HAPPY HOLIDAYS Sharlene Bennie
From our shop to yours
December 22, 2011
SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | Vol. 69, No. 51
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manitobacooperator.ca
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CWB: BILL PASSES
Marketing freedom bill now law Single-desk supporters aren’t quitting By Allan Dawson co-operator staff
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espite ongoing court skirmishes, Bill C-18 is now law, the Canadian Wheat Board is controlled by government-appointed directors and farmers are free to sell new-crop wheat, durum and barley to any buyer they choose. The new five-member board announced Dec. 19 it has elected Regina business executive Bruce Johnston as its chair. Johnston, who was first appointed as a director in 2006, currently works in the propane industry, but he has a long history in the Canadian grain business. Johnston has served as executive vice-president of operations for the former Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, CEO of Winnipegbased Ag Pro Grain, CEO of FarmGro Organic Foods in Regina, and operations manager of Northern Sales in Winnipeg, all of which have ceased operation. The bill ending the CWB’s 68-year-old monopoly was given royal assent Dec. 15, a day before a Winnipeg judge heard pleas to strike it down. Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench Judge Shane Perlmutter See CWB BILL on page 7 »
FESTIVE TRADITIONS
Community Dinners: Spreading the Holiday Cheer
There is a new holiday tradition spreading through rural Manitoba: a community feast
By Lorraine Stevenson co-operator staff
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thel Lungal has been busy making Christmas pudd i n g s s i n c e Nove m b e r, sealing the rich desserts into quart sealers t o d i s h o u t o n t h e b i g d a y. She’s making a lot. “I think we might feed 100 people this year,” says the nurse and Parkland-area farmer. But she and her husband aren’t squeezing that many around their dinner table at their farm south of Silverton. The Lungals are packing up their puddings and heading out to nearby Russell for a feast — a communitywide Christmas Day dinner that’s held annually at the town hall. Over the
“People have come out, offered to help, donated things like food and money and their time. It’s just turned into a wonderful event.” Sharon Hamilton
Publication Mail Agreement 40069240
Glenboro farmer
past decade it’s become an eagerly anticipated local tradition. The event drew out of concerns raised by a local priest about people who were spending Christmas Day alone. About a half-dozen residents asked each other, “why be alone?” Russell-resident Irene Deschamps said. Their first dinner was small, drawing 10 or so people out. But with let’sdo-it-again-next-year resolve, local churches took turns hosting it. And the numbers rose. Now the dinner is compliments of the entire community, with donations and volunteering by residents, and all the churches jointly chipping in to help. Volunteers — and there are many — join in the dinner too, said Lungal who has helped with the dinner since 2006. Folks offering to help often remark they’re alone too, she said. Tickets are sold in advance, at $5 a plate, or free for those on limited incomes. “ I t ’s j u s t w o n d e r f u l ,” a d d s Deschamps, adding she even got a little teary eyed last year, surveying the crowd and knowing what a good day everyone was having. “We’re just an awesome bunch.” Now people ask well ahead of Christmas when tickets will be available, she adds.
Lonely
It’s no surprise more are looking for alternative Christmas Day celebrations. The irony for those living alone, is that they’ve got lots of company. Living solo, either by choice or by circumstance, is on the rise right across the country. One-person households made up 27 per cent of the entire Canadian population in the 2006 census. And the image of the Mom, Dad and a bunch of kids in a postcard-perfect Christmas setting no longer applies to a growing number of families. Lone parents are the reality for one in four Canadian families with children. People experience loneliness for many reasons. Some have ended marriages. Some have never married or their spouse has died. Families are smaller, the children grown, and extended families are living farther apart. The elderly swell the ranks of the single-person households. About onethird of all Canadians living alone in 2006 were age 65 and over. With more job-related mobility, more singles, couples or small families may have moved in any given year. Newcomers to Canada are on the rise. Christmas See DINNERS on page 6 »
a lunatic farmer shares his wisdom with mcda » PaGe 8
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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
INSIDE
on the lighter side
LIVESTOCK
From the reindeer files…
Rural vets caught in a squeeze The AMM wants more funds to support rural clinics
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CROPS Fusarium discounts likely to increase Wheat acres could be pushed out fusarium area in an open market
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There are some questions in life that are best unanswered Staff
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hristmas party-poopers started down a slippery slope recently with the controversial assertion that Santa’s reindeers must all be female. Citing data from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Internet was reporting that while both male and female reindeer grow antlers every summer, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter. Females retain theirs until they give birth in the spring.
Thus, Santa’s reindeer — even Rudolph — had to be female. It only makes sense, they pontificated. Only women would be able to drag a fat man in a red suit around the world in a single night and not get lost. Needless to say, this controversial claim raises some disturbing questions. In an attempt to ferret out the truth, the Manitoba Co-operator went straight to a reliable source: the Urban Legends website. According to those experts, turning to science for an answer means we must then
consider whether reindeer can actually fly, let alone haul around a jolly fellow in a sleigh. And if there is no Santa Claus, well, exactly who then is Mommy kissing by the tree? As it turns out, there is a loophole on the antler question. Apparently, while most bull antlers drop theirs in the fall, not all of them do, leaving open the possibility that Rudolph was indeed a boy, the site reports. As for the rest of it, some of life’s little mysteries are best left alone.
FEATURE Forage markets are growing Everyone it seems wants forage and that bodes well for Canada
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CROSSROADS
Some New Year’s resolutions are just plain cheesy
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Editorials Comments What’s Up Livestock Markets
©thinkstock
An Interlake farmer’s New Year resolve
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Grain Markets Weather Vane Classifieds Sudoku
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READER’S PHOTO
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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
Conference focuses on new post-wheat board world There will be lots of challenges but also opportunities, according to conference speakers By Allan Dawson co-operator staff / saskatoon
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n a post-monopoly world, the Canadian Wheat Board will disappear altogether, or it will become the “eBay” for grain exports by bypassing the grain-handling system with container shipments. Or it will become something in between. It all depends on who was talking at the recent two-day conference here organized by the universities of Saskatchewan, Regina, Manitoba, Alberta and Lethbridge. But beyond the fate of the board, conference speakers considered some of the other changes facing farmers as they enter a new era of grain marketing. And like it or not, there are some big changes in store as the federal government continues with its plan to end the monopoly as of Aug. 1, 2012. New challenges include the impact on producer car economics and short line railways, the rise of railway market power and pressures to harmonize Canada’s grain-grading system with the United States, managing basis risk, and of course, the difficulties facing a voluntary wheat board. One thing is for sure, how things flow won’t necessarily be based on pure economics. Nor will they be driven by loyalty. Murray Fulton, an agricultural economist and professor at the University of Saskatchewan’s Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, said a voluntary board will “at worst disappear and at best be reduced to an unimportant player,” he wrote in a recent paper. Canada’s top four grain buyers — Viterra, Cargill, James Richardson International and Louis Dreyfus — own 72 per cent of the West’s country elevator capacity. “Even if the voluntary Canadian Wheat Board was able to get everything else, which I think would be unlikely, you’d be looking at a market share of 25 per cent,” Fulton said. “That would be just on the borderline of being viable.” Terminal elevator ownership at Vancouver, Canada’s leading wheat export port is even more concentrated. The top three firms own 90 per cent of the capacity, said Bill Drew, with
“Grain handlers are business people and will look to increase their handle any way they can.” Mark Hemmes
Nearco Transportation Consulting. The same firms own 100 per cent of terminal space at Prince Rupert and 86 per cent of Thunder Bay’s. Viterra can source all the grain it needs through its country elevators and Richardson needs even more terminal space, Drew said. Cargill is the only firm that needs to source more grain. However, instead of striking deals with farmer-owned country elevators or board, Cargill is more likely to buy more elevators, he said. Mark Hemmes, president of Quorum Corporation, which is the firm hired by the federal government to monitor Canada’s grain-handling and transportation system, is less pessimistic. He said he expects country and port terminal owners will handle grain for others. “Grain handlers are business people and will look to increase their handle any way they can,” he said in an interview. “It’s about optimal asset utilization and improved bottom line.” Terminals are also obliged under the Canada Grain Act to receive grain if they have space, he said. Meanwhile, Barry Prentice, professor of supply chain management at the University of Manitoba’s I.H. Asper School of Business, said the board can be the “eBay” for grain exports using containers to bypass elevators and port terminals. The end of pooling for eastern shipping costs means more grain will flow west, making Thunder Bay and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway ports residual outlets, Drew said. The Port of Prince Rupert is one of North America’s most efficient grainexporting terminals with many advantages, including more available railway capacity and being closer to many Asian destinations. But Prentice predicted its owners will maximize use of their individually owned terminals in Vancouver.
Murray Fulton, professor at the University of Saskatchewan’s Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, says a voluntary wheat board, if it survives, will be a bit player in Canada’s grain sector. photo: allan dawson
Farmers in the Port of Churchill catchment can save $25 a tonne bypassing Thunder Bay, Hudson Bay Route Association director Leonard Gluska said. Prentice said there are other factors to consider. “From the point of view of the elevator companies, what is the cost for them to put an extra tonne through their facility after they’ve paid for it? If they can divert it through their facility rather than someplace else the value could more than pay for the addition of the freight rate,” he said. Churchill will remain important in defending Canadian sovereignty, Prentice said. Global warming could also help. Sinclair Harrison, president of the Hudson Bay Route Association, predicted in the next few years Churchill will export grain to Asia through the Northwest Passage. The new wheat board will no longer be allocating rail cars and therefore can’t offset railway market power, said James Nolan, an agricultural economist at the University of Saskatchewan. American transportation consultant Terry Whiteside warned if the statutory cap on railway earnings for hauling grain is removed, farmers will pay 30 to 40 per cent more to ship grain. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has said if farmers paid more, they’d get better service. However, there are no such plans to scrap the cap, said
Paul Martin, a director general with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Harrison suggested farmers could offset both rail and elevator market power by owning and managing the 14,000 cars now owned by the wheat board and federal and provincial governments. “If you’ve got a piece of the action you follow what’s going on,” he said. Some fear an open market will undermine the quality of Canadian wheat exports. “I suspect there will be pressures to have greater harmonization (to reduce costs) amongst these count r i e s,” s a i d No r t h Da k o t a St a t e University agricultural economist Bill Wilson. “I’m guessing you’re going to have more pressure in this country to have more access to our varieties.” In the U.S. the lack of variety registration and specific end-use standards sometimes results in inconsistent results for millers and bakers, Wilson said. Crop Development Centre barley breeder Brian Rossnagel said farmers should continue to focus on producing high-quality grain “(Y)ou need to recognize that you cannot compete with many of your competitors in... yield per acre,” he said. The growing season is too short and usually too dry. allan@fbcpublishing.com
Producer cars, short lines face tough road post-wheat board Producer cars will still be available but will they still be economic in an open market? By Allan Dawson co-operator staff / saskatoon
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ill producer cars and short line railways survive when the wheat board’s single-desk powers end next Aug. 1? Rob Lobdell, president of Saskatchewan’s West Central Road and Rail, thinks they can with a lot of hard work and farmer co-operation. But Lonny McKeague, a director with another Saskatchewan short line, Red Coat Road & Rail, is less optimistic. “You will see short line railways fail the first year unless there is some resolution and an end-user comes forward very quickly,” he told a confer-
ence in Saskatoon Dec. 12-13 looking at the impact of an open market for wheat and barley. There might not be any producer cars shipped starting Aug. 1, 2012. If so short line railways will start losing money quickly, McKeague said. Producer cars, which fall under the Canada Grain Act, will still be available after the wheat board’s 68-year-old monopoly ends, but whether they’ll be economic is uncertain. To ensure they are, producer car shippers need someone at port to take delivery, price discover y, affordable grading and weighing and affordable freight rates, he said.
“If each and every one of those things is not in the puzzle we’re dead,” McKeague said. “I’d like to be more positive but short line railroads and producer cars have a very, very short lifespan as we stand today.” In an interview later McKeague said if short lines fail investors — mostly farmers — should be compensated by Ottawa because of its change in policy. Producer car shippers will have to make deals with port terminal operators to accept producer car grain, Lobdell said, adding that West Central Road and Rail has made some of those deals. Producer car shippers must
also keep better track of grades and weights, he said. “Size will matter,” Lobdell said. “I really believe acting alone will not be an option for producer car loaders going into the future. “The days of one-and five-car blocks are going the way of the dodo bird.” Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz wants short lines to survive, said Humphrey Banack, president of Alberta’s Wild Rose Agricultural Producers. Banack said during a recent lunch conversation Ritz told him he wants producer car shippers to be eligible for lower multi-car freight rates.
Lonny McKeague of Red Coat Road & Rail isn’t optimistic about producer cars or short line railways after the wheat board’s monopoly ends. photo: allan dawson
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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
OPINION/EDITORIAL
If it’s worth doing…
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e’ve all heard the expression, “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” Many of us have used it, on ourselves and often on our kids — as encouragement to apply themselves and excel at whatever it is they are trying to do. Joel Salatin, the keynote speaker at the recent Manitoba Conservation Districts Association convention in Brandon, threw Laura Rance a different spin on that concept as he talked Editor to delegates about transitioning agriculture towards a more sustainable model. “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing poorly at first,” Joel Salatin told his audience, noting a child’s first steps are clumsy and faltering. But families don’t tell a toddler not to toddle. They celebrate those first steps for what they are — a beginning. “None of us does anything well the first time,” he said. Much of what Salatin does in his presentations is dispel the perception that what his family does on their 500-acre farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, and the success that they have enjoyed, is somehow unique or unachievable by others. It is true that the farm is routinely featured as sort of a poster child for New Age agriculture. But it has taken the Salatin family 50 years to get to where they are today. When his parents moved their family to the farm in 1961, the soils were so badly eroded they had to pour concrete into old tire rims in order to support the posts for electric fencing. The farm today is sown to grass and trees and produces cattle, hogs, poultry and rabbits for meat, eggs and laying hen replacements for local hobby farmers, as well as lumber. They don’t use drugs, pesticides or artificial fertilizer, relying instead on biodiversity and other natural systems approaches. It’s not that they are opposed to technology, just more selective about it. The farm, aptly called Polyface Inc., the farm of many faces, employs about 20 people, many of them family members, and has annual sales over $1 million through direct marketing of its products to 2,000 families, 25 restaurants and 10 retail outlets. And it is still a work in progress. Salatin stressed that all of the concepts applied on his operation are “scalable,” meaning they can be applied just as well by large farmers as small. The Shenandoah Valley is geographically different from the Canadian Prairies, but the principle of seeking biological solutions rather than mechanical ones remains the same. But he urged his audience to rethink the notion that farming needs to be dominated by large, single-use machinery and infrastructure, which he argues enslaves the next generation both financially and emotionally. How many times has a farmer told his son, “I’ve built all this for you.” What if the son — or daughter — wants or needs to do things differently in order to survive? How many farm families are stuck with obsolete buildings and equipment that can’t be cost effectively adapted to how they farm today? It’s a question worth asking before any decision requiring a major capital expenditure is made — especially on farms that will be transitioning to another generation within the family. Is there a less capital-intensive, more flexible alternative? Listening to Salatin speak, the faces of many Manitoba farmers came to mind who are practising elements of his approach. Like him, many have discovered that incorporating one element, the move to rotational grazing, for example, lends itself to an extended grazing season, which leads to a rethink of manure and nutrient management. You can see some of the same philosophies in the profiles of the farms honoured by the Manitoba conservation districts this year. All of these farms are seeking ways to work with the environment rather than fighting it. Erodable soils have been sown to forage, cropping land is managed under zero or minimum tillage and trees are considered a valuable part of the landscape. Whether they’ve taken the course or not, these families are embracing holistic principles. This is how the Huculak family of Sandy Lake describes success in farming: • A love of the land; • Having a little fun along the way; • Having a “pay if forward” philosophy; • Having a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day; • Making time for family and community; • Meeting new people; • Recognizing risk is what you make of it; • Respect for others. Anyone following those principles won’t go far wrong in farming or any other aspect of life. But few of us ever get it perfectly right the first time. What’s important was taking the first step. Wishing you all a happy holiday season. May you all toddle off the beaten path — if only just a little — in the new year. laura@fbcpublishing.com
OUR HISTORY:
October 1910
Left to right are, Magnus Wilson, W.S. Bailey, Magnus Wilson’s son and an unknown operator.
A century-old tractor with auto steer It wasn’t fuel efficient, but no one cared
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f you think life is better in the 21st century, take a look at this picture and accompanying bill of sale — not only could you buy a lot of steel for $2,900, you could also gas it up for just four cents a litre. And the tractor even has auto steer. The photo, taken near Gladstone in October of 1910, shows Magnus Wilson, Esq., busting some buttons as he stands next to his new Big Four tractor, which was built in Winnipeg. Wilson, holding a shotgun, is on the far left, standing at the end
of an eight-bottom Cockshutt engine plow with a set of wooden harrows. These sorts of plows often required the attention of the tractor operator, and hence the “self-steering mechanism” in front of the tractor. The accuracy of this mechanical form of GPS depended on how long the operator had his head turned to look at the plow. The photo, donated by Wilson’s grandson Robert, and bill of lading as well as promotional material and operating manual for the tractor are all on display at the Manitoba Agricultural Museum in Austin.
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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
EU debt crisis will affect commodity trade globally The EU is a top importer of agricultural products from both developing and developed nations By Gavin Maguire chicago / reuters
The spiralling debt worries plaguing European politicians in recent months is starting to have an impact on U.S. agricultural trade and could well restrict U.S. and global crop shipments throughout much of 2012. Europe is the world’s secondlargest importer of soybeans and wheat, and a major importer of corn, beef and many other agricultural products, and so represents a significant trading partner for U.S. crop and food producers. However, the recent strangling of credit in the region has served to stifle trade finance there to the degree that U.S. agricultural shipments to the EU have already dropped off sharply in recent weeks and pose a notable risk to the outlook for U.S. agricultural trade in 2012.
Key trade partner
As one of the largest trade blocs and population centres in the Developed World, the euro zone is a key destination for most commodities, goods and services. Indeed, the “EU-27” block of member countries represents one of the top trading partners of nearly every major economy, and so stands to notably impact global trade flows should the recent spell of economic disruption persist or worsen in the months ahead as member states scramble to fend off a potential breakdown of the Union. With regard to the agricultural arena, the EU is a top importer of agricultural products from both developing and developed nations, and so any notable decline in the region’s import activities over the coming months stands to impact a swath of producer nations across the world.
Impact already felt
U.S. soybean producers and exporters are already being forced to accommodate Europe’s stunted appetite, with soy prices under pressure lately thanks to anemic overseas interest and prospects of heightened competition from other exporting nations. A similar theme has unfolded in Japan, which continues its recovery from the major earthquake and tsunami that ravaged part of the country and grounded commodities freight earlier in the year. But while Japan’s demand for U.S. and global agricultural products can be expected to continue recovering in the months ahead as that nation resumes business as usual following the quake, deep questions continue to cloud the outlook for the euro zone given the precarious level of sovereign debt that continues to threaten the economic viability of many major financial institutions in the region which in turn has sparked a sharp reduction in credit availability.
While the EU debt situation may appear to be a parochial affair with limited repercussions on U.S. commodities trade, the potential is there for a very real impact to be felt.
Credit is a critical component of trade finance across Europe and elsewhere, as traders must be able to finance freight, logistics and inventory challenges as part of agricultural product procurement. As credit availability depleted in recent months, the cost of borrowing has soared to levels that have made it prohibitively expensive for small- and medium-size traders to fund traditional commodity acquisition operations. Further, given the EU’s status as a major buyer of nearly all commodities from nearly every region, there stands to be a glut of exportable crops and raw materials across several regions should EU imports continue to dwindle while ministers and officials there attempt to piece together a recovery plan. In the event that the EU marketplace continues to shrink over the coming months, commodity exporters in every other region will be forced to seek out alternate markets for their products, and so will likely compete with one another for whatever global trade opportunities remain. Such actions could well curtail U.S. exports of an array of commodities for several months, and could well apply price pressure to commodities such as corn that would otherwise be expected to press higher given low levels of inventories and uncertain production outlooks in regions such as Brazil and Argentina. So while the EU debt situation may appear to be a parochial affair with limited repercussions on U.S. commodities trade, the potential is there for a very real impact to be felt from any protracted reduction in EU trade activity over the coming months given the region’s standing as a top importer of a number of critical crop and meat commodities.
Letters
COMMENT/FEEDBACK We welcome readers’ comments on issues that have been covered in the Manitoba Co-operator. In most cases we cannot accept “open” letters or copies of letters which have been sent to several publications. Letters are subject to editing for length or taste. We suggest a maximum of about 300 words. Please forward letters to Manitoba Co-operator, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, R3H 0H1 or Fax: 204-954-1422 or email: news@fbcpublishing.com (subject: To the editor)
Returning to farmers what is rightfully theirs To all people who question the legitimacy of Parliament to strip the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) of its buying monopoly, I only ask this: who is the legitimate owner of the wheat I and each individual farmer grows on his or her own land with his or her own money? If you agree with the obvious answer that the wheat I grow (on my own land with my own money) is my property, then the answer to the question of legitimacy becomes not only painfully obvious, but it begs the question on what basis is it legitimate for the CWB to have a buying monopoly in the first place. The favourite argument of the proCWB crowd that it is anti-democratic to not ask farmers in a plebiscite about the future of the CWB also is a false argument. The right to sell my property to whomever I like should not be a collective decision. It is like saying, if the majority of people vote against “freedom of the press” it would make it OK to get rid of that right? Every democracy is based on the guarantee of certain rights, which are non-negotiable. One of these rights has been taken from farmers for some purpose a long time ago, and the government is simply returning it to them. It’s the least it can do. Andreas Boersch Elie, Man.
Ritz broke his promise I would express some grave concerns as how this entire sham of doing away with the Canadian Wheat Board was ramrodded through by the Harper government. The federal government has scored a victory, but at what cost? For when a person, or a government for that matter, loses their integrity, and respect for lawful procedures, there is not very much left to admire. At a widely quoted election forum in Minnedosa, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said his party “respects the vote” of farmers and suggested there would not be any attempt to dismantle the Canadian Wheat Board unless a majority of producers voted for it. Ritz went on to say “until farmers make that change, I’m not prepared to work arbitrarily. They are absolutely right to believe in democracy. I do too.” He promised that farmers would be consulted.
Now, we know different, for in the final version, consulting of farmers ended up as insulting of farmers. All in all, it is a very poor example of respect for democracy, and for the youth of today who see how our minister flaunts the very core of what makes us who we are as Canadians. Ritz’s belief in democracy is certainly not the democracy recognized and believed by the majority of Canadians. John Fefchak Virden, Man.
Open letter to the CWB I have remained silent on this incredible situation of my money fighting my money, fighting my money for years and years! I have said to many if the CWB is half as good as it makes itself out to be, losing the monopoly powers will be no big deal. The majority of sellers will continue to utilize the CWB as it will provide the highest returns. If however, this is not the case, give me the opportunity to maximize my returns wherever I can. As I see it, by continuing to throw roadblocks up against the passage of C-18, instead of adapting to new realities and pursuing opportunities to emerge as the best marketing alternative, the CWB is cutting its own throat. I, for one, will think long and hard before I use the board because of the amount of time, effort and money wasted on fighting, when it could have been used to make the CWB the market of choice. Doug McLaren Neepawa, Man.
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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
FROM PAGE ONE
Wheat board loses lawsuit
DINNERS Continued from page 1
The Manitoba Court of Appeal upheld an earlier ruling that the wheat board misled a customer By Allan Dawson CO-OPERATOR STAFF
The Manitoba Court of Appeal has upheld a lower court ruling finding the Canadian Wheat Board liable for negligent misrepresentation in a 1983 wheat sale and must pay $4.6 million in damages plus costs. The ruling issued Dec. 14 by Chief Justice Richard J. Scott stems from a trial held in 2009. Wheat board spokeswoman Maureen Fitzhenry said in an interview Dec. 15 the board is still considering whether to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. A widespread, severe frost in August 1982, damaged much of Western Canada’s wheat. The board marketed the wheat as “Special Bin” stating in a letter that despite the visual damage the wheat “possesses what is known as fair milling quality and would be quite suitable for milling purposes.” Agro Company of Canada ( n ow ow n e d by C o n A g r a Foods), an accredited wheat board exporter, bought some of the wheat from the board and in 1983 sent two shipments totalling around 25,000 tonnes to Italian grain trader Pagnan as part of an order of 96,000 tonnes. Pagnan later asked Agro to substitute importer Albionex (Overseas) Ltd., a company incorporated in the Channel Islands, as the initial buyer, to which Agro agreed. Pa g n a n h a d p re s o l d t h e wheat and soon received complaints about its quality. Agro refused to take it back and Pagnan ended up disposing of
Wheat board spokeswoman Maureen Fitzhenry said in an interview Dec. 15 the board is still considering whether to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.
it. Albionex refused to accept the rest of Agro’s shipment. Pagnan and Albionex (Overseas Ltd.) sued the wheat board and Agro in 1985. And Agro sued the board alleging it was also misled by the board. The trial didn’t begin until 2007. The wheat board appealed Agro’s claim but the Appeal Court ruled Agro was also misled. “This is a case, simply put, is about a 30-year-old misunderstanding,” Fitzhenry said. “We believed the customer was well aware of the quality parameters that they were buying. We felt we were very clear with them and the accredited exported who actually connected the sale. The court has seen it differently.” allan@fbcpublishing.com (with files from Reuters)
Manitoba-North Dakota Zero Tillage Farmers Association 34th Annual
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January 9-11, 2012 Holiday Inn, Minot, ND
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‘Tis the season for Christmas puddings! Ethel Lungal of Silverton makes sure that anyone attending Russell’s community Christmas dinner who wants a taste of the rich holiday treat won’t be disappointed. PHOTO: DOUG COCHRANE
Day in a new place, where they know no one, can be a very tough day to get through.
Farther apart
Glenboro-area farmer Sharon Ha m i l t o n w o n d e r s i f t h e growing popularity of the community dinner December 25 may have something to do with families living much farther apart than in the past. She and husband are hosting their village’s third annual Christmas Day dinner this weekend at the Glenboro Hall. They were prompted to try this after her parents passed away, leaving a real void in their lives, said Hamilton. Plus, she knew others who were spending the day alone, and could recall how her Mom always set extra settings at the dinner table. Anywhere from 75 to 100 people have come to Glenboro’s dinner over the past two years. “We didn’t know what would happen when we started,” said Hamilton. “It’s been wonderful. People have come out, offered to help, donated things like food and money and their time. It’s just turned into a wonderful event.”
Word spreads
Russell and Glenboro’s dinners are an emerging tradition across Manitoba. Morris has held a Christmas
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Day dinner since 1999, says organizer Pat Rempel. She was moved to organize it after wondering how she’d get through Christmas after her mother passed away. “I’d always spent Christmas with her and thought I might not have family to share with that day,” she said. So she approached the local United Church, asking what they thought. The Morris dinner has been the ticket ever since, last year serving over 100 at the beautifully decorated Legion Hall. It’s all done through donations and volunteer energy from a small group of people drawn together out of no particular affiliation. “And it’s been picking up ever y year,” said Rempel. They don’t sell tickets so never know how many will show. But people always come. They pass a hat around for donations afterward. Other places also host dinners — or plan to try in 2011. Steinbach has a firstever Christmas turkey supper planned at its Direction Centre, billed as “for individuals spending Christmas alone this year.” Inspired by Russell’s dinner, which she joined in while visiting relatives there a couple of years ago, Susan Mooney returned home to Carman wondering if it could happen there too. The Russell gathering was “just so heartwarming,” said Mooney. “There were families, older people, younger people, new families that had moved to town from out of province and who said they were just so happy to be there because they couldn’t go home. “I sat there thinking, ‘could we do this in Carman too?’” T h e t o w n’s v o l u n t e e r Healthy Communities committee eagerly took on the
“Christmas is about celebrating relationships in our lives and in our world.” REV. DAVID HOWELL Russell United Church minister
project. There are many reasons for people to be alone on Christmas Day, but one prominent factor is that families are now so widely dispersed it’s hard to be together Dec. 25. “They may have had their C h r i s t m a s c e l e b ra t i o n s a week before, or plan to have t h e m t h e w e e k a f t e r. O r maybe they’re not having one because the family is in a different province,” she said. “Loneliness wears many hats,” adds Mooney. “It knows no boundaries.” But it gets left at the doors in the small-town town halls and community centres hosti n g t h e s e C h r i s t m a s Da y dinners. These dinners foster community, says Russell United Church minister, Rev. David Howell. “Christmas is about celebrating relationships in our lives and in our world.” “It’s been good for our community,” adds Lungal in Silverton. “It meets needs. We’re getting together with one another.” Plus, Christmas pudding just might make a comeback because of it. The rich and substantial dessert was popular in the days when Christmas parties were big affairs, and the revellers plentiful. Smaller gatherings just couldn’t finish one. lorraine@fbcpublishing.com
7
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
FROM PAGE ONE CWB BILL Continued from page 1
rejected the wheat board’s eight former farmer-elected directors’ request to immediately suspend the new law saying it would be a “fairly draconian remedy.” But he will hear arguments January 17 and 18 on whether to suspend the law while deciding whether it should be struck down in the wake of an earlier court ruling that the federal government contravened existing legislation by changing the board’s mandate without consulting farmers. The controversial law was celebrated by open-market supporters at a farm near Balgonie, Sask. Dec. 16, where Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz declared to cheers and applause: “This feels damn good. It’s been a long time coming. “Finally, you have marketing freedom.” Stephen Vandervalk, president of the Grain Growers of Canada, praised the law, saying generations of farmers have worked for an open market. “I call on all farmers today, regardless of what side they were on, to set aside past differences and work together for the future,” he said
“This feels damn good. It’s been a long time coming.” GERRY RITZ
Agriculture minister
Meanwhile, the National Farmers Union called it an outrage. “This will probably be looked upon as one of the darkest days in Canadian agricultural policy,” National Farmers Union president Terry Boehm said in an interview. Predictions by some legal experts that C-18 could not become law after Federal Court Judge Douglas Campbell ruled Dec. 7 it was introduced to Parliament illegally, proved wrong. However, single-desk supporters continue to battle in the courts, arguing farmers should decide whether to end the single desk. Viterra Inc. is offering forward contracts despite the possibility the law could be found invalid. Eight farmer-elected directors, who lost their jobs as soon as C-18 became law, were meeting this week to discuss their next step, said former District 10 director Bill Toews of Kane. Toews said the legal challenge will continue. The wheat board itself, which is now run by CEO and president Ian White and four governmentappointed directors, will drop its legal actions against the law, a government official said. Amid the turmoil White issued a statement saying the board is ready for its new role. “We will work to achieve the best prices for farmers and superior service for customers in Canada and around the world,” he said. The government will continue to guarantee the board’s initial payments and borrowings for up to four years. During that time the board must be privatized or dissolved. Government auditors will review the books to establish how much the government will have
to pay to help the board transition to an open market, Ritz told reporters. The debate over the C-18 has gone beyond marketing, according to interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae. “Above all else this is an issue about democracy,” he said at a wheat board news conference Dec. 14 in Winnipeg. Ritz said he’s confident the Federal Court ruling calling his actions “an affront to the rule of law” will be overturned on appeal. “Justice Campbell was very succinct in saying that his declaration had no bearing or power over the passage of C-18 and the supremacy of Parliament,” Ritz said. “We absolutely agree with that.” (For more coverage, see page 3) allan@fbcpublishing.com (with files from Reuters)
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz was cheered and applauded Dec. 16 at a farm near Balgonie for ending the Canadian Wheat Board's sales monopoly over wheat and barley starting Aug. 1, 2012. However, in the meantime farmers can now forward price with any buyer those grains for delivery in the new crop year. SUBMITTED PHOTO
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8
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
Alternative farming guru says his way is the profitable one Joel Salatin says high costs of conventional farming “enslave the next generation” By Shannon VanRaes co-operator staff / brandon
I
f someone tells you “that is the stupidest idea they’ve ever heard,” you might have struck gold, Joel Salatin told a laughing crowd at the Manitoba Conservation Districts Association’s convention. But the self-described Christian-libertarianenvironmentalist-capitalistlunatic isn’t looking for laughs, but to challenge the way people think about farming and food. “One of the biggest problems we have in modern agriculture in the western world is singleuse, highly capital intensive infrastructure,” said Salatin. “When we invest in huge capital intensive infrastructure it enslaves the next generation to continue the same paradox as the last generation. It enslaves them both emotionally and financially.” Salatin and his family own Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia, a 500-acre integrated farm, raising pasture-fed beef, pork, poultry, eggs, and rabbits. And they do it in a way that is anything but conventional. No fertilizer or seed has been purchased for the farm in half a century, you won’t find a plow in the barn, and silos that Salatin calls “bankruptcy tubes” are nowhere in sight. Instead, animals feed on pasture grasses nour ished through a symbiotic relationship between the animals and the land. Each section of pasture is only grazed one day a year as cows are moved along from section to section using portable electric fences. Next come the chickens, feeding on the fly larva in the cow dung, helping to spread it over the pasture as they scratch through it. Pigs share space with chickens over the winter, then aerate compost created by cows, before finishing on acorns in forest glens.
“I’m telling you, if we really tap into these biological mechanisms we can spin circles around anything we can do in the laboratory.” joel salatin
And it’s no small operation with about 900 head of cattle and 700 pigs. “We have these ideas that we can genetic modify, and we can irradiate or chlorinate or procrastinate or DDT or something, and if we can get little two or three per cent changes we can make it to the front page of the New York Times,” said Salatin. “But I’m telling you, if we really tap into these biological mechanisms we can spin circles around anything we can do in the laboratory.” Salatin said the key difference between his method of farming, and conventional ones is the latter focuses on the mechanical, opposed to the biological, and fails to look at issues holistically. Moreover, conventional agriculture is continuing to move farther away from sustainability and is “going downhill fast,” said Salatin. His systems seek to mimic nature and recognizes animals as distinct creatures with behaviours that need to be respected, he said. “You need to honour the pigness of the pig,” he said. Salatin also takes an unconventional approach to marketing. “We sit around here and say, ‘Well the middleman makes all the profits,’” he said. “(We can) be big old victims all the time — ‘Oh, woe is me’ —
Joel Salatin speaks to the conservation minded about his unique farming practices. Photo: Shannon VanRaes
but what I say is if the middleman makes all the profit, I want to be one.” Producers who want to direct market need to find the person in their operation most suited to marketing, selling, and networking to develop local markets, he said. “ T h e re i s a t re m e n d o u s amount of opportunity locally that is untapped,” said Salatin, adding only five per cent of the food consumed in any given region was produced there. Polyface Farm sells directly to 2,000 families, 25 restaurants, and 10 retail outlets. With the help of interns and employees, the operation has grown to encompass seven leased properties as well. Salatin also rejects quota and supply management systems, calling those institutions barriers to innovation because they don’t allow for direct sales and make it difficult for new and young people from entering the sector. “It’s all about romancing the next generation into the farm,” he said. “We are going to need them.” Salatin has promoted his alternative view of farming for
three decades. He has written six books, appeared in several documentaries, and given speeches around the world. But not all seeds find fertile ground. “If people are interested in new ideas they are very receptive, if they aren’t interested in new ideas they are not receptive,” he said. “Certainly there is an entrenched, ‘I’m going down with the ship’ status quo, but there is certainly more interest today than there was before. And it’s a growing interest because the current model is showing a lot of creaks and cracks.” Still, many farmers tell Salatin his concepts are interesting but wouldn’t work in their neck of the woods. But the veteran farmer doesn’t buy that argument. “What I say is that people are far more similar than dissimilar,” he said. “All these places have people who eat. Every place has seasons — dry, wet, hot, cold. Every place has soil, water and sunlight. “So sure there are differences, but there are far more similarities.”
news
Japan may open access for beef Barriers have been in place since 2003 reuters / Japan’s review of its domestic and import regulations for beef could expand access for exports from Canada and other countries, Canada’s agriculture minister said Dec. 8. Japan currently accepts Canadian beef from cattle under 21 months of age. It will hold public hearings and a risk assessment on beef from Canada and other countries, Canadian officials said. “We will continue to collaborate with Japanese officials so that this review proceeds as quickly as possible and so that our beef producers can continue to strengthen their bottom line through increased trade,” said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. Canada is the world’s third-biggest beef exporter. Japan’s Kyodo news service, citing unnamed Farm Ministry sources, reported on Friday that Tokyo planned to ease beef import restrictions on Canada, the United States, France and the Netherlands. Japan is one of several countries with significant barriers in place against Canadian beef, stemming from the 2003 discovery of mad cow disease in Western Canada. Producers could significantly boost beef exports if Japan expands access, according to a Canadian government statement. In 2010, Canada’s exports of beef under 21 months of age to Japan totalled $81.4 million ($79.8 million).
shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com
Thank$ a Billion! Virtual farm supports Canadian Foodgrains Bank Your generous donations to the Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board allowed us to take Ag Minister Gerry Ritz to court for trying to destroy the CWB without first consulting prairie farmers through a vote. On December 7, 2011, Justice Douglas Campbell ruled that Mr. Ritz was in violation of Section 47.1 of the CWB Act. He told the Harper Government that it is not above the law. It too must obey the laws of Canada. Because of your moral and financial support the Friends won this court battle. But there are more court battles ahead before we win the war to save our CWB. The Federal Government is appealing Justice Campbell’s decision so we’ll be back in court again in the near future. That means more expensive legal bills. We need your financial support to win round two of this historic court battle. If you’d like to help us, please make a donation payable to:
Friends of the CWB By Cheque: Send to P.O. Box 41, Brookdale, Manitoba, MB R0K 0G0 By Credit Card: Phone (204) 354-2254
Farm may be virtual, but the benefits are real Staff
T
he Grain Growers of Canada has set up a virtual growing project to provide support to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB). Farmers who don’t live near an actual growing project, where local farmers, businesses and other volunteers, donate the proceeds from farming a plot of land to the CFGB, can now pledge acres from their own farm to the organization’s work in hunger relief and food security development. “This is a great opportunity for farmers to come together to support those who have less, by pledging whatever we can, even a couple acres of production helps,” says Stephen Vandervalk, president of the Grain Growers of Canada. “All they have to do is sign up, letting us know how many acres they want to pledge,”
said John Longhurst, who directs fundraising for the CFGB. “At harvest time, when farmers take their crop to the local elevator, they need to indicate how much they want to donate to the CFGB, dedicated to the ‘Grain Growers’ Growing Project and the elevator staff do the rest.” Tax receipts are issued by the CFGB for the value of the grain donated on the day of delivery. To make a pledge visit: www.growing project.ca or send your contact information and the amount of acres you plan to donate to office@ggc-pgc.ca. Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of 15 churches and church-based agencies working to end global hunger. Together with support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), last year the CFGB provided $38 million of assistance to 2.3 million people in 35 countries.
9
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
Forage’s fortunes never looked brighter Changing economies and a squeeze on global water supplies put a rosy shine on the industry By Daniel Winters co-operator staff / saskatoon
E
verybody, it seems, wants forage and that had speakers at the recent Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association conference in Saskatoon questioning why it’s still an afterthought on many Prairie farms. “That’s one of the problems with our industry. We don’t recognize the importance of forage,” said Ed Shaw, owner of Alberta-based International Quality Forages, and past president of the Canadian Forage Grasslands Association. “We don’t count it. Nobody thinks it’s important, but without forage, you’ve got nothing.” Apart from Statistics Canada, there are no comprehensive annual production statistics for forage crops in Canada, even though at over 67 million acres, it exceeds wheat and canola and is the foundation of the nation’s beef and dairy sector. But the days of it being a poor
WHAT'S UP Please forward your agricultural events to daveb@fbcpublish ing.com or call 204-944-5762.
second cousin to annual crops could be coming to an end. “I see great opportunities for forage producers in the years to come. I don’t see why that would ever change,” said Rollie Bernth, president of the United States National Hay Association, at the recent Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association’s annual general meeting. Water shortages and a loss of arable acres due to urbanization is forcing livestock producers in many countries to look further afield. Middle East countries, leery of dwindling acquifers, are cutting back on irrigation, which is increasing their demand for imports. Even a huge country like China, for example, has problems meeting demand, in part because the Chinese authorities are diverting precious water away from agriculture to serve more lucrative municipal uses, even as livestock and dairy production grows. Alfalfa hay is worth over $420
per tonne once it reaches the port at Shanghai, Shaw said. Shaw, a longtime exporter of forage to the Middle East and Asia, has seen the problems there first hand. Confounded by the costly logistical and regulatory problems of shipping forage to China from Canada, he once toured the country to see if it might be feasible to contract production locally. Where water is available, the farmers are more interested in growing crops with higher returns per acre. In the areas where there is enough space to grow relatively low-value forage crops, poor road and rail infrastructure mean that it is actually cheaper to import hay from other countries. In northern China, where desert-like conditions prevail, many of the surface aquifers are saline, and can’t be used, he added. “There’s going to be a new world currency – water,” said Shaw. Bernth said it will take at least
a year for forage production in Texas and Oklahoma to recover from a devastating drought. Also, in the Columbia basin on the West Coast, farmers are switching from forage to high-value crops like corn and wheat. “I’m really concerned about future supplies of hay for the world. I don’t know where it’s all going to come from,” said Bernth. Canada, with millions of acres of forage and grazing lands with sufficient rainfall to support forage production, is poised to profit — if it can afford the freight. Ying Liu, one of 50 shareholders in MaxCrop Landing, a Chinese company with large real estate holdings in Canada, said her company has bought over 60 quarters of land in the Yorkton area. The land has temporarily been rented back to the sellers, but the company is currently buying machinery and plans to hire a farm manager next year with an eye on growing wheat and beans, with alfalfa as a rotation crop.
“We are thinking of setting up a hay plant, but the freight is really a big concern,” said Liu. “But the demand in China for alfalfa hay is really high.” Aaron Ivey, president of the Saskatchewan Forage Council, said that Canada’s beef industry, which currently eats up about 80 per cent of annual production, is going to start using more forage, too. With the cost of corn in recent years rising from $2 to $6 per bushel, feedlots are going to look for ways to cut costs. Where traditionally calves spent 200 days in the feedlot on a high-energy ration, the higher costs of that production system might see that period slashed to just 100 days, with the balance swinging in favour of forage-based backgrounding. “As the cost of a pound of gain in the feedlot goes up, then the value of gains on forages is also worth more,” he said. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com
Everything You Need to Go All Out
Jan. 4-5: St. Jean Farm Days, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Centennial Hall, St. Jean Baptiste. For more info call Ingrid at the Morris GO office at 204-746-7504. Jan. 5: Grain Information Day, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Selkirk Recreation Complex, 180 Easton Dr., Selkirk. Admission $10, lunch included. For more info or to pre-register call MAFRI at 204-4674700. Jan. 7-14: Crop Production Week, Saskatoon Inn, 2002 Airport Dr. (and other locations), Saskatoon. For more info visit www.cropweek. com. Jan. 8-9: Manitoba Forage Seed Association conference, Victoria Inn, 1808 Wellington Ave., Winnipeg. To register call 204-376-3309 or visit www.for ageseed.net. Jan. 9-11: Manitoba-North Dakota Zero Till Farmers' Association annual workshop, Holiday Inn Riverside, 2200 Burdick Expwy. E., Minot, N.D. For more info visit mandakzerotill.org. Jan. 9-12: Western Canadian Crop Production Show, Prairieland Park, Saskatoon. For more info visit www.cropproductiononline.com. Jan. 17-19: Manitoba Ag Days, Keystone Centre, 1175-18th St., Brandon. For more info visit www. agdays.com. January 23-27: 38th Grain Industry Overview Course, Canadian International Grains Institute, Winnipeg. For more info or to register visit www.cigi.ca. or visit www.canadianfga.ca. Jan. 24-26: Red River Basin Land and Water International Summit Conference, Fort Garry Hotel, 222 Broadway, Winnipeg. For more info visit www.redriverbasincom mission.org or call 204-982-7250. Jan. 25-27: Keystone Agricultural Producers 28th annual meeting, Delta Winnipeg, 350 St. Mary Ave., Winnipeg. For more info visit www.kap.mb.ca or call 204-6971140.
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10
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
LIVESTOCK MARKETS
EXCHANGES: December 16, 2011
$1 Cdn: $1.0201 U.S. $1 U.S: $0.98 Cdn.
COLUMN
Cattle Prices Winnipeg
(Friday to Thursday) Slaughter Cattle
December 16, 2011
Steers & Heifers $ — D1,2 Cows 52.00 - 59.00 D3 Cows 46.00 - 52.00 Bulls 65.00 - 78.00 Feeder Cattle (Price ranges for feeders refer to top-quality animals only) Steers (901+ lbs.) $ — (801-900 lbs.) 115.00 - 129.00 (701-800 lbs.) 130.00 - 147.50 (601-700 lbs.) 135.00 - 154.00 (501-600 lbs.) 140.00 - 167.00 (401-500 lbs.) 145.00 - 185.00 Heifers (901+ lbs.) — (801-900 lbs.) — (701-800 lbs.) 110.00 - 125.00 (601-700 lbs.) 125.00 - 133.50 (501-600 lbs.) 125.00 - 140.00 (401-500 lbs.) 130.00 - 151.00 Slaughter Cattle Grade A Steers Grade A Heifers D1, 2 Cows D3 Cows Bulls Steers
Heifers
Alberta South $ 114.00 - 117.00 — 62.00 - 75.00 52.00 - 66.00 74.85 $ 115.00 - 137.00 125.00 - 142.00 130.00 - 148.00 140.00 - 155.00 145.00 - 174.00 165.00 - 190.00 $ 110.00 - 127.00 115.00 - 131.00 120.00 - 135.00 125.00 - 144.00 132.00 - 153.00 139.00 - 167.00
($/cwt) (1,000+ lbs.) (850+ lbs.)
(901+ lbs.) (801-900 lbs.) (701-800 lbs.) (601-700 lbs.) (501-600 lbs.) (401-500 lbs.) (901+ lbs.) (801-900 lbs.) (701-800 lbs.) (601-700 lbs.) (501-600 lbs.) (401-500 lbs.)
Futures (December 15, 2011) in U.S. Fed Cattle Close Change December 2011 118.75 -0.67 February 2012 119.15 -0.45 April 2012 122.97 -0.98 June 2012 121.40 -1.00 August 2012 122.35 -0.72 October 2012 124.85 -0.50 Cattle Slaughter Week Ending December 10, 2011 Canada 54,498 East 15,477 West 39,021 Manitoba N/A U.S. 650,000
MBP is seeking protection from dealer bankruptcies for producers Adam Johnston CNSC
Ontario $ 108.21 - 121.70 93.11 - 121.14 49.83 - 68.01 49.83 - 68.01 63.59 - 78.74 $ 114.96 - 142.34 122.46 - 144.62 116.47 - 149.45 117.92 - 157.88 129.95 - 171.15 133.01 - 176.44 $ 110.20 - 127.60 118.84 - 133.86 117.68 - 137.58 116.83 - 139.70 122.34 - 152.50 120.17 - 157.37
Feeder Cattle January 2012 March 2012 April 2012 May 2012 August 2012 September 2012
Close 143.97 146.15 147.47 148.25 150.00 150.00
Change 1.50 1.45 1.47 1.55 1.15 0.50
Cattle Grades (Canada) Previous Year 55,554 15,814 39,740 N/A 673,000
Week Ending December 10, 2011 484 20,587 18,330 773 759 9,184 482
Prime AAA AA A B D E
Previous Year 547 19,894 17,463 934 360 7,144 556
C
attle movement continued to be strong at the various auctions in Manitoba during the week ended Dec. 16 with strong demand holding prices steady heading into the holiday season. “It was very good,” said Buddy Bergner of Ashern Auction Mart. Feeder cattle values remained strong, about two to three cents higher than normal, he said. Cow and bull values also firmed across various auctions in Manitoba, as tight cattle supply was seen as supportive, he said. Despite some slippery conditions with some slight snow cover, there were no transportation issues in getting cattle from feedlots to the various auctions, which provided support to the market, he said. With the holiday season moving in, there was less movement to both eastern and western feedlots as producers start to close up shop, he said. The Canadian dollar has fallen from its highs in late October just above parity to US96.41 cents (US$1=C$1.0372) as of late Friday. That has helped spur some fresh demand from U.S. buyers as they take advantage of the weaker Canadian currency, Bergner said. In the near future, the ongoing short supply of cattle, along with strong demand from buyers, will keep values firm, he said.
Protection from bankruptcy
Hog Prices Source: Manitoba Agriculture
(Friday to Thursday) ($/100 kg) MB. ($/hog) MB. (All wts.) (Fri-Thurs.) MB. (Index 100) (Fri-Thurs.) ON (Index 100) (Mon.-Thurs.) P.Q. (Index 100) (Mon.-Fri.)
Current Week 171.00E 157.00E 160.14 164.44
Futures (December 15, 2011) in U.S. Hogs February 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012
Last Week 170.63 157.46 158.41 162.93
Close 85.42 88.12 93.95 94.70 93.97
Last Year (Index 100) 137.46 126.48 125.29 128.67
Change 0.60 0.87 4.35 -1.17 -2.40
Other Market Prices Sheep and Lambs $/cwt Ewes Lambs (110+ lb.) (95 - 109 lb.) (80 - 94 lb.) (Under 80 lb.) (New crop)
Weaker loonie spurs fresh demand from U.S. buyers
Winnipeg 90.00 - 105.00 — 190.00 - 215.00 190.00 - 215.00 215.00 - 245.00 Next Sale Jan. 5/12
Chickens Minimum broiler prices as of May 23, 2010 Under 1.2 kg................................... $1.5130 1.2 - 1.65 kg.................................... $1.3230 1.65 - 2.1 kg.................................... $1.3830 2.1 - 2.6 kg...................................... $1.3230
Turkeys Minimum prices as of December 25, 2011 Broiler Turkeys (6.2 kg or under, live weight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $1.915 Undergrade .............................. $1.825 Hen Turkeys (between 6.2 and 8.5 kg liveweight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $1.890 Undergrade .............................. $1.790 Light Tom/Heavy Hen Turkeys (between 8.5 and 10.8 kg liveweight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $1.890 Undergrade .............................. $1.790 Tom Turkeys (10.8 and 13.3 kg, live weight truck load average) Grade A..................................... $1.910 Undergrade............................... $1.825 Prices are quoted f.o.b. farm.
Toronto 86.34 - 126.25 184.56 - 209.17 203.80 - 225.68 203.66 - 233.66 219.63 - 342.48 145.00 - 295.00
SunGold Specialty Meats 40.00 - 65.00 Lambs —
Eggs Minimum prices to producers for ungraded eggs, f.o.b. egg grading station, set by the Manitoba Egg Producers Marketing Board effective June 12, 2011. New Previous A Extra Large $1.8500 $1.8200 A Large 1.8500 1.8200 A Medium 1.6700 1.6400 A Small 1.2500 1.2200 A Pee Wee 0.3675 0.3675 Nest Run 24 + 1.7490 1.7210 B 0.45 0.45 C 0.15 0.15
Goats Winnipeg ($/each) Kids 165.00 - 180.00 Billys 140.00 - 275.00 Mature —
Toronto ($/cwt) 150.60 - 267.27 — 69.07 - 231.73
Horses 1,000 lbs. 1,000 lbs.+
Winnipeg ($/cwt) — —
Toronto ($/cwt) 16.67 - 37.30 22.98 - 33.63
As the market for cattle remains strong, challenges still face the cattle industry. One concern that has caught attention within the past year among producers is dealer bankruptcy. G&M Livestock, which sent cattle to the U.S., went bankrupt within the past year. It cost producers hundreds of thousands of dollars, reaching as high as $2 million, according to some reports. There were additional headaches for producers, as they had to find alternative dealers to get their product out, said industry sources. Other bankruptcies amongst cattle dealers have created concern across Western Canada. While bankruptcy does not frequently occur, the idea of dealers closing up shop due to financial insolvency is not good for business. Lauren Stone, a policy analyst with Manitoba Beef Producers in Winnipeg, said producers are looking at ways to limit risk of future bankruptcies amongst licensed dealers.
U.K. organic food sales fall, outlook challenging By Clare Kane london / reuters
S
ales of organic food in Britain have fallen sharply for the second year in a row, as consumers seek to save money in tough economic times. Sales in the 12 months to the end of October fell about five per cent, after falling 5.9 per cent in 2010 to $2.7 billion, said
One way to prevent what occurred with G&M Livestock would be strong oversight and constant scrutiny of dealers’ financial records, she said. It would ensure companies would have solid financial footing so they could be sustainable over the long run, she said. Besides more scrutiny on the books of dealers, more and tighter regulations on how licences are being given out would certainly mitigate future financial insolvencies, she said. This would include clear rules that guide conditions on when the provincial government can refuse to give licences. When someone does lose a licence it will be important that clear communications are created, so dealers know where they went wrong and how to prevent these occurrences in the future, she said. Currently under the Manitoba Dealer Act, dealers have to pay producers 72 hours after the sale of cattle. However, if dealers for some reason don’t or can’t pay a producer, a regulatory body steps in to ensure that producers receive their payments, she said. Along with stricter licensing and closer scrutiny of financial records, Stone suggests Manitoba create a separate assurance fund for producers affected by dealer bankruptcies. Alberta has a good assurance policy relating to its cattle industry that would prevent such problems, she said. Producers there pay a certain amount per head to fund the assurance fund. MBP, at its annual general meeting in Brandon this past November, passed three resolutions on the issues of tighter licensing, more scrutiny of financial records and the creation of an assurance fund, she said. The industry is currently working with the province to further enhance protection of bankruptcies in the province, she said. Manitoba could be doing more on the situation and the province could look to what they are doing in Alberta for guidance on the issue, she said. It would be important that the licensing and assurance issues are handled separately, to ensure transparency for everyone involved, she said. While it’s uncertain how the issue of dealer bankruptcy in the Manitoba cattle industry will settle out, it’s important all key groups involved are now working toward discussing some solution on the issue. Adam Johnston writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.
Finn Cottle, of the Soil Association, Britain’s largest organic certification body. “We’re still not into a positive situation, but it’s been relatively stable given the lack of consumer confidence generally,” she said. “I think it will be challenging to recover in 2012.” Organic sales have struggled in the face of recordlow consumer confidence in Britain, where unemployment recently hit a 17-year high. Baby food, butter and yogurt have performed well this year, as has organic red
meat which does not cost much more and retailers have promoted it, Cottle said. She blamed a lack of promotion by supermarkets, which have focused on discount lines that appeal to consumers in an economic downturn, for organic’s overall decline. While a committed core of eight per cent of consumers accounts for over onehalf of organic sales, there is a need to target occasional buyers and show consumers “this is not a fad,” she said.
Looking for results? Check out the market reports from livestock auctions around the province. » PaGe 15
11
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
GRAIN MARKETS column
Crops will have to ride global economic tides in 2012 Bill C-18 passage creates market movement… in canola Phil-Franz Warkentin CNSC
I
CE Futures Canada canola contracts bounced around within a narrow range during the week ended Dec. 16, but managed to post gains by Friday as year-end shortcovering and activity in outside markets provided underlying support. The fact China was in the market buying more Canadian canola added to the firmer tone in the futures. The country continues to show an insatiable appetite for the crop, despite ongoing restrictions into certain regions due to blackleg concerns. Steady domestic crusher demand and a weaker Canadian dollar were also supportive for canola. The pace of farmer deliveries is actually ahead of the year-ago level and visible stocks are above 1.3 million tonnes, according to Canadian Grain Commission data. However, traders keep bringing up the reluctance of farmers to make sales at current price levels as a supportive influence in the market.
For three-times-daily market reports from Commodity News Service Canada, visit “ICE Futures Canada updates” at www.manitobacooperator.ca.
That means even though producers are taking advantage of the fairly solid basis opportunities out there, the end-users could still use more canola, which can only be taken as a supportive sign. However, heading into the new year, the big market-moving factor in canola has nothing to do with supply/demand fundamentals. Rather, the shifting sentiment in the global economy will continue to dictate the overall direction in canola as well. Economic uncertainty, particularly in Europe, makes investors back away from riskier assets such as grains and oilseeds. That uncertainty also makes end-users a little more cautious about making purchases. From a technical standpoint, canola remains entrenched in a very solid downtrend which goes back nearly a year on the weekly charts. Prices have drifted roughly $100 a tonne from their highs of the year and, as much as a bounce is always possible, the charts make a much stronger case for declines of another $100.
Western barley futures were untraded and unchanged during the week, but the passage of Bill C-18 will definitely lead to a shakeup in grain marketing going forward. As the bill worked its way through the Senate before finally gaining royal assent late Dec. 15, it was a little hard to keep track of the various legal volleys. Viterra began offering new-crop wheat, durum, and barley contracts before the ink from the Governor General’s pen was dry, as the major players will now be looking to source grain and prove the great opportunities “marketing freedom” will bring to farmers. The new voluntary Canadian Wheat Board also remains in the mix, as president Ian White announced that the board isn’t going anywhere and will be offering its own new-crop pricing opportunities. ICE Futures Canada will launch new spring wheat, durum and barley contracts on Jan. 23, 2012. The exchange is confident the contracts will be utilized and provide a good hedging opportunity in the new marketing environment. While that remains to be seen, the final passage of the bill did lead to movement in the canola futures market already. The argument made by some traders was that a boost in new-crop canola futures was tied to the need to sway acres away from growing the suddenly more attractive wheat and barley. In the U.S., soybeans, corn and wheat held relatively range-bound for most of the week, ending with gains in soybeans, but declines in corn and wheat.
Weather, or not
Soybeans saw nearly all of their strength come forward on Friday, as weather concerns in South America provided the catalyst for a run higher. Dry weather in soybean-growing regions of Brazil and Argentina is leading to concerns over possible damage to the crops there. While it’s still early in the South American growing season, the possibility that the dryness could persist and eventually create more opportunities for U.S. exports was enough for traders to build on the risk premium in the market. However, just as in canola, soybeans also remain at the whim of larger macroeconomic forces. As a result, future upside potential may be limited, at least until South American weather worries become a reality. For corn and wheat, any attempts at correcting higher have been lacklustre at best recently. The issue in the grains is that while U.S. supplies may be on the tight side, there is no shortage on a global basis. As a result, U.S. wheat and corn are facing increased resistance in the export market, with any buying only really coming forward on a scale-down basis. Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.
news
French bank quits trading commodities reuters
Credit Agricole will stop trading commodities and slash its financing of the multibillion-dollar commodities trade as the eurozone crisis forces a reassessment of risk. The French bank, with roots in finance for farming, warned Dec. 14 of losses and writedowns this year as it struggles to cope with the pan-European credit crunch.
Export and International Prices Last Week
Week Ago
Year Ago
CWB export 1CW 13.5 St. Lawrence
400.97
397.40
410.50
US hard winter ord.Gulf ($US)
279.95
286.77
319.84
All prices close of business December 15, 2011. Wheat
EU French soft wheat ($US)
247.00
250.00
332.00
Chicago wheat (nearby future) ($US/tonne)
212.82
211.90
275.46
Minneapolis wheat (nearby future) ($US/tonne)
299.71
310.36
306.87
US corn Gulf ($US)
257.27
263.37
263.08
US barley (PNW) ($US)
287.00
287.00
200.00
Chicago corn (nearby future) ($US/tonne)
227.95
232.28
231.30
Chicago oats (nearby future) ($US/tonne)
193.88
191.28
249.97
408.46
416.08
473.58
1,080.01
1,106.91
1,192.24
Coarse Grains
Oilseeds Chicago soybeans (nearby future) ($US/tonne) Chicago soyoil ($US/tonne)
Winnipeg Futures ICE Futures Canada prices at close of business December 16, 2011. Western barley
Last Week
Week Ago
March 2012
220.00
220.00
May 2012
225.00
225.00
July 2012
225.00
—
Canola
Last Week
Week Ago
January 2012
506.30
499.50
March 2012
507.70
500.60
May 2012
510.50
504.30
CWB Pool Forecasts December PRO 2011-12
July PRO 2010-11
Wheat No. 1 CWRS 13.5
305
342
304
No. 1 CWRS 12.5
271
314
273
No. 2 CWRS 13.5
299
333
299
No. 1 CWHWS 13.5
305
342
304
No. 1 CPSR
238
275
241
No. 1 CPSW
232
271
235 243
No. 1 CWRW
241
280
No. 1 CWES
275
312
274
No. 1 CWSWS
233
268
233
352
299
371
223.00
233
N/A
Sel CW Two-Row
314
249
318
Sel CW Six-Row
298
232
302
Durum No. 1 CWAD 13.0 Feed Barley No. 1 CW Pool B Designated Barley
* No. 1 CW feed barley, Pool A 2011-12, as of December 15: $229.
Special Crops Report for December 19, 2011 — Bin run delivered plant Saskatchewan Spot Market
Spot Market
Lentils (Cdn. cents per pound)
Other ( Cdn. cents per pound unless otherwise specified)
Large Green 15/64
27.30 - 28.75
Canaryseed
Laird No. 1
27.00 - 28.75
Oil Sunflower Seed
Eston No. 2
23.50 - 24.50
Desi Chickpeas
25.00 - 27.50 — 26.10 - 27.50
Field Peas (Cdn. $ per bushel)
Beans (Cdn. cents per pound)
Green No. 1
8.50 - 9.00
Fababeans, large
—
Medium Yellow No. 1
8.40 - 8.55
Feed beans
—
Feed Peas (Cdn. $ per bushel)
No. 1 Navy/Pea Beans
—
No. 1 Great Northern
—
Mustardseed (Cdn. cents per pound)
No. 1 Cranberry Beans
—
Yellow No. 1
35.75 - 36.75
No. 1 Light Red Kidney
—
Brown No. 1
30.75 - 32.75
No. 1 Dark Red Kidney
—
Oriental No. 1
24.75 - 25.75
No. 1 Black Beans
—
No. 1 Pinto Beans
—
Feed Pea (Rail)
Trade sources said others could follow it out of commodities. The deepening euro-zone debt crisis has hit French banks hard as traditional sources of dollar funding have evaporated and as they face pressure to meet tougher capital requirements. “What is happening with Credit Agricole is certainly a major trend across banking where the entire commodities trading business is shrinking,” said a senior commodities trader who recently left a major bank for an independent trading house.
November PRO 2011-12
—
Source: Stat Publishing SUNFLOWERS
No. 1 Small Red
—
No. 1 Pink
—
Fargo, ND
Goodlands, KS
28.80
28.20
—
—
Report for December 9, 2011 in US$ cwt NuSun (oilseed) Confection Source: National Sunflower Association
12
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
LIVESTOCK
Instant info. With the Manitoba Co-operator mobile app you can stay up to date on all things ag. Download the free app at agreader.ca/mbc
H USB A N DRY — T H E SC I E NC E , SK I L L OR A RT OF FA R M I NG
New virus hits Dutch, German cows, sheep Milk production is reduced and lambs are born dead or deformed
ANIMAL HEALTH
Rural vet services in a squeeze.
PHOTOS LAURA RANCE
AMM calls for more rural vet board funding Rural areas having difficulty recruiting veterinarians
By Daniel Winters CO-OPERATOR STAFF
T
he Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) is calling on the province to increase funding for rural veterinary boards. A resolution carried at the AMM’s recent annual convention also sought annual or biannual re-evaluation of the actual cost of providing animal health care in the countryside to better reflect the actual cost of providing such services. “We need to readjust this. (Funding) keeps dwindling every year as our costs go up,” said Mark Eyolfson, a councillor with the RM of Coldwell. Robert Green, chair of the Fisher RM’s rural veterinary board, said that his 36-square-mile district, which is home to about 1,800 people and 8,000 to 10,000 cattle, currently doesn’t have a veterinarian at its local clinic in Fisher Branch. “We’re always short of money,” he said. The local board pays for the upkeep of the clinic, roughly $20,000 per year, and the province currently matches that figure. He estimated that the figure should be at least doubled, with an eye on subsidizing salaries, if rural vets are to remain on the landscape.
Support lacking
However, local ratepayers who operate grain farms might not be keen on paying higher taxes to support the clinic, he noted. In his area, most of the work for a local vet is with cattle in the spring calving season. During that time, the vet is forced to work virtually 24-hour days until the season ends. Also, the low population means that there are very few small animals to care for. Without that lucrative income stream, a vet’s earning potential is low. The situation for recruiting and retaining vets, as he explained it, is much the same for veterinarians as it is for rural medical doctors. “Young vets don’t want to work in singleperson clinic. You’re on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Green. “They can make a lot better money in other areas.”
Dr. Naomi Bérard and Dr. Mike Kosheluk perform a C-section on a Holstein dairy cow at the St. Claude vet clinic.
With no local vet, ranchers in the area are dependent on clinics farther away in Arborg and Ashern. Green’s daughter recently graduated from veterinary school, and now works in Prince George. He has tried to talk her into coming back, but she’s happy where she is, he said. “She wouldn’t make near as much here as she can out there, I can tell you that,” said Green.
Exodus
Another factor that has led to an exodus of rural large-animal vets is the fact that as the ranching community gets older, they gain experience in animal husbandry. With decades of knowledge under their belt, they have learned how to treat their animals on their own – and whether they might be better off cutting their losses by doing some of their doctoring with a .3030 rifle. “They did that out here with the BSE being so bad, but things have turned around,” he said, adding that better returns in the cattle business might
make ranchers more willing to shell out for veterinary services. That in turn could improve earnings for rural vets. In an email, a provincial government spokeswoman said that the Veterinary Services Commission (VSC) was formed to oversee the Services Districts (VSD) program established in 1970. Rural veterinary boards were formed in the 1970s to support publicly owned clinics in areas with sufficient animal and human populations under the Veterinary Services Act. Through Veterinary District Grants, the province matches 95 per cent of the municipal contributions to a maximum of $19,000. In addition, Manitoba provides a Veterinary Technical Enhancement Grant of $180,000 annually to address equipment needs. “Regarding the resolution, we’re always happy to work with VSDs and once received, any resolution would be given due consideration,” she stated. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com
AMSTERDAM / REUTERS A new virus has hit Dutch and German farms, killing lambs and making cows sick, the Dutch Economics and Agriculture Ministry said Dec. 16. The so-called Schmallenberg virus, called after the German town where it was first found last month, was diagnosed at one Dutch sheep farm in the brains of lambs that were born with a deformed neck or head or stiff joints. “Most of the deformed lambs are born dead. Living lambs are not viable. These symptoms have so far been reported at 20 farms, spread across the Netherlands,” the Dutch ministry said in a letter to parliament. Two incidents of deformed calf have also been reported, but test results were not yet known, the ministry said. “As the lamb period has only just begun, a further increase of sheep lambs with deformations is very probable. In addition, it cannot be ruled out that soon calves and goat lambs with abnormalities will be born.” The Schmallenberg virus has also been diagnosed at several cow farms in the Netherlands after a test at eight farms where cows had suffered from diarrhea, fever and reduced milk production and recovered, the ministry said. The test followed after more than 80 Dutch cow farms had reported the problems in August and September without a clear reason for the sickness. The symptoms were also found at German cow farms during the same period, and German authorities discovered a new virus, the ministry said. The risk for people’s health was small based on an analysis from Dutch health institute RIVM, the ministry said. The ministry said it would take no contamination and prevention measures because the virus had not been isolated yet and there was no information on infection and spreading. Further investigations were under way and the ministry had shared information with Germany and the European Commission.
FILE PHOTO
13
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
COLUMN
Firearms for on-farm butchering Care must be taken to avoid lead fragments in livestock and game animals used for meat Roy Lewis, DVM Beef 911
T
here is always a right and wrong way to do most things and in order to properly put down an animal for butchering, many things need to be kept in mind. The procedure should cause immediate cessation of brain activity and for this, the shot must be accurate and with enough calibre to do the job. The calibre of the gun will depend on what species, age and size of animal as well as the distance to be shot. Too large a gun also has some drawbacks for safety of coworkers and we want to ideally keep the bullet and its shrapnel in the head area where it will be discarded. This article will review some major points to keep in mind when butchering and may bode well for wildlife hunters to read as well. Often hunters’ butchering jobs can use some improvement as well. First off, whomever is using the firearm should have completed an FAC course on firearm safety. They need one to carry the gun and this course teaches some valuable lessons in firearm safety. In preparing this article, I have realized there is lots to know if planning to make an informed decision on how to properly and humanely put down an animal. Although it’s not mandatory, I personally feel using a captive bolt which a lot of veterinarians now use to put down cows is a dangerous weapon and it would be wise to complete an FAC course for it as well. It is training worth having. Location of the shot is key so be patient and wait until you have the ideal shot. Even a minute or two taken here will eliminate many problems down the line. Your goal is with one shot to render the animal brain dead. The bullet must penetrate the brain to cause enough damage and ideally not exit out the bottom. You must always judge the species, size and age, as the skull thickness and bone plus hardness will vary.
Correct calibre important
Too large a calibre for the use intended causes other issues that butchers and especially hunters want to take heed. Too large a velocity bullet may blow out the bottom of the skull and head down the neck and spine where it is starting to get into meat which may go for human consumption. The small fragments of lead which break away from the main bullet inadvertently could get ground up and result in increased lead levels in the meat. This of course is even more true when hunters shoot deer for instance from quite a distance. If the bullet hits a bone and fragments there will be a showering of lead into the surrounding muscles. Since
most wild game is processed into either ground or sausage or jerky it can inadvertently have these fine lead fragments mixed in. It is very important to trim a wide area around bullet tracks for that reason. This area will have lots of hemorrhage in it anyway so by removing this area you are improving the meat quality and also are removing lots of the metal fragments. Most w il d game is consumed by the hunter’s family, who may be at increased risk if exposed multiple times. Some bullets are steel and may not have lead in them.
Minimal stress
The beauty of butchering using guns, if they are utilized properly, is that the animal can be shot outside their flight zone in a familiar pen before
The beauty of butchering using guns, if they are utilized properly, is that the animal can be shot outside their flight zone in a familiar pen before it becomes agitated from handling. This results in a very humane end and totally stress-free meat.
it becomes agitated from handling. This results in a very humane end and totally stressfree meat. This should be an advantage over long-distancehaul cattle that must stand overnight at a large kill facility. It has been found by staff at plants which utilize firearms that are discharged in close confinement that shields should be put in place to protect against ricochets. With bison, a study which was just completed they found
a .223 was fine on up to twoyear-old heifers. Soft-point slugs also do an adequate job. For larger bison or when shooting at a distance the calibre varied from a .357 for older ones up to a .300 magnum when shooting from a distance. A study at the Lacombe Research Station found that when recovering the slugs from the shotgun, from 70 per cent down to 30 per cent is the total weight of the recovered
slug was all that was found. The rest is obviously lost as small fragments around the bullet path. We see this very prominently if X-raying dogs that have been shot. It will look like a starburst array on the X-ray from the small and larger bits of lead (or other metal depending on the composition of the bullet) which break off as the bullet flies into its target. More work needs to be done on this subject but whenever butchering, be critical of your shot and try and use the bestmatched gun for the job at hand. There are other bullets out now which contain copper instead of lead. They may see more use in the future. Roy Lewis is a large-animal veterinarian practising at the Westlock Veterinary Centre. His main interests are bovine reproduction and herd health.
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14
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
Study finds simplified solution for traceability at auction marts But industry wonders if just collecting bare-bones data is worth the $50,000 cost per site By Daniel Winters co-operator staff
T
he second phase of a trial evaluating the best way to track cattle movements through auction marts and buying stations has wrapped up, with mixed results. The $2.8-million project, undertaken by the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA), first set out in 2010 to prove (by scanning 535,000 cattle) that RFID tags could be read using existing technology without affecting the speed of commerce. That research found tag readers worked with an average of 93 per cent accuracy, and that the devices did their best work when placed at the tightest choke point in the auction barn — right before the cattle enter the sales ring, said Donna Henuset, project manager. “We learned in Phase 1 that this works,” said Henuset. Phase 2, also funded under the Canadian Integrated Food Safety Initiative via Growing Forward, looked at integrating live-recording RFID hardware and software with the existing computer systems at 13 auction markets across Canada. Serious glitches were discovered, however. The main problem was that the Oracle-based ViewTrak software used by most auction marts wouldn’t work with the software used by the researchers unless it was custom made for each system.
Expensive process
T hat’s an expe nsive process, almost doubling the cost because rewriting the software costs $2,000 to $3,000 for each existing business management system. In addition, many of the computers and servers at the facilities were not capable of networking with the RFID system via cables to allow the information to be included on sales bills. Overcoming that would cost another $16,000 per auction mart. “It actually became more expensive and more convol u t e d t h a n we s t a r t e d o f f believing it would be,” said Henuset. “And we found that there was really not a lot of benefit to either the consignor or the buyer.” That prompted researchers to undertake what Henuset calls Phase 2B, which saw a stripped-down option that would “bypass” the facility’s computers and record only movement information via a “stand-alone” computer system, typically a laptop running the Windows operating system. That project, which recently wrapped up, ran at six auction marts this fall.
Simpler to operate
Much simpler to operate than an enterprise-integrated program, the bypass program could be started up in the morning, scan cattle all day, then used to send a report
“It actually became more expensive and more convoluted than we started off believing it would be.” Donna Henuset
to the Canadian Livestock Tracking System website with minimal human involvement. “They were getting 98 to 99 per cent accuracy, with zero impact on the speed of comm e rc e,” s a i d He n u s e t . “It worked fabulous.” Her 137-page report on Phase 2, which lists a cost analysis of three different approaches to tracking livestock movements at auction marts, found the bypass system that only tracked RFID tag numbers was “cost effective, affordable, easy to use and simple.” Overall, Henuset’s research found that there is no “cookiecutter” solution to livestock traceability because ever y market is different. But she added that there might be value in using an integrated s y s t e m i f t h e re’s b u s i n e s s value to it, such as automated inventory control. “We learned a lot, the industry moved forward,” she said. “It’s technology, and technology advances.”
Level of traceability
However, establishing movement reporting at the auction mart level will depend on gov-
ernment and industry being willing to commit funds, and especially, decide what level of traceability they want. “ T h e m o re i n t r i c a t e t h e data, the higher the cost,” she said. Rick Wright, who is chair of the CCIA traceability steering committee and representative of the Livestock Marketing Association of Canada was involved in the research, and said that the industry found that the system worked better than they thought it would. “Phase 2 identified some major challenges,” he said, mainly due to the incompatibility of existing computer systems. “It’s going to be very costly to put systems in that will work well,” he added. “What’s going to be the benefit? We didn’t get the synergies that we thought would be there.” That said, Wright said he believes the money spent on the project was a good investment because it identified the problems and set the stage for solutions. “We are probably not going to see scanning at auction marts in the near future, until
we get more up-to-date technology that is more cost effective for the information that we collect,” said Wright. He estimated the cost of the simplest option of simply recording tag numbers, date and location would cost anywhere from $40,000 to $80,000 at each of the 250 auction and buying sites in the country. “Is it worth it to know that? From the industry side, it’s not,” he said. “But CFIA (the Canadian Food Inspection Agency) may tell you different.”
Who pays?
If traceability serves a public good, then government should pay, he added. There will also be a labour cost, no matter what system is chosen. Human beings will still be required to ensure the system is functioning properly. For example, if “read accuracy” suddenly drops, someone will have to investigate and fix the problem, said Henuset. “Regardless of what system or software you use, ever y RFID system requires a dedicated person,” said Henuset. Computer-competent staff at the livestock market, CFIA staff, brand inspectors, or a third-party employee could do that work, she said. Who pays their wages will be another question that needs to be answered before a full livestock traceability system is rolled out, she added. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com
Twelve projects humming thanks to FCC funding AgriSpirit Fund gives small grants for capital projects in rural communities Staff
W
h e t h e r i t ’s n e w kitchen equipment at community facilities in Riverdale and Letellier, the track at Riverton Early Middle School, or the sports equipment at Le Club Sportif La Broquerie, residents of a dozen Manitoba communities have a little bit more to be thankful for this Christmas. All received small grants from AgriSpirit Fund, an initiative of Farm Credit Canada to boost community spirit and suppor t volunteers in rural communities. The fund, which contributes between $5,000 and $25,000 for capital projects, handed out $83,200 for 12 projects in Manitoba this year. Three fire departments (in Russell, Cartwright and Lorette) received grants, as did the Birtle District Community Center, Glenboro Ga i e t y T h e a t re, t h e Sw a n Valley Recreation and Wellness Project, the Prairie Mountain Regional Museum Collections in Shoal Lake, and Manitoba
Farmers with Disabilities in Elm Creek. In all, FCC, which donates one per cent of its profits to charities and not-for-profits, handed out $1 million to 120 rural community groups across Canada. The company not only wants to support rural communities, but also to encourage people who volunteer, said Corinna Mitchell-Beaudin, FCC vicepresident, Prairie operations. “The (fund) helps us support much-needed projects and celebrate the people responsible for making a positive difference in the lives of those around them,” she said. The next round of funding will start accepting applications on May 7, 2012 – and there will be many of them. Last spring, 1,146 groups applied for funding. To receive funding, selected groups must meet specific criteria prior to implementing their projects, which must be finalized before December 2013. Details are available at www. agrispirit.ca.
15
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
LIVESTOCK AUCTION RESULTS Weight Category
Feeder Steers
Ashern
Dec-14
Gladstone
Dec-13
Grunthal
Dec-13
Heartland
Heartland
Brandon
Virden
Dec-13
Dec-14
Killarney
Ste. Rose
Taylor
Winnipeg
Dec-12
Dec-15
Dec-15
Dec-16
No. on offer
1,385
732
631
1,103
1,429
470
610
308
735
Over 1,000 lbs.
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
100.00-125.00
n/a
900-1,000
n/a
80.00-122.50
n/a
110.00-123.00
118.00-125.000
n/a
n/a
110.00-142.00
n/a
800-900
n/a
85.00-132.50
115.00-127.50
122.00-134.50
125.00-134.00
n/a
120.00-135.00
125.00-135.00
120.00-129.00
700-800
n/a
110.00-146.00
122.00-137.00
135.00-145.25
130.00-145.00
127.00-144.00
132.00-143.00
120.00-145.00
135.00-146.00
600-700
140.00-154.00
120.00-159.50
135.00-155.00
145.00-158.00
138.00-159.00
132.00-153.75
140.00-160.00
135.00-158.50
142.00-159.00
500-600
147.00-177.00
125.00-169.50
150.00-169.50
150.00-171.00
150.00-170.00
142.00-163.50
155.00-176.00
150.00-177.00
145.00-180.00
400-500
160.00-184.00
130.00-194.00
160.00-180.00
165.00-189.00
162.00-185.00
160.00-184.00
175.00-197.00
165.00-194.00
145.00-187.00
300-400
180.00-209.00
130.00-200.00
165.00-195.00
175.00-195.00
177.00-200.00
160.00-196.00
170.00-205.00
170.00-200.00
n/a
Feeder heifers 900-1,000 lbs.
n/a
95.00-112.00
n/a
95.00-108.50
108.00-116.00
n/a
n/a
100.00-115.00
n/a
800-900
n/a
100.00-118.00
n/a
110.00-123.00
112.00-123.00
n/a
110.00-125.00
105.00-122.00
110.00-113.00
700-800
n/a
100.00-123.00
110.00-121.00
115.00-130.00
119.00-130.00
113.00-120.00
115.00-132.00
110.00-133.00
115.00-137.00
600-700
n/a
100.00-140.00
118.00-126.00
125.00-146.00
125.00-139.00
117.00-132.50
125.00-150.00
120.00-145.00
120.00-147.00
500-600
130.00-159.00
110.00-153.00
125.00-140.00
135.00-158.00
128.00-147.00
135.00-154.00
130.00-159.00
130.00-159.00
125.00-140.00
400-500
144.00-185.00
120.00-178.00
132.00-149.00
140.00-168.00
145.00-168.00
135.00-154.00
150.00-159.00
140.00-162.00
130.00-163.00
300-400
140.00-165.00
120.00-165.00
140.00-150.00
145.00-170.00
150.00-175.00
n/a
150.00-177.00
150.00-175.00
n/a
Slaughter Market No. on offer
600
n/a
105
n/a
n/a
n/a
215
125
275
D1-D2 Cows
52.00-60.00
n/a
n/a
56.00--64.00
56.00-62.50
50.00-57.00
52.00-60.00
50.00-55.50
57.00-61.00
D3-D5 Cows
42.00-60.00
n/a
n/a
48.00-55.00
42.00-56.00
44.00-52.00
42.00-51.00
50.00-58.00
52.00-58.00
Age Verified
60.00-70.00
n/a
n/a
n/a
58.00-63.50
55.00-65.00
n/a
n/a
48.00-52.00
Good Bulls
70.00-83.00
65.00-79.25
n/a
68.00-74.00
70.00-75.75
67.00-73.00
65.00-78.00
72.00-80.00
68.00-77.75
Butcher Steers
n/a
n/a
n/a
100.00-105.75
103.00-107.50
n/a
n/a
98.00-107.00
n/a
Butcher Heifers
n/a
n/a
n/a
100.00-105.25
102.00-106.25
n/a
n/a
95.00-105.50
n/a
n/a
Feeder Cows
90.00-105.00
45.00-67.00
58.00-66.00
n/a
60.00-73.00
n/a
Fleshy Export Cows
n/a
n/a
54-58.50
n/a
60.00-73.00
n/a
Lean Export Cows
n/a
n/a
47.00-53.00
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
* includes slaughter market
(Note all prices in CDN$ per cwt. These prices also generally represent the top one-third of sales reported by the auction yard)
NEWS
Surprise jump in feedlot numbers Feedlot cattle supplies rose four per cent By Theopolis and Waters
CHICAGO / REUTERS / The number of cattle placed in U.S. feedlots rose in November, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department, surprising analysts, who attributed the increase to record-high cattle prices and a seven per cent pullback in corn prices last month. USDA’s monthly cattle-on-feed report Dec. 16 showed placements up four per cent in November versus a year earlier, while analysts polled by Reuters, on average, had expected a drop of 0.3 per cent. “The two main reasons for the higher number is simply fed cattle prices set record highs and were strong throughout the month and corn prices came down somewhat,” said Dan Vaught with Vaught Futures Insights. Many analysts had expected a decline in placements on ideas the severe drought in the southwest had reduced the number of available cattle. There were analysts who had predicted more placements because of cattle from non-drought areas. Analysts predicted the increase in placements will weigh on Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures. Cash cattle prices in parts of the Plains last month soared to a record $127 per cwt, ignited by strong demand for choice beef from retailers such as Wal-Mart. That also sent retail choice beef prices in November to a record high $5 per lb., according to separate USDA data. States such as Nebraska and Colorado had some of the biggest increases in placements because of a seasonal exodus from grazing land to feedlots and corn prices continuing their slump from a record-high $8 per bushel in June. USDA also showed a four per cent increase in feedlot cattle supplies from a year earlier, which was nearly in line with a 3.8 per cent gain expected by analysts. And, USDA said cattle marketings last month were steady with a year ago versus estimates for a 1.6 per cent decline. Rich Nelson, director of research with Allendale Inc., said the marketing figure implies “muted” cash cattle prices for the first half of next year compared to expectations of a few months ago. Also, there should be no relief from high retail beef prices.
Instant info. With the Manitoba Co-operator mobile app Your smartphone you can stay up to date on all things ag. just got smarter. Download the free app at agreader.ca/mbc Get the Manitoba Co-operator mobile app and get the latest ag news as it happens. Download the free app at agreader.ca/mbc
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16
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
WEATHER VANE
Instant info. With the Manitoba Co-operator mobile app you can stay up to date on all things ag. Download the free app at agreader.ca/mbc
W H E N S T A R S S H I N E C L E A R A N D B R I G H T, W E W I L L H AV E A V E R Y C O L D N I G H T.
Expect mild weather right through to new year Issued: Monday, December 19, 2011 · Covering: December 21 – December 28, 2011 Daniel Bezte Co-operator contributor
I
f you were hoping for some more snow between now and Christmas, then things are not looking that good. If you are a little tired of all the warm weather, then the first part of this forecast will be pretty good. The overall atmospher ic pattern does not look like it will change much during this forecast period. We are currently seeing two main storm tracks, one through the southern U.S. and the other through northern Canada. In between we see the odd weak system and a fair bit of seasonably mild high pressure. By the middle of this week we’ll find ourselves caught between low pressure to our northeast and high pressure to our west. This will place us in a predominantly northerly flow that will bring in more seasonable temperatures. We can expect high temperatures to be around -10 C with overnight lows around -20 C. By Christmas Eve it looks like we’ll see some moderation of the temperatures as an area of low pressure passes by well
to our north. Behind this system on Christmas Day we can expect temperatures to cool off a little bit as our winds become more northerly. To start off next week we’ll have to watch a system that is forecast to come ashore over northern B.C. There is a slight chance that some of this energy will move southeast. Should this system pan out, it could bring around five centimetres of snow to a good portion of southern and central Manitoba on Tuesday or Wednesday. Once this system has moved by, the weather models continue to show relatively mild weather sticking around. If you are planning some outdoor activity on New Year’s Eve, the current weather models call for partly cloudy skies with highs near the 0 C mark, which is well above the usual temperature range for this time of the year. Usual temperature range for this period: Highs, -19 to -4 C. Lows, -30 to -13°C. Daniel Bezte is a teacher by profession with a BA (Hon.) in geography, specializing in climatology, from the U of W. He operates a computerized weather station near Birds Hill Park. Contact him with your questions and comments at daniel@bezte.ca.
CHANCES OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS City
Average chance (%)
Chance now (1991-2009)
Chance before (1964-1982)
Perfect Christmas (%)
Snow depth now (cm, 1991-2009)
Snow depth before (cm, 1964-1982)
Calgary Charlottetown Edmonton Fredericton Goose Bay, N.L. Halifax Hamilton Iqaluit Kelowna Kenora London, Ont. Moncton Montreal Ottawa Penticton Quebec City Regina Saint John, N.B. Sarnia Saskatoon St. John’s, N.L. Stephenville, N.L. Thunder Bay Sudbury Sydney, N.S. Timmins, Ont. Toronto Toronto City Vancouver Victoria Whitehorse Wiarton, Ont. Windsor Winnipeg Yellowknife
56 80 85 78 100 58 62 100 60 100 71 73 76 82 29 98 91 60 62 96 64 84 96 95 62 98 55 47 11 11 100 84 45 98 100
47 63 79 58 100 47 63 100 42 100 63 63 68 79 21 95 89 41 32 89 63 74 89 89 47 95 42 37 21 16 100 79 37 95 100
74 95 100 84 100 63 63 100 74 100 74 84 79 79 37 100 95 65 79 100 53 89 100 100 68 100 63 47 11 11 100 84 42 100 100
4 48 20 30 53 24 26 51 26 43 33 40 25 35 11 60 38 36 19 22 24 64 38 46 47 46 13 9 4 6 27 54 4 11 27
4 8 11 7 35 3 6 18 4 23 8 10 8 17 2 21 12 4 4 11 6 11 15 20 3 32 4 4 3 3 16 16 3 14 26
6 15 17 23 64 8 5 19 9 35 9 22 16 16 5 42 15 11 7 13 9 22 24 21 9 48 6 4 2 0 28 16 3 14 25
Green Christmases and Arctic ice melt Winnipeg has an 11 per cent chance of both snow and snowfall on Christmas Day By Daniel Bezte CO-OPERATOR CONTRIBUTOR
E
ach year I find it more and more difficult to figure out what I should write about just before Christmas. This year, two different but related weather stories just happened to come out over the last week and they tie in perfectly with Christmas. The first weather story comes to us from Environment Canada. The weather experts there sat down and recrunched some of the Christmas Day weather statistics and came up with some pretty interesting results. They looked at the amount of snow on the ground on Christmas Day for the 18-year period from 1964 to 1982 and then another 18-year period from 1991 to 2009. The results of this study appear to confirm what most Canadians have been noticing: Christmases are not as snowy or white as they used to be. In the table above, which shows the overall chance of a white Christmas at various points across Canada, the big-
gest thing that jumped out to me was the fact that during the 1964-82 period, there were 12 locations across Canada that had a 100 per cent chance of having a white Christmas. During the 1991-2009 period that amount fell to only five centres. Also, nearly every site now reports a lower chance of experiencing a white C h r i s t m a s. In t e re s t i n g l y, the three sites that show an increase in the chance of having a white Christmas are all located along the coasts ( Victoria, Vancouver, and St. John’s). If yo u a re l o o k i n g f o r a perfect Christmas — which, according to Environment Canada, means that there is snow on the ground and Christmas Day has measurable snowfall — then you need to head out east. Goose Bay, Quebec City and Stephenville all have a better than a 50 per cent chance of having a perfect Christmas. Here on the Prairies your chances are not as good. Winnipeg has only an 11 per cent chance and Calgary is way down at only four per cent. Your best bet is to go to Regina where there is
a 38 per cent chance of having a perfect Christmas. Now, before we start getting all worked up about this, there are a couple of questions that need to be asked and a point or two that needs to be made. First of all, why did Environment Canada leave out the years 1983 to 1990? This then leads us to the question of why Environment Canada picked these particular 18-year periods — and why an 18-year period? It might simply be tied into data availability, but it does seem a little unusual. A couple of points about this study: When you only have 18 years of data, simply having a difference of one year between the two data sets will give you a fairly large change in the final results. The fact that almost every site had a decrease does definitely give you food for thought, though. This leads me to the second weather story that came out over the past week. Early re s e a rc h l o o k i n g a t w h a t possible effects the melting Arctic ice might have on midlatitude weather appears to indicate that it is having an impact. The research shows
wind speeds in the upper atmosphere (around the level of the jet stream) have been weakening over the Arctic, especially in the fall and winter. A weaker jet stream is linked with more amplification of troughs and ridges of low and high pressure. Basically, a weaker jet stream is allowing ridges of high pressure to build farther north than usual, which then allows for warmer air to move farther north. Also, when we see more amplification of these troughs and ridges, weather patterns t e n d t o s l ow d ow n o r g e t “stuck,” which results in long periods of similar weather. I found it interesting that at the same time Environment Canada tells us we are seeing warmer winters with less snow, new research is pointing to melting of the Arctic ice as a possible cause — something I have been talking about for a couple of years now. While the researchers do correctly point out that they can’t prove that there is a connection between changes in Arctic ice cover and mid-latitude weather, they are also correct in saying — as Jennifer
Francis of Rutgers University did at a recent U.S. conference — “The question is not whether sea ice loss is affecting the large-scale atmospheric circulation… it’s ‘How can it not?’” I think I will explore this topic in greater detail in the new year. Until then, here is wishing you the very best over the holiday season!
Definitions
Average chance: probability of a white Christmas (snow cover of two centimetres or more on Christmas morning at 7 a.m.) for full period of 55 years. C h a n c e n ow : p r o b a b i l i t y for children today based on period (1991-2009). Chance before: probability for parents today when they were children (1964-1982). Perfect Christmas: probability of a white Christmas morning and snow in the air on Christmas — that is, a measurable snowfall on Christmas (1955-2007). Snow depth now : a ve ra g e depth of snow cover (cm) on Christmas morning from 1991 to 2009.
17
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
CROPS
By Allan Dawson CO-OPERATOR STAFF
“I think you’ll see deep discounts pretty quickly on an individual year,” Grenier said during the recent 7th Canadian Workshop on Fusarium Head Blight. “I guess you just have to look south of the border with acreage down there and how it has been pushed out of the fusarium-infected area.” In Minnesota and North Dakota, farmers have switched to more corn and soybean production, partly because fusarium-infected wheat returns less, Grenier said in response to a question from Dale Hicks, an Outlook, Sask. farmer and director with Winter Cereals Canada. Hicks noted the wheat board blends fusarium-infected wheat with sound wheat to reduce the impact on farmers. “This (open market) is really going to change things for us,” Hicks said. “I fear the onus is going to fall right back on us (farmers).” While the wheat board passes the benefits of blending back to farmers, in an open market each farmer will deal with a grain company, Grenier said in an interview. If the fusarium discounts are severe enough, farmers will be forced to either haul their wheat farther to another elevator offering a blending benefit or find another market such as feed or ethanol, he said.
cially in the Red River Valley, have been switching to other crops such as corn and soybeans, planting a cereal crop in the rotation is almost unavoidable, Grenier said. Tackling head blight with tolerant varieties is key, he said, adding farmers need to be encouraged to grow the most tolerant varieties available. Grenier also questioned the wisdom of registering new vulnerable varieties to be grown outside the head blight area when the disease is spreading farther west. Canada’s shrunken grain-handling system is already challenged by fusarium head blight, a fungal disease that reduces wheat yields and quality. It also sometimes produces the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON), which when consumed above certain levels, is harmful to livestock and humans. Part of the problem is knowing how much DON is in a shipment of wheat. Right now the number of fusarium-damaged kernels is used
As a result the wheat board is gathering more wheat samples directly from farmers in the fall and testing it for DON, he said. When DON levels are high, the CWB segregates the infected wheat and offers farmers special programs blending infected wheat with sound wheat to offset the damage. Private grain handlers are also testing wheat for DON to meet the wheat board’s sales requirements, said Joe Girdner, James Richardson International’s vice-president of wheat marketing. Elevator companies have 16 to 24 hours to load a 100-car train, which effectively means there is less than 10 minutes to load each car. “You don’t really have time to stop and check what you’ve got,” Girdner said. “You’ve got to know what you’ve got before you put it into the car.” The fact that Canada has one of the smallest commercial handling systems among the world’s wheat exporters adds to the complexity, he said. In 1980, there were 3,000 elevators across the West, but there are now fewer than 500, and storage capacity has dropped to six million tonnes,
“I guess you just have to look south of the border with acreage down there and how it has been pushed out of the fusarium-infected area.” MIKE GRENIER
Switching
Removing damaged kernels
Regular grain cleaners are not very good at removing fusariumdamaged kernels, Girdner said. Richardson sometimes uses gravity tables, which are effective, but slow as they can process only 15 to 20 tonnes of wheat an hour. “The problem is what do you do with the stuff that you’ve cleaned out? About the only place you can take it is to the dump,” he said. Fusarium head blight isn’t just an issue with wheat, it’s also a problem in six-row malting barley, said Pat Rowan, a buyer with Busch Agriculture Resources Canada, owned by InBev Inc., the world’s largest brewer. “It has changed how we do business in the last 10 years,” he said. The company samples and tests barley for DON and has learned DON levels can be reduced by storing barley, but only when the toxin is on the surface of the kernel, said Rowan. As a result, some barley is stored for up to nine months, he said. Washing and steeping can reduce DON levels as well. Infected barley also has to be segregated. All those measure add cost to the process, Rowan said. Meanwhile, North American farmers are planting less malting barley. “Malt barley has become a specialty crop and as such, we have to work that much harder to get the farmer to grow it,” he said. “Right now the U.S. has four million acres — the lowest it has ever been. You have to contract every bushel. “In Canada we’re contracting more and more. It hasn’t got to the point yet where we’re concerned about the acreage.”
CWB agronomist
Although Manitoba farmers, espe-
Pioneer brand Soybean varieties
proving ground.
Divergence
compared to nine million previously. Meanwhile, annual crop production now averages around 50 million tonnes (up from 40 million 20 years ago) largely because of higher canola yields and less summerfallow.
®
to estimate the potential DON level in infected wheat. There used to be a close relationship between damaged kernels and DON, but in the last few years the amount of DON has increased relative to the damage, Grenier said. Researchers aren’t sure why.
The
F
armers plagued with fusarium head blight are likely to see deeper discounts in the wake of the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly, the board’s agronomist Mike Grenier says.
TM
U.S. experience suggests private grain companies won’t offer special blending programs for infected wheat
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CWB fusarium programs to disappear
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18
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
Grain storage a booming business The global grain storage sector is growing five to seven per cent annually By Christine Stebbins chicago / reuters
T
he boom times for U.S. agriculture in 2011 have focused on soaring land and crop prices, bumper harvests and biofuels, but a recent deal has spotlighted a quiet industry that’s booming: grain storage. Agco, the world’s third-largest farm equipment manufacturer, this week finalized its purchase of grain storage manufacturer GSI Holdings for $928 million. Analysts estimate annual revenue of the global grain storage sector at $3.5 billion. “It’s historically grown above GDP as farmers have tried to maximize the potential yields of their crops, store on site in hopes for better prices. So it has grown at a five to seven per cent growth rate,” said Adam Fleck, a Morningstar analyst, who said he is initiating coverage of the sector after the Agco deal. The U.S. farm economy is the healthiest it has been in years as record income is allowing farmers to pay off debt and buy land, machinery and facilities to store more crops. Headquartered in Assumption, Illinois, GSI sells its products globally through more than 500 independent dealers. “Together, we will give our customers even greater access to technology to help them be more productive and profitable,” Agco chairman Martin Richenhagen said Dec. 1. GSI, which was privately held by New York-based Centerbridge Partners LP, says it is the world’s largest maker of grain storage systems. But information on the industry, which includes U.S. brands like Brock, Sukup and
Agri-Systems as well as European and Chinese makers, is closely held. Agco, which sells its tractors, planters and harvesters worldwide, sees GSI as a co-marketing and sales partner for its farming customers at home and overseas. GSI “is well positioned to benefit from increases in global grain and food demand,” Richenhagen said. Analysts agree and are bullish on the sector. “The growth potential of the industry, a lot of it is going to stem from emerging markets. South America is a great example — which is a large grain-producing region,” said Fleck. “Agco is looking at double-digit-type growth in that region.” In recent years some big investors have begun playing in the grain storage business. Omahabased firm Gavilon — owned by Ospraie hedge fund, George Soros and others — has bought grain storage facilities from Oregon to Ontario, attracted by soaring crop demand, especially from the massive demand created for corn-based ethanol production. U.S. grain storage capacity has expanded 12 per cent, or more than two billion bushels, since 2005, coinciding with the jump in ethanol. Needs have included rail and storage for 200 ethanol plants which consume about 40 per cent of the annual U.S. corn crop of more than 12 billion bushels. Other major row crops, including soybeans and wheat and sorghum, add another five billion to six billion bushels annually to permanent and temporary storage needs. The top corn state of Iowa has led the charge.
“We are building new storage at a rate of about five per cent a year,” said David Miller, director of research at the Iowa Farm Bureau. “That reflects both the shift to corn from beans and higher yields.”
“We are building new storage at a rate of about five per cent a year. That reflects both the shift to corn from beans and higher yields.” david miller
Iowa Farm Bureau, director of research
China says it can further boost output China’s grain output in 2011 increased 4.5 per cent to a record 571 million tonnes beijing / reuters
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China still has room to boost grain output in the coming years by improving technology and other measures, a senior agricultural official said Dec. 15. China’s grain output in 2011 increased 4.5 per cent from a year earlier to a record high of 571.21 million tonnes, the eighth consecutive annual increase, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. “There is still a big potential to increase output further,” Agriculture Minister Han Changfu said in a speech, adding that China’s unit yield of grain could rise by an average of more than one per cent per mu (one mu equals 6.6 acres) a year through 2020. “China is fully confident and is able to rely on domestic supplies to safeguard its grain safety for a long time to come,” Han said, adding that there is limited room for the country to rely on the international market to adjust surpluses and shortfalls. Global annual grain trade is about 250 million tonnes, less than half of China’s yearly output. He said grain supplies helped to bring down local inflation in recent months, laying an important foundation for managing inflation expectations and curbing price rises.
19
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
CAMOUFLAGE PLAN NEEDS WORK
The little bit of snow we’ve had so far this year isn’t doing it for this cat trying to blend in by the bird feeder. PHOTO: JEANNETTE GREAVES
Iowa farmland soars in value The average value for Iowa farmland has risen 32.5 per cent over the last year By Carey Gillam REUTERS
C
orn country is getting more expensive — fast, according to the results of a new study released Dec. 14. With farmers and investors alike bidding up the cost of key acreage used for growing corn, soybeans and other crops, the average value for Iowa farmland has risen 32.5 per cent over the last year to $6,708 per acre — an all-time high, adjusted for inflation — according to results of the Iowa Land Value Survey, which was conducted in November. The rate of gain marks the highest percentage increase ever recorded by the Iowa State University annual survey, and is in line with the findings of a recent Chicago Federal Reserve Bank estimate of a 31 per cent increase in Iowa land values. Calling 2011 “one of the most remarkable years in Iowa land value history,” Mike Duffy, Iowa State University economics professor who conducted the survey, said low interest rates and high prices for corn and soybeans are key drivers.
Increased interest
Poor performance in other investment areas, particularly the stock market, may also account for increased interest in buying farmland, Duffy said. Iowa, as the largest U.S. corngrowing state, is a particular hot spot for expansion of farmland holdings as corn prices have risen to about $6 a bushel from just about $2 a bushel six years ago. The rising corn prices, and similar striking price gains in soybeans, have driven farmland prices higher throughout the U.S. Midwest. Nebraska, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan are also seeing sharp spikes in farmland values, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
The spike has caused some analysts to warn of a potential bubble and market collapse at some point if crop prices fall and farmers and investors are left overleveraged. Indeed, some investor groups say because prices are reaching such lofty levels they are moving to the sidelines. But others are racing to accumulate more land, saying the market is still on its way up.
lt of e direct resu th is , G 0 0 5 T ybrid, V ybrid is RR canola h ns that this h tics. N a E e G m g T in V ld x fi ie y T Gene . The pre Viterra’s big hnology of V ing program c d e te re d b n t a s e ong u c b our own ro lusive scien at stands str c th x r e e e th rm o h rf it e rra w n elite p bred by Vite e power of a th t more. t e g u o y G .ca to find ou a rr e it .v d With V T500 e e isit s fall. big yields. V ailable this v a and delivers ta a D l a ri anola T 011 Viterra C 2 e th r fo h Watc
MANCE R O F R E P YIELD 100%
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VT500G
Hot and still rising
The northwest part of Iowa is commanding the highest prices in the state, upwards of $9,500 per acre on average in O’Brien County and an average of $8,338 per acre for the northwest region of the state, according to the survey. Indeed, one recently reported sale in that region brought $20,000 an acre. “The state has been going very strong, but that northwest corner in particular has been extremely strong in prices,” said David Miller, director of research for the Iowa Farm Bureau. “The big question will be, are we going to go back to $3 corn or $2 corn?” he said. The cheapest land was found along the south-central border of the state where Decatur County farmland averaged $2,721 an acre, according to the survey. Farmers remain by far the largest group of buyers. With fat bank accounts following bountiful harvests and relatively low debt levels, farmers are expanding their holdings at a rapid clip. Investor groups made up only about 22 per cent of the purchasers in 2011, the study found, down from 39 per cent of purchases in 2005. The number of land sales remained relatively steady to slightly greater in 2011 as compared to 2010, after a slowdown in transactions in 2009.
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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
New world markets opening for forages Growing market opportunities for Canada’s forage sector are tempered by dual hurdles of cost of domestic freight and the lack of export processing capacity By Lorraine Stevenson CO-OPERATOR STAFF
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a i n - b a t t e re d f o r a g e growers in Manitoba have a huge opportunity to serve markets in the arid Middle East. Governments in the Middle East plan to stop irrigating all primary forage crops in the near future, participants of a fact-finding mission to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia last year told attendees at the recent Forage Symposium. “We weren’t given a timeline, but they want to do it as fast as they can in the UAE,” said Glenn Friesen, a forage business development specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives. “In Saudi Arabia, they have a deadline. They want to get rid of all irrigation by 2016.” Friesen was part of the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association delegation that visited these countries in March 2010, in part to assess the potential for increasing Canadian forage exports. Traditionally, forage has been imported for racehorses and dairy cows in the UAE principalities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, said Friesen. The UAE has the world’s largest thoroughbred herd. The government has subsidized local forage production to foster increased dairy production and assist Bedouin farmers, traditionally a nomadic people, who now raise camels, sheep, and goats. But water scarcity has prompted a rethink. The impact on world markets is expected to be huge. World forage trade volumes virtually doubled overnight when the Abu Dhabi government began placing forage tenders in 2006. UAE tenders
Expanding corporate bovine dairies in the Middle East are creating significantly increased world demand for forages.
were expected to reach 1.1 million tonnes by this year, and while initially calling for high protein and energy alfalfa in single and double compressed medium bales, it’s expected it will buy a wide range of feed qualities and package types. Me a n w h i l e , t h e S a u d i Arabian dairy sector is also a significant market, with experts predicting it will ultimately be double that of the UAE, Friesen said. Dairies in both countries seek medium square bales and double compressed bales of alfalfa and alfalfa/grass mixes. They also import cereal straw for bedding and to be blended to completed feeds for local farmers.
But Canada, with about a two per cent share in these markets, significantly lags behind the U.S. and Europe, Friesen said. The opportunities in the Arab world are one aspect of what other speakers called “the interesting times” in forage markets. The past year and a half have seen “almost unprecedented” changes in world forage markets, said Ed Shaw, president and CEO of International Quality Forage and Feed Inc., and a member of the March 2010 fact-finding mission. New entrants are showing up in the Middle East forage market, but weather woes and a decline in seeded areas are creating opportunities, he said.
PHOTO: GLENN FRIESEN
“Transportation is the single most important hurdle.” ED SHAW
Overall, it bodes well for demand for Canadian forages, but a lack of processing capacity and infrastructure and high freight rates are holding the industry back, said Shaw. “Transportation is the single most important hurdle,” he said. As an example, the cost to ship a container of hay from Salt Lake City to Long Beach California is $2,600,
while the same container out of Calgary costs $3,800, he said. “ T h e a rg u m e n t i s ( Sa l t Lake City) is closer to port,” he said. “It’s 66 miles closer to Long Beach than Calgary is to Vancouver. “We need, as a whole agric u l t u ra l i n d u s t r y t o f i n d ways to crack this nut. It’s going to hurt us.” lorraine@fbcpublishing.com
New canola performance trial results now available The variety evaluation trials include results from 23 small plots and are organized by short-, medium- and long-season zones Canola Council of Canada release
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omparative data on canola seed varieties is now available to growers from the new Canola Performance Trials (CPT) 2011. The CPT 2011 represents the next generation in variety evaluation for western Canadian canola growers, providing sciencebased, unbiased and timely performance data that reflects actual production practices,
as well as comparative data on leading varieties and newly introduced varieties. The three Prairie canola grower groups — the Alberta Canola Producers Commission, t h e Sa s k a t c h e w a n C a n o l a De ve l o p m e n t Co m m i s s i o n (SaskCanola) and the Ma n i t o b a Ca n o l a Growe r s Association — fund the program. Seed trade companies that participated paid entry
fees. The B.C. Grain Producers Association conducted trials in the Peace as their means of participation. Participants in the small plot trials consisted of line companies, independent retailers and seed companies including Viterra, Bayer CropScience, Monsanto, Dow AgroSciences, Cargill, Canterra Seeds, BrettYoung Seeds, FP Genetics and SeCan. The CPT 2011 includes results from 23
CANTERRA 1980 – An early bird hybrid superstar bursting with yield potential! Our exceptional canola varieties crush the competition with unrelenting yield momentum, unsurpassed standability and outstanding seed genetics.
small plots. Monsanto, Bayer CropScience, Canterra Seeds and Dow AgroSciences also participated in a total of 108 audited field-scale trials. Results are organized by short-, medium- and long-season zones. The results booklet is available now online at canolaperformancetrials.ca. The three Prairie grower groups will be posting it as well. In January, an online selec-
tion tool will be available at the same website, highlighting the contribution margin calculator. A printed booklet version of the results will be available shortly at Prairie ag retail outlets. Haplotech (led by Dr. Rale Gjuric) co-ordinated the trials under the guidance of a governance committee that oversaw approval of varieties, protocol design, data collection, analysis and reporting, and financial management.
Find out more at ShutTheSellUp.com Can you find a seed company about the seed and not the sell?
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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
Cargill warns against premature marketing of GMOs Importing countries have zero tolerance for unapproved GMO varieties, exporters warn
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By Christine Stebbins CHICAGO / REUTERS
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istributing biotech seeds to American farmers before they are approved in major grain export markets is not good for U.S. agriculture, an executive with agribusiness giant Cargill Inc. said Dec. 13. “ We do not suppor t the c o m m e rc i a l i z a t i o n o f G M traits ahead of major market approvals,” Randal Giroux, vice-president of food safety for Cargill, told the members of the National Grain and Feed Association, the largest U.S. grain group, at a meeting. “We don’t think it’s good for U.S. agriculture. We think that we should wait for the commercialization of these traits until we have major market approvals,” Giroux said. Cargill and other U.S. processors and exporters became hypersensitive to issues related to GMO corn after a variety that was not approved for food use — known as StarLink — was discovered in a U.S. shipment to Japan in 2000. Sales to the biggest U.S. customers at the time, Japan and South Korea, dried up overnight. The subsequent tracing, sorting, testing, separating and certifying of GMO cost the industry millions of dollars. It can take just one kernel of corn not approved for use in a given market to contaminate an entire grain shipment, thus preventing foreign buyers from unloading the vessel. Restrictions on GMO grains in key markets such as the European Union, as well as among domestic and foreign food processors with standards for “organic” and other nonGMO foods, keep the dangers of mixing grains at the forefront for grain handlers. Early commercialization of biotech seeds — when acceptance of the grains has not been cleared in markets like the EU, for example — has been hotly debated this harvest season
“We have to recognize that when those major markets have not approved it, the threshold is zero.” RANDAL GIROUX Cargill
when the three top U.S. grain handlers — Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland and Bunge — said they were either restricting or not accepting a biotech corn variety not approved in major export markets, like the EU or China. The discussions have centred on Agrisure Viptera, a biotech corn variety developed for its resistance to insects by Syngenta that was planted in the U.S. this spring before it was approved in major export markets. Syngenta has said the variety has been approved for shipment to several major corn export destinations, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines and Taiwan. China, which recently returned as a buyer of corn and which is expected to import some three million tonnes this marketing year, has yet to approve the variety. Syngenta expects approval from China by early 2012 and from the EU by the first half of 2013. “We have to recognize that when those major markets have not approved it, the threshold is zero,” Giroux told the group of grain handlers. “We have to make sure that we are seen as a credible and consistent supplier of agricultural products. “It’s not a decision we should make alone, it’s something we should be working with the technology companies on, trade associations,” Giroux said.
h t y t i l i b a t s d l e i Y . s e l a c s e h t s p ti g igh yieldin h a is a r r ss rom Vite t yield acro n e ll e c x VR9559G f e h hybrid wit 559G... 9 la R o V n . a s c ie R h p R . and geogra s n io our favour it y d n in o s le all c a c s at tips the h t ld ie y ig b iterra.ca. Visit seed.v
NEWS
Agrium expands potash production REUTERS / Agrium’s board has signed off on a longplanned $1.5-billion project to expand potash production capacity by about 50 per cent, aiming at capitalizing on demand for the crop nutrient. Calgary, Alberta-based Agrium said on Dec. 14 the expansion of its operations at Vanscoy in Saskatchewan will cost less and take less time than building a potash mine from scratch. “Our brownfield potash expansion will ultimately be much quicker to bring on, and significantly less expensive to develop, than any greenfield project that is under consideration,” chief executive Mike Wilson said in a statement. Agrium, a fertilizer producer as well as the largest farm products retailer in North America, also said it is quadrupling its semi-annual dividend to 22.5 cents a share from 5.5 cents a share.
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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
COUNTRY CROSSROADS CONNECTING RUR A L COMMUNITIES
Some New Year’s Resolutions are just plain
cheesy When a recipe starts with “milk the cow,” it’s bound to be a blast
By Lorna Wall CO-OPERATOR CONTRIBUTOR
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have to chuckle as I look back over this year’s accomplishments of last year’s resolution list and think about what I should set as goals for next year. As a girl growing up in a small town in Alberta, the fourth daughter of a grocer and bookkeeper, I would never have thought that my list of this year’s accomplishments would include learning to make cheese with a recipe that starts with “Milk the cow….” But I have done it. Mind you, the cheese is still a work in progress and my technique needs a lot of polishing. But I can do a fairly good job of waxing the wheel. To make cheese you start with the milk still warm from the cow. You have to heat it for a certain amount of time at a certain temperature for each type or flavour of cheese. Then you add rennet and a starter that is either mesophilic or thermophilic and follow the directions carefully to achieve the cheese you intend to make. I found a set of weights worked well for making a cheese press. Waxing the cheese is done after the cheese has dried and formed a slight rind. It is easiest if you use a soup bowl and set it over a small pan of water to melt the special cheese wax, then roll the cheese like a wheel to coat the round edge. After that has set so you can hold on to the cheese again, dip each of the flat sides. I also found that cooling the cheese in the fridge between each step helped uniformly set the wax. Wait a couple weeks, while turning your cheese daily, and then remove the wax to enjoy your hard cheese. The next thing was learning to assemble, use without covering the kitchen with milk, disassembling, washing and reassembling a cream separator, bought second hand, which means there is no manual. Reports from friends all included horror stories of working with cream
A set of weights works well as a cheese press.
PHOTOS: LORNA WALL
separators and the eventual cleaning of all the little screens. I have come to realize these tales were from the slanted viewpoint of childhood memories. I have learned to use the half-hour of washing up by visiting with my mother on speakerphone, so she gets at least a half-hour call at the same time almost every day from her favourite daughter. This also makes the task of washing up much less tedious. I raised a calf without any mishaps and a fine little Jersey, Hazel the heifer has turned out to be. In an attempt to maintain my health, we have tried to eliminate as much commercially
Making cheese starts with milking the cow. Recipes call for fresh milk.
I would never have thought that my list of this year’s accomplishments would include learning to make cheese with a recipe that starts with “Milk the cow….”
processed food as possible from our diet. So we now milk two cows for our own consumption and to supplement our Dorper and Katahdin lambs as well as the Akbash and border collie puppies. We also fed some little piggies that now reside in our freezer. I’ve learned to bake with real cream instead of butter or shortening and Pete’s butter is beyond compare with store-bought varieties. In trying to be self-reliant, I invented a spigot girdle for use with a milking machine where the milker’s hands are too small to actually hold up the milking claw and attach the four spigots at the same time. Apparently this is something only a woman can understand. Thankfully, our cows are very forgiving when I milk alone. Next year’s goals are actually a continuation of what I didn’t accomplish this year. First on the list: Learn to bake bread. Others include labelling and maybe printing some of our pictures, writing actual letters to some older relatives and friends that are shut-ins, learning to make ice cream from scratch with lots of variations and improving on my technique with that cheese making. Or maybe I should start a 4-H for seniors.
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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
COUNTRY CROSSROADS
RecipeSwap
Send your recipes or recipe request to: Manitoba Co-operator Recipe Swap Box 1794, Carman, Man ROG OJO or email: lorraine@fbcpublishing.com
Open doors at
Christmas Lorraine Stevenson Crossroads Recipe Swap
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here’s a scene in A Christmas Carol that gets to me every time. It’s near the end of the story, when Scrooge, who awakened Christmas day a changed man, goes to the home of his nephew, whose invitations he has refused on Christmases past. “I have come to dinner...” he says, humbly clutching his hat. They warmly welcome him, and Scrooge’s transformation is complete, as he is drawn into a place of light, abundance, warmth, fellowship and food. Blessings of the season to all of you.
Honey Cranberry French Toast with Gouda If you love cranberries, this is a breakfast/brunch dish you’ll love. Honey Cranberries: 2 tbsp. butter 2 c. fresh or frozen cranberries 1/3 c. liquid honey French Toast: 5 eggs 1/4 c. sugar 2/3 c. milk 1 tsp. vanilla extract 8 slices whole grain bread Butter for cooking 5 oz. Canadian Gouda cheese, thinly sliced
Honey Cranberries: In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add cranberries and cook, stirring, two to three minutes until starting to soften. Add honey and cook, stirring, until cranberries are soft and honey has thickened, about three minutes. French Toast: In a wide, shallow dish, beat eggs with sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Spread a thin layer of butter in skillet. Dip each slice of bread in egg mixture for several seconds per side. Bread should be well coated but not saturated. Cook in hot skillet in batches, for three to five minutes per side, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through. Repeat with remaining bread, adding more butter to the skillet as necessary between batches. Arrange French Toast on serving plates, layering with slices of cheese and Honey Cranberries. Preparation time: 20 minutes. Cooking time: 10 15 minutes. Yields: 4 servings.
dairy farmers of canada
Honey Berry Breakfast Bread Pudding Holidays turn breakfasts into occasions. So easy to assemble the night before, this bread pudding can soak overnight in the refrigerator. All you need to do in the morning is turn on the oven. 8 c. cubed white or whole grain bread* (about 1 lb.) 2 c. frozen mixed berries 6 eggs 1-1/2 c. 10 per cent half-and-half or 18 per cent table cream 1/4 c. liquid honey 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon Warm honey
Spread bread cubes in a buttered 13x9-inch or 10-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle berries over bread. In a large measuring cup with a spout or a bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Whisk in cream, honey, vanilla and cinnamon; pour evenly over bread mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Pre-heat oven at 350 F. Let pudding stand at room temperature while preheating oven. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden, puffed and a knife inserted in centre comes out clean. If top is browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Serve drizzled with more honey. Tip ✷ Use hearty, bakery-style bread for the best texture. Pre-sliced, packaged sandwich breads tend to be too soft and airy.
Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 40 minutes. Refrigeration time: 6 - 12 minutes. Yields: 6 to 8 servings. Source: Dairy Farmers of Canada www.dairygoodness.ca
Source: Dairy Farmers of Canada www.dairygoodness.ca
Crunchy Turkey and Cranberry Pie This pie is so delicious you’ll wish you had cooked a bigger turkey for more leftovers!
turkey farmers of canada
Enchilada-Style Deep Dish Pizza Turkey leftovers mean endless possibilities for yummy after-Christmas lunches and suppers. 4 flour tortillas, 7 inch 1 c. sliced cooking onions 1/2 c. chopped green pepper 1/2 c. chopped red pepper 2 Jalapeno peppers, minced 1 tbsp. vegetable oil 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese 1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese 8 oz. shaved, cooked turkey breast 1/2 c. well-drained, chunky salsa 1/2 c. coarsely chopped cilantro 1/3 c. sliced green or black olives
Line a 9-inch pie plate by placing one whole tortilla on bottom and two halved tortillas around the sides, overlapping as necessary. Sauté onions and peppers in hot oil 2 to 3 minutes. Mix cheeses together. Layer one-half the cheese, one-half the turkey and a tortilla in the lined pie plate. Top with sautéed vegetables, remaining turkey, salsa, cilantro and remaining cheese. Bake in a 400 F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until tortillas are lightly browned and cheese is melted. Garnish with olives. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve with sliced avocado and tomatoes or shredded lettuce or with refried beans. Serves 5. Source: Turkey Farmers of Canada www.turkeyfarmersofcanada.ca
1 9-inch deep pastry pie shell 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard 1 c. shredded Swiss cheese 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese 1 tbsp. butter or margarine 1 medium onion, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 1/4 c. slivered almonds 1-1/2 c. diced cooked turkey 1 c. whole cranberry sauce 3 eggs 3/4 c. 2 per cent evaporated milk 1/4 tsp. dried sage
Pre-bake pastry shell, if desired for 5-7 minutes at 400 F. Brush mustard on inside of pie shell; mix cheeses together. Heat butter over medium heat; sauté onion, celery and almonds for three to five minutes. Layer one-half of the cheese, vegetables, turkey, cranberry sauce and remaining cheese in pie shell. Beat eggs, milk and sage together thoroughly; pour slowly over cheese. Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes, then lower to 375 F and continue cooking 25-30 minutes or until set. Cover edges with foil, if necessary, to prevent excessive browning during the last 10-15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Source: Turkey Farmers of Canada
©thinkstock
Recipe Swap Thanks to Co-operator readers for all your recipes and feedback for our recipe pages. I look forward to hearing from you throughout 2012!
Manitoba Co-operator Recipe Swap Box 1794, Carman, Man. ROG OJO Or email: lorraine@fbcpublishing.com
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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
COUNTRY CROSSROADS
“
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ou better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I’m telling you why,” Bing Crosby’s voice drifted into the dining room of the Jackson home from the stereo in the family room. “Santa Claus is coming to town,” the voice added emphatically. “I just loooove Christmas!” Jennifer exclaimed happily. She gave her little niece Allison, who was kneeling on the chair next to Jennifer’s, a big smile. “Do you loooove Christmas, Ally?” she asked. Allison looked up from the shortbread cookie she was busy crumbling on a small plate on the table. “I wuv cookies!” she said. “Of course you do Ally!” said Jennifer with a laugh. “Everybody wuvs cookies! And Christmas is the best time for wuvving cookies because there’s so many around.” Ally popped a piece into her mouth. “Yummy!” she said and clapped her hands. “Should we leave milk and cookies for Santa?” asked Jennifer. “Santa loves cookies too you know.” Ally shook her head. “We shoudn’t?” said Jennifer, surprised. “Why not?” “Cuz I wuv cookies,” said Ally matter-of-factly. Jennifer pondered that for a second, while Ally popped another tasty morsel into her mouth and chewed noisily. “But won’t Santa be disappointed?” Again Ally shook her head.”Evwybody weaves cookies for Santa!” she said happily. “He gots wots and wots.” Jennifer looked at her little niece adoringly. “Ally,” she said, “you are the cutest niece ever! In the entire history of the world, there has never been a cuter one! You and your adorable language that’s all full of w’s!” “What’s a dubbowoo?” Ally asked through another mouthful of cookie. “”A dubbowoo,” said Jennifer, “is the handiest letter in the alphabet for little nieces who have trouble with the letters L and R.” Ally giggled. “You said my favowite soup,” she said. “Really?” said Jennifer. “Your favourite soup?” “Aphabet,” she said. “My favowite soup is aphabet soup.” She paused and then appeared to have
The
Jacksons By Rollin Penner
a sudden revelation. “I wike cookies, AND I wike aphabet soup,” she said. “Hey,” said Jennifer. “Maybe we should leave alphabet soup for Santa instead of cookies!” Ally giggled again. “He would be supwised!” she said. “We could leave alphabet soup and we could make the letters in the alphabet soup say “we love you Santa” or something like that!” said Jennifer. “What do you think of that idea, Ally?” “Santa would be veeeewy supwiswed,” said Ally. “And we could sign it Elmer Fudd,” said Jennifer. Ally gave Jennifer a curious look. “What’s Emmew Fudd?” she asked. Jennifer laughed. “Never mind,” she said. “It’s just my own little joke.” Ally picked up her plate to lick off the remaining crumbs but tilted it too far and sent them sliding off onto her lap instead. “Oh-oh,” she said cheerfully. “I made a mess.”
“That’s not a very serious mess,” said Jennifer. “I expect Santa will overlook that little mess since you’ve been such a good little girl all year.” She paused. “You have been a good girl haven’t you?” she said. Ally reached for another cookie. “I’m big now,” she said. “I was wittle till Andy came but now I’m big. Andy is wittle and I’m big.” “True enough,” said Jennifer. “And you’ve been a good big girl, right?” Ally nodded. “I hope Santa bwings me a puppy,” she said. “Cuz I aweady have a bwothew.” “Maybe he will,” said Jennifer, “but then again maybe he won’t. You know what the trouble is with puppies?” Ally shook her head. “The trouble with puppies is they grow up to be dogs.” Ally pondered that as she took a bite. “Do kitties gwow up to be dogs?” she wanted to know. Jennifer laughed. “No they don’t sweetie,” she said. “Kittens do not grow up to be dogs.” “Maybe Santa will bwing me a kitty,” said Ally. “Maybe he will,” said Jennifer, “and then again, maybe he won’t.” “Mommy says you nevew can tell wiff Santa,” said Ally. “My mommy knows evwything,” she added. “Yes she does,” said Jennifer. “No question about that. Just like my mommy used to.” “Just like your mommy used to what?” said Rose, appearing at exactly that moment from the kitchen. “My mommy used to know everything,” said Jennifer, “just like Ally’s mommy does.” “Indeed I did,” said Rose. She scooped her granddaughter up off of the chair and gave her a kiss on the neck which made the little girl giggle again. “And now all I know is that I have the cutest granddaughter in the world, and the cutest grandson, and we are going to have the merriest Christmas ever!” She sat down on the chair with Allison on her lap. “What do you think of that sweetie?” she asked. Allison looked up at her grandmother. “I wuv gwanny,” she said, “and I wuv cookies and I wuv aphabet soup.” Rose beamed. Jennifer smiled. “There you go Mom,” she said. “Merry Christmas to Granny!”
Put together a unique gift This idea allows the recipient to do the planting and enjoy the growth By Albert Parsons FREELANCE CONTRIBUTOR
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here is no group of people more difficult to buy Christmas gifts for than seniors who have moved into smaller living accommodations and don’t need more “stuff.” If you have such a person on your Christmas shopping list, and that person was once a gardener, you might like to give them a “dish garden kit” that you can put together yourself. This gift will allow the former gardener to do a bit of gardening and after that, be able to enjoy the fruits of his/her labour even in a more confined living space. This gift is best suited for those folks who still would enjoy getting their fingers in the dirt for a couple of hours and still have the energy to take on such a project. When putting together this “kit,” it is important to include everything that will be needed.
A collection of succulents would be suitable for a dish garden. PHOTOS: ALBERT PARSONS
Materials list: • A suitably sized, shallow container, probably ceramic with no drainage holes
Most garden centres have an array of suitable dish garden containers.
• A container of planting mix, enough to fill the container and suitable for the particular plants chosen • A collection of small plants, just enough to fill the container • A container of sand, enough to cover the soil surface of the planted dish garden • One to three decorative objects, such as shells, polished stones or miniature figurines Choose plants that have similar requirements in terms of light, water, and soil, but that offer a variety of leaf texture, shape and colour. You might choose small foliage plants like peperomia, alu-
minum plant, artillery plant, baby tears, ivy, dracaena and spider plant. Another alternative is cacti and/or succulents. Haworthia, hen and chicks, jade plant, panda plant (a kalanchoe), and various sedums would work. If you include some cacti, be sure to include a pair of rubberized gardening gloves to make handling the prickly cacti easier. Obviously this is a gift that you will wrap and put under the tree at the last minute as you are dealing with living plants. When you put the kit together, you might place the plants on some sort of tray so that they can be placed on a table in front of a window until the gift recipient gets around to doing the planting — which may not be until well after the holiday season. Giving such a gift to a senior who may find time a bit hard to fill on some days and who still loves the idea of growing things, allows the person to not only do the actual planting, but also to enjoy the dish garden for months to come. Albert Parsons writes from Minnedosa, Manitoba
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The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
COUNTRY CROSSROADS
Pomegranate seeds add festive touch The versatility and red colour are perfect for the holiday menu
Brittany Brandon (l) and Stacey Shingoose from Waywayseecappo First Nation display some of their crafts. PHOTOS: CINDY MURRAY
First Nations show and sale
Important to pass on traditions to next generation By Cindy Murray FREELANCE CONTRIBUTOR
A
craft show and sale was held last month at the South Quill Health Centre in the First Nation community of Rolling River. There was everything from scarves, bags, pillows, plates, towels, outfits and quilts, to beadwork and children’s powwow regalia. One of the sewers, Karen Huntinghawk, has been sewing since she was 16 years old, when she took classes held by her aunt, Rose Whitebird. Karen’s mother, Mary, also had a great influence by sharing her knowledge of traditional ways of sewing Star Blankets. Karen also makes traditional outfits and does beadwork, and is passing down this important knowledge to the next generation — her daughter, Kaylee. Bonnie McKay has also been sewing from an early age, taking classes from Rose as well. Bonnie likes to create works that are a mixture of old and new, and believes it is very important to incorporate traditional beliefs into that work. “It is a good opportunity to share ideas and encourage youth. We are here to share if anyone wants to learn.” Bonnie will pass her knowledge along to granddaughter Leaha, who can see herself doing this work as well. Bonnie and Karen created Zaniban
Smells like Christmas
By Joanne Rawluk FREELANCE CONTRIBUTOR
Here are a few recipes using natural ingredients to make your house smell good during the holidays. Completely cover an orange by sticking whole cloves into the surface. Use a sharp round toothpick to make the holes and then push
Bonnie McKay (l to r), Karen Huntinghawk, and Sarah Shannacappo all started sewing at an early age and are passing traditions down.
Crafts. Zaniban is an Ojibway word meaning working with original materials. They are interested in working with things like seeds, that would have been used before beads were introduced. Sarah Shannacappo, another of Rose’s pupils, has been sewing since she was about 12. She has made ceremonial outfits for her daughters and believes that while the work is being done, stories should be told at the same time, which will help pass down traditional ways. Rose Whitebird’s legacy of teaching sewing in her community has had a ripple effect, which is now being passed to the next generations. Cindy Murray writes from Erickson, Manitoba
the cloves in. You will have created a spicy fragrance that will permeate the room and not cause any allergic reactions as some bought candles or sprays often do. In a Crock-Pot, put the following: Peel from 1 orange Peel from 1 lemon 2 cinnamon sticks 2 bay leaves 20 whole cloves 2 litres water Let simmer in the Crock-Pot or on top of the stove in a pot. Add water as the mixture evaporates. Mix together: 2 c. apple juice 3 c. pineapple juice 2 c. water 2 cinnamon sticks 2 tsp. whole cloves 1-1/2 tsp. allspice 1/2 tsp. ground ginger Let simmer in a pot on the stove or in a Crock-Pot. Add more liquids as needed. Spices can be adjusted for your preference. Joanne Rawluk writes from Gypsumville, Manitoba
By Julie Garden-Robinson NDSU EXTENSION SERVICE
T
he shiny, red spheres in the produce aisle attracted my attention, so I walked closer to examine them. I knew they were pomegranates, and although I had tasted them before, I had never purchased one. I picked up a couple of pomegranates and set the one with blemishes back in the bin. The fruit was heavy for its size, so I figured it was fairly high in juice. After I arrived home, I put the “pom” in the refrigerator. My curious teenage daughter almost immediately spotted the pomegranate. Although the fruit would have maintained its quality for a couple of months in the refrigerator, we prepared the pomegranate within hours of purchase. Pomegranate seeds retain their quality for three months in the freezer. “We tried pomegranate seeds in school. They look like red corn kernels, except they are transparent. They’re really juicy and kind of chewy,” she described to her younger sister, who stood nearby. My younger daughter cautiously approached the pomegranate. “That looks like an apple or a red onion to me,” she said. She wasn’t quite ready to try this new food. Pomegranate can be translated from Latin to mean “an apple with many seeds.” I knew that harvesting the juicy seeds would take a little effort. I carefully washed the fruit and proceeded to slice off the blossom end. Then I made cuts through the leathery flesh from the base to the blossom end and put the fruit in a bowl of cold water for several minutes. Next, we broke apart the pomegranate and separated the seeds and transparent flesh from the white membrane. The bitterflavoured membrane floated in the water and we discarded it. The seeds sank to the bottom of the bowl.
I should have known better than to wear a white sweatshirt during the seeding process, especially with an energetic, pomegranate-seeding teenager working nearby. I now have a sweatshirt with pink spots that will put our laundry stain remover to the test. Finally, we poured the water and seed mixture through a colander. One pomegranate produced more than 1-1/2 cups of seeds. “Mom, these seeds are bursting with flavour! What’s in a pomegranate, anyway?” my daughter asked. “They are praised for their natural antioxidants and they contain some vitamin C. Antioxidants are natural disease-fighting chemicals, by the way,” I replied. A native of Persia, pomegranates are grown in states with warmer climates, including California, Utah and Arizona. They are grown in Asian and Mediterranean countries and are available from September through December in many grocery stores. Pomegranates are similar in their content of phytochemicals (natural plant chemicals) to blueberries and cranberries. Some studies have shown pomegranates as potentially beneficial in reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer. A pomegranate about the size of an apple has just 100 calories, 26 grams of carbohydrate and one gram of fibre. Pomegranates are a good source of potassium. Consider adding this festive, juicy fruit to your menu. Sprinkle some pomegranate seeds on a spinach salad, fruit salad, cold or hot cereal or yogurt. You also can juice them to make fruit beverages, jelly and wine. You can also use the juice as a meat marinade. Julie Garden-Robinson, PhD, R.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension Service food and nutrition specialist and associate professor in the department of health, nutrition and exercise sciences.
Thoughts on Christmas By Addy Oberlin FREELANCE CONTRIBUTOR
The month of December on my calendar is filled with banquets, concerts, parties and the like. Sometimes engagements overlap and a choice is made where to go or what to attend. It would be so nice if we could spread the Christmas festivities over the whole year instead of cramming them all in one month. We would also more often be reminded of why Jesus came to this earth.
Jesus’ birth was foretold in the Old Testament by the prophet Isaiah when he told the people that a child would be born. He also told us why He had to come to earth and what was going to happen. In Romans 5:1 we read that because Jesus came to this earth “we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” May our hearts be filled with peace during this Christmas season. Addy Oberlin writes from Swan River, Manitoba
Happy Christmas & New Year from Country Crossroads If you have any stories, ideas, photos or a comment on what you’d like to see on these pages, send it to Country Crossroads, 1666 Dublin Ave., Wpg., Man. R3H 0H1, phone 1-800-782-0794, fax 204-944-5562, email susan@fbcpublishing.com. I’d love to hear from you. Please remember we can no longer return material, articles, poems or pictures. — Sue
26 1
The Manitoba Manitoba Co-operator 2011 The Co-Operator| December | October 22, 6, 2011
FARMER'S
MARKETPLACE Call to place your classified ad in the next issue: 1-800-782-0794
Selling?
FAX your classified ads to: 204-954-1422 · Or eMAiL your classified ads to: mbclassifieds@fbcpublishing.com
Classification
index Tributes/Memory Announcements Airplanes Alarms & Security Systems AnTiqueS Antiques For Sale Antique Equipment Antique Vehicle Antiques Wanted Arenas
Your guide to the Classification Categories and sub-listings within this section.
Roofing Building Supplies Buildings Business Machines Business Opportunities BuSineSS SeRViCeS Crop Consulting Financial & Legal Insurance/Investments Butchers Supply Chemicals Clothing/Work wear Collectibles Compressors Computers
AuCTiOn SALeS BC Auction AB Auction Peace AB Auction North AB Auction Central AB Auction South SK Auction MB Auction Parkland MB Auction Westman MB Auction Interlake MB Auction Red River Auction Various U.S. Auctions Auction Schools
COnTRACTinG Custom Baling Custom Feeding Custom Harvest Custom Seeding Custom Silage Custom Spraying Custom Trucking Custom Tub Grinding Custom Work Construction Equipment Dairy Equipment Electrical Engines Entertainment Fertilizer
AuTO & TRAnSpORT Auto Service & Repairs Auto & Truck Parts Autos Trucks Semi Trucks Sport Utilities Vans Vehicles Vehicles Wanted
FARM MAChineRy Aeration Conveyors Equipment Monitors Fertilizer Equip Grain Augers Grains Bins Grain Carts Grain Cleaners Grain Dryers Grain Elevators Grain Handling Grain Testers Grain Vacuums
BeeKeepinG Honey Bees Cutter Bees Bee Equipment Belting Bio Diesel Equipment Books & Magazines BuiLDinG & RenOVATiOnS Concrete Repair Doors & Windows Electrical & Plumbing Insulation Lumber
hAyinG & hARVeSTinG Baling Equipment Mower Conditioners Swathers
Swather Accessories Haying & Harvesting Various COMBineS Belarus Case/IH Cl Caterpillar Lexion Deutz Ford/NH Gleaner John Deere Massey Ferguson Versatile White Combines Various Combine Accessories Hydraulics Irrigation Equipment Loaders & Dozers Parts & Accessories Salvage Potato & Row Crop Equipment Repairs Rockpickers Snowblowers/Plows Silage Equipment Specialty Equipment SpRAyinG Sprayers Spray Various TiLLAGe & SeeDinG Air Drills Air Seeders Harrows & Packers Seeding Various Tillage Equipment Tillage & Seeding Various TRACTORS Agco Allis/Deutz Belarus Case/IH Caterpillar Ford John Deere Kubota Massey Ferguson
New Holland Steiger Universal Versatile White Zetor Tractors 2WD Tractors 4WD Tractors Various Farm Machinery Miscellaneous Farm Machinery Wanted Fencing Firewood Fish Farm Forestry/Logging Fork Lifts/Pallets Fur Farming Generators GPS Health Care Heat & Air Conditioning Hides/Furs/Leathers Hobby & Handicrafts Household Items LAnDSCApinG Greenhouses Lawn & Garden LiVeSTOCK CATTLe Cattle Auctions Angus Black Angus Red Angus Aryshire Belgian Blue Blonde d'Aquitaine Brahman Brangus Braunvieh BueLingo Charolais Dairy Dexter Excellerator Galloway Gelbvieh Guernsey Hereford Highland Holstein Jersey Limousin Lowline Luing Maine-Anjou Miniature Murray Grey Piedmontese
Pinzgauer Red Poll Salers Santa Gertrudis Shaver Beefblend Shorthorn Simmental South Devon Speckle Park Tarentaise Texas Longhorn Wagyu Welsh Black Cattle Composite Cattle Various Cattle Wanted LiVeSTOCK hORSeS Horse Auctions American Saddlebred Appaloosa Arabian Belgian Canadian Clydesdale Draft Donkeys Haflinger Miniature Morgan Mules Norwegian Ford Paint Palomino Percheron Peruvian Pinto Ponies Quarter Horse Shetland Sport Horses Standardbred Tennessee Walker Thoroughbred Warmblood Welsh Horses For Sale Horses Wanted LiVeSTOCK Sheep Sheep Auction Arcott Columbia Dorper Dorset Katahdin Lincoln Suffolk Texel Sheep Sheep For Sale
Sheep Wanted LiVeSTOCK Swine Swine Auction Swine For Sale Swine Wanted LiVeSTOCK poultry Poultry For Sale Poultry Wanted LiVeSTOCK Specialty Alpacas Bison (Buffalo) Deer Elk Goats Llama Rabbits Emu Ostrich Rhea Yaks Specialty Livestock Various Livestock Equipment Livestock Services & Vet Supplies Miscellaneous Articles Miscellaneous Articles Wanted Musical Notices On-Line Services ORGAniC Organic Certified Organic Food Organic Grains Personal Pest Control Pets & Supplies Photography Propane Pumps Radio, TV & Satellite ReAL eSTATe Vacation Property Commercial Buildings Condos Cottages & Lots Houses & Lots Mobile Homes Motels & Hotels Resorts FARMS & RAnCheS British Columbia Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba Pastures Farms Wanted
Acreages/Hobby Farms Land For Sale Land For Rent
Oilseeds Pulse Crops Common Seed Various
ReCReATiOnAL VehiCLeS All Terrain Vehicles Boats & Water Campers & Trailers Golf Carts Motor Homes Motorcycles Snowmobiles Recycling Refrigeration Restaurant Supplies Sausage Equipment Sawmills Scales
FeeD/GRAin Feed Grain Hay & Straw Hay & Feed Wanted Feed Wanted Grain Wanted Seed Wanted Sewing Machines Sharpening Services Silos Sporting Goods Outfitters Stamps & Coins Swap Tanks Tarpaulins Tenders Tickets Tires Tools
SeeD/FeeD/GRAin pedigreed Cereal Seeds Barley Durum Oats Rye Triticale Wheat Cereals Various peDiGReeD FORAGe SeeDS Alfalfa Annual Forage Clover Forages Various Grass Seeds peDiGReeD OiLSeeDS Canola Flax Oilseeds Various peDiGReeD puLSe CROpS Beans Chickpeas Lentil Peas Pulses Various peDiGReeD SpeCiALTy CROpS Canary Seeds Mustard Potatoes Sunflower Specialty Crops Various COMMOn SeeD Cereal Seeds Forage Seeds Grass Seeds
TRAiLeRS Grain Trailers Livestock Trailers Trailers Miscellaneous Travel Water Pumps Water Treatment Welding Well Drilling Well & Cistern Winches COMMuniTy CALenDAR British Columbia Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba CAReeRS Career Training Child Care Construction Domestic Services Farm/Ranch Forestry/Log Health Care Help Wanted Management Mining Oil Field Professional Resume Services Sales/Marketing Trades/Tech Truck Drivers Employment Wanted
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AGREEMENT The publisher reserves the right to refuse any or all advertising for any reason stated or unstated. Advertisers requesting publication of either display or classified advertisements agree that should the advertisement be omitted from the issue ordered for whatever reason, the Manitoba Co-operator shall not be held liable. It is also agreed that in the event of an error appearing in the published advertisement, the Manitoba Co-operator accepts no liability beyond the amount paid for that portion of the advertisement in which the error appears or affects. Claims for adjustment are limited to errors appearing in the first insertion only. While every endeavor will be made to forward box number replies as soon as possible, we accept no liability in respect to loss or damage alleged to a rise through either failure or delay in forwarding such replies, however caused, whether by negligence or otherwise.
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CAUTION The Manitoba Co-operator, while assuming no responsibility for advertisements appearing in its columns, exercises the greatest care in an endeavor to restrict advertising to wholly reliable firms or individuals. However, please do not send money to a Manitoba Co-operator box number. Buyers are advised to request shipment C.O.D. when ordering from an unknown advertiser, thus minimizing the chance of fraud and eliminating the necessity of a refund where the goods have already been sold. At Farm Business Communications we have a firm commitment to protecting your privacy and security as our customer. Farm Business Communications will only collect personal information if it is required for the proper functioning of our business. As part of our commitment to enhance customer service, we may share this personal information with other strategic business partners. For more information regarding our Customer Informa-
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27
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
ANTIQUES
BUILDING & RENOVATIONS
ANTIQUES Antiques For Sale
BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Roofing
MULVEY FLEA MARKET, Manitoba’s Largest year-round indoor flea market, weekends 10-5. Collectables, Antiques & More. Lots of great stuff new & old. Fun place to shop. Osborne @ Mulvey Ave. E. Wpg. 204-478-1217. Visa, MasterCard, Interac accepted. Visit us online at www.mulveymarket.ca
WANTED WILLYS CJ2A JEEP, in any condition. Call Richard, (204)837-3108.
Ask about our blowout colours...65¢/ft. BEAT THE PRICE INCREASES CALL NOW
Multi-coloured millends.........49¢/ft.2
Parkland – North of Hwy 1; west of PR 242, following the west shore of Lake Manitoba and east shore of Lake Winnipegosis. Westman – South of Hwy 1; west of PR 242. Interlake – North of Hwy 1; east of PR 242, following the west shore of Lake Manitoba and east shore of Lake Winnipegosis. Red River – South ofHwy 1; east of PR 242.
Birch River
ST. LAZARE, MB. 1-800-510-3303
BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Building Supplies STEEL BUILDINGS: Reduced Factory Inventory 30x36 - Reg $15,850 Now $12,600; 36x58 - Reg $21,900 Now $18,800. 1-866-609-4321 Source: 1K8
Swan River Minitonas Durban
Winnipegosis
Roblin
Dauphin
Grandview
Ashern
Gilbert Plains
Russell
Parkland
Birtle
Riverton Eriksdale
McCreary
Langruth Gladstone
Neepawa Rapid City
1
Brandon
Boissevain
Killarney
Elm Creek
Pilot Mound
Beausejour
Sanford
Ste. Anne
Carman
Mariapolis
Crystal City
Lac du Bonnet
Winnipeg
Austin Treherne
Westman
Waskada
Stonewall Selkirk
Portage Carberry
Souris
Melita
Interlake
Erickson
Hamiota
Reston
Arborg
Lundar Gimli
Shoal Lake
Minnedosa
Virden
BUILDINGS
Fisher Branch
Ste. Rose du Lac
St. Pierre
242
Morris Winkler Morden
Altona
Steinbach
1
Red River
AUCTION SALES AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Red River
Now Booking Spring 2012 Farm Equipment & Other Auctions Manitoba Auction Company ready to serve you, no matter how large or small. Call us today for a no obligation. Visit Bill Klassen Auctioneers www.billklassen.com or call 204-325-4433 cell 6230
10X22 OFFICE BUILDING on skids, fully insulated wired & 2 electric heaters, laminate flooring, 2x6 roof & floor, 2x4 walls, two 36x36-in sliders, outswing door. (306)524-4636, (306)528-7588 AFAB INDUSTRIES IS YOUR SUPERIOR post frame building company. For estimates and information call 1-888816-AFAB(2322). Website: www.postframebuilding.com CONCRETE FLATWORK: Specializing in place & finish of concrete floors. Can accommodate any floor design. References available. Alexander, MB. 204-752-2069.
BUSINESS SERVICES BUSINESS SERVICES Crop Consulting
FARM CHEMICAL SEED COMPLAINTS We also specialize in: Crop Insurance appeals; Chemical drift; Residual herbicide; Custom operator issues; Equipment malfunction; Yield comparisons, Plus Private Investigations of any nature. With our assistance the majority of our clients have received compensation previously denied. Back-Track Investigations investigates, documents your loss and assists in settling your claim. Licensed Agrologist on Staff. For more information Please call 1-866-882-4779
AUTO & TRANSPORT AUTO & TRANSPORT Auto & Truck Parts
1991 F-250 3/4 TON extended cab XLT Lariat, 2WD, 460 engine, automatic, receiver hitch, very well maintained & looked after inside & out, original tailgate. Phone: (204)773-3252. 2005 FORD F-150 LARIET, extended cab, 4x4, fully loaded w/heated black leather interior, PW, PM, PS, cruise, tilt, chrome side steps, 2-tone dark green & gold, saftied, ready to go, $12,000 OBO. Phone: (204)347-5114 or (204)746-5485, St. Malo
STRONGEST POSTS INDUSTRY-WIDE Toll Free:1-877-239-0730 www.mcdiarmid.com/farm CONTRACTING CONTRACTING Custom Work SUPER CARBIDE PRODUCTS AT VW Mfg. Many products in stock! VW Mfg, Dunmore, AB, See our website: www.vwmfg.com or call (403)528-3350.
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT 1966 CAT 950 WHEEL loader, bucket, recent work order sleeves, pistons, bearings & heads, 20.5x25 tires, $21,000; 853 Bobcat, bucket, very good 12-16.5 tires, recent reman engine, $12,500; 3 of 621 Cat motor scrapers, 23H series, canopy, $25,000 each; 1975 Willock tandem axle drop LoBoy, WB suspension, 7-ft. neck, 20-ft.x9-ft. deck, 3ft.6-in. beavertail, safetied, $18,500; 1969 Freuhauff low bed, safetied, 8-ft.x18-ft. double drop deck, 30Ton, near new 255/70R22.5 tires, beavertail, $13,500. (204)795-9192. 1981 CASE W20B WHEEL loader, well maintained, $23,500. www.waltersequipment.com (204)525-4521 D6C W/CANOPY & BLADE; 945 Leibherr trackhoe $14,000; 840 Allis loader $9000; Clean out & wrista-twist buckets. Phone: (204)352-4306 FOR SALE: 1981 KOMATSU D53A dozer w/angle blade, winch, canopy, wide pads 34-in., asking $20,000. Phone (204)239-6690. WANTED: GOOD CLEAN V60 Cat w/power shift & angle blade in good running condition. Phone: (204)524-2476.
DAIRY EQUIPMENT STAINLESS STEEL BULK TANK, 1,000-gal. 2-in. drain opening, 2 compressors & automatic wash, $4,000. Phone (204)748-2166, Virden, MB.
MORE SELECTION MORE OFTEN MORE DEALS...
WALINGA GRAIN VACS
Toll-Free 1-800-881-7727 Fax (204) 326-5878 Web site: farmparts.ca E-mail: roy@farmparts.ca FARM MACHINERY Salvage GOODS USED TRACTOR PARTS: (204)564-2528 or 1-877-564-8734, Roblin, MB.
Walinga agri-Vac! Fergus, On: (519) 787-8227 carman, MB: (204) 745-2951 Davidson, SK: (306) 567-3031
FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Air Seeders
FARM MACHINERY Haying & Harvesting – Various REBUILT CONCAVES Rebuild combine table augers, Rebuild hyd. cyls, Roller mills regrooved, MFWD housings rebuilt, Steel & aluminum welding, Machine Shop Service, Line boreing & welding. Penno’s Machining & Mfg. Ltd. Eden, MB. (204)966-3221, Fax (204)966-3248.
Combines FARM MACHINERY Combine – Case/IH
FARM MACHINERY Grain Bins
FARM MACHINERY Combine – John Deere
BIG BINS & FLOORS at old prices, 20,000-56,000bu. bins holding prices until spring. NEW MOISTURE CABLES! Call Wall Grain for details (204)269-7616 or (306)244-1144 or (403)393-2662.
2011 JD 9770 COMBINE, Premier cab, 615 PU, small grains concave, Contour Master, 22.5-ft. auger, duals, 55 engine hrs, like new. Phone (204)467-2109, after 8:00pm
FARM MACHINERY Grain Cleaners
Combine ACCessories
Call Can-Seed Equipment Ltd. 1-800-644-8397 For details Local Service with the most knowledge
STEINBACH, MB. Ph. 326-2443
Tired of shovelling out your bins, unhealthy dust and awkward augers? Walinga manufactures a complete line of grain vacs to suit your every need. With no filters to plug and less damage done to your product than an auger, you’re sure to find the right system to suit you. Call now for a free demonstration or trade in your old vac towards a new
FARM MACHINERY
FARM MACHINERY Specialty Equipment POTATO EQUIPMENT SPECIALISTS seed cutters, treaters, live bottom truck boxes, trailers, pilers, conveyors, clodhoppers & much more. Visit our website at www.gallantsales.com Call Dave 204-254-8126.
Tillage & Seeding
JD 787 W/730 DOUBLE disc drill, 44ft, $20,000; Flexicoil 2320 w/400 seeder, 50ft, Trelleborgs on cart $20,000; 2320 TBH or 787 TBT cart $13,500; Case-IH 2300 Concord TBH cart, $7500; 41ft JD 1060 double disc w/1610 flexicoil $9500; Stainless steel manifolds for JD 777, 787, FC 1610, 1720, 2320 $ Call. Brian (204)685-2896 or (204)856-6119, MacGregor.
Farm machinery
Tillage & Seeding - Harrows & Packers HARROW TINES FOR ALL makes of mounted harrows, standard harrow bars plus 9/16-in. & 5/8in dia tines for heavy harrows. Book now for best prices. Booking ends Dec 31, 2011. Call Fouillard Implement (204)683-2221.
FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Seeding FOR SALE: 42FT 7200 CASE IH HOE DRILLS, rubber packers, Eagle Beak openers, hydraulic markers, good condition, always shedded, can be viewed at any time. Phone: (204)773-3252
FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Tillage 1991 CCIL 807 35FT deeptiller, complete w/mulchers, gauge wheels, 12in. shovels, excellent condition. Phone: (204)376-5905 or cell (204)641-4175.
FARM MACHINERY Combine – Accessories 36FT MACDON DRAPER HEADER, pu reel, $7500; NH adapter $1500. Brian (204)685-2896 or (204)856-6119, MacGregor.
FARM MACHINERY Loaders & Dozers FOR SALE: 707 LEON loader w/bucket & hoses, good condition, $3,000 OBO. Phone (204)648-7136.
FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories
Harvest Salvage Co. Ltd. 1-866-729-9876 5150 Richmond Ave. East BRANDON, MB. www.harvestsalvage.ca New, Used & Re-man. Parts
Find it fast at
2006 FORD F450 4X2 bus, DSL engine inoperable, 24 passenger, $2,000. Phone (204)795-9192.
BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Doors & Windows
FARM MACHINERY Grain Handling
2008 CASE-IH 2588 combine w/2015 PU, 476 sep hrs, 594 engine hrs, Pro 600 monitor, y/m, rice tires, shedded, heavy soil machine, $193,000. (204)735-2886, (204)981-5366.
GOT ERGOT?? BARLEY IN YOUR WHEAT?? Get rid of it with a BUHLER SORTEX COLOUR SORTER
REMANUFACTURED DSL ENGINES: GM 6.5L $4,750 installed; Ford/IH 7.3L $4950 installed; GM Duramax; new 6.5L engines $6500; 12/24V 5.9L Cummins; other new/used & reman. engines available. Thickett Engine Rebuilding, 204-532-2187, Binscarth. 8:00am-5:30pm Mon.-Fri.
AUTO & TRANSPORT Trucks
Large Inventory of new and remanufactured parts
2
FOUILLARD STEEL SUPPLIES LTD.
FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories NEW & USED TRACTOR PARTS NEW COMBINE PARTS
75 truckloads 29 gauge full hard 100,000PSI high tensile roofing & siding. 16 colours to choose from. B-Gr. coloured......................70¢/ft.2
The Pas
BUILDINGS
WINTER BLOWOUT!!
ANTIQUES Antiques Wanted
AUCTION DISTRICTS
BUILDINGS
Tractors Combines Swathers BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Doors & Windows Buhler Sortex Z+1V Colour Sorter like new! Removes ergot at 150bu/ hr. or more. Monochromatic machine comes with isolation transformer & spare parts.
Blow out priced at $67,000. Call Can-Seed Equipment today 1-800-644-8397
Serving Manitoba, Saskatchewan, NW Ontario & Alberta....Since 1937 • Quality Commercial/Agricultural/Residential Overhead Doors & Operators. • Aluminum Polycarbonate Doors Available. • Non-Insulted and Insulated Sectional Doors Available. • Liftmaster Heavy Duty Operators. • Mullion Slide Away Centre Posts. • Commercial/Agricultural Steel Man Doors and Frames. • Your washbay door specialists. • Quality Installation & Service. • 24 Hour Service. • Replacement Springs & Cables.
Phone: 204-326-4556 Fax: 204-326-5013 www.reimeroverheaddoors.com email: kurtis@reimeroverheaddoors.com
FARM MACHINERY Grain Dryers NEW GSI GRAIN DRYERS FOR SALE. Canola screens, propane/NG, single or 3-phase. Efficient, reliable, and easy to operate. Significant early order discount pricing now in effect. Call for more information. 204-998-9915 www.vzgrain.com NEW MC DRYERS IN STOCK w/canola screens 3002,000 BPH units. Why buy used, when you get new fuel efficient & better quality & control w/MC. Call Wall Grain for details (204)269-7616 or (306)244-1144 or (403)393-2662.
FYFE PARTS
1-800-667-9871 • Regina 1-800-667-3095 • Saskatoon 1-800-387-2768 • Winnipeg 1-800-222-6594 • Edmonton “For All Your Farm Parts”
www.fyfeparts.com The Real Used FaRm PaRTs sUPeRsToRe Over 2700 Units for Salvage • TRACTORS • COMBINES • SWATHERS • DISCERS Call Joe, leN oR daRWIN (306) 946-2222 monday-Friday - 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
WATROUS SALVAGE WaTRoUs, sK. Fax: 306-946-2444
TracTors FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Allis/Deutz 1987 DUETZ 7085 FWA, open-station, 85hp, 5900-hrs, Allied 794 FEL $18,000. (204)525-4521 www.waltersequipment.com
FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Case/IH FOR SALE: 1066 IH tractor, w/after market 3-PTH, used all last winter & always started good, asking $6,500. Phone (204)435-2431.
FARM MACHINERY Tractors – John Deere 4455 MFWD, 3PT, 15-SPD, w/wo FEL; (2) 4250 MFWD, 3pt, 15-spd; 2950 MFWD, 3pt, w260 s/l FEL; 4640 3pt, 3 hyd’s; 4440 quad, 3pt; 3140 3pt, new paint, tires, hi/low shift, mint; 1830 3pt. We also have loaders, buckets, grapples to fit JD tractors. BEN PETERS JD TRACTORS LTD 204-828-3628 shop, 204-750-2459 cell, Roseisle. JD 4240 W/CAB, 148 FEL, 3-PTH; 1830 w/3-PTH, FEL avail; 4010 w/cab, side door, 3-PTH, 46A loader; 280 & 740 FEL w/grapple, bucket, joystick. (204)828-3460.
FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Ford 1993 FORD 4630 MECHANICAL front wheel drive w/FEL, good condition, approx 1,700-hrs, $16,500 OBO. Phone (204)267-2043, evenings.
FARM MACHINERY Tractors – 2 Wheel Drive STEVE’S TRACTOR REBUILDER specializing in JD tractors in need of repair or burnt, or will buy for parts. JD parts available. Phone: 204-466-2927 or cell: 204-871-5170, Austin.
FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Various 1206 INTERNATIONAL; JD ACREAGE tractors & 650 Satoh w/loader, 3pth mower & blade. Phone: (204)352-4306
28
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Various
Big Tractor Parts, Inc. Geared For The Future
STEIGER TRACTOR SPECIALIST
RED OR GREEN 1. 10-25% savings on new replacement parts for your Steiger drive train. 2. We rebuild axles, transmissions and dropboxes with ONE YEAR WARRANTY. 3. 50% savings on used parts.
1-800-982-1769 www.bigtractorparts.com
HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING
LIVESTOCK Cattle Various
LIVESTOCK Sheep For Sale
The Icynene Insulation System®
128 BRED HEIFERS, BLACK Angus, Angus Hereford cross, 6 Red Angus, 2 Black Angus w/Charolais influence. From our own range calving herd, bred to calving ease, Black Angus & Angus Hereford cross bulls. Start calving mid-Feb. All shots, Ivomec. $1250. (204)8732525, Clearwater.
5 MALE GREAT PYRENEES pups born October 13th, working parents raised with sheep, $250. Phone Blaine (204)567-3720.
12 SIMMENTAL CROSS COWS bred to top polled red Simmental bulls, $1300 each. Also replacement Simmental Heifer Calf packages for sale in December. Phone Boynecrest Stock Farm 204-828-3483 or cell 204-745-7168 (Kelly)
LIVESTOCK Swine Wanted
• Sprayed foam insulation • Ideal for shops, barns or homes • Healthier, Quieter, More Energy Efficient®
200 RED X BRED heifers bred Angus. 50 day breeding, full vaccination. Start calving April 15th. Phone: (204)449-2344, Steep Rock.
www.penta.ca
1-800-587-4711
IRON & STEEL
LIVESTOCK Cattle Auctions
From The Management & Staff Wishing Everyone a Happy & Safe Holiday Season. We Look Forward to Serving you in 2012
FIRST FEEDER/SLAUGHTER CATTLE SALE OF 2012
DISCS WISHEK 14FT $16,000; Kewannee breaking disc $20,000; IH #770 16ft $8000; DMI 7 shank ripper $10,900; Sunflower 14ft ripper $12,000; New 400-bu gravity wagon $6700; 600-bu $12,000; New 13ft wagon $3000; Large selection used gravity wagons $2000 up; Used grain carts 450-1050bu; 4000lb creep feeder $1200; 150-bu feeder cart $750; Harsh 350 mixer wagon $6000; Mohrlang 420 mixer w/truck $6000. (204)857-8403
FIRST SHEEP & GOAT SALE OF 2012
JD 654A ALL CROP Head, 6R36; JD 7100 3pth planter, 8R36; JD 777 air cart; Melroe 115 SpraCoupe; Flexicoil P30 Packers, 28ft. Call (204)745-0415 or (204)8283267, Graysville JIFFY ROUND BALE SHREDDER, used very little, always shedded, asking $8000. Phone:(204)436-2192, Elm Creek. KWIK KLEEN GRAIN SCREENER, 5 tube $4000; 7 tube $6500; Hutchinson #1500 $1750; Hutchinson #3000 $5000; Hicap 5-48 $2500; 10ft land leveller $2150; Lowe hydraulic post auger $2250; Danuser post auger $575; 8ft Lorenz snowblower $1700; Schweiss 8ft $1000; Gehl #6625 Skidsteer $13,900; New Holland #455 $6500; 10in. skidsteer tracks $750; New grapple bucket 66in. $1600; JD tractor cab $600. (204)857-8403 MAYRATH PTO GRAIN AUGER, 10x60, used very little. $1175.00; 3-PTH deep tiller $250.00 (would trade); Westfield PTO auger, 8x32. Phone:(204)347-5995. SCRAPERS FOR SALE!!! Cat, Laplante, Allis, Letourneau, converted to hyd., can direct mount. Will also do custom conversion. Looking for cable scrapers. Phone Borderview Enterprises toll free 1-866-602-4093. TD9 PARTS, 10-FT DOZER blade, 5/8-inch & 3/4inch logging chains, various lengths. Phone:(204)378-2763, Riverton. WIRELESS DRIVEWAY ALARMS, calving/foaling barn cameras, video surveillance, rear view cameras for RV’s, trucks, combines, seeders, sprayers and augers. Mounted on magnet. Calgary, Ab. (403)616-6610. www.FAAsecurity.com
FARM MACHINERY Machinery Wanted WANTED: 23.1X26 TIRES; ACETEYLENE torch set; Drill press; Dozer blade for 800 Versatile; JD 8row 30-in. corn planter; Cast iron sausage stuffer; Cast iron feed cooker; Maple syrup capping equipment. (204)685-2376, Austin.
46 CHAROLAIS/SIMMENTAL X COWS bred Charolais/Simmental, start calving January 10th. Full herd health program. 30 are under 5 yrs old. Will preg check. Asking $1700 OBO. For more details call or text Andy (204)821-6058 or Janelle (204)821-6043. Email huberdja@mymts.net
LIVESTOCK
AG-CON 300 HAY RECONDITIONER, like new condition, offers; 499 NH haybine, excellent condition, $7000. Phone: (204)383-5346 or cell (204)793-7396.
GRAIN MASTER PNEUMATIC GRAIN vac, 540 PTO, all hoses, excellent condition, $2050 OBO. 730 Case tractor, gas, standard shift, PTO, 3-pth, good rear tires, $3000. Phone: (204)728-1861
30 BRED COWS, 15 Angus, 15 Char X, $1300 each. Phone: Ed Hunter (204)838-2174 or Email: ehunter@rfnow.com
2 1/8, 2 3/8, 2 7/8, 3 1/2-in oilfield pipe; 3/4, 7/8, 1in sucker rod; 4.5, 5.5, 7-in., 8 5/8, 9 5/8s casing pipe. (204)252-3413, (204)871-0956.
FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous 272 WHITE TANDEM DISC, 32ft w/Valmar attachment; 16ft discer model 310 w/tines $700; 7x41 Westfield auger w/gas engine $300; End gate Westfield auger $100; 3pt model 620 mower $600; 20ft tote tank, tall augers, can fill air tanks, $3500. Phone: (204)436-2364, leave message.
2-9 YEAR-OLDS, RED ANGUS cross, bred black angus & quantock herford, out June 1st. Full herd health program, age verified, will preg check. Phone:(204)238-4849.
Friday, Jan. 6th 9AM Thursday, Jan. 5th 1PM Gates Open Mon.-Wed. 8AM-4PM Thurs. 8AM-11PM Friday 8AM-6PM Sat. 8AM-4PM For more information call: 204-694-8328 or Jim Christie 204-771-0753
www.winnipeglivestocksales.com Licence #1122
LIVESTOCK Cattle – Angus
LIVESTOCK Cattle – Charolais FOR SALE: SEVEN 2 & 3 yr old Polled PB Charolais heifers, 1 Tan Noblemen daughter. 1 No Doubt daughter. 1 Solomon 2S daughter. All are pasturebred for Mar/ Apr calving to Pleasant Dawn Diamond 376X. 1 cow AI bred to LT BlueGrass 4017P due Feb 17th. Plus Polled Red bull calf, will be 2 on Aug 15th, proven breeder. Sire AI Red Rally 25X. Phone KEH Charolais Keith Hagan (204)748-1024, Virden.
nutrition digestion prevention
=
1.888.762.3299
25 RED & BLACK angus heifers, bred back to registered red & black angus bulls, to calf March & April. Phone:(204)824-2571, Brandon.
LIVESTOCK Cattle – Limousin
35 BLACK ANGUS/ANGUS X BRED COWS, bred to registered Fleckvieh bull. Start calving Feb. 1st, Avg 4 yrs old, $1350 each. Call (204)232-1620, Anola.
FOR SALE: 20 BRED heifers & 20 bred cows, start calving Jan 15th, full vaccination program, papers avail. Diamond T Limousin (204)838-2019, cell (204)851-0809, Kenton.
BLACK ANGUS HEIFERS BRED black angus, to start calving in April. Also have some later calvers and some herford heifers. Asking $1250 each. Call (204)937-3378.
LIVESTOCK Cattle – Black Angus 38 BLACK ANGUS BRED heifers, start calving March. Phone: (204)746-0377 or (204)347-7490, St Malo. CRANBERRY CREEK ANGUS BULLS for sale. Bulls are Reg. & will be semen tested before delivery May 1st. Hand fed & very quiet. These bulls are beefy & will add pounds to your calf crop. Please call for weights & EPD’s. Pics by e-mail also avail David & Jeanette Neufeld (204)534-2380, Boissevain.
LIVESTOCK Cattle – Red Angus PUREBRED RED ANGUS HEIFERS & COWS bred to Red Angus Bulls. Accurate calving dates. Due March, April, few May. Excellent herd health program, BVD free tested herd, fully vaccinated including scour vaccine. Contact Albert, Glen, David, Larissa Hamilon (204)8272358 or (204)526-5105 cell.
LIVESTOCK Cattle – Charolais
WANTED: GRAIN DRYER GILMORE Tatge Model 570 or 570-bu. or large batch dryer. Phone (204)655-3458, Sifton, MB.
FOR SALE: PB CHAROLAIS bulls 1.5 yr olds & yearlings, Polled, some Red factor, some good for heifers, semen tested in Spring, guaranteed & delivered. R&G McDonald Livestock (204)466-2883 or (204)724-2811, Sidney, MB.
MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE
MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE
LIVESTOCK Cattle – Simmental 11 RED SIMM/ANGUS BRED heifers, each. Stuart (204)762-5805, Lundar.
$1,575
12 TRADITIONAL SIMMENTAL BRED HEIFERS, (1 black WF, 1 red blaze, 4 polled). Bred to polled red blaze Simmental bull. Due to start calving Feb. 1, 2012. Vaccinated at breeding time, treated w/Noromectin pour-on. Delight Simmentals (204)836-2116, St. Alphonse. 30 PLUS PURE BRED & commercial bred heifers, also 10 bred cows, excellent group of 2-year old & yearling bulls. Acomb Valley Simmentals, Minnedosa. Phone:(204)865-2246. OPEN HEIFERS FOR SALE: Mostly registered Simmental herd. Traditional/Fleck, Thick volume & depth, docile. Born Jan/Feb 2011. Fully vaccinated. Contact: deborad@wcgwave.ca Phone (204)966-3835 evenings or (204)966-3342 days
LIVESTOCK Cattle Various 100 750-850LB YEARLING STEERS Angus & Angus/Galloway X, 1 owner, no growth hormones, never had grain, excellent for the grass finishing market, Market Price. Also Angus X cows to start calving in May, $1200. Phone: (204)758-3374. 118 BLACK ANGUS X bred heifers for sale bred to easy calving Black Angus bulls, majority to calve April/May. Full herd health program. Phone: (204)424-5895 or (204)392-3764
MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE
FOR SALE: 25 MIXED bred heifers, bred to Reg Hereford bull, start calving 1st week of March, $1,500 each. Phone (204)379-2408, St Claude. FOR SALE: 35 BLACK Angus cows due to have 4th or 5th calf Feb/March. Bred Black Angus, vaccinated Ivomec, preg checked. Herd reduction. Phone (204)242-0171. Large Volume of Red & Black AI bred heifers. Black & BWF heifers bred to SAV Final Answer 0035 (69-lb BW). Red & RWF heifers bred to Seddes Big Sky R9 (74-lb BW). 50 Tan heifers bred the same way, begin calving mid Apr. Pics & info at www.cloverleafcattleco.com $1,500 on choice Randy (204)483-0228 or Morgan (204)741-0748, Elgin, MB.
99 PRE-CALVING 99 CALVING 99 PRE-BREEDING 99 FREE9DELIVERY 99 LOWEST9COST-TO-FEED RIOCANADA
80 HOME RAISED BRED heifers Angus/Simmental X bred to Red & Black Angus bulls. Start calving mid-March, all vaccinations & treatments current. Performance guaranteed. Horner Cattle Company (204)867-2087 or (204)867-7117, Minnedosa.
W + RANCH HAS complete 1 iron 200 bred cow dispersal for sale Charolais, Simmental & beef booster M4 crosses. 30 bred heifers balance young cows under 8 yrs old, good feet & udders, no culls. Full herd health program. Heifers exposed on May 15th, cows exposed June 1st. Call Stewart Tataryn (204)646-2338 RM of St Laurent, MB.
LIVESTOCK Cattle Wanted
TIRED OF THE HIGH COST OF MARKETING YOUR CALVES?? 300-700 LBS. Steers & Heifers Rob: 528-3254, 724-3400 Ben: 721-3400 800-1000 LBS. Steers & Heifers Don: 528-3477, 729-7240 Now CoNtRaCtiNg calves for delivery Sept 1 - Nov. 15
Contact: D.J. (Don) MacDonald Livestock Ltd. License #1110 LIVESTOCK Sheep For Sale 30 SUFFOLK X May born Ewe Lambs, 80-100lbs. Pics of stock on website www.mjmillarranch.com Facebook MJ MILLAR RANCH. Email: mitch@mjmillarranch.com Phone: (204)280-0822
Swine
WANTED: BUTCHER HOGS SOWS AND BOARS FOR EXPORT
P. QUINTAINE & SON LTD. 728-7549 Licence No. 1123
Specialty LIVESTOCK Specialty – Goats 30 FEMALE GOATS, 8-MONTHS old, 15 are Bore, and 15 are Cashmere & Kiko Cross. Your choice, $175 each. Phone:(204)854-2574. 3 YOUNG BUCKS, 8 mths old, one Nubian/Alpine cross, 2 Savannah/Boer cross, $150 each. (204)379-2840 St Claude, No Sunday calls please. COMPLETE HERD DISPERSAL 50 Boer Cashmere cross, 10 mth to 4 yr old goats, $175 each. Phone (204)646-2157.
LIVESTOCK Livestock Equipment 14 CYPRESS INDUSTRIES FEED bunks. Phone (204)825-4465, Crystal City, MB. 3PTH HAYBUSTER BALE SHREDDER, 1000 PTO, good working condition, excellent manouver ability. Phone: (204)773-3252. ALTERNATIVE POWER BY SUNDOG SOLAR, portable/remote solar water pumping for winter/summer. Call for pricing on solar systems, wind generators, aeration, powerflex fencing products. Carl Driedger, (204)5562346 or (204)851-0145, Virden. BLUE HILLS LIVESTOCK TRAILER 7ft.x22ft. w/new brakes, floor & rims $4500; Jiffy bale shredder w/updated rotor & hammers $7500; Set of used hammers for older style Jiffy bale shredder $150. Phone: Henri Van Mol (204)825-2028, Pilot Mound. FOR SALE: 1 SET of light harness w/bridles & very good 19-in. collars, $750 OBO. Phone (204)873-2319. FOR SALE: 2 NEW BOBSLEIGHS for horses w/2.5in. wide oak bent runners c/w 4ft.x12ft. deck, poles, double tree, neck yoke, $1100 each. Phone (204)866-4141. HEAVY BUILT CATTLE FEED bunks & troughs 3/8” thick steel, 500-gal capacity, 3.5ft x 16.5ft, good for grain, silage or water. Phone: (204)362-0780, Morden. PORTABLE WINDBREAKS, CALF SHELTERS, free standing rod & pipe panels, fence line & field silage bunks. Also sell Speed-Rite & 7L Livestock fence equipment, drill pipe & sucker rod. Phone (204)827-2104 or (204)827-2551, Glenboro. RETIREMENT SALE: MOBILE CALF chute w/scale, calf sled, sling, creep panel, calf hoodies, semen tank, squeeze chute, tub w/bifold door. Call (204)728-6080.
MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE GRAVE THAWING PROPANE HOOD for sale, $850. Dolly wheels, $250 if wanted. Phone: (204)764-2015, Hamiota.
MISCELLANEOUS WANTED SPRUCE TREES WANTED, APPROXIMATELY 150 12” Colorado spruce required for spring planting. Call Richard (204)837-3108.
PERSONAL
3 YR OLD PB Reg Ramboulliet ram for sale, $400; Two 18 mth old crossbred rams, $200 each. Call Jack (204)379-2840. No Sunday calls please.
ATTENTION DOWN TO EARTH single ladies (moms) I am a single man, young, early 60s, country living, have a sense of humour, drink very little, non-smoker. Seeking country gal late 40s to late 50s of same nature & honest. Reply to Ad# 1002, c/o MB Co-operator, Box 9800, Station Main, Winnipeg, MB R3C 3K7
MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE
MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE
29
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
SINGLE? CANDLELIGHT MATCHMAKERS can help you find each other! Everyone deserves a Happy Relationship. Confidential, Photos & Profiles to selected matches. Affordable, local, 4 recent Weddings & an Engagement! Serving MB, SK, NW Ontario. Join Diane at her presentation at Ag Days in Brandon January 17th. Call/Write for info: Box 212, Roland, MB, R0G 1T0, (204)343-2475.
WANTING TO RENT CULTIVATED acres for 2012, cash or crop share, long term lease preferred. Phone: (204)327-5324 or cell (204)362-0433
RECREATIONAL VEHICLES RECREATIONAL VEHICLES Motor Homes
PETS
2001 HOLIDAY RAMBLER ENDEAVOR 40-ft., 2 sliders, 330-HP Cummins, 7.5KW DSL gen, 64,500-mi., Roadmaster Chassey, hardwood floors, satellite, 2 TVs, excellent condition, $65,000. (204)325-2550.
PETS & SUPPLIES PB AUSTRALIAN HEELER PUPS father is Red Heeler & mother is Blue Merle, excellent cattle dogs, ready to go mid Jan. (204)371-5120, Vita.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLES Snowmobiles
REG GERMAN SHEPHERD PUPS. More info or pics e-mail rsweet@xplornet.com or call (204)732-2483.
BIGGEST HELMET SALE EVER! “Canada’s Largest Helmet & Shield Selection & More.” For Snowmobiles, Motorcycles, Motocross, ATVs, Scooters & Mopeds. 981 Main St. Wpg (204)582-4130.
REG. PB AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD puppies. Born Oct 24th, ready to go new home Dec 19th. They will be vet checked, dewormed & have 1st vaccination. For pictures www.ccandk.ca (204)367-8945.
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SCENIC LAND FOR SALE in Riverside Municipality. 334-acres, all fenced, good water & trees. Very pretty, rustic land, great for pasture, hunting or house acreage. East half of 32-6-17. Phone: (204)824-2571. Advertise your unwanted equipment in the Classifieds. Call our toll-free number and place your ad with our friendly staff, and don’t forget to ask about our prepayment bonus. Prepay for 3 weeks and get 2 weeks free! 1-800-782-0794.
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8 6 2 9 5 3 4 1 7
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5 9 7 1 6 4 8 2 3
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1 2 8 6 4 7 3 9 5
3 5 6 2 1 9 7 8 4
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30
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
SCALES
ELIAS SCALES “NO WEIGH LIKE IT”
PEDIGREED SEED Cereal – Various
SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Hay & Feed Wanted
JAMES FARMS LTD: AC Barrie Wheat, Tradition Barley, Leggett & Summit Oats, Hanley Flax, Various Canola, Sunflower & Soybean seed varieties, Forage seed. Customer processing. Seed treating & delivery available. Early payment discounts. For info call (204)222-8785 or toll free 1-866-283-8785, Winnipeg.
WANTED: DAIRY, BEEF, GRASS & Straw bales in large square bales. Phone Mark 1-800-371-7928, Winnipeg.
SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted
Vomitoxin Testing (+Other Toxins, Falling No.) Fast, Accurate Results Prepayment Req’d by Cheque or Credit Card
SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Feed Wanted
LaChance Seeds
Platform Scales Several sizes to choose from (no electrics)
Bale scales
Crate scales stationary & portable
Intertek
NEW CARBERRY WHEAT Reg. & Cert, Good Rating Against Fusarium, Short & Strong straw. Reg. & Cert Kane Wheat. Phone (204)353-2694 or (204)229-1100 Elie, MB
973 St. James St., Wpg, MB R3H 0X2
1-866-821-2406 (Toll Free)
Malt Barley
SEED / FEED / GRAIN
306-445-2111 NORTH BATTLEFORD, SK. www.eliasscales.com
300 4X8 SQUARE BALES of Perennial rye grass and 50 bales of Annual rye grass. 1400-1600lbs, $15/bale. Phone: (204)723-5002 or (204)526-5225 Notre Dame. 500 5X6 HARDCORE GRASS bales, 2.5-cents/lb. 1250-1300-lbs average weight, no rain; 2nd cut alfalfa grass at 3-cents/lb. Phone:(204)727-5615.
PEDIGREED SEED PEDIGREED SEED Cereal – Various
600 MIXED HAY ROUND bales, $34/bale, open to offers on the lot. 5x6 round bales 1450lbs-1550lbs. Can sell single or package. Phone Richard Zaretski (204)345-0146 or (204)268-5283, Lac Du Bonnet.
SANDERS SEED FARM FDN, Reg. Cert. Domain Kane, Cert. Carberry, Harvest Wheat, Manitou, MB. Phone (204)242-4200 or (204)242-2576, Daniel Sanders.
71 HARDCORE 2ND CUT Alfalfa round bales in excellent condition, no rain, 1300lb average, $38/bale. Phone: (204)759-2753, Shoal Lake.
2012 Malt Contracts Available Box 238 Letellier, MB. R0G 1C0 Phone 204-737-2000 Toll-Free 1-800-258-7434 Agent: M & J Weber-Arcola, SK. Phone 306-455-2509
We are buyers of farm grains.
5 LOCATIONS to serve you!
“Naturally Better!” Soybean Crushing Facility (204) 331-3696 Head Office - Winkler (888) 974-7246 Jordan Elevator (204) 343-2323 Gladstone Elevator (204) 385-2292 Somerset Elevator (204) 744-2126 Sperling Elevator (204) 626-3261
**SERVICE WITH INTEGRITY** www.delmarcommodities.com
Toll Free: 888-974-7246 PEDIGREED SEED Oilseed – Canola
800 LARGE ROUND MILLET straw, feed test avail; 1500 large round straw bales also 500 Green Oat Straw; freight assistance may be avail, deliver can be arranged. (204)325-1383, (204)362-4874. ALFALFA MEADOW BROME RED Clover, large round bales, approx 1,400-lbs, feed test avail. Phone (204)725-1006.
Stretch your
BROME ALFALFA ROUND BALES, 1st & 2nd cut, no rain, can deliver. Phone: (204)483-2717, Souris.
ADVERTISING DOLLAR!
DAIRY, BEEF & HORSE hay in large squares. Phone: (204)526-7139.
1-800-782-0794
FIRST & SECOND CUT hardcore round bales of Alfalfa/Grass mix. Feed tested & no rain. Phone: (204)836-2434, Swan Lake.
SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted
LARGE ROUND ALFALFA/BROME BALES. Phone: (204)859-2724 evenings, Rossburn MB.
HEATED CANOLA
LARGE ROUND ALFALFA GRASS Mix Bales, Phone (204)467-5984, leave msg. SMALL SQUARE HAY BALES, alfalfa/orchard grass. Call 204-388-6864. If no answer please leave message. Also pet baby bunnies & guinea pigs. STRAW FOR SALE: Rye grass 1,500 bales; Oats, 575 bales; All in big square bales 4x4x8, can deliver. Phil Cormier (204)771-9700, La Salle, MB.
SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Hay & Feed Wanted 3000-LB NON-ELECTRIC BALE SCALES, craddle type, skid steer, 3-pt & truck mount. Also various varieties of livestock units. ELIAS SCALES (306)445-2111 www.eliasscales.com
PEDIGREED SEED Oilseed – Canola
Book Seed Early
BUYING HEATED OR GREEN CANOLA “ON FARM PICK UP”
1-877-250-5252
Vanderveen Commodity Services Ltd. Licensed and Bonded Grain Brokers
37 4th Ave. NE Carman, MB R0G 0J0 Ph. (204) 745-6444 Email: vscltd@mts.net Andy Vanderveen · Brett Vanderveen Jesse Vanderveen
A Season to Grow… Only Days to Pay!
• Vomi wheat • Vomi barley • Feed wheat • Feed barley • Feed oats • Corn • Screenings • Peas • Light Weight Barley You can deliver or we can arrange for farm pickup. Winnipeg 233-8418 Brandon 728-0231 Grunthal 434-6881 “Ask for grain buyer.”
to a
Considerable Savings on Prepaid orders Before Year End
LICENSED & BONDED
company
MILLIGAN BIO-TECH
1-866-388-6284
www.milliganbiotech.com
Early deadline for the January 5th issue is Wednesday, December 21st at noon. Our Holiday hours are as follows: December 26th Closed December 27th Closed January 2nd Closed There will be no paper published on December 29th. Next issue is January 5th We wish you and your family a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!!!
TOOLS SHOP EQUIPMENT: Milling machine, metal lathe, 10ft brake. Phone: (204)352-4306
TRAILERS Grain Trailers
Box 144, Medora, MB. R0M 1K0 Ph: 204-665-2384
FOR SALE: 1996 SOKAL 48-ft. fifth wheel ground load cattle trailer, 4 compartments, good condition, asking $10,000. Phone (204)375-6547.
TRAILERS Trailers Miscellaneous STOCK TRAILERS GN Titan 7x24 $5500; 7x22 $3500; 6x18 $3500; 6x20 $3000; 6x16 BP $2750. New Decks for 3/4-1ton Trucks 9ft $2350; 11ft $2850; 11ft service body $1200; 48ft Loboy trailer $6500; Double axle dolly $2000. (204)857-8403
Agriculture Tours
Contact Denis or Ben for pricing ~ 204-325-9555
NOW BUYING Confection and Oil Sunflowers, Brown & Yellow Flax and Red & White Millet Licensed & Bonded P.O. Box 1236 129 Manitoba Rd. Winkler, MB. R6W 4B3
FARMERS, RANCHERS, SEED PROCESSORS BUYING ALL FEED GRAINS Heated/Spring Threshed Lightweight/Green/Tough, Mixed Grain - Barley, Oats, Rye, Flax, Wheat, Durum, Lentils, Peas, Canola, Chickpeas, Triticale, Sunflowers, Screenings, Organics and By-Products √ ON-FARM PICKUP √ PROMPT PAYMENT √ LICENSED AND BONDED SASKATOON, REGINA, LLOYDMINSTER, LETHBRIDGE, VANCOUVER, MINNEDOSA
1-204-724-6741
RYE GRAIN WANTED
Also Buying Brown & Yellow Flax & Field Peas Farm Pickup Available CGC Licensed and Bonded Call Cal Vandaele the “Rye Guy” Today!
TRAILERS Livestock Trailers
TRAVEL
Market Your
DAMAGED CANOLA Box 426 Holland, MB. ROG OXO Ph 204.526.2145 e-mail info@zeghersseed.com fax 204.526.2524
FOR SALE: 2 FIRESTONE 20.8x34, 50% remaining, $650 each; 2 Goodyear 20.8x34, 30% remaining, $350 each; 2 Firestone 18.4x38 w/tubes 80% remaining, $750 each. (204)648-7136
2010 CASLETON SUPER B trailers, excellent rubber; 2007 Casleton Super B trailers, new rubber. Both excellent condition & no fertilizer. Phone: (204)734-8355.
750 LARGE ROUND GRASS mix hay bales, no rain, good quality, 1700lb bales; 150 dry Oat & Wheat straw bales. Trucking arranged. (204)345-8532.
Specializing in: • Corn, wheat, sunflower, canola, soymeal, soybeans, soy oil, barley, rye, flax, oats (feed & milling) • Agents of the CWB • Licensed & bonded
FEDERATION TIRE: 1100X12, 2000X20, used aircraft. Toll free 1-888-452-3850
WANTED: 2 GOOD USED 14.9x38 rear tires & 2 good used 6x16 3-rib front tires. Would buy tractor if needed. Phone: (204)326-8908.
500 LARGE HARDCORE TIMOTHY Straw bales, net wrapped, full 5x6 bales, no rain, discount on large volumes. Phone (204)378-2345, Arborg, MB. 5X6 ROUND HARDCORE ALFALFA/ALFALFA Timothy bales, excellent condition, $0.03/lb, 18% protein. Phone: (204)383-5346 or cell (204)793-7396.
TIRES
*6-Row* Tradition, Stellar, Celebration *2 Row* AC Metcalfe, Copeland We buy feed barley, feed wheat, oats, soybeans, flax & canola Also buying Nu-Sun® Oil sunflowers
SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Hay & Straw
Hopper Feeders w/Scale, 3pt., trk. mt. or trailer, hyd. motor or electric
SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Seed Wanted
Australia & New Zealand – Jan/Feb. 2012 Kenya/Tanzania – January 2012 Costa Rica – February 2012 South America – February 2012 Ukraine/Romania – June 2012 Scotland/England/Wales – June 2012 Tours may be Tax Deductible Select Holidays 1-800-661-4326
CAREERS CAREERS Help Wanted CHRISTIAN RANCH WORKING WITH KIDS from single parent, foster and group homes requires fulltime year-round Horsemanship Instructor, Summer Barn Staff plus Counselors and Other Staff May August. Salary plus housing. bright.wood@hopemission.com www.brightwoodranchcamps.com DAIRY FARM NEAR LA Broquerie has full-time position for someone who has some experience in maintaining & repairing agricultural equipment, also enjoys doing field work in the summertime. To apply please call Werner at (204)326-0168 or (204)424-5109. HEAVY DUTY AND/OR AGRICULTURAL MECHANIC REQUIRED. Small construction company requires someone with: A strong background in mechanical, electro-hydraulic systems common in today’s construction/agricultural equipment; Experience in welding/fabricating an asset; Own tools/tool box (major tools provided); Minimum 2 years of experience in field; Valid class 5 license; Own transportation – shop is not located near transit route; A good knowledge of Winnipeg streets; Able to work extended hours when needed; Excellent communication skills in English; Reliable & conscientious; Must be able to pass a drug & alcohol test; Able to work independently under minimal supervision & also in a small team environment; Wages DOQ. Please send resumes in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat PDF to: ritchotent.hr@gmail.com WANTED: FARM LABOUR on cattle operation, working w/cattle & equipment. Fax resume to Yellow Rose Farms (204)535-2072.
CAREERS Professional
CAREERS Professional
Executive Director
(full-time term postion) “Your feed grain broker”
Brokers of high/low vomi wheat and barley, corn, rye, feed pea canola and soybeans. Farm pickup prices available. Darcy Caners 204-415-3485 dcaners@pvcommodities.com Colin Hoeppner 204-415-3487 choeppner@pvcommodities.com Brian Harland 204-415-7123 bharland@pvcommodities.com Fax 204-415-3489 www.pvcommodities.com
Manitoba Pulse Growers Association seeks an energetic, enthusiastic, organized individual for a twelve (12) month Executive Director term position based in Carman, MB. Major job focus and areas of responsibilities include research, market development, policy, liaison, strategic planning and employee management. The ideal candidate will possess strong organizational, communication and interpersonal skills; the ability to manage multiple projects, priorities and deadlines; and knowledge of agriculture and the pulse industry. Understanding research and grant applications is an asset. Salary is dependent on experience and qualifications. For a more detailed job description, further information or to submit a resume, contact Roxanne Lewko at (204)745-6488, fax (204)745-6213 or e-mail roxanne@manitobapulse.ca Application deadline is January 13, 2012.
31
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
How can my farm benefit from Seed Interactive? Cutlass is the field pea check variety in Seed Manitoba, but I want to compare with Eclipse, the variety I’ve grown on my farm. How can I do that?
SEED Interactive Advantage: Choose your own check.
Seed Interactive allows you to select varieties suited to the agronomic and management practices on your farm. Use the Variety Characteristics Report to generate an overall summary using all data, or to compare disease resistance and general agronomic performance. Use the Yield Comparison Report to compare two varieties at the same location. With both reports, choose your own check variety. It’s easy and informative. Log on to customize selections for your farm. www.seedinteractive.ca
INTERACTIVE.CA A Manitoba Crop Variety Decision Tool
32
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011
Cultivating excellence
The Canadian Wheat Board 2011-12 Scholarship recipients
University of Alberta – Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences
Lakeland College – Agricultural Sciences
Diane Comeau, Sherwood Park, AB Third year
Taylor Heck, Sceptre, SK First year
Todd BergenHenengouwen, Picture Butte, AB Third year
Kayla Spitzer Barrhead, AB Fourth year
Nadia Toppin, Sherwood Park, AB Fourth year
Ian Stolee Calgary, AB Fourth year
Olds College – Agricultural Management
Maryanne Callsen Flaxcombe, SK Second year
Neil Themig Water Valley, AB Second year
Kevin Finster Valleyview, AB Second year
Brian Huisman Barrhead, AB First year
Eric Olson Radville, SK First year
Melissa Turner Springside, SK First year
University of Lethbridge – Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Karen Jorsvick Olds, AB Second year
Travis Paulgaard Provost, AB Second year
Jennifer Jones DeWinton, AB Third year
Maurissa Umscheid Milo, AB Third year
Jesse Oseen Enchant, AB Fourth year
Kristine Burgess Maple Creek, SK Fourth year
University of Saskatchewan – College of Agriculture and Bioresources
University of Manitoba – Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
Glen Crosson Welwyn, SK First year
Breanna Fradette Radville, SK First year
William Dodd Lanigan, SK First year
Jodi Christopher Swift Current, SK Third year
Jessica Good Argyle, MB Second year
Evan Schmidt Elm Creek, MB Second year
Martin Boettcher Brussels, ON Second year
Jo-Lene Gardiner Clearwater, MB Second year
Justine DeNure Maple Ridge, BC Third year
Ashley Pilon Hudson Bay, SK Third year
Natalie Preston Vauxhall, AB Third year
Blake Weiseth Shaunovan, SK Third year
Branden Burns Pilot Mound, MB Third year
Diana Dunlop Dunrea, MB Third year
Tyler Podolsky Tolstoi, MB Third year
Nolan Giesbrecht Winkler, MB Third year
Dustin Brons Lake Lenore, SK Fourth year
Katelyn Holba Goodsoil, SK Fourth year
Brendan Kessel Balgonie, SK Third year
Mandy Lajeunesse Prince Albert, SK Fourth year
Serena Klippenstein Trevor Calvert Sanford, MB Carberry, MB Third year Third year
Andreas Zinn Springstein, MB Fourth year
Conrad Nagel Mossbank, SK Fourth year
Breanna Perrin Rosthern, SK Fourth year
Justin Shepherd Moosomin, SK Fourth yearr
Shaun Vey Wakaw, SK Fourth year
CWB 5.00X15.500
The Canadian Wheat Board is pleased to support the education and development of agriculture students. We extend heartfelt congratulations to this year’s winners and welcome them to the field.
000020785r1 4CFF RHP Not in livestock section
Ian White President & CEO