Ontario Beef - August 2023

CORP CREEK FARM

Bill and Jill Corp and Family OMEMEE, ON 705-799-4788 (Bill’s Cell) 705-772-9345 (Jill’s Cell)

corpcreekfarm@hotmail.com

Registered Breeding Stock

HIDDEN-VIEW POLLED HEREFORDS

Joe and Karen Paszternak NORWOOD, ON 705-9573739 or 705-957-7470

karen.paszternak@gmail.com

Cows and heifers for sale

JDL CATTLE CO. & D&S LIVESTOCK

David, Shirley, Josh & Jessica Lasby Justin, Jaimie Lasby & Family MULMUR, ON 519-943-4147 or 519-278-6819

jessica.lasby@hotmail.com

Good-looking, Sound, Functional Cattle! LIAN MOR POLLED HEREFORD

Wallace & Fern Pugh & Trevor & Amy Pugh MONO, ON

Wally & Fern lianmor@sympatico.ca · 519-941-8515

Trevor & Amy tpugh27@yahoo.com · 519-939-7489

Breeding Stock Available

O’SHEA FARMS

Jamie and Mel O’Shea DENFIELD, ON 519-477-1238

osheafarms@hotmail.com

Bulls and Females for sale

WHISKEY LANE LIVESTOCK

Herford and Angus

Scott, Paula, Jason and Shelby Cornish INDIAN RIVER, ON 705-295-2925

705-878-3248 (Scott’s Cell)

705-341-3220 (Paula’s Cell) wll@nexicom.net

Visitors Always Welcome

Dr. Lois Batty, President – 705-328-4302 www.ontarioherefords.ca

BEEF ONTARIO

August/September 2023 Volume 64, Number 3 COMPLIMENTARY MEMBER-SUPPORTED PUBLICATION

BFO together with the Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association were pleased to host another Feedlot Management School in June in Waterloo and Wellington Counties. This issue of Ontario Beef highlights the educational event, which welcomed 70 participants and sponsors for farm tours and an interactive session at the University of Guelph meat lab. In this issue, you will also find a summary of the Ontario Beef Youth Alliance Summer Tour, as well as a tour hosted for the Ontario Legislative Internship Programme. Don’t miss out on submitting your photos for our October/ November issue. Please send your autumn-inspired photos by September 15 to be considered for the cover. Digital photos in portrait orientation that are at least 300dpi are preferred, and can be emailed to info@ontariobeef.com.

ONTARIO BEEF • Beef Farmers of Ontario

130 Malcolm Road, Guelph, ON N1K 1B1 • Phone: 519-824-0334 • Toll Free (for Ontario callers only) 1-866-370-BEEF (2333)

Fax: 519-824-9101 • info@ontariobeef.com

EDITOR

LeaAnne Wurmli

CIRCULATION COORDINATOR

Vacant

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Cathy Lasby, Preferred Agri-Marketing Services

Guelph, ON

Phone: 519-763-8833 • Fax: 519-763-8833 pams@sentex.net

DESIGN and LAYOUT

Prism Studios Advertising and Design Inc.

Guelph, ON

PRODUCTION and PRINTING

Beck’s Printing Services, Brantford, ON

PROVIDING A FORUM FOR THE ONTARIO BEEF INDUSTRY

Ontario Beef is the official publication of the Beef Farmers of Ontario. Contents of this publication may be reproduced only by permission of the Editor and with credit acknowledged. Opinions expressed herein are those of the author and/or editor and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Beef Farmers of Ontario. Publication of advertisements does not constitute endorsement or approval by Ontario Beef or the Beef Farmers of Ontario of products or services advertised.

Advertising deadlines are January 10, April 15, July 15, September 15 and November 15. The publisher reserves the right to refuse or cancel any advertising, including advertising that is inconsistent with BFO’s Sponsorship Policy, available at www.ontariobeef.com. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of material published, however no responsibility can be assumed for advertising not received in clear, type-written form.

Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement Number 0040007029

POSTMASTER: Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:

Beef Farmers of Ontario, 130 Malcolm Road, Guelph, ON N1K 1B1

AHEAD OF THE HEARD

By Jack Chaffe, BFO President info@ontariobeef.com • www.ontariobeef.com

There’s No Better Season Than Barbecue Season

We’vebeen experiencing some cooler nights in recent days, which means that fall and harvest is on its way. On our farm, we just wrapped up wheat harvest with one of the best crops of soft red we’ve ever grown with the yield averaging 14 per cent higher than our historic farm average. Hopefully this signals a healthy bean and corn harvest this fall.

Picking up from my last column, May and June proved to be busy months both at BFO and in my new role with the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) as officer. In June, I participated in the Canada Beef Grading Agency annual meeting representing CCA, and the following month I travelled to Alberta for a grading session, which invited regional graders from across the country to discuss consistency in meat grading in Canada. As co-chair of CCA’s Foreign Trade Committee, I delivered a testimony in front of the International Trade Committee in Ottawa on non-tariff trade barrier issues where I highlighted our UK and CPTPP trade concerns (more on this topic can be found on page 28). In addition to these meetings and appearances, I’ve participated in a number of other national meetings with CCA, the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and Canada Beef.

Wearing my BFO hat, I attended the Ontario Livestock Dealers’ Association banquet and AGM in June where I received some good feedback on the work of BFO and CCA, especially regarding the proposed traceability regulations. As a reminder, you can review our comments on the proposed regulations on our website under the Policy and Issues tab. We also continue to meet with our partners

BFO BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2023

Jack Chaffe (Feedlot Director) - President

Phone: 519-301-3034 • Email: jdchaffe@quadro.net

Craig McLaughlin (Eastern Director) - Vice President

Phone: 613-504-1863 Email: cmblackhorse@gmail.com

Don Badour (Cow-Calf Director)

Email: don.badour@ripnet.com

Don Hargrave (Cow-Calf Director)

Email: dchargrave@gmail.com

Jason Leblond (Cow-Calf Director)

Email: jsacres5@gmail.com

Joost van der Heiden (Background Director)

Email: jcvdheiden@hotmail.com

Joe Dickenson (Feedlot Director)

Email: joe@dickensonfarms.com

Jairus Maus (Feedlot Director)

Email: ellengowanfarms@gmail.com

Jordan Miller (Northern Director)

Email: b.jordan.miller@gmail.com

Ron Stevenson (Southern Director)

Email: ron@metzgervet.com

Jason Reid (Director-At-Large)

Email: reidridgefarm@tbaytel.net

Kim Jo Bliss (Director-At-Large)

Email: kimjobliss@gmail.com

in the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition and Minister Thompson to find a way to get the ball across the goal line regarding our ongoing request for an increased investment of $100 million for our Risk Management Program.

Another issue we’ve been dealing with provincially is the Government of Ontario’s proposed Provincial Planning Statement and changes to current land use policies to help address the housing crisis in Ontario. For several years, one of our top priorities has been the protection of agriculture and marginal lands as a way to maintain the province’s beef herd. We’ve been an active voice in these discussions with Minister Clark, Minister Thompson, MPPs and our fellow agriculture commodity groups and general farm organizations. In late May, I had the opportunity to meet with Premier Ford and Minister Thompson on the topic to share our concerns specifically with the change in residential lot creation on agricultural lands, and the impact of the proposed changes on livestock operations and potential challenges with minimum distance separation. We were pleased the government listened to our concerns and extended the consultation process.

In late July, we invited our advisory councillors and committee members to the Oakwood Resort in Grand Bend for our annual summer meeting. Throughout the two-day event, we provided an update on our policy and advocacy files, our producer engagement work, and had three separate presentations on the history of the Toronto Stockyards, Processor Links and the proposed traceability

BFO STAFF

Executive Director

Richard Horne • richard@ontariobeef.com

Manager of Policy and Issues

Thomas Brandstetter • thomas@ontariobeef.com

Policy Advisor

Darby Wheeler • darby@ontariobeef.com

Policy Advisor

Evan Chaffe • evan@ontariobeef.com

Director of Communications

LeaAnne Wurmli • leaanne@ontariobeef.com

Manager of Public Engagement and Digital Strategy

Jennifer Kyle • jennifer@ontariobeef.com

Market Information Coordinator

Jamie Gamble • markets@ontariobeef.com

Engagement Coordinator (Summer Position)

Sloane Murray • sloane@ontariobeef.com

Accountant

Amber Arand • amber@ontariobeef.com

Office Manager Vacant

Manager of Producer Relations

Dan Ferguson • dan@ontariobeef.com

Senior Producer Relations Specialist

Jaclyn Horenberg • jaclyn@ontariobeef.com

Producer Relations Specialist

Robert McKinlay • robert@ontariobeef.com

Check-Off Inspector

Chris Millar • chrism@ontariobeef.com

Provincial Supervisor, Ontario Feeder Cattle and Beef Breeder Co-op Programs

Cheryl Russwurm • crfeederfin@wightman.ca

regulations. In addition to the business portion of the meeting, we hopped on a couple of school buses and headed to the Williamson family’s cow-calf operation and on-farm store followed by a stop with the Bielak family near Lucan (pictured above). I would like to sincerely thank both families for their hospitality and generosity in opening up their farms for our group.

Lastly, there’s no better season than barbecue season. Summer would not be complete without community barbecues hosted by our local associations. Diane and I have enjoyed a few outstanding beef dinners throughout the summer in Grey, Huron and Bruce Counties. It’s nice to see the return of these events post-pandemic as a way to

connect with the community and showcase Ontario beef. At BFO, we are gearing up for a late-season barbecue at Queen’s Park this fall. This popular event has become a yearly tradition for MPPs and their staff, and provides us with an opportunity to meet one-on-one with a number of MPPs to talk about the issues facing our sector. This year, we will be keen to talk about the RMP program, the PAWS Act and land use policies. I look forward to providing an update on the day in our next issue.

Wishing you all a safe and prosperous harvest, and continued strong stocker prices for our cow-calf sector this fall. OB

THE BEEF BEAT

By Evan Chaffe, BFO Policy Advisor evan@ontariobeef.com • www.ontariobeef.com

Advance Payments Program

Overthe past year, we have watched cattle prices soar alongside interest rate hike after interest rate hike. Heading into the fall, we could see record-high feeder cattle bought with interest rates we’ve not seen in a long time, causing the pocket book to tighten. Since January 2021, we have witnessed the Canadian overnight interest rate move from 0.25 per cent to 5 per cent, pushing the prime rate to 7.2 per cent, severely cutting into the feeder’s bottom line. However, the backgrounder and feedlot sectors will not be the only ones to feel the crunch of these interest rates hikes as cow-calf producers look to either retain heifers or buy in replacement heifers. With these interest rate hikes, the yearly carryover cost will significantly increase, and the cow-calf sector will need higher prices for their calves to make their bottom-line pencil out. That being said, one government program that helps alleviate the cost burden associated with interest is the Advanced Payments Program (APP) offered by the federal government.

The beef sector has always recognized the importance of the APP program, and BFO has seen various resolutions passed regarding the importance of the program and the need to increase the interest-free portion of the program. Before 2020, the APP program had an interest-free portion of $100,000 and a maximum advanced limit of $1,000,000. As announced in this year’s federal budget, the interest-free portion of the

APP program has been increased to $350,000. If a producer fully utilizes the interest-free portion for the entire year, it could save them up to $25,200 annually. The maximum advance allowed has not changed and still sits at $1,000,000 and is calculated based on up to 50 per cent of the anticipated market value of the eligible agricultural products you will produce or have in storage.

BFO has remained consistent in its messaging when meeting with elected officials that this program works for Ontario beef farmers, and the usage data over the past two years showcases that exceptionally. Over the past two years, Ontario saw the number of beef farmers in Ontario using APP increase by 129, which is a 28.23 per cent increase bringing the total number of beef farmers in the province using APP to 586. During the same period, we saw the value advanced increase $46,660,814.55 or 107.64 per cent year-over-year, bringing the total value to $90,008,498.30.

Various agricultural organizations carry out the administration of APP, and farmers can apply for the program through their chosen administrator. For beef cattle in Ontario, you can utilize APP through the Ontario Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program if your operation utilizes feeder finance. The Agricultural Credit Corporation also administers the program in Ontario.

Even though we were encouraged to hear about the increase to the interest-free portion of the program, BFO continues to advocate for the increase to become permanent as the increase to the interest-free portion is only temporary and needs to be renewed each year, or it risks falling back to the $100,000 level. Our messaging continues to convey that a permanent increase to the interest-free portion of the APP would provide stability and confidence for farmers, allowing them to navigate market volatility, explore innovative practices, and adapt to changing consumer demands. It would also provide stability in both business strategy development and financial planning as farmers could rely on the interest-free portion remaining at $350,000 and not expose themselves to the risk of the program reverting back to $100,000.

APP is a critical program in the current suite of government business risk management programs by allowing farmers to cut down on their interest expense, but also maintain cash flow through periods of the year when they are not selling their inventory. As a result, it will remain a high federal priority for us to lobby on behalf of our members for the interest-free portion to remain at $350,000.

More information about the APP program can be found by visiting agriculture.canada.ca/ en/programs/advance-payments, or if you would like more information on how the Ontario Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program and APP work together, please contact Cheryl Russwurm by email at crfeederfin@wightman.ca. If you would like speaking points regarding this issue to discuss with your local MP, please contact Thomas Brandstetter or myself at the BFO Office. OB

The Angus Advantage

Ontario farmers know Angus cattle are low-maintenance, adaptable, resistant to harsh weather, undemanding, good natured, mature early and have a high carcass yield with marbled meat. Canadian Angus cattle work well in both purebred and commercial operations. Their docile nature makes them unrivaled leaders in the beef industry.

Loval Farms

Scott & Sandra Honey 127 Honey Road, Warkworth, ON K0K 3K0 705-924-3809 | lovalfarms@gmail.com

Harprey Farms

Allan Hargrave/Don Hargrave 307483 Centre Line A Proton Station, ON N0C 1L0 Allan 519-375-5541 | Don 519-375-1500 harprey@gmail.com

Maple Line Farm

Ian & Tim Rudkin 3320 Bradburn Road, Blackstock, On L0B 1B0 Ian 905-718-5331 | Tim 905-213-6518 maplelinefarm@hotmail.com

Meadow Bridge Angus JJ Deslippe 922580 Rd 92 RR # 4, St Mary’s, ON N4X 1C7 519-275-1739 | deslippe@quadro.net

Rob Roy Angus

Don & Betty McNalty 634514 Road 63 RR#2 Singhampton, ON N0C 1M0 705-446-4740 | robroyangus@gmail.com

SCOMAC Livestock

Scott & Elizabeth MacDonald 4169 Highway # 6 Hagersville, ON N0A 1H0 Scott 519-820-1272 | Elizabeth 226-971-0015 scomaclivestock@gmail.com

Silver Springs Farm

James, Joan and Robert McKinlay 609027 12th Sideroad RR#1 Ravenna, ON N0H 2E0 519-599-6236 | jmckinlay@bmts.com

Tullamore Farms

Bill & Sylvia Jackson 260 Regional RD 39 Zephyr, ON L0E 1T0 Home 905-843-1236 | Cell 647-990-2697 tullamore.angus@gmail.com

Whiskey Lane Livestock

Scott, Paula, Jason & Shelby Cornish 2295 Hwy 7, Indian River, ON K0L 2B0 705-341-3220 | wll@nexicom.net

Windcroft Farms

Darcy & Courtney McMorris 573333 Boot Jack Ranch Road Priceville, ON N0C 1K0 226-203-4506 | windcroftfarms@gmail.com

Worth-Mor Cattle

Kyle, Rachel, Jordyn and Mason Petherick 950 County Rd 8 Campbellford, ON K0L 1L0 705-768-3560 | worth-mor@hotmail.com

CONNECTING WITH CONSUMERS Raising

the Steaks

By Jennifer Kyle, Manager of Public Engagement and Digital Strategy jennifer@ontariobeef.com • www.ontbeef.com

Thesecond quarter of the year picked up steam as our budget was approved and we got under way with our planned activities. Our big plans are now in motion, including podcast advertising, a re-boot of our influencer sustainability campaign, and a super-charged BBQ Battle, to name a few.

Ontario Beef BBQ Battle

Our battles began with the best of the burgers. Then we added fire. Last year, we grew to encompass killer kabobs. Now, we’re back with the greatest of grilling challenges. The Ontario Beef BBQ Battle has returned – and this time we’re taking it to the next level with the unrivaled taste of steak.

Just as there are many captivating cuts to choose from, there are countless ways to prepare your steak. To “Raise The Steaks”, we’ve challenged our seasoned steak lovers to make our mouths water by using an exciting and even unexpected method to cook their favourite Ontario beef steak – raised right here by local farmers on family farms.

Once again, Andrew Gunadie (aka “Gunnarolla”) is our host and this year, he traveled to visit each of our challengers to give us a behind the scenes peek at how our chefs rose to this tasty challenge.

As in previous years, we have a contest running in conjunction with the campaign in order to boost engagement. Visit the Ontario Beef website to take our “Steak Personality Quiz” to enter for your chance to win an Ontario Beef BBQ Battle prize pack! Oh, and tell your friends!

Breakfast on the Farm

On Father’s Day weekend, the team headed to Brussels for the first of Farm and Food Care Ontario’s Breakfast on the Farm events for this year. This one was especially important as it was hosted on a beef farm! A big thank you goes out to Tim Prior and his family for hosting the event that saw 1,100 people visit the farm for breakfast and to learn more about where their food comes from and how it is produced.

Podcast Advertising

Our summer wave of podcast ads hit the airways on June 1st and will run through to the end of August. As with last year, Alan Cross from the Ongoing History of New Music has worked with us to create the spots. The ads run on his show, in addition to a number of other shows on the Corus network of podcasts. We were also able to secure some digital display ads to complement the podcast ads, and those appear on the Corus website.

We are about halfway through the flight and the stats show we are tracking very well. As of June 10, 2023, our ads have generated 425K audio impressions between Alan’s show and the Corus network. We have generated more impressions on Alan’s show so far than at this point in the last wave of 2022. Interestingly, our ads’ best performance outside of the Ongoing History of New Music was on Crime Beat and Dark Poutine - beef fans are still true crime fans!

IFARM

A unique agricultural educational experience called IFARM that takes place every spring in Stratford, gave students from across Perth County a chance to meet and ask questions to the farmers who are growing and raising the food we eat. BFO Engagement Coordinator, Sloane, had the opportunity to represent Ontario Beef and attend the event with members of the Perth County Beef Producers.

Do You Sell Beef?

Team beef was very well-represented between BFO staff and the Huron County Beef Producers, as well as a contingent that came all the way from Lambton County to help. Thank you to everyone who helped to make the day a huge success!

As many of you know, our ontbeef.ca website includes a store locator feature. This is a Google Map-powered feature that allows visitors to plug in their address and pull up any butcher shop, store, farmers market or farmer selling Ontario beef products within the radius of their home. As our summer campaigns are running and we get closer to our fall “Local Flavour” campaign, we would really like to build the database of places where folks can purchase Ontario beef products. If you sell beef, whether it’s freezer beef, on-farm store, etc., you are more than welcome to be included on the locator map. Contact Jenn at the email above to be added to the listing. OB

September 23rd • 2:00pm

Hoards Station, Campbellford

Uppin’ The Ante Charolais Sale

October 13th • 7:00pm

Maple Hill Auction, Hanover

Fall Feature Female Sale

October 14th • 2:30pm

Hoards Station, Campbellford

October

Earlton

October 28th • 2:00pm

Dang Charolais, Colborne

Legislative Interns Experience Life on a Beef Farm

By Sloane Murray, BFO Engagement Coordinator

Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) was thrilled to be able to take members of the Ontario Legislature Internship Programme (OLIP) on farm to showcase the Ontario beef sector. OLIP is a non-partisan organization that provides a paid internship from September 1st through June 30th of each year. Ten interns are selected from a competitive applicant pool where they will serve as a team member to a backbench Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP). Half of their time is spent working with a government MPP and the other half is spent working with an opposition MPP.

BFO has been a proud supporter of this program for the last two years. We wanted to find a meaningful way to connect the group of interns to the beef sector to share its importance and relevance to Ontario’s economy and rural communities – what better way than a farm tour! Many of these interns come from urban centres and had little to no experience with agriculture or livestock. The interns were very enthusiastic about getting to see the countryside, learn more about why we do what we do and, for some, see a cow in person for the very first time!

The tour started at the Ontario Beef Research Centre in Elora, where master’s student Savannah welcomed us. The group was shown the lab spaces to see the state-of-the-art facilities housed within the research station. The spacious lab benches, fume hoods, and separate genomics lab were highlights that the interns learned are hard to find anywhere else. In the cow-calf barn, most pairs were on pasture, but Savannah gave us an overview of how the barn groups several cow-calf pairs together in large pens and has individual maternity and special needs pens. At the far end of the barn, we saw a climate control curtain that can be dropped during heat stress research or as needed to keep the animals healthy. Along the edge of many of the pens were Insentec Feeders, digital feed intake monitoring bins controlled by RFID ear tags. The interns were quite fascinated by how

these bins worked, allowing researchers to group cattle while feeding several different customized diets.

As we moved from the cow-calf barn to the feedlot barn, we stopped at the animal care and handling facility to showcase the hydraulic chute system and Temple Grandin-inspired curved chutes. Savannah explained that ensuring proper handling of the animals is paramount to protect their welfare and limit stress. From here, Savannah showed us the steers in the feedlot barn currently being used for two research programs. Her trial with Dr. Katie Wood is looking into using yeast to improve gut health and animal performance in feedlot cattle as a possible method of addressing liver abscesses and acidosis. The other steers are being used for a fetal programming trial run by Sarah Dean and Dr. Marcio Duarte, where pregnant cows are supplemented with different amounts of vitamin A to see if higher levels of vitamin A in their diet corresponds to higher marbling in the resulting calf once they reach market weight. The topic of greenhouse gas and methane emissions came up, allowing us to address some misconceptions and highlight the ongoing efforts of the beef sector to create sustainable production practices. I personally had a lot of fun at this stop on the tour getting to share my involvement and experiences as a current student at the University of Guelph involved with some of the research that is ongoing.

We wrapped up our time at the research centre with lunch and getting to know the interns better. They took the opportunity to engage and connect with Thomas, Evan, and Darby on some of the policy work BFO is doing and understanding how proposed bills would affect farmers at the grassroots level. We all enjoyed some good food and good conversation before hitting the road again.

Our next stop was a visit with the Craig family in Arthur, where Joan, Elgin, their son James, daughter-in-law Ashley, and granddaughter Grace welcomed us with open arms. To start, Joan and Elgin walked us through their family’s history and how they got where

The interns were quite intrigued with the technology and research being conducted at the Ontario Beef Research Centre in Elora.

James Craig spoke about carbon sequestration through grazing cattle and what their farm is doing to positively contribute to the environment around them.

they are today. As a fourth-generation farmer, Elgin had a lot of history to share with the interns! Importantly, he touched on how Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) impacted the beef sector in 2003, the personal impacts felt by his family and all producers, and the lasting impacts 20 years later. The Craigs got back into beef cattle in 2014 and now raise a herd of Speckle Park cattle using a regenerative rotational grazing approach on 100 one-acre paddocks alongside their hay production. They landed on Speckle Park largely due to their efficiency on forage, making the breed an ideal match for the regenerative pillars the Craigs have founded their farming practices on. Joan, Elgin, and James were incredibly insightful and engaging with the group, and gave a wonderful high-level overview of grazing management and preserving soil health, the intersection of beef cattle and environmental sustainability, and direct-to-consumer marketing.

Our final stop was at Steckle’s Produce and Flowers in Harriston, where Melvin and Joanna Steckle operate a greenhouse, farm store and feedlot. Joanna started by giving our group a brief history lesson about the Mennonite culture, their family history in the area, and how their store and feedlot got started. In the barn, the interns were curious about the different colours and logos on the ear tags of the cattle. Melvin sources most of his cattle from Saskatchewan but also has a small cow-calf herd and is part of his local feeder cattle co-op. As such, he has three unique ear tags to differentiate where the cattle came from and if they are part of the feeder cattle program. He highlighted that most of what his cattle are fed is grown

on farm, bringing in as little as possible. As we moved through the barn and around the back of the property, Melvin taught the interns about haylage and corn silage – what it is, how he makes it, and what it does for the cattle. He also touched on the crop side of his farm, specifically how strip-tilling has been implemented into their practices. To finish, the group spent time browsing the stellar selection in the greenhouse and farm store. We all left with some goodies, happy to have supported a local business.

BFO would like to thank everyone involved in making the first OLIP Farm Tour a huge success. We are incredibly grateful to the farm hosts for opening their doors and sharing their stories and management practices. It is no small task to make time during this season, and this event would not have been possible without their generosity, support, and knowledge. OB

The group enjoyed seeing a commercial feedlot and learning more about what goes into feeding cattle at the Steckle Farm.

A Year in Review with the Canadian Cattle Youth Council President

By Charlene Yungblut

I’mpleased to report we’ve had a busy and productive year as the Canadian Cattle Youth Council. It’s been an honour to lead this group over the past year, where my term as president officially comes to an end at our Council’s annual general meeting on August 15th, at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Calgary, Alberta.

First off, I want to thank Beef Farmers of Ontario for this incredible opportunity to serve as their provincial rep for the past two years. This opportunity to represent young beef farmers and ranchers across Canada, and get more involved with the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) at the national level, would not be possible without their generous support. I look forward to putting these new skills, connections and knowledge to work to do my part to further the success of the Ontario beef sector. A big thank you also goes out to the Council’s Platinum Partner, New Holland, CCA and all provincial cattle association partners.

Investing in youth to secure a bright future is a shared goal across various parties and organizations. Putting youth front and centre in the beef industry through the work of our Youth Council has opened doors to new conversations, connections and opportunities.

Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to represent the next generation of beef farmers and ranchers many times in Ottawa. This included CCA’s BBQ on the Hill to help kick off the fall session of Parliament, the Future of Food Conference to celebrate Canada’s Ag Day, and routine CCA director and board meetings to provide a youth lens on the policy being shaped at the national level.

Through our engagement, we’ve also had great success connecting with the Canadian Agricultural Youth Council, established by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. After an initial virtual introduction meeting with our respective council executives last fall, we have continued to make progress. It was a pleasure to be invited to join their youth council for a day in Ottawa to discuss agriculture youth programing and priorities, and participate in a youth-focused consultation session on the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy.

In March of this year, we attended the CCA annual general meeting in Ottawa and participated in our annual youth fly-in day with 13 meetings with various MPs, senators and government officials. As the Youth Council, we echoed many of CCA’s priorities, such as the importance of effective business risk management programs and the need for free and open trade markets by highlighting record breaking exports and the subsequent value that brings to the Canadian economy. We also emphasized the

important role Canada’s cattle producers play as stewards of the land. For our young Canadian producers to continue to be world leaders in environmental sustainability, our farm businesses must also be economically viable. Other highlights included meeting with staff of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, and members of the Prime Minister’s Youth Council that CCA doesn’t typically have the opportunity to meet with.

While these conversations have been wellreceived domestically, some of our youth have also been active on the world stage sharing the message that Canadian cattle producers sustainably raise a high-quality, nutrient-rich protein. These events, attended alongside CCA, included the Global Conference on Sustainable Beef in Denver last fall and the United Nation’s Committee on World Food Security meetings in Rome. This past January, we also participated in the CCA annual youth programs trip to the National Western Stock Show in Denver to build strong relationships with our U.S. counterparts through various meetings and tours. Youth are at the forefront of many of these international dialogues, therefore it’s important that we have a seat at the table.

A special thanks to the Consulate General of Canada in Denver for providing funding to support our travel to the U.S. In addition, our young leaders attendance at the Global Conference on Sustainable Beef was made possible through the Rancher Resilience Grant, where the funds were kindly administered through the Canadian Cattle Foundation to make this opportunity possible.

2023 is also an important year for our Youth Council as it marks our tenth anniversary. Over 50 young beef producers from across Canada have held a seat on the Council board since established. We’re proud that many have gone on to succeed in leadership roles and I look forward to following the Council and its members over the next 10 years.

In the next year, we look forward to continuing our engagement with our young producer membership by sharing resources on succession planning, hosting webinars on various topics, and amplifying opportunities for the next generation to get involved. If you are between the ages of 18 to 40, we encourage you to sign up as a member for free at www.canadiancattleyouthcouncil.ca

As I transition into the past president role for my last year on the Council, it is a pleasure to welcome the new Ontario delegate, Emily Bromley from Renfrew, Ontario. A priority for our Council this past year has been building strong relationships with our provincial partners, and I know Emily will continue to do just that. OB

Ontario Beef Youth Alliance Gathers for Summer Tour

By Sloane Murray, BFO Engagement Coordinator

InJuly, the Ontario Beef Youth Alliance (OBYA) hit the road across Oxford County for the second annual summer tour. The event attracted young producers from across the province to participate and gain knowledge from a variety of types and styles of operations.

Our next stop was Pinecroft Farms in Bright, Ontario, a small cowcalf-to-finish operation run by Edward and Maribeth Bird and their three children. They run a herd of Hereford x Simmental cattle and choose to calve all year round to market more consistently. They have a maternity pen and a feeder pen on the home farm, and a pasture farm down the road. Once the calves are weaned, they are moved into the feeder pen, are raised to market weight, and then sold to VG Meats in Simcoe. The Birds have moved away from using implants to limit the number of times they handle cattle through the chute as a personal preference for their operation. To close out our time on farm with them, Edward and Maribeth spoke to the group about succession planning for the next generation. Although not the easiest conversation to have, with two of their three kids actively involved in the day-to-day operations of the farm and the price of land continuing to rise, navigating how the next generation can transition into the farming operation has become all the more important to their family.

Our first stop was Dawn Farms in Belmont, Ontario, which is operated by Abbey Taylor. Abbey is a seventh-generation farmer who was raised on her family’s cash crop farm and grain business. Abbey completed a two-year program at the University of Guelph Ridgetown campus, then completed one year on the main campus before transferring and completing a second degree at Olds College in Alberta. Following school, Abbey worked with cattle in Quebec and took every opportunity to tour farms and speak with producers there. In 2021, she was awarded an Ontario Summer Company Program grant, which she used to buy her first couple of cows and register Dawn Farms as a business. Abbey also used the Digital Mainstreet ShopHere program to establish an e-commerce website to reach a larger audience. Since then, she has continued to grow each year and is hoping to move up from 11 to 15 head next year. She rotationally grazes her cattle, moving them once daily, and markets her grassfinished freezer beef products. Abbey hopes to integrate grazing cover crops into her operation, utilizing the land for both her cattle and the family cash crop business. Abbey was a wonderful farm host and served as an important reminder that it is possible to be successful in this industry with a more unconventional start.

To wrap up our Friday evening, the group headed back to Woodstock for a delicious roast beef supper followed by a virtual panel discussion with Ken Schaus and Kevin Aitken focusing on cover crop grazing. Ken grazes his own cover crops while Kevin has partnered with a cash crop operation and trucks his cattle to their land four hours away from his farm. The group had lots of good questions for the two, asking advice on how to navigate establishing those partnerships and bringing new ideas to the table. The resounding answer was to surround yourself with good people that will lift you up, be open to sharing your thoughts and ideas with those around you, and don’t focus on the nay sayers no matter how loud they get.

Saturday morning, we were off to View Hill Holsteins in Woodstock. Rene and Bianca Strik immigrated from Holland in 2010 and now have two farms in the area where they operate their 250-head dairy barn and finish around 1,000 head of Holstein and Holstein x Angus steers. For the beef side of their business, they buy in 40 Holstein x Angus bull calves once per month, raise them on the home farm in hutches for three weeks, then move them to their feedlot down the road. They do not use sexed semen for their dairy cows, so any full Holstein bull

Through a pasture walk, Abbey discusses pasture maintenance and establishing water systems from scratch.

The Bird family gave a run down of their farming history before leading a tour through their spacious coverall barn.

Ken Schaus and Kevin Aitken led a very insightful and educational panel discussion about grazing cover crops and making connections outside of the beef sector.

calves born on farm are also put into their beef program. Once those calves are moved, all the hutches are cleaned and disinfected, and the next batch of 40 arrives at the home farm. This way, they have one very busy week a month and three weeks that are calmer, which has worked well for their family. In the feedlot barns, they have separate pens that progressively increase in size from one end of the barn to the other. This way, they keep the groups together based on when they arrived at the farm, and move them through the pens as they grow, moving into a larger pen each time. Rene has found success in merging ideas from the beef and dairy industries to customize the operation for their needs and preferences.

Our last tour stop was at Norpac Beef in Norwich. Founded in 1954 by Marian and Mary Heleniak as a small local abattoir, the business has remained in the family, now managed by Matthew Heleniak as the third-generation. These days, Norpac focuses heavily on exotic breeds, specifically Limousin and Limousin crosses for a high quality, leaner product that still marbles well. Some of the cattle they process come from their own cow-calf division and customized feeding process which, after its introduction in the 1990s, helped increase consistency and product quality. Matthew spoke to the group about how they process animals, what quality traits they’re looking for, and how they had to shift their business model in the wake of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) 20 years ago. Now, they use and market as much of the by-products as possible – everything has value. Getting to see this side of the industry up close is not very common for producers, and everyone loved the opportunity to chat with Matthew and bring ideas back to their operations.

We ended the weekend with lunch at Ottercreek Golf Course in Otterville. As a send off, Charlene Yungblut gave a huge thank you on behalf of BFO to all of the amazing farm hosts who were so generous in sharing their time and knowledge, and to the sponsors of the event who continue to make these events accessible to young producers. As the beef sector continues to evolve, events like these that bring young folks together and showcase the diversity of operations across the province are such a valuable tool to support sector growth in the province. OB

The group had the opportunity to tour both the dairy and feedlot facilities at View Hill Holsteins.

One of the highlights of the tour was the chance to tour Norpac Beef in Norwich.

Young Leaders in Ontario Shine as Semi-Finalists in National Leadership Program

By Julie Sharpe, Canadian Cattle Association

The future of the Canadian beef industry rests in the hands of young, passionate individuals who embody the values and vision of the sector. Established by the Canadian Cattle Association in 2010, the Canadian Cattle Young Leaders Program (CYL) is available to young people ages 18-35 and acts as an industry succession planning tool to equip the next generation of leaders with the skills and tools they need to continue to drive the growth and profitability of the Canadian beef industry. One of the highlights of each program year is selecting program participants from across Canada through the annual CYL selections competition.

Ontario’s beef sector is well-represented with three exceptional semi-finalist candidates who will participate in this year’s selection competition:

• Carolyn Darling, Castleton, Ont.

• Emily Bromley, Renfrew, Ont.

• Kaley Mackie Rodman, Northern Bruce Peninsula, Ont.

The final step of the competition will take place at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Calgary this month. During the event, semi-finalists will engage in judged roundtable discussions, focusing on timely beef industry-related topics, to compete for a spot in the upcoming program year.

Semi-finalists were selected by a judging panel from submitted written applications. This year, 70 applications were received by tremendously impressive young people from across the country who are passionate about the future success of the Canadian beef industry.

Other semi-finalists from across Canada include:

• British Columbia: Brett Squair (Lumby), Cassie Marchand (Vernon), and Kayla Shallard (Hixon)

• Alberta: Adeleen Bolduc (Stavely), Ashley Nicholls (Foothills County), Blaire Sawyer (Pine Lake), Brayden Schmidt (Didsbury), Coleman Nixdorff (Rocky View County), Denay Bjornson (Wanham), Erick Santos (Edmonton), Karlene Yakemchuk (Hairy Hill), Rob Ziegler (Okotoks), Shae Wasyliw (High River) and Zoe Gould (Consort)

• Saskatchewan: Brooke Martin (Piapot) and Levi Hurlburt (Moose Jaw)

• Manitoba: Kristelle Harper (Brandon) and Marianne Sytnyk (Oakburn)

• Quebec: Laurie Côté-Sarrazin (Clerval), Patrick Sullivan (Gracefield)

• Nova Scotia: Susan Hamilton (Truro)

Following the competition, the selected finalists will be matched with an industry leader in their specific area of interest in the beef sector for a nine-month mentorship opportunity. They will also be granted a $2,000 budget to fund their engagement in various industry events and learning opportunities throughout the year, with additional travel and networking opportunities throughout the program year. The Canadian CYL Program plays a pivotal role in building the next generation of leaders in the beef industry and has seen over 170 graduates since established in 2010.

These exceptional opportunities would not be possible without the generous support of the program’s Platinum Partner, McDonald’s Canada, Foundation Partners Cargill, MNP, and New Holland, and Gold Partners, Farm Credit Canada, Alltech, RBC Future Launch, and Elanco. OB

Kaley Mackie Rodman

Carolyn Darling

Emily Bromley

MacCROSTIE LIVESTOCK

At Maple Hill Sale Barn, Hanover, Ontario • Saturday, September 9, 2023

Our sale offering has been selected to meet the needs of both Commercial and Seedstock Producers. 4-H Members---you’ll find your next project here! Please consider this your invitation to Maple Hill Sale barn September 9th

For a catalogue or to tour the heifers and their dams please, contact us.

RESEARCH UPDATE Deadstock Needs Coordinated Approach and Investment, Research Shows

By Lilian Schaer for the Livestock Research Innovation Corporation

Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC), with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), has just completed a study to revisit the province’s deadstock issue in hopes of finding new solutions to this long-time challenge.

Livestock

It’s a reality of livestock farming that animals can die on the farm, and those animals must be handled and disposed of responsibly and properly. For decades, however, there has been little change in the available tools for farmers to do so.

In Ontario, the livestock industry primarily relies on rendering, but increasing restrictions are making on-farm management of deadstock more complex. Driving forces behind the deadstock – or fallen stock as it is also called – challenge include escalating costs that have made on-farm pick-up uneconomical across a large part of Ontario, and limited pick-up options for animals euthanized with barbiturates.

The landscape started changing dramatically after BSE hit in 2003, leading to increasing regulations and restrictions on what was acceptable for collection, as well as limiting products of value produced by rendering.

Study lead Jennifer MacTavish has consulted with close to 70 individuals and organizations over the course of the project and has completed an international scan as part of her search for information and solutions to the issue.

“Ontario farmers have options; none of them are great, but we do have options,” says MacTavish. “And in looking outside of our borders, nobody has a silver bullet or a solution that we’re not already doing or haven’t already thought of.”

Rendering remains the preferred solution for deadstock, a biosecure process that kills pathogens and results in usable end products. Other solutions include burial and composting, which are used by many Ontario producers but come with the caveat “if done properly” and aren’t feasible options in the winter months.

Incineration is another option, but one that is no longer allowed in some countries like the UK due to negative public perceptions.

Considering One Health, which is the interaction of human, animal and environmental health, more than just the agriculture sector should be sitting at the table, including groups like Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, or Ministry of Natural Resources, for example.

According to MacTavish, her research has shown there is a lack of consistent investment in developing capacity, regulations impacting handling and disposal of deadstock lie within five different provincial acts, and there is no coordinated approach or consistent solutions across the livestock sectors.

“We have 12 different groups that touch deadstock in some way, but they don’t necessarily touch each other, and nobody is talking to each other,” says MacTavish, adding that one of the hoped-for outcomes of the project is to bring all the stakeholders together to contribute to a search for solutions.

Labour and profitability are challenges for everyone, and the sector is also at the mercy of international decisions, such as when the European Union decided to decrease the volume of hides it is willing to import.

Because of Ontario’s geography, logistics and transportation costs are key factors that influence the availability and affordability of deadstock services for producers. Analysis shows that the cost of a pickup more than 192 km away from a rendering plant is not economically feasible, for example.

However, there is value in deadstock through a variety of end products ranging from animal feed, biogas and renewable diesel to collagen, furniture and clothing. As well, finding solutions for deadstock has the support of government, and there is the potential for developing a new circular economy around rendering.

“There’s a need to think about the return on investment of deadstock when considering solutions, especially if the industry relies on for-profit businesses to provide these services,” she says.

LICENSED DEADSTOCK OPERATORS IN ONTARIO

While farmers never want to lose animals, dealing with on-farm mortalities is a sensitive part of their job. Recently, the management of mortalities has become a priority issue for Ontario’s livestock industry.

Companies currently providing deadstock services in various regions of Ontario include Barn Angels Composting in Georgetown, Atwood Resources in Atwood, and Sanimax ABP in St. Albert. Darling Ingredients out of Dundas also provides services, but only for swine and poultry.

To assist livestock farmers, we have compiled a number of resources on the topic, which includes a map and listing of licensed deadstock operators in Ontario. You can access the listing by visiting the BFO website under the Farmer Hub tab.

The project was funded by OMAFRA in response to a request from Beef Farmers of Ontario, Ontario Sheep Farmers, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Veal Farmers of Ontario, and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture for help in addressing the livestock mortality issue with both short-term relief for farmers and long-term options that will result in practical and sustainable solutions.

Recommendations stemming from the research will be outlined in the next issue of this magazine. OB

This article is provided by Livestock Research Innovation Corporation as part of its ongoing efforts to report on research developments and outcomes, and issues affecting the Canadian livestock industry.

BOOTH NO. 866

See

show!

September 12-14, 2023 Woodstock, Ontario

Beef Farmer Promotes Recycling of Ag Plastic

By Lee Hart for the Canadian Cattle Association

Lynn Leavitt can go to bed each night with relative peace of mind knowing he is doing his part to help farmers properly manage an agricultural by-product — long considered a nuisance — while at the same time benefiting the environment.

Leavitt, who runs a commercial Black Angus beef operation in Eastern Ontario near the community of East Lake, about 40 km south of Belleville, over the past few years has developed a system for collecting, compacting and wrapping agricultural plastics — bale wrap, silage bags and plastic twine — so these materials can be neatly and economically trucked to a plastic recycler.

Farmers aren’t getting paid for recycling this used plastic, but Leavitt says there is considerable value in knowing this material is being repurposed rather than being burned (which is illegal) or buried in a landfill.

“This product — agricultural plastic — is one tool we have available that actually makes it possible to cheat nature,” says Leavitt. “We don’t want to lose the option to use it. It is a product that allows us to put up winter feed supplies without spoilage — some people call it hay-in-a-day. It is a great tool. But then what do you do with all the used plastic? There is a lot of it, and if it is not handled properly, we run the risk of not being able to use it. So, it is important that all sectors of the agriculture industry work together to make sure it is recycled properly.”

In 2016, after feeling guilt and frustration that there were no proper recycling systems available for the agricultural plastic used on his farm, Leavitt designed and built what was later to be called the Pac-It compactor. It is a relatively low cost but effective way to handle used plastic so it can be recycled.

His efforts in developing the Pac-It compactor and promoting agriculture plastic recycling over the years, earned him recognition as the Beef Farmers of Ontario’s 2023 recipient for The Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA).

The compactor is a slated, wooden “crib” with an open top and bottom that fits on a conventional wooden pallet. The crib is roughly 54” x 50” by 67” tall.

The idea is to put clean used plastic wrap — low density polyethylene plastic — inside the crib, compress it with a plunger that attaches to the front-end loader of the tractor, keep adding material and compacting it inside the crib until it is full. The bundle is then tied with several wraps of plastic bale twine. The loader is used to lift the crib off the plastic and voila... you’ve got a 1,000-pound bundle of used agricultural plastic ready to be shipped to the recycler.

As Leavitt came up with the design for the Pac-It compactor, he created a company — U-Pac Agri Service to help market the compactor and promote the idea of recycling agriculture plastic to other producers. You can learn more about the company and compactor on the U-Pac AgriService Facebook page.

Continued from page

20.

“It is just a small operation that is based in a shop here on the farm,” says Leavitt referring to U-Pac AgriServices. “It certainly isn’t a high profit operation. It is more like a hobby that got out of control. One of the main objectives is to show other farmers there is a better way to handle this used plastic. I recall one guy who said he had this “mountain” of scrap plastic. We put it into the Pac-It compactor and got it tied into a bundle and then somehow that mountain of plastic wasn’t so much of a problem anymore.”

U-Pac AgriService sells the pre-built Pac-It compactor. The cost is $750 which covers $600 in materials and $150 in labour to cut the wood and assemble. Shipping is extra. And shipping a unit any distance can be expensive. So as an alternative U-Pac AgriService also sells the blueprints so farmers can build their own. It is not a patented design, but it has been proven to work well. U-Pac AgriService has sold about 300 of the pre-built cribs. And blueprints which cost between $20 and $30 have been sold to producers in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

Leavitt says his main interest is to raise awareness among producers that there are better options for handling agricultural plastic.

As the fourth generation operating the family farm, Leavitt runs a herd of about 100 head of commercial Black Angus cows. He keeps all his own calves for backgrounding and finishing. He works with a local abattoir to have roughly 18-month-old finished animals processed. He supplies some meat products to local restaurants and there are two other local retailers who carry Leavitt Black Angus Beef meat products.

“We started finishing cattle and direct marketing meat back when BSE hit,” says Leavitt. “We have worked with the same abattoir and have had some different markets over the years, but we have many repeat customers who keep coming back for our 21-day dry aged meat products. We need to maintain a flow of finished cattle throughout the year, so we are feeding cattle year-round.”

The Prince Edward County farming operation includes 200 acres of deeded land, and another 300 acres of rented land. As well as they purchase 100 acres of standing hay each year. Of all the acres, about 175 acres are used for grazing cows and calves. Stored feed for the cattle includes dry hay, baleage (high moisture hay bales that are wrapped in 500 foot-long plastic tubes), corn silage stored in 10 foot diameter, 200 foot long silage bags as well as grain corn.

That plastic obviously is a key part in storing the feed supply for the year, “but there was no practical way to deal with the used material,” says Leavitt. He connected with a local plastic manufacturing company in Belleville and while they weren’t involved in recycling, it led Leavitt to connect with a recycling operation in London, Ontario. They were willing to take clean agricultural plastic collected from within a three-hour driving radius of their plant, if it could be assembled and transported economically. (And clean doesn’t mean the plastic needs to be washed. Once it is removed from the bale or the silage bag is empty, the plastic needs to dry, so any loose particles of forage will fall off. As long as it is dry it can be compacted.)

That led Leavitt to design the Pac-It compactor as way to bundle the plastic in a neat, dense package that could be economically trucked. Each bundle from the compactor weighs about 1,000 pounds.

As other farmers in the Quinte Region got involved they too began to bundle agricultural plastic.

The farmers bring their bundled plastic to the Leavitt farm. When there are enough bundles to warrant a load to the recycler, Leavitt brings the bundles to the warehouse of a local agricultural plastic retailer, where they are loaded onto the recycler’s trailer.

“A 53-foot trailer can carry about 45,000 pounds which represents about 45 bundles of plastic,” says Leavitt. “Each bundle fits on a pallet. When the truck arrives, we have volunteers helping out and it takes about an hour to get the truck loaded and then it is on its way.”

Over the years, Leavitt says the plastic recycling system to date has sent about 225,000 pounds of plastic to the recycling plant, and of that about 30,000 pounds has come from the Leavitt farm.

He is always interested in getting the recycling message out to other producers. He has made presentations at several events including the London Farm Show, Ontario Forage Council, Beef Farmers of Ontario and Peterborough Soil and Crop Association.

He has also been involved with and received support from CleanFARMS, a not-for-profit industry stewardship organization led by the plant science industry. CleanFARMS is committed to environmental responsibility through the proper management of agricultural waste products such as empty agricultural pesticide and fertilizer containers, grain bags, seed and pesticide bags and other ag plastics.

“In order to be able to recycle and repurpose plastics in a costeffective and efficient manner, farmers, local municipalities, other levels of government, and industry players must work together to set up a recycling system on a local or regional basis,” says Leavitt. “This can be a challenge, since farmers tend to be naturally independent, so it will require a change in thinking. They need to understand it only takes a small investment of their time and resources to handle plastics correctly.

“It is great to see this plastic being recycled and repurposed into other plastic products, but I believe where the idea will really gain traction is when the used plastic is converted to biofuel, and that can be done,” he says. “Then we will have a system that goes full circle. The used plastic is made into biofuel, the biofuel is used to power the farm tractor that is putting up feed into plastic bags and tubes, and then that used plastic will be used again to produce more biofuel. It will be one more way to reduce the carbon footprint of agriculture.”

New Funding Expands Processing Space Dashboard

AgSights and Meat & Poultry Ontario (MPO) have launched an expansion of a digital dashboard that links farmers looking for processing space with abattoirs that have immediate availability or are accepting future bookings.

The technical enhancements to Processor Links, launched last year by AgSights and MPO, are designed to add more functionality to the online tool and make it more user-friendly for both farmers and abattoirs using the system.

The project team will also develop a business and sustainability plan for the platform to demonstrate how it will meet the long-term needs of Ontario’s meat production sector

“Many of Ontario’s provincially licensed abattoirs are facing critical, ongoing labour shortages and we appreciate the provincial government’s support in helping the industry find solutions that will alleviate stress and pressure for both abattoirs and farmers,” said Meat & Poultry Ontario Executive Director Franco Naccarato. “Long-term, tools like Processor Links that can improve the efficiency and logistics of managing processing capacity will play a key role in maintaining and expanding our ability to provide safe, locally produced food in Ontario.”

In its existing form, Processor Links offers users a summary of current booking lead times at participating abattoirs, contact

information for provincially licensed facilities, and what species they’re able to process, as well as which businesses have the capacity to accommodate last-minute bookings. Ultimately, an automated booking system will decrease logistics workloads for abattoirs, simplify allocation of inspection resources and make it easier for farmers to find and make appointments.

“We’re excited to take on the next step in the development of the dashboard and are looking forward to engaging with the industry to develop what a long-term vision for Processor Links should look like,” said project manager Betty-Jo Almond, General Manager of AgSights. “This is a project that will benefit our entire livestock and meat processing sector and the government’s support is critical to helping us find lasting solutions to the labour challenges we’re facing.”

Meat processing has long struggled with labour shortages and the COVID-19 pandemic not only intensified worker shortages, but also contributed to increased custom processing demand as more people began purchasing meat directly from producers or raising their own backyard flocks or small livestock. The dashboard is available on the AgSights website. OB

Contact

3 RIDGE FARMS

Jon Bell 217294 Conc. 3 Owen Sound, ON N4K 5N5 519-378-4006

roundbale14@hotmail.com

ARCON CATTLE CO

Art Thompson, Jim & Connor Wiley 5174 Concession Road 4 Everett, ON L0M 1J0

Art 705-434-8582

Jim 705-734-7379

arconcattleco@gmail.com

BEE ZEE ACRES

The Zwambag’s 4140 Glendon Drive, Glencoe, ON N0L 1M0

Bill: 519-494-9613

Matt: 519-870-3219

beezeeacres@gmail.com

CROWN HILL ACRES

Craig and Michelle Kennedy 258 Sturgeon Rd. Omemee, ON K0L 2W0 705-741-6700

crownhillacres@gmail.com

DARLING FARMS 4172 County Rd 25 Castleton, ON K0K 1M0 905-375-4019

dmdarling13@gmail.com

GIBSON FARMS

Dave and Emily Gibson

2148 Concession 4, RR1, Ripley Ontario N0G2R0

Dave-519-357-6174

Emily 519-440-9907

gibsonfarmstrucking@gmail.com

CLARK CATTLE CO.

David Clark

2280 McCullough Rd. Port Hope, ON L1A 3V7 905-449-0149

clarkcattle1@hotmail.ca

LOYAL LINE LIMOUSIN

Brent and Vicky Black 82509 Loyal Line Goderich, Ontario N7A 3Y3 Cell: 519-955-1234

brentblack204@hotmail.com

SPARE TIME LIVESTOCK

Don & Donna Scott & family Oxford Mills, ON

Don: 613-913-1579

Laura: 613-316-8728

sparetimelivestock@gmail.com

HILLSIDE FARMS

Ray and Stacie Stanton 4250 King Road, King City, ON, L7B 1K4 416-505-0707 rays@londonproperty.ca

AFTER HOURS LIMOUSINS Rob & Erin Weppler 117078 Grey Rd. 3 , Tara, ON 519-375-6108 Rob@gbtel.ca

BROWN EDEN LIMOUSIN Neil & Suzanne Brown 768 Zion Road Little Britain, ON, K0M 2C0 705-768-1605

nsbrown@bell.net

LAKESIDE FARM

Wayne and Nancy Lawrence 263657 Southgate Rd. 26 RR#4 Durham, ON N0G 1R0 519-369-2806

lakesidelimo@hotmail.com

PINCH HILL LIMOUSIN

Paul, Brandon & Chad Homer Stittsville, Ontario 519-339-9659 or 613-987-0822

pinchhill@gmail.com

SELBY GENETICS 1762 County Rd. 11 Selby ON KOK2ZO 613 388 9286

RAIL LINE FARMS

Paul and Brad MacIntyre 221 Bruce County Rd. 1 RR #3, Lucknow, ON N0G 2H0 519-528-2423

pcmacintyre@hurontel.on.ca

POSTHAVEN LIMOUSIN

John and Ena Post #7396 Sideroad #20, RR #2, Alma, Ontario N0B 1A0 519-846-9320

ejpost@posthavenlimousin.com

NEW LIFE LIMOUSIN

Justin and Melissa Burgess 261269 Conc. 18 Hanover, ON N4N 3B8 519-270-5415

New.life.limousin@gmail.com

SMART LIMOUSIN

Garry and Sheila Smart 137606 Grey Road 12 RR#2, Meaford, ON N4L 1W6 519-538-4877

www.smartlimousin.com

WINDY GABLES LIMOUSIN

Bryce & Nathan Allen RR #4, Warkworth, ON K0K 3K0 705-924-2583

nathana@alleninsurance.ca

YOUNG LIMO FARMS

Jim and Joe Young 601 Tara Road Ennismore ON 705 755 6820

young_electric@hotmail.com

Check out our Website for LimoNews: www.ontariolimousin.com

ANNA & ELISABETH STUDER 44390 Glenannon Rd Clifford, ON N0G 1M0 519 327-4489 anel.studer@gmail.com

BOULDER LAND & CATTLE COMPANY Ben Belanger 4510 hwy 7 RR#1 Omemee,Ont 705-875-0020

Blcccattle@outlook.com

BENNVILLE LIMOUSIN

Anita or Greta Haupt 613 Con. 14 R.R.1 Hagersville N0A1H0 cell Greta:905-865-2529 haupt@ xplornet.ca website: bennvillelimousin.com

SAMMERICH FARMS

Joost & Carolyn van der Heiden 8493 Rd 176, Listowel, ON 519 291-2507 cell 519 292-1171

jcvheiden@hotmail.com

Ontario Limousin Association Matt Zwambag, President • Phone: 519-870-3219

By Jaclyn Horenberg, Senior Producer Relations Specialist jaclyn@ontariobeef.com • www.ontariobeef.com

Second Annual Feedlot Management School A Success

Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) and the Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association (OCFA) were excited to host another Feedlot Management School on June 21st and 22nd in Waterloo and Wellington Counties. After a successful event last year, we were eager to host the event again for feedlot producers across Ontario. With registration limited to 70 people this year, spaces filled up quickly, and sponsors were keen to support, filling an additional 18 spaces on the twoday event.

The tour kicked off as we loaded the buses to travel to the University of Guelph Meat Lab. We split into three groups and rotated through engaging sessions. Dr. Katie Wood and master’s student, Katie Kroeze, lead a session on fecal starch and feed processing. In their take-home messages, they encouraged participants to work with a nutritionist to evaluate fecal starch levels, and to consider the physical aspects of the ration that can impact gut health and animal welfare by evaluating levels of physically

effective Neutral Detergent Fibre (peNDF). Dr. Cynthia Miltenburg, OMAFRA Lead Veterinarian, Animal Health and Welfare, spoke on digital dermatitis in feedlot cattle. She covered causes, symptoms and prevention, which included tips like regular scraping of pens, allowing time for pens to dry before filling again, ensuring pens are wellbedded, and considering using a footbath upon entry and throughout the days on feed. Dr. Marcio Duarte and master’s student, Sarah Dean, welcomed the group into the federally inspected university meat lab where there were three carcasses that participants had to match with the pictures of the live animals. The cattle, sourced from Marvin Burkhart and HM & Sons, were a straight beef steer, a dairy-beef steer, and a dairy-beef heifer. We compared the carcasses, and discussed factors that impact meat quality and yield, and new technology for grading cattle.

The bus then brought everyone back to St. Jacobs for the evening portion of the event at the Hampton Inn and Suites. BFO’s Executive Director, Richard Horne, welcomed and thanked everyone for attending and supporting the Feedlot Management School. Al Noorloos, OCFA Chair, thanked those involved in planning the event and the sponsors who helped to make it possible. Dr. Michael Lohuis, Vice President, Research and Innovation for Semex Alliance, spoke to the group about the evolving path of dairy-beef. He acknowledged that with the declining beef cow numbers and increasing input costs, there is an opportunity to meet the growing global demand for high quality protein using dairy-beef genetics. This got the participants talking as we enjoyed an Ontario Corn Fed Beef dinner. Following that, Brent Cavell from OCFA introduced the keynote speaker, Philip Shaw. Philip is a contributing editor to DTN of Omaha Nebraska, which publishes his weekly agriculture economic commentary “Under the Agridome”

Dr. Marcio Duarte in the University of Guelph Meat Lab shares new carcass grading technology.

Catwalk view at Marvin Burkhart’s feedlot.

column across Canada and the United States. Shaw gave a candid presentation on grain markets and a market outlook highlighting the challenges and opportunities of the 2023 year. We continued the conversation and comradery at the evening hospitality.

images from the cattle that the participants viewed hanging in the cooler the day before at the university meat lab.

Dr. Van Mitchell of Metzger Veterinary Services then presented on common feedlot illnesses, data on expected pull and treatment rates, post mortems, implant strategies, and the importance of a team effort when it comes to feeding cattle.

After a delicious lunch catered by Cardiff BBQ Catering Ltd., we travelled to the next farm stop at HM & Sons Inc. near Moorefield. Javan Martin explained how their feedlot has moved from custom finishing about 1,200 head of cattle to now bringing in their own dairy-beef heifers to finish. They have always put a focus on starting cattle right and transitioning onto feed through step-up rations. Javan talked about the importance of walking pens to check cattle and adjusting rations as needed. Javan also discussed their other business venture, where they produce compost that is sold is bags, totes and bulk loads. Javan talked about the years that it has taken to perfect the product quality and consistency, and how it works well with the feedlot business.

For a chute-side, hands on demonstration, we were joined by Dr. Jacques van Zyl and Wally Martin of the Metzger Veterinary Services team. To go along with Dr. Van Mitchell’s presentation, Dr. van Zyl discussed proper vaccine handling and administration, proper implant techniques, demonstrated how to lift a foot, and answered the many questions from the engaged group. This was a great way to wrap up the two days of learning, and Gordon Dibble, Chair of the BFO Feedlot Committee, thanked the speakers and Javan Martin and family for sharing their knowledge and hospitality.

On behalf of BFO and OCFA, we would like to thank all the participants for taking the time to attend the Feedlot Management School. The farm hosts were incredibly generous to welcome everyone onto their farm and share their management practices. Thank you to the speakers for sharing your knowledge and experience. This event would not have been possible without the generosity of the many sponsors – thank you for your continued support and investment in the Ontario beef sector. We sincerely appreciate everyone that stepped in to help bring this event together; it is another great reminder of what a wonderful industry we are a part of! We are looking forward to next year already! OB

The next morning, participants loaded onto the buses to travel to our first farm stop at Marvin Brukhart’s, near Wallenstein. Marvin and his family feed about 1,500 head of cattle at their home farm, plus have cattle on custom feed at other farms. From the catwalk, participants had a great view of the cattle as Marvin explained where he sources his cattle and how he has expanded into feeding dairybeef cattle. Next, we were joined by Jason Koudys, who works with AgSights to offer ultrasounding of cattle to project the ideal time to harvest to meet desired carcass quality attributes. Jason did a demonstration of ultrasounding Marvin’s straight beef and dairy beef steers to show how ultrasounding can project how many more days of feed is ideal to meet carcass goals. Jason also showed the ultrasound

Javan Martin and family discuss their switch to finishing dairy-beef heifers, and how their compost business works in well with the feedlot.

Dr. Michael Lohuis joined the evening session at the hotel to discuss the evolution of dairy-beef.

Metzger Veterinary Services team of Dr. Van Mitchell, Dr. Jacques van Zyl and Wally Metzger discussed feedlot health management strategies with chute-side demonstrations.

CCA UPDATE Advocacy, Trade and Policy Update

Submitted by CCA Staff www.cattle.ca

Theend of the spring session of Parliament and the summer months have brought a burst of activity on important policy discussions and activities impacting Canadian cattle producers and the broader industry.

There have been numerous opportunities for members of the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) board and staff to engage with partners and stakeholders at home and abroad. As Parliamentarians travelled to Calgary for the Stampede, CCA welcomed the opportunity to open our farms, ranches and feedlots to Members of Parliament (MPs) so they could learn more about our sector and the challenges (and opportunities) facing the families who raise the highest quality Canadian beef.

FancyHeiferCalves

There is also tremendous value for CCA to be present at strategic meetings such as the Stampede Summit, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) summer business meeting, the Pacific North West Economic Region Annual Summit (PNWER), the Canadian Beef Industry Conference and the Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting, where domestic and international policy is developed that can impact the long-term sustainability of our sector. If CCA doesn’t participate in these discussions, then decisions will be made without our industry perspective being heard.

Beef Research Cluster Funding

On July 12th, the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) welcomed more than $12 million in funding from the Government of Canada for Canada’s Beef and Forage AgriScience Cluster under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership – AgriScience Program. The announcement was made during the Calgary Stampede by Francis Drouin,

Cow/CalfPairs herdsireprospects

introduction and was emphasized in spring fly-in meetings with provincial members.

Cam Hill- 519-373-6993 Jim Luckhardt- 519-372-6304

Darcy McMorris- 226-203-4506 Ian Weber- 519-710-3300 Katherine Giffen- 705-718-1877

CCA has sent letters to MPs and Senators and has proactively planned strategic meetings and farm/ranch tours to voice our concerns before Parliament resumes in the fall.

Mid-July brought an announcement by Minister of Trade granting the United Kingdom (UK) accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). CCA, the Canadian Meat Council, and the Canadian Pork Council issued a joint statement expressing our strong opposition to the UK accession to the CPTPP.

The CPTPP has, until now, provided the gold standard for trade liberalization, but the UK’s accession severely disadvantages the beef and pork sectors by leaving significant non-tariff barriers in place. The UK’s accession does not meet the CPTPP standard of open trade and sets a precedent that will undermine the ambition of future entrants.

The beef and pork sectors call on Parliamentarians to reject this accession when it comes to a vote in Parliament until these barriers are addressed.

Currently, there is no viable market access for beef and pork into the UK, so the sector is calling on the government of Canada to ensure the Canadian/United Kingdom bilateral agreement currently being negotiated will guarantee fair access for Canadian beef and pork producers.

Failing that, we are asking Parliament to ensure producers and processors for both products are fairly compensated for the damages and losses that will result.

FPT Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting

Canada’s Agriculture Ministers met in Fredericton, New Brunswick

Federal Cabinet Shuffle

On July 26th, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced significant changes to cabinet. It is disappointing to see the Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau leave the agriculture and agri-food portfolio to become the Minister of National Revenue as we have spent time building a trusted relationship. However, we now have another voice at the cabinet table outside of agriculture that understands the important economic and environmental impact the beef sector brings to Canada.

The Hon. Lawrence MacAulay returns as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. He held this role previously and was Agriculture Minister when the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) agreement was signed. We look forward to working with Minister MacAulay again, upholding the progressiveness and integrity of the CPTPP by bringing a science-based approach to address barriers to the UK market in advance of the UK accession into the CPTPP. OB

Quality Bulls to Meet Today’s Industry Demands

CANADA BEEF UPDATE New Grilling Course and Cut Chart Guide for Consumers

By Gina Teel, Manager, Stakeholder Communications, Canada Beef

CanadaBeef’s Export Market Development (EMD) program actively supported several Canadian beef suppliers and their international partners during the first quarter of fiscal 2023-2024. The program was particularly popular to help promote Canadian beef brands at international food industry trade shows and promotional events that took place during the April to June period.

Among the various projects completed:

• Two separate Hong Kong importers/distributors received support to showcase their Canadian beef brands at the HOFEX food industry trade show in Hong Kong.

• A major food wholesaler in the Netherlands received support to complete an event to promote the attributes of their Canadian beef brand to their foodservice industry clients in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.

• A Canadian beef exporter received support to exhibit at the Food and Hotel Asia show in Singapore – a major food industry event targeting the Southeast Asia region – to promote their Canadian beef lines.

• A Canadian beef importer in Italy received support to exhibit at the Tuttofood food industry show to raise the awareness of their Canadian beef brands to buyers in the region.

• A Canadian beef supplier and packer received support to exhibit their Canadian beef brands at the Saudi Food Show in Saudi Arabia.

• A Spanish beef importer received support to host an event to promote their Canadian beef brand to foodservice industry buyers in a major tourism destination in Spain.

Canada Beef’s EMD program provides cost shared funding support to help facilitate export market growth for Canadian beef representative company-initiated projects and activities in five categories.

Canada Beef and the Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence (CBCE) launched a new online learning course for consumers that teaches Canadian beef grilling knowledge and techniques. Launched in time for the Canada Day long weekend, the 20-minute course addresses key consumer questions for preparing and cooking Canadian beef, be it outdoors on a barbeque grill, or in the kitchen using a frying pan or an air-fryer.

The grilling course instructs on important need to know basics such as selecting beef cuts for the right cooking method and selecting beef cuts using Canadian beef grades as a reference for quality.

The grilling course completes a trio of new consumer online courses created by the CBCE: Grilling, Oven Roasts, and Pot Roasts, and is part of a broader mission to enhance and expand Canada Beef’s digital resources for consumers with tools such as the Canadian Beef Information Gateway (Gateway).

The courses are an example of how the CBCE’s enhanced Consumer Culinary Studio is being used to create a variety of engaging online content on beef cooking topics that are important to consumers.

A new resource, the Cuts by Colour Guide, launched in June to help butchers, abattoirs, and beef farmers and ranchers who sell beef directly to consumers.

The Guide is in poster format (24 x 18”) with colour coding and clear visuals to show where the various cuts originate, descriptions of the cuts, cooking methods, tips, tricks and more. The Guide has a holder for Gateway takeaway cards for consumers that feature QR codes that can be scanned with a smart phone to access the wealth of information on the Guide.

With integration to the Gateway, the Guide helps to ensure consumers experience maximum enjoyment of Canadian beef as they find new ways to cook familiar cuts and experiment with less familiar beef cuts. An online version of the Cuts by Colour Guide is also available. The information on the main landing page highlights the primals, subprimals, and retail cuts with recipes and other information from the Gateway.

Canada Beef will be providing provincial beef cattle associations with the poster version of the Guide for further distribution to beef producers, butchers, and abattoirs throughout their province. Plans are also underway to distribute the posters at industry events, tradeshows, and local producer meetings.

Finally, beef continued to be a protein of choice for Canadian consumers in 2022 even as inflation kept retail prices on the high end for much of the year. Statistics Canada disappearance data for 2022 tells a positive story for beef and animal proteins in general with increases in per capita consumption reported across the board. The results were welcome news given year-over-year increases in the retail beef price (+7.7%) outpaced Canada’s 2022 average inflation of 6.8%.

As noted by Canfax, when the effects of inflation are taken away, the beef price at retail rose only 0.8%. Factor in results for pork (- 2.8%) and chicken (+ 3.1%) and the average increase in retail meat prices at retail was 0.4%, thus most of the increase (95%) was related to inflation.

Per capita total protein consumption (beef, pork, poultry, seafish) increased 3.8% from 2021 to almost 80 kg/person retail weight in 2022. Ranked by percentage increase, pork led the group with per person consumption up 6.6% to 15.3 kg/person (retail weight), beef gained 2.9% to 17.5 kg/person (retail weight), and poultry edged up 1.8% to 41.3 kg/ person (carcass weight).

Total beef consumption was up 5% to 967,166 tonnes, a significant 5% increase from 2021. Domestically produced beef achieved an 80.6% market share, up from 79.8% in 2021.

Techniques for grilling at home include information and tips on grill temperatures, seasoning, rotation to produce diamond grill marks, and proper methods to test for doneness.

The course also dispels popular myths about grilling at home, and reinforces the correct information via a knowledge-testing quiz at the end of the course.

The Canadian Beef Retail Index - a measurement of consumers’ willingness-to pay - increased 2.6% from 121.56 to 124. 68 compared to 2021, surpassing the previous high in 2020. “This is the only the seventh time since 1980 that both per capita consumption and deflated prices have risen in the same year,” noted Canfax.

For the latest information on the activities of Canada Beef and its international offices, please subscribe to Canada Beef Performs e-newsletter. OB

WHY SHORTHORNS?

Jeff and Samantha Roney operate Bennington Hills Farm just east of Grand Valley. They have 20 purebred Shorthorn mother cows and operate a cow-calf to grass finished operation, and direct market through the Orangeville farmers market. With his no-till ‘Gabe Brown’ style cash crop, cover crop, pasture land rotation system, Jeff says “I haven’t found a breed that does it better”. This is in part based on Jeff’s experience custom grazing some other British bred cattle as well as some Exotic bred cattle alongside his own Shorthorns. Jeff has purchased Shorthorn bulls from three different Ontario breeders, “... the shorthorn bull genetics are high quality, and moving in the right direction... the calves are consistent, cookie cutter calves that just keep getting better and Jeff really appreciates the shorthorn cows’ maternal characteristics, calving ease, and quietness. He runs 50 ewes with lambs on pasture in one herd with the cattle, and the shorthorn mother cows pull double-duty as the only protection for the sheep. When the ground is frozen, cattle trek out to stockpile, cover crops, corn stalks, or bale grazing. “Fitting into a cash crop system, Shorthorn is the perfect cow for it”, says Jeff.

Currently offered as a free, live webinar. Please email jaclyn@ontariobeef.ca for upcoming training dates.

3

During the training webinar, you will learn about the audit requirements. Operations must have at least six months of records for cow-calf producers and three months of records for feedlots.

Schedule an on-farm audit with a trained auditor coordinated through the national office. Complete any Corrective Action Requests from the audit to successfully become a VBP+ Certified operation.

MAINTAIN ACTIVE VBP+ STATUS

Complete yearly record requirements to ensure that you are still in compliance with the program. On-farm audits are completed once every five years.

please contact John Baker john@ontariocornfedbeef.com

FARM & FOOD CARE ONTARIO

Farm Security: Smile! You’re on Camera

By Bruce Kelly, Farm & Food Care Ontario

There’snothing like a farm theft to make you feel like a victim rather than a manager. Millions of dollars in equipment are stolen from farms annually across Canada, resulting in high replacement costs, insurance increases and unnecessary stress for farmers and their families.

A farm security system deters theft on your farm, provides a record for the police if a theft occurs, and offers peace of mind when you’re away from your property. A picture is worth a thousand words, but a video clip will give the authorities what they require to get a warrant. Security cameras for livestock barns are also great for keeping you updated during calving and lambing seasons to reduce evening trips to the barn to check on progress.

It’s no secret that farms contain large amounts of expensive and portable equipment, making them targets for theft. Every farm workshop has thousands of dollars of tools, welders, generators, and compressors, not to mention hobby toys like quads, sleds and motorcycles. Bold thieves have recently stolen larger items like tractors, GPS systems, and field equipment. Unmonitored equipment sheds and fuel tanks are vulnerable to impulse theft and more calculated incursions.

It isn’t practical to lock doors on a 24-hour-a-day farm operation, so security cameras can provide a second set of eyes to monitor properties around the clock, record the footage for up to a month, and - if connected through your home internet - allow you to see live feeds on your phone from anywhere connected to cell or Wi-Fi service. A farm security camera system can deter intruders who want to sneak onto your property. Two conspicuously placed cameras pointed at the driveway can keep everyone on their best behaviour and act as a reminder that activity on the premises is recorded. A multi-camera security system will capture an image of them or their vehicle for further investigation. With a mobile app on your phone and instant security alerts activated, you can see farm security footage live on your phone, no matter where you are. Opt for automatic alerts every time movement is detected in specific areas. And it’s not just about theft; there is peace of mind in knowing the feed truck arrived or the service technician left.

Continued on page 34.

Rural Security Cameras

• Capture your driveway and yard, and record all vehicles, licence plates, and potential faces of criminal offenders.

• Monitor inside key buildings for a record of what moved when.

• Monitor fuel storage, feed bins, and dump pits.

• Record who comes and goes on the farm, visits and length of stay, including suppliers’ service trucks, feed deliveries, etc.

• Remotely monitor livestock areas inside or out.

• Monitor key livestock areas like robot stations or birthing pens.

What Equipment Do I Need?

The most important features of a system include remote viewing from a phone and some level of recording capability. It’s crucial that you have a recording and the ability to save that record if there is an incident.

• Simplest: The simplest systems use an inexpensive Wi-Fi camera connected to your house Wi-Fi connections and then to your phone with some cloud recording capability.

• Recommended: A hard drive recorder in your house or office with a combination of wired or wireless cameras. This system is then connected to the home internet for remote access.

• More Complex: You may need a cellular-based system and solarpowered cameras if you do not have Wi-Fi, have a large service area requirement, or have a remote location.

Do I need to pay monthly monitoring fees? – No, most systems can be managed on your own as there is going to be movement on a farm, and every activity is not a threat. An empty house is different from a farm. Depending on the system, you will pay for hardware and perhaps a remote cellular connection.

Farm security cameras are proving to be useful in deterring rural crime. Modern camera systems can help catch criminals in action, record details for police follow-up, provide significant benefits in your day-to-day management of animals and offer you a new peace of mind that comes from being able to see your yard when you’re not there. Check-in on activities that are scheduled to happen and those that are not. For example, did the trailer get picked up on time? Was fuel or feed delivered today? Has the cow started calving?

There is a huge responsibility in owning a farm. Technology can help share the load by enabling you to view the inside of the barn, shed or farm yard when you can’t be physically present. Yes, it’s about security, but it’s more about management and seeing what’s happening in your barn, shed, or yard.

Watch for part two to learn how Ontario farmers use video monitoring on their farms in the next issue of Ontario Beef. Visit www.farmfoodcare.on.org for additional resources on emergency management, security and farm power systems. OB

FOCUS ON HERD HEALTH

By Jacques Van Zyl, DVM, Metzger Veterinary Services

Mycoplasma in Cattle

Mycoplasma is a prevalent bacterium that poses significant economic consequences for the cattle industry. Although there are over 100 different Mycoplasma species, when referring to Mycoplasma, producers are generally referring to the species, Mycoplasma bovis (“M. bovis”), which primarily affects young calves and weaned animals. Mycoplasma is the smallest free-living bacteria. Because it is so small, it relies very heavily on its host for nutrients. Because of this, Mycoplasma is well adapted to a particular host and is species specific, meaning that mycoplasma species that infect pigs don’t infect cattle.

M. bovis lives on what is called mucosal surfaces, which includes the upper airways, udder, and the genital tract. It is generally thought that young calves become infected through consuming milk from udders that are inhabited by M. bovis. These calves become infected but may not show signs of disease. However, they can act as a source of infection for the other animals in the herd and can spread M. bovis for a few months, and in some cases has been shown to shed the bacteria intermittently for many years. Other sources of infection include aerosol transmission or direct nose-to-nose contact with an infected calf, which is thought to be the main mode of transmission in the feedlot. The prevalence of M. bovis infected calves is around seven per cent or less prior to arrival in the feedlot. Once cattle enter the feedlot and have been on feed for approximately two weeks, the prevalence jumps to 40 to 100 per cent, highlighting the importance of comingling as a means of spread.

Mycoplasma can survive off cattle for longer periods of time in cool, moist conditions. It has been shown to survive for two months in milk or sponges at 4°C, and over two weeks in water. In hot dry temperatures, survival drops considerably. Due to its ability to survive off the host, it can also spread through contact with objects in the environment such as the water troughs or tube feeders. These, however, are generally not thought of as an important source of infection.

Once an infection is established in an animal, M. bovis can cause a handful of different diseases including but not limited to pneumonia, arthritis in one or more joints, ear infections, urinary tract infections, genital infections in males, mastitis, and eye infections. Due to the constraints of this article, we will focus on the pneumonia and the more common downstream effects of the pneumonia in beef cattle. Like other causes of pneumonia, presence of the bacteria alone is not always enough to cause disease. Factors that suppress the immune system such as underlying viral or bacterial infections, or stressful events such as weaning, transport and commingling allow the bacteria to spread to the lower airways. Once the pneumonia sets in, it is indistinguishable from other causes of pneumonia when looking at the calf.

Pneumonia can occur at any age of cattle and signs generally include fever, difficulty breathing, decreased appetite and may or may not have nasal discharge and coughing. Due to the inability to decipher what is causing the pneumonia, the true prevalence

of mycoplasma pneumonia is difficult to determine. After rapid replication in the lungs, it can spread to other areas of the body including the ear and joints. Ear infections are very prevalent in calf rearing environments. If the ear becomes infected, it will typically droop, and you may even have eyelid involvement as well. If M. bovis spreads to the inner ear, cattle can also display circling or a head tilt.

Arthritis can also occur at any age but most commonly occurs alongside with a pneumonia in a condition called Chronic Pneumonia and Polyarthritis Syndrome (CPPS). The condition typically arises within two to three weeks of feedlot entry, or another stressful event such as comingling. Animals generally have a lameness that is in one or more joints. This lameness can progress to become nonweightbearing with severe swelling in a joint that is warm and painful to the touch. The most affected joints are the stifle, hock, elbow, and carpus. If arthritis, particularly in more than one joint, is involved, the chance of a successful recovery becomes very poor.

Some animals can control and recover from disease, but exactly how they do so is poorly understood. Once infection occurs, M. bovis is very good at evading cattle’s immune system through a variety of different factors. Mycoplasma can change certain proteins on its surface so that the animal’s immune system is unable to recognize it. It also can suppress the animal’s immune response, increase immune cell death, and can even invade and survive inside of immune cells, which helps it survive and spread through the body. Furthermore, Mycoplasma lacks what is called a cell wall, which is an important target of certain antibiotics. Because of this, treatment is very difficult and certain classes of antibiotics such as the B-Lactams, which includes penicillin, are ineffective.

Diagnosis in a live animal is difficult as it generally appears as a typical pneumonia. Nasal swabs can be done to determine the presence of Mycoplasma in your herd but may not correlate to the illness you are seeing in your cattle. Mixed infections with multiple pneumonia causing bacteria are also common. Definitive diagnosis is generally through identifying lesions on postmortem and confirming the presence of M. bovis through laboratory testing. Typical affected lung appearance includes multiple nodules that can vary in size in the front and middle lung field. These nodules are generally filled with a thick, white, chalky material.

If you have identified an animal that is suffering from M. bovis, treatment should be started immediately. There are very few drugs on label for the treatment or prevention of pneumonia, so care must be taken to ensure appropriate diagnosis and antibiotic selection to allow for the best chance at a successful outcome. Nonspecific supportive therapy may also be of benefit when treating animals with nonspecific BRD such as anti-inflammatory drugs, fluids, and nutritional support. If treating pneumonia in your cattle, timely assessment of their response to treatment is key to identify potential chronic animals and redirect your treatment protocol. Chronic, non-responsive pneumonia is typically a hallmark of Mycoplasma pneumonias. Work

Continued on page 36.

Continued from page

with your veterinarian to develop protocols on disease identification, treatment, and re-treatment in your cattle.

Animals that become sick with Mycoplasma pneumonia are generally treated on their first pull according to individual producer protocols for pneumonia. If animals fail to respond, become chronic or develop lameness is generally when M. bovis is considered. Death loss is typically through euthanasia due to welfare concerns. In one study, 40 per cent of calves that had developed chronic pneumonia and arthritis were euthanized or died in the hospital pen. The 60 per cent of animals that responded sufficiently to return to their home pen required approximately four weeks of treatment and were 120 lb lighter than their cohorts.

With such poor response to treatment, prevention of disease from M. bovis is key. If you are raising calves, reducing exposure through contaminated milk can be done by pasteurizing, proper disinfecting

of equipment, or feeding milk replacer. M. bovis is susceptible to certain disinfectants including chlorine, chlorhexidine, or iodine-based disinfectants. Reducing airborne exposure is also important through proper ventilation in your facility and avoiding overstocking. Separate sick animals to decrease the risk of spread to other animals.

Non-specific measures such as appropriate biosecurity, providing adequate nutrition, minimizing sources of stress such as transport, and enhancing the animal’s immune system through appropriate vaccinations are also of benefit. Due to Mycoplasma’s immune moderating effects, vaccination has been difficult.

Mycoplasma is a significant concern for cattle producers due to its impact on animal health, productivity, and financial losses. Understanding the causes, treatment and management strategies are crucial for effective prevention and control. Emphasis should be on early detection, prompt intervention and comprehensive herd management to minimize the impact of M. bovis on animal health and productivity. OB

2023 FALL STOCKER SALES

Schedules are subject to change given the conditions of the industry. Please call the sale contact or check the BFO website www.ontariobeef.com – Market Info – Stocker Sales – Ontario Fall Sales or Northern Sales- to confirm details.

Aylmer Stockyards Inc.

Barn: 519-765-2672 Jim Doan: 519-777-9389, Mike VanNoord: 519-808-0904 info@aylmerstockyards.ca • www.aylmerstockyards.ca

Denfield Livestock Sales Ltd. (continued) Sales Barn - 519-666-1140 denfieldlivestock.com Stan Rees Cell - 519-871-5968

Nov 4 11:00 a.m. Denfield Annual local vaccinated calf sale

Nov 18 11:00 a.m. Denfield Final vaccinated calf & yearling sale

Embrun Livestock Steve Spratt - 613-821-2634 or 613-822-1351

ottawalivestock@bellnet.ca

Regular Sales every Monday- Embrun Livestock Exchange @ 12:30 pm. Dates for special Stocker Sales and Bred Cow sales for the fall will be posted on their website at www.ottawalivestockexchange.ca or by calling the Auction Market at 613-821-2634 or checking out the BFO website listed above.

Kawartha Lakes Community Sale Barn Inc. Sale Barn - 705-439-4444

Fax - 705-439-3145 www.klcauction.ca • info@klcauction.ca

For regular stocker sales & bred cow sales call Neil Woodrow at 905-404-4526 or Kevin Barker at 705-878-2947. For Peterborough/Victoria sales call Wayne Telford at 705-292-9531.

Regular sales every Saturday.

Oct 4 10:00

Oct

Brussels Livestock Sales Barn - 519-887-6461, Mark Ferraro - 519-492-0181 Matt Ferraro - 519-313-0583 info@brusselslivestock.ca www.brusselslivestock.ca

Regular stocker sales every Friday at 10 a.m.

Oct 20 10:00 a.m. Brussels Hereford Influence Sale & regular sale

Nov 17 10:00 a.m. Brussels Angus Influence Sale & regular sale

Cargill Auction Market Inc Sales Barn - 519-366-2214

Calvin Anstett - 519-881-6623

Alan Anstett - 519-881-6640 cargillauction@gmail.com

Sept 1 7:00 p.m. Cargill Char. & Exotic Cross Yearlings-Steers & Heifers

Sept 29 7:00 p.m. Cargill Char. & Exotic Cross Yearlings-Steers & Heifers

Oct 6 7:00 p.m. Cargill Char. & Exotic Cross Yearlings-Steers & Heifers

Oct 27 7:00 p.m. Cargill Local calf sale

Nov 3 7:00 p.m. Cargill

Local calf and yearling sale

David Carson Farms & Auction Services Auction Market: 519-291-2049

David Carson - 519-291-8252 • Don Robertson: 519-291-8582 info@davidcarson.on.ca www.davidcarson.on.ca

Monthly sales of stockers, bred cows & heifers, cow/calf pairs & Breeder Bulls. Consignments/Dispersals welcome. See website for complete & up to date sale listings and details.

Oct 23 1:00 p.m. Listowel

Fall stocker sale - all preconditioned, bunk-adjusted, age verified, various breeds. Live video day of sale at www.davidcarson.on.ca. Visit website in early October for list of consigned stockers

Community Livestock Exchange (Hoard’s Station) Dave DeNure - 705-653-3660

Sponsored by Quinte Cattlemen’s Association Brad DeNure - 705-653-8763 daveyd@xplornet.com www.hoardsstationsalebarn.com

Quinte Sales Contact - Denton Meiklejohn- 613-395-2008 dentlynnefarms@yahoo.ca

Farm fresh cattle only!

Sept 15 11:00 a.m. Campbellford

Regular sales every Tuesday.

Mixed sale, vacc. preferred, catalogued-Farm Fresh

Oct 20 11:00 a.m. Campbellford 100% all vaccinated, catalogued - Farm Fresh

Nov 24 11:00 a.m. Campbellford 100% all vaccinated, catalogued - Farm Fresh

Jan 26/24 11:00 a.m. Campbellford 100% all vaccinated, catalogued - Farm Fresh

Mar 15/24 11:00 a.m. Campbellford

Vaccinations preferred, catalogued - Farm Fresh

May 3/24 11:00 a.m. Campbellford 100% all vaccinated, catalogued - Farm Fresh

Denfield Livestock Sales Ltd.

Sales Barn - 519-666-1140 denfieldlivestock.com Stan Rees Cell - 519-871-5968

Regular sales every Tuesday at 12:00 noon. Fall Bred Cow & Cow/Calf Pair Sales to be Announced - check our website for updates.

Sept 23 11:00 a.m. Denfield Vaccinated calves & yearlings

Oct 7 11:00 a.m. Denfield Vaccinated calves & yearlings

Oct 21 11:00 a.m. Denfield Vaccinated calves & yearlings

Nov

Peterborough Cattlemen/ Victoria Beef Farmers -100% Certified Calf Sale- Cattle accepted from all counties. Contact Wayne Telford 705-292-9531. Nov

Victoria Beef Farmers- Calves & Yearlings. Cattle accepted from all counties. Contact Wayne Telford 705-292-9531. Mar

Victoria Beef Farmers Calves & Yearlings. Cattle accepted from all counties. Contact Wayne Telford 705-292-9531.

May

Keady Livestock Market Ltd. Sales Barn - 519-934-2339

Garry Kuhl - 519-934-1628

Tom McNabb - 519-794-3072

Scott Kuhl - 519-477-2339 www.keadylivestock.com

Mike Klages: 519-379-4603

Regular Stocker Sales every Tuesday at 9:00 am. All cattle on Overnight Stand & fully catalogued. Check website for further details. (Note Tues. October 24th is not a regular cattle sale.)

Sept 29

Oct

Oct

Oct

Oct

Oct

yearling steers & heifers selling ONS

selling ONS

Charolais Calf Producers Sale, Presorted & vacc according to Keady presort protocol

Bay Charolais Calf Producers Sale, Presorted & vacc according to Keady presort protocol

Calf Producers

Presorted and vaccinated according to Keady presort protocol Oct

Producers

vaccinated & selling in owner lots- vacc according to Keady presort protocol

Continued on page 38.

Nov 11 1:00 p.m. Hanover

Nov 18 1:00 p.m. Hanover

Dec 2 1:00 pm Hanover

Ontario Livestock Exchange

the Ante” Charolais

Female Sale

Bred Heifer Sale

Ontario Shorthorn Sale

Ontario Limousin Sale

David Ropp - 519-749-5072

Rainy River Cattlemen’s Sales - Stratton Sales Barn (continued)

James Gibson: 807-487-2731 or 807-271-2005

Sale Barn week of sale - 807-483-5354 katjames2@gmail.com

Oct 21 8:30 a.m. Stratton Cows and bulls start the sale at 8:00 am. Protocol cattle (Vaccinated Cattle) will sell at 1:00 pm, Majority are Age Verified

Nov 4 8:30 a.m. Stratton Cows and bulls start the sale at 8:00 am. Protocol cattle (Vaccinated Cattle) will sell at 1:00 pm, Majority are Age Verified

Renfrew-Pontiac Livestock Ltd. Ben Dick: 613-646-7335 or 613-602-7253 Matt Dick: 613-633-1598

Stocker sales will be held every Tuesday with the regular sale. Bred cow sales will be announced prior to sale date Temiskaming Livestock Sales Bill Stewart: 705-544-3508 or 705-647-5415

Regular sales every Monday.

Oct 13 12:00 p.m. New Liskeard

Special calf and yearling sale

Vankleek Hill Livestock Exchange Sales Barn - 613-678-3008, Francois Trembley

Stocker sales will be included in the last Wednesday sale of each month beginning in August.

Aug 30 1:00 p.m. Vankleek Hill Stocker sale

Sept 27 1:00 p.m. Vankleek Hill

Oct 25 1:00 p.m. Vankleek Hill

Nov 29 1:00 p.m. Vankleek Hill

Northern Cattle Sales Network

Stocker sale

Stocker sale

Stocker sale

Larry Witzel - 519-741-6333

Allen Colwell - 519-501-0147 or contact OLEX directly at 519-884-2082 or 1-800-265-8818 dropp@olex.on.ca www.olex.on.ca

https://www.facebook.com/NorthernCattleSalesNetwork - View cattle on offer at upcoming sales or post pictures or descriptions of your own cattle that will be on sale at upcoming Northern auction sales, free! Click on the Facebook link above to get started! Or, send pictures and information to Gord Mitchell at mitchg@vianet.on.ca for uploading. If you need assistance, call Gord Mitchell at cell # 705-571-1033.

Community Livestock Exchange (Hoard’s Station)

Special Vaccinated Stocker Sale–Every Wednesday @ 1:00 pm

Regular Stocker Sale- Every Thursday @ 11:00 am. Bred Cow Sales- Following Regular Stocker Sales on Thursdays.

Western Sales - Daily Internet Presort Sales & Direct from Ranch Sales Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Provost, Lloydminster, Vermillion, Yorkton, Maple Creek, Meadow Lake, Prince Albert and Mankota. Call Dave Ropp or OLEX for details.

Oct 26 1:00 p.m. Waterloo

Ontario Stockyards Inc.

Ab Carroll - 705-344-6654

Special Angus stocker sale in conjunction with the regular sale

Office - 705-458-4000

Brian Pascoe - 705-878-6918 osi.abcarroll@gmail.com www.ontariostockyards.on.ca

Follow us on our Facebook page: Ontario Stockyards- for the weekly updates and market information! Regular weekly stocker and feeder sales every Thursday at 11:00 am. All reg. sales will start with vaccinated cattle first. Bred Cow Sales to be announced at a later date. Check their website for updates www.ontariostockyards.on.ca

Sept 28 11:00 a.m. Cookstown

Oct 5 11:00 a.m. Cookstown

Oct 17 11:00 a.m. Cookstown

Nov 7 11:00 a.m. Cookstown

Nov 21 11:00 a.m. Cookstown

Dec 7 11:00 a.m. Cookstown

Dec 14 11:00 a.m. Cookstown

Ontario Stockyards Special Fall Yearling Sale in conjunction with the regular sale

CDN Angus Program/ CDN Hereford Assoc. Sale - In conjunction with regular Thursday Sale

Special fall yearling sale

Special all vaccinated calf sale

Special all vaccinated calf sale

Special Fall Yearling Sale in conjunction with the regular Thursday Sale

Special vaccinated calf sale in conjunction with the regular Thursday sale

Ottawa Livestock Exchange Steve Spratt - 613-821-2634 or 613-822-1351 www.ottawalivestockexchange.ca ottawalivestock@bellnet.ca

Regular Sales every Thursday- Ottawa Livestock Exchange @ 12:30 pm. Dates for special Stocker Sales and Bred Cow sales for the fall will be posted on this website: www.ottawalivestockexchange.ca, or by calling the Auction Market at 613-821-2634, or checking out the BFO website listed above.

Rainy River Cattlemen’s Sales - Stratton Sales Barn

James Gibson: 807-487-2731 or 807-271-2005

Sale Barn week of sale - 807-483-5354 katjames2@gmail.com

Sales will be available via DLMS Network- PLEASE SIGN UP and REQUEST TO BID EARLY & PRIOR TO THE SALE STARTING. If you are planning to purchase over the network you will need to call the sales barn office to set up an account.

Sept 9 8:30 a.m. Stratton

Cows and bulls start the sale at 8:00 am. Protocol cattle (Vaccinated Cattle) will sell at 1:00 pm, Majority are Age Verified

Sept 30 8:30 a.m. Stratton Cows and bulls start the sale at 8:00 am. Protocol cattle (Vaccinated Cattle) will sell at 1:00 pm, Majority are Age Verified

Sponsored by Quinte Cattlemen’s Association

Quinte Sales Contact - Denton Meiklejohn: 613-395-2008 or dentlynnefarms@yahoo.ca

Farm fresh cattle only!

Sept 15 11:00 a.m. Campbellford

Oct 20 11:00 a.m.

Nov 24 11:00 a.m.

Mixed sale, vacc. preferred, catalogued-farm Fresh

100% all vaccinated, cataloguedfarm fresh

100% all vaccinated, cataloguedfarm fresh

Jan 26/24 11:00 a.m. Campbellford 100% all vaccinated, cataloguedfarm fresh

Mar 15/24 11:00 a.m. Campbellford

May 3/24 11:00 a.m. Campbellford

Vaccinations preferred, catalogued-farm fresh

100% vaccinated, cataloguedfarm fresh

Kawartha Lakes Community Sale Barn Inc. Wayne Telford: 705-292-9531

Peterborough Cattlemen/Victoria Beef Farmers Sale Week: 705-439-4444

Nov 1 10:00 a.m. Woodville

Peterborough Cattlemen/ Victoria Beef Farmers -100% Certified Calf Sale. Cattle accepted from all counties. Contact Wayne Telford 705-292-9531 .

Nov 15 10:00 a.m. Woodville

Peterborough Cattlemen/ Victoria Beef Farmers - Calf & Yearling Sale. Cattle accepted from all counties. Contact Wayne Telford 705-292-9531.

Jan 31/24 10:00 a.m. Woodville Peterborough Cattlemen/ Victoria Beef Farmers - Calves & Yearlings. Cattle accepted from all counties. Contact Wayne Telford 705-292-9531.

May

Peterborough Cattlemen/ Victoria Beef Farmers Calves & Yearlings. Cattle accepted from all counties. Contact Wayne Telford 705-292-9531.

Thessalon Sale Dennis Kirby cell - 705-842-2249

(sponsored by Algoma Co-operative Livestock Sales)

Member of the Northern Cattle Sales Network

lots &

Wiarton Sale Terry Moser, President - 519-375-7957

(sponsored by Grey-Bruce Livestock Co-operative)

MARKET INFORMATION UPDATE

By Jamie Gamble, BFO Market Information Coordinator markets@ontariobeef.com • www.ontariobeef.com

The first half of 2023 has been exceptionally strong in some areas while others have seen declines. The fed cattle market set a new record high the week ending March 2nd, surpassing the previous record set in 2015, and continued the upward trend until the end of June. Typically, prices do not improve from June to July and this year followed suit. Since 1994, there have only been 10 years where prices have increased from June to July. In 2021, prices declined 3.3% from the spring high to the fall low while 2022 saw a decline of 4.4% and the five-year average was 8.3% lower. At time of reporting early July the market has already declined 4.7% from the spring high average of $415.00 cwt. Although finished cattle are strong, the cost of production is also extremely high and taking a bite out of the profits. Cattle that are ready for market in July are seeing production costs estimated at approximately $185.50 cwt, up $31.69 cwt from July 2022, $46.19 more cwt than July 2021 and $57.53 per hundred weight higher than the five-year average.

A decline in Ontario processing capacity this year has been offset by a strong demand from the U.S. for Ontario fed cattle. Live cattle exports for processing to the U.S. from Ontario are up considerably from last year. Year-to-date steer volumes exported are at 13,171 head, up 824% over last year as of May 31st. Heifer volumes are up 100% year over year at 14,146 head and cull cows are up 13% from the same time in 2022 at 18,349 head. Year to date exports, including feeder cattle total 46,320 head as of May 31, 2023, up 68% over May 31, 2022 overall. Feeder cattle export volumes however are down year over year with just 510 head exported to the U.S. as of May 31, 2023 down 81% from 2022 volumes. At time of reporting early July the volumes heading south are lighter as the U.S. cattle prices declined and the CDN dollar strengthened making it more difficult for Ontario cattle to work.

Ontario provincial processing volumes are currently below the last two years but stronger than the three years prior. Volumes processed provincially as of May 31st, are down 9.5% from the same time in 2022, down 9.4% from 2021 but up $0.6% from May 31, 2020. Heifer volumes are about steady but less steers and cull cows have been processed provincially. Federally inspected plants are seeing lighter volumes in 2023 as anticipated after losing one plant early in the year. As of May 31st, Ontario federal processing numbers are down 6.2% from the same time in 2022 and down 4.5% from May 31, 2021. Feedlots have remained current and numbers have been manageable to tight at times which has also helped support the fat cattle market. Carcass weights have been trending above 2022 for the first half of 2023, but well in line with the five year average.

The first half of 2023 has been strong in the cull cow category with very strong prices recorded. As of June 30th, there has been 57,949 cull cows sold through auction markets which is close to June 20, 2022 but approximately 5,000 head less than the previous three years. Beef cow numbers are down year over year but higher than the previous three years. Strong prices for cows and good demand paired with high feeding costs have kept the cows coming to market. Similar to the fat cattle market the cull cows have seen very high prices with good demand locally.

For the first time in six years, the volume of stockers selling through auction markets has increased year over year. As of June 30, 2023, there have been 110,952 stockers sold through auction markets, up 5% over June 30, 2022 which is not huge but it is obvious the strong prices are encouraging stocker movement. Oddly enough, stocker volumes sold this year are comparable to those noted in 2015 when record high prices were set. On the stocker graphs the previous record set in 2015 has been plotted. All categories of steers with the exception of 400 pounds and less, have surpassed the previous records. As for stocker heifers the heavier weights above 700 pounds have been successful in breaking the previous records while the lighter weights have struggled to attain the highs. Prices are still trending sharply stronger than last year, the year before and the five-year average. Prices generally trend higher moving into the fall, but how high can they go is the million-dollar question. Included in this edition we have added the stocker info link card, which can also be accessed through ontariobeef.com under the Farmer Hub tab. This is a useful tool for sharing information on the cattle being sold at auction markets, including vaccinations, implants, RFID numbers etc. Special fall stockers sales will be ramping up as early as August in some areas. The complete fall stocker sales listing of all Ontario auction markets is also available in this edition of Ontario Beef, as well as posted on our website under Market Info.

We have many options to help farmers keep track of current pricing, all free of charge. If you are computer savvy, ontariobeef.com has multiple pages you can access for current market information. Auction market results are posted the next day under Auction Markets and then Individual Auction Market Reports. A noon report is posted

Continued on page 40.

The information provided on this report is based on weighted averages for actual data collected. Input costs are a guideline only and will vary from producer to producer. BFO does not take any responsibility and accepts no legal liability arising from or connected to damages or losses experienced by producers when using this information. This is to be used at your own risk.

Continued from page 39. –

Market Info

daily with updates from sales in progress that day. Daily and weekly reports are also posted by 4:30 p.m. with information on the sales of the day, other markets and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange closing figures. The daily report is available on our website, via email or fax.

The weekly report is available on our website, via email, fax and by mail every Friday afternoon. If you are interested in receiving any of the reports, please call the office 519.824.0334 to make arrangements. OB

BEEF EXPORTS - CANADA (AAFC)

BEEF PRODUCTION - CANADA (AAFC)

BEEF IMPORTS - CANADA (AAFC)

LIVE CATTLE - CANADA (AAFC)

LIVE CATTLE EXPORTS - ONTARIO

CALENDAR Ontario Beef Industry Events

August 14-17 – Canadian Beef Industry Conference, Stampede Park, Calgary. Visit canadianbeefindustryconference.com for details

August 26 – Ontario Shorthorn Association Junior Show, Erin

September 2 – Autumn Classic Angus Sale, Hanover

September 8-9 – Cow-Calf Management School, Durham County. Visit www.ontariobeef.com for details.

September 9 – Ontario Autumn Classic Simmental Sale, Hanover

September 12-14 – Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, Woodstock, Ontario. Visit the BFO booth.

September 15 – River Valley Polled Herefords Genetic Designs Sale, Newburgh

September 16 – Elm Lodge and Friends Source For Success Hereford Sale, Indian River

September 17 – Medonte Highlands Polled Herefords and Friends

Autumn Alliance Sale, Orillia

September 19-23 – International Plowing Match and Rural Expo, Bowling Green, Ontario (Dufferin County)

September 23 – Mack Charolais Heart of the Herd Production Sale, Campbellford

September 30 – “Ontario’s Finest” Red Angus Sale, Hanover

September 30 – National Blonde d’Aquitaine Show, Markham

September 30 – Eastern Harvest Simmental Sale, Chenevile, QC

October 1 – Indian River Cattle Company Quality Control Simmental and Angus Sale, Indian River

October 7 – Ontario Simmental Solution Sale, Listowel

October 13 – Uppin’ The Ante Charolais Sale, Hanover

October 14 – 76th Annual Blue Water Angus Sale, Cargill

October 14 – Fall Feature Charolais Female Sale, Campbellford

October 14 – Stars of the Valley Simmental Sale, Metcalfe

October 15 – River Point Cattle Co Fall Gala Simmental Sale, Glencoe

October 21 – Clarke Family Farms Pasture of Dreams Angus and Simmental Sale, Blenheim

October 21 – Cream of the Crop Blonde d’Aquitaine Sale, Hoards Station

October 21 – Potter Charolais Online Dispersal Sale, Earlton

October 28 – Platinum Picks Charolais Female Sale, Colborne

October 28 – Ontario Simmental Association’s Simmental Influence Stock Calf Sale, Keady

November 18 – Futures One Online Simmental Sale

November 19 – Leahy Livestock 3rd Annual Online Simmental Sale

Daryl and Connie Clarke and Family 342 Chatham Street South, Blenheim, Ontario N0P 1A0

Hugh M. Ross: 519-365-4026 hugh.clarkeffi@gmail.com

Changes to OBCFPP Licenced Dealers List

Now Licenced: Country Dealer

002453766 Ontario Ltd. o/a 33 Mile Cattle Corp. Brussels, Ont.

The Ontario Beef Cattle Financial Protection Program is administered by Agricorp. The listing of licensed dealers is updated regularly and the complete listing can be found on the Agricorp website.

BEEF FARMERS OF ONTARIO PRIVACY STATEMENT

The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of producers’ personal information in compliance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Subscribers to Ontario Beef magazine, the official publication of the Beef Farmers of Ontario, do so on a voluntary basis. By subscribing, subscribers are consenting to have their contact information used for the purposes of receiving the magazine and developing an BFO mailing list.

This mailing list will be used for the distribution of the BFO magazine.

The BFO will not sell, trade or otherwise share its Ontario Beef mailing list under any circumstances. A service may be provided whereby items are submitted to the BFO and mailed internally with the magazine but all materials must be approved by and acceptable to the BFO. In rare instances where external, non-commercial organizations, like the provincial or federal government, wish to use the Ontario Beef mailing list to distribute information, the government must provide their mailing materials in a finished format to BFO and/or its mailing house. BFO will then coordinate the mailing, at the requesting organization’s cost, thus maintaining confidentiality of the list. In cases where the BFO may commission a mailing, the company providing the service is required to sign a mandatory confidentiality agreement.

Subscribers to the Ontario Beef mailing list who wish to have their names removed, should call 519-824-0334 or email bethany@ontariobeef.com. Please allow 15 business days to allow us to update our records accordingly.

BFO’s complete privacy statement, covering areas of information including the electronic update system, Website, membership list and market information can be viewed on its Website at http://www.ontariobeef.com/privacy.asp

Where Quality Counts

Pete Coleman Brantford, ON Cell: 519-865-3453 pete.bridgeview@gmail.com www.qualityseeds.ca

8400 Huntington Road, Vaughan, ON 1-877-856-SEED (7333) • Fax: 905-856-7509

SPECKLE PARK HUGH MACNEIL 519-861-2722 hugh.macneil@outlook.com

8669 Concession 6 Listowel, ON N4W 3G8

Gates, Hutches, Fencing, Scales, Chutes & More sales@steelheadag.com • 519-266-6877 • www.steelheadag.com

WAYDAMAR

Simmental Bulls is our Business & Heifers that can Produce them

Black & Reds • Performance • Ultrasound Tested

Contact: Dave: 519-375-0122

Josh: 519-362-5373 • Grant: 519-387-0429

WELLNESS ON THE FARM

Information Provided by Matt McIntosh for Farm Credit Canada

Four Big Questions to Answer Before Moving Back to the Farm

The adult kids are moving back to the farm, but has everyone taken time to understand what that means – personally and for the farm business?

The move home means having direct conversations about money, lifestyle expectations and retirement.

According to Annessa Good, a Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Business Advisor and Transition Specialist, addressing details of the change of dynamics before the younger generation comes back to the farm is critical to the farm business’s viability, and familial relations.

How will I transition from my career?

In Good’s experience, the “kids” coming back to the farm are often in their 30s or 40s and return to their roots after working in established careers with structured work hours, meeting times, vacation allotments and scheduled lunch breaks. That means they tend to look at the farm through this lens.

Good says both generations should keep the following in mind:

• Younger generation may bring more formal business practices to the farm, which could improve the farm’s operation efficiency

• Older generation may be resistant to more formality

• Both generations should work to consider each other as business partners

• Younger generation should be aware of the risks and sacrifices of moving away from an established, steady career

• Both generations should establish what’s viable before the younger generation moves back to the farm or gives up an off-farm job

“The farm is a lot different than a job in an urban centre. Are they aware of the debt and sacrifices which might be required, or that they might have less disposable income or time off?”

Do I have the background details?

For Bayden Hamilton and his fiancé Tara Katamay Smith of Olds, Alta., reviewing multiple years of financial statements was a critical early step before deciding to return to the family farm. Doing so painted an accurate picture of the business’s success, as well as what he could expect financially.

“My mom sent us any information that we wanted to see and made sure we understood what each line meant. This helped us understand how our income needs would be met and how they compared to what we were used to,” Hamilton says.

“It was also very important to us to know that we were stepping into a viable business and what the financial implications would be by either continuing with existing operations or modifying operations to meet our vision for the farm.”

Where will everyone live?

Establishing who will live where is critical. Before selling or moving from an urban home, Good says the incoming party needs to know:

• If there’s a spare lot to live on. That is, is there any room on which to build another residence?

• If there’s only one residence like the family homestead, will investments in the business mean future ownership of the house?

Good says establishing a long-term lifestyle and residential goals is a necessity. That means addressing:

• Where people want to live

• Whether new constructions or upgrades are viable

• Actual costs of living on the farm

• What everyone wants for the next part of their lives

• Older generation’s retirement requirements

“Residences are one of the most emotionally fueled topics because we are talking about memories, the future, security,” says Good. “We have to remember it’s still a huge component of capital purchases and fiscal realities.”

Is there enough time to train?

There also needs to be enough time for knowledge transfer. Expectations around initial working roles within the business, and how those roles could evolve as the younger generation learns should be discussed.

“If you only drove the combine a couple of times a year, do you truly understand the agronomy? If you’re coming home at 35, and mom and dad are 55, is there enough time to transfer skills?” says Good, reiterating learning periods also provide opportunity to explore new business ideas.

What if it doesn’t work out?

Even the best transition plans don’t always work in the end, but Good believes farm families can still take steps to ensure they and the business can emerge in a positive place:

• Access outside help via advisors which can help resolve issues and clarify whether the business can meet personal expectations

• Set a timeline where the younger generation participates in the farm before making the final go-or-stay decision

• Track all monetary contributions and payouts

Good says the incoming party must understand they may take a financial hit if the farm relationship doesn’t work out.

Bottom line, leaving an urban job to move back to work on the farm can be an exciting prospect. Still, important considerations about money, lifestyle expectations and retirement should be addressed before handing in a resignation letter at the office. OB