Country guide east by Farm Business Communications

Too loyal to your machinery brand? 36 | 8 steps to your farm’s HR strategy  28

eastern EDITION / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA / March 1, 2018

If you build it... Ontario’s Martin family scores with businesses based on their success in the field  12

Unconventional

Young farmers succeed with ideas too out there for their parents  8

CROPS GUIDE The problem with problem weeds  47 It’s true. Our soil nutrient numbers are crashing  50 Publications Mail Agreement Number 40069240

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6 MACHINERY

Deere strengthens its tractor promise European farmers get first look at extended 6R series and innovative fuel guarantee.

Inside country guide / Vol. 137 Issue no. 4 / March 1, 2018

Business

47 CROPS GUIDE

Taste the future Their farm is a leader in technology, so why have the Grenkows gotten involved in value adding?

Hiring refugees This plan to find farm jobs for Syrian refugees is spreading across the country.

s marter than you think You’ll be impressed by what our kids are learning about business in today’s ag colleges.

e ight steps to your hr Strategy Getting professional about your human resources will pay on big farms and small.

47 The problem with problem weeds

50 Empty soils 52 #PestPatrol

Guide Life

58 Preserve those family memories 60 Health 61 Hanson Acres 62 Reflections

alue add v step one: evaluation So, you think you’ve got a great value-add idea that will score big in the market. How do you know?

the heart of the deal Canada’s farmers are incredibly loyal to their equipment dealers. Maybe it’s time to look around.

f arm travel More farmers are travelling the world on specialized farm tours that help them return home energized and eager.

12 B2B partnering Instead of waiting for the next opportunity to drive up their laneway, Ontario’s Martin family looks for — and finds — ways to build profit-enhancing business opportunities that start with their productivity in the field, and then go miles beyond.

8 Unconventional Facing high land costs, more young farmers are getting their start with offbeat crops and even stranger marketing ideas. The question is, do they still deserve the support of conventional farmers?

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EDITOR’S NOTE

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Looking toward

a tough decision

It’s natural to want the farm to stay in the family, just as it’s natural to want your children to have the same chances you have had. But is it realistic?

EDITORIAL STAFF Editor: Tom Button 12827 Klondyke Line, Ridgetown, ON N0P 2C0 tom.button@fbcpublishing.com (519) 674-1449 Fax (519) 674-5229 Senior Business Editor: Maggie Van Camp mvancamp@fbcpublishing.com (905) 986-9991 Fax (905) 986-9991 Production Editor: Ralph Pearce ralph.pearce@fbcpublishing.com (226) 448-4351 Field Editor: Lisa Guenther lisa.guenther@fbcpublishing.com Field Editor: Shannon VanRaes shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com Online Editor: Greg Berg country-guide.ca Design & Layout: Jenelle Jensen

Of all the tough issues facing agriculture at this moment, perhaps the toughest is evaluating whether the next generation has the aptitudes and attitudes they’re going to need if they’re to make a success of their career in farming, and if they’re to be a reasonably safe bet as the guardians of critical family assets.

I’m not downplaying the obstacles that girls face and the burdens that they must deal with, and I hope I’m not leaving that impression at all. It’s just that for Mom and Dad on the farm, Jason’s marks in Grade 11 probably aren’t that great an indicator of how he will perform when higher function returns in his mid-20s.

When I speak to classes at ag colleges, I tell the 18- and 19-yearolds that while Mom and Dad used to have sleepness nights worrying about the crop in the field, the dark circles under their eyes now are from worrying whether the kids have what it takes to take over the farm.

The solution appears to be — both for our girls and our boys — to put more expectations on them earlier, and to insist on more opportunities to stretch their wings, including off-farm employment.

“They’re watching you,” I tell the students. Then I ask, “What are they seeing? And what should you be showing them?” I worry about the boys. I’m surely not the first to notice that when boys hit their teens, they seem to lose their brains and with them any outward sign of ambition. They’d rather play electronic games than worry about school. If they’re going to tackle something that takes smarts, it’s tweaking the truck rather than sorting out what a career path might look like. It doesn’t help that our schools seem unconcerned about their boys losing ground. If you take two students, one a boy and one a girl, and put them into high school at the same time in almost any province in Canada, there’s nearly a 50 per cent better chance the girl will go to university. This, we’re told, has nothing to do with teaching methods.

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

At the same time, mentorship is more important than ever, and today’s parents must train their kids in skills that they themselves were never trained in. The business demands on farmers have evolved too fast for their own parents to have understood many of the skills their children would need. At Country Guide, we consciously write about young farmers in practically every month, and in this issue, I’d particularly recommend you read “Smarter Than You Think” on page 22. Look for more in the next few issues too, but before spring arrives, why not set yourself a challenge: Come up with two ways that you’ll help your kids this summer that never would have occurred to your parents. And then sort out how to put them into practice. And maybe you should tell the kids too. Are we getting it right? Let me know at tom.button@fbcpublishing.com.

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The editors and journalists who write, contribute and provide opinions to Country Guide and Glacier FarmMedia LP attempt to provide accurate and useful opinions, information and analysis. However, the editors, journalists, Country Guide and Glacier FarmMedia LP cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. Use or non-use of any information is at the reader’s sole risk, and we assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader of this publication based on any and all information provided.

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machinery

Deere strengthens its tractor promise More models and a unique fuel guarantee to boost Deere’s European presence By Scott Garvey / CG Machinery Editor

everal years ago, John Deere was one of the earliest brands to give the digital component of its equipment a strong emphasis. Without a doubt they were ahead of all the major brands, which have since recognized the growing importance of that technology. Now, Deere is again getting ahead of curve by using the data that can be captured and shared through its digital JDLink system for another unique purpose: It’s giving customers in Europe fuel-use and uptime guarantees. Deere can use JDLink to keep track of customers’ tractor performance and monitor their fuel consumption. With that data, the company can offer buyers a fuel-use guarantee. Buyers of 6R, 7R and 8R tractors in Europe will actually get a money-back assurance that their tractors will meet fuel-use targets “Customers will be refunded during the first full year of ownership if total fuel consumption has exceeded the John Deere target level,” reads the program announcement. “And that’s not all — if the operator achieves a higher fuel efficiency than the target level, owners will receive an efficiency bonus equal to twice the cost of the fuel saved.”

“If we don’t meet it, we pay you back,” Thomas Höglmeier, segment manager for John Deere, explained to journalists during the Agritechnica machinery show in Hanover, Germany. “We measure it with our telematics. Fuel represents 50 per cent of (European) contractors’ costs.” Contractors (or custom operators as we’d call them) are a big target customer group for Deere over there. To lure them over to the green brand, this isn’t the only guarantee Deere is willing to make. It will also ensure tractors keep working and not go down for repairs. “Arable farmers aren’t so much focused on fuel,” Höglmeier said. “They focus on uptime.” To qualify for that uptime guarantee, buyers will have to opt for a full maintenance contract. But that’s one more aspect that allows owners to know exactly what their yearly equipment costs will be. And mechanics will be around to make periodic inspections to keep machines going. “Dealers are doing in-field visits optimizing our machines,” added Höglmeier. If a tractor does go down, the dealer will have to provide owners with a backup replacement to keep farm operations going. Deere claims its engineers have done so much test-

Photo credit: John Deere

John Deere added the 6230R and 6250R to the top end of its 6R line in Europe. Expect to see them become available here soon.

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

SEE THE

Like the guarantee programs, the new 6Rs are expected to soon appear on this side of the Atlantic. These models offer a high horsepowerto-weight ratio of 31 kilograms (68 pounds) per horsepower at their base chassis weight of 9.3 tonnes, but they can be ballasted up to 15 tonnes for heavy fieldwork. That pushes the ratio up to over 130 pounds per horsepower to improve traction. These models use an updated version of Deere’s AutoPowr transmission. When roading, the AutoPowr achieves a 50-km/ hr-road speed at just 1,630-engine r.p.m. Or it will do 40 km/hr at 1,300 r.p.m. to save fuel. Power comes from a 6.8-litre PowerTech PSS six-cylinder diesel with dual turbochargers. Deere claims this engine-transmission combination and its “advanced DPF and SCR” emissions systems offers a two to three per cent improvement in total fluid consumption. CG

Photo credit: Scott Garvey

ing on individual components, that they can predict the typical life cycle of many different parts. Customers who buy the service agreement will see local dealership mechanics coming out to replace parts based on that schedule, even if they’re still working. “We can predict part life and replace them just before they fail,” said Deere’s Georg Lanschied during the same presentation. “We’ve tested this a lot so we can be sure we’re not replacing parts for no reason.” So far, this guarantee has only been announced in Europe, but there is a strong likelihood it will soon appear in Canada and the U.S. as well. And just like this announcement, Deere also debuted two new 6R Series tractors at Agritechnica for the European market. The 6230R and 6250R offer 230 and 250 horsepower, respectively, pushing the top end of the 6R lineup significantly from its current 215-engine horsepower limit.

This German sign at Deere’s Agritechnica display announces the fuelcost guarantee program, promising owners a money-back guarantee.

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BUSINESS

Unconventional Maybe it’s time to take Canada’s new crop of non-conventional farmers a lot more seriously By Madeleine Baerg

hange is coming to Canadian agriculture, and judging by the numbers, it’s coming fast. Our country’s food supply, our rural landscape, much of our GDP and a major part of our national identity all depend on Canadian farmers. But the average age of those farmers has now reached 55, with more farmers over 70 years than under 35. A major transfer of land ownership and farm management is widely forecast as the older generation exits. But who is ready to step into agriculture’s driver’s seat? And are we willing to give the new farmers the support they need — especially the ones who don’t quite fit our preconceived notions of a “real” farmer? Stuart Oke and his partner Nikki Tesar have just finished their first season in the direct-marketing vegetable business. Though each has a decade of experience on other farms, the experience of operating their own agribusiness for the first time has been fun and nerve-wracking in turns, a rollercoaster that Oke wouldn’t trade. And it’s been busy. Ultra busy. Not only have they started a brand new business, purchased equipment,

For Oke and Tesar, farming vegetables on a relatively small scale is the only affordable path into farming. Besides, they love it.

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

built infrastructure, stretched every dollar of input capital, and built up their direct market list and their wholesale clientele, along the way they’ve also found time to successfully coax top-notch vegetables from the five rented acres in St-Andre-Avéllin, Que., that they call Rooted Oak Farm. This farming couple doesn’t measure their land by the hundreds of acres or their production in hundreds of tonnes. They’re not born-and-raised farm kids: both grew up in urban centres. And they haven’t been in the farming game long enough to prove their business model. So, do they count as “real” farmers? But here’s the stumper. If we’re asking that question, are we part of what’s holding Canadian agriculture back, slowing down the growth of a profitable and healthy consumer-based sector? Oke and Tesar believe they’re as real as the very biggest of conventional farmers. They’re investing time and money into the land; they’re fully committed to their agri-business, they’re working to promote agriculture, and they’re looking forward to a long future on the land. “I certainly sometimes run into the opinion that because we’re not a large-scale commodity farm, we shouldn’t be taken as seriously. But farmers take all shapes and sizes today,” says Oke.

Photography: oke farms

“Small-scale farmers, organic or otherwise, have been around long enough now that we’ve proven this isn’t a flash in the pan or a fad,” Oke says. “Lots of farmers out there can prove their success. There’s money to be found and a lifestyle to be lived… there are lots of different scales for people to be successful in agriculture.” Given the skyrocketing costs of farmland, equipment and inputs, a commodity operation is no longer a reasonable dream for many young farmers. Oke and Tesar are just two of a whole subset who are getting started in small-scale, low-acreage, high-intensity, direct-toconsumer production. But what do we know about new farmers like this farming couple? Surprisingly little, actually. Julia Laforge, now a post-doctoral fellow at Lakehead University, is a geographer fascinated by socio-nature relationships and the role of knowledge and social movement in Canada. For her PhD research, she wanted to study the experiences of new farmers. But she quickly realised that there has been unexpectedly little public or academic research into who those new farmers are. So, together with the National New Farmer Coalition, Laforge created a survey for new farmers that looked into everything from their backgrounds and their priorities to the stumbling blocks in their way. In February and March of 2015, the survey went to Canadian ag organizations of all types, university ag faculties, and social media (“pretty much everyone we could think of,” says Laforge). Within a month, 1,326 young farmers from four self-identified categories (new, aspiring, experienced and exited farmers) completed the online query. Respondents farmed or aspired to farm in all parts of Canada. Most, but certainly not all, were under the age of 40, and almost all operated small farms. Interestingly too, 68 per cent of respondents identified as not growing up in agriculture. In the “new farmer” category, the number was even higher: a whopping 86 per cent of respondents weren’t farm bred. According to Statistics Canada, there are just over 40,000 farmers in Canada under age 40. Obviously, 1,300 surveys from a possible 40,000 young farmers isn’t representative of the whole group. But, says Laforge, the results “certainly capture… something.” And that something may have a fundamental impact on the future of Canadian ag. “I look at those numbers — 86 per cent of new farmers not being from a farming background — and I think, how can that not be some kind of demographic change? It’s such a contrast to what we expect. There are so many implications of that in terms of training, land ownership, everything. If we don’t have a good handle on who young farmers are, we need to take a step back and say how do we get a better idea? It definitely warrants more followup.” One thing that’s clear, she says, is that this group feels ignored by government and industry. “We had an open comment section at the end of

the survey. One of things I wasn’t expecting was a lot of comments saying ‘thank you.’ Respondents said things like ‘I feel really validated,’ and ‘I’ve never had opportunity to share before.’ There was a lot of resonance with what we did,” says Laforge. “Small-scale farmers, especially those who farm only part time, face challenges of being identified as farmers. That devalues a whole sector of food producers who really need support.” Studying the survey results, Laforge says she felt both optimistic for agriculture’s future and sad about opportunities that have already been lost. Laforge sees opportunities to better meet the needs of new farmers of all kinds. The respondents indicated that they did not know much (or, often, anything) about financial supports and education opportunities available through each province. Any business training they did manage to find they reported as being prohibitively expensive. Industry infrastructure like processing Continued on page 10

COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA / MARCH 1, 2018

BUSINESS

Even a small non-conventional farm can involve prohibitive startup capital.

facilities and marketing opportunities was frequently described as inadequate, unavailable or difficult to access. And most respondents had little or no idea of what provincial extension is or how to access it. “There are a lot of challenges but they aren’t insurmountable. There are opportunities to build supports that could make a real difference,” says Laforge. Amanda Wilson, co-ordinator of policy and community with Food Secure Canada, agrees that the demographics of Canadian agriculture are changing and that industry and government need to respond. “We need to shift our understanding of who new farmers are. They aren’t just young kids from rural backgrounds whose parents farmed. Some have had careers elsewhere and are interested in getting out of the city. A growing number are immigrants who had extensive farming background in the country they came from. The kinds of supports and tools these farmers need won’t necessarily be what works for large-scale, commodity producers.” One of the big issues is that government isn’t yet responding to the changing priorities, operating structures and business models of new farmers. “We need more concrete steps to support the diversity of farmers,” Wilson says. For example, she says, last fall, the federal government announced a new loan program for new farmers. While excellent news, the loan was only accessible to new farmers operating at large scale. 10

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

“There are whole swaths of new farmers operating at small scale,” says Wilson. “We need to make sure programs and supports are equally accessible to all. We need to appreciate the diversity of agricultural practices. We want to see our food system move in the direction of sustainable, diverse and secure.” Knowing the federal government is to release a new Ag Framework in 2018, Farm Secure Canada gathered various industry voices in 2015 and 2016, with 22 food and farming organizations signing off on a policy brief that calls on government to better invest in the next generation of farmers. Specifically, the Farm Renewal Brief recommends: • The creation of a farm renewal, business development and labour pillar in the next ag policy framework to address the diversity of new entrants to farming. • Supporting programs to protect farmland that are accessible to all farmers. • Increased access to start-up capital and financing. • Training opportunities that are financially accessible to new farmers. • Supporting best farm business management practices. Instead of not taking new farmers seriously, government, industry and other farmers should strive — actively, consciously, and passionately strive — to see new farmers succeed, the group says. “We need to figure out from a government program and policy perspective how we can help farmers not only start up a farm but grow and sustain a farm over the long term,” says Wilson. “It’s really important to help farmers make that first step, but then we need to ask: how do we help them take second and third steps so that their businesses are sustainable, not just ecologically and socially but financially too.” Stuart Oke agrees. When he isn’t working to build his farm, he’s busy as youth president of the National Farmers’ Union, a role that suits his commitment to other farmers and to co-operative and collective action. Oke knows firsthand exactly how challenging farm startup is, and he wishes he and Tesar didn’t have to tackle each hurdle so entirely alone. “None of us want handouts, but we are looking for supports because there are very real barriers to getting into agriculture,” he says. Education and training opportunities are sorely lacking for aspiring farmers, he says. And banks are too riskadverse to lend capital. “We’re not asking government to throw money around. But, for example, in Quebec you can take a business plan to an organization, get a stamp of approval, and then take that stamp to any bank and the government will underwrite your loan. That’s just one example of what a program could look like at a federal level,” he says. For himself, Oke is contagiously enthusiastic. “We’re full steam ahead,” he says. “We’re looking at big expansion in the years ahead.” CG

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BUSINESS

B2B strategic partnering For the Martin farm in Ontario, building connections with other businesses is a winning formula

t nine years old Quentin Martin became one of five siblings who were shareholders of their family’s Master Breeder pedigreed Holstein farm, which his parents incorporated in 1965. “They gave all of us common shares,” says Martin,“which meant at nine years old I was sitting at the table with the feed salesman and the banker asking goofy questions.” His father, Abner, had a deep curiosity and a willingness to try new things, says Martin, so he often partnered with other businesses and left the dairy farming to the children. By the time Martin graduated with two degrees and came home to farm with his siblings, the power of trusted partnerships and being open to opportunities was fully engrained in their farm. The strategy was clear. Begin with a strong core business. Then find solutions and partner with good people where few tend to tread.

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

Now, building with others is in their blood and a part of how they operate, and it has become a launching pad for their farm and their value-added businesses. Martin says over the years relationships have been the number one reason for their successes, enabling them to build and grow. “Follow the people, not the money,” he says. Today Cribit Seeds and Wintermar Grains are registered businesses inside the corporate parent business called Wintermar Farms (1989) Ltd. The 1,500-acre seed farm near Waterloo, Ont., and its several value-added businesses support 15 employees and a few seasonal staff. Brothers Quentin and Keith Martin, Keith’s sons Craig and Jason, and son-in-law Andrew are all part of the ownership/management team. The original business has undergone five ownership transformations over the years. First, two sisters were bought out and in 1989 one of the brothers, Denis, and his wife Helen decided to go dairy farming on their own, so the family butterflied off the dairy.

Photography: David Charlesworth

By Maggie Van Camp / CG Senior Business Editor

Watch for win-win opportunities, and be ready to build on them, advises Quentin Martin Although it took two years to settle, the transition was amicable and legal. That guideline of putting the family relations first became their anchor and their starting point for how to do business. “Denis said, however we do this, let’s all be able to go to the family dinner together,” says Martin. Martin and brother Keith began focusing more on cropping and decided to expand seed production and the processing plant, which at the time was a secondary enterprise to the dairy farm in a small shed ducttaped to the side of a Quonset. “All along the dairy enterprise was still the focal point that gave us the opportunity to incubate other enterprises,” says Martin. “… beef in the ’60s, cow-calf in the ’70s and corn cribs did not stick long term… but seed did.” A few years later Cribit Seeds became a shareholder in a little soybean seed company in Guelph named First Line Seeds. “We were a fledgling seed company displaying in a little tent at the plowing match in Bruce County. I still remember Peter Hannam (from First Line) came in and asked if we could talk.” It was a turning point for them and for crop farmers in this part of Ontario with First Line Seeds developing some of the first Roundup Ready shorterseason soybeans. Eventually, the shareholders sold First Line seeds to Monsanto. However, Cribit Seeds kept its partnership with DeKalb and today is still both a dealer and a processor. They’re also members of Secan and a few years ago Martin was chair of this national seed organization. By hiring people and or having arrangements with other businesses to do the bulk of sales and marketing for them, they are able to remain focused on their core strengths of production and processing, earning a reputation for the quality and cleanliness of their grain and seed. Also crucial is their partnership strategy. Ed Rigsbee, in his book The Art of Partnering asks: “Do I see the world as a zero-sum game — meaning for me to win, you have to lose? Or, do I see the world as full of possibility, where we can work together and build a bigger pie?” The Martins believe in this win-win approach. For example, they identified their niche as spring grains rather than trying to squeeze into the saturated commercial soybean and corn seed business. “We are not trying to get it all,” says Martin. “We don’t need everything to be able to make money, we just need to do our part well.” Continued on page 14

COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA / MARCH 1, 2018

BUSINESS

Last year’s gross revenues from farming activities, including custom and contract work for their growers, was about 20 per cent of their total farm revenues and about 40 per cent of their gross came from processing and marketing seed. They grow about 1,500 acres of pedigreed seed — soybeans, oats, barley and soft white wheat and contract some rye production. Their biggest area of growth has been a value-added business, largely due to the blossoming craft-brewery business in Ontario. Over the last 15 years the foodgrade processing unit has grown to be 40 per cent of their gross revenues. Relationships and timing Many years ago Martin remembers having a discussion with Keith and Craig about their long-term strategy and how the seed business was great, but the season was too limited and the risks too high with inventory and unpredictable weather. They concluded that

if they focused only on grain farming, their risk exposure would be too high. Nor would they be getting maximum use of their capital investments. Shortly after this discussion, they had an opportunity to buy the roasting and processing equipment from a company they were supplying with cleaned whole grains. “We made the move into the 98 per cent,” says Martin. In 2004, they built a new facility, bought the processing equipment and made a fiveyear deal with the small company in Fergus, Ont., that it would continue to do the marketing. Eventually, that legal agreement evolved into a hug-and-handshake deal because of their long, close relationship and both parties knew they needed each other to be successful. Martin Gooch, CEO of VCM International in Oakville, Ont., says value chains are about meaningful relationships and farmers should look for partners with the same

attitude as them. “They look to solutions. They’re visionary and they don’t get stuck on the negative. They’re the type of people you want to partner with,” says Gooch. Eventually, the small Fergus marketing company sold to a larger company with whom Wintermar Farms now has a legal business agreement to continue to process and sell them barley, oats, rye, soft wheat and oats. A key business strategy — to go where few were, namely spring grains in Ontario — enabled this niche value-added business. This year, between the seed and the food processing plant, they will contract and take in production from over 10,000 acres, including their own production. Plus sometimes good business is just good timing. University of Guelph researchers, Alfons Weersink, Mike Von Massow and Kevin Probyn-Smith found between 1985 and 2015 the number of breweries rose to 640 from 10. Most were craft breweries due to the demand for

Craig and brother Quentin Martin saw a gap in small-grains research that they could build into a business opportunity 14

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

local anchored food experiences and tax rules that provided a further disincentive for growth beyond a certain size in most Canadian jurisdictions. “We stumbled into the industry 10 years ago and have ridden the wave,” says Martin. On-farm research Early in the ’80s, the Martin brothers began looking harder at spring grain research in Ontario. “There was little work being done in breeding oats and barley, and we were losing the genetic race to keep these crops as viable alternatives to soybeans and corn,” says Martin. So a dozen years ago they started doing their own on-farm small plot research. In 2011 they took on a significant two-year seed treatment and foliar study with some support from Grain Farmers of Ontario and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada GF2 grant money. Although it was compli-

cated and difficult, they learned a lot and it opened doors to more partnerships in research with OMAFRA, the University of Guelph, SeCan and other companies. Perseverance and determination are other characteristics Martin says they’ve needed as seed growers. “I’ve learned with growing seed that it really takes three crop years to see if something will work. The first years could be outliers,” he says. Although sometimes things don’t work out, there’s always a lesson in the failure, he says. And you need to know when to call it quits even though you’ve invested into the concept and the relationships. Such as the Martins’ failed side business of making and selling prefab corncribs to dairy farmers back in the ’80s. That experience taught them how important business structure was to liability mitigation and gave them the “Cribit” name. CG

“It’s all of our responsibility to speak up for agriculture.” Emmett Sawyer, Agvocate 4-H Member and Farmer

Be somebody who does something. Be an agvocate. Learn more at AgMoreThanEver.ca.

COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA / MARCH 1, 2018

BUSINESS

taste the future D

By Shannon VanRaes / CG Field Editor

The operation didn’t just jump from buckets to robots, however. The farm’s move to greater automation had been hard eased by decades of business decisions designed to build more flexibility into the operation. “We started with the strap-buckets and then the stepsaver and then we put the milk line in,” Dawne reminisces. “I remember, it was $8,000 back in 1978 because every single person thought that we were nuts and it was waste of money and a terrible thing to do.” As early adopters of technology, Lloyd says scepticism is something they’ve encountered and learned to anticipate. “Even when we decided to go with robots or an automated voluntary milking system… at the time that was not quite acceptable yet; it wasn’t the norm,”

Photography: Chris Procaylo

awne and Lloyd Grenkow finish each other’s sentences, if not each other’s thoughts. “Working with family? I love it,” Dawne says, giving her son Lloyd a bit of a sideways glance and a laugh. “Really, though, you give your blood, sweat and tears to it, but everybody does. And everybody benefits.” Dawne founded Grenkow Holsteins near Stonewall, a half-hour north of Winnipeg with husband Allan Grenkow in 1978, milking 42 cows with strap-buckets — a far cry from the sleek milking robots used by the Grenkows today. “It’s amazing to see,” she says. “When they are ready to go in for milking, there is never a big herd, there is just one or so, then they will finish and go on their way, and then another cow will just get up, say ‘oh, okay’, and then it goes in to be milked too.”

Why is a farm that’s noted for its technological innovation suddenly getting involved in an enterprise producing Middle Eastern ice cream?

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

Lloyd says. Now, eight years after they made their move, Manitoba is leading the country in automated milking systems. Today, the farm milks between 100 and 110 cows at any given time, but both Dawne and Lloyd say expansion was only possible because of increasing automation. With just Dawne, Allan and Lloyd managing the farm and doing chores, it’s a tight operation, run with precision. “The reason we got to where we are today is probably because you and Dad took chances back then on automation,” says Lloyd, turning to Dawne. “We’re here now because of automation, because if we weren’t able to automate like this, we’d be an old facility and maybe that would have been the push to do something different, different farming or maybe even another industry.” The farm doesn’t rely on hired help, although Lloyd’s sister lends a hand when she can and there are other relatives who pitch in from time to time. Dawne says that while bringing in employees has worked well for other dairy producers, the size of their operation hasn’t lent itself to hired help. Likewise, the farm’s proximity to Winnipeg means there are a lot of job postings to compete with when looking for employees. Lloyd estimates that automation in their dairy barn does the work of close to two people, but says it’s not quite a quid pro quo. While the operation isn’t spending money on additional salaries, automation doesn’t come cheap either, and robots still require maintenance, care and attention. Still, the benefits are clear. “Before, it took all of us to get 68 cows down and we would spend most of the day doing labour, simple tasks,” Dawne says. “Now, with the same work crew, we’re able to do 100 or 110 cows. We’re not quite double what we did, but we can do almost twice as much with the same work force and have a little better lifestyle throughout the day. We have more flexibility because of the automation.” Lloyd jokes that his three young kids still say he spends too much time at work, but the flexibility lets him spend time with them when it’s important. That same flexibility also makes it easier to handle the cropping side of the business. And while technology is still at the forefront of business and planning decisions, the Grenkows are also making investments in social license. You might even call them “delicious” investments. “You’ve got to try the Salty Carl… it’s salted caramel and it’s pretty amazing,” says Lloyd, referencing one of the many ice cream flavours made with milk from the Grenkow farm through an arrangement with Chaeban Ice Cream in Winnipeg. A portion of the milk produced on the farm goes directly to the small-scale processor, which shares information about the milk and the farm it comes from with customers, emphasizing the local nature of

the product and touting the high quality of Canadian dairy products. “They were looking for a local producer so they could use their milk and market it as being loca,l and they picked us,” Lloyd says, noting the farm’s proximity to Winnipeg likely played a role in the decision as well. “Of course, I like to think we’re friendly, happy people to work with,” he adds with a chuckle. But in terms of finances, partnering with a local ice cream manufacturer doesn’t change the Grenkow’s bottom line. Under the supply managed system, milk is sold at a constant price regardless of its end destination. “To do this, so our milk goes directly to him, is more of a nice social bonus,” says Lloyd. “But there is no financial incentive, there’s no bonus to ship our milk to Joseph (Chaeban) and make more money… everyone is the same, every producer gets paid the same.” At the end of the day, partnering with a small processor was an important chance to connect with the broader community and show how much care dairy Continued on page 18

COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA / MARCH 1, 2018

BUSINESS

With a direct line to the Grenkow farm, the husband and wife team of Joseph Chaeban and Zainab Ali produces ice creams like Abir Al Sham, flavoured with rosewater and cashews farmers put into their product. Given that milk is normally pooled, Lloyd also says it was a neat opportunity for friends and family to taste something made with milk from their farm. “It was exciting because we really felt like we were a part of it,” says Dawne. “We went to the open house and we met the family, they came to the farm… we met his dad who was a very interesting, very funny, cheesemaker from Africa. I don’t care where you are in the world, if you meet another dairy farmer… you can sit there and talk and talk.” Chaeban was born to Lebanese parents in Germany and his father studied cheesemaking in Europe before opening a cheese factory in Tunisia. The younger Chaeban then picked up the trade, moving to Winnipeg with his Syrian-born wife to work at Santorini Dairies. He then made the leap to ice cream with business partner Darryl Stewart, a man he meet through the South Osborne Syrian Refugee Initiative while helping his wife’s extended family flee civil war. 18

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

Chaeban says he knows how much work goes into milk production, and he knew from day one that having a relationship with the farmers supplying his small plant would be key for him and his customers. “It is very hard to say thank you to Manitoba farmers if you do not put a face to it,” he says. “Now people coming into my shop know exactly where the milk is coming from and I can tell them about the hard work they are doing at this farm and how good the quality of the milk is… I know it’s only one farmer, but it’s going across the whole board indirectly this way.” For Henry Holtmann, vice-chair of Dairy Farmers of Manitoba, every small processor that opens its doors offers an opportunity for producers to engage in the broader community and further cement their social license to operate. “We want to tell our story and… our biggest asset is the people that produce the product, so I think it creates engagement and brings us closer to our customers by having these small processors and producers talk-

ing one-on-one,” says Holtmann, who farms near the Grenkows. “And yes, maybe we can’t get our message out to the masses this way, but every story, big or little, every contact is important in building support.” For those who are sceptical of supply management’s ability to support small processors, Lloyd sees the partnership between the Grenkows and Chaeban Ice Cream as proof positive that there is room for everyone to thrive in the supply managed system. He adds that it’s not about asking why small processors should enter a supply managed system, it’s about asking, “why not?” “Of all the different processors out there, Joseph (Chaeban) is on the same level as any other processor, so if small processors like Joseph want to buy milk and make a product, they can do it, supply management is not a restriction to what you can do,” Holtmann says. “If everybody communicates, anybody can process anything knowing they get a great product because it’s a supply managed product, so it’s great for producers, consumers and everybody.” Holtmann says that dairy boards across Canada hold back a certain allocation of what is called discretionary milk, specifically to facilitate small- and medium-sized projects. “If somebody comes to us with an idea, we’re able to support them,” he says. “And we don’t mind if they want to come on stream with a traditional product, but we are very much interested in specialty products… that may be something that’s behind a single-source farm, or a totally new product or maybe a new process. These are all things we want to encourage, and supply management has that built into the system.” Lloyd adds that supporting small processors also

helps build processing capacity across the milk pool. For several years, Manitoba had been lacking in processing capacity, but over the last year new plants have opened, both large and small. “You’re not driven by profit, you’re not saying, ‘Well, I’m going to end it here to make more money,’ but it’s something that makes the whole industry better,” says Lloyd, adding that at the end of the day, having a healthy industry with a solid social license to operate is good for the farm’s bottom line. To that end, Grenkow Holsteins has also opened its doors to the public during the province’s Open Farm Day in years past. “I’d like to do it again, but it is a lot of work,” Dawne says, noting it was Lloyd’s young son Connor who first suggested they take part so his friends could see what dairy farming is all about. “But what I loved about it, what I really, really enjoyed, is because of our location, there are so many young families that come out from the city, and we just love to show them, you know, that this is what it is like on the farm. People really don’t know what a dairy is like, what it does; you’re distanced from the farm.” Already four generations deep, the Grenkows say it’s too early to know if there will be a fifth generation of dairy farmers in the future. But they do know what direction they’d like to see their farm move in the coming years. More automation could mean more cows, more time or both, and Dawne adds it could also draw those younger generations of Grenkows towards farming. “I wouldn’t want them to work like we worked,” Dawne says. “That’s not to say they shouldn’t work hard, but hard in other ways.” CG

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BUSINESS

Hiring refugees A small non-profit in Belleville, Ont., has helped 90 Syrian refugees find good jobs on farms and in the ag and food sector. Now other regions across Canada are replicating their model By Maggie Van Camp / CG Senior Business Editor

hortly after coming to power in Ottawa, the federal Liberals announced Canada would help relocate displaced Syrians, and the program has proved widely popular. Across the country, over 350 communities have welcomed more than 40,000 Syrian refugees. In the midst of it all in 2015, details on how this relocation would be achieved were scarce. Even so, in the town of Belleville, Ont., the executive director of Quinte Immigration Services (QIS), Orlando Ferro, began preparing for a major influx. Based on his experience with refugees in 1999 during the Kosovo crisis, he expected Ottawa would fly refugees to military bases, including a major Canadian Forces base in nearby Trenton. That’s where the Kosovars had arrived and it’s where Ferro’s team at QIS worked with other stakeholders to help with that relocation process. Assuming the Syrian refugees would be handled similarly, Ferro’s team started mobilizing the community and several stakeholders with community meetings, planning sessions and two information forums about Syria and its culture, religion, demographics and the profile of the types of refugees they would be receiving. A total of 29 presentations were made at service clubs, churches and community groups, and over 600 people attended those forums. Looking deeper into the profiles of the expected refugees, Ferro noticed almost a quarter had an agricultural background. Further research backed this up, with one government report indicating 24 per cent of Syrian refugees in Lebanon had worked in agriculture. Ferro made a link with his region’s employment needs. This part of Ontario is a mix of urban and rural, with a rapidly developing wine industry. A few years ago, the 20

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

Canadian Agricultural Human Resources Council pegged the gap between supply of and demand for farm workers at 60,000, and said farming’s job vacancy rate is among the highest of any sector in the economy. Ferro’s vision was to create a program focused on finding employment in agriculture and in food processing for the Syrian refugees arriving in Trenton. He presented the plan to a local immigration partnership group and the stakeholders accepted and applauded the idea. Canadian Red Cross offered to fund a pilot project (nearly $100,000 over two years), with in-kind contributions from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and settlement agencies across the provinces.

When the Syrian refugees began going through the assessment process, there was a surprise. Nearly a quarter had farm and food backgrounds By May 2016 the QIS started putting in motion a strategic plan for the project, providing the refugees and other immigrants information about farming and food production in Canada, and matching them with jobs in the agri-food sector. They called their project “Farmers Feed the World” a name inspired by “Farmers Feed Cities” bumper stickers. Ferro also knew having Arabic-speaking staff was essential to the success of the project so they trained and certified Arabic-speaking professionals to act as interpreters. To find and hire Arabic-speaking personnel was a challenge

in this area, and they needed to recruit and train volunteers quickly. It took a few months to create a professional crew, but they had them in place for the refugees’ arrivals. “In projects like this it is essential to have no communication barriers,” says Ferro. The vision was to link these two very different groups to help the refugees find work and settle into their new country. And about 90 of the 150 refugee participants found work. It was a pilot project and QIS soon discovered what doesn’t work for agriculture. For example, they organized a refugee information session attended by 150 refugees, with support from OMAFRA and other stakeholders, and put together a panel of experts in different areas of work from selfemployment to seasonal labour and full-time employment. However, the event interfered with planting season. “Most of the agricultural jobs are seasonal,” says Ferro. “We needed to recruit, assess and prepare a contingent of potential farming workers and food processing staff with the proper skills in time.” However, this session was a needed preliminary step. It was here that assessments were started with individual interviews, and staff noticed many of the refugees had literacy challenges. They had lived for most of their lives in remote agricultural regions in Syria and needed support, training and help writing their resumés. Just before the harvest season, QIS hosted a skill-match session, bringing together the assessed refugees (with their resumés put together by Ferro’s staff during the assessment process) with about 14 employers plus Prince Edward County officers representing 17 micro-farmers and employers in food processing. In all, 127 refugees attended and QIS interpreters assisted them during the interview process with potential employers. From the session, many of the refugees were hired by farms or by food processing plants. Another group was trained and certified by the Health Unit in food handling and started catering services and working in Middle Eastern restaurants. One lesson they learned was that harvest coincides with the religious holiday of Ramadan. “The workers were fasting during the day and very weak to perform the activities required during the harvest season,” says Ferro.

It was also a two-way learning process. Just in time for the harvest, 18 workers who were previously selected for farming labour attended a bus tour of local farms and wineries organized by the county. It literally gave them the lay of the land before they started working on it. Feedback from the employers indicated that many of the Syrian workers had additional skills not captured during their first assessment or on their resumés, since the target was only agricultural work. Many

had skills in construction and other types of manual labour. Recently, the project expanded beyond the region with a launch of an interactive website. It contains information about agriculture in Canada translated into Arabic and informational videos taken during the QIS information sessions in Belleville. “The manuals were developed and published by OMAFRA and we obtained the copyright licenses for the translation,” says Ferro.

The pilot project will officially close at the end of March but QIS is negotiating with another funder to maintain the support through the interactive sections of the website until the end of 2018. This will also give the Syrian refugees access to their Arabic-speaking staff as needed for a little longer. Similar initiatives have started in Atlantic Canada, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and several other regions in Ontario have replicated this model. CG

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COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA / MARCH 1, 2018 21 2018-01-26 11:22 AM

BUSINESS

Smarter

than you think Here’s what your kids come home having learned about business at ag college. It’s much, much more than even a few years ago

hen Colin Penner enrolled as a student in the University of Manitoba’s agricultural diploma program 10 years ago, he had to prepare a business plan for his farm. Today, he is back at the U of M as an instructor, teaching other students how to complete today’s planning assignments, which are miles ahead. Preparing a farm business plan is part of the capstone courses in management planning in today’s ag schools. At the end of their U of M diploma course, for instance, students defend their plan to a panel of farmers, agronomists, bankers, lawyers, scientists and teachers. “The objective is for them to understand the farm,” says Penner. “A lot of students that come from the farm know how to drive the tractor and do the labour side of things well, but lack knowledge in the management and financial areas. We want to bring them up to speed about how to be a good manager and understand how the farm’s finances work.” Ag students in the diploma program at Olds College in Alberta also have to prepare a business plan, but they aren’t allowed to base it on their home farm. Instead, students have a choice of farm operation such as a grain or mixed farm, cow/calf operation or value-added or quotabased farm, but they must begin from scratch. “The students choose what type of farm they want to start and then we give them the land base that they’re going to use,” says Mark Fournier, an instructor at Olds College. “They can’t take over their own operation because they know that one already, so they have to research the area, land prices, the equipment that they’re going to need and the loans and programs that are available to get started.” “We wanted to make sure that there are no shortcuts for any of them,” says Fournier. “They actually have to research everything from scratch.” Fournier says students not only gain the knowledge to research a brand new farm operation, they also understand the costs and amount of funding required, and the risks involved in starting a farm from scratch. The completed business plan also provides direction. “The

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

By Angela Lovell

value of a business plan is that everybody knows what’s happening and what the key priorities are, so when they’re making decisions, either as a farm family or as individuals, they know what those decisions should lead towards,” says Fournier. There are many vital components to any business plan and Penner’s students focus first on defining the goals and objectives of the farm. “The first-semester students have to work on the overall vision and a mission statement,” says Penner. “We ask them where the farm is going and what do they need to do to get there. What are their two-, five- and 10-year goals? Maybe for some the shortterm goal is to get a job or graduate from university. The five-year goal may to establish themselves in the ag industry, and take over the farm 10 years from now. Because things change so much, they need to do crop budgets and plan for the future every year, but if they have an overarching vision of where they want to go, that helps to steer them into making informed decisions in the future.” Understanding the finances Finances are another big focus in preparing budgets for enterprises that become more diversified as students look at different ways to add value to farm operations. “We’re seeing the traditional enterprises like wheat, canola, soybeans, oats, corn and cattle, but we are also beginning to see some unique budgets coming forward,” says Penner. “I recently marked a budget on a maple farming enterprise as part of the farm. The objective is to figure out if something will fit on the farm. Will it be profitable?” Fournier also focuses heavily on financial planning, and makes sure his students understand the differences between the types of plans, such as funding proposals for operating versus enterprise plans for new initiatives such as land purchases, new farming methods or technologies, or different crops or livestock. “There are also plans that are designed to help struggling farms, so if they are at a point where they’re not overly profitable and it’s going to be a bit of a crisis, then they’ll need to work their way out of it,” says Fournier. “At that point they’re not looking from scratch, they’re

Photo: Deb Deville

looking from a point of usually very high loans and they need to plan for how they’re going to cope with that.” Cash flows play a big part in these financial pictures and Fournier encourages students to do a 36-month rolling cash flow so every month they are looking at least two years out. “When we are doing our business plan in class I have them do a 36-month cash flow statement, and at all points, they have to have money in the bank, including a line of credit, just so they can eat,” he says. What’s interesting is that often, halfway through the semester, students realize that out of their team of three, only one person can work on the farm full time and the other two have to go get full-time jobs just to make a go of it. “That’s quite an eye-opener for them,” says Fournier, who doesn’t award any marks for profit in his course. “Grades are awarded on the best researched and most realistic plan, not the most profitable plan. If their final conclusion says that here’s the entire plan and as we have it thought out, it’s not going to be a profitable farm, and we cannot advise starting it, there’s full marks for that because that’s why we do business plans. “If it’s not feasible on paper, if they can’t get it to work in black and white, then why would they risk millions of dollars and years of their life to run something into the ground. If the plan shows it’s going to be successful, fair enough, but what do you need to do that’s different if it’s not?” In most cases, getting a farm enterprise off the ground involves a high demand for cash. Fournier recalls a former graduate whom he ran into who figured out

he’d be better off working at Tim Horton’s than getting into a quota system as he’d hoped to do. “He did a full business plan and realized he would need about $250,000 to put down in equity before he could actually make a living wage off of the farm,” says Fournier. “At that point in time, he was going up north to try and make his $250,000.” The bigger picture Looking at the bigger picture and how everything on the farm ties together is something that Penner’s students often struggle with. “They come to realize that it’s not just driving tractors, or hauling grain, or buying fertilizer. It’s the whole picture and how everything ties together,” says Penner. That often extends to the industry as well. Fournier says he’s surprised at how little students pay attention to the larger agricultural industry and how they fit into it. “It amazes me that they know what they and their neighbours have done in the past, but when I ask them what has happened the last five years in Alberta or Western Canada or across Canada as a whole, they often have trouble with that,” says Fournier. “So it’s breaking them out of that mindset to not look just at their particular farm, but to look at the overall industry that’s probably the biggest hurdle I’ve come across. To see that, yes, their farm is important but it’s part of a bigger system and we have these micro/macro trends that will have an impact on them.” Continued on page 24

COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA / MARCH 1, 2018

Photo: Chris Procaylo

BUSINESS

They come to realize that it’s not just driving tractors or hauling grain,” Penner says. “It’s the whole picture.” Part of the reason for planning is to try and anticipate the unexpected, which is why Penner includes a stress test as part of his students’ business plan project. “We tell them to think of something that they don’t think is ever going to happen on the farm, and consider how the farm would handle this stress,” Penner says. “As an example, what if the neighbour decides to sell their farm and it’s the same size as theirs; can they afford to double in size? What happens if they have a crop insurance year? What happens if they have another year like we had this past year, where crop yields in some areas were through the roof? How does that affect the farm? It’s about looking at what they’re doing now, but planning for the future, and for a best-case scenario, and a worstcase scenario, and for things that come out of left field.” Fournier’s program also tries to prepare students for some unexpected pitfalls, and he says one of the biggest fears he has is increasing interest rates. “Our students have never known a period of rising interest rates. They’ve always known incredible low interest rates so for them this is the norm,” he says. “In all probability they will, over their lifetime, see interest rates at least double and if they don’t factor that into their long-term loan 24

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

payment decisions, we could definitely see some struggling farms in the future.” Help with transition A big component of the business plan project at both U of M and Olds College is transition planning, and that begins with equipping the students so they can start to have a conversation with their parents and begin to understand the family farm operation better. This is often the hardest part of the transition process, and can be a stumbling block to creating an effective business plan. “One of my assignments is to go home and ask your parents if they have a will,” says Penner. “The succession plan starts there. Being able to discuss finances with parents is difficult because the parents have worked hard for years to build the operation and sharing it with an 18-year-old or somebody that wants to move from the tractor into management, that’s a tricky conversation. Our goal is to start that conversation.” It’s not unusual for some students to come back Continued on page 26

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frustrated at first because their parents just don’t want to have that conversation, but as they progress through the business planning process and demonstrate their ability to understand complex management issues, and share that knowledge with their parents, in many cases the attitudes and relationships change. “Often, what we find is that as the conversation goes on between the students and the parents, the parents sit back and say this kid is showing initiative and really does understand what’s going on,” says Penner. “The students are smart. They start to figure things out on their own and it really opens that dialogue and is a positive experience.” At Olds College, succession planning is part of the finance component of their program because a big part of the process is figuring out how the next generation will finance the farm transition. “The incoming generation needs to know all the tax rules and regulations and what vehicle they’re going to use to pay the last generation out, and whether it’s a family trust, or a corporate farm and who’s going to own the land,” says Fournier. “If there are multiple kids, what role are they going to take, who’s going to be the boss, who’s going to live in the big house, and what roles are off-farm siblings going to play? These are things that any long-term farm plan should have. So we are trying to give our students some high-level tools to help them open up discussions over the next few years with their parents about farm transition.”

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

A lifelong value Penner has many students come back and tell him that these exercises have helped them make decisions and weather challenges on their own farm years later. “The students get a good grasp of their operation and when there’s an opportunity to expand the farm or to step in and be a manager, I’ve had a number of students say, this has really prepared me, this has really been a useful exercise,” he says. “It’s neat to have students emailing me a couple of years after the fact and say, ‘Can I get your spreadsheet because I want to do something at home on the farm and I remember using this and it worked well’.” Fournier says the biggest feedback he gets from students about what the program has taught them is how hard it is to make a profit and how expensive farming really is. That causes them to get realistic about farming in a big hurry. “In the first year they are often talking about new equipment, but when they’re doing the business plan, most of the equipment is coming from Kijiji, it’s equipment that’s five or six years old because they learn that getting this older, less costly equipment is the only way they can get enough money to eat,” says Fournier. It takes a lot of time and effort to write a comprehensive business plan, which is why they shouldn’t sit on the top shelf and gather dust. “When people are getting started, they should do a larger plan and update it on an annual basis,” says Fournier. “Needs are always going to change and they need to know what’s the cash position, the loans position, what needs to change, is there new equipment that needs to come in, how is that going to be dealt with, so they can address all these needs on a proactive ongoing basis.” Because the bigger picture is so important, it’s vital that students get out in the industry and make connections, build relationships and never stop learning. “I tell my students to go to as many workshops and seminars as they can, learn what the changes are, look how people are adapting to changes. Then make those contacts and start incorporating those into their yearly operational plans,” says Fournier. “Forming relationships in order to navigate the challenges of the future is essential because the industry is changing so fast. You don’t necessarily have to be leading the industry but you need to be talking with those who are leading the industry to see what’s working and what’s not. “I advise my students to be involved in different things. It doesn’t need to be all ag-related but if they are on a Co-op board, or the curling rink board, or part of an organization, they’re going to be in leadership with other tremendous leaders and will learn from them and be encouraged by them to keep learning and to keep working at it.” CG

CHRISTIAN FARMERS FEDERATION OF ONTARIO 642 Woolwich St. • Guelph, ON • N1H 3Y2 Voice: (519) 837-1620 • Toll Free: 1-855-800-0306 Email: cffomail@christianfarmers.org Web site: www.christianfarmers.org

Soil in the Spotlight Ontario’s Draft Soil Strategy packed with BMPs By Suzanne Armstrong,

Director of Research and Policy

oil doesn’t generally offer the charm or public appeal of cute baby animals or sprawling green vistas. But soil health fundamentally underlies vibrant, green landscapes and healthy farm animals. It’s also foundational to human health and wellbeing in so many ways. OMAFRA’s draft Soil Health Strategy (technically named “New Horizons: Ontario’s Draft Agricultural Soil Health and Conservation Strategy”) puts the spotlight on soil. Shy of the spotlight, however, soil is happiest when left unseen. In fact, keeping more soil covered through more of the year is behind actions in the Strategy that encourage wider adoption of cover crops and conservation tillage methods like no-till and strip till. The Strategy also promotes diverse crop rotations, application of organic soil amendments, and prevention or mitigation of erosion and compaction problems. The CFFO has been actively engaged in the Agricultural Soil Health and Conservation Working Group, which was key to developing the draft Strategy. We also participated in consultations with government throughout the process.

The Strategy proposes 74 actions. The CFFO wants to see government prioritize some of them for early action, including having government complete soil mapping in all agricultural areas across the province and making this data available electronically. The CFFO also wants to see funding for soil health checkup programs across the province, support for onfarm trials and innovation grants and support for extension to farmers to help them adopt best management practices that are suited to their unique farm landscape and farm business. Beyond the actions already proposed in the Strategy, the CFFO wants to see stronger emphasis on getting feedback from farmers to researchers, to make a complete communication loop, not a one-way street. This will help ensure that research and farm innovation are working in mutually beneﬁcial ways.

In this Strategy, government draws attention to the good work farmers are already doing and to the amazing potential our Ontario farmland soils have for creating economic, social and environmental beneﬁts. Strong government, research and extension support is important, but in the end, it will primarily be farmers on the front lines of soil health improvements across the province. Through farmers’ good stewardship, all of society beneﬁts. It is, therefore, vitally important that society, through and beyond government, support the stewardship work of farmers as much as possible. Hopefully for the public at large, putting this spotlight on soil health will help them better appreciate the good that farmers do through their soil stewardship every day.

The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario is one of three accredited farm organizations in Ontario. The organization is focused on long-term issues facing the sector and is supported by 4000 farmers in the province. Learn more about us at www.christianfarmers.org

A professional organization of entrepreneurial farming families

BUSINESS

Eight steps

to your HR strategy Getting professional about HR is a strategy that pays whether the farm is big or small, and whether workers are family or hired By Angela Lovell

he labour gap in Canadian agriculture continues to widen and is expected to double by 2025. That’s prompting more farm businesses to focus on recruiting and retaining employees. At the same time, with employment standards constantly changing, and with considerations such as health and safety and workers compensation to think about, some farms are beginning to develop a human resource (HR) strategy to help them find the right people and then to keep them. Farm businesses lag behind other industries when it comes to looking at HR strategies, policies and practices. That’s partly because many are still family operations, while others are just reaching the point where they need to hire outside employees. It turns out that all farms, regardless of size or structure, and whether they are family-run corporations, partnerships or sole proprietorships can benefit from some HR planning. “Human resource planning should be part of overall farm business management just like planning for production and marketing,” says Khosi Mashinini, a farm business management specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. “A strong and effective HR plan will strengthen the people side of the business, which includes hiring and retaining high-performing employees.” Mashinini speaks often on HR, and presents tips for developing a HR strategy based on Manitoba Agriculture’s workbook, Human Resource Management for Farm Business. The workbook is available free online (see list of resources below), and outlines a step-by-step process for developing a HR management strategy for any farm size or type. 1. Self-Evaluation The recruitment process can’t begin until the business knows what it’s looking for. Mashinini recommends completing a self-evaluation to help the business identify what it is currently doing in terms of HR and what it needs to start doing. The self-evaluation helps the farm to identify its HR priorities and to develop objectives with timelines.

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

“The goal is to recruit and retain good employees for the business,” Mashinini says. “You want to hire people who fit into your business culture and ensure everyone understands the role of the new person coming in. You also have to consider the benefits you as an employer will offer.” 2. Creating an Identity Developing an identity for the farm business before beginning the recruitment process helps to set it apart as an employer of choice and attract people to want to work for it. “What is your farm all about and what are your beliefs and values?” asks Mashinini. “How are you different from the farm two miles down the road? Creating a marketable identity and reputation helps you differentiate your business when you are recruiting new employees and lets them know why you are unique and the benefits they will get from being your employee.” 3. Recruiting The next must-have is a job description that clearly identifies the job’s duties and responsibilities. It should also outline the skills and experience needed to do the job, including any educational or licensing requirements. The job description should include what conditions the employee can expect to be working under. Not only does a job description give candidates a clear idea of what the position is, it also helps keep the employer focused during the interview process to make sure their questions are relevant to the position and the skills they are seeking. There are many ways to get the word out about the vacancy, including local and industry media, social media, posters in local businesses and government job sites. But don’t underestimate the value of networking, talking with current employees, neighbours and others in the industry to help find the right candidate. Mashinini advises “antenna recruiting” — always observing the people around you and looking for people who could make good employees now or in the future. Continued on page 30

The Canadian Association of Farm Advisors (CAFA) Inc. is a national, non-profit professional umbrella organization dedicated to assisting farm families and businesses by increasing the skills of farm advisors and consultants.

www.cafanet.ca

The Next Generation Shannon Lueke, Pag, CaFa, Farm management ConSuLtant, mnP LLP

or the first time in history, many businesses have three or even four generations working side by side — Baby Boomers (born before 1965), “Generation X” (born before 1977), “Generation Y” (born before 1996), and “Generation Z” or “iGens” (born after 1996). Couple these multiple generations with the industrial, agricultural and technological advances over the last 60 to 70 years and you can imagine the tensions to be managed! Primary producers are exposed to this, maybe even more so than other sectors. Most farms are family-run businesses and with transition planning, generational tensions are a significant source of conflict. It is difficult for parents to let go and embrace the next generation’s leadership and management style, but they must if they wish their legacy to continue. Although it was the same with the generation before them, this time it seems different. We hear complaints about lack of work ethic, shifting in priorities, lack of commitment and too much risk-taking. Elaine Froese wrote a good blog about “10 things millennial farmers want in life.” Among

the list were “to be heard,” “to use their head more than their back,” “be globally smart,” and “stay wired.” I revisited this blog today, pondering the tensions I see every day with our multi-generation farm clients. No doubt these are the things that millennials want, but is it a result of the generation they were raised in or changes in our society in general? This list of “wants” directs me to the parents who were emailing me from Arizona, complaining about their son’s “laziness” over a decision to have some grain custom-hauled rather than doing the work himself. His “lame excuse” (as they put it) was that he was busy attending a conference for a few days. The grain hauling could not be held off and he felt the conference was an important learning and networking event. The parents did not understand the importance of the conference, just viewing it as a social event, so why were they paying for someone to haul the grain? Conferences are important (not all, but some). Social networking, both face to face and online, are crucial for today’s farmers. We are in a society where we are continually “marketing” ourselves and our business. The competition is fierce as we are participating in an ever-reaching global market where producers must be in tune with what is happening globally and understand how it

affects them locally. As our society advances, consumers are asking for more accountability from their food supply, even though they may be more removed from it than ever before. This means farmers must be conscious of environmental sustainability and traceability while still maintaining profits. Technology is accelerating at a rate that will seemingly be almost difficult for the human mind to keep up with, especially in agriculture. The costs and risks are higher, but profit margins remain the same. And this son has the added burden of securing the return on his parents’ retirement fund while trying to build his own. I don’t think there has been a time in history where the current young generation was worse off than the one before. Society, and our standard of living, is always improving. The learning curves are more difficult to work though, especially when they span three or four generations at an increasing pace. I mentioned the parents emailing me from Arizona. Could you imagine what their parents (or grandparents) would have to say about them spending almost half the year down south? Should they not be working hard every day while they are still able? After all, that’s how they did it…

CAFA’s FArm UpdATe CoNFereNCe series: March 8 Infinity Convention Centre, Ottawa CAFA’s Farm Planning Update April 12 Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre, London CAFA’s Farm Women’s Update June 7

Toll free: 1-877-474-2871 Email: info@cafanet.com PO Box 270 • Seven Sisters Falls, MB • R0E 1Y0

Quality Inn & Conference Centre, Woodstock CAFA’s Farm Management Update

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4. Hiring The hiring process is important because an employee should add value to the farm business, so hiring the right person is critical. “A bad hire can affect your business’s bottom line, staff morale, equipment and assets,” says Mashinini. A standard hiring process can save time and help ensure employers choose the right person for their business. That process should include everyone on the farm who will be involved in interviewing candidates and/or responsible for supervision. Review applications all at the same time to compare them. If there are a lot of qualified candidates, consider drawing up a shortlist and conducting a brief, pre-screening interview by phone with them. “A brief 10-minute conversation to ask them why they are interested in the job and what they know about the farm will help you learn more about them so you can weed out any candidates that may not fit,” says Mashinini. Once the final interviewees are decided, the interview process should not exceed an hour and the candidate should be doing most of the talking. It’s important to ask all candidates the same questions to make it possible to compare them fairly. Also make sure you have the job description and the interview questions printed out ahead of time. Behavioural questions, such as those that ask candidates to give examples of their prior experience in specific situations, give a better understanding of the candidate’s capabilities and the way they are likely to handle or react to different scenarios. Always make the employment offer to the chosen candidate in writing and ensure both the employer and employee sign it when the candidate accepts the offer. 5. Orientation and Training The first day on a new job can be daunting, which is why an orientation process that makes the new employee feel welcome can be an important first step in developing an employee who will be happy and productive. Besides introducing them to the crew, the orientation should ensure the person knows what their job is and understands the processes involved and the employer’s

Resources for developing an HR strategy • Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council HR Toolkit hrtoolkit.cahrc-ccrha.ca

• Manitoba Agriculture Human Resource Management for Farm Business in Manitoba www.manitoba.ca/agriculture/business-and-economics/ business-management/pubs/interactive_e1.pdf

• Farm Management Canada HR webinars, articles and tools fmc-gac.com

expectations of them. They need to know who to ask for help and understand how to do the job safely. An employer should answer any questions that the employee has, which may not all be directly related to the actual tasks they will perform. A new employee may want to get a feel for how they will fit into the farm, what it will be like to work there and who they take orders from. Most new employees will need training, so a step-bystep plan that is well thought out ahead of time will save a lot of time and confusion. It’s important to cover everything they will need to know to do the job and make sure they understand it fully. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that if you are only hiring family members they don’t need training. They may have grown up on the farm, but don’t necessarily know how to do some tasks. As well, if there are other non-family employees, it’s important to make sure they are all treated the same way and don’t perceive that the relative is getting special treatment. 6. Motivating employees Regular staff meetings and a commitment to ongoing communication are key to retaining employees, as is a plan for ongoing training and professional development that can help keep them motivated and offer opportunities for promotion if that’s what they are seeking. In fact, motivating employees and monitoring their performance is another key aspect of any HR strategy. “Motivated staff create a positive, productive working environment and are much more likely to remain with the business,” says Mashinini. Motivation always begins with a competitive salary but “fair” salaries might also include paid sick and vacation time that is above and beyond the minimum standards, or flexible working hours. Motivators can be things like salary and health benefits, or can be more intrinsic such as good communications and showing respect and appreciation for what employees do. What motivates one employee may not motivate another, so it’s important to put yourself in their shoes, says Mashinini. “Think of what you would like and how you would want to be treated,” she says. Employers should do a performance review at least once a year because employees don’t perform to the best of their capabilities if they don’t know what the employer expects from them. “Many times employees ask two common questions: what is my job, and how am I doing? Providing feedback that shows you appreciate and value what they do is a primary and ongoing responsibility for supervisors and farm owners,” says Mashinini. She suggests employers immediately recognize the efforts of employees, especially when they are going beyond what is expected. “Whenever you are giving recognition, don’t just recognize the high-performing employees,” Mashinini says. “Look for opportunities to encourage everybody, because when employees feel encouraged they are happier, more productive and will stay longer with you.” Continued on page 32

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

SOIL CONSERVATION COUNCIL OF CANADA CONSEIL CANADIEN DE CONSERVATION DES SOLS SOIL CONSERVATION COUNCIL OF CANADA CONSEIL CANADIEN DE CONSERVATION DES SOLS

The face and voice of soil conservation in Canada Le visage et la voix de la conservation des sols au Canada

Renowned scientist chosen for conservation award L. B.Thomson Conservation Award Recipient

he Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC) has announced that Dr. Harold Steppuhn is the 2017 recipient of the L. B. Thomson Conservation Award. Dr. Steppuhn will be presented with this honour at a future event to be held this winter in Swift Current, Sask. “The L. B. Thomson Conservation Award is presented annually to recognize individuals, organizations or others who have made outstanding contributions to improving soil and water conservation at the regional level in Canada,” says Alan Kruszel, Chair of the Soil Conservation Council of Canada. “Dr. Steppuhn’s lengthy career in agricultural research in Canada and abroad makes him a deserving recipient of this award.”

Dr. Harold Steppuhn is the 2017 recipient of the L. B. Thomson Conservation Award

Dr. Steppuhn’s career as a scientist with Agriculture and Agrifood Canada (AAFC) spanned more than thirty years. He worked tirelessly, always keeping in mind projects

that would beneﬁt “producers”. His most notable achievements during his tenure with AAFC focused on dealing with the challenges of managing saline soils. Over the years, Harold and his teams were largely responsible for the salt tolerance characterization and salinity tolerance screening of most agricultural crops grown on the prairies. He was a leader in producing AC Saltlander Green Wheatgrass and several salt tolerant alfalfa varieties, which have given producers more tools for combatting salinity. His expertise was integral to major irrigation water quality projects, resulting in the hand-book entitled “Sodicity Hazard of Sodium and Bicarbonate Containing Waters on the Long-term Productivity of Irrigated Soils”, which is still an invaluable resource for irrigation specialists across the Canadian Prairies and the Northwestern USA. Dr. Steppuhn is retired but remains active in advancing the frontier of agricultural science in Western Canada and around the world.

Soil care and protection is everyone’s responsibility – YOU CAN HELP Your support – with a membership, donation or sponsorship – promotes sustainable agriculture, contributes to a more informed public and increases collaboration among farmers, industry, governments and other agencies with a common goal of creating and maintaining soil health for future generations. Your participation in the Soil Conservation Council of Canada will strengthen Canada’s success in securing reliable and sustainable productivity for our vital soil resource. Go to www.soilcc.ca for more information or email your questions to info@soilcc.ca.

info@soilcc.ca

204-792-2424

www.soilcc.ca

@soilcouncil

BUSINESS

to have good communications and a conflict resolution strategy to fall back on.” 8. Create manuals Developing an employee and standard operating procedures manuals provides clear, “how-to” instructions about how the farm business is to run and provides guidance to employees when their supervisor or manager isn’t available to help them. The employee manual states what the farm business expects from its employees and what they can expect from the business in return. The standard operating procedures set out the steps and tasks to get different jobs done on the farm. All too often this knowledge ends up in someone’s head and not on paper, so it’s vital that this experience and knowledge is written down for employees who aren’t familiar with how things are done on the farm. “An HR strategy is more than just hiring and retaining people,” Mashinini says. “A strategy should align with the farm’s goals and improve the quality of the people that it hires. A solid and strong HR plan will provide positive results for the farm business.” CG

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7. Resolve conflicts Conflicts may arise between employees, or between employees and managers or supervisors, or among family members involved in the farm operations. Employers need to deal with such conflicts swiftly. “If conflict is not addressed it can lead to low morale, decreased production and damage to the reputation of your farm business, and may lead to constant turnover of employees,” says Mashinini. In some cases it may be necessary to impose some kind of disciplinary action, but first it’s vital to understand the situation. Speak to each person involved in the conflict separately and listen objectively to their perspective, without taking sides. Then bring them together to discuss the matter. “Show them how their behaviour is affecting the business operation and put the emphasis on the employees or whoever is involved to create a conflict solution,” says Mashinini. “Write it down and get them and the employer to sign the document so there is a record in case anything happens in the future. Sometimes the conflict is a simple misunderstanding, which is why it’s important

l d / O r 2 017

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Disease & Yield Management Guide

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hen you think about all of the planning and input costs you put into your crop, a fungicide application just makes good sense. But it’s not just money, it’s your personal investment. The long, hard hours and your dedication to excellence — and when you look at it that way, you wouldn’t let anything spoil it for you. If there’s one thing the Bayer Fungicide Trials have taught us over the last decade, it’s that disease is always there, no matter the growing conditions the previous year.

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------ head ------

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10 years of return on investment 2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Folicure®

+3.7 n=8

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+8.5 n=6

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+4.1 n=4

+3.2 n=6

Prosaro®

+5.7 n=3

+6.5 n=21

+12 n=12

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+6.9 n=20

+9.1 n=18

+6.1 n=13

+4 n=7

+7.7 n=3

2017

10-year avg.

+6.1 n=4

+5.0 n=86

+6.5 n=10

+7.7 n=125

+7.2 n=10

Prosaro XTR no trials conducted

2016

losing money

breaking even

making money

Numbers expressed as gain in bu./ac. versus the untreated check. Source: Bayer grower-co-operated replicated DSTs (2008–2017). “N” represents the number of trials in each case. Assumes $6/bu. wheat price and $5/ac. application cost. Note: Not all products are included in every trial.

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Fusarium control now a double-barrelled problem Spraying for the disease now means controlling the fungus as well as the cutworms that open new routes for infection | By treena hein

new pest in Eastern Canada is opening the door for more fusarium infection in corn at the same time as it’s becoming more important to control it. “The screws are tightening for growers,” says Art Schaafsma, a professor of field crop pest management at the University of Guelph, Ridgetown campus. “Awareness of DON (the toxic compound produced by fusarium) at the customer level, at ethanol plants and so on is increasing. Load rejections are increasing. DON can end up costing you more in the end than any leaf disease. The penalties are pretty large.” Fusarium infects corn plants in two ways. One is through “the silk channel,” which is amenable to good control with fungicides. “We have two fungicides, Caramba and Proline, that suppress fusarium and prevent it from entering the plant through the silk at a very specific 24-hour stage, at the right moisture level and temperature,” Schaafsma explains. “Treat when silks are newly and fully emerged.” But the presence of Western bean cutworm (WBC), a new pest to Ontario, is also enabling fusarium to infect the plant through holes it creates in the ears. “An insecticide targets the larvae at the second or third instar (development stage), when they are eating the tassels and going into the silks and then into the ears,” Schaafsma says. “We’re not sure how much fusarium is getting into the ears this way; however, theoretically, if you can prevent

ear wounds by spraying insecticide after tasseling at silking, you’re only worried about the silk channel. However, we are still parsing out what’s doing what, and determining how much controlling the insect helps manage fusarium.” There’s another significant piece to the fusarium infection puzzle — accuracy of the information Canadian growers are receiving from some major crop protection companies. Schaafsma says it’s critical that Canadian growers understand that DON is not a big concern in the U.S. Corn Belt, so fusarium is not on the “radar” of the some crop protection companies. Instead, they are focused on advising growers there (and also here) to use strobilurin fungicides that provide leaf disease control because that’s the main fungal disease concern in U.S. corn — fungicides that aren’t useful in controlling DON. Scott Ditschun confirms that he and his colleagues have seen instances where a grower has applied a strobilurin fungicide at leaf disease timing, expecting that DON will also be reduced. “It’s our job as an industry to make sure the growers are informed correctly about what does and what doesn’t control DON,” says Ditschun, Bayer Canada’s head of agronomic development for fungicides, Eastern Canada. “We need to set them up properly for success.” Schaafsma shares the concern about effectiveness of strobilurin . “So, some companies are suggesting the use of the strobilurin fungicides up here because that’s what they suggest

“Some companies are suggesting the use of the strobilurin fungicides up here because that’s what they suggest to their U.S. customers, but these products don’t do anything for DON control and in fact, they can actually increase DON levels.” Art Schaafsma • professor of field crop pest management, University of Guelph, Ridgetown campus

Western bean cutworm eggs are typically laid on the upper surface of the top leaves of the corn plant. Photo: OMAFRA

Bay e r c r o p Science / Country Guide Special Supplement

Western bean cutworm enables fusarium to infect corn through holes it creates in the ears. Photo: Purdue University

to their U.S. customers, but these products don’t do anything for DON control and in fact, they can actually increase DON levels.” He says there are two theories on why that happens. It is either killing other fungi and therefore clearing out the competition for fusarium, or these products may somehow trigger a stress response in fusarium which makes it produce more DON. This winter Schaafsma and Albert Tenuta, a field crop pathologist at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the University of Guelph, will test to see if fungicide mixes containing strobilurins and lower levels of Caramba, for example, have any effectiveness against fusarium. But Schaafsma says he doubts that anything besides Caramba and Proline applied at silking are effective. He’s also concerned about spraying practices. “A lot of folks are not practising IPM and are booking aircraft insecticide spraying weeks or months in advance. There is a lot less scouting than I’d like to see and a lot more blanket spraying than I’d like to see.”

Insecticide/fungicide timing For 2018, Schaafsma advises growers to control fusarium using a tank mix of insecticide and either Caramba or Proline fungicide at silking. “Some growers are already doing this, and these fungicides also provide some protection against other diseases like rusts and northern corn leaf blight,” he says. “But the most important thing to keep in mind is that corn seed is sold bundled with other products, but fungicide in the bundle might not be best to control DON. Growers can really only afford to apply fungicide once, and they should use the ones effective against DON.” Ditschun advises that in order for insecticides and fungicides to work they need to be applied at the right time, and the timing for a DON-reducing fungicide is always during silking. However, he notes that insecticide timing for WBC control might not be at the same time because it’s dependent on scouting and thresholds, meaning that the grower might have to apply the insecticide and fungicide separately. If the timings do line up, then Ditschun says a one-pass tank mix of insecticide and a DON-reducing fungicide like Proline makes sense. Schaafsma advises a tank mix of an insecticide with Caramba or Proline fungicide right after tasseling when silks have emerged. He also strongly advises more scouting for better insecticide application timing, and to rotate insecticide groups each year. Ditschun agrees. “It all comes back to scouting and there are lots of industry people that can help with this,” he says. “Your crop protection product retailer is an expert who sees many fields and has a good understanding of the signs that may lead to a decision to spray. Traps are a good example of something that can be misinterpreted. High trap counts for WBC moths are sometimes used as an indication to spray, for example, when they should be used an indication to start scouting for egg masses.” Ditschun adds, however, that it’s not possible to scout for fusarium ear rot disease symptoms. “By the time these symptoms appear, the damage is done and a fungicide application won’t help. The best thing we can tell growers today is that the industry is working to improve the fusarium forecast model for corn. If growers are concerned about DON levels in corn, they should plan for a preventative application using a product labelled specifically for that.” For OMAFRA’s Tracy Baute’s description of scouting for WBC, visit Country Guide’s website and search for “Western bean cutworm.” 

Staying on top of sudden death syndrome Management includes a combination of field selection, scouting, variety selection and fungicides | By Jennifer Barber

udden death syndrome in soybeans continues its march through fields in southern Ontario, and growers across the country are watching and waiting for the pathogen to arrive. The ominously named disease lives up to its moniker — its impact on yield can be devastating, with annual losses of 10-60 per cent in Ontario. The good news is that it can be managed. “If you ever see a field with sudden death syndrome (SDS) you need to scout every year soybeans are grown as it will not go away once it is in the soil,” says Albert Tenuta, field crop pathologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. “But each year we are developing more tools to deal with the disease — from seed varieties to seed treatment fungicides. While we have nothing currently available that will eliminate the pathogen, growers have the ability to manage the disease and reduce its impact on yield.” Shorter-season varieties have allowed soybean expansion to the West. It is now Manitoba’s third-largest crop, and acreage is spreading well into Saskatchewan. While these newer areas are still in the honeymoon period of disease development, the potential increases with each harvest. “In southwestern Ontario, not only is SDS spreading to new locations, but it is expanding within fields that initially showed very low levels of infection,” says Tenuta. “While the weather varied throughout Ontario in 2017, in general it was wet and cool early, which set up the disease for development in July when the temperatures warmed up. It was drier in the lighter soil regions, but the early season moisture allowed for SDS to take hold.” Most SDS damage is below ground, so digging up roots is an important way to scout for the disease. Symptoms in-crop are mostly visible post-flowering, when the veins on the leaves stay green while the connecting tissues turn bright yellow, then brown, and eventually fall away from the leaf, leaving the veins behind. SDS has yet to be confirmed in eastern Ontario, Quebec, or the Prairies but it is approaching Manitoba from the south and it’s only a matter of time before it arrives. Manitoba conducts an annual survey to track the disease. “In 2017 we looked at almost 70 soybean fields in all soybean-growing areas of the province,” says Holly Derksen, field crop pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture. “We do a lot of outreach during the year and take Continued on page 6 

Bayer crop Science / Co untry Guide Special Supp l e m e n t

“While we see soybean plants that have damage similar to SDS, they have ultimately had other causes. It’s a tricky disease to identify, but we are continually looking for it.” Holly Derksen Manitoba Agriculture

samples of any suspect crops. While we see soybean plants that have damage similar to SDS, they have ultimately had other causes. It’s a tricky disease to identify, but we are continually looking for it.”

Corn not affected, but a host SDS can be controlled through management. There are several varieties available with good partial SDS resistance, which is the first step. While Ontario growers have experience with these varieties, they have not yet made it into the official Manitoba seed guide. Growers can look to manufacturers’ seed guides to find out which varieties might work in their area. Rotation is important but recent research has shown that a corn/soybean rotation is not entirely effective. While SDS doesn’t affect corn, it is a host for the pathogen, which will overwinter on the crop residue and in the soil. While previous seed treatments were ineffective against SDS, ILeVO seed treatment, launched in 2017, is showing high levels of efficacy against the fungus that causes the disease. ILeVO permeates the roots and young seedlings and they move at a high concentration into the cotyledons and unifoliate before seedling in the seed zone. This protects the seedling and root system against the SDS fungus. “Overall trials have shown that an integrated approach works well to manage the disease,” says Tenuta. “This is the first year we have used ILeVO and even though some growers still saw symptoms of the disease, its onset was greatly delayed, past the point where the disease would have an impact on yield. When you compared the results to the untreated check, the crop may not look that different at harvest but the yield was quite higher.” There are other measures that are already best management practices for most farmers. “Some other things you can do to manage for disease include seeding into well-drained soils in order to reduce the seed’s exposure to cooler, moist soils,” says Derksen. “Growers should also avoid soil compaction and maintain proper fertility and pH levels to help reduce the disease impact. Staggering planting dates can also help manage disease; however, that can be challenging in areas with a shorter growing season.”

Foliar symptoms of sudden death syndrome. Photo: Angie Peltier, University of Illinois

Bay e r c r o p Science / Country Guide Special Supplement

SCN is a partner Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is also a problem for soybean growers, and often accompanies SDS. This disease has been in Canada for more than half a century but is still limited to Ontario and a few fields in Quebec. The parasitic roundworm is also difficult to diagnose, and is often identified when there is significant unexplained yield loss. The impact from SCN is greater than the next five diseases combined. “Fortunately for growers we now have 25 years of varieties with different levels of resistance to SCN,” says Tenuta. “We work closely with breeders to anticipate some of the disease issues that will impact soybean growers here and as it spreads into the Prairies, and there are constantly new varieties coming into the market.” Tenuta adds that growers should also be rotating their SCN-resistant seed varieties in order to reduce the risk that the nematode population will adapt to the variety or one type of genetics. “We are already seeing SCN adapt to bypass some of the varieties, and plant breeders are continually working to develop new varieties and new sources of resistance,” he says. “When it comes to disease, growers should review their seed order every year to make sure it has the appropriate disease package for their fields.” Most SCN damage happens below ground, where the cysts overwinter for several years. Early detection is key as lower populations are easier to manage. “SCN is a companion disease for SDS — where you see one you will almost inevitably see the other, although SCN can occur on its own” says Derksen. “The nematodes nibble on the roots of the plant and provide a great vehicle for SCN. You need to collect roots every year to know how big a problem these diseases are.”

SCN may arrive first Derksen says that while both diseases are prevalent south of the border in North Dakota and Minnesota, SDS is most common in the most southern areas of those states, and depending on soil movement could take a while to move north. “We think we will see SCN before we see SDS,” she says. Both diseases move through soil, so cleaning equipment and practising good soil biosecurity, especially when bringing in soil from the U.S., can help. However, soil also moves through floodwaters, through wind and by birds so preventing all soil movement is not possible. “An integrated approach is key for managing for these diseases,” says Tenuta. “The pathogen is constantly evolving so we need to change our practices as necessary. Watch your rotation, pick the best variety with the most complete disease package, use a seed treatment and scout. I can’t stress enough how important it is to be aware of what is in your field. You need to break up the disease cycle whenever possible to help reduce the impact of SDS, SCN and other diseases on your crop.” 

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Value add

Step one: Evaluation You’ve got a great idea for a new product. Or maybe not

here are many reasons why farmers are drawn to value adding. You might have excess capacity in the field or the barn, for instance, or maybe if you milled grain into flour, you could retain good staff by providing year-round positions. Or maybe you’re wondering if an on-farm market could solve your problems by creating an opening for a young family member to join the business. The list goes on and on with plenty of other examples of how producing a more finished product can add economic value to a commodity. But “value adding” requires a different skill set than growing and selling a commodity. And it starts with the most valuable skill of all. How do you sort out whether your idea for a value-added product is viable? Sima Gandhi, who teaches a Market Feasibility Bootcamp at Food Starter, a launch pad for new food prod-

By Helen Lammers-Helps

ucts and food companies in Toronto, shares some of the concepts she covers in the 12-week course. Gandhi, who is also an innovation consultant and entrepreneur, has been involved in entrepreneurship education for the past four years. While being an entrepreneur comes with many challenges, she says that being a “foodpreneur” comes with an extra layer of complexity due to all the rules and regulations that must be followed, such as nutritional labels, sanitation practices and packaging requirements. If you are already selling direct to consumers, you know what your customers are asking for. But what if you don’t have that direct connection with potential customers — how do you evaluate your idea without investing a lot of time and money? Continued on page 34

Common “foodpreneur” pitfalls In her work as an innovation consultant and instructor for the Toronto Food Starter Market Feasibility Bootcamp, Sima Gandhi regularly sees would-be food entrepreneurs making these mistakes: • Underestimating what it takes to create a successful business venture. Too many people who have developed a product think they can get it onto grocery store shelves in just a few months. Unfortunately, they don’t understand how grocery stores value their shelf space. If you go to the grocery store, you will usually see a whole line with a variety of flavours. “One product does not make a business. Making the product is the easy part these days.” • Being too emotionally invested in an idea and having feedback only from family and friends. You need to seek unbiased input from outside your own network.

make more sense. Ask yourself, what is your vision? Do you want your business to be big or small? To sell locally or nationally? What is your exit strategy?

• Being unaware of the rules around selling food made in your own kitchen.

• Not knowing your costs. There’s a big difference between making a batch on your kitchen stove and going into production.

• Not having thought about your end goals. Many are too attached to manufacturing and selling their product themselves when selling or licensing the idea may

• Not talking to partners and families. Launching a business will have a big impact on their lifestyle and finances too.

COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA / MARCH 1, 2018

Value Adding

The Value Proposition Matrix (from Sima Gandhi) A simple grid can help you identify the values you offer to your customer. The questions to ask are: • What does your customer have before having the product? • What does your customer feel before having the product? • What does the customer have after having the product? • What does your customer feel after having the product? Example: PRODUCT: Plant-based protein (meatless meat) Before

After

Have

Environmental concerns, health concerns

Tasty meat alternative

Feel

Worried about how their consumption has an impact on the environment

Good about the difference they are making with their food choices

Spending time on social media is one easy and lowcost way to see how much momentum an idea has, says Gandhi. Look at related groups online and how many members they have. What are people talking about? This will also help you identify the key language your target community is using to describe your product. However, it’s important to ensure that the market you are trying to hit is more than a fad. In Gandhi’s opinion, trends around health, aging, fitness, convenience and indulgence will have some staying power. Gandhi has also identified what she considers to be movements, or ideas with some permanence. The awareness of grains, fast and slow carbs and ancient grains falls into the movement category, she says. Other movements include an awareness of the health concerns of sugar and a move to eat more “natural” foods. These are foods captured by the comment: “if it wasn’t on your grandmother’s plate, don’t eat it.” Gandhi also sees plant-based proteins continuing to gain momentum. It’s easy to fall into the trap of looking at what you can make instead of what the customer wants and needs. Gandhi recommends using the Value Proposition Matrix to help ensure that your idea, as she puts it, “solves a pain felt by a community of people.” In order to transmit the value of your innovation to the user, you need to clearly identify your product/service, identify your target customer and describe the value you provide. This needs to be specific to help you better market your product. Once you know your target market, Gandhi recommends creating an avatar that represents the consumer. She sees her customer as a female, with a mid- to highrange income, who is concerned about nutrition. By imagining what this ideal customer does on her typical day, Gandhi gains insights into how to market her utensil. 34

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

Gandhi illustrates how the process works. Being concerned with health and fitness, this client likely does yoga which means that following the marketing of Lululemon, a popular brand of yoga wear, will shed light on what appeals to this target market. “It’s a blunt, easy way of understanding the values of a community,” she says. With food products, going to stores and even to farmers markets will help you get a feel for your market, continues Gandhi. “See who buys your product, give out samples,” she says. “Or go to the grocery store and ask if you can stand in the aisle and ask questions.” Gandhi looked at marketing a tool to help rinse quinoa, so she stood in the quinoa section at her local grocery store to ask shoppers whether or not they washed their quinoa before cooking. “Women did, men didn’t, … that helped her define her target market as women,” she explains. Sometimes it’s helpful to think beyond the obvious. One client brought back an artisanal pasta concept after visiting Italy. What goes better with pasta than wine? Sampling the pasta at local wine bars is a creative way to validate the market. Doing a competitive analysis of your product will help you determine where your product fits in the market. By doing a comparison of serving size, price, available flavours, etc., you can see if there is a gap in the market. For example, a few years ago no one was making a single-serving-size gourmet frozen pizza, points out Gandhi. She notes that market gap has since been filled. Her final message is encouraging, however. The timing is good for farmers who want to move their product up the value chain. The enduring interest in knowing where our food comes from is creating opportunities for farmers locally, while the internet and online sales have made it easier than ever to market products globally. CG

Resources • Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, direct farm marketing resources: www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ english/busdev/directfarmmkt/index.html

• AMI’s Transition Smart for those shifting from production to processing: takeanewapproach. ca/programs/#transition

• Georgian College: www.georgiancollege. ca/community-alumni/entrepreneurshipcentre/food-entrepreneurship/

• Food Starter provides a range of services to help entrepreneurs commercialize and sell their food products: www.foodstarter.ca • Strategyzer — Lean startup resources: strategyzer. com/canvas/value-proposition-canvas

• Innovator Lab — blogs and ideas for working on your startup: www.InnovatorLab.ca

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BUSINESS

The heart of

the deal How significant is the local dealer in determining what you buy? By Scott Garvey / CG Machinery Editor

ne evening a year or so ago I sat in a hotel lounge in rural England with a couple of other ag machinery writers. We were gathered there for a machinery event and were all staying in the same hotel. We spent part of that evening discussing the differences between farmer perceptions of machinery in the U.K. and North America. The number of dedicated farm machinery-focused publications in the British Isles is very large. Here in Canada, on the other hand, it’s pretty small. That, said one British editor, was hard to believe. Why, he wanted to know, are there so few? Often farmers I speak to here seem to know a lot about “their” brand, but not necessarily much about what’s on offer under other marquees. By contrast, farmers I’ve spoken to in the U.K. seem able to quote a wide variety of specifications about many of the machines on the market there. Of course there are many exceptions to those rules, but they do seem to be a reasonably accurate generalization.

Are Canadian farmer’s machinery choices influenced most strongly by what’s on offer at their favourite local dealer? Photo credit: Scott Garvey

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

Although the explanation for the differences calls for a bit of speculation, I wonder if it’s down to one simple reason: brand loyalty. Or maybe that’s better stated as dealer loyalty. In the relatively wide-open spaces in Canada, are farmers’ relationships with local dealers, which aren’t exactly on every street corner, the deciding factor in the question? Are farmers here more likely to buy machinery from the best dealer available, regardless of where the brand technology and efficiency stands on the engineering scale, and then display nothing more than a passing interest in other colours? A recent survey conducted in 2017 in the U.S. by Farm Equipment magazine, a publication that caters to North American ag equipment dealers, offers some support for that idea. Granted, it’s not a solely Canadian survey, but farmers on both sides of the 49th parallel often seem to share a lot of opinions on the topic of equipment. FE’s survey found that roughly 75 per cent of producers considered themselves “brand loyal.” That’s a big number. What’s more, farmers who report less than $1 million in annual revenue say they start the machinery buying process by looking first at the same brand they already own 74 per cent of the time. That number jumps to 82 per cent for producers who gross more than $1 million annually. But there were some exceptions to farmers’ desire to keep a consistent colour across their fleets. When it comes to hay and forage equipment, 31 per cent of those in the under-$1-million income group opted for something from a different brand. For the over-$1-million category, that number fell to 24 per cent. For tillage equipment purchases, 47 per cent in the lower-income group chose a different brand, while that number increased to 53 per cent for the other producers. That could be a reflection of the surge in imported short-line tillage brands in recent years that have significantly pushed the technology level in that equipment category. And, you could argue, these short-lines caught the major brands sound asleep on that front. The survey also asked producers how willing they’d be to switch mainline brands. Given the current very difficult economic environment in the U.S., roughly half said they would, and the

main reason revolved around — you guessed it — dealers. The over-$1-million group named dealership service and repair, while the lower-income group cited parts availability. Those reasons make sense when you consider that lower-income producers often keep machines longer, and that getting parts for older equipment isn’t always easy, while larger farmers typically run more modern fleets and need to keep them running to cover big acres in a short amount of time. Both groups’ desire for better overall engineering was secondary to those concerns. And both of those primary reasons hinge, at least in part, on local dealerships. Jim Walker, vice-president of Case IH, said he recognizes the critical role dealers play in putting the red brand’s equipment into farmers’ yards. And that role may even increase as the industry evolves. “When we look at our brand advantage, at the end of the day the local dealer network is going to be the differentiator of the future,” he told a group of machinery writers in August. With fewer and fewer producers, and with technology becoming more innovative, he said, “the distribution is going to be the difference in the marketplace.” That point of view seems to mirror what the FE survey revealed. So, Walker said, manufacturers need to offer very strong support to their dealer networks, particularly with prompt parts delivery. “Parts distribution is very important,” Walker said. “When you’re in the agricultural business, you can go one of two ways: you can have a third party that’s very good at logistics and management of parts do it for you when you’re growing as a business. Or, you can do it yourself and have full control over it. We (CNH) do that with 59 different parts distribution centres around the world on five different continents. We’re very happy with our fill rate. We’re consistently either at or above the average of that industry.” Building the right kind of dealer network is also key, he noted. Initially, Case IH broke away from the pack when it came to the kinds of dealership chains other brands were fostering. It allowed the formation of mega-dealer networks like Titan in the U.S. and Rocky Mountain Equipment in Western Canada. “When you look at our global distribution network, we have over 3,000 dealers of all brands and over 1,200 in North America we’re certainly proud of,” Walker went on. “When you look at that model we employ with the dealer network, one of the facets of moving to a product marketing concept is that you have a new relationship, if you will, or a new focus in your relationship with customers and dealers. And that’s the B-to-B (business-tobusiness) relationship. “By that I mean Case IH might own the dealer agreement, but we have to depend on a dealer network to sell our products. The dealer might be independently owned, but they have to rely on us for innovative products. Finally, the customers may be independent, but they have to rely on that dealer to provide leading-edge

“The local dealer network is going to be the differentiator,” says Case IH’s Jim Walker.

technology solutions for their problems and, certainly, the product support. “It’s mutually beneficial and very much an interdependent process and business model. That’s where we’re at today. We have quite a bit of resources and planning going on that will focus on how we drive that interdependency.” Walker notes that the red brand has made a big acknowledgement that dealers are often the deciding factor in growing the brand’s sales in its strategy. “The key in [our vision statement] is the customer focus is very prominent and the dealer focus is very prominent,” he said. “Three of the five drivers in our new strategic plan have to do with dealers, the first one being to enhance our interface.” Walker noted that “interface” enhancement involves many things, from technology to training and product support. And both the manufacturer and the dealer need to be on the same page with the same goals and objectives. “Next is to achieve alignment with our dealers,” he explained. “In essence, we have to be going at this battle in the marketplace in unison. We have no benefit of driving the strategic plan to a place the dealers don’t want to go. The third and final of the three is focus on dealer capabilities and health. “Clearly having a dealer network that is well capitalized to invest in training, personnel, capitalization, to be able to run and grow the business is paramount for us.” CG COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA / MARCH 1, 2018

A special supplement brought to you by Canadian Forage and Grassland Association

Forage & Grassland Guide is produced in partnership by the Canadian Forage & Grassland Association (CFGA) and Glacier FarmMedia LLP and distributed through Country Guide, Canadian Cattlemen and Le Bulletin des agriculteurs. It focuses on forage and grassland issues of importance to crop and livestock producers across Canada.

Don’t call it ‘cover,’ call it ‘feed’ How sacrificing some silage yield can gain another six to 10 tons of forage per acre

By John Greig

om Kilcer says farmers are missing an opportunity to create greater value from cover crops by using them in a carefully planned winter forage system. He’s promoting a system that gives up some yield in corn silage planted after the winter forage in order to gain overall total yield over a whole growing season. Kilcer, a longtime Cornell University extension educator who now runs his own consulting company, Advanced Ag Systems, talked about double cropping in northern forage areas at the Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association conference last November in Guelph, Ont. “Winter forage is cover crops on steroids,” he said. He listed several advantages of winter forages, including the ability to produce more to fill the popular higher-forage diets for dairy cows, increasing dry matter produced per acre by 25 to 30 per cent and having the ability to harvest quality forage before spring grasses or legumes are ready. Planting forages in the fall also helps change the timing of spring planting, moving some of the seeding to later in the season. Not only can the winter forage make up for any difference in planting later-season corn, but subsequent crops showed yield increases. Corn over a three-year average increased in yield by eight to 15 per cent, soybeans were up eight to 15 per cent and nitrate in drainage water was reduced

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

Tom Kilcer recommends triticale as a cover crop with high feed value, and says to manage it as a feed crop, not just a cover, using seed treatment and good seed. Photo: University of Nebraska

from 21 to 38 per cent. Surface water infiltration increased by seven times. Those are numbers that are not surprising from other cover crop research, but Kilcer goes further in promoting the value of winter forages as a double crop that pays, producing six to 10 tons of forage per acre.

Treat it like a feed crop

“The first thing you need to understand is we are not growing a cover crop, we’re growing a winter forage,” he said. Kilcer does most of his work with triticale as his winter forage of choice. Use a seed treatment and good seed, he says, as you’re growing a crop you need for feed, not just a cover. The most important factor is to

get the forage crop planted on time. Where Kilcer does most of his work, that’s 10 days to two weeks before winter wheat in the fall. His research found a 20 per cent increase in yield for forages planted September 9 versus October 5. The key is to get tillering happening before the triticale goes dormant in the late fall. Bonus heat units in the fall and nitrogen are helpful to get that fall tillering. Fertilizer also had an effect only if the crop was planted early, with a 14 per cent increase in yield to manure if planted in early September, versus no response if planted in October. Be Continued on page 40

Forage & Grassland Guide

2018

Plant smart for optimum production Strategic grass planting can optimize forage results by Trudy Kelly Forsythe

Agronomists and plant breeders have done a lot of work to select specific characteristics when it comes to developing new varieties of forages, and they’ve made great strides with traits like rust resistance, persistence and salt tolerance. More recently, however, they’ve been looking at forage quality and, more specifically, forage digestibility. Peter Ballerstedt, the forage product manager at the grass seed research and marketing company Barenbrug USA, explained why when he presented on the next generation of highly digestible forages at the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association’s 8th annual conference in Guelph last November. “We have two types of carbohydrate in any ruminant ration,” he said. “We have to have the non-fibrous carbohydrate (NFC) and we have to have the fibre carbohydrate (NDF). Both have to be there in order for the ruminant to function properly.” Indeed, properly balancing the two is critical for the health and production in beef and dairy cattle. For example, a two to three unit change in fibre digestibility in dairy cows has shown a one pound increase in milk yield. However, while grass is a great source of digestible fibre, not all grass is created equal. There are differences between

CANADIAN FORAGE & GRASSLAND ASSOCIATION www.canadianfga.ca Ph: 506-260-0872

species and even variations between varieties within a species. Producers have some different options to consider when looking for varieties with high digestibility, including soft leaf fescue varieties, a new perennial rye grass variety and orchard grass varieties. Ballerstedt explained that meadow fescue provides an excellent opportunity to increase milk production and weight gains, especially in mixtures with other grasses, while true Italian rye grass is suitable for short-term pastures for dairy but especially for finishing grass-fed beef and when used as haylage. “Italian is like winter wheat,” said Ballerstedt, adding it requires fertilization for reproductive development. “If you plant it in the spring, it will grow all summer long without making a seed head so you have the highest quality feed available but without reproductive development." Whatever producers decide, Ballerstedt said they need to ensure what they’re growing gives them the greatest potential for improvement. “There’s nothing so expensive as cheap seed. If you’re going through all the expense to do the cropping work to get the seed bed prepared, don’t try to save the money on the seed.” That’s because the cost farmers incur

PETER BALLERSTEDT

from a seeding failure is not from the additional seed they then need to buy, but is from what they’ve done to their grazing rotation. “It’s all lost feed production you’ve just incurred. It’s from the fact that now you’re not in the optimum window to make that planting. So you just buggered yourself up to save a couple pennies on seed.”

A special supplement brought to you by Canadian Forage and Grassland Association

Continued from page 38 careful top-dressing manure onto the crop too late in the spring. Kilcer told a story of a farmer who did so and the crop ended up being a “slimy, maggoty mess in the bunk.” There’s no doubt that waiting for the winter forage to come off means planting later corn, and Kilcer says that for every five-day, shorter-season corn that has to be planted, there is a reduction of 1,680 kg/ha of corn silage yield. That usually is offset by the winter forage yield of 4,479 to 8,958 kg/ha. Rye is a popular cover crop and in some areas it is also used as a winter forage crop, especially on dairy and beef farms, but Kilcer prefers triticale over rye because there’s less chance of triticale lodging in a heavy crop, and triticale’s quality decreases slower than rye. Winter forage crops like triticale and rye can yield much more than what farmers are used to with alfalfa. They are high-sugar, and need to be laid out wide behind the haybine. Then, he recommends tedding, with ground speed down and RPMs up to get the heavy crop spread out properly. Chop it long, at least 2.5 cm, as it is a high-sugar, high-energy crop. Similar to brown mid-rib corn, winter forage can fall apart fast in the rumen, hence why it should be cut longer. There’s still a lot to learn about double cropping. There is concern that there’s an alleopathy effect of winter grains on corn that will decrease yield in the next crop. Kilcer is in the middle of a research project looking at this effect, but he says that there are options to strip till or zone till which appears to move the alleopathy effect away from the crop in the strips. Other crops like alfalfa, red clover and soybeans can be no tilled directly into winter forage stubble, he says. Kilcer is also looking at other options for double cropping that include dwarf sorghum, grain sorghum and BMR forages. n

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

Forage testing more complicated, but rations more accurate Forage testing has evolved significantly in the past three to five years, with more precise tools for livestock ration development By John Greig

Today’s rations are built from complex forage reports derived from comprehensive lab tests. Photo: Jeannette Greaves

orage quality evaluation has moved from rule of thumb to rule of rumen. Mark Bowman, a ruminant nutritionist with Grand Valley Fortifiers in Cambridge, Ont., told the annual meeting of the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association in Guelph last November that forage testing has evolved significantly in the past three to five years, with more precise tools for livestock ration development. The major innovation is different measures of digestion of forages in the rumen. Labs now use

actual rumen fluid drawn from cows to determine rates of starch and fibre digestibility over varying times, as well as the rate of passage of fibre through the rumen. The actual tests are supported by complex computational models which give nutritionists and farmers the data to work with. Some of these new measures have led to the reintroduction of more grasses in dairy diets, versus alfalfa and the move to higher-forage versus grain diets. Continued on page 42

Forage & Grassland Guide

2018

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Continued from page 40 Thirty years ago there were just rules of thumb, Bowman said. Forages were fed at about two per cent of body weight per day. For example, a 750-kg Holstein cow should get 15 kg. “Today it’s a lot more complicated,” he said. Now rations are built from complex forage reports derived from comprehensive lab tests. There are formulation models that drive much of the decision-making on rations in the background. Ration formulators have for years looked at neutral detergent fibre (NDF) as the standard measure of cell wall and cell contents — essentially how difficult it is for the cow to digest the forage. “When we want to feed the cow, we are really feeding the rumen,” Bowman said. “As forage quality goes down, there’s only so much you can do to compensate.” Today, there are numerous tests relating to NDF, such as dNDF (NDF digestibility). Labs also now test for uNDF (undigestible NDF). There are also other lab assays tested through NIRS (near-infrared spectroscopy). Then there are more complicated ration formulation models available for nutritionists to use. Acid detergent fibre (ADF) continues to be used. Dave Taysom of Dairyland Laboratories Inc. told the CFGA meeting that uNDF is the undigested NDF residue after fermentation at a given length of time. It is accompanied by the time that the digestion is tested, such as uNDF240 for a test that has been run for 240 hours, or uNDF48, for a test that’s been run for 48 hours. At one time the measure of digestibility was lignin. Even when low-lignin alfalfas were developed, they still looked similar to each other in lignin levels, but there is significant difference when one looks at the uNDF levels, Taysom said.

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

Poor versus excellent quality forages Poor quality forage kg (as fed)

Excellent forage kg (as fed)

Corn silage (35% DM)

16.0

25.0

Alfalfa silage (45% DM)

12.5

19.5

Straw, chopped

0.5

HM corn (75% DM)

10.5

4.2

Soybean meal

3.3

1.6

Corn distillers grains

2.0

Dairy premix

0.7

45.5

53.5

Feed ingredient

Chart courtesy Mark Bowman, Grand Valley Fortifiers Forage quality benchmarks Alfalfa

Grasses

Excellent quality CP

ADF

aNDF

Low quality CP

ADF

aNDF

“When we want to feed the cow, we are really feeding the rumen. As forage quality goes down, there’s only so much you can do to compensate.” — Mark Bowman, Grand Valley Fortifiers

Chart courtesy Mark Bowman, Grand Valley Fortifiers

When Bowman gets a report back from the lab he first looks at the plant carbohydrate fractions, the cell wall and the cell contents. Protein is important economically, but “I can always feed more soybean meal,” if the protein level is low, he said. Corn silage is also a major forage for dairy cows, providing energy and fibre. Testing has shown that fermenting corn silage before it’s fed will mean more digestible starch. Bowman said that he likes corn silage to be fermented six months

before it’s fed. If you only wait 30 days, then there will need to be more digestible starch put into the ration, likely through high-moisture corn. That six-month storage is a challenge for many farms without more smaller silos. Bowman said silage in a bag can work, “But if a farm uses tower silos, they’ll need two. Some producers just don’t have that.” The bottom line is that the higher the forage level in the ration, the cheaper and less risk the ration will be. n

F o r ag e & G r ass l and G u i d e

2018

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Putting science into grass management The Grazing Response Index scores foliage removal, grazing period and recovery time By ray ford

hen it came out of Colorado in the 1990s, the Grazing Response Index (GRI) was strictly at home on the range. Now Ducks Unlimited Canada’s Jodie Horvath says that, with a few tweaks, the grass management tool can help graziers on Western Canada’s tame pastures, too. “When you’re a farmer, a lot of things feel out of your control, especially with the weather,” says Horvath, a DUC conservation programs specialist and Saskatchewan grain and cattle producer. The GRI “helps you realize there are things you can control, including the number of animals you put out, where they go, and how long they’re out there — so you do have some decision-making available to you.” With the backing of the Saskatchewan Forage Council and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Horvath tested the index during three years of grazing at DUC’s Touchwood Hills Conservation Ranch north of Fort Qu’Appelle. “There aren’t a lot of ways to measure and grade how we’re doing on our tame pastures,” she says. “I thought the GRI would be something really practical that we could implement easily on a farm for the average producer.”

health of the plant,” says Mae Elsinger, Brandon-based range management biologist with Agriculture and AgriFood Canada. “It’s about damage to the plant, recovery from damage, and the overall health by the end of the year.” Plants are like solar power systems, she adds — the more leaf area bitten off, the less solar energy the plant captures. When growing leaves are repeatedly chomped, stressed plants are forced to draw stored energy from their roots, like an underpowered solar system draining its storage batteries. As the grass weakens, it’s shaded out by less palatable or weedy species. The result is a less productive pasture. Horvath’s major challenge was adapting a system designed for native range grasses into one that works for

cool-season domesticated species. When the GRI was brought into Canada, researchers at British Columbia’s Thompson Rivers University tested the approach on common range grasses, including bluebunch wheatgrass, rough fescue, and pinegrass to ensure what works in Colorado is applicable north of the 49th parallel. Elsinger says the same detailed lab work hasn’t been done on tame species, including the alfalfa, meadow and smooth bromes featured in Horvath’s test pastures. But she adds experienced managers know tame pastures behave differently from native range. “Tame forages have evolved under a totally different system,” Elsinger says. While Prairie grasses were occasionally trampled, grazed, or burned Continued on page 46

Putting grass first

The GRI focuses on three aspects of grazing and pasture growth: grazing intensity — the amount of leaf area that is bitten off by grazing animals; the frequency — how often leaves are bitten off as the plants try to regrow; and the plant’s opportunity to regrow — the rest and recovery pastures get after grazing. GRI grades “how the grazing pattern in a particular year affects the

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

Above: The GRI focuses on three factors: grazing intensity, frequency and the plant’s opportunity to regrow. Left: Pegged to the ground with bent rebar, the exclusion cages are strong enough to shield the grass inside, even while cattle scratch themselves on the cage.

Forage & Grassland Guide

2018

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Continued from page 44 — sometimes severely — they probably had extended rest periods. Tame species developed in Europe and Asia under thousands of years of regular and repeated grazing, so “these grasses have just adapted to higherintensity grazing than native grasses.” The new tame version of the GRI reflects this. When it comes to grazing intensity, the tame GRI defines “light” grazing as taking up to 60 per cent of the stand, compared to just 40 per cent for range. Ditto for “opportunity for regrowth,” where a six-week rest for a tame pasture is equivalent to a range receiving a “full season” of rest after grazing. Finally, there’s the frequency of grazing. The range GRI awards top marks for a once-over rotational grazing system, but in most of the West, “the way we manage our tame pastures is often different than the way we manage our range pastures,” says the Saskatchewan Forage Council’s Laura Holmyr, who ranches near the U.S. border. “A lot of times we have two or maybe three times over” for tame pastures. To allow multiple passes on tame pastures but prevent tame plants from being bitten too many times in any one pass, the updated GRI tracks the longest period livestock graze a single paddock. Assuming it takes seven to 10 days for a plant to regrow to the state where it can be grazed again (a timeline adopted from the original GRI), graziers earn a positive score for restricting a grazing session to seven to 10 days in any one pasture. Leaving the beasts in for more than 21-30 days, on the other hand, draws a negative score. Holmyr adds managers may want to tweak this seven- to 10-day rule to fit their own knowledge of local plant growth. “Personally, at my place, we would never leave our cows on tame pasture for seven days, unless it’s August and nothing is growing. We always move them in four days or less.”

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

“Have I been degrading this resource? Have I been improving it? What can I maybe change to do some more regenerative-type grazing instead of taking, taking all the time?” — Laura Holmyr Graziers using the index need to note the in and out dates for each pasture, and track how much of the stand is being grazed on each pass. When estimating grazing intensity, it’s best to compare with an ungrazed stand nearby. Areas near ditches, fencerows and neighbouring fields may be an option, but Horvath used grazing exclusion cages borrowed from AAFC. Pegged to the ground with bent rebar, the cages are strong enough to shield the grass inside, even while cattle scratch themselves on the cage. By comparing what’s in the cage to an “average” grazed area five metres away, “it’s a great comparison as to what they’re actually removing, and that was an eye-opener for me,” says Horvath. “Honestly, you think the animals have removed only about half, or there’s lots of grazing out there yet. But when you have those grazing cages they really provide an important visual.”

Filling out the scorecard

After that, it’s a matter of working out the annual scorecard for each pasture. For example: • H ave the plants in Field A been grazed at less than 60 per cent of their foliage? Score one. • Were cattle on the field for less than seven days during their longest grazing period? Score another one. • Did the field get six weeks of recovery time between grazings? Score two. • Add up the total, and congratulations, Field A has maxed out at the highest possible score, four. But say Field B got different treatment. It was intensively grazed (with cattle removing more than 85 per cent of the foliage) for a score of minus one. The cattle also spent at least a

month in the field on their longest grazing session, so that earns another minus one. And though the field got a month between grazings, giving it “some chance” in the opportunity for regrowth score, that still only merits a zero. At the end of the year, Field A has earned a four, while B is suffering with a minus two. If this treatment continues, B will eventually become rundown. Options include giving B a little more TLC, and increasing the pressure on A, or subdividing pastures to get a better handle on grazing intensity by reducing time on any one paddock and boosting rest periods. GRI “works especially great in a rotational system where you have the flexibility to make adjustments,” Elsinger says. “If you have one big pasture and your animals are grazing season long from May to October and you get GRI results you don’t like, you’re not going to have much flexibility to change, unless you adopt cross-fencing.” The GRI “gives you a starting point for how to improve things, and an indication of the trend over time,” Laura Holmyr says. “Have I been degrading this resource? Have I been improving it? What can I maybe change to do some more regenerative-type grazing instead of taking, taking all the time?” At the very least, Jodie Horvath adds, the GRI is a simple way to inject more science into the art of pasture management. Sometimes, she adds, better management “is the one piece of control you have, when things feel out of control.” To learn more about the GRI for tame forages, visit the Saskatchewan Forage Council’s website at www.saskforage.ca. n

Forage & Grassland Guide

2018

PG. 50 More corn and soybean growers are watching their yields stagnate, even in good years. The culprit? Too many years of nutrient mining. PG. 52 Time to add willowherb to your list of weeds.

The problem with problem weeds Different regions, different crops and different species turn ‘control’ into ‘management’ By Ralph Pearce / CG Production Editor

t’s a message filled with contrasts. Weed management is simple yet complex. It’s all about improving your bottom line, but it adds a cost. And although it’s all about controlling all your weeds, it often gets judged on a single weed species. In spite of all the differences that come with farming in different regions, with different crops and weeds, the one thing that’s familiar everywhere is the definition of a problem weed. It’s the weed that’s tough to control, and sometimes can’t be controlled. Dr. François Tardif takes that definition a couple of steps further. “Either it is not on the label, or it is on the

label but the level of control is not satisfactory, or it’s variable depending on crop stage or conditions,” says Tardif, a professor in the department of plant agriculture at the University of Guelph. “Or it could be a new weed that jumped into a field after a grower controlled the normal weeds. It could also be a weed that farmers inquire about a lot because they’re not happy with the control.” Tardif remembers the days when Pursuit was the dominant molecule in soybeans, and problem weeds were three-seeded mercury and field violet. Then Roundup Ready technology in soybeans took care of them. Earlier than that, in the 1980s, quackgrass was the primary headache. “They had two

In some parts of Eastern Canada, the problem weed can vary from ragweed to horsetail (pictured in soybeans). Photo courtesy of Clare Kinlin, MacEwen Agricentre

national conferences on how to deal with that weed,” recalls Tardif. “Then fast forward 20 years with new molecules in corn — like Ultim — and cheaper glyphosate… quackgrass is something a farmer shouldn’t have.” In the past 20 years, weed science has also evolved in its understanding of weed dynamics, including the critical weed-free period. Add to that, too, the adaptability of all weed species, and according to some, it’s meant the end of the one-pass, single modeof-action approach to controlling weeds. In fact, during that time, the word “control” has given way to “management.” It bears repeating It’s for these reasons that one crop adviser believes the message on problem weeds needs to be repeated. The lack of new molecules — of a glyphosate-type revolutionary development — means the methods of dealing with those new or evolving species must change. Mervyn Erb refers to a problem weed as “anything that’s where it shouldn’t be,” and adds that there’s too much at stake to worry about overusing the term. “It’s not a hard sell to use soil-applied herbicides on Roundup Ready crops. People are quite willing to do it and they understand why they need to do it,” says Erb, who operates Agri-Solve Inc. in Brucefield, Ont. He adds that the ag press has done a decent job of delivering the message. “We have to keep it on everybody’s mind so they don’t forget.” Erb says he doesn’t find it too hard to convince growers to adjust their practices to deal with problem weeds. When growers pay $300 for a bag of corn seed, they don’t want to hear they also have to add some soil-applied product up front. So they may grumble, adds Erb, but they realize they have to pay attention. Erb also notes the increased use of cover crops, noting that he’s read U.S. reports about weed seed mixed in with cover crop seed. Where much of the product originated from the U.S. Northwest — Oregon and Idaho — some is now coming into Ontario Continued on page 48

COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA / MARCH 1, 2018

crops Guide We have the tools, but we need to use the whole toolbox, not just the top drawer.” — Clare Kinlin, MacEwen Agricentre

The arrival of the Xtend system in parts of Eastern Ontario will help in the battle with glyphosate-resistant canola.

Much of the press on problem weeds centres on Canada fleabane or waterhemp, but growers must be aware of unwanted weed seed in their cover crop blends as well. Photo courtesy of Dr. Peter Sikkema, University of Guelph

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

from Ohio and Indiana, with the potential for introducing some bad weeds to the mix. For Erb, part of the message on problem weeds is that what’s a problem for some isn’t a huge issue for others. What’s growing in the field — or how it’s used — can have a lot to do with what’s defined as a problem. “You wouldn’t normally call Italian ryegrass a problem weed, but I have a grower who established grass waterways and part of that mixture was perennial ryegrass,” he says. “It’s a low-growing, well-rooted grass and doesn’t grow as tall as orchard or brome grass, and it’s nice to use in a grass waterway. For some reason, somebody who was making up his grass mix on two of his farms threw Italian ryegrass into the mix instead of perennial ryegrass.” That left Italian ryegrass scattered across both farms following two wheat harvests, and Erb says it’s become a problem weed for those farms. Glyphosate doesn’t kill it but fortunately Focus, a grass herbicide, has some activity. Different species, different regions Much has been made about the four glyphosate-resistant weed species (Canada fleabane, giant ragweed, common ragweed and waterhemp) that challenge growers, primarily in Ontario. The story of glyphosate-resistant Canada fleabane has been a particular focus, both because of its resistance to multiple modes of action and its rapid spread from Essex County in 2010 to the Quebec border in 2015. But what happens if any of those aren’t the problem in a particular region? What’s the problem weed then? For Clare Kinlin, horsetail is the problem weed in his part of eastern Ontario, not fleabane or ragweed. When it comes to glyphosate-resistant weed species, he sees more volunteer canola that’s glyphosate resistant, and resistant to the imidazolinone herbicides such as Pursuit. That leads to some interesting reflections on how farmers are approaching their particular weed management issues. Asked how things have changed in the past 10 to 12 years, Kinlin responds that grower awareness has changed. “There’s more awareness of chemistries

and modes of action, and a better overall awareness,” says Kinlin, an agronomist with MacEwen Agricentre in Maxville. “It doesn’t mean we’re doing it better, but it means we’re more aware of it.” At the same time, Kinlin insists weed management is more complicated than it was even five years ago. Yes, glyphosate and Roundup Ready technologies simplified weed management for a time, and he estimates that up to 20 per cent of the soybeans in his part of the province are still sprayed with glyphosate only. Yet Kinlin is quick to note that conditions that challenge growers in southern Ontario are not the same ones hindering growers in the east. For one, he disagrees with the default mindset surrounding a two-pass program, stating that he can use Halex once a season and get good weed control. “If I have a really good soybean program and a really good corn program, I don’t need to spray it twice, as long as I’m on top of the weeds every single year, and I don’t take a year off,” says Kinlin. “In eastern Ontario and western Quebec, it’s a huge post-emerge market, and we don’t have growers wanting to lay down Primextra before the season.” Those who do rely on pre-emerge or more than one spray are usually the ones who know every weed species on their farms, and are willing to employ multiple modes or more than one application. The rest are content to spray once and would like herbicides that can control 99 per cent of their weeds. There are those who find Group 2 resistance a challenge, especially in soybeans. And with IP soybeans, he says there is a need for a twopass herbicide program, because weeds there cannot be controlled with a single pass. The Roundup Ready soybean program is a good residual with the glyphosate, depending on the weed species in a field, adds Kinlin. For any broadleaf weed control residual activity, the Xtend system will be a good fit. In corn, growers can still use Roundup Ready technology, and when it comes to the volunteer canola issue, he believes the arrival of the Xtend technology will also be a huge benefit. Says Kinlin: “We have the tools, but we need to use the whole toolbox, not just the top drawer,” he says. CG

COMPACTION What is it doing to your soil? How is it caused? Is it really that serious?

What Can YOU Do About COMPACTION?

The Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario (IFAO) recently hosted a farm field day to demonstrate the soil stress and compaction caused by a wide range of farm equipment typically running across Ontario fields. Matthias Stettler, from Bern University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland and a world leader in compaction research, provided live demonstrations using 73 pieces of farm equipment with multiple configurations in tire type, inflation, and axle load. As the equipment passed over pressure-sensing probes placed in the soil at depths of 6, 12 and 20 inches measurements of the resulting stress load were projected live on a large screen. And the crowd of 400 + audibly reacted to some of these measurements.

1 2 3

IFAO’s Compaction Action day garnered a lot of buzz, a lot of interest and hopefully a lot of thought on how to reduce compaction in our farm fields. Stettler talked about how heavy equipment pushes soil aggregates together into a dense mass with limited microbial activity. The sub soil becomes so compressed that plant roots struggle to penetrate and provide poor nutrient and moisture uptake. Farmers are left with crops with poor vigour and increased vulnerability to disease and insect pressure. Logically, all these factors add up to reduced yields. Matthias also talked about serious long term damage to subsoil at depths of 12 to 20 inches. He referred to Scandinavian studies studying compaction effects over a 40 year time span with virtually no improvement in compaction in the subsoil over this time period. The study clearly showed that subsoil compaction caused long term damage that detrimentally effected drainage, microbial activity, root growth and yield. It’s time for us to wake up to the seriousness of this issue.

Reduce tire pressure in the field. Topsoil compaction is affected by tire width, volume and inflation pressure. Run tires at maximum 15 psi or lower. Avoid driving on wet soil at all costs. Going in wet damages your potential yield this year and years beyond. Balance axle loads so you don’t exceed 5 tons per wheel or track. If you load more on your soil you run the risk of subsoil compaction, which is extremely difficult to correct and generally permanent. End result? Less yield forever from that soil. Start thinking about creating and controlling traffic lanes. Limit traffic with heavy equipment to laneways instead of tracking the entire field. And be conscious of driving even a pick-up across a field on multiple paths.

Check out our compaction video series, as well as the stress measurement data collected at our Compaction Action day.

www.ifao.com

crops Guide

Empty soils Today’s big-yield genetics really are draining the nutrient supply in our soils By Ralph Pearce / CG Production Editor

he power of today’s corn hybrids and soybean varieties to exceed farmers’ expectations is a testament to the science of plant breeding, and also to the value of selecting the best elite genetics. That farmers in Eastern Canada have been able to push corn yields to 200 bu./ac. and soybeans to 60 bu./ ac., even in high-stress growing seasons, has created some pleasant surprises in the past five years. In the spirit of always having to “pay the piper,” however, growers need to keep asking whether those higher yields can continue without rebuilding soil fertility levels. Talk surrounding this question is on the rise as advisers and soil laboratory representatives continue to have conversations with growers regarding response rates to fertilizers. Many farmers are noticing a lack of response to increased applications of different fertilizer compounds, while others are learning they’re getting close to a new limiting factor. Steph Kowalski was having similar discussions even before she joined the AgroMart Group last summer as agronomy lead. In the past, she created numerous nutrient budgets as a means of drawing a parallel between soil fertility levels and a bank account. For many of her clients, then as now, the discussion always focused on how what they were depositing into the bank wasn’t enough to match what was being taken out by higher-performing corn hybrids and soybean varieties. “I would add to it that N, P and K are the obvious factors, but we’re also getting more into the microworld,” says Kowalski. “We’ve caught on to sulphur in the last few years on a wider scale, and we’re starting to look into boron as well.” Not only with corn and soybeans Kowalski has also noticed frustration among growers who have applied upwards of 180 lbs. of N and 45 lbs. of S to their wheat, yet have seen little or no response. Although some of that has to do with the performance capability of corn hybrids and soybean varieties, much of it is also a cumulative long-term effect. Growers have cut back on their fertilizer programs, and these hybrids and varieties continue extracting nutrients out of the soil. Conventional thinking also plays a part in this equation, including rotations, a reluctance to fertilize soybeans, and the rise in the use of cover crops. Kowalski

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

looks at rotation and takes one step beyond the rationale that says, “Corn-soybeans-winter wheat (with red clover) is the standard.” That may be true, but it’s the detail within some of that rotation that can make a difference. “If you’re baling the straw off from that wheat, that’s removing more potash, or if you’re doing corn silage, you’re removing an immense amount of potash,” says Kowalski. “Rotation is absolutely key, and even factoring in the details of those rotations, of baling straw or that field that was silage, and then with soybean, the lack of organic matter you’re getting from that, it plays a huge role in your nutrient trends.” Another factor adding to the fertility story is dealing with rented versus owned land, a scenario that Kowalski suggests goes unspoken. It can be hard enough to get farmers who own their land to invest in increased P and K applications; it’s even harder with those holding a oneyear lease without any guarantee that they’ll have the land next year. Kowalski cites the results from a 2013 University of Guelph/University of Manitoba survey of farmers in both provinces, on how they farm owned versus rented land. In all, 53 per cent said farmers take better care of the land they own versus the land they rent, and a majority agreed that farmers would use more manure, fertilizer and complex crop rotations on land they own rather than on land they rent. Fertilizing soybeans might be another of these “obvious but oblivious” aspects. In past, it was common to say, “Feed your corn and wheat, but don’t worry about soybeans,” since soybeans fix their own nitrogen. But it’s not the nitrogen that they add, but the potash and phosphorus that they extract that is now the issue. “I know there’s been frustration with soybeans that growers don’t get consistent responses, but soybeans are net users, so it’s important to fertilize the crop,” says Kowalski. The best farms she saw during the driest parts of 2016 were those that had been fertilized, were planted

crop management

with cover crops in the past, and had high soil organic matter levels that could buffer the crop through those tougher conditions, she says. “They were fed well enough that the soybeans were able to carry through.We need to be feeding these soybeans to counteract that drawdown that we’re seeing.” Banking on better soils Drew Thompson has had similar discussions with customers and at company meetings, and he believes the frequency with which he’s having these conversations is on the rise compared to 10 or 15 years ago. Like Kowalski, he uses the banking analogy to indicate to growers where they’re losing fertility levels as they rely increasingly on elite hybrids and varieties. “When you look at a crop removal budget of corn, soybeans and wheat, we’re probably on average 10 to 15 bu./ac. higher on corn, and hopefully, five to 10 bushels better on soybeans,” says Thompson, market development agronomist with Pride Seeds. “If growers are pulling off higher yields, they need to be putting down more fertilizer. “If they aren’t, the extra fertility is coming out of the soil.” Some are upping their fertility, says Thompson, and it showed in some fields in 2017 where yield potential was high thanks to a little more moisture, and growers who were able to manage their soils a little better saw higher yields. The challenge is that perception doesn’t equal reality, where growers believe they’re putting down enough P or K only to find their rate is still too low. Thompson knows of one grower who applied 250 lbs. of potash on one field in 2016, believing it was more than enough. On closer examination, based on his crop insurance yields, Thompson determined the grower should have applied 350 lbs. of potash for his corn-soybeanwheat rotation. “If you’re in a tight economic situation and you say, ‘I don’t really have to apply potash, and it’s not going to hurt me from a

yield perspective,’ you can get away with that — maybe for a couple of years,” says Thompson. “But ask a grower what they want their soil potash level to be, and they typically want it in the range where it’s not a limiting factor, the point where there is little benefit to adding more. Yet if you look at it in that three-year rotation, you’d have to add almost 300 to 350 pounds of potash in that 0-0-60 product to maintain that level.” That’s the challenge, where fertility recommendations ask, “What is the economic response?” — or “How much do I need to ensure I maximize my economics?” — versus “How do I maintain the soil level or build it?” Rather than thinking in minimal terms to maintain yield, you shift to thinking about fertility levels to ensure the soil bank is where it needs to be. Soil test is best The simple solution to this, despite an economic environment with low commodity prices, is to soil test, even if the results turn out to be overwhelming. It’s similar to the discussion on keeping yield data: When was the best time to start? A decade or two ago. When is the second-best time? Today. Thompson advocates a greater focus on soil testing, specifically on benchmarking and establishing multi-year datasets. Changes in soil test levels from year to year aren’t apparent, but over a longer term of gathering data, trends begin to emerge and clearer recommendations are formulated. “It is challenging because it can take many years to see what’s happening,” says Thompson, urging a “bigger picture” perspective. “You need to know what you have in order to make recommendations, but what we really need to do is get farmers to ask themselves, ‘Are you happy with where your soil is? Do you want to build it, do you think you can mine it or do you want to maintain it?’” When it comes to regular soil testing, Jim Hazlewood has been preaching the benefits of such monitoring for years. As a certified

Growers have been completely shocked by the soil tests they got back.” — Jim Hazlewood, Stratford Agri Analysis

crop adviser and agronomist with Stratford Agri Analysis, he’s concerned that in spite of efforts by soil labs and CCAs, the combination of fertilizer cutbacks and higher-yielding hybrids and varieties is pushing soils on many farms to a tipping point. Farmers who have maintained regular three-year cycles on their analysis have been noticing their soil test P and K levels trending downwards, in spite of fertilizing them at what were thought to be sufficient levels. “This started before we began getting into these 200 bu./ac. yields,” says Hazlewood. “That’s not to say that the better varieties and hybrids aren’t pulling heavily on the soil, because I believe they are. But perhaps it’s a situation where some of the accepted standards for recommendations might be on the short side.” There’s little doubt that commodity prices have played a part too, says Hazlewood. Corn prices are down, and soybean prices can’t compensate to any large degree, so farmers are predictably trying to rein in costs, which makes it even harder to sell higher fertilizer rates. Another part of the soil test issue is understanding the results, where some growers can look at test levels without realizing their impacts. That’s also a part of the challenge for Hazlewood and others, particularly with producers who ask for recommendations, then default to what’s familiar, not what’s needed. “If you don’t know what you have, you really don’t know what you should be doing,” says Hazlewood. “I’ve been to places where the growers have been completely shocked by the soil tests they got back; they really had no idea how poor things were.” Hazlewood adds that it’s not a pleasant analogy, yet it’s true that “you have to eat the elephant one bite at a time.” Fertility can’t be the issue that overwhelms a grower. “Over time, you can build it up — and worse-case scenario — put on enough that you’re not losing more,” states Hazlewood. “Hold your position and feed the crop what it needs, and try not to deplete the soil anymore than it is. If building it back up is not financially practical, at least hold your ground.” CG

COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA / MARCH 1, 2018

Crops GUIDE #pesTpatrol

#PEST PATROL with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA Dealing with willowherb

I’ve noticed small patches of a plant that was identified as “northern willowherb” in some of my fields. It seems tolerant to glyphosate. How do I control this before it becomes a bigger problem?

This perennial weed has traditionally been found along roadsides and waste areas. In the last five years, more farmers have noticed patches popping up in no-till fields, where it has not been adequately controlled by their pre-plant glyphosate application. In 2017, Dr. François Tardif and Peter Smith (University of Guelph) screened several herbicides in the greenhouse so that they could identify possible solutions to test in the field. Fortunately, they have not been able to locate a field site with a large enough amount of willowherb to conduct a trial. Let’s hope field population densities of this weed remain low, but if you have a small amount of willowherb and don’t want to give it an opportunity to spread and increase in numbers, there were two herbicides, 2,4-D Ester and metribuzin (e.g. Sencor), that completely controlled northern willowherb under greenhouse conditions. Both herbicides can be used as a tank mix partner with glyphosate in a pre-plant burndown in soybean or field corn. Deep tillage (e.g. moldboard plow) is also effective at controlling this species. CG

A patch of willowherb in soybean that had escaped an application of glyphosate.

An un-sprayed control plant.

Willowherb control at four weeks after an application of glyphosate (900 gae/ha).

Willowherb control at four weeks after an application of 2,4-D Ester 700.

Willowherb control at four weeks after an application of Sencor 75 DF.

A flowering plant with pinkish purple petals in early July.

H ave a question you want answered? #PestPatrol on twitter.com @cowbrough or email Mike at mike.cowbrough@ontario.ca.

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

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BUSINESS

W Farm travel It’s a world full of farms, and more and more Canadian farmers are signing up for travel opportunities to experience them By Shannon VanRaes / CG Field Editor

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

ords like “holiday” and “vacation” just weren’t in her parents’ vocabulary when Lu Inkster grew up on her family’s Ontario cattle farm in the 1950s. Her parents had immigrated to Canada from Belgium after the Second World War, and to them the concept of taking time off was both foreign and unattainable. “People like my mom — who came from a large family — they were peasants, they really were, they didn’t expect to have a holiday,” says Inkster. “For her, a holiday was when you didn’t have to go to work on Saturday and Sunday, and instead you got to clean your house and get groceries. That was her idea of a holiday.” If they were lucky, the family used the three-day-turnaround between selling their finished cattle and receiving more by train to visit relatives living a few hours away in Detroit, Michigan. Even then, one parent usually stayed behind to watch over the farm, says Inkster. Nor was Inkster alone. Growing up on a dairy farm near St. Claude, Man., Alain Philippot didn’t hear the word “vacation” around the house much either, so he knew his decision to take over the family dairy operation would mean sacrificing travel until the farm transition was finished — a process that would take years. “I cried, really, when I decided I was going to take the farm,” says the thirdgeneration dairy farmer, who returned to the family farm in the early 1980s. “I knew everything I was going to give up for the next 10-plus years, because my parents weren’t going to change while I was going to farm with them… and the generation before us, they did not take time off, they didn’t take weekends off.” Today, attitudes have changed and most producers see value in taking time off from work, but leaving agriculture behind still proves difficult for some. Even when producers leave their own operation, farming can remain top of mind. Lawrence Rowley knows this better than most. The owner of Calgary-based Leader Tours specializes in providing farmers with winter vacations — to other farms. For several years now, Rowley says, the market for overseas farm tours has been

steadily growing, with producers seeking to combine warmer weather and new cultural experiences with an invigorating dose of farming and agronomy. “Demand seems to be getting a bit stronger every year,” says Rowley, who grew up on a farm in New Zealand. “I think people enjoy the fact that they can go and visit a farm, someone else’s farm, and see how things are done.” His group tours also include cultural experiences, historic sites and local food, but he says the farmers he caters to have a specific mindset when they hit the road. “They don’t want to go and sit on a beach in Mexico,” Rowley says. “They are looking for something that is a little different, and people love travelling with people with a similar background and a similar mindset. The group actually gels very well, because they are very much in the same industry and so a lot of people come back as very good friends.” Tours to Australia, New Zealand and Argentina have been consistently popular, but Spain and Portugal have drawn a lot of interest in recent years, so much so that Leader Tours has partnered with forage associations in Alberta and Manitoba to provide tailored group tours examining forage production in those countries. What’s the farm reaction? Already, the Spain and Portugal forage excursion has proved so popular that three tours have been filled this winter alone. Originally, only one had been planned. “I think what you’re seeing is probably a reflection of our smaller world,” says Duncan Morrison, executive director of the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association, which has partnered with Leader Tours. “People are connected by technology, I mean we can access what the markets are in Europe online… and certainly with social media people can keep up to speed with what’s going on in Ireland, England, Spain, Portugal, Australia, but I still believe that farmers like to hear from farmers directly, and I think they like to get their boots on the ground to see it for themselves.” Select Holidays was one of the first tour companies to see the potential demand for farm-centred tours. Founded in Innisfail, Alta., by farmers Lawrence and Loretta Layden in 1981, it’s now operated by David and Brenda Layden and offers tours to destinations like Romania, China, Japan, India, Peru, Costa Rica, Hungary, Sweden, Denmark and France. “The big thing that we do on our tours is we go to actual farms. You stand in the farmer’s field, the farmer is there, you ask all the questions you want. It’s fascinating,” says Brenda Layden. “We get our best feedback from our trip to India… people go with an open mind, but are absolutely just blown away with all the agriculture that there is in India and how much they really, truly do enjoy that tour.”

You need to see other things,” says beef farmer and frequent traveller Tim Oleskyn. “When you come back, you have that vigour, and you can say, ‘Yes, let’s get back at it.’”

The age factor Although the market is changing, older farmers, retired farmers and soon-to-be retired farmers still travel the most, and are most likely to tour other farms while travelling. “The majority of our clients are retired farmers,” agrees Brenda Layden of Select Travel. Lawrence Rowley of Leader Tours finds that many of his clients fit the same profile. “They’re probably sort of semi-retired; kids are sort of taking over the operation of the farm. They have some time and a bit of money to travel. So it’s really more 50-plus that we’re getting,” says the tour operator. “But then if we do a trip to Germany for Agritechnica… we do get a mix of ages on that one, because it’s something that even the younger farmers or anyone who’s in agribusiness would like to attend. So it really depends on the destination, but in general I would say 50-plus.” In Rowley’s experience, younger farmers tend to aim for a quick, warm getaway, where they’ll think less about their farm business and more about their family. Duncan Morrison of Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association notes that unlike many professions, farming is a lifelong pursuit. And while reminiscing in the local coffee shop used to mark the end of a busy harvest or even a career, older farmers now want more out of retirement and a way to stay involved in agriculture, mentorship and exploration. Often that means combining their interests and touring farms abroad.

Continued on page 56

COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA / MARCH 1, 2018

BUSINESS

More farmers are travelling Farmers are more interested in travel than ever before, according to the travel industry. Whether it’s independent travel, adventure excursions, a family cottage, a resort visit, traditional bus tour or a cruise, more farmers are seeing a benefit from getting off the farm now and again. Greater financial stability and changing attitudes towards farming could be part of the generational shift that’s seeing more producers take vacations. While farming knowhow was once gleaned by working on the family operation, post-secondary education is now a given for most young producers. “The people who really farm, farm for a living, those people have now gone to university or college,” Lu Inkster says. They’ve lived a different life and have different expectations, she says, “so I think the farmers now see more of a value in that, in seeing the world and having time off.” Even if a producer never sets foot on another farm while travelling, investing in vacation time and travel can have real benefits for their farm business in the long run.

“Though we have busy schedules,” Inkster says, “it’s important to make time for work-life balance… this contributes to increased happiness and greater emotions of productivity and positivity.”

“Taking a vacation is one of the best forms of relaxation,” says Beverly Beuermann-King, a work-life balance expert. “Though we have busy schedules, it’s important to make time for work-life balance… this contributes to increased happiness and greater emotions of productivity and positivity at work.” According to the 2017 Expedia Vacation Deprivation Report, 94 per cent of respondents felt less stressed and 95 per cent felt happier after returning from a vacation. A further 89 per cent said they were more focused on their work post-vacation. According to the Expedia report, 62 per cent of those employed in agriculture feel they are “vacation deprived,” second only to those employed in the food and beverage industry. Comparatively, only 47 per cent of people employed in financial or legal work felt deprived of vacation time. The study also found that age was a significant factor, with younger respondents taking less vacation time than older respondents, even if the time was technically available to them.

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

Relaxing, per se, isn’t on her clients’ agendas either. They certainly don’t want the stress of booking accommodations and transportation, she says, but they don’t want to lounge around either. They want new experiences and fresh perspectives on farming — and questions about fertilizer application, market prices, insect predation and soil type are all commonplace during farm visits. “It’s the neatest thing after we’ve visited a farm and people get back on the bus,” she says. “There is just a buzz of conversation… it’s so interesting to see.” While still considered a niche in the travel market, there are enough agricultural tour providers to support an international industry association — Agricultural Tour Operators International. And interest is only expected to grow in coming years. “You need to see other things,” says Tim Oleksyn, who operates a cow-calf ranch between Shellbrook and Prince Albert, Sask. “When you come back you have that vigour and you can say, ‘yes, let’s get back at it’. Every time we have a rest, we come back and it just improve things vastly.” While not one for organized tours, Oleksyn says he too finds himself visiting farms and talking to farmers when he travels. In Quebec, this could mean stopping to watch a silage operation. In the Caribbean it might be a macadamia nut or banana plantation, or even a poinsettia nursery. But there’s yet another benefit to getting off the farm, he says, and it’s one that he feels shouldn’t be overlooked. “People want to hear our story too, and that’s amazing,” says the rancher. “It gives you an opportunity to tell that story and you don’t have to embellish it, you get to be honest and share your passion and how you do what you do.” While the perception may remain, farming is no longer a provincial or isolated undertaking. It’s a worldwide pursuit, Oleksyn says, and producers should expand their world view whenever they have the opportunity. “Never stop learning, never. It’s so important,” he says. But even as the value that producers put on vacation time and travel has increased, finding a way to make it all work with livestock, crops, family and even off-farm commitments remains a challenge, especially for younger producers.

Philippot says he books vacations a year in advance and only after confirming extra help is available. “We kept our farm fairly small and it kept things simple so that I can leave, so it’s not a really big operation,” says Philippot, noting they only have one employee, but bring in a second person if they are going to be away. “And when we take a winter vacation, we don’t go during the coldest months, we go towards the end of winter, the last week of February or the first weeks of March, so that we’re not leaving employees in the worst time.” Every summer, the Philippot family spends one week in Clear Lake, Man., while Alain and his wife Michelle try to go somewhere warm for a couple of weeks every other winter. But he emphasizes that it takes a lot of planning and determination to make it all work. “If you make it a priority and you make a concerted effort, it can become that way, but you really have to decide to make it a priority and decide to make it work. You also have to find someone you trust to replace you,” Philippot says. Even then, it’s hard to let go.

“It’s always there in the back of your mind all the time,” he says. “The thoughts never leave you. I can never just shut it off… you can be anywhere in the world and when it is time for milking, you’re still on higher alert and you’ve got your phone right close to you, just in case.” Strong networks of friends, neighbours, family and employees, along with regular communication, are key to making time away from the farm possible, Oleksyn says. So is accepting that things might be done differently while you’re away. “You have to allow that not everything is going to get done exactly like you would want it to get done,” he says. “But then again, it might get done better than you would have done it.” And if you do plan to visit other farms while you’re travelling, Rowley also suggests checking in with your accountant before hitting the road. “It can be a tax writeoff, or part of it can be, if you’re doing something for your operation. So if you can count it as a business trip, it’s worthing checking on,” he says. CG

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COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA / MARCH 1, 2018

life

Preserve those family memories Got a jumbled box of old photos you’ve been promising to organize ‘someday’? Daina Makinson shares her secrets for getting the job done, and enjoying it too

hen faced with a loose box of old photos, we all feel at sea. The pictures might all be of our family over the generations, but how can we link all the individual photos into some sort of overall sequence, or fit them into some sort of order that helps us put each photo into a context we can understand? Our usual first impulse is to put the photos into a timeline. But that may not be so easy, says certified photo organizer Daina Makinson from Guelph, Ont. You’ll likely find that many of the print photos can’t be dated. Instead, she recommends sorting them into “stories” such as people, places, holidays, etc. She suggests writing category names on index cards, laying them out on the dining room table, then picking up a bunch of photos and sorting them into piles accordingly. If a pile gets too big, you can subdivide it into subcategories, say Makinson. For instance, the “people” category can be further subdivided into immediate family, cousins, and grandparents. Holidays can be subdivided into Christmas, Halloween, etc. If a photo fits into more than one pile, don’t get stuck, Makinson warns. “It doesn’t have to be perfect.” Makinson also recommends “editing” the number of photos you save as you go along. “Not all photos are worthy of keeping,” says Makinson, who uses four criteria when deciding if a photo should go.

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

By Helen Lammers-Helps

• Does the photo evoke an emotion? • Does the photo tell a story? • Does the photo have historical importance? • Is it the only one? (A blurry photo of Uncle Fred is worth keeping if it’s the only one you have of him.) If you don’t know who is in a photo, and no one else knows who it is, Makinson says you shouldn’t feel obligated to keep it. If you have doubles of a photo, Makinson suggests sharing them with others. Keep the doubles in a basket by the door to give to visitors as they leave or include them with your Christmas cards, she suggests. Once you’ve made your piles, the photos can be scanned and made into photo books using a site such as www.blacks.ca for convenient display and sharing. Digital copies should be backed up but don’t throw out the originals, warns Makinson. The original photos are still the most reliable form of backup since digital files can become corrupted or outdated. The originals are best stored in an archival box in a fireproof safe or archival location, she says. What if your photos are in sticky back magnetic albums? Cindy Sinko, archives technician at the Stratford-Perth Archives in Stratford, Ont., recommends removing photos, if possible, from such albums because the acid leaches into the photos and the plastic sheeting tends to stick to the pictures.

Working with old photos and documents From Cindy Sinko, archives technician, Stratford-Perth Archives, Stratford, Ont. When it comes to storing papers and photographs, the storage conditions are critical. Heat will make paper brittle and dry while moisture can cause mould and mildews to grow, and invite insects which can eat away at the paper. Avoid storing photos and papers in garages, attics or basements. An interior room of the house where fluctuations in temperature or humidity are minimized is best. Keep documents and photos away from the light which can cause the writing on paper documents and photos to fade. Beware of mould which can be dangerous.

Organize your photos so they tell a story, Daina Makinson says Before dismantling albums or scrap books, she advises taking a picture of them. But also be cautious. If photos cannot be easily removed, it is better to leave them be. If you want to put some of the old photos on display so you can enjoy them every day, Sinko recommends following some steps to minimize damage to the photos. First of all, use ultra violet filtering glass or acrylic in the frames. Limit the amount and intensity of light the photo is exposed to by using a lower intensity of light, turning off lights when not in use, and placing shades on windows to block the sunlight. For best results, seek the advice of a professional framer. Those digital photos What about the thousands of digital photos lurking on your hard drive? Makinson’s method for managing digital photos starts with gathering them into one folder. She then recommends using special software to remove duplicates. Using the date stamp associated with each digital photo, the pictures can be sorted chronologically. Keep only the best photos, Makinson recommends, and rename these files with the names of the people or places in the photos which allows you to use the search function to find them more easily in future. Other photos can be moved to another folder. All photos should be backed up, ideally in more than one location, to prevent loss in case of fire, flooding, etc. Makinson also likes to create photo books with digital photos to make it easier to enjoy them and share them with others. CG

When handling family papers and photos, be sure to have a clean, clear workspace before taking the items out of storage. Don’t eat, drink or smoke around originals. Wash your hands before handling paper and don’t apply any lotion, which can stain paper. Wear nitrile or cotton gloves when handling photos. Remove fasteners such as staples, elastics and paper clips. Store papers in archival quality boxes and enclosures. Folders and papers used should be acidfree — acid is the enemy of paper made from wood pulp because it causes the strands in the cellulose in the paper to break down into smaller pieces. Don’t crowd the papers in file folders or boxes, and make sure the items fit in the enclosures. If possible, remove photos from sticky back albums since the acid leaches into the photos and the plastic sheeting tends to stick to photos. Unwaxed dental floss can be used to remove stuck photos. A small metal spatula heated by a blow dryer could also be used. If photos cannot be easily removed you are better off to leave them be. Use mylar sleeves for paper documents such as deeds, wills, letters, post cards, newspaper clippings, marriage, baptismal or death certificates, receipts, and diaries. These allow you to handle and view the documents without touching them. Never use scotch tape or pen on photos or documents. Use only acid-free glue such as a UHU glue stick.

Resources To find a professional photo organizer in your area, go to the Association of Personal Photo Organizers www. appo.org. For DIY courses, check your local community college, school board, library or other community organization for courses and workshops. Archives Association of Ontario (AAO) has several tip sheets on how to clean and store paper documents and

photos, as well as training opportunities, aao-archivists.ca/aaoresources#PracticalAids. The American National Archives has tip sheets on preserving photos and documents, www.archives.gov/ preservation/family-archives. A Smithsonian Institute video shows how to remove photos from magnetic sticky back photo albums, www. si.edu/sisearch?edan_ q=preserving%2Bphotos%2Bvideos.

COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA / MARCH 1, 2018

GUIDE LIFE health

By Marie Berry / lawyer & pharmacist

ANTIBIOTIC STEWARDSHIP — IT’S EVERYONE’S JOB

ntibiotic stewardship refers to a bundle of strategies to reduce antibiotic resistance. The aim of this stewardship effort is, yes, to treat infections effectively resulting in better health, but also to use the right antibiotic at the right time for the right infection, since this is a key measure for curbing future resistance. You may think this is a job just for health care professionals, but I would like to persuade you otherwise. The general public, you included, have a role to play. The risk of antibiotic resistance rises when bacteria are exposed to antibiotics unnecessarily. Such unnecessary exposures gives them additional opportunity to screen their structure against the mode of action of the antibiotics. With over 25 million prescriptions for antibiotics written each year in Canada, and an estimate that 30 to 50 per cent of them are unnecessary, bacteria definitely have a chance of being exposed to antibiotics needlessly. Farm readers know without my telling them about concerns that antibiotics used in animals may end up in the food chain. However, there are other ways that bacteria are unnecessarily exposed to antibiotics. Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections, and when they are used to treat other types of infections such as viral infections like a cold or the flu, antibiotic resistance can result. When

antibiotics are taken other ways than prescribed, or when they are shared among family or friends, or even used without a prescription, bacteria can be exposed and be screened for resistance. Ideally, you want to have a diagnosis of a bacterial infection, follow your prescription directions exactly, and/or use non-antibiotic measures for your symptoms. Two resistant infections have become more common and more difficult to treat in recent years. Methacillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus or MRSA is the diagnosis of about one in 12 infections in a hospital setting, but of recent concern is the increased incidence in the community, that is, communityacquired MRSA. The bacteria itself is very common, with 20 to 30 per cent of people having it normally on their skin, and sometimes in their nose without any infection. It is when MRSA infects a wound or the blood that it becomes difficult to treat. Methacillin is ineffective because the bacteria is resistant, and more potent antibiotics need to be used, and may need to be administered intravenously. The other infection that has become resistant to the usual treatment is vancomycin-resistant enterococcus or VRE. Enteroccoci are bacteria that normally reside in your intestines, but they can cause infections in the bowel, urinary tract, and blood stream. A weakened immune system or a wound may result in the spread.

And, again, the bacteria has developed a resistance to the normally used vancomycin. Other antibiotics need to be used. Unfortunately, there are a finite number of types of antibiotics available, so there may be no antibiotic that is effective in treating a resistant infection. The option is to use more potent antibiotics with potential adverse effects, or even a combination of several antibiotics. Longer courses of therapy and sometimes hospitalization are needed. You can play a role in antibiotic stewardship. Use antibiotics appropriately and reduce your risk for bacterial infections by practicing proper hygiene such as washing your hands after going to the washroom, before eating, and after coming in contact with potentially contaminated objects. Make sure you take care of any cuts, scrapes, and wounds carefully, and remember to not use antibiotics for viral infections like coughs, colds and the flu. CG

Marie Berry is a lawyer/pharmacist interested in health and education.

Next Issue You only have two eyes, so you want to take care of them. Next issue, we’ll look at some common conditions that can affect eyesight and some ideas on how to best take care of your eyes. 60

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

GUIDE LIFE Hanson Acres By Leeann Minogue

laine was rushing to get her four-year-old daughter Jenny out the door so she could pick up her son Connor after school. “Come on, kiddo. Connor will worry if we’re not there when the bell rings,” she said. By March, Elaine was counting down the days until the end of hockey season. Two practices a week plus a game most weekends was a lot of time at the arena and in the car for a first-grader. But Connor loved it, so what else could she do but drive him to the rink? She was already running late. Earlier in the afternoon, she’d chopped up vegetables and beef to stew in the crockpot. Then she’d worked on reconciling the farm’s February bank statements. One typo entering the phone bill had made the process take at least 30 minutes longer than usual. That meant Jenny woke up from her nap before Elaine was finished filing the quarterly GST report. Elaine sent Jenny to play in her room while she checked the numbers one more time. When she finally hit “send” to file the numbers with the CRA and get their refund in the works, Elaine realized the house was oddly quiet. “Jenny?” she called. “I’m in my room. Like you said,” Jenny answered. “Sorry, honey…” Elaine began. Then she got to the door of Jenny’s room. And tried to calm down before she shouted. “Jenny,” she began. “I thought we agreed you were only going to paint at the table. With a grown-up.” “You were busy,” Jenny said. “I thought it would help if I played by myself.” Elaine’s husband Jeff came in while Elaine was still assessing the damage. “The good news is we’ve got a big GST refund coming,” she said. “The bad news? We might have to spend it replacing Jenny’s carpet.” “I had to use blue,” Jenny

Hanson Acres

So much to do In which the idyllic farm lifestyle meets too much reality

explained. “I was painting a nice sunny day!” “Are you still going to town?” Jeff asked. Elaine checked the time on her phone. “Oh no! I have to go right now!” “Can you stop off at Home Hardware?” Jeff asked. “I need a couple of belts for the cleaning plant.” Elaine looked a little frazzled, so Jeff tried to make it simple. “I’ll text you the details and a photo,” he said. Jeff put Jenny into her snowsuit while Elaine brushed her hair and changed her sweater. But when Elaine was ready to go, Jenny was out of her snowsuit again. “I should’ve asked her if she had to go to the bathroom first,” Jeff said. “Between snowsuits and hockey, I’ve had about all I can take of winter,” Elaine said. Soon Jenny was re-dressed and Elaine had found her shopping list and put on her own jacket. Elaine picked up Connor’s hockey bag and went outside. By the time she got the hockey gear in the back and Jenny belted into her car seat, Elaine was really running late. “We’d better drive fast, Jenny,” she said. “Or Connor will be standing outside the school doors all alone.” As she was getting into her SUV, Elaine’s cellphone rang. It was her mother-in-law, Donna. “Hi Elaine. Does Connor have hockey today?” Donna said. “Yep,” Elaine answered, holding the phone in one hand and turning the key to start the ignition with the other.

“Could you pick me up some milk while you’re in town? Dale’s taken a sudden liking to oatmeal.” “Sure,” Elaine said, backing out into the driveway. Bang. The air bag exploded out of her steering wheel in a rush and hit Elaine in the face. She couldn’t see, couldn’t hear. Then she remembered Jenny. “Jenny, are you okay?” “Yes!” Jenny yelled from the backseat. “What happened?” Elaine groped her way free of the air bag, opened the door and got out of the SUV. It didn’t take long to figure it out what she’d hit. It was the Co-op fuel delivery truck. Right in her own driveway. On its way to fill the Hanson’s tanks with diesel. What were the odds of such terrible timing? The driver, Jim Hart, was already out of the cab. “You alright?” he asked Elaine, before he bent down to look at the damage on his truck. Jeff came out of the house. “How did this happen? Didn’t you see him?” “Look at this,” Jim said. “The door to my hose reel compartment is all smashed up. I don’t think I can even get these hoses out.” “Nothing’s going to catch fire, right?” Elaine asked. “Only because your vehicle’s too low to hit the tank,” Jim said, grinning. “Jeez,” Jeff said, looking at the fuel truck. “Don’t think I can fix this in my shop.” “Probably not,” Jim said. “I’ll Continued ON page 62

COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA / MARCH 1, 2018

GUIDE LIFE

Reflections by Rod Andrews retired Anglican bishop

have to take it back to town. Hope you don’t need your tanks filled right away.” “We’ll get by for a few days,” Jeff laughed. “I can’t exactly complain.” While the adults were talking Jenny had unbuckled herself and climbed out. “What happened?” “Your mom forgot to look behind her,” Jeff said. “You okay, kid?” “It was scary,” Jenny said. Dale had noticed the commotion from the shop and came over to see what was going on. “How did this happen?” he asked. Elaine just shook her head. “I don’t know. I guess I wasn’t looking.” “I guess not!” Dale looked to Jenny. “Must’ve been exciting, hey Jenny?” “Yeah!” she told her grandfather. Donna came running over from her house on the other side of the yard. “I heard the crash over the phone!” she said, panting. “I was so scared! Is everyone okay?” “Connor’s going to be jealous!” Jenny said, giggling. “Connor!” Elaine said. “Now I’m really late. And what am I going to do about that air bag?” “Never mind the air bag,” Jeff said. “You took off the whole bumper! We’ll have to call the dealership!” Elaine groaned. “Why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off,” Jeff said. “Jenny and I’ll take Connor to hockey in my truck.” “Thank you,” Elaine said. “I think I do need a break.” “Come on Jenny,” Jeff said. “Let’s get Connor’s hockey bag.” Elaine texted a friend who had a son in Connor’s Grade 1 class. “Heather will drive Connor over to the rink,” she told Jeff. “You can meet him there.” That night, after Jeff and the kids came home from town and they’d eaten beef stew, and put Connor and Jenny to bed, Elaine sat next to her husband on the living room couch. Jeff was using his iPhone to google “blue paint beige carpet.” “I feel so stupid,” Elaine said. “I don’t know how it happened. I could’ve killed Jenny. What if I did something like that in town? Do you think there’s something wrong with me?” “No,” Jeff said. “There’s nothing wrong with you. You’ve got a lot going on.” Elaine smiled. “Remember when I was single and I worked as a chemical rep? And the hours were so long, and I was so exhausted by the end of the week?” “Yeah,” Jeff said. “That was like a beach vacation compared to this.” “Would you want to go back?” Jeff asked. “Not for a second,” Elaine said. Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews, a playwright and part of a family grain farm in southeastern Saskatchewan.

MARCH 1, 2018 / COUNTRY-GUIDE.CA

“W

ho are we, and why are we here?” These could be theological questions, the musings of a philosopher, or questions asked at a political rally. Would you guess the questions are posed by a rapper at a beach party in Mexico? He chants quickly, but periodically he slowly repeats his refrain. His questions, posed in a deep, gravelly voice are “who are we, and why are we here?” I reflect that life is really a search for answers to these two questions. Our quest starts early in life. Children astonish their parents when they begin asserting their individuality. The search for meaning continues through every decade of life. As the years roll by, the questions “who are we, and why are we here” remain. The answer is often elusive. The next morning I notice a middle-aged man rolling his wheelchair while collecting breakfast at the hotel buffet. He sits alone. I ask if I may share his table. We eat a leisurely Mexican breakfast of omelets and refried beans. His name is Chris. He got his first job, working in the kitchen at a hospital, when he was 17. On his way to work early one morning a drunk driver smashed into his car causing serious injuries. Chris spent many months in a hospital. He has not been able to walk since. I ask how he would answer the rapper’s question? He tells me how grateful he is for family and friends. His generous father never stopped supporting him. “I am so thankful,” Chris said. “I love everyone and every thing.” After breakfast, my wife Jacqueline and I board a local bus for downtown Puerto Vallarta. We strike up a conversation with a couple from Montreal, people about our age. They are also exploring. First, we attend Sunday Mass in the large cathedral overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The scripture lessons are about the Holy Family: Joseph and Mary and their baby, Jesus. After the service it is time to introduce ourselves. “We are Joseph and Mary” they tell us. “We are Rod and Jacqueline,” we reply. Joseph speaks several languages. He becomes our tour leader. He searches out good places to shop, leads us to important tourist sites and bargains for taxis. We spend the sixth day of Christmas with Mary and Joseph in a crowded city, much as Bethlehem would have been during the obligatory registration. Back at the hotel we receive an email from Emiley and Lucas, a young couple who farm with family at Borden, west of Saskatoon. They share their joy. A baby girl, their first child, born between Christmas and New Year’s. I recall their wedding day. They were married at Emiley’s family farm near Davidson, Sask. I presided at the wedding and observed their happiness first-hand. The love they felt on their wedding day is now shared with a beautiful child. The answers to our questions about the meaning of life do not come suddenly. There are setbacks and challenges along the way. Each person searches differently. We follow many paths in our search. Each of us answers the questions “who are we, and why are we here?” in our own way. The answer is in the people we meet and the experiences we have. The small events of every day, and connections to people like Chris, Joseph and Mary, Emiley and Lucas and their baby, help us make sense of life. “Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly and leave the rest to God.” Suggested Scripture: Psalm 8, Ephesians 3:14-21 Rod Andrews is a retired Anglican bishop. He lives in Saskatoon.

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