Beef Business May 2022

Beef Business ‘

Saskatchewan’s largest circulated industry magazine Saskatchewan`s Premiere Cattlecattle Industry Publication Saskatchewan's Premier Cattle Industry Publication May 2022

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A Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association Publication Publication Mail Agreement #40011906

Working for Producers

CONCERNED ABOUT TAG RETENTION?

WE ARE LISTENING Photo courtesy of Canadian Gelbvieh Association

canadaid.ca

CCIA

CANADIAN CATTLE IDENTIFICATION AGENCY

IMPROVED TAGS = BETTER RETENTION SHEARWELL RFID — An innovative one-piece wrap-around beef tag, the first of its kind. The HDX microchip technoology is overmolded in a plastic housing so readability and read range of the transponder are never compromised.

DESTRON DMR RFID — Upgraded version of the Destron eTag. Improvements include a fully molded outer tag housing for better durability and water resistance with an enhanced locking mechanism for greater retention.

ALLFLEX - Is continually striving for the improvement of their product and the new design and manufacturing methodology for their male tag stud is in response to tag retention issues reported by producers.

MORE RESEARCH = BETTER RETENTION

BEST PRACTICES = BETTER RETENTION

Tag retention is important to a successful traceability system and the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) has done our research.

Ongoing tag testing trials, intensive research and direct producer feedback on their experiences have resulted in manufacturers improving their tag offerings. To learn more about CCIA’s research activities visit https://www.canadaid.ca/traceability/research/

Better tag application practices mean better tag retention.

Always use the manufacturer recommended applicator with the tag and follow placement guidelines.

Check out our new and improved tag offerings at tags.canadaid.ca or contact us directly at info@canadaid.ca | 1-877-909-2333

To provide feedback on your tag experience, fill out and return the Approved Indicator Quality Control Form found at: https://www.canadaid.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Approved-Indicator-Quality-Control-Form_fillable-2021-11-19.pdf

CCIA

CANADIAN CATTLE IDENTIFICATION AGENCY

Agriculture is your life You deserve an advisor who gets what’s on the line.

Our local practitioners specializing in the livestock industry can help minimize your taxes, maximize results, and optimize your operations.

Chance Chickoski, CPA, CA | 306.770.3623 | chance.chickoski@mnp.ca MNP.ca

Contents A Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) Publication

INDUSTRY NEWS 6

Watersheds Partner to Deliver up to $40M to Ag Producers

8

FCC Joins SSGA’s 6th Annual Beef Drive

9

Do You Have Financial Losses Due to Extreme Weather?

MARKETS AND TRADE 12

Retail Meat Price Survey

14

Weekly Market Charts

General Manager: Chad MacPherson Box 4752, Evraz Place, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4 Tel: 306-757-8523 Fax: 306-569-8799 Email: ssga@sasktel.net Website: www.skstockgrowers.com Managing Editor: Kori Maki-Adair Tel: 403-680-5239 Email: kmaa@shaw.ca Agri-business Advertising Sales: Carla Dwernichuk Tel: 306-269-7176 Email: sales@skstockgrowers.com Livestock Advertising Sales: Gordon Stephenson Tel: 403-968-3730 Email: gcstephenson@gmail.com

FEATURES 15

Weather Outlook for the 2022 Growing Season

18

Satellite Technology is Ready to Help Reform Forage Insurance

21

New CCA President’s True Picture of Sustainability

Subscriptions Box 4752, Evraz Place, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4 Tel: 306-757-8523 Fax: 306-569-8799 Email: ssga.admin@sasktel.net 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: cjacksondesigns@gmail.com

SCIENCE AND PRODUCTION 23

Active Missing Livestock Files

24

Preparation, Obligation and Proof of Ownership

26

Cracking the Code on Grazing Management Terminology

28

2022 Grazing Rental Rates

ASSOCIATION NEWS, REPORTS AND EVENTS 30

SSGA President's Report

32

In Memory of William Edwin Perrin

36

SSGA Welcomes New Program Coordinator

37

SSGA Welcomes New Programs and Policy Manager

Prairie Conservation Action Plan (PCAP) Manager: Carolyn Gaudet Box 4752, Evraz Place, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4 Tel: 306-352-0472 Fax: 306-569-8799 Email: pcap@sasktel.net 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 Box 4752, Evraz Place, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4

STEWARDSHIP 38

A Royal Migration Is Set to Arrive in Saskatchewan

40

SK PCAP Celebrates the 24th Native Prairie Appreciation Week

42

Calendar

42

Advertiser Index

44

Business Directory

Follow us on:

fb.com/skstockgrowers

@SK_StockGrowers

Cover photo courtesy of Dwane Morvik, Eastend, SK

Contributors

?

Did you know that the SSGA is Saskatchewan's oldest agricultural association?

cycle This M a

• • • • • •

Lexi Macza Kori Maki-Adair Garth Woods Jason Pollock Helen Rud Shannon Schellenberg

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Ple as

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Beef Cattle Research Council Kianna Ehmann Kelcy Elford Jeff Gaye Carolyn Gaudet Chad MacPherson

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• • • • • •

This magazine is printed on paper that is comprised of 50% recycled paper and 25% post-consumer waste.

It is acid-free, elemental chlorine-free and is FSC certified

MAY 2022

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 5

INDUSTRY NEWS Watersheds Partner to Deliver up to $40M to Ag Producers Kori Maki-Adair

Up to $182.7 million of federal funding will be distributed to 12 organizations to deliver On-Farm Climate Action Funding across Canada, which was announced by the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food (AAFC), along with Francis Drouin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and member of Parliament for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell in a media release February 22, 2022.

The 12 industry groups will to provide direct funding through a variety of beneficial management practices that support Canadian producers as key players in building a healthy environment and a more sustainable agriculture sector amidst climate change.

Each of the 12 organizations across Canada will redistribute the funding to agricultural producers through individual application intakes. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s intention for this funding is to provide direct support to farmers in three target areas: cover cropping, nitrogen management and rotational grazing.

Since Canada’s ag sector accounts for 10 per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, AAFC’s ultimate goal for this initiative is to fund activities that will reduce GHG emissions by up to two million tonnes by 2024 — with the ultimate goal of improving climate resiliency by reducing emissions by 40-45 per cent below 2005’s levels by 2030, and towards net-zero emissions by 2050.

After multiple years of drought in the Canadian Prairies, this funding announcement should provide some relief to local producers as one of the 12 recipient organizations is Manitoba Association of Watersheds (MAW), which was established 48 years ago to

6

QUICK FACT First announced in Budget 2021, the On-Farm Climate Action Fund is an initiative to help farmers tackle climate change. It is part of the Government of Canada's Agricultural Climate Solutions initiative, which falls under the $4 million National Climate Solutions Fund, an initiative managed by Natural Resources Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

“SAW is ecstatic about partnering with Manitoba Association of Watersheds, watershed districts and industry partners to deliver the On-Farm Climate Action Fund across Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

"Having the ability to support agricultural producers to implement beneficial management practices related to nitrogen management, cover cropping and rotational grazing will have a positive impact on Canada’s agriculture sector.

collaborate with farmers, landowners, communities, non-profits, as well as local, provincial, federal, and Indigenous governments to protect and conserve the natural resource of water.

"We are proud to have the opportunity to deliver this program in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and we look forward to working with many agricultural producers over the next two years and into the future. Look for more details about the program early June,” she exclaimed.

Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds (SAW) will be partnering with MAW to deliver the funding to agricultural producers in Saskatchewan.

Please stay tuned for an update from Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds on this important initiative in the September 2022 issue of Beef Business. B

“Manitoba Association of Watersheds is thrilled to have the opportunity to support farmers throughout Manitoba and Saskatchewan as they implement and expand use of beneficial management practices that are known to have positive effects on water and soil health, and climate resiliency. We welcome the opportunity to support our farmers by providing incentive-based programs alongside training, development and mentorship opportunities to help ensure successful, long-term adaptation of these practices,” said Garry Wasylowski, MAW Board Chair.

To learn more about how these critical funds will assist ag producers across Saskatchewan, Beef Business reached out to Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds Executive Director Bridget Andrews.

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/ agricultural-programs-and-services/ agricultural-climate-solutions-farmclimate-action-fund-0#find Use the On-Farm Climate Action Fund Web Tool for Farmers to explore and determine which funding options best suit your needs

MAY 2022

Between now and December 31st, 2022 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 CFR Bale Processor In addition to that, we will donate $250 per unit sold to the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association to support their formidable cause.

INDUSTRY NEWS FCC Joins SSGA’s 6th Annual Beef Drive Kori Maki-Adair

Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association’s (SSGA) annual Beef Drive, which has been providing tonnes of nutritious beef to Food Banks of Saskatchewan since 2016, is back again for its sixth year in a row.

2021, Drive Away Hunger worked together with the ag and food industries to provide a record 36 million meals. It’s obvious that by working together, we can make big things happen,” said Kelcy Elford.

$183,747 — has been collected for Food Banks of Saskatchewan from Cargill, Elanco Animal Health, Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, Farm Credit Canada and many private donors.

People can donate an animal to be processed or they can donate funds. The meat is processed into one-pound packs of ground beef and distributed to food banks across the province.

“For FCC, our commitment to Drive Away Hunger reflects our corporate values and what we stand for as an organization. It’s founded in our dedication to serve the industry, communities and our planet for generations to come. And we’re doing this alongside the partners in our industry, all of whom truly understand and appreciate the importance of providing high-quality, nutritious food. We’re proud to support those in the industry who are making a real difference in people’s lives,” added Carla Warnyca on behalf of Farm Credit Canada.

For more information or to make a donation to SSGA’s annual Beef Drive, please contact Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association at 306-757-8523. B

“Our organization’s membership is more than a century in the making. Ranching life was and continues to be challenging.

To preserve our land, livelihood and communities, we band together. That’s the spirit behind SSGA’s annual Beef Drive. You can call it charity, philanthropy or anything you like. It feels good and it feels right to help our neighbours,” Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association president Kelcy Elford said.

The Beef Drive has delivered more than 8,033 pounds of ground beef to Saskatchewan food banks since SSGA launched its sixth annual campaign in November 2021.

“We will keep accepting animals throughout 2022 as long as funding is available to cover the processing. As this article goes to print, funds are still available to cover processing costs,” Elford confirmed.

SSGA launched the Beef Drive on World Food Day in the fall of 2016 as a way for beef producers to support Saskatchewan’s 32 food banks. At the time of print, more than 42,009 pounds of ground beef — with a current retail value of more than

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While 2022 year marks Cargill’s fourth year sponsoring SSGA’s Beef Drive by matching private cash donations, SSGA warmly welcomes Farm Credit Canada as a firstyear sponsor and greatly appreciates its very generous $3,000 donation.

“We are more than pleased that Farm Credit Canada is including SSGA’s annual Beef Drive in their Drive Away Hunger campaign, which started with one of their employees voluntarily collecting food on a tractor almost 20 years ago in Ontario.

It’s grown exponentially since then. In

8

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MAY 2022

INDUSTRY NEWS Do You Have Financial Losses Due to Extreme Weather?

Kori Maki-Adair

There’s funding for that.

In late April, Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Christine Tell issued an update on the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP), which provides financial assistance to producers in eligible areas that have experienced financial losses due to extreme weather events — like the recent, record-breaking storms in Saskatchewan.

“We recognize the recent spring blizzards have taken a toll on producers at a critical time,” Minister Christine Tell said.

“PDAP is available to provide timely financial support to producers who have lost livestock.”

There is only one prerequisite to access this program.

To apply, a claimant must be a member of a community in which the local government authorities (city, town, village, rural municipality, First Nation, provincial or regional park), have acquired approval declaring the area eligible for assistance through the PDAP office.

Once an area has been approved for PDAP assistance, claimants need to pick up an event-specific application form from their municipal office.

In addition to agricultural operations, there are several other categories of potential PDAP claimants, including homeowners, tenants and residents on First Nations; small businesses; provincial and regional parks; and non-profit organizations. Each category has its own application guidelines to follow, including specific documentation that must accompany application forms at the time of submission.

The application process for an agricultural operation claimant includes a trip to your local authorities to get the event-specific application form, requesting a coverage

MAY 2022

denial letter from your insurance provider that explains which of your damages are and are not covered by your policy, photos of all damages, and a copy of last year’s T1, T2, T4 and T5 slips (with corresponding notices of assessment).

Thankfully, PDAP facilitates the application process for local government authorities and community members through a live (alive!) support team that is available by toll-free telephone (1-866632-4033) and email (pdapdocs@gov. sk.ca) on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Once you have completed the application form and gathered all of the necessary documentation and photos, the PDAP office advises applicants to submit the materials as soon as possible, to push the go-button for PDAP’s internal processing of the claim.

TOP FOUR APPLICATION TIPS:

1. Apply within six months of the extreme weather incident.

2. Include all required documentation.

You can view the list for ag operations by opening your phone-cam and allowing it to auto-focus on this

https://publications.saskatchewan. ca/api/v1/products/85912/ formats/99546/download

Though most people cope well and return to their normal level of functioning after a disaster, others may experience continued feelings of emotional distress and physical upset. Reactions can be immediate, delayed or even seemingly absent. Everyone copes differently and at their own pace.

The best advice we can share with our readers is to remember to eat, hydrate, exercise and rest on a regular basis. Taking care of your body reduces the effects of stress. Find healthy ways to relax.

While breathing exercises, meditation, mindfulness, calming self-talk and the soothing sounds of nature work well for some folks, engaging in hobbies and staying in contact with loved ones works well for others.

Seek assistance from a health care provider if your emotional and physical symptoms of stress persist.

Remind yourself that it’s normal to go through a range of emotions after a lifealtering event.

If a community has not yet been designated as eligible, potential claimants should contact their local authorities to inform them of their losses.

For further information on eligibility and how to apply for PDAP assistance, please visit:

3. Take photos of all losses and damages.

4. Remember to include a coverage

denial letter from your insurance provider that explains which of your damages are and are not covered by any existing policies you have with them.

https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/ environment-public-health-and-safety/ access-funding-through-the-provincialdisaster-assistance-program continued on page 10

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 9

INDUSTRY NEWS Extreme Weather cont. from pg. 9 ELIGIBLE RURAL MUNICIPALITIES as of May 2, 2022 - Antler - Argyle - Browning - Coalfields - Enniskillen - Golden West - Happy Valley - Kingsley - Moose Creek - Moose Mountain

- Moosomin - Mount Pleasant - Silverwood NOTE: More rural municipalities will be added to this list as they have acquired approval from PDAP declaring the area eligible for assistance

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SSGA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING & CONVENTION June 5-7, 2022 in Assiniboia, SK 1ST CALL FOR NOMINATIONS AND RESOLUTIONS Please submit nominations and resolutions to: SSGA, Box 4752, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4 Phone: 306-757-8523 Fax: 306-569-8799 email: ssga@sasktel.net

Perennial Forages | Annual Forages High Performance Alfalfa | Hybrid Fall Rye

Toll Free: 1-877-COW-CHOW WWW.UNIONFORAGE.COM Ben Stuart 780-888-7303 | Graeme Finn 403-312-2240 | Grant Lastiwka 403-350-6394 Roger Meyers 306-221-1558 | Mark McNinch 306-845-8036 | Mike Witt 250-558-9577

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MAY 2022

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MARKETS AND TRADE RETAIL MEAT PRICE SURVEY as of April 26, 2022 ($/lb)

SUPERSTORE Ground beef - lean

$

Cross rib roast Rib roast

SOBEYS

3.49

$

$

8.99

$

16.99

Outside round roast

$

Inside round roast

CO-OP

3.49

$

$

*

$

21.83

9.99

$

$

9.99

Ribeye steak

$

Round steak

SAVE-ON-FOODS

5.95

$

$

7.93

$

20.34

*

$

$

6.99

21.60

$

$

8.99

Sirloin steak

$

T-bone steak Tenderloin

SAFEWAY

5.45

$

3.49

$

*

$

9.92

$

21.85

$

21.83

7.44

$

8.92

$

*

$

8.93

$

5.99

$

6.99

18.86

$

21.83

$

26.80

$

*

$

*

$

9.92

$

8.42

$

7.99

9.99

$

9.99

$

7.44

$

9.90

$

9.99

$

*

$

*

$

14.68

$

18.87

$

18.86

$

28.50

$

33.67

$

30.28

$

33.73

$

23.83

*These items were not in the display case on this date.

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MAY 2022

MARKETS AND TRADE SK Weekly Average Price Heifers 500-600 lbs

190.00

2021

185.00 180.00

2020

175.00 170.00 Wk 1 Wk 4 Wk 7 Wk 10 Wk 13 Wk 16 Wk 19 Wk 22 Wk 25 Wk 28 Wk 31 Wk 34 Wk 37 Wk 40 Wk 43 Wk 46 Wk 49 Wk 52

165.00

250.00 245.00 240.00 235.00 230.00 225.00 220.00 215.00 210.00 205.00

2022 2021 2020

Wk 1 Wk 4 Wk 7 Wk 10 Wk 13 Wk 16 Wk 19 Wk 22 Wk 25 Wk 28 Wk 31 Wk 34 Wk 37 Wk 40 Wk 43 Wk 46 Wk 49 Wk 52

2022

195.00

Source: CanFax

AB Fed Steer Prices 2022

150.00 140.00

2021

130.00 2020

120.00 110.00

Price per hundred weight

Price per hundred weight

160.00

2022

100.00 95.00

2021

90.00 85.00 80.00

2020

75.00 70.00 65.00

Source: CanFax

Weekly Canadian Dollar Weekly Canadian Dollar

0.84

Source: CanFax Source: CanFax

Lethbridge Barley Price 490.00

0.83

2022

0.81 0.80

2021

0.79 0.78 0.77 0.76 0.75

2022

440.00

Price per tonne

0.82

CDN $ - US terms

105.00

Wk 1 Wk 4 Wk 7 Wk 10 Wk 13 Wk 16 Wk 19 Wk 22 Wk 25 Wk 28 Wk 31 Wk 34 Wk 37 Wk 40 Wk 43 Wk 46 Wk 49 Wk 52

Wk 1 Wk 4 Wk 7 Wk 10 Wk 13 Wk 16 Wk 19 Wk 22 Wk 25 Wk 28 Wk 31 Wk 34 Wk 37 Wk 40 Wk 43 Wk 46 Wk 49 Wk 52

100.00

390.00

2021

340.00 2020

290.00 240.00

Wk 52

Wk 49

Wk 46

Wk 43

Wk 40

Wk 37

Wk 34

Wk 31

Wk 28

Wk 25

Wk 22

Wk 19

Wk 16

Wk 13

Wk 10

Wk 7

Wk 4

190.00 Wk 1

0.74

Alberta Weekly D1 & D2 Cows

110.00

170.00

Source: CanFax

Source: Bank of Canada

Wk 1 Wk 4 Wk 7 Wk 10 Wk 13 Wk 16 Wk 19 Wk 22 Wk 25 Wk 28 Wk 31 Wk 34 Wk 37 Wk 40 Wk 43 Wk 46 Wk 49 Wk 52

Price per hundred weight

200.00

Price per hundred weight

205.00

SK Weekly Average Price Steers 500-600 lbs

Source: CanFax

For more information visit www.canfax.ca

14

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

MAY 2022

FEATURE Weather Outlook for the 2022 Growing Season Kori Maki-Adair

When and where to seed, feed, spray, irrigate, graze, rotate, calve and harvest are routine, yet business-critical decisions that each livestock producer needs to make, then measure in order to adapt, act and evolve for the next season.

Each piece of land is unique and complex, requiring its owners and managers to consider all available information and options to develop the right approach that maximizes yields and profits while minimizing resources and losses.

Peeking into the future would be ideal; though, impractical for most producers.

With the goal of delivering the next best thing to our readers, Beef Business connected with meteorologist Dr. Doug Gillham, manager of The Weather Network’s Forecast Centre and leader of its seasonal forecast team, to share his subject matter expertise through his preliminary outlook for the 2022 growing season across the Canadian Prairies.

We also tapped into Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency’s (SPSA) March 2022 release of its Spring Risk Outlook Report to provide additional context for Dr. Gillham’s forecast.

Perhaps, the best way to understand the current situation as the province heads into the growing season, is to consider:

•

•

areas of the province), some of those areas are forecast to have below normal runoff — even if they have received significant amounts of snow.

Because the atmosphere produces fluffier snow (with low moisture content) when the temperature is between -10 and -18 degrees Celsius, if a region routinely experiences colder temperatures (within that range) over the winter months, it is likely they will receive less moisture and have less runoff in spring than a winter season with warmer weather snowfall (with greater moisture content).1 The good news: Dr. Gillham says his team isn’t seeing the signals for widespread or persistent drought or extreme heat that they were seeing at this time last year in relation to the summer months.

“This time last year, we were very concerned and unfortunately those concerns were realized. The big picture looks better for this growing season,” he voiced with a protective tone that became the sound of a smile.

“We are closely watching the pattern over

the Southern and central United States where we expect a very hot summer and severe drought. We can’t completely rule out that the hot and dry pattern over that region will expand north of the CanadaUnited States border into southwestern parts of the Canadian Prairies, especially Southern Alberta. However, at this point, we do not expect widespread drought or persistent, extreme heat.

“We are cautiously optimistic that May will bring some much needed rain to Southern Alberta and across Southern Saskatchewan to help improve the drought conditions for the start of the growing season,” he affirmed with a nod.

What’s more, SPSA’s Outlook Report also offers positive details about spring runoff. In relation to the southwest, it states that water yields were generally better than expected, which will help to alleviate some water supply concerns.

In central Saskatchewan, where there is significant snowpack, it states that snowmelt may produce above to wellabove normal runoff yields (without the expectation of flooding). continued on page 16

CALF PROCESSING

The areas of the region that went into winter with drier than normal moisture conditions, resulting from the hot and dry conditions of 2021, and

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FEATURE 2022 Growing Season cont. from pg. 15 precipitation is difficult, both Dr. Gillham and the Outlook Report indicate the southwest corner of Saskatchewan will likely continue to be drier than average; although, spring rains should help to reduce the severity of the drought conditions.3

Further, in comparison to 2021, the Outlook Report also states there is more snowpack on the ground going into Spring 2022. In fact, the significant snowpack within the North Saskatchewan River Basin has created an elevated risk of a dynamic ice breakup event occurring on the North Saskatchewan River, which could result in ice jamming and localized flooding and elevated water levels in Lake Diefenbaker.2 Like Dr. Gillham, the Outlook Report also forecasts temperatures to be cooler this spring, with an equal chance of it being drier or wetter than average. It says that Saskatchewan will experience a weakening La Niña pattern going into spring, so most of the region is predicted to be cooler than average, except for the southwestern corner of Saskatchewan, which may experience below or aboveaverage conditions.

Though forecasting long-range

Dr. Doug Gillham The Weather Network Milton, Ontario Prior to his nine years with The Weather Network, Dr. Doug Gillham taught meteorology at Mississippi State University for 13 years. He was born and raised in the Niagara region of southern Ontario where he spent many summers working on fruit farms.

Dr. Gillham confirms that summer precipitation is notoriously hit and miss — it is more widespread during the rest of the year. He added that, “As a result, official rainfall data from weather stations in the area can completely misrepresent the conditions in nearby communities and on individual farms.

“We are cautiously optimistic that we will see adequate rainfall this summer across most of the region with a risk for areas of excessive rainfall at times; especially, eastern parts of the region with drought conditions being more localized and not dominating the season.

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MAY 2022

“At this point, we are actually more concerned about a shortened growing season with a delayed start to planting and periods of cooler weather; especially, during spring and early summer,” he said.

“Overall temperatures should balance out to near normal for the growing season across most of the region. The best chance to end up warmer than normal appears to be Southern Alberta and the highest risk to be cooler than normal will be across Manitoba.

“Saskatchewan will have the best chance for normal conditions, being sandwiched between regions that are hotter and drier (west of Regina in Swift Current and into Southern Alberta) and cooler (east of Regina and into Southern Manitoba),” Dr. Gillham said to complete his preliminary forecast.

To conclude the interview, Dr. Gillham took a moment to comment on how important this growing season is to Canada’s agricultural industry and the global food supply.

“Grain reserves are down compared to previous years due to severe heat and drought during recent growing seasons and we are concerned about severe drought impacting grain production this summer in parts of United States. Also, the global food production will be impacted by the current events in Ukraine, which is one of the world’s larger exporters of a variety of grains, including wheat.

As a result, there will be a much greater demand on food supplies from other countries,” he said.

“If Canada has a productive growing season this year, there will be a huge market for Canadian grain and other products, which is an encouraging look to the future.”B REFERENCES 1, 2 and 3) Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency’s Spring Risk Outlook Report released March 2022 https://www.saskpublicsafety.ca/-/ media/project/spsa/documents/reports/ spring-risk-outlook-report-2022.pdf MAY 2022

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FEATURE Satellite Technology is Ready to Help Reform Forage Insurance Jeff Gaye

University of Cambridge Faculty of Mathematics created an online game called Treasure Hunt. For success, players must find a treasure chest that’s hidden somewhere on the beach where the grid lines intersect by inputting latitude and longitude coordinates to help find the treasure with the fewest guesses.

Growing forage crops is similar. If you seed a field and it receives the right amount of warmth, sun and rainfall, then your crop will be successful. However, regardless of how good your experience, planning and strategic implementation are, you can only guess at how much rain your crops will receive or where the rain will fall — it could be anywhere.

Perhaps, like the game Treasure Hunt, finding a reliable strategy to reduce risk is important, but the elements of randomness or luck may also play a part.

Forage insurance is intended to take some of the risk out growing feed crops, and it helps. But even with localized rainfall data, there is still an element of chance that determines whether you will be covered in a dry year.

Producers’ organizations, including Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA), are calling for governments and their crop insurance programs to adopt satellite-based data to assess rainfall.

The information can be localized to a specific farm or ranch, and will allow drought-affected producers to claim for actual losses.

Currently, Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) uses 186 weather stations, located across the entire province, to assess precipitation and temperature. An averaged normal is generated for each weather station.

Producers can select a station with 100

18

kilometres of their insured land and purchase coverage based on these values.

A forage rainfall claim is triggered when the precipitation at the selected weather station is below 80 per cent of normal.

Claims are calculated based on the comparison between actual rainfall to the normal, at each station. Rainfall claims are automatically calculated in August, based strictly upon weather station data.

At its semi-annual general meeting in February, SSGA adopted a resolution calling on the federal and provincial governments to fund the development of a satellite-based forage insurance program.

The effort to use satellite imagery in forage insurance has been going on since 2015. Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) has funded a project to develop forage yield algorithms, based on satellite data, to act as the basis for new insurance products.

That project will be complete next year.

It follows a 2015-2018 study, funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and managed by CCA, that uses satellite-based technology to track and measure production from Alberta-based native pastures.

In 2017, AAFC provided $988,000 to support a proposal from Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association and Alberta Beef Producers to use satellite-based technology in developing an insurance product. This project, led by Dr. Lysa Porth of University of Manitoba, intended to estimate forage growth on individual operations in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The data would be used to create a production index, which in turn would be used in the development of new forage insurance tools.

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SSGA has expressed an interest in working with Saskatchewan-based Global Ag Risk Solutions to develop a satellite-based forage insurance program using imaging technology from Airbus Defence and Space. SSGA and Global Ag Risk Solutions have requested funding for the $1 million project through AgriRisk.

Global Ag Risk Solutions Chief Operating Officer David Sullivan said the Airbus technology and SSGA partnership are a good match for the company.

“That product gives us daily imaging over a long time period,” he said. “It goes back over 20 years. We can develop a forage insurance product off of that.”

“It’s scalable, and it’s hyper-local. What that does for us is it lets us insure any farm anywhere and any kind of crop; whether it’s tame pasture, tame hay, native pasture, whatever. We can insure the forage production using that satellite imagery.”

SSGA 2nd Vice President Jeff Yorga, a rancher from Flintoft, says the Airbus technology is proven to work — what's needed now, is a full growing season to back-test the data against ground-level observations.

He’d like to see the industry get behind the Airbus system as the basis for an insurance scheme. “The data is there, the infrastructure is already there,” Yorga said.

“The platform has already been built.”

Not only has it been built, but the Airbus Grassland Production Index (GPI) is already in use in France, Italy and Brazil.

Yorga said the 2022 growing season is a great opportunity to do the back-testing that’s needed to implement the project as early as next year. SSGA began speaking with other industry

MAY 2022

FEATURE organizations earlier this year, but Yorga is not optimistic.

There are competing visions of what a satellite-based insurance scheme would look like, he said, with different parties invested in their own preferred approaches.

The federal government is willing to participate in a satellite-based forage insurance program, but the industry must first agree on the model it wants to use. The government won’t fund two different systems.

Sullivan said buy-in from government and producer organizations is necessary because forage insurance isn’t commercially-viable on its own. The challenge is to gather everyone together to support one system.

“Canadian Cattlemen’s Association has been doing research for a number of

MAY 2022

years,” Sullivan said. “And the federal government, through what’s called AgRisk Initiatives (ARI), came back to us when we applied for funding via Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association and said, ‘well, we are already funding this program and it’s very similar to yours, so we’re not going to fund them both. The industry needs to come back to us with which one they want to support.’”

Sullivan says his company likes the Airbus program because it has a track record in Italy, France and Brazil. All that remains to be done in Western Canada is to backcheck the data against 2022 growing season results.

Moving to a better forage insurance system is important because the current inadequacies don’t just leave some producers short; they affect decisions on land use. In other words, the system encourages growers to seed more acres with higher-margin crops, which are covered by crop insurance, rather than

seed forage crops which may not be covered.

“If you think about ground that’s being seeded to canola, for example, you can have a guarantee on that ground through insurance,” Yorga said. “Yet, if that same ground is seeded to forages, you have no guarantee. And so, deciding which crop to seed on the land becomes an easy choice.”

“Forages are typically a lower risk crop, but there’s always risk. And so, ranchers specifically have a hard time planning and growing their business when they can’t mitigate the uncertainty that’s out there.

They can’t insure it away or outsource that risk to somebody else the same way a grain farmer can.”

The margins on grain and oilseed crops make commercial insurance an attractive option for farmers and a profitable continued on page 20

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 19

FEATURE Satellite Technology cont. from pg. 19 product for insurers. On the other hand, operating a satellite-based forage insurance system is cost-prohibitive — it’s too expensive for the private sector to run, and the premiums would be too high for producers to pay.

Yet, participation in the insurance currently in place is also low, partly because the imprecise rainfall calculations make the claims process unreliable.

Forage insurance has been available in Canada since 1967, but according to CCA, low participation rates (10 to 20 per cent of potential land area), indicate that current offerings are inadequate.

SCIC reports an increase in participation under the Forage Rainfall Insurance Program in 2021, but the overall participation rate remains less than 30 per cent.

20

“The cattle business in general is a low margin business. There’s not a lot of profitability in offering private insurance to cowboys,” Yorga said.

Sullivan agrees.

“As a private company, we don’t see it as a great business opportunity,” he said.

“It’s just too small of a market and forage production is risky. So, we’re not willing to pursue it unless there is a partnership with producer groups or government.

“We would like to pursue it, but we know we can’t go it alone and make it a viable business at this time.”

Although Yorga believes back-testing the Airbus system’s data could hypothetically be concluded this year, he’s not betting on it. That means, if all the various studies currently underway wrap up in 2023 and a decision is made, a new insurance system

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might not be in place until 2024 or 2025.

“Unless industry lines up right away and says that they want to pursue this, it’s not going to happen this year,” he said.

Sullivan says the key advantage of the Airbus system is that it has already been successfully commercialized.

“It’s been operating for years in Italy, France and Brazil. So, we’ve got existing working insurance schemes that, foundationally, are already built,” he said. “We only need to confirm that our methodology works for Western Canada.

“The technology is satisfying farmers in other countries, but we need to confirm those things are true for the Canadian marketplace.” B

MAY 2022

FEATURE New CCA President’s True Picture of Sustainability Kori Maki-Adair

Along Lake Diefenbaker, south of Beechy, Saskatchewan, you’ll find a property with third, fourth and fifth generation ranchers — Reg and Shannon Schellenberg, their son Coy, his wife Lauralie and their young children.

Reg and Shannon work in partnership with Coy and Lauralie to run their cattle ranch, which has been a family operation since it was established by Shannon’s great uncle Pete Perrin in 1943. The Schellenberg’s herd of approximately 475 Angus-based mother cows requires 30 to 60 acres to raise each cow-calf pair. They sell their steer calves and one draft of the heifers at six months of age in the fall. Then, they are grain-fed and finished in feedlots. The Schellenbergs retain approximately 100 heifers each fall, which are backgrounded at their ranch and turned out on grass as yearlings for breeding replacements.

Reg has been balancing work on and off the ranch for almost two decades as an industry advocate and voice for beef producers supporting Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA), Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) and Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) as a board director.

Each role has required Reg to prepare for and (frequently travel great distances to) attend meetings on time-sensitive issues that have been mission-critical to the overall success and sustainability of the beef industry. Each role has also called on his ability to learn from and connect with fellow ag producers; his welldeveloped business acumen as a Saskatchewan beef producer; and his keen ability to balance it all, including his family, home and cattle operation.

At the end of March, Reg’s continued dedication to the sustainability of the beef industry was formally acknowledged when CCA elected him as their new president. He is now responsible for showcasing Canada’s world class beef while advancing the best interests of cowMAY 2022

calf producers and feedlots with value chain stakeholders across the country and abroad.

According to a recent interview with Real Agriculture about CCA’s top priorities as the organization transitions from one leadership team to the next, Reg tapped into CCA’s goals and his own experience to explain.

“Our first priority is to leave a vibrant industry for the next generation. The key for keeping younger people coming into the beef ranching industry is government programs that they can depend on to lock-in risk management,” he said.

Though he made clear that he is a strong proponent of existing programs, Schellenberg feels that improvements can always be made, and added, “The current Livestock Price Insurance (LPI) program has been beneficial in Western Canada,” but it’s not an option for Eastern Provinces, so CCA will continue to lobby the federal government to ensure the program is available nationally.

Schellenberg says the number one component that’s missing from LPI is government participation in shared costs on the premiums. Right now, cattle producers must pay the entire portion of the premium upfront when selecting insurance coverage, which can be difficult for many producers — especially those riding out a drought.

However, the government does participate in cost-sharing forage crop insurance premiums, which Schellenberg says that he and his family invest in to cover their cattle operation.

He says it’s a good idea in today’s economic unsteadiness.

In reference to Fall 2022, Schellenberg said, “We’re looking at a $50 to $55 premium per head. For a lot of people, that’s their profit margin, but they have to come up with that upfront. If government offered a cost-share on LPI premiums,

Reg Schellenberg Beechy, Saskatchewan

there would be an increase in program enrolment. The response would be very positive. I’m sure the program would benefit from it.”

While he was chair of CCA’s Animal Health and Care Committee, Schellenberg said the need for a Canadian vaccine bank for Foot-and-Mouth disease (FMD), became apparent. Currently, the FMD vaccine that Canadian producers use is stored and owned by United States.

“It’s time for Canada to be independent of that inventory,” he said. “So, we would like to see our federal government be serious enough to put the money upfront to establish a vaccine bank in Canada.”

Schellenberg says there have also been some discussions about packing house versus retail pricing.

“There’s a big discrepancy in the price spread. In terms of our packing capacity, we want to keep these plants vibrant because we don’t ever want to see a situation in Canada where we don’t have packing capacity in our own market. It’s continued on page 22

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 21

FEATURE CCA President cont. from pg. 21 a balancing act,” he said. “Lately, there is a lot of concern between what producers get and consumers pay.”

Schellenberg also addressed the drought conditions on his property, and across the Western Prairies, and how the situation may affect the size of Canada’s cowherd.

Schellenberg’s land is located in the semiarid region of the Couteau Hills, which receives limited rainfall most years, and even less in the past two years.

“The spring run-off has been insufficient.

There are places where it’s alright, but there are a lot of areas that are lacking moisture,” he said.

“The best way to fight your way through a drought is to be prepared prior to it,” he added. “And so, the water infrastructure programs that are currently available could be enhanced. And when I say that, I mean substantially.

“The Farm and Ranch Water Infrastructure Program (FRWIP) is an excellent partnership with industry. It can be enhanced with a few more options such as pumping water to site during this drought situation,” he affirmed.

In terms of how the extended drought may have affected the national herd size Schellenberg said, “Definitely, the cowherd across Western Canada, and maybe even farther east, has been contracting.”

In relation to trade markets, Schellenberg said Canadian export value of beef has hit record highs for at least six years — reaching $5.5 billion in 2021. He stated that in recent years, Canada has seen improvement in trade through the implementation of the CanadaUnited States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for TransPacific Partnership (CPTPP).

He said CCA strongly supports the expansion of free trade, and said with confidence, “To help grow exports, we will continue to share our priorities with the government of Canada when it comes to current trade negotiations underway with United Kingdom and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well.”

Schellenberg also pointed out, “One thing I will mention in relation to United Kingdom is that we need to readdress our free trade agreement because right now, the bilateral agreement we have is beneficial to United Kingdom, but it has not been beneficial to Canadian cattle. Currently, there is a significant trade imbalance with United Kingdom and market barriers to Canadian beef exporters. CCA will continue to work with the Canadian government on the United Kingdom-Canada trade relationship.

“The biggest challenge we have is they keep imposing the same restriction on growth promotants and implants on our culled cows. They can’t understand the fact that (when) our culled cows leave the farm gate, they have not received implants (or growth promotants); they are just no longer able to produce calves, so we sell them as non-breedable females that go straight to the plant. They are hormone and implant-free.

“It’s my Achilles Heel as a producer because I would bet on Canadian cattle for quality any day,” he said.

“At CCA, we’ve got a good support team.

We’ll shoulder this load together.”

To learn more about CCA’s top priorities as they continue to transition from the unwavering, unprecedented leadership of past-president Bob Lowe — amidst a very difficult and uncertain time in world history — to the organization’s newlyelected president Reg Schellenberg, please look for a one-on-one interview in Beef Business Magazine’s September 2022 issue.

Until then, SSGA looks forward to supporting CCA and Reg Schellenberg as we all get back to in-person business in a new age of technology that can facilitate face-to-face conversations on issues that could also use a firm handshake. B

However, he thinks the most impact was in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

“Obviously, with last summer’s drought and the wildfires, British Columbia’s producers got a double-hit. First, they dried out. Then, they burned out. I can’t imagine trying to cope with that and being optimistic about going forward,” he said with the heavy heart of a true leader.

Then added, “It looks like in my area, we’re probably going to be down about 20 per cent for cattle numbers.”

22

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MAY 2022

SCIENCE AND PRODUCTION Active Missing Livestock Files As of April, 2022

Area Missing From

# of Head

Animal Description

RM 435

1

RM 340

1

Brand Description

Brand Location

RCMP Detachment

LSS District Office

Date Reported

Heifer

Left shoulder

Radisson

North Battleford 306-446-7404

February 23

Bull

Left rib

Lanigan

Saskatoon 306-933-7660

March 1

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SCIENCE AND PRODUCTION Preparation, Obligation and Proof of Ownership Chief Executive Officer Jason Pollock Livestock Services of Saskatchewan what the weather might do. We have experienced all four seasons in one day more than once around here.

We rely on our backup plans — generators, wood stoves, etc., to keep us functioning when the weather deals us a raw hand, but what are your backup plans for your business deals?

Chief Executive Officer Jason Pollock Livestock Services of Saskatchewan

Once again, the weather has produced a range of challenges which are making calving time in Saskatchewan interesting to say the least.

Recently I found out just how unprepared I was for a lengthy power outage. Early in April, our area lost upwards of 400 power poles and as many more cross arms during a snowstorm that built up sticky snow as thick as my thigh around the lines until the wooden structures gave way.

On my way through town a couple days after the storm, it looked like a war zone of sorts with rows of exploded power poles, long stretches of lines down and workers with big equipment all over the place trying to restore services.

We were fortunate to have our power return after five long cold days. Some of my neighbours went eight days before they could turn on a light without the hum of a generator.

Being prepared is important and rural folks seem to know this intuitively when it comes to the weather. We always told the kids to dress in layers and put a snack in their pocket because we didn’t really know when we might be finished our tasks, and we for sure had no idea

24

Many producers have business dealings with neighbours, absentee landowners, lease holders, financers and others.

No matter the relationship, an operation should have a good backup plan if things go wrong or not according to plan.

I believe that almost 100 per cent of people enter business deals with the best of intentions. Rarely, do we think that our intentions and efforts will result in a poor outcome.

Unfortunately, this happens on an all too-regular basis and the courts have seen their fair share of neighbours who started out with a seemingly good business arrangement gone bad. I have written before that “good paper is good business,” and it is true. Thinking about the ways a business deal could go wrong, talking about those possibilities with the other stakeholders and documenting those essential elements is always time well spent.

With the lack of moisture last year, a lot of producers may be looking for some shortterm options for grazing this summer that will allow their home pastures to recover. A lot of cows were shipped out of province last fall that might be coming home to some poor pasture conditions, depending on how hard the land may have been hit with dry conditions.

Some producers may be looking for longer-term options like leasing their herd out or their land base. One of the best and

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

most exciting aspects of the business is there is a lot of options to explore, and every situation is unique.

The challenge you are trying to solve is not your neighbour’s challenge, and vice versa, even though you live next to one another. There are a lot of options for producers to choose from and all of them are served well by writing down the boundaries, expectations, responsibilities, costs and backup plans if things start to head south.

Should you make the choice to move livestock to a custom feeding operation or decide that now is the time to consider something longer term, like selling or leasing some cattle out, there may be some regulatory obligations around the movement. There are also considerations relating to legal diligence in protecting your assets and interests.

The first regulatory obligation is simply to make sure to use a properly-completed livestock manifest for each load of animals moved within the province. This is the best first-step towards verification that animals moved from your ranch to another location. How many animals, when did the transport occur, who trucked them, etc. — and if they were inspected, who inspected them? All information answering these questions will be helpful, if there is a problem down the line.

The second obligation is to remember that provincial regulation requires you to have a livestock inspection completed by a Livestock Services of Saskatchewan (LSS) inspector prior to movement of cattle and horses out of Saskatchewan.

The inspector will provide you with a transportation permit which must accompany the livestock.

MAY 2022

SCIENCE AND PRODUCTION If you move livestock to feed in Alberta, you will also need to need to arrange for inspection by a Livestock Identification Services (LIS) inspector prior to bringing your stock home. Manitoba does not have livestock inspection requirements, which means you do not need an inspection to return livestock home from Manitoba to Saskatchewan. I do recommend filling out a manifest so that you have a record of the movement.

In Saskatchewan, basic party protection for custom feeding and pasturing agreements is covered by The Animal Custom Care Regulations, 2006. These regulations should be noted in any agreement and a copy of them should be readily available to both parties. The Queen’s printer website is the most accurate and up-to-date place for all legislation in Saskatchewan.

A discussion of legalities, between you and the person with whom you are going into business, opens the subject of what you should do as a matter of diligence in preparing for and securing a fair agreement where there is some benefit for all.

The confines of article space here do not allow for detailed discussion of the many things that make a good civil agreement put together between two or more parties, often with the help of legal professionals, but having and applying a legible registered brand on all your livestock is still one of your best protections.

A hot brand is prima facie proof of ownership according to the legislation and allows LSS to fulfill its duty in protecting the owner of the brand.

If you don’t currently brand or don’t have

a brand registered in Saskatchewan, you can apply for one with your local LSS inspector, by calling the Brand Registrar directly at 306-546-5086, or acquire LSS district office contact information online at www.lssc.ca.

Finally, I suggest you ask your local inspector to alert inspection staff in the area where you are sending your livestock. This type of inter-jurisdictional communication between inspection staff is valuable and can really assist when the fall run is on and your brand shows up in a neighbouring herd due to the nature of cows and their inability to remember that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence.

Good paper, good communication, a hot brand and a solid backup plan will serve any producer well this coming year. B

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SCIENCE AND PRODUCTION Cracking the Code on Grazing Management Terminology: Animal Units, AUMs & How to Apply Them Beef Cattle Research Council | BeefResearch.ca

Does it feel like grazing management information is shrouded in acronyms and terms that boggle the mind on first glance? Do you struggle to decipher terms like animal unit equivalents? And how does one go about calculating AUMs and then applying those numbers?

Be reassured, you’re not alone! There’s a lot going on when sorting through the finer points of grazing management and figuring out how to work through the many calculations.

standardized units, they become very useful tools to strategize and plan for various grazing options. Consider the following scenarios as examples of how you might use animal unit equivalents to begin the groundwork for grazing management strategies on paper before applying them in real time.

A good starting point is defining a grazing animal in terms of how much forage it requires to meet its nutritional demands.

We know that grazing animals’ forage needs differ depending on class, weight, age and stage of production. And in order to account for those differences, it’s helpful to create a baseline in order to quantify forage demand.

An animal unit (AU) is defined as a 1,000 pound beef cow with or without a nursing calf, with a daily dry matter forage requirement of 26 pounds.

By standardizing grazing animals at 1,000 pounds as one animal unit (AU), we are able to use that as a basis for calculating the relative grazing impact of different kinds and classes of livestock. We can work off of one AU to adjust for other animal types. Use the Calculating Forage Requirements chart to find the Animal Unit Equivalent (AUE) that best defines your grazing animals.

For example, yearlings ranging from 800900 pounds are considered equivalent to 0.85 animal units (AUs) while a 1,400-pound cow, with calf at side, is considered to be 1.3 AUs. Essentially, the larger the animal and the greater their nutritional requirements, the higher the animal unit equivalent value.

With a clear picture in mind of an

•

A herd of 150 cow-calf pairs averaging 1,400 pounds (1.3 animal unit equivalent; see chart above), equals 195 animal units (150 pairs x 1.3 AUE = 195 AUs)

•

A group of 150 yearlings, weighing an average of 850 pounds (0.85 animal unit equivalent; see chart above), equates to 128 animal units (150 yearlings x 0.85 AUE = 128 AUs)

•

If you want to graze that 150 pair cowherd (195 AUs) for six months, pasture acres must be available that can supply a total of 1170 AUMs (195 AUs x 6 months = 1170 AUMs)

•

If grazing 150 yearlings (128 AUs) for six months, total forage demand is 768 AUMs (128 AUs x 6 months = 768 AUMs)

Calculating Forage Requirements chart

animal unit and its equivalents, the leap to quantifying forage demand with measures such as animal unit days (AUDs) or animal unit months (AUMs), is not difficult. If one AU requires 26 pounds of forage dry matter per day, we can then easily extrapolate to calculate the needs of any animal for a longer period of time.

An animal unit month (AUM) is the amount of forage to fulfill metabolic requirements of one animal unit for one month (30 days). Therefore, one AUM is equal to 780 pounds of dry matter forage (26 lbs/day x 30 days).

Think of an AUM as the amount of forage that you need to provide to an animal to maintain them for one month. But remember, that animal weighs only 1,000 pounds. Anything more, or less, has to be accounted for by using animal unit equivalents (AUEs).

Once you are comfortable with these

Calculating and understanding forage requirements allows us to be able to match that demand up with available forage supply. The BCRC Carrying Capacity Calculator (https://www.beefresearch. ca/research/carrying-capacity.cfm) helps with that. It walks users through estimating available forage to determine the number of head and length of time that animals can graze a specific pasture or paddock.

Remember that these values are all approximations and averages; we are using numbers to estimate and standardize what happens in reality to guide informed decision-making for your operation. It is important to note that there many factors at play when continued on page 28

26

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MAY 2022

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Grazing Management cont. from pg. 26 managing and balancing grazing demand and available forage supply.

The real world always overrides what calculations attempt to predict, but they can provide a starting point for planning and forecasting.

You’ve now got a few of the basics in hand to understand the foundations of the art and science of grazing management. It is this critica information that will assist as you navigate real world situations like developing targeted grazing plans, implementing rest periods or managing through drought and recovery. B

Year

$ Rent

Rent per AUM

% Change from previous year

Beef Produced (lbs)

2011

$

3.93

N/A

2012

$

6.09

54.96%

2013

$

5.99

-1.64%

2014

$

6.42

7.18%

2015

$

11.19

74.30%

2016

$

10.87

-2.86%

2017

$

7.17

-34.04%

2018

$

8.97

25.10%

2019

$

8.50

-5.24%

2020

$

8.52

0.24%

2021

$

8.17

-4.11%

2022

$

8.18

0.1%

46

Weighted Price ($/lb)

$

1.74

Constant Stocking Factor

0.8

Share (%)

0.1275

Per AUM

$

8.18

2022 Grazing Rental Rates October

November

Weighting

Rental Rate

Slaughter, D1,2 Cows

$

68.40

$

61.08

12.00%

$

7.77

Feeder Steers 800-900 lbs

$

189.34

$

179.88

17.00%

$

31.38

Feeder Steers 500-600 lbs

$

213.99

$

207.25

35.00%

$

73.72

Feeder Heifers >800 lbs

$

170.05

$

163.75

21.00%

$

35.05

Feeder Heifers 500-600 lbs

$

179.46

$

173.61

15.00%

15.00% $

174.40

Cattle prices from CanFax monthly data from Livestock Branch

READER SURVEY A great magazine grabs readers’ attention with the front page and it does not let go until the back cover. Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association has designed a survey to measure the interest, engagement and satisfaction levels of our Beef Business readers. It involves a series of quick questions to gather critical information about our readers’ likes, dislikes and suggestions for our magazine’s growth and development.

How to participate: Visit skstockgrowers.com or scan this code for a chance to win Cowtown gift cards!

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MAY 2022

RIDING FOR THE BRAND ‘22 FUNDRAISING AUCTION

www.DLMS.ca Held March 30, 2022

Thank you to all of our generous donors that helped make the auction an overwhelming success!

Allflex Austin’s Saddlery Barber Motors Bear Creek Angus & Weiss Leather Beefsmart BMO Boehringer Ingelheim Canada Bullseye Feed Cedarlea Farms Ceva Charity Booster Covaac Leather DFL Pickseed Dudley & Co Elanco Animal Health Gallagher Great Western Brewing Company Highline MFG Imperial Seed Kattle Squared Linthicum Ranch

Long Lake Insurance Maple Ag & Outdoor Mazergroup Merck Animal Health Milligan BioFuels MNP Moose Creek Red Angus Nelson GM Nelson Motors & Equipment Numzaan Safari Peak Veterinary Health Pearl Snap Photography Performance Seed Rangeward REAL District Reel North Outfitters Saskatchewan Landing Fishing Adventures Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board Saskatchewan Verified Beef Program

Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation Saskatoon Media Group - CJWW Titan Livestock & Gibson Livestock Select Sires Sexton Grazing Solvet South Country Equipment STOCKBOSS Energyfree Livestock Waterers Sweet Pro Feed T4 Jean Union Forage Urban Cellars Vetoquinol Canada Viterra West Gen Western Litho Printers Westway Feeds Young’s Equipment Zoetis

Thank you to our media partners 620 CKRM RealAgriculture Saskatoon Media Group

ASSOCIATION NEWS AND REPORTS A Report from President Kelcy Elford Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association the pressures we are facing: from the packers of our industry taking the lion’s share of the profit to the current federal government trying to tax us into poverty.

It goes like this: We the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful.

We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are qualified to do anything with nothing, and all we are left with is contempt.

Lord help us, we need a positive to aim for!

President Kelcy Elford Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association

The Power of Perseverance is the theme for our 109th Annual General Meeting that will be held in Assiniboia June 5-7, 2022.

It’s also one thing that cattlemen almost have to adhere to, just to keep on doing what we know best to do.

Manage grass and create protein off that grass. I know this is quite a way to start my last President’s Report for Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) and maybe I shouldn’t do it this way; however, I know it’s not just me that’s been thinking about getting through the year after last year’s bad drought, the long winter, the unknown of moisture going into spring and the calf-killing storms that have rolled through some of the province.

The state of morale in this business is under a lot of pressure these days. It reminds me of a proverb that was shared with me called the Cattleman’s Creed, which rings true to me as I think about

Personally, I believe there are a lot of positives left in this industry. My grass cattle are insured for more than I have ever sold a 900 pound animal. What an opportunity and tool we have! If you haven’t used price insurance yet. look hard at it. Protect your bottom line.

Take the guess work out of the income side of the page.

It’s no secret that it was a cold April.

Everyone is ready for green grass, and by the time this magazine hits your table, we will have some. Last year, I walked through a hay piece that didn’t have anything start growing until the end of May. And, what do you know! This year, even tiny alfalfa plants are trying to grow already. We have had just enough water to get a start. What a positive discovery and there’s more rain in the forecast!

I utilized the Farm and Ranch Water Infrastructure Program (FRWIP) again to dig a couple dugouts. There wasn’t a lot of snow in my area this winter, but there

was more than we have had the last four years. And, what do you know! Those dugouts filled and the ones that were sour, freshened. It was a relief after the last couple years of fighting with water. I know a lot of producers that have shared the same story; they, don’t know where the water came from, but the dugouts are full.

If you haven’t used FRWIP, look into it, use it. I am grateful to have a tool like that to use. My point is, through Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) and the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, we now have access to some great products that we have requested to support industry that were not in place when I got started nor when I became involved in ag politics 16 years ago.

Our provincial government listens to our industry and does its level best to create programs, tools and resources to support our success. It all takes time, it takes effort and it takes great ideas from everyday producers, which SSGA members turn into resolutions and then into reality.

I know I push the environment part of SSGA pretty hard, mainly because I believe it is the future of our industry. We need the data to tell the story, so that we don’t get regulated out of business.

What does this mean? It means check out Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation (SSGF) to see which environment agreement fits your operation. Find the right conservation agreement that accurately depicts the true story of agriculture — about ag producers that

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MAY 2022

ASSOCIATION NEWS AND REPORTS preserve grasslands to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect habitat for species at risk as ethical, responsible stewards of the land.

Sometimes, I see ranchers as an endangered species. Imagine the disastrous impacts on the rest of the world, if ag producers went extinct — gone forever, with no chance of returning.

From providing nutritious protein to medicines for deadly diseases, livestock production is an invaluable component of public health and the global economy.

It is for this reason that SSGA created SSGF and is working with South of the Divide Conservation Action Program Inc. (SODCAP). Let’s show the people that criminalize livestock producers that everything works together if it is kept in a healthy state. Truly, there aren’t any better champions of the range than the people that derive their living off of one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world.

MAY 2022

In terms of good news, I have some. We are live and in-person in Assiniboia in June! Come one, come all. If you haven’t come to an SSGA convention before, come check it out. The lineup of speakers and information is outstanding again this year. Hats off to SSGA’s office team — especially, our general manager Chad MacPherson. He bats 1,000.

I am so thankful for the coming opportunity. Something that has been dearly missed the last couple years is the chance to get together — the sound of old friends catching up is one of the greatest sounds.

Wondering what question Calvin Knoss might ask during the resolution session is worth the trip.

At the end of the convention, when the reins are handed to Garner Deobald, I know that he will carry the industry and SSGA’s message forward for the betterment of this industry.

When I look at our current board of directors and the people with whom I have served over the years, I can say with 100 per cent confidence, that you won’t find any better members of the community. We are all volunteers. The commitment and belief in the success of the industry is always front and centre.

I would like to thank Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association’s members for bestowing me with the honour of serving our industry — I’m not just a part of it, it’s become a part of me.

In closing, if you haven’t invested in a membership with SSGA, give it a try.

You never know what you might learn or what change for the better you can be a part of. We are in the business of beef, and through my lens, business can still be good.

Kelcy

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 31

ASSOCIATION NEWS AND REPORTS In Memory of William Edwin Perrin March 18, 1938 to March 25, 2022 Submitted by Shannon Schellenberg

William Edwin Perrin “Ted” was born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan on March 18, 1938, to Jesse and Lou Perrin of Kyle, Saskatchewan.

winter, Ted worked on the Knight Ranch near the Saskatchewan Landing. He spent two summers at the Matador and two years at the Gilchrist Ranch.

Ted would be the first baby raised at the Matador Ranch near Kyle. Raised at the ranch and under the tutelage of his father Jesse, Ted and his brother Dennis would learn how to ride a horse and work a herd at a very young age.

On April 22, 1958, Ted married Olive Collins. They lived and worked at the Beechy Community Pasture until 1962.

From 1962 to 1963, Ted and Olive made Matador their home, with Ted taking on the role of foreman.

Ted attended North Landing School for three years and then attended school at Kyle. At age 17, he worked full time beside his father Jesse Perrin, who was the manager of the Matador at that time. That

In 1964, they would move to Beechy, where they joined his brother Dennis and his wife Margot, and his uncle Peter Perrin and his wife May, in building the Perrin Ranching Company. It was at the ranch

32

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that Ted and Olive would raise their five daughters: Pam, Shannon, Shelly, Jackie and Jimmie Lou. Ted taught his daughters the skills of ranching and instilled in them a strong work ethic.

Ted’s passion for raising cattle led him into animal husbandry and he was well known for doctoring his own cattle as well as his neighbours’. Artificial inseminating, spaying and range management were Ted’s areas of expertise.

Ted and Olive won several awards for their ranching accomplishments such as the Honour Scroll from Saskatchewan Livestock Association and Lifetime

MAY 2022

Ted Perrin with his five daughters Membership in Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association, as well as being presented by Prince Philip with the Outstanding Achievement award for Stewardship by the Society for Range Management in 2006.

During the early years of raising his family, Ted made his commitment to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Ted was baptized in 1973 at the ranch, in Lake Diefenbaker. He became an active member of the Beechy Mennonite Church and served as usher and church councilor. He was an active member of the Gideon’s from 1972 to 1992. His faith was to be the foundation on which Ted would raise his daughters and live his life.

By the early eighties, Dennis and Pete Perrin had sold their shares to Pam and Shannon and their husbands. Ted would ranch with his two daughters and their husbands for the next 30 years.

After 50 years on the ranch, Ted and Olive moved to Riverview Estates in Swift Current. After 60 years of marriage, Ted lost his beautiful wife Olive. He lived his last four years at the Willows in Riverview Estates, which he enjoyed as he was provided with excellent love and care from the staff, his in-laws, Glenn and Diana Hanke and his daughters.

Ted is lovingly remembered by his five daughters Pamela (Neil) Danroth; Shannon (Reg) Schellenberg; Shelly (Brian) Fuller; Jacqueline (Lee) Helman and Jimmie Lou (Jeremy) Bourne; 15 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; brother Dennis (Margo) Perrin; numerous nieces, nephews and in-laws.

Ted was predeceased by his wife, Olive Perrin (nee Collins); his parents Lou and Jesse Perrin and by his mother and father inlaw Annie and Alex Colllins. B

MAY 2022

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 33

THE POWER OF Perseverance

SSGA 109TH AGM & CONVENTION

June 5-7, 2022 AGENDA

Prince of Wales Centre -Assiniboia, SK

SUNDAY, JUNE 5 5:30 p.m. Registration 6:00 p.m. President’s Reception Scotch Tasting & Trade Show

MONDAY, JUNE 6

8:00 a.m. Registration and Trade Show 9:00 a.m. Greetings and Welcome – Kelcy Elford – President, SK Stock Growers Association Address from Saskatchewan Agriculture - Honourable David Marit, Minister of Agriculture Address from Town of Assiniboia 9:15 a.m. Activists Attack on Canadian Industry: Is Agriculture Next?

Tim McMillan – Former President & CEO, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers 10:00 a.m. Networking Break and Trade Show 10:30 a.m. Canadian Cattle Industry Update Reg Schellenberg – President, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association 11:15 a.m. In Changing Times: An Update on Animal Health and Welfare in Saskatchewan Dr. Raj Premkumar & Dr. Erica Sims, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture 12:00 p.m. Lunch and Trade Show 1:00 p.m Beef Cattle Market Outlook Anne Wasko – President, Cattle Trends Inc. 1:45 p.m. Satellite-Based Insurance Solutions Dave Sullivan – COO, Global Ag Risk Solutions 2:15 p.m. Virtual Fencing Technology Todd Parker – Vice President of Business Development, Vence 2:45 p.m. Networking Break and Trade Show 3:15 p.m. NCBA Update Colin Woodall – CEO, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Update 3:45 p.m. Opportunities & Challenges for Growing Saskatchewan’s Livestock Processing Sector Willie Van Solkema – Consultant 4:15 p.m. Processing Panel Discussion Willie Van Solkema Vince Stevenson – Ranchhouse Meat Co. Saskatchewan Meat Processors Association 5:00 p.m. Closing remarks 6:00 p.m. Cocktails 34

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7:00 p.m. Banquet and Entertainment: TESA Award Rangeland Scholarship Silent & Live Auction

TUESDAY, JUNE 7

9:00 a.m. Registration and Trade Show 9:30 a.m. Call to Order, Welcome and Introductions Approval of the Agenda Minutes from the 2021 Annual General Meeting President’s Report Second Call for Nominations Second Call for Resolutions 10:00 a.m. Canola Meal Supplementation Dwayne Summach – Livestock & Feed Extension Specialist, Regional Services Branch - SK Ministry of Agriculture 10:30 a.m. Networking Break and Trade Show 11:00 a.m. Financial Report Zone Chair Ratifications Final Call for Resolutions 11:30 a.m. Livestock & Forage Centre of Excellence Update Scott Wright – Director, LFCE 12:00 p.m. Lunch and Trade Show 1:00 p.m. Cost of Production: Understanding Recent Results Kathy Larson – Research Associate, University of SK 1:45 p.m. Networking Break and Trade Show 2:15 p.m. Irrigation in Saskatchewan Leah Clark – Director of Irrigation Development, Water Security Agency 2:45 p.m. Voting Procedures/Results & Resolutions Other Business Final Call for Nominations and Elections Closing remarks Adjournment

ACCOMMODATION

Registration fees do not include accommodation.

We have a block of rooms reserved at the Canalta Hotel in Assiniboia.

To reserve a room call 1.855.459.1010.

Room Rate: $135/night plus taxes for all room types Block Cut Off Date: May 29th Block Name: SSGA AGM MAY 2022

Thank You to Our Sponsors Heritage

REGISTRATION (includes GST) Early Bird

Full Conference

Real Agriculture Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Western Litho Printers

Regular

(before May 31) (after May 31) $225.00 $250.00 ___________

Spousal Full Conference*

$175.00

$200.00

___________

Young Producer (under 40)

$175.00

$200.00

___________

Monday

$125.00

$150.00

__________

Tuesday

$75.00

$100.00

__________

Farm Credit Canada Vetoquinol Canada Inc.

Banquet Only

$40.00

$45.00

___________

Sunday

$30.00

$35.00

___________

Silver

Total registration and ticket fees:

Gold

Ducks Unlimited Canada Great Western Brewing Company SweetPro

___________

*Include additional name(s) on this form for name tag(s)

PERSONAL INFORMATION Name:

Bronze

Organization/Ranch Name:

E. Bourassa & Sons

Mailing Address:

Trade Show

Boehringer Ingelheim Canada SK PCAP Saskatchewan Verified Beef Production Saskatchewan Angus Association Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation Sponsors confirmed as of April 22nd

City:

Province:

Phone:

Postal Code: Fax:

Email: PAYMENT Total Registration Fees Enclosed: Payment must accompany registration. Registration form must be received on or before May 31, 2022 to qualify for early-bird rates. Cancellations received prior to May 31 will be refunded less a $50 administration fee. Cancellations received on May 31 or later will not be refunded. Make cheques payable to “Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association” and send to PO Box 4752, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4.

Registrations with credit card payment may be faxed to (306) 569-8799 or call (306) 757-8523.

Method of Payment (check one):

 Cheque (enclosed)

 Visa

 Mastercard

Card Holder Name: Signature: Card Number: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ As of April 28, 2017 MAY 2022

Expiry Date: __ __ / __ __

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 35

ASSOCIATION NEWS AND REPORTS SSGA Welcomes New Program Coordinator My parents trained and rode horses and I quickly took interest in riding and competing at young age. I competed within the English Show Jumping circuit for three years, where I ended my final season taking home many provincial champion and reserve champion titles.

I now rodeo and barrel race across the province where I have won many buckles over the last two years.

Kiana Ehmann Holdfast, Saskatchewan

I’ve been a member of the Heartland Light Horse 4-H Club for 12 years and have been on the club executive for the past six.

Being a part of the local club has helped me grow into the rider and the person I am today, giving back to my community and neighbours.

Participating in 4-H has taught me many key skills such as organizing events, record keeping and public speaking. The club has brought me more confidence in myself and I benefit from it every day, realizing I’m always putting something I learned into action.

I am enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture program with University of Saskatchewan and have goals to pursue a career in the agricultural industry.

Working with SSGA is providing me with a great stepping stone for the next part of my journey in an industry that feeds Canadians and my passion for agriculture. B

My name is Kiana Ehmann.

Recently, I took on the role of Program Coordinator with Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA).

I grew up on my family farm outside of Holdfast, Saskatchewan (~100 kilometres northwest of Regina), where I helped manage our livestock operation of 900 head of meat goats and 50 head of Dexter cattle.

Our trip was a mixed breed of Boer, cashmere and Spanish goats. We had a large clientele for goat meat, but we also were making goat and beef jerky where we would sell our various products at places such as local farmers’ markets and Canadian Western Agribition.

Not only did I grow up with livestock, but I also ran heavy machinery as we cut and baled our own hay. During the hot dry months of summer, I would spend my days running the tractor and baler and helping with any repairs or maintenance that needed to be done.

I also worked for one of the larger local crop farmers near Holdfast. I worked during the harvest season maintaining and operating combines.

36

Livestock and Feed Extention Specialists Livestock and Feed Extension Specialists can help answer your questions regarding feeding plans, water testing, animal health and more. Contact the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377 to connect with your nearest specialist, or stop by your local regional office. saskatchewan.ca/agriculture

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MAY 2022

ASSOCIATION NEWS AND REPORTS SSGA Welcomes New Programs and Policy Manager moving into an intern position with the Livestock Development Unit.

A highlight during my experience with the Ministry of Agriculture was working on the weekly Cattle Market Updates and being involved in environmental working groups.

Lexi Macza Mortlach, Saskatchewan

Hello everyone, I grew up on my family’s ranch, Bluestone Stock Farms, southwest of Mortlach, Saskatchewan. I now reside northwest of Mortlach, and am working towards building my own ranching operation with my husband.

As well as ranching, my husband and I work alongside his family to operate their two rodeo stock contracting companies, White Line Rodeo and Macza Pro Rodeo.

We are kept busy year-round with our rodeo schedule and keeping up with our cowherd at home.

I am really excited to be taking on the position of Programs and Policy Manager with Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association, where I am now able to combine my policy background with my passion for the cattle industry.

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It is my goal to see an economicallysustainable and viable future for the cattle industry, for our producers now, and our producers to come.

I am always looking for opportunities to learn and expand my knowledge on the industry, and for ways to promote the environmental work we do as producers while producing a great source of protein for our consumers. B

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I attended Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, and received my Bachelor of Arts in Policy Studies, with a focus on political sciences, economics, and communications.

Fresh out of university, I moved into a job as Policy Intern for the Environment and Resource Unit, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. From there, I moved into a term position as the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) Programs Analyst with the Policy Branch in the Ministry, before

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www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 37

STEWARDSHIP A Monarch caterpillar is easily distinguishable from other caterpillars in Saskatchewan by its white, yellow and black bands.

Photo by Sharon Dowdy

A Royal Migration Is Set to Arrive in Saskatchewan Carolyn Gaudet

The next four months are a great time to see Monarch butterflies in Southern Saskatchewan. They reach the Prairies as early as late May to begin feeding and breeding, and may start migrating south as early as late July, depending on the weather patterns.

Monarchs are one of the most well-known butterflies in the world. They are large, showy butterflies with wingspans of seven to 11 centimetres. A Monarch butterfly can be identified by its predominantly orange wings with black veins, and the white spots on the outside edges of its wings and on its black body.

A male Monarch has two distinct black dots on its hindwing, which distinguishes it from a female. A Monarch caterpillar (ranges in size from two to six centimetres as a newly-hatched caterpillar to a fivecentimetre mature caterpillar), has white, yellow and black bands; making it easily distinguishable from other caterpillars in Saskatchewan.

Monarch habitat is limited to areas of native grasslands, ditches, etc., that have native flowers and milkweed species as Monarchs are highly dependent on milkweed to complete their life cycle.

Adults feed on the nectar of various flowering plants, but milkweeds are essential for eggs and larvae. The adults will lay 300 to 500 eggs on milkweed over a two to five-week period; and they rarely deposit more than two eggs on an individual plant.

Monarch caterpillars are specialist 38

herbivores; meaning, they will only feed on milkweeds in the genus Asclepias.

Milkweed contains chemical compounds that, when eaten by Monarch caterpillars, make them unpalatable to predators.

The bright colouration of the caterpillars and the butterflies serve as a warning to potential predators: Do not eat!

There are a few species of butterfly that look similar to Monarchs to trick predators into thinking they are also unpalatable.

Viceroys are the most common Monarchmimic. The colours and patterns are very similar; however, a Viceroy has an extra stripe on its hindwing, which intersects the other veins (a minor difference, really).

migration evolved because monarchs cannot survive the winter in Canada, unlike other butterflies that can survive winter conditions as either larvae, pupae or even adults.

We have lost as much as 80 per cent of the Monarch population in North America.

Like many other species at risk, one of the largest threats to these butterflies is habitat loss due to logging, cultivation, urban development, extreme weather and pesticide-use affecting milkweed and wildflowers throughout their range.

What can you do to help?

• Plant Milkweed. There are six species of milkweed that naturally occur in Saskatchewan. The most common ones in Saskatchewan are dwarf milkweed and showy milkweed.

Monarchs have the longest and largest insect migration in North America.

They are the only butterfly known to make a two-way migration like birds do.

The eastern population of Monarchs, those east of the Rocky Mountains, takes three to four generations to migrate north from their wintering grounds in central Mexico.

• Plant butterfly-friendly flowers that

Migrating Monarchs live two to five weeks. During that time, they travel north, mate and lay eggs that will become the next generation. The last generation of the year, the ones that hatched the farthest north, will migrate south back to Mexico and overwinter there.

• Avoid mowing suitable Monarch

This last generation is not reproductive until the following February or March.

They can live up to nine months, unlike the summer generations that only live two to five weeks. This impressive

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

can provide nectar for Monarchs (e.g., coneflowers, Black-eyed Susans and various asters). Planting a variety of native flowers will provide sources of nectar from June to October.

Before purchasing seed, make sure they haven’t been treated with neonicotinoids. habitat (particularly with milkweeds) between June 1 and September 15.

• Reduce or eliminate pesticides, whenever possible.

• Report Monarch sightings to

the Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre. B

MAY 2022

For more information on Monarchs, please visit:

STEWARDSHIP

https://www.pcap-sk.org/rsu_docs/ documents/guide-to-monarch-butterflyhabitat-final-draft-may-2020.pdf

https://species-registry.canada.ca/indexen.html#/species/294-90

https://www.mission-monarch.org/

MAY 2022

A male Monarch butterfly can be identified by the two black spots at the centre of its hindwings. Photo by Sharon Dowdy

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 39

STEWARDSHIP SK PCAP Celebrates the 24th Native Prairie Appreciation Week Carolyn Gaudet

The Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan is excited to celebrate the 24th annual Native Prairie Appreciation Week (NPAW) from June 19-25, 2022.

Always a popular draw for prairie enthusiasts, this year, the NPAW tour is June 22-23, 2022 in Eastend, Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan is the only place across North America that devotes a week to celebrating native prairie and raising awareness about prairie conservation.

The week is officially proclaimed by Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Environment.

The theme is “Birds, Burns, and Bison: Exploring Biodiversity in the Prairies” and the agenda includes an evening social and keynote address.

Included in this year’s NPAW celebrations will be:

• A youth poster contest, • A social media photo contest, • Interactive and engaging booths

During the tour, participants will sharpen their plant identification skills, learn about birds and prescribed burns, range health assessments and species at risk.

To learn more about the tour and to register for the tour, please visit:

https://www.pcap-sk.org/upcomingevents/npaw To register for the event, please visit:

Everyone is welcome to register — regardless of previous experience or knowledge of Saskatchewan’s native prairie.

displayed at urban farmer’s markets where native seeds packages will be given away, as well as

• The big NPAW tour, co-hosted with

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the Society for Range ManagementPrairie Parkland Chapter.

40

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MAY 2022

MAY 2022

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 41

CALENDAR AND ADVERTISER INDEX DATE

EVENT NAME

June 5-7

LOCATION

Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association AGM

Assiniboia, SK

June 19-25

Native Prairie Appreciation Week

Eastend, SK

June 21

University of Saskatchewan Field Day

Saskatoon, SK

June 23-25

Native Prairie Appreciation Week Tour

Eastend, SK

July 19

Prairie Conservation Action Plan July Native Speaker Series

Online

July 19-21

Ag In Motion (outdoor farm expo)

Langham, SK

August 10-12

Angus Summer Tour

Maple Creek, SK

August 12

Beef Business Advertising Deadline for September 2022

August 16-18

Canadian Beef Industry Conference

3 in 1 Feeders Adair Sales & Marketing Company Inc Ag in Motion Allen Leigh Apollo Machine & Products Ltd. ArcRite Welding Bannerlane Horned Herefords Beef Smart Consulting Bud Williams Callicrate Banders Canadian Beef Industry Conference Canadian Cattle Identification Agency Cargill Animal Nutrition Cows in Control Cowtown Livestock Exchange Inc. Crocus Feeding Solutions D&R Prairie Supplies Ducks Unlimited Edward Jones Frostfree Nosepumps GemGuard Grassland Trailer

INSERT 31 11 44 46 45 46 45 46 8 43 3 45 45 46 44 10 47 44 45 45 45

Pentiction, BC

Head for the Hills Shorthorn Hi-Hog Farm & Ranch Equipment John Brown Farms Johnstone Auction Mart

44 15 46 44

Kramer Trailer Sales

45

Lallemand Animal Nutrition Linthicum Ranch Ltd. Liphatec Rozol Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence MB Livestock Cash Advance MNP Manitou Maine-Anjou Man Sask Gelbvieh Association Maple Creek Seed Supply Masterfeeds Milligan Biofuels N.M. McMahon CPA New Generation Supplements New Vision Agro New-Life Mills Nick's Service Ltd. Norheim Ranching

23 44 25 19 22 4 46 45 46 45 44 44 16 46 45 12 48

OLS Tubs Performance Seed Proveta Nutrition Ltd. Quick Look Back Ranchland Livestock Supplies Rock Block Saskatchewan Angus Association Saskatchewan Angus Tour Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists Saskatchewan Livestock Finance Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture SASKTIP Inc. Sheppard Realty SweetPro Target Cattle Concepts Union Forage Vetoquinol Willow Mills Ltd. Xplornet Young Dale Angus Young's Equipment

41 45 2 45 44 44 44 39 33 17 36 20 46 13,44 37 10 27 44 1 46 7

SSGA BOARD OF DIRECTORS THE EXECUTIVE

DIRECTORS AT LARGE

Kelcy Elford President Caron, SK

Phone: 306- 690-5305

Garner Deobald 1st Vice President Hodgeville, SK

Phone: 306-677-2589

Jeff Yorga 2nd Vice President Flintoft, SK

Phone: 306-531-5717

Chay Anderson Finance Chair Fir Mountain, SK

Phone: 306-640-7087

Bill Huber Past President Lipton, SK

Phone: 306-336-2684

ZONE CHAIR DIRECTORS

Find email contact for the Executive Directors at skstockgrowers.com

42

Chay Anderson, Fir Mountain, SK Keith Day, Lacadena, SK Glen Elford, Avonlea, SK Calvin Gavelin, McCord, SK Joe Gilchrist, Maple Creek, SK Adrienne Hanson, Langbank, SK Aaron Huber, Lipton, SK Murray Linthicum, Glentwoth, SK Miles McNeil, Alameda, SK Rob Selke, Morse, SK Lee Sexton, Hanley, SK

Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Zone 6 Zone 7 Zone 12 -

Henry McCarthy, Wawota, SK Karen McKim, Milestone, SK Kim Simpson, Assiniboia, SK Brad Howe, Empress, AB Bill Huber, Lipton, SK Brent Griffin, Elbow, SK Laura Culligan, Kyle, SK Rod Gamble, Pambrun, SK

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

306-640-7087 306-375-2934 306-436-7121 306-478-2558 306-662-3986 306-421-8538 306-336-2684 306-266-4377 306-489-2073 306-629-3238 306-544-2660

AFFILIATE DIRECTORS

Garner Deobald - SK Charolais Affiliate Gord Ell - SaskMilk Affiliate Kyron Manske - SK Simmental Affiliate Marlene Monvoisin - SK Angus Affiliate Rob O'Connor - SK Hereford Affiliate Ray Rintoul - SK Shorthorn Affiliate Gord Schroeder - SK Sheep Affiliate Ian Thackeray - Man-Sask Gelbvieh Affiliate Jeff Yorga - SK Limousin Affiliate

APPOINTED DIRECTOR

Dr. Andy Acton - Veterinary Advisor, Ogema, SK 306-739-2205 306-436-7731 306-375-7939 306-661-0409 306-336-2684 306-854-2050 403-793-9825 306-582-2077

SASKATCHEWAN CCA DIRECTORS Ryan Beierbach, Whitewood, SK Lynn Grant, Val Marie, SK Phil Lynn, Marquis, SK Reg Schellenberg, Beechy, SK Duane Thompson, Kelliher, SK

306-677-2589 306-535-1922 306-267-7530 306-648-8200 306-550-4890 306-917-7805 306-933-5582 306-861-7687 306-531-5717

306-459-2422

306-532-4809 306-298-2268 306-361-9299 306-859-7705 306-675-4562

MAY 2022

August 16-18, 2022

Penticton Trade and Convention Centre Penticton, British Columbia IN PERSON

Register Today!

MAY 2022

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 43

PROTECT YOU AND YOUR TRACTOR WITH

THE ROCK BLOCK

EXPERIENCE

LOW COST

OF OWNERSHIP AND UNMATCHED FEED

The Rock Block is an aftermarket bolt-on kit to reduce rocks and debris from hitting your tractor cab and breaking windows.

An affordable solution to reduce damage and down time

UTILIZATION

JOHN HORTER | HORTER REPAIR

Call us for Demo’s and Pricing

225 Main St South | Bristol, SD 57219 605-216-4852 | horterfarm@nvc.net

THEROCKBLOCK.NET

All types of commercial and purebred livestock auctions and farm sales.

Wash rack facilities for livestock

www.johnstoneauction.ca

Wayne or Scott Johnstone Box 818, Moose Jaw, SK 306-693-4715 (Bus) Fax 306-691-6650

Crocus Feeding Solutions Francis, SK Phone: (306) 519 3668 Email: crocusfeedingsolutions@outlook.ca

Find us on facebook

COWCAM

Wireless & IP Systems Makes your calving €easier, safer & more profitable!

• Smartphone compatible • Save more calves • Stop disturbing them and check more frequently Allen Leigh

Security & Communications Ltd.

Cam

545 Assiniboine Ave, Brandon, MB I TF: 1.866.289.8164 T: 204.728.8878 I info@allenleigh.ca

www.precisioncam.ca Trusted Quality,

Trusted Support,

GROWING WITH YOU

Rations, supplements & minerals Call Bruce at 306-229-0302 Locally sourced grains & commodities Call Wes at 306-229-5206 www.willowmills.com

Trusted Service! www.edwardjones.com

Know your goals so you can choose your investments.

Custom Fabricating & Manufacturing

Specializing in solar powered water troughs Custom Chutes | Hay & Bunk Feeders | Custom Livestock Equipment

Maple Creek, SK

Tyler Knibbs

Financial Advisor .

461 King Street Unit 3 Estevan, SK S4A 1K6 306-634-4870 www.edwardjones.com

Call John @ (306) 662-8098 Member – Canadian Investor Protection Fund

Linthicum Ranch Ltd. Open replacement and bred heifers for sale.

Black/black baldy heifers.

Murray & Jan Linthicum (306) 266-4377

Glentworth, SK 44

HEAD FOR THE HILLS SHORTHORNS

• AgriInvest and AgriStability • Financial Statement and Tax Preparation • Bookkeeping and Payroll • Tax Planning and Consulting • CRA Assistance • Estate and Trust 604 Government Road South, Weyburn SK S4H 2B4 PH: 306.842.5344 | FX: 306.842.5345 McMahon@McMahonCPA.ca

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

Consigning to On Target sale Cattle also for sale by private treaty Dr. Christine Ewert Hill | Dr. Clarke Hill christine.ewert@gmail.com (306) 452-7867 (C) • (306) 452-3803 (H) Box 31, Redvers, SK S0C 2H0

MAY 2022

Celebrating 50 years of Gelbvieh in Canada

MANAGE RISK We’ll help you get the best return for your livestock.

Contact: Man-Sask Gelbvieh President Ian Thackeray at 306-861-7687

Phone 403-775-7534 www.cowsincontrol.com

JOHN SMORODEN

(250) 417-5412 info@quicklookback.com 1075 - 26th Ave. South Cranbrook, B.C. V1C 6Y7 www.quicklookback.com

CAMERA SYSTEMS FOR FARM & RANCH

Animal Nutrition

LIVESTOCK , CAR HAULERS AND FLAT DECKS

1.800.661.9929

We have your hauling needs covered. Check out our website to see what we have in stock or call 1-306-445-5000 and we can discuss your trailer needs.

Custom orders available!

WWW.CARGILL.COM

Financing & Leasing

GOOSENECK, BUMPER PULLS

Manufacturers of Livestock Feeds

ORDER DESK

10029 Marquis Ave., North Battleford, SK

BeefSmart C O N S U LT I N G I N C .

• Forage & Feed Analysis • Ration Formulation • Mineral & Supplement Formulation

• Forage and Pasture Systems • Herd Trace Mineral Status Assessments

Increasing efficiencies and improving profitability of cow-calf, backgrounding, feedlot, bison and sheep producers through nutrition consulting in the prairies. Connect with us today.

Balanced by BeefSmart

aVaiLaBLe

15’, 20', 25' LENGTHS

kramertrailersales.com

Animal Nutrition Programs designed to achieve optimum health, results & profits – delivered with service beyond the competition.

“Masterfeeds is the only brand we trust.

It just works.”

MASTERFEEDS CUSTOMER SASKATCHEWAN:

Humboldt / 1-306-682-2668 Regina / 1-306-721-2727 Saskatoon Premix / 1-306-384-2144 Swift Current / 1-306-773-3001

Unit 108 4002 Arthur Rose Ave, Saskatoon beefsmart.ca • 306-229-0675 • info@beefsmart.ca

MAY 2022

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 45

MAPLE CREEK SEED SUPPLY

NEW VISION AGRO Box 479 Hague, SK S0K 1X0

NATIVE GRASS SEED FOR SASKATCHEWAN Pricing on all Perennial Forages

Raystock Holdings Ltd. Ray McDougald

Text or Call 306-662-7636 rmcdougald@xplornet.ca

PH: (306) 225-2226 FX: (306) 225-2063

email: newvisionagro@sasktel.net www.newvisionagro.com

Dealer & Distributor For: - Jay-Lor Vertical Feed Mixers - Masterfeeds - Cargill Rite Now Minerals - Baler twine, netwrap, silage bunker, covers, plastic wrap, Grain Bags

Machine & Products Ltd.

• ROLLER MILLS ~ Electric or PTO models ~ 10 sizes available ~ Increase the nutrition value of your feed! ~ Manufactured in Saskatoon • SILAGE COVERS & GRAIN BAGS We regroove roller mill rolls - most brands

Check with us before you buy!

2502 Millar Ave, Saskatoon 306-242-9884 or 877-255-0187 apm@sasktel.net www.apollomachineandproducts.com

Helen Finucane phone: 306-584-2773 cell: 306-537-2648 Carlyle, SK

Annual February Sale Two year old bulls & bred heifers

Farm & Ranch Real Estate.

It’s what we do.

3287 Quance Street, Regina, SK

Rob & Joanne Bannerman, Livelong, SK Home: 306 845 2764 Cell: 306 845 7790

We have new books:

OFFICE 306.352.1866 CELL 306.530.8035 sheppardrealty.ca

Manitou

Smile and Mean it: the Bud & Eunice Williams Story

Maine-Anjou Bulls

Stockdogs: Partners and Friends

garysandygraham@gmail.com Marsden, SK | 306.830.0883

(since 1970)

We raise the real Maine-Anjou cattle!

Call Us You’ll be Glad You Did! Visit www.stockmanship.com or call 417-719-4910 for more information.

manitoumaineanjou.ca

CT

Cowtown Livestock Exchange Inc. Maple Creek, SK

Regular Sales every Tuesday @ 10:00 a.m.

Locally Owned & Operated Call for info on Presort & Other Sales Phone 306-662-2648 Toll Free: 1-800-239-5933

www.cowtownlivestock.com

Your AD could be here!

Call now!

306-757-8523

et g BEEF BUSINESS d t ' n n Do behi SEPTEMBER ADVERTISING t f BOOKING DEADLINE e l AUGUST 12

306-757-8527 | ssgacommunications@sasktel.net 46

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

MAY 2022

NEED MORE GRASS? DUC’s Forage Program pays to seed eligible land to pasture or hay.

Additional incentives may be available depending on seed supplier.

50

$

PER AC RE *

SINCE 2020, DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA HAS WORKED WITH MORE THAN 400 SASKATCHEWAN PRODUCERS TO SEED 40,000 ACRES OF GRASS. WE’D BE HAPPY TO PARTNER WITH YOU. Contact us today to learn more:

Z 1-866-252-3825 Z du_regina@ducks.ca Z ag.ducks.ca * Some conditions apply.

Get Ready for Hay & Forage Season New & Used Balers Bale Wrappers Hay Rakes

BEST INVENTORY OF VERMEER PARTS IN SASKATCHEWAN

Net Wrap Silage Wrap Silage Covers

NORHEIMRANCHING.COM