GN120206

Volume 38, Number 3 | February 6, 2012

$4.25

PRACTICAL PRODUCTION TIPS FOR THE PRAIRIE FARMER

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Plan Rotations to Avoid Fungicide and Herbicide Resistance As fungicide use becomes more common, pathogens are likely to develop resistance. Find out how to avoid this problem on your farm

BY ANGELA LOVELL

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athogens, organisms and plants will eventually find ways to adapt and develop immunity to the various methods used to control them.

This has been shown clearly with the announcement of glyphosateresistant kochia in Alberta.

Other recent challenges for farmers include increasing amounts of Group 2 herbicide-resistant cleavers and wild mustard in pulse crops. Group 1- and 2-resistant wild oats in cereal crops continue to have significant economic impacts for some growers.

FUNGICIDE RESISTANCE As fungicide costs have come down it’s more economical to use them. Fungicide use in wheat has been fairly high for a number of years, as farmers spray to control diseases like fusarium head blight and rust.

As the use of chemical controls increases, is resistance in crop varieties under greater pressure? “There are some concerns in using fungicides but variety resistance should not be overcome any quicker with fungicide use,” says Brent McCallum, a plant pathologist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Winnipeg. “The concerns with continual fungicide use are that the pathogens will develop resistance or tolerance to the fungicide and the environmental effects of fungicides, since they are broad spectrum and control all fungi (beneficial and harmful) in the crop, and to some extent the soil.”

Application of fungicides can, in some cases, hamper research work.

As most wheat fields in Manitoba are sprayed with fungicides, there are limited samples that researchers can collect to test for virulence.

Samples are more easily available in Saskatchewan, where fungicide

PHOTO: KUTCHER, CDC, UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN PHOTO: BRENT MCCALLUM, AAFC WINNIPEG

Resistance can develop to the fungicides that prevent diseases like this stem rust on wheat. Combining management techniques can help. use is lower and from other sources like nurseries and experimental trials. “Monitoring is very important,” says McCallum. “This year we found virulence to Lr21 for the first time in Canada. Lr21 is in many of our wheat cultivars and many lines in development, so knowing that it is less effective is important information for the future.”

PRE-MIXED FUNGICIDES New products are coming to the marketplace all the time, including pre-mixes, which promise better efficacy by combining different modes of action in one, ready-to-use product. But the theory behind pre-mixes, especially fungicides, is somewhat confused, says Bruce Gossen, a plant pathologist with AAFC at Saskatoon. “The accepted best practice for managing fungicide risk includes use of pre-mixes,

which are expected to substantially reduce the risk of fungicide insensitivity,” he says. “But some of the modelling that is being done doesn’t actually substantiate that approach. How effective it’s going to be in the long term is still being assessed.”

In the field, pre-mixed fungicides offer advantages to growers in Western Canada, where farmers have not used a large amount of fungicides over many acres for a long time. These fungicides often mix one product, which may be at a high risk for insensitivity but that has a lot of activity against a particular pathogen, with another product that may not be as effective against that pathogen, but which has a much lower risk of insensitivity. This makes the odds of getting resistance to both products very low.

“From a grower’s standpoint, these fungicide mixes are a smart

Pathogens that cause blackleg cankers on canola can become resistant.

Experts don’t recommend applying the same pre-mixed fungicide year after year. way to deal with the issue,” says Gossen. “We don’t recommend that growers apply the same mix year after year on a field. But if they are rotating fungicides and crops and including mixes as part of the approach, the odds of having trouble with fungicide sensitivity are much reduced.”

Farmers should, however, be cautious about seeing any one product as a solution in and of itself. “The lessons learned with herbicide-resistant weeds should be applicable to the evolution of fungicide-resistant pathogens,” says McCallum. “In some places, such as Europe, where fungicide use is high, they have seen the appearance of fungicide-resistant, or tolerant, or less-sensitive pathogens, so we should watch for that here as well.”

Farmers should not rely on just fungicides, but also make use of the genetic resistance in the host

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plant and McCallum advises farmers to regularly consult their provincial seed guides, which list the levels of resistance of each cultivar to various diseases. These can change over time if a pathogen population evolves increased virulence on a particular cultivar.

“The combination of improved genetic resistance and fungicide application has proven effective in controlling diseases such as fusarium head blight,” says McCallum.

“We don’t want to get into a situation in which we rely on fungicides and neglect genetic resistance. In some cases in Europe the reliance on fungicides has lead to a decline in genetic resistance to diseases such as rust. Recent legislation in Europe has mandated a reduction in fungicide use and now they are trying to develop genetic resistance, which can be a hard task.”

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Wheat & Chaff ..................

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Features ............................

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Crop Adviser’s Casebook

14

Columns ........................... 20 Machinery & Shop ............ 27 Cattleman’s Corner .......... 33

On-farm experience with grazing corn KEVIN ELMY

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Deere offers tracks on European combines SCOTT GARVEY PAGE 27

FarmLife ............................ 37

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Wheat & Chaff LEEANN MINOGUE

HERBICIDE RESISTANT WEEDS — A VERY REAL THREAT In this issue of Grainews we’re focusing on crop production and protection.

In Western Canada, any talk about crop protection is probably going to include some talk about herbicides, and any talk about herbicides is bound to come around to a discussion about herbicide resistance. This is a growing issue in Canada and around the world. The problem really hit home when glyphosate-resistant kochia in Alberta was confirmed in January.

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In October 2011 the CBC broadcast a radio documentary called “Superweeds” on its weekday morning show The Current.

In the slightly-scary introduction, the CBC host referred to Roundup-resistant weeds as “the stuff of agri-chemical nightmares.”

The radio program focused on glyphosate-tolerant weeds.

When the program was aired, none had yet been confirmed in Western Canada. But Hugh Beckie, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientist, had already predicted that this would happen sooner or later. As he told the audience at the Crop Production Show in Saskatoon, “If you use a product frequently enough, you will eventually select for resistance.” There is already a list of weeds resistant to other chemicals (not glyphosate) in Saskatchewan’s 2011 Guide to Crop Protection.

Plants are crafty. They’ll do whatever they can to survive and reproduce. When a few plants survive a chemical application, they’ll pass on their ability to survive to the next generation.

Researchers can develop a new herbicide, but the same thing is likely to happen again, and keep happening. On the CBC radio show, University of Saskatchewan researcher Chris Willenborg referred to this as “getting on the pesticide treadmill.”

As long as chemical companies keep developing new, patented (expensive) chemical formulations that kill weeds, we can keep running on that treadmill. In fact, Dow AgroSciences is well on its way to developing seed with tolerance to 2,4-D. While we were taking Christmas holidays, Dow staff were petitioning the U.S. Department of Agriculture for deregulation of its new genetically engineered corn (currently known as DAS40278-9). The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) has concluded that the new corn is “unlikely to pose a plant pest risk,” but the USDA is taking comments on the issue until February 27, 2012.

Although some corners of the Internet are abuzz with antigenetic-engineering groups urging members to submit negative comments, 2,4-D-tolerant crops are likely to be the next big tool for farmers. Dow expects to release the new corn variety in the U.S. in time for seeding in 2013, and we’ll see other 2,4-D-tolerant varieties in Canada in the near future.

Running on the treadmill will keep us producing high volumes of crops. But what if the treadmill slows to a crawl?

2,4-D was developed during the Second World War. Glyphosate came out in 1974. A lot of the new chemicals announced in the past few years are minor changes to existing formulations, or new pre-mixes of “old” chemicals. As Hugh Beckie reminded attendees at his presentation, “herbicides are a non-renewable resource,” and “the pipeline is dry.”

PRESERVING THE TECHNOLOGY While we’re waiting for tomorrow’s chemicals to show up in our local dealers’ sheds, we need to take individual responsibility and do all we can to keep today’s chemicals effective for as long as possible.

The most important step we can take on our own farms is to use recommended rotations — for crops, herbicides, and even fungicides, as you read in our cover story by Angela Lovell.

Herbicide rotation can get complicated. This is mainly because we usually refer to chemicals by their brand names, not their active ingredient.

(When was the last time someone told you they were off to town to pick up some tralkoxydim?) You could change products from one year to the next, but find out you’ve used the same active ingredient. This gets even more complicated when you’re mixing more than one product.

Because we generally refer to chemicals by their trade names, it can be very easy to change chemicals annually but still accidentally use the same active ingredient in the same field two or more years in a row.

To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, Alberta farmer Gerald Pilger has taken the time to pore over the chemical information and put together some handy lists of active ingredients in popular chemicals. You’ll find the active ingredients of Group 1 chemicals on page 8 of this issue. You’ll have to wait for the next issue of Grainews for the information about Group 2 chemicals.

MOVING BETWEEN GROUPS The first key to understanding herbicide rotation is learning about the different chemical groups. After reading a lot of brochures and websites about proper chemical rotations, I can’t say I had even a vague understanding of the actual

differences between groups, or how the chemicals were sorted into groups.

So late last fall, I was very pleased to read one the regular email agronomy updates from our local grain buyer, the Weyburn Inland Terminal. Brian Woodard, an agronomist at WIT, had put together a helpful, readable summary of how the chemicals in each of the groups kill weeds. When I asked Woodard if we could run his update for Grainews readers, he was happy to comply. I hope you’ll find his article as interesting as I did. He not only explains what chemicals in different groups do, but also points out why some chemicals should be applied at dusk and others during sunlight hours. Find Woodard’s article on page 14.

DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS The CBC ended its radio documentary “Superweeds” with a sound clip from the 1962 movie “The Day of the Triffids.”

In the movie, alien plant spores are transported to Earth in a meteor shower (which, coincidentally, also blinds most humans). These triffids can walk, have a poisonous sting and enjoy feeding on animals and the newly-blinded people.

I suppose the film version was slightly less sinister, politically speaking, than the 1951 book with the same title. In the book version, the triffids were bioengineered by a Russian scientist, accidentally released into the wild and cultivated widely due to their superior properties (before people realized they were evil).

So although the movie didn’t blame evil plant breeders for the chaos, I still think the CBC’s sound clip was intended as a scare tactic. One of the lines from the movie that the CBC included to close off the documentary was: “All plants move, but they don’t usually pull themselves out of the ground and chase you.”

I don’t think there’s any need to end this column with that sort of fear-mongering. Farmers are landowners with a long-term stake in the fields. We have big investments in our businesses — both financial and personal.

While we’re generally grateful for new technological developments and quick to jump on board when there are new products on offer, maintaining the effectiveness of the solutions we already have will be easier on our wallets and provide us with more peace of mind.

NEW BABY FOR GRAINEWS EDITOR (No — not me. I’m the Acting Editor.) Everyone at Grainews sends congratulations to Lyndsey Smith and her husband on the birth of their Friday the 13th baby, Elliott. Please turn to the Wheat and Chaff page to see a photo.

Leeann

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

grainews.ca /

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Wheat & Chaff Farm safety

Farmers help set Canada’s safety standards for ag equipment

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t’s important to have high standards, right? So it’s good to know there’s a group of dedicated engineers, regulators, equipment manufacturers, researchers and farmers from across Canada and the U.S. whose safety standards are impeccable.

They are members of the Canadian Standards Association’s (CSA) Agricultural Machinery Technical Committee. Every year, the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) provides funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Growing Forward initiative to bring this team of standard setters together.

The Committee usually chooses three or four agricultural equipment areas they feel could use some guidelines to improve operator safety. It often takes a couple of years before producers see the results on the market.

For instance, keep an eye out for design changes to portable augers. CSA has just announced a new standard for portable agricultural augers, and equipment manufacturers are getting set now to work the new standard into their equipment designs.

The new CSA standard for portable agricultural augers was developed over several years by the Technical Committee. The group considered research results, member experience and similar standards in the U.S. and Australia.

Jim Wassermann, an engineer with the Pr airie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAM I) in Saskatchewan, is a member of the team that came up with the new CSA standard. He says most of the upgrades in the auger standards relate to the design of the intake guard and the auger driveline.

Ag Days

E

Burnin’ love (for machinery)

lvis (a.k.a. Kevin LaFlamme, heavy-duty products manager for Rotary Lift Canada) climbed onto the back of this Peterbilt truck, which was lifted up on one of Rotary Lift’s heavy truck hoists. He entertained passers-by with a selection of Elvis hits during the Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon in January.

“Those are the areas where most injuries take place,” he says. “The standards team has now come up with practical options to prevent a hand or foot from contacting the rotating flighting without restricting product flow.”

“For example,” Wassermann adds, “a retractable intake guard is now an option in the new standard. It can stay in place for most operations but in unique situations, it can be retracted and alternative safety precautions put in place.” The new standard also references all recent standards that relate to guarding auger drivelines and PTOs. The new CSA standard for portable agricultural augers is available for purchase in English and French from the CSA online store at www.shop.csa.ca (type “auger” into the search box).

The same team took a close look this past year at lighting standards in place for marking agricultural equipment operating or travelling on a highway in Canada. They decided an upgrade was in order. The CSA has just published the new standard — M660 Standard on Lighting and Marking of Agricultural Machinery on Highways and Roadways. It’s also available at www.shop. csa.ca.

Standards make safety sense. Some of us remember the days when every ag equipment manufacturer produced hitches specific to its equipment and directional movement of controls was all over the map. If you have a concern the team might consider, get in touch with CASA at info@casa-acsa.ca. † From the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association – www.planfarmsafety.ca

Agribusiness

Viterra expects gains in future

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anada’s biggest grain handler is now set to predict what it will gain from the closing of the Canadian Wheat Board’s single marketing desk.

Viterra says it expects its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) to rise by between $40 million and $50 million per year in fiscal 2014 and beyond as a result of the end of the single desk.

With forward-contracting of Prairie wheat, durum and barley already underway for direct deliveries pending formal deregulation on August 1, Calgarybased Viterra says it expects to begin “realizing modest benefits” in its fourth quarter of 2012,

with “more significant impacts” in fiscal 2013.

Following the passage of the federal government’s Bill C-18 last month, Viterra became the first grain company to offer bids to buy wheat, barley and durum directly from Prairie growers.

“Additional volumes” at the company’s primary grain elevators and port terminals are expected to generate higher revenue from its fixed-cost facilities, and to earn “additional merchandising margins,” the company says.

Its additional grain purchases from farmers as a result of open wheat, durum and barley marketing is expected to require $150 million to $200 million of “incremental working capital,” Viterra says.

Given its existing assets, staff and global marketing network, Viterra says it “does not expect to incur any additional growth capital expenditures” to achieve the expected earnings benefit.

“With the ability to purchase all grades of wheat, barley and durum directly from growers, the company expects to increase its earnings by attracting additional volumes and optimizing its operational efficiencies,” Viterra says.

“With the new marketing freedom in Canada, Viterra’s international network will benefit growers as it provides them access to additional global markets,” says company CEO Mayo Schmidt. † AgCanada.com

Crop protection

Cereal fungicide duo cleared for combined use photo: scott garvey

Grain marketing

CWB creating new programs for a new era

T

he Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) will offer farmers a full portfolio of grain-marketing programs in the 2012-13 crop year, including pooling options, futures contracts and cash prices.

“The grain-marketing landscape is changing, but farmers’ business needs are the same,” says CWB president and CEO Ian White.

“Farmers want good returns for their grain, solid risk management and timely cash flow. We’re ready to deliver competitive alternatives that farmers can use with confidence as they build individual marketing strategies.”

Detailed program information will be announced throughout 2012. † CWB

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pair of well-known cereal fungicides has been approved for combined use, allowing cereal growers new dual modes of action against diseases.

The Canadian crop protection arm of chemical giant BASF has announced regulatory approval for Twinline, a liquid combination of its crop fungicides Headline and Caramba, for use on wheat, barley, oats, rye and triticale.

“I believe growers are looking for a new level of leaf disease control for cereals, and Twinline delivers,” says Mike Bakker, BASF’s Canadian brand manager for fungicides.

The company said the new product can be used for control

photo contest

GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT

Congratulations Lyndsey Smith Grainews editor Lyndsey Smith and her husband have a bigger family. Baby Elliot arrived on Friday, January 13, weighing in at 7 lbs. 12 ozs. and 21 inches long. Big sister Hannah is busy practicing her baby-minding skills.

A new member of the Grainews team is a special occasion. Normally, we prefer farm shots for GUYBS, and pay $25 for the winning photo in every issue. Send your “best shot” to leeann.minogue@fbcpublishing.com. Please send only one or two photos at a time and include your name and address, the names of anyone in the photo, where the photo was taken and a bit about what was going on that day. A little write-up about your farm is welcome, too. Please ensure that images are of high resolution (1 MB is preferred), and if the image includes a person, we need to be able to see their face clearly.

— Leeann

of a “broad range” of leaf diseases in cereals, including tan spot, septoria leaf spot, leaf rust, stripe rust, spot blotch, net blotch, scald, crown rust and powdery mildew, at application rates of 0.38 to 0.5 litres per hectare.

The product is also registered for suppression of fusarium head blight in wheat, barley, rye and triticale at a higher rate of application, 1.14 l/ha.

Results with Twinline in largescale federal research authorization trials across Western Canada in the past two years were “very positive,” BASF says, with “excellent” leaf disease control leading to an average yield response of two to four bushels per acre.

The company has recently been branding Headline’s benefits to protected plants – apart from its direct benefit in controlling crop diseases – with the name “AgCelence,” which it said it plans to use in marketing Twinline as well.

“AgCelence gives Twinline crops greener leaves, stronger stems for better harvestability, and higher yield potential,” the company says.

The active ingredients in Twinline include Headline’s Group 11 active, pyraclostrobin, at 130 grams per litre, and Caramba’s Group 3 active, metconazole, at 80 g/l. Twinline’s product label notes it should not be used for more than two applications per season. † AgCanada.com

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Cover Stories Crop production cent of their disease management is done before they ever plant the crop,” says Gossen.

It all begins with rotation, of both crops and chemicals, to try and help keep resistance strong.

“One of the things we are concerned about is the short crop rotations occurring over large parts of the Prairies, which is the wheat/ canola rotation,” says Randy Kutcher, associate professor of cereal and flax pathology at the Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan. “Instead of having a longer rotation with more species and more opportunities to use different products, we are targeting the same disease in the same crop perhaps every two years or in some cases every year, which increases the risk that pathogens will adapt to the fungicide and the variety, or both.”

A rotation of three to five different crops drastically reduces the risk of resistance developing to herbicides or fungicides. It also helps to break up the disease cycle,

» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Plan rotations to avoid fungicide and herbicide resistance Knowing what’s in the jug is just as important for pre-mixed herbicides, which aren’t always designed to manage resistance. “In many cases the pre-mixes are just to broaden the spectrum of weed control and it may not do anything for resistance management,” says Hugh Beckie, a research scientist with AAFC in Saskatoon. “You have to look at what are the active ingredients in these pre-mixes and what are your key target weeds that you want to try and protect against resistance and see if it’s going to be effective or not.”

Management practices Good management practices are still essential to help maintain long term resistance in crop varieties. “I tell growers that 95 per

Do I have Resistance Developing?

How can farmers determine if they have fungicide or herbicide resistance developing in their crops? Hugh Beckie of AAFC in Saskatoon offers these key indicators to look out for: • When you scout fields midseason or at harvest time, are weeds growing in patches, versus clear spray misses? Patches of weeds can indicate resistance.

• Do you see live plants right next to dead plants of

the same species? This can also indicate resistance.

• Is the weed or disease that’s present the only weed or disease on the product label that isn’t being controlled? If others are being controlled, this can indicate resistance.

Have you been using the same product from the same chemical groups on that field? That will increase the potential that you have selected for resistance.

as most diseases (with the exception of sclerotinia and a few root diseases) are specific to one crop type. For example, rusts infect cereals but not pulses; blackleg will affect canola but not cereals or pulses. “If you can break up the cycle and let any diseased residue deteriorate before you plant the next crop it will certainly help prevent adaptation of the pathogen to particular fungicides or varieties. This applies to residue-borne diseases, such as blackleg of canola and many of the leaf spot diseases of cereals,” says Kutcher.

Canola, which has woody stems, does take a lot longer to break down, which is why a three-to fiveyear gap between canola plantings is advantageous. “We are growing close to 19 million acres of canola across the Prairies,” says Kutcher.

“And although shorter rotations make total sense from a business case, from a biological perspective it’s a risky thing to do.”

No canola varieties are effectively resistant to sclerotinia, which also affects other broadleaf crops that may be used in rotation, making it a difficult disease to deal with. As a result, producers in the moister areas of the Prairies routinely spray for sclerotinia in every canola crop. Kutcher recommends that, in this case, producers use a different product each year, so that if they spray in year one, by the time they come back to use that product again, hopefully six or eight years later, most of the pathogen that was sprayed using the original product will be gone. “Sclerotinia bodies can last about five years in the soil, so if they are spraying for sclerotinia with the same product every second year there is much more risk that the fungus

will become insensitive to that product,” says Kutcher. “Using a different product, and with two actives in the jug will help negate that somewhat.”

Farmers can also make sure they use clean seed and a seed treatment. “If someone else has a fungus in their field that is resistant to a fungicide and you buy that seed, you could be transferring the problem to your farm,” says Kutcher. “So that’s why it’s a good idea to start with good, clean, certified seed and use a seed treatment to try and get rid of the pathogen on the seed.”

Managing resistance Sound agronomy and a longterm approach is always important in managing resistance, says Beckie, especially when it comes to weed populations. “Whatever farmers can do to give the crop a competitive advantage to suppress weeds will be helpful,” he says “Whether that be increasing your cereal crop seeding rate, banding or point injecting fertilizer or including competitive crops or varieties in your rotation.”

Farmers also tend to forget about trying to minimize weed seed spread during harvest, says Beckie. Cleaning equipment often will help reduce weed transmission from one field to another.

“All of these things together do have an impact but it does take a longer-term viewpoint,” says Beckie. “Unfortunately, with the lack of alternative herbicides, it will be inevitable that we will see more resistance in the future.” † Angela Lovell is a freelance writer, editor and communications specialist living and working in Manitoba. Find her online at www.angelalovell.ca.

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EXTENDED OUTLOOK FOR THE PRAIRIES Weather Forecast for the period of February 12 to March 10, 2012

Southern Alberta

Peace River Region Feb. 12 - 18 Windy with variable temperatures.

Two bright days will be followed by minor warming and some snow and drifting.

Feb. 12 - 18 Windy on a few days this week with variable temperatures. Two bright days will be followed by minor warming and snow. Chance of rain.

Feb. 19 - 25 Seasonal on most days under generally fair skies, but expect a couple of colder, windy outbreaks and higher windchills resulting in snow and drifting snow.

Feb. 19 - 25 Seasonal on most days under generally fair skies, but expect a couple of colder, windy outbreaks and higher windchills resulting in snow.

Feb. 26 - Mar. 3 Temperatures vary from cold to mild under occasionally windy conditions.

Sunny skies exchange with some heavier snow in the north.

Feb. 26 - Mar. 3 Temperatures vary from cold to mild under occasionally windy conditions.

Sunny skies exchange with snow or rain.

Mar. 4 - 10 Pleasant on many days with fluctuating temperatures.

Occasional thawing. Mostly fair, but snow or rain falls on a couple of occasions.

Mar. 4 - 10 Pleasant on many days with fluctuating temperatures. Occasional thawing. Mostly fair, but snow or rain falls on a couple of occasions.

-17 / -6 Grande Prairie 20.5 mms

Feb. 12 - 18 Expect fair skies overall and mostly cold conditions, but slight warming brings snow on two days this week, possibly heavy in a few areas.

Windy.

Feb. 19 - 25 Often bright with seasonal to cold temperatures and a few higher windchills. Blustery at times. Expect snow on a couple of occasions.

Feb. 26 - Mar. 3 Fair and milder days interchange with colder, snowy ones. Windy, resulting in drifting and blowing.

Mar. 4 - 10 Disturbances bring unsettled conditions, on two or three days.

This results in sunny, thawing days quickly turning to cold, wet days.

Manitoba Feb. 12 - 18 Bright skies and cold temperatures on most days, but on one or two days slight warming brings snow and blowing to south and central areas.

Feb. 19 - 25 Generally sunny. Seasonal to cold temperatures. A few higher windchills. Windy at times. Scattered snow on two days with drifting.

-17 / -5 Edmonton

ABOVE NORMAL

-19 / -7 North Battleford

Mar. 4 - 10 Variable temperatures with some minor thawing on a couple of days.

Mostly sunny but disturbance bring occasional snow or rain at times.

U.S. Postmaster: Send address changes and undeliverable copies (covers only) to 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1.

Grainews is printed on recyclable paper with linseed oil-based inks.

-12 / 0 Jasper

17.4 mms

-11 / 0

23.9 mms

-16 / -4 Red Deer 14.7 mms

12.8 mms

-19 / -9 Saskatoon 12.9 mms

Published 18 times a year.

Precipitation Outlook For February

15.4 mms

13.6 mms

NEAR NORMAL

-21/ -9 Yorkton

-21 / -9 Dauphin

BELOW NORMAL

-22 / -11 -19 / -8 16.2 mms 16.1 mms -17 / -6 Gimli Regina -12 / -1 -15 / -5 Moose Jaw 20.8 mms Calgary 13.0 mms Swift 14.7 mms -19 / -9 9.9 mms -21 / -9 -13 / -1 Current Portage -21 / -10 -18 / -7 Medicine Hat Brandon 19.6 mms Winnipeg 12.7 mms Weyburn cms 15.6 mms Lethbridge 10.319mms 14.8 mms 13.4 mms -17 / -7 13.0 mms 26 cms -11 / 1 Estevan Melita -21 / -8

Banff

14.8 mms

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

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

grainews.ca /

5

Features FARM POLICY

U.S. Farm Bill – Starting Over The debate over cutting subsidies and revamping farm policies may get held up until after 2012 elections

BY MIKE WILSON

L

ast fall Americans heard breathless reports that the 2012 Farm Bill might be decided in days or weeks, thanks to the bitter debate over growing debt and a U.S. congressional “super committee” mandate to cut $1.2 trillion out of federal spending over 10 years (all figures are in U.S. dollars).

The Senate Agriculture Committee came up with $23 billion in proposed cuts, and waited for the other shoe to drop. And waited.

Amid great rancour (and humiliation) the super committee failed, and now it looks like the farm bill debate will move on in earnest this summer — and perhaps be held over until next year.

“There is a strong desire to move forward as quickly as possible at the committee level, but there’s lots of doubts about getting a conclusion in 2012,” says Pat Westhoff, director at the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri. “With the elections coming, that’s not a surprise.”

America’s farm bill, a federal statute that regulates production and prices, is re-authorized every five years and is set to expire in 2012.

U.S. farm programs began in 1933 during the Great Depression after farm income had dropped by more than 40 per cent, leaving over six million farming families in despair. Over the years a rising tide of critics have urged reform, saying much of today’s government farm policy is out of touch with today’s marketplace. For example, the current program allots $5 billion for direct payments to farmers, doled out each year, despite current historically high grain prices.

American farm income is up 31 per cent from a year ago according to U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“We’re in a period of very high farm income levels so there’s a lot of debate whether income support programs are necessary,” says Nick Paulson, University of Illinois agricultural economist.

As the debate heats up again, policymakers will determine what role the federal budget deficit will play in final decisions. Will deficit reduction continue to drive every decision in Washington this year? Or will there be more intelligent discussion about reforming a mostly antique farm policy?

“The budget is still going to be a major driver, but how much is anyone’s guess,” says Westhoff.

RISK MANAGEMENT Washington and the American public want to reduce overlap, i n c r e a s e e f f i c i e n c y, a n d c u t government farm subsidies. Farmers hope for a farm bill that focuses on risk management and the so-called safety net — policies that would pay subsidies or subsidize crop insurance claims to keep farmers in business should weather or market collapse put them in jeopardy.

But two more factors will play into the farm bill debate: how policy impacts trade agreements through the World Trade Organization (WTO), and scope of the safety net itself.

Right now most programs focus on a small number of crops. There’s interest in programs that impact fruits and vegetables, beginning farmers, and other things beyond corn, soybeans and cotton.

While federal spending for agriculture is a big target, it makes up less than one per cent of the total U.S. federal budget. Medicare and Medicaid spending, by comparison, is 20 per cent.

Although the super committee failed, the effort prompted several

Tundra

proposals from agricultural groups.

Everyone proposed something slightly different, but the general themes included: • reduce or eliminate direct and countercyclical programs, including disaster programs; • come up with some form of modified revenue-based program, similar to ACRE (Average Crop Revenue Election) that works for everyone; and, • a better crop insurance program.

Fixed direct payments remain a target for budget-cutters. The U.S. government spends $4.9 billion per year on direct payments. If they were eliminated, however, savings would come to less than $4 billion in credited/scored savings, depending on how farmers enrol in alternative programs. Losing direct payments would likely throw a wet blanket over red hot cash rents and climbing land prices.

At the farm level, direct payments to southern states are $30 to $50 per base acre, about twice as much as most Midwestern states. Payments are even lower in the high plains.

SHALLOW VERSUS DEEP LOSS PROGRAMS Several agriculture groups put forward revenue assurance proposals, building on the concept that began in 2008 with a pilot program, Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE). Most came in two packages: so-called deep loss and shallow loss coverage. A shallow loss is loss between 100 per cent of whatever revenue benchmark is used in a particular state or county, down to maybe 75 to 80 per cent. Losses in excess of that level would be considered deep loss.

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) Systemic Risk Reduction Plan (SRRP) is a deep loss proposal. This approach would pro-

vide farmers with more down-side protection — a 70 to 80 per cent revenue insurance plan — and allow them to deal with the upside end of the risk profile on their own. It’s based on county level yield data and would replace Direct Payments, the Conservation Cover Program (CCP), ACRE, the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE) and make disaster payments obsolete. Farmers could purchase wraparound insurance that would provide both individual coverage up to the 75 per cent level that the federal government insures and also allow coverage on top of that level.

The National Corn Growers Association’s shallow loss program proposal, the Agricultural Disaster Assistance Program (ADAP), is designed to address the need to simplify and eliminate overlapping coverage with individual crop insurance. Changes include the use of harvest prices and crop reporting districts to set the crop revenue guarantee and establishing a guarantee based on five-year Olympic average revenues. Payments would cover lost revenue between 85 to 95 per cent of the guarantee.

The shallow vs. deep loss proposals are getting a lot of attention in Washington. Deep loss payments would be triggered less frequently, but they would be potentially larger payments. The real issue is how policymakers could design something to work with crop insurance to reduce overlap. Shallow loss payments would be triggered more frequently but have generally smaller pay outs.

They would be designed to capture revenue losses that would not be covered except with very high insurance levels.

It looks like the folks in Washington will have plenty of time to debate all of these proposals. † Mike Wilson is executive editor of Farm Futures, a business magazine for U.S. farmers

Tundra

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/ grainews.ca

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Features CROP PRODUCTION

How and why to tissue test your plants Tissue testing is another tool to improve productivity and manage fertility. Here are three reasons to tissue test, and a crash course in how to do it

BY BOBBIE BRATRUD

M

any farmers believe that the health and productivity of their soil is one of the largest influences on their farm’s productivity and profitability. Successful farmers know that while many of the properties that make up our soil are static and change very slowly over time (if at all), nutrient availability is one of the largest single contributors to a good crop. Fertility management has become much more intensive and heavily scrutinized as we look to improve our productivity and management whether by using higher fertilizer application rates, or zoning into multiple applications per field.

Fertilizer and crop nutrition decisions are an important part of the variable input decision making on most farms. The majority of us make these decisions based on soil tests and develop fertilizer recommendations on this information. Recently, farmers have also started to show more interest in tissue testing during the growing season.

Tissue testing was once considered mainly for more more valuable crops such as greenhouse or horticultural crops. But as technology and genetic advancements have become more readily available, many grain and oilseed farmers are showing a definite appetite to improve their production per acre. Tissue testing for in-crop additive nutrition may have a fit for some farms in Western Canada.

2. Monitor and adjust your crop fertility plan: Tissue testing can provide information to confirm if your fertility plan is working and help you evaluate new fertilizer placement or timing techniques. Tissue testing can also provide guidelines to farmers that are looking at applying a base level of nutrients with seeding and then topping up nutrient requirements in a foliar treatment.

3. Detect “hidden hunger”: Crops can experience minor nutrient deficiencies without showing any visual symptoms.

A tissue test can point towards these minor nutrient needs that would otherwise go undetected. An application to address

a small need can contribute to obtaining the crop’s top end yield potential.

PROPER SAMPLING TECHNIQUES Similar to soil tests, tissue test results are only as good as the sampling done to complete them. Samples must be collected and handled correctly to ensure that the sample that arrives at the lab can be analysed to provide the most accurate reflection of the status of the plant. Improper sampling and handling can place doubt in the validity of the sample results. It is important to decide

which lab you are using for the analysis, and find out their preferred protocol prior to taking the samples.

There are different recommendations as to what portions of the plant to collect, as well as the crop stage to collect at. This is dependent on what crop you are sampling as well as what analysis is needed. For example, if you are concerned about treatment of a three- to four-leaf cereal plant you must cut off the plant above the soil surface and submit the entire plant.

If you are concerned about a cereal crop during early heading, only the flag leaf should be submitted.

Sample good and bad areas of the field: If you are trying to determine if a nutrient deficiency is occurring, it is good to have a comparative sample from both an affected and non-affected area to compare. Often a corresponding soil sample from the same area can provide additional helpful information in determining the cause of concern.

Submit useful plant samples: Do not submit a sample of a plant that has been showing suspected nutrient deficiency for a week or more. A longer term deficiency

» CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

InVigorResults.ca

A tissue test measures the actual nutrient uptake of the crop.

We are all familiar with soil tests, but I would guess very few farms (including my own) have had tissue tests completed.

Both soil and tissue tests are designed to work together and can provide information towards the same end result — an adequate, balanced crop nutrition plan. However the information derived from each test is very different. Soil tests identify the soil’s nutrient reserve and supply rate to the crop; tissue tests measure the actual nutrient uptake of the crop.

InVigor L150

3 REASONS TO TISSUE TEST 1. Confirm visual nutrient deficiency symptoms: It can be very hard to determine if a plant is experiencing nutrient deficiencies by just observing it in the field. Many individual nutrient symptoms look alike, and it can be hard to pinpoint exactly if a nutrient is deficient or other stress symptoms are present. A tissue test can confirm if a crop is suspected of being deficient of a specific nutrient.

GETTING THE BEST SAMPLES

54.5 bu./ac.

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

grainews.ca /

7

Features » CONTINUED FROM Previous PAGE

T:17.4”

can cause misleading results; if the plant is unhealthy, the tissue test may not pinpoint the original deficiency. For example if a plant is deficient in nitrogen for long enough, the deficiency can affect the overall plant health enough that it can not access sulphur, causing it to also be deficient in sulphur. The tissue test will not be able to pinpoint the original deficiency problem, which you would want to treat.

Submit healthy plant samples: Do not submit a sample of a plant that has been infected by disease. Both root and leaf diseases can make the plant unhealthy which can affect nutrient uptake, making the test results inaccurate.

Submit representative plant samples: Don’t submit plant samples that have experienced other stresses such as wet soils, herbicide drift, or mechanical damage.

These plants are not representative of the problem you’re

Diagrams courtesy of AgVise Laboratories Inc. (www.agvise.com) hoping to solve, and may result in inaccurate results.

Proper sample handling Proper care of your samples will ensure that the results are accurate. Once again, each lab has its own protocol and material requirements so it is impor-

tant to contact the lab prior to collecting the sample. General guidelines are: • Remove excess dirt and dust from the plants.

• Use a ventilated sample envelope.

• Keep samples refrigerated.

The information coming back from a tissue test can vary depend-

ing on the crop submitted as well as the lab used for the analysis.

Samples are analyzed for nutrient concentration, to determine if that level is deficient, adequate, or excessive (depending on the crop stage). Labs often use these nutrient levels, as well as ratios among nutrients, to determine deficiency levels of each nutrient.

Taking the results of all of these tests together, the lab report will tell you what each nutrient level is: deficient, low, sufficient, high, or very high.

The difficult part is taking that information and acting on it.

One benefit of using this type of analysis is that you will get the raw information about your nutrients, and will then be able to look at all treatment options and products available to your crop. You will need to determine which nutrient is of concern, whether you can apply just that nutrient to correct this, or if you are looking at one of the many formulated products in the market, as well as what treatment rate you will need to apply to rectify the deficiency.

Nutritionals by UAP

T:10”

One other method of tissue testing available to farmers is Nutritionals by UAP. Tyler Kessler, sales agrologist at Weyburn Inland Terminal has been taking plant samples and making recommendations with this program for the last couple of years.

He has completed plant samples on canola, durum, and lentils with a main focus on whether or not micro-nutrient deficiencies are occurring.

The Nutritionals by UAP program provides an easily interpreted results sheet showing bar charts of averages and suspected deficiencies. The results are followed up with a recommendation of a particular UAP product to address the deficiency. Kessler says the results are available very quickly, “within days,” and that some of their producers did apply boron to their canola as a result of the tests. While he says it was hard to determine the effect the boron had on the canola, they are interested in the UAP program and plan on continuing to offer it to their producers again.

While the results given through the Nutritionals by UAP program are tied exclusively to the products they sell, Kessler definitely likes the usability of this program and the clarity of the resulting recommendations.

There are different reasons to look at tissue tests. Whether it be to determine a deficiency or as part of a regular top dress fertilizer application, being able to correctly sample the field and handle the sample is important. Being able to interpret the results and act on them quickly (often within days) is paramount in treating the nutrient requirement and protecting your crop yield. †

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Bobbie Bobbie Bratrud farms with her husband Mark near Weyburn, Sask. They also run Bratrud Ag Advisory Services (www.bratrudag.ca)

8

DIFFERENT BOX, SAME ACTIVE INGREDIENTS.

/ grainews.ca

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Features CROP PROTECTION

Group 1 active ingredients Don’t just read the brand name.

Know the active ingredients to guard against herbicide resistance.

Here’s what you need to know about actives in Group 1 herbicides

BY GERALD PILGER

F

World’s Largest Post-Patent Crop Protection Company

BRAND NAME ACTIVES AT FAIR pRICES. MANA Herbicides

Ladder™

Contains the same active as:

(clodinafop-propargyl)

Horizon

Phantom™

Contains the same active as:

(imazethapyr)

Pursuit

Arrow

Contains the same active as:

®

®

®

Select and Centurion ®

(clethodim)

Bison

®

®

Contains the same active as:

(Tralkoxydim)

Liquid Achieve

Bengal

Contains the same active as:

®

®

(Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl)

Puma

Badge

Contains the same active as:

®

®

(bromoxynil & McpA ester)

Buctril M

Thrasher

Contains the same active as:

®

®

(bromoxynil & 2,4-d ester)

Thumper

Bromotril

Contains the same active as:

®

®

Pardner

(bromoxynil)

®

MANA iNsecTicides

Pyrinex

®

Contains the same active as:

Lorsban

®

(chlorpyrifos)

Silencer

Contains the same active as:

(Lambda-cyhalothrin)

Matador

Alias

Contains the same active as:

®

®

®

Admire

®

(imidacloprid)

MANA FUNGicides

Bumper

®

Contains the same active as:

(propiconazole)

Tilt

Overall™

Contains the same active as:

®

Rovral

(iprodione)

®

lipping through the Crop Protection Guide, a farmer gets the impression that there are lots of Group 1 herbicides for controlling grassy weeds in cereal crops. In fact, there were 29 brand names of this type of herbicide listed in the 2011 Alberta Crop Protection Guide (the blue book). Unfortunately, most of these products are either co-packs or generic copies of just four different Group 1 active ingredients. to maintain a good chemistry rotation and prevent the development of weed resistance, farmers need to know the active ingredient in a product, not just the brand name. This is especially important with Group 1 grassy products.

There are thousands of cases of confirmed wild oat resistance to Group 1s. Between four and 10 million acres in Western Canada have Group 1 resistant wild oats.

With so many generics on the market, it’s becoming increasingly important to know your actives.

Farmers may believe they’re using a new product when they choose

a chemical with a different name, but the new chemical may have exactly the same active ingredient as the one that was used last year.

Another consideration is the increase in multi-group products.

A product listed as Group 2 and Group 4 may have the same Group 2 active you used last year for the same weed spectrum.

The following tables identify the active Group 1 ingredients in all the Group 1 grassy weed control products that are listed in the 2011 Alberta Crop Protection Guide and registered for use on the prairies.

(Next year, there will likely be even more names on the list. Between July 1 and November 15, 2011, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency had already received four applications for new clodinafop propargyl herbicides.) The table also shows the registration date for each product, the manufacturer who registered each generic, as well as any other actives co-packed or preformulated in the herbicide.

Play close attention to the registrant of the generic. If the registrant

» CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

1. Registered products with clodinafop propargyl as active ingredient: Product name

Registrant

Date Registered

Horizon NG

Syngenta

October 2, 2008

Broadband*

Syngenta

November 12, 2008

Signal

Nufarm

December 12, 2008

Harmony Grass 128EC

Syngenta

February 6, 2009

NextStep

Syngenta

March 11, 2009

Foothills

Syngenta

March 11, 2009

Harmony Grass

DuPont

April 29, 2009

Ladder 240EC

MANA

November 23, 2009

Legend A

February 4, 2010

Horizon 240EC NPE-free

IPCO Arysta LifeSciences Syngenta

MPower Aurora

NewAgco Inc.

May 6, 2010

Traxos

Syngenta

November 26, 2010

Nufarm Clodinafop

Nufarm

Dec 30, 2010

NextStep NG

February 18, 2010 March 26, 2010

Slam’r Clodinafop

Ag-West Inc.

May 10, 2011

Nufarm Clodinafop II

Nufarm

October 6, 2011

Nufarm Clodinafop III

Nufarm

October 10, 2011

Foothills NG

Syngenta

November 15, 2011

*Also includes pinoxaden as an active

BY DAN PIRARO

Bizarro Fair price. Brand Results.

manainc.ca ®Alias, Arrow, Badge, Bengal, Bison, Bromotril, Bumper, Pyrinex, Silencer and Thrasher are registered trademarks and ™Ladder, Overall and Phantom are trademarks of Makhteshim Agan of North America Inc. All others are trademarks of their respective companies.

11.11 11019

BY DAN PIRARO

Bizarro

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

grainews.ca /

9

Features » CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE of the generic is the same company that registered the original brand, there is a greater likelihood that the inert products in the generic will be the same as in the original brand name. There are four key active ingredients.

1. CLODINAFOP PROPARGYL Original product: Horizon 240EC (Syngenta) received Canadian registration April 19, 1995 There are two tables incluing this active ingredient — one on the previous page, and one on this page listing co-packs with grass and broadleaf herbicides.

2. FENOXAPROP-P-ETHYL Original product: Acclaim (Agrevo) received Canadian registration May 9, 1989.

1. Clodinafop propargyl co-packs with grass and broadleaf herbicides:

2. Pre-formulated broadleaf tank mix product containing fenoxaprop-p-ethyl:

Product Name

Registrant

Other Actives

Harmony C

DuPont

Triton C

Product name

Registrant

Date Registered

Other Actives

Harmony K/Harmony K Mega

DuPont

Dicamba + thifensulfuronmethyl + tribenuron-methyl

Tundra

Bayer CropScience

October 8, 2009

pyrasulfotole+ bromoxynil

Harmony Max

DuPont

Refine+ fluroxypyr

Harmony SG/Harmony SG Mega

DuPont

Refine SG

Harmony Total

DuPont

Refine Extra

Cypress

Viterra

Target

Signal D

Nufarm

bromoxynil and 2,4-D

Signal M

Nufarm

bromoxynil + MCPA ester

Horizon BTM

Syngenta

Buctril M

Product name

Registrant

Date Registered

Other Actives

Nufarm Clodinafop D

Nufarm

bromoxynil and 2,4-D

Broadband

Syngenta

November 12, 2008

florasulam

2. Registered products with fenoxaprop-p-ethyl as active ingredient:

3. Registered products with pinoxaden as active ingredient: Product name

Registrant

Date Registered

Axial

Syngenta

July 19, 2007

Traxos

Syngenta

November 26, 2010

Other Actives clodinafop propargyl

3. Pre-formulated broadleaf tank mix product containing pinoxaden:

4. Registered grass control products with tralkoxydim as active ingredient:

Product name

Registrant

Date Registered

Acclaim Super EX

Bayer CropScience

September 13, 1993

Product name

Registrant

Date Registered

Excel Super

Bayer CropScience

March 12, 1992

Achieve Liquid

Syngenta

May 6, 2002

Puma Super EC

Bayer CropScience

May 25, 1998

Liquid Achieve SC

Dow AgroSciences

February 12, 2007

Puma 120 Super EC

Bayer CropScience

May 25, 1999

Achieve 40 SC

Syngenta

June 11, 2007

Wildcat

Bayer CropScience

November 21, 2008

Bison

MANA

February 20, 2009

4. TRALKOXYDIM

Panther

Bayer CropScience

November 24, 2008

IPCO Tralkoxydim 400SC

IPCO

March 9, 2009

Original product: Achieve DG (Syngenta) received Canadian registration March 20, 1992.

Knowing these details will assist in planning your herbicide rotations and also make it easier to compare Group 1 products on the market. †

Pumax

Bayer CropScience

November 24, 2008

Marengo

Dow AgroSciences

April 2, 2009

Bengal 120 EC

MANA

February 25, 2009

Challenger

Dow AgroSciences

February 18, 2010

Vigil

IPCO

May 25,2009

NAI 10110

Nufarm

July 12, 2011

Puma Advance EC

Bayer CropScience

February 19, 2010

Cordon

Nufarm UK

November 16, 2009

Product Name

Registrant

Other Actives

Puma Advance

Bayer CropScience

February 24, 2010

Achieve Liquid Gold

Nufarm

bromoxynil + MCPA ester

MPower Hellcat

NewAgco Inc

January 4, 2011

Titanium

Nufarm

bromoxynil

3. PINOXADEN Original product: Crestivo (Syngenta) received Canadian registration October 27, 2005.

Gerald Pilger farms at Ohaton, Alta. His look at Group 2 active ingredients will appear in the next issue of Grainews

4. Registered grassy and broadleaf co-packs containing tralkoxydim:

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/ grainews.ca

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Features CROP NUTRITION

Farmers fine-tuning fertility for 2012

BY LEE HART

W

estern Canadian farmers are looking for ways to finetune or improve efficiency with fertilizer this coming growing season, according to producers contacted for the February Farmer Panel.

Putting more emphasis on some specific nutrients that may be lacking in the soil and also better understanding variable rate fertilizer technology are a couple of approaches farmers are taking for the 2012 growing season.

And some say there are no major changes in production plans for the coming year, as they maintain rotation and crop inputs, although they are looking at new marketing opportunities for cereals this year.

Here is what farmers contacted for the February 2012 Farmer Panel had to say:

acres, for example, wheat yields can be as high as 50 bushels per acre, compared to fields that need subsoiling that may yield 35 to 40 bushels. Similarly, he can run into patches of high sodium soil where the yield drops to five bushels per acre, compared to 50 bushels in the surrounding field.

While he will continue with the subsoiling program, he is hoping that adjusting the fertility program will help correct other nutrient-related problems.

“We are really in an experimental mode with this to see if we can improve the productivity of these poorer soils,” he says. He’ll be applying the new fertilizer blend to about 1,500 acres and comparing it to his more conventional blend of 40-10-10-10 to see if there is a yield difference. And he may also use a spreader to treat some of the high-sodium patches with the

new blend to see if that reduces the impact of salts.

He is hoping, too, that including copper and boron in the new fertilizer blend will help reduce the levels of ergot in wheat.

Schmidt, who uses a ConservaPak airseeding system with one-inch wide openers on 12-inch spacing, says the nitrogen will be placed below and to the side of the seed row, while the rest of the blend with calcium will be placed close to the seed.

“There is a lot of technology that improves farming, but I think there is still a lot of basic fertility we don’t understand,” he says. “Some of these products are expensive, but if you can spend an extra $10 per acre on inputs and produce an extra five bushels of wheat worth $30 that is a pretty good investment. Or if you spend $5 or $8 on micronutrients

such as copper and boron and can eliminate ergot in your wheat that is significant too.”

DON MEULLER THREE HILLS, ALTA. Don Meuller, who farms near the south-central Alberta community of Three Hills, doesn’t plan any major changes in his production practices for 2012.

Meuller, who follows a fouryear rotation with wheat, barley, canola and peas says he isn’t planning changes to his crop rotation or fertility program this year.

“We have pretty consistent land here so things will be pretty much as they are,” he says. “I think there may be some new opportunities available in marketing cereals which could improve prices by 15 to 20 per cent.”

RAYMOND BLANCHETTE GIROUXVILLE, ALTA. Raymond Blanchette plans to stay with a two-crop rotation of wheat and canola on his Peace River region farm at Girouxville west of Fahler.

Blanchette says he will be seeding about five quarter sections of canola and four quarter sections of hard red spring wheat again this year, and following the same fertility program.

He says it would be good to see a bit more snow this winter in his area to provide adequate spring moisture for seeding. They had some timely rainfalls last summer, which carried the crop through, but with rolling land and lighter sandier soils he could use more moisture.

One change he does hope to make is to add a PTO driven hydraulic fan to the Flexicoil air

Charles Schmidt plans to address a lack of calcium in the soil on his east-central Alberta farm this coming growing season.

In what might be considered a reverse approach to what is commonly done with variable rate fertilizer application, Schmidt plans to focus calcium on the poorest producing soils to see if he can bring yields closer to the field average.

“Low calcium has always been a problem in many of the soils in this area,” says Schmidt, who farms in the Special Areas in eastern Alberta. “I attended some seminars in the past year and did some further investigation and I believe it is calcium that I need to address. It is not only a nutrient the plant requires, but it also helps to improve plant uptake of other nutrients.”

Schmidt, who crops about 10,000 acres near Chinook, Alta. in a 50/50 summerfallow rotation, plans to treat about 1,500 acres of the 5,000 seeded acres with a new fertilizer blend — 20-20-20-20-20 — which along with nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and sulphur, also includes calcium. The blend will also include one pound of boron and half a pound of copper. A fertilizer agent in Stettler, Alta. is supplying a pearled form of calcium that will flow better through the air seeding system rather than the powdery form of gypsum.

“Soil tests have always shown that the magnesium/potassium/ calcium ratio in these soils has been off,” he says. “We have plenty of magnesium in the soil but because calcium is low, that ties up the availability of magnesium to the plant.” Calcium also helps to mitigate some of the negative impact of too much sodium in the soil, and there are patches of these high salt soils on the farm as well.

On summerfallow acres Schmidt also does a fair bit of deep tilling or subsoiling to break up solenetzic layers and help mix the soil. That treatment is effective in improving soil productivity for a while, but the land needs to be treated every four to five years.

Schmidt says there is a lot of variability of yield on different fields over the farm. On subsoiled

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grainews.ca /

11

Features cart, which would allow him to travel a bit faster with seeding equipment in the field.

The new fan would improve seed flow on the outside runs of the Seed Master tool bar. “Right now I can seed at about 4.2 miles per hour, but if I can get that hydraulic pump for the fan I would have more pressure and be able to seed at about five m.p.h.,” he says. “I don’t want to travel any faster than that, but even that small increase in speed would mean I could probably seed another 40 to 50 acres per day which makes a difference.”

GERRID GUST DAVIDSON, SASK. Gerrid Gust is gearing up his operation to try variable rate fertilizer technology on about 4,500 acres of his farm at Davidson, Sask., about half way between Saskatoon and Regina.

Gust replaced one of the three seed drills on his 14,000 acre farm with a new 80-foot Seed Master

drill last fall. Outfitted with a 725 bushel tank, the drill is equipped with variable rate technology and sectional shut off control.

“We’ll be applying variable rate technology to about one-third of the farm,” he says. “Our two other drills are still in good shape so we didn’t need to replace them just yet, and we also felt it was important to phase ourselves into this technology, to get use to it and see how it works.”

The agronomy services at Western Sales Ltd. in Davidson has been working with Gust as he moves into variable rate applications. That third of the farm was soil tested; Western Sales also provided soil mapping services with Veris technology. Veris is a sensing tool that measures the EC or electrical conductivity of the soil to provide a measurement of soil texture, which helps determine areas of heavier and lighter soils.

With soil test and soil texture information, as well as yield data and other information, Western

Sales will produce a fertilizer prescription that will vary the rate of fertilizer according to soil productivity over those 4,500 acres.

“The objective is to be more efficient with our fertilizer use,” says Gust. “The plan with variable rate is to put more fertilizer where it will do the most good and with sectional shut off capability there will be much less overlap. We have a lot of those pie-shaped fields so being able to reduce overlap not only saves money, but is also good for the environment as you are not over-applying nutrients in those areas.”

Although he hasn’t finalized his rotation for 2012, Gust plans to move back to a proper fouryear rotation with canola, lentils, wheat and barley this coming year. He has been pushing the canola and lentil acres a bit harder due to markets, but he is excited about new marketing opportunities for wheat and barley under a new open market system.

“We have plenty of seed for all

crops so it will be a matter of seeing what marketing opportunities there are in 2012,” he says. “And with wheat and barley it may not be as much about prices, as it will be about having improved cash flow and delivery opportunities.”

While he has been successful in producing malt barley most years, he wants to see what prices are available for the coming season.

While malt barley in the $5.50 per bushel range isn’t bad, he says he can also produce soft white wheat for ethanol production for about the same return per acre, without quality concerns. So it may be a toss up between those two markets for cereal acres. And if the livestock industry remains strong, the feed barley market could be a viable option as well.

JASON KEHLER CARMAN, MAN. Although Jason Kehler has been using variable rate technology (VRT) fertilizer application on

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his southern Manitoba for several years he will continue to fine-tune the system this coming growing season.

Kehler, who works with Farmer’s Edge to prepare variable rate fertilizer prescriptions, says he will use the technology more for applying nitrogen as opposed to all nutrients.

Last year, Kehler, who grows potatoes, corn, wheat, canola, soybeans and sometimes oats used VRT for a blend of nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and other nutrients. The system worked fine, but to maintain adequate potash and phosphorus levels in the soil he says he will apply a blanket rate of those nutrients this year.

“Corn and potatoes and canola all need a lot of phosphorus and I was just concerned that with the variable rate we might not have been putting enough on,” says Kehler. “The soil test showed we were a bit low, so while none of the nutrients are cheap, I think I’ll apply just a standard rate of phosphorus to ensure those levels are adequate and use the variable rate for nitrogen.

“But overall VRT has worked quite well,” he says. “Probably as most people find, we’re not using any less fertilizer and in some cases more, but overall our crop yields are more even over a field. We have areas of lighter soils and heavier soils…and the yields are much more even and overall higher than before.”

On the airseeding system, Kehler carries nutrients in a John Deere 1910 three-compartment cart. Because he finds granular nitrogen on its own doesn’t always flow evenly through the system, he combines nitrogen and potash and some other nutrients in one compartment, carries phosphorus in a second compartment and seed in a third compartment.

He uses the variable rate application primarily on potatoes, corn and wheat. He says it would work well with canola too, but prefers to use a blanket fertilizer rate with canola.

“We farm in the Red River Valley and we can have some stretches in June, July and even in August when it’s extremely hot,” says Kehler. “If we get a real hot spell with canola we can loose half our yield to heat blast. So with canola I think there are several other factors which can affect yield any given year as much or more so than nutrients. So a blanket fertilizer rate works well.”

Kehler says while he had been moving away from including wheat in rotation in recent years, now that it appears there will be an open market for wheat and barley in 2012, he may include more wheat in rotation this year.

One other change in 2012 is to use fertigation (fertilizer in the irrigation system) to provide some of the nutrients to potatoes. He will apply about half the nitrogen and other nutrients the crop needs at time of seeding and then top dress nutrients during the growing season through fertigation.

“The big advantage there, particularly with potatoes, is to apply the nutrients when they are needed,” says Kehler. “I have been thinking about using fertigation for some time, but this year is it.” † Lee Hart is a field editor for Grainews in Calgary, Contact him at 403-592-1964 or by email at lee@fbcpublishing.com

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Features crop production

Try growth regulators to prevent lodging As farmers increase nitrogen rates to increase yields, lodging is becoming a problem. If the price comes down, growth regulators may save the day

By Angela Lovell

F

or European farmers, growth regulators are standard practice to help reduce the incidence and severity of lodging.

Growth regulators are designed to limit the internode elongation of plants by reducing the extension of the cells — in other words, to shorten the growth habit of the crop. This strengthens the straw, which helps improve standability.

Growth regulators have, to this point, been used more extensively in Canada’s horticultural industry for applications such as keeping ornamental nursery stock short and bushy rather than tall and leggy, to better suit the tastes and requirements of home gardeners.

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) is now studying adapting the use of growth regulators for use in wheat. After only one year of trials the results are still inconclusive but encouraging, says Peter Johnson, a cereal crop specialist with OMAFRA who is heading up the research. “What I will say is that if the growth regulator works properly it will only shorten the crop about three to four inches at the most or about the length of the head,” he says. “It doesn’t always shorten the crop, but what is intriguing is that even when it doesn’t shorten the crop, it will thicken the straw. So you can have a crop that doesn’t look like you have done anything to it and it will still stand better.”

Johnson doesn’t expect growth regulators to be the complete answer to the problem of lodging.

If there is excessive nitrogen the crop will lodge even with the use of growth regulators, but Johnson does feel that there is lots of scope to play around with application rates to help reduce lodging potential in most situations. Future trials will focus on fine tuning growth regulator applications with nitrogen rates to achieve optimum results under different conditions.

Johnson doesn’t see any impediment to using these types of products under prairie growing conditions. “These products are used in Finland and other northern climates, so as far as latitude and the shortness of the growing season is concerned, I doubt that would have any impact on the effectiveness of the product for use in Western Canada,” says Johnson.

Many different generic brands of growth regulators are available in Europe and elsewhere, but for his trials Johnson is using the two brands which are currently approved for use in Canada. The first product, Cycocel (also known as CCC) has chlormequat chloride as its active ingredient and is currently registered for use on wheat, but with varietal limitations on the label. The other product is Ethrel, which contains the active ingredient ethephon.

Ideally, Cycocel is applied just as the growing point is above the ground or when the plant has around five leaves. Nighttime temperatures need to be above zero C. It can be applied later, up to the second node stage, but will be less effective. Ethrel, on the other

hand, is applied later — at the flag leaf stage, but conditions cannot be excessively warm, as when the temperature exceeds 28 C there is a significant risk of phytotoxicity in the plant.

The high cost A big impediment to widespread use of growth regulators at the moment is cost. To use Cycocel at its recommended one litre per acre rate currently costs around $38 to $40 an acre, making it cost prohibitive, even at the half litre rate which Johnson believes would be acceptable under Ontario conditions most of the time. In Europe the same product competes with many generic versions and costs

around $5 per acre. Johnson believes that once generic versions become commercially available in Canada, the product will become more attractive for farmers.

“The patent is off chlormequat chloride and therefore generic products could be brought in and labelled here. There is at least one and perhaps two companies working on that very thing,” says Johnson. “These companies are looking at the cereal market rather than the horticultural market because it is a much larger market. There is a pretty good chance that the price per acre will drop dramatically if they are successful in getting those products here and labelled for use here.”

Increased combine speed A small number of Ontario farmers are already using growth regulators on their wheat for another reason, says Johnson. “We do have growers who swear that if you use the growth regulator the crop will combine easier, just because it has that resilience and it doesn’t break up as much in the combine, so you have a little less challenge separating the grain from the straw,” he says. “I haven’t done any work to support that from a scientific standpoint but I do know some growers who say that is the main reason they use a growth regulator, because they can combine more acres per hour.”

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fine tuning to be done, some Ontario farmers are already using growth regulators and interest is growing. “We have gone from a standard N rate of 90 to 100 lbs. to 120 to 130 lbs., and are looking at going to 150 lbs. N/ac,” says Johnson. “We’re trying to push wheat production here in Ontario, just to keep it somewhat economically competitive with corn and soybeans. And the only way to do that is to increase N rates and as soon as you increase N rates then lodging becomes an issue. So farmers here are tremendously interested in these products.” † Angela Lovell is a freelance writer, editor and communications specialist living and working in Manitoba. Find her online at www. angelalovell.ca

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Features Crop production

Four new techniques for 2012

Putting new techniques into practice is the best way to assess them and see if they work. Here are four things to try at home

By Jason Casselman

T

hinking ahead about the upcoming cropping season, you’re probably considering new or different practices to evaluate on your farm.

Here are some practices I’m looking forward to getting a better handle on. These practices are all currently done by many farmers, but I like to see it to believe it.

Cover Crops

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The purpose of cover crops can vary depending on circumstances, but mostly they’re used for some sort of soil remediation or improvement. One cover crop I’m

interested in seeing in the field is forage radish that grows a long deep tap root. The long deep tap root of a forage radish crop may have the ability to break up hardpan and loosen the soil, and possibly sequester available nutrients like nitrogen. The holes left in the soil from decomposing forage radish roots may allow water and air channels, providing soil aeration deep into the soil without the use of deep ripping tillage equipment.

To try cover crops, my recommendation is to seed then onto an area that is not performing as well as you would like — either from compaction, water infiltration problems or other soil quality issues.

I would also recommend planting

the forage radish in good soil that is currently producing well so you can see if there are superior effects of remediation compared to the poorer areas.

Another cover crop I’d like to observe in some field scale plots is red clover broadcast into winter wheat. This practice has been recommended for years to help provide nitrogen to the field as a green manure. The theory is that the red clover will germinate and grow slowly under the canopy of the winter wheat. After the winter wheat is harvested the red clover will continue to grow and build roots and vegetation that will contribute to the tilth and fertility of the soil for the following crop.

Top Dressing Nitrogen A split application of nitrogen may improve the efficiency of the fertilizer, giving the crop a boost later in the season when it’s making grain fill. If field and weather conditions are right, top dressing nitrogen fertilizer may increase protein and yield in wheat. Streamer nozzles or dribble bars are recommended for applying 28 per cent UAN. To test this out, I recommend applying less nitrogen than the total required nitrogen at seeding, topping it up with liquid 28 per cent with a sprayer and streamer nozzles. A crop optical sensor that can read the intensity of the biomass or vegetation in the field

N O IT 12/11-BCS11080

Foliar Feeding If any of your fall soil tests identified micronutrient deficiencies, look at applying some of these micronutrients as a foliar spray.

This foliar application would be on its own and not as a tank mix with herbicide so you aren’t at risk of compromising either products’ efficacy.

The theory is that low rates of foliar fertilizer can get right into a plant through its leaves. There are numerous products available depending on the crop and the field situation.

Foliar application of nutrients may be more efficient to a plant under stress, unable to access the required nutrients due to a situation in the soil that is limiting uptake. Prior to foliar feeding my recommendation is to execute an accurate tissue test analysis.

I am interested in some of the discussion about foliar application of urea dissolved in water.

Urea is highly water soluble and about one pound of urea will dissolve in a pound of water. Foliar application of nitrogen fertilizer is very risky, with high possibility of crop damage from leaf burn causing yield loss. If you’re thinking of trying a foliar application of melted urea my recommendation is to only attempt it on a very small scale with specialized equipment.

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would also be a helpful tool for this application. You may want to observe the effects of the top dressing application with all of the recommended total nitrogen applied at seeding and top dress additional nitrogen to see if there is a difference. Compare the difference for wheat and canola, measuring yield and protein on the wheat and yield and maturity on the canola. This trial will be easy enough to do by just spraying every other pass in the field and having replications across the field.

Seed nutrient dressing The idea of a seed nutrient dressing is to provide the seed with a coating of fertilizer to ensure there’s enough essential nutrition present to get the plant off to a fast start and give it some vigour.

The seed dressing may contribute to early root development and help the plant establish a larger root mass.

A seed nutrient is applied with seed treating equipment. To observe these products in the field, my recommendation is to seed strips of seed that have the seed nutrient dressing applied, then seed in between these strips with the same variety, untreated.

If you’re thinking about putting into practice a new system for your farm operation, my recommendation is to implement it on a few acres and observe it through the growing season. This approach limits risk and allows you to build on success. The most consistent results come from getting the basics right. † Jason Casselman is a partner and agronomist with Dunvegan Ag Solutions Inc. (www. howtogotoagsi.com) at Rycroft, Alta.

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Features Crop Protection

Understand the Herbicide Groups Learn the meaning behind chemical groups, and why chemicals from different groups should be handled differently

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I

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n our industry it’s easy for most of us to spout off the names of at least a couple of herbicides and what herbicide group they belong to. However, most of us wouldn’t be able to do a very good job explaining what these herbicide groups mean.

Herbicides are placed into different groups based on the way they kill a target plant. Herbicides will target a specific process within the plant that is essential for plant survival. For the most part, herbicides will stop a plant’s growth by binding to a specific enzyme within the plant. So without getting too technical, here is the classification of some common herbicide groups.

Group 1 – ACCase Inhibitors Grass Herbicides In a nutshell, this group of chemicals works by stopping the plant from making fatty acids. Fatty acids are used in the plants to make waxes and cell membranes and used to store energy. Without fatty acids the plants cannot survive.

Group 1 activity will first appear in the newest leaves and the crown of the grassy weed where you may see wilting and yellowing on leaves, suppressed growth and leaves that are easily pulled from the sheath.

The group is split into two categories — fops and dims. They have slight chemical differences.

The take home message on fops and dims is this: most dims are degraded rapidly in sunlight.

This brings up two important points. When using a dim, spraying at dusk may produce the best results. And, always use the corresponding adjuvant or product failure can occur. You can easily find out if a herbicide is a dim or fop by looking at the last few letters in the active ingredient name.

Group 2 – Amino acid inhibitor/ALS Inhibitors Grass and broadleaf herbicides Group 2s stop the production of amino acids, which are used in the plant to build protein. Without proteins, plants will die. Plant death with this group is often slow (two to three weeks) but plant growth will stop quite quickly. Symptoms most often show up at the growing points with reddening or yellowing tissue. Some Group 2 chemicals are also soil persistent.

Group 3 – Inhibitors of cell division Grass and broadleaf herbicides.

This one is a little easier to visu-

alize as the herbicide will stop plant cells from dividing, which stops growth. Group 3s will specifically stop growth in the root tips, stop shoot elongation and prevent secondary roots from forming.

Symptoms on target weeds may be a little difficult to identify as many controlled weeds will not visually emerge. Symptoms on weeds that do emerge generally show abnormal roots or poor root development. All of the most common Group 3s are soil applied before weeds emerge.

Group 4 – growth regulators Broadleaf herbicides In a nutshell, this group causes the plant to grow uncontrolled, which gives the plants a bent, twisted, thickened look. The plant grows faster than it can support itself, and eventually dies. This group is usually a little slower to kill but generally kills a wide range of broadleaf weeds and is part of many herbicide mixes.

Group 10 – glutamine synthase inhibitor This is an important group in herbicide tolerant crops. This group causes ammonia to rapidly accumulate in the plant during photosynthesis or photorespiration. This accumulation eventually leads to the plant unable to photosynthesize. This means that when using any Group 10’s, sunlight will greatly increase the effectiveness and speed of kill. Typical symptoms include white mottling within a few days leading to yellowing, necrosis and death.

More than one active Keep in mind that some herbicides have two or more active ingredients, which means they could belong to more than one herbicide group. Mixing active ingredients that belong to different herbicide groups is a great way to help slow down the incidence of herbicide resistant weeds.

Of course there are a few smaller groups we could look at. The take home message is that understanding how the herbicides are placed into these groups can give us some basic insight as to why different herbicides work at different speeds, mixing issues, the need for special adjuvants, why different herbicides should be used in different lighting or temperature conditions and why we have resistance issues in some groups. † Brian Woodard is an agrologist at the Weyburn Inland Terminal at Weyburn, Sask.

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

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Features CROP PRODUCTION

Reduce nitrogen to speed maturity When seeding was delayed last year, some farmers considered reducing N might speed up maturity, so they’d be more likely to get the crop off before frost

BY ANGELA LOVELL

R

educing nitrogen (N) supply to hasten maturity in crops is sometimes called “premature death”. It might more correctly be termed “limiting growth” — the aim being to reduce vegetative growth so the crop can get into its productive stage earlier. “This year we had a wet and cool spring so a lot of producers were seeding very late,” says Patrick Mooleki, nutrient management specialist with Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. “In late seeding situations, excessive N could extend the vegetative and reproductive growth periods and thus leave too little time for seed growth and ripening before fall frosts end the growing season. Crops normally will look at the resources they have and the time remaining for them to grow. Somehow in their DNA there is a time clock.”

If a late seeded crop is given the same amount of nutrients that would have been given if it had been seeded earlier, it will continue to grow for too long into the season. “If you have too much fertilizer and an advanced season when temperatures are much hotter earlier in the plant’s growth cycle, it will continue to grow vegetatively such that by the time it is flowering it may already be late July or early August, and the grain is not going to mature on time.”

Under the above circumstances the recommendation is often to reduce N.

much pressure to cut N rates when seeding is delayed.

The question really comes down to the crop variety and its days to maturity, says Mooleki.

DOING THE MATH “If you’re seeding a late maturing canola crop which matures in 105 days and you’re in an area where frost is expected to come between August 24 and September 1, and it’s already May 31, you only have on average 84 to 92 days remaining before it is normally expected to frost,” says Mooleki. “If you need 105 days to maturity and you only have an 85 day window there is a very high risk for you to plant

that crop. So you might look at changing to a variety that matures in around 80 days.”

The downside, adds Mooleki, is that earlier maturing varieties may not produce enough biomass to give as high a yield, If farmers want to risk seeding a later maturing variety, reducing N might help, but it’s still a big gamble.

And that gamble may only buy a few days, says Hartman. “The cut in days to maturity [in canola] is rather modest, generally one or two days. In general this strategy best fits delayed springs in short growing season areas, especially when canola prices are low to moderate and fertilizer prices are moderate to high.”

Modest reductions in N fertilizer rates (for example 100 pounds N/ acre cut to 75 lbs.) have been shown to save one or two days maturity in canola, while larger cutbacks (for example 120 lbs./ac. to 60 lbs.) may save three to five days.

There are other things that farmers can try to help push maturity, says Hartman. “The small effect of N fertilizer reductions on saving maturity is similar to that from increasing phosphorous fertilizer by 15 to 25 pounds, or increasing stand density from three or four plants per foot to around 10 plants per foot,” he says “In cases where seed placed N fertilizer has caused thin stands, then maturity may be delayed by a week or so — and

then the effect can be moderated by decreasing the amount of seed placed N or using special forms that enhance seed safety.”

Producers should be cautious before they cut N rates under most conditions. “It’s challenging to come up with a definite recommendation since some of these late-seeded fields may be low in nutrients such as nitrogen to begin with, due to leaching or denitrification losses,” says Mooleki. “However an abundance of nitrogen can delay crop maturity.” † Angela Lovell is a freelance writer, editor and communications specialist living and working in Manitoba. Find her online at www.angelalovell.ca

PAST RESULTS “We have studies in Manitoba on corn and dry beans showing that proper N fertilization has great effect on increasing yield and little impact on delaying maturity,” says provincial soil fertility specialist, John Heard. “In fact our corn studies indicate that it is under-fertilized corn that matures slower and yields less.”

Reducing N isn’t something he sees farmers doing very often, says Murray Hartman, an oilseed specialist with Alberta Agriculture & Rural Development. “Late seeding isn’t normal, and fertilizer N may already be banded the previous fall or even in the spring before very wet conditions arise,” he says. “In situations where seeding gets delayed, and fertilizer must be applied during seeding, then some cutback in N rates may happen. But the cutback is mainly due to reduced yield potential of late seeded crops, and secondarily for reducing maturity.”

Canola and other crops can often suffer a yield loss of around 20 per cent when seeded in late May versus early May in the main canola growing areas. Late seeded crops are also at higher risk of grade loss due to fall frosts.

In areas that normally experience dry weather, late seeding may not induce a cut in N since the producer may feel higher spring moisture than normal creates above average yield potential, says Hartman. Areas with the longest growing seasons do not have as

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Features GRAZING CROPS

Grazing corn

BY KEVIN ELMY

I

PHOTOS: KEVIN ELMY

Kevin Elmy’s 2011 corn crop at Friendly Acres Seed Farm near Saltcoats, Sask.

’ll say it right up front. The 2011 crop year didn’t start on the right foot. We were in trouble before we even got started. They say a little adversity builds character, but I’ve got enough character. Here’s to a normal growing year in 2012.

April 30, 2011 delivered a healthy dump of wet heavy snow. Just what we needed after going into winter with saturated soils, more water. We had 300 acres of fridge forage winter triticale seeded last fall, late, but still established. The plan was to seed 30 acres of corn, 20 acres of Shoshone sainfoin, 500 acres of soybeans and 300 acres of InVigor canola. That’s the fun part of making plans — changing them. Once the snow melted

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and we had more rain, there was water everywhere, including Mom and Dad’s basement. The new goal was to have the canola seeded by May 26. Then we’d seed soybeans until June 10.

Things looked grim for getting the corn in. Since our kids were kayaking in the field I’d planned to seed, I changed to plan C. This plan was to seed the corn on last year’s corn field. Once the water started to drop we worked the field on May 31 with 4-inch spikes on 12-spacing, trying to dry out the soil. Of course, it rained again. After getting the soybeans in the ground, we worked the field again, drying it out enough to get on the land to seed corn.

Because the land had been seeded to corn that was grazed for the last two years with supplemental alfalfa hay bales, nutrient levels were very high, so no fertilizer was required. The corn averaged 12.49 wet tonnes per acre or 2.75 dry tonnes in our trial. After grazing the numbers were a bit low.

We averaged closer to 225 grazing days per acre, assuming 35 pounds of dry matter per day per cow, dry tonnes would have averaged closer to 3.5 tonnes.

The corn was seeded June 10 with our Kinze planter on 34-inch rows. Our trial consisted of four rows of each of the varieties. The seeding rate trial used lower seeding rates that the 27,451 seeds per acre, mainly because I took the wrong gear. This trial showed how different varieties respond to lower seeding rates, which I think is important for two reasons. First, lower seeding rates will keep costs down, and second, to see which varieties stay feminine at lower rates. The important two feminine traits are fine stems and long slender cobs.

One thing to watch when reducing seeding rates is maturity.

Lower plant populations will hasten maturity and produce more cobs per plant. Under poor growing conditions — dry or cool — lower seeding rates will work well. Under good conditions, higher seeding rates will result in higher tonnes. Feminine plants will result in improved palatability.

FERTILIZER AND GLYPHOSATE RelenTleSS on weedS

eaSy on wheaT

wIde wIndow oF aPPlICaTIon

TReaT MoRe wITh leSS

No fertilizer was added to the field because it was grazed for the last two years, so nutrition for the corn crop would be adequate.

Because the animals never left the area during grazing, all of the manure and urine was left in the field. Cattle have evolved to fertilize grassland, and will retain only three to five per cent of the nutrients they consume.

We sprayed the field twice with RoundUp WeatherMax, making the crop clean. I found a couple of plants that survived the glyphosate. After further investigation, I realized they were RoundUp Ready sugar beets I’d seeded last year. They must have been dormant and germinated this spring.

The cows will thank me later when they eat the sugar beets.

On July 22 our Tillage radish seed arrived from Oregon, so we seeded our first field to cover crop.

Then we loaded up to deliver some

InCReaSed yIeld PoTenTIal

To learn more, visit www.everest2-0.ca Always read and follow label directions. EVEREST and the EVEREST 2.0 logo are registered trademarks of Arysta LifeScience North America, LLC “Flush after flush” is a trademark of Arysta LifeScience North America, LLC. Arysta LifeScience and the Arysta LifeScience logo are registered trademarks of Arysta LifeScience Corporation. ©2012 Arysta LifeScience North America, LLC. ESTC-162

» CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE ESTC-162 Everest20Launch_Grainews_8.125X10.indd 1

11-12-21 1:48 PM

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

grainews.ca /

17

Features

Production at Friendly Acres Seed Farm.

» CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE seed to Alberta. When I came home, I went out to the corn field.

There was a place in the field where a couple of runs in the planter ran out of seed, so I broadcasted some of the Tillage raddish on the soil without incorporating on August 1. It was amazing to see how quickly they germinated and grew.

Some fields were easier to get to than others in the spring of 2011.

difficult. In my nine years of selling corn seed, I have not heard of any of our customers losing any of their herd due to grain overload. My quick rule of thumb is: just before freeze up, go out to your corn field and bite a cob. If it tastes starchy

and bland, your starch content in Corn supplies are limited for a the grain is high and most likely bunch of good grazing varieties for should be silage. If the kernels in 2012, so picking varieties early this the cob are still juicy and taste winter is important. Seed yields sweet, they’re safe to graze. They in 2011 were poor in the corn B:8.125” won’t be as sweet as sweet corn, but seed production areas, so if you’re T:8.125” will taste relatively good. thinking about corn for 2012, it’s S:8.125”

best to book seed relatively soon.

Your cows will thank you. † Kevin Elmy operates Friendly Acres Seed Farm, along with his wife, Christina, and parents, Robert and Verene, near Saltcoats, Sask. Contact him at 306-744-2779 or visit www.friendlyacres.sk.ca

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The next challenge was to see what the cows thought. The cows were turned into the corn field.

After walking over them for the first day, once they tried them, they cleaned them right up.

On October 8 we did our trial.

The trial consisted of LF 690R, LF 728R, LF 815R, LF 755RR/Bt MZ 1261R, PPS 2146, PPS 7871, PPS 8811, PPS 7811, PPS 8781, PPS 7781, 8098, BAXXOS, and HL SR 35.

We cut down 1/1,000 of an acre of each variety (15.4 feet long). The trial averaged 17.4 wet tonnes per acre, ranging from 12.8 to 24 wet tonnes per acre.

Moisture content ranged from 68.5 per cent to 81.7 per cent.

The important numbers are the dry tonnes per acre. When talking to people about any forage production, always ask about dry tonnes, especially with highly variable moisture products or different moistures. Once the cows were grazing, there was very little difference in palatability. All of the varieties were very palatable.

The 8098 is a stacked variety, and the palatability, as predicted, was lower than other varieties but still respectable. Relative feed value averaged 118, and protein averaged 9.1 per cent. Lignin averaged 3.1 per cent and maintenance energy averaged 1.50 Mcal/ kg along with a 63.7 per cent TDN. Grazing days per acre was calculated at 259 and the milk production per acre was calculated at 5,955 kg. Fifty cattle started grazing the field on September 24. By the end of November they were about half done; by Christmas they had about 10 acres left.

18

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Features CROP PRODUCTION

GRASSY WEED GAFFE

CROP ADVISER’S CASEBOOK

Wild oats were scattered throughout Jim’s field, and showed few signs of herbicide activity.

The broadleaf weeds were wilting and dying off. The leaves had turned white with burnt edges.

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wo weeks after he sprayed his wheat field with a grass and broadleaf herbicide mixture, Jim discovered the wild oats in his wheat crop were still thriving. “There must be something wrong with the chemical,” he told me when I visited his farm to look at the problem.

We walked through Jim’s field, scouting for both broadleaf and grassy weed control.

The broadleaf weeds were showing signs of herbicide activity — the plants were wilting and dying off, and the leaves had turned white with burnt edges.

However, the wild oats were showing few to no signs of herbicide activity. For example, the meristems were white and healthy, there were no signs of wilting, and the leaves were still a nice green colour, although some had a touch of yellowing.

The wild oats were scattered throughout the field.

Clearly, the field had been

» CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

BY DAN PIRARO

Bizarro

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

grainews.ca /

19

Features

Rise aBove gRassy weeds

CROP ADVISER’S SOLUTION

D

HEATING CANOLA IS FOR THE BIRDS

ennis’ old crop canola had stored well through the spring and summer of 2011.

At the end of August, sensors indicated that the canola in one of the eleven steel bins was heating up. Dennis said he had put the canola in the bin cool and dry, at 9.1 per cent moisture. He asked me to visit his mixed grain and cattle operation north of Manning, Alta., to take samples of the canola in that bin to determine how much it had heated.

The bin, number seven, was heating up. It was warm to the touch, and when I opened the roof vent, I smelled the distinct odour of heating canola.

I asked Dennis if he’d ever had trouble with this bin before.

“As a matter of fact, I have,” he said. “This is the same bin that barley heated in last year. Both grains were put in the bin dry or overdry. I don’t understand it,” he said.

Because this bin had heated up two years in a row with two different grains stored in it, and records confirmed that Dennis had aerated his bins for 10 days after filling them with canola in November 2010 in order to ensure they were cool enough and to eliminate any pockets of moisture, I concluded the problem must be something to do with the bin itself and not the crop being stored. The bin appeared to be exactly the same as all of the others, with no obvious damage. Not sure what was going on with bin seven, I decided to bring up Dennis’ heating canola problem with my colleagues at our regular Monday morning meeting.

“I’ll bet you five extra loads off next week’s canola allocation that I know what’s caus-

ing the trouble,” said one of my colleagues. He asked me to meet him at Dennis’ farm that evening with a bright spotlight.

That day, Dennis completely emptied bin number seven at our request. At nightfall, while Dennis and I waited outside of the bin, my colleague lit the spotlight from within, and directed the bright light around the inside of the bin along the top of its walls. From outside, we saw the light shining through little gaps into the darkness, showing us where the seal between the wall and roof joint had been broken. We climbed up to investigate and we found the foam seal had been picked away by birds! The areas where the seal had been broken were letting moisture in.

Dennis applied some spray foam insulation to these areas, sealing the gaps the birds had created between the wall and roof joint. Since birds do not like spray foam, they did not bother with bin seven again, and the moisture and heating issues did not reoccur.

Checking bins regularly is an important way to reduce storage losses. Moisture and heating issues due to broken seals in your bins can quickly eat away at your profits.

As Dennis and I both learned from this experience, if there is a problem and you believe all other best management practices have been followed, keep looking for the source of the problem, and don’t be afraid to ask the opinions of others — they may have had similar experiences and can offer solutions, advice or guidance. †

» CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

spray wild oats. The problem had to be linked to the chemical controlling grassy weeds.

We checked Jim’s records. He had applied a Group 27 and Group 6 herbicide for broadleaf weed control and a registered Group 1 tank-mix partner for grassy weed control. However, something in those records caught my eye.

“You may have added the correct herbicide tank-mix partner, but we still have a tank-mix issue,” I said.

“I think I know what the problem is, too,” he said, with a sheepish grin.

Why are the wild oats in Jim’s field escaping control? What is wrong with his tank-mix? Send your diagnosis to Grainews, Box 9800, Winnipeg, MB, R3C 3K7; email leeann.minogue@fbcpublishing.com or fax 204-944-5416 c/o Crop Advisor’s Casebook. Best suggestions will be pooled and one winner will be drawn for a chance to win a Grainews cap and a oneyear subscription to the magazine.

The solution will appear in the next Crop Advisor’s Solution File. †

sprayed with chemical because control of broadleaf weeds was uniform throughout, so we weren’t addressing a spray miss. However, the wild oats were not dying.

I have witnessed an increasing incidence of Group 1 herbicide resistance in the surrounding area over the past few years. Jim, who farms 2,000 acres of wheat, barley and canola east of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., could have herbicide-resistant wild oats in his field. However, resistant oats usually grow through the herbicide application in patches and would not be spread uniformly across the field, and some of the non-herbicide-resistant wild oats would still be affected by the herbicide. Jim has also implemented a good rotation strategy and had not overused Group 1 herbicides; therefore, herbicide resistance was probably not the issue.

We were also not dealing with a staging problem—the wild oats were close to the same stage as the wheat, which had been sprayed around the five-leaf stage, the appropriate time at which to

look no FuRtheR than

laddeR

Allison Pierson is an area marketing representative at Richardson Pioneer Ltd. at Manning, Alta.

Elizabeth Simpson is a sales agronomist at Richardson Pioneer Ltd. in Lamont, Alta.

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20

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Columns SOILS AND CROPS

Land ownership and cycles in land prices Land ownership is the root of today’s agriculture industry. But the price of owning land cycles up and down. Is this time different?

LES HENRY

I

’d like to start this column by thanking readers who have sent a letter and book order in the past year or so. The letters are the fun part of writing this column and great encouragement to keep scribbling. And, I learn something in the process — I now know where to find Keoma, Alta. (northeast of Calgary), Lillooet, B.C., and Stump Lake, Sask. My Saskatchewan geography is pretty good but I had Stump Lake (Near Prince Albert National Park) mixed up with Scout Lake which is in the deep south.

Each Christmas season I spend an afternoon in the University of Saskatchewan main library picking reading material on a particular topic. This year it was the Enclosures Act(s) in England. I ended up with half a dozen books dealing with Enclosures and other aspects of the history of agriculture in the “Old Country.”

In the early days (1300-1700), land was farmed in an openfield system. Possession was nine points of the law. Little patches here and there were cultivated by whoever got there first and grazing was a communal effort.

Enclosure was done by acts of Parliament “enclosing” a parcel of land for a specific individual.

The boundary of that parcel was marked by hedge rows or stone fences — still visible throughout England. I have taken many tours courtesy of Google Earth. If you put Sandringham, Norfolk, U.K. into Google Earth, the Queen’s country estate pops up, although it is not labelled as such. (Download free Google Earth software at earth.google. com, or see another version online at maps.google.ca).

It turns out the Enclosures Acts were hundreds of acts of Parliament, mostly between 1750 and 1850. I encountered some very interesting quotes in my reading and I relate them to you as follows: “Under the open-field system one man’s idleness might cripple the industry of 20; only on Enclosed farms, separately occupied, could men secure the full fruit of their enterprise.”

And: “The poor man who is monarch of but one enclosed acre will receive more profit from it than for his share of many acres in common with others.”

It gets better. “The magic of property turns sand into gold,” and, “It is no accident that the Industrial Revolution followed upon the Enclosures.”

ENTERING A BUBBLE?

made from farming had been eagerly reinvested in improvement of the land. For the same purpose banks had advanced money to occupiers on the security of crops and stocks which every year seemed to rise in value.” The year of that statement was 1813.

A very few years later depression had devastated the industry. Then this quote comes along: “The men who survived the struggle were rarely the old owners… They were rather their fortunate successors who entered on the business of land cultivation on more favourable terms.” That is, they bought land after the bubble had burst.

Some readers may be long enough in the tooth to remember the legendary University of Saskatchewan Agricultural Economist — the famous Hadley VanVliet. His famous quote was “The biggest thing that determines a person’s success in farming is when they were born” — in other words what part of the cycle they entered the industry.

I may be dead wrong. But I think many who start out farming by paying $1,500 per acre for Weyburn loam or $1,800 for Regina heavy clay will not make it. Just yesterday I saw a news item on TV where the “Dirt Auctioneer” auctioned off an Iowa corn farm — the final price

was north of $10,000 per acre. If that is not a huge bubble I do not know what is.

The other thing that happens at times like this is that low quality land is lumped in with better quality to bring down the overall per acre price. Watch out for salt and sand — especially salt. My recommendation for the solution to salty land has always been; “Sell it in the winter time!” And it happens all the time.

THIS TIME IS NOT DIFFERENT Many are saying “this time is different”. I do not believe that.

Land price cycles go all the way back to 1813 and beyond.

I have been getting some scary phone calls lately. The younger generation thinks that, with all those mouths to feed, land prices will go up forever.

So, if you are in the market for land be very careful. † J. L.(Les) Henry is a former professor and extension specialist at the University of Saskatchewan. He farms at Dundurn, Sask.

He recently finished a second printing of Henry’s Handbook of Soil and Water, a book that mixes the basics and practical aspects of soil, fertilizer and farming. Les will cover the shipping and GST for Grainews readers.

Simply send a cheque for $50 to Henry Perspectives, 143 Tucker Cres, Saskatoon, SK, S7H 3H7, and he will dispatch a signed book poste-haste

To Tougher, more flexible one-pass control of wild oats and broadleaf weeds in wheat.

As our great western Canadian prairie lands enter a new era in land ownership, some think we are on the cusp of an era never before realized: Watch out!

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

grainews.ca /

21

Columns HART ATTACKS

Wheat is killing us or maybe saving us Wheat falls victim to the “everything is killing us” epidemic in a recent book based on anecdotal evidence. Actual research suggests the opposite

BY LEE HART

I

can put up with a lot of abuse, but when you start attacking the ham sandwich I enjoy for lunch, I get defensive.

Dr. William Davis, a U.S. cardiologist has written a book called Wheat Belly which I understand (I haven’t read the book) describes in great detail how and why wheat and whole wheat products are killing us. They make us fat and they contribute to a wide range of lifethreatening diseases.

In an interview Davis says: “The biggest nutritional blunder ever made in the history of man on earth, is the release of a high-yield (wheat) plant so destructive that

its removal allows cure from an incredible range of health conditions — all while being condoned, even encouraged, by ‘official’ agencies.”

You’d almost think he was talking about a nuclear bomb rather than wheat. Davis says in one way or another wheat causes or worsens arthritis, ulcerative colitis, diabetics, acid reflux, joint pain and swelling, leg edema, migraine headaches, chronic sinus congestion and infections, asthma, depression and anxiety, obesity, binge eating, bulimia, severe constipation, and panic disorder. As a 60-year-old bread lover I’ve got a few of those things going on that I chalked up to general overeating and lack of

exercise. Good to know that wheat is my only problem.

And not only is his book critical of food manufacturers and suspect food nutritionists and researchers, he takes a solid swipe at the wheat breeding industry, claiming breeding practices over the years have created this Frankenstein monster crop that in no way resembles the original, healthy, natural wheat grown in biblical days. In the interview, Davis says, “Modern wheat is not the product of genetic modification in the sense of the phrase as used by geneticists; it is the product of techniques (cross breeding) that are far worse: cruder, less precise, and often bizarre.”

This was the first time I have heard this attack on wheat, although I know people do suffer from celiac disease and gluten allergies. Since this guy is a doctor it must be true, right? But I couldn’t just throw today’s roast beef sandwich in the biohazard container under our kitchen counter without checking a bit further.

What do some of the wheat promoters in Canada have to say about these claims? Dr. Nancy Ames, a food scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Winnipeg, has looked at the Wheat Belly claims, and in a recent presentation she pointed out that Davis uses anecdotal experiences with patients to provide “evidence” for his recom-

ougher

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mendations rather than clinical trials. And she says conclusions in the book are not based on the stacks of scientific, peer-reviewed nutrition articles, or on double-blind randomized clinical trials.

She says there is growing evidence that whole grain cereal products protect against the development of chronic diseases such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, cardio-vascular disease and cancers. I especially liked the part where she pointed to a recent study that showed people consuming more than three servings of whole wheat per day had 10 per cent less abdominal fat than the subjects who ate no whole wheat bread.

I also checked with the Canadian Wheat Board. They’ve produced a handy fact sheet, now available on their website, called “The Value of Wheat.”

Here are just a few of the facts: • Wheat is the most important source of plant protein in our diet.

• Unrefined whole wheat is a good source of fibre, manganese and magnesium, as well as fibre and wealth of other essential nutrients.

• Research shows that people who eat more whole grains may have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers.

• The same breeding process to produce wheat is used with fruit and vegetables, and all are subject to strict regulations.

• The rate of people suffering from celiac disease has not changed, although the number of adults being diagnosed is increasing due to a greater awareness and improved diagnostic skills. The Celiac Association estimates one in 133 people are affected by celiac disease.

• The notion that people will lose weight on low carb diets (no breads) is false. Studies show no evidence to support this claim.

The full fact sheet can be found on the CWB website at: www. cwb.ca/nutrition. Click on the Hot Topics heading and then click on the branding and marketing page.

WHAT SHOULD I DO? Should I eliminate all wheat from my diet to avoid Wheat Belly, or bulk load on granola because it is saving my life?

As a 60-year-old who could stand to lose a couple pounds, I have been down the good nutrition and diet road a few times. Actually I used to have a winter home on Atkins Drive in South Beach next door to the Scarsdales. I knew them all.

My extensive research on healthy living, which I know more about than actually practice, tells me regardless of all the sure-fire diets and scare tactic books the solution is to eat anything you want — but eat right and exercise, and practice moderation. And remember, when you’re over 50, moderation means that a small piece of apple pie once a year adds three pounds you’ll never lose. †

In Tandem, two active ingredients work synergistically to deliver the most flexible, high-performance, one-pass control of wild oats, kochia, cleavers, chickweed, hemp-nettle and more, across all soil zones. Plus a wide window of application, rotational freedom and tank mix options. Accomplish more. In Tandem. Call our Solutions Center at 1.800.667.3852 or visit www.dowagro.ca today.

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Lee Hart is a field editor for Grainews at Calgary. Contact him at 403-592-1964 or by email at lee@fbcpublishing.com

1/17/12 8:00 AM

22

/ grainews.ca

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Columns MANAGEMENT MINUTE

Freddy gets fixed

Just because your banker says you can borrow more money doesn’t always mean that you should. Make sure the added debt burden will be sustainable on your farm ANDREW DERUYCK

MARK SLOANE

W

e were out to see Fast Freddy last week and boy was he on cloud nine!

His banker, George Gimeital, had offered him this great deal.

George offered to finance a new combine and swather and provided Freddy with a preapproval for the purchases.

Freddy was intrigued by the idea but wanted to look closer at the option. Freddy knew he already had significant payments to make every December and was not sure if this deal was as good as it sounded.

The bank had indicated they were comfortable with the level of debt payments on Freddy’s farm. They calculated his per acre payments to be $70 and

rent in the area was around $50 per acre. What they were saying seemed to make sense to Freddy, but something didn’t sit quite right. Freddy knew his payments would be going up $15 per acre, and he didn’t feel as though he had had this kind of surplus in the past. Freddy was confident the bank understood his financial history, based on his income taxes, but in the last 18 months Freddy’s father had retired from farming and his oldest son was either working towards his degree or pissing away his inheritance — only time would tell!

THE CALCULATIONS We started by updating Freddy’s balance sheet and then did his annual projection for 2012. Two of of the important concepts we always calculate are fixed charge requirements and coverage. Fixed charge requirements (FCR) are made up of all of the fixed expenses: FCR = principle payments + interest payments + lease payments + land rent + property taxes + living expenses or personal drawings The ability to meet these expenses, the fixed charge capacity (FCC) is equal to:

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FREDDY’S RESULTS When we completed our analysis of Freddy’s operation, the following figures showed up in his report: Coverage: • Gross revenue: $367/ac.

• Fixed charge requirements: $125/ac.

• Fixed charge capacity: $128/ac.

• Fixed charge coverage ($128/$125): 1.024 • Debt service coverage: 2.72 • Residual after D/S: $142,000 Freddy’s gross revenue per acre, $367, is in line with area averages.

His fixed charges ($125 per acre) are above the area average, indicating that his operation requires more net income than neighbouring and competing operations.

The difference between a comfortable debt service coverage ratio and a tight fixed charge coverage ratio can often result from not clearly understanding living expenses and personal drawing requirements on a farm.

With Freddy’s father retiring, he will begin to draw a salary from Freddy’s farm. Freddy’s son, Steady Teddy, is also consuming an additional $20,000 per year. These calculations quickly confirmed Freddy’s concern that making more payments may not be as comfortable as he first thought. Freddy’s debt service coverage was very comfortable, however his fixed charge coverage was marginal at best.

Understanding the difference between debt service coverage and fixed charge coverage is crucial for a manager to truly understand risk. Freddy’s strong working capital helps to mitigate the risk of high fixed charges. The last thing his business needs is more payments that will further increase those fixed charges. † Andrew DeRuyck and Mark Sloane manage two farming operations in southern Manitoba and are partners in Right Choice Management Consulting. With over 25 years of cumulative experience, they offer support in farm management, financial management, strategic planning and mediation services.

They can be reached at andrewd@goinet. ca and sloanefarms@hotmail.com or 204825-7392 and 204-825-8443

Complete trial data available at NodulatorXL.com

Please visit NodulatorXL.com for all the details.

BY DAN PIRARO

Bizarro

* Source: Independently generated field data from 87 station years (peas) and 84 station years (lentils). Station years = # of trials X # of years.

Nodulator® and XLerated Performance. Accelerated Yield.™ are trademarks or registered trademark used under license by Becker Underwood Canada Ltd. The Becker Underwood logo is a trademark of Becker Underwood, Inc. and is licensed to Becker Underwood Canada Ltd.

BU2263NodX2_Gra_FE.indd 1

FCC = accrued net farm income + depreciation + term interest + lease payments + land rent + property taxes The fixed charge coverage (FCCov) is the ratio of the ability to meet charges to the fixed charges: FCCov = FCC / FCR These calculations are slightly different from debt service coverage: Net farm income + off farm income – living expenses and income tax + depreciation + term interest payments / term debt payments

1/22/12 5:21 PM

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

grainews.ca /

23

Columns MARKET INTELLIGENCE

Pulse prices in 2012 The picture for lentils is not extremely bright. Peas will likely be the bright spot among pulses JEFF JACKSON

T

here is a saying in economic theory “a rising tide raises lifts all boats.”

This thought purports the idea that general improvements in the economy will benefit all participants in that economy.

Some have believed this thinking applies to the agricultural commodities market as well. This would mean that, in essence, strong prices in major grains (soybeans, corn and wheat) should generate strong prices in all market segments, pulses included.

Although peas and lentils are far lower in volume and less global in demand than wheat, the global market place needs to be considered when forecasting what pulse prices may do going forward.

This column is a compilation of several presentations from Pulse Days in Saskatoon and conversations with many marketers and farmers during the Crop Production Show.

green lentils, has seen a currency devaluation of up to 24 per cent, devastating the country’s ability to import the usual quantities of lentils. A similar story can be told for Algeria, a strong market for Canadian green lentils. The effect has been noted in other minor Asian currencies as well.

Again, it is difficult to imagine ourselves bullish for grains that have a reasonable carryover of stocks with major buyers in these kinds of situations.

We have seen what the combination of high carry-in stocks all over the world and weakening currencies has had on the price of lentils.

Red lentils are priced in the midteens. Many farmers find this price distasteful, understandably. The price should itself help to alleviate the issue — all of us are expecting a reduction in Canadian acres of around 30 per cent, and reductions elsewhere around the world as farmers have options to plant more profitable crops. With acres reduced and stocks reduced to more appropriate levels, over time (six months or more), we may see price levels of reds over 20 cents.

GREEN LENTILS AND PEAS Green lentils, in my opinion, should rebound a bit faster.

World stocks, especially of high quality green lentils, are in not as strong as perceived and buyer demand for No. 1 and No. 2 lairds should remain reasonably strong. Today, farmer prices for No. 2s are in the mid- to low20s, and high 20s for a No. 1.

Farmers have an opportunity to impact prices with their selling habits. I believe in general you can move prices slightly higher by your reluctance to sell, but of course would caution you that that the market feels bearish and fragile right now. Be thoughtful in how you bring your lentils to the market.

The picture for lentils is not

extremely bright. As world economic issues and stocks adjust we should see some light at the end of the tunnel. The market does need to buy high quality green lentils. Bring these to market with cautious optimism.

Red lentils will take time but the corrections to this market will take place.

Peas will likely be a bright spot among pulses. Stocks of field peas will be tight. This could be the key in keeping pea prices buoyant. Do not be in a panic to sell peas. Keep in close discussions with your processing or marketing company and watch what unfolds this spring and summer. I believe you will see values over $8 per bushel again.

As always I am available to discuss your marketing questions. † Jeff Jackson is marketing manager, pulses for Scoular Canada based at Calgary, Alta. Have you got marketing strategy questions? Send them to jjackson@scoular.com. The opinions in this column are the writer’s, not necessarily the opinion of Scoular Canada

GLOBAL FACTORS AFFECTING PRICES Major Grains Supply: On January 12 the USDA released its report outlining higher than previously reported production for soybeans and corn, creating

Do not be in a panic to sell peas… watch what unfolds this spring and summer. a bearish outlook and causing these to fall in price over the next couple of days. With the second highest world wheat production ever creating the highest carry-in of wheat stocks in a decade, the price outlook for cereals is also bearish. Despite dry conditions in Argentina and some of the U.S. growing regions, softer outlooks for coarse grains and oilseeds for the short term continue.

If, in fact, a rising tide lifts all boats, could a low tide let all boats down? It is difficult to be bullish for the short term on any pulses with decent stocks.

Minor Currencies: Much of the world’s pulses are exported into countries that use what have been described as minor currencies. Many minor currencies have been weakened by concerns over stability.

For example, in September 2010 it took approximately 45 Indian Rupees to buy one U.S. dollar.

By September 2011 the rate was around 49, today it is almost 52; the buying power of the Rupee has been reduced. Iran, a market for many of Canada’s high quality

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Columns OFF-FARM INVESTING

Don’t be too hard on yourself Are your finances getting you down? It’s time to stop beating yourself up and realize that you’re not a failure ANDY SIRSKI

D

on’t be too hard on yourself and for heaven’s sake don’t think you’re a failure if the last eight or 10 years have dragged your farm down. Low grain prices in the early part of the decade, BSE, drought, storms and now flooding have been a pain in the butt and wallet for hundreds,

maybe thousands of farmers in Western Canada.

I don’t mean to treat this lightly.

And I’m not pointing any fingers.

But I have seen this before, back in the early 1980s when high interest rates crippled the financial structure of many farms. Back then it was easier to get into financial difficulty because interest payments quickly ate big chunks of cash flow, and lenders often were more forgiving or more tolerant of delinquent loans, or loans heading that way.

These days, most lenders have a pretty good idea of how much

money a farm can earn and how much debt it can service. In the early 1980s it was easy for lenders to allow some farmers to just keep going as debt piled up and net worth shrank. So they started to keep records and set up financial benchmarks and now they know a lot about how to spot troubled loans.

Now, if a farm’s numbers bump up against a lender’s benchmarks, red financial flags go up and lenders don’t wait for a farmer to call. They call the farmer.

Lenders understand how long it takes for a farm to recover from one

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bad year: likely longer than most farmers think. So lenders now ask for a meeting and a plan to down debt to more affordable levels. If the farmer can’t come up with one, usually the lender will.

Over the years farmers have told me what happens after that plan is in place. The farmers need to sell some land or livestock or cash out Registered Retirement Savings Plans or other non-farm assets. Sometimes a farmer has had to do two out of three, sometimes one of those will solve the problem.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? One key question is this: how did the farm get into this financial mess? Was it personal spending? Did you expand too quickly?

Did you have a farm plan that made sense? Or did something happen that was totally beyond your control? Did Mother Nature cause the problem?

If something beyond your control caused this, then again, stop beating yourself up. If you made a judgment call that turned out wrong, stop beating yourself up. And even if a farmer or his family did some not so smart financial things and now the farm is short of money, hey what’s done is done.

But it still doesn’t mean you or anyone in the family is a failure.

Question: if you are faced with downsizing because of BSE, a poor crop, your health or something else, how do you keep the idea in your head that you are not a failure? It’s not easy. I know from my career as an employee that many people feel their job is their identity, especially farmers.

That’s okay up to a point. But over the years I’ve known many farmers who sold the cows, shut down a business or sold down their farm. And their life improved almost right away.

I’ve also known people who hated their job and as soon as they quit it their life improved.

How come?

First off, reality is usually less severe on a person’s mind than what might happen. As farm debt is paid down and becomes manageable, a big weight comes off a person’s back and mind.

This allows a person some “brain space,” or the freedom to think creatively and think of ways to make a fresh start. As long as the debt is there, often all the mental energy goes to trying to “save” the farm.

I have often asked farmers: “If farming is so hard on you, why are you fighting so hard to hold onto it?” There are other ways to make a living. Rural Canada needs good workers and farmers usually are good workers.

Second, the community likely already knows if or when a farm is in financial trouble. So it’s no use trying to hide that. In fact once it’s out in the open, another weight often leaves the mind.

Third, these days there’s usually a buyer for decent assets, especially land. Sure, that land might be gone from your family. But selling at good prices is better than selling at depressed prices. In the early 1970s after three years of wet weather and low grain prices, farmland was selling at fire sale prices.

These days there’s usually a lineup of buyers for farm land and cattle prices are decent, so maybe look for ways to get buyers bidding against each other.

SIGNS OF TROUBLE People in financial trouble often show signs that all is not well.

Some indicators are: they stop going to normal social events; they become quiet; they don’t talk about their farm; they might drink or smoke or eat too much; they are always tired.

Or sometimes they go the other way — suddenly spending a lot of money. I have seen both.

If you see such a change in character in someone you know maybe it’s time to go for coffee with that person. Be gentle.

SELL OUR OR SOLVE Over my 40-year career of working with farmers, I have seen a farmer and his family decide to save their farm. They were young at the time, the rules were a little slacker then, but they changed what they

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

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Columns Guarding wealth

Investing against the odds 2011 was a banner year for bonds. Find out if that’s likely to happen again

By Andrew Allentuck

I

t is a custom in the press to spend the first part of a new year predicting what will happen in the remainder of the year. Keeping the custom, I am going to do it, at considerable risk to my reputation as a conservative, reasonably trustworthy guy.

What to do?

At the moment, we are at a rare point in the investment world in which the current or running yield on government bonds or Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs), bank accounts and anything else that is well insulated from turmoil is in a

range from almost nothing to about three per cent for five-year commitments. Take off inflation that the Bank of Canada wants to hold at about 2.5 per cent and some tax, and even that five-year three per cent return looks like a long run loser.

So what to do? Stock dividends from Canadian chartered banks and utilities, pipelines and life insurance companies are three to five per cent and these offer a dividend tax credit that pushes their yield up by a quarter to 3.75 per cent to 6.25 per cent.

That’s not bad in tough times, but there are risks. Banks are leveraged lenders and could cut their dividends if they have massive losses.

Insurance companies are leveraged

on their stock portfolios. If you’ve “The developed world’s econofollowed the decline of Manulife my is still weak, so there is a lot of shares since 2008, when they aver- vulnerability to rising oil prices,” aged $40 per share to now when says Sal Pellettieri, a former hedge they are at $11 and change, you fund manager and now private know what I mean. Pipelines and investor in Winnipeg. “Oil is utilities are more solid shots and, up 32 per cent in the last three as heavy borrowers in the bond months, and oil stocks are up 16 market, they are actually able to per cent. The play is on the comtranslate low interest rates into modity, because the market does higher earnings. not believe that these high oil But things could change. Iran prices are sustainable.” has been threatening to shut down Oil could be the fulcrum on the Straits of Hormuz, through which the teeter totter of stocks which much Middle East oil flows. versus bonds tilts. If oil were to If they do that, they would drive stay well over US$100 per barrel, the price of oil up to an estimated say US$125 to US$150, a global US$125 per barrel. That’s good if recession would be a sure thing. you own oil companies but bad if Stocks would tumble, headline you depend on oil at a reasonable inflation that includes energy T:8.125” costs would rise, and central price to run your combine.

banks would try to push down interest rates to compensate for the rising Consumer Price Index.

That would push up the prices of existing bonds, the interest payments on which would look more attractive. Long bonds could turn in another banner year.

Bonds in 2011 In 2011, U.S. Treasury bonds with maturities of 10 or more years gained 25.6 per cent. The Canadian all-bond index called the DEX gained 9.6 per cent for the year. Investment grade bonds in Canada and the U.S. gained in price as European fixed income

» continued on page 26

» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24

don’t be too hard on yourself had to do to bring cash flow in line with the needs of the farm. And they succeeded.

I’ve also seen and heard of other farmers who either did not have that opportunity, or did not get to choose to save the farm. That worked out too. They found constructive work. Some started a low cost business.

Often there is one more problem to face: the idea that next year will be a good one. I have seen it. The Red River Valley was very wet from 1968 to 1970. And grain was cheap.

It was tempting to quit farming.

Then that area had 17 good crops in a row. That might be the case with cattle too. After seven or eight bad years, suddenly the price of calves is back to nice.

You are not a failure

Andy Sirski is mostly retired. He publishes a newsletter called StocksTalk where he explains how he manages stocks. If you want to read it free for a month, search StocksTalk. net on Google. Click on “free month” and submit. Or, email Andy at sirski@mts.net and he will sign you up

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C-55-01/12-BCS11190-E

T:10”

Whether the decision is to stay and fight or sell out or rent out, the important thing is that farmers and their families stop criticizing themselves, stop comparing themselves to others and start believing in themselves.

Most farmers have skills that are worth something in Canada. They can drive equipment. They can run livestock. Some can manage people. Very often the combination of a smaller farm and some off farm work can be the best choice.

Suddenly the farmer who had no time has time to visit can go to events in the community, and enjoy life more. Grandchildren, children, spouses, neighbours and friends become important and there is time for them. These are all parts of success not failure.

And I have to get this in: encourage your children to develop their overall financial plan. I call it the five-legged stool. We never know when the skills I stress in this free essay will come in handy. Just send me an email and I will send you a copy. †

Victory without the fight.

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Columns » CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

up the value of the Swiss Franc, much to the horror of Swiss exporters trying to sell to their largest European markets that use the beleaguered Euro.

investing against the odds investors fled Greek, Spanish and Italian bonds and headed for cover to relatively safe countries like Canada and Australia, each a AAA credit.

The U.S. gained from the flight from jeopardy in Europe not because its public debt is well managed, but because U.S. Treasury bonds are the deepest and most liquid market in the world. If you are the manager of, say, US$50 billion in insurance company reserves and you need to store US$10 billion for a couple of weeks, only the U.S. T-bond market can take the money in one day’s transactions.

Any other market would blow up with that kind of a sudden inflow. That’s what’s happened to the Swiss bond market where money seeking refuge has driven

Bet on the underdog?

It is a law of capital market that all sectors revert to the mean.

What’s more, they tend to do so in yearly moves. Just playing this concept, which is a statistical reality, you could put money into 2011 underachievers. Top candidates: Asia-Pacific stocks that were down 14 per cent last year. A recession in China driven by the nation’s overbuilt housing sector (sound familiar, eh?) could wreck that plan, however. Canadian small cap stocks that were down 11 per cent in 2011 could have a bounceback if the larger stock indices go up.

Emerging markets stocks that were down 15 per cent in 2011 could also head up if the developed markets return to health.

Global economy The two factors driving the global economy will determine much of what happens in stocks and bonds. Betting on bonds is risky, for after a banner year in which long government issues beat everything else, some give back is likely. The recessionary scenario is a shot in the dark.

To bet on a further fall in interest rates, you have to assume that Iran will choke off a lot of world oil tanker traffic and maintain the chokehold for a few months. One hesitates to say that the regime in Tehran is reasonable, but they should recognize their own interests in keeping oil flowing.

The expansionary bet is easier to make. There is a good chance that the wizards of finance in Frankfurt, where the European Central Bank is based, and in Brussels, where the bureaucrats of the European Union run things, will work out a deal to keep the Euro in business

and the 17 European Union countries that use the Euro solvent.

Except Greece, the bonds of which are now priced to yield almost 39 per cent — a theoretical return that assumes default. The faultless German sovereign long bonds

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called Bunds, by comparison, yield 2.5 per cent.

What to do with off-farm money? Trying to forecast what Iranian mullahs may do in 2012 is impossible. Likewise, a bet on U.S. T-bonds or Government of Canada bonds tied directly to interest rate policy of the two governments is tough.

“You would have ague that the yield on Government of Canada bonds would fall to one per cent for 10 years to replicate last year’s performance,” says Chris Kresic, partner and co-lead for fixed income at Jarislowsky Fraser Ltd. in Toronto. “You would only see that in a deflationary or recessionary environment. Historically, real yields have been about 2.5 per cent, so even now with two per cent nominal yield on the 10-year Canada, the market is pricing in 0.5 per cent deflation for the next ten years. The Bank of Canada target is two per cent inflation, so I find it hard to believe you will get the deflation figure.”

The most conservative bet one can make in this environment of unpredictable religious figures in the Middle East in charge of world oil prices and the statistical improbability of a second year of hot bond performance is, paradoxically, to straddle the risks. Investment grade corporate bonds pay 300 to 400 basis points more than Government of Canada bonds of similar term. (There are 100 basis points in one percentage point). Even if interest rates rise, they won’t go up much and the yield premium on investment grade corporate will be intact.

There is usually a good bump up in yields at the five year mark, so buying a seven- or eight- or 10-year bond carries a nice premium.

An alternative is to buy common stocks with four per cent to five per cent dividends from Canadian chartered banks and utilities. Dividends rise over time and therefore compensate shareholders for some of the risk of being in stocks.

There is no sure thing in a troubled world. The most important goals are, first, not to lose money and second, not to lose sleep.

Mid-term investment grade corporate bonds and solid Canadian bank and utility stocks with stout dividends are conservative plays in a trouble world. For off-farm investments, they are about as safe as any investment other than cash or cash-equivalent short term bonds that pay zilch. †

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Machinery & Shop AGRITECHNICA COVERAGE

Deere offers tracks on European combines John Deere’s S tracked combine with the ability to leave straw in good condition is attracting interest from German farmers SCOTT GARVEY

N

ew S Series combines were among the major new products introduced by John Deere last August for the 2012 model year.

With roughly 45 per cent of their design made up of entirely new components, they’re more than a repackaged offering wrapped in new sheet metal. These combines incorporate an array of new features and technology. But one feature North American farmers currently don’t get to include on them as a factory option is tracks.

European farmers, however, do.

Tracks are offered as an option on the European versions of the three largest models.

At the Agritechnica farm machinery exhibition in Hanover, Germany, a new S Series combine equipped with tracks at Deere’s gigantic display was attracting a lot of attention from European farmers. Like many Canadian producers, some German farmers have just gone through a very tough growing season. “This year was extremely wet,” says Wilhelm Bolhuis, Deere’s combine product specialist for northern Germany. So it’s no surprise many were taking a second look at the tracked machine on display.

Bolhuis wasn’t surprised either at how much attention the new combines were attracting. “We hit all the customer requirements for western Europe (with the combines’ features),” he says.

The track option adds roughly 50,000 Euros (about CDN $75,000) to the combines’ price tag. But for farmers faced with restrictive transport regulations, making the investment in tracks to get a narrower machine is likely to be money well spent, even in a dry year.

Moving a wide, duelled-up Class IX combine down narrow western European roads is simply not possible. And the tracks offer other benefits as well. “It minimizes soil com-

paction and develops better traction in the soil conditions,” says Bolhuis.

Those added benefits hold a strong appeal to buyers in Germany, as with farmers everywhere.

Tracks are offered as an option on the European versions of the three largest models, the S670, S680 and S690. But those machines haven’t had to undergo a design change to accommodate tracks. Both the North American and European versions of all three combines are almost exactly the same, explains Bolhuis. “The S Series combines are prepared for tires or tracks,” he says. “It doesn’t matter.

The basic combine is the same.”

According to Barry Nelson, John Deere’s manager of media relations for North America, tracks still aren’t an option on this side of the Atlantic. “As of now, we don’t offer the type of tracks that U.S. and Canadian farmers would need,” he says. However, he adds, the company is working on changing that; and it will make an announcement as soon as the option becomes available here.

One of the features standard on S Series combines, including those sold in North America, is their ability to leave straw in good condition for baling.

And that benefit is also scoring points with German grain growers, who are finding increased market demand for their straw and field residue.

“The straw business is increasing because of the increase in biogas plants,” says Bolhuis. The opportunity to use fibre products like straw in alternative energy production has ramped up demand for it. With roughly 3,500 biogas plants in operation at last count, Germany has become a world leader in that method of producing alternative energy. And the demand for corn in ethanol production has risen significantly, too, which has reduced the overall number of acres allotted to cereal grains.

All of which means livestock farmers who used to be able to find ample sources of straw for barnyard bedding are now facing scarcer resources and stiff competition from other buyers, and they now increasingly find themselves hauling straw over long distances.

“Straw quality was always a point of discussion,” adds Bolhuis. So, having a combine that allows more tonnes of straw to be recovered from each field is now very appealing to many German farmers. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews.

Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com

PHOTOS: SCOTT GARVEY

The three largest European versions of John Deere’s new S Series combines are available with tracks as a factory option. North American buyers, however, only have a choice of tire options to chose from—so far.

This rubber track system is a bolt-on, factory option in Europe. The company doesn’t believe this system is well suited to North American conditions and is working on developing a track option suitable to our market.

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Machinery & Shop Keep it going

Farm relies on older equipment For this Manitoba farmer, keeping older machinery working efficiently means adapting it to meet modern demands

By Scott Garvey

I

photos: john hardman

This 4166 International is one of several older machines John Hardman uses for a variety of field jobs.

n past issues we’ve featured a variety of machines whose owners liked them so much they refused to part with them. But for John Hardman who farms five and a half quarters of land near Dauphin, Man., it’s not just one machine that has earned his long-term admiration, its most of his farm fleet.

“I still run a lot of older equipment,” he says. “That’s what I like to use. It works for me.”

And the list of older machinery still in regular use on the Hardman farm is pretty long.

The oldest tractors date back

to the 1940s, with a W-6 International Harvester, Farmall M and Minneapolis-Moline Z. John says he uses the M and Z to pull gravity wagons hauling grain from the combines during harvest. It’s hard to imagine that the dealer who originally sold those tractors back in the day would have ever thought they’d still be working on a farm more than 65 years later.

There is also a 1965 730 Case tractor that was bought new by John’s father and has now logged more than 10,000 engine hours.

“I still pull a SeedRite and seed canola with it. But there is no

» continued on next page

Workshop quick tip

TD Canada Trust

Make your mark

With the right advice, the Martins were able to raise more than cattle.

Matthew Martin Dairy Farmer

By Scott Garvey

W

hen cutting a piece of steel with a hand tool, you’ll need to put an accurate mark on it along the full length of the intended cut location. That is usually no problem with flat or square pieces. On those, it’s easy to mark a 90° cut line. Just place a square on it.

But that won’t work very well on round tubing. So, how can you make an accurate 90° cut line around the entire circumference of a piece of round tubing? Here is an easy and cheap way to do it. Find a piece of paper long enough to go around it at least one and one half times, wrap the paper around it so the overlapping edges of the paper are perfectly aligned, then draw the line.

In this picture a sheet of ordinary sandpaper was used instead of paper to do the job. †

Dalton Potter TD Canada Trust Agriculture Specialist

Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews.

Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com

TD is committed to helping farmers build for the future.

When the Martin family wanted to raise the productivity of their dairy business, they turned to Dalton Potter for guidance. Dalton is a seasoned TD Canada Trust Agriculture Specialist and a farmer himself, and with his help, the Martins were able to buy a new farm in a prime location. Our understanding of agriculture and financing, combined with a personalized approach, is how we’re helping families like the Martins get exactly what they’re looking for.

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Scott Garvey puts his quick tip into action, wrapping a piece of sandpaper around a metal tube and using a marker to draw a straight line around the entire surface before he starts cutting.

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® / The TD logo and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank or a wholly-owned subsidiary, in Canada and/or other countries.

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

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Machinery & Shop » CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE GPS on it,” he says. “I actually direct seeded 80 acres of canola on one tank of fuel with that 730. I’m probably the only guy around here that seeds with an open-cab tractor.”

The 730 isn’t the only family heirloom in the fleet. John says there is still a TO35 MasseyFerguson and a 2N Ford that were originally owned by his grandfather. And they still see occasional use as well.

One of the larger tractors on the farm is a 4166 IH four-wheel drive. “It’s cheap horsepower.

I only paid six grand for it. I put a couple of new tires on it and fixed the drop box. Other than that it runs pretty good.”

Although the air conditioner doesn’t work in the cab, which makes it a little less comfortable than a newer tractor. “You just have to take a siesta in the middle of the day when it gets hot,” John laughs.

Many of the tractors in the Hardman fleet have been repainted and had new decals applied, but they are working machines first and foremost.

“I could show them, I guess,” says John. “But they’re in their working clothes. I don’t get them too polished up.”

John uses a few different SeedRites in his operation. “I have a bunch of them set up and modified,” he says. “Some are set up for canola, some for flax, some for winter wheat,

some I direct seed with and some I still have the rod on.”

John has installed custom-made packer wheels made by Valley Systems in Saskatchewan on one of the SeedRites used in a no-till rotation in place of the rod weeder attachment. “You don’t get a lot of down pressure,” he says. “But I get some pretty good stands with it.”

Many of the tractors in the Hardman fleet have been repainted and had new decals applied, but they are working machines first and foremost.

He uses Atom-Jet openers for seeding flax and canola into stubble.

Aside from modifying his older equipment to meet modern demands, John is able to take advantage of cutting edge agronomic practices by hiring a custom applicator to apply some variable rate fertilizer by floating it on. All of which proves there’s more than one way to get the job done! † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews.

Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com

These three older Gleaner combines still see use every harvest season. Hardman says a lot of parts are interchangeable between several generations of Gleaners, which makes repairing them much easier.

John Hardman of Dauphin, Manitoba, prefers using older equipment on his grain farm. So old, in fact, some might consider his fleet to be made up mostly of antiques. “On my farm, GPS stands for ‘go pretty straight’,” he says.

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Machinery & Shop CLASS PROJECT

Project F-250, part one With equipment maintenance on the agenda anyway, why not take the opportunity to spruce up something that takes a lot of abuse and often gets little in the way of TLC: the old farm pickup truck

PHOTOS: SCOTT GARVEY

After removing the trim cover, slide the two metal tools that come with your new radio in along the sides of the existing Unplug the wiring and antenna from the back of the old radio to release the tabs that hold it in place. Then, just pull radio. Most late-model North American vehicles use a standard wiring plug. the radio out.

BY SCOTT GARVEY

M

ost farms have an older pickup truck around that gets all the dirty jobs, like hauling portable fuel tanks, leaky hydraulic hoses and tool boxes back and forth from the field. Usually, they take over from the new, shiny pickup whenever there is a risk of getting it dirty or scratched.

When that old truck ends up looking worse for wear with rust and dents, you’ll have little choice but to keep it around until it ends up parked in the trees, because no one will give you a decent price for it.

There is something you can do to change all that, though, and for not a lot of money. With my 1996 F-250 diesel fitting nicely into that ugly duckling category, it makes

the perfect project for a new series of workshop articles this season — and, of course, I’ll get a better truck out of the deal.

Here’s the challenge I’ve been given. I put my F-250 into the shop for a couple of weeks, and using tools commonly found in any farm shop and a couple of other low-cost extras, we see how much the old Ford’s appearance can be improved on a very limited budget.

FITS MY

COLOR

Use a screwdriver to pry the tabs up that hold the anchor sleeve to the dash and remove it, too. Your new radio will have its own.

Just push it into the opening and bend down the metal tabs to hold it firmly in place.

You get to follow along as things progress. The idea is to inspire you to do the same in your shop, with your old truck. I’ll use techniques and products that will work on anything from an old truck to a trailer, or even an old tractor. We’ll break the overall make-over process down into smaller projects, most of which you could easily do in a day or two without taking things as far as I will.

But can anyone really expect professional results using cheap tools, without specialized facilities and with limited technical skill? In a word, no. But I’m pretty certain I can make the Ford look a lot better than it did when I started. And if people have started describing your old truck as a “beater,” what have you got to lose?

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To start off, let’s stick with something simple. The sound system in the F-250 swallowed a CD several months ago and won’t cough it back out. And nothing is more important in a vehicle than being able to listen to tunes when you’re driving! So, I headed to a big-box electronics store and snapped up a cheap AM/FM CD player to replace it. Here’s how to install one.

Someone had installed an aftermarket radio in the truck before I bought it, so swapping it out is easy. First, use the two metal extractor tools that come included with almost every new radio to gently pry the plastic cover plate off the dash. Once it’s off, insert one tool on each side of the existing radio. They will release the RBC Dominion Securities Inc.

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

grainews.ca /

31

Machinery & Shop

Slide in the new radio, replace the trim cover and the job is done. metal tabs that hold the radio in position, then just pull it out and disconnect the standard wiring plug and antenna cable.

Unless you’re reinstalling the same brand of radio, you’ll need to remove the metal sleeve the radio slides into, which holds it firmly inside the dashboard. The sleeve stays in place using metal tabs that just fold down behind the opening, wedging it in. Using a screwdriver, just bend them up and pull out the sleeve. Install the sleeve that came with your new radio the same way.

If people have started describing your old truck as a “beater,” what have you got to lose?

Then, reconnect the wiring at the back of the new sound system and slide it in until you hear it lock into place with a click. Reinstall the cover plate and you’re done.

It’s that simple.

Generally, whenever you’re working on anything electrical, it’s a good idea to disconnect the negative battery cable to avoid shorting something out, and installing a radio is no exception.

Total cost for the new radio was $130. We’ll add that to the running tally and keep track of each individual step. Next time we move to the back of the truck and improve things inside the bed. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews.

Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com

BY DAN PIRARO

Bizarro

This 1996 F-250 diesel farm truck is about to get a makeover. It has a few dents and some rust. The plan is to make the biggest possible improvement to its looks for the lowest possible cost.

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5 lbs/ac Regan yielded an impressive 62 bu/ac in the RTS seeded ground. “I used the RTS to give

my canola a head start in ground too wet for my precision hoe drill. On top of that, the RTS left even, mellow ground that allowed my anhydrous applicator to pull easier.” Regan will keep using his RTS for fall residue management and seedbed preparation, and this year he plans to fertilize even more ground with his RTS. Experience salford • durability • Versatility • innoVation

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Grain News

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Machinery & Shop AGRITECHNICA COVERAGE

Use your smartphone to monitor seed-tube blockages Agtron introduces a wireless seeding-rate monitoring system that links to a smartphone instead of a monitor

BY SCOTT GARVEY

S

askatoon-based Agtron used its display at Agritechnica to introduce its newest product, the Wireless ART. It’s a system designed to send data from seeding-rate and blockage sensors on a drill’s seed runs to an ordinary smartphone, eliminating the need to add another monitor to the inside of a tractor cab. “Our new wireless ART has no (wire) connection between the implement and cab,” says Bill Baker, president of Agtron.

When connected to the system, an ordinary smartphone can monitor several runs simultaneously. “It will actually monitor up to 140 (sensors) with a single-loop system or 240 with a dual-loop system,” he adds. The Wireless ART’s sending unit on the implement gathers input from seed-run sensors through cable connections and converts the data to a wireless signal the smartphone can receive.

The system uses the same stainless steel sensors Agtron has been offering for a few years now.

“They’re tried and proven sensors,” adds Baker.

The app necessary to enable the smartphone to work with the system is free and can be downloaded by anyone, using Google Apps.

The only purchase necessary is the transmitter, which needs to be mounted on the seed drill, but the company has not yet announced a retail price for it. “The sending unit price hasn’t been established yet,” says Baker. “But it won’t be a terribly expensive price.”

The system should hit the market by mid 2012. “We’ll be

doing field trials this spring,” he adds. “If those are successful, it will be available this summer.”

So far, only an app for Android-based smartphones has been released, but the company expects to have another one ready for iPhones about the same time the system hits the market in mid year. “At this point we’re offering the app (just) for the Android phone. Of course we’ll have it available for the iPhone as well,” he says. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews.

Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com

PHOTO: SCOTT GARVEY

Bill Baker, president of Saskatoonbased Agtron, was one of several Canadians who made the trip to Agritechnica. His company used the show to introduce its new seed-blockage monitoring system, which relays information to a smartphone and eliminates the need for another in-cab monitor.

QUICK TIP

Maalox instead of anti-seize

Protect Your Investment

BY SCOTT GARVEY

I

f you run out of anti-seize compound in the farm shop, you don’t have to stop work and make a special trip to town to get more, just head to the medicine cabinet in the house. Maalox, the stomach remedy, makes a great substitute.

It can be used on bolts and fasteners anywhere regular antiseize compound is needed. Just dip the bolt threads into a container of Maalox to coat them, then torque them down. The Maalox dries to a power to prevent seizing, and it even resists high temperatures. So it can be used in applications as severe as engine manifold bolts. † Do you have a tip you’d like to share with other Grainews readers? If so, let us know about it by sending an email with the details to machinery editor, Scott Garvey at scott. garvey@fbcpublishing.com

Protect your investment with Meridian powder coated, smooth-wall bins.

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Just dip the bolt threads into a container of Maalox.

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

grainews.ca /

33

Cattleman’s Corner Livestock Management

Look for higher feed-efficiency genetics Cattle genetically predisposed to improved feed efficiency can reduce production costs and with less impact on the environment

BY RIC SWIHART

W

ith feed efficiency important to the bottom line for cattlemen, selection of breeding stock for growth traits can be a major benefit in reducing production costs, says an Alberta Agriculture beef research scientist.

John Basarab told a packed house at the recent Tiffin Conference Series in Lethbridge that his team’s research has gone from the lab to the fields, and proves there is value for selecting breeding stock with genetic disposition for higher residual feed intake (RFI) values.

His work shows that the more efficient cattle (cattle with a genetic disposition for improved feed efficiency) grow at equal weight and average daily gain as less efficient animals, but with reduced feed intake.

They also have improved feedto-gain ratios of 10 to 15 per cent and have lower net energy requirements to maintain their bodies. They also have reduced methane production of 20 to 30 per cent, a factor that will gain importance as society pays more to store greenhouse gases like carbon in the soil.

Equal production, reduced cost Basarab said RFI animals show no change in carcass yield and quality grade, and exhibit little if any effect on age at puberty, calving pattern in first-calf heifers, and show no negative effect on pregnancy or calving and weaning rates.

With more cattle genetically predisposed to be more efficient, the bottom line of a beef operation should be improved. Efficient cattle showed reduced feed costs of eight to 10 cents per head per day for feeders, which in Alberta represents a total potential savings of $19 million to $38 million a year. Savings for cows could be eight to 15 cents per cow per day, saving $54 million to $110 million a year.

“Why talk about feed efficiency?

It has been talked about from management and genetic perspectives for years. It is damn important,” Basarab said.

Maintenance requirements of beef cattle are largely unchanged in last 100 years, he said. Up to 71 per cent of the cost of production for cow-calf operations is for feed, bedding and pasture, while up to 75 per cent total dietary energy

John Basarab cost in breeding cows is required for maintenance. Cattle with the genetic potential to perform well on less feed can have a significant impact on production costs.

Environmental Issues Basarab said that while production of greenhouse gases by chickens, pigs, dairy cattle and sheep declined between 1988 to 2007, beef cattle’s figure remained static, just

slightly worse than sheep. He said improved feed efficiency is about more than reducing costs. It is also a public image issue because of the greenhouse gas issue. Canada’s beef footprint is competing with the rest of the world, Basarab said. Reducing this footprint through improved feed efficiency is a marketing opportunity the beef industry should use to its advantage.

Most livestock greenhouse gases — up to 85 per cent — come from the cow herd. That points out a need to concentrate on cow herd feed consumption. Work at Olds College shows that when you take a group of bulls there are huge differences in feed efficiency, not necessarily between breeds, but to a greater extent among bulls of the same breed. Some use less feed to produce a unit of body weight., while others use 1.5 kilograms more feed than other cattle to produce a unit of weight.

No negatives Basarab said studies so far have shown no adverse production affects in cattle carrying higher genetic potential for feed efficiency over less feed-efficient cattle. And work is ongoing to further evaluate carcass yield and traits.

On the reproductive side of the equation, females produced from bulls with high feed efficiency were equal to other cattle as far as conception rates, and calving patterns and calving difficulty were concerned.

Preliminary work with replacement heifers showed they performed similarly to less feed-efficient counterparts, on less feed.

And other work looking at how cattle perform on swath grazing in fall and winter, showed mature cattle with higher feed efficiency either gained more weight, or lost condition at a slower rate, than other cattle that did not have the high feed efficiency genetics.

Basarab said a southern Alberta farmer has developed, and soon will be introducing, a system to measure feed intake for individual animals. Some of Basarab’s findings show efficient cattle have lower energy requirements, they usually produce lower body heat, and produce less methane with lower feed intake. Getting value from carbon credits may also be an option, he said, but the big saving is on feed cost. Overall benefits will increase as carbon credits funding increases. † Ric Swihart is a long-time agricultural writer based in Lethbridge, Alta.

Animal Health

Vigilance needed despite fewer calving problems There may not be as many oversized calves, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other complications which require intervention

BY ROY LEWIS

T

hanks to genetic selection for lower birth weight and easy-calving bulls, calving problems due to fetal oversize are becoming much more rare. However, there are still common problems worth reviewing to help producers recognize and assist these deliveries and save more calves.

Fetal malpresentations today are the most common calving difficulties we see. The simple front leg(s) pointing back are often corrected by the producer. Gently repelling the body and head back will give enough room to bring the leg around. This places the calf in the normal position to be pulled.

Occasionally a cow can deliver a calf with one foot back depending on the size of her pelvic opening versus the size of the calf.

TWIN ISSUES With twinning being in the range of five to 10 per cent in some herds they pose a much greater risk of malpresentation because of the eight legs and two heads. The various combinations of these body parts can really be a puzzle to sort out.

Most often, with twin malpresentations the front calf will be backward while the other one is forward. They can both be trying to come together. A few tricks for producers to sorts things out:

• Remember the top calf must be the one to come out first.

Follow the leg back to the body and make sure you are pulling on two legs from the same calf.

• To determine between back and front legs, there are a couple things you can determine by feel. It may seem pretty obvious, but it is as simple as if you follow the legs to the body and first feel the neck and head those are the front legs, and/ or if you follow the back legs to the body you should find the tail.

• If you can’t reach that far inside the cow, check the first two joints of the foot. They will bend in the same direction. The joints of the back two feet will bend in one direction and the joints of the front two will bend in the opposite direction. Find the pair that bend in the same direction.

• If both calves are coming forward, four front legs need to be sorted out. If a cow had twins in the previous year or two watch her extra close as they often repeat.

20-MINUTE RULE My rule of thumb for any of these malpresentations is if no progress is being made after 20 minutes call your veterinarian.

The vaginal vault will be drying out and time is running out, as well. Keep in mind generally you may have lost time in iden-

tifying a malpresentations since the uterine contractions may be delayed, or the water bag or feet showing may not happen as with normal calvings. As a result there is an increased risk of a stillborn birth.

BREECH BIRTH The most common malpresentation we veterinarians attend to is complete breech births, where the calf is presented tail first into the birth chamber. It takes skill and experience to bring the back legs around without damaging the cow’s uterus. Again, these cases have a higher incidence with twin births. With just the butt end of the calf presented, often the cow delays pushing.

It is not clear why, but it may be because nothing is presented into the pelvis.

I do know over half of these presented to us result in a stillborn calf. The cow will often look uneasy and start making a bed but won’t get down to the act of calving. With many the entire placenta is presented when the calf is delivered.

The navel cord may be wrapped around the legs and veterinarians must be careful to not rip this during the delivery.

OTHER COMPLICATIONS Torsion of the uterus, although rare, is important for the pro-

ducer to recognize right away and call for help. Upon doing a vaginal exam, if you get the impression your hand and arm are going through a corkscrew with apparent tight tissue crossing your path it is likely caused by torsion of the uterus. When you do reach the calf it may appear upside down and the opening is not uniform, like a partially dilated cervix. Call for help right away, as a few options are available. An experienced veterinarian may be able roll the calf, or alternatively roll the cow while the calf is held in place, or if both these are unsuccessful a caesarean section (C-section) is performed.

Fetal monsters, fetal hydrops (excessive fluid in the calf’s abdomen), schistosomas reflexus (an inside-out calf), and many other rare conditions like two-headed calves should all be dealt with by a veterinarian. In most cases the calves are usually non-viable and are delivered

by C-section or if necessary a fetotomy is performed. This is where the veterinarian will cut the fetus apart using obstetrical wire and an instrument called a fetotome. It is an undesirable measure, but the life of the cow is spared.

We as veterinarians also see cases where there is something wrong with the pelvis of the cow. The tail head and spine may have dropped down mak-

ing the pelvic opening very small or there may be a mass or some obstruction in the pelvis.

The solution is again a caesarean section even though the calf is normal sized. These cows are obviously culled out in subsequent years.

STAY VIGILANT The days of lots of C-sections and hard pulls are over. With good bull and female selection, calving problems from fetal oversize are rare. All breeds have lines of lower birth weight or easy-calving bulls to use on heifers. Another problem worth noting is heifers that are maturing early. And in some situations older calves get bred at only a few months of age.

These animals, of course, commonly have dystocia (calving problems) due to small pelvic openings.

Overall veterinarians are called about calving difficulties a lot less than they used to be, which is a good thing. The important thing is the producer still needs to be vigilant at calving, recognize when there is a problem, and act on it quickly. If you don’t make progress yourself in 20 minutes, call for backup. † Roy Lewis is a practising large animal veterinarian at the Westlock Veterinary Center, north of Edmonton.. His main interests are bovine reproduction and herd health

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Keepers & Culls Supply management could prevent the next “bust” LEE HART

T

here always has to be one party pooper, and after looking at a couple of recent news/information reports it looks like pretty good days right now for beef producers. While this boom is good, it probably means the next bust is coming.

Everyone was excited in late January that the South Korean market has reopened to Canadian beef. That is estimated to be worth about $30 million per year. And that is good news, although I took somewhat of a sideways view of this news in my Jan. 23 blog (go to: www.grainews.ca) when I wondered what took so long.

(Interestingly, a few hours after that blog was posted I had an email from Terry Singeltary Sr. of Texas who took issue with the “safe food” comments. He feels the livestock industry is killing Good Ideas: If you have any tips for good ideas on how to build or do something around the farm that makes life easier or simpler or more productive, please send them along. You can email, mail or fax — see contact information on this page. If you have a photo or diagram to help illustrate the point, please send that along too, along with your contact information, in case there are any questions.

people with BSE and the human form Creutzfeldt Jakob disease, and it’s all part of a big cover up — so there we have another viewpoint. You can visit his webpage at http://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com or just Google his name.)

But, hey on the open South Korean market front… we can’t look a gift steer in the mouth (unless we’re making sure it is under 30 months). And the other signal to me was Jerry Klassen’s market report (on Page 36), which paints a pretty rosy picture for the months ahead. He is estimating that Canadian live cattle shipments to the U.S. will soar from 12,000 head per month last November to about 60,000 head per month in early 2012.

I didn’t realize the Canadian feedlot system was that elastic.

That’s a huge increase in live cattle shipments. I may just buy a pickup load of miniature Herefords to finish in the backyard here in Calgary so I can catch the edge of this wave. Damn the petunias, this is business, and I have to come up with a few bucks toward a wedding this year.

There is always something about the beef market that reminds me of that old line, “the good thing about banging your head against the wall is that it feels good when you stop.” So right now the beef industry isn’t banging its head, but give it a few months.

So that preamble leads to my sure-fire Canadian beef industry profit strategy called “supply management.” This little nugget has worked so well for the dairy and poultry guys, the cattle people should give it some thought.

We have everything counted and numbered now. The folks at the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency now have this amazing database. I can see a pretty slick network of emails zooming across the country. “Fred at Stettler, Alta., we’re going to need another 25 head of Char-cross calves from you in 2012.” “Bob at Minnedosa, Man., hold off on bringing those 15 extra replacement heifers into the herd, because we’re giving Ernie at Cando, Sask. a chance to build his herd…” So everything is managed to prevent oversupply and everyone earns $200/cwt per steer.

I think it is a perfect solution, although some might argue, I may be in early stages of mad cow disease.

Lee Hart

((Editor’s Note: In an ongoing search for good ideas or tips to make calving, ranching or any other farming activity simpler or more productive, here are few useful tips with a dash of humour from an Alberta Peace River region rancher.)

Calving and winter feeding tips Editor: You are looking for tips, and gave the example of Albert Woelk who feeds at night and gets up at 5 a.m. in March/April to check cows. Here is the tip for the guy who works off the farm; well, a couple of tips.

CONTACT US

Write, E-mail or Fax Contact Cattleman’s Corner with comments, ideas or suggestions for and on stories by mail, e-mail, phone or fax.

Phone Lee Hart at 403-592-1964 Fax to 403-288-3162 E-mail lee@fbcpublishing.com Write to CATTLEMAN’S CORNER, 5111 Northland Dr. NW, Box 67211, Calgary, AB, T2L 2L2

First, it is easier to put feed out once a week on Saturday or on days off, in small fields. Depending on how many cows you have, you can put out enough bales for a week, cut the twines, and let cattle into the field. For 60 cows, this can take an hour or two per week, as long as you don’t get stuck in the snow. This gives feed and bedding for most of the week, and near the end of the week, they will clean up the bedding. You can decide how much hay and how much straw depending on the year and quality and availability.

If there is a lot of snow, some feed will get covered, and cows will have to scrounge in the snow a bit, or you will move them a bit quicker, and they may clean it up in spring when the snow melts.

Never put two bales on the same spot in the same field, to help spread manure around. The grass in that field will grow from twice to four times as high and thick next summer. Try to have at least six different winter-feeding pastures.

If you have several small fenced fields you can set out bales for several weeks, one field per week, or one field per four days. Then all that is needed is to open gates between fields when they finish the bales in one field. This means you don’t have to run a tractor in cold weather. You probably should keep power on your fences.

Second, checking cows for calving at night. Don’t. Leave them alone. If you have a good herd, checking cows at night for 60 days for calving might net you a grand total of $10/hr, and cause you all kinds of problems in your off-farm job — unless you have heifers. Then check them. Or make sure all your heifers look like cows.

One or two pastures for calving should probably be smaller than 40 acres for easier checking, but get them out of there as soon as possible. Try to move the entire calving herd once a week to keep the calving area clean, keep them out of wet areas, and give them lots of room and dry calving spots. And try to avoid helping them. Once you start helping a cow or two, then the rest figure they can take it easy and get your help too. Let them do their own work.

Third, make sure the cows always have good nutrition, especially sufficient selenium, and make sure they don’t have lice, and you will reduce calving problems greatly.

Fourth, make sure you have red or black cows, so that the mothers can find the calves in the snow.

Fifth, start calving in April instead of March.

Sixth, have fun!

John Zylstra Fairview, AB

PORK INDUSTRY

Pork part of the puzzle to feed world

T

he pork industry needs to think both as a leader and an activist at a global level in order to drive economic prosperity while helping the world battle poverty and feed a population set to hit nine billion by 2050, say speakers at the 2012 Banff Pork Seminar. The seminar launched its 41st event with an ambitious focus on “Feeding Tomorrow’s World.”

The industry, particularly in North America, is slowly emerging from an extremely challenging and volatile four-year period and is now taking steps toward improved stability, profitability and renewed optimism.

As the industry steadily gains traction it has the opportunity to take a fresh look at its bigpicture role in the world, said Jim Haggins, chairman of the Banff Pork Seminar.

In addition to capturing new opportunities to strengthen the industry, such as latching on to China’s rising market and harnessing the power of new technology advances, this role also spans the pressing global challenges of

battling poverty and driving new progress for safe, affordable and abundant food.

“Our economic success is intertwined with these challenges,” says Haggins. “As our industry continues to make progress through many changes, the global situation causes us to reflect and make adjustments. We know we have a critical role in the world.

We also know that our prosperity as an industry hinges on global growth in food and feed demand from sources that can afford to pay for it.”

World population is at seven billion and projected to reach more than nine billion by 2050.

Livestock production needs to double to supply food demand.

Approximately 10 per cent of the world’s landmass is arable today and that area is not expected to increase. And the world is currently using about 70 per cent of its fresh water supply. Food is a major issue for more than half the world’s population that either can’t afford or access an adequate, quality nutritional diet.

munity. The foundation heavily researches issues and seeks areas where it can uniquely contribute with targeted investments for the greatest impact.

“The poverty hot spots of the world are by far in rural areas where agriculture is the main form of sustenance and income,” says BeVier. “Livestock is a ladder for improving the lives of farmers and communities in these areas. Interventions to improve animal health, genetics, nutrition and other fundamentals can help create a pathway out of poverty.”

JEFF SIMMONS Jim Haggins

DR. GREGG BEVIER Livestock farming is a powerful intervention tool, says Dr. Gregg BeVier of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is dedicated to bringing innovations in health, development, and learning to the global com-

The challenge is summed up by three numbers — 50, 100, 70, says Jeff Simmons, president, Elanco Animal Health. “In the year 2050, the world will require 100 per cent more food and 70 per cent of this food must come from efficiencyimproving technology.”

It’s absolutely critical for the world to remove barriers to these technologies and for livestock

industries to be active, outspoken leaders in addressing what is unquestionably the world’s biggest issue at a crucial time in history, he says.

“This is not a time to let up. This is a time to innovate and a time to also stand up for the technologies we currently have. While we have an economic opportunity, we also have as much of a moral responsibility. We need to be more activistlike in our thinking and engage in the debates that are out there in all corners.”

A silver lining of the global recession is that it has brought more logic to the global food system, says Simmons. “It makes it easier to see what’s important.

People the world over want and need the same thing — safe, abundant and affordable food.” † The Banff Pork Seminar is a leading-edge seminar for the pork industry held annually in Banff, Alberta. Held since 1972, the Seminar is coordinated by the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, in co-operation with Alberta Pork, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and other pork industry representatives from across Canada. More information is available on the seminar website, www.banffpork.ca

BUILDING TRUST IN CANADIAN BEEF

Cattleman’s Corner

Better communicator, better manager The keys to better on-farm communications and how VBP can help

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t’s important that people know what to do and why in a beef operation today.

Whether you have a crew of volunteers helping out at processing time or employees working full or part time, people need clear instructions. In on-farm food safety terms, our beef customers are depending on it.

Canada’s Verified Beef Production (VBP) program provides beef producers with the tools for clear, effective business communications. VBP best management practices are designed to be customized to each individual beef operation. This helps people recognize the right thing to do and then do it, which does amazing things for family and team harmony.

Here are some comments, suggestions

and tips on how to be a better communications manager from beef producers who have attended VBP workshops across Canada.

Write it down. “I like the word team, but our team doesn’t always have its game face on,” says one veteran producer. “Sometimes things don’t work like they should. That’s why we write it down and why VBP helps. If we have a written document then everyone is in charge because everyone can read it. When things are rushed and someone is having a bad day, people are more likely to keep a cool head if they clearly understand their job.”

Will they understand? As one producer wrote: “When I was a kid, my dad would leave a note on the fridge on which animals needed

Will they understand?

to be treated. We couldn’t always read his writing. Now, with VBP, we simply post our farm’s Standard Operating Procedures and our kids have the records to back up their decision.”

Create leadership. A producer wrote: “If people know what to do, they will handle it.

But if they know why they are doing it, they will find ways to continually improve. Some of the best ideas come from people understanding and thinking on their own.”

Think training. At least one person in the beef operation should be trained with VBP requirements. Family members and staff should know their responsibilities regarding Standard Operating Procedures and the “Must dos” for your operation.

Make people comfortable. Communications isn’t about nagging. It’s about building a cornerstone of your business success. If people are comfortable asking questions, that’s key. You will create exchange of ideas, better observations and more dynamic feedback.

Post key information. One theme from many successful operations is that they post key information such as drug withdrawal times or SOPs at chuteside or in barns. That’s particularly important if the primary person who does that task is not there that day.

Communicate off-farm. Good communications includes off farm contacts such as vets, truckers and nutritionists. “Truckers really respect shipping manifests,” says one producer. “And if you communicate with your vet before processing, then they’ll have supplies when you need them.”

Rush times provide the best test. When things are busy, communications often suffers. If it doesn’t work well, make a commitment to fix it for next time.

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Cattleman’s Corner THE MARKETS

Feeder cattle prices surge higher Live cattle exports could reach 60,000 head per month, up from 12,000 per month last fall JERRY KLASSEN MARKET UPDATE

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eeder cattle prices surged higher in early January as the market contends with tighter supplies, stronger fed cattle prices and weaker feed grain values.

Central Alberta auction markets reported Simmental-cross steers weighing 429 pounds sold for $191/cwt; Limo-cross steers averaging 550 pounds moved at $160/ cwt and black Angus-based steers with medium flesh averaging 825 pounds traded at $146/cwt. While Western Canadian values were up $2 to $3/cwt, U.S. feeder prices jumped $10 to $15/cwt in the Southern Plains region. Heifers for beef cow replacement were notably strong. For example, Angus heifers in Nebraska averaging 618 pounds sold for $194/cwt and steers weighing 500 to 550 pounds were commonly over $200/cwt.

There are four main reasons for the higher feeder cattle prices:

• The North American feeder market is functioning to encourage expansion. Producers have experienced 1-1/2 years of historical high prices and widespread heifer retention is occurring in all major cattle regions of the U.S. • It appears producers in Texas and Kansas who liquidated herds earlier in summer 2011 due to the drought, are now being more aggressive to get cattle numbers back to normal. Pasture and winter wheat conditions started to improve in October and November. A larger portion of Texas experienced 150 per cent of normal precipitation in December.

• The 2011 cow slaughter came in higher than expected and it appears the calf crop will be smaller than previous indications. Keep in mind U.S. feedlot placements from July through November 2011 were above 2010, especially in the lighter weight categories. A smaller calf crop combined with an abnormal placement pattern have tightened available supplies.

• Feed grain prices are coming under pressure, lowering the cost per pound gain.

• And finally, fed cattle pric-

es continue to ratchet higher.

Alberta packers were buying fed cattle in the range of $113/cwt to $117/cwt in the first half of January. The fed market in Texas and Kansas traded at $123/cwt while Nebraska cattle reached a high of $124.50/cwt. The cash trade appears to be trading at a premium to the futures, which is common in bullish cattle markets.

U.S. feedlot operators buying 600 pound feeder cattle are expecting October fed cattle prices to reach $132/cwt to $135/cwt.

INCREASED EXPORTS Canadian feeder cattle exports to the U.S. are expected to increase given the current price structure. During October and November 2011, exports were about 12,000 head per month.

However, it would not surprise me to see western Canadian feeder cattle exports reach over 60,000 head per month during the first quarter of 2012 given the current price spread between Manitoba and Nebraska.

Western Canada currently has a feeding competitive advantage with lower barley prices relative to

corn. Canada also has a tighter supply situation so our values should actually trade at a premium to the U.S. market. Therefore, March feeder cattle prices in southern Alberta could be $10/cwt to $15/ cwt above current levels.

The fed cattle outlook remains positive but is somewhat tempered compared to the feeder complex. Cattle-on-feed supplies in the U.S. are running two per cent above last year while western Canadian on-feed numbers are up two per cent. It is inevitable the cow slaughter will decline, which should result in higher average carcass weights. The U.S. weekly slaughter is running three per cent higher than last year (excluding the holiday period).

The USDA is forecasting a three per cent decline in beef production in the first quarter but this may be adjusted upward.

POST-CHRISTMAS SLUMP Beef demand has been rather sluggish in January due to lower restaurant spending and slower retail beef movement. After a surge in consumption before Christmas, it appears consumers have temper-

ed their eating patterns. This will likely continue until mid February and then food spending starts to increase from a seasonal perspective. I guess it takes about two months for consumers to pay off the Christmas bills.

The U.S. economy appears to be in full fledged expansionary mode which should result in higher consumer incomes in the first half of 2012. This is positive for beef consumption because consumer spending and beef demand are highly correlated.

U.S. unemployment dipped to three-year lows in December.

Consumer confidence also jumped reflecting that people feel better about their financial position now and for the future. Retail prices for ground beef have made new historical highs but demand for higher end cuts has been lagging.

Stronger consumer confidence suggests that holiday travel and restaurant spending will increase causing greater demand for high end beef products. † Gerald Klassen analyzes cattle and hog markets in Winnipeg and also maintains an interest in the family feedlot in Southern Alberta. For comments or speaking engagements, he can be reached at jkci@mts.net or 204 287 8268

REPORT FROM THE BIG MUDDY

Technology helped to connect family at Christmas More than 80 years ago grandparents travelled seven miles by horse and sleigh for holiday visit BOYD ANDERSON

DECEMBER 23, 2011 Yesterday, Lloyd and I drove over to the Big Muddy Ranch to work over some cattle. Ryan, with help, had rounded up my cattle and had them in a corral when we got there. Ryan is taking 100 head of my cows on shares. The cattle were put through the chute and he selected the 100 head he wanted.

We weaned all the calves at the same time and treated all for lice and warble flies. Any old cows or culls were cut off to be sold at a later date. I plan on keeping my calves this year and will sell them next year. The cattle all looked very good and it was easy to see that the herd had gone through a good summer.

DECEMBER 25 — CHRISTMAS DAY I spent Christmas Day on the home place with Lloyd, Nyla and family. This ranch is located in the Wood Mountain Hills and is at more than 3,000-feet elevation.

It was my grandma and grandpa’s ranch and as a little boy I often stayed with them for a visit. My grandpa lost a leg because of diabetes. I often stayed there with them and played cards with granddad.

After he died, my Grandma Lula

PHOTO: BOYD ANDERSON

With good growing conditions this summer, an open fall and improved markets, it has been a good year for the beef industry. kept the ranch going for 10 years at which time I took it over. After three years in the army overseas, I came home, married Lorene and spent 40 years on the ranch. After that, Lloyd and Nyla took over.

They have done a very good job with the ranch and also with their three boys.

The two oldest ones are Connor and Lander. Connor has a degree in geology and is working on the oilfields east of Weyburn, Sask.

Lander, with a degree in agriculture, is on a trip to New Zealand.

Chay, the youngest boy, is in his second year of agriculture and has a job lined up for the summer. All three boys say they want to stay in farming and so far they have been good at coming home when they can. This year, they will all have some land with crop and hay and are taking some of my cows on shares. All three of

them are good with horses, cattle and machinery.

On Christmas Day, Nyla made a hook-up with a computer on Skype and we all had a visit with Lander in New Zealand. He said he was going on a 30-mile hike — the wonders of the scientific world. In a few days, many of my family will be meeting at Medicine Hat for a family gathering.

DECEMBER 30 I came home from Medicine Hat with Connor, his girlfriend Kylie, and Chay. The party at Medicine Hat was very good and we had 28 of our extended family for dinner at the Medicine Hat Lodge.

They were all cousins, nephews, nieces and our own immediate family. The majority was from Saskatchewan and Alberta. We’ve now had this Christmas party for

26 consecutive years and it has been very successful.

Of course, we do miss grandma (Lorene) and my daughter Linda.

We do think of them a lot and by getting together the cousins get to know each other better.

My wife, Lorene (grandma), was a great family person and we will try to keep the day open every year when it is possible to do so.

My Grandma Lula Price’s birthday was on Christmas Day and we always got together with her and granddad on either Christmas or New Year’s Day, depending on the weather.

There were seven miles between us and most of the time we would have to go with a team and bobsleigh.

Well I remember when grandpa and grandma came down to our place for New Years. There was a good covering of snow. I was eight at the time. My granddad, with one leg, drove the team and sleigh right up to the door.

He and grandma were both sitting on a well-padded seat. Their bodies and legs were well covered with blankets and I could see frost was in the air from the horses’ puffing. My dad helped grandma out of the sleigh and into the house, then, he drove the team to the barn, unhooked and put the team away.

Meanwhile, Grandma Lula was getting her outer clothes off and warming up by the heater, which was loaded with lignite coal. Then, I saw the presents she had brought.

They had two traps for me that I could use to catch weasels and rab-

bits. I also received a pair of long black stockings. They also had presents for my three older brothers and my younger sisters. That night our neighbours, John and Hannah Sinclair, came over and away into the night, the Scottish singing went on. That was one Christmas I have never forgotten.

That next summer, my grandpa was laid to rest. He was born and raised in New York. He was a schoolteacher and came west to South Dakota and then up to southern Saskatchewan. He was a true pioneer. He had some of the finest purebred Hereford cattle in the Wood Mountain area. He started what was first known as the Valley View Ranch. His great grandson, Lloyd and his wife Nyla are now on the ranch and doing an excellent job.

I have often thought about my Granddad Price, a schoolmaster from New York, helping out other homesteaders with writing letters and often giving advice on points of law. Within a circle of 20 miles or so, we must have had 15 or 20 different nationalities. From where we lived on Rock Creek, we had three different schools within seven miles. My mother was an excellent piano player and my dad was a horse rancher when the homesteaders needed a horse for farming. It was a great experience to have been exposed to all these different nationalities. We always seemed to have a lot of company and it was very interesting. † Boyd Anderson is a mostly retired rancher from Glentworth, Sask. and has been a columnist for Grainews for many years

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

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Home Quarter Farm Life SEEDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

A farm widow’s business savvy How would you manage the farm if you were suddenly on your own?

ELAINE FROESE

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nother fatal farm accident report hits my ears, just after presenting to a large group in Westlock, Alberta. “Another young farm widow joins a club she doesn’t ever want to belong to, I wonder how she will manage the farm, her family, herself.” I wonder.

Now that I belong to the “Freedom 55” club, I am not retiring from my coaching practice or my supportive role to my farming husband. I do think about how I would manage 5,000 acres and a seed business if Wes was to die soon.

How should I prepare to be a young widow? (Fifty-five is young, 86 is the new life expectancy for women in Canada.) Do you have the courage to get ready to be a widow?

1. Talk about what you would do. Share “what if” scenarios with your spouse so that you have a clear indication of their intent and wishes for you to carry on. Consider whom you would hire as part of your team of advisers. Find good recommendations via word-of-mouth referrals and the business directory of www.cafanet.com.

(Canadian Association of Farm Advisors). Use this year to plan a calendar of events of farm activi-

ties and deadlines that keep you up to date with farm management. Visit the accountant with your spouse for tax planning.

2. Develop a relationship with a financial planner whom you as a couple both trust and respect. This is looking at your lifestyle income needs, your personal investment risk tolerance, and your goals for insuring your debt, estate tax liabilities, and long-term care or critical illness possibilities. I don’t have critical illness insurance as the premiums for me were going to be high, so my plan is to sell land if I need the Mayo Clinic.

I expect that you know how to write cheques, and balance the accounts. Unfortunately, I have met women my age who never touch the family’s finances. UGH! Get a clear picture of what you actually spend on living, because as a widow you’ll be negotiating cash flow with your successors who have living needs also.

3. Update and review your insurance. I’m hearing stories about men who are outliving their insurance policies, and not renewing them due to high premiums. They don’t have the $600K cash from the proceeds they intended to share with nonbusiness heirs. They don’t want the farm to pay the premiums. In another case, the dad cancelled the insurance, without letting the family know, and you can bet the grieving family was more than shocked when that uninsured fellow dropped dead due to a heart attack a few years later.

It’s a dry cold Here on the Prairies we need to add moisture to the indoor air

BY STAN HARDER

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contributing factor to winter breathing disorders may simply be a deficiency of moisture in household air. I have the advantage of heating with wood, so can add moisture to the air by keeping pots of water on the stove. Part of the daily routine is to keep filling the pot(s) with water. There is no fixed amount as outdoor weather conditions vary, but I can count on evaporation of anywhere from 10 to 16 litres per day. The difference in quality of life is quite pronounced and my family and I experience less sinus and lung congestion and much freer breathing.

I use an eight-inch convection fan (see photo) between the pots.

It is silent and keeps hot air from simply rising toward the ceiling.

The stove also has a built-in blast fan that is efficient on cold days.

It’s noisy but some sort of fan is essential.

My way of measuring household humidity is simple. If moisture begins to accumulate on cold windows, I remove a pot. If houseplants show signs of low humidity, I put it back on.

Also, if you have hardwood floors or expensive wood furnishings, you should consider raising room moisture levels a touch in our “dry cold” winters. The last thing you want to see is drying cracks or constriction heaves in furniture or floors.

Commercial humidifiers are available, but if you heat with wood this is a no-cost, highly effective alternative. † Stan Harder writes from St. Brides, Alberta

4. Ask your accountant all the dumb questions you need to. There are no dumb questions, just lots of assumptions that are waiting for clarification. My chartered accountant is concerned when she interviews farm widows who have never engaged even at a basic level of caring about the farm finances. It’s time to learn more about the balance sheets, debt service and asset values you are going to have to make decisions about. I am saddened to hear from wealthy widows who had no clue how rich they really were, and now are not able

Fifty-five is young, 86 is the new life expectancy for women in Canada. to embrace a financial strategy to enjoy their status as their health is failing. Do you have a poverty mentality based on false assumptions about your net worth? Do you have titles with your name on them?

5. Check to see that you have an enduring power of attorney with an adult child you trust, and an alternate. If you are a widow and become incapacitated from making decisions, then whom do you trust to take care of you? Do this before

you are assessed with mental health issues and are still thinking clearly.

6. Make a life binder manual to have all your documents in order and the contact information for advisers, plumbers, electricians etc. You can download forms to fill in at www.rightrisk.org. I’ve written about this before, and my binder is started, but needs a blizzard day to get done. As the executor of an estate, it helps to know where all the important papers are located. Don’t forget to locate and write down the current computer passwords.

7. Encourage your husband to write down all the things in his head that the farm needs to know for ongoing farm management. Men hate to do this.

How can you make it easier? I have purchased Dick Wittman’s consulting binder that is full of templates and operating procedures. This might be a great task to tackle with your young successors, who would like to see things on paper while Dad is still alive and well to put his wisdom into text. The young widow that I mentioned has a lot of cows to feed, and the ration ratios died with the farmer. What information needs to be shared with your farm team to pass along the managerial tasks smoothly?

8. Book a spa day when you can celebrate getting all your affairs in order. Or buy your favourite book. Have something to look forward to, maybe a date with your hubby to tell

him how thankful you are for his love and provision. Men (and women) have a tough go on farms, and carry a lot of stress around being successful providers. They need some appreciation now, not just at their eulogy.

9. Start planning your funeral, and ask the funeral director for a template of the invoice your family is going to receive.

You’ll be shocked at all the “add-ons” of services, and possibly you would like to make some pre-arrangements so that your decisions are not made in the emotionally charged days of fresh grief. Ask your husband to tell stories about his prized possessions, and then list the names and articles that he wishes to gift. Better yet, give the gifts with a warm hand.

10. Ask the next generation to help you build a digital DVD collection of farm photos and family shots that diarize the legacy your farm family has enjoyed over the years. The story is not finished yet, but start working on the chapters of your life story now. When my dad died, I relied heavily on a creative memories photo album that I had created for his 75th birthday. Get working on those photo archives and relive the great memories of cherishing your family. † Elaine Froese is a certified farm family business coach, farm wife and friend to widows. Share your story with her at elaine@elainefroese. com. Be good to your family and be safe. Be kind to widows and orphans. Call 1-866-8488311 to book Elaine for your next ag event.

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Home Quarter Farm Life POSTCARDS FROM THE PRAIRIES

New Year’s resolutions…

Making promises for a new year whilst recovering from a wine-induced coma is not a good idea. So instead, I’ve created a list of basic instructions for how I want to live my life. Part Three JANITA VAN DE VELDE

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n case you missed my last two articles (cue gasps of incredulous disbelief from me this time… How dare you not immediately flip to the Farm Life section? Where’s your heart?), let’s recap. Recently, I found myself making a list for how I want to live my life, and more importantly, the lessons I want to pass on to my children. In between my outrageous outbursts and attempts to lock them in a broom closet (kidding, people… it’s more like a large shed), I find myself wanting to be a better person. Part One and Part Two covered the following topics: have faith, be intelligent, be humble, be kind and compassionate and be courageous.

Here’s Part Three. For those of you already yawning and making a move to flip the page, don’t you dare. Aren’t you listening? Be courageous. Be kind. Have faith. It’ll all be over soon.

Earn your keep… and have fun doing it The secret to being remarkable and standing out in a crowd is to enjoy what you do, even if it isn’t your dream job. Focus on the task at hand. Be present. People who

are exceptionally good at what they do make everyone around them feel better. Egos are dropped and work gets done. Work hard and have fun doing it. After all, no one really cares if you don’t want to be there. That’s your choice, not their baggage. And remember, you’re trading your time for money. That’s all it is. It’s extremely important you remember this equation. At the end of each week, you should ask yourself this — do I owe work anything or do they owe me? The answer should be no. You gave it your all in the time you were meant to be there. If you take yourself too seriously, then you’re bound to lose something in the end.

Most importantly, never make the mistake of confusing your net worth with the numbers in a bank account. I’ve yet to see a funeral hearse pulling a U-Haul (but promise to let you know if I ever do).

And now for a fable about a nasty little pony named Sandy. No, wait a minute… it’s a true story.

Way back when, my mom enrolled me in Pony Club. This was likely an attempt to bring some culture into my life and keep me out of trouble. It would make sense then, that I hated it. My older sister had this beautiful thoroughbred horse that looked like a mythical creature out of some movie, and I was saddled with Satan, pardon me, Sandy, a Shetland pony who

Exhibit A. stood about seven apples high.

One day, just after brushing the little beast to a high-gloss shine, I was leading him out to the pasture. It was then that my brother came roaring onto the yard in the combine. Unfortunately, at that very moment, I was in complete defiance of the cardinal rule of Pony Club: NEVER EVER hold on to the halter, always hold the rope (which presumably you have tied

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to the halter). This will give you a chance to let go should something happen. Well, something did indeed happen. Sandy went completely ape sh** at the sound of the combine and took off like his tail was on fire. My sweaty wee hand instinctively grabbed hold of that halter and held on for dear life. As Darwin suggested, it comes down to survival of the fittest. In this case, Sandy won the evolutionary race. They found me just outside the pasture gate, where that terror must have stopped just long enough for my carcass to drop.

My face was one giant scab. I was horrified. As my mom described it: “You’ll be fine. Your face was just dragging on the road for a bit.” A bit? I had gravel shards wedged into my forehead, nose, cheeks, lips and chin. It took months for the whole mess to clear up. And don’t think for a moment that having a scab for a face was a good enough excuse to hide out in my room. Hell, no. My mom told me to quit acting like I’d lost an arm or something. She even made me continue to participate in the circuit of local fairs that summer, where I ungraciously collected a plethora of fifth-place mercy ribbons. (See Exhibit A. Yes, that’s a forced smile. The scabs on my nose, lips and chin prevented my grin from stretching any farther.

I’m not entirely certain if that’s a large scab on my forehead, or an awkward attempt at bangs. Let’s go with scab.)

As a child, that was a tough lesson in perseverance. No matter how bad you think your situation is, you still have to get dressed and show up for the game.

Don’t expect to get results without being willing to work hard for something. You want to know the secret to getting lots of stuff done? Get lots of stuff done. To do this, be diligent about deciding what requires your full artillery of anal tendencies, and what does not. Some things require complete focus, others don’t. If you’re doing your books, then yes, spend some extra time on it. Get a little

crazy and double-check it. But baking that pie for the local charity event? Really, as long as it’s edible. Just remember the saying, it’s not so much how busy you are, but what you’re busy doing.

After all, the bee gets praised, the mosquito swatted.

Follow your dreams… especially the ones others think are impossible Dream big. And then go out there and get it. What the heck are you waiting for? Someone to do it for you? Yeah, let me know how that goes. I want to share an excerpt from the commencement address that the late Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, gave to a graduating class in 2005. He said: “Remembering that I’ll be dead some day is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.

Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked.

There is no reason not to follow your heart and intuition… they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. Stay hungry, stay foolish.”

How cool is that? Rest in peace, Steve Jobs. You were one of the greats. † Janita Van de Velde grew up on a farm near Mariapolis, Man. She holds a bachelor of science degree in agricultural economics from the University of Manitoba, and has worked for a financial institution since graduating. She lives in Regina, Sask., with her husband Roddy and their children Jack, Isla and James. Her first novel, Postcards Never Written, was the recipient of the Saskatchewan Reader’s Choice Award and also listed by CBC as one of the top funny books in 2009. She donates a portion of proceeds from the sale of her book to World Vision. For more information, or to order her book, visit her website at www.janita.ca. Follow her blog at www. postcardsneverwritten.blogspot.com. It’s her yet-to-be-rated material. Consider yourself warned

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

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Home Quarter Farm Life

Living his farm dream

BY EDNA MANNING

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estled into the rolling Thickwood Hills region of north-central Saskatchewan is the farm Jack Klassen regards as the fulfilment of a lifelong dream.

Klassen’s dream, from the age of five, consisted of a farm located in the parklands, which would be secluded by forests, with an adjoining lake, plenty of wildlife, and a lifestyle that would allow him the freedom to maximize his creative and entrepreneurial interests and talents.

Growing up on a farm near Aberdeen, farming got in his blood. “When I was nine, my dad gave me a two-acre piece of land.

Two years later I convinced him to let me clean up an old schoolyard and break the land. Now I had four acres and my craze for growing things only increased. Then at age 13, I bought my first quarter section. You have to remember that farm children were driving tractors and trucks at the age of nine back then,” he said.

School got in the way of his farming endeavours and he had no interest in attending university.

His parents, however, had other ideas that included a university degree and a white-collar career.

In Grade 12, to appease his parents, Klassen buckled down and graduated with an 80 per cent average but university was still out of the question.

“Then one day, my dad heard of a huge labour shortage in the aviation industry. He convinced me to attend a meeting in Saskatoon where candidates were being recruited for an aviation school in Kansas City, Missouri. I found the idea intriguing and signed up,” he said.

Klassen graduated from the school with a 98.6 average and within six months, at the age of 20, had a management position with NorCan Air in LaRonge, Saskatchewan. For 14 years he enjoyed the high-profile job but the dream would not go away, so he quit and went back to the farm, which he had kept.

In 1986 Klassen heard about land for sale in the Shell Lake area.

“As soon as I saw it, I knew this was it — the property had everything I had dreamed about.”

The deal went through and a year later, Klassen began constructing cabins for what would become the Carlton Trail Guest Ranch, a wilderness getaway.

By 1998 six cabins were completed. It was at this time that Klassen and his wife Gwen, began to take a closer look at their own food supply and decided some changes needed to be made. They checked into getting organic certification, and the feasibility of growing their own grain and raising organic range-fed beef. They decided on Texas Longhorn cattle and heritage Red Fife wheat.

“I believe these are two varieties that are truly tough, resilient and suited to this region,” he said.

“Red Fife is a landrace variety of wheat which means there is a genetic diversity in the seed that makes it adaptable to climate and growing conditions of a particular area,” Klassen said.

“An organic producer near St. Denis, Marc Loiselle, sold me 15 bushels in 2004 — he wanted me

to try growing it on our farm. The soil here is sandy loam, precisely what this wheat does well in.”

Gwen grinds the organic Red Fife wheat and bakes delicious bread, rolls and other products that they provide to their visitors at the guest ranch. “It is a fantastic baking wheat — with a scent of herbs like anise and fennel and it has a herby, spicy flavour to it that we really enjoy,” she says.

The Klassens purchased their first Texas Longhorn animals in 1998. They favoured them because of their adaptability to weather conditions and their hardiness. “They have no trouble calving. We have timber wolves, coyotes and brush wolves in this area and they’re not a problem.

The cows have figured out how to look after their calves. A Texas Longhorn cow is one of the fastest split-hoof creatures on this

planet. One cow will pick up a bear, toss it, and another will be in there in an instant to ram it with its horns,” he says.

The leanness of the meat also appealed to the Klassens. “You don’t find the marbling that is common with other cattle breeds.

While most have been bred to put on weight quickly, Longhorn cattle are lean by nature, and the beef is lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, and higher in both CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) and total omega-3s. Our beef is range fed and free from all chemicals and additives,” Klassen adds.

The farm is certified under Ecocert, an internationally recognized organic governing body.

No herbicides, pesticides or artificial fertilizers are employed. “We rely on good agronomic practices, intercropping and crop rotation.

My farming philosophy is to make

Gwen and Jack Klassen take a break at harvest time. the land produce the best that it can. In order for the land to yield the best it can, I’ve got to treat it the best that I can.”

The Klassens have also built up the Carlton Trail Guest Ranch to include five guest houses, built like authentic replicas of homesteads in the early 1900s. A vari-

ety of activities are available from horseback rides, hiking, fishing and canoeing in the summer to snowmobiling, skiing and snowshoeing in the winter.

For more information visit www. carltontrailranch.ca. † Edna Manning writes from Saskatoon, Sask.

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FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Home Quarter Farm Life SINGING GARDENER

Shoo Fly Plant Does it really repel insects?

Grow it and you be the judge TED MESEYTON

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or starters, a music lesson without any audible music. Maybe kids are still learning this traditional children’s song in grade school and many adults already know it. Ah yes — there’s a plant connection too. ’Tis said houseflies, white flies and mosquitoes won’t stay in the same room, but only the gardener who grows Shoo Fly Plant will know for sure.

SHOO FLY, DON’T BOTHER ME Here are some words: Shoo, fly, don’t bother me Shoo, fly, don’t bother me Shoo, fly, don’t bother me For I belong to somebody. ’TIS SAID … houseflies, white flies and mosquitoes won’t stay in the same room as the Shoo Fly Plant if they can escape. But this is not a houseplant and you would not normally grow it indoors!

What about barn flies? Only the farmer who plants a few outside his barn door will know for sure.

Who says farmers can’t garden?

Not me!

Now some history. Shoo Fly Plant traces its roots to South America; thus the original name: Apple of Peru (Nicandra physaloides) but there’s absolutely nothing edible about it.

The blue flowers are quite pretty and Chinese Lantern-like seed pods that follow are equally attractive in dried arrangements.

But as pointed out… the belief is held Shoo Fly is most often grown for insect repellent properties. Even a single specimen in a large pot looks impressive on the patio and it may well help keep mosquitoes away too. Can’t say for sure though whether its chemical properties do indeed ward off those biting critters. I probably wouldn’t be

SUE ARMSTRONG

LOVE HEARING FROM YOU Do you have a story about a farm or home-based business? How about some household management tips?

Does someone in the family have a special-diet need?

Share some of your recipes and some meal ideas.

Send them to FarmLife, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3H 0H1. Phone 1-800665-0502 or email susan@ fbcpublishing.com. Please remember we can no longer return photos or material.

— Sue

in a rush either to rub any of the leaves or dried seed pods on my skin. Remember — just because something is natural doesn’t mean you can’t have a negative reaction to it.

A gardener who grew Shoo Fly relates this experience. One year he had to reseed. Only a few selfseeded smaller plants reappeared.

He claims to have weeded them out too well. Seems the key is to find the right balance between rampant self-seeding and relentless, wholesale removal.

MORE TRAITS AND TEASERS Nicandra physaloides is the original variety that owes its common name — Shoo Fly Plant — to the fact that some gardeners believed (and many still do) that it repels white flies when grown alongside of gladiolus, tomatoes and other plants afflicted by that pest. Even deer are said to find it distasteful and are deterred. Give Shoo Fly lots of room to spread its wings and you’ll not be disappointed. It can grow from a metre high to a vigorous and stocky six-footer and has the largest leaves of its two counterparts.

Shoo Fly has a reputation for attracting many hard-working pollinators, including those wee helicopter-like hover flies. This unusual plant actually begins to flower when only six inches tall and continues to flower as it reaches toward its full height potential. Germination is easy and it’s not necessary to start any indoors. Because Shoo Fly is a self-seeding annual, it can become invasive as pointed out, but only if you let it. Another way to prevent and/or control self-seeding is by deadheading the spent flower heads.

It’s the appearance and notoriety that beckons gardeners to Shoo Fly plants. They make a statement not often seen in any garden and can take on the appearance of a small shrub with long, arching branches that produce a profusion of flowers.

Each bloom only lasts one day, but every plant produces such multitudes of them. The flowers are followed by very showy pods in green and purple which resemble miniature Chinese Lanterns. Each pod can contain 100-plus seeds. As fall arrives the pods turn brown and hang from the branches like rows of Christmas decorations. They can either be cut for dried flower arrangements or left in the garden to provide winter interest in the bleak months.

NOTHING EDIBLE ABOUT SHOO FLY … even though it’s a relative of the family that includes potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and ground cherries. Shoo Fly is considered a poisonous plant with at least some measure of toxicity. To appreciate its good side, wear garden gloves when working with the plants. Just keep these points in mind and you won’t go wrong.

Remember — not everything that’s grown natural is considered safe. Thousands of people have severe allergic reactions from eating peanut butter, yet it isn’t banned from store shelves.

NICANDRA PHYSALOIDES “VIOLACEA” … is the third Shoo Fly Plant yet to be described. In this instance, both the stems and Chinese Lanterns are an incredible indigo.

This quite attractive plant has bicoloured flowers with the upper section showing an indigo blue and the lower part white. It usually reaches at least three to four feet (a metre or higher).

Wavy-toothed, green leaves are reminiscent of some tomato varieties that have wispy leaves and are also similar in appearance to thin and narrow leaves of ground cherry plants or solanums, such as Aunt Molly’s Ground Cherry. But there the similarity ends.

By the way, citrus-flavoured fruits of Aunt Molly’s cherries are encased in a paper husk that turns brown as the tomato fruits ripen. It’s a sprawling plant that bears generous numbers of cherries that are useful eaten fresh out of hand, in fruit salads, with ice cream or preserved. Seeds for Aunt Molly’s Ground Cherry are available from McFayden’s in Brandon, Man., R7A 6N4; phone 1-800-205-7111.

PHOTO: COURTESY DOMINION SEED HOUSE

Shown is Nicandra physaloides “variegata,” a particularly ornamental and shorter variety of Shoo Fly Plant. Its leaves are artistically decorated with creamy-yellow splashes. Plants are strong, reaching upwards between two to three feet (one metre). Bright sunlight is essential for all Shoo Fly to do well. All species produce attractive blue flowers in early summer that continue until frost knocks the foliage back, leaving only the pods. Seeds for this Shoo Fly are available from Dominion Seed House, Georgetown, Ont., L7G 5L6, phone 1-800-784-3037; www.dominion-seed-house.com.

DO YOU HAVE DIABETES OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS? A trio of my adult friends deals with it day in and day out. I’ve picked up a few blood sugar tips from them along the way that I’ll share. To keep it stable during the night, Richard eats a small snack of about 200 calories before getting into bed. Linus is personally fond of eating several celery sticks with three or four cashews, alternated other days with almonds or walnuts. A third option mentioned by Rudy is to eat a small apple. Having a small pre-bedtime snack keeps their blood sugar levels stable during the night.

The benefit for them appears to be sound sleep and waking up refreshed instead of being tired from having low blood sugar.

Here’s a musical note for the voice box. During the two years I took yodelling lessons, my yodel teacher Toni often reminded me to eat a small piece of apple and then run through the four throat exercises I had learned.

WASH YOUR FRESH PRODUCE IN BAKING SODA AND WATER Every time I visit the fresh produce section of any store, there’s something I always look for before I buy. I’m lovin’ it when I see signs that say: Product of Canada or Canadian Grown.

I absolutely resist buying, as much as possible, any imported fruits and vegetables.

Baking soda... has never been truly given the credit it’s due.

Simply said — it has more uses

PHOTO: COURTESY CHILTERN SEEDS

This is Nicandra physaloides, the original member of the Shoo Fly Plant family. It’s vigorous and can grow six feet (two metres) tall, but doesn’t require staking. Attractive bell-shaped flowers are followed by ornamental, papery Chinese Lanterns. It’s available, along with two additional Shoo Fly choices from: Chiltern Seeds, Bortree Stile, Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 7PB, England and yes — they fill Canadian orders. See their website www.chilternseeds.co.uk. than I can shake a stick at. Here are a few. Give fruits and vegetables a baking soda bath. Just fill the sink with water and a couple tablespoons of baking soda and scrub off any dirt; and who knows what else. It’s a safe and effective cleanser. Keep your drains clean and running free too by pouring some baking soda down the drain weekly, followed by either hot water or vinegar. The latter will give it some bubbly action.

Baking soda is famous for its deodorizing ability and fighting off smelly stuff. Many people sprinkle it on the carpet before vacuuming to help absorb odours. Also, sprinkle some in the bottom of garbage cans for the same purpose.

When dusted under the arms, it’s a healthy alternative to anti-

perspirants or deodorants. Try B.S. (you know what I mean) as a safe but effective body and facial scrub, or even the hair. This one I really love. Sprinkle some in a pair of smelly sneakers. (I call ’em runners.) Use baking soda any place that needs freshening and an improved, clean smell. It has enormous health-promoting value too, but that’s a column in itself. † This is Ted Meseyton the Singing Gardener and Grow-It Poet from Portage la Prairie, Man. Half the so-called modern drugs could be thrown out the window, but there’s reason to hesitate doing it. The animals, birds and pets might eat them. One prescription to keep and practise for healthy living is to breathe deeply, eat lightly, worry less and live the present moment wisely. Join me again next time and we’ll do more walking and talking down the Grainews garden path as we look forward toward spring. My email address is singinggardener@mts.net

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