published by manitoba beef producers october 2015 · 2015-10-20 · published by manitoba beef...

PUBLISHED BY MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS

OCTOBER 2015

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Core partners tour MBFIPage 3

Great Turnout for Youth Round Up

Page 5

Meet U of M’s new masters’ students 1

Manitoba’s cattle in-dustry was in the spotlight at a recent Winnipeg Blue Bombers game.

As part of a three-year sponsorship between Canada Beef and the Ca-nadian Football League, Manitoba Beef Producers was the sponsor when the host Bombers took on the defending Grey Cup Cham-pion Calgary Stampeders Aug. 29.

MBP directors and staff were stationed in Tail-gate Plaza prior to the game where they had a chance to speak with a number of Bombers fans as well as producers who were at-tending the game. MBP also sponsored a draw for a free supper for 10 with two

Page 2 ➢

Beef producers recognized

The schedule for Manitoba Beef Producers’ annual tour of the province has been set.

Beginning Oct. 26 MBP staff and directors will embark on 14 district meetings at locations throughout the province.

Members will also have an opportunity to provide input on the future of the organization by submitting resolutions that will be voted on at the Annual Gen-eral Meeting which is scheduled for Feb. 4 and 5 in Brandon.

A variety of topics will be

covered at the meetings. They in-clude a review of MBP’s finances, its advocacy work on behalf of Manitoba’s beef producers, and updates on key industry develop-ments and trends. In districts 7, 12 and 13 where bovine TB is a concern there will also be an up-date on current initiatives related to that.

There will be a presenta-tion on Canada’s National Beef Strategy and the future vision it outlines for the Canadian cattle industry.

A short survey will be dis-tributed asking producers to indi-cate whether or not they support the creation of a dealer assurance fund, a matter put forth in a reso-lution at the 36th MBP AGM.

Elections for directors will also be held in even numbered districts this year. A new director will be selected for District 10 as current director Theresa Zuk has reached her term limit and will be retiring.

“We strongly encourage our members to attend their dis-

trict meeting,” said MBP general manager Melinda German. “This year’s meetings will be of particu-lar interest to members as there are a number of important issues to discuss and inform our mem-bers of.”

Each meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. An advertisement with all of the dates and locations can be found on page 2 of this month’s issue. There is no cost for members to attend the meetings and a beef on a bun supper will also be served at each venue.

Schedule set for district meetings

Manitoba Beef Producers’ was the host sponsor for the Aug. 29 Winnipeg Blue Bombers game. As part of the sponsorship, MBP was able to recognize a farm family for their contributions to the industry. The selected family were Kristine Blair and Graham Tapley, the winners of The En-vironmental Sustainability Award for Manitoba. Blair (left) was able to attend the game with her parents and a friend. While there they received a sideline tour and met Bombers’ Head Coach Mike O’Shea.

Prior to the game MBP directors and staff were located at MBP’s booth in Tailgate Plaza. MBP was able to give away recipe books and other items promoting beef. A number of kids also had some fun learning to rope.

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October 2015CATTLE COUNTRY2

www.mbbeef.ca

DISTRICT 13BEN FOX - 2ND VICE PRESIDENT

R.M. of Shell River, Shellmouth,Hillsburg, Boulton, Grandview, Gilbert Plains, Ethelbert, Mossey River, Dauphin, LGD Park

MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERSCOMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

DESIGNED BY

CATTLE COUNTRY EDITOR

FINANCE

POLICY ANALYST

Chad Saxon

Esther Reimer

Trinda Jocelyn

Chad Saxon

Deb Walger

Maureen Cousins

Melinda German

Ph: 1-800-772-0458

DISTRICT 14STAN FOSTERR.M. of Minitonas, Swan River, Mountain, The Pas

Unit 220, 530 Century StreetWinnipeg, MB R3H 0Y4

PH - (204) 772-4542FX - (204) 774-3264

[email protected]

GENERAL MANAGER

DISTRICT 1 GORD ADAMS R.M. of Albert, Cameron, Whitewater, Edward, Brenda, Winchester, Morton

DISTRICT 2 DAVE KOSLOWSKY - SECRETARY R.M. of Riverside, Strathcona, Argyle, Lorne, Turtle Mountain, Roblin, Louise, Pembina

DISTRICT 3 PETER PENNER R.M. of Portage la Prairie, Cartier, Grey, MacDonald, Dufferin, Thompson, Roland, Morris, Stanley, Rhineland, Montcalm

DISTRICT 4 HEINZ REIMER - PRESIDENT R.M. of Richot, Ste. Anne, Hanover, De Salaberry, La Broquerie, Franklin, Stuartburn, Piney, LGD Reynolds

DISTRICT 5 RAMONA BLYTH - 1ST VICE-PRESIDENT R.M. of Elton, North Cypress, North Norfolk, Cornwallis, Oakland, South Cypress, Victoria, South Norfolk

DISTRICT 6 LARRY WEGNER R.M. of Wallace, Woodworth, Daly, Pipestone, Sifton, Whitehead, Glenwood

DISTRICT 7 LARRY GERELUS R.M. of Russell, Silver Creek, Rossburn, Ellice, Birtle, Shoal Lake, Strathclair, Archie, Miniota, Hamiota, Blanshard

DISTRICT 8 TOM TEICHROEB R.M. of Harrison, Clanwilliam, Rosedale, Glenella, Saskatchewan, Odanah, Minto, Langford, Lansdowne, Westbourne, LGD Park

DISTRICT 9 DIANNE RIDING R.M. of Woodlands, Rockwood, St. Andrews, Rosser, St. Francis Xavier, Springfield, Tache, Whitemouth, Lac du Bonnet, Brokenhead, St. Clements, LGD of Alexander, Pinawa

DISTRICT 10 THERESA ZUK - TREASURER R.M. of Bifrost, Gimli, Fisher, Armstrong

DISTRICT 11 CARON CLARKE R.M. of Siglunes, Grahamdale, Eriksdale, Coldwell, St. Laurent

DISTRICT 12 BILL MURRAY R.M. of Lawrence, Ochre River, Ste. Rose, McCreary, Alonsa

SAVETHE

DATEMBP’s 37th Annual General Meeting takes place Feb. 4 & 5, 2016 at the Victoria Inn in Brandon, MB. PLAN TO ATTEND!Email [email protected] for details.

Feb 4 & 5

Manitoba Beef Pro-ducers is about to embark on a campaign to promote the province’s beef industry and would like its members to be the stars.

Tentatively titled “We Are Proud,” the campaign will serve as an opportu-nity for MBP members to shine a light on the industry through their own words. The campaign will be built around three areas – Pride in Our People, Pride in our

Practices and Pride in Our Product. Each of the areas will comprise the overall campaign and allow MBP to show consumers and the public at large the work be-ing done by producers in areas such as animal care and environmental stew-ardship.

In 500 words or less, MBP is asking members to explain why they are proud to be Manitoba beef producers. Those making

submissions are asked to choose one of the three ar-eas – people, product and practices – to focus on in their essays. The top essays will be used to form the “We are Proud” campaign.

As well, all entries will be entered into a contest to win a VIP package for two to the 2015 Grey Cup which will be held in Winnipeg on Nov. 29. The package in-cludes two tickets to the big game and exclusive access

to areas of Investor’s Group Field.

“We are excited to launch this campaign and look forward to seeing the submissions of our mem-bers,” said MBP General Manager Melinda German. “In this day of heightened customer awareness and social media, we feel it is very important for produc-ers to tell their story. Hav-ing Manitoba producers explain the lengths they go

to to produce a safe and healthy product and also in their care of the environ-ment and their animals will serve to build and maintain our relationship with our customers.

“We also feel this cam-paign can serve as a rallying point for producers. As we know beef producers are humble people who chose this line of work because it is something they genu-inely love; this campaign

gives them a chance to let consumers know they are professionals and highlights the pride and care that go into beef production.”

Entries can be submit-ted via email to [email protected]. They can also be mailed to the Manitoba Beef Producers office at:

220-530 Century StreetWinnipeg, MB

R3H 0Y4The deadline for

submissions is Nov. 7.

Tell us why you’re proud to be a beef producerGrey Cup VIP package to the winner

ATTEND YOUR MBP DISTRICT MEETINGMeet with MBP representatives and fellow beef producers to discuss the timely beef issues affecting your district and industry. Elections will be held in even numbered

districts. All Meetings will begin at 6 p.m. with beef on a bun being served.

CALL 1-800-772-0458 OR [email protected] FOR FULL DETAILS

DISTRICT DIRECTOR DATE LOCATION ADDRESSDistrict 11 Caron Clarke Oct-26 Eriksdale Rec Centre 1st Ave., EriksdaleDistrict 9 Dianne Riding Oct-27 South Interlake Rockwood Ag Society PR #236 & Rockwood Road, StonewallDistrict 3 Peter Penner Oct-28 Elm Creek Community Hall 70 Arena Rd., Elm CreekDistrict 4 Heinz Reimer Oct-29 Grunthal Auction Mart Provincial Road 205District 12 Bill Murray Nov-03 Westlake Community Hall Hwy. 68, EddystoneDistrict 13 Ben Fox Nov-04 Chicken Chef 131 1st Ave., RoblinDistrict 14 Stan Foster Nov-05 Legion Hall 206 2nd St., BowsmanDistrict 7 Larry Gerelus Nov-06 Strathclair Hall 120 Veterans Way, StrathclairDistrict 1 Gord Adams Nov-09 Deloraine Curling Rink 119 Lake St., DeloraineDistrict 2 Dave Koslowsky Nov-10 Memorial Hall 142 First St., BaldurDistrict 6 Larry Wegner Nov-12 Oak Lake Community Hall 474 North Railway St. West, OaklakeDistrict 5 Ramona Blyth Nov-13 Cypress Planning Office(Old Town Hall) 122 Main St., CarberryDistrict 10 Theresa Zuk* Nov-16 Bifrost Community Centre 337 River Rd., ArborgDistrict 8 Tom Teichroeb Nov-18 Royal Canadian Legion 425 Brown Ave., Neepawa

*Director Retiring

← Page 1 members of the Bombers in the Blue and Gold Club at Investor’s Group Field. Anthony Mintenko was the winner and enjoyed the supper along with nine guests on Sept. 23.

“The game was an excellent opportunity for our staff and directors to meet with producers and consum-ers,” said MBP General Manager Melinda German. “The more we can touch base with both groups and build a re-lationship with our comsumers, the stronger we become as an association and industry.”

The evening also gave MBP the opportunity to rec-ognize a Manitoba farm family for their contributions to the industry. Kristine Blair and Graham Tapley, who earlier this year captured the The Environmental Sus-tainability Award (TESA) for Manitoba were named the

family of the game for the West Division match up. Blair, along with her parents and a friend, were able to tour the sidelines before the game and had a chance to meet Bombers’ head coach Mike O’Shea. They were also fea-tured on the stadium’s jumbotron during a Canada Beef segment in the fourth quarter.

The Canada Beef–CFL partnership is now into its second year. Dubbed Fueling the CFL the program cen-tres on the importance of beef to athletes with a focus on the product’s high protein and iron content.

In each of the provinces that are home to a CFL club, the provincial association was given the opportu-nity to host a game and recognize a group of producers. Also, with the Grey Cup being held in Manitoba in 2015 MBP has received a Grey Cup VIP Package for two that the association will be giving out as part of a contest in September and October. The 2015 Grey Cup is sched-uled for Nov. 29.

CFL - CB partnership in year two

MBP General Manager Melinda German poses with the Canada Beef Fueling the CFL cutout.

October 2015 CATTLE COUNTRY 3

www.mbbeef.ca

BY CHAD SAXON

It may look like a se-rene piece of pasture land at first glance, but there is plenty stirring behind the scenes of Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives Inc. (MBFI).

The ambitious proj-ect, which is being carried out on three different re-search plots near Brandon, is a collaboration between Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP), Ducks Unlimited (DU), Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA) as well as Mani-toba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MA-FRD).

Employees and board members from the four core partners were recently given a tour of the opera-tion during what was de-scribed as MBFI’s introduc-tory tour.

The tour provided those in attendance with a look into how far MBFI has come in a few months and what type of work and research they can expect to occur over the next few years.

As is laid out in MB-FI’s mission statement, the focus of the project is “to determine priority areas and attract resources to address research and ex-tension needs; to improve the collaboration between beef and forage research-ers and extension staff; and to help ensure the efficient use of available resources while remaining flexible to evolving sector needs. It is important that the research and extension projects con-ducted within the initiative address gaps and issues in Manitoba’s beef and forage production knowledge-base.”

The three sites – which are tentatively named Brookdale, Johnson and First Street - are located in the Brandon area and are well known to those in the research community, hav-ing been used by both the federal and provincial gov-ernments and Manitoba Zero Till Association in previous years.

During his introduc-tory remarks to those who took part in the tour, MBFI Producer Chairman Ray Armbruster said he was gratified to be standing at the Brookdale location, noting there was a great deal of work that led up to the Sept. 10 tour.

“Three years ago when I was still with Manitoba Beef Producers we started talking about this,” said Armbruster,” who acknowl-edged the work of MBP General Manager Melinda German, MBP Director Ramona Blyth and Glenn Friesen of MAFRD, for their work in making MBFI a reality.

“The dedication and the work to bring it this far and to bring it to a reality, it’s very gratifying.”

Armbruster hailed the partnership between the core partners in helping to create MBFI while adding that initiatives such as these are very important to the cattle industry, which he admitted, is in a catch up situation with respect to re-search and innovation.

“It’s gotten so competi-tive to be on the landscape. With new generations coming forward we need to have that vision and we need to drive innovation and research and keep the wheels turning.”

German, who is also the project’s general man-

ager, said they are con-fident that MBFI will be able to drive innovation and research, thanks in large part to the collabora-tion between the provincial government, industry and other partners.

“What we want to do on (the Brookdale site) in particular by partnering with Ducks Unlimited is to do extension and ap-plied research, to do that demonstration work,” she said. “For us, we know the importance of adopting all of that discovery research that is out there. We know that can be a challenge so our goal here on this site is to apply that research and to take the risk out of it so producers can adopt it and to try new things as our world changes – as climate change happens, as market changes happen – we need to be able to adapt to that change. We need to take that risk out for producers so they can sustainable and profitable.”

German said MBFI also plans to work with the academia, pointing to the Johnson site as an area where both sides can part-ner in discovery research. MBFI also includes a pro-ducer advisory committee that German said feeds into the needs of the project and helps this initiative connect and work with them.

“The beef industry is in a critical stage really, whether it’s the change we are going to face from so-cial license, climate change, market pressures … you name it. So this initiative and this partnership is so important to us.”

If all goes according to plan, MBFI’s partner-ships could also extend to groups such as Ag in the

Classroom and 4-H added Friesen who is the project manager for MAFRD.

“We’ve had some ex-citing conversations with (groups) that are all very interested in being partners with us at various levels.”

As for the tour it-self, the group was taken through all three plots and learned of MBFI’s future plans for things such as a cattle handling facility, learning centre, the poten-tial for ecotourism and the creation of a website to share the research findings and extension with produc-ers and other researchers.

From the research side, the group was told of the various projects already underway addressing top-ics such as mob grazing and extended grazing, polycrop and high energy forages; increasing biodiversity and controlling invasive spe-cies on native grasslands. The tour also included an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) demonstration with Jeff Kostiuk of MAFRD il-lustrating how UAVs can be used to improve forages and research.

Tour provides glimpse inside MBFIPH

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MBFI uses a variety of technologies at their three research plots including a solar power generating for their watering system.

The cattle handling facility at the Johnson research site is expected to provide many opportunities for research.

Jeff Kostiuk of MAFRD releases his fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle during the MBFI tour. UAVs, or drones as they are more commonly known, have many applications for the farm.

Ray Armbruster, MBFI’s Producer Chairman, addresses the attendees of a recent tour of their three facilities near Brandon.


www.mbbeef.ca

2015

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It looks like fall is upon us and a change in the weather is coming. Change could also be coming with the federal election on October 19.

I’m not going to tell you what party to vote for but please do get out and vote. I also encourage you to address cattle and beef industry issues with your candidates in the next few weeks. This is very impor-tant.

The beef cattle sector is a big part of Canada’s rural economy. Farm cash receipts for cattle totaled close to $10 billion in 2014 which was 17 per cent of the farm receipts, making our industry the second largest revenue maker for farmers after canola.

Our beef sector is ready to expand. Current cattle supplies are low and, along with a grow-ing demand and an increase in export markets, this is a great time to be in the industry. Produc-ers need governments to work with us to ensure that we have reliable programs to manage business risk.

There are lots of issues to bring up with candidates and I will try to outline some of them.

* Movement is need to resolve Country of Origin Labeling (COOL). Sometime this fall the World Trade

Organization will authorize Canada and Mexico to place retaliatory tariffs on US exports.

The US Congress will only follow through with a repeal of COOL if they feel retaliation by Canada and Mexico is a real threat. The Canadian beef industry needs commitments from all parties that they are committed to swiftly enacting tariffs once the WTO authorization is received if the US has not already repealed COOL.

* Research is another important top-ic. Productivity is critical to agriculture as we need to produce more with less land, water and labour. Re-search needs to provide science-based information to help ensure consumer confidence around agriculture production practices and animal welfare. Enhanced funding for production research in areas such as food safety and quality, animal health and the environment will benefit our industry and help support consumer confidence in and knowledge of beef production.

* Environmental sustainability is a high priority for cattle producers and consumers. The need for an increased food supply means increasing productivity and efficiencies. Cattle producers are utilizing prac-tices such as managed grazing and feed-efficient cattle

to help the environment. Grasslands deliver many eco-system services such as supplying wildlife habitat, en-hancing water quality and storing carbon. Migratory birds and species at risk depend on grasslands and beef producers are key stewards in preserving these lands . Governments must continue to look for and find ways cattle producers can partner in conservation for the supply of public goods.

*Finding ways to more effectively manage water in Manitoba must remain a priority for the federal gov-ernment, such as the construction of a second outlet to draw down Lake Manitoba, or support for initiatives such as the Assiniboine River Basin Initiative and oth-ers. For Manitoba producers to be willing to expand, they want to be confident that there are long-term so-lutions to our water-related challenges.

These are just a few of the issues in the upcoming federal election. Through leadership, science, stake-holder engagements and collaboration we will eensure sustainability in the Canadian beef industry.

On the topic of elections, the MBP fall district meetings will be happening shortly. Elections for MBP director positions will be held in even-numbered dis-tricts. Remember, your vote counts in all elections.

More information on our district meetings can be found at mbbeef.ca/district-meetings

Every votes counts this fall

HEINZ REIMERMBP President

Moovin’ Along

It’s that time of year again: Manitoba Beef Pro-ducers’ district meetings. Consider this your invita-tion to come out and meet with your local director and MBP staff to learn about our activities this past year on behalf of Manitoba’s beef industry. We also want to hear your ideas and con-cerns.

Many of you will recall that we recently conducted a Member Survey. We en-gaged a consultant to help us get your thoughts about MBP’s role and activities, both now and in the future. One of the main themes that emerged was the need

for MBP to communicate more with our membership about our activities and fo-cus. Another theme was the importance of building relationships with consum-ers and the public to ensure they receive accurate infor-mation about our industry. The Member Survey was well received by producers and the feedback is invalu-able as we plan for the fu-ture.

Over the last year I trust you’ve noticed a more targeted effort to inform you of how MBP advocates on issues affecting our in-dustry. For example, in this edition you’ll find an update

on what MBP is doing to ad-dress the resolutions carried at our 36th Annual General Meeting. Much of our work involves reaching out to se-nior government staff and elected officials about chal-lenges and opportunities in the industry. Sometimes it takes time to see results from these efforts so wher-ever possible we try to com-bine our lobby efforts with practical solutions that can

be implemented sooner. MBP uses several com-

munications tools to tell you about our work and to update you on industry-related issues and opportu-nities. First and foremost is Cattle Country, which rates very highly with our read-ers. We are making strides in getting our bi-weekly electronic newsletter out to more subscribers. This quick reference document provides timely updates on emerging issues as well as upcoming events. Contact our office to sign up for the e-newsletter. MBP is also very active on social media so if you want quick indus-try updates check us out on Facebook and Twitter. But technology being what it is in rural Manitoba, I still think one of the best ways to communicate is face to face.

MBP’s district meet-ings start the last week of October and go through November. With 14 dis-tricts to visit it is a lot of travel and time away from the office, but these meet-ings are essential for direc-tors and staff to meet one on one with you, our members. There’s no perfect time for a meeting. We hold these meetings in the evening to encourage as many produc-ers as possible to attend. Attendance is free and in-cludes a beef on a bun meal at 6 p.m. before the meet-ing starts. We’ll give you a report on MBP’s financial situation and an update on

our activities. Then there will be the opportunity to bring forward resolutions for debate at the Annual General Meeting. These help provide us with direc-tion on priority issues for the coming year.

Throughout the year directors and staff con-nect with producers and industry stakeholders in a number of ways. We at-tend meetings, 4-H and youth events, and tour key areas of the province to talk with producers one on one. Sometimes seeing the issue or opportunity first hand goes a long way to working towards achieving a posi-tive outcome. These efforts, coupled with our outreach in Cattle Country, our e-newsletter and our social media channels, can go a long way to improving our communications and effec-tiveness.

In our Member Sur-vey you told us an impor-tant MBP role is raising consumer awareness about beef and beef production. The last few months we’ve partnered with TSN Radio on a new promotion called Eat Like An Athlete. Our goal is to reach out several times weekly to a broad de-mographic of people, both within Winnipeg and out-side the Perimeter to pro-mote the nutritional value of beef. The campaign’s tag line is “You may not be able to play like an athlete but you can still eat like one.” Our overall goal is to tell the positive story of our healthy and nutritious beef products and this campaign has been very successful. Ultimately we want to make MBP a household name so that when consumers have

a question about beef or beef production they know they can come to us for an answer. This is just part of our plans to help producers tell the story of our industry. Talking about communica-tions and consumers leads me to mention our Annual General Meeting set for Feb. 4-5, 2016 at the Vic-toria Inn in Brandon. This year’s theme is From our Gate to Your Plate: Under-standing our Evolving Con-sumer. Not only is the AGM an excellent opportunity for you provide us with input that will guide our future work but it’s also a chance to hear what consumers are thinking. This year we want to bring in speakers that will help us under-stand changing consumer tastes and attitudes and what they’re looking for in their food purchases. Once again, from our Member Survey you told us that un-derstanding consumer ex-pectations is important to you as our industry evolves and we adapt to changing markets. I encourage you to consider attending and connecting with MBP and fellow producers to discuss the future of our industry.

As you can see, what you told us in the Member Survey is making an impact. We are striving to improve our communication with you, our members and help tell your story to the public. I trust our actions continue to demonstrate that we are your association and your voices are being heard. See you in the fall. For de-tails on your local district meeting and our Annual General Meeting please visit our website at www.mbbeef.ca

MELINDA GERMANGeneral Manager’s Column

Your association, your voice


www.mbbeef.ca

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SubmittedFifty-five enthusiastic Manitoba and

Saskatchewan junior cattle producers at-tended the eighth annual Manitoba Youth Beef Roundup July 31, August 1 and 2 in Neepawa. Excitement in the cattle indus-try brought out a top notch group of in-terested cattle producers and 88 head of cattle.

Where else can you attend an event with 55 junior members all working to-gether as teams and individual compe-titions to learn the skills needed in the livestock industry. This is not just a cattle show it is all around event to promote and educate youth to continue on in the live-stock industry.

Our show would not happen without our dedicated sponsors who have stood behind this junior all breeds show and helped to make it a success.

The weekend started off with the Ag Challenge sponsored by gold sponsor Ma-zer Group, a timed competition with some hands on knowledge of the livestock in-dustry. The juniors enjoyed the challenges and tasks they were given like halter mak-ing, verified beef, parts of the animal and tattooing an animal. The winning team was Raina Syrnyk, Nolan Glover, Harleigh Carlson, Emily Speers, Sierra Inglis and Cody Carson.

On Saturday members exhibited items in the competitions listed below along with the cattle show and education-al competitions as both individuals and in

teams.Grand Champion Commercial Fe-

male – Kolton McIntosh, EriksdaleReserve Grand Commercial Female

– Haley Brownell, Redvers, SKChampion Fat Steer- Justin Carvey,

AlexanderReserve Champion Steer- Brooklyn

Hedley, Rapid CityManitoba Youth Beef Roundup Agri-

bition Team-Taylor Carvey, Alexander; Raina Syn-

ryk, Ethlebert; and Laura Tolton, CarberryThis team will represent Roundup at

the 2015 Canadian Western Agribition in Regina in November.

Manitoba Youth Beef Roundup and Manitoba Ag Days presented two $1,000 scholarships to Taylor Carvey and Raina Synryk.

Grand aggregate awards. Members were given one point for each animal and then points for the other events they com-peted in.

Grand Aggregate Pee Wee – Carson Baker,Neepawa

Grand Aggregate Junior –Taylor Carlson, Elm Creek

Grand Aggregate Intermediate – Naomi Best, Harding

Grand Aggregate Senior – Raina Syrnyk, Ethlebert

They received belt buckles from plati-num sponsor Enns Brothers.

For a complete list of results please see mbbeef.ca.

Youth roundup results

BETTY GREEN AND MELINDA GERMAN

The August long weekend has be-come synonymous with the Manitoba Youth Beef Round-up. We had the plea-sure of attending this year’s event, engag-ing with the youth and judging several competitions throughout the weekend. It is a time of change within our industry as we have fewer producers and face lower cattle inventory numbers. You may wonder what the future holds for our industry and whether the youth or the next generation will take up the challenge and lead us in the future.

From the moment we entered the fairgrounds in Neepawa that question was answered. Every year we are in awe of the skills, confidence and enthusiasm of our country’s future cattle producers. This event is not for the weak of heart as the organizers plan and execute a fast-paced, high-energy, fun event. The orga-nizers, all deserving of a pat on the back, run a tight ship and we were truly im-pressed with the number of activities and the engagement of young and old alike. One of the best aspects is the mentorship of the younger members by the more senior participants. Participants range in age from

as young as four to their early 20s. Many of the competitions are team events and it is fantastic to see how the older members work with and encourage the younger ones. Everyone has a role to play and over the years there has been so much growth and development in many of the young produc-ers that attend this event annually.

At one of the busiest times of the year on the farm, everything is set aside, and cattle, supplies and people are loaded to participate in the long weekend event. Not only is this a venue for mentorship, there is a wonderful sense of family and com-munity as everyone, from babes in arms to grandparents come together to achieve a common goal, that being learning and mentoring in the beef industry. By helping to train new Manitoba producers we are ensuring the sustainability of local beef pro-duction from the perspective of economics, the environment and social license.

These youth will be our spokespeople for the future, not only continuing to care for the land and raising a quality product but also engaging the public about what we do and why.

All of this is important as we face a changing world. We no longer just produce

a calf, but a product that feeds citizens of Manitoba, Canada and beyond. Our prod-uct must tell a story, not only does it taste great, but it tells a story of tradition, pride and care. The youth of our industry will tell that story, they will build that relationship with our consumers and the public. The skills they learn at events like this prepare them for the future, a bright future where we will connect with those not directly in-volved in our industry and where we tell the story of a proud tradition that still has a place in our society today and beyond.

Lastly, events like this are only success-ful if they have a group of people dedicated to the youth and our future. Like so many organizations this depends on volunteers who believe in what they do and why. Lois McRae and the organizing committee are key to ensuring our youth attending events like this have the chance to hone their skills, to grow and fuel their passion and most importantly be mentors. As we watch the senior members assist the juniors in work-ing with their cattle or preparing a speech or serving a wonderful meal, these are our volunteers of tomorrow. These are the fu-ture of our industry and we are very proud of them.

Mentoring our youthNeepawa Roundup 2015

Fifty-five junior cattle producers took part in the Manitoba Youth Beef Roundup in Neepawa.

Justin Carvey of Alexander, right, was the winner of the grand champion fat steer award.

Left, winners of the Grand Aggregate

Award were: Naomi Best, Carson Baker, Taylor Carlson and

Raina Syrnyk.

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Now that producers are finally able to get some de-cent prices for their cattle, the last thing they want is to lose any high-value animals to predators. But in some areas because of urban encroachment and habitat loss, pressure from predators in increasing, and more and more producers are looking at guardian dogs to help protect their cattle.

Sheep and goat producers commonly use guard-ian dogs to protect their flocks, but they can also be effective for cattle depending on the situation, and the producer’s commitment to training the dogs.

Wouldn’t Want to be Without ThemRay and Susan Armbruster got their guardian dogs

about nine years ago as part of a pilot project with Man-itoba Agriculture and Rural Development (MAFRD) to evaluate how well the dogs would work to mitigate the interaction of elk and deer with their herd.

“Our farm is in the Birdtail Valley on the west side of Riding Mountain National Park and we are in the Riding Mountain TB Eradication Area,” says Ray. “They do an extremely good job and if any animals at-tempt to come into their perimeter, or there’s any threat to the cattle, they deter it. I wouldn’t want to be without them now because I don’t even worry about cows with newborn calves. I don’t even think of anything getting them.”

The couple have a nine-year-old Great Pyrenees male and a six-year-old female that is a Great Pyrenees/Maremma cross. The key to success with guardian dogs is making sure they bond with the cattle from day one, says Susan, who put their first dog in a pen with a calf she was bottle feeding as a six-week old puppy. As the calf got older she gradually added a couple more cows and calves to the pen. “By July we had a small herd of cows here at the home pasture, so we let him go out with them and it certainly didn’t take him long

to realize what his job was,” says Susan. “Their instincts are fabulous but the trick is just to get them started.”

Don’t Over HandleThat doesn’t mean that you can just put the dogs

out with the livestock and forget about them, says Su-san. “You have to manage your dogs so you can take care of them properly, but at the same time, you don’t want to over handle them because they have to do a job from time to time that requires them to be independent and a little ferocious,” says Susan. “It’s a bit of a balanc-ing act. You have to be really careful that you don’t end up with dogs that don’t bond properly and decide to be at the step of your house all the time. That could be from over handling and too much petting. We feed the dogs twice a day and the big male dog, he leans against your leg and you talk to him and then he’s satisfied and he goes back to his cows.”

There are many different breeds of guardian dogs including Great Pyrenees, Maremma, Akbash, Kuvash, Anatolian Shepherd and Komondor. The average cost of a guardian dog pup ranges anywhere from $200 to $350 and there are additional costs such as vaccina-tions (around $50) and neutering or spaying (around $150 to $250). Food costs are around $50 a month per dog.

“We decided to go with Great Pyrenees because they have a good nature and are easy to work with,” says Ray, who adds that producers do need to remem-ber that guardian dogs aren’t pets.

Guardian Dogs Are Not Pets“They’re nice, calm dogs, and they look like nice

pets but they really mean business when it comes to protecting the livestock,” he says. “They don’t take prisoners. If anything persists in coming too close and doesn’t leave, it’s a war. From time to time there are ca-sualties out there.”

The Armbrusters say they wouldn’t be without guardian dogs any more and Ray believes that with the

high value of cattle more cattle producers will be taking a look at getting guardian dogs. He advises producers to contact MAFRD for advice about guardian dogs and also to talk to other producers who have them and can pass on some tips, especially about training and care of the dogs, which is important if they want to have success.

“Dogs are a tremendously good option but the key thing is you just don’t get the dog and throw him out there and have instant success,” says Ray. “There’s got to be some investment and work. You’re responsible for that dog, for looking after him properly, for his nutri-tion and any needs he has so a healthy dog is going to work better.”

Guardian Dog Resources:Livestock Guardian Dogs information andhttp://www.lgd.org/MAFRD – Mamoon Rashid – Business Development Specialist – small ruminants 204 945 7557 [email protected]

Invisible fence technology was developed about 40 years ago, and until now the system relied on a wire buried around property to contain animals and has been largely used for pets. Thanks to new GPS tech-nology, cattle producers can now use invisible fences to prevent their guardian dogs from wandering away from the herd.

“Size was always a limitation with previous invis-ible fence systems because it was cost prohibitive to try and run a wire around an entire quarter section or large pasture,” says Robbin Watson of Invisible Fence Brand of Southern Manitoba. “Now we have married the invisible fence and GPS technology so we design the boundaries of the invisible fence on a laptop using our own software and then download the GPS co-ordinates that are transmitted to the dog’s collar. We are not lim-ited by size, terrain or weather.” If the cattle move to an-other pasture, the system can re-draw the boundaries.

Watson emphasizes that training is crucial in the use of the system. “As the dog approaches the virtual boundary the collar emits a series of warning beeps. If the dog lingers in the zone approaching the bound-ary or crosses it the dog will get a static correction,” she says. “The most important aspect of any containment system is the training. We work with the dog owners over two to three weeks to coach the dog to turn around and go back as soon as the dog hears the beep. If we do our training correctly they will almost never receive a correction. Eventually the dog comes to realise that something happens when they go past a certain point and they avoid it to the point where no motivation will draw them through. So whether it’s a rabbit or a coyote – they’ll chase it off the property but not continue to chase it over hill and dale.”

For more information contact Invisible Fence Brand of South Manitoba at 204 415 2543 or [email protected]

Guardian dogs effective to protect cattle

New technology makes invisible fences feasible

Sign HerePrior to the Aug. 29 Winnipeg Blue Bombers game MBP held a draw for supper for 10 with two members of the Bombers at Investor’s Group Field. Anthony Mintenko was the winner of the draw and took nine of his friends to supper on Sept. 23.


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Better by Design

StockTalk Q&A Feature brought to you by Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development

Q: Can 3D fencing be used to keep wildlife away from livestock and its feed?

A: Manitoba Agricul-ture, Food and Rural De-velopment is carrying out a pilot project to determine the effectiveness of 3D fences. One of the test sites is a 70 acre alfalfa grass field, which is also used as a winter bale grazing site.

The 3D design con-sists of two electric fences running parallel to each other. These fences are con-structed with height, depth and width resulting in a vi-

sual 3-dimensional effect. Deer and elk approach the fence with caution because their eyes are on the side of their heads, giving them poor depth perception. In addition, when the wild-life check it out with their sensitive noses, they get a shock and look for an easi-er place to feed.

The Peace River For-age Association of British Columbia has done a lot of work with 3D fences and their design has contrib-uted to the success of 3D fences across the country. The diagram, below, and

photo, right, illustrate the design implemented in the pilot project in Manitoba.

A 3D fence is cheaper to build than a traditional eight ft. high game fence, but that reduced cost comes with some compro-mises. The material cost of a 3D fence is attractive at $1 per linear ft. compared to $6 perlinear ft. for a tra-ditional game fence. Initial reports and findings at oth-er locations have indicated the 3D fences are 75 per cent effective, compared to 90 per cent for traditional high game fences. In ad-

dition, a 3D fence requires more setup and mainte-nance.

Trail cameras are be-ing used as part of fence monitoring along with wildlife tracks and the co-operator’s observations. Images have been captured of elk and deer turning around at the fences as well as animals sneaking through the fences when there were problems with them being electrified and prior to the gates being re-inforced. The elk seem to be more cautious than the deer when approaching the fences.

Initial findings indi-cate the fences must be

properly designed and maintained to keep wildlife out. A minimum of 4,000 v is needed to deter wildlife from the fences. Wildlife will find the weak points in the fences, which to date, have been the gates. As such, additional wires and supporting poles were added.

3D fencing has an op-portunity to limit the in-teraction of livestock and wildlife and keep wildlife out of feedyards, if prop-erly designed and main-tained. More site moni-toring is needed to draw a concrete conclusion on the effectiveness of 3D fences.We want to hear from you

For the next issue of Cattle Country, MAFRD Forage Specialist Pam Iw-anchysko, will feature your livestock questions on the value of feed testing. Send your questions to [email protected] by October 5, 2015.

StockTalk Q&A Fea-ture for Cattle Country is brought to you by Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Ru-ral Development. We en-courage you to email your questions to MAFRD’s for-age and livestock team, who have a combined 230 years of agronomy experience. We are here to help make your cattle operation successful. Contact us today.

Elizabeth NernbergFarm Production Extension Livestock SpecialistManitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) –Roblin

[email protected]

Manitoba’s longest running, locally produced television show is back for an-other season.

The 26th year of Great Tastes of Manitoba kicked off Sept. 5 across the province on CTV Manitoba with new episodes continuing until Dec. 12.

This year’s season will feature some fresh faces both in front of, and behind, the camera.

Popular Winnipeg radio personal-ity Dez Daniels has taken over the host duties and will work with representatives from the various commodities to bring incredible meals to the residents of Mani-toba.

The show will also have a new pro-duction company with Chris McIvor and Frank Digital replacing long-time pro-ducer Don Hornby.

“We’ve been working with Great Tastes for many years, providing produc-tion and post services for its long-time producer Don Hornby. Don’s dedication to the show helped build a loyal fan base and a recognizable Manitoba brand. So when he wanted to retire and approached me about taking over the show, it just seemed like the natural progression,” said McIvor who added they are also excited to work with Daniels.

“We’re thrilled to have Dez Daniels hosting the show. In addition to being a fixture in Winnipeg media for the past 20 years, Dez is a mom, a published writer

and a blogger. She’s excited to get into the kitchen with the Great Tastes food and beverage experts to prepare and enjoy lo-cal foods.”

Manitoba Beef Producers will again be among the provincial commodity groups featured on GTOM as beef expert Adriana Findlay will present six recipes featuring beef.

MBP will first be featured on Oct. 10 with an outdoor grilling episode. Findlay will be presenting rotisserie sirloin tip roast, Korean BBQ beef spare ribs and cheese stuffed beef burgers during the outdoor episode.

The second episode featuring beef will air on Nov. 28. when the theme is “Warm the Soul With Beef.” Findlay will be presenting beef meatballs in tomato sauce, braised short ribs and a broccoli beef bowl.

A new website has also been un-veiled and the show will continue to have a strong presence on social media McIvor said.

“We’re also really excited about reaching a new slightly younger audi-ence. Today’s thirty-something cook is in the kitchen with the iPad on the counter, following a recipe off the web.” Each Great Tastes segment and recipe will be added to the hundreds of reci-pes found at GreatTastesMB.ca, and viewers can follow the show on Twitter and Facebook.

Great Tastes of Manitoba returns for 26th season

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D A R R E N I P P O L I T O • B O X 1 9 0 K I S B E Y S K S 0 C 1 L 0[office] 306-462-4836 [mobile] 306-577-8970 [email] [email protected]

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2 0 1 6 B u L L S a L E S 2-Year-Old Sale Feb6 / Yearling Sale Apr11

Lake Manitoba drainage channels finally announced

BY RON FRIESEN

Residents are welcoming a recent government promise for a drainage channel to ease flooding around Lake Manitoba. But they say it’ll take more than that to keep repeated spring floods from plaguing the region.

Earlier this summer Ottawa and the province an-nounced a $495 million plan to ease flooding in the Lake Manitoba area. The plan includes building a new outlet channel from Lake Manitoba to Lake St. Martin, as well as enlarging a current one.

But residents say the channels are only part of a long-term solution needed to fix periodic flooding which has affected farmers’ livelihoods, damaged homes and cottages and displaced First Nations habitants.

“Just looking at the outlet out of Lake Manitoba is one small toothpick in this entire project,” said Tom Tei-chroeb, a local cattle producer who has sat on provincial committees studying the problem. “It’s a much bigger picture than the Lake St. Martin and Lake Manitoba out-lets. It’s about being able to deal with flood mitigation when we hit another 2011 and/or worse.”

In 2011 the worst spring flooding in years hit the Lake Manitoba region. The lake, swollen by runoff from the overloaded Portage Diversion and driven by high winds, overflowed its banks and pushed water inland. The surge wreaked havoc on farmland, lakeshore cottag-es and First Nations, especially the Lake St. Martin First Nation whose residents have been out of their homes ever since.

The $495 million government plan, announced July 31, aims at mitigating flooding in the region by paying for two outlets to drain high water levels on the two lakes. A temporary emergency channel will be enlarged to redirect 11,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water from Lake St. Martin to Big Buffalo Lake, then into the Dauphin River and eventually Lake Winnipeg. A new permanent 7,500 cfs channel from Lake Manitoba will have an outlet to Lake Winnipeg, bypassing Dauphin River First Nation.

Ottawa is promising to pay $165 million of the total cost with the province contributing the rest.

A provincial spokesperson told Cattle Country the designs for the outlet channels should be finished this fall. Construction work is targeted for completion by 2020. The design and exact route have not been finalized.

Work will start after designs are finished, environ-mental approvals are granted and consultations with First Nations are completed, the province says.

For local residents, who first heard the government promise flood controls four years ago, the announce-ment is long overdue.

“I hate to be cynical but we’ll believe it when we see it,” said Brad Knight, who farms with his wife Sandi north of Macdonald.

Like other local residents, Knight says he does not oppose flood controls like the Portage Diversion, de-signed to protect Winnipeg and other downstream com-munities by diverting floodwater from the Assiniboine River northward into Lake Manitoba.

“I was all in favour of, the water was better in my field than in (former Winnipeg mayor) Sam Katz’s base-ment at the time,” Knight said.

“But darn it, you guys have to do something to com-pensate the people who have suffered because of this. It’s affecting the livelihoods of a lot of people around here.”

Knight said spring flooding made worse by the Por-tage Diversion has become a regular feature in the region and farmers suffer the consequences. He estimates his own farm has lost $130,000 in crop revenue from high water in 2011, 2012, 2014 and again this year.

Like Teichroeb, Knight feels the announced outlet channels, although welcome, go only partway toward providing flood relief in the area.

“Without question it’s part of the solution. But I think the key word is, part of the solution. It’s not the total answer.”

Knight said the province must also deal with seep-age along with Portage Diversion, which damages adja-cent farmland. Residents say it’s also essential to dredge the Assiniboine River east of Portage la Prairie to clean out debris.

The province says a report called the Assiniboine River and Lake Manitoba Basins Flood Mitigation study will be ready this fall. It will assess flood risks, examine options for flood mitigation and recommend possible projects. The province is reviewing its operating guide-lines for flood control infrastructure and seepage. That includes the Portage Diversion and seepage problems stemming from it.

BY THE BEEF CATTLE

RESEARCH COUNCIL

Consumer Reports Food Safety and Sustain-ability Center released its “Beef Report” on August 25. A number of ques-tions, concerns and criti-cisms have been raised by the North American Meat Institute, the International Food Information Council,

Business Insider, and oth-ers. Rather than answer the specific questions raised, Consumer Reports has en-couraged people to read the report more closely.

Unfortunately, reading the report more closely sim-ply raises more questions about the expertise and/or integrity of Consumer Reports and its “policy and action arm,” Consumers Union.

Here’s one example.“The Danger of Su-

perbugs” heads a section on Page 10 and 11 detailing the health hazards posed by Shiga-toxin produc-ing E. coli (STECs, like E. coli O157). This directly implies that antimicrobial resistance will make STEC infections more difficult to treat. This is not true.

Antibiotics are not used to treat STEC infec-

tions in people. Instead, treatments for STEC infec-tions focus on replacing flu-ids due to diarrhea. In fact, antibiotic use is strongly discouraged in both Cana-da and the US because they could make the situation worse.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says: “Generally, the disease must run its course. Treatment for those infected with E. coli in-

cludes drinking plenty of liq-uids to replace the body flu-ids lost through diarrhea and vomiting, and to avoid dehy-dration...tAntibiotics are not used to treat the illness, as they may increase the risk of developing hemolytic uremic syndrome.”

The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta says: “Non-specific supportive therapy, including hydra-tion, is important. Antibi-

otics should not be used to treat this infection. There is no evidence that treatment with antibiotics is helpful, and taking antibiotics may increase the risk of HUS. An-tidiarrheal agents like Imodi-um® may also increase that risk.”

Antibiotics are not used to treat STEC infec-tions in people, so antibiotic resistance will not make

Page 9 ➢

Consumer misreports a concern for industry


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Concerns have again risen about anthrax in Manitoba based on weather patterns over the last few years as well as an increase in risk activities known to increase the likelihood of infection with anthrax if it is present in the en-vironment. This is an almost exclusive summer disease - more common at 20 C or higher and typically follows periods of hot and dry or hot and wet weather.

Anthrax is primarily a disease of herbivores and can infect cattle, bison, horses, mules, sheep, goats and pigs. Wildlife infections of deer and elk re-main a significant source of continued environmental contamination. Beef cattle infections are the most common due to management practices. Graz-ing close to the ground during drought/ non-optimal pasture management or grazing of coarse plant material in-creases the risk of ingesting spores or allowing anthrax bacteria to enter the bloodstream through abrasions in the mouth.

Anthrax is a disease that will never go away. It is not common enough to necessitate routine vaccination against nor will it ever die out in the environ-

ment. The causative bacteria, Bacillus anthracis, can live both in the presence, or absence, of oxygen. It is when ex-posed to oxygen that it develops into large spores which can survive in the soil for decades. It has been present since the days that the buffalo roamed and is along ancient bison migration and wintering grounds.

Anthrax spore survival is enhanced in alkaline soils and over time end up deep in the ground. Ground distur-bance through digging (wells, dugouts, ditches, pipelines), heavy rains/flood-ing, soil erosion, deep-tilling and over-crowding bring spores to the surface where they can be easily ingested dur-ing grazing. Ingestion of standing wa-ter following floodwater evaporation is becoming an important risk factor for Manitoba herds as wet springs become a new norm.

Disease onset is rapid with death from toxin production and resultant organ failure occurring within a few hours. Symptoms, if noted, include trembling, high fever, difficulty breath-ing, convulsions and agonal death. Sin-gle or multiple animals may be affected. Any sudden unexpected deaths should be reported to a veterinarian. This also includes unusual wildlife deaths. Cover

the carcass and surrounding contami-nated soil to prevent scavenging and do not conduct your own necropsy. Opening a carcass exposes the bacteria to oxygen in the air, stimulating spore formation. Anthrax can infect people – usually causing a skin wound. A raised itchy welt resembling an insect bite first develops but soon becomes a painless ulcer with a black scab. Local lymph node swelling may occur. Immediate medical attention should be sought as death may occur if untreated.

Though inconvenient, proper car-cass disposal is the most important aspect of anthrax control. Fluid leak-age from the carcass is prevented by plugging body cavity openings with absorbent material and covering the entire head with heavy duty leak-proof plastic. The entire carcass should be covered with a weighted tarp to pre-vent scavenging. Slow incineration is preferable such that only ashes remain. Small bone fragments and ashes should be soaked in 5 per cent lye or 10 per cent formalin and deeply buried. If in-cineration is not possible, deep burial is also acceptable though not ideal as live spores will remain. Consult MAFRD and CFIA for recommended protocols.

Vaccination is advisable in risk ar-

eas and may be required for insurance coverage of highly valuable stock. As can be expected, the sooner that af-fected herds are vaccinated, the lower the death loss on the farm. Only one vaccine, produced by Colorado Se-rum Company, is licensed for use in Canada. The vaccine is approved for a variety of species but does have a high incidence of adverse reactions, par-ticularly in horses, sheep and goats. Details and recommendations can be discussed with your herd veterinar-ian. Anthrax is a federally reportable and provincially notifiable disease. Vaccination and treatment protocols have been developed and should be followed in the case of an outbreak to minimize further losses. The affected herd and any herds within a designated radius need to vaccinate. In subse-quent years, continued vaccination is strongly recommended.

Though cases of anthrax have been most typically found in the southeast part of the province, changing climate patterns and repeated local and over-land flooding have greatly increased the risks of spore dissemination through-out other regions. Be aware of this growing risk. Consider necropsy for all unexpected deaths on pasture.

Stay vigilant with anthrax

Concerns raised about US report← Page 8 STEC infections more difficult to treat.

If antibiotics are not used to treat STEC infections in people, why is E. coli used in antimicrobial resistance surveillance programs?

Antimicrobial resistance surveillance programs in Canada and the US use E. coli as an indicator organ-ism for several reasons. First, E. coli is found in all warm blooded animals and birds, and survives to some extent in the environment. Although some E. coli (like the STEC’s) are dangerous, the vast majority of E. coli are perfectly harmless (and some are even beneficial). Be-cause E. coli is found almost everywhere, E. coli-based surveillance programs can always find it, and it is easy to grow and identify in the lab. Second, although antibiot-ics are not used to combat STEC infections in humans, E. coli is exposed to antibiotics that are used to treat other bacterial infections. This makes E. coli a valuable indicator of how antimicrobial use can affect the overall bacterial population. Third, bacteria can trade antimi-crobial resistance genes with each other, so rates of anti-microbial resistance in E. coli can indicate the degree to which antimicrobial resistance rates may be changing in the overall bacterial population.

What are the actual rates of antimicrobial resis-tance in E. coli in Canadian beef? The Canadian Inte-grated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveil-lance (CIPARS) has collected E. coli samples from retail beef since 2002. The 2013 CIPARS report indicates that 74% of E. coli isolates from retail beef could be killed by every antimicrobial tested, while 4% were resistant to three or more antimicrobial classes.

Canada’s beef industry remains focused on ensuring the safety of Canadian beef. Research funded through the Canadian Beef Cattle Industry Science Cluster has clearly demonstrated that large Canadian beef proces-sors do an excellent job of producing dressed carcasses that are essentially free of microbial contamination. Finding ways to further reduce the risk of microbial contamination during carcass fabrication is the subject of ongoing research. Research, development and effec-tive implementation of improved food safety practices should contribute to ongoing declines in the incidence of E. coli O157 in Canada.

Canada’s beef industry has supported antimicrobial use and resistance research for nearly two decades. This research gives strong evidence that Canada’s beef pro-ducers are using antimicrobials responsibly. They have good reasons for doing so. The beef industry needs to ensure that these veterinary products remain effective to

prevent or treat illness in cattle for economic and ethi-cal reasons. Like everyone else, beef producers also need to ensure that medical antimicrobials continue to work when they or their family need to use them. We need cattle to remain healthy so that they can produce safe, high quality beef. We also need to ensure that consum-ers can have confidence that they are buying safe, afford-able, high quality beef that was raised in a responsible and sustainable manner.

The numerous misleading statements in the “Beef Report” are no reason for consumers to lose confidence in the safety of Canadian beef, or the Canadian beef in-

dustry’s ongoing commitments to keep it safe. Provided consumers continue to cook ground beef to 71oC, sci-ence says that the beef for sale in Canadian (and Ameri-can) grocers is a safe, nutritious, responsible and sus-tainable food choice.

The Beef Science Cluster is funded by the National Check-Off and Agriculture and Agri -Food Canada with additional contributions from provincial beef industry groups and governments to advance research and tech-nology transfer supporting the Canadian beef industry’s vision to be recognized as a preferred supplier of healthy, high quality beef, cattle and genetics.

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Subject to Credit Approval

The only thing more unpredictable than the weather is the cattle market. By the time this reaches print, the October fall calf run will be well underway, and supply volumes will be larger than last year despite a decline in the number of producing cows

in Canada. In Manitoba, pasture condi-tions have been better than average in the late summer allowing producers to put ex-tra pounds on the calves. Rain interrupted both harvest and haying, forcing produc-ers to use any good weather days to harvest rather than round up cattle. As predicted this has caused a compressed fall delivery of feeder cattle.

You can expect auctions to add a few more special sales to handle the extra vol-ume that would have been sold in Septem-ber in a regular year. As far as the prices

go, a major adjustment in the cattle futures the second week of September created a reality check in the cash prices and caused some feedlots to review their procure-ment strategies for the fall. The American feedlots were the first to rework bid prices on their order sheets. The US prices have been lower than the Canadian feeder cattle prices for most of the year. As mentioned in previous articles, the market in the US was very close to last year’s prices; the rea-son for the strong Canadian prices was the exchange on the dollar. As always, the American orders are the floor price for the Canadian cattle, and this fall on the yearling market, Canadian feeders were actively outbidding American operators to maintain a supply of cattle north of the border. If the futures or the American cash markets do not improve quickly, we may have already seen the “high” of the feeder cattle prices for the fall calves. Earlier in the year we expected the south to purchase the majority of the calves in Manitoba and background them here. However, for the Americans to be volume buyers this fall, prices will have to drop.

Retailers on the meat side are report-ing more consumer resistance to beef pric-es in the stores. With the tough economy on both sides of the border, consumers are looking to stretch their food budgets. They are not spending as much of their dispos-able income on luxury foods. With the grilling season rapidly drawing to a close, we may have seen the high of the retail beef prices at the store. I was in Winnipeg the first week of September, and whole beef tenderloins were priced at approximate-ly $34.99 per kilogram, which was only slightly higher than February prices at the same store. Lean hamburger was on sale at around $8.40 per kilogram, and there was a line up at the cooler.

Corn and barley prices are currently higher than predicted for this time of year, with early harvest reports of lower than expected yields. DDGs, hay and supple-ments have also increased this fall, causing some Manitoba backgrounding feedlots to increase their custom feeding costs for this fall. Last fall the cost of gain in Manitoba

custom lots ranged from 80 to 85 cents per pound depending on rate of gain, weight of the calves and the number of days at the feedlot. Higher feed prices do not support higher calf prices! There has always been a lot of support from Ontario and Quebec for Manitoba calves. Many of these calves purchased by the east are also background-ed in Manitoba for 80 to 100 days. If Mani-toba feedlots increase their cost of gain they may not be competitive, and buyers will be forced to pay less for the calves or source them elsewhere. Early reports are that Manitoba backgrounders are asking for 90 cents or higher per pound gain.

Despite the rebuilding of the Ameri-can cattle herd, there is still a shortage of cattle. In Canada we are at a 40-year low in the beef cattle numbers, and those num-bers continue to decline. Despite the lower numbers of cattle, there is not as big of a shortfall in the meat supplies as one would think. Finishing lots continue to make the cattle bigger, which helped address the shortage of cattle in the USA. Bigger carcasses mean more pounds of meat, and when feed is cheap, feedlots will use that factor to their advantage if the overweight discounts are tight at the plants.

Wet harvest conditions are creating more feed wheat and barley, which may help bring down the cost of feed in Mani-toba. Early predictions on the corn silage look promising for higher than average yields.

It is quite possible that calf prices in Manitoba may not be much higher than last fall when the big volumes hit the mar-ket, but there is no reason for them to be any lower, unless the Canadian dollar strengthens, which is looks unlikely. The futures for February on 900-pound calves do not support 600 pound October calves at $3.00 per pound or higher. Also you can expect the price spread between heif-ers and steers to remain high until after the bred heifer sales this fall. If the bred heif-ers sell well, then producers will buy more to breed in the spring, but if the sales are tough then many of the heifers will find their way into the feeding programs.

Until next time Rick.

Cattle market remains unpredictableRICK WRIGHTThe Bottom Line

Future ProducersRoughly 55 young beef producers took part in the annual Manitoba Youth Beef Round Up which was held July 31 and Aug. 1-2 in Neepawa.


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Mark your calendar for: MAR MAC FARMS NEW GENERATION FEMALE SALE SUNDAY DECEMBER 13, 2015, at Mar Mac Farms, Brandon, MB

Selling are 50 lots of Red Angus. Red and Black Simmental Bred females , heifer calves and commercial packagesWatch the next cattle country for details or www.marmacfarms.net Mar Mac Farms 204-728-3058

CHRISTINE RAWLUK,National Centre for Livestock and the Environment, University of Manitoba

In addition to improving profitabil-ity, competitiveness and environmental sustainability, one of the most fundamen-tal benefits of research investment is the training it provides for students. These students are making a significant impact as they build their careers in agriculture, applying the experiences and knowledge gained through their on-the-ground training.

Along with technical knowledge, they develop the soft-skills sought by in-dustry. In running their own research project, students learn by doing. “At the graduate level, it is about taking a science-based approach to finding solutions to challenges facing the cattle industry,” says Kim Ominski, professor with the forage-beef systems research team with the Na-tional Centre for Livestock and the Envi-ronment.

While conducting research, students gain a range of skills including hands-on project coordination, problem solving, decision making, time management and communication skills. “As advisors we are there to guide and support them, but they are encouraged to take ownership of their project,” adds Emma McGeough, as-sistant professor in sustainable grassland systems.

Industry is quick to pick up on the benefits of combining technical learning with practical training. Often students are lured away to begin their careers shortly after finishing their courses and research. One of the biggest challenges the research team faces is keeping students in the pro-gram until they are finished.

Meet our three most recent grads:Sean Thompson

In early September Sean completed his master’s program on exploring the ef-fect of diet on residual feed intake (RFI)

and the use of an infrared thermography camera to predict efficiency in beef bulls. Having started in 2011, reaching this final stage took somewhat longer than usual. “I left Manitoba at the beginning of 2014 to work with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture as a livestock specialist,” says Thompson. That meant completing writing up his studies while holding a full-time job. In 2015 Thompson became the Feed Industry Liaison with the Feeds Innovation Institute at the University of Saskatchewan where he interacts regular-ly with industry, academics and govern-ment.

Thompson attributes his success to having the right skill set and on-the-ground practical experience. “I was re-sponsible for many of the aspects of my bull trial; marketing to recruit producers to provide bulls on consignment, formu-lating the diets, running the trial for the three months, and in the end, seeing the bulls went home safe,” says Thompson. “Even though I had the beef production knowledge, before this project, I lacked research experience. This program has re-ally helped me develop my critical-think-ing and decision-making skills.”

Carollyne KehlerGraduate students also gain expe-

rience through collaborations with re-searchers at other research institutions. In late August Carollyne completed her master’s program studying the effect of transporting cattle during Canadian win-ters on animal health, welfare and carcass condition. As part of her training, she spent five months at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research facility at Le-thbridge, Alberta where she assessed the condition of cattle as they were loaded at the feedlot and unloaded at the process-ing facilities.

Carollyne recognizes the value of learning by doing. “One of the great-est lessons I learned from working on my master’s was taking ownership of my work; setting my own personal goals rath-er than having grades determine the ef-

fort required on a project. This also meant learning how to balance being indepen-dent with asking for direction and help at the right times.”

Carollyne may be a familiar face to many as she is the project coordinator with Manitoba Beef Producers and the Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiative.

Kristine BlairKristine is in the final stages of her

master’s program looking at increasing protein intake to improve the efficiency and reduce methane losses of back-grounding cattle fed forage diets. She sees the direct benefits of research to her home farm. “As a producer I think about efficiency of my cattle – if they are burp-ing one in ten bales out to the atmosphere as methane, I am losing money. If I can lower this wasted energy, I save money by having more efficient cows,” says Blair.

Raised on a cow-calf operation in Woodside Manitoba, environmental stewardship, protection of waterways and sustainability were a part of everyday farming. Through the Canadian Cattle-men’s Association Cattlemen’s Young Leader program, Kristine was provided the opportunity to mentor under Jeffery Fitzpatrick-Stillwell, Manager of Sustain-ability for McDonald’s Canada, and to take part in discussions around defining sustainable beef with McDonald’s and members of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. “The non-textbook “ed-ucation through experience” I gained and the connections I made during my time as a student are my greatest assets,” notes Blair. “Being involved with the team at the University of Manitoba has vastly in-creased my network within the industry.”

Connecting with the cattle industryThese students have already begun

to make their mark on the cattle industry. In addition to his full-time position as in-dustry liaison, Sean maintains a purebred Shorthorn breeding herd in southwest Manitoba, is currently a director with the Manitoba Shorthorn Association, and was previously the Shorthorn breed rep at the

Douglas Manitoba Bull Test Station. Sean has also had the opportunity to speak with the Canadian Shorthorn Association and producers at the Douglas Bull Test Station AGM about RFI. “RFI wasn’t on their ra-dar. I was able to share with them how RFI can be one of the tools used for selecting their breeding herd,” says Thompson.

Last year Carollyne and her husband purchased a small number of cows, and intend to grow their Verified Beef herd in the future. As project coordinator with Manitoba Beef Producers and the Beef and Forage Initiative, Carollyne is in regular communication with cattle farm-ers and with those conducting projects with the two entities. She sees her role as evolving to include extension as she shifts to planning producer events and speaking at them. During her studies she wrote an article for (Cows on the mooove! Com-mercial cattle transport research, Nov. 2013, p. 12) and presented her research findings, as well as her experiences as a Canadian Cattlemen’s Association Cattle-men’s Young Leader under the mentor-ship of Betty Green, to the Manitoba Beef Producers.

Kristine and her husband Graham Tapley currently own land and cattle and are both committed to their industry. She sits on the board of the Green Tree Cattle Feeders and is the secretary treasurer for the Benchlandw, a group that promotes quality forage and grazing practices by renting and lending out equipment to producers in the Gladstone area. In 2015 Kristine and Graham received The En-vironmental Sustainability Award for Manitoba for their mine restoration proj-ect and their overall approach to farming. Kristine has also written an article for Cattle Country (Defining what is sustain-able beef, Mar. 2015, p. 17) and was the re-cipient of the Canadian Society of Animal Science student oral presentation award in Ottawa earlier this year.

Watch for future Cattle Country arti-cles by Sean, Carollyne and Kristine featur-ing their research project findings.

Grads from forage-beef research program making an impact on the cattle industry Highlighting the journeys of three U of M masters’ students

Sean ThompsonKristine BlairCarollyne Kehler


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PAUL ADAIR

In 2000, Langruth rancher and District 8 director Tom Teichroeb moved out from Alberta with his family to build a home for themselves in Manitoba, establishing A8 Ranch along the western shore of Lake Manitoba. In the years since, Tei-chroeb has experienced all the highs and lows that come with the job of being a Manitoba beef producer and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Visiting the property in the fall and winter, Tei-chroeb chose the region around Lake Manitoba as his homestead for its avail-able and affordable real es-tate, as well as its apparent potential for forage pro-duction.

“Thinking back, may-be we were lured in a little too much by the tall grass sticking through the snow that may not have necessar-ily been great forage,” says Teichroeb with a laugh. “At the time, the land base was underutilized, with de-

teriorating infrastructure and a lack of good perim-eter fencing. But we took it on as a challenge and have worked on it ever since, transforming it into some-thing that works for us.”

Teichroeb is joined on the ranch by his wife, Michelle, and his two chil-dren, Madison and Regan. Michelle works alongside Teichroeb on the ranch wherever possible and also works from home as an architectural technologist; her profession since before moving to Manitoba. Mi-chelle can also be found at the local elementary school as an educational assistant.

With approximately 4,000 acres of pastureland and 550 acres of forage production, A8 Ranch is a 350 head cow-calf op-eration of mostly black and red Simmental-cross cattle with a significant amount of British breed in them for a moderate frame and durability. The ranch’s bull power is black and red Simmental and black and red Simmental-cross with between 25 to 50 per cent

Angus. Teichroeb also backgrounds his steer and heifer calves in conjunction with a neighbour to reduce

overhead costs and to pick up greater efficiencies in his operations.

Teichroeb first be-came involved with the Manitoba Beef Producers shortly after he moved to the province. At the time, Teichroeb was admittedly fairly ambivalent towards the association as he was not yet familiar with Mani-toba’s beef community and specific regional issues as compared to those in Al-berta and the other prov-inces.

“We are quite diverse here in Canada in what each region offers and has in terms of issues and chal-lenges,” says Teichroeb. “Coming to my first meet-ings was more about learn-ing to understand the various challenges that producers in Manitoba face on an ongoing basis.”

It was not long before Teichroeb decided to be-come more involved with the Manitoba Beef Produc-ers (MBP), eventually be-coming director of District 8. Teichroeb views serv-ing with MBP as part of his responsibility as cattle rancher and encourages all ranchers to at least con-sider taking up a role with the association and helping to contribute to the growth of it.

“We reap so much from the cattle industry — and our livelihood de-pends so much on it — that I couldn’t imagine not wanting to be a part of the process and make it a better place for the next generation of beef produc-ers,” says Teichroeb. “Why

wouldn’t people want to part of it is beyond me. It is such a crucial thing for us that, as producers, we really need to take that extra step and participate in setting the policies that determine the growth of our industry.”

Teichroeb is con-cerned by the apathy from those in the industry and feels that producers some-times take too many servic-es and privileges for grant-ed; particularly when the marketplace is favourable. MBP and the beef industry will benefit if more produc-ers take an active role and become knowledgeable about the industry.

“It is at times like this, when the industry is in a better place, that we need to be extremely careful we make good business de-cisions,” says Teichroeb. “We have to be able to make informed and pru-dent investments into our industry so that should times get tough – and it’s not a question of if but when — we are ready for it.”

In his time as District 8 director, Teichroeb has taken an interest in foreign trade coupled with domes-tic ag committees. These committees focus on lob-bying for more global mar-ket opportunities and help shape various agricultural policies and programs. Teichrob is also keenly interested in the environ-mental farm practices and holistic research, adopting what he can into his own ranch processes.

When not ranching, Teichroeb and his wife

spend as much time as possible with their family and getting involved with the community, whether that is being part of the lo-cal theatre, coaching base-ball during the summer,or teaching skating to the kids through the cold win-ter months. Teichroeb also has a very simple recipe for preparing beef; cook-ing steaks an inch thick as rare as possible to get as much flavour as possible.

“For me, the ribe-eye steak is the number one item on my menu,” says Teichroeb. “It’s a wonder-ful and healthy feast that sometimes goes really well with a beer.”

Teichroeb knows that no matter how successful a rancher you may be, there will always many chal-lenges to overcome. From drought to floods to B.S.E., nobody ever said that the life of a Manitoba beef producer would be easy. And while that may be true, it is a life Teichroeb thoroughly enjoys and – when pressed – a life that he cannot find any issues with.

“I consider what I do to be a privilege,” says Teichroeb. “And I would venture to guess that there aren’t a lot of people out there who could say the same thing about wak-ing up every morning and realizing what a gift it is to be doing exactly what they’ve always wanted to do. There is really noth-ing that I don’t enjoy about my job and I hope that I can do this for the rest of my life.”

Teichroeb an active MBP directorSU

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MBP District 8 Director Tom Teichroeb, his wife Michelle and their daughters Madison and Regan.


www.mbbeef.ca

2015 Manitoba Youth Beef Roundup would personally like to thank their supporters and exhibitors for another successful, educational, fun weekend in Neepawa, MB July 31 - August 2, 2015.

THANKS FOR SUPPORTING ROUNDUP 2015

PLATIMUM SPONSOR

GOLDMazer GroupT Bar C Invitational

SILVERKlondike FarmsManitoba Charolais AssociationManitoba Simmental AssociationDoug Mowatt LivestockNeepawa BannerSteppler FarmsZoetis

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Neepawa-Gladstone CoopPete Quintaine and Son Poplar View Stock FarmSimmental FocusTotal Farm Supply Transcon LivestockVirden Animal Hospital

ROUNDUP CHALLENGE Big Sky SimmentalsBrookmore AngusBonchuk FarmsC-2 CharolaisCargill FeedsScott and Anne Clements and FamilyElite Genetics Sale GroupGreenbush AngusHTA CharolaisHamco Cattle CoHeartland Livestock BrandonMan Sask Blonde D’Aquitaine AssociationManitoba Junior Charolais AssociationMerial CanadaN7 Stock FarmIndustry AM RanchingAnderson Cattle Co

Batho FarmsBeautiful Plains Ag ScoietyBrydges and Taylor Vet HospitalCampbell LimousinCanada SafewayCarberry Sandhills ConsultingCrest View Land and Cattle Co Ltd.Coop FeedsDavis Livestock ServicesDiamond T LimousinFoster Family Farm and Market GardenHeartland Livestock VirdenHigh Bluff Stock FarmJ+S Meats JR SimmentalsKembar FarmsKeystone Livestock ServicesKnight Tent RentalsM+J Farms Simmental and Red AngusMaple Lake Stock FarmMar Mac FarmsManitoba Junior Hereford AssociationMillcosteelMinnedosa Vet ClinicPerkin Land and CattlePleasant Dawn CharolaisPrairie Pistol Designs

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ROUNDUP SCHOLARSHIP SPONSORS:AM Ranching By LivestockCampbell Limousin Canadian Simmental AssociationCochrane Stock Farm Diamond T LimousinGordon Delichte Simmentals Greenbush AngusHamco Cattle Co Heartland Livestock, VirdenKeystone Livestock Services Leveldale Polled HerefordsMar Mac Farms Maple Lake Stock FarmN-7 Stock Farm Silver Lake FarmSimmental Focus Todays PublishingTriple R Limousin

JUDGES: Chad Haaland, Cody Allison, Melinda German (Manitoba Beef Producers), Chuck Terin (Enns Brothers), Betty Green (Verified Beef), Andrew Kopeechuk, Jessica Hobbs, Cynthia Wirgau, Michelle Allison, Laura Horner

VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE: Lois McRae , Chairperson: Rilla Hunter Treasurer: Vonda Hopcraft, Secretary: Blair McRae, Andrea Bertholet,Wenda Best, Travis Hunter, Ken and Karen Williams, Albert Rimke, Naomi Best, Candace Johnston, Melissa McRae, Michelle

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Follow-up on resolutions carried at MBP’s 36th AGM

Maureen CousinsMBP Policy Analyst

At MBP’s 36th Annual General Meeting, 39 resolu-tions on matters of concern to our province’s beef produc-ers were debated. Of these, 28 were carried, 10 defeated and one withdrawn as it was nearly identical to another resolution being debated.

MBP directors and staff employ a number of different strategies to try to advance issues on behalf of Manitoba’s beef producers. These include but are not limited to: let-ter writing campaigns; one-on-one meetings with elected officials and staff at the federal, provincial and municipal level; working with allied stakeholders in areas of mutual interest and concern; and providing feedback at every op-portunity when governments are holding public consulta-tions on issues such as water management, business risk management programs, veterinary services, environmen-tal regulations and other key topics.

It is important to note that MBP has been advocat-ing for solutions to some of these challenges for several years, an indication of the slow pace at which public pol-icy change sometimes proceeds. The following is a short update the advocacy activities MBP is undertaking with respect to these carried resolutions. They have been cat-egorized by general topic.

A. Assurance FundOrigin: District 31. Whereas increases to livestock dealer bond levels

and the current status quo are not acceptable.Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers contin-

ue to investigate dealer assurance programming.MBP is currently examining the cost of establishing

a dealer assurance fund, such as the amount of per head check-off required to make the fund viable. Members at-tending the district meetings will be asked to fill out a short survey indicating whether or not they are interested in supporting the establishment of such a fund, and at what per head contribution level.

B. Production ManagementOrigin: District 12. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby

Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship to pro-vide agricultural landowners, whose primary income is from agriculture production, with an annual elk and/or moose hunting licence on their property.

There are restrictions on moose hunting in certain re-gions of the province due to population challenges. MBP is seeking clarification from Conservation and Water Stewardship whether there are landowner licenses avail-able for each Game Hunting Area and asking under what circumstances the provincial government would consider providing agricultural landowners with an annual elk and/or moose hunting licence on their property.

Origin: District 83. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby

the Government of Manitoba to provide a better brand registry system that is more accessible to the public and which includes clearer guidelines on acceptable brands that will minimize ineffective brandings and negative animal welfare consequences.

MBP will be making additional information about the provincial government’s brand registry available in an upcoming edition of Cattle Country.

To apply to register a brand call (204) 945-7672 for more information or go to: http://www.gov.mb.ca/agri-culture/permits-and-licences/pubs/application_registra-tion_brand.pdf

There is also information about branding procedures in Section 4.3 (Identification) of the updated Code of Prac-tice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle. See: https://www.nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice/beef-cattle .

C. Bovine TuberculosisOrigin: District 84. Whereas producers in the Riding Mountain Eradi-

cation Area are testing their animals for bovine tubercu-losis and their actions are benefiting the Canadian beef industry.

Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the federal and provincial governments to provide proper

compensation for the time to muster animals and the loss of animal production due to testing of their livestock for bovine tuberculosis and that the rate be $16/head.

For many years MBP has sought financial support from both the federal and provincial governments for pro-ducers required to present their cattle for bovine TB sur-veillance. These efforts continue, both through the efforts of MBP and with assistance from the Canadian Cattle-men’s Association.

D. Domestic Agriculture Policies and ProgramsOrigin: Nearly identical resolutions came forward

in Districts 1 and 8 on the following matter and therefore they were combined for debate.

5. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the provincial and federal governments to expand the needs-based forage feed assistance program to include the entire province to assist producers impacted by the 2014 excess moisture crisis.

Throughout and following the 2014 flood and ex-cess moisture events MBP sought needs-based programs to help affected producers, including forage shortfall and transportation assistance. The Canada-Manitoba Forage Shortfall and Transportation Initiative was launched in November 2014. While the AgriRecovery program was beneficial to some, unfortunately it did not help all the affected producers. MBP has cited concerns about the program with both elected federal and provincial officials and their staff and is providing feedback on this as part of its submission to the provincial government’s Agricul-ture Risk Management Review Task Force. During times of disaster MBP is seeking the timely delivery of bankable programs to ensure producers can move quickly through and beyond these crises.

Origin: District 1

6. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba in regards to excess mois-ture deductibles in areas declared disasters, and the in-crease in deductibles be waived for the year following the disaster.

MBP is raising this concern in meetings with the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) and the Minister of Agriculture. MBP is also raising this idea in its submission to the province’s Agricultural Risk Manage-ment Review Task Force.

Origin: District 27. Whereas certain circumstances require efficient

and prompt animal health treatment and animal welfare could be compromised, and

Whereas the safety of the producer can be at risk when tagging mature animals.

Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to ensure reason-able enforcement of CCIA tags when transporting ani-mals to vet clinics for routine or emergency procedures and then returning to the herd of origin, and to provide a venue to hear the concerns from producers to ensure con-tinued support for traceability systems.

MBP continues to identify challenges around certain tagging requirements with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, both locally and through MBP’s involvement with the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency and the Cana-dian Cattlemen’s Association. MBP is exploring the pos-sibility of holding an information session with the CFIA at our 37th Annual General Meeting in Brandon in Febru-ary so producers can ask CFIA staff about their regulatory requirements. Watch future editions of Cattle Country for details.

Origin: District 4


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For on-farm appraisal of livestock or marketing information, callHAROLD UNRAU - Manager/Sales Rep.1-204-434-6519 office or 871-0250 cell204-434-9367 fax Box 71 Grunthal, Manitoba R0A 0R0

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GRUNTHAL LIVESTOCK AUCTION MART

Regular sales every Tuesday at 9:00 a.m.

Saturday, October 31 at 10:00 a.m. Horse and Tack Sale

Monday, October 26 at 12:00 p.m. Sheep and Goat with Small Animals &

Holstein Calves

Saturday, November 7 at 10:00 a.m.Bred Cow Sale

8. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers con-tinue to work with the provincial and federal govern-ments to reopen previously closed markets, as well as the opening of new international markets that will continue to benefit the Canadian and Manitoba beef industry.

For years MBP has continuously requested that fed-eral and provincial governments pursue actions to reopen closed markets and to gain entry into new markets and will continue to do so. It has done this at the local level and through its involvement with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA). MBP encourages producers to bring the importance of trade to the attention of all candidates seeking office in the current federal election, as well as the Manitoba election which will be held next spring. To view the CCA’s federal election priorities visit: http://www.cattle.ca/assets/CCA-Federal-Election-Information-2015-final-draft.pdf

Origin: District 49. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby

the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation and oth-er lending institutions to review and implement new poli-cies on loans for breeding stock to encourage more uptake by using current prices instead of a 5-year average.

MBP will be seeking clarification from MASC and the Farm Credit Corporation (FCC) on how their lending policies are arrived at and how often they are re-evaluat-ed. Watch future editions of Cattle Country for additional updates.

For information on MASC’s lending programs visit https://www.masc.mb.ca/masc.nsf/lending.html or call one of their lending offices https://www.masc.mb.ca/masc.nsf/contact.html. For information on FCC’s lending pro-grams visit https://www.fcc-fac.ca/en/we-finance/prima-ry-producers/loan-product-list.html.

Origin: District 410. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lob-

by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to allow the im-port of all forms of straw into Manitoba from the United States.

The federal government, through the Plant Protection Act, has a number of restrictions on which types of prod-ucts can be imported into Canada in order to reduce the likelihood of a plant disease, pest or invasive or noxious weed being introduced. MBP will seek clarification from the CFIA about their policies for moving straw into Can-ada during times of drought, flooding or another disaster.

Among the regulated commodities are straw, hay and compost of barley, oats, rye, triticale and wheat, as a rec-ognized pathway of Tilletia indica, wheat attacking strains of Urocystis agropyri, Tilletia controversa, and Oulema melanopus.

The only general exemption cited is as follows: “Small quantities of hay or straw carried in vehicles only for in-transit use by animals are exempt from the import and domestic requirements identified in this directive. If dis-posed of in Canada, this hay or straw must be deposited in an area where it will be disposed of by burial or burning (where approved) in a municipal landfill.”

For more information about the list of import restric-tions on straw originating from the US see:

• http://www.inspection.gc.ca/plants/plant-pro-tection/directives/grains-and-field-crops/d-99-01/eng/13

23851002191/1323851170800#c4 • http://www.inspection.gc.ca/plants/plant-pro-

tection/directives/date/d-99-01/eng/1323851002191/1323851229065

Origin: District 611. Whereas there are concerns around the enforce-

ment and compliance policies of the Canadian Food In-spection Agency (CFIA).

Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers pursue with the CFIA and other federal officials the need for a third party appeal process for producers who have con-cerns related to enforcement and compliance policies ad-ministered by the CFIA.

Many producers may not be aware of it, but the CFIA launched a Complaints and Appeals Office in 2012. Its purpose is to allow stakeholders to register complaints and appeals related to quality of service, administrative errors and regulatory decisions. Complaints can be made online or via email, mail, telephone or fax. Complaints should be made within 12 months.

See: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/accountability/complaints-and-appeals/eng/1365098638147/1365098743944

As noted earlier in this article, MBP is looking into the possibility of having CFIA officials at its upcoming AGM to answer producer questions and concerns about enforcement policies and to explain how the Complaints and Appeals process works. MBP will also be writing to the Minister Responsible for the CFIA requesting that the Complaints and Appeals Office be independent.

Origin: District 612. Whereas a significant number of producers who

lease agricultural Crown lands have been affected by flooding and excess moisture conditions in recent years; and

Whereas in order to retain their leases producers are expected to continue making payments on the lands, even though they may not be usable.

Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to review agricultural Crown land policies to ensure that affected producers retain the right to use these lands, at a reduced rental rate, until such time as normal production resumes, and then normal rental rates resume.

In 2015 MBP has had several discussions with the Minister of Agriculture and Agricultural Crown Lands staff about existing Crown lands policies and how they could be enhanced for the benefit of Manitoba’s beef indus-try. MBP will continue to advocate with them for reduced rental rates when Crown lands are affected by adverse con-ditions. Additionally, there is a process by which producers can appeal their rental rate. They should contact their local Agricultural Crown Lands staff for more information. To find their offices visit: http://www.manitoba.ca/agricul-ture/contact/index.html.

Origin: District 813. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers

lobby Manitoba Public Insurance for cost effective and/or reduced rates and prompt settlements for commercial trucks hauling livestock and ensure independent, third party arbitrators to settle disputes.

Individuals who are not satisfied with the outcome of a claim they make through Manitoba Public Insurance do have an opportunity to go through an appeals process, such as an independent appraisal process. For details see: https://www.mpi.mb.ca/en/Claims/Vehicle/Collision-Ap-peals/Pages/options.aspx

MPI’s rates are set based on factors such as risk clas-sification (location, type of use, type of vehicle and driving record) and on actuarial principles (e.g. rates tied directly to costs, minimization of cross subsidization between cus-tomers, etc.). MPI goes through a comprehensive rate set-ting process annually with the Public Utilities Board. See: http://www.mpi.mb.ca/en/Newsroom/Rate-Application/Pages/2015/Volume_1/Vol_I_SM_05_RateSettingFrame-work.pdf

MBP will be seeking additional clarification from MPI about its policies. If after dealing with MPI a customer is still not satisfied about how their issue was handled they can also contact the Provincial Ombudsman’s office at 204-982-9130 seeking guidance and a possible review of your complaint.

Origin: The following resolution was a combination of two separate resolutions arising from Districts 10 and 11 that were very similar in the topic being addressed.

14. Whereas the Manitoba Trappers program and Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation compensa-

tion programs are not effective in eliminating problem wolves and providing compensation due to the require-ment of a carcass as proof of loss.

Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba and Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation for a $300 incentive for trappers and hunters to deal with wolves in problem areas; and

Be it further resolved that the timeline for trappers be extended to address the problem wolves in defined areas.

MBP co-chairs the Livestock Predation Protection Working Group (LPPWG). It includes representatives from Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation, Agricul-ture and Agri-Food Canada, the Manitoba Trappers As-sociation and others. The LPPWG’s purpose is to review existing predator management initiatives and to provide recommendations to the provincial government around improved strategies and tools to deal with predation in Manitoba.

MBP has had ongoing discussions with the province and with the LPPWG about the matters identified in this resolution, including the need to provide trappers with more time to help address problem predators in specific areas. Progress is being made on this front. Recently the province increased the number of hours a trapper can work on a difficult case from 24 hours to up to 40 hours, with the possibility of a further extension. Addition-ally, trappers’ hourly wage for work through the Problem Predator Management Program has been raised from $12 to $15 by the provincial government. MBP believes both these developments will be helpful.

MBP is also looking at submitting a multi-pronged proposal under Growing Forward 2 around predation is-sues and possible management strategies. Potential com-ponents could include: the use of on-farm risk assessments to help reduce predator-livestock interactions; workshops to provide producers and trappers with opportunities for engagement and knowledge sharing; deadstock manage-ment workshops; and, a possible mentorship program to train the next generation of trappers. MBP also continues to raise concerns with the province about predator levels.

Origin: District 1115. Whereas the current compensation provided by

Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) for predator-slashed calves does not reflect the true costs as-sociated with supplies, medicine and labour involved in the treatment of the calves when administered by the pro-ducer.

Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby MASC to pay the producer all reasonable costs associated with treating predator-slashed calves.

MBP continues to raise concerns with MASC and the

Minister of Agriculture about the adequacy of compensa-tion levels for producers whose animals are lost or injured by predators. MBP will be consulting with MASC and the Minister as to whether a policy change is required to take into account the producers’ labor costs associated with treating the animals.

Current MASC policy states “All reasonable veterinary and medical expenses (to the applicable value of the ani-mal) incurred to treat injured livestock are covered. Should the animal die after receiving proper veterinary care, the producer may be eligible for additional compensation (to the maximum value of the livestock less the veterinary and medical expenses previously paid).”

Origin: District 1116. Be it resolved that the Manitoba Beef Producers

lobby the Government of Manitoba to stop the relocation of problem animals from one place to another.

MBP is seeking clarification from Manitoba Conser-vation and Water Stewardship about their policies for relo-cating wildlife and requesting that wildlife not be relocated in close proximity to livestock operations.

Origin: District 1317. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers con-

tinue to lobby the Government of Manitoba for the re-moval of the 10 per cent deductible on predation claims.

In November 2010 the provincial government an-nounced the compensation level would increase to 90 per cent in the 2011-12 fiscal year, and to 100 per cent in the 2012-13 fiscal year. The increase to the 100 per cent com-pensation level has not yet occurred. MBP continues to ask that this commitment be met.

Origin: District 10

Follow up on resolutions


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18. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the federal and provincial governments to enable packers to reduce the costs associated with the removal and disposal of Specified Risk Materials to ensure the vi-ability of the packing industry in Manitoba.

MBP recognizes that the federal government’s SRM requirements are financially onerous for small processors and abattoirs. At one time there was the Canada-Manitoba Specified Risk Material Disposal Funding Program to help processors adapt to the changes but it has long since ex-pired. MBP continues to raise this issue with federal and provincial officials. MBP has also discussed this issue with the CCA as it is a concern nationally.

E. Water ManagementOrigin: District 519. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers sup-

port organizations involved in long-term water manage-ment strategies that support enhanced agricultural prac-tices.

Dealing with water-related challenges is an ongoing task for MBP’s directors and staff. MBP supports organiza-tions such as the Assiniboine River Basin Initiative, Assini-boine Valley Producers, Lake Manitoba Flood Rehabilita-tion Committee, the Southwest Flood Strategy Committee and others striving to find short and long-term solutions to water management issues in Manitoba related to excess moisture, flooding and drought.

MBP regularly provides feedback when governments are engaging in public consultations on water management (flooding, excess moisture, drought, water quality), and seeks out one-on-one meetings with appropriate Minis-ters as issues and concerns arise. Most recently this has in-cluded providing feedback on water management issues to the province’s Agricultural Risk Management Review Task Force. As well, this fall the provincial government will be consulting on the operations of the Shellmouth Dam and MBP will provide comments on that as well.

Note: An identical resolution was carried as follows in Districts 9 and 10 and so the issue was only debated once.

20. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to construct an out-let on Lake Manitoba to match the daily inflow from the Portage Diversion, in order to stop the negative impacts on beef and forage production and the rural economy in Manitoba.

MBP maintains its position that a second outlet should be built as swiftly as possible and will continue to pursue its position with federal and provincial officials (both elected and civil servants) at every opportunity that presents itself. MBP also asked that the CCA include a reference to the need for infrastructure solutions to Manitoba’s water chal-lenges be included in its federal election priorities docu-ment and this was included when it was released on Au-gust 17. MBP strongly encourages producers to raise this issue with candidates during the current federal and up-coming provincial election.

Note: An identical resolution was carried as follows in Districts 9 and 11 and so the issue was only debated once.

21. Whereas the Government of Manitoba prevented water from leaving the Shoal lakes areas, thus increasing water levels to the point of flooding roads and making them impassable.

Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to open provincial roads 415 and 416 to alleviate the devastation on the rural economy.

For several years MBP has advocated for lasting solu-tions to the flood problems associated with the Shoal lakes and to restore lost provincial road access which has proven costly, time consuming and otherwise disruptive for all who are forced to take lengthy detours. We will continue to do so.

Origin: District 1122. Whereas the Government of Manitoba has put

forward two committees to review the Lake Manitoba levels and have accepted their own recommendations to maintain the lake level at 810 to 812 feet asl.

Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to honour their own recom-mended operating range for Lake Manitoba of 810 to 812 feet asl.

MBP will continue to advocate for the Manitoba gov-ernment to maintain Lake Manitoba’s level at 810 to 812 asl and will advance this position in any additional consulta-tions on the matter.

Origin: District 1123. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lob-

by the Government of Manitoba to lower the level of the

Shoal lakes with a controlled drain.MBP has and will continue to lobby for lasting solu-

tions to the Shoal lakes flooding, including the creation of an outlet.

F. TraceabilityOrigin: District 1424. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers sup-

port research around new technology related to perma-nent forms of animal identification.

MBP provides feedback to the Canadian Cattle Iden-tification Agency (CCIA) about challenges producers are experiencing with the existing animal identification system. MBP also liaises with researchers and with orga-nizations such as the Beef Cattle Research Council about whether new research could help address these challenges.

H. Manitoba Cattle Enhancement CouncilOrigin: District 1025. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers

lobby the Government of Manitoba to ensure that a fo-rensic audit will be conducted on the financial affairs of the Manitoba Cattle Enhancement Council and that the results be made public.

In response to ongoing producer questions MBP has repeatedly requested that the provincial government con-duct an audit of the operations of the MCEC to determine how producer check-off dollars were used. MBP will write one more letter to Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn re-questing an audit of the MCEC’s activities and advise pro-ducers of the outcome of this request.

J. Late Resolutions26. Whereas night lighting is a dangerous practice that

poses a real danger to cattle producers and their cattle; and

Whereas the 2014 Manitoba Hunting Guide states “Status Indians may not discharge a rifle or shotgun at night where it is dangerous to do so.”; and

Whereas the above statement indicates that Mani-toba Conservation and Water Stewardship deems night lighting and the discharge of rifles and shotguns at night to be a safe practice in some unspecified areas of Mani-toba; and

Whereas Manitoba Conservation and Water Stew-ardship has failed to define safe or unsafe night hunting areas of Manitoba.

Be it resolved Manitoba Beef Producers shall lobby Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship to pro-duce and make public a map that clearly displays those areas of Manitoba in which Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship deems night lighting to be a safe prac-tice; and

Be it further resolved MBP shall request Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship produce a list of those jurisdictions in Canada that consider the discharge of rifles and shotguns at night (night lighting) to be a safe hunting practice.

MBP is seeking clarification about the provincial government’s existing policies with respect to hunting at night and the need to ensure the safety of people, livestock and property. This will include contact with the provincial Conservation and Water Stewardship and Justice minis-ters, as well as the federal justice minister.

27. Whereas numerous acts and regulations gov-ern livestock production in Canada, including ones set-ting out specific environmental policies and procedures around manure management; and

Whereas when it comes to environmental regula-tions there is a lack of continuity around specific param-eters between the Prairie provinces, such as stocking den-sities, or the variation in what constitutes an animal unit in Alberta (one cow, two feed cattle) versus Saskatchewan (one cow, 1.5 feeder cattle) versus Manitoba (0.8 beef cow, 1.3 feeder cattle); and

Whereas differences between these three provinces around similar types of environmental regulations means Manitoba producers can incur significant added costs to meet the province’s regulatory requirements compared to their counterparts in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and

Whereas having a level playing field on the regula-tory side is important to the competitiveness of all beef producers.

Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to work toward the harmo-nization of regulations for the western provinces to ensure Manitoba’s beef industry remains competitive.

MBP will continue to request that all levels of govern-

ments adopt science-based environmental policies. MBP is concerned that non-science based reactions to environ-mental and health issues may result in significant losses by our producers and by the Manitoba economy without fur-thering the goals of protecting citizens or the environment.

28. Whereas Manitoba Hydro is either construct-ing new transmission lines (Bipole III) or in the process of finalizing routes for new transmission lines (proposed Manitoba-Minnesota Transmission Project), lines and towers that will traverse valuable agricultural lands used for livestock, forage and crop production; and

Whereas Manitoba’s agricultural producers deserve meaningful assurances from the Government of Mani-toba and Manitoba Hydro that the construction and on-going maintenance of these lines will not result in adverse impacts to their operations, such as biosecurity risks, im-pediments to production, reduced land values and poten-tial liability issues, among other factors; and

Whereas agricultural producers believe that Mani-toba Hydro and its agents should be engaging in ongoing two-way discussions with affected producers about po-tential transmission line routing and tower placement to ensure the least possible disruption to their livestock and other agricultural operations; and

Whereas all Manitoba agricultural producers are en-titled to fair compensation, either when hydro transmis-sion lines and towers cross their land or when their land is expropriated for such projects.

Therefore be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba and Manitoba Hydro to provide detailed assurances that the following will be made available to all agricultural producers: ongoing and substantive two-way discussions about transmission line routes and tower placements; fair compensation, either for line and tower placement on producers’ land or in the event of expropriation; a choice of payment methods; ac-cess to an independent appeal process producers can use if they are not satisfied with decisions around line and tower routing placement or in relation to compensation or ex-propriation payments; and, an ongoing mechanism to ad-dress any concerns that may arise as lines and towers are built, put into use and maintained.

MBP has had past discussions with Manitoba Hydro about the importance of the Crown agency and its con-tractor adhering to sound biosecurity practices during the construction and maintenance phases of its projects. MBP will continue to engage with Hydro about the importance of addressing producer concerns in this area, and also with respect to the need for fair compensation for those affected by Hydro projects.

Follow up on resolutions


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The end of outdoor cooking is approaching and Manitobans should make the most of this fabulous season. Cooking meals in the close com-fort of your backyard or while out camping within the beauty of Mother Na-ture is sure to make any prepared meal special. Let’s go over great tips for choosing either marinat-ing or non-marinating cuts of beef for outdoor grilling and finish with a brand new beef recipe from this year’s season of Great Tastes of Manitoba.

Outdoor cooking brings out the best in us; maybe it’s the fresh air, the aroma of charcoal crust-ed steaks or the sound of family playing in the yard. There is something magical about the taste of beef cooked on the grill. Choosing the right mari-nating steak is simple, list-ed are the most common cuts found at the super-market. Marinating cuts will require being manu-ally tenderized with a fork and benefit from marinat-ing for 8-24 hours howev-er, will result in fork ten-der high on flavour main courses. Marinating steaks are a great weeknight op-tion that can be pulled out of the fridge after work and grilled in minutes. Flank steak can take on just about any marinade

and will feed a crowd, re-member to slice this great cut across the grain. Other great choices are round steaks, inside, outside, eye of round, hump, minute or quick fry steaks are lean and mild in flavour. The inside round steak is the most tender of the bunch, and can hold strong to any bold flavour you toss its way. Try a sesame ginger marinade for something tasty and different. • 2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce• 2 Tablespoons sesame oil• 2 tsp fresh grated ginger handful of chopped green onions. Finally the sirloin tip is a flavourful choice for a marinating steak. This cut is often found whole as a roast how-ever, can easily be sliced into one-inch steaks. Sir-loin Tip is very lean with minimal marbling which means manual tenderiz-ing with a fork is neces-sary before adding a mari-nade.

Choosing the best grilling steak is simple thanks to easy to read la-bels that read “GRILLING STEAK.” This indicates that these cuts of beef will be buttery, tender and re-quire no marinating time. Grilling steaks do very well with a simple sprin-kling of seasoning and can be broiled or grilled right

away. Each grilling steak does of course have its own flavour and texture profiles. The Rolls Royce of cuts is tenderloin; this is a beautiful lean cut that can be used in sophisti-cated dishes like steak tar-tar or beef carpaccio. Beef tenderloin can be seen on menus listed as fillet mignon or beef fillet and truly requires only a good sprinkle of sea salt and fresh ground pepper. An-other great grilling steak is a classic cowboy ribeye cut, heavily marbled, with a buttery rich taste. A per-sonal favourite of mine is the top sirloin cut. This is a budget friendly all-star. A tender cut with great beef flavor, this steak cut can handle a more robust seasoning rub if desired. I like to do a Cajun rub on top sirloin steaks once and a while and finish them off with a bit of but-ter once off the barbecue. The New York striploin steak is known for its out-standing flavour and good marbling although, not as tender as ribeye, it’s a lean option with beefy flavour. T-bone steak, popularly known as the porterhouse on menus; is large enough to share with someone special. This cut of beef gets its name from the T-shaped bone that sepa-rates the larger striploin and the smaller tenderloin on the other. Sounds like a match made in heaven to me!

Once finding the per-fect cut of beef join me Oct. 10 on CTV at 6:30 p.m. in the evening. Great Tastes of Manitoba has put together an exciting season with a new host, radio personality Dez Daniels and has included Manitoba Beef Producers in filming an episode in a beautiful outdoor kitchen. It was a whole lot of fun and finally an opportu-nity to highlight barbe-cue beef! Honestly, one of the best ways to enhance beefs natural delicious fla-vour. I encourage you to keep cooking beef dinners outdoors as long as the weather permits and let’s together hope for a mild winter that will allow for a longer outdoor grilling season. Tune in October 10th for a fantastic fam-ily pleasing barbecue ro-tisserie top sirloin roast, this recipe makes 2 cups of homemade barbecue sauce that will become a staple in your refrigera-tor! Enjoy the Thanksgiv-ing holiday with a succu-lent beef roast. Thanks for reading.

Seize the last of the barbecue season

Barbecue Rotisserie Top Sirloin Roast

3 lbs 1.5 kg Top Sirloin Oven or Rotisserie Roast1 ½ cups (350 mL) lager beer¾ cups (175 mL) ketchup3 garlic cloves, minced1/3 cups (75 mL) EACH balsamic vinegar and brown sugar3 Tbsp (45 mL) EACH Dijon mustard and paprikaSalt and Pepper seasoning

Combine all ingredients (except beef) in large sealable freezer bag. Pierce roast all over with a fork. Add roast to bag and refrigerate maximum 4 hours. Re-serve marinade. Heat marinade of medium heat and bring to a boil, stir occasion-ally until marinade reduces to a barbecue sauce consistency.

To cook on a rotisserie, place drip pan with ½ inch (1 cm) water on top of grill. Using medium-high heat, preheat barbecue to 400°F (200°C). Insert spit rod lengthwise through centre of roast; secure with holding forks. Insert meat ther-mometer into middle of roast avoiding spit rod.

Reduce heat to medium heat 300°F (150°C) after the first 20 minutes once the exterior of the roast has developed a browned crust. Baste roast with barbecue sauce once every 30minutes.

Cook at constant heat, in closed barbecue, to desired doneness: 145°F (63°C) for medium-rare; 155°F (68°C) for medium. The roast will continue to cook once removed from the spit, remove from heat five degrees before desired doneness.

Remove roast to cutting board; cover with foil and let stand for 10 to 15 min-utes. Carve into thin slices to serve.

Tip: No Rotisserie? No Problem! Place roast on grill over drip pan inserted underneath grill grates on one side of the barbecue. Turn heat off just under the roast and cook as above. Makes 6 servings

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published by manitoba beef producers october 2015 · 2015-10-20 · published by manitoba beef...

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