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ELK MANAGEMENT: The ongoing challenge POLITICALLY CHARGED 

The provincial government sometimes struggles to match science-based management practices with agricultural policy

BY SHERI MONK

AF STAFF | PINCHER CREEK

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lk — majestic and impressively large, tourists will clog highways for a mere glimpse, but they can become a costly headache for livestock producers. “It’s a major problem in areas where there are a lot of elk running around. The deer aren’t so bad. But the elk are,” said Fred Hays, policy analyst for Alberta Beef Producers.

While elk are not as widespread as deer, they can have heavily concentrated populations in certain areas. Those clusters can intensify damage to grazing swaths, feed stacks, and grazing grounds.

“They come in and start eating it and knocking it down, and then they urinate on it, they eat part of it and they move on to the next part and urinate on it too and apparently, that’s the major problem,” said Hays. “If they came in and just ate, it wouldn’t be as bad, but they come in and

The problem with elk isn’t just what they eat, but how much they damage, making it unpalatable for cattle. eat and then damage. The cattle won’t eat it at all.”

It’s a delicate balancing act, and not without political peril. “They try to have a balance with hunters coming in and they want a certain number of them taken every year, but they also want to leave a certain number as well. There is discourse between the wildlife fraternity and the livestock fraternity,” said Hays.

When the West was settled, the belief

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that the only good predator was a dead predator prevailed. Ecological research and knowledge has come a long way since then, and today’s wildlife policies reflect that. Today, most agricultural producers — especially those reliant on fragile native prairie for their livelihood — recognize the need for intact ecosystems. “We want elk in the area because if we knocked out all the elk, the wolves would overrun and that would

PHOTO: WENDY DUDLEY

be a non-ending cycle. At the end of the day, you’re talking about man coming into a natural environment and trying to work in it. And we are in a biological ecosystem,” said Hays, adding that sometimes, producers struggle to see the larger picture.

“People are not necessarily wanting to understand that because it’s affecting

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NEWS » INSIDE THIS WEEK

INSIDE » GUARD DOGS DO THE JOB High Prairie producers lose only one ewe in three years

JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

LIVESTOCK

CROPS

COLUMNISTS

AUCTION MART FUTURE

GROWING TOPQUALITY FORAGE

ROY LEWIS A REFRESHER ON HOW TO PULL A CALF

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BRENDA SCHOEPP WINNING THE ANTIBIOTIC BATTLE COULD MEAN LOSING MARKETS

CLASS ACTION ON CWB Regina lawyer wants feds to pay $15.4 billion to farmers

11

Operators see consolidation, but a continued important role

27

It’s simple, but not easy, says a foothills producer

23 30

DANIEL BEZTE THE REASON FOR THIS WINTER’S RECORD-WARM WEATHER

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NEWS Farmers going mobile at same rate as others STAFF / Canada’s farmers are investing in smartphones and tablets at the same rate as the rest of the population, Farm Credit Canada reports.

The federal farm lending agency last month released a survey of its FCC Vision Panel, finding 29 per cent of farmers now own smartphones, compared to 30 per cent for other Canadians. Six per cent of Canadians and Canadian farmers alike own a tablet such as Apple’s iPad or RIM’s BlackBerry Playbook, the survey of 4,121 producers and agribusiness and agri-food operators found.

“Canadian producers are innovative and have historically adopted new technology so we weren’t surprised by the survey results,” FCC chief operating officer Remi Lemoine said in a release.

The survey also found: • 36 per cent of producers in Canada will try new technology once they hear positive feedback from their peers; • 81 per cent of producers own a cellphone; • Smartphones are owned most often by producers under 40 (41 per cent) compared to their peers over the age of 40 (26 per cent); • Of the 29 per cent of producers who own a smartphone, the majority are using a BlackBerry (63 per cent), while 24 per cent are using an iPhone; • 50 per cent of producers who don’t own a smartphone say they will never own one, while the other half expect to have one within the next two years; and • 86 per cent of respondents have high-speed Internet.

The fire was attributed to careless disposal of ashes from a wood stove.

PHOTOS: KERRY MILLER-MITCHELL

Well-known horse centre devastated by grass fire HORSES SAVED  But hundred of thousands of dollars in

barns and equipment were lost

BY HELEN MCMENAMIN

AF CONTRIBUTOR | LETHBRIDGE

S

R Horse Training, a well-known horse-training centre belonging to the Hester family of Fort Macleod, was a total loss from a prairie fire fanned by strong winds and record temperatures of over 15 C in southern Alberta Jan. 4.

Quick thinking by Vicky Atherton, assistant trainer to Sandy Rebalkin-Hester, and luck and help from the Hesters’ many friends enabled them to save all 55 horses on the farm as well as all the family’s dogs.

Atherton saw the smoke coming towards the farm and called Hester who was in town at a medical appointment.

“Vicky was just amazing,” said Hester.

“All the horses had halters on by the time I got home. She got messages to so many people. And our friends were wonderful.

We had 15 trailers coming to help.”

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Neighbours, including Hutterites and firefighters from the nearby reserve, fought to put enough water on the barns to keep them safe, but they had to leave.

“The smoke was just too thick for us to see,” says Hester. Firefighters focused on the Hesters’ small house when they arrived, but their barn was a second home to them, Hester said. “We had furniture, photos, trophies, two freezers and fridges, with our meat and other food.”

In 40 years of training and showing the Hesters built up a huge amount of equipment, tools and tack. They had everything from clippers and scissors to vet supplies, show supplies and special feeds.

“Not a lot of people realize the investment we had in our barn. It was actually four barns, with 17 heated stalls, a washrack, an enclosed shavings bin, a tool storage area with $40,000 worth of tools for the whole farm, as well as the heated riding arena. “It’s devastating to think about

Only the anvil is left from thousands of dollars of equipment and tools. all the stuff we lost in that barn. And this land is a gravel base. We can’t guess if our pasture will regrow or what’s left after the firefighters’ ripping.”

The Hesters guess the value of the barn’s contents at $650,000. Their house is standing but seriously damaged. Authorities have blamed the fire on careless disposal of wood stove ashes.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

Wheat growers want no-cost buy backs to get grain moving Waiting till August } There are concerns of a transitional shipping backlog

because farmers are holding out for the open market

by Daniel Winters and Allan Dawson staff/moose jaw

A

griculture Minister Gerry Ritz has pledged to push the Canadian Wheat Board for no-cost buybacks for farmers who want to pre-empt the open market expected Aug. 1.

Ritz told the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association meeting in Moose Jaw that he would push for such an arrangement or changes to producer pricing options during upcoming meetings with CWB officials.

A number of growers at the conference expressed concern about uncertainty surrounding wheat and barley markets related to Bill C-18.

Curtis Sims, a farmer from MacGregor, Man., said that there is “quite a large volume of wheat” sitting in bins because farmers aren’t willing to sell it to the wheat board now that they have the prospect of marketing choice on Aug. 2, 2012. Unless that wheat starts moving soon, a serious “transitional” backlog in shipping movements might result, he added.

“I’ll be damned if it’s going on a permit book.”

Bill Duke former WCWGA president

“We’ve got farmers who won’t sell to the wheat board, and the wheat board hasn’t shown any flexibility. Somebody is going to have to connect the dots,” he said.

Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz responded that a “logistical crash” like the one that followed the end of the Australian wheat board was unlikely because farmers’ needs for cash flow and grain companies’ desire to secure product would get product flowing.

Curtis Hiebert, 35, who farms 11,000 acres near Sperling, Man., has 150,000 bushels of hard red spring wheat in his bins.

With the CWB monopoly set to become history on Aug. 2, 2012, he wonders whether to hold on to it until then, or sign a contract now.

He called the legal challenges a “nuisance,” but his major concern is what he says is a $1.50-per-bushel difference between the CWB and the open market.

Buying his wheat back from CWB would cost him about $1.62 per bushel. That would give him the right to sell it to a local elevator — but for only $1.50 more than the CWB is offering.

“Basically, they know how much they are out of the market, and that’s how much the buyback is,” he said.

Paul Orsak, who farms 5,000 acres near Binscarth, Man., is holding back 100,000 bushels of 2011 wheat due to the “lack of confidence” in the CWB and low prices offered by the board.

“By contracting with them either through the pool or a fixed-price contract, I would be locking in a discount that I wouldn’t be able to recover from,” he said, adding that even if the world price dropped by $1.50, he’d still be better off on the open market.

Bill Duke, from Kenosee Lake, Sask., said that he still has malt barley left over from 2009, when talk of an open market enticed him to hang on to it.

“It’s still germinating 94 per cent and I’ll be damned if it’s going on a permit book,” said Duke, a former WCWGA president.

“If they want my barley, they should think of no-fee, no-cost buybacks. That would be the biggest advantage to clearing this crop. It would be simple and still in compliance.”

U.S. retaliation?

The Canadian Wheat Board declined comment on the question of whether it would offer nocost buybacks.

Former farmer-elected director Bill Toews said allowing such a move could hurt the board, spark legal challenges and American trade retaliation.

“It certainly would be something the Americans would pick up on very quickly,” said Toews, who farms at Kane.

Issuing no-cost buybacks could drive down the value of western Canadian wheat and barley, reducing the return to the pools.

It could also make it more difficult for the board to secure grain supplies during the remainder of the crop year, which ends July 31.

Gerry Ritz wants growers to send him copies of contracts to convince the CWB to allow permits. photo: daniel winters Any sudden surge in wheat exports to the United States could spark American farmers to try and block imports of Canadian wheat.

Under the North American Free Trade Agreement importing countries can legally block a surge of imported produce if it was caused by a government policy change.

“I think it’s a bit of bravado on the part of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers,” Toews added.

“I think they have to have some fun and a bit of a hurrah and bait people and try to make an impression, but the consequences could be pretty serious.”

New western wheat, durum futures set to launch Durum } Previous attempts at a futures contract have failed, but the change to CWB may add to liquidity

By Phil Franz-Warkentin Commodity News Service Canada

The upcoming launch of wheat, durum and barley futures contracts on the ICE Futures Canada trading platform on Jan. 23 is reported to be generating interest from many potential participants.

The contracts are being introduced in advance of the end of the Canadian Wheat Board’s single-desk marketing powers for western Canadian wheat, durum, and malting barley as of Aug. 1, 2012.

ICE Futures Canada president Brad Vannan said the new futures have been generating “considerable interest” from potential market participants including grain companies, commission houses, speculators, farmers, and industry participants in Europe and the U.S. The durum futures in particular are seeing broad interest, which Vannan described as “very encouraging.”

Canada supplies a little over 50 per cent of the global trade in durum, making it a very important supply region.

“The participants understand very well that it’s important to have some kind of price-setting mechanism plus something they can hedge their needs in,” he added.

While durum futures contracts were tried in Europe and the U.S. in the past, they were never successful. Vannan said one reason was the fact that the Canadian crop was tied up under the CWB. With the single desk removed, he said, there will now be a greater need for a viable futures market.

Liquidity remains to be seen

Jerry Klassen, manager of the Winnipeg office for Swiss-based GAP SA Grains and Produits, said European durum buyers and other key players were showing a lot of interest in the launch of the futures market.

While the liquidity of the contract remains to be seen, “a lot of companies have an interest in seeing it work” and will be following the market closely, he said.

The timing of the launch will likely see the liquidity on the quiet side to start, but Klassen expected it would pick up through the seeding period and into the summer.

Currently there is no major price-discovery tool for durum and the relative size of the market can lead to relatively thin activity, said Klassen, adding that a functioning futures market will benefit buyers and sellers by providing viable price signals on a daily basis, even when the market is on the thin side.

Spring wheat

There are already U.S.-based wheat contracts in Chicago, Kansas City and Minneapolis, but Klassen was confident the new Canadian futures would also be successful. The Cana-

dian wheat crop, he said, was large enough to bring in both commercial and speculative interest to the futures market.

Klassen expected the liquidity of the new wheat futures would eventually be augmented by spreading against the durum futures and also by spreading against the U.S. wheat contracts.

Ron Frost, of Frost Forecast Consulting in Calgary, said the viability of the new futures contracts will depend on whether enough interest is generated to provide a liquid market.

“We need to get it up and going and we need to get liquidity,” said Frost, adding “that requires everybody sticking their toe in and putting a little into it.”

Frost said producers were not really thinking about the futures just yet, given the newness of the changes to the marketing reality.

However, he said, a viable, liquid market priced in Cana-

ICE Futures president Brad Vannan says the new contracts are generating considerable interest. photo: Victoria annE dian dollars and using Canadian delivery points would definitely provide benefits for Prairie farmers over and above the closest alternative hedging options in the U.S.

4

JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

EDITOR Will Verboven Phone: 403-697-4703 Email: will.verboven@fbcpublishing.com

PRODUCTION director Shawna Gibson Email: shawna@fbcpublishing.com

What will the new year bring to agriculture in Alberta?

AsSistant PRODUCTION manager Farrah Wilson Email: farrah@fbcpublishing.com

Director of Sales & Circulation Lynda Tityk Email: lynda.tityk@fbcpublishing.com

Election year } Outcomes in both Alberta and the U.S. could have an effect on this province’s industry in 2012

CIRCULATION manager Heather Anderson Email: heather@fbcpublishing.com

national ADVERTISING SALES James Shaw Phone: 416-231-1812 Fax: 416-233-4858 Email: jamesshaw@rogers.com

classified ADVERTISING SALES Maureen Heon Phone: 1-888-413-3325 Fax: 403-341-0615 Email: maureen@fbcpublishing.com

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By will verboven

Alberta Farmer | Editor

C

rystal ball gazing is always a popular sport at this time of the year, but rarely do predictions come true.

Chance has a way of humbling even the most grandiose wishful thinking. Some events and issues do seem to have a cycle and never really go away, and some leftover matters just take a long time to stew, or get resolved.

Last January the land-use framework issue was beginning to brew and the year saw a lot of fulminating, rock throwing and defending the fort. It’s still an issue, with stakeholders as determined as ever to fight the battle. The PC government also seems as determined as ever to prevail with little inclination to compromise. What’s different this time is that the government has established a ministerial-led Property Rights Task Force to review the land-use legislation, a clever move by newly minted Premier Redford.

The premise for the task force is entirely political. Politicians don’t usually review legislation that they themselves have recently passed — the implication would be that they might have made a mistake.

I expect the task force will either advise some fine tuning, or most likely, will conveniently delay any report until after the election expected this spring.

The task force gives the illusion that the PCs are addressing property rights and defuses the issue, which continues to swirl throughout rural Alberta. That would be a worst-case scenario for the opposition Wildrose Party, as property rights are virtually its only significant ag policy difference from the PCs.

The next election does bring some uncertainty. It will be the first real test of both the Wildrose Party, and our new premier. At this time last year Wildrose had a significant standing in the polls, especially in rural Alberta. Those polls have dropped since then with the departure of former Premier Stelmach. If the PCs can keep the property rights issue derailed with the task force, it could prove to be a disappointing election for Wildrose. The election does bring uncertainty to the agriculture cabinet position, but that is nothing new. It’s become a revolving door, what with six different ministers in the last eight years.

The other big issue for 2012 is life after the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly. It was only theoretical a year ago, with a minority government that was in no position to act on its long-held campaign promise to end the monopoly. What a difference a year makes. Now wheat and barley growers and marketers are looking at a brave new world of grain marketing on their own.

One senses some anxiety and ambivalence since the federal legislation is before the courts. Marketers were burned once before when barley was removed and then reinstated. However, the legal and legislative situation is different this time and one presumes the CWB deal is done. I expect big buyers will start rolling out their contracting programs in earnest fairly soon.

The minor and niche players will soon follow and by this time next year the bugs should be out of the system.

The only dark cloud on the horizon is a declining world market price for wheat — it’s all part of the cycle — but you can expect blame will be targeted at the demise of the CWB. The other danger that usu-

ally follows lower wheat prices is the usual trade action by the North Dakota Wheat Commission. It may be more emboldened now that its arch foe, the CWB, has been rendered impotent.

COOL not over

The cattle industry (but not the packing side) is enjoying better prices, but I can’t help but see mischief on the horizon.

COOL is not over despite the WTO ruling, and with a U.S. election in the works, I don’t expect much will change for cattle exports. Much is expected from the EU/ Canada free trade deal, but the EU is notoriously efficient at thwarting beef imports, all the while appearing to open markets. I am still not positive that Canadian negotiators won’t give up supply management tariffs for some other trade crumb from cunning EU negotiators. I wish national supply management groups could come up with a partial compromise on tariffs.

It would help them in the long run. The fate of the CWB is an ominous precedent for them to reflect on.

The pork industry for the first time in many years appears hopeful, but their ranks have been severely decimated with only a few hundred producers left. If the Hutterite colonies ever quit the business the industry would be done for. My one hope is that just because markets are improving that they not stop trying to significantly alter the way they do business. The cycle will inevitably return to bad times.

Perhaps my observations have been more reflections than predictions. Since it’s an election year in Alberta and the U.S. that alone should cause one to be both cautious and anxious for 2012.

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The voice of free-market environmentalists will continue to speak out in 2012

By Phil Rowland

President Western Stock Growers’ Association

L

ooking back, 2011 came in cold, snowy and difficult for man and bovines, but we’ve had some positives to build on last year. Calf prices have finally reached profitable levels, and although many have left the industry, those of us remaining require a few good years to ensure a secure supply of calves for the cattle-feeding industry.

The Canada Beef Export Federation ended its operations with the advent of Canada Beef Inc. The Western Stock Growers’ Association (WSGA) is patiently waiting for the various committees to deal with the governance of this national organization and for it to produce the desired results.

Our biggest challenge in 2011 was the continued erosion of property rights through bills 19, 24, and 36 and the need for compensation when statutory

consents, such as water licences and grazing dispositions, are amended or cancelled. Property rights are also key cornerstones for our industry’s foundation, providing for not only a marketdriven economy but also helping to protect the environment.

Protecting the environment is so important to the WSGA that you will see the phrase “The voice of free market environmentalists since 1896” written on our business cards.

WSGA is not diminishing the need of government to do land planning and environmental protection. Our industry is older than this province because we have done good planning, and the environment is worth protecting these many years later because of good stewardship. Centralized planning, as legislated in Bill 36, does not provide a culture that works symbiotically with nature and economics. In the past, the marketplace and security of tenure have served the ranching industry well. Continued good stewardship will successfully

protect the very ecology that will be the success of the province’s future. Just like the iconic fescue grass, protection of such is a grassroots initiative that cannot be accomplished within the stone walls of the cabinet room.

So let’s look at what we need to accomplish in 2012: • Canada Beef Inc. will need to finish its startup phase and concentrate on moving beef around the world.

• A strategy to attract the next generation to enter and stay in our industry must be developed and nurtured. This will require industry and governments to employ some out-of-the-box strategies.

• WSGA will continue to cooperate with any and all takers who are interested in protecting property and statutory consent rights. We will also continue with our strategy of the development of a true marketplace for Ecological Goods and Services (EGS).

The year 2012 may just be the watershed moment when all Albertans come to realize that the

basis for a free and democratic society is property rights. Property encompasses anything from a permit to a hard asset such as land to a stock certificate, and one must be able to trade these in a true market-driven economy without fear of government being able to change the rules without the opportunity for recourse.

That is the danger the WSGA sees in the land-use acts that are now being reviewed by the Property Rights Task Force.

Let’s encourage our government to think about where these land bills are taking this province. Empowering the marketplace by valuing the goods and services ranchers provide could very well be the answer to preserving the environment rather than oppressive legislation and regulation.

A healthy environment, marketplace and reduced regulatory structure are my wishes for the new year. It will take a concerted effort on the part of both the industry and government to make it happen. www.wsga.ca.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

Property rights are essential for a free and democratic society

Alberta Beef Producers looks forward to an interesting year WILD CARD } Low inventories mean the outlook for prices

is good but global economic turmoil could threaten demand by doug sawyer

chairman | Alberta beef producers,

PROPERTY RIGHTS } Landowners need to express

their concerns over long-term implications by norm ward

Alberta Property Rights Initiative | granum

C

ontentious land bills such as Bill 19 and the amended version Bill 23 (Projects Land Assembly Act), Bill 24 (Carbon Capture and Storage Act), and Bill 36 (Alberta Land Stewardship Act) have all served to shine a spotlight on the importance of property rights.

The Alberta government has experienced such a backlash from these land bills that several ministers are now touring the province with a Property Task Force “asking for Albertans’ input on property rights and to find out what property rights mean to Albertans.”

But before we talk about Albertans’ views of property, we should all be clear on what property rights mean at law. The 1867 Federal Constitution Act did not entrench property rights, although the 1960 Federal Bill of Rights recognizes the right of the individual to enjoy property and not to be deprived except by due process of law. This only applies to federal, not provincial laws. The 1982 Federal Charter of Rights does not include the right to property or to compensation for a taking.

However, we do get property rights through “common law” which consists of past court rulings or precedents and “statute law,” which are acts and regulations passed by federal and provincial legislatures. In the document, Regulation of Property Use and Regulatory Takings in Alberta, this is termed “a social consensus.” Past governments have understood and respected property rights and the result is legislation that provides for the foundation of our market-driven economy. For example, when you sell cattle, you know your cattle are your property, and it is understood you will be compensated by the buyer. Previous court precedents and statutes developed over time all facilitate this transaction.

It is also understood that when government requires property from an individual, it is also required to pay compensation. This is called a regulatory taking, and all provinces have some form of an expropriation act, which is used in such cases. Of particular note is that a regulatory taking must be a “total taking” in order to receive compensation from government.

Pore spaces

Despite this existing social consensus of common law property, the Alberta government still decided to use the Carbon Capture and Storage Act to confiscate the pore spaces (spaces within a rock body unoccupied by solid material) from your land title. This was clearly a regulatory taking of Albertans’ property,

yet government chose to not compensate.

Zoning of land by government has not been viewed as a regulatory taking, thus there is no provision for compensation. Bill 36, the Alberta Land Stewardship Act, is really about land planning and although it does not use the term zoning, there are certainly provisions for restrictions in land use. These partial restrictions are commonly referred to as partial takings. From a landowner’s perspective, a partial taking may sometimes deny the property owner any viable economic use of the property, which really results in a taking by government without compensation.

Since Canadians have no constitutional property rights, the Property Task Force is touring the province trying to gauge how strong this “social consensus” of common law and statute law really is. Will property owners rise up and bring the Alberta government back to these property rights principles or will Albertans acquiesce to this new form of socialism? In 2006, several MLAs encouraged some concerned citizens to form the Alberta Property Rights Initiative (APRI). It is focused on two specific areas; to help entrench property rights law both at a federal and provincial level, and to help legislate the Property Rights Preservation Bill (PRPB).

The PRPB specifically addresses both regulatory takings and partial takings. It was adapted from similar legislation in many U.S. states, which ran into the same land planning issues Alberta is now experiencing. Instead of eroding common law property rights as we have seen in Bill 36, the proposed legislation would help strengthen rights in an attempt to balance society’s wishes with property owners’ rights.

Many MLAs are fearful of this type of legislation, citing concerns that government would have to pay large compensation to property owners. The proposed legislation would actually do the opposite, while helping to protect taxpayers. An edited excerpt from the bill explains the assessment or “checks and balances” as follows: • Assess whether the government action may result in a taking.

• Identify the purpose of the action.

• Explain why the action is needed and why no alternative is available.

• Estimate the potential cost to government and source of payment.

• Certify that the benefits of the government action exceed the estimated compensation costs.

The APRI encourages the government and the Property Task Force to go beyond the assessment of what common law property rights means in today’s terms and to entrench property rights for all Albertans.

Let’s truly make Alberta a free and democratic society. www.apri.ca.

pine lake

I

n early December, I had the honour and privilege of being elected chairman of Alberta Beef Producers (ABP). Although I am new to this position, I know ABP well, having served as a delegate for the past six years, a director for the past five, and on the executive for the past three years. I have taken a significant role in setting our objectives for those years and I understand the direction we have received from producers and delegates for the future.

My family’s cow-calf and backgrounding operation at Pine Lake gives me a good grassroots perspective on the issues facing producers. It is my hope that I will be able to continue the tradition of strong industry leadership and effective producer representation that has been established by previous ABP chairmen.

As we move into the New Year, I see reasons for optimism about a brighter future for cattle producers. With cattle inventories low and demand relatively solid in many markets, the improved prices could remain for some time.

Unfortunately, this optimism has to be tempered by concerns about local and global forces that could undermine this positive outlook. Global economic turmoil, especially in Europe and the U.S., will keep commodity prices volatile and could cause a significant reduction in the demand for beef. So 2012 will be another year of exciting opportunities and difficult challenges for cattle producers. At our annual general meeting, ABP delegates reviewed our progress on the strategic objectives for the current year and considered a series of resolutions from our fall meetings that help to provide direction for the coming year.

Land use

Clearly, our delegates and cattle producers in Alberta want ABP to continue our work on land-use and property-rights issues.

ABP representatives made a presentation to the premier’s Property Rights Task Force and we will participate in its public meetings. We will continue our participation in the development of regional plans under the Land-use Framework and our work for improvements in the legislation affecting land-use planning. ABP thinks that the government must take steps to define and protect the rights of landowners to use and enjoy their property. Any time these rights are affected or lost through land-use planning decisions, ABP thinks that landowners must be provided with comprehensive

consultation, fair and full compensation, and access to the courts for appeals.

In order to retain the support we have received from producers across the province, we must continue demonstrating value for their checkoff investment. That is why I will ensure that ABP maintains its commitment to communications as one of our top priorities. We have to inform grassroots producers about the work we are doing and listen to them to make sure their views are heard and voiced.

ABP needs to find common positions with other industry organizations — not just cattle organizations, but all livestock and poultry organizations along with crop sector groups. Of course, we need to build and maintain productive relationships with elected officials and staff members of the Alberta government and the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency. We are prepared to take positions that are not consistent with government policy if it is in the best interests of cattle producers, but we can’t be an effective voice for producers if the government won’t listen to us.

Regulations

One of my top priorities will be to continue efforts to reduce the regulatory burden that affects the competitiveness of our industry. As the federal government moves toward the implementation of a national traceability framework, the industry must be vigilant in guarding against regulatory costs that are not offset by sufficient benefits for producers. The Guiding Principles for Beef Cattle Traceability (developed in 2010 by ABP, CCA, and Alberta Agriculture) will be an important document to direct our position in these discussions. We need action to make specified risk material disposal costs for our processors equivalent to the costs borne by U.S. processors. ABP will continue to encourage the Alberta government to remove the regulatory requirement for mandatory age verification.

In what promises to be an interesting year, ABP will also be working on a marketing campaign aimed at revitalizing the Alberta Beef brand, supporting research projects that provide clear economic benefits for the industry, and seeking improvements to business risk management programs, especially forage and pasture insurance. I am aware of the responsibility I have accepted and excited about the prospects for the year. I look forward to working with our board of directors, delegates and staff to meet the challenges the industry will be facing and to help create conditions where producers can take advantages of the opportunities offered by the future.

Other organizations not represented on commission Re: Alberta growers want a provincial wheat commission (Jan. 3). embers of the Alberta All-Wheat Commission Steering Committee appreciated the coverage of this story and its overall balance.

We would, however, like to point out one error: The steering committee does not have any representatives of the Alberta Barley Commission, the Alberta

M

Canola Producers Commission nor the Western Grains Research Foundation.

While some committee members are affiliated with the above-mentioned organizations, they are not sitting on our committee to represent them in any way.

Kent Erickson and Lynn Jacobson Co-chairmen Alberta All-Wheat Commission Steering Committee

OFF THE FRONT

6

JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Wildlife management includes predators too SURVIVAL OF THE LOUDEST  The call of the male elk to attract females is unique among ungulates

BY SHERI MONK

AF STAFF | PINCHER CREEK

E

lk are unmistakable for any other animal in North America. They are much larger than deer, yet entirely different in appearance than moose.

Despite their distinct appearance, their name itself causes confusion. In Europe the common name for moose is elk, and they used to be classified as the same species as Asia’s red deer.

In Alberta, elk are primarily found in the Rocky Mountains, foothills, Cypress Hills and Elk Island National Park, although they are spotted elsewhere. The total wild population is estimated to be about 800,000 strong.

Despite their apparent success as a species, they were eliminated from many U.S. states and parts of Canada. Now, their biggest threat comes from habitat loss and human encroachment rather than overhunting. Chronic wasting disease is also a threat —

not just to the elk, but to deer as well.

Bull elk sport some of the largest, most impressive antlers in the world — and they grow them every year. In the spring, the new antlers begin to grow, completing the task by August to harden up in time for the rut. For an ungulate, elk are uncharacteristically vocal.

They communicate by using a series of grunts and squeals in their daily herd life and are very social animals. If alarmed, elk cows will emit sharp barks to warn the others. Throughout most of the year, elk will stay in herds according to their own sex — but that changes quickly in the rut.

Guarding the harem Cooling temperatures and shorter days herald the beginning of the rut. Elk bulls will begin trailing herds of females, and begin bugling — a whistling roar which is sometimes mistaken for a wolf howl. If the noisy display isn’t quite enough to convince a harem to stick with a bull, sexually mature bull elk dig holes, then

urinate in the hole, and then take a bath in the muddy mix which results in an attractive eau de toilette females find difficult to resist. However, once an elusive harem is secured, the bull is charged with guarding them from other competing males. Cow elk are only in estrus for one or two days, and the bull will breed her as many as 12 times to ensure reproductive success.

Although Alberta’s elk population is doing well, numbers in some areas have been known to drop quickly. Biologists manage their numbers closely and populations can swell and shrink dramatically in some regions over the course of one winter. For instance, last winter, deer and pronghorn numbers were affected drastically in the southeast corner of the province after an especially harsh winter storm. Much of the pronghorn hunt was cancelled last season in response to the sensitive species’ sharply decreased numbers.

As with all animals forced to

traverse and live among human habitation, road mortality poses an ongoing challenge — and not just for the animals. Collisions with such massive animals pose a severe risk on the highway. In the Pincher Creek area, deer and elk carcasses are saved and frozen throughout the winter. The roadkill collection is carried out by the Drywood Yarrow Conservation Partnership.

The southwest corner of the province is unique — there is very little foothills transition between the mountains and the prairie.

In the spring, this can mean increased potential for conflicts as black and grizzly bears emerge from their winter slumber. After a long period without feeding, they descend from the higher altitudes in search of easy, calorie-rich food — just in time for calving season.

Roadkill is then distributed at strategic points as the large predators emerge. Cougars and wolves also take advantage of the free meals, thereby helping to reduce calving losses.

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ELK  from page 1 their financial situation and at the same time, some are saying it’s the government’s fault. It’s very political.”

Moving target

Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) monitors elk populations in a variety of ways, and the trouble areas change frequently. “It is really area dependent. There’s kind of a hot spot right now in what they call Wildlife Management Unit 212, actually it’s the southwest portion of it in the Black Diamond area,” said Darcy Whiteside, an SRD spokesperson.

“And that’s why we have the ability to throughout our hunting season every year allocate licences accordingly and one of the things we do look at is crop depredation.”

“We want elk in the area because if we knocked out all the elk, the wolves would overrun and that would be a non-ending cycle.”

FRED HAYS ABP

There are complicating factors.

Hunting often needs to be limited in close proximity to urban areas.

Some landowners don’t allow others to hunt on their land. Sometimes, the annual hunt generates less interest from hunters, or simply goes poorly because of the weather. “Deer and elk are intelligent animals. Because they are pack (herd) animals, they’ll go to areas where there is safety. So that can unfortunately be someone’s backyard,” said Whiteside.

Though preventing the damage may seem a daunting task, producers have options under the Ungulate Damage Prevention and Compensation program administered by SRD. Producers observing signs of damage by wild ungulates must call their Fish and Wildlife officer to have the damage and the situation assessed.

Recommendations will then be provided to reduce future damage and SRD may assist with loaning the producer fencing (permanent wire or stackwrap), repellent or scaring devices.

Compensation is available for damaged stacked hay, stored silage or unharvested crops, but producers must have taken measures to reduce damage.

“It is important to follow the recommendations of the Fish and Wildlife officers, as future compensation (total lifetime claims) will be dependent on having done so. Producers who have not followed the recommendations will receive only 50 per cent of the claim amount on the second claim, and, on the third and consecutive claims, will receive no compensation at all,” states the SRD website.

The damage can be especially significant and increased during tough winters. Deep snow, and hard and frozen snow cover can make it difficult for animals to access the vegetation beneath.

“We’ll provide fencing in some cases, a bit of education, engineering components and we also try and promote allowing hunting on the property. We do recognize this is the personal choice of any landowner of course, but hunting does assist in managing populations,” Whiteside said.

7

 DROUGHT

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

SMALLER BRAZIL CORN AND SOY CROP

DRYNESS ALSO HITS ARGENTINA The drought that is drying out Argentina’s farm areas will cut into the country’s 2011-12 corn harvest, as crops struggle to flower under parched conditions, the government said in a weekly report Jan. 6. The world’s No. 2 corn-producing country has been hit by dryness related to the La Niña phenomenon just as corn and soy plants need water to help them develop.

“The drought is getting worse day by day,” the report said. Conditions are critical, particularly in the Bragado district of northern Buenos Aires province, the report said. — Reuters

Brazilian grains analyst Celeres cut its estimates for the country’s corn and soy crops Jan. 9 due to a long spell of harsh, dry weather. The consultant cut its forecast for soy production to 74.4 million tonnes, down from 75.6 million tonnes in its most recent forecast in December. It cut its corn estimate to 61.98 million tonnes, down from the 63.32 million tonnes it predicted last month. — Reuters

Dry weather in South America shakes up corn, soybean futures FEED BARLEY  Warm weather and competition from DDGS keeps a lid on gains

BY DWAYNE KLASSEN

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

C

anola futures on the ICE Futures Canada trading platform managed to trend upward over the holiday period ended Jan. 6. Steady demand from the commercial sector provided some of the strength with weather issues in the oilseed-growing areas of South America contributing to the upward momentum.

Fresh export business with China further underpinned canola values. The rally experienced in CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade) soybean and soyoil futures during the same time frame also was instrumental in canola moving up.

Domestic processor demand has also been running at record levels, providing some additional support to the commodity.

Farmer deliveries of canola have remained consistent, as end-users in select parts of the Prairies continue to offer cash premiums in order to ensure supply is making its way up their driveways.

Western barley futures on the ICE Futures Canada platform were generally dormant over the holidays, although the futures price did experience some minor declines. Cash bids for feed barley in Western Canada, meanwhile, have eased given the warm temperatures and the resulting reduced feed ration requirements for livestock. The import of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) into Western Canada has also picked up, further deteriorating feed barley values.

CBOT soybean futures posted significant gains over the holiday period ended Jan. 6. Increased concern about hot and dry growing conditions in the soybean-growing regions of Brazil and Argentina influenced a good portion of the upward price action seen in the U.S. complex. The buying back of previously sold positions by commodity fund accounts ahead of 2011 was also a feature and helped to generate some of the strength seen in the commodity.

The continued lack of demand from

the export sector along with the upswing in the value of the U.S. dollar helped to slow the price advances. Bouts of profittaking further restricted the upward price action.

CBOT corn futures followed soybeans to higher ground during the reporting period. Here, too, support was derived from the buying back of short positions by speculative fund accounts ahead of year-end. Concerns about dryness in the corn-growing areas of Argentina further lifted values.

The upside in corn was tempered by the strong U.S. dollar, the ample U.S. feed wheat supply base, and the total lack of demand from the export and domestic sector for U.S. corn. The absence of demand for U.S. corn was linked to cheaper alternatives.

Minneapolis slips

Wheat futures at the CBOT and Kansas City Board of Trade were higher over the holidays while values at the Minneapolis exchange generally lost ground. The gains in soybeans and corn spilled over to help to underpin CBOT and KCBT wheat futures. Speculative short-covering ahead of year-end also stimulated some of the strength experienced in those commodities.

Selling in MGEX spring wheat values was linked to ideas the crop was doing better than anticipated. The absence of demand was also an undermining price influence.

The weather in South America has certainly moved to the forefront of the news impacting the North American grain and oilseed markets. The jury is still out on exactly what kind of damage the soybean and grain crops in Brazil and Argentina have experienced, if any, but the weather forecasts will provide for some volatility in the futures markets.

There are indications that the soybean crops in southern Brazil have suffered some stress due to hot and dry conditions. However, long-range weather outlooks for the region were calling for some beneficial precipitation.

Meanwhile, temperatures in the cornand soybean-growing areas of Argentina have been hovering in the 33-35 C range with little in the way of moisture to provide relief. The warm readings are believed to have stressed corn, soybean and sunflower crops in the central parts of that region. The longer-range weather outlooks, are calling for some cooler conditions to return to the area with increased chances of precipitation.

Dryness concerns

The weather issues are not all necessarily in South America. Producers in Manitoba and in the southeastern regions of Saskatchewan are being urged to consider crops that do well in dry conditions.

The absence of significant precipitation ahead of winter freeze-up has provided for some already dry topsoil conditions.

The warmer-than-normal temperatures

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during the first half of the winter season has also resulted in no significant snow cover on fields for spring run-off.

Colder weather is expected to return to the Prairies by the end of January or early February. The concern is, however, that the cold readings will force the jet stream south into the U.S. and with it some much-needed moisture.

The La Niña weather event is also expected to be prolonged, adding to the dryness concerns producers on the Canadian grain belt will have to deal with.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will update its supply/demand balance sheets on Jan. 12. Early ideas are calling for USDA to reduce its 2011 U.S. soybean crop by 25 million bushels to around the 3.02-million-bushel level. Soybean stocks in the U.S. were seen coming in at 2.3 million bushels, up slightly from the previous report.

Most of the focus of the report, however, will be on what kind of changes were made to the South American soybean crop. There are ideas that both the Argentine and Brazilian soybean crops will be reduced by roughly a million tonnes.

The USDA’s world soybean output estimate was also anticipated to be down.

Dwayne Klassen writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

Find out more at ShutTheSellUp.com Can you find a seed company about the seed and not the sell?

8

JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

HUMAN RESOURCES FOCUS

The ins and outs of hiring foreign agricultural workers Complicated } Employers must first demonstrate that there are no Canadian candidates for the position by helen mcmenamin

af contributor | lethbridge

A

s farm work has become increasingly complex and skilled, farmers, non-farming landowners and employment agencies are searching the world for the right employees. At the other end of the scale, some employers, including horticulture operations, are turning the movement of low-wage jobs out of Canada on its head and are bringing foreign workers to this country. Some farmers are looking to foreign workers as an answer to their labour problems.

It isn’t an easy or a quick solution, says Tony Kok, owner of Agricultural Employment Alberta, who works with employers bringing in workers from overseas. “There’s lots of paperwork involved,” he says. “You can do it yourself, but there’s quite a learning curve to the process, and the government seems to constantly change the details, bringing in new rules, new ideas. And, if you don’t get it exactly right Service Canada

rejects the application. We almost need a full-time person to keep up with the regulations.”

Kok says if everything goes well, it takes at least 14 weeks to arrange the paperwork to bring in a worker. The time involved, the paperwork required and the cost depend on the skill level the government judges the workers need. Lower-wage workers are considered low skilled and are only eligible for a work permit, which is valid for a year and may be extended for another year, but the extension isn’t a sure thing.

People considered highly skilled can apply to immigrate under the Alberta Provincial Nominee Program. The federal government has to be convinced that any foreign workers you hire would not be taking work from qualified Canadians or being paid lower wages than Canadians could expect.

Advertise first

The first step in the process is advertising for workers for at least two weeks without finding any suitable Canadian applicants for the position. The gov-

ernment has pay scales that you must offer for the work, whether to temporary foreign workers or in your advertisement for Canadian workers. You must provide fully furnished housing for lower-skill-category temporary foreign workers. A government inspector checks the accommodation to ensure it’s adequate.

Government fees for temporary foreign workers are around $500 to $1,000 per worker, but you also must pay their return air fare and ground transportation as well as Alberta Health Care.

“Bringing in foreign workers is not a cheap option,” says Kok. “It may cost slightly less overall than for Canadian workers. But, as it gets harder and harder to find Canadians who are willing to work long hours and weekends, foreign workers can be an attractive option for some employers.”

Hiring a highly skilled person involves a different process, the person you hire can become a landed immigrant and stay permanently in Canada. As with temporary workers, the government has to be convinced your job offer is genu-

“Bringing in foreign workers is not a cheap option.”

Tony Kok Agricultural Employment Alberta

ine, that there are no suitable Canadian applicants and that the person meets the criteria for a skilled worker.

The time and cost involved varies.

Potential immigrants from some countries must qualify for a Canadian visa, which can be time consuming and costly.

In Kok’s experience costs of sponsoring an immigrant worker are between $1,000 and $3,000. “We’ve found some excellent skilled workers overseas,” says Kok. “And, using Skype, the employer can interview the person almost as well as meeting them in person, without either of you going very far from home.”

Successful recruiting takes time and thought In writing } Lists and contracts clarify expectations and responsibilities for employer and employee

By Helen Mcmenamin

af contributor | lethbridge

W

hen you’re searching for farm help, you’re usually looking for a versatile person with special skills.You have to search carefully, putting lots of thought and some time into finding the right person, say agricultural employment specialists.

“You need to put out as many feelers as you can,” says Tony Kok, who runs Agricultural Employment Alberta in Picture Butte. “You’re looking for people who are multi-skilled and have a high level of skills.”

Kok says not to count on a single source to find employees unless that source will do several types of advertising for you. Ask your friends and acquaintances if they know of anyone who might suit the position. The employees you have already may be one of

your best resources — after all, they’ll be working with the person you hire. They can also give a second opinion.

“After an interview, it doesn’t hurt to ask your employees what they think of a prospective employee. They may see something you miss on first meeting someone,” says Kok.

Clear expectations

Taking some time to set out what you want from a new employee is essential, Kok says. “You have to set out your expectations. If you expect a person to work 70 hours a week, put that up front.

Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for problems right away.

And, be competitive with pay and other compensation. Check around to find what other people are paying.”

Barb Hodgins takes a longterm view of recruiting. She runs the Agricultural Labour Pool and works with farmers across the

www.agri-labourpool.com

EMPLOYMENT SERVICE

Assisting Employers and Jobseekers across Canada Web: www.agri-labourpool.com Email: info@agri-labourpool.com

Phone: (604) 823-6222 Fax: (604) 823-6292

Involved in the Labour Market since 1974

country and potential employees around the world. She likes to see a complete list of what you expect the person to do when he/she starts working with you.

“That first list of expectations is a really useful tool, well worth the time and effort it takes,” she says. “It’s a job description that gives a prospective employee a complete understanding of the job requirements and puts them on the same page as you.”

Those expectations become an interview tool, a list of points to discuss before hiring and then a job description that you and the employee sign. Over time, that can help you avoid conflicts over differing expectations. It documents the responsibilities, any commitments, such as training, that each of you makes. It’s the documentation that puts you and the employee on the same page any time either of you is unhappy with the other.

To ensure you both take job descriptions seriously, laminate it, says Hodgins. She suggests posting signed job descriptions for all your staff in a lunchroom or wherever you and all employees can see them. If someone is unhappy, they can check the job description they signed instead of stewing over things for months.

If there is an issue, you both have a reference point. “Posting job descriptions defines the culture, the rule book for your farm, right from the start,” says Hodgins.

Formal contract

Hodgins also advises a formal job contract, a legal document that can be as simple as a copy of the

A good relationship helps ensure that employees will stay in the job for a long time. ©thinkstock job description and a one-page outline of compensation and benefits, increments and probation period. It can clarify your goals for the farm and the way you want it to run. “An employment contract is a communications tool,” she says. “Documenting employment conditions and performance expectations gives you a starting point to sort out any misunderstandings.”

Having been in her business many years, Hodgins has built long-term relationships with some of her clients, sometimes even matching employer and employee personalities.

“When you find the perfect fit, it just works like magic,” she says. She also acts as a mediator at times (she is a trained counsellor) and as a sounding board.

“I listen to understand what

went wrong, then I ask, ‘what’s your part in this?’ and then I listen to the other side and discuss the issues with them. Then I ask them if they’re ready to discuss it. Sometimes the change is amazing.”

Over the years Hodgins has pinpointed the resolution to employment problems. When people are job-hopping, or when people are unhappy with work situations, it’s always the same issues. When you keep running into the same problem you need to fix something, she says.

“I want people to be happy in their jobs for a long time and I want happy employers and the way to that, in my experience is always the same: communication, communication and communication. It lets you nip problems in the bud.”

9

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

Ritz confident C-18 will win legal nod Parliament supreme } Ritz dismissed legal challenges against

pledge to remove single-desk marketing of wheat, barley

By Daniel Winters staff/moose jaw

Now is a good time to stock up on personal protective equipment such as ear plugs, gloves, safety goggles and respirators. ©thinkstock

Make safety one of your farm’s resolutions for 2012 Safety policy } Every farm, no matter how large, should develop one Agri-News

After joyously welcoming in the new year, if you’re like many Albertans, there’s much to celebrate and you’re ready to make some resolutions for the prosperous year ahead.

Why not make a resolution to make your farm safer this year?

Make the commitment to actually implement the practices that are talked about all year long.

Put excuses aside — “I know I should fix that clutch, but I’m in the middle of haying” or, “I have to remember to buy a respirator for the next time I shovel grain.

But, one more time without one won’t hurt me.”

Now is the time to take advantage of the “do-over” that a new year brings. Here are some ideas that may get you off on the right foot: Develop a safety policy for your operation. Whether it’s a family farm, hobby acreage or a commercial operation a safety policy is the first step to setting standards of safety. Visit www.ccohs. ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/ osh_policy.html for tips on how to write one. While you’re at the writing desk, update your safety plan, too.

Sign up for training! Whether it’s you, your workers or family members, now is the time to take training courses — before the spring season kicks in. Look into first aid, equipment operations, defensive driving or the new SafeThink Agriculture course. There is also the Olds Young Worker Safety Training Day held every May. For more

information, visit www.agriculture.alberta.ca/farmsafety.

Stock up

Stock up on personal protective equipment. Items such as ear plugs, gloves, safety goggles, respirators, coveralls and work boots need to be replaced or replenished periodically. Remember, it’s important that they fit the worker properly. And, be sure to provide the equestrian on your farm with a properly fitted American Standards for Testing Materials (ASTM)/Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) or British Safety Institute (BSI) approved riding helmet.

Supply all work vehicles and heavy equipment with maintenance/worker log books, first aid kits, tire pressure gauges and fire extinguishers. Ensure all personal vehicles have appropriate road safety kits.

Subscribe to the Alberta Farm Safety newsletters. SafeFARM provides safety information for those living and working in rural Alberta, including the Kids’ Club Farm Adventures with Safety Star and Safety Wranglers newsletters which provide information, puzzles and activities for the young and up-and-coming farmers. To sign up, visit www.agriculture. alberta.ca/farmsafety.

The best intentions can only take you so far on a farm work or home site. It’s putting those intentions into action and making necessary changes that will ensure you reap the benefits of a successful farm or ranch season in 2012. The true benefit will be more joyously hectic holiday seasons for years to come.

news in brief La Niña-caused drought may linger in Texas Reuters / The La Niña phenomenon may keep Texas and the southwestern U.S. mired in a prolonged dry spell and could aggravate the impact of the once-ina-century drought which struck the area last year, a climatologist said Jan. 4.

“It should still be dry in

that area,” David Zierden, a state climatologist at Florida State University, told Reuters in an interview at the annual Beltwide cotton conference about weather conditions in the main cotton-growing region of Texas.

“They’ll still be feeling the effects of last year’s drought and (could) even be exacerbated by the ongoing La Niña. They’ll be dealing with drought issues well into the spring and summer,” he said.

A

griculture Minister Gerry Ritz declared the battle for “marketing freedom” all but won in front of a friendly crowd at the 42nd annual Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association convention.

Noting that Bill C-18, the Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act, received royal assent on Dec. 15, Ritz cited the “supremacy of Parliament” as meaning that the law to end the CWB’s monopoly over Western Canada’s wheat and barley trade will stand despite an upcoming legal challenge.

“At the end of the day, this is a done deal, folks. No one is going to weaken, no one is going to back off, C-18 is the law of the land,” said Ritz, who was greeted with a lengthy standing ovation at the conference titled, “Gearing up for Marketing Freedom.”

He urged farmers who have signed forward-marketing contracts for their wheat and barley to send copies to his office to provide a “visual” in support of the government’s position ahead of the Jan. 17-18 Winnipeg Court of Queen’s Bench hearing.

Eight former CWB directors are calling for an injunction to stop the implementation of the law and restore the monopoly on those dates, but having a “stack” of contracts would help the government support its argument that farmers are embracing the

Federal Ag Minister Gerry Ritz answers media questions after addressing a conference organized by the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association last week. Daniel Winters prospect of dual marketing, he said.

“Our legal teams assure us that this injunction has no basis,” said Ritz, in response to a question on whether the court case might derail C-18.

Henry Vos, a former CWB director from Fairview, Alberta, who recently resigned from the board asked about other legal “bumps in the road,” referring to a recent class-action suit alleging lost value of $15.4 billion from dismantling the board.

Ritz seen it as a “nuisance lawsuit.”

“They are trying a back-channel, scorched earth effort to throw every wrench or hump into the road they can. That’s where the steamroller image is great. We’ll just flatten them out and keep going,” said Ritz, to another round of applause from the crowd.

“The eight (former pro-monopoly

directors) who were closing the door on a lot of options are no longer there. In fact, the locks have been changed. So there you have access,” said Ritz, to more applause.

Ritz acknowledged that many farmers, even if they don’t support the single desk, still regard the CWB favourably. Those farmers will still be able to use the board, if they choose, he added.

“But by not moving an inch, they have lost any groundswell of support that they had in Western Canada,” said Ritz. “I’ve noticed a huge shift in them going too far in what they’ve done.”

Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel, WCWGA director and past president, said that the passage of Bill C-18 represents a culmination of WCWGA efforts over the past 42 years.

“Who are we kidding? We’ve been gearing up for decades. The exciting thing is that now everyone is joining us,” she said.

10

JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

New technology can cut farm energy costs Efficiency } Growing Forward energy programs showcase promising new options by meristem media

T

echnology trials under the Growing Forward suite of energy management programs have provided Alberta farmers have some new information to consider that can cut farm and farmstead energy operating costs.

That information comes from Alberta producers who apply for assistance. That collective on-farm experience provides important feedback for Growing Forward management on which technologies are most promising, and rank highest for support under future programming.

Jason Price, project manager and energy specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, has been involved with all aspects of the Growing Forward Energy Management program. He identifies three of the most promising options for producers today.

LED lights for poultry

Lighting is important in poultry operations because lighting levels must be easy to control to manage bird productivity. For many years, barns have used incandescent lighting. These conventional lights provide very good control options because they work well with dimmers, but they are not the most energy-efficient option. On top of that, changing light bulbs is a time-consuming and costly process.

“We knew that fluorescents are more cost effective than incandescents but they do not work well with dimmers.

So we tested light-emitting diode (LED) lights and the results have been exceptional,” says Price.

“(W)e are looking into a photovoltaic program that would allow producers to tie into the grid. ” Jason Price AARD

You can’t manage what you can’t measure. Sub-meters allow monitoring of individual operations rather than the whole farm.

In barns with movable panels instead of fans, electricity use has dropped 25 per cent.

LED lights fit into the same sockets as incandescents so no structural changes are required. LED lights are only eight watts compared to 60 watts for the incandescents most often used. As a result, LEDs provide 80 per cent energy savings over incandescent.

While LEDs are more expensive, they last 20 times longer, so there are substantial savings in labour costs for the tedious job of changing light bulbs, says Price. Some companies are now making LEDs specific to poultry use. And there are signs of new fluorescents on the horizon that may work better with dimmers.

Movable walls in barns

There has been a huge uptake of new options for natural ventilation in livestock operations, says Price.

Most are dairy barns but some hogfinishing barns are also using these new options.

These barns use movable panels instead of ventilation fans. The walls or curtains are opened or closed by a small, one-twentieth-horsepower actuator that controls up and down

movements of panels or curtains.

They open for more air movement and cooling, and close up if they don’t need as much air movement.

“There are substantial savings,” says Price. “On a typical dairy farm of 150 cows or so, we’ve seen electricity usage drop by 25 per cent because fewer fans are used. With natural ventilation, even including the use of some chimney fans and mixing fans, annual savings could be in the range of $5,500. There are good savings in hog-finishing barns as well.”

As with any construction, these ventilation options are easiest if built into new structures, says Price, but there are options to retrofit them to older barns.

One caveat is that these barn systems need to be tested through the most severe winter months, but so far producers say the barn environment is great.

Sub-meters identify savings

The whole goal of the energy management programs is to get producers to develop a plan to tackle energy savings, says Price. One of the prob-

lems with large farms, and operations such as Hutterite colonies, is that they often use only one meter.

“You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” easy Price, “so we have encouraged them to install sub-meters so that they can identify the usage in various enterprises and facilities.

The goal is to be able to determine the cost of production per egg or liter of milk, and these sub-meters have allowed them to do that.

Renewable coming

New options in renewable energy are being studied as part of the energy management suite of programs, says Price. “For example, we are looking into a photovoltaic program that would allow producers to tie into the grid. We are also looking at wind power. There are regulation and management issues related to those, but the potential is there.”

EFP can help

The Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) is one way to start the process of getting a farm energy plan, says Price.

Producers who have completed an EFP should consider updating it, and those who have not completed one will find it of value in starting the energy management process.

More information on EFPs in Alberta is available at www.albertaefp.com.

Meristem Media articles are at www. meristem.com

Data show COOL’s impact on cattle exports Big loss } CCA says about 480,000 fewer feeders sent to the U.S.

in the 80 weeks after COOL Staff

2012 AGM

Here’s the scoop.

Join us on January 25, 2012, from 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. for APG’s Annual General Meeting, held as part of FarmTech 2012.

Presentation:

Private / Public Investment in Plant Breeding Ron Pidskalny, SVC Ltd.

JANUARY 25 | NORTHLANDS | 2:45 P.M.

w w w. p u l s e. a b. c a

U.S. laws on mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL) have not only led to a substantial drop in U.S.-bound Canadian cattle exports, but helped widen the price gap between Canadian and U.S. marketings, Canadian research shows.

The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, in the wake of the November 2011 ruling against COOL by a dispute settlement panel at the World Trade Organization (WTO), says its research shows COOL held far more “substantial influence” than just a requirement for stickers at the meat counter.

The CCA said it has so far resisted going public with any dollar-value assessment of COOL’s impact, as such costs “may well become a point of arbitration” if Washington refuses to bring COOL in line with the WTO panel’s ruling.

Specific data on costs would then help form the basis of any new or higher tariffs the WTO would allow Canada to slap on exports from the U.S., equal to the negative impact of COOL, the CCA said in a newsletter.

However, the CCA said, it can show the change in proportion of Canadian feeder cattle in U.S. cattle-on-feed placements.

Overall, the CCA logged a loss of U.S. imports of Canadian feeder cattle of about 480,000 head in the first 80 weeks after the COOL measure came into effect at the end of September 2008.

That works out to an estimated reduction of 6,000 head per week, compared to pre-COOL averages of 10,494 head per week in 2007 and 8,372 head in 2006.

Looking at the ratio of imports of fed cattle to U.S. slaughter, the CCA’s estimates show COOL cut into U.S. imports relative to slaughter by 30 per cent, or about

400,000 head, during the same period.

That works out to an estimated reduction in slaughter cattle exports of 5,000 head per week, the CCA said, compared to preCOOL average weekly fed cattle exports to the U.S. of 16,333 head in 2007 and 13,534 in 2006.

The CCA has also looked at the fed cattle basis, which measures the difference between Canadian and U.S. fed cattle cash prices.

Analysis of weekly fed cattle prices from 2005 through 2010 and full years through September 2009 found that in both cases, COOL widened the negative price basis for fed cattle by about 30 per cent of the initial basis, or about US$4 per hundredweight.

Based on a typical per-head live weight of about 1,200 pounds, this works out to a price difference of about US$48 per head for Canadian fed cattle, the CCA said.

11

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

Proposed farmers’ suit seeks claim on CWB’s assets DAMAGES  Suit seeks compensation for claimed loss of premiums and for other assets STAFF

One of Canada’s most prolific class-action lawyers says he plans to seek an 11-figure piece of the Canadian Wheat Board’s assets for Prairie farmers.

Filing a statement of claim Jan. 9 in Saskatoon on behalf of representative plaintiff Duane Filson, Regina lawyer Tony Merchant said in a release that those assets, including the CWB’s office building, rail cars and cash on hand, “cannot simply be subsumed by the federal government.”

Filson, a farmer, cow-calf producer and municipal reeve at Woodrow, Sask., is the plaintiff representing a proposed “class” of all farmers who sold grain to the CWB in 2011 and will sell through the CWB before Aug. 1, 2012.

Merchant’s proposed suit describes the CWB as a “trustee de son tort” — a body that takes on

Another step toward beef to South Korea STAFF / Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and International Trade Minister Ed Fast on Dec. 30 announced “a major step” toward restoring access for Canadian beef in South Korea.

The announcement follows the South Korean Parliament ratifying the import health requirements (IHRs) for Canadian beef under 30 months of age.

The government release said the South Korean Government still has to promulgate the IHRs early in the new year, then issue a list of approved beef establishments for export and formally accept the import health certificates. This is expected to happen early in 2012.

The Government of Canada had previously suspended implementation of penalties allowed by World Trade Organization ruling against the Korean import restrictions, and it said the process remains suspended following this latest decision.

South Korea banned imports of Canadian beef following Canada’s first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in May 2003.

itself the possession of entrusted property — for farmers, whose money went to set up the CWB’s contingency fund, buy the CWB’s tangible assets and develop its “intangible assets.”

In its form following last month’s passage of Bill C-18, which as of Aug. 1 will end the board’s single-marketing desk for Prairie wheat and barley, the “government CWB” has been “unjustly enriched” and farmers “deprived of the funds” from those assets, the suit alleges.

The suit’s claims call for total damages of $15.42 billion, including estimated values of: • $7.7 billion in “logistics and transportation savings,” considered an “intangible asset” for farmers; • $2.14 billion, for the net present value of “premium sale prices” obtained each year for barley; • $5.3 billion for similar annual premiums on wheat sales;

• $100 million in the CWB’s contingency fund; • $102.06 million, for the CWB’s rail hopper cars; • $65 million, prepaid for the purchase of grain laker vessels; and • $14 million, for the CWB’s downtown Winnipeg office building.

“A corporate dissolution requires surplus funds, proceeds and assets to be returned to appropriate creditors and stakeholders,” Merchant’s statement said.

Decision not challenged

“This case does not challenge whether or not dismantling the CWB is a good idea,” said Merchant, a former provincial Liberal MLA and federal Liberal candidate (1979, 1980, 1997). His representative client also ran for the Liberals in 2008 and 2011.

“The value realized from CWB

assets has to be returned to farmers,” Merchant said in a release.

“To do otherwise, would resemble a classic case of theft by conversion.”

Reuters news service quoted federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz as saying it was “disappointing to see further misguided legal action against western Canadian farmers and their right to the same freedoms as farmers in Ontario already enjoy.”

The “baseless action,” Ritz said, would not affect the deregulation process laid out in Bill C-18, nor would it affect Prairie farmers’ ability to forward-contract wheat or barley for delivery on an open market after Aug. 1.

Merchant’s office is accepting contact information from farmers interested in the proposed suit.

The statement of claim noted it’s to be formally served on the federal government sometime within the next six months.

“This case does not challenge whether or not dismantling the CWB is a good idea.”

TONY MERCHANT

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JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

AC-Sundancer latest poplar from agroforestry centre RESISTANT  AAFC says it doesn’t suffer

from bronze leaf and rust diseases

tree is now being released as a commercial cultivar for the landscape industry and is in high demand from ree nursery owners across rural landowners. the Prairies are eagerly “What’s great about the ACawaiting the release of a Sundancer is that it is not particunew poplar variety developed by larly big or broad, so it can easily researchers at Agriculture and fit on smaller properties,” said Bill Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). The Schroeder, researcher at the AgroAC-Sundancer, a new hybrid forestry Development Centre. “It’s a poplar variety developed through very clean tree in that it doesn’t sufAAFC’s Agroforestry Development fer from diseases usually associated Centre is expected to garner new with other hybrid poplars, such as commercial opportunities for the bronze leaf and rust disease. Its root Canadian nursery sector. systems are controlled and don’t “We’ve found a real gem with spread; it’s male so it doesn’t have the AC-Sundancer,” said Henry de seeding problems. And, unlike other Gooijer, manager at the Agrofor- hybrid poplars, the AC-Sundancer estry Development Centre in Indian doesn’t grow very fast and systemHead, Saskatchewan. “While devel- atically die too early.” oping a suite of hybrid poplars, we The AC-Sundancer came from came up with one that has a lot of the Poplar Breeding Program at the potential for the ornamental and Agroforestry Development Centre, nursery trade in Canada.” which has been developing hybrids Originally developed for environ- since the 1940s. The mandate is to mental purposes, the AC-Sundancer poplar varieties for SEC_MIDGE11_T_AFE.qxd 1/5/12 grow 2:24 hybrid PM Page 1 has taken on a life of its own — the ecological purposes — environAAFC RELEASE

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mental applications on the farm for the interception of nutrients, protection from wind erosion, carbon sequestration and biodiversity enhancement. The program is all about developing highly adapted, resilient poplar trees that work on the landscape. These poplars are then delivered to producers through the Prairie Shelterbelt Program.

“We’ve developed 17 hybrid poplar clones for Prairie farmers to plant since the 1940s,” said de Gooijer.

“Virtually every hybrid poplar tree growing on Prairie farms originated from our program.”

Every once in a while a new poplar will come along through the program and have a different kind of potential, as in the case of the AC-Sundancer, for the commercial landscape industry.

“It’s not necessarily the sort of hybrid variety that one would put into a riparian buffer that will intercept nitrogen run-off moving from a potato field into a stream,” said de

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Gooijer. “But it might be the type of tree that a strawberry grower would put on the west side of his strawberry patch to provide some microclimate modification and wind control, because it is extremely narrow and doesn’t take up a lot of space.”

The AC-Sundancer also provides a source of revenue for the Agroforestry Development Centre because every poplar grown and sold through the commercial nursery trade results in a royalty for the centre.

WHAT’S UP Send agriculture-related meeting and event announcements to: will.verboven@fbcpublishing.com January 17/18: Agronomy Update 2012, Sheraton (Capri Hotel), Red Deer. Call: AGINFO 800-387-6030 January 17/20: 2012 Banff Pork Seminar, Banff Centre, Banff. Visit: www.banffpork.ca January 18: Cattle Behaviour, Stress, & Handling, Olds College Alumni Centre, Olds. Call: Laura 403-652-4900 January 19: 2012 Tiffin Conference, Lethbridge College, Lethbridge.

Call: Kathy 403-329-7212 January 23: AB Winter Wheat Prod Comm AGM, Westin Hotel 3:00 pm, Edmonton. Call: Elizabeth 403345-6550 January 23: Biodiesel Workshop, Legion Hall 10:00 am, High Prairie.

Call: Morgan 780-835-6799 January 24: ACPC AGM, Expo Centre 2:45 pm, Edmonton. Call: Ward 780-454-0844 January 24: National Pork Biosecurity Workshop, Ramada Hotel 12:30 pm, Edmonton. Call: Audrey 780-469-8982 January 24: New Barley & Wheat Marketing System, Exhibition Grounds, Lloydminster. Call: AGINFO 800-387-6030 January 25: National Pork Biosecurity Workshop, Clairmont 12:30 pm. Call: Audrey 780-4698982 January 25: AWWPC/FarmTech Eggs & Enlightenment, Northlands 7:30 am, Edmonton Call: Elizabeth 403-345-6550

January 25: Vibrant Local Food Economy, Research Station 9:00 am, Lethbridge. Call: Bill 780-4274424 January 26: National Pork Biosecurity Workshop, Black Knight Inn 12:30 pm, Red Deer. Call: Audrey 780-469-8982 January 26: Equine Biosecurity Workshop, TEC Centre 5:30 pm, Grande Prairie. Call: Tara 403-9320929 January 28: M.C. Quantock “Canada’s Bulls” Bull Sale, 450 bulls, 12 noon, Llyodminster Exhibition Grounds, Lloydminster. Call Mac or Pat Creech 1-800-561-2855.

January 31: New Barley & Wheat Marketing System, Quality Hotel, Grande Prairie. Call: AGINFO 800387-6030 January 31: New Barley & Wheat Marketing System, Coast Hotel, Lethbridge. Call: AGINFO 800-3876030 February 1: New Barley & Wheat Marketing System, Medicine Hat Lodge, Medicine Hat. Call: AGINFO 800-387-6030 February 1: New Barley & Wheat Marketing System, Sawridge Inn, Peace River. Call: AGINFO 800-3876030 February 2: New Barley & Wheat Marketing System, Community Centre, Three Hills. Call: AGINFO 800-387-6030 February 3/5: Alta. Association of Ag Societies Conference, Mayfield Inn, Edmonton. Call: Lisa 780-4272174

13

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

Canaryseed: Low stocks, but limited demand weighs on price MEXICO  A dispute over weed seeds has cut shipments by 25 per cent, and European demand has plummeted

BY PHIL FRANZ-WARKENTIN

T

COMMODITY NEWS SERVICE CANADA | SASKATOON

he sluggish western Canadian canaryseed market is facing more problems than the current trade dispute with Mexico, but the longer-term outlook could still be pointed higher given the tightening supply situation, said market analyst Mike Jubinville.

Jubinville, an analyst in Winnipeg with ProFarmer Canada, delivered a market outlook Jan. 9 to the Canaryseed Development Commission of Saskatchewan during the annual Crop Week conferences in Saskatoon.

Mexico is traditionally the largest export destination for Canadian canaryseed, but exports to the country are down 25 per cent this year due to a trade dispute over weed seeds in shipments.

While the Mexican situation is unlikely to resolve itself anytime soon, Jubinville pointed out there are other problems brewing in the canaryseed sector as well.

Canadian canaryseed sales to Europe were down about 90 per cent during the first quarter of the 2011-12 marketing year, while sales to Brazil were also sharply lower.

Jubinville attributed some of the lack of demand to global macroeconomic uncertainty and the strength of the Canadian dollar relative to the currencies in many importing countries.

A mild winter in the Northern Hemisphere was also limiting the demand for bird feed, and Jubinville said a series of winter storms would be a good thing from a pricing standpoint.

forward before spring seeding, supplies could be even tighter for the 2012-13 marketing year, which led Jubinville to describe canaryseed as a possible “dark horse” crop.

Canadian canaryseed sales to Europe were down about 90 per cent during the first quarter of the 2011-12 marketing year, while sales to Brazil were also sharply lower.

Many farmers are holding canaryseed until there is an increase in prices.

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“Effectively zero”

Canada grew 102,000 tonnes of canaryseed in 2011, according to the latest Statistics Canada estimates, which is well below average yearly demand.

While there are ideas that actual production was larger, the canaryseed situation is still tight overall and Jubinville estimated ending stocks could come in as low as 20,000 tonnes.

He described that level as “effectively zero,” with farmers unlikely to sell any more canaryseed when supplies are that tight, preferring instead to store it until prices jump considerably higher than current levels.

Assuming the StatsCan production number is correct, Jubinville saw little downside potential in the canaryseed market, despite the current sluggish demand.

On the other side, he said even a moderate resurgence of demand could see prices move from their current levels, near 26 cents per pound, to as high as 30 cents per pound. At that level more grower selling was likely to come forward, limiting any further advances.

Going forward, Jubinville’s advice to farmers still holding unpriced canaryseed was to be patient, and to put their own offers in as well.

The sporadic spot opportunities that become available will likely go to those producers who have already put in offers, he said.

Looking ahead to the 2012 growing season, he said canaryseed was in the lower third of cropping options in terms of profitability, with little incentive currently in the market to boost acres.

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14

JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Flax acreage seen sharply down again in 2012 Uncompetitive } Analyst says that at current prices, flax returns $136 per acre less than canola

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

F

Commodity News Service Canada | saskatoon

laxseed acres in Western Canada will see a further drop from the already record-low levels seeded in 2011 if new-crop prices don’t see considerable improvement by spring seeding time, according to market analyst Larry Weber.

Weber, of Weber Commodities in Saskatoon, made his statement in a presentation Jan. 9 to SaskFlax during the annual Crop Week conferences in that city.

Western Canadian farmers, primarily in southeastern Saskatchewan, seeded 694,000 acres of flax in 2011, well below the 10-year average and the lowest in recent history.

While a smaller crop would often lead to higher prices, that is not the case this year and Weber predicted acres won’t top 500,000 in 2012 if the bids don’t start improving.

At current new-crop prices, with flax at about $11 per bushel and canola at $12 per bushel, Weber estimated a farmer would be losing about $136 per acre if he or she seeded flax over canola.

As a result, he said, flax bids would need to rise by $2-$3 per bushel to bring in more area.

If the acres and forward contracting prices do remain small, the weather over the growing season will be important in determining the direction the flax market takes going forward.

Weber said forecasts were pointing toward excessive dryness in the key flax-growing regions, which

Prairie flax acreage was at the lowest in recent history in 2011. could cause prices to rise if the dryness persists and there are problems with the crop.

With Canadian flax sales to Europe still hampered by lingering issues with genetically modified Triffid in Canada’s crop, Weber said the development of a domestic crushing

industry would do much to boost the market for flaxseed.

Current crush margins were looking very profitable for flaxseed processors, he said, and estimated that southeastern Saskatchewan could see crush capacity expand by 150,000 to 250,000 tonnes.

“We can’t continue to export our raw product and let someone else get our margins,” he said, noting China in particular has been buying Canadian flaxseed in recent years to crush and then sell the products into Europe.

While a question from the floor was raised on the profitability of selling flax meal in North America, Weber said the increased demand for omega-3 eggs meant that “we could be selling to every chicken barn in the country,” if efforts were made to promote the product.

FarmTech 2012

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FarmTech 2012 Speakers General Rick Hillier Former Chief of the Defence Staff Canadian Forces

Glen Hodgson Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist Conference Board of Canada

John Shmorhun President & CEO - Harmelia Holdings 73,000 ha farm in the Ukraine

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ACTS II

ALBERTA CONSERVATION TILLAGE SOCIETY II

Prairie wheat bids inconsistent in early days Wide discrepancies } Unlike canola,

wheat has several grade and protein levels

by phil franz-warkentin Commodity News Service Canada | Saskatoon

The new open markets for wheat and durum in Western Canada are still sorting themselves out in the early weeks following the passage of a bill ending the longstanding Canadian Wheat Board single desk for marketing those crops.

Speaking to a meeting of the Saskatchewan Winter Cereals Development Commission during Crop Week in Saskatoon, Brenda Tjaden Lepp of FarmLink Marketing Solutions said the open market could easily take a number of months, if not years, to level out, with more inconsistencies likely in the short term.

Following the passage of Bill C-18 in mid-December, most of the major grain companies started to test the waters with new-crop pricing options. While a transparent open market is expected to be beneficial for farmers in the long run, Tjaden Lepp said the current new-crop prices were lacking consistency.

She said there were wide discrepancies in protein and grade spreads, from company to company, with little patterns to be found in the bids from one delivery point to the next.

The newness of the market aside, wheat pricing may also be more inconsistent compared to crops such as canola due to the increased number of factors end-users are looking for.

“The message is simple: you shop it around,” said Tjaden Lepp, noting that in the current environment, one grain company may be offering the same price for a lower-quality wheat than the company down the road.

Going forward, Tjaden Lepp highlighted a number of challenges for marketing wheat under the new system.

It still remained to be seen how the new voluntary CWB will operate alongside the grain companies, she said.

A voluntary CWB, she estimated, could continue to sell 20-30 per cent of the western Canadian wheat crop, which means agreements will need to be put in place with the handling companies.

The launch of new wheat and durum futures at ICE Futures Canada on Jan. 23 could help in determining the price direction for wheat and durum in Western Canada.

Tjaden Lepp said it remains to be seen if the ICE contracts will see enough liquidity, or if Canadian wheat will find itself priced off the Minneapolis futures.

15

MOSAIC CUTS PHOSPHATE PRODUCTION

STAFF/SASKATOON

G

rowing hay for export to finicky horse owners and demanding dairy producers requires a special level of knowledge and skill — and a little luck, too, especially when the hay is flat on the ground and rain clouds loom.

Dan Jorsvick, who grows forages on 2,000 acres in the foothills of Alberta where the rainfall is “luxurious,” got tired of seeing anywhere from 25 to 30 per cent of his hay

downgraded due to excess moisture.

“Profitable hay is simple. The problem is that it’s just not easy,” Jorsvick said during a panel discussion at the recent Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association conference.

For Jorsvick, who has focused on long-fibre timothy hay for the export market in Asia since 1985, hay is the crop that offers the least production risk for his area.

But hay value is in the “eye of the beholder,” he said.

Ranchers focus on cost, dairymen look at nutrition, while equine

buyers judge forage by its “look.”

For the Asian market, fibre content and cleanliness is paramount.

Cleanliness paramount

Jorsvick invested in a Veda hay dryer six years ago, which reduces the time between cut and harvest, and minimizes the risk of downgrades. The gas-fired, forced-air dryer can reduce the moisture content of 24 medium squares from around 20 per cent to 11 per cent in five to six hours. Similar drying methods are used in the Parmesan

“The hay can’t come back. It’ll stay down there. You just won’t get paid for it. There’s no use sending poor-quality hay.”

SAM LUCKHARDT

SEE FORAGE  page 16

Hay crops in the foothills are luxurious, but maintaining quality is another matter.

The

PHOTO: WENDY DUDLEY

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Fertilizer producer Mosaic Co. said Dec. 28 it will cut production of phosphate because prices have fallen to unsustainable levels. It said it would cut its planned production of phosphate by 250,000 tonnes over the next three months, blaming economic uncertainty for a drop in prices. It said it still expected record global demand for fertilizer in 2012.

“The current spot prices in this market do not reflect our outlook for the business, nor do we think they are sustainable,” said Jim Prokopanko, Mosaic’s president and CEO.

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16

JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

FORAGE  Continued from page 15 cheese-growing region of Italy, where mycotoxins and moulds in hay (which spoil the flavour of milk) became a huge issue in the postwar period.

“For a number of years, the industry basically collapsed,” said Jorsvick.

The problem was solved, however, by engineers who developed hay-drying systems.

Jorsvick hired an Italian company to custom build a forced-air system with built-in timers, temperature and humidity regulators, and moisture probes. At a cost of $8 to $15 per tonne, he is able, in most cases, to avoid “culling” bales.

It’s not a quick fix for quality problems, but the benefits, which include a larger target window for harvesting, outweigh the costs because “quality sells,” he said.

No quick fix

Sam Luckhardt, a hay exporter and beef producer from Owen Sound, Ont., near Georgian Bay, has another solution to quality issues.

Luckhardt, who cuts about 600 acres of forage each year in rotation with other crops to build soil tilth, also suffers from moisture problems.

But buffered acid preservative and his beef herd help him deal with the risk of downgraded alfalfa and timothy production not suitable for export, he said.

Three-quarters of his export market is for horse hay that needs to be “John Deere green” with no mould or dust and that feels “soft” with no hard, coarse stems. Otherwise, horses will reject it — and the buyers won’t pay.

Dan Jorsvick, who grows hay for export in the Alberta foothills, explains his forage-growing strategies at the recent CFGA conference. Darren Chapman (top right) and Sam Luckhardt (bottom) also presented. PHOTOS: DANIEL WINTERS “The hay can’t come back,” said Luckhardt. “It’ll stay down there. You just won’t get paid for it. There’s no use sending poorquality hay.”

Kevin Gilbert, who farms in Stratford, Ont.,

where it’s hard to get five straight days without rain, recently started a forage operation in Saskatchewan. He echoed Luckhardt’s sentiments about counterparty risk in exporting hay.

Share risk

He asks new buyers to share risk, with a 50 per cent payment up front.

“The biggest hurdle is finding good, honest customers to deal with,” said Gilbert. “If you don’t get paid for the hay, nothing else matters.”

Darren Chapman, who along with his extended family farms 16,000 acres of

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beef and grain with 2,000 acres of forage near Virden, Manitoba, has shipped hay south to Florida and Texas for a number of years.

The family bales mainly orchard grass and alfalfa in medium squares with small squares for the premium U.S. horse hay market. Hay is taken off the fields as soon as possible and stacked in huge hay sheds on crushed rock and old hay tarps in the yard to facilitate aeration. Lesser-quality hay is rolled up into round bales for their own herd.

Lately, they have been shipping small squares into 45,000-pound loads in trucking vans and containers, making a “tight fit.”

“I’m just glad that I’m not the one on the other end trying to take them out,” he joked.

Competing with the oil boom in southwestern Manitoba for manpower is an issue, as is “prioritizing” work during the production season.

Strong demand in the droughtstricken southern U.S. this past year has affected the availability of trucking.

“But we’ve been getting a lot of repeat business with the trucks that we’ve been using over the past few years and it has been working out well for us,” said Chapman.

To maintain production, they fertilize after every second cut with a high-potash blend at a rate of 350 pounds per acre.

17

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16. 2012

2011 review of Canada’s Beef Cattle Industry Science Cluster ENDLESS QUEST  Cattle producers have seen huge gains in feeding efficiency

but the search for further improvements is ongoing

BY REYNOLD BERGEN SCIENCE DIRECTOR, BEEF CATTLE RESEARCH COUNCIL CANADIAN CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION | CALGARY

F

eed is the single-largest variable input cost in both cow-calf and feedlot production, and Canadian producers have come a long way.

Cattle that took three to five years to finish in the late 1880s now reach the same finished weights in less than 24 months.

Feed-conversion ratios have improved by 40 per cent between 1950 and 2001 alone.

That not only saves producers tens of millions of dollars annually in reduced feed costs, it benefits the environment. A 20 per cent improvement in feed efficiency translates to a 30 per cent decrease in both manure and methane production.

But there are more gains to be had, which is why the Beef Cattle Industry Science Cluster has directed considerable funds to feed-efficiency research projects.

Because cow-calf production is pasture based, feed costs are best addressed by both increasing forage productivity and reducing winter confinement-feeding costs.

In the project Reducing the Cost of Swath Grazing Cows by Increasing the SwathedCrop Yield, Vern Baron of AAFC Lacombe and his collaborators are comparing different seeding dates and annual crops (such as corn, barley, triticale) to identify strategies to maximize forage nutrient yield and minimize daily winter feeding costs for the cow herd.

Preliminary results from this trial suggest total winter feeding costs can be reduced by 27 to 45 per cent by swath grazing corn or triticale compared to a traditional confinement-fed control.

Animal health

The Beef Cattle Industry Science Cluster also funds animal health, welfare and production limiting disease research proj-

Feed-conversion ratios have improved by 40 per cent between 1950 and 2001 alone. ects. In Effect of Ventilation Management Strategies and Stocking Density During Transport on Trailer Microclimate and Calf Welfare, researchers are building on previous research on cattle transport practices (loading densities, time, distance and weather conditions in transit) on the risk of harm to newly weaned calves, feeder cattle, fed cattle and market cows.

This study has found at least 99.95 per cent of cattle reach their destination with no identifiable problems of any sort. This research is useful in countering unfounded and sensational activist claims to the contrary, and also helps to identify specific cattle populations that may benefit from modified transport practices.

One project is examining whether modified trailer ventilation practices affect the incidence of respiratory disease in feedlot calves, which is a leading cause of death and treatment costs at feedlots. Reducing the death loss in feeder calves from two per cent to 1.5 per cent would save the Canadian beef industry more than $10 million annually through reduced treatment and feed costs.

FILE PHOTO

Food safety

Another area of research supported by the Beef Cattle Industry Science Cluster is food safety. The Impact of Wheat Distillers Grains on the Shedding of E. coli 0157:H7 addresses concerns that feeding wheat dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) to feedlot cattle may increase the risk of E. coli 0157:H7.

Cattle were fed finishing diets containing no DDGS, 22.5 per cent corn DDGS, or 22.5 per cent wheat DDGS. The research has found that diet did not affect the numbers of E. coli 0157:H7 shed in manure, surviving in manure, or found on cattle hides at the end of the feeding period. This is good news for cattle feeders, given that saving one cent per pound due to reduced food safety recalls could save Canada’s beef industry $21 million per year.

Another area of research focuses on beef quality. Researchers are conducting a National Beef Quality Satisfaction Survey and Carcass Audit. The first stage assessed consumer demographics and satisfaction with retail beef quality. Com-

pared to previous surveys done in 1995 and 2001, the researchers found consumers’ satisfaction levels have risen in terms of tenderness (76 per cent in 2009 versus 68 per cent in 2001), juiciness (78 per cent versus 72 per cent) and flavour (82 per cent versus 76 per cent).

For industry players to adopt and profit from the scientific knowledge and technology developed through research, they must be aware of how the research could fit into their operation, and understand how to implement it.

The Beef Cattle Industry Science Cluster is investing funding to develop and implement a Technology Transfer and Knowledge Dissemination plan.

This is intended to encourage and cultivate technology transfer skills among the research community, make pertinent research available to industry in a timely and user-friendly manner, and foster relationships between applied researchers and early research adopters so the technology will move from the lab and into operations that stand to benefit.

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18

JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Rise aBove gRassy weeds look no FuRtheR than

laddeR

Will the wet years be followed by drought in 2012?

UNCERTAIN  Expert says cold will return

but snowfall will depend on the jet stream

BY DWAYNE KLASSEN

COMMODITY NEWS SERVICE CANADA

Producers can expect drier-thannormal conditions this spring, according to weather outlooks for the next couple of months.

“Less-than-normal precipitation across the Canadian Prairies ahead of the winter freeze-up have already left soil conditions on the drier side,” said Drew Lerner, with World Weather Inc. of Kansas City.

The absence of significant snowfall and above-average temperatures across Western Canada likely means “it’s going to be a tough year” in some regions, he said. The situation is most acute in Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan, Lerner said, with Alberta’s Peace River region also on the dry side.

Colder weather is expected by the third week of January or early February, and that transition could generate snowfall, he said. However, Lerner added he is concerned a drop in temperatures could create conditions that force the jet stream down into the U.S., which could perpetuate the dry spell as that could prevent major storm activity that could provide much-needed moisture.

“It all comes down to the Arctic Oscillation pattern,” Lerner said.

“I am expecting a negative Arctic Oscillation during the second half of the winter in Western Canada.”

If that doesn’t happen, the Prairies are more likely to see a better mix of weather during the remainder of the winter.

“Producers in Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan should probably take a defensive stance in preparing for a dry season and consider crops that are better performers in this kind of environment,” Lerner said.

In west and central regions of Saskatchewan, dry conditions will prevail at seeding time, but good precipitation is anticipated during the summer, he said.

“It’s definitely going to be dicey for the producers at seeding time, but their crops should see a lot of good rain in the heart of the summer,” Lerner said.

If La Niña prevails over the whole of the summer, then the southeast portion of the Prairies was really going to “take it on the chin,” in terms of being dry, he said.

Lerner said it’s normal to have a dry spell after a couple of years of above-average moisture, and conditions are, so far, pointing in that direction.

The lack of snow cover has producers with winter wheat or fall rye fearing a cold snap will cause winterkill damage. Recent grass fires in southern Alberta are also an indication of the dry conditions that currently exist.

U.S. health regulators restrict antibiotic use in livestock PREVENTION  Move aimed at preventing drug-resistant bacteria

BY ANNA YUKHANANOV WASHINGTON/REUTERS

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U.S. health regulators are restricting animal use of a class of antibiotics often used to treat diseases such as pneumonia in humans.

The new Food and Drug Administration order, aimed at preventing the rise of drug-resistant bacteria, will stop the widespread injection of cephalosporins into cattle, pigs, and poultry beginning April 5.

Cephalosporins are also used to treat skin and soft tissue infections, as well as foodborne illnesses such as salmonella and E. coli.

Antibiotics in this class include cefprozil, the generic version of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Cefzil, and cephalexin, often sold under the brand name Keflex.

Scientists say overuse of antibiotics can lead to bacterial resistance.

“We believe this is an imperative step in preserving the effectiveness of this class of important antimicrobials that takes into account the need to protect the health of both humans and animals,” said Michael Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods.

The FDA order limits the use of cephalosporins to only sick animals, and only at approved dose levels. Consumer groups said this would prevent widespread “extra-

label,” or off-label use of the drug, such as in cases when farmers inject all animals with antibiotics even if only one was sick.

The order does not limit the use of cephapirin, an older type of antibiotic in this class.

Most antibiotics used in chickens, such as ceftiofur, also in the class of cephalosporins, are not used in people, so they would not create resistance, said Tom Super, a spokesman for the National Chicken Council trade group.

“We share the concerns of others that FDA’s rule on extra-label drug use will take medical decisions to treat animals out of the hands of veterinarians,” he said. “We question any substantive link or scientific basis between veterinary use of cephalosporins and antibiotic resistance in humans.”

The FDA initially proposed limiting cephalosporin use in 2008 but opted for further study.

“It’s good that we’re finally having this action. But literally thousands of people have been affected by these cephalosporin-resistant infections in the meantime,” said David Wallinga, a physician and a member of the Keep Antibiotics Working coalition.

He noted the FDA has not limited tetracyclines or penicillin, the most common type of antibiotics used in animals and animal feed to promote growth.

19

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

Briefs Manitoba farm leader dies in accident Major Jay Fox, who recently stepped down as president of Manitoba Beef Producers, died Dec. 23 from injuries after being pinned by a tractor’s front-end loader bucket on his farm at Eddystone, Man. Fox, 32, retired in December as a director of MBP, having served since 2009 as the organization’s president and previously as a vicepresident.

Fox and his wife Angela are well known in Manitoba’s agriculture community, having been named as the province’s Outstanding Young Farmers in 2008.

Donations can be made in Fox’s memory at any branch of TD Canada Trust for a trust fund for his children Devon, Charlee, Porter and Major.

Ray Armbruster of Rossburn took over as MBP president at the group’s annual meeting last month.

poultry barn lost near shaughnessy

The RCMP says an estimated 22,000 chicks were lost when a poultry barn one km. south of Shaughnessy was destroyed by fire on Jan. 7.

Picture Butte Fire Department and EMS were on scene as well as Coalhurst Fire Department. RCMP said the fire is being classed as nonsuspicious and the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

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A new program to help Alberta’s 1,900 sheep producers cover the cost of RFID readers, software, installation and training will complement an earlier program to help cover the cost of RFID tags.

The province and federal government last month rolled out their Sheep RFID Technology Assistance Program, aiming to encourage use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology for animal tracking and movement recording in the sheep sector.

The program, funded through the Growing Forward ag policy framework, will cover 70 per cent of eligible costs for hand-held readers, software, and software installation and training costs.

Funds for software are capped at a maximum $1,000 per applicant, and for software installation and training combined at a maximum $500.

Eligible producers have until March 15, 2012 to apply, and applications will be processed on a firstcome, first-served basis, the two governments said.

Eligible expenses include: • costs for RFID handheld readers; • RFID software that tracks sheep by the electronic number on RFID ear tags for flock management; • RFID software installation and training costs, if the installation is done by a licensed service provider.

Funding for the program is limited and will be funded by the government at the following levels: • 70 per cent for RFID hand-held readers; • 70 per cent for RFID software, to a maximum of $1,000; • 70 per cent for all RFID software installation and training costs, to a maximum of $500.

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20

JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

How about $6,700 per acre for corn land?

One of these doesn’t quite match

way up } The average

value for Iowa farmland has risen 32.5 per cent over the last year

By Carey Gillam/Reuters

Louise Liebenberg and Eric Verstappen, who raise Sarplaninac dogs near High Prairie, say it’s important for guard dogs to bond with the flock. It appears this one has. For a full story and more photos, see page 28.

Corn country is getting more expensive — fast, according to the results of a new study released Dec. 14.

With farmers and investors alike bidding up the cost, the average value for Iowa farmland has risen 32.5 per cent over the last year to $6,708 per acre — an all-time high, adjusted for inflation — according to results of the Iowa Land Value Survey conducted in November.

Calling 2011 “one of the most remarkable years in Iowa landvalue history,” Mike Duffy, an Iowa State University economics professor who conducted the survey, said low interest rates and high prices for corn and soybeans are key drivers.

Poor performance in other investment areas, particularly the stock market, may also account for increased interest in buying farmland, Duffy said.

Iowa, as the largest U.S. corn-growing state, is a particular hot spot, but Nebraska, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan are also seeing sharp spikes in farmland values, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

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The spike has caused some analysts to warn of a potential bubble and market collapse at some point if crop prices fall and farmers and investors are left overleveraged. Indeed, some investor groups say because prices are reaching such lofty levels they are moving to the sidelines. But others are racing to accumulate more land, saying the market is still on its way up.

The northwest part of Iowa is commanding the highest prices in the state, upwards of $9,500 per acre on average in O’Brien County and an average of $8,338 per acre for the northwest region of the state, according to the survey.

Indeed, one recently reported sale in that region brought $20,000 an acre. “The state has been going very strong, but that northwest corner in particular has been extremely strong in prices,” said David Miller, director of research for the Iowa Farm Bureau. “The big question will be, are we going to go back to $3 corn or $2 corn?” he said.

Farmers remain by far the largest group of buyers. With fat bank accounts following bountiful harvests and relatively low debt levels, farmers are expanding their holdings at a rapid clip.

Investor groups made up only about 22 per cent of the purchasers in 2011, the study found, down from 39 per cent of purchases in 2005.

The number of land sales remained relatively steady to slightly greater in 2011 as compared to 2010, after a slowdown in transactions in 2009.

21

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

BRIEFS

Alberta Agriculture books for crop and livestock producers AVAILABLE ONLINE  Dozens of agriculture publications as well as DVDs and CD-ROMs Alberta Agriculture’s Publications Office has dozens of agriculture publications ranging from $3 to $30, as well as DVDs and CD-ROMs. For example:

Harper names canola council chief to Senate STAFF / The organization representing Canada’s canola industry has lost its president to Canada’s Senate.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Jan. 6 announced the appointment, effective immediately, of JoAnne Buth as one of seven new members of Parliament’s upper chamber. Buth takes the seat previously held by Sharon Carstairs as one of Manitoba’s representatives in the Senate.

Buth replaced Barb Isman as president of the Winnipeg-based canola organization in 2007, having previously served as the council’s vice-president.

Buth came to the ag field with a B.Sc. in biology from the University of Winnipeg and an M.Sc. in entomology from the University of Manitoba.

Before joining the council, Buth had worked at Carman, Man. as a manager and weed-management specialist at the soils and crops branch of Manitoba’s Agriculture Department.

Buth’s resumé in agriculture also includes stints as a research and development manager with DowElanco Canada and as an information officer for the federal Agriculture Department’s research station in Winnipeg.

As the chief executive at the council, Buth has been the point person for its “Growing Great 2015” initiative, launched in 2007 and aimed at increasing Canada’s canola production to 15 million tonnes per year, from its 2006 level of nine million.

Alberta Forage Manual ($30 plus GST) — this 350page book contains extensive descriptions of forage species and their growth habits to help in planning forage management programs. This new and expanded second edition offers producers comprehensive information on a range of forage topics: adaptation, legumes and grasses, annuals, mixtures, establishment, fertility, pasture management, harvesting and rejuvenation. In addition, sections on forage pest

insects and diseases present detailed discussion of these problems in forage crops, helping producers diagnose damage. Fully illustrated with over 350 colour images, plus line drawings, tables, charts and graphs, this forage reference work provides a wealth of information.

The Beef Cow-Calf Manual ($30 plus GST) — this 282page manual contains up-to-date information for cow-calf producers. The manual includes sections on genetics, economics, calf management, nutrition and feeding, animal health, pests, handling facilities and fencing and herd management. It also includes a listing of additional online resources.

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Check canola in bags too The Canola Council of Canada says surveys show that only about half of growers check their canola bins on a regular basis. Temperature fluctuations experienced recently can lead to issues with condensation, and warmer-than-normal average temperatures can slow the rate at which stored grain cools, both reducing stability of stored canola.

Don’t forget about canola in bags that may be out in the field and out of sight.

Aerate or move the grain if monitoring shows the rate of grain cooling is too slow to ensure safe storage.

Beekeeping in Western Canada ($25 plus GST) — for experienced beekeepers and those just considering beekeeping, this book gives the information needed to manage honeybees successfully. Learn about the spring management of bees, winter feeding, honey extraction, honeybee health and marketing beeswax, pollen and honey crops. The provincial apiculturists in Canada’s four western provinces packed this publication full of the best possible information on beekeeping in the West.

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22

JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Alberta hog producers encouraged to increase biosecurity to meet new national standards CASH BACK } Health officials offering small financial incentives for attending

workshops and undertaking a biosecurity assessment by alexis kienlen af staff | edmonton

Alberta will soon be joining several other provinces in the adoption of a new national biosecurity program, and so hog producers from across the province will be participating in biosecurity training workshops in January and February.

The workshops will increase the level of education about biosecurity and increase awareness, said Audrey Cameron, animal care specialist and quality control coordinator with Alberta Pork.

“We need to be more careful and we need to erase complacency, especially from people in Alberta, who are spread apart and think they are untouchable,” Cameron said. “We need to remember how important biosecurity is.”

Twenty veterinarians have been trained by the Canadian Swine Health Board to conduct the workshops. Producers in the country’s largest hog-producing provinces — Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba — have already implemented the program and Alberta, Saskatchewan, B.C., and the Maritime provinces are next.

Each province has specific and different biosecurity concerns, said Cameron. For example, in Alberta, 40 per cent of pork production occurs on Hutterite colonies.

“On colonies, you have multiple commodities,” she noted. “It’s like a family farm. Most of the time the producer will go from the dairy, to the chicken to the pig, which can spread contamination.

People will walk with their same boots from the chicken barn and

then go into the pig barn. This is a huge issue for disease transmission, particularly between birds and pigs.”

The workshops include information about disease transmission and how to protect hog barns from disease. Producers will receive $150 for attending the workshop and a further $500 for filling out a biosecurity selfassessment, which includes creating an action plan to improve their farms. Later a veterinarian will visit their operation to do an assessment and ensure it complies with the National Biosecurity Standard.

“We’re trying to find simple actions that will not cost too much to the producer but that will still improve the biosecurity in Alberta,” said Cameron.

“We’re also trying to find proto-

cols that will satisfy the needs of the colonies. Just changing boots between barns would already be a big improvement.”

Cameron also recommended using boot drops or boot shacks, building a Danish entry (a room with a solid barrier separating the “dirty” and “clean” sides) into the barn, and ensuring the parking area is far away from the hog barn.

“There are things that the producer can do that are as simple as locking the door to the barn,” said Cameron. “Lock the door, and make sure that no one can enter whenever they want.”

The biosecurity program also includes recommendations for transport and trucking. Dates for producer workshops will be listed on http://www.albertapork.com.

Audrey Cameron, animal care specialist and quality care co-ordinator with Alberta Pork. photo: Alexis Kienlen

Scholarship for work on perennial sunflower Alberta next } Award for aspiring plant breeders rotates among the Prairie universities

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staff / The Western Grain Research Foundation has awarded its first graduate scholarship, and is now seeking applications from students in Alberta.

The scholarships are administered on a rotating basis among the universities of Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Each university will receive $100,000 every three years and can choose to fund one PhD student at a rate of $33,000 per year for three years or two master students at $25,000 per year for two years.

University of Manitoba student Sean Asselin is the recipient of the first-ever WGRF Graduate Scholarship.

The main focus of his work will be characterizing the diversity and breeding potential of perennial sunflower species native to Western Canada for their implementation in crop improvement and novel crop development.

“Perennial sunflower species have a well-documented resistance to sclerotinia, stem rust and certain insect pests that exist naturally within the breeding pool. Sunflower also has a good potential for the development of a perennial oilseed crop due to its relatively high oil concentration or as an industrial crop due to naturally occurring rubber,” Asselin said in a WGRF release.

The University of Alberta is now accepting applications for the WGRF Graduate Scholarship until April 1, 2012. Interested applicants can visit www.gradstudies.ualberta.ca/ awardsfunding/scholarships/ for more information.

23

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

Calf pulling needed less often, but be prepared BEEF 911  Knowing how to pull properly can not only save

the calf but have its mother breeding back on time

BY ROY LEWIS, DVM

T

here are different ways and means to pull a calf either by hand or the use of the calf jack, and different malpresentations are dealt with slightly differently.

When pulling, you need to be very aware of the stress this puts on both the calf and cow. Pulling is a skill less needed these days because of easier-calving animals, but one that’s still worth perfecting as it can mean the difference between a live calf versus a dead or stressed calf.

It can also mean the difference between a cow that breeds back on time versus one that retains her placenta, has vaginal tears and never rebreeds.

The very first decision comes with knowing when to intervene by vaginally checking out a cow and providing a helping hand.

The rule of thumb is one hour in cows, and one-and-a half hours in heifers that giving strong uterine contractions but making no progress. Exceptions to this rule are when cows or heifers are uneasy, bawling, or nesting for an extraordinary period of time.

This is how some malpresentations, torsions and breech births present themselves. If you have a maternity pen, it is easy to simply run them in and check them out.

You can avert a disaster and often save both calf and cow.

With a higher percentage of twins born in today’s modern herds, malpresentations are more common than one might think.

Restraint

All farmers should have either a commercially made maternity pen calving chute or homemade

Take time and double loop. device that accomplishes the same thing. You must be able to restrain the cow to clean her and check her out. As well, you need to keep her head caught and have her lay out in lateral recumbency with enough room behind to fully manipulate the puller. Choked down at the end of a rope is not the place to pull a calf.

Cleanliness is critical. Before examining the vagina make sure the whole perineal area is washed with warm water with surgical soap such as Endure, Betadine, or Hibitane, which are not irritating to the sensitive mucosal surfaces in the inside of the vagina. You can purchase a small container from your veterinarian. They are not costly and will last a long time. Ordinary soaps irritate and can lead to infections, potentially scarring and possibly a delay in rebreeding or an open cow.

You should keep clean yourself by wearing (hopefully) a calving suit or at the very least, putting on obstetrical gloves. Hold them up on your arms with a towel clamp or wide elastics. This keeps you clean and dry, and the cow pro-

tected. During a few minutes it takes for these procedures, the cow often calms down and you are then prepared when pulling ensues.

Position

Explore the positioning of the calf first and make sure it is presented properly. You always want three things in the pelvis. Two front legs and a head for a forwards presentation or two back legs and a tail in a backwards presentation. Attaching the chains properly can avert damage to the calf’s legs and feet. This is especially true when a routine pull turns into a hard pull. Again take time and double loop above and below the fetlock. Make sure the links are laying flat and the pull of each wrap should be lined up.

I prefer the pull to come off the bottom of the leg. I personally like one long chain, which can be double looped on both feet. The only time I single loop is with a small malpresented calf or with twins where I absolutely know it will be a light hand pull.

Calving straps are an alterna-

tive. My only issue here is they are harder to keep clean. Always keep the calf jack close by. It needs to be clean and well serviced. It is a good idea at the start of calving season to go over it as it may be rusted stiff or worn out. This is again where some farmer’s sterility falls down. I have seen some pretty grungy calf pullers over the years. Take a few seconds to quickly wash it, especially the breech (part which goes around the cow’s back end) and hang it back to dry. The breech straps should keep the puller just nicely below the bottom of the vagina when pulling. Keep the calving area and maternity pen clean and periodically disinfect with Virkon disinfectant to keep bacterial and viral contamination low.

Lubricant

With the actual pull, only advance with the cow’s contractions. You have a bit of time here, so don’t get in a rush. The cow’s contractions will greatly reduce the force you need to use. Apply lots of sterile lubricant. This is a cheap product, which can be purchased at the veterinary clinic, and when applied over the head in a tight pull, minimizes friction in the vagina, which is where tears result. With long calvings or when the cow has been examined frequently the vaginal vault dries out so don’t hesitate to use lots of lubricant in these circumstances.

You will be amazed at how much easier the pulling becomes. Apply lots of lubricant over the o.b. sleeves as well to minimize friction as this keeps your arms from fatiguing when doing manipulations or applying the chains.

Pull in a slightly downward motion following the natural curvature of the calf. This is easier if the cow is down as in a stand-

ing cow you can only get about a 45-degree angle on the puller.

Always keep an eye on the tension of the chains. It is very easy in the heat of the moment to overpull, pull way too fast and injure the calf or cow. Remember calf pullers can exert 2,000 pounds of pulling power, which can cause great damage in the wrong hands. Two good-sized people should be able to pull a calf by hand. Otherwise it is too big and a caesarean section may be needed. With today’s labour shortages on farms producers are often by themselves and the use of a puller greatly reduces fatigue by allowing a slow pull timed with the cows contractions.

Backward calves are pulled pretty much straight back. Again, take your time, ensure the tail is down between the legs, and pull slowly until the tails and hips are presented out the back end.

It is about this time that the calf’s umbilical cord breaks and the calf must be extracted fairly fast. This is the only time you will ever see me pulling a calf fast. Keep in mind cows cannot deliver as big a calf backwards as they can forwards. If you see the dewclaws pointing skywards the calf should be assisted immediately as many found stillborn calves are the result of too long a delivery with a backwards calf.

Hopefully this article will help new producers and be a good review for experienced ones.

We don’t need to intervene very often anymore but every time you do and save a calf it is a very worthwhile enterprise.

Roy Lewis is a large-animal veterinarian practising at the Westlock Veterinary Centre.

His main interests are bovine reproduction and herd health.

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For a distributor near you, give us a call or visit our website. We appreciate the opportunity to provide you with quality tools. Thank you for your business!

800-858-5974 www.CallicrateBanders.com

24

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

FARM MACHINERY Haying & Harvesting – Various

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

BOW VALLEY TRADING LTD.

WE BUY DAMAGED GRAIN

BUY NEW PU REEL GET $1000 in-store credit. For MF, CCIL, IH 4000/5000 or Hesston swathers starting at $4800. Promo good up to January 15, 2012. 1-800-667-4515 www. combineworld.com

Combines Wheat, Barley, Oats, Peas, etc.

Green or Heated Canola/Flax

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Various

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Various

1997 John Deere 6300, MFD, 80HP, Turbo Diesel, L/H Reverser, 3PTH, $19,500

1984 International 784, 67HP Diesel, New Clutch, 3PTH, 540 + 1000 PTOs, IHC 2250 Loader, $11,500

1998 John Deere 5410, 65HP Diesel, Low Hours, 3PTH, $23,500

1984 International 274 Offset, Diesel Tractor, 3PTH, 540 PTO, $5500

FARM MACHINERY Combine – Ford/New Holland

www.doublellindustries.com

BUYING:

“ON FARM PICK UP”

1-877-250-5252

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

2008 NH CR9070 field ready, 785 hrs., headers available, $169,000. Trades welcome, financing available. 1-800-667-4515 www.combineworld. com

CANOLA WANTED

Heated, Green, Damaged Buying all levels of damaged canola. Best Prices.

Bonded, Insured.

CALL US 1-866-388-6284 www.milliganbiotech.com

2004 NH CR970 1,544 hrs., Redekop chopper, auger extension, lateral tilt, loaded, inspected & field ready, $98,800. Headers & warranty available. Trades welcome, financing available.

1-800-667-4515 www.combineworld.com

Combine ACCessories BUILDING & RENOVATIONS BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Building Supplies STEEL 30x36 $21,900 $41,900

BUILDINGS: Reduced Factory Inventory Reg $15,850 Now $12,600; 36x58 - Reg Now $18,800. 48x96 reg. $48,700, now 1-800-964-8335 Source: 1MW

BUSINESS SERVICES

FARM MACHINERY Combine – Accessories RECONDITIONED COMBINE HEADERS. RIGID and flex, most makes and sizes; also header transports. Ed Lorenz, (306)344-4811 or Website: www.straightcutheaders.com Paradise Hill, SK.

FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories

NEW WOBBLE BOXES for JD, NH, IH, MacDon headers. Made in Europe, factory quality. Get it direct from Western Canada’s sole distributor starting at $995. 1-800-6674515. www.combineworld.com

FARM MACHINERY Salvage

CONTRACTING Custom Work SUPER CARBIDE PRODUCTS AT VW Mfg. Many products in stock! VW Mfg, Dunmore, AB, See our website: www.vwmfg.com or call (403)528-3350.

Building Land Rollers since 1983 COMBINE WORLD 1-800-667-4515, www. combineworld.com 20 min. E of Saskatoon, SK on Hwy. #16. 1 year warranty on all new, used, and rebuilt parts. Canada’s largest inventory of late model combines & swathers.

Spraying EquipmEnt MENZO

FARM MACHINERY Sprayers

Cell: 403-380-0173 • http://www.menzo.ca

2002 FLEXICOIL 67, SUSPENDED boom, 90ft. air curtain, 1000/gal tank, 100/gal rinse tank, $22,000 OBO (306)921-8217, Melfort, Sk.

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

TracTors

Custom Fabrication 10’ - 30’ Land Rollers • 3pth Units Available

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – John Deere 1998 7810 FWD, L/H reverser, w/power quad, w/JD 740 loader, always shedded, grapple fork and joy stick, w/8ft silage bucket.

(780)674-5516, 780-350-7152, Financing Available. Barrhead, AB. JD 6420 2005, 5000/HRS, 640 loader, 24spd trans.

Good Condition, Always shedded, (403)729-2913, Rocky Mountain House area.

2008 JCB 3CX15 BACKHOE, 4x4 extend-ahoe, cab, excellent condition, $49,600. Trades welcome, financing available. 1-800-667-4515 www.combineworld.com

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Kubota USED KUBOTA Utility Tractors (780)967-3800, (780)289-1075 www.goodusedtractors.com

ENGINES ASSORTED DEUTZ AND OTHER diesel engines.

KMK Sales, (800)565-0500, Humboldt, SK.

FARM MACHINERY FARM MACHINERY Haying & Harvesting – Baling WANTED: Jd 7810 c/w fel & 3pth; sp or pto bale wagon; JD or IHC end wheel drills. Small square baler, (877)330-4477

JD 4710, 4720, 4730, 4830, 4920, 4930 SP sprayers CIH 9380 Quad, c/w blade, also 440 & 500 quads JD 9770 & 9870 w/CM & duals CIH 3185, 3230, 4260, 3150, 4420 sprayers CIH Skidsteer 440 & 430 9580 Kubota, FWA, FEL, low hours 3545 MF w/FWA FEL Rogator 1064-854-664 Selection of Combine Headers & Haying Equipment

•Phone: (403)526-9644 •Cell: (403)504-4929

JD 2210, LDR, 3PTH, MFD JD 4430 c/w loader JD 7200, ldr, 3pth FWA, Steiger ST 270, 4WD Mustang 2044 Skidsteer, 1300hrs.

14’ Schulte rock rake Clamp on duals, 20.8x38-18.4x38 IHC 5600 DT 33’ 158 & 148 JD loaders Willmar 500 Fertilizer spreader FINANCE, TRADES WELCOME 780-696-3527, BRETON, AB

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

Stretch your ADVERTISING DOLLAR!

1-888-413-3325

WIRELESS DRIVEWAY ALARMS, calving/foaling barn cameras, video surveillance, rear view cameras for RV’s, trucks, combines, seeders, sprayers and augers. Mounted on magnet. Calgary, Ab. (403)616-6610. www.FAAsecurity.com 15-1/2FT X 42IN. LANDROLLER c/w hyd. drag, holds water, exc. conditon. $3,200; (403)931-3977, 403-888-4270

Round up the cash! Advertise your unwanted equipment in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds.

Phone Maureen Toll Free 1-888-413-3325.

FARM MACHINERY Loaders & Dozers

END SALE

GENERATORS DIESEL GENERATOR SET. BF8M1015C, rebuilt Deutz Diesel, 400 KW, 60 cycle, 600 Vac. New generator, automatic shut down, $29,000. Blue Ball, PA (717)351-5081

HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING

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

www.penta.ca JD 7721 COMBINE, $3,900; JD 9340 press drills, 30ft, c/w grass attachment, $3,500; Case WDX 1101 SP swather, 25ft header, triple delivery, pu reel, $49,000; Terragator 1803 floater sprayer, 90ft booms, $29,000; (780)621-6704

EZEE-ON Heavy loader, 2130 model, 8ft bucket, mounts to fit JD 7000 series, loader like new, Excellent condition (780)674-5516, or (780)350-7152, Barrhead, AB

YEAR

WANTED: Small square balers and end Wheel Seed Drills, Rock Pickers, Rock Rakes, Tub grinders, also JD 1610 cultivators (403)308-1238

DEINES FRONT MOUNT, ZERO turn mowers, w/flip up decks, 03-20HP 72in. reconditioned; 1-04 60in., 240hrs; 1-2010 60in., 140hrs; very good condition. See KIJIJI. Call Dean 1-800-886-9429

1995 CATERPILLAR, D5C-lgp, 6-way blade, cab, canopy, winch, 8500 hrs, good condition, $45,000.

(780)963-3850, Stony Plain, Ab.

FARM CHEMICAL SEED COMPLAINTS

CONTRACTING

JD 9400, 9420, 9520, 8970 JD 7810 & 7210, FWA JD 9860, 9760, 9750, 9650, 9600 JD 9430, 9530, 9630 CIH 8010 w/RWD, lateral tilt, duals 900 hrs.

Case STX 375, 425, 430, 450, 480, 500, 530 CIH 8010-2388, 2188 combine 9880, 9882, 9680, 9682 NH, 4WD 3630 Spray Coupe CIH 435Q, 535Q, 450Q, pto avail.

FARM MACHINERY Loaders & Dozers

BUSINESS SERVICES Crop Consulting

We also specialize in: Crop Insurance appeals; Chemical drift; Residual herbicide; Custom operator issues; Equipment malfunction; Yield comparisons, Plus Private Investigations of any nature. With our assistance the majority of our clients have received compensation previously denied. Back-Track Investigations investigates, documents your loss and assists in settling your claim.

Licensed Agrologist on Staff.

For more information Please call 1-866-882-4779

Please call (403)728-8200 jjnaish@xplornet.com

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Wanted

HEATED & GREEN CANOLA • Competitive Prices • Prompt Movement • Spring Thrashed

JD 7330 w/741 SL Loader 115 hrs.

Meteor 108-in. double auger snow blower Horst 10ft Snowblade, Model HLA 4000 Almost New JD 348 Square Baler JD 530 Mower Conditioner Frontier RR2211 Rotary Rake

ACREAGE EQUIPMENT: CULTIVATORS, DISCS, Plows, Blades, Post pounders, Haying Equipment, Etc. (780)892-3092, Wabamun, Ab.

780-905-8565 NISKU, ALBERTA

1-877-641-2798

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

Leon Compact Mid-Mount Front End Loaders Rated for 10 to 40 HP Tractors

1-888-484-5353

IRON & STEEL

LIVESTOCK PIPE FOR SALE 3-1/2IN., 2-7/8in., 2-3/8in., 1in.

Sucker Rods. Henderson Manufacturing Sales.

(780)672-8585

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Angus

Big Tractor Parts, Inc. Geared For The Future

STEIGER TRACTOR SPECIALIST

RED OR GREEN 1. 10-25% savings on new replacement parts for your Steiger drive train.

2. We rebuild axles, transmissions and dropboxes with ONE YEAR WARRANTY. 3. 50% savings on used parts.

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

Act Now! Call us Toll Free: 1-800-667-1581 Or Call: 306-786-2600 Today!

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

50’ Flexicoil #75 Packer Bar, 1/yr as new .............Call 51’ 2009 Flexicoil 5000HD airdrill, 10” spacing, 5.5” rubber packers, SC, 5” spread openers......................Call 45’ 2002 Flexicoil 5000HD airdrill, 10” space, 4” rubber packers, DC .............................................................Call 2320 Flexicoil TBT airtank c/w seed treater .........................................................$25,000 2320 Flexicoil TBH airtank w/320 third tank .......................................................................$22,500 51 Flexicoil Bodies c/w gen. SC 4” carbide spread tip openers, like new .................................................. $3,500 9352I I Westward Swather, 2005, 800hrs., PU reel, 30’, 972 header, roto shears ..........................................$65,000 4952 I 30’ Prairie Star swather, 2005, 800hrs, 30’, 972 header, roto shears, header mover ...................$65,000 810H 25’ Hesston grain table - PU reel ..................Call 910 - 14’ MacDon hay table & crimper.........$10,000 2-CIH WD1203 swathers 2011, 240hrs, 36’ headers, PU reel, roto shears, header transports, 1yr..........................................................................$105,000/ea.

New Sakundiak 10x1200 (39.97’) 36HP, Kohler eng. E-K mover, P/S, electric belt tightener, work lights, slim fit Eco Hopper..........................$18,000 New Sakundiak 8x1400 (45.93) auger, 27HP Kohler, E-Kay mover, P/S, electric belt tightener, work lights.....................................CNT$16,600

Email: Sales@leonsmfg.com FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous Used Sakundiak 8x1200 (39.97’) auger, 25HP Kohler Wheatheart mover & clutch ...............$8,750 New E-Kay 7”,8”,9” Bin Sweeps ............................Call 2002 7000HD Highline bale Processor, c/w twine cutter, always shedded .........................................$8,500 2004 2620 Haybuster Bale Processor, 1000 PTO all hyd. drives, like new ....................$8,000 Cattalac #360 Mixer/feed wagon, scales, always shedded, like new ..................$14,000 New demo Outback baseline X ...................$6,500 New Outback JD STS Hyd. Kit .........................$1,000 New Outback S lite guidance ..............................$900 New Outback E drive X c/w free E turns ........CALL Used Outback 360 mapping................................$750 Used Outback S guidance.....................................$750 Used S2 Outback guidance..............................$1,000 WANTED: 60’ Vibrashank cultivator 50-70’ Heavy Harrows

Ron Sauer Machinery Ltd. (403) 540-7691 **Flexi-Coil, Westward MacDon Swathers, NuVision augers, Sakundiak, Farm King, Outback GPS Systems, EK Auger Movers, Sweeps, & Crop Dividers, Degelman** Sales Rep for George’s Farm Centre

ronsauer@shaw.ca

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JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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27

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

Ont. goat producers seek board Goat producers in Ontario are now waiting to hear whether they’ll get to put their proposal for a marketing board to a province-wide goat farmers’ vote. A proposal seeking marketing board status was submitted before Christmas to the province’s farm products marketing commission (OFPMC) for review and possible recommendation to the provincial ag minister’s office. If it feels there will be sufficient support, it would recommend a producer vote, possibly this spring or summer.

More time for COOL appeal The U.S. government now has until well into March to file any appeal of a World Trade Organization panel’s ruling against its controversial country-of-origin labelling (COOL) law. A 60-day period in which a dispute settlement panel was to formally adopt a panel report was to end Jan. 18, but has been extended to March 23, the WTO said in a release. The WTO said the extension came at the requests of the Canadian, Mexican and U.S. governments, “to take into account the current workload” of the WTO Appellate Body which would hear a U.S. appeal.

“We’ve seen maybe an extra movement of calves in the fall because of the high prices…”

Auction markets carefully watching cow herd size HIGHEST BIDDER } Having access to cattle-hungry buyers

may draw producers back to the auction markets by sheri monk

af staff | pincher creek

A

uction markets have long been a strong link in the livestock commerce chain, and so far have remained largely unaffected by vertical integration and industry consolidation. However, with a shrinking herd size, increased private contracts and technological advances, some wonder if the auction market will continue unchanged into the future.

In the short term, the fall run produced high prices for the first time in years and although the futures look good for all sectors, the chain is being watched closely to see how the new highs will be absorbed. “We’ve seen maybe an extra movement of calves in the fall because of the high prices, so I would say the numbers will be a little bit slow in the new year right off the start and maybe into the spring because of that,” said Blair Vold, owner and manager of Vold, Jones and Vold Auction at Ponoka.

A sluggish spring in 2012 may only reinforce the market’s fear of a too-small supply, and could force prices even higher.

“Demand is very, very strong.

It looks like there are lots of real good contracts out there for yearlings off of grass and for some fat cattle down the road,” Vold said.

Though they are an anchor in the industry, auction markets are also very much at the mercy of the ebb and flow of the cattle business as a whole and right now, no one is sure of the magic formula which will keep everyone afloat.

“A livestock market always likes volume and we require some volume for it to be profitable for sure. There’s a few years here where our volumes are down a bit from what we’re used to, but at the same time when the prices are up, it helps out on the other end. If the cattle are worth more, then commissions are better too,” said

Auction marts are at the mercy of the ebb and flow of the cattle business.

Dan Rosehill of the Olds Auction Mart.

Another wild card this past fall was the sheer number of cows being brought to market — an indicator that many were waiting for higher prices to implement their exit strategy.

“There’s a lot of nervousness in the industry with the demographics of our customers — the farmers and ranchers are getting older all the time. But you know, at the last few cow sales of 2011, I saw quite a number of young guys with their dads bidding on cows,” said Rosehill.

“It was very encouraging to see that. If these cows are going to continue to be worth what they are, then there will be people who buy cows to raise those calves that are worth $1,000plus, right?”

While some may be worrying about the number of cattle available to go through the sales ring, the tighter supply itself may help. Producers hungry for a bidding war may be less inclined to make private deals to sell their calves, which may

end up increasing the auction markets’ share of the available sales.

Consolidation possible

Vold sees some downsizing and consolidation. “Some of the smaller markets probably might not be able to make it.

It’s all going to depend on your market share right now and of course when that’s limited, the cattle tend to go to the markets where the most volumes and buyers are.”

Another wild card is whether or not RFID traceability will ever be fully implemented at auction markets, and if it is, whether it will impede the speed of commerce. “It’s a concern. With the tagging system that we have in place now, it’s an antiquated system that is out of date before we even get started,” said Rosehill.

Ken Perlich, vice-president of the Alberta Auction Markets Association, says it will be a bumpy ride, but those who hang on have something to look forward to.

“I think we’re going to see a situation where over the next couple of years it’s going to be a challenge for all of the auction markets in Western Canada and then we go to a situation where probably over the next two years, you’re going to see that optimism in the industry come back and those high prices start to take an effect and it’ll be right back where it was.”

Vold however, isn’t sure if the business will ever be truly restored to its former glory.

“This BSE has really changed a lot of attitudes and a lot of people’s mindset in the cattle industry, especially in our part of the country. It’s going to take awhile to get everything shuffled back in, and I don’t think it will ever come back to where it was at the peak.”

Perlich thinks the auction markets in the province have enough guts and staying power to make it work. “It’s not like we haven’t seen ebbs and flows in the cattle herd before.”

He acknowledges some consolidation is possible, but

“It’s all going to depend on your market share right now and of course when that’s limited, the cattle tend to go to the markets where the most volumes and buyers are.”

Blair Vold

“I still look to some of the families that are in the business and some of those people that are in the auction market industry — in Alberta particularly — they seem to have a lot of resilience. I am sure they will see their way through any challenges that they see and also the good times that are eventually going to come too.”

28

JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

GUARD DOGS:

How they can be the solution to predator woes

TRACK RECORD } High Prairie

sheep farmer and guard dog trainer has lost only one ewe in three years to predators by alexis kienlen af staff | leduc

G

uard dogs are an important part of the team on a sheep operation, but you have to choose the right breed and raise ’em right.

“What works for one rancher does not necessarily work for another,” guard dog trainer Louise Liebenberg told attendees at a recent sheep production information event.

“Choosing what type of dog and which puppy out of the litter will make a big impact on your ranch.”

Liebenberg runs a flock of ewes with her husband Eric Verstappen near High Prairie. They have wolves, bears, cougars and coyotes on their land, but they’ve lost only one ewe in the past three years, and don’t use any lethal methods to control wildlife on their property.

They do not believe it is a long-term solution, said Liebenberg, but added guard dogs have to be raised properly to be effective.

Guard dogs only arrived in Canada around the 1970s, she said.

“That’s when the borders to a lot of eastern European countries opened up and people could really get hold of these dogs. That’s when research started taking off.”

There are about 25 to 30 guardian dog breeds, each developed to suit a specific region, but all require people to spend time raising and supervising them when they’re young.

“The guidance of a shepherd is really crucial to the raising and training of guardian dogs,” she said.

Liebenberg tailors her training regime to the dog’s age.

Birth to 16 weeks

This is the bonding stage. Pups need to be exposed to the livestock they will be guarding or it will be a challenge to get them to bond with the sheep at a later stage.

They should be put in a small, well-fenced paddock with a small number of sheep.

The pen needs to be safe as young dogs hurt by livestock will be fearful of the animals.

“Puppies also need their own space to eat, because sheep like dog food,” Liebenberg said. She uses a num-

“From the day that he is born, sheep are part of his world,” says Liebenberg.

Pups need to be exposed to the livestock they will be guarding or it will be a challenge to get them to bond with the sheep at a later stage. photos: Louise Liebenberg and Eric Verstappen ber of kennels that allow puppies to crawl in and out of the sheep pen. The dogs can get a bit of privacy from the sheep, but they are always around them.

“You always want livestock in with your dog,” she said. “You never want it away from the livestock. From the day that he is born, sheep are part of his world.”

Five to eight months

During this stage, puppies will generally behave well but like to test boundaries.

“At this age, the pup should be in a paddock that it cannot escape out of,” Liebenberg said.

Dogs that learn to wander during this stage may end up being wanderers for life.

“If the puppy never learns to escape, he will never do it,” she said.

Eight to 18 months

During this stage, young dogs act like teenagers and often get into trouble. Liebenberg recommends that producers set boundaries, and keep a close watch.

“This is not the age that you want them to go out with the sheep in the bush and look after themselves and the sheep,” she said. “You want them where you can see them, as this is the age when the dogs will chew the sheep’s ears and pull the wool, bite the tail and chase them around.”

Puppies engaging in this type of play behaviour can later start killing, Liebenberg said.

Dogs should be supervised when exposed to new things so they are calmer when they encounter these things later in life. Examples of new things include new breeding rams, and newborn lambs.

It takes about two years to raise a puppy to be a good working dog, so people need to think about getting

“Most people in Alberta have too few guardian dogs for the job that they want to do. Too few dogs is a bad situation, because you give wildlife the opportunity to come in.”

Louise Liebenberg

a replacement while their current dog is still in good shape, Liebenberg said.

Producers should first learn what predators are on their ranch and which dogs will work most effectively against that predator. Some dog breeds are much more physically active and will be better suited to a larger ranch.

“Choose a dog that comes from parents that work in a similar situation to what you have at home,” Liebenberg said. “That gives you the highest chance of success.”

Liebenberg said many producers in Canada do not have enough guard dogs and dogs should work in groups.

“Most people in Alberta have too few guardian dogs for the job that they want to do,” she said. “Too few dogs is a bad situation, because you give wildlife the opportunity to come in.”

Louise Liebenberg and her husband immigrated from the Netherlands in 2008, and now raise sheep and Sarplaninac guard dogs near High Prairie.

29

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

Supplementary rearing provides good option for surplus piglets Rescue Deck } A British study estimates it could boost production by an extra 358 piglets on a 270-sow farrow-to-finish farm

By bernie peet

G

enetic advances in litter size over the last 15 years have provided hog producers with the potential for 14 or more piglets born alive per litter and the ability to boost herd output to 30 pigs weaned per sow.

But as I have pointed out in previous articles, this presents a number of challenges and requires a new approach to management in the farrowing room. While the initial objective immediately after birth is to ensure that newborn piglets ingest sufficient colostrum (through techniques such as split suckling and stomach tubing), the problem is that, in highly prolific herds, there are insufficient teats for the number of piglets.

The traditional way of dealing with this situation is to “shunt foster” or “cascade foster.” This involves weaning a sow, then transferring a litter of seven- to 10-dayold piglets onto her and then moving a whole litter of two- to threeday-old piglets onto this sow. That leaves the recently farrowed sow available to suckle newborn piglets after they have received colostrum from their own mother. While this is very effective, the increase in the days that sows spend suckling leads to lower litters per sow per year, so it is counterproductive to overall output.

Another solution to this dilemma is to use a supplementary rearing system to take surplus piglets, usually from about 10 days of age when they will adapt to eating solid feed fairly quickly. Supplementary rearing is not new, and the Piggy Deck is widely seen on farms in Western Canada. However, in the past, results have been mixed. A major part of the problem related to the difficulty in maintaining adequate hygiene where liquid milk was fed.

Now more viable

In addition to the practical challenges, the high cost of milk powder made the economics questionable.

But now that the upside is so much greater due to the potential to save more piglets, supplementary rearing is worth revisiting. New products such as the Rescue Deck, with integrated milk mixing and delivery systems, make the technique more viable and eliminate some of the problems of previous, simpler, decks. Also, recent data from a farm trial carried out by the British Pig Executive (BPEX) suggests that using Rescue Decks can result in a 47 per cent return on capital.

British producer Stuart Bosworth installed 10 Rescue Deck units on his 270-sow farrow-to-finish farm, which were monitored by BPEX. Bosworth had increased litter size in his herd by two pigs born alive per litter over the previous 10 years. However, piglets weaned per litter reached a plateau at 11.2, despite various measures to enhance piglet survival.

The Rescue Decks were mounted above the crates and a room was constructed as a kitchen area for feed storage and preparation, housing a compressor, pneumatic milk pump and milk mixing tank, as well as a hot water system for mixing milk at the recommended temperature of 55 C. An electricity meter in the kitchen recorded energy use to run the system. Piglets were moved into the Rescue Decks at 10 days of age and at a weight of

4.4 kilograms. They were fed liquid milk up to three weeks of age and then weaned on to solid feed. Thus, notes the BPEX report, they were nutritionally more advanced than suckled piglets supplemented with creep feed.

The Rescue Deck system raised numbers reared by 0.56 pigs per litter over the course of the trial period.

“If the results of the trial period are replicated for a full year, an extra 358 piglets would be weaned by the Rescue Deck system, almost seven extra pigs per week,” the report states. “The detailed results show that the more that the stockman used the system, the better the results that were achieved.”

As well, the overall quality of weaned pigs improved because there were fewer piglets suckling on ineffective back teats, particularly on older parity sows, the

report states. It also appeared the nutritional drain on the sow was reduced by having 15 per cent of piglets transferred into the decks.

This resulted in an increase in litter size in these sows’ subsequent litters.

Stockmanship key

Stockmanship and farrowing house management have to be first rate to get the best from the Rescue Deck system, the study found.

“As always, attention to detail is imperative for best results and this is particularly important in hygiene and regular cleaning of the milk line system,” the report states.

On average, Rescue Deck weaners were 0.11 kilograms lighter than suckled pigs at weaning, despite often being the stronger pigs in the batch on entry into the decks.

“However, because Rescue Deck pigs are fed creep pellets and

The Rescue Deck integrates milk mixing and delivery systems. water from three weeks of age in the decks, they have been through their post-weaning growth check before the rest of the suckled pigs in the same weekly batch,” notes the BPEX report.

“Despite being lighter at weaning, the Rescue Deck pigs grew at 406 grams per day in the first 27 days after weaning compared to 370 grams per day growth rate for suckled pigs.”

A detailed cost evaluation was carried out, which included the additional labour costs involved

as well as the cost of milk powder, creep feed, cleaning chemicals, power and depreciation. Based on the trial results, the 358 extra pigs would generate an additional margin over all costs of £10,321 ($16,370). With an initial capital investment of £21,631 ($34,610), this results in a 47 per cent return on investment.

Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal

30

JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Winning the drug war could mean losing consumer confidence FROM THE HIP  Governments and the public will force changes on the industry

BY BRENDA SCHOEPP

A

ntibiotics are used in food animal production to curb, control and treat disease. This has been seriously questioned in the last few years by consumers who fear antimicrobial resistance. The introduction of Bill HR1549 in the U.S. Congress, which was to ban all antimicrobial and growth promotant use in food-producing animals, did fail.

Nonetheless, the drive behind the bill remained in full gear and resulted this month in the first of what could be the precedent for future bans or restrictions for antimicrobial use in food-producing animals.

The link between using antibiotics in food animals and resistance to antibiotics in humans has not been proven. There is however, huge evidence to support the fact that both animals and humans may host bacteria that is not responsive to treatment. By default, food animals that are exposed or treated to antimicrobials are often linked to human resistance.

Although much of the research is still underway, advocates for the ban of treating animals, espe-

cially mass treatment, are gaining ground. The consumer is aware that mass treatment occurs and has concerns as to the validity of this practice in comparison to changes in how animals are handled and housed. Consumers are letting political leaders know with their concerns during the comment periods and with their votes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been listening too, and in response announced on January 4, that cephalosporin would be banned for use in the prevention of disease in cattle and for injection in broiler eggs.

A total ban on cephalosporin use in food animals was first presented in 2008, but met with so much resistance from veterinarians and cattle groups that the regulation was withdrawn.

When it did resurface, it was a much kinder approach, with the termination of cephalosporin for mass or long-term treatment and the injection into broiler eggs. Cephalosporin in the U.S. can still be used in the treatment of disease according to the label and by a veterinarian, which is really the way it has been used anyway. In food animals such as cattle, the drug is employed in

Canada to treat bovine respiratory disease (BRD). The name on the bottle is Excenel or Excede.

The withdrawal time for Excenel and Excede in Canada is longer than in the U.S. and so this new ruling is unlikely to affect any beef trade with the U.S. In human medicine, cephalosporin is used to treat common strep throat, urinary infections and pneumonia but is considered a big gun in the treatment of salmonella poisoning — and that is what kept the FDA motivated.

Mass medication

The file at the FDA is filled with more moves in the area of the war on drugs. A proposal introduced in 2010 to ban the use of penicillin and tetracycline for use in feed and water and as a growth promotant is still on the books. This would eliminate most mass medication protocols for the beef industry and force producers to label use only through a veterinary that has diagnosed a specific disease. That is likely a good thing. To counter expected losses and inefficiencies, American feedlots should be looking at animal health and welfare protocols to prevent disease as an alternate to mass medication on arrival.

Cleaning up the image of food has everyone involved and the producer is just one of many voices. Retail has gotten into the game. The best example is Coles in Australia, a supermarket chain which banned beef that had been implanted with growth promotants commonly known as hormones. The move was in response to consumer concerns and producers had no advance warning.

In China this month, it was announced that the production and use of ractopamine is now banned for use in livestock and turkeys. Known in the Canadian beef industry as Optiflex, ractopamine puts on lean meat yield.

Canada is only one of 20 countries worldwide that allow for the use of ractopamine in food production.

It is banned everywhere else on the planet.

The threat of restrictions on the use and/or the termination of use of both antimicrobials and growth promotants is a wake-up call for the beef industry. The drive for change will come from the public as our world and our practices are now transparent. We cannot hide behind vague, broad statements because the real information is just one click away. Politicians

will continue to be motivated by voter response even if the claim appears unfounded, emotional or exaggerated.

What does this tell us? In truth, the beef industry cannot afford to take a wait-and-see approach and then determine its next steps.

Unless we are proactive, those next steps will be proclaimed to us by retailers, politicians and consumers. We need extensive research into the production, transportation, sale, feeding and processing of food animals that is built upon a wellness platform. We must find ways to decrease morbidity and mortality and maintain growth in food animals that do not lean on antibiotics, growth promotants or beta agonists. If we win the drug war all our efforts in international trade and domestic consumer confidence may be lost. This is the time in history when we must recognize that what we have done in the past, will not be acceptable in the future.

Brenda Schoepp is a market analyst and the owner and author of Beeflink, a national beef cattle market newsletter. A professional speaker and industry market and research consultant, she ranches near Rimbey, Alberta. beeflink@ cciwireless.ca

What do you mean, you still haven’t sold your carbon credits?

Don’t WAIt Any Longer…

2002 to 2011 credits are about to expire.

Call terrA VerDe toDAy

1-866-949-1962 terraemissions.com Terra Verde is continuing to accept applications for historic 2002 to 2011 period credits in their SERIES X contract. The processing of all applications submitted after January 1, 2012 will depend on the sufficient supply of credits from producers and demand for historic tillage offsets from buyers. Terra Verde reserves the right to cancel the Series X contract in the case of insufficient supply or demand with written notification to producers. Producers can access our Series X contract on the website.

31

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

Another hot year in 2012

La Niña sticking around

This year may be one of the top 10 hottest since 1850, with global temperatures expected to be almost .5 C warmer than the long-term average. Last year was the 11th warmest on record, according to figures from the British government’s Met Office and the University of East Anglia, even though there was a La Niña, which can temporarily cool global temperatures. “2012 is expected to be around 0.48° warmer than the long-term (1961-90) global average of 14.0°,” the Met Office said. — Reuters

The U.S. government forecaster warned Jan. 5 that La Niña, the weather phenomenon widely blamed for withering drought in the southern United States and South America, may persist longer than expected, into the Northern Hemisphere spring. The prolonged La Niña, although weaker than a year ago, threatens to roil commodity markets from corn to coffee as dry conditions in Argentina and Brazil whither crops while the southern United States — a prime growing area for cotton and some wheat — suffers through a once-a-century drought. — Reuters

The Icelandic Low, Azores High and record heat reversal } Last year’s relationship was extreme negative and this year extreme positive

by daniel bezte

I

usually start the year with a recap of last year’s weather both local and globally, but sometimes Mother Nature has her own ideas and I have no choice but to follow her lead. So you’ll have to wait until another issue for the recap of last year’s weather.

The main weather story so far this winter has been the unusually warm weather we’ve been experiencing, and in early January we’ve seen this warm weather story hit new highs — literally! Record-high temperatures were reached, broken and, in some cases, shattered all across the Prairies.

It would be easy to just list all the records that were broken during this latest warm spell, but that would end up taking up most of this article. Instead, I thought we should take a look at what’s causing all this warmweather and what conditions came together to bring this unprecedented weather to much of central North America.

The driving force behind this winter’s warm weather appears to be the result of air pressure patterns known as the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). This is a very well-known interlinked pattern of air pressure across the Atlantic Ocean and has been measured for centuries due to its effects on ocean travel (sailing).

In fact, there are fairly accurate measurements dating all the way back to 1845.

Pressure differences

Globally, there are regions that tend to be either areas of low or high pressure. The area around Iceland tends to be a region that sees low pressure and we call this low the Icelandic Low. Farther south in the Atlantic around the Azores we typically find a large region of high pressure, and this area of high pressure is called the Azores High. The NAO/AO is simply a measure of the pressure differences between the Icelandic Low and the Azores High. If there is a large difference in pressure between the two, the NAO/AO is said to be positive, if the pressure difference is low

This issue’s map shows the Northern Hemisphere temperature anomalies (difference between actual temperatures and long-term average temperatures) during both extreme negative NAO/AO and extreme positive NAO/AO. In the first map which was the negative phase we experienced for much of last winter you can see that over the Arctic temperatures were much warmer than average, with colder-than-average temperatures over most of the Prairies. In the second map, which shows the temperature anomalies so far this winter under an extreme positive NAO/AO the region of warm and cold are pretty much reversed. Image Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (U.S.) maps by Hunter Allen, based on temperature data from the NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis Project, provided by NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory.

then the NAO/AO is considered negative.

Since wind speeds are controlled by differences in air pressure, a positive NAO results in strong winds. As the NAO/AO covers a very large area, the impact of these winds impacts a very large area. These strong winds actually help control the strength of the jet stream as it crosses North America. A stronger jet stream tends to keep cold air bottled up north, and allows mild air to flow northwards.

Also, the configuration of the two pressure patterns allows for stronger southwesterly winds across North America and this also helps to bring warm air northwards.

So, the positive phase of the NAO/AO usually results in warm winter temperatures across much of central and eastern North America. The opposite phase, or negative phase of the

NAO/AO, results in a weak jet stream and weak to non-existent southwesterly winds across North America. In this phase we tend to see cold air having an easy time moving southwards, with little northward movement of warm air. This negative phase of the NAO/AO usually results in cold winters across central and eastern North America.

Opposite to last year

If you remember back to last winter you might recall just how cold and snowy it was across much of the Prairies and eastern North America. Last winter the NAO/AO was in a very negative phase. In fact, it was the most extreme negative phase on record. This year we are seeing the exact opposite. The NAO/ AO is in an extreme positive phase and just like last year, it has now officially become the most extreme positive phase

of the NAO that has ever been recorded. So it’s not surprising that we are seeing record warm temperatures across a huge part of central North America.

When this year’s winter forecast of cold and snowy weather first came out, that forecast was based on La Niña conditions across the Pacific Ocean. Some of you might be asking, if the NAO/AO can have such a huge impact on our weather, why didn’t forecasters take this into account when they made their forecasts?

The reason for this is that while the El Niño/La Niña pressure pattern over the Pacific can be reasonably predicted months in advance, the NAO/AO is much harder to predict with lead times of only a week or two. What we do know is that the general pattern does tend to stick around for several months, but it can within that time frame, jump

While the El Niño/La Niña pressure pattern can be reasonably predicted months in advance, the NAO/ AO is much harder to predict, with lead times of only a week or two. quickly back and forth between the two phases. So far this winter it has been mostly positive, whether it will remain mostly positive or become negative is anyone’s guess.

If I was a betting man I would go with more positive than negative at least for the next month or so, but I’m not a betting man!

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JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Protect Your Investment

The value of seed and fertilizer continues to grow – Protect your investment with Meridian powder coated, smooth-wall bins. Check out www.meridianmfg.com to see the newest evolution of storage to fit all your on-farm needs. © 2012 Meridian Manufacturing Group. Registered Trademarks Used Under License.

33

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

BULL BUYERS GUIDE January 2012 7th Annual Family Day Sale February 20, 2012 1:00 p.m. at the farm at Athabasca, AB

SELLING:

140 MODERATE AND EASY FLESHING RED & BLACK ANGUS BULLS 2 YEAR OLDS

50 REGISTERED PUREBRED

BLACK & RED ANGUS FEMALES

100 COMMERCIAL BRED HEIFERS

www.olefarms.com

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JANUARY 2012 EDITION

Bull Buyers Ad_Layout 1 12/30/11 6:08 PM Page 1

Red Angus bulls have what you’re looking for...

• To order CACP green tags • For bull sale listings and catalogues • For Angus-influence sale dates, show results & more

Visit www.redangus.ca or call us today!

CANADIAN

• renowned Calving Ease • superior Fertility and Performance • unequaled Calf Vigour • Lower Inputs = GrEATEr PrOFITs

ATTENTION 4-H’ers & JuNIOrs!!

RED ANGUS

Each year, four bursaries of $500 will be available to 4-H &/or Junior members to assist in off-setting the purchase price of a Red Angus influenced project animal.

www.redangus.ca

Go to http://redangus.ca/awards.html or call the CAnAdiAn REd AnGus PRomotion soCiEty office for more information!

PROMOTION SOCIETY 6015 Park Place, Taber, Alberta T1G 1E9

Ph: 403.223.8009 / Fax: 403.223.5805 / Email: office@redangus.ca

The Official Trailer of the Canadian red Angus Promotion society!

“LiKE” us on FACEBooK!!

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

Want More Profitability On Your Ranch?

Rediscover Herefords! Anderson Family Herefords!!

30th Annual Production Sale - February 21, 2012 At the Balog Cow Palace, Lethbridge, AB 1:00PM (MST)

SELLING: 55 COMING TWO YEAR OLDS BULLS

Lot 12X

Lot 87X

Lot 80X

Lot 102X

Lot 51X

Lot 67X

Lot 85X

Lot 60X

The Hereford Advantage The Anderson Hereford Advantage Lower Feed Costs - Hereford cows forage longer, winter on less expensive feed and maintain condition better.

Hereford and Hereford X Feeder calves have better feed conversion.

Better Temperament - None of us

are getting younger or running faster and cattle that bounce off the fences or chase you over them are not needed.

Longevity - Nothing outlasts a good

Hereford Bull or Cow. This will lower your bull replacement cost and the need to keep as many heifers.

Outstanding Cowherd - We demand our cows work for

us, not us for them. Like you, we do not have time for poor udders, poor feet, poor performance or poor dispositions. We cull hard!

Value, Quality & Quantity - We only sell about 50 of the top

bulls out of the 350+ Registered Females we breed each year, that is only about 30-35% of the bull calves born. Our bulls are only offered in our Production Sale, so ALL the best are here.

Ranch Raised for Ranch Conditions - We have never

chased fads or lost sight of what makes the rancher money.

We breed for calving ease, mothering ability, easy fleshing, soundness, fertility, longevity, natural thicknessw and carcass traits.

We use our eye, common sense, performance records, ultra sound and the best genetics available.

Free delivery within 300 miles or take your bull sale day for a $100/head credit.

Sight Unseen program, visit with us about your needs and we guarantee the best possible bull for the best possible price. If you don’t like him we keep him.

For More Information or a Catalog Please Contact Us

ANDERSON FAMILY HEREFORDS

Box 89, Aetna, AB Canada T0K 1Y0 DARRYL ANDERSON (403) 653-1385 • TOLL FREE 1-866-818-6020 FLOYD 403-653-1686 • SALE BARN (403) 320-1980 • FAX (403) 653-3420

EMAIL: darryla@toughcountry.net OUR SUCCESS DEPENDS ON YOUR SUCCESS SO WE FOLLOW UP ON EVERY ANIMAL!!

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JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

BLONDE d’AQUITAINE

THE BEEF BUILDERS •

LEAN MEAT YIELD • CARCASS YIELD • BEEF TENDERNESS • FEED CONVERSION • FEED EFFICIENCY

LOOKING FOR BREEDING STOCK? • Contact one of the Breeders Listed below.

• There are Blonde bulls on test at Cattleland Feedyards; Strathmore, AB and the Manitoba Bull Test Station; Carberry, MB. Contact the Provincial Associations for more information.

Arsha Blondes Art & Sharon Breitkreuz Carnwood, AB 780-542-2378 arsha1@telus.net

Bellevue Blondes Marcel Dufault Haywood, MB 204-379-2426 mgdufault@gmail.com

Blue Diamond Agra Dave Gerega Roblin, MB 204-937-3426 dgerega@xplornet.ca

Forty Acre Blondes Don Mehler & Pat Filz Lampman, SK 306-634-2174 fortyacreblondes@sasktel.net

Little Creek Farms David & Janet Kamelchuk Athabasca, AB 780-675-1227 littlecreekagroforestry@gmail.com

Spruce Vale Blondes Steve & Shirley Jackson Westerose, AB 780-586-2800 hootch@telus.net

West Wind Blondes Shirley Bilton & Myrna Flesch Stavely, AB 403-549-2371 westwind@telusplanet.net

Willow Springs Stock Farm Reed & Michelle Rigney Westlock, AB 780-348-5308 rigney@clearwave.ca www.wsscattle.ca

ALBERTA BLONDE d’AQUITAINE ASSOCIATION (780) 348-5308 aba@clearwave.ca www.albertablondecattle.com

CANADIAN BLONDE d’AQUITAINE ASSOCIATION

www.telusplanet.net/public/westwind

MAN/SASK BLONDE d’AQUITAINE ASSOCIATION 306-634-2174

c/o Canadian Livestock Records Corp.

2417 Holly Lane Ottawa, Ontario K1V 0M7 (613) 731-7110 cbda@clrc.ca

www.canadianblondeassociation.ca

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

Supplying Cattlemen with the Quality, Quantity & Selection they demand, and the service they deserve.

18th Annual Bull Sale with Select Open Females

Saturday, March 3, 2012, 1:00pm At the Ranch (heated sales arena)

150 Bulls Sell

& Red Blaze Polled 50 Red Simmental Bulls

20 Select Open Females Herd Bulls Designed By Ranchers For Ranchers

• All bulls born, bred & developed right here at MRL • Large sire groups 1/2 and 3/4 brothers • Penfulls of uniform bulls in every category • The majority of our b • Sight Unseen Buyer’s Program ul ls sell in the (Can’t make it sale day, give us a call. $2000-$5000 price range, and Almost 25% of our bulls sell SUS. 9 5% go to Commercial Cowb Many repeat customers year after year.) oys • Semen evaluated and guaranteed • Free Delivery in Western Canada. Cost sharing to the East (Our trailer is most likely going right past your gate.)

• Sound rugged Bulls developed on a high roughage ration (Born, bred and fed to work and stay working) • Extra Age Bulls ready to cover some ground.

Offering 25 fall born long yearlings & January/February born yearlings • Genetically engineered to excel for the commercial cattleman.

Calving ease, performance and packed full of maternal traits.

Affordable Bulls

“THE BULL BUSINESS” IS WHAT WE DO!

35

Black Polled Simmental Bulls

15

Fullblooded Fleck Simmental Bulls

35

Purebred Red Angus Bulls

Supplying Quality Herdbulls for progressive Cattlemen for 40 years!

The value of MRL bulls is 40 years rich in history with commitment to quality, functional, ranch-raised genetics that can only be matched by the longevity of a breeding program. “No Fluff No Puff”. Over 600 mother cows managed the same as our commercial customers’ herds. The 150 bulls on offer rise to the top on the strength of their genetic makeup, backed by our highly regarded cow herd and one of the top herd bull batteries in the business. Calving ease, performance, maternal traits, herd bulls that work in the real world. “Come see for yourself what keeps the commercial cowboys coming back year after year!” Give us a call or email for a full color catalogue and bull video.

Box 99 Carievale, SK Lee (306) 928-4820 Cell: 483-8067 Dave (306 928-2249 Cell: 483-8660 Jim (306) 928-4636 Cell: 483-7986

Email: mrl@sasktel.net Sale Barn: (306) 928-2011 Fax (306) 928-2027

Catalogue online at www.mrlranch.com

Bulls 20 Simm/Angus (Red and Black)

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Cattleman:Layout 1

12/21/11

2

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

7:38 AM

Page 1

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

Year Old

Black Angus Bull Sale

FEATURING: 85 Rugged Rising Two Year Olds!

FEBRUARY 9, 2012 FORT MACLEOD AUCTION

Summer grazed on grass from April 26 to October 15 for development of their future. Many 1⁄2 and 3⁄4 brothers.

Stauffer Ranches Bred & Owned

STACEY & MICHEL STAUFFER & FAMILY Contact Us For A Catalogue Box 2377, Pincher Creek, AB, T0K 1W0 Email: sranches@telus.net

OFFICE: 403-627-2190 • Stacey’s Cell: 403-627-8229

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

Hereford

making black better.

“Highbred vigor means more money in producer’s pockets” Allan Lively, General Manager of Southern Alberta Livestock Exchange

Plan to attend a Hereford Consignment or Production Sale in your area.

For full event listings see The Canadian Hereford Digest or visit www.hereford.ca

Canadian Hereford Association • 5160 Skyline Way NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6V1 1-888-836-7242 • www.hereford.ca Photo of Borman calves courtesy of Martha Ostendorf Mintz.

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JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

Bull buyers big & small, know where to look.

Can you afford not to be in it?

2012 EDITION

Don’t miss being part of the next Bull Buyers Guide!

Give your bull sale the exposure it needs and it’s best chance of reaching the 110,000 Beef Cattle Producers in Canada through the distribution and readership base of Canadian Cattlemen and Grainews magazines.

FEBRUARY 2012 ISSUE Alberta Farmer: February 27 Manitoba Co-operator: March 1 Sask Wheel & Deal/AgDealer: March 5th Reserve Space Deadline: Feb. 13th

BONUS!

Book your a d and get a 20% DISCO UNT on an ad booked in C Cattlemen o anadian r GrainewsCattlemen’s Corner

For more information please contact: Deborah Wilson

Tiffiny Taylor

National Advertising Sales deb.wilson@fbcpublishing.com Phone: (403) 325-1695

Sales & Special Projects tiffiny.taylor@fbcpublishing.com Phone: (204) 228-0842

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

Black Pearl Bull & Female Sale March 11, 2012 Edwards Livestock Centre Tisdale, SK View the offering, watch

Yellowstone 286W

Bismarck Royal Angus Farm Box 22, RR 1. Ridgedale, SK S0E 1L0

6089 - royalangus.indd 1

See our website for details:

Net Worth T Bar C Cattle Co. Ltd Ted & Mina Serhienko

4-3342 Millar Ave., Saskatoon, SK S7K 7G9 info@tbarc.com | www.tbarc.com Ted’s Cell: 306.221.2711 Chris’ Cell: 306.220.5006

1/4/2012 6:40:11 PM

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JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

JANUARY 2012 EDITION BEEF illustrated 7

GRAND TRADITION CONTINUES

NOTICE 112th annual Calgary Bull Sale with the 111th

service & quality with bulls that meet everyone’s budget & requirements integrity, reputation has built its The Calgary CanadaBull PostSale Corporation continues to on change postal codes and addresses of rural Canadians.

Unfortunately we are not informed of some of these on-going address changes and therefore ask you to notify our office if your address has been changed.

SHOWS Wednesday, February 29 11 am Angus 1 pm Hereford followed by the new Commercial Replacement Heifer Pen Show & Sale

FEBRUARY 29

Either call our toll free number 1-800-387-2333 or to simply attach the label found on the front cover with your new address and postal code.

LLB SALES

MARCH 1, 2012

Stampede We thank Park, you forCalgary, helpingAlberta us correct this situation.

Thursday, March 1 8:30 am Ranch Horse Demo 11 am Angus immediately followed

by Simmental, Gelbvieh, Hereford & Ranch Horses

Place label here

NEW ADDRESS NAME: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For more than a century Alberta’s Best genetics have come to Calgary

ADDRESS: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________ ______ information ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________For more

ALBERTA CATTLE BREEDERS ASSOCIATION

P.C. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

www.calgarybullsale.com

Phone 403.261.9316

PHONE NO. (___________________) ____________________________________

Fax: 403.262.3067

email: syeast@calgarystampede.com

March 24 Rimbey, Agriplex

7:00 PM

In conjunction with

Lazy S Limousin Yearlings and two year olds.

Blacks and Reds. 50 + bulls on offer.

Bulls available for viewing at the ranch

Neil & Sherry, Braeden & Annie Christensen Ph: (403)783-2799 Cell: 403-704-4403

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

18th Annual “Back to the Basics” Bull Sale February 11, 2012, 1:30 PM at the Ranch

Selling 300+ Head

• 42 2 year old Polled and Horned Hereford Bulls • 17 2 year old Black Angus Bulls • 53 yearling Black Angus Bulls • 25 Red Angus Bulls • 14 Select Purebred Yearling Black Angus Females • Approximately 100 Commercial Females - Bred & Open

MJT Hereford Lot 3X

MJT Hereford Lot 66X

MJT Hereford Lot 67X

MJT Hereford Lot 33X

MJT Polled Lot 16X

MJT Angus Lot 332X

MJT Angus Lot 208X

MJT Polled Lot 74X

MJT Angus Lot 292Y

MJT Angus Lot 250Y

MJT Angus Lot 251Y

MJT Heifer Lot 211Y

• MJT bulls are semen tested, guaranteed & delivered free to central points of the prairie provinces • MJT does not trim any bulls feet • 80% of MJT customers are repeat customers

Join us for Lunch

Mick & Debbie Trefiak And Family

Ph (780) 755-2224 • Fax (780) 755-2223 • Mick’s cell (780) 842-8835

View our Catalogue Online www.buyagro.com

Web site: www.mjt.ca Email: mick@mjt.ca or kurt@mjt.ca

R.R. #1, Edgerton, AB T0B 1K0 - 14 miles East of Wainwright and 11 1/2 miles North on Secondary Hwy 894

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JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

6th Annual

100% ‘FORAGE-DEVELOPED’ 2 Yr Old Bull & Female Sale FEBRUARY 16, 2012 1:00 pm Stettler Auction Mart, Stettler, AB

65 BULLS 20 BRED FEMALES A buzzword (also fashion word and vogue word) is a term of art or technical jargon that has begun to see use in the wider society outside of its originally narrow technical context by non-specialists who use the term vaguely or imprecisely.

CHAPMAN ‘100%’ FORAGE-DEVELOPED 2-YEAR OLD BULLS ✓ Developed entirely on grass and hay ✓ Grass-Based Genetics ✓ Moderate Frame with volume & capacity ✓ More Fertile –will cover more cows ✓ Will gain weight while breeding ✓ Less injuries & breeding problems ✓ More years service on your bull investment ✓ Angus and Red Angus environmentally sorted to be the right kind of bulls for most commercial cattle operations.

Request your 2012 catalog at:

www.chapmancattle.com

MODERATE, EFFICIENT, FORAGE-DEVELOPED ‘NOT JUST A BUZZWORD’

Silas Chapman (403) 741-2099 | Shane Castle SK Contact (306) 741-7485 | Don Raffan BC contact (250) 558-6789 Bull Buyers Ad_Layout 1 12/29/11 1:46 PM Page 1

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Red Lazy RC Bomb Away 724T

p in the sale :: :: sires represented

Red YY Thor 750T

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Red Lazy MC Stout 30S

Crowfoot Logic 4019P

Lazy L RC Ranch cchh

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Russ & Cindy Sibbald Ph: 306.859.2244 • Cell: 306.859.77266 Box 329, Beechy, SK S0L 0C0

lazyrcranch@yourlink.ca

Hill Fire Legacy 675S

Att Lazy A LLaaaz zzyy RC RC Ranch RRaaannnccch h there’s tth hheeerrree’’s s NO Frills NO FFrrriiills llls s&N NO O Gimmicks G iim m m cckkks sGimm Gi mm miiic icks

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Red Red && Black Black Long Long Yearling Bulls Yearling Bulls (Coming Two's) (Coming Two's)

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BULL BUYERS GUIDE

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

8th Annual

Bull & Female Sale Monday, 1:00 PM - ON THE FARM

February 20, 2012 Tradmark X Big Ben

Tradmark X Wheatland Bull

Crosby X Touchdown

Offering Approx 100+ Bulls & 30+ Heifers

Tracker X Midnight

Tracker X Dyno

Tracker X Midnight

Consistant, affordable, easy fleshing, super thick bulls and heifers for all sectors of the beef industry

Sale Videos Available Now! Gladiator X Three Sixes

Gladiator X Anchor T Legend

Santiago X Northern

www.koppfarms.com

Stop in anytime to view the cattle prior to the sale

KOPP FARMS SIMMENTALS Edmund, Pauline and Laura Kopp Steven and Amanda Kopp Box 41 Amaranth, MB R0H 0B0

80%

Home: (204) 843-2769 Edmund’s Cell: (204) 856-3064 Steven’s Cell: (204) 843-0090 koppfarms@xplornet.ca ARE REPEAT CUSTOMERS

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JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

MURPHY RANCH PEDERSEN LIVESTOCK WILDMERE BLACK DIAMONDS

BULL SALE

28 two year old Limousin Bulls Top Genetics and Top Quality

MISTY VALLEY FARMS “Where you’ll get the best quality and value for your bull-buying dollar!”

36TH ANNUAL HORNED HEREFORD PRODUCTION SALE

20 Top Quality Yearling Black Angus Bulls

Wednesday, February 8 th, 2012 1:00 pm MST at the ranch

Selling 50 Coming 2-Yr Old Bulls 35 bred registered heifers

Sires: GGRR Net Worth 11W (pic), Salt Creek Bob & others

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

MVF 19S STANDARD BRIT LAD 53X

Provost Livestock Exchange, Provost, Alberta - 1:00 pm Guest Consignor: McGown Farms, Killam, AB For Catalogues or more information contact:

MURPHY RANCH

PLE

403-552-2191

780-753-2369

Frank: 780-753-1959

Jerry: 306-753-7788 Darcy: 780-753-8669 Dean: 780-753-0803

murphyranch@xplornet.com

Stop by MURPHY RANCH west of Altario on Hwy 12 to view the bulls.

65 bred commercial heifers Purebred and commercial heifer calves

BAR-OM 19S STANDARD LAD 633X

For more information or catalogues, contact: Harold Oddan Maurice Oddan Ph/Fax (306) 893-2783 Ph. (306) 893-2737 Fax (306) 893-2777

PEDERSEN LIVESTOCK 780-755-3160 Kurt: 780-209-9999 pedersenlivestock@yahoo.ca Open House February 18, 2012 1:00 pm at the ranch north of Edgerton.

E-mail: mvf@sasktel.net Sale Day Phone (306) 893-2775 R.R. #1, Maidstone, Sask. S0M 1M0 Breeding low maintenance, sound Hereford Cattle for over 50 years!

Catalogue online @ www.murphyranch.ca

7th Annual Family Day Sale February 20, 2012

1:00 p.m. at the farm at Athabasca, AB – Lunch at 11:30 a.m.

SELLING:

At Ole Farms our herd of 1800 bred females has taught us that in order to be pro�itable a cow must feed herself on forages for as many days as possible with a minimum of mechanical intervention. She must calve by herself because dif�icult calving eats at pro�its and is not tolerated. Cows must be able to hold condition and rebreed without being pampered. Cows must be deep, thick and easy �leshing, with solid feet and udders. We raise our purebred Angus bulls with these qualities in mind. Our sale bulls are 22 months of age. They are moderate, forage developed and ready to make your operation more pro�itable.

140 TOP RED & BLACK ANGUS 2 YEAR OLD BULLS 50 REGISTERED PUREBRED RED AND BLACK ANGUS FEMALES STRONG SET OF 100 COMMERCIAL BLACK ANGUS BRED HEIFERS ALL BRED TO CALVE IN EARLY MAY

“Sharing in the Excitement of Agriculture”

Sale Managed by:

1911

2011

Celebrating 100 Years

Kelly & Anna Olson: 780-675-4664 – Kelly Cell: 780-689-7822 Travis: 780-689-8324 – Graham: 780-675-0112

www.olefarms.com

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

LLB Angus

26th AnnuAl

Spring Spectacular Bull & FEMAlE SAlE

Offering over 700 head of Quality Angus Cattle Canada’s largest Angus Production Sale

• 100 two year old bulls

• 30 fall born yearling bulls

LLBAngus Quality Angus Cattle in Volume

MARCh 10, 2012

• 120 yearling heifers

• 150 yearling bulls

• 300 commercial heifers

Lee, Laura & Jackie Brown

at the farm Erskine Alberta

Trish & Tim henderson

Box 217 erskine, aB T0c 1G0

catalogue available online at www.llbangus.com

Phone: 403-742-4226 Fax: 403-742-2962 llbangus@xplornet.com

Contact us for catalogue requests

Midwest Hereford Sale February 9, 2012 • 1:00 PM MST

LLOYDMINSTER EXHIBITION GROUNDS Lunch served prior to the sale

On offer 40 – 2 year old bulls • 7 – Bred Heifers • 2 –Heifer Calves • 30 – Bred Comm. Heifers

Semen Tested Fully Guaranteed

Performance Info Available

Here is a sample of our high quality ranch raised beef bulls. Bulls available to suit everybody’s needs.

For more info and a catalogue call one of the consignors.

LO Herefords Lanni Bristow (780) 943-2236 Cell: (780) 614-1268

Newman Herefords Mike Newman (306) 825-2701

River Bridge Ranch David Mitchell (306) 893-2838 Cell: (306) 893-7499

Sky Track Ranch Todd Bygrove (306) 825-3577 Cell: (306) 821-1450

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JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

SEARCHING FOR THE BEST DEALS ON USED AG EQUIPMENT?

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Check out the Wheel & Deal print edition for local inventory and regional special offers!

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

15th Grass Country Limousin Bull Sale Friday March 9th 2012 At the Ranch, Rumsey, AB

Selling: 75 Bulls & 50 Heifers FOR A CATALOG OR VIDEO CALL JIM @ 403-368-2103 OR CHECK OUT THE WEBPAGE

CELEBRATE

100 YEARS

www.richmondranch.com

WITH US!

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JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

Stewart Cattle Co. & Guests

4th Annual Black Angus Bull Sale

50 Black Angus Bulls sell

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

Bull buyers big & small, know where to look.

Can you afford not to be in it?

FEBRUARY 23 / 2012 1:00pm

2012 EDITION

NEEPAWA AG-PLEX

20 Bulls Sired by BALOO

Don’t miss being part of the next Bull Buyers Guide

BALOO

Give your bull sale the exposure it needs and it’s best chance of reaching the 110,000 Beef Cattle Producers in Canada through the distribution and readership base of Canadian Cattlemen and Grainews magazines.

FEBRUARY 2012 ISSUE - Alberta Farmer: February 27 Manitoba Co-operator: March 1 - Sask Wheel & Deal/AgDealer: March 5th

SALE CATALOGUE will be available from consignors or online www.stewartcattle.com FREE BOARD on all bull purchases until April 1, 2012 Stewart Cattle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204.773.2356 DJ Cattle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204.354.2011 Legaarden Livestock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204.546.3052

Reserve Space Deadline: Feb. 13th For more information please contact: Deborah Wilson

Tiffiny Taylor

National Advertising Sales deb.wilson@fbcpublishing.com Phone: (403) 325-1695

Sales & Special Projects tiffiny.taylor@fbcpublishing.com Phone: (204) 228-0842

Specializing in Light Birthweights with Great Performance, plus remarkable Cows!

ULRICH Bull Sale 6th Annual

MONDAY

1:00 PM MST

February 20, 2012

Balog Auction, Lethbridge, AB

Featuring 2-yr-old and long yearlings from 114L & 2U and: AGA 20J STANMORE 21M C02805799 (AGA 121G Stanmore 20J x XTC 15Z Enerlad Stan 5C) AGA 53A STANDARD ET 4R C02865134 (SGC 14X Standard Lad 53A x CTY Brigader 22B) AGA 13G GENERAL 114L C02795506

(Gem General 13G x Standrd Lad 656 4ET) Highly predictable progeny - EPD Leader in 4 traits -10 years old and going strong - proof of longevity for generations: his mother (17H & still active), grandmother (13 years old here before going to Texas) & great grandmother (worked 14 years) -Daughters provide plentiful rich milk for maximum growth

LCI 68R RED STANDARD 109U C02911590 (JNHR Red Standard 68R x K 64H Ribstone Lad 157K)

ALNK 67X

ALNK 99X

BW 89 lbs • 205-day wt 706 lbs • Ribeye Index 114 • Marb index 128 • Balanced EPDs

BW 87 lbs. Terrific eye appeal and thickness – a top quality combination of 114L sire x 36L dam which has consistently worked so well for years

CC 77J JARROD 26T C02900019 (CC 129D Superman 77J x Silver 23K Neon 14N) AGA 26R STANMORE 5T C02903226 (grandson of 21M) (AGA 21M Stanmore 26R x AGA 22B Brigader 53L)

AGA 35J SILVER PRIDE 207N C02827862 (SFL 38E Silver Pride 35J x AGA 656U Standard 33G) ALNK 5X BW 88 lbs. Built like a brick.

A complete bull from an awesome mother.

AGA 46E BRITISHER ET 2U C02925141

(DP Britisher AGA 46E x CTY Brigader 22B) CE: +7.0 BW: 0.0 (trait leader) 46E (popular genetics from almost 40 years ago) produced this 2008 weaning/yearling performance leader who delivers Calving Ease and very impressive progeny with excellent top & thickness...

Basking bulls on Dec 30, 2011

ALNK 102X BW 92 lbs. Loads of mossy hair and comes from a very sound line with exceptionally great disposition.

ULRICH HEREFORD RANCH INC ALNK 6X

Peter Ulrich - cell(403) 625-1036 hm: (403) 625-2434 Hans Ulrich Ph(403) 625-2237 Box 843, Claresholm, Alberta T0L 0T0 peter@ulrichherefords.com • www.ulrichherefords.com From Claresholm: 8 mi (12.8 km)E, 4 mi (6.4 km) N & 1/4 mile E

51

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • JANUARY 16, 2012

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

29th Annual

Rawes Ranches Ltd. PERFORMANCE TESTED CHAROLAIS BULL SALE

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 12:30 at the Ranch, Strome, AB

100

+ Two-Year-Olds

u A c t e i o h n t o S t a e l e! m o View Cattle online C www.rawesranches.com

John & Myrna Rawe 780-376-3598 Philip & Marie Harty 780-376-2241 The ranch where performance is no accident!

WE’VE TURNED ANGUS UPSIDE DOWN & CREATED A POWERHOUSE OF GRASSLAND GENETICS

• Line Bred and forage tested for 65 years, our cattle are bred to do more with less.

• 100% forage developed 2 year old red and black angus bulls for sale by private treaty FIND OUT MORE Call Christoph & Erika Weder 780-765-2855

Visit www.spiritviewranch.com or

www.pinebanknorthamerica.com

52

JANUARY 16, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

BULL BUYERS GUIDE

JANUARY 2012 EDITION

1:00 p.m. on the farm :: Spruce Grove, AB 150 Simmental Bulls : 40 Angus Bulls : 90 Extra Age Bulls

LFE BISS Lewis 314Y Rochfort x Dream On

Stubby x Dreaming Red

LFE RS Lewis 449Y

LFE RS Lewis 495Y

LFE FS Lewis 7505Y

LFE FS Lewis 534Y

LFE FS Lewis 511Y

LFE BS Lewis 812X

LFE BS Lewis 826X

SBV 204W x Lincoln

LFE BS Lewis 348X Tanker x Tangle Ridge

Justice x Frontline

Advance x Tangle Ridge

Bacardi x Rock

Metro x Ranger

Dark Knight x Express

Optional Insurance & Financing Available : Bulls Fertility & Semen Tested Free Delivery in Western Canada & Cost Shared to the East : Many Bulls Homozygous Polled : Volume Discounts

You’re Invited To: Feb. 24th • Cattlemen’s Get Together • Bulls Available for Viewing Feb. 25th • 1:00 p.m. Sale Time

LewisCC12.indd 1

27115A TWP RD 524, Spruce Grove AB T7X 3M9 Office: (780) 962-5050 Fax: (780) 962-2467 Email: info@lewisfarms.ca Website: www.lewisfarms.ca

Ken Lewis 780-818-3829 Jordan Buba 780-818-4047 Kyle Lewis 780-220-9188 Ryan Wiess 780-349-9526 Leonard Mark 780-336-5424 Brian Bouchard 403-813-7999 Jim Pulyk 780-853-0626

12/19/2011 11:11:24 AM