agripost may 29 2015

May 29, 2015 1The Agri Post

By Les Kletke

The World Trade Organi-zation (WTO) has issued afinal ruling confirming thatUS mandatory country oforigin labeling (COOL)discriminates against liveUS imports of Canadiancattle and hogs within thescope of the Agreement onTechnical Barriers to Trade(TBT). Under the TBT, WTOmembers cannot createobstacles to trade which areunnecessary or which,amount to arbitrary orunjustifiable discriminationor a disguised restriction oninternational trade. On 18 May 2015, the WTOAppellate Body issued its“compliance report” statingthe recordkeeping andverification requirements ofthe amended COOL measureimpose a disproportionateburden on producers andprocessors of livestock.This burden cannot beexplained by the need toprovide origin informationto consumers. In additionthe exemptions under theamended US COOL measuresupports a conclusion thatthe detrimental impact ofthat measure on importedlivestock does not stemexclusively from legitimateregulatory distinctions. The WTO further summa-rized in its key findings thatthe panel had noted thatbetween 57.7% and 66.7% ofbeef and between 83.5% and84.1% of pork muscle cutsconsumed in the US conveyno consumer information onorigin despite imposing anupstream recordkeeping

Eight Year M-CoolBattle Over

Rick Bergmann of the CanadaPork Council says the move tostop COOL legislation is goodfor Canadian Pork producers.

burden on producers andprocessors that has adetrimental impact oncompetitive opportunitiesfor imported livestock. The fourth and final rulingends an eight-year battleinitiated by the CanadianCattlemen’s Associationchallenging the 2007 USlabelling law. Dave Solverson, Presidentof the Canadian Cattleman’sAssociation called it“incredibly important and ahistoric part of the CanadianCattle industry. With a finalruling from the WTOaffirming the Canadian beefindustry’s right to fairmarket assess firmly in handthe CCA urges the USCongress to final repealCOOL on red meat.” Manitoba Beef ProducerPresident Heinz Reimer said,“Although not unexpected,we are pleased with theWTO’s ruling. We havelong maintained the COOLis a discriminatory practiceand the WTO’s decisionmakes this clear once andfor all. If the US were torepeal COOL, there wouldbe immediate positiveimpacts for producers inManitoba and acrossCanada. Reimer made a point ofthanking the Federalgovernment for its contin-ued effort in the process. It is unclear if the US willtake the required actionsafter the decision andReimer is confident theCanadian government willtake the steps required tomove the process along.That might require retalia-tory tariffs against a

Ag Minister Gerry Ritz is being applauded by farm groups fortaking the American legislation regarding Country of OriginLabeling to the WTO.

previously determined list ofU.S. products. The Canadian PorkCouncil (CPC) had a similarview of the ruling. “TheWTO has confirmed thisdiscrimination for the fourthtime,” said CPC Chair RickBergmann. This is theWTO’s final judgement andit is comprehensive andcompelling there is not

wiggle room.” He is hopefulthey will act on the measure. “The United States hasnow lost four times,” hesaid. “Congress must acceptthe reality and act as aresponsible WTO memberand a leading force in tradeliberalization.” The CPC worked togetherwith the Federal governmentand the Canadian CattlemenAssociation to bring aboutthe challenges against theCOOL legislation in the 2008Farm Bill. The Canadian livestockindustry estimates thedamage done by the COOLlegislation at a billion dollarsannually. The CCA alonesaid its cost in fighting thelegislation is $3.25 millionbut Solverson said that thisis minor in comparison tothe hardship the legislationhas caused Canadian beefproducers.

By Les Kletke

While the World Trade Or-ganization (WTO) handeddown a ruling against Coun-try of Origin Labelling(COOL) not all US farm groupsare willing to accept the deci-sion. House Agriculture Commit-tee Chairman MichaelConaway introduced a bill torepeal COOL legislation forbeef, pork and chicken prod-ucts saying it was a target re-sponse to the WTO ruling. “Conaway is misleadingCongress and the Americanpeople,” said Bill Bullard, CEOof R-CALF. “Conaway’s billis another. More than a sirencall by the one per cent. He istrying to coerce the publicinto support something thatwill ultimately cause themharm.” R-CALF has been oneof the strongest supportersof the COOL legislation dur-ing the 8-year battle betweenCanadian and Americancattlemen. Bullard points out thatConaway’s bill also calls forthe removal of chicken meatfrom the COOL legislation.“This is proof that Conaway’sbill is not a target response tothe WTO but he is exploitingthe WTO ruling to supportthe multinational meatpacker’s decade long effort tohide the origins of food fromconsumers. Bullard bases none of hisarguments on benefits to the

Bill Bullard is the president ofR-CALF and does not believethe battle over COOL is donesimply because the ruling isagainst the US.

TheyWon’tBackDown

American consumer or thatany meat products fromCanada or Mexico provide athreat to food safety in theUS. He does not dispute thatthe decision follows the lawof the WTO agreement. Theonly case that he makesagainst the agreement is thatthe presiding official at theWTO hearing RicardoHernandez was in a conflictof interest position becausehe has represented Mexico ininternational traded litigationand was the lead council tothe Mexican government inthe past two WTO disputes. “This is the tip of the ice-berg in the problems that Con-gress created by ceding ahuge swath of US sovereigntyto the unelected and unac-countable WTO tribunal,”Said Bullard. “What Conawayis doing is a travesty and wehope that the majority ofmembers will quickly seethrough it.” The majority of farm groupsin the US appear to have ac-cepted the ruling and are wait-ing to see what the impacts

Continued on page 3

May 29, 20152 The Agri Post

By Harry Siemens

Pulse Canada hopes thatdesignating 2016, as Interna-tional Year of Pulses will spot-light the health benefits,spark additional research andincrease attention to hurdlesthat cause trade disruptions. While pulse conventions,pulse crops meetings are fo-cused on supply and demand,market signals, and produc-tion techniques, the recentGlobal Pulse Confederationannual convention held in LasVegas in April focused moreon health issues. Gordon Bacon, Chief Ex-ecutive Officer of PulseCanada said going forward itis about featuring what theagricultural industry and thehealth communities know isthe healthy addition to thenormal daily diet. “On an international level,we just unveiled to the pulseindustry in advance of unveil-ing a public campaign in No-vember,” said Bacon. “A newinternational logo for pulsesand the tagline is, The Futureof Foods. “We really believethat we have the opportunityin the pulse industry to cata-pult to be the ingredient ofattention on a global basis.” He said the reasons are, thetiming is right for beans, len-tils, peas, chickpeas, and forpulses around the world toget the recognition they de-serve, as not only a proteinsource, but also more impor-tantly, something that willmake a difference for health. The main health factor hewants to talk about is bloodsugar control, which is key indiabetes. “This is a pandemicaround the world in the de-veloping countries, and cer-tainly related to obesity prob-lems which aren’t just re-stricted to North America, butIndia the Middle East, and in-creasingly even in China withthe younger generation,” saidBacon. “We have the oppor-tunity to position pulses as

Making Space on thePlate for Pulses

being something that pro-vides some value to societyin addressing one of our keypriorities and that’s health.And how the link to food andhealth can really be empha-sized with the role pulses canplay.” He said much of the discus-sion in Las Vegas was notabout traditional supply anddemand of pulses but turnedto talk on how the industrycan unlock this potential tomove these crops from com-modities to key ingredientsthat impact health. “I think everything in life isgreatly influenced by the tim-ing,” said Bacon. “We’re com-ing together with 2016 beingdeclared by the United Na-tions as the International Yearof Pulses. We’re continuingto see focus on health andnon communicable diseasehealth problems like bloodsugar control, diabetes andcardiovascular disease.” He said they are seeing moreand more on a global basiswith new product launchesthat contain pulses to com-pliment the cereal base. “Ithink this is our future look-ing for ‘space on the plate’and an understanding at theconsumer level as to why thisis important,” said Bacon.“On eating whole beans, wehave decades of research interms of what the health ben-efit is, but we haven’t comeup with creating new excite-ment for the new generationof bean eaters.”

Gordon Bacon, CEO of PulseCanada


Farmers, consumers, food, beverages, confectionery,pharmaceutical, natural health product and cosmeticmanufacturer’s should prepare themselves and plan ac-cordingly for higher prices on US imports. On May 18, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ap-pellate Body rejected the US arguments in its MandatoryCountry of Origin Labelling (M-COOL) appeal and thatthe labelling is not about food safety or traceability. Both Mexico and Canada are free to request authoriza-tion from the WTO to determine the level of damage.Once the WTO arbitrator issues a decision, Canada willbe free to request formal authorization from the DisputeSettlement Body (DSB) to retaliate. Once granted, Canadahas indicated that it will impose a 100% surtax on USimports in its efforts to recoup losses arising from M-COOL regulations over the past 8 years. The CanadianGovernment expects to be in a position to impose tariffsby the fall 2015. The surtax is an extra duty that can be used over andabove the customs duties, on goods that originate in aspecific country when Canada’s financial position andits balance of payments are such as to require specialmeasures. It is a non-refundable tax on tax for Canadianimporters and even if the product was non-dutiable ortaxable before the surtax implementation, the extra taxwill need to be paid when a product crosses the border.The Canadian government has stated that the surtaxwould be rescinded in the event of US compliance withtheir WTO obligations or in the event of a negotiatedsolution to settle the losses. The Canadian import list is far reaching and certainlydesigned to recoup losses quickly among a broad groupof importers.

Canadian Import List Targetedfor the 100% Surtax (partial list):- live bovine and swine, meat of bovine and swine other than ham and shoulder and cuts- cuts of offal, fresh or chilled of spent fowl- prepared meals of spent fowl, prepared meals of specially defined mixtures other than in cansor glass jars- cheese excluding fresh unripened or uncured, whey or curd, grated or powdered, processed,blue-veined or containing veins produced by Penicillium roqueforti- fresh apples, cherries, other than sour- semi-milled or wholly milled rice, whether or not polished or glazed- glucose and glucose syrup, containing in the dry state at least 20% but less than 50% by weightof fructose, excluding invert sugar, other fructose and fructose syrup, containing in the dry statemore than 50% by weight of fructose, excluding invert sugar- chocolate and other food preparations containing cocoa, preparations in blocks, slabs or barsweighing more than 2 kg or in liquid, paste, powder, granular or other bulk form in containers orimmediate packings, of a content exceeding 2 kg, chocolate and other food preparations contain-ing cocoa, chocolate ice cream mix or ice milk mix; chocolates; chocolate coated nuts and otherconfectionery- Pasta, whether or not cooked or stuffed (with meat or other substances) or otherwise prepared,such as spaghetti, macaroni, noodles, lasagna, gnocchi, ravioli, cannelloni; couscous, whether ornot prepared- Prepared foods obtained by the swelling or roasting of cereals or cereal products (for example,corn flakes); cereals (other than maize [corn]) in grain form or in the form of flakes or other workedgrains (except flour, groats and meal), pre-cooked or otherwise prepared, not elsewhere specifiedor included- Bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits and other bakers’ wares, whether or not containing cocoa; com-munion wafers, empty cachets of a kind suitable for pharmaceutical use, sealing wafers, rice paperand similar products- Orange juice, frozen- Tomato ketchup and other tomato sauces- Ethyl alcohol and other spirits, denatured, of any strength- Articles of jewellery and parts thereof, of precious metal or of metal clad with precious metal- Other tubes, pipes and hollow profiles, welded, of circular cross-section, of stainless steel- Parts of stoves, ranges, grates, cookers barbecues, braziers, gas-rings, plate warmers and similarnon-electric domestic appliances, and parts thereof, of iron or steel- Wooden office furniture

of the proposed legislation will be. Many packers were opposed to the COOL legislationsaying that it increased their costs and made it difficultto acquire the cattle they need to run efficient kill floors.The American cowherd is at a historic low in numbersand faces several years of rebuilding, most cattlemenare concerned with rebuilding the industry rather thanplacing road blocks to product entering the country.

US - COOLcontinued...

Continued from page 1

Get RGet RGet RGet RGet Ready for Higheready for Higheready for Higheready for Higheready for HigherPPPPPrices on US Importsrices on US Importsrices on US Importsrices on US Importsrices on US Imports

By Les Kletke

The biggest break for farm-ers in the last Federal budgetmay be for those leaving thebusiness. The lifetime Capi-tal Gains Exemptions for farm-ers has increased from$813,600 to $1,000,000. Whilethe move does little more thatkeep pace with increasingland prices, at least one farmgroup welcomed the an-nouncement saying that itwould help with family trans-fers. “These tax measures helpfacilitate the transfer of thefamily farm to the next gen-eration and will encouragemore young people to take upfarming,” said Levi Wood,President of the Western Ca-nadian Wheat Growers Asso-ciation. A reduction in the small busi-ness tax rate from 11% to 9%was also welcomed by Wood,who said that many farms fallinto the small business cat-egory and any reduction intax rate is welcome.

Levi Wood, president of theWestern Wheat GrowersAssociation welcomes theincrease in Capital GainsExemptions in the latest federalbudget.

Some Bright Spotsin Federal Budget

He was most pleased aboutthe government’s commit-ment to a strong trade agendathrough the Trans-PacificPartnership and the increasedfunding for the Market Ac-cess Secretariat. “We thankthe Federal government forreducing the tax burden onfarmers and other small busi-nesses. These tax measuresand the measures to promotetrade will strengthen the farmeconomy and lead to greaterinvestment on the parries.” The pork industry voiced

the same support for the at-tempts at increased trade.“The Canadian swine indus-try is very supportive of ex-panding trade and coopera-tive activities that wouldhelp to improve the tradingclimate and competitivenessof Canadian Pork,” said Ca-nadian Pork Council Chair-man Rick Bergmann. “Weare very supportive of theCanadian government’strade agenda and efforts tosecure agriculture marketaccess.” “Pork farmers acrossCanada share the same abid-ing commitment to providingconsumers a safe, nutritiousand affordable food sup-ply,” said Bergmann. “Cana-dian pork is exported to over140 countries and I ampleased that we have a com-mon interest with the federalgovernment and commit-ment to enhance competi-tiveness, drive innovationand promote the long-termgrowth and sustainability ofthe Canadian swine indus-

try.” The Canadian Federation ofAgriculture (CFA) while sup-porting the expanded trade ini-tiatives rated the increase inCapital Gains Exemption as thebrightest spot for agriculture.“One of the most significantitems for agriculture in thisbudget is the increase to theLifetime Capital Gains, whichCFA has been advocating forsome time. Last year’s budgetsaw a small increase in thisarea, but the funds allocatedthis year will have a meaning-ful impact,” said Ron Bonnett,President of the CFA. CFA was not entirely pleasedwith the budget, as they wouldhave liked to see more moneyallocated to research and aclearer indication of where al-located money will be headed. The CFA pre-budget submis-sion touched on research pri-orities to increase funding toclimate change adaption andrisk management as well asecological goods and servicesbut felt these were not specifi-cally addressed in the budget.

By Les Kletke

As expected farm group reactions to the latest announce-ment by Ag Minister Gerry Ritz about a further move to com-plete privatization of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) aremixed. The groups seem more intent on maintaining theirphilosophical viewpoints than evaluating the move on thebasis of impact it will have for Canadian farmers. The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) a staunch supporterof the CWB said the announcement of the joint venture withthe CWB, Bunge Ltd., and a Saudi agricultural and livestockinvestment company, SALIC Canada, is a transfer of wealthaway from Canadian farmers to foreign investors. “With this the Conservative government has accomplishedthe biggest transfer of wealth away from farmers in the his-tory of Canada,” said Jan Stomp an Alberta farmer and NFUPresident. Closer to home, Manitoba NFU Board MemberIan Robson agrees and questions the transparency of thetransaction. “Where is the report of accountability? This is our moneyand taxpayer dollars. The whole deal has been brokered incomplete secrecy,” said Robson. “The government has re-fused to release the CWB’s complete financial statementsafter dismantling the single desk selling system. The newentity known as G3 Global Grain Group is privately held anddoes not publish financial statements.” Long time opponent of the single desk selling system,Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association (WCWGA),welcomes the move saying the deal will bring new capitalinto the Canadian grain industry. “The deal will strengthen the CWB’s ability to compete forfarmers’ grain,” said Levi Wood, President of the WCWGA.He says this equity investment by G3 will give the CWB theability to build more high throughout grain handling facili-ties on the prairies. “Given the constraints of our rail network, having addi-tional grain handling capacity will be a welcome develop-ment,” said Wood. “Increasing system capacity will improveour industry’s ability to meet customer needs in a timelybasis, and give farmers a further marketing outlet for theirgrain.”

Mixed Reaction to Wheat Board Buyers A Farmer Trust will be set up and own 49.9% of the newpartnership. Farmers will be allocated $5 in equity per tonneof grain delivered. When the trust reaches $250 million orafter 7 years, G3 can buy it out. The trust will be managed bythree appointed trustees with one having a seat on the Board. Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) welcomed the announce-ment of the G3 partnership saying the investment will makethe CWB a major player in the global grain market. “Grain Growers have supported the return to marketingfreedom for Canadian grains,” said Gary Stanford, GGC Presi-dent, “We welcome the CWB’s role in the Canadian commer-cial grain trade and believe this is the next stage in the life ofthe organization and will help enhance the companion andchoice for farmers. The organization is pleased to see that pooling continuesto be offered through the CWB and says it will enhance themarketing choice of farmers.

The Federal Government has committed funding of$785,660 to the Canada Organic Trade Association(COTA) to help promote the Canadian organic sectorand increase the visibility of the Canadian organic brandin international markets. Canada now ranks as the fifth largest organic marketworldwide and is home to over 4,500 organic farms, andmore than 1,000 organic processors and handlers.Canada has signed organic equivalency agreements withthe US, EU and Japan. The funds will enable COTA to attend internationalconferences and trade shows and lead outgoing mis-sions to raise awareness of Canadian organic productsin key markets in Europe, US, Asia and South America.

Organic Sector POrganic Sector POrganic Sector POrganic Sector POrganic Sector PushesushesushesushesushesForward on GlobalForward on GlobalForward on GlobalForward on GlobalForward on Global

Branding and PBranding and PBranding and PBranding and PBranding and Promotionromotionromotionromotionromotion


by RolfPenner

PennersPoints

[email protected]

First off, if you hadn’tnoticed yet, there is a newname for the bean and pulsecrops growers in Manitobashowing again the growth ofthe entire pulse industry inManitoba. I can remember back in theearly 80s with one Manitobavariety doing good for

maybe one or two years,then along comes Mr. JackFrost early and boom, thebloom came off the rose. Inthis, case the fledglingsoybean industry. It was a bit like the cornindustry that suffered almosta similar fate, but it got backon its feet because thefarmers had a fallback tofrozen grain corn, cutting itfor silage for a thriving cattleindustry. The soybeans came backtoo with a new name inhand, the Manitoba Pulse &Soybean Growers (MPSG)

The English language often comes up short in terms of great communication. Still, it isthe tool we have to work with even though there are other languages that provide so manymore options. Greek for example has 6 different words for love and the different types oflove. We need to have more descriptive terms for love and that is just for the love of animalsnever mind when we start with people-to-people relationships. Just a few weeks ago, a

promoter of Canadian cheese told me that farmerslove their animals and that is why there is a hearton the ads for Canadian dairy products. Farmerslove their animals and know that if they are treatedwell they will produce more, and ultimately that isbetter for the bottom line. Farmers don’t just treat their animals well becauseof the bottom line; I believe they actually care abouttheir wellbeing for other reasons. What scares me is the kind of love for animalsthat I see in grocery stores, parks and Facebook. Is

it just me and the connections I have on Facebook or have people lost touch with realityand the line between people and animals. The amount of pictures I see with people dress-ing up their dogs or cats in sweaters and hats makes me shudder. The most frightening thing is the amount of people who refer to their pets as theirchildren and call themselves parents. This is really scary, I grew up in a generation wherethe phrase referring to your mother as a female dog was very offensive, but today I hear itfrom many people who seem relatively sane in other areas of their life. Personally, I would be offended if you referred to an animal as one of my offspring butpeople do it in public and on Facebook all the time. My fear is that when the line between people and pets is blurred it will continue to moveto the point of encompassing all animals. In my view, the jump to thinking your dog or yourcat is your child is far greater than from your dog to the cow. If I was a member of PETA I would be rubbing my hands with glee, if people think dogsare their children, then it is an easy transition to dogs are similar to sheep, which are similarto pigs, which are indeed almost the same as cows. If you think that is farfetched, explainthe dog being your child thing to me. My fear is that with this group of people who think their pets are their children the backdoor is open for PETA to convince them that eating meat is a bad thing, and having animalsin captivity is a horrible restriction on their spirit. Add to the mix that most of these people who have animal children are of a mature ageand it gets even scarier. These are people who grew up in the age where there was a clear

difference between animals and people but the lines haveblurred and that is not a good thing. Watch for it, how many people you see thinking their petis human.

Reports started to come in at the beginning of May that global levels of CO² hadclimbed all the way to 400 parts per million (ppm). They tended to sound ominous inthe mainstream media, but Tim Ball, an historical climatologist based on the westcoast, tells us it’s actually good news. “Plants are delighted that CO² levels are now400 ppm and rising.” Writing on the popular climate change website, “Watt’s Up With That,” Ball talksabout his involvement in a recent brief to the US Supreme Court that opposed theEnvironmental Protection Agency’s actions onCO². Speaking tongue in cheek, he had suggestedseeking a Power of Attorney on behalf of plantseverywhere against the government’s plans toreduce atmospheric CO². It sounds like a publicity stunt some environ-mental fringe group might stage, but the jestgives one pause for thought. CO² is importantfor plant growth, yet the only thing these sortsof groups promote is the planting of more treesto bring down CO² levels. They side with the argument that CO² is a pollutant, andforget that higher levels actually promote plant growth. If you want plants to besuccessful, why would you want to reduce an important input that makes this pos-sible? If you look back through biological history, you’ll find that all life exists thanks toCO². Professor Ball, retired from the University of Winnipeg, points out that mostplants evolved over the last 300 million years at an average CO² level of 1,200 ppm,much higher than where we are today. Modern greenhouses regularly pump CO² into their facilities, particularly in winterwhen ventilators are closed, to enhance plant growth. Recommendations vary fromplant to plant, but for the most part saturation levels are in the 1,000-ppm range. Ifanything, plants in the wild are probably starving for CO². Isn’t it odd, then, that a substance so integral to plants and really to life on earth,would be labelled and targeted as “greenhouse gas pollution.” But maybe that wasthe point. Once you attach a negative label to something, emotions take over and factsand reason go out the window.Of course, the reason CO² has become such a villain has to do with the theory ofmanmade global warming. Supposedly we humans are producing too much of thestuff, and that will cause the earth’s overall temperature to rise, which can lead to allsorts of negative outcomes. The problem with the theory is that reality keeps intrud-ing. While CO² levels have risen faster than projected, the global temperature hasactually gone sideways. It’s known as the pause, or hiatus, in some circles and noneof their computer models predicted it. Look at the satellite temperature record. There has been no warming for the last 18years. Let that sink in a bit. We have people that have reached the legal age to drinkalcohol and the whole time they’ve been on the planet there has been no globalwarming. A “wait and see” attitude would seem the most prudent strategy. We have a lot moreto learn before we can really say anything for certain when it comes to climate. Butwhen it comes to CO², we do know that plants love the stuff, and they love turning itback into oxygen. On balance, that sounds way more like a positive than a negative.The plants would probably agree.

Farmers Love Their Animals, But… A Power of Attorney to ProtectPlant’s Access CO²

Soybeans and Canola Make foran Interesting Economic Mix

now working together underthat umbrella. The soybean is such agreat crop to grow, I keepcalling it the next ManitobaCinderella crop and it will beinteresting when the dustsettles indeed, how manyacres Manitoba farmers willplant this year.

Every time I turnaround to visit withanother farmer fromanother area inManitoba, he tells meabout his soybeanplantings and howmany acres he’sputting in. It is

absolutely fabulous.That gets me to the mainpoint of this column,something that caught myeye and prompted my littlepiece on the mightysoybean. A feasibility studyreveals Manitoba cansupport a soybean crushingfacility. MPSG partneredwith Soy 20/20 to initiateand co-fund the studyconducted by MercantileVenture Consulting. The MPSG likes theoutcome of a new feasibility

study, funded by the Canadaand Manitoba governmentsand industry partners, whichfound Manitoba has the rightmix of soybean productionand market demand tosupport a soybean crushingfacility. My first impulse was tosay does Manitoba havesnow meaning it is quiteobvious to me the farmersand processing industrycould ill afford not to buildthat plant. “We have an opportunityto provide more value togrowers in Manitoba and it’salways good to have analternative market thatdoesn’t rely on exports,”said Kyle Friesen, Chair ofMPSG. “We want toencourage local supply anddemand to keep value-addedprocessing in Manitoba tosupport jobs, the tax baseand economic activity.” Kyle, you are dead on.

When the old CWBcontrolled as much ofanything they could get theirhands on, processing wheaton the Prairies, forget it.Rather we shipped carloadsof grain to the west coastwhere one railcar out ofseven carried screenings thatcleaners on the coast blewout and I’m not sure whatthey did with it. According to the study, asoybean crushing plantwould bring many benefitsto Manitoba producers,including easier access to themarket, the ability to bypassuneven rail freight, and thecapability to generate freightsavings and better soybeanprices. The study says a soybeancrushing facility could makemoney, based on the growthof the province’s soybeanacreage and the demand forsoybean meal in the westernCanadian livestock industry. Manitoba currently

produces 18 percent of allsoybeans grown in Canada –more than 1.25 million acres,and the study estimatessoybean acreage couldquadruple in western Canadaover the next decade. Thereare currently no large-scalesoybean crushing facilities inwestern Canada. It will be interesting howthey will accomplish thismajor undertaking. MPSGand Soy 20/20 will investi-gate potential stakeholderswho may want to constructa soybean crushing facility. Wow….Why not throwCanola into the mix… Againnot to belabour the point, wehave at least six canolacrushing plants betweenAltona and Yorkton,Saskatchewan, and howmany flour plants? Thisstudy shows if this newplant would crush bothsoybeans and canola, it coulddo even better.


By Elmer Heinrichs

Manitoba farmers will increase their acres in wheat and barley thisyear. A three per cent increase in Canada’s spring wheat acres ismainly related to the fact that some areas in western Manitoba werenot seeded in 2014 because of excessive moisture. This year,Manitoba and Saskatchewan will increase their barley areas sub-stantially, by 53 and 23% respectively. In these two provinces, the main reason for the large swing in areawas last spring’s losses due to wet and flooded field conditionscompared to this year’s ability to actually seed these acres. For 2015-16, the area seeded to wheat in Canada is estimated to fallmarginally as a three per cent increase for spring wheat is more thanoffset by a 32 per cent reduction of winter wheat acres that wasdown due the late 2014 harvest. Durum wheat, on the other hand, is expected to increase 15.8 percent, following on last year’s high prices and low carry-in stocks.Production is forecast to rise by 12 per cent to 5.8 metric tonnes. According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, in its May 2015outlook there is an expectation for Canada’s total field crop produc-tion to rise slightly, but supply is forecast to fall due to lower stocksand imports. Canada grains and oils production is forecast to in-crease while exports and domestic use are forecast to decrease dueto a lower supply. Pulse and special crop production is also expected to increase,but exports are anticipated to be marginally lower.

By Elmer Heinrichs

Over 2,000 acres has alreadybeen seeded for the CanadianFoodgrains Bank (CFGB) herein Manitoba. Regional CoordinatorHarold Penner said that wheat,soybeans, canola, and cornhave been planted and expectsto see a total of about 5,500acres seeded this spring. Penner added that they hada new project come on boardthis year near Glenlea, withanother new project nearNiverville that aims to get theurban population involved. Seeding got away early, as40 acres of wheat were seededfor the HOPE project near Ste.Elizabeth April 25, then, thevery next day 45 acres ofCardale wheat was seeded for

Over 2,000 Acres Already Seededfor Foodgrains Bank

the HELP project at St. Pierre-Jolys. On Monday, April 27 300,acres of Cardale wheat wasseeded for the CommonGround project nearRosenfeld, on April 28 theDomain portion of theCHIPIN project was seeded toPedigree Cardale andMinnedosa also seeded 120acres of Cardale wheat. Also seeded on April 298were 80 acres of wheat for theCHOICE project near ElmCreek, and 100 acres of wheatfor the Louise project nearCrystal City. Two-quarter sections onApril 30 completed a busymonth of seeding. Wheat wasseeded for the new Grow Hopeproject at Niverville, and soy-beans were seeded for the

HOPE project at Arnaud. Penner said that on May 4,the SHARE project atMorden seeded soybeans,and some more acres havegone in since then, “We nowhave 1,058 acres of wheat, 477acres of soybeans, 175 acresof canola and 305 acres ofcorn, for a grand total of 2,015acres seeded this spring.” He estimates that last yearManitoba grow projects wereable to raise about $1.8 mil-lion. With spring here, CFGB hasalso turned its attention tonext year’s attempt at break-ing the threshing world record. “We’re just getting our-selves organized to start get-ting sponsorships for theevent,” said Penner. “We’recertainly getting the word outthere and starting to get re-sponses from people whowould like to volunteer tohelp.”Manitoba Farmers

Increase Wheat andBarley Acres

Upcoming Events:All Canada Classic Elite Ram and Ewe Show & Sale - From Wednesday, June 24 – Saturday, June 27 at theRed River Exhibition Park in Winnipeg. This is the premier event for the Canadian Purebred Sheep Industry andwill be hosted by the Manitoba Sheep Association (MSA) in partnership with the Canadian Sheep BreedersAssociation. This annual show and sale, which rotates across Canada, will welcome 200 to 300 sheep of allbreeds Agricultural Society Fair - From Thursday, June 25- Saturday, June 27 in Dauphine. Contact SherryBeyak 204-638-4428.

Manitoba Great Western Harness Racing – From Saturday, July 4 – Sunday, July 5 in Morris.

Induction Ceremony – From Thursday, July 16, the annual Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame InductionCeremony will take place at 1:30 pm at the William Glesby Centre, 11 2nd Street NE, Portage la Prairie.

Manitoba Stampede - From Thursday, July 16 – Sunday, July 19 at the stampede grounds in Morris. Stam-pede, rodeo championships, agricultural fair, music, food and much more.

Threshermen’s Reunion and Stampede - The 61st annual Threshermen’s Reunion and Stampede from Thurs-day ,July 23 – Sunday, July 26, at the Manitoba Agricultural Museum 3kms south of the junction of Highways1 and 34, at the Austin Corner. Featuring a working 20-building Homesteaders’ Village, farming demonstra-tions with horse, steam and gas power, vintage fashion show, home handicraft displays, heavy horse events,antique car show, live entertainment and rodeo. Cost Adults $15, Children 6 – 12, $8, Children 5 & under Free.Rodeo cost additional to Reunion. Adults $12, Children 6 – 12, $6, 5 & under Free.

The Richer Roughstock Rodeo, August 7-9. HRA Rodeo, lots of entertainment for everyone, giant Trading Post,and more. Visit www.richerrodeo.ca for more info.


It is a bit hard to tell, butCanada is part of one of thelargest trade negotiations thathave ever taken place. Hard totell because not many seem towant to talk about it. Cana-dian reaction to the negotia-tions seems a bit like a five-year old putting their handsover their eyes and hoping no-one sees them. That needs tochange. I am talking about TheTrans-Pacific Partnership(TPP) negotiations. Thesetalks are rapidly running to thefinish line. Canada is at risk ofbeing last in the race. Canadi-ans cannot afford to let thathappen. What is at stake? The twelvecountries involved in thisAsia-Pacific deal make up 40percent of the world’s grossdomestic product. Canada is atrading nation. We cannot af-ford to take a back seat in 40percent of the world’s eco-nomic activity. Canada has some sensitivi-ties in the negotiations. We arenot unique. Everyone one ofthe twelve countries aroundthe table have sensitive do-mestic issues. These rangefrom the US “Buy America”programming, sugar, cars,clothing and of course agricul-ture. What does make Canadaunique is that the other 11 TPPpartners are talking about theirsensitivities, while Canadaseems to be waiting. OtherTPP members have indicatedthat Canada risks being left outof the deal completely if wedon’t quickly come to thetable. There is much to gain. In-comes in the Asia-Pacific re-gion are rapidly rising. Tradebetween Asian-Pacific coun-tries is growing faster than anyother region in the world.Countries in the TPP are notjust importing more, they areimporting higher quality. Thisis an ideal opportunity for Ca-nadian farmers and the entireagriculture value chain. We arevery good at supplying grow-ing economies with high qual-ity food. Just as there is much to gain,there is much to lose. Asian-Pacific countries are top buy-ers of Canadian grains and oil-seeds. For example Japan im-ports about 1.5 million metrictonnes of high quality wheatevery year. They are one ofour most consistent custom-ers. What happens to this mar-ket if competitors like the U.S.

Borrowing limits under theManitoba Livestock Associa-tions Loan Guarantee(MLALG) program have in-creased to ensure producers canaccess credit with favourableterms. The borrowing limit for theMLALG program has in-creased to up to $8 millionfrom $5 million for associationsand up to $500,000 from$300,000 for individual asso-ciation members. The MLALG program pro-vides producers who are mem-bers of livestock associationswith more favourable financ-ing terms than they would beable to access individually, aswell as reduced handling costsdue to the higher volumes ofcattle sold through the asso-ciations. Producers can use thefunds to purchase feeder orbreeder cattle with repaymentterms of up to one year and upto seven years, respectively. MLALG, which is adminis-tered by Manitoba AgriculturalServices Corporation(MASC), provides a 25 percent guarantee of the loansmade by private-sector lend-ers to livestock associations.

We Need to TalkAbout TPP

and Australia gain preferentialaccess? The status quo is simply notan option. Either Canada is partof the TPP agreement and isable to participate in theregion’s growth or we are lefton the sidelines while our com-petitors gain the benefits ofbetter market access. Canadian participationshould really be a no-brainer,but Canada will likely be askedto make decisions at an incon-venient time. Inconvenient be-cause these decisions will needto be made before October 19(election day in Canada, forthose who are not politicaljunkies). Elections are a difficult timefor political leaders to talkabout sensitive issues, includ-ing sensitive trade negotia-tions. Elections are also aneasy time for politicians to at-tack their opponents for mak-ing difficult decisions that arein the best interest of the Ca-nadian economy. This is why all of Canadianagriculture, especially farmers,need to speak up and be heard.We need to remind politiciansfrom all parties that we dependon trade. We need to ensure

that they know the large ben-efits that will come from TPPparticipation. And we needthem to understand the costsassociated with being left be-hind. Politicians who under-stand the benefits of tradeneed your support. When Canada joined theTPP negotiations Prime Min-ister Harper indicated a “De-termination to diversify ourexports and to create jobs,growth and long-term pros-perity for Canadian families.”I could not agree more. It istime for Canada to get back inthe race and cross the finishline with our partners and re-alize these benefits. Cam Dahl is President ofCereals Canada.

Enhancements to LoanEnhancements to LoanEnhancements to LoanEnhancements to LoanEnhancements to LoanGuarantee ProgramGuarantee ProgramGuarantee ProgramGuarantee ProgramGuarantee Program


As a ruminant nutritionist, whenever I conduct a barn-walk of a lactating dairy herd, Ihave a short routine to get a feeling as to how general performance is going. One of thefirst things that I do is watch the cows resting in their stalls and watch for cowschewing their cud. If many of these milk producers are rhythmically belching andchewing without a care in the world, I am confident with a little more investigation thattheir diet has adequate dietary fibre levels for good milk production. Undisturbed, a Holstein cow naturally can spend up to 10 hours a day chewing itscud. She initially chews or masticates forages, grains and other feed ingredients onlylong and thorough enough to swallow her mouth-full of feed. Once it passes down heresophagus and into the reticulo-rumen, food contents are mixed with ruminal fluid andmicrobes. Some of the very small particles are digested and their nutrients are eitherabsorbed across the rumen wall or passed out of the rumen and along to the rest of thedigestive tract. The larger material that contains mostly structural carbohydrates from forages andother feedstuffs constitutes “effective fibre”. This is the fibrous material that stimulatesthe rumen into regurgitating them back into the cow’s mouth, which she chews intosmaller pieces and swallows them again. Cud chewing repeats itself until these feedparticles become small enough to leave the rumen and enter the omasum and later theabomasum. Active rumination also stimulates the production of large volumes of saliva, whichcontains sodium bicarbonate that buffers volatile fatty acids produced from feedcarbohydrates. It is estimated that one cow produces about 300 - 400 litres of saliva perday which buffers lactic acid produced during fermentation and thus maintain a normalpH of 6.0 to 6.5 in a healthy rumen as well as preserve a vital acetate to propionate ratiofor good milk and butterfat production in the udder. A lack of active cud chewing or rumination means digestive upsets and trouble. Such digestive irregularities originate from several feed-related problems often seen indairy barns due to a low dietary fibre. Subsequently, it can lead to serious health andperformance issues in the lactating herd such as poor dry matter intakes by the earlylactation cows, incomplete feed digestion, sub-clinical rumen acidosis (SARA), irrevers-ible lameness, butterfat depression and ultimately poor milk production. To provide sufficient effective fibre to dairy cows and avoid such digestive upsets, Iproceed using suitable building blocks of “effective fibre” in the overall dairy diet,

Effective Fibre is Essential toMaintain Cud Chewing Dairy Cows

which should meet three main rules for healthy and cud-chewing dairy cows, namely:1. The diet contains 28% NDF.2. 75% of this NDF comes from forage sources or equivalent sources (21 – 22% eNDF)3. Forage are chopped at a cut length of ½” to provide 15 – 20% of the dietary particlesbeing over 1.5” long that creates a good floating mat in the rumen. These rules are also useful when I want to make simple cud-chewing improvements toexisting lactation diets. For example, if I want to raise the effective fibre level of alactation diet, I often substitute a kilo of lush alfalfa haylage: eNDF of 35% with a kilo ofdried grass hay of 52% eNDF. One should remember that not all forage fibre parameters to keep cows chewing theircud are as timeless as these three rules. Case-in-point: I used to think feeding enougheNDF in a healthy dairy diet was as easy as keeping the forage to concentrate ratiobetween 40:60 and 60:40. This is no longer the case, given the popularity of high-grain corn silage, which yieldsa relative high NDF value (35 – 40%), yet contain high levels of starch (35–40%).Furthermore, producers have fed new types of highly digestible forage such as brownmid-rib (BMR) corn silage, in which they mixed with their routine silages/haylages toreplace dietary energy coming from grain starch. One should also realize that there are many factors that affect any nutritional rule tosatisfy adequate eNDF in dairy diets. Forage particle size is a major contributor that notonly dictates time that feed remains in the rumen for fermentation, but also accounts forthe number of large forage particles necessary to stimulate regurgitation and thus cud-chewing. As a practical means of measuring adequate particle size of most forages and totalmixed rations, the Penn State Particle Separator (PSPS) is still a good device in determin-ing the proper cud-chewing rations fed to dairy cattle. It is divided into three screens,and a sample of dairy diet can be “shaken” into four specific particle groups and beexamined as to whether diets contains enough eNDF (top screen) as well as the amountof finer feed materials in the latter screens. Although the PSPS is useful, we should probably rely on our common sense thatparallel sound nutrition rules that mandate that essential levels of effective fibre must besupplied in well-balanced dairy diets. As a result of this belief, I should have no troubleseeing more cud-chewing cows in dairy barns.


By Joan Airey

Mike Klassen PrincipalRivers Collegiate andDonna Morken are co-co-ordinators for the RiversWetland Project with KristaReynolds Principal of theElementary school assist-ing with the administration.The wetlands project wasinitiated when Ducks Un-limited Canada awarded agrant to Klassen. “There were many peopleinvolved in discussionsabout where to place theWetland Project includinga spot north of Rivers. Thedecision was made for thelocal placement of theproject because it wouldadd to the already devel-oped Aspen Trail, lake area,and be ideal for reclamationof the old railway gravel pit.The site offers easy accessfor people to walk fromtown, for travellers andboth the elementary andhigh school are within walk-ing distant. It’s less than atwenty-five minute walkfrom the west side of Riv-ers. I’d love to see this fa-cility fully operational byspring 2016 if not by fall2015,” said Klassen. “The plan at this point isa usable outdoor class-room, three docks, threebridges, a board walk allaround the Wetland areaitself, an observation tower,washroom area, a parking

Wetland Classroom ForgingTowards Reality for Rivers

Wood Duck Boxes made by Rivers Collegiate Wood WorkingClasses are placed strategically around the wetland area.

area, and an area for sci-ence games to be playedoutside at this point. Theplan is to improve the path-ways through MillenniumPark to the area as well asInterpretive Signage withQR Codes,” said Morken. “Ninety-three thousandseedlings were planted inthe wetlands area by expe-rienced aboriginal treeplanters, with Tree Canadaand sponsorship by CN.This was through a grantapplication by the Riversand Area CommunityFoundation to TreeCanada,” said Morken. On June 3 through a grantwith the Manitoba Hydro

Forest Enhancement Pro-gram, The Green Spot Land-scaping Division will beplanting eight large sprucetrees on the northwest sideof the Wetland Area tocatch the snow that comesdown a sloped area.Morken will be volunteer-ing time to coordinate thisproject. Rivers students are nowworking on the WetlandCentre of Excellencewebsite. The students re-ceived training in environ-mental instruction fromEco-Van from Oak Ham-mock Marsh and an instruc-tor from Fort Whyte. As part of the project, stu-

dents were given a grant of$15,000 to for wind and so-lar calculations to deter-mine what type of environ-mental power they will usefor the classroom. Theymade a presentation and avideo that they delivered tothe Riverdale MunicipalCouncil, Rivers Game andFish as well as the LittleSaskatchewan Conserva-tion District. “We will host schoolgroups wanting to learnabout nature and wetlandsfrom across Manitoba. Ipersonally feel there is sig-nificant importance to belearned about ecosystems,ecology, nature andbiodiversity through theuse of a natural settingsuch as wetland. With ap-proximately seventy percent of wetlands being lostin Manitoba and nationallyover the past several de-cades our next generationsneed to understand thathealth of natural spaces isimportant to the health ofcommunities water quality,air quality, and quality oflife. Not only will schoolgroups learn on the site butuse it as a recreation site.This is not a large provin-cial or national park we areoffering but a snapshot ofwhat the natural world hasto offer. My vision is a placefor youth and adults toform a bond with the wet-land area to learn to respect

it, care for it, and learn fromit thus creating memoriesthey can pass on to thenext generation,” saidKlassen. The main priorities of thegroup over the next twoyears are to complete theboardwalk, docks, and out-door classroom. They havereceived a lot of assistancefrom numerous agenciesand groups including theTown of Rivers with devel-oping the trail and creatinga parking/ bus loop. “We currently offer thefollowing that are directlylinked to the wetlands,Wetland Management,Wind & Solar Energy,Sustainability, OutdoorEducation, Grade 7-12 Sci-ences, Woodworking bycreating our boardwalk,

wood ducks and bat boxes,and docks and ComputerDrafting and Design, wewould like to offer as dualcredit,” said Klassen. “This project is a jewelwith wetland and wildlifehabitat conservation, acentre for environmentaleducation for youth in allschool divisions inManitoba, secondary re-search throughAssiniboine CommunityCollege and Brandon Uni-versity. It will enrich com-munity health, wellness,and pride while being ac-cessible to all. It will alsodemonstrate sustainableliving practices and designwhile engaging communitydevelopment with localbusinesses, materials, sup-pliers and partnerships,”said Morken.

Studentshavestartedbuilding thedocks andboard walksaround thepond andwood duckboxes arelocated inthe area.

A maple treesalvaged froma yard inRivers makesexcellentseating for alearning circlefor studentsin the wetlandarea.

Photos by Joan Airey


By Harry Siemens

While no surprise because hog farmers don’t really havea choice in the matter, Dr. Yolande Seddon, a researchscientist with the Prairie Swine Centre said changes toCanada’s Code of Practice for the Care and Handling ofPigs has increased the interest in the implications oftransitioning from conventional stall housing of gestatingsows to group housing. Dr. Seddon, a postdoctoral fellow in Ethology was aspeaker at the Prairie Swine Centre’s annual spring pro-ducer meetings in Niverville and Portage la Prairie. Seddonsaid, as farmers look to manage sows in groups questionswill arise. These include how to better design the systemto accommodate large groups, better promote flow andcalm, what role does genetics play and how can the indus-try better monitor welfare. “Since interest in group sow housing, much research hasgone on historically and as we’re learning more it alsoprompts doing more research,” she said. “We are involvedin a lot of sow housing research here at the Prairie SwineCentre and one of them is in fact the Swine InnovationPorc funded research which is looking at different aspectsof the way we manage the sows. This includes the mixingtime of the sows.” Dr. Seddon said they are looking at free access stalls,electronic sow feeder systems and two feeding systems.The research is also looking into the impacts of flooringchoices, how the sows walk and fare on it and levels oflameness. “We’re looking at how we can promote calm in the groupthrough design of the system and use of enrichment inthat system,” she said. “There is also a lot of other re-search going on into sow longevity out there and these arereally factors that are going to influence how well we canproduce sows sustainably in these new group systemsand how we need to tweak the management.” President and CEO Lee Whittington of the Prairie SwineCentre said, as pork producers plan to move to group hous-

By Les Kletke

Peter Brandt said his first calf crop for the year is off toa good start and he is happy with the choice to move tolater calving even though they are still a long way frommarket. “I used to calve in January and February but foundthat it required more labour on my part and more facili-ties,” he said. “I chose to expand the herd but since Ididn’t have any more manpower decided to move mycalving later in the year.” He has a 200 cow commercial herd just south ofSteinbach and he considered the implications with latercalving including smaller calves at market time. “Thereis no doubt I have smaller calves but the lighter weightsusually bring a better price so I don’t think I will be offas much per animals as I thought at first,” he said. The move to more cows also had him rethink the bullshe used. “I am not there for the cows and to help withthe individual birth, so I had to choose a bull that wouldgive me smaller calves. That will change when my herdgets older and birthing should become easier,” saidBrandt. He predominately uses Angus bulls on his herd.“I have a bunch of healthy calves on the ground thatare enjoying this weather,” he added. This is first year with the later calf crop and he has notyet decided how he will market the calves when theycome off of pasture. “I know I don’t have the facility tobackground them so they won’t be staying here,” hesaid. “They will be going to market, and hopefully I canput together enough of them in the same size range tomake a good package.” He has not yet decided on herd expansion. “Heiferprices were high last year and there is no indication thatthey will be lower this year,” he noted. “I might keepsome of the females from this crop to go into the herd. Itis a slower way of expanding but that might be what Ican afford and that way I know the genetics of the herdI am building.”

Changes to Pig Code Stimulates IncreasingInterest in Sow Housing Research

ing they must consider a range of factors from capital coststo how staff and pigs will adjust to the new system. “...producers who move into this new type of sow hous-ing, they’ll have some concerns typically on how do I getmy gilts to go through my electronic sow feeder,” saidWhittington. He said there is much science behind the training of giltsfor instance and how often the producer needs to movethem through the system and with the least amount oflabour. Whittington said it is a radically different system fromwhat hog farmers have used in the past 25 to 30 years.

Calving Later Has FarmerOff to Good Start

Demand for beef among Canadian consumers is strong,although domestic consumption has been declining overthe past decade, according to J.P. Gervais, Chief Agricul-tural Economist for Farm Credit Canada (FCC). “Canadians like their beef and they have been willing topay a higher price for it since 2011,” said Gervais, in high-lighting a key finding in FCC’s 2015 Beef Sector Report.“The declining per capita consumption trend over the pastdecade suggests a number of factors are influencing con-sumer behaviour, but it says nothing about their appetitefor beef.” According to FCC’s Beef Sector Report, Canadian con-sumers have been willing to pay more for beef since 2011,even while per capita consumption trended down. FCC’s Beef Sector Report projects growth in both globalexports and beef consumption, driven primarily by HongKong, China and various emerging economies. World consumption of beef is projected to grow by 12%cent over the next 10 years, according to Organization forEconomic Co-operation and Development and United Na-tions joint 2014 Agriculture Outlook. In 2014, Canada wasthe seventh largest beef exporter in the world.

Canadian Beef Sector Has a Bright FutureCanadian Beef Sector Has a Bright FutureCanadian Beef Sector Has a Bright FutureCanadian Beef Sector Has a Bright FutureCanadian Beef Sector Has a Bright Future


By Elmer Heinrichs

With sunshine, drying winds and warmer temperatures returning after the stormy rain-drench-ing Victoria Day weekend, it was only a matter of a few days before farmers were back in thefields preparing to put in the final third of the crop. The province’s crop report estimates overallseeding progress at 72% complete, with small variations and the Interlake region lagging slightly. In the week leading up to the stormy weekend, seeding continued through the early part of theweek in the Central region, but was halted by rain and snow. Rains started on Wednesday, withmuch of the southern portions of the region receiving 15 to 45 mm precipitation through Thurs-day. However the whole region received rainfall over the weekend with total accumulations forthe week ranging from, 50 to 100 mm. Snowfall was also received Sunday. There was localizedflooding reported west of Altona, temperatures dipped and concerns arose about frost damage. Pam de Rocquigny, Cereal Crop Specialist with MAFRD said it would take a few days todetermine if crops will need to be reseeded. “Patience is key at this point, allow three to five daysfor the crops to resume growth,” she said. “We’re looking for that new growth and if thathappens that’s great, and if not we take a look at those plant stands and assess whether or notthey’ll create that yield potential we’re looking for.” Seeding is reported as 70 to 85% complete across Central region, with Central Plains area, alsoPortage and Gladstone, at 50 to 60% complete and Pembina area 80-90% done. Seeding of canola ranges from 25 to 100% completed. Some producers held back on seedingcanola, due to risk of frost or to spread out swath timing and harvest. Corn planting ranges from 50 to 100% done, some of the crop has emerged, and pea acres areset. Crop growth has slowed with cooler temperatures, weed growth is minimal, winter wheat andfall rye have come through winter well, and rainfall has improved hay field and pasture condi-tions. Eastern region reports rainfall accumulation across the district ranging from 50 to 75 mm, withhigher amounts noted in central and southern areas of the region. Soil moisture conditions oncrop, hay and pastureland are rated as adequate to surplus. Cereal crops along with a limitedamount of canola have emerged and to date appear unaffected by the frost events at the start ofthe week. However, cereals and canola are now being assessed for injury after the past weekendfrosts. Some soybeans have also emerged. Seeding is estimated to be 75% complete in Easternregion. All spring wheat acres, 90% of barley and oats, 75% of canola, all flax and sunflowers,30% of soybeans, and 60% of corn are in. Across the region, the majority of hay and pasture lands are in good condition. Cattle arestarting to go on pasture, and supplemental feeding is still happening. Dugouts are nearly full.

By John McGregor, MFGA Extension Support

With lower commodity prices and fertilizer prices trending higher, perennial legumessuch as alfalfa may have an excellent place in cereal and oilseed crop rotations. Alfalfa provides a key break in grain-crop disease cycles through its different growthhabit. Annual crop diseases such as fusarium, aster yellows, scald, net blotch, blacklegand clubroot make growing annual crops a bit more of a challenge for cereal and oilseedgrowers. Although high prices can make up for yield shortfalls, high grain and oilseedyields depend on healthy plants with low disease levels and annual crop rotations aregetting tight. A disease like blackleg can worsen in the second year, so instead of increas-ing the fight against crop diseases with pesticides, it makes sense to use forages for two-to-three years in an annual crop rotation. Alfalfa’s ability to capture nitrogen out of the air addresses the need for improving soilfertility. Inoculated legumes are able to capture nitrogen from the air through a symbioticrelationship with rhizobia bacteria. Nitrogen fixation amounts will vary with nodulationeffectiveness, fertility, soil type, soil pH, moisture, length and warmth of growing season,etc. In as little as two to three years of perennial legume production, maximum nitrogencapture can occur. The nitrogen store produced by the legume is available to subsequent crops for a one tothree-year period. The timing and length of nitrogen release to the following annual cropsis mainly based on the method of removal of the legume in the rotation, and the aggres-siveness of land cultivations thereafter. Nitrogen is released more slowly and more effec-tively over a longer period if glyphosate is used to remove the legume and followed by azero-till cropping system. Research done by Dr. Martin Entz from the University of Manitoba further supportsthese findings. Entz has shown that alfalfa creates soil benefits to annual crops followingit in rotation for up to 10 years after an alfalfa removal. One of the reasons for this is thatthese future crops have the ability to easily explore surrounding soils in search of nutri-ents by using old alfalfa root channels. Other benefits are likely from improved soil organicmatter and the root channels that improve soil moisture penetration. With gross incomes being favourable in the grain industry for a prolonged period, itmakes sense that there would be a movement towards a grain monoculture in Canada andthe US. However, by introducing a perennial legume in your cereal crop rotation this wouldallow for more profits in future grain crops and improve overall soil quality. If forages do not fit into your marketing plan, trading or swapping fields with neighbourswho have a need for alfalfa in their operation can be a good alternative.

Seeding End in Sight with a TempestuousVictoria Day Storm Most Welcome

Add a Little Alfalfato the Crop Rotation


The University ofManitoba’s Faculty of Agri-cultural and Food Sciencesrecently honoured twoManitobans for their out-standing contributions toManitoba’s agricultural com-munity. Cynthia Grant, soil scien-tist, and Keith Kuhl, potatoindustry leader, received Cer-tificates of Merit from theFaculty of Agricultural andFood Sciences at the recentSchool of Agriculture convo-cation in recognition of lead-ership with agricultural orga-nizations and outstandingservice to the community atlarge. Cynthia Grant grew up ona farm in the Minnedosa area,and completed her B.S.A.,M.Sc. and Ph.D. at the Uni-versity of Manitoba. Sincebeginning her career at Agri-culture and Agri-Food Canada(AAFC)’s Brandon ResearchCentre in the early 1990s,Grant’s research and exten-sion activities have focusedon management strategies forimproving fertilizer use effi-ciency in cereals and oilseedsin a variety of environmentsand cropping systems acrossthe Canadian Prairies. Herwork on soil fertility and cropnutrition has led to a nationaland international reputationin the areas of improving nu-trient use efficiency in crop-ping systems and reducingthe risk of trace metal toxic-ity. Grant has also workedwith a wide variety of scien-tists across Canada andworldwide to learn about theinteraction of nutrient sup-ply and crop managementpractices with crop diseases,weed competition and soilmicrobial activity.

Sixty-six graduates re-ceived their Diplomas inAgriculture at the 2015convocation of the Schoolof Agriculture held Friday,May 1, at the University ofManitoba. William Pallister of Por-tage la Prairie received theGovernor General’s BronzeMedal, an award given tothe graduate with the high-est academic standing inthe two-year Diploma Pro-gram in Agriculture. Michael Wilton of Carman

U of M School of AgricultureCelebrates 108th Convocation

was the recipient of thePresident’s Medal, givenannually to a student whocombines scholarship withoutstanding qualities ofleadership. Diplomas with Distinc-tion, awarded to students

who obtain a Grade PointAverage of 3.75 or better outof a possible 4.5, were pre-sented to Lucette Badiou(Notre Dame de Lourdes),Tyler Bartmanovich(Glenlea), Luc Berard (SaintClaude), Emily Boonstra

(Meadows), Todd Friesen(Niverville), Bryan Koster(Carman), Kilian Mueller(Arnaud), WilliamPallister, Dexter Rempel(Gretna), Nicole Verrier(La Salle), Brent Wiebe(Altona) and Michael

Wilton. The Faculty of Agricul-tural and Food Sciences an-nually awards Certificatesof Merit to those who havemade significant contribu-tions to the agri-food indus-try. This year’s recipientsinclude soil scientistCynthia Grant ofMinnedosa, MB, and potatoindustry leader Keith Kuhlof Winkler, MB. Teacher of the YearAwards were presented toTerry Betker, Thea Green

and Gabi Sponagel-Ridder inrecognition of teaching ex-cellent and contribution tothe students’ program ofstudy. Terry was recognizedby the first-year Diplomastudents, and Thea andGabi were selected by thesecond-year Diploma stu-dents. Since its inception in 1906,the Diploma in Agricultureprogram at the School ofAgriculture has undergonemany changes and chal-lenges to meet the ever-growing needs of Canada’sagri-food industry. Studentsopt for one of four pro-grams, crop management,livestock management, busi-ness management or generalagriculture, depending ontheir career aspirations.

Ag Alumni Honoured forContributions to Manitoba

As a result of this outstand-ing work, Grant has receivedmany national and internationalawards, including Fellow of theAmerican Society ofAgronomy, Fellow of the Ca-nadian Society of Agronomy,Fellow of the Canadian Soci-ety of Soil Science, and theGold Harvest Award fromAAFC for her outstanding sci-ence achievement. She hasserved as the president of theCanadian Society ofAgronomy, president of theCanadian Society of Soil Sci-ence, and associate editor of theJournal of Environmental Qual-ity. Grant maintains her ties torural Manitoba, living north ofher hometown of Minnedosawith her husband on their fam-ily farm. Keith Kuhl was born on a

mixed farm in southernManitoba in the village ofGnadenthal. In 1960, Kuhl’sfather John incorporatedSouthern Manitoba PotatoCo. Ltd. together withKuhl’s uncles. He completedhis education in Winklerthen attended the Universityof Manitoba where he com-pleted his Diploma in Agri-culture. Following univer-sity, Kuhl went back to thefarm. In 1978, the partners de-cided to sell Southern andKuhl’s father purchased adownsized version of thefarm. Together with his, fiveother siblings they becameshareholders in the newly or-ganized company and Kuhlwith his brother Douglasmoved into management ofthe farm. In 2000 after the

untimely death of his brother,Kuhl was appointed President/CEO of Southern. His oldestson Marlon who had justgraduated with a Diploma inAgriculture joined the farmmanagement team and hisyoungest son Jeremy followedthe same path a few years later.In 2010, Kuhl negotiated abuyout of all common sharesof the company giving him con-trol of the company. He todayowns Southern together withMarlon, Jeremy and his daugh-ter Andrea, officially makingSouthern Potato a third gen-eration company and a fourthgeneration farm. Kuhl has served the potatoindustry in many ways. Hespent many years as presidentof the Seed Potato Growers ofManitoba, chair of the Cana-dian Potato Council (which ispart of the Canadian Horticul-tural Council), and co-chair ofthe Canada US Potato Com-mittee. Kuhl continues to serveas the chair of the Board ofDirectors of Peak of the Mar-ket. He was also appointed tonumerous industry governmentworking groups such as thePotato Bio Security WorkingGroup, the Potato Task Force,the Potato Plant Health Strat-egy working group. Kuhl isalso a director on the Board ofIDE Canada, an NGO involvedin improving agriculture andrural life in many third worldcountries. Today, he has turned theday-to-day activities of thecompany over to his sons whilespending his time overseeingcorporate affairs and managingthe succession plan. Kuhl andhis wife Karen have been mar-ried for 42 years and lovespending time with their sixgrandchildren.

Cynthia Grant and Keith Kuhl were recognized by the U of MAg Faculty for their contributions to the agriculture community.

Michael Wiltonof Carman

receives thePresident’s

Medal

William Pallisterof Portage laPrairie receivesthe GovernorGeneral’sBronze Medal.


By Peter Vitti

A few years ago, a friend in Saskatchewan asked me to help him treat his beef cowsbefore they went on pasture with pour-on insecticide for horn flies. His job was to push upthe cattle in the chute and my job was to use the applicator-gun and squirt pour-on liquidalong each of the cow’s back. We ran through about 200 cows and he was amazed that weused about half of the insecticide that he had calculated. I never told him that when there were about ten cows left, I discovered the pour-on jughad a breather-hole that I fail to punch open to allow air to replace the horn fly insecticidethat we were using. Two weeks later, he had to run his cattle through the chute once again,because of an “unusual heavy” infestation of horn flies out on pasture. Oddly enough, it doesn’t take that many horn flies to have a significant pest problem onpasture. A nominal count of 200 horn flies on the back of each cow or calf can:- Increase animal stress and reduce grazing time.- Decrease forage intake linked to a 20% decrease in milk production.- Encourage bunching and increased heat-stress.- Spring calves are 15-20 lbs lighter at weaning time.- Reduce cattle immune function to fight disease.- Spread of disease among cattle such as anaplasmosis.- Replacement heifers have higher rates of infertility. As seen up close, horn flies (4-5 mm) are smaller than a common stable, house or commonface-fly. It is gray in colour with two dark stripes running along its body. Its head has tworeddish compound-type eyes and has biting-mouth parts in which it uses to pierce andsuck blood from its cattle host; taking up to 20 – 25 blood meals, daily.

By Les Kletke

Ben Peters wants moreof the same when it comesto the weather. Peters saidthe rain on Victoria longweekend and the heat thatfollowed is just what hisalfalfa needed. “It started out to be anearly spring and wethought that we would begetting that first cut offearly,” said Peters. “Thenthings turned cool andwith it being so dry thecrop was off to a slowstart.” Peters, at Ste. Anne,said that he got about 2and half inches of rainover the weekend and

More Rain Would Be Helpfulthat got the crop off to agood start. “We got someheat the following weekand that made a bigdifference,” he said. “Wewill not have the early cutthat we first thought wemight get but we are backon track to at least normalcutting dates for earlyJune.” According to Peters thedry conditions of thespring had him a bitconcerned but the rain hereceived is enough to getthe crop growing. “Wecould handle moremoisture right now, and itwon’t be long before thelack of moisture will slowgrowth again so we will

really be looking for somemore rain,” he continued.“Hopefully we get itbefore it is time to take thefirst cut.” Peters also relies oncorn silage for his 200dairy cows and said thatthe corn crop is off to agood if slow start.“Planting conditions weregood so we got the seedin the ground in a nicefirm seed bed and thathelps for emergence, butit was a long time comingout of the ground as coldas the soil is,” he said. Peters has an adequatefeed supply from last yearbut would like to put alittle more away this year.“We like to have a year’ssupply on hand as abackup and this year wedon’t have quite that afterdrawing down our supplya year ago and not beingable to replenish it lastyear,” he said. “This yearit would be nice to put upa little extra and havesome to sell if we could.” Peters is hopeful thatwith a first cut coming offin early June and goodweather to re-establishthe growth he could getthree cuts off this year.

Reduce the Population ofHorn Flies on the Backs

of Grazing Cattle

Such a heavy infestation of horn flies upon a cowherd is not uncommon when there is noprogram to control them. That’s because a fertilized female can lay 200 - 500 eggs pergrazing season in batches of 15 – 20 eggs in fresh manure. Within 18 hours of these eggshatching, they quickly go through larval and pupa stages and emerge as mature adultsthat are sexually mature by 10 to 14 days of age. Either sex of horn fly spends most of theiradult life upon the back of cattle, but it is the female that leave only to lay another batch ofeggs in warm cow-pies and thus completing its life cycle. Luckily, when a population explosion of horn flies occurs, there are several methods thateffectively can reduce their count on cattle by as much as 90 – 95%. Most of theseprograms involve insecticides, such as two timeless chemicals: organophosphates andpyrethroids. Both of which kill horn flies by disrupting vital nerve functions. Anotherclass of insecticides called endectocides (ivomectin) can also be used in a similar manner. Here are three of the most popular applications that dispense these insecticides in orderto control horn fly numbers:- Ear tags – Impregnated with insecticide, one ear tag per season is recommended per cow,which is good up to five months’ horn fly control. Therefore, most people should wait untilJune to tag cattle to maximize ear-tag’s full benefits for tackling peak populations thatoccur in late-July and August. It’s also good practice for producers to alternate betweenorgano- and pyrethrin-based tags every other year and to remove them at the end of thegrazing season. Both are means to reduce the chance of insecticide resistance. Note: a newear tag has come out that contains both of these insecticides.- Back rubbers – A back rubber is usually a big thick chain and mesh wrapped in a durablematerial and is treated with insecticide diluted with diesel fuel. Producers should checkthem on a weekly basis to see if they need recharging. If the pump-type back rubbers areused, it is a good idea to check them to assure that they are good working order. Further-more, the standard recommendation is to set them up to force cattle to pass by them. Iasked a few cattle people about this advice and most of them said that cows are more thanwilling to use them in order to rid themselves of horn flies.- Pour-on insecticide – Efficacy of pour-on insecticides depends the type of active insec-ticide used (re: endectocides) as well as its carrier liquid dispensed on cattle. For example,it has been my experience that generic types of pour-ons have had some difficulties ininsecticide absorption rates upon cattle due to inert carriers that their companies em-ployed. Different types of weather also have an effect upon duration of this application.Generally, insecticidal pour-ons have a 30 – 60 day effectiveness upon horn flies. Implementing such insecticide guidelines in your horn fly control program will signifi-cantly reduce their growing population when your cowherd is grazing. An effective plan tocontrol horn flies on the backs of cattle will eliminate their free- ride and take the sting outof their bite upon your cattle performance and profits.

As this picture (University of Wyoming)illustrates just imagine the explosiveimplications of 1,000 horn flies on eachcow that seem even more attracted tothe herd’s breeding bulls!


Farm and Commercial policies cover the electrical, me-chanical and other equipment used in most operationsfor losses caused by fire, theft, collision and otherevents. But most property policies specifically excludelosses arising from a very common problem, equipmentbreakdown, which includes electrical injury (surge),mechanical breakdown, pressure explosion, rupture andcracking. So, any business operation that uses pressure, me-chanical, electrical and electronic equipment (and allbusinesses use these) is at risk of serious financialloss, unless you make equipment breakdown coveragepart of your insurance program. Kinds of equipment you might need to insure againstbreakdown include electronic equipment, boilers (heat-ing and processing), telephone systems, cash regis-ters, electrical panels, wiring of the buildings, electricmotors, hot-water storage tanks, transformers, air-con-ditioning units and refrigeration units. Equipment breakdown insurance protects your busi-ness against sudden and accidental breakdown of ma-chinery and equipment due to causes such as electricalarcing, short circuits, operator error, overload or burn-out. Mechanical, electrical, electronic and/or equipmentunder pressure can all be insured to protect your busi-ness from losses caused by breakdown. This form of coverage complements your propertycoverage’s, providing that extra protection you need incase of breakdowns but not duplicating coverage forlosses caused by other events. Coverage can be extended to provide the protectionyou need for income loss and extra expenses incurreddue to a breakdown. You can choose the business in-terruption and extra expense coverage, including ser-vice interruption you need. Losses due to change intemperature causing spoilage can also be covered. Equipment breakdown insurance can be added to allinsurance programs. Be sure to seek advice and pur-chase insurance from those who understand your busi-ness. Andy Anderson is an Associate Insurance Brokerspecializing in General, Life and Group Benefits forFarm and Business. P 204-746-5589, F 866-765-3351,[email protected] / rempelinsurance.com/ valleyfinancial.ca.

By Les Kletke

It has been a while sincethe Canadian ArmedForces used horses as partof their military might, inmost cases today, they arerelegated to parade dutybut Canadian veterans aregetting a chance to get outand ride this summer. The Ride Across Canadafor Veterans began in Aprilin Victoria and will spendmore than 200 days cross-ing the country giving vet-erans a chance to ride intheir own community. Theconcept was conceived byPaul Nichols who said he

Equipment BreakdownCan be Covered

Support a Veteran’sRide of a Life Time

was overcome by a womanthanking him for his servicein the Canadian Forces.The woman had survived 2years of war in Bosnia andwanted to thank him for therole Canadians played. More importantly,Nichols said the ride wouldgive Canadians a chance tosee the veterans of theircommunity and see thechanging face of the Cana-dian military. Communities for VeteransFoundation is inviting vet-erans and members of themilitary to join them on theride and build awareness ofthe veterans who have

served and are making atransition back into thecommunity. Cathleen McMahon hasdecided to make the entireride and has her three chil-dren with her. “They havelearned so much about ourcountry and the individualveterans,” said McMahonfrom a stop in Leduc,Alberta. “I think this will bea great opportunity for thekids and for so many peopleacross the country as theyget to see the veterans whothey might not even knowhave served.” She said theride has attracted veteransas young as 25 and somemore senior, one in his 90s. When asked, why ride ahorse McMahon replied,“There is some therapeuticvalue in riding, and eachveteran who comes outgets a riding lesson if theywant but it gives us a start-ing point. Something to talkabout, something in com-mon.” The ride also has an offi-cial recorder who interviewsthe veterans about their ex-periences and the storieswill be complied into a bookat the end of the ride. “Some of the veteranswant to remain anonymousand that is fine,” saidMcMahon. “We just wantthem to come out and sharetheir story. The ride will be inManitoba in July withstops at the ManitobaStampede in Morris and in

Richer as the riders maketheir way east along theTrans-Canada Highway. On their eastern journey,the plan is to leave from Ste.Anne and arrive in Richeron July 20 at about 1 - 2 pmat the Dawson Trail Park.The community is hostinga fun Gymkhana and a spe-cial fundraising Suds, Spudand Steak dinner at theRicher Inn. Tickets are $25each and the hope is thateveryone comes out insupport of Veterans. Thetravellers and their supportteam, and veterans whoparticipate in the ride areeating free because they arethe honoured guests. Veterans can sign up fora leg of the ride and regis-ter on the websitecommunitiesforveterans.com.Horses and lessons are be-ing provided for those whomay need a refresher onhorsemanship and are inneed of a steed.

The Community for Veterans: Ride Across Canada will be entering Manitoba just after the firstweek in July. The have stops in Morris during the Manitoba Stampede and will be greeted Richeron July 20 for a special event.


By Harry Siemens

Manitoba Conservationand Water Stewardshipstated that new hog barnsbuilt under a new pilotproject must meet orexceed the level ofenvironmental protectionprovided through the useof anaerobic digestion. Under the new specialpilot project permitevaluation protocol,anyone interested in

By Les Kletke

Grant Harder who farms at Sperling is going to seed more acresthan he normally does this year, and he said the seed bill is a minorsetback. Harder farms 2,500 acres and was forced to reseed 320 acres ofcanola due to frost damage on May 19. “We knew we were takinga chance on seeding it early but in the past we have gotten awaywith it and the higher yields are worth the risk,” he said. “Thisyear our seed bill will be higher because of it.” Ironically, it is not the higher seed bill that is his greatest con-cern. “The extra week or 10 days that we lost by reseeding couldeasily have a great impact on the yield than the cost of seeding,”he said. “When you get a crop in early and it gets off to a goodstart that shows up in the bin in fall.” He acknowledges thatseeding in late May is far from the worst thing that has happenedbut he prefers early May. “On our heavy clay soils we have to seed when we can andconditions were good early this year so we continued to seed andwe paid the price.” He said that the fields were not entirely wiped out and he madethe decision to reseed the entire acreage. “It is getting later but itis still early enough to get a decent crop, there was no point ingoing into the field and trying to reseed patches where the damagewas greatest. That just makes for an uneven crop and you can’tdecide when to harvest and you are faced with quality problems,”said Harder. He acknowledged that he did get a bit of break when the weatherturned better after the May long weekend. “It seemed that theweather really turned around and things dried up and we wereable to get back on the field and get things in fairly quickly. Wedidn’t have to go as deep to get the seed into moist soil so wemight see that emerging fairly quickly. It all depends on the weather;it may catch up now that the temperatures are higher.” Harder said that he did not have to reseed any of his cereals andeven the blanket of snow on them did not do any damage. “Themoisture might have done them some good,” he said. “We will seeat harvest time, but there is a long way to go till then.”

By Les Kletke

Below normal temperatures on May 19 did little more than addstress to an already highly motivated planting situation. Bob McIntyre farms north of Portage la Prairie and he said therecord low temperatures did not cause of great deal of damage tohis emerged crops. McIntyre said that some canola was damaged but not enough tojustify reseeding. “There is a cost to reseeding and the later croptends not to do as well so we are going to leave the crop and hopethat it recovers,” he said. “The damage was not very extensiveand was not large patches of the field so I think that we are betteroff with what he have.” He said the dry conditions are another factor that kept him fromreplanting. “Things are dry and we probably went a little deeperthan usual with seeding to get moisture, seeding again wouldfurther deplete the moisture, so we are not going to do that.” McIntyre said that his cereal crops did not appear to suffer anydamage from the temperatures that were expected to drop to -5°C. “We always talk about -4 being the tipping point and how alittle frost won’t damage the crop but this was colder than that,”he said. McIntyre had not yet planted his soybeans waiting until afterthe cool temperatures. “We had waited on planting the beans andI’m glad that we did, but now conditions are good and we aregoing ahead,” he said. “It is always a matter of balancing the riskof frost with the advantage of seeding early. Over the years wehave had much better yields when we get the crop in early so I amnot going to wait too much longer.” “We survived the one scare and it caused a few anxious mo-ments but now we have to move ahead and get the crop in theground,” he chuckled. McIntyre has switched some of his acres away from canola thisyear, and he said going into the predicted cool snap, he was gladhe had. “I have 320 of canola and when the temperatures weredropping that was lots,” he said. “Now it is a matter of hoping thebeans will mature in the fall.”

New Hog Barns Must Meet PNew Hog Barns Must Meet PNew Hog Barns Must Meet PNew Hog Barns Must Meet PNew Hog Barns Must Meet ProvincialrovincialrovincialrovincialrovincialEnvironmental StandardEnvironmental StandardEnvironmental StandardEnvironmental StandardEnvironmental Standard

building or expanding aswine operation inManitoba will now beeligible to apply for aconstruction permit. Tracey Braun, theDirector of EnvironmentalApprovals with ManitobaConservation and WaterStewardship, said theobjective of the pilotproject is to balanceenvironmental protectionwith sustainability underthe existing legislation.

“The legislation doesallow for special permitsand pilot projects to berecommended orsuggested,” said Braun.“So we worked withManitoba Pork Councilto see if that was oneopportunity that wecould pursue under thecurrent legislation.” The criterion theProvincial governmentuses is that the level ofenvironment protectionunder one of these

permits would have to meetor exceed the environmen-tal protection as in the useof an anaerobic digester. “We believe that, if aperson or an entity or anorganization wishes tomake an application to doan expansion, they need tofill out a permit, go throughthat process, and be ableto demonstrate to us theymeet that same level ofenvironmental protection.” She explained that it isnot dissimilar to how theytreat the manufacturingindustry where someonemay want to build amanufacturing plant. “Wetell them what the stan-dards are for environmentalprotection but we don’t tellthem how they have tomeet those limits,” addedBraun. “I expect the firstapplications under theprogram to come in laterthis year.”

Soybeans Escapethe Late Frost

Frost TakesToll on Canola


Lynda Toews has gained anappreciation of farm animalsafter marrying Gary Brownand moving to ruralManitoba. Her collection of APlace in the Kingdomfeatures farm animals ofvarious type and description.

By Harry Siemens

Despite heavy rains in southern Manitoba, in some casesthree to four inches during the May long weekend, theprevious exceptionally dry fields soaked most of it up, ex-cept for some areas that were from the spring thaw. Kurt Ginter of KR Crop Check in Winkler said that whilesoil testing last fall and they found it dry up to two feetdown, the driest in the last 18 years. “When testing thesoil, dry conditions can be tough in some of the coursersands. They just don’t stay in the probe or they don’tallow much movement to get the probe into the groundbecause it is so dry,” said Ginter. “In 18 years of soil testingwe kind of found that last year was probably the driestyear we’ve ever experienced. Last fall being one of thedriest falls we can remember in our books anyway becausethere was very little moisture to speak of.” He said that with the very light snow accumulation dur-ing the winter and not more than 1 to 1 1/2 inches of springrains, the ground really has not had a chance to recharge. Dr. Tim Ball, a retired Professor in the department of Ge-ography at the University of Winnipeg and an historicalclimatologist said that farmers have continued to makechanges in their tillage and seeding practices. “Had theynot, the drought of 1988 would have been much more se-vere than the one in 1936 - 37, but the consequences notnearly as dramatic,” said Ball. Farmers are taking some other steps, first battling thosestrong winds that turned fields into dust bowls, especiallyin the areas with little to know stubble. “Trying to keep dirton the field is a challenge because it is pretty light andfluffy out there on the surface so lots of soil has movedwith the winds this spring,” said Ginter. He said farmers were tilling to try to keep things fromblowing when the winds came up by trying to conservemoisture with no tilling as much as a normal spring wouldallow. “Trying to conserve moisture and not stirring theground until you absolutely have to when putting the seedin the ground is one strategy they’re using,” he added. In deference to Dr. Ball’s comments, farmers keep adapt-ing and making changes as the climate and weather pat-terns dictate. “We see more no-till drill systems running,trying not to turn the soil and dry it out even more. Evenlast fall, farmers left stubble unworked to trap some snowand not keep things exposed to the wind.” While Ginterreads about farmers in the US cutting back on input coststo save money and try to cut losses in some cases or eveneke out a small profit with lower commodity prices, he thinksthey need to do so with caution. “Those farmers are tryingto optimize dollars by cutting back on fertilizer. You’re sac-rificing some yield potential by doing that, but there is aneconomic curve there, too,” he said. “We can’t have aluxury of having lots of fertilizer sitting out there if there isno moisture to grow the crop, then the fertilizer remains inthe soil.” His company tries to forecast, and it is a bit of an expec-tation on what the anticipated yield is, based on the cur-rent conditions. Ginter and his crew of three full-time em-ployees deal mostly with the local crops and production ofthose crops. He sees every client having different needswhen it comes to the advice they provide.

By Les Kletke

Lynda Toews knew thatanimals were a large part ofthe rural way of life; she didnot know how large a partuntil she moved to ruralManitoba 5 years ago. Shegrew up in Winnipeg andspent some time in the sum-mer visiting her relatives inrural Manitoba, “Where ani-mals were a part of life, butthen I would go back to

Pembina Valley Was DrySoaking up that Downpour

AnimalsTake

Shape onCanvas

Winnipeg.” Toews currently has an ex-hibit, which runs through June20 at the Canadian MennoniteUniversity at 600 Shaftesbury.The collection of 50 paintingsdepicts farm animals along witha booklet providing the back-ground on how the paintingdeveloped. “I wanted to tell the story ofthe painting,” said Toews. “SoI had to include a bit about theanimals in the painting and thepeople whose life they were apart of.” She said the researchof the A Place in the Kingdomproject has brought her into theagricultural community. “I started out to collect thestories for this project and gotto know more people and therole that animals and specificanimals played in their life,”

said Toews who earned FineArts and Education degrees atthe University of Manitoba. She has also done commis-sioned works. “I had two cli-ents who are cousins, and un-known to each other each com-missioned a painting of themmilking the cows at home andspraying some milk into awaiting cat’s mouth,” she saidwith a chuckle. She has alsodone a portrait of a friend’sfavourite dog. If there is a need of a por-trait for a great herd sire ormother cow, Toews is readyto go to work said. “I wouldlove to get more involved withthe agriculture community,”she said. “The Place in theKingdom project made meaware of role animals have

played but I would like topaint specific animals thathave had a role as individualsin farm operations.” Toews can work from exist-ing photos of specific animalsbut in many cases takes pho-tos of the subject to capturethe detail. This year she wentto the Royal Winter Fair inBrandon and spent time in theheavy horse barn photograph-ing the giant horses. “I was looking for the rightshot of a horse, particularlythe neck and the curve of theneck,” she said. “When I cameupon a Clydesdale lying downin its stall, you don’t see thatvery often so I took advan-tage of the situation and tooka bunch of photos. We’ll see ifit turns into a painting.”


Cockshutt became one of the most successfulCanadian farm machinery manufacturers beforedisappearing in a series of buyouts. In its heyday, Cockshutt sold farm machinery

not only in Canada but also in the US, England, Scotland, Australia, South Africa and many othercountries. James Cockshutt started the Brantford Plow Works in 1877 and built plows, scufflers and stoves.He also experimented with chilled iron moldboards and shares. His sulky plow the J.G.C. Riding Plow proved to be a success in western Canada. Unfortunately,he passed away in 1885 due to tuberculosis. The Brantford Plow Works was then reorganized intothe Cockshutt Plow Company and one of James brothers took the helm of the company. With the opening of the west to settlement in the early 1880s, demand for plows was strong,particularly since Canadian import tariffs at that time protected Canadian manufacturers fromAmerican. Cockshutt eventually went on to build 130 plow models. By 1905, the Cockshutt Company had introduced the Cockshutt Engine Gang Plow, which wasmeant to be pulled by steam engines or the large gas tractors being introduced. This was the firstsuccessful gang plow built and was sold in large numbers. Entire trains of 30 to 40 cars were loadedwith engine plows every week for six weeks and went west in 1906. The success of this plowresulted in many Cockshutt engine plows surviving to this day. By 1910, the Cockshutt Company had purchased 27 % of the shares of Frost and Wood andCockshutt purchased the Adams Wagon and Brantford Carriage companies. Frost and Wood builthaying and harvesting equipment including binders. Cockshutt also purchased equipment such asthreshing machines, balers, grinding mills and potato diggers from Ontario manufacturers such as theWaterloo Separator Company, Admiral, Goold, Shapley and Muir, and Apinwall. This equipmentwas then sold through Cockshutt dealers. Through the 1920s, Cockshutt distributed Hart Parr tractors however this relationship ended in1928. Cockshutt then arranged to sell Allis-Chalmers tractors under the Cockshutt name. But in1930 Oliver, which had purchased Hart Parr, began building tractors for sale by Cockshutt, whichwere painted and badged for Cockshutt. Cockshutt continued to sell Allis-Chalmers tractors up to1933. Also in the 1930s, Cockshutt developed the combine tiller, a cross between a disc plow and a one-way disc that also had a seed box mounted on the machine. As this machine could cultivate and seedall in one operation, preserving field moisture and lowering costs, sales were good. Cockshutt acquired the remaining shares of Frost and Wood in 1933. The Frost and Wood plant inSmith Falls, Ontario was finally closed in 1955 with manufacturing operations being consolidated toBrantford. Through the early 1940s, Cockshutt worked on the development of their own tractor line, aswather and a self-propelled combine. The Number 2 Cockshutt pull type swather was introducedin 1941. The Number 2 was a lightweight machine allowing operation in wet conditions, which theother, heavier swathers did not. The result was that Cockshutt rapidly gained 60% of the Canadianswather market. Cockshutt in 1946 rolled out the Cockshutt 30 tractor that introduced the live power take offavoiding the problems of the clutch-activated power take off used in tractors up to that time. Themodel had a very streamlined appearance, which is still attractive today. Cockshutt rapidly added a20, 40 and a 50 to the tractor line up. A combine also appeared in 1946 that was equipped with avariable speed drive and bomber style tires. Cockshutt combines rapidly gained a reputation for lowthreshing losses and a clean sample in the tank. In 1958, Cockshutt introduced the 540, 550, 560 and 570 tractor models. Raymond Lowey, thefamous industrial designer, contributed the striking sheet metal design to this series of tractors. However, the tractor line was no longer developed as outside interest’s wrestled control of theCockshutt Plow Company from the Cockshutt family in 1957 and renamed the company theCockshutt Farm Equipment Company. In 1961, the company was sold to the White Motor Company that also owned Oliver. TheCockshutt tractor line was discontinued and Cockshutt began selling Oliver tractors painted andbadged for Cockshutt. However, Cockshutt combines were recognized as a superior combine designso Oliver combines were discontinued and the Cockshutt combines were kept in production. The combines sold into the US were painted and badged for Oliver. Over time, the Oliver andCockshutt names were discontinued and the machinery line became known as White and later asWFE. The farm machinery business underwent a lot of turmoil through the 1990s and after a complicatedseries of transactions; the White line of equipment was merged into Agco by 2001. The Expo at the 2015 Threshermen’s Reunion features the Cockshutt family of companies. TheManitoba Agricultural Museum’s 12 bottom Cockshutt engine plow participated in the worldplowing record. If you have equipment built by Cockshutt or Frost and Wood, you should consider bringing it tothe Cockshutt Expo. You can contact the Museum office at 204-637-2354 to make arrangements.

The CockshuttPlow Company -

One of the Biggest

The Cockshutt Plow Company also built seeders as well as plows. This Cockshutt seeder adfrom 1904 shows the ‘shoe” or opener options that a farmer could obtain on a Cockshutt seeder,double disc shoe, single disc shoe and drag shoe. The ad also contains two endorsements ofCockshutt seeders. Both W.B. Reynolds of Deloraine and John Dickson of Morris had purchasedCockshutt seeders with double disc shoes and were well pleased with their purchases.

agripost may 29 2015

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