The New Path to Farming Mark Bernard Sees His Future Beyond Old Crops PG

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SMA 001532 Pub.Country Guide Size 2x2 Issue July/Aug2015 Art Director: sd/ Copywriter: ms PeerAccount t Executive:o P wt Date:eer 07/01/15 These farmers connect across borders PG. 24

The new path to farming Mark bernard sees his future beyond old crops PG. 12 C Rops Guide Top innovations at COFS 2015 New for your soys next spring Mike Cowbrough: Our worst weeds

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SMA 001532 Pub.Country Guide Size 8.125x10.75 Issue Nov. 2015 Art Director: sd/ Copywriter: ms Account Executive: wt Date: 10/2/15 Contents november 2015

BUSINESS

8 the right price A “battleground year” lies ahead, says market adviser Errol Anderson. But there will be profitable prices for good marketers.

20 full classes Agriculture is the hot new program on campus, with booming enrolments and a surge in corporate funding.

24 Sometimes the best advice… These farmers cross borders to meet farmers with similar operations, seeking fresh insights and new opportunities.

29 Peer groups Peer groups aren’t new to industry, we learn in this month’s AME Management column. But they are new on more farms.

30 Weather Derivatives At last, these new risk-management contracts are getting easier to price and evaluate.

32 better employees Giving your employees training opportunities really can be good for your farm, in both the short and long term

46 home on the range Sure, you’re tough. But could you ranch on this almost forgotten corner of southwestern Saskatchewan? 54 behind closed doors PG . 12 The New Way into farming New Holland takes machinery editor Scott Garvey on an eye-opening tour of the secure Pennsylvania R&D lab. We looked at the lists of college and university award winners from a decade ago to whether 58 Guide HR — A simple way to get more done The secret, says work psychologist Pierrette Desrosiers, is that the they’re succeeding at establishing their more limits you put on your schedule, the more you will achieve. farms. What we found surprised us. 61 he knows the weather Meet our Larry Romaniuk, Country Guide’s long-range farm weather forecaster.

62 guide life — About the Neighbours Guide field editor Lisa Guenther based her acclaimed new novel CROPSUIDE G in her own rural community. How good an idea was that?

35 highlights of cofs 2015 Among the myriad innovations at this year’s show, these made EVERYSSUE I an extra impression on production editor Ralph Pearce. 40 a big step for small grains New market opportunities will come with research and advocacy. 6 machinery GUIDE Fendt’s Vario 500 tractors finally arrive in Canada. 42 new in food-grade and edible beans These new varieties are coming on stream in time for some 64 GUIDE HEALTH contract food-grade and edible bean production in 2016 Arthritis may seem inevitable, but here are strategies that help. 66 HANSON ACRES 44 PEST PATROL If birthday cake tastes so great outdoors, so why not bring Which are our most common weeds? Well, quackgrass no longer the outdoors into the kitchen? The Hansons find out… again. makes the list, Mike Cowbrough says. But fleabane is climbing.

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EDITORIAL STAFF Editor: Tom Button 12827 Klondyke Line, Ridgetown, ON N0P 2C0 (519) 674-1449 Fax (519) 674-5229 Email: [email protected] Associate Editors: Maggie Van Camp (905) 986-5342 Fax (905) 986-9991 Email: [email protected] Gord Gilmour (204) 453-7624 Cell: (204) 294-9195 Fax (204) 942-8463 Email: [email protected] Production Editor: Ralph Pearce (226) 448-4351 Email: [email protected] ADVERTISING SALES Sales Director: Cory Bourdeaud’hui (204) 954-1414 Fax: (204) 944-5562 Email: [email protected] Lillie Ann Morris (905) 838-2826 Email: [email protected] Kevin Yaworsky (250) 869-5326 Email: [email protected] Tom Button is editor of Country Guide magazine Head Office: 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 (204) 944-5765 Fax (204) 944-5562 Advertising Services Co-ordinator: Arlene Bomback (204) 944-5765 Fax (204) 944-5562 Email: [email protected] It wasn’t my best week Designer: Jenelle Jensen Publisher: Lynda Tityk Email: [email protected] I had been invited to speak to some I raise this because of the respect I have Associate Publisher: John Morriss accountants and lawyers who work for the brainpower and training of the Email: [email protected] Editorial Director: Laura Rance largely in agricultural practices, and while people who make up our Ag Ec Depart- Email: [email protected] it was clear we wouldn’t agree on every- ments, and because I have such faith in the Production Director: Shawna Gibson thing, I thought we’d share support for value of the work that they would do if Email: [email protected] Circulation Manager: Heather Anderson one theme that I’ve been banging away at they could find the funding to free them- Email: [email protected] for as long as I’ve held this position. selves from their reliance on trade and President: Bob Willcox I showed them a list. I’ll show it to you policy analysis. Glacier FarmMedia Email: [email protected] too. It’s a list I put together with Country Clearly, when they have the opportu- Contents of this publication are copyrighted and may be uide G writers and some farmers who are nity, their thinking here is eye opening, reproduced only with the permission of the editor. Country very plugged in. empowering and invigorating. Guide, incorporating the Nor’West Farmer and Farm & Home, is published by Farm Business Communications. Head office: The list could easily be longer, but I also say it because, as you know, I Winnipeg, Manitoba. Printed by Transcontinental LGMC. includes: also believe the real power driving agricul- Country Guide is published 13 times per year by Farm Business Communications. Subscription rates in Canada — Farmer • David Kohl at Virginia Tech ture is the individual farmer, making deci- $41 for one year, $61 for 2 years, $87 for 3 years. 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Single copies: $3.50. including their FarmDoc newsletters tioned didn’t get far, though, and pre- Publications Mail Agreement Number 40069240. • Mike Duffy and William Edwards of dictably, one audience member thought We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Iowa State with their Ask an Economist he had to educate me on the differences Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. • Danny Klinefelter at Texas A&M between our universities as if that would Canadian Postmaster: Return undeliverable Canadian • Chris Hurt at Purdue explain why we can fund weed science addresses (covers only) to: Circulation Dept., PO Box 9800, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3K7. • Frayne Olson at North Dakota State and soil science, but not farm manage- U.S. Postmaster: Send address changes and undeliver- Likely, you have heard some of these ment. As I say, it wasn’t my best week. able addresses (covers only) to: Circulation Dept., PO Box 9800, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3K7. names, but I encourage you to Google But take my challenge. Go to those Subscription inquiries: them all and roam their websites. websites, especially if you’re a mid-career Call toll-free 1-800-665-1362 These are American ag economists in or young farmer. or email: [email protected] the U.S. land-grant-based university sys- I promise to move on to other topics. U.S. subscribers call 1-204-944-5766 Country Guide is printed with linseed oil-based inks tem who research and write about solu- In today’s agriculture, there’s no end of PRINTED IN CANADA tions to the real challenges facing their things to write about. But I admit I hold Vol. 134 No. 12 Internet address: www.agcanada.com farmers, and strategies for seizing new on to the hope that we could spend a ISSN 1915-8491 opportunities. Much of their thinking sliver more for research and extension on The editors and journalists who write, contribute and provide opinions to applies north of the border too, and even farm business management the way we Country Guide and Farm Business Communications attempt to provide accurate and useful opinions, information and analysis. However, the when it might not, it is good for spurring fund farm production. Have I been on editors, journalists, Country Guide and Farm Business Communications, some interesting thinking of our own. the right path? After you check out their cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the editors as well as Country Guide and Farm Now, show me your Canadian list. 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ALWAYS FOLLOW IRM, GRAIN MARKETING AND ALL OTHER STEWARDSHIP AND PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Details of these requirements can be found in the Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers printed in this publication ©2015 Monsanto Canada, Inc. Machinery By Scott Garvey, CG Machinery Editor Fendt 500 Vario tractors finally arrive in Canada These long-awaited compact models are meant to appeal to mixed farming operations

t was September 27, 2012, in Marktoberdorf, still a minor player in the Canadian and U.S. mar- Germany when executives at AGCO’s Fendt ket. Nevertheless, their North American marketing brand gave the world its first official look at their rep said the company saw potential to grow the all-new tractor series, the 500 Vario, which offered brand here. The 500 Varios, we three North Ameri- bigger-than-expected horsepower crammed into can writers were told, would play a key role in that a small chassis. During the official launch ceremony expansion, just not right away. a band played as the door at the end of the factory Before the 500s could land on Canadian and U.S. assembly line opened and a 516 Vario model drove shores, engineers had more work to do. Basically, out into the centre of an applauding, admiring crowd. a second version of the tractors had to be designed That ceremony was blended with the grand and built to meet North American engineering stan- opening of Fendt’s updated and expanded tractor dards, which are significantly different than those in assembly plant in that small Bavarian city. The new Europe. And that would take a bit of time. plant provided the capacity to boost production Fast-forward to August of this year and AGCO used levels from about 14,000 tractors per year to around the U.S. Farm Progress Show in Illinois as the venue to 21,000, which surpassed the then-existing level of finally announce the arrival of the four-model, 125- to demand and gave the company room to grow pro- 165-horsepower 500s in North America. duction to meet potential future sales volumes. So was this year’s North American introduction It was the height of the commodity price boom, a case of better late than never, or was it impecca- so things were still looking pretty rosy in the new ble timing? Given that competing brands have been equipment market. busy introducing similar tractors with compact The CargoProfi It meant company executives had a lot to talk chassis and ample horsepower, all designed to cash loader designed about that day with their invited guests, which in on the strong, specific demands of mixed farm- for the 500 Vario included several members of the farm media. Most of ing operations, you could argue the latter. line offers the those guests and reporters were from Europe, where Tractors like that which offer higher horsepower kind of high-end the 500 Vario tractors were about to start landing on in a manoeuvrable, compact package and bring sophistication dealer lots, and there were only three of us who rep- down high-end features from their more powerful you’d expect from resented North American ag publications. brothers have been the showpieces at manufacturers’ AGCO’s premium We were there at AGCO’s invitation, but execu- product launches all summer. That is exactly what tractor brand. tives acknowledged that the Fendt brand was then the 500 Series is: high-spec models whose horse- O The 500 Vario tractors offer higher horsepower in a C AG

smaller chassis to make them more manoeuvrable hy: p around the farmyard but still powerful enough to do some field chores. Photogra

6 country-guide.ca n ovember 2015 power range overlaps that of the larger- framed 700 Series. “The Fendt 500 is versatile enough for a wide range of applications work, from light chores to field work,” said Josh Kee- ney, AGCO Fendt tactical marketing manager, in a press release. “It’s an efficient tractor that provides unrivalled competitive advantages from a tractor of its size.” Fendt is AGCO’s premium tractor brand, offering high-end features. So not surprisingly the CargoProfi loaders built to bolt onto the 500 Series are high end too, including features like hydraulic lift-height pre-set controls that allow the operator to bring the bucket up to a pre-set position When this 516 Vario drove out the factory door behind it, it signalled the introduction of the 500 with the push of a button. And the loader Vario Series in Europe. The Canada and U.S. launch had to wait until the tractors underwent a has a built-in load-sensing feature, giving homologation process to meet North American engineering standards. Photo: Scott Garvey the operator a readout of the amount of weight in the bucket. That could be handy dard pneumatic self-levelling suspension tractor options through the main 125- to if you are mixing feed rations. The loader to smoothe out the ride. Brand literature 390-horsepower range, but it still lacks functions are integrated into the tractor’s calls the cab interior “spacious” and “rev- a competitor in the high-horsepower Varioterminal monitor. olutionary.” That last description may be category. However, the 500-horsepower Inside the VisioPlus cab operators a bit over the top, but the cab is nice. 1000 Series introduced in Germany last get a pretty comfortable work environ- Now with the addition of the 500 year is expected to eventually arrive here ment. The cab itself comes with a stan- Vario Series, the other green brand offers as well and fill that gap. CG

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Read the Klosler family’s giving story www.uoguelph.ca/oac/klosler-story november 2015 c ountry-guide.ca 7 b u s i n e s s the right price A ‘battleground year’ is how analyst Errol Anderson sees 2016. Prices will be profitable… sometimes… but success will only come to producers who rein in their emotions

By Gord Gilmour, CG Associate Editor

t isn’t only agriculture. China has become the world’s largest market for an incredibly long list of commodities. Consider the manufacturing industry, for example, where the Chinese generate roughly half of global demand — they use 54 per cent of global aluminum production, 50 per cent of nickel, 48 per cent of copper and 46 per cent of steel. It’s no wonder that 2015 has become the year COUNTRY GUIDE: Tell us a bit of China, with the whole world watching its finan- about the personality of the cial upheavals, stock market corrections and other market right now. What do farmers gyrations. As China ratchets its growth down, the result has need to understand in order to make been lower demand and the emergence of a multi- a marketing plan that works? sectoral bear market in commodities. Global grain is no exception, says market analyst Errol Anderson: Key trade and economic Errol Anderson. Chinese buyers might represent a wars are beginning to develop. There’s a global smaller market share in these commodities — they’re vegetable oil war going on between soy and palm roughly 20 per cent of global wheat demand, for oil exporters battling for market share, there’s a example — but they’re still significant enough to wheat price war going on between the U.S. and knock demand down another notch within a market Russia as they battle for market share, and likewise that is already struggling with supply. there’s a battle for market share among oil pro- This is a sea change after a number of years of ducers. All this is combining to produce a strong buoyant demand from growing economies and the undertow for all commodities, which really means imposition of ethanol mandates for vehicle fuels. we have to keep price expectations in check. That was a secular bull market. This is a secular On top of these trade skirmishes, there is also a bear, working its way through the excesses of the global currency war ongoing right now. Central bankers bull. That process always takes some time, and the continue their rush to print money in an effort to devalue farmer who understands the reality of where the their currencies and make their economies and exports market cycle is will be better positioned to grab prof- more competitive globally. It’s actually a battle for the itable pricing opportunities when they appear, which bottom. Who can devalue their currency the most? they always do. Demand is everything right now, and it’s not On the other hand, Anderson warns, the farmer strong. I really think that 2016 is shaping up to who hangs on expecting the bull to come roaring be a battleground year. That’s going to keep com- back may be disappointed, hanging on and hoping modities of all types, including grains, under a lot for better prices that never come, and in the end sell- of price pressure. ing for less than if they’d had a plan and stuck to it. Continued on page 10

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Continued from page 8 for prices to recover to past levels may prematurely. This decision choked economic be self-defeating. You can really see this recovery, prolonging the Depression until CG: More than once I’ve heard occur in any market. It’s a common error the outbreak of the Second World War. you say that falling markets are whether it’s a real estate investor or a grain Right now there really is little inflationary producer, and one you can’t afford to pressure, but increasing deflation risks. more predictable than rising make in the current global environment. Central bankers really fear deflation markets — now that we’re in because they can’t combat it. Consumers CG: Why do market cycles reinforce it by delaying purchases. This can one, what should we expect? always repeat? Where are become a deflationary spiral because it feeds EA: That’s really going to be the on itself forcing prices to drop — a self- key thing for farmers to get their heads we globally in terms of fulfilling prophecy. around right now. the markets? What are the Right now, we have a lot of unused The plain truth is that bear markets knowns and unknowns? capacity in electronic manufacturing. And always last longer than bulls. Bull mar- the price of consumer electronics is drop- kets charge ahead, but you can’t really EA: Market cycles always repeat ping globally. In fact, the cost of an Apple predict where the peak is going to be — because markets are simply made up of iPhone, for example, may actually drop most times you only recognize the peak people and their emotions. As a result, over the next year as global competition once it’s past, and when it is past, it can they are somewhat predictable. We are heats up from Asia. pass quickly and prices can move down all human, and markets reflect emotions For a farm in Canada, inputs are even quicker. A bear market, on the other that swing between fear and greed. This is impacted by supply and demand and the hand, lasts on average twice as long as a natural, but it must be respected. value of the Canadian dollar. It’s possible bull, and you can see the bottom. Prices When markets experience a sudden some input prices may decline as a result typically head down to where they origi- setback, the greed that contributed to the of these deflationary pressures, but we nally came from. You can see this on the market rise is quickly replaced by hope may also need the added push of a gain charts. It goes down and trades sideways that prices will recover. Then, as prices in the loonie. for weeks, at times for months. continue their descent, these emotions That’s where we’re at right now. are replaced by fear. And if the drop con- CG: You’ve said you Commodity prices in general are going tinues, panic selling can set in, driving think market volatility, to trade sideways to lower for much of prices even lower. 2016 — but I don’t want to say there This is natural, but you don’t want to especially in a down market, won’t be opportunities to price grain get caught up in it. These emotional mar- is a good thing. Why is that? profitably. There will be, there always ket swings directly impact the profitabil- are, even in bear markets. But for a ity and success of a business. And 2016 EA: That’s where you find profitable farmer the important thing is going to will already be challenging enough in all pricing opportunities in these sort of mar- be to understand that we’re in a bear markets, including global grains. kets. Farmers often fear volatility, and find market. Commodity prices can occasion- When assessing commodity markets, it stressful, when really they should be ally break higher, but those opportunities we really need to understand what’s affect- embracing it. Without periods of market will be fleeting. Farm marketers need to ing economies globally. In a very real way, volatility, they wouldn’t likely have many be ready to move when the opportunities we’re still working through the after-effects opportunities to price grain profitably. But present themselves. If they’re not, profit- of the global financial crisis of 2008. At it needs a trigger of some sort — weather able pricing may be missed. the time it was said that we were poten- or political unrest, for example — that In this new economic environment, tially facing another Depression. But cen- causes buyers to become concerned about believing that bear markets are simply tem- tral banks really pulled out all the stops supply and speculators to buy the market. porary and that higher prices will reas- with tools like quantitative easing, which is This can lead to sharply higher prices but sert themselves takes on a much higher money printing and lowering interest rates often with a short shelf life. degree of risk for the grower. Prices will in an attempt to kick-start inflation and Without volatility, commodity prices not be as responsive as global markets the economy. would just trade sideways, potentially work through these economic issues. There These strategies served to kick the can at unprofitable levels for long periods of will be short-term opportunities — like the down the road. But we’re simply not out time. So when price volatility heats up, weather market we saw in early summer of the woods yet, and I really don’t think farmers should embrace it and plan for it. when farmers and traders were concerned we’re going to see the Federal Reserve They should understand what their cost about drought. But these events are oppor- increasing U.S. interest rates for the fore- of production is, and have a price that tunities to price profits. Production was an seeable future. There’s simply too much they’ll execute on. Doing this will take a unknown making cash contracting a risky market contagion risk for the Fed to fol- lot of the emotion out of their marketing business. But there are market tools out low through on raising rates — though it’s decisions. And a plan supports their prof- there like put options that don’t expose made the wrong decision in the past, so itability and future goals for their farm you to delivery commitments. The key anything is possible. business. If price volatility is high, this heading forward is for the grower to be What markets are going through right can generate some attractive profits, par- ready to move on rebounds and profitable now is eerily similar to 1937, and students ticularly during heated weather markets pricing opportunities. of economic history can tell you that was a when prices often surge well above their Remaining paralyzed while you wait very significant year when rates were hiked true economic value.

10 country-guide.ca n ovember 2015 b u s i n e s s

CG: In this sort of environment, CG: You’ve always told me there’s a difference what are some of the common marketing between being a farm speculator and a farm mistakes producers make? business manager who’s pursuing defined goals.

EA: There’s a handful of common errors that any marketer EA: The most important thing to understand is we have should do their best to avoid and to not fall prey to. both a speculative and a business side to all of us. It’s just a mat- There’s seeking the highest price possible, which is an ter of the degree. It can be really easy to unknowingly blur the admirable goal but highly unrealistic. What’s much more lines between the two. We can all get carried away by the emo- likely to happen is they’ll hold their grain too long, miss the tion of it all — getting too excited, trying to hit a market peak or peak, and ultimately sell into a falling market. Often the price even increasing business risk by scaling in unneeded long futures achieved here is less than if they had sold following their mar- positions while the grain remains unpriced. keting plan. Let’s take canola for example. The cash market The things that can really get you into trouble are the lack of through the early fall was hovering around $10 per bushel, a plan, and the inability to price in a rallying market. This can and an efficient producer might have a cost of production of lead to lost opportunity and lost profits. In 2016 we’re going to $7 a bushel — there’s profit there. Within the last couple of be looking for a weather market — something that causes the years, canola bids have been as high as $14 per bushel. But bear cycle to break. A good farm marketer understands weather holding out for higher bids later in the crop year is always a markets are often a temporary boost. And during this cycle of gamble. Given the turndown in economies, chances of canola lower global commodity prices, it’s important to be ready to act rallying toward past heights are slim at best. The best decision when the opportunity allows a cash price to achieve a pricing may be to lock that profit. target. There’s also the thinking that if farmers don’t get the price On the flip side, a farm speculator tends to watch prices in they want, grain should just be stored. This strategy just works the attempt to hit the peak. The risk there is you can become once in a while, but the truth is, it could be a long wait. There’s mesmerized by the market and the daily swings. You’ll watch lost opportunity cost not getting needed cash flow, as well as risk markets almost obsessively, waiting for the right price to con- of theft and spoilage. They’re assuming a lot of non-price risk by vince yourself to let the crop go, but then fail to act. Without a storing grain. And in my mind, they should be planning to mar- plan and the discipline to execute it, it’s really easy to become a ket their grain in the same crop year they harvest it. speculator without knowing it. Another error may be assuming the market owes you a A lot of people have this image of a speculator as a wheeler- higher price because you got it before. But the truth is, markets dealer when in reality it can be all of us, if we’re not careful. today are about what the buyer is willing to pay. In the com- Here’s a warning sign. If you price a crop profitably, and the modity world, we are now in a demand-driven price structure. market then goes higher, do you obsess about the money “lost,” And what you sold for last year is meaningless. rather than acknowledge your plan worked and grain was con- During lean times, good managers and marketers distinguish sistently priced profitably? In reality, a rallying market is an themselves. Marketers who can take emotion out of the decision- opportunity to look toward pricing new crop production. This making process and conduct business in a clear-eyed fashion set offers just another solid business opportunity. It’s all about how themselves up for success, especially when conditions improve. you look at markets, and your ability to handle emotion. CG

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farming careers, Bernard and Bouw shared with By Maggie Van Camp, CG Associate Editor Country Guide how their farms have changed through those years, and how their education prepared them — or didn’t prepare them — for the past decade ago, a fresh-faced group of gradu- decade, as well as their hopes for the future. ates jumped into a grain industry beaten At 23, Mark Bernard knew he wanted to take down by prices and Prairie drought, and over the family farm so he went to Nova Scotia a livestock industry ravaged by the bovine Agricultural College, now Dalhousie faculty of agri- spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) debacle. culture. He had already taken a business course at a It was hardly the best of times. By the end of 2004, community college and had worked on and off his a year and a half after the BSE crisis began, Canadian family’s farm for a few years. beef producers had already lost $5.3 billion, and with He was a good student, and in 2006, Mark not slaughter prices still trading far below their May 2003 only earned a diploma in agricultural business and levels, many were openly asking if financial health plant science, but at graduation he won the FCC would ever return to the sector. Farm Business Planning award too. Meanwhile, corn prices had stagnated below $2 For one of his class projects, Mark had written a per bushel, and realized net income on Canada’s farms theoretical business plan to convert his family’s con- seemed to fall month after month. ventional potato farm to an organic grain and oilseed Nor was that the only tough news. Consum- operation that would sell its crops to organic dairy ers had started questioning conventional farming farmers in the Maritimes. methods too. Genetically modified crops were in When his dad, Wendell, studied Mark’s numbers newspaper headlines, and organic had evolved from back on the farm at Freetown, a half-hour west of a fringe fad into an established market with presence Charlottetown, he suddenly saw the possibility of a in mainstream grocery stores. future for his son taking over the farm. A few years later, California voters overwhelmingly Until then, the prospects had seemed daunting. passed Proposition 2, a ballot that said egg-laying hens The Bernards had been successful table and seed had to be able to stand up, lie down, turn around and stock potatoes growers, but the spread of potato fully extend their wings. It was the beginning of the virus Y (PVYn) and potato wart disease had dis- war on traditional livestock production techniques. rupted exports and put the brakes on the expansion Perhaps the biggest wonder is that in the classrooms of processing in the Maritimes. of Canada’s agriculture colleges, some of the top stu- In short, their markets had been pummelled, and dents still wanted to farm. But they did. So they did when Mark enrolled at school, the family rented out what any smart business person would do; they looked their 550 acres. for viable alternatives and applied their formidable Soon after seeing Mark’s business plan, Wendell brainpower and passion to that goal. started converting 50 acres to organic through the Two of those top graduates were Mark Bernard three-year certification process. By Mark’s graduation from P.E.I. and Jonathan Bouw from Manitoba. They it was already in organic production and by 2010 the had gone to college as mature students to pursue a farm was fully certified. Now they maintain a five-year career in farming, and somehow they made it work. rotation of wheat, soybeans, barley seeded with field Today both are farming… unconventionally. peas, and oats — all 100 per cent organic. As they approach the 10th anniversaries of their “I had a blank slate to come home to,” says Mark.

12 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 b u s i n e s s

“There are lots of opportunities for growth,” Bernard says. “You just have to see them.”

It was a good thing his plans were written on that slate in chalk, however, because the 10 years since have seen a continual process of change — and small growth. “My dad allowed the farm to take a new direction,” says Mark. “You see other farms with 80- or 90-year-olds trying to control everything and it’s a rough road to keep going on.” Since the farm was already incorpo- rated and involved only one successor, the transition between generations was a simple valuation, share freeze and buyout. Sticking with the direction he had out- lined in his class project, Mark’s original business plan had been to sell to organic dairies that had been proposed for in the Maritimes, but when they didn’t material- ize, he wasn’t able to direct market everything right away. Instead a nearby organic hog farm became a significant customer until its production contract was not reas- signed. Once again Mark was forced to diversify — this time by putting the grain through chickens on the home farm. Today, Bernard’s farm, Barnyard Organics, has 100 customer/sharehold- ers of a meat and egg CSA (community- supported agriculture) enterprise. Every Tuesday through the summer and fall, the Bernards pair up with a vegetable grower and a baker to meet their CSA customers in a church parking lot. This marketing route frees them from spending long hours at farmers’ markets and generates improved cash flow as pay- ments for shares are collected in the spring. Also, it helps them build relationships with stable customers, and has

Continued on page 16 Photography: Buffie Boily Photographic Arts

November 2015 c ountry-guide.ca 13 B:16.75” T:16.25” S:15.125”

#neverstopgrowing B:11.25” T:10.75” S:10”

For over 55 years we’ve helped the Doerksens grow crops. Turns out, we also helped grow them.

From the moment Martin broke ground next to his father’s farm to the day Martin’s son Bryan decided that he too would become a farmer, we’ve been fortunate to play a part in the growth of the Doerksens as farmers and as a family. ®, SM, TM Trademarks and service marks of DuPont, Pioneer or their respective owners. © 2015 PHII.

02-41552-DUPBRE-DOERS-DPS-CG-E-SWOP.indd 1 9/21/15 9:51 AM

FS:7.4625” FS:7.4625” F:8.125” F:8.125”

OGILVY PUB: None AD #: DUPBRE-Doers-DPS-CG-E ATE: Sept 18/15 OP: CSR: PRINT PRODUCTION CONTACT: FORMAT: DPS FILE: 02-41552-DUPBRE-DOERS-DPS-CG-E-SWOP.indd BC None David Scanlon TRIM: 16.25” x 10.75” CLIENT: Pioneer East PASS: SERVICE TYPE: LIGHT Delivery/Technical Support: (416) 945-2388 JOB #: S.DUP.DUPBRE.15035.K.011 1 B:16.75” T:16.25” S:15.125”

#neverstopgrowing B:11.25” T:10.75” S:10”

For over 55 years we’ve helped the Doerksens grow crops. Turns out, we also helped grow them.

02-41552-DUPBRE-DOERS-DPS-CG-E-SWOP.indd 1 9/21/15 9:51 AM

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Continued from page 13 vincially inspected slaughterhouse on their farm. Then they can kill as many as they need, when they opened links to other markets, such as selling grain need them for the fresh market. to the baker. In retrospect, Mark wishes the courses he took at They sell organic chicken and hog feed, and university had covered more about marketing and organic roasted soybeans, and Mark is continually human resources. “I wish I had more confidence trying to encourage new farmers and to help them with employees,” he says. make it work economically. On the other hand, the weed management class In effect, Mark is trying to help develop an he took at university has helped him immensely with organic local food industry within his area. organic crop production. He learned weed identifi- Since graduating, he has watched the shrinking cation, and the professor at the time included cul- number of farmers with dismay. “Bigger acreages, tural practices as well as chemical controls. bigger equipment. But we need better ideas, better Mark wonders if more work experience at farmers and better food in general… And to do this college, like the research work he assisted with, we need more players, not less,” says Bernard. would help other graduates. It would give By continually asking questions, Mark and his students more experience in different industries, wife, Sally (also a graduate of the class of ’06) have sectors and commodities. found opportunities where others would see road- In his opinion, one of the most significant blocks. For example, after being selected as Atlantic changes since he graduated has been the introduc- Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers in 2012, Mark tion of global positioning systems, becoming stan- was misquoted in a newspaper article as selling feed. dard equipment a few years later. When CFIA inspectors popped in to check out However, he doesn’t believe technology is always their phantom feed mill, instead of getting angry, good, especially when his customers are paying Mark asked the inspectors about the processes to a premium to stay away from it. “GMOs are an be able to make their own feed. This led to them unneeded technology,” he says. “If we have time, investing in the feed mill that now supplies organic grow cover crops and use proper rotation, we can feed throughout the Maritimes, using all their grain grow crops without it. It’s just another tool in the and sometimes even buying in a little extra. tool box but many farmers are using it as the only Between 2006 and 2012, sales of organic prod- tool, they’re reliant on that only tool.” ucts in Canada increased from $1 billion to $3 Sally and Mark have four children, and they are billion. There are lots of opportunities for growth, encouraging them to become involved in agriculture. Mark says. You just have to see them, start small, You get to be your own boss, with many job titles and be willing to put in the work. in a day and produce quality food for people, Mark For example, to enable timely and quality pro- says. “Farming is the best job in the world. It’s so cessing of their chickens they set up their own pro- diverse, so free, so satisfying.”

Raised as a conventional farmer, Bernard credits the switch to organic grains for restoring the family’s optimism.

16 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 b u s i n e s s hy “ Embrace change,” Bouw advises. p “Talk to the disconnected urban ke Photogra consumers. Tell your story.” c homas Fri T hy: hy: p Photogra

Back then, the farm consisted mostly Along the way, they refinanced, mov- Natural beef of a struggling traditional beef feed- ing some long-term debt from their ith an enthusiasm mixed with lot. Today, Jonathan, his brother Ste- line of credit to a mortgage. They also resolve, Jonathan Bouw talks fan and father Herman graze 150 shopped around for their mortgage and Wabout farming since he gradu- purebred Angus cows and 300 ewes on switched lending institutions to a credit ated a decade ago: “The ethanol boom 1,700 acres, and also harvest 80 acres union. The local credit union loans man- went bust. They promised $7 corn forever of organic grain. Going forward they’ll ager knew they always paid their bills, and now it is less than half of that. The BSE continue to retain heifers and expand the looked at more than their three-year his- crisis took out a generation of cow-calf pro- purebred herd to 250 cows. tory and understood their business plan ducers. Many of the older guys retired or In 2009 Jonathan’s brother Stefan joined was financially cautious, even though it went bankrupt. Their sons went off to the the farm permanently and they incorpo- involved untraditional farming methods. oilfield and are not coming back.” rated the farm to facilitate succession from The Bouws are leveraging the trend In 2005, Bouw graduated at the top their parents. Jonathan says the biggest suc- toward consumer involvement in their of the agricultural diploma class at Uni- cession challenge was to define roles and food that Jonathan has watched acceler- versity of Manitoba. Even at that time, responsibilities, and it was also important ate in the last decade. “The grassroots the job postings outnumbered the 50 to learn how to make group decisions for groundswell of folks looking for local, graduates from the program. Although some of the bigger choices by including his organic and sustainable has changed the Bouw was invited to take an MBA at wife Eileen and sister-in-law Kendra. most in agriculture,” says Jonathan. Asper School of Business, he declined in For the first few years in this post-BSE Today, he sees even more growth favour of coming back to work on the era, it was tough sledding: It helped that ahead, with consumers becoming more family farm a half-hour east of Winnipeg his mother, Marilyn, worked an off-farm aware of how their food is produced at Anola, Man. He had already earned a job as a teacher, and that interest rates and putting more value on it as an bachelor of arts at Bible college with the stayed low, helping them survive the BSE opportunity. original intention of teaching, but the crisis. “We swallowed a lot of equity,” land called. Jonathan says. Continued on page 18

November 2015 c ountry-guide.ca 17 b u s i n e s s

Even if beef prices retreat, Bouw expects his market approach will maintain his margins.

Continued from page 17 Becoming part of the Manitoba grass-fed beef association and learning about holistic management Other than purebred sales, 15 to 20 head a year has been transformative for Jonathan. He describes are sold for direct sales of natural grass-fed beef sold their farm as a growing forage-adaptive Angus enter- as quarter-dressed carcasses. They are grazed for six- prise, an increasingly successful organic cropping plus months of the year and raised without hormones enterprise, a challenging yet profitable sheep enter- or antibiotics. No grain is used to finish in their feed- prise and a sold-out grass-fed beef enterprise. lot, just second-cut hay and alfalfa/grass silage. The greatest thing Bouw learned in his post- Right now, their beef is cheaper than retail, but secondary education is that curiosity and love of when livestock markets and grocery store prices go learning can bring success wherever you go. Over down Jonathan is counting on his margins staying the years, he has continually used his research and positive. “When commercial beef prices drop, we learning techniques, marketing and people skills. hope they (his customers) will stick with us,” he says. “Things change so fast, and there’s so much infor- They’re already testing their customers’ resilience mation to sort through, so make sure you see evi- this year by moving from February calving to May, dence on the ground before believing a salesman which caused a waiting list for quarters of beef. In or a study,” he says. “Keep learning and reading so the longer term, Bouw is excited about the oppor- you’re a lifelong learner.” tunities for continuing to develop and sell breeding Looking back, Jonathan wishes he had been stock that is pasture hardy and will finish easily taught more business and financial know-how, on grass. He feels this will better meet the need for including things like cost-of-production analysis, or farmers with off-farm jobs or new-entrant farmers. how to use debt successfully to build a business. In If you buy hardy cattle you can pasture and buy retrospect, it would have helped if he had learned up hay for 50 to 100 cows with one skid steer or a front how to better market his own products instead loader tractor, Jonathan says. “Cattle prices are of allowing middlemen to profit when they were encouraging now, but the industry will require low- barely breaking even. cost producers to stay in the long haul. Plus low-cost From his worn tractor seat, he thinks the produc- production models allow new people to get into it.” tion lessons should include the importance of soil health They started into the purebred business back in 2000 beyond macronutrient balance and how grassland agri- when Stefan started keeping some heifers back for 4-H culture can regenerate soils and reverse erosion. “Think and bought a few Angus, but found they didn’t thrive in long term, build soil, don’t pillage it,” Jonathan says. the low-input ranch environment. Since then, the family “The soil is alive, so respect the living beings.” has been sourcing genetic lines that do better on grass, If you’re farming, question everything, and don’t buying cows from breeders with similar goals. do something because that’s the way Grandpa did it, They’re currently investing in their purebred says Jonathan. Angus herd, largely with a concentration on grow- He says that more “agvocacy” is needed so that ing internally, but with some strategic purchases as people know farmers well enough not to be frenzied opportunities arise. Throughout the last decade, how- by fearmongers and activists. “Embrace change and ever, their focus has also narrowed as they’ve honed find ways to improve your soil,” Jonathan advises. their breeding goals and philosophies. They’ve only “Talk to the disconnected urban consumers. Tell been selling two-year-old bulls for eight years. your story.” CG

18 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 Planting Scholars. Harvesting Leaders Nufﬁ eld Canada Agricultural Scholarships expand the horizons of innovative Canadian agriculturalists. Nufﬁ eld scholars travel internationally to gather information, build relationships and learn best practices to be disseminated in their home countries. The Program has sent nearly 1600 scholars from the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, France, Holland and Ireland around the world looking for the best in agricultural technologies, policies and networks.

Tony Balkwill, Paris, Ontario Tony Balkwill, wins the inaugural Grain Reports Farmers of Ontario Nuffi eld Scholarship. As Below are two short summaries of recent research reports: owner of NithField Advanced Agronomy, he is also a third generation farmer who farms in the Oxford and Brant areas. His farming Cheryl Hazenberg – Traceability. operation is the foundation for NithField’s As producers we are constantly told that research and development program and consumers want to know more about where their consists of 400+ acres of full production food comes from. fi eld scale research systems. Over the past two years, I have visited Australia, With his Nuffi eld Scholarship, Tony will Argentina, Brazil, China, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, be looking at the challenges of accurately United Kingdom and Uruguay – countries that either modernizing historical soil type maps into fi eld specifi c management zones import our beef, or are strong in the export markets. Cheryl visits a pasture by studying the geology and make-up of agriculture soils and how they Each country has a very different relationship with can be a foundation and predictor for variable rate farming, in the aim of with Nelore heifers food, especially beef, but each had some type of used in a cross increasing production potential and sustainability. traceability system. None of them are perfect nor breeding program Tony’s scholarship is sponsored by Grain Farmers of Ontario. can they be replicated in another country with the with Angus bulls in Follow Tony @TonyBalkwill same success. Central Brazil. Canada has an excellent system but I fear that Clair Doan, Norwich, ON we will need to amplify our efforts in the future to remain competitive; Clair’s mission is to productively contribute Canadian processing plants should adopt an in plant traceability system that to the Canadian agriculture industry as ties to the CCIA tag number ensuring the product is traceable from birth to a passionate advocate, turkey and grain box. Basic information needs to be tied to every tag used in an animal and farmer and professionally as the Associate value added attributes should be included for specifi c programs. Vice President of Agriculture for Ontario at National Bank of Canada. Steven Wolfgram – Social License Clair’s Nuffi eld project will focus on Steven, a swine veterinarian from Stratford, Ontario, how Canada’s supply managed sectors, has been investigating the factors that affect particularly poultry farmers, can manage sustainability of food animal production in Canada – during times of uncertainty with increased specifi cally, what farmers and others in the agri-food political and global market pressures. As an industry have to do to maintain a “social license” with advocate for our system, Clair seeks to gain a thorough understanding of the public. Social License is a term used for the general production and marketing models abroad. His focus is to ensure the industry agreement in public that the “right thing” is being remains relevant and competitive while seeking market opportunities. done such that no regulatory intervention is needed. In Germany, Steven Follow Clair @clairdoan On his travels, Steven met with farmers, veterinarians, visited with Friedrich Ostehoff(r) and his Timothy Smith, and industry experts in the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Australia, Ireland and Great Britain to cousin Andreas(l) of Coronation, Alberta Ahrhoff Futtergut, an observe in action different programs for Animal animal nutrition and Tim Smith, the 2016 Glacier FarmMedia Welfare and Antibiotic use. Nuffi eld Scholar, successfully rebuilt and supplement company. grew from a small portion of a divided farm In Steven’s report, he notes the agricultural established in 1915 to successful 800 head industry needs to continue to build trust by being transparent. And that cow/calf cattle operation. He and his family public opinion of farming practices could lead to more regulations being also own a custom forage harvest business, imposed. With regards to animal welfare and antibiotic use, these are harvesting several thousands of acres complex issues with ever-changing expectations. Our responses need to be each year. He is also highly involved in the diverse and fl exible and the overall goal should be continual improvement. agricultural industry, serving on his provincial Full versions of Cheryl’s, Steven’s and Darryl Chubb’s reports will be available beef cattle organization and representing Alberta Beef Producers nationally. on the Nuffi eld Canada website later this year. Through his Nuffi eld project, Tim plans to research the valuation of ecological goods and services provided by cattle ranching. He believes there is much to be gleaned in studying how other cultures recognize and WELCOME SHANNON valuate pastoral benefi t. Nuffi eld Canada recently welcomed Shannon McArton, of Tim’s scholarship is sponsored by Glacier FarmMedia. Dilke, Saskatchewan, as their new executive director. Shannon Follow Tim at @Tim_Smith68 has 25 years of writing, communications, public relations, marketing and administrative experience and has worked for Thanks to Glacier FarmMedia and the Grain Farmers’ of Ontario many of Saskatchewan’s farm organizations and agricultural for their continued support of our scholars. businesses. In her new role with Nuffi eld, Shannon will look to keep growing the fi nancial sustainability of this world class global scholarship program. Shannon can be reached at shannon@nuffi eld.ca or (306) 488-4725.

For full copies of these and many other reports, please visit Follow us on twitter @Nufﬁ eldCanada www.nuffield.ca b u s i n e s s

Full classes It isn’t only a robust farm economy that’s driving post-secondary ag education, but job opportunities and heavy recruitment too By Richard Kamchen

he story is the same across the country. “We have seen a nearly 50 per cent increase in our “Our application numbers in all of our degree program numbers by virtue of adding the bach- programs are up,” says Joe Varamo, elor of science in human nutritional sciences to our manager of academic programs for programs,” says spokeswoman Crystal Jorgenson. Ontario Agricultural College, Canada’s Jorgenson calls it a natural fit in terms of research largest ag university, where total ag enrolment has collaborations, and adds that it has enhanced part- climbed to 2,600, up from 2,000 just four years ago. nerships with researchers and industry partners. “We’ve gone from accepting approximately 450 stu- “In July of this year, the department of textile dents (per year) to about 625.” sciences became part of our department of biosys- It’s clear there’s something special about agriculture tems engineering, and has increased our offerings in on campus. graduate education in some very unique and exciting At the University of Saskatchewan, for instance, areas,” Jorgenson adds. growth in agriculture faculty students has far out- Similarly, at the University of Alberta, just under paced the rest of the university, and has even topped 400 students enrolled this year in the three ag pro- the department’s own ambitious targets. grams offered by the faculty of agricultural, life and “Our undergrad enrolment is up 11.5 per cent environmental sciences, up from 315 five years ago. this year and our grad enrolment is also up… it will Yet faculty dean Stan Blade also notes that the be more than five per cent,” says Mary Buhr, dean of ratio of graduate students to undergrad is changing, the U of S’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources. with over 500 students at the master’s and PhD levels across the entire faculty. Part of this reflects corporate investment, with Agriculture is the hot new program about $44 million in external money coming in each year over the last five years to support research and on campus, with enrolments booming the growing number of graduate students. “I’ve spoken to a number of those grad students, and and corporate grants up too they think that they have further opportunities from a career standpoint by getting a graduate degree even on By contrast, overall U of S enrolment managed top of their bachelor’s,” says Blade. “We’ve seen the only a 0.6 per cent rise. trend up in those graduate student numbers (partly) Buhr says the college’s current five-year plan ends because of the huge investments that companies and in 2016 but its goals have already been surpassed others are making with us. But I think there’s also an with undergrad enrolment climbing around 10 per appetite for people to get those higher-level degrees as cent in each of the last five years. well. That could be something to watch in the future.” “We were targeting to grow to 850 undergraduates Blade has also noticed that parents who have by 2016,” Buhr says. “In 2015, we are over 1,100.” graduated from university often put emphasis on But that’s not the only proof of the new muscle their children earning their degrees as well. “When being shown by agriculture in academia. people are running multimillion-dollar operations, At the University of Manitoba’s faculty of agricul- they need to have a lot of skills,” Blade says. ture and food sciences, for example, enrolment has Job prospects are excellent too and students grad- surged due to the same national trends as at Guelph uating with agricultural degrees have employers and Saskatchewan, but it also received an extra shot waiting to hire them. in the arm when the faculty absorbed parts of the former department of human ecology. Continued on page 22

20 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 CHRISTIAN FARMERS FEDERATION OF ONTARIO 642 Woolwich St. • Guelph, ON • N1H 3Y2 Voice: (519) 837-1620 Fax: (519) 824-1835 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.christianfarmers.org

CFFO 2015 Annual Convention: Emerging Opportunities in Ontario Agriculture

By Franchesca Weeks to the convention to talk about communications company Fresh new opportunities, innovation and Air Media, he speaks and works merging Opportunities for ways we can improve agriculture with companies and organizations Ontario Agriculture is the for the future of farming families. across Canada interested in focus of this year’s annual E Cher Mereweather will be harnessing the power of today’s convention. The Christian Farmers speaking on building sustainability communication tools to inform Federation of Ontario (CFFO) is in the supply chain. Cher has consumers about agriculture, gearing up for another amazing dedicated 17 years of her career to food and farm practices. With convention & banquet. We want the agri-food industry. She leads consumers demanding more to invite our members, supporters the development of the coalition’s information abo ut where their and friends of the organization sustainability strategies and food comes from, Andrew will to join us on Tuesday December goals for the agri-food sector. speak on how to answer those 1st St. George Banquet Hall in Lyndon Carlson will be tough questions and give advice Waterloo, just minutes away speaking on new opportunities on speaking positively about from St. Jacob’s Country Market. in agriculture. He is the farm practices and agriculture. Agriculture has changed, Executive Vice-President and The CFFO is looking forward to moving from smaller farms that chief marketing ofﬁ cer at FCC. another great convention with require more physical labour to He is a highly sought-after motivational speakers, amazing larger farms that use innovative speaker across Canada and food and fellowship. We encourage technology for efﬁ ciency. The loves to explore the trends and farming families to attend, CFFO recognizes that agriculture opportunities in agriculture. and babysitting is available. will continue to develop at a fast Andrew Campbell is well We invite you to come out and pace. Change also creates new known for his passion for spend your day with us exploring opportunities. This year we have agriculture advocacy, social media important Emerging Opportunities brought some of the best speakers and new technology. With his in Ontario Agriculture.

A professional organization of entrepreneurial farming families b u s i n e s s

Continued from page 20 ments has paved the way for the success they’ve experienced, and as at Saskatchewan, most schools “This is a $27-billion industry just in our prov- are extending their recruitment to students with non- ince, and clearly that kind of activity requires great farm and urban backgrounds. people. We’re certainly confident we’re putting those “Part of the initiative with our (recruitment people into the workplace,” says Blade. program) is to reach out into those urban areas “I care about the fact that all of our graduates get and communicate to a kid from a high school in jobs — and many of them get multiple job offers,” downtown Toronto who’s never stepped on a farm adds Buhr. “Our country needs our graduates, so that you don’t have to come from a farming back- that’s why we want more students, because they are ground,” says Varamo. fulfilling a need within the province and the country.” The U of M has had success targeting urban Varamo also sees a huge appetite in the agri-food students by presenting its Student Ambassadors and agribusiness industries for skilled professionals. program at high schools, and by interacting with “It seems as though many of our students upon city kids at a variety of recruitment events both on graduation are finding employment… employment and off campus, as well as through more indirect of choice in the areas of interest that they have,” approaches like workshops for science teachers. Varamo says. In some cases, students have secured Programs such Agriculture in the Classroom jobs before they even graduate, he adds. and campaigns such as Farm Credit Canada’s Agri- The University of Manitoba held its Agricultural, culture More Than Ever also increase the overall Science and Engineering Career Fair in October and awareness of career opportunities in the agri-food numerous ag industry recruiters were on hand, eager industry, Jorgenson says. to speak with students. “We have been conducting a strong student “It has actually become increasingly competi- recruitment campaign for the last few years, and we tive — employers want to interact with our students are also seeing an increase in the number of students through pizza nights and information sessions in moving from our two-year diploma program into their search for top-quality summer and permanent our degree program,” she says. employees,” Jorgenson says. U of M ag students typically have their summer Enhanced learning or permanent job offers by November. Today’s agriculture degree graduates are emerging with an enhanced set of experiences, beyond Explaining the numbers what existed even 20 years ago thanks to experien- Student enrolment has trended higher in the last tial learning at home and abroad. few years thanks in part to strength in the agricul- “We get our students involved with volunteer ture industry. programs in the city, and we have a number of “The agricultural economy is doing well, and all practicums and internships within our various pro- the signs are that agriculture will be a solid profes- grams that get people out into the community and sion for many years to come,” says Buhr. working in businesses,” says Blade, adding that Even so, Buhr adds that growth in her faculty has international experience is available as well. “Over been outpacing the farm economy. Previously, enrol- the past number of years, we have formalized pro- ments had echoed farm income, with student numbers grams that the faculty puts on for students to go to rising about two years after the ag economy started ris- Cuba, India, Japan and Mexico.” ing, and dropping about two years following a decline. Exchange programs provide valuable enhanced That has changed. learning outside campus, and these ag faculties all “Over the last few years the farm economy has been offer their own unique experiences. pretty robust and our numbers have been growing, “It sets (students) up to differentiate themselves but we’ve been growing at a faster rate than the farm from another candidate down the road when they’re economy,” says Buhr. “We expect we will be more inde- applying for a job,” says Varamo. pendent of the economy because we have programs that Schools are also developing more online courses aren’t as directly linked to primary agriculture. We’re for their own students and people in mid-career who expecting our numbers are not going to go down.” don’t necessarily have time to spend on campus. Programs like renewable resource management, “By no means are we unique in this, but this is agribusiness, animal bioscience, and next year’s something we keep hearing from people who want to Aboriginal agriculture and land management, are enhance their skills, so we’re certainly going beyond contributing by attracting students from beyond the the chalk-and-blackboard approach,” says Blade. farm and rural areas. Buhr notes her faculty is meeting the challenges “Once they come into the college, they realize the of managing the ever-increasing number of students wealth of career opportunities in agriculture and are while still maintaining quality. really turned on by it,” says Buhr. “All of our gradu- Says Buhr: “We are looking at every possible ating students get jobs; they have a choice of jobs. method and new ways of doing things in order to And the word is getting out about that.” continue to provide a quality education to far more Heavy recruiting by all the agriculture depart- students than we were expecting to have.” CG

22 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 As young women in this industry, we see the challenges that farmers and their spouses face and we also see the great opportunities that exist for ourselves and our children. We know that educating ourselves and the general public will play a key role in the future of agriculture and the success of farming in Atlantic Canada.

Please join us for…

ATLANTIC FARM WOMEN’S CONFERENCE November 27TH & 28TH, 2015

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Sometimes the

best advice... Going a distance to talk business with similar farmers injects fresh thinking and By Angela Lovell insight into these operations

armers love to talk to other farmers, as Trena and Myles Fox who farm near Gravel- anyone who has ever spent five minutes bourg, Sask. had tried joining a corporate peer group in a country coffee shop knows. But in Regina, but it wasn’t proving to be a good fit for it’s not always easy to have productive them, so they jumped at the chance to join the First discussions with your peers if they are Farm Managers Network once they heard about it. also your neighbours, and if you’re competing with “We see a huge benefit in networking with other them to rent or purchase land, or to sell grain at farm families and learning how other top producers are the best price. trying to find new solutions to old problems, and look- That’s why some farm owners and managers are ing at things from different angles,” says the couple. taking a page out of the business world’s playbook “We have to set goals for ourselves, which makes it real by forming peer groups. and accountable. There’s nothing like talking about your goal with 20 other people to put the fire in your belly to get it done.” Today, they are members of First Farm Manag- ers Network, a peer group involving the owners and managers of nine farms from Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan. It has been active for about a year, with the group meeting face to face in Regina about three times a year. As a peer group, it’s providing a valuable and effective platform to host candid discussions about farm management topics. The First Farm Managers Network was deliberately established with farmers from three different provinces to give geographical separation and prevent any competitive issues, but that separation also meant that it was important from the beginning for the members to learn about and become comfortable with each other. “It’s important that the people involved build relationships so they can get to the level of trust that’s required to make a group really effective,” says Jacqueline Gerrard, a farm business consultant with hy Backswath Management, which had the idea for the p peer group and has been facilitating and offering administrative support for it. “When the group meets, the daytime is for the meeting and agenda discussion, and the evening is set aside for social interaction,” Gerrard says. “I think hy: Carey Shaw Photogra Carey Shaw hy:

Making the peer group takes a commitment to understanding participants often learn as much after hours as they p and talking about their own business, the Foxes find. do in the formal discussion.” Photogra Continued on page 28

24 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 b u s i n e s s

In Saskatchewan Trena and Myles find their peer group injects not only fresh ideas and new thinking, but a drive to achieve more too

November 2015 c ountry-guide.ca 25 B uilding agriculture awarene ss thro ugh e aitc-canada.ca duca Our Mission AITC Canada member organizations tion Working together to enhance the knowledge, understanding, collectively reach hundreds of thousands of and appreciation of agriculture in everyday life. students each year!

Who is AITC Canada? AITC Canada is committed to: • Offering more opportunities to positively Current Provincial Member Organizations: Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) Canada is a national, not-for-profit organization, connecting influence the next generation about agriculture with students across the nation. AITC Canada provides a national identity and network for member • Expanding provincial initiatives and resources • Agriculture in the Classroom – Alberta organizations and partners to work together to enhance the knowledge, understanding, and appreciation to a national scale • Agriculture in the Classroom – Saskatchewan of agriculture in young Canadians. • Identifying and managing national projects in • Agriculture in the Classroom – Manitoba collaboration with agri-food industry partners • Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc. • Coordinating delivery of curriculum-linked • Agriculture and Food Education – Nova Scotia INVEST IN OUR NEXT GENERATION - resources and programs about agriculture for a Department of Agriculture national audience • Prince Edward Island Agriculture Sector BECOME A PARTNER IN CANADA’S CLASSROOMS • Facilitating networking and partnership Council Visit aitc-canada.ca or call 1-866-487-4029 opportunities with the agri-food sector • Agriculture in the Classroom Program – for information on sponsorship and partnership opportunities. • Acting as a national voice for AITC Canada Newfoundland and Labrador provincial members

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AITC-2pgSpread-Oct2015_FINAL_2.indd 1 2015-10-16 11:34 AM B uilding agriculture awarene ss thro ugh e aitc-canada.ca duca Our Mission AITC Canada member organizations tion Working together to enhance the knowledge, understanding, collectively reach hundreds of thousands of and appreciation of agriculture in everyday life. students each year!

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Continued from page 24 group discussed was an employee conflict issue and people were able to speak openly to that because they Account able to your peers have developed a comfort level with each other over the last few months.” The greatest value of the peer Kristi and Dustin Burns of Windy Poplars Farms group is being able to have frank and honest discus- near Wynyard, Sask. were also looking for a way sion with like-minded people, says Dustin. “We all to do some benchmarking and professional devel- want to have a professional farm and good work/life opment with people who are their peers but not balance, and to be leaders in our industry,” Dustin their neighbours. says. “We have implemented things that we have seen The Burns say they’ve been impressed by how and heard about from other farms already. Whether quickly the group has developed trust. “Over the it’s weekly meetings, or ways to deal with employees, three meetings we’ve attended, the trust and candour or ways to deal with people we rent land from, it has have really grown,” says Kristi. “The last topic the been really valuable for us.” CG

S teps to a successful peer group

10 B elow are essential elements of a successful peer 5. Trust group based on experiences of the First Farm Manag- ers Network, a peer group of nine western farms, with To avoid competition, peer groups often bring thanks to facilitator Jacqueline Gerrard of Backswath together farmers who don’t know each other. It’s essen- Management. For more background see next page for tial they become comfortable enough with each other to this month's AME Management column, entitled “Peer have open, honest discussions. A peer group meeting Groups” by Backswath’s Terry Betker. should always include time set aside for members to 1.y Identit socialize and build personal relationships. It’s important that the peer group has a name and 6. Accountability develops its own vision with a charter and bylaws as to E ach person brings a personal or work-related goal how it is going to function. That said, the intent is that the to the group, which creates accountability, because they group eventually takes ownership and decides how it will then follow up at each meeting with a report about how run it and who will facilitate and organize the group. that goal is developing. 2. Facilitation 7. Focus A well-functioning peer group should have facilitation, From the start the peer group must determine its and it’s usually best to choose a facilitator from outside focus. The First Farmers Network decided to focus the group, and be prepared to pay for the professional on farm business management instead of production, service they offer. The facilitator doesn’t have to be a with topics such as how to manage growth, where to subject matter expert, and it’s not his or her role to give invest, how to involve family, managing time, leadership, opinions about the topics discussed. The facilitator’s job human resources, and how to structure the manage- is to find out what the members want to talk about, set ment team. Each group’s focus will depend on the farms the agenda, and make sure everyone gets a chance to involved. talk and no one is dominating the discussion. 8.i M ndset 3. Organization A peer group can include any size or type of opera- O rganizing a peer group takes a lot of time and energy tion from feedlots to potato farms, and in any geographi- which few farmers have time for. This is another reason cal location, and farmers of any ages, but the most why peer groups don’t pop up organically. A facilitator is important thing is that they all share a common, pro- the logical person to perform this role. Arranging meeting gressive mindset and are open to new ideas. dates and facilities, setting deadlines, and sending out information so the participants can prepare for the dis- 9. Measuring progress cussion are all important to ensure that participants get B eing able to measure progress towards a specific maximum benefit from their time together. goal or the effectiveness of changes implemented as a result of group discussions helps reinforce the value of 4. Farmers lead the discussion the group, and helps participants to set realistic time- Peer groups are a farmer-to-farmer discussion forum. lines for themselves in the future. Each farm group brings a farm management topic to the meeting that they want to discuss. It can be anything 10. Commitment from employees and finances to succession planning Group members need to be fully committed to or the right equipment-to-asset ratio for the operation. attending meetings and participating openly and hon- Everyone gives input. estly in the discussions.

28 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 ame-management

One of the challenges in forming a group is determining if the members are actually peers. The purpose Peer groups is NOT to have a group of farmers who agree on everything. The purpose is to be challenged but not criticized. By Terry Betker Farms should be at least a half-hour apart so members are able to speak freely and openly. Farms can have similar or diverse operations but there eer groups are not a new concept. They should not be any element of competition. have existed for years within different Danny Klinefelter, professor and extension econo- industries in several different types of mist with Texas AgriLIFE Extension and Texas A&M applications. They are also known as peer University, says that farmers who are able to own their advisory groups, business-to-business dis- weaknesses and are willing to accept suggestions and cussion groups, and peer advisory boards. criticism will get the most out of a peer advisory group. “If you can check your ego, learn to listen and be Background open to problem solving and sharing some details of Farmers have used external resources to help your farm’s business, you’ll do well in a peer group,” with management challenges for years. Accountants, says Klinefelter. lawyers and lenders are long-established sources of advice and assistance. More recently, farmers have Meeting structure and frequency been using advisers who have specific expertise in Members must be prepared to make the commit- production and marketing. ment and investment (time and money) to attend. As farms increase in size and complexity, the Three key success factors are trust, respect and con- range of resources will expand to meet other needs, fidentiality. Participants should sign a statement such as advisers who have experience and expertise acknowledging confidentiality. in human resource management for farms. Groups decide among themselves how often they Another management resource that is gaining pop- want to meet and what the focus of the peer group ularity among progressive farmers is the peer group. will be. The focus can be very specific, such as production practices. Or they can have a broader or Peer groups more general management orientation. A peer group consists of a small number of people In-person meetings are required, especially while who get together in regularly scheduled meetings to the group is being formed so that relationships can share insights on experiences and performance. be established. Meetings can be anywhere from a This is definitely not the breakfast group at the half-day to two or more days. local coffee shop. Instead, a peer group has a high The group should develop a charter or set of bylaws degree of structure and formality. to define how it will manage and govern itself, who can Some of the reasons why farmers might join a join, and how people are expelled. Groups function bet- peer group include: ter with a hired facilitator whose role is to: • Strengthen/advance management practices • Plan and facilitate meetings (including logistics) • Affirm or challenge how things are being done • Co-ordinate data collection where applicable • Build collegial relationships with farmers with simi- • Prepare reports lar management mindsets • Get things started • Introduce an element of accountability to ensure • Ask questions to ensure everyone is participating that things are getting done • Move things along if getting bogged down • ‘Board of Directors’ for the business • Provide input and contribute to the discussion • Input and feedback on management issues when appropriate. • Share management and decision-making I’ve been in lots of discussions with farmers in the approaches past year who have a real interest in the peer group • Potential for business investment and development format. Formed correctly and with the right partici- • Learn from other farmers’ experiences, i.e. from pants, a peer group can have great benefit. people who actually have skin in the game. I personally have been involved in a consultant peer group for nearly three years now. Our group Group composition has eight members with seven from the U.S. We Typically groups have five or six farms but can meet four times a year (twice in person). Similar to a have up to 10. Having more than 15 requires careful farmer peer group, we talk about best practices, chal- facilitation so each individual is actively involved in lenges and issues. I find it to be hugely valuable. CG the discussion. A well-structured group doesn’t have “freeloaders.” Each participant can expect to benefit Terry Betker is an instructor in AME training from a meeting but must also make a contribution. courses (www.agrifoodtraining.com) and a farm Peer groups whose participants are progressive management consultant with Backswath Manage- and have a business management orientation have ment Inc. He can be reached at 204-782-8200 or better outcomes. [email protected].

November 2015 c ountry-guide.ca 29 b u s i n e s s

Weather derivatives

These new risk-management contracts are finally getting easier to price and evaluate

By Maggie Van Camp, CG Associate Editor

griculture may be the most weather- aren’t used often in agriculture is lack of awareness impacted industry on the planet and understanding, says Charlebois. In their sur- — by far — but it isn’t the only vey, about half of the respondents who did not use industry that’s affected by the vaga- weather derivatives weren’t even aware of this tool ries of temperature and rain. It’s esti- and another third felt they didn’t have enough skill mated that a third of the United States’ GDP and in derivatives to utilize them. 70 per cent of firms in the United Kingdom are also Yet compared to most small businesses, North exposed to weather risk. American farmers in general are more involved Recently, Canadian farmers have begun explor- in using derivatives, mainly through commodity ing the use of weather derivatives to mitigate futures contracts for price-risk management. And weather risk, particularly for higher-value crops there’s growing interest in weather protection. like seed. It’s a relatively new tool for farmers, but More farmers are looking to mitigate weather weather derivatives were first introduced as long risk as they grow higher-value crops and operate ago as the 1990s as a way for the energy sector on a larger scale. Plus there’s the looming impact to hedge against temperature-based usage swings. of climate change. In the Saskatchewan survey, 78 Soon other industries began using them too, such per cent of the respondents reported their farming as retail and tourism, for example ski resorts. business had suffered financial losses within the past In the last few years, North American farm- three years due to weather-related events. ers have dabbled in weather derivatives (WD) to Basically, a WD treats temperature and pre- hedge against non-catastrophic but yield-impacting cipitation as commodities. A derivative is a con- weather such as abnormal temperatures or pre- tract that derives its value from an underlying cipitation. “The energy sector has used WD for point, such as an asset, a set interest rate or an quite some time, but agriculture is starting to show index. Although most derivatives are traded off some interest,” says Sylvain Charlebois, University the exchange, standardized weather derivative con- of Guelph professor and one of the authors of tracts are now listed on the Chicago Mercantile “Weather risk management by Saskatchewan agri- Exchange (CME), the Intercontinental Exchange culture producers.” (ICE), and the London International Financial A couple of years ago Charlebois, Saqib Khan Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE). As trading and Morina Rennie surveyed Saskatchewan farm- volumes in these contracts increase, market liquid- ers and found about 9.3 per cent of the respon- ity and price discovery are improving. dents had used weather derivatives and not “The Chicago Mercantile Exchange has WDs surprisingly, most had used crop insurance. Of the listed that you can buy yourself, or get them sample of 397 respondents, 307 used insurance through your broker,” says Charlebois. products, 37 used weather derivatives and 32 had The range of products available today can be used both within the past three years. “Weather structured to cover almost any type of weather derivatives are not widely used,” concludes Char- variable, including temperature, rainfall, snow, lebois. wind speed and humidity, and the terms can be as One of the main reasons weather derivatives short as a week to as long as several years. Of the

30 country-guide.ca n ovember 2015 b u s i n e s s

37 respondents of the Saskatchewan survey who did use weather derivatives, about two-thirds used Before you jump… precipitation-related weather derivatives and half B efore you buy your first weather derivatives, used temperature-related products. In general, tem- quantify your exposure to weather risk by following perature-related products are most widely traded. these six steps recommended by Alfons Weersink, The settlement value of these weather events economist at the University of Guelph. is determined from a weather index, expressed as 1. Identify critical weather variables. What is the values of a weather variable measured at a stated limiting factor on your farm? location. For example, in Western Canada, these 2. Identify the potential impact of this weather derivatives are based on the weather stations in variable on sales, prices, costs and margins. Calgary, Edmonton or Winnipeg. Crunch the numbers for the worst-case scenario. This means the weather index may be based on 3. Gather a reliable, neutral source of historical data a monitoring station quite far away from the fields. on this weather variable. So it brings into question the usefulness of deriva- 4. Determine the time frame when the variable’s tives based on information taken from hundreds of influence is operative. When do you need hedge miles away. coverage? “Canada has always been behind the U.S. when 5. Quantify the relationship between potential it comes to data mining. This is something we need changes in this weather variable and your financial to get better at,” says Charlebois. “And because of parameters. How much damage can a couple of climate change, we need to get better at collecting degrees or an inch less rain do to the bottom line? data on climate patterns.” 6. Estimate the sensitivity of the financial parameter As a result, weather derivatives can have greater to changes in weather. How much is hedging worth exposure to basis risk than insurance. Although to your farm? yields are highly correlated with weather conditions, it’s simply not possible to exactly link only adverse conditions to lower crop yields. Many variables in addition to rain and temperature are at Whether it’s too hot or too cold may not be play in growing a crop, with things like timing or catastrophic but we’ve all seen the impact of such soil structure greatly impacting yields. events on yields and the fallout on the income side of the balance sheet. Compared to crop insurance Although a majority of respondents of the Sas- Traditionally, farmers have relied on insurance katchewan survey used insurance to hedge against products to hedge weather-related risks, mostly weather-related events, they felt their insurance using government crop insurance programs. coverage was not sufficient as a tool to manage Crop insurance claims are settled on the reduc- weather-related risk. Of the 37 users of WD, 43.2 tion in quantity and quality produced, with pay- per cent believed that weather derivatives reduce outs calculated according to a base price set at the income volatility and 85 per cent said they were time the contract is initiated. Programs vary by helpful in mitigating weather risk. province and by commodity, but in general cover- So what’s stopping the wider use of WD? Some age is based on the farm’s production averages with economists have pointed to pricing issues as causing the farmer choosing a coverage level of 50, 60, 70, substantial uncertainty for both the farmers and the or 80 per cent of these average yields. institution writing the contract. The Saskatchewan The crop insurance payouts are based on the survey confirmed this with 35 per cent of WD users difference between the actual yield and quality finding it too difficult to price these tools. versus the expected production, weighted by the Charlebois says only a few years later after they coverage level, but the link between the event and did the survey the amount of information about the loss of yield and quality has to be proven. WD available to farmers has increased substan- By contrast, weather derivatives are triggered by tially. “Brokers, banks, can provide information on a specific weather index rather than whether a spe- WD,” he says cific loss can be attributed to this weather. Besides, farmers are always looking for better There is another big difference too. Unlike solutions. It’s our nature. More than double the crop insurance, WDs cover low-risk, high-prob- percentage of respondents of the survey said they’d ability events. They’re designed to hedge against consider using weather derivatives in the future. low-severity but high-probability events, like a “I do expect WD to become more popular in ag cooler- or hotter-than-normal summer, or higher- as farmers try to find new ways to mitigate risks,” or lower-than-normal precipitation levels. says Charlebois. CG

november 2015 c ountry-guide.ca 31 b u s i n e s s

Better It turns out that giving your employees employees opportunities to improve their skills really can be By Amy Petherick, Contributing Editor good for business

hen you want a little more crop non-training costs might also be very effective for from the field, you shell out a keeping employees. A Christmas or birthday card, little more for fertilizer. Or if it’s for example, costs very little but can go a long way a few more pounds you’re look- with an employee. Providing coffee and doughnuts at ing for from your livestock, you break time can be another low-cost investment. spend a bit more on feed. Mawhiney also often recommends drug plans Is it true of employees too? Can a little extra because when an ill employee discovers a $200 drug investment boost your results? is only going to cost them $20, they’re incredibly There’s an extra consideration, of course. Few grateful for their employer. farms can compete on wages with every business in When designing retention programs, however, the the area, and they’ve had to face the possibility that guiding principal is very simple. almost any employee might leave for a better-paying “If you treat your employees as you treat yourself, job in, for instance, the oilfield or manufacturing. or better, you’ll get it back in spades,” Mawhiney So why put effort into upgrading the skills of your says. “You want the pros, and if you find someone employees, when it’s only going to benefit their next who is giving you really good quality and is making employer? a difference, why would you object to paying more?” But now there’s a new twist, because it turns out Granted, not everyone can afford to spend more that investing in your employees can not only help on labour. Still there are very simple ways to keep the farm in the short term, it can improve employee your hired help, or to make them run away. retention too. Mawhiney says he had one case where it seemed There are many factors to consider, however. all of a farm’s workers were walking off the job all Gerard Bos, who works for the Alberta Ministry at once. On location, Mawhiney soon learned the of Agriculture and Forestry Workforce Development very simple reason was because the couple running Initiative, says he is seeing primary producers with the farm had suddenly stopped saying hello to their clear objectives. They are looking either to minimize employees in the mornings. annual staff turnover or to improve work quality. Struggling through a divorce, the couple had been They also have a clear idea of how to get the job unaware how this one small change in behaviour was done in a business-smart way. Using cost-share pro- affecting staff, but employees had picked up on it grams like Alberta’s Retention Improvement Grant or as proof that the rumour was right — the farm was Productivity Improvement Grant, farmers get to work about to be dissolved. with a consultant to identify specific employment The upshot was that even the best employees needs and to implement a strategy that is customized started seeking new jobs, unaware that the owners to meet them. were still committed to keeping the operation viable. Such options are highly flexible, but do keep in It offers a critical lesson any farm manager is mind that farmers really aren’t the main group that is wise to heed, Mawhiney says. “Your employees supposed to benefit from these programs. need feedback.” “Our programs are open to primary agriculture Yet this too feeds back to the case for investing in and food processing… and 90 per cent of what we do skills enhancement. is on the processing side,” Bos explains. According to a study conducted this past Plus, skills training may not always be your best spring by international talent consultant Mercer approach. “If it’s a feedlot and they have some staff Global, a lack of communication from managers but they don’t have any professional HR capacity, and lack of transparency about career progression they might hire a consultant to develop job descrip- within the organization impacts employee loyalty tions,” Bos says. “Or we’ve seen farmers use the in almost every industry. More than 75 per cent of funding to develop an orientation program.” employees said they would stay at their job if they In the heart of southwestern Ontario, Gary knew what their career path with the organization Mawhiney of Ag HR Solutions, says incurring a few might look like, and over half of employees said

32 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 b u s i n e s s

they get “no input” or “input only once in a while” on how 1. Does investing in employees to do their jobs better. A quarter of employees said “not at all” or “hardly ever” fit your business model? when asked if their company makes it easy to understand oppor- It’s not true that all businesses should always look to invest tunities for advancement. in their employees. Some businesses need to remain focused The biggest surprise, however, is that it can be fairly simple to on cost management, and Mann says organizations intent on give employees a reason for answering yes. producing a high-quality product or exceptional customer Mawhiney points to conferences as an example, and he service tend to benefit most from investing in their employees. typically recommends employers send each of their workers In rural areas, however, a huge consideration can be retaining to at least one conference per year, paying for the registration, good workers. travel, and meals of each individual, and also paying their “I think farmers would have a tendency to look more at the wages for the day. individual and think about what the right thing to do would be,” Dr. Sara Mann at the University of Guelph suggests that keep- Mann says. “Given that positions are very specific on farms and ing such strategies simple is the best way to retain and motivate involve some skills, it would be wise for them to invest in their hired help. You don’t have to do any goal setting. There doesn’t employees to hang on to them.” have to be a paper trail. You just need to give some consideration to three areas of your business, and then act with purpose. Continued on page 34 focus on performance focus on higher yields

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Continued from page 33 “Explain to your employee why and that the decisions regarding their you’re investing in them, and that you work are fair, it’s time to talk about 2. Are your current know there’s a risk they might leave,” motivation. “Different people are look- Mann advises. “That will go a long way ing for different kinds of motivators,” employees committed in boosting their affective commitment.” Mann says. “Some people might like to you? a snack at coffee break, other people 3. Talk about it, talk about it, could care less because they don’t eat Employees can be committed to their talk about it in the morning.” job because they have to be. This is Ask employees about your ideas for called continuous commitment, and it The two most effective, zero-cost rewards. Find out if these are things is exemplified when someone has been ways to cultivate affective commitment they would like. Maybe it would put with a company for 20 years and they are to provide continuous feedback them behind at work. Maybe it conflicts continue to stay so they don’t lose their and demonstrate fairness. “Telling your with their commitments they have out- pension plan, even if they hate their job. employees what they should stop, start, side of work. Maybe it’s just not some- Another category of commitment is or continue doing on a daily or weekly thing that interests them. called normative, where an employee basis is a really quick and easy way “Figuring out that you’re giving stays because of commitments to friends for employers to enhance the experi- rewards that match the people you’re or family connections. ence of their employees,” Mann says. giving them to is really important,” “We don’t want employees to have This generates intrinsic motivation Mann says. This is where you have either of these types of motivation that too many managers neglect to fos- to be careful not to project your own because we know it doesn’t lead to ter. Managers also commonly fail to desires onto the people who work for higher motivation on the job or influ- communicate their reasoning for deci- you, she adds. Invite their input and ask ence their job performance,” Mann says. sions they’ve made. “For any decision what you could be doing differently. “What we want is someone who has made in assigning a job, vacation, or But don’t confuse rewards with rein- affective commitment and stays because hours worked, or any decision related forcers, she advises. Providing a snack they love to work there.” to the individual’s employment, make at coffee break is a reward. It’s going When your employees brag about their sure the decision is fair and that the to increase morale, but not job perfor- workplace, those high levels of affective employee sees it as fair,” Mann rec- mance. A reinforcer on the other hand, commitment produce employees who show ommends. Quite often supervisors will is a reward that you give that is tied up to work without being late and generally make a decision that’s completely fair, to performance. Often managers offer go above and beyond while they’re there. she explains, but when they don’t com- these in the form of a financial bonus If that sounds pretty ideal, it’s important to municate why they made the decision, but reinforcers don’t have to be a huge understand one of the ways an employer the perception is that it was unfair, even monetary reward. Managers who have can get this type of commitment from their if there’s a good reason the supervisor these important conversations will soon employees is by investing in them. But the simply hasn’t shared. learn that for some people, a half-day difference between generating affective If you feel confident your employ- off would be more welcome and save an commitment, instead of continuous or nor- ees are happy with the amount of job unnecessary cost while still reaping the mative commitment, is communication. performance feedback they are getting reward of an invested employee. CG

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34 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 B lhy Ra p Pearce ⁄⁄ CG Production Editor

Precision variability

Old favourites were Highlights of aplenty but some of the new demanded COFS 2015 more attention

anada’s Outdoor Farm Show makes us Kubota’s new M7 tractor expect to see “something new.” Every- thing from multi-hybrid planters to Kubota Canada began its Outdoor Farm Show robotic milkers and the latest in all-ter- festivities a day early, with a gathering at its new rain vehicles have made their debuts at permanent structure on the farm showgrounds. the Woodstock, Ont. show. This year’s 22nd annual It was there that the company also launched two edition was no exception. Below, we discuss some new products, the M7 tractor line and its SSV of the launches and announcements that caught our skid steer loader. attention. Kubota has made considerable inroads into First, though, we also want to talk numbers. Over higher horsepower tractor lines, particularly with 43,000 attended the show, with Wednesday setting its M5 and M6 machines. With the new M7, that a new one-day record. And it wasn’t just the tem- progression continues, including engines boasting perature. Agriculture’s thirst for the best that modern 131, 151 and 171 horsepower ratings. There’s also technology can offer is as strong as ever. an extensive list of features, including the Kubota V6108 engine with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and common rail system (CRS) technology “I n the East, we’ll still see some hay and that meets Tier 4 Final emissions standards. In all there will be three different levels of performance dairy applications, and more tillage, for the M7: Standard, Premium and Premium KVT more so than in the West.” (Kubota Variable Transmission, the company’s answer to the CVT design). The standard will come — David Webster, Kubota Canada Ltd. with open-centre hydraulics and power-shift transmission, the premium will offer both open-centre

Continued on page 36

November 2015 c ountry-guide.ca 35 Continued from page 35 has a 74.3-hp engine, a 2,690-lb. (1,220 kg) operating capacity and a breakout force of 5,884 lbs. (2,669 kg). hydraulics and a 24-speed transmission, and the Pre- Thanks to the Kubota Shockless Ride function, each mium KVT will offer a “virtually infinite” number of model offers a smooth response, complete with a unique forward and reverse speeds. vertical lift design, a long reach and high bucket, plus “It’s a natural progression for us, and in terms a variety of attachments — from an auger to stump of flexibility, this tractor will do some things that grinder to power rake and tiller. the M6 won’t from a horsepower standpoint,” said David Webster, general manager for sales and market- Farm, Food & Beyond ing for Kubota Canada. “You look at the hydraulic In 2016, Ontario’s Environmental Farm Plan capabilities that are built into it, with a closed-centre (EFP) will be 25 years old, with more than 38,000 load-sensing system, and an ISO monitor for running farm families participating in the program. Now, attachments. So it’s a pretty capable machine.” seven organizations have joined in “Farm, Food & The flexibility of the M7 also means it will be Beyond,” a collaborative effort to upgrade the EFP adaptable to a variety of applications. Webster says with a focus on different levels of sustainability as dealers in Western Canada as well as current custom- well as helping to bridge the gap between farming ers who are running the M6 are eager to see the M7, and consumers. Dr. Gord Surgeoner, chair of the likely to be used in cattle and hay operations where Sustainable Farm Coalition’s steering committee, its improved hydraulic capacity is expected to shine. was the moderator at a press conference held dur- “They can do a few more things with that, where ing the first day of the Outdoor Farm Show. Repre- they’re looking for a heavier tractor and some more sentatives of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture power,” added Webster. “In the East, we’ll still see (OFA), Christian Farmers’ Federation of Ontario some hay and dairy applications, and perhaps some (CFFO), the Presidents’ Council, Ontario Agri-Food more tillage, more so than in the West.” Technologies (OAFT), the Ontario Soil and Crop The Skid Steer loader is available in two models. Improvement Association (OSCIA), Farm & Food The SSV65 comes with a 64-hp engine, a rated oper- Care Ontario and the Provision Coalition were on ating capacity of 1,950 lbs. (885 kg) and a bucket hand with short presentations. breakout force of 4,839 lbs. (2,195 kg). The SSV75 Surgeoner says the focus of Farm, Food & the new country guide mobile app is ready when you are! Keep up to date on all the latest agriculture news that matters to you with the new Country Guide mobile app!

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36 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 cofs wrap-up

Beyond is to extend the foundation previously laid by the EFP, which was voluntary, but also clarified the methods for farmers to carry out various management practices. With this new program, the focus will be on “people, the planet and profitability.” As much as others may demand traceability or define sustainability in their own terms, said Surgeoner, farmers must be profitable in their operations. “Everyone has their definition of sustainability and if you look at many of them, it’s usually for a single crop or a single customer, and our farmers could be doing five or six things for everybody,” said Surgeoner. “We believe that we needed to say what we thought was sustainable… without profitability, no farm is sustainable — and that doesn’t come out in a lot of equations.” One other fact that Surgeoner empha- Farm, Food & Beyond with a promise to extend sized was that there will be another four million people in Ontario in the next Ontario’s Environmental Farm Plan into whole new 25 years. That increases the importance concepts of on-farm sustainability of sound science and the need to evalu- Continued on page 38

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November 2015 c ountry-guide.ca 37 Continued from page 37 bu./ac. In 2009, the launch of Roundup Ready 2 Yield technology boosted yields by another 2.5 bu./ac. ate technologies, as well as putting good legislation With the introduction of Roundup Ready 2 Xtend in place, protecting farmland and assuring farmers soybeans, growers could see another 2.4 bu./ac. in continue to use the land wisely. That’s why part of yield, plus residual activity up to 14 days from the the mandate for this group is to extend that com- combination of glyphosate and dicamba. munication outward from the producer to the food Using dicamba with glyphosate also offers excel- value chain and the consumer. For OFA president lent tank-mix compatibility plus good to excellent Don McCabe, it’s also important to build the vehicle control of redroot pigweed and lamb’s quarters. from within the agri-food industry in order to avoid Importantly, it also injects a Group 4 herbicide into having regulations imposed from outside. the equation for resistance management and to keep “We have such an information age and so much the technology viable as long as possible. information coming at us, we need to be using that It’s one thing to introduce a new crop produc- in our management decisions, but we also need to tion system, but Monsanto is determined to empha- be looking past the farm gate like we never have size that the “how” of managing this technology is before,” said McCabe. “We have a society that every bit as important as the “what” that’s being doesn’t trust the farmer. So we need to be able to planted. That’s why each tour lasted at least 45 start backstopping and bringing our credibility back minutes. The stewardship focus behind this new further into the future.” technology was obvious, with repeated mentions of the importance of application requirements, includ- Genuity (Monsanto) ing water volumes, spray nozzle selection, boom The latest technology to provide growers with heights, and of particular interest, a triple-rinse pro- more options for weed management is also one of cedure for cleanout. the more anticipated. The 2015 Outdoor Farm Show Label directions suggest water volumes of 10 to was the place where growers could get an up-close 20 gallons per acre, with wind speeds between three look at the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System, and 15 km/hour and ground speeds less than 25km/ featuring Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans and a hour. Nozzles and operating pressures should be suf- production system that promotes diversity and stew- ficient to produce very coarse or ultra-coarse drop- ardship with this technology. lets and boom height should be maintained at 50 cm Almost 20 years ago, Roundup Ready soybeans above crop canopy, all to reduce drift. were introduced first with the promise of reduced costs, and then with an expected yield bump of 4.5 DuPont Pioneer Tuesday night, DuPont Pioneer held its official “housewarming” party, with attendees registering for “ We’re focused on Pioneer Eastern Canada the “Seed for Life” contest, an opportunity to win an annual quantity of Pioneer-brand seed. The contest is being more of a growth business.” open to farmers from Eastern Canada only, with the winner receiving seed product for up to 25 years (to — Collin Phillip, DuPont Pioneer a maximum retail value of $1.25 million). The contest also features five secondary prices of “Seed for a Season,” to a maximum retail value of $10,000. According to Collin Phillip, business director for Eastern Canada, the evening’s proceedings exhibited a commitment to eastern Canadian agriculture in two important ways. One was symbolism of the company’s new permanent structure for the Outdoor Farm Show. The second stems from the “Seed for Life” contest and the notion that not having to buy seed for one or several years could help with college or university tuition, or investing back into land or equipment. “This is part of Pioneer’s investment in general in Canada and certainly in Eastern Canada,” said Phil- lip. “We’re focused on Pioneer Eastern Canada being more of a growth business. It’s a very steady mature business for all agriculture industry players, unlike the West, where there are millions of acres that can convert to corn and soybeans. In the East, it’s pretty stable, so we’ve launched our contest, partly as a way of giving back to our customers, but also as a way to create some interest in the industry.” CG

38 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 CANADIAN FORAGE & GRASSLAND ASSOCIATION www.canadianfga.ca • Ph: 506-260-0872

The Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association is online with a newly Hit the Books refreshed website and online resource. Connect with CFGA on Twitter Have you evaluated your forage production costs yet? @CFGA_ACPF and on Facebook!

Success isn’t getting a bountiful harvest xed costs (machinery depreciation, in before the neighbours. It’s creating and storage), operating costs (seed, treatment, evolving a sustainable business strategy. fertilizer, fuel, crop insurance) and labour. Canadian Forage in In our last feature, we talked about the Once you have the numbers all done the International importance of feed testing to prepare up, that feed analysis will need to be for winter. By now you’ve likely taken considered in your comparisons. It’ll also Year of Soils – all the samples you need, or have be a good opportunity to ask yourself Capture the Intensity! already received the results in the mail. some important questions. Were you November 17 – 19th, 2015 Besides determining what nutritional able to harvest your forage on time? requirements you exceed or fall short Sheraton Cavalier Hotel, What is the quality of the forage? Will Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on, there’s another reason to keep you need to supplement your feed? those numbers close to the o ce. How does this year compare to others? With the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization having It might not be every forage producer’s Forage production is justi ed when declared 2015 as the International Year idea of a good day, but calculating the cost of producing it is less than of Soils, what better opportunity to costs of production is essential to alternative feed sources (on a protein or showcase the contribution of forages maintaining a sustainable business. energy basis) and the net result provides to pro table livestock production, First, knowing how much it costs to grow a return on the capital required. healthy cropping systems, and overall and harvest your forages will allow you There’s nothing stopping you from ecosystem health for Canadian society. to price it fairly (or, in looking for other getting started on calculating your The 6th Annual CFGA conference feed, have a baseline for its value). Second, cost of production today. And if will highlight the pro tability of it will enable you to determine where developing your own spreadsheet intensive forage production systems improvements can be made, and whether doesn’t sound like a walk in the and the potential of forages to or not other harvest strategies would park, head to the web. There are provide ecosystem goods and be more valuable to your operation. numerous excel calculators available services for all Canadians. Determining cost of production will online, through university extensions Join us this November 17- 19th, require a look at some of the basics, like and provincial governments. 2015 in beautiful downtown Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for Canadian Forage in the ”Knowing how much it costs to grow and harvest your International Year of Soils forages will allow you to price it fairly (or, in looking for other – Capture the Intensity! feed, have a baseline for its value).“ www.canadianfga.com CropsGuide By Ralph Pearce ⁄⁄ CG Production Editor

a big step for small grains

New market opportunities will come with research and advocacy

or several years now, there have been viewed as an opportunity to secure current market questions about adding crops to the Grain value chains and explore the development of new Farmers of Ontario (GFO). Beyond the markets and possibly new uses. Those are all aspects charter commodities of corn, wheat and that Craig Martin of Cribit Seeds and Wintermar soybeans, for instance, there have been Farms near Waterloo, Ont., is happy to see. murmurs about bringing in edible beans. But early “We’ve been working on this on and off for sev- this past July, it was farmers who grow oats and bar- eral years,” Martin says. “When OBCO was not able ley who became the latest to join the GFO umbrella. to get funding to keep it going, we tried to keep the It’s a move that promises to do as much for name going out there. Ultimately, those of us who research, development and advocacy as it will for were with the council felt that the right fit was with exploring new markets. the GFO, but the time we lost our funding was about It’s already getting called a big step for oat the same time they were trying to get their three and barley growers in Ontario, particularly after crops to work together. And we believed then it was the disbanding of the Oat and Barley Council best to sit on the sidelines and wait and let that proof Ontario. Formed in 2001, OBCO began with cess get through and get settled in before we throw high hopes, but its membership was voluntary and some other crops into the dynamic.” there was little or no funding to pursue the group’s Without the stability of the GFO, a lot of energy mandate, which initially was to represent the value was spent on getting small-project funding from chain for the two cereals. various sources. But now with the backing of the farmer organization, energies can be more efficiently directed at a stable, longer-term effort. “ With oats and barley, it is Pricing on the commodities themselves will remain unaffected but growers will notice the check- kind of a loose IP program.” offs on their sales this year. Although that might be a contentious issue for some, Martin concedes it’s — Craig Martin, Cribit Seeds part of the process of belonging to such a large and and Wintermar Farms involved organization. In its July 6, 2015 announcement regarding the addition of oats and barley, the GFO set its checkoff at $1.30 per tonne for barley, Growers, seed company representatives, elevators $1.65 per tonne for oats and the same $1.65 for oat and processors were united under OBCO, and until and barley mixes. 2010, the group attempted to secure funding for new “The GFO will not have direct marketing powers variety development and also for investigating new over oats and barley — it’s more like the arrange- and emerging markets. ment with corn and soybeans,” says Martin. “But It’s been a difficult run for oats, barley and mixed with oats and barley, it is kind of a loose IP program. grains, particularly in the past 20 years. As recently It’s also smaller-acreage blocks where you don’t have as 1995, farmers planted more than 700,000 acres hundreds and hundreds of acres.” of the three crops in Ontario, but barley and mixed But what could be viewed as short-term pain grains in particular have witnessed steep declines could lead to longer-term gain, as the checkoffs are (Table 1). pooled and spent on research and development, new There has been some good news at the same markets, and something the GFO does very well — time, however. Yields are trending upwards, with oat telling the world about Ontario agriculture. yields up nearly 30 per cent over 1995 levels, and “Given the enthusiasm of the GFO staff, I think prices also trending higher, generally speaking (i.e. we’re going to see some change,” says Martin, add- oat prices are up 89 per cent compared to 1995). ing that the first challenge might be in how that That has many in the spring grains trade enthused change is measured. “With their connections, a lot of with the announcement that oats and barley will what we’ll do is a matter of not wanting to reinvent become the next crops covered by the GFO. It’s the wheel.”

40 country-guide.ca n ovember 2015 oats & barley

Learning from corn and soybeans Table 1: Area, production and farm value of oats, barley and mixed grains, 2012-14 and 1995 The biggest challenge from Martin’s perspective is to grow the oat and barley sector in an orderly fashion. If growth is too Area Area fast, the pricing will falter. If it’s too slow, market development seeded harvested Yield Price may stumble. He believes the sector needs to continue pushing Year Crops (acres) (acres) (bu./ac.) ($/bu.) yields higher and improving the economics for growing the two 2014 oats 70,000 52,000 76.3 $3.88 cereals. Then market demand has to be carefully moved in con- barley 110,000 102,000 68.1 $4.16 cert with the supply. mixed 90,000 73,000 72.6 $3.18 “If we can get the agronomy there — and grow the agron- Total 270,000 227,000 omy side of it — we’re geographically well positioned here in 2013 oats 75,000 68,000 72.1 $3.88 Ontario,” says Martin. “There’s a lot of processing done in the barley 115,000 105,000 58.9 $4.75 eastern U.S. where the pet food industry and oat-milling industry mixed 95,000 80,000 66.3 $3.52 are located, and from a transportation and logistics position, Total 285,000 253,000 we’re far better positioned than dragging it in from the West.” 2012 oats 60,000 55,000 71.8 $3.92 N orthern opportunities too barley 125,000 118,000 64.4 $5.63 mixed 100,000 85,000 70.0 $4.15 As an agronomist with Co-op Regionale de Nipissing-Sud- Total 285,000 258,000 bury, in the Temiskaming area, Terry Phillips has done his own 1995 oats 100,000 95,000 58.9 $2.05 work with oats and barley in the region, including top dressing barley 330,000 320,000 60.0 $3.55 nitrogen on oats as well as adapting western Canadian oat vari- mixed 330,000 320,000 62.5 $2.70 eties, such as Morrison, for Ontario conditions. He’s excited to Total 760,000 227,000 know that the GFO will have a hand in stabilizing funding and providing some much-needed direction and focus on research Source: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and development. “It’ll be good for us (in the Near North) because those are bread-and-butter crops for us,” says Phillips. “Other than plant breeding at ECORC (Eastern Cereals and Oilseeds Research Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers

Centre, part of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Ottawa sta- Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Monsanto products tion), nobody’s done anything agronomic to oats and barley for are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with years, other than some of the fungicide work that the companies Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. Commercialized products have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory have done.” systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold Phillips was also actively involved with OBCO during the in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not days when it was trying to forge a new direction for growers. permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for In the early days of the council, there was a drive to get malting this product. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. barley established in parts of Ontario, particularly in Temiska- ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready® crops contain genes that ming, but still closer to the brewing centres of Montreal and confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides. Roundup® Toronto. At that time, there were issues concerning protein levels brand agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for canola contains the active ingredients difenoconazole, metalaxyl (M and S isomers), fludioxonil and other agronomic factors, but the larger challenge to getting and thiamethoxam. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for canola plus Vibrance® is a combination of malting barley established was with growing consistent volumes. two separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients difenoconazole, metalaxyl (M and S isomers), fludioxonil, thiamethoxam, and sedaxane. Acceleron® seed treatment technology “Nobody’s been playing with these crops,” says Phillips, add- for corn (fungicides and insecticide) is a combination of four separate individually-registered products, which ing that Peter Johnson, former provincial cereal specialist, once together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin, ipconazole, and clothianidin. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn (fungicides only) is a combination of three separate individually-registered jokingly stated that oats is the last of the cultivated weeds. “But products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin and ipconazole. Acceleron® with the freight issues of Western Canada, and oats being low in seed treatment technology for corn with Poncho®/VoTivo™ (fungicides, insecticide and nematicide) is a priority for preferred freight for rail transportation, we have a combination of five separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin, ipconazole, clothianidin and Bacillus firmus strain I-1582. Acceleron® seed treatment really good opportunity in Eastern Canada. Quaker is still here technology for soybeans (fungicides and insecticide) is a combination of four separate individually registered and it’s still looking at its proprietary oat program and has good products, which together contain the active ingredients fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin, metalaxyl and imidacloprid. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for soybeans (fungicides only) is a combination of three separate buy-in in Ontario, including Temiskiming. It’s like an IP cereal individually registered products, which together contain the active ingredients fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin and program.” metalaxyl. Acceleron and Design®, Acceleron®, DEKALB and Design®, DEKALB®, Genuity and Design®, Genuity®, JumpStart®, RIB Complete and Design®, RIB Complete®, Roundup Ready 2 Technology and Design®, Roundup Industry sources also say that Molson is looking to secure Ready 2 Yield®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup Transorb®, Roundup WeatherMAX®, Roundup®, SmartStax and more Ontario-grown barley. And Phillips cites one individual in Design®, SmartStax®, Transorb®, VT Double PRO®, and VT Triple PRO® are registered trademarks of Monsanto 2014 who talked of a major malting barley buyer centred in Bar- Technology LLC, Used under license. Vibrance® and Fortenza® are registered trademarks of a Syngenta group company. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design are trademarks of Bayer. Used under license. Herculex® is rie. In that discussion, such a buyer was involved in filling malt- a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC. Used under license. Poncho® and Votivo™ are trademarks of ing demands based on volumes from a 15,000-acre block. Bayer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. “We’re not going to see the big players investing in oats and barley — it’s too small a market crop for them,” says Martin. “But as a small player, working with the GFO with its connections and influence, it’s going to be a whole lot more effective than we can be by ourselves.” CG november 2015 c ountry-guide.ca 41 B y Ralph Pearce ⁄⁄ CG Production Editor New in food-grade and edible beans Market potential and the new Canadian health Precision claim may boost interest and production

anada’s reputation for excellence in food-grade soybeans going forward. And of course, variability the production and quality of identity- eastern Canadian production of white, cranberry, preserved (IP) food-grade soybeans and kidney and black beans — among others — remains edible beans is a well-known advantage a viable market for those growers who stand by to those growers who contract to grow edible beans — because they do such an incredible these crops on a regular basis. High proteins, high sug- job of growing them. ars, and unblemished seed coats are among the marks For our part, Country Guide is featuring its of excellence that attract buyers from around the world. latest entry in our “What’s new?” series, with six Early in 2015, Health Canada also approved a companies taking part. Keep in mind, if you’re in the claim for soy protein to help reduce cholesterol. It’s market to grow any IP food-grade soybeans or edible hoped this claim will drive domestic interest in IP beans, it’s best to book early.

I dentity-Preserved (IP)/food-grade soybean varieties Country Farm Seeds Hen sall District Co-operative OAC Thamesville is an IP food-grade variety HDC Celebrity is a new IP soybean with excel- suited to the 3150 crop heat unit (CHU) region of lent yield for maturity. It has an RM of 0.5 and is Eastern Canada, with a relative maturity (RM) of suited to the 2650 CHU growing areas, for all soil 2.3. It provides excellent yields in all weather con- types, and is best suited to seven- to 22-inch row ditions and is readily adaptable to most soil types. spacing. It’s an imperfect yellow hilum, is resistant It also works well in conventional, minimum or to soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and has a protein no-till management operations. It’s a yellow-hilum level of 42 to 43 per cent. It also comes with a bean adapted to premium export markets. good lodging score. Croplan/Winfield PRO Seeds Avatar is Croplan/Winfield’s first non-GMO Candor is a new tofu variety from PROSeeds soybean for the export market. It’s suited to the suitable for the 3000 HU area with an excellent 2850 heat unit region with an RM of 1.5. It’s a grower premium. Japanese buyers have been excited moderate bush-type plant that grows to medium about the size, colour and protein of this bean. height and can fit most row spacings, although 15- Recommended for 15-inch rows, this mid-bushy to 30-inch rows are best. Avatar grows very well in plant will fill in a 30-inch row as well. A consistent clay and silt soils, with very good emergence, good performer across all soil types, the high yield is sup- standability, very good tolerance to white mould ported by great standability and disease resistance. and good tolerance to Phytophthora root rot. In Astor is a new 2575 HU tofu variety for the terms of food quality parameters, it’s an imperfect early areas of Ontario and Quebec. Strong legs yellow-hilum bean, with 41.8 per cent protein and under permit this variety to be grown at 15-inch 19.5 per cent oil content. rows on sandy to clay loam soils. Although seed supply will be limited, the company says Astor D ow Seeds should be looked at by anyone growing OAC DS045C0 is a Dow IP food-grade soybean vari- Champion. Just a note, the variety is sensitive to ety with an RM of 0.4, offering good white mould high rates of metribuzin. tolerance and larger seed sizes. This variety is pend- Emperor falls in between the two varieties above ing registration. with a CHU rating of 2750. Ontario trials dem- DS143C0, also from Dow, is an IP food-grade onstrate the yield potential of this tofu variety. soybean with an RM of 1.4, coupled with excellent Emperor easily adapts to various row spacing and yields and above-average protein content. This vari- soil types, with strong standability and well-podded ety is also pending registration. stems. Seed will be limited for this new introduction.

42 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 pulses

SeCan E dible bean varieties is 15- to 30-inch rows with 97 days to maturity. However, Fathom doesn’t do OAC Strive has been added to Hensall District Co-op well in rich loam soils. SeCan’s conventional soybean lineup Mist is a white bean variety with for 2016. Three-year Ontario Per- Fathom is a first for North American excellent root strength and resistance to formance Trial data for this 2675 white beans, with both common bacterial common bacterial blight. Optimum row CHU variety shows yields at a 105 blight resistance and anthracnose resis- spacing is 15 to 30 inches, with excellent per cent index in the 2500 to 2800 tance. It grows as an upright bush type of seed quality. Mist also does well in late- CHU trial. OAC Strive is an excel- plant with vines, and carries an excellent season areas, is suited to all soil types lent candidate for identity-pre- yield potential. Optimum row spacing and typically matures in 98 days. CG served (IP) food-grade programs due to its higher-than-normal protein content. In addition to its positive yield and protein attributes, this imperfect yellow-hilum variety features good lodging resistance and good tolerance to Phytoph- thora root rot. Producers should note there will be very limited supply of this variety for 2016. OAC Prescott is an exciting new 2725 CHU conventional soybean variety, debuting in farm fields in 2016. Its high yield potential and protein levels make this grey-hilum soybean a comple- mentary variety to OAC Wallace. Ontario Soybean Variety Trial 2014 results from all test sites show OAC Prescott at a five-year average of 111 per cent of the check. This variety came in No. 1 overall for three years in the 2500 to 2800 CHU Ontario Perfor- mance Trials test. Broadly adapted to suit all Ontario soil types, this variety performs across all row widths in no-till and conventional management systems, and has good tolerance to Phytophthora root rot. OAC Brooke is the third and highest CHU addition to SeCan’s 2016 conventional soybean port- Nu-Trax™ P+ fertilizer puts you in charge of delivering the nutrition your crops need for a folio. Given this 3050 CHU vari- strong start. It features the right blend of phosphorus, zinc and other nutrients essential ety’s base protein levels, large size, for early season growth. And because Nu-Trax P+ coats onto your dry fertilizer you are and yellow-hilum beans, premiums placing, these nutrients close to the rooting zone where young plants can easily access within IP food-grade programs them, when they are needed most. are available. OAC Brooke shows superior yield performance to OAC Take control of your crop’s early season nutrition with Nu-Trax P+ Kent and is considered this variety’s and visit . new export-quality replacement. Ontario Soybean Performance Tri- als five-year summary indicates this non-GMO line yielded 109 per cent Rethink your phos of the index. This line does particularly well on clay and clay loam ©2015 Compass Minerals is a registered trademark of Compass Minerals International, Inc., and Nu-Trax™ P+ is a trademark soils, is resistant to most races of of Compass Minerals Manitoba Inc. Compass Minerals is the proud supplier of Wolf Trax® Innovative Nutrients. Not all products Phytophthora root rot, and per- are registered in all areas. Contact [email protected] for more information. 44414 CG forms in both conventional and no- till operations.

November 2015 c ountry-guide.ca 43 CropsGuide

# PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA

Have a question you want answered? Hashtag #PestPatrol on twitter.com to @cowbrough or email Mike at [email protected]. A f survey o weeds in corn, soybeans and winter wheat across six southwestern Ontario counties

he last survey of weeds populating fields in Ontario was conducted in 1988. Therefore, I felt it was time to do another survey and compare the weed species populating corn, soybeans and winter wheat found in 1988 versus 2014. In general, the abundant species identified in 1988 were also abundant in 2014. However, there were some notable changes. Quackgrass, which was the third-most abundant weed in the 1988 survey, was much less abundant in the 2014 survey. There were also a number of species that were identified in the 2014 survey and at notable levels of abundance that did not show up as abundant species in the 1988 survey, specifically Canada fleabane, purslane speedwell, tufted vetch and annual bluegrass. CG

Table 1 The five most abundant weeds found in corn prior to herbicide application in six counties during 2014 # 1 # 2 # 3 # 4 # 5 Huron green foxtail wild buckwheat lamb’s quarters common ragweed yellow foxtail Middlesex green foxtail dandelion volunteer alfalfa field horsetail common ragweed Oxford large crabgrass green foxtail lamb’s quarters redroot pigweed yellow nutsedge Perth perennial sow thistle common ragweed green foxtail volunteer red clover yellow nutsedge Waterloo lamb’s quarters yellow foxtail dandelion yellow nutsedge field horsetail Wellington dandelion annual bluegrass tufted vetch volunteer wheat common ragweed

Table 2 The five most abundant weeds found in soybean prior to herbicide application in six counties during 2014 # 1 # 2 # 3 # 4 # 5 Huron lamb’s quarters common ragweed dandelion green foxtail redroot pigweed Middlesex volunteer corn green foxtail field horsetail lamb’s quarters common ragweed Oxford witchgrass lamb’s quarters green foxtail dandelion field horsetail Perth dandelion lamb’s quarters volunteer corn field bindweed field horsetail Waterloo lamb’s quarters redroot pigweed dandelion common ragweed perennial sow thistle Wellington green pigweed green foxtail field horsetail Canada fleabane lady’s thumb

Table 3 The five most abundant weeds found in winter wheat prior to herbicide application in five counties during 2014 # 1 # 2 # 3 # 4 # 5 Huron lamb’s quarters dandelion wild buckwheat common ragweed perennial sow thistle Oxford green foxtail dandelion lamb’s quarters wood sorrel chickweed Perth common ragweed dandelion purslane speedwell field horsetail lamb’s quarters Waterloo chickweed purslane speedwell annual fleabane lamb’s quarters annual sow thistle Wellington volunteer canola dandelion quackgrass field violet common burdock

Table 4 A comparison of the top six most abundant weeds in each of the two Ontario surveys #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Frick & Thomas Survey (1988-89) green foxtail lamb’s quarters quackgrass redroot pigweed common ragweed dandelion common pigweed 2014 Survey lamb’s quarters green foxtail field horsetail dandelion ragweed (both redroot & green) Acknowledgements: I’d like to thank Meghan Grguric and Meghan Moran, who surveyed all the fields, and to Carole Ann Lacroix (OAC herbarium) for identifying several “unknown” samples that were found during the survey.

44 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 B:8.625” T:8.125” S:7”

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By Gord Gilmour, CG Associate Editor

t’s on the network of narrow highways that Cowboy country snake through the rolling, grass-covered hills of southwestern Saskatchewan that you first When I arrive, it’s a rainy day in late July, the first notice the quiet. rain for many a long month, and the parched prairie You can drive for 50 miles at a time and is drinking the water in. Doug Gillespie, a rancher only see the occasional farmyard off in the distance. from near Neville, Sask., has come a few miles out In contrast to the busy Trans-Canada Highway to from his place to greet me. He’s concerned I might the north with its continuous roar of highway traf- not have a vehicle up to the challenges of miles of fic, you might see one or two vehicles. a muddy grid road as a result of what he happily As they pass, you get the inevitable wave, usually describes as “this beautiful rain” — he ranches at just a single finger lifted almost laconically, a simple what he further describes as the end of “the longest quick acknowledgment that there’s another person 12 miles of grid in the world,” a spot he explains passing through this majestically isolated landscape many have had trouble finding over the years. of native prairie, cattle and not much else. He takes me on a quick detour through the yard, In a province most of us think of as an endless nestled in the bottom of a valley, up against the patchwork of wheat and canola, this outpost of northwest side, just to give me a sense of the opera- traditional grassland ranching is often overlooked, tion. I mention that I’ve noted most of the yard sites sometimes utterly ignored, or even worse endlessly seem to be similarly located, and he cracks a broad patronized as unproductive and empty flyover country. smile and explains it’s just taking advantage of the Don’t tell that to the men and women who live native geography to find protection from the cold and work here though. These are people with deep winter winds for his animals. roots burrowed in this thin and arid soil with its “God’s shelter is always going to be better than covering of native grasses, flowering plants and man’s,” he says with a characteristic chuckle. stunted shrubs. Most of them are the descendants Gillespie is animated, talkative and a passionate of American families that followed the grass north advocate for ranching in the region. With his bat- when railways and homesteaders displaced ranchers tered hat and rough work clothes, he looks every domino style up the spine of North America. inch the authentic cowboy. He’s also the head of To them this land is home, their spot to stand. the Saskatchewan Stock Growers’ Association, one And their ranches are their own domains, a land- of the ranching industry’s main lobby groups in the scape that has formed them more than they’ve province. He’s agreed to meet and introduce me to formed it, a place that one must adapt to and work the business, along with his friend and neighbour with rather than attempt to bend to one’s own Terry Ostrander, of nearby Hallonquist, Sask. will, as the local ranchers say. If you don’t learn We convene at the local farm supply Co-op outlet that lesson, sooner or later you’ll be swept aside, in the hamlet of McMahon, and in a quiet corner with just another tumbleweed whose roots haven’t been a coffee pot and a few chairs, the pair attempts to edu- strong enough to hold it in place. cate a total neophyte on ranching in Saskatchewan. My first question is what makes their business so unique — something that’s instantly apparent to even the most untrained eye. Both consider it, and

46 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 b u s i n e s s

times explaining to other cattle operators who were used to far different numbers. He recalls discussing his operation with someone from the Edmonton area who insisted that what he really meant was he was running 300 cows on 2,000 acres. “He just couldn’t believe those stocking rates,” Gillespie explains. The area was also isolated — driving through it later that week, it really hit home, as miles flew by without a sign of human habitation beyond the odd abandoned building and teepee rings from the days the First Nations roamed this land. Gillespie says during the same conversation he was asked about his nearest town and said it was 47 miles from the ranch house. These days Gillespie ranches in a less Doug Gillespie (left) and Terry Ostrander know the perils of ranching this land too hard. isolated part of the province, about 30 miles southeast of the city of Swift Current, after it’s Ostrander who speaks first, in quiet “Your first loss might be a loss, but moving in the early 1990s when the federal and measured tones that complement his it’s also always your cheapest loss,” Gil- government formed Grasslands National neighbour’s more boisterous way. It is, lespie says. Park. He says he fought the formation of the he explains, a business where the land This theme resonated through our con- park “tooth and nail” but realized he had to and climate define exactly what you can versation, one that spanned several hours. act when it became reality. do, and if you’re going to be successful Again and again the two spoke in terms of “I decided I wanted to be one of the first you’ve got to respect that and adapt. understanding and respecting their land, of people to move, not one of the last,” Gil- “You can’t expect nature to adapt to working tirelessly to maintain its productiv- lespie says. “I didn’t want to be out there all you, you have to understand what’s hap- ity and of not abusing it. Care for the land, alone after all the neighbours had left.” pening and be ready to make changes when they explain, and the land will care for you. Ostrander still ranches on his family’s you have to,” Ostrander says. For example, In particular they point out that, unlike a lot original operation, as does his brother, he explains that until this rain came, he and of other sectors, their primary concern can’t though the two operate separately. It’s likely every other rancher in the region was be simply maximizing production year after the Turkey Track Ranch, one of the prov- preparing to cut his herd and send cows to year — the key is to leave about 50 per cent ince’s earliest ranches, having begun as market, rather than waiting and hoping for of the available grass still standing at the end an extension of a historic U.S. brand rain that might or might not come. of a grazing season, setting the range up for that arrived from Texas by way of the Failing to move quickly enough would a quick recovery the next spring. historic cattle trails in 1900. His grandfa- result in a double blow — selling cattle into Gillespie’s family arrived in the early ther bought the Saskatchewan operation falling markets after depleting the delicate part of the 20th century from South in 1917, after also arriving from the U.S. rangeland that could take years to recover Dakota, and settled just north of the as part of that northward migration. if overgrazed. It’s a point Gillespie quickly international boundary in a corner of “They were looking for grazing land, agrees with, saying the lesson is one that’s what’s now the west block of Grasslands as homesteaders displaced cattle in the been hard learned over generations. National Park. It was a land of rattle- south,” Ostrander says. It’s a delicate ecosystem that won’t snakes and arid grasses, a harsh land that The cattle of the time were primar- stand mistreatment, and the most suc- even the most optimistic homesteader ily Texas longhorn, large-framed and cessful ranchers are the ones who have instinctively understood couldn’t possibly smooth-coated animals that proved learned that lesson, Gillespie says. support cereal grain production. poorly suited to the harsher climate. A They’re ready to cut their stock numbers Ranching in this area was hardly a hard winter in 1906-07 without a warm quickly when conditions turn dry and the get-rich-quick scheme, with stocking chinook wind caused the Big Die-Off. grass stops growing, for example, taking rates of around four cows per quarter Even today, when people say its name, that loss and surviving to fight another section, and the Gillespies were running you can hear the capitalization. Cattle day, a strategy that makes both environ- around 300 head on about 20,000 acres. mental and economic sense, he says. He says it’s a reality he’s had trouble at Continued on page 48

November 2015 c ountry-guide.ca 47 b u s i n e s s

Continued from page 47 isolated that the region is a light preserve where stargazers can see the stars like were lost in the tens of thousands, caus- few other places. ing many of the large U.S. operators to We stop at a black-tailed prairie dog lose their appetite for northern ranching colony to have a look at the activities of and leaving a group of smaller operators the small rodents. Amidst their bird-like to pick up the pieces and figure out a chirping as they communicate to each other way of ranching that worked in the north about these strange intruders, Facette opens — a way that eventually centred around up about what makes this mixed-grass prai- smaller-framed heavy-coated animals. rie landscape so special in her mind. At roughly the same time the industry “It’s a beautiful place — it’s the only began to feel pressure from homesteaders mixed-grass prairie park in all of Can- who were hungrily eyeing grazing land. ada, and I think it should be something At times this meant land was broken that “The ranchers who lived all Canadians can see and enjoy,” she was poorly suited for grain agriculture. says. “It’s very unique and we only have It was farmed for a few years and then here did such a good it because the ranchers who lived here did abandoned during the dust bowl of the such an excellent job of protecting it.” 1930s, only to later become cattle country job protecting it,” says That might sound like heresy to an again, as the resilient local ranchers filled urban environmentalist, but in no small the gap left by abandoned homesteads. a Parks Canada officer part it’s one of the truest statements I’ll Ostrander says if he has a concern hear during this visit. Contrast the envi- today, it’s for the future of the business. visiting this place,” Piwowar says. “It’s ronmental footprint of a farmer and Over the years it’s survived a lot of chal- not been broken. It’s the way it’s been for a rancher. Where a vast swath of native lenges, but these days it faces two major thousands of years, since the end of the grassland used to run up the spine of the challenges, all related to people. First, few last ice age.” continent from north Texas to Edmonton, of the young people show much appetite That evolution depended, in no small are now fields of corn, soy, cotton, and to live the same lives as their parents and part, on the presence of a large grazing wheat and canola, just to name the major grandparents, preferring instead to pursue animal to disturb the sod with hoofprints crops. That’s not to cast shame on farmers careers in urban centres. Secondly, the and fertilize it with dung. Take that out — the world needs that food and fibre — industry is under a lot of scrutiny on the of the equation and the system begins to it’s just an observation. environmental and consumer side, with become less productive, slowly at first, You can still walk the landscape here criticism that he views as unwarranted, then more quickly as the cumulative effect and find needlegrass, bluegramma, west- such as the recent A&W move to hor- begins to take hold. ern porcupine grass and shrubs like silver mone-free beef, or organic products being “I’m not a rangeland manager, but it’s sagebrush. The native birds, insects and marketed as more wholesome. pretty clear that without grazing, this land animals all still thrive on this landscape. “I don’t honestly think that most begins to suffer,” Piwowar says. “Cattle And cattle grazing has played a key role people care, until it’s marketed to them don’t perfectly replace bison, but they do in keeping the ecosystem healthy. as somehow safer, which just isn’t so,” perform many of the very important func- When you stop to think about it, this is Ostrander says. “That’s where I have a tions bison once did.” hardly surprising, says one local rancher. problem with it.” To understand how this balance works, Miles Anderson ranches near the hamlet of you need to know the land, and the best Fir Mountain and during our conversation Environmental boon place to see that is Grasslands National he explains that this lesson was one Parks At times ranching has been painted Park, one of the lesser-known jewels in Canada had to learn from scratch, after as an environmental disaster unfolding the national park system. It’s comprised of coming in during the early 1980s with the in slow motion. However, this rhetoric two blocks of land, covering roughly 900 perception they were going to somehow ignores the very nature of grasslands and square kilometres in the southwest corner “save” the range from the ranchers. how they evolved, says one geographer of the province, bordered to the south by “They were bullies, to be perfectly who’s worked extensively in the region. the international boundary. Looking at it honest,” Anderson says. “They came in Joe Piwowar of the University of Regina on a map, it’s a part of the world where the and God help you if one of your cows has a special interest in the mixed-grass road network slowly fades out, first to nar- strayed onto their land… it was like they prairie of the region, where he’s been row secondary highways, then to winding thought a cow or a horse was a plague.” researching the effects of climate change. grid roads and finally to rutted paths across Initially the park completely excluded He says when you contrast this landscape the Prairie. Here we meet Heather Facette, any grazing livestock, until they began to against the rest of the Prairies — a region a resource management officer with Parks run into some of the expected problems of that less than 150 years ago was all cov- Canada, for a tour of the park. ungrazed land. They also came to the real- ered with similar vegetation from Winnipeg As we drive through the landscape, ization that the local ranching community to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains it’s hard to imagine a lonelier place on was a valuable source of information and — the contrast is stark. Where farm fields the face of the planet, a landscape of most importantly, the park wouldn’t thrive have long displaced waving grasses in other grassy plants, wildflowers and other without the support of its neighbours. places, here those grasses survive. broadleaf plants and small shrubs, all on “That’s a big part of the experience of rolling hills and valley bottoms. It’s so Continued on page 50

48 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 Come and join us for the SUMMIT ON CANADIAN SOIL HEALTH Tuesday, December 1ST, 2015 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Hyatt Regency Hotel, Calgary, Alberta

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Continued from page 48 adding that the park-ranch relationship ers still operating within the park’s desig- is significantly less rocky than it was. nated boundary. When I suggest to him “They’ve changed their approach a U of Regina’s Joe Piwowar says in that the title probably doesn’t cover off all lot over the past six or seven years,” part the problem was academics like him his duties, he grinned. Anderson says. As that’s happened he who didn’t always acknowledge or even “I tell people I translate,” he says. and the park staff have found com- understand the depth of the knowledge “Because really, that’s what I do. I trans- mon ground and he’s now widely noted of local ranchers. For example he cited a late between the local ranching commu- among park staff as a landowner who study done by researchers from another nity and Parks Canada staff.” understands the ecosystem he manages, institution looking at stocking rates and At times it can be challenging, but less and actively shares information with how they affected the rangeland. so lately. In the early years he concedes the park staff and researchers working in “I shouldn’t be bad-mouthing other relationships between the Parks people and the area. academics, but I always chuckle at that the local community wasn’t always great. A conversation with him is interest- a bit,” he confesses. “I bet if they’d just “I think there’s an idea where this ing and unexpected, as he speaks plainly asked the local ranchers about it, they all land can somehow be ‘saved,’” he says. as you’d expect a cowboy to — all the had a pretty good idea what the optimum “With farmland, it’s been changed so while peppering the conversation with stocking rate was.” much for food production, I don’t think words like ecosystem and other terms there’s that same sort of thought.” that an outside observer might find Bridging the gap The attitude that their land needed to funny to be coming from his mouth. If there’s one person who can honestly be saved from them went over with the When I point out an urban environmen- claim to have a foot in both camps, it’s locals about as well as you could imag- talist eavesdropping on our conversation Jody Larson. He still runs cows on part of ine, and park staff are noticeably cautious would probably be pretty surprised, this his family’s ranch near Val Marie, though about how they speak of the legacy of is met with a wry chuckle. a good portion of it is now owned by the ranching these days. They are also quite Anderson says he’s willing to talk to park. He also has an office in town at the candid about how the park itself has the park staff these days because they’ve park’s visitor centre, where his job title is begun to use grazing to manage their own in turn begun to understand and respect “realty program officer” a nod to his role the local ranching community more, in negotiating land purchases from ranch- Continued on page 52

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50 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 The Southwest Soil and Crop Improvement Associations and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs present…..

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Continued from page 50 that seems almost empty, the few people lenge as young people move away, who do live here tend to form meaning- ranches become larger, and perhaps the range, including some cattle grazing, as ful relationships that span many miles. park begins to attract more visitors, well as a bison herd. Having more than “I admit to him that in a small way instead of the few thousand folks who one type of grazing is actually seen as a I may have got a glimpse of this when I make the hours-long trek to an out-of- positive by Parks staff these days. told Doug Gillespie that one of my next the-way corner every year. “It’s important that we have a stops was to visit him at the park, and “It’s a delicate balance,” Larson says. range of habitats to support wildlife,” Gillespie explains that prior to his move, “You want to do your job with integrity Heather Facette says. “The habitats that the two families were neighbours. and be a good employee, and showcase are created by bison grazing and cattle “His dad was the best cowhand I ever the land — it’s a sense of pride that the grazing and ungrazed land are all differ- knew,” Gillespie had told me. early settlers and First Nations were stew- ent, and they support different wildlife, When I tell Larson this, he pauses, ards of it. However, you wonder what such as species of birds.” obviously touched by the tribute to his effect a lot of visitors may have on the She adds that those habitat types can late father. land, the people and the communities.” be both within the park and outside of it, I mention to him that this sort of Larson concedes he has mixed feel- and all combine to contribute to a healthy sense of community is one of the things, ings about how things have gone at ecosystem for wildlife in the area. along with the raw beauty of the land, times, especially how his family’s ranch This growing mutual respect is also a I had noted on this trip, and wondered is now largely part of the park. I ask him natural product of the passage of time, what his impressions were. He says to if that bothered him when it happened, Larson says. “Our kids go to school him it boiled down to people looking out and his answer is forthright and candid. together, they play hockey together, for each other, something that could be “It still bothers me today, some- we’ve got to know each other… as that’s seen in the way children were raised in times,” he admitted. “It’s not the same, happened, I think we’ve found we actu- the area, working alongside their parents being one of the people who manages it ally have a lot more in common than and neighbours at events like roundup for the new owners, the government of most of us would have thought.” and branding, almost being raised by the Canada and the people of Canada. It’s An old sense of community has even community as a whole. never going to be the same as managing reasserted itself, Larson says. In a land Preserving that is going to be a chal- it for yourself and your own family.” CG

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52 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 Introducing AALP Class 16 Emerging leaders in Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food industry The Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) is one of the longest AALP is made possible through running agricultural leadership programs in the world. This 19-month the support of forward-thinking executive development program broadens horizons and expands networks agri-businesses and organizations. to help shape the future of the agriculture and agri-food sectors in Ontario. Thank you to all the generous For more information on AALP and Class 16, please visit www.aalp.on.ca. sponsors of AALP Class 16.

AALP is a program of the Rural Ontario Institute 1015-46680 b u s i n e s s Behind closed doors New Holland takes us into the secret world of its secure research facility in Pennsylvania

By Scott Garvey, CG Machinery Editor

n August 20, 1940, the New Hol- Lieberman, NH’s new North American vice-president land Machine Company signed a deal during the July media event. “Our job will always be to with Pennsylvania inventor Ed Nault leave the place in better shape than when we found it. to take ownership of his unique hay “When I was manager at the (assembly) plant, I baler design. Nault had patented a would show them (visitors) the knotter and say if it new knotter that was capable of reliably producing a weren’t for this we probably wouldn’t be here today. tight bale, something other fledgling designs at the time Something so simple as a knotter on a square baler is really couldn’t do very well, according to Don Horning, where this company has grown from. That really put a New Holland, Pennsylvania historian who provided this brand on the map, and it really gave it the leverage journalists with some history behind the NH brand to grow and expand.” during a media event put on by the company in July. Legend has it that Nault locked himself inside a Nault and a partner were only manufacturing the farmyard corn crib while perfecting his prototype baler balers on a very small scale prior to the sale, Horn- so as to avoid any cynical criticism from his neighbours ing explained. who might catch on to what he was up to. Today, Just five weeks later, however, owners of what advancing the design of NH machines is still done would become today’s New Holland, which was behind locked doors to provide a measure of corporate and still is headquartered in New Holland, had fine secrecy, but the company’s R&D facility adjacent to the tuned the baler’s design and were beginning produc- executive offices and hay tool-manufacturing plant is a tion, with advertisements for the improved machine far cry from Nault’s improvised farm workshop. running in the local newspaper. The success of that The NH R&D building covers thousands of baler made NH the go-to brand for haying equip- square feet and includes sophisticated test bays that ment in North America for years, building a reputa- can perform everything from continuous vibration tion that still has a strong pull with many farmers. tests to cold-weather simulations that chill machines It also created a lasting pride in the quality of its bal- down to Saskatchewan-like winter conditions for ers that senior NH executives still feel today. sub-zero durability testing. It’s the kind of must-have “Our history is something we can be proud of and facility every major brand uses in order to turn out something we can build on, but we really can’t be reliable engineering designs. comfortable with what our predecessors did,” said Bret During that July event, NH executives unlocked the door to their facility and allowed farm journalists, who Bret Lieberman were at the head office to see the launch of the brand’s took over as New 2016 equipment line, to wander through and see what Holland’s North engineers and technicians were up to. Although there American vice- were some of the usual restrictions on what we could president in June. photograph, the company was quite accommodating. Managers recruit the roughly 100 workers in the R&D facility from its assembly plant staff, but employees who want one of these coveted jobs need to prove they have exceptional drive so they can be counted on to make a meaningful contribution. Each one needs to have a top-notch work record and to complete a series of courses on their own time before even being considered. “We can teach the skills, but we can’t teach the attitude,” explained Ben Heiser, manager of the R&D lab. arvey

The jobs vary from welding prototype com- G ott

ponents to running the $500,000 3D printer that c the lab uses to make to ensure concept parts have hy: S hy: proper fit before going through the expense of send- p

Continued on page 56 Photogra

54 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 The Canadian Association of Farm Advisors (CAFA) Inc. is a national, non-profit professional umbrella organization dedicated to assisting farm families and businesses by increasing the skills of farm advisors and consultants. www.cafanet.com

Farm advisors help manage the “What if….?” questions

By Liz RoBeRtson, M.A., they didn’t take the time to ask the “What complimentary skills and knowledge. Invest CAFA exeCutive DiReCtoR if…?” questions and then take action to in your business and family so the “What implement solutions? if…?” questions are covered . hat if… I died unexpectedly?” It is not easy to ask challenging or diffi- CAFA members offer advice on: Life insurance is likely cult questions and harder yet to take action • Farm Succession / Transition W one of the best examples of a seeking and implementing solutions. But it • Business planning “solution to a “What if…?” question. What isn’t an option. It takes time and courage but • Tax savings if you died? Life insurance will help your it demonstrates responsibility and account- • Human resources surviving family members cope with a ability to your family and farm business. • Marketing risk management number of financial costs resulting from Get advice from professional farm • Contracts your unexpected death. advisors who have the expertise and • Insurance There are other scenarios which the training to walk you through planning • Financing “What if…?” question can prod you towards and implementing. Seek advisors who CAFA is an umbrella organization seeking solutions and safeguards for your understand the business of farming as they for farm advisors. To learn more visit: family and business. Let’s look at a few: are continually learning about farming and www.cafanet.com or call Liz Robertson at • What if there are three years in a have the resources of farm advisors with CAFA 1-877-474-2871 row of poor production? • What if interest rates rise? • What if my key employee quits? • What if there is a divorce on the farm? These are just four questions of many. Danny Klinefelter of Texas A&M University likes to use “What if…?” and “Says who?” questions to help farmers improve farm management. It encourages thinking about solutions that can be put in place so that the “What if…?” questions are manageable. Here is another question: How many farms or families do you know personally, have been put in a terrible position because

Toll free: 1-877-474-2871 Email: [email protected] PO Box 270 • Seven Sisters Falls, MB • R0E 1Y0 Follow us on Twitter @CAFANET b u s i n e s s

Clockwise from below: Terry Moyer, hay tools product validation manager, holds a circuit board sent to the R&D lab for testing. This year digital components play an increasingly important role in the brand’s haying equipment.

An employee uses one-off fabrication jigs in the R&D lab to assemble this prototype header for testing.

This moving, wall-sized image of a baler appears in 3D when engineers use it to evaluate component performance or assembly fitment before prototyping begins.

Continued from page 54 “We’re trying to eliminate the build- marketing, pointed out that increased and-break cycles,” said Layton. “We come focus on electronics means the new ing a design out to a foundry to pour to market with a product that is much model introductions for 2016 look differ- metal versions. more mature.” ent than they have in past years. “In some cases we go through virtually Just off the shop floor is the facility’s “I think you’ll see the difference,” hundreds of iterations of a part before we VR (virtual reality) room. There, engi- Hooper said. “Last year what we presented actually build it,” said Mark Layton, a chief neers can take a 3D look at how compo- was a lot of new products. This year it’s engineer. “It (the printer) is a very valuable nents fit together or how they will react some new product, because we continue tool engineers use for prototyping vehicles. when working in the field. to invest. But it’s about delivering, now, That technology didn’t exist 10 years ago “Virtual reality came out of the need to the technology that allows that product to the way it does today.” take the complicated CAD (computer-aided optimize, so we can help the users do more In another test bay, a specialized design) models and simplify them,” said with the products we’ve just introduced.” machine vibrates and puts torsional stresses David Christopher, simulation manager. “I’ve been with the company 25 years on combine concaves. Previously, labs To get the most out of VR model- and I’ve never seen a refreshed line like would have to run a machine around a ling, even the way crops react when fed we have today,” added Lieberman. bump track, which meant scheduling driv- through combines and hay tools has been That focus on technology is likely ers to keep the test going around the clock studied and can be included in a moving to continue on Lieberman’s watch if his in order to put enough hours on in a short VR image. That lets engineers see where comments during an evening reception time. That non-stop pace was necessary to inefficiencies, excessive wear or other are any indication. get a quick evaluation of how the machine problems are likely to develop, so precise “To go fast, you need to keep your would fare over several years of normal refinements can be made. eyes up,” he told the journalists gathered working life. And it was hard on drivers, “We don’t want to do the old boiler there. “So if we as an organization are who endured those stresses too. plate process of just slapping more mate- always looking at our feet about what we The 3D modelling and specialized pro- rial on if you have a problem,” said have to do today, what happened yester- totype testing bays also do a better job both Christopher. day, the question is where are your eyes, of determining where any potential faults lie The lab also includes specialists who because we have to have our eyes focused and of determining why they occur, allow- subject electronics to some pretty severe on moving forward. You can’t go fast if ing engineers to make changes faster. duty. Mark Hooper, senior director of you’re looking at your feet.” CG

56 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 THE ONTARIO AGROLOGIST

Tony Morris, P.Ag., Senior Relationship Manager, Agriculture, Meridian Credit Union, talks about the Ontario Institute of Agrologists (OIA) 2016 Annual Conference. Tony is the Conference Chairman and reports’ planning is well underway with the support of local OIA Members and related agri-businesses.

Tell us how the OIA’s conference strong interest in attending given will be a significant sector event. the speakers who have already The conference theme, “Responsibilities confirmed their involvement. in a Demanding World”, reflects the Who are the confirmed speakers many challenges and opportunities for the conference? happening throughout the food chain, We are very pleased Frank Yiannas, from primary production to retailing. As Vice President of Food Safety with Slaght. She will speak to matters of demands on our industry increase, our Walmart has accepted our invitation professional negligence. Accreditation actions for which we are responsible to speak. Walmart is the largest retailer and licensure is important in matters come under ever-increasing scrutiny. and buyer of food in the world with over of public health, credibility and Whether it is gearing up to feed 9 billion 11,000 stores. Frank’s position is truly trust in the marketplace today. people, protecting the environment global in nature, and with his position or managing the impacts on the daily For our banquet, Richard P. Ellis, Senior as Vice Chair of the Global Food Safety lives of people, the decisions we make Vice President, Communications, Initiative, he brings valuable insight to every day have consequences. Public Affairs & Corporate Social the Ontario agriculture and food sector. Responsibility, McDonald’s Canada There are demands to go beyond Also confirmed is Dr. Colin Sage, has been invited. In his role he is very traditional testing, inspection and Professor of Geography, University focused on sustainability initiatives and training, with all sectors involved College, Cork, Ireland. His primary quality assurance. He is an accredited in the production and retailing of research is the inter-relationship member of the Canadian Public food adopting principles related of food and environmental Relations Society and Chair of Ronald to values and beliefs. Our place in resources; the development of the McDonald House Charities in Canada. the global market will be enhanced global food system; and issues of with proven assurance and the Following the Conference all will be governance and risk construction. credibility of Ontario practitioners. welcome to attend the OIA Banquet. Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, University The OIA Annual General Meeting The conference will have wide of Guelph, College of Business will take place on Friday April 1st audience appeal involving all OIA and Economics, is confirmed. He together with a tour to highlight the practice disciplines, production has authored almost 200 peer- local agriculture and food industry. agriculture, the agri-food industry, reviewed publications, written four students, food processing, How can we find out more books, and his research has been retailing, producer organizations, about the agenda? featured in countless newspapers. and government. I have spoken Information regarding the agenda with a number of food company We are excited to bring insight from is to be finalized and available in representatives in Ontario and the the world of professional litigation. November. Watch the OIA website United States who have expressed Naomi Leowith is a lawyer at Lenczner for regular updates. www.oia.on.ca OIA 2016 Conference: “Responsibilities in a Demanding World” Thursday, March 31st 2016 • Delta Hotel and Conference Centre, Guelph, Ontario

www.oia.on.ca HR A simple way to get more done

t is 6:30. You get up and plan to have a pro- “less” and learning to set limits reduces stress and ductive day. You look at your email inbox. anxiety and increases productivity and satisfaction. You were supposed to look for just 10 min- What can we limit? Consider: utes, and then you realize that it is 7:30. The • The number of suppliers and products we use children leave for school, you are in a hurry, • Equipment and tools and you completely forget your priorities for the • Subscriptions day. You are in emergency mode. You do a thousand • Meetings and associations things all day, and at the end of the day you feel • Responsibilities By Pierrette exhausted but haven’t accomplished what you were • Information received Desrosiers supposed to. You have too many things to do. • Clothing, trinkets, and toys As a leader and an entrepreneur, what can you do • Children’s activities to achieve more and to be more efficient? • The number of daily tasks to accomplish We have never had so many tools, methods, and • Time spent on the telephone, Facebook, and texting techniques and so much information available to help • The number of future projects us be more productive. However, our lives as leaders • Emails and websites visited are complicated. We become overwhelmed by the • The number of hours that we work number of decisions, opportunities and choices. • The number of projects that we work on This abundance leads to reduced productivity and • Priorities… When we have too many priorities, we satisfaction as well as to increased stress and chaos. have no priorities. If we could cut down, would we be more productive? In fact, each category of activity may be re- The answer from Leo Babauta in his bestseller thought by setting limits on it. The Power of Less, is straightforward… We would How? Select the situations with the most impact. be more productive “and happier.” One way to do so is to make the selection using one So yes, we should simplify our lives. But how? or more criteria, such as: It sounds simple, right? We should identify what’s • What gives you the most satisfaction in your life? essential, and then eliminate the rest. • What will be the most profitable in the long term? But is that really so simple? • What brings you long-term recognition? According to GE CEO Jeff Immelt, the role of a • What has the most positive impact on your family, leader is to, “simplify constantly.” He thinks that if a peers, or company? leader cannot explain the top three things the organi- • What aligns with your values? zation is working on, they are not leading very well. • What are the most useful? Can you name — and do your employees know — • What will you still find relevant in 20 years? the three most important projects that you’re work- Or, to start, ask yourself which part of your life is ing on? If not, simplify and prioritize. overburdened. As a coach, I ask a team, “What are your pri- • Ask yourself what should be simplified first orities, and what are your most important projects • Choose an area, and set a limit for the next months or the next year?” If everyone • Continue with another area, and note the benefits. seems confused, I know we have work to do. Why? Simplifying your life has several advantages: In a 2010 survey, IBM’s Institute for Business • It reduces stress Value identified one of the most important challenges • It enables you to focus on ways to avoid spreading as “the rapid escalation of complexity,” with 80 per yourself too thin cent predicting even more complexity in the future, so • It increases effectiveness we can assume that a leader will increasingly need to • It increases satisfaction develop the ability to simplify in the future. • It leaves time for what is truly important. We all have limits. As human beings, we can We do not have enough time, energy, and room consume, digest, understand, read, do, choose, and for everything, so we have to set limits for ourselves. appreciate only so many things. When we exceed this Then we will be freer. However, as Doris Janzen limit, we lose ourselves. Longacre has said, “The trouble with simple living Paradoxically, having limitations increases our is that, though it can be joyful, rich, and creative, it freedom. It forces us to make choices. Having isn’t simple.” CG

Pierrette Desrosiers, MPS, CRHA is a work psychologist, professional speaker, coach and author who specializes in the agricultural industry. She comes from a family of farmers and she and her husband have farmed for more than 25 years (www.pierrettedesrosiers.com). Contact her at [email protected].

58 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 8.125x10.75_OAFE_CountryMagazine_Ad_Final.pdf 1 9/29/15 11:28 AM w e a t h e r

NEAR NORMAL MILDER THAN NORMAL

Cold Snowy * periods ** *TURES TEMPERAALL

AND SNOWF NEAR-NORMAL

MILDER-THAN-NORMAL TEMPERATURESA ND NEAR- TO BELO -N O WRM A L PR EC IPIT ATIO N

Mild Mild Scattered Mild Dry snow Mild spells Scattered Scattered snow / rain rain / snow

ONTARIONovember 15 to December 12, 2015 Nov. 15-21: Although fair skies dominate, places. Mild to frosty temperatures with a to three days with rain or snow in the east look for a few unsettled days with heavier few higher wind chills. changing to heavier snow in western and snow central and north and a mix of rain Nov. 29-Dec. 5: Changeable with gusty northern regions. Frosty nights in all areas or snow south. Windy with temperatures winds and occasional snow or rain in the except along coasts. varying from seasonal to mild. Frost pock- south. Chance of heavy precipitation in ets in the south. places. On fair weather days highs reach Nov. 22-28: Blustery days cause tempera- above zero. Seasonal north with snow and November 15 tures to fluctuate from mild to cold with sub-zero lows. to December 12, 2015 some higher wind chills. Generally fair Dec. 6-12: Other than a couple of fair but expect a couple of unsettled days with weather days, look for periods of snow, NATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS snow central and north. Periodic snow or blustery winds and higher wind chills this A strong El Niño event is taking place in rain and frost in the south. week. Risk of heavy snow in a few regions, the Pacific Ocean. Past records indicate Nov. 29-Dec. 5: Highs climb above zero especially central and north as well near that this often translates into a milder by day but drop below freezing at night larger open waters. and drier weather pattern across much in the south. Mainly fair but with snow or rain in the south on a couple of days. of Canada. In spite of El Niño, wintry, Chance of heavy precipitation in places. ATLANTIC PROVINCES inclement weather is still likey to occur Windy. Colder and snowy in the north. Nov. 15-21: Expect a few milder days over many areas of our country from time Dec. 6-12: Colder air moves south this this week with highs well above zero but to time. Nevertheless, indications are that week with higher wind chills but tem- some frost at inland locations. Fair skies generally milder and drier-than-usual con- peratures remain seasonal to mild overall. interchange with intermittent rain, mixed ditions will dominate the weather picture Expect occasional snow in all regions, with snow and frost in New Brunswick and in Canada throughout the winter and pos- heavier near open waters. Windy from time far north. sibly into the spring of 2016. to time. Nov. 22-28: Disturbances result in variable and at times windy weather this week. Fair skies will alternate with snow QUEBEC or rain, possibly heavy at a few locations. Nov. 15-21: Generally fair weather domi- Temperatures fluctuate but trend to the nates but on two or three days this week mild side. expect intermittent heavier snow in central Nov. 29-Dec. 5: Generally fair but a and northern areas and a mix of snow or weather system threatens with heavier rain rain in the south. Frosty on a few nights in east and snow west on two or three occa- the south. sions this week. Windy at times. Mostly Prepared by meteorologist Larry Romaniuk Nov. 22-28: Fair but expect unsettled, mild temperatures with frost in western of Weatherite Services. Forecasts should windy conditions on a couple of days with areas and inland regions. be 80 per cent accurate for your area; occasional snow, mixed with rain in the Dec. 6-12: Although fair weather domi- expect variations by a day or two due to south. Chance of heavy precipitation in nates look for unsettled conditions on two changeable speed of weather systems.

60 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 w e a t h e r He knows the weather Meet Larry Romaniuk, long-range weather specialist at Country Guide

By Angela Lovell

hen you spend 60 years doing some- Canada with an outlook for the general pattern, i.e. thing, you get pretty good at it, and milder, colder, or near normal. Then he looks at the Larry Romaniuk is very good at long-term weather records for each province to see forecasting the weather at least 75 what the local, historical averages and normals are per cent to 80 per cent of the time. for things like precipitation and temperature. Romaniuk prepares the long-range weather fore- The next factors are upper air circulation patterns cast for Country Guide, and he’s been doing it for such as troughs and ridges, and persistence — for exam- 23 years since retiring from his 37-year career as a ple, if there’s been a drought, how much influence will meteorologist with Environment Canada, a job he that have on the forecasted weather in a region. started soon after graduating in science from the Uni- But the biggest factor is Romaniuk’s vast expe- versity of Manitoba. He also wrote the forecast and rience and knowledge. “I need an idea about the weather trivia for “Harrowsmith’s Truly Canadian geography, the climate, the peculiarities in each prov- Almanac” for a number of years. ince and I keep that in the back of my mind,” says Romaniuk does a self-analysis of his own fore- Romaniuk. “I’m also aware that I need to emphasize casts every month. “Let’s say I forecast frost in mid- weather events which are most pertinent to agricul- September in certain areas and it does occur, I give ture, like first and last frosts, heavy snow or rain myself five points. If it doesn’t occur, I take five events, wind, or unsettled periods because farmers’ points off my score, and it usually comes out to livelihoods depend on the weather.” around 75 to 80 per cent,” says Romaniuk. When Country Guide surveyed readers a few Fun moments in the weather room years ago about how accurate they rated Romaniuk’s Romaniuk has had plenty of amusing moments forecast, they perceived it as accurate about 75 per in his career, like the time a colleague was live on air cent of the time too. forecasting sunshine when it was pouring rain outside the closed blinds of the office. More than a crystal ball Romaniuk says the hardest part of being a meteo- It’s a complex matter to create a forecast, espe- rologist through all those years was constant shift cially three months in advance. So how does he do it? work and having to go live on the radio near the end There are five basic factors, Romaniuk responds. of a 12-hour shift. First, he relies on sophisticated computer models A colleague once fell asleep waiting to go on air. which allow him to draw up a broad weather map of The station broadcast his snoring. Romaniuk has also forecast his share of wild weather, such as the tornado that hit the town of St. Claude in southern Manitoba 25 years ago, which he was later sent to investigate. “The anten- nas were turned northeast on the north side of the highway and on the south side they were broken off or twisted from the southwest, showing the rotation was right over the town,” he says. What’s in store? So what’s the outlook for Canadians this winter? “With El Niño coming, everybody’s all excited because it normally translates into a milder and drier winter for us, particularly in Western Canada,” says Romaniuk. “That doesn’t mean you’re going to walk around in short sleeves every day. We’re going to have snow and the occasional blizzard but overall generally milder and drier than normal.” But, he adds with a twinkle, “You can check on me in about eight months and see how I did.” CG

November 2015 c ountry-guide.ca 61 l i f e About the neighbours

When Country Guide writer Lisa Guenther wrote her acclaimed new novel, Friendly Fire, she set the action in her own rural community. So we asked her to tell us, ‘How good an idea was that?’

By Lisa Guenther, CG Field Editor

here’s a bit of danger, or at least perceived danger, around setting a novel in the rural community that you live in. Especially when the blurb on the back of the book says something about “eviscerating small-town platitudes.” A writer I know asked me, “Aren’t you afraid they’ll run you out of town?” She was being tongue in cheek, I think. But I’m not really worried about being run out of town. I give my community more credit than that. Still, writing about a tight-knit community does require thought. It’s not a decision that I made lightly when I was working on my novel, Friendly Fire. But I think it was the right decision. The real danger of fiction in a real place

If you live in a rural community, you likely know the biggest danger in all this. It’s that people in your community will start looking for the real-life inspiration behind your fictional characters. I suffered a bit of angst over this. My novel opens with the main character, Darby Swank, finding her Aunt Bea’s body floating in Brightsand Lake. The rest of the book follows Darby as she uncovers who killed her aunt. It’s a long look at violence against women and the consequences of turning a blind eye. As far as I know, no one has ever dumped a body in Brightsand Lake. But violence and murder are as likely to happen in my corner of Saskatchewan as anywhere else. For that exact reason, I didn’t want to base Bea, or her killer, on anyone I knew. I tried to build Bea, and most of my characters, from scratch. For example, I handwrote long passages from Bea’s point of view.

62 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015 l i f e

That writing didn’t make it into the novel, Why do it? York or London to be a writer. Sure, the but it’s the kind of thing that helps a char- big publishers are concentrated in big cit- acter sit up and take her first breath. While the characters in Friendly Fire are ies, but there are publishers doing great When it came to naming central or fiction, the places are very real. The church work in every corner of Canada. And controversial characters, I went through that Bea and her husband live in was a fam- there are wonderful writers living in both the local phonebook, crossing out local ily home at one time. Moosehead School, a urban and rural communities. surnames as fictional possibilities. This one-room schoolhouse, really is left open to In my area alone, we can claim novel- may seem silly to some people, but I visitors, a small testament to rural trust. ist Rudy Wiebe and short story writer didn’t want to inadvertently hurt some- Even the fictional forest fire is loosely Edna Alford. Both have placed some of one or fire up the rumour mill. based on a real fire that burned several cab- their writing in this part of Saskatche- Some friends have told me they’ve ins and homes on the shore of Turtle Lake wan. And Edna, who still lives here, is my been trying to figure out which locals I in 2002. I didn’t fight it day in and day out, friend and longtime mentor. drew on for the characters. My standard but I did for one night, hauling five-gallon What I’m trying to get across is that response is: “Did you find yourself in water pails and driving the water truck. your stories matter. If you’re an aspiring there yet?” And then we laugh nervously. I remember commenting on the spooky, writer, don’t feel that you’re at a huge But despite all this, some readers red moon with a neighbour. Other local disadvantage because you live in a rural will see people they know in the book. people, along with government firefighters, community. Ultimately all that matters is I’ve already heard this from readers in spent weeks extinguishing the blaze. what you put on the page. other towns. Of course, I could have avoided some (Friendly Fire is available in soft angst by creating a fictional town. Other cover and Kindle from Amazon and If you’re an aspiring writers have done this. If you’ve read other retailers.) CG Cool Water by Dianne Warren, you’ll writer, don’t feel that your remember the entire story was set over AVAILABLE BACHELORETTES one day in Juliet, Saskatchewan. And if rural background puts you’re from Saskatchewan, you know Name: Julie that Juliet doesn’t exist. Yet Warren Age: 44 crafted that fictional town so skilfully Julie is a sweet, you at an insurmountable loving, beautiful that I, and many people in my book club, woman who works recognized it. It was familiar to us. as a teacher. She disadvantage. It doesn’t has never been So why didn’t I do the same? Well, married and has no How is it possible for readers to see for one thing, I’m not sure I could. Even children, though she people they recognize in fictional char- if I’d changed the place names, Friendly is open to men who do have children. acters? I think there are two reasons Fire would still be set here. Julie is a very kind, for this. For one, even if characters are If I didn’t know this community so caring, generous drawn from thin air, if they are at all well, I’m not sure that I could get away and charitable person, she is very realistic, they will resemble real people. with it. But I grew up here, and after accepting and The other is that readers bring their 10 years in the city, I returned here with non-judgmental. She enjoys the own experience to a book. They think, my husband. I not only know this place, outdoors, road “Oh, wow, that sounds like my Aunt but I love it. I love the landscape. I love trips, cooking, Martha.” Or, “That happened to me.” the people. I love hearing stories about traveling, sailing, and spending time with her Or, “I’ve been to a country hall dance ravens stealing golf balls or the time so- friends and family. Julie is looking for a man like that. I know those people.” and-so lost a fight with a cat. There are who is loving, kind, has a big heart and a great Of course, even if readers bring many, many storytellers here. personality. Julie is a bit nervous about dating, she hasn’t dated in over 2 years, her father had their own experiences to the book, that When I set out to write this book, I prostate cancer and was very sick, in between doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll like it. wanted to pour the world I knew into it. helping care for her dad, working, and helping her mother run his business, she just didn’t It might be a simple matter of taste. It All of it — the dark and the light. I wanted have the time. Her father did unfortunately might be that the tragic situations in the to see this place reflected in fiction. pass away within the past year, and her mother book are a little too familiar. It could be But I don’t think that was the only ended up selling the business, as she couldn’t operate it on her own, she misses her father a any number of other reasons. reason I placed Friendly Fire in my lot, but she knows that her father wanted her Writers don’t have any control over that community. to fi nd a good man to make her happy. She reaction. And ultimately that’s not a bad When I was a teenager, a family friend has much more time now and she is ready and excited to get out there and to fi nd someone thing, because to me it’s one of the most and local teacher, Bill Kresowaty, used to special she can spend her life with, someone interesting parts of the publishing process. give me feedback on my writing. One day that can make her happy, and someone she I do know that I created these char- he told me that I didn’t have to come from can make equally happy. acters in good faith. I don’t look down a big city to be a writer. Maybe that sounds on them. 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November 2015 c ountry-guide.ca 63 h e a l t h

The aches and pains of arthritis

By Marie Berry

t can seem inevitable that if you live long to drowsiness, constipation, and dependency. Non- enough, of course you’ll be affected by arthri- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like naproxen or tis, but it isn’t always so. ibuprofen will relieve osteoarthritis pain, but can Arthritis is an inflammatory condition of cause problems for you if you have certain kidney the joints which makes movement painful conditions, if you are prone to stomach irritations, and difficult, but it occurs in two types; rheumatoid or even if you have heart disease. That said, a topi- arthritis and osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis cal non-steroidal anti-inflammatory product like involves the immune system, with about one per cent Voltaren Emulge will reduce pain without adverse of Canadians being affected, usually between 25 and effects, and can be used along with acetaminophen. 50 years of age. The most effective treatments for For more severe pain, a non-steroidal anti- rheumatoid arthritis target the immune system in inflammatory drug combined with acetaminophen is order to reduce inflammation and pain. often recommended. If you have a heart disease risk, Osteoarthritis, by contrast, is much more com- naproxen seems to be the best option, and if you mon, affecting 10 times more Canadians. It is a have a gastrointestinal risk then celecoxib or low degenerative disease of the joints, commonly known doses of ibuprofen are the best options. as a “wear and tear” condition, which is why older Because you can buy some of these drugs without people are more often affected. Athletes who use a prescription, check with your pharmacist to make their joints continually and excessively can be sure you are not harming your health. affected at much younger ages. Narcotic pain relievers are for people who still The recommended treatment for osteoarthritis have pain after such treatments, but these medica- is considered to be acetaminophen, with two extra tions need to be taken in the lowest effective dose for strength (500-mg) tablets four times daily for a maxi- the shortest possible period of time. Luckily, when mum of four grams (eight 500-mg tablets = 4,000 mg it comes to osteoarthritis pain, there are numerous or four grams). However, recent research has brought options, but you may need to try several before you about some changes in this recommendation. find the right combination for you. Acetaminophen still is a good starting point for Non-prescription remedies are often advertised, mild to moderate pain, not severe, but in lower doses but vary widely in their effectiveness. Glucosamine of two regular strength (325-mg) tablets four times may have a modest benefit. That may be all you daily for a maximum of 2,600 mg or 2.6 grams. need, but be aware it can take up to three months to There is no proof that higher doses of acetamino- work. Capsaicin Rub helps some people who can tol- phen are more effective for osteoarthritis pain, and erate it. Capsaicin is derived from the cayenne pep- American recommendations actually limit the maxi- per plant, and thus can cause burning and irritation. mum daily dose of acetaminophen to four grams for Other rubs are not considered effective, although the adults and 3.2 grams for seniors for any type of pain massaging action may help. relief. With osteoarthritis you may limit your activi- The key is taking acetaminophen on a regular basis ties because you find movement difficult and pain- to prevent and control the pain rather than waiting ful. Pain relievers will help improve your mobility, to experience the pain before taking the acetamino- but also remember that weight loss, keeping active, phen to counteract it. Ideally, you want to take the physical therapy, ice or heat applications, and even pain reliever every six hours, which can sometimes be supports for your joints can also help. inconvenient! Acetaminophen is considered to be less risky Marie Berry is a lawyer/pharmacist interested in than narcotic pain relievers because it is not linked health and education.

Hemorrhoids… even the word makes us feel uncomfortable! There are numerous non-drug, day-to-day approaches, however, and they will reduce your risk for hemorrhoids. Plus, with the various available remedies, you should feel more comfortable. Next month we’ll talk about hemorrhoids. Don’t be embarrassed!

64 country-guide.ca N ovember 2015

MARKETING WORKSHOP 2016 Marketing and Management Strategies

Tuesday, December 15, 2015 9:00 am to 3:30 pm Springfield Golf & Country Club 2054 Gordon St, Guelph

Mike Mock, Senior Risk Manager, The Anderson Group A Global View of the Commodity Space Mike Mock’s market commentary videos have set the bar for information and analysis of the grain markets. Mike will share his view of the global factors affecting risk management and his message that farmers need to prepare to survive in an environment of lower grain prices and an increasingly unsettled world. Steve Kell, Parrish & Heimbecker Building A Marketing Plan for 2016 Steve will review the current grain supply and demand balance sheets and suggest strategies that Ontario producers can develop to optimize their returns. Gord Nysteun, Input Capital Introducing a New Contracts Financial Tool Input Capital helps farmers with working capital needs – buying grain from farmers using multi-year contracts where they pay the majority of the cash up front. Mike Wilson, Thompsons, Blenheim Profit Mapping – Zone Based Field Management Every field has variability and profit mapping provides the detail needed to manage it. How to best manage the profit potential of individual field zones and minimize input expenditure in others. Can Nitrogen Inhibitors Increase Profitability? Up to 45% of your nitrogen fertility can be lost within four weeks after application. Ag Canada researcher, Craig Drury, will discuss how using nitrogen inhibitors and improving nitrogen application methods can increase corn yields and reduce nitrogen loss. Cost of Production Panel — Knowing Your Costs Panel members, John Molenhuis (OMAFRA) and Jim Burns will discuss different ways to approach cost of production budgeting and how to use it for farm-level decision-making.

4 Professional Management CCA points Sponsored by

Early Bird registration $99 until Dec 4th Register at www.ifao.com (Between Dec 5 and 11 – $150). Includes lunch. or 519-986-3560

Mark Your Calendars for the IFAO Annual Conference – Feb 23 and 24, 2016. a c r e s

By Leeann Minogue Another generation, another lesson In which Jeff discovers an unexpected cost of “local” food

his cake is delicious,” Elaine told her “Remember last fall?” Jeff said. “When those mother-in-law. American hunters kept coming around to shoot ducks “It always tastes better when someone on our dugout? You said we should try it.” else makes it,” Donna said, licking the “Oh, right,” she said, remembering she had said it. last smear of icing off her plastic fork. “With people from all over the place coming to our “Open your present, Mommy!” Connor nagged backyard for these ducks, it doesn’t make sense that we for the third time. don’t eat them,” Jeff explained to the rest of the family. “OK, OK,” Elaine said. She set her plastic plate on “Good idea,” Dale said. “Let me know how it the hood of her SUV and picked up the parcel she’d goes.” brought home from the bus station that morning. “We should eat more local food,” Elaine said. The Hanson family had surprised Elaine on her “Talk about the 100-mile diet! Those ducks are glid- birthday. When Donna asked her to pick up some icing ing right over my kitchen. But… I don’t think I would sugar and eggs at the Co-op, Elaine had thought noth- be much of a shot,” she hesitated, then looked at Jeff. ing of it. When Elaine’s husband Jeff sent her to pick “Maybe you can take care of that part.” up a parcel at the bus depot, it never occurred to Elaine “No problem,” Jeff said. that this package wasn’t just more machinery parts. Later that week, Jeff stopped in at the post office Even when both combines stopped in the middle of the to buy a hunting licence when he went to town to canola field, Elaine had no idea it had anything to do pick up more glyphosate for fall spraying. That eve- with her until they all started singing “Happy Birthday.” ning, he found his father’s old hip waders in Dale After a few mid-harvest weeks of hauling kids and Donna’s basement. “You sure you don’t want to back and forth to town to run errands and feeling come along?” Jeff asked Dale. like a single mother while her husband spent long “No, that’s OK,” Dale said. “No point shooting hours out in the field, Elaine was so touched by this one if we’re not going to eat it. And Donna’s not show of kindness it was all she could do not to cry as much for cooking duck.” she opened the odd-shaped present. “I don’t remember having duck when we were “Are you sad, Mommy?” Connor asked as one growing up,” Jeff said. tear slid down her cheek. “You wouldn’t. It was a long time ago.” “Of course not Connor!” Elaine said. The rest of After supper, Jeff and Elaine loaded the kids up into the Hansons laughed. the back seat of the truck and drove out to the slough. But she shifted quickly from emotional to puzzled They left the kids playing in their car seats and walked when she opened the present. It was a large spice con- to the edge of the water in the fading sunlight. tainer and a cookbook. “There’s dozens of birds out there,” Elaine whis- “Oh oh,” Jeff’s grandfather Ed said. “I don’t pered. “It’s like a free grocery store.” know much about women, but I know you don’t get “You didn’t see the bill for the hunting licence,” them cookbooks for presents.” Jeff said. “It’s OK,” Jeff said. “She said she wanted it.” A few minutes later, the flock of ducks lifted off “Really?” Donna asked dubiously. toward the trees. Jeff raised his gun, took a deep “Cookin’ with Wild Game,’” Elaine read the title breath and fired carefully. The first shot missed. But out loud. Then she examined the bottle. “Wild Game the second and third hit their marks. Spice Rub?” She didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but “All that practice paid off,” Jeff was pleasantly she couldn’t recall asking for this. surprised. “I’ve been aiming over the coyotes’ heads

66 country-guide.ca n ovember 2015 “I don’t believe in prayer” the conver- to get them out of the yard. I wasn’t sure I could actually hit sation begins. A discussion about faith anything.” and prayer follows. “I applied for my Jeff pulled on the hip waders and lurched out into the dream job. It meant moving to another muddy slough edge to pick up the birds. country but I was ready to go. I prayed When they got back to the house, Jeff found some old for a yes. I was angry with God when newspapers in the recycling box and spread them out on the a letter arrived saying, ‘Thank you for table. Then he brought the two birds in. applying but… ’” They were beautiful. They glistened under the dining I ask, “How would your life have been different if you had room lights. One of their wings was spread out, revealing got that job?” My friend begins to list his blessings: home, rich dark-blue feathers. But their necks lolled off to the side, family, friends, business… He mused, “Maybe it was good and Elaine couldn’t look straight into their shining dark eyes. they turned me down. Maybe my prayer was answered.” Jeff brought his phone to the table, fiddled with it for a Country music legend Garth Brooks sings a popular song, few minutes, then played a YouTube video of someone cut- “Thank God for unanswered prayer.” He goes to a football game ting the breast from a duck. with his wife and runs into his high school sweetheart. Many years He got a sharp knife from the kitchen and brought it to have passed since he prayed for God to make her his wife. When the table. He looked at the video, down at the duck, then he sees her as an adult, he is really glad he didn’t marry her. And back at the video. He set down his phone, picked up the clearly, he says, she is glad she didn’t get stuck with him. Brooks knife and touched it carefully to the first bird’s chest. Then sings, “some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.” he turned yellowish green, dropped the knife, ran to the bath- I am glad that God did not say “yes” to my childhood room and threw up. prayers of becoming a policeman. I would have been happy Connor and Jenny ran to the bathroom to see what their returning purses to elderly ladies or finding bicycles for chil- dad was doing, and Elaine was left alone with the ducks, the dren. I would have been hopeless when it came to arresting a knife and the plaid-shirted man in the video. longtime friend. She picked up the knife and took a deep breath. The she How about prayers when the stakes are a lot higher? brought the knife to the duck’s chest and a rush of tiny grey A mother and father sit by the hospital bed of their feathers fluttered into the air. 12-year-old daughter who lies in a coma. The doctors say they A few days later Elaine made supper for the Hanson fam- have done all they can do. As the parents take turns stroking ily and packed it into Tupperware containers. Jeff took it out her hair, they pray for a miracle. to the soybean field they were combining while Elaine put the A college senior applies to four medical schools. Three of kids to bed. them turn him down. The fourth envelope arrives in the mail. When Jeff gave Ed his container, Ed opened the lid and The student prays one more time before opening it. sniffed. Then he eyed Jeff suspiciously. We often hear stories about people who prayed their knees “It’s something with chickpeas,” Jeff said sadly. “And off when the odds were against them. In the darkest point maybe some rice. It’ll be all right. At least it’s not tofu. Yet.” of the struggle, God pulled through and said, “yes” to their “Tofu?” Ed asked, incredulous. prayers. But what about the times when God says, “no?” “There was an incident with the ducks,” Jeff said. Think back on your greatest disappointments in life — “I told you women prefer jewelry. She punishing you?” when it was clear the disaster you wanted to avoid was “Not really,” Jeff said. unavoidable, when the relationship you wanted so much fell “She didn’t like the duck?” Ed asked. “Wild game’s not apart, when your dreams did not come true in spite of your for everybody.” fervent prayers, God said, “no.” “Actually,” Jeff said, “the duck was delicious. But if it’s so I wonder if these moments strengthen our character. Are we hard for us to butcher two small birds, Elaine doesn’t think better persons because God does not say “yes” to all our prayers? we should eat so much meat.” The Bible says prayer is “powerful and effective.” We are “Huh,” Ed snorted. “Let’s hope that passes quickly. Tofu. not promised we will receive what we want. The answer may I don’t even know where the heck that comes from. At least be “no” more often than “yes.” In the Lord’s Prayer all we the ducks grew close to home.” ask for is “our daily bread.” “Tofu comes from soybeans, Grandpa,” Jeff said, rolling This month we think about the horrors of war and pray for his eyes. “You’re combining some right now.” peace. I have a beautiful solid oak “Bishop’s Chair” in a corner “Yeah, well. Whatever,” Ed said. “I’ve got to get this of my study. It was given to me for safekeeping when the Angli- machine running again.” can Church in Viscount, Sask. closed. I don’t sit in the chair but Ed took his Tupperware container and turned back toward the I reflect on the brass memorial plaque: “In Loving Memory of combine cab. Before he left, Jeff heard his grandfather talking into Flying Officer Edward D. MacMurchy — Who Gave His Life his cellphone, asking his girlfriend Helen to pick up a Number 11 for His Country.” Edward was the only child of his widowed from the Chinese Café and bring it out to him. “Good thing we’re mother Cisely. I am sure she offered prayers in that small village just about done harvest,” Jeff heard him say. “I don’t know how church for his safe return. Her grief must have been enormous long this ‘no meat’ thing is going to last. Took about three weeks when the bomber he was piloting was shot down in 1943 over with Donna, after Dale shot that duck and made her clean it.” Europe. A mother’s prayer was not answered but the prayers of a nation were answered when the war came to an end. Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews, a playwright and Suggested Scripture: Job 33:12-33, James 5:13-20 part of a family grain farm in southeastern Saskatchewan. Rod Andrews is a retired Anglican bishop. He lives in Saskatoon. november 2015 c ountry-guide.ca 67 Pay for your kids’ tuition fees and their meal plans. seed products for use on plantable acreage of a designated farm and based on farm size at size farm on based and farm designated a of acreage plantable on use for products seed are trademarks and service marks of DuPont, Pioneer or thei r respective owners © 2015 PHL. SM or TM , ,

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