Beef Business March 2023

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Creekside Ranch, Bridgeford, SK

INDUSTRY NEWS

MARKETS

ASSOCIATION NEWS, REPORTS AND EVENTS

A Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) Publication

General Manager: Chad MacPherson

Box 4752, Evraz Place, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4

Tel: 306-757-8523 Fax: 306-569-8799

Email: gm@skstockgrowers.com

Website: www.skstockgrowers.com

Managing Editor: Kori Maki-Adair

Tel: 403-680-5239

Email: kmaa@shaw.ca

Agri-business Advertising Sales: Diane Sawatzky

Tel: 306-716-4271 Email: sales@skstockgrowers.com

Livestock Advertising Sales:

Tel: 306-757-8523 Email: livestocksales@skstockgrowers.com

Subscriptions

Box 4752, Evraz Place, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4

Tel: 306-757-8523

Fax: 306-569-8799

Email: office@skstockgrowers.com

Subscription Rate: One year $26.50

(GST included) Published five times per year

Design and Layout: Jackson Designs | Candace Schwartz

Tel: 306-772-0376 Email: candace@jacksondesigns.ca

Prairie Conservation Action Plan (PCAP)

Manager: Carolyn Gaudet

Box 4752, Evraz Place, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4

Tel: 306-352-0472

Email: pcap@sasktel.net

Fax: 306-569-8799

SSGA reserves the right to refuse advertising and edit manuscripts. Contents of Beef Business may be reproduced with written permission obtained from SSGA's General Manager, and with proper credit given to Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association. Articles submitted may not be the opinion of SSGA. SSGA assumes no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader from this publication based on any and all information provided.

Publications Mail Agreement #40011906

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses (covers only) to:

Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association

STEWARDSHIP

Cover photo courtesy of: Jenna Loveridge Photography, McTavish Farms Ltd., Moosomin, SK

• Terry Bedard

• Beef Cattle Research Council

• Garner Deobald

• Carl Flis

• Jeff Gaye

• Lynne Girardin

• Mindy Hockley

• Chad Hollinger

• James Hordos

• Sarah Hordos

• Chad MacPherson

• Kori Maki-Adair

• Jordan Moore

• Tara Mulhern Davidson

• Nathan Phinney

• Jason Pollock

• Gord Schroeder

• Elizabeth Shirley

• Cynthia Wirgau

• Garth Woods

Box 4752, Evraz Place, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4 Did you know that SSGA is Saskatchewan's oldest agricultural association?

• Anna Wright

Census of Agriculture 2021 – Beef Cattle Operations

Terry Bedard

Statistics Canada uses the North American Industry Classification System, which classifies census farms according to the predominant type of production. Potential receipts are estimated from the inventories reported, and if a farm has more than 50 per cent of one type of production, then the farm is classified as that type of farm. For example, a census farm with total potential receipts of 60 per cent from beef cattle, 20 per cent from wheat, and 20 per cent from fruit would be classified as a beef cattle farm.

• $175,000 to $749,999 — 31 per cent of the beef cows (344,897)

• $750,000 and over — 25 per cent of the beef cows (278,007)

When examining the Saskatchewan beef herd (made up of beef cows, heifers − replacement and other, steers, and calves) by operation based on total operating revenues, this is what the percentages look like:

Terry Bedard Research Economist, Economics and Analytics

Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture

Saskatchewan has Canada’s second largest beef cattle herd at 1.6 million head and the third largest number of farms with beef cattle at 13,812 operations reporting beef cattle in 2021.

Back in the 1976 Census of Agriculture, the average number of beef cows per Saskatchewan farm was 32 head. For the 2021 Census of Agriculture, the average number was 87, which is a drop of one from 2021. The largest change in the average number of beef cows per farm occurred between 2001 and 2006, when the average jumped from 58 head to 73 head.

In 2021, 12,748 Saskatchewan farms reported having beef cows. That is an increase of 320 operations from 2021. Looking at the distribution of beef cows by herd size essentially shows that, while there are still a lot of farms with beef cows, small herds account for a much smaller percentage of the cows.

• Herds of one to 47 beef cows accounted for 11.4 per cent (6,384 head) of the cows in Saskatchewan and 50.1 per cent of the farms (126,213 farms).

• Herds of more than 273 beef cows accounted for 30.8 per cent of the cows (341,306 head) and 6.1 per cent (782 farms) of the farms in the province.

A total of 7,610 Saskatchewan operations were classified as beef cattle farms in 2020, making up 22.4 per cent of all farms. The only farm type with a higher percentage was oilseed (not including soybean) farming at 24.9 per cent of total farms.

Farms classified as beef farms were second in farm types for total operating revenues at $1.8 billion in 2020 and gained 443 beef cattle ranching and farming operations from 2015.

Based on total operating revenues from 2020, this is how Saskatchewan beef cattle operations compare:

• Under $50,000 — 42 per cent of the operations (3,203)

• $50,000 to $249,999 — 38 per cent of the operations (2,883)

• $250,000 to $749,999 — 15 per cent of the operations (1,142)

• $750,000 and over — five per cent of the operations (382)

When we look at the number of Saskatchewan beef cows by operation based on total operating revenues, this is how the percentages break down:

• Under $50,000 — 13 per cent of the beef cows (146,746)

• $50,000 to $249,999 — 30 per cent of the beef cows (337,460)

• Under $50,000 — 12 per cent of the beef herd (302,635)

• $50,000 to $249,999 — 27 per cent of the beef herd (694,767)

• $175,000 to $749,999 — 29 per cent of the beef herd (736,808)

• $750,000 and over — 32 per cent of the beef herd (813,273)

Did you know: Statistics Canada has created some thematic maps for the Census variables?

For example, one map shows the change in total beef cows by census division from 2021 to 2021. To learn more, please visit the Statistics Canada website.

Next time, we will compare beef cattle operations! B

and

TWo Year Old Bulls

ese 2 year old bulls selected as calves for 2’s and pastured separately, weaned later and back grounded on silage and chopped feed en they go to grass early June until October. en they are fed similar to the yearlings until sale time. ey will last a long time. Many of the Two year olds were selected for their potential as heifer bulls. ese aged heifer bulls will breed more animals than yearlings and are a very good investment.

- very smooth shouldered, long

with an excellent wide top line.

Yearling Bulls

- another extreme calving ease bull that has the ability and muscling to be used on heifers and cows. -

sold to Curtis Laventure (20)

SCIC Introduces Individual Premium for Crop Insurance

Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation

As farming evolves, your farm insurance needs change too. Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) continually works to improve and enhance business risk management programs to provide responsive, relevant options to Saskatchewan producers.

We heard from producers and industry — you want to see yourselves in our programs. You want to see your yields and risk reflected in the Crop Insurance program. For more than 30 years, SCIC’s Individual Coverage has continued to ensure that your Crop Insurance coverage is based on personal growing experience rather than an area average. SCIC is now taking the next step and individualizing premiums, too.

Starting in 2023, Crop Insurance customers will have an Individual Premium calculated for each insured crop. Individual Premium is based on your personal claim history compared to your area risk zone.

SCIC calculates a base premium annually for each crop, in each risk zone. With Individual Premium, a premium adjustment (increase or decrease from base premium) is calculated individually for each crop a customer insures.

Individual Premium allows Crop Insurance to be more responsive to your farming experience. Claims on one crop do not impact premiums for other crops. A producer who experiences higher than average losses on a specific crop, compared to others in the area risk zone, would only realize an impact on that premium. Crops with lower-than-average losses will typically have lower premiums.

Insurance is about pooling risk. The amount of money each participant puts into the “pool” should depend on individual risk and the likelihood of having a claim. For Crop Insurance, all producers do not have the same risk; all crop varieties and all areas of the province do not have the same risk.

In recent years, the impact of individual risk became more evident as producers continued to face dry conditions. Producers have different approaches to navigating these challenges. As more producers utilize technology and modern farming practices, such as diversifying their operations or exploring new techenhanced equipment and operational tools, they are helping to mitigate their individual risk.

SCIC is responding to those changes, working to ensure the Crop Insurance Program — and premiums — are responsive to individual risk and

individual farming experience.

SCIC is contacting existing Crop Insurance customers to discuss what Individual Premium means for their farm. Detailed information and Individual Premium calculations will be available in March once 2023 premiums are released; however, producers can start reviewing their Crop Insurance options now.

Contact SCIC

To learn more, please contact your local SCIC office, call 1-888-935-0000 or visit scic.ca/individual-premium. B

Farewell Salute to Saskatchewan Livestock Association

Kori Maki-Adair

With objectives designed to encourage and promote improvement in livestock production, management and marketing practices for the benefit of Saskatchewan livestock producers and Canadian agriculture, Saskatchewan Livestock Board evolved into Saskatchewan Livestock Association (SLA) in 1975, to become a non-profit industry service organization fostered and financially-supported by the provincial government.

From that time until 1987, SLA’s main activities included administration for the Saskatchewan cattle, horse, sheep and swine breeders associations; sales management for the Regina Bull Sale; and perhaps most memorably, hosting the Annual Livestock Convention and presenting Honour Scrolls to farm families that made outstanding contributions to the livestock industry, their communities and the province of Saskatchewan.

To ensure the Honour Scroll program continues, Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association has accepted the responsibility for 2023 and beyond.

As of 1988, SLA began to undergo significant changes. Most notably, it became financially independent by developing a broad range of activities that were of mutual interest to industry and government.

Through data processing, management programs, administration services and desktop publishing projects, SLA became a united front of industry members that gathered and communicated the opinions

of livestock producers to government agencies and key stakeholder groups.

By the time the organization concluded its operations at the end of December 2022, Saskatchewan Livestock Association had successfully promoted and encouraged a spirit of cooperation across Saskatchewan's livestock industry groups. In addition to collaborating with many provincial and national industry organizations to facilitate countless events and projects, SLA was a founding partner in the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference and even rolled its annual convention into the event's proceedings.

To celebrate the organization’s achievements from an insider’s perspective, following the advice of SLA’s General Manager Belinda Wagner, Beef Business connected with two of SLA’s most well-known and reputed supporters: Marilyn Mounteray and Marilyn Jahnke.

Marilyn Mounteray’s family has been connected with SLA since the 1940s when her grandfather Charles Harlton began the family legacy as a member, followed by her parents George and Helen Harlton, and concluded with Marilyn and her husband Ron joining the organization in the 1980s, then both holding the office of SLA President — Ron in 2008 and Marilyn in 2022.

“Growing up in the livestock industry, I came to know and appreciate Saskatchewan Livestock Association for playing a vital role in sustaining our industry,” she said, then added, “Hosting

the Annual Livestock Convention provided an opportunity to bring all livestock breed associations to one table to build and grow a thriving industry.”

Over the decades, four generations of Marilyn Mounteray’s family have received Honour Scrolls — in 1949, 1975, 2008 and in 2013, when Marilyn and her husband Ron received theirs.

“It has been a true honour to be involved with this organization and I appreciate this opportunity to thank everyone for all of their hard work and dedication,” she said to conclude her interview.

When approached to discuss her perspective on SLA’s contributions to the livestock industry, Marilyn Jahnke responded from a social angle.

“My husband and I first became connected with SLA by going to the conventions. They drew us in with their warmth,” Jahnke said. “I remember having a good time. I liked the way SLA got everyone involved — all of the breeds and livestock organizations. When everyone got together, it made us stronger because we all wanted the best for one another.”

Jahnke also said a salute to SLA wouldn’t be complete without celebrating Belinda Wagner too.

“Under Belinda’s leadership, we came to understand that getting involved was an important part of our livelihood and

continued on page 10

SLA Farewell cont. from pg. 8

that we should stay on top of the issues to optimize the results for our advocacy efforts,” Jahnke said.

In addition to being Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) President, Marilyn Jahnke also served as SLA President at a time when there were very few women taking part in ag politics.

“As some may remember, my husband Neil and son Shane — a fourth generation commercial cattle rancher — also served as SSGA President and were involved with Saskatchewan Livestock Association. It’s

been a generational thing in our family that has proven we can all live and work together in harmony,” she said with the glow of an accomplished matriarch.

“We all have our problems and SLA gave us a place where everyone felt comfortable to unite and create a stronger voice for industry. In the ag industry, it doesn’t matter what you’re producing, your family is involved. SLA’s leadership team knew this and prioritized family involvement. It’s what drew me, my husband and my family into the fold.

“Being able to serve our industry through SLA was quite an honour. Every person

I met seemed to deserve a crown. No single organization could take the place of SLA, so we will have to rely on breed associations and other key industry stakeholder groups to stick out their chests and say ‘we’re feeding the nation here,’ so we need industry and government to join together to shape policies, programs and regulations that work for everyone.”

59TH ANNUAL MANITOBA TEST STATION BULL & FEMALE SALE

MARCH 25, 2023 STARTING AT 1:00 P.M. SHARP

• 119 bulls and 37 heifers on test

• 8 breeds available- Angus (Red & Black), Charolais, Hereford, Limousin, Maine-Anjou, Simmental & Shorthorn

• Ranch Horse Sale to follow

• One stop shop for top quality bull power and select replacement females

• Longest running development center in Canada

• Internet bidding provided by DLMS

• Catalog and video links of offering can be viewed early March at www.buyagro.com

• Rare opportunity to select genetics from 40 different consignors across Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario who bring their best stock to be performance tested and developed together

DIRECTIONS: 17 miles east of Brandon on Hwy #1 and a half mile south on Hwy #351

MANAGER: Cody Nolan | 204-573-4006

Your next bull sale doesn’t

have

to be so taxing

We believe every hour, callus, blister and dollar you invest into your cattle operation should be rewarded. Contact your local MNP advisor before you take your bulls to auction. Together, we’ll create a tax strategy that keeps you compliant and puts more of your hard-earned income back in your pocket.

Find the Right Coverage for Your Livestock Operation

Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation

Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) works closely with forage and livestock industry groups to enhance Crop Insurance programs to meet the changing needs of Saskatchewan producers. SCIC has designed the Crop Insurance WeatherBased Programs to help address weatherrelated risks. These programs include the Forage Rainfall Insurance Program (FRIP), which provided significant support to producers in recent years, and the Corn Rainfall Insurance Program as well as the Corn Heat Unit Insurance Program.

In recent years, Saskatchewan producers selected FRIP coverage of approximately $104.3 million in 2021 and $216.2 million in 2022; an increase of 107 per cent. With dry growing conditions across the province, FRIP responded — paying more than $94 million in claim payments in the last two years combined. Specifically, due to the widespread drought in 2021, FRIP paid producers approximately 48 per cent of selected coverage.

In 2022, a heat enhancement was added to SCIC’s Weather-Based Programs. This enhancement, which reduces rainfall accumulations in situations of high heat

to account for the loss of moisture available to the plant, results in a higher likelihood of payment and, as such, a slight increase in premiums.

For FRIP and Corn Rainfall claim calculations, the monthly accumulated precipitation was reduced by 1.0 millimetres for any day in the month a station reaches 31.0 degrees Celsius. This enhancement generated an additional $4.6 million in FRIP payments (an increase of 12 per cent due to this change) and more than $400,000 in Corn Rainfall payments (an increase of 82 per cent).

Forage and Corn Rainfall Insurance Program Details

FRIP insures all types of grazing acres and tame hay acres, protecting pasture and hayland in the event seasonal precipitation is below the long-term average. Similarly, the Corn Rainfall Insurance Program insures against a lack of moisture over the growing season for corn seeded for grain, silage or grazing.

Producers can select several different

options to customize their FRIP and/or Corn Rainfall coverage. These selections carry over from year to year, unless revised annually prior to March 31. Options may vary due to factors, including geographical location, time of grazing (for pasture) and personal preference.

FRIP and Corn Rainfall Program calculations are completed, monthly. Following each month, weather data is available at www.scic.ca/resources/ statistics. Producers are in a claim position when the precipitation at their selected weather station is below 80 per cent of normal.

An added benefit with FRIP is year-long fire insurance coverage. If the insured area experiences an accidental fire, an adjuster inspects the acres to confirm cause of loss. Producers receive 100 per cent of selected coverage for acres lost to fire. If a lack of rainfall claim is determined prior to the fire, the producer receives up to 100 per cent of the selected coverage for the acres lost by fire.

Corn Heat Unit Insurance Program

Where the rainfall programs insure against lack of moisture, SCIC also offers the Corn Heat Unit Program to help provide risk management for corn producers that experience low temperatures during the growing season or early frost. Visit www.scic.ca to learn more about the program and review coverage options.

Livestock Program Options

In addition to our weather-based options, livestock producers may also be interested Livestock Price insurance (LPI). Through the LPI Program, producers can purchase price protection on livestock in the form of an insurance policy, providing protection against unexpected price drops over a defined period of time. Currently, the cattle market has gained strength and is trending well above last year. This trend is being demonstrated throughout LPI Program with higher coverage and stable premiums.

Calf Price Insurance coverage is available this year from February 1, 2023, until June 8, 2023. While the calf market outlook is strong for 2023, the market carries several unknowns and an easy way to protect that positive outlook is to participate in the LPI Program.

We are seeing record high coverage with a significant decrease in premiums. In response to the strong market, calf coverage has increased by more than $300 per head. As compared to 2021, calf premiums have decreased approximately 30 per cent. To date, approximately 3,700 Saskatchewan producers have enrolled in LPI.

LPI coverage is offered every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Mountain Time. To receive the daily premium and settlement emails, sign up at www.lpi.ca. These are simple ways to track LPI premium and settlement tables, which can help you decide when to make your purchase.

The purchasing process is easily accessible online or by calling your local SCIC office. Purchases can be made over the phone with a SCIC representative. No longer due at time of purchase, premiums are due at the time of expiry of the policy.

Crop Insurance Deadline is March 31

Producers should review SCIC’s forage insurance options for hay, grazing and feed acres, particularly those returning customers upon receiving their Crop Insurance information package in the mail. Coverage responds to forage pricing and, each spring, producers should re-evaluate their coverage to ensure selections are meeting the risk management needs of their farm.

Please contact your local SCIC office to discuss coverage options or make any changes. The deadline to apply, reinstate, cancel or make changes to Crop Insurance contracts is March 31, 2023.

To learn more about SCIC’s Weather-Based Programs, call 1-888-935-0000 or visit www.scic.ca. B

Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medals Continue to Distinguish SK Citizens

Celebrating the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Accession to the Throne, which took place on February 6, 2022, the Office of the Governor General of Canada acquired the Queen’s approval in May for a medal that was created to honour the late Queen Elizabeth II for her service to Canada through a heritage award called the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.

The request for approval included Her Majesty’s review of the medal’s design and for the medal to be included in the Order of Precedence with other commemorative medals of the Canadian Honours System.

Essentially, the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal is a way for Saskatchewan to honour the late Queen Elizabeth II by awarding the medal to recipients across the region during the Government of Saskatchewan’s Jubilee year commemorations.

To ensure the medal presented to worthy individuals within 2022, the Government of Saskatchewan partnered with several organizations across the province to select recipients across the province to ensure a wide distribution of medals. The partners judged the nominations based on achievement and merit, as well as inclusivity and diversity of their communities. Members of the public were also invited to nominate individuals by sending their suggestions to their MLA or a partner organization within their community by October 22, 2022.

According to the Government of Saskatchewan website, though they could be of any age or background, nominees for this prestigious award were required to be Saskatchewan residents that have made a notable contribution to society.

After the Office of the Governor General of Canada approved the inclusion of the medal in the Order of Precedence with other commemorative medals of the Canadian Honours System in November 2022, the Lieutenant Governor’s designates began presenting the medals to 7,000 deserving citizens across the province.

Congratulations, to one and all Saskatchewan recipients!

REFERENCE

1. Government of Saskatchewan https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/ heritage-honours-and-awards/ queen-elizabeth-ii-platinum-jubileemedal#nomination-criteria-and-process

The blue represents Canada’s three seas. The red and white represent the colours of the National Flag of Canada and Royal Arms of Canada, while the white also represents platinum commemorating the Platinum

Swift Current ceremony recipients (back, left to right: Randy Stokke, Sharon Bucsis, Coy Schellenberg, Larry Grant, Marilyn Jahnke, Garner Deobald, Norm Nordgulen;; (front, left to right: Sylvia Martens (posthumously for Harold Martens), Shannon Schellenberg (posthumously for Reg Schellenberg)

This circular medal is struck in copper and plated with nickel with a 32 mm diameter, suspended from a blue, red and white.

Jubilee.

The front of the meal features the crowned effigy of Queen Elizabeth II with her Canadian Style and Title. The back of the medal bears the Saskatchewan Shield of Arms with the Queen’s Royal Cypher and dates of the reign at the top, separated by a pair of western red lilies (the provincial flower), and the phrase VIVAT REGINA (“Long live The Queen”) at the base.1

Medal recipients Mark Elford (left) and Pat Hayes (right)

Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Moose Jaw North Tim McLeod (left) and MLA for Cannington Daryl Harrison (right) with recipients Lloyd and Jean Thompson B

YOU TREAT THEM LIKE FAMILY

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To determine the right blend for your farm, brettyoung.ca/Stock-Blend-Selector

Crown Land Grazing Rates Freeze in Response to Low Precipitation

Kori Maki-Adair

Two welcome announcements warmed the end of January for producers that lease any part of Saskatchewan’s six million acres of Crown grazing land this year:

1. The Government of Saskatchewan is freezing the 2023 grazing rate at 2022 levels.

2. Lessees reducing their stocking rates due to ongoing dry conditions will be eligible for a rent reduction to a maximum of 50 per cent.

“Saskatchewan’s livestock sector is facing increasing costs of production in addition to successive years of low precipitation in many areas of the province,” Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit said. “Keeping this year’s grazing rate at 2022 levels, and implementing reductions for Crown grazing lands hardest hit by drought, will assist producers through the current challenges while supporting the continued stewardship and productivity of the land.”

Saskatchewan's Crown grazing rates are established annually using a formula based on fall cattle prices and the long-term stocking rate of each parcel of land. This year's rate freeze will apply to all grazing leases across the province.

www.saskatchewan.ca

According to Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture’s website, a 2023 rent reduction will apply in situations where an individual lessee or pasture association must reduce the number of animals grazing Crown leases by 20 per cent or more, compared to the approved longterm carrying capacity of that land.

The 2023 rate reduction will match the reduction in carrying capacity, ranging from a 20 per cent rate reduction up to a maximum of 50 per cent.

“Recognizing the hardships Saskatchewan producers continue to face while ranching in the ongoing areas of drought, we greatly appreciate this announcement,” Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association President Garner Deobald said. “It is clear that Minister Marit and his team are continuing to listen and respond to our needs. This announcement is yet another great step on our joint path together — facing and overcoming a number of ongoing challenges by working together.”

Livestock Forage Centre of Excellence Appoints Three Industry Members

Leachman as the industry portion of the Strategic Advisory Board!

The Livestock Forage Centre of Excellence (LFCE) is a partnership of key industry stakeholders that collaborate on all aspects of beef cattle research and have a joint goal of answering producers’ science-based questions related to environmental engineering, soil and plant science, animal science, veterinary medicine and agricultural economics through research, teaching and outreach activities.

The partnership is made up of appointed representatives from University of Saskatchewan, the provincial and federal governments, and the forage and livestock sectors — each of which has representation on the LFCE Strategic Advisory Board, which is chaired by an industry member.

Though based at University of Saskatchewan, the centre is an independent entity that provides researchers, faculty, students, industry and producers with a home for research, teaching and outreach activities.

The LFCE’s Strategic Advisory Board’s director reports to the deans of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

On March 1st, the LFCE’s Strategic Advisory Board elected a new chair, celebrated three outgoing committee

members and appointed three new industry members to its leadership team.

Congratulations to Calvin Gavelin, Kyron Manske and Dr. Leigh Rosengren who will be joining Robert Johnson and Lance

Thank you to Neil Block, Tamara Carter and Duane Thompson for your leadership and dedication to facilitating innovative change in the livestock and forage industries. Your industry-focused support over the past five years has successfully promoted sustainability, quality, profitability and environmental stewardship — across multiple sectors of the ag industry, from soil to forage to animals — linking people to knowledge.

To learn more about the important work the Livestock Forage Centre of Excellence is doing for Canadian farms, visit lfce.usask.ca

LCFE Board of Directors, left to right: Dr. Scott Wright (PhD), director Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence, USask; Lance Leachman, industry (Maidstone, SK); Robert Johnson, industry (Fairlight, SK); Dr. Leigh Rosengren (DVM), industry (Midale, SK); Dr. Angela BedardHaughn (PhD), dean, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, USask; Kyron Manske, industry (Coronach, SK); Calvin Gavelin, industry (McCord, SK); Lee Auten, assistant deputy minister (programs), SK Ministry of Agriculture; Kathryn Tonita, director, Livestock Development, SK Ministry of Agriculture; missing from photo - Andrea Brocklebank, executive director, Beef Cattle Research Council; Tamara Carter, producer and past chair, ex-officio; international representative, currently vacant

Calvin Gavelin McCord, SK

Kyron Manske Coronach, SK

Dr. Leigh Rosengren Midale, SK

CONNECT WITHOUT COMPROMISE THANKS TO XPLORE

Xplore has a long history of providing vital internet connectivity to rural Canadians. Founded in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Xplore has become Canada’s largest rural-focused Internet provider to both residential and business customers.

Last year, Xplore launched plans offering download speeds up to 50 Megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds up to 10 Mbps with unlimited data to over half a million homes as a result of investments in their LTE fixed wireless network. The Government of Canada previously announced its goal to connect all Canadians to 50/10 Mbps speeds in an effort to close the connectivity gap and so that all Canadians have access to fast and reliable Internet, no matter where they live.

Now, the installation of a fibre network means Xplore is taking another big step to eliminate the digital divide between urban and rural Canadians, allowing small town and farming Canadians at-their-fingertips access to the world at much higher speed.

Xplore is constructing fibre networks in multiple communities and areas throughout Manitoba.

Tired of slow or inconsistent internet service? Xplore (previously Xplornet Communications) is currently rolling out ‘fibre-to-the-premises’ (right to your door) and 5G broadband internet to rural customers right across the country. Xplore is investing $500 million by 2025 to deploy state-of-the-art scalable fibre Internet and fibre-powered 5G fixed wireless technology in its facilities-based network.

“Xplore is Canada’s fibre and 5G company for rural living. We’re committed to the relentless pursuit of an improved broadband experience for the better everyday living of rural Canadians,” says Melissa Grecco, Xplore’s manager of government relations and stakeholder affairs. “Our investment in improved internet will benefit rural Canadians for years to come, even as data usage and the number of connected devices grows.”

Xplore, has been in the internet business for nearly 20 years. Since the company’s earliest days, it has focused on providing internet connectivity to rural Canadians.

“We believe everyone should be able to connect without compromise. We rebrand-

ed as Xplore because we believe that our customers should be able to access the internet and explore whatever they wish. Rural Canadians deserve reliable internet access no different than those living in the hearts of Canada’s biggest cities,” says Grecco.

Fibre Internet is the fastest Internet technology available today, allowing download and upload speeds of up to a gigabit per second. Xplore currently offers gigabit-speed fibre service to rural customers in parts of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, with additional fibre projects underway in seven provinces.

Xplore offers customers unlimited data.

“We know that our customers want to be more and more connected and on more devices than ever before,” says Grecco. “Unlimited data is critical because it means there’s no limit to what our customers can do online, whether that’s surfing the web at home, powering their business, connecting to virtual healthcare, or learning and working from home.”

Greco says Xplore values the importance of Canadian farmers, and is committed to ensuring it delivers the internet access today’s farmers need.

“For farmers, a reliable Internet connection is key for so many functions. It’s vital for record keeping, whether that’s for production records or traceability in food production. It can help automate tasks, reduce costs and waste, even improve yields. More and more farmers now sell their products online, or use the internet to source inputs and – in the case of cattlemen - genetics from across Canada and beyond. Farm businesses no longer have to be limited to the immediate area they operate in; if they’re connected by Xplore, they have the option to grow globally if they so choose.”

Xplore announced its rebranding from Xplornet this past September. As Allison Lenehan, president and CEO said at the time, “This is the next era of our company’s story – a new name, new brand, new world-class technologies, and a renewed commitment to supporting and improving rural living for our customers.”

For more information about improved connectivity in your area, go to xplore.ca or call 1-866-640-5917.

MARKETS AND TRADE

RETAIL MEAT PRICE SURVEY

as of February 27, 2023 ($/lb)

THE AFFORDABLE FINANCING OPTION

Our vision is growing the livestock industry by providing innovative, a ordable and competitive nancing options for Saskatchewan producers. The co-operative is pleased to o er the following programs:

TO 4-H PARTICIPANTS

These prices were noted at store locations in Regina, Saskatchewan.

MARKETS AND TRADE

SK Weekly Average Price Heifers

SK

Lethbridge Barley Price

Interpreting Breeding Soundness Evaluations in Bulls

Jeff Gaye

Springtime is bull sale time. With so much riding on a bull’s performance during breeding season, it’s important to know what to look for in a Breeding Soundness Evaluation report.

But beyond the bull sale, producers are well-advised to test their bulls’ breeding soundness regularly. Knowing which defects may be permanent, and how to address the temporary ones, can save a lot of money and other ranch resources.

Beef Business spoke with two experienced veterinarians to find out how the test is conducted, how the classifications are determined, and what they mean to sellers, buyers and producers.

Dr. Colin Palmer is Associate Professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Andy Acton is in large animal practice as owner and operator at Deep South Animal Clinic in Ogema; he is the veterinarian on SSGA’s board of directors; and was named Western Canadian Association of Bovine Practitioners’ Bovine Vet of the Year for 2022.

All three components of the Breeding Soundness Evaluation — physical soundness, semen quality, and the ability to mount and complete service — are important for determining the bull’s ability to sire calves.

Physical soundness and semen quality are assessed by a veterinarian. The third component, the ability to mount and complete service, is based on owner observations.

Physical soundness is vitally important because of the demands of servicing a couple dozen female animals several times in a fixed window during the breeding season.

Scrotal circumference is a key indicator of a bull’s ability to perform. While it is only one aspect of a bull’s physical soundness, Acton says it tends to be the first thing producers check on when reading the exam report. Scrotal size is an indicator of sperm production capacity, and therefore, it is obviously important.

The standards used for scrotal circumference take the bull’s age into account; and the needs of a commercial operation can be different from those of a purebred breeder. As Acton says, bigger is not necessarily better.

A scrotal circumference of 36 to 38 centimetres would be acceptable for a young Simmental on a commercial operation, he said. But some breeders look for high 30s or into the 40s on a yearling to 15-month animal so they can pass that characteristic down to future generations.

“We can have animals below minimum scrotal size that can get animals pregnant, obviously,” he said. “But, when you have a number of animals cycling in a given day in the early part of a breeding season, you need a bull with a reasonably good scrotal size to be able to keep up to that demand in terms of sperm production.”

Aside from scrotal size, other physical soundness characteristics can have an effect on the bull’s suitability for breeding season. Lameness is an obvious concern, Palmer said, as is poor condition from overfeeding. The latter can lead to problems with joints and particularly in older bulls can lead to fat in the neck of the scrotum. He says bulls should score three points on the five-point rating system.

“A breeding bull should have the physique of a football player — not fat, but well muscled, pretty good condition on them. That extra condition is important because when a bull is working so hard in that first

six weeks of the breeding season, they’re working double overtime and they don’t tend to eat very well. They lose a lot of condition, which limits their ability to breed. It affects their semen quality and their ability to recover.”

Other physical soundness concerns can be foot and leg structure, broken jaws, and wooden tongue; Palmer says healthy eyes are also important. “If he’s got a pink eye or a terrible pink eye scar, that would be a reason for failing a bull. A bull needs to have two good eyes to be able to breed,” he said.

Semen quality, particularly sperm morphology, is often misunderstood to be the basis of a bull’s Breeding Soundness Evaluation. In fact, Acton said, semen quality itself is based on two assessments: sperm quality and sperm motility. These are considered in conjunction with physical soundness to arrive at the overall classification.

“A bull doesn’t score an ‘89 per cent’ by having 89 per cent normal sperm — it’s only one part of his evaluation,” Acton said. “The physical characteristics are all a different part. We want to see that to have a passing evaluation that they should have 70 per cent normal sperm with good motility for their age, and not having other physical defects.

continued on page 28

Colin Palmer Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Breeding Soundness

cont. from pg. 26

“So about a third of what we’re really looking at is that percentage that a lot of people home in on as the bull’s overall score. It is important, but it’s not the only thing that we should be reviewing.”

A bull with 80 per cent morphologically normal sperm on test day is no better or worse than a bull with 90 per cent normal sperm, provided that the other test parameters meet the criteria for a satisfactory classification.

The semen quality is assessed by the concentration of sperm cells in the sample, rated as Very Good, Good, Fair or Poor; and the motility and morphology of the sperm. According to Palmer, the motility can be affected by air temperature, so it’s important to have a good quality sample. “We want a Good or Very Good classification there,” he said.

In assessing sperm morphology, veterinarians count at least 100 cells and record defects per 100 cells. “Some sperm morphology problems are permanent, others are short-lived,” Palmer said

Veterinarians will look for head, midpiece and principal piece (tail) defects — there are 23 different possible defects. A “passing grade” is 70 per cent of cells presenting as normal.

Based on the physical soundness and semen quality scores, the bull is given a classification of Satisfactory, Decision Deferred, Questionable, or Unsatisfactory.

These ratings represent a snapshot of a bull’s breeding soundness. Often, poor semen quality can be brought about by stress, temperature, or nutrition changes, and these factors can often be corrected. Similarly, some physical injuries can heal. The rating informs the breeder or producer about the soundness of the bull at the time of the exam.

Andrew Acton Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Ogema, Saskatchewan

• A Satisfactory classification means the bull is good to go: good semen quality, physically sound, suitable scrotal circumference for an appropriate number of cows during the breeding season.

• Decision Deferred, Palmer says, is “usually for yearling bulls that we suspect will get over the condition that’s there. So maybe they look a little bit pubertal. And with puberty, we have specific sperm cell abnormalities that we see, but we can’t guarantee when, or even if the bull will improve sufficiently to receive a satisfactory classification. But, it allows a lot of our producers to offer the bull in a bull sale.”

Acton says temporary stress such as a late cold weather event can also contribute to a Decision Deferred classification. “If we’re considering bulls that are older, I will occasionally use Decision Deferred to say that this bull is just not satisfactory today,” he said. “Likely he passes as far as scrotal circumference; physical characteristics are okay; but, he’s had an insult to his sperm and they’re not moving properly and there’s not enough normal sperm in the sample. And, it’s something we feel will improve with a little bit of time. These bulls definitely need to be re-tested and shown to have improved before being put to use.”

The waiting period before re-testing can be a few weeks to as long as eight weeks. Animals testing poorly after that amount of time will then be reclassified as Unsatisfactory.

• Questionable classification is often reserved for a bull with too small scrotal circumference, but satisfactory semen.

“Where Questionable comes into play is, usually, we’ve got a bull that doesn’t meet the scrotal circumference parameters, or perhaps has got a mild lameness,” Palmer said. “Sometimes, I’ve had an older bull where one testicle is not really functional. The producer says ‘well he’s a pretty good old boy. I need a little bit of a backup. I’ve got five cows in a pen. Do you think he’s suitable?’ And I say ‘yes, likely he’ll do quite well for that.’ We give him the Questionable classification, and explain to the producer why we can’t give the bull a Satisfactory one.

“The other major reason is if I gave the bull a Satisfactory classification, perhaps, that would enable that producer to sell or rent the bull to his neighbour as a satisfactory bull. So, that way, I’m making sure that I’m protecting the public.”

• Unsatisfactory is a fail.

“Unsatisfactory is usually when they have had repeated tests and the problems haven’t gone away, or they’ve just reached such an age that they should be passing and they still are not,” Acton said. Sometimes the bull will have physical characteristics that that don’t meet the minimum standard, such as too small of a scrotal size for the age of the bull. According to Acton, “If they had problems with the ability of the testicles to be raised or lowered in the scrotum, so they couldn’t temperature-regulate, that would be marked as Unsatisfactory.”

Other factors leading to an Unsatisfactory classification might include a ventral deviation or a severe injury to the penis that hasn’t healed properly.

Palmer says the Breeding Soundness Evaluation is useful beyond the bull sale process — it helps producers know which of their bulls are paying off for them. He recommends annual testing.

“Typically, in a mature breeding bull population that hasn’t been tested, we’ll see one in five bulls fail. That’s failed due to physical reasons, semen quality, the whole list of stuff that we talk about as inability to breed. So, that’s 20 per cent of our bulls.

“But if you turn that over to a population of mature bulls that we test on an annual basis, say the community pasture, typically, what I’ll see is about five per cent will fail. So, that’s one in 20. And, that’s what makes the procedure well worth it for these pastures, because then they

know what they’ve got in terms of bull power. We take out the bulls that are no longer suitable, and they’re not wasting feed and time and cows. They make sure that they have appropriate number of bulls in the field.”

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Pay Attention to Your Bull Battery

Lynne Girardin

energy, protein, vitamin and mineral needs of the cow will ensure optimal health of the newborn bull calf.

A clean, comfortable calving environment with lots of space will help ensure reduced social and physical stress, resulting in good mothering ability and ample milk production. Lower pair stocking rates decrease infectious disease transfer among calves (Hendrick, 2019).

Lynne Girardin, MSc, PAg BeefSmart Consulting Inc.

Bull performance is a crucial component of the health and fertility of the main cow herd. Bulls contribute half the genetic makeup of the subsequent generation, but influence the growth of the cow herd even more as we depend on them to sire 25 to 60 calves per year. Reproductive performance has greater impact on beef economic returns than does growth rate or carcass quality (Trenkle and Wilham, 1977).

Bull selection and management can be the most influential element in success of the cow-herd. Fertility is a trait with low heritability and is influenced by factors such as genetics, epigenetics, nutrigenomics and environment. Therefore, management of the physical, nutritional and social environments that directly influence bull fertility are paramount to the success of the breeding program.

You may start with selecting a bull by his physical characteristics and expected progeny differences (EPD), but how do you influence the success of the breeding season in the months and years leading up to it?

Calf survivability is key, and calf health and growth are directly related to cow health. In utero, the fetus pulls the nutrients it needs to survive until it is born, then the calf continues to depend on the cow’s milk quality and quantity. Meeting the

For bull calves still on their mothers, the goal is to optimize health to reduce disease, and improve management practices to have a healthy, growing young calf at weaning time. Creep feeding can be used as a management tool to help the calf access more energy and protein while still on the cow. Introducing the post-weaning diet prior to weaning can also have a positive influence on intakes post-weaning.

At weaning, the calf’s rumen has had a head start on development since the calf has been mimicking foraging behaviour of the dam. However, the calf’s nutritional and social stress are greatest during the weaning period. Getting calves on feed as soon as possible is the most important factor in reducing weaning stress and its negative effects. With adequate energy

and protein, along with a balanced vitamin and mineral program, we can see the weaning process have minimal effects on overall growth and health.

Bacteria and viruses are in the environment and aren’t always under our control; therefore, optimal health of the animal through improved immunity can considerably diminish the effects of what is present in the environment. There are a few different nutritional additives that can really enhance the immune system of a bull calf. In addition to an optimized nutritional program, a good vaccination program is crucial to overall success of the weaning period — through vaccinating the cow herd and ensuring a comprehensive vaccination program for the young bulls.

Following the development of a sound base with good health and nutrition, external factors must also be considered. The effects of environment and management practices on semen quality are seen through impaired hormonal or temperature regulation. Exposure of the testes to a short but severe insult can have detrimental effects on semen quality. The insult or stressor may not be easily identified as having occurred in the recent past.

continued on page 32

Photo courtesy of Trevor Christensen

Between now and December 31st, 2023 active Members of the SSGA will receive a $1,250 Young’s Equipment Gift Card for Parts and/ or Service at any Young’s Equipment location with the purchase of any of the following new units:

- Case IH MFD Loader Tractor (60-185 HP)

- Case IH RB565 Round Baler

- NDE Vertical Mixer

- Highline *NEW* BP60 series Bale Pro®

In addition to that, we will donate $250 per unit sold to the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association to support their formidable cause.

FEATURE

Pay Attention

cont. from pg. 30

For example, moderate to severe frostbite affecting 10 to 30 per cent of the scrotal surface will need two to 12 months to restore normal fertility and semen quality. Other stressors can take just as long to correct themselves. Hoof health is a two-pronged issue, where if there is an infection, the bull will have difficulty physically mounting the cow, and the immune system dealing with the infection will cause elevated body temperature which will, in turn, affect semen quality and subsequent fertility.

During these months between weaning and a bull’s first breeding season, growth targets should be set according to breed type and producer goals. While high levels of daily gain is an impressive target, it may result in excessively conditioned bulls that exhibit reduced fertility when it’s time to go to work. Diet composition is extremely important, but if bunk space is inadequate, competition at the bunk increases chances of injury and variability in gains within the group.

Good management practices during all periods of development and maintenance are important to ensuring that bulls are in optimal health at breeding time. Once the breeding season has started, it’s too late to ensure they are in good condition or have what they need. When bulls are hard at work, they lose weight, sometimes as much as 200 pounds.

The work you did in the months leading up to the breeding season should have resulted in sound bulls with adequate condition that are physically able to do their job. Use appropriate bull to cow ratios with consideration for bull age, terrain and length of breeding season. Furthermore, semen quality of a bull will change over time; therefore, bull’s mating ability and fertility should be evaluated periodically.

From birth to weaning to breeding, management practices have a great effect on the success of a herd sire.

First, a good start must be ensured through appropriate dam nutrition and management; reduced physical, social, and environmental stress; and proactive disease prevention.

Then, during the weaning period, nutritional and social stress can be mitigated through early introduction of a balanced, familiar, palatable diet.

Between weaning and the bull sale, focus on providing enough protein, energy, minerals, vitamins, bunk space, water, and pen space.

Post bull sale, don’t forget about them! The nutrition and management in the months leading up to the breeding season can prevent a bull, that passed his semen test, from being able to do his job in June.

For mature bulls that have proven themselves, getting them back up to a body condition score of 3 to 3.5 (5-point scale), reducing environmental insults, and ensuring no physical limitations are present will give them their best chance of another successful breeding season.

REFERENCES

Trenkle, A. and R.L. Wilham. 1977. Beef production efficiency. Science 198: 1009.

Hendrick, S. 2019. Steps to reduce disease in newborn calves. Beef Cattle Research Council. beefresearch.ca

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I’m not much of a gambler — at least, not organized gambling at a casino or VLT machine where the house almost always wins. Some would argue that because I own livestock and hope to make it profitable makes me a gambler by default, and I would likely have a hard time refuting their assertion.

There are a lot of variables to consider in this business and most are uncontrollable. Weather, inputs, inflation, market volatility and timing are all complex factors. I consider myself more like a hedge fund or a risk mitigation manager rather than an out and out gambler. I would like to think my business decisions are better than a monkey throwing darts at a target, but admittedly, there are days when the monkey would likely do a better job.

Lots of variables are unmanageable in this business, but there are many things we can do to help hedge our risk.

Even though I have written about these items before, this is the time of year when many producers and landowners strike or finalize deals for summer grazing. Good paper equals good business and there are many good rental agreement templates that offer both parties protection against

Good Documentation Helps to Hedge Risk

Jason Pollock

fraud and other problems that can arise in these arrangements.

In addition to good contracts, it is key to know the person with whom you are dealing. As producers move outside of their typical regions in search of grass, often they are the most vulnerable. Not knowing an area or the people in an area can be a real disadvantage to producers looking for a reliable location for their animals.

Online ads for grass and other services are plentiful and the risk of fraud is real. Unfortunately, there are times when producers fall prey to misinformation regarding the state of the facilities, forage, or care and find out about it far too late to escape harm to their animals or pocketbook.

Livestock Services of Saskatchewan (LSS) inspectors are often called upon at the end of a grazing season to help sort out issues of ownership, missing animals and other matters. While the majority of the cases end up being civil in nature, and not criminal, there are instances where criminal fraud has taken place.

It is not the responsibility of our inspectors to assist beyond the identification of ownership, yet many producers that have been taken advantage of look to LSS as an authority to assist. This is not an unreasonable assumption, and with the assistance of the RCMP Livestock Investigator, we can assist in some areas and advise producers to the point of determining if the matter is civil or criminal.

We are not legal advisors, so we always recommend producers seek their own legal advice. What we can tell you, is

that the content of your agreement is of the utmost importance. Having an inspection or third-party record of what you’ve delivered to a caretaker is essential. Equally critical is defining an end to your agreement.

In all instances, the more documentation the producer has, the more likely the matter can be settled quickly. A handshake to one party may not mean the same to the other, unfortunately.

We encourage all producers that enter grazing arrangements to take the time to document the agreement. Terms, expectations, payment details, death loss, missing animals, weather-related events, care, medication, etc., are all items that should be included in a written agreement that protects both parties.

A little diligence on the part of the producer, to confirm where the animals will spend their time, land ownership, access rights, reference checks and other items, can go a long way to a successful grazing season where there are no surprises. Except of course, the normal variability of owning livestock, which seem to look for new ways to surprise us on a regular basis.

One helpful addition to your normal process is to call for an inspection on the way into the pasture. An inspection at the start of the grazing season provides a third-party verification of animal numbers, dates, times, etc., to help avoid discrepancies at the end of the season.

I would be remiss in this submission if I did not recognize the recent passing of Harold Martens. As the former Chair of LSS, Harold played a significant role in the formation and building of LSS to where

Chief Executive Officer Jason Pollock Livestock Services of Saskatchewan

the organization is today.

A decade ago, he was asked by the Minister of Agriculture to take part in the industry advisory committee that would work with the provincial government to move the inspection function into an independent, industry-led organization. Harold, along with a handful of very capable industry leaders representing the five major livestock organizations in the province, successfully negotiated the transaction — and the formation of LSS was the result.

Harold was elected the LSS Chair by his fellow board members and remained in that role, being re-elected each year until

he resigned in September of 2022 due to health issues.

He provided a calm, steady hand to the LSS Board of Directors and successfully kept the focus on the betterment of LSS. His ability to include all points of view in the conversation and reach successful conclusions was honed over his long career as an advocate for the beef industry.

Many well-deserved accolades have been given to him since his passing. His contributions to the industry, including those to Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association and many other organizations and individuals with whom he has worked

over the years, will not soon be forgotten.

His wife Sylvia and family will remember the dedication and tireless efforts he gave to the industry, and I am grateful for the support they gave him as he shared his talents with LSS.

His legacy of leadership and passion for our industry will be missed.

Photo by Wayne

A Report from Garner Deobald President, Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association

and oversight being some of the most significant.

The federal regulation to turn raw food products into energy is a great example — i.e., corn for ethanol requirements in United States and the push to use canola for biofuels here in Canada. Mandating programs like these has an immediate inflationary impact on food costs across the board. Implementing agendas like these not only affects food pricing for consumers, but also has a huge impact on national agriculture policy.

Through conversations with a number of producers, I have come to understand that some folks feel it’s unfortunate that we need government-sponsored programs to progress as a segment of the ag industry — they feel that some of these programs have the potential to distort reality and the state of the industry.

It’s also unfortunate that, as soon as tax payer funds are made available for some industry members, it’s almost impossible to compete with those industry members unless incentives are provided to everyone.

Fortunately, after an early start to winter, we have had reasonably good weather for the first two months of 2023, which has been helpful in stretching out the feed supply. Hopefully, it will make it easier for everyone to have green grass. No doubt, we will see weather-related challenges through late winter and into the spring months like every other year.

Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency is predicting below-normal runoff in the southwest — the area that desperately needs a water recharge to bring conditions back to a productive position. For the most part, the remainder of the province is expecting a nearnormal runoff year, which we all know can change overnight.

There is optimism in the air... and with good reason!

The markets are responding to the fundamental supply and demand relationship, and all things point to a strong year in 2023. Continued food inflation may temper demand at some point; so, there is a ceiling on the upside. However, I believe the market dynamics will provide a more equitable divide of the consumer dollar, returning the cow-calf producer to profitability.

The cost of food has to be concerning for many, and has been on my mind through the past few months. There are many factors that influence the cost of food with government policy, guidelines

Whenever a new program is applied, it will effectively choose primary producers that are either winners or losers. My point in all of this is that federal government directives and laws put in place to help are not always a net-benefit, which would be true for a myriad of government programs.

Another example is the federal government carbon tax scheme, which is growing and continues to burden consumers with higher food prices. Next on the radar is the federal government’s 30 per cent total fertilizer emissions reduction target. Where will it end?

Through the winter months, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in a number of workshops, webinars and meetings (in an attempt to stay current with production practices and more government programs setup for ranchers and farmers). As everyone knows, there’s no shortage of opportunities to learn about the next best thing (i.e., technology, gadget, program and/or initiative), that’s here to help us.

Learning about new technologies and production practices is a must.

In today’s environment, it is critical to be up to speed on the available programs that may be of benefit for our ranches and farms. Here again, it’s not a “one size fits all” model. We do have to sift through the numerous programs and program providers to find what might work for our operations.

The obvious dilemma is that these programs aren’t free; in most cases, there is a cost for all of us as tax payers.

With that in mind, since our taxes are paying various organizations to be responsible for the delivery of a number of programs, it is our responsibility to participate in these programs — which means attending webinars, seminars and workshops is necessary — to become informed and to stay informed.

If you have ideas or suggestions of how we can make improvements or advocate for our industry, we’d love to hear from you. Heads up! It is that time of year again when we hold zone meetings across the province. Please remember that we warmly welcome your thoughts and greatly appreciate your participation. We definitely encourage everyone to attend.

In closing, I want to thank the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) Board of Directors, General Manager Chad MacPherson and staff for their continued hard work.

I would also like to thank SSGA members for their continued support; and, if you’re not a member yet, please consider joining this great organization by purchasing a membership.

Until next time…

Garner Deobald

President Garner Deobald Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association

Looking back. Thinking forward. Driving innovation.

For over 50 years , Merck Animal Health’s commitment to vaccine research and development has helped pave the road to healthier Canadian cattle.

Our major contributions include:

Nasalgen® IP

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Bovilis® Guardian®

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Vista®

2006 – First bovine respiratory disease (BRD) vaccine to offer bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) Type 2 protection

Once PMH® IN 2014 – First intranasal vaccine offering dual bacterial pneumonia protection

Bovilis® Nasalgen® 3-PMH

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Vision® 8 Somnus with SPUR®

DUAL clostridial and histophilussomni(haemophilussomnus) coverage in a unique low-volume 2-mL vaccine with advanced antigen delivery.

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• Advanced antigen delivery system with patented SPUR® technology helps induce immune response.

• Low-volume 2-mL SQ administration was shown to result in fewer and less severe injection-site reactions (vs. higher-volume 5-mL clostridial vaccines).4

Talk to your veterinarian about using BOVILIS® vaccines in your vaccination protocol. Always read and follow the label instructions to ensure these products are suitable for the animals to be vaccinated. Vaccination may not protect every animal that gets vaccinated.

1. Gerdts V, Muywiri GK, Tikoo SK, and Babiuk LA. Mucosal delivery of vaccines in domestic animals. Vet. Res. (2006) 37:487-510 DOI: 10.1051/vetres:2006012. Available at: https://www.vetres.org/articles/vetres/pdf/2006/03/v6030.pdf (Accessed December 2020).

2. Gagea MI, Bateman KG, et al. Diseases and pathogens associated with mortality in Ontario beef feedlots. J Vet Diagn Invest (2006) 18: 18-28. Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/104063870601800104 (Accessed January 2023).

3. Francoz D, Buczinski S, et al. Identification and determination of the antimicrobial susceptibility of the main respiratory pathogens isolated from calves in dairy herds with respiratory diseases in Québec. The AABP Proceedings (September 2013) Vol. 46.

4. George MH. Injection site lesions in carcasses of cattle receiving injections at branding and weaning. Journal of Animal Science (1995) 73: 3235-3240. BOVILIS®, GUARDIAN®, SPUR®, VISION®

are registered trademarks of Intervet International B.V. Used under license.

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* Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBR), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), parainfluenza 3 virus (PI3), Mannheimiahaemolytica and Pasteurellamultocida

SSGA Board Director Profile: Darcy Moen, Zone 7 Chair

Kori Maki-Adair

After a career of ranching commercial cattle near Lacadena, Darcy Moen is now enjoying semi-retirement with his wife Wilma at a resort in Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park north of Lake Diefenbaker in Kyle — a little more than 70 kilometres north of Swift Current. 200 kilometres southwest of Saskatoon and 320 kilometres west of Regina — whichever makes most sense to you.

The area is known for its rich farm land, made up of natural prairie grassland and hills speckled with wildflowers and blooming cacti in the growing season.

“It’s where my wife wanted to retire. We’re only 16 kilometres away from our cattle operation. There are only 50 houses here, so it’s quiet and nice. We really like it,” Darcy said to open our conversation.

The Moen duo has two happily married sons and four grandchildren. One son divides his work schedule between the cattle business and oil field. The other has found a livelihood in potash.

As for Darcy Moen himself, his semiretirement involves running cattle in the summer.

“I thought I was ready to retire, so I sold half of my inventory. I have been running cattle since I was 16 years old — mostly cow-calf. These days, I have 50 replacement heifers at a feedlot and keep 60 cows at home. The cattle market is supposed to be good for the next few years, so we’re still in it. I was always too busy for Stock Growers, but with a smaller herd, I have more time now,” he said.

Semi-retirement was a difficult decision for Moen. He loves working with animals, the land and the livestock industry, so after a year, he added to his herd numbers.

Some producers say ranching is a healthy addiction that may be curbed by outside forces, only.

“It’s the fourth year of drought for us, which means we have limited water and grass. Across the province, the drought-stricken area is getting smaller. However, south of Rosetown straight to the border is still fairly dry. The community pastures have been reduced by 40 per cent, mostly due to lack of water.

“All private leases have been cut back, close to one-third in many places. Most folks are sending cattle out to be fed. There is some green feed, but very limited hay crops. Everyone is in the same situation around here. We’re waiting to see what happens,” he added with the steady beat of a true rancher’s heart.

After running 350 cows on his own, Moen’s legacy continues. In addition to his son who has cattle operation in the Lacadena area, Moen also has a grandson studying ag business in Vermilion.

“My grandson is one of the cow bosses. It’s the first time they’ve taken one so early in his specific academic program. It makes sense because he’s had cows since he was eight years old. There aren’t too many folks coming up in the next generation, so I’m pleased he’s finding his way,” Moen added with the gentle pride of a cowboy’s grandfather.

Moen is aware of the challenges that up and comers now face.

“There is a shortage of large animal vets. Increased inputs affect profitability, so it’s hard to entice young people to enter into the business. The price of parts and repair

bills alone have doubled since 2020,” he said.

Though he had a membership over the years, last fall was the first time Moen became involved in Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) board politics and industry advocacy. Now, after a couple of video conferences and one in-person meeting, Moen has joined forces with his fellow directors and zone chairs to help the government understand what’s really going on in the field.

“I think it’s pretty tough to find a large animal vet, so we’re working on that with Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association. Client-vet relationships are key to success in the cattle business. I’d like to focus my time and efforts on extending our support to them, on behalf of industry and SSGA’s board,” he confirmed.

Darcy and Wilma Moen Kyle, Saskatchewan

Moen says the advantage of SSGA membership is the opportunity to inform and support SSGA’s board as they work together to promote the livestock industry, from within the livestock industry.

“As board members, it’s our job to ensure people make a decent living in the ag business. There are a lot of things outside of our control, but we do our best. It’s why I got involved again,” he said.

He likes being part of things that can be influenced , including public opinion, government programs, the current and next generation of producers.

Moving forward, Moen would like more opportunities to connect with Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture to help them gain a better understanding

of what’s going on in the areas with continued drought.

“Though some producers have improved water, soil and grass conditions, some of us are still in a tough position. Thankfully, Agri-Recovery’s $200 per cow really helped people pay their feed bills last year. However, Agri-Stability could be improved for the cow business, so we’ll need to work on that for producers running fewer than 350 cows,” he said.

Moen says he likes the calf insurance program, especially for young producers. “It puts a floor price on your cattle, which is helpful. I would like to see a better uptake and investment in it to keep it going,” he added.

When asked to provide three words to describe his approach to life, family and

business, he laughed and said, “I used to work seven days a week. Now, I know we need to have a balance amongst all three to bring more joy and fulfillment into our lives.”

Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association is pleased to have Darcy Moen on its board of directors as Zone 7 Chair.

By focusing on advocacy projects that are designed to re-seed industry-government conversations with real-life solutions, alongside his colleagues on SSGA’s leadership team, Darcy is already helping to address the challenges that producers are experiencing across the province right now.

SSGF Celebrates Two Leaders

Kori Maki-Adair

Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation (SSGF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Brant Kirychuk to the position of general manager, succeeding Wayne Hellquist on February 26, 2023.

“On behalf of the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation Board of Directors, I would like to welcome Brant Kirychuk to our team. We look forward to working with him,” said Ray McDougald, SSGF Board Chair.

Brant Kirychuk’s appointment coincides with the upcoming retirement of Wayne Hellquist, whom led SSGF as general manager since the end of the first year, after the organization was established in 2020.

Facts only, on paper, it’s obvious that Kirychuk’s entire career has prepared him for his new role.

He has earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture majoring in Agronomy from University of Saskatchewan and a Master of Agriculture in Range and Forage Management from University of Alberta.

He has dedicated the majority of his career to Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture and Agriculture and AgriFood Canada in roles that focused on Crown land administration, range and forage extension as well as rangeland, riparian, biodiversity and conservation programming.

Most recently, Kirychuk served six years at Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment as the Executive Director, Fish, Wildlife and

Lands Branch.

“I have had the opportunity to contribute to a variety of international development projects related to rangeland management, sustainable agriculture and agriculture extension in Ukraine, China, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan,” Kirychuk said, “and I feel quite fortunate to have found this opportunity with SSGF that calls for my specific range land conservation experience.”

In addition to running the day-to-day business operations, in conjunction with SSGF’s program manager Tom Harrison and assistant managers Mindy Hockley and Marika Sherman, Kirychuk will be focusing his attention on implementing SSGF’s strategic plan, including the development of a policy suite in the near term.

Kirychuk says he feels well-heeled for these responsibilities because “Wayne and SSGF’s board of directors have already done the heavy lifting to ensure the organization’s structure, key stakeholders and funding are in place.”

Kirychuk affirms that, after becoming fully operational, his performance goals will be to gain momentum with conservation easements and conservation agreements; explore other conservation tools; broaden the landscape to areas outside the southwest portion of the province; have an impact on government policy; and build awareness of and comfort with conservation easements and agreements amongst members of the public and ranchers.

Through one-on-one discussions with Kirychuk , it’s clear that his interpersonal skills will support him to build and maintain collaborative working relationships.

“I want SSGF to be viewed as a trusted partner and conservation organization to industry and government,” he said.

When asked to provide three words to describe his approach to his new role, he replied without delay: “Collaboration, conservation and respect.”B

Brant Kirychuk General Manager Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation Pilot Butte, Saskatchewan

Canadian Cattle Association Update

Nathan Phinney

time as CCA President and share a few key highlights of the work undertaken by CCA in 2022.

CCA’s 90th Anniversary

Don’t Label My Beef

Nathan Phinney President, Canadian Cattle Association

Last year ended on a very difficult note. The Canadian cattle community lost a tremendous leader, mentor, and friend with the sudden passing of Reg Schellenberg, President of Canadian Cattle Association (CCA).

Reg’s leadership and passion for our industry will be missed around the board table and at industry meetings and events. He cared about and worked hard for the betterment of our industry. His goal was to leave a vibrant industry for the generations to come. His legacy and contributions will be felt for many years.

I never imagined that this is how I would become CCA President. But, I share the same passion as Reg for our cattle industry and it is an honour for me to lead an organization with such a strong and rich history. It’s important to me and our entire board that we move forward on the important work that CCA undertakes on behalf of cattle producers across Canada. We will be a strong voice on the issues that matter the most. Our board members and staff are committed to making positive things happen for our industry.

I am pleased to report to you for the first

This year marks CCA’s 90th anniversary and I am proud of our organization’s rich history. It is important for us to look at our past successes and how we overcame past challenges to guide our industry to new heights. To commemorate this milestone, CCA created a series of vignettes highlighting the defining milestones of our organization and industry.

Adverse Weather

The impacts of adverse weather — drought to flooding to Hurricane Fiona — remain top of mind at CCA. To help with decision-making during urgent times of need, CCA continues to advocate for producers to have the ability to self-elect rather than rely on a geographic determination to access the Livestock Tax Deferral provision. In addition, we are requesting an amendment to the definition of “breeding animals,” cited in the Act, so it includes all classes of cattle and not just the breeding herd.

CCA’s work on forage insurance continues through our involvement in the Industry-Government Forage Insurance Task Team . The team, made up of representatives from provincial crop insurance agencies, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the beef, dairy and forage sectors, is working to improve the uptake of forage insurance. The Task Team is chaired by CCA’s Ryder Lee, with Lynn Grant representing the interests of Saskatchewan cattle producers. The team will report its findings in early 2023.

This past spring, it was all hands on deck at CCA when it came to engaging Members of Parliament (MP), Senators, officials at Health Canada, and consumers on the proposed regulatory change that would have seen a warning label for saturated fat placed on ground beef.

This successful outcome was made possible with the help of our provincial member associations, who shared our industry’s collective concerns with provincial government officials, as well as with local and regional media outlets. We are also humbled by the strong support that we received from Canadians, who sent thousands of letters to MPs across the country. In the process, we established an important connection on the nutritional value of beef in kitchens from coast to coast to coast. This initiative was truly a #teambeef effort and a win for the entire industry!

CCA’s New Brand is Here

In early July, CCA was proud to launch its new brand as the Canadian Cattle Association, paying tribute to our past, while looking ahead to the future. Our new logo is inspired by the key elements of importance to our organization: Our country, our cattle, and our environment.

The new brand will help open new opportunities to continue to tell our

industry’s positive story when it comes to our environment, our economy and our future as a country.

Trade Updates

$1,044 CDN per animal through selling in international markets. As of June 2022, total beef and live cattle exports have reached $3 billion CDN. We continue to see increased growth in Japan, South Korea and southeast Asia markets. Our staff is engaged in the ongoing free trade negotiations with United Kingdom, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Indonesia.

region on preventing and resolving non-tariff barriers proactively and quickly.

You can count on us to be at the table representing your interests and ensuring the best outcome possible for cattle producers across Canada, whether it is at home or on the international stage.

Sincerely,

International trade continues to be a key factor in our industry’s success. The year 2021 was the sixth year in a row of hitting export values. In 2021, producers gained

The announcement of the Indo-Pacific Strategy in November was good news for the Canadian beef industry. It prioritizes trade and agriculture, and included key recommendations shared by CCA. CCA looks forward to participating in Minister-led trade missions with the goal of facilitating long-term trade and investment opportunities and working with the new agricultural office in the

Nathan Phinney  President Canadian Cattle Association

Saskatchewan Charolais Association Update

Jordan Moore

rewarding to us, the breeders, to see our customers have such great success in the sale rings.

at Canadian Western Agribition.

On behalf of the Saskatchewan Charolais Association Board of Directors, I am pleased to provide an update on our activities over the past year.

We started 2022 off with a very strong bull sale season — thanks to the many commercial cattle producers for your confidence and trust in the great Charolais breed. We have seen the Char-cross calves continue to demand top dollar through the market this past year. It’s very

We try to keep engaged with our breeders, commercial producers and Charolais enthusiasts through our website at skcharolais.ca and our Facebook page. We have a new breeder directory available to help producers find seedstock producers in their area. The directory is available in print as well on our website, so be sure to watch for it at your local auction mart or check it out online.

As a board, we put a lot of focus on youth shows and youth exhibiting Charolaisinfluenced 4-H projects. This past year, we gave out 80 gift cards to 4-H members that exhibited a Charolais-influenced animal. Within that initiative, there were 11 Charolais-influenced regional 4-H show winners to whom SCA presented awards

We also sponsored other events such as Canadian Charolais Youth Association, Kennedy Youth Jackpot Show, Young Ranchman’s, University of Saskatchewan Judging Team, University of Saskatchewan Beef Team, Claybank Bricks & Junior Beef Show, Mukk Boots or Mittens Jackpot Show, Saskatoon Beef Expo and the Canadian Junior Beef Extreme.

If you know of any 4-H members exhibiting Charolais-influenced projects, be sure to get the club leaders to reach out to our board. The information is also in the 4-H guide that is available for all the clubs. We place a lot of emphasis on sponsoring youth shows. If there are any upcoming shows this spring, please reach out to us with the sponsorship opportunities.

Canadian Western Agribition was a great time had by all. Our Charolais entries were up this year as well may new exhibitors. Congratulations to the following:

• Purebred Breeder of the Year was awarded to Serhienko Cattle Company, Dennis, Lisa and family, Maymont, Saskatchewan

• Commercial Breeder of the Year was awarded to Haus Farms, Glenavon, Saskatchewan

• Saskatchewan Charolais Association Scholarships were awarded to Hayley Rosso and Justin Harcourt

Canadian Western Agribition Supreme Champion Bull SVY Mayfield 30H owned by Cays Cattle Company and Serhienko Cattle Company.

Saskatchewan Charolais Association also sponsored the Commercial Cattlemen’s mixer event on Friday evening at

Agribition. It continues to be a very well-received event and we are happy to be a part of it. A couple other events we are happy to have sponsored in 2022 were Edam Fall Fair and the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence Field Day in Clavet, Saskatchewan.

This past year, we hosted the Saskatchewan Charolais Assocation Annual General Meeting in June at the Dakota Dunes Resort in Whitecap, Saskatchewan. There was a golf tournament followed by our Annual General Meeting, appetizers and socializing before supper, then the Sask Royal Sale. The weekend was a huge success with a great crowd. We look forward to hosting Charolais enthusiasts again this year at Dakota Dunes Resort on June 15, 2023.

At our Annual General Meeting, we also announced Jerome Canfield of Paradise Hill, Saskatchewan, as the winner of

our first $2,000 bull buyer sales credit. Please note, this credit is open to all producers that purchase a bull from any Saskatchewan Charolais member — either though sale or private treaty. Once the registration paper is transferred, the buyer is entered to win the $2,000 credit towards a bull purchase in 2024. Please feel free to contact any of our board members for more information.

Thank you to all the cattle producers that chose Charolais bulls and females this past year. We look forward to continuing to supply you with top quality Charolais cattle.

Sincerely,

Jordan Moore President Saskatchewan Charolais Association

Saskatchewan Angus Association Update

Chad Hollinger

General Manager Belinda Wagner at 306-537-1518

If you need to send mail by post to us, please send it in care of 292140 Wagon Wheel Blvd., Rocky View County, Alberta, T4N 0E0

Saskatchewan and Alberta.

One of our biggest events for the Saskatchewan Angus Association is always the Angus Show at Canadian Western Agribition. Numbers were up in 2022, and the quality was deep throughout the barn.

Our Saskatchewan Angus Association (SAA) AGM was held January 19, 2023, via Zoom and it was well attended. Representative reports were given; Chief Executive Officer Myles Immerkar presented the Canadian Angus Association report, Jessica Davey presented the Saskatchewan Junior Angus report, Garner Deobald presented the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association report and the committee chairman highlighted our activities over the last year.

If you are interested in reading more the complete SAA Annual Report, it is posted on our website at cdnangus.ca/ saskatchewan-angus-association.

Nominations were held during the meeting to fill board member positions and we are very pleased to have returning directors Adrian Jungman, Marlene Monvoisin and Randy Tetzlaff serving new three-year terms as well as Michelle Potapinski serving out her term as PastPresident. A Canadian director position also needed to be filled for June and we are pleased to have Darren Ippolito stepping up to replace Sheldon Kyle.

Thank you to everyone that participated in our member survey and everyone that is assisting with developing our new strategic plan. We look forward to building on past programming and moving into the future with a renewed strategy.

You may have noticed that we no longer share the office in Regina, nor have the office phone number; both changes were due to Saskatchewan Livestock Association being dissolved. Please note, you may still contact us via email at office@saskatchewanangus.com and call or text Saskatchewan Angus Association

We would like to acknowledge the Saskatchewan Livestock Association Board of Directors and thank them for providing a sponsorship to us, which we made use of to send a large contingent of our Saskatchewan Juniors to the 2023 Canadian Junior Angus GOAL Conference in Toronto last month, and will use to assist in showcasing our great Saskatchewan hospitality at the upcoming Canadian Angus Convention from June 8-10, 2023, in Saskatoon.

Saskatchewan Angus Association was proud to be part of two very successful fall female sales.

First up was the Masterpiece Sale, managed by Castlerock Marketing. It was transformed back to a live, in-person sale hosted by Gold Bar Livestock on October 21, 2022. The sale was hugely successful and there was a large crowd that gathered for the evening event.

The second sale was the All Star Angus Sale hosted at Canadian Western Agribition and managed by the team at T Bar C Cattle Co. This sale garnered a huge crowd and was held the evening of December 2, 2022.

On behalf of Saskatchewan Angus Association, we would like to thank and congratulate the sales staff and all the consignors for hosting such outstanding events. It is great to see our industry move forward with such momentum and excitement.

Our Gold and Junior Show in Lloydminster was hosted once again at Stockade Roundup. Numbers were down in the Show; however, once again, there was excellent quality and participation from exhibitors — locally and across

Many thanks to everyone who exhibited and attended these events as well as all of our sponsors. We also want to say a special thanks to everyone who volunteered at the shows. It really does take a great community to pull these events together — from processing to marshalling, judging, being a ringman or announcer, assisting with prize presentations, and everything in between. We really appreciate each and every one of our volunteers and supporters.

The SAA sponsors youth shows and 4-H programming each year and we encourage 4-H leaders to contact us to obtain gifts for all members showing Angus-influence animals at the club level and with any regional show winners who will receive Angus Champion swag.

We are planning our next Breeder Information Session for April 23, 2023, at the Glen at Crossmount in Saskatoon as a run-up to the Canadian Angus Association Convention. Stay tuned to our Facebook page and the website for more details coming soon.

The 2023 Summer Tour is booked for the East Central area August 9-10, 2023 — all are welcome to attend! Watch for more on social media as planning comes together. You can follow the tour group Facebook page at East Central Saskatchewan Angus Tour as well as our Saskatchewan Angus page.

We look forward to the coming spring and summer events! We wish you all the best with calving and bull sales.

Chad Hollinger President Saskatchewan Angus Association

Saskatchewan Hereford Association

Sarah Hordos fellowship. The demand for Baldy calves continues and the maternal strength and efficiency of Hereford and Hereford-cross females is second to none.

Hello from Saskatchewan Hereford Association. Welcome to 2023!

A busy new year and some pleasant temperatures are welcomed by anyone calving at this time of year, I am sure!

Saskatchewan Hereford Association spent 2022 getting back on track after a couple years of pandemic.

Our Board members and executive team are as follows:

President: James Hordos, Raymore, SK Vice President: Jeremy Brooks, Alameda, SK Administrative Coordinator: Sarah Hordos, Raymore, SK

Canadian Hereford Board of Directors representing the province of Saskatchewan:

Rob O’Connor, Vibank, SK

Lexi Girodat, Gull Lake, SK

Stephen Myer, Maidstone, SK

Kristina Just, Yorkton, SK

Jillian Just, Yorkton, SK

Logan Martinson, Midale, SK

Roger Procyk, Fillmore, SK

Julie Mortenson, Nokomis, SK

Chad Nicholas, Milestone, SK

Lance Leachman, Maidstone, SK

Howard Crittenden, Imperial, SK

There was a strong demand for Hereford bulls in the spring of 2022 as sales were well-attended and back to normal capacity. Breeders welcomed customers and friends to sales with excellent hospitality and

We appreciate the trust in Hereford from commercial cattleman across the province and hope that breeders can continue to fit bulls within your programs to fit your individual needs and meet your goals.

Saskatchewan Junior Hereford Association was able to host Beef-A-Rama in Fillmore in July 2022. Beef-A-Rama is a junior event where our junior members showcase their Hereford projects and compete in events like grooming, judging and showmanship.

We had an outdoor location at Ag In Motion with live cattle on display. Board members were present throughout the show and visited with many show attendees and international delegates.

We have two active Hereford zones in the province that host a field day every August. The North West Hereford Zone hosted their field day in Turtleford, Saskatchewan. The show was judged by Mike Jahnke of Morse, Saskatchewan. Honour Roll Inductees were presented at the show to Wayne Hanson and the O’Donnell family — both from Unity, Saskatchewan — for their contributions to the local cattle business and contributions to the Hereford breed. Congratulations to you all!

The South East Hereford Zone field day was held at Brooks Farms near Alameda, Saskatchewan. More than 80 head were entered in the pen show that was judged by a panel of three local cattlemen: Colten Brokenshire, Kevin Stocki and Kevin Taylor.

With Canadian Western Agribition back in 2022, it was an excellent opportunity

to get together with friends and fellow cattlemen that you sometimes only see at Agribition. The quality of the cattle in the show ring was as high as it has ever been, resulting in some very tough splits for judges Hampton Cornelius of LaSalle, Colorado, and Nathan Frost of Tallulah, Illinois.

During the show at Agribition, SHA honoured retiring board members Corey Lees and Lyal Heidecker for their years of service and commitment to SHA’s board of directors. SHA sends a special congratulations to Haroldson’s Polled Herefords of Wawota, Manchester Polled Herefords of Senlac, ANL Polled Herefords of Steelman, and Arthur Polled Herefords of Alida, Saskatchewan, for qualifying for the RBC Breed Supreme and representing Saskatchewan Herefords well!

SHA’s board has been hard at work, in the first quarter of 2023, to develop some new programs to engage SHA membership and continue to promote the Hereford breed in Saskatchewan. The overarching goal is to bring focus to the commercial side of the business and give back to our youth and junior members with some new programs to support young Hereford enthusiasts.

For the most up to date information, follow us on Facebook and Twitter and check out our website at www.saskhereford.com

Thank you,

Sarah Hordos Administrative Coordinator Saskatchewan Hereford Association

Man Sask Gelbvieh Association Update

Cynthia Wirgau

Yorkton, Ogema Classic, Manitoba Youth Beef Roundup, Swift Current and the Junior Show in Stettler, Alberta. Tokens were mailed out to 28 4-H members.

The year 2022 was busy for Man Sask Gelbvieh members as we saw a return to normal activity across the two provinces. We were privileged to have Overby Stock Farms host the 2022 Field Day at their ranch near Ste Rose du Lac, Manitoba. The day was filed with pasture tours, a crop tour and a great supper.

The Man Sask Gelbvieh Association sponsored a variety of junior shows throughout the year, including Saskatoon,

The National Show and Sale was held in Regina at Canadian Western Agribition. We saw 80 Gelbvieh and 11 Balancer with exhibitors from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Washington. The sale was held in conjunction with the 50th Gala.

Twenty-one head were entered in Manitoba Ag-Ex in Brandon, Manitoba. Thank you to all sponsors, volunteers and exhibitors that make these shows happen.

Our biggest fundraiser was our donation heifer. Thank you to Overby Stock Farms for donating this heifer. Your support is

greatly appreciated.

The Purebred Breeder of the Year Award was presented to JSJ Livestock, and the Commercial Breeder of the Year Award was presented to Lazy HJ Land & Cattle. Congratulations to both of you!

Thanks,

Cynthia Wirgau

Man Sask Gelbvieh Association

Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board Update

Entering 2022, we were experiencing an expansion of the provincial flock. Lamb prices were strong and even with the increased production costs, the economics were good. However, during the latter part of the year, the flock decreased in size due to continued feed availability challenges in parts of the province, escalating production costs and weakening lamb prices.

Even though the flock realized a small decrease in size, our production has stayed consistent due to an increase in the average number of lambs marketed per ewe, which is partially due to the introduction of more prolific breeds and the accelerated lamb production model.

Lamb production in the province is comprised of natural accelerated lambing, synchronized accelerated lambing, semi-confinement lambing and range grass-based lambing — with production spread throughout the province.  As of December 15, 2022, there were 779 producers registered with Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board, representing a breeding ewe flock of approximately 60,000 head.

The sheep industry has seen steady demand and good prices for several years. However, in the latter part of 2022, we saw a softening of prices, which was influenced by several factors: drought in parts of the province forced producers to sell earlier than expected; financial

Gord Schroeder

difficulties announced by North American Lamb Company (NALCO) in August and the resulting disbursement of lambs and breeding stock that impacted the market; and the uncertainty for the future of the federal processing plant at Innisfail, Alberta, which was owned by NALCO.

Fortunately, the processing plant has new owners and optimism has returned to the sheep industry. We anticipate strengthening lamb and breeding stock prices for 2023.

Research and development project highlights for 2022 include:

• The completion of the Ag Demonstration of Practices and Technology (ADOPT) Project — Ewe Synchronization and Induced Lambing Model Awareness and Demonstration;

• Year-two of the Agricultural Development Fund (ADF) Ram Evaluation Project, in collaboration with Dr. Dinesh Dadarwal from Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM); and

• Increased awareness and implementation of the GenOvis Genetic Evaluation Program.

Another key project in 2022 includes the expansion of the Saskatchewan sheep producer-owned Ewe Shoppe,

with the goal of creating availability and competitive prices for production supplies for the industry, in addition to promoting and selling sheep and wool value-added products.

A new initiative for 2023 will include an emphasis on targeted grazing activities. Sheep provide an environmentallyfriendly opportunity to control noxious weeds, brush and grass residues (reducing the fuel for fires) through grazing management services. The interest and demand for these services is expanding — our challenge is that we have more opportunities than shepherds to do the work.

This past year was a more challenging year for our producers; however, most of us consider this to be a shorter-term situation and remain optimistic about the industry. We continue to see good interest with new producers entering the lamb industry. Sheep are a viable alternative and active part of sustainable agriculture in Saskatchewan with tremendous opportunity for growth.

To learn more, visit SCIC.ca/LPI

Saskatchewan Shorthorn Association Update

Anna Wright

I can’t believe I’m writing a year-end report for 2022 already! Another year has come and gone, and here we are amidst another Saskatchewan winter. I hope everyone is keeping well and warm, and that chores and calving are going smoothly for all.

The Association has settled into routine nicely with our new executive, and with me taking over the secretary/treasurer position. I would like to extend a huge thank you to Saskatchewan Shorthorn Association (SSA) executive and membership for bearing with me as I get a handle on things in my new role.

My appreciation also goes out to Betty Wyatt. She has been invaluable during this transition. She is always there to provide support or answer questions when needed. We were very pleased to have her back as our barn boss at Canadian Western Agribition as well. A lot of work and behind the scenes action comes with that role, which she handles so well while treating everyone so kindly. Thank you, Betty!

There was another strong showing from Saskatchewan Shorthorn breeders this past fall at Canadian Western Agribition, which welcomed cattle from across Canada, once again. Our show numbers remained consistent (perhaps with a slight

increase), which was fantastic to see. Our annual banquet was very well attended, which made for a great evening for our industry.

Congratulations to our 2022 award recipients:

• Saskatchewan Shorthorn Association Honour of the Breed: Gerald and Grant Alexander, Horseshoe Creek Farms of Weyburn, Saskatchewan, and

• Saskatchewan Shorthorn Association Commercial Breeder: Albert Fendelet and family of Hafford, Saskatchewan.

Once again, sales within the province remained steady, with excellent cattle on offer across the board. In addition to our usual sale lineup, Horseshoe Creek Farms held a dispersal in conjunction with their annual Frozen In Time sale. With that in mind, we send our best wishes to the Alexander family in the next chapter of their lives.

Saskatchewan Shorthorn Association would also like to extend heartfelt thanks to Belinda Wagner for her many years of service in the Canadian Shorthorn Association office. We wish her all the best in her future endeavours! She will be

dearly missed. We warmly welcome Shayla Chappell into her new role in the office — she has been a superb registrar to date.

To conclude our update, we would like to address the future of our industry by celebrating the Saskatchewan juniors that attended and represented the breed very well at the Canadian Junior Shorthorn Association National Show in Collingwood, Ontario.

As always, it is really great to see the next generation of Shorthorn producers in good form.

Best wishes to all for 2023!

Anna Wright Secretary Treasurer Saskatchewan Shorthorn Association

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Saskatchewan Bison Association’s (SBA) Annual Convention and Cream of the Crop Show & Sale Annual General Meeting and Conference held in March 2022 were a great success, with everyone very happy to meet up again for some much-needed networking.

The event was held at the Gallagher Centre in Yorkton for the first time and it went very well, with great accommodations, food and an aquatic centre for the family to enjoy when they had a chance. The highlights of the convention were Whit Hibbard, who spoke about low stress bison handling, and a producer panel of some of the original members of SBA, which offered

Saskatchewan Bison Association Update

Carl Flis

some good insight on the past, present and future.

Manitoba Bison Association teamed up with SBA for the No Borders Show and Sale and there was an exceptional group of animals on offer. Judges Robert Johnson and Barry Haubrich had their work cut out for them to decide how to place the animals. Consignors came from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, with Silver Creek Bison taking top honours in the bull class and Shale Creek Bison taking top honours in the heifer class.

In July, SBA once again brought in Whit Hibbard for a full afternoon workshop on low stress bison handling, which was still

too short; however, it was a great kickoff for the International Bison Conference. There were 49 people in attendance to hear Whit speak and although some were skeptical of his techniques, most truly enjoyed it and went home with a new energy to try the techniques he presented.

Many have since implemented low stress handling techniques as a result, and although they still have much to learn, they are very happy with how low stress handling is working for them and will continue down this path in the future.

As the International Bison Conference wound down, we saw big changes in

the office, with Terry Kremeniuk retiring and Carl Flis moving into the executive director position. Terry will be missed, and we wish him all the best as he enjoys his retirement. After more than 20 years as executive director, Terry has left a big mark on the bison world.

It is great to see more bison meat on the shelves in Canadian retail stores and becoming more available to the public as a high-quality meat that can be purchased any time they would like. Thanks to the work of our marketers, both large and small scale, we are steadily becoming more of an everyday option for many consumers, either cooking at home or enjoying some fine dining in their favourite restaurant.

The year 2022 was not without its challenges as high feed, fuel, transport

and input costs combined with ongoing drought conditions in certain areas resulted in lower margins for every sector of the industry. Despite our struggles, there is cautious optimism for the future as the backlog of animals is getting closer to being sorted out, and in the meantime, we have a shrinking herd, due to the drought. Continued growth in consumer demand should result in stronger prices in the near future.

Saskatchewan Bison Association will be hosting its Cream of the Crop Show & Sale, Annual General Meeting and Convention in Yorkton, March 24-25, 2023. SBA will also be hosting a summer field day at Riverstone Bison near Tisdale, as Lonnie Bulmer and his family have graciously offered to host the event.

The field day will kick off June 23 with

a supper followed by entertainment; day-two will be filled with special guest speakers, pasture tours and equipment demonstrations. There will also be a camping area made available on the ranch.

SBA wishes for all livestock producers that the rain falls, the sun shines and the grass be greener on their side of the fence.

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In May 2022, Saskatchewan Goat Breeders Association (SGBA) concluded our goat health webinar series in partnership with Western College of Veterinary Medicine, which started in January 2022. The webinar recordings are still available for viewing and are a great resource for our goat producers. Please contact SGBA for registration details.

In August 2022, we held a doublesanctioned Canadian Goat Society dairy goat show in Prince Albert during their summer fair. It was an informative and fun event for the participants and spectators. Saskatchewan Goat Breeders Association extends a big thank you to the event’s judges Ian Clark and Lorraine Keeping.

In November 2022, National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) released the updated Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Goats. Though SGBA will have printed copies available soon, goat producers can access this fantastic resource on the NFACC website at www.nfacc.ca

In January 2023, SGBA started

Saskatchewan Goat Breeders Association Update

presenting our updated sessions for the Saskatchewan Goat Industry Biosecurity and Animal Welfare training, which is a requirement for goat producers that wish to access funding through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. If you would like to attend, SGBA will be presenting another set of these sessions before the end of March 2023. We are looking forward to an update on the funding for this program in the spring, in hopes that it will continue. It is important to note, regardless of the funding news, SGBA will continue to offer this informative training program to goat producers.

Saskatchewan Goat Breeders Association continues to be committed to producer education. We are hoping to host an inperson education event this summer, and so planning will continue this spring. In the meantime, SGBA has a couple webinars in the works for spring and early summer 2023 with a special guest speaker from United States. SGBA will release the details as soon as the booking is confirmed.

SGBA also has plans for other educational

resources for our members, and hopes to spread awareness on important topics such as diseases impacting the goat industry. SGBA is working on an update to our website with another service provider to offer better access to our news and resources. In other online news, we expect to release the first 2023 quarterly SGBA Prairie Goats newsletter by email to our members by the end of March 2023.

SGBA’s board of directors continues to be a voice for Saskatchewan goat producers in any way we can. We do our best to support the goat industry.

This year, SGBA has already been attending veterinary workforce shortage meetings as representatives of the goat and livestock industries; and hosted a meeting with an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada representative in attendance. This federal government representative will be helping to share SGBA’s voice on issues facing our industry, and to work towards solutions over time.

We are currently planning our 2023 goat show, so please watch for SGBA announcements that will provide the dates and location.

WARM INVITATION: If you are interested in a leadership position and wish to learn more about volunteer opportunities, please contact SGBA by email at saskgoatbreedersassoc@outlook.com or visit our Facebook page.

We are currently in the need of more board representatives so we can continue to do our important work. As a volunteerrun, non-profit organization, SGBA relies on the hard work of our volunteers to keep us operating smoothly.

We love to hear from our producers, so please feel free to contact us anytime!

Accredited by American Association of Veterinarian Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD); Standards Council of Canada, and CFIA for specific tests.

In Memoriam: Harold Martens

Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) was saddened to learn of the passing of Harold Martens on January 8, 2023.

Harold was a rancher, visionary, and advocate for the agriculture industry. He served his community with his personal generosity and through many organizations, including as an SSGA board member. He also served as SSGA President from 2011 to 2014.

“Harold worked hard for the organization and brought a ton of value to the role of president,” said current SSGA President Garner Deobald.

“He was a big supporter and an advocate for agriculture in Saskatchewan,” Deobald added. “When there was something to be done or if someone needed a hand, Harold always pitched in. His years in municipal politics and in the Saskatchewan legislature were driven

by his desire to serve people.”

Harold was a councillor, and later, reeve of the rural municipality of Saskatchewan Landing. He was elected to the provincial legislature in 1982 representing the riding of Morse; he was Associate Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food in the Grant Devine government; and Deputy Leader of the Opposition and finance critic after 1991.

Retiring from provincial politics in 1995, Harold served as reeve of the rural municipality of Excelsior before moving to Swift Current.

In addition to SSGA, Harold gave his time and energy to South Saskatchewan River Watershed Stewards, Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, and Brand Inspection Services Advisory Committee.

“Harold was an important builder and contributed enormously to our organization,” Deobald said. “He will be missed by our members and by everyone who benefited from his generosity and tireless efforts.

“We offer our deep sympathy to Sylvia, Tony, Chad and Joe, and to all of Harold’s family and friends.” B

Harold Martens September 8, 1941 ~ January 8, 2023

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SSGA Semi-Annual General Meeting Resolutions

Resolution #1

WHEREAS Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a significant threat to the Canadian livestock industry,

BE IT RESOLVED that Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) lobby the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan to fully fund the FMD vaccine bank.

Resolution #2

WHEREAS paper record management and data entry comes at significant financial cost; and

WHEREAS advancements in technology provide opportunities to eliminate these administrative costs; and

WHEREAS the Humane Transport Regulations and pending Animal Movement Regulations will significantly increase the requirements for producers to create and maintain documentation regarding the transport and movement of animals; and

WHEREAS the Humane Transport Regulations contemplate the creation and maintenance of documentation that supports transfer of care and chain of custody requirements,

BE IT RESOLVED that SSGA lobby the federal and provincial governments to fund the development of an electronic livestock manifest that will meet the requirements of the federal and provincial regulations.

Resolution #3

WHEREAS the cost of borrowing money is increasing; and

WHEREAS producers are eligible to borrow up to $250,000 interest-free through the Advanced Payments Program (APP); and

WHEREAS not all APP delivery agencies recognize the Livestock Price Insurance (LPI) as a financial backstop, BE IT RESOLVED that SSGA lobby the APP delivery agencies to recognize LPI as an accepted financial backstop.

Celebrating 25 Years of Grassland Conservation

This article is part of a series celebrating 25 years of prairie conservation through the Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan (SK PCAP). Watch upcoming issues of Beef Business Magazine for additional features.

Through changes in policies and programs, weather extremes, and market fluctuations, Saskatchewan’s remaining prairie grasslands have stood the test of time. For the past 25 years, the SK PCAP Partnership has also endured, making an important mark on the province’s prairie conservation landscape.

The concept of a multi-stakeholder partner group was first introduced in the mid-1990s with the launch of World Wildlife Fund’s Canadian Prairie Conservation Action Plan.

“[The first plan] was full of a lot of wishes with no action,” says Miles Anderson, a Fir Mountain rancher and first PCAP chair. After that initiative fell flat, an ad-hoc committee went back to the drawing board, and as a result, Saskatchewan Stock Growers was approached to kickstart the budding conservation group.

Anderson emphasizes that it was important to ensure native prairie was, and still is, conserved as a grazing resource, “There was no other way to protect prairie more than that, and it still holds,” he said.

Chris Nykoluk was the original manager.

“By the time they hired me, PCAP had already formed as a group,” she said. “It was like taking their goals and objectives and trying to make something real out of it, move it past the hypothetical stage,” she explained.

“It was a team effort,” said Anderson, who is quick to credit Nykoluk and Lesley Hall, both of whom worked for SK PCAP at the time. “You couldn’t hardly handpick a better set of folks to write this stuff up and make it so palatable,” he added.

Tara Mulhern Davidson

Diversity and Discussion

Similar to the biodiversity of grassland, assembling a SK PCAP Partnership with intricate, and sometimes inter-relationships was

“I think what sets SK PCAP from other environmental governmental organizations (ENGO) is that 25 years the founders knew how it was to work with native landowners and producers, as other stakeholders,” said Manager Carolyn Gaudet.

The Partnership originated with 16 core stakeholder groups, including agricultural producer groups, environmental organizations, federal and provincial government agencies.

“I really like the concept of PCAP bringing everyone together,” said Michael Burgess, a rancher from the Big Muddy and former chair. “I think PCAP bridged the gap. We realized we were all the same people with the same interest just looking at it from a different angle,” Burgess affirmed. “What I also liked about PCAP is that there are less politics there than almost anywhere,” he said.

“There was a need for PCAP and for these people to get into each other’s environment,” Nykoluk said. “People would love to get together and get to know each other, get in the same room and develop a relationship,” she said and added that in-person meetings created empathy among partner groups.

Over time, partners have come and gone, but today, SK PCAP has 34 partner organizations.

Current PCAP Chair Kelly Williamson says working with differing perspectives has value. “Because you have that quantity and diversity you are going to have a range of views,” he said. “The opportunity in that is getting that bigger picture,”

he said and added that it gives the organization a well-rounded approach.

A Catalyst for Collaboration

A lasting strength of SK PCAP has been its ability to bring groups together to work towards shared goals. While the prairie conservation community in Saskatchewan and beyond has shifted greatly over the past two decades, SK PCAP continues to adapt and be a key player at gathering stakeholders together for events, workshops — and most importantly, discussion.

“Collaboration between organizations and reducing duplication of projects — PCAP facilitated all of that,” said Michael Burgess. “A deep appreciation for the value of native prairie was common ground that everyone could agree on.”

Anderson’s recollection is practical. “Some people had money, and other people just had good ideas, so we leveraged some people’s money and some other people’s ideas to make things happen — and it worked very well. With 16 partner organizations that sat around the table, we could usually make it work,” he said. “You’d get four or five different groups working together on the same project and all PCAP did was make it happen.”

In 2001, SK PCAP was successful in being the first province to declare a provincial grass emblem, Needle-and-Thread Grass.

“Twenty-five years ago, we made the decision to produce hay for our forage source, rather than greenfeed. It’s been a great move for us.

Ducks Unlimited Canada’s Forage Program has provided us with financial support toward stand re-establishment while allowing us to continue to operate in the manor we are accustomed to. Committing our land to 10 years in grass is our way of playing some small part in the conservation of nature and wildlife.”

Ducks Unlimited Canada has programs for producers.

Contact your local DUC office or call 1-866-252-3825 to learn more about our Forage, Hay and Grazing Tenders, Conservation Easements, Fencing and Wetland Restoration programs.

Proud to be your conservation partner

– MANN FAMILY DUC FORAGE PROGRAM PARTNER SINCE 2017

At the inception of SK PCAP, the group created a five-year action plan that outlined goals and objectives. The tradition continues and a new five-year framework will be under development for 2024-2028.

Consensus-Based Conservation

A unique feature of SK PCAP is that it started as a consensus-based group,

provides the opportunity to hear and understand someone’s opinion on a subject that you may not have considered previously,” she continued. “That can inform you how to move forward in your own work.”

Over time, the Partnership has evolved to require near consensus, or 90 per cent agreement. This reduces the risk of a single Partner vetoing an idea that the

While other provinces started similar initiatives in the 1990s, very few, if any, persisted; although, there is a resurgence in partnership conservation.

“In recent years, there has been a lot of traction with grassland conservation. Large foundations are getting involved and financially supporting grassland conservation, or there are large groups of stakeholders throughout the Great

Lot

Crescent Creek Rainmaker 37K

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Bidding Open on Reverse Auction for Native Grassland Restoration

Mindy Hockley

Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation (SSGF) is pleased to announce bidding is now open on the Reverse Auction for Native Grassland Restoration!

Any Saskatchewan landowners interested in restoring previously-cultivated land back to native grassland can place a bid on what it would cost for conversion, and if successful, receive compensation.

One of the top focuses for this project is monitoring native grassland’s ability to store and sequester soil organic carbon; so, land with an increased potential to do so will be given special consideration.

Temperate grasslands are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world due to an increase of land conversion to annual cropping. They are also an important part of Saskatchewan’s historical landscape. Converting cultivated lands back to grasslands will increase overall environmental biodiversity by increasing native plant cover and providing important habitat for species at risk.

Restoring native grasslands that are in close proximity to existing grasslands also increases connectivity to reduce habitat fragmentation. This can determine the difference between species at risk being able to increase population or continue to decline. In addition to these benefits, grasslands are capable of storing and sequestering significant amounts of carbon.

In the Reverse Auction, the landowner is able to put a price on what it will cost them to restore land back to native grasslands and be maintained in perennial cover for a minimum of 30 years. SSGF will source and purchase the native seed blend while the landowner is responsible for all other costs including, but not limited to, land preparation and seeding, controlling invasive weeds, loss of profit

and changes in land value during and after restoration.

Landowners must carefully calculate bids to consider all costs associated with grassland restoration. SSGF will consult with all interested landowners to ensure bids are appropriate and answer any questions they may have. If the bid is successful, they can ultimately receive compensation for the restoration project.

To evaluate bids, SSGF will utilize an environmental benefits index (EBI) to score bids on the ecological impact of restoring the land in question. This, combined with the individual bids, will enable SSGF to determine a standardized price for grassland restoration projects and ensure efficient use of the project budget.

Reverse Auction Steps

1. Landowners contact SSGF and express interest in restoring cropland back to perennial cover using native species. Information needed includes land location and number of acres.

2. SSGF consults with landowners regarding the land of interest and goes over cost considerations for placing a bid.

3. Landowners place a bid to receive money for grassland restoration.

4. SSGF compares all bids to determine a standardized price for restoring crop land back to native grasslands.

5. Successful bidders are selected based on the standardized price created from the levels of all bids submitted and the level of individual bids compared to this price. SSGF contacts all landowners regarding the status of their bids.

6. Restoration starts: Landowners receive compensation to begin restoration projects.

SSGF will negotiate a legally-binding Habitat Restoration Agreement with successful bidders to ensure project success. Any other restrictions may be negotiated as part of the agreement — such as maintaining existing wetlands, and avoiding developing roads or yard sites within the restoration area and possible grazing deferments to safeguard establishment. These agreements are not tied to titles.

Monitoring will take place on all projects and communication will be forefront with landowners when any monitoring will need to take place. Multiple aspects will be monitored throughout the restoration, such as soil organic carbon, soil parameters like pH and texture, vegetation components, and the possibility for wildlife monitoring (if the land is habitat for species at risk).

Additional funding is available if a producer is interested in signing a Term Conservation Easement that is tied to the land title.

If you are interested in placing a bid, please contact SSGF by phone at 306-530-1385, email at communication@ssgf.ca or visit www.ssgf.ca. B

CALENDAR

March 15 Cedarlea Farms Bull Sale

March 15 Ayrey Herefords Bull Sale

March 21

March 23

Diamond W Charolais & Red Angus Bull Sale

Charolais Farms Bull Sale

March 24 Top Cut Black Angus Bull Sale

March 24 McTavish Farms Bull Sale

March 24-25

March 24-25

March 25

March 25

March 25

March 27

March 28

March 29

March 29

April 1

April 1

April 3

April 6

April 7

April 7

April 8

April 10

April 10

April 11

April 14

Cream of the Crop Bison Show & Sale

Saskatchewan Bison Association Annual General Meeting & Convention

Working Stiff’s Bull Sale

Borderland Cattle Co. and Dry Fork Cattle Co. Bull Sale

Manitoba Test Station Bull & Female Sale

Cockburn / Merit Bull Sale

MB

SK

SK

SK

SK

SK

SK

SK

MB

SK

Power for the Future Bull & Female Sale Foam Lake, SK

C2 Charolais Bull Sale

Riding for the Brand Fundraising Auction

APRIL

Crescent Creek Angus Bull & Female Sale

Burnett Black Angus Bull Sale

Your Choice Black Angus Bull Sale

South View Ranch Ranch Bull Sale

Northern Progress Bull Sale

Right Cross Ranch Bull Sale

Brimner Bull Sale

Young Dale Angus Bull & Female Sale

Moose Creek Red Angus Yearling Bull Sale

Young Dale Angus Bull & Female Sale

Beef Business May Issue Advertising Deadline

April 15 Short Grass Bull and Female Sale

June 8-10 Canadian Angus Association National Convention

East

SSGA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

THE EXECUTIVE

Garner Deobald President Hodgeville, SK Phone: 306- 677-7777

Jeff Yorga

1st Vice President

Flintoft, SK Phone: 306-531-5717

Kelly Williamson

2nd Vice President

Pambrun, SK Phone: 306-582-7774

Chay Anderson

Finance Chair

Fir Mountain, SK Phone: 306-640-7087

Kelcy Elford

Past President

Caron, SK Phone: 306-690-5305

Find email contact for the Executive Directors at skstockgrowers.com

DIRECTORS

Riviere, MB

Current, SK

SK

SK

SK

SK

SK

SK

SK

SK

NATIVE