issue 2 I APRiL 2011

GrowinG news Cultivating More Ways to Profit in Agriculture

Inside this issue:

More weather data means sharper decisionsJust how important is weather to Doug Chorney?

“Well, it’s the only thing that matters to me, beyond my own health and safety,” says the president of the Keystone Agricultural Producers, with tongue only partially in cheek.

Messages from the Federal and Provincial Ministers ...................2

Prairie goodness energizing Japanese athletes ......................3

Diversification centres: Always something new under the sun ......4

Farmer co-op yields solution to feedstock shortages ...................6

Youth learn leadership through 4-H ..........................................7

Building a high-fibre economy ....8

Bio-economy takes centre stage at Capturing Opportunities ............9

Research Review .......................9

Diversity yields sweeter returns for fruit growers ...........................10

When you sharpen your focus, you’re Gaining Ground ...........13

Now offering funding to more farmers and processors ...........13

Premises identification system proves its worth ......................14

Promoting food safety knowledge to the next generation ..............15

Food safety funding enhanced ..15

Important dates and events for 2011 ................................16

“The home page on my computer is set to a weather page, and it’s the first thing I need to know about when I wake up in the morning. I plan my entire day around it.”

It isn’t surprising, then, that Doug was one of the first farmers to have an automated weather station installed on his property when Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) decided to expand its agro-meteorology network back in 2005.

“I remember the day well,” says the East Selkirk farmer, who grows cereal, oilseed and forage seed crops on 1,500 acres. “It was pouring rain, and so wet that we had to take the weather station out to the field in the bucket of a tractor.”

Riding along with Doug that day was Mike Wroblewski, who has

installed and monitored every one of MAFRI’s 45 new weather stations over the past six years.

“In those days the stations were often 100 kilometres (62 miles) apart. In fact, Steinbach used to get its weather reports from Emerson,” Mike says. “Now there are only 40 or 50 kilometres (25 or 31 miles) between the stations.”

Initial funding came from the Agricultural Research and Development Initiative (ARDI), and the expansion is now continuing under Growing Forward.

Unlike some other weather networks, MAFRI collects data that is near real-time during the growing season, with stations sending cellular transmissions directly to the main station in Carman. From there, it is uploaded onto the MAFRI website.

Just a few clicks of the mouse connect farmers to comprehensive weather data and value- added tools on the MAFRI website. During the growing season, Manitoba’s extensive network of weather stations transmits information directly to the main station in Carman. Go to tgs.gov.mb.ca/climate to access the information.

Online tools to bookmark nowBefore the growing season gets into full swing, check out these other helpful tools on the MAFRI website. Visit www.manitoba.ca/agriculture/crops.

Growing season updates• Crop E-News (monthly)

• Manitoba Crop Report (weekly)

• Manitoba Crop Production Update

• Manitoba Crop Weather Report

• Weekly Forage Seed Report

• Insect Update

• Disease and pest alerts

Manitoba Potato News• Daily Potato News Bulletin

• Late Blight Forecast

• Weekly Aphid Report

• Crop Water Demand

Pest management• Identification tools for more

than 150 different weeds, insects and crop diseases

• Pest management guidelines

Nutrient management• Manure application rate

calculator

• Guidelines for safely applying fertilizer with seed

(Continued on page 12)

2 GrowinG news – Cultivating More Ways to Profit in Agriculture

Growing Forward is a five-year program aimed at helping the agriculture industry move toward a more profitable, innovative and competitive future. As this industry gains strength, so too will the larger economy, creating jobs and opportunity in many sectors.

Between 2009 and 2013, the Canada and Manitoba governments are investing a total of $117.5 million in non-business risk management programs in four areas: Innovation, Environment, Food Safety and Business Development.

Growing Forward also supports a suite of farm business risk management programs: AgriInvest, AgriStability, AgriRecovery and AgriInsurance. These programs respond to producer demands for programs that are simple, responsive, predictable and bankable.

Programs focused on results

INNOVATION

STRATEGICAdvancing Agri-Innovation

University of Manitoba Grant

Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute Grant

Food Development Centre Grant

INDUSTRYAgri-Food Research and Development Initiative

Farm Innovation and Diversification Centres

Manitoba Agri-Innovation Suite

Agri-Extension Innovation

ENVIRONMENT

ACTIONEnvironmental Farm Plan

Environmental Farm Action Program

INFORMATIONAgricultural Sustainability Initiative

Agri-Extension Environment

Soil Survey

Ecological Goods and Services Pilot Project

Agro-Meteorology Information System

FOOD SAFETY

FOR FARMSFood Safety Workshops

Veterinarian-Delivered On-Farm Biosecurity Assessments

FOR PROCESSORS AND DISTRIBUTORSKnowledge-Building Programs

Assistance to Implement Food Safety and Traceability Programs in Non-Federally Registered Industries

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

DIRECT SUPPORTAgri-Excellence

Agri-Advisor

PROjECT SUPPORTAgri-Extension Business

Succeeding Generations

4-H

Northern Agriculture

I’m pleased to join with Minister Struthers to recognize the many successes of Growing Forward programming in Manitoba.

Our government understands the vital contribution Manitoba agriculture makes to our economy. We listened and continue to listen carefully to the sector to develop programs that will help farmers and food processors grow their business.

Growing Forward programs are helping Manitoba farmers and food processors capture new markets, manage business risk, sustain the environment, ensure food safety, and increase innovation through collaborative science clusters.

As we prepare for the future, sound programs will be needed to help farmers prosper in a world that is continuously evolving.

Our task now is to build on the successes and lessons learned from the Growing Forward framework. We will continue to work with industry to develop the policies that will drive the next framework, to position the industry for greater growth and potential.

Thank you for making Growing Forward such a success. I look forward to even more great results for Manitoba farmers in the future.

Honourable Gerry Ritz

Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board

Message from the Federal Minister

Message from the Provincial Minister

As we look toward a new growing season, it’s clear that Manitoba’s agricultural sector is preparing to grow and flourish in many ways – on the farm, in the agriproduct processing plant and in the international marketplace.

There has never been a better time for this industry to seize these exciting opportunities. A burgeoning world population requires nutritious food and superior products. With an abundance of productive farmland, we are well-equipped to meet the demand. And more importantly, we have a vibrant industry dedicated to continual improvements in productivity, environmental enhancement and food safety.

This issue of Growing News looks at some of the ways Manitoba farm families and entrepreneurs are capitalizing on this potential. In partnership with MAFRI, they’re using new tools to reduce risk, make wise management decisions and grow in harmony with the environment. They’re expanding the economic value of farm production by finding new ways to generate income and reduce waste. And in partnership with Manitoba researchers, they’re helping the world discover how Manitoba foods can yield solutions to chronic health and disease problems.

These Manitobans are growing more than just crops and livestock. They’re growing ideas and opportunities that bring more jobs and revenue to this province. The industry already generates one in every nine jobs in this province, and there is tremendous potential to expand its economic influence much further. The benefits are enjoyed by all Manitobans – in rural and urban communities alike.

The role of Growing Forward is to feed this entrepreneurial drive with strategic injections of funding and technical support. We are proud to be a partner in the one of Manitoba’s most important and promising industries.

Honourable Stan Struthers

Minister of Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives

original signed by

original signed by

3GrowinG news – Cultivating More Ways to Profit in Agriculture

Prairie goodness energizing Japanese athletesThe day Theresa Le Sliworsky realized she didn’t want her young son to have a bite of her energy bar because it was basically “junk food” was the day she saw there was a market for a healthy alternative.

“What I found on the market was really high in sugar and fat,” says the triathlete, mother and agriculture marketing professional. “I would get these bad sugar crashes after I ate one.”

Theresa turned her attention to an ingredient that packs a protein punch with little fat and a heart-healthy low-glycemic index – the humble lentil.

Because lentils are a low-glycemic-index food, they help to keep blood sugar levels from spiking. They’re also high in protein, which helps muscles recover from a workout, and a good source of iron, minerals and fibre.

“I used to work in the pulse industry so I already had a natural affinity for lentils,” she says. That interest led to

Manitoba companies are bringing dozens of new food products to market with the help of funding from the Manitoba Agri-Innovation Suite and the expert technical assistance of the Food Development Centre. In the process, they’re creating jobs, expanding the market for Manitoba-grown commodities and bringing export dollars into the province.

Here’s a variety of new products now in development or already on store shelves.

• Yumpeez is a nutrition-packed snack food from Best Cooking

More Manitoba taste sensations

years of product development in her own home as she developed a recipe for a lentil-based product that she named the Genki Bar®.

Now, with help from Growing Forward’s Manitoba Agri-Innovation Suite and the Food Development Centre, Theresa is marketing her performance bars in Western Canada and Japan, as well as selling them over the Internet.

The bars were officially launched in June 2010 with a target market of high-endurance athletes including triathletes, cyclists, runners, cross-country skiers and soccer players.

Genki is a Japanese word meaning vigour, strength or energy, says Theresa. The busy entrepreneur needs to be pretty genki herself.

She divides her time between Manitoba and Japan, where she is brand manager for the Canadian Wheat Board. In addition to promoting Canadian agriculture products in

a foreign country, she is raising two children, training for triathlon and running a fledgling business.

“When I first met her, I knew she would succeed,” says Janice Meseyton, senior product development consultant at the Food Development Centre. “She’s got the drive, the passion and the expertise.”

Theresa started making lentil-based sports performance bars in 2006, producing them by hand and giving them to friends and fellow athletes for testing. Athletes found the bars provided the energy they were looking for and had amazing recovery properties, but producing them by hand was slow and labour intensive.

The Food Development Centre in Portage la Prairie helped Theresa find the best ways of replicating the quality of her hand-made products on a mass-production scale while assuring good shelf life, efficiency and marketability. Growing Forward supported trial production and test marketing.

Staff also helped Theresa ensure that Genki bars comply with Health Canada’s rigorous mandatory nutritional requirements for labelling and advertising of retail food products.

“It’s the only lentil bar on the market and the only sports performance bar that can make 17 nutritional claims,” Theresa says. “There are not too many bars out there that do the level of testing we’ve done when it comes to performance and health.”

Genki Bars come in chocolate/peanut butter, and a new berry bar is in the works. For more information, visit www.genki-bar.com.

For more information on the Manitoba Agri-Innovation Suite, contact your local MAFRI GO Office. For more information on the Food Development Centre, visit www.manitoba.ca/agriculture/fdc.

From a Manitoba kitchen to markets around the world: Theresa Le Sliworsky began developing the Genki Bar in her own Winnipegosis kitchen, and perfected the recipe for mass-production with the help of the Food Development Centre in Portage la Prairie.

The demands of triathlete training inspired Theresa to create her bar from prairie-grown lentils – a high-protein, low-glycemic pulse food packed with iron, minerals and fibre.

Pulses Inc. of Portage la Prairie. Certified-organic peas are transformed into crunchy morsels in dill pickle and barbecue flavours.

• Millet pancake mix is among the gluten-free, nutty-tasting food alternatives being developed by Millet King Seeds of Canada Inc. in St. Claude.

• Birch syrup manufactured by Rocky Lake Birchworks Ltd. is being marketed in Italy and new markets across North America. The product is made from the sap of 700 birch trees near the family-owned business north of The Pas.

• Bulk vegetable puree products in aseptic packages are in the works at Canadian Prairie Garden Puree Products Inc. and PB&C Agri-Tech Solutions Inc., both of Portage la Prairie.

• Fish-preserving brines unique to Manitoba are being developed by Schwartz Sausage Company Inc. of Headingley under the brand name Wild West Seasonings. The new product line will complement Wild West’s food seasonings for jerky, sausage and smoked fish.

4 GrowinG news – Cultivating More Ways to Profit in Agriculture

Diversification centres: Always something new under the sun As farmers seek out new opportunities in a changing marketplace, their greatest allies are the four crop diversification centres funded by Growing Forward.

Trying out new varieties and better ways of doing things is their reason for being. They are often the first in the province to look at local production issues and carry out independent evaluations of new crops and emerging techniques.

Manitoba’s four diversification centres are guided by farmer boards of directors, so they are able to tailor programs to the needs and opportunities of each region.

Through their projects, farmers can explore the leading edge of agricultural production without big headaches and risk. Here is a sampling of the work underway.

Exploring new frontiers for soybeansThis year, it seems everyone is interested in soybeans – including farmers in non-traditional growing areas.

With help from diversification centres, Manitoba farmers have had the opportunity to see how the crop performs north and west of the Red River Valley, where there is less heat, and in the far western corner, where moisture can be more of a limitation.

Keith Watson, a MAFRI diversification specialist working with the Parkland Crop Diversification Foundation (PCDF),

cautions that the controlled environment of a test plot isn’t representative of what would happen in the field. However, the impressive yields at Roblin give an idea of the crop’s potential. Trials in 2010 showed yields of up to 68 bushels per acre using the newer short-season varieties.

Soybeans’ tolerance for “wet feet” was also a plus in the Parklands. “The crop showed an impressive recovery after last year’s flooding,” Keith says. “Soybeans also did well in the Dauphin-Ste. Rose area, where it was wet.”

Soybean trials by the Westman Agricultural Diversification Organization (WADO) in 2010 were also promising, with average yields at Melita of 74 bushels per acre. However, in past WADO trials, the lack of late-season moisture led to poor yields.

These mixed results show why it’s important for new soybean growers to understand the risks – particularly if they are in areas where crop insurance for soybeans is unavailable.

In the Parklands, mid-season and long-season varieties can’t be counted on to reach maturity before fall frosts, so short-season varieties are a must. And while lack of moisture may not be a problem in the southwest this year, late seeding dates could be a factor in how well soybeans perform.

Soybean trials over the years have also shown that proper inoculation is

imperative, particularly on soils that have never grown soybeans before.

The next source of jet fuel?In addition to expanding the growing area for crops like soybeans and corn, WADO does field trials on several crops that are brand new to Manitoba. The one that has attracted the most interest is camelina.

The unique properties of the ancient oilseed crop, also known as false flax, have made it “one of the darlings of the biofuel world,” says Scott Day, a MAFRI diversification specialist working with WADO. The oil has a low freezing point so it’s of great interest to the aerospace industry. It could also replace fish oil in nutritional supplements.

Another attraction is that camelina grows on marginal land. However, Scott says the trials have revealed some production issues, including disease problems.

“These are problems that can be addressed, and that’s why we do these trials,” he says. “We want to find out the problems before farmers take the risk.”

Another new oilseed cropIf camelina is one of the most intriguing new crops in WADO’s field trials, calendula is undoubtedly the prettiest. The crop in bloom looks like a field of marigolds.

The Manitoba trials were initiated by a Netherlands company that is shopping around for a suitable place to contract production of the crop in the future.

Calendula oil could become a prized ingredient for oil-based paint that is free of volatile organic compounds, but the market has not yet developed. When that day comes, Manitoba could be a prime location for production.

“It’s well-suited to Manitoba, competitive and easy to harvest,” Scott says, “But the market is very specific.”

Revisiting let-downs from the past Even plants scorned in the past can occasionally merit a second look. One example is the much-maligned Jerusalem artichoke, with its checkered past involving pyramid schemes and other sources of dashed expectations.

Researchers at the Canada-Manitoba Crop Diversification Centre (CMCDC) are continuing to look at the plant because of its ability to grow well (sometimes too well) almost anywhere – coupled with emerging market forces that could one day make the crop more attractive.

For example, Jerusalem artichokes could be a fantastic source of biomass for fuel, says Craig Linde, a MAFRI diversification specialist working with CMCDC at Carberry.

The plant also produces high levels of inulin, a prebiotic and fibre source that is gaining popularity as aging Baby Boomers seek food-based remedies for everything from weight management to bone-density loss.

And when controversy arose over GMO sugar beets in the U.S. early this year, there was speculation that Jerusalem artichokes might be a worthy substitute for supplying the fructose industry.

The environmental possibilities are also intriguing. The plant has the potential to draw heavy metals and toxins out of the ground to reclaim contaminated soil.

With growing demand for green fuel, inulin and feedstock, is the time for Jerusalem artichoke finally coming?

FPO PHOTO (LOW--RES)

Despite past disappointments, the Jerusalem artichoke may yet find its place in the agriculture industry. The plant continues to interest researchers as a potential source of green fuel, nutraceuticals and soil remediation.

Soybean trials at diversification centres are helping farmers see how new varieties perform in non-traditional growing areas.

5GrowinG news – Cultivating More Ways to Profit in Agriculture

Craig says the numbers will need to work before it makes economic sense to invest in seed production, equipment development, storage technology and processing plants.

“There needs to be a catalyst to get the ball rolling, but you never know when this crop might fit into today’s technology-driven, health, economic and environmentally sensitive times,” he says. “A lot has changed and is continuing to evolve quite rapidly in the world since Jerusalem artichoke was first looked at many decades ago.”

And unlike other new crops, there is already a large body of work of how to grow and process Jerusalem artichokes, including extensive work in Alberta. The small-scale variety evaluations in Manitoba are ensuring that the industry will be well-positioned to seize opportunities if the crop suddenly becomes commercially attractive.

Exploring new answers to old problemsIn other cases, new technology is providing solutions to disease and pest problems that have limited the profitability of certain crops in Manitoba.

In the northwest, PCDF is evaluating new disease-resistant varieties of fababeans in collaboration with a Saskatoon plant breeder. The crop is a good source of protein and does particularly well in the northwest part of the province, but disease problems have limited acres in the past.

Some of the fababean varieties being evaluated are also low in tannin, which should make them more appetizing to hogs. As these varieties are adapted to the province, Manitoba will gain a cheap, local source of protein for livestock rations, and a more profitable cash crop for export markets.

Farther south, WADO is looking at ways to improve the risk of growing confectionary sunflowers in the region. Trials at WADO have been instrumental in improving production methods and securing registration for new methods of weed control that have increased profitability. Kochia, a difficult problem in the southwest region, is no longer standing in the way of sunflower acres.

New ideas in tillageMany farmers continue to search for the holy grail of conservation tillage – a method that will limit soil disturbance and improve soil structure while providing a nice, warm seedbed. The diversification centres are helping them explore the possibilities by trying out new methods like strip tillage and vertical tillage.

Join leading-edge farmers in your regionBe part of the latest developments in agriculture by supporting the innovation and diversification centre in your region. Interaction is encouraged among all individuals and corporations with an interest in advancing the agricultural industry.

You will have the opportunity to provide feedback to researchers, and you’ll be among the first to receive news about the centres’ events, research tours, developments and opportunities. Resources for your own research project may be available on an individual basis.

There is no charge for being included in the diverse membership list. Contact information can be sent to the diversification centre in your area.

For more information contact:

Parkland Crop Diversification Foundation (PCDF)Box 970, Roblin, MB R0L 1P0 Phone: 204-773-6178 Fax: 204-937-6479 Email: pcdf@mts.net

Prairies East Sustainable Agriculture Initiative, Inc. (PESAI)Box 2000, 317 River Road W, Arborg, MB R0C 0A0 Phone: 204-376-3300 Fax: 204-376-3311 Email: prairies.east@gmail.com

Westman Agricultural Diversification Organization (WADO)Box 519, Melita, MB R0M 1L0 Phone: 204-522-3256 Fax: 204-522-8054 Email: scott.day@gov.mb.ca

Canada-Manitoba Crop Diversification Centre (CMCDC)Box 160, Carberry, MB R0K 0H0 Phone: 204-841-4712 Fax: 204-834-8817 Email: craig.linde@gov.mb.ca

Strip tillage is becoming popular for row crops in the U.S. and WADO’s trials with a small research unit look promising. The equipment tills localized strips on 30-inch centres, leaving undisturbed stubble between to catch snow and reduce erosion.

At Arborg, the Prairies East Sustainable Agriculture Initiative has been exploring vertical tillage, a technique to loosen and dry out wet soil without disturbing the surface matter. Blades cut through the soil at a depth of about one foot to break up and aerate the soil without compaction.

Want to learn more?• Visit www.manitoba.ca/agriculture/

diversification to download the annual reports of all four diversification centres.

• Check the Manitoba Seed Guide for results of variety evaluation trials.

• Visit your Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives GO Office.

As the world looks for greener sources of oil, diversification centres are positioning Manitoba to seize emerging opportunities. Trials are taking a look at plants like camelina, which produces oil with an extremely low freezing point.

New low-tannin varieties of fababeans should be more appetizing to hogs.

Calendula could one day become a prized ingredient for environmentally friendly paints.

6 GrowinG news – Cultivating More Ways to Profit in Agriculture

Farmer co-op yields solution to feedstock shortagesWhere there’s a will, there’s a way could be the motto of the Western Feed Grains Development Co-operative.

Since 2005, the farmer-owned co-op has been moving toward a goal that has eluded public and private plant breeders for more than 40 years – namely, the development and licensing of a high-yielding, fusarium-resistant feed grain that would provide a more reliable feed supply for Manitoba’s growing livestock industry.

The progress of the 100-member co-op shows what farmers can achieve when they work together. After six years, the group’s new varieties are producing yields up to 25 per cent higher than hard red spring wheat, and licensing may be on the horizon.

Farmers created the co-op in response to increasing concerns about the availability of affordable feedstock. Livestock producers wanted a high-yielding, starchy cereal grain that they could grow specifically for feed or ethanol production.

“No one was working on these wheat varieties – partly because there was no classification for this type of wheat and plant breeders couldn’t get it into the marketplace,” explains David Rourke, who farms 5,000 acres near Minto. “Public breeders could probably do this as well or better than we could, but they have no way to get it into the system and into farmers’ hands.”

Forming a co-op gave members the leeway to grow, use and trade seed among themselves. The group

contracted David’s company, Ag-Quest, to do the plant breeding. Diversification centres funded by Growing Forward and staffed by MAFRI are helping to evaluate the plant breeding materials under a range of growing conditions.

David had his own reasons for wanting to see the project move forward. A high-yielding cereal grain could provide affordable feedstock for his 13,000 hogs and goat dairy, as well as his small ethanol plant.

At the time, some farmers were growing the high-yielding variety AC Andrews,

but its high susceptibility to fusarium could make the grain unsuitable for hog feed.

Along the way, the co-op’s efforts were aided by changes to the federal grains classification system that came into effect in 2008. The new Canada Western General Purpose class can now accommodate the types of grains the co-op is developing.

“It isn’t a huge class of wheat but it does give us a niche,” David says.

Now six years into the program, the co-op has developed several promising lines. Members are growing two lines, WFT 409 and WFT 411, which yield 15-16 per cent more than hard red spring wheat.

“The yield is still less than Andrew, but it has a nice stand – short and easy to combine,” David says.

The co-op is planning to seek registration of a new variety, 514, which is yielding about 20-25 per cent more than hard red spring wheat.

“Our goal is to get closer to 40 per cent more yield,” he says. “That’s when this would really be fun.”

David estimates that at least 10,000 farmers on the prairies stand to benefit from the group’s work – but he cautions that high-yielding feed wheat might not be the answer for every livestock

producer. One factor is whether the farmer has a market nearby.

“I’m only trucking it a mile down the road to my hog barns, so it makes sense for me,” he says. “The way I pencil it out, I’m getting $10-20 per acre more with these varieties than with hard red spring wheat. And because it’s a feed grain, there’s far less risk of downgrading.”

Heading into 2011, the breeding program is ramping up under the direction of plant breeder Dr. Sajjad Rao. More than 50 crosses were done in 2010, compared to 40 in 2009, and literally thousands of lines are being evaluated. To diversify genetic backgrounds, the crossing plan is incorporating parental material from around the world, including wheats from the CIMMYT program in Mexico, where significant investment has been made into disease resistance.

The program is assisted by plant breeders around North America and as far away as Europe. Off-season work is done in Arizona to speed up the progress.

Any farmer can become a member of the Western Feed Grains Development Co-operative for $200. Members are currently growing about 20,000 acres of the co-op’s feed wheat cultivars in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

For more information, visit www.wfgd.ca. Ag-Quest’s Dr. Sajjad Rao leads the breeding program.

About 20,000 acres of feed wheat is being grown by members of the Western Feed Grains Development Co-operative. At field tours, Dana Rourke helps spread the word about the group’s progress.

Youth learn leadership through 4-HWhen you’re eight years old, the prospect of leading a 1,300-pound animal into the show ring can be more than a little intimidating.

But with help from an older 4-H member, Taylor Carlson will soon learn the ropes and overcome her doubts. She’ll be ready to show her steer proudly in the 4-H competition at the next Carman fair.

Trevor Carlson marvels when he watches his daughter’s confident mentor in the practice ring. He remembers when the 18-year-old was a shy eight-year-old herself.

“Ten years ago, she was absolutely terrified of showing cattle at the fair,” recollects Trevor, president of the Manitoba 4-H Council. “I stayed beside her for two days, never letting her go into the ring herself. And 10 years later, she’s out there helping my daughter, and she’s very confident and able while doing it.”

Transformations like this are what has made Trevor such a strong supporter of the 4-H movement. As a volunteer leader with the Elm Creek 4-H Beef Club for 14 years, he’s seen countless 4-H members develop into mature, self-assured adults with strong business and leadership skills, as well as sound knowledge of agricultural production.

“A teenager doing public speaking, helping younger members or participating in meetings is developing the same skills I use in business every day,” says Trevor, who works in sales

and marketing with a local trucking company. “They may not realize the value at the time, but when they are in university and in the workforce, they see that 4-H was a tremendous opportunity in their lives.”

With its emphasis on personal growth and community leadership, 4-H is a natural fit with Growing Forward. The federal/provincial initiative provides support to the Manitoba 4-H Council, which oversees parts of the program at the provincial level. The Council works closely with MAFRI, which is responsible for developing 4-H project manuals in Manitoba.

The 4-H Council board includes ten youth who are junior directors – one from each 4-H area council in the province. They serve alongside ten adult volunteers who also learn by

“For my club, my community and my country”

Check us out on FacebookClick and connect with fellow 4-H’ers around the province – past, present and future!

On the Manitoba 4-H page, you’ll find:

• Photos of events

• Fundraising and grant opportunities

• News about your club’s activities

• Fondest memories about 4-H

4-H alumni: Click on the “Join Again” tab to reconnect with 4-H. You can register for newsletters, share your successes and get involved as a volunteer.

doing as they serve on the provincial board and represent their areas.

“By serving on the board as a junior director or as a 4-H ambassador, a young person learns a lot about procedures at the board table, how to run a meeting and how to organize and advise at a national level,” Trevor says. “There are also unbelievable opportunities to travel and meet new people.”

He’s seen 4-H evolve over the years in response to new communication technology and agricultural practices, but the core of the program has stayed the same.

“We try to give kids a tie to the community,” he explains. “We need young people to go get an education, but we also need them to come back. As they are out doing community

7GrowinG news – Cultivating More Ways to Profit in Agriculture

Minitonas 4-H’ers auctioned off a “time and talent” certificate to help raise funds for a fellow club member’s medical expenses.

Lessons learned at 4-H today will stay with Taylor Carlson for a lifetime.

The last line of the 4-H pledge reminds members to care about the community they live in, as well as people thousands of miles away. These 4-H clubs are taking those words to heart.

LaRiviere 4-H Beef ClubThis fall members raised funds to process a beef animal donated by one of the leaders. They took the meat to a Winnipeg community kitchen where they volunteer each year.

Instead of exchanging gifts at their holiday party, they pool their money to purchase items out of the World Vision catalogue. Members

To cheer her on as she recovered, members helped create a special denim quilt from pockets of their old blue jeans. Every pocket bore the name of a club member, with a note of good wishes tucked inside.

Whitemouth 4-H ClubIn one of Manitoba’s largest 4-H clubs, kids can learn how to make and maintain the ice at the local curling club. By learning how to pitch in, young people learn skills to help keep important local organizations like the curling club alive.

Oak Lake 4-H ClubClub members have combined sewing skills with community outreach in a project called PJs for Preemies, which creates tiny blankets and gowns for premature babies.

service, volunteering at fall suppers and doing community clean-up, they build a connection. It builds pride.”

Trevor is optimistic about the future of 4-H because rural youth continue to recognize its value – and he’s pleased to see that as new Manitobans move to rural communities, they too are seeking out the program.

“In the Neepawa area, we’ve seen participation from a large number of immigrant families in the last few years,” he says. “They want to get their families involved in the community, and they know that one of the best ways to do it is through 4-H.”

have a great time selecting medicine, blankets, food and other items for families in other countries.

Minitonas 4-H Beef ClubWhen a 4-H member was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, her club helped out with medical expenses by creating a fundraising auction and community trust fund.

8 GrowinG news – Cultivating More Ways to Profit in Agriculture

Building a high-fibre economy

These and other uses for plant fibres are now moving from the drawing board into real-life applications, spurred on by the enthusiasm of the industry and some financial help from Growing Forward.

Chris Dzisiak can foresee the day when the hemp he grows will be turned into lightweight doors, non-irritating insulation and compostable building panels.

“It would be like a 100-mile industrial diet,” says the president of the Parkland Industrial Hemp Growers Co-op. “We could grow it, process it into building products and consume it all within the region, creating local jobs in the process.

“And when we were done with these products, we could just compost them. They could go right back into our fields and gardens to enrich the soil.”

Farmers like Chris are seeing their dreams taking shape at the Composites Innovation Centre, which is looking at ways to replace materials like fibreglass with natural fibres from Manitoba-grown plants.

Researchers there are combining hemp, flax and straw fibres with resins to produce high-strength, lightweight materials for use in construction, furniture, motor vehicles and packaging.

“We’re doing many other kinds of research, but biomaterial is one of our priorities because of Manitoba’s expansive agricultural base,” says Sean McKay, executive director of the Composites Innovation Centre.

Even the resins used in composite materials could be plant-based, Sean says. His organization is exploring resins and foams made from made-in-Manitoba commodities such as potato starch, canola and soybeans.

Some plant fibre composites are already in use here in Manitoba. Buses manufactured by Motor Coach Industries are equipped with a composite battery door reinforced with

hemp, and the company plans to start using a bus panel door made from natural fibres.

Sean says Manitoba is the logical location for this kind of development because we have a broad manufacturing sector, with everything from furniture to aerospace, as well as the largest concentration of composite manufacturers in Canada.

The province can also produce an enormous supply of natural fibres. Manitoba is one of the largest producers of flax in the world, and has the potential to be one of the largest global hemp producers.

Sean says these materials offer many potential advantages for manufacturers. For starters, they’re only half as dense as fibreglass. For industries like transportation, that means less weight and lower fuel costs.

Case studies suggest natural composites could cost less to manufacture, and they are easier to machine. For those working in manufacturing plants, natural fibres can mean a better work environment, with no hazardous fibreglass particles.

And best of all, consumers are seeking out these materials, even though they aren’t yet available. That’s the kind of problem any product developer would like to have.

The Composites Innovation Centre is preparing to build a real-world showcase for these new product ideas with funding from Growing Forward. Called “the Green Garage,” it will be an actual building using the latest composite materials made from agricultural fibres.

“It will show how we can take advantage of the natural strength and stiffness of

these materials – for roof trusses, for example,” Sean says. “The Green Garage will become a focal point for the work everyone in the industry is doing to move this research and development forward.”

While composites are one of the latest uses for plant fibres, there are many others. Although hemp and flax are grown in Manitoba for their seed, they are grown in many parts of the world for use in textiles.

Last year, a shortage of hemp fibre overseas prompted a Chinese entrepreneur to build North America’s first hemp fibre processing plant near Gilbert Plains. The plant is expected to process thousands of tonnes of Manitoba-grown hemp fibre for matting and fuel pellet applications.

Other uses for hemp fibre, including some that take advantage of its antimicrobial advantages, are being explored by a different venture in Emerson. The company is using the short fibres, called hurd, to produce bedding for horses and small caged animals, and the longer bast fibres to make bionesting material for small animals.

Picture a house made of hemp. Or how about a bus manufactured with flax?

Advantages of plant fibres over fibreglass

• Less dense, lighter weight

• No irritating particles

• Recyclable

• Renewable

• Potentially lower cost

Meanwhile, Schweitzer-Mauduit, a flax-processing company just outside Carman, is also capitalizing on the boom in green products. With funding from Growing Forward, the company has invested in new equipment that produces higher quality fibre, as well as a new production facility in Winkler that will help turn flax straw, which was formerly considered waste, into value-added products. Flax shives supplied by Schweitzer-Mauduit are being made into clean-burning fireplace logs by another company in the area.

Considering that the Schweitzer-Mauduit Carman plant is the largest flax fibre processing plant in the world, there will be a steady supply of material to fuel value-added manufacturing and the jobs it generates.

After harvest, the fibres are separated through decortication

(above). The material can then be formed into mats, which can

be mixed with resins to make biocomposites. The fibres can also

be used for products such as fuel pellets (right).

“We’re doing many other kinds of research, but biomaterial is one of our priorities because of Manitoba’s expansive agricultural base,” says Sean McKay, executive director of the Composites Innovation Centre.

“The Green Garage will become a focal point for the work everyone in the industry is doing to move this research and development forward.”

9GrowinG news – Cultivating More Ways to Profit in Agriculture

Every year Growing Forward invests in dozens of research and development projects aimed at reducing the cost of production, developing new farm income streams and expanding the value-added sector. In the last two years, nearly $3.7 million has been approved for more than 60 projects under the Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative (ARDI) alone.

Here are some of the projects and studies now underway with funding from ARDI.

Saskatoon disease management Manitoba is testing a new disease forecasting system for Saskatoon farmers, based on building blocks developed by Manitoba researchers. A related project at the University of Manitoba is taking a closer look at variation in entomosporium leaf and berry spot across the Prairies.

Healthy oilsAt the University of Manitoba and Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine, researchers are studying the health benefits of flaxseed, canola and hemp oils for chronic problems like arterial disease and obesity. Researchers are also looking at the health benefits of the proteins and processing byproducts of these plants.

Bean productionThe Manitoba Pulse Growers Association is assessing new dry bean cultivars and examining root rot control in faba beans.

Dairy productivityResearchers at the University of Manitoba are exploring the use of yeast cultures to improve the health, welfare and milk production of dairy cows.

Fusarium removal from wheatSpectrum Agricultural Inc. is setting up a pilot-scale demonstration for a sorting device that identifies and removes fusarium-damaged wheat kernels based on how they reflect light.

Reducing the cost of pork production A study at the University of Manitoba is exploring how swine diets can be optimized using a net energy system, which is widely used in Europe, versus the digestible energy system commonly used in Manitoba.

For more information on these and other projects, visit the ARDI website at www.manitoba.ca/agriculture/research/ardi.

Research Review

Bio-economy takes centre stage at Capturing OpportunitiesWant to learn more about Manitoba’s bio-economy?Then you won’t want to miss MAFRI’s next Capturing Opportunities conference, April 20-21 at Brandon’s Keystone Centre.

More than 20 speakers will describe how Manitoba-grown commodities are being transformed into everything from nutraceuticals to building materials. They’ll share emerging success stories involving alternative energy, natural biomass… even plastics made from potato starch.

The conference will also explore what it takes to create a thriving biobased sector – such as new education options, investment capital and more eco-friendly production methods. Attendees will learn more about the advice, services and financial assistance available as they develop innovative ideas.

The conference has much more in store:

• The Entrepreneur Boot Camp is back for a second year with a day of interactive workshops on how to develop and deliver a successful pitch to investors. In the spirit of the popular TV show Dragon’s Den, participants will pitch their best business ideas to a panel of judges in hopes of winning prize packages valued up to $2,000.

• The Great Manitoba Food Fight™ will once again give aspiring competitors the chance to win up to $2,000 to fund the launch of a new food product. This year, the ten finalists worked with student chefs from Assiniboine Community College as they honed their product ideas. On event day, they’ll wow a panel of expert judges with their tasty samples and product pitches.

• Tomorrow’s bright young entrepreneurs will compete for prizes in the Manitoba Research Institute’s Young Entrepreneurs Challenge, Junior Achievement’s Entrepreneur Elimination and the Student Business Plan Challenge.

• The Manitoba Hydro Celebration Banquet will feature the Capturing Opportunities Awards, which honour Manitobans’ outstanding achievements in four categories: Outstanding Community Leadership, Rural Youth Achievement, Economic Development Innovation (Community) and Economic Development Innovation (Corporate).

For more information or to register, visit www.capturingopportunities.ca or call 204-761-6317, toll free 1-800-933-9863.

Motor Coach is one of the Manitoba companies exploring biocomposite components, such as bus panels and battery doors reinforced with hemp (above and bottom right). The Composites Innovation Centre (below) provides assistance with design and testing, including flame retardance.

Growing potential for plant fibres

These are just a few of the possible uses for fibres from hemp, flax and other Manitoba-grown crops:

• Composite board for construction and furniture

• Reinforced concrete columns

• Thermal insulation

• Acoustic blocks

• Reinforced packaging

• Injection-moulded parts for motor, marine, industrial and aerospace vehicles

• Animal bedding

• Concrete filler

• Textiles

10 GrowinG news – Cultivating More Ways to Profit in Agriculture

Diversity yields sweeter returns for fruit growers

Manitoba growers are diversifying their fruit orchards for the same reasons investors diversify their financial portfolios – to spread out the risk and encourage a steadier stream of income.

“If you’re at your favourite U-pick strawberry farm, you may also take home some fresh rhubarb, frozen pies ready for the oven or freshly dug new potatoes,” says Waldo Thiessen, Executive Director of the Prairie Fruit Growers Association. “Or you may plan to return later when the raspberries, saskatoons, currants, chokecherries or apples are ready for picking.”

But trying something new can also create risk, and that’s why diversification centres funded by Growing Forward are helping growers explore new options by establishing demonstration orchards. At several sites throughout the province, the diversification centres give growers the opportunity to see first-hand how new native and non-native fruit varieties perform in Manitoba’s climate and with different management practices.

When Manitoba fruit growers plan for the future, the question is no longer ‘what crop should i grow?’ Now it’s ‘what combination of crops will make my operation most profitable?’

Field trials now underway at Roblin, Arborg and Melita are showing that there are other benefits to growing a combination of fruit crops on one operation. Besides spreading out the risk, diversification can also spread out the seasons for harvesting, field work and bringing in revenue.

To show how this can work, the demonstration orchards are growing a combination of three fruit crops with distinctly different harvest seasons:

• saskatoons, a well-known favourite that is now Manitoba’s second-largest berry crop,

• dwarf sour cherries, a newcomer that is quickly gaining popularity, and

• haskap, one of the newest berries to be tried here in Manitoba.

Haskap berries usually ripen in mid-June, weeks before other prairie fruits are ready, so it has the potential to start pulling in cash at a time when a grower may need it the most. Saskatoons are usually ready in July, and most dwarf sour cherries ripen in mid- to late-August.

When grown together, the three types of fruit have the potential to extend the harvest season for up to two months, allowing U-picks to welcome customers, generate revenue and provide employment right through the summer season. The trials are investigating whether all three crops can be grown using the same harvesting and processing equipment, which would allow farmers to get more mileage out of their capital investments.

The Prairie Fruit Growers Association says the trials demonstrate how fruit growers can get more value out of everything they do.

“You can harvest and process a number of crops using the same equipment, and then market a diverse range of products to the same group of customers,” says Waldo, who grows strawberries, raspberries, rhubarb and asparagus at Berry Hill Farm near Altona. “It’s a more efficient way of making money, and it gives Manitobans more opportunity to enjoy the fruits of our harvest.”

Manitoba fruit growers are branching out into a wider variety of products and produce as they market directly to consumers at the farm gate. Diversification promotes repeat business, spreads out the revenue season and helps growers get more economic value out of their investment.

11GrowinG news – Cultivating More Ways to Profit in Agriculture

New fruits appearing on the prairiesAs consumers discover the health benefits of prairie fruits and berries, growers are responding with a broader range of products. These are just a few of the hardy, delicious and nutritious fruits that Manitoba growers and food processors are exploring with support from Growing Forward and research at the Food Development Centre and diversification centres.

Dwarf sour cherryWith the hardiness of Mongolian cherries and the high quality of European sour cherries, these new cultivars are gaining acceptance among growers and customers alike. The new dwarf varieties are machine-harvestable with the same equipment used for saskatoons – a definite plus for the commercial fruit grower. When cooked, the tartness of the fruit mellows into a deep, sweet flavour, making them highly prized for all processed cherry products.

Each cultivar has unique qualities:

• Carmine Jewel has a small pit, dark red/black colour and matures earlier (late July to early August). Large showy flowers make it a good ornamental, and the fruit is good for processing and fresh eating.

• Valentine, the most productive of the prairie varieties, provides large, bright red fruit.

• Crimson Passion produces an excellent fresh-eating cherry with the highest sugar content. The fruit is large. The bush is small and slower rooting with small flowers.

• Juliette has sweet, large fruit, good for fresh eating.

• Romeo is best for juice. The dark red/black cherry is similar to Carmine but ripens later. The flavourful fruit is good for fresh eating and processing.

• Cupid is the latest ripening and produces the largest cherries. The fruit has good flavour for fresh eating with a hint of astringency.

HaskapThis newcomer, also known as edible blue honeysuckle or honeyberry, is attracting attention because of its high antioxidant content and extreme winter hardiness, with flowers surviving temperatures as low as -7°C (19°F). Although varieties adapted for Canada aren’t yet widely available, haskap proponents say the new cultivars developed by the University of Saskatchewan hold promise. There is a market for high-quality haskap in Japan, where the berries are used for juice, tea, wine, candy, ice cream and even noodles.

ChokecherryThis North American native is still found mostly in wild stands, but some experts believe it has more potential than the saskatoon for large scale production because of its hardiness and reliable yield. Chokecherries also have a wide window of harvest dates and more uniform ripening. Some commercial processors in the prairies are buying the fruit, and the demand is currently greater than the supply. However, there are challenges to overcome on the way to expanding commercial processing.

SeabuckthornGenghis Khan would approve of the efforts to establish a market here for this fascinating superfood. Legend has it that the berries were fed to his soldiers and their horses before battle to give them extra vitality, and researchers have confirmed that it packs a wallop of vitamin C, Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids and the rare Omega 7. But harvesting and processing the berries can be a battle in itself. Because of the plant’s formidable thorns, the branches must be cut off and frozen so that the berries can be shaken off. Growers feel the market potential is strong but there isn’t yet a reliable mechanical method for harvesting.

CurrantsCurrants are another native plant with growing popularity as a commercial fruit crop in Manitoba. While red currants are also being grown, black currants are more likely to be found on Manitoba fruit operations. The plants are very hardy and their compact size is suited to mechanical harvesting. The fruit is used in industrial processing for jam, juice, jelly, drinks and syrup. They are also enjoyed fresh in fruit salads or other desserts.

12 GrowinG news – Cultivating More Ways to Profit in Agriculture

All of the stations measure air and soil temperatures, relative humidity, rainfall and wind, and some also measure solar radiation and air moisture. This year MAFRI will add another five stations and more than 20 state-of-the-art gauges that can measure precipitation all year round.

“The soil temperatures are really handy when you’re planning seeding dates,” Doug says. “Sure, you can

just go out and stick a thermometer in the soil, but having it on your computer is a lot more convenient.”

He also appreciates the reports on wind speed and direction, which can be highly variable within a small area.

Besides collecting more data and filling gaps in coverage, MAFRI is improving the reliability of data by using advanced technology and equipment.

(Continued from page 1)More weather data means sharper decisionsThe checks and balances include dual rain gauges at every location. If one gauge clogs or malfunctions, the device beside it will keep working. The discrepancy in the two readings will immediately signal to Mike that something is wrong so he can make sure the equipment is checked.

While the weather network was designed for agriculture, its benefits extend far beyond the farm gate. The accurate, comprehensive weather data is available at no cost to anyone who wants to access it.

Golden West Radio bases its weather reports on the feed from seven different stations, while Manitoba Hydro uses the system to control their wind turbines.

In winter, rural school boards use it to determine when school closings may be warranted – and some schools return the favour by checking the gauges for MAFRI as part of their education programs.

More weather data also means more inputs for flood forecasting. In the spring of 2011, Manitoba has at least a dozen more stations measuring soil temperature, wind speed and precipitation in the Red River Valley than we did in 1997.

In summer months, another 30 stations are added to the network to support the projects at MAFRI’s Crop Knowledge Centre, including studies into soil moisture and climate change. Important crop reports like the potato blight forecast rely on the constant flow of data into the Carman facility, as well as the vast stores of archived data.

The network’s contribution to research and disease alerts is one of its many “hidden assets,” Mike says. And Doug agrees.

“We need to get the best forward-looking advice possible,” he says. “You can do everything right all through the season, and if you fail to see disease risk, you can lose half or more of your crop. Things like that can really make or break your year.”

MAFRI is now building on the weather network by adding decision-making tools like SPRAYcast (see sidebar).

For more information, visit www.manitoba.ca/agriculture.

New precipitation gauges take accurate measurements 365 days of the year. A glycol mixture melts any frozen precipitation in the bucket, and a precision electronic sensor weighs the contents continuously.

Pinpoint the best time to spray your fields with the help of SPRAYcast, the newest feature on MAFRI’s ag weather website.

The aim of the free service is to help farmers spray fields safely and effectively, which can help to save money and reduce the amount of pesticide they use.

Here’s how it works:

• Zero in your exact field using the satellite-view map, or search by address.

sPRAYcast – a new planning tool• Enter your spray boom height.

• SPRAYcast provides a three-day hourly forecast showing when conditions are expected to be good, fair or poor, and times when you should definitely not plan to spray.

• Hourly wind speed, wind direction, precipitation and temperature are all included in the spray forecast.

SPRAYCAST can be found at www.weatherinnovations.com/mb.

13GrowinG news – Cultivating More Ways to Profit in Agriculture

When you sharpen your focus, you’re Gaining Ground

Now offering funding to more farmers and processorsGrowing Forward has broadened the eligibility requirements for some Business Development programs. That means funding opportunities are available to a greater range of farmers and processors -- beginning and established.

There’s no longer an income cap for the Agri-Excellence and Agri-Advisor programs, and gross sales eligibility amounts have also been revised. Training assistance is now available to

Businesses move forward faster when they have a clear sense of where they’re heading and the obstacles they may encounter along the way.

That’s the premise behind Gaining Ground, the self-assessment workbook that is the starting point for Growing Forward’s Business Development programs.

The workbook takes the user through 112 questions that cover every major aspect of a business, from basic structure and production processes to human resource challenges and fiscal management.

The aim is to take stock of factors that might affect profitability, either today or in the future, and to spot any gaps in capability that might hold the business back. The agri-business person is asked to consider whether these gaps are an opportunity for learning, or whether it makes more sense to seek the services of an expert in the field. Sometimes, the best approach is a combination of both.

While the self-assessment is a valuable exercise in its own right, it’s also the

first step in applying for funding from two of Growing Forward’s Business Development programs – Agri-Excellence, which can help to cover the cost of business-related education and training, and Agri-Advisor, which offers funding for professional services such as legal advice, accounting or business planning.

After completing the Gaining Ground workbook, the applicant reviews the answers with a MAFRI representative. Together they discuss opportunities for continual improvement of the business, and whether Growing Forward can help cover the costs of learning and professional services.

The answers in the workbook have no bearing on eligibility for funding. The questions are just a framework for exploring opportunities to become more profitable, prepare the business for the next phase of development and plan for the unexpected.

The workbook takes less than an hour to complete and can lead to insights that benefit a business for a lifetime.

To pick up your copy of Gaining Ground, visit your local MAFRI GO Office.

farm spouses and for university courses (provided other eligibility criteria are met). The repayment fee for Agri-Advisor has been capped at 75 per cent, to a maximum of $10,000, to reflect actual succession planning costs and provide more funding for all six project areas.

If you haven’t qualified for these programs in the past, take another look! Contact your MAFRI GO Office for more information.

Planning, organizing and strategizing• Training in business structure and

planning

• Advice from a lawyer or management consultant

• Professional guidance for succession and contingency planning

Managing operations• Business and supply chain

management courses

• Recordkeeping software

• Professional guidance on improving production and operating systems

Environmental responsibilities• Environmental courses

• Environmental farm planning

• Learning new production techniques

Avenues for continual improvement

• Professional guidance in understanding regulations and implementing improvements

Managing labour• Courses in human resource

management

• Recordkeeping and payroll software

• Professional advice in employee relations, including conflict resolution and succession planning

Marketing skills and knowledge• Marketing courses

• Professional market research

• Marketing information

• Marketing direction

Financial management• Accounting courses

• Recordkeeping software

• Professional financial advice

Questions in the Gaining Ground workbook can help to identify these and other opportunities to strengthen agri-business capabilities.

Start It. Grow It. Pass It On.Business Development Programs

that help you every step of the way.Growing Forward’s business development programs provide producers and processors with the tools and support they need to:

• Start or take over a farm and agri-processing business

• Maintain and grow it successfully

• Pass it on to the next generation

The business development suite offers four programs:

Agri-Excellence – provides funds for courses, workshops and programs related to business, finance, marketing, human resource management and expanding your operation.

To learn more about Growing Forward or other provincial programs, go to your local Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives GO Office, or visit manitoba.ca/agriculture.

Agri-Advisor – provides access to services of agricultural professionals who can help you develop the best, most competitive, financial, marketing, business and succession plan.

Agri-Extension Business – provides you with the opportunity to increase your knowledge and use of sound management practices.

Succeeding Generations Mentorship – helps new and young farmers develop the skills they need to manage farm businesses by connecting them with a farm mentor.

14 GrowinG news – Cultivating More Ways to Profit in Agriculture

Premises identification system proves its worthWhen avian influenza was detected in a Manitoba turkey flock last November, the industry had the opportunity to see just how valuable a good animal health emergency system can be.

Although the influenza strain turned out to be relatively harmless, the situation provided a trial run of Manitoba’s new premises identification program, which is the foundation of the province’s animal health/food traceability system.

Within hours of the first positive test for influenza, officials were able to determine the level of risk to other premises, including veterinary clinics and processing plants. These sites were immediately monitored, and precautionary measures were taken while further testing for the virus was underway.

With the situation well in hand, officials were able to provide quick and complete information to the media and public.

“While this type of avian influenza was unlikely to cause illness in humans, it was gratifying to see how well the system would work in the event of a crisis,” said Dr. Wayne Lees, Manitoba’s chief veterinary officer. “By 9 a.m. the next morning, our response plan was fully implemented. We saw how powerful it can be when all parts of the industry work together, with public and private participation.”

Manitoba’s premises identification database assigns a unique number based on national standards to every parcel of land dealing with livestock or poultry, including farms, veterinary clinics, feedlots, hobby farms, auction marts, abattoirs and hatcheries. The database will feed into a national traceability system tracking livestock and poultry as they move from the farm to the processing sector.

Growing Forward programs work hand in hand with these systems by encouraging good production and identification practices on the farm and at food processing facilities. For example, livestock producers can access Growing Forward funding to adopt RFID technology for improved animal identification, or to make equipment upgrades that reduce food safety risks. Growing Forward offers funding to help processors improve and certify their food safety programs (see story on next page).

Besides protecting public health, Manitoba’s premises identification database is designed to reduce losses to the livestock industry in the event of an emergency. For example, a 2007 study by Texas A&M University found that the state’s cattle production sector could save billions of dollars in a crisis if tracking time was reduced from eight days down to two days.

The premises identification database will also be an essential planning tool for any potential threat to animals, including natural disasters. During flood preparations, for example, it will help to ensure safe and orderly relocation of animals. Other identification tools such as RFID tags can also help producers keep track of animals during these situations.

In Manitoba, the first association to provide information for the database was the Manitoba Egg Farmers, which works with about 170 egg and pullet operations. Anne-Marie Glesmann, co-ordinator of farmer services, says the industry realizes the importance of having reliable systems in place and has seen the benefits for animals, producers and the public.

“It’s an excellent tool for managing and minimizing the impact of any

“We saw how powerful it can be when all parts of the industry work together, with public and private participation.”

- Dr. Wayne Lees, Manitoba’s Chief Veterinary Officer

A series of programs and systems are working together to reduce food safety risks from gate to plate. Growing Forward funds improvements that encourage safe practices and improved animal identification on the farm and throughout the food processing system, while the premises identification database makes it possible to quickly identify where animals originated and what other premises may be affected if food safety concerns arise. A national traceability system will track animals as they move from farms to processing facilities.

15GrowinG news – Cultivating More Ways to Profit in Agriculture

Students across the province are getting a taste of food safety research as they prepare for the Manitoba Schools Science Symposium and the chance to win a special award for food safety projects.

Last year the award was won by Acadia Junior High’s Yoonsik Park. The Grade 7 student earned the prize for his project titled, “Would You Like Bacteria With That?”

MAFRI sponsors the award with Growing Forward funding as a way of encouraging young people to become interested in the science of safe food production. This year’s symposium will take place at the University of Manitoba from April 28 to May 1.

Promoting food safety knowledge to the next generation

Food safety funding enhancedFunding and program flexibility have been improved under Growing Forward’s Food Safety Program, for Processors and Distributors. Based on industry feedback, these changes are now in effect:

Making it easier to get startedProcessors and distributors beginning to implement basic Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) can receive up to $5,000 as they upgrade sanitation and personnel practices. This new tier for those adopting partial GMPs will make it easier for small companies to begin making improvements. The program continues to offer up to $15,000 in funding for those implementing a comprehensive GMP program.

More flexibilityUp to $25,000 is now available to companies setting up any MAFRI-recognized Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) or ISO 22000 program.

More funding for traceabilityMaximum funding for the development and implementation of food traceability programs has been increased to $10,000 for all non-federally registered food processing facilities that operate legally in Manitoba. This includes food transporters, food warehouses and direct food contact packaging companies. Eligible expenses include software, hardware, bar code or RFID systems for MAFRI-approved programs.

Additional one-time incentiveA new funding category assists processors as they continue to upgrade their food safety programs. This funding is available to new food safety funding applicants as well as previous recipients. For example, companies may access one-time funding as they progress from a GMP program to a

natural disaster or food safety issue,” she says. “Consumers hear of problems elsewhere and it’s important that they know that the food produced here is safe.”

Anne-Marie says the egg and poultry industry is taking other measures to enhance biosecurity and traceability throughout the production chain. At the national level, the Egg Farmers of Canada is developing standards that can be used to implement traceability, and Manitoba is the site of one of the concept trials now underway.

Manitoba has a comprehensive plan to control outbreaks of any virulent livestock disease, should it ever appear. The plan includes extra precautions to prevent the spread of disease, eradicate the sources of infection and protect anyone who may be in contact with affected animals.

A quick response not only contains the risk, but also prevents undue alarm and ensures the public is getting accurate information.

Visit a MAFRI GO Office to obtain a premises identification number or apply for Growing Forward food safety programs.

HACCP program, from HACCP to ISO 22000, or from HACCP to the benchmarked standard of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). Up to $10,000 in one-time funding is available for these further upgrades. Growing Forward provides up to 90 per cent of the costs, with the applicant contributing 10 per cent of the costs in cash.

Funding for on-farm food safety programs is also available. To learn more, visit your local MAFRI GO Office or www.manitoba.ca/agriculture/foodsafety.

Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) is the provincial Crown corporation providing insurance and lending products along with services designed specifically to help Manitoba farmers, rural businesses and communities prosper. For more information, contact your nearest office today.

Aussi disponible en français.

MASC Building a strong rural Manitoba

Growing Opportunities Offices Connecting ideas to investment

Do you have an idea that could help your farm or agriprocessing business grow? Your MAFRI Growing Opportunities (GO) Office can help you get started. GO Office staff will help you explore assistance available through Growing Forward and other provincial programs.

CENTRAL PLAINS Carberry 834-8815

Gladstone 385-6633

Portage la Prairie 239-3352

Treherne 723-3232

EASTMANBeausejour 268-6094

St. Pierre 433-7749

Steinbach 346-6080

Vita 425-5050

NORTH INTERLAKE Arborg 376-3300

Ashern 768-2782

Fisher Branch 372-6526

Lundar 762-5649

NORTH PARKLAND Dauphin 622-2007

Roblin 937-6460

Ste. Rose 447-4032

PEMBINAKillarney 523-5260

Pilot Mound 825-3512

Somerset 744-4050

RED RIVERAltona 324-2804

Carman 745-5610

Morden 822-5461

Morris 746-2312

Starbuck 735-4080

SOUTH INTERLAKE Dugald 853-5170

Stonewall/Selkirk467-4700

Teulon 886-2696

SOUTH PARKLAND Hamiota 764-3010

Minnedosa 867-6572

Neepawa 476-7020

Russell 773-5130

Shoal Lake 759-4050

SOUTHWESTBoissevain 534-2010

Brandon 726-6482

Melita 522-3256

Souris 483-2153

Virden 748-4770

VALLEYS NORTHSwan River 734-3417

The Pas 627-8255

URBANWinnipeg 945-4521

INSURANCE OFFICESAltona324-2800

Beausejour268-6001

Birtle842-7700

Carman745-5600

Dauphin622-2017

Deloraine747-2889

Fisher Branch372-6619

Glenboro827-8870

Grandview546-5010

Hamiota764-3000

Neepawa476-7050

Portage la Prairie239-3499

St. Pierre-Jolys433-7298

Sanford736-5010

Somerset744-4062

Souris483-5060

Stonewall467-4710

Swan River734-9326

Virden748-4280

LENDING OFFICESArborg376-3305

Beausejour268-6016

Brandon726-6018

Carman745-5621

Dauphin622-2016

Killarney523-5270

Melita522-3443

Morris746-7506

Neepawa476-7026

Portage la Prairie239-3357

Roblin937-6470

Shoal Lake759-4064

Steinbach346-6092

Swan River734-3172

Teulon886-4412

Virden748-4779

For more information, contact your local MAFRI GO Office or MASC Office.

Important dates and events for 2011

manitoba.ca/agriculture masc.mb.ca

16 GrowinG news – Cultivating More Ways to Profit in Agriculture

April 7 Effective Employee Orientation Video conference presented by Canada-Manitoba Business Service Centres

April 13 Around the Kitchen Table: Building Better Communication on the Farm Brandon GO Office

April 20-21 Capturing Opportunities ConferenceKeystone Centre, Brandon

April 27 Work-Life Balance on the Farm: Healthy Farmers = Healthy FarmsBrandon GO Office

May 17 Effective Employee Orientation Video conference presented by Canada-Manitoba Business Service Centres

June 9 Positive Employee Relations Video conference presented by Canada-Manitoba Business Service Centres

June 22 Excess Moisture Insurance Last day to file a claim for excess moisture

June 25 Forage Establishment Insurance Last day to file claims for forage establishment crops seeded in prior crop year

June 30 Seeded Acreage Reports Last day to file this report

July 19 Employee Relations Problem Solving Video conference presented by Canada-Manitoba Business Service Centres

September 18 Open Farm Day Opportunity for Manitobans to visit host farms

September 30 Native Hay Insurance Last day to file claims

Forage Restoration Last day to file claims

October 24-26 Biofibe 2011 Learn from leaders of the biorevolution

November 30 Harvested Production Reports Last day to file this report