Ontario Beef - October 2021 by Ontario Beef Magazine

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE BEEF FARMERS OF ONTARIO

BEEF ON T A R I O

MAKING THE MOST OF FORAGE QUALITY • LEADING THE WAY IN THE ONTARIO BEEF INDUSTRY • BIG BRUCE PUTS BEEF ON THE MAP • OCTOBER 2021

FARMERS AND CONSUMERS VALUE QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAMS

Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement Number 0040007029

THE ADVANTAGES CAN’T BE DISPUTED • Hereford-sired feedlot steers had better weaning weights, better daily gains in the feedlot, and better feed conversion compared to other steers. • Performance data shows 10% better gains than yard averages. • Better dry matter conversion average by 9.2% When feed prices are high, feed efficiency is up to 10 times more economically important than ADG. • Documented research shows that hybrid vigour is greater in white face cross cattle due to genetic purity of the Hereford breed. • The docility of Hereford cattle has a large impact on not only gains but also meat quality traits over less docile animals.

The Ontario Hereford Association salutes and congratulates the Ontario Hereford Commercial Breeders of the Year:

Corp Farms (Kevin and Terri Corp; Travis and Paula Corp) of Omemee, Ontario

Hereford influence cattle are the best choice for your feedlot. Let the white face give you an advantage in the market. IT WILL PUT YOU IN THE BLACK. Contact us today about the hereford plus program. CORP CREEK FARM Bill and Jill Corp and Family OMEMEE, ON 705-799-7488 (Bill’s cell) 705-772-9345 (Jill’s cell) corpcreekfarm@hotmail.com Registered Breeding Stock HIDDEN-VIEW POLLED HEREFORDS Joe & Karen Paszternak NORWOOD, ON 705-957-3739 or 705-957-7470 karen.paszternak@gmail.com Cows & heifers for sale

www.ontarioherefords.ca

WHISKEY LANE LIVESTOCK Hereford 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

LIAN MOR POLLED HEREFORDS Wallace & Fern Pugh & Trevor & Amy Pugh MONO, ON Wally &Fern lianmor@sympatico.ca • 519-941-8515 Trevor & Amy tpugh27@yahoo.com • 519-939-7486 Breeding stock available O’SHEA FARMS Jamie and Mel O’Shea DENFIELD, ON 519-477-1238 osheafarms@hotmail.com Bulls & Females for Sale

Lois Batty,ON President – 705-328-4302 KAREN PASZTERNAK Dr. | Norwood, • 705-957-3739 • karen.paszternak@gmail.com www.ontarioherefords.ca PRESIDENT JILL AND BILL CORP | Omemee, ON • 705-772-9345 • ontarioherefordassociation@outlook.com SECRETARY MANAGER

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE BEEF FARMERS OF ONTARIO

BEEF ONTARIO

October 2021

Volume 62, Number 4

COMPLIMENTARY MEMBER-SUPPORTED PUBLICATION

CONTENTS 4

Ahead of the Heard

Wellness on the Farm

The Beef Beat

Between You, Me and the Fence Post

10 Ontario Beef Market Development Update 12 Making the Most of Forage Quality 14 Farm and Food Care Update 16 Leading the Way in the Ontario Beef Industry

18 Farmers and Consumers Value Quality Assurance Programs

ON THE COVER

22 OMAFRA Update: Grazing Cover Crops

Our feature story in this issue of Ontario Beef highlights two families who have taken advantage of beef quality assurance programs. Read about the factors that led to their decision to become involved in the programs, and learn more about our Quality Assurance Rebate Incentive Program currently offered to BFO members.

26 AgSights Update 28 LRIC Update: Keeping an Eye on What’s Happening in the Alternative Protein Space 29 CCA Update 30 Canada Beef Update

Special thanks to Bruce County Beef Farmers for the cover photo of Big Bruce. Don’t miss out on submitting your photos for our December issue. Please send your winterinspired photos by November 15 to be considered for the cover. Digital photos that are at least 300dpi are preferred and can be emailed to info@ontariobeef.com.

31 Market Information 36 Calendar of Events 38 Focus on Herd Health: Vaccine Considerations for Your Herd

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 Bethany Storey 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. C an adi an P u b l i c a t i o n s M a i l P r o d u c t S a l es A g r eem en t Nu m b er 0 0 4 0 0 0 7 0 2 9 POSTMASTER: Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Beef Farmers of Ontario, 130 Malcolm Road, Guelph, ON N1K 1B1

AHEAD OF THE HEARD By Rob Lipsett, BFO President info@ontariobeef.com • www.ontariobeef.com

Working Away Through Our To-Do List I

t’s hard to believe fall has arrived, and harvest has already been in full swing for some time now. Hopefully with cooperating weather over the next few weeks, we will be able to check off our to-do lists and be well prepared for the first snowfall. According to the Farmers’ Almanac, “winter wetness and whiteness” sums up our winter outlook. Hopefully excess precipitation will help many of us restore drought-impacted water reservoirs as we head into a new growing season in 2022. As I mentioned in my previous article, we were relieved to hear Canada’s BSE risk status was downgraded to negligible in May. Since this historic announcement, CCA and CFIA have initiated a working group to review Canada’s SRM removal requirements of which BFO Director Ron Stevenson is a member. Our collective objective through the working group is to align our SRM protocols with those in the United States. The SRM review will focus on key areas including U.S.-Canada protocol comparison, public and animal health considerations, risk modeling, and international trade implications. Further to this, BCRC has agreed to fund a contract with Research Sciences International to define the problem definition as it relates to developing a comprehensive SRM review. This initial step will ensure the full SRM review will encompass all necessary aspects to make an informed risk-based decision on what changes need to be made to Canada’s SRM removal policy. After this step, the SRM working group will commence an RFP request for the full review, with an aim of having the review completed by spring 2022. Following this, CFIA will then assess the information provided and respond with a recommended course of action. We know this process will not lead to the immediate changes we would all like to see but ultimately this due diligence on the part of industry and government is what’s required to ensure meaningful changes are made. Let’s not forget that not long-ago public statements by government officials were made pointing out that regardless of the BSE risk status change, Canada’s SRM policies may never be relaxed. With that context in mind, where we find ourselves today compared to where we were only a short time ago, is much more positive for the sector. Speaking of lengthy processes, we’ve also been working to address the loss of boxed beef price reporting in Canada. We’ve been working with CCA, Canfax, and our counterparts across the country to find solutions, which first began with a plan to seek voluntary reporting from packers across the country. BFO BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2021 Rob Lipsett (Background Director) - President Phone: 519-375-2080 • Email: lipsettrob@yahoo.ca Jack Chaffe (Feedlot Director) - Vice-President Phone: 519-301-3034 • Email: jdchaffe@quadro.net 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 Joe Dickenson (Feedlot Director) Email: joe@dickensonfarms.com David Millsap (Feedlot Director) Email: davidwmillsap@gmail.com Jordan Miller (Northern Director) Email: b.jordan.miller@gmail.com Craig McLaughlin (Eastern Director) Email: cmblackhorse@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

O N T A R I O B E E F • OCT OBE R 2 0 2 1

Conversations with medium and large packers occurred throughout the spring and summer in an effort to resume boxed beef price reporting. Although some packers expressed a willingness to report, we were not successful in achieving sufficient participation to support the generation of a reliable report. Given the failure of the voluntary approach, we began to investigate mandatory reporting through the Statistics Act as a possible solution for the beef industry. During the most recent CCA Semi-Annual Meeting in August, the CCA Domestic Ag Committee formally passed a resolution that CCA request Statistics Canada to establish a mandatory reporting of boxed beef and by-products values from federally inspected packers under the authority of section 13 of the Statistics Act. Given the timing of the recent federal election, we don’t anticipate a decision on our request will be made until sometime next year. Another issue we continue to contend with is the implementation of the humane livestock transport regulations. While the revised regulations came into force in February, 2020, a two-year transition period was announced in late 2019 pertaining to the feed, water and rest time (FWR) interval provisions within the regulation, which guides the maximum time in transit, including time away from FWR pre and post transport. With the end of the transition period looming, CCA, BFO, National Cattle Feeders’ Association, and the other eight provincial cattle associations have formally requested that the FWR provision be extended until the completion and analysis of ongoing AAFC research. While we await a decision on this request, we have created a livestock transport record, which includes the required transfer of care documentation as outlined in the regulations. Hardcopy booklets, in triplicate form, can be accessed through the BFO office and are available to auction markets, producers and transporters free of charge. An online version can also be accessed from BFO’s website under Services. In closing, our eyes are now set on winter plans and connecting with our membership. BFO’s Fall Meeting will take place virtually for our local association representatives in late November, followed by local annual general meetings throughout January, and we will wrap up with our virtual annual general meeting on February 23 & 24. More details on these meetings will be shared in our December issue, but I look forward to “seeing” many of you over the next couple of months. OB

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 Communications Specialist Bethany Storey • bethany@ontariobeef.com Market Information Coordinator Jamie Gamble • markets@ontariobeef.com

Accountant Amber McIntyre • amber@ontariobeef.com Office Manager Tammy Purdham • tammy@ontariobeef.com 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 Water Quality Specialist Chris Attema • chris@ontariobeef.com

WELLNESS ON THE FARM By Resi Walt, OFA Member Service Representative

Spotlight on OFA’s Farmer Wellness Program T

he pandemic created a whole new set of challenges to farming – inflated building costs, equipment parts that are unavailable, and delays for service due to staffing shortages – added to the already existing demands of constant pressures and time constraints, like haying and harvest. It’s not uncommon for farmers to experience higher rates of stress that can look like: poor sleeping, increased frustration with tasks or everyday chores, trouble concentrating or troubleshooting what to do next, headaches, and minimal communication with loved ones or friends in fear of angry outbursts. While these are all common reactions to stress and anxiety, sometimes it can be difficult to navigate on our own. The Farmer Wellness Program was initiated for producers who just need some extra help navigating the stress and anxiety that is ten-fold when farming for a living. It was created for farmers, by farmers, who understand that our community of people have different pressures than the rest of the population. When you first contact the Farmer Wellness Program, your message will be received by the service provider for your county. All communication is strictly confidential and there’s no commitment necessary. It’s standard practice to start with a casual conversation between yourself and the counsellor to determine if the fit is right and

to discuss what counselling sessions would look like moving forward. What’s special about our program is that you can try out counselling for four sessions at no charge. It gives farmers the opportunity to see if it’s right for them without having to worry about the cost. The counsellors have flexible schedules to accommodate farming hours and most importantly, they all have farming backgrounds so there’s an inherent understanding of the demands of farming. We offer the program in Lennox & Addington, Hastings, Prince Edward, Northumberland and Lanark, with expansion planned for Durham and Frontenac counties in the very near future. Visit our website at FarmerWellnessProgram.ca to book your appointment. We’d like to offer our appreciation to all the individuals and organizations who have supported the program. We are an entirely grassroots program, with all our funding coming locally. Most recently, the Beef Farmers of Hastings County generously donated $500 to their local branch of the program. We were thrilled to accept this donation from the group at their annual BBQ hosted by the Russet family in August. For those looking for more information, OFA has a resource listing on their website found at ofa.on.ca/mental-health. You can also follow the Farmer Wellness Program on Facebook and Instagram. OB

ON TA R IO BEEF • OC TOBER 20 21

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

CCA Semi-Annual Meeting Review I

n mid-August, CCA held its semi-annual meeting in Calgary. This was the first in-person meeting that CCA has hosted since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020. The CCA Semi-Annual Meeting consists of the five CCA Committees (Food Policy, Domestic Ag, Environment, Animal Health, Foreign Trade), the full CCA Board Meeting, and the Young Cattlemen’s Council (YCC) also meets during this time.

Food Policy Food Policy was the first committee meeting of the week, and like always, there was a lot to discuss. The main event that was top of mind was the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) which took place in September of this year. Leading up to the summit, CCA with the Nature Conservancy of Canada held a three-day independent dialogue to help develop Canada’s statement for the UNFSS. The global relationships established during the dialogue event helped our sector to move the pendulum back towards sustainable agriculture.

Environment The Environment Committee meeting consisted of presentations on a forage and grasslands carbon offset pilot program, a species-atrisk partnership on agricultural lands project, and a virtual fencing research project. The virtual fencing research project was quite interesting and focused on technology being explored in Australia around fencing systems that use LTE and satellites to communicate locations of cattle via collars the cattle wear. The technology works similar to invisible dog fences; however, instead of a buried underground wire to set the perimeter fence, the producer can set the fence via a phone or a computer using GPS locations. The committee members also received updates on wild pig control and a research project around cattle and coyotes. This is an important committee as the federal government has a clear environmental mandate, and members will be monitoring all items released by the government that impacts the beef industry.

Animal Health and Welfare

During the committee meeting, members received updates from the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, Canada Beef, and the CCA Public and Stakeholder Engagement team. Lastly, the committee discussed some current files, including the front-of-package labeling on ground beef and the simulated meat guidelines. The front-ofpackage labeling on ground beef has yet to receive a final decision from Health Canada as they are currently focused on managing COVID-19. The simulated meat guidelines file has been a little more active as CFIA released a “What We Heard Report” in July and predicts that the final guidelines will be released in the fall of 2021. CCA will continue to monitor these issues and update BFO as needed.

With the recent decision from the OIE on Canada’s BSE status, CCA provided an update on the next steps for these files which included a review of Canada’s current SRM regulations and what is the process to harmonize with the United States. One of the more current issues that the committee reviewed was the formal request by CCA to extend the feed, water and rest interval within the livestock transportation regulations until the completion and analysis of AAFC research. Other topics on the agenda were the Canadian foot-and-mouth vaccine bank, traceability, priority cattle health needs, restricted feeder programs, UHF RFID adoption strategy and rural veterinary strategies.

Domestic Ag Policy and Regulations

Foreign Trade

As expected during this committee meeting, AgriRecovery was the main topic discussed as it was two weeks following the federal announcement. Other topics discussed by the committee included the next Canadian Ag Policy Framework, a remote sensing pasture insurance project, and boxed beef pricing. The next Canadian Ag Policy Framework is scheduled to come into force in April, 2023. Over the next year, there will be periods in which industry organizations will have a chance to comment on what they would like to see in the next framework. The remote pasture insurance project is a research project that CCA has become involved with to evaluate the efficacy of using satellite imagery for a forage/pasture-based insurance program. The project includes farms from both western and eastern Canada. Lastly, as most are aware, the boxed beef prices have not been reported since the start of COVID-19. A recommendation was made by the committee to request through the Statistics Act that it become mandatory to report boxed beef values.

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The Foreign Trade Committee tends to be one of the most active committees year-over-year at CCA, and this year was no exception. An update was provided on the current UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement and the next steps as Canada and the UK moved towards a permanent free trade agreement. Post-BSE market access is also a high priority for CCA; this includes SRM harmonization with the United States and the renegotiations of trade deals that have clauses limiting Canadian beef importation due to Canada’s prior BSE risk status (an excellent example of this is South Korea). Two other countries that Canada is in trade discussions with are Indonesia and India. As always, there was an update on the mCOOL issue in the United States. Finally, CCA staff updated the committee on some of the advancements on technical trade barriers pertaining to CETA, which have caused that agreement to be less favorable than initially promised. Overall, there were some exciting opportunities available, and the committee will continue to seek out markets for Canadian beef. OB

Courtesy of Staden Farms

Courtesy of Ian Thorleifson

Courtesy of Jody Scheirlinck

Courtesy of Tracy Lamb

Courtesy of Canadian Sheep Federation

canadaid.ca

CCIA WORKING TOWARDS TRACEABILITY TOGETHER CANADIAN CATTLE IDENTIFICATION AGENCY

Led by representation from 15 livestock organizations from across Canada, the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency, CCIA, is the responsible administrator for beef cattle, bison, sheep and pending regulation cervids and goats in Canada

(with some exemptions in Quebec).

WHAT’S NEW IN THE WEBSTORE

FOR ALL THINGS TRACEABILITY

SHEARWELL RFID — An innovative steel wrap-around beef tag, the first of its kind. The microchip is overmolded in a plastic insert so readability and read range of the transponder are never compromised. DESTRON DMR RFID — Upgraded version of the Destron eTag. Improvements include a fully molded outer tag housing for better durability and water resistance and an enhanced locking mechanism for greater retention.

canadaid.ca — your source for who we are and what

we do.

clts.canadaid.ca — Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS), is CCIA’s database where essential traceability information is captured and serves as the first line of defence in the event of a traceback. support.canadaid.ca — your “how to” destination. tags.canadaid.ca — tags and tag accessories when you need them, 24/7.

UHF | NEW POSSIBILITIES CCIA is exploring the introduction of Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) RFID tags into the existing system in a cost-efficient manner that augments the approved CCIA tag and supplies benefits of the technology to on-farm data collection. Data integrity is enhanced, and data capture is more efficient by pairing an UHF tag number with a CCIA tag number and storing the cross reference in the CLTS.

WE ARE ON THE MOVE We have had a longstanding goal of owning our own building consisting of both office and warehouse space under one roof in Calgary. The CCIA Board’s vision is now a reality offering the potential to increase our in-house services and become more self-reliant in order to better serve the industry as we move forward.

To get to know us better and learn more about how we are working towards traceability together, visit www.canadaid.ca | info@canadaid.ca | 1-877-909-2333

CCIA

CANADIAN CATTLE IDENTIFICATION AGENCY

ON TA R IO BEEF • OC TOBER 20 21

BETWEEN YOU, ME AND THE FENCE POST By LeaAnne Wurmli, BFO Director of Communications leaanne@ontariobeef.com • www.ontariobeef.com

Big Bruce Puts Beef on the Map T

he legendary Field of Dreams movie quote, “If you build it, he [they] will come” swirled in my head as I researched the history of the infamous Big Bruce and his travels across the U.S./Canadian border nearly fifty years ago, coupled with a big idea by a gentleman named, Harvey Davis. The legend goes like this. In the early 1970s, Harvey Davis, who at the time held many titles, including a beef farmer, the president of the Bruce County Cattlemen’s Association, the reeve of Elderslie Township (now Arran-Elderslie) and Warden of Bruce County, was on a trip south of the border. During his travels he spotted a fibreglass steer towering an impressive 11 feet high, 20 feet long and weighing in at 1,690 pounds. The steer was constructed in Wisconsin and used for beef promotion in the U.S., and later sold to Loblaw Companies for the same purpose. When the grocery campaign ended, the massive steer was tucked away in a warehouse in Toronto. However, the steer left a lasting impression on Davis, and he was convinced that the big bovine had a higher purpose. He set out on his own campaign to bring the steer home to Bruce County to help promote the rich agriculture roots of the region and the proud history of beef cattle farming in Bruce County. With the approaching 1976 International Plowing Match (IPM), to be held in Walkerton, Davis advocated for the Bruce County Cattlemen’s Association (now Bruce County Beef Farmers) to purchase the mascot to help advertise the IPM and welcome over 100,000 visitors who would be flocking to the region for the annual match. Davis’ lobbying was successful, and in 1974 the local cattlemen’s association purchased Big Bruce for $6,000. Big Bruce began his career in the county as a road warrior with the support of many local farmers and volunteers. He travelled the highways across Ontario on a golden trailer pulled by a half tonne truck and joined many community functions like fall fair and centennial parades, and brought smiles to many faces along the way.

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In 1980, four years after the IPM, Harvey sadly passed away from a battle with cancer. At that time, the Bruce County Cattlemen’s Association made the decision to retire Big Bruce to a permanent location nestled at the edge of Chesley, Ontario at the Elderslie Municipal Township building in memory of Harvey and his advocacy work in the promotion of the region and agriculture. Now, 41 years later, Big Bruce has received a new accolade. Over the summer, Big Bruce competed in TVO’s The Agenda’s 2021 Roadside-Attraction Showdown, alongside 15 other roadside attractions, including the Ottawa’s Spider, Moonbeam’s Flying Saucer, Colborne’s Big Apple, Wawa’s Goose and Sudbury’s Big Nickel. Thanks to many supporters who voted, on September 7, Big Bruce took title of Ontario’s Greatest Roadside Attraction. Congratulations to the Davis Family and the Bruce County Beef Farmers on this exciting recognition. Aside from this year’s well-deserved spotlight on Mr. Bruce, for many of us, he has been an iconic landmark for, well, fifty years. He’s no young pup, but he’s always represented the pride and strong agriculture roots of residents in Bruce County and the farming community. I was raised only 20 minutes from the legendary statue, and it was not uncommon in my young adult life to take a quick detour on a backroads jaunt in my best friend’s ’97 two-toned Silverado, to stop for a photo with the big guy. I’m dating myself, but this was pre-social media, so I dug up a printed photo to prove it. As I reflect on this photo, during this time in my life, I was working my way through college and deciding on a career path in marketing and communications. I knew agriculture was in my heart, but little did I know when this photo was taken that it would represent my career and pride in Ontario’s beef industry for close to fifteen years. Many thanks to the Reta Davis and Mark Davis for sharing details on Big Bruce’s history and the photo for this article. OB

GET YOUR NEXT

SHORTHORN FEMALE AT THE FALL CLASSIC SALE! Saturday, November 20th, 2021 Maple Hill Auctions - Hanover, Ontario

Pictures are highlights from the 2020 sale.

CATALOGUES

Please check www.ontarioshorthorns.com/sales or contact Blair Williamson: ridgeviewshorthorns@hotmail.com • 519-808-0516 Follow us on Facebook and check our website for current news at

David Banbury, President - 519-513-3962 email: drbanbury@gmail.com

www.ontarioshorthorns.com

ON TA R IO BEEF • OC TOBER 20 21

ONTARIO BEEF MARKET DEVELOPMENT By John Baker, Director of the Ontario Beef Market Development Program john@ontariobeef.com • www.ontariobeef.com

Promoting Ontario Beef W

ith the COVID-19 still significantly impacting the retail and foodservice sectors, the primary focus under market development has been to continue to work with our industry partners in the promotion of brands of Ontario beef. Flanagan’s Foodservice maintains a strong commitment to their Carve, Premium Ontario Beef program. With the restaurant sector being severely limited due to COVID-19 restrictions, the relaxing of some of the restrictions in late summer was a welcome sight. Flanagan’s promoted Ontario beef through a social media campaign with restaurants across the province. “We are so pleased with the campaign results. To be able to increase awareness of Ontario beef across the province benefits everyone. From the farmers and producers to the Flanagan customers and guests, it can help generate demand and interest. It’s never been more important to support local and create another touch point for Ontario beef,” says Jackie Oakes, Flanagan’s Senior Marketing Manager. The Carve campaign features an interactive component for consumers to learn more about beef farming in Ontario. With a smartphone, consumers can take a photo of a QR code to view a video.

Promoting Ontario beef at retail is also a strong focus of the market development program. Retailers across the province continue to show their support for Ontario beef through weekly flyers and in-store promotional events.

The market development program continues to actively dialogue with industry partners across the retail, foodservice, processing and academic industries to identify opportunities to increase market share and awareness of Ontario beef. Ontario Beef was an active sponsor in the Ontario’s Finest Butcher competition, hosted by Meat & Poultry Ontario. This year’s event welcomed 17 entrants from across the province, and provided an opportunity to enhance their awareness of the Ontario Beef brand.

Growth in Certified Sustainable Beef Production of cattle sourced at Cargill’s Guelph facility certified under the standards set by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) has seen growth in the first two quarters of 2021. 1,335 cattle were identified as eligible with 2,213 movements and a total of $40,407.43 in credits paid out to participating Ontario producers. For cattle to qualify, every link in the supply chain (cow-calf, backgrounders, feedlots and processors) must be audited and certified to CRSB standards. Cow-calf and background producers must be certified through VBP+ or Where Food Comes From, feedlots can be certified through these organizations or the Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance Program (OCFBQA). Feedlots already enrolled in the OCFBQA program can become certified by successfully completing the Certified Sustainable audit process. For more information on VBP+ program please contact Jaclyn Horenberg at jaclyn@ontariobeef.com. For more information on OCFBQA please contact John Baker at john@ontariobeef.com.

Export Market Development Ontario-branded beef continues to see strong growth in Japan. Throughout the summer Ontario Corn Fed Beef and Ontario Heritage Angus Beef were promoted throughout Japan, supported by a consumer engagement promotion around the unique aspects of Ontario beef. OB

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ON TA R IO BEEF • OC TOBER 20 21

Making the Most of Forage Quality By the Beef Cattle Research Council

orage quality is an important factor to consider when feeding cattle. While this may seem obvious, maximizing forage quality is sometimes not the focus when management decisions are being made. Yet focusing on quality might enable producers to save costs by getting more out of the forage they have and reducing reliance on expensive concentrates and feed additives. Forage quality and yield variations in a field depend on a variety of factors including the stage of maturity of the forage, growing conditions, species composition within the field and/or harvest timing decisions. Harvest considerations also include dry down time, or time laying in the windrow, which is impacted by chop length, the use of conditioners and swath width behind the mower. Post harvest management also affects forage quality and is impacted by decisions such as whether to wrap bales in plastic or not and how baled forage is stored. Being aware of these range of factors allows producers to make pre-harvest, harvest, and storage decisions that can optimize forage quality. To maximize the use of available quality forage, an inventory and quality testing system should be implemented. Notes should be taken on fields which include information such as plant species, maturity at cutting, and age of field. This will allow baled forage to be grouped together based on the same cutting timing (1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th cut), forage that was cut and/or baled at a similar time, or that has a similar forage composition.

Our bulls provide a balance of calving ease, performance, fleshing ability, and eye appeal. As usual we are sold out of yearling bulls. We sell all of our bulls by private treaty, so call soon to reserve your bulls for next year. Watch for our consignment of females like the one above to the BLUE WATER SALE in Cargill on October 16. Visitors always welcome. DON & JEANNETTE CURRIE 2234 Conc. 11, R R #1, Nottawa, Ontario L0M 1P0 Phone/Fax: 705-445-1526 Cell: 705-715-2234 • Email: doncurrie@glenislay.com 12

O N T A R I O B E E F • OCT OBE R 2 0 2 1

In addition, feed should be stored to allow access to any group at any time, taking into consideration facilities and limitations. Forage quality testing each feed group provides a better understanding of what quality of feed is on-farm and whether supplies are adequate to meet the herd’s requirements for the year. Early assessment allows time to plan for shortfalls in yield or quality. Testing can begin once stored forage has stabilized, prior to the sale or purchase of forage, or prior to feeding out to animals. Ensure samples are sent to the lab to allow enough time to get results back so that they can inform ration decisions. Once forage quality test results are received, they can be provided to a nutritionist or producers can use BCRC’s Feed Value Estimator tool to identify how well the tested forage will meet the requirements of different classes of cattle in their herd and their production demands. With this information, producers can better match their forage groups to the production cycle of their animals and more accurately identify the amount of concentrates and feed additives required to meet nutritional needs not fulfilled by forages in the ration. The following producers have found ways to optimize their feed harvest, inventory, and storage in order to place priority on feed testing and ration development.

Kintail Farms Andrew MacLennan and Krista MacGillivray, of Kintail Farms, run a beef and sheep operation near Brook Village, Nova Scotia. By focusing on their forage quality and feed management, Kintail Farms has grown from four cows and 50-60 ewes a few years ago to currently 25 cows and 200 ewes. Some of the changes implemented include harvesting as close as possible to plant boot stage to target higher quality forage and the creation of an inventory and quality testing system for their feed. A tower silo is used to store the highest quality forage while the remaining forages are turned into baleage, chopped silage, and dry hay. Wrapped forages are stored to allow for ease of access as well as grouped together based on when they were harvested and their forage composition. These groups are stored separate from one another to ensure that mixing of different groups does not happen and to reduce the risk of confusion when pulling from different feeds when creating rations. They test all of their forage to determine feed quality and then use this information to build rations for their herd, taking into account the production cycle of the animals. By pulling from their different onfarm produced feed quality groups, they can reduce their reliance on off-farm feed sources and supplements. The forages are supplemented by soybean meal and occasionally whole barley or whole corn depending on needs and market prices, however they’ve been able to reduce the amounts of supplements necessary to meet nutritional demands. The changes to their cutting and forage management system have allowed them to reduce the amount of time it takes for their calves to reach slaughter weight by three to five months for the direct-to-consumer market. This has greatly reduced feed and management costs.

Gilchrist Farms Brad and Kristie Gilchrist of Gilchrist Farms near Lucknow, Ontario run a cash crop and purebred Angus cow-calf operation as well as a

winter bull development centre. Their focus on feed management is highlighted by the many different feed options produced on–farm, which are grown to target specific quality needs and provide a range of options when making rations for their herd. All feed is tested for nutritional quality and each forage is identified, inventoried, and stored separately.  Gilchrist Farms utilizes pasture, haylage, wrapped dry hay, corn silage stored in bunker silos, and other feed ingredients from on-farm and off-farm sources. Some forage fields are managed specifically to target higher protein requirements of their more nutritionally demanding animals, such as the bulls at the development centre, and are cut based on stage of maturity. Other fields are cut to target yield with this feed used for animals with lower nutritional needs. Feed storage is important as well with all feed being either wrapped, placed in bunker silos, or stored inside to maintain quality. They maintain a close working partnership with their feed sales representative and animal nutritionist. The herd is split into different groups based on production type, with diets created to cater to specific nutritional needs in each phase of production. Rations are modified further based on animal performance and changes in air temperature throughout the year. Their bulls are weighed every twenty-eight days with daily and average gains tracked to ensure animals are meeting targets. At Gilchrist Farms, on-farm production of feed and intensive management of diets allows them to have greater control of their herd’s diets and allows them to maintain production targets while reducing costs. OB

West Central Feeder Finance Co-op Winds Down By Cheryl Russwurm, Provincial Supervisor, Ontario Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee and Ontario Beef Breeder Co-op Programs

fter over 28 years, the West Central Feeder Finance Co-op decided that it was in the best interest of their membership to wind down operations as of August 31, 2021. West Central was a smaller co-op, but was comprised of members from Caledon to St. Clements. The co-op functioned under the leadership of president Andrew Wilson for the first nine years followed by Richard Wright for over 17 years, and more recently his son, Peter Wright. Don Carruthers was the supervisor for over 26 years. In the beginning, Robert Peel and Mert Allison were hired as supervisors as the co-op hoped to attract memberships from a wide area. The co-op started under the administration of Judy MacDonald for the first 11 years, followed by Carol Anne Pinkney for many years, and after four and a half years, Alaina Lennox capably wound up the business. A big thank you to all the staff and directors from the past 26 years in operating such a successful co-op At the height of the Ontario Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee program there were 21 co-ops operating from 1999 to 2003 with over 1,000 members. As of September 1, 2021 the program has 15 co-ops operating across the province with over 700 active members. OB

ON TA R IO BEEF • OC TOBER 20 21

FARM & FOOD CARE ONTARIO Breakfast from the Farm

Kelly Daynard, Executive Director, Farm & Food Care Ontario

hings may still not be back to normal for event planning at Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) but, with some creative thinking, three Breakfast from the Farm events have been held throughout the summer and fall of 2021 in Carp, Lindsay and London. Partnering with the Carp Fair, the Lindsay Agricultural Society and the Lindsay Exhibition and Western Fair District, FFCO has hosted three drive through events with the help of local volunteers and sponsors. At each event, between 350 and 700 cars drove through the fairground settings, Former OMAFRA grazing specialist Jack Kyle (right) and FFCO Vice Chair and beef farmer Crispin Colvin answer questions viewing displays of about beef cattle from guests at the Lindsay Breakfast from the Farm event. livestock and farm equipment, meeting and asking questions The event will include delivery of an Ontario Flavours tasting box of local farmers and filled with appetizers and snacks from partners across the province; a receiving a contactless pick-up of a breakfast bag. The bag featured all three-course cook-along program (with grocery shopping lists of the of the ingredients needed to make an all-Ontario breakfast at home ingredients to have on hand) and a cocktail experience. OB including pancake mix, milk, maple syrup, eggs, mushrooms, onions, cheese, beef jerky, sausage, butter, apple chips and more. Bags also included resources like The Real Dirt on Farming. Following each event, participants were encouraged to participate in farm trivia and a survey about their experience.

Gala-in-a-Box – Save the Date On Saturday, November 13th, FFCO will again host another year of virtual Gala celebrations with the second Gala-in-a-Box! Boxes will be shipped in the weeks leading up to the event and registration is under way at www.FarmFoodCareON.org. This year, there are 500 boxes available for purchase. The deadline to order boxes is October 24 or until they sell out. Boxes are being sold for $185 per box and serve two people.

O N T A R I O B E E F • OCT OBE R 2 0 2 1

Leading the Way in the Ontario Beef Industry By Bethany Story, BFO Communications Specialist he Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) Development Program provides industry-specific training and mentorship to assist individuals, and the beef industry, in building leadership capacity across the country. This program provides opportunities to learn from industry leaders through mentorship opportunities and by participating in various events. Young industry enthusiasts between the ages of 18 and 35 years have a chance to participate in discussions at provincial, national and international levels that define the direction and future of the Canadian cattle and beef industry. A final selection for the program this year took place virtually in August, where 23 semi-finalists from across Canada took part. Roundtable discussions were held where the semi-finalists shared their ideas and insights on topics and issues facing the Canadian beef industry such as advancing sustainability and the economic, social and environmental return of agriculture business. Each of these roundtables was facilitated and judged by CYL Foundation and Gold Partners. BFO is once again pleased to congratulate two young producers, Emily Seed and Laura Scott, who qualified as finalists for the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders Program. Both of these Ontario producers are strong members of the beef industry within their own communities and across the province. BFO is proud of these finalists who represent Ontario’s passionate young leaders and look forward to see what the future holds for them.

I graduated from the University of Guelph in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, majoring in Animal Science with a focus on genetics. Returning home after University, I got involved in our local beef community by becoming a director with the Beef Farmers of Temiskaming, leading our local 4-H beef club, becoming a director with the local agricultural society to plan junior and 4-H beef shows, and working on a beef farm north of our home farm for the summer. Growing up in northern Ontario, I also developed a passion for northern agriculture and a desire to help develop and ensure a sustainable future for the industry in the north. I now serve as the Executive Director of the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA), working on innovative and applied agricultural research projects that focus on finding solutions to help farmers continue to be successful in northern Ontario. This job allows me to stay involved on our family farm, that my husband Jason and I, plan to continue. I am very honoured to have been selected as one of 16 finalists from across Canada for the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders Program. Already the program has been incredibly rewarding, with the selections process allowing for a great opportunity to network and gain insight on perspectives within the beef industry from across the country. I am really looking forward to all that the program has to offer and hope that I am able to use the skills and knowledge I will gain from it to help strengthen and grow this industry that I am so passionate about.

Emily Seed

Laura Scott

I was raised on a purebred Charolais cow-calf operation in Earlton, Ontario. Growing up, my family showed cattle at our local fair and at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair every year. My passion for cattle started at a young age, and I became involved in 4-H as soon as I was old enough. When it came time to graduate from being a member, I immediately signed up to be a leader for our local club so I could stay involve and inspire new members to take part.

Born and raised in Grenville County, just south of Ottawa, I spent more than a majority of my childhood and teen years in the barn, and not much has changed. I grew up on my family’s cow-calf and cash crop operation. Our herd consists of both red and black purebred Limousin and Limousin influence females. My siblings and I all competed locally at fairs and junior shows; however, the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair was always the highlight of each fall. My

Emily Seed, Temiskaming

Laura Scott, Grenville. Photo credit David Walker Photography

O N T A R I O B E E F • OCT OBE R 2 0 2 1

hosted by BFO, including the Beef Youth Development Program, bfoUP webinars, a delegate at BFO’s AGM, along with many other industry events promoting education and awareness of the industry. As Ontario’s YCC representative, Charlene has been invited to join BFO’s board meetings to share her perspective on issues impacting the Ontario beef sector. OB

family still exhibits there each year (pre-COVID-19, of course). I graduated from the University of Guelph in 2018 with a B.A. in Food, Agriculture & Resource Economics. I now work as a Certified Crop Advisor for a local input company during the day, and help on the family farm during the evenings and weekends. Recommended to me by a friend of the family, the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders Program intrigued me and my wish to always be learning. I applied to the program with an interest in beef processing and provincially inspected abattoirs. With demand for beef skyrocketing, and access to abattoirs rapidly shrinking, producers are struggling to find a place to process their livestock. I believe that there are changes that can be made to help meet these demands in a timely manner. I am unbelievably excited and honoured to have been selected as a finalist for the 2021/2022 Cattlemen’s Young Leaders Program, and I’m looking forward to the upcoming opportunities it has to offer. BFO would also like to announce Ontario’s new representative to the Young Cattlemen’s Council (YCC), Charlene Yungblut of the Niagara Region. YCC is a subsidiary of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association that exposes youth delegates to industry policy development, while giving them opportunities and bring fresh ideas to the Canadian beef industry. The council also aims to provide a connection between industry organizations and youth of the beef industry. Charlene is a recent graduate of the CYL program and continues to be actively involved in the industry as the secretary for the Beef Farmers of Niagara. Charlene has participated in many programs

Charlene Yungblut, Niagara

GALLOWAY for your every day needs... naturally

Secretary • Ciaran Yool • 905-807-8185 • ciaranyool@gmail.com

www.easterncanadiangalloway.ca

ON TA R IO BEEF • OC TOBER 20 21

Farmers and Consumers Value Quality Assurance Programs By Jeanine Moyer

s demand grows for sustainably raised Canadian beef, producers are realizing the importance of on-farm programs to verify their safe, healthy production practices. “The checks and balances of our beef production practices aren’t just a story, they are provable,” says Dan Ferguson, BFO Manager of Producer Relations. “Ontario beef farmers are proud of the healthy, quality, sustainably raised cattle they produce. And whether or not they are enrolled in certifiable programs, many are already following program requirements.” Two quality assurance programs are available to Ontario beef farmers to certify sustainable production practices, the Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) and the Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance (OCFBQA). Both of these programs are certification bodies for the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) program. “A certified sustainable supply chain enables our industry to make consumer-facing sustainability claims, assuring consumers that they are purchasing Certified Sustainable Beef (CSB), all while showcasing the Canadian beef industry’s dedication to transparency,” says Ferguson. Learn from two Ontario beef farms who share their experiences with the VBP+ and OCFBQA programs – why they joined, certification requirements, and their pride in producing sustainable beef.

Dave, Jeff and Terri Lyn Wright

Accountability and ‘doing the right thing’ have always been at the heart of Frontier South Farm, a multi-generation family cow-calf farm in Grafton. When Dave bought his first cows in 1997, he signed up for the Quality Starts Here (QSH) program, one of the first Ontario beef programs and a precursor to what is now known as the VBP+ program.

Dave and Terri Lyn Wright

O N T A R I O B E E F • OCT OBE R 2 0 2 1

“At the time, I felt there was money to be made if I raised my cattle the right way,” says Dave. “Today, I understand there is value in following proper practices and documentation. I’m proud of the way I raise my cattle, delivering the highest quality, healthy and sustainable calves for our buyers and ultimately, the end consumer in the grocery store.” The Wrights raise a herd of 90 beef cattle, selling their calves at special fall stocker sales through Hoards Station Community Livestock Exchange in Campbellford. “On average, we’re able to realize higher prices for our calves by selling through the special catalogue sales and providing our VBP+ certification,” says Terri Lyn, who is Dave’s daughter in law and responsible for the health records and VBP+ documentation for the farm. “It’s such a great feeling to provide records on how we raise our animals and the processes we follow to provide buyers and consumers with the best quality they can get.” Dave says there wasn’t much of a change transitioning from the QSH program to VBP+, in fact, both programs reflected the commonsense farming practices he already had in place. “The only difference is that before we had these programs, farmers weren’t sharing how we raise our animals with the public. And why weren’t we? We care for our animals and follow the code of practice,” says Dave, explaining that he believes third party verification and auditing processes like Certified Sustainable Beef are adding value to the beef industry across Canada. When it comes to following the VBP+ program, the Wrights say it’s easy. For them, the most important component of the program is building a relationship with their local vet. “And everyone should be doing that anyways,” says Dave, who relies on his vet for regular advice, consultations and support at key production stages, like vaccinating and castration. Terri Lyn notes details of vet consults and visits are all part of the VBP+ documentation too, along with records of medication and vaccination use and proper storage. The extra paperwork and documentation that the VBP+ requires are often cited as one of the ‘pain points’ of the program, but not for the Wrights. “It’s not paperwork, it’s accountability,” says Dave. “The completed documentation is satisfying because it’s our proof of what we’ve done, the protocols we’ve followed and the care we show to our cattle.” Terri Lyn appreciates the fact that the detailed record keeping means the information is accessible to anyone of them at any time. The family relies on their farm and VBP+ records to evaluate herd health, maintain a tight calving window and make cull animal decisions. Dave recommends the VBP+ program to fellow cow-calf producers, often reminding neighbours they are probably following all the required protocols, they just need to record them to be part of the program. Dave’s philosophy on raising cattle stems from a Lee Iacocca quote about ‘Lead, follow or get out of the way’, and he believes that should apply to everyone in the cattle industry today, especially at a time when consumers are demanding more accountability. “Our efforts always pay off,” says Terri Lyn. “The work we put into VBP+ gives us a financial reward, but the biggest payoff is knowing we produce quality beef that is proven and will be accepted, trusted and valued by consumers.”

Andrew and Heather Mitchell

When the Mitchells source backgrounding steers to fill their feedlot in Molesworth, they are looking for healthy cattle with documented vaccinations and health records. “That’s always been our standard, because it’s the right thing to do and healthy animals are good for business,” explains Andrew Mitchell who, along with his wife Heather, operate a 1,600 head feedlot. Their common-sense approach to sourcing and raising healthy, sustainable beef have made it an easy decision to sign on to industry quality assurance and verification programs. The Mitchells have been involved in the Ontario Corn Fed Beef program for more than 10 years and certified under the VBP+ program since 2019. Andrew estimates 40 per cent of their current cattle on feed are VBP+ certified. “There’s significant value in sourcing animals that are fully vaccinated, have been well cared for and properly weaned. And over the years I’ve learned where to source these animals – from trusted sources in Western Canada and special stocker sales here in Ontario,” he says, explaining that sourcing animals that are VBP+ is helpful because it guarantees the cattle will fit with the Mitchell’s herd health program. The Mitchells market their cattle to Cargill, where they receive financial credits for the cattle that meet the Cargill Certified Sustainable Beef requirements. “The payout helps our bottom line, but it’s not the only reason we follow these programs,” says Andrew. “We want to raise healthy, high-quality cattle in the most sustainable way we can.” As more feedlot owners like the Mitchells are sourcing certified cattle, interest in the VBP+ program from cow-calf producers is expected to grow. Andrew says he’s seeing an increase in awareness of the program through special sales at auction barns, but he’s concerned that many cow-calf producers might be missing out on the opportunities the program offers. In fact, he recently mentioned the program to a neighbouring cow-calf farmer and was surprised his neighbour didn’t know about the program. “I wasn’t surprised to hear he would already meet the requirements of the program, and encouraged him to look into certification,” says Andrew, confirming his neighbour signed up for the program that same day. The Mitchells understand the value of sourcing cattle from certified sources. Andrew says he believes that, “if a cow-calf producer follows the program and invests in herd health and good genetics, it will help every part of the Ontario cattle business, including mine.”

QUALITY ASSURANCE REBATE INCENTIVE PROGRAM Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO), in partnership with the Joint Marketing Committee, a partnership between BFO and the Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association, are currently offering an Ontario Beef Quality Assurance Incentive Program, which will provide BFO check-off paying members with a 75 per cent rebate on VBP+ audit fees paid for members who become VBP+ certified through the completion of training, and an on-farm audit. Program funds will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. The goals of the incentive program are to improve the supply of Ontario certified sustainable calves for Ontario certified sustainable feedlots, encourage enrollment and support in quality assurance programming (a key component of the Ontario Beef Market Development strategy), and to help offset VBP+ audit costs for our members. Ontario feedlots also have the option to be certified under the OCFBQA through the completion of training, assessments and an on-farm audit. For more information about the VBP+ program, contact Dan Ferguson at dan@ontariobeef.com or Jaclyn Horenberg at jaclyn@ontariobeef.com. For more information about OCFBQA, contact John Baker john@ontariobeef.com. Since the launch of the certified framework in 2018, major retailers and food distributors such as McDonalds, Chop Steakhouse, Gordon’s Food Service, Walmart, Harvey’s, and Loblaws have started sourcing a portion of their beef from certified sustainable farms and processors. As demand for certification and accountability for healthy, sustainable beef production grows in Canada, programs like VBP+ and OCFBQA offer beef farmers the opportunity to provide proof of their production practices and realize financial premiums. “We’re proud of what we do. In fact, there’s no reason we shouldn’t have a sign at our farm gate promoting our certification and commitment to raising our cattle in a sustainability and responsible way,” says Andrew. OB

Andrew and Heather Mitchell & Family

LI MOUSI TO Add Limousin to your Feedlot or Herd, please join us at these Fall Sales:

OCTOBER 23 Colours of Autumn Limousin Sale Ontario Stockyards, Cookstown

DECEMBER 4 Eastern Showcase Limousin Sale Maple Hill Auction, Hanover

Please contact the Breeders listed for your Limousin Bulls and Females. 3 RIDGE FARMS Jon Bell 217294 Conc. 3 Owen Sound, ON N4K 5N5 519-378-4006 roundbale14@hotmail.com

CROWN HILL ACRES Craig and Michelle Kennedy 258 Sturgeon Rd. Omemee, ON K0L 2W0 705-741-6700 crownhillacres@gmail.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

DARLING FARMS 4172 County Rd 25 Castleton, ON K0K 1M0 905-375-4019 dmdarling13@gmail.com

BEE ZEE ACRES The Zwambag’s 4140 Glendon Drive, Glencoe, ON N0L 1M0 Bill: 519-494-9613 Matt: 519-870-3219 CLARK CATTLE CO. David Clark 2280 McCullough Rd. Port Hope, ON L1A 3V7 905-449-0149 clarkcattle1@hotmail.ca

GIBSON FARMS Dave and Emily Gibson 2148 Concession 4, RR1, Ripley Ontario N0G2R0 Dave-519-357-6174 Emily 519-440-9907 HILLSIDE FARMS Ray and Stacie Stanton 4250 King Road, King City, ON, L7B 1K4 416-505-0707 rays@londonproperty.ca KOYLE FARMS LIMOUSIN Dwight & Catherine Koyle 33429 6th Line, RR#3 Iona Station, ON N0L 1P0 519-764-2697 • cdkoyle@gtn.net

Check out our Website for LimoNews: www.ontariolimousin.com 20

O N T A R I O B E E F • OCT OBE R 2 0 2 1

AFTER HOURS LIMOUSINS Rob & Erin Weppler 117078 Grey Rd. 3 , Tara, ON 519-375-6108 Rob@gbtel.ca LAKESIDE FARM Wayne and Nancy Lawrence 263657 Southgate Rd. 26 RR#4 Durham, ON N0G 1R0 519-369-2806 PINCH HILL LIMOUSIN Paul, Brandon & Chad Homer Stittsville, Ontario 519-339-9659 or 613-987-0822 pinchhill@gmail.com 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 YOUNG LIMO FARMS JIM AND JOE YOUNG 601 Tara Road Ennismore ON 705 755 6820

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

Ontario Limousin Association

Chad Homer, President • Phone: 519-339-9659

ADD PROFITS TO YOUR

HERD AND FEEDLOT

To Add LIMOUSIN to Your FEEDLOT or HERD, please join us at:

LIMOUSIN FEEDER CALF AND YEARLING SALES

ONTARIO LIVESTOCK EXCHANGE Contact Office 519-884-2082 Thursday, November 4th

CARSON FARMS AND AUCTIONS Contact: David Carson 519-291-2049 Monday, October 25th

CARGILL AUCTION MARKET Contact: Calvin Anstett 519-881-6623

HOARD’S STATION SALES BARN Contact: Dave DeNure 705-653-3660 Friday, October 22nd Friday, November 26th

Influenced Commercial Bred Female Sale November 20 - Limousin

Feeder Calf Sales: Friday, October 29th Friday, November 5th

KEADY LIVESTOCK MARKET Contact: Scott Kuhl 519-943-2339 Friday, November 5th ONTARIO STOCKYARDS Contact: Ab Carroll 705-458-4000 Tuesday, November 2nd Tuesday, November 16th Thursday, December 9th

ON TA R IO BEEF • OC TOBER 20 21

OMAFRA UPDATE

Grazing Cover Crops: A Cost Benefit Analysis By James Byrne, Beef Cattle Specialist, OMAFRA • www.omafra.on.ca

over crops provide significant agronomic and environmental benefits by increasing soil organic matter, improving soil aeration, improving soil drainage, preventing nutrient loss, improving soil biodiversity, and improving weed control, etc. The principal argument for growing cover crops is that these benefits lead to improved crop yields and or reduced costs of production such as lower crop fertilizer requirements. Increased crop yields and reduced costs of production, in theory, should cover the cost of growing cover crops. However, even under good cropping management systems, growing cover crops gives only a small increase in productivity or reduction in costs of production on an annual basis which do not usually cover the true cost of growing a cover crop. The yield and cost of production benefits occur over an extended period of time. The major benefit of growing cover crops is to prevent gradual yield declines, principally through the loss of soil organic matter, that occurs in their absence. Growing cover crops is therefore a type of biological insurance against gradual crop yield loss. From a crop economics perspective, growing a cover crop is therefore simply the cost of doing a crop business. There is no means to effectively cover the costs of growing cover crops through increased crop performance. Grazing cover crops, however, enables an economic return on a cover crop investment. The return on investment from grazing comes through the cost savings on the provision of forage to grazing livestock that would otherwise need to be provided in the form of stored forage (purchased or home produced), and cost savings through reduced labour costs, reduced bedding requirements, reduced manure management costs, reduced wear and tear on equipment, etc. Under a good livestock and crop management system the livestock production cost savings from grazing cover crops typically exceed the cost of growing a cover crop. At an extension meeting in August, OMAFRA conducted an exercise with members of the Large Flock Operators (LFO) group to estimate, as best possible, the true cost of growing a cover crop and to determine a return on investment, i.e., net benefit. The costs and returns identified by the LFO are equally true for all grazing livestock enterprises. The economic returns (Tables 1 and 2) are calculated for a cattle enterprise. Two production systems were examined – lower cost of production and a higher cost of production. Table 1: Growing Cover Crops – Lower Cost of Production System

Table 2: Growing Cover Crops – Higher Cost of Production System

Item

Cost, $/acre

Item

Cost, $/acre

Seed

$30

Seed

$40

Planting (No till drill)

$25

Planting (No till drill)

$25

Spray (Rust on oats)

$35

Fertilizer

$50

Crop Insurance

$35

Spray (Rust on oats)

Spray (Terminate)

$25

Crop Insurance

Total

$119

Spray (Terminate)

$25

Total

$179

O N T A R I O B E E F • OCT OBE R 2 0 2 1

The costs in Tables 1 and 2 do not include the cost of grazing. The cost of grazing is very variable and specific to the farming circumstances. Grazing costs can include the cost of water provision, temporary fencing, animal transport to and from the grazing area, provision of salt and mineral, etc. Grazing costs need to be added to the cover crop growing costs described above. Discussion with LFO members indicated that a grazing cost of $1.66 per cow per day to be a reasonable assumption of grazing costs.

Net Benefit

The net benefit of grazing a cover crop is the potential revenue return or cost saving over and above the cost of growing and grazing a cover crop. To determine a net benefit, it is necessary to convert the calculated cost per acre into a cost per cow per day. To do this requires some knowledge of the grazing potential of the cover crop, i.e. potential number of cows that could be fed over X number of days. Grazing potential is a factor of cover crop yield. Grazing potential has a big impact on the costs of production to be attributed to each livestock unit. As an example, if the cost of growing and grazing a cover crop is $150 per acre and can feed five beef cows per acre for 30 days, the cost per day is $1 per cow per day whereas if the same cover crop yields only enough to feed three beef cows per acre for 30 days, the cost per day increases to $1.70 per cow per day. Over the 30-day grazing period the low yielding cover crop costs $50 per cow versus $30 per cow for the high yielding cover crop. The economic effect of grazing days on a cover crop can also be calculated. As an example, if a cover costs $150 per acre to produce and yields enough forage to feed five beef cows for 60 days versus enough forage to feed five beef cows for 30 days, the cost per day is $0.50 per cow per day for 60 days grazing versus $1 per cow per day for 30 days grazing. Knowledge of cover crop grazing potential can be determined from experience growing and grazing cover crops or through conversations with other producers and extension specialists. Understanding this conversion as it applies to your farm is critical for the successful determination of net benefit. Using the figures for a low-cost production system and a high production cost system as determined Table 3 below indicates the potential feeding cost in dollars per cow per day. Discussions between members of the LFO determined that a typical cover crop should yield enough to feed five beef cows per acre for 30 days. Table 3 below assumes that cover crop yield is the same for both options. Table 3: Cover Crop Feeding Cost, ($ per cow per day) Low Cost High Cost Growing and Growing and Grazing System Grazing System Cover Crop Growing Costs, ($ acre)

119

179

Grazing Cost ($ per acre)

249

Total Cover Crop Production Costs ($ per acre)

368

428

No. of days grazing

No. of cows per acre

$2.45

$2.85

Cover Crop Feeding Cost ($ per head per day)

To determine the net benefit, it’s necessary to compare the cost of grazing against the provision of an alternative source of feed, such as hay. Additional costs such as the cost of straw for bedding, labour, manure management, etc. should also be included in this calculation to obtain a true comparison between grazing a cover crop and not grazing a cover crop. However, for simplification purposes, the cost of hay provision is used for comparison purposes in Table 4. Table 4: Net Benefit Low Cost High Cost Growing Growing System System Average weight of beef cow (lbs) Dry Matter Intake, lbs/day (2% of BW) Hay feeding cost – ($ per head per day) Cover crop production cost ($ per head per day)

1,450

$2.90

Taken from tables above.

$2.45

$2.85

Net Benefit – hay cost less cover crops production cost ($ per head per day)

$0.45

$0.05

While the net benefit may appear small on a per head per day basis, when the total number of cows being grazed for the number of grazing days available is considered, the savings can be quite substantial. As an example, using the lower cost production system where 45 beef cows are grazed for 30 days, the gross net benefit would be $607.50. Table 4 also shows that where the cost of growing cover crops is high, the net benefit of grazing 45 beef cows for 30 days is reduced to $67.50. This illustrates the benefit of carrying out a net benefit analysis. In the case of the high cost of production example, the net benefit was only 1.7% better than the alternative. In this case, a producer should examine the cost of production to determine where cover crop

production cost savings could be achieved. However, it must be noted that when all costs are truly considered, i.e., straw for bedding, labour, machinery usage etc., the benefits of grazing a cover crop, even when the cost of production is high, would be more positive than illustrated in this article. Animal performance benefits should also be factored into consideration, including, improved herd health, higher average daily gain of younger stock, cheaper body condition score improvements for beef cows, etc. The figures provided are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute the actual costs on any one individual farm. Costs and potential benefits should be verified at the individual farm level. Comparing the cost of cover crop production to the cost of providing purchased feed is an important farm management exercise to enable producers to determine if their cover crops costs are out of line with expectations and where potential savings in the production system could be achieved. This exercise also enables producers to examine their cover crop performance, such as, number of GRAZING grazing days per acre, and to determine COVER CROP if there is an option for improvements. WEBINARS Improving cover crop performance 2021: allows the cost per head per day to be reduced with or without changing SUSTAINING current inputs. Improving performance LIFE ABOVE without input changes may require AND BELOW changes to grazing methodology, timing November 9, 15 & 23 of grazing, etc. 7:00pm - 8:00pm ET Special thanks to members of the Contact BFO for Large Flock Operators Group for their registration details input into the establishment of the costs of production provided in this article. References available upon request. OB

The Genetic Angus Stocker Calves: Advantage Canadian Angus cattle present a balanced genetic profile in terms of calving ease, growth, and quality carcass merit. They are versatile animals that work well in both purebred and crossbreeding programs. Angus steers achieve consistent, high performance in the feedlot. Canadian Angus Rancher Endorsed and RFID Indicator programs offer quality assurances and endorsements for Canadian Angus genetics. Feed Angus stockers this fall and winter. Visit the Ontario Angus Association website to find Angus breeders near you: www.cdnangus.ca/ontario-angus-association/

ON TA R IO BEEF • OC TOBER 20 21

AGSIGHTS UPDATE Preparing for the Future of Beef Cattle Genetics

By Jasper Munro, AgSights Manger of Research and Innovation jmunro@agsisghts.com www.agsights.com

or over 27 years, AgSights has provided estimated progeny difference (EPDs) on beef cattle of any breed make-up (across breed comparisons, ABCs) from purebred, to defined composites, to commercial crossbreds. Standard weekly genetic evaluations provide ranchers and farmers with access to ABCs directly in their Go360|bioTrack account to rank superior cattle and empower their selection and management decisions. Custom genetic evaluations provided to major stakeholders in the industry including, Leachman Cattle of Colorado (LCOC) have been integral to the development and success of their value chains and overall herd improvement. Technology continues to advance rapidly in the agriculture sector with adoption of sensor technology providing new, high-throughput phenotypes (activity, temperature, feed intake, etc.) and a growing number of ranchers and farmers seeking genomic-based solutions for crossbred cattle. With this comes the opportunity to accelerate the genetic improvement of the Canadian beef industry. An opportunity that will require a flexible genetic evaluation system capable of analyzing ‘big data’ and turning it into valuable, usable information. AgSights has recognized this opportunity and has started, in collaboration with the University of Guelph (with Dr. Angela Canovas), a major three-year project funded by MITACS (Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems) where AgSights Genetic Evaluation System (GES) will be transformed into a GES that

is prepared for the future needs of the Canadian beef industry. The objectives of this project will be to: 1. design a multi-breed and crossbred GES that is adaptive and capable of efficiently adding future novel, high throughput traits (ex. sensor data) and potentially genotypes (DNA markers) and to, 2. evaluate the capability of the GES to incorporate DNA markers from both purebred and crossbred cattle in the future and identify potential barriers.

MITACS Accelerate is a popular program that partners universities and colleges with businesses to solve research challenges with direct application to the industry. We are excited to once again partner with Dr. Angela Canovas’ lab at the University of Guelph. Kristin Lee, a PhD Candidate in the Canovas lab will lead this project. Kristin completed her Master’s Degree at the University of Alberta focusing on the genomic selection of meat quality traits in pigs. As part of a growing team, Kristin will work alongside AgSights Genetics Team, and other researchers, to complete the project. An improved across-breed GES will equip the Canadian beef industry with a genetic improvement tool that will aid the industry in better meeting consumer demand. Predictive performance of acrossbreed GES are often lower than single-breed approaches due to limited access to large-scale, high-quality crossbred beef cattle data. The integration of AgSights GES with AgSights livestock management software’s over the years (Go360|bioTrack, bioTrack, bioLink, HerdLink) has enabled large-scale data recording on crossbred animals for over 27 years, while the rigidity of each management software has ensured data-quality. However, limited flexibility and suboptimal performance hindered AgSights’ ONLINE PRODUCTION SALE • DECEMEBER 4, 2021 existing GES potential. Improvements made to AgSights’ GES because of this project will equip it to better meet current and future consumer Black Bulls for spring breeding trends. The new flexibility of the system will Bred Fullblood and Purebred Females, enable new traits to be included in the GES. At the conclusion of this project, traits Fancy Heifer Show Prospects! (product attributes) of growing importance for We welcome guest consignors John and Kathy Pearson customers, such as methane emissions, meat quality, welfare (high throughput sensory data), of Academy Hill Livestock and immunity could be included in the GES. Inclusion of consumer-oriented traits in the Sale Managed by T Bar C Cattle Co. Ltd. breeding objective will drive increased data Ben Wright: 519-374-3335 • ben@tbarc.com recording on commercial farms, leading to Online sale hosted at DLMS.ca, catalogue available at buyagro.com. increased genetic gain of a consumer-driven product. The Canadian beef industry will be Cattle viewing Friday, December 3rd and 4th equipped to document their commitment at the farm or by appointment to consumers, leading to improved public 496 Peterborough County Rd 8. Douro, Ontario perception. Increased GES flexibility and AgSights’ collaborative business structure could result in the inclusion of new datasets from other industry organizations or private Patrick Leahy: 705-927-3126 • Bernard Leahy: 705-927-2946 producers, furthering the benefit to the Canadian beef industry and consumers. OB John Pearson: 905-376-3775

LEAHY SELECT SIMMENTAL

FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US

O N T A R I O B E E F • OCT OBE R 2 0 2 1

ON TA R IO BEEF • OC TOBER 20 21

RESEARCH UPDATE Keeping an Eye on What’s Happening in the Alternative Protein Space By Lilian Schaer, Livestock Research Innovation Corporation

here has always been a segment of consumers drawn to meat-free diets. Historically, though, that’s been a small part of the total market, with the attraction of meat holding steady. That’s no longer the case. In western countries in particular, animalfree meats and plant-based alternatives are seeing rapid growth in popularity, especially with younger consumers. That’s supported by market positioning as “cleaner and healthier” than conventional meat, eggs and dairy, but these products also increasingly being promoted as a way to fight climate change. Rightly or wrongly, the sheer number of weather-related disasters making global headlines this year has pushed climate change awareness to the forefront of consumer consciousness - and the idea of being able to fight back with food choices resonates with concerned citizens hoping to make a difference. In Canada, Millennial and Generation Z consumers in particular will be making more climate-friendly food choices, noted Abacus Data CEO David Coletto during a presentation to the Farm & Food Care Ontario annual conference earlier this year. Why does that matter to the livestock industry? Coletto’s research shows “climate-friendly” food choices include eating less meat, which 58% of consumers do for health reasons, 43% because of animal welfare concerns, and 37% to lower their carbon footprint. “One out of five Canadians thinks about climate change all the time and as this concern grows, so, too, will carbon neutral diets, which creates an impetus on producers to answer how they are reducing their carbon footprint,” he said. The category of alternative proteins includes lab-grown/cultured meat (also known as cellular agriculture), precision fermentation that creates animal-based proteins without animals, as well as the more traditional plant-based meat, egg, and dairy alternatives. Changing technologies and ingredients make these types of products tastier, cheaper, and more versatile than in the past, rapidly broadening their appeal as more sustainable alternatives. Nature’s Fynd is a Chicago-based company that relies on naturally occurring fungi that is high in protein which it grows rapidly and efficiently in large quantities using biomass fermentation. By growing the microbes with simple sugars and foods in a controlled environment, the process only takes a few days to harvest. “It’s a 24/7, 365 day growing season for us whereas animals take years and plants take a growing season, so we can grow large amounts of new

OntarioBeef21.indd 1

O N T A R I O B E E F • OCT OBE R 2 0 2 1

protein rapidly,” explained Chief Marketing Officer Karuna Rawal while speaking at the recent Future Food-Tech Alternative Protein Summit. Beef has long been a target, from early veggie burgers to the Impossible Meat plant-based burger that bleeds just like its real meat cousin. But it’s no longer the only one. Last year, plant-based egg producer Eat Just from California, for example, became the first company in the world to sell cultured or “animal-free” chicken. Cells are extracted from a bird and fed with lipids, water, nutrients, and amino acids to produce meat without needing the live animal itself. “We only grow the meat you eat, not the whole animal or bird, and as we scale, the promise of this technology is to find a more sustainable way to eat meat,” said head of marketing Tom Rossmeissl. He added that the “slaughter-free” aspect of cultivated meat resonates with consumers, as do the antibiotic- and growth hormone-free labels. Some of the bolder predictions suggest animal-based agriculture will ultimately become a luxury item with the bulk of the global market fed by plant, cellular and precision fermentation-based products. Along with environmental advocates who lay the blame for climate change solely at the feet of livestock agriculture, it’s what raises the ire of Livestock Research Innovation Corporation CEO Mike McMorris. Frustrated by the lack of credible and balanced information on topics like climate change and alternate proteins, LRIC launched its Horizon Series of white papers and webinars earlier this year to tackle key issues facing the livestock industry in collaboration with noted experts in the field. The goal is to offer balanced and science-based information for consumers and policymakers, and farmers who need information to make production decisions or are looking for some points they can use when talking to people about raising livestock. “It’s vital for the livestock industry to be aware of what is being said about our production practices and our products so that we know what we are up against and where we can continue to make improvements,” McMorris says. “We know that the livestock industry has made big strides in reducing its environmental footprint and that we are an important part of climate change mitigation, but the challenge lies in getting those messages in front of the public.” LRIC’s Horizon Series is available at www.livestockresearch.ca/white_ papers. OB

9/22/2021 4:29:18 PM

CCA UPDATE National News Submitted by CCA Staff www.cattle.ca As we settle into the cool fall temperatures and weaning season is well underway in our operations, summer now seems a distant memory. However, the effect of this year’s devastating drought continues to be very challenging for producers in the west. While the rain in August and September across the prairies did provide some relief in areas, which could help producers maintain more cattle than originally thought, many may still need to make difficult decisions to downsize the herd to meet feed supplies. Producers are still facing water challenges, reduced grazing capacity, and increased costs to source winter feed. The drought situation remains stressful and there is need for better weather conditions to replenish water sources and subsoil moisture. However, as always, we are a resilient and cattle producers continue to work hard everyday to make the most of the situation. Beefed up AgriRecovery programs from the federal and provincial governments will provide some support for winter feeding costs, improving access to water, and impacts from wildfires. Another positive is that so far cattle prices have not dipped significantly and have resembled similar prices to last year for calves/feeders. In response to the drought, early on in the summer, there were additional sales held for breeding animals and more were marketed over the summer than in a typical year. However, rain finally began to fall across much of the prairies over the later part of August, which has seemed to moderate some of the culling pressure. Developing creative solutions on the farm is exactly why each year for more than two decades we have recognized the outstanding environmental practices of Canadian operations through The Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA). This year we celebrated the 25th anniversary of TESA. This award has stood the test of time and the legacy and intention of the award remains as relevant today, as ever.

In early September, CCA announced the Manning Family Farm, in Falmouth, Nova Scotia, as the recipient of TESA for 2021. The Manning Family Farm is a leader in their community and the Canadian beef industry with their outreach efforts to the general public and their open-door policy to educate consumers wanting to know more about how beef cattle are raised. In Ontario, Jackie and Steven Pemberton of Pemdale Farms, located in Inkerman, were the provincial nominee for this year’s national TESA award. Located in Dundas County, the Pemberton’s have developed their farming strategies successfully by incorporating research and innovation to further the sustainability of their operation, as well as actively engaging with the community around them. Congratulations to the Pembertons and the Mannings for your environmental efforts to further the Canadian beef industry. Welldeserved. As we look to the future of our industry, CCA is very proud of the outstanding young people who participate in CCA’s Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) Mentorship Program. In September the 16 finalists for the 2021-22 program year were announced. The final selection took place through a virtual competition where 23 impressive semi-finalists from across Canada competed for a spot in the CYL Program through judged discussions. The finalists receive a $2,000 travel budget and are paired with a hand-picked industry leader for a nine-month mentorship in their specific area of interest. CCA congratulates all semi-finalists who did an exemplary job showcasing their knowledge and passion for the Canadian beef industry. In Ontario, the finalists were Emily Potter from Earlton and Laura Scott from Oxford Mills. OB

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ON TA R IO BEEF • OC TOBER 20 21

CANADA BEEF UPDATE

Canada Beef Making Inroads, Finding Opportunities with Major Players By Gina Teel, Manager, Stakeholder Communications, Canada Beef

all is a time for change, and Canada Beef has been leaning into that theme across multiple fronts lately. Canada Beef is set to participate in Anuga, the world’s leading trade fair for the food and beverage industry, in Cologne, Germany October 9-13, 2021. The trade fair attracts the who’s who of decision makers from the foodservice sector, and is billed as the most important meeting place for the global food industry. Canadian beef and information on Canada’s quality grades as part of the Canadian Beef Advantage will be on display at the Canada Beef booth. Canada Beef President Michael Young, along with Executive Director, Export Market Development, Albert Eringfeld, and Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence Culinary and Innovation Manager, Cameron Pappel, will participate at the trade fair. The show has a number of pandemic requirements and restrictions in place to keep attendees and exhibitors safe, as well as virtual access for those unable to attend in person. Eligible Canadian beef suppliers, and a Canadian beef importer based in Europe, will also exhibit within the Canada Beef booth. Canada Beef is sharing a booth with Canada Pork International, the export promotion agency of the Canadian pork industry, and the Canadian Bison Association.

Anuga is just one example of Canada Beef’s ongoing efforts to secure new business relationships for Canadian beef worldwide. A recent win here is that Canada AAA beef is now in Costco Japan. The warehouse club giant’s recent initial purchase of Canadian beef is destined for the best-selling meat pack, Yakiniku (BBQ) beef pack, sold in the deli section. Costco Japan is the largest and fast-growing retailer in this market (an estimated 1.8 million, 2-kilogram Yakiniku beef packs are sold annually). Canada Beef provided the creative for the Canada AAA grading labels applied to the product packaging and supported the cost of printing them as well. Labelling is in English and Japanese. In the background, a sign informs customers that the store sells AAA beef from Canada. 30

O N T A R I O B E E F • OCT OBE R 2 0 2 1

Canada Beef continues to work with the distributor to support the sales of Canadian beef available at Costco Japan during the initial launch period and beyond. Costco Japan currently has 30 warehouses, which is the largest number of Costco stores outside of North America. As the timing of the virtual Canadian Beef Industry Conference (CBIC) 2021 coincided with students returning to the classroom in Canada, Canada Beef took the opportunity to present easy and economical beef-focused lunch ideas to start the academic year on the right track. Joyce Parslow, executive director, consumer marketing, and Michele McAdoo, executive director, digital marketing (and both home economists), presented time-saving recipes and tips on how to turn last night’s dinner into lunch solutions that everyone will enjoy eating. Karine Barlow, a registered dietitian with Canada Beef, talked about beef’s remarkable nutrition story. Barlow highlighted interesting facts about beef, nutrition, and the new resources the team has created for the Canada Beef website and social channels. The Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence (CBCE) presented Behind the Lens at the CBCE. CBCE Executive Director Mathieu Paré and Pappel walked viewers through the steps of photographing and videotaping a recipe. Viewers of the session gained a new perspective and appreciation for the time, skill and patience required to represent Canadian beef visually, efforts that serve the retail and foodservice sector in Canada and increasingly in global markets. Canada Beef’s Young shared the Global Canadian Beef Information Gateway (Gateway) with industry. The Gateway optimizes the intersection of food and technology by using scannable codes to drive the purchase and enjoyment of Canadian beef. Young highlighted how the program offers the ability to connect with consumers across three important stages – meal planning, point of purchase and meal preparation at home. The majority of the 550+ CBIC registrants identified as cow-calf operators. Having the opportunity to engage with this audience and demonstrate how Canada Beef creates demand for Canadian beef in domestic and global markets is extremely important, as the national check-off dollars enable the teams to execute on these strategic programs and initiatives. In late September, Canada Beef received the Osteoporosis Canada Corporate Partner Award. The award recognizes local corporations that have fostered and promoted the work of Osteoporosis Canada. Canada Beef was recognized for its’ continued support of Osteoporosis Canada. Efforts over the past two years include the joint development of eight bone-smart recipes, and a protein-focused Osteoporosis fact sheet directed to consumers. Currently, the duo is focused on the development of a joint bone-health consumer recipe/ education piece with distribution through Osteoporosis Canada. Canada Beef accepted the award at the Osteoporosis Canada 2021 virtual annual general meeting on September 25, 2021. OB

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

tatistics Canada’s Cattle Statistics Report released in August 2021, listed 293,500 fed steers on Ontario farms on July 1, 2021. This is the largest July volume since July 2018. Fed heifer volumes have been sitting in a sideways range for the last five years with July totals ranging from 121,600 the low to 125,700 on July 1, 2020. Volumes increased in January 2021, but as of July have fallen back in line with the last five years. Total fed cattle volumes have increased 1.9% from July 2020 and 1.5% from July 2019. Replacement beef heifer volumes on July 1, 2021 at 41,400 head is the lowest July 1 volume in this ten-year dataset and a 3.3% decline from July 2020. Beef cow volumes continue to decline with Statistics Canada reporting 230,500 head on farms in Ontario on July 1, 2021, which is the lowest July 1 volume since 1952 and a 5.2% decline in volume from July 1, 2020. While beef cow numbers on farms in Ontario declined, dairy cow numbers increased slightly. However total cow populations on Ontario farms are still down overall from July 1, 2020 by 5,600 head. Replacement cattle volumes, released by Statistics Canada, are sitting at 421,300 head on Ontario farms on July 1, 2021. This number is down 15,100 from January 1, 2021 noting January volumes tend to be higher than those reported in July. Comparing July to July volumes, July 2021 is the largest volume since July 2016. The Ontario fed cattle market has been less volatile than 2020 although prices the first quarter were under pressure due to large supply versus capacity. Since late May to early June prices for fed cattle have not dropped below $255.00 cwt on a dressed basis and have been averaging between $255.00-$270.00 cwt. Prices have been stronger than the last two years and five-year average since early June. Prices for fed cattle generally decline from August to September, which has not been the case this year as feedlots are keeping current. Looking back, since 1994 there has only been six years where prices have improved from August to September with this year being one of them. Four of the years were during the BSE crisis and a couple of years following where the market was in an unprecedented situation. Federal processing volumes for Ontario as of September 18 total 433,820 head, up 4.7% from the same time in 2020, however it is the second lowest volume in this ten-year data set. Over the last eight weeks, federal numbers have picked up and have been above last year

on a week-to-week basis. Provincial processing volumes for Ontario as of August 30 are at 60,188 head up 7.1% from the same time in 2020 and the largest volume in the last ten years, year to date. Carcass weights continue to be slightly higher than last year, but as of August the difference has narrowed and weights are more in line with previous years. Cull cow prices have been strong this year and above the last two years for the most part. Beef cows, in particular, have been very strong compared to the last two years. As of August 31, the volume of cull cows selling through auction markets is down 3.5% from 2020 and 2.2% below August 31, 2019. Please note that September 2021 values are calculated from Sept 1-21 due to print deadlines. All categories of stocker and feeder cattle are trending higher from the May to July lows. Many weight categories are seeing prices increase well above the last two years and the five-year average despite the high cost of feed. Seasonally as the fall runs get underway and the volumes on offer increase, prices ease slightly. Whether or not this year will follow the trend has yet to be determined. Feed prices continue very strong but fed cattle prices have been contra-seasonal this year which could be contributing to the strong prices starting out this fall in the replacement cattle market. The special fall stocker sales have started to commence with the majority of sales taking place in October and November. Vaccinated and pre-conditioned stocker and feeder cattle (i.e. dehorned, castrated etc.) are in high demand and will bring a better price than nonprocessed cattle. Many of the upcoming fall stocker sales feature vaccinated cattle. Info-Link cards are available on our website under the Services tab, or ask your auction market if they have any available. Info-Link cards are a pen-card that farmers can use to document feeder cattle information on vaccination, parasite control, implants and any other pertinent information. These cards are designed to help facilitate information flow between buyers and sellers of feeder cattle. InfoLink cards are to be submitted to sales barn staff when selling feeder cattle. The cards can be placed on the pens holding the cattle or the information can be read by the auctioneer when the cattle enter the sale ring. OB

Continued on page 32.

ON TA R IO BEEF • OC TOBER 20 21

Continued from page 31. – Market

Info

O N T A R I O B E E F • OCT OBE R 2 0 2 1

Continued on page 34.

ON TA R IO BEEF • OC TOBER 20 21

Continued from page 33. – Market

Info

O N T A R I O B E E F • OCT OBE R 2 0 2 1

BEEF EXPORTS - CANADA

United States

Mexico

Jan. 1 - July 31, ‘21 % Change

Total 197,399 tonnes

Jan. 1 - July 31, ‘21 % Change

+15%

13,837 tonnes

Japan

China

Jan. 1 - July 31, ‘21

Total

32,992 tonnes

+102%

Jan. 1 - July 31, ‘21

+31%

11,400 tonnes

+134%

BEEF PRODUCTION - CANADA

Jan. 1 - Sept. 11 ‘21

Last Year Same Time

Fed

778,505 tonnes

696,893 tonnes

% Change +12%

Non-fed

107,078 tonnes

96,113 tonnes

+11%

BEEF IMPORTS - CANADA

Jan. 1 - Sept. 11, ‘21

70,322 tonnes

Non-NAFTA

Last Year Same Time % Change 79,330 tonnes

-11%

24,461 tonnes

40,187 tonnes

-39%

EU-28 (beef/veal total) 8,753 tonnes

11,043 tonnes

-21%

139,049 tonnes

-19%

Total

112,173 tonnes

LIVE CATTLE - CANADA IMPORTS

EXPORTS

Jan. 1 - July 31, ‘21

Jan. 1 - Sept. 4, ‘21

Purebred

8,905

EXPORTS

Slaughter steers & heifers 280,915

% Change -14%

Non-Purebred 210,697 Feeder steers & heifers

76,191

-7%

25,433

-8%

Cows & bulls

LIVE CATTLE EXPORTS - ONTARIO

Week ending Sept. 4, ‘21 Week ending Aug. 28, ‘21 Year to Date

Total to US.

1,283

1,870

78,241

Steers, Heifers, Cows 1,200

1,734

72,920

136

5,321

Bulls

ON TA R IO BEEF • OC TOBER 20 21

CALENDAR

Ontario Beef Industry Events October 30 - Platinum Picks Charolais Sale, Hoards Station Sale Barn, Campbellford

October 16 - Blue Water Angus Sale, Cargill October 16 - Fall Feature Charolais Female Sale, Hoards Station, Campbellford October 17 - M&L Cattle Company Beef Day, at the farm, Indian River

October 30 - Simmental Influence Calf Sale, Keady Livestock Market, Keady.

November 2 - Limousin Feeder Calf and Yearling Sale, Ontario Stockyards, October 22 - Limousin Feeder Calf and Yearling Cookstown Sale, Hoard’s Station Sales Barn October 22 - Hereford and Hereford-influence Fall Stocker Sale, Brussels Stockyards, Brussels October 23 - Colours of Autumn Limousin Sale, Ontario Stockyards, Cookstown October 23 - Autumn Debutante Speckle Park Female Sale, at Silvertip Speckle Park farm, Brantford October 23 - 21st Annual Cream of the Crop Blonde d’Aquitaine Sale. Hoards Station Sale Barn, Campbellford

November 2 - Fall Roundup Hereford Sale, Hoards Station Sale Barn, Campbellford November 4 - Limousin Feeder Calf and Yearling Sale, Ontario Livestock Exchange, Waterloo November 5 - Limousin Feeder Calf and Yearling Sale, Keady Livestock Market, Keady November 5 - Limousin Feeder Calf Sale, Cargill Auction Market, Cargill

November 9, 15 & 23 - Grazing Cover Crop Webinars 2021: Sustaining Life Above and October 25 - Limousin Feeder Calf and Yearling Below, 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. ET. Contact Sale, Carson Farms and Auctions, Listowel BFO for registration details October 29 - Limousin Feeder Calf Sale, Cargill November 16 - Limousin Feeder Calf Auction Market, Cargill and Yearling Sale, Ontario Stockyards, October 29-31 - Vancise Cattle Company Cookstown Production Sale by Private Treaty, at the November 20 - Fall Classic Shorthorn Female farm, Stayner Sale, Maple Hill Auctions, Hanover.

November 20 - Limousin Influenced Commercial Bred Female Sale, Carson Farms and Auctions, Listowel November 26 - Limousin Feeder Calf and Yearling Sale, Hoard’s Station Sales Barn Campbellford November 30, December 1 & 2 - Forage Focus: Field to Feed Webinars, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. ET. Visit the Ontario Forage Council website for registration details December 2 - OVC Producer Event Featuring Dr. Diego Moya, 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. ET. Contact BFO for registration details December 4 - Eastern Showcase Limousin Sale, Maple Hill Auctions, Hanover December 9 - Limousin Feeder Calf and Yearling Sale, Ontario Stockyards, Cookstown January 27 & 29, 2022 - Virtual Beef Symposium. Stay tuned for program details. February 23-24 - BFO’s 2022 Virtual Annual General Meeting. Stay tuned for more details.

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bradc@artisanfarms.ca

519 357 7600

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O N T A R I O B E E F • OCT OBE R 2 0 2 1

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636077 Euphrasia-Holland Townline RR #3 Markdale, ON, N0C 1H0

Owen Martin 4550 Ament Line Wallenstein Ont. N0B 2S0 C. 519-501-2207 E. owenmartin4550@gmail.com

Purebred Red & Black Simmentals

GENETICS

Quality Proven Fleckvieh Simmental Breeding Stock

Bulls and Heifers FOR SALE. DNA verified for carcass and feed efficiency. Ross & Betty Small & Family R.R.#3 Harriston ON N0G 1Z0

Tel: 519-338-2077 • 1-800-461-3504 • Email: doraleegenetics1@sonicwaves.ca See our new website: www.doraleegenetics.com

R.R #5 HOARDS STATION Campbellford, Ontario SALE BARN Dave DeNure 705-653-3660 • Auction Sale Since 1949 • Sale Every Tuesday 12 p.m. • Three Rings – Beef, Dairy, Pigs • Quinte Cattlemen’s Stocker Sales • Spring and Fall Member of O.L.A.M.A

M i ller La n d & Li vesto c k

Charolais Bulls, Hay, Straw, Feedlot George & Dianne, Dwayne, Ashley and Cowal Miller RR 1, Jarvis, ON N0A 1J0

Ph (519) 587-2755

Cell (519) 429-5902

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

8669 Concession 6 Listowel, ON N4W 3G8

Gates, Hutches, Fencing, Scales, Chutes & More

sales@steelheadag.com • 519-266-6877 • www.steelheadag.com

Advertise in

BEEF BUSINESS LEADERS Very reasonable rates! Deadline for December 2021 issue is November 15. Call 519-763-8833 for information

ONTARIO MAINE-ANJOU ASSOCIATION

Commercial Angus Purebred Red Angus Purebred Black Angus Purebred Hereford

The Seed Family • Greg: 705-648-4274 seesonranch@outlook.com

Andy Millar

109 Bulmer’s Rd. • R.R.#2 Fenelon Falls • ON K0M 1N0 • Tel: 705-887-5142

Silver Springs Farms

SUNRISE ANGUS

James & Joan McKinlay R.R. 1, Ravenna, Ontario N0H 2E0 Tel: 519-599-6236 jmckinlay@bmts.com

Breeders of Quality Cattle Simmental • Red Angus • F1 Crosses

SILVERTIP

Embryos and Live Cattle for sale.

Garry & Sheila Smart 137606 Grey Rd. 12, RR # 2, Meaford, Ontario N4L 1W6 Phone: 519-538-4877 Cell: 519-372-7459 smartlimo@bmts.com www.smartlimousin.com

“Industry Accepted since 1978”

Breeding Stock Available at All Times.

Bulls and females sold private treaty Consigning to Bluewater Angus Sale in October

Joel & Irene Thomas • 477285 3rd Line Melancthon ON L9V 1T5

Phone: 519 925 5661• Cell: 519 940 1258 Email: sunriseangus@xplornet.ca

SPECKLE PARK

322 Burt Road St. George, Ontario N0E 1N0

We have both Red and Black Breeding Stock AVAILABLE to help improve your Weaning Weights and Carcass Quality.

(since 1995)

Purebred Black Angus Cattle

HUGH MACNEIL

519-861-2722 hugh.macneil@outlook.com

A: It’s in MAINE-ANJOU Offspring

jennalperry07@gmail.com

CHAROLAIS BULLS FOR SALE • Double Polled • Low Birth weights • Quiet Disposition • Well grown and ready to go to work

845040 Morrow Rd, New Liskeard Ontario, P0J 1P0

Q: Where’s the Beef?

Contact: OMAA Secretary: Jenna Perry 613-449-1719 or Facebook

Sunny Meadows Charolais

P: 519-760-0892 E: uspecs@roievents.ca FB: UNDERHILL SPECS

Performance live/frozen genetics available!

Wright’s R.R#1, #402144 Hanover, ON N4N 3B8 Tel: 519-369-3658

Carl Wright Cell: 519-369-7489 Ben Wright Cell: 519-374-3335 Laurie Wright Ofc: 519-369-3658

ON TA R IO BEEF • OC TOBER 20 21

FOCUS ON HERD HEALTH Vaccine Considerations for Your Herd By Daniel Pecoskie, DVM, Metzger Veterinary Services

s the summer weather yields to the fall and cattle come in from pasture, there is opportunity for handling and processing your herd. Cattle are routinely dewormed, tagged, and checked for pregnancy, among other practices. Stocker calves may be castrated and further processed. Vaccination is an important part of disease prevention for all life stages of cattle. With many different vaccine options to choose from, this article will provide a summary of common practices. Newborn calves are born without a strong immune system. For this reason, the immunoglobulins they drink in the colostrum in the first six to eight hours are necessary for stimulating their immunity. Therefore, we can maximize the immune boost from the colostrum by targeting cows and heifers in the pre-breeding and pre-calving window with certain vaccines. In the first few months of life, calves rely on the “maternal immunity” from colostrum, but it also limits the response of calves to injectable vaccines. Most calves will not have a great response to injectable vaccines until about six to eight weeks of age, when “maternal immunity” drops off. We can work around this issue by using intranasal vaccines, particularly in high-risk calves prone to developing pneumonia, even as early as 1-day of age. When deciding on a vaccine program, you should consider what pathogen or disease you are looking to prevent or reduce, the timing of the vaccine (a few weeks before stressful event), and the recommended vaccine schedule (dependent on the product used). Many vaccines require two doses in the first year, followed by annual revaccination. However, instructions can vary. Respiratory vaccines are available as modified-live virus, or killed vaccines. Both of these vaccine types have their merits. Modified-live viral vaccines are commonly used in stocker calves entering a feedlot. For vaccinating breeding heifers and pregnant cattle, they can be started on a modified-live vaccine program, but they must receive both initial doses pre-breeding. After that, they can be revaccinated annually without risk to the pregnancy. Modified-live viral vaccine MUST NOT be given to a pregnant cow unless they are properly introduced to the program. Killed vaccines are safe to give to a pregnant cow. Table 1: Vaccine Considerations – Beef Cattle Pathogen

General Disease Presentation

Target Age of Cattle

Viral – Respiratory - IBR - BVD 1 +2 - Parainfluenza - BRSV

• Pneumonia • High body temperature • Clear mucous production • Persistent infection • (IBR abortion)

All life stages, particularly before times of stress: before mixing or transporting calves, cows and heifers pre-breeding, boostered annually

Bacterial – Respiratory - Mannheimia - Pasteurella - (Shipping Fever)

• Pneumonia • Increased body temperature • Cloudy/white mucous

High risk newborn/young calves, lightweight stocker calves entering feedlot

Bacteria – Clostridial

• Blackleg (sudden death) • Tetanus (stiff calves) • Clostridial enteritis, etc.

All life stages, particularly bull calves before/at castration, calves before going out to pasture, and pregnant cows

Bacterial – Abortion - Leptosporosis

• Many different strains, but we vaccinate against the five most common • Sporadic abortion in cattle exposed to infected urine of rodents, wildlife and contaminated ponds/streams

Replacement heifers and breeding cows.

• Newborn calves with loose manure and stained hindquarters • Dehydration • Dull, depressed calves

Vaccine given to replacement heifers and breeding cows (to get protective antibodies in the colostrum)

Scour Prevention - Rotavirus - Coronavirus - E.coli - C. perfringens

Lepto is found in combo vaccination with respiratory viruses

Vaccination in the 5-8 weeks pre-calving, given twice in first year, boostered annually

This is a general review and summary of common vaccine practices, and the diseases we protect against. Vaccine protocols can vary from farm-to-farm and are dependent on the animals involved, and the goals of the producer. Contact your veterinarian to discuss the specific vaccine options that will work best for you. OB

O N T A R I O B E E F • OCT OBE R 2 0 2 1

EVERY TOP PERFORMING

CHAROLAIS BULL IS BACKED BY A HIGHLY MATERNAL CHAROLAIS COW

Now is the time to add CHAROLAIS to your Herd! We invite you to tour

ONTARIO CHAROLAIS FARMS

and see the excellent Charolais Bulls and Females FOR SALE PRIVATELY.

Check out www.ontariocharolais.com OR contact our secretary Doris Aitken at 519–323–2538 Ontario Charolais Association

@oncharolais

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