A weekly report prepared by the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). For more information call 519-846-0941 or 1-877-424-1300 Office hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm. Visit the OMAFRA website at www.ontario.ca/omafra.
SoilSmart 2015
FarmSmart Agricultural Conference presents SoilSmart 2015 on Jan. 23 at RIM Park, Manulife Financial Sportsplex, Forbes Hall, 2001 University Ave., E., Waterloo, from 8:50am to 5:30pm.
There will be a full day in-depth focus on soil health to support viable and responsible crop production now and in the future:
– Ray Archuleta, conservation agronomist, USDA-NRCS, Greensboro, North Carolina, will talk on: taking your farm to the next level with better soil health and building better soil health;
– Jeff Rasawehr, Farmer, Brimingham, MI, USA will talk on: putting soil health principles into practice;
– Bill Deen, professor of cropping systems, U of Guelph, will talk on: rotational diversity and resilience; and
– Earl Elgie and Ken Nixon, farmers will talk on: my approach to soil health on the farm.
Cost for OSCIA members is $75; non-members (includes one-year membership): $110.
Registration closes on Jan. 21. Pre-registration only, no walk-ins.
For more information and registration visit www.farmsmartconference.com or call: 1-877-1300.
FarmSmart 2015
Now in its 16th year, the main FarmSmart Conference will return to Rozanski Hall at the University of Guelph on Jan. 24. Presentations will address current and emerging technology and innovation across a range of topics, from crop and livestock production to soil and environmental management, business, marketing, and general interest.
This year, one of two keynote speakers is Don Schiefelbein of Schiefelbein Angus Farms in Kimball, Minnesota who, along with his Dad and eight brothers, farms 4,500 acres of pasture and crops and manages 800 angus cows and a 25,000 head feedlot.
Their ‘Cowman’s Philosophy’ is simple: the cows either work for them or they work for McDonalds. “We do not tolerate open cows, cows with an attitude, cows that don’t raise a calf every year or cows that don’t wean a high percentage of their weight… it’s as simple as that.”
Schiefelbein is a 1989 animal science graduate of Texas A&M, is the chief financial officer, genetic program coordinator and manager of promotion and advertising for Scheifelbein farms. He is a board member for the American Angus Association, Certified Angus Beef, Minnesota Angus Association and Angus Genetics Inc., Past president of Minnesota Cattleman’s Association, past chairman of Minnesota Beef Profitability task force and has worked for the American Gelbvieh Association and North American Limousin Foundation.
Retail sector expert Paul Uys will provide a retailer’s view of the role of consumers in agriculture. Loblaw Companies Ltd. recruited Paul in 1987, where he became Vice President of Innovation, fostering several highly successful branding initiatives including President’s Choice Organics, PC Blue Menu & PC “Free From” lines. Paul was instrumental in creating and managing the Loblaw Sustainable Seafood Commitment and the “Food for the Future” responsible sourcing initiative.
Retiring after 25 years at Loblaw, Uys accepted a two-year term as senior director external with the Food Institute at the University of Guelph. In an interview with The Grocer, Uys stated that the phrase ‘from farm to fork’ should be changed to ‘from fork to farm’, recognizing that issues like diminishing biodiversity, water security, and the ability to harvest natural capital are now driving consumer trends.
Chris Van Esbroeck of the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority and Merrin Macrae, associate professor in the department of geography and environmental management at the University of Waterloo, will team up to discuss their field-scale studies looking at managing phosphorus losses through tiles and surface run-off.
Joining the FarmSmart line-up from Brazil, Nadiel Pacheco Kowalski will draw from his background in agribusiness and corporate communications to provide an international perspective on agronomy. His company, NPK Consultoria Empresarial, provides agricultural tours to and from Brazil with a clientele that includes companies, universities, farmers and co-operatives. Nadiel will present an overview of the Brazilian agribusiness system, where farmers in the shadow of Amazon Rainforest contribute to feeding the world.
Here in Ontario, farmers continue to struggle with managing cover crops but professor Bill Curran will help by sharing his insight from his research and extension work at the department of plant science at Penn State University, where he studies weed biology, integrated weed management, weed management in conservation tillage systems and managing cover crops.
In one of two sessions at FarmSmart, Curran will present the latest findings of his multi-state project that has developed the Penn State Cover Crop Interseeder, designed to establish cover crops despite late harvest and short seasons. A second session will further explore weed control in cover crops.
For more updates, program details and registration visit: www.farmsmartconference.com or call: 1-877-1300.
