stay cool -...
TRANSCRIPT
Dispelling proAction mythsProject Sleep campaign Succession planning mistakes+
Publications Mail Sales Agreement No. 40063866
STAYCOOL WITH REAL CANADIAN ICE CREAM
JU
LY
20
16
2 20 | O C
DeLaval Robotics. Your future is our why.
Follow DeLaval @DeLavalCanadaDeLavalCanada
is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB. © 2016 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 150-B Jameson Drive, P.O. Box # 4600 Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B7, CANADA.
Island Dairy Services Ltd.Duncan, BC250-748-2188J&D Farmers DairyService Ltd.Abbotsford, BC604-853-2372J&D Farmers DairyService Ltd.Enderby, BC1-888-811-0231Agrai-Dairy MartLacombe, AB403-786-9999Agrai-Dairy MartLethbridge, AB 403-327-1414
Agrai-Dairy MartNisku, AB 780-955-3737Tristar Dairy Center Ltd.Grunthal, MB 204-434-6801DeLaval Dairy ServiceSaskatoon, SK 306-955-5474Cal KwantesDeLaval Project ConsultantWestern Canada250-503-6002D A Bielaskie & Son Ltd. Cobden, ON 613-646-7637
D M D Picard Enter.Inc. Fournier, ON 613-524-5453Emo Feed Service LtdEmo, ON 807-482-2017Norwell Dairy Systems Ltd.,Woodstock, ON 519-456-3535Norwell Dairy Systems Ltd.Drayton, ON519-638-3535/519-456-3535Norwell Dairy Systems Ltd.Oakwood, ON 705-953-9985
Norwell Dairy Systems Ltd.Brinston, ON 613-652-2009Northshore Tractors Echo Bay, ON 705-248-2208Oliver Dairy SupplyThunder Bay, ON 807-935-2878Jason FrenchDeLaval Project Consultant Ontario226-821-2693Fundy Agriculture Services Ltd.Apohaqui, NB 506-432-6944
Eastern DairyServices Ltd.Shubenacadie, NS 902-758-3898Clairmont FarmServices LtdKings County, NS 902-825-7087Island Dairy ServicesCharlottetown, PEI 902-892-2532Jason ClevelandDeLaval Project ConsultantMaritimes902-626-8630
For more information, please contact your local authorized DeLaval dealer or visit delaval.ca
why
The Kelly’s
This
is
“ ”Our cows are important to us. Working with a company that understands cows is also important to us. Knowing that our relationship goes well beyond equipment expertise will bring a great partnership for years to come.Henry Kelly Farm
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 3
4 EDITOR’S NOTES
6 CHAIR’S MESSAGE
8 PROV. PERSPECTIVE
10 DAIRY NEWS
22 CALF CARE
24 LEGAL
26 DFC PROMOTION
28 FARM FINANCE
36 RESEARCH
38 PROACTION
42 RUMINATIONS
44 MARKETS
46 NEW ‘N’ NOTED
48 DAIRY SHOWCASE
50 BACK FORTY
30
FEATURES
CONTENTSVol. 92 No. 7
WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
401616 RAISING AWARENESS
ABOUT AGRICULTURE
Breakfast on the Farm
attracted more than
2,000 visitors
1010 MILK MATTERS DAY RALLY
Dairy farmers gather on
Parliament Hill to
support Canadian milk
40 ADDRESSING HOOF
HEALTH ISSUES
Canadian producers
have resources to help
reduce lameness
4 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER
EDITOR’S NOTESBy Sharon Laidlaw
S ummer is here, which means longer days,
heat waves and time spent at the beach or
enjoying a backyard patio. It also means
many of us will make more frequent stops at the
local grocery store to pick up a litre, or two, of our
favourite ice cream, or packing up the kids to visit
the nearest ice cream shop for some melt-in-your-
mouth, ooey gooey dairy goodness.
The July issue is an appropriate time to feature
a cover story on ice cream. Canadians are in-
creasingly getting reacquainted with their child-
hood treat, and are not just turning to the usual
tried-and-true flavours of chocolate and vanilla.
More and more processors are creating decadent,
mouth-watering, rich combinations of higher fat
ice cream products and novelties to satisfy con-
sumer demand for more premium options.
Our cover story, beginning on page 30,
features just a snapshot of several ice cream
manufacturers across Canada. However, it is
important to note, there are many more large
and small players we simply didn’t have room
to fit in our layout. For instance, Scotsburn
Co-operative Services Ltd., owned by Saputo
Inc., operates three major production facilities,
located throughout Atlantic Canada, which
process ice cream, novelties and frozen des-
serts for various store brand labels distributed
across Canada. Then there’s Mapleton’s Or-
ganic Dairy, a family-owned and operated farm
in Ontario. It processes ice cream, frozen and
fresh yogurt using milk from its own herd of
70 dairy cows. Most of Mapleton’s ice cream is
gluten-, nut- and salt-free.
Another example is Avalon Dairy in British
Columbia. It sells certified organic ice cream,
among many other products. Avalon Dairy’s
ice cream products are available in French van-
illa bean, strawberries and cream, chocolate,
black cherry, mocha fudge and mountain berry
in 976-millilitre tubs.
These processors have chosen to feature the
100% Canadian Milk symbol on their ice
cream products to let consumers know the
product they are buying contains real Can-
adian dairy ingredients.
PUBLICATION AWARDMilk Producer magazine has once again been
recognized for publication excellence by
APEX. The 28th annual awards program rec-
ognizes excellence in publishing by professional
communicators. APEX awards are offered for
graphic design, editorial content and overall
communications excellence. More than 1,600
entries were submitted from around the world
in 100 categories. Milk Producer received the
Awards for Publication Excellence for Maga-
zines, Journals and Tabloids for the one- to
two-person produced category.
This is not the first time Milk Producer has
won APEX awards. Last year, it received hon-
ours for most improved magazine, and design
and illustration for its 50th anniversary photo
spread. In 2007, Milk Producer was awarded
for publication excellence for a magazine pro-
duced by one to two people.
CHANGE TO MAGAZINE SIZEYou may notice the magazine is slightly smaller
and wider in this issue. Magazine staff continu-
ally look for ways to increase cost savings and
ensure the publication is printed in an efficient
manner, without compromising quality, which
is why we switched to this new format.
SEE YOU AT AG IN MOTIONMilk Producer will be at this year’s Ag in Mo-
tion from July 19 to 21. If you’re attending the
show, make sure to visit Milk Producer’s booth
and say “Hi” to Pat Logan, advertising repre-
sentative. Milk Producer is co-sponsoring the
VIP dairy producer brunch on July 19 from 9
to 11 a.m. Stop by the booth to pick up one of
50 free tickets for the breakfast.
WORLD DIGEST ONLINEIn our May issue, I wrote about the import-
ance of keeping up with world dairy develop-
ments. I think one should do so if working in
the dairy industry, especially when operating
under a supply managed system. If you’re look-
ing for one source to find the latest global dairy
news, you can check out our World Digest re-
port, available at www.milkproducer.ca. It will
be available bi-monthly, starting July 15.
Follow me on Twitter:
@Writer_Girl75Follow DFO:
@DairyOntario
A COOL CANADIAN TREAT Processors and producers benefit from consumers’ increasing demand for higher fat ice cream[
MILK PRODUCER is published monthly by Dairy Farmers of Ontario, 6780 Campobello Road, Mississauga, Ontario, L5N 2L8SENIOR EDITOR: Sharon [email protected] EDITOR: Jennifer [email protected] EDITOR: Amy ReuschFREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Ashley SpiresPHOTOGRAPHER: David Barr
FOR ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES CONTACT:Pat Logan Advertising RepresentativePhone (519) 788-1559 Email: [email protected]
Co-ordinated by the Communications Division, Graham Lloyd, Director and General Counsel. Subscription rates: $26.88 for one year, $49.28 for two years and $67.20 for three years in Canada (includes HST), $36 per year in the U.S., $36 per year overseas. Single copy: $2.50. Make cheques payable to Dairy Farmers of Ontario. Canada Post Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No.40063866. Return postage guaranteed. Circulation: 9,500.ISSN 0030-3038. Printed in Canada
SUBSCRIPTIONSChange of address notices should be sent to:MILK PRODUCER 6780 Campobello Road, Mississauga, Ontario L5N 2L8Phone: (905) 821-8970Fax: (905) 821-3160Email: [email protected]
Opinions expressed herein are those of the author and/or editor and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or policies of Dairy Farmers of Ontario. Publication of advertisements does not constitute endorsement or approval by Milk Producer or Dairy Farmers of Ontario of products or services advertised.
Milk Producer welcomes letters to the editor about magazine content.
Websites: www.milkproducer.cawww.milk.orgFacebook: /OntarioDairyTwitter: @DairyOntario
GEA
_Mon
obox
_Milk
Prod
_201
6-02
Conestogo Agri Systems Inc.Alma, ON 519 638-3022
Dairy Lane Systems Ltd.Komoka, ON 519 666-1404
Lawrence’s Dairy Supply Ltd.Moose Creek, ON 613 538-2559Bourget, ON 613 487-2946
McCann Farm Automation Ltd.Seeley’s Bay, ON 613 382-7411
Performance Dairy CentreDiv. of Embro Farm Systems Inc.Embro, ON 519 423-9119
Sheehy Entreprises Ltd.Shubenacadie, NS 902 758-2002
Wood’s Dairy SourceKeene, ON 705 295-3247
Stuart Marshall, AMS Sales SpecialistCell. 226 377-5501Jérôme Voyer, AMS Sales SpecialistCell. 450 521-6488Mario Jean, AMS Sales Manager NACell. 514 386-9032
Think inside the boxGEA’s Monobox is the all-in-one automated milking solution.
Speed. Effi ciency. Quality. You can have it all with GEA’s new Monobox. The state-of-the-art automated
milking system includes GEA’s “in-liner everything.” With teat prep, milking and post-dipping all within
the liner, the milking process is always consistent and exceptionally streamlined. You want the ultimate
in quality robotic milk production, so think inside the box: the GEA Monobox.
6 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER
Ralph Dietrich, chairDairy Farmers
of Ontario
June 22, 2016
DFO CHAIR’S MESSAGEBy Ralph Dietrich
TREND TOWARD HIGHER FAT FOODSA BOON FOR ICE CREAM SALES
LA TENDANCE VERS LES ALIMENTS PLUS GRAS FAVORISE LES VENTES DE CRÈME GLACÉE
Ithink I speak for everyone when I say summer
seems to have snuck up on us with hot sunny
days. It certainly felt like we had no spring,
with temperatures in the high 20s as early as the
May long weekend.
With our leap into summer, I got to enjoy
one of my family’s favourite summer treats—ice
cream—a lot earlier than usual. Certainly on our
farm, ice cream cones are a treat my wife and I
share as often as possible with our grandchildren.
This enjoyable family pastime made me
reflect on the current state of ice cream and
cream sales in Canada. Currently, our indus-
try is experiencing record ice cream sales. It is
interesting to note average sales of ice cream
products have increased by more than seven
per cent in Ontario and Quebec compared
with last year. Last year was a very good year
for butterfat demand. There was a seven per
cent increase in milk quota, and the conversion
of non-saleable quota to saleable. In fact, the
quota increases were a direct result of increased
demand for butter and fluid creams.
Dairy Farmers of Ontario board members
are often asked why the increase and change in
consumer behaviour? Many of us think it start-
ed in 2012, when, for the first time in decades,
butter consumption did not decline. Subse-
quent years have revealed further increases in
this category.
At the same time, the dairy industry has
been experiencing a reversal in negative fluid
milk consumption, with growth in 2% and
whole milk sales. While there is still significant
growth in non- and low-fat yogurt, sales of
yogurt with normal and even higher butterfat
levels have also been increasing.
There has been significant research recently
showing there is no association between dietary
saturated fats and coronary heart disease and
bad cholesterol. Fears of consuming higher fat
foods, a trend that started in the 1960s, are
slowly subsiding.
In June 2014, TIME magazine published a
cover article, entitled Eat Butter, which cap-
tured and popularized what consumers have
started to act upon. Today, consumers are more
aware of the ingredients in their foods, and are
demanding a simple and natural ingredient
deck. Also true, ice cream and butter cannot
compare with industrial manufactured prod-
ucts that pretend to be substitutes.
So, I say, this summer, have another scoop of
ice cream. It’s good for all of us.
Je pense parler au nom de tous quand je dis
que l’été semble enfin arrivé avec des journées
chaudes et ensoleillées. Il semble que nous
n’avons pas eu de printemps, avec des températures
dépassant 20° dès la longue fin de semaine de mai.
Avec cet été précoce, je peux profiter d’un des
plaisirs favoris de l’été de ma famille — la crème
glacée — beaucoup plus tôt que d’habitude. Dans
notre ferme, les cornets de crème glacée sont un
plaisir que ma femme et moi partageons aussi
souvent que possible avec nos petits-enfants.
Cet agréable passe-temps familial m’a fait
réfléchir à la situation actuelle des ventes de
crème glacée et de crème au Canada. Actuelle-
ment, notre industrie enregistre des ventes re-
cord de crème glacée. Il est intéressant de noter
que les ventes moyennes de produits de crème
glacée ont augmenté de plus de 7 % en Ontario
et au Québec par rapport à l’année dernière.
Cette année avait été une très bonne année
pour la demande de matière grasse. Il y a eu
une augmentation de 7 % du quota de lait et la
conversion de quota non vendable en vendable.
En fait, les augmentations de quota ont résulté
directement de l’augmentation de la demande
de beurre et de crèmes de consommation.
On demande souvent aux membres du
conseil du Dairy Farmers of Ontario pourquoi
le comportement des consommateurs change.
Beaucoup d’entre nous pensent que cela a
commencé en 2012 quand, pour la première
fois depuis des décennies, la consommation de
beurre n’a pas diminué. Les années suivantes,
on a enregistré de nouvelles augmentations
dans cette catégorie.
En même temps, l’industrie laitière a connu
une inversion de la consommation négative de
lait, avec une croissance des ventes de lait 2 % et
entier. Alors que les ventes de yogourts maigres
continuent d’augmenter, les ventes de yogourts
avec des niveaux de matières grasses normaux ou
même supérieurs ont également augmenté.
D’importantes recherches ont récemment
démontré qu’il n’y a pas de rapport entre les
graisses saturées alimentaires et l’insuffisance
coronaire et le mauvais cholestérol. Les craint-
es relatives à la consommation d’aliments gras,
une tendance qui a commencé dans les années
60, diminuent lentement.
En juin 2014, le magazine TIME publiait
un article en couverture intitulé Eat Butter
(Mangez du beurre), qui étudiait et popular-
isait ce sur quoi les consommateurs avaient
commencé à agir. Aujourd’hui, les consom-
mateurs sont plus conscients des ingrédients
contenus dans leur alimentation et exigent
des ingrédients simples et naturels. Il est
également vrai que la crème glacée et le beurre
ne se comparent pas aux produits industriels
manufacturés qui prétendent les remplacer.
WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
WORLD DAIRY EXPO® WOULD BE HONORED BY YOUR PRESENCE AT
ITS GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY, OCTOBER 4-8, AS WE CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF HISTORY.
Join us as we kick off the show on Tuesday, October 4 at 8 a.m. with an Opening Ceremony where a special 50th Anniversary Surprise will be revealed.
Walk down memory lane throughout the week in the 50th Anniversary Historical Display, located on the
mezzanine level of New Holland Pavilion 1.
On Wednesday, October 5, be sure to make plans to gather and exchange memories
at the 50th Anniversary Open House, Hosted by World Dairy Expo, in the Exhibition
Hall of the Alliant Energy Center from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Cap off the week by attending the Closing Ceremony on Saturday evening, October 8
at 5 p.m.
This is an Expo you won’t want to miss! Relive fifty years of memories before, during and after the show by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. #Celebrate50
This is an Expo you won t want to miss! Relive fifty years of memories before, during and after the show by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. #Celebrate50
You’re Inv�ed
to
You’re Inv�ed
to
8 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER
Melvin Foth, chair
SaskMilk
June 13, 2016
While developing provincial programs,
SaskMilk has tried to keep the national
future in focus. We view a combina-
tion of new entrants and existing farm growth and
expansion as being healthy for the industry. The
reality is if dairy farming is run as a business, there
will have to continue to be rationalization in the
number of farms. Some farmers will need to exit
the industry, and while some new farmers will take
their place, there will continue to be consolidation.
We must recognize not all existing farmers will be
able to adapt to the changes needed for the future
and, just as with other businesses, the changing
market reality will continue to drive us to better
management and efficiency.
In order to address these developments, pro-
ducers in Saskatchewan have a free market for
buying and selling quota, which allows for and
encourages growth at the individual farm level
(it should be noted that as a risk management
tool, there is a cap on maximum farm size and
quota ownership of four per cent of provincial
quota). In addition, a strong provincial new
entrant program, the Dairy Entrant Assistance
Program, has been very successful over the past
year. By assisting interested applicants with up
to 20 kilograms of free, permanent quota, we
have attracted 10 new dairy farmers. This has
had the effect of stabilizing our provincial to-
tal farm numbers, even while the consolidation
trend continues.
With the potential for continued growth in
the Canadian dairy industry, Saskatchewan is in
the fortunate position of having a lot of arable
land and space to spread out, while some areas
in Canada could be facing issues with land avail-
ability for feed and manure application. While
we still face challenges, such as urban encroach-
ment and cottage country sensitivities, we do
have considerable expansion opportunity we
must plan to use to its full potential.
An important focus for all dairy farmers
should be improving our competitiveness and
creating a competitive advantage domestically.
We need to be able to grow the market while fac-
ing competition from the Comprehensive Eco-
nomic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Asserting that
our industry needs compensation indefinitely
because we have lost markets forever assumes
we will never compete; this is a victim mentality
that does not look to the opportunities in the
future but focuses on the hurts of the past.
Let us focus on the growth and new opportu-
nities available to future dairy farms in Canada.
PROVINCIAL PERSPECTIVESBy Melvin Foth
FOCUS ON FUTURE INSTEAD OF THE PAST
SE CONCENTRER SUR L’AVENIR PLUTÔT QUE LE PASSÉ
Tout en développant des programmes provin-
ciaux, SaskMilk a essayé de se concentrer sur
l’avenir national. Nous pensons qu’en com-
binant des nouveaux venus avec la croissance et l’ex-
pansion des exploitations existantes, notre industrie
se portera mieux. La réalité est que si les exploitations
laitières sont gérées comme des entreprises, il faudra
continuer de rationaliser le nombre d’exploitations.
Certains exploitants devront quitter la profession,
de nouveaux entrants prendront leur place et la con-
solidation continuera. Nous devons reconnaître que
tous les exploitants actuels ne seront pas capables de
s’adapter aux changements nécessaires pour l’avenir
et, comme pour les autres entreprises, la réalité chan-
geante du marché continuera de nous obliger à gérer
de façon plus efficace.
Afin de faire face à ces défis, les producteurs
de Saskatchewan disposent d’un marché libre
pour acheter et vendre du quota, qui permet
et encourage la croissance au niveau de chaque
ferme (il y a lieu de noter qu’afin de gérer les
risques, il existe un plafond en ce qui con-
cerne la taille maximale des exploitations et
le niveau de propriété de quota limité à 4 %
du quota provincial). De plus, un programme
provincial dynamique destiné aux nouveaux
venus, le Dairy Entrant Assistance Program,
a eu beaucoup de succès l’année dernière. En
aidant les candidats intéressés avec jusqu’à 20
kg de quota permanent gratuit, nous avons
attiré 10 nouveaux producteurs laitiers. Cela
a eu pour effet de stabiliser le nombre total
d’exploitations de notre province, alors même
que la tendance à la consolidation persiste.
Avec un potentiel de croissance continue
dans l’industrie laitière canadienne, la Sas-
katchewan occupe une place avantageuse avec
beaucoup de terres arables et d’espace pour
s’étaler, alors que certaines régions du Can-
ada pourraient rencontrer des problèmes de
disponibilité de terres pour l’alimentation et
l’épandage du fumier. Même si nous sommes
face à quelques défis comme la prolifération
urbaine et les sensibilités des régions de cha-
lets, nous disposons d’une possibilité d’expan-
sion considérable que nous devons planifier
pour pouvoir l’exploiter pleinement.
Nos producteurs laitiers devraient se con-
centrer sur l’amélioration de notre compétitiv-
ité et la création d’un avantage concurrentiel
sur le marché intérieur. Nous devons être
capables de développer le marché tout en
faisant face à la concurrence de l’AECG et du
TPP. Soutenir que notre industrie a indéfini-
ment besoin de compensations parce que nous
avons définitivement perdu des marchés sup-
pose que nous ne serons jamais concurrentiels
; ceci correspond à une mentalité de victime
qui ne regarde pas les possibilités offertes par
l’avenir, mais se concentre sur les blessures du
passé.
Concentrons-nous plutôt sur la croissance
et les nouvelles possibilités qui s’offrent aux
futures exploitations laitières du Canada.
WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
Aim should be to improve industry’s competitiveness and create a competitive advantage domestically
L’objectif est d’améliorer la compétitivité de l’industrie et de créer un avantage compétitif domestique
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MUELLER MILK COOLING SPECIALIST
DRAYTON, WOODSTOCK,
LINDSAY, BRINSTON
Norwell Dairy Systems
519-638-3535
EMBRO, ON
Performance Dairy Centre
519-423-9119
KOMOKA, ON
Dairy Lane Systems
519-666-1404
MOOSE CREEK, ON
Lawrence’s Dairy Supply
613-538-2559
KEENE, ON
Wood’s Dairy Source
705-295-3247
SEELEYS BAY
McCann Farm Automation
613-382-7411
STRATFORD, ON
Buchanan & Hall
519-271-4793
10 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
OTTAWA RALLY
DAIRY NEWS
Canadian dairy farmers gather on Parliament Hill to show industry unity [P
roducers from across Canada partici-
pated in the Milk Matters Day Rally on
June 2 on Parliament Hill to showcase
the importance of Canadian milk and celebrate
World Milk Day, which was on June 1.
Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) hosted
the rally to show politicians and consumers
supply management and milk is important to
Canadians and Canada’s economy.
“We want the government to support
Canadian dairy farmers,” says Chris Ryan, a
dairy farmer from Saint Isidore, Ont. Ryan
was one of many farmers who brought cows to
Parliament Hill. “We invest so much money in
our farms and the local economy.”
Representatives from across the country
addressed the crowd about different issues facing
the industry. Dave Taylor, British Columbia
Dairy Association chair, spoke about the duty
deferral program, while Harold McNevin,
Dairy Farmers of Prince Edward Island chair,
spoke about trade mitigation. Dairy Farmers
of Ontario chair, Ralph Dietrich, spoke about
investing in infrastructure. Les Producteurs
de lait du Québec chair, Bruno Letendre, and
Marcel Groleau, president of L’Union des
producteurs agricoles, also addressed the crowd.
DFC president, Wally Smith, concluded the
rally with a speech about the importance of
supply management and asked the government
to take action on the industry’s concerns.
“If a quarter of dairy farmers from across
Canada can come to Ottawa at such a busy
time of year, the government has to see how
important these issues are to dairy farmers,”
says Paul Gaunce, Dairy Farmers of New
Brunswick chair.
About 3,000 farmers attended the event.
Shadow events were also held across the country
with hundreds of farmers participating.
“Dairy farmers are doing a good job,
producing high-quality milk,” Gaunce says.
“We are hurting because of imports, so we want
the government to invest in infrastructure.” VARIOUS IMAGES capture how farmers from across Canada came together to rally for
the dairy industry and supply management. Photos by Amy Reusch.
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 11WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
MILK, ICE CREAM AT
LOCAL FOOD EVENT
Dairy farmers of Ontario’s (DFO) staff was
at Queen’s Park Farmers’ Market to cel-
ebrate Local Food Week in early June.
In the adjacent photo from left are Merv
Lloyd, Kawartha Dairy sales manager, Audrie
Bouwmeester, DFO dairy education program
manager, Victoria Dennis and Kieren Day from
Kawartha Dairy’s Barrie store, Laural Adams,
DFO communications manager, Shaun Dunn,
director of sales and marketing at Kawartha Dairy,
and DFO event specialist Chantel Crockett. DFO
had a booth at the event and was handing out
milk samples to attendees. Kawartha Dairy was
also there serving ice cream. The event was part of
Foodland Ontario’s Local Food Week, which ran
June 6 to 12.
Local Food Week was established under the
Local Food Act, 2013, with input from hundreds
of food and farming champions, including
Sustain Ontario.
DAIRY FARMERS of Ontario and Kawartha Dairy staff attended the Queen’s Park event.
MAC AND CHEESE FESTIVAL A HIT
Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) was a
major sponsor of this year’s second an-
nual Mac and Cheese Festival at Ontar-
io Place from June 3 to 5.
This year, the festival featured more than 75
food, drink and artisanal vendors, 40 of which
included Toronto’s top chefs, competing to
make the best mac and cheese. Last year’s one-
day festival attracted more than 52,000, while
this year more than 100,000 were expected to
attend over the three days.
DFC held several mac and cheese demon-
strations throughout the event, which were well
attended. Metro also held cooking stage demos.
MAC AND CHEESE fries poutine dish
by TCI Chefs.
12 JULY 2016 MILKPRODUCER
NOTICE: To keep Ontario dairy producers and other industry sectors informed, Dairy
Farmers of Ontario publishes changes to its regulations.
Complete regulations are available on DFO’s website at www.milk.org.
DFO Regulation 10/16 replaces DFO Regulation 09/16 and was made to adjust the
price of Special Milk Classes as a result of a CDC announcement, effective July 1,
2016 as follows:
5(a) 6.5184 6.3236 4.0268 4.9273 0.1557 0.1426
5(b) 6.5184 6.3236 1.6748 1.5750 1.6748 1.5750
5(c) 3.6588 3.4189 1.5896 1.3733 1.5896 1.3733
DAIRY FARMERS OF ONTARIO
Ralph Dietrich, Chair Graham Lloyd, Secretary
DAIRY NEWS
WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
COWS INC. DONATES TO ALBERTA FIRE RELIEF
COWS Inc. is doing its part to support
residents affected by the Fort McMur-
ray, Alta, forest fires.
“We wanted to do something to help,”
says president and chief executive officer
Jackie McIntyre. “We decided to take on this
initiative and were thrilled with how quickly
we were able to spread the word.”
The Prince Edward Island-based company
donated 100 per cent of ice cream sales on May
8 from its stores across the country toward the
Canadian Red Cross’s Alberta Fires Appeal.
Staff worked tirelessly, serving customers
who visited the stores to make a contribution.
The stores also accepted monetary donations.
“Our staff was incredible,” McIntyre says.
“Not only did they work to keep lines moving
quickly and serve all our customers, but many
also donated their tips at the end of the day.”
In the end, COWS was able to donate a total
of $25,000 toward the cause. This included
more than $21,000 in ice cream sales and an
additional $3,355 in donations and staff tips.
“We really want to thank all our customers
who waited in line to contribute to this cause,”
McIntyre says. “It was an inspiring day.”
COWS Inc. doesn’t have a store in
Fort McMurray, but it does have one in
neighbouring Banff, Alta.
“In Atlantic Canada, a lot of people go to
Fort McMurray to work and they may have
family and friends back in Atlantic Canada,”
says Whitney Hooper, director of sales and
marketing at COWS Inc. “So many people
here in P.E.I. were affected or had family
members who were displaced, so we wanted to
do something to help.”
COWS Inc. is based in Charlottetown,
P.E.I., and operates five locations year-round,
including its flagship store at Cows Creamery.
The company also has an additional six
locations that run throughout the summer.
COWS Inc. produces premium ice cream and
whimsical cow-themed clothing.
CUSTOMERS WAIT patiently to make their donations outside a COWS ice cream store on
Queen Street in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Ice cream sales and donations
on May 8 generated $25,000
toward the cause
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 13WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
Monkton, Ontario1-877-325-8843
Fergus, Ontario 1-800-381-3637
FROM LEFT are Sonja and Rene Bühlmann, owners of
Sonibrand Farms, Mike Bossio, Liberal rural caucus chair,
Francis Drouin, Liberal MP for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell,
MP Julie Dabrusin, Alaina Lockhart, agriculture committee
member MP, and Pat Finnigan, agriculture committee chair.
By Matt Morrison
DID YOU KNOW?
You can come and visit Dairy Farmers
of Ontario’s annual dairy farm exhibit
at this year’s Canadian National Exhi-
bition (CNE), running Aug. 19 to Sept.
5 in Toronto.
Tell your families and friends to
come and check out the live milking
demonstrations, and speak with dairy
farmers at the dairy education booth.
The CNE is one of the top five
agricultural fairs in North America.
The Bühlmann family of Sonibrand Farms recently opened its barn
doors to its federal Member of Parliament Francis Drouin, along
with several other Liberal MPs and staff from Dairy Farmers of
Canada (DFC), for a guided tour of the family farm.
Liberal MPs had their own #cowmoment during a visit of Sonibrand
Farms in St. Isidore, Ont. on June 6. “I’m happy to bring my colleagues to
visit a dairy farm in Glengarry-Prescott-Russell. Dairy farmers contribute
greatly to the Canadian rural economy, and it’s important the decision
-makers witness the innovation taking place in the sector,” Drouin says.
Located 45 minutes from Parliament Hill, the Bühlmanns own and
operate a modern dairy farm, milking 100 cows with two robotic milkers.
“Canadian dairy farmers are very passionate and dedicated to producing
high-quality, nutritious Canadian milk, and what better way to show it than
to host a farm tour,” says Caroline Émond, DFC executive director. “It is
important for elected officials to meet a dairy farm family and see firsthand
the dedication and care that goes into operating a modern dairy farm.”
The Liberal MPs touring the farm hailed from both urban and rural
ridings in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. Along with Drouin,
the group included agriculture committee chair Pat Finnigan, agriculture
committee member MP Alaina Lockhart, Liberal rural caucus chair Mike
Bossio, and MPs Brenda Shannahan and Julie Dabrusin.
MPs toured the farm and learned about a day in the life of a dairy
farmer, as well as DFC’s sustainability initiative, proAction. At the end of
the tour, MPs were given an opportunity to take photos with a calf and
have their very own #cowmoment.
Canadian dairy farmers and DFC are always happy to host farm tours, and
are already planning to offer tours to all opposition caucuses this fall.
Matt Morrison is DFC’s manager of government relations and communications advisor.
LIBERAL MPs VISIT ONTARIO DAIRY FARM
HAVE YOU HEARD?Starting July 1, 2016, all Ontario employers, including farmers, are
required to comply with new workplace noise regulations under the
Occupational Health and Safety Act. The legislation states farmers
and other employers shall ensure their employees are not exposed
to hazardous levels of noise. Hazardous noise, according to the leg-
islation, is 85 dBA or louder, for a time period of about eight hours.
Examples of equipment that are 85 dBA or higher include:
• Average tractor sitting idle—85 dBA;
• Tractor (under full load)—120 dBA;
• Chain saw (operating)—94 to 116 dBA;
• Orchard sprayer—85 to 100 dBA.
More information is available at www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/
resources/notices.php#dec172015.
14 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER
DAIRY NEWS
WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
MCDONALD’S COMPLETES SUSTAINABLE BEEF PILOT
McDonald’s Canada and Dairy Farmers
of Canada (DFC) recently completed
verification of the proAction Initiative
as part of McDonald’s Canada’s sustainable
beef pilot.
Two Alberta dairy farms participated in the
pilot, which concluded in late April. The pur-
pose of the initiative was two-fold:
1. To perform two on-site verifications of Cana-
dian dairies to test a set of responsible dairy beef
Indicators. This effort would verify their perfor-
mance through interviews, observations and re-
cord-review by a professional third-party auditor.
2. Track the chain of custody from mature cat-
tle sold by the two co-operating dairy farms
from Jan. 1, 2014 through May 1, 2016.
DFC supported the initiative to measure,
monitor and verify the alignment of the pro-
Action requirements with the beef pilot indi-
cators, says Guy Séguin, DFC assistant director
of policy and dairy production. The long-term
goal is for the proAction Initiative to be recog-
nized as meeting the sustainability definitions
of Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef
(CRSB), Séguin adds.
A team consisting of DFC and Alberta Milk
staff, along with a third-party auditor from the
U.S., and McDonald’s staff, set out to test the
dairy indicators and conduct on-site verifica-
tions on March 31 at two Central Alberta dairy
farms: Gert Schrijver from Marsfield Dairy in
Stettler, and Heini and Markus Hehli from
Mosnang Holsteins in Rimby. The team set out
to discover information about how dairy farm-
ers care for their cows and what practices they
follow to ensure humane treatment.
DFC and Alberta Milk are also involved in
testing the information transfer via the existing
technology, an important component of the pilot.
“Overall, it was a positive experience. I was
quite impressed with how much knowledge
they (McDonald’s staff and auditors) had about
dairy farming practices; that was certainly
comforting. They were very thorough in their
inspection, wanting to go through my books. It
wasn’t enough to just tell them I had documen-
tation for everything. They wanted to see it for
themselves,” Heini Hehli says.
Hehli, who milks 100 cows in a freestall par-
lour, says the audit and visit took about five
hours to complete. The audit team took pic-
tures of his farm and toured the facility. Mc-
Donald’s staff wanted to know about his cow
culling procedures, how he treats his animals,
what happens when a cow is sick, how often he
milks and who does the milking, among oth-
er enquiries. They also examined his standard
operating procedures to determine practices
for vet prescriptions, treatment logs, milk with-
drawal, and other proAction requirements, in-
cluding euthanizing cows.
“It was a worthwhile experience to go
through. It further proves why proAction
is needed in the dairy industry,” Hehli says.
“Whether we like it or not, the food industry is
putting these programs in place. It is better to
be proactive and develop our own program so
when they come asking, we can show what we
do and why we do it.”
“We appreciate McDonald’s said it does not
want to create new standards in animal care, and
that consumers are asking it and other retailers for
proof of responsible farm practices. McDonald’s
was able to see how proAction can deliver the as-
surance it is seeking,” says Thérèse Beaulieu, DFC
assistant director, policy communications.
KEY TAKEAWAYS The pilot assessment of the two dairy farms iden-
tified that the proAction Initiative can be used to
verify beef from dairy farms is sustainable. Mc-
Donald’s has made it clear it does not want to
create a standard in animal care, Beaulieu says.
However, it has identified areas where proAction
and the beef programs can better streamline in-
formation sharing and ensure there is no dupli-
cation of requirements. For instance, McDon-
ald’s Canada says there is a need for significant
improvement in co-ordination, information
flow and meaningful collaboration between the
Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) and
DFC regarding issues involving cull dairy cows
as a source of sustainable beef. It would also like
its verifiers to shadow proAction validators to
gain further insight into animal care practices.
Why should dairy farmers care about beef
sustainability, Séguin asks? About 12 per cent
of all beef in Canada comes from dairy cows,
amounting to more than $800 million per year.
Similarly, 12 to 15 per cent of a dairy farm in-
come can come from beef. “It is important that
we are part of the process,” Séguin says. “We
would rather food industry stakeholders recog-
nize proAction as offering proof of sustainability
for any products from a dairy farm than have to
create different programs, such as proAction for
dairy, another for beef, another for crops, etc.”
The verifiers were also impressed by the clas-
sification chart on the wall of one farm’s office,
the Canadian Dairy Network’s database, as
well as the files the two farmers kept on envi-
ronmental farm plans and their SOPs for food
safety, veterinary medicines, etc. Equally im-
portant to the restaurant chain was the work
done of the life cycle analysis (LCA), and the
new Dairy Farms + computer program that
will let farmers compare their farms to that of
the national LCA. McDonald’s was also inter-
ested in farmers’ commitment to their employ-
ees and communities.
“McDonald’s wanted to know about employ-
ee engagement and community involvement.
These are two points that are not specifically
covered in proAction, which is focused more
on quality of product, and care for animals and
the environment. However, the two farms were
able to show and tell the verifiers about how in-
tegrated farming is to their local communities
and organizations, such as 4-H,” Séguin says.
For example, Schrijver mentioned to the as-
sessor he received a plaque from 4-H for his
years of community service. “The auditor read
the inscription on a plaque on the wall to verify
this. This is one example of what I mean when
I say he (auditor) was thorough,” Schrijver says.
Other areas the auditors assessed were the
farmers’ cow comfort practices. For instance,
they noted Schrijver’s records showed his cow
comfort practices were working based on his
herd’s lower locomotion scores and minimal an-
imals in the sick pen. They also noted his barn
was well insulated and quiet during the verifica-
tion process. Schrijver was praised for his farm’s
efficiency and productivity through using inno-
vation and technology, such as using a bench-
marking tool to compare his farm to his peers.
HOW IT ALL STARTEDMcDonald’s announced in January 2014 it
would start sourcing a portion of its beef from
verified sustainable farms in 2016. It is work-
ing throughout the Canadian beef community,
including the CCA, CRSB, Alberta Beef Pro-
ducers, Alberta Cattle Feeders and numerous
cow-calf, feedlots and backgrounders.
The McDonald’s VSB program is an out-
come-based mechanism to verify the environ-
mental, social and economic performance of
farms, and other points of contact along the val-
ue-chain. McDonald’s has not yet defined how
much sustainable beef (from verified sources) it
would source in 2016 or in subsequent years.
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 15WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
More and more women are finding
their place in agriculture, according
to Maggie Van Camp, senior editor
of Country Guide magazine.
Van Camp was the keynote speaker at the
Farm Succession Update seminar in May, and
discussed the transition of farm women to
women farmers.
“I’m not a feminist,” she says. “I’m a
‘farminist.’”
Being a farminist is about being proud of
who she is and what she does regardless of
gender, race or culture, she says.
“I believe accepting and promoting diversity
on our farms is paramount to a successful
future,” Van Camp says.
As a writer in the agriculture field, Van
Camp says she has seen a clear trend over the
last number of years. When she interviewed
someone under 30 years old, she says she
could feel the patriarchal hierarchy almost
crumbling. For younger farmers, it appears
gender limitations are virtually non-existent.
“I worked in agri-publishing for about 25
years and I’ve interviewed thousands of farmers
from across the country,” she says. “One positive
change is the shifting roles in women farmers.”
According to Statistics Canada, about
27.5 per cent of farm operators in 2011 were
women. Van Camp says she’s finding there are
more women in agriculture and more father-
daughter teams now.
Van Camp operates a chicken farm in
Ontario. She’s been farming for nearly 17 years,
but for the last two and a half years, she’s been
farming alone after her husband passed away.
She says it wasn’t a big transition for her since
she was an equal partner in the farm before and
she also came from a farm family herself.
Van Camp’s grandmother was born in
1918—a time when women were beginning
to get the right to vote federally. Her
grandmother’s role on the farm was to do the
farm’s accounting books, but she couldn’t sign
the cheques and she didn’t own land as her
husband did.
Van Camp’s mother lived in what she called
“the pie-making generation”—when women
took care of the kids and the home. At that point,
women helped on the farm and were able to sign
cheques, but there was still no real compensation
for the work they did and many still didn’t have
equal ownership of the farm.
However, the progress over the years showed
women had a role to play on the farm, and
the general public was beginning to see that.
She says there were, of course, some amazing
women farming on their own—just very few.
In 1991, Van Camp graduated from
university with an agriculture degree. Out of
110 students in her graduating class, 35 were
women. She says the number of women with
agriculture degrees was still small but steadily
growing.
In 2003-04, about half of the Ontario
Agricultural College’s degree graduating class was
women, and 10 years later in 2013-14, about 1.5
times more women graduated than men.
Van Camp says farming incorporates more
technology and involves more business knowledge
and people management, making farming not
just about brawn over brains anymore.
She says with the changing gender roles,
women alone, daughter-parent teams and
“power couples” are running farms. Women
are finding creative solutions, problem
solving and managing systems and details for
their businesses. With many farms currently
transitioning to the next generation, there will
be a larger percentage of farms managed and
owned by women in the future, she says.
“The message should be that we pick the
best successor—regardless of gender—and
that we train our girls in farm skills, too,” Van
Camp says. “We also need to teach our boys
how to do traditional female jobs.”
Van Camp says another thing that’s
happened lately is the emergence of networks,
such as www.agwomensnetwork.com, which
helps connect female farmers with one another.
“Having a network of support for women
farmers is a tremendous booster,” she says.
The Farm Succession Update event in May
was held for farmers and their advisers. Along
with Van Camp’s presentation, the seminar
gave the audience an overview of the three circle
model—family, business and ownership—
when it comes to succession planning.
AGVOCATING WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE
Ventway SystemsDavid
(519)-504-3324
Ventway SystemsDavid
(519)-504-3324
LM Bauman INCLevi
(519)-501-7191
Lofty BreezesMurray
(519)-323-4676
INTRODUCING THE
-Center roll curtian system to maximize your barn ventilation -No bottom curtain that is closed when it should be open -Curtain rolls for a nice appearance and rodent resistance -Curtain is completely automatic meaning less labor -Advanced tube roller drive system made with laser technology -Completely stainless Ontario made hardware that is built to last -No periodic adjusting needed as with pipe drive systems -No drop pulleys and no wind ropes for minimal maintenance -Curtain drive is made in Germany -Hems are all welded (no thread that will unravel) -Pair it with a top of the line control with wind and rain sensing or also economical controls available with optional wind sensing -Curtain drive only takes up 30” room (no long shaft needed) -Curtains available from 11’-15’ high (single roll from 4’-10’ high) -End caps have all fabric edges fastened for long life
Maggie Van Camp talks about being a ‘farminist’ during a recent farm succession presentation
MAGGIE VAN CAMP says having a
network of support for women farmers
is a tremendous booster.
HEIFER INTERNATIONAL CANADAHeifer International Canada has
discontinued its charitable activities and
operations, effective June 10. To explore
continued engagement in Heifer’s global
sustainable development activities in
dairy, beef, swine or poultry, you can
contact [email protected].
16 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER
DAIRY NEWS
WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT AGRICULTURE
Farmers and non-farmers came together
for a unique opportunity where Ontar-
ians could talk about food and farming.
The annual Breakfast on the Farm event,
run by Farm and Food Care Ontario (FFCO),
invited around 2,000 people to Veldale Farms
in Woodstock, Ont. to feast on locally pro-
duced food.
“Food is near and dear to everyone’s hearts,
so it’s important that we try to educate visitors
on what we do, how we do it and why we do it,”
says Evert Veldhuizen, owner of Veldale Farms.
The family opened its doors on June 11 to
host this year’s event, helping raise awareness
about agriculture, as well as bringing farming
closer to those who might not otherwise see
where their food comes from.
Visitors were able to tour Veldale Farm’s
tiestall and freestall dairy barns where the fam-
ily milks about 120 Holstein cows. The Veld-
huizens also grow corn, soybeans, wheat and
alfalfa, as well as run a seed business and offer
custom work for farm equipment.
“I hope they enjoy their visit and appreci-
ate their food is produced by caring individuals
who are trying to provide safe and nutritious
food in Canada for consumers to enjoy,” Veld-
huizen says.
The event gave people a chance to not only
feast on an all-Ontario breakfast and visit a
working farm, but also explore other agricul-
tural sectors from the partner exhibits. This
includes the pig mobile from Ontario Pork, as
well as displays from Egg Farmers of Ontario
and Grain Farmers of Ontario.
“If we could give visitors some information,
such as a cow needs to have a calf before she can
give milk or that their milk is safe, then that’s
truly what this event is about,” says Heath-
er Hargrave, industry and member relations
co-ordinator at FFCO.
Hargrave says she hopes visitors leave the
event with a better understanding and appreci-
ation about where their food comes from. She
also hopes families leave with a positive and
memorable experience they can share with oth-
ers, helping spread awareness about agriculture.
“They’re pretty excited,” she says about the
kids who are exposed to agriculture for the first
time. “My favourite thing is seeing their facial
expressions when they touch a calf for the first
time and a light bulb goes off in their head.
That’s what this is all about.”
FFCO has been running the Breakfast on
the Farm event since 2013. About 150 volun-
teers helped to pull off this year’s event.
“Our goal is to do two of these a year—one
around June and one in September or early Oc-
tober,” Hargrave says.
FFCO is currently accepting applications
for farmers looking to be the host farm for the
fall event. For more information or to apply,
visit www.farmfoodcareon.org.
PHOTO ABOVE left and centre show
people lining up to get the free breakfast
of pancakes and real Maple syrup,
scrambled eggs, fresh strawberries, and
a Gay Lea chocolate or white milk. Left
shows a milk truck proudly on display,
while photo above shows a child getting
up close and personal with the cows at
Veldale Farms. The event attracted more
than 2,000 people to the Woodstock,
Ont. farm.
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 17WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
SHELDON CREEK DAIRY’S fifth
annual Day on the Farm was a success,
according to its owners, John and
Bonnie den Haan. It showcased various
activities happening within the Ontario
agricultural industry, and helped show
how food gets from farm to table. The
farm had more than 6,300 people visit
between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on June 18.
There was live music, a farmers’ market,
farm tours, a pancake breakfast, kids
games, face painting, Moolawn—Dairy
Farmers of Ontario’s inflatable cow,
and much more. Photos courtesy of Gillian
Seaman Photography.
ON JUNE 18, the Kuntz family of Ikendale Farms opened its barn doors to the public
just outside of Walkerton, Ont. More than 700 visitors took part in the family fun day.
Visitors were able to see firsthand where their milk comes from and get up close with
the cows during afternoon milking. The Kuntz family provided free pizza, ice cream
and chocolate milk. Visitors also got to enjoy Gay Lea’s bouncy cow, face painting
and a wagon ride tour of the entire farm, which made for a fun-filled day on the farm.
TALSMA FARMS INC. had two Lely
robots installed in a new barn in 2012. In
2015, the Talsma family endured a barn
fire, which destroyed the adjoining heifer
barn and caused extensive damage
to the west end of the milk cow barn
where the robots were housed. The
family had to shut down the milking
facilities on this location while they
rebuilt. Steve and Sharon Talsma and
their family welcomed the milking herd
back home in February. Along with two
new Lely A4 Robots, there is now a new
structure for calves and heifers, as well
as a new milkhouse. The family held
an open house on June 25. More than
500 people came out. A barbecue lunch
was supplied by 30 exhibitors, and ice
cream was provided by Dairy Farmers
of Ontario. Lely Center Woodstock
organized kids activities. Talsma family
sons-in-law even flipped burgers. The
open house was a way to say thank you
to everyone involved in helping the family
rebuild its dairy operation.
PUBLIC WELCOMED TO TOUR ONTARIO DAIRY FARMS
10 YEAR
Match with the
Double Foam Mattress Matand make your stall
the most comfortable cow stalL, in the world.
EasyFix Stall DividerWith Rubber Loop
www.easyfixrubberna.com1 (877) 247-4685
Rubber NECKRAIL Bracket
NEW Cow Stall SCRATCHER
NEW FLOATING NECKRAIL Bracket
18 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER
DAIRY NEWS
WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
A LEADER IN DAIRY RESEARCH
Faculty at the University of Guelph is
proud to laud the school as a leader in
dairy research.
“We’ve been in the process over the last
number of years to reinvigorate our relation-
ship with the dairy industry,” says Dave Kelton,
veterinary epidemiologist and Dairy Farmers of
Ontario Dairy Cattle Health Research chair.
This is what he told visitors during the Dairy
Research and Innovation Day event in May. As
part of reinvigorating the dairy research enterprise
at the University of Guelph, Kelton announced
the university’s plan to launch its new brand,
Dairy at Guelph – Canada’s Dairy University.
Dairy at Guelph is a cross-campus group
that brings together more than 65 faculty
members from 12 departments and five col-
leges engaged in dairy research and training.
This group will be the main point of contact
for all things related to dairy at the university.
“It’s an incredible core strength that we’re very
proud about,” Kelton says. “We believe the things
we do are important and result in healthy food
from healthy cows in a healthy environment.”
Kelton highlighted three successful animal
health and welfare projects that involved part-
nerships with organizations, including Elanco,
Saputo and Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO).
In partnership with Elanco, the university
played a role in getting the Rumensin con-
trolled release capsule (CRC), which prevents
subclinical ketosis, approved in Canada in
1997. This helped get the product approved in
more than 20 countries, as well as resulted in
more research projects to address other related
issues and applications.
The university’s partnership with DFO al-
lowed it to respond to paratuberculosis, more
commonly known as Johne’s disease. The On-
tario Johne’s Education and Management Con-
trol Program was launched in 2010, and DFO
provided $2.1 million in funding, which helped
leverage an additional $1.7 million for research.
“Those dollars funded the program for a
four-year period and generated the opportuni-
ty to leverage funding for 13 research projects,”
Kelton says.
The DFO funding commitment set the
stage for ongoing work researchers are continu-
ing to do in this area. This project also resulted
in the university tapping into partnerships with
other organizations and partners across Canada
to continue to address Johne’s disease.
Overall, Kelton’s presentation demonstrated
the university’s partnerships have resulted in
successful projects, as well as meaningful and
lasting research.
“I can’t think of another institution in Can-
ada, and perhaps the world, that covers the
breadth that we do,” Kelton says. “We do a lot
of tremendous work.”
The research day event was meant to bring
together government, industry and university
representatives to talk about dairy research at
the university, as well as promote and encour-
age partnerships.
AUTOMATED DATA
HELPS ADVANCE
DAIRY INDUSTRY
A CUT ABOVE
613.447.5568picusag.ca
ADVANCEDBEDDINGSYSTEMSFOR 10
YEARSYYEAR
COMPACTDESIGN
COSTEFFECTIVE
FINECUT
$$
Our lineup includes 10 straw chopper models, including
loader-mount and self-pro-pelled units for both round and
square bale processing.
Visit picusag.cato locate Picus dealers
613.447.5568picusag.ca
Visit picusag.cato locate Picus dealers
The University of Guelph is taking
advantage of data from technolo-
gy to discover new strategies for
how to manage cow behaviour, health
and productivity.
Dr. Trevor DeVries, associate professor
in the department of animal biosciences
at the University of Guelph, provided visi-
tors at the Dairy Research and Innovation
Day event in May a snapshot of some of
the university’s research projects related to
technology and behavioural monitoring.
“It’s an area of interest to the dairy in-
dustry because it’s something the dairy
industry has to deal with on a day-to-day
basis,” he says. “We have a huge opportu-
nity at the University of Guelph to continue
to be a major contributor in this area.”
DeVries’ presentation illustrated how
University of Guelph researchers are us-
ing technology to learn about cow be-
haviour, health and productivity. He says
one benefit researchers were able to get
from their projects is the ability to monitor
ketosis using milk test for beta-hydroxy-
butyrate (BHBA).
From June 2014 to December 2015,
Dr. Elise Tatone, PhD student, and Dr.
Todd Duffield, professor in the depart-
ment of population medicine, looked at
milk BHBA data from more than 3,000
herds in Ontario. He says this provided
an opportunity to identify risk factors,
and they found the odds of ketosis in-
creased by 1.45-fold for cows in second
lactation or greater on farms with auto-
matic milking systems.
DeVries also highlighted other ongoing
projects aimed at finding out how to im-
prove feeding of dairy calves using tech-
nology, as well as automating the detection
of behavioural changes in dairy cows. He
says the opportunity at the new Livestock
Research and Innovation Centre – Dairy
Facility in Elora will help researchers con-
tinue studying data from technology to
help advance the dairy industry.
DeVries spoke about some of U of G’s
goals, which includes using automated
data to predict health issues and disorders
earlier, as well as improve reproduction by
finding the best time for insemination. U of
G researchers are also working to use their
research to create new on-farm tools, such
as handheld devices designed to test for
metabolic disease in dairy cows.
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 19WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
DPAC PRESIDENT DISCUSSES EMERGING ISSUES
Jacques Lefebvre, president and chief ex-
ecutive officer at Dairy Processors Associ-
ation of Canada (DPAC), sees big things
coming down the line in the dairy industry.
“The environment is certainly very inter-
esting these days,” Lefebvre says, who officially
took the reins of DPAC in January 2016. “I
think (DPAC) has done well on emerging is-
sues and there are several of them.”
Some of those issues are in light of the
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Com-
prehensive Economic and Trade Agreement
(CETA), which Lefebvre says urged producers
and processors to start national negotiations to
modernize supply management.
He says CETA and TPP will open the Ca-
nadian market to large quantities of imported
dairy products. In the case of CETA, it could
result in about 18,000 tonnes of cheese coming
into Canada tariff free.
“Given Canadians will not suddenly in-
crease their consumption of cheese dramatical-
ly, we believe this will displace cheese produced
here at home,” Lefebvre says, adding it could
have a substantial impact on plants, invest-
ments and jobs in the country.
DPAC’s president remains firm a federal
government compensation package is needed
in order to soften the blow for the processing
sector. However, more needs to be done, he
says, since the agreements will have a rippling
effect throughout the dairy industry.
“International agreements are having a direct
impact on one of the pillars of supply manage-
ment,” he says, referring to supply management’s
controls on dairy imports. “Given the evolving
environment, the system needs to adapt to this
new reality through modernization.”
He says producers and processors are work-
ing together to develop an approach to the issue,
and fostering a strong relationship between the
two sectors is something he hopes to continue.
“My goals are to ensure there is a vision for
the industry as a whole, and both sectors can
work collaboratively in advocating and advanc-
ing the issues we have in common,” he says.
“That would be an important objective for me.”
Lefebvre agrees with Dairy Farmers of On-
tario’s (DFO) general manager and chief execu-
tive officer Peter Gould when it comes to aging
drying capacities in Canada.
“Our skim milk powder dryers are outdat-
ed,” Lefebvre says. “They are limited in what
they can produce, and are at capacity.”
He says there needs to be investment in dry-
ing capacity, but organizations need to first be
able to predict market conditions before in-
vesting substantial dollars into these plants.
Lefebvre’s communications career spans
more than 25 years when he started as a jour-
nalist, covering a variety of topics for TV and
radio. His last assignment was to cover Parlia-
ment Hill and national politics.
“I then joined the government as a director of
communications for two ministers,” he says. “Fol-
lowing that, I had an opportunity to join Cana-
da’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies.”
His role was to lead the company’s strategic af-
fairs and communications. It was this experience
that allowed him to do consultation work before
joining the Canadian Medical Association as
vice-president responsible for advocacy and pub-
lic affairs. As of January 2016, he took over as the
president and chief executive officer of DPAC.
“I’ve always had an interest in farming,” he
says. “My grandfather worked the land and it’s
something I’ve always been passionate about,
so I’m quite thrilled about the position.”
He says he’s looking forward to the new
position and working with people in the dairy
industry.
“I think we’re at a crossroads in our industry,
and we have a fabulous opportunity—producers
and processors—to work together toward win-win
solutions to shape our environment for the future,”
he says. “We need to seize that opportunity.”
ALBERTA MILK CHAIR SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON EMERGENCY PLANNINGThis letter first appeared in Milking Times, June 2016
Albert Kamps, Alberta Milk chair
T he recent and ongoing fires in northern Alberta have devastated the residents of Fort
McMurray and reminded me about the need for an emergency plan. Many of the residents
only had a few hours or less to evacuate their homes and have not been able to return yet.
The fact the evacuation was so orderly speaks to the safety training and practice drills many
in the oil field routinely practice and learn to trust. It seems it takes emergency situations
like this to remind us all of the importance of having a plan. We probably also thought about
it three years ago during the Southern Alberta floods. I wonder how many of us have taken
steps to plan what we would do if confronted with such an emergency?
As dairy producers, we also have the responsibility for, and the complicated factor of
dealing with, the livestock we have on our farms. A few years ago, the Canadian Dairy
Commission (CDC) developed resources for dealing with a pandemic situation. It developed
guides for dairy farmers, milk haulers, provincial marketing boards, and other business units.
I encourage you to think about your plan and use the resources developed by the CDC to
help you get started on an emergency plan. Any plan needs to be well communicated on the
farm with all family and staff members. You can find the CDC plan at http://www.cdc-ccl.
gc.ca/CDC/index-eng.php?id=3833.
The other plan we are encouraging producers to develop is a farm safety plan. Alberta
Milk has worked with the provincial government on a pilot project for a dairy-specific farm
safety approach. A farm safety plan needs to be communicated and developed with farm
employees. The provincial government has announced six consultation tables that will
propose recommendations on how employment standards, occupational health and safety
(OHS), and labour relations requirements should be applied, given the unique needs of
employers and employees in the agriculture sector. Each table is composed of 12 people
plus a chair, all appointed by the government. Of the six tables, four are directly related to
OHS, and education and training. Two Alberta Milk board directors have been appointed to
two tables. We are also actively involved in the AgCoalition. This is an important opportunity
for our organization and the agriculture industry.
Planning, documenting, communicating and testing a plan, and keeping it current, is a
time-consuming activity, but will pay off in the event of an emergency.
JACQUES LEFEBVRE is president of
Dairy Processors Association of Canada.
20 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER
As summer approaches, most people enjoy
the break this provides from the long six
months of fall and winter. However, one
system on your farm that may not be so happy is
your cooling system. As the weather warms up,
it has to work harder to cool your milk from a
balmy 37 degrees Celsius to below 5 C.
One way you may be alerted to the unhappy
state of your cooling system is through the
howling sound of your Time Temperature
Recorder (TTR). Due to the regulations put
in place in the Milk Act, the TTR expects your
milk to be cooled to below 5 C within two
hours of a first milking into an empty tank.
For the subsequent milking, the temperature
needs to be below 5 C within one hour after
completing milking. At this point, you may
be wondering why the double standard.
The reason is during a first milking, there is
nothing but warm milk in the tank that must
be cooled. However, on a subsequent milking,
there should already be at least one milking
cycle worth of milk in the tank below 5 C.
Although the milk from the second milking
will be at 37 C, when combined with the
already cooled milk in the tank of about 3 C,
the temperature will even out to around 20 C.
Since the milk only needs to be cooled from
20 C to below 5 C, you’ll have less time than if
you needed to cool it from 37 C.
Another puzzling situation you may have
come across is walking into the barn and
hearing the TTR howling because the milk is
too warm. However, when you acknowledged
the alarm and looked at the temperature
reading, it showed the milk was around 3.5 C.
The alarm went off because the milk was not
cooled within the set time period. However, the
cooling system continued to run,
reducing the milk’s temperature to
below the required threshold. Even
though it looks like everything is
fine, you need to know that your
cooling system is taking longer
than it should to do its job and will
require some attention.
Depending on how much time
has passed since you were in the
barn, the milk may have been
over the required temperature
for several hours before dropping
below 5 C, and may now contain
significantly more bacteria.
You may be thinking all is well
and good because the TTR alerted
you to an issue. However, this is
quite late after the fact. Fortunately,
some TTR designers thought
of this scenario and have added
some intelligence to the unit to help predict
a cooling problem could happen shortly after
you finish milking. On some models, such as
the Dairy Cheq Q3, the TTR will monitor how
quickly the temperature is dropping at the end
of milking over a 10-minute interval. It then
calculates to determine if, given the current
cooling rate, the milk temperature will be below
5 C in one hour or two hours (depending on the
timing of the current milking). If it determines
it won’t meet this target, it will generate a slow
cooling warning. With only 10 minutes having
passed since the end of milking, the hope is
someone will still be in the barn and able to
rectify the situation.
Since your cooling system can’t enjoy a cold
drink on a warm day, it can only call out via
the TTR to let you know it’s having trouble
keeping its cool.
Rick Bosma is an electronics engineer at Dairy Cheq.
By Rick Bosma
ON SOME models, such as the Dairy Cheq Q3, the TTR
will monitor how quickly the temperature is dropping at
the end of milking over a 10-minute interval.
DAIRY NEWS
WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
FOOD INTEGRITYCENTRE OPENS
The Canadian Centre for Food Integri-
ty (CCFI), a new division of Farm and
Food Care Canada, officially opened
in Ottawa in early June. The new division is
aimed at earning public trust in food and farm-
ing. The first annual Public Trust Summit com-
memorated the launch.
During the two-day summit, various topics
were explored, such as global food trends, sus-
tainability, international and Canadian perspec-
tives on food and farming, and industry experts
and consumer panels.
The 2016 Canadian Public Trust Research
was also released during the summit. The goal of
the research was to measure consumer concerns,
gauge consumer knowledge and attitudes about
Canadian agriculture and food, and measure
Canadians’ trust in the food system.
The research found 93 per cent of Canadi-
ans know very little about farming practices.
Sixty-one per cent have a positive impression
of agriculture. However, almost 50 per cent of
consumers expressed concerns about hormone
use in farm animals, drug resistance due to an-
tibiotic use in agriculture, drug residues in milk,
meat and eggs, and pesticide use.
Other findings from the research are:
• 50 per cent of respondents are unsure if the
Canadian food system is moving in the right
direction;
• 69 per cent rated the rising cost of food as a
top concern. This is up 12 per cent from the
Farm Issues Study conducted by Farm and
Food Care Ontario in 2012;
• 66 per cent stated keeping healthy food af-
fordable as a concern;
• 43 per cent of participants rated animal wel-
fare a concern, representing an increase in 10
per cent from 2012.
Visit www.foodintegrity.ca for more informa-
tion on the key findings from the research.
The consumer panel consisted of two wom-
en and three men, ranging in ages from 22 to
late 50s. The panelists were asked questions
about farming practices and food.
Their knowledge varied about farm practices.
For instance, when asked if they thought growth
hormones were used in dairy, pork, and chicken
and egg production, all panelists responded yes.
They were then told no growth hormones are used
in these farming sectors. Some of the panelists
didn’t believe it and expressed they wouldn’t believe
this statement if it came from reputable sources,
such as CBC or Eat Right Ontario.
TTRS HELP KEEP COOLING SYSTEM
WORKING IN WARMER WEATHER
kubota.ca
Kubota’s family of hay tools—more power,
better design and outstanding efficiency
just when you need it the most.
22 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER
Safe and responsible use of livestock med-
icines is a cornerstone of on-farm food
safety. It helps keep calves healthy, farm-
ers and farm workers safe and perhaps most
importantly, builds and maintains consumer
confidence in Ontario-produced products.
Here are a few key things to keep in mind
when it comes to good production practices for
using medication on-farm safely and responsibly.
VET-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP AND EXTRA-LABEL DRUG USEWorking with a herd veterinarian can be a
valuable asset to your farm. This doesn’t mean
a vet has to be on-farm every day, but a vet-cli-
ent-patient relationship means having access
to expert advice on management practices,
health and production issues. It can also give
you access to a wider range of medications to
treat health issues since vets are able to issue
prescriptions for extra-label treatment options.
Any livestock medication used in a man-
ner not described on the label, regardless of
whether it is purchased over the counter or
from a vet, is considered extra-label and re-
quires a prescription. Extra-label drug use is
not permitted in Canada without veterinary
supervision.
PROPER WITHDRAWAL TIMESMake sure you adhere to the proper withdraw-
al times for all livestock medicines. This is key
to ensuring food safety and that calves being
sent to market are free of any medication res-
idues. If feeding milk, do not use milk from
cows being treated with medication since this
may result in residues in the calf. If calves on
dairy farms have received treated milk or re-
ceived any kind of medical treatment, do not
ship them until the meat withdrawal period
has been met; you may not know their final
destination after they leave your farm.
Unsupervised extra-label drug use is the
most common cause of possible drug residue
in food animals, so be sure to keep track of all
prescriptions and medications used on-farm
and review them periodically with your vet.
This record-keeping is also important if you
are working toward or have achieved certifi-
cation under an on-farm food safety or quality
assurance program.
PROPER INJECTION TECHNIQUESAlways inject in the calf ’s neck just in front of
the shoulder or according to your vet’s direc-
tions. It is recommended that you change your
needle every 10 to 15 uses to maintain proper
injection techniques. However, if the needle is
CALF CARE CORNER
PRODUCTION PRACTICESPRUDENT LIVESTOCK MEDICINE USE ON-FARM
IMPORTANT FOR ANIMAL HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY
IF YOU HAVE empty livestock medicine containers,
animal health products that have expired or you will
no longer need, or used sharps, such as medical
needles, syringes or medical blades, it is critical
that you store and-or dispose of them properly.
[
Calf Care Corner delivers the latest information
and ideas to help you improve the way calves are
raised on your farm. If you have any comments or
questions about Calf Care Corner, send an email
WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 23WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
PRODUIT DUPRODUCT OF CANADA
Phone 519-577-3730 • Fax 519-638-2843www.mapleviewagri.ca • [email protected]
Easy to mix
Highest quality ingredients
Optimum digestibility
For use in computer feeders or hand mixing
NEW! Now available with Deccox for Cocci Control!
Tip of the Month: Investing in your calves provides
significant long term benefits.
Calf Milk Replacers
Milky Wave, the Schuurman family farm, has found the Mapleview product they are using to be, “exceptional, very palatable and mixes very well.” They do an outstanding job raising calves, believing that good calf raising is the building block for an efficient and profitable herd.
Milky Wave keeps in mind the 3 C’s when raising calves:
Colostrum – Good quality and timely
Consistency – Milk replacer, temp, time
Cleanliness – Important in the health of the calves
Keeping feeding equipment clean is critical for calf health
bent, dull or contaminated with manure,
you should immediately replace it with a
new needle. Do not straighten or reuse a
bent needle. You should clean needles and
syringes with hot water between uses. If
you use a disinfectant to clean your nee-
dles and syringes, rinse them thoroughly
before using. However, it is recommended
not to use a disinfectant for your needles
or syringes if you are using a modified live
vaccine.
PROPER STORAGE AND DISPOSAL If you have empty livestock medicine con-
tainers, animal health products that have
expired or you will no longer need, or used
sharps, such as medical needles, syringes or
medical blades, it is critical that you store
and-or dispose of them properly. Animals
should not be treated with expired medi-
cations since product stability and potency
may be compromised. Proper disposal of
unused animal health products and used
sharps is also important to help prevent the
potential for water contamination, and en-
sure worker health and safety.
While on-farm, unwanted medicines
and sharps should be securely stored and
clearly labelled so they do not pose a risk
to farm workers or are used inadvertently.
These products should never be stored on-
farm long-term, buried or thrown into ma-
nure piles, hay or straw, thrown out with
household garbage or recycling, or burned.
There are various options available for
proper disposal, although this varies region-
ally across the province. Some municipal
landfills will accept unwanted medicines and
sharps, as will some vets. For larger farms,
a commercial disposal service may be an
option. For more information, visit: http://
www.omafra.gov.on.ca.
24 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER
Proper care must be taken when hiring
help for your farm. When you decide
to hire someone to work on your farm,
whether for a day or many years, you need to
protect yourself from known risks.
These risks include asking the wrong type
of questions during an interview to hiring im-
properly qualified individuals or animal rights
activists, unknowingly.
Some questions you may want to ask may be
discriminatory and contrary to your provincial
human rights act. For instance, it is an offence
to refuse employment or discriminate against
a person on the following grounds:
• Race;
• Ancestry;
• Political belief;
• Marital status;
• Age;
• Colour;
• Place of origin;
• Religion;
• Physical or mental disability;
• Sex (incl. sexual harassment and pregnancy);
• Conviction charge unrelated to the job.
Therefore, you need to avoid questions that
could reveal this information or you may have to
deal with your provincial human rights tribunal
or commission if a candidate files a complaint.
FINDING THE RIGHT EMPLOYEEWhile you cannot discriminate protected
rights, you need to ensure you’re hiring the
right person for the right job. Make sure he
or she is qualified and does not have a history
that makes him or her unsuitable for the job,
such as a criminal offence for animal activism.
The vast majority of farmers take excellent
care of their animals because it’s the right
thing to do, and because they know their ani-
mals’ health and welfare is just good business
practice. You don’t want to hire an animal ac-
tivist who has no interest in performing the
job offered, but instead has ulterior motives.
TIPS FOR GOOD HIRING PRACTICESHere are some recommendations you can im-
plement to help protect yourself from hiring
the wrong people:
• Check references. Call both the number
provided by the candidate and the employer’s
main number to verify they are accurate. You
should ask the reference if he or she would hire
the employee.
• Google the candidate’s name. This is one
of the easiest steps to learn about a candidate’s
history. Search for applicants on social media,
such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Look
through what they’ve posted and the pages and
people they like and follow.
• Criminal background check. While these cost
money, generally as an employer in Ontario, you
are permitted to request a criminal background
check where it is reasonably required to evaluate
the suitability of the candidate for the job being
offered. It can be used to verify the candidate has
not committed any offences involving animal ac-
tivism or abuse. Use caution, however, because a
criminal background check may reveal sensitive
information you must protect.
• References and educational checks. While
you need consent, you are permitted to check and
verify educational and professional credentials.
DO IT RIGHTInvesting time and resources in hiring the right
person can protect you in the long run. While
not every tip may be appropriate for all your
hires, you should develop a plan and application
form to obtain consent and information about
candidates before you hire them.
DUE DILIGENCEInvesting time and resources in hiring the right person can protect you in the long run
LEGAL CORNERBy Graham Lloyd
Graham Lloydis DFO’S general counsel
and communications director.
[
Information in this article is intended
for informational purposes and
is summary in nature. It does not
constitute legal advice.
WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
Beware of asking:1. Where were you and-or your
parents born?
2. How many kids do you have?
3. What clubs or social
organizations do you belong to?
4. Do you need an accommodation
to perform the job? (This question
can only be asked after a job offer
has been made.)
Instead, you can ask:1. Are you authorized to work in
Canada?
2. Would you be able and willing to
work overtime as necessary?
3. List any professional or trade
groups or other organizations that
you belong to that you consider
relevant to your ability to perform
this job.
4. Are you able to perform the
essential functions of this job?
REASON 3: Our Alexander Knives, when paired with our patented Vertical Knives, create an unparalleled cutting action. The curved carbide coated cutting edge and angle of the Alexander Knives increases the aggressiveness of cut to improve the processing rate of round baled forages, especially coarser forages. Our Vertical Knives, which are mounted on our slide plate, improve processing and feedout of high forage rations. Together with our four other exclusive auger features, we produce a faster and more uniform mix than sluggish conventional augers, which typically take too long to process forage, resulting in too many fine particles in the shaker box. Nutritionists say if you want to resist sorting you’ll need a TMR with optimum shaker box results, and with a Jaylor you can deliver that ration every time.
Learn more at www.jaylor.com/5000or call 1.800.809.8224
ALEXANDER KNIVES
VERTICAL KNIVES
SIX REASONS WHY OUR SQUARE-CUT AUGER RESISTS SORTING:
Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) has an annual scholar-
ship program, which offers up to four $3,000 scholar-
ships to students entering a
degree or diploma program in agriculture.
To be eligible for these scholarships, an applicant
must:
• be a son or daughter of a DFO licensed dairy pro-
ducer (sons or daughters of current board members
are not eligible);
• be entering semester one of an agricultural degree
program or a diploma program in agriculture; and
• have achieved an average of 80 per cent or greater
in Grade 12 credits (best six to be averaged).
Selection criteria will be based on:
• academic achievement;
• future career plans; and
• demonstrated leadership in secondary school and/
or community activities.
Payment if selected:
The scholarships will be payable in two installments,
one in semester one and one following semester two,
based on satisfactory achievement.
Application forms are available on DFO’s website at
www.milk.org in the Forms section under Farmers.
Complete application forms must be sent to Dairy
Farmers of Ontario by August 31, 2016.
For more information, please contact
Kateryna Dmytrakova at kateryna.dmytrakova@milk.
org or 905-817-2168.
Dairy Farmers of Ontario
SCHOLARSHIPS
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 25WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
26 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
PROJECT SLEEP New Dairy Farmers of Canada campaign encourages Canadians to live healthier[D
airy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is hoping
its new campaign, Project Sleep, will help
Canadians have a better night’s rest.
“Sleep is something all healthy Canadi-
ans need without question, and concerns of a
general lack thereof are what prompted Dairy
Farmers of Canada to raise awareness about the
subject,” says DFC’s executive director Caro-
line Emond.
According to the Canadian Sleep Review
2016—a national opinion poll conducted by
Angus Reid in May—Canadians feel they are
falling short when it comes to sleep. Almost 70
per cent agree they wish they could get a better
quality of sleep most nights. The review offered
insights and advice from a panel of leading
sleep experts who call on Canadians to make
sleep a priority—both to feel better now and
guard against long-term illnesses.
The Canadian Sleep Review 2016 and Project
Sleep, which was launched in May, are a part of
DFC’s ongoing work to explore and build awareness
about serious health and social issues.
“Helping Canadians gain a better understanding
of their sleep requirements is a step toward a healthi-
er Canada,” Emond says. “Our goal is to help foster
the discussion and raise the sleep priority.”
The survey revealed a number of key findings:
• About 45 per cent of Canadians surveyed re-
port waking up feeling groggy or tired from a
restless night’s sleep;
• In what to do to become healthier, 37 per cent
of respondents indicated exercising more, 26 per
cent pointed to eating healthier, and 20 per cent
suggested getting more sleep would help;
• Millennials are most at risk. When presented
with the idea that lack of sleep can increase aging
and signs of aging, 71 per cent say it is the first
thing they sacrifice when running short on time;
• Parents are particularly diligent about sleep.
About 76 per cent keep a regular bedtime rou-
tine for their children—a practice the expert
panel says is extremely beneficial. However,
parents don’t always hold themselves to the
same routine;
• Women are more affected by their partner’s
sleeping habits than men, with 47 per cent of
women reporting their partner’s snoring dis-
rupts their sleep, compared with 26 per cent of
men reporting the same;
• One in three Canadians would pay up to $500
for a week’s worth of restful sleep, and half would
choose a sleep-inducing bed over a dream vacation.
Canadians can find more information on the
awareness campaign, as well as tips and tools to
improve their quality of sleep and quality of life,
at www.projectsleep.ca.
ATHLETES CAN RECHARGE WITH MILK
DFC PROMOTION
DFC brings you the latest national marketing and nutrition news with this feature. Learn more about
the programs and activities we carry out to get the most from your promotion dollar. We welcome
your comments, so write or fax us at:
DFC, c/o manager, member relations and internal communications 1801 McGill College Ave., Ste.
700, Montreal, QC H3A 2N4
Fax: 514 284-0449 or
Email: [email protected]
RECHARGE WITH Milk campaign
encourages drinking chocolate milk
for post-workout recovery.
Physically active Canadians should trade in their
sports drinks for a cold glass of chocolate milk
to help with their post-workout recovery.
Dairy Farmers of Canada’s (DFC) Recharge
with Milk (RwM) campaign, which launched in
May in Ontario and Atlantic Canada, encourag-
es athletes to enjoy the refreshing dairy beverage
for better performance.
The campaign will be in full swing this sum-
mer and fall, with the Beat Every Sunrise imagery
found on transit advertising and in stores, as well
as on social media sites. Six short videos have also
been released on social networks, and the rede-
signed www.rechargewithmilk.ca website will in-
clude updated information about chocolate milk’s
benefits, as well as a list of sponsored events.
Recharge with Milk will have a strong
presence in selected Shoppers Drug Mart and
Loblaws stores in Ontario and Atlantic Can-
ada. Consumers who purchase chocolate milk
will be rewarded through the banners’ reward
program, encouraging them to continue to buy
the dairy product.
In an effort to increase awareness of the brand,
as well as demonstrate the benefits of chocolate
milk, RwM will sponsor 22 events, including the
Recharge with Milk Triathlon Series in Ontario,
as well as five marathons in Ontario, Nova Sco-
tia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
RwM will also be involved in partnerships with
the Greater Toronto Hockey League, mountain
bike racing and a basketball championship.
For more information on the RwM cam-
paign, visit www.rechargewithmilk.ca.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
JULY12-13
DFC ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGDelta Prince Edward
Charlottetown, P.E.I.
www.dairyfarmers.ca
JULY12-17
A TASTE OFSASKATCHEWANKiwanis Park
Saskatoon, Sask.
www.farmfoodcaresk.org
JULY20-22
ONTARIO SUMMER SHOWLindsay Exhibition Grounds
Lindsay, Ont.
www.ontario.holstein.ca
JULY14
OXFORD COUNTY TWILIGHT SOCIALHighland View Holsteins
Nico Byl & Family
364509 McBeth Rd., Salford
JULY14
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY FAMILY NIGHTCharlie Stuart & Family
4637 Buttar Blezzard Rd.,
RR#1, Gores Landing
JULY19
BRUCE COUNTY TWILIGHT MEETINGChristanna Holsteins,
Rudy & Sandra Droefke
150 Con. 3 Walkerton
JULY11-12
WESTERN ONTARIO JUNIOR SHOWWoodstock, Ont.
www.ontario.holstein.ca
JULY15
PETERBOROUGH COUNTY TWILIGHT MEETINGDon Sampson & Family
3556 County Rd. 8,
Asphodel Twp. Norwood, Ont.
» Legend super bed features super comfort and durability
» Lower somatic cell counts
LEGEND SUPER BED
» Higher yields
1-866-223-2256 | [email protected]
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 27WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
28 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
Across Canada, dairy farmers continue
to celebrate significant milestones. It’s
not unusual for farm families to reach
a 75th or even 100th anniversary, and it’s not
uncommon for multiple generations to run an
operation. More and more grandsons or grand-
daughters are opting to take over a dairy farm
their grandfathers started years ago. So what’s
the secret behind their ability to make this seam-
less shift generation after generation?
Many experts believe succession planning is
an important tool to help farm families tran-
sition when the time comes for the father or
mother to retire. This process lets farmers pass
knowledge, skills, management and ownership
of the farm to the next generation, allowing the
family legacy to carry on.
DOS AND DON’TSWhile many families know succession planning
is an important process they need to go through,
the tasks families should and shouldn’t do isn’t
always as straightforward. This is why Elaine
Froese, farm family coach based in Manitoba,
suggests assembling a solid team of advisers to
help with the process.
“Building a confident team of advisers can help
families navigate legal and tax issues, as well as facili-
tate strong family communication,” Froese says.
Her advice for successful succession planning
is simple: communicate, resolve conflict and
communicate. It’s also advice that Louis Bal-
caen, management consultant at the Canadian
Association of Farm Advisers, can stand behind.
Balcaen ran a large dairy farm in Manitoba
for 40 years. He experienced succession plan-
ning after selling the farm in 2002, and he
believes farmers should open the lines of com-
munication and avoid dictating how successors
should operate the business.
“Don’t dictate as a parent and do involve all of
those who are affected,” Balcaen says. “The succes-
sion plan has to come from all the different parties.”
He says this includes involving children’s
partners as well, which will avoid creating un-
happy or unsatisfied situations in the family.
Len Davies, owner of Davies Legacy Plan-
ning Group Inc. in Muirkirk, Ont., spoke at a
Farm Succession Update seminar in May. With
more than 50 years experience in the agricultur-
al sector, Davies recommends families develop
a family charter, family vision statement, family
participation plan, and business mission and vi-
sion statement.
Davies says families should establish good gov-
ernance. Without that, he says it could lead to
problems down the road, including procrastination,
selective amnesia, confusion and chaos. When es-
tablishing strong family governance, families should
aim to create cohesion, strengthen and repair rela-
tionships and give a voice to all members.
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food
and Rural Affairs offers a list of dos and don’ts
farmers should consider before succession plan-
ning. The ministry recommends looking at suc-
cession planning as a process rather than a sin-
gle event. It also suggests looking at the bigger
picture, keeping the long-term vision in mind,
figuring out everyone’s priorities and goals, as-
sembling a team of advisers and having family
business meetings to improve communication.
As for the don’ts, the ministry recommends
farm families don’t procrastinate, guess what
others are thinking, be afraid to ask questions
and rely on just one professional adviser.
FARM FINANCEBy Jennifer Nevans
SUCCESSION PLANNING DOS AND DON’TSAvoiding common succession planning mistakes can help make the process smoother[
EXPERTS SAY a good succession plan should be a win-win for everyone involved.
Wade grew up on his family farm in south-
ern Ontario. In 2000, his father passed away,
and Wade and his family realized they hadn’t
done any proper succession planning before his
father died. As a result, the family lost the farm.
“Unfortunately, we failed to think about the
consequences of those things not being done,
and (my father) failed to plan,” Wade says, who
would have been the fourth generation to run
the farm if he was given the option.
Reflecting back on those days, he says even
before the family lost the business, there were
signs communication on the farm could have
improved. One example was their lack of an
effective communication plan when it came to
feeding the animals, resulting in some animals
being fed twice by two people or not fed at all.
His story demonstrated the harsh results
of improper or no succession planning. Wade
knows firsthand a common mistake families
can make is not starting those planning discus-
sions early enough before it is too late.
“I think a lot of farm families are afraid to
talk about these things because it could bring
on new conflict,” he says.
Now, Wade spends most of his time advis-
ing family members about how they can work
together to prepare for succession.
A GOOD SUCCESSION PLANHow families approach succession planning might
vary slightly depending on the dynamics of the fam-
ily, but experts know a good succession plan will sat-
isfy some important objectives. Froese says a good
succession plan should cover the family’s core beliefs
and values, as well as the future vision of the farm.
“The plan should also create legacies to allow for
a smooth transition from one generation to the next
in terms of timeliness and tax efficiencies, as well as
legal requirements,” she says.
A good succession plan will assign everyone
a clear role to play on the family farm, as well
as address new roles and responsibilities for the
retiring farmer. She says this provides meaning
for each generation. “The succession plan should
allow everyone to be happy and get what they
need and want,” Froese says.
Balcaen says a good succession plan has to allow
the parents to retire comfortably, knowing the suc-
ceeding generation will be successful on the farm.
“It has to be a win-win for all the parties
involved,” he says.
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 29WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
COMMON MISTAKESResources are available to guide families
through the dos and don’ts of succession plan-
ning, but sometimes the hardest lessons come
after families make mistakes. Learning com-
mon mistakes farm families tend to make can
help other families avoid following those same
paths, and in turn, make the process smoother.
Mark Andrew Junkin, president of Agricul-
ture Strategy who specializes in farm succession
and human resources, says a common mistake
families can make is not doing management
planning, which helps multiple generations
and siblings work together to operate the farm.
Junkin says this could lead to siblings splitting
up assets after their father or mother retires.
“I’m a big proponent that siblings should not
split the operation among themselves,” Junkin
says. “They should try to keep the farm and part-
nership together for as long as possible.”
Junkin says some families tend to split the
farm because partners couldn’t get along or
agree to decisions, but through management
planning, this can be prevented. He says fam-
ilies should have weekly family business meet-
ings for at least three to five years to learn to
make joint decisions before getting into the
details of succession planning.
“It’s important for the family to make joint de-
cisions on little changes, such as strategies on how
to lower somatic cell count, before talking about
strategies that will impact the farm in 30 years.”
Junkin supports multi-generational man-
agement where farmers work with their kids
to run the operation. This allows kids to learn
from their predecessor.
A lack of proper communication and early
planning can result in issues down the road, ac-
cording to Darrell Wade, founder of Farm Life
Financial Planning Group. During the Farm
Succession Update event, Wade talked about
the struggles his family faced because they
didn’t have a proper succession plan in place.
Jennifer Nevans is assistant
editor of Milk Producer.
Less MetritisLess DAsLess RPsLower Cull RatesReduced Days OpenQuicker, Higher, Longer Peak Production
Genetics You Want in the Daughters You Need
MoreHeifers More
Profits...
Why heifer calves?less Dam stress
US 800.525.2953920.921.6029
XY® and Sexing Technologies® sex-selected sperm products are made using the proprietary technologies of XY LLC and Inguran LLC, as partially represented by US patents 7208265, 6524860, 6357307, 6604435, and 8623657. Patents Pending worldwide. XY® sex-selected inseminates are packaged as single use artificial insemination doses for heifers not to be divided or used in MOET or IVF
procedures. STgenetics is a division of Inguran LLC. XY is a registered trademark of XY, LLC. The STgenetics logo/mark and SexedULTRA are trademarks of Inguran LLC. Sexing Technologies and the STg logo/mark are a registered trademarks of Inguran LLC. Product of the USA.
High Fertility Sexed Semen Conception Rates Rivaling Conventional
COVER STORYBy Sharon Laidlaw
and Jennifer Nevans
STAY COOL with real Canadian ice cream
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 31WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
As Canadians continue to soak in the
warmer weather this summer, more and
more families are turning to a familiar
treat to keep them cool this season.
Whether it’s soft, fat-free, lactose-free, organic
or Italian-style, ice cream made from 100 per cent
Canadian milk is making a comeback this year.
While the creamy treat has been around
for years—thought to have evolved in France
and Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries—ice
cream expanded quickly after 1846 when the
first hand-cranked ice cream-maker was created
in the United States.
Today, it can be found in almost every gro-
cery store, restaurant and convenience store,
competing with products like frozen desserts,
which are made from edible oil products in-
stead of premium dairy. But despite heavy
competition, over the last year, consumers have
begun to find their way back to the popular
dairy dessert once again.
According to Dairy Farmers of Canada’s
(DFC) latest sales reports, ice cream sales in-
creased by about 8.8 per cent in Quebec and
6.9 per cent in Ontario from May 2015 to April
2016. This is compared with the same period the
year before, and is a positive direction consider-
ing sales have historically been decreasing.
Victoria Cruz, DFC’s marketing and retail di-
rector, says that trend is in light of a price decrease
of 1.1 per cent in Quebec and one per cent in
Ontario. Those who choose to consume the dairy
treat might also credit the increase in sales to Ca-
nadians’ growing appreciation and confidence in
Canadian dairy products.
In grocery stores and at food service locations,
consumers are seeing more of the familiar blue
cow, indicating the product they’re eating is made
with 100 per cent Canadian milk. For decades,
the symbol brought awareness about Canadi-
an milk, assuring consumers the dairy products
they’re buying will support Canadian producers.
“We know buying local is very important to
Canadians,” Cruz says, adding this knowledge
is a vital tool processors can use to their advan-
tage. “For processors who are using the symbol,
it allows them to clearly communicate the prove-
nance of the milk used in the product, providing
them with a clear and competitive advantage.”
Cruz says the 100% Canadian Milk symbol
has an 86 per cent awareness level in Canada.
“That means it has universal recognition,”
Cruz says. “It’s been around for a long time and
there is a great degree of consumer familiarity
with it.”
Processors across the nation are showcasing the 100% Canadian Milk symbol
COWS INC. makes unique cow-themed ice cream flavours, such as Wowie Cowie,
Gooey Mooey and Messy Bessy.
COWS CREAMERY (COWS INC.)Prince Edward Island company COWS Inc.
uses 100 per cent Canadian milk in its ice
cream to tell consumers its products are made
with quality.
“I think a lot of people associate Canadian
milk with a higher quality standard,” says Whit-
ney Hooper, director of sales and marketing at
COWS Inc.
The company proudly showcases DFC’s
100% Canadian Milk symbol on its ice cream
products because it’s important for COWS Inc.
to use all-Canadian milk and cream. The com-
pany works with Amalgamated Dairies Ltd. to
get its milk from producers across the province.
COWS Inc. originated in Cavendish, P.E.I.
when it started making ice cream in 1983.
“The ice cream was all hand-mixed using an
old-fashioned recipe with cream, eggs, sugar and
all natural flavours,” Hooper says.
COWS Inc. still uses its old-fashioned ice
cream-making process today, which is why con-
sumers might notice they won’t find the product
at regular grocery stores. The premium ice cream
is exclusive to COW stores.
“It’s something you can only get at our retail
shops, and a big part of that is because we want
to stick to that traditional way of making ice
cream,” Hooper says.
Cows Creamery in Charlottetown, P.E.I. was
the company’s first flagship store. Today, COWS
has 11 stores across Canada, as well as one in Bei-
jing, China, which opened in 2014. The compa-
ny is known for making whimsical, unique cow-
themed flavours, such as Wowie Cowie, Gooey
Mooey and Messy Bessy.
COWS Inc. has about 55 full-time employees
who work out of their office in Charlottetown, as
well as around 250 seasonal staff members who
work at their stores. Along with ice cream, the
company also makes butter and cheese, which has
earned many awards globally.
“Ice cream was always our origin and it’s the
success story of our company,” Hooper says. “But
what we’ve tried to do now was go to a full-service
creamery and look at all types of milk products.”
COWS Inc. has a lot to be proud about, and
in terms of their future going forward, Hooper
says they’re always interested in the possibility of
international expansion. For now, their focus is to
continue what they do best.
“For us, our primary goal is to keep our ser-
vice level where it is and keep making high-qual-
ity products,” she says.
32 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
FARMERS DAIRY (AGROPUR)Canadians who enjoy quality ice cream will come
to know Farmers Dairy ice cream products well.
“It’s an organization with a lot of tradition,”
says Dominique Benoît, senior vice-president
of institutional affairs and communications at
Agropur Co-operative.
Farmers Dairy is one of many brands in the
Agropur family. On its own, Farmers has been
producing dairy products for more than 90
years. The processor sources its milk and cream
from dairy producers in Nova Scotia—just as
other Agropur brands source its milk from its
own local provinces.
“Since we have plants in eight provinces in
Canada, we use milk in each province where we
have plants,” Benoît says.
Nova Scotia has about 200 dairy farmers,
and about 60 per cent of their milk comes to
Agropur’s plant. Across the country, about 30
per cent of the milk produced in Canada is pro-
cessed at Agropur.
The co-operative uses the 100% Canadian
Milk logo on its ice cream products—a reminder
to its consumers Agropur is a Canadian organiza-
tion that supports Canadian dairy producers.
Over the years, Farmers Dairy has perfected
the timeless favourite flavours, such as vanil-
la and chocolate, but has also developed some
unique ones, including coconut macaroon, chai
tea latte and mariner’s sea salt caramel.
Benoît believes Agropur’s products stand
out among others because of the simple fact the
co-operative is owned by dairy farmers.
“It makes a huge difference for the consumer
to know when they buy an Agropur product, the
local economy will benefit from it,” he says.
However, Agropur isn’t immune to challeng-
es. Benoît says the two largest ice cream-makers
in Canada are multi-national companies with
international owners.
“We’re a Canadian-owned business, and we’re
competing against the largest players in the world,
so we have to be competitive,” Benoît says. “We
have to be different, and this is why the co-opera-
tive nature of our business makes us unique.”
Agropur and Farmers Dairy merged in
2013, making Agropur Canada’s largest milk
processor with 38 plants and 8,000 employees
across the nation.
Benoît says Agropur’s medium-term goal is
to be recognized as the preferred brand by Ca-
nadian consumers, given they’re owned by Ca-
nadian dairy farmers. Consumers can find Agro-
pur products across the country at grocery store
chains, as well as foodservice locations.
COVER STORY
OVER THE years, Farmers Dairy has developed some popular new flavours, such as
coconut macaroon.
CHAPMAN’S ICE CREAMNot only is it a dairy processor success story, Chap-
man’s Ice Cream is just as well known for its family
values and community connections. It embodies a
sense of belonging and a feeling of family and to-
getherness that permeates the culture and environ-
ment at every facet of the business.
This is how Ashley Chapman, Chapman’s
vice-president, describes the dairy processing busi-
ness his parents, David and Penny, built from the
ground up in October 1973. Located in Markdale,
Ont., Chapman’s employs up to 750 full-time
and seasonal staff during peak season. It processes
around four million kilograms of butterfat per year.
The thriving company is Canada’s largest indepen-
dent ice cream manufacturer. Chapman’s, along
with Nestlé Canada and Unilever Canada, hold a
combined market share of about 64 per cent in the
ice cream market, according to the Canadian Dairy
Information Centre facts and figures.
Chapman’s offers more than just your typical
tub of ice cream. It sells frozen yogurt, cones, bars,
ice cream sandwiches, sorbet and other novelties,
including specialty lactose- and gluten-free lines.
Chapman’s Premium Canadian Collection is touted
as “the nostalgic ice cream treats of your childhood
meets the sophisticated indulgence you’ve come to
love as an adult.” All Chapman’s products are made
with 100 per cent Canadian dairy ingredients. In
fact, all its products proudly display the 100% Ca-
nadian Milk symbol.
Chapman’s prides itself on its long track record of
listening to its customers, so much so that Ashley
claims the creation of some of Chapman’s best-sell-
ing products are a direct result of customer feedback
or suggestions. For instance, Ashley says Chapman’s
popular nut-free line came about after a mother sent
the company a letter explaining her son was missing
out on enjoying its ice cream due to his nut allergies.
“We’ve learned over the years how valuable our
customers are,” Ashley says. “Our customers are very
loyal and will often reach out to us to tell us what
they like and don’t like. We read and answer every
email sent to us.”
Over the years, the demand for variety has
kept Chapman’s busy developing innovative new
flavours and products. From its classics, such as
vanilla and Dutch chocolate, to its more creative
examples, such as blueberry cheesecake, caramel
coconut blondie, and Nanaimo bar frozen yogurt,
Chapman’s never stops experimenting to find new
combinations. The company recently launched a
Klondike-like, extra-large, decadent ice cream bar
called the Yukon, a soft ice cream line that comes
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 33WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
THE HIGHEST LEVEL OFTIE STALL AUTOMATION
608-526-6882Holmen, WI
AICdairy
• Lightweight
• Easy to install
• Milk weight
• Low maintenance
• Easy to operate
• Wireless
• Prep management
• SS Indication
ADVANCEDDAIRY SYSTEMS
Wellesley • 519-656-2379
PARTNER AGSERVICES
Tara • 519-934-2343
DORTMANS BROSStrathroy, Salford
800-265-3435
GORDONCORNER
Oshawa • 905-655-3177
DUNDAS AGRISYSTEMS
Brinston • 613-652-4844
EXPRESSODETACHER
TM
AFFORDABLE • DEPENDABLE • DURABLE
MOORE 5Napanee • 613-354-5516
in a two-litre package, and new flavours in its Kids
Line, which is gluten- and nut-free.
Chapman’s is also introducing its Canadian
Cone. The processor has partnered with the Cana-
dian Hero Fund to help Canada’s military. A portion
of the proceeds from the sale of this product will be
donated to the fund to support Canadian military
personnel and their families.
Chapman’s also launched its Kids Line of nov-
elties and packaged ice cream, which includes
Kids Club, a customer loyalty program. The
website, www.kidsclub.ca, is an interactive on-
line playground for kids (and adults, too). It fea-
tures fun games and activities that reward users
with points that can be redeemed for Chapman’s
merchandise, gift certificates and more.
The family-run ice cream processor has overcome
adversity, namely the fire of 2009 that destroyed its
manufacturing facility, to become a stronger, more
resilient business able to weather fluctuating market
demands. Today, the Chapman family continues to
ensure the same commitment to high-quality and
great value ice cream products, which are sold coast
to coast, including in Nunavut. Chapman’s has also
had tremendous success from making private-label
ice cream products for the past 25 years.
Asked whether weather and seasonal changes
affect their business, Ashley replies Canadians
seem to love their ice cream, anytime of the year.
“Although the ice cream category has been rela-
tively flat, we have had to ramp up production.
In fact, we’re having a hard time keeping up.
Roughly 64 per cent of our yearly sales volume
occurs during the warmer months, but we enjoy
excellent sales throughout the year.”
ALL CHAPMAN’S products are made with 100 per cent Canadian dairy ingredients,
and the company proudly displays the 100% Canadian Milk symbol on its products.
SOME OF CHAPMAN’S best-selling
products are the result of customer
feedback.
34 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
COVER STORY
KAWARTHA DAIRYSince the mid-1950s, Kawartha Dairy Limited
in Bobcaygeon, Ont. has been making quality ice
cream for their loyal consumers.
“Our higher fat, fresh milk, fresh cream rec-
ipe has not changed since we started making ice
cream,” says Blake Frazer, vice-president and gen-
eral manager of Kawartha Dairy.
The processor has been around for nearly eight
decades, sourcing all its milk and cream from
Peterborough County and the City of Kawartha
Lakes. To let consumers know Kawartha supports
Canadian milk, the company dons DFC’s 100%
Canadian Milk symbol on its ice cream products.
“This has been our strategy since day one,”
Frazer says. “It fits our local, family-owned image.”
Being an independent, family-owned dairy is
what makes Kawartha ice cream products stand
out from the market leaders, Frazer says. Kawartha
Dairy also produces rich ice cream that contains
more cream than the average ice cream.
“Consumer testimonials are our best form of
recognition,” Frazer says. “Facebook comments
are quite favourable.”
Besides Kawartha’s signature ice cream, it also
makes fluid milk under the Kawartha Dairy ban-
ner, as well as other dairy products under their
private label. Kawartha Dairy has nine retail
stores with about 150 employees during the win-
ter months and about 300 in the summer. Their
products are also sold at grocery stores, foodservice
locations and ice cream parlours.
The 79-year-old processor can show young-
er ice cream-makers a thing or two about lon-
gevity. Kawartha Dairy is 100 per cent Canadi-
an-owned and still operated by the same family
that started it.
While Kawartha has proven its success in the
ice cream-making field, the company still faces
challenges. Frazer says one of Kawartha Dairy’s
challenges is contending against large multi-na-
tional competitors that have cost advantages.
“We don’t deep discount our products,” Fraz-
er says. “The quality of our products allows us to
sell at a price that is good for us, our customers
and our consumers.”
Not only is Kawartha doing well in light of
heavy competition, the business is still expand-
ing. Kawartha Dairy recently opened a new re-
tail store in Orillia, Ont. in May—its ninth store
in the province.
Frazer says Kawartha Dairy’s goals for the
business are simple.
“We want to continue to grow our business
and maintain our independent, family-owned,
all-Canadian status, as well as provide employ-
ment in all areas in which we do business,”
Frazer says.
FOOTHILLS CREAMERY products are available throughout Western Canada at major
grocery chains.
KAWARTHA DAIRY’S rich ice cream
contains more cream than the average
ice cream.
FOOTHILLS CREAMERYConsumers, retailers and food service operators
know Foothills Creamery never compromises on
quality, says Don Bayrack, founder and owner of
the Alberta-based dairy processor.
Foothills Creamery has been producing quality
products at its Calgary plant since 1969. From its
humble beginnings, the processor has grown over
the years to become recognized as a supplier of su-
perior quality dairy products from Western Can-
ada through to Ontario and Quebec. It produces
butter, ice cream, frozen yogurt and ice cream
cones for the retail and food service markets.
In 1995, Foothills Creamery opened a
second location in Edmonton, and in 1999, a
third location in Kelowna, British Columbia,
to better serve its customers. Today, Foothills
employs 75 people in its production, distribu-
tion and sales teams.
Foothills Creamery also manufactures old-fash-
ioned scoop ice cream, soft serve and novelties,
as well as sherbet and sorbet. Most of its prod-
ucts are distributed throughout Western Canada,
and available at major grocery chains, including
Loblaw’s, Real Canadian Superstore, Sobeys,
Safeway, among many others. Its soft serve and
novelty products are available across Canada.
Foothills Creamery uses only natural and
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 35WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
“ZACTRAN gives
my dairy operation a
flexible BRD treatment
that I can use on my
calves & heifers.”
While you strive to meet Canadian Quality
Milk (CQM) standards, you need a reliable BRD
treatment that can be used on young calves and
heifers right up until 2 months before calving1. Put
ZACTRAN® to work for fast acting,2 long lasting1
treatment of BRD in your dairy operation.
Treat them with ZACTRAN.
1. Based on product label.
2. Giguère S, Huang R, Malinski TJ, Dorr PM, Tessman RK
& Somerville BA. Disposition of gamithromycin in plasma, pulmonary epithelial lining fluid,
bronchoalveolar cells, and lung tissue in cattle. Am. J. Vet. Res. 72(3): 326-330 (2011).
ZACTRAN® is a registered trademark of Merial Limited.
© 2014 Merial Canada Inc. All rights reserved.
ZACT-13-7559-JAD-E
Ask your veterinarian
why ZACTRAN is ideal for
your dairy operation.
fresh ingredients. Its ice cream boasts a butter-
fat content of 12 per cent, giving it a smooth,
rich taste, Bayrack says. And, because it uses its
own fresh cream, FootHills Creamery products
have an authentic creamier taste, enhanced by
the addition of fine chocolate and chunks of
real fruit, Bayrack adds.
The processor’s retail products are available
in two-litre tubs in an assortment of flavours
to suit its customers’ needs. Its food service line
includes 15 soft serve products and 84 flavours
of hard-packed ice cream, sherbet, sorbetto and
frozen yogurt. This year, it introduced four new
flavours to its ice cream line: peanut butter and
jam, caramel apple, honeyberry cheesecake and
Canadian honour.
Bayrack says one of the challenges he is encoun-
tering is not being able to get a steady supply of
cream to make ice cream. “It’s quite challenging.
We are just getting by. Luckily, it has not affected
the business too much in terms of production,
but we are getting very close,” he says.
Bayrack insists on using high-quality dairy in-
gredients and other additives in his products. “We
don’t skimp on quality,” he says. Foothills Cream-
ery does not use whey powder or milk replacers,
Bayrack adds. All its retail ice cream products
feature the 100% Canadian Milk symbol. “Our
regular customers know our product is better
than our competitors because of the high-quality
ingredients we use,” he says.
Foothills Creamery also owns a fleet of 22 re-
frigerated trucks, which allows it to control dis-
tribution of its products. It employs 70 full-time
staff, which includes employees at its plants and
truck drivers. Bayrack says he and his employees
believe in giving back to the community, which is
why Foothills Creamery has embarked on three
charitable initiatives for 2016. It has agreed to
donate $3 to the Canadian Cancer Society for
every two-litre tub of honeyberry cheesecake sold.
It is also donating $3 to the Veterans Transition
Network for every tub sold of its newly released
Ribbons of Hope ice cream, featuring chocolate,
vanilla and mint flavours. Lastly, it is donating
the same amount to the Canadian Red Cross for
every tub sold of its caramel apple product.
“Our 47 years of providing consistent, superi-
or quality is what has kept Foothills Creamery in
business for so long. We also have tremendous
staff, some of which have been working for the
company for 20 to 30 years. They are truly dedi-
cated and believe in maintaining our premium
reputation in the market,” Bayrack says.
Our 47 years of providing consistent, superior quality is what has kept Foothills Creamery in business for so long.
36 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
possible. They’ve encouraged faculty to build
the university up in terms of recognition and
development. Dairy at Guelph is one product
of that encouragement.
“It’s fun and invigorating to be a part of a suc-
cessful team,” says Dr. Stephen LeBlanc, dairy cat-
tle health management professor. “Guelph’s dairy
research enterprise is already successful, but this
brand will create more widespread success as dairy
researchers move forward as a team.”
The University of Guelph, a leader in
dairy research and innovation, has cre-
ated an organizational identity that will
help unite its researchers and promote the in-
stitution’s status. It’s called Dairy at Guelph.
The new brand comprises 65 researchers
across five colleges and 12 departments, covering
disciplines from animal sciences and veterinary
medicine, to economics and human nutrition.
Dairy at Guelph aims to increase internal com-
munication and collaborations among research-
ers, enhance connections externally to national
and international researchers and companies,
and develop a recognizable logo to make the re-
search capacity at the university more visible.
“The reality is dairy is an increasingly com-
petitive market,” says professor David Kelton.
“We want to be able to attract the best faculty
and students with this brand to support the
claim of being Canada’s dairy university.”
Researchers will continue to make mean-
ingful contributions to both the university and
dairy industry through new or expanded, cam-
pus-wide collaborations. They will also expand
beyond the university by connecting more eas-
ily with future stakeholders through Dairy at
Guelph, which will act as a point of contact for
external research and education partners.
In the months ahead, Dairy at Guelph will
build its online presence. It will include informa-
tion on the many facets of dairy research in order
to position Guelph as a leader in all aspects of re-
search to serve and advance the dairy industry. A
program manager will be hired, who will act as
the first point of communication to promote the
activities and capabilities of the network.
Researchers also plan to host campus-wide
dairy seminars, produce more faculty and graduate
student exchanges, and set up visiting apprentice-
ships. These plans can open partnership opportu-
nities with companies and organizations that were
not previously aware of the university’s accomplish-
ments and capacity. Dairy at Guelph will also en-
hance communication of results back to producers
and front-line industry advisers. Dairy at Guelph’s
program manager will also help teams of research-
ers pursue large funding opportunities.
The university’s research administration has
embraced the long-standing tradition of dairy
scholarships at Guelph to make this project
DAIRY AT GUELPHNew brand helps keep ‘Canada’s dairy university’ on top
RESEARCHBy Sydney Pearce
Sydney Pearce is a student writer for the University of Guelph’s office of research.
DAIRY COWS at the Livestock Research Innovation Centre - Dairy Facility in Elora
help University of Guelph researchers study the industry.
[
Even the best dairy producers need a little help protecting their herds.
Introducing Imrestor™, the first-of-its-kind immune restorative
for periparturient dairy cows and heifers. During the critical
time around calving when a dairy cow’s immune system is
suppressed, Imrestor helps restore the function and increase
the number of bacteria-fighting neutrophils, significantly reducing
the incidence of clinical mastitis on a dairy farm. It’s just the
helping hand a dairy producer needs.
Learn about our introductory launch offer and protect the
whole herd with Imrestor as part of an ongoing herd health
management program by contacting your veterinarian.
Elanco, Imrestor, and the diagonal bar are trademarks owned or licensed by Eli Lilly and Company, its subsidiaries or affiliates.
© 2016 Eli Lilly and Company, or its affi liates. CADRYIRS00003
38 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
Canadian dairy farmers will be required to implement proAction’s animal
care and livestock traceability programs by Sept. 1, 2017, regardless of
their assigned validation date. DFO will provide a summary of proAction
requirements to producers in the next few weeks.
As the implementation date approaches, producers are becoming
more interested in the program and seeking clarification on require-
ments. Through this process, it has become apparent there are a num-
ber of “myths” about proAction, which seem to be creating discomfort
among producers. Below is a list of some of these “myths” and the correct
information for each.
MYTH #1 – “The animal care program requires farmers to let cows outside the barn for a minimum number of hours per day.”Not true. The animal care program is based on the requirements of the
Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle (“the Dairy
Code of Practice”). This document does not establish a minimum num-
ber of hours for cows to spend outside the barn each day. Therefore, this
is not a requirement within proAction, and letting cows outside generally
remains a farmer’s choice.
MYTH #2 – “proAction will impose a ban on tiestall barns starting September 2017.”Not true. Tiestall barns are acceptable under the current version of the
Dairy Code of Practice. Therefore, the animal care program accepts this
housing system.
MYTH #3 – “Farmers will have to cut all Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) beef tags (yellow buttons) and replace them with approved dairy tags (NLID/ATQ).”Not true. The traceability program requires calves born on or after Sept.
1, 2017 be double-tagged with approved dairy tags (NLID/ATQ). Calves
that will not remain in the dairy herd and are destined for the beef indus-
try may be tagged with approved beef tags (single yellow RFID button).
Animals born prior to Sept. 1, 2017 that bear beef tags will be grand-
fathered into the program, as intentionally cutting an ear tag to replace it
is not permitted by federal regulation.
MYTH #4 – “The biosecurity program of proAction will require producers stop receiving visitors in their dairy barns.”Not true. Currently under development, the biosecurity program in-
cludes a standard operating procedure (SOP) with measures to prevent
the introduction and spread of diseases through visitors. This includes
requiring visitors to wear overshoes, clean or disposable boots and follow
farm-specific biosecurity measures. However, this is not expected to pre-
vent farmers from hosting farm tours or receiving visitors.
MYTH #5 – “Dairy farmers will be forced to maintain closed herds.”Not true. Introducing new animals is an acceptable practice in the draft
biosecurity program.
MYTH #6 – “Under the biosecurity program, new animals or those returning to the herd must be placed in quarantine.”Not true. The current draft version of the program requires farmers to observe
and examine new and returning animals daily, respond to any abnormalities and
ensure people assigned to this activity have been properly trained. This must be
documented in a SOP, which must also include one additional element from a
list of best management practices. While isolating animals is one of the listed best
management practices farmers can choose from, it is not a requirement.
For more information on the proAction program, producers are encouraged to read Maria Leal’s monthly proAction column in Milk Producer magazine, or visit Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s website at www.milk.org.
DISPELLING MYTHS ABOUT PROACTION
UNDER PROACTION, Canadian dairy farmers will still be
allowed to house cattle in tiestall barns.
By Maria Leal
Maria Lealis Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s assurance programs and
field services manager.
Among other misconceptions, proAction won’t prevent farmers from hosting tours
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 39WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
A $3.8 billion
industry is at
your doorstep
A dvertising in our magazine will ensure you
reach Canadian dairy farmers.
For a copy of our media kit, ad rates, target insert program
Pat Logan
519-788-1559
MADE IN
GERMANY
Huber Technik
Durable Aggrolatex Comfort The perfect
balance between firmness
& comfort, combined with
HUBER
Comfort & Soft Bed Endless Rolls
COW COMFORT IS… SUPERIOR MATTRESS
AND COUNTING
2.5 MILLION STALLSOVER
Reduce your sand usage by up to 50%
SUPERIOR SAND SAVING
40 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER
Lameness and other hoof health issues are among some dairy farm-
ers’ top animal health concerns, according to responses from two
farmer surveys conducted late last year and in 2014.
In the Dairy Research Cluster’s Have Your Say survey and campaign
in 2015, farmers asked 23 questions about how they could improve
hoof health on their farms. Animal welfare was identified as the top
management priority, and lameness was the number one animal health
concern in a national needs assessment survey that ran in 2014 by Dr.
David Kelton, professor at the University of Guelph, and his research
team. (See Dr. Kelton’s video presentation on YouTube at https://youtu.be/CmqW0iN-92o).
Hoof health problems are detrimental to cow productivity and
longevity. Lameness, for example, costs a farmer up to $3501 to treat
one lame cow. The pain and discomfort associated with lameness are an
animal welfare concern.
The Have Your Say survey was online at www.dairyresearch.ca from
February 2015 to January 2016. It was promoted at 15 conferences
attended by Dairy Research Cluster staff to engage farmers on short-
and long-term needs for dairy research. Kelton’s needs assessment was
conducted for a research project that aims to benchmark dairy cattle health
and farm management practices in Canada. More than 600 responses were
received from farmers on important areas of focus for the exercise.
STATUS OF HOOF HEALTH IN CANADAThe Alberta Dairy Hoof Health Project (ADHHP), which ran from 2009
to 2012, measured the hoof lesions in 578 herds in three provinces—British
Columbia, Alberta and Ontario—from trim records for 80,533 cows along
with dairy production data. The Hoof Supervisor System (HSS) was used
by a group of provincial trimmers to collect hoof lesion data. Data revealed
almost 40 per cent of cows presented to hoof trimmers had at least one type
of hoof lesion2. Preliminary data collected with the same device in Quebec
between June 2015 and April 2016 show similar information with up to
30 per cent of cows having at least one hoof lesion.
CURRENTLY UNDERWAYFollowing are research initiatives addressing hoof health issues to support
farmers:
1. Improving hoof health in Canadian dairy farms – Dairy Research Cluster
APPLIED SCIENCEBy Shelley Crabtree and Anne-Marie Christen
HOOF HEALTHCanadian dairy farmers can tap into initiatives
and resources to help reduce lameness incidence[
WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
(project led by Dr. Filippo Miglior, Canadian Dairy Network, 2013 to 2018)Genetic and genomic evaluations show promising potential for selecting
cows that are more resistant to hoof lesions. A major project launched
in the 2013 Dairy Research Cluster aims to improve hoof health by de-
ALBERTA DAIRY Hoof Health Project (2009-2012).
THE HOOF SUPERVISOR SYSTEM is the current system used
for collecting hoof health information on farms.
ALBERTA BRITISHCOLUMBIA
ONTARIO
# FARMS PARTICIPATING
n=
WITH LESIONS
TOE ULCER
SOLE HEMORRHAGE
WHITE LINE LESION
SOLE ULCERS
DIGITAL DERMATITIS
158 85 335
40,558
20,644
13,241
5,284
2,053
1,964
1,504
%
50.8
4.9
6.4
15.5
17.2
43.2
1.7
22.4
8.6
13.1
34.8
38.1
%
5.3
7.1
14.3
14.9
37.9
59.8
%
213
2,894
1,106
1,684
4,488
9,156
24,045
763
1,026
4,760
2,149
5,464
9,523
15,930
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 41
SHELLEY CRABTREE AND ANNE-MARIE CHRISTEN Shelley Crabtree is the communications lead
for the Dairy Research Cluster, and Anne-Marie
Christen is a co-ordinator for Valacta.
1 DePassillé, Rushen, Vasseur, Adam, Pellerin,
Crabtree, Milk Producer, April 2014, pages 34-37
2 Genetic selection can improve hoof health on
dairy farms
Francesca Malchiodi, Anne-Marie Christen and
Filippo Miglior, Progressive Dairyman, August
31, 2015, http://www.progressivedairycanada.
com/topics/a-i-breeding/genetic-selection-can-
improve-hoof-health-on-dairy-farms.
WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
RESOURCES TO IMPROVE HOOF HEALTH
• Videos and recorded webinars
The cow comfort webinar series, sponsored by Dairy Farmers of Canada and Valac-
ta: https://dairyknowledge.ca/presentations/
Hoof Care: the Foundation of Cow Health, produced by Jersey Canada: https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxHTcPb0_r8
Trimming for Traction, produced by Jersey Canada: https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=qqiUjT5ZJ58
Three steps to zero lameness by Vic Daniels, Vic’s Custom Clips, Ontario hoof trimmer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW9iwXHaJZU
• Website and application
Dairy cattle hoof health, lameness prevention and more by Dr. Steve Mason, Univer-
sity of Calgary (Alberta Hoof Health Care project). Visit: www. dairyhoofhealth.info
A multi-platform lesion identification application for mobile phones. Download it at
http://dairyhoofhealth.info/lesions/lesion-identification/web-based-lesion-id-app/
• Factsheets
Animal outcome measurement protocols, injury, cleanliness, body condition and
lameness: https://www.dairyresearch.ca/pdf/3-Animal%20Based%20Proto-
cols-Dairy%20Research%20Cluster-eng.pdf
proAction animal care: https://www.dairyfarmers.ca/proaction/resources/ani-
mal-care
Series of six factsheets on Dairy Cattle Hoof Health from Alberta Milk is available at
http://dairyhoofhealth.info (English only) and in the Producer Resources section of
www.dairyresearch.ca
• ICAR Claw Health Atlas
http://www.icar.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/ICAR-Claw-Health-Atlas.pdf
• Workshops
A Step Ahead – Hoof Health training by Valacta (Quebec and Atlantic regions).
For information: http://www.valacta.com/EN/training/Documents/VALACTA_DEPLI-
ANT_ANG_V2.pdf
SHELLEY CRABTREE ANNE-MARIE CHRISTEN
veloping a data pipeline from hoof trimmers
to the Canadian DHI databank and the Ca-
nadian Dairy Network to generate breeding
values for sires. This nationally co-ordinated
project, involving provincial organizations,
hoof trimmers and farmers, is using HSS to
collect hoof health data and connect it to exist-
ing cows through DHI. This project also aims
to develop a new DHI management report on
hoof health for farmers involved in the data
collection network. Currently, Quebec hoof
trimmers are also feeding this pipeline. Hoof
trimmers from Ontario and the Western prov-
inces will join the pipeline this summer.
2. The Alberta Dairy Hoof Health Project – Phase 2. Lameness Risk Analysis Knowledge Transfer Project (led by Alberta Milk – fall 2016) A team, led by Alberta Milk, and working
in collaboration with Drs. Karin Orsel and
Herman Barkema and grad students at the
University of Calgary, is preparing knowledge
transfer tools to assist farmers, veterinarians,
trimmers and nutritionists to address lameness.
3. Strategy for improving claw health in Quebec dairy herdsHoof trimmers from across Canada have an
integral role in identifying hoof lesions and
collecting data for the national hoof health
project (Dairy Research Cluster). Similar to
the methods used with the ADHHP, Quebec
hoof trimmers were also trained on using HSS
to collect high-quality data. The next step is to
feed the data into the national DHI databank
and to the Canadian Dairy Network. An
interface has been developed by Valacta and
installed in HSS to be able to get minimum
herd information directly from the national
DHI databank. This link populates HSS with
the list of cows and their universal identification
numbers, as well as other information, such as
calving date, days in milk, breeding date, days
open, and days bred. After trimming, hoof
health information is sent back to DHI using
the same application, which is stored in the
databank.
4. Milk 2020 – Hoof Health projectMILK 2020 was established by New Brunswick
dairy producers and processors to encourage
research, development and innovation in New
Brunswick’s dairy industry. MILK 2020 is
developing a cloud-based hoof health software
program for hoof trimmers and farmers in New
Brunswick. While still in the developmental
stage, MILK 2020 will eventually link the data
collection system to the national hoof health
project under the Dairy Research Cluster.
42 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER
Last April, I attended the 2016 Herd
Health and Nutrition Conference in
Burlington, Vermont. Dr. Limin Kung
from the University of Delaware presented on
silage preservation and aerobic stability. He
spoke about several factors that influence silage
quality after harvest, one of which is the type of
fermentation taking place in the silo after har-
vest. This will impact the palatability, nutrient
content and stability of the final product once
out of the silo and into the feed bunk.
OXYGEN EXPOSUREThe amount of time silage can remain stable af-
ter it is exposed to oxygen from air is called aer-
obic stability. Silage will obviously be exposed
to oxygen when taken out of the silo, mixed in
the ration, or just sitting in the feed bunk. Aer-
obic conditions also exist on the exposed face
of bunk silos, at the surface of poorly sealed
bunk silos and at the surface of tower silos.
Silage can undergo a perfect post-harvest fer-
mentation, but if exposure to air occurs later on,
this perfect silage can become poor quality feed.
Aerobic spoilage can account for more than 50
per cent of total dry matter losses in a silo. Fur-
ther, spoiled silage can produce undesirable end
products, resulting in a cow’s reduced nutrient
intake and milk production. Molds are usually
blamed for silage spoilage but, in fact, are usu-
ally the result of spoilage. The real culprits are
yeasts in the silage at harvest.
When fresh forage is ensiled, bacteria con-
vert sugars into lactic acid. As the concentra-
tion of lactic acid increases, pH decreases and
silage becomes stable, similar to pickles in vin-
egar. If no oxygen gets in, the mass of silage
will remain stable. If silage is exposed to oxy-
gen, the yeasts become active and start to de-
grade the lactic acid. Yeasts multiply and feed
on readily degradable nutrients. It is the yeast
activity that generates the heat in the first place.
As lactic acid is depleted, pH of the silage in-
creases, which lets mold and undesirable bac-
terial grow. More heat is produced and further
spoilage continues.
TYPES OF YEASTSYeasts are naturally occurring organisms. There
are many types of yeast in silage, which can
vary by farm and feed type. All yeasts are un-
desirable in silages. Some yeast species will fer-
ment glucose and cause large dry matter losses,
while others will feed on lactate and impact
aerobic stability, and reduce cows’ feed intakes
and the nutritive value of the silage. The num-
ber of yeasts in silage is negatively correlated
with aerobic stability so the less yeasts present
in silage the better.
EFFECT OF HEAT DAMAGEDuring spoilage, the temperature of the silage
mass can reach 49 to 54 degrees Celsius. In the
past, the effect of heat damage was believed to
mainly result in reducing the digestibility of
crude protein resulting from chemical chang-
es taking place between carbohydrates and
protein known as Maillard reaction. Recent
research findings indicate protein digestibili-
ty is reduced and energy losses are at least as
significant. Energy concentration in the forage
decreases as non-fibre carbohydrates (NFC) are
depleted, while fibre concentration increases.
Since NFCs are almost all digested by the cow,
the disappearance of NFCs markedly impacts
the silage’s energy content. As heat damage
progresses, the NFC loss can be as high as 25
per cent of its original levels.
Another way to assess potential heat damage
RUMINATIONSBy Mario Mongeon
BEYOND COMPACTIONProper silage preservation will ensure you’re not feeding your cows less than desirable feed
KEEPING THE silo face clean and undisturbed minimizes the risk of oxygen exposure
and spoilage.
[
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 43
Ruminations is prepared by Ontario Ministry of Agri-
culture, Food and Rural Affairs livestock technology
specialists to provide information you can use on
your farm.
Mario Mongeonis a livestock specialist for the Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Alfred Resource
Centre. Reference: L. Kung, Preserving Silage Quality
With Enhances Aerobic Stability. 2016 Herd Health
and Nutrition Conference Proceedings. 31–42.
to a forage crop is to measure for acid detergent
fibre crude protein (ADF CP). It is a laboratory
test used to measure the amount of heat-dam-
aged protein in a forage sample, reported as a
percentage of the CP. It measures the portion
of CP that is bound to the ADF fraction of
the cell wall, or the portion unavailable to the
cow. Some degree of binding between fibre and
protein occurs naturally even though no heat-
ing took place. This protein is often subtracted
from the feed’s total CP to estimate available
crude protein. ADF CP values higher than 10
per cent (as per cent CP) on the analysis re-
port indicates some overheating of the forage
has occurred. If the bound protein becomes too
high (>12 per cent of CP) then the CP value
should be adjusted. The analysis report will of-
ten provide an adjusted CP value. This value
should be used in ration formulation.
WHEN SILAGE SPOILSDry matter intake by fresh cows compared
with aerobically spoiled total mixed ration can
differ by 10 per cent. What causes animals to
consume less of the spoiled silage is unclear
but can result from a combination of factors,
such as poor palatability, lower digestibility,
foul smell, toxicity or potential interactions be-
tween yeasts and rumen microflora.
Initial population of yeast in silage, before
exposure to oxygen, definitively affects time
to spoilage. Low yeast concentration silage can
take up to 60 hours before showing signs of
spoilage. The temperature of high yeast con-
centration silage can increase by 2 C in less
than 12 hours, a definite sign of spoilage onset.
HANDLING TIME IS CRUCIALManagement can go a long way in minimizing
silage spoilage by yeasts. Packing quickly and
tightly covering bunker silos is a good start.
Seal silage with a thick, white, oxygen-limit-
ing plastic film that is weighted down. Delay-
ing filling is a major cause of yeast and mold
growth. If filling takes place over a six- to 12-
hour period, the yeast and mold population
increases exponentially. Porosity, not density of
the silage mass, dictates air movement into a
silo. Instead of aiming for a certain amount of
kilograms of dry matter per cubic metre, strive
for a bulk density of at least 700 kg per cubic
metre or 44 pounds per cubic foot, regardless
of the moisture level. Obviously, this means the
drier the silage, the more effort you will need to
exert to properly compact the silo.
Even in a well-packed silo, air can penetrate as
much as a metre deep into the open face. Even
if removing only 30 centimetres per day, silage
at a clean face can be exposed to oxygen for
three days. Removing sufficient silage each day
will help prevent spoilage. This is why properly
sizing silos is critical. During hot weather, it is
a good idea to remove small amounts of drier
and-or poorly packed silage daily. This can go a
long way in reducing spoilage. Keeping the silo
face clean and undisturbed is a must.
Various additives can help improve aerobic
stability of silage. Inoculants containing select-
ed strains of Lactobacillus buchneri can help.
This bacterium converts a small amount of lac-
tic acid to acetic acid. Its acetic acid has supe-
rior antifungal properties, which helps control
yeasts. There are some dry matter losses due to
the fermentation from L. buchneri, but they are
small compared with the increased savings of
dry matter loss from aerobic spoilage.
Agricultural Ventilation Systems- Curtains - Panels - Chimneys - Exhaust - Fans - Automation -
Tel: 1-519-527-2470www.sunnorth.com
44 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER
Total butterfat demand for fluid milk and dairy
products during the 12-month period ending
April 2016 was at 337.17 million kilograms
of butterfat. This represents a 3.2 per cent increase
compared with the 12-month period ending April
2015. The Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) is
expecting total demand to increase to 344 million kg
of butterfat at the end of July 2016, and to 348 mil-
lion kg of butterfat in March 2017. This could rep-
resent an overall increase of three per cent compared
with the 12-month period ending in March 2016,
when butterfat levels were at 337.84 million kg.
In regard to P5 markets, total demand is expected
to reach 252 million kg of butterfat at the end of this
dairy year. This represents an increase of 2.6 per cent
compared with the 2014-15 dairy year, says Patrice
Dubé, Dairy Farmers of Ontario senior economist.
Dairy product retail sales have continued an up-
ward trend for all the most important categories,
with the exception of fluid milk sales, which experi-
enced a 0.9 per cent decrease for the 12-month pe-
riod ending on April 30, 2016. Other dairy product
retail sales remain strong. Fluid cream had a four per
cent increase, cheese sales went up by 2.8 per cent,
yogurt at 3.5 per cent, and ice cream had a four per
cent increase. Butter sales have bounced back, in-
creasing by 1.8 per cent after a one-month decline of
0.9 per cent for the period ending on April 2, 2016.
P5 PRODUCTIONP5 production was five per cent higher for the
12-month period ending in April 2016 compared
with the 12 preceding months. After peaking in
May 2016 at 17.5 million litres on a daily basis,
P5 milk production is expected to continue to be
more than 17 million litres for the remaining cal-
endar year.
Since December 2015, the P5 skim milk volume
averaged more than two million litres per week.
This volume is half of what it was at the January
2016 peak level, Dubé says. Skimming of milk in
the coming months may continue to be required
to meet growing P5 butterfat markets, Dubé
adds. This will be facilitated by recent and future
investments in additional skim milk processing
capacities, which are stimulated by the new
competitively priced solids non-fat environment.
BUTTER STOCKSTotal butter stocks have more than doubled
over the December 2015 to May 2016 peri-
od, increasing from 10,700 tonnes to 23,700
tonnes. The May 2016 total butter stock level is
close to four per cent higher than for the same
month five-year average. The CDC is expecting
total butter stocks to reach 25,500 tonnes in
July 2016, which is significantly higher than
the 18,000 tonnes in the previous two dairy
years, but still relatively low compared with the
stock level required in a more vigorous butterfat
demand environment. The higher butter stocks
include more than 11,600 tonnes of import-
ed butter, of which 8,400 tonnes is in addition
to Canada’s year-over-year international butter
import obligation.
P5 QUOTA INCREASEThe P5 boards have approved one per cent pro-
ducer saleable quota increase, effective July 1,
2016, and an additional one per cent producer
saleable quota increase, effective Aug. 1, 2016.
These quota increases can be explained by a strong
overall demand for dairy products. The P5 quo-
ta committee will continue to monitor market
trends and production, and will provide updates
if further adjustments are required. The incentive
days previously issued to conventional, certified
organic milk and Omega 3-DHA milk shippers
remain in place. You can view a chart showing the
incentive days from June 2016 to March 2017 at
www.milk.org under Industry News.
MARKETS
CANADIAN AND P5 MARKETS[
WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45
5(d)/4(m)
5(c)
5(b)
5(a)
4
3(d)
3(c)
3(b)
3(a)
2(b)
2(a)
1(b)
1(a)
P5 UTILIZATION BY CLASS*For April 2016 (kg of butterfat/kg of solids non-fat)
Class 1a Homo, 2%, 1%, skim, chocolate
milk, flavoured milks, buttermilk
Class 1b Fluid creams
Class 2a Yogurt, yogurt beverages, Kefir
and Lassi
Class 2b Ice cream, sour cream, frozen
yogurt
Class 3a Fresh cheese, specialty cheese
Class 3b Cheddar cheese
Class 3c All types of Mozzarella except
when declared in 3d
Class 3d Mozzarella used strictly on
fresh pizzas by establishments
registered with the CDC
Class 4a Butter and powders
Class 4b Condensed and evaporated milk
for retail sale
Class 4c New products
Class 4d Inventory, animal feed
Class 4m Domestic surplus
Class 5a Cheese for further processing
Class 5b Non-cheese products for further
processing
Class 5c Confectionery products
Class 5d Planned exports
(Class 4m is grouped with 5d)
% Butterfat
% Solids Non-Fat
11.93%
11.44%
6.63%
5.52%5.91%
16.16%11.08%
10.72%11.24%
3.51%3.18%
22.71%4.86%
2.40%2.55%
3.54%
16.22%
2.26%
3.08%
1.39%
1.60%
2.35%2.47%
0.31%
27.18%
4.69%
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 45
P5 AND WESTERN MILK POOL BLEND PRICES*The graph below shows the 12-month blend price for the P5
provinces and the Western Milk Pool (WMP). *There is a two-month lag reporting these figures.
Bend
price in $
/hL
P5 blend price
WMP blend price
WMP
$76.13
P5
$72.29
MONTHLY QUOTA PRICES ($/kg)
JU
NE
PR
ICE
S
U.S. CLASS PRICESThe May 2016 Class III Price, $12.76
US per hundredweight, is equivalent to
$37.88 Cdn per hectolitre. This equivalent
is based on the exchange rate of $1 US =
$1.3078 Cdn, the exchange rate when the
USDA announced the Class III Price.
The Class III Price is in $ US per
hundredweight at 3.5 per cent butterfat.
One hundredweight equals 0.44
hectolitres. Canadian Class 5a and Class
5b prices track U.S. prices set by the U.S
Department of Agriculture.
Source: USDA72
74
76
78
80
82
Mar
201
6
Feb
2016
Jan
2016
Dec
201
5
Nov
201
5
Oct
201
5
Sept
201
5
Aug
201
5
July
201
5
June
201
5
May
201
6
Apr
201
6
PROVINCE PRICE/kg AMOUNTWANTED/kg
AMOUNT FOR SALE/ kg
AMOUNT PURCHASED/kg
Alberta $39,030 259.76 55.86 55.86Saskatchewan $32,100 133.21 30.00 17.71
Manitoba $30,000 127.53 309.33 113.37
Quebec $24,000 9,424.30 476.20 473.80
Nova Scotia $24,000 1,001.06 22.00 22.00Ontario $24,000 12,561.53 347.99 348.02Prince Edward Island
$24,000 123.10 62.20 62.20
New Brunswick $23,750 11.20 50.70 11.20
*Newfoundland does not operate a monthly quota exchange. Quota is traded between producers.
**There was no CDQ Exchange in British Columbia as there were no offers to sell
WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
ONTARIO MONTHLY PRODUCER AVERAGE GROSS BLEND PRICE
$73.39
$70
$75
$80
$85
Oct
201
5
Sept
201
5
Aug
201
5
July
201
5
June
201
5
May
201
6
Apr
201
6
Mar
201
6
F eb
2016
Jan
2016
Dec
201
5
Nov
201
5
ONTARIO DEDUCTIONS, PER HLFor May 2016
Within quota
Over-quota
DFO Administration $0.635 $0.635CQM Administration $0.020 $0.020DFO Research $0.050 $0.050Canwest DHI $0.060 $0.060Transportation $2.800 $2.800Market Expansion $1.500 $1.500
Total Deductions $5.065 $5.065Average total net $68.328 $-5.065
*These figures are based on Ontario’s average
composition for May of 4.02 kg. butterfat, 3.33
protein and 5.80 other solids, rounded to the
nearest cent.
A total 3,746 producers sold milk to DFO in May compared with 3,837 a
year earlier.
Grandview Concrete Grooving is pl-
eased to announce its new three-
quarter-inch wide diamond pattern
cut grooves, recommended for new or ex-
isting straw, shaving or recycled bedded
barns.
Benefits from using traditional half-inch
diamond pattern grooving are reduced cull
rates, zero maintenance, hygienic surfac-
es, and increased traction. Cows show
heat because of superior traction, which
encourages mounting. Stepping up, step-
ping down, walking, turning and mounting
are all supported given the fact cows turn
any direction, at any time. Diamond pat-
tern grooving gives equally good traction
in all directions all the time. High-produc-
ing older cows stay in the herd longer.
Additionally, people in the barn have
better traction when walking around due
to the safer, non-skid diamond pattern cut
grooves. The producer has peace of mind
knowing his or her employees, as well as
the herd, are safer.
The three-quarter-inch wide diamond
pattern grooving provides even more
traction than traditional half inch. The wide
grooves are 50 per cent wider and clean
out better because the grooves are smooth
cut and wider than their depth. You can
contact Grandview Concrete Grooving to
book an appointment or get a quote at
888-447-6684 or cowcomfort.com.
NEW WIDE DIAMOND PATTERN CUT GROOVES
Milking system’s swing-over arm design
makes use of limited space to achieve
similar capacity as a double-up or
low-line system,with often lower
capital investment
46 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER
Note: Descriptions of products and services are for
the information of our readers only. Publication of this
information does not constitute endorsement by Milk
Producer.
DELAVAL’S NEW SWING-OVER ARM
SERVICES BOTH SIDES OF PARLOUR
D eLaval is proud to introduce DeLaval.
MidiLine ML3100 swing-over milking
parlour to the Canadian dairy industry.
A superior ultramodern swing-over arm is posi-
tioned in the middle of the pit, and engineered to
service both sides of the parlour. The attractive de-
sign details integrate DelPro Farm Management
capabilities into batch milking routines to ensure
a high level of advanced milking and herd man-
agement functionality.
DeLaval MidiLine ML3100
parlours are ergonomically de-
veloped to help minimize the
forces acting on the dairy pro-
ducer in relation to milking
work demands. The system is
operator-friendly, enabling the
producer to interact efficiently
and easily since most automa-
tion is conveniently mounted
overhead, sheltered from typ-
ical milking conditions, and
affixed with automatic cluster removal. These
features are attributed to the arm exterior and
flexible design, providing optimal tube align-
ment in a swing-over parlour, to aptly improve
milking routines and conditions.
Paul and Laura Gingrich, owners of Margin
Holsteins near Downeyville, Ont., know all
too well the efficiencies gained from DeLaval
ML3100. They recently shifted from milking
50 cows in a tiestall pipeline to a double 10
ML3100 in their retrofit barn. The unit was
installed by Norwell in early spring.
“We knew we couldn’t continue to milk in a
switch tiestall for much longer since it’s physi-
cally demanding and time-consuming. Now we
enjoy milking once again,” Paul says.
“It’s not milking, it’s playing,” Laura adds.
This is the first installation of its kind in North
America with a second installa-
tion nearing completion at the
farm of William Judge, located
in Caledon East, Ont.
“This is an extremely attrac-
tive alternative for dairy produc-
ers,” says Steve Shea, DeLaval
Canada’s milking systems prod-
uct specialist. “Our swing start
feature is natural and intuitive.
With ML3100, you no longer
need to press a button to be-
gin the milking. Once the unit
swings to the other side of the milking parlour,
the vacuum starts automatically.”
Delivered pre-assembled in compact mod-
ules, it reduces the traditional installation time
and manages associated dairy facility improve-
ment costs.
For further information, contact your local
dealer, or visit www.delaval.com.
NEW ’N’ NOTED
Kubota Canada Ltd. (KCL) is expanding
its long-time alliance with Land Pride
through Kubota Corp.’s agreement to
purchase Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc.
Once complete, the purchase will include
all five Great Plains divisions with multiple fa-
cilities in Kansas and a manufacturing plant in
Sleaford, England. After Kvenerland, the Great
Plains acquisition gives KCL an edge in the
agricultural implement market since it is now
positioned to offer more high-quality pieces
of equipment that will enhance dairy farmers’
day-to-day performance.
Since 2007, Kubota has worked closely
with Land Pride to provide quality, perfor-
mance-matched implements to Kubota dealers
and customers across the U.S. and Canada.
“Through our Canadian marketing alliance,
we’ve learned Land Pride products are a great fit
for our tractors, our dealers and our brand here
in Canada. This acquisition will strengthen our
ability to deliver high-quality products to our
customers and continue our strategic growth
into new markets,” says Kubota Canada Ltd.
president Bob Hickey.
All five Great Plains divisions will continue
to operate as they have, with their infrastructure
intact and with respect to the distinctiveness of
the brands, trademarks and operational strengths.
Roy Applequist, Great Plains founder and chair-
man, will remain on the leadership team to help
guide the operations and facilitate a seamless
transition. “My plan is to play a significant role
in helping Great Plains become a vital part of the
Kubota family,” Applequist says. “Great Plains’
leadership position in the agricultural implement
business has been earned by striving to do our
best in satisfying our customers’ needs, and we are
confident that teaming up with Kubota will allow
us to continue to uphold this tradition.”
The partnership further builds on Kubota’s
presence in Kansas where the company recent-
ly announced the establishment of its North
American Distribution Center in Edgerton,
Kansas, which serves as the primary distribu-
tion hub for Kubota parts and whole goods.
The company’s expanding presence in the re-
gion well-equips it to complete a seamless tran-
sition, ensuring existing Great Plains and Land
Pride customers continue to receive the same
reliable and professional support to which they
are accustomed.
ABOUT KUBOTA CANADA LTD.Kubota Canada Ltd., founded in 1975, is the
Canadian marketer and distributor of Kubota
corporation-branded equipment, including a
complete line of tractors up to 170 horsepow-
er, performance-matched implements, com-
pact and utility-class tractors and construction
equipment, landscaping and public works
equipment, residential lawn and garden equip-
ment, commercial turf products, and utility
vehicles.
With 150 dealers across Canada, Kubota is
well positioned to service the Canadian market
with both the Kubota line of tractors, as well as
the Great Plains line of complementing imple-
ments, haying equipment and spreaders.
Carl Heinlein, general manager of sales and
marketing, is confident the acquisition will fur-
ther enhance the product and services available
to Kubota’s customers. “With the acquisition of
Great Plains, Kubota is better placed to provide
a complementary range of products to the agri-
cultural community. The strong dealer network
throughout Canada offers faster distribution
and better service to compete in the Canadian
market. Kubota services family-owned small
holdings to large-scale operations.
HARVESTORE BUSY
WITH MANY NEW
BUILDS THIS SUMMER
As dairy operators continue to move
toward feed automation, they
are looking to Harvestore to help
complete the automation process. The
Harvestore structures along with the XL
unloaders provide recognized feed quality,
fast loading and unloading efficiencies,
and reduced labour costs.
Tibben Farms Inc. in Brinston, Ont. is
making the switch to Harvestore for those
exact reasons. Wanting to automate their
dairy operation, while providing superior
feed quality, the farm’s owners turned to
Harvestore. Henk Huizenga, from Ottawa
Valley Harvestore, invited Mark Tibben to
attend an automation meeting at Marcel
Steen’s Celmar Dairy farm. In 2014, Steen
built three Harvestore structures. He
wanted to move toward full automation,
reduce labour and operating costs, while
ensuring his herd received quality feed.
Steen built a haylage unit with a XL600HD
unloader, a corn silage unit with the same
XL600HD unloader, and a high-moisture
corn unit with cone bottom unloading.
Steen has seen significant savings in time
and labour. He and his wife, Annika, can
operate their 160-cow herd with minimal
additional help.
Tibben quickly appreciated the econo-
mics and efficiencies of the various farm
operations after talking to Steen and other
dairy operators who have started using
automation on their farms. “Looking for
an efficient and effective means of storing
high-quality forage in a totally automated
feed system was the go ahead for Tibben
Farms,” Huizenga says.
More information is available at www.
ontarioharvestore.com.
KUBOTA EXPANDS ALLIANCE WITH
GREAT PLAINS MANUFACTURING
MILKPRODUCER | JULY 2016 47
weber’s1769 Listowel Rd. RR4, Elmira, OntarioEmail: [email protected]
800-825-4961
P-TRAP FLOOR DRAINS
519-698-0472
AGRi-Speed HITCH
Call Jason at Mohawkholm Farms Elmira, On1-877-669-1196
Hook-up • Safely • Quick • Easy• Works on tractors, pick-ups & choppers• Bolts to drawbar• Makes chopping silage easy• Built tough - to pull even the largest wagons• Increases your productivity up to 25%• Works with PTO Demos are available- just ask
Ask About Our Satsfaction Guarantee
Milking cows made simple! Are you frustrated with slow milking quarters, udders that do not milk out, mastitis and slow milking? CoPulsationtm provides a unique milking action with a full teat massage for superior milking.
Krynenhill Holsteins LTD Rob Krijnen 519-617-1100 CoPulsation.com www.Facebook.com/CoPulsation
CoPulsationtm Milking System
AG IN MOTIONWestern Canada’s Outdoor Farm ExpoJuly 19 - 21, 2016NW of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Join Us for Breakfast!As an exhibitor and
co-sponsor of the Opening Breakfast, we invite you to join us. Drop by our booth
for your free ticket!
GCG Diamond Pattern Cut Grooved Floors
Toll Free 1 (888) 447-6684cowcomfort.com
Chemical-Resistant - Food-Grade Epoxy
Toll Free 1-888-828-3783Cell Ph. 1-519-630-3639
Email: [email protected]
Protective coatings for every aspect of your barnfeed mangers - robotic rooms - milking parlors
bulk tank rooms - offices - vet roomsk rooms - offices -
EXCLUSIVE PRICING FOR NEW BARNS
SINCE 1936Call 1.800.690.2396
[email protected] • www.sommersgen.com
Tavistock, ON • Blenheim, ON • Moncton, NB
• Prime power and automatic standby generator systems to 2000 kW• WinPower/Winco PTO alternators - 7 kw to 150 kW• Electric motors sales & service• Cattle clippers sales & service
Bunker Silo Covers MEGAPLASTPOWER® & TOPSEAL®
The solution for maximizing your feed potential Width’s: 6m to 20m / 20 ft to 66 ft.Length’s: 35m to 400m / 115 ft to 1310 ft.
Also available: anchorbags and sidewall tires
Zuidervaart Agri-Import, Mitchell Ont. 519-393-8290e-mail: [email protected]
Please call for a dealer in your area
Your Expert in Alternative Housing
1.800.263.6410Bilingual Sales, Service & Parts Across Canada
@ClarkAgSystemswww.clarkagsystems.com
The message behind the moo is certainly a
topic farmers and researchers from around the
world are weighing in on—even sparking an un-
usual question. If farmers raise cows all across
the globe, do cows moo in different accents?
If you believe a 2006 BBC News report
about British dairy farmers then yes, cows can
have “regional accents.” Among other sources,
including language specialists, the article quot-
ed a farmer from Glastonbury saying he notices
his cows moo with a “Somerset drawl.”
The idea is cows might be picking up on
their owner’s accent and passing that down to
their calves. However, there hasn’t been a pub-
lished study on “regional accents” of cows—
yet—leaving the issue open for dairy farmers to
debate among themselves.
While it might seem a bit silly studying a
cow’s moo, the research can do more than just
amuse farmers. As scientists continue to research
the message behind a cow’s moo, the data could
reveal important information for dairy produc-
ers to help identify animal welfare issues, or the
sounds cows make when they are in distress.
THE BACK FORTYBy Jennifer Nevans
STUDYING A cow’s moo can reveal beneficial information for dairy producers to help
identify animal welfare issues.
50 JULY 2016 | MILKPRODUCER
Jennifer Nevansis assistant editor of Milk Producer.
MESSAGE BEHIND THE MOO Have you ever wondered what your cows might be thinking or saying when they moo?
WWW.MILKPRODUCER.CA
Many dairy producers have a special
bond with their cows, and it’s hard
not to develop a relationship after
spending long hours in the barn. So it’s proba-
bly not unusual for a farmer to—at one point
in time—wonder what their cows might be
thinking or saying when they moo.
U.K. researchers from the University of Not-
tingham and Queen Mary University have won-
dered that as well. While they haven’t quite been
able to decipher the messages behind a cow’s
moo, they did discover something interesting.
After spending 10 months listening in on
conversations between cows and their calves
at a farm in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottingham-
shire, and then a year analyzing the sounds,
they found mother cows have two different
calls for their calves. The cows would make a
low frequency call when their calves were close
by, and a high frequency call when they were
separated from their young. Researchers also
recorded the sounds calves made when they
wanted to be fed.
The study, which was published in the Jour-nal of Applied Animal Behaviour Science in De-
cember 2014, also found that just like humans,
cows can make their own unique sounds.
Mother cows and calves can often identify one
another by their calls. For many dairy produc-
ers, the research confirmed something they
already knew—cows can communicate with
their calves. But what are they really saying,
and what’s the message behind their moo?
According to Dairy Moos, a blog from a
third-generation California dairy farmer, there
could be eight possible reasons why a cow might
moo. This includes curiosity, hunger, playfulness
or anger. Regardless of the reason, the main pur-
pose is simply to communicate with one another.
Xcalibur™
90LXSIMPLY SUPERIOR
PARALLEL STALL
Innovative
SmartLite detacher
system manages
four milking points
with one single
control unit.
SmartLite - simple, convenient, and aligns perfectly with the BouMatic high-flow concept.• Clear Milking Status Information – Bright, multi-colored LED button provides instant
overview of each stall’s milking status
• Economical – One control unit for every four milking points
• Accuracy – Resistant sensor has a wide measuring range with the flexibility to set the minimum milk flow for detaching the milking cluster from low to high flow rates
• Simple and Convenient – Single button operation, all detacher settings can be adjusted from one point
• Compatibility – Works with the BouMatic shut off valve range and detacher cylinders for new or retrofit applications
• Easy Installation – Easily mounted onto metal stall frame or under curb
t, and
DETACH SMART,IMPROVE PERFORMANCE
SmartLite™
www.boumatic.com
Gently, Quickly and Com
plete
ly™
Contact Your BouMatic Dealer Today!
AlexandriaR.B. Farm & Dairy Equip.613-525-3691
Brinston Dundas Agri-Systems 613-652-4844
Blumenort Penner Farm Services 800-461-9333 204-326-3781
Belle ValleeOptimum Agri705-647-5040
Napanee Moore 5 County Dairy Services613-354-5516
TaraPartner Ag Services519-934-2343 877-349-3276
OshawaGordon Corners Ltd.905-655-3177
Strathroy-Salford-JarvisDortmans Bros 1-800-265-3435
Wellesley AdvancedDairy Systems 519-656-2379
Power-up your cow monitoring capabilities with the most advanced, yet easy-to-use, herd management system. The PC-based SCR Heatime® Pro System for real-time heat detection and
SCR Heatime Pro eliminates the guesswork and inconsistency of evaluating the reproductive, health, nutrition and well-being status of each and every cow, allowing early and proactive action to alleviate the full effect of the incidents that prevent cows from achieving their genetic milk production potential.
www.eastgen.ca
Invested in your Future.
World leading Heatime® cow monitoring
a large lineup of health and activity monitoring products, we can provide a custom solution to
• Boost herd-wide productivity with powerful, real-time, health monitoring
• Customizable dashboards and reports for your individual herd goals
• Optimize heat detection and achieve high conception rates
• Gain advanced cow monitoring capabilities for herd decision-making
• Full integration with Dairy Comp 305 available.
• Long range capabilities to link multiple locations to one PC
• App available for Android and iPhone
Heatime® PROPut Time on Your Side