2019 Harvest Special Feature

The Journal

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Photo credit: Susan McNeil Grain waves in front the Village of Bjorkdale in mid-August. Northeast Saskatchewan is gearing up for harvest.

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7.4 per cent on average. However, the numbers pull in,” he said. vary by region. The southeastern region (includ“Now, it’s been an amazing turnaround. Not ing the Regina area) saw a 1.7 per cent rise, while everyone is going to have a great crop, but we’ll the southwest (Swift Current, Maple Creek) probably produce an average to an above average jumped 12.5 per cent. crop that we never thought was possible — at least The northeast (Melfort, Tisdale, Nipawin) rose an average crop. The jury is still out on that, but six per cent; northwest (Meadow Lake, Glaslyn) it’s not going to be the disaster that we thought it 4.3 per cent; and east-central (Yorkton) 11.6 per was going to be five or six weeks ago.” cent.

A caveat is that some areas Prices were up 3.2 per have late-maturing or multiSuccession cent in the west-central area, ple-stage crops, putting them which includes Saskatoon, at high risk of damage from planning is but the average was highest at an early frost. big in this $1,985, with a range of $900 “If you throw that into the to $3,300. (FCC removes the equation, that could nip a province right lowest and highest five per lot of optimism and create a cent of sales to arrive at the now — handing off number of issues. Barring an value range.) The lowest averearly frost, volumes are going the farm to the new age was $1,475 in the eastto be pretty good. Prices, parcentral area. Provincewide, generation” ticularly canola, are going to the range was between $600 be disappointing but overall and $3,400. it’s not going to be a disaster.”

While some Alberta land is similar in price, Hursh said the rate of increase will likely slow; that province’s southern region’s average is $6,157, but there is still strong interest in Saskatchewan with a range topping out at more than $14,000 per land. acre. All regions in Manitoba have higher average “A lot of areas will continue to be strong and prices than Saskatchewan. may appreciate a little bit; some will be steady as “Our farmland is comparable to Alberta, Manishe goes; some land types might see things a bit toba and North Dakota, but much less expensive,” softer.”

Cawkwell said. “People are going to see the value Joanne Paulson Other effects on land include crop input prices in Saskatchewan farmland and keep flocking here.

It’s one of the last places in Canada where you can and trade conditions, which are presently chalvery day, Ted Cawkwell fields a phone call from an Alberta lenging with India and China placing restrictions still make a living off the farm.” farmer looking for Saskatchewan land. on pulses and canola products, respectively.

Amber Tuplin, senior appraiser with FCC, It’s a new trend that Cawkwell, a farmer and rural real es“I’ve never seen this,” Cawkwell said of the tate agent with RE/MAX in Saskatoon, does not find surprising. The said out-of-province sales in general have slowed trade barriers. “We’ve had this in the past, but if slightly, while many local producers are expandaverage Alberta acre can easily go for $10,000, while a comparable you’re 47 and under, most people haven’t seen this ing their holdings. piece of cropland in this province might cost $3,000 — or less. (level of barrier). It’s a new challenge, but Sas“Succession planning is big in this province Albertans, not to mention other Canadians, have purchased Sasright now — handing off the farm to the new gen- katchewan farmers are the most resilient business katchewan land before; but this is different. eration. I’m also seeing a lot of guys growing their minds on the planet. I’m not trying to be overly “They’re selling and moving here, or their expansion is here. They bold; I really believe that. They’re going to overfarms and blocking them out,” Tuplin said. may have 5,000 acres in Alberta but they may expand and buy a come these challenges.

“I think there’s confidence. Agriculture is still 5,000 block here,” Cawkwell said in a recent interview.

“I’m optimistic at the increase in farmland strong. And you know, it’s a lifestyle. Lots of “They’re finding when they get to that larger scale it’s extremely values in the face of adversity in the last couple of people like the farming industry.” challenging to expand in their local area, so they’re thinking outside years.”

Nonetheless, price increases have slowed, and the box and buying elsewhere.”

Cawkwell said he’s “extremely bullish longthat’s largely due to the weather. Drought-like Members of Alberta farm families will move here or hire a farm term” but he, like Hursh, expects prices to plateau conditions, early frosts and snowfalls, and even manager to operate their new holdings, he explained. somewhat in the short term. forest fires have affected agriculture. Conditions “It’s always bigger blocks. If it’s ranchers, they want a 400-head affect farm receipts, and on-farm income is the “There are areas that will continue to increase operation. If it’s grain, really most are looking at 10,000-plus blocks.” main driver behind the ability to buy more land. and other areas pressured primarily by drought …

Grainland prices in Saskatchewan have risen considerably over where I don’t think it would be a long shot to see But recent rains have improved at least the the last decade, but compared with many parts of Canada, experts a correction. We’re at that point where some areas short-term picture, said Kevin Hursh, a Cabrinote they’re still a relative bargain. could be going up, some staying flat and some goarea farmer and farm consultant. ing down. And that’s a change.

Farm Credit Canada’s (FCC) 2018 and most-recent report on “If you’d have asked this question (about the grainland values shows that prices rose 6.9 and 5.7 per cent in 2009 direction of land values) six weeks ago, when “When you look at liquidity in the market, it’s and 2010 before the increases began to soar. In 2011, the percentage we were on the edge of what looked like a major certainly not what it was two or three years ago, rose to 22.9, followed by 19.7, 28.5 and 18.7 per cent in the three but that wasn’t normal either. That was a crazy production shortfall due to drought over a very following years. wide area, my answer would have been quite a market — unprecedented growth in farmland By 2015, increases were back in single digits; in 2018, prices rose bit different. I think people were really starting to values and unprecedented liquidity.”

SASK. FARMLAND PRICES STILL A RELATIVE BARGAIN

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Harvest begins Susan McNeil

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arvest started in Saskatchewan in mid August, with even some producers in northeast Saskatchewan getting into the fields despite ongoing rain.

Provincially, as of the middle of August, over one percent of crops were swathed or ready to straight cut.

Normally, four percent would already be combined and five percent swathed or ready to straight cut across Saskatchewan.

In the northeast region, where in Nipawin alone over 400 mm of rain has fallen since April 1, farmers are starting to dessicate their pea crops and winter cereals are being swathed and ready to straight-cut. “Producers in the region expect to well underway harvest in the coming weeks,� said Saskatchewan Agriculture in its regular update on August 15.

The majority of the region received little rainfall the week of August 6-12. Rainfall ranged from nil in many parts of the region to six mm in the Tisdale area.

The Porcupine Plain and Spruce Home areas reported five mm, the Melfort area three mm, the Arborfield area one mm and the Lake Lenore area two mm. The Lake Lenore area has received the most precipitation since April 1 (266 mm).

Topsoil moisture slightly deteriorated last week from a lack of rainfall, which would be beneficial to pastures and hay land.

Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as two per cent surplus, 86 per cent adequate and 12 per cent short. Hay land and pasture topsoil Continued next page 4

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Continued from page 3

moisture is rated as one per cent surplus, 74 per cent adequate, 23 per cent short and two per cent very short.

Favourable weather has allowed livestock producers to make significant haying progress.

Provincially, the harvest is further advanced in the southern area, with one per cent of the crop is now already combined.

Rainfall last week delayed harvest operations in the southern regions. Rainfall ranged from trace amounts to 82 mm in the Pense area.

Provincially,

SASKATCHEWAN SHORT LINE RAILWAY PROJECTS TO GET $12.4M IN FEDERAL FUNDING

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Ethan Williams

wo short line railway projects in Saskatchewan are getting a funding boost from the federal government.

Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph

Goodale announced $12.4 million in federal funding Friday for the two projects, planned

by Great Sandhills Railway. The total cost of the projects is estimated at approximately $25 million.

The Western Canadian Short Line Railway Association (WCSLRA) is one organization applauding the news.

“Projects like these greatly improve access to foreign markets for Canada’s agricultural and energy products,” the organization said in a news release issued Monday. “These improvements also make short line railways an appealing location for further investment by businesses currently built on short lines and potential new customers.”

One of the projects is expected to upgrade 198 kilometres of Great Sandhills Railway’s track from Burstall — approximately 445 kilometres west of Regina — to the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) mainline near Swift Current.

That project is also expected to include the installation of a depot Continued on next page

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track which, according to Aaron Wenzel, general manager for Great Sandhills Railway, will provide capacity at the CP interchange near Swift Current.

“This way we’ll be able to stage trains so (they) can go at opportune moments so that we’re maximizing the mainline time when we deliver trains to (CP),” said Wenzel.

The town of Unity, meanwhile, will see the installation of a repair facility which will be used to fix railway equipment, such as locomotives and rail cars. Loop tracks will also be installed.

The funding announcement is welcome news to Wenzel, who said his company — as well as other short line rail companies and WCSLRA — have been lobbying all levels of government for more than three years to get funding. He said a lack of funding has made the industry a difficult one to maintain, adding this is the first time Great Sandhills Railway has received any government money for a project.

“It’s a very capital-intensive industry,” he said.

“You’re maintaining basically a road authority and you’re competing against trucking. It’s a win-win to work together with government.”

Currently, Great Sandhills Railway runs twiceweekly train trips to the mainline at Swift Current.

Wenzel said that could increase to seven days a week once the upgrades to the line from Burstall to Swift Current are complete, provided demand continues.

Trains running on its track, said Wenzel, carry everything from grain to construction and energy products.

Leader is one community that will potentially benefit from the investment, as Great Sandhills Railway’s line runs through that town. Leader Mayor Craig Tondevold said the company employs about 30 people in the town of about 850. He’s expecting the construction and resulting work will be a boost to the town’s economy.

“These people being employed … they spend their money back in town here, so there’s an economic spinoff from that,” said Tondevold.

“There’s probably going to be some extra construction here during the time they’re going to be rebuilding this rail line, so it’ll spin off in town a little bit.”

According to Transport Canada, the project is expected to add 300 jobs in the region.

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Tondevold added more young workers are returning home to Leader to take advantage of these types of construction jobs. This has resulted in a demographic change in the town, with a younger generation now making up a considerable portion of its population.

No one from the Town of Unity was available to comment on potential effects the projects could have on the town before this story’s deadline Tuesday afternoon.

Wenzel is also confident communities will reap the economic rewards.

“These are long-term jobs and long-term customers that we’re going to be servicing, so there’s going to be a lot of high-quality paying jobs that … will be there for years to come,” he said.

Work on both projects is expected to start before this year’s construction season ends. It’s expected both will be completed by early fall 2020.

Wenzel said he and other staff at Great Sandhills Railway are looking forward to seeing the project develop.

“To ring in our tenth year with this news, it’s just a cherry on top,” he said.

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local economies.

"It's a no win situation for the farmer in terms of independently sending a Using an example of a one dollar savings in shipping costs, he said that the producer car. Whereas going through money quickly adds up.

Churchill, this is where producer cars "If we ship a small shipload of wheat at can go."

30,000 tonnes (1.1 million bushels) that's That will mean good things for the 13 $1.1 million left at the farm gate, that's short lines in Saskatchewan, including in the farmer's pocket to spend," Gluska the Torch River Rail (45 km) which said. The money is exponential when connects to CP's system in Nipawin. thought of in terms of multiple ships Short lines are often owned by local exporting grain. organizations and farmers.

Producers in the Nipawin/Carrot River While the area along with commitment to those near The Pas Whereas improving the need the highway going through highway has to be completed been made on Churchill, to a standard that the Saskatchewan this is where producer allows year round The Province of Saskatchewan has upgraded many of the bridges on Highway side, the group cars can go.� hauling, he said.

55, between the intersection to Carrot River and eastwards towards Manitoba. is still waiting "We need access Advocates want the entire road upgraded to 12 months of dust-free conditions, for the Manitoba and we need road saying the economic benefits will be huge. government to follow suit. access. It connects us by land to the "It's a northern corridor that goes all nearest ocean in Canada. When we go to The Pas, it is only 510 miles to the nearest the way continuously from Churchill to Tuktoyuktuk and the Arctic Ocean. port rather than 2,500 miles," said It also connects to Yellowknife on the Gluska. "We need to continue working Mackenzie Highway. It is a significant with all three levels of government." northern corridor. This is connecting Farms in the catchment area produce northern ocean to northern ocean," he a lot more grain than Churchill could said. accommodate unless it expands, so the need is obvious to the Gateway Keewatin "A chain is only as strong as its weakest Group. link and our #55 Highway and #283 from Producer cars give farmers choice the junction of #23 to The Pas is a weak Susan McNeil when it comes to selling grains and link," said Gluska.

Vancouver," he said. pgrading Highway 55 to The Churchill would be the only free port in The federal and provincial Pas, Manitoba will have a "Being on branch line after branch line, Canada, said Gluska. commitment is a sign that higher levels huge impact on development, they're the last ones to get any service of "What that means is that anyone of government have recognised the value industry and agriculture, said the man cars. For land freight from, for instance, that wants to export grain or any other of the trade corridor. who heads the group that has been the Pas, we pay $76/tonne. The freight to commodity, it's open to any commodity "It shows that this is not going to be a pushing for it for decades.

Churchill is $17/tonne," he said. or anyone that can export," he said. "The one shot deal, it's going to be a continual Eliminating the distance gap for Farmers in remote areas have long grain handling facilities at any other port, expenditure to finish it to the level that farmers in northeast Saskatchewan had issues trying to sell their products, Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Thunder Bay, we need," said Gluska. and northwest Manitoba will make he said. For instance in 2015, The Pas, St. Lawrence are all owned by the grain Despite the economic case for farms more viable; reducing costs while MB area farmers were contracted to sell companies." finishing the corridor, Gluska said that creating options for producers.

250,000 tonnes of product, but Omnitrax Those companies are giving good public awareness has been lacking. (the former operator of the rail to Len Gluska is chairperson of the service, he stated, but they are in business "It's a well kept secret, until we start Churchill) only loaded 189,000 tonnes.

Gateway Keewatin Group and said like everyone else - to make money. talking about it and spreading the word, recently that the Port of Churchill, which "They refused to unload our cars for a "But if I want to ship a producer car, I it's going to remain a well kept secret," he month at a time when we shipped them can handle two million tonnes, will have to sell to a grain company that will from The Pas, because they didn't want be Canada's only free port that allows handle it through their facility for export, said.

They are planning to co-ordinate any grain moving," said Gluska. producer cars. before I could even order the car from the push inter-provincially rather than At The Pas, farmers were getting $1.84/ the railroad," he explained. "CN or CP "We have to remember that grain is not regionally going forward. bushel for wheat but profit is quickly will not send a car unless I've got that the only thing, but grain is a significant eliminated when freight costs are added, grain sold and because they're handling "We announced at our annual meeting thing. In northeast Saskatchewan and which can mean between 50 cents to $1.5 it through their facility whatever they're last year in the Pas that we are going at northwest Manitoba, the farmer is the going to pay me at that facility and that's extra in cost at the farm gate. furthest from port and pays the highest this and we expect this highway finished all there is to it." freight rate to get stuff to Thunder Bay or That, said Gluska, sucks money out of by 2021," said Gluska.

IMPROVEMENTS TO HIGHWAY WILL HAVE BIG BENEFIT FOR FARMS AND BUSINESS

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WHY CHEAP BEEF MAY BE A THING OF THE PAST Graham Hicks

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hy is beef so expensive, and pork so cheap?

A nice four-pound (two kilogram) pork tenderloin for the family’s Sunday get together clocks in at a reasonable $20. The equivalent prime rib beef roast – two kilograms – would cost about $80!

You can’t even buy a prime rib roast anymore! At the west-end Superstore earlier this week, all the roasts were cheaper cuts of beef – outside round for $13 a kilogram, blade roasts for $15 a kilogram.

“We don’t make prime rib roasts anymore,” the meat counter clerk said. “They’re so expensive.

People just don’t buy them.”

Do you not vaguely remember a time when a good roast of beef and a pork tenderloin cost about the same? When beef ribs, kilo for kilo, were close to pork chops in price? When a 16-ounce porterhouse or a t-bone steak in a good restaurant didn’t cost a jaw-dropping $40 to $50?

The only comparable price point today is ground pork and ground beef, both in the same $7.50 to $8 a kilogram price range. That’s how McDonald’s and A&W keep their burger prices reasonably constant.

It’s also about volume. Almost half the meat from feedlot-fattened cattle, and almost all the meat from old cows and bulls, isn’t good for much else besides hamburger.

“It’s crazy, isn’t it?” says Edmonton agricultural consultant Jerry Bouma. “From a nutritional, taste and meat quality point of view, the price difference at the supermarket makes no sense whatsoever.”

Some of the price difference is intrinsic, Bouma says. Pound for pound, pork can be produced far

more efficiently, i.e. at less cost, than beef. A sow (a female pig) can produce 26 piglets a year. Each can grow to a slaughter weight of 100 kilograms inside six months. Cows only produce one calf a year (other than rare twins). Each calf will take 18 months and consume much hay and grain to grow to a slaughter weight of 500 kilograms.

Fine and dandy. But that doesn’t explain why, 10, 15, 20 years ago, beef and pork prices went handin-hand.

Prices are high today, because there’s not enough beef!

Where’s the beef? More accurately, where are the beef producers?

There’s a shortage of cattle because there’s a shortage of cow/calf producers … also known as ranchers.

“The average age of Alberta’s ranchers is 65,” says Jerry. “They are no longer willing to be out there in February tracking down their cows on horseback over thousands of acres to see how calving is going.

And the next generation isn’t much interested in taking over.”

The number of cow/calf producers has shrunk from 30,000 in 2005 to 18,000 today, says Rich Smith of the Alberta Beef Producers Association.

“Yes, the herds have grown in size,” says Smith.

“Four hundred was a big herd 15 years ago. Today a big herd is a 1,000 cows, but there’s simply not enough cow/calf operators.”

So that’s the dilemma in a nutshell. Fewer farmers = fewer cows = fewer calves = fewer highgrade heifers and steers going to the packers = less high-end beef = consumer demand = higher

prices.

So why hasn’t the free market responded?

Outside of dairy, cattlemen in Canada are not constrained by provincial supply management boards.

If beef prices are so good for the farmers, why aren’t giant agricultural corporations moving into the cow-calf business, growing herds from 1,000 to tens of thousands? After all, half of Alberta’s pigs come from just 10 mega-pig operations. High volume means greater efficiencies, means lower production costs.

It’s simply not economical, says Bouma, no matter how you look at it, to feed cows on anything but open pasture. And while incremental biological/breeding efficiencies never stop, nobody sees the day when one cow can drop four or five calves a year, when young cattle can be ready for slaughter at nine rather than 18 months.

Cheap beef – despite the cyclical nature of pig/ cattle/chicken production – may well be a thing of the past. Beef, in general, is fast becoming a “premium” meat. Because of the expense, having a good cut of prime beef or a beautiful thick steak will be saved for the rarest of occasions.

In Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol, set in mid-19th Century England, young Tiny Tim is terribly excited about the family’s Christmas goose dinner. Because it was the only time of the year the Cratchit family could afford such a luxury!

Oh mother, Tiny Tim’s cry of joy will be in the years to come. A prime rib! Can you believe it!

A prime rib roast for Christmas!!!!”

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PINELAND CO-OP OPENS NEW CROP INPUT CENTRE

S

Susan McNeil

ervice and privacy along with proper storage are just some of the benefits of Pineland Coop’s newest addition, a crop input location just south of Nipawin.

“This facility is built to serve customers and our members,” said Tim Keller, General Manager of Pineland Co-op at the official opening on Wednesday, July 24. “We saw the need in the community for the investment in the long term.”

The project took 4.5 years from the initial planning stage to tendering and construction and cost almost $4 million. It is located on 20 acres Pineland was already using directly across from Bunge on Highway 35.

The Agro building in Nipawin is geared towards supplying grain and feed, which should not be stored next to crop chemicals.

“It brings chemical storage to one site, right next to our fertilizer plant as well so producers have more of a one stop place to come,” said Keller.

The new building, at 11,000 square feet, will allow them to store such items properly. It also includes private offices which allows producers to give out sensitive information more easily when talking to an agronomist or a sale rep.

Having the new building will also let them do some training and development and information sessions on site, Keller explained.

“We’re already hearing how much producers like the facility. They like that they have private space to talk business with their sales rep,” he said.

The fertilizer storage facility will be expanded and a maintenance shop could also be added to the location.

Co-op has upgraded and expanded several other facilities, including adding a liquor store in the Choiceland C-Store location and upgrading the pumps at the Nipawin Home Centre.

In the future, the Nipawin C-Store and grocery store will also see some upgrades.

“Pineland Co-op’s been in the community for 90 years and we want to be here for 90 more,” said Keller. “In order to do that, we have to invest.”

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Alexa Lawlor

arm parents are aware of potential risks for their kids when helping with work on the farm. They do, however, have to balance the potential of injury with the benefits of having their kids become part of the farming lifestyle, researchers at the University of Saskatchewan found last year.

“The main thing that we really learned was that it appeared that farm parents seemed to weigh the risks and the benefits, almost as though it were on a balanced scale,” said Valerie Elliot, lead author on the study, and research assistant at the Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture at the U of S. Elliot both grew up and raised her own kids on a farm. She said their research helped provide an understanding of where farm parents are coming from.

“It explored an area that we hadn’t been able to explore yet. There’s not a lot of research out there that has had direct contact with the parents and is giving a voice to the parents,” she said.

According to Elliot, many of the parents

were very aware of many of the risks on their farms. These include livestock, grain, chemical exposure, large equipment, and even extreme weather conditions. In contrast, the benefits included being able to spend more time together as a family, and being able to immerse their kids in the farm lifestyle and culture. Elliot also said most parents really liked having their kids out on the farm participating and learning, building a good work ethic, and developing a desire to be involved in the industry.

A variety of things affect the decisions the parents made as to whether their child would participate. These include past experience, their own knowledge about safety, individual characteristics of both the parents and the children, and in some cases, whether they had access to other childcare.

Although they only interviewed 11 farm families, Elliot said the research is a great starting point in the conversation of prevention of injuries. Moving forward, she said they’d also want to do more research, delving a little bit deeper.

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LIMITED FORAGE SUPPLY REQUIRES CREATIVE SOLUTIONS

FOR BISON PRODUCERS

By Murray Feist, M.Sc., P.AG., Provincial Livestock Specialist

F

acing a feed shortage in spring and summer is not an enviable position for bison producers.

Back-to-back years of cool springs and dry summers have reduced feed stockpiles and increased pressure on pasture and hay-land.

The result is adverse growing conditions that drive up the cost of forage, forcing producers to look at alternative feed and management options such as pasture supplementation, screenings, salvage crops and mixing of feeds for winter rations.

There are some feed and management options to consider. Early spring grazing of hay stands may work to stimulate plant growth and allow pastures to rest for later grazing.

However, early spring grazing may require the provision of supplemental hay or concentrates to take the pressure off the pasture and hay stands.

According to beef production advice, feeding a mature cow five to six pounds of oats will provide 25 per cent of the daily energy needs and can decrease grazing pressure by up to 25 per cent.

Creep feeding of calves and early weaning will also reduce grazing pressure on pastures by both cows and calves and can offset forage consumption.

Alternative feed-forage sources are also potential feeds for bison producers. For example, many producers use annual cereal crops seeded in midspring for green feed or silage, and even harvested for the grain.

Later-seeded cereals can be used for grazing (standing corn) or swath grazing in the fall and winter.

During dry seasons, depending on crop insurance coverage status, salvage crops may also be used.

Typically, salvage cereal crops like barley, oats or

wheat can be cut and baled when close to maturity.

In normal years, approximately half the weight of a mature cereal hay bale will be from the weight of the grain seeds and needs to be rationed accordingly.

However, early spring grazing may require the provision of supplemental hay or concentrates to take the pressure off the pasture and hay stands.

In dry years where crop yield is low, that proportion shifts so that the stem and leaves will contribute more to overall weight than the seeds. In dry years, the fibre content will also be higher, as plants would have increased in fibre content much more rapidly with less starch and lower yields.

When considering the use of straw, either for stubble grazing or baled for feed, rations must be fortified with energy from other forages or grains with minerals and vitamin supplements. Producers should be vigilant, as rations designed around using straw as a base forage should be including a supplemental source of Vitamin A to prevent deficiencies.

Vitamin A-deficient bison cows may not be able to produce high-quality milk at calving, resulting in weak

and immune-compromised calves with subsequent growth impairments and immune function.

Straw-based diets also can be low in protein, as most straws only contain four to six per cent protein. For example, supplementation of a half a pound of canola meal or dried distiller grains to feedlot animals or mature cows late season grazing when forage protein content is declining can be beneficial.

Pellets, meals and crumbles can be mixed with grain and/or other supplements or top dressed in bunks to boost the protein level. Increasing the protein provides an enriched opportunity for rumen bacteria to be more efficient in breaking down and degrading forage fibre.

On low-quality forage rations, protein supplementation combined with energy supplementation from hay or concentrates assists to stabilize rumen function at peak performance for forage fibre digestion and absorption.

Remember that in dry seasons most forages will be higher in fibre, so boosting microbial performance is desired. However, if too much starch is provided in the ration, acidic rumen contents with a high proportion of starch-digesting microbes can inhibit fibre digestion.

Feedlot diets based around low-quality/low-proteincontent forages and self-fed concentrates should be based on a forage feed analysis to discern if protein and/or energy supplementation is required to optimize gains and feed:gain performance.

Other byproducts such as cereal screenings or pulse screenings can be used as supplemental feed for energy or partial forage replacement for bison either on pasture Continued on page 12

2019

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Producers are encouraged to read publications on the use of alternative forage and grain sources, as well as continually explore new options.

Continued from page 11

or in a winter feeding program. These products come in varying degrees of purity and fibre content.

With these products come concerns for weed seed level and fusarium or ergot contamination. One benefit to a dry spring and growing conditions is that this year’s crops should be relatively free from fusarium or ergot contamination.

However, use of screenings and stockpiled products still may carry the risk from previous years and should be examined and tested for toxins when appropriate.

Water for bison and other grazing livestock has been highlighted in the past couple of years due to animal health concerns from the concentration of minerals and other harmful elements. For example, surface and well water containing sulphate levels starting at 1,000 mg/L and higher have been proven to cause animal harm and are suspected in the impairment of production performance.

Consumption of water with elevated sulphate levels can not only result in blindness, poor growth and possibly death, but there are also long-term implications with mineral binding and deficiencies, copper in particular.

Bison producers are encouraged to test their water for quality to ensure that proper steps are taken to protect their animals from harm and design appropriate mineral supplementation programs.

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Bison producers should also be increasingly aware that if they graze canola (either as salvage crop or regrowth) or feed a canola or dried distiller grain byproduct (and even kochia bales!), the sulphur content of the feed can contribute to dietary sulphate levels, hastening health and deficiencies problems.

Mineral and vitamin supplementation in these dry seasons cannot be overlooked. In dry years a mineral or vitamin deficiency will manifest much more quickly and visibly than seasons with more adequate moisture, forage and grazing conditions.

It is more important than ever to provide adequate mineral and vitamin supplements to bison consuming poor-quality feeds during the high production periods of late trimester and lactation, growth for grower feeder meat animals, flushing for breeding and firsttime calf heifers.

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Minerals such as calcium and phosphorus support important muscle, milk and growth functions, while deficiencies will decrease feed intake, affecting growth and performance. Other macro and trace minerals are required, and some forages will not contain adequate amounts due to the dry conditions.

In conclusion, bison producers have to be a bit more creative to manage their feeding programs when faced with a dry pasture, grazing and haying season.

Producers are encouraged to read publications on the use of alternative forage and grain sources, as well as continually explore new options.

Protein and grain supplementation will likely be essential dietary requirements if current conditions continue, and the monitoring of water and mineral programs has to be included.

Should crop insuring programs designate salvage status to crops, producers need to be aware of mineral content in the feed and water to prevent issues with sulphate toxicity or mineral deficiencies.

And finally, as one recent article by Dr. John McKinnon suggests, producers should start planning their 2019/20 winter feeding program today.

For more information, please contact your local Saskatchewan Agriculture Livestock and Feed Specialist or call the Agriculture Knowledge Centre general inquiries line toll-free at 1-866-457-2377.

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COMBINES 2005 Case IH 8010 2016 Pickup, 900 Singles, 21’ Auger, Rock Trap, Standard Rotor,Standard Chopper, Shedded STK: 032612................................................$90,000 2004 Case IH 8010 Duals, 2016 Pickup, Rock Trap, Fine Chopper, Heavy Cone, Yield& Moisture, 600 Monitor, Auger Extende STK: 029848..........................................................$82,000 2010 Case IH 8120 2016 Pickup, 900 Singles, Long Auger, Hyd Hopper Cover, RockTrap, HID Lights, Leather Seat, Rear Wheel Assist, Accuguide, Air Comp, Power Mirrors STK: 026528.......................................................$195,000 2014 Case IH 9230 13016 Pickup, 520 Duals, Small Tube Rotor, 40’ Auger, Fine CutChopper, Pro 700, Accuguide, Deluxe Cab, HID Lights, STK: 031167................................................$310,000 2016 Case IH 9240 3016 Pickup, Rocktrap, Ext Wear Rotor, Folding Auger,Pivoting Spout, Magnacut Fine Chopper, Disc Spreaders, Pro 700, Lux cab,Leathe STK: 022839 ..................................................$385,000 2010 John Deere 9870STS 615 Pickup, 520 Duals, Redekop Chopper, Long Auger,Michel’s Power Tank Cover, Greenstar Ready STK: 030243 ..................................................$155,000 2010 John Deere 9870STS 615 Pickup, 520 Duals & 28L Rear, Auto Steer, Starfire,Premium Cab, Michel Hopper Topper STK: 025918 ..................................................$185,000 2010 John Deere T670 C/W Pickup, 800 Singles, Power Hopper Cover, New Sunnybrook Cylinder & Concave, Standard Cab, Steer Ready STK: 026975.........................................................$180,000

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NO OTHER SECTOR IN OUR ECONOMY IS GETTING SLAMMED AS HARD AS FARMERS IN THE GLOBAL TRADE WAR

O

Naomi Powell and Jake Edmiston

n a recent Thursday morning in Davidson, Sask., Rob Stone was steering his black half-ton GM pickup down the Ross Road toward town.

Behind him, the 7,500-acre farm his family has worked for four generations.

Up ahead, beyond a truck hood mottled with golf-ball-sized dents caused by a recent hailstorm, the local Cargill Inc. and Richardson International Ltd. grain elevators.

And running through Stone’s head, a ticker tape of odds: Will markets be up or down? Will lentil prices stay low? What price will the grain buyer give him for his canola?

“Your general driving-down-the-road things that farmers think about,” Stone, 43, said.

Prices, demand and the grasshoppers and flea beetles that munched crop foliage during the dry conditions that plagued the Prairies this spring are all things that Stone’s father, Jim, who farmed the property from the late 1960s to the present, grappled with.

Yet the younger Stone’s mind is weighed down with additional burdens: the trade wars and diplomatic tit-for-tats that have driven wild swings in global agricultural flows, crashed prices and generally made everything from seed selection to machine investment more of a gamble than they’ve ever been.

“Some days, you want to take the phone and just shut it off,” Stone said.

“Maybe living in the dark wouldn’t be so bad.”

No other sector has been caught in the global trade crossfire quite like Canadian agriculture. Commodities, including soybeans, canola and pork, have been hit either directly by trade restrictions or have had to endure the economic ripple effects of trade wars between other nations.

For farmers, it’s meant deep uncertainty, disrupted supply chains and battered bottom lines.

Net farm incomes — the difference between farm revenues and operating expenses — fell by nearly 21 per cent last year, one of the largest year-over-

year decreases ever recorded in Canada.

Business investment also slumped, with sales of combines and farm tractors dropping 19 per cent and 27 per cent, respectively.

“In the past, it was assumed that more and open trade was better and now suddenly we’re in an environment where it’s the opposite: it’s block first, ask questions later,” said John Dreidger, senior marketing analyst at Winnipeg-based Farmlink Marketing Solutions.

“Farming is a naturally uncertain business. No one knows what the weather is going to be and that’s a risk we’re comfortable with. The problem with geopolitical risk is we become pawns in a bigger game.

It strips away the normal market dynamics and makes it hard to choose a way forward.”

For example, China’s ban on Canadian meat imports has reverberated so thoroughly and swiftly through Richard Davies’ pork operation that it’s too onerous and overwhelming to explain detail by detail.

The problem with geopolitical risk is we become pawns in a bigger game. It strips away the normal market dynamics and makes it hard to choose a way forwardJohn Dreidger, senior marketing analyst, Farmlink Marketing Solutions Instead, Davies, senior vice-president of sales and marketing at Canada’s largest pork producer, Olymel LP, explained the impact on one product: pig heads.

2019 -

Pig heads used to be no trouble. Olymel was shipping roughly 125,000 of them, whole and frozen, to China every week. But that was before the sudden blanket suspension on Canadian meat imports — one of an escalating series of trade punishments doled out to this country’s meat packers — instituted after Chinese authorities reported traces of a forbidden feed additive in pork products with forged Canadian documents.

The announcement in late June led to a flurry of conference calls between Olymel’s senior management and the man who runs their Beijing office: What had he heard? Why was this happening? And when would it come into effect?

The final question was crucial, because Olymel — which fills 100 shipping containers for China per week — already had pig parts on the ocean. If China wasn’t

15

going to accept them, Olymel would have to redirect the shipments to different markets, if they could even find markets interested in products such as heads, trotters and innards, all packaged to Chinese specifications with labels in Cantonese.

Olymel caught a break: the shipments were accepted. But as the company’s network of cut-and-kill plants continued pumping out pork products at the same rate, it had an urgent need to find new markets.

It wasn’t easy. No other country seems to value whole pig heads, in any major quantity, the way the Chinese market does and simply halting operations at the cut-and-kill plants would destabilize a system carefully designed to raise up to 167,000 hogs per week, each to a specific weight.

“The cycle doesn’t stop because some shipments have stopped,” Davies said. “You just can’t hit the brakes.”

Hitting the brakes means keeping the hogs alive longer than planned. The result is that they’ll keep growing, literally eating into an already thin profit margin, said Don Buckingham, president of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute.

Plus, he said, hog barns are organized around the stages of a hog’s life. The hogs move from one area to the next as they grow. Hold them for too long in the final stage, and you get a backlog in the barn.

You can’t freeze all the meat either.

2019

GLOBAL FOOD AND DRINK TRENDS IN 2019 Kris Huynh, BBA, Research Officer Intern, Regina

The world’s leading market intelligence agency Our expert analysis of the highest quality data and market research will help you grow your business.

A

s one of the world’s leading market intelligence agencies, Mintel produces market reports on everything from beauty trends to global consumer trends. With the recent release of the Global Food and Drink Trends 2019, Mintel is predicting consumers’ preferences to follow three key trends: The movement towards sustainability is becoming increasingly important to consumers. Manufacturers and retailers are extending sustainability to the entire product lifecycle, starting from sustainable sourcing, production, distribution, consumption and disposal process. Mintel refers to this trend as evergreen consumption, as it encompasses a circular view of sustainability.

Here in Saskatchewan, producers have adopted sustainable farming practices that benefit not only the environment, but also their bottom line.

Many of these sustainable practices and innovative technologies are designed to improve soil health and fertility, sustain biodiversity, enhance ecosystems, protect water quality, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For example, 93 per cent of annual crop land in Saskatchewan is under conservation tillage, which improves soil health and fertility by minimizing erosion.

Saskatchewan producers have also been at the forefront of adopting precision agriculture techniques, which improve efficiency and reduce risks to water quality. By supporting producers to use technologies and management tools to protect the environment, it becomes much easier to tell the story of sustainability to a public audience.

Products for healthy aging have also taken centre stage due to an increasingly older global population. Packaged food and drinks are addressing aging health concerns through the fortification of functional ingredients.

Omega-3 has become a popular fortification in packaged foods due to its ability to enhance brain development in small children and maintain joint health in aging adults.

Omega-3 from Saskatchewan flax is often used in livestock feed. By adding omega-3s to an animal’s diet, the results are eggs, milk and meat that are fortified with omega-3 fatty acids ready for human consumption.

For the final trend, the continuing demand for convenience is spurring growth in new food and beverage products and shopping methods. Canada’s snack market is booming in © 2019 Mintel Group Ltd. All rights reserved.

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2019

18

LABOUR OF LOVE: WOMEN FARMERS ARE CHANGING AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE Trina Moyles

S

arah Weigum drives a Caterpillar Challenger.

The name seems appropriate for a tractor, which looks like something you drive on the moon. The back wheels stand nearly twice as tall as Weigum herself, but she is unfazed. She refers to the goliath as her “office,” a fitting name for the place from which she oversees operations at Alect Seeds, a 1,100-hectare pedigree seed farm outside Three Hills, Alta.

“Driving is the easy part. It’s just technical,” says the 33-year old, “but try deciding what crop to grow, how to plant it, how to treat it in the field, and when to sell it and for how much.”

According to the 2016 Census of Agriculture, only 28 per cent of Canadian farms are run by women.

The Statistics Canada report also reveals that farms are becoming larger and fewer. Farmers are getting older, and only one of 12 operations reported having a farm succession plan in place. The average Canadian farmer today is 55, farming more than 324 hectares,

UD ERS O PR ORTUR PP OF O U S

and, you guessed it, a man.

But the average Farmer Joe is changing. A growing number of women are taking to the fields. They’re young, university-educated, business-minded and social-media savvy.

SASKATCHEWAN FARMERS! Fred Bradshaw, MLA

Carrot River Valley Constituency 29 Main St., Carrot River, Sk. Phone: (306)768-3977 Toll Free: (866)744-3977 Email: fbradshaw.mla@sasktel.net

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They get their hands dirty, take calculated risks, market their products and work their butts off.

They’ve traded in the nine-to-five for the nine-tonine.

Weigum is a good example. Although she grew up on her family’s farm, she never wanted to be a farmer.

She wanted to be a journalist. After graduating from university in Ottawa, Weigum spent several years working as a cook at a tree-planting camp in northern British Columbia. In some respects, the job, with its long, exhausting days, was good preparation for farming.

“I learned it didn’t matter how I felt, I had to suck it up,” says Weigum. “It’s the same with farming. There are some days I don’t feel like waking up at 4:30 a.m. to seed or spray, but you don’t have a choice. You have to be disciplined.”

In 2008, she returned to the family farm to help with the harvest. She remembers her father’s words,

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“If you or your brother won’t come back, I’m going to wind things down.” Her brother wasn’t interested, but Weigum saw a future in farming. In 2011, she moved back to the farm to take the reins from her parents.

The learning curve has been steep. Every day, every season, there are new challenges.

But Weigum says being a modern farmer has absolutely nothing to do with gender. “All of the intellectual skills that are required to be a farmer don’t favour being a man, or a woman,” she says. “If you can master being courageous and disciplined, then you’ll be a great farmer!” she says with a laugh.

And if the Challenger breaks down, Weigum will tweet out a photo, then sift through the responses looking for a solution.

A MODERN GROWER The hashtags #farmher, #Ilooklikeafarmer, and #womenwhofarm saturate social media feeds. They accompany photos of women harvesting rainbowcoloured carrots, selling at farmers’ markets, shovelling cow manure, and taking comical selfies with goats, chickens, and woolly sheep.

Has the rise of social media made farming more attractive and accessible to women?

I put the question to Vanessa Hanel, the 32-yearold founder of Micro YYC, a microgreen operation in the heart of Calgary. Hanel grows a wide variety of microgreens (the shoots of vegetables and herbs, which are harvested once their first leaves appear) in seeding trays stacked on industrial shelving under grow lights.

She distributes to farmers’ markets, local restaurants and YYC Growers and Distributors, a co-operative of

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local food producers which offers a harvestbox program.

“Honestly, social media is the reason I exist,” she exclaims. On Instagram, I’ve been able to learn from other farmers, scrolling through their photos, seeing what they’re doing.”

Hanel didn’t grow up on a farm. She graduated from the University of Lethbridge with a business management degree, and followed that with a master’s in marketing.

Like many other women farmers, she approached farming rather unconventionally.

Hanel travelled to Cuba on an organic farm tour, took a permaculture-design course, dabbled in gardening and worked in administrative roles with Organic Alberta and the Calgary Farmers’ Market.

In late 2014, Hanel started growing microgreens in her basement and sold to family and friends. To her surprise, the tiny shoots turned out to be a huge hit, and Micro YYC was born.

Only three years later, Hanel was working full-time as a farmer. She moved her operation into a 1,500-squarefoot warehouse. Today, she employs several part-time workers, who are often young and eager to gain handson, urban-farming experience.

Continued on page 20

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“Turns out, I am highly allergic to bee venom,” she says wryly.

Yano sought out venomology treatment.

Her doctor injected her with bee venom to build up her immunity. The treatments — initially weekly, then monthly — went on for more than a year, and led to an inescapable conclusion: “This must be a labour of love,” Yano says.

She works 16-hour days, seven days a week to care for her bees, manage the business, and work part-time at a deli in Calgary. She isn’t alone: 44 per cent of Canadian farmers find off-farm work to help pay the bills.

“But the bees fuel my work,” she insists.

“I’m energized by their buzz.”

Continued from page 19

“I feel good doing this work, even though the labour is hard on my body,” says Hanel.

“I love being able to provide fresh greens to people in Calgary, and to make a living at it.”

A RISKY PASSION A lone honeybee lands on a hive frame in the back of a purple Ford Ranger. Amber Yano, owner of MOB Honey, greets the bee like an old friend. “Oh, hello lady,” she says affectionately. This is one of Yano’s “coworkers.” She has millions of them and they’re all female.

“Bees are often represented as male,” Yano says while handing me a bee suit. “All of the worker bees are actually female. They nurse the eggs, forage for food and defend the colony.”

MOB Honey is a one-woman operation. Yano, 33, manages 50 hives, extracting honey from every frame by hand. She sells her honey creamed, raw and in wildflower blends at multiple locations in Calgary, including YYC Growers, Willow Natural Foods and the East Village Junction Market.

Over the last decade, Yano has focused on beekeeping with monkish devotion. That isn’t an exaggeration.

After graduating from ACAD with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, the painting student fell head over heels in love with the art of beekeeping.

She spent a summer working as an intern on a largescale apiary in Chilliwack, B.C. Her first day on the job was hot, smoky and terrifying, with the bees coming at her “like bullets” and the sweat “dripping into eyes.”

It got worse when Yano broke out in angry hives. Her eyes, mouth and throat swelled up. She was rushed to the hospital and hooked up to an IV.

A FEMALE FAMILY TRADITION Trail’s End Beef, a family-run ranch in the Porcupine Hills near Nanton, has seen five generations of women ranchers.

“We have a legacy of strong women in our family,” says Rachel Herbert. At 37, she is the fourth generation of women to saddle up at Trail’s End. (Her young daughter is the fifth.) Hebert is also the author of Continued on page 22

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2019

Continued from page 20

Ranching in Southern Alberta (2017), which is based on her master’s thesis which uncovered the forgotten stories of women ranchers in Alberta’s history.

“The historic records only referred to the cowboys and cattle barons,” she says. “But I know from my family’s history — and being a part of this living, working ranching culture down here — that women have been ranching since the first cowherds came to southern Alberta in 1880.”

According to Herbert, it’s been the working partnerships between husbands and wives (on the land and in the home) that has enabled her family’s ranching legacy to endure over the last century. “My husband and I are a real team,” she says. As we talk, her husband, Tyler, is forking hay off the back of the truck to feed their herd of red and Black Angus cows.

In 2007, the couple purchased land near her family’s spread, although they longed to ranch according to their own environmental ethics. At Trail’s End, the couple manages a “grass-fed and

finished” approach to ranching. They raise their cows on pasture until “the grass turns green” and the cows reach mature weight (roughly two years old, a year older than conventional feedlot beef). They butcher between July and October.

“We handle our cows from the day they’re born to the day we take them to the butchers,” says Herbert. “We guarantee them an amazing life, every day.”

Herbert rolls up her sleeves during calving season, tends to the cattle, hauls hay, maintains a summer garden, plucks warm eggs from the hens, cooks and bakes — the list goes on. She also spends a great deal of time “computer ranching,” by which she means managing online orders from customers who buy beef by the quarter, side or whole.

“Some days you kinda scratch your head and think there’s got to be an easier way,” Hebert says, “but the workload is balanced by the enormous rewards. I feel like we’re giving our kids a real sense of place and purpose.”

A & K Enns Trucking

Ken Schreiner, from the Codette area south of Nipawin, is hoping to grow some interest in heavy horse pulling. Schreiner competed in the Calgary Stampeded this summer with his team of Jewel and Duke.

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Saskatchewan man who competed in the Calgary Stampede last month would like to see interest in horse pulling grow in the province.

Ken Schreiner, who farms in the Nipawin area in northeast Saskatchewan, is passionate about horse-pulling contests and enjoys the opportunities they offer for fellowship with friends and family.

“I really love being around the horses and I love competition,” he said.

Schreiner currently serves as president of the Saskatchewan Draft Horse Pull Association, a northern club that has just seven members.

As a result, he often drives several hours from his home to take part in heavy horse pull competitions in southern Saskatchewan as a member of the Qu’Appelle Valley Horse Pull Club, which he said has 12 members and holds 12 to 14 pulls per year.

“What we’re doing is simulating what farmers did with horses years ago,” he said. “On a Saturday or whatever they’d meet at some farmer’s place and say, ‘I bet my horses can Continued on next page

2019 -

pull more than yours.’ Well, that’s exactly what’s happening here.”

Schreiner would like to see interest in heavy horse pulling competitions grow in Saskatchewan, particularly in the north. He noted the current members of the Saskatchewan Draft Horse Pull Association tend to be older adults and younger people aren’t getting involved as much.

“We’re running out of pullers. Most of them are getting old, like me,” Schreiner said, noting the club only had one competition this year, in Tisdale.

“If you all of the sudden get a half a dozen (new) members, away you go again,” he added.

Schreiner began taking part in heavy horse pull competitions about seven or eight years ago.

However, some Saskatchewan participants have been involved in horse pulling for decades, he said, noting one competitor who has been in the Calgary Stampede 17 times and has claimed four wins.

The Stampede describes heavy horse pull as “the ultimate in strength competitions.” From July 12 – 14, audiences watched as some of the world’s strongest horses competed in Calgary to pull up to more than five times their body weight a distance of up to 14 feet. High-performance equine athletes and teamsters from across North America competed in three weight classes: light, middle and heavy weight.

Schreiner compared heavy horse pull competitions to a “strongman contest.” Two powerful workhorses pull a weighted sled or boat, which becomes heavier with each round. The winner is the team that can pull more than the others.

“You have two tries to pull it 14 feet, and there are guide ropes on each side, which are 16 feet apart. You have to stay within those ropes,” he said.

“There’s several rules, but that’s the basic ones.”

Schreiner was pleased to place sixth out of nine teams in the lightweight division at the Stampede.

He felt it was a strong showing, especially considering his horses, Jewel and Duke, had never pulled together before.

“The first pull they were ever at together was the Calgary Stampede, and that’s quite unique,” said Schreiner, who has 14 horses and is raising Belgian colts. “It makes me very proud of them; they didn’t even know each other.”

Schreiner’s son, John, is his main assistant – also known as a hooker or hookman – and he helps with hooking onto the sleigh during the competitions. Schreiner describes heavy horse pull as an intense, but fun, activity.

“I enjoy the camaraderie. I mean, you’re serious for five minutes while you pull, and then you’re visiting. I enjoy that. Families get involved,” he said.

“It gets quite time consuming if you’re going to kind of do it properly, which I have trouble with. Some of these guys hook every day at home, because you’re working with two athletes. I’m not

quite as serious as some of them, but I try hard to do that. . . . And not every horse is a pulling horse. They have to have that determination – genetic determination, if you want to call it that. Some horses are excellent horses, but that isn’t their thing. So you kind of sort through that.”

Schreiner said about 10 members of the Qu’Appelle Valley Horse Pull Club competed in the three horse pull events at the Calgary Stampede. Teamster Ron Sebastian from Lumsden, Sask., and his horses, Mark and Jeff, were the big winners in the heavyweight division, with a 13,000-pound “full pull” of 14 feet. Sebastian, who has been in the industry for 40 years, has 19 championship wins to his name. His horses weighed the most in the division, at 4,596 pounds.

The grand champion in each class receives winnings of $3,000, while the reserve champion earns $2,500. There is a

23

sliding scale of payouts for the rest of the Calgary Stampede competitors.

The Stampede made headlines this summer after six chuckwagon horses died during the 10-day event. Animal rights activists and others were outraged and chuckwagon safety was once again a topic of discussion and debate.

Schreiner wants to shed light on the positive aspects of horse competition. He said his horses are very well cared for, and they enjoy taking part in the pulling contests.

“They love it. . . . Some of them get so excited when they get to the boat they can’t hardly wait to try,” he said.

“That’s where the teamster part comes in. The driver has to know his team and get them to work together.”

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2019

24

BISON ARE A NORTH AMERICAN CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORY Jenn Sharp

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A

t Rosedale Bison, the herd is raised to mimic how bison lived for thousands of years before humans intervened.

Les Kroeger is the president of the Saskatchewan Bison Association and advocates for low-stress handling and animal welfare. His 150-strong herd of North American Plains Bison is kept on a strict diet of native prairie grasses at a ranch north of Hanley.

“This animal has adapted to convert grasses and forages — poorer quality most of the time — into a very high-quality protein. Bison meat has a higher protein content than all other meats and is low in fat and cholesterol,” he said.

Bison don’t require shelter in the winter and thrive when handled as little as possible. They can easily become stressed.

“They’re indigenous to this part of the world … and have adapted quite well.”

Les said bison are “amazing to watch” — he’s spent many a summer day admiring his herd.

“They look clumsy. But they can be running full speed and turn on a dime with no effort. It’s because of the mass in the front end; they can spin their back end around so fast.”

Les, his wife Kathy Grad and his dad began the operation in 1989 at a time when the bison market was not yet developed.

“We went through some pretty tough times,” he recalled.

“It’s just within the last five to 10 years that we’ve figured out a way to make a living at this.

Right now, we’ve got markets developed that surpass our ability to supply.”

Les keeps a small herd for research with the University of Saskatchewan on reproduction techniques, like artificial insemination, to help bison conservation efforts.

Since bison were almost completely wiped out

in the 19th century, their gene pool is small. There are several diseased wild herds in North America.

The research will lead to the ability to introduce healthy genetics into those herds.

The bison story dates back to the Ice Age, when bison herds dominated North America. They successfully adapted to a warming climate and over thousands of years provided food, shelter, tools and fuel for Indigenous people. These herds also played an integral role in the regenerative cycle that maintained grassland and soil health.

In 1800, it’s estimated more than 60 million animals roamed from as far south as Mexico to as far north as Alaska. After European settlers arrived, a combination of over-hunting and disease spelled disaster for the bison. By 1899, there was less than 1,000 animals left.

Today, thanks to vigorous conservation efforts, there are about 225,000 bison in Canada and 250,000 in the United States. The wild herds, which number roughly 8,000 animals, live in parks and public lands.

“We are probably the biggest success story in conservation that’s ever been seen in North America,” said Les. Jenn Sharp is a freelance writer in Saskatoon.

Her first book, Flat Out Delicious: Food Artisans of Saskatchewan, will be released in spring 2020 Follow her on Twitter @JennKSharp and on Instagram @flatoutfoodsk.

2019 -

Fields of Grain

Photo credit: Susan McNeil Unlike parts of Saskatchewan that saw a dry start to the 2019 growing season, the North East has had plenty of rain, as the grain in this field between Crooked River and Zenon Park shows.

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STUDY SHEDS LIGHT ON LOW ASTHMA RATES IN RURALCHILDREN

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ural children in Saskatchewan are underdiagnosed for asthma compared with children living in cities, a University of Saskatchewan study shows.

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The testing showed rural children without a history of diagnosed asthma based on Federica Giannelli survey responses were more likely to be reclassified as dren from developing asthma. having asthma compared to “This may not be entirely the case,” said Oluwole, a post-doctor- urban children.

“School-based screening al fellow in the College of Nursing. “We found that rural children programs designed to meet community needs could help are less likely to be diagnosed for asthma. As a result, they may have improve children’s asthma more difficulties managing their diagnosis in Saskatchewan asthma. This may lead to disrural areas, so parents and comfort, limitations to their daily children won’t have to travel activities, and stress for them and long distances,” said Oluwole. their families.”

The issue of asthma underThe researchers found that rural diagnosis in rural areas is parents had to travel 30 minutes longer to access health care a topic that hits home for for their children, compared to their city counterparts. The Oluwole. When he lived in research, which was Oluwole’s PhD project, was published in Nigeria, his home country, the Journal of Asthma and compared data from children and his best friend died from a teenagers who lived in urban and rural areas. severe asthma attack.

“The issue of asthma under-diagnosis in rural areas is com“My friend never realized plex but the longer time to travel to obtain health care may he had asthma in the first impact rural parents’ decisions to take their child to a health place and he exposed himself care facility,” said Lawson, a professor in the College of Medito dust,” he said. “Ignorance cine and Oluwole’s former supervisor. put my friend at risk, so I was The researchers, who work at the USask Canadian Ceninspired to pursue asthma tre for Health and Safety in Agriculture, have surveyed the families since 2013 and tested the children with equipment for research to help prevent or lung health measurement. The self-reporting survey indicated reduce further tragedies, especially among poor and that almost 21 per cent of urban children had asthma, versus vulnerable people.”

15 per cent of rural children.

Once at USask, Oluwole The researchers then tested almost 290 children with equipreceived $150,000 over ment for lung health measurement. They used spirometry, three years through a Vanier which measures how much air someone can breathe out scholarship, a competitive and how fast, and an exercise challenge test (ECT) that helps determine airway responsiveness by having children complete federal award that recognizes top-tier doctoral students step-ups. who demonstrate excellence in academia, research impact and leadership at Canadian “Where you get strength and quality for a fair price.” universities.

Oluwole’s next step is 14 ft. Standard Features to track how and whether 8 - 4x4 legs, manhole, 35° slope, painted inside & out, asthma changes over time in all tubing construction children in urban and rural 19 ft. Standard Features 10 or 12 - 4x4 188w legs, manhole, 37° slope, areas, and what factors are at reinforced double band, painted inside & out. play.

22 ft. Standard Features Oluwole and Lawson’s 14 - 5x5 188w legs, manhole, 37° slope 3/8’s band, solid tubing construction, reinforced double band, project received funding SPRING painted inside & out.

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(SHRF), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Lung Association of Middle Lake Steel Box 131, Middle Lake, SK, S0K 2X0 | Phone: 306-231-3515 | www.middlelakesteel.ca Saskatchewan (LAS).

MIDDLE LAKE STEEL

2019 -

27

CANOLA CROPS CAN BE CUT AS HAY OR SILAGE AND CAN BE SAFELY FED TO LIVESTOCK

C

ertain circumstances can lead to a failed canola crop – lack of moisture, hail, early frost, poor pod set, etc. These crops can be cut as hay or silage, often times yielding good quality feed, and with proper management, can be safely fed to livestock.

Given the current conditions across the province, the likelihood is very high that there will be canola crops salvaged for winter feed programs.

The crop stage and cutting and harvesting conditions will ultimately affect the feed quality, but there are general guidelines for harvesting canola as feed. If cut early (late flowering, early podding), quality can be excellent with approximately 15 per cent crude protein (CP) and approximately 60 per cent total digestible nutrients (TDN/energy).

At this maturity stage, it makes a palatable hay or silage and is often similar to a good quality alfalfa hay. However, as maturity advances (bottom leaves are past green to shrivelled, the second set lower leaves are showing marked color loss), quality tends to decline. Ripe canola is similar to cereal straw in terms of nutrients, and has low palatability.

Ideally, canola should be cut for forage some time from the early podding stage just after the flowers have dropped, up to the stage where the lower leaves are just starting to drop, for maximum quality and consumable yield. Crimping can hasten drying and improve palatability and digestibility.

Cutting the crop higher than a typical greenfeed crop can improve dry down time and improve quality, as there will be fewer thick stems.

Jenifer Heyden, PAg, Livestock & Feed Extension Specialist

Before cutting a salvage canola crop for hay or silage, it is important to read and understand the labels of any herbicides or fungicides that may have been applied as often there are grazing or harvesting time restrictions that must be followed to ensure livestock safety.

Given the tendency for high variability in the quality of canola forage, it is recommended that a feed test is performed before feeding to livestock. Stressed (or highly fertilized) canola crops can contain high nitrate levels, which could lead to nitrate poisoning. In addition, canola, along with other brassica crops, can contain high amounts of sulphur (0.5 per cent to 1.3 per cent or more).

The National Research Council publishes the "Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle" and recommends that total dietary sulphur not exceed 0.4 per cent on a dry matter basis. High levels of dietary sulfur interfere with mineral absorption (especially copper), the production of vitamin B (thiamine), may cause scouring in severe cases, and possibly sulphur induced polio (polioencephalomalacia or PEM).

For these reasons, canola forage must be limited to less than 40 to 50 per cent of the ration for ruminants, or less than 33 per cent for horses, depending on their age and health status. Mineral supplements containing elevated or a more available form of copper should be provided, especially when water sulphur levels are also high.

Generally, canola forage palatability is good; however, livestock that are not accustomed to it may need a few days to adjust to the different taste.

As with most other feeds, watch for moisture/mold and potential dust. Processing or running through a mixer wagon may help with consumption and can improve the consistency of the ration.

It may be safer to feed canola hay or silage, rather than allow-

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ing livestock to graze a standing crop. Talk to your nutritionist or Regional Livestock and Feed Extension Specialist about how canola can fit into your winter feed ration.

For more information about this or other related topics, contact your nearest Regional Office or call the Agriculture Knowledge Centre general inquiry line at 1-866-457-2377.

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28

2019

Flaxseed and Apple Brown Butter Blondies

A

good blondie needs ample butter and brown sugar, and these chewy squares are no exception. They’re also loaded with diced apples, heart-healthy oats and flaxseed making them a welcome addition to bagged lunches for both the kids and the adults.

Makes: 16-20 squares | Preparation Time: 15 minutes | Baking Time: 22 minutes 1 cup salted butter 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup large flake oats

Trimble

1/3 cup ground flaxseed

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1 Tbsp whole flaxseeds for sprinkling on top 1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13-inch pan and line it with parchment paper.

2. Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. It will melt, then get foamy and begin to smell nutty. Once the brown bits start to appear on the bottom of the pan, remove it from the heat, give it a good stir and let it cool down for about 10 minutes.

3. Place the sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the cooled brown butter, brown bits and all, and mix on medium speed for a couple of minutes. Add the eggs and beat until smooth and creamy, another minute or two. Stir in the vanilla.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, ground flaxseed and salt. Add this to the bowl and beat on low speed until combined.

Stir in the apples. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

5. Sprinkle the whole flaxseeds on top and bake for 20-22 minutes until the top is golden and just set. A toothpick inserted in the middle will still have a few crumbs clinging to it. Let cool completely on a wire rack then cut into squares. Makes about 16-20 squares.

2019 -

T

Skillet Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes and Olives omatoes, olives, and herbs mingle with chicken breasts in a deeply flavourful skillet dinner. The chicken is baked until tender and juicy in the Mediterranean-inspired tomato sauce, which is quite lovely when served over your favourite whole grain pasta, or rice. A squeeze of fresh lemon is the perfect finishing touch.

Makes: 4 servings | Preparation Time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 20 minutes 4 250 g boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 2 Tbsp canola oil 1/2 red onion, sliced 3 garlic cloves, smashed 2 Tbsp chicken stock or water 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 can (14 oz/398 mL) diced tomatoes 1 sweet red pepper, chopped 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives 2 cups cherry tomatoes (red, yellow and orange, if possible) 3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and/or thyme lemon wedges, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 2. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towel, and season on both sides with salt and pepper.

3. Warm the canola oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for about 5 minutes per side. The chicken will release easily from the pan when it’s ready to be flipped. Remove the chicken from the skillet and keep warm on a plate.

4. Stir the sliced onion and garlic into the pan. If the pan is too dry, add another teaspoon of canola oil. Stir for a few minutes, until fragrant. Add the chicken stock or water, and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in the salt and pepper.

4. Stir in the canned tomatoes, red pepper, and olives. Nestle in the chicken breasts. Top with the cherry tomatoes and tuck in the sprigs of herbs. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the breast.

5. Remove the skillet from the oven, letting the chicken rest for a few minutes. Serve the chicken and sauce over whole grain pasta, brown rice, quinoa, or couscous. Garnish with lemon wedges.

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29

30

2019

Smoked Gouda and Bacon Scalloped Potatoes

M

y version of the classic potato dish is gussied up with thick-sliced bacon, smoked Gouda, caramelized onions and a dash of Dijon. The base of the dish is a creamy Bechamel sauce, one of the basic sauces every good cook should know. No Gouda? You could use any hard cheese such as Gruyere, smoked cheddar, Emmental instead.

Makes: 6 servings | Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 45 minutes 4-5 large Russet potatoes

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

3 cups whole milk

6 slices of thick-sliced bacon, chopped 1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 cups shredded smoked Gouda, 1 large onion, thinly sliced divided 1 tsp dried thyme salt and pepper to taste 3 tbsp butter

2 Tbsp garlic chives, finely chopped

1. Wash and peel potatoes. Cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Place potatoes in a Dutch oven, cover with cold water and add 1 tsp salt. Cover, bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Drain in a colander.

2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat. When it’s nicely rendered, remove to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon. Turn the heat to medium and sauté the sliced onions in the bacon fat until golden and soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in dried thyme.

3. To make the Bechamel sauce, heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When it’s melted, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer, stirring often. When the sauce is bubbling, remove from the heat and stir in Dijon mustard and 1 cup of shredded Gouda. Stir in the caramelized onions and season with salt and pepper.

4. Butter a 2 quart baking dish. Preheat oven to 350F. Layer in the par-cooked potatoes and bacon, making 3 layers, finishing with bacon. Pour the sauce on top of potatoes, giving the dish a gentle shake to distribute the sauce. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and add remaining 1 cup of shredded Gouda. Bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, garnish with chopped chives and let stand 15 minutes before serving.

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2019 -

Shitake Noodle Hot and Sour Soup ith winter knocking on our door, a bowl of soup is not only hearty and delicious, it’s full of good things that will hopefully keep us healthy throughout the cold and flu season. This hot and sour soup

is loaded with plenty of mushrooms, garlic, ginger, vegetables and tofu. You could add cooked chicken or pork, but I like the texture that tofu brings to the soup. If you don’t want the noodles, you could swirl in 2 beaten eggs instead.

This soup is a little spicy, a little sour, and a whole lot of delicious.

Makes: 6 servings | Prep time: 10 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes 8 cups of chicken or vegetable stock 3 cups thinly sliced cabbage 8 ounces shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced, stems discarded 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1/4 cup low-sodium tamari or soy sauce 1 Tbsp minced ginger 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tbsp chili garlic sauce 1/4 cup cornstarch 100 grams rice stick noodles 1 pkg tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 cup thinly sliced scallions 1 tsp sesame oil Salt and pepper to taste 1. In a large Dutch oven, add the stock, cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, rice vinegar, tamari, ginger, garlic, and chili garlic sauce.

Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for five minutes.

2. Whisk together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water.

Stir into the soup. Simmer for a couple of minutes.

3. Add the noodles, and cook for a few more minutes.

Stir in the tofu and most of the scallions.

Season to taste. If you want it more sour or hot, adjust accordingly.

4. Ladle into bowls and garnish with more scallions and hot sauce.

Serve immediately.

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