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mission impossible

THE RIGHT CUT

Edgar family proves asparagus can be grown in Alberta » PAGE 8

Niche markets key to making beef profitable » PAGE 3

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Flood damage less than feared Flooding was localized and limited, officials say, and some areas badly needed rain By Alexis Kienlen af staff

post-flood heat wave was just what the doctor ordered for flooded producers in southern Alberta. “The hot weather is helping remarkably,” Doug Dueck, area manager for the south region of Agricultural Financial Services Corporation, said in early July. “Those that are completely under water, they’re not going to come back. We know that. There is some loss and in some areas, there is some significant loss. What we need is heat, and no rain for a week or two.” There was no immediate estimate of how much farmland was flooded, but the corporation didn’t experience a high volume of calls. “We have some flooding but it’s pretty localized. Folks in low-lying areas have got it worse than others,” said Dueck. “We don’t have an exact count on acres because we don’t have every farmer reporting to us.”

see FLOODING } page 6

G rain marketing:

file photo

Is it time to pull the trigger? Grain is moving, elevators are buying, and price forecasts aren’t rosy. Is it time to start selling this year’s crop? By Alexis Kienlen af staff

imbey farmer Greg Service avoided the worst of the winter’s grain backlog. Although you couldn’t call him lucky — half of his acres were hailed out last year. “We got paid out by hail insurance, so cash flow wasn’t a big concern,” he said. “Mother Nature did my marketing for me.” So far, this year’s crop on his 3,200-acre operation (half is custom farmed) is doing well, but Service remains hesitant to pre-sell his crop until he has a firmer handle on what his production will be. “That’s my risk tolerance, I guess,” he said. At Palin Farms at Blackie just east of High River, cash flow hasn’t been a problem

wheat woes:

because most of last year’s crop was presold. More importantly, the farm was able to deliver grain. “All the elevators here are relatively close to the port, and the closest in some cases,” said Trevor Cox, an employee on the 10,500acre farm. “So getting cars never really seems to be a problem in this general area.” Still, they’re constantly watching the markets and looking for selling opportunities, he said. “As per usual, they’ll try to lock contracts in at prices they feel comfortable with. If they can’t do that, they’ll just sit on that until prices come up to where they want to see them.” The approach for both farms is typical of grain marketing in a normal year — but 2014 was supposed to be anything but. At the height of last winter’s gridlock, experts

were predicting a huge carry-over from the record Prairie grain harvest was going to clog the system well into 2015. Those views are moderating now, but uncertainty abounds.

Record movement

“Back in January, there was certainly more grain that had gone out of Alberta than had gone out of the other two (provinces),” said Mark Hemmes, president of Edmontonbased Quorum Corporation, the federal government’s grain monitor. “But in the time since then, there’s been so much grain moved. The West Coast, for instance, has set about three records and beat them over and over again these last eight (to) nine weeks.”

see GRAIN MARKETING } page 6

Why are major buyers complaining? } PAGE 7

NEWS » INSIDE THIS WEEK

INSIDE » FUNGICIDE FANS Farmers not hesitating to spray

JULY 21, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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LET’S PUT BEEF BACK ON THE TABLE

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FRACTURED INDUSTRY HAS TO CHANGE

Small Saskatchewan town home to very big oat plant

Researchers have found plants recognize the sound caused by insects chewing and can respond with more defences. “We found that feeding vibrations signal changes in the plant cells’ metabolism, creating more defensive chemicals that can repel attacks from caterpillars,” said Heidi Appel, a scientist at the University of Missouri-Columbia. “Our work is the first example of how plants respond to an ecologically relevant vibration.” In the study, caterpillars were placed on a small flowering plant related to cabbage and mustard, and their movements measured using a laser and a tiny piece of reflective material on the leaf. They then played back recordings of caterpillar feeding vibrations to one set of plants, but played back only silence to the other set of plants. When caterpillars later fed on both sets of plants, the researchers found those plants previously exposed to feeding vibrations produced more mustard oils, a chemical that is unappealing to many caterpillars. “This indicates that the plants are able to distinguish feeding vibrations from other common sources of environmental vibration (such as wind),” said Rex Cocroft, professor of biological sciences at the university.

PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA

4 4

BRENDA SCHOEPP

Plants can hear the difference

Cabbage butterfly caterpillar.

JOYCE PARSLOW

BY BARB GALBRAITH AF CONTRIBUTOR / ITUNA, SASK.

espite the recent poor weather across much of the Prairies, a giant oat plant now stands in the small, but vibrant community of Ituna, Sask. Dennis Muzyka, a Melville high school shops teacher and local metal sculpture artist, designed and created the powder-coated steel structure. After intensive study of a single oat plant, Muzyka initially thought that in order to create an oat statue on a scale of 1:25 for the width he wanted to use, it would have to be more than 100 feet high. Returning to the field for further study, he discovered that no matter the height, the width of the plant was always the same. With three stems to represent Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the sculpture weighs about one tonne. It stands almost 34 feet tall and is 15.5 feet wide. Muzyka set the structure on its side and

Local dignitaries unveiled the sculpture by artist Dennis Muzyka June 28. PHOTO: BARB GALBRAITH

Built for your Soil Productivity

rotated it so he would not have to stand on a ladder while individually welding all 106 kernels hanging from the panicles. Four commemorative plaques surround the oat stems in the specially created park, Avena Gardens, next to the CN Rail main line, which passes through Ituna, located about 160 kilometres northeast of Regina. (Oats are known by the scientific name Avena sativa.) The significance of this sculpture is both current and historic. Canada is one of the largest oat producers in the world (behind only the European Union and Russia) and the Prairie Oat Growers Association was officially formed in Ituna in 1998. Prairie pioneers relied on oats as food for both themselves and their horses, as well as bedding. In the late 1890s, it was discovered that sawflies would infest wheat crops but not oats. A crop rotation of oats and wheat kept sawfly numbers down. The sculpture was officially unveiled in late June.

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Beef industry adopts ‘right customer for the right cut’ marketing approach Canada’s beef industry is beginning to maximize profits from the whole cattle carcass by catering to different global markets By Jennifer Blair af staff / calgary

uts from the loin, sirloin, and rib “help keep the lights on” for Canada’s beef industry, but it needs niche markets to capture value from the whole beef carcass, says Canada Beef’s director of North American market development. “The middle meats are obviously highly valuable, but they only make up a certain percentage of the entire beef carcass,” said Marty Carpenter at the recent International Livestock Congress. “We need to be able to extract value from each component of that carcass.” Almost half of Canadian beef, worth $1.3 billion, was exported last year and it is critical to find the right market to maximize the value of each cut, he said. “It’s a large amount of product, and we need to be able to access those markets and have the ability to maximize them,” he said. “Beef needs to find its niche within individual markets around the globe.” Right now, Canada’s single largest market for beef is — “believe it or not” — California, where the

“Make no mistake that, in retail, it’s becoming increasingly challenging for us to deliver the beef products traditional western customers are looking for.” Jamie Nelson

large Hispanic population leans toward cuts from the chuck and the clod that are undervalued in domestic markets. “Hispanic consumers want food that they’re familiar with, and beef is one of those key items in their diet,” said Carpenter. “The average U.S. Hispanic consumer will eat three times as much beef as the average Canadian consumer. You want to chase those kind of customers down. “It certainly has huge volume potential for us with cuts that we don’t utilize here domestically.” But there are opportunities to sell more products, such as Halal beef in Islamic countries and offal in Asian countries. “That’s going to be a growth market for years to come, and we need to be able to… work with our clients in those markets to ensure we’re maximizing the opportunities within those emerging markets,” he said. “It gets back to finding the right customer for the right cut.”

Growing domestic demand

Despite the growing demand in emerging markets, Canada is still “our most important market,” said Carpenter. “It’s the most loyal to the product, and certainly, Canadians love Canadian beef,” he said. “It’s really important that we work to build understanding and momentum for Canadian beef right here at home.” But Canada’s product mix is “relatively narrow.” “Ground beef still does rule the meat case,” said Carpenter, adding that the affordability and approachability of ground beef has made it a staple for Canadian families. But the face of Canadian families is changing, says an insider at one of Canada’s largest retail chains. “Immigration continues to rise,

Steaks, other prime cuts, and ground beef dominate the beef counter in Canadian stores but to sell the whole carcass, the beef industry has to look abroad. Photo: Thinkstock and our population mix is shifting,” said Jamie Nelson, vicepresident of retail operations for Overwaitea Food Group. “Alberta, in fact, is Canada’s third-largest province for Asian immigration after B.C. and Ontario, with growth three times faster than the rest of Canada over the last decade. This is very significant.” In 2011, Overwaitea piloted a new store design that would cater to Asian consumers in its store in Richmond, B.C., where three-quarters of the population is Asian. “When it comes to developing sales through new and emerging trends, we’ve had a great deal of success with customized offerings in store,” he said of the “east meets west” store model Overwaitea developed. Half of the store features imported Asian goods and a meat

counter with cuts that Asian consumers prefer, while the other half has the traditional offerings that consumers can find in most western grocery stores. “This is part of the new world of food retailing,” said Nelson. “We’ve been well accepted in this market, and sales are strong and growing.” Retailers such as Overwaitea Food Group continue to adapt to the changing demands of consumers — “but satisfying the customer these days is getting more complicated all the time.” “We know our traditional western customers are increasingly looking for smaller steak sizes but thicker cuts,” he said. “Make no mistake that in retail, it’s becoming increasingly challenging for us to deliver the beef products traditional western customers are looking for.” Consumers are looking for

cuts of beef that are “the right thickness, the right size, and the right price,” which all depends on the size of the animal. “There’s a natural tension between what ranchers are bringing to market and what the largest majority of consumers is looking for,” said Nelson. “Sales are naturally dropping, and we see this as a significant and continuing challenge as we move forward.” Nelson urges a “co-ordinated approach” at all levels of the value chain to meet the demands of both traditional western customers and emerging niche markets. “Times have definitely changed, and with them, we need to continue to change to deliver on what customers are asking for.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

New centre to boost profile of Canadian beef The $3.8-million facility in Calgary aims to ‘bring the brand to life’ staff

A new Centre of Excellence is going to do for beef what Cigi has done for grains and oilseeds, says the president of Canada Beef. “I’ve always been high on Cigi — the folks there have done a tremendous job of ensuring Canadian grains have strong international recognition,” said Rob Meijer. Over the last four decades, Cigi (short for the Canadian International Grains Institute) has brought more than 35,000 people from 115 countries — including scores of buyers, millers and bakers, and other key industry players — to its Winnipeg training and educational facility. Getting buyers, retailers, chefs, and other beef users into the new Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence will provide the same sort of boost for the international profile of Canada’s beef industry, said Meijer. “The centre is going to bring the brand to life,” he said. “We need to build a house on our land, invite people to our house, and

ensure that when they walk out, they not only know all about Canadian beef but what it can do for them.” The $3.8-million facility, due to open in Calgary in December, will house a full commercial kitchen, meat case, classroom, and dining facilities, and also have broadcast capabilities. All of those elements will work together, said Meijer. “We want to ensure they have the best educational experience, industry experience, and dining experience,” he said. Part of that will mean taking foreign visitors to cow-calf and backgrounding operations, feedlots and processors, he added. Ottawa is funding the centre. “Our government is proud to support this cutting-edge facility,” said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. “This centre will give our industry a competitive advantage in showcasing Canada’s top-quality meats and will allow our producers to capitalize on new and existing market opportunities.”

The announcement of the new Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence drew a crowd of officials. From left to right: Canada Beef president Rob Meijer, directors Mike Kennedy and Jack Hextall, chair Chuck MacLean, Western Economic Diversification Minister Michelle Rempel, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, and director Jennifer MacDonald. Director Willie van Solkema and Red Deer MP Earl Dreeshen are at the rear. Photo: Courtesy Canada Beef

JULY 21, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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

Reporters

Getting beef back on the table

Alexis Kienlen, Edmonton 780-668-3121 Email: akienlen@fbcpublishing.com Jennifer Blair, Red Deer 403-613-7573 Email: jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

Health advocates want to get people back in their kitchens, and out of fast-food joints, and that’s an opportunity for the meat sector

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By Joyce Parslow

Director of Consumer Marketing, Canada Beef Inc.

s marketers, we’re always on the lookout for trends and how we can latch on to the waves to build momentum for messages. One of the waves gaining momentum is ‘food skills.’ In a broad context, food skills is just about what it takes to get a meal on the table. This includes: • Knowing what food is and how it got to your table; • A basic understanding of nutrition, reading a label, and safe food handling; • Meal planning, food preparation on a budget, and things such as creative use of leftovers and adjusting recipes; • Mechanical techniques such as preparing meals, chopping/mixing, cooking, and following recipes. At one time, food skills used to be taught in school in home ec, which may sound quaint and old fashioned until you consider it in a different light. Today, people are increasingly talking about the ‘culinary brain drain.’ Cooking skills have been stripped out of school curriculums and increasingly, they’re not being taught at home. Research from a prominent Canadian grocery retailer captured some startling stats — not only were 70 per cent of Canadians under age 29 not kitchen confident, so were more than half of those over the age of 50. We have kids who don’t even recognize what a potato looks like. From a public health and government view,

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But research sourced by Canada Beef demonstrates a lack of cooking knowledge limits the ability to buy beef, with consumers aged 25 to 34 showing the lowest knowledge levels. This is our opportunity and it needs to be our aha moment. Meat is a wholesome, real food; and an anchor for healthy meals made from scratch. Canada Beef and other organizations are working hard to ensure meat has a place at the table. Helping folks figure out how to buy and cook meat is central to this, and that is why we and others have undertaken a host of initiatives — from school programs and providing information in bites for time-starved consumers to labelling that helps people select and prepare meat and teaching them about the basics for cooking meat. Food skills opportunities are just about everywhere for fresh meat — and I would encourage you to start the process at home and in your own life. If you believe meat has a place at the table, then at the least, start off sharing that love with your families. Look for ways to build food awareness — how about hosting a potluck for the soccer team? Let kids in the kitchen and help them build confidence in their food skills. Cooking and food is about sharing and thinking about those who we care about. It helps define us, binds us together, and empowers us as individuals and families. Let’s get on the wave of promoting food skills to keep our place at the table. Excerpted and condensed from ‘Keeping meat on the table – a food skills opportunity,’ a presentation delivered at the recent IMS World Meat Congress.

Genetic diversity is something we can’t afford to lose

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food skills are increasingly seen as key to food security, providing stability for families, and controlling health costs for society as a whole. Consider these startling facts — two-thirds of Americans are obese and because of this, the lifespans of this coming generation will be reduced by 10 years. The three leading causes of death in the U.S. are heart disease, cancer and stroke. All are diet related. Study after study cites two causes — sedentary lifestyles and changes in eating patterns over the last 30 years. The Public Health Nutrition journal recently reported there has been an 18 per cent increase in calorie intake over the past 30 years. What’s interesting is that the increase in calories has come from seven food groupings: cheese, chicken (which is frequently breaded and deep fried), rice, oils, soft drinks, flour and salad oils. These are the very foods that are key ingredients in energy-dense convenience foods: pizza, chicken fingers, sweet baked goods, and food court items. Over the same period, consumption of traditional foods such as beef, eggs, and milk has declined. A recent survey by Sobeys found 62 per cent of caloric intake coming from ultra-processed food. Eating processed food has become the norm — only 18 per cent of Canadians have one meal a day prepared from scratch. But this problem is being recognized and there are increasing calls to “change the diets of America.” This is creating an opportunity for the meat industry and it’s why we need to ride the food skills wave. There is a cry and a call for a return to meals at the table with the health and social benefits of ‘real’ foods — and meat belongs on this table.

The University of Alberta relies on donations to preserve heritage chickens, but recent events show the need for a government commitment

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By Laura Rance

editor, the manitoba co-operator

nyone who has lived on or near a farmyard with chickens is well aware of the rooster’s ability to trumpet the arrival of morning long before the sun peeks over the horizon. But roosters have been delivering a wake-up call of a different sort lately — sounding the alarm over the risks inherent with the increasingly narrow gene pool used in commercial production (see page 15). The U.S. broiler industry recently discovered the Ross breed of rooster, which sires as much as 25 per cent of the U.S. broiler chicken supply, has developed a fertility problem. After investigating why up to 17 per cent of the eggs these roosters fertilized failed to hatch, the breeder, Germanbased Aviagen, acknowledged an unspecified change made to its genetics boosted growth rates at the expense of fertility. We are told the problem has since been fixed through more genetic tweaking, but this seemingly temporary genetic glitch is having costly effects. The USDA’s chicken production forecast for 2014 released last month predicted only a one per cent increase

in poundage from 2013, well below the long-run annual average of four per cent. The agency predicted 2015 production would be up only 2.6 per cent. That’s cutting into the the country’s export potential at a time when foreign demand is growing. The fertility problem exacerbated an already existing shortage of breeder birds. According to Reuters, breeders reduced their flocks when a spike in feed prices in 2011 squeezed their profit margins. Breeders have been trying to rebuild their flocks ever since and are now looking for other options, such as attempting to hatch eggs that would otherwise have been discarded and keeping their laying hens longer. The shortages in the U.S. are pushing up prices at a time when beef and pork prices are already at record highs. Canada sources all of its breeding stock from the U.S. and relies solely on the Ross rooster. But it has been unaffected — at least so far. Thanks to stability of supply management, Canadian hatcheries are able to contract for their hatching eggs up to two years in advance. The industry reports those contracts are being honoured to date. As such, it appears Canadian consumers will be spared any potential price shock.

But it’s a wake-up call nonetheless about agriculture’s tendency to put all its eggs in one genetic basket. And it underscores the irony of the University of Alberta’s reliance on charitable donations to preserve its flock of heritage poultry breeds (as reported in the June 9 edition of Alberta Farmer). Two years ago, the flock was threatened by budget cuts, prompting the university’s Poultry Research Centre to appeal for public support under an innovative “adopt a heritage chicken” program. Individual donors — who now number 400 — pay $150 a year in exchange for receiving 24-dozen eggs over a 10-month period. There are lots of great things we could say about how this approach supports the local food movement and offers urbanites an opportunity to connect with agriculture. But it’s questionable whether as a society we want to rely on such methods to preserve genetic diversity. The need for such resources is not some nicety — the threat to supply from unforeseen genetic breakdowns is clearly not theoretical. While the public’s support for this program is heartwarming, what’s needed is a long-term commitment from government. laura@fbcpublishing.com

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JULY 21, 2014

Study shows talk of reforming beef industry is ‘all hat and no cattle’ straight from the hip } Two recent studies underscore the deep divisions

in the beef sector but also point a way to the future By Brenda Schoepp af columnist

he Canadian Beef Industry Synergy Study gathered 1,203 responses that clearly defined what folks thought of the current state of affairs. Nine out of ten respondents are not comfortable with the beef industry, the way it works, and who is in charge. This did not differ between age or income demographic nor was there regional differentiation. It was a unified “boo” that left the positivity index wallowing at 10.2 per cent. The study — conducted by Farm Credit Canada for the Straw Man Beef Initiative — included beef producers, beef industry persons, consumers and retailers. Its findings were also mirrored in another independent benchmark study. At the end of the day, it is fair to say the beef industry as a whole lacks trust and synergy. Only 34 per cent of respondents said they believe the industry is working together and 35 per cent

believe industry associations are advancing the sector. Translated into cattlemen’s lingo: Constant talk without affirmative action driven by a unified vision looks like a fellow who is “all hat and no cattle.” The shocker was the lack of communication within the industry. A whopping nine per cent of respondents do not know we have a national checkoff (so we can assume that they do not know the role of the national checkoff in the industry). How can we engage our future farmers when 17 per cent of those whom did not know about the national checkoff were under the age of 40? Respondents also stated the checkoff was not accomplishing the goal of increasing value or increasing demand for beef. And although 35 per cent believe that the industry is being advanced by associations, the retailers said, “No way.” They said they do not hear from the beef industry unless there is some sort of a problem. In the benchmark study, retailers went further and said the

beef industry is not listening nor responding to the needs of the consumer. For example, the cuts provided to retailers are too big but industry keeps pushing for a larger carcass. There is no communication on any scale back to producers and financial incentives do not exist. So if we are not communicating up or down the chain, what are the beef associations busy doing? It is hard to say because when producers get together and provide clear direction they are ignored. BIXS was to rise out of the ashes or die by the end of March and we still see it on life support. Meanwhile, private companies have created data collection and management systems that are working, user friendly, and of value. They will never be recognized because the dead horse is being flogged. And what of data-based decisionmaking models that offer value for producers and consumers alike? When just six per cent say industry works very well together and 12 per cent claim they are getting good value for the dollar, it is hardly an inviting environ-

ment for technological advancement or birthing innovation. I do believe we should not be discouraged by the internal politics of agriculture, but should keep promoting it as a societal need. With that comes a responsibility for societal licence, and the beef industry has truly never believed it needs licence. To put it into context, I found the comment of one producer very profound when she claimed we had missed the best free advertising for Canadian beef when we opposed the A&W grass-fed campaign rather than embrace it. That is data we can sink our teeth into. It may seem like a bit of a rant, but there are important lessons here for a country that contributes less than two per cent of global beef population. The fact that the Canadian industry is so small is an opportunity to be the lightweight prize fighter in the ring. The fact that it is so fragmented is an opportunity for something new and uniquely unified. The fact that we have the support of government means we have the freedom to be aggressive marketers

and creative thinkers. The fact that we are short of cows and producers continue to exit is an opportunity to develop an inviting environment based on value for young entrepreneurs. Everyone understands value. Beef producers want to be heard and be valued in a functional governance system. Farmers and feeders alike look to advanced data systems that define and create value. Scientists have repeatedly asked for direction from industry, and families want and need to know they are part of something lasting, dependable, and respected. To build trust, the Canadian beef industry — and that means all of us — must reboot, lock and load. Based on the information we have there is one clear path to take. And it is not the status quo. Brenda Schoepp is a farmer from Alberta who works as an international mentor and motivational speaker. She can be contacted through her website www.brendaschoepp.com. All rights reserved. Brenda Schoepp 2014

Report says now is the time to respond to climate change Report argues warmer temperatures will see a drop in yield and require farmers to adopt new growing practices and crops By Daryll E. Ray and Harwood D. Schaffer

he publication, Advancing Global Food Security in the Face of a Changing Climate, by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs focuses on the science of global warming and the impact it will have on agricultural production. It is our observation that much of the denial of the concept of human-induced climate change has less to do with scientific analysis than it does with the policy implications of climate change. Farmers don’t like the regulatory policies — like cap and trade (a proven market-oriented motivator originally proposed by free market advocates) or just about any Environmental Protection Agency emissions controls — that might be required. But the Chicago council analysis suggests that doing nothing could be worse. Lead author Gerald C. Nelson makes the case that given the magnitude of the impact that global warming will have on farmers and food production worldwide, “adapting the global food system to climate change should be a priority.”

Nelson begins by identifying research that indicates that as average temperatures increase by a couple of degrees, crop yields begin to decrease by as much as a couple of per cent a decade. The impact on yield is most likely to occur in low-latitude regions where hunger is already the greatest. He also makes the case that the current models used by climate scientists probably underestimate the impacts of climate change. Even if the world’s population were to remain stable, climate change would put significant pressure on agricultural production. The combination of population increase and a growing middle class in the developing world makes the challenges agriculture faces even greater. It is estimated that wheat yields in South Asia will decline by 12 per cent over the first half of the 20th century. Thirty years later, the yield loss will have increased to 29 per cent. As a result, Nelson writes, “given the long lead times needed to advance scientific research and transfer new technologies and farming practices to the field, action must be taken now to meet the increasingly difficult chal-

lenges of climate change.” Waiting until the last minute to invest in the needed agricultural research is not a reasonable option. To manage the challenges brought about by climate change, farmers will have to adapt by growing new crops, changing agricultural practices, and purchasing different inputs. The cost of making these changes will divert resources that otherwise would be used “for other farming upgrades.” Some areas will no longer be suitable for agricultural production, forcing farmers off the land. Nelson argues that not only will consumers face higher prices, generally they will also see more price spikes like the one that occurred in 2008. Those most affected by higher prices, punctuated by price spikes, will be the poor. Nearly half of those facing chronic hunger “are smallholder farmers living in rural parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.” He continues writing, “if the international community wants a world without hunger, it must equip the world’s food producers to grow more food using

fewer resources in the face of climate change.” One of the results of food shortages and higher food prices is civil unrest. During the 2008 food price spike, over 30 countries experienced increased social tension. Nelson makes the case that food is a security issue, at both the national and global levels. “Our nation has a strong interest in preventing the sorts of conflicts that open the way for civil wars or turn weakened states into sanctuaries for terror groups that pledge harm to the United States and its allies,” he concludes. “When events spiral out of control, U.S. intervention in the form of emergency food assistance — or even more costly military engagement — becomes more likely.” The full report can be found at www. tinyurl.com/mb4pj5s. Daryll E. Ray holds the Blasingame Chair of Excellence in Agricultural Policy, Institute of Agriculture, University of Tennessee, and is the director of UT’s Agricultural Policy Analysis Center. Harwood D. Schaffer is a research assistant professor at the centre.

Off the front

july 21, 2014 • Albertafarmexpress.ca

GRAIN MARKETING } from page 1 Ottawa’s grain legislation in March — which ordered CN and CP to move 11,000 cars weekly or face fines of up to $100,000 a day — has had the desired effect. “The railways are up against it right now,” said Hemmes. “They’ve got legislation hanging over their heads, and mandates what they’ve got to move, and they’re doing their utmost to make sure they meet those legislative and regulatory requirements.” Despite record levels of movement, there will still be a large carry-out — which Hemmes now estimates will be around 17 million tonnes. But the elevator network is also ramping up and is currently running at about 50 per cent of its working capacity. “That’s higher than what you would normally see in the summer, but it’s good,” said Hemmes. “Barring any major line outages, we’re going to see continued strong movement through the summer months. Once the harvest starts to come off, we’re all certainly going to see the country elevator network start to work itself up to the point we saw last fall. By late October or November last year, the elevator network was full. They’re going to buy as much grain as they possibly can.”

Harvest outlook

There’s also speculation that flooding — particularly in eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba — may also significantly reduce the size of this year’s crop. As much as four million acres may be flooded out and that’s on top of about two million acres that were never seeded because of the wet, cool spring. But provincial crop specialist Harry Brook remains worried. First, there will still be a lot of grain inventory come fall, said the crop specialist with Alberta

Harry Brook, crop specialist with Stettler’s Ag Info Centre, thinks this year’s crop will not be as big as last year’s. photos: supplied Agriculture’s Ag Info Centre in Stettler. “Even if they’re moving a million bushels a week like they were legislated to, there’s still going to be an awful lot of last year’s crop in people’s bins,” he said. Second, while late-seeded crops in northeastern Alberta and much of Saskatchewan have lagged so far this year, there’s still time to recover. “They might not be as high as last year, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see yields that are higher than the long-term average,” said Brook. Transportation is in the back of everyone’s mind, but it’s not easy to know what the future holds, said grain broker Shelley Wetmore. “I think there are still contracts out there that were supposed to have moved some time ago,”

Locking in prices “they feel comfortable with” is the goal at Palin Farms, says Trevor Cox.

said Wetmore, owner of Market Masters in Edmonton. “But it looks like everything is moving along and getting caught up. I don’t think we’re going to have the same crop as we did last year, but logistics are always an issue.”

Best strategy?

Wetmore has pre-sold quite a bit, even though producers aren’t necessarily happy with current prices and aren’t doing a lot of booking in hopes of a price rebound. “There’s always someone who will carry grain forward to the next crop year,” she said. Some farmers may also hold back grain for next year, because they might have lost their crop due to flooding, she added. That may not be a profitable strategy — the general feeling from buyers is that the market could go lower, said Wetmore.

Rimbey farmer Greg Service is hesitant to pre-sell production early in the season.

“They’re not jumping forward and putting forth a whole lot of bids for the fall yet, because they’re still bearish on that front,” she said. “Generally, I don’t think we’ll see a deluge of fall pricing for a few weeks yet.” So what’s the best strategy? Brook says to remember what happened last year. “There was a huge disparity between those who pre-priced their crop early in the growing season and those who waited until they had it in the bin before they sold it,” he noted. “The ones who pre-priced it got higher prices than the guys who tried to sell off the combine.” Brook said he understands the reluctance to sell a crop before you know how big the harvest will be. But producers need to look past the farm and think about “the whole chain” that moves grain from field to port, he said.

“Barring any major line outages, we’re going to see continued strong movement through the summer months.”

Mark Hemmes

“I am really wondering what is going to happen to prices this winter,” he said. “There’s a strong possibility of our crop prices slumping further.” akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

FLOODING } from page 1

The boy is back? El Niño seen striking within months Both U.S. and Australian meteorological agencies predict a return, but say it will not be a strong event Reuters

Doug Dueck, area manager for the south region of Agricultural Financial Services Corporation, says flooding was not as bad as expected. photo: supplied

Areas in the southwest were hit with more than 200 millimetres of rain, and farms around the Medicine Hat area also received heavy downpours. But some areas around Taber and Bow Island were dry and got a badly needed soaking. Wheat fared the best during the deluge, while barley fared the worst. Barley is a common crop in the south because there are so many feedlots. Producers who got a late start to seeding because of wet ground were generally worst hit. “Generally, the land was quite wet here and folks had difficulty getting on the land early, especially on that Highway 2 corridor,” said Dueck. People with crop insurance

and damaged acres should call their local AFSC office. That’s especially important if a producer plans to work the land or attempts to salvage the crop for feed. “They need to let the branch office know before they do that — we’ll come and look at it, and put an appraisal on it and go from there,” said Dueck. “If clients are doing something with a flooded crop, they need to let us know before they destroy it or before they do something rather than taking it to harvest, even if there’s nothing there. We have to verify that and validate that and there has to be a claim put in for that.” akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

The U.S. weather forecaster maintained its outlook for the El Niño weather phenomenon in its monthly update on July 11, pegging the chances of the weather pattern striking during the Northern Hemisphere summer at 70 per cent. The agency downplayed the likelihood of a strong El Niño, which can wreak havoc on crops, predicting it will peak at “weakto-moderate” strength during the late fall and early winter and last until spring of 2015. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said Pacific Ocean surface temperatures are at levels associated with a weak El Niño, but the threshold for the weather event has not yet been breached. It indicates that El Niño is likely to develop by the Southern Hemisphere spring. El Niño, a warming of sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific, can trigger both floods and drought around the globe. These areas could be affected: • El Niño could bring dry weather to Australia, which is already struggling with a drought, and it could also curb its wheat, sugar and cotton production.

• An El Niño episode usually results in below-average rainfall in main palm oil producers Indonesia and Malaysia, cutting yields and pushing up global prices. It could also worsen drought conditions in Thailand, a leading rice exporter. • El Niño would bring milderthan-normal temperatures to the U.S. Midwest. Iowa and Minnesota would benefit from the event’s tendency for wetter-than-normal summers as the western Corn Belt recovers from a drought. But excessive rains on the saturated soils of the eastern Corn Belt could be troublesome after an overly snowy winter. • Drought-hit California, a major dairy and wine grape state, could see above-normal rainfall. • In China, El Niño could bring more rain south of the Yellow River and cause flooding in major rice- and cotton-growing regions. • Lower-than-normal temperatures could occur in China’s top corn and soy areas in the northeast, leading to frost damage and lower grain output.

• A strong El Niño in India, the world’s No. 2 rice producer, would trigger lower production of summer crops such as rice, sugar cane and oilseeds. In 2009, El Niño led to India’s worst drought in nearly four decades, which helped push global sugar prices to their highest in around 30 years. • Previous El Niño episodes caused severe dry spells in the Philippines. A rice shortfall due to typhoons and drought connected to El Niño in 2010 prompted record imports of the staple.

Soft commodities

A returning El Niño could cut output in main cocoa producers Ivory Coast, Ghana and Indonesia. Expectations of a second straight global market deficit in 2014 sent prices to more than two-year highs earlier this year. • In Indonesia, the world’s thirdlargest cocoa producer, El Niño usually means extremely dry weather. Major coffee producer Vietnam could also suffer. • El Niño usually brings warmer winters to No. 1 coffee producer Brazil, reducing the risk of coffee frost. But heavy rains would crimp production.

Albertafarmexpress.ca • july 21, 2014

Wheat quality declines a mystery Not all customers are happy with AC Harvest and AC Stettler, but it’s not known whether the varieties or growing conditions are the issue By Jennifer Blair af staff / killam

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esearchers at Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development are trying to get at the root of what’s causing quality problems in two popular hard red wheat varieties. “We cannot lose our reputation as a high-quality supplier,” said Sheri Strydhorst, agronomy research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “For us to compete as just a volume producer of grain, we’re going to have a tough time of that economically.” In recent years, customers in China and Britain have complained about inconsistent wheat quality, saying it produces weakened bread dough. But the reasons for the quality drop aren’t known. “It could be genetics or environment. We don’t know yet,” said Bill Chapman, an agronomist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “The proteins in particular varieties are different than some of the other ones. Is it the protein that’s causing the problems?” “There’s a lot of unanswered questions,” added Strydhorst. To answer some of those questions, she will grow wheat as part of a research project on advanced agronomic practices in five different areas of the province. After harvest, the hard red varieties from the research plots will be sent to Cigi, where it will look at how varietal differences impact milling quality — specifically in Alberta’s largest-acre hard red varieties, AC Harvest and AC Stettler. “Is it a genetic problem with these two varieties and their milling quality just isn’t what we used to be providing, or is it moving to some of these advanced agronomic practices?” she said.

bushels, maybe that’s where we have to be,” he said. “That’s maybe where, for some varieties, you have to push yield and volume production, and then we maybe have to have some of those varieties that are grown with a quality intention and you’re managing the two very differently,” said Strydhorst. But part of the challenge, said Chapman, is that less than 20 per cent of seed planted every year is certified. “We grow a lot of brown-bag seed, but we really don’t know if we’re buying what we say we’re buying because we’re buying it from the neighbours,” he said. “The seed industry is taking a beating because you guys keep growing the same stuff year after year. Do you really know what you’re growing?”

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12:56 PM Sheri Page Strydhorst 1 Researcher is looking at whether declining wheat quality could be linked to two popular

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“I think this is a really important component of… this project to get to the bottom of what Canada is doing wrong.” But the time it takes to find these answers is an issue because growers are constantly moving on to new varieties, said Gordon Tuck, a mixed grain grower near Vegreville. “We’re all looking at what’s our next big wheat variety,” he said. “Harvest has been good, but all of a sudden, we have an issue. It could take three years before we get the actual quality tests on some of this stuff.” Strydhorst calls this research a “start” that could help producers tailor their management practices to the variety they’re growing. Tuck said he thinks that may be necessary to get the quality he’s after. “Everything we talk about is pushing yield. If we have to back off to get quality to a standard 50

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JULY 21, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Asparagus operation a labour of love for Innisfail growers The tender vegetable isn’t supposed to grow in central Alberta — but that didn’t stop the Edgar family from building a successful direct-marketing asparagus operation near Innisfail By Jennifer Blair af staff / innisfail

Elna Edgar’s asparagus fields near Innisfail are picked almost bare by the end of June. Photo: Jennifer Blair

f you asked her today, Elna Edgar would admit that the folks at Alberta Agriculture were “absolutely right” 30 years ago when they said asparagus couldn’t be grown in their little corner of central Alberta. “It’s the most quirky, odd, driveyou-crazy vegetable that you can imagine,” said Edgar, who owns and operates Edgar Farms near Innisfail with husband Doug, daughter Keri, and son-in-law Randy. “Any of these direct-to-consumer crops are not for the faint of heart, I tell you that. You lose a lot of sleep over them. You live and breathe them.” Up until 1986, the Edgars ran a mixed grain and cattle operation on the family homestead before deciding to diversify with vegetables — mainly asparagus. “My mother-in-law had a lovely little patch of asparagus in the family garden, and it always tasted really good.” Starting with a one-acre plot, the Edgars seeded asparagus plantlets from the greenhouse in the back of the yard at the top of a sandy

ridge “that wouldn’t grow much of anything else.” “We didn’t want to take a good piece of agricultural land out of production — and we didn’t want the neighbours to think we were stark raving mad either,” she said with a laugh. Today, the Edgars still farm 1,200 acres of mixed grains and have a 140-head grass-fed cowcalf operation, but their vegetable operation has grown to include 50 acres of crops, an on-site commercial kitchen, and a country store where the family sells fresh vegetables, frozen beef, and preserves. “It’s a ton of work,” said Edgar. “It’s much easier to just get in your tractor and go seed your crop. But it’s rewarding. You get to talk directly to your customers, and they appreciate what you’re doing.” The Edgars begin their six-week picking season in May, working eight- to 10-hour days seven days a week for the duration of their early-summer harvest. All of their picking is done by hand using three-man machines that travel slowly down the field, allowing workers to snap off the stalks as they go.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JULY 21, 2014

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8  In the beginning, they picked everything by hand and on foot, walking and bending to harvest their crops. “I swore if we were going to expand it that we would never ask anybody to pick that way,” said Edgar. “That’s hard work.” The Edgars now have 12 fulltime seasonal workers, including six from Mexico. “That bundle of asparagus you see in the grocery store or the farmers’ market is handled up to eight times from the time we pick it,” she said. “We pick it, we sort it, we weigh it, we bundle it, we wash it, and we chill it. It’s huge labour.”

‘Drive-you-crazy vegetable’

The crop itself poses some challenges as well. Asparagus is a fern, says Edgar, and the spears are essentially the “trunk of the tree.” “As it grows, it’s going to fern out. When we stop picking the field, it just keeps growing taller until it opens up into a big, beautiful fern.” Because the plant stems are so small right after the initial planting, it takes five years for asparagus to hit peak productivity. “We put in a patch this year, but we won’t pick this year and we won’t pick next year. The third year, we can pick for two weeks, and the fourth year we can pick for four weeks. In the fifth year, we can pick for the full six weeks,” she said. “It’s a huge investment in the future. That’s what you have to look at — what are we going to be doing in five years?” And while asparagus likes sandy soils — “the sandier the better” — central Alberta’s cool, wet springs and cold nights cause “crazy” variability in the yields. “We might get 100 pounds in a day off 28 acres or we might get 1,000 pounds. It just depends on how warm it is,” she said. “We could not possibly go the wholesale route with it because I never know how much we’re going to have.” Even so, Edgar credits the cool climate for the “amazing flavour” her asparagus has. “When it cools down at night, it keeps the sugars from turning into starch. It stays lovely and sweet.”

Word-of-mouth marketing

And it’s the flavour that keeps their customers coming back for more. “Word of mouth is definitely our best form of advertising,” said Edgar. “If somebody comes out and has a good experience, they’ll tell somebody else.” In addition to their on-site country store and annual asparagus festival that attracts more than 2,000 visitors to their farm in June, the Edgars sell their asparagus at 20 different farmers’ markets throughout the summer with Innisfail Growers, a marketing co-operative made up of five farm families. “I never dreamt this would take us where we are when we planted it,” said Edgar of the farm’s growth. Her advice to other farmers thinking about diversifying with vegetables is to “start small and figure out where you’re going to sell it.” “Anybody can grow it, but it takes a special person to be able to sell it,” she said. And for Edgar, that comes down to believing in the product she’s selling. “I firmly believe that we’ve got the best-tasting asparagus in the entire world, so it’s easy for me to go to a farmers’ market (and sell),” she said. “You’ve got to believe in what you’re doing, and you’ve got to love doing what you’re doing.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

Doug Edgar of Edgar Farms designed and built slow-moving three-man asparagus harvesters to make it easier for workers to pick the fields by hand. PHOTO: JENNIFER BLAIR

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NEWS » Markets

JULY 21, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

China summer grain output up

Ukraine plant occupied

China’s grain output this summer rose 3.6 per cent to 136.59 million tonnes, including 125.8 million tonnes of cereals, said the National Bureau of Statistics. Summer grain includes mainly winter wheat. Beijing’s incentives for grain farmers, including subsidies and high government purchase prices, have encouraged farmers to expand grain acreage. An official think-tank estimated winter wheat production to hit a record-high level of 117.6 million tonnes this year. — Reuters

A group of armed individuals occupied a Cargill sunflower seed-crushing plant in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region after it was closed due to the increased tensions in the area, the company said July 11. The agribusiness giant said it stopped operations at the plant on July 4. “We could not allow our employees to be put at risk, and currently we have no employees on site. The plant has subsequently been occupied by a small number of armed individuals whose intentions are not clear to us,” Cargill said in an emailed statement. Cargill is one of the leading sunflower seed crushers in Ukraine.

Flood concerns on Prairies add support to ICE canola Expectations for U.S. soybeans are bearish for oilseeds

photo: laura rance By Terryn Shiells

CE Futures Canada canola contracts moved sharply lower in sympathy with U.S. soy markets during the week ended July 11, but managed to hold up a bit better than the Chicago futures. Concerns about flooded-out fields in western Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan remained supportive overall, which helped to keep canola from seeing the same extremely large losses as soybean futures posted. There is definitely some significant damage done by the flood, but traders are still waiting for some more concrete estimates, which may start to pop up around mid-July, or whenever flooded areas get a good seven to 10 days of warm, dry weather. Though some producers are very hard hit, unfortunately they may not see good prices for whatever they do produce, at least for now, as conditions for the U.S. soybean crop are just too good. Talk is that the flood damage won’t likely be reflected in futures prices, but could be accounted for in the cash market through improving basis levels. Demand has also slowed for canola as

it lost its cheapness relative to competing oilseeds during the week. Expectations that U.S. and global ending stocks of soybeans will be very large in 2014-15, as well as increased production estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, were also bearish for canola and soybeans. U.S. soybean futures dropped significantly during the week, with the August contract losing more than $1 a bushel and losses of 56 to 68 cents per bushel in new-crop values. A bearish USDA report on July 11, chart-based selling as the market broke through many levels of support, and good conditions for the U.S. crop all contributed to the large declines. As long as conditions remain favourable, prices for soybeans could continue to plunge down and have the potential to break below $10 per bushel in the November contract. Corn futures fell to fresh four-year lows, as conditions remain very favourable for an expected record-large 2014-15 U.S. crop. USDA did lower its expectations for the 2014-15 U.S. crop slightly, to 13.86 billion bushels from 13.94 billion, due to lower harvested area — but the crop will still be very large.

The market is starting to look oversold, which could be supportive going forward, but a lack of fresh bullish news will likely keep values under pressure. A weather scare or fresh demand headlines could help to lift corn prices going forward, but any rallies will likely be met with farmer selling and profit-taking. Wheat futures continued to reach fresh lows in Kansas City, Minneapolis and Chicago. Reports of good harvesting weather in the U.S. Midwest, paired with chartbased selling, weighed on the markets. The July 11 USDA report was also bearish for wheat, as it pegged U.S. all-wheat production at a larger-than-expected 1.99 million bushels for 2014-15.

The winter wheat crop was pegged at 1.37 billion bushels, slightly below expectations of 1.38 billion. The 2014-15 hard red spring wheat crop was pegged at 520 million bushels, an increase of six per cent from 2013. There could be more downside left in U.S. wheat futures, as U.S. winter wheat crops keep looking better and better as the harvest moves north. Futures could be headed back to their late-January lows, which saw Minneapolis futures fall to US$6.12 per bushel. Terryn Shiells writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting

For three-times-daily market reports from Resource News International, visit “ICE Futures Canada updates” at www.albertafarmexpress.ca.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JULY 21, 2014

Get a permit before flying that drone Transport Canada deems field-scouting activities as commercial and therefore a Special Flight Operations Certificate is required bal (a pivoted support that allows the rotation of an object about a single axis) and GoPro still and video camera brought the price to $2,500. It also includes a seveninch screen that allows the pilot to see live what the camera sees. Some UAVs have a return-tohome application if the pilot loses contact with the device. Some can be programmed to fly a predetermined flight path.

By Allan Dawson staff

armers flying drones to check their crops or livestock could get their wings clipped by Transport Canada if they don’t have a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC). “UAVs operating in Canada must meet equivalent levels of safety as manned aircraft,” Transport Canada’s website says. “Requirements for the operation of a UAV fall under the Canadian Aviation Regulations.” It can take 10 to 20 business days to get an SFOC — and longer if the applicant doesn’t clearly explain where and when the proposed flight or flights are to occur, said Martin Eley, director general of civil aviation at Transport Canada. The operator needs to have liability insurance. In some cases applicants have to apply for SFOC every time they want to fly, which would be impractical for farmers. However, Transport Canada has issued certificates allowing applicants to fly in different areas, multiple times under certain circumstances, Eley said. “If the farmer wants to fly over his own fields that’s one thing, but if he wants to go to his neighbour’s that’s something else,” he said. “If he wants to do something very specific it would normally be limited to that area. As people do it a number of times and demonstrate they have the capability there would probably be more flexibility there. You might start off saying, ‘You can do this in your field Tuesday but with more experience you can do it any time

Bird’s eye view

Manitoba agriculture official Rejean Picard was spreading the word about drones and the required certification for flying them at the recent Crop Diagnostic School. Photo: Laura Rance you like in your field under these conditions.’” Rejean Picard, a farm production adviser with Manitoba’s Agriculture Department, has been experimenting with a cameraequipped UAV and believes they are a new and useful tool for farmers. He hopes Transport Canada’s regulations don’t ground farmer UAVs just as they’re about to take off. Eley stressed anyone flying a UAV for commercial purposes must have an SFOC. And since a farmer could benefit economically from checking crops with a UAV, it’s considered a commercial use.

Application requirements for a Special Flight Operations Certificate Here is some information you must provide to Transport Canada when applying for a Special Flight Operations Certificate: • Name, address, and where applicable, the telephone number and facsimile number of the applicant; • Name, address, and where applicable the telephone number and facsimile number of the person designated by the applicant to have operational control over the operation (operation manager); • Type and purpose of the operation; • Dates, alternate dates and times of the proposed operation; • A complete description, including all pertinent flight data on the aircraft to be flown; • A security plan for the area(s) of operation and security plan for the area(s) to be overflown to ensure no hazard is created to persons or property on the surface; • Emergency contingency plan to deal with any disaster resulting from the operation;

• Name, address, telephone and facsimile numbers of the person designated to be responsible for supervision of the operation area (ground supervisor), if different from the operation manager during the operation; • A detailed plan describing how the operation shall be carried out. The plan shall include a clear, legible presentation of the area to be used during the operation. The presentation may be in the form of a scale diagram, aerial photograph or largescale topographical chart and must include at least the following information: (i) Altitudes and routes to be used on the approach and departure to and from the area where the operation will be carried out; (ii) The location and height above ground of all obstacles in the approach and departure path to the areas where the operation will be carried out; (iii) The exact boundaries of the area where the actual operation will be carried out; (iv) The altitudes and routes to be used while carrying out the operation.

Reviewing policies

Transport Canada is reviewing its policies to see if it can be more flexible given the growing interest among farmers in drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Eley said. “As people demonstrate they understand their responsibilities and they can do it properly that sort of leads to flexibility,” Eley said. “So it may seem a little tough at first...” “I see the need for safety,” said Picard, adding farmers understand that and are accustomed to dealing with regulations around pesticide and fertilizer use. “I

think farmers would need a blanket certificate because they need to be able to fly in a timely manner.” UAV pilots also need to use common sense, Picard said. For example, UAVs shouldn’t be flown near airports or when crop dusters are flying, he said. “But Western Canada has a lot of wide open spaces with few people around and there aren’t many airports in rural areas,” he said. UAVs are getting cheaper to buy and easier to fly. The fourpropeller, battery-powered DGI Phantom 2 drone Picard flies costs around $700, but adding a gim-

Getting a bird’s eye view of fields will help farmers monitor crops for damage from pests, bad weather, nutrient deficiencies or spray drift. While a UAV won’t eliminate the need to walk fields, it can help point farmers in the right direction, Picard said. “It can hover a couple of feet off the ground, take a picture and then you can upload it to your computer,” he said. “I think you could even do plant counts if you know the seed row spacing.” Eley acknowledged Transport Canada doesn’t have a lot of inspectors looking for farmers flying UAVs illegally. “It’s like wearing a seatbelt in your car,” he said. “You might get away with not wearing it, but if you get caught, don’t complain.” Failing to have an SFOC can result in fines of several thousands of dollars, he added. “There are potential consequences. Does that mean we’ll be checking every farmer’s field? No. What we want to do is educate people to understand the risk. And as we move forward and look at the way we manage these things there may be more flexibility as we get our heads around that.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

news » livestock

JULY 21, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

grazing management plan

development grants available

When developing a grazing management plan, it’s important to account how forage quality changes during the growing season. “Actively growing immature spring pasture or hay crops have more than adequate amounts of protein and good energy content,” says provincial forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. “As forages mature, protein and energy levels decline, and fibre levels increase.” Selecting a mix of species to have growth at different times of the year can extend grazing. A minimum of six inches of growth or one-third of the top growth is recommended to improve stand health and for quick regrowth and recovery. — AARD release

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development is continuing to offer workforce development program grants. The recruitment grant provides travel assistance for employers and associations recruiting outside of Alberta. The retention grant partly pays for consultants to review, improve and develop retention strategies in order to reduce worker turnover. “Both the recruitment and retention grants offer support up to 50 per cent, while the productivity improvement grant covers up to 80 per cent to a maximum of $25,000,” says agriculture recruitment specialist Al Dooley. For more info, call Dooley at 780-422-0907. — AARD release

Officials hopeful in PEDv battle

Don’t take a chance on porcine plasma By Alexis Kienlen af staff

The number of new cases of the deadly pig virus is falling, but experts fear it could soar again

narian with South West Ontario Veterinary Services who was also on the telephone town hall. With livestock trucks constantly arriving from the U.S., Canadian producers have to remain on high alert, he said.

Some Canadian pork veterinarians do not recommend feeding porcine plasma to nursery pigs, because pigs that have ingested it have the risk of developing porcine epidemic diarrhea. “We know that the porcine plasma found in the initial cases in Ontario was PCR positive for PEDv,” said veterinarian Egan Brockhoff. When those positive samples were fed back to pigs in a laboratory setting, the pigs contracted PEDv from a bioassay test. When the virus first came to Canada, swine veterinarians recommended that pork producers refrain from feeding porcine plasma from the United States. “We quickly changed that to NO porcine proteins at all because we just don’t know if it’s cross-contamination or if it’s specific to those samples,” said Brockhoff. “It’s something we might never know. So our recommendation is to reduce the risk and just stop feeding it.” Porcine plasma is a protein source used globally for weaned pigs, which need a highly digestible, rich source of protein for the first couple of days after weaning. “Most of our producers don’t use it — they would use a different protein source,” said Brockhoff. “But it has been available.” While high temperature used during the processing of porcine plasma should kill any viruses, the procedure could fail or there could be crossover contamination. “In Alberta, we probably got lucky a little bit and probably didn’t import any plasma from infected areas in the United States,” he said. That wasn’t the case in southern Ontario. “I can’t remember the exact number, but about a third of the infected farms in Ontario are from contaminated feed. And the farm in Prince Edward Island is clearly from contaminated feed.”

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file photo By Alexis Kienlen af staff

he number of new cases of porcine epidemic diarrhea is falling, but it’s too soon to say if the corner has been turned, says Alberta veterinarian Egan Brockhoff. “One of the key things for all of us as we move into the summer will be what happens in the U.S. this fall,” the owner of Prairie Swine Health Services said during a “telephone town hall” on June 26. “As we move into corn and bean harvest in the U.S. Midwest and people are focused back on their field and maybe not as focused on their pig barns, will we see the virus spread more rapidly again? Will we see an increase in the number of positives?” The United States Department of Agriculture has made porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) a reportable virus, but experts do not know if all cases south of the border are being reported. However, the number of new cases being reported has declined to about 100 per week — a sharp drop from the weekly high of about 300 reported in January and February. About 20 per cent of them are actually swine delta coronavirus (SCDV) — a cousin of PEDv. The disease is rampant in the U.S. and about 75 per cent of the entire sow inventory in the country has been infected with PEDv. In Canada, only about 70 herds have been infected, mostly in Ontario. “Since the initial outbreak (23 weeks ago), we’ve seen a significant decline in the number of new cases,” said Brockhoff. “We went for about a month without a new

case in Canada, and we’ve just had a few sites in Ontario affected again recently, but I think we’re all very happy to see the level of decline in new cases. “There’s a great national effort underway… we will continue to focus our efforts on biosecurity education and biosecurity, so we can all continue to keep the virus out of Canada.” Alberta continues to monitor all major pig processors and assembly yards for the virus, and has been conducting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests on a number of sites throughout the province, including truck washes, assembly yards and processors. Even though there are cases in Ontario, Canada has the potential to eradicate the virus completely, Brockhoff said. That would give the country’s pork industry a huge advantage, he added. “That’s great for our industry. We’re all excited for pork pricing and where we’re at right now with the industry,” he said. The country is stepping up surveillance for swine delta coronavirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea in pigs and is usually fatal for nursing pigs. So far, Alberta remains negative for this virus (which was made a reportable disease in June) as well as PEDv. Any hog producer who thinks either virus or another form of transmissible gastroenteritis is in their herd needs to report it to their veterinarian. Any suspect cases will be screened for all three viruses. Farms infected with SCDV will not have to stop movement or be quarantined, but producers will receive support from their local veterinarian and the Alberta government. Expect PEDv to ramp up again in cold weather, said Doug MacDougald, a veteri-

“We went for about a month without a new case in Canada, and we’ve just had a few sites in Ontario affected again recently, but I think we’re all very happy to see the level of decline in new cases.” Dr. Egan Brockhoff ALBERTA VETERINARIAN PRAIRIE SWINE HEALTH SERVICES

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JULY 21, 2014

PED vaccine approved in U.S., but questions remain

BENEATH THE RAINBOW

Now available to Canadian producers on a limited basis BY SHANNON VANRAES STAFF

vaccine for the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) has been approved in the U.S. and is now available to Canadian producers on a limited basis — but its effectiveness has yet to be established. “If we have a vaccine that works and it’s universal and it prevents the disease from occurring in herds, yeah, we’re interested, but if it’s of questionable value — only 40 or 60 per cent effective — then the disease can still get through, and we don’t want that false sense of security,” said Andrew Dickson, general manager of the Manitoba Pork Council. “I’m not saying this is a bad vaccine. I just don’t know.” Harrisvaccines of Iowa developed the vaccine, which is administered to sows. Once inoculated, the sows build up a supply of antibodies, which is then transferred to newborn piglets via colostrum. “What we do know is that the vaccine is certainly capable of producing antibodies and the idea is that the more antibodies that are out there the greater the ability is to prevent the disease, but there are certain aspects of this that are unproven,” said Glen Duizer, Manitoba’s acting chief veterinary officer. That includes how effective the vaccine is in preventing or diminishing infection among piglets. Currently, the PEDv vaccine is only available to producers through restricted use import permits issued to veterinarians as part of emergency drug relief. No exemptions will be granted to allow for importation under the Own Use Permit Program. According to Harrisvaccines, more than two million doses of the vaccine have been sold through veterinary prescription since late 2013. “We really hope it works,” said Dickson, adding that producers are also watching developments in Ontario and Saskatchewan, where attempts are being made to identify proteins on the virus’s coat that can be used in the production of antibodies. But until more is known, Duizer said producers can’t afford to let their guard down. “I think the bottom line for us, our message to producers is, biosecurity, biosecurity, biosecurity,” he said. “If there’s one message we want to carry home... in the U.S. and Canada, is that this vaccine doesn’t replace good biosecurity, it’s an adjunct.”

A herd of cows graze beneath a sky of rolling thunderclouds and rain, near Priddis, Alta. The area has been inundated with rain for the past four days, a year to the day after massive flooding destroyed farms, towns and properties. While minimal damage was suffered this year, many years are still in recovery mode from last year. PHOTO: WENDY DUDLEY

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JULY 21, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Calving during hot weather with no shade is a recipe for trouble BEFF 911  Being proactive and taking a few simple steps means

you may never need to deal with hyperthermia BY ROY LEWIS, DVM

very year during the first few hot days of summer, we hear media warnings about leaving pets unattended in closed vehicles, where temperatures can rise to over 50 C. We often don’t realize how susceptible livestock are to the same condition. Many a farmer or veterinarian has been fooled by symptoms resembling a toxemia or pneumonia. It is very important to recognize it and then treat, but more importantly, simple steps that can be taken to prevent it. We used to see very little hyperthermia, but with the advent of more open pastures and especially with people now birthing out cattle and camelids towards summer, more cases are seen. Elk and deer naturally calve late spring, but with no access to shade, their offspring are also susceptible. There is definitely a higher susceptibility in the newborn to three weeks of age. A combination of small body size, no fat for insulation and hot milk as the main diet all contribute to a much higher susceptibility in young animals. Black colouring on cattle exacerbates the problem with the dark colour really heating up in the sun. Younger animals such as yearling bison don’t shed out as quickly as mature animals in the spring and this thick hair cover doesn’t allow the body heat to dissipate.

PRESENTS…

Springtime shearing

This is why camelids (llamas and alpacas) should be shorn every spring. Pregnant females need to dissipate heat and the birthing process in itself produces extra heat from physical exertion. Downer animals need to be provided with shade as they are unable to move into shaded areas. Hyperthermia results from a combination of too high an ambient temperature for too long a period of time. That, in combination with the absence of shade, no breeze and a heavy hair or wool cover and clinical cases will develop. Physical activity such as processing, loading, or overcrowding during transport can cause the body temperature to also rise, resulting in hyperthermia.

Keep moving

If you do need to transport during very hot weather, it is imperative to keep moving, stop as little as possible, and if you do stop, park in the shade. Make sure the trailers have open areas for air movement and load up just before you are ready to go. Other activities such as processing cattle, or endurance rides for horses should be halted when ambient temperature is too high — or start early in the morning to get the task done by noon. When overheating, the body’s response is to have the blood vessels open up and allow heat loss. With young animals, especially if they are somewhat dehydrated from scours, this ability to expand the blood vessels is lost.

So they are many more times susceptible to overheating. With overheating you first see an increase in temperature — it’s not uncommon to see body temperature rise to 42 C or higher. Respiratory rate will also increase but the breathing will be quite shallow. It is often confused with pneumonia. Animals will appear very depressed and lethargic and young ones often will not want to nurse. They initially will want to lay down lots and this can be followed by an inability to rise. Stress will often cause diarrhea and can even lead to a coma from depression of respiration.

Treatment

Treatment involves getting the internal body temperature back down by cooling. Depending on the severity using fans, placing in cool buildings, spraying with water and in severe cases coldwater enemas all contribute to bringing body temperature down. Spraying with water is the easiest. As well, evaporation is a cooling process, so this secondarily cools the animal down. This is why high humidity is worse for hyperthermia, as evaporation from sweating horses for example, doesn’t happen. Give fluids if necessary to keep hydration up. I often cover with antibiotics as the heat stress and cooling with water may lead to a susceptibility of contracting pneumonia or scours — but discuss this with your veterinarian. If animals are down and unable to rise, products given such as selenium and vitamin E (anti-

PHOTO: BARB ALSTON

oxidants) will minimize muscle damage. The recovery period may be long in these instances. I believe the critical temperature is in the 28 to 29 C mark, especially if temperatures this high and above continue for more than one day in a row. Obviously how low the temperature drops to at night will have a great influence. As mentioned, the trend towards later calving has them giving birth when even in Canada temperatures can get quite hot. As a preventive, try to calve in pastures with some bush or shaded areas. Missing the odd calving will be a small sacrifice compared to preventing cases

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of hyperthermia when the temperature gets too hot. The newborns should be the ones in the pastures with the most shade. Watch the weather channel and if they are predicting high temperatures, be proactive and move the livestock ahead of time. Even open-faced sheds or porosity fences provide some relief from the sun. If all these proactive things are done, you hopefully will never need to deal with hyperthermia. Roy Lewis was a practising largeanimal veterinarian in Westlock, Alta. for more than 30 years. He is a part-time technical services vet for Merck Animal Health.

BRIEF Helping smaller calves AARD RELEASE / Smaller calves have higher protein requirements “on a poundfor-pound basis” than larger ones, says provincial beef specialist Barry Yaremcio. “A rough rule of thumb is that a 1,000-pound growing animal requires a 10 per cent protein ration on a dry matter basis (including grain, supplement, forage and milk). For every 100pound reduction in calf size, the protein requirement increases by one per cent. Thus, a 500-pound calf requires a 15 per cent protein ration.” Without enough protein, calves can’t digest the fibre component of the feed efficiently and this reduces daily feed intake and growth rate. Young calves not receiving adequate amounts of protein have the physical appearance of having a full rumen most of the time and a shorter-than-expected height and length.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JULY 21, 2014

Infertile roosters increase shortage of chicken supplies in U.S. Canadian hatcheries depend on U.S. imports but have been unaffected to date By Ron Friesen af contributor

genetic problem in a key breed of U.S. rooster could affect Canada’s broiler chicken industry, which imports nearly all its parent breeding stock from south of the border. The U.S. is already experiencing a shortage of breeder birds and the genetic issue could make supplies even tighter, American officials say. If that happens, it could put Canadian broiler producers in a bind because this country has no companies of its own that supply breeding stock. “It’s the U.S. or nothing,” said Giuseppe Caminiti, general manager of Canadian Hatching Egg Producers in Ottawa. So far, however, Canadian broiler hatcheries report no disruption to parent breeding stock imports. “We haven’t had any shortages in terms of our placement,” said Craig Evans, chief executive officer of Granny’s Poultry in Winnipeg. “It’s business as usual.” Aviagen, the world’s biggest chicken breeder, discovered a genetic problem in its main breed of rooster that was causing a reduction in fertility. The breed, Aviagen’s standard Ross male, was believed responsible for an unusual reduction in chick output when 17 per cent eggs laid by the company’s hens mated with the rooster breed failed to hatch. Normal hatching failure rates are around 15 per cent.

Ruled out

Sanderson Farms, the third-largest U.S. poultry producer and one of Aviagen’s largest customers,

“It’s the U.S. or nothing.” Giuseppe Caminiti

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK said it and Aviagen systematically ruled out other possible causes for a decline in fertility before determining a genetic issue was at the root of the problem. Aviagen, owned privately by EW Group of Germany, sent a team of scientists to Sanderson last autumn to study the issue and has acknowledged that an undisclosed change it made to the breed’s genetics made the birds “very sensitive” to being overfed, said Mike Cockrell, Sanderson’s chief financial officer. “We fed him too much. He got fat. When he got big, he did not breed as much as he was intended to,” Cockrell said about the breed of rooster. “The fertilization went way down, and our hatch has been way down.” Aviagen has reportedly since replaced that particular breed with a new one and is mating it with the same type of hens. The Ross is sire through its offspring to as much as 25 per

cent of the chickens in the U.S. raised for slaughter. The majority of broiler parent stock in Canada is Aviagen’s Ross breed, Caminiti said. He said it’s difficult to compare the U.S. situation with Canada’s, because American companies sometimes use a combination of other breeds, such as Cobb or Hubbard, in producing parent stock. In Canada, the same breed is used in mating males and females.

Canadian imports

Canadian broiler hatcheries order parent stock from the U.S. as dayold chicks, based on quota allocations. The chicks are delivered to broiler breeder farms where they are grown and mated. They start to lay fertile eggs at 24 to 25 weeks of age. The eggs go to the hatcheries where they are hatched and delivered to broiler farms as day-old chicks. The birds are then grown for meat.

The news of genetic problems in a major breed of broiler chicken comes at a time when the U.S. is already suffering from a short supply of breeder birds. Stocks are also tight worldwide, partly because of an avian influenza outbreak in Mexico last year. But Caminiti said there is no fallout in Canada just yet. Canadian imports of parent breeding stock from the U.S. are secure so far because orders are placed under contract two years in advance. “We’re receiving the birds that we have ordered,” said Caminiti. “We have not been shorted. The market for breeders is tight but I understand is getting better.”

Shortages

The shortage of breeder birds in the U.S. appears to be affecting that country’s chicken production. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is predicting only a one per cent increase in pound-

age for 2014, compared to the long-term annual average of four per cent. Production for 2015 is projected to increase by 2.6 per cent. At the same time, U.S. poultry exports for meat are predicted to increase nearly 10 per cent this year, creating a strain on domestic supplies. Lisa Bishop-Spencer, communications manager for Chicken Farmers of Canada, said Canada’s supply management system helps shield the poultry industry from shortages and surpluses by matching supply with demand through the quota system. “This way, from the con sumer’s perspective, the supply of chicken available is steady, without shorting the market or flooding it. In essence, it ensures a consistently reliable supply of fresh, high-quality chicken,” Bishop-Spencer said. (With files from Reuters)

Estimating the value of a standing hay crop Buyer and seller can make a two-part agreement, with final payment made after harvest Agri-News

“The month of July is usually the most difficult time of year to determine hay prices,” says Ted Nibourg, farm business management specialist, Ag-Info Centre, Stettler. “Yields and quality are uncertain and demand is an unknown factor. July of 2014 is no exception.” Last summer’s hay production was variable in quality, says Nibourg. “Two long hard winters back to back reduced much of the hay carry-over in the province. There were numerous reports of strong hay prices earlier this spring. These were typically paid by producers who had run out of feed and pastures were not growing. As well, some cattle were

turned out to pasture earlier than normal. This may increase the demand as these producers could find themselves starting to feed earlier than anticipated.” All the production and price variables make it difficult to determine the value of standing hay during the haying season. “Hay prices usually do not settle until about the end of October,” explains Nibourg. “At that time, everyone has a good idea of forage production which includes hay, greenfeed and silage as well as the amount of salvaged cereal crops that have gone into the mix. By late October, one can reasonably estimate the type of winter to expect which has a bearing on feed disappearance. Also, the fall calf market will give a good indication of whether calves will be

backgrounded or sent directly to feedlots. Backgrounding usually increases the demand for hay.”

Estimating value

The value of a standing hay crop is based on the estimated market value of hay in the bale less cutting and baling costs plus an allowance for weather risk. “The weather risk allowance would be at least 10 per cent (e.g. for grass hay) and as high as 30 per cent (e.g. for alfalfa) of the expected market value,” says Nibourg. “Without it, a badly weather-damaged crop could cost the producer the same amount as if they had purchased readymade, top-quality bales from someone else.” Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s Custom Rates Sur-

vey Summary outlines the current rates being charged for most custom haying operations. Producers can also use the online Machinery Cost Calculator on Ropin’ the Web to determine what these costs will be for their operation. “Many Alberta producers include the asking prices in their hay for sale listings on our Alberta Hay and Pasture Directory,” says Nibourg. “As well, Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) publishes historical forage price data for all regions of the province.” A typical scenario for two parties entering into a standing hay agreement is to arrive at a best guess for both price and yield and from that, estimate the value of the standing hay crop. The tenant would then pay one-half of that value at hay-

ing time and then make a final payment, either more or less, in the fall. “A crop share is another simple but effective rental arrangement for a forage crop,” says Nibourg. “The tenant harvests the crop and gives the landlord their share of the crop in bales. The landlord then has a product that is ready for sale or for their own use. With this year’s higher-valued hay crop compared to the past few years the landlord’s crop share for a hayfield can vary from 40 to 60 per cent. It is important that the estimated market value, yield potential and harvest costs for the crop are considered to ensure that the arrangement is fair for both parties. Again, the final settlement is determined in late October when prices are more firmly established.”

JULY 21, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

India’s poor monsoon threatens drought

El Niño may be weaker

Weak rainfall in India since the start last month of the monsoon season has raised concerns of a first drought in five years. A poor monsoon cuts exports, stokes food inflation and leads to lower demand for products ranging from cars to consumer goods. A slow start could delay exports of some crops and increase the need for imports. The monsoon this year arrived five days late on the southern Kerala coast, and then covered half of India four days later than the usual date of June 15. Usually, the monsoon covers the entire country around mid-July. — Reuters

Cooling of the Pacific Ocean over the last month means the El Niño forecast to hit later this year is increasingly unlikely to be a strong event, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said July 15. It maintained its forecast for an El Niño to form over the next several months, but said climate models had eased their predicted strength. “The trade winds have gone back a little over the last few weeks towards normal so there hasn’t been a significant impact from the atmosphere to help keep things warm in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean,” said Andrew Watkins, supervisor climate prediction at the BOM.

Upside-down weather patterns so far this year Long-range weather forecasting is pretty much guesswork, but there are signs a heat wave is trying to build by daniel bezte

t has been an interesting start to the summer across Alberta. Northern areas have been relatively warm and dry, while southern regions have been cool and wet. In between, well, they’ve seen average conditions. The easiest way to look at the weather Alberta has experienced so far this summer is to use images. I have included three images produced by Alberta Agricultural and Rural Development. They show rainfall and temperature data covering the 30-day period from June 9 through July 8. The first image shows the average temperature over this period compared to long-term averages. The red shades are regions that have seen warmer-than-average conditions, with the darkgreen and blue regions seeing cooler-than-average temperatures. Looking at the map it’s easy to see how northern

regions have seen well-aboveaverage temperatures, with some areas seeing one-in50-year warmth. As you move south, regions near Edmonton saw near- to slightly aboveaverage temperatures during this period, but regions to the west saw well-above-average temperatures. You have to look to the eastern part of the central and southern regions to find colder-than-average temperatures, with the area just to the southeast of Medicine Hat recording temperatures approaching one-in-50-year occurrence. Looking at precipitation I used two maps. The first shows the total amount of precipitation that fell during this period. Looking at this map you can see that southwestern regions saw upwards of 200 millimetres of rain, while in the Peace region some areas reported less than 20 millimetres. To put this into perspective, we need to compare this to the long-term averages and this is what the third map

shows. Looking at this map you can see that indeed, the southwestern part of Alberta saw well-above-average amounts of rain, but we can also see that the area between Edmonton and Lloydminster was also on the wet side. Around Edmonton, conditions varied, with some areas receiving near-average amounts while most areas were dry. The Peace region was, for the most part, dry with a few small areas seeing extremely dry conditions.

August will start off warm, but cools down as we get closer to the end of the month. It is also forecasting that August will get wetter as you near the end of the month.

Looking ahead to the rest of July and August, Environment Canada is calling for warmerthan-average conditions along with near-average amounts of rainfall. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is calling for nearaverage temperatures and precipitation in July followed by a warm and dry August. The Canadian Farmers’ Almanac is calling for near-average temperatures for July with lots of temperature swings and it looks like conditions will be dry, although they do mention heavy showers as well. August will start off warm, but cools down as we get closer to the end of the month. It is also forecasting that August will get wetter as you near the end of the month. Finally, when I spin the longrange weather wheel I am beginning to see what could be a shift towards warmer and drier weather. As most of you know, long-range weather forecasting is pretty much guesswork. If someone was able to consistently correctly forecast

the weather one or two months ahead they would be rich. What I do is look at the medium-range models, compare what they are showing to how the weather played out the previous month, and then try to guess what is going to happen over the next month. There are some signs that a heat wave might be trying to build across western and central North America over the next couple of weeks. The trouble is, we seem to continue to see stronger-thanusual lows track across central and northern regions and these lows tend to prevent any heat waves from gaining strength. As always, we’ll just have to sit back and see what Mother Nature might have in store for us. 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.

Trim: 10.25”

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JULY 21, 2014

potato scientist at u of l

By Jennifer Blair af staff / lethbridge

On-farm research can pay big dividends but “no data is better than bad data,” says Farming Smarter’s Ken Coles. Photo: Jennifer Blair designed properly that gives you confidence in the actual return on investment?” said Coles. That’s exactly what Auch is looking for. “If you do research on your own farm, it localizes data to your own climatic zone for that year,” he said. “I don’t get fooled into buying something I don’t need.” That’s one of the main benefits, said Farming Smarter’s Lewis

Baarda, who is doing field-scale research on precision agriculture. “There’s a lot of information about different products and different practices for different crops,” he said. “If you take that into your own hands and validate that for yourself, you’ll have the opportunity to really discern what’s the best practice for you on your field.” “Everyone’s farm has become

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so unique with your management practices and your soil, and there’s no cookie-cutter approach to managing variability,” adds Coles. “We need to have a variable approach.”

Bad data

That said, Coles warns that even with properly designed research

see RESEARCH } page 18

Trim: 15.5”

here really wasn’t much scientific about Kevin Auch’s first foray into on-farm research almost 30 years ago. “It was basically a visual display of micros being applied by hand in a severely eroded area — there was no measured-out pounds per acre or anything like that,” said the Carmangay-area mixed grain farmer. “All it would have done was shown whether there was a response. There wouldn’t have been any indication of how much or what optimum levels were.” Since then, Auch’s research methods have gotten better, but his end goal has remained the same: “Finding out what works and what doesn’t, and trying to find out the best way to do things.” And that information has value, said Ken Coles, general manager of Farming Smarter in Lethbridge. “I know of very particular examples of people who have learned how to save $20,000 on a quarter section through on-farm research,” he said. “If it’s done properly, there’s value there.” Research allows producers to try new products or practices on a smaller scale to learn what will work best on their farms without a major investment in time or money. “Would you rather spend $10 an acre on an ‘alternative’ product over 1,000 acres, or would you rather do a little study that’s

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The Potato Growers of Alberta (PGA), McCain Foods, ConAgra Lamb Weston and Cavendish Farms are donating $1 million over five years to establish a chair in potato science at the University of Lethbridge. “There are only a handful of researchers dedicated to the discipline throughout Western Canada and we expect this new chair will greatly enhance and complement the current capacity that exists,” says Terence Hochstein, PGA executive director. The university will hire a scientist with demonstrated experience in the potato industry and a researcher to collaborate with producers and industry partners. — U of L release

july 21, 2014 • Albertafarmexpress.ca

RESEARCH } continued from page 17 (see accompanying story), “it’s really easy to create bad data.” “When you do it yourself, you want to believe what you’ve done is right,” he said. “You are investing in something in doing on-farm research. If you get bad data, you want to use it because of that investment. “(But) no data is better than bad data.” That’s been one of the biggest challenges for Auch. “Sometimes you get your blinders on and you think that you’re doing something in a way that will get you good data, and you can fool yourself,” he said. “And then you might just end up spending a lot of money doing something that doesn’t pay because you got bad data in the first place.” In Farming Smarter’s field-scale research trials, Coles plans for 50 per cent failure — a price many producers are unwilling to pay. “Doing on-farm research is just as much about attitude as it is about know-how,” he said. “If you’re not committed to doing it properly, I’d almost suggest not doing it or hire somebody to help you out.” Baarda agrees. “If you’re going to do it, you have to have the mindset that the results are important, and you have to be willing to put in the time,” he said. “No doubt about it, it’s going to be a hassle. It’s not easy.”

“Doing on-farm research is just as much about attitude as it is about know-how.” Ken Coles

Time factor

It’s important to have the right equipment and setup to make things as easy as possible, said Auch, adding he doesn’t spend “a whole lot of extra time” on his projects. “A lot of the time, you’re doing this research when you’re busy and you don’t want to waste time and lose more dollars by delaying an operation that has to be done in a timely manner,” he said. “But it’s not like I’m spending my entire summer doing research. I’m a commercial farmer trying to grow a crop.” In the canola variety trials he’s running this summer, he seeded six varieties with two replications each along with three replications of a check strip variety. That work took less than 90 minutes. Projects don’t have to be elaborate, either. Testing two different fungicides can be as simple as going “across the field on an angle a couple of times in a couple different places” with the two products, said Auch. “You can sometimes tell a lot just from a visual response to two different treatments,” he said. “It doesn’t really cost anything other than a tiny bit of time during a time when you have more time.” For the most part, said Auch, onfarm research is not going to be “an exact science.” “There’s always things that come at us,” he said. “But at least we have a better educated guess. We’re not just flying blind and taking somebody else’s word for every little thing we’re doing on the farm. “We have the information ourselves… and it gives you that extra degree of confidence in what you’re trying.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

Farmers doing their own tests could try a smaller-scale version of repeated check strips used by commercial researchers. file photo

Three keys to successful on-farm research By Jennifer Blair af staff / lethbridge

he first critical step in research is to keep it simple. “Ask one question, and keep it very specific,” said Farming Smarter researcher Lewis Baarda. “It’s important to keep that as simple as you can and have one research question where you can look at one thing at a time. The simpler you make it, the easier it is to not have variability come in and screw things up.” Reducing variability is next — you want to know any effect you’re seeing is a result of management, not variations in the field. “If you have a field with lots of hills, it might not be the optimal field to use for

on-farm research,” said Baarda. “You want a field with the least variability, a flat field that you get relatively equal yields across the field all the time.” That’s where producers can run into trouble, said Kevin Auch, a veteran at conducting on-farm research. “We think that we’re testing for one treatment and we’re actually throwing a bunch of other noise in there that’s throwing off what we’re doing,” he said. “If you’re testing for optimal rates of fertilizer and you’re going through variable parts of your field, you’d better have a good way of measuring that with some degree of accuracy before you can actually draw conclusions from what your treatment is.” A control or check strip can eliminate some of that noise, said Baarda. “Having that check strip or control that

you haven’t done anything to gives you a bit of a bearing of what’s going on,” he said. “And then you know that whatever results you see are a result of the experiments you’ve gone through.” Replicating the trial in different parts of a field will also help. “When you don’t have your trial repeated somewhere, it’s tough to say exactly if the effect was because of what you did to it because you only did it once.” Baarda also encourages producers to use statistics wherever possible. “It’s pretty easy to give it the old eyeball test, but statistics will add a little bit of rigour to it,” he said. “It can be intimidating, but when it gets down to it, it’s plugging a few numbers in, and it’s not too complex.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

Putting a price on hay a challenge in summer A host of factors makes it a challenge to price hay in summer, but there are ways to value your standing hay crop AARD release

uly is the most difficult time for figuring out the price of hay, and this year is no exception, says provincial farm business management specialist Ted Nibourg. “Two long hard winters back to back reduced much of the hay carry-over in the province,” says Nibourg. “There were numerous reports of strong hay prices earlier this spring. These were typically paid by producers who had run out of feed and pastures were not growing. As well, some cattle were turned out to pasture earlier than normal. This may increase the demand as these producers could find themselves starting to feed earlier than anticipated.” It will likely be October — when everyone has a good handle on this year’s forage production and the number of calves being backgrounded — before prices settle. But producers can still put a value on a standing hay crop — which is the estimated market value of hay in the bale less cutting and baling costs plus an allowance for weather risk. “The weather risk allowance would be at least 10 per cent (for example, grass hay) and

as high as 30 per cent (for example, alfalfa) of the expected market value,” says Nibourg. “Without it, a badly weather-damaged crop could cost the producer the same amount as if they had purchased ready-made, topquality bales from someone else.” Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s custom rates survey summary outlines the current rates being charged for most custom haying operations. Producers can also use the online machinery cost calculator on Ropin’ the Web to determine those costs for their operation. “Many Alberta producers include the asking prices in their hay for sale listings on our Alberta Hay and Pasture Directory,” says Nibourg. “As well, Agriculture Financial Services Corporation publishes historical forage price data for all regions of the province.” A typical scenario for two parties entering into a standing hay agreement is to arrive at a best guess for both price and yield and from that, estimate the value of the standing hay crop. The tenant would then pay one-half of that value at haying time and then make a final payment, either more or less, in the fall. “A crop share is another simple but effective rental arrangement for a forage crop,” says Nibourg. “The tenant harvests the crop

photo: darlene smaldon and gives the landlord their share of the crop in bales. The landlord then has a product that is ready for sale or for their own use. With this year’s higher-valued hay crop compared to the past few years the landlord’s crop share for a hayfield can vary from 40 to 60 per cent. “It is important that the estimated market value, yield potential, and harvest costs for the crop are considered to ensure that the arrangement is fair for both parties. Again, the final settlement is determined in late October when prices are more firmly established.”

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JULY 21, 2014

Fungicide spraying on the rise Shorter rotations and humid conditions are making fungicide more popular BY ALEXIS KIENLEN AF STAFF

t seems people don’t question the need to spray fungicide any longer. “A lot more producers are more aware of diseases and are making the decision to spray fungicide a lot more than they used to,” said Mark Cutts, a crop specialist with Alberta Agriculture’s Ag Info centre in Stettler. “That goes across the province (and) across the Prairies in general.” Shaun Kinniburgh has noticed increasing fungicide use, too. “Herbicide used to be how we made a living,” said the thirdgeneration applicator and owner of Kinniburgh Spray Services in Taber. “In 2013, we did less than 3,000 acres of herbicide. Fungicide is now about 85 per cent of our work most years.”

“You can’t just use a calendar as an estimate — to maximize the benefits of the fungicide, you need to scout those fields, get the crop stage right, get the right fungicide and go ahead and spray.” MARK CUTTS

Leaf diseases in wheat and barley are a common target but this year, many producers are also spraying their canola for sclerotinia, and that’s becoming even more common as canola acreage increases. “When you get more of the same type of crop in an area, you’ll eventually start seeing diseases cropping up,” said Pat Stinnissen, co-owner of Quikway Air Services in Brooks. But despite all the wet weather, business is a little bit slower this year. “We’re steady, but we’re not overloaded like we have been the last couple of seasons,” he said. He hasn’t been spraying as much fungicide in wheat this year as in the past because the area in Newell County has been a little bit drier. “Fungus and spores like humidity and the wetness, which promotes fungal growth and leaf disease. So we have not been getting that humid, wet weather here this year so far, compared to the last two seasons.” Over in Taber, Kinniburgh is also seeing a slow start to his season. In a July 10 interview, he said things are slower because southern crop staging is about two weeks behind normal. He covers most of the southern region, with spraying potatoes for late blight disease control accounting for a good part of his work. He also sprays wheat for rust and net blotches, and peas and lentils for ascochyta blight, and is generally spraying different crops from the end of June until September. Moist, wet conditions in the south could create additional disease pressure in that region, and a continued rise in spraying, he said.

Fungicide spraying is increasingly the norm, says Shaun Kinniburgh of Kinniburgh Spray Services. “We’re spraying in areas that four years ago, you didn’t see much spraying in. You’d only spray there for bugs most of the time,” said Kinniburgh. As always, scouting remains the key step in deciding whether to apply fungicide, said Cutts. “You can’t just use a calendar as an estimate — to maximize the benefits of the fungicide, you need to scout those fields, get the crop stage right, get the right fungicide and go ahead and spray,” said Cutts. “If disease is at a low level, then there may not be a huge benefit for spraying fungicide. At the

Assessing sclerotinia risk in canola BY ALLAN DAWSON STAFF

he sclerotinia risk can change quickly and that’s why it pays farmers to assess the risk to their own canola crops before making the decision to apply a fungicide. Even if apothecia — the tiny mushroom-like bodies that emit sclerotinia spores — are present and the weather conducive — warm and humid — it might not pay to spray if it’s poor crop, or a good crop that is more than 50 per cent flowered. The optimum time to apply a fungicide varies between fungicides. Some should be applied at 20 to 30 per cent bloom. Check the label for the correct timing, although earlier is also better if the sclerotinia risk is high. Apothecia can show up in fields until the end of August. Scout for them in the morning, because they can dry out and disappear later in the day, and look for apothecia in last year’s canola fields. A thick canola crop with a closed canopy can create a humid microclimate ideal for the disease. Walk the field at 10 a.m. and if you get

allan@fbcpublishing.com

Producers who are doing a late fungicide application should be able to find a product that suits them, said Cutts. “It seems that in a given year, a particular product is very popular with producers,” he said. “So maybe that product does run out, but there are a number of fungicides that can handle the diseases that we’re spraying for. In my mind, there should still be options for producers, even if they’re making this decision to spray a little bit later than some other people did.” akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

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Even if the risk was high last week, it might not be this week wet, conditions are right for the disease. Determining the stage of a canola flowering can be a challenge because plants are not all at the same stage. The Ontario Canola Growers Association has pictures at http://www.ontariocanolagrowers.ca/linked/bloom_guide_ bayer.pdf. The site recommends finding the main stem, pulling off secondary branches, and counting only the open flowers on the main stem including aborted flowers and newly formed pods. Several plants should be sampled across the field. Ten per cent bloom is when there are 10 open flowers on the main stem. Twenty per cent bloom is when there are 14 to 16 open flowers, aborted flowers and developing pods on the main stem. Thirty per cent bloom is when there are 20 open flowers, aborted flowers and developing pods on the main stem. After 30 per cent bloom is when petals start to drop and pod set starts. The falling petals, some of which get caught between stems and branches, provide the material for sclerotinia to grow on and then spread.

other end of the spectrum, if you see lots of disease and there are humid, moist conditions, then it’s pretty good odds that the disease is going to spread. That’s where fungicide application makes sense.” In the last two years, there have been small, minor shortages of fungicide in Alberta and the other Prairie provinces. “Some products are a little more popular, but I can only think of two that I can’t get,” said Kinniburgh. “I think people are looking at cheaper products this year for the dryland, just because of commodity prices.”

PHOTO: SUBMITTED

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JULY 21, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Grain transportation review underway The process has been moved ahead by a year due to the grain transportation fiasco By Alex Binkley af contributor

rain transportation is expected to take centre stage as a newly appointed panel begins its review of the Canada Transportation Act. Heading the federal panel is David Emerson, a former Liberal and Conservative cabinet minister, who is joined by Murad AlKatib, president and CEO of Alliance Grain Traders, and Marcella Szel, a former senior executive with CP Rail. The other members of the panel are David Cardin, president of Maersk Canada; Duncan Dee, who has worked at Air Canada and in the federal government; and Marie-Lucie Morin, a former national security adviser. The review is expected

to take 18 months and will look at improvements needed in transportation gateways and corridors; safety and environmental regimes; and the role of technological innovation in improving transportation services and infrastructure as well as areas such as passenger rail, northern transportation, and air connectivity. It will also review how existing laws and regulations affect competitiveness and examine “whether current governance and service delivery models for key federal operations, assets and agencies — including the Canadian Transportation Agency, Canadian Pilotage Authorities, the St. Lawrence Seaway, and airport and port authorities — can be improved.”

Canadian Grain Commission release

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Farmers can now administer their producer cars online. A new web application at www.grainscanada. gc.ca means producers can arrange for credit for shipping charges with railways and pay freight costs. A producer may choose to work with an administrator or agent, who can arrange for credit for shipping charges with railways and pay freight costs on the producer’s behalf. An administrator is a company licensed by the Canadian Grain Commission while an agent is any other company. Registration and applications for producer cars for the coming crop year went live earlier this month. All outstanding producer car applications from the 2013-14 crop year will be carried into the new crop year at no charge to producers and with no need to reapply for those cars. If a producer, administrator, or agent applied for a car for the 2013-14 crop year that has not yet been spotted, their application will be processed for the 2014-15 crop year at no additional charge. These cars will be prioritized in the order the original applications were received. Factors affecting prioritization include the requested type and grade of grain, and port availability. Spotting updates for cars loaded on CN lines can be found on CN’s website, while those loaded on CP lines can be obtained from CP Rail. (Producers administering their own cars or producer car administrators may contact CP to become an “associated party,” giving them access to information on CP’s website.) Producer car administrators and agents must use the online system to apply for producer cars for the 201415 crop year, while farmers who are self-administering their producer cars may still apply by fax if they do not have Internet access. As of Week 49 for the current crop year, just under 16,000 producer cars had been allocated, with nearly three-quarters in Saskatchewan. Just over 62 per cent of the 2,859 cars allocated for Alberta were for wheat.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JULY 21, 2014

Community news and events from across the province

Open Farm Days ready to roll By Alexis Kienlen af staff

he coffee pot’s on and everyone in Alberta is invited. Alberta Open Farm Days is the perfect opportunity for rural and urban residents to learn more about food production in this province. For Debbie and Ed Matters it’s a chance to show off Speckle Park cattle, a unique breed created on farms along the Highway 16 corridor between Alberta and Saskatchewan. “We want to show consumers what the animals look like and what their temperaments are like,” said Debbie, who raises about 40 registered and commercial Speckle Park cattle at their Minburn farm. “I also see an opportunity to teach people in urban areas about our health and welfare practices, so they don’t get a skewed view of (farming) operations, and small operations, especially. I’d like them to see that we care about our animals and we treat them with dignity and respect.” The Matters will be taking guests on walking and driving tours to look at native pasture, and have created a display to explain the history of the Speckle Park breed, and beef and carcass quality. Visitors will be able to interact with animals and pick saskatoon berries if the fruit is ready. There’s also a petting barn and antique machinery display. While the Matters have had ranch visits, they have never opened their farm to the public before. But theirs is just one of more than 60 Alberta farms and ag operations hosting tours on Aug. 24. Participating farms will showcase the full range of Alberta farming, including grain operations, cattle ranches, dairies, market gardens, a llama farm, an apiary and a U-pick berry orchard. Alberta Open Farm Days kicks off with ticketed culi-

what’s

Send agriculture-related meeting and event announcements to: glenn.cheater@fbcpublishing.com July 22: 2014 Pulse/Canola/ Wheat/Barley Crop Walks & Research Plot Tours, Lacombe (also July 24 in Barrhead, July 25 Morinville, July 29 in Vegreville, July 30 in Lacombe, Aug. 7 in Bon Accord, and Aug. 12 in Killam). Contact: Kelly or Cindy 780-674-8268 July 23: Industrial Hemp Crop Walk, Lethbridge Research Centre Parking Lot, Lethbridge. Contact: Ruth DeSantis 403-948-8516 July 28-29: IPM in Practice, Olds College, Olds. Contact: Valerie 1-800-378-3198 July 30-31: Sainfoin Training Days, Lethbridge. Contacts: Pat Ramsey (403-652-8303), Grant Lastiwka (403-556-4248), or Gordon Hutton (403-948-8502) July 31: North Peace Applied Research Association annual field tour, NPARA Research Farm, 1/2 mile west of North Star. Contact: Nora 780-836-3354 July 31: Canola “Galla” 2014, Crop Diversification Centre South, 301 Horticultural Station Road East, Brooks (also Aug. 7 in Lethbridge). Contact: Michael Harding 403-362-1338

Ed Matters, who is participating in Alberta Open Farm Days, tends his Speckle Park cows. photo: submitted nary events on Aug. 23, featuring local producers and chefs co-operating to create farm-to-table events. Open Farm Days has been held in Canada for more than 10 years, but this is just the second year in Alberta. For more information, visit http://www. albertafarmdays.com/.

Open Farm Days 2014 Northern Alberta First Nature Farms Connecting in Spirit Ranch Humphrey & Terry Banack Midmore Farms Nature’s Green Acres Matters Speckle Park Erdmann’s Gardens & Greenhouses Cajun Angus Crooked Lake Farm Tangle Ridge Ranch The Cheesiry Horse Hill Berry Farm EL-Shaddai Dairies Inc. Shady Lane Berry Farm Star Bright Farm Irving Farms Horse Sense Training & Petting Zoo Barr Farm Sand Springs Ranch Heritage Harvest Gardens Buckler Border Collies Breevliet Ltd. Prairie Gardens & Adventure Farm Rose Ridge Land & Cattle Central Alberta Verburg Rose Dairy Moser Farm Roseberry Lane Market Garden Lacombe Blacksmith Shop Museum The Farm With the Good Food (& Holme Hus Antiques) Little Cherries on the Prairies High Country Berries

Flying Cross Ranch Billyco Junction Gardens Country Thyme Farm Gone Green Farms Grass Roots Family Farm Meeting Creek Heritage Railway Station and Grain Elevator Sunrise Farm Hidden Valley Garden Ellis Bird Farm Brown Eggs and Lamb The Blooming Fields Eagle Creek Farms and Bowden Sun Maze Emjay’s Primrose Farms Aspen Ranch Ponderosa City The Jungle Farm Shady Lane Estate Inc. Southern Alberta Fisher Farms Paradise Hill Farm Glengary Bison Solstice Berry Farm Fallentimber Meadery Heritage Acres Farm Museum Timber Ridge Conservation Site Bitter Water Rescue Ranch Neubauer Farms Arrowhead Ranch Chinook Honey Company Diamond Valley Farm Trail’s End Beef

akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Saving Alberta’s farming icons By Johnnie Bachusky af contributor

he key to saving the 100 or so country grain elevators still standing in Alberta is preserving their stories, says Hans Huizinga, a heritage restoration consultant. “The elevators themselves are no good without the stories,” said Huizinga, noting the Prairie sentinels and their operators generated countless tales of pioneer living and commerce. “You can have a beautiful house and look at it as an icon and say, ‘This is wonderful.’ But unless you know who lived in it and who did what inside, it doesn’t really become a true story. It’s the stories that help promote humanity along the line.” For the past 15 years, the 76-year-old Edmonton native has led preservation efforts in Alberta to save the dwindling number of grain elevators, which in 1934 numbered almost 1,800. Huizinga acquired his burning passion for the structures when he spearheaded efforts in the late 1990s to preserve St. Albert’s last two grain elevators. When the Prairie sentinels fell like dominoes in the early 2000s, he founded the Alberta Grain Elevator Society, a group with a mission to promote the history, preservation and development of the historic structures. Now the society’s president, Huizinga and 25 other grain elevator enthusiasts from across the province gathered in Nanton — home to a trio of preserved grain elevators at the Canadian Grain

Hans Huizinga, president of the Alberta Grain Elevator Society. Photo: Submitted

Nanton’s preserved grain elevators at the Canadian Grain Elevator Discovery Centre was the site of AGES’ 12th annual general meeting. Photo: Johnnie Bachusky

Elevator Discovery Centre — in late June for the society’s 12th annual general meeting. The meeting’s theme was “Expanding Our Horizons,” and attendees got an update on preservation efforts, heard from a leading heritage architect, and exchanged details on contractors with expertise on heritage restoration and government funding. “The groups that are working right now — be it Radway, Nanton, or Leduc — realize we are on our own,” said Huizinga, noting provincial government financial support comes with strict guide-

lines. “We have got to renew what we have from the old folks who remember and keep the memory going with younger folks because we are preserving them for future generations.” One of those “younger folks” is Jason Paul Sailer, a 30-year-old Lethbridge architectural technologist who is trying to preserve the 89-year-old pioneer elevator in Wrentham. “Growing up on the farm near Elkwater, my dad and I always took the grain to the elevator in Irvine,” said Sailer, now a board member with the society. “Driving

Lethbridge’s Jason Paul Sailer is part of a younger generation trying to preserve Alberta’s remaining grain elevators. Photo: Submitted around you would see what town you were heading to by looking for the elevators. I go back to these places today and 90 per cent of them are gone. It makes you sad.” Sailer’s sorrow for the province’s disappearing icons is shared by Drumheller’s Jim Pearson. A leading authority on grain elevators in Western Canada and author, Pearson praised the society for its dedication. “It does give me hope,” said the 52-year-old Pearson. “At least we have a group of people trying to get something done, to get some saved or work done on them.”

JULY 21, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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

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

•

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

(2 weeks prior)

REAl ESTATE Commercial_Buildings_ Condos_ Cottages_&_Lots_ Houses_&_Lots_ Land_For_Rent_ Land_For_Sale_ Mobile_Homes_ Motels_&_Hotels_ Resorts Vacation_Property_ Farms & Ranches British_Columbia_ Alberta_ Saskatchewan_ Manitoba_ Acreages/Hobby_Farms_ Farms/Ranches_Wanted_ Pastureland_ RECREATIONAl VEhIClES All_Terrain_Vehicles_ Boats_&_Water_ Campers_&_Trailers_ Golf_Carts_ Motor_Homes_ Motorcycles_ Snowmobiles Recycling Refrigeration Restaurant_Supplies Sausage_Equipment_ Sawmills_ Scales_ PEDIGREED SEEDS Cereal Seeds Barley_ Durum_ Oats_ Rye_ Triticale_ Wheat_ Cereals_Various_ Forage Seeds Alfalfa_ Annual_Forage_ Clover_ Forages_Various_ Grass_Seeds_ Oilseeds Canola_

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

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

NAME_ ___________________________________________________________ ______PHONE_#_______________________________ ADDRESS_____________________________________________ ______TOWN_____________________________________________ PROVINCE____________________________ _____POSTAL_CODE__________________________

All classified ads are non-commissionable.

advertising deadline Wednesday noon

ORGANIC Organic_Certified_ Organic_Food_ Organic_Grains_ Outfitters_ Personal_ Pest_Control Pets_&_Supplies_ Photography_ Propane_ Pumps_ Radio,_TV_&_Satellite_

Flax_ Oilseeds_Various_ Pulse Crops Beans_ Chickpeas_ Lentil_ Peas_ Pulses_Various_ Specialty Crops Canary_Seeds_ Mustard_ Potatoes_ Sunflower_ Specialty_Crops_Various

AD ORDER FORM

adveRtising Rates & infoRmation

RegulaR Classified

Livestock_Equipment_ Livestock_Services_&_Vet_Supplies_ Miscellaneous_Articles_ Miscellaneous_Articles_Wanted_ Musical_ Notices_ On-Line_Services_

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

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

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

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VISA

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JULY 21, 2014

BUILDINGS

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

SPRAYING EQUIPMENT Sprayers

RON SAUER

MACHINERY LTD. (403) 540-7691 ronsauer@shaw.ca

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

$28,418 When you go with steel you get the right deals!

Pioneer One Steel Buildings

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

AUCTION SALES

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

AUCTION SALES U.S. Auctions NO RESERVE AG EQUIPMENT AUCTION The following will sell regardless of price on July 30th. TRACTORS: ’13 JD 8285R MFWD, ’11 JD 9630T, ’06 NH TG275, ’06 Challenger MT52B, ’05 JD 9620, ’05 JD 7520, ’03 JD 7520 MFWD, ’00 JD 8410, ’94 Ford 8670 MFWD, ’78 JD 4240 COMBINES: ’12 CIH 7120, ’11 CIH 9120, ’10 NH CR9070, ’08 CIH 7101, ’98 CIH 2388, ’93 CIH 1688 FORAGE HARVESTERS: ’08 Krone Big X 650, ’08 & ’07 Krone Big M-II, ’08 Krone Big X V12, ’07 Krone Big X V-12 TRAILERS: ’00 Move-all, welding WINDROWER: ’12 JD R450 SP, NH HW365 BALER: ’06 Krone Big Pack 1290 big square COMBINE: ’77 JD 4400 TILLAGE: ’09 Howard Rotovator 800 mulch tiller, ’97 JD 510 disk ripper. Bid now at www.purplewave.com (866)608-9283

Barb Wire & Electric High Tensile Wire Spooler & Water Hose Roller

846 Ford Versatile Designation 6, 4WD Tractor 1990, newer 18.4 x 38 dualled tires,12 speed manual, 4 hyds., 6036 hrs., looks & runs good .............................. $27,500 555 JD Crawler Loader, 250 hrs. on rebuilt engine, good condition ................................................... $17,500 8070 AC Tractor, FWA, wheel base extended, with duals........................................................... $22,500 275 MF Tractor, diesel, multi power, 3 pth, new 18.4 x 30, front weights, loader available, looks and runs great .. $12,500 B 275 IHC Diesel Tractor, 3 pth, pto, runs good ......$3,500 51’ Degelman Landroller, only done 3,000 acres, as new.... .......................................................... $40,000 Degelman Dozer Frame MF 4000 Series 4WD .$1,000 41’ Flexicoil B Chisel Plow, 3 bar harrows, excellent condition .............................................. $12,500 Flexicoil 6 Run Seed Treater .............................. $1,000 134’ Flexicoil S68XL Sprayer, 2007, suspended boom, auto rate, joystick, rinse tank, triple quick jets, auto boom height, electric end nozzle & foam marker............. $39,500 100’ 65XL Flexicoil Sprayer, complete with windguards,elec. end nozzles single tips, auto rate, excellent condition .............................................. $12,500 30’ 8230 CIH PT Swather, PU reel, nice shape, . $10,000 25’ 8225 CIH PT Swather, PU reel, nice shape .... $9,500 25’ 1200 Hesston PT Swather, bat reel, good .... $5,500 10 Wheel MATR (Italy) Trailer Type V-Hayrake, hyd. fold, as new.................................................. $5,000 14 Wheel Enorossi V-Hayrake extra contour wheels, as new .............................................................. $11,500 New TL 10-39 Sakundiak Auger, 35 Vanguard engine, Hawes mover, clutch and lights, new tires... $14,500 8 x 1000 Sakundiak Auger, new 30 HP Koehler engine, Hawes mover, gear box clutch, spout ....... CNT $9,000 8 x 1200 Sakundiak Auger, 25 HP Koehler engine, Hawes mover, clutch, runs good ................................... $8,500 7 x 1200 Sakundiak Auger, 18 HP Koehler engine, looks and runs good, ......................................... CNT $3,500 8 x 1400 Sakundiak Auger, 25 HP Robin engine, Hawes mover, clutch, spout, excellent condition, ...........CNT $10,000 New E-Kay 7” Bin Sweep .............**In Stock** $1,785 New E-Kay 7”, 8”, 9” Bin Sweeps available.........Call 8” Wheat Heart Transfer Auger, hydraulic drive.. $1,500 18.4 x 30, tractor tire & tube .....................................$350 New Outback MAX & STX guidance & mapping ...In Stock New Outback E-Drive, TC’s .................................In Stock New Outback E-Drive X, c/w free E turns ............In Stock New Outback S-Lite guidance ............ **In Stock** $900 New Outback VSI Swather Steering Kit...........In Stock New Outback E-Drive Hyd. kit, JD 40 series ........ $1,000 Used Outback E-Drive Hyd. kits..............................$500

**NuVision (Spray Air) & Meridian-Sakundiak Augers, Outback GPS Systems, EK Auger Movers, Belt Tighteners, Bin Sweeps & Crop Dividers, Kohler, Robin Subaru & Generac Engines, Headsight Harvesting Solutions, Greentronics Sprayer Auto Boom Height, Kello-Bilt Discs**

BUSINESS SERVICES

Memory assistance.

BUSINESS 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

Buy and Sell

anything you need through the

1-800-665-1362 COMPUTERS

DO YOU...OR YOUR BUSINESS NEED... ► ► ► ► ► ► ►

Website or Facebook page Logo or Branding Need help getting in shape? Brochures or Catalogues Video event or Photography Signs, Banners & Business card Or All of the above?

Network

HAYING & HARVESTING HAYING & HARVESTING Various Krone Chopper Selling at no reserve auction July 30 2008 Krone Big X 650 forage harvester, 2,117 engine hrs on meters, 1,579 sep. hrs on meter, Daimler Chrylser OM502LA 15.9L eight cyl Tier III diesel engine 653-HP. Bid now, view detailed descriptions & photos at www.purplewave.com (866)608-9283 Farming is enough of a gamble, advertise in the Alberta Farmer Express classified section. It’s a sure thing. 1-800-665-1362.

Combines COMBINES Combines - Various

A GAMBLE...

Geared For The Future

STEIGER TRACTOR SPECIALIST

RED OR GREEN 1. 10-25% savings on new replacement parts for your Steiger drive train. 2. We rebuild axles, transmissions and dropboxes with ONE YEAR WARRANTY. 3. 50% savings on used parts.

1-800-982-1769 www.bigtractorparts.com

BUYING:

HEATED & GREEN CANOLA • Competitive Prices • Prompt Movement • Spring Thrashed “ON FARM PICK UP”

1-877-250-5252

CANOLA WANTED Buying Tough, Heated, Green, Canola, Freight Options, Prompt Payment Bonded and Insured

CALL 1-866-388-6284 www.milliganbiofuels.com TIRES

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

www.penta.ca

1-800-587-4711

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

New 30.5L-32 16 ply, $1,995; 20.8-38 12 ply $795; 24.5-32 14 ply, $1,495; 14.9-24 12 ply, $486; 16.9-28 12 ply $558; 23.1-30 12 ply, $1,495; 18.4-26 10 ply, $890; 11R22.5 16 ply, $299. Factory direct. More sizes available new and used. 1-800-667-4515. www.combineworld.com

SEED / FEED / GRAIN

TRAVEL

SEED/FEED/GRAIN Grain Wanted

AGRICULTURAL TOURS

Wheat, Barley, Oats, Peas, etc. Green or Heated Canola/Flax

1-877-641-2798

We know that farming is enough of a gamble so if you want to sell it fast place your ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds. It’s a Sure Thing. Call our toll-free number today. We have friendly staff ready to help. 1-800-665-1362.

Mid-west USA/Branson ~ October 2014 Dubai to Cape Town Cruise ~ Nov 2014 Panama Canal Cruise ~ Dec 2014 Australia/New Zealand ~ Jan 2015 South America ~ Jan 2015 Costa Rica ~ Feb 2015 India ~ Feb 2015 Kenya/Tanzania ~ Feb 2015 South Africa/Zambia ~ Feb 2015 *Portion of tours may be Tax Deductible

Select Holidays 1-800-661-4326

www.selectholidays.com

TracTors TRACTORS John Deere

Prairie-Wide Display Classifieds

MORE OPTIONS TO SAVE YOU MONEY

1-780-872-2655

April_Ockerman@yahoo.ca

2013 John Deere 8285R MFWD tractor 995-hrs on meter, JD 6 cyl diesel engine, 285-HP Bid now and view detailed photos & description at www.purplewave.com (866)608-9283

FARM MACHINERY FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories

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

TRACTORS Various

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

Big Tractor Parts, Inc.

WE BUY DAMAGED GRAIN

Selling at No Reserve Auction on July 30th

Contact April Ockerman for your designing needs!

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

BOW VALLEY TRADING LTD.

Ken Lendvay (403) 550-3313 Red Deer, AB email: kflendvay@hotmail.com Web: www.levelwind.com

IS ENOUGH OF

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

The Level-Winder II Wire Roller rolls wire evenly across the full width of the spool automatically as the wire is pulled in

FARMING

4955 JD low hrs, 3 pth, very clean S680 JD Combine low hrs 2011 4730 JD Sprayer, 100 ft. 4050 JD, fwa loader with complete front end NH T8050 with fwa 4920 Macdon, 21 ft. D.S.A.

HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING

Search news. Read stories. Find insight.

- Wire Roller can now be converted to roll up & unroll flat plastic water hose up to 6” diameter (11” flat) - Hydraulic Drive (roll or unroll) - Mounts to tractor draw bar, skidsteer front end loader, post driver, 3pt. hitch or deck truck (with receiver hitch & rear hydraulics) - Spool splits in half to remove full roll - Shut off/ Flow control valve determines speed - Works great for pulling out old wire (approx. 3--5 minutes to roll up 80 rod or 1/4 mile) - Also works great for swath grazing or rotational grazing

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

1-800-665-1362

JD 2950 c/w ldr., 3 pth hitch JD 4240 complete with ldr. JD 4020 c/w ldr. & new motor (3) JD 7700, 740 ldr. ST 250 Steiger, tires new 20.8 x 38 Clamp on Duals, 20.8x38-18.4x38 158, 148, 265, 725, 740, 280, JD ldr. FINANCE, TRADES WELCOME 780-696-3527, BRETON, AB

Contact Sharon

Email: sharon.komoski@fbcpublishing.com

JULY 21, 2014 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Stand up, be proud An open letter to Canadian ag When Greg Stewart retired as FCC President and CEO, he put his heart into this letter challenging all of us who work in agriculture to speak positively and tell the real story of ag. Reading it helps explain why FCC launched Ag More Than Ever, and why we remain so strongly committed to the cause. Agriculture matters to this country, and there’s absolutely no question in my mind that the future for Canadian agriculture is bright. Agriculture More Than Ever is an industry cause powered by more than 300 partner organizations and 450 agvocates committed to speaking up and speaking positively for our industry.

The industry is thriving, family farms are prospering and I see incredible amounts of optimism, pride and passion across the country. And with this success comes a responsibility – an obligation to this industry to let everyone else in on the secret, which is this: even though it’s sometimes tempting to downplay your success by saying how tough farming is, you know in your hearts you’d never dream of doing anything else. Deep down, you’re intensely proud of what you do, and it’s time to quit hiding how successful this industry really is. It’s our obligation to make our voices heard about where the industry is heading because believe me, if agriculture doesn’t take control of its own destiny, somebody else will. So if you’re benefitting from ag, you have an obligation to give back by driving the outcome, rather than waiting to be told what to do by someone who doesn’t fully understand or appreciate the industry. That means standing up and telling the truth about Canadian agriculture, because right now, that’s just not happening enough. So let’s take a deep breath and say it out loud together: Agriculture is the best industry in the world. We’re honoured to be part of it. We can only hope that our children find the same fulfilment from whatever path they choose in life. We’re incredibly proud of what we do. And yes. We want the Canadian public to be proud of our success, too. Short of fulfilling my childhood dream of being a farmer, my career in agriculture has been the best ride I could have imagined. I can’t help being excited for the future of this industry. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve this amazing industry and the wonderful people in it. Thank you. I wish you all great success. Stand up and be proud – you’ve earned it.

FCC is a proud partner of this cause.

Greg Stewart

AgMoreThanEver.ca