Messenger December 2012

T HEMessenger M ESSENGER The DECEMBER 2012

Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency, 130 Malcolm Road, Guelph, ON, N1K 1B1 www.ontariosheep.org Tel: 519-836-0043

Inside This Issue        

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“Ben & Cherry Waiting for Breakfast with the Girls” Taken by Don Tubb

Board Decisions / Actions Programs Religious & Ethnic Holidays General Interest Programs / Workshops Upcoming Events District Information Other District Organizations OSMA Reaching Out

Photo Contest Winner

FIRST PLACE

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

December 2012

BOARD DECISIONS / ACTIONS

NEXT SCHEDULED BOARD MEETINGS FOR 2013 January 9 March 6 April 17

May 29 July 10

August 21 October 9

BOARD MEETING – November 28 The Board would like to welcome David Bentley as the Provincial Director for District 9. A special thank you to Allan Burn for the many years of service on the board.

September Financial statements were accepted and show income higher than budgeted at this time.

OSMA has committed $10,000.00 per year for the next 3 years for genetic evaluations database with the University of Guelph.

A review of the current strategic plan will take place in the New Year. Producer input is welcome and should be discussed with your provincial director The following motion was passed: OSMA commit to switching to a CSF tag fee of $0.25 beginning on September 1, 2013, and that OSMA commits to paying its dues for the remainder of the fiscal year, and that the OSMA Board will simultaneously commit to a minimum reduction in the Ontario licence fee of $0.15.

PROGRAMS NEW YOUNG FARM LOANS FOR CANADA Young and beginning farmers will find it easier to start and grow their farm businesses with the help of a new $500 million loan program, introduced by the federal gov't and FCC. This new loan offers qualified producers who are under 40 years of age loans of up

to $500,000 to purchase or improve farmland and buildings.

For more information on the FCC Young Farmer Loan, visit www.fcc.ca/youngfarmerloan

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

December 2012

RELIGIOUS & ETHNIC HOLIDAY’S For more information on the Holidays please click the link below to go to the OSMA website: Religious & Ethnic Holidays - http://www.ontariosheep.org/ - Market Information – Market Reports

GENERAL INTEREST Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence Applications are now being accepted for the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence program. The deadline for submissions is Friday, January 18, 2013. The Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation program has attracted more than 1,000 applications highlighting on-farm innovations since its inception in 2007. The Premier’s Award for AgriFood Innovation Excellence program encourages the development of our rural communities, farms, agrifood processors and agri-food organizations by adding value to existing products, creating jobs and driving economic growth. The program recognizes up

to 45 Regional Award recipients across the province who receive a plaque, wordmark and a gate sign, as well as $5,000; a Premier’s Award ($75,000); a Minister’s Award ($50,000); and, three Leaders in Innovation Awards ($25,000).

Additional information, guidelines and application forms are available on the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs website or by calling the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300. http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/premier_awar d/app_info.htm

OSMA MARKET APP Get the latest market information directly to your smart phone. The app lets farmers make marketing decisions on the go. See the September 2012 issue of

Ontario Sheep News for instructions to download the app to your Smartphone.

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

December 2012

We want to hear from you

PREDATION COMPENSATION OSMA's Predation-Wildlife Committee is interested in hearing of concerns you may have with compensation for predator kills. The province has recently made some major changes to the process of compensation for predator damages. The committee has heard unconfirmed reports of problems with the

implementation of the new regulations. Please let us know if you have encountered problems with the revised compensation program. Email your comments to Jennifer at admin@ontariosheep.org

HOW TO OBTAIN A PREMISES ID Premises Identification Numbers can be obtained from the Provincial Premises Registry (PPR) now operated by approved service provider Angus GeoSolutions Inc. (AGSI). The PPR is the only official provincial registry for obtaining Ontario Premises Identification Numbers for agri-food businesses. Premises Identification numbers issued before April 1, 2012 are still valid.

Obtaining a Premises Identification Number for your agri-food business is an important step towards traceability in Ontario.

To register your premises or update your information, please contact AGSI:  Online: www.ontarioppr.ca  By phone: 1-855-697-7743 (MY PPR ID)

PROGRAMS - WORKSHOPS

GROWING FORWARD A commitment by Canada's federal, provincial and territorial government that supports the development and implementation of best practices in four key areas: 1) 2) 3) 4)

Environment and Climate Change Business Development Food Safety and Traceability Biosecurity

For more information: Call 1-888-479-3931; e-mail growingforward@ontario.ca Or visit their website by copy and paste of the following link: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/about/growingforward/2011-index.htm

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

December 2012

AGRIWEBINAR – LEARNING WITHOUT LIMITS Presented by The Canadian Farm Business Management Council.

Date

Speaker

Topic

January 28/13

Tarrah Young

Is Community Supported Agriculture for you?

Green Being Farm

Community Supported Agriculture is a revolutionary system of food distribution that benefits both farmer and consumer, ensuring fair returns for farmers and promising the pinnacle of freshness and quality for consumers. While common practice overseas, CSAs have only recently begun to gain mainstream acceptance in North America. Initially considered a system for small scale agriculture, CSAs are now operating that serve 1000+ members. Learn about the fundamentals of CSA as well as the myriad

Visit the website to access over 100 archived webinars, and to subscribe to their mailing list.

Website: http://www.agriwebinar.com/

ONTARIOFRESH.CA Ontariofresh.ca 2.0 is now live on the web! Launched as a beta site in November 2011, Ontariofresh.ca has grown to over 1,200 registered industry professionals.

The website serves as a valuable economic tool among food service businesses and food producers to help meet the growing demand for Ontario food. In a survey conducted among Ontariofresh.ca members in early 2012, 20% of respondents had made connections and half of those reported sales resulting directly from the website.

The new, optimized version of Ontariofresh.ca website allows local food buyers and sellers to search for products, announce the availability of seasonal products, and post contract opportunities by using a sophisticated search function. Connecting buyers and sellers of Ontario food, Ontariofresh.ca is a vital tool in finding new business partners to meet the growing demand for local food.

You can register your business’ profile at http://www.ontariofresh.ca/ or by calling 1-888-2499399 or 647-426-8420.

ADVANTAGE ON-FARM FOOD SAFETY WEBINARS The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) will be hosting 9 webinar sessions on Good Agriculture Practices for your farm, available at no cost.

Getting Started in Food Safety Learn how to identify the role food safety plays in farming operations; analyze the associated risks and what good agricultural practices are and how they apply.

This module will also explain the resources OMAFRA has to offer to help reduce your risks.

Webinar –Tuesday, January 22, 2013, 12:00 pm (noon) – 12:45 pm

3-2-1 Assessment of Your Farm Operation for Food Safety Asses your present farm practices for food safety and develop an action plan to ensure your operation is meeting the best practices. This module is interactive and uses computer resources to assess your risks. Webinar -Thursday, February 28, 2013, 12:00 pm (noon) – 12:45 pm Register online at http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/foodsaf ety/producers/webinars.htm Registration closes the day before each workshop. A confirmation email will be sent following registration with the workshop teleconference/webinar details.

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

December 2012

UPCOMING EVENTS For more information on any upcoming event please visit the OSMA website at: Events (http://www.ontariosheep.org/Events.aspx)

Central Ontario Agricultural Conference 2013 January 3, 2013 – Beef, Dairy, Sheep, Organic, Farm Fresh January 4, 2013 – Crops, Horses, Maple Syrup Georgian College, Barrie Campus Watch for program details and highlights! www.centralontarioagconference.ca

More details on Page 11

Grey Bruce Farmers Week 2013 January 3 – 9 – Elmwood Community Centre, Elmwood (# 38 Queen St. West) January 3 – Dairy Day January 7 – Beef Day January 4 – Goat Day January 8 – Ecological Day January 5 – Sheep Day January 9 – Crops Day January 6 – Horse Day/Youth & Adult For more information call 519-986-3756, email info@greyagservices.ca or go to http://www.greyagservices.ca/grey-bruce-farmers-week.html

DISTRICT INFORMATION Note: For further information and details about your District please contact your District Secretary

District 1: Please contact your District Secretary for date and location of your next District meeting

Contact: District Secretary: Michelle Prudom at 519-845-3998 District 1 Website: OSMA_district_1.tripod.com

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

December 2012

District 2:

District 6:

Jan 5, 2013 Sheep day @ Elmwood Community Centre (9am – 4pm) Feb 7, 2013 Meeting @ 7:30pm Grey Ag Services , Markdale Ontario

Contact: District Secretary – Grant Cowan phone: 705-436-2236 or e-mail: gcowan@gtcnet.ca

Meetings usually held the 1st Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm. For more information contact Glen Porteous at glenporteous@hotmail.com

Contact: District Secretary – Doug McCubbin phone: 705-793-1589

Contact: District Secretary - Kyle Harrison 519334-3928

District 8:

District 3:

Contact: District Secretary – Linda Huizenga phone: 613-477-1393

Jan 10, 7-9pm

Rostock Agricultural Hall 4817 Line 46, Rostock (just off Perth Rd 135) Laura Bowers from Bio Flock will be our first presenter on the new computer software management program for sheep. Our second presenter will be Jennifer Stevenson from OMAFRA. She is a specialist in finance and will explain to us how to develop our farm business and take it to the next level. Please join us and meet fellow producers.

Any questions contact Neil Mesman 519-504-3089 neil.mesman@me.com Contact: District Secretary - Neil Mesman 519504-3089 or email: neil.mesman@me.com

District 4: Last Saturday of every month: Monthly Producer Breakfasts at 9 am at Boston Common Restaurant, 2619 Cockshutt Rd. Waterford. Contact: Rob Scott 519-209-3944 e-mail bcf_222@hotmail.com. Join us for sheep chat, good people and good food.

District 7:

District 9: January 19, 2013 – State of the Sheep Industry – Producer Information Day hosted by OSMA District 9 Perth Civitan Club, 6787 County Road 43, Perth, ON K0G 1B0, just east of town past the 3M plant.

10am to 3pm – Speakers from various levels of the sheep industry. There will be a minimal charge and lunch will be provided. For more information and to pre-register, contact Allan Burn, e-mail cairnfarm@hotmail.com or phone 613-812-8407 Contact: District Secretary – Allan Burn Email: cairnfarm@hotmail.com or phone: 613-812-8407

District 10: District 10 Website: www.osmadistrict10.ca/

Contact: District Secretary - Sharon Petheram; 519443-5844 or email: petherdale@gmail.com

Contact: District Secretary – Gary Lapier phone: 613-989-2792

District 5:

District 11:

Meetings are usually last Wed. of every month, Location TBA

Contact: District Secretary – Debra Garner Email: bill.debgarner@gmail.com phone: 705-563-2761

Contact: District Secretary - Dawn VanKampen phone: 519-940-2202

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

December 2012

OTHER DISTRICT ORGANIZATIONS Victoria County Sheep Producers.

Third Wednesday every month starting at 7:30 Sunderland Co-op Boardroom at Oakwood Location Membership is $20 per farm per year. Contact: Doug Walden - 705-324-7478 Southwestern Sheep Farmers Formerly known as Middlesex Sheep & Lamb Producers

Chair – Wendy McGowan, 519- 657-5197, Vice Chair – Geraldine Pennings, 519-764-2455 Secretary/Treas – Marilyn Walker, 510-287-5637, Grey Bruce Sheep Management Club Location: Grey Gables in Markdale Western Ontario Lamb Producers District 2 and 3 area Ontario Suffolk Sheep Association

OSMA REACHING OUT OSMA Website – www.ontariosheep.org Have you visited OSMA’s new website yet. If you haven’t, please take a moment to check it out. The following are just a few of things you will find.

About Ontario Sheep - Messenger Programs, Services - OSN Market Information - Locators – Lamb, Guardian Animals, and Breed Sheep Production Information - Lamb Nutrition and Recipes Current Initiatives - Virtual Farm Tour Research Projects - Links and Videos News - Kids Corner Events

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

December 2012

CHECK OUT THE NEW LAYOUT FOR ONTARIO SHEEP NEWS AND THE MESSENGER ON THE OSMA WEBSITE

HELP US KEEP YOU INFORMED To keep you up to date on current events by phone and email please make sure that we have your current information.

TELL YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND NEIGHBOURS TO UPDATE THEIR INFORMATION Contact us by calling 519-836-0043 or emailing admin@ontariosheep.org

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

December 2012

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

December 2012