MBC120105 by Farm Business Communications

WINTER WHEAT A WINNER

REWORKED WOOD A WONDER

Farmer sees bright future for profitable crop » PaGe 17

Reclaimed timber shines for local business » PaGe 33

January 5, 2012

CTA issues revenue cap report It’s no surprise because competition doesn’t exist By Allan Dawson co-operator staff

anadian Pacific Railway (CP) exceeded what it’s allowed to earn hauling western Canadian grain to port by $1.25 million last crop year (2010-11), while Canadian National (CN), was $913,447 under. The results didn’t surprise Ian McCreary, a former Canadian Wheat Board elected director and farmer at Bladworth, Sask. “Rail competition just isn’t there,” he said in an interview. “This number continues to escalate with inflation and all the productivity gains continue to be captured by the railways.” The Canadian Transportation Agency, which sets how much the railways can earn from grain hauling, as well as measuring those earnings, released its findings Dec. 22. CP will forfeit that $1.25 million in excess revenue, plus pay a five per cent ($62,500) penalty to the Western Grains Research Foundation, which will use the money for crop research. The revenue cap is a form of “economic regulation,” says the CTA. It was implemented in 2000 for two reasons: • Assure farmers in the absence of competition the railways wouldn’t charge what the See CTA on page 6 »

CEREAL RESEARCH

SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | Vol. 70, No. 1

$1.75

manitobacooperator.ca

wheat variety development:

Farmers asked to contribute more According to industry leaders Canada is falling behind its competitors

Canada is lagging behind its competitors in cereal research spending, industry officials say. photo: laura rance

By Allan Dawson co-operator staff

C Publication Mail Agreement 40069240

anada has fallen behind its competitors in spending on cereal research and one way or another, farmers are going to pay the cost of catching up, industry leaders say. “I think this now will be the biggest issue facing Canadian agriculture in the next 10 years, this issue of R & D expenditures,” Murray Fulton, professor at the University of Saskatchewan’s Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, told a recent conference examining life after the Canadian Wheat Board. “This is what the future of this industry will be built on. The industry, I think, has to figure out a way to get a lot more money into this if they want this industry to thrive.”

According to industry officials competitors are outspending Canada on wheat research and Canadian wheat yields are lagging. “We’re almost a Third World country when it comes to cereal grain development,” Garth Burns, a director with the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS), told the Saskatoon conference last month. Federal government research budgets have peaked so farmers and private companies are now expected to pick up the slack. Farmers may balk at paying for the Canadian International Grains Institute directly instead of through the board. But farmers could end up spending more

“We need to more than double our investment in (cereal) variety development.” don dewar WGRF director

See DEVELOPMENT on page 6 »

new year starts with a doggerel »

PaGe 4

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

INSIDE

on the lighter side

LIVESTOCK In-field feeding a plus But nutrients must be contained in run-off waters

CROPS ©thinkstock

Winning with winter wheat It’s a high-yielding crop that helps mitigate weather risk

Farmers are keeping up with their fellow Canadians with mobile technology

FEATURE The golden age of manufacturing If you have a gas engine, build something around it

CROSSROADS Waste lumber gets a new purpose This company uses everything from downed trees to old grain elevators

4 5 8 10

Editorials Comments What’s Up Livestock Markets

Tech-savvy farmers are going mobile

Grain Markets Weather Vane Classifieds Sudoku

t appears the days of escaping to the tractor cab for a few air-conditioned hours away from the telephone are over on the farm. A recent Farm Credit Canada survey found 81 per cent of farmers are now packing cellphones and they are rapidly investing in smartphones and tablets. The FCC survey found 29 per cent of farmers now own smartphones, compared to 30 per cent for other Canadians. Six per cent of Canadians

and Canadian farmers alike own a tablet such as Apple’s iPad or RIM’s BlackBerry Playbook. Fifty-three per cent of producers who own a smartphone today plan to buy a tablet within two years. “Canadian producers are innovative and have historically adopted new technology so we weren’t surprised by the survey results,” FCC chief operating officer Remi Lemoine said in a release last week. “However, it does empha-

size that organizations like ours and others which serve the complex and dynamic industry of agriculture need to be considering ways to make information increasingly technology friendly.” Eighty-six per cent of respondents have high speed Internet. However, 50 per cent of producers who don’t own a smartphone say they will never own one, while the other half expect to have one within the next two years.

READER’S PHOTO

11 16 23 26

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

Top left: There was an extraordinary amount of snow lying around as the eastern Prairies entered spring. This photo was taken March 6. photo: lorraine stevenson Top right: There was an unprecedented level of overland flooding as the volume of water that needed to move overwhelmed ditches and rivers. photo: barb alston Lower left: Weird things can happen with wind and water. What looks like blankets rolled up across a marsh is actually algae tossed by the wind on a waterlogged grain field located 1.5 miles from the lakeshore at Lake Dauphin. photo: don white

Spring flooding tops Environment Canada’s Top 10 weather stories Flooding on the eastern Prairies was one of Canada’s few billion-dollar disasters Staff

istoric flooding across Saskatchewan and Manitoba logged in as the No. 1 weather story in Canada in 2011, Environment Canada says. “Everything about the flooding, including its size, magnitude and duration, was unprecedented. It was also one of Canada’s few billion-dollar disasters,” the department says in its annual Canada’s Top 10 Weather Stories for 2011 report. But it was a pretty dramatic year all the way around. “From the death and destruction following the Japanese earthquake/tsunami to extreme weather in the United States that killed more than 1,000 people through the course of the year, Mother Nature seemed to be on the warpath,” the report said. 2011 was the second-costliest year on record for weather catastrophes globally, with 2005 still holding the No. 1 slot. For the third year in a row, the Canadian insurance industry faced billion-dollar losses due to weather-related catastrophes. As was the case globally, Canada also had the second-most expensive year for weather losses.

Spring into summer flooding

Epic melts occurred everywhere – from the Qu’Appelle Valley to eastern Manitoba and from The Pas south to the Canadian-American border – resulting in more acreage under water than ever recorded, the report says. Flood talk was continuous and exhausting, lasting from October 2010 when a weather bomb soaked the southern Prairies through to late July when the military on flood patrol finally went home. “Known as the flood that would never end and the spring flood that became the summer flood, it featured the highest water levels and flows in modern history across parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.” Statistically, the flooding on the Assiniboine River in 2011 was estimated to be at levels experienced once in 330 years. And on Lake Manitoba, engineers

called the flood a one-in-2,000year event. Governments at all levels spent close to $1 billion on flood fighting and victim compensation, some of which is still outstanding. The disaster actually began unfolding in 2010 when what is know as a “weather bomb” dumped 50 to 100 mm of rain and big snows across the southern Prairies. Southern Manitoba was within a millimetre of having its wettest year on record in 2010. At freezeup, soil moisture levels were the second highest since 1948; only 2009 had more. Cold temperatures throughout the winter resulted in deep soil-frost penetration, meaning spring meltwater was likely to spread out instead of soaking in.

Lots of snow

At the season’s midpoint, the snowfall total was at a 15-year high. In January, hydrologists estimated an elevated spring runoff potential above 120 per cent across almost all of Manitoba south of the Nelson River. When spring did arrive, cold temperatures slowed the melt and the inevitable flooding. By mid-April, there was plenty of snow left to melt and nowhere for the water to go. Then came heavy spring precipitation, with rains and snow that added to an already bad flooding situation. On May 9, the Manitoba government declared a province-wide state of emergency, issuing evacuation notices for several municipalities along the Assiniboine River. Brandon was at the epicentre of the months-long flood battle. There, the Assiniboine reached its highest level since 1923 and kept rising. The river was nearly seven metres higher than normal and 20 to 30 times wider in some places. “Flooding on the Assiniboine near Brandon lasted 120 days and was the largest on record,” the report says. In late May, the flood fight opened up a front on the Manitoba lakes, where lakes Manitoba and Winnipeg and at least four others reached record

water levels. Hundreds of residents and cottage owners were ordered to leave due to high winds and waves. Lake levels were higher than the flooding experienced there in 1955 and were enhanced due to water diverted from the Assiniboine River. A late-May storm with strong north winds sent water crashing against dozens of homes at Delta Beach on the south shore of Lake Manitoba. The inundation was so far inland that beachfront cottages were now located three km “out to sea.”

Displaced

In all, 7,100 Manitobans were displaced from their homes, with 2,700 still evacuated at the end of the year. Flooding swamped three million hectares of farmland, causing ranchers to move thousands of cattle. And local states of emergency were declared in 70 Manitoba communities. In addition, flood waters forced the closure of 850 roads, including parts of the Trans-Canada Highway. In southern Saskatchewan, the historic flooding was the result of a number of events, including intense June rainfalls at the same time snowmelt waters were arriving from the Rockies and excessive precipitation during the previous summer, fall and winter. Alberta owned two of the year’s top weather stories, including story No. 2: a wildfire that almost destroyed the entire town of Slave Lake – the second-most expensive insurance loss in Canadian history. Flooding along the Richelieu River in Quebec took the No. 3 spot when it spilled its banks for 69 days in spring. While not the worst natural disaster in the province, it was surely the longest.

Disappearing sea ice

At the top of the world, Arctic sea ice continued to disappear, reaching its second-lowest seasonal minimum and the least volume on record. While more climate related in nature, shrinking ice continued to have a profound impact on the environment at home and abroad.

The Atlantic Ocean had an active hurricane season in 2011 with 19 named storms. Although a disproportionately large number of the tropical storms were relatively weak, seven were categorized as hurricanes, and all three that were considered “major” were felt in Canada. Everywhere, growers faced a very wet spring and a monthlong delay to the start of the growing season. Yet their worst enemy turned out to be their best ally when summer weather extended well into the fall, saving what would have been a crop disaster. As always, given the reality of long, often cold and snowy win-

ters in Canada, we think nature owes us a nice summer. For those in the middle of the country, payback was sweet with a “summer of summers,” while on the coasts summer didn’t show up until vacations were all but over. Also on the list of this year’s top Canadian weather events were a Groundhog Day blizzard that hammered North America from New Mexico to Newfoundland, a strong tornado that pummelled parts of the picturesque town of Goderich on the shores of Lake Huron and powerful Chinook winds that ripped through downtown Calgary at hurricaneforce speeds causing millions of dollars in property damages.

Identify your premises. Reduce your risk.

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MAFRI - Premises ID Publication: Manitoba Cooperator Ad size: 4" x 85 lines Insertion date: Thurs, Nov 17, Dec 1, Dec 15, Jan 5, Jan 19, Feb 2, Feb 23, Mar 15

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

OPINION/EDITORIAL

Doggerel 2012: Freedom, Edam…? Yes, with the first issue of the year, it’s once again surely Time to review the events of the past one, in verse that rhymes poorly Then if there’s some time, and to the end that you’ve stickted We’ll look ahead a few months and see what I’ve predicted I don’t want to brag, but you’ll recall my last year’s prognostication Editorial Director I said there’d be plenty of moisture for spring germination Indeed, in the west of the province, where it’s often quite droughty There was moisture aplenty to make the crop nice and sproughty Though as a result, there were one or two hitches As in a bit more water than could be confined to the ditches In fact, when things warmed up and the ditches were flowing There was more water than could be confined to the Assiniboine The water had to be sent to Lake Manitoba or it would mean Much greater damage for the properties farther downstream Those around Lake Manitoba were told there’d be redress For taking the bullet for others and for cleaning the mess The flood’s still not over for some, and many are still waiting Let’s hope the promise is held and they get full compensating

John Morriss

After two years of precip which seemed to come daily and nightly Around about June the skies seem to have zipped up quite tightly Farmers didn’t say much; it would seem funny to complain But after a while they were thinking they could stand some more rain That would have helped yields, but I must say a rare treat is To spend a summer in Manitoba without any mosquitoes I don’t want to complain either, but some more precipitation Would be welcome to provide moisture for spring germination Then there’s all those unseeded fields that were heavily cultivated Come spring I fear that black soil could become extensively elevated Now if a farmer’s price is too low, or he has a slight pain in the hip Or an elevator manager is frustrated about no cars to ship For the last 77 years in this part of the nation There’s been someone to blame, a good explanation Whatever the problem, and whatever the season You could blame the wheat board — it was always the reason But not for much longer, after next August the first No longer will farmers have the wheat board to curse Now if you ask Gerry Ritz, you’ll find that he’s liable To say that without a monopoly, the board’s still strong and viable Perhaps he’s right, but to me it seems funny That a grain company could survive without elevators or money He’ll prop it up with an initial payment (but how high?) guarantee But a government-supported grain company sounds socialist to me One way or another, perhaps one good thing that will happen Is the end of so much pro- and anti-board fightin’ and scrappin’ But with such a sudden big change, I’m afraid that my guess is There will be quite a few growing pains, and several big messes Due to a shortage of space last year it just wasn’t viable To include my advice that buying more cows would be advisable Since feeder prices have since reached record height The advice that I wasn’t able to give you was right Should you buy cows now? Well, that’s harder to deceipher At these prices it might be safer to just retain heifers But one thing’s for sure; I can say without being reserved Is that the current cattle prices are certainly well deserved What with too much rain or too little, or COOL and BSE It’s been a tough time for cattle producers since 2003 The same goes for producers of pigs, at least the ones that remain Despite higher feed prices I’ve heard there’s still a few dollars to gain Now let’s look to the future; you’ll be pleased to know I’ve Just taken a market forecasting course on the Internet for $29.95 I now have a certificate which guarantees that in market analysis That my predictions are just as good as anyone else’s I’ve examined the liver and gizzard from my Christmas turkey They tell me that supply management prices will stay fairly perky For grain prices however, they tell me that for the next while The outlook for them appears to remain volatile See? I just told you what other market analysts always say chiefly But I squeezed it into two lines, and said it more briefly What crops should you plant? Well, that’s easy to call Mr. Ritz says that post-CWB farmers will seed wheat wall to wall So don’t plant any — the secrets to maximizing fruit of your labours? Ignore governments, and plant different crops than your neighbours Once again, I have several more surefire predictions But I can’t fit all of them in; this space has too much constriction So that’s it for now, please accept our best wishes For good weather, good prices, and a harvest auspicious May your crops all be bumpers, your calves all be healthy May the new year for all farmers be happy and wealthy! john.morriss@fbcpublishing.com

OUR HISTORY

Ideal tractor testament to the golden age of manufacturing Tractor a short-lived star at the dawn of the tractor age

At right is a Goold, Shapley and Muir “Ideal” tractor. The photo, which appears to have been taken on the Tuxedo Campus of the Manitoba Agricultural College, also shows IHC and Universal tractors. All three were showcased at the 1911 Winnipeg Agricultural Motor Competition and the photo may have been taken then. The Winnipeg competitions were held from 1908 to 1913 and were the first venue for scientifically determining the capabilities of various tractors. PHOTO: MANITOBA AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM

By Alex Campbell, Bill Fleury and Caleigh McCreery MANITOBA AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM

hese days, social media, software and other digitally focused companies occupy the apex of innovation. But a century ago, many of the brightest and most creative young minds were drawn to manufacturing. Consider the Goold, Shapley and Muir “Ideal” tractor shown in the accompanying photograph. Headquartered in Brantford, Ont., but with branches in Winnipeg, Regina and Calgary, this manufacturing company had a seemingly endless lineup of products — most in completely unrelated areas. It began in 1892 as Goold and Company, a manufacturer of beekeeper supplies and refrigerators, quickly began producing a host of different products, including windmills, gasoline engines, tanks, lookout towers, concrete mixers and pumps. Having a gasoline engine in its diverse product lineup apparently sparked the idea to build

something around it. In 1907, the company introduced the Ideal tractor line, which consisted of two models: the 35-18 and 50-25. They were two of the very few models of Canadian tractors built at the dawn of the tractor age. Goold, Shapley and Muir was different from other early tractor manufacturers as they listed the belt pulley horsepower first and drawbar horsepower second. It went on to produce the Ideal Junior, a 24-12 tractor. In 1918, it replaced the Ideal line with the Beaver, a close copy of the Rock Island tractor, which used a Waukesha engine and friction drive transmission. As is the case today, the explosion of innovative companies saw many bright lights quickly (in relative terms) come and go. By 1921, Goold, Shapley and Muir was out of the tractor business and it closed its doors for good in the 1930s. The photo is part of a collection residing at the Manitoba Agricultural Museum in Austin. The museum does not have an Ideal tractor, but there is a Beaver in its collection.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

COMMENT/FEEDBACK

Research needed to improve crop adaptation to changing global climates Crops are not being bred to take advantage of higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere By Daryll E. Ray and Harwood D. Schaffer

Letters

t the last minute — actually during an extension of time — the 17th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Conference of Parties or COP17) in Durban, South Africa late last year, came to an agreement under which the participating nations committed themselves to extend the Kyoto Protocol and work toward adopting a new agreement by 2015. The 2015 agreement would likely not go into effect until 2020 but would be legally binding on all signatories. Given the difficulty over the last 17 years in coming to an agreement, there is skepticism that an agreement will be reached by 2015. At the same time, there was an agreement to establish a $100-billion-a-year Green Climate Fund to help developing nations to deal with the consequences of increasing global temperatures. Delegates d i d n o t a g re e t o a n y s p e c i f i c method of funding the fund. Countries in Africa and southern Asia face serious consequences as global temperatures rise even though they are only very minimally responsible for contributing to the problem of climate change. As repor ted by Mel Fr ykberg in South Afr ica’s The New Age, Sylvester Earl Hanciles, the head of Sierra Leone’s delegation to the climate change meeting told him, “Sierra Leone, like many other countries in the world, is suffering the consequences of climate change. Our agricultural production has suffered as a result of previous dramatic weather changes and this could cause food shortages.” This concer n for agr icultural production in an era of changing global climates was echoed in an article in the Wall Street Journal, written by Peter Guest. In that article he writes, “Cary Fowler, executive director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust (http://www.croptrust.org/main/), says: ‘I don’t think that people have begun to grapple with the enormity of the problem (of climate change)… agricultural crop adaptation really isn’t even on the agenda. All our efforts at the macro-level are clearly going to fail as the crops die in the field.” The Global Crop Diversity Trust operates the Global Seed Vault in

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)

photo: metro creative

Countries in Africa and southern Asia face serious consequences as global temperatures rise even though they are only very minimally responsible for contributing to the problem of climate change.

Svalbard, Norway. Fowler believes that “without sufficient focus on these micro-level issues, however, there is a danger… that real crops in real fields don’t get adapted. ‘I’m sorry to say but we’re really going to have to get our hands dirty.’ “This is getting us out of the realm of policy and big intergovernmental meetings, we’re going to have to… figure out what it’s going to take to help the crops adapt…. I guess what we find alarming is the assumption that that’s just going to happen by itself, without planning and without investment,”… Fowler

Say goodbye to blending benefits

Recently, at the Strudwick farm east of Regina, a farm building full of open marketers got the news they wanted. Starting in the new crop year, they will be able to market their own wheat and barley. Former Western Canadian Wheat Growers president, (Cherilyn JollyNagel was elated.) Under the bright lights of the TV cameras, she signed an open-market forward contract to sell some wheat with the statement, “that sure feels good.”

says. “That doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a 10-year process.” Pa r t i c i p a n t s i n t h e D T N / T h e Progressive Farm Summit echoed similar concerns. A DTN article by Chris Clayton writes that “Charles Walthall, national program leader for climate change at the USDA Agricultural Research Service… told farmers about some of the issues USDA is examining as part of an updated national study on climate change set to be released in 2013. Changes in temperature, precipitation and carbon dioxide will lead to adjustments in crop production, cropping patterns and raising of livestock, USDA research shows… ‘that puts a lot of stress on human b e i n g s, c ro p s, a n i m a l s, e q u i p ment,’” Walthall said. “Other problems can come from additional carbon dioxide in the air leading to more invasive species, insects and pathogens. Weeds respond aggressively to higher carbon dioxide levels. “We have not bred the variety of crops to take advantage of higher c a r b o n d i ox i d e i n t h e a t m o s phere,” Walthall said. “Weeds, in their genetic freedom, for a large part have. That’s why we are seeing larger, stronger weeds and vines.”

It seems not one of the open marketers saw the irony of it all. She is not going to market her own grain; the contract she signed was for a broker to sell her grain for her. Tell us Cherilyn, how much per bushel are the broker fees going to cost you? Doesn’t she know the world’s biggest and best marketer earns multimillions above operating costs? In the end, her wheat is marketed for free. Doesn’t she know a $500-million annual premium farmers share in when marketing through the CWB

South Dakota climatologist Dennis Todey told the Ag Summit audience, “More (precipitation) is occurring in heavier rainfall events, which, from a production standpoint is not a good thing…. More soil erosion, more soil loss, it doesn’t improve your bottom line by adding more moisture if it’s running off.” Walthall also touched on the lack of emphasis on erosion. “This is something that does not get enough attention from my perspective,” Walthall said. “The high-intensity, short-duration events as we know have massive implications for erosion.” While farmers in the U.S. have more resources to deal with the impact of climate change, the problems and challenges they face are shared with farmers around the world. Given that, it appears that meeting these challenges will take a global response as well. Daryll E. Ray holds the Blasingame Chair of Excellence in Agricultural Policy, Institute of Agriculture, University of Tennessee, and is the director of UT’s Agricultural Policy Analysis Center (APAC). Harwood D. Schaffer is a research assistant professor at APAC. (http:// www.agpolicy.org)

is being traded away? For what? So Cherilyn can pay a broker to market her wheat for her? Once the wheat is sold to the multinationals it is no longer the farmer’s grain — things like terminal blending or premium-quality sales, those dollars flow into corporate pockets. With the CWB, those extra dollars flowed into farmer pockets. The farmers can kiss those millions goodbye. Henry Neufeld Waldeck, Sask.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

FROM PAGE ONE DEVELOPMENT Continued from page 1

anyway through higher prices on seed developed by private companies. Dauphin farmer and Western Grain Research Foundation ( WGRF) director Don Dewar delivered a similar message to the Manitoba Seed Growers Association’s annual meeting in Winnipeg last month. Canada’s $20 million in cereal research spending has fallen behind its competitors, he said. Australia and the United States spend $80 million and $50 million, respectively. “We need to more than double our investment in (cereal) variety development,” Dewar said. “We think we can get there but... it’s going to take some different rules.” Johanne Boisvert, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s science director for Water and Soil Resources, told the same meeting federal agricultural research funding has peaked. “We are hoping to see a transition where industry will gradually take more leadership,” she said. Currently Agriculture Canada takes new wheat varieties from the lab bench to registration. In the future, Agriculture Canada wants to focus on “upstream” research, including germplasm development, then hand off potential new varieties at an earlier stage to private companies to assess, and if warranted, commercialize, Boisvert said. “It will free a lot of resources at AAFC that we will be able to put on more upstream research,” she said in an interview. Publicly funded wheat research has made sense, she said. It’s difficult for private companies to make a profit on wheat mainly because so few farmers (23 per cent) buy certified wheat seed, which includes royalties for the plant breeder. In contrast 98 and 92 per cent of corn and canola seed, respectively, is certified, she said. “It won’t change until we can get hybrid cereals,” Boisvert said.

CTA Continued from page 1

A Ca n a d i a n Se e d Tra d e A s s o c i a t i o n v i d e o s h ow n at the GrowCanada conference in Winnipeg at the end of November also makes the case for more private research. “Canada ranks behind the EU, China, the United States and Argentina in wheat yield improvements,” the video said. “Increased investment is critical. Bringing a new seed variety to market takes time and money. Given the right tools we will increase investment in all crops.” In other words, companies need to be assured of a return on investment from plant breeding. “In canola it (private investment) has done wonderful things for yield, but also the price of seed and we’re paying for that research time and time again,” Norm Hall, APAS president told the post-wheat board conference. “It’s $10 a pound for canola, $50 an acre. That’s a lot of dollars. If we put those kind of dollars in, off our farm, we will still own those varieties. “That’s something we should look at — putting the dollars out of our pocket, or convince the government to put in a few more — rather than relying on private (companies).” Dewar made the same point. If farmers own the varieties they invest in they might not get cheaper seed, but “hopefully you’re paying for what you want, not told what you need.” The decline of publicly funded research has been on farm organizations’ agendas for a while. The Grain Growers of Canada complains that while federal spending has increased slightly the last couple of years it’s much lower than in 2004. Farmers will be asked to pay more, Dewar said. But how much more — double, triple? Or should Canada copy Australia where farmers pay a mandatory 0.99 per cent levy on the gross value of the grain they sell? allan@fbcpublishing.com

2012 Forage Seed Conference Victoria Inn, Winnipeg January 8 & 9, 2012 The Manitoba Forage Seed Association invites you to their Forage Seed Conference and Annual Meeting. A range of topics will be covered dealing with aspects growing and managing forage and turf seed crops. Several topics of interest are • Variable Rate Fertilizer Application • Plant Growth Regulators in Grass Seed Crops • Seed Herbicide Research • Effects of Fungicide Use in Grasses Full agenda and registration available at www.forageseed.net or contact the Manitoba Forage Seed Association @ 204-376-3309

Farmer Ian McCreary says railway costs need to be measured so the rail revenue cap can be recalibrated. photo: allan dawson

market would bear to transport grain. • To give the railways rate-setting flexibility to encourage more efficient grain movement. While total revenue earned from grain is capped, the railways are free to set the rates they charge. (The revenue cap, which is really an entitlement, is adjusted for volume so the amount of grain the railways can move is unlimited. The entitlement is also adjusted for inflation to reflect increases in major rail expenses such as fuel and labour.) At the time the cap was implemented, the railways said it would be meaningless because fierce competition would keep revenues well below the cap benefiting farmers through reduced shipping costs. However, most years the railways are close to the cap and usually one exceeds it. The 2009-10 crop year was the first since 2002-03 that both railways didn’t exceed the cap. CP’s gross revenue from hauling 14.7 million tonnes of grain an average of 913 miles in 201011 was almost $444 million. That’s average of $30.22 a tonne. CN earned $508 million shipping 16.4 million tonnes of grain an average of 1,010 miles. That averages $30.92 a tonne In total, grain companies paid the railways almost $1 billion to haul grain last crop year, or an average of $30.59 a tonne. The grain companies pay the rail bill on grain but attempt to recoup it from farmers. What individual farmers ultimately

paid last crop year varies. Farmers delivering wheat board grains are deducted the cost to ship a single car. Freight costs are built into the basis of non-board crops, so farmers don’t know what they pay for freight.

“Every year you get a year farther from the base line, so every year it gets just a little bit worse, every year there’s more productivity savings and every year 100 per cent of those are captured by the railroads.” ian mcCREARY

Some of the money grain companies save loading multicar trains gets shared with farmers through trucking premiums, but it depends on grain company competition, McCreary said. He suspects the companies aren’t passing all the savings back and he’s certain the railways aren’t because railway costs used in the cap formula haven’t been adjusted since 1992. “Every year you get a year farther from the base line, so every year it gets just a little bit worse, every year there’s more productivity savings and every year 100

per cent of those are captured by the railroads,” McCreary said. Every year there’s inflation and every year that’s charged to farmers. So the gap between a reasonable public policy situation and the situation we’re in continues to widen.” When the cap was introduced the railways were allowed to earn their costs plus 27 per cent. A Travacon Research study estimates the railways, benefiting from a much more efficient system, now get their costs plus a 50 or 60 per cent return. The study prepared for the wheat board and a number of farm organizations in 2010 estimated farmers were overpaying the railways by $100 million a year or $6.97 a tonne. Mark Hemmes, president of Quorum Corporation, the firm hired by the federal government to monitor Canada’s grain-handling and transportation system, says the revenue cap keeps farmers’ freight costs lower than they would be in its absence. As proof he points to higher rate for other products shipped by rail unprotected by a cap. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has said farmers might get better rail service if they paid more for it, causing some to speculate the government might scrap the cap. However, Paul Martin, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s director general for the Marketing Policy and Environmental Policy Directorate, told a conference in Saskatoon Dec. 13 there are no such plans. allan@fbcpublishing.com

RAILWAY REVENUE CAPS Compared to actual revenue from shipping grain during the 2010-11 crop year. Railway

Miles Hauled

Revenue Cap

1,010

Actual Revenue

Under/Over

$509,316,957

$508,403,510

-$913,447

913

$442,570,741

$443,822,775

+$1,252,034

Average

965

$475,943,849

$476,113,143

-$169,294

$30.98

$30.92

-$0.06

$30.13

$30.22

+0.09

$30.58

$30.59

+0.01

Total

Per tonne calculation CN CP

1,010

Rail Average

913 965

Source: Canadian Transportation Agency, necessary calculations

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

NEWS

GOOD FOR GRAZERS

European agency launches food security initiative Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan could supply half the world’s grain LONDON / REUTERS / The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development launched an initiative Nov. 28 to boost food security through private-sector investment to unlock the production potential of suppliers like Russia. The lending institution, which has traditionally focused on emerging European economies, announced in Novembera it planned to expand operations to the Middle East and North Africa. “It (the new program) brings together the bank’s existing and potential new regions by aiming to match the huge potential for exports in the former area with the massive import needs of the latter,” the EBRD said in a statement. The Private Sector for Food Security Initiative aims include enhancing co-ordination between international financial institutions and development banks to address both food as well as water security issues. “The involvement of the private sector is crucial to stimulating the supply side of food security as food production is first and foremost a private-sector activity,” EBRD said. “With its predominant focus on private enterprise, the EBRD is particularly well placed to promote the priorities of the private sector in its interaction with relevant authorities in key supply countries,” the statement added. The EBRD said Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan could supply half the world’s grain needs if they realized their production potential. The bank said the initiative would be important in the Middle East and North Africa which include countries such as Egypt, the world’s largest wheat importer. In its traditional region of activity, the EBRD is the largest investor in the agribusiness sector, where it has a portfolio of financing of 2.9 billion euros and in which it provided funding of 850 million euros in 2010. Investments are expected to exceed 900 million euros in 2011.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

WHAT'S UP Please forward your agricultural events to daveb@fbcpublish ing.com or call 204-944-5762. 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 204-3763309 or visit www.forageseed.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.

Experts cautiously bullish on prospects for Canadian cattle producers But high retail prices and changing consumer attitudes pose threat to beef industry By Shannon VanRaes co-operator staff

he future holds both opportunities and risks for Canadian cattle producers. “In this economic environment, for those who are flexible and willing to look around the corner in their decision-making... there will be opportunities,” U.S. beef market expert Jim Robb told ranchers attending the Manitoba Forage Council’s recent grazing school in Winnipeg. Overseas demand, particularly from Asia, is rising and pushing prices higher, but that carries a danger, said Robb, an economist and director of the American Livestock Market Information Center. “I think this is very much a transition point in time for the North American beef industry,” he said. “How much higher can we push already record-high beef

Jan. 9-12: Western Canadian Crop Production Show, Prairieland Park, Saskatoon. For more info visit www.cropproductiononline.com.

prices and how much will consumers stand for? A lot of this is going to be driven by how well the North American economy continues to grow.” Another threat is changing social attitudes toward beef, said Brad Wildeman, chairman of Canada Beef Inc. and past president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. “I can just feel that the perception of the beef industry is changing and not for the better,” said Wildeman. Part of that stems from a disconnect between the farm and the plate, and that’s why Canadian Beef Inc. is using social media, and training young farmers to speak about the beef industry and its role in a sustainable food system. “That resonates, and if we can win that battle of the heart, then I think we can win the battle of the markets,” said Wildeman.

Canada Beef is also looking at beef in a new way, he said. “We want to start looking at selling this product for value, not for volume,” said Wildeman, noting this is a departure from the focus producers had following the BSE crisis. He said retailers, including foreign ones, are interested in building relationships with producers and processors in order to ensure sustained supply of quality product. That’s not something the U.S. can easily offer, as its cattle stocks are at the lowest levels in 60 years, in part due to drought conditions in the American south and Midwest and feed that costs as much as $175 a bale. Wildeman said this is an opportunity the Canadian beef industry can capitalize on. Robb agreed. “C a n a d a , i n t h e No r t h American context, currently

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 204-697-1140. Jan. 26-28: Canadian Beekeeping Convention, Fort Garry Hotel, 222 Broadway, Winnipeg. For more info visit http://manitobabee.org/hive/. Feb. 1-2: Manitoba Swine Seminar, Victoria Inn, 1808 Wellington Ave., Winnipeg. For more info visit www. ManitobaSwineSeminar.ca or call Dallas Ballance at 204-475-8585. Feb. 8-9: Manitoba Special Crops Symposium, Victoria Inn, 1808 Wellington Ave., Winnipeg. For more info visit www.manitobaspe cialcrops.ca or call 204-745-6488.

Feb. 15-17: Western Barley Growers Association annual convention, Deerfoot Inn and Casino, 1000-11500 35th St. SE, Calgary. For more info visit www.wbga.org. Feb. 21-23: Canadian Organic Science Conference, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg. For more info visit www.oacc.info/cosc.

shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

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Jan. 12: Manitoba Model Forest seminar on non-timber forest products (wildcrafting, herbal teas etc.), 7-9 p.m., Smitty’s, 168 Main St., Selkirk. To pre-register contact Ken Fosty at 204-340-5013 or email kfosty@treecanada.ca.

Feb. 9-10: University of Manitoba Transport Institute’s Supply Chain Connections conference: “The Mid-Continent Cold Chain,” Winnipeg. For more info or to register visit www.umti.ca.

has the most inexpensive forage when we look at Canada, the U.S. and Mexico,” he said. “This forage is also a high-quality product.” While the U.S. herd remains unstable, Robb said this will give Canadian ranchers an edge. “I think the Canadian cow herd is well on the path to stabilization, and probably, as of January 1, 2013 it will show signs of increasing,” he said. But while population growth, rising incomes in the developing world, and increased demand of animal-based protein are positive trends, producers can’t afford to sit back and take it easy, he said. “We’re all going to have to be more efficient – whether we are producing catfish or have a cow-calf operation – to meet this demand,” he said.

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U.K. wool prices are at 25-year highs Farmers are happy but manufacturers are feeling fleeced By Alessandra Prentice london / reuters

ool prices in Britain are at their highest in a quarter of a century and look set to stay, bringing relief to farms that survived years of having to shear their sheep at a loss, the head of the British Wool Marketing Board said. Fewer sheep, strong demand from emerging economies such as India and China and a growing appreciation for British wool have caused prices to more than double in the last three years, said Malcolm Corbett, the board’s chairman. At U.K. auction, wool now sells at an average of 180 pence ($2.842) per kg while in 2008 it went for as little as 70 pence. “I’m not an economist, I’m a hill farmer... but it’s clearly all a question of supply and demand,” Corbett told Reuters by telephone Nov. 18 from Northumberland, northeastern

England, where he has 800 Welsh sheep. The revival for producers of wool, a fibre once so central to British prosperity that the Lord Speaker of parliament’s upper house still sits on a sack of it, has hit the profits of carpet makers and fashion houses. While recognizing this was having an impact on consumers, Corbett said life for British producers of lamb meat and wool remains tough.

Still very difficult

“We do understand that we have a country almost in recession and that, down the line, these prices are more difficult for some of the end-users,... but eking a profit out of some of these commodities is still very difficult,” Corbett said. “The other thing to remember is that our costs in terms of feed, fertilizer and fuel are absolutely rocketing as well and, if we didn’t have the prices we have, we really

would be in a bit of a disastrous situation.” Corbett said the years of depressed lamb and wool prices, where the 1.50 pounds it cost to shear each sheep exceeded the wool’s final asking price, led some farmers to quit the industry, both in Britain and in top producer Australia. The total population of sheep in the U.K. fell by nearly 50 per cent over the last 10 years, he said, adding that flock numbers were not expected to grow significantly over the next few years, supporting wool prices into the future. “Now the farmer can afford to pay the shearer and still have some profit left in his wool clip. The wool check is now becoming a meaningful income stream on the farm.” Carpetright, Britain’s biggest floor coverings retailer, warned in February that high wool prices were weighing on profit, while luxury clothes retailer Ralph Lauren blamed rising input costs for a

Sheep are shorn at Kilgram farm in Jervaulx, northern England in June. Britain’s Wool Marketing Board has reported that British wool prices are at a 25-year high. photo: REUTERS/Nigel Roddis

sharp drop in quarterly earnings in November. The global carpet industry consumes 70 per cent of U.K. wool. Wool accounts for a mere one to 1.5 per cent of the global fibre market, but initiatives such as the Campaign for Wool, backed by Britain’s Prince Charles, have helped raise its profile. Last year the campaign turfed over London’s tailoring heartland, Saville Row, releasing sheepdogs

to herd flocks of sheep along the street and promote wool’s use in the fashion industry. “ We now feel like we’re respected and valued as producers, which for a long time was not the case, what with all the talk of subsidies and overproduction,” Corbett said. “The world is going to demand an awful lot more food and clothing in the future,... all in all we have a positive outlook.”

Farm accident claims farm leader Fox suffered fatal injuries after being pinned by a front-end loader Staff

F T:10”

ormer Manitoba Beef Producers president Major Jay Fox died Dec. 23 after being pinned beneath a tractor’s frontend loader bucket on his farm near Eddystone. Fox, 32, retired last month as a director of MBP, having served since 2009 as the organization’s president and previously as a vicepresident. Fox and his wife Angela are well known in Manitoba’s agriculture community, having been named as the province’s Outstanding Young Farmers in 2008. Fox moved to the province from Lloydminster, Alta. in 1999. A Ste. Rose du Lac RCMP report says Fox was helping to remove a front-end loader assembly from a tractor when the accident occurred. The loader arms were raised but not blocked when the hydraulics were released and the bucket d ro p p e d , p i n n i n g Fox beneath, RCMP said. RCMP Cpl. James Munro said Fox was later transp o r t e d t o W i n n i p e g’s Health Sciences Centre, where he died the following day. Fox is survived by his wife Angela and children Devon, Charlee, Porter and Major.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

LIVESTOCK MARKETS

EXCHANGES: December 29, 2011

$1 Cdn: $1.017 U.S. $1 U.S: $0.98 Cdn.

COLUMN

Cattle Prices Winnipeg

(Friday to Thursday) Slaughter Cattle

December 23, 2011

Steers & Heifers $ — D1,2 Cows 52.00 - 58.00 D3 Cows 48.00 - 52.00 Bulls 68.00 - 77.75 Feeder Cattle (Price ranges for feeders refer to top-quality animals only) Steers (901+ lbs.) $ — (801-900 lbs.) 120.00 - 129.00 (701-800 lbs.) 135.00 - 146.75 (601-700 lbs.) 142.00 - 159.75 (501-600 lbs.) 145.00 - 180.00 (401-500 lbs.) 145.00 - 187.00 Heifers (901+ lbs.) — (801-900 lbs.) 110.00 - 113.00 (701-800 lbs.) 115.00 - 137.50 (601-700 lbs.) 120.00 - 147.50 (501-600 lbs.) 125.00 - 149.00 (401-500 lbs.) 130.00 - 163.00 Slaughter Cattle Grade A Steers Grade A Heifers D1, 2 Cows D3 Cows Bulls Steers

Heifers

Alberta South 114.00 116.50 64.00 - 77.00 53.00 - 67.00 — $ 116.00 - 135.00 121.00 - 141.00 130.00 - 150.00 137.00 - 156.00 148.00 - 175.00 165.00 - 194.00 $ 108.00 - 124.00 114.00 - 130.00 118.00 - 135.00 125.00 - 145.00 135.00 - 155.00 140.00 - 170.00

($/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 22, 2011) in U.S. Fed Cattle Close Change December 2011 123.15 4.40 February 2012 123.45 4.30 April 2012 126.80 3.83 June 2012 125.20 3.80 August 2012 125.62 3.27 October 2012 128.40 3.55 Cattle Slaughter

Producers hope to solidify the gains they made in 2011 Adam Johnston

Ontario $ 99.57 - 125.69 105.92 - 120.65 52.98 - 70.56 52.98 - 70.56 65.67 - 80.26 $ 120.07 - 138.14 115.22 - 140.50 126.55 - 148.85 125.19 - 154.44 129.34 - 167.74 138.44 - 172.74 $ 119.62 - 128.33 117.57 - 130.98 113.93 - 135.66 118.97 - 146.23 125.41 - 149.17 121.70 - 156.96

Feeder Cattle January 2012 March 2012 April 2012 May 2012 August 2012 September 2012

Close 146.87 149.65 150.65 151.32 152.50 152.47

Change 2.90 3.50 3.18 3.07 2.50 2.47

Cattle Grades (Canada)

Week Ending December 17, 2011 Canada 55,458 East 15,436 West 40,022 Manitoba N/A U.S. 642,000

Previous Year 60,479 15,585 44,894 N/A 660,000

Week Ending December 17, 2011 419 21,137 18,346 883 680 9,987 521

Prime AAA AA A B D E

Previous Year 627 22,837 18,622 848 433 6,929 537

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 167.00E 153.00E 156.44 163.18

Futures (December 22, 2011) in U.S. Hogs February 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012

Last Week 167.03 154.32 160.14 164.44

Close 84.55 87.95 94.05 95.45 94.37

Last Year (Index 100) N/A N/A 126.19 130.01

Change -0.87 -0.17 0.10 0.75 0.40

Other Market Prices Sheep and Lambs $/cwt Ewes Lambs (110+ lb.) (95 - 109 lb.) (80 - 94 lb.) (Under 80 lb.) (New crop)

Winnipeg Next Sale is January 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 January 1, 2012 Broiler Turkeys (6.2 kg or under, live weight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $1.910 Undergrade .............................. $1.820 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 93.18 - 126.09 171.25 - 193.96 191.20 - 206.98 191.23 - 216.11 205.33 - 306.03 140.00 - 305.00

Several keys may unlock demand for Manitoba cattle

SunGold Specialty Meats 40.00 - 65.00 Lambs —

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“… hopefully we’ll get another two to three years of good marketing for our producers.”

robin hill Heartland Livestock Services, Virden

he Manitoba cattle market looks strong heading into the new year. Firm cattle movement in the fall at various Manitoba auction marts was seen as supportive, setting the stage for 2012. “Hopefully everything will be clear sailing right through 2012 and hopefully we’ll get another two to three years of good marketing for our producers,” said Robin Hill, manager of Heartland Livestock Services at Virden, on the strong ending for producers in 2011 and a promising outlook heading into the new year. Feeder cattle movement will continue to be solid, with tight supply across North America adding to the firmness in prices, Hill said. However, while cattle movement will remain steady in the new year, there will be a somewhat smaller volume of cattle moved in the springtime, Hill said. Greater cattle movement this past fall will cause less springtime movement along with fewer big sales in the first part of the year, he said. While the Canadian dollar has hovered around the US95- to 98-cent mark in recent months, the high value in the Canadian currency has had little effect on demand this year, he said. The Canadian dollar at the end of 2011 was valued at US98.08 cents (US$1=C$1.0196). Despite the bullish sentiment for cattle, challenges will continue to face Manitoba producers. Global macroeconomic concerns could temper some of the strength in 2012, Hill said, and if problems persist in the global economy, they may weigh on values as demand may soften. Along with global economic uncertainty, the costs of feeding cattle could also cause some concern, Hill said. Despite corn values falling recently in the U.S., feed costs in Canada remain high with western Canadian barley prices remaining strong, he said. If western Canadian barley prices increase further, it could add to feed costs, he said. As Manitoba cattle producers had a successful 2011, and look to solidify those gains in 2012, it’s time to take a gander through the crystal ball. Here are some of the trends and stories to look out for in the new year, as well as a wish for all cattle producers, in no particular order.

Southern U.S. drought conditions

Drought caused financial havoc in the southern U.S. last summer, with estimated costs around US$10 billion including cattle and crops, according to industry data. The dry conditions in the southwestern U.S. in 2011 will bring net beef supplies down by a cou-

ple per cent, said Brian Perillat of Canfax in Calgary. Canadian feeder cattle prices will increase in the fall of 2012 once the drought cattle from the U.S. have been moved and accounted for, he said.

Expansion into emerging markets, Asia

With middle classes continuing to expand in developing countries, greater emphasis is starting to be placed on more meat-based diets in these regions of the world. The middle class of emerging markets often spends a larger percentage of its income than developed nations, Perillat said. He also sees some potential for new emerging-market business in 2012, including expansion into China and Russia. Exports to Japan also look promising next year. The BSE scare moved Japanese officials to restrict imports to beef from cattle age 20 months and under, but recently Japan moved to relax those imports to 30 months and under. That will open up the door for Canadian producers to increase Japanese sales.

No news is COOL news

The ruling from the World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement panel on mandatory U.S. country-of-origin labelling (COOL) on meat products favoured Canada, as COOL was seen as a barrier to trade with the U.S., but the ruling will not have any impact for Canadian cattle producers this year, Canfax’s Perillat said. The U.S. will likely file an appeal and the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association expects the decision to be dragged out in the courts next year, with no progress in sight, he said.

The wish: A lower loonie to boost demand

With the Canadian dollar just hovering below parity, a lower Canadian currency would definitely boost demand from other countries, Perillat said. When the Canadian dollar was around US65 cents a decade ago, exports were near record levels, he said. While it’s highly unlikely the Canadian dollar would fall next year to around US65 cents, a weakened Canadian dollar would go a long way in setting record prices for fed cattle next year and show how strong demand for Canadian cattle is, he said. Adam Johnston writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

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 Kids Billys Mature

Winnipeg ($/each) Next Sale is January 5/12

Toronto ($/cwt) 70.00 - 237.50 — 93.83 - 234.38

Horses 1,000 lbs. 1,000 lbs.+

Winnipeg ($/cwt) — —

Toronto ($/cwt) 16.81 - 26.56 16.00 - 30.00

Dry winter a worry for cattle, winter wheat By Rod Nickel winnipeg / reuters

Canada’s western farm belt is the driest it has been in five years, raising concerns for cattle and winter cereals. Large pockets of the Prairie provinces have received less than 40 per cent of normal

precipitation during the past three months, according to federal Agriculture Department maps. “We have a lot of winter ahead of us and things can change in a hurry,” said Trevor Hadwen, agroclimate specialist for the Canadian government’s Drought Watch program. “(But) the fall period was very dry on the Prairies and that is a concern.” Mild temperatures have been favourable for cattle,

but dry conditions are a major concern to ranchers who rely on snow to replenish dugouts that will water their cattle in spring, said Travis Toews, president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. Environment Canada is forecasting colder and wetter conditions than usual for January through March, consistent with the usual impact of the La Niña weather phenomenon, Hadwen said.

There will be no market reports from livestock auctions this week. They will return next issue.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

GRAIN MARKETS column

Keep an eye on these market movers in the new year Several issues may weigh on sellers and buyers alike Phil-Franz Warkentin CNSC

orth American grain and oilseed futures saw their share of ups and downs during 2011, but the general takeaway in all the major markets — including canola, soybeans, corn and wheat — is that prices at the end of the year were softer than they were going in. The start of a new year doesn’t necessarily wipe the slate clean, but it does provide a good opportunity to examine some of the trends and potential market-moving influences to watch for going forward. So, in no particular order, here are the top 10 things that will determine where grain and oilseed prices are a year from now, heading into 2013. South America. Brazil and Argentina are the world’s largest soybean and corn exporters after the U.S., which means what happens with the crops there can lead to major changes in the global supply/demand balance sheets. Hot and dry weather conditions in

For three-times-daily market reports from Commodity News Service Canada, visit “ICE Futures Canada updates” at www.manitobacooperator.ca.

both countries underpinned the U.S. futures and, in turn, canola for most of December. With a long growing season still ahead in the Southern Hemisphere, confirmation of yield losses from the weather would boost prices, while any improvements in the weather would be bearish for prices. China. Every year China is a wild card on the demand side and there’s little reason to expect that 2012 will be any different. The simple take-away is this: If China is a buyer, prices will be supported, but if the country does not need the imports for whatever reason, there is no other equally large buyer to take their place. Looking at canola in particular, China has been a major buyer recently, showing an “insatiable” demand, according to some export sources. However, restrictions on Canadian imports, due to concerns over blackleg, are still in place, which limit some of that demand. The global economy. Europe is still trying to sort out its debt crisis, while the U.S. is dealing with its own concerns over an economic slowdown. While the Canadian economy has held its own so far, the concern for the grain markets is that the economic uncertainty elsewhere will lead to a reduction in demand for commodities. Price swings in the currency and energy markets also trickle down to sway grain prices.

North American weather. The past year was definitely “interesting” from a weather standpoint in North America. A good portion of the Canadian Prairies started out too wet, but then didn’t see much rain all summer long. Parts of the southern U.S. Plains are particularly dry, and some long-range models predict more drought conditions in 2012. The former Soviet Union. Two years ago there was no grain in Russia and Ukraine to export, and global grain prices strengthened. In 2011, Black Sea-origin exports were back displacing North American grain in the marketplace and weighing on prices. There have been some recent rumblings over dryness issues with the Ukrainian winter wheat crop, but there is still a long season ahead. The fight for acres. It happens every year, and should be no different in 2012. Will endusers want more soybeans or corn in the U.S.? Will the end of the Canadian Wheat Board cause wheat to draw area from canola? What about the pulses? Wheat marketing. The wheat board is dead! Long live the wheat board. After 70-plus years of being the sole marketer of western Canadian wheat and barley, the CWB will become a new entity in 2012. Winners and losers under the new “marketing freedom” reality remain to be seen, but if the futures contracts being introduced by ICE Futures Canada gain traction there will definitely be more for market commentators to write about. Technicals. The long-term trends are still down in most of the grains and oilseeds, but chart readers have many tools at their disposal and there will be both bullish and bearish chart-based arguments thrown around during 2012. Supply and demand. Just looking at canola, Canadian producers grew a 14.1-milliontonne canola crop in 2011, far surpassing the 2010 level by over a million tonnes. From a basic supply/demand standpoint, a million more of anything looks bearish. However, the demand side of the equation is equally large as far as canola is concerned, and most industry forecasts point to tighter ending stocks by the time next year’s crop is being harvested. Both the domestic crush and exports are running at a record pace at the halfway point of the 2011-12 crop year with no signs of slowing down yet. Unknowns. These are the intangible events that can’t be predicted with any certainty, but will definitely come to play in the agriculture markets when they happen. One example from the past year would be the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, which disrupted the flow of grain to the country. The Arab spring also shook the markets up for a while. Trade was halted in some cases, while the uprisings had other countries looking to buy more grain in an effort to appease their populations with cheaper food. What natural disaster or political upheaval will occur in 2012 remains to be seen, but it’s safe to say that there is always a surprise in the works somewhere. Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

Export and International Prices Last Week

Week Ago

Year Ago

CWB export 1CW 13.5 St. Lawrence

408.94

400.97

410.50

US hard winter ord.Gulf ($US)

294.69

279.95

319.84

All prices close of business December 29, 2011. Wheat

EU French soft wheat ($US)

260.00

247.00

332.00

Chicago wheat (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

237.06

212.82

275.46

Minneapolis wheat (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

314.22

299.71

306.87

US corn Gulf ($US)

280.01

257.27

263.08

US barley (PNW) ($US)

287.00

200.00

Chicago corn (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

251.18

227.95

231.30

Chicago oats (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

198.42

193.88

249.97

436.29

408.46

473.58

1,127.64

1,080.01

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 30, 2011. Western barley

Last Week

Week Ago

March 2012

217.00

220.00

May 2012

224.00

225.00

July 2012

224.00

225.00

Canola

Last Week

Week Ago

January 2012

525.80

506.30

March 2012

524.30

507.70

May 2012

527.20

510.50

CWB Pool Forecasts

China extends probe on U.S. DDGs beijing / reuters

China’s Commerce Ministry said Dec. 28 that it will extend an anti-dumping probe on imports of U.S. dried distillers grains

(DDGs) until June 28 before making a final ruling. It launched the investigation a year ago, threatening trade that has grown massively in 2009 and 2010, when China became the world’s largest importer. Since the probe, total DDG imports in the first 11 months of this year fell 48 per cent from a year earlier to 1.5 million tonnes.

Total Payments 2010-11

November PRO 2011-12

Wheat No. 1 CWRS 13.5

305

344.96

304

No. 1 CWRS 12.5

271

317.73

273

No. 2 CWRS 13.5

299

337.13

299

No. 1 CWHWS 13.5

305

344.96

304

No. 1 CPSR

238

277.77

241

No. 1 CPSW

232

274.67

235

No. 1 CWRW

241

284.23

243

No. 1 CWES

275

314.96

274

No. 1 CWSWS

233

268.72

233

352

302.94

371

223.00

235.72

N/A

Sel CW Two-Row

314

265.74

318

Sel CW Six-Row

298

247.98

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 January 3, 2012 — 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

26.60 - 28.00

Canaryseed

Laird No. 1

27.00 - 28.00

Oil Sunflower Seed

Eston No. 2

23.50 - 24.50

Desi Chickpeas

25.00 - 27.25 — 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 - 37.75

No. 1 Light Red Kidney

—

Brown No. 1

30.75 - 32.75

No. 1 Dark Red Kidney

—

Oriental No. 1

24.75 - 28.75

No. 1 Black Beans

—

No. 1 Pinto Beans

—

Feed Pea (Rail)

news

December PRO 2011-12

—

Source: Stat Publishing SUNFLOWERS

No. 1 Small Red

—

No. 1 Pink

—

Fargo, ND

Goodlands, KS

29.10

28.25

—

Report for December 30, 2011 in US$ cwt NuSun (oilseed) Confection Source: National Sunflower Association

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

COLUMN

How Euro zone uncertainty affects wheat markets There is an art to chart reading and more interpretation involved than exact science David Drozd Market Outlook

harting and technical analysis may be likened to reading a price road map where patterns form on the chart representing the road signs. If one is going to undertake a study of charts, it is imperative to learn the signs and their implications for prices. Classic formations, once identified, will point the way, signal caution, or alert you to a U-turn ahead. As with a road map, you begin by determining where prices are and where they have come from before deciding which direction they will take next. While that may sound easy, there is an art to chart reading and there is more interpretation involved than exact science. The study of historical charts and experience are important factors in understanding the chart signs and patterns that ultimately lead y o u t o d i s c ov e r i n g p r i c e direction. With the above in mind, let’s take a look at the economic uncertainty euro-zone countries are facing and see how their currency, the euro, is having an impact on the wheat market. Referencing the euro, I will illustrate how one can determine where wheat prices a re g o i n g . C h a r t i n g i s a n important tool that can alert you to the upcoming twists and turns in the price road ahead. Reversal patterns (U-turns) develop at the end of an existing trend and upon completion indicate the trend has turned. As illustrated in the accompanying Japanese candlestick chart, a harami (sign) materialized at the height of the uptrending channel (path). The harami is a reversal pattern that may develop at the top of a rally (mountain top)

or at the bottom of a decline (valley). This particular harami provided a sell signal following the conclusion of the highly publicized European summit in October. One must constantly be on the lookout for a “buy the rumour — sell the fact” scenario like this. In this instance, the rumour was for a positive outcome to the summit, and the Euro rallied. The fact was, the resolution only provided temporary relief, and the Euro plummeted. Continuation patterns such as channels (highways) illustrate the existing price trend and highlight the road prices are taking. After the harami signalled a 180-degree turn at the top of the hill (1.4235), the uptrend ran out of gas and prices rolled back down the hill to (1.2965). Chart formations (signs) provide measurements (distances) and in turn price objectives (destinations). The measurement derived from the bear flag formation (sign) projected a price decline to 1.310. This price destination was achieved one month later.

Bear flag

In a downtrend, the flag stands at the bottom of a flagpole and slants upward in the shape of a parallelogram. When this chart formation forms quickly and compactly, it is considered one of the most reliable patterns for forecasting the next price move.

Market psychology

A brisk drop in price precedes the formation of a classic bear flag. The decline forms the flagpole. This is followed by profit-taking, which causes prices to consolidate. The chart action tends to be minor, as prices rise and fall within the context of an upward bias. A pattern of higher highs and higher lows develops until the profit-taking has run its course. Then, new selling and

Thank$ a Billion! 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

euro fx march 2012 — as of december 19, 2011

the re-establishing of short positions turns the market back down. The lower prices attract more new sellers. The up flag pattern is completed when the selling drives prices below the formation’s lower boundary. A projection for the next decline is arrived at by measuring the vertical distance of the flagpole and adding it to the point at which prices break down through the flag’s lower boundary. As the euro declines in value relative to the U.S. dollar, it

makes European-origin wheat more attractive to foreign buyers and North American wheat values drop to compete for market share. Subsequently, another harami (U-turn sign) developed on December 15, 2011, which indicated the euro was about to reverse back up, which is when wheat prices also turned up. As you can see, Canadian grain farmers who have an understanding of where the euro is going, particularly as we shift to an open-market system for wheat, are well positioned to

take advantage of market moves that will allow them to sell their grain for more. Send your questions or comments about this article and chart to info@ag-chieve.ca. David Drozd is president and senior market analyst for Winnipeg-based Ag-Chieve Corporation. The opinions expressed are those of the writer and are solely intended to assist readers with a better understanding of technical analysis. Visit Ag-Chieve online at www.ag-chieve. ca for information about grain-marketing advisory services, or call us toll free at 1-888-274-3138 for a free consultation.

Experts say Canada falling behind in crop research and development Grain Growers of Canada call for a $260-million increase in research funding over the next decade By Alex Binkley co-operator contributor / ottawa

Getting the federal government to fully restore funding for agriculture research remains a top priority for Canadian farm groups, says Richard Phillips, executive director of the Grain Growers of Canada. With federal spending cuts looming, farm groups want the Harper government to consider plowing royalties from existing crop varieties developed by Agriculture Canada scientists into the department’s research budget, Phillips told the Grain Industry Symposium. “That’s worth about $5 million to $6 million a year,” he said. “We need to find other ways to get agriculture research funding.” Farmers also need to get research companies to pay more attention to improving wheat varieties, said Phillips. Restoring federal agriculture research funding to 1994 levels, when it was cut by the Chrétien government, would require an annual injection of an additional $26 million for 10 years, he said. In recent years, the government has focused on joint ventures with university and private researchers, said Phillips, adding

governments and farmers need to realize competition in agriculture research is now more between countries than private companies. Increased use of public-private partnerships, known as P3s, is one promising possibility, Phillips said.

“We need to find other ways to get agriculture research funding.” Richard Phillips

Executive director of the Grain Growers of Canada

The Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) provides $1.2 million annually for research into better corn, wheat and soybean crops, said Don Kenny, the organization’s president. The funding has attracted additional federal and industry research dollars, and resulted in 10 new soybean varieties, one new wheat and one oat crop, he said. “We need to double our research and we want to work with groups from Quebec

and Atlantic Canada. We have regionally different crops and production systems.” A top concern for GFO is replacing all the scientists who are nearing retirement age, he said. Every $1 invested in agriculture research generates $20 in benefits but much more research is needed, said Keith Degenhardt, chairman of the Western Grain Research Foundation. “We’re lagging behind other countries, which are spending $8 on it for every $1 we are,” said Degenhardt, who also voiced support for P3s. Canada is losing ground to other countries, said Lorne Hepworth, president of CropLife Canada. “Canada has to work on becoming a more attractive place to invest for seed companies to invest in,” he said. “We need a predictable sciencebased regulatory system along with an effective intellectual property system.” When China and Brazil catch up to North America on corn production per acre, “we’re going to see a lot more competition,” said Hepworth. “Australia and the United States are already well ahead of us.”

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

BRIEFS

Canola board elections STAFF / Manitoba canola growers elected Huge Drake of Elkhorn, Jack Froese of Winkler, Dale Gryba of Gilbert Plains and Clayton Harder of Winnipeg to represent them on the Manitoba Canola Growers Association board of directors. There were 8,983 ballots mailed out in the election this fall with 1.512 valid envelopes returned. The vote was conducted by Meyers Norris and Penny using a mail-in preferential voting system that allowed producers to rank the candidates in order of preference. Candidates were required to win more than 50 per cent of the active votes in any particular count to win one of the four available positions. There were five candidates running. Brad Michaleski of Dauphin was the unsuccessful candidate.

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CFGA receives promotion funds

STAFF / The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association has received $85,000 from the federal government to help with promoting Canadian forage products internationally. “This funding will help us focus on markets such as the U.S., China and the Middle East,” said CFGA executive director Wayne Digby. In 2010, Canada exported more than $90 million worth of hay and forage products to over 20 different countries. Canada is the thirdlargest exporter of forages in the world, and has approximately 10 per cent of the world market share. The funds were provided through the federal AgriMarketing program.

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MTS fibre optic network expands

MTS is extending its nextgeneration fibre optic network to four more Manitoba communities in 2012, the company announced Dec. 20. Customers in Neepawa, Minnedosa, Killarney and Carberry will soon have access to MTS Ultimate TV and faster Internet speeds as the company brings its fibreto-the-home network (FiON) to town. The next-generation network supplies more bandwidth directly into customers homes providing support for current phone and Internet services and laying the ground work for expanded ones. Customers on MTS’s fibre optic network will also have access to MTS Ultimate TV and a new suite of highspeed Internet products with speeds up to 25 Mbps and potential future speeds of over 100 Mbps. MTS Ultimate TV is currently available to 95 per cent of Winnipeg households, and in Brandon, Portage la Prairie and a growing number of homes in Selkirk, Steinbach and Dauphin.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

Professor says farmers and ranchers are “an endangered species” Roger Epp says industrial farming won’t revive rural communities, or provide food security to cities By Shannon VanRaes co-operator staff

he rural landscape is changing, and not for the better. “Farm and ranch people are an endangered species, without the benefit of protective legislation,” Roger Epp told farmers attending a recent grazing conference in Winnipeg. “Their habitat has also become subject to persistent encroachment over time.” Agriculture and rural life on the Prairies were once so closely intertwined, they were seen as inseparable — but that view has changed, said Epp, a political scientist and author of We are All Treaty People: Prairie Essays and a co-editor of Writing Off the Rural West. “Increasingly, experts and policy-makers are tempted to disconnect the future of rural communities from the future of agriculture, because they see these paths diverging,” he said.

Profound shift

That is a profound shift, said Epp, a professor at the University of Alberta and founding dean of its Augustana Campus in Camrose. There was a time when national policy saw Prairie settlement as integral to grain production, he said. To that end, a national railway sys-

tem was developed, treaties signed, experimental farms set up, and immigrants recruited. That view changed in the 1960s, specifically in 1969 when a federal report followed the American lead pointing to larger farms and a move away from the “homestead” model, said Epp. Since that time the number of farms and farm families has dwindled across Canada. According to Statistics Canada, the number of farmers dropped by 40 per cent between 1998 and 2001. “Rural Canada, especially r ural Wester n Canada, is in trouble,” he said. “The m o s t s t r i k i n g d i s a p p e a rance for me, as I look at it, is not the disappearances of the... country grain elevator, which didn’t take very long, it’s the disappearance of the farmers.” Today, government’s focus is shifting away from producers and towards production, and that’s not a good thing for farmers, said Epp.

Moral duty

He pointed to the current attention on how global food production needs to be ramped up in order to feed a burgeoning population and rising middle class. That issue shouldn’t be used to justify a push towards even larger farms, lower margins and further rural depopulation, he said.

“The most striking disappearance for me, as I look at it, is not the disappearances of the... country grain elevator, which didn’t take very long, it’s the disappearance of the farmers.” roger epp

Roger Epp speaks to farmers and ranchers about the future of rural communities. Photo: Shannon VanRaes

“Sometimes this is dressed up in moral terms,” he said. “There is an obligation on the part of farmers to feed a hungry world — to pick a phrase out of the air — it sounds like a corporate slogan.” Fa r m e r s n e e d t o s t o p thinking of themselves as “producers” and start thinking more about local food production, he said. The yield difference between industrial farm operations and smaller farms is negligible, and local production is key to creating food security and bringing people back to the rural landscape, he said. “A shift towards local pro-

duction, not as a fad, not as a solution (with a) capital S, but as a way of helping to tilt the balance away from this single-minded, long-distance, few-processing-point system,” said the professor.

Local food

I n C a m r o s e, E p p s p e a rheaded a program to use locally produced food in the university cafeteria, which required creating demand, developing value chains and working creatively in a colder environment. It didn’t happen overnight, but two years later the cafeteria is sourcing 80 per cent of its food from local farmers. “It is possible,” he said.

Farmers should be able to make a decent profit without having to have massive operations, said Epp, noting that while farmers’ share of profits has fallen in recent years, those of agribusiness have increased steadily. It’s n o s m a l l t a s k , b u t farmers and ranchers need to address the future of rural communities and farming now, before another generation slips away, he said. “Who will own the countryside? Who will produce food? Who will have access to farm knowledge and on what terms,... who will care f o r t h e l a n d ? ” s a i d Ep p. “These are the questions of food security, and they are questions we need to ask.” shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

news

Doug Connery passes

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staff / Well-known Manitoba vegetable farmer and industry leader Doug Connery died Dec. 15 after suffering a heart attack. The 56-year-old owner of Connery Riverdale Farms near Portage la Prairie was a director of Peak of the Market, past president of the Vegetable Growers Association of Manitoba, past president of the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC), and human resources chair of the CHC. He was named Manitoba’s Young Farmer of the Year in 1990. Connery was also president of the Delta Beach Association and was a director of the Association of Lake Manitoba Stakeholders. Connery was catapulted into the national limelight in the spring of 2011 when the provincial government opted to divert Assiniboine River flood waters across his farmland southeast of Portage in a bid to avoid a downstream breach of dikes along the river.

South Korea market a step closer reuters / South Korea has taken a “major step” to ending an eight-year-old ban on imports of Canadian beef, Canada’s agriculture and trade ministers said Dec. 30. The South Korean Parliament has ratified import health requirements for Canadian beef under 30 months of age, one of the final steps to ending the ban, the ministers said in a release. South Korea is the last major beef-importing country to agree to lower its restrictions on Canadian beef, since a 2003 case of mad cow disease (BSE) in Canada. “This has been a long journey and today’s announcement is a big step forward for our hard-working beef producers to once again bring their world class product to the South Korean marketplace,” said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. Canada is the world’s third-biggest beef shipper and in 2002, prior to the ban, South Korea was Canada’s fourth-biggest beef market.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

DOUBLE DOG DARE — OR NOT

Rise aBove gRassy weeds look no FuRtheR than

laddeR

City dog Farley wasn’t sure what to do with the cat he had cornered in the window frame. After trying unsuccessfully to spook it, he walked away in search of something more exciting to chase. PHOTO: JEANNETTE GREAVES

Councils survey the cost for missing markers Municipalities must pay half of the cost for missing survey markers By Daniel Winters CO-OPERATOR STAFF

ural municipalities would like to know who is messing with their survey markers. A recent Association of Manitoba Municipalities resolution calls on the province to amend legislation so local governments can keep tabs on the markers. Currently, if survey monuments are disturbed or missing due to construction or oilfield work, the municipalities have no way of knowing who did it, said Mike Dillabough, a councillor with the RM of Winchester. “What other business do you know of that they send you a bill and you pay it, even though you don’t actually know who called for the original survey,” said Dillabough. Surveys cost up to $1,500 per day for a full crew travelling out from Winnipeg, and the provincial Survey Monument Restoration Program only reimburses municipalities for half the cost of such work, said Wayne Leeman, director of surveys. (Survey monuments demarcating section corners in Manitoba are typically metal rods three to four feet long with markings showing the date it was placed, and the section, township and range.) Tom Campbell, of the RM of Albert, said his council has passed a bylaw to recover the rest of it from the “perpetrators,” but without client names and information, they don’t know who to charge for the cost. “If we knew who was ordering the survey work, we’d send the bill directly to them,” said Campbell. “I totally believe that the people who order a survey should pay for it, not the taxpayer.” The costs can be considerable. Debbie McMechan, of the RM of Edward, said in her area, where the oil industry is booming, the cost of survey monument restoration can top $25,000 a year. “Lots of times, the oil compa-

A typical Manitoba survey marker. PHOTO: DANIEL WINTERS

nies are quite willing to reimburse us for the cost if we only could approach them on it,” she said. But there’s a high degree of secrecy surrounding oilfield exploration, said Cas Manitowich, deputy examiner of surveys with the provincial Land Titles Office. “It’s very secret stuff,” he said. “It’s to the point that one company won’t hire a surveyor if he knows that surveyor has worked for a competitor.” That makes surveyors reluctant to provide details apart from whether it was an oil company, government agency, or a private individual subdividing a piece of property. Typically, missing or incorrectly placed markers are discovered during a survey, so the crew replaces them and sends the municipality a bill, he said. Monuments are supposed to be placed every half-mile on the landscape, but some of them may be 100 years old and have faded, or have been obliterated by farm, road or ditch work. “Nobody knows who is going out to do what, and when they find these things missing, they just restore them,” said Manitowich. “They (municipalities) get a bill for $10,000 to $15,000 and they have no idea what it’s for. It just shows up.” daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

WEATHER VANE

Weather now for next week.

Get the Manitoba Co-operator mobile app and get local or national forecast info. Download the free app at agreader.ca/mbc

H A LOES A ROUND THE SUN OR MOON INDIC ATE A R A IN OR SNOW RE A L SOON.

Dry pattern to continue, but with cooler temperatures Issued: Monday, January 2, 2012 · Covering: January 4 – January 11, 2012 Daniel Bezte Co-operator contributor

t looks like this forecast period will start off on the mild side, but if the longrange models are correct it could be the last mild weather we see for a while. Low pressure tracking across the northern Prairies will bring a mild flow of southerly air during the middle and later part of this week. Under this flow we should see temperatures running at or even above the usual temperature range for this time of the year. By the weekend the low will have pushed off to the east and we’ll then see our winds switch to the north or northwest. This will allow colder air to move in. High temperatures over the weekend will likely be in the -10 to -15 C range with overnight lows in the low -20s. Another area of low pressure is then forecast to track across the central Prairies early next week. With this low

taking a slightly more southern track there will be a better chance of seeing some light snow with this system. Temperatures will warm up a bit as the system tracks in our direction, but again the more southerly track will limit the warming. Behind this system the weather models show a large area of arctic high pressure dropping southward. As this high builds in we’ll see clearing skies along with much cooler temperatures. By late next week I wouldn’t be surprised if we see the first -30 C reading of the winter. If you are dreading the appearance of really cold weather it should be noted that not all of the models show this, so confidence in this part of the forecast is not that high. Usual temperature range for this period: Highs, -22 to -5 C. Lows, -32 to -14 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.

WEATHER MAP - WESTERN CANADA

This issue’s map shows the snow cover across the Prairies as of Jan. 1. This map is created by Environment Canada, but I do a fair bit of work cleaning up the map to make it easier to read. Because of this, the map should only be taken as giving approximate amounts of snow because snowfall can vary greatly over short distances. I also shifted the focus of the map a little eastward, as snow conditions over western Alberta are so variable as to make them nearly impossible to accurately map.

Will we finally see some cold? Expect near-average temperatures with the possibility of some significant snow By Daniel Bezte CO-OPERATOR CONTRIBUTOR

hristmas has come and g o n e, D e c e m b e r h a s c o m e a n d g o n e, a n d 2011 is done, so we have a lot of weather to recap! In this issue we’ll only have room to discuss this December’s weather and then look ahead to see what January’s weather might be like. In the following issue we’ll take a look back at 2011 and highlight some of the interesting weather events that impacted our part of the world and then expand that to look at some of the most significant weather events that happened globally in 2011. No matter where you were across the Prair ies dur ing December, you would have experienced pretty much the same type of weather: warm a n d d r y, a t l e a s t re l a t i v e to what we would normally expect December to be like. Every single station I checked reported temperatures well above the long-term average for the month. In Manitoba, both Winnipeg and Brandon re p o r t e d a m e a n m o n t h l y temperature of -8.3 C, a good 6 C above the long-term average. While it was a very warm month it didn’t even come

close to the all-time warmest December on record, which occurred back in 1997, with a mean monthly temperature of -3.7 C. But it was still a very warm month, coming in as the fifth-warmest December on record. If we thought it was warm across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alber ta w e r e e v e n w a r m e r. B o t h Regina and Saskatoon re p o r t e d a m e a n m o n t h l y temperature of -6.3 C, nearly 8 C above the long-term average. In Alberta, Edmonton re p o r t e d a m e a n m o n t h l y temperature in December of -5.4 C, while Calgary came in at -1.5 C. Both of those readings were about 6 C above average. No t o n l y w a s De c e m b e r very mild, it was also very dry. With the exception of Calgary, all major centres reported fewer than 10 millimetres of water equivalent, with most sites reporting fewer than five. Combine these light amounts of snow with the mild temperatures and you end up with very little snow cover. Now, if you remember back about a month or so, all the talk was about how cold and snowy this winter was going to be. While there is still a lot of winter left, and we might

still see cold, snowy conditions, the big question is, why did we not see the cold and snow during December? The answer lies with what’s known as the Arctic Oscillation. This is a close relative to the more well-known North Atlantic Oscillation, and it all ties into differences in pressure between a semipermanent area of low pressure near Iceland and a region of high pressure in the subtropical Atlantic known as the Azores High. When there is a large difference in pressure it is said to be in a positive phase and this usually results in warmer temperatures across central and eastern North America. This is exactly what we exper ienced dur ing December. The Arctic Oscillation was in an extremely positive phase, almost the complete opposite of what we saw last winter when it was in an extreme record-breaking negative phase. This allows for warm air to remain in place over our region, keeping the cold air bottled up north. The next big question is, will this pattern remain for the rest of the winter or will it become neutral or even negative, bringing the cold and snow everyone has been promising?

Except for Calgary, all major Prairie centres reported fewer than 10 millimetres of water equivalent, with most sites reporting fewer than five.

Who called it?

Before we look at that, we have to see who correctly predicted the warm, dr y December weather. Looking back, it appears that it was us here at the Co-operator who correctly called for mild and dry conditions. Both the Old Farmer’s Almanac and Canadian Farmers’ Almanac called for either near-average or below-average temperatures and near- or aboveaverage amounts of snowfall. Unfortunately, I realize now that I forgot to include Environment Canada’s predictions for December, so perhaps we would have been tied for an accurate prediction… but I guess we’ll never know. Sorry, EC! N o w, o n t o J a n u a r y ’s weather outlook. According to Environment Canada, the southern parts of the Prairies will see near-average temperatures during the month,

while northern regions will see below-average conditions. Both almanacs call for belowaverage temperatures during January, along with near- to above-average amounts of snow. F i n a l l y, h e r e a t t h e Co-operator, I am calling for near-average temperatures dur ing the month. After a warm start we’ll see the coldest temperatures of the season move in to bring our first really cold snap. This cold snap will last about a week b e f o re m i l d e r c o n d i t i o n s move back in. Along with the cold temperatures moving in, we’ll have a chance of seeing some significant snow as we transition from the mild to cold conditions. Should this happen we’ll also see near- to slightly above-average amounts of snow. If we miss out once again, snowfall will be below average for the month.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

CROPS

Staff

Lee Moats, a longtime fan of winter wheat, says its combined sustainability and profitability factors give the crop a strong future. By Lorraine Stevenson CO-OPERATOR STAFF

hen Lee Moats’ grandfather began farming in 1910, near Riceton, Sask., the soil was rich and fertile, and required little more than occasional summerfallow to produce bountiful crops of wheat and other cereal grains. Moats’ father was a wheat grower too, although by the 1960s, the soil’s fertility was running low. Today, as the third generation to farm these 2,660 acres, Moats and wife Laurie have changed the way they farm and put their focus on restoring soil fertility. “My parents and my grandparents lived off that inherent soil fertility,” Moats said in a presentation at the recent Canadian Wheat Symposium in Winnipeg. “That’s quite a change from the farm we have now. Now it’s all about nitrogen. My dad ran out and he had to look at building his soil back up. And we’ve spent considerable effort trying to do the same thing. Much of what we do seems to reflect where the fertility is coming from. It’s one of the key limiting factors.” The Moats have been zero-tillage farmers for over 20 years and employ a much more diversified

rotation of grains, oilseeds and pulse crops. The latter now make up anywhere from 25 to 40 per cent of their annual acreage. The other big change on their farm is that they no longer grow hard red spring wheat. A wheat midge infestation in 1990 was the “tipping point” on their decision to quit growing it, said Moats. Wheat was simply no longer profitable to grow. “We felt we had to go a different direction,” he said. That new direction was winter wheat, which they had first grown about five years earlier. Now a mainstay and a profitable one, its longterm yield averages 47 bushels per acre. “We grow winter wheat for a whole bunch of reasons that are profitability oriented, and for reasons that aren’t,” said Moats. For example, the couple has found winter wheat mitigates their weather risk. “It’s been great in wet years when we can get it in the ground in the fall, because then we’re not out there in the spring struggling to plant those acres,” Moats said. This past year, he saw winter wheat again play an important hedge against weather. After an August 6 hailstorm decimated

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what little crop they’d managed to get sown after spring flooding, Moats decided to seed winter wheat directly into their sodden hail-damaged canola. It proved to be the silver lining in one of their worst farming years in memory, as their winter wheat flourished in the near recordwarm September that followed. “It gave us one of the best establishment years we’ve had on wheat,” he said. “This year it was exceptional.” They’re now hoping for an insulating snow cover to help the winter wheat successfully overwinter. Time management is also key for the Moats, who only recently began farming full time after working off farm for nearly 30 years. “At 2,660 acres, our farm is not big by today’s standards, but when you’re working full time you have to make time everywhere you can,” he said. “Winter wheat has played a big role in that for us.” Moats said he believes winter wheat has a bright future. “Winter wheat has the potential to be a much more significant player for the wheat business than it is,” he said. “It manages production risk. And that’s about profitability.” lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

AgriStability and AgriInvest administrators have made significant changes to the commodity code lists included in the 2011 forms and guide packages. These changes are part of an ongoing effort to simplify reporting requirements for producers and to remove duplicate or redundant codes, the administration says in a release. Commodity codes are used when completing the AgriStability and AgriInvest application forms to identify sales and purchases of specific commodities. Farmers or accountants are advised to be sure to insert the correct commodity codes when completing applications to avoid unnecessary delays. The revised commodity code list is included in the 2011 forms and guide packages. It can also be found online on the Forms page of the program websites: www.agr. gc.ca/agristability www. agr.gc.ca/agriinvest.

Repayment deadline extended

Manitoba farmers now have an extra year to pay back any program overpayments without interest charges. Agriculture and AgriFood Canada announced Dec. 19 that the interestfree period for overpayments under AgriStability and its predecessor, the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) program, will now run until Jan. 1, 2013.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

Practical fusarium management tips Farmer Neil Galbraith offered insights from the farm level By Allan Dawson co-operator staff

“It doesn’t bother me if I’m a day or two late now... (Because) I still feel I’m getting a benefit.” Neil Galbraith

head blight infections were down. All Galbraith’s wheat graded No. 1 with low FDK, he said. However, Galbraith also applied a fungicide to all his wheat. “I still feel, even though it was hot, I had an economic response,” he said. “The fields all yielded 10 to 15 bushels better than I thought they would. And bushel weight was tremendous — as high as 70 pounds.” What he estimated to be an average of 44 bushels an acre turned out to 49 because of

Minnedosa farmer Neil Galbraith spoke about fusarium head blight management during the 7th Canadian Workshop on Fusarium Head Blight in Winnipeg. photo: allan dawson

the higher bushel weight, he said. “I’ll still use scouting and risk maps and my own experience,” Galbraith said. “I’m not going to spray just for the sake of spraying, but I’ve got

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another year of experience to help me make that decision.” Galbraith seeds only newer wheat varieties offering some tolerance to head blight. He only seeds on ground that had been in oilseeds or pulse crops the year previous. That reduces the threat from leaf diseases, allowing Galbraith to focus his fungicide application on preventing head blight. Drainage is important and that’s affected by topography. Galbraith’s fields are rolling. The low areas can be wet. Excess moisture both weakens the crop and delays maturity relative to the rest of the field, making it more difficult when deciding the best time to spray. Galbraith tries to seed his wheat early and does all he can to encourage fast, even emergence. Quick emergence generally means a more robust crop. To that end he treats his seed and sows it just a half-inch to one inch deep. He credits his air seeder with assisting in achieving proper seed placement. Even emergence leads to more even maturity, which again is critical for timing a fungicide application. Galbraith also boosts his seeding rate, which results in less tillering and more even maturity. Galbraith applies all his fertilizer — nitrogen and granular phosphate — at seeding time. It ensures the nutrients are immediately available, which allows the crop to make the best use of them. Galbraith also has his own high-clearance sprayer. “That’s pretty much a given if you’re going to do this,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to rely on a custom applicator with that narrow of a window (for applying fungicides).” allan@fbcpublishing.com

eil Galbraith takes an integrated approach to managing fusarium head blight on his farm at Minnedosa. He shared his techniques at the 7th Canadian Workshop on Fusarium Head Blight in Winnipeg recently. Mo s t o f t h e c o n f e re n c e speakers were scientists often delivering highly technical information. Galbraith provided a view from the field. W h e a t va r i e t y s e l e c t i o n , seeding date, field topography, rotation and fungicides are key, he said later in an interview. So are experience and attitude. And one affects the other. “Practice makes perfect,” Galbraith said. “If you do this enough times you get better at it.” Galbraith admits he used to be hung up on the timing of a

fungicide application aimed at protecting his wheat from fusarium head blight, a fungal disease that can cut wheat quality and yield. So much so that if the wheat was a day or two past early flowering, the optimum stage for application, which lasts only a day to three days depending on the weather, he wouldn’t spray. “It d o e s n’t b o t h e r m e i f I’m a day or two late now... (Because) I still feel I’m getting a benefit.” It’s a lesson he learned in 2010 — a year when head blight was epidemic in his area. “I did some fungicides that year but it was a mistake that I didn’t do all the fields,” he said. The fields that were sprayed graded No. 1 or 2, while the ones that weren’t, graded No. 3 and feed due the level of fusarium-damaged kernels (FDK). In 2011, it turned out hot and dry after a wet spring and

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

CWB final payments for 2010-11 Staff

he Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) has issued final payments to farmers for the wheat, durum wheat and barley they delivered to the CWB pools during the 201011 crop year. These payments represent the balance of the money owing to farmers after

their grain has been marketed through the CWB pools, and after operating costs have been deducted. The total payment is based on the value of grain in store at Vancouver or the St. Lawrence. A complete listing of payments for all grades in dollars per tonne and dollars per bushel is posted at www.cwb.ca.

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Learn from every safety incident on the farm Near misses are a free warning when it comes to safety on the farm By Theresa Whalen CANADIAN AGRICULTURAL SAFETY ASSOCIATION

Farming and ranching can be a dangerous occupation. That’s why it is so important to track and check each safety incident and learn from it — so that you can prevent it from happening again. The Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting program (CAIR) reports an average of 115 people are killed by farm-related incidents every year, with at least 1,500 hospitalized. In 2006, a total of 13,801 Canadian farms reported one or more medically treated or lost time injuries, reports Statistics Canada. To h e l p p r o d u c e r s develop an incident trackand-check process, a new farm management tool called the Canada FarmSafe Plan has been developed by the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association. T h e Ca n a d a Fa r m Sa f e Plan supports the theme Pl an • Far m • Saf ety, a three-year focus for the Canadian agricultural safety campaign. In 2010, the campaign promoted “Plan” with safety walkabouts and planning for safety. This year, the focus is on “Farm” including implementation, documentation and training. And in 2012, emphasis will be on “Safety” including assessment, improvement and further development of safety systems. A free download of the core Canada FarmSafe Plan is available at www. planfarmsafety.ca. “Ne a r m i s s e s a re f re e w a r n i n g s ,” s a i d Ro n Bonnett, president of the Ca n a d i a n Fe d e ra t i o n o f Agriculture. “You need to understand what happened, learn from it, and take all

necessary actions to ensure it doesn’t happen again.” The primary function of a farm safety incident investigation is to determine the root cause of the incident. To understand this, you need to find out: the immediate events leading up to it; what contributed to the incident such as unsafe actions or conditions, maintenance, operator training, external influences (weather, distraction, stress, etc.); the root causes that set the stage such as inadequate safety policies, procedures, maintenance or attitudes. Consider all possible influencing factors. Talk to anyone who was involved with or who saw the incident. Make note of their answers to these six questions: • Who was involved? • Where did the incident happen? • When did it happen? • What were the immediate causes? • Why did the incident happen (root cause)? • How can a similar incident be prevented? All the information gathered should be summarized, reviewed by the worker(s) i n vo l ve d a n d s i g n e d by each to confirm accuracy. A copy of the report should be offered to the worker(s) involved. Keep the original on file in a confidential manner for at least three years. The final and most important step in tracking and checking a farm safety incident is correcting the cause of the incident. This may require changes to the process, facility, equipment or level of training required to do the task in order to reduce the risk of this type of incident happening again.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

Ranchers not fooled by rainy cycle Keeping the ranch going through soggy times takes some creative thinking — and a good sense of humour By Lorraine Stevenson co-operator staff

ne Interlake farm family is developing a rubber management strategy — one that bounces back in wet times or dry — for dealing with weather extremes. Don Green even joked about the new “Interlake cowboy boot,” made of rubber of course, as he shared his approach to dealing with the wet cycle of the past three years. The Fisher Branch rancher said his family farm has switched to growing perennial forages better adapted to a variety of growing conditions, feed testing supplies, and developing a more flexible harvest system, which is a plan he thinks might also stand the farm in good stead when the dry times inevitably return. “Flexibility is key,” he said, during a session at Manitoba Grazing School 2011. “It can be wet or it can be dry. We have no idea what the future holds.” Green’s G7 Ranch includes a cow-calf operation of 1,000 cows with calves backgrounded on homegrown forage rations. Perennial forages have been the mainstay for producing feed for their cattle, but with their main hay crop, alfalfa pretty much gone, they’ve had to make up for that loss in their hay and pasture stands. That’s meant tweaking their forage mixes to adapt to the wetter conditions. They’ve made some discoveries along the way. They found that tall fescue seeded not only tolerated flooded fields and salinity, but reseeded itself in wet conditions, Green said. Now, thick and vigorous stands exist where

alfalfa, brome and even timothy disappeared. “It just kept getting thicker and thicker through the wet conditions. So that was nice.” They also saw thriving volunteer stands of alsike clover develop, and have now added it at a small inclusion rate (10 per cent for hayfields and 20 per cent in pastures). “We consider it a substitute for alfalfa in the low-lying areas,” Green said. Haying season was another challenge. Seeking alternatives to putting up dry hay, they bought a self-loading forage wagon which allowed them to put up silage even in very wet weather. “It’s been a very effective tool,” he said. He’s done cost comparisons and “it’s probably as cheap per ton as baling,” he added. Meanwhile, making feed with decimated forage quality was another major issue to deal with the last three years. “I was shocked when we got our feed tests back (in 2010),” Green said. “Our best hay in 2010 was worse than our timothy straw in 2011, that’s what we were dealing with.” Supplementation has been critical, and for that they’ve used barley, forage and hemp screenings, grain screening pellets and DDGs, he said. Other speakers described broadcast seeding, using crops such as annual ryegrass seeded with barley and oats, greenfeed for fall grazing, wintersown annuals, and cover crops with legumes for soaking up excess moisture as well as fixing nitrogen. Tim Clarke, a livestock and forage specialist with MAFRI

Soil moisture maps for Western Canada added a new category in 2010 — super wet — meaning two feet or more of precipitation. photo: lorraine stevenson

who also farms in the northwest Interlake, said they’ve been left with about half as many acres in alfalfa as they had in 2008. He made a management decision to try and grow as many tons of alfalfa off the remaining acres by fertilizing heavily, he said. C l a rk e a d d e d h e’s b e e n impressed with what annual ryegrass does in a wet fall.

“The message from the distant past is perhaps even more disturbing than what we’re facing right now.” Paul Bulloch U of M professor

MCGA, MPGA, NSAC and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives

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Cut in early August in 2010 and rained on throughout the rest of that month and into September, it had excellent regrowth, Clarke said. “It grew between 10 and 18 inches in 35 days that fall. So we got quite a bit of fall grazing out of it.” Interestingly, Clarke added, for all their struggles and deliberations these past three years dealing with wet conditions, the north Interlake is actually more prone to drought, with hay shortages usually resulting from dry rather than wet conditions. That was a point made by another grazing school speaker, who said, hard as it is to believe in years like we’ve seen recently Western Canada is still a semiarid area. Over the longer term, aver-

Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre 1808 Wellington Ave, Winnipeg Wednesday will feature Dr. Patrick Moore - A founder of the environment movement and known as The Sensible Environmentalist, Dr. Patrick Moore reveals the myths and misinformation that distort current environmental debates. An informed, provocative speaker, Dr. Moore’s persuasively argues for us to rethink our conventional wisdom about environmental challenges, and in so doing, provides the audience with new ways in which to see the world. Michael Krueger from The Money Farm will be delivering a marketing address on Thursday. For more information, visit www.manitobaspecialcrops.ca

lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

Viterra signs service deals with railways The new agreements will increase efficiency for grain movement in Western Canada By Commodity News Service Canada

February 8 and 9, 2012

age annual precipitation has not kept up with average annual evaporation, said Paul Bulloch, a University of Manitoba professor in the department of soil science. The region is currently experiencing an extreme weather cycle and these extreme fluctuations call for different crop management options and strategies, Bulloch said. Things could be worse, and they have been. There is evidence of droughts in this part of the world lasting 20 and 30 years. “We’ve had cycles in the past, going back a long ways,” he said. “The message from the distant past is perhaps even more disturbing than what we’re facing right now.”

Viterra Inc., has signed service agreements with Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway which will help increase efficiency for grain movement in Western Canada, the company announced in two separate press releases December 19. The agreement with CN will see Viterra work with the railway to review supply chain key performance indicators, co-operate on planning and forecasting, and address supply chain issues in a timely manner. “At CN, we know that what gets measured can be improved,” said Claude Mongeau, president and chief executive officer of CN in a release. “We believe our innovative agreement with Viterra will lead to greater sup-

ply chain efficiency, from the Canadian Prairie elevators, to the export vessels. With CP, the agreement will allow the two companies to work together to ensure supply chain reliability and improve service for both farmers and export customers, according to the release. “Through our scheduled grain service, enhanced systems for car request management, new productivity tools, and customer service agreements, CP is further redefining its models for service reliability and operational efficiency,” said Jane O’Hagan, CP’s EVP and chief marketing officer in a release. “The results of this work are leading to increased carrying capacity for the railway to the mutual benefit of customers such as Viterra and the entire grain-handling system.”

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

Grit leader says farmers need simplified flood compensation Jon Gerrard calls for changes in the wake of the 2011 flood By Shannon VanRaes CO-OPERATOR STAFF

iberal Leader Jon Gerrard has released a selfauthored report on the 2011 flood that calls for a full and independent review of how it was handled. In his report, Gerrard makes 33 recommendations and offers seven “main” conclusions, while accusing the province of providing inadequate warning and support to those in the Lake Winnipeg area. “This was the most widespread flood in the province’s history and the most costly in the history of the province,” said the River Heights MLA. The 2011 flood has cost $815 million to date. But a provincial spokesperson said an independent review is already in the works. “Manitoba has already committed to an independent review of the 2011 flood with a view to improving our flood response for the future,” said Jean-Marc Prévost, a spokesman for Emergency Measures Minister Steve Ashton. “We planned for this review as soon as the massive scope of the flood became apparent, just as we have done after every major flood in the province’s history.” Details of the independent review are expected to be announced in early 2012, he said. The Liberal report calls for a “single-window approach” to how compensation claims are handled for farmers. “One of the concerns people expressed to me, particularly in the farm community, is that they would go to agriculture, or they would go to the Emergency Measures office, and it was difficult to have everything dealt with at one place,” said Gerrard. “What I have heard is sometimes you’ve got non-farm businesses, which are treated differently from farm businesses, and sometimes you’ve got farming where there are

“Talk about falling through the cracks — my building was demolished in October, it’s somewhere in a landfill now. I had to call and ask last week to make sure that my claim number and all my paperwork wasn’t lost because I haven’t heard a thing.” DENNIS TUREK

issues related to compensation, and we’ve got farmers who have got homes and cottages as well.” Gerrard said a joint secretariat between Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, and the Emergency Measures Organization could be formed to handle the proposed single-window system, and work to ensure no applicant “falls through the cracks.” Twin Lakes Beach resident Dennis Turek joined Gerrard for the report’s release at the Manitoba legislature. Turek said he feels the system has failed him, adding the human story behind the flood has been forgotten. “It was a life-altering event and that is being missed,” he told reporters. “Talk about falling through the cracks — my building was demolished in October, it’s somewhere in a landfill now. I had to call and ask last week to make sure that my claim number and all my paperwork wasn’t lost because I haven’t heard a thing.” He said when he did speak to someone about his claim, he was told appraisers were having difficulty finding another property to compare his to because it was so unique. Gerrard said he compiled his report based on conversations with flood-affected Manitobans, such as Turek.

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shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

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Twin Lakes Beach resident Dennis Turek is flanked by Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard (l) and Jack King at the Manitoba legislature as he expresses his disappointment in how the 2011 flood was handled. PHOTO: SHANNON VANRAES

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ADVICE Roundup Ready® is a registered trademark used under license from Monsanto Company Pioneer® and the Trapezoid symbol are registered trademarks of Pioneer Hi-Bred.

S OPPORTUNITIE

AC C E S S

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

BioBaler makes its western Canadian debut Machine harvests forest regrowth to produce woody bales similar in appearance to hay bales By Tony Kryzanowski FBC CONTRIBUTOR

our eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. That really is a round baler being pulled behind a tractor through a juvenile hardwood stand and creating round bales. Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC) researchers recently demonstrated the “BioBaler,” a patented juvenile-hardwood baling system developed originally by Agriculture and AgriFood Canada in collaboration with the CWFC and Laval University in Quebec City. The system requires no additional special equipment and the BioBaler can be pulled by a standard 200-horsepower tractor to produce wood-fibre round bales, weighing between 250 and 400 kilograms, that are similar in appearance to straw ones. The BioBaler, which is now being manufactured commercially by Quebec company Anderson Group Inc., is suited

for stands containing fibre with stems no larger than 10 to 12 centimetres thick. The round bales can then be loaded onto a flatbed truck for transport, just like straw or hay bales, or stored on site to dry even when exposed to the elements. “That’s what we think is key to using this technology,” says Tim Keddy, CWFC’s wood-fibre development specialist. “Outside of the baler itself, there’s no new infrastructure needed for a farmer or forestry business to run this operation and it gives farmers use of their equipment at different times of the year when it would be sitting idle.” Creating this sort of valueadded biomass product is important to forestry companies, which increasingly rely on green fuel or creating raw material for production of bioproducts in their business model. According to Anderson Group, each bale contains about one megawatt per hour of energy,

depending on the type of vegetation. The BioBaler can produce up to 40 bales per hour on plantations and 15 to 18 bales per hour in natural environments. It can handle different species of shrubs and trees and be transported from one field to another without special regulations. The bales can be stacked on a conventional 53-foot-long trailer, with about 40 bales per load, handled with standard equipment at the receiving site, and because of their dimensions, easily stored in the field or at a power plant site. They also dry naturally, which is important for energy production. It takes about eight weeks of warm weather post-harvest to decrease moisture content from 50 to 55 per cent to between 20 and 25 per cent. The BioBaler is versatile, and able to produce bales from natural forests, under power lines, and in short-rotation wood crops.

The BioBaler can be pulled by a standard 200-horsepower tractor to produce wood-fibre round bales, weighing between 250 and 400 kilograms, that are similar in appearance to straw ones.

Power for the grid

Alberta Pacific Forest Industries (Al-Pac), a large pulp producer in Athabasca, has asked CWFC to use the BioBaler as part of a study to identify possible options for acquiring an additional 50,000 green tonnes annually of biomass from existing regenerating managed

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aspen stands. The company already uses 500,000 green tonnes in its boiler, with about 75 per cent coming from wood residues collected from its woodyard. The biomass fuel is used to generate power for the pulp mill, as well as for the provincial grid. Upgrades made to the Al-Pac boiler will require an additional 50,000 green tonnes of biomass to be consumed annually. CWFC is harvesting fibre from managed stands ranging from less than 15,000 stems per hectare, between 15,000 and 25,000 stems per hectare, and more than 25,000 stems per hectare to evaluate the most economical sites and harvesting methods. The sites were harvested last winter and the bales hauled to the pulp mill. Post-harvest assessment has been completed and researchers are now conducting longterm regeneration assessments on the harvested sites. CWFC will present its findings to Al-Pac this fall. Keddy says the centre has been evaluating a variety of methods to economically harvest juvenile hardwood stands located near forestry operations for nearly a decade. Researchers have also been s t u d y i n g o p t i o n s f o r h a rvesting biomass from power line and pipeline easements where, at present, much of the vegetation is simply mulched on site. Private landowners currently supplying Al-Pac with a portion of their wood supply could also substantially benefit. At present, they are growing aspen trees for pulp, which take about 80 years to grow. However, after that crop is harvested, they could choose to bale the regeneration and produce another cash crop from the site on a much more frequent harvesting cycle. As part of its study for Al-Pac, researchers are evaluating the economics of different removal rates. A control site of no removal is being compared to sites with 50 per cent and 100 per cent removal rates, comparing regeneration, post-harvest growth, and total volume per site. The estimated cost of the machine is between $140,000 and $150,000. For more information on CWFC research related to woody biomass harvesting of juvenile hardwoods from managed stands in the Boreal Plains region and the BioBaler, contact Tim Keddy at (780) 435-7212 or tkeddy@ NRCan.gc.ca, or Derek Sidders at (780) 435-7355 or dsidders@ nrcan.gc.ca.

The 1 Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

The Manitoba Co-Operator | October 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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Signature: _______________________________________________ Published by Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 WINNIPEG OFFICE Manitoba Co-operator 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 Toll-Free in Canada 1-800-782-0794 Phone 204-954-1415 in Winnipeg FAX 204-954-1422 Mailing Address: Box 9800, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3K7

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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tion Privacy Policy, write to: Information Protection Officer, Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1. Occasionally we make our list of subscribers available to other reputable firms whose products and services might be of interest to you. If you would prefer not to receive such offers, please contact us at the address in the preceding paragraph, or call 1-800-782-0794. The editors and journalists who write, contribute and provide opinions to Manitoba Co-operator and Farm Business Communications attempt to provide accurate and useful opinions, information and analysis. However, the editors, journalists and Manitoba Co-operator and Farm Business Communications, cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the editors as well as Manitoba Co-operator and Farm Business Communication assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader for this publication based on any and all information provided.

ADVERTISIng RATES & InfoRMATIon REgulAR ClASSIfIED • Minimum charge — $11.25 per week for first 25 words or less and an additional 45 cents per word for every word over 25. Additional bolding 75 cents per word. GST is extra. $2.50 billing charge is added to billed ads only. • Terms: Payment due upon receipt of invoice. • 10% discount for prepaid ads. If phoning in your ad you must pay with VISA or MasterCard to qualify for discount. • Prepayment Bonus: Prepay for 3 weeks & get a bonus of 2 weeks; bonus weeks run consecutively & cannot be used separately from original ad; additions & changes accepted only during first 3 weeks. • Ask about our Priority Placement. • If you wish to have replies sent to a confidential box number, please add $5.00 per week to your total. Count eight words for your address. Example: Ad XXXX, Manitoba Co-operator, Box 9800, Winnipeg, R3C 3K7. • Your complete name and address must be submitted to our office before publication. (This information will be kept confidential and will not appear in the ad unless requested.) DISplAy ClASSIfIED • Advertising copy deviating in any way from the regular classified style will be considered display and charged at the display rate of $29.40 per column inch ($2.25 per agate line). • Minimum charge $31.50 per week + $5.00 for online per week. • Illustrations and logos are allowed with full border. • Spot color: 25% of ad cost, with a minimum charge of $15.00. • Advertising rates are flat with no discount for frequency of insertion or volume of space used. • Telephone orders accepted • Terms: Payment due upon receipt of invoice. • Price quoted does not include GST. All classified ads are non-commissionable.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

ANTIQUES

AUTO & TRANSPORT

FARM MACHINERY

FARM MACHINERY Loaders & Dozers

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Case/IH

ANTIQUES Antiques For Sale

AUTO & TRANSPORT Auto & Truck Parts

FARM MACHINERY Fertilizer Equipment

FOR SALE: 707 LEON loader w/bucket & hoses, good condition, $3,000 OBO. Phone (204)648-7136.

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.

FERTILIZER SPREADERS 4T, $1,000; 4T stainless, $2,500; 5T, $4,000; 6T, $3,000; 8T, $8,000; 8T Tender, $3,000; 16T Tender, $5,900; PU Sand Spreader, $3,500. Phone (204)857-8403.

FOR SALE: 1066 IH tractor, w/after market 3-PTH, used all last winter & always started good, asking $6,500. Phone (204)435-2431.

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

AUTO & TRANSPORT Trucks

ANTIQUES Antiques Wanted WANTED WILLYS CJ2A JEEP, in any condition. Call Richard, (204)837-3108.

AUCTION DISTRICTS 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.

The Pas

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 2006 DODGE 3500 CUMMINS diesel, saftied, quad cab, 191,000kms, receipts for brakes & front end work, command start, runs great, $24,000. Phone: (204)725-5608, Brandon. 2006 FORD F450 4X2 bus, DSL engine inoperable, 24 passenger, $2,000. Phone (204)795-9192.

BUILDING & RENOVATIONS

Birch River

BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Roofing

Swan River Minitonas Durban

Winnipegosis

Roblin

Dauphin

Grandview

Ashern

Gilbert Plains

Parkland

Birtle

Riverton Eriksdale

McCreary

Lundar

Langruth

Minnedosa

Reston Melita

Neepawa

Gladstone

Brandon

Carberry

Treherne

Killarney

Crystal City

Elm Creek

Sanford

Ste. Anne

Carman

Mariapolis

Pilot Mound

Lac du Bonnet

Beausejour

Winnipeg

Austin

Souris

Boissevain

Stonewall Selkirk

Portage

Westman

Waskada

Interlake

Erickson

Rapid City

Arborg

Gimli

Shoal Lake

Hamiota

Virden

WINTER BLOWOUT!!

Fisher Branch

Ste. Rose du Lac Russell

St. Pierre

242

Morris Winkler Morden

Altona

Steinbach

Red River

FARM MACHINERY Grain Bins 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.

FARM MACHINERY Grain Cleaners

GOT ERGOT?? BARLEY IN YOUR WHEAT?? Get rid of it with a BUHLER SORTEX COLOUR SORTER Call Can-Seed Equipment Ltd. 1-800-644-8397 For details Local Service with the most knowledge

75 truckloads 29 gauge full hard 100,000PSI high tensile roofing & siding. 16 colours to choose from. B-Gr. coloured......................70¢/ft.2 Ask about our blowout colours...65¢/ft.

AUCTION SALES

BEAT THE PRICE INCREASES CALL NOW

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Interlake

FOUILLARD STEEL SUPPLIES LTD.

Buhler Sortex Z+1V Colour Sorter like new! Removes ergot at 150bu/ hr. or more. Monochromatic machine comes with isolation transformer & spare parts.

BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Building Supplies

Blow out priced at $67,000. Call Can-Seed Equipment today 1-800-644-8397

MCSHERRY AUCTION SERVICE LTD

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

Favorite Transport Ltd

BUILDINGS

UNRESERVED INDOOR AUCTION Sat. January 14th @ 10:00am Winnipeg, MB. 111 Cordite Road AUCTION NOTE:Retirement Auction as favorite transport has been operating in Wpg since 1957! The Property & Shop are Sold so Everything Sells UNRESERVED! VIEWING: Jan 5, Jan 12 9:00am - 3:00pm or by appointment. Contact: (204)771-1771

9 Highway Tractors: All Semis saftied, well maintained, 75-90% rubber! 07 Mack Model CHN163, Engine AC 460-P, Wet Kit, 568,392km; 05 Mack Model CXN613, Engine AC460-P, Wet Kit, 687,157km; 04 Western Star, Model 4900, Engine Cat C12, Wet Kit, 662,750km; 01 Western Star Model 5864-55, Engine Cat C12, 1,077,300km; 99 Western Star Model 4864-FX, Engine Cat C12, Wet Kit, 1,117,904km; 99 Western Star, Model 4864-FX, Engine Cat C12, Wet Kit, 1,125,959km; 98 Western Star, Model 4864-FX, Engine Cat 3406, Wet Kit, 922,055 km; 98 Western Star Model 4864-FX, Engine Cat 3406, Wet Kit, 1,010,559 km; 97 Western Star, Model 4864-FX, Engine Cat 3406, Wet Kit, 888,318 km; Tandem & Light Truck: 95 Ford Model LTA 9000 Tandem Cat 3406, w/2011 Midland XL1000, 15ft Gravel B&H, 883,100 SFT; 01 GMC Sierra SLT 2500 4x4, 6L, Crew Cab, 179,000km, Sft. Trailers: All Trailers Saftied & End Dumps; 2011 Canuck RTAC Hard ox 450 Air Ride 27ft Tandem w/Uni Mounts; 08 East RTAC Al 29ft Tandem; 03 Arnes RTAC 27ft Tandem; 98 Arnes RTAC Air Ride 27ft Tandem Tools & Misc: HD Hyd Pres; Drill Press; “Robin Air” R-134A Air Cond Recharging Unit; 6V/12V Booster/Charger; Air Jacks; Hyd Jacks; Power Tools; 1in. Air Impact Gun; “Jet” 3/4 600 lb Torque Wrench; 2-Way Radios; Slip Tank w/12 volt Pump; Bridge Beams up to 25ft; 2in. Water Pump; Transfer Pump; Herman Nelson; Parts off Mack, Western Star; Ford 9000 & Gravel Trailers; 50) Good Used 1100x22.5 Tires; Brake Parts; Trailer Lights; Services; Various Kits. STUART MCSHERRY (204)467-1858 or (204)886-7027 www.mcsherryauction.com

BUILDINGS

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

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

AFAB INDUSTRIES IS YOUR SUPERIOR post frame building company. For estimates and information call 1-888816-AFAB(2322). Website: www.postframebuilding.com

NEW MC DRYERS IN STOCK w/canola screens 300-2,000 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.

CONCRETE FLATWORK: Specializing in place & finish of concrete floors. Can accommodate any floor design. References available. Alexander, MB. 204-752-2069.

FARM MACHINERY Haying & Harvesting – Various

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

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, 3-ft.6-in. beavertail, safetied, $18,500; 1969 Freuhauff low bed, safetied, 8-ft.x18-ft. double drop deck, 30-Ton, 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

1-866-729-9876 5150 Richmond Ave. East BRANDON, MB. www.harvestsalvage.ca New, Used & Re-man. Parts

Tractors Combines Swathers

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, sK. Fax: 306-946-2444

MCSHERRY AUCTION SITE Estate and Moving Sale Saturday, January 7th @ 10:30am Stonewall, MB #12 Patterson Drive. Always a Large Auction. FEATURING: Tools, Construction Scaffolding, Jack Hammers, Household, Many Antiques! Go to Website. STUART MCSHERRY (204)467-1858 or (204)886-7027 www.mcsherryauction.com

Harvest Salvage Co. Ltd.

WATROUS SALVAGE

Multi-coloured millends.........49¢/ft.2

ST. LAZARE, MB. 1-800-510-3303

FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories

Rebuilt Concaves

Rebuild combine table augers Rebuild hydraulic cylinders Roller mills regrooved MFWD housings rebuilt Steel and aluminum welding Machine Shop Service Line boreing and welding

Penno’s Machining & Mfg. Ltd. Eden, MB 204-966-3221 Fax: 204-966-3248

Check out A & I online parts store www.pennosmachining.com

Combines FARM MACHINERY Combine – Case/IH 1995 CASE-IH 2188 COMBINE, 2100 rotor hrs, AFX rotor, new rice tires, very good condition, $45,000. Phone: (204)352-4037, evenings. 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.

FARM MACHINERY Combine – John Deere 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

NEW & USED TRACTOR PARTS NEW COMBINE PARTS Large Inventory of new and remanufactured parts

STEINBACH, MB. Ph. 326-2443 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.

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 FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Air Seeders 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 – Tillage 1991 CCIL 807 35FT deeptiller, complete w/mulchers, gauge wheels, 12in. shovels, excellent condition. Phone: (204)376-5905 or cell (204)641-4175. 1998 42-FT BOURGAULT 9400, 500-lb trips, 4-bar harrows, knockons, hdr-hitch, little use for past 10-yrs, (0-till) Excellent condition. $45,000. Phone:(204)546-3233.

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

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous 70-FT. SUMMERS HEAVY HARROW, $15,000; Phoenix 42/53-ft. harrow, flexheads I-H 820, $2,000; 1020 25-ft., $6,000; 30-ft., $8,500; JD 925, $6,500; 12 wheel rake, $6,000; 14 wheel, $7,000; Vermeer hyd rake, $4,000; NH 9-ft. mower $2,200; IH 9-ft., $1,800; Haybuster 256+2 shredder, 4,000-lb creep feeder, $1,200; Harsh 350 feedmixer cart, $6,000; Roorda feed cart, $2,000; 12-yd. JD scraper, $12,000; Haybuster 106 rockpicker, $2,500. Phone (204)857-8403. 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 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 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)828-3267, 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 MANURE SPREADERS NH 195, $5,500; NH 500bu, $9,000; New Idea 3634, $4,000; H & S 400-bu., $3,500; Gehl scavenger, $2,500; JD 1,500-gal slurry, $2,500; Meyers 550 for poultry horse, sheep manure, $11,900; Henke 36-in. rollermill, $5,000; Farmhand mixmill, $1,500; Allied 2795 loader, $4,500; Dual 340 loader, $2,000; Dual 320 loader, $1,500. Phone (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 & 3/4-inch 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

Combine ACCessories

TracTors

FOR SALE: 1981 KOMATSU D53A dozer w/angle blade, winch, canopy, wide pads 34-in., asking $20,000. Phone (204)239-6690.

FARM MACHINERY Combine – Accessories

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Allis/Deutz

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.

WANTED: GOOD CLEAN V6C Cat w/power shift & angle blade in good running condition. Phone: (204)524-2476.

36FT MACDON DRAPER HEADER, pu reel, $7500; NH adapter $1500. Brian (204)685-2896 or (204)856-6119, MacGregor.

1987 DUETZ 7085 FWA, open-station, 85hp, 5900-hrs, Allied 794 FEL $18,000. (204)525-4521 www.waltersequipment.com

WANTED: GRAIN DRYER GILMORE Tatge Model 570 or 570-bu. or large batch dryer. Phone (204)655-3458, Sifton, MB.

BUILDINGS

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING

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

www.penta.ca

1-800-587-4711

Factory Direct Outlet SELLING FAST - BOOK NOW Don’t be disappointed!

DELUXE WOOD & WATER OUTDOOR FURNACES CSA APPROVED Now available North American wide at prices never seen before

Mastercard, Visa &Interac available

4997

This is not a misprint!! FC30HD Unit plus accessories

Introductory Doorcrasher Special

You receive base pump, rad hose, insulation, fittings, rust inhibitor PLUS our FC30 (can heat 1 building) WOOD WATER FURNACE

Some claim this is “North America’s Hottest Deal!”

Friesen Built Inc. 1-866-388-4004

1-204-388-6150

IRON & STEEL 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.

LIVESTOCK LIVESTOCK Cattle Auctions

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Red Angus

LIVESTOCK Livestock Equipment

Every Friday FIRST CATTLE SALE OF 2012 January 6 9AM Receiving open until 11PM Thursdays Presale Sundays

BRED COW/FEEDER/SLAUGHTER SALE Monday, January 23 9AM

SHEEP & GOAT SALE

1st & 3rd Thursday of Every Month January 5th & 19th 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 25 RED & BLACK angus heifers, bred back to registered red & black angus bulls, to calf March & April. Phone:(204)824-2571, Brandon. 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. 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.

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 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.

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Manitoba FOR FARMS AND RURAL PROPERTIES visit www.manitobafarms.ca or call Delta Real Estate (204)253-7373

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Wanted

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

MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE

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.

nutrition digestion prevention 99 PRE-CALVING 99 CALVING 99 PRE-BREEDING 99 FREE9DELIVERY 99 LOWEST9COST-TO-FEED RIOCANADA

1.888.762.3299

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Hereford

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Simmental 11 RED SIMM/ANGUS BRED heifers, each. Stuart (204)762-5805, Lundar.

GRAVE THAWING PROPANE HOOD for sale, $850. Dolly wheels, $250 if wanted. Phone: (204)764-2015, Hamiota.

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

EXCELLENT HEREFORD BULL, VERY quiet, was used on heifers, 5 1/2 yrs old, only reason for selling: end of bloodline. Phone: (204)242-4302.

FEEDER/SLAUGHTER SALES

BEEF, DAIRY, HORSES AND Hay! 375 acre ranch on 2 titles, 2 water licenses, 200 head range permit 45 minutes north of Kamloops, BC www.91ranch.com/ forsale

DENBIE RANCH IS PROUD to offer an excellent set of long-yearling and yearling bulls for sale. We have a great group of Red Angus bulls along with a good selection of hybrid bulls, who are half-bred Angus & half-Simmental. The long yearlings are the perfect age bulls, developed on grass so they will stand up for a long time and big enough to go out and breed any size of cow with no problems! The yearling bulls are also a great group out of breed leading A.I. sires as well as our own herd sires! Contact Denbie Ranch at (204)447-2473, or 447-7608 and 447-7057.

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.

$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. 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)873-2525, Clearwater. 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) 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. 70 BLACK COWS BRED Angus for April calving Preg checked & Ivomeced, asking $1400. Phone: (204)835-2641, early mornings or late evenings. 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. 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: 40 HEIFERS bred to easy calving, Reg. Black Angus. Phone (204)377-4210 HERD DISPERSAL, 50 RED Angus Simmx cows, bred Black Angus, bulls in cows July 15th, also 50 Charlois Simm cows, bred Black. $1250. Cell 204-447-7147. 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. 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.

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – B.C.

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 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. 5 MALE GREAT PYRENEES pups born October 13th, working parents raised with sheep, $250. Phone Blaine (204)567-3720.

MISCELLANEOUS WANTED

GOOD QUALITY GRAIN & Cattle Farms wanted for Canadian & Overseas Clients. For a confidential meeting to discuss the possible sale of your farm or to talk about what is involved, telephone Gordon Gentles (204)761-0511, www.farmsofcanada.ca or Jim McLachlan (204)724-7753, www.homelifepro.com Home Professional Realty Inc. REQUIRE GRAIN, CATTLE, MIXED Farms, Suburban Properties for local & foreign buyers. Call Delta Real Estate (204)253-7373 www.manitobafarms.ca

REAL ESTATE Land For Sale

SPRUCE TREES WANTED, APPROXIMATELY 150 12” Colorado spruce required for spring planting. Call Richard (204)837-3108.

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.

PERSONAL

REAL ESTATE Land For Rent

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 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.

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. REG GERMAN SHEPHERD PUPS. More info or pics e-mail rsweet@xplornet.com or call (204)732-2483. 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.

NOTRE DAME USED OIL REAL ESTATE & FILTER DEPOT

REAL ESTATE • Buy Used Oil • Buy Batteries Motels & Hotels • Collect Used Filters • Collect Oil Containers

Southern and Western Manitoba Tel: 204-248-2110

Horses LIVESTOCK Horses – Donkeys

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 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.

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES Snowmobiles BIGGEST HELMET SALE EVER! “Canada’s Largest Helmet & Shield Selection & MUCH MORE!” For Snowmobiles, Motorcycles, Motocross, ATVs, Scooters & Mopeds. 981 Main Street. Wpg (204)582-4130.

RECYCLING

BuyUsed Used Oil Oil ••Buy NOTRE •• Buy Buy Batteries Batteries DAME ••Collect CollectUsed Used Filters Filters • Collect Oil Containers • Collect Oil Containers USED • Antifreeze OIL & Southern,Southern Eastern, and Manitoba Western Western FILTER Manitoba DEPOT Tel: 204-248-2110

FARMING IS ENOUGH OF

MAMMOTH/STANDARD FEMALE DONKEYS BORN May 2011. Weaned, dewormed, good working stock for cattle, sheep & goats. Parents good guard animals. Phone: (204)425-3131

A GAMBLE...

Swine Advertise in the Manitoba Co-operator Classifieds, it’s a Sure Thing!

LIVESTOCK Swine Wanted

1-800-782-0794

WANTED: BUTCHER HOGS SOWS AND BOARS FOR EXPORT

PEDIGREED SEED PEDIGREED SEED Cereal – Various 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.

P. QUINTAINE & SON LTD. 728-7549 Licence No. 1123

Specialty LIVESTOCK Specialty – Goats 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. 2 CALF CREEP FEEDERS, 90-bushel; Bale King model #2010 processor, 40-bu grain tank, 2 new hydraulic motors, new PTO shaft, knives like new; NH 358 mixmill, reconditioned. Phone: (204)427-3172, leave message. 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. 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.

SANDERS SEED FARM FDN, Reg. Cert. Domain Kane, Cert. Carberry, Harvest Wheat, Manitou, MB. Phone (204)242-4200 or (204)242-2576, Daniel Sanders.

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Manitoba

FARMLAND FOR SALE BY TENDER Sealed bids for the purchase of the following parcels of land, located in the RM of Fisher, Manitoba and currently owned by Mamchuk Farms Ltd, will be received up to 5:00 pm on February 6, 2012 at the offices of CanadianFarmRealty.com, Box 2046, Carman, MB, R0G 0J0, Attention: Dolf Feddes: SW28-23-2W, 158.28 acres, 156 cultivated NW34-23-2W, 160 acres, 156 cultivated NW22-24-2W, 160 acres, 145 cultivated NW25-25-3W, 160 acres, 158 cultivated NW31-23-1W, 158 acres, 125 cultivated, seeded to Certified Meadow Fescue SE3-24-2W, 160acres, 130 cultivated, seeded to Timothy NW11-25-3W, 159.07 acres, 110 cultivated, seeded to Certified Alfalfa SW36-25-3W, 160 acres, 75 cultivated, seeded to VNS Alfalfa Any questions regarding these parcels, seed contracts that can be taken over by the purchaser, or soil test that are available can be directed to: Dolf Feddes (204) 828-3371 or (204) 745-0451 or to the seller Bill Mamchuk (204) 739-6315 (before January 20, 2012). The following will apply to all tenders: Bids shall address each parcel as a separate unit. Tenders are required to offer a total purchase amount for the parcel that is the subject of such tender. The vendor reserves the right to reject any or all bids. Purchaser will be responsible for total of 2012 property taxes. All offers are to be submitted in sealed envelopes accompanied by a certified cheque or bank draft payable to “Prudential Riverbend Realty in Trust” for 5% of the tendered amount. Cheques will be returned in respect to tenders that are not accepted. Successful bidders will be asked to enter into a formal Purchase agreement with a possession date of the parcels of March 1, 2012. Offers on any one parcel shall not be contingent on the successful purchase of another parcel. Tenders will be held in confidence and not be released to the public.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

save! Renew early and

PEDIGREED SEED Oilseed – Various

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Feed Wanted

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

CANOLA WANTED

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

NOW BUYING

CALL US 1-866-388-6284

Old & New Crop Confection & Oil Sunflowers Licensed & Bonded 0% Shrink Farm Pick-Up Available Planting Seed Available

www.milliganbiotech.com

Call For Pricing Phone (204)747-2904

Toll Free 1-888-835-6351 Deloraine, Manitoba

SEED / FEED / GRAIN SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Hay & Straw

Renew your subscription to the Manitoba Co-operator for 2 years BEFORE we mail your renewal notice, and we'll extend your subscription by 2 additional months. That's 26 months for the price of 24. OR - Renew for one year and receive 13 months for the price of 12!

Email: subscription@fbcpublishing.com

750 LARGE ROUND GRASS mix hay bales, no rain, good quality, 1700lb bales; 150 dry Oat & Wheat straw bales. Trucking arranged. (204)345-8532.

Your expiry date is located on your publication's mailing label.

LARGE ROUND ALFALFA GRASS Mix Bales, Phone (204)467-5984, leave msg. ROUND BALES 1,200 1ST cut alfalfa grass, excellent condition, 1,300-lbs, $32; 200 2nd cut, 1,300lbs, $40. Phone (204)625-5225 or (204)625-2702, Elphinstone.

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

❑ 1 Year: $49.00* ❑ 2 Years $86.50*

❑ 1 Year: $150.00 (US Funds)

*Taxes included

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 WANTED: DAIRY, BEEF, GRASS & Straw bales in large square bales. Phone Mark 1-800-371-7928, Winnipeg.

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If you're not the owner/operator of a farm are you: q In agri-business (bank, elevator, ag supplies etc.) q Other total farm size (including rented land)_______________ Year of birth________ q I’m farming or ranching q I own a farm or ranch but i'm not involved in it's operations or management

My Main crops are: No. of acres 1. Wheat ____________ 2. Barley ____________ 3. Oats ____________ 4. Canola ____________ 5. Flax ____________ 6. Durum ____________ 7. Rye ____________ 8. Peas ____________ 9. Chick Peas ____________ Livestock Enterpise No. of head 1. Registered Beef ____________ 2. Commercial Cow ____________ 3. Fed Cattle (sold yearly) ____________ 4. Hog Weaners (sold yearly) __________

BUYING:

HEATED & GREEN CANOLA

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

• Competitive Prices • Prompt Movement • Spring Thrashed “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!

TAKE FIVE

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“Your feed grain broker”

LARGE AMOUNT OF ROUND bales, 1st & 2nd cut, 2010 & 2011. Call (204)636-2986 or (204)848-0086.

SMALL SQUARE HAY BALES, alfalfa/orchard grass. Call 204-388-6864. If no answer please leave message. Also pet baby bunnies & guinea pigs.

ATTACH YOUR MAILING LABEL HERE

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

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.

LARGE ROUND ALFALFA/BROME BALES. Phone: (204)859-2724 evenings, Rossburn MB.

U.S. Subscribers

Also Buying Brown & Yellow Flax & Field Peas Farm Pickup Available CGC Licensed and Bonded Call Cal Vandaele the “Rye Guy” Today!

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.

1·800·782·0794

Canadian Subscribers

RYE GRAIN WANTED

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.

Call, email or mail us today!

M SE R: 12345 2010/ 12 PUB Joh n Sm i t h C om p a n y Nam e 123 E x a m pl e St . T ow n , P r ovi nce, PO STA L CO DE

Box 144, Medora, MB. R0M 1K0 Ph: 204-665-2384

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.

My Main crops are: No. of acres 10. Lentils ___________ 11. Dry Beans ___________ 12. Hay ___________ 13. Pasture ___________ 14. Summerfallow ___________ 15. Alfalfa ___________ 16. Forage Seed ___________ 17. Mustard ___________ 18. Other (specify) ___________ Livestock Enterpise No. of head 5. Hog farrow-to-finish (# sows) ______ 6. Finished Pigs (sold yearly) _________ 7. Dairy Cows ___________ 8. Other Livestock (specify) __________

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Occasionally Farm Business Communications makes its list of subscribers available to other reputable firms whose products and services may be of interest to you. If you PReFeR NOt tO ReCeIve such farm-related offers please check the box below. q I PReFeR MY NAMe AND ADDReSS NOt Be MADe AvAILABLe tO OtHeRS

Sudoku 8 6 9 5 7 7 4 9 7 9 2 3 9 3 2 8 5 2 4 1 9 7 2 8 4 3 6 1

Last week's answer

4 1 8 5 7

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9 6 5 3 8 4 1 7 2

2 5 3 1 6 9 8 4 7

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7 1 9 8 4 5 2 3 6

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Seed Wanted

We are buyers of farm grains.

Vomitoxin Testing (+Other Toxins, Falling No.)

CAREERS Professional

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• 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.”

Intertek 973 St. James St., Wpg, MB R3H 0X2

1-866-821-2406 (Toll Free) TIRES

FEDERATION TIRE: 1100X12, 2000X20, used aircraft. Toll free 1-888-452-3850 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 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.

Contact Denis or Ben for pricing ~ 204-325-9555

NOW BUYING Confection and Oil Sunflowers, Brown & Yellow Flax and Red & White Millet Licensed & Bonded

TOOLS SHOP EQUIPMENT: Milling machine, metal lathe, 10ft brake. Phone: (204)352-4306

TRAILERS Grain Trailers 2010 CASLETON SUPER B trailers, excellent rubber; 2007 Casleton Super B trailers, new rubber. Both excellent condition & no fertilizer. Phone: (204)734-8355.

TRAILERS Livestock Trailers

P.O. Box 1236 129 Manitoba Rd. Winkler, MB. R6W 4B3

FOR SALE: 1996 SOKAL 48-ft. fifth wheel ground load cattle trailer, 4 compartments, good condition, asking $10,000. Phone (204)375-6547.

FARMERS, RANCHERS, SEED PROCESSORS BUYING ALL FEED GRAINS

2007 DAKOTA ALUM SUPER B grain trailers; 2000 Doepker steel tridem grain trailer; 1991 Fabrex 50ft walking floor aluminum bulk trailer (tridem); 2 1991 Arne’s hyd steel push-off trailers; 1967 trailmobile alum tridem end dump. Phone: (204)764-2449

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, LLOYDMINSTER, LETHBRIDGE, VANCOUVER, MINNEDOSA

1-204-724-6741

CAREERS Professional

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 Running Classified Ads? Take the common sense, cost effective approach. Run your classified ad in Western Canada’s leading farm papers and get more for less!! Call us TOLL FREE 1-800-782-0794

TRAVEL

Agriculture Tours Ukraine/Romania – June 2012 Scotland/England/Wales – June 2012 Australia & New Zealand – Jan/Feb 2013 European Cruises – Call for Details 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. HELP WANTED: male or female worker for 4,400 hog feeder barn near Somerset, MB. Must enjoy working w/animals, on site training avail, agriculture work could also be avail. Call Jamie (204)825-8765. WANTED: FARM LABOUR on cattle operation, working w/cattle & equipment. Fax resume to Yellow Rose Farms (204)535-2072.

At Canadian Pacific, we are driving the digital railway. Our employees are using state-of-the-art technologies to ensure we are operating a safe and reliable railway through the communities in which we live, work and play. Be a part of our team. We are currently recruiting: Seasonal Labourers Signals and Communications Helpers We offer: • Great wages, benefits and pension plan • Employee discounts on travel, vehicles & more • Opportunities for career advancement • A safety focused work environment • Education and training programs • Physical wellness subsidy • Outdoor work

If you are someone who is dedicated, with a desire to work outdoors, has a flexible schedule and wants to make a difference, please apply by Friday, January 13, 2012, at www.cpr.ca

Executive Director

(full-time term postion) 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.

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.

Place your ad today

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the best vehicle for finding the parts or repairs you need?

call 1-800-782-0794 or 954-1415 in Winnipeg

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

How can my farm benefit from Seed Interactive? There are five or six MCVET sites in the southwest. How can I generate an oat yield performance chart using only those sites to customize data for my farm near Souris?

SEED Interactive Advantage: Select the locations and years that best compare with your farm.

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. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy and informative. Log on to customize selections for your farm. www.seedinteractive.ca

INTERACTIVE.CA A Manitoba Crop Variety Decision Tool

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

LIVESTOCK

Headed for court reuters / Artisan cheese producers from Normandy, France say industrialists are capitalizing on their prized “Camembert of Normandy” label by describing their version of the round cow’s milk cheese as “Camembert made in Normandy.” Purists use raw milk from Normandy cows and hand ladle the cheese into moulds. Industrialists are more likely to pasteurize their milk and procure from outside the region.

h u s b a n d r y — t h e s c i e n c e , S K I L L O R ART O F F AR M IN G

UN calls for more efficient livestock

Corral water after in-field feeding

World meat consumption will rise 73 per cent by 2050

Less hauling goes the distance with in-field winter feeding CO-OPERATOR STAFF

n-field winter feeding can save time and m o n e y, w h i l e f o s t e ring healthy crop and forage growth, according to Jeff Schoenau of the University of Saskatchewan. Schoenau and colleagues at the university’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources c o n d u c t e d a t h re e - ye a r study following the effects of in-field winter feeding on animal and pasture health, as well as on run-off water. He visited the University of Manitoba to talk to students about the results late last fall. “In-field feeding is obviously superior,” he said, noting fields where cows were wintered showed a three- to fivefold increase in forage yield. The forage — in this case, Russian rye — also showed improved quality, particularly higher protein levels. The research pitted infield bale-grazing and swathgrazing systems against what

Schoenau described as a more traditional feeding system, where feed is hauled to the yard, and manure is later hauled to the field. He said the latter method sees the loss of nitrogen- and phosphorus-rich urine, in addition to the use of expensive fuel to haul both feed and manure. Although there was no weight difference between cows that had been fed in field and those fed in the yard, animal health was positively impacted during the study as well, as animals had increased amounts of exercise during the colder months. However, snow cover was an issue when the cows were feeding on swaths, which could become frozen and inaccessible during the height of winter. Targeting the proper location is an important part of getting the best results, Schoenau said. “When you move those bales onto the field, and put those cows out there, you’ve

kind of got little fertilizer factories there,” he said. “So try to pick out an area on your farm that is nutrient or organic matter deficient, because that is where you’re going to see the biggest benefit in the crop growth or the forage growth.” However, more nutrients on the ground surface during the spring melt and subsequent rains means more nutrients in run-off water, particularly phosphorus. But Schoenau said this can be mitigated by appropriate in-field feeding site selection. “The water that runs off will be nutrient enriched, and so you want to have that stay on the farm, you don’t want that entering into some kind of sensitive water body,” he stressed. “It all comes down to site selection, to ensure that water that is enriched with nutrients stays on your land, within your jurisdiction, as opposed to running off somewhere else.” For farmers working in a knob and kettle landscape, where water naturally pools

“The water that runs off will be nutrient enriched, and so you want to have that stay on the farm, you don’t want that entering into some kind of sensitive water body.” Jeff Schoenau

in on-farm locations, the researcher said containing the nutrient-enriched water should be straightforward, but farms operating near streams, rivers or creeks may have more difficulty keeping the water on site. Studies have yet to be done to learn the effects of in-field grazing on greenhouse gas emissions. shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

photo: daniel winters

By Shannon VanRaes

milan / reuters / Livestock farms should use natural resources more efficiently to meet ever-growing demand for meat and dairy products in a way friendly to the environment, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Dec. 14. Global meat consumption is projected to rise 73 per cent by 2050, while dairy demand is expected to grow by 58 per cent from current levels, driven by growing population and incomes in developing countries, the FAO said in its World Livestock 2011 report. “It is hard to envisage meeting projected demand by keeping twice as many poultry, 80 per cent more small ruminants, 50 per cent more cattle and 40 per cent more pigs, using the same level of natural resources as currently,” the report said. Production increases should instead come from improving efficiency of livestock systems in converting natural resources into food and from reducing waste, said the report published on FAO’s website. The world needs to boost output of cereals by one billion tonnes and produce 200 million extra tonnes of livestock products a year by 2050 to feed a population projected to rise to nine billion, the United Nations estimates. Large-scale, intensive animal-rearing farms, which will be the main drivers of increasing livestock output, should also reduce pollution generated from waste and greenhouse gases, cut the use of water and grain needed to produce livestock protein and recycle agro-industrial byproducts, the report said. Livestock output has expanded rapidly in east and southeast Asia and in Latin America, but growth in sub-Saharan Africa has remained slow. Average consumption of livestock protein in Africa is less than a quarter of that in the Americas, Europe and Oceania and represents just 17 per cent of the recommended consumption level for all proteins, the report said. By contrast, consumption of livestock protein in the Americas, Europe and Oceania in 2005 was between 78 and 98 per cent of the total protein requirement, suggesting that livestock products are being overconsumed, the FAO said. Livestock products supply 12.9 per cent of calories consumed worldwide and 20.3 per cent in developed countries, while their contribution to protein consumption is estimated at 27.9 per cent worldwide and 47.8 per cent in developed countries, it said.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

column

Supplementary rearing worth a second look A British study estimates it could boost production by an extra 358 piglets on a 270-sow farrow-to-finish farm mixed. A major part of the problem related to the difficulty in maintaining adequate hygiene where liquid milk was fed.

Bernie Peet Peet on Pigs

enetic advances in litter size over the last 15 years have provided hog producers with the potential for 14 or more piglets born alive per litter and the ability to boost herd output to 30 pigs weaned per sow. But as I have pointed out in previous articles, this presents a number of challenges and requires a new approach to management in the farrowing room. While the initial objective immediately after birth is to ensure that newborn piglets ingest sufficient colostrum (through techniques such as split suckling and stomach tubing), the problem is that, in highly prolific herds, there are insufficient teats for the number of piglets. The traditional way of dealing with this situation is to “shunt foster” or “cascade foster.” This involves weaning a sow, then transferring a litter of seven- to 10-day-old piglets onto her and then moving a whole litter of two- to three-day-old piglets onto this sow. That leaves the recently farrowed sow available to suckle newborn piglets after they have received colostrum from their own mother. While this is very effective, the increase in the days that sows spend suckling leads to lower litters per sow per year, so it is counterproductive to overall output. Another solution to this dilemma is to use a supplementary rearing system to take surplus piglets, usually from about 10 days of age when they will adapt to eating solid feed fairly quickly. Supplementary rearing is not new, and the Piggy Deck is widely seen on farms in Western Canada. However, in the past, results have been

Now more viable

In addition to the practical challenges, the high cost of milk powder made the economics questionable. But now that the upside is so much greater due to the potential to save more piglets, supplementary rearing is worth revisiting. New products such as the Rescue Deck, with integrated milk mixing and delivery systems, make the technique more viable and eliminate some of the problems of previous, simpler, decks. Also, recent data from a farm trial carried out by the British Pig Executive (BPEX) suggests that using Rescue Decks can result in a 47 per cent return on capital. B r i t i s h p r o d u c e r St u a r t Bosworth installed 10 Rescue Deck units on his 270-sow farrow-to-finish farm, which were monitored by BPEX. Bosworth had increased litter size in his herd by two pigs born alive per litter over the previous 10 years. However, piglets weaned per litter reached a plateau at 11.2, despite various measures to enhance piglet survival. T h e Re s c u e De c k s we re mounted above the crates and a room was constructed as a kitchen area for feed storage and preparation, housing a compressor, pneumatic milk pump and milk-mixing tank, as well as a hot water system for mixing milk at the recommended temperature of 55 C. An electricity meter in the kitchen recorded energy use to run the system. Piglets were moved into the Rescue Decks at 10 days of age and at a weight of 4.4 kilograms. They were fed liquid milk up to three weeks of age and then weaned onto solid feed. Thus, notes the BPEX report, they were nutritionally more advanced than suck-

Manitoba-North Dakota Zero Tillage Farmers Association 34th Annual

ZERO

led piglets supplemented with creep feed. The Rescue Deck system raised numbers reared by 0.56 pigs per litter over the course of the trial period. “If the results of the trial p e r i o d a re re p l i c a t e d f o r a full year, an extra 358 piglets would be weaned by the Rescue Deck system, almost seven extra pigs per week,” the report states. “The detailed results show that the more that the stockman used the system, the better the results that were achieved.” As well, the overall quality of weaned pigs improved because there were fewer piglets suckling on ineffective back teats, particularly on older parity sows, the report states. It also appeared the nutritional drain on the sow was reduced by having 15 per cent of piglets transferred into the decks. This resulted in an

increase in litter size in these sows’ subsequent litters.

Stockmanship key

Stockmanship and farrowing house management have to be first rate to get the best from the Rescue Deck system, the study found. “As always, attention to detail is imperative for best results and this is particularly important in hygiene and regular cleaning of the milk line system,” the report states. On average, Rescue Deck weaners were 0.11 kilograms lighter than suckled pigs at weaning, despite often being the stronger pigs in the batch on entry into the decks. “However, because Rescue Deck pigs are fed creep pellets and water from three weeks of age in the decks, they have been through their post-weaning growth check before the rest

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he federal government has reached a new agreement for exporting live cattle to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — a market valued at $40 million in sales annually, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has announced. “This announcement instantly provides new export opportunities for Canadian producers, and is a significant step toward regaining access to other key markets in the region,” Ritz said in a release. “We are pleased to have regained access

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of the suckled pigs in the same weekly batch,” notes the BPEX report. “Despite being lighter at weaning, the Rescue Deck pigs grew at 406 grams per day in the first 27 days after weaning compared to 370 grams per day growth rate for suckled pigs.” A detailed cost evaluation was carried out, which included the additional labour costs involved as well as the cost of milk powder, creep feed, cleaning chemicals, power and depreciation. Based on the trial results, the 358 extra pigs would generate an additional margin over all costs of £10,321 ($16,370). With an initial capital investment of £21,631 ($34,610), this results in a 47 per cent return on investment. Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal.

Live cattle exports to the UAE Staff

The Rescue Deck integrates milk mixing and delivery systems.

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to the UAE market,” said Rick McRonald, executive director of the Canadian Livestock Genetics Association. “This is good news for exporters who have been waiting to pursue this opportunity.” The UAE is part of a regional trading block called the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The GCC is a priority market under Canada’s Global Commerce Strategy. The GCC represents the fifth-largest export destination for Canadian agri-food products. Canadian agri-food exports to the GCC surpassed $835 million in 2010.

Missing cattle found Staff / St. Pierre de Jolys RCMP say what was previously reported as a theft of cattle turned out to be a case of missing cattle, some of which have now been found.

Some of the cattle that previously were believed to have been taken from a pasture in the RM of Hanover were located by the owner in a bush area approximately 1.5 miles from the pasture. Three cows and the calf have been captured and returned to the pasture. Two cows remain on the lam.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

COLUMN

Three meals a day are for people, not horses Ideally, horses should eat small amounts throughout the day Carol Shwetz, DVM Horse Health

ealthy eating is about more than the feeds that horses consume. The habit of eating and the way the horse eats engages it physically, mentally and emotionally, nourishing the horse beyond the nutrients and calories consumed. Modern feeding practices often stray significantly from favourable ways to feed horses. These seemingly small infractions over time contribute to various metabolic, gastrointestinal and mental illnesses. Even the simple head-down posture adopted when horses eat naturally has a purpose — it encourages drainage and thus cleansing of respiratory passages. By nature’s design, the horse is a trickle feeder, engaged in eating many, many hours of the day. Under ideal circumstances, eating is coupled with movement in horses, rightfully so as their gastrointestinal track depends on this movement for digestion. Beyond satisfying the horse’s nutritional needs, this activity brings emotional and mental balance. Horses managed as meal feeders, consuming their daily rations in a short period of time, often develop stereotypic behaviours and stable vices such as cribbing, wood chewing, and weaving. Horses managed in such a manner frequently experience digestive distress such as stomach ulcers as well. Behaviour is also intertwined with feeding style as the behaviours of a hunger-driven horse can quickly escalate into what is perceived as ill manners. As a result of frequent forage eating, horses have evolved to continually secrete hydrochloric acid into their stomachs. To offset this acid flow, horses rely on the buffering capacity of continual saliva production stimulated by chewing. When this balance is upset, such as occurs in meal feeding, gastric ulcers are probable. Metabolic balance is also taxed when horses rapidly consume feeds, especially rich feeds. Since the horse’s metabolic machinery is designed to regulate a slow, steady, mild influx of nutrients, especially glucose, ongoing bombardment of blood sugar spikes, as is common in modern management, inflicts considerable metabolic damage over time. This is especially troublesome for the easykeeping equines. Many factors influence the way we feed horses, seasonal variation being the largest. In the winter, supervised pawing of well-stocked forage pastures is ideal yet is not always available or possible. Horses thrive from the movement and simple nutrition inherent in this practice.

Since the amount of hay that the horse will consume is the first practical piece of information needed, it is advisable to weigh feeds, not every day, but certainly long enough that one becomes familiar with how volume and weight correlate. You may be surprised at the volume of 20 pounds of grass hay, for this is approximately the weight of hay required by a 1,000-pound horse. Quality forages are long stemmed and naturally high in fibre content. These quality forage diets, particularly the grasses, are intimately connected with beneficial horsefeeding practices, as the sheer volume of well-chosen forages creates busywork for horses. Carol Shwetz is a veterinarian specializing in equine practice at Westlock, Alberta.

Even the simple head-down posture adopted when horses eat naturally has a purpose.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 5, 2012

Benchmarking tools boost competitiveness, profits Agri Stats, MetaFarms software is helping Maple Leaf leave hog farming’s Joneses in the dust By Daniel Winters CO-OPERATOR STAFF / BRANDON

rying to keep up with the Joneses is a bad idea, unless you’re in the hog business. After a plunge in hog prices about five years ago saw many weak hands and smaller operations fall out, Maple Leaf AgriFarms, a division of Maple Leaf Foods, adopted a computerized benchmarking system that has helped it stay on pace — or in some cases even exceed — the top 25 per cent of the North American industry. “This may look a bit like bragging because we have some nice numbers to show right now, but that’s not the point,” said David Kraut, the company’s business optimization manager, in a presentation at Hog Days. “It’s about using your production data to figure out how everyone else is doing, then use it to improve your farm.” Maple Leaf Agri-Farms, formerly Elite Swine, wasn’t spared the hard times. By 2006, its sow herd had been consolidated from 110,000 across Canada at its peak to 34,000 head in 15

separate operations staffed by a total of 150 workers mostly in Manitoba, where it also operates an 85,000-head-per-week slaughter plant. It operates a 4,000-sow multiplication farm, makes all its own feed at two mills in the province, and runs 135 finishing barns, producing around 700,000 to 800,000 market hogs per year. Two computer programs made by U.S.-based companies, Agri Stats Inc. and MetaFarms, are used to improve profitability, competitiveness and identify improvement opportunities. MetaFarms is an Internetbased program that allows the user to summarize sow, nursery, and finishing data along with marketing information all in one place. Over 1.2 million sows are included in the MetaFarms database, out of the total North American herd of some seven million. Agri Stats, which Maple Leaf mastered in 2010, is a tool used to collect day-by-day data. “Once we figured out what Agri Stats was telling us, we had a lot of improvement opportunities,” said Kraut, who joked that the opportunities seemed

“almost insurmountable” at first. Communication and focusing resources, basically figuring out what they needed to work on and when, was a bigger challenge, he added. A s a n e x a m p l e, u s i n g MetaFarms, Kraut was able to show that the three-month average cost of weanling production in North America from 2003-09 was C$26.95. That figure has dropped from June to August of this year to $25.20. Maple Leaf’s weanling cost of production is a secret, but using Agri Stats, Kraut was able to say that it had dropped $3.36 over the same period of time. “So, we can look at that and say that we’ve improved our competitiveness against the top of the industry in North America by $1.61.” How did they do it? The figures indicated that it was due to improved cull sow returns, lower feed costs and lower breeding herd amortization costs, he said. For example, for June-August of 2009, the top 25 per cent of the industry had production costs of $137.45 for a 266-pound hog. Fast-forward to 2011, and

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that figure stood at $149.63, although the average hog was 3.16 pounds heavier. Over that same period, Maple Leaf’s efficiency improved “tremendously,” he said, with a $19.79 improvement. “Some of that was feed hedging activities, but we had some significant productivity improvements as well,” said Kraut. Data from the benchmarking software helped the company identify weaknesses such as uneven weaning weights and low weaning ages, which left the company with unexpected numbers of below-average, light feeder pigs that threw a wrench into finishing barn production. Using MetaFarms, the company rebuilt its bonus system to give individual barns incentives to improve uniformity and sent back regular data updates to show the workers how they were performing. Using some three years of accumulated data in the program, it was clear that improving weaning weights had a knockon effect on mortality, caloric feed conversion, reduced light hog numbers and increased market weights in general.

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Your Land. Your Livelihood.

Your Legacy.

Modest hog herd expansion boosts futures Herd expansion wasn’t as significant as some had feared By Theopolis Waters CHICAGO / REUTERS

Register today for an environmental farm plan workshop. Take care of your land and chances are it will take care of you. Protect your operation today and for generations to come by implementing an environmental farm plan. An environmental farm plan (EFP) is a voluntary, confidential self-assessment designed to help you identify the environmental assets and risks of your operation. Free workshops Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) is conducting free EFP workshops. Register for this two, half-day workshop and you’ll be guided through an EFP workbook and learn environmentallyfriendly methods of: • livestock and pasture management • nutrient management • …and much more

Note: To remain valid, environmental farms plans must be renewed every five years. Check the date of your Statement of Completion to ensure you are still eligible to apply for the Environmental Farm Action Program. Application deadline is February 15, 2012. For workshop locations, dates and times visit your local Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives GO Office, or go to manitoba.ca/agriculture.

EnvrmntlFrmPlningAdMBCoop2011.indd 1

DAVID KRAUT

The software’s Excel spreadsheets offer management a bird’s eye view of production, he said. For example, they now know that every one per cent mortality in finishing is worth $1.14 per market hog produced to their operation. Also, current feed cost per pound of gain is 69.28 cents, and finishing space per hog costs 15 cents per day. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

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• crop and pest management • manure storage and handling

“It’s about using your production data to figure out how everyone else is doing, then use it to improve your farm.”

11-11-09 12:49 PM

The U.S. hog supply increased at a modest rate this fall, with the litter size hitting a record high, the latest USDA quarterly report shows. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dec. 23 quarterly hogs and pig report showed that an average of 10.02 pigs survived to maturity in the September-November period, up from 9.9 last year but below trade estimates for 10.04. The report also showed that the breeding herd held flat in the September-November period. This was considered bullish since analysts polled by Reuters, on average, had expected an expansion of 100.8 per cent. Pigs per litter in the September-November period increased one per cent to 10.02 pigs versus 9.89 a year earlier. Analysts said futures were also lifted by data showing that the number of hogs weighing 180 lbs. and over stood at 100 per cent of a year ago versus expectations for 101.2 per cent. “I didn’t see the pig inventory number as friendly because it was above the

average forecast,” said Dan Vaught with Vaught Futures Insights. He referred to the USDA report showing the total hog herd at 102 per cent, above an average of estimates for 101.3 per cent. USDA rounds its percentage estimate, the actual increase was 101.6. The market hog supply came in at 102 per cent, or 60.12 million head, above the trade average of 101.3 per cent. U.S. Commodities analyst Don Roose said the “positive” aspect that one can take from USDA’s breeding herd result is that expansion was not as significant as some had feared. Before the survey’s release, analysts and traders said hog farmers had plenty of incentive to expand herds. Cash hog prices struck an all-time autumn high of $94.40 per cwt due to strong exports to China as it battled food inflation. Also, spot corn futures at the Chicago Board of Trade slid almost 25 per cent from record highs near $8 per bushel in June as an unusually hot summer had traders worried about the U.S. crop. However, the current breeding data not only reflects the residual effect of the past summer, but producers’ trepidation about the year to come. Vaught said “hot weather harmed conception rates and may have reduced the number of piglets that were conceived. And, concerns about the economy played a role as well as cost of feed that is still over $5 per bushel.”

The Manitoba Co-Operator | January 5, 2012

COUNTRY CROSSROADS connecting rur a l communities

Massive trees destined for everything from tables to fuel flank Wood Anchor co-owner, J Neufeld. Photo: Shannon VanRaes

Shiver me timbers... again Wood Anchor finds safe harbour with sustainability, and receives a grant for $25,000 By Shannon Vanraes co-operator staff

Neufeld didn’t intend to start an environmentally sustainable business when he and Grant Dyck launched Wood Anchor in 2005 — he just loved the look and texture of reclaimed wood. He’s now a passionate advocate of both sustainability and repurposed timber, and has made unique furniture and architectural products out of everything from downed elm trees to old grain elevators. “We’ve got a product that architects are excited about using, and we get to do a lot of very interesting projects,” he said. This fall, Wood Anchor beat out four other Manitoba companies to win Manitoba Environmental Industries Association’s Green Dragon Lair Award, for the way the business diverts biomass from the landfill. And earlier this month, the province gave it a $25,000 grant from its Waste Reduction and Pollution Prevention Fund, which has awarded $154,793 to 13 projects this year. “Taking wood destined for the landfill and turning it into beautiful flooring and furniture is an innovative way to recycle,” said Conservation Minister Dave Chomiak. Wood Anchor will use the money to increase hiring. The company’s reclaimed wood was featured in several high-profile building projects this year, including the new children’s garden and family centre in Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg. Wood Anchor also provided benches to the new Richardson International Airport. The company has its workshop and yard at Winnipeg’s Brady Road Landfill because it doesn’t want to inadvertently spread elm bark beetles — which carry fungus that causes Dutch elm disease. The company has a 20-year contract to dispose of all species of trees felled by the city of Winnipeg, but just because someone else does the chopping, it doesn’t mean reclaiming the wood is easy. “When you’re dealing with elm trees there are nails and metal inside the trees,” said Neufeld. “Some guy 100 years ago put a nail up and the tree grew around it, so you kind of find them by accident at the sawmill.” All milling is done on site using an outdoor sawmill, equipped with blades with replaceable teeth so each long-lost nail doesn’t result in buying a new $4,000 saw blade. Once the timber is cut, it is kiln dried. When it comes to grain elevators, Wood Anchor moves in after a company or farmer has knocked the building over. “The quality can really vary with the elevators. Some of the old grain elevators, which there aren’t very many of these days, are all fir, a really strong

Assiniboine Park Butterfly Garden, featuring pine wall panelling and reclaimed fir beams. Photo: Lala Gnar Gnar Photography

Wood Anchor employees work on a table at the business’s workshop south of Winnipeg. Photo: Shannon VanRaes

hardwood,” said Neufeld. “The more modern grain elevators — modern meaning the 1950s, ’60s — these are spruce typically, so not as strong.” The entrepreneur also salvages the floorboards of old boxcars, warehouses, churches and homes. Prior to Wood Anchor, Neufeld was using reclaimed wood for his custom furnishing business, Further. Founded in 1998, Further specializes in custom millwork and is now supplied by Wood Anchor. With seven employees on site, the business is working to expand into the biomass field as well, chipping up unused wood for fuel. “Developing a market for that is a bit tricky right now,” he said. Low hydro and gas rates are a disincentive for switching to alternative heating fuels, but Neufeld hopes to develop a market for commercial boiler systems, like those used in greenhouses. shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

Wood Anchor co-owner, J Neufeld holds boxcar flooring that will soon be reclaimed. Photo: Shannon VanRaes

Assiniboine Park Family Centre with reclaimed oak from felled trees in the park. Photo: Lala Gnar Gnar PhotographY

The Manitoba Co-Operator | January 5, 2012

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

Whole grains and health Lorraine Stevenson Crossroads Recipe Swap

any of us resolve this time of year to lose weight and reach for the latest “diet” book. As often as not, it’s a “diet controversy” book. One you’ll see out there now is Wheat Belly written by American cardiologist Dr. William Davis. Wheat Belly’s author has received a lot of press, including an interview with MacLeans last fall, in which he condemned a half-century of wheat breeding for producing new grains whose safety has not been tested, charged that wheat makes us fat, and compared wheat growers to tobacco farmers. Needless to say that doesn’t go over well among farmers, wheat breeders and food scientists and the book got a mention or two at last month’s Canadian Wheat Symposium. It’s not just these sorts of claims that raise ire; it’s how much media exposure writers of books like that get, symposium speakers said. And, by contrast, how little coverage goes to those who can credibly counter such arguments. Scientists need to do a better job of engaging the public, said Nancy Ames, an Agriculture and Agri-Food research scientist at the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals who spoke at the symposium on the considerable benefits of consuming wheat. It’s unlikely the public finds scientific literature, which refutes the claims of Wheat Belly a compelling read, said Ames. In fact, it’s unlikely the public can even find it. “The problem is the public doesn’t read scientific journals,” she said. She challenged those in the symposium audience to consider writing an easy-to-read book to challenge the negative perceptions created by books like Wheat Belly. Scientific journals contain published reports on a growing body of evidence of wheat’s health benefits, and specifically those derived from consuming whole grains. Repeated studies document reduced risk of chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease and better weight maintenance. Studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition show, for example, that those consuming more whole grains were significantly less likely to gain weight, compared

to those who ate foods made with refined grains. “Obesity and metabolic diseases are related to our lifestyle, not wheat,” said Ames. Ames and her research colleagues’ research is looking at components of wheat such as wheat bran and how it can target specific health benefits. They’re also looking at wheat genetics, to see which varieties can convey specific health benefits to humans. But key to what breeders eventually create — and farmers grow — is what consumers demand, said Ames. The more the public understands wheat’s role in a healthy diet, and in particular the benefits of consuming whole grain wheat products, the greater the pressure on industry to deliver varieties and products that convey those benefits, she said. Dietary guidelines in the U.S. and Canada recommend that half of the grains in our diets be whole grains, or at least three to five servings. Whole grains or foods made from them contain all the essential parts and naturally occurring nutrients of the entire grain seed. If the grain has been processed such as cracked, crushed, rolled, extruded or cooked, the food product should deliver approximately the same rich balance of nutrients that are found in the original grain seed. A very good resource for learning more about the role of whole grain foods in the diet — not to mention plenty of recipes — is the Whole Grains Council website found at www. wholegrainscouncil.org.

How much whole grain should we be eating each day? Enjoy at least three servings of whole grains each day. Here are examples of a serving of whole grains: 1/2 c. of cooked oatmeal 1 slice of 100% whole grain bread 1/2 c. of cooked, whole grain pasta 1 c. of whole grain dried cereal 1/2 c. of cooked brown rice

Source: Grains for Health Foundation website grainsforhealth.org A new year is a great time to begin a healthy habit. At right are two recipes courtesy of Robin Hood Flour for making tasty, healthy breads at home.

Recipe Swap We look forward to hearing from you and seeing your favourite recipes in 2012! To contact us by mail please write to:

Manitoba Co-operator Recipe Swap Box 1794, Carman, Man. ROG OJO Or email: lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

Multi-Seed Bread 2 c. warm water (105-115 F) 1/2 c. cracked wheat or bulgur 2 tbsp. active dry yeast 1/3 c. honey 1/4 c. vegetable oil 1/4 c. chopped walnuts 1/2 c. shelled sunflower seeds 1 tbsp. each sesame and poppy seeds 1 tbsp. salt 3-1/2 c. Robin Hood Whole Wheat Best For Bread Flour, plus extra flour for kneading Topping: 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 tbsp. sesame seeds

In bowl of electric mixer or large bowl, pour warm water over cracked wheat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Sprinkle yeast over this mixture. Let stand for 15 minutes. Add honey, oil, walnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame and poppy seeds, salt and 1-1/2 c. of flour. On low speed, beat in the remaining flour, 1/2 c. at a time, until the electric beaters/paddle attachment won't beat anymore and a sticky dough is formed. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle surface with extra flour as needed to prevent sticking, knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm, draft-free area until double in size, about two hours. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease two 8.5x4.5-inch loaf pans. Punch down dough. Divide in half, shape into rectangles and place in prepared pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise again until double in size, about 45 minutes. Brush tops with lightly beaten egg; sprinkle with seeds. Bake in centre of preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes or until breads are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Preparation time: 35 minutes + 10 minutes kneading. Rising time: 2 hours, then 45 minutes. Baking time: 40 minutes. Freezing: Excellent. Makes 2 loaves Source: Robin Hood

Two-Grain Bannock 1 c. whole wheat flour 1/2 c. all-purpose flour 1/2 c. rolled oats 2 tbsp. granulated sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tbsp. melted butter 1/3 c. raisins (optional) 3/4 c. water

Sift together the flours, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add melted butter, raisins and water. Add more water if needed to make sticky dough. With floured hands, pat into greased pie plate. Bake at 400 F for 20-25 minutes, or until browned. Cut into wedges. Makes: 18 buns ©THINKSTOCK

Source: Robin Hood

The Manitoba Co-Operator | January 5, 2012

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

Is sea buckthorn right for you? This shrub may just be perfect for your shelterbelt or landscape By Albert Parsons

drained soils, so it is difficult to establish in wet areas or locations that receive much shade. Sea buckthorn, however, can be quite attractive any farmers — and gardeners — spend in a farm shelterbelt or a mixed urban shrub bormore time reading during the winter der where its suckering may not be a significant months than they do during the other drawback. The shrub grows up to five metres tall, three seasons, which are devoted to planting, although many sea buckthorn shrubs tend to be growing and harvesting crops. One of the top- shorter than that. The narrow leaves are long and ics on the reading list might be what trees and pointed and the foliage has a silver look to it. Small shrubs to add to landscapes and shelterbelts yellow flowers appear early in the spring, followed next spring. Farmers have long benefited from by the development of small berries, about the size of large saskatoons, clusthe Prairie Shelterbelt Program tered along the length of the run by Agriculture Canada stems. This fruit gradually turns and trees and shrubs can still Sea buckthorn yellow then orange by the end be ordered from Indian Head, of August, and when the shrub Saskatchewan. Filling out not only provides is used as the outside row of a this order form (the applicavaluable wildlife shelterbelt or as part of a mixed tion form as well as a colourcover, but a shrub bed, it adds colourful ful catalogue are available at highlights. Manitoba Agricultural and storehouse of food The fruit is persistent, that is, Rural Initiatives offices) is one for many winter it does not readily fall off the of the tasks often performed birds. shrubs. Therefore, sea buckduring the winter by busy farmthorn not only provides valuable ers who may have a bit less to wildlife cover, but a storehouse do at this time of year. of food for many winter birds. One shrub that is offered The fruit is edible and although through this program, but difficult to pick, it packs a nutriwhich is also offered at Manitoba nurseries to non-farm gardeners, is sea buck- tional wallop. It is high in vitamins and antioxithorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) and because it dants, is used to make jams and jellies, and there is rather uncommon and not seen in many land- are niche markets for the fruit serving the cosmetscapes, it might be a shrub that will add interest ics, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Sea buckthorn isn’t a shrub to be used in every to your landscape or shelterbelt. There are some disadvantages to this shrub — perhaps explain- landscape, but in an informal shrub bed or a farm ing why it is not commonly used in many urban shelterbelt, its suckering habit will simply provide landscapes, or rural landscapes for that matter. even more opportunity to enjoy the colour the fruit Sea buckthorn suckers profusely, which makes will add to the autumn and winter landscape. it unwelcome in many gardens. It is also quite thorny, prefers full sun and will not tolerate poorly Albert Parsons writes from Minnedosa, Manitoba Freelance contributor

The fruit of sea buckthorn, attached closely along the stems, is colourful and nutritious. PHOTO: ALBERT PARSONS

It’s snowman weather! Don’t dread the white stuff — get outside and be creative By Donna Gamache Freelance contributor

or many, the arrival of snow is something to dread, perhaps something to escape by going south for the winter. For others, it means an end to the somewhat dreary browns of late fall. Children, particularly, often anticipate and welcome the first few snowfalls. For me, early winter has long been “snowman weather.” As a farm child in the ’50s, used to making my own entertainment, I enjoyed making snowmen, and the first few weeks of snow were usually the best, when the snow was clean and fresh. If a warm sun softened the snow enough to produce snowballs, I hurriedly dressed in ski pants and parka, and began rolling up balls of snow to make a “snow man” — or in today’s politically correct term, a “snow person.” Sometimes, if my siblings could be persuaded to join me, we would make a whole “snow family.” Even in my teen years, I still enjoyed rolling

up giant balls of snow, packing the balls atop each other, and hunting up an old hat or cap, and a scarf. A carrot for a nose, spruce cones or pebbles for eyes, a twig for a mouth, and branches for skinny arms completed the construction. During the years I spent at university, I didn’t make snowmen. It’s not that it was beneath me, exactly, but staying in the university residence didn’t offer me much chance to be outside, and studies and essay writing were more important than such childish antics. I went home some weekends, but snowman making requires perfect conditions. Besides, building snow people wasn’t one of my priorities at those times. After graduating as a teacher, I obtained my first job — in a Manitoba town, an hour and a half from home. I boarded with a retired couple in town a few blocks from the school, but I found myself busier than ever, preparing work for two classes of Grade 9 students, marking tests and essays, and helping

with extracurricular activities after school. One Saturday, though, when I’d been too snowed under with class preparation and marking to travel home for the weekend, the warmth of the sun and the softness of the snow tempted me outside into the front yard of the home where I stayed. Before I knew it, I was rolling up balls of snow to make a snowman. Soon a large snowy fellow stood on the lawn surveying the nearby street. For eyes and mouth, I found a few pebbles on the driveway and, enlisting my landlady’s help, I added a carrot for a nose and an old hat for the fellow’s head. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. That evening I looked out the window several times at my snowy friend, and the next day I checked him as well. It pleased me to see him there. The weather had turned colder, so the frosty fellow hadn’t melted. Monday morning I hurried off to school without thinking to look at the snowman. Imagine my surprise when I reached the

PHOTO: DONNA GAMACHE

school and discovered, sitting almost directly in front of the main school door, the snowman I had built — two days earlier and several blocks away. I eventually learned that some of my Grade 9 students had seen me building the snowman. They enlisted a parent with a truck, lifted the snowman into the back of it, and brought the snowy guy to school. It was a good joke on me, but I have to admit I was a little embarrassed.

After that, I stopped making snowmen for a few years. But once I married and had children of my own, the children became a good excuse to resume the activity for a number of years. Snow people or families often made an appearance on our front lawn. Now, if only my grandchildren lived a little closer! Donna Gamache writes from MacGregor, Manitoba

The Manitoba Co-Operator | January 5, 2012

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

New Year’s resolutions for gardeners

Do you have a story idea for Country Crossroads? Email: susan@fbcpublishing.com

A long and healthy life At 97, Sandy Lake resident still spry

A few suggestions for growing forward in 2012 National Garden Bureau

 I will explore new horizons and try some of the many new varieties and new gardening techniques presented in all those beautifully informative catalogues, books and advertisements. Maybe I’ll try my hand at some more sustainable methods of gardening, or try some organic products, or buy some earthwormproduced fertilizer.  I will “pay it forward” and share some of the excess of my garden. Possibly a local food pantry can accept fresh produce, or my neighbours would appreciate some divisions when I divide my perennials, or I could share my best gardening tips with neighbours.  I will show that gardening can be enjoyed for more than just a few months in the summer. I will try some cool-season veggies, like super-food spinach, in the spring. I will plant some (or some more!) cool-season annuals in the fall. Many products are available to assist in those efforts so why not?  I will make time to enjoy my garden and share it with friends and family. All this beauty I’ve created should be shared with others. There’s little more relaxing than sitting in a beautiful garden sharing a nice cold herbal lemonade, made with my homegrown herbs.  I will support the fight against childhood obesity through the glory of gardening. Maybe I’ll volunteer to teach schoolchildren the basics of vegetable gardening. Maybe I’ll share some of my extra seeds with a child, or use the intriguing uniquely coloured vegetables to pique the interest and taste buds of novice young gardeners.

Last fall Stanley Maydaniuk, 97, showed how stooking was done. PHOTO: COURTESY MARNEY MANULIAK

By Candy Irwin Freelance contributor

tanley Maydaniuk, who is 97 years old, said that although it took a bit of getting used to, he really loves living in the Sandy Lake Personal Care Home. “The nurses are so nice, that I hope I can stay here and never live anywhere else.” Maydaniuk, talking about his life said, “Other than my family, my whole life was beavers, beavers, beavers and Riding Mountain National Park!” He was one of eight children, born in 1914 on the family farm, 16 miles north of Rossburn, close to Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP). His wife, Doris, came from a farm only 1-1/2 miles away. Maydaniuk did some farming to make his living, but more important to him were two other occupations: being an RMNP fire warden and a beaver trapper.

Thoughts for the new year By Addy Oberlin Freelance contributor

Are you ready for the new year? This past year just seemed to fly by. Again I made some resolutions, but if I recall they were also made last year and thinking too much about it frustrates me. I enjoy making plans and find it half the fun to think about the places I might go to or the achievements I hope to accomplish. However, I realize that sometimes my plans do not coincide with God’s plans and changes need to be made and accepted. The acceptance is sometimes the difficulty. I hope and pray that this coming year will bring you health and happiness as much as possible. And even if our plans are not implemented, let us not forget that “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8). Sometimes His ways are better than ours. Let us seek the Lord in all we do. He will help and guide us through 2012, if we will let Him. Addy Oberlin writes from Swan River, Manitoba

Wishing you a good 2012 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

He took his role in protecting RMNP very seriously, but he was even more enthusiastic about trapping beavers, “to protect the trees and help stop flooding.” Using humane No. 330 Conibear traps (not leg-hold traps), he would bait them with poplar that he peeled to reveal the white stalk. Nearby beavers would come out of the water to investigate and get caught. Landowners from Onanole to Russell would call Maydaniuk to help rid their farms of nuisance beavers and a Winnipeg Free Press article written almost 20 years ago, then estimated that Maydaniuk had trapped over 2,500 of them. He began trapping when he was 11 or 12 years old and didn’t stop until he was well into his 90s. He would carry the beavers out of the woods, beginning with the farthest away of seven or eight traps. “It wasn’t easy,” said Maydaniuk, “but dragging car-

casses could have damaged the fur, making the pelt worth less.” When he got home he would skin the beavers and stretch and nail the pelts to boards to dry. “He made his own knives from disused V-shaped mower blades,” said his friend Ian Ripley, former conservation officer from Shoal Lake, “and he skinned them in a different way, faster than anyone I ever saw!” Last fall, Maydaniuk attended the Old Time Threshing Event on the ranch of Frank and Linda Wilkinson. Still amazingly spry and flexible, he showed everyone how to twist wheat into “twine” for binding sheaves and the “right” way to stook. Maydaniuk attributes his good health to, “No liquor — not even a taste, no smoking, no soft drinks, not much sweets and lots of fresh air.” He adds, “I feel good just to live.” Candy Irwin writes from Lake Audy, Manitoba

New Year’s Resolutions Another year has slipped away (as if you didn’t know). We scratch our heads and wonder — where does time really go? Let’s work on self-improvement and we’re bound to find solutions, To carry through those well-laid plans of New Year’s resolutions. I want to be a better friend — it’s friends who really matter, To listen more intently and restrain my surplus chatter. To see the good in everyone — we really ought to try, Though others win those scrabble games and bake a better pie. To visit those who seem to spend so many days alone, Although they smile as if relieved when I say I’m going home. I checked my page of last year’s dreams. And failed — I’m sure of it. My list of all those dos and don’ts hadn’t changed a bit! Eva Krawchuk, Winnipeg