Messenger January 2011

November 2010

Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency, 130 Malcolm Road, Guelph, ON, N1K 1B1 www.ontariosheep.org Tel: 519-836-0043

The Messenger

Inside This Issue

• Board Decisions / Actions • Programs • Projects • General Interest • Religious & Ethnic Holidays • Programs / Workshops • Upcoming Events • District Information • OSMA Reaching Out • Contacts / Resources • Internal/External Committee’s • Benchmarking Project

November 2010-11-13Volume 1, Issue 1

THE MESSENGER

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 1

2010 Winter Photo Contest By Patricia Heseltine_Stirling

Listen to “Ontario Today’ There was an excellent show on predation last week on CBC Radio Talk show

To listen on the computer, follow the instructions below or you can always use your radio. If you click on the text below it brings you to the website. http://www.cbc.ca/ontariotoday/ - Goto Listen tab - Goto to CBC Radio One ( Make sure Ottawa is chosen) - Look for Past Shows – Wednesday January 19th.

VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO ALL PRODUCERS: It is imperative that all lambs and sheep leaving your farms be properly tagged. Animals detected by CFIA ( the Canadian Food Inspection Agency) without tags are now receiving fines of $1300. These fines are being charged to everyone involved in the sale. Therefore the producer, the transportor and the Salesbarn are each receiving a $1300 fine for every sheep or lamb without a tag. Failure to comply may soon result in Salebarns refusing to accept lambs and sheep for sale. PLEASE NOTE: All fines have been a result of sheep and lamb arriving at the Salebarns without evidence of ever being tagged.

Please pass this information onto any other producers you know

especially those who do not have email access.

Invitation – Producers, industry partners and anyone or organization interested in serving the Ontario Sheep Industry are encouraged to contact either OSMA Directors or the office with ideas, comments, questions or suggestions that may be beneficial to Ontario Sheep as it carries out its mandates.

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger January 2011

BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE 2011 February 2 Conference Call February 23 Face to Face Meeting

BOARD CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR 2010-2011 At the recent OSMA AGM a new Board Chair and Vice Chair were elected. Congratulations to both.

Chair: Chris Kennedy Vice Chair: Dennis Fischer CANADIAN SHEEP INFORMATION PLATFORM Overview The Canadian Sheep Industry is in the process of studying data systems and programs that currently exist in Canada containing animal and flock data. The purpose for the study is to arrive at ways of linking or combining the current and any future data systems into one electronic information platform. This initiative is being lead by the Alberta Lamb Producers , CSF, OSMA, and the Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board and the d'Fédération des producteurs d'agneaux et moutons du Québecagneaux et moutons du Québec.

Study Committee: The study committee met in July, August, December, and January. The January meeting was in Ottawa with CFIA and Ag Canada to establish data requirements to comply with National traceability requirements. At the present time there is a group working on plans and costs associated with making Sheep Central (Alberta based) the National Data Platform.

OSMA’s Involvement: Plans are that OSMA will be involved and one of the owners of the national data.

Contacts / More Information: Murray Hunt, OSMA: [email protected] 519 836 0043 Jennifer MacTavish, CSF: [email protected] 1-888-684-7739

BOARD DECISIONS / ACTIONS

PROGRAMS


BUSINESS RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM OSMA is working with its partners in the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Coalition. At this time OASC is developing extensive facts on commodity costs of production and trade implications of a revised Agri Stability Program.

OSMA is presently working on establishing cost of production numbers for sheep. After that OSMA will need to work with OMAFRA in establishing a program for sheep producers. SFIP- SHEEP FLOCK IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM Thank you to the 10 producers that volunteered to test the new web based system.

At the AGM in October there was great interest in SFIP. Inquiries came from producers who were active previously but let their record keeping lag a bit as well as new producers who are new to SFIP. Keeping records is a very important component to animal production, whether that is sheep, cattle, pigs etc. Determining which animals to keep as replacements or which animals to cull cannot successfully be done by eye. Let the production records tell the results. Testing is almost complete on the web based system. Some users are already using it.

To receive an enrolment package contact OSMA at 519-836-0043. CFIA Testing For Scrapie

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is urging sheep and goat producers to submit suspicious cases for scrapie testing as the number of confirmed cases in Canada is up to a level not seen since 2003. Eleven sheep flocks were confirmed to have seen cases of the reportable disease as of Nov. 30, up from six in all of 2009. Of the 11, six were in flocks in Quebec, two in Alberta, two in Ontario and one in Saskatchewan. Of those, the Saskatchewan case and one in Ontario were found to be “atypical” scrapie. CFIA said it would like to test any mature animals (12 months and older) that die on the farm or show unexplained weight loss, problems standing or walking, or changes in behaviour. Producers can call the CFIA at 800-442-2342 to arrange to have a sample taken for testing. The agency noted it covers the costs of testing samples under the program, and that producers could also be eligible for compensation for animals ordered destroyed due to a scrapie diagnosis.


SMALL RUMINANT RESEARCH PROJECTS

Starting this summer OVC (Ontario Veterinary College) and OMAFRA will be carrying out two projects: 1) Johne’s Disease – prevalence, risk and impact in small ruminant dairy industries and 2) Q-Fever – prevalence in small ruminants and farm workers.

Further details can be obtained by contacting: Jocelyn Jansen – 519-846-3414 or [email protected] The OSMA Research Committee is currently in the process of reviewing four research projects for possible funding by OSMA. More details will follow once the OSMA Board decides on projects to be supported. RFID TAGS MANDATORY The Federal Government has committed to have National Traceability Programs in place by December 31, 2011 to allow for the tracing and tracking of products and food animals from farm to consumer. To meet these requirements for a national traceability system, CSF has voted to adopt mandatory RFID tags. The ability to monitor movements of products (including agricultural products) is important to Canada, a Nation that depends heavily on trade (export and importing). Many government support programs are geared to traceability, on-farm food safety and on-farm biosecurity. Ontario producers should have access to support for enhancing their on-farm systems once there is industry infrastructure to support tracking from farm to fork.

Further details can be obtained by contacting: CSF at 519-824-6018 or [email protected] Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence Congratulations to Algoma Sheep and Lamb Producers – Algoma District Sheila Harris, Collen Alloi and Heather Jansa are sheep and lamb producers who recognize that co-operation can be profitable. The three have worked together to co-ordinate lambings and build a year-round farm gate market for lamb. This also helps keep area meat shops and a local health food store continually supplied with a consistent product. Their lamb cookbook has sold 300 copies and their wool is processed together into yarn and blankets that give customers a wider range of colours. With their profits, the group has purchased a large shared freezer and a shrink wrapper, so they can sell individual cuts of lamb, rather than just sides. Their collaboration has increased sales and reduced costs. These shepherds know how to promote Ontario lamb and keep customers flocking to their businesses.

PROJECTS

GENERAL INTEREST


HELP FOSTER NEW INTEREST IN WORKING WITH LIVESTOCK The veterinary technology degree is a two-year college program that covers topics such as animal handling, data entry and records management, nutritional management, nursing care, surgical assistance, laboratory procedures and medication administration. Most veterinary technicians (VTs) are employed in small animal veterinary clinics, pharmaceutical sales or medical research.

However, some are employed in large animal or equine veterinary clinics where they may go out to farms to perform calf dehorning (with lidocaine block), vaccinating, ultrasound, bandaging, ovulation-synchronization and milk sample collection for culture, in response to directions from a veterinarian.

Unfortunately colleges with veterinary technician programs have decreased their large animal teaching components over the past decade. There is inadequate exposure to farm animals or management in most programs. Without exposure to practical experience with livestock, few VTs will develop an interest in an agricultural career path.

A large variety of livestock farms employ VTs as herdspeople. VTs are excellent at keeping records and giving extra care to young, sick or injured animals.

The Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food are compiling a list of farms throughout Ontario who would accept a VT for either a paid or volunteer position. The list would be provided to veterinary technicians and technician students within the province. In most cases the VTs will have limited farm experience, so farm staff should be willing to teach production and management practices and common disease problems and treatments. Terms and length of the position would be negotiated between the owner and the student.

If interested please contact Kathy Zurbrigg, OMAFRA, with your name, address, phone and/or email and commodity type. Kathy Zurbrigg (phone) 519-846-3418, (fax) 1-888-602-6911, [email protected]

2011 Holidays Meat

Mawlid al-Nabi Prophet’s Birthday

Feb 15

Islamic Holiday

• The Halal slaughtering is the acceptable way of processing.

• No indication of specific age, sex or weight. Passover

April 19-26 Jewish Holiday

• Preferences are for lambs of 30-55 lbs live weight, that are milk fed and fat.

• Meat should be prepared by Kosher slaughter Easter Western

Roman April 24

• Traditional market is for lambs 30-45 lbs live weight, milk fed and fat, or for a suckling kid weighing 18-35lbs live weight.

RELIGIOUS & ETHNIC HOLIDAY’S


Eastern Orthodox April 24

• Traditional market is for lambs 40-55 lbs which are milk fed and fat, o r suckling kids in the 25-50lbs live weight range.

Start of Ramadan Month of Fasting

Aug 1

Islamic Holiday

• Weaned market lambs 60-80lbs are preferred as well as male and female kids with all their milk teeth (not older than 12 months).

Look for more information in the OSN And on OSMA website: www.ontariosheep.org

GROWING FORWARD Growing Forward is a commitment by Canada's federal, provincial and territorial government that supports the development and implementation of best practices in four key areas: Environment and Climate Change; Food Safety and Traceability; Business Development; and Biosecurity.

For more information on Growing Forward Call 1-888-479-3931 or e-mail [email protected]

Business Development for Farm Businesses Helping producers improve their business planning by incorporating self-assessment and action plan development with a range of cost-share advisory services and skills development opportunities to help reach their farm business goals.

Planning for Business Success - What's New 2011-2012 Support for leadership and governance skills - with the increasing complexity of modern farms businesses, these are the management skills that producers need to grow more profitably. More Advanced Business Plans - up to $20,000 in cost-share funding to support the development of up to three business plans for a farm business.

More opportunities for new farmers - improved cost-share opportunities to help new farmers set their business goals, improve their farm-related skills and develop actionable business plans.

The Place to Start* Growing Your Farm Profits Workshop is the place to start: A two-day workshop that will help you assess your current farm management practices, identify priorities and develop action plans aimed at reaching your business goals. For more information and a list of future workshops: http://www.ontariosoilcrop.org/default.htm On Farm Food Safety CD OMAFRA has a new user-friendly CD to make food safety practices easier for you. It contains the entire Advantage Good Agricultural Practices manual plus tools to help you implement food safety on any farm. Call 1-877-424-1300 to get your free copy of the Advantage iGAP CD.

PROGRAMS - WORKSHOPS


AGRIWEBINAR – LEARNING WITHOUT LIMITS Presented by The Canadian Farm Business Management Council.

Tune in Mondays at Noon EST to take part in this informative, innovative and inspiring series.

Date Speaker Topic Jan. 31 Dave Engdahl SK The Importance of Financial Analysis and How to Use It Feb. 7 Danny Klinefelter USA 10 Best Management Practices Feb. 14 Elaine Froese MB Doing the Tough Things Right Feb. 28 Denis Larouche QC Farm Management Groups: The Formula for Profitability

For a complete list of speakers and topics, to access over 100 archived webinars, and to subscribe to their mailing list, visit http://www.agriwebinar.com/ “The webinars give a different perspective on many current topics. They provide information and direction which one would have great difficulty obtaining on their own.”

ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, ANYONE! Agriwebinars are: - Participate in Live Broadcasts - FREE - View Archived Presentations - 1 hour in length with Q&A - Download as a Podcast - Bilingual

- Accessible through any internet connection

FARM CREDIT CANADA

Where do you want your operation to be in five years? Do you know how to get there? Find out with FCC workshops. In each workshop, you'll focus on a specific farm management skill that you can use in your operation.

• Advanced Commodity Marketing Management • Commodity Marketing Management • Estate Planning • Farm Financial Management – Statements and Ratios • Farm Financial Management – Profitability and Budgeting • High Performance Management • Hiring and Keeping Employees • Transferring the Farm • The Ultimate Farm Management Challenge: Working with your family • Vision and Goal Setting

For more information: www.fcc.ca/workshops 1-888-332-3301


OnTrace Workshops 2011 Traceability is good for Business. Find out how it can improve yours. Enroll now! Dates & Locations: Producer Workshops • Thursday, February 10 – Bradford 61 Holland St E, Bradford West Gwillimbury • Friday, February 11 – London Best Western Lamplighter, 591 Wellington Road S. • Wednesday February 16 – Guelph Fairfield Marriott, 35 Cowan Place • Tuesday, February 22 – Kingston Courtyard by Marriott Kingston Highway 401/Division St., 103 Dalton Ave. • Friday, February 25 – Vineland 4890 Victoria Avenue North Space is limited. Register today. Workshop time: 9:00 - 5:00 All day workshop includes lunch and Traceability Workbook Cost: $75 per workshop For more information: Toll Free 1-888-38-TRACE (8-7223) or www.ontrace.ca

SHEEP & GOAT AUCTIONS

Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 1:00 PM - Pre-Book for ALL sheep/goat auctions! http://www.johnstoneauction.ca/special/sheepgoatsfeb2011.htm

Ward & Marilyn Harden Flock Dispersal: The ewes and ewe lambs are primarily Columbia X Targhee. The ewes average about 180lbs. The average fleece weight is about 10lbs and between 22-26 micron. Typical lambing percentage on the ewes is 150% (lower for ewe lambs). The ewes typically will get a double worming and 8-way shot before they lamb.

- 320 Ewe Lambs (born between Apr.10 & Jun.10) exposed to Debouillet X Targhee rams Dec.22 - 190 2yr old ewes exposed to Targhee rams Nov.15 to Dec.6 (Rams from the Miles City Ram Sale),

then Suffolk rams as clean up were turned out Dec.20 - 300 3yr old ewes exposed to Targhee rams Nov.15 to Dec.6 (Rams from the Miles City Ram Sale),

then Suffolk rams as clean up were turned out Dec.20 - 340 4, 5, & 6yr old ewes exposed to home-raised Columbia rams Dec.20 - 25 Debouillet Ram Lambs - 6 3yr old Suffolk rams - 23 rams of various ages (some Rambouillet or Debouillet, some Targhee, some Targhee X Columbia) - 19 Suffolk ewe lambs exposed Border Cheviot to start lambing April 1


We are accepting only a LIMITED number of other bookings for this auction - PRE-BOOK early before we are full, otherwise you'll have to wait until May! Consignments are open to ewes, rams, ewe lambs, or feeder lambs, and goats of any breed or size. The breeding sheep sell in packages of 1 to 50 depending on how many are brought from one seller, and how they match as far as sex, size, breed, etc. Many of the feeder lambs are presorted into larger pens for the feedlot buyers. The goats may be pre-sorted, sold individually, in small groups, or by choice.

DISTRICT 10 PERFORMANCE TESTED SHEEP SALE July 30, 2011 Featuring performance tested rams, ewes and commercial ewes. This auction will be an opportunity for producers to purchase healthy, top performing animals. Contact: Colleen Acres – 613-826-2330 ONTARIO FORAGE COUNCIL Profitable Pastures will be held on March 9th and 10th in Elmwood and Stirling. Our keynote speaker will be Tod Wallace from Manitoba. Our focus this year will be Maximizing Pasture Profits from Another Perspective “Maximizing Pasture Profits from Another Perspective” As in previous years pre-registration is required $35 includes hot roast beef dinner. Call 519-986-1484 or 877-892-8663, registration deadline is March 4th LAMB COURSES AT OLDS COLLEGE Lambing Fundamentals 101 1. Discuss Lambing: normal births and dystocia births plus supplies needed. 2. Lambs: (using live or dead lambs) demonstration and hands-on, perform procedures such as: stomach tubing lambs, intra peritoneal dextrose injections, weigh lambs, band tails, castration with rings, injections and ear tagging. Fri • Mar 4 • 9:30 am–4:00 pm $120 + GST Introduction to Sheep Nutrition This course provides an introduction to nutrition principals and their application to sheep. We will discuss feed sampling techniques, how to read feed analysis sheets and the role of energy, protein, minerals, vitamins and water in sheep diets. Sat • Mar 12 • 9:00 am–4:30 pm $120 + GST To avoid disappointment and before making your travel arrangements, please contact us to ensure the minimum class enrollment requirement has been met. Call 1-800-661-6537, ext. 4677 for more details


SHEEP INFRASTRUCTURE WORKSHOPS April 6 & 7, 2011 – Kemptville Area (TBD) Two day Course sponsored by the Large Flock Operators and OMAFRA – limited to 20 participants. This program targets people in the planning cycle for building large scale, commercial scale infrastructure as part of an expansion plan in their sheep enterprise. Workshop is intended to give ideas, show latest concepts, test out participant’s ideas and examine relative costs. Includes stops at several commercial-sized operations that are using some of the concepts covered as well as some choosing not to use the featured concepts. This will allow participants to mix and match what portions of the workshop will best suit their needs for their facilities and make informed decisions on expansion.

**This training opportunity is eligible for cost-share funding through the Growing Forward Business Development for Farm Businesses program.** For more information and to register:

Toll free: 877-424-1300 Local: 519-826-4047 Email: [email protected] or www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/sheep/20081211.htm

EXPLORING YOUR NEW FARM DREAM (January/ February 2011) This 5-part course developed by Farm Start helps new and aspiring farmers explore their new farm dream – from developing the vision and self-assessment, to networking and exploring funding and market opportunities. The NFU New Farm Project is excited to bring this popular course to Kingston in response to demand in Eastern Ontario.

For more information on the course, and to register, please visit the Farm Start Explorer Course page at http://www.farmstart.ca/explorer/.

Where: Kingston Sustainability Centre, 193 Princess Street.

When: Tuesdays (6:30pm – 9:30pm), Jan 18, Jan 25, Feb 1 (snow day), Feb 8, Feb 15 Farmer Panel Discussion: Saturday February 5 (9:30am – 4pm)

Course cost: $300. Please note there are a few bursaries available to applicants in need in the Kingston area (within 100 km) to cover part of the cost of the course – contact Ian Stutt at the NFU New Farm Project for details (http://www.newfarmproject.ca/contact-us/).


District 1: District 1 Committee: Director: Fraser Hodgson District Chair: John Sipkens District Vice Chair: Bill Duffield District Sec/Treas: Marlene Raymond

Meeting Dates:

Feb 3: 8 p.m. at the Dawn-Enniskillan Fire Hall ,Rutherford Mar 3: Ridgetown College – Gary Brien will give a tour of the Sheep Research facilities May 5: Paul Luimas speaking on sheep feeding trial at Ridgetown College Meeting at Ridgetown College June: No Meeting Aug: Farm Tour Sept: Annual Meeting @ Coldstream

Meetings are usually held the first Thursday of every month at Coldstream Community Centre, just north west of London, Ontario at 8:00 PM

District 1 Website: OSMA_district_1.tripod.com Contact: Marlene Raymond at 519-683-6635 District 2:

District 2 Committee: Director: Dennis Fischer District Chair: Vince Stutzki District Vice Chair: Sarel Smit District Secretary: Anita DeJong District Treasurer: Jason Emke

District 3:

District 3 Committee: Director: Neil Mesman District Chair: Bill Jeffrey District Vice Chair: Luann Erb District Sec/Treas: Mike Beuerman

Meeting Dates:

Feb 17: 7:30 pm – Rostock Hall, Rostock Guest Speaker Brian Tarr from Shur-Gain; Topics: Out of Season Breeding and use of MGA and Nutrition of ewes

March 17: 7:30 pm – Rostock Hall, Rostock Topic TBA

April 14: 7:30 pm – Rostock Hall, Rostock Guest Speaker – Jack Kyle – Extended Grazing

For More Information: Contact Mike Beuerman – 519-527-2676 or email mike_beuerman@ hotmail.com

UPCOMING EVENTS


District 4:

District 4 Committee: Director: Chris Kyle District Chair: Nancy Ireland District Secretary: Sharon Petheram District Treasurer: Norman Johnson

District 5:

District 5 Committee: Director: Andrew Gordanier District Chair: Jason Oosterhoff Vice Chair: Bill McCutcheon District Secretary: Lene Band District Treasurer: Dianne Orr

Meeting Dates:

Feb. 23: 8:00 pm – Gencor, Guelph Guest speaker – Dr. Rob Swackhammer D.V.M. Topic is “Improving the Survivability of Lambs”

Contact: Lene Band phone 905.87-2969 e-mail [email protected] meetins last WEd. of every month, Location TBA District 6:

District 6 Committee: Director: Markus Wand District Chair: Peter Harvey District Secretary: Grant Cowan District Treasurer: Karen Harvey

District 7:

District 7 Committee: Director: Judy Dening District Chair: Leslie Dyment District Vice Chair: Rebecca Parker District Secretary: Cynthia Palmer District Treasurer: Phil Smith

District 8:

District 8 Committee:

Director: Chris Kennedy District Chair: Linda Huizenga District Vice Chair: Jim Sabin District Secretary: Kenton Dempsey District Treasurer: Pat Purvis


Meeting Dates:

February 14 - Westdale Park Public School in Napanee 7 pm Topic will be State of the Dairy Sheep Industry with Lawrence and Marion Greveling - Wear red!!

District 9:

District 9 Committee:

Director: Allan Burn District Chair: Ganesh Raj District Vice Chair: Christopher Moore District Secretary: Sara Loten District Treasurer: Karen Wright To all Sheep Producers In District 9 And Surrounding Areas Expression of Interest

In preparation for the District 10 Sheep Day planned for Saturday, February 19th in Spencerville our District would like to organize a bus to take producers to that event. We would have several pick up points along the route, at this point they might be Renfrew, Wool Growers at Carleton Place and the Mall in Smiths Falls. Final details including pick-up spots, time and cost will be determined once producers get back to us and final transportation arrangements are made. If you are interested in joining other producers to cut down your driving distance to Spencerville please contact Shana Armstrong [email protected]. Shana will be in contact with all those that are interested once details are finalized. Come along with us this will be a great social event before and after a great education day.

District 10:

District 10 Committee: Director: Colleen Acres District Chair: Fred Baker District Secretary: Laurie Maus District Treasurer: Greg Stubbings

Meeting Dates:

Feb. 19: OSMA District 10 Sheep Day, 8:30-4:00, Drummond Bldg. Spencerville Fair Grounds, Spencerville, ON. Topics to be covered include. Parasite control and resistance, Predator Control, Q Fever, Biosecurity, RFID Tags and the Pilot Traceability Project. Registration $25 includes lunch. Contact Gary Lapier 613-989-2792 for more information.

District 10 Website: www.osmadistrict10.ca/ Contact: Colleen Acres – 613-826-2330


District 11:

District 11 Committee: Director: Mark Lenover District Chair: Jim Johnston District Secretary: Debra Garner

Other District Organizations:

Victoria County Sheep Producers.

Third Wednesday every month starting at 7:30 LindsayLivestock Exchange Membership is $20 per farm per year. Contact: Rebecca Parker Email: [email protected]

Middlesex Sheep & Lamb Producers

Chairman - George Molson, 600 Trillim Drive, Lot 2, Con 2, Newbury, ON N0L 1Z0, 519-695-2936, Secretary/Media - Mels van der Laan, R3- McEwen Drive, Denfield, ON N0M 1P0, 519-666-2423, Email: [email protected], Treasurer - Marilyn Walker, RR 1, Glencoe, ON N0L 1M0, 519-287-5637 Meeting Dates:

Jan. 27 @ 7:45 pm Coldstream Community Centre Guest Speaker: Ben Hindmarsh, Ministry Of Natural Resources; Topic: Preditor Control - Rules & Regulations ALL LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS WELCOME QUESTIONS OR IDEAS Anyone with questions or ideas for OSMA to consider are encouraged to send an email to [email protected]. Staff will acknowledge receipt and attempt, in a timely fashion, to provide an answer or comment. UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION It is important for Ontario Sheep to have current contact information for all sheep producers in order to keep you up to date on current events.

• Do you have a new email address • Has your address changed

Please contact us by calling 519-836-0043 or emailing: [email protected]

OSMA REACHING OUT


OSMA STRATEGIC PLAN Copies of the Strategic Plan and Direction can be obtained by contacting Jennifer Johanson – 519-836-0043 or [email protected]

PROGRAMS, SERVICES and RESOURCES

• Agricultural Information Contact Centre: 1-877-424-1300 or e-mail [email protected] • Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council Agriculture related training opportunities:

http://agritalent.ca • Environmental Farm Plan: dates -

www.ontariosoilcrop.org/en/programs/workshops/programscalendar.htm • The Farm Line: 1-888-451-2903 - A confidential emotional support and referral service • Growing Your Farm Profits: /www.ontariosoilcrop.org/en/programs/gyfp091.htm • Growing Forward Information Line: 1-888-479-3931 or e-mail [email protected] • Nutrient Management Line: 1-866-242-4460 or e-mail [email protected] • OMAFRA Website: www.ontario.ca/omafra • OMAFRA Cost of Production Calculators:

www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/busdev/bear2000/Budgets/budgettools.htm • OMAFRA Financial Resources and Support Services for Families - Call: 1-800-461-6132

CONTACTS / RESOURCES


INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMITTEES 2010/2011

Standing Committees

Governance Committee: Christopher Kyle *, Neil Mesman, Dennis Fischer, Markus Wand, Murray Hunt

Audit Committee: Fraser Hodgson *, Colleen Acres, Judy Dening, Members at Large – Jason Emke, Jennifer Peel Research Committee: Markus Wand *, Mark Lenover, Fraser Hodgson, Colleen Acres, Murray Hunt By-Law and Regulations (Ad Hoc): Neil Mesman *, Allan Burn, Christopher Kyle, Murray Hunt ___________________________________________________________________________________

Standing Teams

Advocacy: Chris Kennedy, Dennis Fischer, Murray Hunt * Education: Judy Dening, Christopher Kyle, Murray Hunt *, Ruth Gilmour R & D: Mark Lenover, Colleen Acres, Fraser Hodgson, Murray Hunt * Organization: Allan Burn, Neil Mesman, Murray Hunt *, Ruth Gilmour Promotion: Andrew Gordanier, Dennis Fischer, Neil Mesman, Murray Hunt *, Ruth Gilmour Predation: Chris Kennedy, Mark Lenover, Allan Burn, Judy Dening, Dick Kuiperij, Leah Ridell, Al Whitlam, Murray Hunt * Breeding Stock: Colleen Acres, Christopher Kyle, Ruth Gilmour, Murray Hunt *, Darryl Hopkins, Gary Brien,

Brian Atkinson, Jim Groves, Ted Skinner

External Representatives 2010 – 2011

Agricultural Adaptation Committee, Livestock Seat: Judy Dirksen (OVA); Oliver Haan (ON Pork) CFFO: Fraser Hodgson Canadian Sheep Federation (CSF): Mark Lenover *, Andrew Gordanier, Dennis Fischer CSF-CSIP: Dennis Fischer Environmental Representative: Chris Kennedy Farm Innovation Program: Murray Hunt National On-Farm Food Safety Working Group: Murray Hunt Ontario Agricultural Commodity Council (OACC): Andrew Gordanier *, Murray Hunt Ontario Federation of Agriculture : Judy Dening OFPMC Sheep Advisory Committee: Will be determined at a future date OLPC: Murray Hunt OSMA Ontario Scholarship Committee: Education Team Predation Leader: Chris Kennedy Presidents Council: Chris Kennedy Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (Sheep Committee): – Christopher Kyle *, Lene Band Sheep Flock Improvement Program Advisory (SFIP) Committee: Bob Comfort, Bill Duffield, Wayne Oosterhoff John Steele, Rebecca Parker, Scott Prudom

• Lead

OSMA and the Industry – Messenger January 2011 •

Ontario Sheep Benchmarking Project We are looking for sheep producers with 250+ breeding ewe flocks who are interested in participating in our Ontario Sheep Benchmarking Project. There is no cost to participate. Thirty-two producers participated in year one and we would like to increase that number to at least 40 in 2011. What is involved? Participation involves completing two paper surveys, a production management survey and a financial template. The management survey is comprised 64 questions covering demographic information, sheep production practices, farm management practices, feed management, and marketing. This survey is completed once during the first year of participation. Only changes to management practices are noted in subsequent years. The financial information is gathered on-farm by contracted surveyors and some Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs extension staff. The 2010 financial data will be gathered between February and April 2011. There is also an online managerial (personality type) survey which takes 20 minutes to complete. A hard copy version is also available. What are the benefits? Participating producers will receive a composite summary of data gathered from all farms as well as an individual report relating to their operation. The composite data will be used to develop a set of agricultural performance benchmarks and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which you may use to:

• compare your operation’s performance with other Ontario sheep operations; • highlight your strengths and weaknesses; • identify problem areas that require investigation; • gauge the overall scope for improvement; and • provide a focal point for business management decisions and performance review.

You will also be offered a complimentary copy of the AgExpert software and IT support for one year to facilitate the production of standardized financial reports. Funding for this project was provided in part by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Adaptation Council’s CanAdvance Program. Contact Ruth Gilmour at [email protected] or Susan Fitzgerald the project coordinator ([email protected], 519-669-3350) if you are interested in participating.

Messenger January 2011

Documents

Transcript of Messenger January 2011