source: Farm and Food Report
Market Prospects marks its 20th anniversary this winter with a 16-week run on CTV’s weekly Farmgate show.
The series continues its tradition of inviting experts from Saskatchewan and further afield to provide leading edge analysis on the market situation and outlook for major prairie crops and livestock. It also examines a variety of related agricultural production and trade issues.
Market Prospects kicked off in December 2004 with two livestock shows. Farmgate host Bob Simpson interviewed Michel Tremblay, SAFRR Provincial Forage Crop Specialist, on the feed situation and Brad Wildeman of Pound-Maker Agventures in Lanigan on current issues in the prairie beef sector. As with most Market Prospects shows, the audio and video of these interviews and the text version of the questions can be accessed following the original broadcast at http://marketprospects.usask.ca/.
The series resumed in January with SAFFR's own grain research economist, Glenn Payne, speaking on world grain and oilseed supplies and market conditions. In the next show, Dr. Andrew Schmitz of the University of Florida examined the nature of U.S. trade actions (and the resulting countervail duties). Dr. Schmitz is an internationally recognized agricultural economist who still farms in his home province of Saskatchewan.
The annual appearance of Dr. Keith Collins, Chief Economist of the United States Department of Agriculture, is considered a highlight of the Market Prospects series. Dr. Collins, who is known to give candid interviews, provides the U.S. perspective on agricultural trade and markets in two interviews. On February 5, he offers the U.S. view on the wheat and oilseed outlook.
On February 12, Dave Walker of Tisdale's Walker Seeds addresses the market situation and outlook for peas, lentils and chickpeas. Steve Gadient of Winnipeg's Humboldt Seeds continues the emphasis on specialty crops on February 19, speaking on mustard, canary seed and spices. Further topic and speaker information can be found on the web site.
One might think that, after 20 years of production, the annual series might be growing old and a bit tired. However, the show has re-invented itself several times over the years to remain relevant and accessible. It has gone from a one-day satellite show with live audiences in a small number of Saskatchewan centres, to a stand-alone special series on network television, to its current placement as a 10-minute segment on Farmgate.
More than 75,000 viewers watch the show each week in the province, and it is also available across Canada on satellite television. The adoption of technology such as the internet site and the production of DVDs has further expanded the availability of the information.
Central to the Market Prospects programming over the years has been the objective of informing farmers about changing production and market conditions that will influence production levels and prices of the major Saskatchewan crops in the coming year. The goal has been to deliver timely commodity market and outlook information prior to spring planting.
Richard Wharton is SAFRR's Production Economics Specialist. "This kind of information is very critical," he says. "With margins being very thin, producers need to focus on what the market demands. Traditionally, agricultural producers have put more emphasis on production than marketing, which tends to be left to specialized organizations. Yet, it is central to what producers do. They need to be aware of market fluctuation, especially now, as they prepare for a new season of activities. They must familiarize themselves with developments on issues of price, cash flow and profitability. The Market Prospect interviews allow them to do just that."
In recent years, an expanded educational mandate has been adopted for the series. A number of shows each year look at a wider range of production, market and trade issues that affect prairie farmers. This year, the Canadian Adaptation and Rural Development in Saskatchewan (CARDS) Program (funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) has provided financial support for a series of eight interviews within the Market Prospects 2005 programming focussing on agricultural trade. The series, which explores BSE, Canada/U.S. trade, product traceability and the WTO, is titled Globalization: Challenges and Opportunities for Prairie Agriculture.
Market Prospects 2005 is co-ordinated by the Department of Agricultural Economics of the University of Saskatchewan, in co-operation with SAFRR and CTV. A broad base of financial support comes from CARDS, the Agriculture Institute of Management in Saskatchewan (AIMS), the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB), the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS), the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, and the Cyril Capling Trust Fund of the College of Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan.
Market Prospects continues on Farmgate on Saturdays until April 16. There is something for all prairie farmers and anyone else interested in agriculture in these 16 themed interviews.
For more information, contact:
Richard Wharton
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
Agriculture Knowledge Centre
1-866-457-2377
Friday, February 11, 2005
Winter Cereals Canada Looks at Favourable Future
source: Farm and Food Report
When winter cereal producers meet in Saskatoon on February 14, there will certainly be talk of the drop in Saskatchewan acres of winter wheat, from close to 230,000 acres in 2003 to little more than 147,000 acres last year because of the weather.
But that does not give an accurate picture of how the industry is doing, according to Executive Manager of Winter Cereals Canada, Bob Linnell.
“Winter wheat production has been around 700,000 acres, spread across three prairie provinces; and, on the whole over the last six years or so, there has been a steady increase of 10 to 18 per cent in acreage. We see that as a positive sign. We consistently get between 60 and 100 growers at the meeting. That may not seem like a lot, but they are the ones looking for new avenues to further develop their farm.”
According to Linnell, winter wheat producers tend to have higher acreages these days, so they tend to look at spreading out their workload. Winter wheat allows them to do that.
“They are able to seed in the fall, roughly at the time they are starting to harvest their spring seeded crops. The next year, the winter wheat is harvested actually about a month ahead of any spring-seeded crop. They have a chance to do two things. They can get a crop off and spend more time adequately harvesting their fall-seeded crops that year. It also has an effect on bin storage. If you get winter wheat in a bin a month ahead of your spring seeded harvested crop, you can often empty it out and re-use that bin. In other words, you are doing two turns on that individual bin. It beats the market, as well.”
This year, Winter Cereals Canada has invited speakers who can help growers achieve higher returns on their investment and decrease input costs.
“Because the fertilizer is applied sometime later in the springtime — after the cereal is already growing the fall before — there have always been questions about how to properly apply the fertilizer that is going into the ground,” Linnell says. “Dr. Byron Irvine of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Brandon will talk about fertilizing winter wheat for maximum production — and Manitoba has been somewhat more successful in producing higher yields than we have, so he’ll share some of his secrets.”
As far as markets go, there may be a number of options for winter wheat with hog and cattle feeders once current supplies diminish, says Linnell.
“We see growth in the area of feeding hogs and livestock — hogs particularly, because it is a high energy crop and they can adjust the energy on other things. Hog feeders and hog feeding mills really like the product. Cattle feeders buy in bulk because of the quantity they need: so many tons, what is your best price per ton? And often hog feeders will contract winter wheat producers because they want a continuous feed stock supply.”
Linnell also has his eyes on ethanol production.
“Winter wheat is the preferred feed stock for ethanol production because of the productive capacity of it. The key right now is to produce bushels, and if you can do that at a lower cost of inputs, that’s the name of the game. We see that as a difficult thing to adjust to sometimes.”
At the end of the presentations, Winter Cereals Canada promises a productive Annual Meeting later in the afternoon, followed by a bear pit session and a trade show held jointly with the Direct Seeding Conference of the Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association.
The Winter Cereals Canada Annual Meeting is open to media and the public. To register, contact Bob Linnell at (306) 848-1252.
For more information, contact:
Bob Linnell
Winter Cereals Canada
(306) 848-1252
When winter cereal producers meet in Saskatoon on February 14, there will certainly be talk of the drop in Saskatchewan acres of winter wheat, from close to 230,000 acres in 2003 to little more than 147,000 acres last year because of the weather.
But that does not give an accurate picture of how the industry is doing, according to Executive Manager of Winter Cereals Canada, Bob Linnell.
“Winter wheat production has been around 700,000 acres, spread across three prairie provinces; and, on the whole over the last six years or so, there has been a steady increase of 10 to 18 per cent in acreage. We see that as a positive sign. We consistently get between 60 and 100 growers at the meeting. That may not seem like a lot, but they are the ones looking for new avenues to further develop their farm.”
According to Linnell, winter wheat producers tend to have higher acreages these days, so they tend to look at spreading out their workload. Winter wheat allows them to do that.
“They are able to seed in the fall, roughly at the time they are starting to harvest their spring seeded crops. The next year, the winter wheat is harvested actually about a month ahead of any spring-seeded crop. They have a chance to do two things. They can get a crop off and spend more time adequately harvesting their fall-seeded crops that year. It also has an effect on bin storage. If you get winter wheat in a bin a month ahead of your spring seeded harvested crop, you can often empty it out and re-use that bin. In other words, you are doing two turns on that individual bin. It beats the market, as well.”
This year, Winter Cereals Canada has invited speakers who can help growers achieve higher returns on their investment and decrease input costs.
“Because the fertilizer is applied sometime later in the springtime — after the cereal is already growing the fall before — there have always been questions about how to properly apply the fertilizer that is going into the ground,” Linnell says. “Dr. Byron Irvine of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Brandon will talk about fertilizing winter wheat for maximum production — and Manitoba has been somewhat more successful in producing higher yields than we have, so he’ll share some of his secrets.”
As far as markets go, there may be a number of options for winter wheat with hog and cattle feeders once current supplies diminish, says Linnell.
“We see growth in the area of feeding hogs and livestock — hogs particularly, because it is a high energy crop and they can adjust the energy on other things. Hog feeders and hog feeding mills really like the product. Cattle feeders buy in bulk because of the quantity they need: so many tons, what is your best price per ton? And often hog feeders will contract winter wheat producers because they want a continuous feed stock supply.”
Linnell also has his eyes on ethanol production.
“Winter wheat is the preferred feed stock for ethanol production because of the productive capacity of it. The key right now is to produce bushels, and if you can do that at a lower cost of inputs, that’s the name of the game. We see that as a difficult thing to adjust to sometimes.”
At the end of the presentations, Winter Cereals Canada promises a productive Annual Meeting later in the afternoon, followed by a bear pit session and a trade show held jointly with the Direct Seeding Conference of the Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association.
The Winter Cereals Canada Annual Meeting is open to media and the public. To register, contact Bob Linnell at (306) 848-1252.
For more information, contact:
Bob Linnell
Winter Cereals Canada
(306) 848-1252
New Canaryseed Association Considers Check-Off
source: Farm and Food Report
The new Canaryseed Association of Canada is pondering the need to implement a levy, and is looking for input from growers.
Ray McVicar is helping the new organization develop, a task he willingly took on and part of his responsibilities as the Provincial Specialist for special crops at Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization.
“Currently, canaryseed is used only as birdfeed, either for wild birds or caged birds, so it is a very finite market,” McVicar says. “The demand is very stable. With Saskatchewan being the largest producer and exporter of this crop in the world, if we have a drought or low production, the price goes up, but if we have good production and oversupply, the price goes down. We don’t just want to grow more canaryseed: we would like to expand markets and do some research on plant breeding and agronomy.”
Canaryseed is almost an undomesticated crop. There are only five varieties registered, two of which were registered last year. There has not been a lot of research carried out on canaryseed: in fact, it has been almost ignored. The only plant-breeding program is in Saskatoon. It has always been funded on a small scale because the plant breeder was forward-thinking enough to add canaryseed into his workplan and applied for funding to run the project.
There are an estimated 1,200 canaryseed farmers in Saskatchewan— and around 70 members in the producers’ association. Obviously, running a research program on membership fees alone is not possible. By putting aside a small amount of money when farmers sell the product, the levy would, in effect, generate interest in the crop — “it would give more power to the grower,” according to McVicar.
Rumour has it there are three box cars of canaryseed used in New York City each day, shipped out of Saskatchewan. It is sent to the large urban centres of the world. Big buyers are New York City, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, and Western Europe— locations with big urban centres where caged birds are popular pets.
Canaryseed is about a $45-75 million a year crop in terms of exports for Saskatchewan. It tends to be concentrated in two main areas of the province — the West-Central area, encompassing about 40 per cent of the production, and the Regina Plain.
The Annual General Meeting takes place in Eston on the afternoon of February 10. There will be a speaker to talk about marketing, markets and prices, and a speaker on canaryseed agronomy test plots in the area last year. The plant breeder from Saskatoon will come as well to elaborate on the type of research that is needed and the level of funding that will be needed to carry it out.
This check-off issue will figure prominently on the AGM agenda. The Board will look for guidance, and surely it will manifest itself, for “Eston is the heart of canaryseed country, and that’s why the AGM will be held there,” quips McVicar.
For more information, contact:
Ray McVicar
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
(306) 787-4665
The new Canaryseed Association of Canada is pondering the need to implement a levy, and is looking for input from growers.
Ray McVicar is helping the new organization develop, a task he willingly took on and part of his responsibilities as the Provincial Specialist for special crops at Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization.
“Currently, canaryseed is used only as birdfeed, either for wild birds or caged birds, so it is a very finite market,” McVicar says. “The demand is very stable. With Saskatchewan being the largest producer and exporter of this crop in the world, if we have a drought or low production, the price goes up, but if we have good production and oversupply, the price goes down. We don’t just want to grow more canaryseed: we would like to expand markets and do some research on plant breeding and agronomy.”
Canaryseed is almost an undomesticated crop. There are only five varieties registered, two of which were registered last year. There has not been a lot of research carried out on canaryseed: in fact, it has been almost ignored. The only plant-breeding program is in Saskatoon. It has always been funded on a small scale because the plant breeder was forward-thinking enough to add canaryseed into his workplan and applied for funding to run the project.
There are an estimated 1,200 canaryseed farmers in Saskatchewan— and around 70 members in the producers’ association. Obviously, running a research program on membership fees alone is not possible. By putting aside a small amount of money when farmers sell the product, the levy would, in effect, generate interest in the crop — “it would give more power to the grower,” according to McVicar.
Rumour has it there are three box cars of canaryseed used in New York City each day, shipped out of Saskatchewan. It is sent to the large urban centres of the world. Big buyers are New York City, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, and Western Europe— locations with big urban centres where caged birds are popular pets.
Canaryseed is about a $45-75 million a year crop in terms of exports for Saskatchewan. It tends to be concentrated in two main areas of the province — the West-Central area, encompassing about 40 per cent of the production, and the Regina Plain.
The Annual General Meeting takes place in Eston on the afternoon of February 10. There will be a speaker to talk about marketing, markets and prices, and a speaker on canaryseed agronomy test plots in the area last year. The plant breeder from Saskatoon will come as well to elaborate on the type of research that is needed and the level of funding that will be needed to carry it out.
This check-off issue will figure prominently on the AGM agenda. The Board will look for guidance, and surely it will manifest itself, for “Eston is the heart of canaryseed country, and that’s why the AGM will be held there,” quips McVicar.
For more information, contact:
Ray McVicar
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
(306) 787-4665
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Look at the Big Picture
source: Farm and Food Report
The Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association will focus on understanding the factors that affect their industry at this year’s conference in Saskatoon on January 27-29, according to General Manager Jamie Blacklock.
“We want all our players to gain insight into the big picture,” Blacklock said. “We want them to see how international politics and those other market influencers affect the cattle feeder industry, so that they can acquire perspectives that will allow them to make better decisions about their operation and the choices they face.”
Some of the speakers are operators themselves. Take Rick Pascal of the Picture Butte/Iron Springs area in Alberta. Active in the Canadian Cattlemen for Fair Trade initiative, Pascal will look at made-in-Canada solutions to the BSE crisis and talk about exercising the feeders’ right to claim damages incurred to their operations under NAFTA Chapter 11.
To get a sense of how issues are playing out, the organizers have invited well-known Canadian pollster Allan Gregg of The Strategic Council. In his presentation titled Looking Beyond the Polls, Gregg will review the effects of the recent U.S. presidential election, public opinion trends over the last 20 years, and how the Canadian mindset has evolved and changed over that period of time.
Market influences will be explored in depth with financial services industry expert Michael L. Levy of Custom House Global Foreign Exchange. By interpreting economic analysis in plain English, Levy will engage participants in discussions on finance, foreign exchange markets, and the market environment, in a way that will help them understand all influential factors, allowing them to better prepare for the situations they may face.
SCFA’s Jamie Blacklock believes this is all very timely. “Cattle feeders need to be aware of the industry developments more than ever at this time to make smart business decisions, especially in light of BSE. But you know, cattle feeders are also very much a different breed of people — they are very resilient in the face of hardship.”
They also take pride in celebrating their unique business culture, as they will demonstrate at the Cattleman’s Feast and Festivities event on Friday night. Blacklock promises a SCFA celebration that is next to none.
The Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association will focus on understanding the factors that affect their industry at this year’s conference in Saskatoon on January 27-29, according to General Manager Jamie Blacklock.
“We want all our players to gain insight into the big picture,” Blacklock said. “We want them to see how international politics and those other market influencers affect the cattle feeder industry, so that they can acquire perspectives that will allow them to make better decisions about their operation and the choices they face.”
Some of the speakers are operators themselves. Take Rick Pascal of the Picture Butte/Iron Springs area in Alberta. Active in the Canadian Cattlemen for Fair Trade initiative, Pascal will look at made-in-Canada solutions to the BSE crisis and talk about exercising the feeders’ right to claim damages incurred to their operations under NAFTA Chapter 11.
To get a sense of how issues are playing out, the organizers have invited well-known Canadian pollster Allan Gregg of The Strategic Council. In his presentation titled Looking Beyond the Polls, Gregg will review the effects of the recent U.S. presidential election, public opinion trends over the last 20 years, and how the Canadian mindset has evolved and changed over that period of time.
Market influences will be explored in depth with financial services industry expert Michael L. Levy of Custom House Global Foreign Exchange. By interpreting economic analysis in plain English, Levy will engage participants in discussions on finance, foreign exchange markets, and the market environment, in a way that will help them understand all influential factors, allowing them to better prepare for the situations they may face.
SCFA’s Jamie Blacklock believes this is all very timely. “Cattle feeders need to be aware of the industry developments more than ever at this time to make smart business decisions, especially in light of BSE. But you know, cattle feeders are also very much a different breed of people — they are very resilient in the face of hardship.”
They also take pride in celebrating their unique business culture, as they will demonstrate at the Cattleman’s Feast and Festivities event on Friday night. Blacklock promises a SCFA celebration that is next to none.
Short Rail Line Brings Southwest Communities Together
source: Farm and Food Report
It takes determination to raise enough capital to acquire over 300 miles of short rail line, engines and maintenance equipment, and to cover operational costs that includes the salary of 14 employees in southwestern Saskatchewan. Yet, that is precisely what a group of agricultural producers and investors have managed to do in Ponteix, Gravelbourg, Bracken, Admiral, Kincaid, Shaunavon, Eastend, Climax, Frontier, Neville, Vanguard and Lafleche when they acquired Great Western Railway Ltd. recently.
Leo Legault is a farmer and, now, a Director of the company. “In three weeks, our group of 15 raised $3.8 million. We had to deal with complex legal issues and we had much to learn. We wanted to keep all the staff because they have so much knowledge about how to run this operation. We made a formal offer to Westcan a year ago and, on November 2, 2004, it became a done deal.”
Ponteix’s Legault and his partners knew that the stakes were high. In recent years, over $18 million was invested in various grain handling infrastructures along the line. Around 40 jobs depended on this deal coming through. Had the bid been unsuccessful, the future of these new facilities would have been jeopardized.
“We were well aware that the only way to ensure that producers get a greater share of revenues from our agricultural activities would be for us to own the transportation network that links all our towns and villages in the Southwest,” Legault said.
Legault believes that everyone wins as a result of this deal — from those who hold jobs along the line, to taxpayers, governments, producers and municipalities — in savings alone.
“Our studies indicate that our rail transportation system saves $5.4 million in road maintenance costs annually. Our roads simply are not designed to sustain the kind of heavy traffic they are subjected to because of agricultural transportation needs.”
And this traffic is likely to keep on putting additional pressure on highways, as Shaunavon looks at building a $90 million ethanol plant that would require around 10 to 15 million bushels of wheat to produce 150 million litres of ethanol a year.
Conrad Johnson owns a mixed farm in Bracken. He is also the new Chair of the Board of Great Western Railway Ltd. “Look at any country in the world today — look at how closely economic development and diversification are associated with the availability of a rail transportation service. It is phenomenal and particularly relevant to the geography of the Southwest. We want our children to have a future here. We want to ensure the economic prosperity of our region for our grandchildren, and we are taking the means to do just that.”
Putting his beliefs into practice, Johnson and three partners recently acquired an old Wheat Pool elevator along the line and converted it into a state-of-the art field pea cleaning plant. His Whitewater Coulee Cleaners has processed 120 rail car loads of peas in the last two years, plus 300 cars of cereal grains. Johnson is the first to admit that his success and that of the Great Western Railway and other projects along the line now hinges on communities working more closely together than ever before.
“It is funny how, when you look back 20 to 30 years, we had these rivalries between towns in this part of the province about hockey teams, schools and all those divisive issues,” Johnson said. “Things have changed quite a bit since then. I believe we now realize that we must work together for the good of the entire area. We are all proud of what we have accomplished so far and we look forward to the future.”
As far as Leo Legault is concerned, every new day that comes breaks new ground and breeds hope for the economic outlook of the whole region.
“You know, this is the longest short line in Canada,” Legault beams with pride. “Fifty-two per cent of all the grain moved on short lines in Saskatchewan is moved on our railway. When you think of it, there is no end to what we can accomplish — just keep watching us.”
It takes determination to raise enough capital to acquire over 300 miles of short rail line, engines and maintenance equipment, and to cover operational costs that includes the salary of 14 employees in southwestern Saskatchewan. Yet, that is precisely what a group of agricultural producers and investors have managed to do in Ponteix, Gravelbourg, Bracken, Admiral, Kincaid, Shaunavon, Eastend, Climax, Frontier, Neville, Vanguard and Lafleche when they acquired Great Western Railway Ltd. recently.
Leo Legault is a farmer and, now, a Director of the company. “In three weeks, our group of 15 raised $3.8 million. We had to deal with complex legal issues and we had much to learn. We wanted to keep all the staff because they have so much knowledge about how to run this operation. We made a formal offer to Westcan a year ago and, on November 2, 2004, it became a done deal.”
Ponteix’s Legault and his partners knew that the stakes were high. In recent years, over $18 million was invested in various grain handling infrastructures along the line. Around 40 jobs depended on this deal coming through. Had the bid been unsuccessful, the future of these new facilities would have been jeopardized.
“We were well aware that the only way to ensure that producers get a greater share of revenues from our agricultural activities would be for us to own the transportation network that links all our towns and villages in the Southwest,” Legault said.
Legault believes that everyone wins as a result of this deal — from those who hold jobs along the line, to taxpayers, governments, producers and municipalities — in savings alone.
“Our studies indicate that our rail transportation system saves $5.4 million in road maintenance costs annually. Our roads simply are not designed to sustain the kind of heavy traffic they are subjected to because of agricultural transportation needs.”
And this traffic is likely to keep on putting additional pressure on highways, as Shaunavon looks at building a $90 million ethanol plant that would require around 10 to 15 million bushels of wheat to produce 150 million litres of ethanol a year.
Conrad Johnson owns a mixed farm in Bracken. He is also the new Chair of the Board of Great Western Railway Ltd. “Look at any country in the world today — look at how closely economic development and diversification are associated with the availability of a rail transportation service. It is phenomenal and particularly relevant to the geography of the Southwest. We want our children to have a future here. We want to ensure the economic prosperity of our region for our grandchildren, and we are taking the means to do just that.”
Putting his beliefs into practice, Johnson and three partners recently acquired an old Wheat Pool elevator along the line and converted it into a state-of-the art field pea cleaning plant. His Whitewater Coulee Cleaners has processed 120 rail car loads of peas in the last two years, plus 300 cars of cereal grains. Johnson is the first to admit that his success and that of the Great Western Railway and other projects along the line now hinges on communities working more closely together than ever before.
“It is funny how, when you look back 20 to 30 years, we had these rivalries between towns in this part of the province about hockey teams, schools and all those divisive issues,” Johnson said. “Things have changed quite a bit since then. I believe we now realize that we must work together for the good of the entire area. We are all proud of what we have accomplished so far and we look forward to the future.”
As far as Leo Legault is concerned, every new day that comes breaks new ground and breeds hope for the economic outlook of the whole region.
“You know, this is the longest short line in Canada,” Legault beams with pride. “Fifty-two per cent of all the grain moved on short lines in Saskatchewan is moved on our railway. When you think of it, there is no end to what we can accomplish — just keep watching us.”
FarmTech 2005: Best to Know Your Competitors
source: Farm and Food Report
Alberta’s premier crop production and farm management conference will put global perspectives at the forefront again this year as it focuses on two major international competitors to Canada’s agriculture industry: China and Australia.
Rick Taillieu is Chair of the FarmTech 2005 Conference that takes place in Edmonton on January 26-28, 2005.
“Every year, we ask our delegates what topics they would like addressed at the following year’s conference. Last year, they expressed strong interest in what was happening in those two countries. We take delegates’ requests very seriously, and I think we’ve come through with this year’s selection of 40 speakers.”
Agricultural producer Peter Treloar will talk about Australia and Canada, and their affinities in agriculture. Treloar farms 7,000 acres in a family partnership in South Australia, growing wheat, barley, canola and pulse crops. He will be sharing his experiences as a recipient of a 2002 Nuffield Farming Scholarship. The scholarship allowed him to travel for four months throughout countries of South East Asia, the U.K. and France, along with the United States and Canada.
Another highly anticipated presentation will feature challenges and prospects around Chinese agriculture, with Agriteam Canada Vice President Alex Schumacher. With 30 years of experience in agricultural development, Schumacher has worked in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and North America with a wide range of crops, cropping systems, cultures and languages. He regularly consults for the World Bank on project preparation, and has conducted workshops for the Bank on project design and management.
Chinese agriculture has grown at an annual rate of about six per cent, providing steadily improving nutrition and health to approximately 1.2 billion people, as well as employing about 70 per cent of that population. It now faces multiple challenges, including rapid loss of farmland to urbanization, depletion of major aquifers, rising fertilizer costs, external competition under WTO, and a growing urban-rural income divide. How will China respond? What are the prospects for Canada? This will be addressed at the Conference.
According to Rick Taillieu, about 1,200 delegates came last year from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montana, Idaho and the State of Washington to attend FarmTech.
“I think our success can be attributed to how we mix research developments, knowledge, extension resources and farmers’ experiences to enrich the conference program,” Tallieu said. “For instance we will address soils issues around the world. The presentation on the role of oil and water resources in the rise and demise of civilizations with Daniel Hillel, a Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts currently residing in Israel, is bound to be very popular.” The connection between humans and the world’s soil and water resources; the way early civilizations grew in intimate association with their environments; and, the vital role of soil and water resource availability and their sustainable use all played a pivotal role in allowing societies to thrive over extended periods.
Even in planning the future, lessons can be learned from the past. And planning the future of agriculture is what FarmTech 2005 is all about.
Alberta’s premier crop production and farm management conference will put global perspectives at the forefront again this year as it focuses on two major international competitors to Canada’s agriculture industry: China and Australia.
Rick Taillieu is Chair of the FarmTech 2005 Conference that takes place in Edmonton on January 26-28, 2005.
“Every year, we ask our delegates what topics they would like addressed at the following year’s conference. Last year, they expressed strong interest in what was happening in those two countries. We take delegates’ requests very seriously, and I think we’ve come through with this year’s selection of 40 speakers.”
Agricultural producer Peter Treloar will talk about Australia and Canada, and their affinities in agriculture. Treloar farms 7,000 acres in a family partnership in South Australia, growing wheat, barley, canola and pulse crops. He will be sharing his experiences as a recipient of a 2002 Nuffield Farming Scholarship. The scholarship allowed him to travel for four months throughout countries of South East Asia, the U.K. and France, along with the United States and Canada.
Another highly anticipated presentation will feature challenges and prospects around Chinese agriculture, with Agriteam Canada Vice President Alex Schumacher. With 30 years of experience in agricultural development, Schumacher has worked in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and North America with a wide range of crops, cropping systems, cultures and languages. He regularly consults for the World Bank on project preparation, and has conducted workshops for the Bank on project design and management.
Chinese agriculture has grown at an annual rate of about six per cent, providing steadily improving nutrition and health to approximately 1.2 billion people, as well as employing about 70 per cent of that population. It now faces multiple challenges, including rapid loss of farmland to urbanization, depletion of major aquifers, rising fertilizer costs, external competition under WTO, and a growing urban-rural income divide. How will China respond? What are the prospects for Canada? This will be addressed at the Conference.
According to Rick Taillieu, about 1,200 delegates came last year from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montana, Idaho and the State of Washington to attend FarmTech.
“I think our success can be attributed to how we mix research developments, knowledge, extension resources and farmers’ experiences to enrich the conference program,” Tallieu said. “For instance we will address soils issues around the world. The presentation on the role of oil and water resources in the rise and demise of civilizations with Daniel Hillel, a Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts currently residing in Israel, is bound to be very popular.” The connection between humans and the world’s soil and water resources; the way early civilizations grew in intimate association with their environments; and, the vital role of soil and water resource availability and their sustainable use all played a pivotal role in allowing societies to thrive over extended periods.
Even in planning the future, lessons can be learned from the past. And planning the future of agriculture is what FarmTech 2005 is all about.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Plant Breeders Keep Diseases at Bay
source: Farm and Food Report
Dr. Geoff Hughes has spent much quality time in a greenhouse injecting Fusarium Head Blight spores in water solution straight into the head of wheat plants at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre.
“Because Fusarium is not as well established in central Saskatchewan as it is in areas like the Red River Valley in Manitoba, we don’t actually conduct field screening experiments here, so we don’t create a problem for the industry where there isn’t one,” Hughes said.
Dr. Hughes is one of many plant breeders in Western Canada whose fundamental purpose it is to seek new sources of genetic resistance to diseases in plants that are grown as commercial crops in the province.
“There will always be mutations in disease strains that will stunt plant growth eventually. There is always that potential for change — pathogens mutate regularly. But change will occur less frequently with some diseases than with others. In some instances, the resistance to disease factors has lasted for up to 30 years for some crops in Canada. In Australia, the lifespan of disease resistance, on average, has a longevity of less than five years.”
In the case of Leaf and Stem Rust, these are diseases that have the potential to virtually wipe out crops where they occur. Yet in Saskatchewan, we haven’t seen a major outbreak of the Rust in 50 years. Most young farmers have never had to deal with an outbreak of Stem Rust.
Rick Holm is the director of the University’s Crop Development Centre. As such, he is well aware of plant breeders’ contribution to our industry.
“Staying ahead of diseases through screening and breeding research programs still remains the cheapest method of protection against diseases. The only other alternative available right now to producers is the use of commercial fungicides, which must often be applied more than once per season. It can become very costly.”
Holm emphasizes that the work being done on breeding and diseases in the province make sense because of the unique microclimates that exist in the Saskatchewan environment. “Factors such as genetics, weather, landscapes, soils and host plants all combine to play a role in creating the need for made-in-Saskatchewan solutions.”
Not only is plant breeders’ work invaluable, the way they go about finding the new sources of resistance they seek could be described as collaborative research at its best, according to Holm.
“Plants breeders are constantly exchanging genetic material and sources of resistance from colleagues around the world who work on wheat, barley and other grains. It is like a quest for the missing link or for a genetic Holy Grail in a way.”
Researchers will frequently seek these sources of resistance in wild relatives of plants developed for crop production. However, they are often confronted with the reality that the farther the distance between wild and domesticated species, such as between wheat grasses and wheat, the more difficult it will be to find precious sources of resistance.
That doesn’t stop Dr. Hughes and his colleagues from investing countless hours and energy in the task.
“It is sometimes difficult to get a sense of the kind of success our work is achieving. But when you think of it, perhaps the real measure can be drawn from the fact that outbreaks of crop diseases don’t happen that often. I would say our record speaks for itself. We have been pretty good at keeping diseases under control because of our plan breeding efforts over the years, wouldn’t you say?”
Dr. Geoff Hughes has spent much quality time in a greenhouse injecting Fusarium Head Blight spores in water solution straight into the head of wheat plants at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre.
“Because Fusarium is not as well established in central Saskatchewan as it is in areas like the Red River Valley in Manitoba, we don’t actually conduct field screening experiments here, so we don’t create a problem for the industry where there isn’t one,” Hughes said.
Dr. Hughes is one of many plant breeders in Western Canada whose fundamental purpose it is to seek new sources of genetic resistance to diseases in plants that are grown as commercial crops in the province.
“There will always be mutations in disease strains that will stunt plant growth eventually. There is always that potential for change — pathogens mutate regularly. But change will occur less frequently with some diseases than with others. In some instances, the resistance to disease factors has lasted for up to 30 years for some crops in Canada. In Australia, the lifespan of disease resistance, on average, has a longevity of less than five years.”
In the case of Leaf and Stem Rust, these are diseases that have the potential to virtually wipe out crops where they occur. Yet in Saskatchewan, we haven’t seen a major outbreak of the Rust in 50 years. Most young farmers have never had to deal with an outbreak of Stem Rust.
Rick Holm is the director of the University’s Crop Development Centre. As such, he is well aware of plant breeders’ contribution to our industry.
“Staying ahead of diseases through screening and breeding research programs still remains the cheapest method of protection against diseases. The only other alternative available right now to producers is the use of commercial fungicides, which must often be applied more than once per season. It can become very costly.”
Holm emphasizes that the work being done on breeding and diseases in the province make sense because of the unique microclimates that exist in the Saskatchewan environment. “Factors such as genetics, weather, landscapes, soils and host plants all combine to play a role in creating the need for made-in-Saskatchewan solutions.”
Not only is plant breeders’ work invaluable, the way they go about finding the new sources of resistance they seek could be described as collaborative research at its best, according to Holm.
“Plants breeders are constantly exchanging genetic material and sources of resistance from colleagues around the world who work on wheat, barley and other grains. It is like a quest for the missing link or for a genetic Holy Grail in a way.”
Researchers will frequently seek these sources of resistance in wild relatives of plants developed for crop production. However, they are often confronted with the reality that the farther the distance between wild and domesticated species, such as between wheat grasses and wheat, the more difficult it will be to find precious sources of resistance.
That doesn’t stop Dr. Hughes and his colleagues from investing countless hours and energy in the task.
“It is sometimes difficult to get a sense of the kind of success our work is achieving. But when you think of it, perhaps the real measure can be drawn from the fact that outbreaks of crop diseases don’t happen that often. I would say our record speaks for itself. We have been pretty good at keeping diseases under control because of our plan breeding efforts over the years, wouldn’t you say?”
Friday, January 21, 2005
The Cutting Edge in Precision Farming Technology
source: Farm and Food Report
The Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation will be sharing new developments in precision farming with producers on January 19, 2005, as it holds its Winter Seminar and Annual Meeting at Indian Head Memorial Hall.
"Since 1994, The Foundation has sought to bring producers research findings that would not otherwise make their way to them," according to IHARF Executive Manager Judy McKell, "and we are particularly looking forward to this year's program."
McKell adds that, among other topics, local Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientist Guy Lafond will provide an agronomy research update on winter wheat, as well as on new mapping and fertilizer technologies.
"Optical sensor-based systems that can be mounted on sprayers, such as Greenseeker™, allow the measurement of crop biomass through the amount of light reflected from the crop. We are still developing the technology necessary to provide accurate snapshots of the plants' nitrogen needs, but the systems provide a diagnostic tool that might not otherwise be available, and give producers the opportunity to add nitrogen when the plant needs it."
In addition, Ron Palmer of Regina-based Accutrak Systems Ltd. will bring participants an update on equipment guidance systems for agriculture.
"GPS-based guidance systems are playing an increasingly important role in improving efficiencies in agricultural production. They can have a real impact on fuel costs; seed input and herbicide costs; and labour. Plus, the units available now can easily be moved from one piece of equipment to another," explains McKell.
Other presenters include: researcher Bill May, who will discuss the issues surrounding oilseed, oat and canaryseed agronomy; SAFRR's livestock development specialist Lorne Klein will compare and recommend crops for swath grazing; and finally, market analyst Larry Weber will provide an information session on issues to consider before signing a contract to sell your crop.
The Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation will be sharing new developments in precision farming with producers on January 19, 2005, as it holds its Winter Seminar and Annual Meeting at Indian Head Memorial Hall.
"Since 1994, The Foundation has sought to bring producers research findings that would not otherwise make their way to them," according to IHARF Executive Manager Judy McKell, "and we are particularly looking forward to this year's program."
McKell adds that, among other topics, local Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientist Guy Lafond will provide an agronomy research update on winter wheat, as well as on new mapping and fertilizer technologies.
"Optical sensor-based systems that can be mounted on sprayers, such as Greenseeker™, allow the measurement of crop biomass through the amount of light reflected from the crop. We are still developing the technology necessary to provide accurate snapshots of the plants' nitrogen needs, but the systems provide a diagnostic tool that might not otherwise be available, and give producers the opportunity to add nitrogen when the plant needs it."
In addition, Ron Palmer of Regina-based Accutrak Systems Ltd. will bring participants an update on equipment guidance systems for agriculture.
"GPS-based guidance systems are playing an increasingly important role in improving efficiencies in agricultural production. They can have a real impact on fuel costs; seed input and herbicide costs; and labour. Plus, the units available now can easily be moved from one piece of equipment to another," explains McKell.
Other presenters include: researcher Bill May, who will discuss the issues surrounding oilseed, oat and canaryseed agronomy; SAFRR's livestock development specialist Lorne Klein will compare and recommend crops for swath grazing; and finally, market analyst Larry Weber will provide an information session on issues to consider before signing a contract to sell your crop.
Feeding Frost-Damaged and Sprouted Grain to Livestock
source: Farm and Food Report
Frost damaged and sprouted grain can be a valuable resource as livestock feed. Bryan Doig is a Livestock Development Specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization:
"Because of the cold wet weather in July, the early frost in August and the late harvest in the fall, there were many thousands of acres of affected crops across the province in 2004 that represent a real opportunity as a livestock food source now."
To encourage producers to take advantage of this opportunity, SAFRR has just produced an information sheet that gives clear directives and helps evaluate the relative feed values of damaged cereal grains.
"Frozen or sprouted grain, for instance, will often comparatively higher protein levels than normal, unaffected grain, but contains less carbohydrates or energy. Producers might want to take advantage of this inexpensive feed for backgrounding rations and wintering cows. The trick is to measure feed by the pound rather than by the bushel, or by weight rather than volume."
According to Doig, livestock fed frost-damaged and sprouted grain perform similarly to livestock fed undamaged grain. It just requires a 5 to 10% increase in the amount fed to compensate for the slightly lower energy content.
In the case of canola, frost damage generates a lower feed value than undamaged canola, but it can still be incorporated into many livestock rations.
When unsure about the feed value of damaged grain, the best and most accurate method to find out is to have the feed analyzed at a feed testing laboratory.
Doig points out that other limitations may apply to the use of frost-damaged or sprouted grain:
"The difference in kernel size, shape and hardness should be taken into account and adjustments to milling equipment might be necessary. It might also be advisable to test mouldy grain for mould type and toxins.
For more information, you can access the Feeding Frost-Damaged and Sprouted Grain to Livestock online document.
Frost damaged and sprouted grain can be a valuable resource as livestock feed. Bryan Doig is a Livestock Development Specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization:
"Because of the cold wet weather in July, the early frost in August and the late harvest in the fall, there were many thousands of acres of affected crops across the province in 2004 that represent a real opportunity as a livestock food source now."
To encourage producers to take advantage of this opportunity, SAFRR has just produced an information sheet that gives clear directives and helps evaluate the relative feed values of damaged cereal grains.
"Frozen or sprouted grain, for instance, will often comparatively higher protein levels than normal, unaffected grain, but contains less carbohydrates or energy. Producers might want to take advantage of this inexpensive feed for backgrounding rations and wintering cows. The trick is to measure feed by the pound rather than by the bushel, or by weight rather than volume."
According to Doig, livestock fed frost-damaged and sprouted grain perform similarly to livestock fed undamaged grain. It just requires a 5 to 10% increase in the amount fed to compensate for the slightly lower energy content.
In the case of canola, frost damage generates a lower feed value than undamaged canola, but it can still be incorporated into many livestock rations.
When unsure about the feed value of damaged grain, the best and most accurate method to find out is to have the feed analyzed at a feed testing laboratory.
Doig points out that other limitations may apply to the use of frost-damaged or sprouted grain:
"The difference in kernel size, shape and hardness should be taken into account and adjustments to milling equipment might be necessary. It might also be advisable to test mouldy grain for mould type and toxins.
For more information, you can access the Feeding Frost-Damaged and Sprouted Grain to Livestock online document.
Re-Establishing Alfalfa Can Be Dfficult
source: Farm and Food Report
Producers concerned with old alfalfa stands dying out after several years of production should avoid reseeding directly back to alfalfa. Mature alfalfa plants produce toxins that result in a form of autoxicity in the soil, which prevents the establishment of new seedlings.
Trevor Lennox is a Forage Industry Development Specialist with SAFRR. "The specific toxin produced is called medicarpin. It is present mostly in the leaves and stems, rather than in the root system itself. The toxin leaches into the ground surrounding old alfalfa plants up to a radius of 16 inches."
Lennox points out that this autoxicity will affect seed germination and decrease plant density over time. "As forage resource-people, we are often asked if reseeding directly into an old alfalfa stand is an option. It is not a recommended practice."
According to Trevor Lennox, "the most effective way to deal with autotoxicity is to rotate to another crop for a year or two. It is recommended that producers seed an annual cereal crop for a minimum of 1 year to give the soil a chance to cleanse itself and to take advantage of the nitrogen-rich soil nutrients the broad-leafed legume has synthesized over the years."
While there is no real consensus on how long it takes for the toxicity to disappear, there are variables that can affect the return of conditions more conducive to seedling vigour.
"The toxin is water soluble, which means that heavier soils with reduced drainage ability will exhibit the problem longer than lighter soils which are more permeable. Tillage can help reduce the autoxicity effect. In fact, producers are advised to remove top growth before tillage to help reduce leaching risks," says Lennox.
Producers should also be aware that higher temperatures are known to break down the toxic compound more rapidly and that heavier rains can move them away from the root zone faster.
An important point to note is that toxins are not produced in the first year of new seedlings. Therefore, seeding failures or new seedlings that were winterkilled can be reseeded without any autotoxicity affect.
Producers concerned with old alfalfa stands dying out after several years of production should avoid reseeding directly back to alfalfa. Mature alfalfa plants produce toxins that result in a form of autoxicity in the soil, which prevents the establishment of new seedlings.
Trevor Lennox is a Forage Industry Development Specialist with SAFRR. "The specific toxin produced is called medicarpin. It is present mostly in the leaves and stems, rather than in the root system itself. The toxin leaches into the ground surrounding old alfalfa plants up to a radius of 16 inches."
Lennox points out that this autoxicity will affect seed germination and decrease plant density over time. "As forage resource-people, we are often asked if reseeding directly into an old alfalfa stand is an option. It is not a recommended practice."
According to Trevor Lennox, "the most effective way to deal with autotoxicity is to rotate to another crop for a year or two. It is recommended that producers seed an annual cereal crop for a minimum of 1 year to give the soil a chance to cleanse itself and to take advantage of the nitrogen-rich soil nutrients the broad-leafed legume has synthesized over the years."
While there is no real consensus on how long it takes for the toxicity to disappear, there are variables that can affect the return of conditions more conducive to seedling vigour.
"The toxin is water soluble, which means that heavier soils with reduced drainage ability will exhibit the problem longer than lighter soils which are more permeable. Tillage can help reduce the autoxicity effect. In fact, producers are advised to remove top growth before tillage to help reduce leaching risks," says Lennox.
Producers should also be aware that higher temperatures are known to break down the toxic compound more rapidly and that heavier rains can move them away from the root zone faster.
An important point to note is that toxins are not produced in the first year of new seedlings. Therefore, seeding failures or new seedlings that were winterkilled can be reseeded without any autotoxicity affect.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Private Water Supplies: A Little Testing Goes A Long Way
source: Farm and Food Report
We are cautious about drinking tap water while visiting developing countries. Yet at home with our private water supplies, we can sometimes be a little lax about applying the same care and consideration. Just because the water tastes okay does not necessarily mean it’s safe to drink.
Nolan Shaheen is Director of Groundwater Management for the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority. “Anyone with a private water supply that is being used as a drinking water source should have the water tested for health-related parameters such as nitrates, fecal coliforms, heavy metals such as arsenic, uranium and selenium, and major ions like sulphates, potassium, bicarbonates, calcium, magnesium, sodium and chlorides. Water should also be tested for hardness, especially if it is used for agricultural purposes. For instance, if you use herbicides like glyphosates, the hardness of the water can affect performance.”
“Many heavy metals occur naturally, and toxicity will vary according to concentrations and quantity consumed,” Shaheen explains. “We encourage you to consult health professionals to find out more about how these levels relate to the Provincial Drinking Water Guidelines, which are set to protect human health. As you can imagine, high concentrations could have some health-related effects. Consumers who draw water from wells that yield higher concentrations might want to consider drinking bottled water and using their well water for purposes other than drinking.”
Nitrates are another parameter that requires care and attention. Although they can occur naturally in the environment, the presence of nitrates is often associated with improper management of sewage or over-application of fertilizers.
Bacteriological testing should be carried out, as well as testing for iron and manganese, two metals that are commonly found in higher concentrations in Saskatchewan water supplies.
“Some parameters will only affect taste and colour, as in the case of iron which will stain laundry and impart a metallic taste to the water, but it will not harm you. That is what we refer to as more of an aesthetic consideration. In the case of other parameters, consequences can be much more serious,” says Shaheen.
Private water supplies’ stewards have a few options for testing. They can access one of a number of private labs in the province. There is a provincial health laboratory in Regina. The Saskatchewan Research Council has its own lab in Saskatoon. Any of Saskatchewan’s Health Districts will be able to provide a hand-sized water sample container.
“If you collect your own sample, due care and attention should be given to preventing sample contamination,” says Shaheen. “For instance, touching the inside of the container with your fingers could ruin the bacteriological component of the test.”
And remember, most water can be treated, and there are always a number of options to address unsafe water challenges. The first step, of course, is to be aware of the water’s quality.
For more information, contact:
Nolan Shaheen
Director, Groundwater Management
SaskatchewanWatershed Authority
(306) 694-3963
Dr. Joanne Sketchell
Manager, Water Quality Unit
Saskatchewan Watershed Authority
(306) 933-7434
We are cautious about drinking tap water while visiting developing countries. Yet at home with our private water supplies, we can sometimes be a little lax about applying the same care and consideration. Just because the water tastes okay does not necessarily mean it’s safe to drink.
Nolan Shaheen is Director of Groundwater Management for the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority. “Anyone with a private water supply that is being used as a drinking water source should have the water tested for health-related parameters such as nitrates, fecal coliforms, heavy metals such as arsenic, uranium and selenium, and major ions like sulphates, potassium, bicarbonates, calcium, magnesium, sodium and chlorides. Water should also be tested for hardness, especially if it is used for agricultural purposes. For instance, if you use herbicides like glyphosates, the hardness of the water can affect performance.”
“Many heavy metals occur naturally, and toxicity will vary according to concentrations and quantity consumed,” Shaheen explains. “We encourage you to consult health professionals to find out more about how these levels relate to the Provincial Drinking Water Guidelines, which are set to protect human health. As you can imagine, high concentrations could have some health-related effects. Consumers who draw water from wells that yield higher concentrations might want to consider drinking bottled water and using their well water for purposes other than drinking.”
Nitrates are another parameter that requires care and attention. Although they can occur naturally in the environment, the presence of nitrates is often associated with improper management of sewage or over-application of fertilizers.
Bacteriological testing should be carried out, as well as testing for iron and manganese, two metals that are commonly found in higher concentrations in Saskatchewan water supplies.
“Some parameters will only affect taste and colour, as in the case of iron which will stain laundry and impart a metallic taste to the water, but it will not harm you. That is what we refer to as more of an aesthetic consideration. In the case of other parameters, consequences can be much more serious,” says Shaheen.
Private water supplies’ stewards have a few options for testing. They can access one of a number of private labs in the province. There is a provincial health laboratory in Regina. The Saskatchewan Research Council has its own lab in Saskatoon. Any of Saskatchewan’s Health Districts will be able to provide a hand-sized water sample container.
“If you collect your own sample, due care and attention should be given to preventing sample contamination,” says Shaheen. “For instance, touching the inside of the container with your fingers could ruin the bacteriological component of the test.”
And remember, most water can be treated, and there are always a number of options to address unsafe water challenges. The first step, of course, is to be aware of the water’s quality.
For more information, contact:
Nolan Shaheen
Director, Groundwater Management
SaskatchewanWatershed Authority
(306) 694-3963
Dr. Joanne Sketchell
Manager, Water Quality Unit
Saskatchewan Watershed Authority
(306) 933-7434
Tired Of Wading Out Into Your Sloughs To Pound Pickets Into The Mud?
source: Farm and Food Report
It is one of these small challenges Punnichy’s Schlosser family had been wrestling with for years: how to lay fence across sloughs without getting wet and covered in mud?
According to Kevin Schlosser, “this is something everyone dreads in the spring — venturing out there in boots or hip waders to fix fence and realizing that they are not quite high enough to keep you dry. If you have a slough you must lay fence across, posts rot, wires rust out. It is a problem that just doesn’t go away. What if we could actually come up with posts that float?”
Kevin, his brother Dan, their father and mother went to work on this eight months ago, after many years of accumulated frustration. Easier said than done. Coming up with fencing structures that are buoyant, yet stable enough to prevent tipping in high winds, requires all the patience in the world.
“There was a lot of experimentation involved,” explains Kevin Schlosser. “We figured that the base would have to be made with urethane foam, but designing the shape the moulds should have was very much a trial and error process. We came up with several widths into which a fibreglass rod would be inserted, to which different types of fencing tapes and wires would be attached, using regular fencing clips. Then we took our prototypes to the sloughs to test them.”
Eventually, they found the right configuration. They launched a company: Jaddak Creations Inc. They prepared a business plan with the help of Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization. The Schlosser family came up with a name for their product: they call them Slough Sticks. They even went through the patent process, successfully.
“I can’t believe no one had thought about it before,” Schlosser says. “The idea is to actually lay the fence and posts in the winter when the sloughs are frozen. It is much easier. We recommend a maximum distance of six meters between posts for increased stability. When the ice melts in the spring, the floating fence posts just float in their position on the water, and they’ll freeze in the same spot the following winter. It really is a low maintenance solution to a perennial headache.”
The company recently acquired the old Punnichy community theatre and town hall to manufacture their product, which should hit the market at any time.
“Right now, we are working with the local Co-op store. We went around to show our product. The posts will be made available on pallets for shipping and sales purposes. Other potential distributors across Canada have also expressed interest. This is all pretty exciting for us,” Schlosser says.
Apparently, the local population is just as interested in what the Schlossers are working on.
“There isn’t a day that goes by when we don’t to go to the local hardware store to pick up one thing or another. People are always asking us what we are up to. I was born and raised in Punnichy,” says Kevin Schlosser, “and there used to be five restaurants in town. Like many, I had to move away for a few years, but I’m really glad to be back now. Just looking at people’s expressions, you get a sense they are thinking that perhaps there is a future for Punnichy.”
If fencing through water can be made easier, it may be that anything is possible, after all, in a small town where creativity is allowed free expression.
For more information, contact:
Kevin Schlosser
Jaddak Creations Inc.
(403) 852-1510
It is one of these small challenges Punnichy’s Schlosser family had been wrestling with for years: how to lay fence across sloughs without getting wet and covered in mud?
According to Kevin Schlosser, “this is something everyone dreads in the spring — venturing out there in boots or hip waders to fix fence and realizing that they are not quite high enough to keep you dry. If you have a slough you must lay fence across, posts rot, wires rust out. It is a problem that just doesn’t go away. What if we could actually come up with posts that float?”
Kevin, his brother Dan, their father and mother went to work on this eight months ago, after many years of accumulated frustration. Easier said than done. Coming up with fencing structures that are buoyant, yet stable enough to prevent tipping in high winds, requires all the patience in the world.
“There was a lot of experimentation involved,” explains Kevin Schlosser. “We figured that the base would have to be made with urethane foam, but designing the shape the moulds should have was very much a trial and error process. We came up with several widths into which a fibreglass rod would be inserted, to which different types of fencing tapes and wires would be attached, using regular fencing clips. Then we took our prototypes to the sloughs to test them.”
Eventually, they found the right configuration. They launched a company: Jaddak Creations Inc. They prepared a business plan with the help of Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization. The Schlosser family came up with a name for their product: they call them Slough Sticks. They even went through the patent process, successfully.
“I can’t believe no one had thought about it before,” Schlosser says. “The idea is to actually lay the fence and posts in the winter when the sloughs are frozen. It is much easier. We recommend a maximum distance of six meters between posts for increased stability. When the ice melts in the spring, the floating fence posts just float in their position on the water, and they’ll freeze in the same spot the following winter. It really is a low maintenance solution to a perennial headache.”
The company recently acquired the old Punnichy community theatre and town hall to manufacture their product, which should hit the market at any time.
“Right now, we are working with the local Co-op store. We went around to show our product. The posts will be made available on pallets for shipping and sales purposes. Other potential distributors across Canada have also expressed interest. This is all pretty exciting for us,” Schlosser says.
Apparently, the local population is just as interested in what the Schlossers are working on.
“There isn’t a day that goes by when we don’t to go to the local hardware store to pick up one thing or another. People are always asking us what we are up to. I was born and raised in Punnichy,” says Kevin Schlosser, “and there used to be five restaurants in town. Like many, I had to move away for a few years, but I’m really glad to be back now. Just looking at people’s expressions, you get a sense they are thinking that perhaps there is a future for Punnichy.”
If fencing through water can be made easier, it may be that anything is possible, after all, in a small town where creativity is allowed free expression.
For more information, contact:
Kevin Schlosser
Jaddak Creations Inc.
(403) 852-1510
Crop Production Week Is An Opportunity For Renewal
source: Farm and Food Report
The next edition of Crop Production Week, January 10 to 15 in Saskatoon, could take on some therapeutic virtues for many in the industry who will want to forget about last year’s crop performances.
Ray McVicar is Special Crops Provincial Specialist for SAFRR. “It is an opportunity to start fresh. Crop Production Week and the Western Canadian Crop Production Show are big events for grain producers because, for many, it will set the wheels in motion for the new crop year. What they experience during the week will influence their seeding plans for the coming production cycle.”
Central to this are all the production associations that hold Annual General Meetings during Crop Production Week: the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission; Saskatchewan Pulse Growers’ Pulse Days, which can draw over 1,000 participants; the Saskatchewan Seed Growers Association; the Saskatchewan Mustard Development Commission; Canola Days; the Saskatchewan Herb and Spice Association; the Saskatchewan Alfalfa Seed Producers Association; and the Canaryseed Association of Canada, a newcomer this year.
“What is remarkable about Crop Production Week,” according to SAFRR Business Development Specialist Brian Sim, “is the simple fact that the Production Week and Show, that take place simultaneously at the Saskatoon Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Prairieland Park, are solely dedicated to grain production. This event is geared toward producers who can access in one spot all the latest news and developments in crops and technology that is available and useable on the farm now. The quality and depth of knowledge there is absolutely fantastic.”
One of the highlights of this edition of Crop Production Week will surely be the Wednesday night Special Session titled What Do Consumers Really Want? with Andrew Benson of the International Food Information Council in Washington, D.C..
Rick Holm is President of Crop Production Saskatchewan Inc. “We invited Andrew Benson to come share with us some of his latest consumer research findings.” Holm says. “Consumers are more concerned than ever about food safety issues, production practices on the farm, and the impact they have on the environment. They need to be comfortable not only with the food but also with the entire production process that has allowed it to be made available on the market. Andrew has conducted surveys around the world to find out what consumer expectations are in markets that Saskatchewan producers seek to access.”
In a world where agricultural production seems increasingly guided by consumer expectations, it pays to know what assurances they require. Crop Production Week just seems like a good place to start.
For more information, contact:
Kevin Hursh
Crop Production Week
(306) 933-0138
kevin@hursh.ca
or visit:
http://www.cropweek.com/
The next edition of Crop Production Week, January 10 to 15 in Saskatoon, could take on some therapeutic virtues for many in the industry who will want to forget about last year’s crop performances.
Ray McVicar is Special Crops Provincial Specialist for SAFRR. “It is an opportunity to start fresh. Crop Production Week and the Western Canadian Crop Production Show are big events for grain producers because, for many, it will set the wheels in motion for the new crop year. What they experience during the week will influence their seeding plans for the coming production cycle.”
Central to this are all the production associations that hold Annual General Meetings during Crop Production Week: the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission; Saskatchewan Pulse Growers’ Pulse Days, which can draw over 1,000 participants; the Saskatchewan Seed Growers Association; the Saskatchewan Mustard Development Commission; Canola Days; the Saskatchewan Herb and Spice Association; the Saskatchewan Alfalfa Seed Producers Association; and the Canaryseed Association of Canada, a newcomer this year.
“What is remarkable about Crop Production Week,” according to SAFRR Business Development Specialist Brian Sim, “is the simple fact that the Production Week and Show, that take place simultaneously at the Saskatoon Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Prairieland Park, are solely dedicated to grain production. This event is geared toward producers who can access in one spot all the latest news and developments in crops and technology that is available and useable on the farm now. The quality and depth of knowledge there is absolutely fantastic.”
One of the highlights of this edition of Crop Production Week will surely be the Wednesday night Special Session titled What Do Consumers Really Want? with Andrew Benson of the International Food Information Council in Washington, D.C..
Rick Holm is President of Crop Production Saskatchewan Inc. “We invited Andrew Benson to come share with us some of his latest consumer research findings.” Holm says. “Consumers are more concerned than ever about food safety issues, production practices on the farm, and the impact they have on the environment. They need to be comfortable not only with the food but also with the entire production process that has allowed it to be made available on the market. Andrew has conducted surveys around the world to find out what consumer expectations are in markets that Saskatchewan producers seek to access.”
In a world where agricultural production seems increasingly guided by consumer expectations, it pays to know what assurances they require. Crop Production Week just seems like a good place to start.
For more information, contact:
Kevin Hursh
Crop Production Week
(306) 933-0138
kevin@hursh.ca
or visit:
http://www.cropweek.com/
Friday, January 14, 2005
Value Chains: Strength Depends On Partners’ Commitment To Success
source: Farm and Food Report
Hands on the wheel, speaking into his cell phone, Gordon Schroeder drives up the Qu’Appelle Valley near Craven shortly before dawn, on his way to yet another meeting:
“We have Mediterranean lamb sausage, cooked lamb in Moroccan orange sauce, Parmesan and Greek Feta cheese meatballs… and yes, marinated lamb kabobs,” Schroeder says.
Just listening to this exotic list of dishes makes one want to go for lunch right away. Schroeder is a man on a mission, you see. He is both Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board and now General Manager of Canadian Prairie Lamb — the producers’ latest bid toward industry development.
“Saskatchewan racks and lamb chops are moving well,” he says, “but we need to get the trim, shoulders and legs to the market somehow. We figure that, by preparing dishes that are fully cooked and ready from frozen to hot on the plate in four minutes, our partners and Canadian Prairie Lamb, together, can generate significant revenue through increased consumption of lamb.”
After incorporating in 2003 and issuing shares earlier this year, Canadian Prairie Lamb entered into a promising alliance with Sunterra Meats and the Saskatchewan Food Centre in Saskatoon. Their goal is to develop a new line of frozen lamb dishes out of Saskatchewan. These frozen meals are currently being marketed through small outlets such as butcher shops in the province, but the potential is great when looking at markets where lamb consumers abound in Eastern Canada. To harness that market,
Canadian Prairie Lamb has developed a value chain — a new approach to revenue generation.
Sherri Dobbs is a Value Chain Development Specialist at SAFRR:
“Call it a business philosophy or a business development tool, a value-chain does not simply mean that value is added to a product. It is much more than that. A value chain is developing alliances with different components of the supply chain, who work collaboratively for mutual benefits,” says Dobbs.
Dobbs explains that one of the greatest challenges in promoting the value chain concept is to ensure the audience has an accurate picture of how they work and how they differ from the traditional supplier/buyer business relationships. In the case of Canadian Prairie Lamb, primary producers have entered into an alliance with a processor that readies the meat for transformation at a food preparation facility, where the meat is cooked, the sauces are prepared, and the meals packaged for shipment and distribution to targeted markets.
“It takes work to put an arrangement like this into place. There has to be rewards for all members of the value chain — its strength is in the relationships built between the links themselves and the rewards that ensue from these relationships,” Dobbs says.
Prairie Berries’ Sandra Purdy knows it very well. The Keeler-based company grows, processes, and markets Saskatoon berries and Saskatoon berry value-add products nationally and internationally. Recently, Prairie Berries played a key role in the development of a new company comprised of 16 other independent Saskatoon berry growers who collectively market their Saskatoon berries through Saskatoon Berry Partners Inc.
“Our consortium of producers has committed to providing Saputo all the Saskatoon berry puree it requires to produce its Saskatoon berry-flavoured yogurts, through Prairie Berries’ processing facilities,” Purdy says. “Saputo will, in turn, distribute the yogurts through its own channels. This generates revenue opportunities much beyond those available for syrups, pie fillings and jams on their own.”
Purdy adds that the commitment between value chain partners goes much beyond simple volume deliveries. It actually touches on something much more fundamental: information-sharing at all levels.
“To give Saputo the exact product that it needs, we need to know what texture of berry puree works best for their processing needs. It is to Saputo’s advantage to share this with us. They know it; we know it. There has to be a collective commitment to increasing efficiencies at each step of the process, for it can reduce costs and eventually contribute to increasing each value chain partner’s share of the revenue.”
For instance, “if Prairie Berries knows that it is more convenient for Saputo to work with five-gallon pails of puree, rather than puree delivered in bags, steps can be taken to facilitate everyone’s tasks, and everyone will reap the benefits of this arrangement.”
Clearly, then, value chains are a long-term business development tool to seize new market opportunities. Purdy and all value chain converts are quite confident of the potential of this approach.
“It has to be a win/win situation for everyone from the start. As for the rest, the market will tell us in due course. We’re banking that markets will like our move in the long run.”
For more information, contact:
Sherri Dobbs
Value Chain Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
(306) 787-8537
Hands on the wheel, speaking into his cell phone, Gordon Schroeder drives up the Qu’Appelle Valley near Craven shortly before dawn, on his way to yet another meeting:
“We have Mediterranean lamb sausage, cooked lamb in Moroccan orange sauce, Parmesan and Greek Feta cheese meatballs… and yes, marinated lamb kabobs,” Schroeder says.
Just listening to this exotic list of dishes makes one want to go for lunch right away. Schroeder is a man on a mission, you see. He is both Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board and now General Manager of Canadian Prairie Lamb — the producers’ latest bid toward industry development.
“Saskatchewan racks and lamb chops are moving well,” he says, “but we need to get the trim, shoulders and legs to the market somehow. We figure that, by preparing dishes that are fully cooked and ready from frozen to hot on the plate in four minutes, our partners and Canadian Prairie Lamb, together, can generate significant revenue through increased consumption of lamb.”
After incorporating in 2003 and issuing shares earlier this year, Canadian Prairie Lamb entered into a promising alliance with Sunterra Meats and the Saskatchewan Food Centre in Saskatoon. Their goal is to develop a new line of frozen lamb dishes out of Saskatchewan. These frozen meals are currently being marketed through small outlets such as butcher shops in the province, but the potential is great when looking at markets where lamb consumers abound in Eastern Canada. To harness that market,
Canadian Prairie Lamb has developed a value chain — a new approach to revenue generation.
Sherri Dobbs is a Value Chain Development Specialist at SAFRR:
“Call it a business philosophy or a business development tool, a value-chain does not simply mean that value is added to a product. It is much more than that. A value chain is developing alliances with different components of the supply chain, who work collaboratively for mutual benefits,” says Dobbs.
Dobbs explains that one of the greatest challenges in promoting the value chain concept is to ensure the audience has an accurate picture of how they work and how they differ from the traditional supplier/buyer business relationships. In the case of Canadian Prairie Lamb, primary producers have entered into an alliance with a processor that readies the meat for transformation at a food preparation facility, where the meat is cooked, the sauces are prepared, and the meals packaged for shipment and distribution to targeted markets.
“It takes work to put an arrangement like this into place. There has to be rewards for all members of the value chain — its strength is in the relationships built between the links themselves and the rewards that ensue from these relationships,” Dobbs says.
Prairie Berries’ Sandra Purdy knows it very well. The Keeler-based company grows, processes, and markets Saskatoon berries and Saskatoon berry value-add products nationally and internationally. Recently, Prairie Berries played a key role in the development of a new company comprised of 16 other independent Saskatoon berry growers who collectively market their Saskatoon berries through Saskatoon Berry Partners Inc.
“Our consortium of producers has committed to providing Saputo all the Saskatoon berry puree it requires to produce its Saskatoon berry-flavoured yogurts, through Prairie Berries’ processing facilities,” Purdy says. “Saputo will, in turn, distribute the yogurts through its own channels. This generates revenue opportunities much beyond those available for syrups, pie fillings and jams on their own.”
Purdy adds that the commitment between value chain partners goes much beyond simple volume deliveries. It actually touches on something much more fundamental: information-sharing at all levels.
“To give Saputo the exact product that it needs, we need to know what texture of berry puree works best for their processing needs. It is to Saputo’s advantage to share this with us. They know it; we know it. There has to be a collective commitment to increasing efficiencies at each step of the process, for it can reduce costs and eventually contribute to increasing each value chain partner’s share of the revenue.”
For instance, “if Prairie Berries knows that it is more convenient for Saputo to work with five-gallon pails of puree, rather than puree delivered in bags, steps can be taken to facilitate everyone’s tasks, and everyone will reap the benefits of this arrangement.”
Clearly, then, value chains are a long-term business development tool to seize new market opportunities. Purdy and all value chain converts are quite confident of the potential of this approach.
“It has to be a win/win situation for everyone from the start. As for the rest, the market will tell us in due course. We’re banking that markets will like our move in the long run.”
For more information, contact:
Sherri Dobbs
Value Chain Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
(306) 787-8537
Cranking Out Top Teams Starts With Recruiting The Right Horses
source: Farm and Food Report
Like many parents with children in minor hockey, Bill Aulie spends a fair bit of time around arenas. A hockey scout once asked him what he did for a living. He answered: “I do what you do… with Clydesdales.”
“These scouts go around and look for the best athletes that will fit their team, and I travel Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba — get a little bit out in Ontario — I just find the best athletes that are going to fit into our program, and bring them in, and hopefully they’ll work out.”
Aulie farms 2,800 acres of grain land at Rouleau. He also raises and trains Clydesdale horses for a living.
“If they do work, they stay until they are four year-olds, and they move on to the big leagues down in the U.S. or to some other big hitches in Canada. Or if they don’t work, they stay in the semi-pros or the junior leagues at somebody else’s farm, or with somebody who wants a nice show horse or pleasure horse — that’s where they’ll go.”
This love of Clydesdales started a long time ago. “Back when I was a young kid, my dad had Clydesdales, but he got rid of them when I was four or five years old. I got back into them when I was 13 — got my first team and just kept on driving them.”
Then Aulie found out that his grandfather, who had passed away at an early age, had also had the bug. “Everything he had was Clydesdales. He brought horses up from the States in rail cars, and would train them and sell them in Saskatchewan. Funny thing is, now, I’m gathering horses in Canada, training them and sending them down to the U.S. That’s my business.”
Indeed, Aulie has shown horses to international audiences at Canadian Western Agribition since 1985. In 1995, a buyer from the States came up and asked him to put together a hitch for him. “And since 1995, I’ve sent down 175 horses to the United States based on that connection. I have trained for him, and set up a world-class hitch for him and his operation down there.”
How did Aulie get so good at what he does? “It’s all about looking for the right attitudes; get them to work the right way; and get them to just perform at a top level. I’ve been lucky so far. We have had some good horses. We ended up with a U.S. National Champion six-horse hitch and eight-horse hitch from a bunch that I sent down. Budweiser has four of my horses off my breeding down there. And Budweiser Clydesdales are a pretty big hitch.”
Of course, nothing gets rewarded without effort. “As soon as I put the combine away, I start driving the horses. Every morning, they get hitched to haul their feed in for the 50 head and I drive all day long in the wintertime. I usually start by 7:00 a.m., I harness by 9:00 and drive through to supper time. I switch teams and start with the next team. I clean the barn with them everyday. When there is snow on the ground I use the sleigh, and a horse drawn manure spreader. I enjoy doing it, and every now and then you just get a good horse - you get a real thrill out of working with him. The next horse maybe is not so good, and he is not going to make you any money.”
Aulie is passionate not only about his horses, but also about the equipment he uses as well. “A good show harness costs between $5,000 and $6,000 dollars per horse. We have a source for it with the Amish farmers in Ontario. There are a couple of manufacturers there that specialize in making harness and tack for draft horses. I order all my harness from there and I spend the extra money to get the extra good stuff. Consequently, it’s been holding up real well.”
Synthetic, it seems, is the best. “Nylon and Biothane materials are a little tougher than the leather, more durable, easier to clean, easier to work with. The same with halters - very seldom do you ever see a leather halter anymore. It’s nylon… so the tack is relatively easy to find right now. Thanks to the Amish.”
Aulie has a soft spot for his training outfit. “At the farm, my dad rebuilt a dray wagon that was used in Assiniboia. It is a delivery wagon that was used to deliver goods — like a semi-truck 80 years ago, pulled by a team of horses. It would pick up goods at the rail car or the railway station and deliver to the various businesses around town, whether it would be lumber, salt or flour. This wagon was left rotting away when we found it. I took it home to my dad, with a load of steel, and told him I needed a real tough wagon. These horses are young and pretty anxious — we’re going to have some pretty fast rides. So, that’s my main training piece, this big dray wagon.”
Next time you drive around Rouleau, just remember to keep an eye out for Bill Aulie’s hot teams. Or you can always wait and watch them on TV, when they enter the world of professional athletes.
For more information, contact:
Bill Aulie
Aulie Farms
(306) 776-2275
Like many parents with children in minor hockey, Bill Aulie spends a fair bit of time around arenas. A hockey scout once asked him what he did for a living. He answered: “I do what you do… with Clydesdales.”
“These scouts go around and look for the best athletes that will fit their team, and I travel Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba — get a little bit out in Ontario — I just find the best athletes that are going to fit into our program, and bring them in, and hopefully they’ll work out.”
Aulie farms 2,800 acres of grain land at Rouleau. He also raises and trains Clydesdale horses for a living.
“If they do work, they stay until they are four year-olds, and they move on to the big leagues down in the U.S. or to some other big hitches in Canada. Or if they don’t work, they stay in the semi-pros or the junior leagues at somebody else’s farm, or with somebody who wants a nice show horse or pleasure horse — that’s where they’ll go.”
This love of Clydesdales started a long time ago. “Back when I was a young kid, my dad had Clydesdales, but he got rid of them when I was four or five years old. I got back into them when I was 13 — got my first team and just kept on driving them.”
Then Aulie found out that his grandfather, who had passed away at an early age, had also had the bug. “Everything he had was Clydesdales. He brought horses up from the States in rail cars, and would train them and sell them in Saskatchewan. Funny thing is, now, I’m gathering horses in Canada, training them and sending them down to the U.S. That’s my business.”
Indeed, Aulie has shown horses to international audiences at Canadian Western Agribition since 1985. In 1995, a buyer from the States came up and asked him to put together a hitch for him. “And since 1995, I’ve sent down 175 horses to the United States based on that connection. I have trained for him, and set up a world-class hitch for him and his operation down there.”
How did Aulie get so good at what he does? “It’s all about looking for the right attitudes; get them to work the right way; and get them to just perform at a top level. I’ve been lucky so far. We have had some good horses. We ended up with a U.S. National Champion six-horse hitch and eight-horse hitch from a bunch that I sent down. Budweiser has four of my horses off my breeding down there. And Budweiser Clydesdales are a pretty big hitch.”
Of course, nothing gets rewarded without effort. “As soon as I put the combine away, I start driving the horses. Every morning, they get hitched to haul their feed in for the 50 head and I drive all day long in the wintertime. I usually start by 7:00 a.m., I harness by 9:00 and drive through to supper time. I switch teams and start with the next team. I clean the barn with them everyday. When there is snow on the ground I use the sleigh, and a horse drawn manure spreader. I enjoy doing it, and every now and then you just get a good horse - you get a real thrill out of working with him. The next horse maybe is not so good, and he is not going to make you any money.”
Aulie is passionate not only about his horses, but also about the equipment he uses as well. “A good show harness costs between $5,000 and $6,000 dollars per horse. We have a source for it with the Amish farmers in Ontario. There are a couple of manufacturers there that specialize in making harness and tack for draft horses. I order all my harness from there and I spend the extra money to get the extra good stuff. Consequently, it’s been holding up real well.”
Synthetic, it seems, is the best. “Nylon and Biothane materials are a little tougher than the leather, more durable, easier to clean, easier to work with. The same with halters - very seldom do you ever see a leather halter anymore. It’s nylon… so the tack is relatively easy to find right now. Thanks to the Amish.”
Aulie has a soft spot for his training outfit. “At the farm, my dad rebuilt a dray wagon that was used in Assiniboia. It is a delivery wagon that was used to deliver goods — like a semi-truck 80 years ago, pulled by a team of horses. It would pick up goods at the rail car or the railway station and deliver to the various businesses around town, whether it would be lumber, salt or flour. This wagon was left rotting away when we found it. I took it home to my dad, with a load of steel, and told him I needed a real tough wagon. These horses are young and pretty anxious — we’re going to have some pretty fast rides. So, that’s my main training piece, this big dray wagon.”
Next time you drive around Rouleau, just remember to keep an eye out for Bill Aulie’s hot teams. Or you can always wait and watch them on TV, when they enter the world of professional athletes.
For more information, contact:
Bill Aulie
Aulie Farms
(306) 776-2275
Owner Of “Affordable Barns” Attributes Success To Know-How
source: Farm and Food Report
Jack Taylor has been manufacturing metal structures since the age of 14. More than 30 years later, he figures he has gained some pretty valuable insight into the art of crafting reliable, competitively-priced horse and calving barns that are built to last.
“The design is a bit of a trade secret -- you can’t share everything, you know. I will tell you this: we pre-make the components at our own factory, and then we take them out to our clients’ yard and set them up. Our success can be attributed to the system we use for building them. In essence, we’ve been able to really cut down the labour cost of these buildings. That is why we call them affordable barns.”
Taylor and his family have set up shop at their Melfort farm, where they also keep about 150 bison, and 10 horses that they train and work with. They rent out the cropland, and have invested most of their energy into this manufacturing endeavour. They sell their barns just about anywhere in Western Canada.
“We’ve been selling these buildings for three years now. They are all steel framed. They tend to appeal to acreage and farm people. It seems that the majority in the last couple of years have gone to acreages, for people who have horses and livestock — they’re busy people, professional people and they want us to put up a barn real quick so they don’t have to do a bunch of work. We just come and do the whole thing. We pull up in the yard and in a couple of days they have a nice barn they can start to use.”
Taylor believes that his own experience with horses plays a considerable role in the concepts he puts forward in his designs.
“The stalls are made so there are no exposed edges of the wood for the animals to start chewing on, because horses sometimes will do that. Structurally, we use metal, which makes the barn extremely strong. It really contains everything nicely. Everything is customizable: from the stalls, to the colour of the barn itself.”
Above all, Jack Taylor likes the new relationships this business venture has allowed him to establish since he started Affordable Barns. “We like selling to horse people because we are horse people. We have met a lot of really nice folks over the last few years selling barns. Some people have even invited us to stay with them. It’s pretty neat.”
Taylor figures that making new friends while doing business is a pretty good indicator that his barns and their competitive advantage will keep him going for a while yet.
For more information, contact:
Jack Taylor
Affordable Barns
1-866-500-2276
http://www.affordablebarns.com
Jack Taylor has been manufacturing metal structures since the age of 14. More than 30 years later, he figures he has gained some pretty valuable insight into the art of crafting reliable, competitively-priced horse and calving barns that are built to last.
“The design is a bit of a trade secret -- you can’t share everything, you know. I will tell you this: we pre-make the components at our own factory, and then we take them out to our clients’ yard and set them up. Our success can be attributed to the system we use for building them. In essence, we’ve been able to really cut down the labour cost of these buildings. That is why we call them affordable barns.”
Taylor and his family have set up shop at their Melfort farm, where they also keep about 150 bison, and 10 horses that they train and work with. They rent out the cropland, and have invested most of their energy into this manufacturing endeavour. They sell their barns just about anywhere in Western Canada.
“We’ve been selling these buildings for three years now. They are all steel framed. They tend to appeal to acreage and farm people. It seems that the majority in the last couple of years have gone to acreages, for people who have horses and livestock — they’re busy people, professional people and they want us to put up a barn real quick so they don’t have to do a bunch of work. We just come and do the whole thing. We pull up in the yard and in a couple of days they have a nice barn they can start to use.”
Taylor believes that his own experience with horses plays a considerable role in the concepts he puts forward in his designs.
“The stalls are made so there are no exposed edges of the wood for the animals to start chewing on, because horses sometimes will do that. Structurally, we use metal, which makes the barn extremely strong. It really contains everything nicely. Everything is customizable: from the stalls, to the colour of the barn itself.”
Above all, Jack Taylor likes the new relationships this business venture has allowed him to establish since he started Affordable Barns. “We like selling to horse people because we are horse people. We have met a lot of really nice folks over the last few years selling barns. Some people have even invited us to stay with them. It’s pretty neat.”
Taylor figures that making new friends while doing business is a pretty good indicator that his barns and their competitive advantage will keep him going for a while yet.
For more information, contact:
Jack Taylor
Affordable Barns
1-866-500-2276
http://www.affordablebarns.com
Encouraging Beneficial Practices In Grazing And Riparian Area Management In The North West
source: Farm and Food Report
Environmental sustainability has always been front and centre to the way Herschel’s Leam Craig practices agriculture. Two years ago, Craig joined the Herschel Grazing Club, a group of cattle producers who meet regularly to share solutions and, at times, stories about wrecks.
Recently, the Club welcomed Glenn Barclay, a Forage Industry Development Specialist from Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization, and Jeremy Brown, a Range Ecology Technician from the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority.
“We used them as resource people to learn from,” explains Craig. “I used to continuous crop 2,500 acres every year. Then we started to seed 300 to 400 acres a year back to grass. For the first two years, things went great. The grass just grew as it was supposed to. But the two next years were something else. We were hit by drought — we had to reseed everything. After that, I realized we needed all the knowledge we could get access to.”
That is where the North West Environmental Stewardship Project comes in. Jeremy Brown has been employed to deliver this multi-agency approach to promoting the adoption of beneficial management practices on rangelands and riparian areas. It is funded under the Greencover Technical Assistance Component, which falls under the Agricultural Policy Framework’s environment chapter. Besides SAFRR and SWA, Ducks Unlimited, Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association, Western Applied Research Corporation and Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration are all active partners.
“During the next four years,” explains Brown, “we will conduct field days and winter extension meetings to help producers learn more about sustainable land-use practices in North West Saskatchewan. We will also conduct grazing schools to assist producers in developing a management plan for their farm or ranch; and we will address riparian, rangeland and tame forage issues with a view to increasing productivity and general carrying capacity in those pastures.”
SAFRR’s Glenn Barclay supports the initiative. “Production issues often have an associated environmental stewardship component, especially where riparian areas are involved.”
“ Society and the media are very concerned with having cattle near water sources, but the solution need not be complete exclusion,” explains Brown. “Providing alternative watering sources, combined with rotational grazing programs that give vegetation located in riparian zones a rest — particularly during sensitive periods like spring — can alleviate some of the less beneficial impacts on the environment.”
It has long been established that riparian areas produce above average amounts of biomass; they play a key role in sediment trapping, nutrient filtration, stream and wave energy dissipation — not to mention erosion control, streambank stabilization, and groundwater recharge.
Cattle producers are increasingly aware of these functions; as they are also aware of how rangelands, woodlands, and perennial cover contribute to soil moisture conservation, nutrient cycling and erosion control. When these functions are occurring, benefits in the form of improved livestock performance, opportunities for herd expansion, improved water quality and the provision of wildlife habitat are realized.
Grazing clubs provide an ideal forum to share and seek knowledge. The North West Environmental Stewardship Project partners can make this knowledge more accessible, but a good place to start is from within.
At the Herschel meeting, Jeremy Brown suggested to Grazing Club members that each make a presentation to the group about their own successes and failures as graziers. As grazier Leam Craig said himself, “we can all learn from our collective experience and improve our skills that much faster if we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.”
For more information, contact:
Jeremy Brown, AAg
Range Ecology Technician
Saskatchewan Watershed Authority
(306) 446-7460
Glenn Barclay, PAg
Forage Industry Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
(306) 446-7650
Environmental sustainability has always been front and centre to the way Herschel’s Leam Craig practices agriculture. Two years ago, Craig joined the Herschel Grazing Club, a group of cattle producers who meet regularly to share solutions and, at times, stories about wrecks.
Recently, the Club welcomed Glenn Barclay, a Forage Industry Development Specialist from Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization, and Jeremy Brown, a Range Ecology Technician from the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority.
“We used them as resource people to learn from,” explains Craig. “I used to continuous crop 2,500 acres every year. Then we started to seed 300 to 400 acres a year back to grass. For the first two years, things went great. The grass just grew as it was supposed to. But the two next years were something else. We were hit by drought — we had to reseed everything. After that, I realized we needed all the knowledge we could get access to.”
That is where the North West Environmental Stewardship Project comes in. Jeremy Brown has been employed to deliver this multi-agency approach to promoting the adoption of beneficial management practices on rangelands and riparian areas. It is funded under the Greencover Technical Assistance Component, which falls under the Agricultural Policy Framework’s environment chapter. Besides SAFRR and SWA, Ducks Unlimited, Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association, Western Applied Research Corporation and Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration are all active partners.
“During the next four years,” explains Brown, “we will conduct field days and winter extension meetings to help producers learn more about sustainable land-use practices in North West Saskatchewan. We will also conduct grazing schools to assist producers in developing a management plan for their farm or ranch; and we will address riparian, rangeland and tame forage issues with a view to increasing productivity and general carrying capacity in those pastures.”
SAFRR’s Glenn Barclay supports the initiative. “Production issues often have an associated environmental stewardship component, especially where riparian areas are involved.”
“ Society and the media are very concerned with having cattle near water sources, but the solution need not be complete exclusion,” explains Brown. “Providing alternative watering sources, combined with rotational grazing programs that give vegetation located in riparian zones a rest — particularly during sensitive periods like spring — can alleviate some of the less beneficial impacts on the environment.”
It has long been established that riparian areas produce above average amounts of biomass; they play a key role in sediment trapping, nutrient filtration, stream and wave energy dissipation — not to mention erosion control, streambank stabilization, and groundwater recharge.
Cattle producers are increasingly aware of these functions; as they are also aware of how rangelands, woodlands, and perennial cover contribute to soil moisture conservation, nutrient cycling and erosion control. When these functions are occurring, benefits in the form of improved livestock performance, opportunities for herd expansion, improved water quality and the provision of wildlife habitat are realized.
Grazing clubs provide an ideal forum to share and seek knowledge. The North West Environmental Stewardship Project partners can make this knowledge more accessible, but a good place to start is from within.
At the Herschel meeting, Jeremy Brown suggested to Grazing Club members that each make a presentation to the group about their own successes and failures as graziers. As grazier Leam Craig said himself, “we can all learn from our collective experience and improve our skills that much faster if we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.”
For more information, contact:
Jeremy Brown, AAg
Range Ecology Technician
Saskatchewan Watershed Authority
(306) 446-7460
Glenn Barclay, PAg
Forage Industry Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
(306) 446-7650
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Maple Creek Horsewoman Is First Miss Rodeo Canada From Saskatchewan In 21 Years
source: Farm and Food Report
She’s 18 years old; a veritable ball of fire on a horse; and, since November 12th, Christa Lawrence is also Miss Rodeo Canada 2005 — crowned Queen of the Canadian Rodeo tradition at the recent Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton.
“A lot of my friends are kind of shocked because I was known as the tomboy in school. They are quite shocked to see me all glitzy the way I am today, but they are extremely proud and support me all the way,” admits the enthusiastic Maple Creek native.
And really, this is a pleasant development for the province. “I’m the third Miss Rodeo Canada from Saskatchewan, but there hasn’t been one in 21 years, since 1983 when Kathleen Kornelson was Miss Rodeo Canada.”
Becoming Miss Rodeo Canada is no small achievement. “You first have to win at a Pro Rodeo. I was Miss Rodeo Maple Creek in 2003. Then the Rodeo Queen Committee sends you on to Rodeo Canada. There is a horsemanship part of it, public speaking, and modelling, personal interview. You are judged on personality and appearance every day.”
The process is a tad more demanding than your regular pageant. “Horsemanship is the most important part. If you can’t ride a horse, you can’t be Miss Rodeo Canada. You are handed between five and seven different horses you have never been on before and you must go through patterns to demonstrate your skills as a rider,” explains Lawrence.
“I grew up on a ranch southwest of Maple Creek, strictly cattle, so my expertise I would say is in the cattle industry. I’m fifth generation on my ranch actually. I was brought up with horses. My grandpas were great teamsters; my dad was a jockey.”
Above all, Lawrence dearly loves these beautiful creatures that play such a central part in ranching activities. “Horses are extremely bright; they are a willing animal; they want to work for you and that’s the best part about them. I consider them as a partner or friend, not as my tools…they are my tools to get the job done. But they are a friend also more than a machine.”
Ms. Lawrence now has a world of opportunities ahead of her, as she will get to travel over the next year much beyond the Great Plains region she is familiar with. “To me it’s a privilege and an opportunity for my skills to grow during the year. I just graduated from high school, so this could open millions of doors for me. Plus I’ll get better with the public. It’ll just help me in the future, in whatever job or career I decide to do.”
On that particular topic, Miss Rodeo Canada 2005 is currently weighing her options. They certainly will include honing her horse skills. “I possibly want to continue in College Rodeo and also take a farrier course or animal health technology. I’m considering a farrier’s course because I’ll hopefully go on to train horses. Their feet have to be taken care of. It is crucial to looking after horses.”
There is no denying Lawrence’s passion for her chosen sport: “I want Rodeo to grow and I want Rodeo to carry on its traditions the way it is right now. I thought why not come out and be the ambassador of Rodeo.”
She has other interests as well, among which is basketball during the winter; and, she is also an artist with a fondness for pencil and watercolour works. But there is no ambiguity as to where her loyalty lies. She absolutely adores Rodeo: “The excitement, the thrill of it; watching everybody compete; the timed events; rough stock; I like both ends of the arena. I love the barrel racing. I think it is the speed of the event that I like. I like to go as fast as I can. That’s why I like to do a presentation lap, where you fly around and wave. That’s the part I enjoy most. Then I also carry the Canadian flag.”
As to future dreams, guess what: “One day, I’d really like to be a pro barrel racer right here. That’s kind of a goal I’ve set for myself. I don’t know if I’ll reach it but I’ll work on it.”
Long may you ride, Christa Lawrence.
She’s 18 years old; a veritable ball of fire on a horse; and, since November 12th, Christa Lawrence is also Miss Rodeo Canada 2005 — crowned Queen of the Canadian Rodeo tradition at the recent Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton.
“A lot of my friends are kind of shocked because I was known as the tomboy in school. They are quite shocked to see me all glitzy the way I am today, but they are extremely proud and support me all the way,” admits the enthusiastic Maple Creek native.
And really, this is a pleasant development for the province. “I’m the third Miss Rodeo Canada from Saskatchewan, but there hasn’t been one in 21 years, since 1983 when Kathleen Kornelson was Miss Rodeo Canada.”
Becoming Miss Rodeo Canada is no small achievement. “You first have to win at a Pro Rodeo. I was Miss Rodeo Maple Creek in 2003. Then the Rodeo Queen Committee sends you on to Rodeo Canada. There is a horsemanship part of it, public speaking, and modelling, personal interview. You are judged on personality and appearance every day.”
The process is a tad more demanding than your regular pageant. “Horsemanship is the most important part. If you can’t ride a horse, you can’t be Miss Rodeo Canada. You are handed between five and seven different horses you have never been on before and you must go through patterns to demonstrate your skills as a rider,” explains Lawrence.
“I grew up on a ranch southwest of Maple Creek, strictly cattle, so my expertise I would say is in the cattle industry. I’m fifth generation on my ranch actually. I was brought up with horses. My grandpas were great teamsters; my dad was a jockey.”
Above all, Lawrence dearly loves these beautiful creatures that play such a central part in ranching activities. “Horses are extremely bright; they are a willing animal; they want to work for you and that’s the best part about them. I consider them as a partner or friend, not as my tools…they are my tools to get the job done. But they are a friend also more than a machine.”
Ms. Lawrence now has a world of opportunities ahead of her, as she will get to travel over the next year much beyond the Great Plains region she is familiar with. “To me it’s a privilege and an opportunity for my skills to grow during the year. I just graduated from high school, so this could open millions of doors for me. Plus I’ll get better with the public. It’ll just help me in the future, in whatever job or career I decide to do.”
On that particular topic, Miss Rodeo Canada 2005 is currently weighing her options. They certainly will include honing her horse skills. “I possibly want to continue in College Rodeo and also take a farrier course or animal health technology. I’m considering a farrier’s course because I’ll hopefully go on to train horses. Their feet have to be taken care of. It is crucial to looking after horses.”
There is no denying Lawrence’s passion for her chosen sport: “I want Rodeo to grow and I want Rodeo to carry on its traditions the way it is right now. I thought why not come out and be the ambassador of Rodeo.”
She has other interests as well, among which is basketball during the winter; and, she is also an artist with a fondness for pencil and watercolour works. But there is no ambiguity as to where her loyalty lies. She absolutely adores Rodeo: “The excitement, the thrill of it; watching everybody compete; the timed events; rough stock; I like both ends of the arena. I love the barrel racing. I think it is the speed of the event that I like. I like to go as fast as I can. That’s why I like to do a presentation lap, where you fly around and wave. That’s the part I enjoy most. Then I also carry the Canadian flag.”
As to future dreams, guess what: “One day, I’d really like to be a pro barrel racer right here. That’s kind of a goal I’ve set for myself. I don’t know if I’ll reach it but I’ll work on it.”
Long may you ride, Christa Lawrence.
Saskatchewan Christmas Trees: If You Plant That Seedling And Wait A While… They Will Come
source: Farm and Food Report
When Bob Mason and Cora Greer planted the first row of Scots Pine seedlings on their Kenaston-area farm in 1990, they knew they were embarking on a long-term project.
“We had to wait seven years before we could start selling them, and we had to cull a few where we had planted them too densely,” admits Mason. “This has been a learning experience and quite a ride.”
At first, Mason would sell the trees from the back of his truck at a Moose Jaw mall, then in Regina, from another mall. Then he discovered the “joys” of competitive marketing arrangements. When the anchor tenant grocer decided to sell Christmas trees as well, the contract with Mason Family Farm was terminated.
“I asked myself if this was really what I wanted to do. I was away from my family for the whole month. I found that difficult. Let’s see if there isn’t another way to do this?
”Welcome to Mason Family Farm’s you-choose Christmas tree operation, where 15 acres of trees await you, four kilometres north of Kenaston. Just look for the signs on Highway 11. You’ll find about 1,000 trees per acre in the plantation. All those ready to cut are Scots Pine. There is also a generation of Balsam Fir in the works that is not quite mature enough yet. As Mason will tell you, there are several obstacles to growing trees commercially in a Plains setting:
“The wide open spaces are not your friend, because wind desiccation takes such a toll on the trees during winter — but Scots pines do remarkably well,” Mason says. “As a result of the recent drought, we have felt compelled to set up drip irrigation for all new plantings. Balsam fir require special mycorrhizae fungi that takes some time to establish itself, as they are not endemic to southern prairie soils. They grow, but it takes longer initially.
”However, the rewards are satisfying at many levels. “Christmas time is generally a happy time for everyone. People come to your farm with big wide smiles. They’re in good spirits, and they’ve come here for the whole experience of cutting their tree as a family.”
Mason explains how many will easily spend a couple of hours at a time on their property on a weekend. “They bring the whole family out; they drive to the plantation and they start looking for the right tree. We tell them what to look for and they use the bow saw we loan them. Sometimes they’ll even bring refreshments and a snack with them, and they will have their own tail-gate party at our place.”
“When they have their tree, we invite them into the kitchen for cocoa and cookies. We even take their photographs. We realize that what we sell them is a lot more than the tree — it is the whole experience of being out here for a while. They take home the tree and the memories of great family outing.”
One might say that the Mason Family Farm is in the business of joy and not be too from the truth. Most of their guests come from a 60-kilometre radius, so this appeals not only to city dwellers, but to everyone.
“If you look at it this way, there is a lot more room for growth in this industry.” Mason also happens to be the President of the Saskatchewan Christmas Tree Growers’ Association Co-Operative, a small group of industry enthusiasts who hope this business will really take off over the next few years.
“This is not for everybody. You have to love trees and people. The required capital investment is not that great. But there is a fairly high attrition rate among our members because they might not have realized how long it takes to get a crop.”
For Bob Mason and Cora Greer, there is no turning back. They have just moved a barn into the farmyard to accommodate the weekend crowds enjoying the cocoa and cookies event, says Mason:
“The place turns into a bit of a zoo around this time of the year, but we love every bit of it.”
When Bob Mason and Cora Greer planted the first row of Scots Pine seedlings on their Kenaston-area farm in 1990, they knew they were embarking on a long-term project.
“We had to wait seven years before we could start selling them, and we had to cull a few where we had planted them too densely,” admits Mason. “This has been a learning experience and quite a ride.”
At first, Mason would sell the trees from the back of his truck at a Moose Jaw mall, then in Regina, from another mall. Then he discovered the “joys” of competitive marketing arrangements. When the anchor tenant grocer decided to sell Christmas trees as well, the contract with Mason Family Farm was terminated.
“I asked myself if this was really what I wanted to do. I was away from my family for the whole month. I found that difficult. Let’s see if there isn’t another way to do this?
”Welcome to Mason Family Farm’s you-choose Christmas tree operation, where 15 acres of trees await you, four kilometres north of Kenaston. Just look for the signs on Highway 11. You’ll find about 1,000 trees per acre in the plantation. All those ready to cut are Scots Pine. There is also a generation of Balsam Fir in the works that is not quite mature enough yet. As Mason will tell you, there are several obstacles to growing trees commercially in a Plains setting:
“The wide open spaces are not your friend, because wind desiccation takes such a toll on the trees during winter — but Scots pines do remarkably well,” Mason says. “As a result of the recent drought, we have felt compelled to set up drip irrigation for all new plantings. Balsam fir require special mycorrhizae fungi that takes some time to establish itself, as they are not endemic to southern prairie soils. They grow, but it takes longer initially.
”However, the rewards are satisfying at many levels. “Christmas time is generally a happy time for everyone. People come to your farm with big wide smiles. They’re in good spirits, and they’ve come here for the whole experience of cutting their tree as a family.”
Mason explains how many will easily spend a couple of hours at a time on their property on a weekend. “They bring the whole family out; they drive to the plantation and they start looking for the right tree. We tell them what to look for and they use the bow saw we loan them. Sometimes they’ll even bring refreshments and a snack with them, and they will have their own tail-gate party at our place.”
“When they have their tree, we invite them into the kitchen for cocoa and cookies. We even take their photographs. We realize that what we sell them is a lot more than the tree — it is the whole experience of being out here for a while. They take home the tree and the memories of great family outing.”
One might say that the Mason Family Farm is in the business of joy and not be too from the truth. Most of their guests come from a 60-kilometre radius, so this appeals not only to city dwellers, but to everyone.
“If you look at it this way, there is a lot more room for growth in this industry.” Mason also happens to be the President of the Saskatchewan Christmas Tree Growers’ Association Co-Operative, a small group of industry enthusiasts who hope this business will really take off over the next few years.
“This is not for everybody. You have to love trees and people. The required capital investment is not that great. But there is a fairly high attrition rate among our members because they might not have realized how long it takes to get a crop.”
For Bob Mason and Cora Greer, there is no turning back. They have just moved a barn into the farmyard to accommodate the weekend crowds enjoying the cocoa and cookies event, says Mason:
“The place turns into a bit of a zoo around this time of the year, but we love every bit of it.”
Small Town Resourcefulness Handles Potentially Messy Challenge
source: Farm and Food Report
Upgrading sewage facilities is a formidable expense for any municipal government. But when a village of 200 is faced with the prospect of building a new lagoon, or paying some hefty fines, the task becomes even more daunting. Yet this is what Shell Lake faced. It was time to call up a few cards, according to local councilor Paula Stalwick:
“The Village of Shell Lake is adjacent to Memorial Lake Regional Park, and we both use the same sewage disposal facility. Over the years, the park has been growing — visitors want to come here because it’s a beautiful resort and we’re so close to Saskatoon and P.A. I would say there are up to 2,000 extra people here in the summer when the Park is in full swing. But the problem is we’re now at a point where the village sewage facility cannot handle all the extra sewage.”
Stalwick says the initial quotes to upgrade the Shell Lake sewage system have come in around $600,000. “If it was just for Shell Lake, we could look at a smaller facility, but then the park would be excluded. We raised the sewage tax for Shell Lake citizens, but with only 80 households, it’s not enough. The majority of our residents are on fixed income — seniors and young families. As a small village, we can’t ask a bank for $600,000 — we don’t have the assets. We met with the park board and discussed options to work something out.”
And work it out they did. Memorial Lake Regional Park donated a leased lot within park boundaries and Park Board members — along with citizens from Shell Lake and surrounding area — formed the Cabin Lotto Committee. The Committee sent out tenders, hired contractors and built a 1,500 square-foot, all-season cabin on the lot. It acquired a lottery license and started selling tickets in local malls, at open houses and public events.
“The park board has kept an employee on staff, and there are drop boxes where people can drop off their money and registration form, which their gal picks up twice a week,” says Stalwick. “Also, there’s a 1-800 number where people can phone in for tickets. All the businesses in town have registration forms, and we all have them loaded in our cars, so we’re ready to sell a lotto ticket at any time,” she laughs.
They’ve also advertised through the newspaper and radio. Their story was even covered on CBC Radio’s As It Happens. “After the interview, we had lots of response,” explains Stalwick. “People called from the States, and from different provinces. We even had an engineer from Waterloo, Ontario call to give us
some suggestions on doing a cheaper upgrade. We are now looking at the idea of a wetland lagoon, which would save us a bit of money, but we’ll see. We have an engineer driving out from Saskatoon in the near future to see if that’s feasible.”
Michael McMurray is an Environmental Project Officer with Saskatchewan Environment. He explains how most small communities in the province have a two-cell facultative lagoon, which is a biological way of treating sewage:
“In the primary cell, bacteria break down the sewage; the end result is the effluent. The primary cell needs a big enough surface area to get the oxygen necessary for the breakdown process. You need a certain number of hectares of surface area for a certain number of people. In the case of Shell Lake, the community has outgrown both its cells.”
The secondary cell is used for storage of the effluent, so that it can be discharged gradually without upsetting the environment. In effect, a community must be able to accommodate a minimum of 180 days of storage, as it is not legal to discharge the effluent from November 1, through to spring runoff. “Basically it means you cannot discharge throughout the winter, because the effluent would have nowhere to go when the ground is frozen,” adds McMurray.
This project has been quite a learning experience for councilor Stalwick and her community:
“I’ve learned how lottery licenses work, I’ve learned a lot about sewage lagoons; what’s needed for them to operate properly; what are environmentally-friendly options. But mostly I’ve seen how people come together when we need to cooperate. It’s an immense project when you look at it, and it’s reassuring how everyone pulls together.”
Only 4,000 tickets for the cabin - valued at $150,000 - will be sold, at $100 each. Together with an early bird draw for $5,000 cash, the Cabin Lotto is expected to raise $200,000 for the sewage upgrade. At that point, depending on its success, the committee will look at building another cabin and hosting another lottery to bring in more money to ensure Shell Lake remains as attractive a place to visit, as ever.
Upgrading sewage facilities is a formidable expense for any municipal government. But when a village of 200 is faced with the prospect of building a new lagoon, or paying some hefty fines, the task becomes even more daunting. Yet this is what Shell Lake faced. It was time to call up a few cards, according to local councilor Paula Stalwick:
“The Village of Shell Lake is adjacent to Memorial Lake Regional Park, and we both use the same sewage disposal facility. Over the years, the park has been growing — visitors want to come here because it’s a beautiful resort and we’re so close to Saskatoon and P.A. I would say there are up to 2,000 extra people here in the summer when the Park is in full swing. But the problem is we’re now at a point where the village sewage facility cannot handle all the extra sewage.”
Stalwick says the initial quotes to upgrade the Shell Lake sewage system have come in around $600,000. “If it was just for Shell Lake, we could look at a smaller facility, but then the park would be excluded. We raised the sewage tax for Shell Lake citizens, but with only 80 households, it’s not enough. The majority of our residents are on fixed income — seniors and young families. As a small village, we can’t ask a bank for $600,000 — we don’t have the assets. We met with the park board and discussed options to work something out.”
And work it out they did. Memorial Lake Regional Park donated a leased lot within park boundaries and Park Board members — along with citizens from Shell Lake and surrounding area — formed the Cabin Lotto Committee. The Committee sent out tenders, hired contractors and built a 1,500 square-foot, all-season cabin on the lot. It acquired a lottery license and started selling tickets in local malls, at open houses and public events.
“The park board has kept an employee on staff, and there are drop boxes where people can drop off their money and registration form, which their gal picks up twice a week,” says Stalwick. “Also, there’s a 1-800 number where people can phone in for tickets. All the businesses in town have registration forms, and we all have them loaded in our cars, so we’re ready to sell a lotto ticket at any time,” she laughs.
They’ve also advertised through the newspaper and radio. Their story was even covered on CBC Radio’s As It Happens. “After the interview, we had lots of response,” explains Stalwick. “People called from the States, and from different provinces. We even had an engineer from Waterloo, Ontario call to give us
some suggestions on doing a cheaper upgrade. We are now looking at the idea of a wetland lagoon, which would save us a bit of money, but we’ll see. We have an engineer driving out from Saskatoon in the near future to see if that’s feasible.”
Michael McMurray is an Environmental Project Officer with Saskatchewan Environment. He explains how most small communities in the province have a two-cell facultative lagoon, which is a biological way of treating sewage:
“In the primary cell, bacteria break down the sewage; the end result is the effluent. The primary cell needs a big enough surface area to get the oxygen necessary for the breakdown process. You need a certain number of hectares of surface area for a certain number of people. In the case of Shell Lake, the community has outgrown both its cells.”
The secondary cell is used for storage of the effluent, so that it can be discharged gradually without upsetting the environment. In effect, a community must be able to accommodate a minimum of 180 days of storage, as it is not legal to discharge the effluent from November 1, through to spring runoff. “Basically it means you cannot discharge throughout the winter, because the effluent would have nowhere to go when the ground is frozen,” adds McMurray.
This project has been quite a learning experience for councilor Stalwick and her community:
“I’ve learned how lottery licenses work, I’ve learned a lot about sewage lagoons; what’s needed for them to operate properly; what are environmentally-friendly options. But mostly I’ve seen how people come together when we need to cooperate. It’s an immense project when you look at it, and it’s reassuring how everyone pulls together.”
Only 4,000 tickets for the cabin - valued at $150,000 - will be sold, at $100 each. Together with an early bird draw for $5,000 cash, the Cabin Lotto is expected to raise $200,000 for the sewage upgrade. At that point, depending on its success, the committee will look at building another cabin and hosting another lottery to bring in more money to ensure Shell Lake remains as attractive a place to visit, as ever.
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