Messenger News Letter - May 2011

T HEMessenger M ESSENGER The

November 2010-11-13 Volume 1, Issue 1

MAY 2011

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

Important Dates for Mandatory RFID Tags  Starting July 1, 2011 Ketchum Kurl lock and Allflex dangle tags will no longer be available for sale to sheep producers as

Canadian Sheep Identification Program (CSIP) tags.  All animals born or tagged after January 1, 2012 must be tagged with approved CSIP RFID tags

 Approved CSIP RFID tags include the Shearwell Data Ltd SET tag

and the Allflex RFID Button Tag.  After December 31, 2012 the Ketchum Kurl lock #3 and the Allflex dangle tags will be officially removed from the list of

approved tags for the CSIP and will no longer be accepted at sales, abattoirs or by CFIA as official CSIP tags for shipping,

transfer or sale of sheep in Canada.

For more information, please go to www.cansheep.ca

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

Board Decisions / Actions OSMA News Programs Religious & Ethnic Holidays Programs / Workshops Upcoming Events District Information OSMA Reaching Out Internal/External Committee’s

OSMA AGM is just around the corner Don’t Forget Your Pictures for the next Photo Contest Look for details in the June Ontario Sheep News

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

May 2011

BOARD DECISIONS / ACTIONS

NEXT SCHEDULED BOARD MEETING July 6 -

Face to Face

BOARD MEETING – May 25 Update following May 25th Board conference call 1. Subsequent to the resignation of Mark Lenover as the Director for District 11, the Board accepted the District 11 request that Markus Wand act in the liaison and reporting functions between the Board and District 11.

2. The Board approved that Dennis Fischer carry the three OSMA votes at the CSF Board table

3. The Board received verbal reports from the Agriculture Wildlife Conflict Strategy and Sheep Risk Management Program working groups. However details cannot be released as these final decisions rest with the Ontario Minister of Agriculture and Food.

4. OSMA Board, at its July 6 meeting, will review or receive: water quality; Board training; traceability position statement; a delegates question and answer session at the AGM; revisions to Regulation #1; update from Governance Committee on OSMA policies; a preliminary budget for 2011-2012; updates on predation initiatives; update on a Sheep Risk Management Program; and usual officer reports.

OSMA NEWS

OSMA OFFICE FACILITIES Early in 2010, OCA (OSMA’s landlord) decided to commence a building and facility upgrade over a 2-3 year time period. During the summer and fall of 2010 the building exterior and office entrances were refurbished in a major way. Additionally the space that OSMA rents needed weather sealing, some new windows, new washroom fixtures, and a new heat/AC system to replace the very outdated and inefficient individual room units. OCA installed a heating/AC system for the OSMA area which required installation of ceiling ducts. OSMA staff work in the office during the heat/AC system installation by moving and crowding from mid year to year end 2010.

For some years now OSMA has not kept it’s office up-to-date with painting, adequate flooring, and window treatments. All of these are tenants responsibilities when leasing.

OSMA Board and staff are very pleased with upgrades made over the time period fall 2010 to early 2011. Upgrades, which OSMA was responsible for, include (bracketed is the percent responsibilities of the tenant): - Painting (50%) $3,225 - Flooring, carpet (100%) $9,649 - Window Treatment, blinds (100%) $5,848 - Wall relocations (100%) $2,450

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

May 2011

Over the next two years, OCA will be doing roof repairs and parking lot/landscape upgrades.

from OCA gives OSMA easily accessible, friendly location and cost effective rent.

OSMA now has an office that visitors make very positive comments on and which is a comfortable and conducive environment for staff to work in. Renting

Anyone visiting Guelph should drop around to the OSMA office and visit with staff. If possible call ahead so the staff can have the coffee pot on and time to speak with you.

PROGRAMS The following topics have been removed from the Messenger as there have not been any changes to information.

If you would like to read any of these topics please click on the link below to go to the Messenger on the OSMA website.

March Messenger -

Canadian Sheep Information Platform Business Risk Management Program SFIP- Sheep Flock Improvement Program CFIA Testing For Scrapie

RELIGIOUS & ETHNIC HOLIDAY’S For more information on the Holidays please click the link below to go to the OSMA website: Religious & Ethnic Holidays

PROGRAMS - WORKSHOPS CANADIAN AGRICULTURAL LOANS ACT (CALA) PROGRAM The CALA program builds on and replaces the previous Farm Improvement & Marketing Cooperative Loans Act (FIMCLA) program.

The CALA program is a financial loan guarantee program that provides farmers easier access to credit.

Farmers can use these programs to establish, improve and develop farms.

For more information click on the following link: Canadian Agricultural Loans Act (CALA) Program > Programs and Services

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

LIVESTOCK AUCTION TRACEABILITY INITIATIVE (LATI) The Livestock Auction Traceability Initiative (LATI) will provide contributions to assist primarily in the alteration of animal handling structures, which will enhance traceability capabilities at high-risk, high through-put sites where animals from different herds co-mingle.

For more information click on the following link: LATI

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) 2) 3)

Environment and Climate Change Business Development Food Safety and Traceability Biosecurity

May 2011

For more information: Call 1-888-479-3931; e-mail growingforward@ontario.ca Or visit their website by clicking on the following link: Growing Forward in Ontario

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

Currently: The Agriwebinar season is complete at the moment. Information on upcoming speakers and topics will be posted at a later date.

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

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

FARM CREDIT CANADA Where do you want your operation to be in five years? Do you know how to get there?

For information on upcoming workshops visit: www.fcc.ca/workshops or call 1-888-332-3301

UPCOMING EVENTS For more information on any upcoming event please visit the OSMA website at: Events

Purebred Sheep Breeders of Ontario

Jan-Lan-Ro Farms Sheep Exchange

Saturday, July 9, 2011, Carsons Sales Arena – Listowel, ON Purebred Ewes & Rams, Commercial Ewes, and Used Equipment For more information visit: Purebred Sheep Breeders

Saturday, June 4, 2011, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

.

For further information visit www.sheepexchange.ca or contact the coordinator Rob Lamont at robelamont@yahoo.ca or (519) 323-1769.

Those participating should be following proper biosecurity protocol

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

DISTRICT 10 MULTI BREED SHEEP SALE & EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS July 30, 2011 Spencerville, ON

May 2011 Featuring performance tested rams, ewes and commercial ewes.

For more information visit the OSMA website or call Colleen Acres – 613-826-2330 (colleen.acres@sympatico.ca)

*************************************************************************************** LOOKING AHEAD ……….

September 13 – 15, 2011 – Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, Canada’s Outdoor Park, Woodstock, ON. Soon to be announced – Details on the Lamb carcass competition. Watch for event details at http://www.outdoorfarmshow.com/ September 20 – 24, 2011 – 2011 International Plowing Match, Prescott Russell.

Details at http://www.plowingmatch.org/ipm2011/index.php September 27 – 28, 2011 – Sheep Infrastructure Workshop – For more information click the following link: OMAFRA Website October 28 & 29, 2011 – OSMA AGM – Details soon to be announced November 2, 2011 – Ruminant Feed Industry Day November 4 – 13, 2011 – Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Exhibition Place, Toronto. Visit http://www.royalfair.org/ for all the details.

November 15, 2011 – Atwood Sheep Seminar November 17, 2011 – Napanee Sheep Seminar

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

District 1: COMING EVENTS: Meetings are usually held the first Thursday of every month at Coldstream Community Centre, just north west of London, Ontario at 8:00 PM June 18: Pasture Walk @ 2pm near Wilkesport (southwest Lambton County). OMAFRA’s Provincial Grazier Specialist, Jack Kyle will be the speaker. The pasture walk will be held at the farm of Dave & Darlene Pettit & family, 2627 McCallum

Line, Wilkesport. All those interested in getting the most out of their pastures and the grazing season are invited to attend. Producers of sheep and other livestock are encouraged to attend. No charge to attend. No pre-registration required.

Sept 1: District Annual Meeting @ Coldstream Contact: District Secretary: Marlene Raymond at 519-683-6635 or District 1 Website: OSMA_district_1.tripod.com

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

District 2: COMING EVENTS: Sept 15 District AGM Contact: District Secretary - Anita DeJong 519-534-1211 or email: anitabrian@gbtel.ca

District 3: COMING EVENTS: Sept 8 Disrict 3 AGM – 7:30 pm at the Rostock hall in Rostock. Guest speaker: OSMA GM, Murray Hunt will speak on the benchmark study.

Contact: District Secretary - Mike Beuerman 519-527-2676 or email: mike_beuerman@ hotmail.com

District 4: COMING EVENTS: Last Saturday of every month: Breakfast at 9 am at Devine’s in Jarvis. Join us for sheep chat, good people and good food.

Contact: District Secretary - Sharon Petheram 519-443-5844 or email: petherdale@gmail.com

District 5: COMING EVENTS: Aug 31: District AGM and Pot Luck dinner will be hosted by the Andrew Gordanier family the last Wednesday in August.

Meetings are usually last Wed. of every month, Location TBA PAST EVENTS: District 5 would like to send out a big thank you to Bruce and Daina Hunter for hosting our April meeting at their farm. A huge thanks to Dr. Bruce Hunter for showing us the steps in performing a basic post mortem on lambs to determine cause of death.

He also explained some of the reasons for death, how to detect them and explained when a trip to U of G should be considered. A big thanks also to Bill

May 2011

McCutcheon who showed us how to deal with a hypothermic lamb, what doses oif glucose to use, how to inject it, how to warm the lamb and how to tube feed the lamb. All necessary skills needed by a shepherd.

Contact: District Secretary - Lene Band phone: 905-877-2969 e-mail: lhband@hotmail.com

District 6: COMING EVENTS: June 4 Adjala Acres Open House – 10 – 3 pm at the Snell family in Tottenham – Everyone welcome to attend, view their new facilities and have lunch Aug 29 District 6 Annual Meeting 7:30 pm at Church's Farm Supplies.

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

District 7: Contact: District Secretary – Cynthia Palmer phone: 705-295-3351 or e-mail: cjpalmer@nexicom.net

District 8: COMING EVENTS: Sept 17 District AGM Contact: District Secretary – Kenton Dempsey phone: 613-969-8154 or e-mail: kenton.dempsey@sympatico.ca

District 9: COMING EVENTS: June 11 Lambs Down Park Festival 10am-3pm at Canadian Cooperative Wool Growers grounds, Carleton Place. Sheep/Lamb demos, Shearing and Dog Herding demos, Cooking demos and Food.

Aug 19-20 District Bar-B-Q and meet the OSMA provincial board Contact: District Secretary – Sara Loten phone: 613-264-0539 or e-mail: loliver@storm.ca

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

May 2011

District 10: COMING EVENTS: July 30th : District 10 Multi-Breed Sheep Sale and Education Day. Spencerville Fairgrounds. Education Session - Ontario Sheep Performance and Health programs: their use on the farm and in selecting breeding stock. 9- 11:30. Viewing of sale animals 11:30 -1pm. Auction sale of performance tested rams and ewes 1pm. Contact 613-989-2792, 613-989-5352 or info@hawkhillfarm.ca for more information.

Please visit the OSMA website for more information under “Events” Sept 7 District AGM

District 10 Website: www.osmadistrict10.ca/ Contact: District Secretary – Laurie Maus phone: 613-527-1897 or e-mail: info@hawkhillfarm.ca

District 11: COMING EVENTS: June 21: OMAFRA sponsored Pasture Walk- Jack Kyle will be conducting a pasture walk at the New Liskeard Ag. Research Station in New Liskeard in the evening . Details to follow.

Contact: District Secretary – Debra Garner phone: 705-563-2761 or e-mail: dgarner@ontera.net

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 Middlesex Sheep & Lamb Producers Chairman - George Molson, 519-695-2936, Secretary/Media - Mels van der Laan, 519-666-2423, Email: dutchtexel@execulink.com Grey Bruce Sheep Management Club Location: Grey Gables in Markdale Western Ontario Lamb Producers District 2 and 3 area

Ontario Suffolk Sheep Association Saturday August 13th - 5th Terminal Sire Ram Sale, 1pm at Carson's Sales Arena, Listowel Including registered Suffolk Ewes and Commercial Suffolk Sired Ewe lambs  Performance tested and genotyped for Scrapie Resistance  Excellent rams for the Commercial Breeder 

For Information or Catalogue contact: Glen Porteous, Home: 519-794-4549, Cell: 519-2709214, Email: glenporteous@hotmail.com Karen Hayward, Home: 519-371-8487, Email: trilliumwoods@sympatico.ca

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

May 2011

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 - Lamb Nutrition and RecipesCurrent Initiatives Sheep Production Information Research Projects - Virtual Farm Tour News - Links Events - Kids Corner

*************************************************************************************** UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION It is important for Ontario Sheep to have current contact information for all sheep producers in order to keep you up to date on current events.  Do you have a new email address  Has your address changed Please contact us by calling 519-836-0043 or emailing: admin@ontariosheep.org

*************************************************************************************** VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO ALL PRODUCERS: It is imperative that all lambs and sheep leaving your farms be properly tagged. Animals detected by CFIA ( the Canadian Food Inspection Agency) without tags are now receiving fines of $1300.

These fines are being charged to everyone involved in the sale. Therefore the producer, the transportor and the Salesbarn are each receiving a $1300 fine for every sheep or lamb without a tag.

Failure to comply may soon result in Salebarns refusing to accept lambs and sheep for sale.

PLEASE NOTE: All fines have been a result of sheep and lamb arriving at the Salebarns without evidence of ever being tagged.

Please pass this information onto any other producers you know especially those who do not have email access.

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger

May 2011

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMITTEES 2010/2011 Standing Committees Audit Committee: Fraser Hodgson*, Colleen Acres, Judy Dening, Members at Large – Jason Emke, Jennifer Peel Awards & Nominations Committee: Colleen Acres*, Christopher Kyle, Fraser Hodgson Board Training Committee (Ad Hoc): Chris Kennedy*, Dennis Fischer, Judy Dening, Neil Mesman By-Law and Regulations (Ad Hoc): Allan Burn*, Neil Mesman, Christopher Kyle, Murray Hunt Governance Committee: Christopher Kyle*, Neil Mesman, Dennis Fischer, Markus Wand, Murray Hunt Research Committee: Markus Wand*, Fraser Hodgson, Colleen Acres, Murray Hunt ___________________________________________________________________________________ Standing Teams Advocacy: Murray Hunt**, Chris Kennedy, Dennis Fischer Breeding Stock: Murray Hunt**, Colleen Acres, Christopher Kyle, Ruth Gilmour, Darryl Hopkins, Gary Brien, Brian Atkinson, Jim Groves, Ted Skinner Education: Murray Hunt**, Judy Dening, Christopher Kyle, Ruth Gilmour Organization: Murray Hunt**, Allan Burn, Neil Mesman, Ruth Gilmour Predation: Chris Kennedy**, Murray Hunt**, Mark Lenover, Allan Burn, Judy Dening, Dick Kuiperij, Leah Riddell, Al Whitlam Promotion: Murray Hunt**, Markus Wand, Neil Mesman, Ruth Gilmour R & D: Murray Hunt**, Colleen Acres, Fraser Hodgson

External Representatives 2010 – 2011 Agricultural Adaptation Committee, Livestock Seat: Judy Dirksen (OVA); Oliver Haan (ON Pork) CFFO: Fraser Hodgson Canadian Sheep Federation (CSF): Andrew Gordanier, Dennis Fischer CSF-CSIP: Dennis Fischer Environmental Representative: Chris Kennedy Farm Innovation Program: Murray Hunt National On-Farm Food Safety Working Group: Murray Hunt Ontario Agricultural Commodity Council (OACC): Andrew Gordanier**, Murray Hunt Ontario Federation of Agriculture: Judy Dening OFPMC Sheep Advisory Committee: Will be determined at a future date OLPC: Murray Hunt OSMA Ontario Scholarship Committee: Education Team Predation Leader: Chris Kennedy Presidents Council: Chris Kennedy Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (Sheep Committee): – Christopher Kyle**, Lene Band Sheep Flock Improvement Program Advisory (SFIP) Committee: Bob Comfort, Bill Duffield, Wayne Oosterhoff John Steele, Rebecca Parker, Scott Prudom Toronto Stock Yard & Land Development Board: Allan Burn

* Chair

** Leader or Co-Leaders