“Without additional investment, producers are in the very difficult position of having to consider reducing their herds or leaving the industry altogether,” said Eichler in a news release. “Our government is making this significant investment to ensure there are other options available, when they’re needed most.”

Programs are still under development but will include funding for feed assistance, feed transportation, cattle transportation and a herd rebuilding program the province said in a news release.

This adds to $100 million the federal government promised late last week. The funds are to be split between the western provinces, designed to match provincial AgriRecovery submissions on the 60-40 cost-shared basis outlined under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the federal government said in an Aug. 6 news release. 

The federal government said it was willing to find more cash if needed.

“The drought conditions have been extremely stressful and challenging for Manitoba’s cattle producers, forcing them to make difficult short and long-term decisions about the future of their operations. This has not been easy for them or their families,” said Tyler Fulton, president of Manitoba Beef Producers in a statement.

“Today’s announcement is very important as it recognizes both the immediate needs related to the feed situation, as well as looks ahead to a time when producers will consider rebuilding their herds. We appreciate the government’s commitment to the future of our sector and look forward to seeing more program details.”

“Keystone Agricultural Producers welcomes this announcement and will continue to work with the provincial government, Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation and Manitoba’s farm organizations to ensure that programs address the challenges facing producers across our province,” said Bill Campbell, president, Keystone Agricultural Producers in the provincial news release.

Additional details will be shared with Manitoba producers as programs are developed and become available the province said.

Prior to the Aug. 10 announcement, the Manitoba Beef Producers said it’s asking for a per-head payment program “that would allow individual producers to make management decisions in the weeks and months ahead which are best suited to their particular operation’s situation,” it said in an Aug. 6 statement posted to its website.

It’s also asking for a herd recovery plan, either by expanding the eligibility of the per-head payment to help producers who’ve sold off cattle, or by using “existing mechanisms.” 

MBP has asked for consideration under AgriRecovery to include assistance for unanticipated infrastructure costs like fencing, or watering equipment, and to help cover the cost of hauling water. 

MBP has requested several other measures including a forage-restoration program, which it said have been initiated after past events like flood events; a freeze on rental rate increases for crown lands; extended eligibility under the Livestock Tax Deferral Program to include all classes of cattle; and increased support from Manitoba Agriculture extension staff on issues like alternative feed use, water source testing and feed testing. 

Manitoba Beef Producers is also asking that the “principle of retroactivity be taken into account when designing and delivering AgriRecovery initiatives” as some producers have had to start feeding cattle well ahead of usual or send cattle to market or slaughter far earlier than ideal.

This article was originally published at the Manitoba Co-operator.

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“Many producers rely on predictable and affordable access to Crown land leases as a major part of their operations, particularly in areas of the province where there is limited access to deeded land,” said MBP President Tom Teichroeb. “During the consultative process we identified key producer and industry priorities when it comes to the future direction of the ACL program and we are continuing to advance those priorities.”

Among the changes being made to the ACL program MBP believes will be beneficial to the beef industry include:

• Allocating ACL leases via an auction system, which is a less complicated and more transparent process;
• A commitment to promoting compliance and using enforcement where needed to ensure the lands are being utilized for the intended purpose; and,
• The removal of the 4,800 Animal Unit Month cap per leaseholder for forage leases, a practice that has been restrictive and which did not necessarily take into account the increasing size of operations overall.

MBP has firm positions on several matters raised during the consultative process around the modernization of the ACL Program and it is continuing to pursue their inclusion in the government’s policies. They include:

• The continued ability for producers to be able to utilize family transfers and unit transfers;
• Allowing existing lease holders to have the first right of renewal upon expiry of their lease if they can demonstrate that they still meet the program terms and conditions. Access and predictability are essential to long-term planning related to livestock operations;
• Having a rental rate formula that is fair, easily understood, recognizes market conditions and does not place an undue financial burden on the producers during the transition to the new formula; and,
• The right to informed access whereby those wishing to access ACL would need to notify the lease or permit holder prior to entry. This is important to address concerns related to potential biosecurity issues, and also to help protect livestock, people and the environment.

MBP believes that if the beef cattle sector is to grow it is essential agricultural Crown lands be allocated, priced and managed in the most predictable and transparent manner possible. This will help ensure their use is both effective and efficient for producers, and also help meet the stated objectives of the ACL program which include supporting the sustainable expansion of the livestock herd in Manitoba, contributing to ecological goods and services, and providing mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

Manitoba Beef Producers is the exclusive voice of the beef industry in Manitoba, representing 6,500 producers across the province. MBP’s mission is to represent all beef producers through communication, advocacy, research, and education—within the industry and to governments, consumers and others, to improve prosperity and ensure a sustainable future.

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Manitoba’s protein strategy encompasses both plant and animal proteins. On the meat side, the province plans to invest $500 million in primary livestock production and processing by 2025, Alexis Stockford writes, to boost animal protein production 35 per cent above 2017 levels.

Ralph Eichler, Manitoba’s agriculture minister, has stated intentions to help restore the province’s beef herd to pre-BSE numbers. But with only one CFIA-certified beef or bison plant in the province (True North Foods in Carman), processing may be a weak link.

“Businesses will expand as they get capital and demand for their product, but you can’t expand it and hope that the product expansion will grow with you. You have to have some faith in your product first before you can do that,” Eichler said. “And, quite frankly, we don’t have a large number of feedlots in Manitoba, so we rely a lot on Alberta or Ontario to do our processing for us.”

Tom Teichroeb, president of the Manitoba Beef Producers, was positive about the planned processing boost, saying it “captures the imagination.” While challenges remain around EU access, trade news has been largely positive for the beef and pork sectors, he said. However, a stable labour supply “will be absolutely key in achieving those possibilities,” he said.

The provincial government also hopes to attract $1 billion of investment in plant protein processing by 2025. Roquette is set to open a pea protein plant in Portage la Prairie next year, and Simplot planning to complete a $460 million expansion to its Portage la Prairie plant this fall. Robin Young, chief operating officer with Manitoba’s Food Development Centre, noted challenges remain on the processing and regulatory side.

The public can forward written feedback to mbproteinadvant­age@gov.mb.ca. The feedback deadline is May 15.

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Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA) and Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives (MBFI) have designed a guest-instructor schedule from the excellent producer expertise among their ranks to help Assiniboine deliver the course to more than 60 students twice a week, a release states.

In early December the college put out a call for instructors in response to a long-time faculty member going on a short sabbatical. MFGA and MBFI answered the call. Mary-Jane Orr, general manager of MBFI, has a research background and has taught at Purdue University. Orr worked with Assiniboine staff and faculty to smooth the transition and make sure they were meeting course requirements.

Meanwhile MFGA looked to their board members and partners to fill in the required instructor sessions on a voluntary basis.

“MFGA takes a lot of pride (in) the way our producers farm, especially around forages, pastures and livestock as they all manage their farms with systems that reward them economically while respecting the soil, water and agricultural lands they work on,” said Duncan Morrison, MFGA executive director, in a release.

“We believe when it comes to livestock, grass, water, and soil knowledge and farming practices that we have some of the best of the best in Manitoba.”

Morrison added that they’ve approached Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers and Ducks Unlimited Canada to help round out the guest instructor roster, “and so far, everyone seems really enthused to bring their valuable expertise to the students.”

The course will provide technical understanding and hands-on learning in forage and livestock production. Students will tour MBFI and the Boyd family’s Glanton Farms north of Brandon as part of the guest instructor sessions.

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“Through the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), Canada has the tremendous opportunity to ship as much as 50,000 tonnes of beef to Europe annually,” Tom Teichroeb, Manitoba Beef Producers president, said in a release. “However, interested cow-calf producers and feedlot operations must adhere to the Canadian Program for Certifying Freedom from Growth Enhancing Products for Export of Beef to the EU, and have their compliance certified by an approved veterinarian.”

Vets must be approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency before they can certify an operation. There are a few veterinarians certified in Manitoba, and Manitoba producers can obtain their contact information by calling the Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association at 204-832-1276 or 1-866-338-6862.

Beef producers and feedlot operators can also find a list of approved veterinarians on the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association website. The page also includes other information such as record-keeping requirements and production protocols.

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And that is exactly why Merck’s Creating Connections program hosted two workshops recently at Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiative’s (MBFI) Brookdale site near Brandon, Man. The outputs of the two workshops were the same: Cattle handled with low-stress methods are more productive and cost-effective whether measuring feeding efficiency, net gain, meat quality or milk yield.

The focus on productivity and cost-effectiveness spiked a lot of interest from producers for both MBFI workshops. But the two events were different in that one of the workshops was for women only.

“Our main concept with Creating Connections is a little different in that we are guiding animals instead of pushing them, which is a little outside the box for some long-time cattle handlers,” said Amanda Elzinga-Pugh, a Merck Animal Health rep from Alberta who, along with Merck colleagues Dr. Colleen Pollock and Heather Davis, delivered the women-only workshop. “The decision to hold one workshop specifically for women resulted out of pure interest for the program and our want to get as many persons to our workshop as possible.”

According to Elzinga-Pugh, the opportunity to learn new approaches to cattle handling with their peers was a welcoming factor for many of the women who attended the workshop.

“They all shared the same interest in care for animal health and doing their part to help improve that potential.”

Low stress is a positive thing and that applies to cattle too. Regina-based Lee Sinclair is an account manager for the farm animal business unit for Merck Animal Health who oversees the company’s cattle handling program in Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta.

Sinclair says Merck developed the Creating Connections program in 2014. Low-stress handling offers health benefits to the cattle by decreasing physical and psychological stress. The Merck Creating Connections website contains eight modules around cattle handling, including references to studies that show it improves an animal’s immunity, response to vaccination and reproductive performance, while lowering the incidence of death and disease. On top of all that, low-stress handling also prevents injury to animals and producers alike.

“We are seeing a great deal of producer interest,” said Sinclair, pointing to the open-to-all producers MBFI workshop that was full a week in advance.

“There are two primary goals with our workshops. The first is to train people to utilize the methods Merck endorses to care for the animals and the second is to connect the audiences to our Merck product line for animal health.”

Sinclair says the origins and concepts of the Merck Creating Connections program took shape from the animal handling observations and expertise of three veterinarians, one each from Brazil, the United States and Australia. Sinclair says that tailoring to a specific audience — as in the case of the women-only MBFI clinic — is something they have the flexibility to do on a number of fronts.

Ramona Blyth, MBFI chair and a beef producer from MacGregor Man., says the interest of women in general extends well beyond specialized events.

“There were women at the producers event held a week later at MBFI,” notes Blyth. “And truthfully, for some at the women’s event it did matter and for some it didn’t matter that there were only women in attendance. The two workshops did give opportunity for everyone to take part in whatever workshop suited their needs best.”

The two workshops were staggered, she adds, to allow different members of a family to take part.

“Running a farm operation requires a lot of attention and knowledge,” says Blyth. “These two workshops did allow for at least one person from the farm to attend on each day as opposed to only sending one or the other or both on the same day.”

MBFI is a Brandon-based collaborative effort between Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP), Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and the Manitoba Forage & Grassland Association (MFGA), with input from producers, researchers and other industry stakeholders across Canada.

Blyth believes anyone who attended the workshop took something home, regardless of age, ability or gender.

“It was a good personal development day for each of us to take home what we learned and advance it within our own operations,” she says. “When it comes to raising cattle with the best care possible, knowledge is power and we all learned something today.”

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Some, like the Circle H Farms, openly rely on sunshine and the power that the sun provides on numerous fronts, including allowing cattle access to grazing.

“Our solar-powered Batt-Latches allow us to high-density graze, moving cattle into paddocks multiple times a day,” says Kristelle Harper of Circle H Farms on the outskirts of Brandon, Man. “We set the date and time for the gate to open, the Batt-Latches then use solar power for energy and automatically open the gate. This really saves us on fuel, time and labour to go out to the field and open the gates.”

Others, like the crew at Manitoba Beef and Forages Initiatives’ three research sites in the Brandon area, are also looking at minimizing costs and maximizing value via the feeding systems they are studying and implementing.

“At MBFI, we are looking at two areas that minimize costs and maximize value when it comes to energy efficiency,” says Glenn Friesen, of Manitoba Agriculture, one of four MBFI core partners in the MBFI along with Manitoba Beef Producers, Manitoba Forage and Grasslands Association and Ducks Unlimited Canada.

“We are using forage crops known to have more energy per pound grazed, thereby improving feed to gain conversions. Also, multiple annual crop blends — often called polycrops — can enhance soil microbiology and in turn improve nutrient cycling and the productivity of subsequent crops. In the end, both options may reduce the amount of energy needed to raise our cattle.”

According to their twitter account, Circle H Farms is a family-run regenerative farming system focusing on soil, grassland and animal health. Circle H Farms is often utilized as a stop for tours by producers, agricultural interests and conservation groups and when not hosting events, members of the Harper family — usually Kristelle or her father Brian — can often be found at the front of the community hall or meeting room sharing their insights to grazing club and soil health workshop attendees. Kristelle says her family utilizes the sun 12 months a year.

“Our winter watering system is also solar powered,” she explains. “We have been using this for many years and it works really well. And, we use a solar-powered fencer for one of our rented pastures that only has barbed wire and no power. We set up the solar panel and connect it to a fencer. This allows us to use a single-strand temporary wire to divide the pasture into smaller paddocks.”

Brian Harper takes their solar-based approach one step further. Actually, he takes it a flight of steps further.

“For the majority of the year our entire operation is what I like to call solar powered,” he says. “Very little diesel or inputs go into our operation. We choose to mimic Mother Nature as much as possible.”

Harper says the entire Circle H Farms beef herd is managed on forage only for the entire year. He accepts that some folks in the cattle biz might raise their eyebrows at his unwavering commitment to the forage-only process. However, he makes a strong and rational case for how they farm at Circle H Farms.

“Consider each plant being its very own solar panel,” says Harper. “When grown diversely and managed to remain vegetative for as many days as possible the plants create a solar-collecting blanket across the ground surface, supercharging soil life. We strive to have green leaves photosynthesizing for as many days as we can. I like to refer to the herd bulls we sell as being solar-powered genetics. The solar systems give us simplicity of management.”

This article was originally published in the June 22, 2017 issue of the Manitoba Co-operator.

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The $750,000 SARPAL (species at risk partnerships on agricultural lands) initiative administered by Manitoba Beef Producers couples producers’ knowledge of the land and cattle with conservation specialists’ scientific knowledge of grassland birds’ habitat to identify management practices most likely to benefit cattle and birds.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to be asked by MBP to deliver this program with producers,” says Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corp. CEO Tim Sopuck. “MBP’s cow-calf producers own, manage and conserve more habitat in agro Manitoba than any other organization. SARPAL gives us a chance to try out different ways to connect with producers, find out what works, what doesn’t, and learn from each other.”

The project offers cost-shared funding for beneficial management practices (BMPs) and management services to help producers implement grazing and grassland management strategies shown to be effective for conserving habitat for grassland birds, while having potential to improve pasture and cattle productivity.

Suggestions include but aren’t limited to installing fencing and/or watering systems to improve cattle distribution, establishing complementary pastures to alleviate pressure on grassland pastures, establishing native grass stands, and managing shrub encroachment on grasslands.

MBP president Ben Fox says producers across the province know the importance of well-managed pastureland to their businesses and for biodiversity, including supporting wildlife and species at risk. This project is an opportunity to show how beef production is part of the solution to supporting and protecting species at risk.

SARPAL is a fairly new model for working with producers on voluntary stewardship initiatives by connecting with existing regional groups. It was rolled out by Environment Canada as part of the 2014 $252 million Conservation Action Plan, with the SARPAL component providing $6.2 million nationwide over five years.

An important feature of SARPAL is that it’s not a set-aside program. It focuses on actively farmed land that encompasses habitat identified as critical for one or more species at risk listed under the federal act.

Areas of interest in southwestern Manitoba include Broomhill/Poverty Plains, Pierson/Lyleton Grasslands, Coulter/Blind Souris River Valley, West Oak Lake/Belleview, and the Pipestone/Maple Lake region. Key birds of interest include Sprague’s pipit, ferruginous hawk, chestnut-collared longspur, loggerhead shrike, baird’s sparrow and the burrowing owl.

The MBP project is open until March 31, 2019, but the voluntary commitment is a 10-year agreement. Information on grassland health and bird use will be collected at the beginning of the project to assess the impact of management changes over time.

The contact for this project is Carol Graham at MHHC’s Reston office, 204-821-4943.

The West Souris River and the Turtle River conservation districts will be assisting MHHC with on-the-ground delivery and received SARPAL support for related projects. The West Souris River group’s grassland birds project, which is mapping, surveying and implementing bird-specific BMPs, already has a lot of interest from producers. In the Turtle Mountain district, artificial nests will be installed to protect burrowing owls from digging predators, conduct research and raise awareness of this species.

A fourth SARPAL project carried out by Manitoba Agriculture will add a species-at-risk component to the Environmental Farm Plan Program booklet.

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The association is also preparing for the introduction of the $2.50 per head national checkoff sometime this summer, an increase from the current $1 per head levy that was approved by producers at the last annual meeting of the MBP.

“Our main job this year as far as increasing the number of beef producers on the landscape will be letting people know that beef production in Manitoba is a really good thing and our organization is here for them and working to make it profitable,” says MBP president-elect Ben Fox.

The new Conservative government’s minister of agriculture, Ralph Eicher, announced last summer that he would like to see the cow herd increase from approximately 485,000 head today to its pre-BSE level around 750,000.

The MBP board of directors followed through on its commitment to gather ideas from its members at fall district meetings on how this might be accomplished. Four themes came out of those meetings: find ways to make beef production more economically predictable; gain access to more Crown acres; attract new producers and secure labour to help existing producers grow their herds.

Several resolutions addressed specific hurdles that would need to be overcome to support an increase in the beef herd.

Regarding access to Crown lands, members favour giving the minister of agriculture oversight and control over agricultural Crown lands. There was also some agreement on the need for a more flexible process to transfer Crown lands between producers to ensure that it is being used effectively.

The need for improved maintenance of existing drains on Crown and private lands was raised as a barrier to the use of these acres. Beaver population control would have to be another part of the package along with properly managed watersheds to reduce or prevent recurrent flooding of valuable forage land.

There was unanimous agreement that the current model for funding education is outdated and unfair to farmers, and no doubt acts as a deterrent to potential new entrants looking to invest in the beef business. Property ownership has no bearing on the ability to pay tax, and the members urged their association to continue to lobby government to remove the property tax from farmland and buildings involved in farm production.

Members also approved of the role the MBP has to play in educating producers about the implementation plan agreed to by the industry and government for full traceability, and explaining the necessity of premises identification and movement reporting documents.

If this industry-negotiated plan fails, Fox fears the government will enact far less farmer-friendly regulations requiring the reading of tags each time animals move out of a premise.

Seven districts brought resolutions forward dealing with climate change and carbon sequestration.

In light of the requirement for a carbon tax imposed by the federal government, the producers asked the MBP to lobby the province to implement an Alternate Land-Use Services program to provide payments to agricultural producers for measurable increases in carbon sequestration and any environmentally sound practices that retain additional water on the land they manage.

Other resolutions called for an exemption from carbon taxation on all agricultural-related inputs and for the MBP to urge government to take no steps toward reducing CO2 emissions that are out of step with those in the U.S. The aim of the motion was to avoid any repercussions by the U.S. that might damage the competitiveness of Canadian agriculture and the rural economy.

Fox says he was honoured by the directors confidence in him to lead the organization for the coming year. He feels he is ready to face the challenges ahead. He comes into his new role having served four years as district director during which time he served on the executive as first and second vice-president and secretary, as well as chair of the animal health committee, vice-chair of the Crown land committee and as a member of the governance committee. He is also the alternate representative to the National Cattle Feeders’ Association and co-chairs the Manitoba TB task force.

Fox brings depth of knowledge to the table as a rancher and cattle buyer for JBS. He was raised on a purebred Hereford operation near Lloydminster, Sask., and formally educated at Oklahoma State University. In 2006, he and his wife, Linda, moved to the Dauphin area where they run their diverse operation under the name of Justamere Ranch. He’s proud to be able to say that their four children are now the fifth generation of the Fox family to be involved in primary production.

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Ben Fox of Dauphin is the new president of the Manitoba Beef Producers. Joining him on the executive are first vice-president Ramona Blyth from MacGregor, second vice-president Tom Teichroeb of Langruth and treasurer Peter Penner from Winkler. Dianne Riding of Lake Francis replaces Fox as board secretary.

Ryan Beierbach of Whitewood returns as chair of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association. New to the board of directors this year are Joe Jackson of Moose Jaw, who takes over from Philip Lynn in District 2, and Keith Day of Kyle, who takes over from Larry Grant in District 3B. Bill Huber of Lipton replaces Lloyd Thompson, Carnduff, as one of the directors representing the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association. Duane Thompson of Kelliher and Lynn Grant of Val Marie were elected to join Pat Hayes and Reg Schellenberg as SCA’s representatives to the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.

The Alberta Cattle Feeders Association returned Martin Zuidhof of Lacombe as chair and Ryan Kasko of Coaldale as vice-chair during its annual general meeting at Lethbridge. Colleen Mackey of Picture Butte was newly elected for a two-year term joining past chair Page Stuart, GFA committee chair Jake Buerkert, James Bekkering, Jason Hagel, Craig Paskal, Greg Schmidt, Keith Ypma, John Schooten, and Jeff Smith on the association’s board of directors. John Lawton and Leighton Kolk completed their terms; however, there are no vacancies remaining as per the association’s governance review recommendation to reduce the board by one member.

Scott Sakatch has resigned as the communications specialist with the Sask­atch­­ewan Cattlemen’s Associa­tion. Sakatch is a former editer/reporter with the Lethbridge Herald and communications consultant who is moving to Red Deer.

Barry Irving, the manager of research stations for the faculty of agricultural, life and environmental sciences at the University of Alberta is the 31st recipient of the W.R. Chapline Stewardship award presented annually by the Society for Range Management (SRM) in recognition of his contributions to the art and science of rangeland management. Irving teaches an advanced undergraduate class in range management that culminates in two exams at the annual meeting of the SRM; one is written exam, the other gives students one minute to identify plants at 100 different stations. Under his tutelage the U of A Range Team has scored a top-five finish 16 times in this competition against American universities and chalked up 165 awards.

Mathieu Pare is the new director of Canada Beef’s Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence (CBCE), replacing the retiring Marty Carpenter. A Governor General Award winner and professional chef, Pare has trained in Western Canada’s most demanding kitchens, La Chaumiere, Rouge, Quail’s Gate Estate Winery and CP Rail’s The Royal Canadian Pacific. Over its first 18 months in operation, the CBCE hosted 66 domestic and international missions, from approximately 33 countries and enabled or leveraged approximately $150 million in commercial business.

Manitoba’s 2017 Environmental Stewardship Award was presented to Nerbas Bros. Angus of Shellmouth during the Manitoba Beef Producers’ annual conference at Brandon in February. The family’s purebred herd is raised to perform on a mainly forage diet.

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