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Olds College hosts 60th annual World Plowing Championship Competitors plow in contest for the love of it By Victoria Paterson af staff /olds
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t wasn’t the money that brought 57 competitors from 29 different countries to Olds College for the 60th annual World Plowing Championship. “There is no prize money here, it is bragging rights,” said organizing committee chair Mark Kaun. The college also has something to brag about; it’s “the only place where a plowing competition has happened twice in the exact same spot,” noted Kaun, adding that organizing the event took four years of effort. Barry Timbers, Canada’s representative in the conventional plow competition, only had to travel from Sunderland, northeast of Toronto, but said plowing has a special attraction to its devotees and it’s not surprising the event drew competitors from places such as Kenya, Australia, and the Czech Republic. “Why do people show horses? Why do people show cattle? Why do people go to tractor pulls?” he replied when asked why he loves the sport. This was Timbers’ 11th world championship and likely his last. His father Robert was a competitor at the first World Plowing Championship in 1953, and at age 86 travelled to Olds to watch his son. The younger Timbers has been plowing since age nine, but says this is likely his last event. (He placed 11th overall in the conventional competition, with fellow Canadian Brian Fried, coming in seventh in the reversible category.) There are young and fresh faces at the competition. The conventional category was won by 24-year-old Barbara Klaus from Austria, who became the first woman to win the golden plow trophy. But Timbers said many competitors are longtime rivals.
see plowing } page 6
age verification
Canadian competitor Barry Timbers keeps a close eye on his plowing efforts during the competition. Photo: Victoria Paterson
Controversial policy under review } PAGE 3
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news » inside this week
inside » Tiny technology Rapid E. coli tests in the slaughterhouse
AUGUST 5, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA
livestock
crops
Preventing desertification
Crop walk tips
columNists Bernie Peet Pig code will require compromise
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brenda schoepp A look at paid hunting in Alberta
Garnet wheat
Want to be safe? Move to the city. No, really
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Roy Lewis
Official end of controversial variety
NEWS
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Holistic pioneer touts livestock solution
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Wood ash, direct seeding and other ideas
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Watch for water deprivation in cattle
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Man Van battles prostate cancer by offering quick on-site testing at farm events
Staff / A new study published in the online Annals of Emergency Medicine upends a common perception that urban areas are more dangerous than small towns. “Cars, guns and drugs are Men over age 40 are at a the unholy trinity causing the majority of injury deaths By Alexis Kienlen in the U.S.,” said lead study af staff author Sage Myers of the University of Pennsylvania. ne in seven Alberta men “Although the risk of will be diagnosed with homicide is higher in big prostate cancer in their cities, the risk of unintenlifetime. If detected early, the tional injury death is 40 prognosis is good. per cent higher in the most But if you’re a rural resident rural areas than in the most— and especially a farmer — urban. And overall, the the odds of an early diagnosis rate of unintentional injury are not good. dwarfs the risk of homicide, “Lots of fellows in rural comwith the rate of unintentionmunities don’t see a physician al injury more than 15 times and we can guarantee that they that of homicide among the don’t see a physician annually,” entire population.” said Sarah Geddes of the ProsAnalyzing nearly 1.3 tate Cancer Centre in Calgary. million injury deaths that “In our pilot, we were absooccurred between 1999 and lutely amazed that 70 per cent of 2006, the study determined the men we tested had not had that the risk of injury death a PSA test ever. Of that number, was 22 per cent higher in the a great number of them didn’t most rural counties than in even have a family physician.” the most urban. The low rate of testing The most common causes prompted the centre to launch of injury death were motor the Man Van, a mobile unit that vehicle crashes, leading to offers free, on-the-spot testing for 27.61 deaths per 100,000 PSA (short for prostate specific people in most rural areas antigen, an indicator of prostate and 10.58 per 100,000 in most urban areas. Though the risk of firearm-related death showed no difference across the overall rural-urban spectrum, they were significantly higher in rural areas for children and people 45 years and older. The Man Van plate has the For people age 20 to 44, the message for rural men — get risk of firearm-related death checked. was significantly lower in Salford_SFM07_12-10.25x3-FBC_AFE.qxd 7/13/13 1:09 PM Page 1 rural areas.
high risk for prostate cancer but most rural residents aren’t being tested
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The Man Van will be travelling to rural communities and events this year so men over 40 can get screened for prostate cancer. Photos: Greg Overwater cancer). In a pilot project last year, the van conducted 1,000 tests. It has been on the road in southern Alberta since May and will travel throughout the province over the next two years, stopping at rodeos, farm shows, and ag events to encourage men over age 40 to come in for a few minutes. “Every time we have an opportunity to speak or be in a community testing, we’re building awareness about the fact that farmers need to come,” said Geddes. “We’re providing a
simple, free blood test in their community and when we’re there, they need to come.” Not being tested can be a tragic mistake. “This is not a cancer where a man will have symptoms until it has progressed,” said Geddes. “We also know that in rural communities, men are much more likely to put off discomfort. If they’re combining, they’re not going to go see their doctor if they have back pain, and back pain is a symptom of advancing prostate cancer.”
The blood test takes about 10 minutes, and results are returned by mail, usually within a week. Each testing event costs about $3,000 and is supported with funding from Agrium, Bayer Crop Science, and Monsanto. Farmers can make donations through the centre’s Combines for Cures program. See www.prostatecancercentre. ca for more information on donations and the Man Van schedule. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com
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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 5, 2013
Mandatory age-verification policy will be reviewed by provincial government With Japan accepting under-30-month beef, could mandatory age verification be on its way out? By Victoria Paterson af staff / edmonton
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lberta’s mandatory cattle age-verification regulations will be under the microscope, said John Brown, executive director of the Livestock Research and Extension Branch of Alberta Agriculture. Brown said results-based budgeting means government departments review what they’re doing and what value they provide for Albertans. That will affect the program since that in January, the federal
government announced Japan would start accepting beef under 30 months instead of under 21 months, which had been the previous practice. “The landscape has changed since January so that’s also a factor that we’ll consider when we review this,” Brown said. Mandatory age verification was required starting in 2009. “The intent of the regulation at the time was to ensure there was this critical mass of age-verified cattle that could be identified and accepted by export markets that would be under 21 months,” Brown said.
He said now that under-30month beef is being accepted by markets such as Japan, processors can use other tools such as dentition to confirm the age of the cattle.
“It’s just about a nonissue right now.” Fred Hays
There’s been a steady decrease in compliance since the policy was introduced, but Brown said compliance averages about 78 per cent. Mandatory age verification hasn’t only been under an in-depth review since the change in Japanese import policy, Brown said. Internal reviews were conducted in the last couple years before the change, he said. Fred Hays, a policy analyst for Alberta Beef Producers (ABP), said international markets now accepting under-30-month beef means most products coming out of Alberta are covered. “It’s just about a non-issue
right now,” Hays said about mandatory age verification. “Anything older than 30 months can easily be recognized.” Hays said ABP doesn’t have a policy on whether mandatory ageverification regulations should continue. “As far as we’re concerned… it’s being taken care of,” Hays said, now that most markets are accepting under-30-month instead of under-21-month cattle. Countries that open to older beef means having the potential to double their imports, Hays said. victoria.paterson@fbcpublishing.com
JBS predicts better days for Brooks plant and Canadian beef sector Company officials give media and community members a tour of Brooks facility, and say safety is Job 1 By Helen Mcmenamin af contributor / brooks
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he company that bills itself as the world’s biggest animal protein supplier sees a bright future for Canada’s beef industry. “We’re planning for long-term success at this plant,” Bill Rupp, president of the JBS USA beef unit, said during a recent tour of its newly acquired Brooks plant. “We’ve a lot of dreams for Canada. We’d like to put out more value-added product from this facility, or one of our sister facilities. JBS is in business here for the long term and here to grow.” Labour costs, as well as removal and disposal of specified risk material, put Canadian production costs about 15 per cent higher than those in the U.S., but 65 per cent of the Brooks plant’s product is sold in Canada. Most of the rest goes to the U.S. and a relatively small quantity is exported overseas. “That’s an area where we see growth potential,” says Rupp. “The world is becoming more and more confident in Canadian beef — in all North American beef. We seem to be over the hump now and things are getting better and better all the time.”
The plant, which employs 2,300, presently kills about 2,000 head per day, and the goal is to increase that to 4,000 a day with two shifts (with a third shift for sanitizing). On the tour, JBS Food Canada president Willie Van Solkema repeatedly said the Brooks facility was “a good plant” with a good food safety team. Mistakes were made, he said, but he suggested seriousness of the E. coli incident was overblown and politicized. However, since taking over the plant, the amount of meat discarded because of quality issues has dropped by 25 per cent even though JBS standards exceed those of the CFIA. All of XL Foods’ former customers are again buying from the plant, Van Solkema said. JBS officials said one of the company’s strengths is the sharing of best practices, including food safety ones, throughout the company. JBS also continually adjusts line speeds based on the number of workers on the processing line. “You don’t do yourself any favours by overstraining employees,” said Van Solkema, adding the company has reduced minor, major and repetitive strain injuries by 30 to 40 per cent. Plant manager, Jack Wolf and Van Solkema do regular plant walk-
throughs, looking for unsafe work practices.
No. 1: E. coli. No. 2: bruising
Asked what producers could do to improve the quality of their cattle, Van Solkema puts preventing E. coli 0157 from ever entering the plant at the top of his wish list, but recognized nobody knows how to do that yet. His second wish was to prevent bruising as bruised meat has to be discarded. Whenever JBS company staff have had an issue with bruising and gone through every step the cattle make, he said, they’ve almost always found a square spot in a pen or some other flaw in the handling system that caused the animals to balk. Van Solkema, whose long career in the beef industry includes managing Cargill’s High River plant and president of sales and plant operations at XL Foods, said JBS is “100 per cent committed to the Canadian beef industry.” JBS’s size and reach gives it the ability to sell at optimum prices and get maximum value, he said. “Our product is as good if not better than (our sister plants in the U.S.), so we should get a premium and share that value with producers,” he said. “Otherwise, we won’t have a Canadian indus-
JBS managers answer questions from visitors at a tour of the Brooks beef plant. Bill Rupp, president Beef Unit USA, (l-r) Willie Van Solkema, president JBS Canada and plant manager Jack Wolf. try. Brands bring consumer loyalty and premiums we can share with producers.” The company plans to introduce its Chef’s Exclusive, Aspen Ridge natural beef, and Angus brand in Canada. Van Solkema also pledged that the company will be “open and transparent.” When Liberal MLA David Swann asked for actual
injury numbers, he promised to get them for him. Molly Douglass, reeve of the County of Newell, has toured the plant several times, both as a community leader and as a rancher delivering cattle. She said she was pleasantly surprised when one of the first actions of the incoming JBS management team was to introduce themselves to her and the council.
Egg-breaking co-op looking to develop new markets The egg-washing and -breaking line at the Egg Processing Innovations Cooperative can handle 36,000 eggs an hour and a second line is in place for when more eggs are available By Helen McMenamin
af contributor / lethbridge
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lberta’s egg-breaking plant has a bright future, but it will take time to reach its full potential, say officials of the Egg Processing Innovations Cooperative. “We can be proud of what we’ve built here,” said co-op chair Andrew Wipf after the facility’s recent official opening. “This plant will make money, but it will take time. There’ll be some bends
and bumps on the road, but please be patient with this plant — it will work.” Until now, cull eggs (ones that are too large, small or misshapen) were sent to plants in Winnipeg or Abbotsford, B.C. for processing. The Lethbridge facility, a converted dairy plant, will give Alberta egg producers the chance to develop their own high-end niche markets, said Wipf and plant CEO Bruce Forbes. The plant has been in operation for several months and all of its current production goes to Cham-
pion Petfoods, an Alberta producer of premium cat and dog food. The company wants eggs from free-run barns. About half of the eggs currently being processed come from cageless barns and officials say they hope to increase that to 100 per cent in the near future. Although industrial bakers and food manufacturers are the largest buyers of liquid eggs, there are specialized, high-end markets, said Forbes. A German company is developing an egg yolk product that is high in carotenoid (that seems to protect against macular
degeneration) from eggs laid by chickens which have marigolds added to their diet. Another potential product is a body-building supplement believed to prevent the loss of muscle mass experienced by men over age 40 or 50. The co-op was funded by about three-quarters of Alberta’s 143 egg producers, and also received $5.2 million in federal money as well as funding from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency. The facility has the latest in high-tech, food safety equipment as well as a mixing unit that can add salt to
yolks and sugar to whites for food processors. Shells and membranes are also processed for use in a wide variety of products ranging from paint and calcium supplements to cosmetic products. The egg-washing and -breaking equipment has a capacity of 36,000 eggs an hour and there’s a second line in place, ready for when more eggs are available. Because Alberta’s egg sector is relatively small and the co-op doesn’t yet have a guaranteed supply, it has been temporarily importing additional eggs from the U.S.
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AUGUST 5, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA
EDITOR Will Verboven Phone: 403-697-4703 Email: will.verboven@fbcpublishing.com
REPORTERS Alexis Kienlen, Edmonton (780) 668-3121 akienlen@fbcpublishing.com
Age verification may quietly disappear — or not
Victoria Paterson, Calgary (403) 806-0522 victoria.paterson@fbcpublishing.com
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Shawna Gibson Email: shawna@fbcpublishing.com
DIRECTOR OF SALES & CIRCULATION
The original intention seemed worthwhile but the market should have decided
Lynda Tityk Email: lynda.tityk@fbcpublishing.com
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BY WILL VERBOUEN
ALBERTA FARMER | EDITOR
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t was one of those government programs that was unwanted, even detested, by most cow-calf producers, but it was a darling of senior department bureaucrats. In fact it was so much loved by those folks that the government threw millions of taxpayer dollars at the program just to prove it was going to be good for the industry, whether they appreciated it or not. I refer to the much-maligned age-verification program, that seems in danger of being put out of its misery by bureaucratic stealth. In this edition, AF reporter Victoria Paterson writes that the program will come under review through the government’s own regulatory protocol, where programs and mandates face a five-year judgment. If upon evaluation the program is deemed to be redundant, no longer being used or unsupportable, it can be arbitrarily removed from the books. The five-year review protocol of government legislation and programs is an excellent way to get rid of old rules and regulations and to keep existing programs relevant and on their toes. Nothing is for sure of course, because politics is always lying in wait to undermine what seems like common sense. And as we are exasperatingly aware, agriculture (particularly the livestock sector) always seems rife with politics. To refresh the memories of the innocent, age verification was brought in by the provincial government to address a beef export marketing barrier erected by the Japanese government. From their own experience with BSE, the Japanese imposed an under-21month requirement for beef to be exported to their country. This made it difficult for North American beef exports, since the age of slaughter cattle within the desired grade/ quality range could vary up to 30 months or more, and there was no absolute way to prove
the age — or so it was thought. The Japanese standard if nothing else, proved to be an effective non-tariff trade barrier to imported beef — an annoying type of trade barrier so beloved by many beef-importing nations. Marketing strategists within Alberta Agriculture figured that if the Japanese would accept a paper trail as proof of age, then Alberta-sourced beef would have a marketing advantage over American-sourced beef that would have no age verification — or so they thought. They thought it was such a good idea that they wanted to make it mandatory. Alberta Beef Producers didn’t think much of the mandatory aspect, since they figured the market should decide if such a program was needed. Cow-calf producers instinctively knew that this was just another program where they pay and someone else up the chain reaped the benefit, and they were right. One could argue that age-verified feeder cattle may at times have received a premium when sold by the primary producer, but it was far from consistent. On the other hand cattle feedlot operators did receive premiums from packers for age-verified finished cattle, and they were under no obligation to share that windfall with the original producers who verified the calves in the first place. To no one’s surprise they did not share that premium except when market demand absolutely forced them. That’s what killed the credibility of the program with the producer, with the result that voluntary verification was a non-starter. Not to be thwarted by defiant and common-sense producers, the provincial government then made the program mandatory. That worked for a short while until producers figured out there was no way the provincial government could enforce their own regulation. So when all else failed the Alberta government threw in a financial bait. It offered to subsidize the cost of ear tags but only if producers verified their
calves in the program. That also worked for a while until the subsidies ended. Meanwhile at the export level, those clever Yankee traders convinced the Japanese government to accept dentition as a determination of age for American beef. Logistically that proved to be much easier than maintaining a paper trail on each animal. That took the wind out of the Alberta age-verification program. Now with the Japanese raising the bar to 30 months, I expect dentition will become the standard. Amazingly, through it all a majority of calves born in Alberta are still being age verified by primary producers. It’s hard to determine what has driven that action. Perhaps there are some other factors at play, such as performance programs or contract obligations, or maybe it’s become a habit. The program never was that precise in the first place — I believe producers had up to a year to send in their verifications. Whether the program is struck off the government regulatory list or not will be up to the official review process. My cynical nature sees it being maintained at least in theory, just so no bureaucrats will have to admit that their program was a mistake. I recall in the distant past the Alberta government created a certified feeder calf health program that was supposed to generate premiums from buyers. That worked for a while, but over time it petered out, yet the Alberta government tried to keep it alive for many years. History does repeat itself. Hopefully what has been learned is that the market should be the driver of these types of programs. If buyers aren’t prepared to pay for information on cattle, then sellers shouldn’t be forced to give it to them for free. Livestock and meat traceability is undergoing the same perception turmoil by producers. Notwithstanding the obvious disease control aspect to beef traceability, a better sharing of who pays and who benefits needs to be determined for that issue and it’s long overdue.
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Canola ‘bloom’ may not last forever F orty years ago canola production was confined mostly to central and northern Alberta. It wasn’t until private plant breeders got involved with developing new varieties that the production range of canola began to significantly expand in this province. Today we see canola growing well into southern Alberta. Much of that expansion is due to the development of hybrid and genetically modified varieties by global seed companies such as Monsanto. That involvement has seen the crop take off in production thanks to agronomic improvements, but as welcome as that has been to grower profitability, there will be long-term implications that will not help Canadian growers. A recent trip through the B.C. north Okanagan, Washington and Idaho provided an eye-opener as to how far canola production has spread. All those areas had canola in bloom. Production will be
limited in the Okanagan area because of the restricted land base, but it will increasingly displace less profitable grain production. It’s in Washington and Idaho that the future of more canola production becomes ominous. There are millions of acres of wheat being grown on the rolling hills in both of those states. Interspersed here and there were modest acres of canola. All it’s going to take is more varieties suitable to those areas and canola production could skyrocket. Considering the more favourable climate and their massive economies of scale, growers in those areas could be growing canola cheaper than in Western Canada. Heck, that’s not even mentioning increased canola growing in Montana, the Dakotas and even Minnesota. Once you start adding up the numbers it’s beginning to look foreboding for future canola gluts. It gets worse when one begins to consider the future of winter canola production. At
present that crop works a lot better in the U.S. and Ontario than in Western Canada. I expect plant breeders and seed companies are expending a lot of money and time in improving the genetics and agronomy of that type of canola. Considering that much of the U.S. wheat crop is of the winter variety, switching to growing winter canola is not that far fetched an idea. One ponders how far along the big global seed companies are in developing GM winter canola and even more improved GM spring varieties that could be grown in similar areas around the world and one begins to fear for the future of canola production in Western Canada. Expansion in Australia continues, never mind future growing possibilities in South America. Clearly canola oil consumption is going to have to increase dramatically to keep up with all the potential production expansion. will.verboven@fbcpublishing.com
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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 5, 2013
Politics and wheat varieties have a long history on the Prairies Garnet wheat — farmers and politicians liked it, but customers didn’t By Laura Rance
editor | manitoba co-operator
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t’s unlikely the Canadian Grain Commission’s decision to remove Garnet wheat from the Canada Western Red Spring wheat class as of Aug. 1 will be met with more than a ho-hum response from farmers who long ago abandoned it in favour of better genetics. The variety’s historical significance is more because of its role in shaping the variety registration system than for its bread-making ability. In fact, as a bread wheat it sucked, which is why it was so pivotal. In a 1990 article prepared for the Manitoba Historical Society, former CGC librarian Jim Blanchard says the controversy over Garnet dates back to the early 1920s and lasted more than a decade. The variety was popular with farmers and politicians wanting their votes, but not with milling and baking customers. The people both for and against Garnet were passionate; their battle spanned oceans, reached
into the prime minister’s office and in retrospect, left the agriculture minister of the day looking a little foolish. “The controversy is instructive because, while it lasted, it gave a focus for many of the issues that have always surrounded and continue to surround the Canadian grain industry,” Blanchard wrote. Garnet’s claim to fame was that it matured about 10 days sooner than Marquis, the dominant hard red spring variety available to farmers at the time. While Marquis produced the milling qualities flour processors liked, it was frequently damaged by frost before farmers could get it harvested. Garnet looked the same as Marquis, and it had the sought-after earlier maturity. It yielded a little better too — qualities that made it a winner with producers. Preliminary tests on its milling quality flagged the yellow colour of its flour but otherwise looked promising. Importantly, however, some key steps in the quality evaluation checks were missed in the rush to get the variety into farmers’ hands, namely,
several years of quality testing prior to its public release. The variety had some powerful advocates in Ottawa, chiefly Minister of Agriculture W.R. Motherwell, a Liberal under the William Lyon Mackenzie King government who had been an influential farm leader before entering federal politics. Western Canada was a wheat economy in those times and the crop figured prominently in Ottawa politics. The Conservatives, under Arthur Meighen, had decided to return wheat marketing to the open market after the first experiment with a Canadian Wheat Board in the early 1920s. Farmers were furious. The Meighen government was booted out in the election of 1921, with not a single Conservative elected in the three Prairie provinces. Motherwell was one of two Liberals re-elected in the West, with the remaining 37 seats going to the Progressives. It’s important to note that all federal parties vying for power in Ottawa were pro-open market, but realized keeping western farmers on side over the wheat-marketing issue
was tantamount to their political success. Motherwell, was “naturally interested in protecting western farmers,” Blanchard said. But based on subsequent milling and baking tests, the federally appointed Board of Grain Commissioners, which had the final say on what made muster for grain quality, determined Garnet wheat was inferior. The board decided that it should never be graded higher than No. 2. This meant it was automatically discounted in the marketplace, a decision that pit the board of commissioners against their farmer-friendly bosses in Ottawa. But the grain trade understood the importance of preserving Canada’s newly minted reputation for quality; it backed the grain commissioners. Ultimately the Garnet discount remained in place, but the federal government stepped in to compensate growers for the difference. In the end, the introduction of earliermaturing varieties that had the desired quality traits allowed the industry to move past the Garnet debacle.
It’s influence lingered on however. “The very public squabble over Garnet had largely resulted from its being licensed before sufficient quality testing had been done,” Blanchard wrote, noting the process that resulted requires new varieties to undergo extended testing for quality before release. That’s the very system the present federal government is now reviewing — with the stated objective of getting new varieties into farmers’ hands more quickly. Now, as then, the debate is pitting the farmers who want quicker access to new varieties and their political allies in Ottawa against those who consider protecting Canada’s quality reputation to be paramount and customers who are openly questioning Canada’s commitment to their needs. Up until recently, it was up to the Canadian Wheat Board to be the custodian of that reputation. Now, it’s up to the private trade to stand that ground, just as it did in the Garnet debate nearly a century ago. laura@fbcpublishing.com
Seven questions to consider in farm animal care Key questions and concepts driving farm animal care progress for livestock producers and their industry Meristem Land and Science
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t may be the dog days of summer but in the world of farm animal care it’s also a time when new ideas and fresh progress are heating up. Here’s a rundown of several key questions and concepts to watch for in the months ahead. • Who pays? It’s an unprecedented time of new standards and opportunities for innovation in farm animal care, but a key question on the minds of many is who will carry the short-term investment burden required for significant practice and infrastructure change? With numerous potential shifts on the horizon, “The cost of transition must be spread across the value chain” is a statement producers will get used to hearing more often from their associations. • Who should pay? Hot on the heels of this debate is the related question of consumer demand and whether or not consumers will ultimately pay more for perceived welfare-enhanced products. • Social licence. This term has been among the leading buzzwords for why livestock producers and their industries need to get and stay ahead of the game in managing the welfare issue. It follows that food producers who build trust with the public by showing they have good practices in place will enjoy greater freedom to operate. • Progress payoff. Canada has been
among the most progressive countries in taking the social licence argument to heart in recent years, by driving progress with new codes of practice and a variety of shifts toward assessment approaches. We’ll see better now how much this translates into improved standing with consumers and the general public. • Market access. Will livestock welfare become a market access issue? The signs are pointing in that direction, but time will tell how quickly and significantly this step takes hold. Many agree animal welfare is moving from the fringes toward the core of discussions in many arenas, including trade. • Benchmarking. Dr. Temple Grandin said it best: “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” This is just one of many strong reasons why benchmarking studies are increasingly important to provide a basis for not only making farm animal care progress but proving it. • Owning the issue. Livestock welfare, simply put, is what livestock producers do every day. Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of that amid the flurry of debate and pressure that flows from everything from animal rights activists to consumers who want to know more about where their food comes from. Producers represent the front line of farm animal care and many believe that producers need to ‘own’ this role more strongly and openly than ever as the best way to manage this issue for a successful future.
photo: ©thinkstock
Off the front
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August 5, 2013 • Albertafarmexpress.ca
PLOWING } from page 1 “The old standbys still come. I’ve plowed against some of their fathers,” he said. To get to the world finals, plowers have to win their respective national competition. John Tracey, who lost to his son Eamonn (third in the conventional category) for the chance to compete in Olds, said he was planning on heading to the Republic of Ireland’s national competition as soon as he gets home — one of about 18 competitions he enters each year.
“The old standbys still come. I’ve plowed against some of their fathers.” Barry Timbers
A German competitor required a tow after running into some soft ground July 19. Entrants are judged on things such as straight lines and ins and outs. They have 20 minutes to complete the opening split and then just under three hours to finish off their 100x20-metre plot. On the first day they competed on stubble plots, while grassland plots were plowed on the second. “It’s a great sport as well as an art,” said Robert Timbers, who plowed in four world championships before a rule change (since abolished) limited competitors to three championships. Plots are assigned by draw the night before, and competitors aren’t allowed to speak to anyone once they start plowing, said Anna Marie McHugh, general secretary of the world organization. “It’s very lonely,” she noted. victoria.paterson@fbcpublishing.com
Competitors from 29 different countries came to Olds College for the World Plowing Championship July 19-20.
Photos: Victoria Paterson
Judges consider the furrows during day one of the World Plowing Championship in Olds July 19.
Keep an eye on bulls before and during the breeding season A successful breeding season is not necessarily guaranteed once healthy bulls are turned out NDSU release
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he importance of pre-breeding bull management often is highlighted as a means to prepare for a successful breeding season, says Carl Dahlen, North Dakota State University Extension Service beef cattle specialist. “However, a successful breeding season is not necessarily guaranteed once healthy bulls are turned out with a group of females.” A breeding soundness exam (BSE) should have been conducted on bulls prior to the breeding season to identify unsatisfactory bulls, which are unlikely to sire as many calves as bulls that passed a BSE. A BSE evaluates indicators of fertility such as semen motility and morphology. It should be performed along with an internal examination and an evaluation of physical characteristics vital to breeding success. “A BSE does not, however, give an indication of a bull’s libido, or desire to breed,” Dahlen says. “After turnout, a simple step producers can take to evaluate libido is to watch pastures and make
sure bulls are actively seeking and breeding females.” Watching bulls also can help producers spot physical deformities (deviated penis, inability to extend penis, etc.) and other issues that can prevent successful intromission and ejaculation from occurring. In these instances, a bull may be mounting cows in heat but not completing a successful breeding. Pay attention to the entire mating process to make sure erection, intromission and ejaculation all are occurring.
In addition, keeping an eye on the bulls will help producers notice injuries that occur during the breeding season and limit the bulls’ ability to breed cows successfully. Some injuries are readily identified and others may require close observation. Major injuries that would make bulls physically unable to perform, such as broken or sprained legs, likely would be easy to spot. Lacerations that result in a penis not able to retract are easy to see as well. Other cases are not as easy to
identify. For example, swelling just ahead of the scrotum may indicate a “broken penis” or a hematoma, and swollen or misshapen testicles may indicate testicular injuries. “Injuries may cause physical pain and a low libido, or a bull may be willing to breed but is no longer capable,” Dahlen says. “In any case, part of the healing process can create scar tissue, and this scar tissue may interfere with future reproduction.” He suggests producers observe bulls interacting with females
and females interacting with each other early in the breeding season because those interactions can give a good indication of the relative proportion of females that are cyclic. To get bred and become pregnant in natural-service breeding systems, females must be cyclic and stand to be bred. If producers expect that 60 to 65 per cent of females will calve within the first 21 days of the calving season in a herd of 100 cows, then a minimum of about three cows must be bred per day during the first 21 days of the breeding season. “The number is actually slightly higher because not all matings result in a pregnancy,” Dahlen says. “If all cows are cyclic, we expect to see almost five per cent in estrus on a daily basis.” Once bulls have been evaluated for injuries, body condition and libido, and single-sire pasture bulls have been evaluated for the ability to mate successfully, producers should take active steps to rotate or replace bulls that are injured, have low libido or are in pastures with a high proportion of estrus cows late in the breeding season, Dahlen advises.
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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 5, 2013
GMO companies launch website to fight anti-biotech movement Industry counters calls for labelling and more regulatory control BY CAREY GILLAM REUTERS
A
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group of biotech seed companies on July 29 launched an online forum to combat mounting opposition to genetically modified foods among consumer groups and activists. The website, www.GMOAnswers. com, is designed as a “central online resource” for information on genetically modified organisms and their use in agriculture and food production, the Biotechnology Industry Organization said. The website is backed in part by Monsanto, DuPont, Dow AgroSciences and other companies whose products include seeds that have been genetically altered in ways the companies say improve food production. The website launch is part of a broad campaign by the biotech industry to try to beat back growing calls for GMO food labelling and for tighter regulation of the biotech seed industry in the United States. European opposition to GMOs is so strong that Monsanto this month said it would withdraw all pending requests to grow new types of GMO crops. Paul Schickler, president of DuPont Pioneer, the agricultural unit of DuPont, said anti-GMO forces have been using the Internet very effectively to get their message out, and industry wants to use the same strategy to combat what he said were notions “not always based in fact.” “This... is an effort to increase the dialogue. That is all we want,” said Schickler. “Dialogue is good. Over time I think we’ll come to a common understanding.” Critics predicted the industry effort to change consumer skepticism would fail, saying there is ample scientific evidence that GMO foods can contribute to health problems in animals and humans, and hurt the environment.
“This latest effort will likely do little to stop the consumer backlash against genetically engineered foods that has been brewing for years,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, a consumer organization. Last year, Monsanto and other industry members spent $40 million to defeat a ballot initiative in California to require labelling of GMO food. Similar initiatives are underway in several other U.S. states and at the federal level. Grocery retailer Whole Foods said this year it would require suppliers to label any product made with genetically modified ingredients. And the Natural Products Association, which represents 1,900 food industry players, has called for a uniform standard for GMO labelling to apply nationwide. Burrito chain Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. recently became the first major U.S. restaurant chain to disclose GMO ingredients and 1:54 Foods, PM Page which1 has more than 340 stores in North America and the U.K., said this year it would require isSEC_MOAFLO13_AFE.qxd moving to remove such7/11/13 prod- Whole suppliers to label any product made with genetically modified ingredients. ucts from its supply chain.
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NEWS » Markets
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AUGUST 5, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA
No more GMO wheat found
Frosts hit Brazil’s wheat
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said its nearly three-month-old investigation has found no more sign of the genetically altered Monsanto wheat variety found in Oregon May 29. The news caused some foreign buyers to curtail purchases of U.S. western white wheat until they could have assurances that none of the biotech wheat has contaminated the marketplace. But importers have been slowly resuming white wheat shipments. Japan was expected to resume imports as soon as last week and South Korea resumed purchases earlier this month. — Reuters
Several days of frost this week over Brazil’s southern Wheat Belt last month destroyed as much as five per cent of the national crop and will prolong the shortage of the grain on the regional market where prices are in record territory, the local flour-milling industry association said. The frosts and rains to a lesser degree will likely force Brazil to turn to North America to make up for the region’s shortage of the grain. Typically Brazil turns to its Mercosur neighbours of Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina to make up for its own domestic shortfalls in production. — Reuters
Bearish factors are weighing heavily on canola futures Weather is the only factor that could shift the downward direction By Phil Franz-Warkentin
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CE Futures Canada canola contracts dropped sharply during the week ended July 26, with the nearby contract settling below the psychological $500-per-tonne level for the first time in a year and a half. The list of bearish factors keeping canola pointed lower is considerably longer than any supportive points on the other side at this time. Good Canadian growing conditions, a lack of major weather threats, equally favourable U.S. conditions, a stronger Canadian dollar, losses in soybeans, losses in palm oil, a good European rapeseed crop, extremely weak chart signals, speculators holding large short positions, end-users holding out for large new-crop supplies, and increasing farmer selling are all weighing heavily on the canola market. Barring a weather scare or other outside influence, the path of least resistance remains pointed lower for canola with any attempts at correcting higher likely seen as a good selling opportunity. From a technical standpoint, the break below $500 per tonne sets the stage for
a test of the next major support around $450 in the November contract. Speculators are believed to be holding a net short position of over 30,000 contracts and will be watching their profits grow as prices decline. However, that large short position does leave the door open for some short-covering, which could build on itself if enough other factors turn bullish. Wheat, durum, and barley futures in Winnipeg were untraded once again during the week, although prices saw some adjustment to keep in line with the U.S. market. In the U.S., soybeans, corn, and wheat
were all lower as well, with improving crop conditions and bearish chart signals behind much of the selling. While there are enough areas of concern to keep some premiums in the futures, the likelihood of large U.S. soybean and corn crops is getting closer to reality on a daily basis, causing values to grind lower and making the tight old-crop supplies less of a concern. For wheat, seasonal harvest pressure and expectations for large global wheat crops have weighed on values recently. Russia is in the middle of harvesting its wheat crop, with production well ahead
For three-times-daily market reports from Resource News International, visit “ICE Futures Canada updates” at www.albertafarmexpress.ca.
of last year. European Union wheat prospects are also showing continued improvement. From a technical standpoint in the U.S., the November soybean contract is getting closer and closer to the US$12per-bushel level. Should that chart point be breached, next support comes in at about US$11.80. For corn, the December contract moved below US$5 per bushel earlier this month and could be headed towards US$4 according to some analysts, but nearby support should come forward well before that point. Weather will remain a driving factor in the grains and oilseeds heading into August, with participants continuing to follow the shifting forecasts closely for any tidbits of information to trade off of. The outside financial and commodity markets should also provide some direction, although the agricultural commodities have been distancing themselves from the broader economic flows recently. Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Resource News International (RNI), a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting
China’s hunger for wheat to lift prices by 10 per cent Frost is estimated to have hit as much as 20 million tonnes of wheat in the world’s largest producer By Naveen Thukral singapore / reuters
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oaring Chinese wheat purchases due to weather-related crop damage at home could lift global prices of the grain by about 10 per cent in the next few months, a survey of traders showed. The rush to secure wheat overseas by top consumer China is prompting farmers in the world’s second-biggest exporter Australia to hold back sales of the grain to traders in hopes of higher prices, curtailing supplies. China’s buying spree is also driving up costs for leading wheatimporting nations in Asia and the Middle East. The push for the imports comes as Reuters interviews with farmers, and new analysts’ forecasts, showed damage from frost and rains was estimated to have ruined
as much as 20 million tonnes of China’s wheat crop, equivalent to Australia’s annual exports. China has already booked more than three million tonnes of wheat shipments in the year to June 2014 — matching total imports for all of last year — and is estimated to need 10 million tonnes of imports for the year, which would be more than the nine million that Egypt, the world’s top buyer, is expected to purchase. “Farmers are very cautious to sell forward,” said Tom Puddy, head of marketing at CBH Group, Western Australia’s bulk grain handler. “They are seeing China’s interest in buying, so they are waiting to see how the crop progresses.” The United Nations’ food agency, though, played down the risks to global supplies for now but said Chinese buying could underpin wheat prices. “It could give some support to wheat prices which have been
falling like all the other grains,” said Abdolreza Abbassian, senior economist at the Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome. “(China) had the frosts and that had some impact, so there is a greater need for quality wheat.” Wheat prices are down about 15 per cent so far this year, tracking corn which has declined on forecasts that record U.S. production will ease three years of tight supplies. The spread between Chicago wheat and corn is likely to widen to $2.0-$2.5 a bushel in the coming months from $1.30 as corn production recovers and Chinese imports buoy wheat demand. Two traders contacted by Reuters forecast an eight to 10 per cent rise in Australian standard wheat prices over the next few months, while a third saw a five per cent gain. A fourth forecast 10-15 per cent gain for U.S. soft red winter wheat,
which is what China has been buying and is comparable to the Australian variety. Another trader predicted U.S. wheat prices will rise at least five per cent. In Australia, where the impact of Chinese buying is felt most, the price of wheat that will be harvested in December is already trading at a premium to U.S. prices. “We have excellent prices despite the fact that we have such a big crop coming in,” said Stefan Meyer, a manager for cash markets at brokerage FC Stone in Sydney. “We are trading on a positive basis as China has come in and bought wheat.” China is expected to take between two million and three million tonnes of Australian wheat this year, up from the 500,000 tonnes to one million tonnes it typically buys, forcing its traditional customers to seek alternative supplies. Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and
Yemen are key buyers of Australian wheat in the Middle East. In Asia, top importers are Indonesia, Japan and South Korea.
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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 5, 2013
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AUGUST 5, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA
Flax market proves to be a top performer amongst oilseed markets Technical analysis pointed to an impending rally above $14.60 per bushel BY DAVID DROZD
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he price of flax has held up relatively well compared to the price of soybeans and canola. While the cash price of flax has recently bounced back to $16.50 per bushel, bringing it within $1.25 per bushel of the spring high at $17.75, the spot price for canola has declined $3 per bushel from its recent high of $15 and soybeans are also down $3 per bushel from their crop year high of $16. With the absence of a futures market for price discovery, many in the flax industry including flax producers analyze the fundamental situation for flax in an attempt to predict future price direction. They will delve into government reports such as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Statistics Canada and USDA or rely on reports from the private trade. USDA is estimating U.S. farmers will seed 223,000 acres of flax in 2013-14, which is a 35 per cent decline from 2012. Statistics Canada is estimating Canadian farmers will increase flax acreage 16 per cent to 1.135 million acres, up 155,000 acres over last year.
In their July 17, 2013 Outlook for Principal Field Crops, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is estimating a 12 per cent increase in 2013-14 flax production to 550,000 tonnes. However, they are also predicting the carry-out will remain a tight 60,000 tonnes for the second year in a row on forecasts of an 11 per cent increase in exports on continued strong Chinese and U.S. buying. Other analysts rely on technical analysis for determining price direction and although this form of analysis is most widely accepted in charting futures prices, it is not commonly known that this valuable aid also works well when charting cash prices. For example, those who were charting the cash price of flax were focused on the development of an ascending triangle and were patiently waiting for the impending rally above $14.60 per bushel.
Ascending triangle
Ascending triangles will generally prove to be continuation patterns, but I have often seen them form at market bottoms. In these instances, the ascending triangle is a reliable indicator that prices are about to turn up from a major low. In an ascending triangle, the upper boundary is horizontal
FLAX CASH PRICES
with the lower boundary rising from left to right. These areas (lines) are illustrated in the accompanying chart. The expectation is for prices to rise through the flat side, occurring between one-half and two-thirds the horizontal distance from the triangle’s base. Volume within the triangle should increase on rallies and subside on declines, but must increase noticeably as prices penetrate the horizontal side. A minimum price objective may be determined by constructing a line from the first high in the triangle (A), parallel
to the ascending boundary line (B). The measurement is not fixed at a particular price level, but will be proportional to time. In other words, the longer the advance progresses, the higher will be the measured objective.
Market psychology
The flat side of the ascending right triangle is a point of resistance and represents a supply of contracts to be sold at a given price. Market movements up to this level are turned back as long as the supply of contracts exceeds the demand. Prices recede from the flat side,
but purchasers raise their buying ideas causing these declines to become progressively smaller. Each probe of the horizontal resistance leaves fewer contracts to be absorbed, until finally prices break through the former resistance level, attracting new buying. Successful penetration of the pattern’s flat side signals a resumption of the price advance. The probability of a triangle being a continuation pattern is highest in the ascending right triangle. Farmers who recognized the development of the ascending triangle formation were rewarded by waiting for flax prices to exceed the upper boundary at $14.60 and for the upside objective to be attained before making a sale. Send your questions or comments about this article and chart to info@ag-chieve.ca. David Drozd is president and senior market analyst for Winnipeg-based Ag-Chieve Corporation. The opinions expressed are those of the writer and are solely intended to assist readers with a better understanding of technical analysis. Visit Ag-Chieve online at www.ag-chieve.ca for information about grain-marketing advisory services, or call us toll free at 1-888-274-3138 for a free consultation.
Join the movement Scout fields for weed escapes
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Optimize weed control on your farm. Now is a great time to inspect your fields for weed escapes, uncontrolled weeds and decreases in weed control performance. As preparation for harvest begins, be sure to keep your equipment clean. This helps minimize the spread of weed seeds across the farm.
To find out more about how to implement a successful weed management strategy for your farm visit www.rrwms.ca. The solution takes all of us. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Monsanto and vine design and Roundup Ready® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC, Monsanto Canada, Inc. licensee. ©2013 Monsanto Canada Inc.
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NEW CROP INFO ON AARD WEBSITE One new fact sheet and one revised fact sheet have been added to the roster of information on Alberta Agriculture’s website. The new fact sheet is titled Dryland Agronomic Management of Soft White Spring Wheat and Canada Prairie Spring Wheat in Alberta. This fact sheet provides information on recent research into these two types of spring wheat, results from the research, recommended fertilizer rates and seeding rates. The title revised fact sheet is Fall Rye Production. As well as discussing the advantages and disadvantages of growing fall rye, the fact sheet provides information on adaptation and quality issues. — Agri-News
Producers get an up-close look at crops and some valuable advice during crop walks Wood ash, direct seeding, all tricks to increase wheat yield BY ALEXIS KIENLEN AF STAFF / EDMONTON
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roducers on Alberta Agriculture’s recent crop walks came away with some things to think about. Those who visited Don Gibson’s farm at Sangudo northwest of Edmonton got a chance to check out the benefits of applying wood ash. Gibson said the ash raised pH from 5.5 to 6.3 on his wheat and barley fields, and also improved tilth. He got his ash from Calgary Power for free, but had to pay for the freight. Wood ash is available in dry forms, or in a semi-liquid sludge and can add a bit of copper, potash and sulphur to the soil. Crop development specialist Bill Chapman looked at the benefits of spraying at the three- to five-leaf stage, which is when wheat starts to set its yield potential. Some products shouldn’t be sprayed during a tillering stage, said the Alberta Agriculture specialist from Barrhead. “The key thing is that a lot of new products are expanding their labels so you can get in here up to tillering, past the four- and fiveleaf stage, which really adds some flexibility,” said Chapman. “This year, it was a real challenge to get the spraying done.” Chapman also spoke of the benefits of direct seeding, including fewer potholes, higher fibre and thatch levels, more biological
Mike Dolinski, Agri-trend coach, speaking about wheat, on a crop tour near Sangudo. PHOTO: ALEXIS KIENLEN activity in soil, firmer soil conditions, improved water infiltration, and less erosion. Getting the biggest bang for your fertilizer buck was the focus of Mike Dolinski, a coach with Agritrend. He noted the wheat head is always above the last node and nodes are put on from the crown root of the plant. Crown roots emerging from the crown node are
the parts of the plant that produce the crop. Crown roots grow close to the surface, creating the midrow band. The plant has to take the head from the node, produce the stem, move it into the boot, fill it and get it ready for pollination at the boot stage. It’s at this stage that nutrient demand skyrockets as biomass demand increases. “This is the time when you can put on nitrogen and you’re not
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}WHEAT AND RYE
ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 5, 2013
going to stimulate more tillering,” said Dolinski. Attendees also heard that tissue tests are the only way to differentiate between nitrogen and sulphur deficiency, both of which turn plants yellow. It’s important to understand the nitrogen-tosulphur ration, said Dolinski. The first tiller will appear between the third and fourth leaf and will come out with the first leaf of the plant. Once it finishes tillering, the plant turns to reproduction. If more tillers are desired, nitrogen can be applied to the plant at the 3-1/2-leaf stage, when the plant is tillering. “Here’s the trick — if you put on too much nitrogen in that tillering stage and there’s too much tillering, you run the risk of running out of nitrogen,” said Dolinski. “You get rain, you get lush growth and you can run out of nitrogen. At the end of the day, you’re going to run out of protein.” The amount of sulphur in a landscape can vary tremendously, he noted. “You can go from excessive amounts to minimal amounts or shortages very quickly,” he said. The sulphur-to-nitrogen ratio should be 10:1 for wheat and 6:1 for canola. Nitrogen isn’t the answer to everything, said Dolinski. “If you’re short of sulphur, this plant will suffer for sure,” he said. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com
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AUGUST 5, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA
Feds fund canola cluster The $15 million in federal funds will be combined with industry contributions to total $20 million over five years
PHOTO: THINKSTOCK
STAFF
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he federal government is investing $15 million into a new canola science cluster to support ongoing research into improving the crop’s nutritional and agronomic performance. “This is a great day for the canola industry,” said Canola Council of Canada president Patti Miller in a release following the announcement by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz at Kelburn Farm south of Winnipeg July 22. “This research investment will
help us make quantum leaps in sustainable production. It will allow us to continue to differentiate canola oil and meal from our competitors. And it will provide economic and health benefits for Canadians.” The $15 million in new research funding under the Growing Forward 2 program is combined with industry contributions for a total investment in research and innovation of more than $20 million over five years. “Investment in research has taken canola from just an idea over 40 years ago to now the top revenue-generating com-
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modity on Canadian farms,” said Canola Council chair Terry Youzwa, a grower based in Nipawin, Sask. “Continued investment is essential to keep the momentum going. Canada continues to see growth in canola crush capacity and exports, acres are at a new 20-million threshold, and the industry is within reach of our goal of 15 million tonnes of sustainable production by 2015. Miller said the new cluster is a smart investment on three counts: • Projects under the new science cluster will be collaborative. They will involve a
number of research institutions across Canada, including AAFC research stations, universities, and other public research facilities. • The new science cluster grew out of extensive consultations that enhanced collaboration and reduced duplication. • The projects are focused around clear strategic themes, including oil nutrition, canola meal nutrition, canola health and integrated pest management, canola yield and quality optimization, integrated crop management, canola supply surveillance and forecasting and technology transfer.
Wheat market has bullish potential Louis Dreyfus official says grain farmers are putting more money in their pockets in the post-CWB era because ‘the market is doing a very efficient job of pricing grain’ BY VICTORIA PATERSON AF STAFF / CALGARY
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anada’s doing just fine without the Canadian Wheat Board, according to the president of Louis Dreyfus Commodities. “I’m going to suggest we’ve done very well,” Brant Randles told attendees at the recent International Livestock Congress. He noted in 2007-08 prices for wheat futures were higher than in November 2012, but the farmer was still getting the same amount. “The net back to the grower is much bigger — the basis has collapsed and I would suggest the market is doing a very efficient job of pricing grain,” Randles said. Without the wheat board, there’s essentially a continental wheat market and exports to the U.S. are at a near-record pace, he said. With the transition to an open market last year, many were trying to get rid of their inventory in preparation, Randles said, and the market is even tighter now with robust prices. “It’s happening the world over,” he said. “The farmer is incredibly wealthy and he’s not delivering anything. So stocks are depleted, we have vessels waiting in Prince Rupert waiting for cargo.” Growers are holding off on sales to see how crops develop over the next few weeks and the prospects are generally good, despite a late start to seeding, Randles said. Across the border, the drought is done, which should bring corn prices down significantly but wheat may be a different story as Chinese buying in the U.S. is strong, he added. Although Russian wheat is cheaper, China appears to be favouring the U.S. because it is a more reliable supplier, he said. If anything goes wrong with the wheat crop in any of the world’s major exporters, “wheat prices will be on fire,” he predicted. While canola isn’t going to hit the record acres of 2012, Randles said a better yield is predicted this year. Overall, he predicted continued market volatility until farmers have a better idea of what the crop looks like this year. After high corn prices and the decimation of last year’s hay crop putting more pressure on cattle margins, Randles predicted better circumstances for cattlemen this year. “We would expect cattle margins to improve significantly as we realize these lower corn prices,” Randles said. victoria.paterson@fbcpublishing.com
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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 5, 2013
Plan your pea crop to achieve maximum benefits Right field, right time, right environment for growing peas BY ALEXIS KIENLEN AF STAFF | SANGUDO
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f you want to grow peas for their nitrogen benefits then plan ahead and pick the right field. Having a strategy and getting in the ground early can make all the difference, said Therese Tompkins, a coach with Agri-trend and Mark Olson, provincial pulse specialist with Alberta Agriculture. They spoke about growing peas on a recent Alberta Agriculture crop tour. They said the ideal seeding depth for peas is about two inches, with a target plant population of eight or nine plants per square foot. Ideally, peas should be planted on fields with low nitrogen. When pulses are grown on a highnitrogen field, nodules won’t form and production will be poor. To determine nitrogen rates, Tompkins takes samples from about 12 inches down in the soil the year before planting. “Last year this field had about 12 pounds of nitrogen left in the soil, which is perfect for peas,” Olson said. “You’re basically negating the whole idea of growing a pulse if you’re putting it on a high-nitrogen field.” It’s a good idea to rotate pulses and cereals and it’s best to plant a pulse after
a cereal crop. There’s also a benefit in planting cereals the year after pulses as the cereal will have a 10 to 30 per cent yield increase following a field pea crop, as well as a one per cent increase in protein. Weed pressure is another issue in pea crops as Canada thistle cannot be sprayed out of peas. Sow thistle, quack grass and toadflax all need to be cleaned out of the field the year before peas are planted. Planting early and harvesting early makes all the difference in peas. Peas can be seeded as early as possible, as many varieties are frost tolerant. Early planting can help prevent flower blast, which can occur when the crop flowers above 25 C. Peas harvested in August tend to be better quality than peas harvested in September. Green peas can bleach if not harvested early. Bleaching on a green pea downgrades the pea to feed, while bleaching on a yellow pea doesn’t result in a penalty.
Ascochyta
Olson said a wet spring with frequent showers can create prime conditions for ascochyta in peas. Ascochyta appears as small, brown spots and reveals itself just before flowering. The disease can devastate a pea crop, resulting in yield losses of up to 75 per cent. Ascochyta breaks down lignins in the stem of the plant and affects the standability of the crop. Some products can be sprayed once producers see signs of the disease, while others are sprayed at flowering. Other factors, such as the thickness of the crop canopy and leaf wetness at noon, affect the spread of the disease. Staff at Alberta Agriculture have created an ascochyta score card for producers to determine whether or not they need to spray. “We don’t want you spraying if you don’t have to spray. If you don’t have symptoms of the disease or the onset, you don’t have to spray,” said Olson.
Mark Olson, provincial pulse specialist with Alberta Agriculture, gave some tips for growing peas during a crop tour near Sangudo. PHOTO: ALEXIS KIENLEN
TIMING IS EVERYTHING.
ROUNDUP® BRAND AGRICULTURAL HERBICIDES offer unsurpassed control of perennial weeds such as Canada thistle, quackgrass and sowthistle in a preharvest application. But, it’s important to get the timing of your application just right to be effective. For tips on how to better assess weed and crop staging, and to download a copy of our Preharvest Staging Guide, go to www.roundup.ca. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup® is a registered trademark of Monsanto Technology LLC, Monsanto Canada, Inc. licensee. ©2013 Monsanto Canada, Inc.
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AUGUST 5, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA
Controversial code components require compromise — Part 2 Space allowance requirements from weaning to market are controversial BY BERNIE PEET
I
n my last article, I noted that most of the new draft Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs was good husbandry and therefore acceptable to producers. The proposals also include some “priority” areas which are more sensitive for producers. These are controlling the pain of castration, methods of euthanasia, space allowances for growing pigs and sows, sow housing and social management of sows. As far as euthanasia is concerned, I support the position taken in the draft codes — in fact if anything I would make more of it mandatory because I see this as being an area where improvement is needed on many farms. The other requirement that I see no problem with is the space requirements for gilts and sows in groups. However, the proposed space allowances for pigs from wean-
ing to market are more controversial. The codes use a formula which relates body weight of the pig to the space it requires, using a constant, or k-value. For example, if the constant is 0.3 and the pig’s weight is 50 kg, then the space requirement is 0.03 x 500.667 = 0.41m2, weight to the power 0.667 being what is called the metabolic weight of the pig. Obviously, as the constant number increases, so does the space allowance. The codes define the required space allowance according to this formula and use a constant of 0.335 to calculate it. The draft code states that “Performance of nursery and growing/finishing pigs is negatively affected when k < 0.335.” This statement arises from a review of all the research on this subject by a number of scientists around the world. The problem that I have with it is that almost none of this research measured whether pig welfare was affected by space allowance. If we set the required allowance at a point at which
The draft code requires producers to convert to group sow housing, with the exception of a period of 28-35 days after breeding.
performance is optimized, this is a far different criterion than the point at which welfare starts to be compromised. In practice, producers do not aim for maximum growth performance, they aim for maximum return per unit of floor space without, of course, compromising the pigs’ welfare. In addition, the space requirement varies considerably depending on the type of hous-
TABLE 1: PROPOSED SPACE ALLOWANCES FOR GROWING PIGS COMPARED WITH EU LEGISLATION Pig weight (kg)
EU minimum (m2/pig)
Code minimum (m2/pig)
Difference (%)
Code recommendation (m2/pig)
Difference (%)
10
0.15
0.16
3.7
0.18
20.8
20
0.20
0.25
23.5
0.29
43.8
30
0.30
0.32
7.9
0.38
25.7
50
0.40
0.46
13.8
0.53
32.5
85
0.55
0.65
17.9
0.76
37.3
110
0.65
0.77
18.5
0.90
38.0
TIMOTHY & ALFALFA HAY WANTED! Green Prairie International is Canada’s leading explorer of Timothy and Alfalfa Hay. Markets and Demand are increasing and we need your product. We currently ship Canadian Timothy & Alfalfa to the following Worldwide regions: The Middle East, Asia, Europe & The United States.
ing, pen layout and environmental conditions. The draft codes recognize this by providing recommendations for fully and part-slatted floors (both the same space allowance) and bedded systems. I would prefer to see a required figure given for lying area only with suggested additional area recommendations according to system. Ideally, this should be the “effective lying area,” which would be the free floor space available to the pig for lying, excluding feeding, drinking and dunging areas. Comparing the proposed space allowances to minimums mandated in the EU (Table 1), it can be seen that both the required and recommended (based on k = 0.039) allowances are significantly higher. This raises the question of competitiveness, because complying with higher space requirements will lead to increased cost. Therefore, while the code provides for short-term increases in stocking density at the end of a batch, the minimum space allowances are too high. As widely expected, the draft code requires producers to convert to group sow housing, with the exception of a period of 28-35 days after breeding. It proposes that no new sow stall housing may be constructed after July 1, 2014 and existing housing be replaced by July 1, 2024. The arguments for and against this change are less scientific and more emotional than other aspects of the code. Many producers will vehemently oppose such a change. However, would the industry prefer to set its own agenda on this issue or eventually be forced into change, perhaps on an unreasonable time scale as happened in the U.K.? We have recently witnessed the unedifying spectacle of the Humane Society
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Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal
Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. This product has been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS.
Please contact one of our representatives now for more details: Chris Whittle: Brian Schmidt:
of the United States announcing that many of the U.S. major foodservice companies and retailers will require pork to be sourced from non-stall systems in future. Who set the agenda there? Even in Canada, it was the Humane Society that announced Olymel’s decision to phase out stalls, before producers had heard a thing about it. Continuing down that route is not a palatable option. The new codes provide a unique opportunity for the industry to define the agenda on this issue and set a time scale that is reasonable. My main concern about an industry-led change is that it will be producers who pay the cost. There is a valid argument for producers to demand that retailers and consumers share in that cost, but this will not be easy to achieve. Producer organizations must engage with processors and retailers to ensure that producers are not left holding the baby. The issue of pain control during castration is another contentious one. There is no denying that this is a painful procedure which is coming under close scrutiny around the world. The proposal to require the use of an analgesic to control pain after July 1, 2019 is a compromise which gives time to investigate practical methods of anesthesia, pain control, immunization and the avoidance of castration by genetic selection against boar taint. The draft code of practice can be viewed on the National Farm Animal Care Council website www.nfacc.ca and I encourage everyone in the industry to read it and submit comments.
Roundup Ready® crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides. Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn is a combination of four separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin, ipconazole, and clothianidin. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for canola is a combination of two separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients difenoconazole, metalaxyl (M and S isomers), fludioxonil, thiamethoxam, and bacillus subtilis. Acceleron and Design®, Acceleron®, DEKALB and Design®, DEKALB®, Genuity and Design®, Genuity Icons, Genuity®, RIB Complete and Design®, RIB Complete®, Roundup Ready 2 Technology and Design®, Roundup Ready 2 Yield®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup Transorb®, Roundup WeatherMAX®, Roundup®, SmartStax and Design®, SmartStax®, Transorb®, VT Double PRO®, YieldGard VT Rootworm/RR2®, YieldGard Corn Borer and Design and YieldGard VT Triple® are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. Used under license. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design are trademarks of Bayer. Used under license. Herculex® is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC. Used under license. Respect the Refuge and Design is a registered trademark of the Canadian Seed Trade Association. Used under license. ©2013 Monsanto Canada Inc.
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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 5, 2013
Vaccines target poultry disease In partnership with the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA), Christine Szymanski and Mario Feldman of the Alberta Glynomics Centre are leading a team of researchers in creating new poultry vaccines for salmonella and Clostridium perfringens. By targeting salmonella through flock vaccination, contamination of eggs and meat can be reduced without the use of broad-scope antibiotics. C. perfringens can have a fatality rate as high as 50 per cent depending on conditions.
Small-scale livestock day A field day focusing on small-scale livestock production will be held in Red Deer County, west of Bowden on Aug. 26. As part of the field day, there will be a visit to White Creek Meats, an operation that includes laying hens, broiler chickens, turkeys, bison and cattle and direct markets meat and eggs to local customers. This is a free event; but pre-registration is required. Contact Krista toll free at 1-800-661-2642 or for more details Bert Dening at 780-674-8247.
“You Canadians need to get off your backsides.” – Allan Savory
Desertification of grasslands can be prevented with livestock: scientist Famed biologist reprimands Canada for not joining international ‘hubs’ set up to teach holistic management By Victoria Paterson af staff / calgary
L
ivestock is the key to saving the planet from desertification and combating climate change, according to Allan Savory, one of the originators of the holistic approach to managing pastures and grasslands. The 78-year-old Zimbabwean biologist has argued for decades that livestock prevent desertification and gained a new audience earlier this year with a TED talk (the popular Internet series featuring leading thinkers) that has been viewed more than 1.4 million times. “Agriculture is producing far more eroding soil than food,” Savory said at a recent event in Calgary sponsored by the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency. In natural environments, huge herds once ranged over grasslands, eating the most lush foliage, and trampling the rest along with their dung and urine, he said. However,
as man encroached, herds thinned and the unconsumed grasses dried up, blocking new growth and changing the microclimate at ground level. As more and more bare spots appear, the soil gets hotter and less favourable for the growth of new grasses and the land begins to turn to desert. “Rested grasslands tend to die,” Savory said. But intensive livestock grazing prevents, and even reverses the process, as long as you limit their time on a patch of ground so they don’t overgraze. It’s an idea that Alberta’s livestock industry needs to take to heart because, collectively, desertification is a major contributor to global warming. “You livestock people become some of the most important people in the world. Without your livestock, we’re not going to survive,” he said. But to properly mimic the impact that wild herds had on grasslands, you need a system and that is why he developed his holistic management practices, Savory said. By applying
military organizational techniques to cope with the complex variables, he was able to create a very straightforward chart, he said. “It is so damned simple a child can do it,” he said. But the system needs to be adopted worldwide, he said. Desertification inevitably leads to war and it’s vital the world embrace proper grassland management, including here in Canada, he said. “If you don’t change in Alberta, if you don’t begin to change Canada, if we don’t change public opinion, frankly we can expect a hell of a lot more military funerals,” he said. The Savory Institute is launching a strategy of locally led, locally managed hubs all over the world where farmers can learn holistic management techniques from each other. Canada is not yet involved, he said. “You Canadians need to get off your backsides,” Savory said. victoria.paterson@fbcpublishing.com
Allan Savory takes questions after his presentation on how livestock can help stop desertification of grasslands in Calgary July 17. PHOTO: Victoria Paterson
JBS plans to market beef produced at Brooks plant around the world By Victoria Paterson af staff / calgary
G
lobal demand for beef is growing and JBS wants producers in Western Canada to help meet it, says a senior company official. “Producers are responding but not fast enough to meet the demand,” Dave Kasko, vicepresident of operations for JBS Food Canada said at the recent International Livestock Congress. The Brazilian multinational has introduced a new IT system at the former XL Foods facility in Brooks and has the ability to sell beef processed from that plant around the world, he said.
“The really neat part about it… is the fact that regardless of where a salesman sits now… they can see product availability that’s produced in that plant.” The Brooks plant is also about
“Regardless of where a salesman sits now… they can see product availability that’s produced in that plant.” Dave Kasko
to start producing JBS-branded product lines and that will further increase the capacity for exports, he said. But low cattle herd numbers have created excess capacity at North American feedlots and packing plants and that is “putting quite a squeeze on multiple sectors of this industry,” he said. Increasing pounds on the carcass has helped delay some of the issues around declining inventory. “What we’ve been able to do is offset some of those numbers with a larger-type carcass,” said Kasko. “So we’ve been able to maintain a balance to a certain point.” victoria.paterson@fbcpublishing.com
Dave Kasko, vice-president of operations for JBS Food Canada, gives an overview of operations and marketing procedures. Photo: Victoria Paterson
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AUGUST 5, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA
The issue of paid hunting in the province of Alberta
N I I N O J
The province controls wildlife, so changes are possible
on real
BY BRENDA SCHOEPP
I
n Canada all wildlife is the property of the Crown. Why is it then that paid hunting is allowed in Saskatchewan and not in Alberta and what is the difference in the provincial acts? In this column we take a look at hunting for profit in both provinces. The current position of the Government of Alberta is that hunting on enclosed domestic farms for cervids and other wildlife is not permitted. Under the Municipal Government Act there are provisions through permit for other activities that associate with hunting such as cabins, campgrounds or riding trails but this does not provide for recreational or for profit use of land in regards to wildlife. Wildlife in Alberta belongs to the Crown until a transfer, such
as a tag, is provided. The Crown (3) No person shall directly may choose at any time to trans- or indirectly buy or sell, trade fer ownership in whole or in part or barter or offer to buy or sell to an individual and Section access to any land for the pur9 of the Wildlife Act in Alberta pose of hunting upland game enables the minister to transfer birds. ownership of Crown property (a) on privately owned land such as wildlife on specific terms unless the person holds a licence and conditions. issued to the person for that purIn regards to land access the pose pursuant to this act and act states: except in accordance with the Disposition of access to land regulations, or 49(1) No person shall directly (b) on public land that is not or indirectly buy or sell, trade privately owned land. 1984 or barter or offer to buy or sell cW-9.1 s49;1996 c33 s35 access to any land for the purpose of hunting any big game Hunting in Saskatchewan or any fur-bearing animals on Wildlife contained on farms in Saskatchewan are eligible for any land. (2) No person shall directly hunting. Included are cervids, or indirectly buy or sell, trade bison and boar. In Alberta, wild or barter or offer to buy or sell boar is considered game inside access to any land for the pur- the fence and fee for hunting is pose of hunting any game bird allowed. Once the pigs escape they are deemed a pest (declared except as provided in SubsecT:8.125” 2008) and are bounty hunted in tion (3).
some counties. The Crown is the owner of all wildlife in Canada, including Saskatchewan but there has been an exception in Section 24 of the Wildlife Act of 1998. 4(1) Subject to Subsection (2) in all wildlife situated within a province, while in a state of nature, is hereby declared to be vested in her Majesty in right of the province and no person shall require any right or property therein or otherwise than in accordance with this act and the regulation. The exception is Saskatchewan as stated in Section 24 of the Wildlife Act 1998: 24(1) Subject to this act and the regulations, a person has all the property rights, title and interest in and to any wildlife where that person a) is in possession of the wildlife b) has a licence authorizing possession of the wildlife.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT A T B LE E H T
IS SET INNOVATION
Native rights
The Canadian Constitution of 1930 included the Natural Resources Transfer Agreement (NRTA), “that the said Indians shall have the right, which the province hereby assures to them, of hunting, trapping and fishing game and fish for food at all seasons of the year on all unoccupied Crown lands and on any other lands to which the said Indians may have a right of access.” Additionally, Aboriginal hunting and rights are protected under Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 and the Indian Act (1876).” There is provision under the Canadian Wildlife Act for the minister to call on committee, council or advisory and this may be an avenue to address needs of those who wish to discuss game hunting on private land for a fee. Each province does have the opportunity for provincial amendment such as was made in Saskatchewan in 1998 and in Alberta there is a bit of vague direction in terms of the possession of wildlife as an exception as stated in the act: Subsection 55(2) (b) on a farm or a game production farm if that possession is reasonably incidental to the operation of that farm or off the farm if that possession is reasonably necessary for its operations. At this time the discussion regarding the access and ownership, control and care of livestock is taking place at the industry level and could be reestablished as a priority within the provincial government. T:10”
for
Saskatchewan’s act also allows the minister to compensate for property damage or loss caused by wildlife. Hunt farms are licensed and fall under the director of Fish and Wildlife and those employed by Fish and Wildlife. The licence may be revoked at the discretion of the director and the wildlife on that licensed farm may be sold, moved or set free at the discretion of the director. The director is advised by an appointed advisory committee.
Brenda Schoepp is a Nuffield Scholar who travels extensively exploring agriculture and meeting the people who feed, clothe and educate our world. A motivating speaker and mentor she works with young entrepreneurs across Canada and is the founder of Women in Search of Excellence. www. brendaschoepp.com
FARMING IS ENOUGH OF A GAMBLE...
4-H Canada and Bayer CropScience believe the agricultural leaders of tomorrow can help find sustainable solutions for the world’s growing need for safe, nutritious food. That’s why we’re gathering 120 bright minds, ages 18-25, from around the world to share their perspectives at the 4-H Youth Ag-Summit in Calgary. From August 19th-25th, 2013, these delegates will be tasked with identifying actionable agriculturally sustainable solutions to feed a growing world.
Advertise in the Alberta Farmer Express Classifieds, it’s a Sure Thing!
Let’s talk change. To find out what topics are on the table and join the growing conversation, please visit facebook.com/youthagsummit.
1-888-413-3325
Y
to
O
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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 5, 2013
BRIEFS Smithfield investor wants breakup, not sale REUTERS / Starboard Value LP, a large shareholder in Smithfield Foods Inc., urged the world’s largest pork producer to explore a breakup rather than go ahead with a planned $4.7-billion takeover by Chinese meat company Shuanghui International. The activist shareholder, which disclosed a 5.7 per cent stake in the company, said Smithfield might be worth “well in excess” of the $34 per share offered by Shuanghui if it split into hog production, pork and international units and shopped the businesses separately. Starboard said in a letter to Smithfield’s board its sum-of-the-parts valuation was between $44 and $55 per share. Starboard’s call echoed an earlier one from investor Continental Grain Co., which later dropped its demand after Shuanghui made a deal to buy the firm.
ENDING WITH A BANG
This spectacular display of power near Rockyford, Alberta followed a severe thunderstorm warning by Environment Canada June 30. PHOTO: KEVIN LINK
Maple Leaf sells southern Ontario turkey operations Maple Leaf Foods says it has sold its commercial turkey farms to Ernald Enterprises Limited and its breeder farms and hatchery operation to Cuddy Farms Limited. Maple Leaf’s southern Ontario turkey operations include six breeder farms that supply turkey eggs and poults (day-old turkeys) to domestic and international markets and six commercial farms that supply marketready live birds to its turkey-processing facility in Thamesford, Ontario. The company said the “vast majority” of the 100plus employees will transition to Ernald Enterprises and Cuddy Farms. “Divesting our turkeygrowing operations will allow us to focus on, and direct capital to, growth and innovation in our valueadded turkey-processing business,” Maple Leaf president and CEO Michael McCain said in a release. Cuddy Farms is a leading producer and distributor of commercial turkey eggs and poults in Canada. Ernald Enterprises Ltd. owns 1,200 acres of agricultural land and operates five commercial turkey- and chickengrowing operations in southern Ontario.
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AUGUST 5, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA
Faster E. coli detection for packing plants New technology developed at U of A could soon find its way to commercialization BY ALEXIS KIENLEN AF STAFF / EDMONTON
I
t’s the size of a postage stamp, but this little piece of technology could enable meat-packing plant workers to test samples for E. coli right on site. A University of Alberta project team is optimistic its PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technology could be used in packing plants. The technology was initially focused on medical applications, but will be now used in the livestock sector to detect E. coli in meat, said Linda Pilarski, professor in the department of oncology at the University of Alberta and team project lead. The technology, known as cassette PCR, sits inside a “gel cycler” — a test box the size of a shoebox. The technology can test multiple samples and look for various strains of E. coli at the same time, which isn’t possible using current technology. The device, which uses molecular testing, can discover whether specific genetic material is
present and can give results within an hour, unlike current tests which take between 12 and 24 hours. “Because it’s so specific, we have been able to distinguish between all the strains of E. coli,” said Pilarski. “We can distinguish them at a molecular level using our device. What we plan to do is create a panel of markers to determine how much E. coli is there and how much it is, and we can do all that within an hour for each sample collected.” The device can analyze raw samples so any staff member in a meat plant could do the test. All the worker has to do is add a sample to the cassette using an eyedropper and put the test in the gel cycler. The team knows the technology works and is reliable in testing E. coli, but it just needs to refine it and make it easier for a meat plant worker to use. “It is necessary to find a very low number of cells in a very large amount of sample,” said Michael Ganzle. “There is the need to concentrate and that’s one of the challenges of the project. Can we take
100 grams of meat and get it into the small PCR tube without losing any of the relevant DNA?” Once the technology is fine tuned, the team will be looking for someone to license the technology and make it commercially available and regulatory approved. Other members include Dr. Lynn McMullen, a food microbiologist and researcher with the U of A’s faculty of agriculture, life and environmental sciences (ALES) and Michael Ganzle, an E. coli specialist and professor also with ALES. Faculty of science researcher, Patrick Pilarski will develop the artificial intelligence needed and Xianqin Yang from Agriculture Canada will provide expertise on the science of meat packing. The project is funded by Alberta Innovates Health Solutions, Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions, the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency, Genome Canada and the Alberta Innovates Centre for Machine Learning. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com
This technology, known as a PCR slide, could help detect E. coli in a meatpacking plant in under an hour. PHOTO: PATRICK PILARSKI
CONGRATS! JOIN US!
CENTENNIAL HOMECOMING OCTOBER 18 & 19 The final Signature Event of the Olds College Centennial will be the Homecoming! Join with former alumni and faculty to relive your College memories.
To Olds College for 100 years of quality eduation. MacDon Industries Ltd. would like to send sincere congratulations to the faculty, students, and alumni of Olds College.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18 4:00 - 8:00 P.M. Registration 4:30 - 11:30 P.M. Tailgate Party 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. O.C. Broncos Games
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19 8:30 A.M. Registration 8:30 - 10:00 A.M. Breakfast 9:30 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. Campus Tours 11:30 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. Welcome Lunch 2:00 - 4:00 P.M. Faculty Meet & Greet (cheese, wine & chocolate) 5:30 P.M. TO 1:00 A.M. Centennial Evening Celebration (cocktails, dinner & dance) WEEKEND PACKAGE $100/person and includes admission to all activities (excluding the Rodeo).
REGISTER TODAY!
2013 marks the 100th Anniversary of Olds College Join all of us at Alberta Farmer Express as we extend our most sincere congratulations to Olds College on 100 years of excellence in education.
100.OLDSCOLLEGE.CA
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For more information on how you can show your support in this space contact: Tiffiny Taylor tiffiny.taylor@fbcpublishing.com
New website aims to cut pecking damage More research to follow on chickens that are not beak trimmed STAFF
A new website www.featherwel. org by the University of Bristol in the U.K. has been launched to help make sure laying hens stay well feathered. Aimed principally at free-range systems, the website also emphasizes the importance of providing good access to a quality pasture with cover to maximize the opportunities for hens to forage while feeling secure. The website was endorsed by the poultry industry, said a university release. It focuses on management strategies to help prevent pecking damage occurring from day-old chicks through rear on to transfer to the laying house and throughout lay and provides photographic examples, links and further information. All forms of injurious pecking, including gentle and severe feather pecking, vent pecking and cannibalism are described. In addition, there is a forum where farmers can share their experiences in managing flocks. “When it comes to abnormal pecking behaviour, most farmers are well aware that prevention is easier than cure,” Claire Weeks, senior research fellow in animal welfare at the School of Veterinary Sciences, said in the release. “A trial of the advice in the management package on 100 farms as part of the Bristol Pecking Project found that using as many management strategies together as possible was the most effective way of achieving a fully feathered flock.” The Bristol team is currently trialling the advice in the management package on 20 commercial flocks where the birds have intact beaks (i.e. are not beak trimmed) to provide information for the U.K. government’s review in 2015 ahead of the proposed ban from 2016.
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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 5, 2013
Keep an eye out for water deprivation beff 911 } As water levels in dugouts get shallower,
the water temperature and evaporation increase By roy lewis, dvm
W
ater is the most essential nutrient of life and even though most areas have more than enough this year, it’s still a good time to talk about water deprivation. We need to focus on the preventive and what to watch for should water deprivation become a problem. Many articles have been written about water quality resulting in reduced weight gains. Depending on the water source, more issues with foot rot and potential exposure to algal poisoning are other issues to contend with as water levels get low. There are some commonsense principles to be aware of with low water tables, dugouts drop, and common water sources dry up. Water supply must be monitored frequently. As dugouts recede, solar pumps — depending on their capacity — may not be able to lift the water up into the troughs. As well, algae and aquatic plants may plug up the pump. Have as much storage capacity in the
watering troughs as possible — ideally at least a couple of days’ supply in the event of a pump failure. In wet years, there is a lot of surface water in sloughs and low spots that livestock can turn to if there’s a failure with a watering bowl or water pump. Dry years often don’t give us this luxury. As water levels in dugouts get shallower, the water temperature and evaporation increase. Some farmers have been caught when they didn’t monitor the depth of water supply and are left with a muddy bog in a matter of a few days. Water consumption does rise dramatically in the summer. A good rule of thumb is water consumption is 10 per cent of body weight in the summer and about half that in the winter. So 100 good-size, 1,500-pound cows with earlyborn calves at foot, which are say 500 pounds, would require almost 2,000 gallons (or 20,000 pounds) of water on a hot day. Each cubic foot of water in your dugout contains 6.24 gallons and when calculating water needs, don’t forget to factor
in evaporation and seepage as well as consumption.
Check supplies
That’s why regular summertime checks of water supplies, tanks, solar pumps, etc. is a must. Only a few days without water can become life threatening with livestock, not to mention the production losses which occur. The first signs of water deprivation are sunken flanks, much like you would see with sick cattle where feed consumption and, in many cases water consumption, is reduced. Cattle may start acting overly quiet; hanging out by the water source or by the gates trying to get out. I have even seen water deprivation in winter in cases where watering bowls were shocking the cattle and they couldn’t drink. So don’t think it is entirely a summer phenomena. The different behaviour I described comes initially from thirst in the throat area just as we humans experience. Beyond that, you get cellular dehydration and the typical sunken eyes, very tacky skin,
and cessation of urinary output. If found in this state, provide water (preferably low in salinity to avoid salt poisoning) as quickly as possible. Gradual replenishment is the ideal but realistically livestock are going to be fighting to get to it. So allowing as much room as possible by providing more water tanks is about all you can do. Keep in mind that replacing water may not be the end of your problems. Pregnant cattle may abort or resorb their fetuses. As we become dehydrated, the blood becomes thicker. With the blood vessels constricting, the non-essential organs (such as the uterus) are deprived of blood supply. This is all in the name of survival for the animal. I have seen cattle and bison that were water deprived, but still alive, take on a good drink of water and later die from metabolic problems. The tissues are very dry at the cellular level and when replenished quickly, metabolic changes and imbalances occur that can send the animals into shock and death. On post-mortem there is often
liquefaction of the fat, which has also occurred. Any time there is water deprivation and it was preventable, there may be charges laid by the SPCA even though it might be deemed an accident. As much as feed is important to survival, special consideration must always be paid to the water supply. Both the quality and, especially the quantity, of water must be adequate. Water deprivation is a very unpleasant way to die, and survival could still result in permanent damage to organs such as the kidneys. Lots of mud-stained legs, flanks and underbellies often indicate livestock are having difficulty reaching adequate water supplies. Check these supplies out. Even when using wells, solar pumps and so on, it is always nice to have standing water somewhere in case our modern technologies fail us. Roy Lewis is a Westlock, Albertabased veterinarian specializing in large-animal practice. He is also a part-time technical services vet for Merck Animal Health.
What to do about Alberta’s herds of wild horses? There are nearly 1,000 wild horses in the province and they’ve been running free for decades, if not centuries — but they’re also a source of concern for ranchers and government By Alexis Kienlen
“They are considered a concern because they compete for food with deer and elk. They also compete with livestock by foraging and they can impact rangeland health and tree regeneration.”
af staff /edmonton
T
hey’re loved by some and viewed as a nuisance by others, but what to do about Alberta’s wild horses remains an unanswered question. It’s estimated there are close to 1,000 wild horses, generally found in herds of 15 to 20 animals, roaming a territory that ranges from Kananaskis Country, west of Bragg Creek, to Hinton and Edson. “I’ve had people approach my office for the preservation of wild horses and then I’ve had some trappers complain that these horses have been problematic,” said Joe Anglin, MLA for Rimbey/ Rocky Mountain House/Sundre. “Some people argue that they’re feral horses, but these horses have been out there a couple of generations, so they are truly wild.” They’ve actually been around for much longer than that, said Bob Henderson, president of the Wild Horses of Alberta Society (WHOAS), a 550-member group set up in 2001 to monitor and study wild horses, as well as to educate the public and lobby government for their protection. “As early as 1805, David Thompson documented that there were horses roaming free in that country,” said Henderson, a lifelong horse enthusiast who lives in Olds. “They’ve been there a lot longer than
Carrie Sancartier public affairs officer, Alberta Environment
Alberta’s wild or feral horses are loved by some and a nuisance to others. They roam from Sundre to Rocky Mountain House to Edson/Hinton and as far south as the American border. Photo: Bob Henderson the government wants us to believe.” Henderson, who gives presentations at schools and to 4-H and other groups, argues the existence of wild horses should be celebrated. “We should be recognizing them for the part they have played in our history,” he said, adding early settlers would catch and use wild horses on their homesteads. Members of his group have rescued young wild horses who have been injured or abandoned, and even purchased horses from trappers to save them from slaughter. Henderson and his group gentle the younger horses and arrange
to have them adopted. He noted there are now several outfits that take tourists to see the herds. But the horses also cause problems, said Carrie Sancartier, a public affairs officer with Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, which has responsibility for the animals. “They are considered a concern because they compete for food with deer and elk,” said Sancartier. “They also compete with livestock by foraging and they can impact rangeland health and tree regeneration.” There’s enough forage for all, countered Henderson. “One only has to roam through
that area there and spend some time out there and see that there is so much grass and forage there’s enough for everything out there,” he said. Horses also pose a traffic risk, particularly on the Sunchild Road in Brazeau County northwest of Rocky Mountain House. “This poses a danger to vehicles travelling, so that’s a huge issue,” said Anglin. Still, no one is arguing for the destruction of the wild horses, he said, although that has happened as recently as 2011 when 220 horses were captured, most of which were sent for slaughter.
But since then the government has stopped issuing Horse Capture Licences, and is reviewing how to best manage the wild herds. Before giving any thought to another cull, research is needed on topics such as the animals’ range and habitat and what are manageable herd sizes in order to develop a proper, science-based management strategy, said Anglin. Part of that strategy should include capturing younger animals, gentling them, and putting them up for adoption, said Henderson. “There are a lot of people who appreciate these horses and what they can do,” he said. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com
20
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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 5, 2013
FARM MACHINERY Grain Handling
BUSINESS SERVICES
FARM MACHINERY Combine – Various
BUSINESS SERVICES Crop Consulting
Spraying EquipmEnt
Spraying EquipmEnt
FARM MACHINERY Sprayers
FARM MACHINERY Sprayers
FARM CHEMICAL SEED COMPLAINTS
AGRI-VACS
Tired of shovelling out your bins, unhealthy dust and awkward augers? Walinga manufactures a complete line of grain vacs to suit your every need. With no filters to plug and less damage done to your product than an auger, you’re sure to find the right system to suit you. Call now for a free demonstration or trade in your old vac towards a new WALINGA AGRI-VACS Fergus, ON: (519) 787-8227 Carman, MB: (204) 745-2951 Davidson, SK: (306) 567-3031
SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted 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 Hit our readers where it counts… in the classifieds. Place your ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifed section. 1-888-413-3325.
BOW VALLEY TRADING LTD.
WE BUY DAMAGED GRAIN Wheat, Barley, Oats, Peas, etc. Green or Heated Canola/Flax
1-877-641-2798
BUYING:
HEATED & GREEN CANOLA • Competitive Prices • Prompt Movement • Spring Thrashed “ON FARM PICK UP”
1-877-250-5252
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
ENGINES
FOR-SALE: TWO NH TR98 combines w/PU & Macdon straight headers; 1997 1246 threshing hours; 1998 1857 threshing; Headers 36-ft & 25-ft 972 w/PU reels; Co-op swather 722 26-ft. PU reels 1806-hr. PH:(780)374-2193, cell:(780)608-5135, Daysland AB.
ASSORTED DEUTZ & OTHER Diesel engines. KMK Sales, (800)565-0500, Humboldt, SK.
FARM MACHINERY Haying & Harvesting – Baling
FARM MACHINERY Haying & Harvesting – Swathers 30-FT. CIH 1010 HEADER, batt reel, VGC, $8,000; 30-ft. Header trailer, $2,000; 25-ft. IH Cultivator #55 w/Prasco Bandit big tank, $3,500; Case IH 21-ft. PT swather model 75 w/UII PU reel & bat reel, $2,000. Phone (403)823-9974 or (403)823-1928.
Combines FARM MACHINERY Combine – Case/IH 1985 Case IH 1480 Combine. 3,950 Engine hrs, new front tires, 2 sets concaves, chopper, rock trap, specialty rotor, 12-ft PU header w/large auger, always stored inside. $22,500. Phone: (204) 362-4532. clint.andrea.fehr@gmail.com
FARM MACHINERY Combine – Ford/New Holland CX840 NH COMBINE, 1593S-HRS, 2124E-hrs, 16ft rake-up PU; 30-ft NH Honey-Bee straight cut header also avail., VGC. Phone(403)391-6021, Red Deer, AB. NH 1500 Combine with 3208 Cat Diesel, AC, Straw Chopper, and Melroe pickup. 2,000 hrs. Always shedded and field ready.$5000 OBO. (403) 932-2343 or (403) 519-7815.
Buying Spring Thrashed, Heated, Green, Canola, Freight Options, Prompt Payment Bonded and Insured
COMBINE WORLD located 20 min. E of Saskatoon, SK on Hwy. #16. 1 year warranty on all new, used, and rebuilt parts. Canada’s largest inventory of late model combines & swathers. 1-800-667-4515 www.combineworld.com
CALL 1-866-388-6284
FARM MACHINERY Combine – John Deere
www.milliganbiofuels.com
JD 9600 COMBINE 1989 model 3,200 thrasher hrs, 4,500 eng hrs, new feeder chain, $35,000. Phone (403)818-6443.
AUCTION SALES Auctions Various
AUCTION SALES Auctions Various
SHIELDS
AUCTION SERVICE LTD. General Auction Services since 1960
Stretch your ADVERTISING DOLLAR!
1-888-413-3325
FOR SALE: CASE IH model 475 16-ft. disc has done very little work, disc & tires in excellent condition, asking $2,800. Phone (780)675-4784.
TracTors
TracTors
FARM MACHINERY Combine – Accessories
FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Various
FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Various
2007 AGCO 5100 DRAPER header, comes w/MF9000 series combine adaptor, comes w/HC PU reel, VGC, asking $25,000. Call 780-837-0496. AERATION HALF CIRCLE PERFORATED duct work 24-in. system complete have several sets. (403)728-3535. RECONDITIONED COMBINE HEADERS. RIGID & flex, most makes & sizes; also header transports. Ed Lorenz, (306)344-4811 or Website: www.straightcutheaders.com Paradise Hill, SK. Hit our readers where it counts… in the classifieds. Place your ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifed section. 1-888-413-3325.
FARMING
Double LL Industries 780.905.8565 Nisku, Alberta
1976 Massey Ferguson 285
1977 John Deere 2130
1988 Ford 4610
2003 Kubota FWA
80 HP Diesel, 3 Point Hitch
66 HP, 3 Point Hitch
52 Pto HP, 60 Eng HP, 3 Point Hitch
4624 Hours, 80 Pto HP, 90 Eng HP, 3 Point Hitch
11,800
$
IS ENOUGH OF
12,500
$
12,800
$
22,800
$
www.doublellindustries.com
A GAMBLE...
1990 CIH MODEL 7110, 2WD, 6749-hrs, 18-spd 4 reverse, 130-HP; Ezee-On front end loader, 125 high-lift model, complete w/mounts for 1580 Hesston. The mounts can be remodeled to fit any narrow yoked tractor. 8-ft bucket complete w/grapple. Phone (403)577-2296/cell (403)575-0987.
Advertise in the Alberta Farmer Express Classifieds, it’s a Sure Thing!
JD 7210, FWA, 3 pth Front End LDR JD 4250 FWA, 280 loader JD 7810 FWA, 3 pth JD 4560, FWA, 280 loader JD 6400, FWA loader JD 2550, FWA JD 746 loader, new Mustang 2044 Skidsteer, 1300 Hrs. Clamp on Duals, 20.8x38-18.4x38 158 & 148, 265, 740.280, JD loaders JCB 1550B, Backhoe FWA, Extend A Hoe, Ford Backhoe 655C 4x4, Extend A Hoe
1-888-413-3325
FINANCE, TRADES WELCOME 780-696-3527, BRETON, AB
FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories FOR SALE: PARTS FOR IH TD40 track tractor, crankshaft & bearings, radiator, Diesel injector pump, All for $300. (403)729-2181
FARM, RANCH, REAL ESTATE & COMMERCIAL
Big Tractor Parts, Inc.
FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous 1993 960 JD COMBINE w/914 pick-up, Asking $68,000; JD 930D straight-cut header w/pick-up reel, $35,000; 2006 JD 4995 self-propelled swather, comes w/2 headers: 30-ft Honeybee & JD 5-m discbine, $110,000; 1997 9400 JD 4x4 tractor, $128,000; 2007 56-ft 5112 Conscerva-pak air drill w/440 tank, $150,000; 1997 JD 7810 front wheel assist w/740 SI front end loader, $60,000; 1999 JD 7410 front wheel assist w/740 SI front end loader, $58,000; 2005 JD 567 round baler w/net wrap, $25,000; Jiffy 712 12-wheel brake, $9,500; Ren 36in roller mill, $3,000; Crown hyd. 3 Batt rock picker, $3,750; 1987 freight liner Tandem dump truck, $20,000; 1997 freight liner semi-truck, $24,000; 2012 Wilson Tridem grian trailer, aluminum & airride, $55,000; 2001 IH 9200 semi-truck, $24,000; Doctor Tandem grain trailer, $17,500; Leon 4-way blade, 16-ft, $15,000. Call:(780)888-1278. 1999 CAT 460 1300 sep. hrs, rake up $87,500; 2006 JD 567 mega-wide, mesh wrap, 5453/bales, $18,000; 1998 AGCO 9755, 530/int electronic, 18spd p/s, 3096/hrs, 4 remotes, 540 front weights, duals, $48,000; 2005 MacDon 922, 16-ft DK, $17,000; 2000 MacDon 972, 25-ft DK, DS, pick-up reel, $20,000. (403)665-2341, Craigmyle, AB.
Geared For The Future
STEIGER TRACTOR SPECIALIST
Email: john@shieldsauctionservices.com • Phone: 403-464-0202 BUILDINGS
FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Tillage
Combine ACCessories
1995 R72 GLEANER, 2522/SEP hours, 3245 engine, Sunnybrook rotor, new feeder chains, $35,000 (403)818-6443 1996 GLEANER R72, 2160/SEP. hrs, 2724 eng. hrs. Sunnybrook rotor, new feeder chains, $40,000 (403)818-6443
GOOD SELECTION OF JD & CASE HEADERS: 635F, 636D AND MANY MORE CASE & JD
Tillage & Seeding
FARM MACHINERY Combine – Gleaner
CANOLA WANTED
JD 4710, 4720, 4730, 4830, 4920, 4930 SP sprayers JD 9770 & 9870 w/CM & duals CIH 3185, 3230, 3330, 4430, 4420 sprayers 9580 Kubota, FWA, FEL, low hours 3545 MF w/FWA FEL
“LIKE MANY BEFORE, WE’LL HAVE YOU SAYING THERE’S NO DEAL LIKE A KEN DEAL” • Phone: (403)526-9644 • Cell: (403)504-4929 • Email: kendeal@shaw.ca
FARM MACHINERY
WANTED: JD 7810 c/w FEL & 3-PTH; sp or PTO bale wagon; JD or IHC end wheel drills. Small square baler. (877)330-4477
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 CIH 435Q, 535Q, 450Q, 550Q, 600Q pto avail. NH TJ 450, New Triples, Big Pump 8100 Wilmar Sprayer
BUILDINGS
NEW WOBBLE BOXES for JD, IH, MacDon headers. Made in Europe, factory quality. Get it direct from Western Canada’s sole distributor starting at $1,095. 1-800-667-4515. www.combineworld.com Farming is enough of a gamble, advertise in the Alberta Farmer Express classified section. It’s a sure thing. 1-888-413-3325.
Call toll free 1 (877) 525-2004 or see us online at www.pioneeronesteel.com
www.bigtractorparts.com
MORE OPTIONS TO SAVE YOU MONEY
Buy one province, buy two provinces or buy all three. Great rates whatever you choose
$28,418 Pioneer One Steel Buildings
1-800-982-1769
Prairie-Wide Display Classifieds
40’ X 60’ X 16’ RIGID FRAME STEEL BUILDING When you go with steel you get the right deals!
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.
Toll Free: 1-888-413-3325 Email: ads@fbcpublishing.com ALBERTA
SASKATCHEWAN
4308 1990 IHC, 13-SPD, all new rubber, 17 bale, golden view deck, certified till Nov. 2013, $49,900 OBO. Phone (780)727-4257 or (780)621-1148, Evansburg, AB. ACREAGE EQUIPMENT: CULTIVATORS, DISCS, Plows, Blades, Post pounders, Haying Equipment, Etc. (780)892-3092, Wabamun, Ab. BLANCHARD (HARMON) 83-FT SPRAYER, $1800; Morris B3-48 rod weeder, $650; Morris CP519 cultivator, $950; CCIL 3-ring walking harrows, $375; 2 disc markers, $75 ea. Ph (403)782-2545. FOR SALE: JD 750, no-till drill, 15-ft wide, field ready. Phone:(780)858-2482 or (780)522-9029. JD 336 SQUARE BALER; JD 568 round baler; Case IH 8380 Haybine, 16-ft; 41-47-ft Leon chisel plow w/harrows, w/wo NH3 kit. Case 2090 tractor, w/wo Leon 790 loader; Greenbelt 900 chain highdump. Phone:(780)623-1008. JD 8820 914 PICK-UP header & 930 grain header & trailer; MF 860 w/pick-up & MF 20-ft grain header; MF 410 combine, PU header; Honeybee 36-ft draper header, pick-up reel, fits Case 2388 & 2588 combine; D7G, PS, ripper; CAT 235 track hoe; D760 Champion Grater; Tree farmer skidder, mechanical special, new 18.4x34 tires; Calhoun fertilizer spreader, PTO; Grousen dozer, fits a JD 8970 16-ft; 2004 Dodge RumbleBee short box. Phone: (306)236-8023.
22
AUGUST 5, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA
FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous ESTATE SALE
2003 9650 JD Combine 2,171 Sep Hrs Redekop Chaff Blower & Wagon, $88,000 1993 9600 JD Combine 2,680 Sep Hrs, $40,000 2004 MacDon 974 36-ft. Flex Header, Cross Auger, PU Reel, Fore & Aft, Single Pt, $33,000 1998 MacDon 960 36-ft. PU Reel, Fore & Aft, $15,000 1997 Macdon 960 36-ft. Header, Bat Reel, $10,000 930 Rigid 30-ft. JD Header, $5,000 930 Flex JD Header 30-ft. PU Reel & Transport, $15,000 Case PT Swather 30-ft. Bat Reel, $5,000 Farm King 1370 Swing auger Mechanical, $4,000 Bourgault 3195 Triple Air Tank, $8,000 1986 3394 Case MFD 8,700 hours, $20,000 Phone (403)601-1360
RON SAUER
MACHINERY LTD. (403) 540-7691 ronsauer@shaw.ca
1977 850 Versatile Series II, Atom jet hyd., 20.8 x 38 dual tires, nice shape........................... $17,500 31’ Flexicoil B Chisel Plow Extensions Included, Extends to 41’, 3 bar harrows, Excellent Condition ............. $12,500 Flexicoil 6 run seed treater ................................ $2,000 Wanted Flexicoil S95 harrow packer draw bar, 5 bar harrows, P30 packers, good condition ......................................... Call 134’ Flexicoil S68XL sprayer, 2007, suspended boom, auto rate, joystick, rinse tank, triple quick jets, auto boom height, electric end nozzle & foam marker............. $39,500 130’ Flexicoil 67XL PT sprayer, 2006,trail boom, auto rate, rinse tank, hyd. pump, combo jets, nice shape.... $26,500 100’ 65XL Flexicoil Sprayer, complete with windguards, elec. end nozzles dual tips, markers ........................ $5,500 30’ 8230 CIH PT swather, PU reel, nice shape,.. $10,000 25ft Hesston 1200 PT swather, Bat reel, nice shape .......................................................... $5,500 21’ 4600 Prairie Star PT swather, UII pu reel, nice shape .............................................................$5000 16’ NH 2300 hay header & conditioner from NH 2450 swather, nice cond. ......................... $5,000 MATR (Italy) 10 wheel V-Hayrake, hyd. fold, as new.................................................................... $5,250 New Sakundiak Augers Complete with E-Kay Attachments ............................................... Call 2 Used 8” Self Propelled Sakundiak Augers .Coming In New E-Kay 7”, 8”, 9” Bin Sweeps .........................Call 1 Used E-Kay 9” Bin Sweep, with hyd., pump, motor & tank ....................................................... $1,250 Flexicoil 10”x 50’ Grain auger ......................... $2,500 7721 JD PT combine, decent cond. ....................... $5,000 7701 JD PT combine, new concaves & rub bars ..... $4,000 Jiffy Feed Wagon, like new, hardly used, shedded .....$9,250 415 New Holland Discbine, like new ................. $12,500 166 New Holland Hay Turner, like new .............. $5,500 40’ Harrow Morris Packer Bar, P30 packers, 4 bar harrows, Hyd. fold up, good condition ..................... $5,500 1990 GMC 9000 Single Axle Grain Truck, 16’ x 18’ steel box, propane only, runs good.......................... $6,500 8” Wheat Heart Transfer Auger, as new............ $1,500 Jiffy Grain Feeder, 3 pt hitch, hydraulic auger, as new .$500 New Outback MAX & STX Guidance & Mapping...In Stock 1 New Outback S3 Complete with 3 year ESP ........ $3,500 New Outback E-Drive, TC’s .................................In Stock New Outback E-Drive X, c/w free E turns ............In Stock New Outback S-Lite................................................$900 New Outback VSI’s Swather Steering Wheel Kits .......................................................In Stock Used Outback RTK Guidance System ....................... Call Used Outback E-Drive Hyd. Kits.(JD,Case, Cat & NH) $500
**NuVision, Sakundiak & Farm King Augers, Outback GPS Systems, EK Auger Movers, Belt Tighteners, Bin Sweeps, & Crop Dividers, Kohler & Robin Subaru engines, Degelman, Headsight Harvesting Solutions**
We know that farming is enough of a gamble so if you want to sell it fast place your ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds. It’s a Sure Thing. Call our toll-free number today. We have friendly staff ready to help. 1-888-413-3325. Go public with an ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds. Phone 1-888-413-3325.
FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous
FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous
FOR SALE IN ATHABASCA
PERSONAL
AVAILABLE BACHELORETTE
SEED / FEED / GRAIN SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Feed Grain BUYING ALL TYPES OF feed grain. Also have market for light offgrade or heated, picked up on the farm. Eisses Grain Marketing 1-888-882-7803, (403)350-8777 Lacombe. FEED GRAIN WANTED! ALSO buying; Light, tough, or offgrade grains. “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252
1997 CH75E 5000 hrs farm use only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$90,000 $90,000 100’ foot Fast-963P three point hitch sprayer used one season stored inside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$23,000 (2006) Lexion 590R 1040 sep hrs, P516 Skids for 1620 meridian bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,400 Farm king 13x85 used one season almost new. . . . . . O . .L . .D . . . . .$16,500 5000 gallon fuel tank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S. . . . . . . . . . . . $900
Miranda is a successful model, business owner and mother of a 4 year old daughter. Many people look at me and believe I have it all, but the truth is I don’t. At 37, 5’5 and 124lbs I have come to realize that I will only be truly happy again once I find love again, Marriage is in my future, having more children or loving his children and being one big family I would feel like I was the happiest girl in the world.
Please Call 780-212-4855 or 780-675-5186
This lovely lady is available, she is genuine sincere, real and extremely motivated to find the man of her dreams, slim, attractive, outgoing, feminine, well travelled, active, enjoys water sports, romantic dinner. Since losing her husband to cancer three years ago she has just started to feel that she would like to be held in the arms of a man. I am willing to meet and take the time to fall in love, but it has to right!
FARM MACHINERY Machinery Wanted
LIVESTOCK Cattle – Hereford
WANTED: NH 8500 ROUND bale wagon. Phone (406)883-2118
HEREFORD BULLS, YEARLINGS AND two year olds, dehorned, and polled, excellent quality, check out our catalogue of bulls for sale by private treaty at Coulee Crest Herefords, couleecrest.ca (403)227-2259 or (403)588-6160, Bowden, Ab.
HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING
The Icynene Insulation System® • Sprayed foam insulation • Ideal for shops, barns or homes • Healthier, Quieter, More Energy Efficient®
Specialty LIVESTOCK Livestock Equipment 5’X10’ PORTABLE CORRAL PANELS, 6 bar. New improved design. Storage Containers, 20’ & 40’ 1-866-517-8335, (403)540-4164, (403)226-1722 GOLDENVIEW FEEDLOT PRO DELUXE hyd squeeze w/palpation cage, scale, crowding tub, transition tub, 4 alley sections, alley splitter & loading chute. Phone (403)391-6021, Red Deer AB.
www.penta.ca
1-800-587-4711
LIVESTOCK Livestock Equipment
Stretch your advertising dollars! Place an ad in the classifieds. Our friendly staff is waiting for your call. 1-888-413-3325.
LIVESTOCK Livestock Equipment
NOW BUYING OATS!
Competitive Rates
PAUL MOWER
DAVE KOEHN
403-304-1496
ALL GRADES Prompt Payment
403-546-0060
LINDEN, ALBERTA CANADA TIRES FEDERATION TIRE: 1100X12, 2000X20, used aircraft. Toll free 1-888-452-3850
Matchmakers Select
1-888-916-2824
www.selectintroductions.com Guaranteed Service, thorough screening process, customised membership Est. 13 years in Canada & USA
PETS
New 30.5L-32 16 ply, $2,195; 20.8-38 12 ply $795; 18.4-38 12 ply; $789; 24.5-32 14 ply, $1,749; 14.9-24 12 ply, $486; 16.9-28 12 ply $558, 18.4-26 10 ply, $890. Factory direct. More sizes available new and used. 1-800-667-4515. www.combineworld.com
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REAL ESTATE REAL ESTATE Mobile Homes CANADA SINGLE FAMILY HOME NEW 16 wide & 20 wide MODULAR HOMES at GREAT prices. (218)751-7720 frontierhomesonline.com
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23
ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • AUGUST 5, 2013
Rain on Indian soybeans
Sprouting in soft red wheat
Indian oilseeds and soyoil futures edged higher last week on concerns that heavy rainfall in central India could damage the soybean crop. “Soybean area has risen, but the continuous rainfall in Madhya Pradesh can damage the soybean crop,” Nalini Rao, an analyst at India Infoline Ltd., said July 30. “Rainfall in the next few days will determine the price movement. More rainfall can increase concerns and boost prices.” Top soybean-producing Madhya Pradesh state was expected to receive heavy rainfall in the next three days, the weather department said July 30. — Reuters
U.S. flour millers are reporting quality problems in the soft red winter wheat, the result of heavy rain that soaked much of the Midwest crop in early July as farmers were preparing for what appeared to be a bumper harvest, brokers and millers said July 29. “The sprout damage does create some issues for millers,” said Jim Banachowski, a vice-president with The Andersons, Inc., a major U.S. grain handler. “They are having problems finding the right milling-quality wheat to make flour.” Banachowski said some of the wheat in southern Illinois and southern Indiana had seven to 10 per cent damage. — Reuters
Cold air, long waves, and blocking systems The boundary between the cold and warm air is where the majority of our ‘weather’ or storm systems occur by daniel bezte
I
“
f you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute.” This is probably one of the most used and often true statements made about the weather in our part of the world. We live in a zone that stretches right around the globe, where warm air moving northward battles it out with cold air surging southward. Our atmosphere is fluid, that is, it flows. But for most of us, it is difficult to picture air flowing. One way to look at it is that the top of our planet is covered in a heavy, gooey substance that we call cold air. This substance wants to run down the planet towards the equator, but instead of simply sliding down in all directions, just parts of it start to sag in large undulations. Since there is not an infinite amount of this cold air, if some of it sags southwards, other areas will pull northward to replace what has sagged southward. All together, at any one time in the Northern Hemisphere, we have between three and six regions that are seeing cold air sag southwards. Due to the shape and size of these sags, they are referred to as long waves. Now, what makes this more complicated is the fact that our planet is rotating, and to put things very simply, this causes the air to rotate. So now, take the picture you have created in your mind of a pile of goop sitting on the top of our planet with three to six areas of goop sagging southward, and now have that whole thing start to slowly rotate around the Earth. Now you have a very basic picture of what causes our weather to change from periods of warm, to periods of cold. When one of the sags of cold air moves across us, we have an outbreak of cold air. When it moves away, we return to warmer conditions. The boundary between the cold and warm air is where the majority of our “weather” or storm systems occur, and this is the typical location of the jet stream (a ribbon of high-speed winds in
the upper atmosphere). So, we end up having a pattern that repeats itself over and over, stormy weather as cold air moves in, followed by a period of cool or cold weather, then possibly some more stormy weather as the cold air moves
off, and finally a period of warm weather. Now that we have a fairly basic understanding of how our weather occurs in our region of the world, the next question is: Why do we sometimes get the same type of weather for very
long periods of time, or seem to have one type of weather dominate most of the time like we’ve seen several times over the last year or so? Well, the answer to that is: blocking systems. Blocking is a phenomenon in which the normal movement of weather systems in the atmosphere stops and can lead to prolonged periods of either fine or unsettled weather, depending on the precise location of the block. As the long waves develop and move across the globe, certain shapes and patterns of these long waves tend to become very stable and at times can cause the movement of these long waves to stop, preventing other long waves from moving across that region. The most well-known blocking system is an Omega Block. It is called an Omega Block due to its resemblance to the Greek letter omega. When an Omega Block occurs, there is usually a large,
strong area of high pressure, with two areas of low pressure on each side (our long waves). This particular setup causes the jet stream to flow down and around the bottom of the area of low pressure and then up over the high, and then back down around the low, producing the omega symbol. Areas that are under the high pressure will see clear skies, and warm, dry conditions, while the areas under the lows will see unsettled weather with excessive moisture and cool conditions. Typically these Omega Blocks will last anywhere from one week up to a month or longer, sometimes forming and then partially breaking down and then reforming again. In the next issue we’ll look at other types of blocking systems such as the Rex Block, cut-off highs and lows, and split flows, so stay tuned.
“Pretty much normal” describes both temperature and precipitation for Alberta in the 30-day period from June 24 to July 23.
24
AUGUST 5, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA
THREE CROP DISEASES. ONE GROWING RISK.
FUSARIUM BLACKLEG CLUBROOT
ALBERTA CEREAL AND CANOLA GROWERS SHOULD ACT NOW TO PROTECT AGAINST THESE DISEASES. WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW Fusarium, Blackleg and Clubroot pose a serious threat to Alberta crops and can spread quickly once present. Crop yields can be significantly reduced and these diseases can take years to eradicate once established.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO Take proper care and precautions: • Evaluate risks by scouting for signs and symptoms – if you want to know, you have to scout • Deploy cultivars with disease resistance and adopt good rotation practices to help avoid build-up of diseases • Ensure seed, soil and equipment are clean to avoid spreading diseases to new fields
WHERE YOU SHOULD GO TO LEARN MORE Get fully informed about Fusarium, Clubroot and Blackleg by visiting agric.gov.ab.ca or call 310–FARM (3276) toll-free in Alberta. You can also pick up a fact sheet at your local agricultural fieldmen’s office.
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