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Alberta’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2014 » PAGE 2

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Accusations fly as battle over wild horse cull heats up By Alexis Kienlen af staff

his year’s cull of wild horses has become ugly. Critics have launched an intense campaign, and its most well-known member — renowned singer Jann Arden — is alleging a rancher given the permit to capture the wild horses is a beneficiary of political favouritism. But permit holder Jason Bradley says he’s been personally threatened and trespassers have invaded his property when all he is doing is protecting sensitive rangeland from skyrocketing numbers of feral horses. What is certain is that both sides are dug in. “It’s just wrong on every level and I feel very passionate about it,” said Arden. The singer, who lives near Bragg Creek, has been using her Twitter account to rally her 91,000 followers into opposing the cull, and frequently lambastes Bradley and Premier Alison Redford, whom she claims is friends with the rancher. “There are questions that need to be asked,” she said in an interview. “There are wild horses all over Alberta, but this is the only area that the government of Alberta is intensely involved

see WILD HORSES } page 6

The province has issued permits to capture up to 196 wild horses, which roam from the Kananaskis to north of Nordegg. supplied photo

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Backers of cull say the rising number of wild horses is damaging sensitive rangeland, but critics say it is inhumane and there are better alternatives

news » inside this week

inside » You can’t have it both ways Accepting science on GMOs and climate change

MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

livestock

crops

columNists

Reason to smile

Lobby the feds on transportation

White House pledges $1 billion to prepare for climate change Will help communities deal with extreme weather events By Valerie Volcovici Reuters

resident Barack Obama on Feb. 14 unveiled a $1-billion fund in his 2015 budget to help communities across the United States prepare for the impact of climate change. The fund, announced in Fresno, California, is part of Obama’s pledge to speed federal assistance to the most populous U.S. state. California is attempting to cope with its worst drought in recorded history, which is threatening its critical agriculture industry, energy production and other industries. The fund is part of a broader approach to deal with climate change that Obama outlined in his Climate Action Plan in June 2013. The proposal will be formally introduced when Obama unveils his fiscal 2015 budget in March. It will help communities deal with extreme weather events, such as floods, drought, heat waves and wildfires, according to the White House. Such disasters include Superstorm Sandy in 2012; the April 2011 tornado outbreak in Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern United States; and California wildfires in October 2007. Funds would be used to research how to better prepare for climate change-related effects like rising sea levels and extreme temperatures and encourage local initiatives. Other investments would include “breakthrough technologies and resilient infrastructure” such as building sea walls and more resilient electricity delivery systems to protect vulnerable cities and towns.

Correction — cash advances A story in the Feb. 17 edition incorrectly stated that Farm Credit Canada is offering cash advances of up to $400,000 (with the first $100,000 interest free) to qualified grain producers. In fact, the advances are being offered by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through its Advance Payment Program.

Don’t be combative with farm critics

BERNIE PEET Continuous monitoring boosts hog efficiency

Farm girl takes big stage Anna Kalisvaart from Gibbons sings at Carnegie Hall

brenda schoepp

Roy Lewis Better times for cattle producers

Says Grain Growers

Semen evaluation — is it worth it?

St. Paul dairy farmers named Alberta’s outstanding young farmers Nicole and Richard Brousseau will represent Alberta and the Northwest Territories at the national Outstanding Young Farmers competition in Quebec City By Jennifer Blair af staff / banff

airy farmer Richard Brousseau said what his visibly moved wife Nicole couldn’t upon being named Alberta’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2014. “At first… we didn’t feel we fit the bill, but when we looked into (the program) and what it stood for, we felt very fortunate to be part of this group,” said Richard after the couple was announced as this year’s winners for Alberta and the Northwest Territories. “As a farmer, you never set out to get recognition,” said Nicole after the presentation in Banff last month. “You never set out in the ag industry to say you’re going to be an outstanding young farmer.” The Brousseaus and their three young children operate Moo-Lait Family Farms near St. Paul, where they milk 50 dairy cows and grow their own crops for feed in partnership with Nicole’s parents. And while both Richard and Nicole grew up on farms in the St. Paul area, neither expected to be milk producers. “I didn’t know if I wanted to be a dairy farmer, but I knew I wanted to be involved in agriculture,” said Nicole.

“You never set out in the ag industry to say you’re going to be an outstanding young farmer.” Nicole Brousseau

Being a dairy farmer was “not something I thought I’d ever do,” said Richard, who grew up on a hog farm. He calls the road that took him back to the farm “a process.” “Originally when I grew up, I thought I’d never leave the farm,” he said. But a struggle to find funding for quota led Richard to work off-farm jobs for 18 months, including one as a delivery driver.

Nicole and Richard Brousseau, along with their three children, were presented with Alberta’s outstanding young farmers trophy by Karen Hunter (r) and Brittany Long (l) of ATB Financial. “We struggled. It wasn’t an overnight thing,” he said. “You keep working at it,” said Nicole. “There’s a bigger picture in mind.” Eventually, Richard landed a job as the manager of the dairy barn at Lakeland College in Vermilion. “It’s been dairy ever since.”

Natural connection

Since then, the Brousseaus have expanded their operation, doubling milk production and expanding their barn. Even as their operation has grown, sustainability has been the primary focus for the pair. “We want to keep our environmental footprint to a minimum while still remaining profitable, efficient and sustainable,” said Richard. Four years ago, the Brousseaus sought the help of a well-established producer in their area, who introduced the couple to crop management techniques that have improved the health of their soil — and their cows. “We’ve seen the benefits of it already,” said Richard. For example, they had no cases of mastitis over six months, which Richard credits to soil improvements that

have resulted in better-quality feed. The quality of their last oat samples was so high, their nutritionist thought there had been some sort of mistake in the testing process. “There was no mistake,” said Nicole. “It’s just a healthier crop.” The couple now grows as much feed as they can. “It’s connecting back to nature,” said Richard. “If we have healthy soil and healthy plants, (we’ll have) healthy livestock and healthy product, which in turn makes healthier people.” The Brousseaus’ approach to environmental stewardship and the success of their operation led to their regional win, but they weren’t able to celebrate for very long. Their new dairy barn was days away from being finished, and there was plenty of work for the young couple waiting back at the farm. “We both feel it’s our calling to be in agriculture, and we’re very fortunate that we’re able to follow our passion and our dreams,” said Richard. The national Outstanding Young Farmers competition will be held in Quebec City from Nov. 25-30. jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

Production shortfalls and transportation woes could result in nitrogen shortage Experts say there’s still time to close the supply gap, but farmers should be talking to their suppliers about booking their orders By Alexis Kienlen af staff

an Irricana-based company that helps grain and oilseed farmers make cropmarketing decisions. The latest jump was a surprise because fertilizer prices have been pretty flat over the last two years and many farmers reasoned they would follow grain and oilseed prices lower, he said.

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oncern is mounting as transportation and production issues point to a serious shortage of nitrogen supplies this spring. “If it was April, I would be panicking,” said Brian Kenyon, director of sales and marketing with Yara Canada. However, even though nitrogen “There’s still time for people shipments to Western Canada are down by an estimated 750,000 to one to bring supplies in from million tonnes this fall and winter, there’s still time to salvage the situaother markets to make up for tion, he said. the production shortages that “A shortage is only a shortage if the demand is there and they can’t get have occurred in Western it,” said Kenyon. “There’s still time Canada.” for people to bring supplies in from other markets to make up for the production shortages that have occurred Brian Kenyon in Western Canada.” director of sales and marketing with Yara It’s rumoured CF Industries suffered Canada a lengthy production shutdown at its Medicine Hat plant last year, but a company official wouldn’t confirm it, citing stock market regulations that “They just sat there waiting and all limit what companies can say about of a sudden, grain prices went down events that can affect financial perfor- and fertilizer went up,” said Schmaltz. mance. While Kenyon wouldn’t idenMoving fertilizer to Western Canada tify any specific plant, he said, “I know given the congested rail system has one of our competitors was down for been the big factor, he said. 40 days and that’s 120,000 tonnes of “It’s a bit premature to suggest that lost production.” there’s a shortage in the market,” he But there’s sufficient nitrogen fer- said. “There’s certainly a logistics bottilizer elsewhere and the market will tleneck.” respond to demand, he added. Kenyon said he’s been conducting “If urea is going to be tight, then the straw polls at meetings this winter and market will naturally work itself into most farmers have told him they plan a price that will allow other product to maintain or even increase their ferfrom other sources and other coun- tilizer use this year. tries to enter this market. That’s effec“What this means is that from Janutively what will happen.” ary to May, we have to increase our N i t r o g e n p r i c e s h a v e a l r e a d y shipping significantly more than last increased significantly since fall — year in order to hit an objective that says $50 to $100 depending on the retailer we want to put on the same amount or — and that caught many producers more than last year,” he said. flat footed, said Remi Schmaltz, chief “Quite frankly, SEC-FUS13-T_AFEx.qxd 1/30/13 4:51 PM Page 1 from what I’m seeing, I executive officer of Decisive Farming, don’t think that that is going to happen.”

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However, any further drop in grain and oilseed prices will likely result in a significant drop in fertilizer use, added Schmaltz. Client:and BASFCAN Publication: Alberta Farmer “If grain prices drop fertilizer . prices go up, guys areFilegoing put less Name: to 110201499_Headline_earlug_3x3_v2 Page Position: on,” he said. “That’sProject what’s going to CMYK PMS ART DIR Name: BASFCAN Headline Alberta Farmer Earlug Live Area: happen if they can’t pencil it.” . Trim size: 3” x 3” 110201499 All the uncertaintyDocket overNumber: supply and S T Uis Dputting I O fertilizer Bleed: AD#: dealers in a prices PMS PMS COPYWRITER A tough spot as they try to estimate how much farmers are willing to pay. “The retailers and fertilizer manuTo manage fires, pests, floods and facturers understand the economics of the farmer,” said Schmaltz. “If things droughts exacerbated by global warming are out of whack, it’s no good for them either.” Figuring out what happens next is a By Jeff Mason challenge, both men said. The North Reuters American fertilizer market is currently quite tight, with about half a million resident Barack Obama’s administration is tonnes of nitrogen being imported setting up seven “climate hubs” to help farmeach month. And while current rail ers and rural communities adapt to extreme bottlenecks are adding to the problem, weather conditions and other effects of climate Western Canada is a difficult market change, a White House official said Feb. 5. to service, said Schmaltz. The hubs will act as information centres and aim “There are a fair bit of logistics that to help farmers and ranchers handle risks, including occur to get it to the farmer,” he said. fires, pests, floods and droughts, that are exacerbated “We’ve just seen this isolation hapby global warming. pen earlier because of the grain backThe hubs are an example of executive actions log and the logistics that’s occurring Obama has promised to take to fight climate change. between moving grain and fertilizer The president has made the issue a top priority for and all those other commodities that 2014 and has the authority to take many measures are causing this bottleneck and isothat address it without congressional approval. lating the market here, as well as proSecretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced duction issues in Western Canada, of the “Regional Hubs for Risk Adaptation and Mitigacourse.” tion to Climate Change” at a White House briefing, The best thing farmers can do right the official said. now is keep in regular contact with “For generations, America’s farmers, ranchers and their suppliers, Kenyon said. forest landowners have innovated and adapted to “What I would tell farmers is to be in challenges,” Vilsack said in a statement. touch with your supplier of your nitro“Today, they face a new and more complex threat gen products and make sure you’ve in the form of a changing and shifting climate, which got your forecast of what you intend impacts both our nation’s forests and our farmers’ to do with them,” he said. bottom lines,” he said. “Have that discussion and then they The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the effects can let you know what’s available of climate change have led to a longer crop-growing and what’s not available. I definitely season in the Midwest, a fire season that is 60 days wouldn’t panic.” longer than it was three decades ago, and droughts that cost the United States $50 billion from 2011-13. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

U.S. sets up ‘climate hubs’ to help farmers adapt

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MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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

Reporters Alexis Kienlen, Edmonton 403-668-3121 Email: akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Addressing the most basic issues in world food security

Jennifer Blair, Red Deer 403-396-2643 Email: jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

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The latest technology is of little use without good soil and a safe environment for the farmers

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By John Morriss

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nless you’re a beef producer (and goodness knows, it was about time you got a break), things are looking a bit tough out there these days. Crop producers are frustrated by low prices and slow deliveries, and hog producers — who also deserved a break — are now getting swatted down by the fear or reality of PEDv. Not that it helps solve those immediate problems, but on the other hand it also doesn’t hurt to put the problems here in context of the problems faced by farmers elsewhere. I serve as a director of Farm Radio International (FRI), a Canadian organization that provides radio scripts and broadcasting training to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, many of whom have no other source of agricultural extension information. Therefore I receive the weekly newsletters that are sent to about 500 radio station partners and others in the region. Reading the stories from a recent newsletter certainly gets your attention. One is about Mr. Dubé, a cattle farmer in Zimbabwe facing an outbreak of ticks after heavy rains in the area in 2012. He lost 15 of his 25 cows to tick-borne diseases, and then had to sell five of the remaining animals. Another farmer, Mrs. Mavis Sibanda, a widow, received eight cows as a bride price for her daughter, but five also died from tick diseases. The next story in the newsletter is about Umaru Musa, a farmer in northeastern Nigeria. “I was on my way to work on the farm with my four children when I sighted five

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men,” he says in the story. “Their faces were covered with turbans, and they were wielding their AK-47 rifles.” Recognizing the gunmen as Boko Haram militia, Musa hurriedly got his children away before they were spotted. The story explains that since 2009, a series of attacks by Boko Haram in this part of predominantly Muslim northern Nigeria has left thousands dead. Musa says that at least eight farmers were killed during the peak of harvest. Some villages are spared the attacks in return for payment of the equivalent of US$6,000 to $18,000. Unfortunately, there are too many such stories in the weekly newsletters, and they certainly put the farming problems here into perspective. We’re not just saying “things could be worse.” This also illustrates that those of us in the developed world sometimes get a bit too focused on our own problems and solutions, assuming they apply elsewhere. The controversy over genetically modified organisms is a good example. On one hand there are the opponents who make baseless comments that they are hazardous to health. On the other are those who claim that the world will starve without them. A recent conference in Winnipeg heard from Mark Lynas, a U.K. author who has switched from one side to the other. Debates such as this are a convenient distraction from the real issues in world food security. GM varieties, no matter what their merits, are not particularly helpful if AK-47toting militia burn the fields before harvest. Nor are they of any advantage in fields that have lost their topsoil, or which lack proper fertility, or if most of the crop is lost to insects or mould because of poor storage facilities.

The FRI newsletters don’t only report the problems. They talk about successes, some of which are dramatic. The farmers who have lost so many cattle are learning about how to control ticks with insecticides, and they have decided to rebuild their herds. In Ethiopia, a project has demonstrated that seeding tef (a small-seeded cereal) in rows instead of by broadcasting can double yields. In Malawi, one family has started intercropping peas and corn, and yields have increased enough to provide them with enough income to put seven children through secondary school. In Zambia, farmers have learned to increase yields by mixing crop residue with manure to make compost, rather than burning the stubble after harvest. In other words, there is great potential to increase production by following basic agronomic practices such as crop rotation, conservation tillage, insect control and proper storage. There are literally millions of farmers who have yet to adopt them. Many of those farmers are women, who often do most of the work but have no ownership rights of the land or their production. Correcting that, along with providing girls with equal access to education, is another key to increased food security. So the lesson from Africa isn’t only that things here could be a lot worse, but that you have to get the basic stuff right first. Given that we have problems such as a big crop that we can’t get to market, maybe that’s not a bad lesson to remember here either. john.morriss@fbcpublishing.com

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New Chipotle campaign: ‘Farmed and Dangerous’ The restaurant chain is helping shape future editorial coverage NewStream Farm Animal Care

t kicked off around the Super Bowl and is building momentum. Chipotle Mexican Grill has announced the next phase of its “Farmed and Dangerous” campaign, which has gained high profile as a satirical approach to targeting ‘big animal agriculture’ through glitzy Hollywood-style production and storytelling.

Who’s laughing?

That’s part of the strategy. It’s partly a comedic approach and the question is who’s laughing? Likely not many in mainstream animal agriculture, but it’s clear that’s part of the strategy. If you don’t “get it,” the campaign implies, you’re likely part of the out-of-touch crowd including modern largescale livestock production that

Chipotle is making fun of for its own gain. Even those who don’t agree with Chipotle’s tactics and message have to concede the campaign is remarkable in its sophistication, particularly targeting key young adult demographics, and represents a formidable challenge. The company, with its use of irony and subtle, playful humour mixed with high-end production values, has clearly positioned itself to win the ‘cool’ battle for the allegiance of the media-savvy modern consumer.

The battle of perception

New, edgy and at the front line of social and digital media are all key elements of the approach. According to a release from the company, Chipotle has designed “Farmed and Dangerous” as an original comedy series, with the current four-episode phase available on the next-genera-

tion content-sharing websites Hulu and Hulu Plus. Those behind the production are no slouches. The series is produced in conjunction with Piro, a New York-based studio and stars actors Ray Wise (“24,” “Mad Men,” “Twin Peaks”) and Eric Pierpoint (“Parks and Recreation,” “Big Love”).

Industry portrayed as hiding

The narrative is designed to paint the agriculture industry as a bloated money-hungry entity with something to hide. Chipotle says the series “provides a satirical look at the lengths the agriculture industry goes to manage perceptions about its practices.” “Our goal in making the show was to engage people through entertainment and make them more curious about their food and where it comes from,” said Mark Crumpacker, chief marketing and development officer

at Chipotle and an executive producer of the show. “It’s not a show about Chipotle, but rather integrates the values that are at the heart of our business. The more people know about how food is raised, the more likely they will be to choose food made from better ingredients — like the food we serve at Chipotle. It’s a message designed to sell through a unique approach. But will consumers buy it? One thing certain is the agriculture industry has its work cut out for it to counter the potentially damaging rhetoric that Chipotle and surely others to follow are spinning. The article was prepared by Meristem Resources on behalf of the Information Leadership Initiative from Alberta Farm Animal Care and the Alberta Livestock Industry. While Hulu is not yet available in Canada, a promotional video of the Chipotle series can be seen here: http://farmedanddangerous.com.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) and Bill C-18 Despite what detractors say, both farmers and breeders will benefit By R.K. Downey and B.L. Harvey

s public plant breeders with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the University of Saskatchewan for a combined total of over 100 years, we were pleased to see the recently tabled Agricultural Growth Act (Bill C-18). This bill encompasses desirable amendments to the present Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) Act that will bring Canada into conformity with the 1991 convention of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties (UPOV ’91). Canada was a signatory to this convention back in 1992 but is just now bringing the amendments into force. Thus the amendments are not, as some detractors would have you to believe, something that has not been seen before. Indeed, Canada is a late adopter and has been long out of step with our major trading partners and competitors (U.S., E.U., Japan, Australia, South Korea, Russia, etc.) as well as many smaller and developing nations. Indeed Canada will probably need conformity with UPOV ’91 as part of any future trade agreements. One of the most important amendments to the present PBR Act is a new section that protects the producer’s right to save, store, condition and propagate the seed of a protected variety for his or her own use. It is termed the “Farmers’ Privilege.”

The conditions are spelled out in Section 5.3 (2) of Bill C-18. The current legislation only permits a farmer’s use of farm-saved seed by not expressly forbidding it. The new legislation specifically enshrines this privilege.

Farmers’ privilege

Essentially this amendment allows a farmer, once he or she has purchased seed of a protected variety, to freely save and store the harvested seed, send that seed out to be cleaned, treated and to plant that saved seed on lands under his or her control, for as many years as desired. The amendments also make it clear that the farmer may sell the harvested grain into the domestic or foreign market for commercial consumption without paying any additional royalty, so long as the seed was obtained legitimately. These are the facts, despite the misleading claims of the National Farmers Union. However, the act prohibits a farmer from selling or giving harvested seed from the protected variety to his neighbour or anyone else who may wish to plant or further multiply it without permission of the holder of the right. Selling seed of a PBR-protected variety without authorization of the right’s holder is an infringement under the current act (based on UPOV ’78), and continues to be an infringement under the new act. The

act also mandates that farmers will always have a position on the Minister’s PBR Advisory Committee. It is true that there is a provision allowing a right’s holder to exercise rights (including a royalty) on a commercial crop, but only if propagating material has been obtained illegally or there has not been a reasonable opportunity for the right holder to collect royalties earlier in the sales chain. This has been called the “reach through provision.” Thus a right holder would normally collect royalties on the sale of seed or initial propagating stock but in the exceptional circumstance where this could not be done, there is a provision for them to collect it later, but only once. Opponents to Bill C-18 claim, as they did when the original PBR Act came into force in 1990, that producers will be held hostage to private seed companies. That has not happened, nor is it likely to happen with the new legislation. CFIA data show that about 45 per cent of Canadian PBR applications for agriculture crops come from public plant breeders and institutions.

age will likely fall as the federal government continues to reduce funding and eliminate varietal release programs at its research centres. However, with the proposed changes to the act, privatesector investments in breeding are expected to increase and hold promise for additional funds to be channelled into public breeding and public-private partnerships. There are also other important sections in the revised PBR legislation that breeders need, such as the “Research Exemption” and a “Breeder’s Exemption.” These are carried over from the existing legislation but are made more explicit in the amended version. The research exemption gives other researchers the freedom to conduct research and experimentation on the protected variety. In addition, the breeder’s exemption means that any breeder can use a PBR-protected variety to breed a new variety. This allows other breeders to build upon the genetics of the protected variety and develop new superior varieties without the necessity of obtaining permission from the right holder. In other words, the genetics of the protected variety are not locked up.

Royalties

Copycat protection

Royalties from these PBR-protected varieties are a very important funding source for research and breeding at Canadian universities as well as provincial and AAFC research centres. Unfortunately that percent-

However, there is also an important provision that plant breeders have asked for that prevents another breeder from essentially reconstituting the protected variety and claiming ownership. Thus a breeder could not make a minor

change to a protected variety and then claim it as a new variety without taking into account the right holder’s right to the original variety. Opponents of the revised PBR legislation claim that we are dealing with a zero sum proposition: if breeders gain something then farmers must lose something. The truth is that both the breeder and the farmer benefit. A strong and fair intellectual property framework ensures that Canada is a desirable place to invest in plant breeding, resulting more innovation, additional resources and superior varieties in the marketplace. Most western commodity groups (e.g. Partners in Innovation) believe the amended PBR legislation should benefit farmers with a more competitive plant breeding environment, resulting in a greater choice of pest resistant, high-yielding varieties with good agronomics to meet their needs for sustainable production and to compete in the global marketplace. We would encourage those interested to read the amended PBR Act contained in Bill C-18. It is a short read and you can quickly pick out the areas of interest. We think you will find it well balanced with benefits for all parties. Go to: http://www.parl.gc.ca/ HousePublications/Publication. aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&D ocId=6378152). Keith Downey is with the Saskatoon AAFC Research Centre and Bryan Harvey is with the University of Saskatchewan.

Don’t get mad, give your critics something to think about It’s easy to be offended by critics of modern farming, but there are ways to challenge their thinking and provide new perspectives

By Brenda Schoepp af columnist

“Watch what you eat. Wherever possible, avoid food grown with pesticides, in feedlots, or by agribusiness. It’s an easy way to use your dollars to vote against the spread of toxins in our bodies, soil and water.”

his is the fourth principle in the consumption manifesto issued by the World Watch Institute, an environmental research organization based in Washington, D.C. It is one of 10 principles that include staying close to home and forgoing travel because “internal combustion engines are polluting, expensive to put on the road and maintain... their use should be minimized. Period.” (Tell that to the Saskatchewan farm partner who needs a $6,000 part and is driving three hours to beat a raincloud!) Most of it is common sense but there appears to be a desire to find fault with large agriculture and agribusiness. And in cases like this, arguing is a waste of energy. The

statement reminds me of my presentation to several animal rights and environmental activists a few years ago. After being called a murderer when I walked into the room (thus confirming I was in the right place), it would have been easy to be offended and go on the defensive. Instead, I acknowledged the other speakers and encouraged them to continue to dialogue. I then went on to talk about the evolution of the use of food animal and the value of the “fifth quarter.” Food animals may have started as fur and then leather, and after man learned to cook there was a shift to meat. After several thousand years, we have only in the last century discovered the other multiple uses of food animal. From the new arteries in Grandpa’s heart to the shoes on your feet, food animal contributes to our well-being and our high standard of living. The products make us lovely, clean, comfortable and connected. Chicken feathers go in computer manufacturing, tallow in my yogurt, ear hairs in my paintbrush, and blood is used

in research efforts that will aid future generations. Agribusiness turns byproducts into “something” that we value and have come to depend on. To take out food animal and the additional processing would be at a high societal cost. To ask someone to change their mind about a feedlot would be fruitless but to introduce them to this concept of the “fifth quarter” may give them a new perspective. And that is a win-win situation. We tried this with a cattle feeder case study. A producer I’ll call Casey has a family owned feedlot and a state-ofthe-art traceability program. Treated animals do not go into the food chain. From an animal welfare perspective all is well. One day a reporter drives by while Casey is vaccinating incoming calves. She films this from the road with a long lens and the headline reads “Factory farm loads animals with antibiotics.” It went on to say that we are poisoned by the factory farm and then poisoned again by the agribusiness that processes them. In other words, a

total buy-in of the fourth World Watch consumption principle. Casey’s first reaction was outright anger and it took a while to think it through. In this situation, Casey came up with a nice closed-end statement that could not be taken out of context. He said he was “ensuring the health and wellness of his cattle through appropriate and approved vaccination protocols.” When asked how he would respond to further pressure, he concluded that a brush-off would be detrimental so he laid out an invitation by saying “if there are no further questions I would like to get back to ensuring the outmost wellbeing of the animals entrusted to my care.” This is not to say that food animal production is without fault or can’t be improved. Of course, urban animal ownership is also not without problems and horrible offences to companion animals do not occur. At all times, we must be learning how to prevent disease and discomfort of our food animals. This is the business we are in. Telling the story is the start of a new level of dialogue.

And what of Casey and his feedyard? He went on to be the “local” guy who reporters could go to for straight-up facts about food animal production in his area and he engaged a friend to talk about a balanced diet and the nutritional benefits of a meat-inclusive meal. More importantly, he learned a new level of discipline and how not to be combative. Never again did he take the manifestos of organizations such as the World Watch Institute lightly. But he did engage with the public, driving them around the farm in his truck with the big engine, leaning into the wind laced with the sweet scent of manure and treating them to the delicious end product that was processed at the local agribusiness. Brenda Schoepp is a Nuffield Scholar who travels extensively exploring agriculture and meeting the people who feed, clothe and educate our world. A motivating speaker and mentor she works with young entrepreneurs across Canada and is the founder of Women in Search of Excellence. www.brendaschoepp.com

Off the front

march 3, 2014 • Albertafarmexpress.ca

WILD HORSES } from page 1 with. There’s no other place doing this. Someone needs to connect the dots.” Public opposition stopped the cull in 2013, but it resumed following an aerial survey last March that estimated the wild horse population had risen to 980 animals (versus 778 in 2012). The horses roam the foothills of the Rocky Mountains from Kananaskis country north to Nordegg (and even as far north as Edson and Hinton). The aerial survey prompted Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD) to issue two permits in January for capture of up to 196 horses. The capture was due to end March 1, but there are rumours that date could be extended. The main horse capture site is near Sundre. Keeping the number of wild horses in check is a sound environmental practice, said ESRD spokesperson Carrie Sancartier. “Feral horses tend to gather in grassland areas, particularly areas that have a lot of rough fescue,” said Sancartier. “This native grass is quite sensitive to overgrazing in the spring when the horses are on the rangeland. We’re trying to manage this land to make sure there’s enough of this resource for the feral horses, wildlife and livestock such as cattle in this area.” Not so, according to Bob Henderson, president of the Wild Horse of Alberta Society (WHOAS), “This is tens of thousands of acres,” he said. “They’re definitely not overrunning the countryside and they’re not eating the grasses and forages away from the wildlife and the leaseholders.” Henderson also criticized the capture method, which uses pens (stocked with salt and hay) that close after animals enter. This method often results in

“It’s just wrong on every level.” Jann Arden SINGER

mares being separated from their foals, and there are no regulations as to how the horses are captured or handled, he said. “They say it’s a humane method of capture, and it’s really not,” he said. Sancartier said the government requires pens be checked daily but Henderson said it’s difficult to know how the captures are being handled. Bradley did not return calls asking for comment, but he and the other permit holder, Bryn Thiessen, gave interviews to The Calgary Herald and Global TV. Bradley said in addition to being attacked via social media, he has received threatening calls and emails. He also said people drive their cars onto his land and have used snowmobiles to drive the horses away from his traps. Others are camping around the area to keep the horses away.

He also said critics have failed to do their homework. He told Global TV the majority of the horses are resold and only those he can’t find homes for are sent to slaughter. Bradley argues the horses are having a negative impact on rangeland. But Henderson said there is no scientific evidence to back that claim, and even ranchers have mixed views “Some of them realize that to be good stewards of the land, they have to share the land with everything that’s there, including the horses,” he said. “But there are a few that think that if you take one horse out, you get to add more cow-calf pairs onto the lease, so they’re looking at it from that aspect.” WHOAS would like to build a handling facility designed specifically for wild T:10.25” horses, with a goal of capturing younger animals,

and gentling them so they could be adopted. However, the government has dismissed this idea, Henderson said. The group would also like to work with Dr. Judith Samson-French, a veterinarian from Bragg Creek who has successfully controlled dog and cat populations on First Nations reserves by using contraceptive implants. The process for horses would use a special gun to shoot barbless implants containing contraceptives. But Arden said this solution has been rejected by the Feral Horses Advisory Committee, which is composed of 15 stakeholder groups including a rangeland expert, along with reps from the Rocky Mountain Forest Range Association, Spray Lake Sawmills, the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association, and WHOAS. The committee recommended this year’s cull. “Sure, we’re griping, but we think

there are better ways to control the population than this wholesale capture of 200 horses,” said Henderson. The local Wildrose MLA is also critical of the process. Joe Anglin said he recognizes that wildlife can be a problem, but says the province needs to justify the cull. “They are not giving us any data as to how they came up with this number,” said Anglin. “They’re just guessing at it. That’s not a way to manage the environment.” Any study needs to go beyond a survey of horse numbers and look at their impact on the habitat, he said. The province has done those assessments, said Sancartier. “Horses can only be captured in areas where we see impact on the rangeland,” she said. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

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Albertafarmexpress.ca • march 3, 2014

They’re cooking up a storm inside (and out) at Hand Hills Hand Hills Lake Community Club may be in the middle of nowhere, but its fall suppers and summer rodeos are big draws

changed, so we can’t have people bringing in vegetables now. That’s why we cooked outside.” And while the turkey and homemade buns and pies are critical, Vredegoor knows that one vegetable in particular is essential. “If we ever quit having turnips, I know there are people who wouldn’t come,” she said. “It sounds crazy, but turnips aren’t something most people cook anymore and we wouldn’t dare stop having them.” Hand Hills members will now get to pick the fifth and final winners in the UFA contest. Five semi-finalists will be announced March 26, with the winner being selected in early April. Previous winners were: Spruce View Agricultural Society, Foremost, and Hussar.

Out of this small kitchen, Hand Hills Lake Community Club members prepare a meal for nearly 800 people who come to its annual fall supper. T:8.125”

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hen it comes to working in confined spaces, the members of the Hand Hills Lake Community Club could teach astronaut Chris Hadfield a thing or two. On the last Sunday in October, club volunteers cook up turkey dinner — with all the trimmings —for 700 to 800 people in the hall’s 24x30-foot kitchen. Well, sort of. “It’s a busy, busy place and it’s so small, it’s crazy,” said longtime volunteer Marilyn Vredegoor. “If it’s too cold, we’ll pull in trailers and use those propane cookers, and we’ve even used UFA panels to make a windbreak thing to cook in.” But those days are, thankfully, gone after the community club recently won $50,000 in UFA’s Rural From the Roots Up – Get ‘n’ Give contest. “We’re going to use the money to build an addition,” said Vredegoor. “It won’t be a fancy kitchen or anything. It will just be a structure where we can get in out of the cold and to put our coolers and deep freezes in because they’re in the hall and some are in the kitchen taking up room we could use.” In case the name doesn’t ring a bell, Hand Hills is, in Vredegoor’s words, right in the “middle of nowhere.” But it’s a pretty well-known bit of nowhere and since 1917 there has been a rodeo and stampede that attracts people from across the province (see www. handhills.ab.ca). Even though there’s no town, famed chuckwagon driver Colt Cosgrave lists Hand Hills as his hometown, and was one of the many ‘townfolks’ who appeared in the video the community created for the UFA contest (it can be found at www. getngiveufa.com). The award will ensure the future of the fall turkey suppers — which not only attract people from nearby Hanna and Drumheller, but from Calgary and beyond. The suppers have been held for 65 years or more, said Vredegoor, who has lived in the area for 40 years. But new food regulations which don’t allow vegetables to be cooked off site was a big challenge to overcome, she said. “For years, members of the community would bring in big pots of potatoes or carrots that were already cooked,” she said. “But food safety regulations have

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Our experts are grown locally Spud time! There’s no room in the cramped kitchen, so Hand Hills Lake Community Club members use a trailer or outdoor kitchen to prepare potatoes for their annual fall supper.

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MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Climate change and GMOs — you can’t have it both ways Mark Lynas says you can’t accept science on one, but ignore it on the other By Allan Dawson staff

ark Lynas says the compelling science on climate change is responsible for him switching from ripping up plots of genetically modified crops to staunch defender of the technology. “You can’t take a position saying, ‘I am defending climate change on the basis of the scientific consensus, but I’m opposing GMOs and I am opposing the scientific consensus,’” Lynas, a British author and journalist told a conference in Winnipeg Feb. 19. “Either you listen to the scientists or you don’t.” Lynas touched on climate change during his presentation, saying it’s a serious threat. But most of his speech was on the benefits of genetically modified (GM) crops and how they can help feed the world’s exploding population, especially in developing nations. Lynas, a lean, boyish 41-yearold, also supports nuclear power, arguing it is less harmful to the environment than other energy sources. In his mid-20s, Lynas was so opposed to GM crops he helped destroy GM test plots in the United Kingdom — something he apologized for at a farm conference in Oxford, England last January, sparking stories in the New York Times and other international publications.

“I’m constantly requested to speak for a substantial fee for one or another big company and I always say no.” Mark Lynas

“I was convinced that GMOs were something unnatural, something polluted, something despicable, which had to be removed in their totality, even involving criminal activities...,” he said in an interview. “That was misinformation, even though I didn’t know that at the time, that persist still to this day.” Ninety-nine per cent of climate scientists agree the earth is getting warmer because of humancaused increases in carbon dioxide, Lynas said. The same consensus exists around the safety of GM crops. Lynas said science and empiricism are being pushed aside by emotion. That’s why he also campaigns against those who oppose vaccinations.

Not a salesman

Critics have questioned Lynas’s motives, accusing him of being a biotechnology cheerleader. Biotechnology is good because it creates higher-yielding crops that can protect themselves from pests, reducing the need for toxic pesticides, he said.

But he said he’s not interested in becoming a “travelling salesman for GMOs,” stressing that his speakers’ fee for appearing in Winnipeg was paid for by farmers, rather than corporate sponsors. “You’ve only one shot at retaining your credibility,” he said. “I’m constantly requested to speak for a substantial fee for one or another big company and I always say no. “I’m not here to defend industrialized monoculture,” he said. “That model isn’t what’s going to feed Africa in the next two or three decades because you’re talking about a continent of subsistence farmers... and there are plenty of ways where biotechnology can assist there.” Lynas has joined Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as a visiting fellow. Cornell, with Gates Foundation funding, is working on GM crops such as Bt eggplant. Unlike conventional eggplant the GM version won’t have to be sprayed 120 times a year with toxic organophosphates, he said. Free seeds are distributed to small Bangladeshi farmers. Two viruses threaten cassava, an important food crop in parts of Africa, but there is a biotech solution, Lynas said.

Environmental writer Mark Lynas spoke with reporters while in Winnipeg attending the CropConnect Conference. PHOTo: Laura Rance

Supports labelling

Although the biotechnology industry has been dead set against labelling, Lynas said openness is how it will build trust. “You can’t hide the presence of biotech products in people’s food supplies and just expect them to just trust you,” Lynas said. “When people know that something is being hidden from them they think it’s more risky...” With labelling there should be no exceptions, he added. “Ubiquity is our friend here.” With the world’s population expected to hit 9.5 billion by mid-century food production over the next 30 years needs to double, according to Lynas. The world needs a second green revolution and biotechnology will be key. Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug, the father of the first green revolution, warned against eschewing innovation, before dying in 2009, Lynas said. “He was saying if we reject the potential to improve our crops then we really are likely to consign people to a future of food insecurity, famine and also a crisis of global biodiversity,” Lynas said. “So that’s what we’ve got to not do.” While organic farming encourages biodiversity, it is less productive, he said. “Half of humanity would starve if we tried to go organic...,” he said, alluding to the importance of chemically produced nitrogen fertilizer. “Biotechnology is one of many tools, of course,” Lynas said later. “This is a complex area and I don’t know anyone who is simplistically advocating just GMOs.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

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Albertafarmexpress.ca • march 3, 2014

Where have all the cows gone, and will they come back? Over 11 years, cow numbers are down by 23 per cent and producers by 26 per cent Agri-News

here are many reasons why the Alberta cow herd has decreased in size over the last 10 years. One factor is that many older producers who were counting their cow herd as their retirement plan have now retired and they have sent the cows to town. “Economic pressures since BSE have resulted in many producers selling their herd and breaking up pasture and hay land to grow annual crops to improve their onfarm cash flow,” says Barry Yaremcio, beef and forage specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “Some producers are working off farm, either part time or full time, to support their operations and are not around enough to manage a cow herd. In other cases, difficulties with hiring labour to work on the cattle operation have either resulted in some herds reducing numbers or being sold off completely.”

No matter what the reason, the size of the Alberta (and Canadian) cow herd is smaller than what it was 10 to 15 years ago. Alberta’s cow numbers peaked in 2005 at 2,187,000 cows found on 28,718 farms and ranches. In 2006, the agricultural census reported that cow numbers in Alberta dropped to 2,032,018 on 25,479 farms and ranches. By 2011, the number of cows had dropped to 1,558,700 cows found on 18,944 farms and ranches. This is a 23.3 per cent decline in the number of cows in the province and a 25.6 per cent reduction in the number of producers who had cattle on their farms. Interestingly enough, over the 11 years in question, the average number of cows in a herd increased from 68 to 82 cows. “The municipalities that saw the largest drop in cow numbers and producers were in the black soil zones of the province,” says Yaremcio. “In the black soil zones, north of Calgary to Edmonton and east of Edmonton to the Saskatchewan border, we saw cow num-

bers drop from 711,834 to 444,657, or 37.5 per cent, from 2001 to 2011 and the number of producers who indicated that their primary source of income from the beef operation dropped from 10,254 to 6,338, or 38.2 per cent. During this period, the average cow herd size in these regions stayed stable at 70 cows.” In the Peace River District of the province, in the dark-grey soil zone, cow numbers dropped from 187,722 in 2006 to 129,050 in 2011, a reduction of 36 per cent, and the number of producers from 2,643 in 2006 to 1,896 in 2011 for a drop of 28.3 per cent. The average herd size dropped from 71 cows to 63 cows. The brown soil zone saw an increase in cow numbers from 310,623 head in 2001 to 360,714 in 2011 for an increase of 16.1 per cent, and the herd size grew from an average 83 cows to 134. However, the number of producers dropped 20.4 per cent, from 3,748 to 2,697. “To illustrate the change in cow

This map shows the change in the number of cows by municipality between the 2001 and 2011 Census of Agriculture. For full tables and maps by municipality for the last three censuses, visit www1.agric.gov. ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/All/anim14733. numbers and the number of producers in each county, Alberta Agriculture has put together a number of maps that illustrate the changes from 2001 to 2011,” says Yaremcio. “This data brings into question whether or not the industry will rebound. Only time will tell! Grain prices have come down and grain movement is slow, and these factors will narrow the income differential between grain and cattle.

Even though beef prices are the strongest in recent history, heifer retention as reported by Statistics Canada is slow to happen and the Alberta and Canadian herd has not gone through a rebuilding so far. With the wide price differential between steers and heifers, this might be the trigger needed to see herd expansion. The July 1 cattle inventory numbers should give us a better picture of what is happening.”

USDA sees pig virus limiting hog supply Southern Plains drought also limiting herd expansion

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Feb. 20 that the spread of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) through the U.S. hog herd will “sharply limit” the supply of hogs compared to earlier expectations. “Mortality rates due to PEDv have been highest among young piglets which have curtailed the growth in the number of pigs per litter and will likely slow expansion,” said Joseph Glauber, USDA’s chief economist. At its annual Agricultural Outlook conference, the USDA said expansion in the U.S. red meat sector would remain slow due to the decline in cattle inventory. “While cattle numbers have been trending down since the 1970s, the continued drought in the Southern Plains has resulted in large declines in the cattle herd,” Glauber said. The USDA projected that U.S. steer prices would rise eight per cent in fiscal 2014 to a record $136 per hundredweight, while hog prices would fall two per cent. Prices for broilers were seen falling 2.2 per cent and milk prices rising six per cent. USDA said meat and poultry prices would rise three to four per cent in 2014. USDA lowered its FY 2014 forecast for exports of livestock, poultry and dairy to $31.6 billion, down $100 million from its November estimate.

NEWS » Markets

MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

More India exports

Brazil harvest delays

India is likely to export about 18 million tonnes of rice and wheat in 2013-14, the government’s adviser on farm prices said, as the world’s second-biggest producer of these grains looks for ways to handle another record crop. India, the world’s biggest rice and wheat producer after China, exported 22 million tonnes of the grains in the last fiscal year to March 31, 2013 after New Delhi lifted a four-year-old ban on overseas shipments of the staples in late 2011. Despite its export push, India sits on huge stocks of grains, thanks to bumper harvests since 2007. — Reuters

Heavy rains were slowing Brazil’s soybean harvest last week and could cause damage to the crop in the top-producing central-west region, analysts said, a sharp change from drought concerns just a week earlier. AgRural last week lowered its forecast for what is expected to be a record crop to 87 million tonnes from 88.6 million tonnes previously on concerns dry weather in the southeast would hurt yields on late-planted soybeans. “If this continues, it will get ugly, with sprouting, broken soybeans,” said Angelo Ozelame, an analyst at state farm institute Mato Grosso. “We’re at the limit, if it continues to rain it will get tricky.” — Reuters

Logistics on Prairies keep canola underpriced Oats futures have booked big gains on Prairie rail woes

photo: thinkstock By Phil Franz-Warkentin

CE Futures Canada canola contracts saw a corrective bounce during the week ended Feb. 21, moving off the 3-1/2-year lows hit the previous week as speculators covered short positions. The overarching fundamental issues of a record-large crop and logistical problems moving it out of the Prairies did temper the upside potential. However, canola is still extremely underpriced, as evidenced by crush margins that remain at record levels. Processing a tonne of canola in the current pricing environment would net over $200 per tonne, according to ICE data. Processors aren’t actually making that kind of money, as logistics issues continue to hamper how much canola is actually being processed. Canada’s canola crush continues to run behind the year-ago pace, despite the larger supplies to work with. Exports are also lagging, which means very large supplies will be carried through into the next crop year. Demand is there for canola, and a rally is expected if/when the logistics problems eventually sort themselves out. How-

ever, when that happens — and how high canola can actually go — remains to be seen. From a purely technical standpoint, the overall downtrend is still very much in place for both old- and new-crop canola. Speculators are also still holding large short positions in the commodity, and will be looking to increase those holdings as the opportunity presents itself. May canola hit a contract low at $403.70 per tonne on Feb. 13, while nearby upside resistance can be found around $435 to $440.

USDA’s outlook

In the U.S., soybeans, corn, wheat and oats were all up on the week, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual outlook conference at the forefront of the markets. Corn plantings in 2014 are forecast at 92 million acres by the government agency, while soybean seedings were pegged at 79.5 million. Soybean intentions are up by three million acres from 2013 plantings and corn was down by 3.4 million. While U.S. corn acres may be down on the year, USDA predicts a sizable jump in yields and expects ending stocks by Aug. 31, 2015 of the grain at 2.111 billion bushels. Soybean

May canola hit a contract low at $403.70 per tonne on Feb. 13, while nearby upside resistance can be found around $435 to $440.

ending stocks are also predicted to rise to an equally burdensome 285 million bushels. Corn prices, USDA said, are forecast to decline to an average of US$3.90 per bushel in 2014-15 — a 60-cent decline from the previous 12-month average. Average soybean prices in the upcoming crop year are also forecast to be well off the 2013-14 level; USDA is working with an average price of US$9.65 for 2014-15, down from US$12.70. However, USDA officials at the outlook conference also acknowledged the relative tightness of the global supply situation. If any production problems do arise, due to weather issues or other unforeseen problems, USDA cautioned there was the potential for price spikes as last seen in 2010-11. Oats continued to post some of the biggest gains in the U.S. futures markets during the week, up over 40 cents per bushel in the old-crop contracts, but with more subdued gains of nine to 11 cents in the more deferred months. The logistics issues bringing Canadian oats into deliverable U.S. positions remain a major supportive influence on that market. Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

Year-old hay — is it a good deal? Sitting in the yard or field for an extra year has likely changed the feed value Agri-News

ach year, as spring approaches and hay stocks begin to dwindle, hay prices increase and some year-old stored hay comes on the market. Producers should test before buying, says Barry Yaremcio, beef and forage specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “While the feed may have initially been put up very well, sitting in the yard or field for an extra year has likely changed the feeding outlook of the forage.” He says hay is perishable and deteriorates when exposed to weather. Ninety days after cutting, the vitamin precursors lose strength and animals will require supplementation. The fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E are the first nutrients to oxidize.

“Because of possible quality reduction, the best advice is to feed test — even if you see last year’s feed test results, retest the hay before purchasing and/or feeding.” Barry Yaremcio

“Injecting or feeding vitamins 90 days after animals are taken off fresh forage is necessary until they are put back on pasture the following spring,” Yaremcio says.

Bales that are stored under a shed, covered or wrapped in plastic do not deteriorate over the winter as much as hay stored outdoors. A feed test in the spring, compared to the results from the previous fall, would likely show the protein, fibre (energy) and mineral content of the hay stored under cover to be very similar. This is not the case for hay that is stored outdoors, uncovered and on the ground.

Losses

“In a six-foot-diameter round bale, 27 per cent of the bale weight is found in the outer five inches of the bale,” says Yaremcio. “For every inch of rain, 180 pounds of water will land on the bale. Some will run off, but some will enter the bale. When the exterior of the bale is rain soaked and is exposed to weather, it rots.” More weather damage occurs to legume hay compared to grass hay. Applying twine at four-inch spacing reduces moisture entry into the bale compared to bales with twine at eight-inch spacing. Net-wrapped bales shed rain better and have less damage than bales tied with twine. Bales wrapped with solid plastic have the least amount of damage. A denser or tighter bale sheds more water than a looser bale. As well as reduced bale weights, moulds and bacteria can use up the best nutrients in a bale. The soluble proteins and highly digestible sugars are consumed leaving off-coloured mouldy feed, which reduces the feeding quality. Also, weather damage can increase the indigestible fibre levels in hay by five per cent or more and reduce energy levels by similar amounts. “Because of possible quality reduction, the best advice is to feed test – even if you see last

Britain’s ‘traffic light’ food labels spur EU inquiry British officials say the system complies fully with EU law brussels / reuters

ritain’s system of colour coding food products to tell consumers how healthy they are has prompted EU regulators to launch an inquiry after other EU member states, led by Italy, complained it was unfair. Britain has a voluntary “traffic light” scheme to show consumers how much salt, fat and sugar food products contain and their contribution to recommended daily amounts. Products such as cheese can be given warning labels because of their high fat content, alarming to Italy, for instance, as a producer of Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan) and other cheeses. It has said the British labelling is misleading and unfair. In a statement Feb. 21, the European Commission, the EU executive, said the British traffic light system had “triggered vivid reactions” and it had launched a preliminary, or pilot, investigation into its compatibility with EU rules on free movement of goods.

It added it had received complaints that “adoption of such a hybrid food labelling scheme in the U.K. would fragment the issue of nutrition labelling in the European Union.” A preliminary investigation could lead to formal infringement proceedings against Britain, depending on the commission’s findings. British authorities have already replied, the commission said, and it is analyzing their response. “The U.K. scheme is voluntary and fully legally compliant with EU food law,” said a spokesman for the British government.

Fellow Europeans object to a warning on artisan foods such as Parmesan cheese.

Bales that are stored under a shed, covered or wrapped in plastic do not deteriorate over the winter as much as hay stored outdoors. year’s feed test results, retest the hay before purchasing and/ or feeding,” says Yaremcio. “For that year-old hay, when exposed to the elements, damage occurs. Digestibility of the outer five inches of the bale is reduced by 20 per cent. Overall forage digestibility in a round bale is reduced by 10 per cent. If the hay is kept

over for a second year, additional weight loss occurs and digestibility is reduced even further. In some situations, this older hay could be no better than feeding cereal straw.” If you expect this older feed will be the majority of this year’s feeding program, protein and energy supplementation will likely be

required to meet animal requirements. As a guideline, hay made in 2012 should not be more than 25 to 30 per cent of the forage in the ration for cows in early to midpregnancy, and 15 to 20 per cent in late pregnancy. Depending on quality, year-old hay may not be suitable to include in lactating cow or newly weaned calf rations.

To come up with a fair price for year-old hay • Weigh the bales. Do not use average weights from last fall. • Take a representative sample and test the feed — does the quality meet your needs? • Price should reflect the 10 per cent reduction in digestibility for hay that was stored outdoors — if the cows cannot digest the hay efficiently, more nutrients end up in the manure. • Compare the price of year-old hay to greenfeed or straw — pay according to quality, not forage type.

news » livestock

MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Video from Cow Calfenomics 2013 Cow Calfenomics 2013 video presentations are now available on the Alberta Agriculture website. Topics include farm transition, Barrie Broughton; accessing capital, Rick Dehod; risk and opportunity in today’s markets, Anne Wasko; measuring and managing calf price risk, Joel Bokenfohr; introduction to futures, options and cattle price insurance, Brenda Hagen and the future of Alberta’s beef sectors; Cole and Jill Harvie. To view the videos visit www. agric.gov.ab.ca and search for Cow Calfenomics.

China To Buy Pork For State Reserves To Help Prices-State Planner The Chinese government will stockpile pork from the domestic market as part of efforts to shore up prices, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on Wednesday. Domestic pork prices in China, the world’s top producer and consumer, have been falling since the middle of December. The stockpile is meant to stop a further slide in prices and stabilize domestic breeding, the NDRC said in a statement. It did not say how much pork the government would buy. Beijing stockpiles agricultural products, including grains and cotton, as part of its efforts to help farmers. — Reuters

Tight supplies and rising prices give cattle producers a reason to smile Low herd numbers are expected to buoy cattle prices for three to four years, but COOL is taking a bite from the bottom line

By Alexis Kienlen af staff

attle prices are the best they’ve been on a perhead basis in the last 10 years — although how good depends on how you look at it. “The market right now is fantastic,” said Herb Lock of Farm$ense Marketing. “Cowcalf producers right now are in their second world, floating around in the sky compared to other years at least. Not saying they’re making a lot of money now, but they’re losing a lot less or making more money than they’ve made in several years.” Duane Movald is among the many cattle ranchers breathing a sigh of relief because of higher prices. “The cattle market usually moves slowly, but that being said, we ourselves moved a package of steers at the end of November,” said the Breton rancher. “That same pack of steers 50 days later are 50 cents a pound higher. That’s never happened before (and) shows you a little bit about end-product demand.” Prices for cull bulls are also the best he’s seen, said Movald, who raises mixed and purebred commercial Simmental cattle. “I think the demand driving that is your grind, the hamburger markets,” he said. Lower feed prices are big drivers right now and a good cereal crop in 2014 should continue to bolster profits, said Anne Wasko, market analyst and consultant with Gateway Livestock. “If moisture continues to be favourable for Western Canada, this should lead to longneeded profitability in the sector,” she said. But things could be better, said Lock.

Duane Movald is a rancher near Breton who is pleased with higher prices. PHOTo: supplied Washington’s country-oforigin labelling (COOL) law has artificially pushed down prices in Canada, which means the basis — the difference between U.S. and Canadian prices — is growing wider. “This has plagued and widened basis levels since 2009, so it has been a frustration point,” said Wasko. Canadian cattle producers may see prices rise further, but it’s unlikely the COOL effect will be diminished, added Lock. “In terms of prices, the saying right now is, ‘Where’s the beef?’” he said. “The Americans are so engrained in this and this is protectionist at its best in the U.S.” But Wasko points to dramatic herd reductions on both sides of the border. “In Canada, there are probably 1.5 million fewer beef cattle than there was in 2005, so that’s a 25 per cent reduction,” said Wasko. “When cattle supplies are this tight, you can’t wave a magic wand and produce more beef next year. It takes time.”

Bad weather, a rise in feed costs or a rise in the Canadian dollar could change the profitability picture, but it’s safe to say cattle numbers are going to be tight for three to four years, both experts said. “There are so many things that can change prices, but we can confidently say that supplies are going to be smaller,” Wasko said. Moreover, global demand for beef is expected to rise. “We’ve got declining production and increasing demand, which always means that there are higher prices ahead,” Lock said. “That’s the good news, but what percentage of the higher prices are we as Canadian producers going to get? In the short term, we’ll get a fair chunk of that but the crunch years will come five or six years in the cattle cycle when prices decline. “When prices decline, our industry will be pushed below the water level two or three years before the Americans.” akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Many factors to consider with cattle price insurance coverage There’s a learning curve for the Cattle Price Insurance Program You’re finally making money. Do you part with some of it to insure the bottom line? The Cattle Price Insurance Program (CPIP) was launched by Agriculture Financial Services Corporation four years ago. The program offers prices insurance on finished cattle in the feedlot or feeder cattle, as well as for calves sold in the fall. “CPIP is designed to put a floor under provincial average prices and cash-to-cash price spreads with Nebraska for spot cash sellers of feed cattle,” said Herb Lock of Farm$ense Marketing. “What any individual cattle sells for is not a concern when it comes time to cash out forward positions previously purchased.” “It’s a way to take the U.S. futures market and take the Canadian dollar and basis and put all these things into a product where a producer can buy a bottom price to protect the market from going below that level,” added Anne Wasko, market analyst with Gateway Livestock services. “If the market is lower, it triggers an insurance payout.” So is it worth buying? Wasko calls CPIP a good risk management because of volatility and unpredictability of basis levels. “It’s unique and it’s fairly new, and as anything in our industry, it takes awhile to get a lot of buy-in,” she said. And interest is growing, she added. “I think one of the reasons is because even though the prices are very high, it means there’s a lot of risk if something goes wrong.” Breton rancher Duane Movald has been crunching the numbers and likes what he sees. “When things are uncertain, it’s detrimental, but if you can have a solid number to look at, and through CPIP, if you can do that, and set a base price, why wouldn’t you do it?” he asked. “There are costs associated with the premium. But everyone has to look at what they’re comfortable with, I guess.” Lock is a little more skeptical. “Whenever the government takes money from you and sends it back at a later date, that’s not a good feeling,” he said. “The important thing to realize here is that programs need to be actuarially sound. That means the farmer can only get out what the farmers pay in. Typically, government programs have always paid out more than they pay in, so people are always encouraged to buy government insurance programs and get an element of subsidy.” CPIP has a number of support levels, depending on an individual’s costs and perceptions or price risk. Once these support levels are purchased, they are non-refundable if cattle are sold in an early period or moved out in further calendar months. With other programs, timing and support levels can be adjusted. “It’s being implemented in all the western provinces, probably by this summer. I don’t know all the details,” Lock said. “Government programs should not indicate where industries and markets are going and this one certainly has. Relatively speaking, it’s been good for Alberta, but bad for Saskatchewan and Manitoba because they don’t have similar insurance.” Support levels are 95 per cent for the time at which the insurance was purchased. “Support levels bring in historical cash basis levels, which are the one element of price that is front and centre on this country-of-origin labelling (law),” said Lock. “That’s the difference between a steer standing here and a steer standing in a U.S. lot. That’s the crux of this thing. That’s where producers are probably overestimating the value of the program. This is not going to save them from that. “As time goes on — as we incorporate history into the support levels and get into more of our history with these really wide basis levels — the support falls dramatically. All of a sudden, the things we had for support don’t work anymore.”

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

High hopes for new forage beef centre, but ‘fickle governments’ a worry Boosting pasture productivity and lowering winter feed costs put money in the pocketbook, but forage research still a hard sell BY JENNIFER BLAIR AF STAFF / INNISFAIL

deal to finally make the proposed Alberta Forage Beef Centre in Lacombe a reality can’t come soon enough for its backers, who have been pushing government for a funding commitment since 2011. “We’re in the process of getting everyone together in the same room to negotiate the terms of an agreement,” Karen Schmid, beef production specialist with Alberta Beef Producers, said at the recent Alberta Forage Industry Network annual general meeting. Partners in the forage and beef sectors agree there’s a need for “concerted work in forages” to fill the gap left by the closure of the Western Forage Beef Centre. “Forage is a very long-term commitment, and it’s not that sexy,” said Schmid. “There’s been a decline in the research and extension capacity in the forage areas.” Top research priorities include reducing winter feeding costs and the environmental footprint of the cow herd and to improve cow efficiency; as well as late-summer and fall pasture productivity. “This is a long-term plan,” she said. “We don’t expect to do all of

these goals in the next three years or even five years.” The centre will also bring together resources from across the forage and beef industries to improve extension activities. “A really strong extension component” is vital to the success of the program, said Albert Kuipers, manager of the Grey Wooded Forage Association. “Our network is a really important part of making the whole thing work,” he said.

“Forage is a very longterm commitment, and it’s not that sexy.” KAREN SCHMID

A word of caution

But some industry players are worried the new centre will suffer the same fate as the old one. Surya Acharya, a forage research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, questioned what the group has done to ensure the centre’s long-term future — a concern

echoed by Dale Engstrom, a former Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development employee who helped get the Western Forage Beef Centre off the ground. “Don’t forget how fickle governments can be,” said Engstrom. “You’re right at the same point we were 20 years ago.” At the time of the Western Forage Beef Centre’s closure, producers felt budget dollars should be spent on marketing beef, not on conducting production research, he said, and that opened the door for governments to close the centre. “What’s going to prevent some idiot deputy minister in either government saying that marketing is the only thing that’s important in agri-food production?” he asked. “You need a strategy for that.” However, Schmid said that the political climate has changed over the past 20 years. Governments can’t carry the same load they once did and are now looking for industry dollars to support research, she said. “If (the governments) are looking for industry match for their programs, they need to be doing the things that industry wants to do.”

Slim pickings for forage seed this growing season BY JENNIFER BLAIR AF STAFF / INNISFAIL

nyone thinking about growing forages this year better act sooner than later. Strong cattle values coupled with low grain and oilseed prices is shifting marginal acres back to forages, Kevin Shaw, sales and marketing representative at Pickseed, said at the recent Alberta Forage Industry Network annual general meeting. And there’s not an excess of forage seed around given that yields were only average last year, he added. “Forage seed supply is going to be a little on the tight side,” said Shaw. “My phone is really heating up.” Alfalfa seed is mainly grown on contract, making it the most stable seed supply for the upcoming year. Grass seeds — bromes and fescues — are produced on an open-contract basis, so “those fields can get worked under pretty quickly” in favour of more profitable crops, he said. “A couple years ago when canola was going to be everybody’s golden goose, a lot of those acres got ripped out and put into annual crops.” Even with the tight supply, Shaw said producers should be able to find seed even if they have to wait until later in the season. But they may not get the quality or type of seed they want, he added. “You better speak for your grass seeds sooner rather than later.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

COOL back at WTO but no resolution in sight Taking retaliatory action against the U.S. won’t be possible until 2015 BY ALEX BINKLEY AF CONTRIBUTOR

anada has made its latest case to the World Trade Organization in its ongoing battle against the U.S. country-oforigin labelling (COOL) program for meat products but no one is expecting a quick resolution. Canada, Mexico and the United States presented their arguments to a WTO panel in Geneva Feb. 18-19 composed of the same members who ruled in 2009 that COOL violated international trade. Even if the panel upholds the latest complaint against COOL in a decision expected in the spring, Washington can appeal to the full WTO which will delay a final deci-

sion until the end of 2014. That would hold up any retaliatory action until 2015. At the latest hearing, the U.S. acknowledged that COOL as amended last year still discriminates against Canadian and Mexican livestock, says Martin Unrau, president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. “This means that the U.S. position is as long as consumer information is a legitimate objective, they can discriminate against their trading partners.” Jean-Guy Vincent, chairman of the Canadian Pork Council, added that, “The blatant protectionism of the U.S. position was clear throughout the hearings. It was very satisfying to hear the chairman of the panel tell the U.S.

lawyers that big countries and small countries in the WTO have the same obligations. It is taking much longer than we believe it should, but we are confident that we will prevail,” he said. Canada had hoped the U.S. would modify COOL as part of its Farm Bill legislation but it didn’t, moving the dispute back to the WTO. Canada needs the WTO sanction to impose threatened $1-billion annual retaliatory tariffs against U.S. consumer and food products. Mexico has also threatened to impose millions of dollars in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products. The dispute over COOL dates back to 2008 and has cost Canadian farmers and processors close to $6 billion in lost sales and lower

prices. Canada first complained to the WTO about COOL in 2009. In 2012, the trade body found COOL to be out of compliance with the U.S.’s international obligations. In early 2013, the U.S. announced changes that it said brought the program into compliance with the WTO. Canada and Mexico said the changes made the situation worse. Vincent said taking the dispute through the WTO is complicated. “We have now been to Geneva four times to fight these unfair U.S. labelling regulations. We won nearly two years ago and the U.S. introduced a new system which is even worse for Canadian livestock exports.” Another option the U.S. could use to delay the process is sus-

The Canadians call U.S. labelling laws discriminatory, the U.S. considers it important consumer information. PHOTO: THINKSTOCK pend COOL if the WTO rejects it and start another rule-making process for a new version of the meat label program. That could leave Canadian livestock producers facing renewed discrimination.

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MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

U.K. company’s real-time information improves production efficiency peet on pigs } Continuous monitoring through the growth process provides

useful information By bernie peet

ndustrial manufacturing processes, whether for producing food or cars, are closely monitored in real time in order to ensure that efficiency is maximized and product quality maintained. However, in pig production, most information used for management of the business is historic. For example, if the performance of a group of grow-finish pigs is calculated, it requires the end weight and carcass data in order to be able to calculate efficiency factors and costs per pig. But now, a British project called PIVIT (Pig Improvement Via Technology), which started at the beginning of 2012, is demonstrating how producers and farm staff can benefit from real-time barn monitoring. Funded by government agency the Technology Strategy Board under its “sustainable protein production” program, it is already beginning to bear fruit. “Achievable improvements include a reduction of five to 10 days in time taken to finish pigs, a narrowing in weight variation, a 50 per cent reduction in fossil fuel use and an 80 per cent cut in water waste,” says Hugh Crabtree, managing director of ventilation control and monitoring equipment company Farmex Ltd., one of the partners in the project. The other participants are building manufacturer ARM Buildings Ltd., and Dicam Technology Ltd.,

The pig growth sensor captures weight data, providing the producer with an average pig weight each day. PHOTo: Ruth Downing, Rural Pictures, U.K. which developed the control and monitoring technology. “The basis of the system is a series of sensors, which monitor a range of building environment parameters, such as temperature, humidity, fan speed, heater operation, feed auger run times, feed bin weight and water consumption,” Crabtree explains. “These are con-

nected to a central monitoring device on the farm, which uploads the data on to a remote server, from where it can be accessed by the farm’s staff.” A proprietary data analysis program, called Barn Report, allows staff to make a quick review of what is happening in the barn, in real time and from wherever they

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are. It is also possible to create alarms when a particular parameter deviates from the normal range, in which case the producer or farm staff are quickly notified. For example, out-of-feed events and reduced water flow rates are surprisingly common and are a significant cause of reduced performance, Crabtree says. Energy saving has been one area where Barn Report has been very successful in identifying areas for improvement, particularly through better management of control systems. “A 1,200-place piglet nursery in eastern England saved £8,877 ($16,000) in annual heating costs, or 86p ($1.55) per pig produced, through monitoring and, at the same time, reduced CO2 output by 55 tonnes a year,” Crabtree says.

Data capture

Data capture and display was an important part of monitoring, he suggests. “Actually seeing energy consumption taking place immediately influences behaviour,” he says. “Also, data logging has shown that the system operator has the most profound influence on environmental control so onfarm training is a key to getting the best out of it.” Crabtree says that, in reality, although various aspects of the barn environment and pig performance are being measured, it is actually the people operating the barn who are being monitored. “So far, none of this is new; Farmex and Dicam have been recovering and processing data from remote production sites for 18 years,” Crabtree says. “However, while a considerable amount has been learned, farmers don’t have the time or expertise to make profitable use of the systems easily. The real challenge for the PIVIT project is to make it easier to get value from real-time measurement on farm.”

Continuous weighing

Also, he adds, while feed auger run time and feed bin weight data has

been available for many years, the missing part of the equation has been pig weight. This problem has now been solved by the development of an in-pen weigh scale, which the development team prefers to call a “growth sensor.” This is because, by using a wireless module to connect the scale to the data capture network, the growth sensor produces a rolling average weight to the producer. “A pen of 50 pigs will produce 200 to 300 valid weight readings each day,” Crabtree says. “By May, a daily report of feed conversion and daily live weight gain should be available to producers who are taking part in the trial, providing them with real-time growth and efficiency numbers.” He feels that having information about growth provides motivation for producers and farm staff to understand the value of monitoring the pigs’ environment as well as feed and water intake. When the PIVIT project is completed at the end of this year, it will have yielded a substantial amount of information about how buildings are managed and how this influences performance and input costs, notes Crabtree. “If a building is continually monitored, it’s easier to identify problems, initiate management changes and monitor whether those changes have been successful,” he says. “A constant ‘eye on the sty’ enables a swift response that can optimize performance or minimize loss. Within 10 years, most professional pig units will be online and monitoring such factors as temperature, water, feed, growth and pig flow,” Crabtree believes. “You can’t control what you don’t measure and, happily, a new generation of pig producers is recognizing this.” Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting of Lacombe, Alberta and a director of U.K.-based Pig Production Training Ltd.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

Semen evaluation — is it worth doing? BEEF 911  Since reproduction has the biggest economic

return on the farm, it’s important to know the bull is up to snuff BY ROY LEWIS, DVM

here are still some producers skeptical of the merits of having a semen evaluation on breeding bulls prior to turnout. This article will attempt to highlight the positive points and hopefully lay to rest the misconceptions. Veterinarians are really doing much more than just checking the semen, which is why it is really called a breeding soundness evaluation (for obvious reasons we’ve stopped calling it a BSE exam). We check live sperm to check for motility as well as stained sperm for morphology, which is the percentage which is defective. Vets can see these defects when looking under the microscope. Certain defects are caused from faulty formation. Others crop up when the bulls are not active and the sperm becomes stagnant. These defects result from improper maturation of the sperm. While the bull is restrained for collection, body condition is assessed and the feet and legs are checked. We can see the undercarriage, so what better opportunity to check out the feet and sheath. We observe the bull walking so any structural defects are also identified. A big part of any evaluation is the measurement of the scrotum, which indicates semen production. Generally the larger the scrotum up to a maximum of 39 cm, the more semen will be produced. After that semen production does not go up much. As well as the testicles the spermatic cords and epididymis (area where the sperm mature) are also palpated for any signs of abnormality. The testicles are compared for size and shape to the opposite testicle and any differences noted including their firmness or softness. Abnormalities may indicate a problem, which will show up in the sperm or may indicate you are only getting normal sperm from one testicle. If this is the case, serving capacity will be markedly diminished. We want to always select bulls for higher-serving capacity. The sperm is collected using a probe inserted in the rectum, which gives a very, very low electrical impulse. This small current is brought up very smoothly and causes the bull to become erect, protrude his penis from the sheath and then ejaculate. It is important we try and get the bull to protrude the penis so it can be visualized for such things as cuts, warts or a frenulum, which is a ligamentous tie down between the penis and sheath. Most of these conditions are found on yearling bulls though at a fairly low percentage. But all these conditions can render a bull infertile or subfertile. Blood, which is often present because of these conditions, is very detrimental to semen quality. Just before inserting the probe all the internal sexual organs are palpated for differences is size, infection, scarring etc. The seminal vesicles are the dominant organs, much as the prostate gland is in humans. If these become infected either from blood-borne infections or infections ascending

from an infected navel, they are all detrimental to lively sperm. Infections in these areas will show up as pus in the semen. In some cases these infections can be treated but usually these bulls will be culled.

Problems worsen in large herds with multiple bulls if the dominant bull is infertile. Wrecks can develop in single-bull pastures. I have seen instances of a 100 per cent open rate.

Good vision important

Checklist

The eyes are always examined closely as ideally we want a bull with two fully functioning eyes in order to identify cows in heat. Binocular vision is important for depth perception. A bull can breed with one eye but he can miss cows in a large pasture. If you can eliminate these infertile or subfertile bulls by a breeding soundness evaluation, conception rates should definitely improve. Around 20 per cent of bulls can have fertility issues.

Ideally, test all breeding bulls every year. If not the new young bulls should definitely be tested. Normally purebred breeders test yearlings as a condition of sale. Older bulls past their prime (beyond four-five years) are prime candidates for testicular degeneration and other conditions affecting their reproductive ability. Any bulls, which have been sick, injured or gotten frostbite or swelling on their testicles should most definitely be examined as well.

The last group would be bulls in their prime breeding age with no previous problems. Infertile bulls can still be found in this group but less likely. The only breeding prerequisite that is not tested is the libido or sex drive. This we often leave up to the producer. Watching bulls breed the first one or two times in the season is always a good idea. Yearlings especially can be awkward and have a hard time entering and completing the breeding. Ensure they are entering the cow and ejaculating before turning them out into the herd. Always watch for other signs during the breeding season such as swellings on the sheath or scrotum, indicating a broken or cut penis. Problems can and will happen

during the breeding season, necessitating replacing bulls in order to get the cows bred. Breeding soundness exams should be an integral part of any beef herd health program. Any vaccines such as foot rot or pink eye tagging might as well be done at the same time bulls are being processed to eliminate that headache in the future. Hopefully the breeding season this spring will go uneventfully. Getting all bulls fertility tested is a great start. Remember reproduction has the biggest economic return on your farm. Roy Lewis is a Westlock, Alberta-based veterinarian specializing in largeanimal practice. He is also a parttime technical services vet for Merck Animal Health.

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MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

NATURAL DISASTERS COST $69 BILLION

GLOBAL WARMING WON’T CUT DEATHS

Natural disasters including droughts, floods and earthquakes cost China 421 billion yuan ($69 bln.) in 2013, official data showed, nearly double the total in the previous year. China has always been prone to natural disasters but a changing climate is causing more extreme weather, according to the government. Flooding and mudslides cost China 188 billion yuan in 2013, 20 billion more than in the previous year. Damage from droughts rose nearly fourfold to 90 billion yuan, while snowfall, freezes and ocean-related costs totalled more than 42 billion yuan. — Reuters

Global warming will fail to reduce high winter death rates because there will be more harmful weather extremes even as it gets less cold, a British study showed Feb. 23. A report in the journal Nature Climate Change on the situation in England and Wales said climate warming would likely not decrease winter mortality. More volatile winters, with swings from cold to mild linked to rising greenhouse gas emissions, might even raise death rates, it said. Lead author Philip Staddon of the University of Exeter said the findings were likely to apply to other developed countries in temperate regions that risk more extreme weather as temperatures rise.

Possible El Niño developing this summer Any large-scale change in the state of the Pacific is bound to have an impact elsewhere BY DANIEL BEZTE

received an email the other day asking about El Niño and what effect it might have on our part of the world, should one develop. For quite a while now the Pacific has been in a neutral El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phase, but there is some mention of an El Niño event possibly forming sometime this summer. Here is a summary of the current El Niño forecast put out by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Nearly all model forecasts indicate the persistence of ENSO-neutral conditions throughout the Northern Hemisphere for spring 2014, but afterward, an increasing number of models suggest the possible onset of El Niño. Strong surface westerly winds in the western Pacific, and the

slight eastward shift of above-average temperatures in the subsurface western Pacific, potentially signify warming in the coming months. However, spring is also historically associated with lower forecast skill, so the chance of an El Niño event developing after the spring is not that likely. Before I go into what effect this might have on us, I figured it has been several years since I’ve looked at this topic, so I think a bit of a lesson in El Niño is in order — I guess it’s the teacher in me. Just what is EL Niño and why can it have such a profound impact on our weather? Well, to put it simply, El Niño is a change in ocean surface temperatures across the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean. This change in ocean temperatures then creates a change in the weather patterns across the Pacific Ocean. Now the big question is, why

does a change in weather over the Pacific Ocean have any impact on us? The first and most simple reason is that the Pacific Ocean just happens to cover half of our planet, so any large-scale change in it is bound to have an impact elsewhere. Actually, maybe it’s not that simple. Even though the Pacific Ocean is huge, why should changes in weather in that area of the world impact us? Keeping in mind just how big the Pacific is, let’s now look at what the Pacific Ocean is made of: water. Lots and lots of water. That still doesn’t explain why changes in it affect the weather way over here. To really understand why, we need to remember it takes a whole lot of energy to warm up water, and conversely, water releases a whole lot of energy when it cools. In essence, water is like a battery that stores heat — therefore, the Pacific is a really big heat battery.

This issue’s map shows the total precipitation (snow for the most part) across the Prairies so far this winter compared to the long-term average. A large part of the agricultural Prairies has seen a relatively wet winter, with areas in dark green and blue reporting high to extremely high amounts. There are even a few pockets of record amounts in western and northwestern Alberta and southeastern Manitoba. Not all areas have been wet though — southern and east-central Alberta along with extreme southern Manitoba have been dry, with some areas of Manitoba even reporting record dry conditions.

Imbalances

From a general point of view, weather is the atmosphere’s attempt to equal out heat imbalances. You see, just like most of us, the atmosphere likes things to be equal. If there is too much heat in one place or too much cold in another, the atmosphere tries to make things equal by sending cold air southward and warm air northward. The tropical areas of our planet rarely, if ever, see or feel the cold air trying to move southward. If you live in the Arctic regions, you would rarely, if ever, see the really warm air try to move northward. Those of us in the middle are constantly feeling and seeing this movement of cold and warm air — and we call it weather. Now, back to the Pacific Ocean, our big heat battery. If the Pacific is storing heat and releasing it into the atmosphere, that heat energy has to go somewhere. Some of it simply warms the air, but then the atmosphere wants to equal out that warm air, so off that warm air goes. A big chunk of the heat energy coming out of the Pacific goes into developing clouds, precipitation and storm systems. These storm systems are an efficient way for the atmosphere to move heat around and equalize it, because you can move a lot more energy by moving warm water around (remember, clouds are made up of water) than you can by moving warm air. This overall movement of warm air and storm systems over the Pacific Ocean creates a general pattern of winds around the world. If you remember back to our articles about general atmospheric circulation, we know the general movement of air around the planet comes about by the Earth trying to equal out warm and cold regions — and this creates the westerly winds in our region of the world, the tropical easterlies to our south and, finally, the polar easterlies in the high Arctic. Under normal temperature conditions across the Pacific, the general flow of the atmosphere follows this simple pattern, and since a large portion of our weather comes off the Pacific (because we live in the generally westerly flowing part of the atmosphere) our weather tends to be rather average. If we change the amount of heat over a large portion of the Pacific, either by warming up the Pacific Ocean (El Niño) or cooling it down (La Niña), this disrupts the general flow of air across this region and can start to impact how air flows across our region. Next issue we’ll take a closer look at exactly what happens over the Pacific to allow El Niño to form, and examine how these events are classified.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

High price, but bad news Chicago Board of Trade oat futures hit a record high of $4.99 a bushel last Tuesday, but the bad news is that the reason was that supplies remain tight due to a backlog of Canadian oat shipments to the U.S. Speaking to the Grainworld conference in Winnipeg last week, oats analyst Randy Strychar said the Chicago oat futures contract was “dysfunctional” and warned that U.S. oat mills had only a 20-day supply, and were in danger of running out of product to mill.

Producers urged to lobby feds over railway delays Grain Growers of Canada urges members to turn up the heat on Ottawa to take action and push the railways to move more grain By Jennifer Blair af staff

Penalizing railways

Pressure on the railways is ramping up from both farmers and governments. Alberta Agriculture Minister Verlyn Olson travelled to Winnipeg last week to meet with federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and urge him to impose a system of “immediate” cash penalties on railways that don’t meet obligations on grain delivery. The current federal Fair Rail Freight Service Act provides for fines to be levied against the railways for poor service, but the act’s provisions “are not adequate” and are also subject to a lengthy arbitration process, Olson said. “I’m not saying the railway companies don’t have their own challenges, they certainly do,” Olson said prior to his meeting with Ritz. But citing severe winter weather conditions for the slowdown in grain movement isn’t an adequate excuse, he said. “I don’t think that in Western Canada, we can let ourselves be surprised that we have bad weather in winter,” he said. Sawyer isn’t buying that reason either. “We know that there are efficiencies that could have been created to deal with these problems,” he said, calling it “the cost of doing business.”

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rain Growers of Canada is urging producers across the country to join forces in lobbying their members of Parliament for changes to the broken grain transportation system. The group is urging farmers to call their MP and talk about “the rail service issues that are personally affecting you and your farm.” “This is certainly a serious situation for farmers, and we have to get that message out there,” said Acme grain producer and Grain Growers vice-president Matt Sawyer. Not being able to move grain is causing serious cash flow issues for many producers, but stalled grain movement could also cause lasting damage to export sales, he said. A Japanese ship was recently moved out of Vancouver’s port and sent south to take on American wheat, the Grain Growers said in its message to producers. There are also reports every anchorage spot in Vancouver’s harbour is taken and that’s forced ships waiting to take on grain to wait off the east coast of Vancouver Island. Sawyer said he’s heard ships are “parked as far north as Nanaimo.” “We must be able to get our grain in an export position in a timely manner to meet our obligations, and if we can’t do that, the reputation of us as a reliable supplier in Canada is put in jeopardy,” said Sawyer, who is fresh from a trade mission to Japan.

“For us to lose a shipment of grain when it was so hard to establish these relationships to another country is really unacceptable. We’re proving to the world that we’re an unreliable source.”

There are also reports every anchorage spot in Vancouver’s harbour is taken and that’s forced ships waiting to take on grain to wait off the east coast of Vancouver Island. photo: Thinkstock Sawyer said he would rather see the whole value chain work together to develop short- and long-term solutions, but he isn’t ruling out hitting the railways in their bottom line. “Maybe that is the best thing, to penalize the heck out of the railways.” Ritz announced a month ago that railways will have to report more frequently on grain movement and said he hoped that would help identify bottlenecks and other problems in the system.

But the bottom line is that western Canadian farmers are pushing up yields and last fall’s bumper harvest can’t be viewed as a one-time event, said Sawyer. “We produced a bumper crop using the best science and technology available to feed the world, and our transportation system needs to be responsive to the needs of western Canadian growers,” he said. with files from AgCanada.com jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

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MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Cargill to reject corn with new Syngenta GMO trait Syngenta declines request to delay release until China approves the trait BY TOM POLANSEK REUTERS

argill Inc., the top exporter of U.S. grain and oilseeds, on Feb. 14 said it will reject crops containing a new genetically modified Syngenta corn trait that are delivered to its grain elevators for export contracts. Corn seeds containing Syngenta’s Agrisure Duracade trait for corn rootworm control are available for planting in the United States for the first time this year after U.S. authorities cleared the trait in 2013. The trait has not been approved for import by China or the European Union, both major buyers of U.S. crops. Duracade has import approval from some other big buyers,

including Mexico, South Korea and Japan. “For export contracts, we will not accept delivery of any commodity containing the Duracade trait,” Cargill told Reuters in an email. “Cargill reserves the right to reject and/or require testing of deliveries and any acceptance, rejection or testing for the presence of Duracade will be determined by Cargill in its sole discretion at the time of delivery,” the company said. The commercialization of Duracade has split the U.S. farm sector and pitted global grain merchants against Swissbased Syngenta, the world’s largest crop chemicals company. Some U.S. growers say they need access to the new trait to fight

rootworm, while exporters warn it threatens to disrupt trade. Bunge Ltd. also signalled it will refuse to handle crops containing Duracade unless the product is cleared by China. Since November, China’s authorities have rejected more than 600,000 tonnes of U.S. corn and corn products containing another unauthorized genetically modified Syngenta corn trait, Agrisure Viptera. Known as MIR 162, the trait has been awaiting Beijing’s approval for more than two years. The National Grain and Feed Association and North American Export Grain Association last month asked Syngenta to suspend the commercial use of Duracade and MIR 162 in the United States until China and

Seed with the new trait will be available for the first time this year. other U.S. export markets have granted regulatory approval. Syngenta has declined the request, saying Duracade will be available in limited quantities and that growers need new technologies. Even if corn containing Dura-

cade is planted on a small number of acres, it could accidentally be shipped to China, exporters have noted. Varieties are often mixed with each other because they are grown in fields close to each other and then harvested, transported and stored together.

U.S. grocer sued for deceiving chicken label

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Label said that broilers were ‘cage free’ BY P.J. HUFFSTUTTER CHICAGO / REUTERS

roger Co., the biggest U.S. supermarket operator, faces a lawsuit claiming it deceived consumers by marketing a store brand as humanely raised chicken products when the aniJOB ID: mals were raised under standard 6523_1C commercial farming. The complaint, filed in Superior DATE: Court of California inJAN. Los20,Angeles JAN. 6, FEB.3, MAR. 3,class-action MAR. 31 County, is seeking status against Kroger for allegedly CLIENT: misleading California consumSYNGENTA CANADA ers with claims about the grocer’s PROJECT: “Simple Truth” premium-priced TRAXOS BRAND AD store brand of chicken. Kroger spokesman Keith Dailey PUBLICATION: ALBERTA FARMER EXPRESS told Reuters Feb. 12 that the company has not had an opportunity DESIGNER: to review the lawsuit. However, CHRISTINE Dailey said: “What we have on our ) MECHANICAL ( ) PDF/X Simple(Truth chicken label is informationFINAL for our SIZE:customers 8.125" X 10" that we believe is accurate, and we intend UCR: 240% to vigorously defend our label.” The CLIENT “Simple Truth” chicken SERVICE products were packaged with PROOFREADING labelling that stated the animals were raised “in a humane environART DIRECTION ment” and “cage free,” according to the lawsuit. PRODUCTION However, standard industry practice for broiler chickens is to house them inside large buildings, not cages, according to industry experts. Remember that story you wanted to read again from a few months back?

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

Railways cut producer car loading sites BY ALLAN DAWSON STAFF

he railways recently cut 19 producer car loading sites across the West even though farmers are using producer cars more than ever as they struggle to get a record crop to market. Tim Coulter of Briercrest, Sask., former president of the Producer Car Shippers of Canada, suggests the federal government consider a moratorium on site abandonments. “I’ve had more phone calls in the last month (from farmers about producer cars) than since I became president of the association (three years ago),” Coulter said. CP recently cut five sites leaving 94 and CN cut 14, leaving 48. “CP cut sites that weren’t being used,” CP spokesman Ed Greenberg said in an email. “CP still has coverage for local producers to order and ship producer cars with our network of producer car loading sites across Western Canada,” he wrote. CN spokesman Mark Hallman said in an email that CN has been flooded with producer car orders. “In some cases, some sites have not been used for five to 10 years, and thus require track inspection and possible capital expenditures to operate. That can only be done in the spring, at earliest, given the existing snow cover,” Hallman wrote. The railways must notify the public through local newspaper ads 60 days before closing a producer car loading site. Not only are producer cars giving farmers an opportunity to move their grain, bypassing elevators plugged because of a lack of trains, but they are also returning higher prices, said Doug Chorney, president of Manitoba’s Keystone Agricultural Producers. Chorney said he will net $5.75 a bushel — 32 per cent more than the local elevator is paying — for his No. 1 Canada Western Red Spring wheat (12.5 per cent protein) being exported to an American buyer in producer cars being loaded this month. “That’s unbelievable,” he said, adding a farmer in northwestern Manitoba with the same wheat was offered just $3.89 a bushel by the local elevator. Producer car shippers traditionally saved money by avoiding elevator charges, loading the cars themselves or hiring someone to do it for them. But the bigger saving now is on the basis (difference between cash and futures prices.) Grain prices at western Canadian elevators are low because the railways are not moving grain fast enough, said Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association, which represents the major elevator companies. Lower elevator prices are meant to discourage farmers from delivering, he said. “There’s a 55,000-car shortfall right now and we know there are 50 vessels waiting off the West Coast right now for grain — 50,” Sobkowich said. “It’s a record.”

“I wanted to retire and do some other things and nobody stepped up,” Coulter said in an interview. Funding was another issue. The old Canadian Wheat Board collected a voluntary checkoff on producer cars to finance the association. The board’s successor, the federal government-owned CWB, no longer collects the money. “This has not been an easy decision and it is with mixed feelings that we have arrived at this point in history,” Coulter said in a letter posted on the association’s website. “I do feel that PCSC has been an effective voice over the last seven years and has contributed to the success of producer car shippers...” Coulter said he hopes farm organizations and short line railways will continue to promote and defend producer cars. It isn’t easy winding down the association, Coulter said, but members agreed it should be done while it still has the funds to do so.

The wide basis at the elevator is making producer cars even more attractive this year.

allan@fbcpublishing.com

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Ensuring our fuel aligns to the highest standards of this criteria is how we assure our fuels meet and exceed recommended criteria for optimal equipment performance. In addition to our Fuel Quality Assurance Program, we regularly sample from our storage tanks and delivery vehicles. We have water/particulate filters on all of our Cardlock dispensers. High standards in our day‑to‑day operations helps you know that the quality products we source find their way to you in the purest state possible. These controls and measures are in place at all of our UFA Petroleum locations. So no matter where the road takes you, or what work needs to get done, you can count on UFA to deliver only top quality fuel to provide optimal power and performance that you expect from your equipment. If you want to learn more about UFA Fuel Quality, see our fuel quality video at: www.youtube.com/user/UFACooperativeLtd. And if you want to know more about the UFA Fuel Quality Assurance Program at your UFA Petroleum location, talk to your local agent today. The performance of your equipment relies on top quality fuel. For optimal power, efficiency and smooth engine performance you can count on UFA Petroleum.

Association dissolves

Ironically even though producer cars are more popular than ever, the Producer Car Shippers of Canada (PCSC) is dissolving. The decision was made at the organization’s annual meeting in Moose Jaw in November, said retiring association president Tim Coulter.

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2/7/14 2:09 PM

MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

California governor announces $687-million drought package Cutbacks in irrigation could force farmers to idle hundreds of thousands of acres By Laila Kearney sacramento / reuters

alifornia Governor Jerry Brown announced a $687-million droughtrelief package Feb. 19 to help residents, farm workers and local communities cope with a water shortage he called the worst in the state’s modern history. Brown, joined in Sacramento by top Democratic state lawmakers, told a news conference the money would provide food and housing aid to those who have lost work because of the drought and expedite funding to state and local water conservation and reuse projects. The governor said he expected a bill containing the package to

quickly pass both chambers of the Democratic-controlled California legislature and speed the money to drought-hit communities across the parched state within a matter of weeks. “Unlike a lot of problems we face here in Sacramento, this drought is not caused by partisan gridlock or ideology, it’s caused by Mother Nature herself,” Brown said. “This is serious. Today is a call for action.” Even as much of the United States has been pummelled by a series of snowstorms, California is in the grip of a drought that threatens to inflict the worst water crisis in recorded state history. Drastic cutbacks in irrigation water could force farmers to idle hundreds of thousands of acres of cropland in a record produc-

tion loss that industry officials say could cause billions of dollars in damages. California grows half the U.S. fruits and vegetables and is the top state by value of agricultural goods produced. Large-scale crop losses in the state could lead to higher consumer prices, especially for tree and vine produce grown only there. Brown has already urged Californians to reduce water consumption by 20 per cent voluntarily, and irrigation districts and municipalities up and down the most-populous U.S. state are bracing for sharp cuts in deliveries. State officials have already launched a public awareness campaign, using radio spots to encourage conservation. Other measures include hiring more

firefighters in the face of heightened wildfire risks. But 10 communities are at acute risk of running out of drinking water in 60 days, with the small city of Willits in the northern part of the state facing the most drastic shortages, a c cording to public health officials. Rural communities where residents rely on wells are at particular risk because contaminants in groundwater become more concentrated when less water is available to dilute them, officials said. Earlier, President Barack Obama announced nearly $200 million in aid for California, including $60 million for food banks to help workers in agriculture-related industries who have lost their jobs.

Focus is on track infrastructure and safety

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Reuters

anadian National Railway Co. plans capital spending of $2.1 billion in 2014, the country’s largest rail operator said Feb. 19, slightly more than it invested last year on its track, fleet, facilities and safety equipment. The Montreal-based railway, which spent approximately $2 billion on such projects in 2013, has earmarked the bulk of its budget for track infrastructure, and to improve the safety and productivity of the network. CN will spend more than $1.2 billion to replace and upgrade rail, ties, bridges and branch lines in Canada and the United States. The railway, which expects double-digit growth in earnings per share this year, has been hit hard by extreme winter in December and January, which has bloated its costs for labour, services and materials. Chief executive Claude Mongeau said the investments will position CN to take advantage of opportunities in intermodal, energy, and other resource and manufacturing markets. The company budgeted about C$300 million to improve its fleet, with the purchase of 45 new high-horsepower locomotives. In 2013, it took delivery of 44 new and 37 second-hand high-horsepower locomotives. CN plans to spend C$600 million on facilities to grow its business, including transloading terminals, distribution centres and the completion of its Calgary Logistics Park. Money is also earmarked for technology to improve service, efficiency and productivity.

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CN bumps up 2014 capital spending to $2.1 bln

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President Barack Obama speaks to the media on California’s drought situation in Los Banos, California Feb. 14. He has announced $200 million in aid for California, including $60 million for food banks to help workers in agriculturerelated industries who have lost their jobs.

1/31/14 12:00 PM

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

Reflections of a retiring CropLife Canada president Lorne Hepworth says developing human resources will continue to be a key challenge facing agriculture By Alex Binkley AF contributor

orne Hepworth has had a lot of front-row seats on agriculture over the past 50 years, starting with windstorms that filled the air with dirt during his youth on a Saskatchewan farm. “The storms would go on for days and fill the fencelines with soil,” he recalled in an interview. That has changed for the better with the introduction of conservation tillage and modern farm practices along with the end of summerfallowing. “The soil is in better shape than it ever was. You can feel the organic matter in it as you walk across the fields.” As Hepworth, who turns 67 later this year, leaves CropLife in the hands of Ted Menzies, a former federal cabinet minister and farm leader, he says agriculture overall is in much better shape than it was 50 years ago. Hepworth became a veterinarian in the 1970s while remaining involved in the operation of the family farm near Assiniboia. From 1982 to 1991, he represented Weyburn in the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly as a Progressive Conservative, including a stint as agriculture minister.

New farming technology boosts sustainability and the efficiency of farms by eliminating overlaps and missed spots in the application of fertilizers and pesticides, he adds. “Agriculture is at the top of its game in terms of sustainability and it can only get better,” he said. But he said continued training and education for farmers and farm workers is essential to keeping up with technological change. Hepworth thinks that Canadian universities and colleges should increase their training in agriculture to meet demand for crop and animal husbandry expertise in Canada and overseas. “Human resources are an important ingredient in increasing food production around the world.”

One aspect of agriculture that has also improved in recent years is the improved ability of farmers to explain their operations to consumers. Being fractured in the past into a swath of often disparate groups left farmers without a common voice. While that remains a problem, the industry has made progress in educating consumers about how their food is produced. Along with the Agriculture More Than Ever and Farm & Food Care programs, CropLife has launched a program called Confident Conversations. They began as an effort to ensure its own staff and the employees of member companies could discuss modern agriculture with consumers. Now that program is being

offered to farm groups, Hepworth said. “We need to speak to the desire of people to know more about it. The agriculture industry needs to be better equipped than it was. It has to be an integrated approach in the agri-food community.” The other great change in the agri-food industry is it has gained recognition as one of the main employers and economic engines, Hepworth said. He believes Canada can play a significant role in feeding the world’s growing population. Over the years, Hepworth has been involved with a variety of agriculture-related organizations including the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund Scientific Advisory Commit-

tee, the Expert Panel on Sustainability Management of Water in Agriculture, the Advisory Board of the National Research Council of Canada, the Plant Biotechnology Institute, the Canadian Agri-Food Research Council, the federal Pest Management Advisory Committee and the National Biotechnology Advisory Committee. Hepworth may be retiring from CropLife, but he isn’t quietly riding off into the sunset. He will remain chairman of Genome Canada, which funds agriculture research, and a director of CARE Canada and the Global Institute for Food Security. “This ought to keep me out of trouble,” he said. What excites him is that “agriculture is the common denominator in all of them.”

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“We need to speak to the desire of people to know more about it. The agriculture industry needs to be better equipped than it was. It has to be an integrated approach in the agrifood community.”

From 1993 to 1997, he held several executive positions with the Canadian Agra group of companies specializing in agri-food and feed production, processing and marketing. He became president of CropLife Canada, the trade association for manufacturers of pesticides and other farm inputs in 2006. One of the remarkable changes in agriculture since his youth has been the revolution in equipment and technology that farmers have access to including computerguided planting and harvesting machines along with precision farming techniques, he explains. “There’s so much more scientific expertise involved in farming including all sorts of new breeding technologies,” he said. Sustainability has become a popular catchword for agriculture and the other natural resources-based industries, he said. Canada has been a world leader in adopting sustainability and “it was all done voluntarily. We understand the importance of stewardship and sustainability practices.”

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MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

New strain of PEDv identified Researchers are trying to determine its origin REUTERS

new strain of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, or PEDv, has been identified in samples taken from Illinois and Missouri, a top veterinarian at Iowa State University said Feb. 3. “We found that there is a variant out there that appears to be quite different than the original,” Rodger Main, the head veterinarian of Iowa State University’s veterinary diagnostic lab, told Reuters. More research needs to be completed, however, to determine if the new variant is a mutation or a different introduction of the original virus. “There hasn’t been a tremendous amount of sequencing completed and there will be additional work to determine if we can truly understand where it came from,” he said. PEDv, a highly contagious and potentially fatal pig virus, causes

diarrhea, vomiting and severe dehydration. It is transmitted orally and through pig feces. The virus does not affect humans, however, and U.S. federal officials have determined meat from pigs that survive the virus is safe to eat. While older pigs have a small chance of survival, the virus kills 80 per cent to 100 per cent of piglets that contract it. There are no official figures for pigs lost to the PEDv in the United States, but up to four million pigs may have died from the virus, according to industry analysts’ estimates. Some U.S. meat-processing companies have said the virus, first discovered in the United States in April 2013, is beginning to impact their bottom lines as it contributes to higher-priced pork and is trimming U.S. hog supplies. The United States is the world’s largest pork exporter. PEDv has been confirmed in 23 of the 50 U.S. states and was confirmed in Canada two weeks ago.

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U.S. timber industry a cautionary tale for Canadian agriculture Consumers are beginning to reject agriculture’s social licence to operate, and producers are paying the price BY JENNIFER BLAIR AF STAFF / RED DEER

t’s called social licence — and farmers will pay a steep price if they lose it. It happened to American logger Bruce Vincent, who offered his story as a cautionary tale to a rapt audience of beef producers at the recent Alberta Beef Industry Conference. “Our social licence to operate was rejected by the public,” he said of his failing family logging business in Libby, Montana. “And I can no longer say you’re someday going to be looking at what we’re looking at. You’re looking at it now.” Farmers are facing the same problems today that his 50-yearold timber business had to deal with a decade ago, he said. “We’re having what I call a collision of visions with the rest of society,” he said. Most urbanites have no direct connection with farmers and only a dim understanding of how their food is produced. But those same consumers are flocking to farmers’ markets in record numbers, emulating the culture of rural communities, and spending their vacations in the country, he noted. “They’ve fallen in love with the very things we love about living where we live,” he said. “They’ve fallen in love with the stereotypical view of what they think we are.” That’s made them fierce defenders of pristine rivers, abundant wildlife and open plains — a “Disneyesque ecotopia,” he said.

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Protected to death

But their vision for rural areas has a “fatal flaw,” said Vincent. “If (consumers) remove our social licence to operate, the very thing they want to protect is going to pay the price of their protection.” The timber industry in Vincent’s community has already paid that price after a lawsuit filed by an environmental activist to protect endangered species essentially halted logging in the 2.5 million acres of forest surrounding Libby. “For the first time in 120 years, we don’t have a sawmill,” said Vincent, whose own operation laid off all 65 of its employees. “We’ve crossed the line between environmental sensitivity and environmental insanity.” It’s a case where facts no longer matter because they don’t fit the public’s perception of reality, he said. “The truth has been outrun by lies for so long that the public doesn’t recognize the truth.” Agriculture is no different than forestry in this regard, and farmers need to understand they need the public’s consent to operate. If they lose it, consumers will take matters into their own hands, he said. “(Consumers are) fighting to protect us, and in many cases, we’re getting protected to death.”

Take the lead

The U.S. timber industry responded too slowly to the erosion of public trust, but agriculture

Logger Bruce Vincent addressed a rapt audience of beef producers at the Alberta Beef Industry Conference in Red Deer in midFebruary. can learn from its mistakes, said Vincent. “If you want to maintain your social licence, you’re going to need to lead the public in a way that they give you consent to operate.” And that means becoming activists for the industry and addressing both perceived issues — such as the dangers of antibiotics in beef — as well as real issues such as animal abuse. “Your licence will only be granted if the public trusts you, and trust can only be built over time,” said Vincent. Producers can’t count on the truth to win out someday down the road, he said. “It probably will in the final analysis, but by then, your licence to operate in Alberta will be gone,” he said. “The truth has to have a champion, and that’s got to be you.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

Canola missing global opportunities BY SHANNON VANRAES

Full strength value.

“They want to save what they’re now calling the last best places. So they fight.”

t’s an ambitious goal — 26 million tonnes of canola by 2025. But the big question these days isn’t whether producers can grow it, it’s whether they can get it to market. “We think there is strong demand in the industry and... we want to be able to make sure we’re moving much larger crops in the future. It’s really a matter of having the whole value chain — and the transportation industry — sort out how we’re going to accomplish that,” Jim Everson, a vice-president of the Canola Council of Canada told the CropConnect Conference in Winnipeg. It’s clear that even the bumper 2013 crop is straining the system, said Cliff Jamieson, a market analyst with The Progressive Farmer. “Canada is missing out on a huge opportunity right now, the global trade in canola is actually increasing,” he said, adding that in particular China’s demand for the oilseed continues to grow.

“But somebody else is going to capitalize on that opportunity,” said Jamieson. The United States is also poised to become a heavy user of canola oil, he said, noting the possibility of anti-trans fat legislation south of the border has the potential to further increase demand. “But we need to get the logistics in place to get our production to the world,” he said. Everson said the council is working with government and the rail industry to improve rail transport. “Transportation is a challenge for us this year, and particularly in terms of having rail cars in order to be able to move product, it has an impact on opportunities to sell,” he said. In the meantime, other countries are stepping in to fill the global demand. “Australia for example is going to capitalize on our lack of ability to get it there,” Jamieson said, adding that while demand isn’t going to dry up, the inability of Canadian producers to meet it will hurt Canada’s brand. “We’re losing credibility with some of our international cus-

tomers because we just can’t capitalize on the opportunity,” he said. The council is optimistic international buyers will continue to look to Canada. “We hope it doesn’t have a large impact on reputation, but any time you are reduced in the amount you can ship, that’s a potential problem,” Everson said. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is predicting a record 16.8 million acres of canola will be planted this spring, following on the heels of a record yield of 15.48 million tonnes in 2013. In order to meet its goal of 26 million tonnes, the council is now looking to increase yields to 52 bushels per acre, up from this year’s record-breaking average of 40 bushels per acre. “We are confident that we have a target that we can reach,” Everson said. “But you can see that one of the issues that is going to have to be addressed successfully to achieve that, is ensuring that we can predictably get the product to market.” shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

Federal government invests $3.4 million in farm safety The funds will help the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association support education of farmers

Alberta farmers turn in nearly 36 tonnes of obsolete pesticides

lberta farmers turned in 35,800 kilograms of obsolete or unwanted pesticides for safe disposal in 2013. The obsolete pesticide collection program — part of a two-year initiative — took place at three ag retail locations in the Peace Region and 16 ag retail locations in the central region in October. “Alberta farmers are some of the very best stewards of the land and their participation in this program certainly demonstrates that,” says Barry Friesen, general manager of CleanFARMS, which operates the program. Since the first Alberta collection campaign in 2002,

more than 305,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides have been turned in by farmers. After collection, pesticides are taken to a licensed waste management facility and undergo high-temperature incineration. The obsolete pesticide collection program generally comes to each region of Alberta every three years at no cost to farmers. In between collections, farmers are asked to safely store their unwanted pesticides until they can properly dispose of them through the program. CleanFARMS is a national industry-led agricultural waste stewardship organization. For more information, visit www.cleanfarms.ca.

Feel the

A five-year $3.4-million investment through Growing Forward 2 will enable CASA’s staff to continue ongoing farm safety education and extend the reach of the Canada FarmSafe Plan to more farms across the country.

Rush

BY LORRAINE STEVENSON STAFF

federal investment of $3.4 million over five years in the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) will fund more farm safety training and monitoring progress towards safer farms. The funds support CASA efforts to implement the Canada FarmSafe Plan as well as initiatives such as annual national agricultural safety weeks held each March. Federal Minister of State for Social Development Candice Bergen said the funding is through the Fostering Business Development Stream of AgriCompetitiveness — a $114-million program under Growing Forward 2 . “Farm safety is a critical part of risk management for farmers,” Bergen said while speaking to reporters at Greenland Equipment in Carman, Man. “Our government takes farm safety very seriously.” Yet, while the rate of fatalities and injuries is decreasing, Canada cannot have a competitive industry without more improvements to its farm safety record, she said. “In 2012, 25 farming workers lost their lives, and 15 were related to farm equipment,” she said. “Those numbers are too big. And there are many more injuries that affect people’s lives.” CASA, headquartered in Winnipeg, co-ordinates, develops and leads national initiatives to help farmers, their families and workers recognize and manage safety risks. The funds will go towards programs aimed at injury reduction, said executive director Marcel Hacault. The funds will target the country’s ongoing agricultural surveillance program, the Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting (CAIR), which is tracking

Minister of State for Social Development Candice Bergen on behalf of federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced a five-year funding commitment to farm safety. Marcel Hacault CASA executive director said the funds will help extend the reach of the Canada FarmSafe Plan among other farm safety education initiatives. PHOTOS: LORRAINE STEVENSON trends in where injuries occur and where farm safety education needs focus, he said. Also to continue is a major initiative towards farm safety education of rural youth through Progressive Agricultural Safety Days. Since 2002 the program has reached over 69,000 children and other participants. CASA will also be able to put the Canada FarmSafe Plan in front of more farmers, he said. The business risk-management tool helps farmers write and implement health and safety plans for their operations. Farmers and students in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia have been introduced to the plan and farmers are using components of the plan to identify hazards on their farms, Hacault said. But the last Farm Credit Canada survey on uptake of the plan shows there’s still a long way to go. It showed while most Canadian farmers (85 per

cent) flag safety as their priority, only nine per cent actually had a written safety plan. Another survey this year will determine if those numbers are changing, Hacault said. “That is the million-dollar question,” he said. The theme for the upcoming farm safety week March 9 to 15 is ‘Let’s Talk about It’ and will feature producers’ stories about both experienced injuries they’ve experienced as well as things done to prevent them. “We’ve also developed resources for farmers that will help them conduct safety meetings and explore topics like talking to your kids about safety or overcoming language and cultural barriers with migrant workers,” Hacault said. “The idea is to get people talking about farm safety as a first step towards a safer, more successful farm.” lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

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Analysis: U.S. crop acreage guessing game gets underway USDA planting estimates are often well off the mark, but still serve as indicator of developing trends BY GAVIN MAGUIRE REUTERS

he U.S. Department of Agriculture has kicked off the U.S. spring crop acreage guessing game with the release of its baseline projections for U.S. row-crop production. While the baseline projections are not an official USDA forecast, they mark the first of a series of high-profile estimates of cropplanted area that traditionally dominate market chatter until early summer. Another major estimate was to be presented at the annual USDA Outlook Forum. The problem with such assessments is that they are nearly always wrong and misleading, as actual planted area totals will remain unknowable until planting is completed in late spring. Even then totals will be tough to assess accurately due to discrepancies in reporting deadlines and accounting techniques. Nonetheless, given the importance of planted area in determining overall production potential, heated debates over area footprints will likely emerge as the chief pastime of grain and oilseed traders for the next several months, or at least until yield estimating takes over that mantle in the summer.

Off the mark

While a slew of private forecasters using sophisticated technology and methodologies have gained in prominence in recent years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture continues to be the main tone-setter in terms of market expectations when it comes to area estimates, chiefly because the government’s enormous scope and resources offer it unmatched potential for accuracy. Even so, most of the USDA’s highest-profile area estimates have missed the final assessed acreage tally, usually by millions of acres. Of all the major USDA area estimates, corn is usually the one that is furthest from the final total, while the USDA Outlook Forum estimates fare only slightly better.

Of all the major USDA area estimates, corn is usually the one that is furthest from the final total. The estimate with the strongest track record has been the Prospective Plantings report released in March, though even these estimates were close to two million acres above the final total last year and 1.3 million too low the year before. All together, since the 2008-09 crop year the USDA has tended to overstate corn-planted area in its major estimates reports (versus the final actual acreage total), even with the large misses to the downside seen in 2012-13 when quickly rising corn prices spurred farmers to plant a much larger area to corn than had been anticipated. In soybeans, the USDA has understated actual soybean plantings in four of the past six years in its major area estimate releases. Again, the baseline estimates have proved to be further off the mark, while the

March intentions report has tended to be a little closer to the final total. Still, over the last three years the USDA March intentions report has missed the actual soybean-planted area total by an average of more than 2.4 million acres, revealing a persistent weakness in USDA earlyseason soy area estimates.

Thankless task?

While the consistent inaccuracy of the USDA’s area estimates may suggest that such estimations are somewhat pointless, there would be an uproar among traders, producers and crop consumers should they disappear as many rely on the agency’s estimates as a starting point for area assumptions. Further, USDA presents its estimates as mere guidelines rather than absolute statistics. The trading community fully expects each

estimate to be adjusted over time as greater clarity over actual sowings becomes available. In addition, while the actual area estimates that the USDA releases in the coming months can again be expected to be different to the final number, it is the direction and degree of the adjustments from that point onward that provides the real insight sought after by market participants. The 2012-13 jump in corn acres is a case in point, with the USDA’s earliest estimate in the baseline report almost two million acres lower than the March intentions release issued roughly six weeks later. This sharp upward revision to corn acreage projections provided a useful and accurate gauge on farmer behaviour and intentions even before the planting season had gotten underway.

E C N A FORM

S L A E R H E IG C

PER

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

Similarly, the USDA accurately signposted the climb in soy area last year when it upwardly revised projected plantings between its baseline release in mid-February and its Outlook Forum estimate a mere two weeks later, once again appropriately setting expectations before a single seed had been sown. So while acreage estimations may indeed seem to be a frivolous and pointless exercise at this juncture — and can be nearly guaranteed to differ from the actual totals — they provide useful and irresistible signposts that will play a critical role in helping market players make informed projections on crop availability come harvest. Gavin Maguire is a Reuters market analyst. The opinions expressed are his own.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

Senate hearing gets an earful about bees Some producer groups want access to imported replacements from the U.S. BY ALEX BINKLEY AF CONTRIBUTOR

anadian beekeepers need access to imported U.S. bees to help replace losses due to pesticides, overwintering stress, disease and parasites, beekeeping associations told the Senate agriculture committee recently. Allan Campbell, president of Manitoba Beekeepers’ Association, said the number of bee colonies in the province had dropped to 73,000 from 85,000 a few years before high winter losses set in. The loss of colonies has knocked about 100 beekeepers from the business even though honey prices are higher. “Canada’s honey exports are down 7.4 per cent and the value of bee imports into Canada has increased from $2 million annually to nearly $7 million. “This last winter, we lost 46 per cent of our bees,” he said. “We are in dire need in Manitoba, and we asked the government for an immediate end to the embargo on U.S. packaged bees. We are asking to be allowed to give the American

packaged bee industry the chance to be measured against a health standard equal to the health level of the Canadian bee industry. “In Canada, we simply do not have the climate to produce enough new bees early enough in the year. Replacement hives are needed in April to give them time to grow strong for our nectar flow,” he said.

Weak colonies

Beekeepers are trying to overwinter weak bee colonies when it would be better to leave some hives empty for the winter and let the cold kill off mites and bacteria before restocking in the spring, he added. Canadian beekeepers “are expected to maintain our numbers by keeping these beehives fully stocked year round, without a chance to place the equipment into cold storage, thereby breaking the pest cycle. With these hives in use by bees 365 days a year, they are also housing nosema spores, small hive beetle and varroa mites year round.” Beekeepers should be able to import “packaged bees that were treated for mites chemically before they were in our equipment.

We would cut chemical residues from our hives, at the same time eliminating the risk of our miticide acting in synergy with neonicotinoids and other ag pesticides and overdosing our bees. We must get off the chemical treadmill.” The CFIA’s ban on imported American bees hasn’t prevented the introduction of mites and diseases into Canada, he said. Jake Berg, president of the Saskatchewan Beekeepers’ Association, ranked disease control and pesticide poisoning as the biggest challenges facing the industry. Both cause large risks to honeybees, beekeepers and the rest of agriculture. The varroa mite is the leading culprit because it has developed a resistance to the most common insecticides. However, he urged caution in allowing bee imports into Canada that will just bring new problems for beekeepers.

Pesticides

To mitigate damage to beehives from pesticides applied to field

crops, farm and industry groups in Saskatchewan have developed a program called Driftwatch “to identify areas that need special care, to avoid bee damage and eventually other sensitive crops.” “We do not expect that implementing of this program will resolve all the pesticide incidences, but we hope it is a step in the right direction.” Kevin Nixon, a director of Alberta Beekeepers Commission, noted that a large number of hives from northern Alberta are moved to British Columbia for the winter to improve their odds of winter survival. Imported bees, covered by clearly written protocols, “could provide Canadian beekeepers with an attractive option for bee replacement,” he said. “Currently, we have been getting bees from New Zealand and Australia,

and you can have too many eggs in one basket. Accessing bees from the U.S. may not be a fix but it may create another option for beekeepers.” The bee industry across Canada had a rough year during 2013 mostly related to the weather, he said. In Alberta, pesticides aren’t nearly the problem that varroa mites and a parasitic infection called nosema cause. “Another important factor is bee nutrition,” he said, noting intensive farming and loss of pollinator habitat is limiting bees’ diet. “When we are all well nourished, we are healthier. It’s the same for the bees.” The CFIA needs to recognize that “regions within Canada are different and need to access packaged bees specifically from the U.S. so we have replacement stock to rebuild our beehives. Of course, this would be under protocols to ensure we are importing healthy bees.”

Ag Growth International ties brands together STAFF

rain growers and livestock producers looking for new equipment from the Ag Growth International (AGI) group of manufacturers can expect to look for new logos.

Winnipeg-based AGI on Jan. 9 announced a “rebrand initiative” in which the company’s grain- and livestock-handling equipment and grain storage brands — Batco, Westfield, Wheatheart, Hi Roller, Union Iron, HSI, Tramco, Twister, Grain Guard, Airlanco, Mepu and Applegate — will

now sport the same font and AGI’s “rolling hills” insignia. “The creation of a more unified brand family enables our customers, employees and stakeholders to identify AGI and all of its brands as part of a portfolio of products that work together to provide customer solu-

tions within grain handling, storage and conditioning,” AGI CEO Gary Anderson said in a release. The rebranding will appear on equipment decals and promotional materials, but each product line will keep its current paint and colour schemes.

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MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

WORKING AUSSIE DOGS Though very different in appearance, both these dogs are considered efficient herders. The Australian kelpie (l) is an intense dog, used on sheep and cattle. While it may look like it has kangaroo in its blood, it is believed to have dingo in its lineage. The Australian shepherd (r) is a loose-eyed working dog, that came to North America with sheep herders from Down Under. Today, there are two distinct types: show kelpies and Australian shepherds, and working lines that pay more attention to working ability than appearance. These two were romping around in a field, west of Priddis, Alta. PHOTO: WENDY DUDLEY

Economist predicts higher grain prices coming soon

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ot every economist is bearish about nearby grain prices. Texas-based market analyst Don Reynolds predicts wheat, corn and soybeans will hit (in U.S. dollars) $7.25, $5.50 and $16 a bushel by year’s end. “It’s the old story of the middle class drives the ag market,” Reynolds told the CropConnect Conference in Winnipeg Feb. 19. Reynolds’s positive forecast caused a small stir in the audience. World grain prices have slumped in recent months following bigger crops around the world. Western Canadian values have fallen even more as elevator companies widen their basis to discourage deliveries to a plugged grain-handling system. Still, Reynolds said the world’s middle class continues to grow and is looking for a better diet. Canadian agricultural economists are less sanguine. Most predict the backlog in grain exports following last year’s record-size crop, won’t be cleared until 2015, assuming average crop production this year. Reynolds also said livestock prices have “upside” potential. However, the recent decline in grain prices will slow the rise in farmland prices, he predicted. “It may take a year or two to develop,” Reynolds said. “I would not be a buyer of ag land at this point in time.”

allan@fbcpublishing.com

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

Choosing a commodity futures broker A broker can help with marketing commodities which have a futures market Agri-News

arm managers who wish to expand their pricing alternatives by having direct access to a commodity futures account must use a commodity futures broker. Sometimes known as a Futures Commission Merchant or FCM, a broker can be a valuable asset to the farm manager. For those commodities with a futures market, a brokerage account enhances the flexibility of a marketing plan, enabling the producer to more easily separate the delivery decision from the pricing decision. “There are several considerations in choosing a broker,” says Neil Blue, market specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “First of all, decide on what kind of service you need. Full-service brokers can provide market information and guidance, both verbally and via market reports. Discount brokers just enter the orders and report results as instructed, while providing limited or no market information. “The financial requirement of a brokerage firm is another consideration. Some firms require a minimum of $10,000 to open an account and other firms will open a hedge account with a few hundred dollars. Access to a bank line of credit may need to be established to manage the account. Also, a minimum income or net worth may be a requirement. “However, brokerage firms are usually less restrictive in their requirements of clients who plan to use their account for hedging purposes. That is because a hedge implies that the physical commodity value provides financial backing to the futures hedge.”

suggest speculative trading to a client whose intention is to strictly hedge. “From the aspect of client protection, brokers operating in Alberta must be registered with either the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada or the Alberta Securities Commission, depending on whether they are working as a broker directly for a large firm, or as an introducing broker (IB) for an affiliated brokerage firm. These registrations provide assurance that accounting and procedural standards are met and that the firm is financially secure.”

Afternoons after most markets are closed is a good time to talk to brokers, and ask questions about their firm’s financial requirements. photo: thinkstock

Shop around

It’s a good idea to interview several brokers by phone before choosing a brokerage firm and a broker. Afternoons after most markets are closed is a good time to talk to brokers, and ask questions about their firm’s financial requirements of a client, services provided and commissions charged. Commissions are not usually a large factor since, with a hedging program, few trades are likely to be made in a year. However, some firms charge commission both on entry into a trade and exit from a trade instead of just when the trade is closed. If this firm also has a minimum commission policy, brokerage costs can become more significant to the client hedger, who may want to scale in a hedge with only one contract each trade. You may be able to negotiate that the commission is charged only upon exiting futures positions, or that minimum commissions are not applied to your account. “A broker should have an understanding of farming and of the factors that affect prices of the commodities that you are likely to be dealing with,” advises Blue. “The broker should make you, the client, feel comfortable in conversation, and not be overwhelming or overbearing. They should not

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MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

El Niño threatens to return, hit global food production The phenomenon that causes floods in some places and droughts in others isn’t all bad By Lewa Pardomuan singapore / reuters

he El Niño weather pattern that can trigger drought in some parts of the world while causing flooding in others is increasingly likely to return this year, hitting production of key foods such as rice, wheat and sugar. El Niño — the Spanish word for boy — is a warming of seasurface temperatures in the Pacific that occurs every four to 12 years. The worst on record in the late 1990s killed more than 2,000 people and caused billions of dollars in damage. A strong El Niño can wither The spectre of El Niño has driven global cocoa prices to 2-1/2-year peaks crops in Australia, Southeast this month on fears that dry weather in the key growing regions of Africa Asia, India and Africa when T:8.125” and Asia would stoke a global deficit. PHOTo: thinkstock other parts of the globe such as

the U.S. Midwest and Brazil are drenched in rains. While scientists are still debating the intensity of a potential El Niño, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology and the U.S. Climate Prediction Center have warned of increased chances one will strike this year. Last month, the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization said there was an “enhanced possibility” of a weak El Niño by the middle of 2014. “The world is bracing for El Niño, which if confirmed, could wreak havoc on supply and cause prices of some commodities to shoot up,” said Vanessa Tan, investment analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore. Any disruption to supply would come as many crops have already been hit by adverse

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weather, with the Northern Hemisphere in the grip of a savage winter. The spectre of El Niño has driven global cocoa prices to 2-1/2-year peaks this month on fears that dry weather in the key growing regions of Africa and Asia would stoke a global deficit. Other agricultural commodities could follow that lead higher if El Niño conditions are confirmed.

Bad boy

T:10”

“Production estimates for several crops which are already under stress will have to be revised downwards,” said Phillip Futures’ Tan. “Wheat in Australia may be affected by El Niño and also sugar in India.” In India, the world’s No. 2 producer of sugar, rice and wheat, a strong El Niño could reduce the monsoon rains that are key to its agriculture, curbing production. “If a strong El Niño occurs during the second half of the monsoon season, then it could adversely impact the production size of summer crops,” said Sudhir Panwar, president of farmers’ lobby group Kishan Jagriti Manch. El Niño in 2009 turned India’s monsoon patchy, leading to the worst drought in nearly four decades and helping push global sugar prices to their highest in nearly 30 years. Elsewhere in Asia, which grows more than 90 per cent of the world’s rice and is its main producer of coffee and corn, a drought-inducing El Niño could hit crops in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and China. In North America, crops in the U.S. Pacific Northwest could suffer as El Niño tends to cause rain to the area, with the major white wheat region already abnormally dry. But El Niño doesn’t spell bad news for all farmers. It could bring rain to drought-hit California’s dairy farms and vineyards. “El Niño has a bad connotation, undeservedly so in the U.S.,” said Harry Hillaker, state climatologist in Iowa. “Given the water supply issues they are having in California, more rain would be helpful.” And in Central America, while dryness associated with El Niño would curb coffee production, it would also help drive back the leaf rust that has blighted crops in the region.

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Chinese GMO corn crucial for food security, says expert China has yet to authorize GMO corn varieties for commercial production beijing / reuters

hina will need to plant genetically modified corn if it is to cope with the growing challenge of food security, said a leading biotech scientist, even as the country continues to reject imports of GMO corn from the United States. China’s rapid urbanization and rising wealth has triggered a rapid growth in demand for food and feed, and despite annual increases in crop yields, food security remains one of the government’s top concerns. However, China has so far refused to allow planting of major GMO food crops over public concern around the safety of the technology.

China’s rapid urbanization and rising wealth has triggered a rapid growth in demand for food and feed. Despite investing billions of yuan in research over 20 years and granting safety certificates for its first genetically modified corn and rice in 2009, China has still not authorized their commercial production, with papaya the only GMO food allowed to be grown in the country. Demand for corn, used widely in food, feed and processed products, is set to outstrip domestic supply, making adoption of GMO technology more pressing, said Huang Dafang, professor at the Biotechnology Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), and formerly on the biosafety committee at the Ministry of Agriculture. “Corn is currently the genetically modified crop we most urgently need to develop,” he said. While acknowledging that corn imports are “inevitable” for China in the long run, Huang added that they should not be allowed to reach the level currently seen with soybeans. About 80 per cent of China’s soybeans are imported. “We need to speed up development (of GMO corn) and we look forward to faster development,” he said.

China is already the world’s third-largest corn buyer, importing more than three million tonnes in 2013. However, its imports were expected to be higher before Beijing rejected more than 600,000 tonnes of corn from the United States containing Syngenta’s genetically modified MIR 162 strain. Huang said he was not aware of the specific details of this case, but stressed that Beijing’s sup-

port for GMO technology had not changed. If anything, the leadership was showing more “clearcut” support for GMOs, he said. “Because the government believes that technology is needed to resolve the food security problem and promote sustainable development of agriculture, they are making their position known, and this is leading to a change in the direction of public opinion,” he added.

The next step is for the government to demonstrate its food security strategy by pushing forward commercialization, he continued. “Promoting commercialization, I believe is currently more important than anything else because if you just talk about research and don’t promote commercialization, you cannot go further with research, and you also can’t make the public really believe that this is necessary.”

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NEWS Institutional investors grow influence on U.S. farmland By Carey Gillam / Reuters

Institutional investors are buying up U.S. farmland at a rapid rate, and their influence is starting to shift the types of crops grown and the way the land is managed, according to a report issued Feb. 18. There is an estimated $10 billion in institutional capital looking to acquire U.S. farmland, and over the next 20 years, as the

current generation of farmers retires, an estimated 400 million acres will change hands, according to the report issued by The Oakland Institute, a Calforniabased think-tank with a focus on agriculture. “Driven by everything from rising food prices to growing demand for biofuel, the financial sector is taking an interest in farmland as never before,” said the report, which analyzed property records and other county and local property data, and other public records. The report cited several “case studies” and says that the insti-

tutional investment influence in some situations alters decisions about which crops to plant, land management and labour practices. The report acknowledged that individual farmers are still the biggest buyers of U.S. farmland, and says the trend of institutional ownership of farmland is still too new to draw general conclusions about its impacts. But the report said it is “crucial” for policy-makers to monitor the trend and “help ensure that farmers, and not absentee investors, are the future of our food system.”

The report cited three groups as being particularly influential so far in acquisitions of U.S. farmland: The Teachers Insurance and Annuity AssociationCollege Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF), one of the largest pension funds in the world; Hancock Agricultural Investment Group (HAIG), part of the Hancock Natural Resource Group, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Manulife Financial Corp.; and UBS Agrivest, also known as UBS Global Real Estate-Farmland and a part of the Swiss-based UBS financial services company.

The Canadian International Grains Institute is moving Executive director Earl Geddes says it needs more space By Allan Dawson staff

he Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) will move to new digs in the not-so-distant future, but it will remain in Winnipeg, its executive director says. The not-for-profit agency created in 1972 to promote Canadian field crops worldwide, has outgrown its digs at 303 Main St., which is also headquarters for the Canadian Grain Commission, Earl Geddes said at the CropConnect Conference in Winnipeg Feb. 19. “The goal is more than refurbishing, it’s repositioning,” Geddes said in an interview later. “We simply just can’t find (more) space in the building we are now in to do the work we want to do, so then you start sending pieces out and away.” More details will be announced in March, but Cigi won’t be leaving the city that’s been its home for the past 42 years, Geddes said. The City of Saskatoon invited Cigi to move there two years ago just as the federal government was preparing to end the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly. Many feared Winnipeg might lose its position as the centre of Canada’s grain sector. Until the farmer-funded Canadian Wheat Board’s demise, it provided around 40 per cent of Cigi’s funding and the federal government covered the rest. During the last fiscal year that ended March 31, 2013, Ottawa provided about two-thirds of Cigi’s income, while farmers, through a 15-cent-a-tonne checkoff, contributed a third. In a response to a question from Dave Sefton, chair of the Western Grains Research Foundation, Geddes said he sees grain companies eventually supporting its work. “I do know there will be a significant investment by the industry to Cigi to refurbish our facility,” Geddes said. “And I can’t go much further than that right now.” “I need to get through my (Cigi) board meeting the 28th of March and at the end of that I think you’ll see the whole piece come out on how you’re going to raise the funds to do what the industry really needs Cigi to do to be able to continue to provide the service,” he said later in an interview. When Cigi works exclusively with a grain company on a project now, the company pays for it, Geddes said. When the wheat board was helping fund Cigi, farmers captured the benefits, at least from wheat and barley exports, because the board was the only seller. Farmers still benefit when grain sales are made, but so do grain companies. And that’s prompting questions about who should pay for Cigi. “Farmers, at times, are getting tired of paying the bill,” Sefton said. Cigi sends technical delegations around the globe promoting Canadian crops. It also trains foreign millers, bakers and food processors at its Winnipeg facility, which has a pilot flour mill, bakery as well as extrusion and analytical equipment. allan@fbcpublishing.com

MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Pain control deadline looms large By 2016, pain control must be used when castrating and dehorning, but the list of available drugs is short By Daniel Winters staff / brandon, man.

n cowboy lore, a painkiller used to mean a swig of whiskey and a lead bullet to bite. But in just 22 months, ranchers will be obligated to provide more modern means of pain relief than that when castrating bulls older than nine month. By 2018, that age limit drops to six months under the newly updated beef industry code of practice that was introduced last year. Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot of solutions in the doctoring bag, according to two veterinarians who participated in a panel discussion on the science behind the code at the recent Manitoba Beef Producers annual meeting. “That’s a dilemma. I was a little concerned when the code came out with timelines, because we have limited products available,” said Dr. Joyce Donkersgoed, who specializes in feedlot medicine. Currently, the list of available painkillers is limited to Tylenol-like analgesics such as Metacam and Banamine, and local anesthetics such as Lidocaine that resemble the drugs used in dentistry. None of them are legally available over the counter from vet clinics. In her practice, Donkersgoed prefers Metacam, but it requires a 20-day withdrawal period prior to slaughter, and it costs $20 per dose. “We need the pharmaceutical industry to step up. It’s one thing to tell us to do it, but another when you don’t have the products available to do what you need to do,” she said.

Catching up

Dr. John Campbell, a professor from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, said that the beef industry needs

to catch up to the dairy industry, which has taken significant strides in pain relief mainly due to the fact that most Holstein calves are born with horns that need to be removed. “It’s important to understand that the animal welfare people and the public don’t see the difference between a dairy calf and a beef calf,” said Campbell. In a dairy environment, administering pain relief to calves is simple. But on a large beef ranch that hasn’t incorporated polled genetics, the process can be daunting. “Dairy calves, for one thing, are used to people. They are hand fed and handled more,” he added. Analgesics such as Metacam and Banamine provide longer-lasting pain relief, but Banamine must be applied intravenously, and hitting a vein buried under fur on a struggling animal is often difficult even for trained vets, said Donkersgoed. Instead of specifically requiring either an anesthetic or analgesic, the new code offers some leeway with its requirement for “pain control.” “That was purposeful. You can either give an anesthetic to cover the pain while you’re doing the procedure, or you can give an analgesic that will help with the pain afterwards,” said Campbell. For dehorning beef calves on a tipping table, Campbell applies a Lidocaine “block” once the animal is restrained, then does vaccinations while he waits for the drug to kick in. “Maybe it’s 35 seconds or a minute at the most to wait,” he said. “I would say 95 per cent of them don’t struggle at all. They don’t feel any pain.” Campbell noted there are some issues with dispensing the drug — which is commonly used to dilute illicit cocaine — to the general public. Another issue is the fact that it wears off

in a few hours. Ideally, he said, both a local anesthetic and an analgesic that lasts 24 to 48 hours would be used, but the code only requires that one be used. “Unfortunately, we don’t have great, practical anesthetic methods for castration,” said Campbell.

Calves

Using rubber bands to castrate newborn calves is recommended in the code, but that method may cause the majority of the pain to simply be delayed for up to three weeks, and there are no medications that last that long. On the bright side, new painkillers are under development, such as an oral Metacam that could be administered via a rumen bolus, alternative castration-via-injection drugs that last several weeks, and a topical local anesthetic gel that could be rubbed onto a calf’s scrotum immediately before the castration incision. Ryder Lee, a manager with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association based in Ottawa, said that changes to the way beef cattle are treated are necessary in order to preserve the industry’s “social licence” in the eyes of the public and policy-makers. The ban on horse slaughter in the United States is just one case where a small but vocal minority wielding emotional arguments prevailed over common sense, he said, but the persecution of tobacco smokers over the past two decades is the best illustration of what can happen when public opinion turns against a formerly common and acceptable practice. “Heck, now some places won’t even let you smoke outside, in your own car, or even in your own home,” said Lee. “The social licence of smoking has tipped completely the other way.”

daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

Dr. John Campbell explains the science behind the newly updated beef code at the recent Manitoba Beef Producers annual general meeting. photos: Daniel Winters

Ryder Lee explains how the new beef code helps to preserve the industry’s “social licence” at the recent Manitoba Beef Producers AGM.

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AgCan sees less wheat, more canola

AARD 2014 information catalogue

Canadian farmers will likely plant less wheat and more canola this year, and harvests of both will fall short of last year’s record-smashing levels as yields return to normal, Agriculture and AgriFood Canada said Feb. 18. It forecast plantings of 24.7 million acres of all-wheat in 2014-15, down six per cent. It said farmers may plant 21.6 million acres of canola, up eight per cent from a year earlier. It expects canola stocks at July 31, 2014 to be five times higher than a year earlier, at 3.3 million tonnes, and wheat stocks to more than double to 11.8 million tonnes. — Reuters

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s information catalogue lists over 600 free and priced books, DVD videos and CD-ROMs that are distributed through the department’s publications office. Topics range from new ventures to crop and livestock production, to agri-tourism and more. The catalogue also lists web-based materials including decisionmaking tools such as a fertilizer information and recommendation manager (AFFIRM) and the barley silage calculator, as well as online videos. For a copy phone toll free 1-800292-5697 or email publications.office@gov.ab.ca.

HEARTLAND Fertilization destabilizes global grassland ecosystems Adding nutrients — either intentionally or unintentionally — reduces species diversity including Andy Hector at Oxford University’s department of plant sciences. The findings were published on February 16 in the new study led by University journal Nature. of Minnesota researchers The researchers found that plant demonstrates that fertiliza- diversity in natural ecosystems tion of natural grasslands — either creates more stable ecosystems intentionally or unintentionally over time because of less synas a side-effect of global farming chronized growth of plants. “This and industry — is having a desta- is sometimes called the portfolio bilizing effect on global grassland effect,” says Seabloom. “If you ecosystems. Using a network of have money in two investments natural grassland research sites and they’re both stocks, they’re around the world called the Nutri- going to track each other, but if ent Network, the study represents one is a stock and one is a bond, the first time such a large experi- they’re going to respond difment has been conducted using ferently to the overall economy naturally occurring sites. and are more likely to balance Led by Yann Hautier, a Marie each other.” Curie Fellow associated with The researchers collected both the department of ecology, plants from each of the sites, then evolution and behaviour at the sorted, dried and weighed them University of Minnesota and the to monitor the number of speInstitute of Evolutionary Biology cies of plants and total amount and Environmental Studies at the of plants, or “biomass,” grown University of Zurich, the research over time. team included associate profesThey used this information to sors, Eric Seabloom and Elizabeth quantify species diversity and Borer, and research scientist Eric ecosystem stability. Lind, along with scientists 10/14/11 from “The of 1our study SEC-AUST11-T_AFEx.qxd 12:49results PM Page institutions around the world emphasize that we need to conUniversity of Minnesota release

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Researchers found that even nitrogen coming from man-made sources through rainfall can change natural diversity. PHOTo: thinkstock sider not just how productive ecosystems are but also how stable they are in the long term, and how biodiversity is related to both aspects of ecosystem functioning,” says Andy Hector. The researchers also found that grassland diversity and stability are reduced when fertilizer is added.

Fertilizer addition is also occurring unintentionally in many places around the world because nitrogen is released into the atmosphere from farming, industry, and burning fossil fuels. Rainfall brings nitrogen out of the atmosphere and onto grasslands, changing the growth and types of plant species. This

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study placed measured amounts of fertilizer on a portion of their research sites and measured the changes that ensued. “What we find is that the stabilizing effect (of species diversity) is lost, and we have less stable ecosystems when we have more nutrients coming into that system,” says Borer.

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MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Poultry producers urged to use new guide to create emergency plan

U.S., Canada harmonizing names of meat cuts The harmonized names should help reduce costs By Commodity News Service Canada

By Alberta Farm Animal Care

arns collapsing under the weight of heavy snow. Electrical power zapped by storms. Floods or water supplies threatened by drought. Alberta poultry producers understand how devastating any of these could be, but many still need an effective disaster and business continuity plan to deal with them. But a new guide provides poultry producers with a go-to reference of non-disease-related disaster response resources available in Alberta and pertinent information from around the world. The guide is designed as a framework, says Angela Greter, program manager with Alberta Farm Animal Care, which supported development of the Alberta Poultry Industry Emergency Response Planning and Resource Guide for Producers. “It’s a set of recommendations for producers to help them develop disaster response plans for their farms,” said Greter. “There are also suggestions for how the industry can help its producers to do that.” As with any business plan, the goal is to have something robust enough to do the job, but not so complicated that it doesn’t get developed or used. “What really matters is that the producers recognize the value of creating a disaster response plan,” she said. “We know producers are busy people. This tool has been created as a resource guide that they can approach in a systematic way and build their own plan from there.” Producers already have a good handle on how to deal with disease-related emergencies, but aren’t as well prepared for other types, said Trevor Rouillard, an emergency preparedness specialist hired to develop the guide. The poultry project began with a fact-finding mission to investigate resources already available to Alberta producers, and then examined approaches used elsewhere in Canada, as well as the U.S., U.K., Australia and New Zealand, he said. “We wanted to produce a user-friendly guide that would provide producers with the architecture for developing their own plan,” said Rouillard. “This guide provides the resources and structure to do that.” The guide is available on the ‘Poultry Producers’ page of the Alberta Farm Animal Care website, www.afac.ab.ca.

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anada and the U.S. have agreed on harmonized terminology for wholesale cuts of meat, said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Feb. 24. The usage of common terms will reportedly benefit the industry through reducing costs of maintaining separate inventories, easing trade and reducing red tape and regulatory burden, said the release. As of Feb. 24, 2014, selected meat cut names including chicken breast fillets, beef hip and lamb leg and chops can be used interchangeably with their U.S. equivalent.

The full list of eligible names that can be used interchangeably with the U.S. equivalent are listed in the CFIA’s Meat Cuts Manual and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications document. The CFIA’s current Meat Cuts Manual remains in effect and must be used for all other meat names when certifying and verifying these names for wholesale trade purposes. “Our government recognizes that the North American livestock industry is based on the integration of Canadian and U.S. sectors and this initiative will render benefits for stakeholders on both sides of the border,” said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz in the news release.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

Brazil’s Coffee Belt grapples with rare threat: dry heat An unexpected heat wave has thrust many of Brazil’s coffee farmers into the unknown BY REESE EWING

ESPIRITO SANTO DO PINHAL BRAZIL / REUTERS

n Brazil’s Coffee Belt, frost has long been the biggest risk for farmers and commodities traders alike. But after years of migrating to warmer regions, farmers here now find themselves scrambling to overcome an unusual phenomenon: blistering heat. January was the hottest and driest month on record in much of southeastern Brazil, punishing crops in the country’s agricultural heartland and sending commodities prices sharply higher in global markets. As signs emerged that the world’s largest coffee crop was withering, futures prices shot up 26 per cent over a seven-day stretch to a nine-month high. The heat wave has thrust many Brazilian coffee farmers into the unknown. January, typically the wettest month for the Coffee Belt, caught most farmers off guard, leaving them with few options but to count their losses. A few, such as Marcio Diogo, a third-generation coffee farmer in Espirito Santo do Pinhal in Sao Paulo state, are scrambling to install irrigation lines to limit those losses, which may have reached 30 per cent of output on his 75-hectare (185.2-acre) farm, according to his count. “My grandfather started here 80 years ago... never seen a January like this,” Diogo said walking through a field of 25,000 freshly planted coffee trees that he ordered six months ago. “I’ve had to water this field six times by tractor,” he went on, something he normally doesn’t have to do. The drought couldn’t come at a worse time for Diogo and other farmers, who have struggled with weak global coffee prices over the past two years. It’s still unclear whether the recent spike in prices, in part driven by Brazil’s drought, will eventually offset the loss in output from the dry weather. Celso Scanavachi, an agronomist at the local coffee co-operative Coopinhal, said farms in the region got only 10-12 centimetres (3.9-4.7 inches) of rainfall in January, less than half the month’s average precipitation. Espirito Santo do Pinhal, nestled along the border between two of Brazil’s biggest arabicagrowing states, Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo, is not alone. Two hours to the north in southern Minas Gerais, which produces 25 per cent of Brazil’s coffee crop, between 4.5 and 8.6 centimetres of rainfall fell last month, when 26.5-30.1 centimetres are average. No doubt, 2014 will go down as the worst drought in recent history in Brazil’s Coffee Belt. The impact, however, is still hard to gauge. The government estimated the crop at up to 50 million 60-kg bags before the drought, while market estimates put it at 60 million bags. Future estimates will likely fall for several months as analysts and farmers get a more precise understanding of the damage.

“It’s clear there will be losses but nobody knows yet how big because this has never happened. We are in uncharted territory,” Lucio Dias said, a grower and sales director at Cooxupé, Brazil’s biggest coffee co-operative. Whatever the damage, the world is unlikely to run out of coffee any time soon, thanks to the large stockpiles of beans amassed in recent years. Accurately estimating the losses to the entire crop in Brazil, the world’s main supplier of natural — or sunpatio-cured — arabicas, is a monumental task fraught with complexity. Overseeing a crew installing an irrigation line to a slope of three-

year-old trees that are particularly at risk to dry weather due to their less developed roots and foliage, Diogo surveyed the young trees deceptively full of coffee fruit. He reached down and stripped a bowlful of unripe coffee fruit and cut cross-sections through several of the fruit with his pocket knife showing voids inside where pale-green beans would normally be forming if there had been rain. After testing coffee fruit on several trees of varying ages, Diogo estimated that he would harvest less than 40 bags a hectare this year, if he’s lucky, and not anywhere close to the 65 bags a hectare he brought in last season.

Reuters Brazilian coffee producer Marcio Diogo adjusts an irrigation system on his farm in Santo Antonio do Jardim February 7, 2014. PHOTO: REUTERS/PAULO WHITAKER

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MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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AgFunder crowd funding for agriculture, launches first deal The online site will also offer up investments in other countries, including Canada BY CAREY GILLAM REUTERS

A Steller’s Jay tosses back a peanut into its bill. Steller’s jays are more commonly sighted on the west side of the Rockies, in B.C. (they are the provincial bird), but occasionally are found on the eastern slopes of Alberta. This one was spotted at a feeder near Millarville, Alta. PHOTO: WENDY DUDLEY

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rowd funding has found the farm. AgFunder, an online platform for agriculture-related companies to seek capital through a form of crowd-sourced fundraising, said Feb. 12 it was launching its first campaign by focusing on a California agricultural data company. Through the online platform, Fresno, California-based OnFarm is looking to raise $400,000 in capital to grow a farm data software service, AgFunder said. The offering is the first to go live on New York City-based AgFunder, which started up late last year and is offering both debt financing and equity offerings for individual and institutional investors to play in the ag space, according to Rob Leclerc, AgFunder co-founder and CEO. The crowd-sourcing strategy got a boost from recent federal legislation that eases securities regulations to encourage funding of small businesses. Leclerc said AgFunder has $1 billion in more than 70 different deals in the pipeline to match with investors who want to gain equity in agricultural-related companies. “It’s an interesting challenge,” he said. Most of the deals, like OnFarm, are U.S. based, but the online site will also be offering up investments in Australia, Canada and South America, said Leclerc, a former partner at SeedRock Capital Group, a venture capital firm focused on natural resources and agriculture. Coming listings include a software company that uses highresolution satellite imagery to analyze crop growth patterns to tailor water and fertilizer use, and a company that has developed a natural barrier system for greenhouse pest control. Institutional and individual investors have increasingly been putting money into agriculture amid forecasts for a steep rise in global population and higher demand for food. And farmers and other agricultural players have been finding they can raise money for expansion and other needs through a variety of crowd-funding platforms.

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Poor rail service blamed for some Canadian mills closing temporarily after running out of grain The transportation crisis is hurting domestic grain customers too, says CNMA president Gordon Harrison BY ALLAN DAWSON STAFF

estern Canada’s grain train backlog is hurting the industry’s Canadian customers too with some millers forced to close due to a lack of supply, the president of the Canadian National Millers Association (CNMA) says. “Prolonged interruptions of up to three to four weeks in wheat and oat delivery by rail to mills have literally forced some mill locations in Canada to cease production,” Gordon Harrison said in an email Feb. 20. “This represents lost running time, lost business for producers and processors, lost wages to employees and potentially lost customers. The economic harm is mounting daily and is potentially irreparable.” Canadian millers are heavily dependent on western Canadian grains. “In the 2012-13 crop year about 78 per cent of all wheat milled in Canada was of western Canadian origin,” Harrison said. Most of the oats processed in North America are grown in Western Canada too. “North American oat processors have been hit particularly hard,” Harrison said. “Rail movement of Canadian oats to U.S. mills has been all but halted entirely, according to CNMA member sources.”

year they also noted shipments were ahead of last year’s pace. That’s not the case now. Shipments are down seven per cent from the same time last year, Sobkowich said. “Seven per cent less is significant,” he added. “People put in orders well in advance, even before we knew how big the crop was, and the railways are under performing relative to those projections even if we’d had a regular-size crop.” Two weeks ago a record 50 ships were waiting for grain at the West Coast — 13 anchored at Prince Rupert and 37 at Vancouver.

Tough talk

Meanwhile, there’s tough talk from Alberta’s Agriculture Minister Verlyn Olson who planned to meet Ritz when he was in Winnipeg to meet with industry officials Feb. 24. Earlier, Olson called on the federal government to fine railways that don’t meet service obligations. Saskatchewan’s economy Minister Bill Boyd also led a delegation to Montreal to meet with the railways. The new Fair Rail Freight Service Act provides for fines, but Olson said the act is inadequate and subject to a lengthy

arbitration process and fines go to the federal government, not farmers or grain companies. North American millers and bakers work on a just-in-time delivery schedule nearly every day of the year — something the railways don’t seem to understand, Harrison said. “Unlike grain importers in offshore markets who have a choice in where they source their grain, North American consumers do not have alternative suppliers of fresh bakery products to turn to.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

Poor rail service has forced some Canadian millers to temporally shut down, says Gordon Harrison, president of the Canadian National Millers Association PHOTO: ALLAN DAWSON

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Moreover, the grain moved to eastern Canadian and American mills is deregulated and doesn’t fall under the revenue entitlement, also known as the revenue cap, which the railways claim is a disincentive to shipping grain. CNMA’s 13 member companies operate 55 wheat and oat mills across Canada, processing about 3.5 million tonnes a year, of which usually two million tonnes are wheat. Moreover, Canadian millers pay premium prices, making them valued customers. Domestic milling demand is consistent one year to the next. The fact the railways are failing to properly service mills shows the problem isn’t just the West’s record crop, said Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association. “We have a 55,000 car shortfall and over half of that is a shortfall to the U.S. and domestic, which is non-regulated corridors,” Sobkowich said. “The fact that millers are having a problem just punctuates the fact that the grain revenue entitlement has nothing to do with this.” Keystone Agricultural Producers president Doug Chorney agrees. The notion that the entitlement is the problem “needs to nipped in the bud.” “They don’t provide good service to anybody,” he said. The railways have blamed last year’s record crop and bad winter weather. Earlier in the crop

12/19/13 11:02 AM

MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

‘Stupid’ sheep often get a bad rap for failed ventures Stress-free approach is key to flock — and shepherd — longevity tation on sheep behaviour hosted by the Manitoba Sheep Association. Many acreage owners who may or may not have any experience with livestock, are seeking some way to turn a few acres of grass into cash, and look to sheep as a small, docile animal that is easily handled and managed. “Easy entry, easy out,” said Schroeder, former chair of the Saskatchewan Sheep Development board and a shepherd for 28 years. On paper at least, the economics look attractive because six ewes can be raised on the same land base as one cow.

By Daniel Winters staff / neepawa, man.

aising sheep is seen by many as the easiest and cheapest way to get started in the livestock business, but anecdotal evidence suggests that most newbie shepherds give up within five years. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not due to poor economics, said Gord Schroeder, member relations manager for the fledgling Canadian Lamb Co-op. “The No. 1 reason people give for getting out of sheep is ‘those stupid sheep,’” he said in a recent presen-

Gord Schroeder PHOTo: Daniel Winters

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“But if you go out and buy 60 sheep, that’s like 10 cows. So how much money are you going to make with 10 cows?” A would-be shepherd who starts off with 50 ewes, for example, and then adds a tractor, baler and handling shed may quickly find that the lamb crop can’t provide cash flow to support his capital outlay, he added. Schroeder places sheep intelligence on par with cattle, but below a pig. A strong herding instinct suggests witless conformity, but if behaviour is an animal’s response to its environment, then the human role in shaping it cannot be ignored.

Sheep psychology

Key to understanding sheep, or horses or cattle for that matter, he adds, is the fact that as prey animals, their eyes are placed far apart on their head. Depth perception, therefore, has been traded off for wide peripheral vision in excess of 270 degrees, and anything unusual or unfamiliar that appears within their field of vision triggers the instinct to flee. Shadows, sharp contrasts, uneven floor surfaces — or even a coat hanging on a wall — can create uncertainty and hesitation that will interrupt the flow of sheep through a chute, said Schroeder. Their hearing is acute, which means that shouting is a waste of breath, and could cause them to “freeze.” To encourage movement, he shakes a broomstick with a plastic bag stapled on the end to make a soft, rustling noise. Handling facilities don’t have to cost thousands of dollars, but they need to be well thought out to match the flock’s tendency to avoid dead ends, puddles or light-to-dark changes. Staging a practice run through it from time to time where no needling is done to the flock can help alleviate their anxiety, he added. Sheep bunch up at corners, so gentle curves are better. Uphill movement is always easier than downhill, and wherever stress is created, sheep need to be enclosed by solid wall panels. Where long, straight runs are necessary, having a decoy sheep at the front of the chute gives them more confidence to move forward. “They love routine. They balk at change,” said Schroeder. If something that worked yesterday doesn’t work today, that’s a dead giveaway that something has changed and a good, careful shepherd will take the time to figure out what it is and remove it. Handling facilities are an investment, not a cost, because they can make or break a sheep operation. Having a good design means that vaccinations, deworming and body condition scoring ahead of lambing are more likely to be done in a timely fashion. Successful shepherds will take the time to observe their sheep’s behaviour and regard the operation as a “working partnership” that must accommodate the needs of both parties. “Stress is not good for man or beast. So if you feel stressed, you can bet they will feel stressed, too,” said Schroeder. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

Wild weather puts climate back on global agenda before 2015 deadline Kerry says climate change a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ BY ALISTER DOYLE AND NINA CHESTNEY OSLO / LONDON / REUTERS

itter cold in the United States might appear to contradict the notion of global warming, but with Britain’s wettest winter and Australia’s hottest summer, extreme weather events have pushed climate change back on the political agenda. A spluttering world economy had sapped political interest in the billion-dollar shifts from fossil fuels that scientists say are needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions, but rhetoric is changing in 2014, one year before a deadline for a new UN climate deal. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry went furthest, calling climate change “perhaps the most fearsome weapon of mass destruction” and ridiculing those who doubt that climate change is man made. Almost 200 governments have agreed to work out a deal at a summit in Paris in December 2015 to combat rising global temperatures which a UN panel of scientists has predicted will cause increasing extreme weather and rising seas. The deal would replace the

1997 Kyoto Protocol, which was spurned by the United States and which did not impose limits on rapidly developing economies like India and China. With wild weather hitting some of the most developed parts of the world, politicians in rich nations are once again under pressure to address the issue. “Attention has been increasing... sadly because of the increase in the frequency and intensity of natural events and disasters,” UN climate change chief Christiana Figueres told Reuters. “The scale and speed of action needs to improve,” she said, adding that disasters in the past two or three years including 2013’s Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines had also focused minds. U.S. President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande last week urged an “ambitious” climate deal in 2015, which would come into force from 2020. Large parts of the United States and Canada suffered bone-numbing cold last month that some scientists say could be a paradoxical side-effect of disruptions to the jet stream linked to climate change. Britain has had the wettest Decem-

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott (r) meets with Phillip and Di Ridge on their property near Bourke in western New South Wales Feb. 16. Abbott was taking part in a drought tour with Australian Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce. A drought in Australia has forced ranchers in the world’s third-biggest beef exporter to cull cows, stoking fears of a global beef shortage in coming years with the U.S. herd at its lowest in six decades. PHOTO: REUTERS/ANDREW MEARES ber to January on record, with widespread floods. British opposition leader Ed Miliband said Britain was “sleepwalking to a climate crisis.”

Last year was the warmest on record in Australia with heat waves, droughts and wildfires. Prime Minister Tony Abbott is skeptical of a link to man-made global warming.

“If you look at the records of Australian agriculture going back 150 years, there have always been good times and bad,” he told reporters during a tour of droughtstricken farming regions Feb. 16. “This is not a new thing in Australia.” Last year, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change raised the probability that mankind was the main cause of global warming since the mid-20th century to at least 95 per cent from 90 per cent assessed in 2007. Most nations have yet to say what curbs they will impose on carbon emissions in 2015, in a deal that could influence energy investments from coal to wind power. “It’s very good that international leaders are increasingly recognizing the threat of climate change,” Connie Hedegaard, the European Union’s climate commissioner, told Reuters. “But leaders must walk the talk with concrete and forward-looking actions and pledges.” The European Commission has proposed a 40 per cent cut in the bloc’s emissions by 2030 from 1990 levels, after a 20 per cent cut by 2020.

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MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Pulse and special crop area to increase Favourable prices and lower input costs may take some crops off the back burner By Terryn Shiells

Commodity News Service Canada

he area seeded to pulse and special crops is expected to increase in Western Canada this spring, according to an outlook presented at Wild Oats Grainworld Feb. 24. Jon Driedger, a market analyst with FarmLink Marketing Solutions in Winnipeg, said favourable input costs and some decent newcrop contracts for certain pulses will encourage farmers to plant more of the specialty crops that have been put on the back burner for the past few years. Lower prices for some of the bigger crops, including wheat and canola, is also helping renew some interest in special and pulse crops, he said. He projected Canadian oats acreage would increase to 3.5 million acres in 2014-15, from the 2.78 million grown in 2013-14. Flax area for 2014-15 was pegged at 1.14 million acres, up from 1.04 million acres. Pea acreage was pegged at 3.7 million, from 3.29 last year, while lentils are expected to

The increased area in specialty, pulse and oilseed crops is expected to come out of the cereals. photo: thinkstock increase their area to 2.7 million acres, from the 2013-14 figure of 2.39 million. Chickpeas were expected to jump to 205,000 acres, from 180,000, while 325,000 acres of edible beans were projected to be planted this spring, up from 249,000 in 2013-14. Mustard, canaryseed and sun-

flower crops were also expected to see more acres planted this spring. Mustard is set to increase to 375,000 acres, from 365,000, with canaryseed expected to jump from 210,000 acres last year, to 350,000 acres in 2014-15. Sunflower acres were pegged at 150,000, from 70,000 last spring. Another crop that is expected

Flax prices seen as holding premium over canola Stocks-to-use ratio and increasing demand to support prices, says analyst By Terryn Shiells

Commodity News Service Canada

lax prices in 2014-15 will likely hold a strong premium over canola prices, according to a presentation at the Grainworld conference in Winnipeg Feb. 25. Michelle Vandevoorde, commercial manager with ADM North American Oilseed Processing, said she is bullish on flax prices. “Yes, commodity prices will be lower, but flax will have to carry a $2- to $3-, to maybe $4-a-bushel premium over canola to get that seed to come to market,” she added. Vadenvoorde said she is bullish because the stocks-to-use ratio is still very low due to strengthening global demand. China is increasing imports of flax, which is helping to support the Canadian market, and the European Union is also starting to come back as a buyer of the commodity after the discovery of traces of the genetically modified Triffid variety in Canada’s flax supply in 2010. The variety was never approved for commercial production. Demand also has the potential to continue to grow in the future, as health claims for flax are in the headlines, creating “great advertising,” for the crop, Vandenvoorde said. Prices for flax also need to stay strong to encourage farmers to grow it, because it isn’t supposed to be a GMO crop, which means yields aren’t rising at the same

Health claims for flax are creating good advertising and increased demand for flax. pace as other crops, including canola. But, as with every crop, the bullish outlook for flax prices is capped by the ongoing logistical issues moving grain out of Western Canada. Those movement problems are also affecting the outlook for canola prices going forward, but once things are worked out there, the market is expected to improve, Tracy Lussier, manager of canola trading at Louis Dreyfus Commodities Ltd. said during another Grainworld presentation. Demand for canola globally continues to be strong, which is helping to create optimism surrounding the market once logistics issues are worked out. The crushing capacity within Canada is also expected to continue to expand going forward, adding another avenue for increased canola demand, Lussier said. 22012-01BULK DAS Simplicity_13.167X9.indd 1

to continue to grow in popularity for western Canadian growers is soybeans, with Driedger expecting Manitoba acres to expand to 1.3 million acres, from 1.05 million in 2013-14. Canola area is also expected to see a slight increase, to 21 million acres, from 19.94 million last spring.

The increased area in specialty, pulse and oilseed crops is expected to come out of the cereals, with logistics problems, large carry-out stocks and very low prices helping to discourage some acres. Driedger pegged 2014-15 spring wheat area at 16.5 million acres, from 19.04 million last year. Winter wheat area is unchanged at two million acres. Durum area is set to decrease to 4.8 million acres, from 4.97 million. Barley and oats are also expected to lose some acres, with 3.5 million projected for oats, from 3.17 in 2013-14. Barley area was pegged at 6.6 million acres for 2014-15, from 7.08 million in 2013-14. Driedger also noted summerfallow area is expected to increase slightly, with some acres maybe not being planted due to the low prices and large carry-out stocks. Some acres that maybe shouldn’t have been planted in the first place, but were because of high commodity prices, could move into summerfallow or forages, he added. The area left unseeded is expected to increase to five million acres, from 3.88 million in 2013-14.

Albertafarmexpress.ca • march 3, 2014

Egypt turns to smart cards to fix corrupt bread system Profiteers exploit the system, and many people feed bread to their livestock because it is cheaper than animal feed By Maggie Fick

port said, egypt / reuters

A man shows his smart card used to purchase subsidized bread at a bakery in the Suez Canal city of Port Said. Authorities who hope to avoid protests over subsidized loaves sold for the equivalent of one U.S. cent have turned to smart cards to try to manage the corrupt and wasteful bread supply chain that has been untouchable for decades. PHOTo: REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

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device resembling a credit card swiper is revolutionizing some of Egypt’s politically explosive bread lines and may help achieve the impossible — cutting crippling food import bills. Authorities who hope to avoid protests over subsidized loaves sold for the equivalent of one U.S. cent have turned to smart cards to try to manage the corrupt and wasteful bread supply chain that has been untouchable for decades. If it succeeds, the pilot project in the Suez Canal city of Port Said could be used as a model for food and fuel subsidy reform throughout Egypt, where bread, known in the local Arabic dialect as “life,” is the staple. “This is an urgent project,” said Ali Attria, an official from the Administrative Development Ministry who has helped manage the trial. Egypt, the world’s largest importer of wheat, purchases around 10 million tonnes a year, draining its hard currency reserves to provide the poor with a discshaped loaf. The government spends around $5 billion a year on food subsidies, which also cover items such as rice, oil and sugar. A slide in the Egyptian pound’s value since December 2012 is pushing up the bill, as much food has to be bought for dollars on international markets. Profiteers exploit the system, and many people feed bread to their livestock because it is cheaper than animal feed. Yet, one cash-strapped government after another has resisted attacking the problem, fearful that cutting subsidies could be political suicide. President Anwar Sadat triggered riots when he cut the bread subsidy in 1977, while President Hosni Mubarak faced unrest in 2008 when the rising price of wheat caused shortages. When Egyptians rose up against Mubarak’s rule three years ago, one of their signature chants was: “Bread, freedom and social justice.”

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Before he was deposed by the army last July, President Mohamed Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood began working to ensure that bread was delivered efficiently to those who truly need it, a move designed to win over the public. Mursi is now in jail but the program is starting to yield results. At a simple metal kiosk in front of an oven, a smart card scanner hangs on a wall between windows that open on to two orderly gender-segregated lines. Those who have complaints about the new system can call a hotline. The scene was unthinkable just a year ago. “There was congestion, people were coming from outside Port Said to buy our good bread in bulk,” said bakery co-owner Adel Hassan Shater, 63, referring to a once-thriving black market.

“Now things are organized and this is better for everyone.” The now year-old program in this city of 650,000 has enabled the government to keep tabs on individual consumption of bread via the electronic cards, already used for other subsidized goods such as rice and sugar. Smart cardholders are allowed five loaves per family member per day, a number officials hope can be reduced.

Black markets

Afwat Emar, the top Supplies Ministry official in Port Said, said that the project is hitting the people at the heart of the problem: dishonest bakers. But eradicating greed will not be easy in a country plagued by corruption. Bakers producing state-subsidized loaves siphon off flour provided by the government and make a killing in the black market. The government’s flour is then baked into loaves sold at private bakeries at prices beyond the reach of the poor. Bakers have long been able to cheat authorities because consumption data is hard to come by. At Port Said’s Freedom Bakery, owner Mahmoud El Kefery says he works closely with government monitors who check data registered by his smart card readers and allocates his daily flour supply accordingly. Customers seem satisfied. “We like systems, and we want things to be organized so there can be security and everyone can get their fair share,” said Baseema El Bani, a 55-year-old government employee. After presenting her green plastic card in a transaction that resembled purchasing a latte at a coffee shop, Bani folded her stack of loaves and placed them in a shopping bag. Before the “smart card” system was introduced, the bakery would often run out of loaves by midday, before the mother of five got off work, leaving her empty handed. Bani blamed the shortages not on low supplies, but on people who abused the system. The government, short on foreign currency and in dire need of fuel imports, cannot afford to keep funding the inefficient system. The supplies minister recently estimated that the food subsidies bill amounts to 35 billion Egyptian pounds ($5.03 billion) per year. Surprisingly, the smart card effort in Port Said has not provoked protest among consumers or resistance from bakers who stood to profit from the old system. Implementing the program nationwide would be a daunting task. Attria of the Administrative Development Ministry cites bureaucracy as the chief hurdle. Port Said, known nationally for its high-quality bread, was seen as a safe site for a pilot. But progress here should still be considered an achievement. “It is a difficult decision to change the bread subsidy system, but it is possible,” said Dr. Magdy El Hennawy, an ex-army officer who helped the government launch the nationwide smart card system for other commodities.

MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Community news and events from across the province

Alberta girl takes the stage at Carnegie Hall

Gold medal bovine Stella isn’t your typical cow, and not just because of her fashion sense

17-year-old from Gibbons beat out thousands of other candidates

Anna Kalisvaart from Gibbons beat out thousands of other singers for a chance to sing at Carnegie Hall. handout photo

By Jennifer Blair af staff

hey say you haven’t made it until you’ve performed at Carnegie Hall. Alberta singer Anna Kalisvaart can now say, ‘Been there, done that.’ The 17-year-old farm girl from Gibbons got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to stand on the stage of the famous New York City concert hall last month after being selected for a unique program for high school choirs. “We were super thrilled,” said her dad, Michael Kalisvaart. “She received a very highlevel experience to encourage her to continue to pursue some more opportunities in her choral career.” In most cases, high school singers are nominated by their teachers or choir directors for the WorldStrides Heritage Performance Program at Carnegie Hall, but Anna’s voice was “picked

out of the choir” by program officials and they offered her a chance to audition. But at first, she was “dismissive” of the opportunity because she didn’t feel she was good enough, said Michael. “We really had to encourage her to audition,” he said. Being accepted into the program was a “real confidence booster” for Anna, who has been taking voice lessons for four years through Community Music Initiatives, a program aimed at bringing music lessons to rural residents in the Edmonton area. In the end, Anna beat out thousands of other singers to gain one of roughly 200 coveted spots in the three-day program, which was capped off with a performance at the hall. “These are the sort of opportunities you have to seize — those memorable experiences and opportunities that you don’t necessarily get that often in one life,” said her proud dad. jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

he couldn’t make it to Sochi, but Olympics fan Stella has turned in a medal-winning performance in Alberta Farmer’s felfie contest. Pictured with Stella is Angie O’Connor, who works at a feedlot and keeps some feedlot calves (and an old Holstein who raises them) on an acreage north of Wimborne. Our three judges (Sarah Schultz, Allison Ammeter, and Alexis Kienlen) said Stella’s sense of occasion and fun-loving spirit made her championship material. The 21-month-old is O’Connor’s first feedlot calf. “I didn’t have the Holstein at that point so she was bottle raised until she was about eight months,” said O’Connor. “She doesn’t really think she is a cow. I have a variety of pictures of her because she makes my life hard, so I like to make her life hard by dressing her up. Alberta Farmer is donating $100 to the community or nonprofit chosen by each winner. O’Connor has selected the Medicine River Wildlife Centre, while last edition’s winner, Theresa Bayko, chose STARS Air Ambulance. Two more winners have yet to be chosen.

To see all the entries, go to www.albertafarmexpress.ca and follow the link to the felfie gallery.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

Sylvan Lake aiming for Hockeyville crown Roof collapse of old arena has sparked an outpouring of support for community’s Hockeyville drive By Jennifer Blair

Send agriculture-related meeting and event announcements to: glenn.cheater@fbcpublishing.com March 3-5: Growing Rural Tourism Conference, Main Arena Exhibition Centre, Camrose. Jennifer Filip 780-672-3640

af staff

hen heavy snow collapsed the roof of Sylvan Lake’s 40-yearold arena this winter, Jared Waldo and Kevin Putnam saw it as a “timely” sign to enter the town in Kraft’s annual Hockeyville contest. “It’s something that a lot of people in Sylvan have talked about for a few years,” said Waldo. “But if ever there was a time to do it, now would be the time.” Their effort has sparked an outpouring of support for the town’s bid to win $100,000 for arena upgrades and the right to host an NHL pre-season game. “The arena collapse has brought up a lot of nostalgia,” said Waldo. “I knew there would be support, but I’m pretty blown away by it.” Since the old arena will be demolished and the money can only be used for upgrades, Waldo and Putnam nominated the town’s multiplex. To win the prize, supporters need to send in stories that demonstrate the town’s “passion for hockey” and the “heart and spirit” of the community. Two of the criteria for a good story is that it’s heartwarming and “engaging.” Waldo has one that definitely fits that bill. “I met my wife there,” he said. “We were working at the hockey school when we met. I proposed to her at centre ice.” There’s been a flood of stories from current and former residents, along with those who have fond hockey memories from Sylvan Lake, he added. “I always knew what a hockey community it was,” Waldo said. “We always joke

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March 4: Alberta Oat Growers Commission AGM, Ramada Edmonton International Airport, Leduc. Contact: Shawna Mathieson 306-530-8545 March 4: Honey Food Safety Workshop, Coast Lethbridge Hotel and Conference Centre, Lethbridge. Contact: 1-800-3876030 (also March 8, Edmonton)

Sylvan Lake’s arena is a writeoff following a roof collapse on January 20. Photo: courtesy of the Town of Sylvan Lake

that there’s no off-season in Sylvan. When the hockey season would wrap up, that’s when the hockey camp would kick in.” It’s not just minor hockey or the arena, he said. “When the lake freezes over, you’ve got people down there having the biggest hockey games that you’ll find on a Saturday.” Support for Sylvan Lake’s Hockeyville bid has taken on “a life of its own,” he said. The community’s Hockeyville page on Facebook has thousands of supporters, and Los Angeles Kings centre Colin Fraser — a B.C. boy whose wife is from Sylvan Lake and now calls it home — has also thrown his support behind the town by encouraging his Twitter followers, all 18,000 of them, to share their stories about the arena.

The community ranked No. 1 in the nation in the nomination round. The next step is to secure a spot in the top 16 (eight from the West and eight from the East), which will be announced on Hockey Night in Canada on March 8. People can submit stories, photos and videos to the Hockeyville website — krafthockeyville.cbc.ca — that show “how much passion you have for the game and how much passion you have for your community.” Waldo is confident Sylvan Lake has what it takes to go all the way. “It takes one or two people to spark the idea, but it’s the entire support of the community that’s going to make this happen.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

March 7: Beef Market Outlook, Evergreen Park, Grande Prairie. Contact: Monika 780-523-4033 March 7-8: 5th Annual Sheep Shearing School, Leslieville. Contact: Jacquie 403-729-3067 March 11: Learning Today for Farming Tomorrow, Smoky Lake Complex, Smoky Lake. Contact: Penny Fox 780-645-5782 March 11: Rejuvenate your Farm Business, Sandman Hotel, Lethbridge. Contact: Rick Taillieu 780-678-6167 (Also March 12, Nisku and March 13, Grand Prairie) March 11: Working Well Workshop, Blairmore. Contact: Kristina Dembinski 780-718-5023 (Also March 25, Cardston)

MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Fertilizer — use the four Rs to avoid push-back from lawmakers Right source, rate, time and place are the best guides for staying on the straight and narrow

There’s no one-size-fits-all fertilization system because every farm field and year has unique demands, resources and conditions. BY DANIEL WINTERS STAFF / WINNIPEG

idespread adoption of voluntary protocols for balancing soil fertility requirements with the need to protect surface water quality will be far more effective than legislation, the director of the International Plant Nutrition Institute says. Tom Jensen told the recent Manitoba Soil Science Society’s annual conference farmers can maintain crop yields and minimize adverse environmental effects by following the four Rs — right source, right rate, right time and right place.

“If we follow the principles of the four Rs, and apply them to the area, we can often do a better job than if we had to follow legislation,” Jensen told the conference. Sticking to the four main principles is a way of showing the public that farmers are mindful of their impact on the landscape, and it helps fend off criticism that could lead to onerous regulation, he added. “Basing your nutrient management on principles gives you some flexibility to be creative,” said Jensen. For example, in the Lake Erie area, where the lake is turning an eerie green at an alarming rate, farmers have been watching the weather forecast more closely to

ensure that the timing of broadcast phosphorus applications is done a few days ahead of major rainfall. Near Chesapeake Bay in Maryland state, farmers are also timing applications better while switching to various fertilizer banding methods to prevent nutrient loading, he added.

Stewardship awards

To encourage more adoption of the four Rs, the IPNI, farm groups and state governments have created stewardship awards for farmers and retailers and developed educational videos to spread the message. But what is the “right” way of doing things, and who decides?

PHOTO: CANSTOCK

The bottom line, said Don Flaten, a soil science professor at the University of Manitoba, is that “banding is better” for nitrogen, phosphorus and potash, but elemental sulphur needs to be surface broadcast well in advance of the growing season. While there may be no single best combination of the four Rs for a particular situation, some are obviously poorer choices than others.

“Basing your nutrient management on principles gives you some flexibility to be creative.” TOM JENSEN

TAKE THE GUESSWORK OUT OF SEED TREATMENT. INTRODUCING THE STORM SEED TREATER. Take control of seed treatment. Revolutionary in design, the STORM seed treater and integrated auger unit allows you to finally treat your seed with absolute accuracy. Electronic controls provide a simple interface with touch screen input and pre-programmed recipes. The metering conveyor accurately measures seed flow and automatically adjusts the peristaltic pumps to match treatment flow for optimal coverage. This reduces waste and ensures consistent coating from the first seed to the last. The STORM is suitable for a wide variety of seed types including wheat, barley, oats, peas and lentils. See your local Westfield or Wheatheart dealer to book the STORM today! Limited quantities available.

“We do not recommend using the source anhydrous ammonia with the placement method of broadcast. It’s not a good idea to broadcast a gas, right?” said Flaten, with a smile. There’s no one-size-fits-all fertilization system because every farm field and year has unique demands, resources and conditions. However, matching rates to crop requirements and removal rates, and using a combination of placement, timing and source that maximizes chemical availability while minimizing losses, is the key to success and staying out of trouble, he said.

Manure

What if the source happens to be manure? It annoys Kathy Buckley, an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada soil scientist based in Brandon, Man. whenever she sees the acronym “FYM” used to describe agriculture’s most valuable byproduct. “Farmyard manure,” a catch-all term used in scientific literature, does a poor job of characterizing a substance in chemical terms that could be from multiple species or processed in a variety of ways that could change its properties dramatically. “It makes it a whole different ball game when you’re trying to use them in agronomic systems,” said Buckley. Aside from that, “right” timing of application is a big issue when trying to move thousands of tons of a bulky product across the landscape, she said, noting that guidelines for fall and spring windows for application don’t always mesh with the weather or soil conditions. “Spring application is very, very difficult,” she said. “If you have a heavy manure tanker, it’s wonderful to get out on frozen soil because you’re not compacting it.” Phosphorus loading from heavy rates of manure, is the “gift that keeps on giving,” she added. Her own studies, and those of others, show that attempts to “mine” the nutrient out of soils with annual and perennial cropping are slow to show results, even after a decade. “It’s going to be a long endeavour, so don’t put it there in the first place,” said Buckley. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

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MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

SEED/FEED/CROP INPUTS Specialty Crops Various

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

Bioriginal Food & Science Corp., based in Saskatoon, are looking to contract Borage acres for the upcoming 2014 growing season.

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Great proﬁt potential based on yield, prices and low input costs. Attractive oil premiums and free seed delivery and on-farm pick-up. Flexible contracting options available as well. For more information, please contact Carl Lynn P.Ag. of Bioriginal at:

306-229-9976 (cell) 306-975-9295 (ofﬁce) crops@bioriginal.com

BUYING SPRING THRASHED CANOLA & GRAIN “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

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CALL 1-866-388-6284

Agro Source Ltd.

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FOR SALE: REGISTERED BORDER collie stock dogs. Contact Bill Reeder: (403) 653-7661 www.billreederrodeohorses.com If you want to sell it fast, call 1-800-665-1362.

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Geared For The Future

Search news. Read stories. Find insight.

Andrukow Group Solutions Inc.

ADVERTISE with AFE Classifieds

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Network

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A GAMBLE...

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FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Various

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CARBIDE DRILL POINTS & openers for air drills. RECONDITIONED COMBINE HEADERS. RIGID & VW Manufacturing Ltd Dunmore (Medicine Hat) flex, most makes & sizes; also header transports. (403)528-3350 US: Loren Hawks Chester, Montana Ed Lorenz, (306)344-4811 or Website: www.straightcutheaders.com Paradise Hill, SK. Classified (406)460-3810 562 PPAC 2014 AB.indd www.vwmfg.com 5 14-01-10 1:56 P

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Mundare - 780-764-2511

Pioneer One Steel Buildings

ANNOUNCEMENTS We also specialize in: Crop Insurance appeals; Chemical drift; Residual herbicide; Custom operator 2 PPAC Classified 2014 AB.indd 42 14-01-10 1:56 PM issues; Equipment malfunction; Yield comparisons, Plus Private Investigations of any nature. With our assistance the majority of our clients have received compensation previously denied. Back-Track Investigations investigates, documents your loss and assists in settling your claim. Licensed Agrologist on Staff. For more information herbicides 562 PPAC Classified 2014 AB.indd 3 Please call 1-866-882-4779

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Call toll free 1 (877) 525-2004 or see us online at www.pioneeronesteel.com

FARM CHEMICAL SEED COMPLAINTS

Hit our readers where it counts… in the classifieds. Place your ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifed section. 1-800-665-1362.

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40’ X 60’ X 16’ RIGID FRAME STEEL BUILDING

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FARM MACHINERY Sprayers

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

ALL SIZES

Call (403)545-6340 • Cell (403)580-6889

D&H EQUIPMENT

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FARM MACHINERY Sprayers

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“LIKE MANY BEFORE, WE’LL HAVE YOU SAYING THERE’S NO DEAL LIKE A KEN DEAL” • Phone: (403)526-9644 • Cell: (403)504-4929 • Email: kendeal@shaw.ca

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

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REAL ESTATE Land For Rent

CAREERS Management

TIRES

41 REGISTERED RED ANGUS BULLS Quiet, Easy Calving, Low to Moderate Birth Weights, Good Growth, E.P.D’s available Guaranteed Breeders (Vet Checked & Semen Tested). Excellent Bulls for Heifers or Cows. Cleveley Cattle Company (780)689-2754.

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ON-LINE SERVICES

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit: Crop Production Services Inc.

Torrington - 403-631-3900

precisionpac.ca 16-FT 9350 JD DISC press drill w/fertilizer attachment, shedded, asking $1200 OBO. Phone (403)572-3363

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1999 CAT 460 1,400 sep. hrs, rake up $75,000; Road King ground loadstock trailer, 8 x 42.5-ft, will haul 25 cows, $11,000. Call:(403)665-2341, CraigMedicine myle, AB. 2 PPAC Classified 2014 AB.indd 8 14-01-10 1:56 PM ACREAGE EQUIPMENT: CULTIVATORS, DISCS, Plows, Blades, Post pounders, Haying Equipment, Etc. (780)892-3092, Wabamun, Ab.

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Standard - 403-644-3707

precisionpac.ca REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Manitoba

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ADVERTISING DOLLAR!

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

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1-800-665-1362 ORGANIC Organic – Grains

14-01-10 1:56 PM

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit: Crop Production Services Inc.

Coronation - 403-578-3302 Bioriginal Food & Science Corp., based in Saskatoon, is actively buying Organic Flax from the 2013 crop year.

precisionpac.ca PEDIGREED SEED Oilseed – Canola

If interested, please send an 8lb sample* to the following address: Attn: Sandy Jolicoeur Bioriginal Food & Science Corp. 102 Melville Street562 PPAC Classified 2014 AB.indd 37 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7J 0R1 For more information, please contact Sandy at:

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PUMPS

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MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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Consumers invited to ‘The Chicken Roost’

Stable comments to Mar. 4

The U.S. National Chicken Council has launched ChickenRoost.com as a public forum to address issues such as animal welfare on poultry farms, food safety, environmental stewardship and antibiotic use and the partnership between farmers and food companies. The site is a result from feedback gathered from a summit where members of mainstream, social and trade media were exposed to every aspect of modern poultry production. “We had overwhelmingly positive response by not only explaining, but showing, what it is we do and why we do it,” said Mike Brown, NCC president.

Comments on the Alberta Stables Initiative (ASI) draft standards of operation manual for stables can be made online until March 4. The survey is approximately 10 to 20 minutes long and is divided into five sections for ease of completion. Anyone can provide comments and suggestions about the manual; all submissions are confidential and must be made through the online system. Two public forums were held in fall of 2013 to discuss the content for this manual. Anticipated date of completion is May 2014.

Floods in Britain threaten farm output and investment Submerged crops, pastures and lost feed and bedding will have far-reaching impacts

A horse stands in a flooded field in Hambleden, southern England February 12, 2014. photo: REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

By Nigel Hunt london / reuters

loods in southwest England and elsewhere have submerged crops and destroyed cattle bedding and feed, with the consequences likely to be felt for months, or even years, in terms of lower production of both crops and meat. Thousands of acres of farmland in Britain are under water, with some submerged for weeks, although agricultural economists say it is too early to forecast how output might be affected. “Of course there is a big cost to this but at the moment the big worry is making sure the cattle are fed and dry,” said Chris Mallon, chief executive of the National Beef Association. Some farmers have turned to social media with #Tractoraid on twitter providing updates on the progress of 30 tonnes of donated

feed and bedding on a 225-mile journey by tractor from Yorkshire in northern England to Somerset in the southwest. “At the moment people will be helping and people will be interested but once the flood water disappears and it is not as visible, farmers will be having to make sure their business survives and it will be very difficult,” Mallon said. The National Farmers Union called on members to make longer-term commitments rather than immediate donations. “What we now need are the pledges of fodder or straw, rather than the actual deliveries, so that we can call upon people’s generosity as and when it is required over the coming weeks and months, when the waters finally abate and farmers return to face a fetid swamp,” NFU regional director Melanie Squires said.

Drought to deluge

Britain has swung from drought to

Thousands of acres of farmland in Britain are under water, with some submerged for weeks, although agricultural economists say it is too early to forecast how output might be affected.

deluge in the last couple of years, posing major challenges for the country’s farmers. The country’s then farming and environment minister, Caroline Spelman, called a drought summit in February 2012, a year which

turned out to be the second wettest on record in Britain. The rains led to Britain’s harvesting its smallest wheat crop in more than a decade last summer and the latest drenching is expected to lead to more disease in crops and increased indebtedness among farmers. “The fiscal impact will last long after the flood waters recede,” NFU chief economist Phil Bicknell said, adding that the erratic weather has coincided with increasingly volatile prices for agricultural crops and created “a new set of challenges.” “It is difficult for them (farmers) to plan ahead. Where is the incentive for them to invest consistently, and we need consistent investment,” he said. Livestock farming is barely profitable in Britain for even the most efficient producers and cattle numbers have been falling by about three per cent a year. “The average livestock farmer

last year made just over 16,000 pounds ($26,000) in terms of farm business income so any sort of repair operation (or) reseeding is going to significantly eat into those sort of margins,” Bicknell said. Dairy cows in parts of western England and Wales also normally start to graze in February as grass begins to grow, Derrick Davies, vice-chairman of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers said. Davies said some farmers may, therefore, be running short of winter stocks of food. The rains may also have disrupted potato planting which began in Cornwall in December and would normally be underway across southern England. “It is too early to understand the impact of the recent wet weather. It may have delayed plans to plant some new potatoes in the south,” a spokeswoman for the Potato Council said.

MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

And the life and work balance can be easier on small operations Staying small has benefits in the farming world: less cost, more time and greater agility By Shannon VanRaes staff / winnipeg

t’s not the size of your farm that counts, it’s what you do with it. “It comes down to attitude,” said Kevin Hursh, a Saskatoon-based farm consultant. “Sometimes I think we feel inferior to the guys who are 5,000, or 10,000 or 15,000 acres, and running all the brandnew equipment with the best technology, but we just need to look at the numbers and ask, are we happy with what we’re making? Is it profitable and can it be sustainable?” Speaking at the recent CropConnect Conference in Winnipeg, Hursh told producers that farm size isn’t necessarily indicative of productivity or profit, and yet many producers get caught in a keeping up with the Joneses scenario. “There’s no reason for that, to hell with what everyone else thinks, as long as we’re making a good living,” he said. The desire to link success to farm size may be rooted in the question that all producers have been asked countless times. “We’re a funny society, you meet another farmer or even someone from the city and you tell them you’re a farmer, and the first thing

they ask is, ‘oh, how many acres do you plant?’” Hursh said. “Well, I wouldn’t go up to someone in the city and ask them ‘how much money do you make,’ or ‘how big is your house?’ But it seems fair game to ask ‘how many acres do you grow.’” And while he understands why people are curious, Hursh would like to see greater emphasis on the benefits moderately sized farming operations can provide.

well, allowing for targeted land management practices. “Small can be profitable,” Hursh said.

Do the numbers

Work/life balance

Smaller operations often provide a more manageable work and life balance he said, and can make finding equipment easier and cheaper, because the newest and largest implements won’t be as necessary. “Your equipment costs can be competitive and maybe even lower on a per-acres basis, and that’s a big part of being able to compete,” he said. “I think you’re also probably a little more nimble to try other crops, and identity preserve crops that might take a little more time and effort.” That’s not to say smaller producers don’t face challenges. Hursh notes that discounts for high-volume purchases may be out of reach, and that small farms aren’t generally offered the kinds of demonstration equipment that larger farms might get.

Kevin Hursh talks about the benefits of small farms at CropConnect in Winnipeg. Photo: Shannon VanRaes But because smaller producers tend not to be as throughput oriented, those drawbacks don’t always matter in the day-to-day operations of a farm. “They’re not worried about getting 400 acres seeded a day,” he said. “I can get 160 seeded, but seeded right and do the things I need to do.” And while large farms are often renting land and financ-

ing the purchase of additional acres, Hursh points out that most operators in the 1,000- to 2,000acre range own all of the land they farm, which further reduces expenditures. Smaller operations are also less likely to be spread out over large distances, cutting transportation costs and travel time. Being closer to your land can mean being more familiar with its characteristics as

But he added it’s every bit as important to track farm profits and expenses regardless of farm scale. “Probably the best way of looking at it is as gross return per acre. I would say to have a farm operation in the grain industry... and to actually have the majority of your family income come from the farm, I would think you’d have to be at least $250,000 a year gross,” he said. “But you can do that with a 1,000-acre grain farm.” Communication is also key. If the vision is to keep a farming operation small or moderately sized, all parties need to be on the same page, including spouses, business partners and any children planning to return to the farm. However, staying small doesn’t mean becoming stagnant. “You’ve got to do your numbers and you’ve got to manage, you’ve got to figure out what is realistic from your land base and the crops you’re suited to grow... But then look for new opportunities, look for things you’re willing to do that maybe the larger-scale operators are not willing to do,” he said. shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

U.S. proposes new safety rules for farm pesticide use Studies indicate that farmers have a higher rate of some cancers BY CAREY GILLAM REUTERS

arm workers, children and other people working or living near farm fields would have more protection from hazardous pesticides under changes proposed on Feb. 20 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Today marks an important milestone for the farm workers who plant, tend and harvest the food that we put on our tables each day,” Gina McCarthy, EPA administrator, said in a statement. EPA is proposing revisions to the agency’s 22-year-old “Worker Protection Standard” that EPA officials say will help protect approximately two million U.S. farm workers and their families from exposure to pesticides used to protect crops from weeds, insects and disease. The EPA said pesticides are beneficial tools in agriculture when used in proper concentrations and with proper protections.

cancers, including leukemia, myeloma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and cancers of the lip, stomach, skin, brain and prostate,” the study states. Among the changes proposed Thursday, the EPA would require annual training in pesticide protection, instead of once every five years. It would expand mandatory posting of signage warning people from entering fields newly treated with pesticides; prohibit children under 16 from handling pesticides unless they are part of a family farm; and set noentry buffer areas of 25 feet to 100 feet around pesticidetreated fields to limit exposure from overspraying and fumes.

The EPA is seeking public comments on the proposed changes before making a final decision. Also Feb. 20, a coalition led by residents of rural Minnesota announced a campaign to convince fast-food restaurant chain McDonald’s to reduce pesticide use on farms where potatoes are grown for its french fries. The group said studies of air quality have shown contamination by the fungicide chlorothalonil, a farming chemical listed by the EPA as a probable carcinogen. McDonald’s said in a statement that it was working with suppliers to reduce pesticide use along with reduced water and fertilizer use and was making “significant progress.”

Workers are seen on a strawberry farm in Ventura, California December 21, 2013. PHOTO: REUTERS/ERIC THAYER

“Current medical research suggests that while farmers are generally healthier than the general U.S. population, they may have higher rates of some cancers, including leukemia, myeloma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and cancers of the lip, stomach, skin, brain and prostate.” U.S. STUDY

U.S. scientists are studying how human health is affected by the use of herbicides, insecticides and other farm chemicals in growing a variety of crops. Some consumer and environmental groups have been calling for greater controls on pesticide use. The EPA, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have been overseeing an “Agricultural Health Study” of nearly 90,000 people in Iowa and North Carolina tracking the impact of factors including pesticide use. The studies have linked a series of health problems to pesticide use, including various cancers and Parkinson’s disease. “Current medical research suggests that while farmers are generally healthier than the general U.S. population, they may have higher rates of some

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MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

HEADING OUT

A warm chinook afternoon sun silhouettes a line of cattle as they head out across pastures south of Longview, Alta.

PHOTO: WENDY DUDLEY

Ag Outlook 2014 Understand the trends, see the opportunities

Mink fur price drops 40 per cent Global output has doubled in five years BY TEIS JENSEN

COPENHAGEN / REUTERS

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he price of mink fur has dropped almost 40 per cent at auction in Denmark this year after hosts of new breeders piled into the business, attracted by the record sums China’s middle class had been willing to pay for the luxury item. The price had tripled over five years to reach an average of 570 Danish crowns ($100) per skin, a record high, last year at Kopenhagen Fur, the world’s largest fur auction house. But at the mid-February auction, which is the second of five this season, the average price for the 7.1 million skins under the hammer is set to fall to around 350-360 crowns per skin, Kopenhagen Fur said. “The price last year was crazy because the world demand has been rising explosively in some years and the production has lagged behind,” its chairman, Tage Pedersen, said. “Now the production is getting into gear, and so we are experiencing more normal prices.” Pedersen said global output of mink skins has doubled in five years as farmers got into the lucrative business.

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A worker hangs bundles of mink fur inside a store at a fur market in Chongfu township, Zhejiang province on September 13, 2013. PHOTO: REUTERS/STRINGER

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

USDA’s lower crop acreage forecast baffles analysts Many doubt the accuracy of the agency’s first acreage forecast BY CHRISTINE STEBBINS CHICAGO, / REUTERS

he U.S. Department of Agriculture’s first 2014 acreage estimates for the eight major crops shocked veteran grain analysts as they expected spring plantings to be up by several million acres from 2013, not down. At its annual Agricultural Outlook conference in Washington Feb. 20, USDA forecast a total of 253.8 million acres would be planted to corn, other feed grains, wheat, rice, cotton and soybeans in 2014-15, down 1.7 million from 2013. Given the 8.3 million acres of cropland that went unseeded in 2013 as heavy rains, especially in northern states like Minnesota and Iowa, prevented plantings and the 1.5 million acres released from the conservation reserve program (CRP) last autumn, analysts are asking: Where are all the acres? “It is a head scratcher,” said Don Roose, president of farm advisory U.S. Commodities. “We had over a million acres come in from CRP — where are they going to go? What’s going to happen to prevent acres from last year? “You could make a case that acres should be up seven million to eight million, here they are down a million,” Roose added. “It’s probably going to be one of the big debates out of this outlook meeting.” A rise in soybean, cotton and rice plantings in 2014 was met by an unexpected total decline in corn, other feed grains and wheat, USDA forecast at its annual outlook forum now in its 90th year, which kicks off the start of the U.S. planting season. Corn prices have fallen 30 per cent since last June when the United States, the largest food exporter, recovered from the historic 2012 drought and had a record harvest last year. “There is a feeling that lower prices result in lower planted area as farmers in the fringe production areas respond to lower prices. That’s USDA’s opinion — we’ll see,” said Dan Cekander, a grains analyst with Newedge USA in Chicago. USDA is forecasting prices for most row crops to fall to the lowest level since 2009-10, expecting bigger-yielding crops to weigh on prices. Corn, the largest U.S. crop, is projected to fall 60 cents to $3.90 a bushel.

Over the years there is a tendency for a wide variance between USDA’s annual forum outlook numbers, its March planting survey and actual plantings as Mother Nature has a hand in the final numbers. Suderman said he puts more weight on the government’s planting intention survey of some 85,000 farmers conducted over the next several weeks and released on March 31. “The big questions are how much failed winter wheat acres we have in the Plains due to drought and winterkill, how many of those go to grain sorghum and soybeans?” said

Suderman, adding that at recent farmer meetings he held in Minnesota and the Dakotas many were still undecided on final planting decisions. “My guess is that the allcrop area will be higher because farmers love to grow, and are coming off record farm income years,” Rich Feltes, director of research with brokerage R.J. O’Brien, said. “Their net worth is record high. They are going to shoot the marbles and go for max production,” Feltes added. Last year farmers posted a record net farm income of $130.5 billion despite a sharp drop in corn prices the last half of the year.

USDA corn acreage estimates

USDA soybean acreage estimates

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Analysts skeptical

Analysts said the biggest puzzle in the Feb. 20 numbers was how USDA was factoring in the huge number of acres that went unplanted in 2013 into their 2014 forecast. “I don’t put much stock in what comes out of USDA in February but the trade talks about it and it moves the markets,” said Arlan Suderman, a grains analyst at Water Street Solutions in Peoria, Illinois.

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MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

GMO crops show mix of benefits, concerns — USDA report USDA study finds lower insect control costs, but no yield advantage or reduced herbicide use By Carey Gillam Reuters

Palmer amaranth is one of 14 weed species that has become resistant to glyphosate. The prolific weed now infests more than 150 million acres in the U.S.

fter more than 15 years of using genetically modified crops, U.S. farmers are continuing to see an array of benefits, but the impacts on the environment and on food production are mixed, and high farmer use of a popular herbicide on GMO crops is a cause for ongoing concern, according to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “We are not characterizing them (GMO crops) as bad or good. We are just providing information,” said Michael Livingston, a government agricultural economist and one of the authors of the report, prepared by the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS).

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The report, released online on Feb. 20, comes at a time when GMO crops are under intense scrutiny. Consumer groups are calling for tighter regulation of crop research and production and seeking mandatory labeling of foods made with GMOs; environmentalists are reporting increasing concerns about weed resistance and insect resistance to the crops and the chemicals used on them; and some scientific studies are reporting that the chemicals used on the crops are linked to disease and illness. As well, the report comes as the USDA and the Environmental Protection Agency are in the final stages of approving the commercialization of a new GMO crop and chemical product package developed by Dow AgroSciences. GMO crops were planted on about 169 million acres (68 million hectares) in the U.S. in 2013, about half the total land used for crops, the report said. The price of GMO soybean and corn seeds grew by about 50 per cent between 2001 and 2010, according to the report. But the companies that sell them say they make weed and insect management easier for farmers and can help increase production.

No yield advantage

But in its report, the ERS researchers said over the first 15 years of commercial use, GMO seeds have not been shown to definitively increase yield potentials, and “in fact, the yields of herbicide-tolerant or insect-resistant seeds may be occasionally lower than the yields of conventional varieties,” the ERS report states. Several researchers have found “no significant differences” between the net returns to farmers who use GMO herbicide-tolerant seeds and those who use non-GMO seeds, the report states. GMO crops that prevent yield losses to pests are more helpful to farmers financially, allowing crops more yield potential and higher monetary returns, the report states. As well, insecticide use on corn farms was down to 0.02 pound per acre in 2010, down from 0.21 pound per acre in 1995, the report states. But while insecticide use has gone down, herbicide use on GMO corn is rising, the report states. Herbicide use on GMO corn increased from around 1.5 pounds per planted acre in 2001 to more than 2.0 pounds per planted acre in 2010. Herbicide use on non-GMO corn has remained relatively level during that same time frame, the ERS said. And the overreliance on glyphosate has translated to an increase in weed resistance, which makes crop production much harder. Its use has translated to the glyphosate resistance seen in 14 weed species and biotypes in the United States, according to ERS.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

Don’t bet the farm — keep investments simple: Buffett Don’t speculate on price movements, says world’s fourth-richest man REUTERS

erkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett, known for his folksy, straightforward communication style, turned to farming to recommend his winning strategy for investors to follow. In an excerpt of his annual letter to shareholders, Buffett used a 1986 purchase of a farm located 50 miles north of Omaha to support his case about simple, diversified and low-cost investing. He had bought the farm because he could weigh how much the property would yield in corn and soybeans against its operating costs, and not to speculate on the value of the land or to sell it as soon as prices rose. “Now, 28 years later, the farm has tripled its earnings and is worth five times or more what I paid,” Buffett wrote in his annual letter to shareholders, adding that he has visited the property only twice. “So ignore the chatter, keep your costs minimal, and invest in stocks as you would in a farm.” Buffett’s advice reflected, as well, his bias toward holding assets for the long term. Rather than a constant flux of buying and selling, Buffett said investors should treat daily price changes as background noise, to be ignored in pursuit of a greater objective.

of time,” wrote the man dubbed “the Oracle of Omaha” because of his performance in the markets. Investors should instead focus on the future productivity of assets, rather than speculating on price movements, which Buffett said that he was unable to do successfully. “Games are won by players who focus on the playing field — not by those whose eyes are glued to the scoreboard.”

Warren Buffett says a farm he bought in 1986 has tripled its earnings and is worth five times more than he paid. PHOTO: REBECCA COOKNOTE/REUTERS

Speak up. Speak positively.

So ignore the chatter, keep your costs minimal, and invest in stocks as you would in a farm.” WARREN BUFFETT

“The goal of the non-professional should not be to pick winners — neither he nor his ‘helpers’ can do that — but should rather be to own a cross-section of businesses that in aggregate are bound to do well,” he wrote. For non-professionals, such as mom-and-pop investors saving for retirement, Buffett recommended a low-cost S&P 500 index fund, particularly highlighting Vanguard’s. That mutual fund has a net expense ratio of 0.17 per cent. Buffett,ranked the world’s fourth-richest person by Forbes magazine, with a fortune of $53.5 billion, also dismissed much of the market and economy watching that informs daily price fluctuations and, often, future price speculation. “Forming macro opinions or listening to the macro or market predictions of others is a waste

Our industry needs more agvocates To reach its full potential, agriculture needs everyone in the industry to speak up and speak positively. Agriculture More Than Ever is an industry-driven cause to improve perceptions and create positive dialogue about Canadian ag. Together we can share the facts and stories about this vibrant and modern industry, and tell the world why we love what we do. It’s up to all of us to be agvocates and it’s easier than you think – visit AgMoreThanEver.ca and find out how you can get involved.

Trim: 10.25”

MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Trim: 15.5”

TOUGH WEEDS, MEET EXPRESS . ®

Crank up the rate all you want, glyphosate alone still misses a number of hard-to-kill weeds like narrow-leaved hawk’s-beard, flixweed, stinkweed, dandelion and volunteer canola. With hotter-than-hot systemic activity, DuPont™ Express® herbicides don’t just control weeds, they smoke them from the inside out, getting right to the root of your toughest weed challenges with performance that glyphosate alone can’t match. It’s no wonder Express® goes down with glyphosate more than any other brand in Western Canada! Visit expressvideo.dupont.ca to see Express® in action – torching tough weeds like dandelion and volunteer canola right down to the roots, so they can’t grow back.

Express® brand herbicides. This is going to be hot. Questions? Ask your retailer, call 1-800-667-3925 or visit express.dupont.ca

As with all crop protection products, read and follow label instructions carefully. The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™, The miracles of science™ and Express® are registered trademarks or trademarks of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. E. I. du Pont Canada Company is a licensee. All other products mentioned are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective companies. Member of CropLife Canada. ©Copyright 2014 E. I. du Pont Canada Company. All rights reserved.

LEFT SIDE PAGE

y d d a D r u o Y Who’s

11th Annual

Bull Sale

Thursday April 3, 2014 – 1:00 PM

Saskvalley Stock Farm Carl Lehmann 306-232-5212

Bell M Farms

Richard Moellenbeck 306-287-3420

Muridale Shorthorn

Saskatoon Livestock Sales, 306-382-8088

Scot Muri 306-741-6833

WE KNOW OUR BULLS HAVE TO BE BETTER JUST TO GET YOUR ATTENTION!

That’s why we cull hard and only sell 50 bulls a year. These are the top cut from over 400 purebred Shorthorn cows. Thick, rugged, BEEF BULLS that are bred to handle the harsh conditions of Western Canada. Also on offer a select group of plush and embryo lots.

For more information or a catalogue contact:

Sale is broadcast by Cattle In Motion at

www.cattleinmotion.com Catalogue online at all three websites

Sale bull videos at www.youtube.com/whosyourdaddybull

Contact the following breeders for more information or to purchase your next herdsire!

MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

NuHaveN Cattle Co. Gary & Kristine Smith, Kelly Fraser Pine Lake, AB 403-227-2523 www.nuhavencattle.com

How do you go from this?

• Maine breed dominates in feed efficiency

MCCorMaCk FaMily raNCH Scott & Carolyn McCormack Grenfell, SK 306-697-2945 www.mccormackfamilyranch.com Genetic Destination Bull Sale - March 7, 2014 H.W. MCelroy Yorktown, Texas 210-573-9930 www.hwmcelroy.com MaNitou MaiNe-aNjou (SinCe 1970) Gary and Sandy Graham Marsden, SK 306-823-3432 grahamgs@sasktel.net Deagle Cattle Co. ltD. Rick & Marilyn Deagle Consort, AB 403-577-3078 Deaglecattleco.com Maine Difference Bull Sale - April 5, 2014

To this?

rapiD Creek raNCH Brian & Sharon Brown Wetaskwin, AB 780-352-9934 rcrmaines795@gmail.com

• the docility of MaineAnjou cattle save feedlots money and days on feed

DoNaro FarMs Ross & Mike Spratt Melfort, SK 306-752-3808 or 752-6336 Donarofarms.com Magpie MaiNes John Hanbidge Saskatoon, SK 306-374-0763 www.magpiemaines.webs.com

• the carcass traits beat all other breeds by grading higher

WilkiNriDge stoCk FarM Sid Wilkinson Ridgeville, MB 204-373-2631 wilkinridge@xplornet.ca Bull sale - April 12, 2014 seCtioN 19 Cattle Co. Cam & Tracy Wood Portage le Prairie, MB 204-239-1553 Section19cattleco@gmail.com 5F FarMs Chad and Trina Fenske edmonton, AB 780-973-3759 cfenske3@hotmail.com

Foundations Fullblood Maine anjou sale CWC Cattle Co Craig and Miriam Cameron Millet, AB 780-387-6037 Wildberry Hills Maine-Anjou Reg and Jean Renton Thorsby, AB 780-818-9146 Stenberg Maine-Anjou Bob and Janice Stenberg Alder Flats, AB 780-388-2182 www.foundationssale.com April 3-5, 2014 ByMaN MaiNes Stuart Byman Wadena, SK 306-338-2972 bymancattleco@sasktel.net aBC Cattle Co. Stuart Mcintyre Whitewood, SK 306-735-2301 stuart.mcintyre@sasktel.net sHaNNoN MaiNes Dennis & Loree Shannon innisfail, AB 403-227-2008 shannon.maines@gmail.com Wise MaiNe-aNjou raNCH Leta,Deanna and Dallas Wise irricana, AB. 403-935-4395 www.wisemaines.com

I have had Maine-Anjou cattle for over thirty years. Their easy temperament, good milking and mothering abilities has given me a core herd that is easily managed. I chose easy calving bulls, which combined with these good mothers produce good weaning weights. After the BSE crises, I started a finishing operation that I continue to this day. Having a birth to finish operation gives me the unique opportunity to know the carcass yields of each animal. The large frame, well-muscled animals produce a premium carcass that is sought by the consumer. I do not use hormones to finish; I have always felt that with the good genetics of Maine-Anjou bulls the growth rate is not compromised.

Derek Benedict

Canadian Maine-Anjou Association 5160 Skyline Way N.E. Calgary, AB T2E 6V1 403.291.7077

www.maine-anjou.ca

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

FEED EFFICIENCY Hereford cattle are about 6.0% more feed efficient than other breeds, which is a significant economic factor for profitability.

HARDINESS They are hardy foragers, which means, under your practical management conditions they are better able to maintain their condition with less feed resources.

DOCILITY The Hereford temperament means they are easier to handle putting less stress on you and your handling equipment. Most importantly, the cattle business is a family business, so the docility of Herefords gives you peace of mind when your children and grandchildren are working along side.

LONGEVITY Hereford’s longevity means your replacement costs are lower and you get more value per dollar spent from your Hereford Bulls.

HYBRID VIGOR The purity of the Hereford breed and their ability to cross well with all other breeds of cattle make them a top choice for crossbreeding programs.

OPTIMUM PRODUCTION FOR MAXIMUM PROFITABILITY BUY ALBERTA HEREFORDS AT THESE SALES: Feb 25 . . . . Ulrich Hereford Ranch Bull Sale, Balog Auction, Lethbridge Feb 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Holloway Farms Production Sale, Veteran Feb 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3rd Chittick Family Ranch Bull Sale, Mayerthorpe Mar. 5-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114th Calgary Bull Show & Sale, Calgary Mar 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Harvie Ranching 5th Bull Sale, at the ranch, Olds Mar 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fraser’s Total Performance Bull Sale, Brooks Mar 18-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Medicine Hat Bull Show & Sale, Medicine Hat Mar 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . East Central Bull Sale, Veteran Mar 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Highway 16 West Bull Sale, Mayerthorpe Mar 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transcon’s Mountainview Bull Sale, Innisfail Mar 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35th Annual Bull’s Eye Sale, Brooks Mar 28 . . . . . . . . . . . .K-Cow 3rd Annual Bull Sale, at the ranch, Elk Point March 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peace Country All Breeds Sale, Dawson Creek Apr 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105th Lacombe Bull Show & Sale, Lacombe

R. R 2, New Norway, AB T0B 3L0 Phone 780-855-3912 Fax 780-855-3913 abherefords@xplornet.ca

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE GENETIC PROGRESS HEREFORD BREEDERS HAVE MADE IN ALL TRAITS.

Find Hereford Breeders in our Directory in print or online:

www.albertaherefords.com

MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

SPECIALIZING IN RED GALLOWAY

 calving ease

We are proud to present one of the largest selections of Red Galloways in Canada

 grass-based  strong maternal

Join us for our

 longevity  moderate frame

ALBERTA PLAID GALLOWAY Bull and Female Sale

BULLS LIKE THIS

Guest consignor : CHICKADEE FARM ( Jim and Laurel King )

March 18, 2014 1:00 p.m. at the Innisfail Auction Mart Sale catalogue available by request or on our website

FROM COWS LIKE THIS

Steve & Bonnie Schweer RR 1 Red Deer, Alberta, T4N 5E1 Phone: 403-227-3428 * Cell: 403-304-7354 Email: schweer@xplornet.com Website: www.albertaplaidgalloway.ca

Shellmouth, MB 204-564-2540 Be sure to check our website to ﬁnd out about our current heifer promotion!

2 yr old bulls sold private treaty off the ranch!

www.nerbasbrosangus.com

NOW here! “Buy the BEEF Bull Sale” The Future is

COME ON DOWN TO THE 10TH ANNUAL

April 1, 2014

1:00 p.m., Neepawa Ag Complex Neepawa, MB

Home Phone (306) 463-3225 Lorna’s Cell (306) 460-8520 Rob’s Cell (306) 460-7620

JAS

Red Angus

Doug & Jason McLaren

Ph: (204) 476-6248 or (204) 476-6723 Guest Consignors: SUNSET RIDGE ANGUS

www.dolittleangus.com Directions from Kindersley, SK 10 miles East on Hwy. #7 and 1.5 miles North

Selling

Registered Black Angus

by Private Treaty off the Farm Offering a Great Selection of Two Year Old (Virgin) & Yearling Bulls

DelivereD Free 1St 150 MileS

Featured AI Sires: • SAV 707 Rito 9969 • SAV Brand Name 9115 • SAV Providence 6922 • Mohen Dynamite 1356 • BJ’s Fort Walsh 823

• All bulls semen tested and delivered • Bulls are available for viewing anytime

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

PRAIRIE GRASS RED ANGUS BULL SALE

MARCH 29TH, 2014 1 PM at the farm, Swan River MB

50 TWO YEAR OLD & YEARLING RED AND BLACK ANGUS BULLS

24TH ANNUAL

SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2014 1:00 P.M. The Bull Pen Arena Thorlakson Feedyards Airdrie, Alberta 4.5 Miles East of Airdrie on #567 & 2 Miles North on RR 284

Inte rn Avaet Bid ilab din le g

www .dlm

s.ca

Bulls Sired by: Anderson’s Next Generation 20U Anderson’s Who’s Next 39S Brookmore Upward 116Y Red Baker’s Wild Card 814W Red McRaes Mohican 40X Feddes Big Sky R9

SELLING: PERFORMANCE TESTED YEARLING BULLS

Bulls can be viewed at Thorlakson Feedyards

View Color Catalogue & Video Preview Online at www.dlms.ca

Bruce: (204) 734-2073

www.andersoncattle.ca

RED ROCK RED ANGUS

BEISEKER RED ANGUS

Peter & Maxine Schmaltz

R.R. #2 Airdrie,A B T4B 2A4

(403) 912-1025

John, Karen, Jim, Laurie Brigan & Families RR #2, Site 8, Box 8, Airdrie,A B T4B 2A4

(403) 948-5215

(403) 948-5412

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

Registered (est. 1963) & Commercial (est. 1948) Black Angus Cattle • APHA & AQHA Horses

r ice u o Y ChoB ULL S ALE Friday

1:00 pm (CST)

•

A pril 18 • 2014

• Cowtown Livestock • Maple Creek SK

From the Delorme’s: South Shadow Angus Boundary Angus Kay Dee Angus

Yearling Bulls

All Semen Tested

From Boundary to repeat customer Earl Grosfield

Visitors & Inquiries Are Always Welcome

Breeding Quality Red Angus Since 1972

April 9, 2014 80 Yearling Red Angus Bulls Sale at the Ranch - 14 miles SW of Swift Current, SK

plus Guest Bear Creek 2 Yr. Olds

Visit Our Web Site For: Photos • Videos • EPDs • Performance Data Sale Catalog plus the ‘Watch & Bid Online’ details.

DLD UPWARD 24Z

Flying K Ranch Ltd.

* Performance, Semen, & CUP Ultrasound Tested * Sight Unseen Plan - Satisfaction Guaranteed! * All Bulls Fed at Home on the Ranch * Free Delivery in Western Canada

THUNDER 80Z 2013 FromSSASouth Shadow to repeat Sale customer Triple L Ranch Highlights

SSA GRIDIRON 98Z

From South Shadow to repeat customers T & C Leismeister

T hank You to all our Previous Customers

Home-Raised Ranch Stock Available: In April • Commercial Replacement Heifers In the Fall • Top-Cut Breds by private treaty Always • APHA/AQHA Horses Standing APHA 2x NRCHA Champion and AQHA Son of NCHA Hall of Famer

rmation o f in t s e u eq today to r mailing list. ll a c a s u Give d to our e d d a e b or to Don and Connie Delorme Box 28, Robsart, SK S0N 2G0

dcdelorme@sasktel.net HOME: 306.299.4494 CELL: 306.299.7778

Darby and Sarah Delorme boundaryranch@sasktel.net HOME: 306.299.2006

www.D elormeR anch.ca

View catalog & videos online mid-March www.flyingkranch.ca For more information or a catalog give us a call Brian, Christine, Dylan & Shane Hanel (306)773-6313

MARCH 3, 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Quality affordable ranch raised Bulls For ranchers

Mon. March 17, 2014 VJV Foothills auction Stavely, aB

Gloria Blades Nanton AB 403-646-2101

If you are interested in Genomics we genotype tested 84 bull calves for the most important traits in beef production resulting in Leptin - Feed Efficiency 58% homozygous TT 42% CT PMCH Tenderness & Marbling 82% AA 18% AT Catalogue Online After Feb 20th

www.coyotepub.com/blades or at vjvfoothillsauction.com

It PAYS to Study Ag

CABEF offers six $2,500 scholarships to Canadian students enrolling in agricultural or agri-business related programs.

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK 3rd Annual Sale Wednesday March 26, 2014 1:30 pm at the Ranch Kisbey

Selling 40+ Red & Black Angus Yearling Bulls by video sale

Deadline for applications: March 1, 2014

Apply at cabef.org @CABEFoundation

Merit 77X CABEF is a registered charity (#828593731RR0001). For more information on all registered charities in Canada under the Income Tax Act, please visit: Canada Revenue Agency www.cra-arc.gc.ca/charities.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

SPRUCE VIEW ANGUS Yearling Black Angus Bull Sale

Stout bulls with extra thickness, depth and hip.

70 BULLS ON OFFER! Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at the Ranch, Killam, AB, 1 PM (4kms S of Killam on HWY 36) Herd Sires and Dams on site Be our guest for lunch prior to sale, Spruce View Hospitality after.

E TO M I T Y N A N I STOP VIEW BULLS Call for more Information:

Wayne Grant: 780-385-2216 • Dallas Grant: 780-385-1443 spruceviewangus@icloud.com Killam, AB

Shane Castle 306-741-7481

Preview catalogue and video at www.spruceviewangus.com

Bulls sired by the leading AI sires in the industry such as Special Focus, Imprint 8317, Connealy Consensus, Hoover Dam, Basin Excitement, Triple V Glanworth, EXAR 263C, S A V Mustang 9134 & S A V Brand Name 9115.

They are impressive!

Saskatoon, SK

Selling 90+ Black Angus Yearling Several Calving Ease & Carcass Bulls • Complete Performance & Carcass Information Since 1989 • Deferred Payment Plan 60% Down Sale Day 40% December 1, 2014 No Interest • Sight Unseen Purchase Program

It’s not right with us, until it’s right with you! View the catalogue online at www.BuyAgro.com Dennis and David Johnston Conquest, SK S0L 0L0 (306) 856-4726 (306) 856-2027 (Fax) Dennis’ Cell (306) 227-2344 • David’s Cell (306) 867-7959 www.johnstonfertilevalley.com • ranchers@sasktel.net Call or email for a catalogue Dave Sanborn (306) 860-7073 JFVAd.indd 1

2/11/2014 11:47:57 AM

60 BULLS ON OFFER!

Wednesday, March 12 1:00 p.m. at Triple V Ranch

1 mile west of Medora on Hwy #3, then 2 1/2 miles south on Road 144W

This will be a video sale, come early to view the bulls.

“R A

S RE D A R E

US NG

Red & Black Angus Two-Year-Old Bull Sale

RODG

MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

AISED

FOR RA

!” SE U E

41st Annual Performance Test Bull Sale 50+ Yearling Bulls

April 8th, 2014 | 1pm

Perlich Bros. Auction Market Lethbridge, Alberta

For Catalogue or Information Contact

Practical

Profitable

Genetics

Website: www.vvvranch.com

Videos of the bulls and catalogue are available online. The Van Steelandts – Dan, Alana, Matt, Chris, Jess, Kelsey & Cheyenne Phone: Dan/Alana (204)665-2448 • Dan Cell (204)522-0092 • Matt Cell (204)264-0706

Shawn: 403.642.2041 bandkr@live.ca Mike: 1.877.888.BULL www.rodgersredangus.com Perlich Brothers: 403.329.3101

FEATURING: Open heifers from Monique and Matt Slingerland

ENTER OUR DRAW FOR A $250 BULL CREDIT Join us for complimentary lunch prior to the sale

Northern Alliance Bull Sale

MURPHY RANCH

at the Spiritwood Stockyards in the heart of North Central Saskatchewan

2 YEAR OLD RED AND BLACK

March 14, 2014 – 1:30 pm CST

POLLED LIMOUSIN BULLS

FOR SALE MXS 333A

JRAU 14Z

at our Ranch near Altario, AB

TOP GENETICS AND TOP QUALITY PROUD OWNERS OF 2 OF THE TOP 5 CANADIAN SHOW SIRES OF 2013

MXS 320A

JRAU 72A

• 35 Charolais Bulls • 34 Simmental Bulls • Semen evaluated • Guaranteed Breeders For catalogues or more info contact:

Martens Cattle Co.

Aumack Simmentals

Sylvan & Karen Martens Glenbush, Sask 306-382-2099 Home 306-883-7967 Cell

Randy & Kathy Aumack Russell & Brenda Aumack Spiritwood, Sask Rabbit Lake, Sask 306-824-4717 Home 306-883-8155 Cell 306-883-8617 Cell

www.aumacksimmentals.com

View our catalogue online at www.buyagro.com

CONTACT:

MURPHY RANCH

403-552-2191

FRANK’S CELL

780-753-1959

www.murphyranch.ca

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA â&#x20AC;˘ MARCH 3, 2014

Rivercrest - Valleymere 11 th Annual

Spady Bull Sale

Black Angus 120 Yearling Bulls

Wednesday, April 9th, 2014

at the Ranch

Herd Sires: BW WW YW MILK

Lead Off Bull & 2nd High Selling Bull at LLB 2012 Spring Sale

Bar e-L executor 23x

soo Line koDiak 9169

Sire: SAV Eliminator 9105 MGS: SAV 004 Predominant 4438

Sire: HF Kodiak 5R MGS: Bon View New Design 878

BW +1.8 WW +61 YW +114 MILK +27

BW +3.4 WW +65 YW +106 MILK +30

Sire: HF Tiger 5T MGS: Rainbow Hills Prime Cut 114P

BW +2.3 WW +58 YW +103 MILK +17

Peak Dot eLiminator 780z

2nd High Selling Yearling Bull at Peak Dot 2013 Spring Sale

Sire: Limestone Darkhorse U322 MGS: SAV Net Worth 4200

High Selling Yearling Bull at Bar E-L 2011 Spring Sale

BW +3.3 WW +54 YW +103 MILK +24

+4.2 +46 +92 +23

LLB Darkhorse 328y

Alliance, AB

FV manDate man 146y Sire: Sydgen Mandate 6079 MGS: FV 20K King 308M

* Volume Buyer Incentive * Sight Unseen Guarantee * Semen Tested * Free Delivery or $50 Credit if you take your bulls home Sale Day Visit our website for more details www.rivercrestangus.com

Craig Spady 403-740-4978 Travis Spady 780-879-2298 Tom Spady 780-879-2180 Brian Spady 780-879-2110

10th AnniversAry

Focus on the Future Bull Sale

WheaTland Bull 364a

Lock N Load X Wheatland Lady 752T

WheaTland CIRCuIT BReakeR 325a

Wheatland High Voltage X Wheatland Lady 81X

Selling 30 Red & Black Simmental Herd Builders - Purebred & Simm Angus

Tried - Tested - True In The Ring - In The Pasture - In The Progeny

WheaTland Bull 319a

Wheatland High Octane X Wheatland Lady 168Y

all Grand Champion Females at the 4 major shows sired by different Wheatland bulls.

View the catalogue online at www.wheatlandcattle.com

wheatland.indd 1

Vernon, Denise, Riley & Cody-Ray Lafrentz Ph: 306.634.7765 Cell: 306.421.2297 Email: wheatlandcattle@sasktel.net

2/11/2014 11:48:50 AM

MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

28 ANNUAL EDITION TH

Bar

3R Limousin The Rea Family Marengo, SK

19th AnnuAl

Bull SAlE march 20, 2014 • 1:00 pm (mST) croSSroadS cenTre – oyen, ab

SELLING RED bLACK POLLED 20 YEARLINGS & 20 2 YEAR OLDS

UNDER PRESSURE

KEVIN

306-463-7950

KEN

306-463-7454 306-968-2923

r3bar@hotmail.com

TITANIUM

Date: Sat. April 12, 2014 Place: Eionmor Stock Farm (The Morison’s) Time: Viewing of the Cattle at 10:00a.m. Dinner @ noon, Sale @ 1:00 p.m. On Offer: 30 yearling bulls, and 20 - 25 open purebred yearling heifers. At the farm 26 miles west of Innisfail, watch for signs

XIbIT

Free Delivery!

Consignors: Eionmor Stock Farm Shepalta Shorthorns

Talk to us about our Sight On Seen Purchase & Boarding Program

YOUNG GUN

ELVIS

www.shorthorn.ca or for more info, call Ken @ 403-728-3825 sale day: 403-877-3293 or 587-876-2544

TOLEDO

www.bohrson.com

CATALOGUE ON-LINE IN COLOUR AT www.LivestockXchange.ca CATALOGUE ON-LINE IN COLOUR AT:

Gray 305A

RSL Red Angus

Robert & Sharon Laycock 306-937-2880 306-441-5010 (c)

RSL 281Z

Spittalburn Farms

Michael & Sandi Gray 306-237-4729 306-227-1017 (c) www.spittalburnfarms.com

RSL 305A

Castlerock Marketing Shane Castle 306-741-7485 (c) Dean McAvoy 306-612-3326 (c)

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 3, 2014

SDC 5A BW: 98 lbs. Polled EPDs: CE: 91 BW: 1.0 WW: 34 YW: 70 Milk: 22.6 TM: 40

SDC 13A BW: 111 lbs. Polled EPDs: CE: 25 BW: 6.0 WW: 51 YW: 85 Milk: 14.3 TM: 40

Sight unseen purchase program

• Vet inspected

View catalogue online at www.sandancharolais.com

SDC 31A BW: 101 lbs. Polled EPDs: CE: 63 BW: 1.0 WW: 47 YW: 94 Milk: 27.7 TM: 51

Sandan_CBG.indd 1

SDCP 301A BW: 106 lbs. Full French Horned (PE) EPDs: BW: 6.5 WW: 55 YW: 98 Milk: 15.4 TM: 43

SDC 52A BW: 111 lbs. Polled EPDs: CE: 38 BW: 4.0 WW: 52 YW: 94 Milk: 15.0 TM: 41

SSS

SDC 63A BW: 108 lbs. Polled EPDs: CE: 51 BW: 3.8 WW: 51 YW: 93 Milk: 16.5 TM: 42

2/12/2014 10:24:19 AM

sale

MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Bulls for Sale - private treaty -

Yearling and Two-Year-Old Bulls

Godfrey Ranch CANADA’S NEWEST BREED

FOR SAlE BY pRIvATE TREATY

IRISh BlACkTM & IRISh RED CATTlETM

For Sale Top Quality High Performance Bulls

sired by excellent performance and carcass data sires easy calving - moderate birth weights - quiet disposition

Bulls sired by: Red Lazy MC Redman 35x & Red Red Rock Armada 513W

Also offering an outstanding set of females for sale private treaty!

Home: 403-578-2220 Cell: 403-740-9576 • Castor, AB

www.canadairishblack.com

JSJ GELBVIEH IS OFFERING TOP QUALITY YEARLING AND TWO YEAR OLD BULLS

For sale off the farm by Private Treaty. Contact James @ 204-741-0763

Four West Cattle Company - Red Angus -

Box 1167 Drumheller Ab T0J 0Y0 Aaron Stanger 403-820-4855 - fourwestcattle@gmail.com

www.fourwestcattle.com

JSJ Gelbvieh

James & Shayla Jasper Hartney, Manitoba Purebred and Fullblood Gelbvieh Cattle 204-858-2476 - James cell 204-741-0763

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA â&#x20AC;˘ MARCH 3, 2014

Peak Dot Ranch Ltd.

A reputation source for Angus seed stock that have been bred for performance, maternal traits and superior phenotype. Featuring large sire groups and affordable genetics for the cowman. Free delivery in a 500 mile radius of the ranch.

Spring Bull and Female Sale

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

At the Ranch, Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan

205 BULLS - 130 HEIFERS For Sale now at the Ranch ...

Peak Dot Ranch has 64 head of registered Angus heifers for sale by private treaty from our fall program . This is a seldom offered chance to acquire some of the top females from our program. Many daughters of SAV Eliminator 9105, SAV Bullet 0473, Peak Dot Dominator 42U, Peak Dot Pioneer 9X and Iron Mountain from the most popular cow families at Peak Dot.

Peak Dot Eliminator 1013Z

SAV Eliminator 9105 X Mohnen Dynamite 1356 BW: +3.7 WW: +59 YW: +107 M: +23 BW: 87 205 WT: 891

Peak Dot Bullet 1011Z

SAV Eliminator 9105 X Mohnen Dynamite 1356 BW: +4.1 WW: +60 YW: +116 M: +26 BW: 88 205 WT: 932 Peak Dot Unanimous 588A

Peak Dot Radiance 163A

SAV Eliminator 9105 X HF Power-Up 72N BW: +1.1 WW: +62 YW: +116 M: +27 BW: 64 205 WT: 943

SAV Eliminator 9105 X SAV 004 Predominant 4438 BW: +2.3 WW: +58 YW: +106 M: +23 BW: 86 205 WT: 823 Peak Dot Unanimous 551A

Peak Dot Unanimous 776A

Vision Unanimous 1418 X Peak Dot Predominant 92S BW: +2.5 WW: +62 YW: +116 M: +19 BW: 83 205 WT: 833 Peak Dot Unanimous 414A

SAV Eliminator 9105 X Stevenson Bruno 6371 BW: +2.5 WW: +51 YW: +102 M: +27 BW: 84 205 WT: 792

SAV Eliminator 9105 X Mohnen Dynamite 1356 BW: +2.8 WW: +55 YW: +108 M: +21 BW: 82 205 WT: 786 Peak Dot Eliminator 788A

SAV Bullet 0473 X Mohnen Dynamite 1356 BW: +3.2 WW: +52 YW: +97 M: +24 BW: 58 205 WT: 820

Peak Dot Pioneer 1087Z

SAV Eliminator 9105 X SAR New Trend 4100 2080 BW: +3.8 WW: +57 YW: +112 M: +21 BW: 86 205 WT: 829 Peak Dot Unanimous 603A

SAV Eliminator 9105 X SAV 004 Predominant 4438 BW: +3.1 WW: +54 YW: +100 M: +25 BW: 82 205 WT: 906 Peak Dot Unanimous 367A

SAV Eliminator 9105 X SAV 004 Predominant 4438 BW: +2.9 WW: +54 YW: +103 M: +25 BW: 81 205 WT: 859

Peak Dot Eliminator 718A

SAV Bullet 0473 X Mohnen Dynamite 1356 BW: +4.3 WW: +52 YW: +96 M: +25 BW: 89 205 WT: 818

View Sale Book and Sale Cattle Photo Gallery at www.peakdotranch.com or phone Carson Moneo 306-266-4414 Clay Moneo 306-266-4411 Email:peakdot@gmail.com

MARCH 3, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA