. All I know is it takes all kinds to make the world go round and what is perfect for one person is not perfect for another. According to Environment Canada, perfect Christmas weather means there is already snow on the ground and at some point during Christmas Day there is measurable snowfall. So what are the chances of this happening somewhere across the Prairies? The following table shows the probability of having snow on the ground for Christmas along

with having snow fall during the day. Interestingly, it breaks the data down into two 18-year periods (1964-82 and 1991-2009) to try and show how our winters seem to be becoming warmer with less snow. Looking at this data it seems that if you want a white Christmas, then Winnipeg is your best bet. If you want Environment Canada’s version of a perfect Christmas, then Regina is your best bet. If your version of a perfect Christmas is to have recordbreaking warm or heck, even cold temperatures, then here is a list of the warmest, coldest, and snowiest Christmas periods on record for the two major centres in each of the three Prairie provinces. These records are based on the full set of data that each of these cities has, which mean they go back to the late 1800s. While some might argue that these old records are not valid, I personally think they are and that they should be included. If you are looking for a place to go in the Prairies to experience a really warm Christmas, then Calgary would be the place for you. While all of the other centres have seen some nice warm Christmases in the past, not one of the major centres comes close to Calgary’s recorded highs. If you want a chance at seeing some really cold weather during this period, then you could pick pretty much anyplace, as they have all seen Christmases colder than -35, although Winnipeg comes out the winner here with a bone-chilling -47.8 C on Christmas Eve in 1879. Interestingly, when you examine the precipitation records for these three days, you’ll notice that the Christmas period has been a relatively dry, storm-free period, but there are a couple of exceptions. Winnipeg saw a heavy dump of 30.5 centimetres of snow on Boxing Day back in 1916, but

Percent of Average Precipitation (Prairie Region) November 1, 2015 to December 10, 2015

< 40% 40 - 60% 60 - 85% 85 - 115% 115 - 150% 150 - 200% > 200% Extent of Agricultural Land Lakes and Rivers

Produced using near real-time data that has undergone initial quality control. The map may not be accurate for all regions due to data availability and data errors. Copyright © 2015 Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada Prepared by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s National Agroclimate Information Service (NAIS). Data provided through partnership with Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and many Provincial agencies.

This map shows the total amount of precipitation across the Prairies so far this winter (Nov. 1 to Dec. 10) compared to the long-term average. You can see that with the exception of central Saskatchewan westwards into extreme east-central Alberta and along the foothills in Alberta, precipitation so far has been below to well-below average.

the record for biggest Christmas snowstorms has to go to Edmonton. Back in 1938, Edmonton recorded over 25 centimetres of snow on Christmas Eve and then a further 18 centimetres of snow on Christmas Day, for a total of 43 centimetres of snow. Whatever weather you end up with I hope it is what you wanted. If not, then remember the season and try to make the best of it! 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.

Table 1. Chances of having a white Christmas, a “perfect” Christmas and average snow depth at Christmastime across the Prairies

City Calgary Edmonton Regina Saskatoon Winnipeg

Average chance of snow on ground (%) 56 85 91 96 98

Chance now (%, 1991-2009) 47 79 89 89 95

Chance before (%, 1964-82) 74 100 95 100 100

Created: 12/11/15 www.agr.gc.ca/drought

Overall chance of “perfect” Christmas (%) 4 20 38 22 11

Snow depth now (cm, 1991-2009) 4 11 12 11 14

Snow depth before (cm, 1964-82) 6 17 15 13 14

Table 2. Christmas (Dec. 24-26) minimum, maximum, and precipitation records for the Prairie provinces Max.

Year

Min.

Year

Ppt.

Year

Dec. 24

3.9

1953

-47.8

1879

15.2

1929

Dec. 25 Dec. 26 Brandon Dec. 24 Dec. 25 Dec. 26 Regina Dec. 24 Dec. 25 Dec. 26 Saskatoon Dec. 24 Dec. 25 Dec. 26 Edmonton Dec. 24 Dec. 25 Dec. 26 Calgary Dec. 24 Dec. 25 Dec. 26

5.4 4.4

1999 2011

-40 -38.9

1879 1883

9.4 30.5

1938 1916

4.4 7.2 4.8

1953 1999 2005

-41 -40 -39.4

1983 1902 1891

5.1 15.2 7.6

1938 1938 1976

4 6.1 6.1

1999 1943 1898

-40.6 -39.4 -39.3

1884 1933 1990

9.7 7.1 13.5

1950 1959 1916

6.9 4.5 4.4

2011 1895 1928

-37.8 -38.9 -41.7

1917 1933 1934

12.7 7.6 9.9

1938 1922 1959

10.4 8.9 10

1999 1987 1999

-41.7 -39.4 -38.3

1880 1880 1880

25.4 17.8 21.1

1938 1938 1955

17.6 14.8 13.8

1999 1985 1999

-36.1 -35 -35.6

1983 1886 1886

5.1 10.2 10.2

1937 1923 1923

Winnipeg

Trim: 10.25”

Lots on tap at Agronomy Update New clubroot strains and ways to reduce fusarium damage are two of the topics featured at Agronomy Update 2016 in Red Deer on Jan. 19-20. The annual conference will also feature presentations on phosphorus and potassium decline; new wheat classes; marketing peas and fababeans; plant growth regulators; adding diversity to crop rotations; updates on wireworms and swede midge; harvest weed seed control; and new, strange weeds to watch for. The cost is $120 for registrations received on or before Jan. 8. The fee includes meals. To register, call the Ag-Info Centre at 1-800-387-6030. — AAF release

Ten is the magic number for canola By JENNIFER BLAIR

Cinderella story: canola crushes yield expectations despite rocky start

AF staff / Lethbridge

jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

Whatever the reason for the surprisingly good yields, growers urged to stick to recommended practices this spring By JENNIFER BLAIR AF staff

his year was a head-scratcher for canola growers across the Prairies. “For a lot of our producers, it was a drought year, with a bumper crop and a wet harvest — those things shouldn’t go together,” said Keith Gabert, agronomist with the Canola Council of Canada. This year looked like it would be a wreck right from seeding, said Gabert. Moisture conditions at seeding ranged from “exceptionally dry to pretty good, depending on how early growers started seeding.” But it was another 60 days before producers saw any substantial rainfall, and by then, canola crops were already struggling. “Typically, if we make mistakes at seeding, a half an inch of rain in the next seven to 14 days sort of forgives all of the challenges we’ve had — that didn’t happen,” he said. “So we got fairly poor stand establishment, and we had patchy fields with thin patches.” But even with the early-season struggles, the crop flowered after some late-season rain and yielded 1.5 million tonnes more than Statistics Canada estimated earlier in the growing season. “We expected the crop to be small — smaller than we’d like — but I think most growers met or exceeded their target yields,” said Gabert. “They would have been happy with 10 bushels under their target yield when they looked at the crop in the middle of July. “Not a single agronomist or grower I’ve talked to expected the kinds of yields they got.” A small percentage of growers — around five per cent — never got rain, so “they got the yield they expected, which was exceptionally poor,” he said.

Why were canola yields so good last year? Who knows, says agronomist Keith Gabert. PHOTO: JENNIFER BLAIR “But most growers in central Alberta found 10 to 25 bushels in their field per acre more than they would have predicted when they put a combine in.”

It’s a mystery

So what happened? Was it good management, good luck, or something else? Gabert can’t say. “This is going to be that one in 10 or 20 years where odd things happen — where a low plant establishment outyields a better one,” he said. Still don’t expect a repeat, said Gabert. Instead, get the right seed and have a solid plan for fertility as well as disease and pest control. It’s especially important to choose a variety “that’s specifically adapted for your area.” “Where I’m at — Highway 2 and west — I often tell growers that more important than utility is maturity,” he said. “If you’re going to run into green seed issues, you have to restrict yourselves to the varieties that are earlier than the checks. Don’t go chase that last 10 per cent yield because it often doesn’t happen in a short-season zone. “The earlier varieties might actually mature and get you a No. 1 canola sample, and they’re a safer bet.” Disease resistance is another good trait to have — if you need it. “A lot of growers ask me in November

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and December about blackleg-resistant varieties, but they haven’t necessarily gone to their field and cut some stems when they grow canola to know if blackleg is an issue in their field,” said Gabert. “Your field history probably tells you whether you need to go for the specific traits on the market.” Blackleg, sclerotinia, and clubroot are the “big-ticket problems” for canola growers, and there’s seed available to combat all those diseases, he said. “You need to know what your yield challenges are, and if it’s one of those diseases, then you can select a variety that would be an improvement.”

‘Slow down’

Aside from choosing the right seed, the best thing at seeding is “slow down and shallow up.” Increased seeding speeds can reduce emergence and “cause all kinds of headaches.” “We know that as growers speed up or get into a bit of a hurry, their equipment tends not to place that seed as accurately or as uniformly in the soil,” said Gabert. Gabert recommends seeding at one-half to one inch to increase emergence. “We know that our best odds of success when it’s seeded with good soil moisture is at an inch or less.” But producers need to adjust their plans with the conditions — as they learned in 2015. “We probably didn’t give the drought conditions the kind of weight that we could have,” said Gabert. “We didn’t know we were looking at another 60 days of dry conditions. Had we known that, we might have been a little braver seeding into moisture with canola. “2015 was a bit of a reminder that you need to do as many things right as you can and adjust your plans if you need to.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

Trim: 15.58”

In a year like 2015, the little things add up. “If we get lots of moisture early in the spring, you can just about broadcast your canola and it will grow,” Dan Orchard said at the Farming Smarter conference earlier this month. “But when years are tough, that’s when a lot of these little things come into play. When you do the little things right, they add up on the bad years.” Agronomic best practices — such as proper seeding depth and trash management — are “so important, especially in years like we just had,” said the Canola Council of Canada agronomist. And that starts with your seeding rate. “Targeting 10 plants per square foot is really important, and you could probably target a little higher even,” he said. “Frost and the insects all take a little bite out of your plants. You just have to accept the fact that you donate a few plants to Mother Nature.” Five plants per square foot is needed to hit full yield potential. “But if you’re starting at five, and frost takes one or two and flea beetles take one or two, you’re down to one or two plants, and you’re unable to reach your yield target.” At three plants per square foot, there will be a big variation in yield, which makes it hard to know how much you can forward sell or contract. But 10 plants per square foot is the sweet spot — despite the added seed cost. “You’re going to be hitting 90 to 100 per cent of your target yield just by having those plants,” he said. “It’s not cheap. I know seed is expensive. But that extra pound of seed can go a long way and really make up for some lost time if you’re behind in the spring.”

} research

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 21, 2015

DECEMBER 21, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Say hello to the creatures that live in your soil There are just four basic types of soil organisms, but the diversity and sheer numbers of them are breathtakingly large By Alexis Kienlen AF STAFF / EDMONTON

hen you’re standing on your land, you’re atop an ecosystem with a diversity rivalling that of a coral reef. “Soil organisms are abundant and varied — you can find anywhere from 100 to 100,000 individuals in a single square metre of soil,” soil ecologist Jeff Battigelli told attendees at the recent Western Canada Soil Health Conference. “In a single square metre, you can find anywhere from 250 to 300 species. From a diversity perspective, that’s a lot of species in a small area.” And all of those critters are busy working for you, added the consultant and researcher from St. Albert. “The ecosystems services provided by soil fauna and soil flora

This mite, less than 10 millimetres long, is an example of the mesofauna found in soil. PHOTOs: COURTESY Jeff Battigelli

are equivalent to $1.2 trillion to $2.3 trillion. That’s a lot of service for free.” These organisms break down organic matter so it is more available to other organisms, cycle nutrients, and play a key role in

Pseudoscorpions, a type of mesofauna, look like the real deal but are too small to hurt you.

continual carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulphur cycles taking place in soil. There are four main types of soil organisms. The smallest are microflora, which include bacteria and fungi.

Springtails are mesofauna frequently found in litter and other decaying material, where they act as detritivores.

“You need a good microscope to see these guys,” said Battigelli. There are three classes of ‘fauna,’ which are grouped by size. Microfauna are less than one-fifth of a millimetre in size,

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and include nematodes and protozoa, which live in the soil water film (little bits of water that accumulate on the soil particles). Mites and springtails are examples of mesofauna, which range from 0.2 to 10 millimetres in size. Mites, known as Acari, account for the bulk of soil organisms, and come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colours. They can be predators, parasites, herbivores, or detritivores (which feed off decomposing matter). Macrofauna, 10 millimetres or bigger, can be seen with the naked eye, and include ants, earthworms, centipedes, beetles, and bugs.

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“The ecosystems services provided by soil fauna and soil flora are equivalent to $1.2 trillion to $2.3 trillion.” Jeff Battigelli

About 80 to 90 per cent of all soil organisms live in organic matter in the top five to 10 centimetres of soil. Each adapts to the very specific conditions of its section of soil, and populations change according to soil pH. For example, when a soil is less acidic, there will be fewer earthworms and more fungi, springtails, and mites. The diversity and density of organisms also change seasonally. From the last frost in spring until early summer as plants and roots start to grow, food is abundant, and soil organisms begin reproducing. During the summer months, the density drops off as things dry up and warm up. By fall, populations jump up again as leaves dry up and roots start to die. “You have that extra flush of nutrients that are showing up in

see soil organisms } page 19

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 21, 2015

What happens above changes the world below Tilling, spraying, fertilizing, and even grazing can have big impacts on the microbial world By Alexis Kienlen AF STAFF / EDMONTON

any conventional agricultural practices generate a homogenous soil habitat — and that’s not a good thing, says soil ecologist Jeff Battigelli. “Basically, you just keep knocking things down. It’s not allowed to get very complex; there is a simplified community structure, with very few species,” said Battigelli. Homogenous soils need constant human intervention and resources to keep them functioning. “We’re having to till the soil, apply fertilizer, pesticides and fungicides and that sort of thing to keep the productivity up,” he said.

soil organisms } from page 18 the soil system to allow for the extra bump of activity during that season,” said Battigelli. Mesofauna and macrofauna aren’t just involved in decomposition and nutrient cycling, but also inoculation and transportation of microfauna. They carry spores with them as they move through the soil profile and inoculate new organic matter to allow the decomposition process to continue in the soil ecosystem. They also change the soil profile by moving nutrients and organic matter about. Both flora and fauna store nutrients in their own biomass as they feed on the organic matter. These nutrients are released when they excrete waste or are eaten by other organisms. As the soil organisms feed on organic matter, they immobilize nutrients and that prevents them from being leached away and lost. “It’s almost like little Contac C capsules that are just releasing nutrients in a timely fashion, that the plants are going to be able to use,” said Battigelli. Your soil, in short, is a very busy place. Growers don’t have to be experts on soil microbiology, but they should be aware that soil health and healthy crops are directly related, he said. “All above-ground habitat and variety and all the things you see have been made possible by the things below ground — and that’s one thing to keep in mind,” said Battigelli. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

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For example, bacteria tend to be the dominant organisms in tilled fields, and that means the decomposition rate of organic matter is increased and there is fast nutrient mineralization. “You don’t have a lot of those nutrients hanging around to get utilized by the plants when they need that material. You constantly have to add fertilizers to the soil so plants have those nutrients and minerals to take up.” Zero or minimal till slows down the decomposition rate; increases density and diversity of soil biota; and allows for more fungal growth, which keeps more nutrients in the soil profile. “Potentially, we’re using fewer resources to keep that system functioning,” said Battigelli. Fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides cause direct and indirect effects on soil organisms.

Lethal doses can kill the organism outright, or change the chemical environment so the organism dies. Chemicals can also impact the microclimate, causing organisms to leave or die out. Nitrogen fertilizers change the soil pH and organic matter content. They also influence the food supply by affecting the bacteria and fungi and reducing certain types of worm populations. Higher doses of nitrogen fertilizer can decrease mesofauna populations while urea increases bacterial nematode populations, which influences decomposition rates. Ammonia applications decrease bacterial feeding in nematode populations. But you can’t make blanket statements as pesticides and herbicides have different effects on different organisms at a species and genus level. Sometimes there is a positive

impact, sometimes a negative impact, and sometimes no effect. But chemicals do change populations. “It really does depend, when we are applying these chemicals, what organisms are present on these sites and how they are going to respond,” said Battigelli. Ideally, producers should try to use biological control to limit pathogens and pests. By increasing biodiversity and having a healthier soil ecosystem, the need to apply pesticides or fungicides is reduced because pests are already being controlled by organisms in that system. A healthy biodiversity in the soil also aids nutrient decomposition and nutrient cycling, reducing the number of chemicals that need to be applied long term. Grazing can also have negative consequences if not done properly.

Just by walking around, livestock cause a loss in air and pore spaces that are critical for organisms to move around in. They also alter soil temperature by removing organic matter and litter, and affect nitrogen levels, moisture content, and the aggregate stability of the soil profile. Grazing can reduce soil organism diversity and density and cause bacteria to dominate the system. The only way to combat this is to reduce the concentration of grazing and have fewer animals grazing for a shorter amount of time, said Battigelli. “Don’t rock the boat too much and allow these organisms to perform the routines, services and duties that they do, and help out where we need to help out,” he said. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

DECEMBER 21, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Revenue cap a hot-button issue at transportation conference Some claim the cap has limited innovation, but others say grain transportation has made dramatic gains BY ALLAN DAWSON

“Canada probably has the best grain-handling and transportation system in the world.”

Staff / Winnipeg

here were wildly contrasting views of how the grain transportation system is performing at the Fields on Wheels conference here. Some argued more deregulation is necessary, while others focused on the improvements that have been achieved. “Canada probably has the best grain-handling and transportation system in the world,” said Mark Hemmes, Canada’s grain monitor and president of Quorum Corporation. “What has happened in the grainhandling and transportation system in Western Canada in the last 20 years is truly remarkable.” But according to Saskatchewan economist Graham Parsons, regulations such as the maximum revenue entitlement (MRE) discourage railways from investing to improve grain shipping and that ultimately hurts farm incomes. “The policy focus on the railway revenue cap has slowed the introduction of the very market incentives needed to allocate resources to create investment to adjust daily variations in demand,” said Parsons, president of the Organization for Western Economic Cooperation.

Mark Hemmes

Economist Graham Parsons claims the maximum revenue entitlement is stifling railway investments to improve grain transportation and as a result reducing farmers’ income. PHOTO: ALLAN DAWSON Introduced in 2000, the cap gives the railways flexibility to set variable rates to encourage efficiency, while capping the total amount they can earn. It guarantees the railways a 21 per cent return on their volumerelated variable costs — considered a reasonable profit. But grain is not paying its fair share of fixed railway costs, so other shippers pay more, according to Parsons. Not so, said Harvey Brooks, gen-

eral manager of the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission. “Grain is paying its fair share and then some,” said Brooks. A study by Travacon estimates grain pays a 61 per cent return because rail efficiency has increased since 2000. “There is a lot of money on the table here,” Brooks added. “Taking away the maximum revenue entitlement without adequate regulation

of the market power of the railways would be an incredible income transfer among market participants… so we need to… approach it from information-based assessment.” Hemmes also contradicted Parsons, saying grain companies and railways are investing billions in country and port elevators as well as rail improvements. CP and CN Rail invested $1.5 billion and $2.3 billion, respectively last year. The breakdown in grain shipping in 2013-14 was not representative because it was a record crop, he said. But overall, “it’s a really positive story,” he said. In 2000, Vancouver terminals turned 13 times a year. It’s double that now with West Coast ports handling a record 38 million tonnes in the last crop year, said Hemmes.

Country elevators are turning 6.5 times a year, up from four, while rail cars cycle every 14 days instead of 20, he said. “This is really, really good news because again the number of times you turn cars and the lower the car cycle it means the capacity of the rail fleet is all that much better,” Hemmes said. In 2000, grain was in the system 70 to 90 days. Today it averages 42. The Grain Logistics Working Group studied the MRE and found non-regulated grain moving to markets in Eastern Canada or the U.S. pays higher rail freight rates, but doesn’t get any better service, chair Murdoch MacKay said. “The MRE is a public policy tool that is working,” he said. “It is well established that there is no relationship between the cost of freight and the provision of service in the rail market.” However, Steve Dziver, a consultant who also farms, sided with Parsons, saying he quit growing oats because of poor rail service. The MRE and other rail transportation regulations are being studied as part of the Canada Transportation Act review, which was due to be delivered to the federal transportation minister in mid-December. allan@fbcpublishing.com

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 21, 2015

Hot spots for wheat stem sawfly in 2016

BULL’S EYE

Only a few areas are at high risk but one of them is much farther north than usual Alberta Agriculture and Forestry release

The risk of economically significant sawfly populations in 2016 will be limited to only a few areas, according to the province’s new wheat stem sawfly forecast map. “For the wheat stem sawfly, we go into the wheat fields after harvest, look at four spots and count the number of stems that is intact and the number that has been cut by the sawfly,” said provincial insect management specialist Scott Meers. “This system gives us a percentage cut, and from that we can make a fairly good forecast on what to expect for the next year.” The forecast calls for fairly low numbers, especially in the traditional areas such as the M.D. of Acadia, County of Forty Mile and the Special Areas, although individual fields may vary. “We found a fairly significant hot spot in the eastern portion of Willow Creek and the western portion of Lethbridge counties where the two are side by side,” said Meers. “There are fields in that area that absolutely should have solid-stem wheat planted there next year if wheat is to be planted. Numbers are high, but not extreme like during the height of the outbreaks in the early 2000s. However, they are high enough that there could be yield losses.” Surprisingly, wheat midge sawfly was also found in Flagstaff County. “One field was high there but not extreme. But that’s still pretty far north — in fact we don’t usually survey for the insect that far north. But we were tipped off by some agrologists in the area so that area was added.” The wheat stem sawfly map is available at www.agriculture. alberta.ca (search for ‘wheat sawfly 2016’). The wheat midge survey map also shows a few residual hot spots for the insect, but generally low numbers overall. “The wheat midge survey is done by doing soil samples,” said Meers. Samples were taken from over 300 fields this year. “The survey shows wheat midge numbers are the lowest seen in a number of years, probably because wheat midge tends to do better in wet years,” he said. “There is a hot spot for the second year to the east of Edmonton, and a residual population in the Falher area where there was a lot of wheat midge two years ago.” The wheat midge map can be found at www.agriculture. alberta.ca by searching for ‘wheat midge 2016.’ The rest of the insect forecast maps should be up in mid-January, said Meers.

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A Hereford bull on the Bar Pipe Ranch, west of Okotoks, Alta., gives a stranger the stink-eye. Photo: Wendy Dudley

DECEMBER 21, 2015 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Governments considering ‘options’ for Churchill port and rail line Current owner says port is a money loser, but farm leader says short line could be an option BY ALLAN DAWSON Staff

he Manitoba and federal governments say they don’t want to see the Port of Churchill and the railway that serves it die. Denver-based OmniTrax says it is losing money on the port and line and without more subsidies, will put it up for sale. Steve Ashton, the province’s transportation minister, met with his federal counterpart Marc Garneau and Winnipeg Liberal MP Terry Duguid after OmniTrax informed him of its plans. “My sense is there are a number of different options that should be thoroughly explored,” said Duguid. “I believe there is a sustainable solution that will ensure that there is a secure future for the Port of Churchill.” The port and line handled just 186,000 tonnes of grain this year — a dramatic drop from the five-year average of 554,548 tonnes — despite a $9-a-tonne federal shipping subsidy. Both Ashton and Duguid said they see the port and line’s sale as an opportunity to explore a new business plan. One option could see northerners taking ownership, Ashton said, noting a First Nations consortium now owns the Keewatin Railway Company. Purchased from OmniTrax in 2006, the 185-mile line operates a freight and passenger service in a remote northern area of the province. Farmers could be part of the solution too, said the head of Keystone Agricul-

tural Producers, the province’s main farm group. Some farmers, especially in northwestern Manitoba and northeastern Saskatchewan, might want to operate the railway as a short line, said Dan Mazier. “I think there’s lots of opportunity,” said Mazier. “I know there are challenges. I get that. But in 20 years I see nothing but expansion. Once you tear it out, it’s pretty hard to get back.” Global warming is already lengthening Churchill’s shipping season, but is also making it more challenging to operate the railway on thawing permafrost. A professor of supply chain management at the University of Manitoba is skeptical. “What we have right now is a nostalgic rail link,” said Barry Prentice. “We say it’s there and an opportunity, but in many ways it’s a burden because it’s not paying its own way. “The real question is: Are we throwing good money after bad? I think a road in many respects might make more sense.” Lighter-than-air cargo airships (a modern, safer update on Zeppelins) are another option — something Prentice has been advocating for years. They can carry much more freight than airplanes. “This is not like an anti-gravitation machine we have to prove works — we know they work,” Prentice said. “They’ve been working for 100 years. Why aren’t we investing in that technology to find out if it can be a better solution that’s a low infrastructure cost?” allan@fbcpublishing.com

Churchill’s port is aging and under-utilized, but it’s rail line is a vital land link for the remote northern community. pHOTO: REUTERS

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