2017 JANUARY FEBRUARY ranch. Frustrated with some outcomes, WINDING CREEK Tom attended a seminar on matching production cycles with grazing cycles and began to make significant improvements to RANCH WINS his operation. After incorporating changes to his winter grazing, watering systems and 2017 ESA power fencing for rotational grazing, Tom completed an Environmental Farm Plan. Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) presented “When the forage and the grass are growing, Tom Thompson and Winding Creek Ranch and the animals are happy… you will be PAGE 2 withthe2017EnvironmentalStewardship profitable and sustainable. My stewardship CLIMATE CHANGES AwardinDecemberattheAnnualGeneral goals are to keep the animals and the Meeting. Each year, ABP recognizes an plants healthy, growing and viable,” said PAGE 3 operation that demonstrates leadership Thompson. PRODUCER VOICES in environmental stewardship – one that contributes to the land while improving When rotationally grazing his animals, Tom PAGE 4-5 productivity and profitability. adheres to the adage of eat half, leave half #FACTSNOTFEAR - sothegrasshasplentyoftimeforrestand BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS Tom Thompson grew up in farming regrowth. Cattle bale graze through the andagriculture,butitwasn’tuntilthe winter months to recycle nutrients back PAGE 6 propertyacrossfromhisparents’land into the soil. Riparian areas and dugouts ECOLOGICAL SERVICES became available in 1984 that he decided arefencedtokeepcattleout,andwater PAGE 7 tobuildacareerandalifeinranching. is pumped to solar powered watering Today,WindingCreekRanchisacowcalf systems. ABP AGM 2016 operation that rotationally grazes 500 RESOLUTIONS acres, with 700 acres of hay crops. “I’moutinthesunshineworkingwithplants PAGE 8 andanimals.Whenyouhaveapassion “Growing up there was something always for something it isn’t really work. You LOYALTY PROGRAM pullingmeintothisdirection…beinga wanttobeouttheredoingagoodjoband PAGE9-11 steward of the land. What sustainability seeing the changes. We’re just caretakers DELEGATE DIRECTORY means to me is, what you’re doing today, here… borrowing this land from the next willthiscarryonforgenerations,”said generation,” said Thompson. Thompson. Watch the 2017 Environmental The West-Central Forage Association Stewardship Award video online at: played a large role in changing the vimeo.com/194756179. focusandmanagementpracticesonthe FOR MORE INFORMATION 165,6815–8StreetNE Calgary,ABCanada T2E 7H7 tel 403.275.4400 fax 403.274.0007 albertabeef.org famoustaste.albertabeef.org 200411_ABP_Grass_Routes_Jan17_2 | Cyan Magenta Yellow Black | 23-Jan-1710:42:28 200411_ABP_Grass_Routes_Jan17.indd 1 2017-01-20 2:24 PM had received good rains to relieve from18premises.Thedisease theextremelydryconditionsfrom investigation has taken a huge thespring.Cattlepriceshad physical, financial, and emotional declinedsharplyfromthepeak toll on these producers and ABP has prices in the spring of 2015, but beentryingtoprovideanysupport BOB LOWE these declines had come from wecantothem.KarinSchmid,our ABP Chair all-timerecordhighs.Priceswere Beef Production Specialist, has still higher than they had been at worked tirelessly in leading our anytimeinthelast25yearsleading efforts and she has a detailed article CLIMATE uptothehugeincreasesthatbegan onthecaselaterinthisnewsletter. in 2014. Underthecloudoflowprices,a CHANGES Then,theraindidnotstop. delayedharvest,andthebTB Producers across the province spent investigation, ABP began our fall As federal and provincial therestofthesummerandfall, producer meetings at the end of governmentsinCanadaarestarting right through to and beyond freeze October with some concerns about to take actions on climate change up, trying to harvest hay and grain attendance and the outlook of the andtheincomingU.S.president crops. Promising crops were farmers and ranchers. Ironically, bringsanewperspectivetothe severely damaged by hail or subject poor harvest weather during the climate change discussion, there is to extensive losses from long meetings contributed to good one conclusive statement about periodsofbeingmaroonedinfields. attendance even though many climate that can be made. The There should be sufficient supplies producersstillhadcropsinthefield. climate of our world is always offeedforcattlethiswinter,butthe Wetookanewapproachtogetting changing, regardless of the cause of cropswerenotnearlyasgoodas producers engaged at the beginning that change. For many of the past theylookedinmid-summer.Weare of the meetings and this exercise years,thesamestatementcanbe also seeing a much tougher winter provided us with valuable input from madeaboutthecattleandbeef already than we had last year. producersabouttheissuesof industry in Alberta. Our industry concern for them and the actions AttheendofSeptember,thelivesof certainly seems to be constantly needed from ABP. facing changes. agroupofproducersin southeastern Alberta were turned We followed the fall meetings with Thechangingnatureofourindustry upsidedownwhentheUSDA our Annual General Meeting where is reflected by the themes of the informed the Canadian Food our delegates elected a new Board past four Alberta Beef Producers InspectionAgencythattheyhada of Directors and established our key (ABP)AnnualReports.Thethemein confirmedcaseofbovine priorities that will guide the 2013 was Overcoming Challenges, tuberculosis (bTB) in a cow that had directionandactivitiesofour whichledtothe2014themeofA been sent to slaughter in the U.S. organization through the inevitable YearofChange.In2015,wetalked BovineTBisafederallyreportable changes of the coming year. I had about Travelling New Trails and last diseaseinCanadaandhasbeen the honour of being reelected as year,thesenewtrailstookusdown subject to a mandatory national Chair of ABP and I will be joined on theSocialLicenseroad.Thisiswhy eradication program since 1923. theExecutivebyVice-ChairRoland we seem to think each December Canada is officially considered to be Cailliau and new Finance Chair Kelly that this has been a crazy year. free of bTB, but isolated cases of the Fraser.Ilookforwardtoworking Time will tell whether 2016 was a disease do occur and do not affect withthedirectors,delegates,and particularly crazy year or just one thisTB-freestatusunlessthereis staffofABPaswepursueour more in a series of disruptive times another case confirmed within 48 commitmenttobeastrongand for our industry. months. effectivevoiceforthecattleand beef producers of Alberta. I hope Atthetimeofthehighlysuccessful ThedetectionofbTBinaCanadian that all producers enjoy a productive inaugural Canadian Beef Industry cow has not affected our export and profitable year in 2017. ConferencelastAugust,weseemed markets,prices,orcattleandbeef tohavefoughtthroughtheearly supplies in a significant way. challengesoftheyear.The However, the bTB case has been PAGE 2 devastating Fort McMurray wildfire absolutely devastating for the was under control, Earls restaurants producersaffectedbythedisease had resumed selling Canadian beef investigation. A large number of in their Alberta and Saskatchewan herdshavebeenplacedunder establishments, and most quarantineandwhatisdeemedto agricultural areas of the province be the infected herd includes cattle GRASS ROUTES 200411_ABP_Grass_Routes_Jan17_2 | Cyan Magenta Yellow Black | 23-Jan-1710:42:28 200411_ABP_Grass_Routes_Jan17.indd 2 2017-01-19 3:57 PM check-off funds have been invested examples of actions that could and the returns they are receiving adversely affect our competitiveness. from this investment. However, the Therewasstrongrecognitionofthe most important parts of these importance of enhanced export meetings are hearing the concerns market access, an issue made RICH SMITH andissuesthataretroubling particularly pertinent by the results Executive Director producers and getting direction from oftheU.S.presidentialelection.We producers about the priorities for also heard concerns about farm and ABPinthecomingyear.Recognizing ranch succession and the financial PRODUCER theimportanceofactuallygetting challengesfacingyoungproducers input from the producers attending tryingtogetintotheindustry. the meetings and acting on the VOICES Theseconcernsandissueswillbe advice of our governance coach, we reflected in the objectives we set this revised the format of our fall Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) prides year, beyond the suggestion from meetings to create the opportunity itself on being an organization of one producer that ABP will be doing formoredirectinvolvementof producers, run by producers, just fine if we just control the producers. speaking and working on behalf of weather, prices and the government. producers. The organization was Atthebeginningofeachmeeting,we Wewillbeaddressingconsumer originally created with the intention introduced an exercise designed to perceptions and trends in our of providing a united single voice for increase the engagement and marketing, communications, and thecattleandbeefproducersof participation of the producers issues management activities. ABP Alberta.Forty-sevenyearslater,our attending the meeting. This exercise will continue to increase our vision still reflects our continued was managed a little differently at government relations efforts to commitmenttobeingastrongand eachofthemeetingsIattended,but ensure that the interests of clear voice for producers contributing it always generated a high level of producers are reflected in legislation to a vigorous and profitable beef interestandactivediscussiononthe and policies. We will support and industry. issues and priorities.