MBC120209

NOT “TALKIN’ ‘BOUT MY GENERATION”

COSMETIC PESTICIDE BAN PLAN

MAFRI offers best practices on engaging youth » PaGe 22

KAP and CropLife say it will hurt beyond the lawn » PaGe 3

February 9, 2012

SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | Vol. 70, No. 6

Poll shows support for infrastructure renewal tax Manitobans understand “fiscal bind,” says AMM president

manitobacooperator.ca

$1.75

CWB ready to compete and expecting to be profitable The single desk will soon be history but CEO Ian White says the CWB’s relationships with farmers and customers, plus government backing, will allow it to prosper

By Lorraine Stevenson co-operator staff

More Manitobans appear ready to support a one-cent municipal sales tax if the extra revenue is put toward fixing roads, bridges, water, sewer and recreational facilities, according to a new poll.

Sixty-four per cent told Probe Research, in a poll conducted for the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, they support that idea.

That’s a jump of support by 10 per cent from 2008 when the AMM asked the same question at the onset of their push for new

By Allan Dawson co-operator staff

T

See TAX on page 6 »

Publication Mail Agreement 40069240

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Canadian Wheat Board president and CEO Ian White is confident the board can succeed in an open market because of its long relationship with farmers and grain customers. photo: allan dawson

he Canadian Wheat Board will succeed in an open market, predicts president and CEO Ian White.

“I’ve got no doubt we can run a viable business,” White said in an interview in his office last week. “We hope it will be profitable in its first year.

That’s what we’re targeting.”

The board always said the single desk was its main advantage, but White listed several other factors that he said would give it an edge, including its long relationship with Prairie farmers and international grain buyers, its pooling experience, and government-backed initial payments and borrowings.

With the board’s 69-year-old sales monopoly due to end Aug. 1, unless the courts overturn government legislation, how can it now claim it can benefit farmers in an open market?

“There’s no question in my mind that there was value in the single desk when you had a statutory environment,” White said. “In a commercial environment that doesn’t mean that you can’t actually have an effective business that operates for farmers in a different way... I think that’s entirely possible as we’re attempting to show now.”

Reaching grain-handling agreements with Western Canada’s country and port terminal operators is key to the board’s success, and White said deals are expected soon. Given the uncertainty of the new open market, he predicted many farmers will pool some of their grain through the board. Meanwhile, grain companies wanting to maximize throughput will handle grain for the board, See CWB READY on page 6 »

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

INSIDE

on the lighter side

LIVESTOCK

Germany hunts out deer-calling champion

Making the case for shelterbelts While many are being ripped out, research shows benefits

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Competitors scored on ability to imitate red deer mating calls

CROPS Wet soil and nitrogen a poor combination But the good news is the P and K are probably OK

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FEATURE Without January rains, a heifer must be sold Editor Laura Rance’s second report from Ethiopia

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reuters

H

unting enthusiasts grunted, bawled and bellowed last week in the battle to be named Germany’s champion deer caller.

The 18 men and one woman used seashells, ox horns and hollow plant stems to perfect

CROSSROADS Attracting younger volunteers A MAFR) seminar offers idea for recruiting youth

4 5 7 10

Editorials Comments What’s Up Livestock Markets

By Alice Baghdjian

their deer calls. This year’s winner, Tasso Wolzenburg, said he was impressed with the competition.

“Even if I were a real deer, I’d still have been amazed at today,” he said.

Competitors were scored on their ability to imitate red deer calls during the breeding season in three different categories: a young deer, a

dominant rutting buck, and an older deer. The skill is part of a centuries-old tradition in Germany, and is used by hunters to lure the deer out of the forest and away from any rival hunters’ guns.

The top three finalists in the German championship automatically secure their place to compete in the European championship.

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Grain Markets Weather Vane Classifieds Sudoku

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READER’S PHOTO

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For Manitoba Farmers Since 1927 1666 Dublin Avenue

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

Manitoba government preparing to ban cosmetic pesticides KAP and CropLife Canada say it will hurt homeowners and farmers

By Allan Dawson co-operator staff

F

armers will be allowed to spray their crops if the Manitoba gover nment bans the use of cosmetic “chemical” pesticides. But farmers will still suffer, say CropLife Canada and the Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP). And so will homeowners.

Last week Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Gord Mackintosh confirmed this spring the Manitoba government will consult the public on prohibiting pesticide applications at residential, municipal, institutional, and recreational venues. Regulations will likely be phased in starting next year.

“Where the use is for nonessential lawn applications, the risks that have been red flagged by many organizations and scientists and doctors, really compel us to look to see if there are precautions that should be taken,” Mackintosh said.

“It’s about being cautious and looking to see if there are reasonable ways to reduce risks of harm to the environment.”

KAP opposes a ban claiming the ban is not “science-based” and therefore politically motivated, said president Doug Chorney.

Only pesticides found to be safe by Health Canada’s Pest Management Review Agency (PMRA), are allowed to be used in Canada, said Pierre Petelle, vice-president of chemistry at CropLife Canada, which represents pesticide makers.

“If this was truly a health issue why are they targeting four or five per cent of the pesticide used in Canada? What about the other 95 per cent?”

Health Canada has 350 scientists assessing pesticide safety.

“What does the provincial government know about these products that Health Canada doesn’t know? The answer is nothing, but the public doesn’t know that,” Petelle said.

Research threatened

Citizens will wrongly conclude if pesticides aren’t safe on their lawns they aren’t safe on food, Petelle said. A ban threatens to undermine future investment in crops and pesticides, he said.

“When these global companies are looking at their research dollars and investments Canada has become frankly a bit of a question mark.”

If noxious weeds such as dandelions are not controlled in urban and recreational areas they will spread to farmers’ fields, warned Chorney, who grows pedigreed timothy seed.

“It may be counterproductive to have a complete ban,” he said. “All the hayfields that can’t be sprayed would be very contaminated.”

One alternative is to restrict lawn pesticide applications to licensed applicators, Chorney said.

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities passed a resolution last fall in opposition to a ban.

“Any time you take a tool out of our tool box of things we can

KAP fears a ban on lawn pesticides, under consideration by the Manitoba government, could result in more weeds, including dandelions, in farmers’ fields. photo: allan dawson

use against our battle or fight with invasive species and noxious weeds, it really serves to tie our hands,” said John Johnston, president of the Manitoba Weed Supervisors Association.

Last April the Manitoba Round Table for Sustainable Development recommended a full ban “on the sale and use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes,” including “chemical insecticides, herbicides and fungicides for residential, municipal, institutional, and recreational facilities, near water and all urban and rural areas.”

Response questioned

Its report says the Ontario College of Family Physicians found a link between lawn and garden pesticides and health problems, including cancer.

According to Petelle, the round table report is flawed because it doesn’t include Health Canada’s response.

Health Canada casts doubt on the veracity of the Ontario College of Family Physicians’ findings. “ This report examined a small group of epidemiology studies, and reported potential associations between pesticides and certain cancers,” Health Canada states on its website. “The wider scientific community raised significant concerns with respect to how this literature study was conducted because it did not consider all of the relevant epidemiological evidence.”

In addition to epidemiological reviews Health Canada also does toxicological studies to assess pesticide safety.

Most other provinces have restricted cosmetic pesticide use, Mackintosh said. While the Manitoba government will look to other jurisdictions for “lessons learned,” the minister wants a “made in Manitoba” solution, he said.

While the focus is on lawn pesticides, those used on garden and trees, will be scrutinized too. Mackintosh said it’s possible products used in vegetable gardens might be exempt.

“It’s about being cautious and looking to see if there are reasonable ways to reduce risks of harm to the environment.”

Gord Mackintosh

There’s a good chance the ban won’t apply to golf courses either.

Agriculture and forestry will be exempt, he stressed, adding that there are non-chemical ways to control lawn weeds and they will be promoted. “ We’ l l b e h e a r i n g f r o m Manitobans, including KAP, so that we can guard against any unintended consequences,” Mackintosh said.

“We’d like to move in that direction (of banning cosmetic pesticides),” he said. “The question is how do we best move in that direction.”

With files from Lorraine Stevenson. allan@fbcpublishing.com

What Health Canada says about pesticides and cancer PMRA says all products undergo rigorous scientific tests STAFF / Question: Some groups indicate that there is a “growing body of evidence suggesting a connection between pesticides and cancer.” What is Health Canada doing about this?

Answer: Health Canada does not register pesticides that are known to cause cancer or other illnesses when used according to the label directions.

Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency is responsible for administering the Pest Control Products Act on behalf of the minister of health. Before a pesticide is allowed to be used or

sold in Canada, it must undergo a rigorous scientific assessment process, which provides reasonable certainty that no harm, including chronic effects such as cancer, will occur when pesticides are used according to label directions.

Under this pre-market approval process, results from more than 200 types of scientific studies must be submitted to determine if the pesticide would cause any negative effects to people, animals, birds, insects, plants, as well as on the soil and in the water.

This assessment takes into consideration sensitive subgroups,

such as pregnant and nursing women, infants, children and seniors.

Additionally, Health Canada scientists review the scientific literature for studies which refer to pesticides. Health Canada recognizes the value of epidemiology studies in risk assessment. The most useful and relevant epidemiological studies are those that properly characterize exposure in terms of how the product is used.

(Source: Health Canada’s website — http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/ pest/faq-eng.php#whatis)

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

OPINION/EDITORIAL

Cosmetic pesticide dilemma

W

hile working from a home office a few years ago, I looked out the window and saw a young guy holding a wand and spraying liquid on the front lawn. He was at the wrong address — a neighbour across the lane had ordered his lawn-care service, and I was able to direct him before he had gone very far.

But twice since, the service has made the same mistake when we were not home John Morriss and we’ve returned to find little yellow Editorial Director signs saying we should keep kids and pets off the lawn for a while.

We weren’t charged, so you might say that getting free fertilizer and weed control is a pretty good deal. However, in recent wet years, the grass has been growing quite well on its own, thank you. Adding fertilizer means you have to cut the lawn twice a week instead of once, and since we don’t remove clippings, there’s now probably enough nitrogen and phosphorus in that lawn to grow one of those 400-bushel corn crops that you hear about in Iowa.

Although maybe all that rain has leached some of it into the nearby Red River. Who knows? There was never a soil test to see if the fertilizer was needed in the first place.

As for the dandelions, it’s nice to have them knocked back for a while. But they always return, and goodness knows what rate of herbicide those services are using to control them when they get big and tough during the heat of summer.

But back to that young guy on the lawn, probably a high school or university student on a summer job. He was wearing shorts, a T-shirt and sandals.

Maybe iPod earbuds would classify as ear protection, but assuming he’s applying some kind of 2,4-D and dicamba product, here’s what else is recommended, based on the label for a similar product registered for agricultural use.

Handling the dilute spray solution (during application or repairing or cleaning equipment): All handlers must wear coveralls over a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and chemicalresistant gloves, socks and shoes. Gloves which are in good condition must be worn when mixing/loading, spraying and during cleanup and repair. Rinse gloves before removal.

The label also says: Apply only when the potential for drift to areas of human habitation or areas of human activity such as houses, cottages, schools and recreational areas is minimal, and DO NOT enter or allow worker entry into treated areas during the restricted-entry interval (REI) of 24 hours.

The Manitoba government recently joined one of a growing list of Canadian jurisdictions that has implemented or is considering a ban on cosmetic use of pesticides. These bans throw terror into farmers and herbicide manufacturers, who view them as the thin edge of the wedge toward an outright ban.

Their first line of defence is always that these products are safe when used in accordance with label directions. The overwhelming scientific evidence is that they are correct, but this puts the industry between something of a rock and a hard place. It can’t reasonably argue that the lawn-care guy is using the product in accordance with label directions.

The same applies to most home users. How many are really using the recommended milligrams per litre recommended rate on the Killex label? Then there are those fertilizer/herbicide combinations hooked up to a garden hose, again often applied by a homeowner wearing shorts and flip-flops.

On the other hand, what if the manufacturers were to insist that urban pesticide users should follow the same label directions as farmers? The sight of those lawn-care guys wearing the equipment the manufacturers suggest might encourage urban anti-pesticide interests even further.

If it isn’t poison, why are they wearing that equipment?

Keystone Agricultural Producers reacted to the proposed ban in Manitoba in part by suggesting that lack of urban weed control might mean more spread of noxious weeds to farmland. Perhaps. On the other hand, so far farmers have been spared the emergence of any weeds resistant to 2,4-D. Should the dreaded prospect of a 2,4-D-resistant dandelion ever materialize, it’s not likely to start in a farm field being sprayed at the recommended rate. It will come from a homeowner mixing it in a watering can, and figuring that if one teaspoon is good, three must be better.

There’s no easy answer on this one, but ultimately over the long term, farmers and industry have to stick to the position that the products are safe if used in accordance with label directions. Maybe agricultural interests should acknowledge concerns that some users are not taking the same precautions as professional farmers. If a couple of urban lawn-care workers who haven’t, get cancer (from whatever cause) and that hits the news, guess who will suffer the backlash?

Maybe it’s not an outright ban, but farmers and the industry may need to accept that some restriction of cosmetic pesticide use might be the lesser evil. john.morriss@fbcpublishing.com

OUR HISTORY:

Anderson barn, RM of Elton

By Ed Ledohowski MUNICIPAL HERITAGE CONSULTANT, HISTORIC RESOURCES BRANCH

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he Anderson barn is a rare and superbly preserved example of a classic southern Ontario-style bank barn, scores of which were constructed across southwestern Manitoba during the late 19th century by settlers from Ontario. Telltale design features include tall, rectangular massing with a steep gable roof; post-and-beam framing; vertical board-and-batten siding; diamond-shaped loft windows; fieldstone masonry stable level walls; and a large loft access ramp.

Its builder, Scottish-born William Anderson of Elora, Ontario settled on the site just northwest of Brandon in 1889 and the property has remained in the Anderson family to the present time.

Constructed in 1903, the barn retains most of its original elements that made it a stateof-the-art livestock facility in its time. In the stable level, these include a three-bay plan with cattle stalls in the central bay, horse stalls in the west bay and pens for pigs, calves and fowls in the east bay. Also present are wooden feed troughs throughout, wooden chutes connecting to the feed grain storage bins in the loft; old-style “split” exterior barn doors, harness racks and even nameplates over each of the horse stalls.

The loft level retains a complete and functional hay-sling apparatus used to lift loads of hay from racks and deposit them strategically throughout the loft. There is also a feed grain processing and storage area, an in-ground

concrete silo attached to the south side and root cellar under the ramp. The concrete and wood-frame addition for sheltering pigs and chickens, built around 1914 on the barn’s west end, reflects major changes in farm building construction materials and technology on the Prairies during the early years of the 20th century.

As one of the best-preserved southern Ontario-style barns remaining in the Brandon region, the council for the Rural Municipality of Elton designated the Anderson barn as a municipal heritage site on November 6, 1989.

Since that time, with technical and financial support from the province’s Historic Resources Branch, owners Frank and Bessie Anderson undertook a series of restoration and repair projects, which included repointing the masonry stable walls.

After their recent retirement to Brandon, this family labour of love has since been taken over by son Bill Anderson and wife Frances who have repaired and reshingled the barn’s large gable roof and completely rebuilt portions of the fieldstone stable walls. A current project is the complete replacement of the board-and-batten siding on the east wall.

The Anderson barn, together with several other early post-and-beam farmyard structures, shelterbelts and a creek-fed duck pond, is a rare and excellent surviving monument to the municipality and region’s southern Ontario agricultural origins. Additional information can be obtained online, at: www.gov.mb.ca/ chc/hrb/mun/m033; and www.historicplaces. ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=5084

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

COMMENT/FEEDBACK

Agriculture takes three of five “useless” college degrees U.S. agricultural college deans fire back, saying agriculture isn’t just about farming

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nternet news site Yahoo Education recently published an article titled “College Majors that are Useless.”

Agriculture topped the list, followed by fashion design, theatre, animal science and horticulture. The Yahoo article’s rationale was largely based on the projected continuing decline in the numbers of farms in the U.S. “In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor projects 64,000 fewer jobs in this field over the next seven years,” the article said.

U.S. agriculture colleges shot back, with the deans of agriculture at Purdue University, the University of Illinois, the Ohio State University and Iowa State University issuing a joint press release. Excerpts follow:

• The Yahoo Education article equated “agriculture” with “farm management.” Farm management is an important field of study, but defining agriculture only as farm management is much too narrow. Completely ignored are other important areas under the umbrella of “agriculture” including food science, plant science, and soil science, where the Bureau of Labor Statistics report predicts job

growth should be faster than the average for all occupations, and where job opportunities are expected to be good over the next decade, particularly in food science and technology and in agronomy. And, of course, the “agriculture” umbrella also covers agricultural economics, agricultural engineering, animal sciences, natural resource and environmental sciences, and agricultural education, to name a few.

• Very low unemployment rates.

Recent online posts cited a justreleased report by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce which found agriculture and natural resources to be among the fields with the lowest unemployment rates — lower than business, engineering, law, and several others.

• (A U.S. Department of Agriculture report) projects that 53,500 qualified graduates will be available for about 54,400 jobs annually in the agricultural and food systems, renewable energy and the environment. About 55 per cent of those graduates (29,300) are expected to earn degrees from colleges of agriculture and life sciences,

U.S. wheat organizations want access to Canadian systems A January 1 press release issued by U.S. Wheat Associates

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ignalling a desire for more market efficiency, the boards of d i re c t o r s o f U . S . W h e a t Associates (USW ) and the Na t i o n a l A s s o c i a t i o n o f W h e a t Growe r s ( N AWG ) each passed a resolution on Jan. 29 calling for an open border with Canada that provides reciprocal bilateral wheat trade.

Under a December 2011 law, which still faces some legal challenges, the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) will lose its grainmarketing monopoly Aug. 1, allowing western Canadian farmers to sell their wheat and barley in the open market.

The United States is routinely Canada’s top wheat export market, but Canada’s open market changes could affect the ways wheat m ov e s i n t o t h e Un i t e d States. “ We b e l i e v e t h a t i n an open market, some Canadian wheat will move to U.S. country elevators near the border,” said Gordon Stoner, a Montana wheat farmer who serves as the head of the USW/ NAWG Joint International Trade Policy Committee.

“Our wheat farmers are ready to accept that outcome as long as we similarly have a fair opportun i t y t o d e l i ve r i n t o t h e Canadian handling system.

This resolution gives NAWG and USW the authority to work with farmers, the grain trade and gover nment agencies here and in Canada to give U.S. farmers reciprocal access to the Canadian market. We seek an open border — in both directions.”

St o n e r s a i d s o m e k e y issues must be resolved before U.S. farmers could sell their wheat to cash markets in Canada, such as Canada’s narrow wheat class variety eligibility lists that do not allow most U.S. varieties to be marketed in the country as top-grade milling wheat.

“Ultimately, open trade across the border will be good for both Canadian and U.S. wheat far mers by adding efficiency and a l l ow i n g C a n a d i a n a n d U.S. wheat handlers, users and growers to compete on the basis of quality and location,” Stoner said. “At the same time, with the CWB monopoly gone, the international market that determines our prices will become more transparent, fair and efficient.”

forestry and natural resources, and veterinary medicine.

• The director of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University recently wrote, “No sector appears stronger than agriculture/food processing with an increase in hires of approximately 14 per cent.”

• The Midwest area, once dubbed the “Rust Belt,” is becoming the breeding ground for new “green” agriculture-related jobs as the agriculture-driven industry is poised to expand into new markets such as health, specialty crops, biofuels and bio-based products.

• The article completely misses an important trend of interest in smallscale, local food production and those who want to become part of agriculture by launching these types of businesses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics report from which (the author) took some of his numbers even points out that “…an increasing number of small-scale farmers have developed successful market niches that involve personalized, direct contact with their customers. Many are finding opportunities in horticulture and

organic food production, which are among the fastest-growing segments of agriculture.”

• The success of our graduates is also a testament to the usefulness of agricultural majors. Students majoring in “agriculture” study farm management, horticulture, and animal sciences — as well as agricultural and food business, food science, biological engineering, plant breeding and genetics, wildlife biology and forestry, biochemistry, microbiology, entomology, and other exciting, science-based areas. Our graduates take jobs in a wide variety of industries, pursue research careers, and work in public service in the U.S. and internationally.

Across all four of our agricultural colleges, total enrolment is the highest in 30-plus years, applications are going up and, most importantly, at the end of their undergraduate careers, our students are facing excellent job or graduate program opportunities. Placement rates are higher than 90 per cent, with 16-26 per cent of that total choosing to pursue advanced degrees and professional education.

Memories of disasters are all too soon forgotten Most of us have trouble picturing risks we haven’t seen, whether they are earthquakes or floods From Ripple Effect, a weekly newsletter from The Red River Basin Commission

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ith the recent spate of wet years here in the Red River Basin, we’ve heard more than usual about risks of flooding. Statistical risks for flooding are based on the historical record of flooding and are typically expressed as statistical chances for certain levels of flooding in any one year.

For example, there is a one per cent for a 100-year flood in any single year, a .50 per cent for a 200-year flood, a .20 per cent chance for a 500-year flood.

But is this the way most people think of the risk of flooding? Research by Nobel Prize winner in economics, Daniel Kahneman, about how people think when it comes to risk suggests the answer is no.

What do we know about how we think of risk? First, we know people are most diligent in responding to risk right after they have been affected.

For instance, after major earthquakes in California, citizens become more diligent about purchasing insurance and practising other measures to protect their lives and property.

After some time elapses, however, memories dim and these actions drop off, even though actual risk for earthquake damage hasn’t changed.

It is this out-of-sight, out-of-mind, thinking that results in the typical cycle of “disaster, concern and growing complacency” that is all too familiar to those in emergency work.

Why does this happen?

Kahneman concludes that this typical response to risk has much to do with our short memories when it comes to risk situations. It is this out-ofsight, out-of-mind, thinking that results in the typical cycle of “disaster, concern and growing complacency” that is all too familiar to those in emergency work. An example of this cycle hit close to home in 2011 when Minot, North Dakota, which had not experienced flooding for many years, was caught unprepared, the city and its individual property owners alike.

A second thing we know about how we think of and respond to risk is that we tend to assume that the level of risk ahead will only be as great as the worst disaster we have already experienced. Kahneman notes that as far back as ancient Egypt, high water marks were recorded with each flood and used to determine the preparation level for the next flood. This practice

continues in many instances even today.

Here in the Red River basin, for example, much of the planning for future floods is still aimed at the more familiar floods of 100-year magnitude or smaller, even though several areas of the basin have already experienced flooding up to 200year and even 500-year levels.

Why do we have trouble preparing for potentially larger floods? Kahneman’s answer is that we’re being tricked by our imaginations. Most of us, he explains, have trouble picturing risks we haven’t seen, whether they are earthquakes or floods.

As a result, we continue to think in terms of what we have available in our minds.

Yes, here in the Red River basin, we’ve experienced much flooding, and we’ve been informed that greater floods are possible. But we’ve had a dry fall, and winter thus far has produced little snow. So what are our minds telling us today about flood risk?

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

FROM PAGE ONE CWB READY Continued from page 1

TAX Continued from page 1

said White, adding he is seeking handling deals with all the companies so farmers anywhere in the West can easily sell to the board.

municipal revenue streams.

Three years ago a poll of 1,000 Manitobans showed just over half (54 per cent) supported the idea.

Given five options for the province to dedicate additional revenues from the provincial sales tax (PST) to a specific purpose, 44 per cent indicated they would dedicate these funds to community infrastructure improvement. That’s higher than the 27 per cent in favour of dedicating it to health care or 11 per cent wanting it to go to education. Manitobans age 55 or older are the most favourable to a municipal sales tax (74 per cent) versus those aged 18-34 (56 per cent). Women (36 per cent) are less likely than men (52 per cent) to favour infrastructure over other priorities.

Overall, nine in 10 respondents agreed with the statement, “Our communities need help.”

AMM president Doug Dobrowolski said the results show Manitobans now understand the fiscal bind faced by local government.

“This survey just reinforces what we already believed — most Manitobans will support additional revenue for municipalities if the funds raised go directly to an area of great need.

That area is infrastructure.”

The AMM’s call for new rev-

Short- and long-term pools

The board will announce details of its wheat-, durum- and barleymarketing options this month.

There will be short- and longterm pools, contracts linked to future prices and cash prices, White said.

However, single-desk supporters aren’t convinced the future earned through the single desk and belong to farmers. The govwill be rosy.

The board might work out suit- ernment should distribute those able handling arrangements in assets to farmers and then use the short term, but over time its government money to kick-start grain company competitors will the new voluntary board, he said.

“It’s the equivalent of a hostile grab market share by offering less attractive terms to the board, pre- takeover of the single desk and dicts former wheat board director its assets,” Toews said. “It’s just wrong.” and Kane farmer Bill Toews.

Eventually the wheat board, “In the long run, the relationship (between the board and which is now a government farmers) will get poorer because agency, will be privatized and they just don’t have the lever- farmers’ assets will be transferred age to provide something better to an existing grain company that than what the (grain) compa- buys the board or the shareholders of a new company, said Toews, nies will provide,” he said.

The board has professional, adding he doubts the board will competent staff, including morph into a farmer-owned White, who will do their utmost co-operative. to make a voluntary board succeed, said Toews, but added the Elevators main source deck is stacked against it.

The board wants to work with Not so, according to White. producer car shippers and Government-guaranteed bor- short line railways, but expects rowings and initial payments most of its grain will be shipped for five years, plus working through elevators, White said. capital from the board’s contin“I think the selling feature gency fund, will help a volun- that we have is we have a great tary board get on its feet. amount of experience and knowl“So it’s not as if we’re just edge and expertise in marketing being cut loose to survive with- and running pools,” White said. out any advantages,” White Despite the increased risk of said. “We have the advantage of pools exposed to an open market, a period of transition.” the board expects to top up iniUsing the board’s contingency tial payments using tools such as fund of up to $200 million to options, White said. bankroll the new board is a sore Farmers will be contracted to point with Toews and seven other deliver specific volumes to the former directors. They contend pools so the board will know how the fund, along with other board much grain it has to sell, he said.

SEC-STETT12-T_AFE.qxd 10/14/11 1:35 PM Page 1 assets, including its Winnipeg The board is also talking to its office and 3,200 rail cars, were customers.

“We hope it will be profitable in its first year. That’s what we’re targeting.”

Ian White

“We have a very good understanding of what each of them wants to do,” White said.

The board’s sales offices in Beijing and Tokyo, which service customers throughout Asia, will remain open.

The board has laid off 23 staff since the Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act became law in December. A few others have left on their own, and more staff cuts are looming, said White, adding the board is working to keep key employees and, so far, hasn’t lost any sales people.

“A lot of our marketing people are long-serving people who... have a lot of allegiance to this organization,” he said. “We expect to be showing them a good business plan going forward that they want to be part of.

“We think we can create a fairly exciting environment for them here that they’ll want to stay.”

Severance and pension costs are covered by the federal government, as will be windup costs should the board not be privatized after four years, he said.

White said it’s too early to tell if the pending open market has eroded the prices for Canadian grain.

“I think there will be more competition in some markets for the Canadian product,” he said. “The question will be whether that translates into lower prices and I don’t think we can tell that yet.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

“This survey just reinforces what we already believed — most Manitobans will support additional revenue for municipalities if the funds raised go directly to an area of great need.

DOUG DOBROWolSKI AMM president

enue streams was the focus of its Putting Communities First campaign in the leadup to last October’s election when AMM held meetings with municipal leaders and other community representatives across the province to talk and list specifics on infrastructure needs. Over half of all towns listed streets and roads repairs and water infrastructure as top priorities, with deteriorating sidewalks, playgrounds in need of upgrades and halls in need upgrades and repairs as other major concerns.

The AMM has calculated a dedicated tax would generate about $240 million in additional revenues which the province’s 197 municipalities could then share through per capita distribution. The province’s estimated infrastructure deficit is at $11 billion, or $10,000 for every Manitoban.

In a recent op-ed piece, Dobrowolski cited Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ calculations that showing for every $1 spent on infrastructure, the federal, provincial and territorial governments received 35 cents through new income and sales tax.

“In other words, infrastructure spending is not a drain. It is an investment that will help communities,” he said. Premier Greg Selinger told delegates at the AMM Annual Convention in November that he would not consider a municipal sales tax. AMM will hold its annual mayors’ and reeves’ meetings in March.

The survey was conducted among the Probe Research Online Panel between November 14 and 21 last year with 657 persons, or 24 per cent of those approached, responding. As per guidelines established by the Marketing Intelligence and Research Association (MirA) no margin of error is given for this online survey.

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7

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

The real dirt on variable-rate technology There are a host of soil-related factors that can affect yields, and your pocketbook

By Alexis Kienlen FBC STAFF | RED DEER

V

ar iable-rate technology is based on a simple premise.

“Basically, we’re aiming for the right rate at the right place in the field,” Ross McKenzie, a soil scientist with Alberta Agriculture, told attendees at the Agronomy Update event in Red Deer.

That starts with knowing your soil, but that’s a lot harder than most people think, he said.

“In my mind, we still have a fair ways to go to really be able to learn how to accurately prepare prescription fertilizer maps that will be economical for fertilizer on the farm,” he said.

Variable-rate technology, or VRT, starts with the producer identifying unique areas of a field, taking soil samples, and then trying to determine the ideal fertilizer rates.

But determining the different soil areas within the field, and deciding which soil factors to look at, is challenging. So is deciding how to manage fertilizers on these different soil areas, which is complicated because weather and growing conditions play such a huge role in yields.

Producers don’t have a lot of control over soil-related factors, but they can apply proper fertilizers to adjust soil nutrient levels.

“How do these areas vary across your field? Can you check for soil nutrient levels?”

McKenzie asked. “This is the first thing I want to look for. The second thing is soil moisture content. How does soil moisture vary? Moisture is probably the biggest, most important factor in achieving optimum yield.”

Other factors include salinity, soil organic matter, texture, chemical exchange capacity, pH, surface water drainage,

and past history of erosion on a field.

Risks versus benefits

Producers should also consider how much soil variability is needed to make VRT pay.

“What are the risks versus the benefits?” asked McKenzie.

“The benefits are obvious. If you can put on different rates of fertilizer and cut back on your fertilizer costs to increase your yields, then you’ve got it. But VRT can be expensive. It can be anywhere from $3 an acre to $10 an acre.”

The range of variability across a field is also a factor as changes in topography can affect optimum fertilizer rates.

“The most important thing is to identify soil management zones,” McKenzie said. “One simple place to start is looking at topography and how soils change with topography.”

Producers should tr y to remember yield patterns they

have seen over the years. Soil and salinity maps are useful in this process, as are crop yield maps and satellite imagery.

However, McKenzie said he prefers to examine the soil itself using ground truthing. Different parts of a slope have different soil properties. Upper slopes are characterized by thinner topsoil, and less soil organic matter which results in more soil crusting and reduced crop emergence.

“It has less water-holding capacity, so after a significant rain, you might get a bit more run-off and less stored water,” said McKenzie. “Organic matter is a storage of nutrients, so if we have lower organic matter, we will have lower cycling of nutrients released for plant growth.”

Upper slopes have higher soil pH levels.

Lower slopes show almost the opposite characteristics of higher ones, with deeper topsoil,

higher soil organic matter, better water infiltration, and a higher water table. Soil pH levels are much lower, which could result in salinity problems. All of these factors have a deep impact on yield potential.

McKenzie’s advice to any producer considering VRT is not to do the entire farm right off the bat. Producers should use VRT on the fields that are the most varied, particularly in terms of topography, using yield and topography maps to determine slope positions. Then consider how nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus vary with slope positions, and how the moisture and salinity varies in different soil conditions.

“Start simple,” said McKenzie.

“If you’ve got 5,000 acres, don’t do all 5,000 acres. Start with a couple or three quarter sections. Start off slow and get a feel for it and develop a knowledge of what you’re actually doing.”

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

Feb. 8-9: Manitoba Special Crops Symposium, Victoria Inn, 1808 Wellington Ave., Winnipeg.

For more info visit www. manitobaspecialcrops.ca or call 204-745-6488.

Feb. 9-10: University of Manitoba Transport Institute's Supply Chain Connections conference: "The Mid-Continent Cold Chain," Winnipeg. RESCHEDULED to May 24-25, 2011. For more info visit www.umti.ca.

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. 16: Manitoba Model Forest seminar on non-timber forest products (wildcrafting, herbal teas, etc.), 1-3 p.m., Little Black River FN. To pre-register contact Ken Fosty at 204-340-5013 or email kfosty@treecanada.ca.

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Feb. 21-22: Western Canadian Holistic Management Conference, Gallagher Centre, 455 Broadway St. W., Yorkton, Sask. For more info call 306-786-1531.

Feb. 21-23: Canadian Organic Science Conference, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg. For more info visit www.oacc.info/cosc.

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Feb. 22-23: Precision Ag 2.0, The Next Generation: Western Canadian Precision Agriculture Conference, Deerfoot Inn and Casino, 1000-11500 35th St. SE, Calgary. For more info visit www. precision-ag.ca.

Feb. 23: Manitoba Model Forest seminar on non-timber forest products (wildcrafting, herbal teas, etc.), 7-9 p.m., Winnipeg River Learning Centre, Pine Falls. To pre-register contact Ken Fosty at 204-340-5013 or email kfosty@ treecanada.ca.

Feb. 23-25: Growing Local Conference, Marlborough Hotel, 331 Smith St., Winnipeg. For more info call 1-800-731-2638 or visit http://foodmattersmanitoba.ca.

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8

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

Without January rains, one of two heifers will be sold As farm families get larger, already-small parcels of land are divided even smaller

By Laura Rance WOLAYTO-SODDO, ETHIOPIA

C

o-operator editor Laura Rance is travelling on a media food study tour with the Canadian Foodgrains B a n k . Up d a t e s a r e b e i n g posted on the Co-operator website at www.manitobacooperator.ca.

The highway southwest of Addis Ababa to WolaytoSoddo is wide and smooth, but there is no such thing in Ethiopia as setting the cruise control and just cruising, as one would expect to do on the wide-open Canadian Prairies.

With nearly 80 million people, Ethiopia is densely populated and most of its people live as subsistence farmers in rural areas. We share this highway with other users, including a steady stream of pedestr ians and livestock — cattle, goats, sheep and t h e p o o r - m a n’s B-train, the donk e y, c a r r y i n g everything from bags of grain or firewood to containers filled w i t h w a t e r, t o furniture.

A s Sa m Va n der Ende, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s field co-ordinator, deftly manoeuvres us through the traffic, at times forced from highway speed to a complete stop for a wayward donkey or zebu (bovine) that refuses to budge, it becomes clear that safe travel here requires keen intuition for the meandering unpredictable flow — and a good horn. After all, if a pedestrian or livestock g e t s h i t by a ve h i c l e,

under Ethiopian law the driver is automatically responsible.

One of the members of our group, Al Friesen, of Radio Southern Manitoba, observed that whereas drivers in North America use their vehicle’s hor n as a for m of aggression, in Ethiopia it is used to announce, “I am here.”

Deceptively green

We are travelling a day’s drive southwest of Addis Ababa into a district that is known in food aid circles as the Green Famine Belt. While not lush, there is green growth in the fields and hillsides, forested hillsides and water running in the streams.

Green isn’t a colour usually associated with famine. From the roadside, at least, it looks like a reasonably productive area.

Yet many of these families are not more than a month or two away from not having

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enough to eat at any given time, a factor of their grinding poverty, the region’s high population density and an increasingly variable climate.

It’s why for several years t h e C a n a d i a n Fo o d g r a i n s Bank has been involved in the region through its Canadian partners, World Relief Canada and Evangelical Missionary Church, and the two locally based Kale Hewyet Church branches. Through cashfor-work and food-for-work projects, the families most at risk of running out of food are able to receive support while working on projects that benefit the community.

These projects tend to be oriented toward soil conservation through terracing erosion-prone hillsides and reforestation, as well as road maintenance. And because there is never enough aid to go

around, the potential project participants are selected after a c o m p l i c a t e d e x e rc i s e i n community consensus.

The families most in need are identified by government and community leaders, but then the finalists are chosen by a community meeting. If picked, the household must supply labour to the project in exchange for 75 kilograms per month of maize, if it is a food-for-work project, or 242 Ethiopian birrs (C$13.92) per month.

Although people can have long-term tenure in Ethiopia, and land can be passed from generation to generation, they don’t own their land outright — so it cannot be bought and sold. As families grow, their land parcels shrink and their c a p a c i t y t o a c q u i re m o re through leasing is limited.

The pressure on the common grazing areas becomes m o re i n t e n s e a n d the pressure unsustainable.

The growing landlessness is made worse by t h e w e i rd weather the region has been experiencing.

Some

call it climate change, but whatever you choose to call it, it’s wreaking havoc with local food security.

The rains on which people depend for growing food have become increasingly unpredictable. Whether those rains come too early, too late, or not at all, they are a recipe for hunger.

Waiting for rain

Bekele, a farmer we met in the hills outside of Soddo in the Wolayta district, told us Jan. 30 that he was still waiting for the January rains to come — rains that tease his sweet potato crop into producing tubers. He’s running out of time.

With two wives and three children to support, Bekele said that if the sweet potato crop failed, he would sell one of the family’s two heifers to buy food to tide them over, hopefully until the next harvest.

It’s this kind of sur vival strategy that food aid agencies hope to prevent. Livestock are assets, at once representing a family’s relative wealth and its savings account. Once it starts selling assets in order to eat, they are predisposed to a free fall further into poverty.

See next page »

9

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

The highways in rural Ethiopia resemble sidewalks due to the high volume of pedestrian traffic.

Many of the farmers we’ve met over the past several days farm a hectare or less of land.

Even in a good year, they are barely producing enough maize, sweet potato and haricot beans to feed their families much less have leftovers to sell for cash.

If the weather doesn’t cooperate, they can quickly be thrown into a food crisis.

Support from either government or non-government agencies can help tide them over, but no one is fooled, least of all the project participants, into thinking it is a long-term solution.

PHOTOS: LAURA RANCE

The search is on for ways to achieve higher levels of productivity, make it possible for these farmers to acquire more land, and develop alternative sources of income.

Simon Lema, a 45-year-old farmer in the Damat Wodye d i s t r i c t s o u t h o f Wo l a y t o Soddo, said his dream for his eight children is for all of them to get an education.

“I am not thinking they will stay on small land,” he said.

“I expect if I send them to school, I hope they will get a better job.”

“I am not thinking they will stay on small land. I expect if I send them to school, I hope they will get a better job.”

SIMON LEMA Farmer

Ethiopian farmer Simon Lema is working on a road maintenance project as part of a food-for-work project.

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10

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

LIVESTOCK MARKETS

EXCHANGES: February 3, 2012

$1 Cdn: $0.9945 U.S. $1 U.S: $1.00 Cdn.

COLUMN

Cattle Prices Winnipeg

(Friday to Thursday) Slaughter Cattle

February 3, 2012

Steers & Heifers $ — D1,2 Cows 58.00 - 64.00 D3 Cows 48.00 - 58.00 Bulls 70.00 - 86.75 Feeder Cattle (Price ranges for feeders refer to top-quality animals only) Steers (901+ lbs.) $ ­— (801-900 lbs.)

125.00 - 136.50 (701-800 lbs.)

135.00 - 153.50 (601-700 lbs.)

148.00 - 169.00 (501-600 lbs.)

155.00 - 190.00 (401-500 lbs.)

155.00 - 199.00 Heifers (901+ lbs.)

— (801-900 lbs.)

115.00 - 125.00 (701-800 lbs.)

122.00 - 136.50 (601-700 lbs.)

130.00 - 143.50 (501-600 lbs.)

140.00 - 163.00 (401-500 lbs.)

140.00 - 182.00 Slaughter Cattle Grade A Steers Grade A Heifers D1, 2 Cows D3 Cows Bulls Steers

Heifers

Alberta South $ 112.00 - 112.50 112.00 66.00 - 79.00 55.00 - 72.00 ­— $ 120.00 - 142.00 132.00 - 152.00 140.00 - 163.00 154.00 - 177.00 170.00 - 197.00 180.00 - 212.00 $ 114.00 - 132.00 123.00 - 140.00 130.00 - 149.00 137.00 - 164.00 148.00 - 175.00 160.00 - 189.00

($/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 (February 2, 2012) in U.S. Fed Cattle Close Change February 2012 125.15 0.60 April 2012 128.90 0.85 June 2012 128.10 1.60 August 2012 129.75 1.03 October 2012 132.97 1.85 December 2012 133.80 1.78 Cattle Slaughter Canada East West Manitoba U.S.

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

Larger feeders haven’t got much room to the upside Phil-Franz Warkentin CNSA

Ontario $ 111.38 - 127.51 98.80 - 123.04 58.38 - 74.42 58.38 - 74.42 71.61 - 88.00 $ 122.55 - 144.40 119.45 - 145.54 133.78 - 158.92 137.58 - 170.01 135.68 - 186.52 151.56 - 192.23 $ 125.55 - 135.56 118.71 - 140.85 129.54 - 149.51 127.60 - 153.14 131.82 - 161.33 137.51 - 163.37

Close 155.37 157.92 158.77 160.12 159.80 160.10

Change 2.37 4.30 2.85 3.32 1.70 2.00

Cattle Grades (Canada)

Week Ending January 28, 2012 51,806 14,023 37,783 N/A 608,000

Previous Year­ 54,675 14,917 39,758 N/A 654,000

Week Ending January 28, 2012 292 18,394 19,882 951 657 8,055 180

Prime AAA AA A B D E

Previous Year 622 25,004 16,802 871 342 4,225 201

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 172.00E 158.00E 159.32 164.20

Futures (February 2, 2012) in U.S. Hogs February 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012

Last Week 171.45 157.70 157.18 161.95

Close 87.57 89.75 97.55 98.75 99.15

Last Year (Index 100) 156.72 144.76 145.14 146.57

Change 1.62 2.95 2.15 1.90 2.35

Other Market Prices Sheep and Lambs $/cwt Ewes Lambs (110+ lb.)

(95 - 109 lb.)

(80 - 94 lb.)

(Under 80 lb.)

(New crop)

Winnipeg 90.00 - 110.00 180.00 - 200.00 189.00 - 210.00 200.00 - 225.00 215.00 - 245.00 —

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 February 5, 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 .................................... $1.895 Undergrade .............................. $1.795 Light Tom/Heavy Hen Turkeys (between 8.5 and 10.8 kg liveweight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $1.895 Undergrade .............................. $1.795 Tom Turkeys (10.8 and 13.3 kg, live weight truck load average) Grade A..................................... $1.890 Undergrade............................... $1.805 Prices are quoted f.o.b. farm.

Toronto 93.82 - 127.82 187.14 - 204.14 202.06 - 219.06 208.95 - 230.08 265.79 - 300.00 —

SunGold Specialty Meats N/A —

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) 95.00 - 160.00 95.00 - 160.00 —

Toronto ($/cwt) 110.00 - 273.00 — 95.13 - 269.00

Horses 1,000 lbs.

1,000 lbs.+

Winnipeg ($/cwt) — —

Heavier feeders need stronger market for fats

Toronto ($/cwt) 19.96 - 34.17 21.27 - 34.53

T

he aggressive demand for southern Manitoba feeder cattle showed no signs of slowing down during the week ended Feb. 3, as numbers were up at most auction yards across the province and prices were generally steady to higher.

“Prices seemed fully steady from the week prior in most spots,” said Robin Hill of Heartland Livestock Services at Virden, adding that the butcher steers and bulls were up by another $1 to $2 per hundredweight. He described volumes as “great,” with the high prices also helping bring more animals into the auction yards.

Eastern and western feedlots remained the primary destinations for Manitoba feeder cattle, with some also staying locally. Hill said the fancier cattle in particular were hitting the eastern orders into Quebec and Ontario.

However, whether the market will be able to stay strong or not is “a guessing game,” according to Hill. “I think the light cattle will stay strong right through… but the heavier cattle almost seem a little too high,” he said.

“We’re at the high end of the heavier cattle,” said Hill, adding that the only way the larger feeder animals would have any more room to the upside would be if the fat market also strengthened.

“We need to see (the butcher steers and heifers) get a little stronger,” said Hill.

While there are still profits to be made in the sector, “margins are very tight,” said Hill. “I hope we don’t start seeing losses,” he added, noting that the ideal situation would see fat prices start coming up, rather than the feeder market trend lower.

Hill estimated a five-cent-per-pound increase in the fat market would do a great deal in improving profitability.

One saving grace helping the feedyards to remain profitable this year is the mild winter conditions. With temperatures unseason-

Feeder prices may indicate time for correction

By Jerry Klassen

Western Canadian feeder cattle prices last week were $2 per hundredweight lower to $2 per hundredweight higher in comparison to a week earlier. Sellers were passing on record-high bids for heavier-weight feeder cattle, which is usually a signal that the market is due for a correction.

Angus-cross light-flesh steers averaging 880 pounds sold for $141 in central Alberta. A large group of 300 steers of black and red British cattle with medium to light flesh reached $148.

Demand for lighter-weight

“I’d like to see the fat cattle see a little more profitability in order to keep the feeder market where it is.” robin hill

ably warm for the most part, cattle are using less feed.

“The feeder market looks good, but I’d like to see the fat cattle see a little more profitability in order to keep the feeder market where it is,” said Hill.

During the week, the Canadian dollar moved decidedly above parity with its U.S. counterpart, which will keep the door shut on U.S. buying interest.

A report released during the week by the George Morris Centre and funded by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Canadian Pork Council and Canadian Meat Council found that ethanol production in Canada had an adverse effect on the livestock sector to the tune of $130 million a year.

The study claimed ethanol mandates led to increased feed costs and decreased feeder cattle prices. The study also made claims that ethanol production was leading to a reduction in incentives to produce livestock in Canada.

However, the report may not be telling the whole story. The Grain Farmers of Ontario came out with a rebuttal noting that livestock prices have traded at record highs this year, despite any competition for feed grains from the ethanol sector.

The GFO also made the point that livestock producers and grain producers are often one and the same, and noted the byproducts of ethanol production (DDGS) are also used as a feed ingredient.

Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

cattle remains firm as 528lb. steers touched $199/cwt in east-central Alberta. The steer/heifer spread remains relatively wide, with heifers trading at a $15 to $20 discount to steers.

T h e No r t h A m e r i c a n slaughter pace has slowed over the past two weeks due to unfavourable margins.

Packers have been unable to pass on the higher price of fed cattle as wholesale prices come under pressure. Consumer disposable income is up approximately three per cent in comparison to last year, while cattle prices are up approximately 20 per cent. The increase in cattle prices has outpaced the increase in consumer income; therefore, the market is rationing demand.

Can the current economic environment jus-

tify December live cattle futures at $134? U.S. ground beef prices are up 15 per cent relative to last year, but higher-end cuts such as the sirloin steak are actually below year-ago levels. Strength in the deferred live cattle futures has been the main factor driving nearby feeder cattle prices higher and the fed market is due for a correction.

Cow-calf operators need to assess the risk/reward; the upside potential is limited from current levels.

Jerry Klassen is a commodity market analyst in Winnipeg and maintains an interest in the family feedlot in southern Alberta. His weekly feeder market commentaries are available every Monday on the Co-operator’s website at www. manitobacooperator.ca.

Looking for results? Check out the market reports from livestock auctions around the province. » PaGe 43

11

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

GRAIN MARKETS column

Traders wary of Canada’s grain supply picture StatsCan’s data offer more questions than answers Dwayne Klassen CNSA

C

anola futures on the ICE Futures Canada trading platform generally saw small gains during the week ended Feb. 3. Strength was related to the estimates reducing the size of the soybean crops in South America, as well as to steady demand from the export and domestic sectors.

Continued ideas of a drought in Western Canada this spring helped to influence the price advances in the more deferred contracts.

The Canadian dollar’s push above parity with the U.S. currency helped to contain the price strength in canola, as did the steady movement of canola into cash position by farmers. Overhead technical resistance also restricted the upside in canola.

Statistics Canada’s stocks in all positions report had little overall impact on the price trend in canola. In fact, the numbers raised more questions than provided answers.

The new milling wheat, durum and barley contracts being offered by the ICE Futures Canada platform did see some price action during the week, but volume totals continue to be on the extremely light side of the coin. Milling wheat experienced most of the action, with commercial spreading the main feature.

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

Wester n barley futures on the ICE Futures Canada platform remained dormant in non-existent activity. Cash bids for barley in Western Canada held steady at firm levels.

Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT ) soybean futures trended upward dur ing the period ended Feb. 3. End-of-month short-covering helped to influence some of the price gains in soybeans. Additional suppor t was der ived from confir mation by private forecasters that soybean yields in Brazil and Argentina have been reduced by the dry growing conditions there.

Some of the updated estimates from the private sector are now pegging soybean output in Brazil at 70 million tonnes, which is down from the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture projection of 74 million. The private sector is now pegging Argentina’s soybean crop at 46.5 million tonnes, four million below the latest USDA forecast.

The downswing in the value of the U.S. dollar and talk of fresh Chinese demand for U.S. soybeans also helped to keep values firm.

The taking of profits at the highs, and s o m e ove r h e a d t e c h n i c a l re s i s t a n c e tempered some of the strength seen in soybeans.

CBOT corn futures were higher, with the deferred contracts experiencing the better gains. The continued shortage of corn for export from the Texas Gulf region helped to generate some of the support.

Some spillover from the advances seen in the U.S. wheat market also underpinned values.

News from South America also was considered friendly for corn values. The private sector has left its corn production estimates for Brazil to around the 61-million-tonne level, but lowered its Argentine corn production projection to 22.5 million tonnes. In January, the USDA pegged corn output in Argentina at 26 million tonnes.

Wheat futures at the CBOT, Kansas City and Minneapolis exchanges posted small to modest advances during the week, with some of the upward momentum associated with the extremely cold temperatures that moved into the winter wheat-growing areas of the Black Sea region. Continued indications that Russia would curb its grain export program helped to generate support. Gains in wheat were also spurred on by the buying back of short positions by fund accounts, who are still holding a sizable short position in wheat.

The upside was restricted by the fact that global wheat supplies remain large.

Rest in peas

The Statistics Canada grain stocks in all positions report held few surprises, with the exception being for peas. The numbers confirmed the record export and domestic crush pace for canola. Usage of wheat and barley in the feed sector in Western Canada was also on par with industry expectations.

Peas on farm and in commercial storage as of Dec. 31, 2011 were an extremely tight 897,000 tonnes. Last year at the same time, pea supplies in Canada were an ample 2.465 million tonnes.

The tight pea supply situation was associated with the fact that seeded area in 2011 was reduced by the excess moisture situation, and the poor growing conditions during the summer, which negatively impacted production of the crop.

The companies that ship the peas also front-loaded their export programs because of the potential supply shortage through to the end of December, creating the unexpectedly low stocks situation.

There are ideas that farmers who are holding on to top-quality peas should benefit price-wise from this shortage, but market participants caution that in the second half of the crop year, the export program is fairly lacklustre.

However, the accuracy of the production forecasts being used by the government agency is where market participants are starting to raise questions. There is concern that the agency’s production estimates going back to 2010 are not correct, with the numbers plugged in for feed, waste and dockage also wrong. Now, by plugging these numbers into the 2011 season, the inaccuracy factor only is amplified.

O n e h a s t o re m e m b e r t h a t w h i l e Statistics Canada tries its best to rationalize its numbers, everything still comes down to the interview with farmers, who I am sure provide nothing but the most upto-date information.

Export and International Prices Last Week

Week Ago

Year Ago

CWB export 1CW 13.5 St. Lawrence

386.40

384.15

476.00

US hard winter ord.Gulf ($US)

300.07

291.78

N/A

All prices close of business February, 2 2012.

Wheat

EU French soft wheat ($US)

283.00

271.00

N/A

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

240.10

240.10

315.60

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

303.93

303.93

366.85

US corn Gulf ($US)

283.65

N/A

296.94

US barley (PNW) ($US)

287.00

N/A

204.00

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

249.80

240.10

260.83

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

195.01

195.01

269.58

449.24

449.24

527.40

1,145.28

1,145.28

1,296.10

Coarse Grains

Oilseeds Chicago soybeans (nearby future) ($US/tonne) Chicago soyoil ($US/tonne)

Winnipeg Futures ICE Futures Canada prices at close of business February, 3 2012.

Western barley

Last Week

Week Ago

March 2012

212.00

212.00

May 2012

216.00

216.00

July 2012

220.00

220.00

Canola

Last Week

Week Ago

March 2012

525.50

524.40

May 2012

529.40

531.30

July 2012

532.80

531.50

CWB Pool Forecasts January PRO 2011-12

December PRO 2011-12

Wheat No. 1 CWRS 13.5

307

344.96

305

No. 1 CWRS 12.5

271

317.73

271

302

337.13

299

No. 1 CWHWS 13.5

307

344.96

305

No. 1 CPSR

237

277.77

238

No. 1 CPSW

232

274.67

232

No. 1 CWRW

241

284.23

241

No. 1 CWES

277

314.96

275

No. 1 CWSWS

237

268.72

233

342

302.94

352

229

235.72

N/A

Sel CW Two-Row

313

265.74

314

Sel CW Six-Row

297

247.98

298

Durum No. 1 CWAD 13.0 Feed Barley No. 1 CW Pool A Designated Barley

* No. 1 CW feed barley, Pool B 2011-12, as of January 19: $223.

Special Crops Report for February 6, 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

26.10 - 27.50

Canaryseed

Laird No. 1

25.00 - 27.50

Oil Sunflower Seed

Eston No. 2

23.50 - 25.00

Desi Chickpeas

24.75 - 26.75 — 26.10 - 27.50

Field Peas (Cdn. $ per bushel)

Beans (Cdn. cents per pound)

Green No. 1

8.50 - 9.25

Fababeans, large

—

Medium Yellow No. 1

8.40 - 8.50

Feed beans

—

Feed Peas (Cdn. $ per bushel)

No. 1 Navy/Pea Beans

—

Feed Pea (Rail)

No. 1 Great Northern

—

Mustardseed (Cdn. cents per pound)

No. 1 Cranberry Beans

—

Yellow No. 1

34.00 - 35.75

No. 1 Light Red Kidney

—

Brown No. 1

30.75 - 31.75

No. 1 Dark Red Kidney

—

Oriental No. 1

22.60 - 23.75

No. 1 Black Beans

—

No. 1 Pinto Beans

—

3.50 - 5.50

Source: Stat Publishing SUNFLOWERS

No. 1 Small Red

—

No. 1 Pink

—

Fargo, ND

Goodlands, KS

26.30

25.50

—

—

Report for February 3, 2012 in US$ cwt NuSun (oilseed)

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

Total Payments 2010-11

Confection Source: National Sunflower Association

12

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

EU wheat prices up on cold london/reuters

E

uropean milling wheat futures rose on Monday to their highest in nearly eight months as buying linked to options re i n f o rc e d s u p p o r t f r o m nervousness about the risk to crops from freezing conditions across Europe.

March milling wheat on the Paris-based futures market was up 5.00 euros or 2.3 per cent at 222.25 euros a tonne, a level last seen on the contract on June 15.

The market also remained u n d e r p i n n e d by w o r r i e s about the impact of severe winter weather, notably in Russia and Ukraine.

“People are concerned and the market is pricing uncertainty about weather damage,” the trader said. “All of Europe is being affected by this freeze.”

A boat is seen in a frozen canal in Venice Feb. 6, 2012. Bitterly cold weather sweeping across Europe claimed more victims on Sunday, brought widespread disruption to transport services, and left thousands without power with warnings that low temperatures would continue into next week. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri

Paris futures had rallied last week as freezing conditions swept across Europe, before consolidating at the

end of the week as Russia said it would not curb grain exports in April.

But any crop losses within

the European Union were expected to be less severe than in the Black Sea region.

“The overall outlook for the European soft wheat crop remains positive and although we may have some winterkill at this juncture there is little reason to believe that from a European perspective it will be greater than seasonal averages,” Jaime Nolan-Miralles of FCStone Europe said in a note.

In France, freezing weather was expected to continue in most of the country for the whole of this week, although minimum temperatures we re f o re c a s t t o b e l e s s severe than last week.

The conditions are thought to have put some crops at risk, especially in eastern France where temperatures have fallen furthest, even if big losses were not expected at this stage.

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CWB boosts wheat and malting barley initials Cheques to be issued Feb. 21 by direct deposit and Feb. 24 by mail staff

P

rairie malting barley growers can expect to see an extra $51.90 per tonne in the next few weeks for their 201112 deliveries.

The barley adjustment payment, expected to flow by direct deposit on Feb. 21 and by cheques in the mail starting Feb. 24, is on the list of increased initial payments effective Feb. 9, announced by the Canadian Wheat Board.

Certain grades and classes of milling wheat will earn adjustment payments ranging from $5.05 to $27.90 per tonne, while some grades and classes of durum will earn an extra $35.20 to $45.55 per tonne.

All grades and classes of designated (malting) barley will get the additional $51.90 per tonne, boosting the total initial payment so far for Select Canada Western (CW ) two-row to $281.90 per tonne ($6.14 per bushel) and for Select CW six-row to $264.90 4188-3D ($5.77/bu.). Initial payments were not increased for feed barley.

FEB. 9, MAY 3, 2012 In milling wheat, the top-end increase of $27.90 per tonne goes SYNGENTA to No. 2 CW red spring (CWRS) between 13.5 and 15.5 per cent proteinCRUISERMAXX and No. 2 PULSES CW hard AD white spring (CWHWS) between 13.5 and 15.5 per cent protein. The MANITOBA COOPERATOR total initials so far for No. 2 CWRS (15.5 per cent), for example, now CHRISTINEper tonne ($6.95/ total $255.40 bu.).

• The lower-end increase in mill10" ing wheat, $5.058.125" per Xtonne, goes to No. 1 CWRS (13.1 per cent) and 240% No. 1 CWHWS (13.1 per cent), for ________________ total initials of $216.95 ($5.90/ bu.) per tonne on both. ________________ Lower-protein wheats in No. ________________ _ 1 and No. 2 CWRS and No. 1 and No. 2 CWHWS — and all other ___________________ grades and classes of milling wheat — see no increase.

The top-end increase in durum, $45.55 per tonne, goes only to No. 1 CW Amber durum (CWAD) at 15.5 per cent protein, for a total initial payment so far of $279.80 per tonne ($7.61/bu.).

The lowest increase, $35.20 per tonne, is for No. 3 CWAD (13 per cent), for a total initial of $236.20 ($6.43/bu.). Nos. 4 and 5 CWAD see no increase.

Wheat or barley growers who want to defer the adjustment payments announced Friday have until Feb. 17 to notify the CWB.

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13

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

KAP backs community power projects Farm lobby group wants to see a program created to advance local investment in wind energy

By Lorraine Stevenson co-operator staff

A

proposed business model that would allow Manitobans to invest and direwctly profit from wind energy development has the backing of Manitoba’s provincial farm organization.

Keystone Agricultural Producers wants to see Manitoba enact legislation that creates a program enabling all communities to develop and invest in wind power projects.

The farm lobby group passed a resolution to that effect at its annual meeting January 25.

It’s more support for the business model for wind energy development represented by the Elton Energy Co - op, f o r m e d in 2 0 0 6 to investigate the potential for renewable energy development in the Rural Municipality of Elton near Brandon.

A two-year pilot project gathering data shows the wind energy is there for harvesting.

The idea has also evolved a business model. Community power projects would link wind energy development with rural economic development, by giving Manitobans a mechanism to directly invest in projects, Dan Mazier, an Elton-area farmer and KAP vice-president told the meeting.

But before they can begin to gauge investor interest in such an entity, they need a commitment from Manitoba Hydro to buy power from community power projects.

“Right now they have no mandate to buy power from independent producers in this province. They have to be given an incentive,” said Mazier.

“The legislation really just says they shall produce and sell and control all the electricity in the province.”

Smaller scale

Elton Energy Co-op’s model for wind energy development is different than what’s led to controversy across rural Ontario. The matter has recently come to a head with Ontario Federation of Agriculture calling for a moratorium on wind farm development there, citing too many polarizing issues that are dividing communities, including competing community interests and lack of municipal input into where wind farms are built.

“This is where all the ‘NIMBY’ starts, when it’s out of your control,” said Mazier. “To me that’s no way to develop things.”

Elton Energy Co-op was expected to hold a public meeting Feb. 5 in Forrest to share findings of its wind data study and provide updates on the project’s business model.

“We’re exploring things right now,” said Mazier. “We’re open for discussion.” lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

Elton Energy Co-op sees a 12 per cent return on investment, with five per cent going to local community development.

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Elton Energy Co-operative has proposed a regionally dispersed network of smaller-scale wind energy projects producing 50 megawatts of community-based power. For relatively small investments by Manitobans — of perhaps $1,000 to $2,500 — and based on a conservative estimate of rates of return in existing wind energy projects, Elton’s model projects an investor would see a 12 per cent return, with five per cent of that designated for supporting local projects in the community.

Studies have shown locally owned projects can potentially triple the revenue returned to local communities compared to what comes back via outsider investor-driven models.

“We’re saying, if we make a conscious decision to do this locally, there’ll be three times more money coming back into this province.”

Mazier said with rural communities struggling financially we can’t afford to let yet another resource be extracted from the region, with the benefits mostly accruing outside of it.

“We’ve developed things far too long by extracting everything we can out of our area,” he said. “We need to revisit how we develop things in renewable energy field and in rural economic development.”

Community control

14

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

DFC president praises supply management but says improvements are needed Wally Smith accuses critics of undertaking “a campaign of misinformation”

By Alex Binkley co-operator contributor / ottawa

D

air y farmers have to think long term and get on with creating a national milk pool, says Dairy Farmers of Canada president Wally Smith.

“We have to get out heads around a pool,” he said at DFC’s annual policy conference, complaining negotiations so far have resembled the seemingly endless WTO trade talks.

“Nothing is getting done.”

A pool will have to recognize specific regional realities, he added.

“We need to think three, five, 10 (or) even 20 years into the future to create a long-term vision for supply management.

Let’s be bold. We need to reflect on how we can improve our system.”

Supply management has the backing of the federal and provincial governments, which recognize its importance to rural Canada, he said. However, farmers can’t afford to squander that support.

“We need to add value to the farm gate worth of milk,” said the B.C. dairy producer. “We need to find ways to enhance our economic activity.”

The organization is also taking on its critics. It has launched a new web-based program called yourmilk.ca to counter what Smith called “a campaign of misinformation” by some business columnists and economists in recent months.

“It shows it’s time for dairy farmers to bring their message to the marketplace,” said Smith. “We have to get away from being secretive. If farm-

This pool of milk should be national, says DFC president Wally Smith. photo: thinkstock©

ers don’t start telling our story, others will and when that happens, it’s distorted, twisted and full of misinformation.

“No one talks about all the innovation in our industry or how much research and development we support or that we have adopted farm environmental plans and lead the way on animal welfare plans.

Farmers have to tell their story.”

Part of that story, he said is that “we don’t control retail prices, we just get a farmer a fair return.” A dairy farmer earns 21 cents from a glass of milk, but restaurants charge 10 times that amount, while there’s only 69 cents’ worth of cheese in a pizza, he said “Canadians are getting a very good deal,” said Smith.

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Conference attendees also heard Pierre Lemieux, parliamentary secretary for agriculture, pledge nearly $1.3 million from the Growing Forward program for market development for dairy products and genetics systems internationally. The Canadian Livestock Genetics Association will get about $1 million of the money to participate in key shows and trade missions as well as train farmers in the production and transfer of embryos.

DFC will have more than $130,000 to develop niche markets for high-value cheese.

More than half of Canadian exports of specialty cheeses go to the U.S., which imported $12 million worth in 2010.

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15

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

Canadian cattle herd to shrink despite strong prices and trade wins

Canada Beef head questions whether it will be worthwhile for packers to chase foreign buyers unless they’re willing to pay premium prices

By Rod Nickel WINNIPEG / REUTERS

C

anada’s cattle herd should keep shrinking for several years, making it tough for the No. 3 beef exporter to fully capitalize on new overseas opportunities, according to the head of the country’s new beef industry group.

The Canadian herd fell to an 18-year low of 13.87 million head midway through last year, even as Chicago live cattle futures prices were trading near-record highs and export opportunities are increasing, most notably to South Korea, which recently ended a nineyear ban on Canadian beef. But while there are more potential overseas buyers for cattle and beef than in nearly a decade, Canada does not have enough of either to supply them all.

“It’s going to take time to rebuild that herd and the market signals are going to have to stimulate that investment on behalf of the producers,” said Robert Meijer, president of Canada Beef Inc., who expects the Canadian herd to keep shrinking for two to three more years.

“We only have so much meat to go around.”

Domestic, U.S. and Mexican buyers are Canada’s priority markets for their close proximity and favourable currency trade-offs. Before exporters ship scarce supplies to new overseas markets, they want to ensure it is worth their while and that risks are low of new non-tariff barriers emerging, Meijer said.

“The reality is, going into any of those export markets means displacing another export market or our home turf,” he said.

“It remains to be seen how

aggressive the Canadian packers and the exporters choose to (move) back into some of these markets.”

“So when you’re short cattle in the market like we are, why would you go to the effort to chase China? You could sell it into the U.S. and make more money.”

Long-term herd decline

As Canada’s herd shrinks, U.S. cattle inventory also has fallen to its lowest level since the 1950s.

While severe drought in Texas has accelerated the U.S. decline, Canada’s herd has slipped due to factors such as the strong dollar and high grain prices.

Aging demographics are also holding numbers in check, as Canadian ranchers retire and may not have children to continue the business, Meijer said.

Canadian packers are also running slaughter plants under capacity because their cost of buying cattle has risen faster than meat prices, he added.

As a result, demand for cattle from beef packers and exporters such as Cargill and XL Foods

ROB MEIJER

President, Canada Beef

might disappoint farmers eager to cash in on high prices after leaner years.

“It takes time for the industry to react (to improving conditions), but from my perspective, there’s some rightsizing going on too,” said Meijer.

Although Canada lacks the beef and cattle supplies to sat-

isfy all its markets, the industry is eager to open more of them to avoid reliance on only a few.

Japan is one of the highest priorities, Meijer said, since the high-paying market currently accepts only Canadian beef from cattle under 21 months of age.

“It is frustrating when we’re dealing with trade barriers that

fall way, way outside of science,” he said. “There’s huge potential in Japan.”

Japan said last month it was reviewing its ban on certain cuts of beef from several countries, including Canada and the U.S. China committed in 2010 to resuming trade in Canadian beef and tallow. However, commercial trade has not resumed because of its standing restrictions on beef containing the growth promotant ractopamine.

Canadian plants owned by Cargill and XL Foods are cleared to ship to China, but to do so, they would have to incur the expense of segregating ractopamine-free cattle from other types, Meijer said.

“So when you’re short cattle in the market like we are, why would you go to the effort to chase China? You could sell it into the U.S. and make more money.”

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16

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

WEATHER VANE

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W HEN THE SUN SETS BR IGHT A ND CL E A R, A N E A STER LY W IND YOU NEED NOT FE A R.

Cool start to the week, then mild Issued: Monday, February 6, 2012 · Covering: February 7 – February 14, 2012 Daniel Bezte Co-operator contributor

I

t looks more and more like winter will visit us during this forecast period. While things do look like they’ll get colder, it doesn’t look like we’ll see temperatures much colder than average during this forecast period — but to us so far this winter, it will feel cold!

Weather for the first part of this forecast period will be dominated by a large area of low pressure in the upper atmosphere over northeastern Canada and surface-level high pressure over central North America.

The counter-clockwise rotation around the upper low to our northeast will allow areas o f h i g h p re s s u re t o m ov e southeast, bringing shots of cold air. The first area of high pressure is expected to dive in during the middle of the week, with a second area of high pressure expected during the latter part of the week. This second high will likely bring t h e c o l d e s t t e m p e r a t u re s

we’ve seen since the middle of January. Highs by Thursday or Friday will likely be around -15 to -20 C, with overnight lows in the mid -20s. The coldest air is still expected to stay to our east, which means southwestern areas will be the warmest, with northeast regions being the coldest.

Over the weekend the northeast high will weaken as the main region of high pressure slides to our southeast. This will result in our flow becoming more westerly to southwesterly, bringing in warmer temperatures, with highs by Monday approaching the 0 C mark.

Looking further ahead, the models show mild temperature and little in the way of p re c i p i t a t i o n a l l t h e w a y through to the last week of the month.

Usual temperature range for this period: Highs, -18 to -3 C. Lows, -30 to -13 C. Daniel Bezte is a teacher by profession with a BA (Hon.) in geography, specializing in climatology, from the U of W. He operates a computerized weather station near Birds Hill Park.

Contact him with your questions and comments at daniel@bezte.ca.

WEATHER MAP - WESTERN CANADA

1 Month (30 Days) Accumulated Precipitation (Prairie Region) January 4, 2012 to February 2, 2012

0 mm 0 - 5 mm 5 - 10 mm 10 - 15 mm 15 - 20 mm 20 - 25 mm 25 - 30 mm 30 - 40 mm 40 - 50 mm 50 - 60 mm 60 - 70 mm 70 - 80 mm 80 - 90 mm 90 - 100 mm 100 - 125 mm 125 - 150 mm 150 - 200 mm > 200 mm Extent of Agricultural Land Lakes and Rivers

Produced using near real-time data that has undergone initial quality control. The map may not be accurate for all regions due to data availability and data errors.

Copyright © 2012 Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada Prepared by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s National Agroclimate Information Service (NAIS). Data provided through partnership with Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and many Provincial agencies.

Created: 02/03/12 www.agr.gc.ca/drought

This issue’s map shows the total amount of precipitation that fell across the Prairies during the month of January. Most of the agricultural Prairies saw only light amounts of precipitation, with most regions seeing less than 10 millimetres of water equivalent. The northern and western fringes saw some heavier amounts, with some of these areas seeing upward of 50 mm.

Record-breaking temperatures

Beyond a warm start we expect a spell of average February temperatures… then more warmth

By Daniel Bezte CO-OPERATOR CONTRIBUTOR

I

know some of you who faithfully follow my weather column are going to be upset, but I have to take a break from the explanation of what causes the North Atlantic Oscillation and focus this week instead on the monthly look back at the weather, then look ahead at what wonders the weather may hold in store for us yet!

I think it has become a bit of a cliché, but “unless you were living under a rock” (or Christmas break was just that good) I think everyone knew and recognized that January 2011 was one warm and dry month! When all the data were assessed, both Winnipeg and Brandon came in at a whopping 7.0 C above average for the month. You’d think this would be a record, but believe it or not, it wasn’t even close!

Januar y 2006 had a mean monthly temperature that was an incredible 10.4 C above average. Precipitation amounts continued to run below average, with both the Winnipeg and Brandon regions reporting well-below-average amounts of precipitation during January.

These incredibly mild temperatures got me thinking about a couple of things. First,

imagine if we had a summer with temperatures this much above average. When we have a warm or hot summer we usually come in around 2 to 3 C above average. If we had a July that was 7 C above average that would mean we would see daytime highs averaging around 33 C, and overnight lows would rarely drop below 20 C, and we would have a mean monthly temperature of 26.5 C, which is warmer than the usual daytime high!

The second thing that I started to think about was whether we have seen record warm temperatures this winter. I started averaging out the temperatures for the last two months ( Januar y and December). Since both were fairly warm months I thought for sure we would have a record, but we didn’t. The December-to-January period in 2005-06 was warmer by a fair bit. This got me thinking: We have now seen seven months in a row with aboveaverage temperatures. What if I start combining more months together? Maybe we’ll break a few temperature records. Little did I know just how many we would break!

I only had time to look at Winnipeg’s data, but with similar temperatures occurring across much of agricul-

tural Manitoba I am pretty sure this is representative of most places. If we only look at the time period ending at the end of January, we only need to go back to the October-toJanuary time frame to break the first records. October 2011 to January 2012 recorded the warmest average daytime high since record-keeping began back in 1872. The Septemberto-January, August-to-January and July-to-January mean daytime highs were also all record b re a k i n g . T h i s m e a n s t h e

temperatures ever. July 2011 to January 2012 had a mean monthly temperature of 6.2 C, which was a good 0.3 C above the 1931 record of 5.9 C.

Who called it?

OK, so it has been warm and dry: the big question (getting bigger every day) is, how long will this weather pattern continue? Before we look into this, we need to take a look back to see which forecaster came closest to predicting the warm, dry weather we saw during January.

The period starting in July and ending in January was the warmest period of summer, fall and early-winter weather we have ever seen across our region.

period starting in July and ending in January was the warmest period of summer, fall and early-winter weather we have ever seen across our region.

If we l o o k a t t h e m e a n monthly temperature records, which are the average temperatures between the daily highs and lows, then the periods of July to January and August to January saw the warmest mean

I think I’ll have to give myself the unbiased nod, with a call for near-average temperatures along with near- to below-average amounts of precipitation.

Environment Canada comes in a close second with a call for near-average temperatures, along with near- to above-average amounts of precipitation.

Both almanacs called for wellbelow-average temperatures!

What will Februar y have in store for us this year? Will we see a continuation of the warm and dry weather? I think I have the advantage with this forecasting coming out late.

With that said, here is what everyone is saying. Over at the almanacs, both the Old Farmer’s and the Canadian Farmers’ call for below-avera g e t e m p e r a t u re s f o r t h e month. Precipitation-wise, the Old Farmer’s Almanac calls for below-average amounts while the Canadian Farmers’ Almanac calls for above-average amounts.

The weather models that Environment Canada uses seem to be a little better tuned into our current weather pattern, as they call for aboveaverage temperatures along with near- to above-average amounts of precipitat i o n . Fi n a l l y, h e re a t t h e Co-operator, after a warm start to the month, I think we will see more average temperatures move in; this will then be followed by above-average temperatures, once again resulting in a month that will come in above average. In regards to precipitation, it continues to look dry, so I feel February will continue the pattern of the last seven months and we’ll see below-average amounts of snow and/or rain.

17

The Manitoba Co-Operator | February 9, 2012

CROPS

CO-OPERATOR STAFF / ELGIN

A

nnoyed that you have to fork over more cash to replace lost fertilizer nutrients from last year’s flood?

It could be worse, says Tom Jensen, Northern Great Plains regional director of the International Plant Nutrition Institute.

On Manitoba’s relatively youthful soils deposited by glacial activity about 9,000 years ago, potassium is abundant. Farmers here apply not more than a dozen pounds of potash per acre each year to supply crop needs, if at all.

But on the banana plantations of Ecuador, where the soil is old and tropical rains every year cause heavy leaching, farmers have to put on 600 pounds per acre, per year.

“If they don’t, they don’t produce any bananas. That’s why bananas are a good source of potassium source for us,” said Jensen, to bemused laughter from the assembled farmers at a recent Excess Moisture Meeting organized by the Canola Council of Canada.

Last year’s floods robbed farmers not only of their crops, but also soluble nutrients, mainly nitrogen and to a lesser extent, sulphur.

Some nutrients may have been lost due to erosion from run-off and leaching down through the root zone, but the biggest losses — up to 50 per cent — came in the form of the nitrogen returning to the atmosphere via denitrification.

“We used all this natural gas to make fertilizer, and if the rains come

at the wrong time, it ends up going back where it came from,” said Jensen.

That’s bad enough. What makes it worse, is that some of it goes home in the form of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas.

In saturated soils, water drives out the oxygen in between the soil particles. The countless trillions of microbes that live there are then forced to seek out other sources of oxygen, and they do that mainly by stripping the “O” out of the nitrate (NO3) to make N2O, or out of the sulphate to make H2S, or hydrogen sulphide.

Under normal soil conditions, UAN gives an immediate boost to crops via its nitrate component. But if excess moisture appears, nitrate losses may be significant, although the urea and ammonium content has greater staying power. For this reason, ammonium-based fertilizers such as urea or anhydrous ammonia may be better choices where wet conditions are expected.

The good news

“We don’t have gaseous losses of phosphorus and potassium. It’s hard to lose P and K from our soils,” said Jensen. Of all the P put on soils over the years, some 90 per cent gets converted eventually into crops.

If elemental sulphur was applied, losses may not be that great under wet conditions because it must first be converted to sulphate by microbes before gaseous losses or leaching can occur. However, on sandy soils leaching can be a problem and deficiencies early in the

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season are common until the roots can reach down for it.

“Forced summerfallowing” occurred over much of the province last year.

Some compensating gains may be found from the slow effect of microbial mineralization of organic matter, he added. On the other hand, where weeds were allowed to flourish, nitrogen losses to weeds may be significant until the residues are cycled back into the soil in coming years.

Nitrogen losses will depend on when the nutrient was applied, he said. Fall applications likely suffered more than spring.

If soil tests show lots of N at 18-24 inches of depth, don’t despair, because the roots of future crops can generally tap reserves as deep as four feet.

“Below four feet, it’s lost unless you grow sunflowers or sugar beets which can reach down six feet, or alfalfa. It can root down to 12 feet,” said Jensen.

On sandy soils, soil testing should be done down to four feet. Not going that far can lead to strange results.

In one case, a hobby farmer in Alberta bought an acreage that had been in alfalfa for years, then summerfallowed. Heavy rains leached the N down deep, but he sampled only the zero- to six-inch zone. The results recommended 90 pounds of N for the oat crop he planned to grow.

Post-harvest, a feed test found dangerous nitrate levels in the crop, and he ended up not being able to use or sell the greenfeed oats he baled off it, he said.

Tom Jensen of the International Plant Nutrition Institute. PHOTO: DANIEL WINTERS

daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

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But the good news is that last year’s phosphorus and potash probably didn’t go anywhere

Rain is good for saline areas, but the effect is generally temporary, said Tom Jensen of the International Plant Nutrition Institute.

Heavy rains wash the salts down deeper, but when the soil dries out, evaporation brings it back to the surface.

“The only way to effectively manage salinity is to lower the water table.

That’s called drainage,” Jensen told a recent Excess Moisture Meeting organized by the Canola Council of Canada.

But installing drainage tiles around the “bathtub rings” left by small sloughs isn’t worth it, and at any rate, farmers downstream and government officials aren’t thrilled to see salty water dumped downstream.

Salt causes “osmotic stress” on plant tissues, which is basically the same as drought stress.

That’s why salty areas are generally host to droughttolerant plants such as foxtail.

“The best thing to do with these areas is to plant a saline-tolerant grass and stay out of them,” he said.

“Let your neighbour run his cattle on them in the fall.”

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18

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

Crop disease expert shares lessons learned from 2011 The good news: Flooding rotted sclerotia bodies. Bad news: Not all of them

By Daniel Winters CO-OPERATOR STAFF / ELGIN

L

ast year’s flooding may have been bad news for canola growers, but there may be a bright side.

Studies have found that flooding results in reduced sclerotia inoculum present in the soil because the fung a l s p o re s r o t u n d e r w e t conditions.

“Although sclerotia are built to withstand harsh conditions, if you have enough flooding in an area, possibly up to 65 per cent of the total sclerotia in the soil can rot,” said Holly Derksen, a field crop pathologist with MAFRI, at a recent E x c e s s Mo i s t u r e Me e t i n g hosted by the Canola Council of Canada.

But don’t break out the cham-

MAFRI field crop pathologist Holly Derksen gives a presentation on possible disease issues with canola this spring at an Excess Moisture Meeting hosted by the Canola Council of Canada. PHOTO: DANIEL WINTERS

pagne. The spores can last up to seven years in the soil.

“However, 65 per cent is not 100 per cent. If 35 per cent of

the sclerotia remains behind, unfor tunately, that’s more than enough to cause a disease issue in your field.”

Sclerotinia problems may have fallen off last year, but blackleg, which thrives under a variety of conditions, continued on as before.

Blackleg in canola over the past five years has remained steady, with 50-60 per cent of all Manitoba fields showing some degree of infection.

The number of plants within those fields is growing, however.

Five years ago, about five per cent of plants showed signs of blackleg, and now that figure has risen to 10-15 per cent.

“The more we push the canola rotations, the more these numbers are going to rise,” she said.

New blackleg-resistant varieties offer only temporary relief. Resistance doesn’t mean zero infection. In fact, it means that infection will continue at a low level and the pathogen population will still be out there.

“It’s going to be able to adapt to the varieties that we’re growing,” said Derksen.

Blackleg spores overwinter as little black bumps on crop residue, and present a management problem throughout the growing season.

Scouting is important, b e c a u s e k n ow i n g i f f i e l d s have it is the first step in controlling the disease. Cutting through infected stems will show discolouration inside, even if lesions are not visible outside.

“That’s why we urge ran-

Saskatchewan pledges seven figures to wheat research

your

T

he Saskatchewan government has pledged $10 million over five years in new funding for development work on better, hardier wheats.

The new support, to flow through the province’s Agriculture Development Fund (ADF), is meant to “accelerate” development of new varieties and help improve “yield, quality and tolerance to disease and extreme weather conditions.”

The province said its funding is for a crop that had become “less profitable for producers to grow” in recent years compared to canola or pulses.

Rising demand for food worldwide makes it “crucial that new investments be made in wheat research,” the province said.

“Early varieties like Marquis made farming worthwhile in all but the most inhospitable parts of the Prairies. It allowed the Prairies to become the breadbasket of the British Empire for the next 100 years,” Premier Brad Wall said in announcing the funds Feb. 2 in Saskatoon.

“It’s time to recapture that leadership, so Saskatchewan can help feed a hungry planet.”

The wheat research money will be used to partner with both public and private research organizations, the province said.

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19

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

it is the first step in controlling the disease. Cutting through infected stems will show discolouration inside, even if lesions are not visible outside.

“That’s why we urge random sampling,” she said. “Go out, pull some plants, then cut them open at the base of the stem.”

Longer rotations

Canola rotations should be greater than three years. If that’s too onerous, rotating resistant varieties can help. It may not make immediate economic sense to plant other crops, but taking a long-term view of cropping choices is best.

Fields that went unseeded in 2011 can only be considered a non-canola year if volunteer canola didn’t appear as the dominant species, she added.

Using fungicides at the two- to six-leaf stage to control blackleg only offers a 10- to 14-day window, basically a “head start” for the growing plants. After that, the pathogen can return and infect the stems and lower leaves.

C l u b r o o t h a s n’t a r r i v e d yet in Manitoba from its base in Alberta. The spores can survive up to 20 years in a dormant state, so practising

good sanitation both from a whole-farm and a field-to-field perspective is wise.

Wet soil is stickier than dry soil, so taking the extra effort to clean up equipment in wet years is also a good idea. Just removing the dirt gets rid of 99 per cent of the pathogens, she added.

Neighbours who push rotations can send sclerotinia spores drifting into nearby crops, but with blackleg, the pathogen isn’t as mobile. In such cases, problems may be limited to adjacent field edges.

For cereal growers, wheat streak mosaic virus presents a “scary” threat, with the Pilot Mound and Manitou areas lately becoming “hot spots” for the disease.

Widespread early seeding of winter wheat last fall may have created a “green bridge” window for the virus to jump over from the ripening spring wheat crop.

“This spring, if you do have a lot of wheat streak mosaic symptoms in your winter wheat, consider destroying that crop and growing a non-cereal,” she said. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

Blackleg — 50-60 per cent of all Manitoba fields are showing some degree of infection.

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Mosaic to dial back potash production STAFF

Citing “lower near-term demand,” fertilizer giant Mosaic Co. has announced plans to cut back the output from its potash mines in Saskatchewan for the next four months.

Mosaic, which in late December said it would also reduce its finished phosphate production until the end of March, said Feb. 3 it will reduce its planned potash production by “up to 20 per cent” from now through May. While the curtailment will see less potash coming out of Mosaic’s mines in Saskatchewan and elsewhere, the cutback is not expected to lead to any layoffs or mine shutdowns, the company said.

“Cautious dealer sentiment continues to delay purchases and lower nearterm demand for potash,” CEO Jim Prokopanko said in a release.

However, he added, “farmer economics remain strong, and we continue to expect an above-average application season in North America and recordsetting global potash shipments in 2012.”

The company, he said, is “confident fundamentals will ultimately prevail” but meanwhile has made this move to “reflect the nearterm supply-and-demand balance for potash.”

Minneapolis-based Mosaic operates three potash mines in Saskatchewan: at Belle Plaine, east of Moose Jaw; at Colonsay, east of Saskatoon; and at Esterhazy, south of Yorkton. It also owns U.S. potash facilities at Hersey, Mich. and Carlsbad, N.M.

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20

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

Survey shows good help really is hard to find in farm sector Farm HR group says looking outside of the rural community will become essential as the labour shortage grows in agricultural sector

By Shannon Vanraes co-operator staff

G

ood help is hard to find.

As the number of farms in Canada decrease and remaining farms grow larger, producers need to look at new methods of recruiting employees, Debra Hauer of the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council told attendees at Keystone Agricultural Producers annual general meeting.

A survey done by the organization found farm labour demands have been increasing at one per cent per year in the Prairie provinces, with 58 per cent of all respondents reporting difficulty in hiring and retaining workers.

“Employees make up a total of one-third of agricultural employment on the far m and are becoming increasingly important,” said Hauer.

“Agriculture competes with other industries for labour, and the traditional source of labour in agriculture — families — is changing and becoming less available as the result of general social trends.”

There’s no silver bullet for solving the labour shortage, but added promoting agricultural work and careers beyond the farming community would

increase the labour pool, she said.

Some people don’t apply for agricultural work because they lack a farming background, but Hauer said that shouldn’t be seen as a barrier. Producers and farm organizations should provide on-site training and reach out to populations expressing interest in food and farming.

“The current trend towards paying attention to the source of our food could be exploited to promote farming as a positive place to work,” she said.

Another recommendation made by the council is to improve human resource practices in the agricultural sector through on-farm training, development of human resource tool kits for farmers, and sharing information between agricultural organizations.

Data lacking

Improved data collection is needed, said Hauer, adding there are shortcomings in its main sources of data, the national census and the Census of Agriculture. For example, while surveys capture the number of weeks and hours worked in agriculture, the absolute number of employees in the industry was not recorded.

Debra Hauer of the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council speaks to producers at KAP’s annual general meeting. Photo: Shannon VanRaes

“In the population census, people identify what their occupation is, but that does not translate into farm employment necessarily,” she said.

Those surveys don’t take reliance on temporary foreign workers into account either and data on temporar y foreign workers also has information gaps, Hauer s a i d . D o c u m e n t s re c o rd -

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ing temporary foreign statistics don’t always reflect the amount of work these labourers do, or how many farms they work on during their stay.

Of all the sources used by the council, Hauer said the Canadian Labour Force Survey was most helpful.

“But the difficulty with that source of information, is that it may underestimate

the number of seasonal and harvest workers, as well as temporary foreign workers,” said the project manager.

The council has not looked at the possibility of offering pensions and benefits to farm employees, although some at the meeting suggested that would be a way to secure a larger local workforce. shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

news

U.S. farmers, ranchers out $100 million

By K.T. Arasu chicago / reuters

U.S. farmers and ranchers who had accounts with failed broker MF Global have got back the bulk of their money, but are still owed about $100 million.

The $100 million is believed to be part of MF Global customers’ $1.2 billion in funds that remain missing after the chaotic flame-out of the broker.

Thousands of MF Global clients have received about 70 per cent of their money held in segregated accounts since the broker filed for bankruptcy Oct. 31.

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange says on March 1 it will launch a $100-million fund to protect farmers and ranchers who used grains and livestock futures markets operated by the exchange against similar fiascos in the future.

“We based the fund size on what they are still missing following MF Global,” said exchange spokesman Michael

Shore. “If a similar event were to occur, the Protection Fund would get each eligible participant much closer to whole — up to $25,000 for individual farmers.”

Farmers and ranchers, still tending raw wounds from the bankruptcy, said the $100-million plan amounted to “window dressing.”

“It seems like a good business decision to restore confidence in the company, but it’s woefully inadequate,” said Dean Tofteland, a Minnesota corn and soybean farmer who has retrieved 72 per cent of the $253,000 held in his MF Global account. He said he would get back just over $2,000 from the CME fund based on a hypothetical case in which $1.2 billion in customer funds are missing — a scenario similar to MF Global’s current situation.

Many Midwest farmers had to delay purchases of seed and equipment in the days after the bankruptcy.

Joe Ocrant, an investment adviser whose clients include feedyard operators, said the fund was well short of what the “big hedgers” need.

“Some of my bigger clients hedge up to $1 million,” he said.

21

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

China eyes even more U.S. soy

NO NEED TO GO IN THE SHACK IN THIS WEATHER

Analysts say Brazilian port congestion may add to tight supplies for soybeans

By Naveen Thukral and Niu Shuping SINGAPORE/BEIJING/REUTERS

C

hina, the world’s biggest food shopper, is likely to buy more U.S. soybeans this quarter, as a withering drought is expected to cut the South American harvest, pushing soy prices up to fresh highs.

Benchmark Chicago soy has risen for three weeks on the relentless Southern Hemisphere summer, and analysts say prices could head higher, with U.S. stockpiles seen shrinking as China locks in supplies after the Lunar New Year break.

China imports 60 per cent of soybeans shipped around the world, with the bulk of its purchases coming from the United States and Brazil.

“If China starts buying U.S. beans, it will be a big catalyst for prices to move higher and a key risk to the U.S. balance sheet,” said Victor Thianpiriya, an agricultural commodity strategist at ANZ. “We have already started to see the first signs with increasing U.S. Gulf Coast prices, which I think will continue to improve.”

Chicago soybeans rose for a fifth straight session on Monday to a three-month top on prospects of higher demand for U.S. beans. Chicago Board of Trade March soy rose around half a per cent to $12.38 a bushel, the highest since Oct. 28.

Analysts say China’s soy buys could prompt the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to lower its 2012 closing stock estimates, a bullish factor for prices.

Fourteen analysts surveyed

by Reuters said the USDA may slightly lower its estimate of U.S. 2011-12 soybean ending stocks to 273 million bushels from its January forecast of 275 million.

The drought in Argentina and southern parts of Brazil is likely to result in lower soybean yields, although the final outcome will depend on February rains.

“If production is reduced as much as estimated by some institutions, we believe Chinese buyers will surely shift to U.S. supplies for forward months,” said one Beijing-based soybean trader.

“It may prompt the USDA to adjust its soy stock estimate.”

On Friday, analytical firm Informa Economics cut its forecast for Argentina’s 201112 soybean production to 46.5 million tonnes from 51 million. It lowered its forecast of Brazil’s soybean crop to 70 million tonnes, from 72 million previously.

Brazil produced a record 75.3 million tonnes of soybeans last season and is expected to harvest 71.5 million tonnes this year, according to its Agriculture Ministry.

The Buenos Aires Grains Exchange estimated Argentina’s soy production would fall to 46.2 million tonnes this year from 49.2 million in 2010-11.

Fishers on Lake of the Prairies, near Roblin, Feb 4.

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The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™, The miracles of science™, Refine® and Solumax® are registered trademarks or trademarks of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. E. I. du Pont Canada Company is a licensee. Member of CropLife Canada. © Copyright 2012 E. I. du Pont Canada Company. All rights reserved.

2181 REF MC FE.indd 1

2/1/12 9:18 AM

22

The Manitoba Co-Operator | February 9, 2012

COUNTRY CROSSROADS connecting rur a l communities

Time has come to stop always

“talkin’ ‘bout my generation” Think it's impossible to recruit younger volunteers? A MAFRI webinar offers ideas on best practices for community groups to recruit, train and recognize youth

By Lorraine Stevenson co-operator staff / Brandon

Top 10 ways to recruit and engage youth volunteers

N

icole Blyth is involved.

The vivacious farm girl from MacGregor has volunteered with community groups and at school, and jumped at just about every 4-H leadership opportunity that’s come her way.

Volunteering is a way to meet people, have fun, and learn new things, says Blyth, a Brandon University student planning to focus on rural development.

But there are many reasons why people don’t volunteer, she says.

Some aren’t asked or don’t have their skills recognized. Others find their opinions aren’t sought or if recruited for something, are assigned small, relatively meaningless roles.

“I think a lot of youth just don’t think it’s cool to be involved,” says Blyth.

“They don’t see it as any fun or being able to learn something from it, or as a way to gain skills.”

Her observations echo a MAFRI webinar that examined the challenges organizations encounter in recruiting skilled, talented and energetic volunteers and the next generation of leaders.

A big part of the problem is the generation gap, says Meghan Sprung, the Carberry-based MAFRI rural leadership specialist who designed and delivered the video c o n f e re n c e w o rk s h o p v i e we d across Manitoba in November.

Most of those running service clubs, councils, committees and church groups are baby boomers or were born before the Second World War, points out Sprung. Their values and world views, not to mention clothes, speech patterns and viewpoints are very different than those of the generation Xers, millennials and “iMillennials,” (those born since 1980) they’d like to recruit.

There’s also something called “adultism” that turns off many youth — an attitude, consciously or unconsciously adopted by some, that younger people have little to contribute in terms of ideas, talents or skills. It manifests in a dismissive “you can cut the sandwiches, dear, but you can’t change the menu” view.

Organizations hoping to attract younger volunteers need to rethink their approach, says Sprung.

“It usually boils down to, ‘I got the chance to do this,’ or, ‘I learned something from this.’”

Meghan Sprung

MAFRI rural leadership specialist

Nicole Blyth cites the 4-H program as having fostered her interest in volunteering and community work. photo: lorraine stevenson

The Engaging Youth webinar’s main message was to communicate and work with the generational divide by learning to “think young.”

That means being more open and receptive to the skills, perspectives, and ideas those younger than yourself have to offer, says Sprung.

The webinar, which attracted 4-H leaders plus representatives of ag societies and other community organizations, posed a series of questions, such as, “What was I was like when I was 15 years old?”

It challenged older volunteers to recall what sorts of roles and activities they would have liked to take on at that age. It also offered a range of ideas for involving youth on boards and best practices for recr uitment and retention of youth.

There’s no formula for successfully engaging youth, says Sprung, but it starts by connecting with younger people. Menial tasks, such as stuffing envelopes, won’t cut it.

“Young people need to feel that their participation does something and means something for that organization,” she says. “And they’re looking for things that teach them new skills.”

Young people also have tight schedules with having fun near the top of their to-do lists.

“So find a way to provide a bit of fun,” adds Sprung. “We all know, if we’re volunteering our time, there has to be an aspect of fun to it.”

Mark Lawson, a teacher and guidance counsellor at Balmoral School near Stonewall, worked with Sprung to deliver the video conference. Having adults in your organization to serve as mentors or allies

can be very helpful, said Lawson.

An ally will make a point of asking them for their ideas and thoughts, and supporting and challenging them to take on a role or lead an activity in the group. Allies ask for input instead of merely assigning tasks, said Lawson.

“It’s about sharing decision-making processes,” he said.

When young volunteers come back for more, it’s because they’ve had a meaningful experience of some kind, says Sprung.

“It usually boils down to, ‘I got the chance to do this,’ or, ‘I learned something from this,’” says Spr ung. “It may be that they’ve done something they’d never done before, or that they had a chance to use a skill they have and be recognized for it.”

Organizations also need to recognize the skills young people have with social media, such as Twitter, or blogs and websites. Older members of organizations may be completely flummoxed by it, but the young millennials are the Internet and iPod generation.

“They’re tech savvy,” says Sprung.

“They have the skills that could be helping put you on Facebook or creating a web page for you.”

Youth bring unique and fresh perspectives, and often have a more global and broader perspective on the community, she adds.

Blyth says it was a combination of many influences that got her interested in community engagement and doing volunteer work. More than anything else, she says the 4-H program’s emphasis on youth leadership and skills development had the biggest impact on her. lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

Recruit them online.

Today’s youth is wired, to the extreme.

Post opportunities on your own website but change them frequently so your pages look fresh and appealing.

Respond immediately to inquiries.

Speak in a youthful way.

Make your opportunities relevant to the interests and needs of young people. Young people like language that is quick, fun, and exciting. Emphasize involvement and how they can contribute.

Use youthful visuals.

Use lots of photos and quotes from other young people. Develop an advisory group of young people to help you with this aspect of your marketing.

Develop competitions and games.

Young people love competition and games so develop them to use in your recruitment efforts, your training, and when your volunteers are actually performing their tasks. Healthy competition will add zest and excitement to the work your young volunteers do.

Develop a speakers' service.

Put together a group of young speakers who can recruit their peers.

Arrange speaking engagements at schools and churches.

Develop teamwork.

Develop teams among your youth volunteers and train team leaders.

Encourage group participation and let your volunteers learn from each other.

Provide mentors.

Find adults to work with your young volunteers that they can identify with.

Use young adults who are natural mentors and role models.

Encourage participation.

Let young volunteers participate at every level. Listen and then act on their suggestions. They will not trust you if you invite engagement and then ignore their input.

Appreciate your youth volunteers.

If you don't truly appreciate the contributions of young volunteers, don't even bother. Young people are shrewd detectors of bull and will demand honesty and behaviour that matches your rhetoric. Walk the talk.

Reward frequently.

Don't wait for a special event. Provide verbal feedback consistently and make sure you bring in lots of food.

Most of all, have fun. Even if the work is serious, make sure that you throw in some pleasure.

Adapted from: Joanne Fritz, J. (May 2006) Top 10 ways to recruit and engage youth volunteers.

23

The Manitoba Co-Operator | February 9, 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

Barbecue Beef Hand Pies For quick meals when everyone is on the go, these hand pies are handy! Bake them up ahead and then just warm up for a minute in the microwave.

1-1/2 c. microwave-thawed Big Batch Ground Beef (recipe follows) 1/2 c. Bull's Eye Bold Original barbecue sauce* 1 pkg. (425 g) ready-to-use refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts), softened according to package directions 1/2 c. shredded Kraft Tex Mex or Mozza Cheddar cheese MANITOBA CHICKEN PRODUCERS

Pot pie for supper Lorraine Stevenson Crossroads Recipe Swap

T

here’s a point where winter seems on the wane, yet endless. Customary complaining doesn’t seem quite right this year, though. It’s been one of the mildest winters on record, a “non-winter” by Prairie standards, that Environment Canada last week admitted never saw coming. Even so, by early February most of us are at that point in the long stretch of winter that makes us all want it over, so we can be back outside working (or playing) a little more comfortably.

A pot pie will surely make everyone happy this month. Pot pies aren’t particularly time-consuming to make, especially if you eliminate the pastry making and use a frozen pie crust. A few minutes spent mixing together the filling, plus a few minutes more waiting, and you’ve produced a steaming savoury pie, a perfect meal for a supper hour that seems to come earlier in February, thanks to lengthening hours of sunlight.

Recipe Swap We always enjoy hearing from you. Send us your favourite recipes or ideas for food columns.

To contact us by mail please write to:

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

Combine Big Batch Beef and Bull’s Eye barbecue sauce; set aside. Unroll one pie crust and lay out flat; cut into quarters. Spoon 1/4 cup of the meat mixture onto each quarter of crust; sprinkle with 1 tbsp. cheese. Fold each dough piece lengthwise in half; crimp edges with fork to seal. Repeat with remaining crust, meat mixture and cheese. Place pies on parchment or foil-lined rimmed baking sheet; cook in 425 F oven until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Big Batch Ground Beef: Cook 4 lbs. lean or extralean ground beef in Dutch oven over mediumhigh heat for 10 to 15 minutes, breaking into small chunks with back of spoon, until browned.

Drain and return to pot. Add 4 EACH onion and cloves of garlic, minced, simmer for 15 minutes until vegetables are softened. Drain and spread in a single layer on several foil or parchment paper-lined baking trays; freeze until meat is firm, about 1 hour. Loosen into chunks, scoop meal-sized portions into freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. ✷ COOK'S NOTE: You can use a combination of 1/4 cup EACH barbecue sauce and 1/4 cup salsa if you like.

Prep time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 12 minutes. Makes: 8 hand pie servings. Best suited for: Lots of kids!

Tasty Prairie Pie This is a delicious pie that you can make with any firm fish. The ice fishers you know should be happy to supply the main ingredient.

6 (4-oz.) frozen whitefish fillets, cooked 2 tbsp. butter 1/2 c. chopped onion 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 c. diced zucchini 2 tbsp. flour 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 1/2 tsp. thyme 1/2 tsp. basil 2 c. tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped 1 (9-inch) pie crust

Break fillets into chunks. Sauté onion, garlic, and zucchini until vegetables are tender. Blend in flour, seasonings and herbs. Add tomatoes and cook five minutes or until sauce is thick. Add fish and pour into a 9-inch pie plate. Cover with pastry; trim and flute. Bake at 400 F for 25 to 30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Allow pie to stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6.

Recipe source: Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation's online recipe book From Lake to Plate www.freshwaterfish.com

Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie Chicken pot pie is surely the queen of all pot pies, not to mention comfort food supreme. This quick pot pie takes less than 15 minutes to pull together.

2 frozen deep dish pastry shells 2 c. frozen mixed vegetables 2 c. cooked diced Manitoba chicken 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1/4 tsp. ground sage OR poultry seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 F. Thaw pastry shells at room temperature. Use one to line a deep dish pie plate. Thaw the vegetables in the microwave.

Combine vegetables, chicken, sage and mushroom soup; mix well. Pour mixture over pastry shell in the pie plate. Place the second piece of pastry over the filling. Press the edges of the pastry together to seal it. Make 3 to 4 cuts in the top to let steam escape. Bake for 30 minutes until filling is hot and the crust is golden brown. Cut into 4 to 6 wedges and serve immediately.

Variation: To make a lattice top crust, cut the second pastry shell into 1/2-inch strips. Lay some of the strips over the filling, leaving about 1/2 to 3/4 inch between strips. Lay the remaining strips in the opposite direction, weaving them over and under the other strips. Press the ends of the strips into the bottom crust to seal them in place.

Prep time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 35 minutes.

Serves: 4 to 6. Uses: cut cooked chicken Recipe source: Manitoba Chicken Producers website chicken.mb.ca/recipes This recipe was featured on Great Tastes of Manitoba. For the complete season of recipes visit www.foodmanitoba.ca

24

The Manitoba Co-Operator | February 12, 2012

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

A

ndrew Jackson turned on the windshield wipers as he pulled into town and scanned the street in front of the café for an empty parking spot. It’s not every year that you have to use your windshield wipers on January 29 in central Manitoba. In fact it’s probably not even every decade. It really doesn’t rain that often in January.

But this year is different. This year it rains on a regular basis, more often than it snows it seems, which is why there’s still so little snow on the ground. When it does snow, the snow only hangs around for a few days and then the rain washes it away. It’s like living in Vermont, according to Alf Hastings, though without all the aging hippies. Alf should know since he lived there for a few years in the ’80s, back when the hippies were still relatively young.

Fortunately for Andrew there was an empty parking spot directly in front of the café which he quickly pulled into before someone else might ruin his good luck. Not that there were any other vehicles in sight apart from the ones already parked. Andrew recognized most of those, including Grant Toews’ Dodge Ram and John Anderson’s Ford F150. Andrew eyed those two vehicles for a moment with that air of genuine disdain that only a true Chevy man can muster, then turned and went inside.

“All I’m saying,” Grant said to John as Andrew joined them at their customary table a minute later, “is that everything has an upside. Even that.”

“Even what?” said Andrew.

“Even global warming,” said Grant.

Andrew set his coffee cup down on the table.

“No it doesn’t,” he said.

“Well we’ll just have to agree to disagree on that,” said Grant.

Andrew picked up his cup. “No we won’t,” he said.

“We won’t?” said Grant. “Why not?”

“Because we’re friends,” said Andrew, “and friends never agree to disagree. Only people who aren’t sure they can trust each other agree to disagree. True friends argue till somebody wins.”

“Or till they’re not friends anymore,” John piped up.

The

Jacksons

By Rollin Penner

Andrew gave John a look of disdain that was similar to the one he had given John’s truck a few minutes earlier. “I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree about that, won’t we John?” he said.

“Sure,” said John. “That works for me.”

“I figured it would,” said Andrew.

“OK then,” said Grant. “What exactly is it that we are disagreeing about? That everything has an upside? Or that specifically global warming has an upside? Or are we just disagreeing about whether or not friends can agree to disagree or not?”

Andrew pondered that for a moment. “All of the above,” he said.

“Wow,” said Grant. “We could be here all week arguing.”

Andrew raised his mug. “I’m game,” he said.

“You can start by trying to explain what you mean by saying that global warming has an upside.”

Grant shrugged. “I just think it’d be nice if the average temperature in winter was a few degrees warmer,” he said.

Andrew pondered for another moment.

“You make a very good point,” he said. “I completely agree.”

John looked at the two of them as if he thought they were crazy. “I think you guys are crazy,” he said.

Andrew gave him a benevolent smile. “Once again,” he said, “I completely agree.”

“Of course the problem is,” said Grant, “that a few degrees warmer in winter is an upside for us, but for some others it’s more of a downside. For instance, the polar bears. The polar bears might not like it at all.” “ That’s absolutely tr ue,” said Andrew.

“I’ve heard that polar bears like it when it’s cold.”

“I wonder if it’s the actual cold they like,” said Grant, “or if it’s more just the ice fishing.”

“Now you’re just confusing the polar bears with the Johnsons,” said Andrew.

“The Johnsons?” said John. “Who are the Johnsons?”

“The Johnsons are those people from out by Brandon who build a metropolis on the lake every year,” said Andrew.

“Oh. You mean the Occupy Johnsons,” said John.

Andrew raised an eyebrow. “Who calls them that?” he wanted to know.

“My kids do,” said John, “because of the way they occupy the lake.”

“They’re like an invasive species,” said Grant. “The Johnsons I mean. Not your kids.”

“You’re confusing the Occupy Johnsons with the Invasion Johnsons,” said Andrew. “But that’s an easy mistake to make.”

“My kids are an invasive species,” said John.

“But then,” said Andrew, “so is the rest of the human race.”

Grant raised his coffee cup. “With that,” he said, “I quite agree.”

Valentine for a gardener With so many houseplants having heart-shaped leaves, there’s lots to choose from

By Albert Parsons FREELANCE CONTRIBUTOR

F

resh cut flowers and jewelry seem to be the items of choice for a lot of people when they are out shopping for something to give that special someone on Valentine’s Day. There is nothing wrong with choosing either blooms or bling, but if your special someone is an avid gardener who loves all plants, you might consider being a bit more creative. There are plants that, because of their natural characteristics, lend themselves to being great Valentine’s Day gifts.

Many indoor plants have heartshaped leaves, and this would be a good place to start. Probably the most common plant with heartshaped leaves is the aptly named heartleaf philodendron. This plant produces long, trailing stems that sport six-cm-long leaves with a very definite heart shape. The plant is a foliage plant and does not flower. It is usually displayed trained on a decorative trellis, but it can be used as a hanging plant or set on a high shelf or cupboard where its foliage can tumble attractively from the pot.

Peperomia are wonderful foliage plants and they are not large so they lend themselves to being displayed

on a small table or desk. Peperomia are tropical plants with thick, fleshy leaves that seem almost succulentlike. They are not succulent, however, and like high humidity and warm temperatures. They must not be overwatered; the soil must be allowed to dry out between waterings or rot may very well develop.

The small, three- to four-cm-long leaves of peperomia are heart shaped and often have interesting texture and colour. A dark-green one called “Emerald Ripple” has heavily puckered leaves while a variety with the common name “Watermelon peperomia” has green and silvery-grey variegated leaves and the variegation does indeed resemble the colouration of watermelon skin.

Another foliage plant with striking heart-shaped leaves is the arrowhead plant. This plant is a trailing one and is larger than the heartleaf philodendron, having leaves that are often 10 to 15 cm long. It can be displayed like the heartleaf philodendron — on a trellis or as a hanging plant. The leaves are very definitely heart shaped and come in a range of colours, often with attractive veining or variegation. One variety has dark-green leaves with burgundy undertones while another has gold and green marbled foliage. Like

the peperomia, arrowhead vine is a tropical plant that prefers warm temperatures and high humidity.

Also like the peperomia, it prefers its soil to be allowed to dry out between waterings.

All of these plants are happy in relatively low-light environments; they will be happy in bright light with no direct sun. They are easy-care plants and if you are giving one of them to your special gardener, the plants are common and will be familiar to them. If you don’t like the fact that there are no flowers and thus little colour, buy two or three red roses and ask the florist to cut the stems short and put each rose into one of those little containers that hold water and that can be pushed into the soil around the plant. Alternately, look for a few decorative red hearts of an appropriate size, fasten them to picks if they are not already so constructed, and stick those into the soil. Present the plant in a bright red sleeve or decorative pot. Maybe add a red bow to give the plant a more “Valentine” look, although the heartshaped leaves of all of these plants will be the main attraction of this unique Valentine’s Day gift.

Albert Parsons writes from Minnedosa, Manitoba

This dish garden contains two plants with heart-shaped leaves, a “Watermelon” peperomia and a heartleaf philodendron. PHOTO: ALBERT PARSONS

25

The Manitoba Co-Operator | February 9, 2012

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

Changing bird habits

Is this a result of climate change?

By Donna Gamache FREELANCE CONTRIBUTOR

A

Goldfinch look different with their winter plumage and are becoming a regular sighting. PHOTOS: DONNA GAMACHE

A robin and a redwinged blackbird at a feeder in Thompson in early January cannot be normal!

s an avid birdwatcher, I am always interested to learn about the birds that other people see. In winter, besides checking my own birdfeeders, and keeping a lookout whenever I drive or walk somewhere, I frequently check a local website called “birding on the Net” that gives details of birds seen by others — and one thing I’ve noticed is the number of birds staying in our province that are not usually expected to stay here. A robin and a red-winged blackbird at a feeder in Thompson in early January cannot be normal!

Of course, there are always a few birds that miss migration. I’ve had a single robin a couple of different years, once in January and another year in February, though I don’t think either survived the winter. Perhaps such birds were injured when it came time to leave, or perhaps somehow they didn’t possess the instinct that leads most birds to fly south. But the number staying here over winter, and the number of species doing so, seems to have increased in the last few years.

Is this another indication of global warming?

In Winnipeg, for example, one birdwatcher has recorded a flock of crows, numbering more than 50. Single crows have increasingly wintered in Manitoba, but not flocks of them.

My husband and I have a feeding station and have had a mourning dove for the last five winters — presumably the same bird. Last winter we had two. This winter I have noticed several other birdwatchers also mention mourning doves, as well as a number of Eurasian collared doves — a nonnative variety that has been slowly spreading northward from Florida since 1982.

Goldfinches are another species that increasingly spend winters here, though in the past they always migrated. If you’re not

The mourning dove and the robin are both unusual sights in Manitoba in winter.

a regular birder, you might not recognize these birds in winter, for they’re not nearly as brightly coloured now as they are in summer.

We’ve had a few goldfinches eating niger seed for each of the last four or five winters.

This January, so far, I’ve counted six at our feeders. There are also a couple of juncos, another species which should have migrated farther south.

In late December our feeder briefly fed a brown-headed cowbird — apparently quite unusual for Manitoba — and a blackbird has been spending the winter in Minnedosa.

Several Townsend’s solitaires have been sighted — at least two in Winnipeg, as well as three in the Spruce Woods-Cypress River Christmas Bird Count. Oakville birders saw a varied thrush, usually found on the West Coast or in mountainous regions.

One of the most unusual birds so far seems to be a northern mockingbird that was seen and photographed in a horse barn near Minnedosa during the Christmas Bird Count. Mockingbirds are rarely here even in summer.

Perhaps it’s just the mild weather we’ve had in the early part of the winter, but there does seem to be a gradual change. Carrie

Braden, a co-ordinator of the Portage la Prairie Christmas Bird Count, noted that the Portage count saw four robins. “We are finding the wintering range of robins is slowly moving northward,” she says. “This could be a sign of global warming.” Whether they prove climate change or not, the statistics can be interesting to compare.

If, like me, you’re interested in knowing what other birders see, log on to the Internet to see what other Manitobans are watching.

Checkout: http://birdingonthe.net/mail inglists/MANI.html#1325962523.

Several communities also have the results of their Christmas bird counts on the Internet. Statistics are also available for Project Feeder Watch, and for the Great Annual Backyard Bird Count, held annually in February. If you’re interesting in participating in that, check out the website before February 17 to 20, when this year’s count is scheduled. Websites for these are: Project Feeder Watch at www.bsc-eoc.org/ pfw.html.

Backyard Bird Count at http://www.bird source.org/gbbc/.

Donna Gamache writes from MacGregor, Manitoba

A different Valentine’s Day celebration

Make a Pretty Prose Chalkboard A reusable noteboard for long after Valentine’s Day

Roses and chocolates had nothing to do with village’s holiday

By Dana Ramstedt

By Joyce Slobogian

FREELANCE CONTRIBUTOR

FREELANCE CONTRIBUTOR

Perfect for quick reminders, this gift will be enjoyed all year long.

Never miss another important message from each other as you hurry through your day.

G

Supplies: Wooden plaque Protective gloves Dynamic Chalkboard Paint (946-ml can — black) —available at paint stores 3-inch-wide foam brush Solvents for cleanup (see paint can for recommended ones) 2 small eyehole screws and sturdy string or picture hanging wire Cloth ribbon to decorate edges Low-temp glue gun

• • • •

PHOTO: DANA RAMSTEDT

• • • • •

Instructions: Read the directions on the Chalkboard paint can.

Clean the surface of the plaque with soap and water to remove any dirt or oils. Paint surface and sides with Chalkboard paint. Let dry. Follow instructions on the can to apply second coat.

Once completely dry, start at the bottom of the plaque and attach the end of the ribbon.

Using the glue gun, slowly attach ribbon around the plaque. Overlap the ends. Create a bow and

glue it over the overlapping ends of ribbon border.

Into the top third, on the back of the plaque, screw in the eyehole screws. Tie a sturdy string to each screw. Hang the Pretty Prose Chalkboard in an easy-to-reach area close to a supply of chalk.

Dana Ramstedt is a freelance writer and preschool teacher of 18 years.

rowing up in Vrin, a small mountain village in Switzerland, Valentine’s Day had nothing to do with buying flowers and candy for the object of one’s affection.

February 14 was a religious feast in honour of St. Valentine, a martyr who paid with his life for his faith, and also a celebration of friendship and community.

Vrin was quite isolated, and nobody in town owned a car; we walked everywhere. About 70 per cent of the population lived in the town proper. The remaining 30 per cent, including my family, were divided between several hamlets up the mountain. People lived off mixed farming and livestock breeding, and their main interests were family, work and faith.

They worked hard, but they also had good times together.

The church was the building were everybody got together, and most holidays had some connection to religion. There was a main church in town, but every little hamlet had its own little chapel.

The chapel in one of these hamlets was devoted to St.

Valentine, and people would trek up the mountain on February 14 to attend a service there. After that, all the people in the various hamlets invited some friends from town to stop at their houses and have dinner and an afternoon of chatting and playing cards and games.

Those get-togethers were important occasions for all of us and I remember my mother having a thorough housecleaning before the day. Everything had to be shining when the guests arrived. We always invited about a dozen people to the feast and I was allowed to ask one of my school friends. We all looked forward to St. Valentine’s Day as it was an occasion to visit with friends and neighbours and take it easy — at least until it was time to feed and tend to the livestock, a chore that had to be done, holiday or no holiday.

Despite the hard work that was done day after day, people knew how to enjoy the rare times they could spend in relaxation, relying on each other and keeping community ties alive.

Joyce Slobogian writes from Brandon, Manitoba and is the author of To Die For, available at Pennywise Books in Brandon, and online at Amazon.com.

26 1

Manitoba Co-operator || October February 6, 9, 2011 2012 TheThe Manitoba Co-Operator

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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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27

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

AUCTION SALES Auctions Various

ANTIQUES

BUILDINGS

BUILDINGS

ANTIQUES Antiques For Sale

FOR SALE: JD 7700 combine, D, equipped to do hemp, trade for 500-bu. of Canola or cash; JD 8820 Titan II, good condition, trade for Canola. (204)655-3458.

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

WE GUARANTEE RESULTS ON EQUIPMENT AUCTIONS

SUN., MAR. 11TH, 2012 MB Antique Association Spring Antique & Collectibles Show. 10:00-4:00pm CanadInns Polo Park 1405 St Matthews Ave. Admission $4.

Vendor spaces avail.

Kelly (204)981-9616. Glassware, books, postcards, nostalgia items, art, silver, collectibles, etc.

ANTIQUES Antique Equipment 2 COMPLETE SETS OF good leather harness, 1 set of heavy leather harness w/breechen, 3-ply tugs. A good assortment of horse collars, new yokes & double trees, old horse machinery, spread rings & scotch tops.

Phone:(204)242-2809, Manitou.

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

Dauphin

Grandview

Ashern

Gilbert Plains

Fisher Branch

Ste. Rose du Lac

Parkland

Riverton Eriksdale

McCreary

Langruth

Neepawa

Gladstone

Rapid City

Melita

Killarney

Pilot Mound Crystal City

Elm Creek

Sanford

Beausejour

Ste. Anne

Carman

Mariapolis

Lac du Bonnet

Winnipeg

Austin Treherne

Westman Boissevain

Stonewall Selkirk

Portage Carberry

Brandon Souris

Waskada

Interlake

Erickson Minnedosa

1

Arborg

Lundar Gimli

Shoal Lake

Hamiota

Reston

Toll Free:1-877-239-0730 www.mcdiarmid.com/farm BUILDING & RENOVATIONS BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Roofing

St. Pierre

242

Morris Winkler Morden

Altona

Steinbach

Red River

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Interlake MCSHERRY AUCTION SITE Estate and Moving Auction Saturday, Feb. 18th @ 10:30am Stonewall, MB. #12 Patterson Drive. Yard & Rec; Tools & Misc; Antiques Furniture; Antiques; Glassware; Household; New Furniture & Appliances. STUART MCSHERRY (204)467-1858 or (204)886-7027 www.mcsherryauction.com

AUCTION SALES Saskatchewan Auctions

1-800-667-2075 hodginsauctioneers.com SK PL # 915407 • AB PL # 180827

AUTO & TRANSPORT

LARGE ANTIQUE AUCTION FEB 18th 10:00am 345 Broadway St W (sign Building) 400 items, one consigner. Visit www.ukrainetzauction.com for pics & info.

Sale conducted by Ukrainetz Auction Theodore SK. (306)647-2661. License #915851. (306)782-0787

AUTO & TRANSPORT Auto & Truck Parts 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. STEEL SERVICE TOOLBOX FOR 1/2, 3/4 or 1-ton truck, 6 compartment, 79” wide, 8’ long, good shape, $1000 OBO. Phone: (204)669-9626

AUTO & TRANSPORT Semi Trucks & Trailers 2006 FREIGHTLINER HIGHWAY TRACTOR, new rubber, can be daycabbed, fleet maintained. $25,000; Westfield 8-30 auger w/5-hp electric motor; Westfield 7-41 auger w/gas motor. Phone: (204)348-2064, cell (204)345-3610.

BEEKEEPING

LOOKING FOR AG EQUIPMENT OR MACHINERY?

BEEKEEPING Bee Equipment 690 POLY SURROUNDS; 385 with nests; 75 poly shelters, various makes. Phone: (204)435-2253.

Find it fast at

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Red River

FOUILLARD STEEL SUPPLIES LTD.

FARM MACHINERY Grain Dryers

STEEL BUILDING SALE Inventory Discount Sale 30x40, 42x80, 100x100. Erection Available. Must Sell, Will Deal! 40 yr paint 1-866-609-4321 Source: 1K8

Thursday, February 16, 2012 5:30 PM Location: Indoors at 218 Brandt St Steinbach, MB EQUIPMENT & TOOLS: 37 Ton Log Splitter w/Honda GX Engine; Biro #34 Stainless Steel Meat Cutting Band Saw; 18” Powerhorse Chain Saw; Northern 125AMP Mig Welder; Garden Cart w/Hose Reel; Steel Wall Mount Storage Cabinet; Truck Mount Diamond Plate Tool Box; 4” Tires & Rims; New Wheel Barrows; Tractor Replacement Black Vinyl Suspension Seat; 3000LB Low Profile Floor Jack; Large Metal Storage Cabinet; 10 Ton Porta-Power Body Repair Kit; 48 Gallon L-Shaped Tradesman Transfer Tank; Stick Welder; Makita Compound Slide Mitre Saw; Sand Blaster; Heavy Duty Appliance Dolly.

GENERATORS, AIR COMPRESSORS & PRESSURE WASHERS: 9000 Watt Powerhorse Generator; 5.5KW Diesel Generator; 4000 Watt Powerhorse Generator; Wheel Barrow Air Compressor; 80 Gallon Vertical Air Compressor 7.5HP, 26.2 CFM At 90 PSI, 230 Volt; 20 Gallon Portable Air Compressor Honda GX160 OHV Engine; Ingersoll Rand 2HP 4 Gallon Contractors Twin Tank Air Compressor; NorthStar Pressure Washer 3000PSI, 2.5GPM, Honda Engine. There will be a selection of newer Appliances Fridges, Stoves, Front Load Washer/Dryer, Leather Couches & Furniture to numerous to mention!! PLUS MUCH MORE!!

Sale Conducted by: PENNER AUCTION SALES LTD. 218 Brandt St, Steinbach, MB Toll Free 1-866-512-8992

www.pennerauctions.com CLIP & SAVE

NEW GSI GRAIN DRYERS FOR SALE. Canola screens, propane/NG, single or 3-phase. Efficient, reliable, and easy to operate. Significant early order discount pricing now in effect. Call for more information. 204-998-9915 www.vzgrain.com NEW MC DRYERS IN STOCK w/canola screens 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.

BUILDINGS

WANTED: 570-BU. OR LARGER batch dryer.

Phone (204)655-3458.

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 Elevators

AFAB INDUSTRIES IS YOUR SUPERIOR post frame building company. For estimates and information call 1-888-816-AFAB(2322).

Website: www.postframebuilding.com CONCRETE FLATWORK: Specializing in place & finish of concrete floors. Can accommodate any floor design.

References available. Alexander, MB. 204-752-2069.

BUSINESS SERVICES BUSINESS SERVICES Crop Consulting

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

Licensed Agrologist on Staff.

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

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.

1986 KING LOWBED, DECK, 8ft 8in. wide plus outriggers by 19ft 6in long, drop deck, beaver tail, 50-ton capacity, MB safety, triple axle, 275/70R22.5 tires, detachable gooseneck w/reconditioned cylinders, 4 new bushings in suspension, $30,000.

Phone: (204)795-9192, Plum Coulee.

CATERPILLAR D6B SER #1134, standard shift w/Johnson bar, hydraulic angle dozer, good undercarriage, pup start, tractor in good shape, ready to work, $15,000 OBO. Phone: (204)669-9626

YARD EQUIPMENT, FURNITURE & APPLIANCES AUCTION

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.

BEAT THE PRICE INCREASES CALL NOW

1981 CASE W20B WHEEL loader, well maintained, $23,500. www.waltersequipment.com (204)525-4521

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Red River

FARM MACHINERY Grain Bins

WESTEEL ROSCOE GRAIN BINS, 3 3350-bushel, $2500 OBO; 2 3850-bushel $3000 OBO. All to be moved, good shape, Morris area. Phone: (204)669-9626.

BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Building Supplies

AUCTION SALES

24’ PENCIL AUGER. 4 inch pencil auger, includes electric motor. Works good. Gunton, Manitoba. $150.00. Cell (204)771-3499; tony@midcan.com

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

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

1

FARM MACHINERY Grain Augers

CUSTOM BIN MOVING: Large Flat Bottom Bins & Hoppers. Also Buying & Selling used bins. Phone: (204)362-7103. Email: binmovers@hotmail.com

Ask about our blowout colours...65¢/ft.2

Winnipegosis

Virden

STRONGEST POSTS INDUSTRY-WIDE

B-Gr. coloured......................70¢/ft.2

Minitonas Durban

Birtle

FARM MACHINERY Combine – Accessories

75 truckloads 29 gauge full hard 100,000PSI high tensile roofing & siding. 16 colours to choose from.

Swan River

Russell

Combine ACCessories

WINTER BLOWOUT!!

Birch River

Roblin

FARM MACHINERY Combine – John Deere

80-FT. BUCKET ELEVATING LEG w/3 phase 10-HP electric motor. Phone (204)886-3304.

FARM MACHINERY Grain Handling

WALINGA GRAIN VACS Tired of shovelling out your bins, unhealthy dust and awkward augers?

Walinga manufactures a complete line of grain vacs to suit your every need.

With no filters to plug and less damage done to your product than an auger, you’re sure to find the right system to suit you. Call now for a free demonstration or trade in your old vac towards a new

Walinga agri-Vac! Fergus, On: (519) 787-8227 carman, MB: (204) 745-2951 Davidson, SK: (306) 567-3031 FARM MACHINERY Haying & Harvesting – Baling 2009 2150 HESSTON SERIES, 3x3 large square baler. Always shedded, total bales, 2500, used two seasons, asking $65,000 cdn OBO; 1982 1069 NH diesel bale wagon, c/w 1028S mil-STAK 3x3 loader arm, 354 Perkins engine w/redone fuel system last season. Always shedded. paint & rubber in good condition, AC/CD stereo, very nice wagon, well maintained ready to go to work, asking $45,000 cdn obo. email sdryden@rfnow.com or contact Steve Dryden (204)838-2352, Virden, MB. CASE-IH 8575 LARGE SQUARE Baler, GC; Inland 4000 square bale picker, GC; 2004 1475 NH haybine, VGC. Phone (204)467-5984 leave msg, Stonewall.

NH 1441 DISC MOWER CONDITIONER 15-ft. $17,900 OBO. Call Gary 204-326-7000 Steinbach, MB www.reimerfarmequipment.com

FARM MACHINERY Haying & Harvesting – Various

WILL PART OUT 1968 D7E crawler, serial #48A10609 twin tilt angle dozer, scraper winch.

Phone:(204)326-3109, Steinbach MB.

FARM MACHINERY

Combines

FARM MACHINERY Fertilizer Equipment

FARM MACHINERY Combine – Case/IH 2008 5710 BOURGAULT AIRDRILL, updated to 5810, comes w/6550 Bourgault tank, done 6500 acres, $168,000, OBO. Phone:(204)352-4037, evenings.

FARM MACHINERY Combine – John Deere

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.

1994 CIH 1010 RIGID platform 25-ft w/PU Reel $5500; 1997, 1999, 2002 CIH 1020 Flex Platforms, 30ft w/PU Reels, Poly skids, mint condition $12,500- $16,500. Call Gary (204)326-7000 Steinbach, MB www.reimerfarmequipment.com 2000 JD 930 FLEX platform PU reel, full finger auger, poly skids, reconditioned, $17,900 OBO; 2006 JD 635 Flex, PU reel, FF auger, poly skids, single pt, looks like new, $27,900 OBO; 2000 JD 925 Flex, PU reel, FF auger, poly skids, real nice, $15,900 OBO; 2007 JD 630 flex, PU reel, FF auger, poly skids, single pt, beautiful platform, $28,900 OBO; Over 20 Platforms in stock, many more coming in, all makes. Garry (204)3267000, Steinbach, MB. www.reimerfarmequipment.com 3 2011 635F FLEXHEADS & 2 2011 635D Draperheads, very low acres, like new. Call Ron @ (204) 272-5070 or (204) 626-3283.

JD 212 PU PLATFORM 6-belt $950-$2500; JD 214 PU platform 7-belt $3450; JD 914 PU platform 7belt $7500. Call Gary (204)326-7000 Steinbach, MB www.reimerfarmequipment.com NEW ELMERS 30-FT. HEADER Trailers w/flex kit $3000; New Arc-Fab 30-ft. Header Trailers w/flex kit $2950; New Arc-Fab 36-ft. Header Trailers w/flex kit, front dolly wheels, $5500; New Arc-Fab 38-ft. Header Trailers w/flex kit, front dolly wheels, tandem rear suspension axles $6500. Call Gary (204)326-7000 Steinbach, MB www.reimerfarmequipment.com

FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories TRACTORS FOR PARTS: IHC 1486, 1086, 886, 1066, 966, 1256, 656, 844, 806, 706, 660, 650, 560, 460, 624, 606, 504, 434, 340, 240-4, W9, WD6, W6, W4, H, 340, B-414; 275 CASE 4890, 4690, 2394, 2390, 2290, 2090, 2470, 1370, 1270, 1175, 1070, 970, 870, 1030, 930, 830, 730, 900, 800, 700, 600, 400, DC4, SC; MF 2745, 1155, 1135, 1105, 1100, 2675, 1500, 1085, 1080, 65, Super 90, 88, 202, 44, 30; JD 6400, 3140, 5020, 4020, 4010, 3020, 3010, 710; Cockshutt 1900, 1855, 1850, 1800, 1655, 1650, 560, 80, 40, 30; White 4-150, 2-105; Allis Chalmers 7045, 7040, 190XT, 190, 170, WF; Deutz DX130, DX 85, 100-06, 90-06, 80-05; Volvo 800, 650; Universal 651, 640; Ford 7600, 6000, 5000, Super Major, Major; Belarus 5170, 952, 825, 425; MM 602, U, M5; Versatile 700, 555, 145, 118; Steiger 210 Wildcat; Hesston 780. Also have parts for combines, swathers, square & round balers, tillage, press drills and other misc. machinery. Buying machinery, working or not. MURPHY SALVAGE (204)858-2727 or toll free 1-877-858-2728 WISCONSIN MOTOR PARTS FOR VG4D: crank shaft, heads, fly wheel, starter, manifold and carb, $1000 OBO. Phone: (204)669-9626

Harvest Salvage Co. Ltd. 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 NEW & USED TRACTOR PARTS NEW COMBINE PARTS Large Inventory of new and remanufactured parts

FARM MACHINERY Hay & Harvesting – Mower Conditioner

REBUILT CONCAVES Rebuild combine table augers, Rebuild hyd. cyls, Roller mills regrooved, MFWD housings rebuilt, Steel & aluminum welding, Machine Shop Service, Line boreing & welding.

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

Sokal pull between fertilizer caddy, double piston John Blue ground drive pump, 1500 US gal cone bottom tank, 23.1-26 tires, $6,000 OBO. Call (204) 750-1095 or (204) 745-2822

1993, 1995, 2000 JD 925 Flex Platforms, 25-ft. w/PU Reel, Poly skids $6000-$16,500; 1993, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003 JD 930 Flex Platforms, 30ft PU Reels, Poly skids $7900-$18,900; 2007 JD 630 Hydra Flex Platform, 30ft., PU Reel, Poly skids, Full Fgr Auger $28,500; 06 JD 635 Hydra Flex Platform, 35-ft., PU Reel, Poly skids, Full Fgr Auger $27500. Call Gary (204)326-7000 Steinbach, MB www.reimerfarmequipment.com

1990 9600 JD, 2900 sep hrs, 914 p/u, long auger, hopper-topper, 2-spd cyl, new tires, new chopper knives after 2011 harvest, in VGC, $55,000. OBO. Phone:(204)239-7874, Austin, MB.

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 OATS ROLLER 120 volt electric. Good working condition. All Cast. Very Heavy. Ideal for hobby farm. $250 (204) 771-3499 tony@midcan.com 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.

Spraying EquipmEnt

2005 JD 9760 STS combine, 1100-hrs, duals, contour w/2009 JD 635F flex head, $144,500. Phone: (507)993-0720 .

FARM MACHINERY Sprayers

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

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

28

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

FARM MACHINERY Sprayers

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Black Angus

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Charolais

1982 HAGIE 647 HIGH-CLEARANCE 4WD diesel Sprayer, 80-ft updated boom, 500-gal, MT flow control, outback guidance, new nozzles, $9000OBO; MF200 Swather, 30-ft, 1500-hrs, updated knifedrive, VGC, $19,000OBO. (204)529-2104.

2160 LUCKNOW VERTICAL MIXER wagon, new 2006, good condition, always shedded; New Holland 195 spreader, balloon tires, good shape, farmuse only; approx 700 Broam alfalfa mix, 1st & 2nd cut, large round bales. Phone:(204)264-0099, (204)576-0071.

BLACK ANGUS HEIFERS FOR SALE bred to Black Angus bulls, start calving about Apr 6th, 2012. Dale Smith (204)876-4798, Snowflake, MB.

18 MTH OLD POLLED PB Charolais bulls for sale. To view the bulls check our website www.reddiamondfarm.com We semen test, guarantee & deliver. Phone Michael Becker (204)348-2464, Whitemouth.

2001 NH SF550 SPRAYER equivalent to Rogator 554, 2,300-hrs, 5.9 Cummins, 660-gal. SS tank, 90-ft. booms, pressure washer, chem inductor, EZ steer, EZ boom, mapping. Triple nozzle bodies w/5 & 10-gal Bubblejet Tips, 2 sets of tires, 23.1x26 & 9.5R44, excellent condition, $78,000. (204)763-8896, Minnedsoa, MB. HYTRUX SPRAYER W/2000 F-350 std trans 5-SPD, 5.4L gas engine, 90-ft. F/S sprayer w/hyd fold & hyd boom height control, 750 US gal tank, TeeJet 844-E auto rate controller, 2 sets of tires, sprayer is 5 yrs old; 1996 Flexicoil 65 100-ft. sprayer w/windscreens, manual controls.

Call (204)523-7215 leave msg, Killarney.

Tillage & Seeding FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Air Seeders 1997 EZEE-ON 28FT AIR SEEDER, 10-in. spacing, 175-bu. tank, rubber packers, harrows $30,000. Call Gary (204)326-7000 Steinbach, MB www.reimerfarmequipment.com BOURGAULT 8800 AIR SEEDER, 24ft, 2130 tank, w/ harrows & knock-on shovels. Phone: (204)326-9861.

FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Tillage FOR SALE: 3400 WIL-RICH field cultivator, 50.5-ft, 4 row harrows, excellent condition; 2001 Flexi-Coil 5000 air seeder, 57-ft, 7.2-inch spacing, rubber packer, tow-between 2340 tank, like new.

Phone:(204)324-9300 or 324-7622.

Gauge Wheel Solutions ridgelandmanufacturing.ca Phone: 1-204-866-3558

BLACK ANGUS & POLLED Hereford bulls for sale, yearling & 2 yr olds. Semen tested, performance records & delivery available. Call Don Guilford (204)873-2430, Clearwater.

2 HONEY WAGONS FOR scrap or salvage, $300 each or $500 for both, OBO. Phone (204)746-4500.

BOTANY ANGUS & LEANING SPRUCE STOCK FARMS have for sale yearling Black Angus bulls.

These bulls are fed a grower ration. For performance information and prices contact Ryan. Come early, a deposit will hold your purchase until spring.

Contact Ryan Shearer (204)824-2151 or Lyall Edgerton (204)483-2913.

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, 4,000lb 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.

CATTLEMAN’S CONNECTION BULL SALE March 2, 2012, Heartland Livestock, Brandon. For catalogue or more information call BROOKMORE ANGUS, Jack Hart (204)476-2607, (204)476-6696 or email brookmoreangus@mts.net

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

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.

FOR SALE: 5 TWO yr old Black Angus Bulls w/experience; 15 Black Angus yearling bulls. Phone Holloway Angus (204)741-0070 or (204)483-3622 Souris, MB.

FOR SALE: ACD15; JD420C; NH499 hay bine; 2003 258 hayrake. Phone:(204)828-3269 leave msg.

FOR SALE DUE TO Quit Farming: 1) 1981 JD 8640 4WD tractor, approx 9,000-hrs, new 50 series eng, 4 whl diff lock, triple hyds, PTO, ac/heat, clean, $20,000; 2) 1993 Case-IH 1680 combine, approx 2,800-hrs, Cummins PWR, specialty rotor, chopper, hopper topper, 1015 PU, excellent, reliable, $35,000; 3) 1989 Freightliner FL112 semi truck, 3406 CAT, 13-SPD trans, air ride suspension & air ride cab, sleeper, very good Michelin rubber, diff lock, very clean, $15,000; 4) 1985 Ford L9000 Feed Truck, tandem axle, Rayman Aluminum feed body, 12-Ton 4 compartment, Cummins PWR, large front tires, good for fert or seed tender, $15,000; 5) 1985 Ford L8000 tandem grain truck, 20ft. Cancade box, roll tarp, diff lock, 3208 Cat, 13-SPD trans, new PTO pump, mechanically sound, needs paint, $15,000; 6) Ezee-on 33-ft. Air Drill, double shoot, Model 2175-bu. cart, tow behind, hyd fan drive, 8-in. spacing, excellent, low acs, $35,000; 7) 1989 CI 722 swather, approx 1,900-hrs, 25-ft. UII PU reel, Isuzu DSL, joystick control, good canvas, ac/heat, $15,000; 8) 1981 JD 2750 tractor, 2 whl drive, new motor, c/w Allied FEL, joystick control, PTO, 3-pt. new rubber, new clutch, new starter, $19,000; 9) Farm King MD swing away auger, 60-ft. low profile hopper, hyd hopper mover, $4,000; 10) 4 misc augers, 5-HP electric 30-40ft., $500 each; 11) Snowblower Farm King 8-ft., 3-pt., double auger, hyd chute, $1,800. Prices negotiable for more info contact Claude (204)744-2501 home or (204)825-0001 cell.

OSSAWA ANGUS AT MARQUETTE, MB has yearling bulls for sale. For more info phone (204)375-6658.

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

FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Various

FOR SALE: HD FRONT 3PT hitch to fit JD 40-42-44 series, can be adapted for all tractors, incl rear mount. $1200. Phone Arborg: (204)376-2604.

IRON & STEEL

8-ROW JD 7200 VACUUM planter, 36-in. spacing, dry fert & row cleaners, $7,500; 8-row Alloway cultivator, $1,200; Elmers 8-row band sprayer, $1,200; Phone (204)857-8400, Portage.

FOR SALE: MODEL 246 hyd Haukaas markers; 14-ft. Lode King Industry drill fill; JD grill guard for front wheel assist tractor. Phone (204)825-2867.

FREE STANDING CORRAL PANELS, Feeders & Alley ways, 30ft or order to size. Oil Field Pipe: 1.3, 1.6, 1.9, 1 7/8, 2-in, 2 3/8, 2 7/8, 3 1/2. Sucker Rod: 3/4, 7/8, 1. Casing Pipes: 4-9inch. Sold by the piece or semi load lots, taking Spring bookings. For special pricing call Art (204)685-2628 or cell (204)856-3440.

Flexicoil 820 Cultivator 1996 Flexicoil 820 cultivator 32’, 550 trip, 7.2" spacing, 4bar harrow, rear hitch. $16000 obo. Call cell (204)750-1095 or (204) 7452822 mumenold@sdnet.ca

TracTors FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Allis/Deutz 1987 DUETZ 7085 FWA, open-station, 85hp, 5900-hrs, Allied 794 FEL $18,000. (204)525-4521 www.waltersequipment.com

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Case/IH 1988 CASE-IH 7130 TRACTOR, 4900-hrs, MFD, duals, $38,000 OBO. Phone: (204)352-4037

GEHL 120 MX MIXMILL, always shedded, $2,500 OBO. Phone (204)937-2631.

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.

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.

USED EQUIPMENT: 1995 JD tractor 8300 MFWD, 3PT, P/S, less than 5800-hrs $77,500; Brand new 2011 Parker 739 grain cart w/tarp SALE PRICE $24,900; 2004 JD 630F SALE PRICE $20,500; 2004 JD 635F SALE PRICE $23,900. Please visit website at www.genag.com or call Shelton Kehler 701-330-7401 or Tom Wiebe 204-312-0604

2006 CASEIH DX55 TRACTOR, w/lx 360 loader, fwa, 1-hyd, 3-PTH, 927-hrs. Phone:(204)825-2641.

LIVESTOCK LIVESTOCK Cattle Auctions

BRED COW SALE Friday, February 24, 2012 11AM Complete Herd Dispersal for Hatch Farms 240 Red/Black Cows bred Black Simmental start calving March 20 (approximately) 12 Black Simmental Bulls

Heartland Livestock Services Brandon Phone: 204-727-1431

CIH 784 tractor, 3-pth, loader, $10,900. Call Gary (204)326-7000 Steinbach, MB www.reimerfarmequipment.com INTL INDUSTRIAL 484 W/INDUSTRIAL loader factory cab & air, 4,500 actual hrs, tractor is in excellent condition, price $13,500. Phone (204)853-7755, Wpg.

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – John Deere 1982 JD 1040 W/CAB 3-PTH, JD 175 loader, $12,900 OBO. Garry (204)326-7000, Steinbach, MB. www.reimerfarmequipment.com

HEADERS, TRAILERS & ACCESSORIES. Arc-Fab Industries. 204-355-9595 charles@arcfab.ca www.arcfab.ca

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Wanted

1995 JD 7200 MFWD 3-PTH, JD 740 loader, joystick, 7-ft. bucket, grapple, high hrs but excellent shape, free shipping in MB or SK, $42,900 OBO. Garry (204)3267000, Steinbach, MB. www.reimerfarmequipment.com

CCIL 24-26-FT. DEEP TILLER w/mulchers in good condition, model 806 or 807. Phone (204)662-4580, Cromer, MB.

2003 JD 6420 W/640 FEL bucket & grapple, joystick, 24-SPD trans, new front tires, 3-PTH, 8,000-hrs, asking $45,000 OBO. Call (204)739-3759 or (204)762-5913.

JD MODEL R, ser #19735, any condition; Pony motor or parts for JD R & JD 70; Fenders or parts tractor JD model 80. Phone: 204-851-0344.

2004 JD 7320 MFWD, 16x16 Partial Powershift Trans, LH Reverser, 3400-hrs $49,500. OBO; 1982 JD 1040 w/cab, 3-pth, JD 175 Loader, $12,900 OBO; 1961 JD 3010 Diesel, real nice, $6,900 OBO. Phone: Gary (204)326-7000, Steinbach, MB www.reimerfarmequipment.com 2004 JD 7320 MFWD 3-PTH, JD 740 loader, joystick, 7-ft. bucket, LH reverser, 16x16 partial powershift trans, 3,820-hrs, free shipping in MB or SK, $67,900 OBO. Garry (204)326-7000, Steinbach, MB. www.reimerfarmequipment.com 2004 JD 7520 MSWD, 5400-hrs, 741 self-leveling loader/ grapple, PS/LHR, exc-cond, $72,500, OBO, would trade for 200HP MSWD tractor.

Phone:(204)239-7874 Austin, MB. 7400 JD TRACTOR, 4WD, power quad, 2795 HD loader w/bucket & bale spear, 4 yrs old, rear tires 75%, clean, runs well, $22,500 OBO. (204)427-3311.

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 Machinery Miscellaneous 1983 MF 860 COMBINE, 9001 belt PU, chopper, chaff spreader, 24.5x32 tires, rear traction tires, rebuilt engine, new rad, VGC, always shedded, $7,800; JD 800 SWATHER, 18-ft. head, good shape, $900; JD 9350 PRESS DRILLS 2x10 rubber press, fert attach & markers, 1981 god condition, $3,500; JD 7000 PLANTER 8x36, fert attach & markers, good conditioner, $3,500.

Phone (204)828-3396, Graysville.

WANTED: ALLIED 795 LOADER to fit 1175 Case.

Phone (204)781-7988.

WANTED: GRAPPLE FORKS for JD 265 loader.

Also 4020 JD engine or tractor for parts. Phone (204)768-3664, Ashern.

FENCING FREE STANDING PANELS FOR SALE: 30ft 5-bar panels, made out of 2 7/8” pipe $425/panel. Phone Brent (204)642-3026

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

FEEDER/SLAUGHTER SALES Every Friday 8AM Receiving open until 11PM Thursdays Presale Sundays BRED COW/FEEDER/SLAUGHTER SALE Monday, February 13 9AM Herd Dispersal 45 Red Angus cross cows including 16 2nd calf heifers SHEEP & GOAT SALE 1st & 3rd Thursday of Every Month February 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 BRED RED & BLACK Angus Heifers, Registered, AI & bull dates avail. Start calving Apr 1. Call after 7:00pm for more info. Doug (204)467-5093, Stonewall.

HAMCO CATTLE CO. 14TH Annual Angus Bull Sale, Sat. March 17th, 2012 (1:00pm) at the farm South of Glenboro, MB. Selling approx. 70 yearling & 20, 2-yr old Red Angus & 25 yearling & 5, 2-yr old Black Angus bulls. Many are AI & some are ET. Free board till spring, semen tested, free delivery, delayed payment plan. Call for catalogue or view online at: www.hamcocattleco.com. Albert, Glen & Larissa Hamilton (204)827-2358 or (204)526-0705; Dr David Hamilton (204)822-3054 or (204)325-3635 STEWART CATTLE CO. & GUESTS BULL SALE 50 Black Angus bulls & 4 Simm X Angus bulls, February 23, 2012 at 1:30pm Neepawa Ag-plex, Neepawa, MB. Contact Brent Stewart (204)773-2356 home, (204)773-6392 cell. View catalogue online at www.stewartcattle.com

REGISTERED BLACK ANGUS BRED heifers for sale bred to Black Angus bull. Due to start calving late March. Call Don Guilford (204)873-2430, Clearwater.

REGISTERED BLACK ANGUS BULLS for sale, low birth weight & very quiet, no disappointments, epd & delivery available. Phone:(204)843-2287, Amaranth.

TOPVIEW ACRES HAS 20 Black Angus bulls for sale. Free delivery & board until April 1st. For pictures and information call (204)546-2150 or (204)648-3280. Email: kltopham@goinet.ca

PRAIRIELANE FARMS LTD

34th ANNUAL BULL AND HEIFER SALE

SATURDAY APRIL 14th, 2012 1:00 pm on the farm 12 miles west of Souris, MB Contact: Blaine Canning 204-858-2475 Michael Canning 204-858-2457 or visit website at www.prairielaneangus.com LIVESTOCK Cattle – Red Angus 18 MTH OLD PB Red & Black Angus bulls for sale.

To view the bulls check our website www.reddiamondfarm.com We semen test, guarantee & deliver. Phone Michael Becker (204)348-2464, Whitemouth.

21 HEIFERS FOR SALE, mostly Red Angus bred to purebred Red Angus bull. To start calving early April. Phone: (204)327-5204.

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.

F BAR & ASSOCIATES ANGUS bulls for sale.

Choose from a good selection of 2 yr old and yearling Red & Black Angus bulls. Above-average EPD’s, good genetics, easy handling, semen tested, delivery available. Call for sales list or other details. Inquiries & visitors welcome. We are located in Eddystone, MB, about 20 miles east of Ste Rose, or 25 miles west of Lake Manitoba Narrows, just off Hwy 68. Contact Allen & Merilyn Staheli (204)448-2124, Email: amstaheli@inethome.ca KINARED RED ANGUS OFFERS about 50 2 yr old bulls for sale, complete performance data, guaranteed, semen tested, delivery available. Come select your bulls early, $500 deposit will hold your bull until Spring.

Vaughan & Judy Greenslade (204)239-6891, Portage la Prairie.

Quality Registered Red and Black Angus 2yr. old bulls. Easy Calving, Guaranteed Breeders, Performance Data Available, Semen Tested, Delivery Available. Wolf Willow Angus. 204-821-5108.

Rossburn, MB REGISTERED PB RED ANGUS bulls, 2 yr olds & yearlings w/low birth weights. Phone: Ren-Ele Red Angus, (204)526-2424, Bruxelles.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Simmental

BRED CHAROLAIS ANGUS CROSS cows & heifers. Phone (204)447-7007.

CHAROLAIS BULLS, MAINLY 2-YEAR olds, polled & Horned, Red factor & white. Excellent performance, good feet & above average testicular development. Some semen tested & used in 2011.

Bulls fed to grow but have longevity. Semen tested & delivered. Ian Milliken. Reston. Phone: (204)877-3346, email imilliken@mts.net.

FOR SALE: 6 YR Old Red Charolais bull, good.

Phone Rae (204)526-2169.

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. FOR SALE: PB REG Charolais bulls 1 & 2 yr olds avail. All are polled, moderate birthweights & semen tested. Sunny Ridge Stock Farm (204)824-2115, Wawanesa, 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 POLLED HEREFORD & BLACK Angus bulls for sale, yearlings & 2 yr olds available. Semen tested, performance records & delivery available. Call Don Guilford (204)873-2430, Clearwater.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Limousin TWIN OAK LIMOUSIN & Twin Meadow Livestock farms has Red Polled yearling bulls, birth weights 84-97-lbs, ADG 2.73-3.48. Selected for performance, moderate frame, calving ease, excellent disposition & body length. Will keep until needed. Call Gary or Josie (204)723-2275 or Tracey (204)723-2386.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Maine-Anjou 2 YR OLD & yearling Black Maine-Anjou bulls for sale. Low birth weights, good performance, all guaranteed, delivered in Spring. Phone (204)523-8408

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Shorthorn 3 & 4 YR old mature bulls for sale. Proven breeders in excellent condition. 2 Roans & 1 White. The perfect choice for Black cows. Greg Tough (204)748-3136 or Monty Thomson (204)771-7205.

Stretch your ADVERTISING DOLLAR!

1-800-782-0794

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Simmental FOR SALE: PB BLACK Simmental bull, Polled, good legs & feet, papers avail, asking $3,000. Call Mark (204)252-3158 or cell (204)872-2029.

IN PURSUIT OF PERFECTION BULL SALE: Selling 100 Red & Black Simmentals, Red & Black Angus and Bestbeef Hybrid bulls March 8, 2012 at Spring Creek Ranch near Moosomin, SK. Contact: Spring Creek Simmentals/Red Rose Angus, Brian McCarthy (306)435-3590 or Black Sand Cattle Co. Craig Davidson (204)761-5991. www.springcreeksimmentals.com and www.blacksandcattle.com PB YEARLING SIMMENTAL BULLS, 9 Red, 1 Black, from Top Performance AI Sires. Birth weights 80-106-lbs, yearling weights 1,400-lb average. Weaning weight gain per day 3.47-lbs. Weaning to yearling gain 4.44-lbs per day. Will keep till Spring. Wilcox Simmentals (204)723-2735, Ernie cell (204)526-7183, Pat cell (204)526-7060.

SIMMENTAL BULLS FOR SALE by private treaty.

Reds & Fullbloods available. Will keep until Spring.

To view call HOMESTEAD-T SIMMENTALS (204)248-2008, (204)750-1147, or (204)750-1039 Notre Dame, MB

M&J FARMS BULL & FEMALE SALE

Sat. Feb. 11, 2012

on the farm at Russell, MB 204-773-6275 All 2 year olds Red & Black Angus Red & Black Simmental Bulls View and bid online www.mjsimmentalangus.com

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

LIVESTOCK Cattle Various

LIVESTOCK Livestock Equipment

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Manitoba

Rendezvous Farms

Kopp Farms Simmentals

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.

TENDERS FARMLAND FOR SALE S 1/2 of SW 1-7DAME USED OIL 8W NOTRE Approx 40 cult acs, approx 80-acs total, 3.5 million BTU boiler,& 5000 head nurseryDEPOT barn, 2500 head finishFILTER er barn, 4.3 million gal Earthen manure storage, 600volt, 3-phase 50x80 shed, 60x120 • Buy Usedpower, Oil 14 ac •w/yard, Buy Batteries shed, 40x50Used shop, 3 cattle sheltersOil w/corrals (seper• Collect Filters • Collect Containers ate ownership title of 5.9 ac, 2000 sq/ft 2-storey home Western Manitoba built in Southern 1983). N 1/2and of SW 1-7-8W approx 65 cult acs, approx 80-acs total.

SE 1-7-8W approx 135 cult acs, Tel: 204-248-2110 approx 180-acs total. NW 1-7-8W approx 145 cult acs, approx 160-acs total. W 1/2 22-7-8W approx 293 cult. acs, approx 310-acs total. SW 32-6-7W approx 115 cult acs, approx 160-acs total. W 1/2 of NE 6-7-7W approx 74 cult acs, approx 80-acs total. NE 8-6-8W approx 125 cult acs, approx 159-acs total. NE 9-6-8W approx 125 cult acs, approx 142-acs total. NE 15-6-8W approx 100 cult acs, approx 163-acs total. SW 16-6-8W approx 95 cult acs, approx 165-acs total. SE 17-6-8W approx 108 cult acs, approx 109-acs total. NW 25-6-8W approx 86 cult acs, approx 155-acs total. NE 33-6-8W Approx 125 cult ac, approx 145 total ac, 1600 sq ft home of 11 yrs, att 2 car garage, fin bsmt, both floor heated, heat pump, plenty of good well water, 40x60 quonset, 3-1600 & 4-1350 bus steel bins. Highest or any tender not necessarily accepted. Purchaser will be responsible for 2012 taxes starting March 1, 2012. For any additional info call Gilbert (204)751-0185 or Romeo (204)7230077. Marked & Sealed tenders will be received by the undersigned for the above described land up to 12:00pm Jan 31, 2012. Submit offers to: Farmland Tenders, Box 490, Notre Dame de Lourdes, MB R0G 1M0.

Any other offers will be considered invalid.

8th Annual

8th Annual Bull & Female Sale

Bull & Female Sale Monday, 1:00 p.m.

February 13

FOR SALE: 285 LUCKNOW mix wagon w/scales, in good shape, $13,000. Phone:(204)648-3983 or (204)638-7634.

ON THE FARM - AMARANTH, MB

February 20, 2012 - 1:00PM

FOR SALE: PALLISER CATTLE oiler, like new, used only 1 yr. Phone (204)886-2142.

Ste. Rose Auction Mart Ste. Rose du Lac, MB

HEAVY BUILT CATTLE FEED bunks & troughs 3/8” thick steel, 500-gal capacity, 3.5ft x 16.5ft, good for grain, silage or water, easily moved.

(204)362-0780, Morden.

Selling 82 beefy Simmental Bulls

HIGHLINE 7500 BALE SHREDDER $7500. Call Gary (204)326-7000 Steinbach, MB www.reimerfarmequipment.com

Selling 57 Red & 25 Fullblood Bulls

Also selling 27 heifers View catalog at www.transconlivestock.com Sales Consultant: Wilf Davis 204 834-2479

Rendezvous Farms Ste. Rose du Lac, MB David Maguet

Home/office: 204/447-2054 cell 204 447-7573

Gerald Maguet cell 204 447-5037 LIVESTOCK Cattle Various

20 RED ANGUS X cows bred Red Angus, start calving May 1st, $1200. Phone Art Langrell (204)383-5974 or cell (204)461-1662.

30 RED ANGUS X cows bred Red Angus and easy calving Simmental bulls, start calving July/August.

Phone: (204)325-8691 or (204)325-2820.

35 RED ANGUS/CHAR X bred heifers $1400; 20 mature Char X bred cows $1100. Phone Larry (204)267-2438 or (204)871-0867, Oakville.

COMPLETE DISPERSAL: 210 excellent bred heifers & 60 2nd calvers Red & Black Angus X, bred Charolais and Red Angus. Also 130 very good Char X cows, bred Charolais. All done Pfizer Gold. Call (204)447-0184.

FOR SALE: 7 BRED cows Charlois-Red Angus cross 3 with month old calves at foot. Wanted: Small sq straw bales. Call (204)749-2018 or (204)723-0747 cell.

FOR SALE: MIXED BREED beef herd, bred to 5 yr old PB Red Angus bull, calving Apr 2012. Would consider partnership or lease arrangement.

(204)571-1254.

LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO feed calve & pasture cows for the 2012 season. Mostly Black Angus cows, starting to calve Rendezvous Cooperator bull ad.indd 1 Apr 15th. Call Darrell (204)937-3719, Roblin, MB.

B E E F

Offering Approx. 100 Bulls

B U L L S

Offering Approx. 40 Heifers

Semen tested & guaranteed Remember, bull shopping doesn’t have to be a gamble.

Kopp Farms produces bulls that are beneficial to the beef industry.

View Catalogue & Sale Videos Online www.koppfarms.com

JD GRAIN CRUSHER, Phone (306)453-2843.

$250;

Horse

mowers.

KELLN SOLAR SUMMER/WINTER WATERING System, provides water in remote areas, improves water quality, increases pasture productivity, extends dugout life. St. Claude/Portage, 204-379-2763.

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.

WANTED: USED CATTLE HOOF trimming chute.

Phone (306)482-3858.

For Information or Catalogue Inquiries call 204-843-2769 Edmunds Cell: 204-856-3064 Steven’s Cell: 204-843-0090

LIVESTOCK Livestock Services & Vet Supplies

LIVESTOCK Cattle Wanted

HERD BOOKS COW/CALF SOFTWARE for Canadian producers handles all CCIA forms 90 day trial.

For details see www.herdbooks.com

300-700 LBS. Steers & Heifers Rob: 528-3254, 724-3400 Ben: 721-3400 800-1000 LBS. Steers & Heifers Don: 528-3477, 729-7240

Contact: D.J. (Don) MacDonald Livestock Ltd. License #1110 LIVESTOCK Sheep For Sale

ORGANIC ORGANIC Organic – Certified ORGANIC PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION OF MANITOBA CO-OPERATIVE (OPAM). Non-profit member owned organic certification body, certifying producers, processors and brokers since 1988. Phone: (204)5673745, Miniota, Manitoba. Email: info@opam-mb.com

PERSONAL SINGLE? CANDLELIGHT MATCHMAKERS can help you find each other! Everyone deserves a Happy Relationship. Confidential, Photos & Profiles to selected matches. Affordable, local, 5 recent Weddings & an Engagement! Serving MB, SK, NW Ontario. Call/Write for info: Box 212, Roland, MB, R0G 1T0, (204)343-2475.

REAL ESTATE REAL ESTATE Motels & Hotels

FLOCK OF BRED MIXED breed ewes & ewe lambs, Suffolk Ram & guard Llama sell w/flock.

Phone (204)571-1254.

TEAM OF WELL MATCHED 2 yr old fillies, 1 Thoroughbred/Percheron born June 2010, 1 performance horse registry born April 2010. Both registered w/NAERIC. For more information call Gerald (807)482-2980.

Swine

PUREBRED BERKSHIRE TAMWORTH, CHESTER White Boars & Guilts for sale. Nationwide delivery available. Contact Troy Callingridge (204)828-3317, (204)379-2004 or cells (204)750-2759 (204)750-1493.

2002 GEHL 8285 SILAGE wagon, $9000. Phone: (306)898-2123.

PASTURELAND 1/2 SECTION ON South 10-17-13W in the Municipality of Lansdowne; 2004 26-ft. flat deck trailer w/loading ramps w/two 7-ton axles, c/w 4 semi holders & straps. Ken Oswald (204)386-2223.

We BUY used oil & filters Collection of plastic oil jugs Glycol recovery services Specialized waste removal Winter & Summer windshield washer fluid Peak Performance anti-freeze ( available in bulk or drums )

PARCEL 1: SE1/4 11-2-5 WPM except North 66ft Assessed at 158 acres.

or alternatively

PARCEL 2: Existing farmyard of 10 acres on SE1/4 11-2-5 WPM.

or alternatively

PARCEL 3: SE1/4 11-2-5 WPM except North 66ft and excepting existing farmyard of 10 acres.

Written sealed tenders must be received by 5:00pm February 24, 2012 at: J.A. Dykman Law Office 309 Stephen Street Morden, Manitoba R6M 1V1

RM Grey Land 3 quarters in Haywood area 340 acres workable. Avavailable for multi-year lease.

(705) 456-6470 skell@parrishandheimbecker.com

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Manitoba FARM SPECIALIST: COUNT ON GRANT TWEED, informed, professional assistance for sellers & buyers.

Call (204)761-6884 anytime, or www.granttweed.com.

Service with integrity.

RANCHES, GRAINLAND, BUILDING LOTS, Buffalo farm, homes, mobile homes, hunting land, pastures, hayland, hobby farms, large & small. We got them all.

Call Harold (204)253-7373, www.manitobafarms.ca RANCH FOR SALE: NE, NW & SE 4-32-22 Crown Lands approved by MAFRI for transfer to purchase of Dianne Mayuks unit at Pine River 15 quarter township 31 & 32 Range 21 & 22W to purchase private land & apply for unit transfer Contact Dianne (204)263-5296. Comment on or object to this unit transfer write direct MAFRI Agriculture Crown Lands PO Box 1286, Minnedosa, MB. R0J 1E0 or e-mail robert.fleming@gov.mb.ca

The only company that collects, recycles and re-uses in Manitoba!

888-368-9378 ~ www.envirowestinc.com

PEDIGREED SEED PEDIGREED SEED Cereal – Wheat LESS FUSARIUM MORE BOTTOM LINE. Wheat seed available. Suitable for ethanol production, livestock feed. Western Feed Grain Development Coop Ltd. 1-877-250-1552 www.wfgd.ca

From Producer to the World

For Sale: Hard Red Spring Wheat Certified Carberry / Glenn / Kane High quality; germination available Wholesale / Retail Contact Paul (204) 737-3004

FOR SALE BY TENDER. Helen Friesen offers for sale by tender, the following parcels:

REAL ESTATE Land For Rent

LIVESTOCK Swine Wanted

1300 JAYLOR SINGLE SCREW mixer wagon, side unload, good scale, $5000; 7400 JD tractor, 4WD, power quad, 2795 HD loader w/bucket & bale spear, 4 yrs old, rear tires 75%, clean, runs well, $22,500 OBO. (204)427-3311.

160-ACS FOR SALE: in the RM of Grey North of Haywood, approx 150-acs open, has a dugout currently used for pasture. Call (204)436-2301.

For further information contact: (204)822-3002 or (204)523-8429.

Viewing at open house on Feb. 18, 2012 11:00am to 4:00pm.

LIVESTOCK Swine For Sale

LIVESTOCK Livestock Equipment

REAL ESTATE Land For Sale

all parcels.

2.) The parcels described will be sold “as is”.

3.) The highest or any bid not necessarily accepted.

4.) Possession of cultivated land is April 20, 2012.

5.) Possession of yard site to be negotiated.

6.) Bid must be accompanied by a refundable deposit of 5% of the bid 1/19/2012 10:35:26 AM amount. (certified cheque made payable to: J.A. Dykman Law Office in Trust).

4 DRAFT CROSS MARES bred Mammoth Jack & Mammoth Jack is for sale. 2 yr old Draft cross Paint stud. Phone (306)453-2843.

Specialty

WANTED: GRAIN & LIVESTOCK farms for both foreign & domestic buyers. Considering selling w/2012 or 2013 possessions. Now is the time to discuss all options. Professional service & confidentiality guaranteed. Call Rick Taylor (204)867-7551, HomeLife Home Professional Realty Inc., www.homelifepro.com

TERMS:

LIVESTOCK Horses For Sale

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

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.

1.) Seller will consider tenders on any or

Horses

WANTED: BUTCHER HOGS SOWS AND BOARS FOR EXPORT

SUPERVISED PASTURE FOR 210 cow/calves, can keep year round. Would consider lease to own option. Open to offers. Phone: (204)859-3018.

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

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Wanted

SUPER TRAIL FEED BUCKET Quick Attach; Orbit motor driven 7ft.-46 bus; 8ft-57 bus. Fold up spout: Scoop up & go. Fill creep feeders, feed troughs. Ph. 204-836-2441

TIRED OF THE HIGH COST OF MARKETING YOUR CALVES??

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Pastureland

RECYCLING

Proud Supporter of Manitoba Businesses & Municipalities

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Simmental

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES Campers & Trailers LARGE VOLUME OF REPOSSESED RVs & parts, from the foreclosure of Canada One RV is being sold to the public between Feb 9-12th. Phone Dave (204)233-4478, www.gnrcw.com

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES Motor Homes

PEDIGREED SEED Cereal – Various DURAND SEEDS: CERT AC Carberry & Harvest & Kane wheat; Souris Oats; Conlon Barley; CDC Bethune & Sorrel flax; Mancan Buckwheat; Canola & Forage seed. (204)248-2268,(204)745-7577, Notre Dame.

ELIAS SEEDS: Cert & Reg Carberry, Waskada Wheat & Cert Kane & Barrie Wheat. Call (204)745-3301, Carman, MB. 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.

PUGH SEEDS: CERT KANE, AC Barrie, Somerset Wheat. Souris Oats. Conlon Barley. Reg & Cert Sorrel Flax. Phone (204)274-2179, Bill’s cell (204)871-1467, Barry’s cell (204)872-1851, Portage.

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

WE OFFER A FULL LINE OF SEED TESTING SERVICES INCLUDING GERMINATION, PURITY, VIGOR & VOMITOXIN PO Box 579 Rivers, MB R0K 1X0 Ph: 204-328-5313 Fax: 204-328-7400

PEDIGREED SEED Forage – Clover RED CLOVER SEED, double cut, hardy, cleaned, trace sweet clover & catchfly, cert. organic. Phone: (204)534-7843.

PEDIGREED SEED Specialty – Potatoes WANTING TO BUY 30-TON Dark Red Northern potatoes & 10-ton white Granger potatoes. Koshowski Potato Growers (204)638-8415, Dauphin.

FARMING IS ENOUGH OF A GAMBLE...

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 WANTED: JD LIQUIDATOR SNOWMOBILE or Liquifire; Also wanted older TNT or RV Squidoos or any other free air snowmobile. Phone (204)728-1861.

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

1-800-782-0794

30

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

save!

Renew early and

CAREERS

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Hay & Straw

CAREERS Sales / Marketing

FOR SALE: APPROX 200 1st cut Alfalfa bales (round) good quality; Approx 200 small square 1st cut premium quality. Call (204)745-3301 or (204)750-8187, Carman, MB.

LOOKING FOR A CHALLENGE? Horse Country & Hearts of the Country, are two unique Manitoba magazines that share similar demographics, but are unique in their editorial mandates. Publishers are looking for an experienced Advertising Sales Representative. The ideal candidate must have proven experience in print advertising sales, accurate knowledge of a rural Canadian audience, database experience, high-speed internet, and a strong desire to match clients with campaigns.

Candidates must have good communication skills, be independent, creative, honest, dependable and excited about the potential of both magazines. Commission with advancement opportunities, send resumes to contact@ horsecountry.ca. Phone:(204)372-6121.

FOR SALE: BIG ROUND 2011 1st cut Hay/Alfalfa mix. Phone (204)571-1254.

FOR SALE: ROUND ALFALFA and brome Hay bales and round straw bales delivered in 40 bale loads. Phone:(204)483-2551 or (204)724-4974.

FOR SALE: ROUND BROM & alfalfa mix bales, excellent condition, also round wheat straw. Can deliver. Phone:(204)324-9300 or (204)324-7622.

GRASS & ALFALFA MIX bales. Contact Steve Dryden, 204)838-2352,email sdryden@rfnow.com Virden MB.

COMMON SEED

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

COMMON SEED Various

LARGE ROUND NET WRAPPED hay bales, 1st & 2nd cut $30-$45/bale. For more information call Randy (204)246-2205 or Gord (204)822-1918.

OAT STRAW ROUND BALES, baled by JD 567 baler. Freight available. Phone:(204)234-5411.

CORN SEED $25/ACRE. Lower Cost Alternative for Grazing & Silage. High Yield & Nutrition 7 to 9-ft.

Tall. Leafy Early 2200 to 2350 CHU’s –Open Pollinated Varieties. Phone (204)723-2831.

SEED / FEED / GRAIN

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!

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Feed Grain CONVENTIONAL AND ROUND UP Ready Grazing Corn. CanaMaize Seed 1-877-262-4046 or email info@canamaize.com FEED OATS 28-32 LBS/BU. Clean but light $2.00/bu at farm. Phone: (204)722-2023 McAuley, MB.

Call, email or mail us today!

Email: subscription@fbcpublishing.com

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

Canadian Subscribers

U.S. Subscribers

❑ 1 Year: $49.00* ❑ 2 Years $86.50*

❑ 1 Year: $150.00 (US Funds)

*Taxes included

Specializing in: • Corn, wheat, sunflower, canola,

soymeal, soybeans, soy oil, barley, rye, flax, oats (feed & milling) • Agents of the CWB • Licensed & bonded 5 LOCATIONS to serve you!

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Hay & Straw 1ST & 2ND CUT large round hardcore Alfalfa, Afalfala Silage & Hay, feed tested, 1,500-1,800-lbs.

Phone (204)246-2032 or (204)823-0431

HAY

bales.

WANTED: A SEED GRAIN cleaner for wheat & barley, capacity 40-bu or more per hr. Phone (204)848-2485 Fax (204)848-4659.

1ST CUT ROUND ALFALFA grass bales, no rain, approx wgt. 1,450-lbs. Phone (204)871-1129.

2500 MEDIUM SQUARE BALES Timothy hay, horse quality, stored in hay shed. Also 500 large round bales Alfalfa/Timothy mix, no rain, can deliver. Phone: (204)372-6937.

3X4 OAT STRAW BALES. Phone Chester or Lynn (204)746-2053, Morris, MB. 400 LARGE ROUND RED Clover Hay bales; 700 large round volunteer Canola & Wild Oats Bales; Hardcore & half net-wrapped, feed tested. Delivery avail. Jim Kaleta (204)638-7800, Dauphin.

BUYING:

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

“Naturally Better!”

Soybean Crushing Facility (204) 331-3696

“ON FARM PICK UP”

1-877-250-5252

ALFALFA HAY MIX, 1ST & 2nd cut, round bales approx 1600-lbs, can deliver. Phone Bill (204)822-4962 leave message, or cell (204)325-3240, Morden.

Vanderveen Commodity Services Ltd.

BROME ALFALFA ROUND BALES, 1st & 2nd cut, & also round Barley Straw. Dan Lovatt (204)483-2717, Souris.

FIRST & SECOND CUT hardcore round bales of Alfalfa/Grass mix. Feed tested & no rain. Phone: (204)836-2434, Swan Lake.

**SERVICE WITH INTEGRITY**

FOR SALE: 190 MILLET bales, asking 2 cents per lb. Call (204)526-0936 or (204)248-2291.

www.delmarcommodities.com

FOR SALE: 600 MEDIUM square bales, 1st crop, Timothy/Alfalfa, feed test & delivery avail. Call (204)268-5615 or (204)268-4218, ask for Martin.

Toll Free: 888-974-7246

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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Sudoku 9

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Box 9800, Stn. Main, Winnipeg, MB R3C 3K7

1

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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) __________

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

Phone

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

500 ROUND HAY BALES For Sale, good quality, excellent condition, no rain, 1500lb bales, $45. Will consider trade for young bred cows. Phone: (204)746-5121.

Head Office - Winkler (888) 974-7246 Jordan Elevator (204) 343-2323 Gladstone Elevator (204) 385-2292 Somerset Elevator (204) 744-2126 Sperling Elevator (204) 626-3261

ATTACH YOUR MAILING LABEL HERE

ROUND & SQUARE (306)453-2843.

200 MEDIUM SQUARE BALES, asking $25 bale; 100 medium bales of wheat straw, $20 bale. Both in the yd, hay shed. Can deliver. Phone (204)755-2244.

1·800·782·0794 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

ROUND BARLEY STRAW BALES, 750-lbs. Call (204)422-5216.

8 1

1 7

2 5 7 9 4 7 8 5 9 6 2 5 8

6 2 7 8 5 7 3 1

Last week's answer

5 6 2 1 7 3 8 9 4

8 4 7 9 6 5 1 3 2

1 3 9 2 4 8 5 7 6

9 2 4 5 8 6 7 1 3

7 5 6 3 1 2 4 8 9

3 1 8 4 9 7 6 2 5

6 8 3 7 2 4 9 5 1

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4 9 5 8 3 1 2 6 7

Puzzle by websudoku.com

8

Puzzle by websudoku.com Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.

The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

31

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

TIRES

We are buyers of farm grains.

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

TRAILERS Grain Trailers

“Your feed grain broker”

Brokers of high/low vomi wheat and barley, corn, rye, feed pea canola and soybeans.

Farm pickup prices available.

Darcy Caners 204-415-3485 dcaners@pvcommodities.com Colin Hoeppner 204-415-3487 choeppner@pvcommodities.com Brian Harland 204-415-7123 bharland@pvcommodities.com Fax 204-415-3489 www.pvcommodities.com

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

• 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.”

TRAILERS Livestock Trailers 2011 & 2012 EXISS ALUMINUM LIVESTOCK TRAILERS: SELLING OFF STOCK FOR NEW INVENTORY UP TO $1,500 IN SAVINGS DIRECT TO YOU. 18-ft., 20-ft. & 24-ft. Gooseneck starting at $14,200. Avail at SOKAL INDUSTRIES LTD. Phone: (204)334-6596. Email: sokalind@mymts.net 6X16FT STEEL GOOSENECK HORSE/LIVESTOCK trailer, stant load w/divider gates, living quarters, good tires & brakes, $4000. Phone: (204)267-2582, Oakville.

TRAILERS Trailers Miscellaneous 45-FT. FRUEHAUF TRAILER, SAFETIED, new brakes & drums, complete rigging for round bales, $5,500 OBO. Phone (204)636-2450.

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

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

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

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

CAREERS Professional

CAREERS Professional

Looking for an Exciting Career Opportunity?

SGS THE WORLD’S LEADING INSPECTION, TESTING, VERIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION COMPANY IS LOOKING FOR

BRANDON TRAILER SALES “You will like our prices!”

“It’s that Simple!” “Let’s compare quality & price!” “Certainly worth the call!” Phone (204)724-4529. Dealer #4383

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

FARMERS, RANCHERS, SEED PROCESSORS BUYING ALL FEED GRAINS

NEW ARC-FAB COMBINE platform trailers in stock 30-ft., 36-ft., 38-ft., 40-ft. w or w/o dolly wheels.

Dealer inquiries welcome. Garry (204)326-7000, Steinbach, MB. www.reimerfarmequipment.com WANTED: 2 USED ARNES 22ft.x24ft. & dump gravel trailers in any condition.

Phone (204)376-2340 or (204)641-1350.

CAREERS Farm / Ranch DON’T JUST VISIT, LIVE IT! Agricultural placements in EUROPE, UK, AUSTRALIA or NEW ZEALAND. Wide range of jobs (4-12 months) awaiting experienced individuals ages 18-30. Book an AgriVenture program now! www.agriventure.com 1-888-598-4415. Canadian farmers looking for extra hands are also encouraged to apply for international trainees.

CAREERS Help Wanted CATTLE/GRAIN FARM NEAR CARBERRY has fulltime position available. Must have cattle handling experience, ability to run and maintain equipment. Having your class 1 and ability to weld a definite asset. Please call (204)724-6093 or (204)466-2939.

FULL TIME EMPLOYEE NEEDED for busy cattle farming operation. Duties include feeding & working cattle, fencing, operating & maintaining equipment and other farm related tasks. Class 1 license an asset. Must have livestock experience. Starting wage $13.90/hr. Phone: (204)723-2662 or (204)856-6907.

SEASONAL FARM WORKERS NEEDED from Apr through Oct. Plant, hoe, harvest & pack vegetables.

Stoop labour, outdoors, heavy lifting, minimum wage.

Contact Dufferin Market Gardens (204)745-3077.

WANTED FARM LABOURER FOR mixed farm w/cattle, hay & grain, wages negotiable according to experience. Call (204)483-3694.

TRI-WAVE CONSTRUCTION IS SEEKING heavy duty journeyman truck mechanic in Brandon. Independent & able to work without supervision, wage will depend on experience. Fax resume: 204-728-3669 Email: triwave@mymts.net 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.

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

Crop and Field Services Supervisor (Prairies Based) (Saskatoon) This position will be a key position within the SGS Agricultural Services Division by delivering a comprehensive portfolio of agronomic services to benefit farm customers. This position will be integral to creating SGS’s Agronomy business in the western Provinces of Canada. This position will also supervise a field services team.

Required Qualifications: • Agriculture related degree/diploma/certificate • CCA (Certified Crop Advisor) or the ability to complete the course and have designation is required • P.Ag. (Professional Agrologist) or the ability to acquire the designation is required.

• Some field and industry experience (at least one year or previous related summer positions).

• Acts with professionalism at all time when representing the business to clients, peers and employees.

• Customer Service experience • Strong technical and organization skills.

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to network within the Ag community and internal personnel.

• Must be able to read, understand and follow work instructions in a safe, accurate and timely manner.

• Intermediate knowledge of and familiarity with current technical agronomy application and other computer competencies.

• Supervisory experience is an asset.

• Sales related experience is an asset.

• Mechanical/Fabrication knowledge is an asset.

• Proven ability to manage and coordinate multiple projects in a fast-paced, highly professional environment.

• Candidates must demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills including grammar and composition.

• Ability to work well with others & independently.

• Proven time management skills and a strong attention to detail.

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Louis Riel Day EARLY DEADLINE NOTICE The Manitoba Co-operator Offices will be closed Monday, February 20th.

Early Deadline for the February 23rd issue will be Wednesday, February 15th at Noon

32

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

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Project aims to make the case for more shelterbelts Everybody knows that cattle need shelter from the winter wind, so why not plant shelterbelts?

By Daniel Winters CO-OPERATOR STAFF

“If you went to any cattle producer and asked him if he’d like the profit margin on 10 free steers at the end of the year, who would disagree with that?”

E

verywhere you look around the Manitoba countryside, shelterbelts and bush can be seen lying in big, ugly bulldozed piles.

Farmers just can’t seem to get rid of it fast enough, it seems.

A two-part, four-year project sponsored by the Upper Assiniboine Conser vation Distr ict (UACD), B r a n d o n U n i v e r s i t y ’s R u r a l Development Institute (RDI), and a handful of other organizations aims to reverse that trend via a demonstration project on a farm near Kenton and an information-based outreach campaign.

The message is that shelterbelts can be the key to big savings in production costs.

“We see all these shelterbelts going down, plowed up and pushed in, while at the same time we see all the science that shows reduced wind extremes and improved growing conditions for crops,” said UACD manager Ryan Canart.

An RDI team has already begun surveying beef producers to gauge their attitudes to shelterbelts and plans to launch a website offering virtual tours of their numerous benefits in March.

Douglas Caldwell, who runs 150 cattle on his 2,500-acre farm near Kenton, doesn’t need to be convinced that shelterbelts make sense.

“If the cows are out there feeding and they are protected by the shelterbelts, they’ll eat less, they’ll be far happier, and if they are out of the corrals, they’ll be healthier,” he said.

His operation is hosting the fieldscale demonstration project that shows how a carefully planned shelterbelt system can be integrated into a winter feeding strategy offering multiple benefits for his cattle and grain operation.

On 90 acres out of a quarter section that was formerly annual crop, seven double rows consisting of 2,500 hybrid poplars were planted last fall to create 10-acre paddocks for future corn, swath and bale grazing.

DOUGLAS CALDWELL

A map superimposed on an aerial photo shows the shelterbelt layout on Douglas Caldwell’s quarter section near Kenton that is being used as a demonstration project of the merits of shelterbelts for in-field winter grazing. PHOTO: UPPER ASSINIBOINE CONSERVATION DISTRICT

A network of permanent doublestrand electric fence linked to the main on his nearby yardsite protects the trees from damage by the cattle, and creates the layout for temporary “cell” structures using portable wire reels.

Yield boost

The trees will shelter his cattle and yardsite from bitterly cold north winds in the winter, trap winter moisture, and boost crop yields in the summer by reducing wind stress.

Soil health will also be improved over time by constant nutrient cycling courtesy of the cattle.

“On one piece of land where the canola crop is protected on three sides by tree shelter, we’ve recorded upwards of 70 bushels to the acre,” he said.

“Mother Nature does try to tell

people how she wants it to be, we just have to listen once in a while.”

Caldwell figures he can net considerable production savings in the demonstration area by sowing winter-grazing crops that can then be fed to his herd in the field with a minimum of expense.

Rolling up a bale, hauling it to the hay yard, taking it out to the cattle with a tractor, and then scooping up and spreading the manure back on the land all adds to wintering costs, he added.

If the 90-acre site yields 200 bales that are left on site for in-field feeding, it will save him $3,000 per year.

“If you went to any cattle producer and asked him if he’d like the profit margin on 10 free steers at the end of the year, who would disagree with that?” said Caldwell.

The seven, quarter-mile-long rows of trees only extract 1.5 acres out of the whole field, which in crop profit margin terms, amounts to just $90 a year, he added.

“Us i n g j u s t t h e r u d i m e n t a r y numbers for leaving the bales out there, at $3,000 versus $90, it’s a no-brainer.”

Staff from the local conservation district provided the labour for planting the trees and installing the fences. A pipeline watering system from the nearby yardsite provides water for now, but he’s hoping to strike a deal with Ducks Unlimited to put in a small dam on a nearby creek to improve water supplies and protect the riparian area in the ravine.

Farmers and ranchers may look at the demonstration site and think that it’s all just a lot of extra work and expense.

“But there’s a lot of groups out there that will help them, and I don’t think they realize that,” he said.

Bill Ashton, director of RDI, said that the outreach aspect of the project is aimed at “starting a conversation” with the province’s 9,000 cattle ranchers in the hopes of convincing them that planting more shelterbelts is a good investment.

“In the big picture, we’ll see how people view shelterbelts and how that changes over the next four years,” he said. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

34

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

COLUMN

Diagnosing common problems in young calves It’s important to be able to recognize the difference between scours and pneumonia Roy Lewis, DVM

one your veterinarian may even struggle with at times.

Beef 911

Repeat message

E

very calving season veterinarians are called on to examine calves with a multitude of problems. Some are herd related but many are individual problems of no concern to the rest of the herd.

Most cases fall into a few broad categories. Each category has a much different treatment regime. This article will break out these different categories and hopefully make it easier to determine the course of treatment.

With calves clinically we need to differentiate between whether the condition involves the lungs (pneumonia), intestines (scours), navel (omphalophlebitis) or involves a multitude of miscellaneous conditions.

Th e t w o mai n diseases, scours and pneumonia often are treated much differently and may not be as easy to tell apart as one thinks. Scours may initially present as a very dopey, heavy-breathing calf. The calf may be quite acidotic and is attempting to blow off the acid through an increased respiratory rate, fooling you that he has pneumonia. A calf born selenium deficient may have heart issues if the heart muscle is affected. The lungs will start to fill with fluid because of the heart failure and again respiratory rate will be increased.

While specific antibiotics have been developed for pneumonia they often are not the same ones we use to treat scours.

Also, the best initial treatment for scours is to give replacement fluids, since the dehydration is what kills the calf. Many causes of scours are viral in nature, against which antibiotics don’t work.

Making the distinction between which organ system is involved can be difficult, and

As mentioned many other times before, we can never stress enough the importance of goodquality colostrum in giving calves a head start in life. Their ability to fight off disease challenges is much greater. Many cases of pneumonia, scours and septicemias (blood-borne infections) can be attributed to not receiving adequate colostrum.

The navel area is another area to pay close attention to, as it is a common source for entry of infectious organisms into the body. Again we need adequate colostrum. Watch the area for signs of swelling and an archedback, tucked-up calf. If you grab the area and it is painful, that is a telltale sign infection is present. Backward calves or those born by C-section have their navels rip off short and are much more susceptible to navel infection. At our clinic, for any calves born by C-section we purposely separate the navel by hand further down the cord so the calf has a decently long navel cord when it is born.

If they have a problem, some producers will even give prophylactic antibiotics at birth under the supervision of their veterinarian to counteract navel ills. If the navel problem spreads internally it has a good chance of landing in the joints and a severe arthritis ensues. Make sure and differentiate between navel infection and a simple hernia which may require surgery.

Lame calves

Lame calves are another common condition with young calves. Again you need to differentiate whether it is arthritis from a navel infection, trauma causing a sprain strain or trauma causing a broken leg.

Each condition requires different treatment.

The navel infection must be treated with drugs which will get

We can never stress enough the importance of good-quality colostrum in giving calves a head start in life.

into the joints, the sprains are just left to convalesce and the broken legs need attending by your veterinarian. If breaks are caught soon enough the prognosis and chances for recovery are very good. The lower the break the better. Young calves that are growing heal fast and put down bone very quickly so in three to four weeks we often have a complete recovery.

Calves commonly will get stepped on by cows in heat so having creep areas where they can separate themselves from

the cow herd will pay dividends in fewer calf injuries.

Creep areas are also very good at getting calves started on creep feed so preventives for coccidiosis such as deccox can be added to the feed. Calves are naturally inquisitive so products such as diatomaceous earth give calves something to lick on rather than dirt, roughage and stagnant water where their odds of picking up something harmful is much greater.

Older calves become stronger and more resistant to picking up

The calf may be quite acidotic and is attempting to blow off the acid through an increased respiratory rate, fooling you that he has pneumonia.

the common calfhood diseases such as scours or pneumonia. The four- to eight-week age is where the intestinal accidents and stomach ulcers develop. These conditions were gone into detail in a previous article but suffice it to say they are individual fluketype cases. It is probably most important to have a post-mortem done on sudden deaths to rule out infectious causes which could spread to other herd mates.

Otherwise you can rest assured it was one of these fluke intestinal conditions of which you have no control over.

This summer try and differentiate these different categories of problems with young calves.

You will then be treating the right problem and your success rate will drastically improve.

Roy Lewis is a large-animal veterinarian practising at the Westlock, Alberta Veterinary Centre. His main interests are bovine reproduction and herd health.

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Saskatchewan checkoff doubles STAFF / Members of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association have approved a plan to double the provincial checkoff on cattle sales to $2 a head.

The decision came in a resolution passed at the SCA’s recent annual meeting, noting lobbying and marketing expenses continue to increase while the provincial checkoff hasn’t risen since 1987.

Saskatchewan will be one of the last provinces to increase its provincial levy from $1 to $2, SCA past chairman Bob Ivey of Ituna, Sask. said.

Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario doubled their provincial levies to $2 in 2004, 2006 and 2008 respectively.

35

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

SHEEP & GOAT COLUMN

Mild weather allows producers to haul the animals to market Lambs under 80 pounds were again the dominant feature at last week’s sheep and goat sale (in Winnipeg)

By Mark Elliot CO-OPERATOR CONTRIBUTOR

P

roducers took advantage of the mild weather on February 2 for the sheep and goat sale at the Winnipeg Livestock Auction. There were about 300 sheep and goats delivered for this sale. The weather might have been mild outdoors, but there was some heated bidding by the buyers (for the meat industry and for herd improvements).

Quality ewes demanded good bidding from the buyers. The various groups of pregnant Dorper-cross ewes led the high bidding, with as much interest as for the young ewes. The Dorper-cross ewes would soon be lambing, which created interest for increasing and improving individual herds. The price range for these ewes, ranged from $1.13 to $1.25 per pound.

The quality ewes brought $1.16 to $1 per pound. The cull ewes brought $0.38 to $0.89.

There appeared to be no correlation between the weight of the ram and the price per pound, but possibly more on the buyers (herd improvement) requirements. There was a good selection of rams available at this sale. The 205pound Suffolk-cross ram was quite tame, following the arena person, for some attention.

This Suffolk-cross ram brought $211.15 ($1.03 per pound).

The price range for the various rams was in the range of $0.80 to $1.075 per pound. The 145pound Dorper-cross ram was the top ram of the day, bringing $172.55 ($1.19 per pound).

In the heavyweight lamb classification, two groups of 115-pound lambs, seemed to produce different bidding prices. The group of three Cheviot-cross lambs brought $211.60 ($1.84 per pound) and the larger group of 12 Suffolkcross ewe lambs, brought $225 ($1.96 per pound). The heavierweight Cheviot-cross lamb (125 pounds), brought $150 ($1.20 per pound).

Producers supplied lambs on the heavy stages of the market lamb classification for this sale.

The price range was $1.87 to $1.95 per pound.

Only a few feeder lambs were supplied, creating some wild bidding from the buyers.

Two 83-pound Cheviot-cross lambs, brought $184.26 ($2.22 per pound). Nine feeder lambs, ranging from 90 to 94 pounds, brought a price range of $1.88 to $2.07.

Once again, lambs under the 80-pound classification dominated this sale. Lambs in the weight range from 72 to 78 pounds, brought $2.42 to $1.625 per pound.

The 60- to 68-pound lambs brought a price range of $2.20 to $2.46 per pound.

The strong bidding continued for the 50-pound-plus lambs.

Lambs ranging within the 52 to 56 pounds brought a price range from $2.20 to $2.41.

The arena was circled numerous times by a cute and adventurous 30-pound lamb, getting the attention of the younger

bidders of the day. This lamb brought $54 ($1.80 per pound).

Goats

Only six does were supplied.

Four 126-pound pregnant Boercross does brought $155 ($1.23 per pound). One 85-pound Boer-cross doe brought $107.50 ($1.27 per pound). A large 105pound doe, brought $92.50 ($0.88 per pound).

Only two Boer-cross bucks were at the sale. The 160-pound buck, brought $245 ($1.53 per pound) and the 200-pound buck, brought $210 ($1.05 per pound).

A group of six 63-pound Alpine-cross and Boer-cross doelings, brought $126 ($2 per pound).

Seventeen Boer-cross bucklings, within the weight range of

83 to 90 pounds, brought a price range of $1.92 to $1.93.

The demand for the classification of goat kids continued with good bidding. Two, 60-pound Boer-cross kids, brought $102.50 ($1.71 per pound).

The various groups of Boercross doelings weighing 52 pounds, 55 pounds and 58 pounds brought $110, $97.50, and $104, ($2.12, $1.77 and $1.79 per pound). The eight 54-pound Boar-cross wethers brought $120 ($2.22 per pound).

The group of eight 36-pound Boer-cross kids, brought $68 ($1.89 per pound).

The Ontario Stockyard Report (Feb. 3), states that there was little demand for the lambs. The classification of feeder lambs was producing $1.75 to $2.20 per pound.

The various goats traded steady

for the week. The young goats (kids) in the 35- to 49-pound classification brought $70 to $110 ($2

to $2.25 per pound). The 50- to 75-pound goat kids brought $80 to $120 ($1.60 per pound).

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36

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

Researcher says blaming farmers for phosphorus in Lake Winnipeg is overly simplistic Digging ourselves into a hole: Increased drainage is contributing to rising nutrient levels in Lake Winnipeg

By Shannon Vanraes co-operator staff

R

ecent flooding has driven Lake Winnipeg’s a l re a d y h i g h n u t r i e n t l e v e l s e v e n h i g h e r, says Michael Stainton of Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

“I think we’ve demonstrated that the major change we’re seeing in the lake is driven by changes in the flow of the Red River,” Stainton told hog producers at the 2012 Swine Seminar in Winnipeg.

But the researcher noted phosphorus levels in the Red River are increasing as well.

During flooding, the river’s phosphorus levels are in the same range as effluent from sewage treatment plants.

Although hog operations have been labelled by some as significant phosphorus contributors, Stainton said individual phosphorus sources can’t be identified.

“No doubt there has also been a a steady increase in phosphorus concentration in the Red (River), but it does not appear to be synchronized or have a signal that coincides with any one practice,” he said.

“If we could put a tracer on for this phosphorus or that one, and say this phosphorus

comes from cattle, this one from the City of Winnipeg, that one from pigs and those from fertilizer, we would be able to say exactly where it’s coming from. But we can’t.”

Provincial legislators passed the Save Lake Winnipeg Act last fall, which many hog producers believe unfairly targets their industry. The move followed a provincially commissioned study of Lake Winnipeg by Canada Research chair Peter Leavitt, who recommended a 50 per cent reduction in phosphorus levels to curtail algae blooms and return the lake to a pre1990 state.

Dry weather would help

Manitoba Pork Council’s sustainable development manager Michael Teillet said because increases in Lake Winnipeg’s phosphorus levels coincided with hog industry growth roughly 10 to 15 years ago, there has been a tendency to link the two, regardless of scientific evidence.

He argued a prolonged wet cycle, and not increased hog production, is to blame.

“If we went through a drier cycle, the phosphorus counts w oul d probably drop by themselves,” said Teillet.

Given the role flooding plays in increasing nutrients,

“If we went through a drier cycle, the phosphorus counts would probably drop by themselves.”

Michael Stainton

Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Stainton said more attention should be paid to fields where water collects before running downstream. The less phosphorus that can be leached from the soil, the better for the lake, he said.

“There are lots of reasons to be managing the loss of phosphorus from the landscape,” Stainton said. “If it’s lost from the field, it’s not available for a crop. A loss of phosphorus from the soil can also coincide with soil erosion. So the things you can do to try and keep phosphorus on the landscape, in terms of soil conservation and flood mitigation, pay multiple benefits.”

Another contributing factor is human changes to the landscape, including 27,000 kilometres of drainage dug in Manitoba over the last century. Short-term storage of

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flood water on agricultural land needs to be replaced with long-term water storage in wetlands or non-agricultural reservoirs, Stainton said.

An example of this strategy can be found on the Saskatchewan River, which has many natural and humanmade reser voirs allowing nutrients to settle out or be re a b s o r b e d b e f o re w a t e r reaches its destination.

Describing his approach to Lake Winnipeg as a reasoned path through a “minefield” of conflicting positions, Stainton said that although the lake is changing, change doesn’t always equal harm. He said more work needs to be done to assess the impact of higher phosphorus levels.

Commercial fishers have expressed concerns about algae blooms, and changes

in the types of algae in Lake Winnipeg, but they are also experiencing increased walleye yields.

Although Stainton didn’t comment on the possibility of a phosphorus “tipping point,” he did note Lake Winnipeg is facing multiple issues.

“I think the tipping point issue is more likely to be one of invasive species, because if it’s nutrients we have some means of mitigating that,” he said. “If it’s a new species, we have no means of mitigating that.”

Attitudes about the health of the lake and the role of hog producers have changed in the last two to four years, according to Teillet.

Discussions about Lake Winnipeg have become more science based and are looking towards water management as a whole, he said.

And that is positive for producers like Benjamin Cortez, who farms near the U.S. border. “ What I hear is people blaming farmers for the lake being dirty, but what I see people practising is good and responsible,” he said. “As farmers, we have to do our share of really protecting the water.” shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

news George Morris Centre says Canada’s ethanol policy hurts livestock farmers winnipeg / reuters / The George Morris Centre is calling on the federal government to curb or eliminate its support for ethanol production because it is pushing up feed grain prices.

Ethanol has boosted feed grain prices by $15 to $20 per tonne in Eastern Canada and by $5 to $10 in the West, said a report issued by the centre.

The result is added costs to livestock farmers amounting to $130 million per year, the report said.

“Everybody says, ‘Oh Canada doesn’t set the global prices for grain, we’re a small player,’” said Kevin Grier, senior analyst at the George Morris Centre in Guelph, Ont. “The whole focus is to try and show that... ethanol does have an impact. Canada’s policies do matter (to grain prices).”

Ethanol makes up a small portion of demand for corn and wheat and the report overstates its impact on prices, countered Tim Haig

of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association.

“Does it have zero impact?

That would be naive. But it’s minimal,” Haig said. “We believe this (impact) is wildly overstated.”

Ottawa and the provinces spend about $250 million annually subsidizing ethanol, according to the centre, and federal rules require gasoline pool to contain an average of five per cent ethanol.

ADM profit plummets, cuts spending reuters / Archer Daniels

Midland has reported sharply lower quarterly earnings, and cut its capital spending plans.

Prices for corn and soybeans are high, but this does not always translate into strong revenues for agribusiness companies. Commodity trading firms and processors have struggled as volatile markets have increased risks and costs.

“Ongoing weakness in global oilseed margins, lower results in corn, and poor international merchandising results hurt our second-quarter profits,” said chief executive Patricia Woertz.

37

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

Russia raises grain export forecast

WATCHING HIS BOVINE COMPANIONS

MOSCOW / REUTERS

R

ussia’s government sees no need for grain export restrictions in April and has its raised grain export forecast for 2011-12 by 12.5 per cent.

“Given a revised harvest figure of 93.9 million tonnes... the forecast for grain exports in the 2011-12 crop year has b e e n ra i s e d t o 2 7 m i l l i o n tonnes,” said Viktor Zubkov, the deputy prime minister in charge of agriculture.

Russia has exported 19.6 million tonnes of grain since the start of this year, but the government says the country can fully meet domestic grain demand.

World wheat prices have r isen in the past week on speculation a duty would soon be imposed and on concerns hard frosts would damage Black Sea crops.

The government promised to regulate exports via duties after lifting a ban on grain exports imposed in the wake of 2010’s catastrophic drought.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in October that exports would be no more than 25 million tonnes.

This horned owl spends a lot of time in the area where the cows are bedded. I guess the hunting must be good.

Seed-applied liquid nutrient approved for cereal crops

PHOTO: GRACE CRAYSTON

The PursuiT is over

STAFF

A

new liquid formulation of a seedapplied nutrient has been cleared by the CFIA for use on wheat, barley, oat and corn.

Colorado-based Loveland Products’ seed treatment Awaken ST will be distributed by ag input retailer UAP Canada.

Awaken ST’s micronutrient package includes five per cent zinc plus b o r o n , c o p p e r, i r o n , manganese and molybdenum, the company said.

The combination “helps develop a larger, more extensive root system, quicker emerg e n c e, g re a t e r p l a n t biomass and improved plant health and vigour,” UAP product manager Eric Gregory said in a release.

The company says Awaken ST ’s formulation can be applied using traditional treating equipment.

Aw a k e n “c a n b e a p p l i e d o n i t s ow n , blended or applied sequentially with traditional chemical-based fungicide or insecticide seed treatments,” the company said.

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38

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

Where’s the beef?

U.S. consumption is in decline What was once ground or pot roasted is now being processed in different ways

By Meredith Davis reuters

F

or the past decade, cattle ranchers and meat packers watched with despair as America’s beef consumption steadily declined, ceding ground to leaner meats as well as vegetarian trends among the health conscious.

Most recently, high unemployment in the world’s wealthiest nation had cash-strapped Americans avoiding restaurants where beef is a common entree and had them switching to lower-cost non-meat dishes at home.

USDA estimates 2011 U.S. per capita beef consumption at 57.4 lbs., down 13 per cent from 10 years ago and down about 25 per cent from 1980. In 2012, USDA predicts, Americans will eat 54.1 lbs. of beef on average.

The beef industry is coping with these changes by developing new cuts that will satisfy appetites for steaks but at a lower cost. Also, it has benefited from a huge recovery in beef exports particularly to Asia and Russia, where consumers are upgrading their diets and concerns about mad cow disease fade.

Beef companies, like Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef are carving up beef carcasses in interesting new ways.

Carcass portions that were once meant for ground meat or roasts, such as rounds and chucks, are now sliced into cheaper cuts of steaks for the American palate.

These new less expensive steak cuts became popular dur-

ing the recession and still are, said Chris Calkins, professor of animal science at the University of Nebraska.

U.s. per capita beef consumption

Smaller portions

At the height of the recession the beef industry saw a decline in high-end steak consumption, such as tenderloin and rib-eye, in fine-dining restaurants.

This created an opportunity for beef companies and retailers to promote those higherend cuts in supermarkets but in smaller portions, Trevor Amen, director of market intelligence at the National Cattleman’s Beef Association. “ We have been successful in maintaining sales and item movement by producing smaller and thinner packages of our more expensive beef items,” said Karen May, external communications manager for Supervalu, a U.S.-based retail grocer chain.

As tough economic times and higher-priced food bite into Americans’ grocery budgets consumers look for ways to cut costs. Meat industry experts say Americans still crave the “steak-eating experience” but want it with a cheaper price.

An even more popular costcutting tactic has been to purchase ground beef, oftentimes in bulk, instead of steak, creating what has become known as the “Hamburger Economy,” said Erin Borror, an economist with the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

Ground beef sales in dollar terms rose seven per cent in the last 52 weeks while steak cuts increased 1.3 per cent, accord-

Source: USDA, U.S. Census

Large steaks like this are no longer as popular or affordable for U.S. consumers.

Photo: thinkstock©

ing to National Cattleman’s Beef Association data.

In a n e f f o r t t o i m p r ov e domestic beef sales, meat giant Tyson Foods Inc. ran a 2011 summer promotion featuring its premium ground beef for burgers during the height of grilling season that was picked up by 1,600 retail stores, said Gary Mickelson, a Tyson spokesman.

These efforts, plus strong exports and a decline in imported beef have helped push the average retail beef price to a record $5 per lb. in November, U.S. government data showed.

Exports are surging

While Americans are eating less beef, the appetite overseas is growing, particularly in places like Japan, South Korea and Russia, which has helped meat company profits.

In the first 10 months of this year exports are up 25 per cent from a year earlier, putting 2011’s exports on track to be the largest ever.

The more expensive cuts, like rib-eye and T-bone steaks, that for years were eaten here, are increasingly finding their way to affluent overseas customers who are expanding their presence in the world of fine dining.

“Americans are cutting back.

We’ve consumed ourselves to a plateau, but the growth and demand is there for exports,” said Chandler Keys, spokesman for the U.S. subsidiary of Brazil’s

JBS, the world’s largest meat producer.

“After the BSE we (the meat industry) realized we can’t pile back into the domestic market,” he said.

The industry was laid flat by that mad cow outbreak as overseas consumers initially shunned U.S. beef for fear they would contract the human form of the disease, with exports plunging in the aftermath.

Since then export markets have slowly reopened.

Japan, the top export market for U.S. beef before the mad cow case, has gradually resumed beef purchases since 2003 and is now the third-largest importer.

Plus, it is considering fully reopening its door to the meat, a move that could add $1 billion to the value of U.S. beef exports, the U.S. Meat Export Federation said.

With rising retail costs here and efforts to tackle chronic but preventable ailments such as obesity and diabetes, meat companies are increasingly developing and catering meat products to the tastes of foreign consumers.

“The key thing is the people we’re selling our beef to are not in economic trouble. Asian countries make up a good portion of our buyers and Asia is still on a very strong economic growth path,” said Rich Nelson, director of research at Allendale Inc. in McHenry, Illinois.

39

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

Third-largest U.S. hog producer accused of abuse Producer says one system of housing sows not necessarily better than the other

By Michael Hirtzer

The humane society has accused two of the largest American pork producers of abuse by confining sows in cages during pregnancy.

In a video on the humane society website, sows can be seen chewing the metal bars of their gestation crates and struggling to stand up. Some are scratched, bleeding or even dead.

“When it comes to the treatment of farm animals, few practices are more controversial than the extreme confinement of animals in tiny cages for their entire lives,” said society spokesperson Paul Shapiro. “ We f o u n d g e s t a t i o n crates overflowing with feces and urine because of a backed-up sewage system, employees hitting pigs in the genitals and pulling their hair in order to move them from one crate to another, piglets with splayed legs duct taped back to their bodies.”

The humane society said it is not seeking criminal charges against Seaboard Foods and Prestage Farms Inc., owners of the Oklahoma facilities where the videos were shot.

Using gestation crates doesn’t constitute abuse, countered Seaboard president Terry Holton.

“Animal welfare experts and professional groups have found no one method for housing gestating sows that is clearly better than the other when managed properly,” Holton said.

That view was echoed by Ron Prestage, who owns Prestage Farms with his parents and siblings.

“There is nothing for me to defend in the video. We have both systems (gestation crates and group pens) and have for years,” Prestage said.

Investigators for the humane society got jobs at the two breeding facilities late last year and shot video of the conditions. The group said 70 per cent of the pork industry confines its pregnant pigs to gestation crates, despite the EU and eight U.S. states banning the practice.

The welfare group advocates group housing for pigs, which allows the animals to move around freely.

“There are times when each system has its advantages,” Prestage said. “If you have an animal that’s gotten injured, it’s much easier to treat them if they are in an individual crate. If they happen to be on the bottom of the pecking order, the other ones are just going to beat them up.

“On the other hand, if there is no fighting, you might decide they are happier in a group pen.”

Dairy farmers shoot back at critics Dairy Farmers of Canada says supply management doesn’t stand in the way of trade agreements Staff

W

ith their system of revenue under renewed jabs from various angles, Canada’s dairy farmers have compiled their retorts into a new online campaign.

Dairy Farmers of Canada on Feb. 1 launched a website dubbed YourMilk.ca, which organizes the case for the country’s dairy industry into three sections: one on the industry’s benefits to the public, producers and processors, another on “busting myths” and a third on “the facts.”

“We hope that the facts on this new website will help people understand how our dairy industry works and see through some of the falsehoods currently being passed off by some as truths,” DFC president Wally Smith said in a release.

Defenders of Canada’s system of supply management for dairy, eggs and poultry are used to a certain level of criticism, especially in recent years

as the system has come under fire from Canada’s current and potential trading partners, for the tariff walls it creates against imports.

More recently, the system has come up as a possible sticking point in free trade negotiations with the European Union, and in Canada’s efforts to join talks with the Trans-Pacific Partnership — currently a ninecountry Asia-Pacific regional trade pact, now being discussed among members including Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Export-minded Canadian business groups have criticized the government’s support for supply management as potentially jeopardizing their access to overseas markets.

“Earn their income”

The Conservative government’s long-stated support for supply management has also taken new domestic flak in recent months, as the Tories moved to pass and enact legislation end-

ing the Canadian Wheat Board’s single marketing desk for Prairie wheat and barley, starting Aug. 1 this year.

One such critic, National Post and Maclean’s columnist Andrew Coyne, ripped the government’s two policy positions in a column last summer as “profoundly hypocritical.”

In the DFC’s release, Smith sought to bust any claim that Canadian dairy farmers benefit from government subsidies, saying they “earn their income entirely from the marketplace.”

Consumers in countries such as the U.S. and EU nations, on the other hand, “pay twice for their dairy products — once at the store and one more time through their taxes” in dairy subsidies, he said.

The DFC, on its new site, also states that supply management “hasn’t stood in the way of Canada’s ability to successfully negotiate trade agreements.”

The group cited the North American Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. and Mexico, plus

DFC’s new website wants to bust what it says are myths about supply management.

various bilateral trade pacts finalized with overseas customers since 1986.

Supply management also “d o e s n o t c l o s e d o o r s t o imports,” the DFC said, adding that the EU, with “heavily subsidized” dairy products, exports to Canada 10 times what it imports, though the bloc has over 500 million consumers.

The DFC said its site aims to counter “misinformed myths” about Canada’s dairy system, “which has delivered Canadians a reliable supply of top-quality dairy products for 40 years.”

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40

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

Permanent cougar population expected someday in Manitoba There are breeding populations in South and North Dakota

By Allan Dawson co-operator staff

B

ill Watkins, a zoologist with Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship, gets the calls every year. Has the Manitoba government reintroduced cougars to control the deer population?

The answer is no, but Watkins says it’s probably only a matter of time before these solitary, animals re-establish themselves in the province.

“I suspect it’s a simple case of more reports of sightings in an area and people wonder how these animals came to be there and they start conspiracy theories rather than the simple fact that the population in North Dakota is expanding and we’re probably getting some dispersing juveniles crossing the border into Manitoba,” he said in an interview.

“Given how widely they travel how would we ever keep them in one place?”

The only animals reintroduced by the province have been birds, including the burrowing owl, Watkins said.

H o w e v e r, c o u g a r s , t h e second-heaviest cats in the Western Hemisphere, according to Wikipedia, were native to Manitoba before European settlement. With confirmed sightings so rare — only three dead cougars have been turned into Conservation since 2004 — Watkins believes those spotted are just passing through.

South Dakota has an estimated 200 cougars and there’s a breeding population in North Dakota too. It’s likely the odd North

“I think we are on the edge of establishing a population (here). It’s just a question of time when a young male meets a young female and nature takes its course.”

Bill Watkins

Dakota-born cougar crosses into Manitoba following river valleys such as the Souris and Pembina, Watkins said.

“I think we are on the edge of establishing a population (here),” he added. “It’s just a question of time when a young male meets a young female and nature takes its course.”

Cougars, which are protected in Manitoba, have the greatest range of any large wild land mammal in the Western Hemisphere, according to Wikipedia, extending from the Yukon to the southern Andes of South America.

Even if cougars become a permanent part of the Manitoba environment, there will be very few spread over many acres, Watkins said.

Mistaken identity

“Although large, the cougar is most closely related to smaller felines and is closer genetically to the domestic cat than to true lions,” according to Wikipedia.

Perhaps that explains why sometimes cougar sightings turn out to be, Felis catus — the common house cat. That was the case last year in Altona where a school was locked down when a cat was mistaken for a cougar.

The sightings triggered “cougar panic.” The local police department received so many calls it asked Watkins to speak publicly about cougars. More than 100 people showed up.

“People need to become reacquainted with nature so they don’t mistake a house cat for a cougar or a raccoon,” he said.

Watkins hears about 30 to 60 cougar sightings a year.

About 90 per cent aren’t cougars. Sometimes they’re cats, dogs, raccoons, or in one case, a whitetail deer. But Watkins still wants people to call Conservation if they think they’ve seen a cougar.

It’s the only way to get data on the stealthy cat.

Four years ago there were confirmed sightings at Plum Coulee and Lee River. If you do see a cougar, count yourself lucky. “I’d be envious because I’ve never seen one in Manitoba,” Watkins said.

Most sightings are over in seconds but if your paths cross for longer don’t panic.

“Move away from the animal slowly but don’t take your eyes off it,” Watkins said. “They are ambush hunters and if they know you are watching them they tend not to attack. Don’t

Contrary to occasional rumours, the province has not introduced cougars to reduce the deer population.

run. That’s what prey does. If you run it might elicit a chase response.”

Stand tall, look big and throw a branch or rock at the animal. If it does attack fight as hard as you can.

“Cougars, again being ambush hunters, tend to break off an attack if there’s rigourous resistance,” Watkins said. “And the reason for that is if they’re injured they starve to death. They want a quick and easy kill, they don’t want a fight.”

A 78-year-old woman in California, armed with just a ballpoint pen from her purse, drove off a cougar attacking her 82-year-old husband. There are about two cougar attacks in North America every three years.

You’re more likely to be killed by man’s best friend.

“In the United States there were 34 people killed by pet dogs in 2010 and there were 4.7 million people who were bitten by dogs,” he said. Livestock killings are rare too. Wolves, coyotes and black bears take more farm animals than cougars.

“We’ve never had an attack on a human by a cougar in Manitoba,” Watkins said. “All the places where attacks have occurred have very high cougar populations and where people are pressing into the back country. The likelihood of encountering a cougar in Manitoba is extremely rare.

We know with only four dead cougars turned in, in 39 years, that doesn’t suggest a very large population.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

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EU grains vulnerable with no protective snow Bitterly cold weather in Europe is raising concerns over damage to European Union grain plantings, but crops could still come through the cold snap unscathed, analysts said.

The problem is that snow is scarce in west Europe’s Grain Belts.

In France, a mild winter has soft wheat crops about

two to three weeks ahead of normal. In the Beauce Grain Belt and the western coast, two of the country’s three largest durum-producing regions, there is little or no snow cover.

It’s the same in Germany, where recent lows have hit the -20 C mark. In Italy, snow has fallen in the northern and central regions, easing concerns about possible dryness in spring. A lack of moisture is the main concern in Spain while snow cover is believed to be thin in Poland, Romania and Baltic States.

41

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

Five-year decline in U.S. cattle herd may be ending Tight supplies, higher cattle prices fuel optimism at cattlemen’s annual meeting

By Theopolis Waters NASHVILLE/REUTERS

G

arrett Dwyer, a former U.S. marine and veteran of tours of duty in Iraq and Japan, is on a mission that could test his mettle as much as the warfare he has seen — to rebuild his family’s ranch in Nebraska.

The 25-year-old has found it a “culture shock” to be back in the ranks of civilian life but enjoys being his own boss at the 5,200acre spread near Valentine.

“I really want to return our ranch to the way it used to be and see my cows on my land,” said Dwyer.

“I’d like to be the fifth generation to take over the family ranch, which means a lot for me,” he said, adding that he bought 10 heifers this year to add to the 15 he has retained.

Eight years ago, when he enlisted with the military, his ranch had 350 head of cattle.

No surprise in grain stocks report REUTERS / Canada’s supplies of canola were slightly tighter on Dec. 31 than a year earlier, but all-wheat supplies grew modestly, Statistics Canada has reported.

The calendar yearend stocks report is an indicator of how accurate StatsCan’s final production estimates were for the most recent harvest, along with how robust demand was late in the year.

The latest figures for wheat, canola and oats fell within the range of expectations.

“It’s amazing how everything is very close to year-ago levels,” said Ken Ball, futures and options broker at Union Securities in Winnipeg.

The trade was most interested in canola levels, with both domestic crushing and exports running ahead of last year’s pace. But cold, harsh weather in Europe and dryness in South America are more significant market influences right now, Ball said.

Canola stocks totalled 9.29 million tonnes, down 1.5 per cent from 9.43 million tonnes a year earlier. All-wheat stocks edged up 0.6 per cent to 20.96 million tonnes while oat supplies amounted to 2.03 million tonnes, down 14.5 per cent from last year.

Dwyer’s purchase of the heifers this year might seem insignificant at first glance, but it and similar efforts by other ranchers are laying the foundation to reverse five straight years of a shrinking U.S. cattle herd — which is now the smallest in 60 years.

One of the worst droughts in top cattle state Texas since the dust bowl in the 1930s has forced ranchers to either cull their cattle due to a lack of pasture or send them to feedyards to be fattened on corn months before they are usually ready.

The decline has also been accelerated by feed cost rising to a record high last year and the scramble for farmland to capitalize on surging prices for grains like corn.

Retained heifers

The “green shoots” of a possible rebuilding of the U.S. cattle herd were reflected in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s

biannual inventory report that showed a surprise 1.4 per cent increase in the number of heifers being retained to replace beef cows.

Jeff Stolle with Nebraska Cattlemen, a state beef promotion group based in Lincoln, Nebraska, said the current economic environment is influencing ranchers’ decision to retain heifers.

“The thought is, which has to be proven over time, that at some point the drought in Texas and Oklahoma will likely mitigate and there will likely be a demand for cattle to restock the grazing lands in that part of the world that were driven north,” said Stolle.

For 59-year-old Bill Donald times are good and the future optimistic at the Cayuse L i ve s t o c k Co m p a n y ra n c h in south-central Montana.

Donald and his family run the 25,000-acre, 5,000-head cowcalf operation that celebrated

its bicentennial a couple of years ago.

“We’ve (Cayuse) been retaining heifers for the last couple of years, sold a lot of bred heifers last year for a nice profit and hopefully it will pay back by putting more cows in the system,” he said here at the gathering of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association — of which he is president.

“Taking advantage of an opportunity, we could see that the cow herd was going to be rebuilt in our area. If they had not had a drought in southcentral Texas, we certainly would have seen even higher prices for those bred stock,” said Donald.

In the short term keeping more heifers for breeding could hurt consumers, who are already paying record-high prices for beef, as it will reduce beef production.

Analysts said any herd expansion would tighten supplies

“I really want to return our ranch to the way it used to be and see my cows on my land.”

GARRETT DWYER

even further, but there will be more beef cattle available just over two years down the road.

“As we jump down, we’re taking heifers and not putting them into the feedlots or beef supply chain, we’re putting them in the cow herd supply chain which constricts the supply of feeder cattle in the feedlots even more,” said Donald.

“The hope is that in the next few years we’ll have enough to fill those feedlots again,” he said.

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42

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

news

India eyes exports after record wheat crop

$1.1 million in funds for confection sunflowers

new delhi / reuters / India is expected to produce a record 88.31 million tonnes of wheat in 2012, raising hopes the world’s second-biggest producer will allow additional exports to trim bulging reserves.

“Temperatures have been ideal for wheat. Rains in January were very useful and we don’t expect any problem of terminal heat in the days to come,” said farm secretary Prabeer Kumar Basu.

The bumper stocks could help India, which consumes 76 million tonnes annually, firm up a proposal to export wheat to Iran to partially settle its oil imports bill. The country is also expected to harvest a record crop of rice and cotton.

EU sanctions against Iran affect grain trade kiev / reuters / Traders are no longer booking cargoes on Iranian ships to transport grain from Ukraine because of difficulties with payments following European Union sanctions on Iran.

“Traders cannot book Iranian vessels because banks refuse to transfer money to Iranian companies due to the embargo,” said one Ukrainian trader.

The EU imposed sanctions because of Iran’s nuclear program.

Around 400,000 tonnes of grain, largely from Ukraine and Russia, is held up on about 10 ships stranded outside Iranian ports because of payment problems and trade disruption caused by the sanctions.

Parliamentary Secretary Pierre Lemieux (l) with National Sunflower Association of Canada president Kelly Dobson. On Jan. 27 Lemieux announced $1.1 million in funding under the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP) for NSAC to develop and market new confection seed varieties. Supplied photo

Farm succession connections Solid succession planning for the family business may benefit those who inherit the earth, as well as those who inherit the farm

By Shannon VanRaes co-operator staff

G

ood farm succession planning and environmental stewardship may not seem joined at the hip, but Jeremy Funk of the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba is examining a possible connection.

The fifth-year PhD student is in the process of surveying farmers about their succession plans in an effort to explore the relationship between the two.

“Some of my initial hypotheses are showing or proposing a positive relationship between family farms that are doing well with succession, and how well they’re dealing with the pressures of environmentally sustainable farming practices, because they have more of a long-term succession and business perspective,” he said.

Jeremy Funk, a PhD student at the Asper School of Business, talks to producers about farm succession planning during KAP’s annual general meeting in Winnipeg as part of his dissertation research. Photo: Shannon VanRaes

Funk hopes to survey several hundred producers in the coming months, and has been working with Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), the Manitoba Pork Council and other organizations to

Attention Canadian$!

We Need Your Help to Save The Canadian Wheat Board and Protect Canadian Democracy What Can You Do? You can make a generous donation to the Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board (FCWB) to help us save the CWB. Not only will farmers lose the additional revenue from single-desk marketing, but they will also have their assets expropriated by the federal government without any compensation—the $200 million Contingency Fund, 3000 hopper cars, the Winnipeg head office building and the CWB’s down payment on two lakers. Your donations will support our court challenges. Working together as farmers and urbanites we can save the CWB and preserve the democratic rights of all Canadians.

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Send a cheque payable to the Friends of the CWB, Box 41, Brookdale, MB R0K 0G0 or donate on line at www.friendsofcwb.ca or via credit card by phoning (204) 354-2254. Give us your contact information so we can keep you up-dated.

Farmers Please Note * With a generous donation you will be invited to sign on to a Class Action Suit should one be launched by the Friends of the CWB. “Canadians should understand that at stake here is not just a technical point of law, but the integrity of parliamentary government.” Peter Russell—Professor emeritus of political science at the University of Toronto, Dec. 30, 2011

connect with producers across the province.

Although his research interests are in the area of small and medium-size family business structures, and the impact of corporate social

responsibility, Funk said family farms are a “classic” example of this.

“I’m not from a farm background, but I do have a rural background, and family business background, so this is an area that really interests me,” Funk said.

To get in touch with farmers, he attended the annual KAP meeting in late January, pitching his research project to farmers with positive results. Funk was kept busy all day with producers wanting to speak to him about success issues and fill out a survey.

One of those who took the time to fill out a questionnaire was Leonard Esau, who has a farrow-to-finish hog operation near Steinbach.

“This is something I’m looking at, because I have a son who wants to get into farming, and we’re looking at flipping it over

to him, or having him join me,” he said.

To help with that process, he has sought advice from accountants, friends and others, but said having more information on the issue is never a bad thing.

Esau noted current issues surrounding the hog industry in Manitoba will also affect his succession decisions.

“I’m not going to bring my son into something that’s not viable, so that’s what is holding us back,” he said.

Funk hopes results of his research may eventually have practical applications for producers like Esau.

“I think it can be helpful to the industry in terms of understanding better how they can face these challenges of succession and environmental regulation,” he said. shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

Snakes compete for rooftops in Australia Forecasters predict flooding will continue for days or even weeks in some areas sydney/reuters/ Thousands of Australians were cut off by flood waters Feb. 4 as heavy rain broke riverbanks across the vast eastern outback and some families battled with deadly snakes for rooftops, rescuers said.

More than 11,000 people in Queensland state alone have been isolated a year after flash floods across Queensland and New South Wales killed around 35 people, swamped 30,000 houses and wiped out crops, roads, bridges and railway lines.

Rescue workers said river levels in some areas were again hitting levels not seen for half a century, taking a heavy toll on cotton, sugar cane, soybean and corn crops.

Flood warnings were current for dozens of rivers in New South Wales and Queensland, with some reaching flood lev-

els of above 13 metres, weather forecasters said.

A u s t r a l i a’s B u r e a u o f Meteorology has predicted flooding will continue for days — or even weeks in some areas.

In the worst-affected region, the north of New South Wales, the town of Moree had been cut off, rescue workers said.

Rooftop rescues and air drops by helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft have been underway, with residents sometimes fighting for space with snakes also trying to get to higher ground.

“The worst-affected areas for us are around Moree, where we have around 10,000 people who are isolated,” Phil Campbell, a spokesman for the State Emergency Service, told Reuters.

More than 2,000 people had been evacuated around the

state with more than 16,000 cut off, he said.

Government officials have issued a string of evacuation warnings in the last few days.

Hundreds of properties would be unsafe to return to immediately even once waters receded, Campbell said.

“We were told there were quite a lot of snakes trying to get up on the roofs to get to higher ground,” Campbell said.

Government agencies have set up makeshift shelters in both states for evacuees. In Queensland, the towns of Roma and Charleville have been badly hit, with St. George expected to see a major river rise soon.

Authorities were carefully watching levees set up around some communities to hold back flood waters.

On the northeastern coast, up to 180 mm more rain fell overnight around Townsville.

43

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

LIVESTOCK AUCTION RESULTS Weight Category

Feeder Steers

Ashern

Feb-01

Gladstone

Jan-31

Grunthal

Jan-31

Heartland

Heartland

Brandon

Virden

Jan-31

Feb-01

Killarney

Ste. Rose

Taylor

Winnipeg

Jan-30

Feb-02

Feb-02

Feb-03

No. on offer

1,829

1,063

975

922

1,549

484

1,637

1,200

n/a

Over 1,000 lbs.

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

900-1,000

n/a

106.00-126.50

n/a

120.00-139.75

129.00-139.00

n/a

120.00-129.50

110.00-135.00

n/a

800-900

129.00-140.00

114.00-139.00

130.00-142.00

130.00-148.00

135.00-145.00

130.00-142.00

120.00-144.00

125.00-140.00

n/a

700-800

120.00-155.00

128.00-149.50

138.00-150.50

145.00-155.50

143.00-156.00

138.00-152.00

140.00-153.00

140.00-155.00

n/a

600-700

140.00-175.00

130.00-171.00

145.00-167.00

155.00-173.00

151.00-169.00

150.00-170.50

155.00-166.00

155.00-170.00

n/a

500-600

160.00-190.00

135.00-194.00

160.00-190.00

170.00-190.00

165.00-188.00

165.00-197.50

170.00-193.00

170.00-185.00

n/a

400-500

170.00-191.00

140.00-201.00

180.00-200.00

180.00-205.00

175.00-199.00

185.00-214.00

175.00-203.00

185.00-210.00

n/a

300-400

n/a

155.00-218.00

180.00-220.00

185.00-211.00

185.00-220.00

195.00-224.00

170.00-208.00

200.00-228.00

n/a

Feeder heifers 900-1,000 lbs.

n/a

95.00-117.50

n/a

115.00-122.50

115.00-126.00

115.00-121.00

n/a

110.00-125.00

n/a

800-900

108.00-133.00

117.00-126.25

118.00-126.00

120.00-141.50

120.00-128.00

122.00-134.00

120.00-131.00

120.00-135.00

n/a

700-800

113.00-140.00

117.00-142.50

124.00-136.75

128.00-143.00

128.00-141.00

125.00-145.00

125.00-144.00

135.00-145.00

n/a

600-700

135.00-150.50

127.00-150.50

134.00-152.00

135.00-154.00

134.00-150.00

135.00-152.00

135.00-153.00

145.00-155.00

n/a

500-600

130.00-170.00

126.00-166.00

145.00-175.00

140.00-169.00

149.00-169.00

145.00-170.00

150.00-169.00

155.00-165.00

n/a

400-500

150.00-179.00

140.00-190.00

165.00-181.00

145.00-176.00

158.00-178.00

160.00-179.00

160.00-177.00

160.00-180.00

n/a

300-400

n/a

149.00-188.00

170.00-195.00

155.00-186.00

160.00-188.00

165.00-188.00

150.00-186.00

170.00-185.00

n/a

Slaughter Market No. on offer

200

n/a

73

n/a

n/a

n/a

141

182

n/a

D1-D2 Cows

62.00-70.00

n/a

n/a

62.00-73.00

62.00-68.00

57.00-63.00

61.00-68.00

65.00-75.00

n/a

D3-D5 Cows

55.00+

n/a

n/a

52.00-61.00

52.00-62.00

48.00-55.00

52.00-60.00

55.00-65.00

n/a

Age Verified

68.00-78.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

64.00-71.50

60.00-67.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

Good Bulls

80.00-90.00

70.00-76.00

76.00-83.00

78.00-82.50

76.00-81.50

72.00-76.00

80.00-88.00

77.00-82.00

n/a

Butcher Steers

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

104.00-108.50

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Butcher Heifers

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

103.00-107.50

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Feeder Cows

n/a

40.00-68.50

60.00-65.00

n/a

65.00-80.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Fleshy Export Cows

n/a

n/a

58.00-63.25

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Lean Export Cows

n/a

n/a

52.00-55.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Heiferettes

80.00-103.00

* includes slaughter market

(Note all prices in CDN$ per cwt. These prices also generally represent the top one-third of sales reported by the auction yard)

YOUR BUSINESS GOES BACK GENERATIONS. SO DOES OURS. OK Tire has been part of the farming community since 1953. We carry a wide range of tires for all kinds of farming applications, and the best part is we service every tire we sell. With over 280 locations across the country, you’re never far from expert advice and fast service.

For the latest specials on farm tires, stop into your local OK Tire or visit oktire.com

AT PARTICIPATING STORES.

® Aeroplan is a registered trademark of Aeroplan Canada Inc. ™ The OK Tire mark is a trademark of O.K. Tire Stores Inc. ® Firestone is a registered trademark of Bridgestone Licensing Services Inc., used under license.

44

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 9, 2012

JOB I 4457-

DATE FEB 0

CLIENT: SYNGENTA CANA

PROJECT: AXIAL BRAND AD

PUBLICATION: MANITOBA COOP DESIGNER: PL [

] MECHANICA

FINAL SIZE: 10.2 UCR: 240% CLIENT SERVICE PROOFREADING ART DIRECTION PRODUCTION

Confidence is doing it right,

from the start.

Confidence is Axial. Let your pride show. Apply Axial for its superior control of the toughest ®

grass weeds in spring wheat and barley. Axial delivers confidence by the bushel. For more information, please contact our Customer Resource Centre at 1-87-SYNGENTA (1-877-964-3682 ) or visit SyngentaFarm.ca

Always read and follow label directions. Axial®, the Alliance Frame, the Purpose Icon and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. © 2012 Syngenta Canada Inc.

4287-B SYNGENTA Axial Ad.indd 1

12-01-19 6:20 PM