December 2009 Archives

Two questions for producers to ponder. How important is the enhanced traceability of cattle through the production system, to producers? It could be coming along in 2011. And secondly, is it time for COOL (Country of Origin Labeling) in Canada?

If you have any thoughts on these two topics, or any other, I would be pleased to hear from you. Email me at: Lee@fbcpublishing.com , reply to this blog, or drop me at line (like actually sit down and write something on paper) and mail it to Cattleman’s Corner, Box 71150 Silver Springs PO, Calgary, AB, T3B 5K2.

The reason for these two questions today – Delegates to the Alberta Beef Producers passed a resolution at their recent annual meeting opposing a federal/provincial plan to bring in mandatory tracking of cattle starting in 2011. Yes, there is tracking in the production system now, but that is primarily called “bookend” tracking. Cattle are tagged and recorded at the ranch, at the beginning of their life, and those tags stay with them through slaughter at the other end of their life, and if there is any problem with meat quality or animal health, it is possible to track the animal back to it’s ranch of origin.

This enhanced tracking plan, which the federal and most provincial government ag ministers, figure will be a big help to marketing Canadian beef to the world, would require records on the movement of cattle through their life to be maintained. Tags would have to be read and recorded as cattle left the farm and went to a community pasture, as they are ushered through the auction mart, if you take cattle to a fair or exhibition, and of course at feedlots. More processing to read tags, and recording of numbers.

The Alberta resolution was presented and passed at the annual general meeting. That doesn’t mean that is the official position of the organization. It is a resolution the board has to consider.

Rancher Ed Curry, who presented the resolution, says he is worried about the cost of this enhanced tracking. Who is going to pay for it? And, secondly, no one has demonstrated to him the value of enhanced tracking.  He says a cost/benefit analysis needs to be done. There is a bit more on this in the January 11 issue of Grainews/Cattleman’s Corner.

So have you heard enough about this enhancing tracking proposal from your provincial department of agriculture or your producer association in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta or B.C. to convince you it is a good thing?

And the other questions is, is it time we had COOL in Canada. The U.S. has been busy the past year or two developing a system which segregates ‘foreign’ beef at the retail level so their consumers can clearly see what beef is produced in the U.S. and what beef is shipped in from Canada or some other country.

Maybe it is time that Canadian retailers be required to do the same. Maybe, with a fair bit of U.S. beef coming into Canada, consumers should be able to clearly identify at the meat counter which cuts are high quality Canadian bred and fed beef, and which cuts come from some other country.

What do you think?  Are we ready for COOL?

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Vegetable producers from P.E.I. farming about 150 acres, and a grain farming couple from Manitoba cropping about 13,000 acres were named Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2009 at the national awards ceremony in Ottawa last night.

Greg and Tania MacKenzie of Stratford P.E.I., who own MacKenzie Produce and Grant and Colleen Dyck of Niverville, MB who grow grains and oilseeds on Artel Farms, and have diversified into other business ventures, were selected winners from among seven regional nominees from across the country.

(Photo shows, Grant and Colleen Dyck on left, and Greg and Tania MacKenzie at right)

The gala banquet and awards ceremony at Ottawa’s famed Chateau Laurier Hotel capped an activity filled week for the regional nominees and OYF alumni (previous winners) who gathered in the nation’s capital for the 29^th annual event.

The seven regional finalists, who represent what was often described as the “best and the brightest” of Canada’s progressive, enthusiastic, business and community-minded young farmers were selected in regional competitions earlier this year to represent their respective areas.

After reviewing their backgrounds and hearing presentations, judges were faced with the difficult task of selecting two of the regional finalists as Canada’s outstanding young farmers.

The MacKenzies and their three children, produce more than three million pounds of cabbage and several other crops on their Charlottetown-area farm marketed for processing, restaurants and farm-gate sales.

The Dycks, and their three children, produce grain and oilseeds and other specialty crops on Artel Farms. They have also diversified into the wood recycling business, Wood Anchor, processing cull elm trees into lumber and furniture, and have just launched production of a new food energy bar, The Great Gorp Project.

Other regional finalists in the 2009 competition included Monia Grenier and Dany Mayrand, dairy farmers from Wotton, Quebec; Jason and Christina Pyke, bison producers from Wolfe Island, Ontario; Art and Elaine Pruim, dairy producers from Osler, Sask.; Geoff Hoar, a horse trainer from Innisfail, Alta; and Ian and Jennifer Woike, egg producers from Duncan, B.C.

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An interesting point made this morning here in Ottawa, is that Canadian farmers need to be prepared to talk to the media.

Don’t hide, don’t be evasive, don’t say anymore than you have to, but if you are faced by a reporter or a news camera looking for comment or reaction on an industry, environmental or public health issue try to stay calm, collected  and express your views and the facts as you know them.

That was they key message during an agriculture and the media panel discussion at the Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers conference being held for the first time this week in Canada’s capital.

Dave Bisenthal, a producer who lives and farms near the once tainted water wells that served the community of Walkerton, Ontario, Kelly Daynard formerly with Ontario Cattleman’s Association and now with the Ontario Farm Animal Council, Derrick Rozdeba with Bayer Crop Science, and Tom Van Deusen a long time journalist, ag reporter and former communications manager for Don Mazinkowski, during his years as federal agriculture minister, formed the panel.

The panelist made the distinction between two basic types of media – the farm media, which for the most part understands the industry and the urban media, which generally doesn’t. Both types of media are after some type of story, but the urban media can often be more aggressive, more sensational, more invasive, and ultimately less interested in the facts and more concerned about getting some sort of headline.

Most farmers going about their daily business or producing crops or raising livestock likely won’t have extraordinary contact with the urban media, however they may suddenly find themselves in the cross hairs during major news events such as the Walkerton tainted water affair, the outbreak of BSE, H1N1, or Avian flu. They could also be approached as urban media reporters pursue hot-button stories on animal welfare, crop pesticides, or genetically modified crops.

How do you handle that?  Kelly Daynard described the Speak Up program available to Ontario producers, which offers free training to farmers to help them be better prepared in dealing with the media. Many producers who have completed the Speak Up program also make themselves available to act as spokespersons on behalf of their industry, if there are general questions from the media.

All panel members agreed, if a particularly thorny issue comes along, hiding, evading, trying to dismiss the issue, or getting angry is the wrong approach. Many reporters will ‘get’ or write some type of story whether you help them or not, so you might as well supply the facts as best you can.  Be as upfront as possible, do your best to educate the media about the issue, don’t necessarily offer any more information than is asked, and if you don’t know something, say you don’t know, and offer to find out, or refer the reporter to someone who should be able to answer the question.

Also if something aired or printed is blatantly wrong take steps to correct it with a call to the news director or a letter to the editor.

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