Jacob Onyschuk is the new director of business development for the Canadian Hereford Association. He spent the last four years with Northlands in Edmonton growing the number of purebred cattle entries at Farmfair International. He graduated from the University of Alberta in 2013, with a BSc in agriculture and a major in animal science. Prior to graduation, Onyschuk was an active member of 4-H Alberta and a Premier’s Award recipient in 2012. After his 4-H career, Onyschuk continued to expand his commercial cattle herd at his farm in Westlock County.
The Canadian Simmental Association (CSA) has reported that a blue-backed Simmental RFID tag should be available this spring, pending final approval from the CFIA. A personalized back button will help identify Simmental-influenced cattle in the sale ring, at feedlots, and throughout the beef chain. The Simmental RFID tags are manufactured by Allflex and carry the Simmental “S” icon and half a Canadian flag in the centre along with the blue colouring.
Only CSA members in good standing or producers who purchased and transferred a Simmental bull to their name in the past two years are eligible to purchase the distinctive ear tags. They can be purchased online at the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) website, or by phoning 1-877-909-2333, after the purchase has been approved by the CSA office For details contact Rae-Lee Erickson at [email protected].
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Each year, Manitoba Youth Beef Roundup selects the members who will represent their team at Agribition during their annual junior weekend for all junior cattle enthusiasts under the age of 25 years of age. The 10th annual Manitoba Youth Beef Roundup will be held August 4, 5 and 6, 2017, in Neepawa, Man.
The show is organized by representatives from various breeds that have been involved with national and provincial shows in the past. The goal is to prepare young entrepreneurs for a future in the livestock industry by taking part in this showcase of youth, cattle and friendly competition in events to match all interests and skill levels. Events include team grooming, individual and team judging, showmanship, marketing, sales talk, impromptu speeches, art, photography, scrapbooking, plus Ag Challenge competitions, a cook-off, cattle shows, scholarships as well as the cattle classes. At this 10th anniversary Roundup they will be adding a low-stress cattle handling workshop, cattle presentation workshops, an advocacy workshop, and invitations will be extended to 4-H Champion Females from each 2017 club achievement competition.
Last year’s provincial representatives were Samantha Rimke of Oak Lake and Adam Harms of Cartwright. Rimke earned the fourth overall top judging award at the Canadian National 4-H and Youth Judging competition at Agribition in November and was awarded a cash prize along with a belt buckle. The Canadian National 4-H and Youth Judging Competition helps develop the skills of our young agriculture judges for various species of livestock and forages. Check out the Facebook page for Manitoba Youth Beef Roundup or contact Lois McRae 204-728-3058 for more details.
The Canadian Hereford Association launched its approved CCIA Alflex RFID tag in December 2016. The CCIA-approved Hereford RFID tags are available for any active member registering cattle, and commercial cattlemen that have had a bull transferred into their name in the last six years. So far, sales are closing in on 2,000 units.
Miller Wilson Angus ended up the big winners at the Canadian Bull Congress in Camrose, Alta., last month taking home the $10,000 prize as the triple crown winner with the Grand Champion Bull, Grand Champion Female and Pen of Bulls.
Piper Whelan is the new registry/member services assistant at the Canadian Charolais Association. She grew up on a purebred Maine-Anjou ranch at Irricana, Alta., and was active in junior shows and 4-H. Whelan studied at the University of Alberta and the University of King’s College school of journalism. She has worked in the journalism and publishing industries for the last few years, and her written work has appeared in several beef-related magazines.
4-H Canada and Syngenta Canada announced the national winners of the Proud to Bee a 4-H’er video contest last month. The first and second runner-up entries each received an Apple iPad mini 2 and the remaining top 10 entries received a selfie stick plus 4-H Canada branded items. The winners are:
1st place — The Pas Helping Hands, 4-H Manitoba; 2nd place — Aidan Tully, 4-H Manitoba; 3rd place — Colton Skori, 4-H Alberta; 4th place — Comox Valley 4-H Calf Club, 4-H British Columbia; 5th place — Boots N Bridles 4-H Club, 4-H British Columbia; 6th place — Irishtown 4-H Club, 4-H New Brunswick; 7th place — Caroline Carpenter, 4-H New Brunswick; 8th place — 4-W 4-H Club, 4-H Alberta; 9th place — Hillmond 4-H Beef Club, 4-H Saskatchewan; 10th place — Jocelyn Kerr, 4-H British Columbia.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 50 years since the first Simmental bull, Parisien, was imported to Canada, but its true and Simmental breeders from across Canada are preparing to celebrate the breed’s 50th anniversary at events in nearly every province this year. Be sure to mark your calendar and plan to join the excitement at numberous events across the country. For more details as they become available contact your provincial Simmental association or Rae-Lee Erickson at the CSA office 403-250-7979 or [email protected].
The World Angus Forum is set for June 21 to 26 in Edinburgh, Scotland with farm tours scheduled for Ireland, Scotland and England. For details see worldangusforum2017.com.
There was some great news for Hereford breeders coming out of Fort Worth, Texas where a Canadian cow, RVP 51X ABLAZE 7A owned by Harvie Ranching of Olds, Alta., and RSK Farms of Brandon, Man., was named the 2016 Hereford Miss World Champion over females from Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. The website herefordbreeder.net, which nominates Champion animals from across the globe to compete in a Hereford Miss World competition at Fort Worth every year, selected RVP 51X ABLAZE 7A as its North American Champion prior to the world competition. There were 70 countries competing for the championship. Here she is pictured (at top of page) winning National Champion Female at Canadian Western Agribition with her heifer calf at her side, Harvie RSK Ms Autumn 32D. The pair won Agribition, FarmFair, Bonanza and the Hereford Breeder World Championship. She was undefeated and it’s safe to say her show career has ended as she becomes a donor cow. This Miss World competition has been going on for five years, and four of the five winners have been Canadian-bred and -owned Hereford females.
Cattlemen’s Young Leaders
Wilco van Meijl
Mentor: Jeff Smith, Gateway Livestock Exchange and Lyndsay Smith, Prime Analytics
Wilco van Meijl grew up on a commercial cow-calf family farm in Rapid City, Man., and has always had an interest in cattle, through his involvement in 4-H and breed associations. He has a B.Sc. in agriculture with an animal science major from the University of Manitoba and worked for Cargill for 9-1/2 years on the crop side before joining Farm Credit Canada as a district director.
Van Meijl and his wife, Adrienne, have three children and recently started a partnership with van Meijl’s brother and his wife, to begin the transition of the family farming operation that will calve between 380-400 cows this spring. He is looking to better understand advanced marketing options for cow-calf producers in order to effectively hedge their calves and manage risk.
Nicole Viste
Mentor: Tim Hardman, beef director of World Wildife Fund U.S.
Raised on the family ranch, Viste is the fourth and fifth generation on each side of her family to be involved in agriculture in the Hanna area of Alberta. Throughout her school years, she was involved with all aspects of her parent’s commercial cow-calf and backgrounding operation, and never turned down an opportunity to work cattle with others. She attended Olds College, obtaining her diploma in agriculture production, focusing on beef. After college she worked in the Special Areas with the Agricultural Service Board, becoming a rangeland agrologist. She continues to be actively involved with the family ranch, and has her own small, but expanding, commercial cow herd. She also operates Greystone Images, a western art/photography and home decor business.
Kristy Layne-Carr
Mentor: Carol Kitchen, president and CEO of UFA
Layne-Carr grew up on a mixed grain and cow-calf operation in central Manitoba. She was involved in 4-H beef projects for many years and obtained a bachelor’s of science degree at the University of Manitoba where she became involved in the Faculty of Agriculture Students’ Organization and sat on the executive for the Stockman’s Club. She went on to pursue a master’s degree at North Dakota State University in animal and range sciences, focusing on dormant season grazing. In 2006, she and her husband began farming with a 30-cow herd raised from her 4-H projects, and worked full-time off-farm. Since then, the cow herd has expanded to 200 head of Angus-based cows, and the family has grown to six members. Layne-Carr sits on the advisory committee for Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives and is hoping to gain insight and understanding of leadership roles in the industry, while specifically focusing on advancing women in agriculture.
