Tourism Expert - Content Marketing, Product and Destination Strategies: 12/05

Friday, January 06, 2006

SFGA Conference Seeks to Further The Prairie Fruit Industry

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

“Welcome to our ‘An Industry in Motion’ conference,” says the invitation brochure. “Whether you currently own an established operation or are just now looking into opportunities in the fruit industry, this conference offers something for you.”

“You can make money growing fruit in Saskatchewan," says Charon Blakley of the Saskatchewan Fruit Growers Association (SFGA). "That is partly what we wish to convey to participants on January 13 and 14 in Saskatoon at our annual conference during Crop Production Week. With today's focus on health and the importance of a healthy diet, we have a huge potential in Saskatchewan. The cleanliness of our environment compared to that of other parts of the world is also a big advantage.”

The SFGA event is designed to set the stage for the future of the fruit industry, and the agenda is loaded with topics ranging from beginner interests to very advanced issues.

Here is a sample…

Food Safe Farm Practices A Sign of the Times

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

Food safety is becoming an increasingly important topic within the agriculture community.

Around the globe, food safety programs and practices are becoming an essential component to regular business and trade. Within Canada, many commodity groups are taking a proactive approach and are beginning to develop and implement food safety programs.

One such group is the Canadian Sheep Federation, which introduced a national Food Safe Farm Practices Program designed to provide assurance that the sheep and lamb products on our farms are produced through a safe and verifiable process, according to Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board Executive Director Gordon Schroeder.

“The Food Safe Farm Practices Program is driven by the Canadian sheep industry for the Canadian sheep industry. A technical committee, including sheep producers and technical experts in sheep production and food safety, from across the country, developed program materials for the initiative.”

The sheep producers were an integral part of the process, explains Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food (SAF) Livestock Development Specialist Tara Jaboeuf. “They provided clear input to make the program efficient, non-invasive and affordable.”

This food safety program was developed under the auspices of the Canadian On-Farm Food Safety Program (COFFS), and funded through the new Agricultural Policy Framework.

“COFFS is a producer-driven partnership between industry and government, that helps national commodity organizations develop and implement on-farm food safety programs," says Jaboeuf. "The sheep industry’s program has undergone technical review by the CFIA, and has been approved as a result. We are now starting on implementation of the program across Canada.”

In essence, the program is based on an internationally recognized hazard control system called HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points). This is a proactive approach to the identification, evaluation and control of food safety hazards. It is endorsed by government health agencies worldwide, including the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the United States Department of Agriculture.

“Most producers are already adopting the practices stipulated in the program, “Jaboeuf points out. “The program represents a formalization of these practices, demonstrating to the public and consumer that their food is indeed a safe and healthy choice.

“Participating in this nationally recognized food safety program will demonstrate to customers that producers have exercised due diligence in their production activities to minimize the possibility of physical, chemical and/or biological hazards.”

Jaboeuf adds that “some of the benefits of participating in an on-farm food safety program include maintaining or expanding domestic and international markets; increased management effectiveness, with efficiencies and cost savings on–farm; employee knowledge on-farm; and increased consumer confidence."

The Sheep Development Board's Schroeder concurs. “Saskatchewan sheep farmers already provide a safe, high quality meat, milk and wool product to our customers; however, we are now entering a time when it will become even more necessary that we demonstrate that the food we produce is safe.”

Tara Jaboeuf has taken the initiative one step further:

“We have decided to try something different. We are teaming up with the Environmental Farm Plan co-ordinator and holding workshops in Saskatoon and Regina as a pilot.”

The registration is free for both workshops, and lunch is provided. Both events will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Agriculture Business Centre at 3830 Thatcher Avenue in Saskatoon on February 24, and on February 25 at a location yet to be determined in Regina.

To find out more about the Food Safe Farm Practices Program, call the sheep development board or Tara Jaboeuf at Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food at (306) 933-5099.

For more information, contact:

Gord Schroeder
Executive Director
Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board
(306) 933-5200

Tara Jaboeuf
Livestock Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 933-5099

"The Big Picture Crop" Sunflower Seminar Coming to Moose Jaw

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

On a recent cold Saturday in November, a dozen brave riders sat on their horses, herding 100 cows back from pasture along the Qu’Appelle Valley. In the background, fields of brown, frozen sunflower still awaited harvest.

“Sunflowers have a reputation as a crop you harvest in November or December after the snow flies,” explains Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food (SAF) Crop Development Specialist Elaine Moats, “and yet, under normal conditions, sunflowers are off earlier than that. They are a pretty dependable money-making crop, which is perhaps the most important characteristic of sunflowers.”

Moats and industry partners are getting ready for a one-of-a-kind seminar on January 24 and 25 at the Heritage Inn in Moose Jaw called Sunflower: The Big Picture Crop. “We called it that because we believe sunflowers have a bigger role to play in crop production and value-added agriculture in Saskatchewan than they have been given credit for.”

One of the obstacles sunflower growers face in Saskatchewan, Moats points out, is market access.

“Most of the sunflowers grown in Saskatchewanat this time are intended for the birdseed market, and sold into southern Alberta, North Dakota or Manitoba. We have a few processors—the biggest one is Monty Bergquist’s Sun Country Farms at Langham—producing snack-food sunflower seeds. We probably harvested about 35,000 acres of sunflowers this past growing season in Saskatchewan.

“Originally, most of the sunflowers we grew were crushed for cooking oil. There was a crusher in Manitoba as well as the United States. But with the strengthening of the canola industry, we don’t have any sunflower crushers in Canada anymore,” explains Moats...“Certainly, the snack-food market for the hulled sunflower seeds and the birdseed market are very big markets. One of the largest confection processors in Canada is Spitz Sunflower Seeds based out of southern Alberta.”

Moats believes the seminar will provide useful information to growers, potential new producers and people who are looking for ways to market their sunflowers differently.

“We will be providing information on improved ways of growing sunflower, whether it is in terms of weed control, timing of seeding, or other factors that will allow producers to get a good quality crop off the field a little bit earlier. It is important to know that we don’t have any plant breeders in Canada, and virtually all the seed is imported from the United States. There are new developments in seed treatment and disease control that are significant because some seed treatments are not allowed in Canada."

The seminar will feature a presentation by the director of the Canadian National Sunflower Association, Mel Reimer, who will bring participants up to date on developments on the Canadian scene.

“There a couple of sunflower roasters in Manitoba that he will tell us about,” says Moats, “and there are opportunities with China in the sunflower business. The NuSun market class has the mid-oleic oil profile and is in strong demand from the cooking oil industry. Commercial processors use NuSun oil in their deep fryers because of its cooking properties. Not only is it a healthier oil, but it also remains stable longer under the higher temperatures used in the food processing industry.”

Cliff Powlowski, the Variety Testing Co-ordinator for Saskatchewan, will provide an update on his results that are printed in the grain variety guide every year.

“There is also some new work on herbicides that are registered or coming down the pipe that SAF Provincial Weed Control Specialist Clerk Brenzil will tell us about. SAF Plant Disease Specialist Penny Pearse is going to talk about new fungicide registrations. SAF Insect/Pest Management Specialist Scott Hartley will talk about some of the insect concerns, as insect pressures vary from year to year, Moats says.

“Bill May is doing research on yield and adaptation, comparing sunflower and flax to other crops like mustard. Monty Bergquist of Sun Country Farms exports a wide variety of bird food mixes that include sunflower seeds. He asks questions like: is there room for small crushers or de-hullers? He has put a lot of thought into the new uses for sunflower seeds,” Moats points out.

Also, Vern Racz and Dave Christensen of Prairie Feed Resource Centre will elaborate on where sunflower seeds fit in beef or dairy cattle feeding programs.

“When you add sunflower seed to the ration, it affects the feed intake of the cattle, which has an impact on the cost of the ration,” according to Moats. “It affects the conjugated linoleic acid level in both the milk and meat, and therefore could potentially make the milk and the meat healthier, which would bring about significant marketing advantages.”

Moats and her colleagues invite everyone interested in sunflowers to take a second look at “The Big Picture Crop.”

For more information, contact:

Elaine Moats
Crop Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 848-2856

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Prairie Garden Seeds Preserves And Markets Heritage Crops

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

In an agricultural world where yield and performance is valued more than anything, Jim Ternier could be perceived as somewhat of an iconoclast.

The Cochin area seed grower is president of Seeds of Diversity Canada, a group dedicated to the preservation of heritage seeds. He describes himself as a regional seedsman, specializing in growing and marketing seeds that are adapted for the dryland and short-season environment. He sells his own crops, admittedly, because nobody else will do it for him.

"I am an unusual farmer because I sell more than 500 crops," he says. "I produce my own catalogue, featuring 80 per cent seeds that we grow here and 20 per cent seed supplied by other small growers in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta through swaps. I try to be as local as possible. My activities don’t fit any commercial patterns, but I earn a living from them."

Ternier started out growing mostly vegetable seeds. He quickly discovered that he enjoyed selling the seeds more than the vegetables. He produced his first catalogue 23 years ago. It was a sheet with 15 products. Now his catalogue has 40 pages with hundreds of seeds, including 65 varieties of tomatoes.

Ternier says 97 per cent of his clients are people who grow gardens to feed their families.

"Half of them are in Saskatchewan and Alberta, which helps me fulfill my local mandate," he says. "We sell the Homesteader pea variety, which is over 100 years old; we sell the Detroit Dark Red beet. The Golden Bantam corn, which is still commonly grown, has been around for over 100 years."

Almost all of Prairie Garden Seeds’ business is mail order.

"Canada Post represents my largest expense," he says, "but that is okay. We have consciously chosen to live in an isolated setting. When we want to see masses of people, we attend Seedy Saturday events in Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg. It is an opportunity to exchange and meet with others who share our passion for heritage seeds."

When asked what drives him, here is what Jim Ternier has to say:

"I have gardened all my life. I truly enjoy it. I am also a collector, but beyond that there is a matter of stewardship—of people taking control of their lives. Gardening is an accessible way for many to take some responsibility for their food supply. It enables people to become connected with the impacts of fossil fuels and climate change in their lives, which leads to a greater awareness and understanding of the real value of food."

"When we took over the family farm in the late 1970s, we built ourselves a house that we see as modern, but it doesn’t have the latest amenities by today’s standards. We raised three kids in it and they are doing pretty well."

Jim Ternier sometimes uses a hand cultivator built by his uncle.

"You can’t buy anything like that anymore," he says. "Today’s versions are lightly built out of plastic. They don’t last. The one I use is older than me. It is built out of wood and metal. When a part breaks or wears out, we just fashion a new one. We chose a certain lifestyle, and we are happy about our approach and engagement in life."

For more information, contact:

Jim Ternier
Prairie Garden Seeds
E-mail: prairie.seeds@sasktel.net
Phone: (306) 386-2737
http://www.prseeds.ca

Collector’s Edition Of Saskatchewan Brand Book Published For Centennial

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

Those in the know will understand the importance of brands as a means to identify stray and missing cattle. Brands have been around us since the early days of ranching back in the late 19th century.

The Saskatchewan Government wanted to celebrate the Province's Centennial in a way that recognized the role brands have played in the development of the cattle industry by publishing a special, limited edition of The Saskatchewan Registered Cattle and Horse Brands book.

Rusty Hawryluk is the Brand Registrar and Licensing Officer at Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food, and has overseen the project.

"We have printed 500 numbered copies in hardcover format," he says. "The cover is embossed with a replica of a special branding iron bearing the provincial logo of the wheat sheaf and the number ‘100’ below, with the years 1905-2005, acknowledging this is our Centennial year."

When people open the book, there is a cover page with a gold foil replica of the cover brand. As you keep turning the pages, there is a history of brands in Saskatchewan, as well as brand photographs from the Saskatchewan Archives Board. The rest of the book is a directory of current registered brands in Saskatchewan with the names and addresses of the brand holders, along with small pictures of their brands. The publication has 512 pages.

The brand registry is made up of more than 19,000 active livestock brands that Rusty Hawryluk looks after. The registry is of great significance to more than a few ranchers.

"Many of these brands almost have a personality of their own," he says. "They tell a story, much like an Egyptian hieroglyph might—like symbols. They can be associated with a family or ranch name, or a geographical location or landmark."

"Brands are not only part of the identity of the operations to which they belong, they are also the equivalent of an animal's 'return address.' Sometimes, an animal will make its way into another herd for a number of reasons. A brand ensures the animal is returned to its owner."

While electronic means of animal identification have been on the rise during the last few years, it seems brands still have a role to play. The designs are listed alphabetically and then numerically for easier identification of the owners.

Hawryluk believes this commemorative edition will be popular with livestock producers, brand holders, and the municipalities that often face the task of finding owners of lost cattle. He expects the entire special Centennial edition will sell out in no time.

The book is available for $65.00. To get your copy, call (306) 787-4682.

For more information, contact:

Rusty Hawryluk
Brand Registrar and Licensing Officer
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 787-4682

Speckle Park Cattle: An Evolving Breed “Made In Saskatchewan”

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

The Speckle Park cattle breed was the new kid on the block when the first National Show and Sale of its kind took place at this year’s edition of Canadian Western Agribition in Regina.

Canada’s Animal Pedigree Act refers to the Speckle Park as an evolving breed.

North Battleford cattle producer Ed Smith has been a Speckle Park breeder for the last 28 years.

"I was lucky enough to get my first stock from originators Bill and Eileen Lamont of Maidstone, who started the breed around 1958-59," he says. "At the moment, the application for status as a distinct breed is in the final stages of preparation, and we feel that in 2006 we should have a purebred breed."

"The original seed stock came from England with the Barr Colonists around 1903-04. These people were settlers in the Lloydminster area. The story goes that they brought purebred shorthorn cattle that were carrying White Park calves. They found the offspring of this mating had an interesting colour pattern. They were red and white at the time, rather than black and white as you see them today."

In the 1950s, the Lamont family became interested in these historically significant animals. At the time, they were raising purebred Angus cattle and purebred Appaloosa horses, explains Smith.

"They thought these were pretty interesting cattle because their patterns were similar to the patterns on their horses, so they got a few of them and liked them so much that Bill had the idea that someday we could make a breed of this. He started crossing them with his Angus cattle and he changed the red and white pattern to a black and white pattern. The rest is history."

"He kept breeding them until he had a couple of dozen, and he let some of his family members have some of them," says Smith. "I believe that my wife Kathy and I were the first people allowed to buy these animals outside of his family."

Smith and 10 other Speckle Park enthusiasts got together in 1983 to form an association of Speckle Park breeders.

"In 1993, we got our papers as an evolving breed and we have been breeding them ever since, trying to make them like peas in a pod. These cattle are a black pigment to begin with. The cattle industry likes that because producers don’t have to worry about sunburns on udders and pinkeye.

“They have black sides, a white top line and a white belly. Then they go white down over the hips with black speckles on them. The feet are black; eyes are black; the ears are black, and the nose is black. There are some variations of that colour, as well. They will go from a white colour—still with the black pigmentation—to a white colour with black speckles up the legs; the nose, hocks and ears will be black," Smith says.

Over the years, Speckle Park have gained a reputation as a carcass breed of the highest quality with moderate size, according to Smith. Cows typically weigh between 1,200 and 1,400 pounds; bulls weigh between 1,800 and 2,200 pounds.

"In terms of marbling, our cattle probably are exceeding what the British cattle have done over the years—and we have bred them specifically to do this. So we have marbled beef without a lot of fat cover on the animal, and we have a very tender piece of meat."

"Butchers love this carcass because it is very easy to cut," says Smith. "They are small-boned animals and there is a higher meat-to-bone ratio than there is on many of the other breeds… and the taste seems to be superior."

Smith obviously exhibits the pride in his breed that one would expect.

"They have very good maternal instincts," he says. "The calves are vigorous at birth, in that 75-pound range. Easy calving. In 28 years, I have had one caesarean. I think it was because we had an accident: the neighbour's bull got into my pasture. Needless to say, he was not a Speckle Park bull."

For more information, contact:

Ed Smith
Canadian Speckle Park Cattle Association
(306) 937-3686
www.specklepark.ca

Ultrasounds Lend A Helping Hand To Live Carcass Evaluations

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

In a barn just outside the Stadium at Canadian Western Agribition, a few bulls and cows line up to be taken through Rod Wendorff’s chute.

He proceeds to spread a blob of congealed lubricant between the twelfth and thirteenth rib of an animal before snapping a picture with his ultrasound device.

Who would have thought we would someday be able to evaluate beef marbling off a living cow? Yet that is precisely what this UGC-certified (Ultrasound Guidelines Council) technician is doing for breed associations at Regina’s Agribition.

"This is a marketing tool for them," he says. "First, we have to get a clean surface. Ultrasound won’t read through air. We have to put a couplant on it. I use canola oil. The ultrasound gives me a picture, and then I have software that will analyse the picture in the computer. I learned how to do this at Kansas State University, and every two years I have to go back to get re-certified."

On Wendorff’s worktable lies about $40,000-worth of equipment.

"We have been measuring backfat, ribeye muscle size, marbling and lean meat yield here at Agribition," he explains.

According to the Canadian Blonde d'Aquitaine Association, ultrasound has been used to measure fat depth in beef cattle since the 1950s, and research at the University of Saskatchewan suggests that ultrasound backfat and ribeye area measurements can accurately predict the lean meat yield of yearling bulls.

This technology can be a valuable tool for seedstock producers interested in improving the carcass merit of their cattle, according to Wendorff.

"Every year, we get more people using this technology," he says. "There are now EPDs (Estimated Progeny Differences) for it, so you can identify the cattle that will help you increase the trait that you want. With those, within a breed, you can tell what they will pass on—how good they are on a certain trait."

Carcass traits are moderately to highly inherited; therefore, carcass characteristics in a bull are likely to be passed on to his progeny.

Wendorff and his company—Windy Ridge Ultrasound—may be based out of Raymond, Alberta, but he seems to spend a lot of time in Saskatchewan.

"I have been doing it for five or six years now," he says, "and at the time I was the only one certified in Canada. I love this work. I like being around cattle and the cattle people. I used to manage an $80-million payroll for the City of Lethbridge. Cattle are easier to get along with than people sometimes. With cattle, if you get kicked, at least you usually deserve it."

For more information, contact:

Rod Wendorf
UGC Certified Technician
Windy Ridge Ultrasound
(403) 752-4066

Upcoming Winter Grazing Tour To Feature "Whole Buncher"

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

The grazing tours that are coming up on December 14 and 15, 2005, in Alameda and Grenfell, respectively, are likely to be well-attended once again, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Livestock Development Specialist Lorne Klein.

"These tours are a chance for cattle producers to take a first-hand look at winter grazing as an option," he says. "At the Alameda location, for instance, we will look at bale grazing and bale processing on pasture, while at the Grenfell site, corn grazing and chaff grazing will be observed."

Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food stages the tours in partnership with the Western Beef Development Centre, the Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Program for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association, Brett-Young Seeds and AJ Manufacturing.

"AJ Manufacturing will be showing its Whole Buncher as part of the activities. This is a clever variation of a giant pitchfork attached to the back of a combine that collects both chaff and straw and dumps it throughout the field. The piles are then used for feed. It is a relatively new concept and provides a crop residue option that wasn't there before," explains Klein, "and it supports winter grazing as a practice."

Whether it is swath-grazing annuals or feeding cows on pasture in general that is being considered by producers, these tours aim to provide ideas for alternative winter feeding systems on annual cropland.

On both days, the program begins at 11:00 a.m. with presentations on 16 options for winter grazing using crop residues, annuals, seeded perennials and native rangeland.

The field tour will depart at noon, after the presentations. Participants are asked to bring their own lunches as a noon meal will not be provided. Coffee will be available before and during the presentations, and Klein asks people to be prepared to use their own vehicles for the tour.

For more information, contact:

Lorne Klein
Livestock Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Phone: (306) 848-2382

Aims' Consultant Workshop Program Makes Speakers Affordable

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

If there is a program that has consistently proven popular among farm and rural economic development organizations since its beginning in 1992, it’s the Agriculture Institute of Management in Saskatchewan’s (AIMS) Consultant Workshop Program.

"What started out as an initiative to foster the development of producer clubs around the province—where agricultural producers would have a forum in which they would be able to share their experiences without having to go to larger centres—really took off," says Bev Magill, Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Saskatchewan (ACAAFS)/AIMS Project Officer assigned to the program.

For $150.00, these emerging groups could get access to an expert on themes like agri-tourism, farm planning, value chain development, project management, futures markets and a variety of topics vital to agricultural sustainability.

Initially, only marketing clubs were allowed to use the program, but now rural municipalities, Agricultural Development and Diversification (ADD) boards, regional economic development authorities and community futures corporations can all take advantage of it.

"Any group of 10 or more persons with an interest in agriculture can participate in the AIMS Consultant Workshop Program, which enables you to host guest speakers at a very low cost, while we sponsor the rest of the consultant’s fee and expenses," says Magill.

The topics selected for eligibility are submitted by speakers but must address current issues. The sponsored participant groups often suggest topics, as well.

"We conduct evaluations at every workshop and we take suggestions into account," she says. "We always get praise for the calibre of speakers selected. What really makes a difference, as well, is the opportunity that this provides to bring participants together around a meeting, a potluck supper or an activity, on location in rural Saskatchewan. The speaker goes to your community, and the program is flexible enough to allow you to schedule the event when it best suits your needs. You’ll learn about the latest farming trends, new management techniques and emerging issues. You’ll learn tips on how to run your operations more efficiently."

The number of sessions an organization is able to host through the AIMS Consultant Workshop Program each year may be restricted, but any group with an agricultural focus qualifies for the AIMS Consultant Workshop Program.

To request a speaker, an eligible group completes a Consultant Workshop application form and submits a registration fee to the Saskatchewan Council for Community Development (SCCD)-AIMS for each session requested.

To find our more about the AIMS Consultant Workshop Program, visit: www.sccd.sk.ca/aims.

For more information, contact:
Bev Magill
ACAAFS/AIMS Project Officer
Saskatchewan Council for Community Development
(306) 975- 8928
www.sccd.sk.ca/aims

Great Divide Bison Ranch Takes Pride In The Quality Of Its Breeding Stock

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

Does grazing your bison herd in pastures high up on the continental divide lead to a loftier meat flavour? Perhaps not, but it doesn’t hurt to mention it along with the breeding stock’s pedigree, according to Jackie Legault, a Ponteix bison rancher.

The Legault family looked at the top animals in North America. Their foundation sires were purchased from four ranches in the Dakotas: Drift Prairie Bison and the Rich Cameron Ranch in North Dakota, and Slim Butte's and the Custer Ranch in South Dakota.

"These bulls fit the ranch's breeding program perfectly," says Legault. "They are thick, deep, fertile with correct confirmation. Their sons will have superior growth and high yielding carcasses, and their daughters will have the depth and capacity that will make them produce more easily for the coming years."

The Great Divide Bison Ranch, located along the Red Coat Trail in south-western Saskatchewan, has been owned and operated by the Legault family for almost a century.

Quality has been a tradition there ever since Wilfred Legault, the great-grandfather of Jackie's husband Kim, broke land in 1912. In 1910, Legault, along with his eldest son and daughter, left the Ottawa River valley to venture west to Saskatchewan. They opened a butcher shop in Notre Dame. Two years later, Wilfred's wife Hermine and the rest of the family joined them.

In 1912, the family homesteaded land where the majestic bison roamed freely less than 50 years earlier. Their first house was made of sod and it housed a family of 16 children in the summer months. In the winter, they moved 50 kilometres north to Ponteix, where the children attended school. Wilfred's sons also homesteaded next to their father. They broke some land to grow grain and feed, and they raised cattle and horses.

They broke wild horses, and every year they shipped a couple of railway cars filled with horses to Ontario and Quebec. Thirty kilometres west of the family homestead, Wilfred opened a butcher shop in Val Marie. He delivered fresh meat, going from farm to farm a couple of times a week, in an era when refrigeration was unheard of.

This land has been in the Legault family for four generations. Growing grain, specialty crops and raising horses and cattle were the main activities. The farm has always been operated by father and son partnerships.

Bison production was added to complement the family farm income in 1998, explains Jackie.

"In 2006, we plan to almost eliminate our seeded acres," she says. In the past, we have grown approximately 5,000 acres of grain and specialty crops, but we see that bison production on this land is far more viable in today's unstable agricultural environment."

The Great Divide Bison Ranch even takes blood samples from all its animals to DNA test them for clients who request a particular bloodline.

"They are such remarkable animals—hardy to the point where they will thrive under just about any conditions," she says. "We run a herd of about 300 right now, including a breeding stock of 120. Since the U.S. border opened for animals 30 months and under, we have sold the last two years' bull crops to another producer who finishes them."

"As soon as the border opened, we received a call from a U.S. colleague who needed bison for the rapidly growing American market. Our shipment was the first of unfinished animals to cross the 49th Parallel since the onset of the BSE crisis. In the past, we have also sold unfinished animals to the North American Bison Co-operative. We have also marketed finished animals to Canadian Prairie Bison in Saskatchewan."

The bison now roam on the same prairie grass in the same hills where their ancestors grazed for eons. The Legault family takes great pride in bringing these majestic animals back to their natural habitat. With it comes a definite feeling of fulfillment.

For more information, contact:

Jackie Legault
Great Divide Bison Ranch
(306) 625-3675
www.greatdividebisonranch.com

Missouri Coteau Farm Doubles As Chipperfield Inn

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

The Missouri Coteau Escarpment is undoubtedly one of the most evocative landscapes in the province. It literally comes out of North Dakota, extends across Saskatchewan from the southeast to the northwest, and exits out to Alberta.

The Coteau Hills roll and spread—often as far as the eye can see—and agricultural producers are increasingly tapping into the rich heritage with which they are endowed as a means of diversifying their operations.

That is what Doug and Penny MacDonald had in mind when they launched the bed-and-breakfast they call the Chipperfield Inn a few years ago at their place.

“We farm about 18 miles west of Elrose. Between my brother and I, we farm about 4,500 acres. We could round it up to 5,000 acres with the pasture. We run a cow/calf operation with 60 Black Angus cows,” explains Doug MacDonald.

“Penny and I like entertaining. Our kids are grown and our house is plenty large. We have had some guests for upland bird or whitetail deer hunting, and others from as far away as England. Sometimes people come around and they need a place to stay. We are just happy to provide.”

One of the things that makes this place unique is Doug’s passion for blacksmithing.

“One of our good friends moved here from British Columbia. He happened to be a world-class blacksmith. I guess he inspired me. I have always enjoyed welding and working with steel. I took a course at the Western Development Museum (WDM) and built a fully equipped coal-fired forge at the farm,” he says.

“I just finished two sets of large flower pot hangers. I make candleholders, and made a candelabra type light fixture for the house. I have all the primitive tools, and I have been at it for 10 years now. This is something our guests are usually interested in.”

Above all, this is part of the heritage of the Great Plains region. MacDonald is grateful to the WDM for putting on these workshops.

"They bring in experts from the United States and Canada. It helps us ensure we don’t lose the traditions that helped our ancestors make it through the hardships they encountered in this part of the world when they first came."

And it helps provide sustenance today for the MacDonald family.

"We enjoy living on the farm. This is still the best place to raise a family. The bed-and-breakfast, our other activities and the farm income will help ensure that we can watch our kids and grandchildren grow and thrive, from this vantage point. It is a good life."

For more information, contact:

Doug MacDonald
Chipperfield Inn
(306) 378-2767
www.bbcanada.com/chipperfieldinn

Hi-Tech Identification The Way Of The Future For Cattle Producers

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) was in Saskatchewan recently, at Regina’s Canadian Western Agribition, to encourage livestock producers to take advantage of the new radio frequency identification technology (RFID).

As of September 1, 2006, all cattle leaving their herd of origin will need the new CCIA-approved RFID tag.

"This technology represents a significant improvement on the old bar-coded tags used until now," says Megan Gauley, CCIA Communications Co-ordinator. "It was adopted after an international review committee took a look at the system in place, shortly after the first BSE case in 2003. It established that the industry needed to make a move towards an improved electronic means of getting information about our cattle."

The radio frequency tag has a chip in it designed to last the life of the animal. It is only activated when a reader is put near it. The chip emits the information, which is then captured by the reader as a unique identification signal.

"With the bar-coded tag, if there is a scratch or a little manure on it, manual entry is required," explains Gauley. "When that happens, there is a greater chance of mistakes occurring. This way, you get an accurate read every time. Unlike a bar-coded tag, you never need to actually see a number to recognize the animal."

Gauley invites Saskatchewan cattle producers to come on board with the new technology and to take advantage of the resulting value-added advantages, like age verification.

"Age verification is attaching the animal's birth date information to the tag," says Gauley. "Previously, we used dentition. Age verification is now trumping dentition with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). So it provides Canadians with a more accurate birth date. As a producer, you can actually go online to the CCIA website with your PIN number and submit your animals’ birth dates so that, when the tag is read electronically, the information can be used to help you market your cattle."

In fact, she explains, if Japan’s borders open to Canadian beef, accurate age verification will be required. “We know that there have been cattle going into the United States using the age verification data instead of dentition, so having that means you don’t need a vet coming in and doing the dentition part of it prior to shipping to the U.S.A.”

Gauley says some buyers have already indicated that they will pay a premium for age-verified cattle in Canada. And if the Japanese market does open, as it seems will occur, it is likely that country will require a specified age of no more than so many months. If the requirement is for beef from animals under 20 months, they will require that the beef come from animals that have been age-verified on the CCIA database.

Fortunately, Gauley concludes, Canada, as a country, is definitely ahead of the game. “We are moving towards a system that will give us more effective trace-back information. As of now, the U.S.does not have a similar electronic age verification system.”

The Canadian Cattle Identification Program is an industry-initiated and –established trace-back system designed for the containment and eradication of animal disease.

For more information, contact:

Megan Gauley
Communications Co-ordinator
Canadian Cattle Identification Agency
(403) 275-2083
www.canadaid.ca

Crop Production Week Is An Opportunity For A Fresh Start

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

The next edition of Crop Production Week, January 9 to 14 in Saskatoon, will provide many excellent opportunities for growers and industry players to learn what’s new in crops for 2006.

“It is a great chance to get a head start on next year,” says Ray McVicar, Special Crops Provincial Specialist at Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food (SAF). “Crop Production Week and the Western Canadian Crop Production Show are big events for grain producers because, for many, they will set the wheels in motion for the new crop year. What they experience during that time will influence their seeding plans for the coming production cycle.”

Central to this are all the annual general meetings of production associations like the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission; the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers’ Association, whose Pulse Days drew over 1,000 participants last year; the Saskatchewan Seed Growers Association; the Saskatchewan Mustard Development Commission; Canola Days; and the Canaryseed Association of Canada.

The event also attracts the Saskatchewan Herb and Spice Association, the Canadian Wheat Board, the Saskatchewan Ag Grads Association, and the Saskatchewan Fruit Growers Association, a newcomer this year. All these organizations hold meetings in Saskatoon during Crop Production Week.

What is remarkable about Crop Production Week, according to SAF’s Crop Development Specialist Brian Sim, is the fact that the Production Week and Show—taking place simultaneously at the Saskatoon Inn, Heritage Inn and Prairieland Park—are solely dedicated to grain production.

“Crop Production Week and Show are 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,” says Sim.

The highlight of this year’s Crop Production Week will be the Wednesday night Special Session titled “What’s the Future of the Prairie Grain Industry?” with Terry Hildebrandt, Ken Rosaasen, Trenton Baisley, and Dennis Wiebe.

Lyle Simonson is President of Crop Production Saskatchewan Inc. “We invite everyone in the industry to join us for what will likely be a turning point discussion, after one of the worst years in a long time for many producers, with representatives from a range of fields in the business. Together, we will explore what the future holds for all of us.”

To find out more, visit: www.cropweek.com, or contact Kevin Hursh at kevin@hursh.ca.

For more information, contact:

Ray McVicar
Provincial Specialist, Special Crops
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 787-4665

Brian Sim
Crop Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 933-5344

Lyle Simonson
President
Crop Production Saskatchewan Inc.
(306) 553-2307

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