Grainews by Farm Business Communications

Volume 42, Number 1 | JANUARY 5, 2016

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PRACTICAL PRODUCTION TIPS FOR THE PRAIRIE FARMER

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PRODUCING NEW PESTICIDES Farmers know a lot about using pesticides. Here’s a chance to learn about how chemical companies dream them up, produce them and market them to you By Lisa Guenther

ave you ever wondered how chemical companies create and launch new pesticides? How much it costs them, how they decide what it will cost you and how they come up with those names? Well, we were wondering the same thing at Grainews, so we talked to Kelly Bennett. Bennett manages Dow AgroSciences’ cereal broadleaf herbicides portfolio. Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about how Dow creates and launches a new product.

1. How long does it take? How long does it take to launch a new pesticide? Once Dow has identified a new area of chemistry, it typically takes at least 10 years from idea generation to market launch, Bennett told Grainews. Dow screens thousands of compounds every year, Bennett said. Many are created theoretically using computer modelling in the discovery phase. Dow then evaluates the most promising active ingredients in growth chambers, looking at efficacy and crop selectivity. Only about 10 to 20 per cent of these compounds make it past the growth chambers, Bennett said. But as they move through the process, higher and higher proportions of actives advance to the next stage. About four to six years into the process, a product moves from discovery to development, which Bennett said is a real critical milestone. “Once you’re in that phase, you’re pretty confident

you’re not going to kick it out at any stage,” said Bennett. It’s a critical decision point, Bennett said. “That’s where you’re putting a stake in the ground, where you’re going to start spending big money.” So how many actives never see the light of day? If you start with several thousand potential new actives, only a few might make it to market, Bennett said.

2. Is it going to make it? How do you determine whether or not it’s going to market? Before an active even gets out of the lab, Dow researchers complete toxicology tests to make sure it’s safe to handle. As the product moves through the process, there’s more testing to make sure it meets regulatory requirements in different jurisdictions. Dow also looks at product performance on pests and crop safety. So how do they figure out what kinds of products they’re looking for? Dow’s discovery scientists start by identifying key target pests in their global markets. They also need to anticipate farmers’ needs several years down the road, Bennett said. Dow has a base set of weeds that are consistent problems, but they’re also on the lookout for emerging weed issues. Much of their information on future problem weeds comes from farmers, via Dow’s sales people, who are out in the field. For example, a few months ago a rep sent Bennett a picture of American dragonhead, a plant native to most of Canada and the U.S., according to the USDA. “One of our products was controlling it. Well,

obviously it’s not on our label because it would be difficult to even find it to do any research on,” said Bennett. But it’s now on Dow’s radar, as they figure out whether it’s worth plunking it into their research trials. Dow also looks at products that make it easier for farmers to get spraying done. “So our most recent products that we’ve launched, we’ve put a real strong emphasis on their performance under a wide range of conditions, whether it’s crop stage, weed stage or climatic conditions,” said Bennett.

3. What’s the biggest challenge? What’s the biggest challenge to bringing a new pesticide to market? “Cost is probably one of the biggest challenges,” said Bennett. In 2001, the cost to discover and develop a product was typically about $90 million. Today the cost of bringing a new active to market is typically $250 million. Usually Dow applies for patents when it’s moving a product from early discovery stages to the stage where it’s being developed more intensely, Bennett said. Patents are protected for 20 years in Canada. That means Dow usually has 10 years left on the patent once a product hits the market. “So you create a big hole of negative dollars, and then you start selling the products on the market globally. And you have to get return on investment over quite a long period of time. So it’s extremely high risk,” said Bennett. Regulations are another big challenge, although

» continued on page 4

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In This Issue

Wheat & Chaff .................. 2 Features . ........................... 5 Crop Advisor’s Casebook . 8 Columns ............................ 10 Machinery & Shop............. 18 Cattleman’s Corner .......... 23

Flax production

leeann minogue page 6

Agritechnica

scott garvey page 19

FarmLife ............................ 28

/ grainews.ca JANUARY 5, 2016

Wheat & Chaff STAMPEDE

BY JERRY PALEN

Leeann Minogue

“As you can see, all our bulls are purebred composites.”

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is presentation was actually a technical talk about soil salinity, but Grainews columnist Les Henry added this, as sort of an aside: “There are four times in history farmers have made money: “World War I, World War II, the 70s and now. And now is over.” Les was speaking to about 250 agronomists at Saskatchewan Agriculture’s Ag Research Update in Saskatoon back in December. When he said this he was joking, sort of, and most of the agronomists in the room chuckled — some more nervously than others. (At the start of his talk, Les asked the audience how many were farmers, or had “some skin in the game” in addition to their day jobs as agronomists. At least two-thirds of the people in the room raised their hands.) As regular Grainews readers already know, Les Henry likes to take the long view, and bring common sense to the discussion. As a whole, agriculture has come through recent years of record high production, strong commodity prices, shocking land prices and through-the-roof machinery sales. Even though the ag industry continually adapts to new “normals,” we all know that every year can’t be a record year. One day, things are bound to change. All of us would rather live at the top of the cycle every day, with high commodity prices, low input prices and combines that never break down. Of course, this can’t happen. Some days, 2016 promises to be a great year on the farm. Other days, the forecasts look a little less rosy, and I worry that we’re paused at the top of the roller coaster, in front of a steep downhill track. Your own mileage will vary. While most farmers across the Prairies were harvesting their record 2013 production, on our farm we were waiting at the post office for a hail insurance cheque after more than half of our crop was totally wiped out. In 2015, when a lot of farmers were struggling with a dry growing

season and a rainy harvest, we made it through the summer with good ground moisture and managed to finish combining and put the machinery back in the shed before any wet weather hit. No description of “agriculture on the Prairies” is going to match exactly what’s happening on your farm in any particular year. I don’t know if we’re really at the top of a typical roller coaster. From here, it seems a little more like Space Mountain — the indoor roller coaster-type ride at Disney Land. At Space Mountain, you strap into your seat and the ride takes off on a track that runs indoors, in a mostly dark building. Without any lights, you don’t know if you’re about to go up, down, sideways, or right upside down. Some people were screaming. Others were having so much fun they laughed through the whole thing. I just hung on to the handgrip, terrified. Then, when the ride ended, we got right back in line to go again. † Leeann

If you have story ideas, call us. You can write the article and we’d pay you, or we can write it. Phone Leeann Minogue at 306-861-2678 Fax to 204-944-5416 Email leeann.minogue@fbcpublishing.com Write to Grainews, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1

hearts

Ask for hearts

When you renew your subscription to Grainews, be sure to ask for six Please Be Careful, We Love You hearts. Then stick them onto equipment that you, your loved ones and your employees operate. That important message could save an arm, a leg or a life.

Like us on Facebook! Grainews has a Facebook page. Find, read and comment on blog posts easily and with a thumbs up!

Find us on Twitter: Leeann Minogue is @grainmuse Lisa Guenther is @LtoG Lee Hart is @hartattacks Scott Garvey is @machineryeditor

WE HAVE A WINNER

he time has come. We’re finally giving away our copy of Red Combines 1915 – 2015: The Authoritative Guide to International Harvester and Case IH Combines and Harvesting Equipment. In November and December, my mailbox and my email inbox were overflowing with entries for our combine contest. The photos are fantastic! I numbered the entries, then asked our machinery editor Scott Garvey to choose a number over email. His choice, #17, came from Cheryl Herle, from Wilkie, Sask. Cheryl sent us this picture along with a note saying: “This picture is from our 2015 harvest. “The combine drivers in the picture are Greg Herle and Ray Herle. In the truck are my son Andrew and his fiancé Ashton Keller

who was getting a truck-driving lesson. The day was a beautiful harvest day which we had to take advantage of this year — once the rain started, you might have got two nice days and then rain again. “The harvest this year was lengthy but our harvest yields were very good considering in the middle of June we thought we would have no crop at all because of no rainfall.” For everyone who didn’t win, thank you so much for entering. I’ve greatly enjoyed your combine pictures and stories and will be running them in future issues of Grainew. If you would like to buy your own copy of this book, you can do that by phoning 512-334-9441, or looking up octanepress. com. † Leeann Minogue

JANUARY 5, 2016 grainews.ca /

Wheat & Chaff Farm safety

Make your New Year’s resolution an injury-free 2016

et fit, spend less money, eat better and be kinder. These are all typical New Year Resolutions. Fuelled by the determination to get those six-pack abs — OK twopack abs — we are excited to show the world (and more importantly, ourselves) that we can do it! We have the self-control, the energy and the pure will to make it happen. But, good intentions sometimes end up being just that. More often than not, we find ourselves around January 31 with a bowl of chips on the couch binge-watching the latest crime drama. Well, how about this year, make a resolution that you won’t break? One that is easy to keep? This year, make the resolution that your farming operation will be injury and fatality free in 2016. Of course nobody thinks they or anyone they work with or care for is going to be hurt or killed. You hear it all time. Or you see it in action — people taking unnecessary risks. Alternatively, you hear people saying that accidents are complete surprises and you can’t see them coming. Before we make this resolution to have an injury and fatality free 2016, we need a reality check. First of all anybody can be hurt or killed. It’s an unfortunate fact. There is great news though. Accidents are totally preventable. Preventable injuries and deaths don’t have to be your reality. Getting behind this idea is the very first step in having an injury and fatality free 2016.

Just like in any resolution, there are preparations to make. But instead of buying a treadmill and all the kale your shopping cart can carry, you need to take an assessment of your operation, yourself and those that work on your farm. Developing a farm safety plan is probably the best, more thorough, and to be quite frank, smartest ways to increase the likelihood of an injury- and fatality-free farm. A good plan has some basic components. One of the most important parts of a farm safety plan is to know your responsibilities as a farm owner and operator. Your farm safe plan should meet or exceed the legislated health and safety requirements of your province. If you don’t know what they are, ask. Talk to your provincial regulator to verify local requirements. Not knowing or not understanding the law doesn’t excuse you from prosecution. Another hallmark of a solid farm safety plan is a statement about why safety is important to you and your farm. Essentially this is what you’d say to someone if they asked about how you are keeping your family, workers and farm safe. This statement tells people about your commitment to safety and health. Saying it out loud (and writing it down!) it helps you guide your farm safety plan. It doesn’t just stop with talking about and writing down your commitment for a safe farm operation. You also need to make sure to back this up with

Photo contest

operational policies, like standard operating practices, training requirements and records, emergency plans, etc. Hazard identification and control strategies are also parts of the plan. This doesn’t have to be done all at one time, probably you have more of this information locked into your brain, or someone else knows this stuff, but by taking the time to be purposeful, writing it down, taking a critical look at hazards and how exactly they can be controlled will make your farm safety plan that much more likely to reduce the possibility of injury or death. Remember, even though you’ve worked on your plan, it has to be used and it has to be reviewed. A dusty binder on the top shelf in your office won’t protect you — you have to put your plan into action. If something doesn’t work, fix it! If a hazard changes, address it! If you get a new worker, train them, show them the plan. Use it or lose it! An injury and fatality free 2016 is achievable. It’s something that we all want for all of ourselves and our loved ones. A farm safety plan is an excellent tool in achieving this. For more information about farm safety plans, visit CASA at casa-acsa.ca. From all of us at the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, we wish you a prosperous, healthy and SAFE 2016. † Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, www.casa-acsa.ca.

Agronomy tips… from the field

GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT

Think of disease when choosing seed

e all know that top-end yield is ultimately what drives canola seed selections, because that’s what pays your bills. That’s why I’d encourage you to look at last year’s Canola Performance Trials, provincial seed guides and any public trials to get the fullest picture of how a hybrid has performed. Look at several years of replicated trial data for performance and consistency. That being said, without a good disease-resistance package, yields can easily fall short of expectations. With today’s increasingly tight rotations, we’re seeing disease pressure in canola crops continue to increase. We’re also discovering just how complex blackleg and clubroot are to manage. Sclerotinia has also been on the rise. Make sure when you’re making your seed selections this year, you’re looking carefully at your rotation. If you’ve been relying heavily on the same genetics for a number of years, consider including some new genetics to your rotation, or other agronomic and crop protection tools. An integrated management approach should increase the durability of your most important genetic tools. Even if you haven’t historically placed much importance on diseaseresistance genes, now is the year to be proactive before blackleg pressure has a chance to build up to unmanageable levels in your field. † This agronomy tip was brought to you by Michael Hutton, product evaluation scientist, oilseeds, with Syngenta Canada.

You might be from the Prairies if... By Carson Demmans and Jason

Marcy Freadrich sent us this photo, taken on her farm south of Killam, Alta. Marcy, her husband, her brother and her sister-in-law seed wheat, barley and canola, and operate a 3,000 head feedlot. This year, Marcy said, it was “quite a challenging year for harvest.” This is one of Marcy’s grandchildren, Shae. “Shae is one of our grandchildren who lives in Killam and likes to spend time on the farm. She loves to go with her Papa,” March wrote. Thanks for sharing. We’re sending you a cheque for $25. Send your best shot to leeann.minogue@fbcpublishing.com. Please send only one or two photos at a time and include your name and address, the names of anyone in the photo, where the photo was taken and a bit about what was going on that day. A little write-up about your farm is welcome, too. Please ensure that images are of high resolution (1 MB is preferred), and if the image includes a person, we need to be able to see their face clearly. Leeann

You still hope for a Queen City Kids reunion.

/ grainews.ca JANUARY 5, 2016

Cover Stories Crop protection » CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

PRODUCING NEW PESTICIDES Bennett said they don’t see regulations as bad. But regulations are complex, there are a lot of them, and they differ between countries. It’s a two-year review process in Canada, once a company has all its data ready to go, Bennett said. The U.S. is similar to Canada, he added. “But the European Union has very different requirements and volume of requirements. And countries like Brazil have a very, very long process,” said Bennett.

4. What about those names? How do you come up with names for the products? When it came time to debut a new product, traditionally Dow would aim for something that sounded good, was easy to pronounce and reflected the product’s promise, said Bennett. Often those names were based on real words, such as OcTTain XL. “When we introduced it, it was targeted for the brown soil zones and it was going to be the highest performing product in the marketplace,” said Bennett. OcTTain was replacing Attain, so they intentionally misspelled Octane to link the brands, Bennett explained. The capitalized Ts make the brand visually interesting and emphasize that link to Attain. The XL denotes formulated products available in large packages, he added. XC, on the other hand, means a concentrated formulation. But these days it’s tough to find words that aren’t already registered as trademarks. Dow now works with companies that specialize in creating names. Dow is also going to global brand names for active ingredients, for consistency, said Bennett. And branding active ingredients helps customers tie together products that have active ingredients in common, he added. A recent example is Pixxaro, a Group 4 that controls broadleaves. The xxs in Pixxaro link to the x in Arylex, its active ingredient. And Arylex is part of the Arylpicolinates chemical family. Astute readers will notice that these new brands aren’t based on real words. Bennett said in that respect, they’ve come full circle.

“When you look at some of the early herbicides that were on the market 30-40 years ago, like Treflan, Lorsban and Lontrel, those were all made-up words,” said Bennett. Made-up words take more work to establish as brands, but they’re more memorable in the long-term, said Bennett. For example, Treflan was a very strong brand in its day, he added. “People turned it into a verb. They’d say, ‘I’m going Treflaning.’”

5. How do you know if it works? How do you make sure the new product will work for farmers? Local research and development is built into the process, from the early days to product launch, and beyond. Once Dow researchers have made sure a new active is safe to handle, they do very early screening studies in Western Canada, Bennett said. Those studies help them figure out the fit for new products and technologies. It also keeps Dow’s local people engaged in the process, he said, and ensures their customers are represented. Dow has research farms in Saskatoon, Edmonton and Winnipeg. Dow’s people also work with co-operating farmers to expand the weed and soil zones they’re working, said Bennett. Just before launch, Dow applies for research authorizations from the Pest Management Regulatory Agency. Those authorizations allow them to do field-scale trials with farmers before registering the product. The trials range from 40 to 160 acres, Bennett said. “That way you’re getting hands-on experience with the farmer in commercial equipment.” Farmers give feedback on product performance in the sprayer, weed control and crop safety, Bennett added. Dow also surveys farmers who’ve used the product in the first year of launch, Bennett said. These surveys pick up farmers’ satisfaction along with any outstanding issues. They also help Dow adjust things like package size, Bennett said.

6. What’s it cost? How do you set a price? When setting a price, they have to remember that competitors will be able to launch generics in 10 years or so. Dow probably won’t have recouped its investment costs before then.

So Dow sets a price that allows farmer to make a good return on investment from using the product, Bennett said. They look at existing products and figure out whether their new product will deliver more. “It really has to be competitive within that set of products that are on the market today. And you just fit it in as best as you can,” said Bennett.

What types of pesticides do you think will be hitting the market in 10 years? Farmers can expect more fungicides in the next decade. It’s an active area of development for many companies in Western Canada, Bennett said. Dow doesn’t have a major fungicide on the market right now, but it does have an active research program, with products expected within 10 years, he said. Just as with herbicides, novel modes of action are important for resistance management, Bennett added. As for herbicides, Dow is looking for new modes of action and modes of action that work in different weed classes. For example, researchers might take a mode of action from grass weeds and move it into broadleaf weeds. Dow also tries to create herbicides with multiple modes of action for broadleaves to help delay resistant weed development. Asked about biopesticides, Bennett said they’ve looked into them, and they’d like to see them work. But there are a couple of problems with biopesticides. For one, they need moisture to work. “If you’ve got a fungus that’s going to tackle a specific weed, as an example, you’ve got to have the right conditions. And if you don’t have those, you’re going to have complete failure,” said Bennett. The other problem is that by applying a biopesticide, you’re releasing an organism that isn’t natural to that environment, Bennett added. The ag industry could end up with a scenario similar to rabbits in Australia. “That whole area is very challenging. You have a lot more control and a lot more specificity when you’re working in the traditional areas of crop protection development.” † Lisa Guenther is a field editor with Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@fbcpublishing. com or on Twitter @LtoG.

Things don’t always go as planned

PUBLISHER

Lynda Tityk Editorial director

Laura Rance

Editor

Leeann Minogue field Editor

7. what’s next?

Combine contest

hen we ran a “win this book” contest in the fall, Grainews asked for photos of combines in the field. This entry was not quite what we’d expected, and it wasn’t what Nathan and Jennifer Martens from Elbow, Sask., expected either. “This,” Jennifer wrote, “used to be our red 8010 combine, as found in the field on the morning of Sept 23, 2015. “The combine decided to self-destruct sometime during the very windy night before, leaving combine driver Ross Abbott free to do other things while the rest of the crew finished up the last two days of harvest.

1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1 www.grainews.ca

“We were lucky on wind direction — the tandem grain truck parked beside it only received minor paint discolouration, and thankfully everything was parked on canola stubble so the fire was contained to the area right around the combine, even though debris was blown 300 foot to the bin yard. “Being one combine down, truck drivers Jennifer, Eric and Rachael Martens had a lot more free time on their hands for goofing around!” Way to look on the bright side, Jennifer. We’re glad you had a backup combine to get the job done. † Leeann Minogue

Lisa Guenther Cattleman’s Corner Editor

Lee Hart Farmlife Editor

Sue Armstrong Machinery EDITOR

Scott Garvey Production Director

Shawna Gibson Designer

Steven Cote MARKETING/CIRCULATION Director

Lynda Tityk

Circulation manager

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Arlene Bomback Phone: (204) 944-5765 Fax: (204) 944-5562 Email: ads@fbcpublishing.com Printed in Canada by Transcontinental LGM-Coronet Winnipeg, Man. Grainews is published by Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3H 0H1. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. Subscription prices: For Canadian farmers, $58 per year or $91 for 2 years (includes GST) or $114 for 3 years (includes GST). Man. residents add 8% PST to above prices. U.S: $43 per year (U.S. Funds). Outside Canada & U.S.: $79 per year. ISSN 0229-8090. Call 1-800-665-0502 for subscriptions. Fax (204) 954-1422 Canadian Postmaster: Send address changes and undeliverable copies (covers only) to PO Box 9800, Winnipeg, Man. R3C 3K7 U.S. Postmaster: Send address changes and undeliverable copies (covers only) to 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1 Grainews is printed on recyclable paper with linseed oil-based inks. Published 18 times a year. Subscription inquiries: Call toll free 1-800-665-0502 U.S. subscribers call 1-204-944-5568 or email: subscription@fbcpublishing.com

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The editors and journalists who write, contribute and provide opinions to Grainews and Farm Business Communications attempt to provide accurate and useful opinions, information and analysis. However, the editors, journalists and Grainews and Farm Business Communications, cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the editors as well as Grainews and Farm Business Communications assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader for this publication based on any and all information provided.

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Features

Soil health

Those critters are farming your soil Healthy soil includes a healthy, complicated, diverse mix of bacteria and fungi By Julienne Isaacs

his was a clear message delivered by Mario Tenuta, Canada research chair in applied soil ecology and professor at the University of Manitoba, at a recent Manitoba Farm Writers and Broadcasters Association lunch. “What the heck is soil health?” asked Tenuta. “You hear a lot about it these days, especially this year, the 2015 International Year of Soils. A few years ago everyone was talking about soil quality, but that’s been exchanged for ‘health.’ But these two concepts are different. Soil quality is about the ability to produce food, whereas soil health has a different definition more akin to our own personal health — the continued capacity of soil to function.” Soil management is an important research priority in Canada, and most farmers have implemented conservation practices such as zero-tillage in an effort to get the most out of their fields. But Tenuta said we are only scratching the surface when it comes to understanding the role of the soil microbiome in promoting plant health. What researchers do know is that “soil critters” like bacteria and fungi improve plant health by decomposing organic matter, cycling and redistributing minerals, maintaining reservoirs of nutrients, degrading pollutants, and naturally regulating pest species.

many complex, layered relationships between soil organisms, and each layer is essential to ensuring nutrients cycle through the soil. There are a variety of ways of accessing those nutrients — some organisms can draw nutrients directly from plant roots, while others get nutrients through decomposition and others through feeding on soil organisms. In healthy, biodiverse soils, lower-level trophic organisms are consumed by higher-level trophic organisms. The process gradually “unties” soil nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur so they can be utilized by plants. “If you’re bad to your soil you truncate a lot of that diversity — the larger trophic organisms are

the canary in the coal mine and you get rid of them in unhealthy soils,” said Tenuta. A worst-case scenario is one in which producers get rid of higher-trophic organisms, which means lower-trophic organisms like bacteria and fungi increase to unhealthy levels. The release of some nutrients is dependent on bacteria and fungi dying. “Massive amounts of tillage will destroy earthworm burrows; pollutants could kill higher trophic organisms,” said Tenuta. “We’re getting better and better with agrochemicals, whereas a lot of them in the past were indiscriminate.” Microbial nitrogen is released from bacteria and fungi to

plants, Tenuta explained. “What we don’t want is for the nitrogen to stay in the organisms. We want this feeding to happen so nitrogen can be released.” Tenuta also pointed to a particular group of fungi — mycorrhizal fungi — as playing an essential role in soil health. “Without these fungi most plants wouldn’t grow in natural soil because of lack of phosphorus. More than 80 per cent of plants are dependent on mycorrhizal fungi,” he said. What can producers do to promote soil health? Tenuta says rotation is key, and producers should intentionally increase soil organic matter. But a greater respect for the importance of

the soil microbiome is fundamental. “Have a mindset that you’re ‘growing soil,’ not just plants. Make it part of annual farm plans to think about feeding soil.” Time is another key ingredient in understanding soil health. “Using soil tests, track soil organic matter, inorganic nutrients, yield and protein over many years,” he says. “Observe improvements in structure.” Soil tests Tenuta noted include the Solvita Soil Health Test, Cornell Soil Health Test, Visual State Assessment Test, and the Soil Food Web Inc. Test. † Julienne Isaacs is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer and editor. Contact her at julienne. isaacs@gmail.com.

“What the heck is soil health?” Plants and soil bacteria and fungi have a symbiotic relationship; plants also contribute to soil health. Tenuta said researchers are discovering that the roots of plants leak carbon that is utilized by soil bacteria and fungi. “Plants are actually farming soil organisms for their benefit around the root system,” he said. It seems plants naturally cultivate beneficial bacteria and fungi near the surface of the root by sending out materials that promote their development. In turn, these micro-organisms have co-evolved to be able to utilize material emitted by plants. “We’re learning that it’s the bacteria in people that determines our auto-immune responses. I think we’ll learn that it’s the organisms in the soil that determine soil health.”

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Respecting soil complexity Tenuta said increasing soil organic matter does not immediately lead to improved soil health if nutrients are “tied up” in forms that can’t be utilized by the plant. The “soil food web” comprises

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/ grainews.ca JANUARY 5, 2016

Features

Crop production

Flax researcher’s agronomy tips Agronomy researcher Chris Holzapfel shares what he’s learned about growing flax By Leeann Minogue

f you count each research plot as a crop, Chris Holzapfel has grown more crops in a few years than most farmers have a chance to grow in a lifetime. As research manager for the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation, a non-profit organization that facilitates crop research and technology transfer. Holzapfel’s research includes several different crops. At this year’s Saskatchewan Oilseed Producer meetings at Kenosee, Saskatchewan, — sponsored by Saskatchewan Agriculture, SaskFlax, SaskCanola and SaskMustard — Holzapfel was focused on flax. “We really do

need to not only get yields up in flax, but also get yields a little more stable, with less year to year variability, he says.

1. Field selection The first step to successful flax establishment is deciding where to plant it. “It is fairly flexible,” Holzapfel says. But, since flax really does well following a cereal crop, “that is usually preferred.” There are also several other options. “We can also do really well on most pulse stubble.” What Holzapfel does not recommend is planting flax on canola stubble. It just doesn’t tend to yield as well. “Whether that’s a mycorrhizal issue, or some

toxicity or a little bit of both, we don’t maybe have all the answers, but the data does fairy consistently say ‘avoid canola stubble.’” “Flax is mycorrhizal dependent crop,” Holzapfel says. Flax relies on those mycorrhiza to get those less mobile nutrients into its roots. “Canola doesn’t support those mycorrhizal networks, Holzapfel says” which is why flax doesn’t do well following canola in a rotation. Flax generally has a higher yield when it follows other mycorrhizal crops. Also, he says, “If you have a field that’s already high in phosphorus, that’s a great place to put your flax.”

2. Choosing a variety Despite several seasons of testing, Holzapfel doesn’t favour or recommend any particular variety. However, he does say that there have been a lot of good new varieties released within the past three years, and he’s done the testing to back that up. In 2013, Holzapfel and his collegeus at Indian Head tested 10 different flax varieties. All of them performed well at his southeast Saskatchewan location. There was very little statistical difference in yields among the 10 varieties. Then, in 2014, they ran the same test. That year, yields were less than half of the 2013 yields.

GROUP

“There were a lot tougher conditions in 2014,” Holzapfel says. In 2014, some of the yield differences among the varieties were statistically significant, but when he looked at the relative rankings (comparing the best to worst in each year), they weren’t the same in 2013 and 2014. That is, varieties that would have been ranked “best” one year weren’t the best in the second year of the test. “Don’t be stuck on any given variety,” he says. Based on his research, Holzapfel says the best source of information about varieties that will suit each farmer’s particular area is the provincial seed guide. Looking at information from just one site in one year is not that helpful. “All it really tells you to look at a field trial in Indian Head in 2015 is, at best, what variety should I have grown in Indian Head in 2015.”

3. Fertility

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Fertility is important because flax, Holzapfel says, is “not a small nutrient user.” On average, he says, a 24 bushel per acre flax crop requires a total of: • 70 lb N/acre; • 20 lb P2O5/ac; • 44 lb K2O/ac; and, • 14 lb S/ac. These figures include what’s already in the soil, and the nutrients that are applied. “If you want a 44 bushel per acre crop, you’re going to have to come close to doubling those nutrient values,” he says. Flax requires a lot of nutrients, but it is also sensitive to how those nutrients are placed. “If you can avoid seed placing any fertilizer at all with flax, that’s probably your best bet,” Holzapfel says. The provincial recommendations around seedplaced fertilizer say that P2O5 rates above 18 pounds per acre are not recommended. For the most part, Holzapfel says, sidebanding is a safer option for fertilizing flax.

4. Setting the seeding rate

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The Flax Council of Canada’s publication Growing Flax: Production, Management and Diagnostic Guide recommends a seeding rate between 35 and 45 pounds per acre for maximum yield (adjusted for seed size, germination and fertility.) Typically, flax yield increases with higher seeding rates. “When we get past about 40 to 45 pounds per acre, that’s when things start to level off.”

5. Seeding dates While farmers often seed flax last, generally, early seeding is better. But, Holzapfel says, “Obviously you can’t seed every crop first, so something’s got to be last.” Because flax is less sensitive to seeding dates, some farmers give it a lower priority at seeding time. The Flax Council’s guide says, “Flax may be sown up to June 1 with reasonable yield expectations.”

JANUARY 5, 2016 grainews.ca /

Features

6. Seed treatments

photos: leeann minogue

While Holzapfel doesn’t think a lot of flax in Saskatchewan is treated with seed treatments, he does believe it might be something to look to as farmers try to improve the stability of flax yields. In 2013 trials, Holzapfel did find he “got more plants out of the ground,” when he used a fungicide seed treatment in southeast Saskatchewan. “It’s worth further exploration,” he says. Saskatchewan’s 2015 guide to Crop Production lists only one seed treatment for flax: Vitaflo, made by MacDermid Agricultural Solutions. Vitaflo is registered for seed rot, root rot and seedling blight caused by Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium spp. In early December 2015, BASF announced registration of Insure Pulse, a fungicide seed treatment for pulses and flax. Its active ingredients are XEMIUM, pyraclostrobin, and metalaxyl.

Top: This flax field was treated for pasmo with Headline. The poorer-looking triangle in the centre is the spot the sprayer missed. Left: Chris Holzapfel, research manager for the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation, spoke at this year’s Saskatchewan Oilseed Producer meeting at Kenosee, Saskatchewan. This series of meetings was sponsored by Saskatchewan Agriculture, SaskFlax, SaskCanola and SaskMustard.

7. Herbicides Weed control is important in flax. Holzapfel has run trials using different herbicides in research plots at Indian Head. But, he says, if you’re fighting Group 1 resistant wild oats on your farm, “you need to bear in mind that there are no in-crop options to control those in flax.” That might be a case for seeding flax later, Holzapfel says. With a longer windw before seeding, you can give the weeds some time to emerge and grow, and then “hit them with your burn-off.”

You need something more than seed genetics alone to protect your canola from blackleg.

8. Fungicides In 2015, there were three foliar fungicides registered for flax and listed in Saskatchewan’s Guide to Crop Production. These were BASF’s Headline EC (active ingredient pyraclostrobin) for control of pasmo; BASF’s Priaxor (active ingredients pyraclostrobin and fluxapyroxad) for control of pasmo and suppression of sclerotinia stem rot; and Bayer’s Proline 480 SC (active ingredient prothioconazole) for control of sclerotinia stem rot. If you’ve decided to use a fungicide during the growing season, it can be hard to decide exactly when to apply it, Holzapfel says. Because the plants lose flowers every single day, it’s hard to tell when the crop is in full bloom. His method, he says, is to “get a good sense on when that crop actually starts producing flowers.” Once he sees flower production, he plans his fungicide application for seven to 10 days later. In flax, “Pasmo is typically the disease that causes yield losses.” Pasmo can be controlled midbloom, but Holzapfel reminds farmers that they’ll only get the benefits of fungicide if the disease is in the field. It is possible to scout for Pasmo, but some years, the decision to apply a fungicide or not is “not a really easy decision to make,” he says. “There’s a lot of years when we’re really close to break-even with that fungicide.” Find the Flax Council of Canada’s comprehensive guide to flax production, “Growing Flax: Production, Management and Diagnostic Guide,” online at www.flaxcouncil.ca. †

With tightened canola rotations and sole reliance on R-rated genetics for control, blackleg is on the rise across Western Canada. Your best defence is an integrated approach that includes Priaxor® fungicide. Tank mixed with your in-crop herbicide, Priaxor uses the unique mobility of Xemium® and the proven benefits1 of AgCelence®. Together they deliver more consistent and continuous control of blackleg and larger, healthier plants for increased yield potential2. For more information, visit agsolutions.ca/priaxor or call AgSolutions® Customer Care at 1-877-371-BASF (2273).

AgCelence benefits refer to products that contain the active ingredient pyraclostrobin. 2All comparisons are to untreated unless otherwise stated.

Always read and follow label directions. AgSolutions is a registered trade-mark of BASF Corporation; AgCelence, PRIAXOR, and XEMIUM are registered trade-marks of BASF SE; all used with permission by BASF Canada Inc. PRIAXOR fungicide should be used in a preventative disease control program. © 2016 BASF Canada Inc.

Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews. 110201988-2015_Priaxor_Blackleg_GN_v2.indd 1

2015-12-09 4:18 PM

/ grainews.ca JANUARY 5, 2016

Features

Crop Advisor’s casebook

Poorly emerging canola crop

an, a farmer who grows 2,000 acres of canola, wheat and barley in Wimborne, Alta., has relied on my assistance in the past to help scout his fields for potential pest problems and offer product recommendations during the growing season. One spring day during my first round of scouting post seeding, I came across a canola field of Dan’s that was looking very poor. The crop was clearly struggling to emerge, showing up in uneven patches throughout the field that had been in perennial forage the previous year. That alfalfa crop had been terminated with a glyphosate spray the previous fall, but in many areas, I could see volunteer alfalfa reappearing and outperforming the canola. There had been very little rain that spring, and while walking through the field I could see it was quite dry and dusty. I also couldn’t help but notice a very sizable gopher popula-

tion — everywhere I looked, it seemed, there was a gopher running down a hole. Dan asked me if I thought the paltry canola crop might have something to do with poor seed. I considered that, and whether such factors as a residual effect from the previous year’s alfalfa, the weather or even the gophers could be to blame. If you think you know what’s behind Dan’s struggling canola, send in your diagnosis to Grainews, Box 9800, Winnipeg, Man. R3C 3K7; email leeann.minogue@fbcpublishing.com or fax 204-944-5416 c/o Crop Advisor’s Casebook. The best suggestions will be pooled and one winner will be drawn for a chance to win a Grainews cap and a one-year subscription to the magazine. The answer, along with the reasoning that solved the mystery, will appear in the next Crop Advisor’s Solution File. † Julie Mitchell is a grain merchant with Richardson Pioneer Ltd. at Olds, Alta.

CASEBOOK WINNER

Julie Mitchell is a grain merchant with Richardson Pioneer Ltd. at Olds, Alta.

Danielle Tichit is an instructor at the School of Business, Agriculture and the Environment at Assiniboine Community College at Brandon, Manitoba. For the past few years, she’s had the students taking her integrated crop management course analyze a Grainews casebook as a course assignment. This year, the students sent their answers to Richardson Pioneer agronomist Kathy-Jo Toews. Kathy-Jo chose the best submission, then went to the classroom to talk to the students about life as an agronomist. This year’s winning entry was submitted by Michael Friesen, a second year agribusiness student at ACC. Michael, we’re sending you a one-year Grainews subscription and a Grainews hat. That’s Michael in the picture, along with Kathy-Jo. Thanks for using Grainews in your classroom, Danielle! † Leeann Minogue

Julie took this photo in Dan’s field early in the season, the day she first discovered the issue with the canola plants struggling to emerge. While there don’t appear to be any growing plants in this photo, Julie says they were just too small to see in the picture.

Crop advisor’s solution

Sulphur causes sickly canola crop By Jason Sauchuk

owards the end of June, I got a call from Fred, who grows 4,500 acres of canola, wheat, barley and peas in Boyle, Alta. The canola in one of his fields was looking sickly after he had applied a second pass of glyphosate spray, and Fred wondered if herbicide injury was to blame. I went out to his farm to have a look at the problem field, and I could see an abundance of pale green plants with leaves that were cupped and had very noticeable vining. The younger leaves on the affected plants were yellowing while the older leaves appeared purplish in colour. About 30 to 40 per cent of the plants were affected, and they were scattered throughout the field. I ruled out Mother Nature as a possi-

ble culprit, as it had been an excellent spring for plant growth weather-wise. Fred also recalled that conditions had been close to ideal for spraying on the day he had applied the herbicide to the problem field. I also learned that all the other canola fields on the farm had been planted with the same seed lot and that the rest of Fred’s canola crops were doing just fine, including one that had been sprayed with the same batch of glyphosate right after the affected field. This ruled out any problems with the seed or herbicide products that Fred had used. It was when I started asking about the history of the problem field and Fred’s fertility program that I began to hone in on what was really going on. Fred informed me that this was the

first year he had farmed this particular piece of land, as he was renting the quarter section from a neighbour. He said the field had long been in hay and then cereal crops the past couple of years, and that as far as he knew this was the first canola planted on the quarter section. By this time, I was beginning to think the sickly plants were the work of some kind of nutrient deficiency. When I learned that Fred had put down a banded application of sulphur on his canola fields the previous fall as part of his fertility program — but not on the problem field since it hadn’t been rented yet — this fueled my suspicion that the affected plants were sulphur deficient. A subsequent tissue test confirmed this diagnosis. Fortunately, Fred was able to sal-

vage the crop in the affected field by spreading granular sulphur on top of the soil to be moved in via rainfall and providing the plants with the nutrient they lacked. The yield in that field ended up being just a little less than the average canola yield across the farm. The experience provided a valuable lesson for Fred, who has changed his fertility management practices. He no longer believes in doing blanket applications of fertilizer on fields across the farm, and instead recognizes the value of soil sampling (either in the fall or spring) in order to assess specific nutrient needs on a field-by-field basis and ensure the right amount of product is delivered to every crop. † Jason Sauchuk is a Sales Agronomist with Richardson Pioneer Ltd. in Sprucefield, Alta.

JANUARY 5, 2016 grainews.ca /

Features

Crop production

Future seeds were sown in the past Consider last year’s crop yields when making plans for next year’s fertility program By Bruce Avison

his time of year it’s typically a good idea to remind producers that the seeds of our future are sown in the past. Your 2016 crop yields will be influenced by 2015 fertility and removal rates. Basically, we need to look back at the growing season and see how certain factors influenced the current crop, and then consider any potential ramifications going forward for the next year. Many producers, especially around and west of Edmonton, noticed bumper yields in some crops (mainly canola), and marginal yields in others (cereals). This can be considered mainly a moisture related event, both on volume and timing, but it will have an agronomic effect on soil health and nutrient levels for the following year.

Fertlizer rates It is important to consider the additional removal rates of that extra 10, 15, or 20 bushels when calculating fertilizer application rates for 2016. Otherwise, your soil nutrient reserve can be lowered. If you consider that a farmer applies nutrients for X amount of yield, and then harvests 100 to 120 per cent of that yield, the nutrient removal rate is higher than expected. On that same note, where there were lower yielding crops, some applied nutrients will still be present, as they weren’t all utilized to hit that target yield.

The true yield We should also consider what our yields actually are, relative to what we think they are. Time and time again I’ve heard that I live in a 40 bushel canola area (average yield potential), yet it’s not the number I hear thrown around year after year. I’m more than happy to hear of guys getting 42, 45, 50 — or in 2015 yields passing 60 bushels. However, for land that was at one time only capable of 40 bushels, it has time and time again proven it is capable of more, through increased fertility, advances in crop genetics, and refinement of agronomic practices. Now it is more important than ever to make sure we consistently

soil sample, and fertilizer based on crop yields, rather than what we feel is the average potential. Over time, drawing down the soil nutrient reserve can result in lower availability of nutrients, or deficiencies for nutrients that are optimal in certain ratios. This is a potentially depressing thought: given some recent market updates and outlooks, farmers may have to spend more money on fertilizer when crop prices are potentially declining. This is just one of many factors to consider for long-term agronomic optimization. Essentially, we need to look less to our yearto-year yields and expenses, and try to plan for where we want to go over the long-term. If we want

higher crop yields, we need to consider more inputs. For more inputs, we need to consider what we are removing, how much, and how we are going to increase availability to make the most of what we are applying, as well as how much we are applying. Straw can be another consideration. Although some producers tend to shy away from this fact, it is well known that straw removes nutrients, primarily phosphorus and potassium. This year many producers who normally chop and spread straw found it was an excellent way to financially offset lower grain yields. However, removal of those nutrients does come at a cost. It is important to consider that those removed

nutrients are no longer cycling through the soil organic matter, and in some form we need to replenish them. As a farmer and an agronomist, I want to see other farmers succeed. Part of my success comes from their success. If I know I can help my neighbour grown a stronger, healthier crop, and make the most of his nutrient and fertility plan, then it helps him have a higher yielding and better quality crop to market. It also helps me ensure that my neighbour can continue to farm. At the end of the day, I want to know that my neighbour will still be farming tomorrow. † Bruce Avison, agronomist, Har De Agri Services.

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Consider what your yields actually are However, nutrient removal isn’t a perfect 1:1 ratio. Nutrients applied interact with soil microbes and other nutrients. Some become temporarily locked into organic matter, others into mineral complexes. Over time, these nutrients are all available to a plant, however more present in the soil in optimal amounts and ratios (relative to synergistic nutrients), will increase the amount that is available to a growing plant. What was applied last year wasn’t 100 per cent available that year, or the following year, as it takes time to become available to the plant. That’s why it’s essential we know our yield averages and yield increases over the last several years, so we can plan our future fertility, and make the most of increasing crop yield potential.

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*Canola yield data collected from large-scale, grower managed Proving Ground™ trials across Western Canada as of October 30, 2015 as part of the 2015 DuPont Pioneer Yield Challenge. Product responses are variable and subject to any number of environmental, disease and pest pressures. Individual results may vary. Multi-year and multi-location data is a better predictor of future performance. Refer to www.pioneer.com/yield or contact a Pioneer Hi-Bred sales representative for the latest and complete listing of traits and scores for each Pioneer® brand product. Genuity® and Roundup Ready® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. Pioneer® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents. ®, SM, TM

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Columns Open field

Raised on the radio

A farm kid gets married and reflects on her life-long place as a part of the farming community sarah weigum

The author as a young CB radio enthusiast.

t harvest, whatever cab I happen to find myself in is my cocoon of creature comforts. I have my beverages — both caffeinating and lubricating; my snacks for both sustenance and entertainment; a phone which connects me to the outside world by letting me talk to friends and neighbours with a few finger taps or by filling my cab with ideas from my favourite podcasts. I have the radio, which is my constant friend. I prefer the surprise of

each new song that comes around the bend rather than the control of my selecting my own music. And I have the CB radio. These days, most of my neighbours have FM radios which allow them to communicate over larger distances, but we’ve stuck with the CB. The radio signals aren’t quite what they used to be. These days, I can’t talk to the trucker if he’s on the other side of the quarter or if I’m down in a dip, but there’s nothing slicker than sidling up to the side of the truck and giving a few instructions or a welltimed quip to a co-worker. The fact that the CB doesn’t communicate across as great a distance as it used to may be less convenient, but it’s also more intimate. When I hear

that voice crackle into my cab, I know the crew is not far away. Once upon a time, all of my neighbours used the CB radio. Before cell phones it was a way to notify each other if a fire broke out. We were always on channel nine in the field, but sometimes yours truly was on channel four in the crib. During my first harvest — as a six month old — if my parents were combining close to our farm yard, my mom would put me to bed, then wrap an elastic band around the microphone on the kitchen CB radio, prop it next to the baby monitor and flip the dial to channel four. Back in the field, her and my dad would toggle between nine and four and if I was fussing she was close enough to go in and check on me. They weren’t the only ones checking. The neighbours knew where to find me and one night after my mom had already headed into the house, several concerned voices popped on to the radio telling my dad, “You better check on Sarah, she’s crying.” My dad assured them that his wife was in the house already — probably in the shower — and Sarah was well looked after. My mom shared this story with me this harvest and I chuckled and thought of how lucky I am to call this community home. I have gone from the farmer’s kid to the farmer and all the while felt the same care and concern that my mom described in the story about the CB radio.

A new identity Very recently I added a new feature to my identity: farmer’s wife. Curtis and I were married in November and since we both manage our families’ farms, I guess that makes him a farmer’s husband, too. He’s not exactly the boy next door. His farm is a good 250 kilometres from mine and we’re crazy enough to think we can manage both. With different weather patterns and crop rotations we’re hoping to make it all work, but I know we’re in for a challenging few years, so I’m open to advice from any of you readers who are also farming in two different locations. Just as I know my community will welcome Curtis with open arms and a good ribbing, I’m looking forward to getting to know his community, although I’m a little bit anxious about maintaining friendships in two locations. It seems our lives are so busy with work and meetings that weeks can go by without seeing people that mean so much to us. Much like when I moved back to Three Hills to farm full time, this next step seems full of unknowns but I have two communities and a new partner in life to walk with me through the ups and downs ahead. Thanks, dear readers, for your emails, phone calls and interest in our seed business. I consider you an extension of my community and look forward to sharing my stories and hearing yours as our journey in agriculture unfolds. † Sarah Weigum grows pedigreed seed and writes at Three Hills, Alta. Follow her on Twitter: @sweigum

JANUARY 5, 2016 grainews.ca /

Columns Off-farm income

Learn and use those selling rules Knowing when to sell can save your portfolio from the disruptive downside ANDY SIRSKI

n 2013 the price of many stocks went up and stayed up. In 2014 and now in 2015 many stocks went up in price but then dropped so much that the market took back the “hump” that many stocks had made on the way up. If you are a long-term investor and you own really good stocks that drop doesn’t matter all that much. But I think it’s important to understand that these days the big money often bids up or rides up the price of a stock, then starts selling and that drives the price down, down, down. And with some stocks, short sellers gang up on the stock and help drive the price down. I call this rotation, rotation, rotation. Some of this rotation can be short term but some can be longer term. Take gold for example: the price went up to around $1,900 an ounce, started to drop in November 2011 and the price

dropped through the 10-day moving average shortly after. Along with the falling price of gold many gold stocks dropped too. The price of gold dropped by a third while many stocks dropped to 15 per cent of their original cost. Take oil. The price of oil dropped from over $100 a barrel in early 2014, dropped through the 10 dma at around $95 to around $40 and there appears to be no rebound in sight. We could look at the Ag sector: as the price of corn dropped so did the price of Caterpillar (CAT), John Deere (DE) and Joy (JOY). Even closer to your wallet we can look at the price of canola. In December 2013, if I remember correctly, the price of canola rolled over and the daily price of canola dropped through the 10 day moving average at around $500 a tonne and I don’t think the price has been up there ever since. A lot of investors lost a lot of money holding shares in the stocks involved with gold, oil and corn. I sold my Tourmaline (TOU) shares at $54 as I followed my selling rule. But when I listen

and watch the talking heads on TV I can see that most do not have selling rules. Sure some of them tell us they sold their gold or oil stocks but very few tell us the process they used to sell. And most either lost money or gave back a lot of profits. It did not have be so. These of course are long-term drops. The real problem is that when a stock or a sector starts to drop, we don’t know how far the price can drop. Hardly any analyst predicted the price of oil would drop to $40 when the price rolled over 18 months ago. Now, as things look and sound, that price could stay down for a long time. As for gold: as the price dropped many long term gold bulls stood on their soap box and told anyone who would listen that the price of gold is going to $2,000, $5,000 and even $10,000. But no one says when that will happen. Here’s how to set up the 10 dma on a free charting service called Stockcharts. Go to Stockcharts.com and the home page will show up. Click on “free charts.” Scroll down a bit on the home page and you will see a

stock symbol box that says create a sharp chart. Enter your favorite symbol or CXR.TO. Scroll down and you will see the word “indicators” and in the boxes below you should see the words “simple moving average” with the number 50 to the right. Delete the 50 and enter the number 10 and click update. If you entered stock symbol CXR.TO you should see a blue line on the body of the chart and when the price was up near $100 per share in early September you will see a red candlestick drop through and below the blue 10 dma. Notice the price dropped and dropped all the way down to around $30. Actually the price dropped to about $25 but bounced right back up.

Getting older I turned age 71 in January 2015. By the end of 2015 I had to convert all of my RRSPs into some long-term investment that pays me every month or once a year. If you turned 71 this year do take a look at the RRSPs. If you don’t, the company that holds the RRSP will

cash it out in January 2016 and all that money will be taxable income in 2016. Also if you have serious aches, pains and perhaps have trouble hearing, walking, dressing and so on you might qualify for an extra tax deduction called the disability tax credit. It’s a credit of about $7600 and it is indexed each year. Talk to you doctor; get him to fill out the four-page form and send it to CRA. This deduction started at least six years ago and if the doctor writes in a past date your accountant or you can amend your past returns and get a refund for the past years. CRA will either approve or disapprove your application in a letter. I have had readers get approved for two years due to a knee operation; another got approved going back six years because he had trouble walking and so on so it is worth the effort. † Andy is mostly retired. He travels a bit with his wife, plays with grandchildren, runs a small tax business and manages his family’s investments. Andy also publishes an investment newsletter called StocksTalk. If you want to read it free for a month email sirski@mymts.net and Andy will sign you up.

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George H. Kelly (1860-1940) Engineer

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Columns Can’t take the farm from the boy

That’s the way we’ve always done it How much can large-scale farmers to change to meet urban consumer demands? Toban Dyck

raditions are thoughtless, lazy, convenient, oh, I could go on. Because you’ve always done something a certain way is not a reason for anything. It’s not an argument. And it’s certainly should never be used to retaliate against new ideas, new ways of doing things, that creep up in the agriculture world. Before you get angry and think that I, a still green farmer, am chastising all you veterans out there for settling into what I’m

sure is an effective, smooth farming routine, know that I am not. I am slapping my own hand. I’m quick to judge. I come up with answers quickly and confidently, as if every question, every solicited opinion is an attack I must defend. “Bring it on” is my motto. It was episode two of the Netflix series “Chef’s Table.” This episode featured New York chef Dan Barber, an outspoken advocate for how ecological and sustainable farming systems produce the best tasting food. The scenes were beautifully shot: People with sun hats wearing loose, intentionally rugged clothing, ripping vegetables out of the ground. Barber is an interesting chef, with bold ideas for how farming is best done.

It’s hard to take him seriously. His New York restaurant Blue Hill is wildly popular, but it’s in New York. What do they know about farming? “Ha. I bet nothing,” I flippantly said to my wife while we were watching. She shrugged. She doesn’t pass judgment as quickly as I do, you see. The episode dragged on. Barber spoke a lot about how the quality of feed the cow eats will determine how the beef will taste. He takes this logic to staggering places. He’s using wheat varieties rarely if ever used for making bread. He’s mixing wheat varieties together to create new ones. And he’s been able to energize the once docile bread consumer around wheat. He started a Bread Lab, where a team of scientists and farmers farm and

test different wheat varieties. And he co-runs Blue Ant farms, where much of his food comes from. He is detailed. He has reverse engineered every food item on his menu, ensuring each process in its creation is as sustainable and ecological as it can be, down to what you use to control bugs and weeds. But this is a long way from jeans, a ball cap, and a shirt, jumping into a tractor and planting whatever variety seed companies (and the coffee shop) have told you is the best for your climate, your land, and the current market. My thoughts half-way through the episode: “No chef from the big city is going to tell me how to farm.” As I’m thinking about this I’m filling with pride over the

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fact that I’m on the ground floor. I’m doing this stuff. He isn’t. I know better. “I just don’t like how he’s presenting this to the world as what farming should be,” I said to my wife. “It would never work.” Then the next thing came across my desk: someone sent me a video The Atlantic published. It was about how the world doesn’t have enough farmers. The format was a few minutes of narration and interviews set against scenes of young farmers again wearing sun hats, loose overalls, gators, ripping vegetables out of the ground. The video idealized what is, in most cases, a very corporate, machine-based process. I often have a knee-jerk reaction to kids picking vegetables on one-acre plots while talking about changing the world. We play with a plot — my wife’s garden — the way those in the video did, but growing 1,000 acres of soybeans and wheat looks quite different. Idealism is hard to digest. It was easier in my 20s. Now, it’s quickly associated with immaturity and not yet having the weight of the world on your shoulders. Some of this may be true — and I’m a sceptic — but what arguments did I have? Yet, that said, and my scepticism aside, saying that such things wouldn’t work on a larger scale because that’s not how it’s currently done is not a great argument. It’s actually a terrible one. We do need more farmers, and perhaps there’s nothing wrong with more city folk working small plots to grow their own food. Perhaps farmers would be wise to start farming with taste and sustainability in mind, looking into partnerships with restaurants and markets that would appreciate and pay for extra attention to detail. I’m not saying drop what you’re doing and plant 10,000 acres of organic onions. Heck, I’m not doing that — yet. But tease apart what are real arguments and ones that are just veiled attempts at defending something that boils down to: this is the way we’ve always done it. By the end of the Dan Barber episode (which, by the way, is part of a series you should definitely watch if you like food) I had moved past the knee-jerk to something a little more stable. I disagreed with him on a few points, and would need some time with others, but it got me thinking, and isn’t that what makes and keeps life interesting. † Toban Dyck is a freelance writer and a new farmer on an old farm. Follow him on Twitter @tobandyck or email tobandyck@gmail.com.

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Columns Reporter’s notebook

Be safe about your safety liability Discussions of Alberta’s Bill 6 have left Prairie farmers concerned about their liability Lisa Guenther

s I write this, Bill 6 has passed its third reading in Alberta. That legislation will make workers’ compensation mandatory for paid farm employees, and subject Alberta farms to Occupational Health and Safety regulations. I hope a look at Manitoba’s situation will shed some light on the safety issues Albertans should start thinking about, and what they might want to bring up during the regulatory consultations. Since 2009, Manitoba farmers have had to provide Workers’ Compensation Board coverage for employees, unless they are family. Manitoba’s Workplace Safety and Health Act also covers farms, whether they employ non-family members or not. Manitoba farmers need to be aware of the statute and safety requirements, says Rob Olson. Ignoring those requirements could earn them a hefty fine. Olson is a lawyer with TDS LLP in Manitoba. He specializes in labour and employment and has represented employers, unions, and employees. He also has experience in the ag sector. Farmers should focus on a “reasonableness standard,” says Olson. “They need to have reasonably foreseen potential pitfalls and dangers. I suspect most farmers do adhere to it just naturally because safety is important, of course.” That means doing things like making sure employees are using protective equipment, he says. For example, if an accident happens and a worker hasn’t been using protective goggles that would have prevented injury, there will be trouble when Workplace Safety and Health investigates, he explains. Workplace Safety and Health, along with the courts, take into account several factors when levying fines, Olson says. The farm size, how close the farm owner is to the injured worker, and how they were affected all play into it, he says. An accident isn’t the only reason inspectors can visit farms. They can show up to inspect farms without notice, Olson says, because giving notice “might change what they might find.” That being said, Olson says he’s heard of inspectors showing up to hog farms without realizing a biohazard had been issued. “If they’re not prepared to deal with that, the inspectors turn around and go away… and they say, ‘Okay, I’ll come back in three days.’” Inspectors may give out improvement orders, which don’t necessarily mean work must stop. They might suggest easy fixes, such as keeping a safety guard lowered at all times. But they will also issue stop work orders if they’re worried that someone will get hurt, Olson says. Sometimes a solution can be found within minutes or

hours, he adds, so the stop work order could end quickly. “They have very broad powers, and for good reason,” Olson says.

If Workers comp is optional Not every Prairie farmer has to carry workers’ comp coverage for farm workers. Saskatchewan farms are still exempt. Manitoba farmers aren’t mandated to cover family members, even if they draw a wage. But not opting in carries risks. “The obvious risk, of course, if they don’t have Worker’s Compensation is that they don’t have insurance essentially for injury to an employee at the

workplace,” says Olson. Workers could be left with lifetime costs to manage the injury. And that could be a hefty amount for the farm owner to defend against, Olson adds. Olson wasn’t too familiar with private disability insurance. But he said workers’ compensation is relatively inexpensive for an employer. “I can’t imagine you could really do better with private insurance for the same thing.” The rates for farm workers vary by sector and province. A farm’s safety record will come into play as well. It’s worth comparing the rates to private insurance, assuming you have that option. How much income workers’

G E N E R AT I O N S O F B E I N G

compensation covers varies between provinces as well. In Alberta, workers’ compensation will cover 90 per cent of net taxable income, up to $95,300. Saskatchewan covers 90 per cent of earnings, up to $59,000 (as of 2014). Manitoba also covers 90 per cent of net earnings. The province hasn’t capped yearly maximums for injuries that occurred after December 31, 2005. Workers’ compensation also covers treatments and travel expenses related to workplace injuries. Saskatchewan will also kick in for pension benefits if an employee is off work for 24 months in a row. And if the injury causes a “permanent func-

tional impairment” such as a lost limb or brain injury, workers might get a lump sum or an annual allowance. Workers’ compensation doesn’t cover illness or injury that occurs off the job. Private disability insurance can cover those types of tragedies. It can allow the farm to buy out a partner who becomes permanently disabled. It can also cover business expenses to help keep the farm running. The devil is always in the details, but you can find a guide to disability insurance under the “Consumer Information” tab of clhia.ca. † Lisa Guenther is field editor for Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@ fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.

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Columns Guarding wealth

Investing for tough times ahead When you have to change your strategy from “making money” to “not losing money” By Andrew Allentuck

e are coming to the end of the longest bond bull market in history, a 32-year trend of falling interest rates and rising bond returns. Marked by a final decade of global stagnation and, recently, inflation rates virtually at the doorstep of deflation, the next step is expected to be a small rise in short term interest rates. The U.S. Federal Reserve Board, virtually the most important central bank in the world, is expected to raise rates 25 basis points, which is one-quarter of one per cent, on December 16. Big deal? Yes, for the rate before December 15 was zero to 0.25 per cent. So that’s a doubling at least. Does anybody care about paying one-quarter of one per cent? No, probably only a few wingy speculators, but the trend is clear. Building projects hanging on low loan rates, industrial loans supported by thin profit margins… the list of victims is apparent. For Canada, the outlook is grim. The former prime minister,

Mr. Harper, said that only one sector of our economy, energy, is weak. Yet he left out auto parts manufacturing, which will be harmed by the Trans Pacific duty reductions that Canada has accepted, allowing in more cheap Asian parts, all to the distress of Ontario. What to do? Farmers and, for that matter, everybody else, needs to move from a strategy of how to make money to how not to lose it. Speculative investing, for example, hitching a ride on high flying pharmaceutical maker Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc., which tumbled from $348 in early August, 2015 to $116 recently, is out. Dividend investing in banks and utilities is in. Paying high fees to advisors who cannot squeeze performance out of stocks in a stagnant market without taking unacceptable risks that they usually do not disclose to clients, is out.

It’s a lot like farming Investing is not so different from managing a farm. You would not overpay for a com-

bine, so why overpay for a stock? For example, your time horizon can dictate a stock price. You can get bank stocks priced so that next year’s earnings per share, the p/e ratio, are 12 times today’s price. That means you have to wait for a dozen years before today’s earnings pay back the share price. Of course, share prices grow and our big banks have dependable and rising dividends around four per cent. You can buy a phone company like BCE Inc. with a p/e of 18 and a dividend of 4.6 per cent. A solid utility like Fortis Inc. has a p/e of 14.6 and a four per cent dividend. You are unlike to go broke with any of these “foundation” stocks. Do you need to pay an advisor to buy these stocks? Yes and no. If an advisor rings up a big annual gain for you in good years and bad and has done so for a decade, he or she is probably worth the fees. But average advisors sell average mutual funds and pretty average stocks. A few decades ago, I used advisors at big banks. I bought their mutual funds, paid extra fees for advice, and found that the com-

bination of fees, which added up to three to five per cent — including trading charges, advisory charges for discretionary management accounts likes, and custodial charges — left my assets stagnant. When markets rose, my portfolios were flat, when markets fell, I lost what the market did and then several per cent more.

You won’t suddenly get rich I stopped thinking that I should leave any money with advisors. My own portfolios, the ones I ran with no advice from anybody, were beating the institutional managers. I took back my money, doubled it and more over 15 years with opportune purchases of banks and utilities, a railroad, a few consumer staples and some provincial bonds. I still have some low fee mutual funds that have done fairly well — at least they

have not lost money, but none of the funds have fees high enough to interfere with the power of compound interest. The single principle is to get some income out of your portfolios — at least a couple of per cent after all fees. A growth of two to four per cent by dividends and two to four per cent on price gives you a four to eight per cent range of return. You won’t get suddenly rich, but you also won’t get poor. One thing to do is to read. There is endless data online. The Financial Post, for which I also write, is available online every day for nothing. Other national papers can be found online as well, along with the British Financial Times, The Wall St. Journal and many more. Reading up on where your money may go or where, if invested, is headed, is just sensible. You can be informed and, from time to time, horrified at the conduct of companies (think of Nortel or Enron) or pleased that your own investments are doing fine. † Andrew Allentuck’s most recent book, When Can I Retire? Planning Your Financial Life After Work, was published by Penguin in 2011.

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Columns Understanding market bulls and bears

Agriculture on the Emerald Isle Like farmers anywhere, Irish farmers are always eager to talk about agriculture Brian wittal

recently had the great fortune and opportunity to spend two weeks traveling around Ireland with my wife Kim for our anniversary. Arriving in Dublin, we picked up our subcompact rental car and proceeded south along the coastline to Wexford. We stayed in a remodeled 13th century abbey on the edge of a small town. Since one of the town’s two pubs had live music on a Sunday evening, we walked the kilometre into town and took a seat in the corner of the bar that at maximum would seat 30 to 40 people. As the locals drifted in, the pub was soon filled. It didn’t take long for us to start talking to the locals, especially about sports — particularly rugby and hurling. During the course of conversation I mentioned that I was involved with agriculture. No surprise — there were a couple of farmers supporting their local establishment. It took me a while to pick up on their accents but once I warmed up my system with a pint of black gold (Guinness) I found I could understand them better.

Mixed farms help them survive The problem, though, was that with every pint they had, their accent turned more Gaelic and guttural. I needed to keep pace with them pint for pint if I ever wanted to be able to understand what they were saying. So for the sake of getting the facts right from the source I committed to this plan and proceeded to discuss farming. In between music sets we talked about agriculture and I learned some interesting things about how farming in Ireland is changing, what has been forcing those changes and where they see farming in Ireland going in the future.

grown is used for livestock feed with some barley being used for distilling for beer and whiskey. There are approximately 140,000 farm families in Ireland with the average farm only 32 ha, or 75 acres. The price of farmland in Ireland has fallen off of the 2013-14 highs which were over $10,000 euros/ acre (that’s about $15,000 at current exchange rates). Current values are down about five per cent to around $9,500 euros/acre ($14,300/acre). An average winter wheat yield over the past few years has ranged around 126 bushels per acre. An average spring barley yield is around 130 bu./ac. Now back to the conversation at the pub. This is what they told me.

• Over the last 10 to 15 years many acres have gone out of grain production and back into pasture and or for hay production for sheep and dairy. • This past spring, EU reforms scrapping dairy quotas have allowed for new expansion and growth in dairy farming across Ireland. • Acres are shifting from wheat to barley or maize depending on the location of the farm and slope of the land. • The majority of farms are still very small. Large scale operations of 300+ acres are hard to come by as land prices are so high and the layout of the land with all the rock wall paddocks doesn’t allow for the use of larger machinery.

• The cost of production for wheat for just the seed, fertilizer and chemicals is over $300 euros ($450) per acre because they have to spray fungicides numerous times. Diseases like septoria and fusarium are major problems because of the humid climate. They can see losses of up to 50 per cent to disease. Many producers are shifting to barley or maize which have cheaper input costs. • Mixed farms help them survive. They feed their grain or sell some to a neighbour who doesn’t grow grain, then they market their sheep or cattle or milk to pay the bills. • They admit that subsidies help and that is what allows so

many small farms to exist today. In Ireland this only makes sense because of the landscape and topography of the country. The passion for farming is the same in Ireland as it is here in Canada. Farmers want to pass their farms down to the next generation, but they have concerns that costs will drive many small farmers out of the business especially if subsidies payments disappear. It is a way of life that today still works for them and allows them the freedom to do what they love and make a living. † Brian Wittal has 30 years of grain industry experience, and currently offers market planning and marketing advice to farmers through his company Pro Com Marketing Ltd. (www. procommarketingltd.com).

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/ grainews.ca JANUARY 5, 2016

Columns Soils and crops

Finding the world’s greatest fix A rare find in the library has given Les Henry food for thought on a cold winter evening les henry

n the winter months I spend time in the University of Saskatchewan library and often stumble on a great book that I was not really looking for. One such find is the subject of this article. The headline for this piece has nothing to do with a needle in a back alley of a seedy part of town. It is the title of a book: The World’s Greatest Fix: a History of Nitrogen and Agriculture by G.J. (Jefferey) Leigh, professor emeritus, University of Sussex, Brighton, England. The book was published in 2004 by Oxford University Press. I read the library copy cover to cover and then bought a personal copy at Amazon to have on my shelf for reference. It is beautifully written and not at all stiff and boring — an engaging read for sure. I have contacted Jefferey Leigh via email, visited the University of Sussex via their website and toured Brighton, on the south coast of England via Google Earth, Street View. A great learning experience.

Gems from the past, lessons for the future There are many fascinating stories from the past to be found in Jefferey Leigh’s book and considered for our future. London sewage and livestock manure: In the 1870s the Native Quano Company developed a process to convert London sewage into saleable manure. Sir William Crookes estimated that the waste of manure was like flushing millions of loaves of bread down the Thames River each day. Our very own City of Saskatoon has made a contribution in this regard. Some of the material from the sewage treatment plant is con-

verted to struvite, an ammonium magnesium phosphate — a specialty fertilizer. Our lesson for the future is that we must work harder at finding ways to better utilize the nutrients generated by our intensive livestock industry. It will take some basic chemistry to find the solutions — trial and error will not be enough. I am convinced that 100 years from now society will look back and wonder why we wasted so many valuable nutrients. Among some of the earlier N fertilizers, Leigh describes the production of ammonium chloride (NH4Cl — 25-0-0 64 per cent Cl) in Egypt by distillation from camel dung. A Google search of ammonium chloride fertilizer

shows it to be readily available in China and available at Great Plains Fertilizers, Olathe, Kansas. Chloride has been linked to disease control so maybe we should take a closer look. As we struggle with ways and means to better utilize plant nutrients that are considered “waste” by intensive livestock operations I am aware that the bulk of nitrogen loss in feedlots is gaseous NH3. Has anyone examined the feasibility of “fixing” that NH3 into NH4Cl by passing it through a solution of HCl-hydrochloric acid? Land tenure: Leigh managed to assemble a lot of information on ancient agriculture in China, including maps of land holdings of various

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The lesson in the preface The book’s preface is a lesson all by itself. In the 1960s the U.K. was flush with money and established a new generation of universities, including Sussex at Brighton. The then-Agricultural Research Council (ARC) funded a new “Unit of Nitrogen Fixation” at the University of Sussex. The mandate was to find out how biological nitrogen fixation worked. For 30 years, the Unit was well funded and unencumbered by bureaucracy. It became the world leader in that area of science, hosted many visiting scientists and added greatly to fundamental knowledge. But alas, funding partners began to ask for agricultural applications of the work, found none, and the unit was wound down. The lesson of all this is that basic research, particularly in agriculture, must be partnered with folks that have some dirt under their fingernails and the ability to communicate results to the publics that pay the bills. Jefferey Leigh admitted that the applications of the work of the Unit were few. But, during his tenure he realized the Unit was part of a long history of folks that unraveled the secrets of soil fertility, going back centuries. He gathered centuries worth of work and said: “I also discovered that the story of the work is not just dry scientific facts and discoveries. It also shows those involved as real human beings with all the faults, sometimes considerable, of human beings…” The end result is a fascinating read about the history of agriculture and soil fertility in particular.

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Columns dynasties and empires. He found written records of landholdings back to ~500 BC. To make a long story short, China has nationalized the land and turned it back to the people many times. But, alas each time after the land was turned back to the people it again was eventually held in fewer and fewer hands, so the process was repeated. This exact question is what our Saskatchewan Government has dealt with as it closes up loopholes to insure that farmers continue to own the bulk of the land. My grandfather and many of yours came to Saskatchewan to own their very own piece of ground. They did not come here to be sharecroppers! Ancient China — legumes, recycling and crop rotation: China has fed a lot of people on not that much land for centuries. Sustainable food production has relied on crop rotation including legumes and recycling almost everything.

In the Canadian Prairies we have just recently learned those lessons and our lesson for the future is to not backslide to two crops and one herbicide. Early North American agriculture: Leigh also assembled interesting facts about the agriculture of the Mohave Yuma and Cocopa peoples along the Colorado River south of Lake Mead, near Las Vegas where most readers have visited. They relied on the annual flood for nutrient supply and planted in areas of a natural high water table. The lesson in that piece is that many crops that surprised us in the dry spell this spring came from soil moisture, including high natural water tables caused by the past decade of plentiful (sometimes excessive) rain and snow. And yet, despite all the professional help available to farmers, how many have any clue where their current water table sits? See my column in “Grainews” October 20, 2015 to rectify that situation.

An interesting note One very interesting note about industrial nitrogen fixation was explained by Leigh. It was described by British patent 12,401 of 1905. “…oxides of nitrogen were to be produced in what was essentially the cylinder of a large diesel engine and then absorbed in water. Today this would be considered as an environmental hazard rather than a commercial opportunity.” Do any readers remember the folks that sucked up diesel exhaust from the tractor and piped it to spew out beneath the cultivator shovels? I recall one such chap at Irma, Alta., and another, I think, Montana example. Was there not even a bit of field evaluation of yield effects? Most of us dismissed the idea, but just maybe there is something there. My attempts to retrieve that patent via Internet search were unsuccessful. I contacted Jefferey Leigh and he was to try also, but

I’ve had no reply. Maybe a bright young, computer savvy reader will find that patent.

Feeding a hungry world Much of the reason we can now feed the world is that we know how to fix N2 from the atmosphere into a form we can use to maintain N fertility of the soil. Leigh credits 40 per cent of current food production to the Haber-Bosch process of fixing atmospheric N2 into NH3. (The HaberBosch is an industrial process used to take Hydrogen from water, Nitrogen from air and make then into NH3 [anhydrous ammonia]. It took place in Germany in early 1900s.) Leigh found that ancient civilizations did try to maintain soil fertility but despite their best efforts, there were recurring famines during which populations declined. His conclusion: “Agricultural productivity did not increase beyond a fairly basic subsistence level until farming became more scientific.” He

further concludes that there is no reason that we cannot adequately feed the population; his book is all about how we got to where we are. Our current research community would be well advised to heed the lesson learned by the Unit of Nitrogen Fixation so many years ago. Basic science and curiosity research is the real winner but to keep the funding streams in place the taxpaying public needs to be kept informed and get a payback every so often. In conclusion, The World’s Greatest Fix is a great piece of work. If you want a fascinating bit of reading for long winter nights it is about $20 on Amazon. † J.L. (Les) Henry is a former professor and extension specialist at the University of Saskatchewan. He farms at Dundurn, Sask. He recently finished a third printing of “Henry’s Handbook of Soil and Water,” a book that mixes the basics and practical aspects of soil, fertilizer and farming. Les will cover the shipping and GST for “Grainews” readers. Simply send a cheque for $50 to Henry Perspectives, 143 Tucker Cres, Saskatoon, Sask., S7H 3H7, and he will dispatch a signed book.

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report by the newly-formed Wheat and Barley Variety Wo r k i n g G r o u p includes a list of ways Prairie farmers could be more involved in wheat and barley breeding. Options range from improving the way information is shared, to creating a new producer group to coordinate research, to starting a new producer-owned cereal breeding company. Variety development research is needed to make sure new cereal varieties with higher yields and disease resistance continue to be available. “Farmers’ interest is in seeing wheat and barley remain competitive in rotations over the long term,” says Garth Patterson, executive director of the Western Grains Research Foundation, the agency that coordinated this study. Find the report, “Exploring Options for Producer Involvement in Wheat and Barley Variety Development” on the WGRF website at www. http://westerngrains.com/ news/, or on the website of your favourite Prairie wheat or barley levy-collecting commission or agency. †

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/ grainews.ca JANUARY 5, 2016

Machinery & Shop

Grainews in Australia

Australia: road trip down under Scott Garvey takes a drive through a farming district in rural Australia By Scott Garvey

photos: scott garvey

went to Australia to attend one of the country’s premiere machinery shows in the nation’s fertile Liverpool Plains in New South Wales. After that show ended, I thought it was time to head off further into the heartland to get a better feel for what it would be like to live and farm here. I spent a day on the road with my camera, stopping to talk to farmers whenever the opportunity presented itself. During my expedition, I only opened the left door of my rental car once, expecting to slide in behind the steering wheel that on this continent is on the opposite side. That means, of course, it’s necessary to drive on the left side of the road here. That is just one of many differences between Canada and Australia. But for a country where things are so different, circumstances are also remarkably alike for farmers on both continents. Many of the same things that are important to Canadian farmers are on the minds of producers here too, things like commodity prices and the weather. But the weather here can be brutally dry, and growing a successful crop every year in many parts of Australia is far from assured. The machinery Australian farmers run through their fields is, in some cases, identical. And in many cases not. For as much as the rural activities, infrastructure, problems and general lifestyles seem almost the same, the sights, as you’ll see, aren’t all that familiar. That’s what hits you about this country, we’re so much alike, but yet we’re so different. Here is just a bit of what I saw. †

Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

1. Primarily a dry continent, farmers here were getting excited about a weather forecast calling for a few millimetres of rain. There are times, however, when heavy rains cause widespread flooding on the broad, flat plains. 2. Unfenced “long paddocks” or “stock routes” are a holdover from the days when “drovers” moved stock to market in traditional cattle drives. Farmers can apply to graze their herds on the open ranges during times of poor pasture caused by drought. There is nothing to keep them off the roads in these areas. 3. There are a lot of cattle in this region, but a long period of low prices caused a gradual reduction in the sheep herd. Improving returns means their numbers are beginning to build again. 4. Sadly, I drove past a lot of sights like this kangaroo that had been recently hit by a passing vehicle. Put a deer there and you’d almost feel like you were back in Saskatchewan. 5. Just as on the prairies in Canada, many small, rural Australian towns have declined, leaving classic old buildings abandoned or unused like the Railway Hotel in Boggabri. 6. Proposed developments of an open-pit coal mine and shale gas in the region seem to be widely opposed by local farmers who fear the projects will threaten precious water resources on the Liverpool Plains. 7. Almost every farm and rural property has a name, and it’s displayed at the front gate. Some entrances are grand, like this one, others not so much. 8. There are a lot of custom operators in Australia offering a variety of farm field services. 9. Shed water collection: This farm collects rainwater from the roofs of machinery sheds to use when spraying herbicides on fields.

JANUARY 5, 2016 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop

Agritechnica

Kuhn debuts high-speed bale wrapper The SW 4014 offers non-stop field travel and can wrap square or round bales By Scott Garvey

Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

photo: scott garvey

photo: kuhn

Left: The SW 4014 bale wrapper from Kuhn uses an autoload feature which allows the tractor to continue moving while the bale is loaded, wrapped and set back down. Middle: The SW 4014 won a Silver Innovation award at Agritechnica in Germany in November. Right: The wrapper is fully ISOBUS compatible, so it can simply plug into any tractor equipped with a virtual terminal.

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ngineers at Kuhn must be busy clearing wall space in their offices to hang all the awards the company’s new SW 4014 bale wrapper has picked up lately. When the company displayed it at Germany’s Agritechnica in November it raked in a Silver Innovation award. Earlier in the year it won an AE50 award here in North America. The SW 4014 has an autoload feature designed to wrap large square or round bales in a non-stop field operation, making life easier on the tractor operator and speeding up operations considerably. “In the past the driver needed to look back and estimate when he is at the centre of the bale,” explained Bart deVries, Kuhn product and marketing manager, at the company’s Agritechnica display in November. “Now all he has to do is drive up and the machine is doing all the rest. It’s non-stop wrapping. At up to three km/h it will pick up a bale in the field. Before, you had to stop. Now it’s fully automated.” The wrapper uses laser sensor technology to scan ahead for bales as it moves through a field, determining each bale’s position and exact size. Once the bale is in the correct location between the rollers, they automatically pinch together, lift the bale and begin the wrapping process. The wrapper can handle square bales up to 2.0 metres and round bales up to 1.4 metres in diameter. Maximum bale weight is 1,500 kg (3,300 pounds). The SW 4014 is ISOBUS compatible and can plug into the back of any tractor equipped with a virtual terminal. Or it can be ordered with the company’s own terminal, which is also ISOBUS compliant, so it can be used to control other ISOBUS implements as well. Unlike some other wrappers, the SW 4014’s IntelliWrap feature is capable of making an even or odd number of wraps, which allows for precise seals without wasting plastic. The company’s plastic wrap containers also come with a chart operators can use to determine how many wraps are required by matching the moisture content of the hay to the number of months it is expected to remain in storage. “Most machines will only do four, six, eight or 10, wraps,” said de Vries. “This machine will do (odd numbered wraps) — five, seven and nine. So depending on the moisture content, you can always apply just the right amount of film wraps.” In the field, the SW 4014 has an operating width of four metres, but its hydraulic sliding frame folds down to 2.5 metres for transport. Tractors need to supply 45 to 60 litres/min. of hydraulic flow to operate the wrapper. However, the SW 4014 can be ordered with an on-board, PTO-driven hydraulic pump. That, according to the company, will allow an operator to save fuel by running the tractor at lower engine r.p.m. The wrappers began full production in September. For more information visit www.kuhn.com. †

/ grainews.ca JANUARY 5, 2016

Machinery & Shop

Equipment market

Late model comparison shopping We review a sample of late-model 300 to 400 hp tractors for performance and pricing

his year a lot of buyers have chosen to take advantage of the current good selection of cheaper, used, pre-emissions tractors rather than buying new machines. With so much activity in the used equipment market, Grainews decided to take a look at a few of the choices out there for latemodel machines. So, we went back in time almost a decade and compared a sampling of different brands’ offerings to see how they stack up against oneanother, and we surveyed what prices buyers can expect to find written on the window stickers these days. We selected a mid-to-late 2000s model year tractor from each major brand in the 300 to 400 horsepower range for a

comparison. In order to provide reliable performance data, we chose only models that have been to the Nebraska Tractor Test Lab. That limited our choices slightly. To get an impartial review, we used the Lab’s reports to rate horsepower, drawbar pull, fuel consumption and hydraulic capacity rather than manufacturers’ advertised specs. When it came to finding the average price tag, that job was a little harder. There were only a few examples of some models on the market at the time we did the survey. That made it necessary to include all of Canada and the U.S. in our search for asking prices in order to find multiple examples. We tallied the prices we found for the chart in Canadian dollars. †

It’s been a few years since Deere’s 9330 and its contemporary competitors rolled off assembly lines. They’re now an option for farmers looking for lower-cost, late-model, pre-emissions horsepower. photo: john deere

By Scott Garvey

Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

LATE-MODEL 300 TO 400 HP TRACTORS FOR PERFORMANCE AND PRICING John Deere 9330

NH TJ380 / Case IH STX380**

Challenger MT945B

Versatile 2360

ENGINE* Displacement

13.5 L. Deere

12.9 L. Iveco

15.1 L. (Cat C15)

14 L Cummins

Horsepower at PTO speed

375 (1,895 r.p.m.)

347 (2,000 r.p.m.)

383 (2,000 r.p.m.)

301 (2,100 r.p.m.)

Horsepower at rated engine speed

332 (2,098 r.p.m.)

347(2,000 r.p.m.)

363 (2,100 r.p.m.)

301 (2,100 r.p.m.)

Maximum horsepower

385 (1,800 r.p.m.)

390 (1,800 r.p.m.)

416 (1,700 r.p.m.)

349 (1,800 r.p.m.)

Maximum drawbar pull, pounds

36,769 pounds

41,365 pounds

49,755 pounds

31,355 pounds

At PTO speed

82.9 l/h (1,895 r.p.m.)

78.2 l/h (2,000 r.p.m.)

88.99 l/h (2,000 r.p.m.)

67.53 l/h (2,100 r.p.m.)

At Max power

84.7 l/h (1,800 r.p.m.)

85.75 l/h (1,800 r.p.m.)

90.52 l/h (1,700 r.p.m.)

69.99 l/h (1,800 r.p.m.)

Gears/ranges

24 spd. partial powershift or 18 spd. full powershift

24 spd. synchro or 16 spd. powershift

12 spd. powershift

Max. Travel speed

37 km/h (24 spd.)

31.9 km/h (16 spd.)

39.3 km/h (16 spd.)

28.49 km/h (12 spd.)

Nebraska tested flow rates

Pump delivery rate at max. hyd. power (3 outlet sets combined) 167.3 l/min. (24 speed trans.) 187 l/min. (18 speed trans.)

Pump delivery rate at max. hyd. power main pump: 209.5 l/min. High flow pump: 135.9 l/min. (345.5 l/min. combined)

Pump delivery rate at max. hyd. power standard: 156 l/min. High flow pump: 206.4 l/min.

Not tested

SCV valves

4 to 6

4 to 9

4 to 5

Fuel

1,325 litres (350 gal.)

1,135 litres (300 gal.)

1,476 litres (390 gal.)

PTO

1,000 r.p.m. 1.75"

1,000 r.p.m.

Production years

2007 - 2011

2006 - 2007

2007 - 2009

2000 - 2008

Average advertised asking price

$227,250

$162,450

$138,500

$134,200

Fuel consumption

TRANSMISSION

HYDRAULICS

CAPACITIES

*Engine performance, hydraulic flow rates and speeds taken from Nebraska Tractor test lab reports

Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. Commercialized products have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides. Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for canola contains the active ingredients difenoconazole, metalaxyl (M and S isomers), fludioxonil and thiamethoxam. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for canola plus Vibrance® is a combination of two separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients difenoconazole, metalaxyl (M and S isomers), fludioxonil, thiamethoxam, and sedaxane. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn (fungicides and insecticide) is a combination of four separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin, ipconazole, and clothianidin. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn (fungicides only) is a combination of three separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin and ipconazole. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn with Poncho®/ VoTivo™ (fungicides, insecticide and nematicide) is a combination of five separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin, ipconazole, clothianidin and Bacillus firmus strain I-1582. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for soybeans (fungicides and insecticide) is a combination of four separate individually registered products, which together contain the active ingredients fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin, metalaxyl and imidacloprid. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for soybeans (fungicides only) is a combination of three separate individually registered products, which together contain the active ingredients fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin and metalaxyl. Acceleron and Design®, Acceleron®, DEKALB and Design®, DEKALB®, Genuity and Design®, Genuity®, JumpStart®, RIB Complete and Design®, RIB Complete®, Roundup Ready 2 Technology and Design®, Roundup Ready 2 Yield®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup Transorb®, Roundup WeatherMAX®, Roundup®, SmartStax and Design®, SmartStax®, Transorb®, VT Double PRO®, and VT Triple PRO® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC, Used under license. Vibrance® and Fortenza® are registered trademarks of a Syngenta group company. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design are trademarks of Bayer. Used under license. Herculex® is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC. Used under license. Poncho® and Votivo™ are trademarks of Bayer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ®

Agritechnica

Zetor teams with Pininfarina By Scott Garvey

ny automotive enthusiast worth his salt will instantly recognize the name Pininfarina, the famous Italian design studio whose artistic vision has helped create many classic car bodies. A lot of them have graced the world’s premiere auto shows. This year, however, one of their designs is being worn by a tractor and featured at Germany’s farm machinery show, Agritechnica. Czech tractor builder Zetor, has teamed up with Pininfarina to create a concept tractor. The brand wants to update its entire tractor line and the concept model at the centre of the company’s display in November was meant to point in the direction Zetor expects to take. But the company claims it’s looking to do more than just give its tractors a facelift. In a press release Zetor reveals it wants to be able to offer a line of four- and six-cylinder tractors spanning the 50 to 200 horsepower range. A couple of years ago the brand introduced its most powerful model to date, the Forterra HD, which has a 254 cubic-inch, turbocharged, four-cylinder diesel. Until the unveiling of the Pininfarina concept model, the Forterra was the company’s newest restyling effort. It currently tops out Zetor’s tractor line with 147 rated engine horsepower. The Pininfarina concept tractor on display at

photo: scott garvey

Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers

**These two tractors are basically the same and have identical published test results

This concept model displayed at Agritechnica represents the design direction Czech tractor manufacturer Zetor plans to take its tractor line. Agritechnica was just a shell, not a fully working machine. Specifications for any of the models that will roll off assembly lines with that look have yet to be finalized, and details are still sketchy on when we’ll hear and see more about them. The brand has a presence in Canada, with its North American headquarters located in Jacksonville, Florida. Keep your eye on zetorna.com for updates. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

JANUARY 5, 2016 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop

Agritechnica

John Deere debuts new EZ Ballast A quick-attach system allows five second ballast adjustments on 7R tractors By Scott Garvey

: to jo hn

photo: scott garvey

e er de

Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

o ph

ohn Deere took home a Silver Innovation award at Agritechnica this year for its newest idea in tractor ballasting, intended to make getting the right amount of weight on each axle a much simpler job. Attaching and removing wheel weights is so difficult, no one really bothers touching them once they’re bolted on. But there are times when more or less weight could make a tractor more efficient. Hence Deere’s idea: a quickattach ballast system. Engineers have designed a 1.7 tonne underbody weight frame that can be attached to any 7R tractor — or released — in only about five seconds. The company claims maximizing ballast with this system for field operations can improve drawbar pull by about nine per cent. Conversely when the tractor doesn’t need all the weight, such as when pulling trailers — a common job for European farmers — fuel efficiency gains can hit three per cent, because it’s not carrying all that extra heft around. “The idea here is to be light during transport (operations) and heavy during pulling applications,” says Deere’s Christian Shulz, who was showing the concept at Deere’s display during Agritechnica. “You get 1.7 tonnes attached to the tractor without leaving the cab, in a couple of seconds. This ballast doesn’t change the weight split of the tractor. So if you have 55-45 (axle weight ratio) you won’t change that.” To allow the ballast to attach in such a short time, the tractor driver simply drives up and over it. When the tractor is in position with the weight underneath, a dedicated hydraulic cylinder is lowered and catches a shoe on the ballast frame. It then raises the weight up, and a second lock is engaged by simply pushing an incab control button. It’s that easy. “It’s really easy to pick up,” says Maximillian Pauge, another marketing rep at the Deere display. “You can drive over it and pick it up with the hydraulics.” “In the cab, there is one SCV (control) dedicated to this system, which you activate, so it lifts the arm and another lever that locks the cylinder,” adds Shulz. Deere has just introduced the concept and was looking for customer feedback at the show. “We’re trying it on 7Rs to see how the acceptance is in the market,” he continues. “We might roll it out on other tractor platforms. We might go down to the 6Rs, but not the 8 Series. They already have enough (ballast).” The system may be more versatile than expected. “We’ve had a lot of drivers try it already, and they feel they’d like to leave it (the ballast) on for trailers, because the low centre of gravity gives the tractor really good stability when towing,” says Pauge. “That’s not what it was designed for, but that’s the feedback we’re getting.” The system should be introduced this spring. †

Top: The EZ Ballast cast iron frame can be quickly lifted off the ground and attached under the chassis of a 7R tractor in a few seconds to add ballast for field operations. Left: The company won a Silver Innovation award for its quick-change ballasting system at Agritechnica 2015.

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/ grainews.ca JANUARY 5, 2016

Machinery & Shop

Agritechnica

UniCrawler adds more floatation German manufacturer uses tracked carrier to keep trailers out of the mud

Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

photos: scott garvey

ubber track systems have been gaining a lot of interest in all areas of farm machinery design lately. But one German manufacturer, Annaburger, has taken the application of tracks a step beyond the usual tires-to-tracks conversion concept and created a floating chassis, which is designed to carry wheeled trailers across soft terrain. Tractor-drawn trailers are common on the other side of the Atlantic, so the UniCrawler is designed to add floatation where needed to help get them across fields or reduce soil compaction. The tractor simply drives over the UniCrawler chassis, between the two rubber-track modules, and stops when the towed trailer is placed on the UniCrawler platform. The operator just sets the trailer brake and that keeps the trailer firmly locked on the UniCrawler. It could be chained, but that usually isn’t necessary. When the tractor gets back to firm ground, the tractor driver releases the trailer brake and it rolls off, leaving the UniCrawler stationary. “You don’t have to do any-

thing, just brake the trailer,” said Sergii Giliev, Unnaburger’s export employee. “We can use the park brake, the trailer is parked on the platform and we can go.” Although it was designed primarily as an aid to dump trailers, it could be used to move any type of equipment. And, Giliev adds, it could allow farmers to save money when buying trailers, because they wouldn’t be required to pay for optional floatation tires. They can rely on the UniCrawler for that. The track modules are made in Quebec by Soucy Track, and the UniCrawler can handle a 32 tonne payload and accomodate trailers or equipment up to 3.2 metres wide. The UniCrawler can be hydraulically folded up to a transport width of less than 2.55 metres when it has to be moved between fields. Wholesale price will be about $88,000 euros (CDN$125,000). “It’s the first one which we’ve built, and we wanted to show it to our customers to hear what they’d say,” said Giliev. “It’s a prototype.” †

photos: annaburger

By Scott Garvey

The UniCrawler is designed to provide extra floatation for wheeled trailers moving across soft fields.

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Cattleman’s Corner forage production

Yearlings couldn’t keep up to multi-species pasture

s beef producers are always interested in finding ways to increase forage production and efficiency, the operators at Walter Farms near Camrose, Alta. are testing out an annual forage blend to help increase pasture carrying capacity. Working with Graeme Finn of Union Forages (www.unionforage.com) they were impressed with a grass/legume blend called the Peace Diverse Mix. Although it was customized a bit for Walter Farms, the blend included four types of forage brassica, forage sorghum, forage millet, Italian rye grass, 4010 peas, crimson clover, hairy vetch and a few oats and wheat. The hairy vetch and clover are annual legumes, the sorghum and millet are considered warm season forages, while the Italian rye is a cool season grass. The forage brassicas are different creatures — Winfred is a cross between kale and turnip, Hunter is a cross between turnip and Asiatic leaf vegetables, Corinne is an Ethiopian cabbage, and Graza is a fodder radish. All grow well in most of Western Canada. “With dry conditions, (about half the nor-

mal rainfall) it was actually a poorer growing season,” says Ed Lange, one of the farm owners. But with a bit of rain in July the pasture really took off. The 150 head of yearlings moved through the 50-acre seeding divided into five pastures (being moved every few days) three times during the summer and early fall, the farmers also cut about 10 tons of silage off part of the block during the late summer, and into October it was still growing. “We actually could have run quite a few more yearlings but we didn’t know what to expect,” says Ed. Ed says the Peace forage blend isn’t a cheap feed in terms of establishment, but it did greatly increase carrying capacity, put pounds on the yearlings, and also saved on the cost of trucking cattle to pasture. He estimates it cost about $75 per acre for the seeding. That included $28 per acre for the seed, $22 per acre for seeding costs with the drill, about $10 per acre for a pre-seeding glyphosate treatment and another $15 per acre to vertical till the field before seeding. After a 50-acre trial with the blend in 2015, they plan to see 100 acres in 2016. †

Chris Walter, left, Ernie Lange, Graeme Finn of Union Forage and Ed Lange discuss the diverse forage blend grown on the Camrose, Alta. area farm this year.

Alberta and Ontario couples named OYF winners

arm families operating two diverse Canadian livestock operations were named Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2015 at a competition and awards ceremony held in Edmonton in late November. Ontario hog farmers Mike and Amy Cronin of Bluevale, and Alberta goat dairy farmers Patrick and Cherylynn Bos of Ponoka were selected from a field of six farm couples from across Canada for the annual award. The Cronins operate a diversified hog operation on both sides of the border, with a 3,600-sow farrow-to-weaner (55 lbs.) operation at the Canadian headquarters at Bluevale west of Kitchener. On the U.S. side they have farrow-to-finish and early-weaned pig operations in Iowa, along with a genetic multiplier operation in Missouri. In total they manage about 17,000 sows.

PROGRESSIVE DAIRY The Bos family has been building their goat dairy operation in central Alberta for the past 18 years. Initially they were just producers of goat milk, but in more recent years have built their own processing facility, creating the farm brand name Rock Ridge Dairy. Rock Ridge Dairy products from their own 750-head doe herd and other suppliers are sold through to major grocery chains across Western Canada under various labels such as Oak Island and Happy Days Brands. In 2012, the Bos’s decided to take another big step: to upgrade their facility and equipment to allow for the production of organic cows’ milk and creams. Most recently, to help with farm growth, the Bos’s worked closely with equipment manufacturers and technology providers in Holland, Israel and Canada to develop

Sponsors and winners at the OYF event in Edmonton include from left: Komie Hossini, Bayer CropScience, Charlene Raymond, John Deere Canada, winners, Mike and Amy Cronin (Ont.), Patrick and Cherylynn Bos (Alta.), and John Steeves, CIBC. a 90-stall, semi-automated rotary milking parlor making it one of the largest and most “cutting-edge” rotary milking parlours in the world. Along with the Bos and Cronin farm families, other OYF regional nominees for 2015 included David and Sara Simmons (Atlantic region), Christian Bilodeau and Annie Sirois (Quebec region), Mark and Cori Pawluk (Manitoba region), and Jeff and Ebony Prosko (Saskatchewan region). Celebrating 35 years, Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers’ program is an annual competition to recognize farmers that exemplify excellence in their profession and promote the tremendous contribution of agriculture. Open to participants 18 to 39 years of age, making the majority of income from on-farm sources, participants are selected from seven regions across Canada, with two national winners chosen each year. The program is sponsored nationally by CIBC, John Deere, Bayer CropScience, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The national media sponsor is Annex Business Media, and the program is supported nationally by AdFarm, BDO and Farm Management Canada. †

the Markets

Beef market will get worse, before it gets better

Over supply and low demand — a deadly combination Jerry Klassen Market Update

ed and feeder cattle markets have been trending lower throughout the fall and early winter as the market contends with growing beef supplies and lacklustre demand. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle in the range of $158 to $160 in mid-December while pen closeout breakeven values are closer to $200. Cold storage stocks of beef and pork are sharply higher than year-ago levels and wholesale beef prices remain under pressure. January and February are months of seasonally low beef demand, which is making it difficult to clean up the backlog of market-ready supplies in the feedlots. Canada is in a full-blown recession and keep in mind we consume most of the beef domestically. Canadian consumers are overwhelmed with household debt and the high tax structure is slowing higher-end beef consumption. Feeding margins have been sharply negative since September.

MARGINS ARE NEGATIVE Earlier in fall, there was hope the market would recover which led feedlots and back-

grounding operators to buy cattle without being able to lock in a profitable margin. However, the reality is setting in and feeder cattle purchases are now reflecting the profitability in the deferred months. Central Alberta prices for higher-quality 850-pound steers dropped below the magical $200 level in December with active trade from $184 to $189, which is down about $50 from yearago levels. U.S. feedlots are contending with a marginal increase in cattle-on-feed numbers. The year-over-year increase in the U.S. calf crop will continue to enhance feedlot inventories throughout 2016. Currently, feedlots in Canada and the U.S. are backed up with market-ready supplies and carcass weights are sharply above year-ago levels. Canadian exports of fed cattle to the U.S are running 48 per cent behind year-ago levels due to the burdensome supply situation. U.S. beef stocks have been building in the final quarter of 2015 due to larger pork and poultry production. Pork production during the third was up over 500 million pounds in comparison to last year while fourth-quarter production was up 350 million pounds. Weakness in pork values has slowed beef consumption as consumers remain price conscious with rising household debt. Looking forward, U.S. beef production is projected to experience a year-over-year increase of nearly 300 million pounds in the first quarter of 2016, which will be followed by a 400-million

U.S. QUARTERLY BEEF PRODUCTION (MILLION POUNDS) Quarter

2012

2013

2014

EST. 2015

EST. 2016

6,283

6,172

5,868

5,664

5,950

6,475

6,517

6,183

5,855

6,255

6,584

6,608

6,179

6,066

6,330

6,571

6,420

6,021

6,080

6,145

Total

25,913

25,717

24,251

23,665

24,680

Source USDA

pound increase in the second quarter. The market needs to move to low enough levels to encourage domestic consumption or offshore movement. The strong U.S. greenback has tempered exports to Southeast Asia where currencies have deteriorated.

PRAIRIE NUMBERS Alberta and Saskatchewan cattle-on-feed inventories as of December 1 were up two per cent over year-ago levels while November placements were up four per cent. Canadian exports of feeder cattle to the U.S. are running 32 per cent behind last year and this trend will continue into 2016. Therefore, domestic Canadian feedlots need to absorb larger supplies of feeder cattle. The Canadian beef market is feeling the effects of the recession with rising unemployment levels and lower consumer spending. Federal income is forecasted to drop sharply as the revenues deteriorate. Transfer payments to the provinces will be cut drastically in the New Year. Unfortunately, it looks like the worst part of the Canadian recession is yet to come and no amount of government stimulus will offset low oil prices and spending contraction. Tax hikes, rising household debt along with the surge in costs of imported goods will constrain the average consumer beyond imagination. Food inflation will be a hot topic in 2016. The fed cattle market is expected to trend

lower into February, which will spill-over into the feeder complex. I estimate it will take a couple months for feedlots to become current with market-ready supplies on both sides of the border. Rising beef production will temper any rallies. The market will likely overextend to the downside for both the fed and feeder cattle. Therefore, I feel the next opportunity will be to buy lighterweight calves in early spring that will come on the market in the final quarter of 2016. In the short term, I feel the feeder market could drop an additional $20 to $30 from current levels. Given the projected price of fed cattle, 800-pound steers Western Canada need to trade around $180 so that feedlots can be profitable. Cow-calf producers can expect the market to remain under pressure until we see prices come in line. After a prolonged period of negative feeding margins, feedlots typically abruptly back away from the market as equity erodes. We need to see one full round of feeding losses before the feeder market stabilizes. Cattle producers have once again realized how quickly and drastically the market can change within a short amount of time. † Jerry Klassen is manager of the Canadian office for Swiss based grain trader GAP SA Grains and Products Ltd. He is also president and founder of Resilient Capital —a specialist in commodity futures trading and commodity market analysis. Aside from owning farmland in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, he’s a University of Alberta graduate who grew up on a mixed farm feedlot operation in Southern Alberta, which keeps him close to the grassroots of grain and cattle production. He can be reached at 204 504 8339.

/ grainews.ca JANUARY 5, 2016

Cattleman’s Corner Anyone can start farming

Oil treatment may be a dehorning option Removing goat horn buds with hot iron or paste has drawbacks

he public push toward the use of an anaesthetic for routine on-farm veterinary procedures such as horn disbudding, along with our own personal dislike for horns has fuelled our search for alternatives to remove horns on our goats. For years we have searched for the best method of disbudding goats since, unlike in cattle, polled genetics are not really a viable option. Our main concern with intensively breeding polled goats is that polled breeding can result in hermaphroditism. There are always breeders who disagree on this point but scientifically it is a definite possibility. According to Introduction to Veterinary Genetics by Frank W. Nicholas polled breeding can be risky because goats are different than other mammals. “In normal circumstances in other species of mammals, individuals that have two X chromosomes develop into normal females,” writes Nicholas. “Even in goats, XX individual that are horned (pp) or heterozygous for polled (Pp) are normal females. But all XX goats that are homozygous for the polled allele are intersexes (hermaphrodites). In addition, a proportion of XY goats that are homozygous for the polled allele are sterile.”

on a farm in New Zealand where twelve of 150 goat kids between the ages of four to 10 days old had died three days after disbudding with a hot iron. On top of that another 18 had been ill but survived after being put on antibiotics. The autopsies performed on these New Zealand goats confirmed our suspicions — it was the disbudding itself that was a contributing factor to the goat health problems we were seeing. Apparently kid goat’s skulls are much thinner than a calf’s skull and the heat of the iron could cause a lot of damage to the frontal area of the brain which attracts bacteria to the area (http://www.ncbi.nlm. nih.gov/pubmed/16220135).

photo: debbie chikousky

Debbie Chikousky

This reality left us with a decision to either physically remove horns or live with them because for our farm breeding polled just seemed complicated. Our infrastructure doesn’t lend itself to horns and the one goat fatality that resulted from horns getting zapped by our electric fence was enough. The horns of a goat are a part of their skull and open into the sinus cavity. Therefore, goat horns do not lend themselves to be sawed off as adults. This means the best option is disbudding them with a hot iron as kids. There are breeders who have tried notching adult horns and using castrating rings to remove adult horns but this never worked for us. A tutorial can be found at this link http://www. goatworld.com/articles/disbudding/dehorning.shtml.

NEWEST APPROACH The method we are now experimenting with, also comes from New Zealand, and involves injecting clove essential oil into the kid’s horn buds before the bud is attached to the skull. We injected Eugenia caryophyllata (clove essential oil) at a rate of 0.2 mL of clove essential oil into the centre of the horn bud of a restrained kid goat. The horns on this doeling had already started growing. The resulting scur looks like a horn but feels like cartilage. We are encouraged enough by this to continue this method next kidding season. It is important to make sure it is done in the appropriate time frame, which in the abstract says is three days of age. The tissue is supposed to stop growing within five days

PROBLEMS WITH INFECTION The problem we started having the last couple of years was kids getting infections after disbudding. If not caught quickly it would go to the brain and result in death. Disbudding with a hot iron is the accepted method also used in New Zealand. When we realized that these animals were falling ill in relation to the disbudding we consulted with Canadian veterinarians. The veterinarians suggested it was due to wet, flies or other conditions of our Canadian springs. Last season it was still frozen when we were disbudding and it happened again. The environment was frozen and there were no flies so we went researching and found a study done

The 2016

This doe was treated with clove oil as a kid to remove horns. of treatment which from our observations is true. This is very encouraging for our farm. This method can be utilized in fly season when it is very unsafe to disbud for example. We are trying to find more information about using this on calves also. The study abstract, in full, is located at http://www. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25992247. Another very big plus is that one person can perform these injections and they result in little to no noticeable discomfort to the animals. † Debbie Chikousky farms with her family at Narcisse, Manitoba. Visitors are always welcome. Contact Debbie at debbie@chikouskyfarms.com.

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Vo lu m e 1 2 , n u m b e r 1 6

no word on farm aid until after harvest Livestock producers have a tax deferral option, but government waiting to see if crop insurance is adequate By Alexis Kienlen AF STAFF

August 3, 2015

Farm leaders say workers’ compensation coverage is a good thing Mandatory enrolment could be announced this fall, but leaders say cost and paperwork won’t be onerous

cP Rail says it’s ready to move this year’s crop to market

MAFRD is looking at how well these oversize cold frames can extend horticultural growing seasons

The company is investing billions to move even more grain as western Canadian production continues to increase

see CP Rail on page 7 »

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High tunnel production has potential to extend the Manitoba grower’s season, says MAFRD’s fruit crops specialist Anthony Mintenko. He and the provincial vegetable crop specialist are evaluating fruit and vegetable crops for high tunnel production at the AAFC site at Portage la Prairie. PHOTO: LORRAINE STEVENSON

BY LORRAINE STEVENSON

You don’t have to go far to find hazards on a farm, and that’s why new workplace safety regulations are inevitable, say farm leaders. PHOTOS: COURTESY Canadian agRiCUlTURal SafETY aSSOCiaTiOn

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tors for workers’ compensation.” Oneil Carlier, the new NDP agriculture minister, has vowed to extend workplace safety regulations to farm workers who aren’t currently covered by workers’ compensation or Occupational Health and Safety regulations. Today, only around seven per cent of Alberta farm employers voluntarily carry workers’ compensation for their operations. But offering that protection — both for employers and employees — is one of the realities of farm-

Mike Millar

ing today, said Jacobson, who farms near Enchant. “There’s getting to be more and more hired help on the farm and we’re employing more people,” he said. “It gives protection from litigation and other advantages, and if you don’t have it, there can be some serious consequences.” And farm workers today “aren’t just interested in a paycheque,” he said. “They’re starting to realize, ‘If I get hurt on this job, where’s the protection for my family?’ When it comes down to it, a farm that has some type of

protection for those people is going to have a lot easier time hiring people.”

Cost and paperwork

There are “some misconceptions” about workers’ compensation that have made Alberta farmers reluctant to offer coverage to their workers, said Jacobson. “Some people don’t like that administrative role and the paperwork that is associated with the program at this point in time,” he said.

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hanges to farm safety regulations are expected soon — and that might not be a bad thing for Alberta farmers, says the president of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture. “Workers’ compensation or private insurance really is a great risk management tool for farms nowadays,” said Lynn Jacobson. “That protection against litigation is one of the big selling fac-

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senior executive with CP Rail says the company is “well positioned” to move this year’s g ra i n c r o p d e s p i t e re c e n t cutbacks in staff and locomotives. Grain is, was and will continue to be Canadian Pacific Railway’s biggest cargo, John Brooks, vice-president of sales and marketing for bulk commodities, said in an interview Aug. 6. And the historic railway founded in 1881 is investing to move even more in the future, he said. “Make no bones about it, grain is king at CP,” he said. “It is our life-bread. There is nothing we want to do more than move a lot of grain. “I think we feel pretty good about our handling capacity… to move this new crop.”

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rop producers will have to wait until after harvest to find out if there is any government drought assistance, says the president of the Grain Growers of Canada. The question of additional farm aid was put to Oneil Carlier, the new NDP agriculture minister, when he attended an Alberta Wheat Commission directors’ meeting in Red Deer on July 21, said Gary Stanford, who is also a director with that organization. “I asked him if there will be any form of funding for cattle and hay, and also for some areas that are so dry that crop insurance for grain farmers won’t really cover everything,” said the Magrath-area producer. “He said that he will probably wait until after harvest is over and he gets the crop insurance information back from the Agricultural Financial Services Corporation to see what the facts are. He’ll then find out which counties are in the worst shape.” That same stance was taken by Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz at a national meeting of agriculture ministers held in mid-

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production system that extends the growing season, offers growers a competitive edge in the marketplace and potential to make more money sounds mighty tempting. That’s why fruit and vegetable growers were out in large numbers at Hort Diagnostic Days in late July to hear more about construction of high tunnels. This is the first year a variety of fruits and vegetables has been planted in the high tunnel built in 2014 at the Agriculture Agri-Food

Canada location in Portage la Prairie. Growers are keen to hear what Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) specialists are learning. High tunnel production is commonplace in other parts of Canada and in northern and central U.S. where nearly every type of fruit and vegetable is now grown, even tree fruits. MAFRD staff are researching how high tunnels work in Manitoba growing conditions. “We have a lot of recommendations from other places like Minnesota and Ontario about what to grow in a high tunnel but nothing for under Manitoba conditions,” said fruit

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JANUARY 5, 2016 grainews.ca /

Cattleman’s Corner Animal Health

Tips for minimizing dark cutters Quiet handling is one important factor Roy Lewis animal health

n extremely frustrating, mostly-preventable condition commonly related to shipping finished feedlot cattle is the incidence of dark cutters or to a lesser degree the amount of bruising experienced at the feedlot. Dark cutters — carcasses displaying purplish-black rather than bright red lean meat — has the highest incidence in intact bulls, with steers next. Contrary to what many people think heifers can be dark cutters as well. It is not worth taking the chance having any intact bulls in a group of market animals. Not only do they have a much higher incidence of dark cutters, they also can stir up the entire group resulting in a higher incidence. Most feedlots take great efforts to check all incoming cattle so stags from improper castration can be dealt with early in the feeding period. Purebred breeders, when culling yearling bulls, should castrate them (with the aid of painkillers). The risk from blood loss is fairly low, but if fed out the incidence of dark cutters in these intact bulls can be as high as 25 to 30 per cent and the economic losses can be huge. Producers are often paid only 50 per cent of their potential value. It is well worth the risk to castrate unless you are doing on-farm slaughter where transportation is not an issue.

RIDING ISSUES Bulling and “riding” is one major contributor to dark cutter carcasses. Make sure proper implanting techniques are followed as most of the “riding” occurs early especially if implants are crushed. Even infected implant sites can lead to uneven absorption of product and increased riding may result. Riding in the feedlot is never a good thing. Just as stags or intact bulls are a problem, the bullers or “sweet asses” as they are affectionately called will cause excessive riding and may need to be removed permanently. Oddball conditions such as hermaphrodites (intersex animals) or freemartin heifers may need to be removed or segregated. They often are very mixed up hormonally and may act aggressive and ride lots.

TRANSPORTING ISSUES When transporting cattle to the slaughterhouse, keep them as quiet as possible before loading. Some feedlots, if they use horses for pen checking, try to use feedlot workers on horses for loading, as the cattle do not recognize that as something different. Just the fact of loading cattle with people on foot can increase dark cutters incidence. It is also important to avoid mixing cattle when shipping. If taking from small groups use the dividers in the trailer and make a conscious effort to keep them

separate. Send instructions to keep separate at the plant as well. At loading, handle cattle as quiet as possible, minimizing the use of prods, whips or other devices. Quiet handling really is important at any time. Ideally set up a level loading chute as cattle enter the truck. It helps to greatly improve handling. Prods should be rarely needed or used if the loading area is set up properly, helping to greatly reduce bruising losses and hide damage. Proper truck flooring is critical as well to minimize sleeping or causing downers on their way to the plant. Any measures that reduces shrink such as providing a good water supply with electrolytes or vitamin E as an antioxidant

helps reduce shrink and secondarily should help with dark cutters. There are also stress-reducing products that can be mixed in water that have been shown to decrease weight loss from dehydration and reduce dark cutters as a secondary benefit.

TEMPERATURE FACTOR Fluctuations in temperature will also increase dark cutter incidence. The highest incidence of dark cutters in the U.S. occur in March and April with the least in December. Temp fluctuations are most common in early spring, and also young heifers will be cycling more, which will definitely drive up the incidence. If you are using MGA

to suppress heat in the heifers, make sure to be extremely tight to the 48-hour withdrawal timing. If you go over the time limit it can result in a rash of cycling activity and riding (they essentially have been synchronized), which will drive up the dark cutters bigtime. Recent research on cattle fatigue syndrome supports the belief shipping in real hot weather and moving and running cattle longer distances can lead to at the very least dark cutters — downer cattle being the worst-case scenario. Most of the management changes to prevent dark cutters are within your control. Any improvement in handling, that reduces bruises such as changing maladjusted alley stops and removing

protruding bolts decreases dark cutters. Always analyze your processing and implanting techniques. Always be vigilant of stags or uncastrated bulls and properly castrate them as soon as possible. Marketing of intact yearling bulls may be a recipe for disaster when it comes to dark cutters. Temperament of cattle can also have a big influence on dark cutters, so breeding selection can be a factor as well. By implementing these strategies hopefully we can keep the incidence of dark cutters and the economic downgrades to a very low level. † Roy Lewis is an Alberta-based veterinarian specializing in large-animal practice. He is also a part-time technical services vet for Merck Animal Health.

Western Canadian Holistic Management 2016 CONFERENCE

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/ grainews.ca JANUARY 5, 2016

Cattleman’s Corner Better Bunks and Pastures

Dairy corner

Make sure mineral feeders are full

Beware of “things” in dairy cow water

Minerals for the cow also help get the calf off to a good start PETER VITTI

BY PETER VITTI

CRITICAL TIME Good mineral intake by the pregnant cow herd is important at this time of year. Not only does good mineral intake maintain or build good mineral status required by their vital body tissues and immune system, it plays a big part in the last trimester of pregnancy in spring cows. Pre-calving beef cows on a poor mineral feeding program deplete their own limited trace mineral reserves, even before their calves become mineral deficient and they themselves are adversely affected. It is estimated the late-gestation fetus (and placental tissues) use up to 30 per cent of the pre-calving cow’s daily requirements for essential trace minerals. Since, the developing fetus is totally dependent upon the availability of essential minerals travelling through the placenta from its mothers’ blood, it uses its own natural ability to store certain trace minerals such as iron, copper, zinc, manganese, and selenium. It’s a natural instinct of post-calving survival, since colos-

photo: peter vitti

eef cows cannot live without minerals and vitamins, which are often deficient or biologically unavailable in many overwintering forage. I advise people to put loose mineral on a regular basis for their gestating cows, so all essential mineral and vitamin requirements are supplemented. Unfortunately, some people don’t always feed enough mineral. With a little effort, cattle producers should calculate the proper amount of mineral, monitor mineral intake and take any action to correct poor consumption.

This proper mineral feeder is also mounted on a tire to keep it out of the wet and keep cows from stepping into it. trum and milk are low in these trace minerals. For example, selenium status in fetal and newborn calf is only a reflection of the selenium and vitamin E status of its mother during gestation — white muscle disease in newborn calves is cited as a direct result of selenium deficiency in freshened beef cows.

MINERAL CALCULATION To prevent mineral (and vitamin) deficiencies, producers should follow the daily recommendations printed on the feed label sewn to each commercial bag of cattle mineral. Most feed companies recommend that between 56 to 112 grams (re: two to four oz.) of salt-free mineral per cow per day. If salt makes up at least 25 per cent of this mineral, one should adjust mineral intakes, accordingly. By my calculations, I use 80 g x three days of feeding x number of cows and then round off to the number of bags that is needed. For a 200 cow-calf operation: (80 g x three days x 200 days) /25-kg bags = two bags/three days should be provided. From my own practical experience, here are a few considerations I find work to achieve daily mineral consumption goals:

• Invest in a durable mineral feeder — I am not a particular fan of wooden boxes, oil drums cut in half or even feed bunks to feed mineral to cattle. A good mineral feeder should be easily accessible to all cows, but protects mineral from the effects of water, wind, and sunshine. Note — A friend of mine that owns about 200 beef cows mounts each durable plastic feeder on a truck tire to keep mineral out of the rain or snow as well as preventing the odd cow from stepping right into the feeder (see photo). • Mineral feeder placement is important — It is also recommended portable mineral feeders should be located where cattle will make frequent visits. Moving mineral stations closer to water sources generally increases mineral intake by cows, while moving feeders farther back from the water will often decrease mineral intake. It is always a good idea to have enough mineral feeders for the whole herd; one standard recommendation is one feeding station for every 30 to 50 cows. • Check mineral feeders every few days — At the beginning of the winter, mineral consumption by beef cows is often higher than the normal. However, as cows get used to their new overwinter diets, free-choice mineral feeding tends to adjust itself. Some producers mix salt with their purchased mineral, in order to either increase or decrease cow mineral intake. It is common to mix 1/3 salt with 2/3 mineral, and feed it. • Clean and repair mineral feeders — Cattle don’t like to eat stale or leftover hardened mineral. I have seen cattle overeat fresh mineral, when feeders that were fully stocked once again, after not being cleaned for weeks. Damaged mineral feeders (torn rubber flap) should be fixed, while broken or excessively damaged feeders should be replaced. These points remind me of a frugal producer I knew years ago, who didn’t want to spend money on a feeder. He used to pour one-half bag of cattle mineral on the ground in front of the cows each morning. By late afternoon, what wasn’t trampled was magically soaked into the wet snow. From the amount of mineral that was wasted, he could have bought an excellent quality mineral feeder, filled it with the proper type of mineral, assuring his cows met their gestation mineral and vitamin requirements during the winter. † Peter Vitti is an independent livestock nutritionist and consultant based in Winnipeg. To reach him call 204-254-7497 or by email at vitti@mts.net.

professor who once taught our nutrition class a long time ago (a long time ago) said the actual amount of water drunk by lactating dairy cows was important for milk production. However, she said it was the “things” that existed in their drinking water, which often limit their health and production during lactation. Even today, I remember part of this lecture and always check the volume and quality of water flowing into a dairy barn. Initially, the actual amount of water required by dairy cows depends upon their age, health status, body size, and milk production; water consumption by most milk cows during a typical lactation cycle can be estimated with relative accuracy in two major ways: (1) provide four to five litres of water for every one kilo of dry matter feed consumed or (2) provide three to 3.5 litres of water for every litre of milk produced. Dairy cows spend six to eight hours per day at the feed bunk, yet spend a nominal total of 20 to 30 minutes per day drinking water. Research field trials also demonstrate most dairy cows prefer to do the majority of their drinking, right after exiting the milking parlor. Cows have been shown to consume about 50 to 60 per cent of their daily water intake within an hour after each milking. This means good design and placement of any water system should follow a cow’s natural drinking behaviour. For example in a free-stall barn, a water trough should be placed near the milking parlor exit and within 20 metres of the feed bunk or at the cross-alleys in the barn. It should also have a recovery fill-rate of about 30 to 40 litres per minute. Since most troughs are metal (plastic ones are becoming popular), each tank should be occasionally checked and guaranteed free of stray-voltage. Water of questionable quality is usually non-life threatening. However, it can still have a negative effect upon other aspects of otherwise well-balanced dairy nutrition and management, namely; decreased feed digestion and lower uptake of essential nutrients geared for good milk production.

REAL WATER SITUATIONS Here are some open-ended real-life situations where I found poor quality water caused overall poor health, reproduction and milk performance:

• Several milk cows of a 300-cow dairy had a mild diarrhea that never seem to disappear, despite the lactation herd being fed a wellbalanced diet. I did not think subclinical acidosis or other digestive upsets was the cause. All of the barn’s close-up cow group of 15 to 20 cows also had severe udder edema. A water test of total dissolved solids (TDS) revealed high saline (salt) levels. • A 70-cow milking herd drew its drinking water from untreated river water and experienced a high level of mastitis and other health issues. Although, it was occasionally treated with chlorine, this problem was repetitive and afflicted cows took a long time to recover. A water test showed high counts of environmental E.coli. • Iron is an acknowledged nutrient for bacteria and has been implicated in salmonella outbreaks. High iron also contributes to poor tasting water. • The absolutely worst situation I encountered concerning poor water quality issues was a 150-cow dairy producer that had barn water that smelled of rotten eggs. The water coming out the tap in the barn-sink had a literal black colour. The cows suffered from low milk production, poor reproduction and had several health problems. I believed that there was a mass of decaying matter in his well or the farmer might have had high-sulphate levels contaminating water or both problems. • I see in many barns where cows drop feed from their mouths and I have seen thick black sludge build up in their troughs or waterers. Algae growth is also a common sight even during winter. On one such visit, a producer started to routinely clean the algae from the cows’ exiting water troughs and noticed a slight milk increase afterwards. Granted, the corrective action necessary to solve each one of these situations was different, yet I started each “road-to-recovery” by taking water-samples. I had most of the samples tested for Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), pH (acid-base test), mineral concentrations and bacteria contamination. Once, these lab analyze were completed and I reviewed them, specific action was taken in each case, where “things” in the water were found. In the last situation, the water tests were not used, because the producer walked by the water though, noticed the scummy green water and scrubbed the tank clean. † Peter Vitti is an independent livestock nutritionist and consultant based in Winnipeg. To reach him call 204-254-7497 or by email at vitti@mts.net

JANUARY 5, 2016 grainews.ca /

Cattleman’s Corner Rancher’s Diary

Cow still grazing as winter sets in heather smith thomas

to sort. They are leaving their cows on the upper place to graze the roadside hill pasture. Andrea and I brought ours down to heifer hill where there’s still some grass that hasn’t completely snowed under.

NOVEMBER 27

DECEMBER 14

ndrea drove to the 320 on the four-wheeler to break ice on the water trough last Tuesday and checked the cows. They were nearly out of grass, so she let them into 160-acre pasture. There were 40 deer eating the green regrowth, pawing through the snow, and our cows might as well eat some of it. Robbie has been helping Michael and Nick build fence on a custom-fencing job. Andrea’s kids started hockey practice, then Andrea realized they can’t do hockey this year; there’s not enough time nor money for hockey trips, with the custody battle and lawyer expenses. Last Saturday it got a lot colder. Andrea helped me do chores and break ice for all the horses. We started feeding heifers some alfalfa hay even though they still have grass: their pasture is snow-covered. That afternoon Andrea, Lynn and I went to the 320 on his fourwheeler to break and remove two inches of ice on the water trough. The four-wheeler battery was dead and we had to pull-start it. Then we rode Ed and Sprout to move a neighbour’s bull because it’s been trying to come through our fence. I rode Ed because Dottie is still inexperienced at handling difficult cattle. Carolyn came on her four-wheeler and young Heather rode her horse. We started to bring the bull out of the field to get him on the road (to go up to the Gooch place) but he charged at our horses. So we got some of the cows from the Gooch place to bring down and put with the bull, and then we were able to take them all back up the road together. Sunday afternoon Andrea and I rode Sprout and Dottie to the 320 to break ice, and scooped out all the ice from the trough with a shovel and rake. It was very cold for several days so we rode daily to break ice. Then it warmed up a couple days, and was very slippery. Jim (Emily’s dad) helped Lynn put chains on the tractor that we use for bringing big alfalfa bales to the heifers. Jim will be staying at Andrea’s house a few months, until he goes back to work for the outfitter/hunting guide in Montana. Andrea and Robbie helped him clean out the old trailer house in our barnyard (that Michael and Carolyn used as a calving camp in earlier years) for a shop this winter, where he can create the antler lamps and chandeliers that he sells. He joined us for Thanksgiving dinner at Andrea’s house. This morning it was -29 C and we brought the cows home. Andrea and I rode Sprout and Ed to meet Carolyn and young Heather at their corral. We gathered the cows off the 160 and brought them down to the corral

We had several cold nights below zero. Andrea broke ice on the creek for the cows. The heifers in the field below the lane are appreciating a heated water tank. Dani likes to help feed the heifers, especially her favourite, named Deerling. Emily and her dad went hunting a couple times, trying for an elk during the muzzle-loader season, but didn’t get close enough to shoot one. We got new tires for

Em’s car, with good traction, so she can make it up and down the driveway in snowy, icy conditions to drive to her job. Wednesday Andrea took Sam to the doctor again to have her foot checked, with another x-ray. The bone in her heel is slow to mend and she has to be on crutches for ANOTHER three weeks. A neighbour’s cows are short on feed. The cold weather and no feed has been hard on them. To help out, the Amish neighbours brought their little tractor up last week and finally fed these cows some bales from the stackyard on the Gooch place, but the cows are only being fed every other day or so. A couple days after they started feeding hay, one of the skinny old

cows just lay in the feed trail and died. Then the cows broke into the haystack. It is not a good situation. We’ve had several more snowstorms. Our cows grazed all the tall feed on heifer hill and were enjoying the short green regrowth when it all snowed under again. Andrea and I moved them to the field by her house. This past weekend Andrea and Robbie took the kids, dogs and sleds up the creek to get a Christmas tree, and they had a lot of fun sledding. Even Sam got to sled a little; they pulled her sled, and she didn’t have to walk on her crutches in the snow. † Heather Smith Thomas ranches with her husband Lynn near Salmon, Idaho. Contact her at 208-756-2841.

photo: heather smith thomas

Feeding and chopping ice part of the daily routine

With temperatures dropping below zero, Andrea was busy keeping waterers free of ice.

/ grainews.ca JANUARY 5, 2016

Home Quarter Farm Life SEEDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

How to prevent divorce on farms Divorce can wreak havoc and is one of the biggest threats to farm family legacy Elaine Froese

new year of possibilities. My parents married December 27, 1955. My brothers each chose to marry that same week in 1984, and 1990. I, being the rebel got married on Independence Day, July 4, 1981. Wes and I have outlasted Chuck and Di who married the same year, same month. Divorce is one of the biggest threats to farm family legacy. We need to start talking more about

how to prevent the breakups and create more makeups. So, as I write this I am thinking of neighbours, friends, clients of all ages and stages who have struggled to stay married in 2015. My prevention list: 1. Ask for what you need. Love does not read minds. When I want a hug I ask. When I need quiet time alone I negotiate the volume of the TV. My coaching career demands travel and time away, that is OK. 2. Listen to the needs of the other and act. Marriage is not 50/50, it is 100/100. You are committed to serving your mate with a servant attitude, and they serve you. How can you act on what is requested for change? When I talk too much Wes will squeeze my

knee under the table as a loving signal to give others air time. ? 3. Be kind and respectful. Every morning we get to choose if we are kind or nasty in our approach. Grouches need to get checked out by doctors for depression. Most in-laws would never even think of leaving the farm family IF they felt they were respected. Look each other in the eye and ask, “How can I show you more respect? What would you like me to do differently?” 4. Walk in their boots, take another person’s perspective. Young farmers are craving work/ life balance, a chance to read bedtime stories. Do you remember what it was like to be 35 with young kids? Young moms who

work off farm are exhausted. How can you share the load? 5. Adapt and yield with, “Yes, dear.” Wes hates putting up Christmas lights, but he still helps me do it. I know he appreciates hot home-cooked meals, so I am happy to vary the menu. Check in with your mate to see if there are other ways to adapt to what they desire. 6. Be physically strong and connected. Yes, we are talking about sex here, and being in shape physically to enjoy the age stage you are at. Many folks are open with me about their sexual frustration, guess it comes with being a good listener. We all need to love and be loved. Meaningful touch with hugs, kisses, shoulder squeezes is

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also part of the mix. Don’t talk about farming in the bedroom after dark. Play with each other instead. 7. Make quick repair. Conflict is normal. Abrasive fighting is bad. John Gottman’s book Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work is a great read. He emphasizes the need to keep conflicts short and small, fix them quickly. If you need more tools for this, go to www.elainefroese.com and watch the webinar on how to have better family fights. 8. Be thankful and count your blessings. Our farming friend has a disabled wife in a wheelchair. They are amazing how they show love to each other. They also remind us that we need to stay committed to each other in sickness and in health. Wes has already proven this to me when I spent most of 1984 in a psych ward with a severe postpartum depression. Work on your mental health, and choose a good attitude every day. 9. Reach out to quit your addictions. We all need support to quit the bad stuff whether it is workaholism, alcoholism, street drugs, or shopping too much. Find counselling, rehab, or a support group to get you to a better place. Anger that is not managed will destroy you and your marriage. 10. Finish well together. Have a lifestyle plan that goes beyond the farm as you age together. Play together. Enjoy grandchildren: please do not ignore these precious little ones. When you die don’t you want to be rich in relationship? You cannot take your farm shares with you to the grave! 11. Stop texting, start talking face to face. Social media is fuelling unfaithfulness in marriage. No secret emotional affairs for you. 12. Celebrate the milestones. Give a special card, have supper or night out. Bake a cake or pie to share with friends. Strong families celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, weddings, and engagements. 13. Save sex for marriage. Don’t live together or “shack up” before you have signed your marriage covenant, i.e. wed each other. The stats for the “almost married” common-law unions are pretty sobering. Those folks who live together before marrying are more likely to split. Understand the crudeness of the saying, “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?” Your partner may also be happy to look outside your bed for new partners if they did that so easily with you. 14. Fill each other’s emotional bank account or “love tank.” Make deposits every day into the wellbeing of your spouse. Find out if they like to be loved with words, meaningful touch, gifts, quality time together or acts of service. I have to stop, but I hope you get the picture. Divorce wreaks havoc in all of our agricultural families. I hurt when I see marriages fail. Let’s all work towards encouraging strong unions, so that divorce is not a threat to our farm’s legacy. † Elaine Froese, CSP,CAFA, CHICoach believes strong marriages are worth fighting for. Tweet @elainefroese. Call 1-866-848-8311. Visit www.elainefroese.com. Tell her what keeps your marriage strong. Invite Elaine to empower your family with coaching, books, and keynote messages at your next ag event. “Like” Farm Family Coach on Facebook.

JANUARY 5, 2016 grainews.ca /

photos: edna manning

Features Home Quarter Farm Life

Preserving farm memories Woman uses art and autobiography to do just that BY EDNA MANNING

hat began as two different hobbies for Carol Schroeder have both developed into successful ventures. Her first endeavour involves using pressed flowers to make items like decorative cards. Schroeder grew up on a farm northwest of Wolseley, Saskatchewan. Inspired by her grandmothers, she loved arts and crafts, including knitting, weaving, painting, sewing and embroidery. “I recall as a young girl being impressed with flowers and/or leaves pressed between the pages of a book. It seemed an awesome way to preserve and keep safe the memory of a special occasion, event or beautiful flower,” she says. In 1997 she began selling her pressed flower items at local card/ gift shops, which led to the formation of her company, Garden Memories by Carol, in 2000. After a 40-year career in nursing, Schroeder was ready to launch into a homebased business. In 2010 she was selected to become a juried member of the Saskatchewan Craft Council (SCC). This is validation of the quality of her work and affords the benefit of being posted on the SCC’s website. Schroeder uses all naturally grown materials for her creations and grows most of the flowers in her garden. “I search out leaves that retain their shape and especially their green col-

Her book recounts memories of growing up on the farm. our, even using the leaves of some weeds for this purpose. “I’m always experimenting with different types of flowers. Each summer, more and more of our huge vegetable garden space is given over to flowers. When my husband reminds me we can’t eat flowers, I tell him my flowers are ‘food for my soul,’” she says. Schroeder’s second way of preserving memories resulted in the publication of her autobiography, S.W. Seventeen—A Prairie Girl Remembers. “My intention at first was to preserve the memories I had of my childhood growing up on the farm for future generations of our fam-

ily, particularly our grandchildren,” she says, and had 15 spiral-bound copies made at a local print shop. “I felt satisfied I had accomplished what I had set out to do. Not so, said family and friends — you must publish this for all posterity.” The book was self-published in 2005 with Trafford Publishing, and local Wolseley businesses and Amazon carry the book. Interest has been very good with sales resulting in a second printing. “I feel blessed and thankful for this opportunity to share my childhood roots and memories that remain very dear to me. I retain ownership of the half section of prime farmland at Wolseley, renting to local farmers and visiting whenever possible. “Naming the book S.W. Seventeen—A Prairie Girl Remembers, seemed especially appropriate as this quarter section of land at Wolseley became the home quarter to our family and is where the majority of the recorded memories took place. The cover of the book reflects the farmyard as it exists today, surrounded by trees planted long ago as saplings by our parents.” Carol Schroeder and her husband currently live in Regina, retaining ownership to their respective farmlands at Wolseley and Neudorf. For more information on her cards and book, contact her at cgschroeder43@sasktel.net or (306) 543-4550. † Edna Manning writes from Saskatoon, Sask.

Carol Schroeder and her husband currently live in Regina, retaining ownership to their respective farmlands at Wolseley and Neudorf.

Top: Carol Schroeder with her artworks. Above: A sample of one of Carol’s many card designs.

/ grainews.ca JANUARY 5, 2016

Home Quarter Farm Life PRAIRIE PALATE

Because they all revolve around food they are likely to last

Amy Jo Ehman

t’s time for New Year’s resolutions, and for that I usually look to the kitchen. My resolutions always seem to revolve around food. One year I resolved to eat more potatoes. The next year, to eat more beans. The following year, to eat berries every day. Another year I pledged to make a pot of soup per week, and though I missed a few in the heat of summer, I made up for it through the winter months.

I admit, these may seem like odd resolutions at a time when most people are making more serious pledges for self-improvement such as weight loss, debt reduction and work-life balance. But how long do those resolutions last? By focusing on food, an activity I do anyway three times a day, I start the year confident my resolutions will stick. At least to my ribs. My first food-related New Year’s resolution came in 2005 when my husband and I pledged to eat almost nothing but locally grown foods for a full year. Ninety-five per cent of our meals began in Saskatchewan and the other five per cent made the

most of it. For example, a bit of cinnamon for a bread pudding or some olive oil for an authentic pasta primavera. This was a hard resolution to keep, not because the local bounty is lacking, but because it was hard to find. Back then, there were few if any websites, grocery stores or newspaper columns touting the benefits of eating locally and where to source it. We did all the groundwork ourselves. I bought organic lentils by mail, rode a combine through a field of coriander and learned to identify a chanterelle from a charlatan. I took up canning and put up herbs. I got a chest freezer and filled it with half a steer and

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I canned, froze, dried, jellied, jammed and steeped in vodka. Two years ago, my New Year’s resolution was to eat myself out of house and home. To clean out the pantry, empty the canning cupboard and dig to the bottom of the freezer. So I could start all over again. Which brings me to 2016. This year I have resolved to have more picnics. Winter, spring, summer and fall. And once again, I begin the year with the satisfaction of knowing I cannot fail to meet my goal. All gain and no guilt. I discovered this old Mennonite recipe during my year of 52 soups. I believe the term “ripe bean” refers to mature dried beans, as opposed to fresh green beans. Feel free to substitute a different bean and make it your own. † Amy Jo Ehman is author of Prairie Feast: A Writer’s Journey Home for Dinner, and, Out of Old Saskatchewan Kitchens. She hails from Craik, Saskatchewan.

photo: amy jo ehman

Resolutions for 2016

a whole pig. I even went duck hunting. The year was so good and so fun I wrote a book about it, Prairie Feast: A Writer’s Journey Home for Dinner. I was on a roll. My resolution to eat more potatoes was easier to keep. My dad grew enough potatoes to feed a small army so this resolution was also easy on the budget. To kick the year off, I cooked a New Year’s dinner with potatoes in every course: an appetizer of blue potato pakoras followed by a Spanish omelette, tartiflette (a French concoction of potatoes, bacon, cream and cheese) and, for dessert, mashed potato chocolate chip cookies. And a shot of potato vodka, of course. For the year of eating beans, I planted several varieties in my city garden. This resulted in a colourful if scant few cups of beans. Fortunately, I made up the deficit with locally grown lentils, chickpeas, pintos and fababeans. For the year of eating berries,

RIPE BEAN SOUP 1 pork hock, smoked or salted 2 cups dried white beans 10 black peppercorns 1 bay leaf 1 star anise 1 medium onion, chopped 1 tsp. salt Sour cream for serving (optional) Put pork hock in a stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer 1 hour. Place peppercorns, bay leaf and star anise in a spice ball or sachet. Add the spices and beans to the pot, cover and simmer 2 hours, topping up with water if needed. Remove pork hock. Add chopped onion and cook until the beans and onion are very soft, another hour. Meanwhile, remove meat from bone, chop and add to the pot. Remove spices. Season with salt as needed (this will depend on the saltiness of the meat). To serve, it is optional to stir a bit of sour cream into each bowl.

Bob Cates By jonny hawkins

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JANUARY 5, 2016 grainews.ca /

Home Quarter Farm Life SINGING GARDENER

Have a fantastic and abundant 2016 Plus, all about apricots and info on a new hybrid tomato ted meseyton

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL Some lyrics from one of my tunes: As the new year unfolds, may all of its days, Bring good things to you and good things to me, Then let them remain, ’til it’s new year again, With a heart full of love let it be. Happy New Year, Peace and good cheer, Happy New Year, Family and friends near, A Happy, Happy New Year all.

THE OLD DINNER BELL Having always appreciated bells, how I longed to pull the rope that rang the school bell nestled high up above the third floor. The pigeons would take off like a dirty shirt each time the custodian serenaded the sky with its ear-piercing ding-dong, ding-dong. As a kid, my consolation prize was to ring the old dinner bell down on the farm summoning workers in the field to the farmhouse for meals. You could hear that bell a half-mile and more away. Back then the dinner bell was as fast as cranking the telephone from a bygone era. Most every farm had a bell and each had its own identity according to tone and method it was rung. Besides mealtime, ringing a farm bell had other meanings. Rapid bell clanging usually meant trouble. It could be to summon help if there was an event such as a fire, someone was hurt, a child went astray or cattle wandered off through a break in the pasture fence. Nowadays, any modern farm that might still have a dinner bell uses it mostly for show and nostalgia.

THE MANCHURIAN APRICOT Right off the bat let me mention this. Apricots regardless of variety are early bloomers. Blossoms are always susceptible to spring frosts that may inhibit fruit development if they get nipped, or it’s too cool for pollinators to pay a visit. Partial shade may delay flowering somewhat but if you’re in a short growing season, full sun is best. In either case, try the tender rose protection method. Make sure soil is well watered just before a hard freeze that stays. Once soil remains completely frozen, apply

photo: courtesy w.h. perron

t’s 2016 and I, Ted, recall a time when bells were rung both in town and down on the farm to ring in the new year. Later herein, I’ll mention when the farm bell was rung at other times too. Also, I suggest Prairie fruit growers ought to plant two or three Manchurian apricot trees, plus have got a bit of info regarding a new hybrid tomato introduction. With aforesaid in mind, I extend a welcoming tip of my hat to all Grainews readers wherever you happen to be with a song from my heart.

This purple beefsteak-type tomato has a rich and robust complex flavour and traces its roots from historic Cherokee Purple and dark-black Carbon varieties. Ted tells more and where to buy seeds. bales of straw, loose flax straw, or bags and boxes filled with dried leaves or wood chips around each apricot tree, but not too close or tight against the trunk. Top the area off with lots of snow when it falls, but remember the ground must first remain frozen solid as though tree roots are in a block of ice. The trick is to prevent warming the soil too soon in spring and thus delay flowering. Each season has its own quirks as when to apply and remove the covering. The process can make it easier for uninvited mice, rabbits and/or deer to nibble away at the bark so you need to offset the good with the not so good when making a decision. That means common sense has to be applied as to what to do and when, depending on terrain and region.

LET ME TELL YOU A BIT ABOUT JOHANNA She has a limited number of 50- to 70-cm-size Prairie-hardy Manchurian apricot whips available on a first-come, first-served basis. She says “they are not a named variety but reliably produce quality fruit and are useful as pollinators for other apricot varieties.” Orders are taken at a minimum of $60 plus $40 shipping outside Ontario beginning in February. Printed catalogues for $2 each go out in the mail at that time too. Write to: Golden Bough Tree Farm, P.O. Box 59, 900 Napanee Road, Marlbank, Ont. K0K 2L0. Orders are not taken by phone but you can search the website at www.goldenboughtrees.ca. Marlbank is equal distance from Kingston and Belleville, at the apex of the triangle to the north of these cities.

RECAPPING APRICOT TRAITS More than any other fruit, apricot blossoms come on very early and are susceptible to spring frost damage. Any thaws during winter will diminish the hardiness of future buds. Apricot trees also tend to be biennial bearers. That trait can be extremely frustrating to Prairie orchardists where one crop in three may be wiped out by frosts. Also, because apricots grow with enthusiasm, it often results in more growth than trees can harden off or handle. Therefore it’s best to restrict nitrogen application severely. Once picked from the tree apricots do not increase their fruit sugar content. A variety that’s probably very difficult to come by today is Sunrise. It has reliably borne apricots for decades in and around Saskatoon and is hardy in Zone 2a. Prairie Gold is known for its hardiness in Zone 2b. If you know of a source for either or both, let me know.

REASONS TO EAT APRICOTS Fresh or dried, canned or frozen, let me share some reasons. In a nutshell apricots hold potential healing power that may help combat constipation, prevent cholesterol from damaging your arteries and protect against certain cancers such as cutting risk of lung and bladder cancer in half. Researchers in Finland determined there’s a protective effect from both fibre and beta carotene, a form of vitamin A that’s found in apricots and other orange and yellow fruits and vegetables. Apricots can be eaten fresh out of hand as is, or may be prepared as jam and dished up over a serving of ice cream for dessert. Place fresh or dried apricots on fruit and veggie finger food trays or cut into pieces and add to fresh salads or stir into oatmeal porridge. Dried apricots and almonds make a top-rated energy food snack during any time of day. You can truly arm your body against disease by serving apricots frequently.

O IT MUST BE THE TOMATOES Those are words I use a lot when singing my song for prostate health and wellness. Then I also proceed to include broccoli, blueberries, strawberries and homegrown potatoes. That’s my cue to tell Grainew readers about a new fruit of the vine. Purple hybrid heirloom tomato comes as a result of a marriage between Cherokee and Carbon varieties. This is a robust beefsteak type, purple in colour with a rich full flavour. Plants are indeterminate (i.e. require staking or trellising) and perform best in a sunny open garden. Individual fruit size varies between 280 to 350 grams (well over a half-pound) and reaches maturity about 75 days following transplanting outdoors. Remember the darker the colour, the more lycopene and other health-promoting benefits. For untreated seeds of aforesaid plus numerous other tomato varieties see website www.whperron.com or phone 1-800-723-9071, or write to W.H. Perron, Customer Service, Laval, Que. H7P 5R9.

catching us unaware of passing years. It seems not so long ago that I was young, newly married and embarking on a new life and career with my partner. Now, I’m wondering where all those years in between have gone. Memories come back of my hopes and dreams and what it was like back then. Here I am today in the back nine of my life and it has caught me by surprise. How did I get here so fast and where did those years between now and my youth go? I well recall seeing older folks from bygone days and thinking to myself that those men and women seemed so many years ahead of my youth. I was just at the start of life and could not begin to grasp what it would be like to be a senior. Now all of a sudden I have jumped from No. 1 to No. 9. Most of my friends are retired and showing salt and pepper colour in their hair. Some move slowly and others are in a wheelchair or use a walker. Some are in better shape than I am. What a great change now that I belong to the older persons’ community. Yes — I am among them now, showing my age since arriving at a season in life that I thought I’d never enter. This great transition has no similarity to those days I recall as a young and vibrant person. Each day I find that taking a shower or having a bath is a real chore for me. Taking an afternoon nap or 40 winks any time is not a treat. Instead it’s essential and often I snooze while sitting. Did I prepare for this new season in life with all of its aches, pains, doctor appointments and prescriptions — its loss of strength and inability to go about and do things whatever and whenever? Now that I’m on the back nine, (or is it the back forty) I have no idea how long I’ll stay and when or how it shall end. This I do know that when it’s over for me on this planet, my new adventure begins.

IN CONCLUSION Each of us has regrets. There are things we wish we hadn’t done and should have done and importantly, there are also many things we’re happy we did do. It’s all part of being human. To the younger folk who are not yet on the back nine of life here’s a reminder: It will be here faster than you think. If there’s anything you’d like to accomplish in life, then work toward that goal now and achieve it as soon and as best you’re able. Life goes by far too quickly and no individual has a promise that he/she shall see all the seasons of life. Say all the things you want your family and loved ones to hear. Show and express your love and appreciation and thank them abundantly for everything they’ve done for you. Don’t put it off! †

THE BACK NINE When I was a kid my folks often referred to a piece of their farmland as the back forty. They have long since gone on to their reward. Well the back nine was told to a friend of mine by his ex-girlfriend and is similar to a good back forty story. Seniors in particular will relate to this account that follows. Time has a way of moving quickly and

This is Ted Meseyton the Singing Gardener and GrowIt Poet from Portage la Prairie, Man. What great gift has Providence bestowed on a man and woman that is more dear to them than their children? In bringing up a child, think of its old age. Napoleon Bonaparte said: “The future destiny of the child is always the work of the mother.” Live happy in 2016 and may you experience a fantastic year and reap abundance from gardens and crops beyond all telling. My email address is singinggardener@mts.net.

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