agripost june 28 2013

June 28, 2013 1The Agri Post

June 28, 20132 The Agri Post

By Les Klekte

Many farmers consider theirforage fields a dumpingground for manure and theFertility Expert with ManitobaAgriculture, Food and RuralInitiatives (MAFRI) said theyshould rethink that strategy. John Hird does not recom-mend going for the strategyof applying manure on foragefields but rather suggests pro-ducers consider the value ofnutrients in the animal wasteand match them with the re-quirements of the forage be-ing produced. Hird was oneof the presenters at aManitoba Forage Day inNeepawa sponsored byMAFRI. He said matchingthe needs of plants and thematerial applied will benefitforage by making more effi-cient use of the waste prod-uct. Hird said that animals graz-ing a field deposit the nutri-ents back onto the field anddo a fair job of spreading themacross the field. When thecrop is harvested and fed inconfinement the manure isspread. That is not the case ifthe crop is sold and fed else-where; the nutrients taken bythe crop need to be replaced. “A well fed crop will produce

Consider the Value of Nutrientsmore,” said Hird. “Higheryield and higher protein in theplant.” He said that foragesproduced on poorer qualitysoils are particularly suscep-tible to a nutrient deficiencyand producers need to beaware of what the plant is tak-ing from the soil so that theycan replenish it. “Make sureyou replace what you removeor else you are drawing downthe quality of that soil longterm.” Hird recommends that pro-ducers become familiar withthe characteristics of the va-riety they are producing. “Alfalfa can have luxuryconsumption of nutrients,”he said, referring to the up-take by the plant of more nu-trients than it actually requiresproducing a crop and addi-tional nutrients may be takenfrom the soil without a corre-sponding increase in quantityor quality of the crop. Hird said that producersshould consider the amountof a nutrient they are apply-ing and what the plant canuse as well. “The best we canget with phosphate is a 30percent uptake, so you haveto consider that with applica-tions.” He said being awareof the amount used by theplant not only influences the

amount of nutrient appliedbut also if the remainderstays in the soil and is avail-able for subsequent crops.Phosphate on alfalfa will re-sult not only in a greater num-ber of shoots but biggershoots with increasedweight. “Forages are efficient at us-ing surface applied nutri-ents,” said Hird. “You shouldconsider your applicationmethod and how quickly thatplant can use that.”

John Hird center of MAFRI tellsproducers to consider thenutrients their crop drawsfrom a field and at minimumreplace at least what is takenfrom the field.

Photo by Les Kletke

Canadian beef producers will now benefit from full market access to Chile for beefexports. The announcement was made during the state visit to Canada by SebastiánPiñera, President of Chile. Effective immediately, Canadian exporters will now have unrestricted access toChile’s beef market. The Canadian beef industry estimates that this renewed accessis worth up to $5 million annually with potential growth of up to $10 million in threeyears. After the outbreak of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) disease in 2003, anumber of markets, including Chile, ceased importing Canadian beef. In Chile, efforts included high-level discussions between both countries, as wellas visits to Canada by Chilean authorities to review and approve the Canadian beefinspection system. This led to the negotiation of export certificates, resulting inrenewed access to Chile for all Canadian beef products. Since the 1997 signing of the Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement, two-way mer-chandise trade has more than tripled, reaching almost $2.5 billion in 2012.

Full MarketAccess forCanadian

BeefExports to

Chile


By Harry Siemens

The Federal Governmenthopes the threat of retaliationon certain products theUnited States exports toCanada will help the Ameri-cans see that their stance onM-COOL is not beneficial foreither country. Ed Fast, Minister of Inter-national Trade and the Asia-Pacific Gateway, and Ag Min-ister Gerry Ritz said recentlyin a joint statement on U.S.Country of Origin Labelling(COOL) that despite consis-tent rulings by the WorldTrade Organization (WTO),the U.S. government contin-ues its unfair trade practicesthat damage severely Cana-dian industry and jobs. “Our government is ex-tremely disappointed that theUnited States continues touphold this protectionistpolicy, which the WTO ruledto be unfair, and we call onthe United States to abide bythe WTO ruling,” they said. The Canadian governmentis preparing to launch the nextphase of the WTO disputesettlement process on thenew U.S. rule, something thatcould have been avoided ifthe United States had lived upto its trade obligations. “The Canadian govern-ment, with the full support andactive engagement of Cana-dian industry, has foughtagainst this unfair treatment,which is also hurting U.S. in-dustry and consumers,” saidRitz. “We are also releasing a listof U.S. commodities for pos-sible retaliation to be pub-lished as soon as possible inthe Canada Gazette, as a wayto formally launch the consul-tation process.” The agricultural communitywas quick to respond. The Manitoba Pork Coun-cil (MPC) and Keystone Ag-ricultural Producers (KAP)like the announcement madeby the government. Beef andhog industry stakeholders onboth sides of the border haveargued from day one COOLrequirements are not reason-able given how integrated theindustries are betweenCanada and the U.S. “Manitoba hog producersare very supportive of the an-nouncement made by Minis-ter Gerry Ritz with the releaseof the retaliatory list that willbe put into place if the U.S.does not comply with theWTO ruling,” said MPCChair, Karl Kynoch. “This is-sue has cost the Canadianhog industry $500 million peryear for the last four years andneeds to be resolved. TheManitoba Pork Council willcontinue to support the Gov-ernment of Canada in any waypossible in this matter.”

By Harry Siemens

In a recent telephoneinterview, AgriculturalMinister Gerry Ritz toldmedia that Canada iscounting on pressure fromwithin the United States tohelp bring resolution to theMandatory Country ofOrigin Labelling issue. Last month, in response toa World Trade Organization(WTO) order to bringMandatory Country ofOrigin Labelling intocompliance with its interna-tional treaty obligations, theU.S. announced amend-ments to provisionscovering muscle cutcovered commodities, whichwill require additionallabelling information andeliminate the mixing ofproducts from differentcountries. Both Canada and Mexicosay they will return to theWTO to seek authority toimpose retaliatory tariffs onimported U.S. products andhave released lists ofproducts they could target. Ritz told reporters in theconference call that he hasdiscussed the labellingissue with allies in the U.S.pork and beef sectors, theAmerican Meat Council andthe U.S. retail sector andsupport for the Canadianposition on this issue isquite strong. Except, itappears where it reallycounts, with the Obamaadministration whereprotectionist supporters areseem to swat the administra-tion. “I know there are discus-sions going on withinCongress and the Senatedown there,” Ritz said. “Thefarm bill is being debated aswe speak. That’s why wefelt it was incumbent thatwe get out the list ofpossible sanctions that

Retaliation Efforts Ramp Up over M-COOL The industry still hopes anew U.S. Farm Bill will intro-duce changes to COOL thatbring the program in line withWTO requirements. “Trade is crucial to the on-going success of Manitoba’sagriculture sectors,” saidKAP President DougChorney. “The WTO rulingshave made it clear that theU.S. is discriminating againstCanadian imports with COOLrequirements, and is failing tomeet its WTO obligations. MPC and KAP hope this

action by the Federal Gov-ernment will provide somerelief in the immediate futurefor Manitoba hog and cattleproducers who have suf-fered severe financial stressdue to COOL regulations. COOL is not cool, the WTOsaid so and agreed withCanada and Mexico’s posi-tion. The Canadian Pork Coun-cil (CPC) also welcomes theaction. “The new rule, if anything,increases the discrimination

against imported animals andwe believe that a legislativechange is required to fixCOOL,” said CPC’s Chair, Jean-Guy Vincent. “The release ofthe list of potential targets bythe Federal Government is aclear indication of how deter-mined Canada is to see COOLfixed. The government isstanding up for our rights inthis dispute. U.S. legislatorswho were content to do noth-ing while we suffered will nowhave an incentive to legislatea solution, hopefully in their

next Farm Bill.” Regulations implementingthe 2008 Farm Bill provisionson COOL for beef and porkalso place a heavy burden onAmerican feeding operations,processors and retailers andeffectively require that cattleor hogs born or raised inCanada be completely segre-gated from U.S. cattle andhogs. “We commissioned ananalysis that shows theCOOL impact on the Canadianhog sector from lost exports

alone is $500 million annu-ally,” said CPC’s past, Chair,Jurgen Preugschas. “Thisdoes not include any otherimpacts on Canada’s hog pro-ducers such as domesticprice suppression or addi-tional impact from the newCOOL rule that went into ef-fect in May.” Damage to the Canadianlivestock industry has beenhorrendous. Since COOL wasintroduced in, 2008 exports tothe U.S. of Canadian hogshave fallen by 41 percent andexports of cattle by 46 percent.

TTTTTrade Wrade Wrade Wrade Wrade War on Horizon?ar on Horizon?ar on Horizon?ar on Horizon?ar on Horizon?could be applied and theproducts covered asquickly as possible, as didour Mexican allies. I knowthat our American allies,the Meat Institute, the beefgrowers, the pork sector, allof those are also talkingabout putting pressure ontheir own government.” Ritz said the Americanshave identified severalhundreds of millions ofdollars it will cost them toimplement the system inthe U.S. He’s hoping byhelping those peoplemaking these speeches inthe Senate to have achange of heart and makethe changes that Canadaand Mexico feel need to bemade and measure up tothe spirit and intention ofthe WTO action. Ritz said Canada isputting pressure on theAmericans to resolve thelabelling issue by openingnew markets and depend-ing less on the Americans. In light of Ritz’s com-ments, the National PorkProducers Council (NPCC)in the U.S. is pledging todo all it can to head offtrade retaliation by Canadaand Mexico regarding M-COOL rules. Under the revised rules,U.S. retailers must nowindicate where eachproduction step, born,raised, and slaughtered,occurred. They can’t mixmeat originating from onecountry with meat fromanother. NPCC president RandySpronk told reporters thatNPPC would do everythingit can to avoid potentialtrade disruption withCanada and Mexico. “Each country stated thatit will consider retaliatorymeasures against theUnited States by way ofincreased tariffs on both

U.S. agricultural and manu-factured goods should theWTO determine that the ruledoes not comply with theWTO rules,” said Spronk.“While U.S. pork producersbelieve the United Statesmust live up to its WTOobligations, NPPC does haveconcerns with the new rule.We do believe a solution canbe found that satisfies U.S.WTO obligations, providessufficient label information toconsumers and does notcause economic disruptionsin the pork industry. NPPCwill do everything it can toavoid potential traderetaliation by Canada andMexico.” In a revealing statement,Spronk said the NPPCbelieves the North Americanswine industry and productsfrom Canada and Mexicoshould be treated the same. Fast Genetics GeneralManager, Shannon Meyerssaid the uncertainty createdby this altercation continuesto create problems for porkproducers. The company’sbusiness model is setup tosell primarily weaned pigs

into the U.S. Midwest andwhile difficulties areexpected, producers needsome certainty of a long-term plan. “With the announcementlast year with COOL lookinglike it’ll straighten itself outand then May 23, maybeeven tougher rules to followit just creates a wholepattern of uncertainty,” saidMeyers. “It affects ourcustomers who are weanedpig producers. It also affectsour customers in the U.S.who are buyers of weanedpigs. They’re looking at thistoo, asking what this willreally mean over the next sixto 12 months. Will I be ableto purchase these pigs?” The other aspect as agenetic supplier is theyhave customers on both

sides of the border but someof the U.S. customers takeproduction born in the U.S.from a genetics perspective.Perhaps, gilts born andraised somewhere south ofthe border will be relativelyunaffected by this. On the other hand, somecustomers in the U.S. willbuy gilts, for example, orbreeding stock out ofCanada, which also hassome implications in termsof cull stock and what theydo with their breeding herd,creating a ripple effect intheir own herd. Meyers said the fact thatU.S. producers and packers,for the most part, do not likeM-COOL suggests there’ssomething inherently wrongwith the legislation.


by RolfPenner

PennersPoints

[email protected]

BBQ season’s here, andfresh, local products areready for the picking.What are you going tobuy at the grocery store?Will it be local? It used to be the casethat as consumers, wewouldn’t think twiceabout what we bought orthe long-term effects onour communities - so longas it was the right price.But when manufacturingjobs started disappearingat an alarming rate and asCanadians have become

It is the end of June and I am sitting down to write a column about seeding, and no, it isnot a recap of the spring’s activities. Last month I spoke to Don Johnston who was putting down his chalk after 37 years ofteaching the Farm Machinery course at the School of Agriculture, and we talked about the

changes he had seen over the years. Yes, I mentionedsome changes in the students with the expansion ofthe student base and the spectrum of farm knowledgewhen they entered the course went from zero to thosewho were using the most modern technology and knewhow to program it. Seeding equipment was just the example he used toshow changes in the industry that he had seen. When

he started teaching setting a discer hitch was a valuable skill. Now it rates just above beingable to start a fire with two stones. In his words, discers did a good job of spreading theseed, but not much for precision. That has changed and today proper placement of theseed is a prime concern. Then last week I visited with Pat Beaujot of Seed Hawk and he talked about 20 years agowhen he began the company and his competition was the early air seeders that werebasically tanks mounted on a heavy cultivator. Pat went on to explain that most of his workhas been on a unit that allows for accurate placement of the seed in diverse moistureconditions. What’s the point? No, it is not that seeding equipment has changed, we all know that.The point is technology is coming to agriculture at a rate faster than ever before, and thatis true of most industries, but our industry is getting a double whammy, or benefit, depend-ing on how you look at it. Not only is agriculture getting the benefit of technology, as most industries are, but wehave moved up the priority list. Suddenly our industry has drawn the attention of researchdepartments and blue-sky research where “real-world” applications are not immediatelyapparent. Instead, research is looking for advancements and a new generation of farmersis looking for them. Some of us are still complaining that our new phone has too many features and we don’tknow how to answer it but there are a lot of people now in the industry looking for a newapp that they can apply to their farm. The point of a seeding column in July is that there is a new dawn happening in thisindustry and I just hope the next generation allows people my age to come along for the

ride. It is an exciting time. Please remember us old guyswho have trouble answering our phones. Call again. I willtry to answer.

Changes made in the 2008 American farm bill to the sugar program, cranking up pricesupports, restricting import quotas, and putting taxpayers on the hook for getting rid ofsurplus supplies have, to no ones surprise, made a bad policy even worse. That is theconclusion of a study released on June 3 by Agralytica. It’s a textbook example of government choosing winners and losers. The end result wasrecord-high sugar prices, ballooning unemployment in the sugar-using food and beveragesectors, and now an oversupply of the sweet stuff. Sugar producers were undoubtedlyhappy with the arrangement, at first, but the policyhas caused no end of grief for others. Now, thanks tothe subsidy-induced surplus, prices have come backdown again. Consumers alone have paid an extra $3.7 billion peryear, with prices averaging 46 cents a pound vs. the28 cents that prevailed in the good old days of the ’02farm bill. From another angle, the price has consis-tently been anywhere from 64 to 92 percent higherthan the world price of refined sugar. But, becauserefined sugar imports were severely limited, the market’s bias towards seeking advantagefrom price differences, could not properly take place. Agralytica calls subsequent job losses in the industry “significant”. U.S Census Bureaudata showed a loss of nearly 127,000 jobs in sugar-using industries. Countries with accessto more reasonably priced sugar significantly increased the amount of sugar-containingproducts they exported to the U.S. Yes, the farm bill is a powerful piece of legislation, butit can’t stop everything, even when it tries. Compounding the problem was the fact that in 2008, U.S and Mexico freed up the sweet-ener trade between the two countries. In and of itself this was a good thing. It finallyenabled sugar producers on both sides of the border to respond to the same market andpolicy signals, which only makes sense. However, the farm bill kept supplies so tight thatrefined sugar prices, previously relatively stable, rose dramatically, giving producers agreat incentive to plant way more acres, which they did. Throw in some good weather, andboom! you have a great recipe for overproduction. This overproduction caused sugar prices to come back down to somewhere around 30cents per pound. Essentially, right back where it all started. The only thing really accom-plished was a major destabilization of the American sugar market by, “Making both short-ages and surpluses worse than they needed to be.” According to the farm bill, the surplus sugar is supposed to go into the production offuel ethanol. This is where the taxpayer gets hammered. Because the commodity is sold toethanol producers at, you guessed it, a subsidized price. The rationale is that sugar has tobe cheaper than corn if plants are going to buy it. Agralytica estimates the cost of thissubsidy in the neighbourhood of $250 million for the next two years. In the end, no one is really ahead. Arguably, most, if not all of the players involved, areworse off than they were before. Agralytica has a number of recommendations for improving the situation, but frankly,they don’t go far enough. This is certainly not the first time that well meaning, yet ham-fisted bureaucrats with no skin in the game tried to manage the supply and demand of aparticular commodity, and the results are far too familiar. Government needs to get com-pletely out of the way and let market forces do what they do best. Until that happens,things will keep going sour. Agralytica is a U.S. company based in Alexandria, Virginia, operating globally, providingstrategic marketing, business, economic, and policy consulting.

Seeding. In July? The Sweet Life

By Ron Bonnett

Fill Your Fridge withLocal Canadian

Productsincreasingly interested inwhat they eat, ‘local’became a powerful term.Canadians are reacting -valuing where and howtheir food is grown, andwanting to support thosewho grow food closer tohome. Defining local is beingdiscussed at the federallevel, with the CanadianFood Inspection Agency(CFIA) charged with thetask of developingcriteria, and consultationswith consumers andindustry underway.Defining local is espe-cially tricky in a large,diverse country likeCanada. Distance is oftennecessary - populationcan be sparse, processinginfrastructure isn’t alwaysreadily available, localmarkets can get saturated,and growing conditionsand water availabilityguide what can or cannotbe produced in a particu-lar region. Bringing in

food or shipping foodfrom a different provincesor regions is oftennecessary for manycommunities and produc-ers to sustain themselves. At Canadian Federationof Agriculture (CFA), wedefine local as Canadian.We believe buyingCanadian is the safest,freshest option and thatwhen you do; you aresupporting our country,our farmers and thesecurity of our foodsystem. Buying Canadaand supporting theCanadian brand is animportant pillar of theindustry-led NationalFood Strategy (NFS).When players along thefood system sat down todiscuss what our foodsystem should worktowards and what futureagricultural and food

policy should reflect,promoting Canadianproducts at home was topof mind. The first goal inthe NFS is Canadiangrown, fresh and pro-cessed products are thefirst choice of Canadians.We strongly believe insupporting the CanadianBrand.Here’s why: Economy - Spendingyour money in Canada,supports Canada. It’s assimple as that. Fromretailer through to farmer,the ripple effect strength-ens our economy. Environment and Healthand Safety - Canada is aworld leader in innovationand food safety stan-dards. When we buyCanadian, we can beassured it has metCanada’s impressiveenvironmental and health

and safety standards. Community - Bychoosing Canadian asyour local option, you arepromoting local econo-mies across Canada,allowing them to furtherdevelop their infrastruc-ture. Pride - Contributing tothe brand simply becausewe’re proud of our richagricultural heritage, thequality of our productsand our farm families. Marketers are monitor-ing consumer trends. Yourchoices at the grocerystore do count! Learn more aboutCanadian agriculture andthe CFA at www.cfa-fca.ca. Ron Bonnett is CFAPresident and a Cow/Calf Operator.


Is it or isn’t it a big deal, the feds threatening the Americans with retaliatory tariffs? Initially, mythoughts were 60 - 40 that this was only showcasing and getting the livestock industry off their collec-tive backs.

Well, I’m sometimes prepared to change my mind. Yes, even I becauseof my good American friend, Steve Dittmer, who writes a newslettercalled the Agribusiness Freedom Foundation Sentinel, which promotesfree market principles throughout the agricultural food chain. Steve is my friend in long and good standing, I appreciate the thingshe writes, and reports on often giving a viewpoint others fail to see. After receiving his latest newsletter, I called him up to say thanks for

the great work. Here is why. He listed the products Canada wants to retaliate on and gave his reasons why he thinks they pickedthose products. He doesn’t for one minute blame us Canadians for taking this action because he thinks M-COOL isstupid and is not afraid to say so. Steve said many of the items on the list need no explanation, as it is not surprising to see beef and porkon the list of items that Canada would penalize coming into Canada. Others are part of the strategy oftargeting State and Congressional districts. He said two of the biggest proponents of M-COOL are representatives from South Dakota, RepublicanCongresswoman Kristi Noem and Democratic Senator Tim Johnson. Montana’s Senator Max Baucusand Jon Tester also support it. “Spring wheat, from which pasta is made, is grown primarily in the Dakotas and Montana, so pasta’sappearance on the list is an obvious attention getter for those four,” said Dittmer. “The rest is primarilygrown in eastern Oregon and Washington – both state’s senators have voted pro M-COOL – and allthrough California, therefore, targeting Senators Boxer and Feinstein.” When I saw those targeted states and the reasoning behind it, it warmed my heart. I can’t believe I’mthinking this way knowing full well these trade wars can get messy if both sides dig in their heels. The next area of attack by the Canadians centres on corn and cereals where Steve said corn is anobvious strike against the pro M-COOL National Farmer’s Union whose membership includes a lot ofcorn farmers and Corn Belt members of Congress like Iowa’s Senators Grassley and Harkin. The cerealindustry also imports lots of grain from Canada. In fact, nearly all the oats for Cheerio’s comes fromCanada but selling cereal north will be more difficult as it is on the list. “While food products dominate, there are products and manufacturing components on the list tar-geted at someone’s vote,” said Dittmer. “Food products include maple syrup, cherries and apples,cheese, rice, prepared or preserved beef, glucose and fructose syrup, chocolate, bread, pastries andcakes, potatoes, frozen orange juice, wine, and ketchup and tomato sauce.” The list continues with non-food items such as wooden office furniture, swivel seats, grinding balls foriron and steel mills, precious metal jewellery, parts of non-electric heating appliances and certain stain-less steel welded pipes and tubes. According to Steve, the other interesting item is ethyl alcohol, which is the chemical name for bothdrinking alcohol and ethanol. “The tariff coding indicates this designation may not include finisheddrinking alcohol but we couldn’t confirm. A tariff on blending ethanol would be another strike at the cornindustry, should that be included.” Steve said sources tell him, given the well-trod nature of this case at the WTO, the dispute panel couldrule on the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) attempt, or non-attempt, at compliance asquickly as 60 days from the May 23 deadline. Then the process of negotiating the final retaliation listwith the WTO, appeals and other parts of procedure would follow. It would be likely year’s end beforetariffs and trade disruptions began. Dittmer said that American packers continue losing money because of a reduced cattle supply fromCanada, threatening the viability of individual plants, large and small, by supply and segregation diffi-culties. Here is the kicker. This threatens the livestock feeders’ market access to plants and Canadian cattlemenand pork producers would suffer losses through lower prices and reduced market access. The harm toU.S. consumers is mainly in higher prices due to tighter supplies and increased processing costs. Studyafter study has shown nearly all consumers pay little attention to origin notations on labels becauseprice, quality and brand or store reputation play much bigger factors in purchase decisions. “The fastest, most effective way of solving this problem is for Congress to remove this obvious,artificial barrier to trade among the three countries,” said Dittmer, the freedom fighter. “The false promiseof higher prices to livestock producers via a premium for ‘American beef’ has not happened; non-activist consumers are needlessly paying higher prices.” “Good to hear from you. Wish we could get our government to quit beating up on our friends as wellas our citizens. Keep after ‘em,” Steve said to me in conclusion.

The hog industry, especially producers, is in for an intense time. First,getting to know what changes they must make to their business, secondlyto comment on the draft Pig Code to make sure it works for them down theroad, and thirdly, not to get down on themselves for feeling they’re doing alousy job, because they’re not. Hence the title ‘pig welfare set to get even better in Canada’, not ‘set toimprove’. Hog farmers for the most part, are doing a great job looking aftertheir animals and therefore this isn’t just about the pigs, it is also about thepeople who handle them. After three years of intense negotiation, the Canadian Federation of Hu-mane Societies (CFHS) welcomes the release of the draft Code of Practicefor the Care and Handling of Pigs. Confidential until the release, the CFHS said it worked tirelessly to nego-tiate directly with farmers for the past three years to improve the welfare forpigs in Canada. The draft Code of Practice sets standards for the care of the27 million pigs raised on Canadian farms. A significant step forward, this draft code reduces the reliance on thecontroversial practice of gestation stall use. The draft Pig Code allows forlimited stall use (up to 35 days each cycle) thereby aligning itself withscience and moving toward the public expectation of 100 percent stall freepork. This new requirement, not in full effect until 2024, reflects a growingtrend with companies and producers committed to phasing out the use ofsow stalls such as Tim Horton’s, McDonald’s, Burger King, Olymel andMaple Leaf. “The animal welfare science has shown that when confined in sow stalls,pigs experience extreme stress and frustration because they are unable toturn around or express natural behaviours,” said Barbara Cartwright, CEOof the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. “It’s like being stuck in anairline seat for your life.” Advocating for only those farming practices that provide good welfarefor the animals raised, the CFHS encouraged farmers to strive to employmanagement practices and housing systems that meet both the physiologi-cal and psychological needs of the animals. “The new Pig Code requires environmental enrichment. As well, it out-lines pain control measures for castration and tail docking, which are someof the most progressive in the world beating out Australia, Germany andthe UK,” said Dr. Carol Morgan, pig welfare specialist and the CFHS coderepresentative. “However, Europe is phasing out castration completely by2018. That’s the ideal solution, but meat processors in Canada refuse toaccept uncastrated males. It’s a problem with processors, not producers.” Canada’s Codes of Practice for the care and handling of farm animals laysout national expectations for animal welfare arrived by consensus betweenthe farmers, veterinarians, scientists, government agencies, and SPCAsand humane societies who are members of the National Farm Animal CareCouncil (NFACC). The CFHS hopes to receive broad input from the public,industry and other stakeholders during the 60-day comment period to en-sure it improves animal welfare and reflects the values of Canadians. Pig Code Development Committee Chair and CEO of Saskatchewan’s BigSky Farms Inc., Florian Possberg said Canada has a sophisticated processfor updating the codes that brings together all interested stakeholders. “It’s meant to be more than just an industry thing,” said Possberg. “It’smeant to come up with acceptable practices that the general public canhave confidence in. The code covers all aspects of the care and keeping ofour animals, our hogs. It’s not just about feed and water and shelter.” He said it is about handling pigs, what to do with compromised animalsand how to house the animals. But, the key part is how producers housetheir sows, with so much discussion around gestation stalls and loosehousing, and the Pig Code tries to deal with that. “Also what the space allocation needs to be for our growing animals andwe deal with that, too,” said Possberg. “Probably the next in line would bepainful procedures, things like castration, and we deal with that as well.”

By Gina Teel

The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) welcomes the Independent Review of XLFoods Inc. Beef Recall 2012 tabled in the House of Commons recently by Agriculture andAgri-Food Minister Gerry Ritz. Canadian cattle producers strongly support the ultimateobjective of reducing, and if possible eliminating, E. coli related illness associated withbeef. We believe that the independent review contains important recommendations thatwill further strengthen Canada’s food safety systems. In the period following the recall, the CCA developed an E.coli O157 Research andEducation Strategy, which includes research supporting many of the recommendationscontained in the review regarding E.coli interventions. Prior to this, Canadian cattle pro-ducers have for many years supported food safety research including work related to pre-harvest interventions. Most recently, CCA has submitted the required documentation torenew our 1998 petition to allow for the irradiation of beef in Canada. We are extremelypleased to see that the report recommends that industry make such an application and thatHealth Canada give it prompt attention. Indeed the Canadian beef and cattle industry’s ongoing and sustained commitment and

Tariff List Make Sense PPPPPig Wig Wig Wig Wig Welfare Set to Getelfare Set to Getelfare Set to Getelfare Set to Getelfare Set to GetEven Better in CanadaEven Better in CanadaEven Better in CanadaEven Better in CanadaEven Better in Canada

E. coli Review Recommendations WillStrengthen Canada’s Food Safety Systems

investment in this area is a key reason why Public Health Agency of Canada statisticsindicate a declining trend in E.coli O157 related illness in Canada today. Improved foodsafety continues to be a top research priority in the Canadian beef industry. Recent andongoing research funded by the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) strives to findpractical, economical and effective solutions to reduce or prevent E.coli O157:H7 contami-nation throughout the production chain. The CCA, in collaboration with our Pre-Harvest Expert Advisory Group of scientificexperts, reviews the currently available research supporting pre-harvest approaches andrecommends studies to determine if best management practices or specific interventionscan be implemented to enhance the safety of Canada’s beef supply. We have carefullyconsidered the results of a study just completed in Alberta, which examined pre-harvestinterventions, and we support the view of the researchers that further work on theseinterventions is required before broad implementation can be recommended. The CCAworks with processors and the academic community to explore initiatives with the poten-tial to ensure the highest level of food safety possible. There is an assumption in the report about the recall negatively affecting beef consump-tion. Per capita beef consumption was up 1.1 percent in 2012 at 20 kgs while total Beefconsumption was up 2.2 percent at 954,740 tonnes (carcass weight) in 2012, according tothe latest Statistics Canada report. Finally, the CCA also supports the recommendations to improve upon and streamline theflow of communications to industry stakeholders. Gina Teel is the Communications Manager for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.


By Les Kletke

Are you a forage or ananimal farm? The questiontook some attending theForage Day sponsored byManitoba Agriculture,Food and Rural Initiatives(MAFRI) by surprise, butfor Ray Bittner a Farm Pro-duction Advisor, it is oneof the most basic decisionsthat must be made on thefarm. “What are your profit cen-tres?” asked Bittner who iswell known as a numbercruncher along with his ex-tensive experience in thebeef business. “If your profit centre ishay you have more of achallenge. If forage is an

Making Money with Hay or Silageinput for your livestockenterprise you have a dif-ferent situation,” he said.He did not suggest, thiswould allow producers topay less attention to put-ting up good quality feed,but it may affect the typeof feed they put up. Bittner is aware that in thefield things do not alwayswork out the way they areplanned out during thewinter. “There are some timesthat you just cannot get onthe field. When it contin-ues to rain you cannotmake hay,” he said. “Theadvantage of silage is thatyou can put it up wet andnormally you get it off inJune. The quality of feed

deteriorates after June.” Bittner is clear about thevalue of silage and nottreating it as a last resort orsomething that can bedone when the weatherdoes not allow for haying.“It is more expensive to putup but it can be cost effec-tive. If you’re going to putup silage then plan on do-ing it and do it properly toget the best feed value fromthe silage and make it costeffective.” He said that custom silageoperators are a good op-tion and if there was a guar-antee they would be avail-able at the time your fieldwas ready to be cut, theyare a very attractive option.The economies of scale al-

low them to be cost effec-tive and the larger equip-ment can put up a lot of feedin a short time. He said thechallenge is having them atthe right time. He recommends that si-lage should be processedat 55-68 percent moisture,and a simple way to deter-mine the moisture contentis to weigh a sample of feedand dry it in the microwaveand then weigh the remain-ing dry matter. He also hadsome advice on microwaveprecautions and recom-mended a Pyrex dish as thecontainer of choice. Bittner said that for pro-ducers who are putting upbales, wrapping is a neces-sity in maintaining the qual-ity of the feed, “Five or sixlayers of wrapping is nec-essary to insure that oxy-gen does not enter thewrapping and add to thedeterioration of the feed.

By Les Kletke

A University of Wiscon-sin researcher tells hay pro-ducers that traffic on theirfield is devastating. DanUndersander, of the Uni-versity of Wisconsin, saidthat wheel traffic on a for-age field five days aftercutting is having a devas-tating effect on the nextcrop. Undersander told thoseattending a Forage day inNeepawa that leaving baleson the field for an extendedperiod of time is costingthem lost production, “Atleast get them to the sideof the field as soon as pos-sible, our research showsthat traffic more than fivedays after cutting has adetrimental effect on thenext crop.” He used the example of aproducer driving acrosshis hay crop to look at hiswheat crop. “He wouldn’tthink of it if the situationwas reversed, so whywould he drive across hishay crop to look at thewheat field? Your hay cropis just as valuable and youhave to reduce the trafficon it.” He does not recom-mend duals saying they justdo more damage and thereduction in compaction isnot enough to avoid dam-aging the crop. Undersander said thattime is of the essence inevery stage of quality for-age production and thesooner they can get themoisture content below 60percent and get the cropbailed the better. He recom-mends cutting when mois-ture levels are between 70-80 percent and then gettingit down as quickly as pos-sible. He recommends awide swath to help in the

Heat is Hay’s Enemy

process. “Put it into a wide swath.We recommend the swathcover 70 percent of theground area, that way thesun can dry out the leavesand it is ready to balesooner,” he said. Undersander said puttingfeed up wet has extra ex-pense but also has advan-tages and properlywrapped feed can be main-tained with a moisture levelfrom 25-70 percent. He saidthe greatest enemy of hayquality at that time is heat. Heating in the bales atthat time is using up sugarand proteins,” he said.“That is what you want tokeep in your feed. The pro-cess of heating is called

Malliard reaction and ismuch like the process ofbrowning a steak on a grill.That is good for steak butis stealing feed value inyour feed.” Undersander said that tar-geting higher yields meansbetter management of thecrop and that requiresgreater testing. He said thatsome nutrients can only beeffectively measured withtissue testing and produc-ers should count on test-ing their crop. “Spend theten dollars for the test tofind out if you need tospend the money on nutri-ents. You might be savingyourself a lot on the fertil-izer bill.”


By Elmer Heinrichs

Harold Penner, the Manitoba Regional Coordinator for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank(CFGB), in a June 10 update said, “things are now looking good for our Manitoba CFGBfarm. We’ve expanded this year to over 5,500 acres! That’s a new record.” One of the later projects to be seeded was the 150-acre CHUM project based at PlumCoulee as they seeded a late field north of Altona to spring wheat around June 6. At a special event on June 13, members celebrated the 30th anniversary of the CFGB,which featured a story about the founders of the Foodgrains Bank.

By Les Kletke

The wait for U.S. crop esti-mates is far from over and theyear is proving to be an odd-ity with seeding reports andyield estimates affecting mar-kets at the same time. Moe Agostino is a Manag-ing Commodity Specialistwith Farms.com in London,Ontario. He provided a lookat global trends in grain mar-keting at the Farm ProgressShow in Regina. He said whilesome acres of the U.S. Mid-west did not get planted thisyear, it is too early to makethe call on whether grain pricesmight go through the sametime of run up they did lastyear as drought spread acrossthe U.S. and yield estimatesdropped. “It would appear thedrought has ended in the east-ern part of the Midwest butnot in the west, and if thingsturn hot and dry through thesummer the drought couldspread from the west to theeastern regions,” saidAgostino. His numbers showthat as of June 18 only about10 percent of the U.S. corncrop was rated as droughtwhile last year at this time thatarea was 83 percent of pro-duction. He cites U.S. ending stocksas being lower than they havebeen in the past and that couldbe a positive impact on pricebut not as much as the lack ofproduction last year. He callsfor corn prices to be in the$4.50 - $6 a bushel range. Agostino said that a droughtusually takes a long time to

New Record Set with 5,500 Acres of Help

Jon Forrester, operating Ian Forrester’s 45-foot seeder, putting in spring wheat seed on CHUMproject’s 150-acre field north of Altona on June 6. It was one of the later projects seeded for theCanadian Foodgrains Bank this spring.

Photo by Elmer Heinrichs

The Wait is Not Over as CropQuantity and Value Are Just a Guess

Moe Agostino with Farms.com says it is a matter of wait-and-see for grain markets heading into the new crop year.

recover from as soil moisturelevels have been drawn downand may take several years torebuild. That was the case forwestern Canada following thedrought of 1988, “But soilmoisture was replenished sur-prisingly quickly with twowet years in many areas. “We are seeing some recov-ery with a wet year this year,and the cool June has alsohelped with moisture but itwill depend on what happensover the next few weeks, anyweather forecast of furtherthan 6 days out is not too reli-able so it is a matter of waitand see what happens.” Agostino said the high com-modity prices last year havestirred land prices to new lev-els in several areas of the con-tinent, and he said that farm-land he bought in southernOntario just a few years agomight prove to be the best in-vestment he has ever made.

He said the one thing thatcould slow the increase in landprices is an increase in inter-est rates. “If we see a 2-3 percent in-crease in interest rates it wouldbe the equivalent to the doubledigit interest of the 1980s andmuch of the generation that isfarming now does not remem-ber that time, but it is pos-sible that we could see an in-crease in interest,” he said. Agostino said that whilemost farms are not leveragedto the same degree as farmswere in the 1980’s, an increasein interest would have a dra-matic impact. “We are seeing land pricesescalating and for other rea-sons than farmers basing theprice on productive capacity,there are funds in the marketas well as foreign investors thatare bidding up the price of landand productive capacity is nolonger the determining factorof land prices.”

Photo by Les Kletke


By Les Kletke

After a spring that had seeding and spraying overlap and per-haps a few other things go wrong, some farmers may be asking fora bit of peace and quiet to regroup and settle the jangled nerves.Elaine Froese agrees with this and said maybe a day at the lake isin order for everyone, including the farm employees. Froese said that silence is unacceptable and can lead to realproblems in discussing the difficult issues around the farm andthe planning for the next generation. Froese was one the keynote speakers at the Farm Progress Showin Regina and borrowed from her personal experience telling thestory of how her in-laws dealt with her entry to the family farm andthat she planned to stay with the operation. Froese and husbandWes operate a pedigree seed farm at Boisevain. She also told the audience that she was gaining a daughter-in-law this summer when her son marries and that will mean some

Elaine Froese of Boissevain was a keynote a Farm Progress Showtelling her audience that not speaking about issues on the farm is theworst strategy they can choose.

Silence is Violence changes in their family dynamics. “She is a nurse and has concerns about food storage,”said Froese with a chuckle. “So I have become more carefulwith how long things are in the fridge and I have a lot moreTupperware than I used.” She said she had also decidedwhat kind of mother-in-law she wants to be and has plannedher behaviour accordingly. Froese, who writes extensively on inter-generational is-sues and provides coaching for families working throughthe transfer issues, gained instant rapport with the audi-ence talking about difficult issues that most could relate toand then providing simple workable answers that may be alot more difficult to put in place than they seemed to bewhen she outlined them. “Counselling is about recovery, coaching is about dis-covery,” said Froese, advocating that discussion betweena family and the discovery of other members’ goals canlead to development of a plan that accommodates every-one. “It may not be the perfect solution for each individualbut it does allow for a plan that everyone finds acceptableand buys into.” Froese brings an understanding of the farm and familytogether to help her audience deal with the difficult issues.In her closing remarks she asked the audience to “touchyour head, that is where you make the logical decisions,touch your heart, that is where you make the decisionsbased on feeling, and touch your gut; that is where yourintuition is, and they are all a part of the decisions that youmake, respect them all.”

Photo by Les Kletke


By Elmer Heinrichs

Manitoba farmers are in thefinal stages of seeding their2013 crops with only a fewremaining acres of green feed,millet, barley and oats left togo, based on Manitoba’s cropreports. Seeding of spring cerealsneared completion asManitoba AgriInsurancesdeadlines for wheat, oats andbarley came on June 20.

Seeding of Manitoba CropsAll but Wrapped up

Some reseeding of spring-seeded crops also took placedue to factors such as soilcrusting, insect activity anddisease. Weed control operationsprogressed rapidly but werehampered by windy weatherconditions in some areas. Weedcontrol will remain a priorityfor farmers as crops and weedscontinue to advance. Insect activity increasedover the past week or two.

Control measures for fleabeetles and cutworms werenecessary in some fields andmonitoring will continue. In central areas, moderatetemperatures and rain show-ers with minimal accumula-tions for the most part wereseen across the region. A nar-row strip of hail went throughthe Sewell/Lowe Farm areaJune 10 with a few areas see-ing 15 mm of rain. The same storm system

went through the eastern re-gion. Hail and strong winds hitfields in a line affectingTyndall/Garson to just southof Beausejour, through theAnola/Garven Road area toElma. About mid-month dairy pro-ducers had taken their first cutof hay with reports of averageyields. Showers and minor hail werealso seen over the June 15-16weekend in the Elm Creek,Fannystelle and Homewoodareas. However, seeding did con-tinue, and the wettest areas inthe southwestern part of theregion saw dramatic advance-ment in seeded acres. Broad-cast seeding accounts for someof the progress. All areas re-port soil moisture as being

adequate to surplus. The report also noted thatstands of many crops are un-even and that cereal crops arein the seedling/tiller stage.Some cereals, particularly oats,were reseeded due to seed rot. Canola development rangedfrom just emerging to the ro-sette stage. Cooler tempera-tures resulted in slowergrowth, and flea beetle feed-ing is a concern in much of theregion. Corn crops are improving incolour and herbicide applica-tions continue. There are somereports of cutworm damage. Many winter wheat fieldshave been reseeded, particu-larly in the western half of theregion. Winter wheat failed togerminate because of dry con-ditions last fall. The remain-ing winter cereal acres are im-proving thanks to warmer tem-peratures. Higher temperatures are alsobenefiting the soybean crop insouthern Manitoba. “It hasn’tbeen as warm as we’d like tobe,” said Kristen Podolsky,Production Specialist with theManitoba Pulse Growers As-sociation. “Most of the prov-ince is anywhere from 80 to90 percent of the accumulatedgrowing degree days comparedto normal.” She said heavy rains earlierin spring set the crop back insome areas. “There’s beensome leaf damage, some iso-lated hail, and some soil crust-ing, which caused problemswith emergence,” she ex-plained. “We’ve also had somereports of seedling diseasespopping up.” The rains also preventedgrowers from rolling their soy-bean fields. “If they didn’t get

in to roll right after planting,they do still have some time,but they will want to waituntil the first trifoliate stage,”said Podolsky. Seeding is essentially com-plete in the eastern region withsome late seeding of oats. Someacres are at early heading andcorn is at the V1 to V5 stage. Cool soil temperatures de-layed soybean emergence inMay and early June. Plantstands in a number of fieldshave been reduced. Growerswill have a better picture ofcrop stands later this monthwhen they enter fields to esti-mate plant counts. Length oftime to soybean emergencewas noted. Dry soil conditionsand deeper seeding is delayingemergence in those cases.There are also reports of seedrot in soybeans and seedlingdiseases in spring cereals. Sunflower acres are upslightly in the region. Grow-ers have reported cutwormdamage but no disease con-cerns so far. Hay conditions in the regionare rated as 60 percent to 80percent good, 20 percent fairand 20 percent poor. By mid-June, haying was underwaywith most of the activity inthe dairy sector; up to 25 per-cent of the first cut is com-plete. Forage stands to be used forbeef herds were still standing.Average first-cut yields are al-falfa, 1.2 tons, grass/alfalfa, 1.5tons, other tame hay, 1.6 tonsand wild hay, 0.6 tons. Pasture conditions in the eastare rated as 75 to 80 percentgood with 20 to 25 percentfair. Water supplies, includingdugouts, are rated at 100 per-cent adequate.

By Les Kletke

No-Tillville might be one of the fastest growing communities inwestern Canada but it does not exist in reality. The website No-Tillville provides farmers with an opportunity to discuss andcompare their experiences with reduced tillage practices. The site was unveiled at the Farm Progress Show but is open toanyone who takes the time to register and wants to stay abreastof the development in reduced tillage agriculture. It was devel-oped by the Marketing Den, a Saskatchewan based ad agencywith extensive experience in agriculture. The firm also workswith Seed Hawk. Pat Beaujot, President of Seed Hawk, is one ofthe early contributors to the site. It is hoped that the site will catch on with farmers worldwide. “Pat has a tremendous following in Europe because of his workwith zero till seeding equipment,” said a representative of theMarketing Den. “This will give those farmers who don’t get tosee him, an opportunity to interact with him and ask their ques-tions.” The site is not run by Seed Hawk and welcomes informationfrom all types of seeding equipment. “It is much bigger than that, we want to have people fromaround the world exchanging information of what has worked forthem on their farm.” The Marketing Den is providing the exper-tise for the site to keep it running. The site already has information from Australia where lack ofmoisture is a common problem and any practice that conservesmoisture can make the difference between a crop and no crop atall. The site offers various areas of discussion including agronomicand regional practices as well as an equipment forum. No-Tillville may just prove to be one of the most populardestinations for Canadian farmers this winter, and it will allowthem to discuss the issues of zero till with international counter-parts without having mosquitoes getting in the way.

Have YHave YHave YHave YHave You Beenou Beenou Beenou Beenou Beento Noto Noto Noto Noto No-----Tillville?Tillville?Tillville?Tillville?Tillville?


By Les Kletke

The cool late spring may havehad producers out in the field laterthan usual, but that was no reasonto sacrifice the quality of feed orto mismanage a field with a sec-ond cut. John McGregor has long beeninvolved with the Green and GoldProgram (Optimum Alfalfa Har-vest Date) that aids producers withtheir decision on when to cut theiralfalfa. The program monitorsfields and distributes the informa-tion about relative feed value. Hewas on hand at Forage Field Dayat Neepawa to promote the Pre-dictive Equation Alfalfa Quality(PEAQ) program and to explainto producers how to use thePEAQ stick. In the world of technology andmicrochips the stick seems some-what of a throwback to earliertimes. The metre long stick ismarked with numbers indicatingthe relative feed value of alfalfa bycomparing the height of the plantand its stage. The stage of the planteliminates the consideration fordate and concerns of an early orlate spring. The stick only recog-nizes the height of the plant withno consideration for the calendar. PEAQ allows the producer tomonitor his field and get an imme-diate read on its relative feed valueto make a decision when to cut thefield, based on its conditions. “To get the best results youshould sample four or five placesin the field,” said McGregor. “And

Watch the Plant, Not the Calendar

John McGregor demonstrates the PEAQ stick measure theheight and stage of a Forage crop at a Field Day nearNeepawa.

use the full height of the plantfor the measurement. Then youcan examine the plant for itsstage from early vegetative toflower and get a reading fromthe stick.” The measure stickprovides different values forthe feed value considering thestages from early bud to flower. McGregor said that produc-ers have to make the call ontheir own, but the PEAQ stickgives them a measure in theirown field and allows for someconsideration of the conditionsinvolved such as the height ofthe plant. Traditionally the crop is cutat late bud or the appearance

of the first bloom but climaticconditions may delay the appear-ance of the bloom and PEAQtakes that into account. The op-timum 150 relative feed value(RFV) tends to appear before thelate bud stage and recommenda-tions are to cut the crop earlierthan was done in the past. TheRFV may drop by as much asfive points a day as the cropmatures and normally a loss ofabout 20 occurs from cutting tohay being stored, so producerswho are targeting 150 relativefeed value in the barn are advisedto cut the crop when values arein the 170 range.

Photo by Les Kletke


During his most recent trade mission to Hong Kong and China,Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz highlighted the mutual benefitof stronger agricultural and trade ties between the region andCanada in meetings with government officials, investors and in-dustry. “Our Government is committed to working with our tradingpartners from Hong Kong and China, to generate economic growthand prosperity on both sides of the Pacific,” said Ritz. “Wecontinue to strengthen our agricultural trade ties, building onlongstanding collaboration built with our Hong Kong and Chi-nese partners over many years”. China is a rapidly growing market for Canadian farmers withexport sales of agricultural products to China worth $5 billion in2012 and Ritz reiterated Canada’s commitment to doubling bilat-eral trade by 2015. In 2012, Hong Kong was Canada’s fifth larg-est agri-food export market with agriculture and agri-food prod-ucts totalling $753 million, representing an increase of 26% over2011. In Beijing, Ritz met with his counterparts from the Ministry ofAgriculture and from China’s General Administration of QualitySupervision, Inspection and Quarantine. The two governmentsdiscussed next steps on a commitment to increase exports ofCanadian beef and tallow to China. According to Canada BeefInc., the Chinese market for Canadian beef and tallow is expected

Young Aurora Mikkelsen guides her pony through its paces at the Rapid City Chutes ‘n Boots 4-H Rodeo Club show in RapidCity on June 16th.

Photo by Joan Airey

From left to right: Minister Ritz with his counterpart from theMinistry of Agriculture (MOA), Han Changfu, following ameeting where agricultural trade partnerships were strength-ened.

Agricultural Trade PartnershipsContinue to Grow with Greater China

to be worth $110 million once full market access is achieved.China imported over $10 million of deboned Canadian beef in2012. Ritz signed two agreements with his Chinese counterparts,including a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establishan animal health-working group. He also signed a second agree-ment on Grains and Oilseeds that aims to provide long-term,stable and predictable market access for Canadian wheat, barleyand soybeans to China. To minimize the risks of trade disrup-tions and contribute to global food security goals, China has alsoapproved a number of new genetically engineered crop applica-

tions that are essential to continue to foster innovation in bothCanada and China. Ritz also witnessed the signing of anotherMOU between the Canadian International Grains Institute andWilmar, a Chinese agribusiness group interested in buying Cana-dian wheat and pulses. In Hong Kong, Ritz met with his counterpart, industry andinvestors to discuss sales opportunities for Canadian productsand attended promotional events to raise the demand for Canada’shigh-quality agricultural products that will provide additionalexport opportunities for Canadian businesses. These events wereattended by Canadian industry, media, importers, retailers andinvestors with the goal of raising Canada’s profile and increasingthe demand for Canadian agricultural products.

4-H Achievement Day4-H Achievement Day4-H Achievement Day4-H Achievement Day4-H Achievement Day


By Les Kletke

Farmers are moreoptimistic about the futureof their industry than everbefore and FCC wants to tellthe world about the industryand the optimism in it. Lyndon Carlson is theSenior Vice PresidentMarketing Farm CreditCanada (FCC). He told anaudience at Regina’s FarmProgress Show that theircorporation has conducted astudy to measure optimismin the industry and nearly 4out of 5 farmers think thefuture is the brightest it hasever been for the industry. Carlson said the study,conducted just over a yearago, found that 78 percent offarmers were more optimis-tic about the future thanthey had ever been. “It is time to [tell] theworld that agriculture iscool,” said Carlson. “And to17 year olds cool isimportant. You make somepretty important lifedecisions when you are 17,decisions like what you aregoing to study at Universityand what you are going to dowith your life. We want totell people that agriculture isa cool place to be.” He points out that it is notjust a feel good campaignabout the industry that FCChas conceived in ‘AgricultureMore Than Ever’, “We aregoing to have 50,000 newjobs in this industry in thenext decade and we needpeople to fill those jobs.”The campaign has signed on170 from all aspects of theindustry and distributed over7,500 t-shirts with theAgriculture More Than Everslogan in the last year. Moreimportantly, the campaignhas over 50,000 hits on facebook and has placed 71videos on You-tube. Carlson said that the firstyear of the program has beengreat, “But it is just thebeginning, we need to get themessage to more people andto do that we need morepeople to get involved.” He said that agricultureneeds a change in attitudeand he sees it comingthrough the campaign butwould like to see it happenfaster. “We need to change ourattitude from one ofapologizing about ourindustry and asking forhandouts to one of taking aplace of being one of themost important industries inthe country, because we are.” Carlson does not advocatea series of handouts fromgovernments but rather seessupport systems that are aninvestment in agriculture andthe future of a sustainableindustry that provides safefood for the country’sconsumers. “Governments invest inindustries all the time, and itmakes sense,” said Carlson.“Agriculture is a goodinvestment for the taxpayersof this country and it is agood industry to be involvedin.” The Agriculture More

Thirty-eight trekkers participated in Steinbach’s MennoniteHeritage Village’s Tractor Trek hosted recently and collectivelyraised over $29,000. These funds will be split between Mennonite Heritage Villageand Eden Foundation and will go a long way in helping eachorganization with their operating and programming costs. During the course of the day over 50kms were travelled aroundthe southeastern part of Manitoba. Awards were presented to the “trekkers” in many differentcategories. The People’s Choice Award went to Alvin Brandt forhis 1954 IHC Super W4 tractor and the Trekkers Choice (BruceReimer Award) went to Werner Rempel for his 1949 John DeereR tractor.

Agriculture More than EverThan Ever campaign isheading into its second year,and Carlson said the plan isto keep spreading the

TTTTTractor Tractor Tractor Tractor Tractor Trek Frek Frek Frek Frek Fundraiser a Successundraiser a Successundraiser a Successundraiser a Successundraiser a Success

message that it is a goodplace to be and a great careerchoice for young people whoare deciding their future.”


Holstein steers are no longer fed as a sideline for the beef market in western Canada. With theadvent of rising feeder and corresponding fat prices for all beef animals in the last few years, theinterest in raising Holstein steers has been taken on full-scale proportions by many cattle feeders.These people have penciled out a favourable opportunity of taking weaned Holstein calves andputting them through vigorous grower and finisher feeding programs until slaughter. They also knowthat feeding Holstein steers has its own unique set of rules and challenges, but when overcome, itleads to income revenue and profits. Aside from four hooves, many cattle feeders express that feeding a Holstein steer is really feedinga different animal compared to a more traditional beef-breed steer. From its classic black and whiteappearance, Holstein steers are large, tall and lean animals, which have thin hides, short hair coatsand carry less external back fat. While this makes for an animal that is less adaptable to our coldweather, it doesn’t stop them from consuming about 10-12 percent more feed (dry matter basis) andachieving favourable average daily gains. When they are finished in a feedlot, Holstein steers areusually marketed between 15-16 months of age and have large mature bodyweights of about 1,300-1,400 lbs. It’s these basic fence-line impressions that are augmented by realistic carcass data, which has beencollected on finished Holstein feeders. At comparable weights, Holstein steers have less externalback fat, less muscling and greater bone to muscle ratios compared to beef-type breeds. They tendto have lower yields of desired boneless cuts, yet what lean muscle is laid down tends to be wellmarbled. Trim pieces removed from dairy carcasses also yield leaner cutouts. Overall, Holsteinsteers have dressing percentages at the packers that are generally 6-8 percent lower compared to beefbreeds. Such “meat and bone” differences exhibited by dairy steers are attributed to a large energy require-ment in the first place and the subsequent pathway in which this dietary energy is metabolized. Ithas been demonstrated by university and extension field work that Holstein steers require about 10percent more energy for maintenance of larger body frames and up-keep of vital functions. They also showed that growing dairy steers use dietary energy more efficiently for laying downprotein tissue and are less efficient in fat accumulation compared to most beef cattle. Consequently,fat deposition in Holstein cattle is not particularly linked with their average daily gain and feedconversion (re: feed to gain ratio) is significantly increased toward marketable weights. This means that feeding programs should be designed for Holstein steers that puts them on ahigher plane of nutrition compared to those for conventional beef cattle in order to maximize feedlotperformance. The most successful Holstein feeder programs are usually broken down into a two-

By Les Kletke

Does a hay shed make sense for Manitoba producers? The answer is clear; it depends onthe individual’s situation and the value of the hay he is producing. That was the messagefrom Tim Clarke of Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) who wasone of the presenters at the Manitoba Forage Day in Neepawa. “It’s a tough question,” acknowledged Clark, who provided budgets on a range of shedsin both size and style. “One of the prime factors to consider is the quality of hay and howmuch is lost in the quality of the feed and the resultant cost.” “The work done by [The Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute] PAMI was done in1988, which was a very dry year,” he said. “The measured losses of the hay were probablyless that year than they are most years in Manitoba.” The value assigned for the loss ofhay that is exposed to the weather is also dependant on the value of the hay; it probablydoesn’t make sense on $0.4 per lb for hay.” He said the one place where the answer is clear is with silage, “You should always coversilage with plastic. That is one that makes sense.” Clarke said that tarps may provide an economic alternative. “Tarps are much cheaper, and while they do require more labour they are effective,” hesaid. His numbers showed that with an expected life of three years a tarp would cost $1.38per tonne of hay protected per year, a good return on even medium quality hay. His budget for an 80ft x 200ft structure has a cost of $228,000. Put the price of storage at$212/tonne and the producer inputs their own numbers for the quality of hay being pre-served in order to find what the return would be. On smaller sheds the cost could be ashigh as $242 per tonne. “The producer also hasto consider if he has an-other use for the shed whenit is not being used for stor-ing hay or if the shed willbe used for hay storageyear round,” said Clarke,“The numbers for the costof the shed are the easypart. It is up to the indi-vidual to consider their situ-ation, and if a shed makessense for them, it certainlydoes preserve the qualityof the hay.”

Serve the Best Growerand Finisher Diets toDairy Holstein Steers

phase feeding series; (1) a grower phase, which targets a 2.5-3.0 lbaverage daily gain for 350-700 lb Holstein steers and (2) a finisher phasethat targets a 2.8-3.2 lb average daily gain for 700-1,200 lb (to market)Holstein steers. The respective initial grower diet should contain a substantial amountof nutritious forages (30-50 percent) supplemented with grain concen-trates that supply a modest amount of dietary energy (50-55 Mcal NEg/cwt, DM); given some allowance for young Holstein calves that need togrow in frame-size. The second phase diet should contain much lessforage, which makes it largely made up of high-energy grain (80-85

percent) that supplies high dietary energy (62-68 Mcal NEg/cwt, DM). This high-energy dietmaximizes good Holstein finisher gains and conserves the number of days needed to reach aneconomic marketable weight of 1,200-1,400 lbs. Despite the focus upon the high-energy diets to drive good Holstein performance, it is alsoimportant to ensure that other essential nutrient levels are met. By the time they enter the feedlotyoung animals should be provided with a ration with about a 13-14 percent protein level and then afinisher diet of about 11-12 percent protein. Calcium levels of 0.6-0.7 percent are respectivelyrecommended with a half a bag of extra limestone often added to the mixer wagon toward the end ofthe finisher phase. Most of the time we do not worry about adding phosphorus to both grower andfinisher diets because increasing grain levels tend to supply enough of this macro-mineral. In contrast, both Holstein grower and finisher diets must contain a strong trace-mineral pack(copper, zinc, manganese, iodine, cobalt and selenium) and vitamins A, D, and E. These essentialtrace minerals and vitamins not only are vital to the good maintenance and growth of these animals,but also play a vital role in immune function, which helps Holsteins fight disease and remain healthy.An ionophore such as monensin sodium should be added to the diets at 22 g to 33 g levels to helpimprove feed efficiency and prevent coccidiosis. Consequently, here is an illustration of sample diets of grower and finisher diets for Holstein steersmarketed at 1,400 lbs, coming into the feedlot as 500 lbs calves and gaining 2.8 lb/head/day on thegrower diet and 3.2 lbs/head/day on the finisher diet:

These diets for the growing and finishing Holstein steers are suggestive only. Their actual formu-lation and set up on a farm will also be based on individual factors such as weight and health statusof incoming Holstein cattle, degree of segregation, desired performance and existing farm facilitiesand labour resources. Furthermore, the basic cost of the above rations will vary too; calculated at$2.15/head/day for the grower and $2.71/head/day for the finisher diets (i.e.: corn silage @ $67/tonneand $6.00/bu for barley). Most people will eventually choose and feed high-energy balanced diets geared for Holstein steersthat work for them. There might be minor or major differences among these diets, but the best onesshould always put the most profitable pounds on Holstein steers in the feedlot.

Making Sense of Hay Sheds


If have an insurance claim for any of your machinery, you will likely need to rent areplacement until you have the damaged one repaired or replaced. This can be acostly experience for you unless your insurance policy covers the expense. The Machinery Loss of Use Coverage will pay the rental cost of the replacementmachinery if the damage to your equipment is covered by the insurance policy andif you can show that, you need the replacement. It will not pay if you simply experi-ence a breakdown and will not pay the full cost of custom work service. But, it maypay a portion. In all cases, the rental unit has to be approved by the adjuster. In a number of cases, we have seen the Loss of Use claims add up to be more thanthe Machinery claim. You also need to make sure you have enough coverage. It used to be that $2,000per day rental coverage was enough. However, today machinery rental rates arehigher and daily rentals can reach $3,000. For a minimal difference in cost, you should consider insuring at the higher level. Be sure to seek advice and purchase insurance from those who understand yourbusiness! Andy Anderson is an Associate Insurance Broker specializing in General, Lifeand Group Benefits for Farm, Commercial/Agri-business Ph: 204-746-5589 Tf:866 765 3351 [email protected] /rempelinsurance.com /valleyfinancial.ca.

By Les Kletke

Pat Beaujot said the single greatest feature of the Seed Hawk air seeder is the opener for seedplacement, which is controlled hydraulically so that the pressure can be changed to match fieldconditions. But, judging by the traffic stopping by the Seed Hawk display at the Farm ProgressShow the size of the tank on the unit is an important feature as well. The display at Regina’s Farm Progress Show featured a seed tank that had four different compart-ments to accommodate seed or dry fertilizer. The unit was a proto type that is not yet market readybut has been tested in the field. The length of the unit, at nearly 50 feet, meant that there were somechallenges in getting a uniform airflow to the seeding unit. Beaujot, President of Seed Hawk which is based in Langbank, Saskatchewan said he is sure that thechallenges can be overcome as so many have in the 20 plus years the company has been manufactur-ing seeding equipment and coming to the Farm Progress Show. “We started coming to the show in 1992,” he said. “The company was brand new when we camewith our first model. At that time air seeders were on a heavy frame and did not do well in wetconditions, they sunk away.” He credits the lighter frame for the machines popularity in Manitoba, “they are often seeding inwetter conditions and the lighter machine helps, but the hydraulics still allow the farmer to get theproper pressure on the opener.” “Since 2008 we have had individual section controls and that allows a section to be turned off justat the boom on a sprayer so there is no overlap on odd shaped fields,” said Beaujot. “On an 80-footunit that can be a significant saving on the amount of seed.” Currently the 80-foot width of machine is the widest offered by the company but that may alsochange in the future. While the overall size of the unit has grown, the importance of seed placementby the individual openers remains a key feature of the machine. “We have done well in areas where there is significant canola acreage, like Manitoba,” he said. “Theunit allows for proper placement of the seed, which was a significant improvement over the airseeders of a few years ago or discers which basically spread the seed with very little control.” He said it was the early adapters that tried the Seed Hawk and liked the placement of canola, “It

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Seed Hawk Continues to Grow

The Seed Hawk openerallows for precisionplacement of the seedwhile being mounted ona lighter frame whichallows travel in wetterconditions.

Photo by Les Kletke

was the bread and butter, or in their case, bread and margarine of the machine.” In 2006, Seed Hawk partnered with Väderstad-Verken AB of Sweden a large, family-ownedcompany that manufactures and sells seeding and tillage equipment around the world. WhenVäderstad-Verken became a minority shareholder, the partnership helped with expansion of salesglobally. Recently Seed Hawk announced plans to begin work on two separate expansions to their facilityin Langbank. In June, they will break ground on a 15,000 square foot addition to their manufacturingshop and work on a second, larger 81,000 square foot addition to their manufacturing shop will beginin January 2014. Expanding the complex in Langbank will allow Seed Hawk to carry and assemble more of Väderstad’sproducts. It will also provide the space necessary to support a new corn planter and expand theirline-up of zero-till seeding solutions.


Manitoba’s beef producers are the single largest collection ofconservationists in the province. That may sound like a radicalstatement to some, but it is in fact a reflection of reality. It is also a fact that is increasingly becoming recognized bylegislators and policy makers. When announcing the new

By Les Kletke

Dan Undersander tells forage producers that their costs on agood crop and a poor crop are virtually the same, “So you mightas well get a good crop and reduce your cost per ton.”Undersanderis recognized as one of the continents leading forage experts andworks at the University of Wisconsin, which conducts NorthAmerica’s largest forage trials. He spoke to producers at Neepawaand the Manitoba Forage Day via a teleconference. He said that fixed costs are the same, production costs aresimilar and harvesting costs are similar on a one or two ton peracre crop, “So, if you get two tons your cost per ton is reducedand it is easier to make money on your cattle.” Undersander, always the pragmatist, recognized that sometimefactors like weather can affect quality of feed but it is importantto recognize what you have and use it accordingly. He said testingand being aware of Relative Feed Values is a must in decidingwhere feed should go. Undersander, who deals primarily withdairy producers, said that the milking dairy herd has the highestfeed requirements and should get the best feed, followed by heif-ers or beef cows, then young heifer or dry cows. “Quality is important and has to be weighed against the volumeof feed,” said Undersander. “Yield peaks in the flower stage andby that time you are losing leaves. Tonnage and quality dropsafter the flowering stage.” He said the plant health is to be considered as well as the forageyield, and root reserves are a prime consideration. He estimatesthat a million acres of forage is lost in Wisconsin annually be-cause of not having proper root reserves. Undersander surprised the gathering of beef and dairy produc-ers with the grass crop information and how quickly they dete-riorate after the optimum harvest date. “Grasses decline faster than forages and after the peak, you arelosing as much as half a percent a day (of feed value),” he said.“Stems and the height of stems is what determines the quality ofgrasses and the leaves won’t change but the digestibility of thestems declines after a certain date.” His data shows that in forages, protein drops by a quarter of apercent per day after peaking and non-digestible fibre by 0.4percent a day, “That means you are losing nearly 1.0 percentevery two days. Timing is critical.”

legislation to protect ecosystems, Honourable Gord Mackin-tosh, Manitoba Minister of Conservation and Water Steward-ship stated, “grazing is an important management practice tomaintain healthy grassland ecosystems and populations ofspecies at risk.” At an event on June 14, which announcedfederal funding for wetland and grassland protection, the Chairof the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation, John Whitaker,noted, “We like cattle producers.” The view of the general public on beef and the environment isoften tainted by commentary on flatulent cows contributinggreenhouse gases to the atmosphere. When I hear these stories,I often wonder if these commentators have ever stopped toconsider the collective gas production of the millions of bisonthat roamed the Prairies. It has been noted that the research,which led to this point of view, is flawed and incomplete. Atbest, these comments are simply not reflective of cattleproduction in Manitoba’s northern climate. Nevertheless, theview of beef production as an environmental problem has beenstuck in the public mind set. It is time to change thatmisperception. Why should our province’s ranchers be acknowledged asbeing at the front line in habitat and species protection?Because maintaining land in pasture production helps protectbiodiversity for a broad range of species-from plants, animalsand birds to insects and amphibians. Species listed under Manitoba’s Endangered Species Act andthe federal Species at Risk Act make their homes on bothprivately and publicly owned pastureland in the province. Thisis demonstrated by work done on the 409,000 acres ofgrasslands that are preserved in the community pastureprogram in Manitoba. Research has shown that these pasturesalone provide a home to 33 different species at risk. This doesnot consider the millions of other private pasture and Crownland leased for grazing. I have heard it said that if you want to preserve habitat andendangered species you should try to preserve beef producers.Protecting Lake Winnipeg and moderating flooding should beadded to the list. In addition to species and habitat protection,many pastures are home to wetlands and Prairie potholes,helping to both store and filter water. These are two keyfunctions that are inevitably highlighted whenever the perennialManitoba topics of flood prevention and the health of LakeWinnipeg are raised. What is the alternative to grazing this land? Clearing andextensive drainage. Some people may say, “Just leave the land alone for nature.”But removing grazing and simply setting grassland aside is asbad a conservation practice as clearing and draining. Why?Because nature is not static. Without cattle and grazing, thehabitat we see today will be lost as the ecosystems change andevolve. This erosion of habitat is as damaging as any other loss. I am pleased to see the beginning of recognition of theenvironmental services provided by Manitoba’s beef produc-ers. Governments are searching for ways to increase protectionfor vulnerable habitat and species at risk. I believe there arestraightforward, market-based solutions that will help societyaccomplish its conservation goals and give producers theopportunity to continue, and expand, the practices thatgenerate environmental benefits. To date, producers have not been compensated for theexternal environmental benefits that they provide to society. Ifgovernments were to amend this shortcoming and providemarket-based compensation for the ecosystem services alreadyprovided, producers would have adequate economic incentivesto increase conservation management practices. Ecological goods and services pilot projects have been run inManitoba. One example is the joint Agriculture and Agri-FoodCanada/Ducks Unlimited Canada research project at SouthTobacco Creek near Miami. Manitoba has also played aleadership role in the investigation of agri-environmentalincentive initiatives, such as the development of the Agri-Extension Environment Program and other Best ManagementPractices (BMP) programs. Enough work has been done to unequivocally state, thatprograms designed to compensate producers for the delivery ofecological goods and services will increase conservationmanagement practices and accomplish many of society’senvironmental objectives. Additional research is not requiredprior to launching such initiatives. These societal benefits can be accomplished without rigidlegislation and regulation. Market-based environmentalincentives are flexible and can be easily adjusted to changingcircumstances and new knowledge. I strongly hold that the most effective stewardship programsare those that are developed in co-operation with the producerswho manage the land and water. Programs designed to bevoluntary are the most cost-effective ones for Manitobataxpayers, they will be most successful in delivering long-termenvironmental results and they will encourage the growth anddevelopment of Manitoba’s economy.

Beef: Conservation in Action Costs Are the Same,So Take the Big Crop

A year long joint Sino-Cana-dian study released to key deci-sion-makers in China has proventhat the use of Canadian canolameal in cattle feed in Chinesedairies can significantly increasequantity produced. In a market where demand formilk is skyrocketing and milkquality is a concern for bothdairies and consumers alike, thestudy marks a turning point inthe development of China’sdairy industry. It also opens uppotential opportunities for Canadian canola meal in China. As-suming the entire Chinese dairy industry included Canadian canolameal, milk production in China would increase by about sevenmillion litres per day. The study, coordinated by the Canola Council of Canada (CCC)with funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, was con-ducted by leading Chinese academics, in cooperation with China’slargest dairy companies. “We are delighted with the success of this joint research projectwith China,” said Canola Council President Patti Miller. “Canolameal has now proven its value as a feed product in Chinesedairies, opening the door for China’s milk industry to enhancequality and increase production without significantly increasingcost.” The research was conducted by Dr. Li Shengli and Dr. WangRuojun of the China Agricultural University at dairy farms oper-ated by China’s five largest milk producers. The study provedthat when used in dry rations, meal from Canadian canola couldincrease daily milk production by .6 kilograms per cow, a sub-stantial increase. One kilogram of milk is roughly equivalent toone litre. Over the past 30 years, research done in various coun-tries with Canadian canola meal has shown a cumulative averageincrease in milk production of one litre per cow per day, so thismost recent study in China is consistent with long-term studies. “This study does more than just demonstrate a link betweencanola feed and the quantity of milk produced,” noted Dr. Ruojun.“It makes clear that canola provides an answer to a challenge thathas vexed Chinese dairies for years: how to raise both the qualityand quantity of milk produced without raising cost dispropor-tionately. Our research shows that use of canola is not onlyeffective; it is economical for Chinese dairy farmers as well.”

Opportunities for CanadianOpportunities for CanadianOpportunities for CanadianOpportunities for CanadianOpportunities for CanadianCanola in ChinaCanola in ChinaCanola in ChinaCanola in ChinaCanola in China


The Horse Industry in Brandon

The Model 20 was introduced in 1938 making 2013 the 75thanniversary of this design, the first commercially successfulself-propelled combine. In 1911, Massey Harris (MH) recruited an Australianengineer, Tom Carroll, a specialist in harvest machinery to workon a MH Model 1, a stripper type combine. When this provedless than successful, he helped redesign the MH Model 3combine. In 1917, he had progressed to the MH Model 5. By 1936, Carroll had come to believe in a self-propelledcombine. Carroll was aware of the Sunshine Combine producedin the 1920s by the Taylor McKay Company of Australia bydoing business with them and being a part owner. Carroll hadalso seen in Argentina pull type combines that had beenconverted to self-propelled machines. Carroll had an ally in MH’s newly appointed GeneralManager, James S. Duncan, who readily agreed to allowCarroll’s design team to work on a self-propelled combinedesign. In 1938, eight pre-production prototypes were deliveredto farms in Argentina for a field test program. Feedback on theirperformance was so positive that production was authorizedimmediately with new combines being delivered to customersearly in 1939. The Model 20 was equipped with a 16-foot table, which waswide by 1930’s standards. More importantly, the machine wasequipped with a 37-inch cylinder, which gave good capacity forthe time. The layout of the MH-20 was similar to a moderncombine. The operator station was right of centre of themachine, just behind the table, which gave an excellent viewforward. The table could be equipped with a pick up or a knifeand reel making the machine capable of straight cutting givenproper crop conditions. The grain tank was behind the operatorposition on the left side of the machine. The MH-20 was builton a steel girder chassis and was powered by a Chrysler sixcylinder truck engine. This engine and some driveline compo-nents were used in some models of MH tractors. The enginewas hung out on the right side of the combine where it wasaccessible but exposed to the elements. While the MH-20 was heavy and expensive, it was popularwith customers who were pleased with its manoeuvrability andcapacity. Sales of the MH-20 totalled 925 machines over twoyears, 1939 and 1940. The Model 20 was succeeded by the

Brandon in the 1880’s established itself as the draft horsecentre on the prairies and became the headquarters for manyleading Canadian horse dealers such as Colquhoun and Beattie,Trotter and Trotter, Alexander Galbraith, J.B. Hogate, J.A.McMillan, Ben Finlayson, J.D. McGregor and others. HowBrandon managed to attract a large number of horse dealers is acombination of factors. Brandon had good rail connections eastand west plus as the largest town in the area, Brandon attractedsettlers into Brandon on a regular basis. Brandon also benefitedfrom the settlement pattern of the time. Settlers had to travelwell west of Winnipeg in the 1880s to obtain homestead landdue large blocks of land being unavailable in the area betweenWinnipeg and Brandon because of purchase by speculators,being reserved for various ethnic groups or because of landgrants to the Canadian Pacific Railway. When the flood of settlers began in earnest in the period 1895to 1914, there was a correspondingly large increase in demandfor draft horses, the predominant source of power on the farmin that period. Brandon was well positioned to fill this demand.Brandon horse dealers brought in stallions and mares fromScotland, England, France, Belgium, Ontario and the USA. Thebetter animals were used for breeding purposes with theoffspring sold to farmers. As well, farmers would bring theirmares into Brandon so they could be mated with a qualitystallion that a horse dealer owned. This was a cheap method ofimproving the bloodlines of a farmer’s horses. Stallions beingsomewhat more unpredictable and less easy to handle were notanimals well suited to a draft horse team and so many farmerswould not want to keep a stallion. Lesser quality animals werealso purchased by dealers from areas outside the prairies andresold to western farmers. While many stories abound of farmers being sold problemhorses by unscrupulous horse dealers, some accounts bydealers tell of farmers being somewhat less than truthful when

selling horses to thedealer. In oneaccount by a dealer,a farmer was tellingthe dealer that thehorse was in middleage when the dealerinformed the farmerthat the horse wasthat age when thedealer brought theanimal to thePrairies 10 yearspreviously! Itwould appear thathorse-trading wasnot for the gullibleand naïve! With Brandonbeing a centre fordraft horses, theBrandon SummerFair rapidly became known for its draft horse classes. By 1889,the fair could claim the biggest and best draft horse show inwestern Canada. When the Brandon Winter Fair came about in1908 it became known for the size and quality of its draft horseshow with local sellers and dealers from other areas. To draft horse judges, the two fairs were known as novacation to work because of the quality of animals entered andan audience that knew horses and was not shy about voicingconcerns on the judging. The Brandon Winter Fair in particularbecame known to judges as the “Stallion Storm Centre” and tothe dealers as the “Supreme Horse Court”. Draft horses remained the primary power source on the farmuntil the late 1920s when tractor design and manufactureadvanced to the point where economical and reliable tractorswere being offered for sale. With the coming of the GreatDepression, draft horses again became a more economical powersource than tractors and remained so for most of the 1930s. Thecoming of World War II resulted in tractor manufacturersswitching to war production and so horses remained a signifi-

A Clydesdale horse class in the show ring at the 1912Brandon Summer Fair. The white building in the background isone of the horse stables that existed on the fair grounds in1912. Photo compliments of the McKee Archives, BrandonUniversity.

cant source of power through the war years. However, withthe end of the war, farm mechanization was relaunched and by1950, the draft horse was largely retired from farm work. The 2013 Threshermen’s Reunion Expo features Horse-power plus Massey and related companies. The HorsepowerExpo celebrates the role of horses in agriculture. At this time,approximately 20 draft horse teams are set to appear and theExpo committee is working to get ready a number of horsedrawn implements for use in demonstrations. As well, theClydesdale Expo is set to return. So the 2013 Reunion is theplace to be if you are interested in draft horses! If you havehorse era implements in your collection, please think aboutdisplaying them at the Expo.

The 2013 Threshermen’s Reunion runs from July 25-28.

The Museum’s Model 20 combine had its engine placed on theright side making it accessible although exposed to theelements. For 1938, the machine offered the ultimate inoperator comfort with a sunshade over the operator’sposition.

Join the MasseyEquipment Family at

the Museum

Massey Harris Model 21, which sold in the thousands givingMH a majority share of the rapidly emerging market for self-propelled combines. Carroll’s role in the success of the MH-20 was recognizedwith the award of a Gold Medal in 1958 by the AmericanSociety of Agricultural Engineers to recognize his contributionto combine development. Along with the first successful self-propelled combine, Carroll helped introduce to the farmmachinery business, mechanical improvements such aswelding, roller chain, oil bath gear sets, ball bearings anddetachable tables that made combines easier to transport. The MH-20 that is operating condition at the Museumcomes from the Westwood Family of Rapid City. HaroldWestwood, who farmed in the Rapid City area and operatedthe Massey Harris dealership in the town of Rapid City,purchased the combine new in 1938. Westwood farmed through the 1950s and sold the combineto a nephew sometime in the early 1960s. The nephew used itfor a few years and then parked the machine. Westwood’s’grandsons, Allan and Laurence Westwood, purchased themachine in 1983 and returned it to operating conditiondonating it to the Museum. The Expo at the 2013 Threshermen’s Reunion features theMassey family of companies. If you have equipment built byMassey Harris, Sawyer Massey, Massey Harris Ferguson,Massey Ferguson or any of the firms purchased by theMassey family such as Wallis or Wisner, you should considerbringing it to the Massey Expo by contacting the Museumoffice at (204) 637-2354 to make arrangements.


By Harry Siemens

The recent sale of Smithfield Foods a Virginia based pork producer to Shuanghui InternationalHoldings, China’s largest pork producer for $4.72 billion appears to bring out accolades so far forvarious reasons but the main one is the Chinese need the protein for 1.3 billion people and thispurchase gives them some food security. “I think it will, in the long term likely create some opportunities for Canadian hog producers in theUnited States market,” said Perry Mohr, General Manager of H@MS Marketing Services Co-op inWinnipeg. “Well, they are doing this for food supply security. It should and likely will increaseexports of U.S. pork to China. This could create a void for pork in the U.S. and Canada is strategi-cally placed to fill it.” Mohr said today M-Cool effects pork going south, but again in the long term, he thinks that willbecome somewhat of a lesser factor. “Either it will go away completely or everyone will figure outhow to work with it,” he said. A direct Smithfield pipeline to China might stimulate exports if it can minimize red tape. Steve Meyer, of Paragon Economics in Iowa recognizes the Smithfield deal is a big opportunity fora country of 1.3 billion people that do not have the capacity to produce 50 pounds of pork perperson. Meyer said the bottom line is that the Chinese deal for Smithfield is bullish for long-term exports,which helps lift deferred futures. Traders fret that intermediate-term interest in buying pork couldsag. Pork gains suggest that immediate demand remains firm. “This is a major purchase by a company from a country that some expect to eventually becomeour largest pork export customer,” said Meyer. “Remember the ‘China Principle’: 1.3 billion timesany number is a very big number!” He said let’s keep this in perspective. While Smithfield is a behemoth both as a packer and hogproducer, it is a drop in the bucket compared to hog numbers, pork production and pork consump-tion in China. Smithfield’s importance in the U.S. industry is roughly a 26 percent share of U.S. hogslaughter capacity and a 16 percent share of the U.S. sow herd. Meyer said that 862,000 sows, roughly the number Smithfield has, will produce somewhere in thevicinity of 20 to 22 million market hogs per year, China in 2012 had 49.28 million sows andslaughtered 694 million hogs. Smithfield’s U.S. numbers would account for 1.7 percent of theChinese sow herd and 3 percent of China’s 2012 slaughter. So what are the implications of this purchase for the U.S. pork industry? “The purchase does not change the structure of the U.S. industry at all and thus should have noimpact on the competitive landscape,” he said. “In spite of the predictable outcry by small farmadvocates and even some U.S. lawmakers, the purchase doesn’t change concentration levels orremove any competitors from the U.S. marketplace. There is no reason that U.S. antitrust lawsshould come into play in any review of the transaction.” “The sale is subject to review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States(CFIUS) but we understand that that group’s major focus is on national security issues and we don’tsee that this one poses any such threats,” he added. Does this potentially transfer U.S. technology to China? Smithfield may have some unique systems or procedures but Meyer doubts that there is much, ifany, technology in Smithfield’s plants or hog farms that Chinese firms could not access already. U.S.firms have been actively working with Chinese companies for years and, again, raising and process-ing pigs probably doesn’t involve much spying or missile technology.

During the early 60’s, Morris was home to some good agricultural fairs. However, in 1963, the fairbarely broke even and it was felt that a drastic change had to be made or quit altogether. In Octoberof 1963, a meeting for local supporters was sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce to discuss theidea of holding a rodeo. A 7- person committee was formed from this group to find out what theycould do about putting on a rodeo. The Rural Municipality of Morris was willing to guarantee $2,000 a year for three years and theTown of Morris $1,000 a year for three years. Two local members, Bruce MacKenzie from Morrisand Arthur Vermette from St. Jean Baptiste attended the Cowboys’ Protective Association meetingin Calgary and came back with a favourable report. After a public meeting held on December 11,1963, the decision was to go ahead. Local promoter, Cliff Claggett who was instrumental in getting the NorthWest Round Up startedat Swan River was contacted along with rodeo producer, Harry Vold who was originally fromPonoka, Alberta to attend a meeting to check over the grounds and facilities. They made severalrecommendations and agreed that if the Valley Agricultural Society would provide the necessaryfacilities then they would guarantee a show and the Stampede was born. A contest was held to arrive at a name for the event. “The Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition” asthe full name and the “Big M” logo was born. Bruce MacKenzie was elected the first Rodeo Chair and Lyman Sadler also living in Morrisbecame the first Rodeo Secretary. Most of the surrounding towns and municipalities appointed arepresentative to the Board of Managers with this practice continuing for several years. Planning started immediately with a mere $200 in the bank and only 22 acres of property. The costfor the event climbed to $17,000 since the existing facilities were entirely inadequate. The finance committee decided that the support of everyone was needed. People were approachedwith the idea of loaning the Society $100 each, with no guarantee of repayment. As a result, 108individuals, companies and organizations came through and by the end of March; the Society had$10,800 to work with. With the promise of another $25,000 from the bank, the Stampede was on itsway. Negotiations for additional property were already under way, improvements began with theconstruction of a new track started with local municipalities and contractors supplying the neces-sary equipment and a contractor was hired to construct the grandstand. Despite delays in timbershipments due to flooding in Oregon, the stands were completed only minutes before the firstspectators started filing in. In 1967, the first five-day rodeo known as the Big “M” was attended by 27,000 people andrevenue from the gate and grandstand totaled $54,629. At the annual meeting of the Canadian RodeoCowboys Association in 1968, the Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition was recognized as the secondbiggest stampede in Canada and in 1969, the Stampede adopted the “Red Hat” as its symbol in 1969. Much has happened since; the Big “M” is no longer the second largest stampede. However, theBig “M” has retained the only Manitoban professional rodeo status and has consistently providedtop-notch family entertainment.

From Thursday, July 18 to Sunday, July 21, Morris will hostits 50th Big M with special event planning underway to make

the 2013 Manitoba Stampede the best ever.

Sale of Smithfield to Chinese CompanyLooks Good Say Industry Reps

The Big “M” Celebrates 50 Years

An outbreak of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) virus in the U.S., the first time thisdisease has been confirmed in North America. This virus has been widespread in Europe andAsia and active in China since 2010. The outbreak appears to be widespread in the U.S., withno apparent linkages found among affected areas. Several investigative teams are currentlyworking to establish the source of the infection. PED is caused by a corona virus distinct from Transmissible Gastroenteritis virus (TGE).Like TGE, the virus damages the villi in the gut thus reducing the absorptive surface, withloss of fluid and dehydration, resulting in loss of fluid, dehydration, and often death. Sincethis disease is new to North America, Canadian herds have no immunity and impacts wouldbe severe. “This disease would have a devastating impact on our Canadian industry,” said Jean-GuyVincent, President of the Canadian Pork Council. “Since this disease has never been inCanada, our Canadian herd remains very susceptible to PED. Production losses from thisdisease would have severe impacts on competitiveness of the sector, and all producers havea key role to play in protecting against PED in Canada.” “The most important thing producers can do is tighten their on-farm biosecurity,” saidFlorian Possberg, Chair of the Canadian Swine Health Board. “Producers should ensure alltrucks entering their farms that may have been in the U.S. have been effectively cleaned anddisinfected. Good biosecurity can stop the spread of this and other pathogens.” The Canadian industry is fortunate that our northern climate, vast open spaces and lowpopulation densities provide an excellent growing environment for the commercial produc-tion for high quality premium hogs and excellent breeding stock. The sheer scale of Canadaland mass enables the country to be a major food producer with less than 5 percent of its landdedicated to agriculture. Livestock production is spread over such a large area that animaldensity is low, despite the size of the industry. The CSHB’s Canadian Swine Health Intelligence Network (CSHIN) is the industry’s eyesand ears monitoring swine diseases, and this virus has not been reported through CSHIN.Producers are encouraged to ensure their veterinarians are participating in CSHIN to evenfurther protect their herds. How this pathogen reached North America is still unknown, but Canadian stakeholders areworking closely with their U.S. counterparts. The Canadian Association of Swine Veterinar-ians (CASV) is working in conjunction with the American Association of Swine Veterinar-ians to learn more about this pathogen and its transmission routes. The Canadian FoodInspection Agency (CFIA) is also working closely with their counterparts at USDA. Producers seeing signs of widespread diarrhea in their herds should contact their veterinar-ian for a specific diagnosis, and take care to avoid exposing other farms. Producers are alsoencouraged to reference CSHB’s National Swine Farm-Level Biosecurity Standard, as wellas protocols for effective cleaning and disinfection of trucks, available at swinehealth.ca.

Porcine Epidemic DiarrheaOutbreak in U.S.


By Peter Vitti

Manitoba often has severaldays that start at thebeginning of July and might

continue toward the end ofthe summer, when hotweather can cause significantheat-stress in grazing beefcows and nursing calves.

Those animals that lookreally uncomfortable underthe glare of the sun are mostlikely suffering from heat-stress and may be costingyou money! Heat-stress in cattle caneasily burn up hard-earnedcash in two big ways: (1)create open cows that for noother reason should bepregnant and (2) slowdownor stop good growth inhealthy spring calves. At best, a hot weatheropen cow might only delayher future calf salesgenerated by an operation,because there may be the

promissory option that shecould be put into a fallcalving herd and then besuccessfully re-bred later on.At its worst, an operationmay be forced to sell a goodcow that gives lots of milk,which drives good calfperformance or hasexceptional genetics thatcould have been passed ontofuture replacement heifers. Such lost bred brood-cowincome due to heat-stress isoften intangible. Bycomparison, one should beable to calculate income lostwhen their heat-stressedspring calves don’t gainweight for any extendedperiod of time during thesummer. Even slightly heat-stressed calves often havepoor appetites and this lackof consumption dovetailsinto lower gains on pasture. Consider the followingexample: a 300 cow-calfoperation suffers from atwo-week heat wave. Thecalves in this virtual samplewould normally be gainingabout 2.2 lbs (1.0 kg) perhead each day. Instead, weassume that their feedintakes are askew and theyonly consumed enoughnutrients to support basicmaintenance requirements. When these calves are soldin the fall, the calculation forlost gain and thus lost dollarsare as follows: 300 springcalves x 2.2 lb/hd/d x 14 daysx $1.55 (demonstrationautumn price - weaned 550lb steers) = $ 14,322.00.That’s over a $14,000setback due to only twoweeks of relentless heat! To understand the fullscope of such a negativeeconomic impact, we shouldreview how heat-stress caneasily affect a herd in thefirst place. A good rule ofthumb is most heat-stress incattle starts at air tempera-tures above 27 C and a 50-60% relative humidity. Simple field observationsof “hot” cows and calveswill show that they arevisibly lethargic, vigorouslypanting and have little desireto feed. In contrast, theyvisit available dugouts,

waterers, and water tanksmore frequently as thehumidex (reference; theWeather Channel) pusheshigher. It is estimated thatcattle in heat-stresssituations will increase theirwater consumption by morethan 50% compared to morecomfortable weatherconditions. Such outward signs of heatstress in cows and calves arealso balanced by what wecannot see taking place intheir bodies. Oklahoma State Universityreported that beef cows in amoderately heat-stressedstate had a 64% pregnancyrate compared to 83% in anenvironmentally comfortablecontrol group. It was alsodiscovered that if the formercows suffered from heat-stress at 8-16 days afterbecoming pregnant that theweight of embryo plus fluidsweighed less, sharplydecreasing the fetus’ chanceof survival. Other referencessupport these findings bystating that heat stress canhave a negative effect uponfollicular development about40 days before and up to 40days after ovum fertilization. Like beef cows, theircalves suffer, internalstruggles from heat stress aswell. There is some speculationthat heavy panting calvesmay blow off so muchcarbon dioxide that it leadsto a great loss of naturalbuffering bicarbonate (via theurine) and may cause ageneral acidosis build up intheir bodies. In turn, therumen microbes that digestforage fibre and otherfeedstuffs, such as creepfeed, start to die off. As aresult, what little pastureand creep feed that calvesconsumed during hotweather may not beproperly digested by thecalves, which contributes toless weight gains by the endof the summer. When such scorching heatstrikes both cows and calvesthere are a few steps that canbe taken to reduce itsnegative impact upon cow

reproduction and calfgrowth:1. Water is essential to copewith heat-stress. Lots ofcool clean water must beprovided. Some field studiesshow that water tempera-tures over 25C can actuallyincrease the water require-ment in heat-stressed cattle.It should be recognized thatthe water’s surface areashould be sufficient for alarge number of cattle todrink at the same time, andthe water flow within thewaterers and tanks be able toreplenish water quickly.2. Cows and calves shouldaccess to trees and otherforms of shade. Openbuildings and pole-shedswith light coloured roofs canprovide some shade.Windbreaks will providesome shade, but they oftenreduce air movement andsometimes contribute toheat-stress.3. Pasture managementtechniques might beadjusted. If one is using arotational grazing system,rotate the cattle throughpastures more quickly. Thischange allows cattle to grazemore digestible pastureforages, which in turn maylower the internal generationof heat from fibre fermenta-tion.4. Feed a nutritious andpalatable creep feed tonursing calves. It is also agood idea to frequentlycheck the creep feeders andnot allow them to go empty.5. Provide salt and a goodcommercial mineral at alltimes. There are somepasture studies that suggestcattle need more sodium,potassium, and magnesiumunder heat- stressedconditions.6. Implement a good flycontrol program. Manyproducers implementinsecticide ear tags and usecattle back-rubbers, dustersand oilers. Eliminate shallowpools, muddy areas andother fly breeding spots,wherever possible. By the middle of summer,even a few weeks of hotweather can seem unbearableto beef cows and calves. Wecan help these heat-stresssufferers on pasture byimplementing some copingtechniques, which may resultin a reduction of potentialreproduction and growthperformance problems aswell as loss of autumnincome.

How Much Money

Does Heat-stress in

Your Beef Cows and

Calves Cost?

agripost june 28 2013

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