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debating bill c-18

DISASTER PLANNING NEEDED

Government pushes forward » Pg 27

It can happen here » Pg 28

SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | Vol. 72, No. 12 | $1.75 March 20, 2014 manitobacooperator.ca

Swede midge threat looms over Manitoba canola crops

WGRF asking farmers big funding questions

A deceptively tiny bug can wreak non-stop havoc in canola

Where do farmers want to go with funding research and how do they want to get there?

By Daniel Winters co-operator staff / Brandon

f you thought clubroot was scary, get ready for Swede midge — a voracious mosquito-like bug that can wreak havoc with your canola yields. First found in North America in 2000, and has appeared in low numbers in Manitoba in 2007 and 2013, said Julie Soroka, a Saskatoon-based entomologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “The most I’ve ever caught is

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By Allan Dawson co-operator staff / selkirk

he Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF), the farmerrun conduit for most of western grain farmers’ investment in agricultural research, wants farmers’ input on future funding and the foundation’s role. “Breeding is a long-term process,” WGRF executive director Gar th Pa t t e r s o n t o l d W i n t e r C e r e a l s Manitoba’s annual meeting March 12. “You have to look 10 or 15 years out. You have to start planning for that now if there are new models out there that farmers want to be involved in.” The WGRF is committed to continuing funding public research until at least 2020, Patterson said later in an interview. “What’s important for producer groups during the next one to two years is to make some decisions and start implementing plans,” he said. “We can’t wait until 2020. There has got to be a planned transition.” Potentially big changes are coming to how the WGRF is funded and how Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), which has received $82 million in WGRF funding since 1995, carries out its research. See WGRF on page 7 »

The Western Grains Research Foundation wants farmers to get involved in its strategic planning process. photo: ©thinkstock

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

INSIDE

Did you know?

LIVESTOCK

Cows learn better with a buddy

Higher than reported Zilmax took a higher toll in feedlots than earlier believed

Calves housed individually took longer to adapt to new things Staff

CROPS A first feed variety A feed grain research co-operative gets its first variety registered

FEATURE For the birds This winter? Not on your life!

CROSSROADS

ows learn better when housed together, which may help them adjust faster to complex new feeding and milking technologies on the modern farm, a University of British Columbia study has found. The research, published in PLOS ONE, shows dairy calves become better at learning when a “buddy system” is in place. The study also provides the first evidence that the standard practice of individually housing calves is associated with certain learning difficulties. “Pairing calves seems to change the way these animals are able to process information,” said Dan Weary, corresponding author and a professor in UBC’s Animal Welfare Program. “We recommend that farmers use some form of social housing for their calves during the milk-feeding period.” As farms become increasingly complex, with cattle interacting with robotic milkers, automated feeding systems and other technologies, slow adaptation can be frustrating for cows and farmers alike. “Trouble adjusting to changes in routine and environment can cause problems for farmers and animals,” Weary says, adding that the switch from an individual pen to a paired one is often as simple as removing a partition. Farmers often keep calves in individual pens, believing this helps to reduce the spread of disease. But Weary says that the concern is unwarranted if cows are housed in small groups. The study, conducted at UBC’s Dairy Education and Research Centre in Agassiz,

PHOTO: thinkstock

B.C., involved two cognitive tests for two groups of Holstein calves housed in individual pens or in pairs. In one test, the calves were taught to complete a simple task, approaching a black bottle full of milk and avoiding an empty white bottle. Then researchers switched the rules. “At first, both the individually housed and pair-housed calves initially struggled with the task, but after a few training sessions the pair-housed calves began approaching the correct bottle while the individually housed calves persisted with the old strategy, visiting the incorrect bottle more often,” said Rebecca Meagher, co-author.

An apple a day Keeps kids focused in school

4 5 8 10

Editorials Comments What’s Up Livestock Markets

Grain Markets Weather Vane Classifieds Sudoku

READER’S PHOTO

11 16 36 42

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

CP’s Hunter Harrison confirms grain is captive to rail Western Canada’s transportation mess and the railways’ response is getting lots of attention in the mainstream media By Allan Dawson

“If you miss (hauling container), you miss. It’s not like grain, or it’s not like coal, (where) if you’re a little bit late you’re still going to haul it.”

co-operator staff

ailway executives came out swinging last week following the federal government’s March 7 order to get the grain moving, while the western provinces stepped up the pressure on Ottawa to keep the pressure on. The Manitoba government followed Alberta and Saskatchewan’s lead in getting involved in the issue by striking a Provincial Task Force on Grain Transportation March 12 focused on making sure Manitoba farmers get their fair share of rail cars. Manitoba is also launching a review of flood-prone areas to help farmers move at-risk grain, establishing a grain bin listing service to store at-risk grain, and being flexible with road restrictions this spring. But it was the responses by CEOs for both national railways in newspaper and radio interviews that captured the most attention. CP Rail boss Hunter Harrison, confirmed what grain shippers have long feared — the railways view grain as something they can move now or later. Speaking to a Wall Street audience March 12 Harrison said bulk shipments. including grain, were “modestly” affected by the severe winter, but his railway did well moving container traffic. “Because that’s one commodity that we’re sensitive to,” the Globe and Mail quoted Harrison as saying. “If you miss, you miss. It’s not like grain or it’s not like coal, (where) if you’re a little bit late you’re still going to haul it. If that (intermodal) trailer comes in Friday night and you’re not able to handle it, it’s probably not going to be there Monday.”

Backlog

That’s why there’s a grain backlog, says Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association, which represents Western Canada’s major elevator companies. “The railways, driven by the economic benefit to their shareholders for efficiency, are not prepared to build any additional capacity in their systems to account for surge requirements or to recover from service failures,” the WGEA said in a statement. “The railways... are not concerned with the negative effect that untimely movement may have on the operations of grain companies and farmers.” Harrison said he is “irate” over the government’s actions, setting a minimum movement of 5,500 cars per week or face fines of up to $100,000 per day and demanded “an eyeball-to-eyeball” meeting with federal officials. CN Rail chief executive officer Claude Mongeau, speaking at the same investor meeting in New York, said he did not like the government’s “accusative tone,” adding the railways shouldn’t be singled out for the grain backlog. Mongeau blamed grain companies for not moving more grain earlier when the weather was good, in a March 11 interview with CBC’s “As it Happens.” “I’m still hopeful I will be able

Hunter Harrison

A wheat train pulls up next to a cargo ship at the Alliance Grain Terminal in Vancouver, British Columbia in October 2011. photo: REUTERS/Ben Nelms

to convince the government that Canada’s public interest would be best served by a commercial framework,” Mongeau said referring to Ottawa’s legislation.

Not backing down

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, who earlier in the crop year said the railways were doing an “adequate job” moving grain, showed no signs of backing down. “I’ve had a number of faceto-face meetings with rail representatives,” the Regina Leader Post quoted Ritz as telling reporters after speaking March 13 to the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities in Regina. “Neither Mr. Mongeau or Mr. Harrison were at those. They had the ability to be.” Grain shippers hope the government’s promised legislation will define adequate rail service within shipping contracts, as well as make the railways subject to fines when they fail to provide that service. T h a t ’s a l s o p a r t o f Saskatchewan Liberal MP Ralph Goodale’s four-point plan,

announced March 17, to improve western grain handling and transportation. The other three points are: • Establish an independent system to monitor, measure, analyze and report publicly on the system. • Launch a full new “costing review” to identify all the costs, revenues and efficiency gains in the system and how they are shared. • Provide some basic co-ordination in grain handling and transportation logistics. “The railway duopoly and the grain company oligopoly look out for themselves quite nicely, but farmers are held captive with no competitive options and no legal remedies,” Goodale said. “And that must change.” The railways aren’t the only ones to accuse the government of being heavy handed. William Robson and Benjamin Dachis of the C.D. Howe Institute condemned Ottawa’s “command and control” approach in a March 17 op-ed in the Globe and Mail. They claim the revenue cap “discour-

ages investment in the grain-handling capacity that farmers want.”

Revenue cap

That so-called “cap” is really a revenue entitlement, says Geoff Hare, chairman and CEO of the Canadian Transportation Agency. In an op-ed in the Winnipeg Free Press Hare wrote the entitlement is a compromise “between the desire of grain shippers to be protected against railway market power, the railways’ objective of having a more commercially oriented grain transportation system, and the need for all to have a degree of predictability.” The government used to set the maximum rate the railways could charge for moving grain. Under the entitlement the railways can charge whatever they want so long as the total revenue doesn’t exceed a set amount. The formula used to set the total, takes inflation into account but not increased railway efficiency. A lot of people don’t understand the entitlement system, Hare wrote. “Clearly, under this regime the

more grain that is being moved, the more revenue the railways are entitled to earn,” he wrote. “While there is a cap on the average rate, adjusted for railway inflation and distance travelled, they can charge per tonne, the more grain that CN and CP move, the more they earn.”

Low taxes

According to grain shippers, removing the entitlement would result in them paying more for the same poor service. Not only is CP Rail guaranteed good return on shipping grain, thanks to a deal struck when it was created more than 100 years ago the company benefits from lower taxes on those earnings than other corporations. In this month’s issue Canadian Business magazine reports that over the past decade CP Rail paid $138 million in cash taxes, amounting to just two per cent of its pre-tax profits. That compares to the 19 per cent rate CN Rail pays. Ac c o rd i n g t o C a n a d i a n Business, to encourage CP to build a transcontinental railway the Canadian government contract stated: “That the Canadian Pacific Railway Company shall be forever free from taxation by the Dominion…” The story notes that this tax break applies only to CP operations as they were contemplated when it was founded in 1881. allan@fbcpublishing.com

Important Changes to the Farmland School Tax Rebate What they mean to farmland owners As part of the Manitoba government’s ongoing commitment to support the rural economy and provide tax relief to farm families, you are eligible to receive up to an 80% rebate of the school taxes levied on your Manitoba farmland. Here are some of the recent changes to the rebate:

•

New deadline for 2011, 2012 and 2013 rebates – Your deadline to apply is now March 31, 2014.

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Changes to the 2013 rebate – Budget 2013 introduced more changes starting with the 2013 property tax year:

• •

Applying for the 2013 rebate – If you received a rebate for 2012, a pre-printed 2013 application was mailed to you. Crown Land – For 2013, you must complete your own application for a rebate on leased crown land.

Rebate application forms can be downloaded online. For more information:

Website: masc.mb.ca/fstr Email: fstr@masc.mb.ca Phone: 204.726.7068

» the rebate will be available only to owners of eligible farmland who are Manitoba residents » the annual rebate is limited to $5,000 per applicant and their spouses, common-law partners and controlled corporations

Lending and Insurance Building a strong rural Manitoba

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

OPINION/EDITORIAL

Unanswered questions

anitoba’s hog industry has moved from crisis to crisis since 2007 due to a long list of reasons, some of which — such as the Canadian dollar’s rise to near par against the U.S. — no one saw coming, and some of which — such as mCOOL — the industry saw coming, but was unable to prevent. The result has been that a lot of barns have closed and very few have opened. Laura Rance That’s left a serious break in the province’s Editor pork value chain particularly in the hogfinishing sector. According to the Manitoba Pork Council, there should be between 20 and 30 barns built annually in the province to replace barns that go out of production due to retirement or other causes. Only four barns were built between 2008 and 2013. The deficit of finished pigs available for processing is at 1.5 million pigs and growing. Manitoba’s two processors are operating at between 80 and 83 per cent capacity. U.S. plants operate at 97 per cent capacity. The pork council says the province needs the equivalent of 250 finisher barns, based on 2,000-pig capacity, or else the second shift at Brandon’s Maple Leaf plant is in jeopardy. If the second shift goes, the plant becomes uneconomic and 2,300 jobs will disappear, it says. Maple Leaf in Brandon and Hylife in Neepawa process about 4.7 million hogs annually, 2.2 million of which they raise themselves. About 500,000 come from Saskatchewan. The pork council says existing producers have maxed out their lines of credit and don’t have enough equity to borrow what it takes to build new finishing capacity at a cost of $500 to $600 per finisher space. This is all a precursor to the pork council’s proposal for a hog price stabilization plan and pork chain development plan, designed to ensure producers can better ride the downturns and to attract new investment capital. Stabilization payments in the form of a repayable loan, would be based on the difference between market returns and production costs. Participating producers would pay a $5 levy on all market hogs. The plan calls for a partial government guarantee on longterm and medium-term financing on new barns and working capital. The producer would contribute 33 per cent of the building cost and operating capital and ensure there was sufficient land available for manure disposal. Under this proposal, anyone wanting to produce hogs in Manitoba would need a licence from the council. To get a licence, one would need a contract with a buyer. These ideas may have merit. But they also raise questions for which the pork council has not yet offered answers. How does this idea affect small-scale producers who sell directly to their customers? What are the trade implications? And it is not clear how this proposal addresses the fundamental issue undercutting the economics of finishing hogs in Manitoba. Even with mCOOL and the Canadian dollar at near par, both of which should make the U.S. market less attractive, Manitoba is exporting three million weanlings annually to the U.S. So the problem isn’t that we don’t produce enough hogs to support local plants, the problem is there is more money to be made shipping them south. If it were otherwise, attracting new investment in finishing capacity wouldn’t be a problem. That issue must be addressed, either through a lower-cost production model or higher returns. There is nothing but more heartache to be gained by stabilizing something that is structurally unsound.

Men with shovels could do better The CEOs for Canada’s two national railways were busy shovelling out reasons last week for why they aren’t to blame for the grain transportation disaster. That included CP CEO Hunter Harrison, who by the way, last year topped the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business executive compensation list with a salary and bonus of $2.34 million and nearly $35 million in “other compensation” for his efforts to reduce operating costs by cutting locomotives, rail cars and workers. We’d like to suggest they could learn a thing or two from some guys in the old days who really knew how to shovel. See the article on the opposite page from the Manitoba Agricultural Museum. The museum describes in

detail how grain movement to port took place in the late 1920s, back when grain was shovelled into boxcars at elevator sidings and shovelled back out again when it reached port. One rail company unloaded an average of 1,447 cars per day at port over a five-month period, which makes today’s newly set targets of 5,500 hopper cars per week look rather wimpy considering today’s sophisticated technology and the rationalized transportation and handling system. Maybe if the senior executives weren’t paid so much there’d be enough money left over to hire people to do the work. laura@fbcpublishing.com

PEDv-infected herds linked by blood plasma feed But how they are linked remains under investigation By Dr. Harpreet Kochhar

would like to respond to your article published on March 13, 2014, to provide clarification about the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) investigation into porcine blood plasma as a potential cause of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) cases in Canada. To begin with, I should state that the CFIA’s investigation into feed is still ongoing. At this time, the agency’s scientific testing has been unable to demonstrate a definitive scientific link between the feed containing affected porcine blood plasma and illnesses in pigs. In your article, Dr. Doug MacDougald implies the CFIA’s testing had gaps in quality control and process. In fact, the CFIA’s scientific expertise has guided a reasoned and comprehensive scientific approach, using testing protocols that were appropriate and scientifically valid. Upon learning of a potential issue with contaminated plasma in feed, the CFIA promptly collected samples of both the affected plasma itself and the pelleted feed product that contained the plasma in question. The CFIA determined through laboratory testing that both the plasma and feed con-

OUR HISTORY:

tained PED virus genetic material. Further, the CFIA conducted a scientific experiment called a bioassay study. The study demonstrated that the porcine blood plasma in question contained PED virus capable of causing disease in pigs; however, it could not demonstrate that the feed pellets containing the blood plasma were capable of causing disease. In the spirit of transparency, the CFIA issued a public statement to its website on March 3 to provide an update on these test results. At that time, we stated we could not confirm a link between the affected feed and PED in Canada; however, we did not state there could not be a link. In fact, the CFIA has consistently said our investigation into feed continues. Dr. MacDougald is correct in stating that epidemiology shows several infected herds received shipments of the feed in question. This is something our experts are actively looking into, yet it is premature to make any conclusions until this investigation is complete. The CFIA prides itself in its scientific accuracy and integrity, and an investigation as complex as this takes time. Given the nature of the PED virus and how it spreads, it is possible that we may never know if feed was the exact cause of the infection in these confirmed Canadian cases. Dr. Harpreet Kochhar is Chief Veterinary Officer for Canada

March 1936

he Co-operator had started life as The Scoop Shovel in 1925, but adopted the new name in 1930. This is the cover from the March 1936 issue, which contained almost no advertising, reflecting the economic situation at the peak of the Great Depression. The exception was a few classified ads, including one for rattlesnake oil liniment and “14-Day Wonder Tablets and Blood Purifier.” Editor J.T. Hull’s editorial detailed a new book by economist John Maynard Keynes, described as “probably the world’s greatest economist.” According to Hull, Keynes described interest as “the monkey wrench in the machinery of industry and the unemployment will never be abolished until interest is abolished.” We reported that the University of Manitoba had arranged a series of farm broadcasts on CKY radio. Prizes were offered for the best essay submitted on the subject of the broadcast. For the best essay on “Suggested new uses for crop plants in Manitoba,” the winner would receive 35 pounds of Bison flaxseed, “a wilt-resistant flax and this amount is sufficient to seed one acre.” J.T. McFarland, who had been appointed by the federal government to take over the wheat stabilization program after the collapse of the Pools’ Central Selling Agency from 1930 to 1935, had addressed a luncheon of 700-plus in Calgary. He told the audience that he “had returned to Hon. W.D. Euler, minister of trade and commerce, the $9,000 gratuity tendered in connection with his forced retirement from the wheat board.”

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

COMMENT/FEEDBACK

Grain transportation by rail in pioneer Manitoba Moving the Prairie grain harvest was a gargantuan task, but there was a high level of co-ordination and communication Manitoba Agricultural Museum release

The railways were aware that if grain was not moved off the Prairies, then incoming traffic would be substantially reduced as purchases of goods would be curtailed and in the pioneer era everything moved by rail.

he railways in the era of steam locomotives, wooden boxcars and the telegraph as the chief method of communication were capable of turning in astonishing performances in moving grain to port terminals. The 1932 book The Canadian Grain Trade by D.A. MacGibbon, details the railway arrangements in 1928 that resulted in 306,545,807 bushels of grain railed to the Lakehead, 40,748,845 to Vancouver and 2,154,592 to Prince Rupert between August 1, 1928 and January 4, 1929. This movement required 286,023 carloads of grain. In the period Sept. 15 to Nov. 30, the period of heaviest movement, the CPR moved 111,475 loaded rail cars off the Prairies to the Lakehead. This is an average of 1,447 cars per day which equates to 35 trains a day with an average of 60 cars per train. As the Lakehead was the principal grain export port at the time, the loaded cars came to the Lakehead from grain delivery points throughout Saskatchewan and Alberta as well as Manitoba.

Marshal and control

Letters

The management needed to marshal and control this traffic was substantial. According to MacGibbon, the CNR station agents, when seeding began, submitted a weekly report detailing the acres seeded in the area. As the crop neared maturity, those reports began to estimate the yield. Using these reports, other CNR officials prepared a first estimate of the number of boxcars necessary to handle the crop. Management then reviewed these estimates and allotted boxcars to the grain movement taking into account the total number of boxcars available and the number required for other freight. Boxcars were moved into Western Canada and as they passed through western Canadian railway terminals, the cars were examined. If in good shape, the cars were marked as “Fit for Grain” and moved out to points on the branch lines. Cars that were not fit for grain were moved to repair shops. The boxcars were distributed over the system under the supervision of the railway dispatchers, railway district superintendents and divisional superintendents, all under the general supervision of the senior managers of their respective railways such as the Superintendents of Transporta-

We welcome readers’ comments on issues that have been covered in the Manitoba Co-operator. In most cases we cannot accept “open” letters or copies of letters which have been sent to several publications. Letters are subject to editing for length or taste. We suggest a maximum of about 300 words. Please forward letters to Manitoba Co-operator, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, R3H 0H1 or Fax: 204-954-1422 or email: news@fbcpublishing.com (subject: To the editor)

In the early part of the 20th century, D-10 locomotives were the CPR’s go-anywhere, doanything locomotive. As the train travelled over the subdivision, boxcars were switched along the way and passengers were picked up and dropped off at stations. The boxcar behind the engine is a Fowler-type boxcar. The CPR owned 33,000 of this car design. However, the car behind the Fowler is an older design, a wooden double-sheathed car. The heavy demand for cars in the fall resulted in a situation where the railways were reluctant to add new equipment which would be idle for a significant part of the year, so older equipment was patched up and kept for the fall “grain rush.”

tion for Western Lines and the general managers. The yield estimates by station would be used in determining this distribution. While MacGibbon specifically speaks about the CNR preparations, probably the CPR was as equally detailed in their preparations for the fall grain rush.

Yield estimates

The railways also had to marshal motive power and locomotives were moved west from eastern locations. To handle the fall grain traffic in the 1920s, between 200 to 300 additional locomotives and crews were needed every fall. Locomotives were moved from Eastern Canada where possible and the repair shops and storage yards of the railways were scoured for every locomotive that could be made operational. MacGibbon is silent as to where the additional train crews came from, however, the additional trains would require a number of crews to be added as well as more support personnel for the roundhouses and other facilities. Once harvest got underway, the work really began. Station agents would send in daily reports showing the amount of grain in store at each of the elevators at each station, the number of empty boxcars available the next day, the number of cars on the stations car order book plus other details. The reports went to people involved in car distribution at railway division points.

Time to revisit the wish list Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and his favourite farm organizations, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers, Barley Growers and others have finally won the day. They should be celebrating. For decades, they lobbied hard to get rid of the Crow benefit. They were sure that if only the railways were not hampered by rate regulations they would invest more in the

Distribution

The car distributors made the distribution on the basis of marketing in the various districts and divisions of the railway. For example, one district may be marketing 20 per cent of the crop, another 50 per cent and a third 30 per cent. As far as possible the available boxcars were distributed on this basis. As the railway districts were subdivided into divisions, the cars allocated to a district were then subdivided among the district’s divisions on the basis of marketing. Once the distribution orders were made, the orders were reviewed by senior management. Once the harvest was underway, with cars moving grain to port, the ports then served as the greatest source of empties. As the cars returned back through Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton they were forwarded to various points according to the distribution plans outlined above with records kept of where cars were sent to. If a change in weather conditions resulted in no grain being available for loading at some grain delivery points, when possible, the empty cars at these points would be redistributed to points where grain was available.

before, the bushels available at the various country elevators and the number of cars in the car order books of the various railway stations. This information was made available to the grain trade and helped the grain trade plan. So the railways then had to track where full and empty cars were left on sidings so that these cars could be picked up and for warded to where they were supposed to go. As well some of the loaded cars were destined for flour and malt plants on the Prairies and these movements needed to be tracked. Shop forces would be at full stretch particularly as steam locomotives required significant maintenance. Coal was the predominant locomotive fuel at the time so coaling towers and bucket-loading stations required constant flow of boxcars hauling coal to service them. Section crews or contractors then emptied coal out of the boxcars into the coaling towers or into the large buckets that the bucketloading stations used.

Lots of planning

All in all, the movement of grain in the pioneer-era period was subject to significant planning and effort. Of course in that period grain was the major export from Canada and a major earner for both railways. As well the railways were aware that if grain was not moved off the Prairies, then incoming traffic would be substantially reduced as purchases of goods would be curtailed and in the pioneer era everything moved by rail.

With this system, it was then possible to determine accurately the number of cars available for loading, the number loaded the day

2014 marks the 60th anniversary of the Manitoba Agricultural Museum, “Manitoba’s Diamond in the Rough.” For more information on the Manitoba Agricultural Museum, see the museum website or call the museum office at 204-637-2354.

system and give grain farmers better service. In 1995, they got their wish. But one more huge problem stood in their way — the Canadian Wheat Board. If only they could get rid of the board, they would realize much better prices and returns for their products in a free, deregulated market of their own choosing. Ritz delivered their fondest wishes with the “Marketing Freedom For Grain Farmers Act.” As of August 1, 2012 they were free at last.

The good news just kept getting better. A bumper crop last summer. Ideal weather. Good quality. High prices. All wishes granted. What could go wrong? Farmers currently stuck with mounting bills, grain that isn’t moving and falling prices need to revisit the wish list. Railway regulation, orderly marketing logistics and equitable delivery opportunities anyone? Nettie Wiebe Delisle, Sask.

Keeping track

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

FROM PAGE ONE SWEDE MIDGE Continued from page 1

five adult males, but if we ever get the numbers that Ontario has got, we’ll have to start growing alfalfa for hay because there’s probably more profit in it,” said Soroka, in a presentation on emerging canola pests at the recent CanoLAB 2014. So tiny that it looks like it couldn’t hurt a fly, in Ontario the cousin to wheat midge is causing such havoc that many farmers there have given up on canola due to devastating losses. Unlike its cousin, Swede midge can go through as many as five generations in a single growing season and overwinter in the soil anywhere in Canada where canola is grown.

Wet weather

Like its cousin, the bug emerges only in wet weather. The males only live for a day, but the females hang around for a couple more days — long enough to lay a few hundred eggs on the growing points of plants such as leaves, buds and flowers. The minuscule sap-sipping larvae do the most damage, but it depends mainly on when they start feeding. The earlier they appear, the more damage they cause. “If you have heavy damage before bolting, you can actually have total destruction of your seed potential,” said Soroka, adding that the flowers turn into “bottles” that never open.

“If you have heavy damage before bolting, you can actually have total destruction of your seed potential.”

It can’t hurt a fly, but Swede midge larvae can unleash an orgy of destruction throughout the canola growing season. photo: Daniel Winters

Swede midge is nearly impossible to control chemically. Adults are weak fliers, but they are often blown in from other areas. Also, because they only live for a few days, detection and spraying effectively is very difficult.

In the soil

Once in the pupae stage in the soil, there’s no effective solution, she added. “Canola is susceptible for a long period of time. It’s not like wheat, where once wheat has passed the growth stage, the midges are gone,” said Soroka.

Early seeding helps the canola to get a head start on the bug and heavier seeding rates may offer a dilution effect. In Sweden, farmers have learned to cope with the bug by working together. By synchronizing their cropping plans, and only planting canola once out of every four years, they find that it can be outmanoeuvred, she added. However, their canola acreage is much lower than here, and they often use mouldboard plows to bury the insect B:10.25”a strategy that pupae in the soil, Soroka said isT:10.25” very effective.

The good news is that the bug can’t thrive under dry conditions, but the bad news is that it can hang around for another year. Even worse is the fact that biological control agents or natural enemies of the critter in Canada are “zero, zippo, nil.” Cabbage seed pod wee vil is another reason to avoid tight canola rotations, but unlike Swede midge it can be effectively controlled with insecticides. MAFRD entomologist John Gavloski said that the top three insect pests for canola this

Julie Soroka

year are flea beetles, grasshoppers and possibly cutworms depending on winterkill. Diamondback moths and other airborne bugs are impossible to predict, however. “The two that I think people should be at least watching for and maybe anticipating are flea beetles and if we get a hot, dry year, grasshoppers,” said Gavloski. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

WGRF Continued from page 1

Part of the WGRF’s money comes through checkoffs western Canadian wheat and barley farmers pay when they sell those crops. The checkoffs of 30 and 50 cents a tonne from wheat and barley, respectively, were collected by the Canadian Wheat Board but ended with its demise July 31, 2012. The temporary checkoffs the federal government established end July 31, 2017. But newly created wheat and barley associations and commissions in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta are prepared to take over the checkoffs. What’s unclear is whether they will channel most of the money they collect through the WGRF or dole it out themselves. Those new associations, including the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association, just recently joined the WGRF. Meanwhile, AAFC says it will focus on upstream varietal development, instead of releasing market-ready cultivars. “They haven’t given us dates, but they have said that to give more space to private industry,” Patterson said. Th e WGR F, made up of 18 commodity and general farm organizations includi n g M a n i t o b a’s Ke y s t o n e Agricultural Producers, will meet in July to tackle some existential questions. “We’re asking the big questions like, what does success look like?” Patterson said. “Is it important to continue to have public varieties, but do you also want to attract the investments that private industry is making and commercializing in other parts of the world so you have choices?” Patterson said the WGRF is not threatened by the possibility of reduced funding and a smaller role in research, noting the goal is doing what’s best for farmers.

Western Grains Research Foundation members

“We think there’s value in taking a western Canadian approach but that will really be up to yourselves ( Winter Cereals Manitoba) and others to decide in the end,” Patterson said. “We do have some expertise and experience so we think it makes sense for us to be involved, but we recognize commissions and associations will be the ones collecting the checkoff. They’re the ones that have to make the decisions on that.” The WGRF typically invests $7 million a year from funds raised by the checkoffs — $6 million for wheat and $1 million for barley. No matter what happens the WGRF will continue to administer its endowment fund, currently at $109 million, he added. Last year, the fund earned $18 million, but there are no guarantees, Patterson said. Some years the fund has earned nothing or lost money. In 2013, the WGRF invested $3 million from its endowment fund into research, bringing total projects to 130, Patterson said. Then there’s the question of how to invest farmers’ money.

Patterson said farmers still want publicly developed varieties, which to this point account for 95 per cent of the West’s wheat and barley acres. It’s no wonder given the return on investment. “It works out for every $1 of wheat checkoff going in from farmers there’s about $20 of value through the varieties whether it’s fusarium or midge (mitigation) or higher yield,” he said. A A F C s c i e n t i s t s Ju l i a n Thomas and Rob Graf concluded in a study last year Canadian wheat yields increased by an average of 1.4 per cent a year since the mid1990s when the research checkoff was introduced, Patterson said. Most of those new wheats came from AAFC. The researchers said half the gain came from improved genetics and the rest from better management. “They found this 1.4 per cent is a little bit higher than the average gains in wheat yields around the world,” Patterson said. The yield gains are similar to canola’s, during the same period, added Winter Cereals director Garth Butcher, who farms near Birtle.

With the pending introduction of UPOV ’91 and stronger plant breeders’ rights, probably followed by end-point royalties, some farmers are wondering if farmers should own the varieties developed through their investment. In addition to varietal development the WGRF is funding many agricultural research projects ranging from wheat genomics and weed management, to pulse disease management and establishing a pest monitoring network. O n e o f i t s m o s t re c e n t projects is a study on where publicly funded agronomic research is at and where it is going, Patterson said. “Most have said to us public production research is important and should continue and we shouldn’t rely only on the private sector for that,” he said. The WGRF was created by several farm organizations in 1981 thanks to a $9-million endowment fund — money left from the federal government’s defunct Prairie Farm Assistance Act. It began administering funds from the wheat and barley checkoff in the 1993-94 crop year.

Garth Patterson, executive director of the Western Grains Research Foundation wants farmers’ input on farmers’ role in funding research and the foundation’s future. photo: allan dawson

The WGRF receives excess grain-shipping revenues and related fines when the railways exceed their statutory entitlement, also referred to as the revenue cap. It has a staff of seven — five full time and two part time. allan@fbcpublishing.com

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

Disasters at home can have worldwide impacts Not all locations have the same value when it comes to flood mitigation and disaster management — rural municipalities need to evaluate By Shannon VanRaes co-operator staff

“… what a society or people are willing to invest in terms of proactive risk reduction for a pasture might be different than for a hydro dam.”

u n i c i p a l i t i e s d o n’t have to wait for a flood to figure out where they are most vulnerable and what they can do to protect key resources, a climate change mapping expert told the recent Disaster Management Conference in Winnipeg. Harvey Hill of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s climate decision support and adaptation unit explained the benefits that a land and infrastructure resiliency assessment could provide to rural municipalities. It all begins with good data. “If you do that kind of mapping in advance and create a librar y of maps for your local RMs across the province... then you have a really powerful tool for planning,” said Hill, adding that effective mapping can also assist municipalities when it comes to seeking financial assistance for flood mitigation projects. Manitoba has a head start when it comes to high-quality mapping. Along with Alberta, the province leads the country in the amount of land that has been mapped using Lidar — a remote sensing technology that uses lasers to create a high-resolution, three-dimensional map. But high-tech solutions aren’t the only answer, said Hill. The infor mation col-

Harvey Hill AAFC

Harvey Hill of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s climate decision support and adaptation unit. Photo: Shannon VanRaes

lected from mapping should be checked against local knowledge of flooding. “That means you’re going to have to look at your landscape, which ones are vulnerable. Ideally have some way of either using analogue events from the past or some modelling or some conversation with experts to be able to identify the kind of damage you would expect,” he said.

WHAT’S UP Please forward your agricultural events to daveb@fbcpublishing.com or call 204-944-5762. March 20: Prairie Improvement Network (MRAC) annual meeting, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Canad Inns, 2401 Saskatchewan Ave. W., Portage la Prairie. For more info call 204-982-4790. March 24: Workshop: Growing opportunities with local food, 4:30 to 9 p.m., location TBA, Teulon. To register call 204-461-2978 or email Jayne. kjaldgaard@gov.mb.ca. March 25: Workshop: Growing opportunities with local food, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., location TBA, Steinbach. To register call 204-3927268 or email joy.lorette@gov.mb.ca. March 26: Grain Summit 2014, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saskatoon Inn, 2002 Airport Dr., Saskatoon. Topic: The current state of grain movements, price and income prognosis. For more info or to register call 306-966-4054 or visit www.grainsummit2014.ca. April 5: Giant pumpkin growers’ seminar, 1:30 p.m., Roland United Church, 66 Third St., Roland. For more info contact Derek at 204-343-2563, Bob at 204-343-2283 or Art at 204-343-2314. April 9: Manitoba Pork annual general meeting, Fairmont Winnipeg, 2 Lombard Pl., Winnipeg. To register call 204-237-7447 or email jbaird@mani tobapork.com.

April 14-16: Canadian Global Crops Symposium: Growing Demand, Fairmont Hotel, 2 Lombard Place, Winnipeg. For more info call 204-9252130 or visit www.canadagrainscoun cil.ca. April 24: Agriculture in the Classroom - Manitoba (AITC-MB) 25th annual general meeting, 5 p.m., Western Canadian Aviation Museum, 958 Ferry Road, Winnipeg. For more info call 1-866-487-4029. April 28-29: Advancing Women: Life Skills for Leadership-Women in Ag Conference, Deerfoot Inn, 1000-1150035th St. SE, Calgary. For more info visit www.advancingwomenconference.ca. Oct. 6-9: International Summit of Co-operatives, Centre des Congres de Quebec, 1000 boul. Rene-Levesque E., Quebec City. For more info visit http:// www.sommetinter.coop. Nov. 17-19: Canadian Forage and Grassland Association conference and AGM, Chateau Bromont, 90 rue Stanstead, Bromont, Que. For more info email c_arbuckle@canadianfga. ca or call 204-254-4192.

It also means making decisions about what rural infrastructure is most valuable. “Some environments have lower values than others. I

don’t mean that a beautiful location or individual people don’t have value, I simply mean that what a society or people are willing to invest in ter ms of proactive r isk reduction for a pasture might be different than for a hydro dam. We can’t invest in the same levels of risk reduction in all locations,” said Hill. Changes in the rural tax base over the last five or six decades have also affected the amount of resources many rural communities may have to put towards flood mitigation, he said, adding that protecting the rural economy takes planning. Hill noted that a hit to Prairie farming can easily reverberate across the globe. When millions of acres went

unseeded in 2010 and 2011, it was linked to rising food prices worldwide and even to the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia. “ Whatever the reason, they’re having difficulty moving grain, it affects all sorts of other factors, if affects the whole economy, so when we think about these disasters, flooding... let’s think about these things proactively, let’s think about these things systematically so that we can not only avoid loss of life and loss of homes, but also loss of opportunities,” Hill said. “Vulnerability isn’t something that’s just ahead of us, it’s here now, so what do we do? Well, we’re going to have to develop our resilience.” shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

Winter wheat backlog threatens fall demand Jake Davidson fears last fall’s unprecedented early demand might not be repeated if a large volume of winter wheat is carried over By Allan Dawson co-operator staff / selkirk

or the second year in a row, winter wheat is projected to be one of the most profitable crops in Manitoba. But it won’t be as attractive this fall if last year’s crop doesn’t move soon, says Jake Davidson, executive manager of Winter Cereals Manitoba. “My biggest concern is with the slow movement this year,” he said during an interview following Winter Cereals Manitoba’s annual meeting March 12. “If it’s carried over demand for winter wheat in August might be a little on the thin side.” The backlog in rail shipments is affecting all western Canadian crops. Last fall, winter wheat was in high demand from grain companies. If those companies don’t move most of the crop by this fall, or lose money, they might be less aggressive buyers this fall, Davidson said. “It was a real boon (last fall),” he said. “People were getting phone calls on the combine from different companies bidding it up.” For example, Paterson Glo-

Winter wheat was in strong demand right off the combine last fall, but Jake Davidson, executive manager of Winter Cereals Manitoba fears demand this fall will weaken if the railways fail to move more of last year’s winter wheat to market. photo: allan dawson

balFoods purchased and piled almost 3.8 million bushels of wheat outside its Winnipeg and Morris terminals. The company just started moving it out earlier this month. Under the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly, farmers had never delivered and sold so much winter wheat so early in the crop year, Davidson said. Meanwhile, the gap between

winter and spring wheat prices has narrowed. “As the quality (of winter wheat) gets better it is going to contend very highly,” Davidson said. “The new varieties are all excellent milling wheats.” One of those new varieties is AC Flourish, which yields better, is shorter and has higher protein than the popular CDC Falcon. That variety moves to

the Canada Western General Purpose class Aug. 1, from the Canada Western Red Winter. Falcon is by far Manitoba’s most popular winter wheat, accounting for 84 per cent of its winter wheat acres in 2013, according to crop insurance data. However, because of its lower baking quality, the grain industry agreed to remove it from the CWRW class once a suitable replacement was available. Davidson predicts Falcon acres will remain high in Manitoba because much of it is grown for livestock feed. Another AAFC variety, AC Emerson, will be available from Canterra Seeds this fall. It is the first wheat of any type in Western Canada rated as resistant to fusarium head blight. Although AC Emerson has an “R” rating, it isn’t immune to fusarium. Farmers should still take steps to mitigate the impact of the fungal disease. Limited supplies of AC Gateway, another AAFC variety, will be available from Seed Depot under an identity-preserved program this fall. Full commercial release is expected in 2015. Davidson estimates Manitoba farmers planted between 410,000 and 430,000 acres of winter wheat last fall — about the same number as was harvested in 2013. In the fall of 2012, Manitoba farmers planted 615,000 acres of winter wheat, but about a third of those acres — mostly in western Manitoba — didn’t survive due to dry seedbeds followed by a tough winter. Seeding conditions were better last fall, and while the 201314 winter has been colder than average many areas had good snow cover, Davidson said. Winter Cereals Manitoba collects a 50-cent-a-tonne checkoff on winter wheat sales with most of the money raised invested in research.

“We’ve committed $300,000 or so to winter wheat research into cold hardiness and extending the seeding period,” Davidson said. Some of that money is going to University of Saskatchewan researchers Ravindra Chibbar and Monica Baga. Their work could cut the development time of new winter wheat varieties by almost half, Chibbar told the meeting. The association is also investing funds into a Growing Forward 2 project and at the University of Manitoba. Although Canada is famous for its high-quality spring milling wheat, most of the wheat traded and consumed in the world is the winter type. Wheats are similar to oils used in the combine, Jim Smolik, the Canadian Grain Commission’s assistant chief commissioner, told the meeting. You don’t put transmission oil in the engine, he said. “They all have a different functionality,” Smolik said. “That’s a thing I learned coming to the grain commission. I farmed for 32 years. Coming to the grain commission, boy, my eyes got pretty big, pretty quick.” Asian steam buns are mainly made with winter wheat flour because of its bright, white flour, while winter and Canadian Prairie Spring wheat flours are well suited for Asian noodles, Smolik said. About half of Canada’s wheat is exported to Asia and about 40 per cent of that goes for noodles and steam buns, returning western farmers about $1.1 billion a year, he said. Preliminary quality research on AC Flourish and Moats, another winter wheat, showed good results, Smolik said. But he stressed since it’s based on just one year of data the findings aren’t definitive. allan@fbcpublishing.com

Low turnout bug hits Winter Cereals Manitoba Speakers outnumbered farmers at this annual meeting By Allan Dawson co-operator staff / selkirk

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More than 2,300 Manitoba farmers sold winter wheat in 2013, but only four attended Winter Cereals Manitoba’s annual meeting March 12. And all were association directors. Since the association needs 20 members for a quorum, the meeting, which attracted several industry people, focused on presentations from invited speakers. Association president Doug Martin said he was surprised by the poor turnout, especially since many farmers in the Selkirk area grow winter wheat. The meeting was well advertised in advance. Attendance has been low at previous annual meetings held around the province in hopes of attracting more farmers. Winter Cereals Manitoba isn’t alone. Most Manitoba commodity groups are struggling to get farmers to attend their annual meetings.

Only 17 voting members attended the Manitoba Canola Growers Association’s annual meeting in February even though it has around 9,000 members and the meeting was held in conjunction with the CropConnect Conference attended by almost 600 farmers the same day as the meeting. Only a handful of farmers attended the corn, flax, pulse and sunflower growers’ meetings also held during CropConnect. There are lots of theories about why. One is there are fewer, bigger farmers now with less time for meetings. Attendance at canola grower annual meetings held during Ag Days, which attracts thousands of farmers, has been low too. Some farmers avoid annual meetings for fear of being roped into a job. Others feel they have better things to do. Apathy might be a factor, especially when so many organizations are vying for farmers’ attention. allan@fbcpublishing.com

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

LIVESTOCK MARKETS Cattle Prices Winnipeg

March 14, 2014

Burger demand spurs record slaughter cattle values

Steers & Heifers — D1, 2 Cows 90.00 - 97.00 D3 Cows 80.00 - 90.00 Bulls 90.00 - 104.00 Feeder Cattle (Price ranges for feeders refer to top-quality animals only) Steers (901+ lbs.) 140.00 - 162.00 (801-900 lbs.) 155.00 - 167.00 (701-800 lbs.) 160.00 - 188.00 (601-700 lbs.) 175.00 - 205.00 (501-600 lbs.) 185.00 - 218.00 (401-500 lbs.) 190.00 - 225.00 Heifers (901+ lbs.) 125.00 - 150.00 (801-900 lbs.) 140.00 - 163.00 (701-800 lbs.) 145.00 - 168.00 (601-700 lbs.) 155.00 - 186.00 (501-600 lbs.) 165.00 - 197.00 (401-500 lbs.) 170.00 - 205.00

Heifers

Alberta South $ 140.00 - 140.00 141.50 - 141.50 90.00 - 108.00 80.00 - 94.00 — $ 150.00 - 162.00 159.00 - 174.00 170.00 - 189.00 185.00 - 206.00 200.00 - 221.00 203.00 - 225.00 $ 131.00 - 147.00 145.00 - 161.00 157.00 - 172.00 167.00 - 186.00 176.00 - 198.00 184.00 - 204.00

($/cwt) (1,000+ lbs.) (850+ lbs.)

(901+ lbs.) (801-900 lbs.) (701-800 lbs.) (601-700 lbs.) (501-600 lbs.) (401-500 lbs.) (901+ lbs.) (801-900 lbs.) (701-800 lbs.) (601-700 lbs.) (501-600 lbs.) (401-500 lbs.)

Futures (March 14, 2014) in U.S. Fed Cattle Close Change April 2014 146.63 0.47 June 2014 136.88 1.41 August 2014 134.78 1.63 October 2014 138.10 1.43 December 2014 139.03 1.01 February 2015 139.70 1.00 Cattle Slaughter Canada East West Manitoba U.S.

Feeder Cattle March 2014 April 2014 May 2014 August 2014 September 2014 October 2014

Feeders also rose on strong futures and a weak loonie

Previous Year 51,836 12,057 39,779 — 598,000

CNSC

Ontario $ 138.69 - 159.08 120.28 - 153.67 71.82 - 101.38 71.82 - 101.38 92.12 - 117.06 $ 149.78 - 172.03 156.63 - 174.59 147.05 - 183.28 152.51 - 198.18 166.47 - 208.98 163.76 - 211.79 $ 135.88 - 152.38 128.95 - 163.00 130.00 - 161.70 136.65 - 169.41 139.35 - 177.27 132.70 - 179.45

Close 173.98 175.93 177.00 178.35 177.65 176.80

Week Ending March 8, 2014 952 32,359 15,450 589 687 8,795 78

Prime AAA AA A B D E

Change 2.57 3.13 3.55 2.93 2.63 2.25

Previous Year 725 26,270 13,876 561 603 9,160 73

Hog Prices Source: Manitoba Agriculture

(Friday to Thursday) ($/100 kg) E - Estimation MB. ($/hog) MB. (All wts.) (Fri-Thurs.) MB. (Index 100) (Fri-Thurs.) ON (Index 100) (Mon.-Thurs.) P.Q. (Index 100) (Mon.-Fri.)

Current Week 220.00 E 206.00 E 216.30 213.84

Futures (March 14, 2014) in U.S. Hogs April 2014 May 2014 June 2014 July 2014 August 2014

Last Week 207.49 194.33 203.14 200.85

Close 118.93 123.20 127.60 124.85 123.10

Last Year (Index 100) 155.98 144.64 143.34 148.85

Change 6.52 6.35 8.25 6.85 6.65

Other Market Prices Sheep and Lambs $/cwt Ewes Choice Lambs (110+ lb.) (95 - 109 lb.) (80 - 94 lb.) (Under 80 lb.) (New crop)

Winnipeg (00 head) (wooled fats) — — Next Sale March 19 —

Chickens Minimum broiler prices as of May 23, 2010 Under 1.2 kg................................... $1.5130 1.2 - 1.65 kg.................................... $1.3230 1.65 - 2.1 kg.................................... $1.3830 2.1 - 2.6 kg...................................... $1.3230

Turkeys Minimum prices as of March 16, 2014 Broiler Turkeys (6.2 kg or under, live weight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $1.935 Undergrade .............................. $1.845 Hen Turkeys (between 6.2 and 8.5 kg liveweight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $1.925 Undergrade .............................. $1.825 Light Tom/Heavy Hen Turkeys (between 8.5 and 10.8 kg liveweight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $1.925 Undergrade .............................. $1.825 Tom Turkeys (10.8 and 13.3 kg, live weight truck load average) Grade A..................................... $1.825 Undergrade............................... $1.740 Prices are quoted f.o.b. farm.

Toronto 73.35 - 105.57 125.40 - 168.39 182.88 - 195.86 184.31 - 209.27 189.78 - 241.44 —

SunGold Specialty Meats 40.00

Minimum prices to producers for ungraded eggs, f.o.b. egg grading station, set by the Manitoba Egg Producers Marketing Board effective June 12, 2011. New Previous A Extra Large $1.8500 $1.8200 A Large 1.8500 1.8200 A Medium 1.6700 1.6400 A Small 1.2500 1.2200 A Pee Wee 0.3675 0.3675 Nest Run 24 + 1.7490 1.7210 B 0.45 0.45 C 0.15 0.15

Goats Winnipeg (00head) Toronto (Fats) ($/cwt) Kids — 65.30 - 264.50 Billys — — Mature — 64.31 - 203.35

Horses <1,000 lbs. 1,000 lbs.+

armer weather and recent strong prices brought large numbers of cattle to auction yards across Manitoba during the week ended March 14. Many auction yards reported seeing almost double the amount of cattle marketed compared to a week ago, as farmers took advantage of record-high prices amid good weather conditions. Winnipeg Livestock Sales, Killarney Auction Mart and Heartland Livestock Services at Virden even reported seeing more than double the amount of cattle compared to the week prior. But from here on in, volumes are expected to slow down as supplies start to dwindle, said Robin Hill of Heartland at Virden. “Road bans aren’t very far away. So that usually slows the cattle movement down too,” he added. Prices for feeder cattle continued to move higher during the week, seeing gains of one to two cents per pound, Hill said. Strength in the U.S. cattle futures market, paired with ongoing weakness in the value of the Canadian dollar, helped lift feeder prices. Good demand is also supporting the market, with feeder cattle heading south, east and west, said Hill. Strong demand for hamburger also helped slaughter cattle prices move to record-high levels during the week. “It’s never been this high, never ever in our lives,” said Hill. “Nobody will ever have seen the prices on the butchers this high ever.” Strong volumes also continued to come to slaughter markets, as producers were taking advantage of the profitable prices. Farmers, he added, are being stricter on

Toronto ($/cwt) 28.00 - 49.00 20.00 - 49.00

robin hill

their culling, and will sell a cow if she loses a calf this season. “I don’t think they’ll be keeping an empty cow around and feeding her for another year waiting on money; they’re going to cash in on them,” he added. Demand is expected to remain strong on both sides of the market, which should keep a firm floor under prices going forward. Hill expects the feeder trade to stay at the profitable levels seen recently, while slaughter cattle prices have a good chance of remaining steady to strong going forward. “I can’t see the cow trade dropping drastically today unless we get some big volumes of cull cattle,” he said. “And I think we’ve moved the big volumes. I think we’re into smaller volumes.” Demand for feeder and slaughter cattle from Manitoba is expected to remain strong for the rest of the season, with feeder cattle heading in all three directions, and the slaughter cows heading west and south. Transportation problems are an ongoing concern, though it hasn’t curbed demand or movement out of the province too much, Hill said. “Everybody complains about (transportation problems), but we’re seeming to get them moved,” he said. Terryn Shiells writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

briefs

Smithfield halts hog kill at North Carolina plant due to virus Reuters

Eggs

Winnipeg ($/cwt) — —

“I can’t see the cow trade dropping drastically today unless we get some big volumes of cull cattle.”

Terryn Shiells

Cattle Grades (Canada)

Week Ending March 8, 2014 59,363 14,176 45,187 — 548,000

$1 Cdn: $0.9020 U.S. $1 U.S: $1.1087 Cdn.

COLUMN

(Friday to Thursday) Slaughter Cattle

Slaughter Cattle Grade A Steers Grade A Heifers D1, 2 Cows D3 Cows Bulls Steers

EXCHANGES: MARCH 7, 2014

Smithfield Foods Inc., the world’s largest pork processor, suspended hog slaughter at its Tar Heel, North Carolina, plant March 14 because of the spread of the deadly porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) which has tightened hog supplies, industry sources said. The Tar Heel plant, the company’s largest porkprocessing facility, reduced its slaughter schedule this

week to four days from five days, said the sources, who have knowledge of the plant’s operations and hog purchases. They requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. While it is not slaughtering hogs on Friday, the plant is processing meat from this week’s kill, the persons said. Smithfield, acquired last year by China’s Shuanghui International, said it does not comment on daily operations, minor disruptions, and openings or closings of processing plants. The move follows days of market talk about U.S. pork processors cutting back working days because of

reduced supplies, a measure that reflects the growing damage caused by the virus. The Tar Heel plant is the largest pork-processing plant in the United States, with an estimated slaughter capacity of 30,000 to 34,000 hogs a day. Smithfield’s decision to reduce the kill schedule in response to the hog virus is expected to be repeated by other companies in the weeks ahead as U.S. pork processors struggle to source hogs, analysts said. Swine specialists estimate that at least four million to five million hogs have died of PEDv since it was identified in the United States in May 2013.

Looking for results? Check out the market reports from livestock auctions around the province. » PaGe 14

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

GRAIN MARKETS Export and International Prices

column

Pressure on soy may limit further rise in canola All U.S. wheat futures rose on U.S. Plains drought Phil Franz-Warkentin CNSC

CE Futures Canada canola contracts moved higher during the week ended March 14, hitting their strongest levels in three months on the back of speculative short-covering and some new fund buying. Canola remains incredibly cheap compared to soybeans, but whether canola can keep moving higher — or just not fall to the same extent as beans as they start to trend lower — remains to be seen. While winter weather is still holding on across much of the Prairies, spring is just around the corner and some signs are starting to show themselves. The logistics issues that have plagued the Prairies over the winter are also showing signs of thawing out, with the improving basis levels playing the role of the proverbial crocus in the snow. However, just as with frozen pipes that could remain a problem into the summer, the depth of the grain movement problems means big supplies and logistics will remain a bearish influence overhanging the market for a long time to come. In the near term, a combination of improving basis levels and the rising futures helped canola cash bids rise above $9.50 per bushel in many locations, and prices even topped $10 per bushel in some cases. May canola improved by nearly $11 per tonne over the course of the week. Meanwhile, the equivalent soybean contract at the CBOT dropped by US69 cents per bushel and soyoil was down two cents per pound. That combination contributed to canola crush margins narrowing in by C$30 during the week. However, with the product values still working out to C$200 per tonne above the futures, canola seed

prices should have plenty of room to the upside. The other side of that coin is that the soy complex has plenty of room to the downside. Soybeans have found themselves pressured by the advancing South American harvest and talk that China will soon cancel more U.S. purchases in favour of cheaper Brazilian or Argentinian supplies. Weather issues, including dryness in some areas of South America and excessive moisture in others, have provided some underlying support for soybean futures. However, production from the continent will still be large overall and is starting to make its way into the international market. The path of least resistance is pointing down for soybeans, which will be a drag on any attempts at taking canola much higher than it already is.

Last Week

All prices close of business March 13, 2014

Week Ago

Year Ago

Chicago wheat (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

247.56

235.71

262.42

Minneapolis wheat (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

264.74

272.36

294.10

Coarse Grains Chicago corn (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

190.93

191.23

288.48

Chicago oats (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

285.30

333.94

277.85

Chicago soybeans (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

513.04

528.20

535.39

Chicago soyoil ($US/tonne)

947.93

976.15

1082.43

oilseeds

Winnipeg Futures ICE Futures Canada prices at close of business March 14, 2014 Last Week

Week Ago

March 2014

barley

126.50

May 2014

128.50

July 2014

128.50

Canola

Last Week

Week Ago

March 2014

450.60

439.30

May 2014

461.10

450.20

July 2014

470.10

459.60

Wheat gains

U.S. wheat futures posted good gains during the week, as worsening drought conditions in the southern U.S. Plains pulled all three contracts up. Uncertainty in Ukraine was keeping an edge on the wheat markets as well, as the potential for shipping disruptions in the Black Sea would shift more demand to the U.S. U.S. wheat futures are also pointing higher from a technical standpoint, after moving above some major chart points during the week. Corn, meanwhile, found itself caught between gains in wheat and losses in soybeans and finished the week with a narrowly mixed tone. Corn remains rangebound overall, and is looking for some fresh news to push it decidedly one way or the other. Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

For three-times-daily market reports from Commodity News Service Canada, visit “Today in Markets” at www.manitobacooperator.ca.

Special Crops Report for March 17, 2014 — Bin run delivered plant Saskatchewan Spot Market

Spot Market

Lentils (Cdn. cents per pound)

Other ( Cdn. cents per pound unless otherwise specified)

Large Green 15/64

19.00 - 20.00

Canaryseed

Laird No. 1

18.00 - 20.00

Oil Sunflower Seed

Eston No. 2

17.00 - 18.00

19.00 - 20.00 —

Desi Chickpeas

19.00 - 20.00

Field Peas (Cdn. $ per bushel)

Beans (Cdn. cents per pound)

Green No. 1

Fababeans, large

—

Feed beans

—

11.30 - 11.50

Medium Yellow No. 1

5.50 - 6.25

Feed Peas (Cdn. $ per bushel) Feed Pea (Rail)

4.25 - 4.35

No. 1 Navy/Pea Beans

37.00 - 37.00

No. 1 Great Northern

60.00 - 60.00

Mustardseed (Cdn. cents per pound)

No. 1 Cranberry Beans

64.00 - 64.00

Yellow No. 1

34.75 - 35.75

No. 1 Light Red Kidney

55.00 - 55.00

Brown No. 1

32.10 - 33.75

No. 1 Dark Red Kidney

60.00 - 60.00

Oriental No. 1

24.50 - 25.75

No. 1 Black Beans

35.00 - 35.00

No. 1 Pinto Beans

30.00 - 30.00

No. 1 Small Red Source: Stat Publishing SUNFLOWERS

—

No. 1 Pink

40.00 - 40.00

Fargo, ND

Goodlands, KS

20.50

18.80

32.00* Call for details

—

Report for March 14, 2014 in US$ cwt NuSun (oilseed) Confection Source: National Sunflower Association

Spring grain sowings take off in West Europe Dry weather has replaced a long wet spell paris / reuters

ield work has moved into full swing in West Europe as farmers took advantage of dry weather to sow spring grain crops on a likely lower area than last year after mild weather this winter caused less damage to crops, analysts and experts said. Western Europe is experiencing dry, warm weather, welcome after months of par ticularly wet conditions and forecasters predict favourable sowing weather until the end of next week. In France, the EU’s largest grain producer and exporter, spring barley sowings are running at

a fast pace with farmers trying to catch up on delays and remain within the ideal sowing period that ends around mid-March. “The land’s drying out and the lack of rain forecast for next week could even allow early maize planting in late March in the earliest regions near the Atlantic,” said Franck Wiacek from French crop institute Arvalis. German spring sowings could start two to three weeks earlier than usual, Farm Cooperatives Association DRV said. Good weather in Britain was also expected to speed up sowings. Spring crop sowings had jumped in some European countries in 2013-14, notably spring barley in Britain after heavy rains in the autumn

prevented the planting of winter wheat in many areas. It was not the case this time around. “The area has returned to more normal levels and probably in line with the area in 2012,” said analyst Susan Twining of British crop consultants ADAS. Twining pegged the spring barley area in Britain at 620,000 to 630,000 hectares in 2014. It had surged 46 per cent last year to 902,000 hectares, according to government statistics. Overall the area for spring barley, used in beer and malt production, in the European Union of 28 member states could drop 500,000 hectares in 2014-15 to 7.0 million.

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

LIVESTOCK

Network

Search news. Read stories. Find insight.

H USB A N DRY — T H E SC I E NC E , SK I L L OR A RT OF FA R M I NG

R E S E A R C H ST U DY

U.S. cattle deaths linked to Zilmax far exceed company reports The findings could discourage feedlots from using it even if the company is successful in reintroducing it to the market

By Tom Polansek and P.J. Huffstutter REUTERS

he number of U.S. cattle deaths that may be linked to the Merck & Co. Inc. feed additive Zilmax are much higher than the figures reported by the drug company to the federal government, according to a research study published March 12. The findings by researchers from Texas Tech University and Kansas State University show that more than 3,800 cattle in 10 feedlots that were fed Zilmax died in 2011 and 2012, with between 40 per cent and 50 per cent of the deaths likely attributable to Zilmax. The numbers reported in the study, which was published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, would indicate a larger death toll than Reuters found late last year in a review of all deaths reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by Merck since Zilmax was introduced in 2007. Drug makers are required to report deaths and other adverse events associated with their drugs — in this case based largely on what cattle and feedlot owners have told the company.

Merck reports

The Reuters review of federal records showed Merck reported 285 cattle had died unexpectedly or were destroyed in the United States after being fed Zilmax during the six years of Zilmax sales in the U.S. Merck said it was confident in the “safety and performance” of Zilmax and criticized the methods used in the study. The findings were “based on observational information and we disagree with them,” the company said in a statement. “Using observational analyses where cattle are not randomized and where rigorous scientific procedures are not utilized, is not a respected scientific method to rigorously evaluate the safety and efficacy of any product,” Merck said. The study could add to concerns about the safety of the drug, which has not been available in the U.S. and Canada since Merck last August temporarily suspended sales after reports of cattle suffering lameness and mobility problems.

Fuel debate

It could also fuel debate about whether there is enough regulatory oversight of feed supplements made from a class of drugs called beta-agonists. The FDA said it will review the new

A new report says feedlot deaths due to Zilmax may be higher than previously thought.

“It’s taken a huge amount of observation to start to piece together some of these sideeffects, or adverse drug events if you will.” GUY LONERAGAN Report author

research data and add them to the agency’s body of knowledge regarding Zilmax. The agency, which has deemed both drugs safe for animals and humans, can ask drug companies to make changes to product labels if it detects safety concerns. The beef industry has used Zilmax and other beta-agonist drugs to bolster its bottom line for nearly a decade by creating heavier cattle. Zilmax can add up to 30 pounds of meat to a 1,300-pound market steer. Feedlots provided the data on cattle that were fed with Zilmax to the researchers and asked them to analyze it.

Death rates

The largest population of cattle reviewed by the researchers was a grouping of 722,704 animals in 201112 from nine different U.S. feedlots. Of 637,339 that were fed Zilmax, 0.53 per cent died prior to slaughter, according to the report. That is well above a 0.3 per cent death rate among the 85,365 cattle that were

PHOTO: ©THINKSTOCK

fed neither Zilmax nor a rival betaagonist, Optaflexx. A separate study of 149,636 cattle from one feedlot in those same years showed that 83,865 animals fed Zilmax had a 0.48 per cent chance of dying before going to the slaughterhouse, according to the report. That compares to a 0.26 per cent death rate among the 65,771 cattle that were fed neither drug. The researchers reported that cattle fed with Eli Lilly & Co.’s Optaflexx showed a mortality rate of 0.35 per cent among 39,890 cattle. That compares to a 0.18 per cent death rate among 39,281 cattle fed neither drug. The Optaflexx data was based on animals at four cattle-feeding companies a few years earlier. Both drugs “are most likely causally associated with increased cumulative incidence, incidence rate, and hazard of death when they are administered in accordance with the FDA-approved label directions,” the study said.

Causal relationship

However, the researchers did warn that it is difficult to definitively establish a causal relationship between Zilmax and increased mortality because of the “observational nature” of the data. The study of Optaflexx use was not specifically focused on animal mortality, the researchers noted. Observational studies collect data on events observed in the field, as compared to randomized clinical trials, which use control groups to

study the effects of a drug and are generally regarded as more rigorous. “We do not believe the data is causally associated,” Lilly’s Elanco Animal Health unit said in a statement. One factor that elevated the mortality of the group of cattle fed Optaflexx was the number of times the cattle were fed per day, Elanco said. But after adjustments to the feeding schedules the problem was eliminated, the company said. Guy Loneragan, an author of the report and a food safety professor at Texas Tech, sits on an advisory board for Elanco, which provided seed funding for the study. Merck is working to reintroduce Zilmax in the U.S. and Canada, but meat packers and others have been reluctant to resume using it. Ty Lawrence, an associate professor of animal science at West Texas A&M University and a consultant for Merck, said at an industry meeting in Texas last month that data from controlled studies supported drug company claims that beta-agonists are safe. Loneragan told Reuters that Merck may not reliably receive Zilmaxrelated death reports from its customers, who fatten up cattle prior to slaughter, because the feeders may not always recognize that the animals’ deaths may be related to Zilmax. “It’s taken a huge amount of observation to start to piece together some of these side-effects, or adverse drug events if you will,” he said.

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

U.S. senators urge help for producers hit by killer pig virus

Surveillance shows PED present in high-traffic areas: CVO

The devastation caused by the outbreak could push some producers out of business

Hog producers urged to be extra cautious with trucks returning from high-traffic areas

By Ros Krasny washington / reuters

wo U.S. senators urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to approve disaster assistance for small pork producers affected by a deadly virus that has killed more than four million pigs across the United States in the past year. Democrats Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Kay Hagan of Nor th Carolina, the No. 2 U.S. hog producer, also urged increased research to find a vaccine for porcine endemic diarr hea vir us (PEDv), for which no treatment currently exists. “Pork producers that have been impacted by PEDv face economic devastation,” the senators wrote in a letter to U . S . A g r i c u l t u re Secretar y Tom Vilsack, dated March 11 and released March 13. “If this disease persists, pork herds will continue to diminish and producers risk

going out of business,” they said. PEDv causes diarrhea, vomiting and severe dehydration in pigs. It has a reported mortality rate of 80 to 100 per cent for piglets under two weeks old; older pigs have a better chance of recovery. Cases have been increasing recently across the U.S. Farm Belt. There have been 4,458 confirmed outbreaks of PEDv in 27 states, according to figures from the USDA’s National Animal Health Laborator y Network. Arizona became the latest state to report the virus. The vir us has also been found in four Canadian provinces. Pork processors have been finding it more difficult to buy hogs for slaughter, and this has started to filter through the supply chain. A top official from Tyson Foods Inc. said March 12 that the virus was likely to result in higher pork prices, as meat producers pass along to consumers their increased input costs.

His fate is sealed

By Daniel Winters

“It doesn’t indicate that there are other positive pigs in Manitoba.”

co-operator staff

he Office of the Chief Ve t e r i n a r y O f f i c e r (CVO) reported March 14 that a single set of environmental samples, not from an animal, collected from a high pig-traffic site in Manitoba have tested positive for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv). The samples were found during routine surveillance for PED and are not linked to the current investigation of Manitoba’s only PEDinfected site in the southeast corner of the province. In an alert posted on its website, the Manitoba Pork Council urged producers to maintain effective biosecurity measures at all times, especially when returning to their farms from high-traffic sites. “We had a couple samples that were linked to each other show up as positive for the virus. That just means that the virus is present in these high pig-traffic sites that are likely to have contact with the U.S. It’s not really telling us anything that we didn’t already sort of know,”

Mark Fynn

said Mark Fynn, MPC’s animal care specialist. Two positive samples were found at high pig-traffic facilities that have been subject to regular testing since February. The sites include assembly yards, federal packing plants and provincial abattoirs. Fynn added that producers should treat high-contact areas such as loading docks, alleyways and stock trailers associated with these facilities as exposed to PED. “It doesn’t indicate that there are other positive pigs in Manitoba,” said Fynn, noting that there have been no new cases found on farms since the first reported outbreak. All hog transporters are being encouraged to properly wash and disinfect their trailers after returning from the U.S. or from premises that frequently ship to the U.S, the MPC alert added.

The CVO’s fourth bulletin since the outbreak began in Ontario in late January stated that the investigation into how the PED virus may have arrived on the single infected farm in Manitoba continues, but feed and the movement of an infected pig onto the farm have been ruled out as possible sources. The CVO added that samples from all of the 60 farm premises that had contact with the infected farm have been completed and confirmed negative for PED, which is now a reportable disease in Manitoba. There are now 32 farm premises that have tested positive for PED across Canada including one in Manitoba, one in Prince Edward Island, one in Quebec and 29 in Ontario. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

 calving ease  grass-based  strong maternal  longevity  moderate frame BULLS LIKE THIS

Olaf the snowman came to life March 9. With warmer temperatures on the way, his banana peel mouth won’t be smiling much longer. photo: jeannette greaves

FROM COWS LIKE THIS

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!

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

LIVESTOCK AUCTION RESULTS Weight Category

Ashern

Gladstone

Grunthal

Heartland

Brandon

Virden

Killarney

Ste. Rose

Winnipeg

Feeder Steers

Mar-12

Mar-11

Mar-13

Mar-12

Mar-10

Mar-13

Mar-14

No. on offer

1,950

1,056*

512

1,040

3,611*

739*

2,542

1,850

Over 1,000 lbs.

n/a

130.00-145.00

900-1,000

n/a

140.00-161.50

135.00-146.00

148.00-163.00

151.00-163.00

n/a

135.00-157.00 (166.00)

148.00-160.00

800-900

133.00-168.00

140.00-169.00

140.00-165.50

157.00-170.00

157.00-167.00 (170.00)

160.00-166.00

150.00-164.00 (171.00)

150.00-167.00

700-800

142.00-184.00

170.00-183.50

160.00-180.50

170.00-182.00

167.00-179.00 (182.00)

170.00-182.00

165.00-180.00 (182.00)

165.00-185.00

600-700

160.00-209.00

175.00-203.00

170.00-191.00

185.00-210.00

186.00-205.00 (210.00)

180.00-195.00 (199.50)

180.00-203.00 (208.00)

175.00-198.00 (200.00)

500-600

185.00-220.00

180.00-216.00

180.00-220.00

195.00-220.00

199.00-218.00 (222.00)

195.00-212.00

185.00-218.00 (223.00)

190.00-215.00 (218.00)

400-500

190.00-220.00

190.00-230.00

210.00-247.50

210.00-235.00

215.00-234.00

215.00-228.00 (239.00)

190.00-220.00 (233.00)

190.00-235.00

300-400

n/a

200.00-232.00

220.00-250.00

220.00-249.00

n/a

190.00-210.00 (234.00)

190.00-240.00

n/a

119.00-150.00

n/a

133.00-147.00

136.00-147.00

n/a

115.00-135.00 (148.00)

110.00-138.00

Feeder heifers 900-1,000 lbs. 800-900

n/a

135.00-155.50

135.00-154.00

140.00-156.00

145.00-156.00 (159.00)

148.00-155.00

140.00-152.00 (155.00)

130.00-145.00

700-800

154.00-177.50

140.00-167.00

145.00-163.00

153.00-170.00

153.00-163.00 (168.00)

155.00-170.00 (175.00)

145.00-163.00 (169.50)

135.00-165.00

600-700

158.00-181.00

160.00-185.00

158.00-185.00

166.00-185.00

164.00-182.00

165.00-178.00

165.00-192.00 (199.00)

155.00-182.00

500-600

160.00-201.00

170.00-200.00

175.00-201.00

175.00-204.00

173.00-193.00

175.00-190.00 (194.00)

170.00-190.00 (200.00)

168.00-199.00

400-500

170.00-203.00

180.00-206.00

190.00-240.00

185.00-210.00

180.00-203.00

180.00-195.00 (205.00)

175.00-198.00 (204.00)

175.00-205.00

300-400

n/a

153.00-197.00

200.00-247.50

190.00-215.00

n/a

180.00-195.00 (199.00)

175.00-205.00

225

n/a

142

n/a

275

D1-D2 Cows

85.00-94.00

75.00-97.00

n/a

93.00-104.00

91.00-99.00

77.00-90.00

90.00-101.00

94.00-98.00 (101.50)

D3-D5 Cows

70.00 and up

n/a

70.00-82.00

80.00-90.00

65.00-90.00

n/a

75.00-90.00

85.00-92.00

Slaughter Market No. on offer

Age Verified

92.00-104.50

n/a

93.00-102.00 (104.50)

85.00-95.00

104.00-118.00

n/a

Good Bulls

95.00-108.00

88.00-103.50

90.00-99.25

98.00-112.00

99.00-111.00 (114.00)

85.00-96.00

95.00-105.50

95.00-102.00

Butcher Steers

n/a

117.00-127.00

117.00-126.00

n/a

Butcher Heifers

n/a

116.00-126.00

115.00-124.00

n/a

Feeder Cows

n/a

90.00-100.00

n/a

92.00-107.00

85.00-100.00

n/a

95.00-110.00

Fleshy Export Cows

n/a

85.00-94.00

n/a

Lean Export Cows

n/a

75.00-85.00

n/a

Heiferettes

n/a

100.00-110.00

n/a

* includes slaughter market

(Note all prices in CDN$ per cwt. These prices also generally represent the top one-third of sales reported by the auction yard.)

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

South Korean deal applauded by agri-food community Beef and pork producers hope to start regaining market share lost over the past two years By Alex Binkley CO-OPERATOR CONTRIBUTOR

arm and food industry groups applauded the Canada-South Korean free trade deal announced last week even though it could be years before the tariffs on Canadian goods to the Asian country are fully removed. It’s a deal the groups have been seeking for the last decade, especially in the beef and pork sector. Their exports to South Korea have been falling behind those of the United States and other exporting nations which already have trade deals with Seoul. It is also Canada’s first with an Asian market and could be the template for agreements with Japan and other booming economies i n t h e re g i o n w h e re t h e food industry would like to grow its business. In time, the deal will remove 98.2 per cent of tariffs on Canadian agri-food products. In the absence of a trade agreement, Canadian beef exports to South Korea in 2013 had dropped to $8 million from $96 million in 2011 and pork exports had fallen to $76 million from $233 million, while other countries gained market share.

Duty cuts

There will be some immediate tariff cuts by Korea as soon as the deal is ratified by the two countries. The rest will be phased in over 14 years as in the case of fresh and frozen beef where duties now range between 40 per cent and 72 per cent, noted Ron Davidson of the Canadian Meat Council.

In the pork sector, where tariffs now range between 22.5 per cent and 25 per cent, duties on frozen pork cuts will be eliminated in five years but it will take up to 13 years before they are removed on the higher-value chilled and fresh products, he said. The deal is also important because South Korea recognized the highly integrated n a t u re o f l i v e s t o c k p r o duction in North America, unlike the Europeans who wanted to fence out any product with a U.S. connection, he said. Gary Story of the Canadian Pork Council said the removal of the duty on frozen products matters. “Even with a slightly higher tariff on other pork products, we are in a better position with the FTA than without. By rebuilding the relationship, our industr y can monitor markets and market conditions in Canada, U.S. and Korea to determine where we can be competitive.” So u t h Ko re a w i l l g ra n t immediate duty-free access on beef fats and tallow and pig fats and lard oils. It will take a decade to eliminate the 18 per cent duty on beef and pork offal.

Canola exports

Canola, another key export, will see the removal of duties of five per cent on crude and refined canola oils and of 10 per cent on canola seed. The canola seed tariff will be eliminated immediately upon ratification, while the refined canola oil tariff will be removed within three to five years and the crude canola oil tariff will be gone within seven years.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper applauds while South Korean President Park Geun-hye delivers a speech during a joint news conference announcing a trade deal between the two countries. PHOTO: REUTERS/LEE JIN-MAN

Lisa Skierka, president of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, which represents most of the expor t far m and food commodities, said the deal “will make a real difference for Canadians, and the agriculture value chain, from farmers and ranchers to processors and exporters.” Gary Stanford, president of Grain Growers of Canada, said agricultural tariffs currently average more than 52 per cent, so their gradual elimination could lead to a significant expansion in export sales. “ N o w, w i t h t h e F TA announcement, we can look at rebuilding our presence in the Korean market,” said Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain

E levator Association. “In 2012, Canadian grain exports to Korea were $479 million a year. Today, they are less than $100 million.

Double

Rick White, CEO of the Canadian Canola Growers Association, said canola exports to South Korea have ranged between $60 million and $90 million annually. “It is anticipated that a free trade agreement with South Korea could double our exports, with growth coming from both oil and seed exports,” he said. The FTA should boost sales of pulse and special crops beyond the current 55,000 tonnes of pulses annually, said Gordon Bacon, CEO

of Pulse Canada. “The FTA brings duties on most Canadian pulse and special crop imports in line with tariffs on imports from the United States and enables future growth in a strategically important market for the Canadian pulses and special crop industry.” South Korea is a key market for Canada — it is the world’s 15th-largest economy (GDP of $1.1 trillion), and the fourth largest in Asia, with a population of 50 million people. It is Canada’s seventh-largest merchandise trading partner and its third largest in Asia after China and Japan. Total merchandise trade between the two countries reached approximately $10.1 billion in 2012.

BRIEFS

Quebec video promotes supply management The Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec (FPLQ, Quebec Federation of Milk Producers) has released a new video supporting supply management. The video says supply management facilitates production efficiency, creates a stable environment for investing, encourages businesses to innovate as it allows for farmers to do research in order to develop products for consumers, and encourages niche products. The video says Canadian and Quebec farmers in these sectors earn their living in the domestic market without government subsidies. It’s available at www.youtube. com/watch?v=s2ZjgSqhJzY.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

WEATHER VANE

Instant info. With the Manitoba Co-operator mobile app you can stay up to date on all things ag. Download the free app at agreader.ca/mbc

“ E V E R Y O N E T A L K S A B O U T T H E W E A T H E R , B U T N O O N E D O E S A N Y T H I N G A B O U T I T.” M a r k Tw a i n , 18 9 7

Cold, unsettled weather to continue Issued: Monday, March 17, 2014 · Covering: March 19 – March 26, 2014 Daniel Bezte Co-operator contributor

he weather didn’t play out exactly as the models predicted during the last forecast period. The cold air that moved in late last week was colder than expected, and the lows that were forecast to affect us late in the weekend and early this week behaved a little differently than expected. We did see temperatures recover last Sunday after a cold start, but that warm air was accompanied by some snow that brought anywhere from a light dusting to upwards of 10 cm over eastern regions. It doesn’t look like spring will be arriving any time soon. In fact, the weather models predict the next couple of weeks to look more like nice mid-winter weather rather than late-winter or earlyspring weather. This forecast period will begin with a strong area of low pressure passing by well to our southeast. Luckily, a second area of low pressure moving in from the west

will keep our temperatures relatively mild, but as this low tracks by us on Friday, it will bring some flurries and will also pull down cold high pressure for the weekend. Temperatures over the weekend will be cold compared to mid-March averages, with highs only expected to be around -8 C and overnight lows in the -20 C range. With light winds and plenty of strong spring sunshine it shouldn’t feel that bad. Once the high moves off to our southeast early next week we should see temperatures moderate closer to seasonal averages, but so far no big-time melting weather is in sight. In fact, we’ll have to keep an eye on a system forecast to move in from the Pacific later next week, as there is the potential for a large spring storm to develop somewhere across our region. Usual temperature range for this period: Highs, -8 to +4 C; lows, -21 to -6 C.

WEATHER MAP - WESTERN CANADA

The first image is a graph showing carbon dioxide levels as measured at Mauna Loa since 1958. This graph is known as the Keeling curve. You can see the seasonal fluctuations in CO2 levels along with the steady increase in amounts from year to year. The second graph is a reconstruction of CO2 levels from ice core data for the last 800,000 years. If you look at the end of the graph you can see just how rapidly CO2 levels are changing today.

Daniel Bezte is a teacher by profession with a BA (Hon.) in geography, specializing in climatology, from the U of W. He operates a computerized weather station near Birds Hill Park. Contact him with your questions and comments at daniel@bezte.ca.

CO2 levels highest in over three million years Temperatures may keep rising for decades after this level is hopefully stabilized By Daniel Bezte CO-OPERATOR CONTRIBUTOR

tmospheric CO2 (carbon dioxide) levels on top of Hawaii’s Mauna Loa hit a record high of 401 parts per million earlier this month, and as we are still a month or so away from peak CO2 levels, this record will likely be broken. Just what does this mean? Let’s start off be looking at the history behind our tracking of CO2 levels, and finish off by looking at what these high levels might mean. Carbon dioxide and water vapour are considered to be two of the most important greenhouse gases. The Earth needs greenhouse gases; without them we would be a much colder place and life as we know it could not exist. On the other side of the coin, too much greenhouse gas and the Earth will grow warmer, possibly to the point that once again, life as we now know it could not exist. As our technology has increased over the last couple of hundred years, so has our ability to influence certain greenhouse gases through pollution. Tracking the levels of greenhouse gases gives us an idea of just how much we are changing or influencing their levels.

During the Northern Hemisphere’s summer months, plants are actively growing and taking in large quantities of CO2 and we see atmospheric CO2 levels drop.

In 1958 Charles Keeling began to accurately measure carbon dioxide levels. He decided to take the measurements at the Mauna Loa Astronomical Observatory, located on top of an inactive volcano in Hawaii. He picked this site because it was far away from any major sources of carbon dioxide and should therefore provide a good value that will be representative of an average number for the Earth. If you look at the two graphs included with this article, you will see that in the first graph, the values for CO2 follow a very rhythmical seasonal pattern, with levels topping out in early May and then bottoming out in November. This

seasonal up-and-down pattern is the record of our planet breathing — or rather, the plants breathing. The majority of land and plants on our planet are in the Northern Hemisphere. During the summer months, plants are actively growing and taking in large quantities of CO2 and we see atmospheric CO2 levels drop. During the winter, plants no longer take in CO2 but bacteria and animals continue to produce CO2 and we see the values go back up. This graph has become known as the Keeling curve. The other thing you probably noticed about these graphs is that the amount of CO2 in our atmosphere has been steadily increasing in recent times (since about the 1700s) and that the pace of this increase has become very rapid over the last 50 years. As noted above, CO2 levels have now gone above 401 ppm and will likely go higher over the next month or two. What is the significance of 400 or 401 ppm? Nothing really. While it is a record value, we are creating record values every year. It’s simply a symbolic number; we are now over 400 ppm and at the current pace will likely hit 450 ppm well before 2040. So, when was the last time the

planet has seen values this high? The records from Mauna Loa only go back 55 years, but we do have what is considered a fairly good record set going back 800,000 years. These records come from the Antarctic ice sheet and were obtained from samples of air trapped in bubbles within the ice sheet. Looking at these values (second graph) we can see that over the last 800,000 years values have fluctuated between 200 ppm during ice ages to around 300 ppm during the warmer periods. Using slightly less reliable geochemical methods we can extend the CO2 records back much further and we would have to go back about three million to five million years to see the levels we are now experiencing. The big question out there is, just how high can this number get before we are really in trouble? No one is absolutely sure, but best estimates are around 430 ppm. So some of you are now probably thinking that we have a good 20 years to figure this all out and hopefully fix it, but that’s not really the case for a couple of reasons. The first one is that global temperature increases lag behind increases in CO2. This means that while the level of 430 ppm shouldn’t increase global temper-

atures beyond what we consider to be safe, temperatures will likely continue to increase for several decades after this value is hit and hopefully stabilized. The second reason we don’t really have 20 years to fix this issue is that CO2 levels are rising at about 55 per cent of what they should be based on our emissions. Therefore, to keep CO2 levels close to where they are now means we would have to cut CO2 emissions by around 55 per cent, which we know won’t and can’t happen without a major impact to the world’s economy. The 45 per cent of CO2 emissions that are not making it into the air are being stored in what are known as CO2 sinks, the largest of these being the world’s oceans. Eventually these sinks or storage areas will fill up and when they do, atmospheric CO2 levels will increase very rapidly. Some estimates place a final possible value at nearly 1,600 ppm by the time we use up all of our fossil fuels! One final note on this topic. The measurement project that created the Keeling curve is in danger of being discontinued due to budget cuts. If you are interested in learning more and possibly helping out you can check out http:// keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/.

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

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CROPS h u sbandr y — t h e sci e nc e , S K I L L O R A R T O F F A R M I N G

Feed grain co-op’s new variety WFT 603 crosses registration hurdle WFGDC marks a milestone in its goal of offering a lower-risk feed grain alternative to corn By Daniel Winters co-operator staff

Early days

In the co-op’s early days, there was no way to register a general purpose wheat that did not fit the functional classes, and the lack of a feed wheat variety that could compete with corn meant that the livestock industry was dependent on frozen, spoiled or otherwise subpar grain that was only suitable for feed. Originally, the plan was to distribute the seed only among members. But the co-op has since decided to pursue registration in order to gain more credibility, make it easier to participate in third-party crop trials and for crop insurance purposes. “The whole world has changed since we started. Back then, we wouldn’t have been able to put it in the registration system, but now we can,” he said. Rourke believes that a breeding program focused on a short-term objective of developing wheat varieties that yield at least 40 per cent more than hard red spring wheat has strong potential for farmers seeking lower-risk, lower-production cost-effective alternatives for feed.

Target yields

Long term, the co-op targets yields of up to

Research plots at the co-op’s research farm near Minto. supplied photo

10 MT/hectare by 2020, which Rourke feels is easily within reach through a combination of breeding and agronomic optimization trials that will test advanced lines under various fertilizer and seeding rates as well as seeding dates and fungicide applications. “We’re not that far off on a single-site basis,” said Rourke. “Back in 1985, I had 125 bushel/ acre wheat on plots. Now we just have to keep refining that to get it on a long-term basis.” Cool weather seems to be the key to getting high yields of wheat, and a 2° reduction in the average growing season temperature appears to be the sweet spot. “But since we can’t control the weather, we have to try to do it through breeding and by finding plants adapted to higher temperatures that give those higher yields that would normally be associated with cooler temperatures,” said Rourke. Despite the success of new hybrid corn varieties, Rourke believes that there is still room for wheat grown exclusively for feed uses due to wheat’s lower input costs, and the everpresent risk of a 2004-style crop disaster, when a killing frost in August wiped out the corn. “I think that as farmers, we need options, whether it’s wheat, corn, soybeans or canola. As farmers, we’re being asked to take on more of the risk ourselves, so I don’t think it would be smart to put all our eggs in whatever was the best thing last year,” said Rourke.

Promising crosses

The co-op’s members include both active agricultural producers and corporate members. Membership fees collected as well as funds awarded by the provincial and federal funding agencies have helped to support the breeding program. After starting in 2006 with a handful of promising crosses, it has since expanded to more than 300 aimed at breeding wheat lines specifically for the general purpose wheat class suited to endusers such as ethanol plants, livestock feeders and possibly wheat millers. The WFT 603 variety is an awned, mediumheight, general purpose spring wheat with a big red kernel. Plot trials have shown it has high yield potential at 102 per cent of AC Andrew, 105 per cent of 5702PR, and 104 per cent of Pasteur in Zone 1 General Purpose Co-op Trials based on results from 2011 and 2012. Best adapted to the black soil zone of Manitoba and parts of Saskatchewan, it offers improved fusarium head blight resistance over AC Andrew. It also rates as “resistant” to leaf and stem rust, with “good resistance” to common bunt, and “intermediate” resistance to loose smut. Multiplication of WFT 603 will take place in 2014 with commercial seed available to WFGD Co-op farmers by 2015. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

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here’s a new wheat in town, and it wasn’t developed by any of the usual suspects. WFT 603, a general purpose wheat variety from the Western Feed Grain Development Co-op Ltd. (WFGD Co-op), recently crossed the regulatory hurdles for registration and will be distributed to members by next spring. “Our seed will be competitive with other seed companies,” said chair David Rourke, who runs a variety of enterprises near Minto. “Members will be able to keep and clean their own seed, but there is a small charge for onfarm saved seed to help with development of new varieties.” The co-op, formed in 2006 to create highyielding, fusarium-resistant wheat varieties for animal feed and ethanol production, has seen its share of twists and turns over the years. Initially established as a way to avoid the Canadian Wheat Board’s marketing monopoly and the requirement that all wheat varieties adhere to the now-abolished Kernel Visual Distinguishability (KVD) rule, it has 65 actively farming members in Western Canada who pay a $10 fee to join.

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

Clubroot not so scary anymore, says CCC agronomist

Better scouting and earlier detection are key to avoiding an ugly, Alberta-style epidemic in Manitoba By Daniel Winters co-operator staff / Brandon

Clinton Jurke, an agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, shows infected clubroot-infected canola seedlings at CanoLAB 2014. photo: Daniel Winters

lubroot isn’t as scary as it used to be. At the CanoLAB event a c o u p l e ye a r s a g o, t h e re was only one example of an infected root — and it was securely encased in a kind of translucent hockey puck. But this year, there were t ra y s o f c l u b ro o t - i n f e c t e d canola seedlings set out on tables that could be uprooted and inspected by any of the over 200 participants in the educational event hosted by the Canola Council of Canada. R u b b e r g l ov e s w e r e d e rigueur, of course, at the cordoned-off exhibit guarded by a disinfectant-treated exit m a t , b u t t h e o p e n n a t u re of the display showed that

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“We want people to be able to identify this disease more effectively. That was one of the problems in Alberta – the disease was always being found too late.”

Clinton Jurke

paranoia has turned to cautious optimism that through education, the disease can be kept in check in Manitoba. “We understand this disease way better than we did when it first appeared,” said Clinton Jurke, an agronomy specialist with the CCC. After spending $4 million to $5 million studying Plasmodiophora brassicae since it first appeared in Alberta in 2003, the CCC and provincial a s s o c i a t i o n s h a ve l e a r n e d that early detection is the best way to keep it in check, he said. “ We w a n t p e o p l e t o b e able to identify this disease more effectively. That was one of the problems in Alberta — the disease was always being found too late,” s a i d Ju r k e , w h o e n c o u r aged participants to get “up close and personal” with the infected roots. Ten years ago, Alberta was where Manitoba is now in terms of clubroot-infected fields, with about a dozen infected fields. But back then, nobody realized just how much of a risk field machiner y posed for spreading clubroot spores, re s i s t a n t c a n o l a v a r i e t i e s hadn’t been developed, and the result has been thousands of infected fields, especially in the Edmonton area. Ma n i t o b a , o n t h e o t h e r hand, stands a good chance of keeping clubroot at bay if it avoids making the same mistakes as Alberta did, said Jurke. By planting canola no more than one year out of four, scouting for the telltale signs in crops, and planting clubroot-resistant canola varieties, the numbers of spores in the soil can be kept at the “thousands instead of billions” in a gram of soil, he said. “Resistance works fantastic,” said Jurke, adding that resistant canola varieties can maintain respectable yields in infected fields, and drastically reduce the number of spores produced by infected plants. “If we can do that, then this disease will be just a minor problem, not the big, ugly beast that it is right around Edmonton,” he said. For more information, visit www.clubroot.ca. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

Clock ticking on federal grain transport order Federal prosecutors will decide whether to charge the railways for non-compliance By Alex Binkley Co-operator contributor

s the federal order telling railways to boost Prairie grain shipments or face hefty fines is put to the test in coming weeks, many observers expect it could result in an epic legal battle between the railways and the Harper government. The order, which came into effect on March 7, said the railways must move 250,000 tonnes during the week of March 9 to 15, rising incrementally for five weeks to reach 500,000 tonnes by April. The order is in effect until early June unless the cabinet extends it. If the railways don’t achieve the targets, they could face fines of $100,000 a day under Section 47 of the Canada Transportation Act, but collecting them could be a lengthy and costly process. A late harvest that was about 50 per cent greater than expected, followed by a brutal winter that has

Fund shortage threatens Ukraine crops Political situation could mean up to 20 per cent of arable area left unseeded kiev / reuters

kraine, gripped by political turmoil for more than three months, could lose about 11 million tonnes of grain in the 2014 harvest due to a sharp decrease in sowing area caused by a shortage of funds, analyst UCAB said on Mar. 17. Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula has been taken over by Russian forces after three months of protests culminated in the removal of Moscow-backed president Viktor Yanukovich. In a statement, UCAB said up to 20 per cent of Ukrainian arable land might not be sown this year, mainly because of “the absence of any financing in connection with the difficult economic and political situation.” “The situation has become more complicated due to atypical weather conditions, a lack of moisture in the topsoil and the need to carry out field works in an extremely short period of time,” it said. Ukraine, which started spring grain sowing two weeks earlier than usual, has sown a total of 306,000 hectares as of March 13, the analyst said. The Agriculture Ministry had said farms planned to sow about 8.6 million hectares of spring grain, including 2.9 million hectares of early grain, this year. Analysts and traders said earlier that optimal weather might help Ukraine to achieve a bumper harvest, but the financing problems remained. The long-running political crisis and Russia’s move to reclaim Crimea have weakened the hryvnia currency by more than 10 per cent since the start of 2014 and forced some banks to cut lending. Hryvnia-denominated costs for buying seeds, fertilizers and fuel have risen. Ukraine harvested a record 63 million tonnes of grain in 2013.

slowed railway operations has created a massive backlog of shipments from elevators across the Prairies and long queues of ships waiting on the West Coast for grain to load. The delays are costing farmers an estimated $5 billion and could impair the ability of some to plant a crop this year.

i d e n t i f i e d ,” f o r a s s e s s i n g t h e reports from the railways. However they “will be assessed on a priority basis.” The department says that in any week that the railways are deemed non-compliant with the quotas, its officials “would decide whether to lay charges. The Public Prosecution Service of Canada would then determine whether to proceed with a prosecution. If there is a prosecution, a court of law will ultimately decide whether an offence has been committed and whether a fine should be paid.” T h e d e p a r t m e n t d i d n’t i n d i cate whether it woul d con sider factors such as blocked rail lines, port congestion or other factors beyond the railways’ control in deciding whether to proceed with charges.

Meeting targets

While industry observers expect the railways will achieve the 250,000-tonne target for week one, the subsequent targets may be problematic given the possibility of delays that could be caused by avalanches in the Rockies or extensive flooding across the Prairies when the snow melts. The order says the railways have a week from the end of a crop week to tell Transport Canada how much grain they moved. For week one, the deadline will be March 24. Just what happens after that isn’t clear, Transport Canada says. “No specific timeline has been

Appeals are likely

A case would be heard in the Federal Court, which would leave either side

open to appealing a decision to the Federal Court of Appeal and even the Supreme Court of Canada. Shipper groups say they expect the railways will contest any fines. Neither CP nor CN would comment on the issue. Even if the cour ts uphold the fines, farmers won’t see any of the money as it will go into the government coffers rather than be distributed among producers. By contrast if the railways earn too much hauling grain under the federal revenue cap, the excess is turned over to the Western Canada Grain Research Foundation. In December, the Canada Transpor tation Agency r uled that CN had come in $6.3 million under the revenue cap for the 2012-13 crop year while CP had exceeded it by $177,961. CP had to pay that amount plus a penalty of $8,898 to the foundation, a farmer-financed and -directed organization set up to fund research that benefits Prairie

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

Agriculture companies launch effort to standardize, secure farm data High-tech tools have raised concerns that data shared by farmers could be misused or sold to third parties By Karl Plume

that will analyze data and make recommendations to boost crop yields or increase efficiency by pairing soil types with optimal seeds or focusing chemical applications only where they are needed. But the high-tech tools have raised concerns that data shared by farmers could be misused or sold to third parties. Although the companies have reassured farmers that their data is safe in often-lengthy privacy statements, the OADA will seek to standardize privacy and security guidelines industry-wide.

chicago / reuters

urdue University researchers and a group of agricultural companies announced an open-source project March 11 to standardize farm data formats and improve communication between farm equipment and farm management tools made by different companies. The Open Agriculture Data Alliance, or OADA, will also seek to set standards on data privacy and security, among the top concerns of farmers gathering and sharing increasingly deep pools of data from high-tech farm machines armed with global positioning technology and wireless data transfer capability. “The purpose is to solve some of the issues that farmers have dealing with their data,” said Aaron Ault, a senior research engineer at Purdue’s Open Ag Technology Group and project lead for the OADA.

More data than ever

Agricultural data can include everything from farm financial documents and futures market positions to the number of seeds planted per acre and inches of rainfall in each field. “We will solve as many problems with technological solutions as we possibly can. The ones that we cannot solve with technological solutions we

Software code

Data exchanges between farmers and technology providers need to become more standardized and secured against unauthorized use. photo: thinkstock

will solve with common language that lets the farmer know, up front, what it is they are getting into when they enter into agreements with these different companies.” Also involved in the effort are agricultural data science company The Climate Corporation, Valley Irrigation, farm co-operative GROWMARK, equipment maker CNH Industrial and seed company AgReliant Genetics.

Other participants include farm products suppliers Wilbur-Ellis Company and WinField.

Precision agriculture

Agriculture companies such as John Deere, DuPont Pioneer and Climate Corp. parent Monsanto have been investing heavily in precision agriculture and data analytics tools over the past year. They have launched services

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OADA will also create a “reference implementation” of a cloud storage and data analytics service to set an example for the industry on how an OADA-compliant system should function. Developers are invited to contribute a software code to improve upon the template or use it to create their own OADA-compliant tools. “No company owns the intellectual property that is part of the project so how each company decides to take it and use it to their own benefit is really up to them,” Ault said. “It really opens up the ability for small players to innovate. And it allows the farmer to choose the best-in-class solution instead of the one that happens to work with his equipment today,” he said.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

Syngenta halts Duracade sales in Canada It was approved for cultivation, but not accepted by China and the EU By Tom Polansek Reuters

yngenta AG said Mar. 10 it had halted commercial sales in Canada of corn seed containing a new and controversial genetically modified trait because major importers had not approved the product. Syngenta pulled from the Canadian market seed containing the Agrisure Duracade trait, which was available for planting for the first time this year, according to a Syngenta notice that was sent to seed dealers and obtained by Reuters.

briefs

Turmoil to stop Crimea grain planting Reuters / Kiev / Most of the spring grain area in Crimea is unlikely to be sown this year due to a lack of fuel caused by turmoil in the region, Ukraine’s Agriculture Minister Ihor Shvaika said. “According to our preliminary forecast, the major part of the area (in Crimea) will remain unsown,” Shvaika told reporters Mar. 11. Grain output in Ukraine’s Crimea region totalled 765,000 tonnes in 2013, or 1.2 per cent of Ukraine’s overall harvest. The government had said the harvest could reach 1.2 million tonnes of grain in 2014. Shvaika said that military conflict in Crimea, taken over by Russian armed forces, “made impossible” the supply of fuel to regions that had already started major field work. He said Ukrainian farms had already sown a total of 106,000 hectares of early grains or four per cent of the initial area. Ukraine plans to sow a total of 8.6 million hectares of spring grain this year, including 2.9 million hectares of early grains — spring wheat and spring barley. Analysts say Ukraine is likely to harvest up to 60 million tonnes of grain this year.

The trait has been approved for cultivation in Canada and the United States and for import by some overseas buyers, including Japan, Mexico and South Korea. It has not been approved for import by China or the European Union, two major international markets. “While the vast majority of the Canadian corn crop is typically directed to domestic markets in North America, some corn may be destined for these markets,” Syngenta said in the notice, referring to China and the EU. “Accordingly, we want to ensure the acceptance of any trait tech-

nology grown in Canada meets end-market destination requirements.” Any seed containing Duracade that has been shipped to retailers in Canada “cannot be sold and arrangements for immediate returns will be made,” the notice said. A spokesman for Syngenta, the world’s largest crop chemicals company, confirmed the company will not sell seed containing Duracade in Canada in 2014. Exporters and some farmers applauded the decision because they had worried the presence of the unapproved trait

in Canada’s grain supply could disrupt trade. However, it was little comfort for U.S. farmers and grain handlers who still fear that China or Europe will reject shipments of U.S. grain if they find traces of Duracade corn. It can be difficult to segregate different varieties of corn from one another because they are often harvested, transported and stored together. Grain trader Gavilon has agreed to market Duracade crops in the United States as part of a deal with Syngenta. Top merchants Archer Daniels Midland Co., Bunge Ltd. and Cargill Inc.

have said they will limit their handling of crops containing the trait because it is not approved by major importers. Peter Entz, assistant vice-president of seed and traits at Richardson International Ltd., one of Canada’s biggest grain handlers, said he was “elated” to hear Syngenta would not sell Duracade in Canada this spring. Richardson ships large volumes of corn to Europe, he said. “These are significant trade issues at the end of the day and very costly ones, so we applaud Syngenta’s position in Canada,” he said.

California drought means trucking salmon to sea

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By Laila Kearney san francisco / reuters

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alifornia’s record drought has left the Sacramento River so low that wildlife officials say they may have to carry all 30 million young salmon from the state’s largest man-made hatcheries to the Pacific Ocean in trucks to avoid depleting the stock. That is roughly three times the amount of salmon that are trucked out of the biggest hatcheries in a typical year, reflecting the severity of a drought that has prompted the governor to declare an emergency and warn of possible water shortages. “This is not the course we normally take or prefer to take, but under these conditions, it presents us with the best way to get fish out there,” said Steve Martarano, a spokesman for the federal Fish and Wildlife service. California is in its third year of a dry spell that threatens to break all records in the most populous U.S. state, including possibly laying idle a halfmillion acres of cropland, a loss of production that could cause billions of dollars in economic damage.

Syngenta details rules for controversial new GMO corn seed The company won’t assume liability if the product is accidentally sent to buyers that have barred it By Tom Polansek chicago / reuters

yngenta AG will require U.S. farmers who plant a new and controversial type of genetically modified corn this spring to pledge in writing not to ship it to China or the European Union, a trade association said March 7. The mandate is the latest step by the world’s largest crop chemicals company to calm concerns among global grain exporters about corn seed containing the Agrisure Duracade trait, which is available

for planting for the first time this year. Top traders Archer Daniels Midland Co., Bunge Ltd. and Cargill Inc. have said they will limit their handling of crops containing Duracade because the trait is not approved by China or the EU, both major importers. Their stance has divided the U.S. agricultural sector, with Syngenta and some farmers insisting that growers need access to new technology to save money and improve harvests. Corn seeds containing Duracade are engineered to combat pests called rootworms.

Growers who plant Duracade crops must sign a “Syngenta Stewardship Agreement” that requires them to feed the harvest to livestock or poultry on the farm or to deliver it to a grain facility that does not export it to China or the EU, the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) said in a newsletter. To prevent Duracade corn from accidentally mingling with approved varieties, Syngenta will advise farmers to harvest it separately, store it in separate bins, and surround fields of Duracade corn with “buffer” rows of another variety, the newsletter said.

“Naturally one could ask why even go to all this trouble to release it if they’re going to ask the farmers and the buyers to follow these recommendations so rigidly,” said Bob Nielsen, an agronomy professor and extension corn specialist at Purdue University. Company officials, including Syngenta Seeds president David Morgan, presented details of the Duracade agreement in a March 4 meeting with the NGFA and the North American Export Grain Association, according to the newsletter. The groups have urged Syngenta to halt sales of

Duracade and another GMO variety until they are approved by major importers. Syngenta has declined and “rejected direct requests” at the meeting to assume liability if Duracade corn is accidentally sent to buyers that have barred it, according to the NGFA. Syngenta estimated Duracade corn will be planted on approximately 250,000 to 300,000 acres in a “launch zone” that includes top growing states such as Iowa and Illinois, the newsletter said. Corn was planted on 95.4 million acres in the United States last year.

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

U.S. still weighing if genetically altered fish is safe

FEELING A LITTLE FORGOTTEN

The FDA has received more than 35,000 comments about the application By Susan Heavey WASHINGTON / REUTERS

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he U.S. Food and Drug Administration is still considering whether a proposed genetically engineered fish is safe for consumers, the agency’s top official said March 13. FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg said it was examining as many as 35,000 comments about the application on the s a l m o n by B o s t o n - b a s e d AquaBounty Technologies Inc., which applied for approval in the mid-1990s. “We will be moving forward in a deliberate, science-driven way, reflecting all of the important inputs... as we consider this product application,” Hamburg told the U.S. Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee during a hearing about the agency’s current initiatives. AquaBounty officials could not be reached for comment. The company has said in the past that it expected a decision from the FDA by the end of 2013. Hamburg did not say when the FDA would make its final decision. If the altered fish, known as AdquAdvantage salmon, is approved, it would be the first genetically altered animal product to reach the plates of consumers in the United States. The company has said its salmon is safe to eat and could help address numerous food supply issues, including the demand for healthier foods and depleted fish stocks, because it is engineered to grow more quickly. But environmental, health and consumer advocates have raised concerns, citing unknown longterm effects on people and the planet of a genetically altered food. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska told Hamburg she wanted assurances that the agency would not allow the fish to be sold if it could not determine it was safe. She also said if the agency does approve it, the fish should carry clear labelling to show it is genetically altered. “I don’t believe that the FDA has adequately studied the environmental effects, the economic impacts... let alone the potential health impacts on humans,” said Murkowski, whose state is home to a significant fishing industry. “If we could guarantee that it wasn’t safe to eat, then it would not pass our approval standards,” Hamburg said.

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

Scientists say Europe’s regulatory system for GM crops must change A new report says countries should be regulated similar to the pharmaceutical industry By Kate Kelland LONDON / REUTERS

urope’s stringent regulation of genetically modified crops has no rational basis and should be revamped to allow countries that want to opt out and grow GM foods to do so, British scientific advisers said March 14. In an advisory report requested by the government, the scientists said legislation on use within the European Un i o n ( E U ) o f genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in crops should be decided on a national level, as it is with pharmaceuticals. “ Te c h n o l o g y f o r m a k i n g c ro p s h e a l t h i e r a n d m o re environmentally friendly is moving on fast, but the regulatory system needs to change to allow us to take advantage of this benefit sooner,” said Jonathan Jones, a GM expert at Britain’s Sainsbury Laboratory and one of the authors of the report. Many countries in the EU have populations that are hostile to growing GM crops. In Britain, too, there is likely to be public opposition to the idea, with campaigners arguing the long-term consequences of having widespread GM agriculture are unknown. Yet the vast majority of scientists argue GM modification in crops is just as safe as conventional crop breeding, and can bring with it great benefits in terms of creating plants engineered to resist disease, fight off pests and endure unstable or stressful weather conditions. In a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron, the scientists said that while the EU “is currently hostile to growing GM crops” Britain “can still benefit significantly in developing innovations that the rest of the world will still use” if it is able to argue for national control over GM decisions. No GM crops are currently grown commercially in Britain, and only two — a pestresistant maize and a potato with enhanced starch content — are licensed for cultivation in the EU. British GM crop experts say EU regulations add between 10 million and 20 million pounds ($16 million to $33 million) to the cost of developing a GM trait in a crop

— prohibitive for the public sector and for small and medium-size businesses.

Traits

In the United States, where there is far less opposition to GM crops, the first GM seeds were planted more than 15 years ago and so far no evidence has been documented of adverse health impacts for people eating GM-der ived foods. Speaking at a briefing in London, the U.K. scientists said they endorsed the view of the European Academies S c i e n c e Ad v i s o r y Co u n c i l (EASAC), which has said there is no rational basis for the current stringent process for GM crops. EASAC represents 29 scientific bodies across the region.

Da v i d Ba u l c o m b e, c h a i r of the U.K. report’s working group and head of plant sciences at the University of Cambridge, said most public concerns about GM crops have nothing to do with the technology, which he said is as safe as conventional breeding. “They are more often related to the way that the technology is applied,” he said, “and whether it is beneficial for small-scale farmers or for the environment.” For that reason, EU regulations need to be adapted to focus on the traits of the GM crops — such as their pest resistance or enhanced yield — rather than on the genetic modification method itself, the scientists argued. This is the approach taken in regulating pharmaceuti-

“Technology for making crops healthier and more environmentally friendly is moving on fast, but the regulatory system needs to change to allow us to take advantage of this benefit sooner.”

JONATHAN JONES report author

cals — where regulators look at the effects that new drugs have on patients not at the technology used to develop them, which in many cases also involves genetic modification, they said. M a r k Wa l p o r t , C a m e r on’s chief scientific adviser, praised the report and said he was sure the prime minister would welcome its advice.

He acknowledged, however, that it was likely to face some public opposition and prompt argument within the EU. “ There will be a discussion. We live in a plural society, and people are going to have strongly held views about this,” he said. “We have to have a clear and rational debate about the science itself.”

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

Asia-Pacific countries failing to save forests, grassland loss Each year two million hectares are degraded and rendered useless

By Stian Reklev ulan bator / reuters

In China and Mongolia, overgrazing and poor land management mean herders increasingly have to give up feeding their livestock and instead look for new jobs in fast-growing cities. photo: thinkstock

sia-Pacific nations are failing to halt the loss of natural forests and grasslands, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Mar. 11, robbing people of their livelihoods and worsening environmental problems like desertification and climate change. Forests and grasslands make up 58 per cent of the region’s land mass, but each year two million hectares (20,000 square kms) are degraded and rendered useless, Patrick Durst, an FAO senior forestry officer told a food conference in Ulan Bator. Across the Asia-Pacific, 400 million hectares — an area equal to the combined size of India and Myanmar — are now in bad need of restoration, he said.

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“Forest and grassland restoration can provide a range of ecosystem-derived environmental, social and economic benefits.” Patrick Durst FAO

“We are already seeing strong negative impacts,” Durst told Reuters at the conference. In China and Mongolia, overgrazing and poor land management mean herders increasingly have to give up feeding their livestock and instead look for new jobs in fast-growing cities. Lost grassland boosts desertification and helps cause massive sandstorms that sometimes carry as far as Eastern Canada. Meanwhile, illegal logging, farmland expansion and urbanization drive deforestation across the region, especially in Southeast Asia. Data from green group WWF show the greater Mekong region lost a third of its forests in the 35 years to 2009, even though deforestation rates have slowed somewhat in recent years. Bucking the trend would form a basis for much-needed economic development in the region, Durst said. “Forest and grassland restoration can provide a range of ecosystem-derived environmental, social and economic benefits,” he said. But solving the issue would require funding arrangements, stronger domestic law enforcement, strong political will and capacity building, FAO said.

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In search of positive news, FAO said that while loss of natural forests continues, actual forest coverage in the region has increased over the past 20 years, mostly thanks to reforestation programs in China, India and Vietnam. But experts say problems have only gotten worse in many reforested areas because biologically diverse forests have been replaced with single species planted for commercial purposes, such as palm oil and rubber plantations. In China’s Yunnan province, for example, experts say reforestation policies are partly to blame for a four-year drought d e s p i t e b e i n g a ra i n - r i c h region. Less than 10 per cent of Yunnan’s natural forest remains, and recently planted commercial trees lack the ability to regulate groundwater flow. Because they are more water intensive than native trees they require irrigation, consuming a large share of the region’s water resources. “Mixing trees with grass in dry areas would ensure their survival and protect biodiversity, isolate pests and limit forest fires,” said Jin Zhonghao, China director for WWF’s global forest and trade network.

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

St. Lawrence Seaway facing slow start due to heavy ice

The seaway is expected to open a week later than usual, but there is plenty of grain waiting in Thunder Bay By Alex Binkley Co-operator Contributor

ith the Great Lakes almost entirely coated in ice, the 2014 navigation season for the St. Lawrence Seaway faces a slow start just when it is being counted to help Prairie farmers move their mammoth crop from last fall. In early March, the ice cover on the Great Lakes passed 91 per cent, the highest since 1979 when it peaked at 93.9 per cent. The long-range weather forecast for the Great Lakes region is for a late start to spring. A s a re s u l t , t h e Se a w a y Ma n a g e m e n t Co r p. ( S M C ) set the opening for March 31, about a week later than usual, to give more time to clear the ice. Te r r e n c e B o w l e s , S M C president and CEO, said in an interview he’s still hopeful the seaway locks will be able to open on time enabling the ship lines to start moving cargoes. There will be plenty of Prairie grain to move from the Port of Thunder Bay through the waterway thanks to the delays in moving it by rail to the West Coast this winter, he noted. As well, the American and Canadian economies are in better health than in 2013, which should generate more freight traffic. CN in particular is counting on shipments through Thunder Bay to help it meet the federal grain transportation quotas that came into effect in mid-March. While last year’s total tonnage of 37 million tonnes was both disappointing and below predictions, Bowles is confident the seaway will reach 40 million tonnes this season.

ment last year pointing out that under the current ship con“… of the ice breaking units that are currently in struction policy, it could take service, almost a third are operating at less than until 2022 before a new breaker full capacity.” is built, he added. The St. Lawrence Economic Development Council (SODES), which represents shipping lines, shippers and por ts on the St. Lawrence River, also fears the governMichael Broad, president ment’s ship-building program that all the things that can go of the Shipping Federation will delay the arrival of new wrong with a ship will.” He expects freighters will of Canada, which represents icebreakers for years. “The have to be grouped in con- f o r e i g n s h i p ow n e r s , s a i d i n d u s t r y ’s c o n c e r n s s t e m voys for safety so they can fol- his group has been pressing from the precarious state of low an icebreaker through the the federal government to the current ice breaking fleet, ice. “We’re going to need to be speed up the acquisition of which has an average vessel modern icebreakers for the age of 33 and suffers from a well co-ordinated.” T h e c o a s t g u a rd s a i d i t Great Lakes and St. Lawrence lack of replacement parts. would be working in part- River. In d e e d , o f t h e i c e b re a k nership with the U.S. Coast ing units that are currently Guard assets in ice breaking New investment needed in service, almost a third are operations throughout the SFC made a detailed presen- operating at less than full T:8.125” winter and spring of 2014. capacity.” tation to the federal govern-

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Given all the ice in the Great Lakes, a lot of attention will be focused on the ability of the Canadian Coast Guard to open channels to enable the freighters to pick up and deliver cargoes. Its icebreakers on the Great Lakes are the Griffin which is 44 years old, and the Samuel Risley, which has been in operation since 1985. The coast guard has told the shipowners it plans on dispatching two more icebreakers to the Great Lakes once the seaway is open. Robert Lewis-Manning, the president of the Canadian Shipowners Association, says they will be needed. “From an industry perspective, this will be one icebreaker too few and we assess that an additional breaker will be required in the middle lakes due to the ice conditions and the reduced operational capability of the Risley.” One of its engines has failed. It could be well into April before shipping on the Great Lakes is able to reach full operation, the former navy captain said. “Both the Canad i a n a n d A m e r i c a n Co a s t Guard fleets are old and tired. And with all the ice this year, they will be working so hard

The gover nment needs to reconsider its investment priorities for the coast guard, “which are currently focused not on acquiring much-needed new icebreaker units, but on prolonging the life of an already aged fleet and on building a billiondollar polar icebreaker for use in the Canadian Arctic,” SODES said. “It is essential that the fede ra l g ove r n m e n t v i e w t h e maintenance of safe and reliable winter operations along the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes as a priority item. Trade along this axis generates tens of billions of dollars in economic benefits each year, and represents almost 40 per cent of Canada’s international freight and 50 per cent of its domestic freight.”

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

Winter rail traffic snarl jams U.S. Midwest ethanol plants

DRIFTED IN

The coldest winter in three decades has stalled locomotives, frozen track switches and delayed crews By Michael Hirtzer and Cezary Podkul REUTERS

One of the many huge snowdrifts left behind this winter makes it pretty hard follow the sign’s instructions.

PHOTO: SANDI KNIGHT

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winter-long traffic jam on U.S. railways is hampering transport of ethanol, forcing production cuts and ratcheting up prices in supply-deprived regions. The coldest winter in three decades has stalled locomotives, frozen track switches and delayed crews, causing snarls in Chicago and other major hubs across the continent and slowing much of the eastbound ethanol trade. It is a further sign of how this winter has put severe strain on U.S. energy production and transport. Deliveries of propane, natural gas, even electricity, have struggled to keep up amid the freezing temperatures. East Coast stocks of fuel ethanol fell to their lowest level on record last week, down to 4.6 million barrels from 6.4 million at the same time last year, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed on Mar. 12. Midwest ethanol producers — who often can store no more than 10 days’ worth of production on site — are finding their tanks full as railroad pickups slow. As a result, some plants are re d u c i n g p r o d u c t i o n . T h e EIA data showed the secondlowest weekly production for ethanol in the Midwest so far this year, at 802,000 barrels per day. “ We’v e h a d s o m e t i m e s w h e re we’ve h a d t o m a k e some adjustments in production,” said Brian Cahill, chief executive officer of Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, which operates a 110-milliongallon-per-year ethanol plant in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Cahill said his company mitigates the issue somewhat by loading unit trains of 80 cars or more. But congestion in the country’s busiest rail hub of Chicago still slows transportation of the ethanol from the plant in western Iowa to the New York Harbour and elsewhere on the East Coast, he said. It is unclear how long the congestion will last as the weather thaws and shippers work to erase the backlog of deliveries. A spokeswoman for CSX Corp., which has experienced delays in eastbound deliveries, said the railroad is working to relieve the congestion, but warned that “progress will be somewhat slow.”

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

Agriculture debate on Bill C-18 sours quickly The government says opposition MPs, but critics say the government was late introducing the legislation for debate By Alex Binkley CO-OPERATOR CONTRIBUTOR

p p o s i t i o n M Ps h a ve lots of questions and comments about the implications of government legislation to improve the rights of seed developers and change farm support programs. However, when they challenged some provisions in C-18, the Canadian Agricultural Growth Act, during the first few hours of second-reading debate, the government accused them of trying to hijack the legislation. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said the opposition was filibustering the bill, which western farmers need passed so they can obtain cash advances for grain they are having trouble selling because of rail transportation delays. Second reading is traditionally the stage in the parliamentary process when the parties debate the intent of a bill. Once it passes second reading, the Commons has approved the bill in principle and the opposition has a limited scope for proposing amendments. None of the opposition parties threatened a protracted debate.

“Clearly there are many open questions on UPOV ’91 for a lot of farmers, and legitimately so, as to why we are rushing headlong at this.” MALCOLM ALLEN

NDP farm spokesman

are to continue accessing many potentially beneficial new seed varieties and traits.”

Vague implications

NDP farm spokesman Malcolm Allen said the legislation is vague on the actual implications of charges farmers could be paying for seed. “Clearly there are many open questions on UPOV ’91 for a lot of farmers, and legitimately so, as to why we are rushing

headlong at this,” he said. The government should allow the Commons agriculture committee to take the time required to fully review the implications of the new seed rules. He acknowledged the bill has wide support among farm groups. Liberal spokesman Wayne Easter said the bill would amend nine separate pieces of agriculture-related legislation including fertilizer, animal health, plant protection, monetary penalties, agriculture marketing programs, and farm debt mediation. He said the government was trying to wiggle out of supporting farmers the way Europe and the United States does. Instead the Harper government wants “to protect corporate rights than farmers’ rights. That is the basic thrust of the bill. It is more protective of the rights of corporations, global corporations mainly, than it is of the rights of Canadian farmers.”

Late to the gate

While the government wants the bill passed in time to come in effect in August, neither Ritz nor other government spokesmen noted that the bill was introduced last Dec. 9 and is only now coming up for debate. It has the endorsement of a wide swath of farm and agriculture industry organizations. At the heart of the opposition questioning were concerns about the bill’s amendments to bring Canadian law in line with a 21-year-old international convention to enable plant breeders to collect royalties. Canada signed the updated convention of the Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties (UPOV ’91) in 1992 but never introduced legislation to implement its provisions, leaving Canada as one of two developed countries with a plant breeders’ rights (PBR) policy that dates back to the 1970s. Once the government agreed to a tentative Canada-Europe free trade deal last year, it was forced to amend the outdated PBR rules because they could negatively affect European seeds and plant varieties sold in Canada. With the exception of the National Farmers Union, farm groups support the changes led by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) and Grain Growers of Canada (GGC). CFA president Ron Bonnett says the bill contains recommendations made by farm groups to improve the status of seed developers. He said farmers needed the right to save seed for replanting. Franck Groeneweg of GGC says the amendments are needed to protect the intellectual property rights of the developers of new plants, which “allows them to generate the funds for investment.” Better PBR rules are needed as government cuts funding for basic agriculture research and development. “We simply must have a competitive intellectual property framework here in Canada if Canadian farmers

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

Small communities need to plan for big disasters The explosion of a fertilizer plant in Texas almost one year ago can offer lessons to other rural communities when it comes to preparing for the worst By Shannon VanRaes CO-OPERATOR STAFF

ou might think you live in a sleepy rural community — one where “nothing ever happens” — but you’ll want to think again when it comes to planning for disaster management. “Just because you’re a small community, it doesn’t mean it’s not gonna happen,” said Frank Patterson, director of the WacoMcLennan County office of emergency management in Central Texas. Last April 17, he was unwinding at home when a call came in for a fire at a fertilizer plant in the town of West, Texas. Speaking at the annual Disaster Management Conference in Winnipeg, Patterson told attendees how before he even arrived on the scene that spring evening, the plant had exploded — killing 12 first responders and two civilians. More than 160 people were injured, some critically, and the town of fewer than 3,000 residents was left to deal

“It’s bad information from wellintentioned people... people hear it, they repeat it, it becomes fact.” FRANK PATTERSON

with the disaster without many of its key emergency personnel.

Advance planning

Luckily, advance planning meant that there was an excellent understanding of how each role worked and Patterson stepped in as incident commander. “Typically, areas that have a high population also have the resources available to deal with issues,” he said. “Whereas with a smaller community — a rural community or agricultural community, where you have 30, 40 miles between your next biggest city — it’s more important

The site of a fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, April 25, 2013.

in some respects to have those mutual aid agreements in place because you don’t have the resources you need.” Mutual aid is an agreement between jurisdictions to provide assistance in the event an emergency requires more resources

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than any one municipality can provide. Manitoba saw its largest-ever use of mutual aid in the fall of 2011, when approximately 160 volunteers came together from 27 rural fire departments to fight a wildfire in the Sandilands area. “It’s crucially important that small communities reach out to their neighbours, but also that they plan,” Patterson stressed. “Ultimately at the end of the day all disasters begin local and end local, when everybody goes home, you’re left, so it’s important that you have that plan.” Today, planning includes recognizing that rural and even remote locations can be connected to the entire world via social media. No longer does an accredited news agency need to send people to a scene and wait for them to return before heading to print. Now, anyone with a cellphone can take to Twitter and broadcast information — information that is often incorrect. “Before April 17, I would have told you social media is no big deal, but... having lived through it, I will tell you it is vitally important,” the director said.

Social media

Within hours of the fertilizer plant exploding a Twitter feed dedicated to the disaster appeared, while existing social media accounts also took up the cause. The result? Dozens of fire departments not called to respond appeared

on the scene as accounts of the aftermath varied widely. And, as unneeded emergency personnel were turned away, tempers flared, feelings were hurt and the regional highway was clogged with vehicles. Social media also spurred on a tsunami of clothing donations, despite the fact that few people lost their personal possessions in the blast, even if their homes would later be demolished. So much clothing was received that it had to be moved off site, leading to additional online rumours that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was stealing the donations. “It’s bad information from well-intentioned people... people hear it, they repeat it, it becomes fact,” he said. “Social media is important.” So is learning from these types of tragedies. Anywhere that sees industry such as agriculture or manufacturing mix with residential areas, or infrastructure such as highways and railroads, a balance needs to be stuck, Patterson said. “Economic development is key to any community surviving, you’ve got to have a tax base... but you’ve got to balance safety with economic development and residential areas,” he said, adding that new regulations around fertilizer manufacturing and building codes would likely be the end result of the West Fertilizer Company explosion. shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

China GMO research funding slides in continuing controversy While the country is desperate to improve food security, doubts remain over the technology’s safety By Niu Shuping and David Stanway beijing / reuters

hinese research funding into genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has fallen by 80 per cent over the last four years, a member of a parliamentary advisory body said, as Beijing faces public unease over a technology it has been promoting to boost food security. The government has urged its scientists to take a global lead in GMOs, although it has been reluctant to commercialize GMO crops given public concerns over health risks. Safety approvals for pestresistant Bt rice as well as phytase corn, designed as a more environmentally friendly feed for pigs, were completed as early as 2009. But the world’s

largest buyer of imported GMO soy and cotton has not approved commercial production of GMO grains. It has also delayed approval of new strains of imported GMO corn such as the MIR162 variant developed by Syngenta. China’s spending on GMO research has fallen to around 400 million yuan ($65.38 million) in 2013, down from as much as two billion yuan in 2010, Ke Bingsheng, president of the China Agricultural University, said in an address to Premier Li Keqiang during last week’s annual session of parliament. Ke said agriculture technology, particularly GMO, was crucial for a rapidly urbanizing China to increase food production from its shrinking farmlands and water resources.

“GMO technology is extremely important to increase yields and efficiency,” Ke said, according to a transcript of his speech made available by his university. Beijing agreed an initial budget of 26 billion yuan to fund GMO development under a 12-year program launched in 2008. Ke did not say why the funding had fallen. Huang Dafang, a researcher with Biotechnology Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said: “It depends a lot on leadership: if they have wavered, the funding could have been cut, although we need to verify the data.” The safety of genetically modified food was in the spotlight at the annual session of

the National People’s Congress, China’s largely rubber-stamp legislature. Agriculture Minister Han Changfu said that he himself ate genetically modified food, given that GMO soy was already in the food chain. He said, however, the commercialization of staple foods would proceed with caution and in the first stage only GMO cotton and then feed grain would be planted. Former television presenter and anti-GMO campaigner, Cui Yongyuan, wrote in a proposal to the advisory body, the C h i n a Pe o p l e’s Po l i t i cal Consultative Conference, that GMO had not improved yields, was unsafe and also threatened China’s food security by handing control over to multinational companies.

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He called on the government to ban seed firms from doing research and stop commercializing GMO grains. Cui, also a member of the advisory body to parliament, told reporters that GMO grains had been illegally planted in at least four Chinese provinces and he said he has asked the Agriculture Ministry to improve supervision. Ke said public debate over the technology had become muddled. “GMO is a scientific issue, but it has become complicated. No countries have the same misunderstandings (as China) over the issue,” Ke said in his speech. The agriculture minister said China currently only permitted the growing of GMO cotton and papaya.

briefs

Heavy latesummer rains kill over 30 in South Africa

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johannesburg / reuters / Unusually heavy late-summer rains have killed more than 30 people in South Africa but have brought welcome relief to grain farmers after drought conditions in some parts of the Maize (Corn) Belt in January and February. The government said Mar. 17 that 32 people had died because of the rains over the past two weeks in the northern and eastern provinces of North West, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. The toll included 25 drownings and six people killed by lightning. “A number of people have been rescued from the roofs of their vehicles and several were trapped in their homes. Rescue and search services remain on high alert,” it said in a statement. However, the rains have broken a drought in parts of North West province and have been welcomed by farmers in Africa’s top maize producer. “The grain farmers welcome the rain. The crops planted late will benefit from the rain. There is relatively very little damage so far,” said Jannie de Villiers, the chief executive of Grain SA, which represents grain farmers. Some farmers in eastern Mpumalanga province had reported that secondary roads had been damaged and it might be difficult to get the crops to silos as a result, de Villiers added.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

Grain backlog results in record cash advances for farmers

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Farmers are already lining up for the spring advance payments program By Dave Sims Commodity News Service

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luggish export grain shipments have resulted in a record volume of farmers seeking advance payments so they can get their bills paid and start planning for inputs on next year’s crop. Rick White, executive director of the Canadian Canola G r ow e r s A s s o c i a t i o n s a i d 12,500 producers have applied for payouts so far, well above the total of 10,000 applications seen the previous year. Normally farmers would be selling their grain right now, to cover existing bills from last year’s crop, while paying off short-term loans. “That’s what this program is for,” said White. However, a lack of delivery opportunities this year has heightened the need for shortterm financing. Already 650 farmers sit at the $400,000 limit. The association has asked the government to increase the limit of the program to accommodate the demand. T h e s i ze o f t h e a v e ra g e advance requested by farmers is also higher this year. “This year we’ve issued $500 million more than we did last year; that’s a lot of money. That tells us farmers are getting cash strapped out there,” White said. Usually demand for advance p a y m e n t s d ro p s a f t e r t h e beginning of the calendar year, but this year agents have been kept hopping dealing with applications, he said. The new spr ing advance program comes into force April 1, and 450 producers have already started the application process. The advantage of waiting until then, is it gives the farmer a new 18-month cycle to repay it, White said. Given the backlog of grain transportation logistics, and the inability of farmers to clear the backlog themselves, White expects producers to continue looking for cash flow options. T h e f e d e ra l g ov e r n m e n t pays the interest on the first $100,000 of a cash advance issued to a producer per production period and producers have up until the end of the production period to repay their advance. Eight producer organizations in Manitoba are designated as administrators for the program.

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

Food manufacturers’ contribution poorly recognized A new report says food manufacturing in Canada needs more attention from government if it is to achieve its potential By Alex Binkley

anada’s food-manufacturing industry shouldn’t be lumped in with agriculture when it comes to this country’s food policy development, a newly released study from the Ivey Business School says. It’s the second-largest manufacturing sector, the leading employer and through the recent recession “proved to be remarkably resilient in both revenue and employment compared to other manufacturing industries,” notes the report by David Sparling and Erin Cheney. “This is an industry that Canada has been able to count on for both GDP and jobs,” it adds. “While it may not be as exciting as high technology and aerospace, in a recession being steady and unexciting is something to get excited about.” Yet it doesn’t get the attention it deserves from government. “Although food manufacturing is important to Canada’s economy and farmers, it has received very little focus from policy-makers,” the Ivey report points out. “Attention needs to come, not only from agriculture and agri-food departments, but also from economic development, trade and industry-focused ministries. Food is intrinsically linked to agriculture, but the business of food is first and foremost a manufacturing and marketing industry.” Government must give the sector the respect its economic position has earned it, the report continues. “Policies and resource allocations for food manufacturing should not be integrated with, and masked by, primary agriculture’s business risk management policies, which continue to be the primary focus of provincial and federal agri-food policy. The repor t said gover nment policies must encourage exports with trade agreements and assistance to make food companies become more globally competitive and export ready. “Exports can also be supported through government trade programs and by creating regulatory regimes that are aligned and co-ordinated with those of major trading partners.” The Ivey report was prepared in collaboration with the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute which is studying the state of the sector. In a recent analysis, CAPI pointed out that the food-manufacturing and beverage sector ran up a $6.8-billion trade deficit in 2013 largely led by increased wine and salsa imports and the closure of many foreign-owned food plants. Chris Kyte, president of Food Processors of Canada, praised the efforts of CAPI and the Ivey Business School to shine a spotlight on the food industry. “We look forward to working with policy-makers to grow this

industry to higher levels of performance.” The report said food manufacturing could be a powerhouse industry for Canada with its access to farm products, large markets, transportation networks and a consistent track record. Economic conditions are moving in favour of the Canadian food-manufacturing industry, with the world slowly recovering from the recession and the Canadian dollar drifting lower. “If Canada is to continue to reap the economic and employment benefits of a healthy food-manufacturing industry, government must

take notice and act,” the report said. One challenge facing the sector is its inability to improve its productivity in recent years “and that creates concerns over the ability of food manufacturers to compete in the long term,” the report noted. The industry has been trying to reorganize “to be a strong player on the global stage and retain its competitiveness.” Between 2006 and 2014, 143 Canadian food plants closed resulting in projected losses of almost 24,000 jobs. Yet overall net employment in the industry remained the same. Ontario was hardest hit by

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

closings while Quebec’s picture was more positive. The report describes the closures as evidence “of an industry in transition rather than one in decline,” says David Sparling, chair of AgriFood Innovation at the Ivey Business School. “Almost 90 per cent of closures occurred

in multi-plant companies, largely the result of companies reorganizing and consolidating production in fewer large plants to achieve greater scale and efficiency. The results are leaner operations, higher productivity and stronger companies better equipped to compete.”

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

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Europe’s fear of United States hormone meat, GM food sows divide in trade talks Despite several divisive issues, negotiators say they aim to finalize accord by the end of 2014 By Robin Emmott

“Have you ever heard about a European on holiday in the U.S. not eating meat? Everyone raves about the experience of eating in a U.S. steak house.”

BRUSSELS / REUTERS

urope’s reluctance to buy hormone meat or genetically modified food from the United States has exposed an “enormous gulf” that threatens the world’s biggest trade pact, industry and labour groups told EU and U.S. negotiators March 12. Eight months into talks to create a transatlantic pact encompassing almost half the world’s economy, divisions remain over opening up to each other’s goods, rules governing the names of foods and genetically modified food. “There is an enormous gulf between the EU and U.S. positions,” said Michael Dolan, a lobbyist for the U.S. Teamsters union, who rejected the idea that the European Union should be the only market to call Greek-style cheese ‘feta.’ He warned that a trade deal “is likely to be smaller, more modest than its ambitions, because of so many intractable issues,” telling negotiators in a forum also open to reporters. Tensions over food, which have bedevilled many trade talks around the world, risk eroding already fragile public support for a deal that proponents say would increase economic growth by around $100 billion a year on both sides of the Atlantic.

Tensions

Negotiators aim to finalize a deal by the end of this year. Mindful of the huge protests surrounding global trade talks in the 1990s, EU and U.S. negotiators holding a fourth round of talks this week in Brussels took the unusual step

JOHN BROOK

regional director of the U.S. Meat Exports Federation

European negotiators are adamant that sheep-milk cheese popular in Greek salads can only be called “feta” if it comes from Greece. PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

of not only receiving lobbyists but also letting in the media. What little awareness there is about the “Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership” (TTIP) could be distorted by anti-globalization p ro t e s t e r s, E U m i n i s t e r s have warned. At risk is a pact creating a market of 800 million people where business could be done freely, building on the almost $3 billion of transatlantic trade in goods and services each day. Difficulties over agriculture bode poorly for the talks because EU-U.S. negotiators are seeking a far more sophis-

ticated agreement, going beyond farm goods to bring down barriers across all industries and businesses. Even animal welfare is sensitive in a proposed accord where both sides would recognize each other’s standards to oil the wheels of commerce. Europeans said they consider U.S. standards concerning the slaughter of animals as being far lower than in the EU.

Steak house pleasures

Even without such issues, U.S. farmers complain that the farm trading relationship is unfairly skewed in Europe’s

favour and want it addressed in the trade talks. T h e Eu r o p e a n Un i o n exported $16.6 billion of farm goods to the United States in 2012, much more than the $9.9 billion that U.S. farmers sent to Europe, partly because of EU rules banning imports of genetically modified food for human consumption. “Our trade could be way bigger,” said Douglas Nelson, an adviser for farm group CropLife America. Floyd Gaibler of the U.S. Grains Council said: “The TTIP is a way to normalize trade with the European Union.”

But barely a week goes by that EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht, who handles commerce issues for the EU’s 28 member states, states that European regulation of genetically modified food will not change even if a deal is done with Washington. The European Union is also closed to U.S. beef from cattle raised with growth hormones. Some Europeans are worried about what impact GM crops and hormone beef — often dubbed “Frankenstein Food” — might have on health and the environment. “The United States and the European Union have the highest standards of food safety. How is it that we have such different ideas about how to achieve those standards?” said John Brook, regional director of the U.S. Meat Exports Federation. “Have you ever heard about a European on holiday in the U.S. not eating meat? Everyone raves about the experience of eating in a U.S. steak house,” he said.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

Team investigates new vaccine against Johne’s disease Johne’s disease is a chronic, incurable disease that results in loss of production By Alexis Kienlen

“It’s very hard to get rid of this disease once you have it on your farm because it is so insidious and stealthy.”

staff

ohne’s disease has no cure a n d c a u s e s production problems on three of every four Alberta dairy farms. But researchers at the University of Calgary’s faculty of veterinary medicine say they’re making steady progress on a vaccine. “Since there is no cure for it, all you can do is try to prevent your herd from getting the infection,” said bacteriologist and lead investigator Jeroen De Buck. Ev e n b e f o r e a c ow h a s what’s called “clinical infection,” its milk production can go down, along with its weight, he said. “It’s very hard to get rid of this disease once you have it on your farm because it is so insidious and stealthy,” he said. Vaccines developed in the U.S., Europe and New Zealand prolong the period before animals become clinically infected, but don’t protect against new infections. None are registered for use in Canada. De Buck’s team (which is being partially funded by the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency and Alberta Milk) is in the initial stages of creating a vaccine to prevent infection. But it will take awhile before anything hits the market, he cautioned.

Jeroen De Buck Researcher

“It’s a fairly long process, and this disease is particularly difficult, because it is slow progressing,” he said. Work on the vaccine began about six months ago, but research on various aspects of Johne’s disease has been underway for seven years. “Basically we want to create a vaccine that is a live strain, but attenuated, so it cannot cause the actual disease,” said De Buck. A n i d e a l va c c i n e, w h i c h could be used on very young animals, would generate protective immune responses in the vaccinated cow, so the infectious strain would not be able to take hold. The first step is identifying genes essential for the organism to survive in the host and then removing them from the live strain of bacteria. That strain would be used to create a vaccine that would allow a cow to develop an immune response without the threat of infection.

oktire.com Dr. Jeroen De Buck, principal investigator with the Johne’s disease vaccine project, is part of a team of researchers at the University of Calgary that is working to create a new vaccine. photo: supplied

The team also has to follow specific guidelines so its vaccine can be used. “Current Johne’s vaccines s t ra i n s i n t e r f e re w i t h t h e detection of tuberculosis in cows, which is a reportable disease,” said De Buck. “We need to make sure our vaccine doesn’t result in a positive test for Mycobacterium

akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

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CHS expands further into Canada, buys 16 Agrium outlets U.S. co-op says it is interested in further expansion in Canada

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.S. farm co-operative CHS Inc. said Mar. 17 it has agreed to buy 16 Canadian farm retail outlets from Agrium Inc., and plans to further expand its business in Canada. The deal includes eight stores that sell seed, chemicals and fertilizer to farmers, as well as eight ammonia tank businesses, located in Alberta and Saskatchewan, the two biggest wheatand canola-growing Canadian provinces. The purchase bulks up CHS’s modest Canadian holdings, which currently consist of three retail stores and small offices in Winnipeg and Calgary. The St. Paul, Minnesota-based AT pArTICIpATIng company STOreS. is interested in buying or building more farm retail stores, grain-handling sites and fuel sales locations in Canada, said John McEnroe, executive vice-president of CHS country operations. “Anything that touches the farmer, we would be interested in looking at,” he said in an AT interview. pArTICIpATIng “There’s a good arguSTOreS. that instead of a Canament dian market and a U.S. market

for agricultural commodities, it could be a North American market. “As the border blurs, we see the opportunity for Canada to grow for us.” CHS’s interest in Canada grew with the end of the Canadian Wheat Board’s grain-marketing monopoly in 2012 and the once-powerful farmer-owned grain pools over the past decade, McEnroe said. A fertilizer plant that CHS is building near Shelby, Montana, which is expected to open in spring, will supply some of the Canadian outlets, McEnroe said. Terms of the deal, which is to close around April 1, were not disclosed. Agrium acquired some of the assets as part of its 2013 purchase of more than 200 Canadian outlets from Viterra, a unit of Glencore Xstrata PLC, said Agrium spokesman Richard AT pArTICIpATIng STOreS. Downey. To gain approval from Canada’s Competition Bureau, Agrium had to divest certain outlets in sensitive areas. CHS shares on the NASDAQ exchange eased 0.4 per cent in midday trading Mar. 17, while Agrium stock gained about one per cent in New York and Toronto.

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

CCA announces new innovation & sustainability award McDonald’s Canada first recipient for online information centre CCA release

he Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) has introduced a new award that recognizes innovation that supports industry competitiveness and sustainability. The Beef Industry Innovation & Sustainability Award (BIISA) publicly recognizes industry stakeholders and value chain members for their outstanding commitment to the sustainability of Canada’s beef industry through loyalty and innovation. The BIISA is awarded by the CCA on behalf of the producers who operate Canada’s 68,500 beef farms and feedlots. The CCA is pleased to announce McDonald’s Canada as the first recipient of the BIISA. McDonald’s was selected for its long-standing commitment to Canadian beef in its hamburgers as well as its ‘Our Food, Your

Questions,’ online platform. The platform is an excellent example of how using innovation can enhance the sustainability of Canada’s beef cattle industry, said CCA president Martin Unrau. “Using an innovative approach to address popular myths and misconceptions about products, and particularly beef production in Canada, has served to educate and inform consumers in a very open and transparent way,” Unrau said. “Producers also appreciate McDonald’s loyalty to Canadian beef. They’ve set an excellent benchmark for future BIISA recipients to meet or exceed.” The BIISA was presented to McDonald’s representatives at the CCA annual meeting reception in Ottawa. Rob Dick, senior director of supply chain management, and Sherry MacLauchlan, director of government relations, accepted the BIISA on behalf of McDonald’s Canada president John Betts.

McDonald’s was selected for its long-standing commitment to Canadian beef in its hamburgers as well as its ‘Our Food, Your Questions,’ online platform. T:8.125”

South Korea culls six per cent of poultry The outbreak has hit farms and migratory birds nationwide seoul /reuters

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outh Korea has culled over six per cent of poultry in the country to curb a bird flu outbreak that has hit farms and migratory birds nationwide, government officials said March 14. That brings the total number of farm birds slaughtered to 10.16 million, close to a record 10.2 million during an outbreak in 2008, according to data from the Agriculture Ministry. No human infection has been reported, but a dog tested positive for bird flu antibodies, suggesting it had been exposed to the disease without being infected, the ministry said in a statement. Asia’s fourth-largest economy has had four bird flu outbreaks in the past 10 years, without any cases of human infection reported. Sales of chicken in one of Seoul’s largest markets dropped by more than half on average last month in the wake of the latest outbreak, according to a ministry official. No nationwide data is available. South Korea’s first case of H5N8 bird flu — different from the strain that has caused human deaths elsewhere in Asia — was found on Jan. 17 at a duck farm in North Jeolla province, around 300 km (186 miles) southwest of Seoul. Some 28 poultry farms across the nation have been hit by the disease, the ministry said. South Korea has been stepping up disinfection measures for migratory birds, the suspected source of the present outbreak, at 37 sites across the country. It also curbed the movement of some livestock workers in affected areas. China has seen a wave of human H7N9 bird flu cases and deaths in 2014.

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

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LAnDSCApinG Greenhouses Lawn & Garden LiVeSTOCK CATTLe Cattle Auctions Angus Black Angus Red Angus Aryshire Belgian Blue Blonde d'Aquitaine Brahman Brangus Braunvieh BueLingo Charolais Dairy Dexter Excellerator Galloway Gelbvieh Guernsey Hereford Highland Holstein Jersey Limousin Lowline Luing Maine-Anjou Miniature Murray Grey Piedmontese

SpRAyinG Sprayers Spray Various TiLLAGe & SeeDinG Air Drills Air Seeders Harrows & Packers Seeding Various Tillage Equipment Tillage & Seeding Various TRACTORS Agco Allis/Deutz Belarus Case/IH Caterpillar Ford John Deere Kubota Massey Ferguson

Pinzgauer Red Poll Salers Santa Gertrudis Shaver Beefblend Shorthorn Simmental South Devon Speckle Park Tarentaise Texas Longhorn Wagyu Welsh Black Cattle Composite Cattle Various Cattle Wanted LiVeSTOCK hORSeS Horse Auctions American Saddlebred Appaloosa Arabian Belgian Canadian Clydesdale Draft Donkeys Haflinger Miniature Morgan Mules Norwegian Ford Paint Palomino Percheron Peruvian Pinto Ponies Quarter Horse Shetland Sport Horses Standardbred Tennessee Walker Thoroughbred Warmblood Welsh Horses For Sale Horses Wanted LiVeSTOCK Sheep Sheep Auction Arcott Columbia Dorper Dorset Katahdin Lincoln Suffolk Texel Sheep Sheep For Sale

Sheep Wanted LiVeSTOCK Swine Swine Auction Swine For Sale Swine Wanted LiVeSTOCK poultry Poultry For Sale Poultry Wanted LiVeSTOCK Specialty Alpacas Bison (Buffalo) Deer Elk Goats Llama Rabbits Emu Ostrich Rhea Yaks Specialty Livestock Various Livestock Equipment Livestock Services & Vet Supplies Miscellaneous Articles Miscellaneous Articles Wanted Musical Notices On-Line Services ORGAniC Organic Certified Organic Food Organic Grains Personal Pest Control Pets & Supplies Photography Propane Pumps Radio, TV & Satellite ReAL eSTATe Vacation Property Commercial Buildings Condos Cottages & Lots Houses & Lots Mobile Homes Motels & Hotels Resorts FARMS & RAnCheS British Columbia Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba Pastures Farms Wanted

Acreages/Hobby Farms Land For Sale Land For Rent

Oilseeds Pulse Crops Common Seed Various

ReCReATiOnAL VehiCLeS All Terrain Vehicles Boats & Water Campers & Trailers Golf Carts Motor Homes Motorcycles Snowmobiles Recycling Refrigeration Restaurant Supplies Sausage Equipment Sawmills Scales

FeeD/GRAin Feed Grain Hay & Straw Hay & Feed Wanted Feed Wanted Grain Wanted Seed Wanted Sewing Machines Sharpening Services Silos Sporting Goods Outfitters Stamps & Coins Swap Tanks Tarpaulins Tenders Tickets Tires Tools

SeeD/FeeD/GRAin pedigreed Cereal Seeds Barley Durum Oats Rye Triticale Wheat Cereals Various peDiGReeD FORAGe SeeDS Alfalfa Annual Forage Clover Forages Various Grass Seeds peDiGReeD OiLSeeDS Canola Flax Oilseeds Various peDiGReeD puLSe CROpS Beans Chickpeas Lentil Peas Pulses Various peDiGReeD SpeCiALTy CROpS Canary Seeds Mustard Potatoes Sunflower Specialty Crops Various COMMOn SeeD Cereal Seeds Forage Seeds Grass Seeds

TRAiLeRS Grain Trailers Livestock Trailers Trailers Miscellaneous Travel Water Pumps Water Treatment Welding Well Drilling Well & Cistern Winches COMMuniTy CALenDAR British Columbia Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba CAReeRS Career Training Child Care Construction Domestic Services Farm/Ranch Forestry/Log Health Care Help Wanted Management Mining Oil Field Professional Resume Services Sales/Marketing Trades/Tech Truck Drivers Employment Wanted

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

AUCTION DISTRICTS Parkland – North of Hwy 1; west of PR 242, following the west shore of Lake Manitoba and east shore of Lake Winnipegosis. Westman – South of Hwy 1; west of PR 242. Interlake – North of Hwy 1; east of PR 242, following the west shore of Lake Manitoba and east shore of Lake Winnipegosis. Red River – South ofHwy 1; east of PR 242.

The Pas

Birch River

Swan River

SEED/FEED/CROP INPUTS

REAL ESTATE/RENTALS

Pedigreed Cereals Various

Land For Sale

CERTIFIED CARBERRY WHEAT, CERTIFIED Leggett & Summit oats, Certified Tradition barley. Wilmot Milne, Gladstone, MB. (204)385-2486, (204)212-0531.

FARMLAND FOR SALE BY TENDER IN THE RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF DUFFERIN. NE1/4 35-7-5 WPM Excepting- Nly 1,096-ft of Ely 874 & 3/10ths ft The farmland is currently owned by Marcel & Cheryl Lehmann. SEALED TENDERS TO PURCHASE the land will be received by: LEE & LEE LAW OFFICE 5 Centre Ave W PO Box 656 Carman, MB R0G 0J0 until 5:00pm Mar. 18th, 2014. TERMS OF TENDER ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. Each Tender shall be in writing & in a sealed envelope, plainly marked as to its contents & shall be submitted w/a cheque payable to Lee & Lee, IN TRUST, in an amount equal to 5% of the tender price. 2. If the Tender is accepted, the cheque shall become a non-refundable deposit. If the Tenderer fails to complete the purchase of the property the Seller shall retain the deposit as liquidated damages. The successful Tenderer shall immediately enter into an agreement for sale setting out the terms of the Tender. 3. The balance of the purchase price shall be paid by cash, certified cheque, or lawyer’s trust cheque on Apr. 15th, 2014 (the Closing Date). 4. Vacant possession will be provided on the Closing Date. 5. The Buyers will pay the 2014 taxes. 6. The Vendors will pay all the property taxes & penalties relating to taxes accruing to Dec. 31st, 2013. 7. The Tenderer will pay the applicable Goods & Services Tax or provide an acceptable undertaking to self-assess. 8. Time is to be of the essence in submission of the tender & closing of sale. 9. Highest or any tender will not necessarily be accepted. 10. The Purchasers rely entirely on their own knowledge & inspection of the property independent of any representations made by or on behalf of the owners. For further particulars contact: Brock G. Lee, Q.C. Lee & Lee Law Office 5 Centre Ave W PO Box 656 Carman, MB R0G 0J0 Phone (204)745-6751.

GREAT VOLUME DISCOUNTS on truck load Carberry Wheat & Tradition Barley. Also consider the solid yield advantages of Pinnacle Oats. Krym Farms Ltd (204)955-5562, Rosser.

Minitonas Durban

Winnipegosis

Roblin

Dauphin

Grandview

Ashern

Gilbert Plains

Fisher Branch

Ste. Rose du Lac Russell

Parkland

Birtle

Riverton Eriksdale

McCreary

Langruth

Minnedosa Neepawa

Gladstone

Rapid City Virden

Melita

Carberry

Brandon

Treherne

Killarney

Pilot Mound Crystal City

Elm Creek

Sanford

Ste. Anne

Carman

Mariapolis

Lac du Bonnet

Beausejour

Winnipeg

Austin

Souris

Boissevain

Stonewall Selkirk

Portage

Westman

Waskada

Interlake

Erickson

Hamiota

Reston

Arborg

Lundar Gimli

Shoal Lake

St. Pierre

242

Morris Winkler Morden

Altona

Steinbach

Red River

FARM/CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

Baling Equipment FOR SALE: NH 1089 bale wagon w/2130-hrs, $77,000 OBO; 2 Hesston 4655 small square balers, $6000, $9000; 2005 Hesston 4760 medium square baler w/accumulator, ISO updated, $38,000 OBO. Phone (204)728-4784, Brandon MB. FARM/CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

Combines Various

COMBINE WORLD located 20 min. E of Saskatoon, SK on Hwy. #16. 1 year warranty on all new, used, and rebuilt parts. Canada’s largest inventory of late model combines & swathers. 1-800-667-4515 www.combineworld.com

AUCTIONS/ANTIQUE SALES Antiques For Sale 1954 S CASE FULLY restored. Asking $2,000 OBO. Phone(204)825-2799 or Cell:(204)825-8340. MULVEY “FLEA” MARKET. Osborne & Mulvey Ave E. Wpg. Sat-Sun-Hol. 10:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. 40+ vendors. A/C. Debit, Visa, M/C. Table/Booth rental info: (204)478-1217. mulveymarket.ca

LIVESTOCK/POULTRY/PETS Pets & Supplies BORDER COLLIE PUPS FOR sale, 10 weeks sold, $75 each. Phone:(204)745-3370. Carman, MB. EXOTIC BIRD & ANIMAL AUCTION. Apr 27, 2014, Weyburn Livestock Exchange, Weyburn, SK, 11:00a.m. To Consign, Call Charlotte: (306) 861-6305. For Info, Call Ken: (306)861-3456. FOR SALE: BLUE HEELER pups. Ready to go Mach 11, 2 females, 5 males. $150.00/each. Call:(204)828-3373. MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTS/SERVICES

Crop Consulting

FARM CHEMICAL SEED COMPLAINTS We also specialize in: Crop Insurance appeals; Chemical drift; Residual herbicide; Custom operator 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 Please call 1-866-882-4779

SEED/FEED/CROP INPUTS Specialty Crops Various CONTRACTS AVAIL FOR CARAWAY crop production, good return potential. For more info call Giesbrecht Seed Farm Ltd (204)829-3365.

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

AUTOS/TRUCKS/TRAILERS Trucks 2004 FORD 350 DUALLY, 11-ft flat deck, diesel, 6spd, 4x4, one owner, $8,000 OBO; 7x22 GN stock trailer, $3,300. 7x24 Stock Trailer, $3,000. Phone:1 (204)857-8403. FUEL TRUCK 1992 FREIGHTLINER S/A 8.3 Cummins 310 K, 13,000-Litre tank, 5-yr PVIR ot/2013. (204)534-6891, Mel Maynes, Boissevain MB.

SEED/FEED/CROP INPUTS Pedigreed Cereals Various CERT. CARBERRY, AC KANE Wheat, Cert. CDC Meredith Barley. Call Elias Seeds (204)745-3301.

JAMES FARMS LTD AC Carberry Wheat, Tradition Barley, Souris & Summit Oats, Hanley Flax, Forage seeds, various Canola, Sunflower & Soybean seed varieties. Custom processing, seed treating & delivery avail. Early payment discount. For info call (204)222-8785 or toll free 1-866-283-8785, Wpg. djames@jamesfarms.com LARGE QUANTITY OF CERTIFIED harvest wheat for sale, wholesale pricing & selling in truckload lots only. Also certified Newdale 2-Row malt barley. Inland Seed Corp. Binscarth MB. (204)683-2316. PUGH SEEDS: CERT CARDALE, AC Barrie, Kane Wheat, Conlon Barley, Souris Oats. Phone (204)274-2179 or (204)871-1467, Portage. SANDERS SEED FARM FDN, Reg, Cert Domain, Carberry & Glenn Wheat, Cert Celebration Barley Canterra 1990, 1970, Canola. Phone (204)242-4200, Manitou, MB.

REAL ESTATE/RENTALS Land For Sale REVISED ADVERTISEMENT FARMLAND FORSALE BY TENDER IN THE RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF DUFFERIN. This advertisement hasbeen revised to include an additional piece of land(PARCEL IV below) described in Certificate of TitleNo. 35817 MLTO (Roll No. 45200.000), as well asthe originally advertised land (PARCELS I,II, ANDIII below), described in Certificate of Title No.2695380/4 (Roll Nos. 45000.000 and 45100.000)PARCEL I: SE 1/4 19-6-4 WPM EXCEPTING - ALLTHAT PORTION THEREOF CONVEYED TO THEMIDLAND RAILWAY COMPANY OF MANITOBA.PARCEL II: SW 1/4 19-6-4 WPM EXCEPTINGFIRSTLY- THE NLY 1287 FEET OF THE WLY 880FEET. SECONDLY- ALL THAT PORTION DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: COMMENCING AT APOINT IN THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF SAIDQUARTER SECTION DISTANT ELY FROM THEWESTERN LIMIT OF SAID QUARTER SECTION880 FEET; THENCE EAST ALONG THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF SAID QUARTER SECTION713 FEET; THENCE SOUTH PARALLEL TO THEWESTERN BOUNDARY OF SAID QUARTERSECTION 1221 FEET; THENCE WEST PARALLELTO THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF SAIDQUARTER SECTION 713 FEET; THENCE NORTHAND PARALLEL WITH THE WESTERN BOUNDARY OF SAID QUARTER SECTION 1221 FEETTO THE POINT OF COMMENCEMENT. THIRDLYROAD PLAN NOS. 1086 MLTO AND 1173 MLTO. PARCEL III: ALL THAT PORTION OF SE 1/4196-4 WPM TAKEN FOR RAILWAY RIGHT-OFWAY PLAN 779 MLTO (C DIV) EXCEPTINGTHEREOUT- ALL MINES AND MINERALS AS INDEED 92-7809 MLTO. PARCEL IV: ALL THATPORTION OF THE SOUTH-WEST QUARTER OFSECTION NINETEEN, IN TOWNSHIP SIX ANDRANGE FOUR, WEST OF THE PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN THE PROVINCE OF MANITOBA, DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: COMMENCING AT APOINT ON THE NORTHERN LIMIT OF SAIDQUARTER SECTION DISTANT EASTERLY FROMTHE WESTERN LIMIT OF SAID QUARTER SECTION, EIGHT HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FEET:THENCE EAST AND ALONG THE NORTHERNBOUNDRY OF SAID QUARTER SECTION SEVENHUNDRED AND THIRTEEN FEET: THENCESOUTH AND PARALELL WITH THE WESTERNLIMIT OF SAID QUARTER SECTION, TWELVEHUNDRED AND TWENTY-ONE FEET: THENCEWEST AND PARALELL WITH THE NORTHERNLIMIT OF SAID QUARTER SECTION SEVENHUNDRED AND THIRTEEN FEET: THENCENORTH AND PARALLEL WITH THE WESTERNLIMIT OF SAID QUARTER SECTION, TWELVEHUNDRED AND TWENTY-ONE FEET TO THEPOINT OF COMMENCEMENT. TENDER MUSTBE for the entirety of the land described above, andall buildings attached thereto. SEALED TENDERSTO PURCHASE the land will be received by:QUEEN’S BENCH B28-25 Tupper Street North,Portage La Prairie MB R1N 1M9 until 4:30pm onApril 3, 2014. SEALED TENDERS will be opened ata session of the Court of Queen’s Bench at12:30pm April 4, 2014, or so soon after as this matter may be heard at: QUEEN’S BENCH COURTHOUSE 20-3rd Street South East, Portage La Prairie MB R1N 1M9. TERMS OF TENDER ARE ASFOLLOWS: 1. Each Tender shall be in writing andin a sealed envelope, plainly marked as to its contents and shall be submitted with a certified chequepayable to GREENBERG & GREENBERG, INTRUST, in an amount equal to 5% of the tenderprice. 2. If the Tender is accepted, the certifiedcheque shall become a non-refundable deposit. Ifthe Tender fails to complete the purchase of theproperty the Seller shall retain the deposit as liquidated damages. On April 7, 2014 unsuccessfulTenders will have their certified cheques returned tothem by regular mail. 3. The balance of the purchase price shall be paid by cash, certified cheque,or lawyer’s trust cheque and trust conditions onMay 1, 2014 (the Closing Date). 4. Vacant possession will be provided on Closing Date. 5. The Buyers will pay the 2014 taxes. 6. The Vendors will payall the property taxes and penalties relating to taxesaccruing to December 31, 2013. 7. The Tendererwill pay the applicable Goods and Services Tax orprovide an acceptable undertaking to self-assess.8. Time is to be of the essence in submission oftender and closing of sale. 9. Highest or any tenderwill not necessarily be accepted. 10. The Purchasers rely entirely on their own knowledge and inspection of the property independent of any representations made by or on behalf of the owners. 11.This sale is by order of the court in the matter ofDerksen v. Derksen, Queen’s Bench File No. FD13-03-00909. For further particulars and inspectioncontact: John A. Jones, Greenberg & Greenberg,Box 157 Portage La Prairie MB R1N 3B2. Phone(204)857-6878 Glenlea area property. S 1/2 of S/E 1/4 of 12-8-2E, 72-ac. RM of Macdonald. Gravel road access. RTK drainage has been done. Phone: (204)227-8593 MANITOBA FARM LAND- FOR sale 2000-acs 1977 cultivated R.M. of Stanley & Pembina, Good productive land, Manitoba Crop insurance C & D, Option to lease back to vendor. Contact: Melvin Toews at Golden Plains Realty Ltd. Tel:(204)745-3677. MANITOBA- RED RIVER VALLEY 153-acs Soybean, Cash Crop Farm Located on an Paved road NW1/4 3-3-6wpm, 2.5-mi west of Morden, on Hwy No:3. Invest now in Agriculture. Contact, Melvin Toews at Golden Plains Realty Ltd. Tel:(204)745-3677. Call our toll-free number to take advantage of our Prepayment Bonus. Prepay for 3 weeks and we’ll run your ad 2 more weeks for free. That’s 5 weeks for the price of 3. Call 1-800-782-0794 today!

FARMLAND FOR SALE IN THE RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE. Murraydale Farms Ltd. is now open to accepting offers to purchase for the following farmland: E1/2 SE1/4 32-10-04W approx. 73.34-ac, SW1/4 33-10-04W approx. 146.62-ac, NE1/4 23-10-04W approx. 160-ac. All land had 35 phosphate and 20 potash applied last fall for fertilizer to be ready to crop soybeans. TERMS OF SUBMITTING OFFERS: Written offers to purchase the land will be received by Ammeter Law Group, 7 Donald St, Winnipeg, MB R3L 2S6, Attention Caitlin Schmidt until 5:00pm on APRIL 4, 2014. Offers to purchase shall be open for acceptance until 5:00pm on APRIL 11, 2014. The offers to purchase must be accompanied by a certified cheque in an amount equal to 5% of the purchase price in the offer to purchase, made payable to Ammeter Law Group, in trust. A copy of the offer to purchase must also be e-mailed to Corey D. Murray at coreydmurray@gmail.com. Any specific questions pertaining to the land should be directed to Corey Murray at (204)856-9380 or coreydmurray@gmail.com. The offers to purchase must be on the approved form. Parties interested in submitting an offer can contact Corey Murray to get a copy of the approved form of offer to purchase. Once an offer to purchase is accepted, the cheque shall become the deposit, refundable only according to the terms set out in the offer to purchase. Deposit cheques accompanying unaccepted offers to purchase will be returned after the period for accepting the offers to purchase have expired. The offer to purchase with the highest purchase price will not necessarily be accepted. TERMS & CONDITIONS OF SALE: The specific terms and conditions of the sale shall be contained in the offers to purchase. Interested parties must rely on their own inspection & knowledge of the land. Possession date April 2014, negotiable. The successful purchaser will be responsible for all property taxes for 2014.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

GUN & MILITARIA SHOW Sunova Centre West St Paul Rec Centre 48 Holland Rd Located North of the North Perimeter Hwy between McPhillips & Main St off Kapelus Rd WINNIPEG, MB. SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Adults $5.00 – Women free Children under 12 accompanied by an adult free There will be dealers from Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba Show Sponsored by the MCC of C

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Parkland MEYERS COIN AUCTION Arden, MB. Date Change 10:00am Sun., Mar. 30th. 650 coins & paper money. Bradley Meyers Auctioneer, (204)476-6262 www.meyersauctions.com

AUCTION SALES Saskatchewan Auctions

AUCTION SALES U.S. Auctions

10TH ANNUAL SPRING EQUIPMENT AUCTION Drayton, ND.

Sat. April 12-9:30am

MACK AUCTION CO presents a farm equipmentauction for Wilfred & Joan Messer (306)461-5145Mon., Apr. 14th, 2014 at 10:00am. Directions fromMacoun, SK 4-mi South. Watch for Signs! Live internet bidding at Bidspotter.com JD 8450 4WD tractor; Case 2290 2WD tractor w/duals; Case 14942WD tractor w/Case 66L FEL & 3-PTH; 24-ft. SeedHawk air drill w/onboard Magnum 257 air tank; 32ft. Case field cultivator w/Degelman harrows; 29-ft.IH 55 DT cultivator; Malcam 24-ft. DT cultivator;Melroe 5 bottom plow; Co-op G100 discers; diamond harrow packer drawbar; MF 860 SP combinew/2,750 hours; MF 9024 straight cut header; MF9030 straight cut header; 30-ft. JD 590 PT swather;Buhler Farm King steel drum roller; 90-ft. Flexicoilfield sprayer; Degelman PTO rock picker; 100-galslip tank w/electric pump; 1,250-gal poly water tank;Trimble EZ Guide 500 GPS; 1977 Dodge 600 3Ton grain truck; 1977 Dodge 600 3-Ton grain truck;1984 GMC Sierra 1500 PU; 4, Twister 2,300-buhopper bottom grain bins; Twister 4,000-bu hopperbottom bin; 2, Behlen 2,950-bu grain bins on cement; 2, Westeel 3,300-bu grain bins on cement;Westeel 2,750-bu grain bin on cement; Westeel1,650-bu grain bin on wood floor; OPI Stormaxgrain temp monitor & cables; Motomco 919 moisture tester; Sakundiak 7-45 auger w/Kohler engine;Sakundiak 7-51 auger w/Onan engine, hyd binsweep; Honda 250 Big Red; Deines zero turn mower; Craftsman snow blower; JD lawn mower; ShurLift pressure washer; 3-PTH flail mower; 3-PTH cultivator; 3-PTH disc; 3-PTH Allied snow blower,complete line of shop tools & much more!! Visitwww.mackauctioncompany.com for sale bill & photos. Join us on Facebook & Twitter. (306)421-2928or (306)487-7815 Mack Auction Co. PL 311962

MACK AUCTION CO. presents a farm equipmentauction for Gordon & Edith Kolish (306)722-3610 or(306)737-0610 Sat., Apr 19th, 2014 10:00am. Liveinternet bidding www.bidspotter.com Directionsfrom East side of Creelman, SK. go 18-mi North todead end & 1/4-mi W. Watch for signs! Case 93704WD tractor w/5,120-hrs; IH 1086 2WD tractorw/6,000hrs; 2013 MF Hesston WR9725 SP swather w/75-hrs & 30-ft. PU reel; Case IH 2188 AxialFlow SP combine w/2,230 Rotor hrs; 30-ft. Case IH1020 straight cut header; straight cut header trailer;Koenders poly swath roller; 49-ft. Morris Maxim airdrill double shoot w/Morris 7300 air cart; 53-ft. Friggstad 420 cultivator w/tine harrows; JD 20-ft. offset disc; 32-ft. IH 4700 vibra tiller cultivator; Degelman ground drive rock picker; Crown grounddrive rock picker; 100-ft. Bourgault 1450 field sprayer; 1,250-gal poly water tank; 1,000-gal steel watertank; 2001 Volvo tandem axle Hwy tractor w/sleeper; 1996 Doepker tri axle grain truck w/3 compartments & air ride; 1977 GMC 6500 grain truckw/74,500km; Brandt 10-60 swing auger; Sakundiak7-41 auger w/Briggs engine; 3, Westeel 2,500-bubins on wood floor; 2, Westeel 1,600-bu bins onwood floors, plus shop tools & a whole bunch more!Visit www.mackauctioncompany.com for sale bill &photos. Join us on Facebook & Twitter.(306)421-2928 or (306)487-7815 Mack Auction Co.PL 311962

• Tractors • Trucks • Tillage • Sprayers • Row Crop • Headers • Recreational • Lawn & Garden. Full listing after March 26th on midwestauctions.com, Agweek, or Farm & Ranch - Proxi-Bid

Argyle, MN AUCTION SALES Saskatchewan Auctions

MACK AUCTION CO. presents a farm equipmentauction for Bill & Bev Tatarliov Sat., Apr. 12th, 201410:00am. Directions from Minton, SK 6-mi North onHwy #6 & 2.5mi East & 1/2-mi North, Watch forSigns! Live internet bidding at Bidspotter.com Vers846 Designation 6 4WD tractor w/4,400-hrs; IH 886 2WD tractor w/IH 2350 FEL w/grapple fork; Ford1510 FWA DSL yd tractor w/3-PTH & PTO; 2002NH FWA extended back hoe; JD 70 antique tractor; JD 9400 SP combine w/2,822 sep hrs & 2013 Greenlighted; 25-ft. JD 925 straight cut header,straight cut header trailer; 40-ft. JD 737 air drillw/flexi coil 1720 air cart; 33-ft. Ezee On 3590 tandem disc; 39-ft. CCIL 807 cultivator; 39-ft. CCIL 807cultivator w/Degelman harrows; CCIL 22-ft. cultivator; 48-ft. Ezee On tine harrow bar w/Beeline granular applicator; 2, G100 CCIL 18-ft. discers; 1982Chev 70 3-Ton grain truck w/47,100-km; 1978 GMC6000 3-Ton grain truck w/48,754-km; WWII eraChev military truck for restoration; 2003 Vermeer605 Accu-Bale Plus SL round baler; 16-ft. NH 14752300 Series haybine; 2002 Southland 5th Wheel16-ft. livestock trailer; Ezee On post pounder; Cockshutt hay rake; quantity of livestock steel gates &panels; quantity of round bale feeders; calf squeezechute tipping table; Farm King roller mill; homebuilt30ft. hay wagon; 5, Westeel Rosco 1,950-bu hopper bottom bins; 2, Twister 1,950-bu hopper bottombins; 2, Twister 2,000-bu grain bins w/wood floors;Twister 1,100-bu hopper bottom bin; 2 Flaman3-HP aeration fans; 2, Sakundiak 7-45 PTO grainaugers; 7-41 PTO grain augers; Farm King 1365grain cleaner; Sakundiak 300-bu hopper wagon;Ford 930A 3-PTH 5-ft. finishing mower Allied 3-PTH7-ft. snow blower; hyd post hole auger FEL loadermount; Schulte 7-ft. front mount snow blower; gaspowered floatation pump; Honda gas blower broadcaster; JD DSL 6x4 gator UTV; JD Big Buck 650quad ATV; Honda 250 Big Red ATC; 2, Panterra 90CC ATV quads 2WD; quantity of rail road ties;quantity of lumber; 3, 500-gal fuel tanks & stands;antique Defiance store scale; Assort. of crocks &copper boilers; antique kitchen cupboards; Forneystick welder; household & shop tools, plus muchmore! Visit www.mackauctioncompany.com for salebill & photos. Join us on Facebook & Twitter.(306)4212928 or (306)487-7815 Mack Auction Co.PL 311962

AUCTION SALES Saskatchewan Auctions

Unreserved pUblic farm aUction

paul cherkas

Kamsack, SK | April 3, 2014 · 10am

Advertise your unwanted equipment in the Classifieds. Call our toll-free number and place your ad with our friendly staff, and don’t forget to ask about our prepayment bonus. Prepay for 3 weeks and get 2 weeks free! 1-800-782-0794. Hit our readers where it counts… in the classifieds. Place your ad in the Manitoba Co-operator classifed section. 1-800-782-0794.

3– 2013 CASe iH 500 quADtrAC

AUCTION SALES Auctions Various BE AN AUCTIONEER. (507)995-7803 www.auctioneerschool.com We know that farming is enough of a gamble so if you want to sell it fast place your ad in the Manitoba Cooperator classifieds. It’s a Sure Thing. Call our toll-free number today. We have friendly staff ready to help. 1-800-782-0794. Do you want to target Manitoba farmers? Place your ad in the Manitoba Co-operator. Manitoba’s best-read farm publication.

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Interlake McSherry Auction Service Ltd

Estate & Moving Sat., Mar. 29 @ 10:00 am Stonewall, MB - #12 Patterson Dr

Granaries * 5) Westeel Rosco w/ NRW Hoppers * 3) 5200 2) 4800 Bushell * Along w/ Yard * Tools * Household * Antiques * Catering Equip * 97 Olds Achevia 94,000 km Sft Insp Estate Car *

(204) 467-1858 or (204) 886-7027

www.mcsherryauction.com

4 oF 5– CASe iH 9230 AuCtion LoCAtion: From KamsacK, sK go 12.9 km (8 miles) South on Hwy 8, then go 2.4 km (1.5 miles) East, 0.4 km (0.25 mile) South. GPS: 51.4257, -101.8418 A PArtiAL equiPment LiSt inCLuDeS: 3– 2013 Case IH 500 Quadtracs · 2013 Case IH 400HD 4WD · 2013 Case IH Puma 145 MFWD · 2012 Case IH Puma 170 MFWD · 5– 2013 Case IH 9230 Combines · 4– 2013 Case IH 2142 35 Ft Draper Headers · 3– 2013 MacDon M155 35 Ft Swathers · 2008 International 9900I T/A ·

2008 Lode King 28 Ft Super B · 2– Unused 2014 Seed Hawk 72 Ft Air Drills · 2013 Seed Hawk 72 Ft Air Drill · 3– 2013 Morris 8650XL Tow-Between Air Tanks · 2013 & 2012 Case IH 4430 120 Ft High Clearance Sprayer · Grain handing equipment · Landscape equipment... and much more!

For up-to-date equipment listings, please check our website: rbauction.com Paul Cherkas: 306.542.7992 Ritchie Bros. Territory Manager – Dan Steen: 306.361.6154 800.491.4494

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Parkland

UNRESERVED PUBLIC AUCTIONS

SPRING 2014 UPCOMING AUCTIONS Call for a FREE Spring Auction Guide 800.491.4494 or visit rbauction.com

APRIL 3 4 OF 5— CASE IH 9230

APRIL 4 1998 INTERNATIONAL 9400, 2001 WESTERN STAR 4964EX & 2010 LODE KING PRESTIGE 45 FT

Auctions Near You! Kamsack, SK Paul Cherkas · April 3 Benson, SK Corly Briltz · April 4 Rouleau, SK Regina Auction Site · April 7 Broadview, SK River Ayr Farms Ltd. & Lloyd Lovequist · April 9 Grenfell, SK Dayeta Farms — Dave Gromniski · April 10 Gilbert Plains, MB DMD Farms Ltd. — Derek & Denise Sydor · April 10 Hartney, MB Gordon White · April 11 Yorkton, SK Nussbaumer Farms Inc. · April 12 Bredenbury, SK Brian & Dana Soke · April 14 Teulon, MB Tri-Field Farms Ltd. · April 14 Melville, SK Hanowski Farms Inc. · April 15 Plumas, MB Bill & Mary Reimer· April 15 Grenfell, SK Floyd & Edythe Werth · April 16 Gilbert Plains, MB Manchur Farms Ltd. · April 16 Edgeley, SK Denvig Farms Inc. · April 17 Kamsack, SK Pennell Farms Ltd. · April 17 Kamsack, SK Gardner Brothers · April 17 Dauphin, MB Dean & Genadri Myhre · April 17 Wroxton, SK R & L Napady Farms Ltd. · April 19 Rhein, SK Austie Farms Ltd. · April 22

APRIL 7 2003 JOHN DEERE 1820 & 2000 JOHN DEERE 1900

APRIL 9 1985 CASE IH 4494 & BRENT 674

APRIL 10 2011 VERSATILE 485

APRIL 10 2011 BOURGAULT 6700ST

APRIL 11 2009 NEW HOLLAND T7040

APRIL 12 2004 INTERNATIONAL 8600 & 2008 INTERNATIONAL PROSTAR

APRIL 14 2011 MORRIS CONTOUR 61 FT w/ 7240

APRIL 14 2002 JOHN DEERE 9520T

APRIL 15 2007 JOHN DEERE 4895 30 FT

APRIL 15 1979 CAT 950

APRIL 16 2006 NEW HOLLAND L170

APRIL 16 2010 JOHN DEERE 4730 100 FT

APRIL 17 2006 JOHN DEERE 9660STS

APRIL 17 2— BOURGAULT 8810 50 FT & 2— BOURGAULT 6550ST

APRIL 17 2008 JOHN DEERE 9770STS

APRIL 17 1988 PETERBILT 379

APRIL 19 1978 CATERPILLAR D7G

APRIL 22 2011 JOHN DEERE 9430

rbauction.com | 800.491.4494 Auction Company License #309645

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

AUCTION SALES Saskatchewan Auctions

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Red River

LARGE SURPLUS PARTS AUCTION FOR GENAG SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 10 AM AT THE DEALERSHIP 1/2 MILE SOUTH OF #3 & #14 HIGHWAYS - MORDEN/WINKLER, MB

Winkler, MB • 1-204-325-4433

MACK AUCTION CO. presents a farm equipment auction for Garnet & Barb Hart (306)861-2905 Fri., Apr. 11th, 2014 10:00am. Directions from Weyburn, SK go 9-mi East on Hwy 13 & 10.5-mi North. Watch for Signs! Live internet bidding www.bidspotter.com Ford Vers 846 4WD tractor w/4,270-hrs; Case 2390 2WD tractor w/5,595-hrs; MF 90 2WD tractor w/FEL; JD 9610 Maximizer SP combine w/2,648 sep hrs & fresh Green Light; 30-ft. JD 930 straight cut header; straight cut header trailer; 24-ft. Case IH 4000 SP swather w/Honeybee knife; JD swath fluffer; 36-ft. Harmon 3680 air drill double shoot w/Flexi Coil 1610 air cart; 42-ft. Friggstad cultivator w/Beeline applicator; 35-ft. IH 645 cultivator w/Anhydrous kit; 45-ft. IH medium duty cultivator; 22-ft. MF DT cultivator; 2, 12-ft. Melroe disc drills; Flexi Coil end tow tine harrow packer bar; 1978 Chev C-60 grain truck w/steel box & roll tarp; 2001 Chev Silverado 2500 extended cab truck; 1964 Dodge 500 grain truck; 1978 GMC 3/4-Ton truck; 36-ft. farm use grain cart; shopbuilt tandem dual dolly converter trailer; 70-ft. Flexi Coil 55 field sprayer, Chem Handler III, Honda 2-in. water pump, 1,200gal poly water tank; Trimble EZ Guide & EZ Steer GPS; 2, Westeel 3,800-bu hopper bottom bins; 5 Westeel Rosco 1,900-bu hopper bottom bin; Westeel & Twister 2,250-bu hopper bottom bins; Friesen 50-Ton fertilizer bin; 2, Westeel 2,000-bu bins on wood; 2, Twister 2,000-bu bins on wood floors; Westeel Rosco 2,500-bu bin on cement; Westeel Rosco 1,900-bu bin on cement; Rosco 1,350-bu bin on cement; Inland 1,400-bu bins on cement; 5, wood grain bins; Westfield MK 10-61 swing auger; Wheatheart BH 8-51 auger w/hyd mover; Brandt 8-45 auger w/Kohler 20-HP engine; Pool 8-35 auger w/bin sweep & 16-HP Kohler engine; Pool 8-40 auger w/20-HP Wisconscin; Grain Guard 3-HP aeration fan; Caldwell 3-HP aeration fans; Grain Guard heater; Stormax Deluxe Bin temperature monitor; Degelman PTO rock picker; 1,000-gal anhydrous tank & trailer; shopbuilt land leveler; Yardworks riding lawn mower; floating slough pump & hose; propane scare cannon, plus much more!! Visit www.mackauctioncompany.com for sale bill & photos. Join us on Facebook & Twitter. (306)421-2928 or (306)487-7815 Mack Auction Co. PL 311962

MACK AUCTION CO presents a farm & livestock equipment auction for Ross & Ron Moncrief (306)489-4913 or (306)489-4813 Wed., Apr. 16th, 2014 Alameda, SK. Directions from Alameda 5-mi West & 3/4-mi North @ 10:00am. Watch for signs! Live internet bidding at www.bidspotter.com JD 8570 4WD tractor w/4,490-hrs; JD 6300L FWA tractor w/JD 640 FEL & open cab; JD 9500 SP combine w/JD 914 PU header & 2500 sep hrs; JD 930R straight cut header; Trail Tech straight cut header trailer; 25-ft. Premier 1900 PT swather; Koenders poly swath roller; Labtronics moisture tester; 1987 IH 466 DSL single axle S1900 grain truck; 1980 Chev C-60 3-Ton grain truck; 1965 Dodge 500 grain truck; NH BR780 round baler; NH 116 haybine; NH 1033 PT square bale wagon; Jiffy bale processor; NH 357 Mix Mill; NH 791 manure spreader; NH side delivery rake; MF 124 square baler; Real Industries tandem axle gooseneck stock trailer; Peerless PTO roller mill; Horst 18 bale hay trailer; Pearson squeeze chute; Lewis cattle oilers; Dust Actor mineral feeders; metal clad calf shelter; quantity of corral panels & gates; windbreak panels; barb wire & electric fencing supplies; round bale feeders, vet & misc cattle supplies; 14-in. & 15-in. western saddles; 35-ft. Morris 8900 air seeder & Morris 6130 air cart; 35-ft. Morris CP 732 cultivator w/anhydrous kit; 37-ft. Morris CP 731 cultivator; 36ft. Morris rod weeder; 56-ft. Morris tine harrows; 15ft. Cockshutt cultivator; 14-ft. Oliver tandem disc; Farm King 10-70 swing auger; Sakundiak 7-40 auger w/Kohler engine & Wheatheart bin sweep; EZ Guide GPS, Schulte front mount snow blower, Easy Load 2 compartment tote tank; 25-ft. Brandt 3-PTH sprayer; Bush Hog 3-PTH mower; Wilkomi PTO grass weeder; ATV yard sprayer; Polaris 300 Explorer quad; 1971 Yamaha 650 motorcycle; Artic Cat 340 snow machine; MF 832 lawn tractor; Yd Machine; roto tiller; Honda 2-in. & 3-in. water pumps; 1,000-gal fuel tank & stand, slip tanks & pumps, complete line of shop tools plus much more!! Visit www.mackauctioncompany.com for sale bill & photos. Join us on Facebook & Twitter. (306)421-2928 or (306)487-7815 Mack Auction Co. PL 311962

MACK AUCTION CO. presents a real estate &farm equipment auction for Robert Moffat(306)695-7795 Fri., Apr. 4th, 2014 @ 10:00am. Directions from Abernethy, SK. 11-mi South. Watchfor signs! Live internet bidding at www.bidspotter.com 1,196-sq.ft. home situated on 12-acs ofland NE2-19-11-W2. Also 40x60 quonset & 24x26garage surrounded by mature shelter belt. Case9270 4WD tractor w/7,890-hrs; Case 2390 2WDtractor; 40-ft. Morris Maxim II air drill w/Morris 8336triple compartment air tank w/Midrow anhydrousbanders; MF 180 2WD DSL tractor w/Robin FEL; IH706 DSL tractor; Massey Harris 44 tractor; 2. Massey Harris tractors; Case IH 2388 SP combine &Case 1015 PU header w/2,290 sep hrs; Case 2188SP combine & Case 1015 PU header w/2,720 sephrs; 30-ft. Case IH 1042 straight cut draper header;30-ft. Macdon 960 straight cut draper header; 26-ft.Co-op 550D DSL SP swather; 25ft. Case IH 8220PT swather; 30-ft. Prairie Star 4600 PT swather;Co-op 550D SP swather for parts; Vers 18-ft. PTswather; Koenders swath roller; 70-ft. DegelmanStrawmaster 7000 heavy harrow w/curved tines;29-ft. Morris CP-725 Magnum cultivator; MF 35-ft.cultivator w/anhydrous kit; Morris 36-ft. rod weeder,MF 14-ft. cultivator; Coop discers; 1983 DSL GMC3500 1-Ton flat deck truck; 1974 Chev C-60 graintruck w/steel box & hoist; 1975 Ford F-700 flat decktruck; 100-ft. Brandt QF 1000 field sprayer w/850gal pol tank; EZ Guide Plus Lightbar; EZ Steer 500Auto Steer; 9-Goebel 2,495-bu bins on wood floors;4, Westeel 2,070-bu bins on steel floors; 3, Westeel5,500-bu bins on steel floors; 4, Rosco 1,600-bubins hopper bottom bins; 3, Butler 2,400-bu bins onsteel floors; Westeel 4,300-bu bin on steel floor;Brandt 10-60 swing auger; Wheatheart 8-51 auger& mover; Johnson transfer auger w/Honda engine;Haul All 2 compartment tote tank; antique grainwagons; JD 445 EZ Trak 27-HP Zero turn mower;Swisher 60-ft. PT mower; Case 446 garden tractor& tiller; acreage sprayers; Degelman 10-ft. dozerblade; Degelman ground drive rock picker; FarmEze HD 170 manure wagon; Anderson square balewagon; Cockshutt hay rake; sickle mower; 1, 1,000gal water tanks; 2, 150-gal slip tanks w/electricpumps; Sandborn 220V air compressor, plus muchmore! Visit www.mackauctioncompany.com for salebill & photos. Join us on Facebook & Twitter.(306)421-2928 or (306)487-7815 Mack Auction Co.PL 311962

Your smartphone just got smarter.

GenAg is a progressive Agriculture Equipment Dealership, who has amalgamated 3 Dealerships into 1, Thereby having created a very large amount of never used Surplus Agriculture Parts and will sell them to the Highest Bidder at Public Auction. Our website has a more detailed listing or watch for our Auction Catalog in your farm mail box approximately March 15th to 20th

See our website: www.billklassen.com for complete listing or call 204-325-4433 cell 6230

BILL KLASSEN AUCTIONEERS

Buy and Sell anything you need through the

Classifieds AUCTION SALES U.S. Auctions

Estate Farm

AUCTION SALES U.S. Auctions Location: 17035 County Rd. 10, Mooreton, ND. From I-29 Exit 26 (Dwight, ND), 1 mile west.

TUESDAY, APRIL 1 / 11AM

Get the Manitoba Co-operator mobile app and get the latest ag news as it happens. Download the free app at agreader.ca/mbc

AUCTIONEER’S NOTE: Please note the specialized fertilizer placement equipment. Most major pieces have been stored inside and are ready for the field. Very few smalls, major equipment sells at 11:30 AM. Live online bidding on major equipment. Registration, terms, & details at SteffesGroup.com.

OPENING: TUE. MARCH 18 CLOSING: FRI., MARCH 28 PREVIEW: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM and Saturdays from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM LOADOUT: Monday, March 31, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM SELF-PROPELLED JD CCS planter, 48x22”, SPRAYERS Sorenson front-fold bar, 16” tracks, Pro Series units w/e-Set Willmar Eagle 8400 selfpropelled sprayer, 120’ boom, hoppers, Pro shaft drive, corn 1,000 gal. SS tank, Mid Tech plates, true count, pneumatic ARC 6000 rate controller, down force, SeedStar control, Outback E-drive w/S console, 1,000 gal. liquid tank, Hypro Tridekon crop dividers, 320R50 pump, wing lift assist tires, 20.8-42 rear tires, 3,396 AIR DRILLS hrs., S/N8400DB034800 Case-IH 8500 air hoe drill, towWillmar Eagle 8100 selfbetween, 45’, 5-section, Eagle propelled sprayer, Ag Shield beak openers, semi-pneumatic 90’ boom, 825 gal. SS spray press wheels, fertilizer meter, tank, Mid Tech ARC6000 dividers removed, no blockage controller w/JD ATU 200 monitor, tank S/NJAG0138536, guidance, 270/94R54 tires at drill S/NJAG0135487 60%, 3,216 hrs., also includes 1999 Flexi-Coil 5000 air drill, 14.9-46 tires and 20.8-42 tires, 3 section, 40’, 5.5” rubber press, all 60%, S/N8100CD068000 2 sets sweeps, 1 set Eagle beaks, 350 lb. shanks, Flexi-Coil PULL-TYPE SPRAYERS 3450 tank, 3-compartment, vari- 2005 H&S pull-type sprayer, 120’ booms, triple nozzle rate drive, zone blockage, hyd. fill auger, 30.5-32 diamond tires, bodies, 1,500 gal. tank, 200 gal. rinse tank, rinse wand, 3 section S/NV091212-99 boom control, Hypro hyd. pump, 2005 JD 1820 air hoe drill, 45’, 4 Function E/H, touchdown 7-1/2” spacing, 5 section fold, wheels, 14.9-46 tires, S/N149 single shoot, spring cushion, Gen points, rubber press, mud 2002 Hardi Commander 1200 scrapers, rock guards, fill lights, pull-type sprayer, 90’ boom, 5 section,1,200 gal. tank, 100 2-bar harrow, full run monitor, JD 1910 tow-behind commodity gal. rinse tank, 320/90R46 tires, cart, 350 bu., 60/40 split, belted Hardi 2500 controls, S/N12-0018 Summers Ultimate pull-type PLANTER conveyor, blue & green seed sprayer, 80’ boom, 1,000 gal. 1988 JD 7300 MaxEmerge II meters, S/NA01820X710436 tank, 200 gallon rinse tank, vacuum planter, 12x30”, wing FIELD CULTIVATOR wand, triple nozzle bodies, fold, 1.6 bu. hoppers w/ext. to 2.2 1995 Wil-Rich heavy duty field 2 sets tips, Raven 440 monitor, bu., ground drive, vertical fold, cultivator, 54’, 5-section, wind screens, in-line screens, 1 set of down force springs, hyd. walking tandems, 3-bar harrow, cam lock cleanouts, markers, S/NA07300B200166 good tires, tool box, S/N2250 14.9-46 tires, S/NB0896 TRACTORS 2003 JD 9520T, deluxe cab, buddy seat, powershift, 4 hyd., diff lock, radar, (26) front suitcase weights, wide swing drawbar, 36”Camoplast 3500 tracks, 5,652 hrs., S/NRW9520T902198 2003 JD 8520T, deluxe cab, powershift, 4 hyd., 3 pt., quick hitch, 1000 PTO, integrated AutoTrac, JDLink ready, diff lock, radar, front weight box, 24” Camo high yield tracks, 6,449 hrs., S/NRW8520T902240 1994 Ford NH 9680, 12 spd. syncro, 4 hyd., 20.8-42 duals, 5,650 hrs., S/ND10058 2003 Case-IH MX210, MFWD, deluxe cab, buddy seat, powershift, 4 hyd., 3 pt., quick hitch, big 1000 PTO, (6) front suitcase weights, 420/80R46 press steel duals at 40%, 14.9R30 front duals at 30%, 4,000 hrs., S/NJAZ126023 1993 JD 7800, 2WD, power quad, 3 hyd., 3 pt., quick hitch, PTO, radar, diff lock, GreenStar ready, (18) front suitcase weights, 14.9R46 press steel duals, 11:00-16 front tires, 8,600 hrs., S/NRW7800H002275

EVERGREEN IMPLEMENT Locations & Contacts 605 S Main, Warren, MN Harvey, 218.745.4516 1820 State Hwy 1 NE, Thief River Falls, MN Matt, 218.681.1131 300 US Hwy 59, Mahnomen, MN Gale, 218.935.2241 or Dave Krostue at Steffes Group, 218.779.6865

Complete terms, lot listings and photos at SteffesGroup.com

IQBID is a division of Steffes Group Inc. 2000 Main Avenue East, West Fargo, ND 58078 Scott Steffes ND81, Brad Olstad ND319 | 701.237.9173 | SteffesGroup.com

For Complete terms, lot listings & photos visit SteffesGroup.com

TRACTORS / HARVEST EQUIPMENT GRAIN CART / TRUCKS / PLANTER DISC DRILL / TILLAGE EQUIPMENT STRIP TILL ZONE FERTILIZER EQUIPMENT / ROW CROP EQUIPMENT / SPRAYERS / AUGERS SCRAPERS & DITCHER OTHER EQUIPMENT / LIMOUSINE

Michael Pikarski Estate Stephanie Lupo, PR

For information contact Brad Olstad at Steffes Group, 701.237.9173 or 701.238.0240. Steffes Group, Inc., 2000 Main Ave East, West Fargo, ND 58078 Brad Olstad ND319, Scott Steffes ND81 | 701.237.9173 | SteffesGroup.com TERMS: All items sold as is where is. Payment of cash or check must be made sale day before removal of items. Statements made auction day take precedence over all advertising. $35 documentation fee applies to all titled vehicles. Titles will be mailed.

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

AUCTION SALES Saskatchewan Auctions

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Red River

BUSINESS AUCTION FUNKS BAKERY

AUCTION SALES U.S. Auctions

Estate Farm

SATURDAY, MARCH 22 10 AM WINKLER, MB, 295 PERRY STREET EAST OF HWY. NORTH OF RONA

Winkler, MB • 1-204-325-4433

MACK AUCTION CO. presents a large premiumfarm equipment auction for Maple Ridge Farms Ltd.John & Jakki Stephhenson (306)331-7625 or(306)331-9682 Sat., Apr. 5th, 2014 10:00am. Directions from Abernethy, SK 5-mi South, 1-mi West,2.5mi South. Watch for signs! Live internet bidding@ www.bidspotter.com JD 9630 4WD tractorw/2,100hrs & Green Star ready; JD 9420 4WDtractor w/2,360-hrs & Green Star ready; JD 7820FWA tractor w/2,940-hrs & Green Star ready; JD7210 FWA tractor w/5,940-hrs; JD 6410 FWA tractor w/JD 640 FEL & 3-PTH; IH 1086 2WD tractorw/duals; White 1270 2WD DSL tractor w/3-PTH;2010 Case IH 8120 SP combine w/Case IH 2016PU header w/680 sep hrs; 2009 JD 9770 STS SPcombine w/895-hrs & Green Star ready; 2009 JD9770 STS SP combine w/620-hrs & Green StarReady; 2010 Case IH 2152 36-ft. draper header;2009 Macdon D60-S 36-ft. draper header w/JDAdapter; 2009 JD 635D 36-ft. draper header; 2009Brent 1082 grain cart w/scale & roll tarp; 2008 Brent620 grain cart w/scale & roll tarp; 65-ft. Bourgault3310 PHD air drill w/Bourgault 6450 air cart & AtomJet openers; Pattison CB 3200 liquid fertilizer caddyw/Honda pump; 70-ft. Degelman Strawmaster 7000heavy harrow w/3255 Valmar; Degelman 7651 landroller; 39-ft. Degelman 2000 DT cultivator; 2010Case 120-ft. IH Patriot 4420 SP sprayerw/1,570-hrs; 4 Goodyear 380/90R-46 sprayer tires& rims; Vale Solutions sprayer tire jack, Chem Handler III, 2, 1,400-gal poly tanks, Star ITC, Star Fire300; 2006 IH 9400i tandem axle grain truck w/autoshift & Cancade box; 1997 Freightliner tandemgrain truck w/Newstar box; 2003 Volvo tandem axlehighway truck w/sleeper; 1997 IH Eagle 9400 tandem axle Hwy truck w/13-SPD; 2007 Dodge Cummins 3500 1-Yon dually automatic 4WD; 2001Dodge Cummins 2500 extended cab 4WD truck;2009 53-ft. Wilson tri axle grain trailer w/3 compartments; 2000 Doepker 53-ft. tandem axle step decktrailer w/high clearance sprayer cradle; 2009 Tailtech 30-ft. triple axle gooseneck flat deck trailer w/beaver tail & ramps; 2009 18-ft. Trailtech tandemaxle bumper pull flatdeck trailer; 2008 SilverliteFreedom tandem axle 2 horse bumper pull trailer;Marshall S-5 single axle utility trailer w/hyd dump;Loftness GBL grain bagger; Loftness GBL grainbag extractor; 2009 REM 27 hundred grain vac;2010 Brandt 13x90 swing auger w/remote; Wheatheart 8-51 auger mover & Kohler engine; Brandt10-60 swing auger; Westfield 10-61 swing auger;Sakundiak 7-41 auger w/Honda engine; Kendon150-bu hopper wagon; Graham Seeds G-3 stainless 7-10 seed treater, galvanized upright seedtreater; Schulte XH-1500 20-ft. rotary mower;Schulte 9600 3-PTH snow blower; Degelmanground drive rock picker; Frontier bale spear; Agrator 3-PTH box scraper; 3-PTH cultivator; Corralpanels & gates. Visit www.mackauctioncompany.com for sale bill & photos. Join us on Facebook& Twitter. (306)421-2928 or (306)487-7815 MackAuction Co. PL 311962

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2 | 10AM

Selling complete. Large bake shop selling all to the bare walls, all equipment to run a large modern day Bakery, Ovens, Mixers Fryers, Display Cases,

AUCTIONEER’S NOTE: Along with farming, Mickey was an avid tractor collector and equipment buyer. There will be several lots of smalls including parts and farm support items. Most of the major pieces of equipment have been stored inside. Major equipment will sell at 11:30 AM. Live online bidding available on major equipment. Registration, terms & details at SteffesGroup.com.

Electric 2000 lb fork lift, Walk in Freezers and Cooler

Owner of Funks Bake Shop 204-331-4566 See our website: www.billklassen.com for complete listing or call 204-325-4433 cell 6230

BILL KLASSEN AUCTIONEERS

Location: From Sharon, ND, 3.5 miles north on Steele Co. Hwy. #7, or from Aneta, ND, 4.5 miles east, ½ mile south on Steele Co. Hwy #7. (1639 124th Ave NE, Sharon, ND 58277)

Prairie-Wide Display Classifieds

MORE OPTIONS TO SAVE YOU MONEY

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

Contact Sharon

Email: sharon.komoski@fbcpublishing.com

AUCTION SALES U.S. Auctions

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014 • 11AM

AUCTIONEER’S NOTE: Half hour of small items followed by major equipment at 11:30 AM. Live online bidding available on major equipment. Registration, terms, & details at Steffes Group.com.

LOCATION: 3586 23rd Ave NE, Larimore, ND. From the intersection of ND Hwy. 2 and ND Hwy. 18, 4 miles north on Hwy. 18, 1-1/4 mile east on 23rd Ave.

TRACTORS / COLLECTIBLE TRACTORS / COMBINES / HEADS SWATHERS / TRUCKS TRAILERS / AIR DRILL & DRILLS TILLAGE EQUIPMENT SPRAYERS / NH3 & FERTILIZER EQUIPMENT / HOPPER BIN & GRAIN HANDLING EQUIPMENT OTHER EQUIP. / SHOP EQUIP. THOMAS “MICKEY” SNORTLAND ESTATE

MACK AUCTION CO. presents a farm & livestockequipment auction for Dave & Doreen MacCuish(306)486-4911 Tues., Apr. 15th, 2014 10:00am. Directions from Frobisher, SK 3-mi South. Watch forSigns! Live internet bidding @ www.bidspotter.comFord Vers 876 4WD tractor w/5,195-hrs; NH TM135FWA tractor & FEL w/2,455-hrs; Versatile 836 4WDtractor with professional rebuilt engine and PTO;MF 2745 2WD tractor w/3,609hrs; MF 35 2WDtractor w/3-PTH, JD 9500 SP combine & JD 214PU header w/2,472 sep hrs; 30-ft. JD 930R straightcut header; 32-ft. Seedhawk 32-12 air drill w/onboard 110-bu seed tank & 1,450-gal onboard liquidfertilizer tank; 35-ft. Bourgault 8810 air seeder w/ JD787 air cart; Willmar Eagle 8200 SP 90-ft. highclearance sprayer & Auto Steer Trimble Auto Mapping w/2,500-hrs; JD 567 round baler w/net wrap &silage kit; Premier 2900 SP Cummins turbo swatherw/30-ft. Macdon 960 draper header; 16-ft. Macdon922 hay header w/ steel crimper; Golden Bellstraight cut header trailer; Gleaner N-6 SP combinew/2,238-hrs; 30-ft. Gleaner straight cut header; JiffyBale processor; Morris 14 bale Hay Hiker trailer;Degelman Strawmaster 7000 heavy harrows w/Valmar 4400; Farm King roller mill; Morris 43-ft. cultivator w/Valmar 240; Morris Magnum CP-731 cultivator; Big G 24-ft. tandem disc; Valmar 240granular applicator; Chem Handler I, 12V Chemicaltransfer pump & meter; 1988 IH S1900 tandem axlegrain truck; 1976 Ford F600 grain truck; 1975 Western Star tandem water truck; 2003 Wilkinson 14-ft. bumper pull stock trailer; 3, Goebel 3,500-bu hopper bins; 2, Goebel 4,200-bu. hopper bins, 10,000bu steel grain ring; Westfield MK 13-71 swing auger; Walinga 510 grain vac; Brandt 7-45 augerw/ Kohler engine; Farm King 8-51 PTO auger; Pattison 8,300-gal liquid tank; 2, Hold On 4,500-gal liquid tank; Hold On 1,500-gal liquid tank, approx3,000gal of liquid fertilizer; Schulte 9600 3-PTHsnow blower; Leon 36-14 6 way dozer blade w/Vers876 mounts; Harley high dump rock picker; 20-ft.Harley rock windrower; C&J trailer post pounder,4-YKS 20.5-25 wheel loader tires; JD HPX GatorATV w/hyd dump & 380-hrs; Artic Cat 3000 snowmachine; snow machine sleigh; Generac SVP 5000generator; Eagle horizontal air compressor; Easyclean steam washer; electric DSL fired washer;floating slough pumps; 2-in. gas water pumps; Degelman single acting hyd tine angle kit 7000 heavyharrow, plus much more! Visit www.mackauctioncompany.com for sale bill & photos. Join us onFacebook & Twitter. (306)421-2928 or(306)487-7815 Mack Auction Co. PL 311962

For information contact Brad Olstad at Steffes Group, 701.237.9173 or 701.238.0240.

TRACTORS / GPS EQUIPMENT HARVEST EQUIPMENT / DRILL PLANTER / TILLAGE EQUIPMENT EDIBLE BEAN & ROW CROP EQUIPMENT WHEEL LOADER & FORKLIFT / TRUCKS SPRAYERS / FERTILIZER EQUIPMENT GRAIN HANDLING EQUIPMENT OTHER EQUIPMENT / MINI PASSENGER BUS & MINI PICKUP / ATU

TERMS: All items sold as is where is. Payment of cash or check must be made sale day before removal of items. Statements made auction day take precedence over all advertising. $35 documentation fee applies to all titled vehicles. Titles will be mailed. Canadian buyers need a bank letter of credit to facility border transfer.

AUTO & TRANSPORT Auto & Truck Parts

TITAN TRUCK SALES (204)685-2222 2007 Freightliner Columbia Mercedes MBE4000 450 HP, 13 SP Ultrashift, 3:58 Gear Ratio, 12000-lbs Front, 40000-lbs Rear, 22.5-in Aluminum Wheels, 228-in Wheel Base, 919,524-kms. $22,000.00

GREAT PRICES ON NEW, used & remanufactured engines, parts & accessories for diesel pickups. Large inventory, engines can be shipped or installed. Give us a call or check us out at www.thickettenginerebuilding.ca Thickett Engine Rebuilding. Ph (204)532-2187, Russell MB.

TITAN TRUCK SALES (204)685-2222 2007 IHC 9400I Cummins ISX 455 HP, 13 SP, 4:11 Gear Ratio, 12000-lbs Front, 40000-lbs Rear, 22.5in Aluminum Wheels, 222-in Wheel Base, 72-in Mid-Rise Bunk, 1,210,399-kms. $22,000.00

AUTO & TRANSPORT

TITAN TRUCK SALES (204)685-2222 2005 IHC 9900I Cummins ISX 475 HP, 13 SP, 3:73 Gear Ratio, 12000-lbs Front, 40000-lbs Rear, 22.5in Aluminum Wheels, 244-in Wheel Base, 72-in Mid-Rise Bunk, 1,409,137-kms. $19,000.00 TITAN TRUCK SALES (204)685-2222 2005 IHC 9900I Cummins ISX 500 HP, 18 SP, 3:73 Gear Ratio, 12000-lbs Front, 40000-lbs Rear, 22.5in Aluminum Wheels, 244-in Wheel Base, 72-in Mid-Rise Bunk, Four-Way Differential Locks, 1,428,989-kms. $29,000.00

218.779.4005

or Brad Olstad of Steffes Group, 701.237.9173

Steffes Group, Inc. 2000 Main Ave East, West Fargo, ND 58078 MACK AUCTION CO. presents a real estate auction for Robert Moffat (306)695-7795 Fri., Apr. 4th,2014 @ 10:00am. Directions from Abernethy, SK11-mi South. Watch for signs! Live internet biddingat www.bidspotter.com 1,196-sq.ft. home situatedon 12-acs of land NE-2-19-11-W2. Also 40x60quonset & 24x26 garage surrounded by matureshelter belt. Visit www.mackauctioncompany.comfor sale bill & photos. (306)421-2928 or(306)487-7815 Mack Auction Co. PL 311962.

Steffes Group, Inc. 2000 Main Ave East West Fargo, ND 58078 Brad Olstad ND319, Scott Steffes ND81 701.237.9173 | SteffesGroup.com

AUTO & TRANSPORT Semi Trucks & Trailers

Kevin & Arlene Knudson

Brad Olstad ND319, Scott Steffes ND81, Bob Steffes ND82, Ashley Huhn ND843, Eric Gabrielson ND890, Randy Kath ND894

701.237.9173 | SteffesGroup.com

Julie Snortland, PR

TITAN TRUCK SALES (204)685-2222 2005 Peterbilt 379 Cat C15 475 HP, 13 SP, 3:55 Gear Ratio, 12000-lbs Front, 40000-lbs Rear, 22.5in Aluminum Wheels, 244-in Wheel Base, 70-in Bunk, 2,013,769-kms. $30,000.00 TITAN TRUCK SALES (204)685-2222 2006 Freightliner Cabover Detroit 515 HP, 13 SP, 4:11 Gear Ratio, 12000-lbs Front, 40000-lbs Rear, 22.5-in Aluminum Wheels, 154-in Wheel Base, 876,810-kms. $20,000.00 TITAN TRUCK SALES (204)685-2222 2006 IHC 9400I Cummins ISX 450 HP, 13 SP, 12000-lbs Front, 40000 lbs Rear, 22.5-in Aluminum Wheels, 236-in Wheel Base, 72-in Mid-Rise Bunk, 3 X 4 Way Differential Locks, 1,231,432-kms. $25,000.00 TITAN TRUCK SALES (204)685-2222 2006 Peterbilt 379X Cat C15 475 HP, 18 SP, 3:55 Gear Ratio, 12000-lbs Front, 40000-lbs Rear, 22.5in Aluminum Wheels, 275-in Wheel Base, 70-in Bunk, 1,657,883-kms. $65,000.00

TITAN TRUCK SALES (204)685-2222 2007 Peterbilt 379 Cat C15 470 HP, 13 SP, 3:36 Gear Ratio, 12000-lbs Front, 40000-lbs Rear, 22.5in Alloy Wheels, 244-in Wheel Base, 70-in Bunk, 1,536,191-kms. $49,000.00 TITAN TRUCK SALES (204)685-2222 2007 Peterbilt 379L 379L Legacy, Cat C15 475 HP, 18 SP, 3:55 Gear Ratio, 12000-lbs Front, 40000-lbs Rear, 22.5-in Aluminum Wheels, 244-in Wheel Base, 70-in Bunk, 1,373,064-kms. $70,000.00 TITAN TRUCK SALES (204)685-2222 2009 Peterbilt 388 Cummins ISX 450 HP, 18 SP, 3:55 Gear Ratio, 12000-lbs Front, 40000-lbs Rear, 22.5-in Aluminum Wheels, 244-in Wheel Base, 63in Mid-Rise Bunk, Three-Way Differential Locks, 1,145,366-kms. $49,000.00 TITAN TRUCK SALES (204)685-2222 2010 Peterbilt 388 Cummins ISX 550 HP, 18 SP, 4:10 Gear Ratio, 12000-lbs Front, Super 40000-lbs Rear, 22.5-in Aluminum Wheels, 244-in Wheel Base, 63-in Mid-Rise Bunk, Three-Way Differential Locks, 739,252-kms. $65,000.00

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

BUILDINGS

FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Wanted

NEW & USED TRACTOR PARTS NEW COMBINE PARTS

WANTED: 20-FT OF JD 9450 hoe drills, 7-in spacing, in good condition. Phone Doug (306)695-3389, Indian Head, SK.

Large Inventory of new and remanufactured parts

LIVESTOCK Cattle Auctions

WANTED TO BUY #6200 International press drill w/factory transport, must be field ready, other makes will be considered. Call Cliff:(204)423-2195 (204)269-1481.

GRUNTHAL LIVESTOCK AUCTION MART. LTD.

Hwy #205, Grunthal • (204) 434-6519

GRUNTHAL, MB.

AGENT FOR T.E.A.M. MARKETING

HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING

STEINBACH, MB. Ph. 326-2443

BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Roofing

FARM MACHINERY Grain Elevators

Toll-Free 1-800-881-7727 Fax (204) 326-5878 Web site: farmparts.ca E-mail: roy@farmparts.ca

PRICE TO CLEAR!!

80-FT. BUCKET ELEVATING LEG w/3 phase 10-HP electric motor. Phone (204)886-3304.

75 truckloads 29 gauge full hard 100,000PSI high tensile roofing & siding. 16 colours to choose from.

FARM MACHINERY Snowblowers, Plows

FARM MACHINERY Haying & Harvesting – Various

SCHULTE SDX960 SNOWBLOWER W/HYD deflector, like new, $6750. Phone (204)436-2049. matt_tkachyk_sons@mymts.net

Rebuilt Concaves

FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Air Seeders

B-Gr. coloured......................70¢/ft.2

Multi-coloured millends.........49¢/ft.2

Ask about our blowout colours...65¢/ft.2 Also in stock low rib white 29 ga. ideal for archrib buildings BEAT THE PRICE INCREASES CALL NOW

FOUILLARD STEEL SUPPLIES LTD. ST. LAZARE, MB. 1-800-510-3303

BUILDINGS AFAB INDUSTRIES IS YOUR SUPERIOR post frame building company. For estimates and information call 1-888-816-AFAB(2322). Website: www.postframebuilding.com CONCRETE FLATWORK: Specializing in place & finish of concrete floors. Can accommodate any floor design. References available. Alexander, MB. 204-752-2069. FOR SALE: 1 FUTURE steel building X frame model, dimension 110-ft. long x 40-ft. wide x 21-ft. high, all steel building, asking $55,000, valued at $90,000. (204)867-2436, (204)868-1212.

Rebuild combine table augers Rebuild hydraulic cylinders Roller mills regrooved MFWD housings rebuilt Steel and aluminum welding Machine Shop Service Line boreing and welding

Penno’s Machining & Mfg. Ltd. Eden, MB 204-966-3221 Fax: 204-966-3248

Check out A & I online parts store www.pennosmachining.com

Combine ACCessories FARM MACHINERY Combine – Accessories JD STRAW CHOPPER, TAKEN from 1997 9600. New knives & hammers, VGC. $1200 OBO. Phone (204)745-7445.

1997 BOURGAULT 8800 40-FT. 8-in. spacing, new style manifolds, Ridgeland boots w/removable mulchers & packers, 3,195 tank, all in very nice shape, $26,500 OBO; 74-ft. Tormaster heavy harrows, 5/8 time, 21-in. long, big rubber all around, $18,500 OBO. (204)373-2502, Emerson.

FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Various 28-FT CASE HOE DRILL, always shedded, in great shape. $5500 OBO. Phone (204)295-8417

From The Ground Up BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AUTO BODY SHOP AND Equipment in Baldur MB. 60-ft x 30-ft, wood frame w/metal roof, built in 1980. Would sell building only, Priced right. (204)245-0165.

ENGINES HONDA AUGER ENGINE 20-HP, used very little, $1200 OBO. Phone (204)745-7445.

FARM MACHINERY Fertilizer Equipment FERTILIZER SPREADS 4-8 TON. 4T Tyler stainers, $4,000; 5T, $5,000; 6T Simousen w/tarp, $6,500; 8T Willmar $7,000; Valmar applicator, $1,500. www.zettlerfarmequipment.com Phone: (204)857-8403.

FARM MACHINERY Grain Bins BIG BINS & FLOORS at old prices, 20,000-56,000bu. bins holding prices until spring. NEW MOISTURE CABLES! Call Wall Grain for details (204)269-7616 or (306)244-1144 or (403)393-2662. CUSTOM BIN MOVING Book now! Fert Tanks. Hopper Bins/flat. Buy/Sell. Call Tim (204)362-7103 or E-mail Requests binmovers@hotmail.com

Cudmore Bros. NOTICE

Last chance to buy bin extensions for the Behlen Vertical Bins. Any farmer wanting to extend these bins better give Cudmore Bros a call @ 204-873-2395 or contact us @ cudmoreb@mts.net before April 15/14 We got notice that this spring is the last production of these bin extensions

FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories GOODS USED TRACTOR PARTS: (204)564-2528 or 1-877-564-8734, Roblin, MB. MURPHY SALVAGE New & used parts for tractors, combines, swathers, square & round balers, tillage, press drills & other misc machinery. MURPHY SALVAGE (204)858-2727 or toll free 1-877-858-2728. Advertise your unwanted equipment in the Classifieds. Call our toll-free number and place your ad with our friendly staff, and don’t forget to ask about our prepayment bonus. Prepay for 3 weeks and get 2 weeks free! 1-800-782-0794.

Harvest Salvage Co. Ltd. 1-866-729-9876 5150 Richmond Ave. East BRANDON, MB. www.harvestsalvage.ca New, Used & Re-man. Parts

Tractors Combines Swathers The Real Used FaRm PaRTs sUPeRsToRe Over 2700 Units for Salvage • TRACTORS • COMBINES • SWATHERS • DISCERS Call Joe, leN oR daRWIN (306) 946-2222 monday-Friday - 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

WATROUS SALVAGE WaTRoUs, sK. Fax: 306-946-2444

FYFE PARTS

1-800-667-9871 • Regina 1-800-667-3095 • Saskatoon 1-800-387-2768 • Winnipeg 1-800-222-6594 • Edmonton “For All Your Farm Parts”

www.fyfeparts.com

204-873-2395 CRYSTAL CITY, MB

www.cudmorebros.com FARM MACHINERY Grain Dryers NEW MC DRYERS IN STOCK w/canola screens 300-2,000 BPH units. Why buy used, when you get new fuel efficient & better quality & control w/MC. Call Wall Grain for details (204)269-7616 or (306)244-1144 or (403)393-2662.

NEW WOBBLE BOXES for JD, IH, MacDon headers. Made in Europe, factory quality. Get it direct from Western Canada’s sole distributor starting at $1,095. 1-800-667-4515. www.combineworld.com

FOR SALE:1985 836 Designation 6. Very nice condition, next to new radial tires all around, 15-spd trans, w/PTO. Asking $35,000 OBO. Phone: (204)743-2145 or (204)526-5298.

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – 2 Wheel Drive STEVE’S TRACTOR REBUILDER specializing in JD tractors in need of repair or burnt, or will buy for parts. JD parts available. Phone: 204-466-2927 or cell: 204-871-5170, Austin.

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous BOURGAULT 28-32-FT COIL PACKER w/hyd wing lift; Farm King portable PTO roller mill; Farm King 10-ft hyd drill fill auger; Phone (204)386-2412, Plumas. DISCS: JD 335 30-FT, $10,500; JD 300 22-ft $9,500; Bushog 21-ft $7,000, 25-ft $7,500; IH #490 25-ft $7,500; Krause 16-ft $5,000; JD 15-ft $5,000; Rowcrop cultivators 4-12R, Call; Lilliston 6-8R DMI rippers 5 & 7 shank $8,900 up; JD 7000 planter 8-30 $5,500; #7100 3PT 8-30 $4,000; Phoenix harrow 42-ft $9,500, 53-ft, as new, $18,000; Summers heavy harrow 70-ft $12,000; Scrappers Midland 8.5-yd $8,000; Soilmover 7.5-yd $8,000; Eversman 6.5-yd $6,500; Fieldmaster 4-yd $3,900. Phone:(204)857-8403. FOR SALE: 1975 SILAGE truck Chev 366 5-SPD, 2-SPD axle, tilt hood w/attached David batch mixer (approx 4,000-lbs) w/scale, $4,000 OBO. Phone (204)672-0061 GRAIN CARTS 450-1080-BU: NEW Gravity wagons 400-bu, $7,100; 600-bu, $12,000; 750-bu, $17,750; tarps available. Used 250-750-bu: $2,250 up Grainvacs; Brandt 4000, $7,000; Brandt 4500, $7,500. Balers: JD 510, $1,250; JD 530, $3,500; JD 535, $5,000; Flexheads Case-IH 1020 25-ft, $5,000; 30-ft, $8,000; JD 925, $6,500; JD 930, $6,500; Case-IH 1015 pick-up head, $3,500; Vermeer R23 hyd. rake. Phone:(204)857-8403. SCREENERS DUAL STAGE HICAP 5-48 $2,500; DMC 54 $5,000; Hutch 3000 $5,000, Hutch 1500 $2,200; Kwik Kleen 5 tube $4,000, 7 tube $5,000; Small Screener $200; Eversman V-Ditcher $2,000; UFT 3PH Rotary Ditcher $1,250; Degelman 14-ft rock rake $7,900; Double axle dolly $2,000, Single Axle dolly $2,000; 35.5 x 32 tires w/rims off log skidder $4,000 OBO; JD rops canopy $450; Tractor cab $600; Pallet fork for skidsteer 48-ft new $850, extensions $475. Phone:(204)857-8403.

Sheep & Goat Sale with Small Animal and Holstein Calves 12:00pm

Saturday April 5th

Sales Agent for

www.penta.ca

1-800-587-4711

We also have a line of Agri-blend all natural products for your livestock needs. (protein tubs, blocks, minerals, etc)

For on farm appraisal of livestock or for marketing information please call

IRON & STEEL

Harold Unrau (Manager) Cell 871 0250 Auction Mart (204) 434-6519

FREE STANDING CORRAL PANELS, Feeders & Alley ways, 30ft or order to size. Oil Field Pipe: 1.3, 1.6, 1.9, 1 7/8, 2-in, 2 3/8, 2 7/8, 3 1/2. Sucker Rod: 3/4, 7/8, 1. Casing Pipes: 4-9inch. Sold by the piece or semi load lots. For special pricing call Art (204)685-2628 or cell (204)856-3440.

MB. Livestock Dealer #1111

WWW.GRUNTHALLIVESTOCK.COM

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Angus 17 BRED HEIFERS, to calve Apr & May. Phone: (204)642-8686.

A great way to Buy and Sell without the ef for t.

2 Yr Old Angus Eligible Bachelors For Sale via Private treaty. Long, thick Reds & Blacks available with low birth weights. We will hold until your ladies are ready. Free Delivery. Come & have a look any time. Contact Trevor Woychyshyn for details. Phone (204)821-5108 Oakburn, MB. ANDERSON CATTLE CO Bull Sale, Mar. 29th, 2014 1:00pm at the farm, Swan River, MB. 50, Two Yr Old & Yearling Red & Black Angus Bulls. www.andersoncattle.ca or (204)734-2073 for a catalog. NON-REGISTERED 2-YR OLD ANGUS Bulls & bred Heifers for sale. Phone (204)467-5093.

1981 MODEL 1086 W/DUALS 3-PTH, Ezee On FEL. Phone (204)797-7049.

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Versatile

Monday March 31st

HIQUAL INDUSTRIES

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Case/IH

JD 1998 9400 4WD, 12-spd, 4-hyd, 710 x 38 radial Pirelli tires, 75%. Recent work order, always shedded, 7000-hrs, very nice condition. (204)745-7445.

every TUESDAY at 9 am March 25th

Bred Cow Sale at 10:00am

JD 1997 750 15-FT no-till drill. Rebuilt w/new blades, seed boots, & rubber. All bearings & seals checked over, very nice machine, $24,000 OBO. Phone (204)822-3005, Morden.

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – John Deere

• FARM • STORAGE SHEDS • COMMERCIAL • FOUNDATIONS | FLOORS • WORK SHOPS

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

FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Seeding

1990 CASE IH 9180, 7900-hrs, 12-spd power shift, VGC, $41,000 OBO. Phone (204)523-7469 cell, (204)534-8115.

HEADER TRAILERS & ACCESSORIES. Arc-Fab Industries. 204-355-9595 charles@arcfab.ca www.arcfab.ca

The Icynene Insulation System®

REGULAR CATTLE SALES

RIDGE SIDE RED ANGUS: (3)2-yr old, 15 Reds & 1 Black yearling bulls for sale. From top AI sires, semen tested, guarented, will keep & feed till you need & deliver. Call Don:(204)422-5216 or visit our website@ ridgesideredangus.com

Classifieds LIVESTOCK Cattle Auctions THE 10TH ANNUAL “BEST OF THE BREEDS” BULL SALE Sun., March 30th, 2:00pm at Parkland Livestock Market, Leross, SK. On offer Charolais, Red & Black Angus, Simmental & Gelbvieh, yearlings and two-year olds. For catalogues or information contact T Bar C Cattle Co.(306)220-5006 (PL# 116061) View the catalogue online at www.buyagro.com

Every Friday 9AM

TRANSCON WINNIPEG LIVESTOCK BULL SALE

5 2-YR OLD/15 YEARLING Registered Black Angus Bulls, semen tested & delivered within 100-mi. (204)741-0070, (204)483-3622, Souris.

BOTANY ANGUS FARM & Leaning Spruce Stock Farm have for sale yearling Black Angus bulls. Come early, a deposit will hold your purchase until Spring. For more info & prices contact Ryan Shearer (204)824-2151 or Cell:(204)761-5232.

Thursday, March 27 @ 1:00 pm

NEXT SHEEP & GOAT SALE Wednesday, April 2 @ 1:00 pm Gates Open: Mon.-Wed. 8AM-4PM Thurs. 8AM-10PM Friday 8AM-6PM Sat. 8AM-4PM

We have 7 to 10 local buyers and orders and 7 to 8 regular order buyers on our market.

“Where Buyers & Sellers Meet” For more information call: 204-694-8328 Jim Christie 204-771-0753 Scott Anderson 204-782-6222 Mike Nernberg 204-807-0747 Licence #1122

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Black Angus

BLACK ANGUS & POLLED HEREFORD bulls for sale. Yearlings & 2-yr olds available, natural muscled bulls developed w/high forage rations. Semen tested, delivery available. Call Don Guilford (204)873-2430.

REGULAR BUTCHER & FEEDER SALE

www.winnipeglivestocksales.com

WWW.REDDIAMONDFARM.COM 18 MTH OLD PB Black& Red Angus bulls for sale. Check out our bull catalogue online. We guarantee & deliver. We also have Purebred Black & Red Angus cows to calve Aug/Sep for sale. Phone Michael Becker:(204)348-2464, Whitemouth.

CRANBERRY CREEK ANGUS REGISTERED bulls for sale. Sired by HF Tiger 5T, SAV Pioneer, Cranberry CRK Dynamite, Cranberry CRK Highlander, J Square S Tiger. Bulls are easy doing with great dispositions. Hand fed for longevity. Semen tested, guaranteed & delivered. Will hold until the end of April. All weights & EPD’s available. Call (204)534-2380, or cranberrycreek27@gmail.com for more info, David & Jeanette Neufeld, Boissevain FORAGE BASED Black Angus Bulls. Virgin 2-yr olds & herd sires available www.nerbasbrosangus.com (204)564-2540 or (204)773-6800 FOR SALE: 2 1/2-YR old Black Angus bull, sired by Iron Mountain. Asking $2,800 OBO. Phone: (204)743-2145 or (204)526-5298.

TRANSCON’S CATTLE COUNTRY SIMMENTAL & CHAROLAIS BULL SALE SATURDAY APRIL 5TH, 2014, 1PM

Beautiful Plains Ag Complex, Neepawa, MB

CONSIGNORS: Antrim Simmentals • Delight Simmentals • Handford Simmentals • Homestead-T Simmentals • Silver Lake Farms • Sunville Simmentals • Weeks Simmentals • Blair Workman & Sons Simmentals • JR Simmental • Northern Light Simmentals • C-2 Charolais • Johnston Charolais • Sunblade Charolais

Catalog can be viewed on line at: www.transconlivestock.com

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

save! Renew early and

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Black Angus

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Gelbvieh

GBT ANGUS ONLINE 2-YR old bull sale. Never pushed, our bulls are responsibly bred & fed. At GBT Angus longevity & fertility trump artificial gains. If you are ready to try a bull that won’t melt down Call:(306)739-2924. View bid online: www.edjeauctions.com. Bidding closes Mar., 21 at 7:00pm CST.

PRAIRIE GELBVIEH ALLIANCE BULL sale Apr. 5 1:30p.m. Johnstone Auction Mart, Moosejaw, SK. Selling 50+ Red & Black bulls. Download catalogue: www.johnstoneauction.ca or Phone Selin’s Gelbvieh: (306)793-4568.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Hereford

KEMBAR ANGUS HAS REGISTERED Black Angus yearling bulls for sale, EPD’s available, good dispositions. Kodiak, Peacemaker & KMK Alliance bloodlines. Phone:(204)725-3597. Brandon, MB.

2 PB LONG YEARLING bulls sired by Reserve Senior Champion from Toronto Royal Winter Fair, very quiet, heavy muscled, from good uddered heavy milking dams; 1 Herdsire from Crittenden herd from SK. 3 Polled Bull Calves, same sire. 54 yrs of Raising Quality Herefords. Francis Poulsen (204)436-2284, cell (204)745-7894, Elm Creek.

OSSAWA ANGUS AT MARQUETTE, MB. For sale: yearling & 2-yr old bulls. Also, a couple of herd sires. Phone: (204) 375-6658 or (204)383-0703.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Red Angus

ANL POLLED HEREFORDS SPRING BULL SALE *NEW DATE NEW LOCATION* Sun., March 23rd, 2:00pm at the farm, Steelman, SK. Selling 22 yearling and two-yr old bulls. Wintering & delivery available. For a catalogue or info contact at Karl (306)487-2670 or T Bar C Cattle Co. (306)220-5006. View the catalogue online at www.buyagro.com

DB MICHIELS RED ANGUS purebred 2-yr old bulls for sale. Catalogue information available by email. Contact David at (204)723-0288 or Brian at (204)526-0942 Holland Email: DBMREDANGUS@gmail.com WILKINRIDGE STOCK FARM BULL sale April 12, 1:00pm Grunthal Auction Mart, featuring 18 yearling Red Angus Bulls. 18 Red & Black polled yearling Maine-Anjou Bulls. Also new this year 18 yearling & 2-yr old Charolais Bulls from Walking Plow Charolais, videos of the bulls will be online at www.wilkinridge.blogspot.ca early in March. For more info call Sid Wilkinson (204)373-2631.

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WWW.REDDIAMONDFARM.COM 18 MTH OLD PB Red Angus bulls for sale. Check out our bull catalogue online. We guarantee & deliver. We also have Purebred Black & Red Angus cows to calve Aug/Sep for sale. Phone Michael Becker (204)348-2464, Whitemouth.

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BELLEVUE BLONDES HAS AN excellent group of performance & semen tested, polled Purebred Reg. Blonde yearling bulls for sale. Reasonably priced. Call Marcel (204)379-2426 or (204)745-7412, Haywood MB.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Charolais BAR J CHARLOIS HAS performance tested bulls for sale yearlings & 2-yr olds. For more information Phone Amaranth, MB:(204)843-2246.

FOR SALE: 2 COMING 2-yr old PB Registered Charolais bulls, also yearlings. Will be easy calving, good hair coats, good feet & good dispositions. Guaranteed. K.E.H. Charolais, Keith Hagan: (204)748-1024. FOR SALE: 2-YR OLD Charolais Bulls, polled, quiet, low birth weights, tested & delivered, $2300-$2500. Wayne Angus (204)764-2737, Hamiota MB.

FOR SALE: PUREBRED CHAROLAIS bulls, 2-yr olds & yearlings. Polled, some Red Factor, some good for heifers, semen tested in spring, guaranteed & delivered. R & G McDonald Livestock, Sidney MB. (204)466-2883, (204)724-2811.

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LEG CHAROLAIS HAS 2-YR old & yearling bulls for sale. Both White & Red factor, all polled, bred for calving ease & performance, all bulls semen tested. Check out our consignments to Cattlemen’s Classic Sale in Verdon, April 6th. Phone (204)252-3115, (204)856-6357. PB CHAROLAIS YEARLING BULLS for sale. Sired from easy calving bulls, fed hay ration, excellent growth. Call Ken (204)824-2115, Wawanesa.

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HTA CHAROLAIS & GUESTS BULL SALE

FOR SALE: REG POLLED Hereford bulls, yearlings & 2 yr olds, current Pedigrees, reasonably priced. Phone Martin (204)425-3820 or Lanard (204)425-3809, Vita, MB. HORNED HEREFORD 2-YR & yearling bulls for sale. Performance tested; fertility tested; guaranteed & delivered. Raising & selling Horned Herefords since 1973. Call Wendell Reimer: (204)379-2773. Located at St. Cloud, MB.

Wednesday, March 26, 1:00 PM. Plains Ag Complex, Neepawa, MB. 57 Yearling Charolais Bulls Sell. Halter broke, good dispositions, most are polled, some red factor. These are the best in performance genetics. Contact Shawn Airey (204)328-7704 or (204)7248823 or By Livestock (306)536-4261 or view catalogue online www.htacharolais.com STEPPLER FARMS CHAROLAIS BULL SALE

CLINE CATTLE CO. has for sale purebred Charolais yearlings & 2-yr old bulls. Bulls are quiet, hairy & easy calving, will be semen tested & guaranteed. Drop in anytime to have a look. (204)537-2367 or Brad’s cell (204)523-0062.

FOR SALE: POLLED YEARLING Charolais bulls, Silverado grandsons, will be semen tested. Jack Bullied:(204)526-2857.

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FOR SALE: BIG, STOUT PB Polled Hereford Bulls for sale. Yearling & 2-yr old bulls available. Good, balanced EPD’s. Will semen test, deliver & winter until May 1st. Call Allan/Bonnie:(204)764-0364 or Kevin/Holly:(204)764-0331. Hamiota,MB. Can be viewed online @ www.rocknabh.com

POLLED HEREFORD & BLACK ANGUS bulls for sale. Yearlings & 2-yr olds available, natural muscled bulls developed w/high forage rations. Semen tested, delivery available. Call Don Guilford (204)873-2430. THE 10TH WHEATLAND CATTLE Co. Bull Sale Thurs., March 27th, 2:00pm, Alameda Auciton Mart. Offering 30 Purebred Black, Red Simmental yearling bulls as well as Sim Angus yearlings. For a catalogue or more information contact Vernon at (306)634-7765 or T Bar C Cattle Co at (306)220-5006. View the catalogue online at www.buyagro.com WLB LIVESTOCK, DOUGLAS, MB, 10th Annual Bull Sale 2:00pm. Mar. 25th, 2014. 50 Polled Herefords & Black/Red Simm sell. ALL BULLS SEMEN TESTED. Free board till May 1st. Catalogue & video avail online, www.wlblivestock.com or call Bill Biglieni (204)763-4697 or (204)729-7925.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Maine-Anjou Tuesday, March 25, 1:00 PM, Steppler Sale Barn, Miami, MB. 50 yearlings and 20 two-year olds, sound, good haired and thick, most are polled. For catalogue or info contact Andre Steppler, (204)435-2463, cell (204)750-1951 or By Livestock (306)536-4261. View videos and catalogue online www.stepplerfarms.com WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT selection of PB Charolais bulls, both Red & white. Pictures & info on the net www.defoortstockfarm.com. Call Gord or Sue: (204)743-2109. Celebrating 34 years in Charolais. WALKING PLOW CHAROLAIS IS consigning 18 yearling & 2-yr old Charolais bulls to Wilkinridge Stock farm Maine-Anjou Red Angus bull sale. April 12, 1:00pm Grunthal Auction Mart. Videos of the bulls will be online at www.wilkinridge.blogspot.ca early in March. For more info call Cliff or Warren Graydon (204)427-2589. WWW.REDDIAMONDFARM.COM 18 MTH OLD PB Polled Charolais bulls for sale. Check out our bull catalogue online. We guarantee & deliver. We also have Purebred Charolais cows to calve Aug/Sep for sale. Phone Michael Becker (204)348-2464, Whitemouth.

WILKINRIDGE STOCK FARM BULL sale April 12, 1:00pm Grunthal Auction Mart, featuring 18 Red & Black polled yearling Maine-Anjou Bulls. 18 yearling Red Angus Bulls. Also new this year 18 yearling & 2-yr old Charolais Bulls from Walking Plow Charolais, videos of the bulls will be online at www.wilkinridge.blogspot.ca early in March. For more info call Sid Wilkinson (204)373-2631.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Shorthorn ATTENTION GRADUATES: SHORTHORN BREEDERS of Manitoba will be accepting applications for the John A. Nevin Cattle Growers Education Fund Award until Apr. 7, 2014. Contact: Susan Armbruster PO Box 597 Rossburn, MB R0J 1B0. Phone & Fax: (204)859-2088. Email:shorthornsue@gmail.com FOR SALE: PUREBERD YEARLING Shorthorn bulls. Red & Roan, thick & beefy w/moderate birth weights. Get the maternal edge w/Shorthorn sired females. Call Uphill Shorthorns. (204)764-2663 cell, (204)365-7155, rgray4@mymts.net

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Shorthorn

LIVESTOCK Cattle Various

LIVESTOCK/POULTRY/PETS

FOR SALE: YEARLING & 2-yr old bulls. Polled, mostly Red. Birthweights starting at 63-lbs. Developed on a growing ration. Out of practical, hardworking cows. Phone (204)764-2382.

HIGH QUALITY BLACK ANGUS & polled Hereford 2-yr old bulls for sale. Bar H Land & Cattle Co. Phone:(306)743-2840, cell (306)743-7490. Langenburg SK.

HATFIELD SHORTHORNS HAS NICE thick Red & Roan Shorthorn bulls for sale. Yearlings and 2-yr olds. Monty Thomson (204)782-3549 or (204)870-0089.

N.O.L. SIMMENTAL DISPERSAL OF winter calving cows & heifers. Approx. 150 Simmental & Simmental/Angus cross cows & 35 heifers. Deposit by May 1, will pasture & breed to your calving needs. Preg. check by Oct 1. Phone:(204)345-8492 Norman Lussier. Lac Du Bonnet, MB.

3000-G VACUUM MANURE TANK, in good condition, $5,000 OBO; 35 BSM farrowing crates w/stainless steel feeders, like new. CW/ baby pig dividers & heat pads, also includes Tender Foot flooring 5x7-ft, $150/each; 50 self feeders for grower to finishing hogs, like new, $60/each. Assorted fans & flooring, etc, free w/purchase of above items. Phone:(204)683-2396.

BLACK & RED YEARLING PB Simm bulls. Thick & Solid coloured. Sired by A.I. Sires: Full Throttle, 680S, IPU Revolution, Poker Face & Red Force. Heifer bulls also avail. Valleyfield Simmentals, Larry Dyck (204)822-3657, Morden.

WE SELL ALL OUR purbred fall calving cows & heifers, 25 Angus, (20 Red & 5 Black), 18 Charolais. Will sell w/or w/o papers. Phone Michael Becker at Red Diamond Farm, Whitemouth MB (204)348-2464

LIVESTOCK Cattle Wanted WANTED: ALL CLASSES OF feeder cattle, yearlings & calves. Dealer Licence# 1353. Also wanted, light feed grains: wheat, barley & oats. Phone:(204)325-2416, Manitou. YOUNG PRODUCER WANTING TO lease spring calving cows. For Details, please call: (204)424-5895.

BOYNECREST STOCK FARM CONSIGNS to Transcon’s Winnipeg Simmental Bull Sale @ Winnipeg Livestock Sales, Thurs., March 27, 2014. 25 Polled Red Simmental bulls. Please contact Kelly Ferris:(204)828-3483 or (204)745-7168. Stephenfield, MB. POLLED 2 YR OLD & yearling Red factor Simm bulls from AI sires. Acomb Valley Simmentals (204)867-2203, Minnedosa. PROUDLY WESTERN *NEW DATE* MAR. 22nd, 1:00PM, Whitewood Auction Mart. Selling 60 Simm yearling bulls & a select set of replacement heifers. Wintering & delivery avail. For a catalogue or more info contact T Bar C Cattle Co. (306)220-5006. View the catalogue online at www.buyagro.com WLB LIVESTOCK, DOUGLAS, MB, 10TH Annual Bull Sale 2:00pm. Mar. 25th, 2014. 50 Black/Red Simm & Polled Herefords sell. ALL BULLS SEMEN TESTED. Free board till May 1st. Catalogue & video avail online, www.wlblivestock.com or call Bill Biglieni (204)763-4697 or (204)729-7925.

TRANSCON’S WINNIPEG SIMMENTAL BULL SALE

TIRED OF THE HIGH COST OF MARKETING YOUR CALVES?? 300-700 LBS. Steers & Heifers Rob: 528-3254, 724-3400 Ben: 721-3400 800-1000 LBS. Steers & Heifers Don: 528-3477, 729-7240

Contact: D.J. (Don) MacDonald Livestock Ltd. License #1110 LIVESTOCK Sheep For Sale 100 GOOD 2-3-YR OLD Arcott, Suffolk’s cross Ewes, to lamb May 1st, $150 each firm. Call Rick (204)646-2157.

Horses LIVESTOCK Horse Auctions NAERIC DRAFT HORSE CLASSIC sale, approx 30 yearlings. Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, April 5th, 2014, Brandon MB. www.naeric.org ROCKING W SPRING HORSE Sale, Apr. 25 &26. Tax sale Fri., Apr. 25 @5:00p.m., For sale Sat., Apr. 26 @12:00p.m. Keystone Centre, Brandon, MB. Email: rockingw@xplornet.com Phone: (204)325-7237.

THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 1PM WINNIPEG LIVESTOCK SALES Hwy 6 & Hwy 236

Swine LIVESTOCK Swine Wanted

Offering 56 bulls 32 Red • 2 Black • 12 Fullblood 10 - % Simmental Bulls • Wilcox Simmentals • Triple T Diamond Simmentals • Boynecrest Stock Farm • Skyridge Farms • Creekside Land & Livestock •

Catalog can be viewed on line at: www.transconlivestock.com

LIVESTOCK Cattle Various 400 BLACK ANGUS BRED cows for sale. Bred to Black Angus bulls, start calving April 15th. Call (204)638-5581, Dauphin MB. 60 BLACK & RED Angus 8-850-lb open replacement heifers. Very quiet, pail fed, had all shots. Asking $1,250 choice, or $1,200 take-all. Phone:(204)825-2799 or Cell:(204)825-8340. Pilot Mound,MB. BUYING ALL CLASSES OF livestock. Phone George (204)278-3564. Dealer license #1152. HERD SALE: 120 BRED cows, mostly Red Angus. Quiet large cows, had all shots, will calve out & keep till May 25/2014. Started calving Feb 15. $1,900 for the pair. Phone:(204)261-3664, evening, Winnipeg Area, Richard. Cell:(204)782-3659.

WANTED: BUTCHER HOGS SOWS AND BOARS FOR EXPORT

P. QUINTAINE & SON LTD. 728-7549 Licence No. 1123 LIVESTOCK Poultry For Sale 19-WK OLD PULLETS, BROWN ($9.00) or white ($8.00), egg layers, available for pickup first week of June. Hutch’s Poultry (306)435-3530, Moosomin SK.

Specialty LIVESTOCK/POULTRY/PETS Livestock Equipment 2,000 BALE PROCESSOR, HiLand Model7000, CattleMaster, very low hours, always shedded, $7,950; 2003 Jiffy silage bunk feeder, 250 cubic ft, low hours, nice clean unit, $6,500. Phone Carman:(204)745-2908.

ALTERNATIVE POWER BY SUNDOG SOLAR, portable/remote solar water pumping for winter/summer. Call for pricing on solar systems, wind generators, aeration. Carl Driedger, (204)556-2346 or (204)851-0145, Virden. HEAVY BUILT STEEL CATTLE troughs/feeders USED goodNOTRE for any feedDAME or water, 3.5-ft x 16-ft,OIL 500-gal. capacity, no sharp edges, weight 1400-lbs & are in& FILTER DEPOT destructible. Phone (204)362-0780, Morden.

• Buy Used OilLIVESTOCK • Buy Batteries • Collect Used Filters • Collect Oil Containers Livestock Services & Vet Supplies

Southern and Western Manitoba

Tel: 204-248-2110 The following dealer and agent have applied for a licence under the Livestock Dealers and Agents Licencing regulation, which comes under the Livestock and Livestock Products Act. (C.C.S.M. c. L170)

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Manitoba

PEDIGREED SEED Oilseed – Various

GRANT TWEED Farm Specialist If you are Buying, Selling or Renting Farm Land You Can Benefit from my Experience & Expertise the Decisions you Make Can Have Long Lasting Impact, So Take the Time to Know your Options. Call (204)761-6884 to Arrange an Obligation Free Consultation. Visit: www.granttweed.com

BuyUsed Used Oil Oil ••Buy NOTRE •• Buy Buy Batteries Batteries DAME ••Collect CollectUsed Used Filters Filters • Collect Oil Containers • Collect Oil Containers USED • Antifreeze OIL & Southern,Southern Eastern, and Manitoba Western Western FILTER Manitoba DEPOT Tel: 204-248-2110

LIVESTOCK DEALER LICENCE Gordon Ransom Don Ransom Livestock

ORGANIC ORGANIC Organic – Certified ORGANIC PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION OF MANITOBA CO-OPERATIVE (OPAM). Non-profit members owned organic certification body. Certifying producers, processors & brokers in Western Canada since 1988, Miniota, MB. Contact: (204)567-3745, info@opam-mb.com

ORGANIC Organic – Grains

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

We BUY used oil & filters Collection of plastic oil jugs Glycol recovery services Specialized waste removal Winter & Summer windshield washer fluid Peak Performance anti-freeze ( available in bulk or drums )

Old & New Crop Confection & Oil Sunflowers Licensed & Bonded 0% Shrink Farm Pick-Up Available Planting Seed Available

Call For Pricing Phone (204)747-2904

Toll Free 1-888-835-6351 Deloraine, Manitoba

COMMON SEED SEED/FEED/CROP INPUTS Common Forage Seeds FOR SALE: ALFALFA, TIMOTHY, Brome, Clover, hay & pasture blends, millet seed, Crown, Red Prozo. Free Delivery on Large Orders, if Ordered Early. Leonard Friesen, (204)685-2376, Austin, MB. FOR SALE: ORGANIC SAINFOIN seed. Called “Healthy Hay” in Europe. (sainfoin.eu) An ancient, non-bloating, nutritious, low input, perennial forage loved by all animals. Better flavored meat & dairy. (306)739-2900 primegrains.com/prime-sainfoin.htm jhusband@primegrains.com

SEED/FEED/CROP INPUTS Cereal Seeds

The only company that collects, recycles and re-uses in Manitoba! 888-368-9378 ~ www.envirowestinc.com

If interested, please send an 8lb sample* to the following address: Attn: Sandy Jolicoeur Bioriginal Food & Science Corp. 102 Melville Street Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7J 0R1

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LIVESTOCK Cattle – Simmental

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REAL ESTATE REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Manitoba 800-AC OF PASTURE NORTH of Warren, MB. Hydro & well. Phone:(204)461-0704. LAND FOR SALE: ACCEPTING offers on West half of NE 17-19-23. RM of Rossburn, 80-acs w/50-acs broke. Dennis Kowal, Box 658 Rossburn (204)842-3643. MLS 1323498 160-ACS FENCED pasture, 1982 bungalow, 1056-sq.ft, Woodside, $164,000; MLS 1320867 156-acs Lakeland Clay Loam fenced, outbuildings, older home, mun. water, Gladstone $350,000; MLS 1400601 716-acs mixed farm, fenced elk, bison, cattle, 1,064-sq.ft. bung, outbuildings, 2nd yard site, McCreary $400,000; MLS 1320985 24-15-11 RM Lakeview Section of pastureland in block, fenced, 4 dugouts, $259,000; SW 9-18-15 RM of Rosedale Rdg Mtn., Erickson clay loam, ideal grain/forage. Beautiful bldg site, 2-mi to RMNP, $145,000. Call Liz (204)476-6362, John (204)476-6719. Gill & Schmall Agencies.

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SHARE YOUR LIFE! Find Love, have Fun & Enjoy Life. CANDLELIGHT MATCHMAKERS. Confidential, Rural, Photos & Profiles, Affordable, Local. Serving MB, SK, NW Ontario. Call/Write for info: Box 212, Roland, MB, R0G 1T0, (204)343-2475. SINGLE WHITE MALE 68-YR old widower N.S S.D. Hobbies:All outdoor rec.; boating, fishing, quading & motorcycles. Self-employed. Wants to meet lady 50-70-yrs for lasting relationship. Reply to Ad#1022, c/o Manitoba Co-operator, Box 9800, Station Main, Winnipeg, MB R3C 3K7.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Feed Grain

5 LOCATIONS to serve you!

WE BUY OATS Call us today for pricing Box 424, Emerson, MB R0A 0L0 204-373-2328

Vanderveen Commodity Services Ltd. Licensed and Bonded Grain Brokers

www.delmarcommodities.com

Toll Free: 888-974-7246 SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Hay & Straw 1ST CUT ALFALFA, ALFALFA Grass & Timothy straw bales, shedded or tarped, 3x3x8 medium square bales, can deliver. Phone (204)642-3259 or (204)642-3043. ALFLFA HAY 1st cut 4x5 round bales, 800-lbs. The alfalfa hay had no rain & is shedded. RFV 150, $48. (204)371-1704 La Broquerie. DAIRY BEEF & HORSE hay for sale in large squares, delivery available. Phone (204)827-2629 or (204)526-7139 FOR SALE 1ST & 2nd cut alfalfa hay. 100-200 RFV in 3x3 medium square bales. Harry Pauls (204)242-2074, (204)825-7180 cell, La Riviere, MB. FOR SALE: 2ND CUT alfalfa, 20% orchard grass, large square bales, up to 130 relative feed value. Between 4-8 cents per pound, can deliver; Also selling hosting bull calves. (204)355-4980. LARGE ROUND WHEAT STRAW bales, trucking available. Phone:(204)325-2416. Manitou.

TRAILERS Trailers Miscellaneous

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FARMERS, RANCHERS, SEED PROCESSORS BUYING ALL FEED GRAINS

ADVANTAGE AUTO & TRAILER: Livestock, Horse & Living quarter, Flat deck, Goosenecks, Tilts, Dumps, Cargos, Utilities, Ski-doo & ATV, Dry Van & Sea Containers. Call today. Over 250 in stock. Phone:(204)729-8989. In Brandon on the Trans-Canada Hwy. www.aats.ca

• Vomi wheat • Vomi barley • Feed wheat • Feed barley • Feed oats • Corn • Screenings • Peas • Light Weight Barley You can deliver or we can arrange for farm pickup. Winnipeg 233-8418 Brandon 728-0231 Grunthal 434-6881 “Ask for grain buyer.”

Heated/Spring Threshed Lightweight/Green/Tough, Mixed Grain - Barley, Oats, Rye, Flax, Wheat, Durum, Lentils, Peas, Canola, Chickpeas, Triticale, Sunflowers, Screenings, Organics and By-Products √ ON-FARM PICKUP √ PROMPT PAYMENT √ LICENSED AND BONDED SASKATOON, LLOYDMINSTER, LETHBRIDGE, VANCOUVER, MINNEDOSA

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BUYING:

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MALT BARLEY BARLEY MALT “ON FARM PICK UP”

*6-Row* *6-Row* 1-877-250-5252 Celebration Celebration&& Tradition Tradition We feed barley, feed wheat, Webuy buy feed barley, feed wheat, MALT BARLEY MALT BARLEY oats, corn oats,soybeans, soybeans, corn & canola canola *6-Row* *6-Row* Celebration&&Tradition Tradition Celebration COME SEE IN COME SEEUS US AT AT AG AG DAYS DAYS IN We buy feed barley, feed wheat, CONVENTION HALL We THE buy barley, feed wheat, THEfeed CONVENTION HALL oats,soybeans, soybeans, corn & & canola canola oats, BOOTH corn 1309

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CAREERS Help Wanted DAIRY FARM NEAR LABROQUERIE has a fulltime position open for someone w/experience in mechanics & field work. If you are interested, please call:(204)424-5109 or Cell:(204)326-0168. HALARDA FARMS IS SEEKING a full-time/year round employee to work with dairy cattle and milking robots. Includes shift work. The successful applicant will be self-motivated and a team player. No experience needed. Competitive wages and an extensive health and benefit package offered. Halarda Farms is a modern, large mixed farm located in the Elm Creek area. Email resume to office@halarda.ca or fax to (204)436-3034 or call (204)436-2032. LOOKING FOR FARM HAND on modern grain farm near Morris/St. Pierre area. Duties are to assist in all aspects of grain farming. Class 1 licence is an asset, or willing to obtain. Wages negotiable. For further info call Jeremie (204)746-5381 or (204)746-8504. SEASONAL FARM WORKERS SOUGHT for asparagus & potato related duties. Position will be seasonal full-time, 40+ hrs/week. Wage $10.45/hr. Period of employment anticipated to be from April 15, 2014 until September 30, 2014. Job description includes cutting seed potatoes & all potato harvesting duties. Also, work includes cutting & packing of asparagus. Must be willing to work long hours & do repetitive tasks, as well as bending & some heavy lifting. Applicants must be able to work in a variety of conditions in outdoor environment & must be able to work well with others. Education requirements not applicable, experience an asset. Location of work is MacGregor & Area, Manitoba. Please apply in writing to Northern Potato Co. Ltd., Box 33, Bagot, MB R0H 0E0. WANTED: A HERD MANAGER. We have a modern, 200 cow milking herd in the Lake Francis, MB area. We are looking for a hard working, responsible, patient individual. Breeding, herd health & computer data are some responsibilities, in addition to milking & care of young livestock. Housing is available. Please Phone (204)383-5249 to express your interest or for more information.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

WORLD NEWS

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FA R M I NG N E W S F ROM A BROA D

California drought delays cattle herd building More feedlots, packing plants may fail By Theopolis Waters CHICAGO/REUTERS

alifornia’s recent rains brought only short-term relief to the state which is suffering its worst drought in a century, leaving cattle rancher Kevin Kester to stick to his strategy of salvaging as much of his operation as possible for his three children to have a future in the cattle business. “We have a plan to hang on for another 60 days. If we don’t have any significant rainfall by the end of April then we’ll be forced to sell off everything we have,” said Kester, the 58-year-old owner of Bear Valley Ranch in Parkfield, California. Last year Kester held off buying new steers and sold off 20 per cent of his 700 beef cows on the 20,000-acre spread that has been in the family for five generations. A plodding, steady rain is needed to heal California grazing pastures scarred by historic drought, draining the state’s pool of beef cattle that ranchers elsewhere need to help restore the U.S. herd, which is now at the smallest since 1951 at 87.730 million head, livestock industry sources said. They said fewer cattle from the Golden State will result in more feedlots and packing plants going out of business in the roughly 2-1/2 years it takes for a young calf to reach market weight. While scarce supplies will help ranchers reap a windfall from recordhigh cattle prices during that period, shoppers face even higher beef costs. In January, the average retail beef price was $5.35 per lb., just off a record high of $5.41 set last November, and up from $5.21 in January of 2013, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Separate USDA data showed California has the 18th largest beef cow herd in the country at 600,000 head. Texas tops that list with 3.9 million beef cows. “Even though California does not rank among the top 10 beef cattle-

Ranch hand Ricardo Madrigal feeds cattle on the Van Vleck Ranch in Rancho Murieta, California, February 12, 2014. The Van Vleck Ranch has been feeding $1,200 worth of hay per day, whereas in a normal year the cows would feed on grass for free. PHOTO: REUTERS/MAX WHITTAKER

producing states, if this drought persists it will be a drag or certainly slow the pace of nationwide herd growth,” said Colorado-based Livestock Marketing Information Center director Jim Robb. Robb predicts the state could lose 100,000 head of cattle by the end of the year if the dry spell continues. The government’s drought monitor issued on Feb. 27 reported most of California is in extreme or exceptional drought, including remnants of a dry spell that gripped the U.S. Plains in recent years that sent feed costs to record highs in 2012 and forced ranchers to downsize their herds. Last week, the shortage of slaughter-ready cattle drove their price to an all-time high of $152 per hundredweight (cwt), topping the previous record of $150 in January.

The silver lining in the cloud h a n g i n g ove r Ca l i f o r n i a’s c a t t l e industry is that a scarcity of cattle nationally has kept prices high, allowing ranchers to at least turn a modest profit that might help them later, said Malorie Bankhead, a spokeswoman for the California Cattlemen’s Association in Sacramento. “Then it comes down to where will the cattle be that they can use to replenish their herds down the road,” she said. Some of California’s drought-displaced cattle wind up at packing plants while a few are sent to neighbouring states to graze on leased pastures until conditions in California improve. Still others can be found in feedlots as far east as Texas with the possibility of never returning.

“When ranchers have to make the difficult decision to reduce their herds, if selling calves early isn’t enough to cope with the drought, then they have to reduce their breeding stock which in turn reduces the amount of cattle that they will have in the future,” said Bankhead. Seeing some of his neighbours and friends throwing in the towel leaves Kester troubled about the fate of the state’s $1.75-billion beef cow industry and the longer-term implications for the rest of the country. “If we don’t start growing and getting more cows into the inventory in the next 24 months, we will continue to see, one by one, processing facilities as well as feedlots closing and companies consolidating. That’s not good for consumers in the long run,” said Kester.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

In Colombia war zone, peace talks raise new fears Coca farmers fear legal crops will cut their income if the coca industry is wiped out By Helen Murphy TORIBIO, COLOMBIA / REUTERS

or farmers like Angel Escue, Colombia’s bid to end half a century of war with Marxist rebels may come at too high a price. Stripping leaves from an illegal coca bush at his small plot in the mountains of central Cauca department, Escue says a peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, could sink him deeper into poverty even if it ends almost daily firefights in the area. “We pray for an end to the violence, but not at any cost,” 61-yearold Escue says as he hunches over the bright-green coca scrub in Toribio, a rebel stronghold that processes the leaves into cocaine. “They want us to switch to crops that won’t bring enough money to feed a family; we can’t do that.” Three months before the presidential election, government envoys and FARC commanders are working through the third item on a five-point peace agenda — the illegal drugs industry, and how to rid Colombia of coca. Negotiations to end the conflict that has killed more than 200,000 — mostly civilians — since the 1960s is a campaign battleground ahead of the first round of voting on May 25. President Juan Manuel Santos is favoured to win a second term and continue the peace talks that began in 2012. Coca farmers worry they will be pushed into growing coffee, rubber or cacao, which they say require addi-

“It’s evident that the eradication or substitution of coca will have a cost because the families that are in this activity should have an alternative. They can’t be put in a vulnerable position.” MAURICIO CARDENAS Finance minister

tional workers, costly fertilizers and generate less income. “We only just make ends meet with coca,” says Escue’s sister Teresa of the weed, which needs little water and can earn double what legal crops do for each of its three annual harvests. It also has a regular buyer in the FARC, which sends rebels to farms such as Escue’s to purchase the leaves. While most Colombians are desperate for peace, many are wary of how much Santos is willing to offer the rebels for them to put down their weapons. That may play against him in the election.

Off limits

The wartorn region of Cauca remains off limits for most Colombians. Violence can flare at any time, forcing villagers to hide and dodge bullets and the rebels’ homemade cylinder bombs. Two-thirds of Cauca’s 1.4 million people live on $3 a day and dirt roads to market are frequently washed away. Subsistence farmers depend on growing coca to survive. Many here sympathize with the

FARC, trade with it and have family in its ranks. They have little faith in the government and are deeply skeptical about peace talks and the election. “It’s all just empty promises ahead of the vote. What will peace really bring here? There are no jobs to replace coca and other crime gangs will just move in after the FARC leave,” said Manuel Bonilla, 62, who lost his right arm when the rebels detonated a bus bomb in Toribio’s central square. “I’m voting blank.” As an outlet to the Pacific, Cauca is used by the FARC and criminal groups as a corridor to smuggle cocaine and marijuana. The FARC is believed to control about 60 per cent of cocaine output in Colombia, one of the world’s biggest producers, netting the rebels as much as $1 billion a year, the government says. FARC leaders deny involvement in drug trafficking but accept their role in coca production. Founded in 1964 as a Marxist movement that fought to defend the poor, the FARC later turned to cocaine, kidnapping and extortion. At its height, the FARC had some

20,000 fighters but a U.S.-funded military offensive has whittled them to as few as 7,000. While details of negotiations in Havana remain secret, the government has said it wants total eradication of the coca crop. Santos has suggested he would help farmers substitute coca for coffee, fruits and pepper and that peace would attract fresh private-sector investment, meaning new jobs. “It’s evident that the eradication or substitution of coca will have a cost because the families that are in this activity should have an alternative. They can’t be put in a vulnerable position,” Finance Minister Mauricio Cardenas told Reuters. “But with the same logic we can say that there are resources that today we are using for war that we could redirect to peace.” About two hours down winding roads from Toribio, sugar cane companies such as Bengala Agricola are waiting for the outcome of the talks before making million-dollar investments to switch to pineapple cultivation. Safety concerns are vital, says Bengala executive Mauricio Lopez, since pineapple requires more on-theground management. “We could double the hectarage planted with pineapple to 200 by the end of 2014,” he says of the plantation close to Pradera, where two months ago the FARC killed a civilian and injured 30 in a motorbike bomb. “It depends totally on the peace process.” Military leaders in the area say social change is key to a lasting peace, no matter who wins the election.

China stockpiles 60 million tonnes of corn Bird flu hurt domestic demand for feed grain BEIJING / REUTERS

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hina’s gover nment is likely to stockpile a record volume of corn for state reserves in the current marketing year due to lowerthan-expected demand, an official think-tank said. Beijing is likely to stockpile 60 million tonnes of corn by the end of April. It had already purchased 54.66 million tonnes by March 10, the China National Grain and Oils Information Centre (CNGOIC) said in a report March 14. The amount is in addition to about 30 million tonnes stockpiled during the 2012-13 marketing year. The estimated purchases were higher than earlier expected as outbreaks of bird flu hurt domestic demand for feed grain, prompting farmers to sell more to the government. Th e c e n t re a l s o l owe re d

estimated corn consumption by the animal feed industry to 119.5 million tonnes in the current marketing year ending September, down 4.5 million tonnes from last month’s estimate, but still 6.2 per cent higher than last year. Consumption by the processing industry, whose products include starch, syrup and alcohol, is seen at 52 million tonnes, flat from last year. But the think-tank maintained its estimate for the country’s corn imports at 5.5 million tonnes for 2013-14, up from 2.8 million tonnes in the previous year, noting imports were cheaper than domestic supplies. Beijing has rejected about 900,000 tonnes of corn from United States after detecting the presence of an unapproved genetically modified organism (GMO), the country’s quality watchdog said.

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

This winter is NOT ‘for the birds’

Deep snow and cold temperatures are no doubt why there are fewer birds visiting backyard feeders By Bill Stilwell CO-OPERATOR CONTRIBUTOR

hile you may think our harsh winter weather is “for the birds,” you might be wrong. People who regularly feed birds are experiencing a disappointing year. The number of birds visiting backyard feeders has dropped drastically. While the decline is most likely due to shortages of natural food, it is a safe bet that deep snow and cold temperatures are also contributing factors. In Neepawa, our backyard feeder is busy, but we are seeing fewer species than usual and an overall reduction in numbers. Earlier on, blue jays were regular visitors, but they have been absent for weeks. Purple finches, nuthatches, chickadees, and woodpeckers appear frequently. Occasionally we get a pine siskin, goldfinch or a house finch, but not many. This appears to be a general trend across much of Manitoba this winter.

Fewer in number

Near Deerwood, Man., Joan McDowell feeds birds every winter. She reports having many of the regular birds at her feeder, but a general decrease in numbers. “We have noticed fewer birds,” she said. “We have had no blue jays since before Christmas, and we can’t remember seeing any kind of finches this year.” However, she gets lots of nuthatches, chickadees, downy woodpeckers and hairy woodpeckers. In the Pembina Valley near Manitou a resident there echoes the same thought. Generally speaking, the number of birds at backyard feeders is lower compared to past years. They report fewer purple finches, house finches, crossbills and evening grosbeaks. Meanwhile, near Onanole, the annual Riding Mountain Christmas Bird Count participants recorded sighting only 24 bird species this year. This is the second-lowest number recorded since the group began their annual count.

PHOTOS: BILL STILWELL

Feeding the birds

Feeding winter birds is for people’s enjoyment as much as it is for our feathered friends. It is a pastime that makes us feel good while helping birds survive the winter. The reward for most people is the sheer enjoyment of seeing birds close up and, observing their behaviour. Some birds, such as the purple finch or

blue jay, add a splash of colour on a bleak winter day. Feeding winter birds is not difficult. There are only two main requirements — feed and a place to set it. However, there are several additional details that should be considered. Place the feeder where the birds are not going to be injured by flying into your window. That means you either put the feeder real close to the window or well away. This ensures they are braking when they land on the feeder and they don’t crash into the window when taking off. Birds need room to manoeuvre.

Sheltered

Put them in a sheltered place where birds don’t get blown off the feeder by our Manitoba winds. It also allows them to stay warmer. Once feeding starts, it must continue non-stop until spring. A bird feeder does not need to be elaborate or fancy. Many people make feeders by modifying a two-litre drink bottle. Others are small plastic types purchased at department stores. The longest lasting and most user friendly are the wooden “hopperstyle” feeders, where seeds automatically flow onto a platform. Regardless of where you live, or the type of feeder, winter bird feeding is an enjoyable pastime. The colours will brighten your winter days. Inevitably, you will learn more about habits and characteristics of native wildlife. It makes your life more fulfilling. Bill Stilwell is a local Manitoba author and naturalist. He is the author of three nature books that are national bestsellers. His most recent book is, Manitoba Wild. You can contact him by email at: manitobawild@mts.net or visit his website to order books: http://www.manitobawild.com/.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

COUNTRY CROSSROADS CON N EC T I NG RU R A L FA M I L I E S

School snack program a positive energy source for students More than 180 schools across Manitoba now serve a healthy snack, breakfast or light meals with funding support from the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba

More schools now participate in school nutrition programs offering breakfast, a healthy snack or a light meal. photo: Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba By Lorraine Stevenson co-operator staff

rin Harris sees what a difference a few carrot sticks, cheese and crackers, or a hot breakfast served at school makes in the day of a student — every single day. She’s a teacher at Salisbury Morse Place School in River East School Division where healthy snacks are available to all students from kindergarten to Grade 9 Monday to Friday. It’s one of many schools offering a “breakfast cart” style snack program, offering fruits such as oranges and bananas, house-made “trail mixes” of cereals, raisins and popcorn, hard boiled eggs, and yogurt parfaits. It’s made an enormous difference in how kids behave and their ability to concentrate and settle down in the classroom, says Harris, who recalls the days when she’d quietly bring food herself to school, worried about students who would arrive having eaten no breakfast and pressing through their whole school day on an empty stomach. “The impact is huge,” she says. “Negative behaviour lessens when kids aren’t hungry. “We serve between 90 and 150 kids a day and it runs Monday to Friday, and the kids love it. We have kids who use it right through kindergarten to Grade 9.” The problem of hunger in their

school isn’t isolated to children of families with low incomes, Harris says. “Sometimes it’s just because parents leave for work really early, or they’re working shift work, and it’s a matter of trying to get kids out the door and fed and to school on time and one of those things falling through the cracks.” Today Salisbury Morse Place is one of nearly 200 schools running similar programs across Manitoba. These school snack — or breakfast or lunch programs — are supported by the Child Nutrition Council, a charitable organization that since 2001 has helped provide over $2 million to feed upwards of 17,000 students healthy snacks, breakfasts or healthy, balanced light meals every day. About 45 per cent of the participating schools are in rural Manitoba, with another 15 per cent in northern Manitoba and the other 40 per cent Winnipeg based, says Viola Prowse, the CNCM’s executive director who credits the schools themselves for the successes with these programs. “It takes a lot of energy and creativity to run all these programs,” says Prowse. “The success of this program has been based on every school developing it in the way that it can. There are amazing things that people are doing.” Norma Alberg, the chairperson for the program, says these nutrition programs have evolved with understand-

ing of the role good nutrition plays not only in academic life but in all aspects of health. “People are looking differently at the importance of nutrition in school now, and there are any number of reasons why a child is hungry,” said Alberg. Rural students for example can be hungry after a long bus ride to school regardless of whether they ate breakfast. “It’s a support to the children. We’re not giving them breakfast that the family didn’t give them at home. It’s just that they’re ready for more. “Or it may be their age, and they’re in a growth spurt.” School principals say these programs have not only settled kids down to study and achieve better grades, they have fostered a unique school culture. Kids in schools offering these programs are given a strong message that their school really cares about them, said Kevin Clace, school principal at Morris School. This program has made a big difference in the relationship between students and staff, he said. “We’ve been able to use that program to build such strong positive relationships with the kids. I think that one of the biggest things for me is knowing that every kid who walks through the doors of this building has the opportunity to start the day right, not just with breakfast, but with quality positive adult contact.”

CNCM funding supports a variety of programs, including those that involve older students in developing, preparing and cooking the foods themselves. All nutrition programs receiving CNCM funding become part of what’s called the “Cram network.” Cram isn’t an acronym but merely a statement about the bursting energy of students and the resourcefulness of schools and community volunteers who run these programs. The program is supported through partnerships that include the University of Manitoba’s human ecology students who volunteer and create resources and the culinary arts students from Red River College who design recipes. Funding support is provided through a variety of sources including the province of Manitoba, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and The Winnipeg Foundation whose Nourishing Potential program supports after-school food programs. Other funders and partners include Breakfast Clubs of Canada, Dairy Farmers of Manitoba, Dietitians of Canada, Manitoba School Boards Association, and the Canadian Child and Youth Nutrition Program Network. Manitoba’s new budget includes an additional $450,000 for child nutrition programming in low-income schools across Manitoba. To learn more log on to: http://child nutritioncouncil.com. lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

RecipeSwap

Send your recipes or recipe request to: Manitoba Co-operator Recipe Swap Box 1794, Carman, Man. ROG OJO or email: lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

Could you eat just six teaspoons of sugar a day? Lorraine Stevenson Crossroads Recipe Swap

ost of us understand we’re consuming sugar when we drink soft drinks and eat candy containing a lot of sugar, but what about the sugar we don’t know we are eating? That’s the “hidden” sugar in foods where we don’t think of as “sweet”; it’s in breads, sauces, yogurt and even deli meats. Check the Nutrition Facts labels on products in your fridge and pantry to see how many grams of sugar are in a serving. You might be surprised to see how many teaspoons of sugar you actually eat in a day. Four grams equal one teaspoon. If that doesn’t sound like much, consider this: Canadians, on average, consume about 23 teaspoons (92 grams) of added sugar every day, according to Statistics Canada. And every teaspoon of sugar equals 15 calories. Do the math. That much sugar is the equivalent of 345 calories, and represents those “empty calories” that don’t contribute to overall nutrition dietitians are always warning us about.

How much sugar should we eat?

The World Health Organization has just released a new guideline on sugar consumption, saying no more than 10 per cent of our daily calories should come from sugar. That would mean limiting sugar to about 25 grams of sugar, or six teaspoons a day. Co u l d w e d o i t ? We’d h a v e t o ra d i c a l l y s h i f t o u r expectations of how we expect food to taste. As American journalist and author of Salt, Sugar, Fat Michael Moss points out, our desire for foods to taste sweet has grown as sugar has been added to foods by food manufacturers, and the more we eat, the more we crave. So much sugar in so much of our food has “taught us and habituated us to expect sweetness in everything we eat,” Moss said while speaking at the Growing Local conference last month. Dietitians of Canada have also recently pointed out how Canadians’ grocery shopping habits have shifted over time, towards more purchases of the kinds of processed foods that contain sugar, and fewer whole foods we prepare at home. A recent study published in the Canadian Dietitic Journal of Practice and Research says our caloric consumption from ultra-processed food products is now more than double what it was pre-Second World War. Whole generations have become accustomed to sweet foods and fed it to the next, so our sweet tooth won’t fall out overnight. But we can take steps to limit how much sugar we eat. Dietitians say one of the first things to do is start paying attention to where sugar “hides” in food, by reading Nutrition Facts tables on food packaging, which state how many grams a serving of whatever you’re eating contains. We can also be on the lookout for added sugar in food by looking for ingredients that end with “ose,” like fructose and glucose. Cutting down on the baked goods and sweetened beverages that contain refined sugars and eating more whole foods prepared at home are other ways we consume less sugar. The trouble is many of us don’t possess the skills to read food labels, or to shop and cook for healthier foods, and remain that much more susceptible to this vicious circle of craving sweetness. Currently, there is no specific recommendation in Canada for how much sugar we should consume in a day, although Canada’s Food Guide does list sugary foods to limit and healthier alternatives.

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

Cherry Clafoutis If you think you have to give up the sweet desserts you love to cut down sugar, think again. A clafoutis is a traditional French dessert deliciously sweet from the fruits it’s made with. This recipe comes from home economist Getty Stewart who was very deliberate about limiting the amount of sugar in recipes for her Prairie Fruit Cookbook. You can make this easy dessert with any type of fruits such as saskatoons, raspberries, plums, apricots, pears or even rhubarb. 1 tbsp. butter 1/4 c. sugar 2 eggs 1/2 c. milk

2 c. cherries 1/2 c. all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. almond or vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 F. Melt butter in a nine-inch ovenproof dish, pie plate or cast iron pan. Add cherries to melted butter. Whisk or blend together sugar, flour, eggs, milk and extract. Pour batter over cherries and bake until golden, 30 to 45 minutes. Serve immediately with whipped cream, yogurt or ice cream. Makes: 6 to 8 dessert servings. Source: Prairie Fruit Cookbook: The Essential Guide for Picking, Preserving and Preparing Fruit

Chunky Chicken, Vegetable and Rosemary Stew Don’t let a lingering winter ruin your appetite. Try this easy one-pot stew for a hearty and filling supper. 1 tbsp. canola oil 12 oz. boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 tbsp. canola oil 1 medium onion, cut in 8 wedges 3 medium carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into thirds 1 medium celery stalk, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 c. water 2 dried bay leaves 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1 can (15 oz./426 ml) reduced-sodium navy beans, rinsed and drained 1 c. grape tomatoes, quartered 1/2 c. chopped fresh Italian parsley 1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary 3/4 tsp. salt

In Dutch oven, heat one tbsp. canola oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook about three minutes per side or until it begins to brown. (Centre will still be slightly pink.) Remove from oven and set aside. Add remaining one tbsp. canola oil, onion, carrot and celery. Sauté for five minutes or until just beginning to lightly brown on edges, stirring frequently. Add water, bay leaves and pepper flakes. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered, 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chicken, beans, tomatoes, Italian parsley, rosemary and salt. Cover and cook five minutes or until tomatoes are tender and chicken is cooked. Yield: 6 servings. Serving Size: 1 cup. Note: Let stew stand 30 minutes to develop flavours and texture. It’s even better the next day! Source: CanolaInfo.org

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

ennifer Jackson sat at the dining room table, staring out the window at the world outside. In some places, she thought to herself, when people are bored they sit and watch the grass grow. Here, we sit and watch the snow melt. She had to admit that watching the snow melt was, even more than most springtimes, a painstakingly slow process. The occupation, at its current rate could keep her busy for another month, she thought. She considered the possibility that perhaps she ought to fill the time with something a little more productive, and so decided to make herself a cup of coffee. She got up and went over to the kitchen counter, and as she did so she heard the rumble of a V8 engine outside unmistakably drawing nearer. She didn’t bother to look out the window, recognizing immediately that it was her brother’s vintage GMC Firebird, coming up the driveway. She added a second cup of water and another scoop of coffee and returned to her original position, staring out of the window once again. When the knock came at the door she waited just a second before responding. “Come in Brady!” she called out. She heard the door open and her brother step inside. “Good timing!” she said. “I just put the coffee on.” Brady appeared at the doorway. “Hey Bro,” she said. “What’s up?” Brady grinned and shrugged. “Not much kiddo,” he said. “Not much at all.” He walked over and Jennifer stood up to give him a hug. “Where’s Mom and Dad?” “Gone to town,” said Jennifer. “Grocery shopping and whatnot. Why? You need something?” Brady shook his head. “What?” he said. ”I can’t just come over? I have to need something?” Jennifer stared at him for a second, eyes widening. “Oh my gosh!” she said. “You missed me!” Brady laughed, but put a finger to his lips. “Not so loud,” he said. “Someone will hear you.” “Ha!” said Jennifer. “You don’t deny it!” Brady leaned forward. “The truth is,” he said in a conspiratorial whisper, “I did. I practically haven’t seen you since Christmas.” Jennifer leaned back in her chair as though she were basking in the warm glow of the sun-

The

Jacksons BY ROLLIN PENNER

shine. “I knew it,” she said. “I knew that one day you would wake up and think, ‘I miss Jennifer.’” She paused. “Was it a big shock?” she said. “Pretty big.” Brady nodded. “A pretty big shock, I must say. Somewhere in all those years we lived here together and fought about everything… and I do mean EVERYTHING… I guess I grew accustomed to your face, kiddo.” Jennifer smiled. “I miss you all the time,” she said. “It’s not the same here without you. I can fight with Mom but it’s not the same.” “Mom always wins,” said Brady. “Exactly,” said Jennifer. “You and I used to be pretty even.”

“You were no slouch,” said Brady. “That time you walloped me upside the head with the Bible when I threw your Barbie doll out of the upstairs window, I will never forget that. I can still recite half the book of Genesis by heart!” “Oh my gosh! I’m sorry! I never meant to hit you that hard!” said Jennifer. “Don’t be sorry,” said Brady. “I quite deserved it.” “It’s true, you did,” said Jennifer. “Also it was probably the only way you would ever have memorized the book of Genesis.” “Well, I made that bit up. I have never been able to recite the book of Genesis,” Brady admitted. Jennifer thought about that for a second. “In the beginning, something something something,” she said. “That’s all I know.” “You should have paid attention in Sunday school,” said Brady. “Or maybe,” said Jennifer, “Mom and Dad should have taken us more than once or twice a year.” “That might have helped,” Brady nodded. “Although judging by some of my buddies who went every week, I wouldn’t say that for sure.” He paused. “I hear you’re going back to school,” he said. Jennifer nodded. “U of M,” she said. “In the fall.” “I guess I’ll see even less of you then,” said Brady. “Maybe not,” said Jennifer. “I expect I’ll be here on weekends.” Brady looked doubtful. “I don’t know,” he said. “Sometimes it’s surprising how many things come up that keep you from coming back.” “Like what?” said Jennifer. “Like boyfriends,” said Brady. “Or in my case girlfriends.” “Don’t worry,” said Jennifer. “I will be back.” She looked at Brady and smiled. “What is this?” she said. “Are we growing up or something? We never talk like this.” Brady smiled. “Yup,” he said. “We’re growing up. And it’s time we became friends.” “We’ve always been friends,” said Jennifer. “We just didn’t always like each other.” Brady smiled. “I do believe you’re right,” he said. “And let’s have that coffee.”

Dependable dieffenbachia This plant is easy to grow and adaptable to many conditions By Albert Parsons FREELANCE CONTRIBUTOR

am always intrigued by the common names of plants because they often tell much about a plant’s history or characteristics. Sometimes these names are based on old beliefs or superstitions and often better describe the plant than a proper botanical name can. Most people do not know any Latin and so common names, although not always an accurate way of identifying individual plants, are what we fall back on to put a name to a plant. One plant whose common name indicates an important characteristic of the plant is the dieffenbachia. Most people might know its proper name, but there are still many people who refer to this plant as “Dumb Cane.” The name indicates the plant’s ability to make someone unable to speak; toxic raphides in the sap of the plant can cause oral irritation, swelling, and in severe cases, the inability to speak for some time. The toxicity applies to pets as well. I have often had a dieffenbachia in my plant collection and when I was a school principal, I maintained an indoor

garden in the foyer of the school and these plants were part of this collection. I experienced no problems, probably because, contrary to the outlandish warnings on some Internet sites, people don’t normally go around munching on the leaves of their houseplants. Not one student took a bite in the eight years that I had this foyer garden! Pets might be more prone than people to dine on houseplants so care must be taken if there are animals around. Dieffenbachia plants are very useful foliage plants for the interior landscape. They are trees and grow quite tall, so they are useful for creating a vertical dimension. Their large green leaves with white dots or splotches are attractive and easy to clean with a damp cloth. The plant likes its soil kept evenly moist and it appreciates some fertilizer during the summer when it responds to higher light levels by putting forth more growth. A dieffenbachia should be planted in a large container or it will soon become top heavy and keel over. If it is not getting enough light, or if it gets quite tall, it will probably require support. When the plant has

become too tall for its location, it is easy to cut back. Simply cut each stem back to just above a leaf axil; a new shoot will emerge from the leaf axil and one may emerge from the soil beside the stem as well. Stem cuttings and terminal slips will root readily. It was my practice at the school to cut down the dieffenbachia plants every June when school let out. I took the top metre or so of each stem and stood the cuttings in a bucket of water, discarding the parent plants. Before school started in the fall, I would pot up the slips — by this time the cuttings had developed roots — so it took less than two months for root development. When the students and staff arrived for the new school year they were greeted by brand new dieffenbachia plants — shorter than the ones they had left behind in June but large enough to make the plant display attractive. There are many new cultivars of dieffenbachia, and some have golden leaves or unusual leaf markings. Others are small plants that do not grow very tall and look good as tabletop plants or as part of a plant grouping. Whichever one you choose, you will find

The large plant in the background is a newer variety with golden foliage; the smaller plant at its base has the traditional dieffenbachia leaf colouration. PHOTO: ALBERT PARSONS

the plant dependable, easy to grow, and adaptable to a variety of conditions. You will also find that “Dumb Cane” is not quite the scourge that it was

once thought to be — but I still wouldn’t advise eating it! Albert Parsons writes from Minnedosa, Manitoba

The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

Attracting wildlife to your yard Keep needs in mind as you plan your landscape Red River Basin Commission release

provide nesting cover, native grasses should not be mowed during the nesting season from mid-April to late July and should only be mowed periodically (once every three to five years) to provide the residual cover needed for ground- or grass-nesting birds.

roperly planned native landscapes can provide wildlife with various habitat needs. Selecting plants that provide food, cover and water can provide the needed habitat elements for many species that will visit your backyard. During the planning process wildlife habitat requirements need to be considered, and they will vary from year-round habitat for resident species to seasonal habitat for migratory species. Various types of species will visit if their requirements are provided. The types of plants used to provide food and cover will determine the wildlife species that are attracted. Select native species that flower and bear fruit or seed at different times. Plant a variety of species including grasses, flowering forbs, shrubs and trees. Shrubs that hold their fruit into fall and winter can provide food well into the winter season. Native forbs will attract butterflies. A variety of herbaceous and woody plant materials will provide a diversity of structure for wildlife cover. Depending on the species selected, these same plants can provide cover and a food source into fall and winter. Plant in groups or clusters. Single plants of native grass, forbs or shrubs will not provide the habitat needed for wildlife. Larger groups of shrubs, grass or flowering forbs provide increased diversity, cover and food in close proximity and structural heights attractive to wildlife.

year. If you wish to attract birds, plant species that retain fruit into the winter season, such as junipers, highbush cranberry, native rose species, or species that will retain seeds into the winter such as Maximilian sunflower. Native grasses also provide seeds for birds. A variety of flowering forbs attract insects and will attract birds that feed on those i n s e c t s. Hu m m i n g b i rd s c a n b e attracted by planting flowers with high nectar levels. Butterflies seem more attracted to purple and white flowers than yellow.

Food

Cover

Learn the food needs of the species you wish to attract and plant accordingly. Provide plant species that will yield a variety of foods during the

Water

PHOTO: CINDY MURRAY

Wildlife species need multiple cover types located close to food to avoid predation and exposure to harsh winter elements. The type of wild-

life you wish to attract will dictate the required type of covers planted. Planting native grasses and forbs will attract birds that nest on the ground and feed on small seeds and insects. Planting a variety of trees and shrubs will attract bird species that nest in woody vegetation and use fruits or nuts as food sources. Cover must be close enough to food to provide safe access for wildlife. Cover types that provide an array of vertical structure will attract a wider variety of wildlife species. Management of cover is a key component to attract wildlife. If native grasses and forbs are mowed during the primary nesting season, nesting cover is destroyed. Leave residual cover into winter to provide adequate nesting cover in spring. To

Wildlife needs may vary. However, they all need water to survive. Some species utilize dew on plants while other species need open water. Plan for water in your backyard. If natural water is available, protect it from sedimentation and nutrient loading with grass buffers. Artificial water can be added by use of bird baths, lined ponds or construction of a clay-lined created wetland. Yearround water is important. A heated water source can attract birds to backyards. Keep water fresh, and provide logs or rocks as escape areas around deep water sources for birds and maybe even a basking turtle. Small depressions in rocks can collect water and attract butterflies. Spring is right around the corner. Start planning now and be prepared to get your yard ready to enjoy the wildlife it will attract. A copy of the book with pictures and diagrams can be found at: h t t p : / / w w w. n r c s . u s d a . g o v / Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/ nrcs142p2_022410.pdf. The Red River Basin Commission is a grassroots organization that is a chartered not-for-profit corporation under the provisions of Manitoba, North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota law. Our offices in Fargo, N.D. and Winnipeg can be reached at 218-291-0422 and 204-982-7254, or you can check out our website at www. redriverbasincommission.org.

Be prepared for spring break This may also be calving time for you so here’s some ideas to do at home with the kids By Debbie Chikousky FREELANCE CONTRIBUTOR

Egg Burt

• 1 dozen empty eggshells • 1 tsp. potting soil per eggshell (approx.) • 1 pkg. radish seeds or other fast-sprouting seeds Place the empty shells in an egg carton. Dampen the potting soil in a separate container then place, but don’t pack, enough soil to fill the shell about three-quar-

Grass Bowl

• 1 glass loaf pan • 2 c. wheat berries (approx.) Rinse the berries well and place in pan. Keep them moist but not wet and allow them to sit in a warm, sunny place. Within a few days there will be sprouts and soon after grass. This can be used for garnishes. It will continue to grow when trimmed and adds a huge vitamin jolt to the day. We purchase wheat berries from Gerry DeRuyck in Treherne, Man. (1-204-836-2755). Our children enjoyed a geography version of

pin the tail on the donkey. For this game you will need a globe or a world map. There are fantastic maps at this site to print for free: http://www.mapsofworld. com/world-maps/world-mapprintable.html.

Geography Game

• Map or globe • A blindfold • A wooden skewer to use as a pointer • Lots of imagination Sit the children in a circle. A fun addition can be to all wear special travelling hats or old Halloween costumes. Each day one child is picked to close their eyes tight, or blindfold, and randomly pick a destination on the globe or map. Then the fun begins. Families could either make this very elaborate and make the destination activities for one place last all spring break or do one a day. Depending on the age of the children they were assigned research projects — looking in books and on the Internet for how the

people lived in these places. What kinds of foods do they eat for example? We would plan a meal to commemorate our trip. I remember Spain and the boys re-enacting bull fights. Our daughter loved researching costumes of the countries. We could download and print off colouring sheets. The possibilities are endless and the educational moments are astounding. These “trips” were much more fun that flying with a family of small children could have ever been and they were free. No matter what is chosen to fill the days just make sure it isn’t adding to the stress of an already busy time on the farm. Experience taught us that just sitting and reading a book in the afternoon or watching a video with a bowl of popcorn can be just as satisfying to children as a planned-out activity. They are recharging from a busy school life. Take some family time to

PHOTO: KEITH CHIKOUSKY

t can be quite a challenge to vacation and farm. With spring break coming up, all the advertisements seem to be targeting parents taking their children around to all kinds of destinations and activities. For a lot of farm families however, spring break occurs during calving but with a bit of planning we can still have fun. Spring is a time to grow things so one way to enjoy your at-home vacation is to start seedlings. One of our favorite crafts was Egg Burt.

ters full. Place a few radish seeds on soil and cover. Water if needed and place in a sunny window. Within a few days our egg characters had “hair.” The children can trim the hair and use it as a garnish on their food. Eventually the sprouts will need a new container. If it is warm enough to plant directly outdoors the shell can be crushed and planted with the plant making this a very environmentally friendly project.

just be a family and maybe visit the penguins of Antarctica while enjoying tacos sprinkled with fresh greens all at home in your living room. Debbie Chikousky farms at Narcisse, Manitoba

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The Manitoba Co-operator | March 20, 2014

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With three different modes of action in a single solution, Velocity m3 herbicide provides you with exceptional activity on over 29 different tough-tocontrol grassy and broadleaf weeds. For more information, please visit BayerCropScience.ca/Velocity

BayerCropScience.ca/Velocity or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative. Always read and follow label directions. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

C-60-02/14-10182726-E

T:15.5”

Get ready to engage and overpower the toughest weeds in your wheat field, whether they’re resistant to other herbicide groups or not.

B:15.5”

S:14.5”

More power to you.